Omake: The reason why.

By: Major Session

Set between Chapters 10 and 11.

What a skank.

I know, right? I heard she, like, sleeps with Merchants for her next hit.

Really? Who would have sex with that?

Taylor trudged forward, shoulders hunched, arms curling around her text books, backpack softly banging against the small of her back.

If you cut off all her hair, she'd look like a sad frog.

Don't be mean to frogs.

She didn't bother looking at who it was, not anymore. It wouldn't help. It never did. No matter how many times she complained, how many people she named…

It hadn't changed anything.

If she was twice as smart she'd still be stupid.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Even getting shoved into her own locker; left to… to…

She shuddered, struggling not to whimper at the memory of things crawling beneath her clothes, fluid sliding down her back, and the stench that scared her brain.

It would never change.

Why's she even bother coming? Nobody likes her.

She's like, so pathetic. She should just kill herself.

Kill yourself Hebert.

She ignored their words, painful as they were. She was used to them, sad as it was. Used to having her grades, her looks, her confidence… Used to having it all torn down, torn away and stepped on.

Taylor swallowed, closing her eyes was a stupid idea, someone would trip her. She so dearly wanted to though. She wanted to close her eyes and block it all out. To imagine and dream of what it would be like to have friends. To have people telling her she looked pretty and asking for help with their homework instead of stealing hers.

She knew dreams didn't come true though. Hers never had, not since her mother died.

Bearing the whispered insults of the girls following her Taylor left school along with the rest, the school day finished. Making her way outside she looked around and finally spotted it, Sabah's car parked a little ways away.

Taylor smiled as her… her… she didn't dare call her friend. She so desperately wanted to, but doing so, opening her heart like that… She would only be hurt.

Still, she waved back, a small smile tugging at her lips. Because as much as it would hurt when Sabah betrayed her, it was nice to pretend she had a friend…

Even if just for a little while.

Taylor sat on the couch in Sabah's studio, leaning forward as she did her homework in the small space she'd managed to clear on the coffee table. World Affairs was perhaps her most hated class, but she still did the homework anyway. Even if Madison or one of her lackey's would just steal it… She had to try, she had to.

Her Mom would have wanted her to.

Looking up, she sucked on her pen as she tried to think of 10 ways capes had affected the world. Being a parahuman herself, she thought it'd be easy enough and, well, it was easy. She just didn't want to be like everyone else, to only bring up the worst. Because as monstrous and horrible as some capes were, despite the horrors parahumans had unleashed upon the world… They had also brought so much good. Looking back at her list she tried to think of some more.

Scion mitigating the damage of natural disasters. e.g. Stopping the 2004 Thailand Tsunami before it could make landfall.

Dragon creating the first interactive 3D image system (holograms).

Bad Canary creating a new type of music that no one else can replicate.

Parian, altering the fashion industry and creating a new business in cape made clothing.

The creation of the trifecta engine drive by Hero, used by most commercial airlines today.

Pong's creation of the Kido to Muto Islands in 2009 to help increase the landmass of Japan and stabilize the region.

Widespread acceptance of homosexuality and the LGBT movement due to Legend coming out in 1998.

A crash made her look up again, seeing Sabah trying to cook once again. Her… acquaintance was a terrible cook, only managing to get the most basic of recipes right. The older girl had invited her to stay for dinner, and Taylor had accepted. She liked hanging out with Sabah, Mog, and Boco and so any excuse that let her stay longer was eagerly grabbed.

Because even if it wouldn't last… It was nice to pretend.

A faint blush spread across Taylor face along with a small smile as she watched Sabah bend over, searching through the kitchen draws, pointing her…

Taylor swallowed and looked away. She wasn't sure why seeing Sabah like that made her feel odd, and it was disquieting.

The list lay forgotten though as with a quite 'a-ha' Sabah pulled out a serving dish and began finishing their dinner.

Taylor got up and walked over to the dining table. She began to carefully clear it of any spare sewing materials, textbooks, or left over ingredients.

Sabah placed two plates out for them and the serving plate she'd been looking for in the middle, piled high with fried diced-spiced lamb and… some kind of ground wheat thing? Taylor looked at the bench, spying a packet labeled 'Couscous,' whatever that was. Around the meat and 'couscous' were a bunch of half dead vegetables Taylor could tell had been boiled too long. Still, it was as good as her dad's cooking and Taylor had been hungry enough times to know to never turn her nose up at food.

