11050/A Bittersweet Memory

A Bittersweet Memory
Date of Scene:	07 May 2022
Location:	Guest Quarters - The Triskelion
Synopsis:	Cael and Sara talk about Alis' fate - just before Cael, Jon, Agnes and Martin leave on their snow trip.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Sara Pezzini

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Cael Becker has posed:
    After returning from the Midnight Mission, Cael sent Jon on their way with a hug, and a gentle kiss, reassuring them that she had already packed - and she could do with a little time alone while they, Martin, and Agnes made sure their own bags were ready. Now she was seated on the couch, her laptop in front of her - looking through old digital photos of Alis and herself. Sitting next to her was a tumbler, with barely a finger of whiskey in it. Either she'd gone for a very scant pour, or most of it had already been drunk. Bear lies on the couch with her, sprawled across Cael's legs - seemingly asleep.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Today had been a very interesting day. The Special Investigations Unit had their first official call, and Detective Sara Pezzini got to escort Thor's brother to the Asgardian Embassy. Seems someone named Hiemdall, the one in charge of the Bifrost, was a little sore over losing a game of dice and send Balder to the the middle of Central Park instead of the Embassy. It was an easy enough 'case', Balder had stopped a couple of petty robberies taking place as people stood gawking at his arrival, and his beauty. If there was such a thing as a male Disney Princess, it was Balder.

Returning home after her shift, she carried with her a large pizza from Cael's favorite pizza place, a six-pack of Coke, and another bottle of whiskey. Setting her helmet by the door, then pausing to hang her coat up, she made her way down the hall to the living room. Skills of observation told her Cael had also had a busy day, so the pizza got sat on the table as she moved by to sit herself on the coffee table in front of Cael.

"You alright?" she asks softly, removing her shoulder holster with side arm still clasp in place.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's reply isn't immediate, as she seems honestly consider the question before giving a response. "Yeah," she confirms, flashing Sara a brief smile. "I'm alright. We've decided we're heading to Austria in the morning," she remarks. "If we leave in the morning - we'll still have a whole afternoon to explore things." Her gaze goes from Sara, to an image of herself, beaming and enthusiastically hugging Alis in front of a garishly green car - with a lot of tattooed individuals around them, looking similarly celebratory.
    "I know what happened, now. In Duat." She adds simply.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Okay... shit meet fan, brace for impact... she's going in.

Sara leans a little closer, leaning into to get a look at the picture Cael is presently has pulled up on her laptop, unless Cael stops her of course. Yes Sara wanted to know what happened, but she wasn't going to push, she would let Cael explain in her own time.

"Don't forget to pack the battery powered long johns I got you all," she offers quietly, smiling a little before looking to Cael's face. She could see the sadness in her sister's face, in her eyes, but it wasn't soul eating sadness, she actually was alright.

"It's good you remember," she then says, shifting over to sit on the arm of the couch by Cael. "You willing to share what happened?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Already packed," Cael promises.
    At the question, though, she nods - taking a deep breath in, and letting it out slowly. "She passed. The, umm- the weighing of her heart. She was allowed passage to the Field of Reeds, and she's waiting for me and Jon there. She, umm. She told me to take my time, though. You know - no rush." She flashes Sara a small, tight smile.
    "She- Alya invited her along, hoping that... that Alis would be willing to be weighed first. To delay the Gods, and give you enough time to- restart my heart. She faced, uhh... the possibility of being eaten by a lippodile, to give me the chance to live. That's... that's what happened." Reaching up, she wipes at her eyes - which had clouded up with some understandable moistness - given the circumstances.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara keeps her eyes on the photo on the screen, so that Cael doesn't feel like she's on the spot while crying. Tears were completely understandable, but she knew Cael had issues with being seen while crying. Witchblade was right, Alis did know what she was doing when she requested he release her.

Inside Sara's head, Witchblade had started to stir again, and hearing what had happened seems to ease both he and Sara's pain just a little. "I don't know who Alya is," she says first, reaching up to brush away the single tear that escaped her own eye. "But she was right to invite Alis along, to put that hope out there. Alis was brave, always, in every situation I saw her in."

Now she looks to Cael, offering a very soft smile, "You'd have done the same thing for her." She didn't add that Alis was already dead, that it was the most logical choice for the teen to make. That by choosing to buy Cael time, she guaranteed she'd see Cael and Jon again. "But she's right, you need to take a long, long time before you join her."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "She loved me," Cael says quietly. "And- she just wants me and Jon to be happy, so... so that's the plan. For the immediate future, anyways." She blinks her eyes, freeing a few drops to fall before adds, "Alya's Agnes' mom. I'm, uh- pretty sure she was more worried about Jon's happiness and well being, instead of mine, but- She faced the punishment of her Gods to help me, and Jon. She, uh- she wasn't supposed to bring Alis."
    After a deep breath in, and another out she adds, "Anyways, that's what happened. Basically. Alis is- I think she's alright. She was scared, but- yeah. She was brave, for my sake. And now... she's in paradise, or at least the Egyptian version of it, and... And Jon and I will see her there someday."
    Her gaze remains locked on the image on her screen before she repeats softly, "I'll see her there, someday."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Pulling out her phone, Sara flips through the pictures until she comes to the one she was looking for. It was a picture of Alis materialized, sitting on the side of the bed while Cael was asleep holding what looks like a glass of Kool-Aid over the pillows where Cael's head may or may not have been (none of Cael was in the picture save a lump under the blankets).

