Weeks had passed since Weather had last seen her. Several painful, stale weeks with no word or explanation as to where she had been, what she had been up to, or why she had stopped showing up altogether. He felt a stinging urgency to search the prison for her, and he had made attempts on several occasions; there was no sight of Atroe whatsoever. While he had been asking Emporio about her, he soon gave up and kept to himself, fending off the crippling fear that maybe she had grown tired of him and stopped showing up at the ghost room. Weather truly didn't want to believe this, it wasn't in her nature. She would have said something by now, she would have told him something. Her silence caused him to grow more anxious and discouraged each day that passed. The only thing keeping his mind at ease was the idea of him finding out about his past with the help of Jolyne Kujo; other than for that reason alone, Weather would have let himself rot in prison by now. At the ripe age of 39, he knew his chances at finding another source of love and affection were critically limited. He knew he was far too eccentric to ever garner any long-term interest or appeal if he were to make it out of prison, and he knew in his heart that he probably could not love someone else as much as he loved Atroe, as much as he hated to admit it. Even though initially wary of him, Atroe had welcomed him with open arms and willingly gave her love and affection to him, something that he was completely unaccustomed to. Her kind and accepting heart gave him an emotional warmth that he had yet to experience, and now that she was gone, he could feel that warmth slowly fading back into the bitter coldness he had been living with before he met her. What compelled her to vanish from his life so suddenly? Why had she withdrawn from him? He hated how dependent he had become on her presence, and he didn't know how he would react if he ever saw her again. Part of him wanted to take her back enthusiastically and forgive her, and the other wanted to cut her out of his life completely and tell her to "get lost" for hurting him so. Weather was at an emotional crossroads, a silent one, yet he couldn't articulate to others how despairing it felt to be seemingly tossed aside and forgotten about. With no memories of his past aside from the blissful months he spent with Atroe, Weather felt barely any drive to keep on going.
It wasn't until a jailbreak occurred that Weather was reunited with Atroe, but once he caught a glance of her, something seemed rather off. Her eyes seemed vacant and distant; they lacked the warmth he had grown so accustomed to. Her mannerisms were jittery and her body was unstable and bendy; she seemed as if her skeleton had been compromised. Her personality was starkly different as well, and she constantly asked questions about mundane things or things that required common knowledge. He wondered if she had experienced significant brain damage and suffered from memory loss as well, but he could barely bring himself to look at or even speak to her. At first, she acted aloof around him and like she had never met him, something that stung his heart incredibly. As time went on, "Atroe" did things that would hint at a past bond or closeness that would cause Weather some visible distress. Sometimes she would innocently grab his hand to lead him to the rest of the group or would give him a friendly smile, and this was enough to shatter his heart entirely. He would back away from her or swat her hand away, leaving her perplexed as to why he had reacted so adversely. Emporio was mindful of Weather's response and constantly checked in on him, but they both soon found out that the Atroe operating before them wasn't the real Atroe. Ermes Costello told them that Atroe had been killed by an exploding wristlet tracker that detonated when the guard drove 50 meters away from her; all that was left was her blown up carcass, which a figure known as F.F. inhabited and used as a disguise to blend in with the prisoners and humanity. Weather thought Ermes was kidding at first, but then he saw F.F.'s stand abilities and altered physical appearance at play and ruled that it wasn't the real Atroe. He could tell that F.F. recognized him some, but not in the same manner that Atroe would have. All that remained of her was her physical appearance, but her soul was gone for good.
"So what's the deal between you and F.F., then?" Ermes innocently asked Weather, uncertain of why he seemed so perturbed.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to get some facts straightened out is all." He stridently said as he turned around to walk toward a nearby bench.
Ermes cocked an eyebrow and cleared her throat.
"I mean, if you say so. If I'm not mistaken, it seems like you're a little bitter about her being here with us? If you don't mind me asking, why is that? She's an ally, so we don't have to worry about her doing anything suspicious anymore. Did you have to fight her with your stand at one point? I'm just really confused." She asked as Weather shrugged his shoulders, keeping his gaze toward the ground.