Smiling at her guest, Sabah sat down and began serving them both up as Mog drifted over. Boco stayed in his corner, snoring softly atop his nest of off-cuts.

"That smells good, kupo." Mog said sitting down on the table next to Sabah.

The Arabic girl smiled at him.

"I hope so, I've never tried this recipe before. My… Well, I used to have it when I was little, back in India whenever we managed to get some lamb. I hope you like it." Sabah said, turning to look at Taylor at the end and smiling.

Taylor blushed, and looked down. She still didn't understand why Sabah was so… so nice to her. Why she bothered with someone who was so pathetic, Taylor didn't even have any friends. Still, it did smell good.

Taking a tentative bite Taylor hummed in approval. While it seemed both over or under cooked, she wasn't entirely sure which, it did taste nice. There were plenty of spices and couscous was actually really tasty, despite looking like ground up soggy corn chips. It was tangy and had raisins in it.

As they ate Sabah talked to her, nothing really specific, just… talked really. She told Taylor about her day, the latest orders at the Dollhouse, how her part time study was going, about Ingrid's new Boyfriend, the next show she had coming up and the first Taylor would be attending…

It was… It was nice.

It was nice in a way Taylor couldn't quite describe. She felt… welcome, included. Like that barrier that separated her from everyone else just didn't exist. She didn't feel tense or anxious, like she needed to be on guard, constantly waiting for the next attack. Never mind Sophia hadn't been at school today, she still needed to be on guard. Always on guard. But here? With Sabah talking and her stomach slowly filling with warm lamb?

Taylor felt safe.

And that scared her.

As they were clearing the dishes away, Taylor couldn't take it anymore. Standing at the sink, elbows deep in bubbles, with a scrubbing brush in hand she couldn't take it. As Sabah dried and put away dishes with Mog's help… She couldn't take it.

"Why?" Taylor asked, her voice low, hoarse.

"Hmm?" Sabah replied, standing up straight from where she'd bent over to put the serving platter away.

"Why?" Taylor asked again, head bowed, looking into the sudsy water as if it might hold the answer. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Sabah looked at her, confused. "I… What? What are you talking about Taylor?"

Taylor looked up then, blue eyes made prominent by her glasses. "What is it you want? What's your game?"

"I don't understand." Sabah said, cocking her head. "Taylor, what's wrong?"

"What do you want from me? What are you waiting for? How… How long until you take all… all this and turn it against me?! Take every happy memory and use them as knifes to twist in my back?! Huh! Why are you nice to me when you're just… just… just going to betray me?!" Taylor yelled, spinning to face Sabah, eyes wild and fists clenched.

Taylor continued yelling as Sabah took a step back looking surprised and hurt.

"What are you planning?! Are you going to out me, or maybe sell me?! I've heard the Yangban will buy parahumans, brainwash them and do… do things to them! Or are you going to out, me just ruin the one… the one escape I have?! Why?! Why would you do this?! Why?! Why would you… Why are… Why are you being nice to me when you're just going to betray me?" Taylor finished, choking back a sob as she looked away. She bowed her head, half ashamed and half resigned… but unwilling to take the accusations back. She had to know, had to know why.

Taylor didn't understand why Sabah was nice to her and it was eating her up inside.

"Oh Taylor…" Sabah said, her shoulders slumping. Carefully, the older girl grabbed the younger and guided her over to the couch. Sitting Taylor down Sabah took a seat next to her, trying to hide the pain it caused her when the younger girl turned away, hugging herself.

Gulping, Taylor tried not to cry as she asked one more time. "Please… why?"

"Look at me." Sabah said. "Taylor, please look at me."

Reaching out, Sabah gently caught Taylor's chin, pulling slowly she forced the younger girl to turn and face her, lifting Taylor's chin up so she could look into the younger girl's eyes.

"Taylor… No matter what you might think, what you might fear… I won't betray you." Sabah said, trying to project as much sincerity into her voice as she could.

"Yes…" Taylor swallowed, forcing back her tears. "Yes you will. Everyone does. Nobody… Nobody likes me."

