A/N: I DO NOT own Watchmen.
Goodbye and Hello
So, he's leaving I guess. He just came to tell me, giving me one last tender goodbye before departing from the only world I have ever known, giving me and gentle kiss and resonating hope that someday, he may return.
He says he wants to go somewhere a little less "complicated", which bites at me. I cannot say which upsets me more, the fact that he is leaving, or the fact that he has the luxury of leaving this dying planet, consumed by war, greed, and loathing.
I try and imagine where "somewhere" may be. The desert-plagued two-sun world of Tatooine? Or perhaps the Klingon home world of Qo'noS? Reaching into the science-fiction ridden depths of my mind, I imaged far off worlds where he would be one of the everyday people.
He says he plans to create life, further perpetuating the notion by the foolish that he is a God, although I know better. While he may be invincible, deep down, he is still a man, and nothing but.
"Do not be sad, we will meet again." He says, extending a hand and caressing my face gently. With closed eyes, I turn toward his touch, feeling a small spark of cool electricity flow from his finger and onto my flesh, sinking into my nerves and sending coolness through my body.
And I try, as hard as I can not to be sad, feeling emptiness begin to sink into my very being as he plans to take everything away from me. Everything that we had, and could have had.
Leaning in, he kisses me one last time, cold lips pressed against my own with human passion. I cling onto him as long as I possibly can, feeling his lips against my own and relish the feeling of his body against me, silently hoping that when I open my eyes, this will all be a nightmare. I pray that when I wake up, I will find myself in his arms once more, but I know better. I know that right now, I am facing harsh reality, and there is no way I can change that.
By the time returns, I'll either be dead or have aged so much he will feel nothing for me anymore. It happened to Janey, and it sure as hell can happen to me. Laurie is lucky, there's the odd chance she may live long enough to see his return. He did say that The Comedian would have lived another 50 years if given the chance.
Before I know it, he's gone, disappearing in that familiar flash that resonates throughout the room, the blue glow gone along with his departure. In an instant, any trace of him is gone, and I wonder if he was ever really there. I wonder if I have imagined the past few months as a sick fantasy to keep myself occupied with my dull and drab life.
The small kick inside of me reminds me that the past year has been very real. Gasping involuntarily, I look down at my protruding stomach, placing a hand on my womb and feeling the small life inside. I guess he considers the baby a parting gift, the one thing I have to remember him by, and indeed, a child is something you can never forget. It's humorous honestly, that so many view him on a pedestal, and here, I have caught him in a very human act: ditching his wife and child.
As I sit in my living room, I begin to think about everything that has led to this moment, memories flooding my mind like water rushing through a broken dam. I think about the first time we met, how he saved me, our wedding, finding out I was pregnant, the exhilaration that came with hiding it from Laurie and the world, and now, the departure.
I see it all in my mind clearly, remembering each and every detail because now, it is all that I have.
October 29th, 1984
"Hello there, Adrian Veidt."
My stomach all but leapt into my throat as I looked into the eyes of the most famous man in the world, my heart pounding wildly as girlish glee filled me.
"Honor to meet you sir. Stefani Mignon, Chemical Engineer." I managed to choke out, face flushing brightly as I grasped his smooth hand tightly and relished the feel of his skin against my own. The skin belonging to Adrian Veidt. The, Adrian Veidt.
In all honesty, I had never felt like that in my entire life, not even during my days as an awkward preteen, slave to acne and glasses, but now, here I am, a graduate top of my class, a world-renowned engineer, and I think I was quickly turning into a 14-year-old meeting her biggest boy crush.
"Nice to see such a pretty face in such a serious career, not many beautiful women are famous chemical engineers." He grinned, putting his arms behind his back.
I know that this statement is meant to be nothing but a nice compliment, something I get often in my line of work, but nevertheless I basked underneath what my brain configured as praise, flushing brightly and looking down at my feet awkwardly.
"Thank you Mr. Veidt." I replied graciously, trying to compose myself before looking back into his eyes again.
"You are quite welcome." He smiled, and I notice that each time he parts his pink lips, his eyes smile as well, twinkling with genuine happiness that sends warmth through my chest.
Essentially, he's perfect, and I have let myself become a moronic brainless drone controlled by hormones and an unhealthy romantic appetite.
"So, ready for your first day of work?" he asked, voice sending chills down my spine.
"Ready whenever you are." I forced myself to reply, clasping my hands together.
"Wonderful, well follow me to my office then we'll depart for the Research Center."
As he lead me to one of the elevators, I looked around eyeing myself in a nearby mirror and vainly tucking a flyaway behind my ear. In the midst of all of it, the rational side of me screamed in disgust, and I realized just how appalling my behavior was. I had been deduced to slobbering over a male when I should have been focusing on contributing to the nation's security like I was hired to do.
