Author's note: This chapter was originally going to come much earlier in the fic, but then I realised that Nicole would probably be too distraught to agree to go on another date with Rimmer. So, there you go. Bit of insider info there! From here until the end it's gonna be quite dark. Just warning you. R&R please!
Luckily for Rimmer the next day was a Saturday which meant he didn't have to face Gemma. Or Nicole. Or anyone. He shut himself away and tried to figure out how this complicated tangle of love and lies was going to fall into place.
"Mu-um?" Gemma called right into Faiyre's ear, who remained perfectly still other than to turn the page in her magazine.
"She's not here," she said silkily, brushing a piece of her hair out of her face. Gemma studied her sister more carefully. There was something different…
"OH MY GOD!" Gemma screamed, "You've had your lip pierced!"
"Shhh, I know!" Faiyre said, "Shut up! I don't want Mum to find out!"
Gemma laughed in disbelief, "You don't want her to find out?" she asked incredulously, "There's no chance in Hell she won't notice it. Unless you get a time machine and go back in time to persuade your past self not to do it. What were you thinking?"
"So, what did you want Mum for?"
"Faiyre! Don't try avoiding this!"
"Bite me."
Gemma sighed with impatience; she'd learnt long ago she could never win an argument with anyone, more so her older sister.
She didn't have to wait too long as her mother stepped through the door not ten minutes later with two arms full of papers and documents looking very flustered. Faiyre subtly propped her head up on her arm so it covered her lip.
"Faiyre," she sounded flustered too, "Could you get dinner on the go for me, sweetheart?"
Faiyre nodded and walked briskly out of the door.
"I guess you've got a lot of work to do tonight," Gemma said eyeing the massive pile of papers.
"Actually, no. I did all this while I was at work so I could spend the evening with my two favourite girls."
"They're showing 'Thelma and Louise'?" Gemma joked. Nicole laughed and hugged her.
"Come on," she said, "Let's go help Faiyre with dinner."
But Faiyre wasn't in the kitchen. She had locked herself away in her room.
"Faiyre," her mum rapped on the door, "Will you please come out."
"I don't want to," came Faiyre's voice.
"Mum," Gemma said softly, "Er, Faiyre wasn't feeling too well when I got in. I think she wants to rest."
"Oh, OK. Well, we'll just order a pizza or something. Have a girls' night in!"
Gemma nodded with excitement; she couldn't remember the last time her mum had had time for a girls' night in.
"I'll have pizza," Faiyre called, "the usual: half-fat cheese with extra everything."
Gemma's mother turned to her slowly, "I thought you said she was ill…"
"She, um…" Gemma stopped. There was absolutely no point in continuing.
"Faiyre, come out of there now!"
"No!"
"Faiyre, I'm warning you, open this door or I'm cutting off your allowance."
"Oh no," Faiyre replied sarcastically, "Big whoop."
"Faiyre, I-"
"Why are you so bothered anyway? It's not like you usually take an interest in me. Or Gemma, come to that. You're always too busy. We haven't had a proper family meal in ages, it's always interrupted by someone from work calling you out! I'm sick of it!"
Gemma knew Faiyre had gone too far, but she also knew it had to be said, so she just looked at the floor when her mother looked at her.
"Faiyre, you know I'd rather stay here with you and Gem. I want that more than anything, but it's just not possible! I have to keep up the income to feed and clothe you!"
"Well, I'll get a job then!"
"Don't be stupid, you have to focus on your education."
"Screw my education! I didn't even go to school today!"
"What?" Gemma and Nicole asked in unison.
"That's right. I took the day off."
Before Gemma knew what was happening, Faiyre had swung open the door and her mum had nearly fainted.
"Faiyre! What the hell have you done to yourself?"
"You like?"
Gemma buried her face in her hands. She could see where this was going.
"Right, that's it," Nicole said firmly, "Out."
"What?"
"Get out."
Faiyre stood stock still trying to figure out if she was serious.
"Come on!" Nicole repeated, "You think you can just do what you want, you think you can handle it, then go. Move out. Find your own place."
Gemma looked up, "No, Mum, you can't!"
"No, Gem" Faiyre said quietly, "She's right. I should go. I've never been welcome here, have I? Ever since Gemma came along. You always resented me. Just because her father stuck around a couple of weeks longer than mine."
"What are you talking about, Faiyre," Gemma asked, "We have the same father, don't we?"
"Oh, stop being so smegging naïve!" Faiyre shouted and walked quickly out of the room, leaving the remaining occupants in a state of shock.
"You lied to me," Gemma whispered to her mum after she had been given a cup of cocoa, "You totally lied to me."
"Gemma-"
"And it wasn't even a little white lie, like, 'no one noticed you knocking over the set of the nativity scene half-way through the play'. You lied about…about who I was."
"I didn't lie about who you were, Gem. You'll always be you, no matter what," she sighed, "I thought it would be better for you to believe you had a kind man for a father, not that drunken, illiterate coward."
Gemma didn't stop the tears, "You lied…" she repeated.
"Gemma, please, I was looking out for you! You know I only want the best for you."
Gemma stared at her for a while then shook her head, "You say that a lot, don't you?"
"What?"
"'You know'. You say it like I'm supposed to automatically trust what you say. Well why the hell should I? Why don't you earn that trust for once?" Gemma got up and left the room.
She ran down the labyrinth of corridors. She knew exactly where she was going. To the only person who would listen. He'd run away from home, too. He'd divorced his parents. He would understand.