Wow, either you're really bored, or that last chapter wasn't as bad as I thought it would be… I'm gonna go with super bored xD Anyway, here's the follow up to "Meet the Family" – this ended up being ridiculously short compared to MTF, which I think was the longest chapter I've written for this story yet -.-' Ironic how the epilogue is always so short and to the point when the story itself is long and elaborate, isn't it? I mean, why not just make the whole thing straight to the point? It would save a lot of us tons of time on summer reading… just saying. Well, anyway, enjoy…
New Spider in Town
9) Aftermath or Endure
Heather's steps were heavy and angry as she left her building and entered the street. Under the glow of the street lights outside, she paused on the stoop and looked around the dark night. She heard Kaldur close the door behind her and stand there, so silently, waiting for what she would do next.
And suddenly, what she'd done hit her harder than any punch or kick she'd gotten. She collapsed onto the second to bottom step and sat in shock for a long moment. She was aware of Kaldur coming to sit beside her, but she couldn't speak, couldn't look at him; she was too wrapped up in the mess her life had just become.
Her insides still boiled in anger but now there was a cold, tingling seeping in and filling every inch of her, from her head to the tips of her fingers and toes. This break had been coming for a long time between herself and her father, but she'd never imagined it going down like this.
She'd thought that they would calmly sit down, alone somewhere, and she'd lay out her reasons for leaving coolly but firmly. She'd imagined her father sitting there nodding, asking a question for clarification here or there. She'd seen it so clearly in her head, how she would finish and they would sit in silence for a minute, before her father would sigh and nod and say it was for the best. She'd nod back and he'd tell her that despite this he was glad to have had her for an apprentice, that he was proud of all she'd become and that they would eventually be able to maybe work together again in the future. The scene would end with them hugging and telling each other that they loved each other and this didn't change that.
Sometimes, despite our best intentions, life just doesn't work out that way. Sometimes, it's not just like in the movies. Sometimes, life simply sucks. And just like that, the anger was gone and the wall she'd carefully constructed to keep all the hurt and sadness at bay crumbled.
Tears pricked Heather's eyes and she sobbed once, twice. She placed her hands over her face, horrified of what she'd just done and terrified because she didn't have the slightest clue what came next. Where did she go from here? The tears flowed now, hot and heavy, gushing out so fast and quick she felt like maybe they'd never stop, and she sobbed again.
Suddenly, she became aware of an arm around her shoulders and another one brushing her hair back from her face. She looked up through the wall of water in her eyes and blinked to see Kaldur giving her that intense, piercing gaze – the one that saw everything without having to ask. His gray eyes regarded her sadly, somehow perfectly knowing what she was going through. He took the pad of his thumb and wiped a tear that had lingered on her cheek, cupping her jaw tenderly.
This set off another round of sobbing and she leaned forward, burying herself into his strong chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as her form shook. He gently stroked her auburn hair and murmured an Atlantian lullaby, one his mother used to sing to him as a child, into her ear softly, soothingly.
They sat there for a long time.
Around them, lights turned on or flicked off in various apartment windows as people either began nightly activities or ended their day. The sky overhead grew darker and darker, the blackness tinted yellow from all the lights of the city, the stars invisible. The street lamps flickered and buzzed, the moths flying around it casting strange flying shadows on the sidewalk, like a silent ballet. A few cars drove past, slow and quiet, like ghosts, their lights dimmed so as not to disturb the tiny neighborhood.
Once, Kaldur felt eyes watching him and looked up, catching sight of Harry and Audrey pressed against a window above them on the third floor. He frowned sadly, glancing down to the girl pressed against him, before staring up once more. Audrey appeared to be crying again, but Harry's expression was grim and silent. He gave the Atlantian a look – one that Kaldur could discern even from three stories away – and it was clear: 'Take care of my sister'. Then, Harry pulled the curtains closed and the light went out.
Eventually, Heather's breathing returned to normal and her tears dried up. She looked up at Kaldur's face, her own now red and pinched and tired… so very tired. "What do I do now?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
Kaldur pressed his lips to her forehead. "You will endure, as you always do," he murmured against her clammy skin. "And I promise you, I will be here by your side the whole way. It will not be easy, but you will have me and the team and the league to help you and guide you. You are not alone, Heather. You will never be truly alone. You will endure, I promise."
Heather let out a shaky breath. "I will endure," she whispered back, trying to believe it. "I will endure."
