Give It Back (2/?)
Title: Give It Back
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: K
Summary: It was only a matter of days before Olivia had found her, the mayor by her side. She had watched through a window as Olivia had begged to be let inside the building. She felt like a complete coward, but she still didn’t move. She just watched.
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, they belong to someone else, I’m not profiting, just for fun, etc.
Spoilers: Takes off a month-ish after the BBQ of Doom, but not totally cannon.
A/N: Title is taken from a song by Juanes, Hoy Me Voy (Today I’m Leaving). The [not entirely accurate] Spanish-English translation can be read here.
Part 2
“Fancy seeing you here,” the voice of Springfield’s mayor broke Natalia from her reverie. She ignored the comment, keeping her eyes glued to the small glass she clutched tightly in her hands. She didn’t know why or how, but after she had left Olivia’s suite, she found herself at Towers ordering a drink.
“Scotch on the rocks? Who knew you were such a drinker, Rivera?” The blue-eyed politician sat herself next to the younger woman, taking in her slumped form.
“I’m not.”
“I know you’re not. So what’s with the drink?” She looked down at the amber liquid, noticing the ice cubes were small and half-melted. “Are you even going to drink that?”
“No,” came the soft reply. She pushed the drink aside.
“Well we wouldn’t want it to go to waste, now would we?” The mayor downed it quickly. “Ugh. Watery.”
“What do you want, Doris?”
“It’s nice to see you again too,” she quipped. “When did you get back?”
“This morning.”
“I see.” Icy eyes studied the younger woman, watching as she carelessly drew patterns on the bar top with the water left by her glass’s condensation.
Natalia was only half paying attention to the conversation. The other half of her mind was still back at The Beacon, in a room full of packed away memories. Unconsciously she dropped a hand to her lap, grasping at the small package that lay in it.
“What’s that?”
“Huh?”
“That,” the mayor pointed to Natalia’s lap. “What is it?”
“Oh. It’s-I. It’s just a picture. Olivia…she gave it to me.”
“You saw Olivia?”
“Yes,” she paused. “Before I came here.”
“Wow…OK. And, um, how’d that go?”
“She’s leaving.” Brown eyes were filling with water, but kept focused straight ahead.
“I know.”
“Where is she going?”
“You mean she didn’t tell you?” It made perfect sense that she didn’t, but it still came as a surprise. Doris figured that if Natalia came back before she left, Olivia would probably tell her. And if she didn’t come back in time, Olivia wouldn’t try to keep her from finding out. She knew Olivia was helplessly in love with Natalia, even if she’d given up on it.
“No. She just said that she was moving. Moving on, actually. She said she was over it. Over me.”
Slowly she brought the package up from her lap, unwrapping it with utmost caution. She held the frame in one hand, tracing bumpy pink letters with a finger from the other. The picture was from a while ago, when Olivia and Emma had surprised her by helping her bake cookies for the church. Emma was constantly taking pictures-whether they knew it or not-and Natalia had always found their candidness refreshing.
This picture was easily one of her favorites. Olivia was looking at the camera in mock horror, pretending to be upset that she was caught baking, of all things. Natalia was standing close beside her, reaching up to wipe some flour from the taller woman’s cheek. She was too busy smiling at the other woman to even notice a picture was being taken.
The simplicity of the moment overwhelmed her, and Natalia found herself thinking back to where she had spent the last few weeks. It was only a matter of days before Olivia had found her, the mayor by her side. She had watched through a window as Olivia had begged to be let inside the building. She felt like a complete coward, but she still didn’t move. She just watched.
As Olivia tried her best to convince the nun, Natalia’s eyes shifted to her companion, who she realized was already watching her. Steel blue eyes locked with hers and did not flinch. She wondered if the politician would say something to Olivia, but was shocked when she finally disengaged her stare to turn back to the now crying older woman.
