A/N: In response to a question by a guest, it is plausible that Alexandria could contact the other Autobots to let them know that Bee is alright. However, it is unlikely she would do this, seeing how she promised Bee she wouldn't try to contact the other "voices" and the fact that the only signature she recognizes in stasis is his.
0-0-0-0-0
Hobbits.
That was the name the clerk had used for the small, curly-haired men depicted on the poster at the store. It was a race of fictional creatures, one of unfamiliarity, and so Alexandria had been skeptical about renting the film. She flipped the VHS tape over and inspected the description once again on the back cover, taking care not to trip on the sidewalk as she made her way back home. Despite her hesitation the clerk persisted in promoting the movie and now here she was; film in hand with a fairly certain hunch that the clerk had a massive crush on a blonde elf archer.
The tape joined its partner in the plastic shopping bag Alexandria carried and she swung it in a carefree arc beside her. While she didn't have many routines she kept on a regular basis, Friday nights were different. Her mother had come up with the idea to do a weekly movie night as a way to have more mother-daughter quality time together. Thus the evenings were spent curled up on the living room sofa, catching up on films they'd missed in theatre and overindulging on junk food. Tonight's treat of choice was M&Ms, a favorite of her mother's.
The sun was just beginning to disappear beyond the horizon as Alexandria turned onto the street one over from her house. The residual rays of light tinged everything in hues of warm yellows and oranges. It was a gorgeous July evening and she drank in the scenery. The populace had slowed their activities in the quiet lull between the hectic pace of the workday and the exciting adventures of night time. Street lamps flickered on in preparation of the oncoming darkness and strands of lights along restaurant doors and awnings blinked awake to attract late night consumers. Soon the street she walked along would be full of a crowd different from the one that occupied the space during the day. Small children with their parents, school-aged youth, and elderly shoppers would trickle away indoors only to be replaced by groups of rambunctious young adults, smitten couples out on the town, and gatherings of longtime friends in celebration. The air would be full of laughter and booming music from the clubs scattered among the restaurants and shops.
The nightlife was alluring to Alexandria, with its bright, loud content. Unfortunately, it would be a while until she could participate in such outings as her curfew was still set fairly early in the evening. The longer summer hours did extend it a bit, but not so much as to experience the beginnings of the after-hours activities, at least, not without the company of her mother and even then, they only went out for supper or a sweet treat at the few late night cafes.
Alexandria huffed in dismay. It would have made an exciting story to tell Bumblebee.
With the end of the school year, Alexandria spent the majority of her summer days outside in search of exciting events, while her evenings were filled with movies and books; all of which would be relayed to the Cybertronian when she slept. Her eyes flickered down to the plastic bag as she mulled once again over her choice. She was fairly certain Bee would enjoy Lord of the Rings, seeing how his favorite genre was action and this movie, as per the store clerk, was supposed to have a fair amount of scenes of that quality.
It had been rather interesting to learn which movie types Bee enjoyed and Alexandria had made sure to provide him with a good variety as a baseline. So far there wasn't any one particular genre he didn't like, although Alexandria did tend to avoid romance; especially after the fiasco the first time she'd described a romantic comedy to him. It started off well enough but soon took an embarrassing turn when Bee asked her to explain what a "prostitute" was. With a burning face, she managed to fumble through the rest of the film and his questions but suffice to say, she wasn't quite ready to explain the finer details of human intimacy to him; especially when she wasn't all that knowledgeable on the subject anyway.
The front door creaked as she entered her house, kicking off her shoes onto the rubber floor mat and removing the movies from the bag.
"I'm back!" she announced, looking around for signs of her mother. "I found the movie you wanted about that really smart math guy! We should probably watch it first because the one I chose is really long."
She spotted the vacuum cleaner sitting quietly at the top of the stairs, moved from its prior place in the hall closet. It was likely her mother tidied up the place while Alexandria went to rent the videos.