The moment the doors closed before us, the air around me seemed to grow tight and I closed my eyes, grasping the wall tightly to still myself as the room spun. Elevators and I generally did not get along, I suppose we were simply not meant to be.
With every metallic clack and bang, my mind played scenarios of plummeting to the bottom of a dusty shaft, and I calculated the probability of each situation, silently and logically preparing for a far-off but too-close death.
"Are you alright?" Veidt asked, putting a hand on my shoulder in comfort, although I am certain he was more worried about me passing out. Having ambulances come here would definitely not be good for business, and would undoubtedly draw the attention of the press.
Fear of liability stamped across his beautiful face, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.
"I don't like elevators." I whispered, inhaling sharply at the familiar rebound that happens once an elevator arrives at its destination. Opening my eyes slowly, I could see Mr. Veidt staring at me out of the corner of my eye, and silently scolded myself, hoping he would not see this as a weakness.
"Come, have a seat and I'll get you a glass of water." He said soothingly, gripping my upper arm tightly and ushering me onto the floor. Barely paying attention to my surroundings, I let him lead me to a comfortable looking royal purple couch and sat down, my face burning brightly.
"I think I'm fine, thanks." I almost shouted as he turned around to grab the glass of water. Tossing his hand up casually, he walked to the sink, before grabbing a glass and filling it up.
Walking the clear container over to me, I accepted it gratefully before gulping the water down, my mouth suddenly dry.
First day on the job, and I had certainly made an impression. I had gotten the call from Veidt International two months ago, offering a job where I would work side-by-side with the most famous man in the world on a nuclear reactor that could potentially rid the world of the need for fossil fuels, and hopefully avert World War III from breaking out.
The job offer came as a blessing, after being forced to move back in with my parents a year after getting my Master's, for lack of employment. It came as a surprise, after graduating high school at sixteen, getting into an Ivy League college, graduating Magna Cum Lauda, and writing a thesis that had made it into the New Yorker how hard it was to find someone willing to hire a pretty face with essentially no real world experience. For all my credentials and the diplomas hanging on my wall, I was deduced to doing secretarial work at a local law firm, and listening to my parent's constant inquiries about when I could go back and get a more practical degree.
The guys I had graduated with, moved on into the world, picking up jobs with the government of the United States and different countries, and here I was, sitting behind a desk and going home to my old bedroom every single night, living a life of exceptional fulfillment.
Veidt International offered a handsome salary, as well as a gateway into any job I could ever want for the rest of my life. What more could I have asked for? And I knew, even if he did not, that I was personally indebted to Mr. Veidt for the rest of my life.
Slapping a royal purple folder against his thigh, Mr. Veidt sat down next to me, opening it and shuffling through some papers before handing one to me.
Taking it with shaky hands, I glanced at the diagram of the nuclear reactor we would be working on, narrowing my eyes as I studied it carefully, immersing myself in the mechanical drawings that brought significance to my life.
Against human nature itself, since the first time I gazed upon the rounded numbers of a math problem, I fell in love. I excelled all through elementary school, not for intelligence but for my passion for the world of numbers, my feelings growing as I delved into the world of science, taking chemistry when I entered high school.
Scientific research, mathematics, and logical thinking had become a way of life for me, instead of just a job. I guess you could call me a "nerd", but it was what I loved, and I refused to find a problem with that.
"This is amazing." I breathed, setting the diagram down on the small coffee table in front of the couch before leaning forward, taking in every detail.
"You came highly recommended, and I have read up on your background. Graduating high school at 16, quite impressive. However not as impressive as obtaining your Bachelor's in two years, then your Master's. You are 20, am I correct?"
I nodded, barely aware of his presence as I gazed at the finely sketched parts.
"Magnificent. I have no doubt that you will be an incredible asset to my team.
"Thank you Mr. Veidt." I murmured, biting my lip absently before an unfamiliar voice unwillingly pulled my attention.
"Please, call me Adrian. We'll be working together for the next year or so, I'd rather make things as comfortable as possible." He waved a hand, eyes staring out one of the windows.
"The limo is here and waiting." A sultry voice crooned, and I looked up to find a statuesque blond woman, hair pulled up on top of her head and lips lined with red lipstick and a pencil skirt/blouse combo was distracting to even me.
"Thank you Esmerelda. Stefani, if you would take this folder with you, those are your things in there. We will head down to the Research Center now."
As I stood, I clutched the folder tightly to my chest, taking a deep breath as my mind skittered, my brain telling me the importance of this moment. Not only was I working for the single most powerful man in the world, I was working on a nuclear reactor that had the potential to avert a war. In my short years on this planet, never had my life amounted to anything as it did now, and I knew this was my chance to finally get back on the path I had took what seemed to be years ago.