"It's really not that deep. I just wanted to make sure she's really who we think she is. That's all."
Ermes rolled her eyes a bit as Weather walked away, remarking how vague and brooding he was being. A slight thunderstorm was brewing in the distance, and she could hear low thunder rumbling in the distance. She didn't know if it was the legitimate weather or if Weather Report was about to throw a fit with his stand; nevertheless, she had lost interest in figuring out why he seemed so moody and detached from the group. She walked over toward the rest of the group, saddling up to Jolyne, Anasui, and F.F. who were taking a small break under a park tree. She noticed that F.F. and Emporio kept looking back at Weather with worried expressions, something she knew she couldn't ignore for much longer; it was far too indicative of a problem the two had been facing under the rest of their noses, and Ermes was keen on finding out.
"Sorry to interrupt, but maybe you can explain something to me real fast F.F." Ermes stated, F.F. looking up at her with glimmering expectant eyes.
"What's that, Ermes?" She said, a friendly smile crawling across her lips. Ermes cleared her throat again and began, carefully choosing her words as she spoke.
"I really hate to be nosy and up in your business about things, but I've been noticing a lot of tension between you and Weather Report. Like, it's pretty noticeable. The guy is acting like a fucking prick anytime you're nice to him, so I was wondering what the deal is between you two. Do you need me to have a talk with him? It just doesn't sit well with me. You're so nice and welcoming to him and he just can't be bothered to be nice back, and I'm getting sick of it." She explained, F.F.'s gaze directed towards the ground when she heard her words. Even though she was only halfway aware of Atroe's past, she still had fragmented memories of her and Weather's experiences together, and while they were foggy at best, she knew there was unfinished romantic business between them that had gone stale. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to explain.
"I know why he's treating me this way, and it has everything to do with Atroe and her past bond with him and nothing to do with me. I'm only going to tell you what I can remember, which is not much, but it should still explain why he's so upset with me. At some point in time, Atroe and Weather report were involved…romantically. I don't know for how long, and I don't know how long ago it was; all I know is that it just happened at one time during our time in prison. I can remember fragments of them meeting in the ghost room a while back, and they were very close, both physically and emotionally. From what I can surmise, they cared about each other a great deal. I do know that Atroe was a virgin until she started seeing him, so it must have been a pretty serious thing for both of them." She explained as Ermes and Jolyne's eyes went wide with surprise; they had no idea that this had been going on between the two. They looked at each other in a bewildered and excited manner, egging F.F. to tell them more.
"Well, if I had to guess, me being in Atroe's body and using her physical presence as a disguise isn't sitting well with him. In fact, he probably sees it as a mockery of the woman he once knew. I can understand completely why he's upset with me. I didn't know about all this at the time, but when I was introduced to him, I got an onslaught of fragmented memories of him and Atroe when I first looked at him. I didn't want to say anything at first so as to not make things weird or more difficult, but it's obvious that me being here is hurting him. He's resentful of me, and rightfully so." She said, Jolyne remaining unable to utter a sound.
"…oh my God. So basically you reanimated his dead girlfriend's corpse?" Ermes asked, F.F. shrugging and wincing in response.
"I didn't know she was fucking him at the time! I just went for the nearest available human body, which happened to be hers! I had no ill intentions for this at all, but now I've gone and caused more inner turmoil for one of our group members and I feel terrible about it. I wish I could talk to him about it without him freezing me out, but I can't say I blame the guy for feeling the way he does, especially when I can barely remember what their bond was like. I swore to protect all of you, and that will be of utmost importance. It's just hard when someone in your group hates your guts and wishes you were dead."
Jolyne spoke up after hearing this statement of hers.
