Chapter 9

A New Verse

Bea wakes slowly and silently. That's… odd. She's so used to alarms, and fighting exhaustion in the morning. For once, she feels rested.

She realizes why the moment she feels someone almost draped over her.

Mae lays against Bea's side, face tucked into her neck, an arm and a leg over her. Despite the winter cold, sharing a bed makes it considerably warmer, so even Mea is less dressed than usual, down to just panties and a T-shirt. Bea is much the same now, although her shirt is much longer. She almost turns red as she feels just how much of Mae is against her at the moment. The only thing preventing it is how incredibly comfortable she is. Angus may give better hugs, but Mae is definitely the best cuddler.

Eventually, Bea manages to reach up and gently scratch Mae's head, stroking claws through her fur. Although she remains asleep, Mae starts purring within seconds. Bea can't help but almost drift off again herself. This is the first morning in a very long time that she's woken without any stress, panic, or even plans. All she has is the moment, and it means more to her than she can put to words.

She was uncertain, but willing when Mae sang to her. She wasn't sure she had the capacity to love, for so many years. Then Mae came back into her life, and over time, she started feeling… something. She just couldn't identify it. Eventually, she realized being with Mae felt a lot like before her mom's diagnosis. When she still had innocence and hope. She knows she's far from innocent now, but that hope is certainly returned, and Mae sits at the center of that bright future.

Here and now, sharing a cozy winter morning, Bea's certain. She loves Margaret Borowski, and anyone who has a problem with it can kiss her ass.

When Mae finally starts to stir, she peeks down and kisses the cat's forehead. "There you are… I was starting to wonder if those celestial pricks had kidnapped you again."

"Hmmm?.." She chuckles a bit. "Nah… just the Deep Hollow Hollerers this time." She yawns and nuzzles into Bea's neck. "And just long enough for one song. The rest of the night, it was just… us."

Bea smirks. "Had your arms around me all night, and you still dreamt of us?"

"Y-Yeah, what of it?"

"Well…" Bea plants another kiss right on her lips this time. "I did too."

Mae's purring grows instantly louder, and she just can't get rid of the massive smile on her face. "You're too good to me…"

"Maybe." Bea chuckles. "But you're sure as hell better for me than anyone else."

"Since when did you start getting sappy?"

"Since you started singing love songs." She pokes Mae's nose, causing her to pull back and wiggle it in faint annoyance. "Now come on, we should shower and get down there, your dad said he was making pancakes this morning."

"Yessss, dad's pancakes are the best."

"As much as it pains me to admit, his pancakes are better than my mom's were."

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"Bug, slow down!" Angus chuckles as Gregg slides down the railing of the tunnel steps, stumbling as he reaches the bottom well ahead of everyone else. In front of the defaced mural, Selma has already set up her drums and started warming up, a few amps and speakers are prepared, and Law is checking over the lighting and acoustics, pacing about with his camera. Off to the side is a new arrival, Law's father, Jason Myers. He's almost intimidatingly tall for a rat, but the proud grin across his face is unmistakable fatherly glee as he watches his son at his best. Mae and Bea meanwhile are leaning against each other's backs as they sit on one of the speakers and play practice their parts.

Gregg ends up stumbling right into Germ, leaving them both sprawled across the ground. "Hey Gregg. Can you please get off me?"

Gregg jumps up and pulls Germ to his feet. "Hey, sorry dude! My bad."

Germ smirks as he stands. "Eh, I know it wasn't intentional. Besides, you're obviously not a top."

Gregg turns red, but Mae cheers from down the tunnel with a long "WOOOOO!" Even Bea gets a giggle out of it.

He shakes it off and peeks up to the rat that's joined them today. "Hey, Mr. Myers. How's it goin?"

He grins and shrugs. "Not too bad. Wanted to see what my son's been up to lately in person." Nobody misses how Law gets giddy enough to shiver and double his pace the moment that word leaves his dad's lips. Bea notices how Jason is watching Law closely as he says it, and only grins wider at that reaction.