"Mom?" she called up the stairs, pausing and listening for an answer. When she received none, she peeked in the living room. The television was on, its volume turned low, and a big bowl of M&Ms sat on the coffee table in preparation for the movie night. The room, however, was vacant.
"Mom, where are you?" Alexandria wandered down the hall, trailing her fingers along the dated striped wallpaper that was yellowing along its edges. The movies tapped against her thigh as she came to the kitchen, finally spotting her mother sitting at the table.
Mary's back was toward the entrance and she remained in her chair with her head down as Alexandria got close; the warm greeting Alexandria usually received upon her return oddly absent.
"Hey, mom, did you not hear me?" Alexandria asked, her brow furrowing in confusion before an understanding smile replaced the worried lines. Her mother had recently been focused on a large project for work, spending hours at a time buried in files she'd brought home from the office. Alexandria was more than familiar with how the strain from concentrating hard on a task could leave a person in a bit of a daze.
She gave her mother a sympathetic look; tonight's movie night now even more necessary than before.
"I said 'I'm home'," Alexandria repeated, placing the videos on the counter and moving around the side of the table to face her mother. "We have some really good stuff to watch tonig—"
Her voice trailed off as more of the scene was revealed.
Mary was staring at several objects sitting on the table in a neat row near her clasped hands. Alexandria felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of the small baggies with their multicolored contents; removed from the safety of their hiding place under her bed.
"I can explain…" Alexandria began in a wavering voice only to be interrupted by a curt response.
"I'm sure you can," her mother said, finally acknowledging Alexandria's presence. Mary's voice was low and tense and it sent Alexandria's gut twisting into a nauseating knot.
"You told me you were taking your pills. You promised me you were taking them on schedule. You looked me in the eye—" Her mother's tone began to rise and Alexandria closed the remaining distance between them with haste.
"I stopped taking them because I couldn't hear the voices very well on the pills, especially the ones Dr. Benson started," Alexandria said rapidly, interrupting her mother. She could feel her hands shaking and she clasped them tightly against her belly. "And I needed to hear the voices so I could figure out what they were saying. I thought that by knowing what they were saying and who was speaking, I could figure out how to stop the voices for good. And it worked. I figured it out, mom. I know who the voices belong to."
"What—"
Alexandria cut her off again; the information she had been asked to keep silent bubbling forth from her lips freely.
"The reason I couldn't understand the voices was that they were speaking a different language. Just like what I told Dr. Benson. Only the language isn't from our world."
"I don't… I'm not following what you're saying," her mother whispered, her expression one Alexandria couldn't quite decipher.
"Aliens, mom. The voices belong to aliens," Alexandria said in a nervous breath, pausing afterward for a response.
When none came she hastily pulled over a chair and sat near her mother, reaching out to grasp Mary's hand and wincing when the gesture wasn't returned. "T-they're called Cybertronians from the planet Cybertron. They're giant robots who are autonomatous—"
"Autonomous…" Mary murmured in correction.
"Yes! Autonomous. I can never remember that word." She giggled a high pitched tone, feeling her heart racing in her chest at her mother's continued blank stare. "They're all really nice. Well… I've only really met three of them so far and one was a bit—er—less happy than the others. But they really are very nice. And big! Optimus is so big I could probably fit into his hand."
"Optimus?"
"Yeah. He's the leader of the Autobots and he—"
"The what?" Mary blurted out, a frown marring her features.
"The Autobots. They're one of the factions of Cybertron fighting against another faction called the Decepticons. Optimus Prime—that's his full name—leads the Autobots and Megatron leads the Decepticons," Alexandria explained in one long, rapid breath; feeling liberated at finally being able to tell someone her secret. The past months of pretending each day was the same old, normal day over and over again had been exceedingly difficult.
"They also explained what the scars on my arm are," Alexandria pressed on, turning her palm over on the table and stroking the soft skin of her forearm with her thumb. "The lines are actually Cybertronian symbols. The piece of metal I found right before I was hit by lightning had them as well. The electricity transferred them to my body. Or something like that…" She shook her head, having understood the gist of what Optimus told her but not the fine details.
