So, we know they're gonna come back - I mean really? No idea beyond that. I just saw this as an opportunity for a bit of family fluff. So, assuming they've resurrected the girls in some way without any nasty side affects or consequences. Just go with it people...
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"You too?" Joanna asked her sister, stepping into the hall towards the girls rooms. All night she had been getting up periodically to check on the girls. She knew she needed to rest, but her need to keep seeing them safe and alive was too much to ignore. She had managed to drift off to sleep a few times, but Wendy looked like she hadn't slept at all. Tucking the book she was carrying under her arm, she walked over to her sister.
Wendy quickly stood up straight, away from the door jam she'd been leaning against and wiped at her eyes guiltily. She knew she had every right to still be scared and hurting, but somehow knowing her sister had it worse made her feel ashamed. "I just needed to see them," she admitted quietly.
Joanna pulled her sister into her arms. "It's okay to be upset. They're your girls too." She felt her sister nod against her shoulder and finally let go of the tears she'd been holding back. Her shoulders shook with the silent sobs she'd been hiding. Joanna patiently waited for the worst of it to pass.
Every since they had died, Wendy had tried to be strong for Joanna. She had done a descent job of burying her own pain and suffering out of sight. She needed this moment to just let go. "It's okay," Joanna murmured once more, stroking a hand against her sister's hair. "They're safe Wendy."
Wendy nodded and held onto her sister's waist tightly. "I can't get that image out of my head. Every time I close my eyes... I've never felt so helpless in all my lives." She hugged her sister tighter, as though she were physically trying to resist the pain. Joanna understood the need to want to hide from it, but it was something they just couldn't escape.
It was Joanna's turn to nod. She'd lost the girls so many times already, but this one had stung worse than usual. They always died, but they rarely suffered. She knew this had been a message to her on a whole other level. None of them were safe and their enemies wanted to do more than just see them dead. There were people out there who wanted them all to suffer. Tarkoff wouldn't be the last.
"I don't know what I would have done if we'd lost them," Wendy said swallowing hard. She pulled back to look at her sister desperate for some sort of answer.
Joanna squeezed her hand's reassuringly. She wanted to tell Wendy that it would be okay. It was her job to keep the family together and strong, but her own faith had been shaken and she couldn't muster the strength. "I'll check on Freya," she said instead, nodding towards Ingrid's room she added, "Go be with her." She knew that as much as Wendy also loved Freya, Ingrid held a special place in her sister's heart. Although she'd never outwardly picked favorites, she felt the same way towards Freya. Both girls were well loved by both women, but they had found a dynamic that suited everyone.
Wendy nodded through tear filled eyes. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, knowing how well her sister understood her. Being given the freedom to indulge in her own comfort, she was grateful for the release of guilt at choosing one of the girls to be with. Joanna nodded and watched as her sister crept into Ingrid's room.
Joanna looked on affectionately and somehow found herself more broken as she watched her sister crawl into bed with Ingrid. She hadn't thought it possible, but seeing Wendy so shaken made things hurt worse. Despite her flamboyant nature, she was such a gentle spirit. That couldn't show any more than in those small moments of tenderness she shared with Ingrid.
Wendy slid between the covers and behind Ingrid. She found herself shaking nervously. She was so scared. She had nearly lost her family and didn't think she could go through that again. Her tears fell harder as images of the girls swinging from the tree fought their way into her mind. She wrapped an arm around Ingrid, placing her hand over the younger woman's diaphragm just to feel her breathing. Resting her forehead against the back of Ingrid's shoulders, she quietly cried.
Nodding in resolution, Joanna pulled the door nearly shut and whispered goodnight to her sister. There was no use in offering her comfort, the only thing that helped was knowing the girls were safe and being with them.
Joanna walked to Freya's bedroom and turned the lamp on. It was dim enough that it didn't wake her, but Joanna just needed to see her. She smiled softly at how relaxed her daughter looked. After everything that had happened, Freya still had the warm and eager look about her. She had always had a zest for life and stayed full of passion. Even in this solemn moment it showed, despite the turbulence in their lives.
Brushing bits of hair out of Freya's face, Joanna leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. She closed her eye for a moment, seeking comfort in the physical presence. Joanna stood back up and tucked the covers just a little closer around her sleeping girl.
She watched Freya for another moment, before pulling a chair next to the bed. As close as she dared without waking Freya, she sat down and opened her book to read. Her eyes never made it to the pages though, unable to take her gaze off of her daughter.
In the other room, Ingrid began to stir. Woken by her aunt's crying, she was relieved to leave the nightmare she'd been having behind. She felt her aunts hand tight against her and recognized it for what it was. Trying to imagine being on the other end of this nightmare, she knew how much of a strain it was on everyone.
Without a word, she rolled over wrapped her aunt's hands in her own.
Wendy looked up questioning, but afraid to speak. She squeezed Ingrid's hands in acknowledgment, as their fingers tangled together.
Ingrid just nodded that she understood. She burrowed closer in the bed until she could rest her forehead against her aunts. "I'm right here," she whispered. She was still terrified of what had happened to her, but she knew she needed to reawaken the connection they shared. This would not be something any of them would recover from quickly and they would need one another to get through it.
Wendy breathed a sigh of relief and stroked a hand against Ingrid's cheek. "You're my heart Ingrid," Wendy said desperately. She couldn't express how much she would never be able to have Ingrid ripped from her life.
Ingrid brought their hands up and kissed her aunts. "I know I'm safe with you," she promised, trying to give her aunt back some of the control she knew she'd lost. They were all helpless to some things and this had brought that to the forefront of their attention.
Wendy wanted to argue, having seen just how helpless she could be, but she couldn't bare to admit that to Ingrid. She just nodded. They stayed quiet for some time before drifting off to sleep.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Hope you enjoyed *passes out the tissues* . Let me know what y'all think :)