Angus hums. "Well, we'll warm up with one of our old originals, but we're recording a cover down here today as well." He adjusts his glasses and peeks over to Mae. "Thanks for picking this song out, by the way. I always loved How Far We've Come."

Mae shrugs. "Hey, I figured after all we've been through, and with a backdrop like this, we had to do an apocalypse song. And last time we all drove out to eat, the way you belted it out with the radio made it the obvious choice."

Gregg swings his guitar onto his shoulders. "Yeah, Cap'n, that was one of the best performances I've ever seen out of you! You need to have that energy more often in practice, and especially on stage!"

Angus blushes a bit himself, but thinks it over with a hum as he hooks up his mic. "W-Well, I suppose I could do that. It may be hard to keep up during a whole concert, though. I'd have to pick and choose what songs to put that oomph into."

Selma shrugs. "Well, we have songs that're slower and more casual, and we all know Red Winder is gonna be focused on MaeBea providing all the action on stage."

And now it's Bea's turn to blush. "W-Wait, you're seriously referring to us with a ship name now?"

"Hard not to, it's kind of a natural one. Now, what are we starting with?" She peeks up to Law. "Didn't we have, like, 3 songs we wanted to record down here?"

Law nods. "Pumpkin-Head Guy, for one. Then there's this cover, and of course more for the Die Anywhere Else video. Honestly, I think this is one of my favorite set pieces for it."

Mae peeks over her shoulder at the defaced mural, then back at Law with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Of course it would be."

"R-Right, weeelll, um…" Law stammers and tries not to look at his dad, who's already a bit suspicious. "Let's get this on the road! Camera's ready, recording, aaaand…" He claps to signal the start, and everyone jumps right into playing.

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After practice and recording, Angus and Gregg wander off their own way and lean into each other. "Mmm… you seem a lot better now, Cap'n. Buuuut… I doubt you're really over yesterday, either."

Angus sighs and shakes his head. "I'm not… but I'm alright. I have some lyrics in mind, though. The song is gonna be pretty pessimistic, but…"

"Dude, a lot of our songs are really pessimistic. I'd love to your take on it, and I'll do everything I can to help with it."

".. Thanks, Bug." He smiles and plants a quick kiss on his cheek. "So, how about we stop by the hobby shop real quick and get some new strings? Your guitar is getting a bit worn-out."

"Yeah, we probably should... wanna get a new board game while we're at it? Something for the next time the girls come over."

Angus grins. "Definitely. And a booster set for Cards Against Reason. There's a new gamer set with some Demon Tower references in it."

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On the way out in the opposite direction, Law seems tired, but content walking beside his dad. "That cover should add to our Youtube channel's views real quick. Best way to grab attention. Nobody's gonna look up an original song from a brand new band nobody knows." He huffs. "But a cover like this one should go over great."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. How soon do you need to get that uploaded?"

"Not until tomorrow afternoon, really. I might try editing it a bit tonight, but…" He yawns. "I'm kinda wiped out. Lot of trains last night."

He nods. "That there was. I just have one question, son."

"Yeah, dad?"

He peeks back down with his smile faded. "You're the one who wrote on the mural, aren't you?"

Law flinches, turning away and staring at the sidewalk. "… Y-Yeah."

Silence falls for a moment, and he eventually sighs. "Well… I'll just have to make sure you're too busy to get into that kind of mischief again. Besides, this town is pretty awful… the whole cult mess kinda proved that."

Law slowly peeks up with a slacked jaw, but eventually smiles and chuckles. "S-So terrible. So, uh… Where to now, dad? Just home, or you have anything else in mind?..."

"Well, thankfully, I knew you had this recording scheduled early today. I booked an appointment for you, and we're gonna see about getting some blockers for now, before we move you on to really transitioning."

Law stumbles to a stop. "W-Wait, really?!"