"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I wanted to find out who the voices belonged to because then I could figure out how to stop them. I had to stop taking my pills because they were making it hard to hear the voices. But now, after meeting the Autobots, the voices don't need to stop. There's nothing wrong with me and that's the most amazing part! All of the doctors were wrong when they said I was sick and I—"
"Enough!" Mary slammed the flat of her hand against the table and Alexandria flinched as if struck.
Silence filled the kitchen and the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Alexandria trembled in her chair, subdued by her shock at her mother's reaction.
"Just… enough." The words were clipped and harsh, matching the mix of emotions on Mary's face. Anger, worry, exasperation, disappointment… None of which were of the supportive nature that Alexandria had envisioned when she began telling her mother about the Autobots.
Mary's hands clenched into fists and she grimaced, muttering low under her breath. "How could I have not known you were off your medications? How did I miss this? All this time… There must be months worth of pills you hid…"
"M-mom, it's okay—" Alexandria reached out to stroke her mother's arm but Mary jumped to her feet.
"No! It is not 'okay'! It is far from being 'okay', Alexandria!" she snapped, looming over Alexandria, who hunched lower in her chair. "This is exactly what Dr. Benson warned us about. These hallucinations… these delusions… they are not something to be excited about or to take pride in!"
"They're not hallucinations…" Alexandria whimpered.
"Alien robots, Alexandria. Alien robots you've befriended and talk to in your dreams. Tell me this doesn't sound like completely deranged thinking to you when I say it because it sure does to me."
"But they're real, I swear! I know I can't prove it to you right now, mom, but if you give me a chance, I'm sure I can figure out a way. I'll let Bee know that I told you about them and maybe he'll have an idea on how—"
"Bee? Your friend from school?" Mary's posture stiffened.
Alexandria snapped her mouth shut, realizing her mistake.
Mary huffed, nostrils flaring. "He's one of these robots of yours?"
"I never said he went to my school. You just assumed he did and I went along with it," Alexandria murmured. The attempts at defending herself spiraled between pathetic and weak. Flustered, Alexandria's tone echoed her irritation. "Everything else I've told you about Bee is true. He's kind and funny and listens to everything I have to say. He's my friend, my best friend in the whole world!"
"You can't believe that, Alexandria! You can't be friends with something that isn't real!"
"Mom, please just trust me," Alexandria cried. "I'm not lying or making things up. They exist. I'm not crazy!"
Mary threw her hands up. "I'm done with this. I'm done arguing with you." She jabbed a finger toward the kitchen entrance. "Go to your room. I don't want to see or hear from you until supper."
Any further counters on Alexandria's part were effectively silenced. She remained still in her chair, unaccustomed to such a harsh and blatant dismissal. There was a bitter taste in her mouth as she glanced back and forth between the baggies of medications and her mom; who had turned to the sink and now stood quietly, bracing her hands against the silvery lip of stainless steel.
Alexandria stood, the chair scraping lightly across the linoleum. Her mother didn't look at her as she left. The medications remained where they had been placed on the table and the movies sat in a small stack on the counter, forgotten.
Once she was in the privacy of her bedroom, Alexandria's hurt and anger at herself and the entire situation spilled over. A neatly folded pile of clean clothing sat on her bed and she grabbed and forcefully tossed it across the room, creating a haphazard fan of different textured cloth strewn about the off-white carpet. The bed creaked with the weight of her body lying down on the now free surface and Alexandria grabbed a spare pillow, hugging it tightly against her chest.
All the while she didn't make a sound, just as her mother had ordered, even though the idea of shrieking curses promised a nice release. She didn't need any further trouble, especially when considering she wasn't sure the extent of the punishment that was in store for her. Being sent to her bedroom as if she were a small child was certainly demeaning in itself and she could bet there would be a visit to Dr. Benson soon.
