Chapter 50: A Night Talk
"Teresa, are you sure you don't need any help up the stairs? I don't think your mother would be very pleased if she found you got hurt," Janiss points out with a nervous smile. I loosen my grip on the railing and turn around to face the redhead.
"She's out with Phillip so it's not like she'll find out about it anyway." Velvet trots to Janiss and sits beside her. "Besides, it's not like a staircase is going to be my worst enemy. I did grow up in this house for a good amount of years," I answer. Her shoulders slump a little as if she'd actually torn up about it. After a moment of silence, I let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, alright then but you have to make my dinner after you're done." Her eyes light up once I accept her offer.
Velvet hops up to the second floor ahead of us, panting happily. "You should be glad I'm being so lenient about helping you," Janiss says, focused on the steps. I give her a funny look.
"I wouldn't say begging to help me up stairs is 'lenient', but I suppose it's better than having my mother practically baby proofing everything around the house." I reply with a smirk. Janiss giggles at my comment as we reach the last step.
"Wasn't that hard, now was it?" she smiles. We arrive at my room. I try to ignore the medical equipment, like the rolls of gauze and papers of treatment options, as we enter. Janiss seems to notice my unease since she grips my hand tighter. "I know it's hard to look at, but it's just a sign that you're getting better." I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. "By the way, are you sure you're not hungry? That soup you had might've not been very filling," she asks.
I lie down on my bed and reply, "No, it was enough for me. I shouldn't be eating too much anyway."
"That only applies to hard foods though. I could always get something else if you want something else to eat." I wave her off with a smile. Janiss crosses her arms and gives me a funny look. "Alright, if you say so. If you need anything else, just call for me." She heads to the door and shuts off the main lights. "I better not see you staying up late like last time," my friend adds before stepping out. I give her a thumbs up before she leaves. My room suddenly goes quiet in a second. The street lamp from outside shines dimly into my room; a gentle breeze blows inside from the open window. I guess I forgot to close it but getting out of bed will take too long. Not to mention the sound of me getting out of bed will only make Janiss mad.
I carefully roll onto my side, facing the wall. My hand skims the stitching on my stomach and tense up a little. Dr. Fitzgerald told me not to touch the wound too much so the stitching doesn't come undone. The wrapping around it has decreased in the last couple days I've been home. I suppose that's good...but I still feel uneasy when I undress or accidentally touch it. Mum has started to give me more privacy, but that doesn't stop her from following me wherever I go. She worries too much even when I'm eating. It is some comfort though. It shows me that she cares about what I'm going through. Although I'd appreciate it if she wasn't as clingy. I was able to get her out of the house tonight, with some help from Phil. At least there's one person that is more relaxed when it comes to my condition.
Outside, a car rounds the street corner. Its headlights flash into my room momentarily. Velvet barks a few times downstairs and is scolded by Janiss. She's been staying with us ever since I came back from the hospital. We all love having her back after so long. The last time she came to stay over was probably back in the first few years of high school. She is also less attentive than my mother, but Janiss has her fair share of worrying moments. Mum loves having her around to watch me when she's gone. Janiss seems to have recovered from losing Melina. I don't really want to bring it up to her, especially so soon after it happened. I did tell my mother and Phil a bit about what had happened while I was gone. Most of it was the main events and how I had gotten hurt. I'm sure if I explained the whole story, they'd just be even more lost than I am. As long as they know the important parts, it shouldn't matter. My eyes suddenly feel heavy. I try to fight sleep but it comes either way. The wound dully throbs as I fall asleep.
Half awake, I hear a strange noise coming from my window. It sounds like someone landed on the floor from jumping. My eyes stay closed but I make sure to listen to what is going on. Something on my desk gets knocked off. I grunt and turn to the other side of the bed to get a reaction of whomever or whatever is in the room. The room goes silent for a minute or two. I turn my face up to the ceiling. No sound comes from the window. The floor creaks slightly at each short footstep. My heart quickens after each second. I breathe slowly to lower its speed. They stop at my side and sit on the floor beside the bed. I grip the sheets more firmly. It's so hard to stay still now. The person comes closer to me for a second, then backs away to the end of the bed. I open one of my eyes as little as possible. My stomach drops at the moment I see Descole turned away from me, sitting on the floor.
I open both eyes and stare at him silently. The only visible part of him is the back of his head and less than half of his face. Even with that, the only light in here is coming from the street light outside. Why is he here?! How did he even find me; I never told him where I live! A memory resurfaces of me filling out paperwork before I got the job from him. I must've put down my mother as family and her address. I guess he figured I'd be at home or the hospital. But...that doesn't tell me the reason he came. Descole folds his arms, looking down. This could be the only chance I have to talk to him seriously. No matter how weird this is, I need to do something. My heart beats rapidly as I cautiously sit up a little more.
"Why are you here?" I ask him, suppressing any emotion. Descole whips around at the sound of my voice. Of course he has that stupid mask on. What did I expect? His mouth is slightly open as we stare at each other. "I could guess how you found me...but that's not important." He shifts around to completely face me, his hands on the covers.
