"Did you just say a thousand years?" Sean Cassidy asked incredulously.
"Yes." Madelyne sipped her tea. "But like I said, you really don't need to worry about that part."
"Sure, I'll get right on that." He remarked sarcastically.
She arched a brow. "What I mean is, Legion had your memories erased for a reason. That's a heavy burden to carry, to remember a timeline that doesn't exist." She explained.
"Especially if it ended as badly as you say. What was the point of it, anyway." He said partly to himself.
"Power." Madelyne answered immediately. "Or just for the hell of it. Both are viable options when Sinister is involved."
"Speaking from experience?" He took a sip of the tea she prepared.
"No, not at all." Her sweet sarcasm made him chuckle.
"Did the Spirit happen ta tell ya why I agreed to such a thing?" He asked curiously.
"He wasn't open on the details, just that you made a deal with Mother Righteous, neither of you knowing that it would end badly."
"And Mother Righteous is….Sinister's wife?"
"Close. Nathaniel Essex had a wife before he became Sinister, Rebecca. Righteous was cloned from her."
"A little creepy."
"That's Sinister for you." She remarked.
Sean seemed to mull over this new information.
"And the Spirit? Did he say what he wants out of this?"
"He didn't really say. Or rather, he didn't allude to being malicious. For now, he's dormant until your….anger gets the better of you."
"Surprised he told ya all of this."
"Well, most spirits and otherworldly creatures know better than to cross me."
Sean shook his head in amusement. "Meanin' ya had him down on bended knee."
"Well…" They both chuckled.
The pain medication had kicked in, and Theresa Cassidy was trying to get comfortable when she heard a familiar voice.
"Kiddo? You awake?" The soft but gruff voice of Cain Marko could be heard from the open doorway.
"Yeah….kinda…." She murmured.
"Wanted to check on ya. Ya need anything?" He asked.
"An extra pillow?" She asked. "I'm not very comfortable."
"Yeah, I'll get one for you. You sit tight, okay?"
"I'll be right here." She softly said.
He set off in search of extra pillows for her, finding Tom in a vacant room upstairs, looking like he was preparing a bed for a guest.
"Ah! Cain, yer timin' is perfect. Will this room do?"
Cain tilted his head in confusion. "Do? For what?"
"Well, I figured….ah, well, maybe I should have asked first." Tom rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Asked? I'm not followin', Tom."
"Asked ya if ya wanted to stay here, at the Keep."
Cain seemed a bit surprised. "Oh. Um…hadn't really thought that far in advance, I guess."
"If ya want it, of course. I'm sure Seanie boy won't mind lettin' ya stay, considerin'..." He trailed off.
"Considerin' I'm the one that found her in that place." Cain finished solemnly.
Tom took a breath. "Knowin' she was there and we didn't know….it breaks me heart. My girl…she won't tell us what happened. Can't say I blame her."
"If he was still alive, I'd kill 'im myself." Cain said bluntly.
"There'd be quite a line behind ya, Cain, that's for sure." Tom admitted. "Meself included."
Cain sighed. "...you sure it's okay I stay here?"
"Wouldn't want ya anywhere else. Terry would agree, don'tcha think?"
"Oh, yeah, um….pillows. She wants an extra one-"
"Here…." Tom opened a cupboard, and walked over to Cain with a pillow in hand, handing it to him with a gentle gesture.
Cain smiled a little. "Thanks, Tom."
Madelyne finished with her tea, and stood up from her chair, walking over to the kitchen-
"Here….I got it." Sean took the mug gently from her hands.
"Don't trust me to wash my own dishes?" She teased.
"You are a guest in my home, you're not washin' dishes." He remarked as he carried both mugs to the sink.
"And they say chivalry is dead." She quipped.
He laughed. "Anyone ever called you a spitfire, Madelyne?"
"Oh, I'm sure the word has been tossed around once or twice."
He turned around to face her, his expression a bit more serious now. "I owe ya a thank ya. For everythin'."
"You don't owe me anything, Sean."
"Like hell I don't. If it weren't for you, God knows when I would have seen her again."
The look on his face, the emotions there, they were ones she knew well. She stepped a little closer. "Don't think about the what ifs. Just focus on what she needs now. She'll need you, all three of you. You're her family."
He nodded, a small smile. "Thank you. For bangin' on my door."
She smiled. "Anytime." She sauntered towards the door. "I'll be back in a day or so to check on her, if that's okay."
"You're welcome in this house anytime."
She nodded. "I appreciate that. But I'm still going to knock."
He chuckled as she disappeared through a portal once more.