Colby: His wandering heart

He came back.

He came back, just like he said he would, except it took him more than two weeks to go home. I have been waiting for him for God knows how long, and despite the tears, the anguish, and the fear of him dying far away from his family, somehow, I still had hope. He came back, with his face bruised, blood splattered all over it and his knuckles red from exertion... from the blood they got on, from perhaps some bruises he got after punching faces way too hard. His outfit was cut here and there, torn here and there and his hair was disheveled. I didn't know what to make out of it but it was obvious that he had been in a fight. My first instinct was to go to him and slap the shit out of his face. I have been worried sick for weeks because he didn't contact us. We didn't hear from him. We didn't know if he was alive or dead. Mind you, if he had been killed, all of Birmingham would have known. Still.. I had to slap him for him to know just how much I was hurt by his absence. 

He didn't flinch, he didn't quip.. he didn't do anything but stood right there before me. I noticed he was shaking and I remembered a conversation we had, where he explained to me that he got the shakes when he had to kill someone up close and personal. What could I say? What could I do if not help him? I put aside my anger and I led him to our bed. I started to clean the blood off of his hands first. I cleaned thoroughly and I went on to clean his neck, his face, and his hair. We didn't speak because what could be said? I think... when I started to clean his hair,  that’s when he wrapped his arms around my waist. I let him do it. I let him get close to me because I knew he needed my comfort. I knew he was having a PTSD episode. How could I not give him a way to anchor himself back into reality? I couldn't deny him so I let him hold me.

« I didn’t want to leave you alone. I didn’t mean to. » -I knew he did. He never lied to me.-

« I know. » 

« I wanted to go home, Mary. I needed to go home. » -He moaned out. I could feel the pain in his voice. He was so lost that for a moment I just forgot about my own feelings. All I wanted was for him to feel safe and to be cleaned from the  blood he had on him-

« I know you hate it when I am not here for too long.  I keep promising you that I would come back and I keep disappointing you. »  -A truth about the situation. At long last he's acknowledging it, but I know that it's only because he's in distress right now.-

« It is the way it is… I know you want to come home but your line of work…. Your ambition would always make it impossible for you… »

« Mary… please. Stop trying to make excuses for me. You are hurt. I know it. »

« ……. »

I was left speechless for a moment because as much as I could see "through him" at this moment, he was able to see right through me.

« And you want me to be home so I can be with you and Charlie. You want me to see my son…so don’t tell me that you understand. Don't tell me you're fine... » 

« Tom…. You are a Black stallion. I can’t ask you to chain yourself to your family when it’s not in your nature. Do I want to see you more? Yes, I do. I don’t want to love an image. I don’t want to love a memory. I want to love /you/. To be able to show it to you…. But at the same time, because I love you, I can’t ask you to stay here with us….When I know you yearn for your freedom. »

I was shaking and Tom noticed it. He could see that my eyes were slowly getting filled with unshed tears. He could see that I was upset but I was trying not to be. He could see that I wished for him to be home more often...But I couldn't tell him these words because it would be akin to chaining him to me. He was a free man and nothing and no one should come between him and his freedom. I knew he loved me... I knew he cared but I also knew that he needed to leave and be by himself. I guess... His face warmed up and I could see that his thousand-yard stare was gone now that he had noticed I was hurting. He was back into reality.. back to me.

« Then, it is said. I am hurting you. I am making you sad. » -He stroked my back and arm and as I released his face, he snuggled against my frame. I didn't know what to do for a couple seconds but I  wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kept him close to my heart.

« Please forgive me, Mary. »

« You are already forgiven, Tommy. » -I meant it-

« I can be selfish. I know it. And there are days when my desires would always trump anyone else’s… but I came home because I wanted to. Because I needed to. I needed to see you, Mary. I needed to feel you.  If you leave I…. » 

« I won’t leave... » I ran my hand through his hair. « How could I do such a thing? » 

I would never no matter how hard it is, choose to leave Tom. We have been in each other's lives for a decade, I saw him overcome hardships, be punished by God, trying to redeem himself. I watched him go through so much and still move forward. Battered and bruised but still alive. It became obvious to me, that I had fallen for him after the death of Grace. It became even more obvious to me after John died. Tommy was the man I chose to love and the man I would always support, no matter where I decided to go. Still, there was some truth in his words. I was so focused on his happiness that I forgot about mine. What did I want? What did I need? What did I wish for myself? I wanted a family. I wanted to have something for myself. I wanted him...to be in my life. I wanted a family and I wanted him to be a part of it. I was hurting because he was away for far too long and more and more which left us with little to no time spent together. I felt that he wanted to leave me, that he needed to breathe, and that I couldn't bring him any peace... It was killing me inside and I couldn't find the right way to tell him. So I didn't.