"Teresa...God, I can't even think of what to say," he laughs dryly. I watch him adjust his mask, fumbling with it nervously. He takes a moment to compose himself and then looks up at me. "Do you remember? I know this may sound strange but when I fell off the machine, you"
"I know. That was back in college when it happened to me. We hadn't even met at that point. But yes, I remember it all." He nods slowly along with what I'm saying.
"Then you're aware I never intended to hurt you. I-I can't stand seeing him best me. Finding Ambrosia was so important to me, and when Layton just effortlessly solved it without any hesitation...I snapped. I wasn't thinking clearly at all. If you weren't in the way..." he stops abruptly. I make sure to not show any emotion at him, as to stay serious.
"Even if I hadn't gotten hurt, did you want Hershel to get hit by that?" I demand. Descole looks shocked for a second, utterly speechless.
"...I don't know. At the moment, maybe. But now that I look back on it, I realize I lashed out in anger," he replies grimly. "We haven't talked in a while though. The two of us alone, I mean." I sigh, closing my eyes for a second.
"Must you do this? Is stepping over people really part of the overall goal? You know there's always another way to getting what you want," I mutter.
"Do you think I like hurting people? I'm not completely insane, Teresa. There's never a moment when I don't feel guilt about something I did but I don't let it pull me under. I have to keep moving. Otherwise, I'll drown," the last sentence sends chills up my spine. "The point is, to reach my goal, there is no other way. I've worked time and again to find a better solution to doing this but it would never work. I've lost too much to give up on it. This must work, or else nothing will. And I can't let anyone else weigh me down."
"Oh, so you just want to be rid of me then?! I don't matter anymore to you? In fact, why did you even decide to recruit someone for you, let alone me? Were you seducing me to gain my trust, or was that not part of your so-called master plan?" I ask him in an angry whisper. Descole passes a hand over his face, slightly growling. "Yeah, go ahead and get angry with me. I'd like to actually see how you feel about me now, after Misthallery and betraying you to save innocent people. Did you ever even consider how I felt about all that?! I thought we trusted each other, Desmond! You think the only thing that's important is yourself and those stupid myths; don't you dare deny it!" I nearly forget to keep my voice down at the height of my anger. The masked man crosses his arms, glaring at me.
"This is why I live alone now," he grumbles softly. I do happen to hear him say it though. My face flushes red as I slap him angrily. His mask gets knocked off of his face and lands on the foot of the bed. Descole stands up in a heartbeat, eyes shining with a mix of shock and fury. I flinch back in fear that he'll snap at me. A few seconds pass, nothing yet. I gaze up at him slowly to not gather any unwanted attention. I never realized how drained he looks until now. Something about him just seems so...lonely.
He sits back down on the bed with his head in his hands. "Teresa, I hate arguing with you. We say things we regret and end up feeling so damn horrible. I care about you too much to carry this on anymore," he says. His voice makes him sound like he's given up on everything. I glance at the window he entered from. "The only reason I came here was to see you. I was so guilty for hurting you before; I felt like I had to amend things. There's never been a moment for us to act like before all this mess happened. Part of me wishes that I hadn't ever come up with a way to reach my goal, so we never would have to fight like this." His chest rises and falls slowly at each breath he takes. I look at his wine colored eyes as they stare blankly at the floor.
"Don't you think I want that too? I know it's hard to...to have differing opinions, but that doesn't mean we have to hate each other. That won't change who we really are and why we care for one another," I tell him optimistically. Desmond doesn't move for a while until his body racks with a quiet sob. My eyes widen at the sight of the once prestigious and analytical gentleman I had known wipes away tears from his face. I slide over to the man and hug him tightly.
"Y-you probably think very," he pauses with another sob, "little of me...don't you?" I pull him closer to me, shaking my head.
"No, no, no. I would never think that about you. It's alright, I promise. Better to let out your emotions rather than bottling them up for so long. A gentleman is always welcome to cry in front of a lady, whenever he must." I close my eyes and place my forehead next to his. "If I'm allowed to cry, then the same goes for you."
We sit together, embraced, for some time. Desmond's sobs start to recede little by little after each minute. I keep my grip on him firm until he backs away a little. His eyes are a little red, but he seems to look better than before. I take both his hands in mine silently. The man leans closer to me with a kiss. I don't know how long it's been since this last happened but I've missed it. Those little moments with him were always something to treasure. I let myself fall back onto the bed and Desmond follows suit beside me. He wraps his cape around me. I put my arms around his neck and nestle my head under his chin.
"I'm sorry for hitting you before...I guess you were right though. We can get pretty nasty in arguments," I apologize. Desmond kisses my forehead momentarily.
"Let's not talk about that. Just...lie here with me." I nod in agreement and close my eyes. Another short breeze blows into the room. Janiss is singing softly downstairs to herself. Desmond slides his hand underneath my cheek and smiles. "Remember when your motorcycle's gas pump wasn't working, and we were trying to figure out what was wrong?" he questions.
A small smile crept onto my face. "You ended up breaking the tank and it spilled on your shoes. I couldn't stop laughing at the look you had when it happened," I giggle a bit. Desmond has a surprised scowl, his eyebrows furrowed. "That's the look!" He changes his expression into a cheerful smile as I start laughing.