"Staged picture," she comments, offering the phone to Cael to see. "She asked me to take the picture, note I didn't go in your room, I was in the door way, but I took the picture for her. She said it amused her... anyway, I thought you might want a copy because of the size of mischievous grin on her face."

She had to wipe away another tear from her own cheek. "Witchblade wants you to know... that he's sorry you are hurting, but he had to let her go. We know now it was the right thing to do, but he's... feeling guilty."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael lets out a brief snort of air, and then nods her head in confirmation. "Yeah," she agrees. "Yeah, I want a copy."
    She looks down at photo on her own screen again - then reaches out to gently stroke Bear's fur while the pup sleeps. "Neither you, nor Witchblade have anything to be sorry for. I got the impression that- if Alis hadn't gone, she might still be here - but you probably wouldn't have been able to get me back. That- well. If you had gotten my heart restarted... It would have been me anymore. Just... an empty shell. So... I mean, not that I think I'm- worth more than she was, but-" If Alis had stayed, and she had gone, and her body had been empty- could it have become Alis'?
    ...okay. That's a weird fucking thought.
    "Anyways. It's not your fault, it's not his fault. I'd say it's my fault but- she told me not to blame myself. I mean, she knew I would."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara sends a copy of the photo to Cael in a text message, then tucks her phone back in her pocket.

"He blames himself," she corrects. "First time in a long time he's felt real loss. I know he did the right thing, even before I knew what happened with Alis."

The idea of an empty shell that looked like Cael didn't settle easy in her chest, she shifted her position slightly, trying not to think about that. Jake had spent months in a coma, basically an empty shell, before he finally died. Sara would never have recovered from having another partner in that situation.

"Do you know why you were worth more Cael?" She finally says, shoving down that wave of emotion. "Because Alis had already died, and you still had the chance to live. That's it, and it's not so much worth, and more about the chances of survival. Alis would never, ever forgive herself if you'd died and she was still here. You know that."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "She couldn't change and grow anymore," Cael remarks quietly. "I... know. I still hate that she didn't get the chance to- I mean. I will //always// hate that she never got a chance to- to find out who she really could be." She looks down at Bear, stroking his head as she murmurs quietly. "We miss her, though. Don't we? Even this silly mutt's... wondering where she's gone." She smiles sadly again, then looks back up towards Sara as she adds, "We didn't have that much time to talk down there, but- well. She said goodbye. And thanks for everyone." Not strictly true, but she told Alis she'd pass on a message to that affect.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara lays a hand on Cael's shoulder, to stop herself from just hugging the woman. Hugs may or may not be welcome, she still wasn't sure and didn't want to make things worse. Giving her shoulder a light squeeze, she offers a smile.

"Thank you for that." Is said first, and the final tear is wiped away... maybe final, she's hoping final. "Uh... there's uh... one little piece of unfinished business."

Sara had been debating since Saturday when to bring it up, when to tell Cael, and this seemed like the right time. "You remember that Alis had something she was working on?" She asks, then again pulls her phone out. "She was trying to get it done for your birthday, but didn't quite make it. It's in the pain shop now, and well... you need to decide the colors."

Holding the phone over so that Cael can see the pictures, there are a series of ten photos of Alis with a 1968 Camero. The first is the Camero in horrible condition and Alis bent over the hood. As she moves through the photos it obvious that Alis was building it from the ground up, and very last was the Camero with blowers and super charger.

"She didn't tell me what colors she had planned, so... you have to decide and I'll get it finished up while you're on vacation."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Unfinished...?" Cael starts uncertainly, turning her head to look at the image on the phone. She stares at it in silence for a moment - her breath starting to grow more raggid before she - perhaps predictably - bursts into tears. "God, I miss her, Sara," she gasps out - leaning towards her friend - while the pup in her lap lets out a snort of air, and opens his eyes - and tries to lick at Cael's hand.
    "I miss her and- and part of me still thinks I should be fighting to get her back but- I don't think that we could. And- and I don't even know that we //should.// I just miss her..."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara leans in closer and puts her arm around Cael, deciding 'fuck space' right now and just being there.

"I miss her too," she offers quietly, resting her head against Cael's. "I know it's hard, beyond hard really, but... she's where she needs to be now. That said, if you decide you want to try and go get her, I'm right there, ready and willing to go with you."

Every photo with the car and Alis has the teen smiling broadly, a clear 'look what I did' expression. Sara had checked in regularly to see the progress, thus all the pictures, and she'd made sure Alis had whatever she needed.