She grimaced at the thought of another session in his leather-clad office. He would sit there in front of her with his pen that clicked and scratched and drove her into receding within herself, away from the hurtful words she knew were being written. Words that were long and medical in nature. Words that carried stigmas. Words that turned into prescriptions that came with even more appointments. It was a cyclical nightmare and one she had just managed to nab a taste of freedom from.
Alexandria huffed and breathed deeply, soothed by the comforting scent of fabric softener that still clung to the bed linens. Perhaps she was overreacting; worrying over a problem much smaller than it appeared to be. Her mother had never, ever, remained mad at her for any prolonged period of time and it was unlikely she would start now. It was possible Alexandria had simply provided too much information too fast and her mother was having difficulty processing it all. Hence her distressing reaction.
Feeling somewhat eased by the thought, Alexandria allowed herself to drift off into a light sleep; dreamless and devoid of the voices.
Minutes passed by, becoming one hour and then two.
The sun had fully set when Alexandria woke. A darkened room greeted her sleep laden eyes and she fumbled for the switch of her bedside lamp. Its warmth chased the shadows into the far corners of her room and appeared to be the only light source on the upper floor of their house; the hallway beyond the bedroom door was mostly dark, except for a faint glow coming up the stairway.
Alexandria stretched and rearranged her ponytail, which had lost several large strands of hair as she slept. The articles of clothing she had thrown earlier remained where they had fallen and she couldn't help but feel guilty about her anger-driven action. Her mother had spent time washing, drying, and folding each piece to leave them in a tidy stack for Alexandria to put away and in one motion on her part, the effort was ruined.
She went about her room, collecting and folding the clothes along the way; certainly not doing as good as a job as her mother, but it seemed to repair some of the damage.
Just as she was finishing putting away a pair of jeans, her mother's voice floated up from below.
"Alexandria, dinner!"
The dresser drawer clunked shut and she took the stairs with a light step, youthful optimism filling her head with its promise that everything was going to be alright. This was her mother after all. The one who gave her unconditional love and who stood by her through the worst of times. Alexandria had nothing to fear, nothing permanent, and she was confident that with time and carefully thought-out explanations, her mother would come to view the Autobots in the same, awe-inspiring light as she did.
At the end of the stairs Alexandria gave pause.
The living room sat off to her left and she looked around the illuminated unoccupied space, feeling as if something was amiss. Her reflection stared back at her from the black screen of the television, which sat center stage among several lumpy but comfortable old sofas. Framed photos decorated the horizontal surfaces of end tables and wall shelving, revealing smiling faces of Alexandria, her mother, and extended family members.
Alexandria frowned, not quite sure what she was looking for as every object appeared to be in its designated place and yet something had been altered in the time she'd spent in her room.
It wasn't until her gaze rested on the coffee table did she realize the bowl of M&Ms was gone.
Such a small change shouldn't have give risen to the amount of unease Alexandria felt, but she found herself chewing on the bottom of her lip in worry.
She went into the kitchen to find supper already dished out and her mother waiting patiently. The medications were gone as well as the movies Alexandria had left on the counter. She took her seat and looked over the plate of spaghetti and meatballs with its side of Caesar salad.
"Looks good, mom. Thank you," she said, spearing a meatball with her fork and giving her mother a smile.
Mary merely nodded and hummed in response; her expression flat and unreadable.
Dejected, Alexandria began to eat but soon found she didn't have much of an appetite; the meal, one she usually enjoyed, suddenly becoming bland and unappealing.
Dinner was quiet except for the periodic clinking of utensils against the ceramic dishes. Alexandria racked her brain for conversation starters but each time she came up with something the words died on her lips as her mother gave no indication of being in the mood for chatter.
Mary picked through the noodles on her plate and Alexandria noted she barely had more than a few mouthfuls; unusual behavior for someone who typically hated to waste good food.
