24-25 January | Alicia + Wanda, Laura, Bucky, Elle
24 JANUARY - HOSPITAL
alicia spinnet + wanda maximoff
mention of kidnapping | complete
There was a groggy feeling about being wrapped up in a bed. A bed. Alicia blinked her eyes open there was color. That was the first thing she noticed as she looked around the hospital room. Hospital. That meant they must have been rescued. Her body was sore, she was pretty sure forms of magical healing weren’t working again, just like last time.
Alicia’s eyes struggled to focus on what was around her, she could see people outside the room with crossed arms whispering. Her hearing was usually better but her mind felt heavy. It was probably something they’d given her or something that was wearing off.
She could barely tell that most of her body was wrapped up, she was aware that her left shoulder was sore again, the same one as the last time. What she didn’t know was there was a tattoo on it now.
She heard the door open and had to force herself not to try and jump.
Wanda had wanted to go see Alicia and Clarke as soon as she’d heard they’d been brought back to the base. She’d been stuck in medical for the last several days herself, but that wasn’t stopping her from checking on her friends. She remembered what happened the last time she’d been taken along with the others, and Wanda shivered thinking about how it had happened all over again.
With a broken arm, a couple broken ribs, and some stitches on her thigh and forearm, the doctors didn’t want her out of bed and walking around too much, but she at least managed to convince them to let her sit in a wheelchair. She’d just finished checking on Clarke and a couple others and headed over to Alicia’s room. From what she’d been told so far, she was still asleep, so she stood from her chair to open the door as quietly as possible. But then she saw Alicia’s eyes look over to her, and Wanda forgot the wheelchair completely and went over to the bed. She wanted to throw her arms around Alicia and hug her, but she didn’t know the extent of how she was injured yet. And she remembered all too well how jumpy she’d been the first time this had happened.
“You’re awake,” she said with a small smile. Her eyes watered a bit. “Do you want anything? Water?”
Alicia’s mind still felt foggy but it didn’t take her log to realise it was Wanda, of course it was Wanda. She smiled softly.
“You missed a fun time,” she mumbled out, it wasn’t fun at all but she wasn’t able to snap out of the sleepy feeling or the fear that seemed to be crawling at her mind. She nodded slightly at the questions. “I’d say a shot of something but I don’t think the doctors would approve.” She added wincing as she shrugged. “Water.”
Wanda smiled just a little, glad to see that Alicia was herself even after everything that she’d been through. She stepped over to the sink and filled one of the plastic cups on the table about three-fourths of the way full. “Doctors do not know everything,” she said, handing the cup to Alicia. “I’ll see what I can do next time I’m here.”
She sat down in the chair next to Alicia’s bed, careful to mind her bandaged arm. While Wanda didn’t blame herself for Alicia being taken, she still wanted to tell her how sorry that this happened and that none of them had been able stop it. And that it had happened to her again. Wanda remembered all too well what her time had been like with COS the first time. She remembered how much she hadn’t wanted to talk about her own experience.
“The team was able to get everyone back,” she said instead, unsure if Alicia was aware or not.
“Nah, they usually like to play it safe too much,” Alicia did think Doctors didn’t always get it. She was a little shaky taking the cup but she managed to stable it and take a small sip. Her mouth felt dry. “I’ll take it.”
There were things that Alicia wanted to ask but she wasn’t even sure how to ask it. “Yeah?” She said looking a little more aware. “What about the camera? Did that come back safely too?”
“Yes, the camera was brought back safely from what I was told. I assume that it’s been secured in the vault.” Wanda hadn’t done a lot of checking in to verify, but she did hear confirmation that the camera was brought back to Atlantis. Considering all that happened, she probably would have wanted to go after COS herself if they’d managed to take it back.
“I’m just glad that you’re back,” she said and reached to take one of Alicia’s hands. Sometimes life in Atlantis was deceiving. The strange and unusual moments happened regularly, but the scary ones like this or the mission injuries didn’t always happen on a regular basis. It was easy to forget the seriousness of the war they were fighting until she was sitting in a hospital holding her friend’s hand.
“Good, wouldn’t want to have to track it down again.” Although Alicia would have tracked it down happily and would like to beat up some of the COS Agents. The camera was one of the tools that scared her the most. She didn't like the way it trapped people or what it could do. What if they could find a way to modify it and take a picture of the whole city? She didn't add that thought out loud though.