« You could leave because you deserve better than what I give you.  I am... not giving you what you deserve. I can clearly see it. And yet you stay here. » 

I cut him short. I yelled a little bit because I couldn't just accept what he was saying to me. 

« Enough! Enough, Tom! I am not your prisoner, Tom. Love might not be a choice, but staying here is… I choose to stay!! I choose you… regardless of the heartache… of the loneliness…. I choose our family. » I kept stroking his hair. « You are an extraordinary man. I can’t lock you in a mundane life because it doesn’t suit you. I will always be there, Tom... Because I love you and because I want to be.»

It seemed to have shut the conversation down for the time being. I knew he listened. I knew he understood and I could feel that he was breathing normally again. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head, holding him as tight as I could.  

Klasma: There was nothing left

The witch was standing still,  eyes wide open and heart beating fast against her ribcage. There was a mess on the floor, books and pieces of furniture torn apart, a fire started on the carpet but was quickly snuffed by the witch. Glass from a mirror was shattered and paintings were lying on the floor. She was bleeding from the cuts on her hands and her face because of the glass. It didn't matter to her. She could barely hear her own heartbeats and she could barely see anything because of her blurred vision. They argued they fought... and all that was left was a messed-up room and a witch standing in the middle of it, stunned... shocked....scared. 

She wasn't sure about something Klaus said, but maybe he mentioned leaving her. He mentioned that her companionship was dreadful and he couldn't have it anymore. Was he sincere? Was he just fucking with her? She didn't know, she wasn't sure anymore. All she could say was that they argued, they were mean to each other, he lashed out and she did too. Her anger took the best of her and now he was gone and Nëela wasn't sure about where he went. He made it clear that he didn't want to see her and she couldn't feel him in the house anymore. It was the first time he actually chose to leave her after an argument and the witch didn't know what to do. All she could think about was how painful that was, to be left, to be reviled...Her feelings for Klaus were true and intense at that point. She accepted the fact she was in love with him and she didn't want to be alone ever again. 

Yet she was. 

He left. 

Her heart was beating so hard against her ribcage that it was starting to hurt. She could feel her heartbreak by the second as she realized that Klaus had rejected her. It was her fault, no matter what he said that set her off, it was her fault. She couldn't take that thought off of her mind as she looked around her and saw the destruction she caused. The house was her and she was the house, broken, alone, helpless. It would have been difficult for the witch, to actually form a coherent thought. Her soul was scattered in each fragment of furniture and glass and paper on the floor. She screamed, her first actual reaction before Nëela just fell to the floor. She gathered some strength to sit on her heels but as soon as she did, the witch wailed her heart out.  Her curse was definitely unbreakable. Klaus seemed to be out of the curse's reach but it just took longer to get there. She heard the voices of the dead witches in her head, mocking her, tearing her confidence apart as they pointed out how even the worst of them all "Niklaus Mikaelson" couldn't even stand her.  That made her scream again and cry until they dried. There was nothing left... nothing... No one.

-TBC-

GoT (modern): Spiraling out of control

GOT (modern) : Spiraling out of control: 

Bäahal looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her mascara had run down her cheeks from the tears she cried earlier on. Her makeup was messed up, with some of the lipstick being smudged all over her face.  She looked at her cheeks, the bruises on her upper lip, the bruises on her arms and feet. It looked as if she had been in a fight but it was her own doing.  It was her competitive dancing that took her to such a dark place.  Frustrated with the way things were in her life, the heiress decided to give her all during her latest performances. She would jump higher, kick harder, roll, and fall onto the ground without any restraint, like a wild animal cornered by its predator. Her father, had he been alive, would have been worried about her. He would have asked his daughter why she was hurting herself doing something she loved. She would have yelled at him, maybe even hit his chest before finally, the young woman would have cried in his arms and told him what was aggravating her heart like that. But her father was dead. Her older brother was dead and Kyra and Jaime were too busy to be there. 