Alexandria finished her own meal, despite the unappetizing situation, and nodded toward the fridge. "Did you want some dessert?" she asked. Maybe something sweet would cheer her mother up and there was a small bit of apple pie left over from yesterday.
"No, thank you." Mary's fork dropped to the plate and she dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"Oh, okay." Alexandria drummed her fingers lightly against her chair. "I can clean up the dishes," she offered as her mother stood up.
Mary shook her head. "That won't be necessary."
"Well… what should I do then?"
The reply was soft and distant. "Whatever you want."
Unsure of what to do with the answer, Alexandria sat quietly as Mary put away the uneaten portion of supper. When her mother began filling the sink with warm soapy water, it was apparent Alexandria was left to her own devices for the rest of the evening.
Mumbling a hasty goodnight, Alexandria retreated back upstairs. She stopped on the second-to-last step and sat down, watching her mother through the banister. The cool iron spokes pressed against her forehead, which was creased with worry. The situation seemed to have gone from bad to worse and she was at a loss. At least when her mother had been angry with her, there had been something to respond to. To react to.
Alexandria sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. Even with her earlier nap, her eyes felt heavy with fatigue as the toll of the evening's stress bore down on her. The softness of her bed called out but she didn't want to move from her spot; didn't want to leave her mother without some sort of resolution.
It was then Alexandria noticed her mother had stopped in the middle of her dish washing; her fingers resting against the lip of a freshly rinsed plate in the drying rack and her head bent forward as if she were gazing down in thought at the water in the sink. Alexandria's confused expression turned into one of horror as Mary suddenly uttered a choked sob and burst into tears; her hands flying up to cover her face. The sounds, as sharp as knives, cut into Alexandria's heart and her eyes welled up.
She had made her mother cry...
The pain of that knowledge was white-hot and excruciating and, unable to tolerate the sounds further, Alexandria withdrew into the security of her bedroom. She curled up into a fetal position on her bed, clutching her pillow again for support. Something had to be done, something to make everything better again. Alexandria sniffed and smeared the tears that traveled down her cheeks, knowing she was the source of the entire mess and as such it would be all up to her to correct it. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, there was a very simple answer to her problem.
She knew what she had to do.
0-0-0-0-0
Bumblebee hummed as he busied himself with his daily maintenance checks; the catchy melody echoing about the stasis platform as his large metal digit tapped rhythmically against the console. The song was from one of Alexandria's favorite films and in the midst of her synopsis of it, she'd sung it to him. Apparently it was common for humans to incorporate musical sequences into their holos, especially when they were created by an Earthian faction known as Disney.
A smile tugged at his facial plates as he recalled the tiny female's hesitation at performing the song but with some gentle encouragement she was able to belt out the tune; complete with several animated actions, which had amused him to no end.
Bee, of course, complimented her afterward, to which she thanked him even though she believed her voice had been terribly off-key. At his dismissal she teasingly reminded him he didn't have anyone to compare her to.
"Tranquil as a forest but on fire within… Once you find your center, you are sure to win…" he sang under his breath as he viewed trajectory coding. His much deeper voice gave the words a certain vibrating edge; nothing close to the sweet, airy tune Alexandria had carried.
There came a shudder in his protoform as Bee entered a slight course alteration into his navigational unit; one that would divert him laterally within the various interspace energy streams and thus miss a rather large and dense asteroid field that was in his path. His external plating and the speed at which he traveled ensured no serious damage would take place but that didn't mean he enjoyed the searing pain that contact with one of the erratically floating rocks brought with it.
He grunted; his left side still burning from an optic sized pebble that had managed to shear its way briefly along his protoform before vaporizing into hot microscopic matter. One hand rubbed reflexively at the side that corresponded to the marred area, even though the virtual action would do nothing to soothe the ache.
Pain or not, his mood remained elevated for Alexandria would arrive soon and, as it was Friday night, that meant a new movie.
Bee hummed in thought, giving his head a shake. Humans. Such interesting and creative creatures who put obscene amounts of effort into sharing their greatest desires and fears through visual storytelling. It was a wonder they were able to focus on anything else.
