I would not give you false hope on this strange and mournful day

[notarrowette]

Who: Cissie and Murphy
What: Murphy and Cissie have a chat before Murphy leeeeaves for her canon update
When: Sunday night?
Where: Cissie's room
Warnings: None! ...Except that I'm sorry for getting this song stuck in everyone's heads.

Comments

[whateverthemess]

"Yeah." She smiled, just a little tensely.

She wasn't looking forward to this conversation. Murphy knew how Cissie felt about being left behind. She'd seen it clear enough with Gabriel--that was half her reason for doing this in the first place. "Can I come in? There's something I need to talk to you about."

[notarrowette]

Cissie's smile faded slightly as she picked up on Murphy's tension, and she stepped aside to let her in. "Yeah, of course. Are you sure everything's all right?"

[whateverthemess]

She sighs. "At the moment, yes."

This room is so much like a dorm. It's a reminder how young Cissie still is, no matter what she's already been through or done. It's a reminder, too, of why Murphy herself can't and won't have kids--what kind of life could she give them?

"I promised myself I'd do better by you than--" Than some people. Her mom, for one. "I promised I'd tell you if I ever had to go back for a while."

She turns and tries to hold the girl's gaze with her own. "And it is just for a while, provided--" Provided nothing fatal happens.

[notarrowette]

Cissie leans back against the shut door, her heart sinking. She nods slowly, trying (and probably failing) to keep her expression as even as possible--she doesn't want Murphy feeling any worse than she clearly already does. She tries to think of something to say besides 'do you have to,' because that wouldn't be fair.

All that comes out, though, is "When are you..."

She didn't mean to ask that, but at least it's better than fixating on that provided. Provided is like what-if--nothing good can come of it.