"..So Will and I convinced Alborn and Miriadel, I mean, 'mom and dad' that I needed to finish the school year. I'll be commuting from Meridian every day!" Elyon Brown was back then, at least for the meantime and yet Cornelia's eyes rested on Caleb, who looked for the second time, like he'd never been on Earth before. He'd given her a small smile, when he'd caught her eye, but Will only stared away; seemingly shamed by his presence, and the blonde had never felt so ashamed of what she had apparently said to them. Drake.. Sometimes it was hard to believe, that Cornelia had learnt the most of the things that made her better from Will, and it was Will that Cornelia thought of, in the long silences she refused to acknowledge with Elyon. "And Caleb's enrolling too, to make sure I'm safe!"
"But wont classes be boring for the Queen of the castle?" The words fell listlessly from her mouth, as Cornelia tried to remember the last time she and Caleb had spoken - though spoken was a strong word. He'd been a mess, and it hadn't been long ago; he'd been more interested in her studies than anything else. She remembered now. That was his good mood - he'd mumble a question, when silence filled the room, but she rarely let it because she tried to use every minute she got, and he seemed to like the sound of her babbling on as long as no one was mentioned. Not the girls, though sometimes he'd almost smiled at what she retold of Irma's saying. That was it. Nothing more. There had been no sign of healing. There had been no thought of him emerging any time following, never mind that it had been maybe five days. Yes. And before that had been after Will's birthday.
"Give me school work over sewage projects any day!"
At that moment, a clear, crisp scream had sounded, and a smirk played across her lips as Caleb jumped up from the bench at which he'd been sitting. He flushed though, and Cornelia felt a slight annoyance; more for the strawberry-blonde Alchemy tackling Elyon into a hug and talking furiously fast as Elyon laughed. Irma had said that everything was clear, too - her father had been the one to 'inform' Irma of Elyon's arrival; a worldwide travel, which had ended early. And no one seemed to care about Caleb coincidentally arriving at the same time, though when she'd boredly told Joel who he was, Joel had instantly joked about them being a secret coupling. And Matt had grinned, agreeing, with no idea how pale Will was as he continued to wrap his arms around her. Everyone except Will seemed to be smiling, and Cornelia found her interest slipping, from the new group formed. "I missed you soooo much! Elyon!"
...
The family had come back, and agent Joel McTiennan stared down at his own shorthand - no one seemed to remember why he'd marked down a note of birth certificates; he was sure that there'd been a reason, but he'd been called up and the Browns had indeed been spotted, and he'd come out from conversing with them to find that his recollection failed him. And what was a case, when no one could remember what the evidence was for?
But he did have something, Joel knew. He had been in the field for a long time, and missing persons was his profession.. But he did have something, and he frowned as he flicked through the files of one Wilhelmina Vandom, picking up his phone as he reread of all that one little girl had been involved in. It might be nothing. On very few occasions would the more secretive realms of Government get back to any call.
...
"You're up." Caleb leant back against the bench. He'd found that after weeks, he'd become far more fond of Cornelia Hale than he'd ever considered, and he stared out at groups of school pupils chattering easily, as he tried not to think of the boy wrapped around what he'd been close to having, if he'd only realized that Will had only ever wanted him back. She'd wanted him to help her, not to choose her every breath and Caleb had liked her for the danger he'd desperately tried to refrain from her. He'd only made it worse. And now he didn't get a say, in the lanky drunk dragging his mouth along the space behind her jaw and ignoring the fact that she'd awkwardly bat him away. But he didn't forget Cornelia, whom he indebted himself throughly for his recomposure in circumstances. "Out of bed at last."
"Thank you, Cornelia." He ignored the umber eyes he could feel boring into him then, as in one quick movement he'd stood and let his mouth find her cheek, because currently, with even Aldarn who knew him, she'd been the best friend in the world for having had come back. She'd come back every time; no matter what he'd said to her. "I really was glad, when you came."
He smiled then, at the pretty pink that brushed over her cheeks, and the fact that in a moment she'd hugged him forcefully. "I'm glad you're better."
"I'm glad I'm back."
He could talk about Will later. It'd taken him forty-odd days to realize that there were other people here too; if not literally, he saw the fact much more clearly, because everyone seemed a little broken.