She wept that night, after one too many rough moves. She wept as soon as she came back home, covered in bruises, blood, and sweat but with a trophy in her hand. She came back at the earliest hours of the day, barely making a noise so she wouldn't wake her siblings and the dogs sleeping at that hour. She came back and started to undress as if she was peeling layers of herself until she reached the mirror. There she started to look at the "battle wounds" of the day, figuring out how much she had lost and how far gone she was. As the adrenaline of the competition started to wane off, Bäahal was now filled with dread and disgust. She hated her reflection. She hated the way she looked in the mirror. She hated the evidence of her carelessness and willingness to hurt herself. It made her weak. It made her vulnerable. It made her loathe herself some more and that was when she started to cry and try and muffle her painful moans with her hand which smudged her makeup. Why was she hurting herself this way if not for the impossible situation she found herself in. 

Loving a Lannister was forbidden. It was akin to betraying her family. Loving one and befriending the other was only making things worse. Daenerys would do her best to destroy this relationship if she knew, and Viserys? He might have been on a redemption path, his hatred for the Lannisters and his deep love for his parents would always precede any sliver of reason he might have. He would become violent again and this time, he would be legitimate in his anger.  Her extended family, which already didn't like her and did their best to kick her out of the family would take it as another reason to actually make it happen.  Besides, who among the Lannisters, would actually accept her? Loving Bäahal would only bring problems to Jaime and Kyra and Bäahal didn't want that to happen to them. Perhaps, she should just... leave. Maybe if she left, everybody would be happy, wouldn't they? Her family would finally be able to ignore her. Jaime and Kyra would be safe from the consequences of loving her. Perhaps, Jaime would meet someone better than her and Kyra could befriend someone actually good. 

As Bäahal cried harder, she couldn't help but think about how much she wanted to share her life with her friends. How tired she was of hiding the truth. How tired she was of keeping her emotions to herself. How she longed for an official dancing career. How she wished to be able to invite her friends to her galas and competitions. She thought about how much she wished for a simpler life, where she would be happy with her friends, her family, and her lover. Was it asking too much? It started to look like this for her. It started to look as if she would carry the guilt of her father on her shoulders, all of her life. Maybe, she didn't deserve to be happy. Maybe... She didn't deserve to be loved... Maybe. She should just be happy with the way things were... Hidden... Frustrating...Lonely.  Maybe...

-TBC-

ELPIS (COPG): profile

Main Faceclaim: Vanessa Morgan

Other FC: Beyonce

Real Name: Elpis

Titles: Goddess of Light and Hope, True Balance, Child of Gaea and Khaos, 

Nicknames: My Light (Pride)

Age: Eons (she is one of the oldest gods to ever exist. The last child of Khaos and Gaea).

Height: 175 cm

Weight:  80 kgs. 

Special features: She has golden eyes with black sclera. Her hair is cotton candy pink and extremely long. She has a beauty spot under her left eye. 

Physical appearance: 

As her usual self: 

Elpis is a gorgeous and voluptuous woman with flawless skin. Her natural pink hair is huge, and wavy which reaches her ankles. She has beautiful golden eyes with black sclera shaped like almonds. Her lips are plump and soft and when she smiles there are dimples on her cheeks. When she glamours herself to blend in among humans, the black sclera disappears and her eyes are a muted gold color. 

In her true form: 

Her hair is impossibly long, wavy, and cotton candy pink. Her skin is brown and marred with golden sparks in her true powerful form.  Her eyes turn fully gold. 

At her most powerful, her skin makes it seem that she's made of pure light. 

Sexual orientation: Pansexual but only ever interested in Pride.

Relationship Status: Taken (Pride) 

Alignment: Chaotic good

Specie:  Primordial Goddess

Occupation: Conqueror (currently), Goddess of Hope and Light (currently) Queen of the Underworld (Currently), Regent of Earth (formerly) 

Residence: Prime garden (former), Earth (current), Underworld (sometimes)

Family:

•  Father -  Khaos † (killed by Ishtar)
•  Mother -  Gaea (alive and hiding)
• Older Brother - Leviathan  † (killed by Pride)
• Older Brother - Chrön  † (killed by Ayasha)
• Older sister - Sitäa  † (killed by Ayasha)
• Older Sister - Ayasha (Alive)
• Older Brother - Ishtar (Alive)

Connections: 

• Hecate: Former best friend. The current status needs to be clarified.
• Pride: Lover, currently her only family. 

