The Stone In The Woods, Sunday Night

[endsthegame]

A weekend could pass in the blink of an eye, couldn't it?

The stone waited patiently until the sun sunk beneath the horizon. Only then did it resume its song, a call as clear as birdsong, but audible only to a few.

It was time to return.

[[ your catch-all say-goodbye post ]]

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[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy resisted the pull for as long as she could. But she couldn't resist it forever. "It's time to go," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

[whoisalicewhite]

"Are you sure?" Parker asked, sounding very hesitant. "Maybe just a little longer. Enough time for a milkshake, or another run..."

This never, ever got any easier. Even when they knew it was coming.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy shook her head, eyes filling with tears. "I wish I could," she said. "I...don't want to go."

[whoisalicewhite]

"So don't," Parker suggested, wrapping one hand around Kathy's wrist. "We can try to fight this, if you want."

If you want a grown-up to help you with this, Kathy, you picked the wrong one.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I can't," she said. "Not even a thing like 'it wouldn't be right.' I mean I literally can't, it won't let me."

The rock had enough power to bring her back. Sending her away again was nothing compared to that.

[whoisalicewhite]

"Then, just..." Parker stopped, and stroked Kathy's hair away from her face. "Trust me. It's gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. And so are you."

Sophie might have taken off points for the phrasing, but she would have been proud of Parker's delivery. For once, she sounded like she meant something completely.

[spin_kick_snap]

"That's all I wanted to know," Kathy said, leaning into the caress a little. "That's all I wanted for the weekend. To say I'm sorry, goodbye, and I love you." She took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Parker. I love you. And I wish this weren't goodbye."

[whoisalicewhite]

Oh. Oh, oh, this hurt. Parker gave her a sad-clown smile, eyes burning with tears. "It's okay. And.. I l-love you too." She sniffed, hard. "It's 'see ya.' Okay? See ya, Kathy. See ya sometime."

[spin_kick_snap]

"But not too soon," Kathy said, trying to smile. "You guys have to live for a really, really long time, okay? You still have so many things to steal and bad guys to con and people to help out. You're not allowed to come see me till you're all old and white-haired and wrinkly."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, hot and salty. "That goes double for Eliot. Tell him I said so, okay? He's gotta stay alive and with you two for decades."

[whoisalicewhite]

"Yes," Parker said fervently. "He's still going to be really hot. Even if he walks with a cane. We got to see that. And..." She remembered that other Kathy, in another world. Mayor of Los Angeles. "And, we aren't going to forget you. When our kids get here, we'll tell them about you too." She held out one arm for an awkward, awkward hug. "We won't forget you," she whispered. "Not for one day."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was going to take that hug, no matter how awkward it was. "That is everything," she said. "If I can't be here--at least I won't be forgotten. I would love to have met them, cause I know that if they're yours--however you get them--they're going to be phenomenal."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot freaking hated this stone. He held back, knowing he'd want to keep a hold on Kathy as long as he possible could, and not wanting to keep her from saying goodbye to her friends. If that meant they ran out of time before he could talk to her, well. He was a grown man. He could take it.

Maybe.

. . .

Okay, probably not.

[spin_kick_snap]

Even if he could, Kathy couldn't. She couldn't bear to leave without saying goodbye to him. Not again. "I am so sorry for leaving you again," she murmured, clinging to him fiercely. "It's not fair."

[vdistinctive]

"It ain't." The words hurt coming out. "None of this is. I shoulda made sure --"

That she didn't die. That she had all the life she deserved and then some.

That she hadn't left not knowing how he felt about her.

"I love you, Kathy." There. Now she couldn't vanish on him again before he said it. "I love you so much."

[spin_kick_snap]

Well, that got her crying again. "I love you, too, Eliot. I love you and I'm so glad you were here because you didn't just make school better or my life better. You made me better and I wish I'd been able to prove it more."

[vdistinctive]

That was okay. So was Eliot. "You did, darlin'. In so many ways. You took everything I taught you and you did so much more with it than I ever woulda imagined." He rubbed her back, rocking her a little side to side. "You did so much good. In such a short amount of time. You were incredible."