Old friends...
As she stepped out of the healer’s office in the gynecological ward at St. Mungo’s, Lisa’s face betrayed no emotion. The visit had confirmed her suspicions - she was finally fulfilling her sole purpose as a pureblooded society wife. She was six weeks pregnant with the Travers heir.
Though she’d had indications of her condition, a lack of menstruation being the most obvious one, along with a minor bit of morning sickness in the last week or so, she hadn’t said anything to her husband. It seemed prudent to keep quiet until she was certain. Raising his hopes only to dash them would not have been good for her health, and the last batch of bruises had only just faded enough for her to be seen in public.
She hadn’t decided how she felt about this turn of events. In theory, a baby would be one person she could love, someone who might love her back, but it seemed selfish to wish for that knowing the life she’d be bringing him - or her - into. The thought that she might not feel the back of Xavier’s hand as often crossed Lisa’s mind as well, but that too felt like a terrible excuse for having a baby. In any case, she was pregnant and she’d do everything in her limited power to take care of her child.
Stepping out onto the street, London wind buffetted her. Keeping her head down, she walked quickly up the sidewalk. With a bit of luck she might be able to sneak into a sweet shop before she returned home.
After seeing a ghost of a familiar face pass him in Mungo’s hallway, Jared froze. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the woman leaving the hospital, surprised at seeing her after such a long time. He started following her, his pace quickening to catch up to her. He noticed how thin she had gotten since he had last seen her.
“Lisa,” he tried to say as quietly and as stealthily as he could, remembering at the last minute she might be followed.
Stopping at the sound of her name, Lisa turned. There was only one person who addressed her that way, and even the worry that they might be seen together wasn’t enough to stop her from smiling at the sight of her only friend.
“Jared, what are you doing here?” Lisa asked, her voice hushed but at excited. It had been so long since their last meeting. Taking his hand, she held it for the briefest of moments, small fingers tightening over his with affection. “Goodness, it’s so nice to see you.”
Relief flooded through him, seeing her smile. He had known she was alright after she was taken from the restaurant years before, he had looked into it. It wasn’t the same, though, as seeing her in person and talking with her. She was alright, but at the same time, she wasn’t. It seemed to Jared that every time he saw her Travers had taken more and more from her spirit.
He quickly squeezed her hand and smiled in return. It was always in these moments that he had with her that he remembered why she was in such a position. He would forever wonder that if he might have had just one conversation with her when they were engaged, would things have been different?
“How have you been? Well, I hope.”
The smile didn’t fall from her face, but Lisa’s eyes were sad. They both knew she’d never really be ‘well’ in her life with Xavier Travers. Still, she wasn’t out to make Jared feel guilt or pity. If she were a stronger person she might’ve figured out a way to escape her father’s plans for her, but she wasn’t. This was her lot in life and she managed the best she could.
“I’ve been a little under the weather lately, but the healer says that should clear up over the next several weeks,” she answered after a moment, one hand unconsciously straying to her still-flat stomach. “And you? You look well.”
He smiled sorrowfully, unhappy to hear she’d been under the weather. “I’m well myself, I suppose. Busy. A lot of households have been bolstering their wards recently, almost as many as did following the Halloween incident. It’s strange it’s been three years since then, it doesn’t seem that long.” His memory flashed and he remembered how he’d first seen her that day, waving at him with a small smile on her face as she stood in the crossfire.
Three years since she’d gained a friend and a tiny bit of hope in her life - over two years since Xavier had tried to take that away. It hadn’t worked, though. Not entirely. She might not be able to visit with Jared as she once did, but Lisa knew that somewhere in the world there was one person who thought of her and wished her well. Her husband couldn’t take that away.
“It doesn’t seem that long,” she agreed. Glancing at the watch on her wrist, she grimaced. Definitely no stop at the sweet shop, she needed to get home. “I should probably go. Xavier doesn’t like it if I’m gone too long.”
“Of course,” Jared said with a disappointed smile. “I hope it isn’t too long before I see you again. I’ve missed you.”
No one had ever said that to her before and for a moment Lisa wasn’t sure how to respond. When she did react it wasn’t a decision, it wasn’t planned. Her arms went around him and she squeezed him tightly, fighting the moisture that filled her eyes. “I missed you, too.”
Surprised, Jared slowly put his arms around Lisa and squeezed in return. The longer he knew her and the more often they met with each other the more it pained him to see her have to return to Travers. He supposed the time would come when the need to act was too great for him to ignore and he’d find a way to dispose of the unworthy man. The thought alarmed him somewhat. He’d never murdered anyone before. He’d killed out of necessity in self defense but never planned. He calmed himself a little by reminding himself it wasn’t the only way to dispose of a man. For the moment, though, he’d stay out of it and honor Lisa’s wish.