Universe:   Chronicle of the Primeval Gods, crossover friendly, Greek/ Norse/ Egyptian/ Yoruba/ Japanese/ Chinese mythology.

Status:  Alive. Active.

Personality

Elpis is a complex being. On one hand, she can be very kind, loving, and loyal. She is known as the sweetest and warmest goddess of all Pantheon. She has always had a soft spot for humans and genuinely loved her siblings before their betrayal.  Elpis is a gentle soul who always tries to protect humanity, and who would choose peace before war. However, she is not to be trifled with. When she gets angry she can become destructive. Despite being the Goddess of Light and Hope, Elpis can be particularly venomous towards the other gods and any other creatures. She snuffed a whole pantheon for insulting her father. She is also known for her tantrums and destructive angry fits.

Elpis is very empathetic and compassionate. However, she learned to focus that energy on herself during her curse. Upon returning to existence, she is far less giving and more balanced. She is the goddess of Light and Hope and to these two concepts, she doesn't apply a human perspective. She answers to anyone, including those with malicious intent for it is not her place to judge the desires of others or the goals they seek. She simply gives them Hope to succeed in whatever plan they have.

Current events: 

❜ - Elpis is discovering her true potential. She has become more powerful since she was free.

❜ - Pride forged a ring with the help of Hecate which allows her to freely walk the Earth. 

❜ - She now has the ambition to become the new All-mother and kill Gaea for betraying her.

Abilities:  (Non-exhaustive list)

• Enhanced Attributes: She has all attributes (senses, balance, speed, durability, strength) enhanced.
• Gamakinesis: Elpis is the goddess who controls the life force in mortal organisms. She gained it from her mother, Gaea.
• Supernatural Beauty: Elpis is the most beautiful goddess. 
• Immortality:  As a primeval goddess, Elpis is so strong that she cannot die of "Old Age", Poisoning, or Disease.
• Geokinesis: Elpis can manipulate the battleground and have complete access to the flora. She can use it on the battlefield to ensure victory. could make the soil more fertile, create tremors, or unleash outright earthquakes. Often used to increase the output of crops.
• Power over the Lesser Gods: Elpis holds power over the gods from the younger pantheons and, and a small degree over her own siblings able to bend them to her will. 
• Telepathy - Gods can read the minds of mortals. Older gods can read the minds of younger, weaker gods. 
• Shapeshifting: Elpis, like all gods,  has the power to transform her body.
• Zoopathy: Elpis could talk to any animal and had their loyalty. She can summon and control animals to an extent.
• Chlorokinesis: Elpis had supreme mastery over all plant life. As the daughter of Gaea, she has divine authority and absolute control over plants. She can also grant fertility to the earth, allowing plants to grow where they could not grow before. She aids plants in growing simply by being near them. And she even managed to make life grow in Tartarus.  She could either grant or enhance the fertility of the earth, turning barren plains into fertile fields and encouraging orchards to bear fruit and flowers to bloom.
• Light manipulation: Elpis can control the light and bend it to her will. She can use it either to comfort, or heal but it can also hurt.
• Chaoskinesis: Elpis can tap into the power of her father, especially when she's extremely angry. It is a destructive power that, if not controlled, could destroy the whole universe.  Her parents (and the rest of her pantheon) feared she would destroy the universe because she couldn't control her emotions but they were gravely mistaken.

Skills: (non-exhaustive list)

• Multilingualism: She speaks all the languages (Earthly, Common Tongue, Primordial, Universal)
• Swordsmanship: She is an excellent sword-wielder and is efficient with all sorts of swords, daggers, knives, etc...
• Omega: Elpis scythe forged by Pride in the fires of Tartarus. It is a formidable weapon that separates the essence of the gods from their vessels and makes it easier to influence them.
• Ring of power: It is a ring that Pride forged with the help of the goddess Hecate. The rings allow her to walk the Earth without being noticed by Ayasha, Ishtar, and any other god of her pantheon. This way she can finally be free.

