Alyssa didn’t look forward to this lunch. Which sounded terrible, she knew. But while to everyone here she only went home for a week, her life back home continued for a decade. The girl who went home vanished when Alyssa returned to Wonderland and Alyssa could barely handle being back in this town, let alone seeing someone. Maybe in the future, but she’d have to be truthful with Rachel. They could only be friends.
She found a backless shirt that gave her wings space to expand, while she threw on a skirt and skate shoes to go with her shirt.
When she arrived, Alyssa checked to see if Rachel arrived before her or not. She took a deep breath and considered texting Kol that he may need to toss her in the lake after this. Okay, first she would see how this lunch went before she texted him.
Rachel had a feeling that something was different with Alyssa. While she still had some feelings for the woman, she would readily accept being friends with her over nothing at all. She didn’t want to lose Alyssa from her life. She’d rather have friends over a relationship anyway. Friends were important.
She arrived at the restaurant shortly after Alyssa’s arrival, and smiled slightly.
“Hey,” she said, softly. “Been here long?”
“Hi Rachel.” Alyssa returned the smile. “No, just a few minutes.” She opened the door for the other woman. Yes, perhaps the part where Alyssa’s wings and marking which denoted her as Netherling was different, but more than that, Alyssa still had trouble amongst humans.
When they were seated, Alyssa ordered a Sprite. After Rachel ordered and the server walked away, Alyssa said, “Thanks for meeting me.” She took a breath. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not the Alyssa you knew before. And my memory isn’t…the best. I know she was seeing you?” Of course it came out like a question.
Rachel remained silent for a moment or two as Alyssa spoke. “You don’t need to apologize, Alyssa,” she said, softly. “I know being sent home sometimes changes people.” She didn’t hold it against the other woman in the slightest. “You didn’t choose to go home,” she said, simply. She fidgeted a bit with the napkin in front of her as she spoke.
Of course this was going to happen. Rachel should have known it was going to happen. She wasn’t angry with Alyssa, she was more upset with the Dome than anything. She was also slightly upset with herself, but for different reasons. Mainly for being afraid that she might lose control of her powers.
“Kind of?” she said, after a moment. “It wasn’t like…. official or anything.” She looked up at the woman for a moment, “Please don’t feel any obligation toward me just because we may have had something before you got sent home.”
Alyssa hated this situation. Not Rachel, because it sure as fuck wasn’t her fault. But the Dome sending her home for a decade before it brought her back definitely seemed like one to hate.
“It’s not an obligation. And I want to be friends.” Alyssa stopped, to gather her thoughts. “The Dome sent me home for a decade. And Wonderland…it’s so different; the creatures, the rules. I am still struggling to just be okay being back.” Alyssa didn’t mention how much her heart ached for Morpheus and their kids.
She smiled, sadly, at the other woman. “I’m sorry. I am not in a place where seeing anyone is a good idea.” Alyssa sipped her drink when the server delivered them.
Rachel was silent for a moment or two, as she processed what Alyssa was telling her. She wanted to remain friends with Alyssa, even if they couldn’t see each other romantically. She completely understood that while the other woman had been away for only a few days in Madison Valley time, she had been gone for a decade in her time. She was definitely going to change in that amount of time.
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said, after a moment. “You were gone for a decade. A lot of things happened to you in that amount of time. I can’t expect you to be in the same place you were before.”
She offered Alyssa a small smile as she spoke. Hoping to be reassuring.
“I want to be friends, too.”
Alyssa breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. I’m glad.” She knew this must be tough on Rachel too, and she never set out to hurt the other young woman.
“Thank you. It was a challenge to return here.” Thankfully, Alyssa had Bex, Kate, Kol, Ned etc. And Rachel. She smiled at the young woman.
“So what’s new in your life?”
Rachel smiled at Alyssa, she was glad this lunch was ending up the way it was. It could have gone a lot worse. Just because she still had a bit of feelings for Alyssa, she was glad she knew where the other woman stood. That meant she could let go, move on. If Alyssa had led her on…. that would have been a different story.
“Absolutely nothing,” she said, after a moment’s consideration. “Dick and Barbara are dating, so there’s that. The Bruce Wayne that’s here turned into the Bruce Wayne from home for a week, so that was awkward. I much prefer Bruce who's here.”
She wasn’t sure how much Alyssa knew of Gotham and her life there. “Have I told you about Bruce back home?” she asked.
No, Alyssa did not plan on leading on anyone. How would that be fair to anyone? She definitely needed to text Kol about this when she left. If she had to guess, she assumed Kol would be thrilled about the chance to throw his butterfly friend into the lake.
“That’s good? That they’re dating?” Alyssa vaguely recalled a run in with Dick. She couldn’t remember it very well, but Alyssa recalled Ned being with her. “I have to admit, coming back just before that happened didn’t help my adjustment at all.” She cracked a smile. “At least Bex remained herself.”
“No, I don’t think you’ve told me much.” Alyssa looked forward to hearing about him. She vaguely recalled her human brother-in-law obsessed with Marvel and not DC.
“Bruce, in my world, was an asshole. That’s putting it lightly. How he treated Dick and the rest of the TItans… it was ridiculous. But the Bruce here? He’s only about sixteen, so he has yet to become a full-blown asshole. He still seems pretty chill, as far as I can tell.” Rachel much preferred this Bruce Wayne over the one from her world.
“Bruce turned into the Bruce from my world. Dick and Barbara and I were not happy campers about that.” That was also putting it lightly. “It was a bit funny seeing a sixteen year old turn into an old man, though.”
She considered what else to tell Alyssa. “At least he seemed content staying in the TARDIS? So there was that.”
“Oh. That doesn’t sound fun at all, Rachel.” Alyssa hadn’t really met the Bruce here, but if Rachel liked him then he was probably a decent guy. “I’m glad the Bruce here is good. I’m sorry. But, small miracles or something?” Alyssa smiled. “I bought a house with my surrogate sister.”
Her eyes widened slightly at Alyssa’s words. “You bought a house?” she asked. “I’m moving in with you,” she joked. She grinned at the woman across from her, and took a sip from her soda. “And no, Bruce changing into a different Bruce was not fun whatsoever. …but at least he isn’t that version of him yet. So. Small miracles indeed.”
She took another sip of her soda, considering. “Maybe I could convince Dick to buy a house.”
Alyssa smiled. “Yeah, Bex and I bought a nice house. It has room for my art and we aren’t tripping over each other. Maybe you should convince him.” Buying the house had been her best idea since her return.
“I dunno. Dick is hard to convince sometimes.” Though she thought she could convince him to do a lot. More than he’d normally do on his own, at least. She then eyed Alyssa for a moment, “You should throw a housewarming party,” she suggested. She would go to a housewarming party of Alyssa’s. She thought it was a good idea, at least.