Doris grabbed the other woman’s arm, attempting to pull her away. Olivia was losing control. She fought the mayor’s grasp and began to scream. She was begging with every ounce of her being. And then Natalia heard her name in a strangled cry. She watched as the hotelier was all but dragged back to her car and gently pushed into the passenger’s seat.
Again, a pair of pale blues eyes met hers, glaring questioningly at her. Do you see what you’re doing? she felt them ask. She shifted her gaze, searching for the pair of vibrantly green eyes she missed so much. But all she found were a pair of eyelids covered partially by slender hands, and the shaking form of the woman she loved breaking right in front of her.
And now Natalia found herself staring at this picture, wondering how they had once managed to be so happy. Why had she given it up? She didn’t know, really. She had told herself it was to think things through, but what was there to think about? She loved Olivia. Olivia loved her. It seemed pretty simple now.
“I don't think you get it, Natalia. It’s not that she doesn't love you. And it’s not that she doesn’t need you, either. She’s broken. You broke her.” Doris paused, watching as Natalia dropped the picture and allowed her face to fall into her hands. She was crying.
“As much as you might think I enjoy saying this, I don’t,” she continued. “But it’s true. You of all people should know how guarded Olivia can be with her heart. She may have married half of Springfield,” she snorted, “but the fact of the matter is she never gave any of them her heart. Not like she did with you. You made her believe, and she trusted you. And then you left her.”
“I know, OK? I get it. I messed up. I broke her trust, I broke her heart, and now she’s leaving and I don't know what to do!”
Natalia was sobbing now, tears falling shamelessly onto the picture below. She didn’t care that half the place was staring at her. She didn’t care that she probably looked like a crazy person. She didn’t care, because she was broken too.
Doris slowly rose from her stool and leaned across the other woman. Taking the picture in her hands, she gently wiped off the fallen tears with the sleeve of her blouse. She set it back in front of the younger woman, directly in her line of sight. She placed a reassuring hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.
“Yes you do.”
With that, the mayor was gone, and Natalia was left staring down at the life she’d thrown away.
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: K
Summary: It was only a matter of days before Olivia had found her, the mayor by her side. She had watched through a window as Olivia had begged to be let inside the building. She felt like a complete coward, but she still didn’t move. She just watched.
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, they belong to someone else, I’m not profiting, just for fun, etc.
Spoilers: Takes off a month-ish after the BBQ of Doom, but not totally cannon.
A/N: Title is taken from a song by Juanes, Hoy Me Voy (Today I’m Leaving). The [not entirely accurate] Spanish-English translation can be read here.
Part 2
“Fancy seeing you here,” the voice of Springfield’s mayor broke Natalia from her reverie. She ignored the comment, keeping her eyes glued to the small glass she clutched tightly in her hands. She didn’t know why or how, but after she had left Olivia’s suite, she found herself at Towers ordering a drink.
“Scotch on the rocks? Who knew you were such a drinker, Rivera?” The blue-eyed politician sat herself next to the younger woman, taking in her slumped form.
“I’m not.”
“I know you’re not. So what’s with the drink?” She looked down at the amber liquid, noticing the ice cubes were small and half-melted. “Are you even going to drink that?”
“No,” came the soft reply. She pushed the drink aside.
“Well we wouldn’t want it to go to waste, now would we?” The mayor downed it quickly. “Ugh. Watery.”
“What do you want, Doris?”
“It’s nice to see you again too,” she quipped. “When did you get back?”
“This morning.”
“I see.” Icy eyes studied the younger woman, watching as she carelessly drew patterns on the bar top with the water left by her glass’s condensation.
Natalia was only half paying attention to the conversation. The other half of her mind was still back at The Beacon, in a room full of packed away memories. Unconsciously she dropped a hand to her lap, grasping at the small package that lay in it.
“What’s that?”
“Huh?”
“That,” the mayor pointed to Natalia’s lap. “What is it?”
“Oh. It’s-I. It’s just a picture. Olivia…she gave it to me.”
