Summary: Movieverse, post twitches II, Aron/Miranda, angst, continuation.
Disclaimer: I do not own this. If I did, it would not be a kid's movie. This is not a kid's story. I have not read the books and do not intend to because I like messing with the movie characters. The books may well be better than the movies, but since it is the movies' faults and inaccuracies that inspire my subplots… being too correct would destroy my material.
Miranda's ability to appear serene, though he knew she must be at her breaking point, has always impressed Aron, although never more so than today. Completely out of her element, unfamiliar with her clothes, out of place in this dimension, and emotional fraught, she looks, at worst, a little nervous. A copy of those hateful transcripts from the inquiry is tucked under her slim arm.
However, as Miranda waves her hand to dissolve the portal, he realizes her hand is shaking. "How are you doing love?" He whispers.
"Fine," she answers between her teeth. Is she smiling or wincing? Is there even a difference with her anymore?
"The girls aren't here now" Mrs. Barnes tells them, a little apprehensively, "They're shopping. Do you want us to call them back?"
"No, we can wait for them," Miranda answers. "It's nothing urgent. I… I just wanted to tell them something."
They sit at the table by the pool, with the documents sitting between them on the white plastic. Miranda is not saying anything, or even looking at him. Mostly to have something to do, he picks up the briefs and starts flipping through them.
Miranda glances at him, frowning, for a moment, and then waves her hand to summon a piece of parchment and a pen. "Do you mind if I draw?" She asks casually.
He smiles, "Of course not."
Scanning the pages involves a cold interplay of morbid curiosity and horror. A few pages in, after feeling bile rise in his throat, Aron stops actually trying to read. Focusing his eyes somewhere in the margins of the page, he watches Miranda out of his peripheral vision.
She always wears a look of immense concentration when she draws, he generalizes, though he has not seen her sketching in nearly forever. Her features soften as she stares at the paper, though, lovingly making minor corrections. He wishes she would look at him like that.
When she has finished, she pushes the paper towards him, wordlessly, nonchalantly looking at the pool and fidgeting with the pen.
The man in the picture looks out, his face protective and benevolent. Though the portrait is handsome and well formed, Aron barely notices. He is too amazed at how she has captured her subject's eyes. They pull at Aron's soul because he can see both pain and deep love in them.
"Miranda," He whispers, "Is this supposed to be me?"
She swallows slightly, "Yes," she answers tentatively, "Is it alright?"
"It's beautiful." He breathes.
"Mom! Dad!" The girls have arrived. Self consciously, Aron hides the portrait under the table.
"Hi!" Cameron squeals throwing her arms around his shoulders for a moment. Alex, more restrained pats his shoulder as she moves to sit.
"Ok?" Cam asks, grinning at Miranda, "What's up?"
Alex smiles as well "And, what's the hurry?" She blushes a little, "Cameron was helping me pick out some new shoes."
"Yeah," Cameron adds, "They're…" She gets a good look at Miranda's face "Oh my goodness is something wrong."
Miranda bites her lip and says nothing.
"Oh no." Cam says shakily, "Is Thantos alive?"
"No." Miranda answers chillingly, "Thantos is dead. Dead!"
The girls flinch at Miranda's tone. Aron takes his wife's hand under the table and clasps it gently.
"Then what?" Alex asks.
Miranda takes a deep breath, "I… I have to tell you something. It is not right that I have not told you. You should know that… When I… When Thantos was…," she stammers. "Read these."
It seems like hours, though must be barely minutes that the girls take to complete the first few paragraphs, technical language aside. They react differently.
Cam only glances at the pages once or twice before she gasps, runs around the table to where Miranda is seated, throws her arm around her, and starts to cry. Miranda holds her daughter and tries, unsuccessfully, to comfort her. "It's okay." She whispers cradling her. "Shh," though she has begun to sob too.
Alex, conversely, stares at the pages for a long time her eyes growing ever darker and more murderous. She turns pages intensely. "Well," She says finally pushing the documents away, "That explains a lot."
Miranda looks back at her vulnerably and Aron realizes, to his horror, that this daughter of his could crush his wife's spirit with a word.
"When I was in junior high, I started writing some really dark stuff," Alex adds by way of explanation, "My… my mom thought I was suicidal. She made me see a therapist and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out where it came from… because I felt fine…. But you didn't, did you?"
"I'm sorry." Miranda whispers, her eyes wide.
"Why?" Alex replied, "That," she continues passionately glaring at the papers, "Was absolutely not your fault."
"I just…" Miranda begins.
"Did what you had to do." Alex finishes softly, blinking back tears. "You saved Coventry by marrying him, do you know that?"
Cameron looks up, her eyes wide, recognizing the certainty in her sister's tone.
"I… I guessed" Miranda stutters.
"Don't let him win now. Hold your head up," tears start to leak from the corners of Alex's eyes, "You have nothing to be ashamed about." Her words choke off in a sob. "I love you, Mom."
Then, his other daughter too crosses the table and embraces Miranda. Aron watches as his wife closes her eyes and clutches her girls to her. The girls cry, but Miranda's breathing slowly steadies. She looks, in some strange measure, content.
Finally, Miranda releases her daughters "Thank you." She whispers to them.
The girls nod.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Miranda tells them gently, "At Ileana and Karsh's rehearsal dinner." She puts on a brave face for them, "With your beautiful smiles, OK?"
As they pass through the portal and make their way back to the castle, Aron asks, "Miranda, are you hurt?"
"No." she answers. "You healed me, remember?"
"But you're shaking… still even now. I… I know you were scared but…"
Miranda raises her eyebrows and says with concern. "I'm not shaking love… you are."
Author's Note: While I have people's attention, let me shamelessly point out my other fanfic in this fandom, "A year and a day." It is a one-shot featuring Miranda and Thantos Du Baer after Aron's supposed death, and it is compatible with this story.