Apartment 301, Bayview Complex, Golden Bay City, 9:14:33am May 12th
"Zee?" Ro called across the gardens. "Zee? Where'd you go?"
Ro looked around the lovely garden. It was so nice to be out her with the sun beating gently on her back and brightly colored flowers up to her ankles.
"Coming, Ro!" shouted Zee from somewhere out of sight, and Ro turned her head. There he was, jogging towards her from the hedges, his small form growing larger as he drew close. Ro laughed mirthfully, and began running towards him. They met over a bed of gardenias, trampling them as Zee swept her up into a huge bear hug, laughing as well, his laughter loud and sweet and clear, real soulful laughter.
"Mmm, Zee," she murmured, still giggling, enjoying his presence. He smiled broadly and lifted her chin, lifting her whole body up to his level, their faces coming together, lips inches apart. Ro closed her eyes, and-
"Rosalie? Are you up?" Ro jolted awake when she heard he door open, the lovely picture fading to instead show a rather plain white room. Ro lay on her mattress in the middle of the floor, sheets sliding off her body as she sat up and looked into the earnest blue eyes of her brother, Casey MacCurdy.
"Oh, sorry to wake you. . .I just wanted to tell you I was going to work now."
"Oh, okay," Ro said softly, her trying to look interested in the bumping white carpet beneath her. Maybe if she closed her eyes, the vision would return. Somehow, she didn't think so.
This had been the clearest picture of Zee she'd had in months, and all of the clearer ones previously had been memories of his death. But this time, she could feel the warmth of his body, smell the strange metallic smell he had, hear every tone of his voice, see him exactly as he had been. She wanted to see him again so much, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to. Already when she tried to think of him during the day, the memory was faded like an old fashioned photograph, and she knew that someday, she would find that she couldn't remember him at all. And she wanted to remember him so badly it hurt.
"Are you Okay?" Casey asked worriedly, sensing that he had somehow intruded.
"Yeah, fine," Ro said, turning away from his warm gaze. In movies, Golden Bay was always shown as warm and sunny. In reality, it was always overcast and almost always raining. Casey assured her that it got better during the summer, but Ro didn't mind- it fit. Flowers and sunshine for the world that Zee inhabited, grey and rain for the reality in which she was forced to reside.
"Ro?" Casey inquired. She ignored him coldly. Ro knew her brother was trying to take care of her, and had even taken a rather long leave of absence from work to stay home with her when she first arrived and was still bedridden from her injuries, but she didn't want to talk to him. He was trying to hard to take care of her. Taking care of her was Zee's job, and no one could ever replace Zee.
"Ro," he tried again, "I'm worried about you. I mean, it's one thing to mourn, but it's been over three months now since. . .you know. . .and you're still- I mean, you never go outside, you never talk to me, you won't eat unless I make you. . .you just sit here all day sleeping or staring out the window. Okay, so at first I thought it was just because you were hurt, but you're better now. . .maybe if you went outside, did some other things you'd feel better about it all, but just sitting here thinking about it all day can't possibly be healthy-" he sounded so desperate, almost near tears, that Ro had the unpleasant sensation of pity for him.
After all, he had offered for her to come live with him as soon as he heard, and she certainly wasn't being the world's greatest guest. But he couldn't possibly understand the horrible, sickening emptiness that grew worse every day, that filled her every thought.
It was medicinal for her to watch the rain slither down her window panes like tears, for crying seemed to be the only thing that could relieve the dull ache in her chest.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and he rather timidly put an arm around her shoulder. Strange to think that they were the siblings that each of them had always wanted, and yet they were so disconnected, so afraid of one another.
"It's okay, Ro. I know he was. . .well. . .really. . ."
"Yeah. He was."
"Well, um, like I said, I'm going to work now. . ."
"Okay. Bye, Casey."
He walked out, smiling sadly. "Bye, Bulldozer. Look, maybe tonight we could go pick out some stuff for your room? If you're going to be spending so much time in it, it might as well not look like a prison cell," he chuckled, gesturing to the bare walls and Ro's single cot.
"Oh. . .yeah, that sounds great."
"See you tonight, then."
He left, closing the door behind him. Ro pulled the covers over herself and lay down again on the mattress, her eyes open, staring out the window. Getting her furniture, something so simple. . .but it was really a sign from Casey that these living arrangements were to be permanent.
Ro knew she should be grateful- two years ago the prospect of living in a stable home with her brother would have been the next best thing to meeting her parents. But to completely move in with Casey would be to accept that the part of her life with Zee was over, and that she would have to move on.
Ro sighed, a deep side that rocked her entire body. Part of her wanted to fall asleep and try to call back that perfect dream, but part of her was still wary. For the longest time, the only dreams she had were of Zee's death, repeated over and over again, worse every time.
She remembered waking up in the hospital about a week after her encounter with Eta in the basement. She had apparently been found by some NSA agents, including Agent Bennett. Her former enemy apologized profusely for Eta, saying that Eta's remnants had been destroyed, and she must have been out of control since she had been instructed not to hurt Zeta's accomplice.