“You saw Olivia?”
“Yes,” she paused. “Before I came here.”
“Wow…OK. And, um, how’d that go?”
“She’s leaving.” Brown eyes were filling with water, but kept focused straight ahead.
“I know.”
“Where is she going?”
“You mean she didn’t tell you?” It made perfect sense that she didn’t, but it still came as a surprise. Doris figured that if Natalia came back before she left, Olivia would probably tell her. And if she didn’t come back in time, Olivia wouldn’t try to keep her from finding out. She knew Olivia was helplessly in love with Natalia, even if she’d given up on it.
“No. She just said that she was moving. Moving on, actually. She said she was over it. Over me.”
Slowly she brought the package up from her lap, unwrapping it with utmost caution. She held the frame in one hand, tracing bumpy pink letters with a finger from the other. The picture was from a while ago, when Olivia and Emma had surprised her by helping her bake cookies for the church. Emma was constantly taking pictures-whether they knew it or not-and Natalia had always found their candidness refreshing.
This picture was easily one of her favorites. Olivia was looking at the camera in mock horror, pretending to be upset that she was caught baking, of all things. Natalia was standing close beside her, reaching up to wipe some flour from the taller woman’s cheek. She was too busy smiling at the other woman to even notice a picture was being taken.
The simplicity of the moment overwhelmed her, and Natalia found herself thinking back to where she had spent the last few weeks. It was only a matter of days before Olivia had found her, the mayor by her side. She had watched through a window as Olivia had begged to be let inside the building. She felt like a complete coward, but she still didn’t move. She just watched.
As Olivia tried her best to convince the nun, Natalia’s eyes shifted to her companion, who she realized was already watching her. Steel blue eyes locked with hers and did not flinch. She wondered if the politician would say something to Olivia, but was shocked when she finally disengaged her stare to turn back to the now crying older woman.
Doris grabbed the other woman’s arm, attempting to pull her away. Olivia was losing control. She fought the mayor’s grasp and began to scream. She was begging with every ounce of her being. And then Natalia heard her name in a strangled cry. She watched as the hotelier was all but dragged back to her car and gently pushed into the passenger’s seat.
Again, a pair of pale blues eyes met hers, glaring questioningly at her. Do you see what you’re doing? she felt them ask. She shifted her gaze, searching for the pair of vibrantly green eyes she missed so much. But all she found were a pair of eyelids covered partially by slender hands, and the shaking form of the woman she loved breaking right in front of her.
And now Natalia found herself staring at this picture, wondering how they had once managed to be so happy. Why had she given it up? She didn’t know, really. She had told herself it was to think things through, but what was there to think about? She loved Olivia. Olivia loved her. It seemed pretty simple now.
“I don't think you get it, Natalia. It’s not that she doesn't love you. And it’s not that she doesn’t need you, either. She’s broken. You broke her.” Doris paused, watching as Natalia dropped the picture and allowed her face to fall into her hands. She was crying.
“As much as you might think I enjoy saying this, I don’t,” she continued. “But it’s true. You of all people should know how guarded Olivia can be with her heart. She may have married half of Springfield,” she snorted, “but the fact of the matter is she never gave any of them her heart. Not like she did with you. You made her believe, and she trusted you. And then you left her.”
“I know, OK? I get it. I messed up. I broke her trust, I broke her heart, and now she’s leaving and I don't know what to do!”
Natalia was sobbing now, tears falling shamelessly onto the picture below. She didn’t care that half the place was staring at her. She didn’t care that she probably looked like a crazy person. She didn’t care, because she was broken too.
Doris slowly rose from her stool and leaned across the other woman. Taking the picture in her hands, she gently wiped off the fallen tears with the sleeve of her blouse. She set it back in front of the younger woman, directly in her line of sight. She placed a reassuring hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.
“Yes you do.”
With that, the mayor was gone, and Natalia was left staring down at the life she’d thrown away.