Part 5: Faith in Forgiveness
There was quite a bit of commotion, on the deck of the bathysphere. The girls were so happy to see that Delta was ok, they swarmed on him like bees. He didn't mind though, he was actually enjoying himself. Between the endless sea of kisses and hugs going on between Delta and the girls (Eleanor included of course), you could her Delta chuckling, he was grinning like crazy, and he truly was happy. Then one of the youngest ones somehow managed to get up high enough to give him a kiss on the side of the head.
He felt a very dull pain, not enough to cause arousal, but he couldn't help but wonder what it was. He reached up to where the little one had pecked her kiss, he didn't feel anything at first, but that's when he found it. Right on his temple, he felt a shallow indent, indicating a scar. It was from the old bullet wound he got all those years ago. Suddenly, he stopped smiling, for he knew he had unfinished business to attend to.
Delta turned his head, like he was looking for something, and that's when he found what he was looking for. Sofia was kneeling at the edge of the bathysphere, not saying a word, not moving a muscle, just starring at the light house that led to Rapture. Delta gently pushed the little girls off of him, as all of them, and Eleanor, gave him a bewildered stare as he stood up. He started to walk over to where Sofia was, as he did Eleanor stood up and tried to follow him. He quickly made a hand motion for her to stay as he shook his head, this was between him and Sofia.
He took slow, steady strides toward the unaware woman, he didn't want her to think his intentions were that of revenge. He paused when he was just a few short feet away from her, he heard the sound of water dripping against metal. He crept up a little closer so he could see the side of her face, and what he saw brought pity to his heart. Tears. Tears were pouring down her face like rain, and the emotion on her face, was nothing short of gilt mixed with remorse.
Eleanor and the girl stared on as they watched him just look down on Sofia, not knowing what he was going to do. Delta took one more step toward Sofia's side, and then let out a heavy sigh as he sat down next to her, dipping his feet in the water. Sofia knew he was there, but she didn't dare look at him, afraid of what would happen if she did. For a few moments, the two just sat there staring out to the ocean, and letting the sun beat down on them. "It's nice to feel the sun again" Delta said finally breaking the silence, then Sofia finally turned her head to face him, tears still in her eyes.
Delta looked at the woman with a serious face, she still looked full of sorrow as a few more tears dripped down her face. "What are you feeling right now?" he asked her, knowing she had mixed emotions about what was happening. Then, she finally said something to him, " I'm sad, because all of my work was wrong. I feel guilty, because I've done things that are inexcusable. And I…". She was going to continue, but was cut off by Delta. "Do you feel anger?" he asked her, "What?" she asked looking at him puzzled. "Are you angry" he said again, "What do you mean?" she asked him. "When we were in Rapture, you always would show that you hated me…. for trying to get to Eleanor, and for saving the little ones." He said, "So my question to you is, are you still angry at what I did?" There was a long pause between the two, as they stared at each other.
Finally, Sofia broke the silence. "No" she said in a sorrowed town, turning back to the light house. "You showed me, that I was just as equally selfish as Ryan" she said sniffing, trying to hold back more tears. "I was so blinded by my own wants for a perfect world, I didn't notice that what I was really doing, was ruining my daughter, by not letting her have a choice." she said, "And you, saved her, and I still saw a monster, not the man you truly are". She continued tearfully, "All of the things of the things I've done to you, because of my own madness" she paused to wipe the tears from her eyes, " are unforgivable, and I wouldn't hold anything against you if you didn't." she said finishing. There was another long pause between the two again, as Delta looked at the women just starring at the floor, still quietly weeping, and his eyes shifted from that of serious intention, to that of pity again.
"Sofia" he said to her in a deep gentle voice, she looked up to face him as he talked. "What I have learned about people" he said, "is that often when they do something on their own, they're only doing what they thing is best." "That is no different then what you were doing. You were just trying to help the people of Rapture in a way you thought was right." He took in a deep breath before continuing, " But you were going about it the wrong way. You thought you could make a utopia by having someone serve the common good without question, and even not care about their own identity." He took another pause before going on. "But that's not true Sofia, the only way people can make life better is if they are able to pursue their own interest. People will always try to find a way to make themselves happy, and sometimes they do it through trying to advance life. And sometimes in doing so, they can unknowingly make thing better for the people around them." Sofia was starring at Delta, amazed at how philosophical he was.
"So you see Sofia" he continued, "If people are allowed to better themselves, they can better the world around". Delta stood up and looked down on the women, "I have already forgiven you for what you have done." He extended his hand down to her, she hesitated at first, then she timidly reached out and took it. He hoisted her up, and then he said "There is one other person you need to apologize to though." She nodded, knowing who he was talking about. Both of them walked to Eleanor and the girls, who had been staring at them the entire time, wonder what was being said between the two. They reached the girls, both of them looking unsure, then Sofia faced Eleanor and approached they young woman. "Eleanor" Sofia said, "I have realized the error of my ways. It was wrong for me to force you into the ADAM treatment. And it was also wrong for me to try and keep Delta away from you. Only ask now, that you find some way to forgive me, for everything that I've done." The woman finished wiping a tear from her eye.
Eleanor looked at her mother with a serious look, for she had done things that could have killed all of them. But she had also given her father another chance at life, and it seemed that they had done something over what had happened. "Mother" she finally said, "you have done some of the most downright horrible things that I have ever seen in my life. You've killed father once, and then you tried to do it again. You turned an innocent man into one of those monstrosities (she's referring to Mark Meltzer, R.I.P.), you've destroyed Dr. Alexander's life, and on top of all of that when didn't go the way you wanted it you tried to kill all of us." The young woman had finished screaming at her mother, who was looking at the floor the entire time. Suddenly Eleanor had felt her morals kick in, that is the one of forgiveness. "But after all of that was over" Eleanor said in a much softer voice, "you followed father's example, and forgave, and even made amends. And that is why….. I do forgive you mother."
Sofia looked up, in a slight bit of shock, for her daughter had forgiven her. Unsure what to say, she just looked on at Eleanor, who then gave her mother a grin. Sofia herself then started smiling, as a tear of joy rolled down her face. Which caused Eleanor to do the same, but Eleanor just let out a little laugh as she smiled. Both women then looked at Delta, who had on the biggest smile in the world. He opened up his gigantic arms, and the two women knew what he wanted, they went over and both of them took one side of his body and squeezed. Delta then wrapped his arms around his two girls in a loving embrace. He took a quick glance down and saw the little girls watching them. "Well" Delta said happily, "your part of this family too, so get over here." The now ecstatic girls wasted no time to start hugging the legs of what they knew now, was a true family.
End Part 5: Don't worry guys I'm not done yet, but as you can see they are getting longer. So just hang tight part six will be soon, hopefully. (sound of chewing) Oh man, I forgot the Mayo.