He had seemed genuinely distraught over Zee's death- well, as distraught as stoic James Bennett ever seemed- and admitted that he believed in the synthoid's innocence. A bit too late, Ro thought bitterly. But there was no denying her gratitude- Bennett had managed to gain a pardon for her from the NSA board and get her out of an interrogation.
Only after the agents had left did Ro finally have time to let everything sink in. She had been too intent on revenge with Eta when he first passed, and then unconscious afterwards. But truth of her situation didn't take long after she had been left alone- she hadn't spent a night alone in nearly two years. She found that she could no longer sleep without Zeta hovering nearby and being annoyingly watchful, or hearing his thick, grinding snores echoing through the room. And it was hard waking up knowing that he wouldn't be there to greet her good morning.
The rain fell harder outside Casey's apartment, the apartment called "Bayview" even though the huge body of water wasn't really anywhere nearby. She could hear the heavy droplets slapping against the side of the house and rattling the windowpane. Ro shivered although she wasn't cold. Her shoulders continued to shake after the shiver had passed, and before she knew it she was crying so hard into her pillow that it grew damp.
That wasn't strange- she did it virtually every night. Some small thing would set it off without warning, and she was never sure why because the trigger usually had little to do with Zee. But it surprised her that her body had tears left. She jolted upright when there was a knock on the door.
"Ro?" came Casey's shaking voice through her door. Ro felt trespassed upon- she didn't want him around while she was crying. What was he still doing home?
"What?" she snapped, drying to rub the redness off her face with a sheet.
"There's someone at the door for you," he said again in that strange shaky voice.
"Tell them to go away," she snapped, pulling the pillow over her head.
"No, I. . .I think you might want to come down,"
Ro drew in breath sharply, but shouted "Fine, tell them I'm coming." She yanked on a pair of jeans lying unfolded in her closet and pulled a sweater over her head hastily, messing her hair. She flung open the door and glared at his brother, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. Ignoring him, Ro ran out of the living room into the hallway of the apartment complex, and slid down the banister to the bottom floor. She opened the door to outside, and almost fainted when she saw who stood there.
There he was, standing in the downpour, water sliding down his face and body, his dark hair slick with rainwater, his old and ill-fitting brown trench coat drenched. Ro stood still, her stomach spinning with what felt almost like indigestion. She held onto the doorway for support as his eyes met hers, so deep and dark blue like the bay.
"Ro?" A broad smile crossed his face.
"Hi, Zee," she said weakly, and then, regaining her bearing, grabbed his collar and pulled his face down into a long kiss while the rainwater soaked them both to the skin.
Author's Note~ *giggles madly and adores Zee/Ro sap, even though there's no real explanation as to why Zee is standing here as of yet.*
"Zee?" Ro called across the gardens. "Zee? Where'd you go?"
Ro looked around the lovely garden. It was so nice to be out her with the sun beating gently on her back and brightly colored flowers up to her ankles.
"Coming, Ro!" shouted Zee from somewhere out of sight, and Ro turned her head. There he was, jogging towards her from the hedges, his small form growing larger as he drew close. Ro laughed mirthfully, and began running towards him. They met over a bed of gardenias, trampling them as Zee swept her up into a huge bear hug, laughing as well, his laughter loud and sweet and clear, real soulful laughter.
"Mmm, Zee," she murmured, still giggling, enjoying his presence. He smiled broadly and lifted her chin, lifting her whole body up to his level, their faces coming together, lips inches apart. Ro closed her eyes, and-
"Rosalie? Are you up?" Ro jolted awake when she heard he door open, the lovely picture fading to instead show a rather plain white room. Ro lay on her mattress in the middle of the floor, sheets sliding off her body as she sat up and looked into the earnest blue eyes of her brother, Casey MacCurdy.
"Oh, sorry to wake you. . .I just wanted to tell you I was going to work now."
"Oh, okay," Ro said softly, her trying to look interested in the bumping white carpet beneath her. Maybe if she closed her eyes, the vision would return. Somehow, she didn't think so.
This had been the clearest picture of Zee she'd had in months, and all of the clearer ones previously had been memories of his death. But this time, she could feel the warmth of his body, smell the strange metallic smell he had, hear every tone of his voice, see him exactly as he had been. She wanted to see him again so much, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to. Already when she tried to think of him during the day, the memory was faded like an old fashioned photograph, and she knew that someday, she would find that she couldn't remember him at all. And she wanted to remember him so badly it hurt.
"Are you Okay?" Casey asked worriedly, sensing that he had somehow intruded.
"Yeah, fine," Ro said, turning away from his warm gaze. In movies, Golden Bay was always shown as warm and sunny. In reality, it was always overcast and almost always raining. Casey assured her that it got better during the summer, but Ro didn't mind- it fit. Flowers and sunshine for the world that Zee inhabited, grey and rain for the reality in which she was forced to reside.
"Ro?" Casey inquired. She ignored him coldly. Ro knew her brother was trying to take care of her, and had even taken a rather long leave of absence from work to stay home with her when she first arrived and was still bedridden from her injuries, but she didn't want to talk to him. He was trying to hard to take care of her. Taking care of her was Zee's job, and no one could ever replace Zee.
