Bridgette returned home a short time later, her mind still consumed by her new devotion to her destiny. She knew she had done the right thing by burning the folders, but it still felt like she had destroyed her sole connection to the Order. But the more she thought about it the more she realized it had been the only way. Gideon had always told her that she had to find the answers on her own and without the information those folders had contained she now had no one to rely on but herself. Still, she wished she still had Gideon to talk to, as there were questions she wasn't sure she could answer on her own, even with the information she had learned from the folders. But Gideon was gone, or at least it seemed like he was, Bridgette still wasn't sure of his whereabouts, and she would have to make sense of the final few pieces of this puzzle on her own.
As she entered the house she became aware of her roommates watching her. She turned to face them, noting to her relief that none of them were looking at her with suspicion. "Hey guys." she said, smiling. "What's going on?"
"Where were you just now?" Nikki asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
"I went for a walk." Bridgette answered. "Why, did something happen?"
"No, I was just wondering where you were is all." Nikki answered. "Heather called while you were out, by the way. She wanted to speak with you."
"About what?" Bridgette asked, sensing a possible trap.
"She didn't say." Nikki answered. "But she seemed pretty upset when I talked to her. She kept saying she needed to talk to you and that it was important. That's all I know."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know." Bridgette said, nodding.
"Any time." Nikki said before she walked out of the room without a backwards glance.
Bridgette watched her go, feeling her insides squirm. It still seemed like Nikki knew more than she was letting on, but Bridgette wasn't willing to confront her in front of the others until she knew for sure if Nikki knew anything.
"Well, I guess I'd better call Heather." she said, after a moment of silence.
"Okay, we'll leave you to that." Gwen said, before she, Geoff, and Lucy also left.
Bridgette sighed and pulled out her phone before dialing Heather's number. Heather answered on the fourth ring. "Hello?" she asked, her voice ragged and tense. "Who is this?"
"Heather, it's Bridgette." Bridgette said. "Nikki said you wanted to talk."
"Yes, I do." Heather said, her voice cracking. "I can't be here alone anymore. I'm terrified Gideon will come for me at any time and I was wondering if you could come over?"
"When?" Bridgette asked, instantly liking this idea. "Do you want me to come over now?"
"I would really appreciate it if you did." Heather answered. "But if you'd prefer to wait until tomorrow, I guess that's fine since it is getting late."
"I'll tell you what, why don't you find the safest place in your house and stay there for tonight and I'll come see you in the morning." Bridgette said. "How's that sound?"
"Okay, I'm fine with that." Heather said, though her tone suggested otherwise. "Thank you for calling me back Bridgette."
"You're welcome Heather." Bridgette said. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, see you then." Heather said, before hanging up. Bridgette hung up as well and turned to head upstairs, only to find her way blocked by Geoff and Gwen.
"What did Heather want?" Gwen asked, glancing at Bridgette.
"She wanted me to come over to her house." Bridgette answered. "She's alone and scared, and I guess she just wants someone to talk to."
"So, what are you going to do?" Geoff asked. "Are you going over there?"
"I told her I head over tomorrow." Bridgette answered. "That seemed to calm her down a bit. I think she still wanted me come over tonight, but I think she'll be okay for now."
"Okay, sounds like a plan to me." Geoff said, moving to embrace Bridgette.
"Yeah, I just hope nothing happens to her before Bridgette gets over there." Gwen said.
"I'm sure Bridgette is right." Geoff said. "Heather will be fine." With that he led Bridgette upstairs, leaving Gwen alone in the living room to worry about Heather's wellbeing.
The next morning Bridgette woke around nine thirty and made her way downstairs. She found Nikki waiting in the kitchen, a pot of coffee boiling away and eggs cooking on the stove. She glanced at Nikki and smiled before grabbing an orange out of the fruit bowl on the counter.
"Gwen told me everything you know." Nikki said then, making Bridgette freeze.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, turning to face Nikki as she spoke.
"I know why Heather called yesterday and I know what you're doing for her." Nikki said. "And I just want to say thank you. She's been getting more and more depressed with each passing day and I think it's great that your willing to lend her a shoulder to cry on. God knows I couldn't do it, despite how much our relationship has improved. I still can't help but think of her as my bitchy cousin, so thank you for doing this."
"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Bridgette said, with a shrug.
"Yeah, you really are a great friend Bridgette." Nikki said, turning to get her eggs before making her way to the living room.
Bridgette smiled, relieved that Nikki hadn't accused her of being up to something. She then poured herself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, which she ate a lightning speed, before heading back upstairs to get dressed. Less than five minutes later she was back downstairs and heading out the door, without saying goodbye to any of her roommates. She then hopped into her car and headed to Heather's, intent on doing what must be done.
She arrived at Heather's a short time later, parking across the street just to be safe. She then made her way up to the house, which was up two flights of stairs from the street. She rang the doorbell and waited, hearing the sound of Heather's feet approaching a moment later. The door opened then, revealing Heather, her sightless eyes racking over Bridgette before coming to rest on her face.
"Hello Bridgette." Heather said, her tone much calmer than it had been on the phone. "Please come in." She stepped aside to allow Bridgette to enter.
"How did you know it was me?" Bridgette asked as she entered the house.
"If it was Gideon I doubt he would have used the doorbell." Heather said, closing the door with a snap before leading Bridgette to the living room.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Bridgette agreed. "Gideon doesn't seem like the kind of guy who asks permission to enter. He just enters and creates havoc."
Heather nodded, a note of sadness to the gesture. "Please sit." she said, gesturing at one of the large armchairs that stood in the living room before seating herself in one of them.