Alicia squeezed Wanda’s hand lightly. “Me too.”
Wanda nodded. Losing the camera would have meant the entire mission had been for nothing. The injuries during the battle and those that were taken would have been in vain. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but what would have been the point otherwise?
That hadn’t happened, though, and Alicia was back. All of them were back. “I know there will be times when you want to be alone, but anything you need, you know how to find me,” she said with a small smile. And there would probably be a few times when she’d show up even without a call.
Alicia nodded, she did know how to find Wanda and Wanda was pretty much one of the only people she didn’t mind having around when things were shitty. “It wasn’t as bad this time, well it was different, but not the same.”
“Did they want something this time?” Wanda asked carefully. Or did they only want to torture them. It sounded like the physical torture itself hadn’t been like it was the first time, but they’d still all been kidnapped. Whether or not it was bad as the first time didn’t matter.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you aren’t ready,” she added and reached forward to squeeze Alicia’s hand again. There was a good chance she would be put in counselling again to talk about it more than she probably wanted, and Wanda didn’t want to force her too soon.
Pausing for a moment she wished she could walk around but she couldn’t do that. She was still sitting in her bed frustrated she couldn’t just go home.
“They wanted to know where the notebook was,” she said softly. It was really something they’d only told command and Alicia knew she shouldn’t be telling Wanda without permission but Wanda had been her teammate and friend for too long not to share. Besides, they’d been together on the mission that got it in the first place.
“There were a few other odd questions like before, but I think that’s a technique they like.”
“The notebook?” Wanda asked with a small frown. They’d been on the mission to retrieve the notebook ages ago, and as far as she was aware, it was locked safely inside the vault. If COS was questioning its location, Intake and other security personnel likely needed to be on alert. “Yes,” she said softly. “I’m not sure if all of their questions are ever supposed to make sense.”
She shook her head. “You’re back now, and that’s all that matters,” she said. Wanda would have probably lost another piece of her sanity if anything had happened to Alicia. She was her constant in this place, and she couldn’t imagine losing her.
“Do you want me to bring you anything? Something to eat or drink? Something from home? They’re not letting me out of here until tomorrow, but I can ask someone to bring something from your home if you want.”
“Probably just trying to break us down, but I don’t think they’ve got the notebook,” which was a small piece of hope more than anything else. Who knew if that was true, or what if COS was breaking up into different groups?
She nodded, she was back, she was back home in Atlantis where she felt like everything is a mess. “No, I’m fine, and I think they might let me out tomorrow too…” she said hopefully.
“That’s good to hear,” Wanda said with a nod. She knew Alicia was as antsy to get out of the medical bay just as much as she had been. Being stuck in a bed being poked and checked on by the medical staff got old very quickly.
Taking a breath, Wanda smiled a little as she stood. “I should probably let you get your rest. I’m sure you’ll have others checking in soon, but I’ll be here in a second if you need anything.”
“Hey, if you need anything, just ask yeah?” Alicia added as she could feel herself getting sleepy. She was drifting off before she could say anything else.
25 JANUARY - HOSPITAL
alicia spinnet + laura howlett
mention of kidnap | complete
After falling back asleep the night before Alicia woke up that morning feeling a little bit better, a little more stable. She was able to take better stock of her surroundings. The room looked the same to her, sure there were a few more flowers and a couple of cards but she just wanted to be in her own room, her own bed, she wanted her dogs.
She pushed herself up a little too fast she sunk back down a little light headed and groaned. She tried again but slower and managed to sit up just as a nurse brought her food telling her she’d been dehydrated and needed to eat something. Alicia nodded as the nurse left looking down at the hospital food.
They wouldn’t let her bring all of the animals or the new ones. Something about this wasn’t a barnyard or a petting zoo, but Laura still fought them hard enough that they allowed her to bring Scuba with her to see Alicia. Someone had told her that she was back and had woken up earlier that morning. At first she didn’t want to go. Not that she didn’t want to see Alicia or that she was upset at her anymore for not coming back with the others, but she was scared. This was the first time she was going to see her hurt. Dyson and Cat had never gotten hurt like this, and other than the whole running for her life thing back home, visiting people in hospitals wasn’t something she did very often. Plus, the medical ward reminded her too much of Transigen.