"He doesn't want you dead, F.F. He's just having a tough time processing all of this. I'm sure it's not easy for an amnesiac with very little memories to have to go through loss like this, especially when you have memory loss of your own. In a way, it probably isolates him even further. You, I mean, Atroe was probably a huge highlight in his life, especially since she was sweet and affectionate with him. By default, you not remembering any of that from the past kinda cancels out any significance it once held between you two since it was a secret to us all. You're kind of the only person who has the power to validate that past bond and maybe put his mind at ease. I know he's being difficult and a bit rude to you, but rest assured, I know for a fact he doesn't want you dead . " She said as she looked his way, feeling the pangs of sadness in her heart for him.
"What's important is that you want to make peace with him, F.F. I'm sure once he recognizes that, he'll come around. It'll just take time. He seems like the type to get really attached, so it's probably harder for him to let go."
"And besides…" Ermes said as she threw her arm around F.F. in an encouraging manner; "…men pout like that when things don't exactly go their way. They're big babies, and he's no different. Just try talking to him and see if you can get him to lighten up. We're all working towards the same cause anyway, so he should get on board too, right?"
"Right." F.F. responded in a more hopeful manner. "So when should I talk with him about it?"
"I think it's best if it's as soon as possible. He's been withdrawing a lot lately; I think it would be really good for you to clear the air. I don't know how resistant he'll be at first, but if I know anything about Weather, he'll eventually open up and talk to you. Just make it known that you want peace with him and that you mean him no harm." Emporio added, F.F. nodding in agreement.
"Then it's settled. I'll speak to him as soon as I can. Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. Let's just hope he doesn't electrocute me if I catch him in the wrong mood."
And so F.F. waited until the rest of the group had gone to fill up the car they were driving, leaving her and Weather behind. It was getting pretty dark outside, and a storm still seemed to be brewing. She found Weather sitting by himself near another park bench, one that was in a hilly and shrouded area of the park. Since they had broken out of jail recently, the group was desperate to find areas that would keep them hidden, and Florida was rife with hidden parks that provided the perfect locations. She cautiously walked up to him from behind, carefully clearing her throat and calling out to him softly so as not to alarm him.
"Hi there. It's me. I was wondering if I could have a small word with you for a moment." She said, Weather slowly turning around to face her. He had an almost unrecognizable expression on his face, and she couldn't quite tell if it was anger, surprise, incredulity, or confusion; it was all one convoluted mixture of each. F.F. slightly gulped when she saw this, but still advanced toward him. As she walked up to him, she asked if she could take a seat next to him. He gestured toward the bench, barely making eye contact with her.
"It's a public bench. Do what you want." He dismissively said, the venom of his tone registering in F.F.'s heart. "What do you need to talk about?" He asked after a slight pause, F.F. nervously fumbling with her hands.
"It has to do with Atroe." She said, Weather's eyes going wide with shock. "I need to address that entire situation and reach some clarity with you."
Weather was blindsided by this request of hers. He wasn't fully prepared to talk about this yet since he had been grappling with intense grief and resentment, but he was surprised that F.F. was actually bringing this up. He had to acknowledge that this was incredibly brave and emotionally mature of her to do, but he still couldn't deny that he was angry and wanted to lash out at her.
"…what is there to clarify? She's dead. And now you're parading her carcass all around Florida like it's a fashionable jumpsuit." He remarked, F.F. slamming her hands down on her lap in frustration.
"LISTEN, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AT ALL. It's more about the unspoken stuff; the unfinished business between you two!" She said in a slightly raised voice, hurt by Weather's snide remark.
"And what would you know about our 'unfinished business'? You're just a colony of plankton that jumped inside her blown apart body whenever you got the chance to. You're nothing like her." He continued, F.F. feeling the cruelty of his words sting her heart.
"As a matter of fact, I do know some about your past with her and I'm not here to start a fight with you, Weather!" She said as she stood up to face him. Weather had been purposefully avoiding her glance, but F.F. impulsively stuck out her hand and gently guided his head to face her. He wasn't prepared for the sudden onslaught of longing that raced through his soul the moment he felt her touch him. It wasn't a forceful maneuver at all; it was painfully reminiscent of the way Atroe used to turn his head. Tears began to well up in his eyes when this happened, but he was determined not to fall apart in front of F.F. He couldn't let her see how much he was hurting.
