Chapter 8: Lyra, Emily, and Will
A/N Ooh, an update. Lyra and Emily finally come face-to-face, and this chapter will hopefully be a bit longer and sans-cliffy. Same old disclaimer, don't own anyone but Emily and Sarika.
Lyra spun around, Pan nearly falling off her shoulder, as Emily entered the flat and hung up her coat on the stand. The woman didn't turn, and thus didn't see the strange blonde standing next to her husband. "I am so tired, I had the craziest day. Y'know that one professor I have, Professor Spitzner? He is such a jerk, he actually gave me a seventy-two on that paper I did! You know how hard I worked on. . .that. . ." For Emily had just turned around and had seen an unknown woman with blonde hair and a weasel sitting on her shoulder standing next to Will. "Uh. . .Will, is this a friend of yours?"
Will glanced at Lyra and then back at his surprised wife. Lyra wasn't saying anything, only staring at Emily as the pieces fell into place. In reply to Emily's query, Will replied, after a moment, "Yeah, I guess she is. Well, actually, she's an. . .old girlfriend of mine that I ran into on the street today. I haven't seen her since the tenth year and we decided to, you know, catch up."
Lyra stared at Will and was about to ask what a girlfriend was when Emily replied, in a condescending voice as if she was talking to a small child, "Oh, well that's nice, isn't it? I'm Emily Parry, Will's wife. What's your name?" She smiled and put out her left hand. The wedding band on her third finger was impossible to miss.
Lyra glanced at the hand and carefully put hers out, saying slowly, "Lyra Silvertongue." She left it at that, shaking Emily's hand quickly and then pulling away and shoving her own hands in her pockets. It took a great deal of effort not to wipe her hand on her skirt. So that's what Xaphania meant about how things have changed, and why Mary was so uncomfortable. . .I know Will and I agreed that we could marry someone else, but why didn't they tell me? Why didn't Will tell me? I was all excited, because it seemed like everything would work out, and now it's wrecked. She glanced at Will meaningfully, trying to tell him with her eyes that she was upset and angry that she hadn't told him. He got the hint and gave her a slight shake of his head. Lyra clenched her fists inside her pockets.
Emily didn't notice the silent exchange between the two. She did notice the Crushes on the coffee table and the TV, which was now playing an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. "Lyra, would you like to stick around for dinner? We're having lasagne!"
Lyra frowned. "Lasagne?"
Emily glanced at Will, as if thinking that perhaps Lyra wasn't that smart. "You know, layers of pasta with tomato sauce and cheese?"
Lyra suddenly recognized the dish, which was from Italia and was a rare treat in her world. "Oh, of course! We call it larkspane where I come from."
Emily beamed. "Excellent! I'll start making it. Will, could you make a salad, please?"
"Actually, hon, can I talk to Lyra for a few minutes, please?" Will asked. "Salads don't take that long anyway."
Emily frowned, and then shrugged. "I guess so."
Will drew Lyra into a corner of the living room by her elbow and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. . .it was my wedding that I was at on Midsummer's Day. I didn't want to let you know just then, while we were both so happy. . .but I guess it had to come out sooner or later, and we did agree that we would marry other people. I'm so sorry, Lyra."
Lyra looked at Will with a degree of hurt and pain in her eyes so deep that it felt like she was boring into him with a drill. "I know. . .but it hurts. I - " She glanced at the kitchen, and then said, "I can't stay here. You and Emily have a happy life." Swiftly she kissed him and then turned, running out the door with Pan still clinging to her shoulder.
Will watched her go, feeling dead in his heart. Emily, who had turned around just in time to see Lyra kiss Will and run out the door, dropped the wooden spoon she was using to stir the pasta and stormed across the room. "So, it wasn't just a meeting with an old girlfriend, eh?" She slapped him across the face and left too, stomping into their bedroom and slamming the door hard. Will was left in the corner, alone but for Kirjava, and hating himself. He'd lost both the woman he loved and his wife, in the space of one minute.
A/N Ok, so it did end with a cliffy, but not as bad as the rest were. Oh, and it was short.hehehe. I'm not the best long-chapter-making person. R/R!
