See I was on the verge of breaking down. Sometimes silence can seem so loud

[blazetodefine]

[OOC: Over a year ago, I made a post with all 14 of my characters that almost reached 925 comments. I only have 8 characters now, but lets see how far that goes. :D Feel free to tag in. Multiple times with one character or with multiple chars. It's open for forever. And I know there have been a lot of posts lately but I haven't made one in over a

Comments

[wearsnomask]

Rachel has finished all of her official business and she's leaving her office at the Tower. She's just finished making a phone call when she spots one Martha Jones. It's been a while since she's talked to her friend and more over, it's been a whole week since she's caught sight of the woman.

She's been worried about her, and she thinks that goes without saying.

She slings her purse over her shoulder and walks over to her.

A small smile pulls across her face effortlessly.

"Hey, haven't seen you in a good while."

[smithnjones]

Martha looks up, wincing a bit at the words. It's not that she meant to disappear... but at the same time, she really did. She had to show herself that Chicago would continue on without her.

She had to have that separation if only for a week.

It's the best decision that she's ever made for herself.

"I... went with Wes to his hometown. I thought that I should... get out," Martha admits, and she winces again, stopping as she looks at her friend. "I needed... something, and I think... that that is what I needed."

Getting away. Something like that.

"I know I've been... distant lately."

Which is putting it lightly.

[wearsnomask]

Rachel studies her reaction. The winces, the pauses, the fact that she does look better than she has in months. Her chest eases a little at knowing wherever Martha went, she was not alone, and she was with her guardian.

"Hey, you're talking to the women that invited you to a weekend away to Washington, remember?" she asks quietly.

Sure, Rachel had to go for business, but she could have very well stayed only the one night and she didn't.

Getting away had been needed. She'd been at a breaking point.

"You do what you need to do for yourself," Rachel says firmly. The weekend away the last time helped enormously, for both of them, she felt. Martha, in particular, carries the whole community on her back sometimes. It's important she get what she needs.

Rachel hooks a hand around Martha's arm and starts walking again. "I don't suppose you have some time for coffee?"

[smithnjones]

Martha smiles slightly at the question. It had been a good weekend for them both, she felt. It's part of the reason that she knew getting away is what she had been needing.

"I remember," she says, and her lips quirk to the side. "It's especially difficult to forget after that whole incident in the hotel room."

Ah, Wes. He will never live that down.

"I have," Martha assures her, and it's quiet but sincere. The walls are only half built for once, as they should be, instead of completely surrounding her. "It simply took me much too long to do so."

But she doesn't exactly sound like she's reprimanding herself for it. She understands, the precarious place that she'd been in. Sometimes people need to sit in the darkness for a long while before someone can remind them that there's a switch and they're supposed to be looking for it.

Her smile widens when Rachel hooks a hand around her arm, and she walks alongside her. "I always have time for coffee," she says. "Especially if I'll be having it with you."

[wearsnomask]

Rachel bites down on her lip in a futile attempt to keep the smile from widening. She fails, naturally, and she even laughs a bit. Poor Wes. It was funny. Not so much the incident--Martha's guardian has muscles unlike any Rachel has ever seen--but his reaction to it

[smithnjones]

The narration apologizes, Wes. Martha does not. His body is memorable, and his reaction was even more memorable. It can't be helped that it often comes up in conversation.

"I'm glad we went too," she says, and she is glad she went with Wes to see his hometown. She has been glad every time that she has taken a break for herself, left Chicago behind if only for a few days.

She comes back feeling better, feeling ready to face this city again, feeling less like she's sitting still in the dark, surrounded by broken pieces.

"And perspective is incredibly necessary in a city like this," Martha says, and it's quieter this time. She's thinking of Rachel's speech, which she had been around for. She's thinking of the video that they all saw.

She smiles back. "Yes, that is what I was going to do, and I'd appreciate the company."