"She wanted you to live, to be with Jon and be happy, right?" She then asks, giving a little squeeze. "That's how you honor her now. Drive her insane car, and be happy."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael leans into the contact - even wrapping her own arm around Sara, and tightening her fingers around the other woman's shirt. She cries wordlessly for a while - only pulling back when the tears begin to slow again. She wipes at her eyes, then directs her gaze down to her sleepy, worried pup as she finally begins to speak.
    "I, uh... as much as I want her back... I just- the Egyptian Gods seem to like me right now." There's a brief pause. "Except possibly for Anubis, but he's a fucking prick." Cael, making friends wherever she goes. "And if we got busting into their paradise to get her back, breaking all their rules... We might not either of us be welcome there again."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara makes a mental note to study up on all this Egyptian stuff, as she has no idea beyond what Cael has said in passing. She knows the names of some obviously, they've come up in school and other places, but beyond that, nada. She remains silent, giving Cael time but she doesn't let go, the hug remains firmly intact until Cael is ready for it to be over.

When Cael looks up again, she tries to keep the smile in place. It's not easy, but she manages. "Besides," she begins. "If Alis is in this paradise, what sort of pricks would we be to go take her from it? Add that we don't want to go pissing those gods off," she pauses and has to snort. "Okay, you and I don't want to go pissing those gods off, Witchblade gives no fucks... it's probably best to leave her where you will one day get to see her again, right?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "That's- uhh. That's pretty much what I was thinking," Cael agrees. "Me, and her, and Jon will- we'll be together someday. Agnes too. So..." She lets out a heavy sigh. "It's just... hard."
    With a sad smile she adds, "The car's... nice. I mean, it's amazing, and since Alis made it- gotta be top knotch work. I'll, uh- I'll look up paint job ideas. Thanks for- well. For helping her with that."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The pictures get sent to Cael to add to her collection, before Sara pokes the phone back in her pocket.

"I'd find some comfort in knowing, for certain, you'll get to see her again," she comments with a soft sigh. "A lot of religions tell you you'll see your loved ones again, but there's no proof at all of that. With Du'at, apparently there's proof and that's... that's an amazing thing."

Picking her head up off Cael's now, so the woman can decide if it's time for Sara to move or not, she adds, "She wanted to make you something special. It's all in my name right now of course, but once you've had time to decide how you want it painted, I'll get everything transferred over to you."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael definitely seems to be done with the contact, now that the worst of the tears have stopped - leaning just enough away to try to convey that message, as she stokes at one of Bear's ears. The pup seems to be drifting back off to sleep.
    "I wish you could see her again, too," she murmurs quietly. "But I know she, uh- She had some nice things to say about Witchblade. And she always thought highly of you, Sara. Appreciated everything you were teaching her. I was lucky to have a little more time with her."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The hint is received, so Sara scoots herself back up onto the arm of the couch and takes a slow deep breath. She'd cry later, probably soak through her pillow while doing it, but not right now.

"She was an amazing kid," she states, not able to say much more for a moment due to a knot in her throat. Standing up, she walks over to the table and flips open the pizza box.

"Got your favorite," she tosses out there, then heads to the kitchen to put the coke in the fridge and get herself a cold one, along with a couple of plates.

Sitting back down, she pulls one piece onto a plate and stares at it. "I'm going to miss her, there's no doubt about that."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "She had a talent. A real talent," Cael agrees. "And she- she would've - and //did// ... do anything for me. We were all the other had for a long time." She takes a deep breath, and lets it out as she adds, "I told her that, um- that I know I'm not alone anymore. That I'd be alright. That I'd look after you and Jon - and you guys would look after me."
    She looks towards the pizza Sara is plating up - and then offers a shake of her head. "I appreciate it- really. But I'm just not feeling hungry right now."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara offers a nod regarding the pizza, though it does make her worry about when the last time Cael ate was. When she stressed or got anxious, she didn't eat. It always worried her, but Cael had to do it her own way.

"It's alright, I didn't think you'd really want any," she comments with a chuckle. "I'll offer the rest to Wade, maybe, don't know."

She decides to eat the one slice at least, so she takes a bite and pops open the Coke for a sip. "Jon should be here soon. I hope you have a good time while your gone Cael, you deserve it."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I- ...I think it's going to be good. I think it's what I need," Cael confirms, giving Sara a brief smile. "Get my mind off things. Be able to get out and about without... looking over my shoulder. ...get to spend some time with Martin and Agnes. I still feel like I don't really know them, and Jon insists they're my family now, so-" She lets out a sigh. "Anyways. I'll be good. I'm sure Jon'll send you some embarrassing footage of me crashing on skis. Hopefully not ploughing into anyone while completely out of contro-"
    There's a knock at the door, and Cael gets to her feet - picking up her nearby suitcase, with the thermals already encased within. "That must be Jon. I'll let you know how we're getting on," she promises. "Bear - come." Snorting sleepily, Bear plods after his person - as Cael makes her way out of the borrowed quarters.