She sucked it up though, and walked Scuba to medical. If anyone else tried to object to her bringing the dog with her, they would have had a very angry X-23 on their hands. One of the nurses led Laura to Alicia’s room, and she watched as the door opened showing Alicia picking at a plate of food. Next to her, Scuba tugged at the leash that she kept firmly in hand and whimpered a little. The door closed behind her, and Laura just stared. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she walked Scuba over close enough so that Alicia could get a few pets in but far enough away that she wasn’t standing right next to the bed either.
Glancing up as the door opened again she was getting ready to say she’d eat, eventually, but crappy food didn’t help, instead, she saw Laura and Scuba. For the first time since she’d been back, she actually grinned. The second Scuba was close enough Alicia reached down to pet him. “Hey Scuba,” she said scratching his ears. She could tell he wanted to jump up but she could see Laura’s expression too.
“Do I least get a welcome back hug? Or a high five?” She asked Laura. She wasn’t really sure how to handle the situation. She wanted Laura to feel safe but she didn’t know how to make her feel safe with her in bed just fresh from being kidnapped.
Laura watched Alicia interact with Scuba, but her own expression mostly remained neutral. She didn’t want to make Alicia feel bad or weird, but now that she was here, she wasn’t sure how to act herself. She’d practically convinced herself that Alicia had left instead of what really happened.
She shrugged, still keeping her hold on the leash so Scuba wouldn’t jump up. She didn’t know what had happened to Alicia or how hurt she was. “He wanted to see you,” she said about the dog.
Alicia didn’t know how to react to this, how to handle it. She was confused and she knew with Marcus leaving, Strange leaving, and her being kidnapped with whatever happened to everyone who got knocked out Laura had dealt with a lot but she didn’t know how to get through to her.
“I want to see both of you,” she said even though she really wanted a dog snuggle to help stabilize her. “Laura, I know things haven’t been easy lately, but I’m here, that has to count for something.”
Laura stared down at the leash in her hands; it was easier than looking up and making eye contact. She was here, and she’d wanted to see Alicia, but she didn’t know what to do or say beyond that. She nodded, though. Her being here did count and mean something, but the others hadn’t left on purpose. Or she didn’t think that they did. She was just waiting for the rest of her friends to be sent back. She’d come close herself to going home, but it was hard to get to Intake when she barely wanted to leave her room.
“I thought you’d left too,” she said after a few seconds. She was fiddling with the leash in her hands, not really paying attention to what Scuba was doing, and when he tugged on the leash again, it slipped out of her hands so he was free to jump up and greet Alicia properly.
“Oaf,” Alicia let out as Scuba landed on her and cuddled into the side of her. She wrapped an arm around the pup and looked up at Laura.
“I wouldn’t leave on purpose,” she wouldn’t either. “I know we don’t always know, but I wouldn’t up and leave you.” Alicia wouldn’t, she didn’t ditch the people she cared about. “I think with Atlantis there is just a risk we have to live with, isn’t fair, is it?” It wasn’t like Alicia wanted to get kidnapped.
The others didn’t leave on purpose either, Laura thought to herself. She could at least admit that much. It wasn’t that she believed no one wanted to be bothered with her, but it still happened regardless of how much people did or didn’t want to stay. But she shook her head. No, it wasn’t fair. It sucked.
“I got a bunny while you were gone,” she said after a quiet moment, changing the subject. “Sophia.” She didn’t mention the pig and giant bunny that almost happened.
Alicia knew Oliver had failed at the no farm animals thing, she was just glad to hear it wasn’t a whole farmworth of animals. “A bunny huh?” Alicia said deciding to let go of anything that told her to tell Laura she should have asked.
“How is she settling in?”
“She’s okay,” Laura said with a shrug. “She’s different than the rest of the animals, but she’s soft and quiet.” Carlos was a little rowdy some of the time, and the dogs could go either way depending on their moods or how wound up they’d get.
“It was her or a pig or a bigger bunny.” Oliver would have gotten one or both for her too if she’d really wanted them, but Laura had wanted Sophia from the start. She just assumed that she’d need to wear him down in order to get the one she wanted. Actually getting the pig was pretty tempting though, but Laura knew it would have eventually gone to live with Sebastian at the stables.
Alicia blinked she wasn’t really sure how to feel about the idea of a pig and another bigger bunny but she was glad it was just a small bunny. That she could handle, she just hoped the dogs were adjusting to it.