"I mean, I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to fixing motorcycles. You insisted that I should help you even when I told you." I shake my head, still laughing. He tips my head up to look at him and presses his lips against my own. I kiss his jaw line a few times before we finally settle down, staring at each other comfortably.
Sunlight blares into my vision as soon as I open my eyes. I use my hand to shield it from the glare. Once I sit up in the bed, I quickly notice that Desmond is gone. My bedroom window is closed as well. My eyes dance around, searching for any sign that he could still be here. Nothing. I sigh to myself, slightly upset. Something on the table next to the bed catches my eye. A small piece of paper I know wasn't there sits on top of my nightstand. I instantly grab it to read whatever is written on it.
Teresa,
I'm sorry I had to leave while you were asleep. You know I'm not fond of goodbyes. But you need to know that I will always love you. Thank you for comforting me last night. I was raised to not cry and it really helped when you said that it was alright. Even if you don't realize it, you have made me so happy at times I've been lonely. I'm so glad I could meet and know what a wonderful person you are. But please understand that I can't give up on my goal. It's been important to me since childhood, and I'm already getting closer by the day. You don't have to side with me; I'm aware my methods aren't the best now. Trust me, when I get there, I'll tell you everything and be done with my work. Who knows, maybe we can find a new adventure to go on, just you and me. Of course that's up to the future. I know this is hard for us, you especially. Thank you for putting up with me. No matter what happens, I care about you my love. Don't go running into trouble.
Love, Desmond
I read the note over a few times again. He really does care...My mouth suddenly feels dry as I fall back onto the bed. Desmond is right; it will be hard knowing what he's doing, but maybe I can figure out what his goal is and why it's so important to him. Hopefully, it won't change how we feel about our relationship.
Q and A
Hugsrgood: What. Is. Up everybody! It's yours truly with another exciting Q and A! *throws confetti*
Q-bot: *tries to catch confetti* "Your story is such a joy to read!"
Hugsrgood: Why thank you friendo! I always love me so me compliments!
Q-bot: Beep boop! "if youre going into high school how old are you"
Hugsrgood: Ooooh, someone wants to know about me! I'm actually fourteen as of now. My birthday is in May by the way.
Alfendi: Did somebody say birthday?! *starts singing a birthday song*
Hugsrgood: What did I tell you about staying in the closet! *shoves Alfendi into closet*
Anywaaaaaay...
Q-bot: "what's ith that weird blood scale thing in the chapter love teresa so much X3"
Hugsrgood: Oh, that thing? When I was writing chapter 49, I felt like I should do some research on hospital stuff and all that. I ended up finding the scale and decided to use it in the chapter. That's pretty much it. You can find it if you look up 'medical blood scale' or something like that.
Q-bot: "*Gives you a REALLY big hug* I'm SO sorry some of this has been happening in your life. But remember to smile and stay strong! And here's a couple of cookies to help turn that frown upside down! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) As a little sorry for this review being so long, here's a question if you do another Q and A. Sorry (again) if you already got asked this, but the question is: If you, hugsrgood45, were transported into any of the Professor Layton games and had to go through the adventure with the Professor and the others, which one would it be and why?
All in all though, I would just like to say this: This story has been amazing and I know it will continue to get better. The characters, the plot, everything is wonderful and beautifully crafted! I can't wait for the next chapter, and congrats on being so close to one hundred reviews! I know you can do it! I hope that better things come your way for the rest of the year. Just remember that your readers are here for you and to keep on smiling!
Peace! GamerFan369"
Hugsrgood: Before I answer this one, I want to mention that this comment is very long. You guys can read it in the comments section if you haven't yet. I'm not shortening this to be rude. I actually read all of it and really loved what it said. I just want to get the main points out though. Anyway, on to the question. Thank you so much for the cookies! *eats one happily* This first school month has been a little...crappy but it's getting better. You are so sweet for complimenting the story though! Whenever I get praise for this, it makes me very happy. As for your other question, that is really hard for me to answer. However, I'd have to say Last Specter. Unwound Future would be my second choice. For those of you who don't know (because I never mentioned this), The Last Specter was my first Professor Layton. I mean, I knew about the series and watched let's plays of it but I didn't get the chance to actually play any. When my parents finally bought it for me, I played the hell out of it. Occasionally, I'll pick it up again for fun. It's the game I have a connection to but that doesn't mean the other ones aren't good! *takes a deep breath* Well, that's it for this Q and A! Thanks for reading!
I'M NOT DEAD! YAAAAAAY! But seriously, I'm sorry for being gone so long. If you want to know why, there's an update before this chapter you can look at. I'll be deleting it once Chapter 51 comes out. Also, 50 CHAPTERS! Oh my goodness, that's long! I'm so happy you guys like this thing and are still reading it after more than a year of being made. As for the next chapter, I don't really have a set plan but it will most likely lead into Miracle Mask! I'll probably update more often now that I have a set script. But we'll see. Thanks for reading and keep those eyes on the screen for the next chapter!