Bridgette followed her lead and sat, feeling her insides squirm. "I'm sorry, by the way." she said. "If I upset you by talking about Gideon's lack of asking permission. I forgot he just walked in here and killed Alejandro."
"It's okay Bridgette." Heather said. "I understand. I try not to think about it much myself, but it's really hard."
"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Bridgette asked. "Nikki said this morning you'd been feeling rather depressed since he was killed. And yesterday, on the phone, you said you were afraid Gideon would come for you."
"Yes, that is what I wanted to talk about." Heather answered. "I want to know how you do it. How do find the strength to press on after everything that's happened?"
"To be honest I'm not really sure." Bridgette replied. "I'm sorry if that's not helpful, but it's the truth. I have no idea where the strength comes from and sometimes it feels like it's not there at all. Sometimes I feel like just curling up into a ball and wishing for it all to end."
She glanced at Heather then and could instantly tell that her answer had not been satisfying. She could feel Heather's sightless gaze on her as she looked away and wished she could have come up with a better answer. But what else was she supposed to say? She had told Heather the truth and that was all she could do, unless Heather wanted her to lie. She glanced at Heather again, but before she could speak Heather did, making her shudder.
"I understand Bridgette." Heather said. "I understand how had it can be to move on. And I understand why you are unable to figure out where your strength comes from."
"You do?" Bridgette asked, throughly confused by Heather's words.
"I do." Heather said, nodding. "Sometimes things happen that we can't explain and we just have to accept that there is no explanation. Some things are simply not meant to be known and I guess this is one of them."
Bridgette nodded, too shocked to speak. She had never known Heather was such an adamant believer in the spiritual or the metaphysical. She had always thought of Heather as a superficial material girl who only cared about shopping, boys, and gossip. Even after they had become friends Bridgette had been unable to fully shake that image of Heather, but she had been wrong. Heather was much more than what her past behavior led people to believe. She was intelligent, insightful, and well grounded and Bridgette found herself looking at Heather in an entirely new light.
"How did you come to this realization?" Bridgette asked, once she'd found her voice.
"It happened after I lost my sight." Heather answered. "I kept asking myself why McLean had done this to me and then I realized that there was no reason. He just did it. And I could either accept that and move on, or dwell on it and stay stuck in the past. I chose to move on."
"I've been meaning to ask you about that, by the way." Bridgette said then. "How did you accept your blindness so quickly?"
"Like I said, I just realized that there was no other option." Heather answered, shrugging.
"But it must have been hard, right?" Bridgette asked. "I mean, you had just lost one of your five senses and yet you say you were just able to accept that? How is that possible?"
"Like you, I have no idea." Heather answered. "And it wasn't easy. When the doctors first told me that I was permanently blind I nearly had a complete breakdown. It didn't help that you were laying in a coma at the time due to the injuries you'd sustained fighting McLean, but somehow I found the strength to press on and I haven't really looked back since."
"I've got to say Heather, that's pretty impressive." Bridgette said.
"Well, it helps having friends to rely on." Heather said. "Which is part of why I asked you to come over here. Without Lindsey, Alejandro, Tyler, and Justin here with me this house just seems so fucking big and I can't see all the places where Gideon might attack from and I just feel so exposed, you know? I feel like there is no where I can hide."
"Not to sound unkind, but you seem to be doing okay to me." Bridgette said. "I mean, you were able to make it to the living room without my aid, so what do you need me for?"
"I was able to do that because I've done it countless times before." Heather said. "Lindsey used to be my eyes and I learned where most things are in this house from her, but it feels like I'm starting to forget and I'm afraid that I'll hurt myself."
"I don't think that's possible Heather." Bridgette said. "You can't just forget things that quickly, as far as I know. I think you can get around this place just fine on your own."
"Don't do that." Heather snapped, suddenly angry. "Don't sit there and act like you know what it's like for me being blind. You have no fucking idea what it's like. I can't see Bridgette, don't you understand that? Not being able to see makes everything that much more terrifying. Every little sound gets amplified until you can't tell where it's coming from or what it is. You can still do those things, but I can't, so don't act like you fucking know what this is like for me, cuz you don't."
"Okay, I'm sorry." Bridgette said. "I didn't mean to upset you. All I was saying was you seem to have things under control here. But if you truly feel like you don't, I'll help you."
"Thank you Bridgette." Heather said. "I apologize for freaking out like that. It was uncalled for and it won't happen again. But I had to make you understand what its like to see the world through the eyes of the blind."
"Don't worry about it." Bridgette said. "I understand and it's okay. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
"Thank you." Heather said. "But I do have another question for you."
"Which is?" Bridgette asked, glancing at Heather.
"Do you think we can really stop Gideon?" Heather asked, her tone hopeful.
"Do you want the honest answer or the bullshit answer?" Bridgette asked.
"The honest answer would be nice." Heather said, her tone now slightly confused.
"Then I'd have to say no." Bridgette said. "No, I don't think we can stop Gideon."
"Why would you say that?" Heather asked, her sightless eyes going wide with surprise.
"The answer is simple really." Bridgette said. "We can't stop Gideon Hall because he is already dead."
"What?" Heather asked, now throughly confused and terrified. "What did you say?"
"I said, Gideon is already dead." Bridgette answered, smiling as she watched the color drain from Heather's cheeks.
A/N: Bum, bum, bum! Tell me honestly, did you see that coming? Did you know that Gideon is dead? Cuz if you did, you're wrong. Or maybe you aren't, I can't actually say for sure. Gideon may be dead and he may not, but either way, why would Bridgette tell Heather something like that? What is going on inside Bridgette's head and what does it mean for her friends? The answers are coming and all I can say for now is, there will be blood. Oh, and sorry it took so long to update. Been kind of busy with my other fics.