Bee's optics flicked to a screen to his right. It once streamed the human data but now showed star charts and visual images from the external environment The files retrieved from the human ship had been untouched for some time and now they remained encrypted within his data banks; likely never to be accessed again. Alexandria's movies had provided him with far more insight into the human psyche than the overly scientific data ever would have. The very inner workings of the human mind were offered freely by her in the retelling of these stories; almost as if she was leading him to an open doorway and all he had to do was walk through.
The tune emitting from his vocal processor faltered slightly. Was it wrong of him to exploit information from Alexandria this way?
Perhaps.
But maybe it wasn't the amount of information she gave him. Maybe it was what the information could be used for that was the underhanded part. The part that worried him.
Information to create ways of manipulation and control. To exploit weaknesses and tear down strengths. To ensure Autobot safety for there were so very few of them left and times were becoming desperate.
Desperate enough to employ such tactics. Tactics commonplace among Decepticons.
Bumblebee suddenly felt dirty.
Sensors beeped signaling Alexandria's arrival and he gave silent thanks for a distraction from the recent dark turn of his inner musings.
He turned to greet her, whistling a light trill. "Good evening, angel. How was your da—". The warm welcome stopped abruptly as he took in her appearance. Alexandria's bright smile was absent and her eyes, usually full of adoration, stared up at him with such sorrow that his spark ached within his chest.
Bee quickly closed the short distance between them and knelt before her.
"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice tense with worry. He scanned her for injuries but found none that were visually obvious.
Alexandria drew in a shaky breath, her hands trembling at her sides. "I c-can't visit you anymore, Bee."
The words were barbs, sharp and stinging. He shook his head in confusion.
"I… Was it something I did?" he asked softly.
"No, no of course not," Alexandria replied fiercely. "You've only been kind and wonderful to me. You're amazing and well… just amazing. But I can't… I just can't…"
Bee watched as she fought for what she wanted to say. A tear rolled down her cheek, glistening against pale green skin, and he wracked his processor for ways to comfort her. To ease her distress.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Alexandria gave a choked laugh. "I wish you could, Bee. But, this is something I have to fix by myself. I... lied to my mom and now things are different between us. I hurt her."
It was a confession. Raw and painful. So much so that the tiny human seemed even more bare and fragile when standing before him.
"And in order to make things right," Alexandria continued, "I need to focus, which means I can't come here anymore. I can't… I need to concentrate on her. She's my mother… my family." At this point her head was dipped and she stared at the floor in misery.
It was obvious to Bee that she was trying to convince not only him but herself as well that the decision was for the best.
Bee whirred. "Alexandria."
Sad eyes looked up at his. The smile she received in return was gentle and reassuring.
"I understand."
"You do?" she whispered.
"Yes." One large digit traced just above the outline of her cheek, following the path of the tear. Alexandria's eyes closed briefly, head tilting toward the sensation.
"There's nothing more important than family," he said, his words weighted with truth. "You do what you have to for you and your mother."
She nodded and then held his gaze. "I will. But know you'll always be my friend, Bee."
"And you mine."
Her smile finally appeared but another tear fell.
"Do you need to leave right now?" he asked, hopeful their last conversation wouldn't just be of loss and sorrow.
"No. I can stay until the morning." Her fingers smoothed over her face, wiping away the trailing dampness. "I'd like to just talk tonight, if that's okay…"
"Of course. Whatever you want. Is there something specific you want to talk about?" He raised a brow plate in question.
"You. The other Autobots. Cybertron." Alexandria sat before him. "Your home. Your family. That's what I want to hear about tonight."
He nodded. "Alright."
And so he did.
It was small things he spoke of to her in their remaining time together; the little things that defined his friends and home.
