[Open - Folly Cemetary - Father's Day]

[irishcoffee]

It was without a doubt, Maggie's least favorite day.

Mother's Day wasn't far behind it but she only had vague memories of her mother. She'd been six when the woman had dropped back out of The Folly. Long enough for Maggie to remember her, but not long enough for anything to remain in her mind beyond little shadows in her mind.

Her father's exit. That she remembered clearly, considering she'd been the one that found him when the last of his attempts to bring her back to the Folly had failed. Magic drained after five years of these attempts, he'd been unable to fight the depression, unable to see anything beyond the loss of the love of his life.

Unable to see the daughter he'd be leaving behind.

She'd seen first hand what magical exhaustion did now that she was fully in her magic now. When she'd been eleven and sent to her foster home, it hadn't been as easy to see at all. She still hated him for leaving, still wished she'd been enough to keep him from giving up, but now, she was a little more accepting of it all.

When she saw a vaguely familiar woman at his gravesite, it took everything she had not to pull the earth, wind and water to her to blast the woman, and the trash around the headstone, into the forest so deep even Bella wouldn't be able to find her.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

Comments

[everywere]

"What type of person volunteers to become a better killer?"

I stare down at my hands and wonder how many people I've hurt or killed. How many people are dead that I have no memory of? That doesn't seem right to me. I feel like if you take a life, you should remember that. At the very least that should be your penance.

[irishcoffee]

Maggie reached out and took his hands in hers, gave them a squeeze. "Jack, you don't know what lead you to be in that position. You don't know if you were escaping some other hell, you don't know if you were coerced or even brainwashed into it."

[everywere]

"Exactly. For all I know I did this because I like killing and want to be better."

I'd almost rather know. I'd rather be faced with that possibility instead of never knowing. I don't mention either that I don't know if I have a family back home. She doesn't need to hear that. It's doubtful, I wouldn't make a good... whatever I'm supposed to be if I had ties to back home. Still. I don't know.

[irishcoffee]

Maggie sighed and squeezed his hands once more before releasing them. "And for all you know, you weren't. Jack, I'd say I'm a fair judge of character and I don't see that sort of sociopathic bent from you. Never have. No one who enjoyed killing would have fallen apart the way you did when that little fuck caught fire from his own bomb."

[everywere]

"Maybe that's only because I'm different now," I say, slowly lowering myself down to sit on the floor. I haven't had thoughts like this in a while, not since I met Maggie. Apparently even someone as wonderful as her can't make up for the monster that I am. Or that I might be.

[irishcoffee]

"You can maybe yourself until you're crazy with it, doesn't make any of it true," Maggie said, going to the floor to sit next to him. "And, no, it doesn't make any of it untrue, either. All you can do is make the best of who you are here, and now."

[everywere]

"You're the best of what I have here and now," I say, reaching over to easily pull her onto my lap and nuzzle her neck. It's comforting, holding her close like this, breathing in her scent. As much as I like the frenzied, almost manic sex, I like these calm moments just as much.

[irishcoffee]

Maggie settled right into his lap, her cheek against his chest. "I"m glad I can be that for you. If it matters, the time I've spent with you this past month is, far and away, the happiest I've ever been in this town. Ever. From as far back as I have memories."

[everywere]

"You too," I say, pressing a kiss against her neck. She's so good to me that I don't know what I'd do without her. I'd probably be miserable all the time. Even worse off than this.

"I don't have nearly as many memories as you do, of course."

[irishcoffee]

"So then how about we make a lot of really good memories from here out? Your past is a huge question mark, Jack, but so is your future. Since that's the only one we can do anything about, why don't we focus on making some happy memories together?"

[everywere]

"I think I'd be okay with that," I say, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close. I can't imagine what I've done to deserve her, to find someone that actually makes me happy. That makes me feel human. At least most of the time. I don't mind when she makes me feel like an animal.

[irishcoffee]

"Good," Maggie said and turned to hunt her lips along his throat. "Because I don't want you thinking that you don't deserve happiness, Jack. You do. Whatever happened before you came here, its not relevant. I won't have you punishing yourself for 'mights' and 'could-bes' okay?" She continued pressing butterfly kisses along the underside of his jaw.

[everywere]

I sigh and turn my head to let her press her lips against my neck. It sends shivers down my body and I allow myself to enjoy the feeling and silence the part of my mind that tells me I tells me I shouldn't.

"I promise I'll never refuse the happiness you bring me," I tell her. I hope that's good enough for now.

[irishcoffee]

"That's excellent news," Maggie smiled and pulled back to look into his eyes. "Because I plan on bringing you lots and lots of happiness. As often as I can."

[everywere]

"I won't be trying to stop you," I say, giving her a small smile before nuzzling her neck again and breathing in deeply, feeling myself relax even more. I like the idea of her bringing me lots and lots of happiness. I've already had so much.

[irishcoffee]

"Then why don't we get a little more happiness started?" Maggie offered. "Get you packed up and moved over to our house."

She'd deliberately used the plural pronoun, hoping he'd understand that she meant exactly that. That she wanted to share it with him, not just have him be a permanent overnight guest.

[everywere]

"I don't know if we can move everything," I tell her. I don't know if she has enough space for all my weapons. Or if I should even bring all of them. I should probably leave the explosives here. Yeah, definitely.

[irishcoffee]

"Probably not by carrying it," Maggie laughed as she looked around the room, "but we can get your clothes and things, then get a truck for the rest of it. Is there much more than this?"

[everywere]

"Just clothes," I say. The rest isn't mine. It's the house of a Drop In that disappeared that I took over. It's still pretty bare bones though, decorating isn't really my thing.

"There are a few others things but I might leave them here."

[irishcoffee]

Maggie frowned a little. "Why would you leave anything here? The house is huge, Jack, it's not like there isn't room."

[everywere]

"Well, the furniture isn't mine," I admit. I'm not really partial to it, all I cared was that it was functional. "Or the dishes or any of that stuff. Just the clothes and... well, you should come see the basement."

[irishcoffee]

Maggie's eyebrow raised, if anything, higher. "This isn't going to be one of those horror movie things, right? Where everyone in the audience is yelling at the clueless witch to not open the closet door because it's filled with...preserved fingers and toes or something?"

[everywere]

"There might be a part like this in a zombie movie," I admit as I head downstairs, not bothering to put on any clothes. No one was going to come in here and he liked looking at her naked. Down at the door to the basement I punched in the code on the door.

"Promise not to be too weirded out?"

[irishcoffee]

By this point Maggie's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Jack. Just show me. Then unknown factor here is driving me more than a little crazy with curiosity. Though if there are actual zombies behind the door, maybe we should discuss containment first?"

[everywere]

"There's nothing alive behind here. Or undead," I say. I open up the door and reveal another door behind it, metal and far more secure. I place my palm on a scanner and it beeps and the door opens with a hiss. I know it's extreme, but I don't want anyone else getting ahold of this stuff.

The room beyond the door is full of weapons; from blades to guns to explosives and lots of each kind.