"Just look at me and take me up on this offer. I know I'm not like Atroe. I'm still learning how to be a person of my own. It was never my intention to cause you pain and suffering, but please give me a chance to help you. We're all fighting for the same cause, right? Why make things more difficult?" She reasoned, tears starting to silently spill out of Weather's silvery blue eyes.
"…what do you know about Atroe?" He abruptly asked after a moment of silence, F.F. letting go of her grasp around his jaw. F.F. held his gaze for a moment, noting that he actually seemed sincere.
"I know that she loved you a great deal, Weather. Make no mistake about that. And from what I can remember, you were the only good thing she had going for her at Green Dolphin St. You were her first love. And her only love."
Weather sighed loudly. Even though these were reassuring words, hearing them still made him simmer with even more pain.
"…So she didn't get tired of me and stopped coming to see me?" He timidly asked, desperately attempting to keep his voice from wavering with sadness. "How do I know I can trust the things you tell me?"
At this point, Weather had backed away from her and turned around slightly to collect himself. F.F. walked over to him and grabbed his hand in a forceful manner, her gaze set on him, her expression firm and fixed, as if she were about to prove something.
"You once told Atroe a secret about yourself that you've never told anyone else."
Weather narrowed his eyes at her, intrigued that she would offer up such a bold claim.
"And what was that?" He asked, daring her to go on.
"You were the first to confess how you felt. You told her that right before she went missing. You forked over your vulnerability to her, and that's the reason why you think she left. You think you scared her away by getting too attached."
Weather turned away from F.F. and abruptly stood up, F.F. following him frantically.
"Hey! DON'T WIMP OUT ON ME, NOW! I GOT IT RIGHT, DIDN'T I?! Weather PLEASE just talk to me! I can tell you more if you need to hear it!"
Weather turned around and shouted at F.F., his voice booming with pain and sorrow.
"I don't WANT to hear about it anymore! You've said enough!"
A blinding bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, causing F.F. to freeze with fear in her tracks as the ear-rattling sound of thunder shook all around them. She could recognize that she hit the nail on the head with that statement. Wes walked to another bench and sat down, burying his face in his hands, letting the tears flow freely. F.F. Slowly approached him again, this time gently placing her hand on his shoulder. By now, the rain had begun to gently fall, coating them both as it picked up, F.F. relishing in the hydrated feeling. After a moment of gathering her thoughts and feeling the slight shakes and movements of his shoulders from quiet sobs, F.F. began to speak.
"Do you think I would lie to you about such things or make things up? I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't lie to you about something as important as that. It's especially important that you get some closure, so since I found out one of your secrets, I'll tell you one about Atroe."
She gently leaned over him and wrapped him in her arms, something that caught him off guard.
"If you're wondering why I'm doing this, it's because I get clearer memories whenever I touch you. I know you're probably not in a place to accept physical touch from me, but for accuracy's sake, please allow me to do this."
Weather had to admit that being held by F.F. in such a tender manner was something that he missed, but it still wasn't the same as when Atroe had done it. He soon relaxed and gently grasped her forearms with his hands, waiting for what she was going to say.
"When I first met you as F.F., Atroe's body would always have physical reactions whenever you were near. Her heart rate would pick up whenever I looked at you, and sometimes I got a blush on my face for what seemed like no reason, but now I understand why. I used to think it was because you were so sour to me and I was having physical reactions to it, but now I'm beginning to realize that even though Atroe is gone, there are still deeply embedded physical responses and memories that never left her." She pulled Wes closer and sighed, a new memory popping into her head as they held each other close.
"She wanted you to be the father of her children." She said abruptly, Weather turning to her with a surprised look on his face.
"What?" He asked, unable to grasp if he felt relief, shock, or more sorrow.
"…she wanted to have kids with you whenever she got out of prison. Atroe may have been a kidnapper, but she really wanted to be a mother more than anything else. She wanted to raise a family with you because she felt protected and safe with you. She thought you'd be a great father." F.F. said, Weather abruptly grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close towards his face. The look of intensity he had was enough to send shivers down F.F.'s spine. Thunder crackled in the distance as the rain continued to drench the two, Weather not breaking any eye contact with F.F.