Weaknesses/Crippling fears:

• The Dagger of  Fate - It's the dagger used by Ishtar to curse Elpis. It's said to be the only weapon able to kill a primeval god. Former owner(s): Ayasha, Ishtar, Leviathan. Current owner: Pride
• Khaos- A sword forged in the Hades by Pride. It's a god-slayer sword, which entraps the essence of any creature/god stained with and absorbs its power. Only Pride can wield it.

TB: bonding with Ryan

Ryan had fallen asleep on her couch. That poor child was exhausted from the day he spent with Sara. Homelander heard his son talk about boredom and to give him something to do and a place to be outside the Tower he sent him to Sara.  She was preparing her next tour and showed him behind the scenes. He met with her dancers and learned one step of the choreography they were making. He met with her musicians and the drummer and guitarist showed him the baselines of their instruments. He met with the seamstress and her children, a 9-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy who quickly befriended him. He was just Ryan, a 14-year-old boy. They talked and played games until Sara took Ryan to lunch.  While they ate, she asked him questions about how he was adjusting to life under the spotlight, gave him some pieces of advice from her own experience as a megastar, and honestly answered his questions about her stardom, her opinion on the Seven, and her relationship with his dad. 

It surprised him that she replied to him without attempting to lie and it reassured him to see that she loved his dad and genuinely liked to be in his company. Sara wasn’t afraid of him. She knew his power and she knew he could have a hard time controlling it due to his age, but she had compassion for him.  Sara then confided in her time at the orphanage. She told him about how lonely she felt there and the only friend she made, ended up running away from the orphanage, leaving her behind.  She told him that she didn’t trust people's words but rather their actions. He resonated with her words and they bonded over their issues.

Little by little that day helped Ryan feel less lonely and grow attached to Sara who in turn found herself loving the boy.  It just felt so natural, to talk to him, to watch him glow and open up to her. He felt safe with her and that was the best compliment she could ever get for her little guy. Well, from Homelander’s son. From…. Ryan.  As the day went on and he spent some more time with the children of her seamstress, Sara finished her dance number and training. They revised the choreography and felt undecided about the last part of it.  Ryan felt tired and asked Sara if he could nap somewhere. She took him to her office where there was a comfortable couch he could lay on.  

« Just one more hour before I take you back to your dad. We could even stop for some ice cream. »

« Yeah yeah, whatever you like. I’m fine with it. » 

She then grabbed a little blanket and gently covered the boy with it as he was falling asleep. As she bent forward to kiss his forehead he whispered. 

« I had fun today. You’re pretty cool. » 

Which made her smile. It really didn’t take long for Ryan to make his way into her heart. It really didn’t take long for Sara to feel that she was ready to protect this boy with all the strength she had. Just like that, he became a family. 

-TBC-

TB headcanon: Sara’s family

Sara has family on her father’s side. He had a sister who had 4 children. 

• Alphonse (youngest child), lawyer. 
• Tabitha (mother), is sick and retired. 
• Kendra (youngest daughter), doctor 
• Charles (oldest child) car salesman 
• Melanie, teacher. 

They all abused Sara when she was a child. 

• Ralph used to mess with her hair because she prided herself in having beautiful hair. 
• Tabitha used to mock her for wetting her bed and would always expose her embarrassing business in front of others. She also punished Sara more severely than her own kid and beat her for the slightest mistake. 
• Kendra used to slap and stomp on Sara. She was jealous of seeing her on beauty pageants, commercials and other shows 
• Charles used to mentally torture her, especially about how much her parents hated her. He stoked the flames of her insecurities. 
• Melanie was the ringleader of the children. When the mother wasn’t giving orders, Melanie was the one who endured Sara would feel bad. She felt no remorse and still doesn’t. 

Melanie visited Sara to ask for some financial help. Their mother Tabitha, is very sick and she would need the best surgeons to perform a life-saving surgery that is well beyond their financial capabilities. Of course, Sara refused to help and used that moment to assert her dominance and avenge herself for all the mistreatment she got at the hands of her family.  She let Melanie leave alive but it’s not the last time she hears from them. 