Of the many nicknames Jazz bestowed upon others. How the light of the sunset played off Iacon's spiralling steeples to create millions of glittering diamonds. The neverending patience of Optimus with the younger, rambunctious bots under his care. How Arcee would stop in her travels to feel the velvety texture of a flower's petals against her digits. Sunstreaker's curious obsession with his pristine paint-job. The twisting dance of red-tinted cyclones over the Sea of Rust. How he and Cliffjumper would race the torrential rains in the Acid Wastes.
All the while, Alexandria, already familiar with the names from past stories, listened attentively. She didn't ask her questions or offer comparisons but rather just let the words flow as they came from him.
It was comforting for each side.
And when Alexandria began to wince, palm pressing lightly against her brow, Bee knew their time had come to an end. She glanced over her shoulder into the distance as if looking back toward her physical form. She too was aware they only had a few more moments before she'd be ripped out of stasis.
Dragging in a deep breath she stood and turned to him. "Before I go, I need you to promise me something if you ever visit Earth." Her tone was serious and whatever it was carried with it a heavy weight.
A promise seemed fair considering how Alexandria had made several for him and the others, but he had an uneasy feeling that he already knew what she was about to ask.
He couldn't seek her out, even as much as he wanted to. She had to remain safe and that meant keeping her at a distance unless he had no other choice.
Nevertheless, he found himself nodding along with the request.
"I need you to promise me that if you ever come to Earth, you'll be careful."
Incorrect in his assumption, Bee blinked in surprise.
"What do I have to be careful of?" he asked slowly, not quite sure why he was suddenly filled with a sense of dread.
"Humans."
The word lingered in the space between them. He stared at her for several long moments before remembering the conversation that had taken place between her and Ratchet. Suddenly his sense of dread seemed well validated.
Bee placed one hand over his spark. "I promise," he said, the words ones that Alexandria wanted to hear; the relief he saw in her eyes made that more than apparent.
Alexandria's body shimmered and became hazy.
"Thank you… for everything, Bumblebee."
He hummed low; bright eyes dimming as his spark wrenched in its chamber.
Her form flickered.
"Goodbye, my angel."
"Goodb—"
And then she was gone and the isolation of the void his only companion once more.
0-0-0-0-0
The peace of the early morning was broken by soft sobbing. Alexandria, curled in her bed, wept into the pillow; mourning the loss of her friend and fearful of what future her decision would bring.
Footsteps downstairs, given away by the creak of old floorboards under thin carpet, signaled her mother was awake. Alexandria dragged herself out of bed and over to the dresser mirror. Her reflection stared back with its red, puffy eyes and tear stained face. She looked terrible but it was time.
Her mother was in the living room, straightening cushions and wiping away thin layers of surface dust, when Alexandria caught up to her. Alexandria felt her heart swell at the sight of the person she loved most and she was unable to sound out the words she wanted to say.
Instead she went up behind her mother and wrapped her arms tightly around her, burying her face into the smooth cotton of her mother's shirt.
Mary tensed then partially twisted around in the embrace, looking down at her daughter in surprised confusion.
"Alexandria, what's wrong?" Mary asked, her voice edged with worry but still guarded.
"I'm sorry!" Alexandria cried into the fabric, squeezing her eyes shut against fresh tears. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"What—"
"I understand now. Why what I did was wrong." Alexandria's body trembled. "And I want to get better! I'll take the medications. I'll do what the doctors say. I'll stay away from the voices. Anything to get better. Just please don't be sad…"
Mary's voice warbled in response. "Oh… sweetheart…"
Alexandria felt comforting arms draw her close and there came the gentle pressure on her head where lips were pressed.
"You're the most important person in my life," Alexandria confessed in a broken whisper.
"And you mine," Mary replied with the warmth and love that only could be found between parent and child.
The heartbeat under Alexandria's ear was soothing and a kiss found its way to her brow making Alexandria choke a sob in relief.
She was forgiven.
"And don't you worry, my love," Mary continued. "We'll do this together. You and I. We'll get through this, just as we always have..."
They were words of strength. Words of support.
It was a promise.