Summary: She was empty and lost in the dark, but one day, he stumbled into her life and she found light again, and became whole.
Disclaimer: Any character, setting, place, thing, etc. that you recognize is the property of the wonderful Ms. Cornelia Funke who let me play in her sandbox. In other words: it's not mine, so don't sue.
Warning: Mild Inkspell spoilers, character death, and overwhelming fluff (to me anyway).
The rain felt warm against her skin. She was cold, so cold, even though she could barely raise her arms due to the layers of sweaters and the heavy coat her mother made her wear before she was allowed outside. 'I don't want you to be sick' she had said. But Meggie was already sick, and her mother knew it.
Beside her on the bench was a book, the one Mo had bound especially for her to write in. Meggie remembered the painstaking way he had measured and glued and picked out colors. It was the only book she read these days, even though the pages were smooth and wordless. Its ruffled sheets revealed the well worn path her fingers had traveled, the milky white turning a faint yellowish black even though Meggie had tried fruitlessly to keep it safe and dry.
It was her reminder of Mo. Resa had cleared out the house from attic to basement, and Elinor had not said a word. She understood her niece's desperation to take away everything that reminded her of her husband, because it made her admit to herself that he was truly gone.
Meggie hated her mother for pretending, hated her for abandoning her, because isn't it her job to comfort her? To hold her hand and walk with her through life? But her mother had her own pain and need for security, and she had forgotten that her daughter too, is grieving.
So Meggie had drawn in herself. She had been forced to huddle and shiver through her nightmares alone, and in the end, she had came out by herself, and she didn't need anyone else anymore.
The bench she sat on was one of many that scattered throughout Elinor's property. Carved with lion's feet and elaborate rose vines, it was a pity this one was hidden, concealed behind a barricade of branches, tall grass, and wild bushes. It had been Meggie's haven when she wanted to escape the concerned glances of Elinor and Darius, the fake understanding smiles, and the anxious whispers behind closed doors. It had remained her hiding place from other people and a place to be with herself.
She was crouched on its cold surface today because of her mother yet again. Resa had noticed Meggie's apparent 'lack of friends' and had organized a party for her. She had even gone so far as to inviting Fenoglio and his grandchildren. I don't need friends, Meggie thought, they just let you down. And anyway, I have my books for company. She looked at her notebook. Well, I have Mo's special book, and that's better than any other. Meggie refused to listen to her mother's logic.
Snap. What was that? Meggie thought, looking around in a tired, defeated way. If her mother discovered her hiding place, she would not have peace in her life ever again.
To her surprise, it was not the drawn, disappointed face of grownups that greeted her, but instead a boy's worried eyes and bright smile.
Farid. Meggie had not seen him since…since Mo died three years before. He had let his hair grow longer, and now had a head of corkscrew curls that framed his head. The face that smiled at her now wasn't the same as the one she remembered. His cheekbones were more defined, and a shadow of a beard graced his firm chin. Neat, trimmed mustache hairs rested about his lips that parted to reveal strong, white teeth.
Since when had you gone boy-crazy? Meggie thought furiously to herself, fighting not to blush. She could feel the blood rushing to her face and the tips of her ears.
He held out his hand to her, and she took it. A minute later, she was wrapped tight against him, her head on his shoulder, his hands playing with her long, shiny hair. It had been so long since someone had held her, so long since she felt comfort that didn't come from herself. Meggie buried her face in his shirt, and unleashed her sorrow, the tears that she held back all this time. She let herself free, to remember Mo and to mourn him, and also to move on and look to the future.
There were no words, because they were not needed. Farid stood holding her, and she clutched him tighter, afraid to let go, afraid that the minute she did, she would wake up, and find that it was all just a dream and she would have to be on her own again.
It was a long time before Meggie ran out of tears, and by then, Farid's shirt was soaking wet. He swayed, moving them to the soundless music that surrounded them, and before long, she found herself laughing, dancing like there was nothing but him and her in the world.
Farid lifted her face with his long, warm fingers, and searched her eyes. She held perfectly still for him, and allowed him to see her soul. He must have found what he was looking for, because a moment later, his mouth was on hers, and he tasted so damn good, and she can't help but feel that the hole in her chest had filled, just a little, with love for Farid.
When they broke apart, breathless, Meggie thought she had touched a shooting star.
Silently, as they trudged up the hill to the house, Meggie said goodbye to Mo, and her grief. She tightened her hold on Farid's fingers, seeking an anchor and finding it, and she looked back at the little meadow in which she had found isolation, escape, and now love in, and she thought, It's a lovely place, but I don't think I'll be needing it anymore. Because she have Farid, and he was her comfort.
Fin.
A/N: I'm not entirely happy with this piece, turns out a bit darker than I wanted, and a bit clichéy but all the FxM fics out there aren't... well, satisfactory, and I just want to try my hand at it. Not bad considering I wrote this in 30 minutes when I should've been doing my homework. Feedback would be nice.