TB: And the devil reared its ugly head

Melanie Richardson was a tall and slim woman. Her hair was worn short, cut in a bob. Her skin was flawless, unmarred, and without any pimples. Her eyes were brown, a deep brown that could have been mistaken as black when she was angry. She decided to wear a well-fitted navy blue skirt and vest ensemble, with black stilettos. Melanie was a proud woman and it took a lot from her to take her feet to Unnamed Girl's Headquarters and demand to see her cousin. On her way to the building, Melanie rehearsed the conversation a hundred times. She imagined a very understanding and gullible Sara, after all, wasn't she a pop star? In her head, talking to her felt easy. It felt like a formality that would not take long to complete. The reality was different. Before she was a towering Sara. She was holding her head high, her black eyes were staring at Melanie's soul, and her red lips drew the older woman's attention. Sara was intimidating, wearing black pants with a white blouse and a black blazer. She was wearing heavy makeup that covered her freckles and at her feet were a pair of black flats.

"Melanie. I assume that if you're here it's for a good reason."

"I..."

"I do have 15 minutes available for you. Come." She said as she walked back into her office. Melanie swallowed a lump and followed her cousin who seemed to be far more confident than she anticipated. She closed the door behind her and walked to the desk. She sat on the chair in front of Sara's and put her bag on her lap.

"Yes... thank you... Do you remember Ralph? My older brother?"

Sara closed her eyes for a brief moment. She remembered when she was a little girl, how Ralph used to pull on her hair to the point of making her scalp bleed. He also cut it once, to her neck and watched as she was wailing on the floor. He said that she deserved to lose her hair because she thought she was better than them. He accused her of showing off her good hair and said that it was the only thing that made her cute. He didn’t care about her tears. He didn’t care about the consequences of losing her hair and angering her parents. If anything he was gleefully awaiting the beating she would get from her parents for losing her asset. 

« I remember him. »

« He became a lawyer. He’s married with two kids. »

« ………. Good for him. » 

« Do you… erm, remember my baby sister, Kendra? » 

Kendra was a vicious and jealous girl. Sara remembered being slapped and stomped on her stomach for no reason other than envy. Kendra had always wanted to be famous, to be on TV, and to go to pageant contests. She thought Sara had stolen her life and for this ludicrous reason, the young teenager she was didn’t hesitate to physically hurt and bruise Sara.  She never cared about the little girl's tears, never cared about anything but her petty desires. It made Sara twitch a bit on her chair but she kept her composure. 

« I remember. »

« She’s settled! She’s a doctor now and married with kids as well. » 

« .. Good for her. » 

Melanie was visibly upset because she couldn’t get a reaction from Sara. She wanted her to be more curious about her family but all she had was a cold and strong wall. 

« Do you… well, by now you also might be remembering my brother Charles.  He is a car salesman. Also with family. And I… well. I am also married with children. I became a teacher and I also have a family of my own. » 

« Noted. » Sara replied coldly. « you didn’t come all this way to tell me about your family, so maybe you could state the reason for your presence here. » 

Sara clenched her teeth. She had flashbacks of what Charles and Melanie did to her. While Charles was more of a manipulator who tortured her mentally, speaking about how much her parents hated her and were disappointed in her, Melanie was the ring leader.   Melanie was the one inciting her siblings to attack Sara. She made it her life mission to destroy Sara.  Seeing her in her office made Sara’s blood run cold and she considered all the ways she could hurt her. She wanted to use her powers to manipulate the pens on her table to stab Melanie right between her eyes. She imagined how much of a relief she would feel if she made Melanie grovel at her feet, and apologize for all the wrongs she did but could it change anything? Could it make her feel better? Sara, I knew that it would not bring her childhood back. It wouldn’t take away the pain she felt at the time and that molded her into the person she was today. 

« Sara..I… you’re right. I came to see you because Mom is sick and she needs help. She needs a very expensive surgery that we can’t afford to pay for. So I came all this way to ask for your kindness and for some help. We need money and you have money, and you’re family, so I thought that maybe we could ask you to pitch in for her surgery. » 

« …. »

How bold she was. She had the nerve to come to Sara’s office and bring up the fact they were family to appeal to Sara’s generosity? Tabitha, her aunt, was the worst of them all. She hated Sara and didn’t waste a second to humiliate that child. She would pour some cold water on her, wake Sara, and mock her for wetting her bed at her age. She would confuse the child, she would always protect her children and believe their lies rather than see how abused Sara was at their hands. And once Sara’s powers became stronger, what did they do? Tabitha rejected Sara, she called her the child of the devil. She refused to take her in after Sara became an orphan. She refused to take her in when Sara visited them when she outgrew the system. They all did. The singer remembered the rocks they threw at her, the insults they hurled at her, and their laughter as they rejected her. Family? What family? They asked while Sara recoiled and prevented herself from killing them all from rage.  So how could they dare come to her and ask for help? How could they after they spent the last seven years trying to break her career?  She pinched her lips together and tilted her head to the side. 

