Waking Up

[agirllost]

Kim's sitting by a lake. 'The lake outside the bar' she knows instinctively. A dark haired woman sits next to her and puts her arm around her shoulder.
"Mom," She wraps her arms around her, "You're back."
Teri brushes the hair off her face but doesn't say anything.
"My memories of the bar...of things that happened here, they're real?"
Teri

Comments

[_righthandman_]

Chase has come back to check on her, see if she's okay. He thinks he hears someone crying, and knocks anxiously on the door.

[geeky_agent]

Chris walks over and opens the door.

"Hi," she says and moves to let him in the room.

She looks at Kim with a small smile, "Chase is here."

[agirllost]

Kim looks up at him. 'He's a traitor who betrayed everyone' a memory whispers in her mind. 'No, he was trying to change things and failed...' a competing one argues.

She holds her head in her hands.

[_righthandman_]

Chase hangs back a little. This is what he'd been afraid of, that she wouldn't want him around, and he tries to conceal how much it hurts. "Kim?" he says uncertainly. "Kim, it's me."

[agirllost]

"No...you...you're in jail, you betrayed everyone. My...my dad he put you there..."

[ooc: see you after canon!]

[_righthandman_]

[OOC: Whee, canon. Chase is going to be sad. Totally called the Richard thing back in the first episode, though. :)]

"What?"

That's the last thing he's expected to hear, and he can't even be sure he's heard it correctly. "Kim...no, you're just confused. It's me, Chase. Do...do you remember me?"

Betrayal? In jail? What...

...alternate universe. Jack mentioned an alternate universe. Oh, sweet jesus.

He turns to Chris, looking horrified.

[geeky_agent]

[OOC: I totally thought about Chase when Castle died. Aww. So does this mean Richard is really dating Chappy's son, now?]

Chris shakes her head a little.

"We were in an alternate universe of some sort. I guess that's what happened there."

[_righthandman_]

[OOC: Well, certainly in my ficverse, anyway. *grin* Actually, when Castle bit the dust, my second thought was 'Aw, Chris is going to be sad.']

"But..." That can't be! There isn't a universe in existence where I would betray CTU!

He turns back to the bed, still shocked. "Kim," he says urgently, "that never happened. It didn't happen here. Not with me." He's trying to keep his voice calm and quiet, but the note of urgency is making it crack a little.

"I'm not that person, honey. Whoever it was that was in jail in that other universe, that's not me." He has to make her understand, somehow, but he's terrified of traumatizing her further.

[OOC: Have to run. Will be on tomorrow.]

[agirllost]

[ooc: Sadly that was the first thing I thought when Castle died. and omg icon love]

"I read the files and I...I was so mad at dad for hurting you and..."

[_righthandman_]

[OOC: Am so in love with this icon. *hugs Midge*]

Chase shakes his head. "No, Kim, that didn't happen..." Caution aside, he kneels beside the bed.

"Honey, I promise you. That didn't happen. Your dad never hurt me, and I didn't betray anyone. I've never been in jail. Whatever you saw in that place...that wasn't real. This is real. Where you are now is real."

[agirllost]

"Not -- not jail...Guatanamo Bay, like...like Saunders." She's having trouble getting out the words, not really able to look at him, still focusing on her hand.

[_righthandman_]

Guantanamo Bay? Jesus, what the fuck happened in this alternate universe?

...Like Saunders?

That hurts. Chase moves back from the bed, horrified. "No...no, Kim, nothing like that's ever happened here. Not in this universe. Not in the universe you're supposed to be in. I've never even seen Guantanamo Bay..."

He stands up, slowly, using the nightstand for support. If she's comparing him to Saunders, he doesn't think there's any way he can possibly get through to her right now.

"Kim, listen to me. I...I'm going to leave right now. I'm going to come back later, okay? When...you've had a chance to rest, and...talk to some other people." People you won't mistake for terrorists.

With a last, pleading look at Chris, he backs away and moves towards the door, eyes beginning to sting with tears.

[agirllost]

She nods, wrapping her arms around her mid-section.

Part of her wants to reach out to him but her memories are so confused and her head's hurting from trying to figure them out.

[_righthandman_]

"I'll come back later," he says again, helplessly, though he doesn't know when she'll be able to look at him without cringing. He leaves hastily, before he can break down in front of Chris.