Stepping back into the elevator, I pushed myself into a corner, leaning against the wood-paneled frame for support. Much to my surprise, I felt a hand around my waist lightly, not so much that it felt forceful, but lightly to ensure I did not hit the ground if I collapsed.
"Is she alright?" I heard Esmerelda whisper and closed my eyes as the room began to spin, my mind wandering back to the psychologist my parents made me see years ago for this very problem.
Adrian replied with something I could not hear and when the doors opened, I all but shot out of the metal box, wanting to get as far away from elevator shafts and cables as I possibly could.
Turning around, I watched as Adrian and Esmerelda leaned in, whispering in hushed tones before she departed, and he walked towards me straightening his tie.
"Come." He gestured, and together we walked out of the front door and onto the sidewalk where a royal purple limousine waited. Adrian's drivers opened the door for us, and I dove inside, moving to the opposite end of the seat followed by Adrian who slammed the door behind us.
Feeling the leather against my thighs through my slacks, I looked around, trying to wrap my Midwestern brain around the magnificent automobile.
"This is incredible." I breathed, glancing over at him in childlike wonder.
He replied with his world-renowned smile, flashing brilliant white teeth so marvelously that my insides melted like butter. Feeling my face burn, I looked back down at the folder, opening it and turning to a few of the sketches so I could distract myself.
"So you are from Ohio, am I correct?" he asked, and I forced myself to look up, chewing on my bottom lip nervously.
"Yes." I nodded, and returned to the sketches.
"Listen Stefani…" he suddenly moved closer, knee brushing against mine before he jerked it away. I looked over at him, glancing down at the spot where we had touched then watched his face carefully, composed into a blank slate.
"I can tell that you're nervous. Take a deep breath, there is nothing to be afraid of." He assured me, flashing that smile once more and sending my heart skipping beats as well as embarrassment crawling through me.
"I'm sorry." I murmured, looking down. Much to my horror, Adrian let out a small chuckle, and I could tell he knew exactly why I was nervous, not because of this job, but because of him.
"I can assure you, there is nothing to be nervous about, including me." He smiled in a slightly egotistical manner that caused me to raise an eyebrow as I wondered if the sensitive and humble man I had seen on television had all just been an act.
Instead of saying anything, his involuntary admission that he was less than perfect suddenly put me at ease, and I found myself able to look at him without falling victim to unruly hormones and foolishness.
For the rest of the ride, he occasionally shot questions at me about my home life, but other than that we remained silent, watching the city of Manhattan go by through tinted windows.
It seemed eons before re reached the Rockefeller Military Research Center, approaching the highly-coveted grounds that my peers and I had discussed so many times back in lab. Driving through the gates, I stared out the window in awe and wonder, remembering back to the first time I had toured a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, staring up at the giant reactors through wide eyes.
After the limo stopped, Adrian got out and extended a hand like a gentleman, pulling me to my feet. Hardly able to contain my excitement, I bounced all the way into the research center, asking various questions about various things as diarrhea of the mouth took over and I found myself unable to stop chatting.
Almost skipping as I walked behind Adrian, we finally stopped in front of a door. Without knocking, Adrian pulled it open and I found myself blinded by a bright blue light that caused me to through my hand up over my eyes.
"Good afternoon Jon." I heard Adrian say.
"Hello Adrian." A soft and ghostly voice replied. Daring to pull away my hand I squinted, my eyes adjusting as colors and shapes formed in the room. As things began to make sense, a human form emerged, and I found myself looking into the white eyes of none other than Dr. Manhattan.
Clapping my hands over my mouth I gasped, jumping back with wide eyes as I stared at a very naked man who had been likened to a God.
I was so shocked that I didn't even notice as a lithe brunette walked into the room, shiny brown hair tumbling down her back and swinging with each step. She had high cheekbones and sparkling eyes, her face basking in youth as she smiled.
"Adrian." She blinked.
"Laurie, good to see you. I'd like to introduce you both to Stefani Mignon, chemical engineer. She'll be helping with the nuclear reactor." He said smoothly, and I flushed as six eyes settled on me.
"Nice to meet you Stefani, I'm Laurie." She extended a thin arm. I took her hand, her own clamping so tightly against mine that I was momentarily stunned. As she let go, I rubbed my hand, turned to Dr. Manhattan.
"Yes, nice to meet you." I added, making no motion to shake my hand so I simply bowed my head, willing myself not to glance down at his nakedness.
"Let's say we get to work shall we?" Adrian clapped his hands together, and I forced a smile on my face, having no idea of just what I had begun in my life.