"What else?" He asked, F.F. barely able to speak.
"WHAT ELSE?!" He shouted as he shook her, F.F. trembling in fear.
"I-I don't know…I just know that was a goal of hers that came to mind whenever I touched you."
"YOU'RE MAKING THINGS UP!" Weather shouted before letting go of her. He frowned and looked away as he shook his head. He sat back down and thought for a moment, F.F. not knowing what to do. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.
"I think you better go. I've heard about all I can bear to hear. I wish I could say that those things you told me helped, but they really just made me feel worse and more resentful of you. So I think you probably should just leave. I don't want to lash out at you again."
F.F. stomped her foot down in protest.
"Please, Weather. I know these aren't the most comforting things to hear, but you have to believe me! I'm not lying to you. Don't you get it? I am here to help you. We're all fighting for the same cause!! How could Atroe be tired of you if she wanted to have your kids??!?" She said as he turned around, his eyes indicating that she had finally gotten to him.
"Please be patient with me. I'm doing my best to remember things for your sake…I know you feel alone; I know you want her back. I wish I could bring her back, too. But I can't. And I'm sorry I can't offer you the same things and feelings that she did. I can only imagine how hurt and forgotten you're feeling at this time, but I hurt as well when you lash out at me. I can take a lot of physical damage, but as I develop my own feelings and self, it really hurts me when you reject my efforts to be your friend. I'm not your enemy, Weather. I'm far from that. I want to protect you. I promised I would with everyone else, too. Please stop pushing me away; I am not your enemy, forgotten memories or none."
F.F. began to softly sob to herself, turning away from Weather as she did.
And with that, Weather immediately walked over to her and pulled her close to him, resting his chin on her head. Seeing her break out in tears like that reminded him too much of seeing Atroe weep in the past, seeing it happen again hurt too much for him to bear.
"Don't work yourself up too much. It'll all work itself out at some point and we'll be able to move on. It's fine." Weather said, his voice low and calming. Even though he hadn't said much, the fact that he had finally softened up meant that F.F. was able to successfully get him to open up to her.
"Do you believe the things I've said?" She asked, Weather still wrapping her close to him, nodding in response.
"Yes. Those are deep secrets that only she would know. It's going to take a while for me to get over this hunch, but like you said, we're all fighting for the same cause."
A small smile crawled across F.F.'s face as she heard him speak. They continued to embrace as the rain poured over them, relishing in the newfound understanding they had reached.
"You really are a good person on your own. You may not be Atroe, but you're pretty close. I'm sorry for being standoffish to you. I'll do my best to treat you better." He said, F.F. looking up at him with glimmering eyes.
"And I'll continue to support you in whatever ways you need, Weather. You're a good person, too."
They stayed put for another tender moment, the rain gradually halting and coming to a stop. Weather caused the clouds to clear to reveal a beautiful starry-lit sky, something that F.F. gazed up at in wonder. Soon their moment was broken when they heard nearby rustling in the surrounding vegetation. As he looked up, Weather saw Emporio's head duck back into a nearby grove of cattails, leaving his Cubs hat behind. Weather walked over to the hat and picked it up, clearing open the group of cattails only to find Emporio there, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Weather gave him a friendly smile, something that made Emporio jump a little bit.
"So, what all did you hear, little one?" He asked, handing Emporio his hat. Emporio nervously fumbled with his hands and began to sweat bullets, not quite realizing that Weather was in a better mood than before.
"Nothing! Nothing! I was trying to get out of the storm. I didn't know where you two were." He frantically explained, Weather placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
"It's okay if you were listening. I'm not gonna get mad at you." He said as he gave Emporio another smile, one that melted the boy's nerves. They gave each other a look of understanding, one that communicated that Weather was okay after his talk with F.F.
"Good grief, Emporio. You're absolutely soaked." F.F. remarked as she saddled up to them. "You poor thing."
