Weight of the World

[morethanafour]

Who; Inara Serra, Elena Fisher, Open to Nathan Drake.
What; Cleaning, Comfort, Fuzzy Feelings.
Where; Inara's Apartment
When; Saturday 19th
Rating; PG-13 at worst.
Status; Closed; Ongoing

Comments

[notquitegeisha]

Inara hadn't moved from her spot on her couch since she'd spoken to Elena over the network. She was actually quite hesitant to do so, possibly not really wanting to find any remains of the creature who might have been masquerading as her.... on her own. It wasn't that she was scared of what she might find, it was along the lines of not wanting to believe that something had purposely set out to hurt those she considered her friends.

Though perhaps that was an easier thought than the one that it had truly been her doing those things.

Hearing the knock on the door, she carefully set her tablet off to the side and pushed to her feet. Slowly she moved to the door and unlocking it, pulled it open. She swallowed, guilt immediately rushing up seeing Elena, but she managed to smile and stepped back, leaving room for the blonde to enter. "Elena, sorry. Come in, please."

[morethanafour]

But Elena didn't move inside, instead she stepped up to Inara without hesitation and enfolded her in a hug. It was a bit awkward, with her bag, but the journalist shoved it behind her with a grunt and tugged the other woman close.

"God...I'm so glad you're back, Inara." She murmured close to the other woman's ear, squeezing around her shoulders gently but firmly.

[notquitegeisha]

Elena's hug caught Inara completely off guard. Completely. For a moment she just stiffly stood there, but then she wrapped her arms around Elena and rested her forehead on the other woman's shoulder. She breathed in deeply, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry, really. I am."

[morethanafour]

The blonde rubbed the Companion's back soothingly, squeezing again from time to time.

"Hey...none of that. It wasn't you, okay? I know you'd never say anything like that."

Elena pulled away only enough to look into Inara's eyes. Her expression was both gentle and understanding, a soft smile on her lips.

[notquitegeisha]

Inara exahaled shakily, appreciating Elena's understanding more than Elena would probably ever know. It wasn't often that someone attempted to comfort her, and she had to admit, it was truly a nice feeling.

"It's hard to remember that with the things I see when I close my eyes."

[morethanafour]

The journalist nodded, squeezing Inara's arms.

"I know...but you're not the only one that remembers what happened to their...clones. And I know for a fact that these were other beings that just looked like the people they...replaced." Elena wasn't sure Inara was ready to hear that Christine's double claimed to have had killed the nurse to replace her.

[notquitegeisha]

Inara's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but she quickly made herself at least appear calm. It was't easy to do, and she was sure that Elena wasn't at all fooled by it, but it was truly something she had to do for herself. She had to regain control of the emotions she normally kept tightly bottled up within her, or she would truly go mad.

"Yes, I suppose I've reatacted rather strongly, haven't I? I haven't actually stopped to think about the other people who've had the same thing done to them." She moved back, carefully drawing Elena inside with her and shut the door.

[morethanafour]

Elena wasn't fooled, but she also knew better than to press someone who had been through what Inara had. One step at a time, and each step needed to be carefully and gently set. The blonde knew that this was going to be a long and sensitive journey for her friend, a time of emotional therapy and recovery.

The journalist kept a hand on her friend's arm as they entered the apartment. There was a gentle smile on Elena's face as she shook her head and squeezed her fingers gently.

"Reacted strongly? No...Inara, if I was in your place...God...I don't know how I would have reacted - but I doubt I would be as calm and collected as you are.

You were replaced by something, and somehow you remember everything it did as your own memories - that's not exactly a small thing, okay? You have to give yourself time - be patient with yourself, alright?"

She stroked the Companion's arm reassuringly, light brown eyes looking into hers.

[notquitegeisha]

Inara's eyebrows furrowed a bit as she looked down at Elena's hand on her arm. It wasn't out of annoyance or anything like that - no, she was just thinking over what the journalist had said.

It all made sense, Inara knew that logically - but sometimes logic and emotions didn't always go hand and hand.

She lifted her gaze, and even tried to smile as her hand moved to cover Elena's. "I'll try. It's just there are things I - she did that... Well. Basically everything she did to be honest that I'd rather not remember."

Like stabbing Nate. But she wasn't ready to talk about that one yet. Not with Elena at least.