A/N Ooh, an update. Lyra and Emily finally come face-to-face, and this chapter will hopefully be a bit longer and sans-cliffy. Same old disclaimer, don't own anyone but Emily and Sarika.
Lyra spun around, Pan nearly falling off her shoulder, as Emily entered the flat and hung up her coat on the stand. The woman didn't turn, and thus didn't see the strange blonde standing next to her husband. "I am so tired, I had the craziest day. Y'know that one professor I have, Professor Spitzner? He is such a jerk, he actually gave me a seventy-two on that paper I did! You know how hard I worked on. . .that. . ." For Emily had just turned around and had seen an unknown woman with blonde hair and a weasel sitting on her shoulder standing next to Will. "Uh. . .Will, is this a friend of yours?"
Will glanced at Lyra and then back at his surprised wife. Lyra wasn't saying anything, only staring at Emily as the pieces fell into place. In reply to Emily's query, Will replied, after a moment, "Yeah, I guess she is. Well, actually, she's an. . .old girlfriend of mine that I ran into on the street today. I haven't seen her since the tenth year and we decided to, you know, catch up."
Lyra stared at Will and was about to ask what a girlfriend was when Emily replied, in a condescending voice as if she was talking to a small child, "Oh, well that's nice, isn't it? I'm Emily Parry, Will's wife. What's your name?" She smiled and put out her left hand. The wedding band on her third finger was impossible to miss.
Lyra glanced at the hand and carefully put hers out, saying slowly, "Lyra Silvertongue." She left it at that, shaking Emily's hand quickly and then pulling away and shoving her own hands in her pockets. It took a great deal of effort not to wipe her hand on her skirt. So that's what Xaphania meant about how things have changed, and why Mary was so uncomfortable. . .I know Will and I agreed that we could marry someone else, but why didn't they tell me? Why didn't Will tell me? I was all excited, because it seemed like everything would work out, and now it's wrecked. She glanced at Will meaningfully, trying to tell him with her eyes that she was upset and angry that she hadn't told him. He got the hint and gave her a slight shake of his head. Lyra clenched her fists inside her pockets.
Emily didn't notice the silent exchange between the two. She did notice the Crushes on the coffee table and the TV, which was now playing an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. "Lyra, would you like to stick around for dinner? We're having lasagne!"
Lyra frowned. "Lasagne?"
Emily glanced at Will, as if thinking that perhaps Lyra wasn't that smart. "You know, layers of pasta with tomato sauce and cheese?"
Lyra suddenly recognized the dish, which was from Italia and was a rare treat in her world. "Oh, of course! We call it larkspane where I come from."
Emily beamed. "Excellent! I'll start making it. Will, could you make a salad, please?"
"Actually, hon, can I talk to Lyra for a few minutes, please?" Will asked. "Salads don't take that long anyway."
Emily frowned, and then shrugged. "I guess so."
Will drew Lyra into a corner of the living room by her elbow and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. . .it was my wedding that I was at on Midsummer's Day. I didn't want to let you know just then, while we were both so happy. . .but I guess it had to come out sooner or later, and we did agree that we would marry other people. I'm so sorry, Lyra."
Lyra looked at Will with a degree of hurt and pain in her eyes so deep that it felt like she was boring into him with a drill. "I know. . .but it hurts. I - " She glanced at the kitchen, and then said, "I can't stay here. You and Emily have a happy life." Swiftly she kissed him and then turned, running out the door with Pan still clinging to her shoulder.
Will watched her go, feeling dead in his heart. Emily, who had turned around just in time to see Lyra kiss Will and run out the door, dropped the wooden spoon she was using to stir the pasta and stormed across the room. "So, it wasn't just a meeting with an old girlfriend, eh?" She slapped him across the face and left too, stomping into their bedroom and slamming the door hard. Will was left in the corner, alone but for Kirjava, and hating himself. He'd lost both the woman he loved and his wife, in the space of one minute.
A/N Ok, so it did end with a cliffy, but not as bad as the rest were. Oh, and it was short.hehehe. I'm not the best long-chapter-making person. R/R!