She reached to him and helped him up out of the marshy bog, Emporio feeling slightly embarrassed that he had been figured out.
"Why don't we find you a towel and get you cleaned up? You'll catch a cold." She said as she scooped him up, Emporio feeling his more infantile side come to fruition. He wasn't used to being picked up and held by women caretakers, but whenever F.F. or Atroe did it, it reminded him of his mother. He rested his head on her shoulder as she carried him to their nearby shelter. He knew he was too old to be cradled like this, but it felt nice to be held, especially since he had been so deprived of it growing up.
Later on that evening, Jolyne and Ermes asked F.F. how her talk with Weather went. They had noticed him engaging with her in a more positive manner and were curious.
"It went well. We made a lot of progress today. I think things will look up from here on out. It wasn't easy at first, but I'm proud of how much ground we covered and overcame." She said, Jolyne smiling in response.
Ermes had more inquiries however, but of an incredibly different nature.
"So, F.F…. I know this is probably hella intrusive to ask, and this is completely out of curiosity, but like…since you mentioned earlier that Atroe got her cherry popped by Mr. Man over here…I just gotta ask…" she said as she cut her eyes at F.F. in a coy manner, a sly grin curling across her face as she bit her lip.
"…and what's that?" F.F. innocently asked, not entirely knowing what she was getting at.
"…how big was it?" Ermes asked, Jolyne swatting her on the arm in response.
F.F. stared at them blankly. She was entirely confused.
"…how big was what?"
"Foo, you don't have to answer that at all. I'm sorry but Ermes feels such a need to cheapen everything with crass inquiries and other vulgar things!" Jolyne haltingly said as she continued play-fighting Ermes, who was shrieking with laughter.
"No! It's just…You can't say that you fucked Weather Report and not tell us how big his dick is. It's unheard of. I mean, not to be 'crass', but I'm just saying. I ain't even into that shit but I'm mighty curious." Ermes said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "C'mon, Miss Foo. We're all girls here. We won't tell."
F.F. giggled a bit to herself once she realized what Ermes was getting at. Jolyne hung her head and covered her face in despair.
"I fucking swear, Ermes. Now is not the time." She said, F.F. grabbing a pillow and pulling their head close to hers. She had a mischievous smile on her face, and they knew right then F.F. had juicy details to spill.
"While I may not remember the exact size of that thing, and keep in mind that it was not ME who did the deed with him, I do remember some other…details about them that resurfaced. Would you like to know more?" She asked, Jolyne and Ermes eagerly nodding as F.F. waved for them to lean in a bit closer. She took turns cupping her hands over Jolyne's and Ermes's ears and whispering what it was that she remembered during the past amorous interactions Atroe had with Weather Report. Once she had told them both, Jolyne and Ermes began wheezing and guffawing in shock.
The amount of shrill laughter and raucous noises that came from Jolyne and Ermes's mouths was enough to wake the entire state of Florida up. Both had tears in their eyes, they were laughing so hard.
"THAT'S NASTY! HE'S NASTY!!!" Ermes exclaimed as she cupped her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking with her deep laughter.
"This stays between us three, though. While I have these memories, I am not even going to tell Weather that I know this about them. Since this was done in a private moment between the two, it stays private. Under no circumstances are you to let him know I told you this. I just got him to soften up on me, so please don't blow it by running your mouths, understand?" F.F. pleaded, Ermes and Jolyne nodding in agreement.
"We understand. We will not tell a soul. Oh my God, that is so good!" Jolyne agreed as she and Ermes continued to laugh and snicker, F.F. playfully rolling her eyes in response.
"Now it's your job to find out Anasui's kinks, Jolyne! You know that guy is into some weird shit!" Ermes said as she and F.F. had their turn laughing at her expense. The evening continued on in a similar manner, a huge lift in both F.F.'s and Weather's spirits now that the air had been cleared. They didn't know what the future had in store for them, but they were grateful to have gotten over a huge obstacle and to have made peace.