Still covering Elena's hand with her own, she steered the two of them toward the couch. "She went over to Vlad's." Her gaze darted to the side, and she drew in a deep breath. "She knew what he was, and she still went there."

[morethanafour]

Elena nodded to Inara's concerns, her pain, but there wasn't much she could say and didn't bother to. Sometimes it was simply better to listen - and she had a feeling that the Companion didn't get that relief all too often. Her work to relieve the stress of others no doubt had it's price in making those time that she could confide in someone else few and far between.

The blonde followed Inara to the couch, sitting with the other woman there - her breath sucking in with alarm as the Companion mentioned Vlad. Though she still didn't know of the direct connection between him and the bite marks she bore - she knew he had something to do with them - if for no other reason than that he directed her to adopt the 'dog' that had fed from her sleeping body twice.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Elena asked carefully, hand never leaving her friend's arm as she squeezed gently with the question.

[notquitegeisha]

Inara swallowed, not even sure where she was suppose to begin talking about it. The memory of the whole experience made her skin crawl to be honest. The memories of it made her feel as though she had actually been there. Felt his cool fingers brushing against her skin. She shuddered slightly just thinking about it.

"He seemed to really take an interest in, well her after her, um, bathing over the network." She lifted her gaze to meet Elena's and shook her head. "She wasn't even scared of him. Just went over to his house like he was like everyone else." She shook her head, her fingers unconsciously clutching Elena's.

"I - She doesn't remember much after he started helping her bathe, but she woke up in a bed, at his house, feeling tired..." Plus couple other feelings, but that was just another level of disturbing on which she had no true desire to think about.

[morethanafour]

As the Companion spoke, Elena continued to smooth her fingers gently over Inara's arm, giving her a friendly touch, a ground against the feelings she remembered. Suddenly her memory sparked with familiarity at the other woman's words, and the blonde's hand suddenly tightened on Inara's wrist as several pieces fell into place.

But while Elena finally understood completely who and what had attacked her and fed on her blood - she didn't bring it up. No. Now was not the time to let Inara know her attacker and the one that seduced the Companion's clone were one and the same.

Instead the journalist gave a calm and comforting smile, light brown eyes meeting hers. She spoke gently but directly, her voice sincere. "Inara...I think that's more than enough of the proof you need right there. Besides the fact that your feelings about him are extremely different than those of the thing that pretended to be you - you, well, you don't have any bite marks - do you? There's physical proof as well."

[notquitegeisha]

Inara quickly shook her head. "No, that I don't have. I checked myself over the best I could while I bathed." And truly she had. She'd had to wash herself after she'd come to her senses - had to try to wash off the feelings of extreme disgust. It hadn't exactly worked, but at least she had the peace of mind in knowing that she had no marks from others anywhere one her.

She looked over at her friend, thankful that Elena was actually able to look past the things that her clone had done to her, and not only her but to Nate as well. Inara knew that Elena knew what had transpired between the two, how could she not? But Elena obviously held no ill will over it, and for that Inara was grateful.

"Thank you," she whispered, withdrawing her arm from Elena's grip so she could wrap her arm around Elena's shoulders and draw her closer. Turning her head, Inara pressed a soft kiss on the top of Elena's head and then pressed her cheek against hers, hugging her close. "You've been most sweet, Elena. I'm glad you're my friend."

[morethanafour]

Elena laughed softly, hugging Inara back with equal enthusiasm. "I am too, Inara." She continued to hold her friend for a moment more, then gently released her.

The journalist pitched her voice lowly gentle then. "Come on...let's get things cleaned up so you can sleep here tonight, alright?" She cocked head slightly in question, brown eyes gentle and encouraging.

[notquitegeisha]

Inara nodded slowly, her gaze darting doubtfully toward her bedroom door. She wasn't sure she'd even want to sleep there again, but she couldn't leave it there either.

"Yes," she finally said with a firm nod of her head as she let go of Elena and pushed to her feet. "Let's get this cleaning over with and then... Perhaps we can have some wine." Yes, wine would probably be most welcomed after all was said and done - possibly even needed.

[morethanafour]

"I think we both could use some." The journalist said with a small smile, showing, in a comforting way, that she wasn't some super human who didn't find any of this disturbing. In admitting her humanness, she tried to connect with those she befriended and helped.

Elena stood with Inara and headed first to the door of the bedroom, stepping inside and looking around to survey the damage.