Jason peeks back with a grin. "Really. Come on, we've got an hour's drive for it, don't wanna be late. And we'll stop for lunch on the way."

"Dad, you're the best!" Law jumps and wraps his arms around his father's neck, having to hang there with the height difference, but Jason gladly holds him up in a hug.

"I'm just doing right by you. Your mom would have been right here with us… and probably done this even faster than I have."

Law chuckles. "P-Probably, but… that doesn't make you any worse than her. Love ya, dad."

"Love ya too, son."

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Mae and Bea lean into each other, cuddled up on her old couch as they watch a movie. It's a suspenseful supernatural horror flick, but with psychological elements that intrigue Bea and hit home for Mae. But even as much as they're enjoying it, when it ends, Mea's clearly had something on her mind. "... You should move in with us."

Bea sits upright in shock for a moment. "... Um… is this just an impulse thing, or a logical thing?"

"Um… both?" Mea sits up and crosses her arms. "It was impulse at first, but I kept quiet to think about it more, and… it just makes sense. You're alone in a two bedroom apartment, you're a lot happier over at our place than you are here, it'll cost you less while helping us fill in the gaps left from dad's union fight, and we can just share my room and be like the last two nights every night!"

Bea hums as she thinks it over. "That's… really good logic, mostly. Part of me says that'd be rushing, but... the rest of me really doesn't give a damn if we are." She sighs. "Gimme a day to think it over. I'll spend tonight here alone, and give you an answer tomorrow."

Mae nods eagerly. "O-Ok! I'm just… glad you're even considering it. Thank you." She kisses Bea's cheek.

Bea rolls her eyes. "You make me consider a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise. I guess you're the madness that makes my method more interesting."

"Damn straight I am! Also, don't worry, if we do this, I am planning to get a new bed."

"Well, I'm sold, then." She snorts. "Something new and softer, but simple for now. Easy to get up there and take apart whenever we move out."

"One of those five-layer memory foam things that comes packed in a box less than half it's size?"

"Bingo."

"Ew, Bingo. Old ladies' game."

"When you get old, you're totally gonna go to Bingo games just to mess with people and call out fake victories."

"Then act like I've got some kinda dementia to get away with it, yeah."

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Early into the evening, as the stars have just come out in the wintry darkness, Selmers sits on her front porch, peeking up to the sky, and spotting Mr. Chazokov with his telescope on the next roof over. As much as she hates this town, out here in the sticks, where big cities are distant and light pollution is low, you can see the stars clearer and brighter than most people can fathom. She feels like that's part of why Chazokov stays here. With his degrees, he could get a job teaching in so many other places, better places, but here, he has this view.

A view like this is an odd thing to a girl like Selma Ann Forrester. Starlight always brings thoughts of hope for a brighter future, but in the same stroke, she's reminded of a childhood long gone, and innocence she'll never get back. Innocence that her ex took from her, in the process of getting her hooked on all that shit, and him in the process. Innocence he ran away with when he started dating that bitch from the gas station and dumped her on her ass fresh out of rehab.

After a few moments of staring into the sky, she starts to hum a tune and absent-mindedly drum at her front steps. "Hmmm… Yeah, that sounds good. Why should I break the tradition of addiction songs?" She chuckles and pushes herself up and climbs inside, a bit numb from the cold winter night, but it's good to feel this numb while her mind is intact and her life is her own. "Maybe I should include Dennis in the lyrics. As long as I don't say his last name, it's not libel… right?" She calls up to the roof. "Goodnight, Mr. Chazakov!"

"Goodnight, Selma! Tell everyone I said hello at practice tomorrow."

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A.N.: Sorry this one took so long! Big projects going on lately, but gonna slow down a bit soon, save for recording a LOT of Legends Arceus. In the meantime, I hope you all look forward to what's now two more original songs I have written for this fic, and two more coming! Bit harder to write a song for Gregg, I'll admit.