Cape May, NJ

[caleb_z]

It's not often that Caleb asks for time off, and he had thus far been spending his with Amelia, helping her to settle back into Alaska. But the time to be there for her had come and gone, and now it was time to give her some space. His first thought was of Mara, but her schedule was somewhat less accommodating than his

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[eternalfae]

Kenna's walked from the station downtown. The last time she was near here, she had a car, but it's since then seen its demise.

She would've much rather been in AC, which isn't that far, really. She's traveled farther under worse conditions, but right now she's tired and hurt. She needs a place to hold up for a while, and she's got a place that she has a key to, there's only the matter of getting to it.

Quietly, with most people not in their beach homes for the season yet, she creeps through backyards and skims the edge of driveways down to the house. Only the stairs before her are in her way, and she takes them three at a time to--

Find Caleb at home. She wasn't expecting that. She stops where she stands.

[caleb_z]

Caleb stirs minutely, shifting his weight some before resuming his nap. Nothing about his movements indicates that he is aware of his guest.

[eternalfae]

Kenna waits a second longer before moving silently into the house. She's limping a little on the way, her right arm tucked at her side, blood and dirt trailing behind her. First stop is the shower.

The bathroom door gets kicked mostly closed behind her. She maneuvers her way to the tub, sitting on the edge and managing to unlace her boots with stiff arms. They get chucked onto the floor and she sits down into the tub, turning the hot shower on herself. Once she works the days-old cold out of her bones, she'll get herself clean.

In less than an hour she's clean, wrapped in a towel and combing through Caleb's emergency cabinet. She stitches her wounds using the handle of a hairbrush to bite between her teeth. Nothing to do about the bruises, and she binds up her broken left hand. In the dresser, she finds sweats and flannels that are warm and helps herself, then pads barefoot and hair still wet to the kitchen.

[caleb_z]

From the next room, she can hear the sound of a glass door sliding open.

[eternalfae]

"No, you had every right. Twenty years of holding your tongue is ridiculous, f'r either of us. Maybe one of us needed to say we're both getting too old for this drama. What the hell're we even doing?"

She's not asking that rhetorically. She's being completely serious, and perhaps as much irritated with herself.

[caleb_z]

"We're refusing to let go because we want each other so badly it hurts, and refusing to indulge because I'll be dead a century before you will."

[eternalfae]

Because he'll be dead a century before her.
Because they can't have children:
because who knows what the hell it'd be;
because her people would be obligated to turn their back on her, if not slay the child as an abomination.
Because she's always been the bad influence in his life.
Because she could easily feel safe and comfortable, and the hearts of men are neither.

Every time she makes the mistake of seeing him, it's agony. The idea of going away from him wholly and completely is the same result. The answer is as clear as day but that doesn't make it easy.

"I'm so tired of this," she finally says, and she sounds it. "I'm exhausted and all the usual excuses seem so... petty. Inane. I ask myself why I go through this, and I've got no good answer, and I'm here, with you-- we argue and I'm thankful we're even here f'r you t'be mad at me. How daft, eh?"

[caleb_z]

Caleb's view of the situation is slightly different.

Where Kenna views their ability to reproduce as not a given, he views it as not yet discounted.

Kenna's people are powerful, but the Outsiders could interdict the Justice League if they needed to. Corrine by herself could guarantee their child continued life.

And Amelia is a far, far worse influence on his life than Kenna could ... well, would, rather ... ever be. To his mind, if anything, he's a good influence on her life.

"I've been through worse," he says dismissively. "Though I'm certain that I'll never have you out of my blood. The breeze just wouldn't feel as good." His mind turns to the engagement ring he bought, but never had the chance to present to her.

It's in his Metropolis apartment, still in the original box.