He was restless –
Drinking himself silly, and pacing inch-thick welts into the rough concrete floor –
Because she was gone – had just packed and moved – without giving so much of an explanation as to why she was so desperate to leave so suddenly.
It didn't make sense to him.
He felt lonely.
Sure, Aniki and Kora still stood beside him, but he wanted her to be there, with Pounce and all.
"Get me another."
The maid looked at him in concern.
"You mustn't dri – "
"I said, give me another!"
She bowed hastily and poured the liquid into his cup that bore cracks and fingermarks from overuse.
He was sure she had left because of him – her eyes had hardened whenever she looked at him – but what the hell had he done damnit!
The door swung open once more, and in his drunken stupor, he trained his eyes onto the figure that walked through, ears ringing with the persistent 'dings'. Whoever had walked into the bar drew his cloak around himself tighter, and made his way to the bartender, gesturing for a glass of barley water. Rosto took the cup the maid had refilled, and shifted closer to him. Despite being drunk and tipsy, he felt slightly unsettled at the newcomer, and gave him an once-over.
"You come here often?"
The grip on the cloak had somewhat tightened, and Rosto watched through narrowed eyes.
"No."
And the face turned, giving him a full view of the fair hair –
-
-
And grey eyes.
-
-
And Rosto the Piper toppled off his stool.
-x-
UNWANTED
I. The Return
by P 'n A
-x-
A Beka Cooper Fic.
-x-
"You!"
Heads turned in their direction, and all chatter stopped, but the cloak had slipped down the face, concealing the startling features that had sent the Rogue tumbling backwards.
Leaving the barley water behind, the figure flew out the door, tossing a few coins onto the table. Rosto charged after him, all drunkenness gone and completely alert.
"Come back!"
The figure kept running.
A cat curled around his leg.
"Oi!"
-
-
-
Rosto chased on.
-
-
-
"BEKA COOPER!"
She stopped, and spun round, standing as Pounce released his leg and trotted lightly back to her.
She pushed her chin up, only reaching the tip of his unshaven beard, and glared.
He froze.
"Don't talk to me."
And she turned on her heel, dark cloak tight around her.
"Don't you dare talk to me."
-x-
Sweetheart, life's just unfair.
-x-
He fell against the wall, feeling bile rising up his throat.
Feeling for leverage, he bent over, and threw up in the gutter.
Shit.
Hands came up to rest at his forehead, and he leant back, relishing the cool stone against his neck.
What the hell was she doing here? Hadn't she left and promised never to come back?
Rosto stood up, and staggered back onto the main street, looking up at the soft lights and wondering just why he deserved this. For a sober moment, he felt the chill of the cool breeze, and rubbed his hands down his arms.
Thinking hard wasn't doing him any favours.
So ten minutes later, he found himself outside Beka's new apartment building (ever since he turned her old building into the Rogue hangout), staring at the light that filtered through the curtains on her level.
Then the light flickered off, and a slam of the door echoed down the stairs.
Someone was coming out.
A baby cried.
He stiffened.
It wailed again, and then the cries were smothered.
Footsteps came down the steps, and he blocked the pathway.
"BEKA COOPER! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"
The footsteps stopped and scraped the concrete for a tiny minute, before coming to a stop.
"I thought I told you not to talk to me."
The baby's howls were muffled.
She emerged from the shadows, and faced him, a sling cradling a baby tied from her right shoulder to hip.
"Y-you – "
"Don't waste my time, Rosto."
He started forward.
"That baby – "
She cut him off. "- Is none of your business."
"I have a right to know!"
Her eyes seemed to pin his body to the ground.
"No you don't!"
She gathered the cloak around herself, tightly once more.
"From now on, you have nothing to do with me. I was wrong about you all along."
And she left him.
And he almost fell to the ground, bawling for the first time in his life.
-x-
- so deal with it.
-x-
Tears streaked down the side of her face, and she struggled to even lift an arm to wipe them away.
The baby cradled at her chest moaned, and she hugged it closer as a source of comfort. Pounce leapt onto her shoulder, and she buried her face into his fur, ignoring his mewl of disgust at her wet tears.
"It was his fault. His fault," she repeated, again and again, like a reassurance.
And she stroked the baby's face, which had been thrown into relief by the street lamps, and smiled sadly, before speeding down the street to find her sister who threw open the door on the second knock, mouth poised to shout profanities at the person who dared wake her up at this hour of the night.
"Beka," she breathed, "Finally."
She took the baby from her grasp and cooed at him.
"Well aren't you a beautiful boy. Hmm?" She set him in a makeshift cot and shuffled into the cramped kitchen to make Beka a drink.
"Did anybody see you?"
Her throat grew dry. "Yes."
"Who?"
"Rosto."
"The Rogue?"
"Yeah."
"I guess it couldn't be helped."
"He asked about the baby."
"Did he now?"
She slipped off her cloak and leant against the barriers of the cot, staring at the sleeping baby.
"Mmm," she replied, not really hearing what her sister was saying.
"Does he suspect anything?"
"Yes. He was not drunk enough to not be suspicious."
"Lorine would have wanted you to look after the babe."
She took the cup Diona offered her and sat down on a chair. She still felt awkward around her, unsure whether or not Diona had completely accepted her.
"I can't. I am busy. Why can you not look after him?"
Diona frowned at her. "What would the neighbours think if I turned up in one day with baby in my arms with no man?"
"And what about me Diona? Would people not think me strange if I looked after that babe? I need to clear up some things back here."
"He's Lorine's son, Beka. She was your sister."
Beka set the cup down against the wooden table with a thud.
"And she was your sister too! You cannot push all the responsibility onto me!"
And with a final glare, she snatched her cloak and stormed out into the cold.
-x-
A/N
Well. Here we are. And this is our first Tamora Pierce fanfic. Penny does the planning, and I do the writing. Due to Penny's extra-fantabulous planning and plot, it's making it hard for me to write! Anyway, you will understand everything in the end. Reviews are always appreciated!