"Ro," he tried again, "I'm worried about you. I mean, it's one thing to mourn, but it's been over three months now since. . .you know. . .and you're still- I mean, you never go outside, you never talk to me, you won't eat unless I make you. . .you just sit here all day sleeping or staring out the window. Okay, so at first I thought it was just because you were hurt, but you're better now. . .maybe if you went outside, did some other things you'd feel better about it all, but just sitting here thinking about it all day can't possibly be healthy-" he sounded so desperate, almost near tears, that Ro had the unpleasant sensation of pity for him.
After all, he had offered for her to come live with him as soon as he heard, and she certainly wasn't being the world's greatest guest. But he couldn't possibly understand the horrible, sickening emptiness that grew worse every day, that filled her every thought.
It was medicinal for her to watch the rain slither down her window panes like tears, for crying seemed to be the only thing that could relieve the dull ache in her chest.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, and he rather timidly put an arm around her shoulder. Strange to think that they were the siblings that each of them had always wanted, and yet they were so disconnected, so afraid of one another.
"It's okay, Ro. I know he was. . .well. . .really. . ."
"Yeah. He was."
"Well, um, like I said, I'm going to work now. . ."
"Okay. Bye, Casey."
He walked out, smiling sadly. "Bye, Bulldozer. Look, maybe tonight we could go pick out some stuff for your room? If you're going to be spending so much time in it, it might as well not look like a prison cell," he chuckled, gesturing to the bare walls and Ro's single cot.
"Oh. . .yeah, that sounds great."
"See you tonight, then."
He left, closing the door behind him. Ro pulled the covers over herself and lay down again on the mattress, her eyes open, staring out the window. Getting her furniture, something so simple. . .but it was really a sign from Casey that these living arrangements were to be permanent.
Ro knew she should be grateful- two years ago the prospect of living in a stable home with her brother would have been the next best thing to meeting her parents. But to completely move in with Casey would be to accept that the part of her life with Zee was over, and that she would have to move on.
Ro sighed, a deep side that rocked her entire body. Part of her wanted to fall asleep and try to call back that perfect dream, but part of her was still wary. For the longest time, the only dreams she had were of Zee's death, repeated over and over again, worse every time.
She remembered waking up in the hospital about a week after her encounter with Eta in the basement. She had apparently been found by some NSA agents, including Agent Bennett. Her former enemy apologized profusely for Eta, saying that Eta's remnants had been destroyed, and she must have been out of control since she had been instructed not to hurt Zeta's accomplice.
He had seemed genuinely distraught over Zee's death- well, as distraught as stoic James Bennett ever seemed- and admitted that he believed in the synthoid's innocence. A bit too late, Ro thought bitterly. But there was no denying her gratitude- Bennett had managed to gain a pardon for her from the NSA board and get her out of an interrogation.
Only after the agents had left did Ro finally have time to let everything sink in. She had been too intent on revenge with Eta when he first passed, and then unconscious afterwards. But truth of her situation didn't take long after she had been left alone- she hadn't spent a night alone in nearly two years. She found that she could no longer sleep without Zeta hovering nearby and being annoyingly watchful, or hearing his thick, grinding snores echoing through the room. And it was hard waking up knowing that he wouldn't be there to greet her good morning.
The rain fell harder outside Casey's apartment, the apartment called "Bayview" even though the huge body of water wasn't really anywhere nearby. She could hear the heavy droplets slapping against the side of the house and rattling the windowpane. Ro shivered although she wasn't cold. Her shoulders continued to shake after the shiver had passed, and before she knew it she was crying so hard into her pillow that it grew damp.
That wasn't strange- she did it virtually every night. Some small thing would set it off without warning, and she was never sure why because the trigger usually had little to do with Zee. But it surprised her that her body had tears left. She jolted upright when there was a knock on the door.
"Ro?" came Casey's shaking voice through her door. Ro felt trespassed upon- she didn't want him around while she was crying. What was he still doing home?
"What?" she snapped, drying to rub the redness off her face with a sheet.
"There's someone at the door for you," he said again in that strange shaky voice.
"Tell them to go away," she snapped, pulling the pillow over her head.
"No, I. . .I think you might want to come down,"
Ro drew in breath sharply, but shouted "Fine, tell them I'm coming." She yanked on a pair of jeans lying unfolded in her closet and pulled a sweater over her head hastily, messing her hair. She flung open the door and glared at his brother, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. Ignoring him, Ro ran out of the living room into the hallway of the apartment complex, and slid down the banister to the bottom floor. She opened the door to outside, and almost fainted when she saw who stood there.
There he was, standing in the downpour, water sliding down his face and body, his dark hair slick with rainwater, his old and ill-fitting brown trench coat drenched. Ro stood still, her stomach spinning with what felt almost like indigestion. She held onto the doorway for support as his eyes met hers, so deep and dark blue like the bay.
"Ro?" A broad smile crossed his face.
"Hi, Zee," she said weakly, and then, regaining her bearing, grabbed his collar and pulled his face down into a long kiss while the rainwater soaked them both to the skin.
Author's Note~ *giggles madly and adores Zee/Ro sap, even though there's no real explanation as to why Zee is standing here as of yet.*