Not long ago, she would have loathed the company, but she had that week away. Today is a better day. She finds that there are better and worse days still. There still comes days where she doesn't want to speak

[wearsnomask]

Rachel glances back at Martha at the quiet declaration, mulls it over in her head, and nods silently her agreement

[smithnjones]

Martha smiles too, noting the bittersweet, genuine look of Rachel's smile. If they pile together all they've done and all they've been through, it would be amazing. They have both lived through so much

[wearsnomask]

The bittersweet-like smile shifts into something brighter. "Thank you. We're going to Paris," she answers, tucking her hair back. Even saying it sounds like something of a dream, and it's not. "We both love it, for reasons of our own and reasons we share. It'll be nice to go back and try to leave Chicago in Chicago."

The first time she went to Paris, she came back lighter than she'd felt in a really long time. She showed Martha pictures of it, and--that feels like forever ago, too. If Rachel tried listing everything that's changed and everything that's happened since, she'd lose count.

Oh, Robin. There is definitely kissing. Anne doesn't notice at all, though Rachel pokes at his waist in warning as she skitters off, and now everyone may carry on in their respective tags. Ahem.

"That will be very much appreciated," Rachel says, still laughing. It is good coffee. She's fortunate she gets to have Robin's coffee any time she wants

[smithnjones]

"I really feel that Paris is your city. The both of yours," Martha says, and she's smiling too, folding her arms over her chest as they walk. "I've heard about it from you, and when I hear about Paris, I think about you both

[xandtheman3]

And here comes said teenager.

Xander Harris was given a towel by Spencer Reid. Unfortunately, he has a precarious grasp on it, and he is trying to hold it up and run at the same time.

It is not working out all that well for him, because as soon as he tries to run past Martha and Rachel, he trips on something on the floor. The towel drops.

And the women get to view the entire package that young Xander Harris has to offer.

Xander fumbles for the towel with shaking hands, and he pulls it back up in a quick attempt to cover the bits. "There was-- Clothes-eating monster," he says quickly. So this situation is not made better by hot women apparently.

The pornos lie.

"Sorry," he says... and he's looking about as embarrassed as he's ever looked and running down the hallway again.

[wearsnomask]

"I feel it's our city, too," she replies with a smile. "It was the first vacation I've taken in years. Back in Gotham, I'm sure I wouldn't have considered it. It's strange. A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to consider any other city that isn't Gotham as mine. Now things are very different

[smithnjones]

"Things can change so much in a year, in four months even," Martha says, and she's thinking back on this last four months especially, but there are times when so much can change in a month, in a week, in an hour. An entire life can be turned on its head in a matter of moments

[wearsnomask]

"They can," Rachel says, and she shakes her head. "If you'd told me I'd be back together with Robin, living in a new place that's already home, dealing with something like this again, I'm not sure I'd have believed it

[tempered_scars]

Wesley Gannon is on his way out. Unbeknown to him, he'll be meeting up with his brotherthing-in-training at Navy Pier after a ship comes out of the Rift.

For now, he's just passing by, and he sees the two women in their laughter.

He also saw Xander running past, towel barely hanging around his waist.

He bristles. It's a reminder of that night in the Washington hotel room. His cheeks may be a little bit red.

"You two ladies ought to be ashamed of yourselves," he says, as dignified as he possibly can, and then he's back on his way out.

...It's possible Rachel is only laughing harder.

[smithnjones]

"I think it's impossible to have clear expectations about the future. You can hope, and you can plan, but with the way this city works, you can never tell what will happen in a month or two months. It isn't always a bad thing, but... it does keep you on your toes," Martha says. "I've always hated that saying, expected the unexpected because it's such an impossible thing to do."

People will always have expectations, and it's impossible to expect something that they can't imagine will happen.

Martha offers Rachel a small smile, understanding. They both understand, and in a way, they're in such similar positions. "I felt exactly the same when I'd first fallen through. I was used to traveling to other planets and universes and times, and I'd done so much already. This was supposed to be one more adventure, and then I'd be back home