« You got something wrong. I am /not/ your family. You said it yourself when I last visited you. » 

«We were young and dumb, Sara! You can’t hold it against us! » 

« Young? When I was an orphan and they called your mother, what did she say when they asked if she could take me in? » 

« I don’t know. I wasn’t—. »

« Ta ta ta… you were there. You were all there, whispering to her, urging her to say no. You were put on speakers and I heard how you refused to acknowledge I was family. »

« Sara! We were afraid. /You: had powers! » 

« And when I was younger? When I was just a child? What’s your excuse, Mel? What’s your excuse for all the tears I cried? For all the bruises you gave me? Ralph used to cut my hair, and he would laugh when I was crying. Kendra slapped me and stomped on my chest when I was the most vulnerable. Charles used to torture me! He told me that my parents hated me, that they wanted to sell me, and that they were disappointed in me. And you? You led them all. You encouraged them to hurt me. I can still remember your gleeful smile as I was wailing and pleading. I can still remember you, screaming that nobody would ever help me. »

« We were children, we didn’t know any better! Sara, you can’t hold it against us. Didn’t we take you in? Didn’t we give you a home? And didn’t Mom give you everything she had? »

Sara stood up, her face colder and her eyes turning purple as anger took over. She pointed her forefinger at her cousin who stood up, visibly afraid of what Sara was about to do. 

« Aunt Tabitha was the worst of you all. For some reason, she hated me as a child. She wanted to humiliate me and I still can feel my skin burn from the hits she gave me. Yet I forgave her.  And when she was asked about taking me in and she refused? I forgave her. I came to you, freshly 18. I came to you to bury the hatchet and become family. What did you do? What did she do? She rejected me again. You all did. You called me a freak! You called me many names and all I could do was contemplate the idea of killing every single one of you or letting you live. Since you’re here today, you know that even then, I showed you mercy. » 

Melanie's eyes grew wide as she realized that her cousin was genuinely telling her that she wanted to kill them. She could have, now that she was older and could control her powers better. She could have. Her eyes grew even wider as she noticed the purple flecks on Sara’s eyes and was afraid for her life. Sara clearly didn’t forget and refused to do so. She was older now and far stronger than when she was a child. Obviously,  Melanie could not stop her if she wanted to kill so she stood up, one hand in front of her to protect herself. 

« Sara. Think about what you want to do next. I am a mother… a teacher. You don’t want to hurt me. » 

« I could easily do that,» she said, tilting her head as she focused on the lock on the door to turn it.  As Melanie realized she was trapped, she screamed. «  I could easily throw that pen and stab you with it. I could so easily break your neck if I wanted to. »

« What…. What do you want Sara? Do.. what do you want? Please! Please don’t hurt me! » she cried and fell to her knees with both hands up. «  it was a long time ago…. I can’t take that back… »

« All this blabber and you still don’t apologize. It’s so typical of you. You take and take and take and when you can’t have it or you have no more use of it, you destroy. I was a child! You tortured me and for what??? » she used her telekinesis to slowly suffocate her cousin and as soon as Melanie pissed herself, Sara stopped.  She put her hands on her desk and unlocked the door.  « Leave and don’t ever come back. You rejected me when I needed you and today you allowed me to reject you when you need help the most. So good luck with Tabitha. » 

As soon as Melanie left, Sara slammed the door behind her. She looked at Dotty, hoping for some sympathy from the older woman but she simply looked at the woman with disgust. She had no empathy for her or that side of Sara’s family so she mouthed a « good riddance. » to the shocked woman who left, too shocked to say something now and too confused to know if she wanted to retaliate to that humiliation or if she wanted to hide from Sara. 

-TBC-