Summary: After visiting her healer, Lisa runs into an old friend.
Though she’d had indications of her condition, a lack of menstruation being the most obvious one, along with a minor bit of morning sickness in the last week or so, she hadn’t said anything to her husband. It seemed prudent to keep quiet until she was certain. Raising his hopes only to dash them would not have been good for her health, and the last batch of bruises had only just faded enough for her to be seen in public.
She hadn’t decided how she felt about this turn of events. In theory, a baby would be one person she could love, someone who might love her back, but it seemed selfish to wish for that knowing the life she’d be bringing him - or her - into. The thought that she might not feel the back of Xavier’s hand as often crossed Lisa’s mind as well, but that too felt like a terrible excuse for having a baby. In any case, she was pregnant and she’d do everything in her limited power to take care of her child.
Stepping out onto the street, London wind buffetted her. Keeping her head down, she walked quickly up the sidewalk. With a bit of luck she might be able to sneak into a sweet shop before she returned home.
After seeing a ghost of a familiar face pass him in Mungo’s hallway, Jared froze. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the woman leaving the hospital, surprised at seeing her after such a long time. He started following her, his pace quickening to catch up to her. He noticed how thin she had gotten since he had last seen her.
“Lisa,” he tried to say as quietly and as stealthily as he could, remembering at the last minute she might be followed.
Stopping at the sound of her name, Lisa turned. There was only one person who addressed her that way, and even the worry that they might be seen together wasn’t enough to stop her from smiling at the sight of her only friend.
“Jared, what are you doing here?” Lisa asked, her voice hushed but at excited. It had been so long since their last meeting. Taking his hand, she held it for the briefest of moments, small fingers tightening over his with affection. “Goodness, it’s so nice to see you.”
Relief flooded through him, seeing her smile. He had known she was alright after she was taken from the restaurant years before, he had looked into it. It wasn’t the same, though, as seeing her in person and talking with her. She was alright, but at the same time, she wasn’t. It seemed to Jared that every time he saw her Travers had taken more and more from her spirit.
He quickly squeezed her hand and smiled in return. It was always in these moments that he had with her that he remembered why she was in such a position. He would forever wonder that if he might have had just one conversation with her when they were engaged, would things have been different?
“How have you been? Well, I hope.”
The smile didn’t fall from her face, but Lisa’s eyes were sad. They both knew she’d never really be ‘well’ in her life with Xavier Travers. Still, she wasn’t out to make Jared feel guilt or pity. If she were a stronger person she might’ve figured out a way to escape her father’s plans for her, but she wasn’t. This was her lot in life and she managed the best she could.
“I’ve been a little under the weather lately, but the healer says that should clear up over the next several weeks,” she answered after a moment, one hand unconsciously straying to her still-flat stomach. “And you? You look well.”
He smiled sorrowfully, unhappy to hear she’d been under the weather. “I’m well myself, I suppose. Busy. A lot of households have been bolstering their wards recently, almost as many as did following the Halloween incident. It’s strange it’s been three years since then, it doesn’t seem that long.” His memory flashed and he remembered how he’d first seen her that day, waving at him with a small smile on her face as she stood in the crossfire.
Three years since she’d gained a friend and a tiny bit of hope in her life - over two years since Xavier had tried to take that away. It hadn’t worked, though. Not entirely. She might not be able to visit with Jared as she once did, but Lisa knew that somewhere in the world there was one person who thought of her and wished her well. Her husband couldn’t take that away.
“It doesn’t seem that long,” she agreed. Glancing at the watch on her wrist, she grimaced. Definitely no stop at the sweet shop, she needed to get home. “I should probably go. Xavier doesn’t like it if I’m gone too long.”
“Of course,” Jared said with a disappointed smile. “I hope it isn’t too long before I see you again. I’ve missed you.”
No one had ever said that to her before and for a moment Lisa wasn’t sure how to respond. When she did react it wasn’t a decision, it wasn’t planned. Her arms went around him and she squeezed him tightly, fighting the moisture that filled her eyes. “I missed you, too.”
Surprised, Jared slowly put his arms around Lisa and squeezed in return. The longer he knew her and the more often they met with each other the more it pained him to see her have to return to Travers. He supposed the time would come when the need to act was too great for him to ignore and he’d find a way to dispose of the unworthy man. The thought alarmed him somewhat. He’d never murdered anyone before. He’d killed out of necessity in self defense but never planned. He calmed himself a little by reminding himself it wasn’t the only way to dispose of a man. For the moment, though, he’d stay out of it and honor Lisa’s wish.
Summary: After visiting her healer, Lisa runs into an old friend.