"I like you." Sabah whispered.

Taylor just blinked at her then tried to look away.

"You're lying." Taylor whispered.

Reaching out grabbing Taylor's face between both hand this time, Sabah forced the younger girl to look at her.

"I like you." Sabah said more forcefully, louder. "You're my friend Taylor, you're Mog's friend and Boco's… Why would you think we would betray you? No don't say it."

Taylo clicked her mouth shut, staring wide eyed at her… at her… She couldn't say it.

Sabah carried on.

"This isn't High School Taylor. I'm a little old for one." Sabah said with a slight smile. "There's no one here to judge you or me, to corridors to trip you in or people to say mean things."

"But why are you nice to me?" Taylor whispered. "No one… no one is nice to me, not even Greg."

Sabah frowned. Then she pushed Taylor back lightly, continuing to push until Taylor turned on the couch, bringing her legs up in front of herself while Sabah turned to sit cross legged. Reaching out the older girl snagged the younger girls hands, lacing their fingers together.

"When I came to America, it was hard for me to make friends. Everyone was so different, everything was so different. There were cars and skyscrapers, white people and black people, Heroes and Villains. It was nothing like the camp I grew up in and… I'm glad of that. But all the children, they weren't like me. They teased me for my accent and for being so good at math. I tried I really did, but I could never fit in…" Sabah said, looking at Taylor, gazing into her eyes, willing the hurt girl to understand.

She continued speaking, and slowly, Taylor's legs unclenched, dropping down till she too was sitting cross-legged.

"I struggled to make friends through school. I won't ever say I was bullied as badly as you Taylor, not even close, but I didn't really have any friends either. There were people I hung out, the sewing club and other people from the camps I knew, but they were all to different or older and mostly boys so we didn't really get along. It wasn't until college when I met Ingrid that I really started making friends again. So… I understand."

"But…" Taylor whispered as Sabah paused. "But why me? You could be friends with anyone, you're Pairan, people would be tripping over themselves to be your friend."

Sabah just smiled at her, sad but understanding.

"Because I don't want anyone else. I wasn't betrayed like you Taylor, I have no idea how much that must have hurt. To have your best friend reject you and use every secret and happy memory against you… I don't know what that feels like, but I do know what loneliness feels like. To try so hard every day, to try and make friends with people who don't want to be friends, always around people who only tolerate you or actively dislike you… "

Sabah, paused sniffing as she wiped at her eyes. Taylor just stared, entranced as her… as her… she so desperately wanted to say friend... bared her history to her. Taylor felt the first tear slide down her cheek as Sabah began speaking again.

"I remember how much I desperately wanted a friend, how much it hurt to be so alone. I remember crying myself to sleep because no one wanted to be my friend… and how happy I felt when at 17 someone finally said they wanted to hang out with me, how great it felt to finally have a friend. So when I saw you suffering as I once was… When I saw you all alone, so hurt and yet doing everything in your power to help other people? Throwing yourself against thugs to save a woman from a beating? Being a hero despite how much society had done its best to hurt you? How could I not help you? How could I live with myself if I didn't try? How could I not want to be your friend?" Sabah said, squeezing Taylor's hands while tears ran down both their cheeks.

"Taylor… I'm nice to you because you're my friend. Because like how Ingrid once reached out to me… Now I reaching out to you. Because it's what friends do for each other… And once I met you, learned how sweet and amazing and smart you were? Taylor, you're my friend. Now and always." Sabah finished.

Taylor just closed her eyes, sobbing. She was dreaming she had to be. No… No one was this kind, no one was this selfless, this…

There was a jerk and suddenly she felt warm. Opening her eyes, Taylor found Sabah had pulled her forward so she was half curled up in the older girl's lap. Softly Sabah smiled at her even as she cried and ran a hand through Taylor's hair.

"It's okay Taylor. Let it out." Sabah whispered, stroking Taylor's hair again and again.

Sabah smiled as Taylor wrapped her arms in an almost bear hug around the Arabic girl's waist and cried and cried. The older girl just smiled, still stroking Taylor's long silky hair and began to hum, even as the tears dripped off her chin and splashed into those same dark curls.

"You're my friend Taylor. And I'm not going anywhere."