“A pig and a bigger bunny.” It was a statement as she reminded herself not to ask Oliver to keep an eye on Laura and not let her get farm animals. “Does she like the dogs?”
Considering what happened to Alicia, Laura was glad she hadn’t gone through with getting the bigger animals no matter how much fun they would have been. The big bunny would have been basically like a small dog, and the pig was, well, she’d wanted a pig for a while.
“She’s only been around them a little,” Laura said about Sophia and the dogs. She was still little, and the dogs were bigger. “I think she likes bouncing on them sometimes.” Something the bunny and Carlos had in common.
Alicia snorted a laugh. “Bouncing on the dogs?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “Well, I look forward to seeing that.”
Laura nodded. “Yeah. Hopping on and over them a little.” The dogs were a lot bigger than Sophia, but she didn’t seem to mind once she got used to them after the first couple of days. They didn’t seem to mind her either; mostly thinking she was a new toy or friend for them to play with that was a lot more gentle with her bounces than Carlos was.
“When are you coming home?” She asked, glancing down at her hands again. It had already been long enough, and even with people checking in and staying with her, she missed the normalcy and stability of having Alicia there. Especially now that Marcus and Dr. Strange had been sent home.
Alicia smiled at the thought, she figured it’d be pretty amusing to see the bunny and the dogs.
“As soon as I can, I’m going to try and come home today, but it’s not completely up to me,” she didn’t want to give her false hope but she wanted Laura to know that if it were up to her she’d be home already. “If I could leave right now and come home I would.” She added.
Laura started to say that she could help her get out if she wanted. It wasn’t like anyone would be able to stop her if she put her mind to it. Though, extracting her claws and making a scene probably wasn’t something Alicia wanted either, so she kept that thought to herself.
“Okay.” It was good enough for now, she supposed, even if she still didn’t like what happened or all of the changes lately. Like Alicia had said, though, it wasn’t up to her. It was as true for being released from a hospital as it was with the way things happened around Atlantis all of the time. There was even less control there.
She didn’t want to rush out, but standing was starting to feel a little awkward, so she sat down in the chair a little ways from Alicia’s bed and rested her arms on the armrests. “Scuba probably wants to stay a little while.”
“Do you want to want to watch a movie with Scuba and me?” Alicia offered hoping maybe that would help distract both of them from thinking too much and give them something to do. Alicia didn’t know what to say and she didn’t know how to handle any of this, but she was trying.
Laura nodded at the mention of a movie and scooted her chair over next to the bed. She didn’t really want to go home yet to the mostly empty house other than the rest of the animals, and she wanted to keep an extra eye on Alicia as much as she could. As long as she was around, Laura wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.
25 january - hospital
alicia spinnet + bucky barnes
mention of kidnap | complete
She was really losing it. The poking and prodding kept on throughout the morning and past lunch time.
“I’m fine!” Alicia snapped at one of the doctors work on her, she was anything but fine emotionally but she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit that to anyone. The doctor eventually leaving the room, the moment she wasn’t being watched she pushed herself off the bed and started to search for a change of clothing.
Finally finding a bag someone brought she pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt.
“Planning an escape?” Bucky asked, biting back a smile as he stepped into the doorway of Alicia’s room. He’d been down in the offices earlier and had decided to check in on a few people he’d known that were still up in medical - Alicia included. He had asked one of the nurses if it was alright to check in on her when he caught sight of the doctor leaving her room with a shake of his head.
A second look at her told him most what he needed to know. No specifics, of course, but he could tell by the way she favored one side of her body one moment or moved gingerly the next that she wasn’t exactly fine. The amusement was gone fairly quickly.
“How are you feeling?” He asked her gently. Not ‘how are you’ because that was more open to how she was doing other than her physical condition. He wasn’t going to push her on that when she probably had countless others asking her the same question. “Do you think they’d let me take you outside for a while to get some air?”
Alicia narrowed her eyes at Bucky but smiled softly a second later. “I take it you aren’t here to help with a grand escape?” She actually surprised herself thinking this would be a useful time to actually get along with her older sister.
She sighed letting the oversized sweatshirt fall a little more evenly on her body. “Ready to get the hell out of here,” was how she was feeling. “Sore, but I’ve had worse from training,” that was partly true, she had some pretty nasty cuts from training but that wasn’t days on end or while being kidnapped. “I don’t know, so far they’ve told me I need to ‘relax’ but who actually relaxes in hospitals?”
Bucky couldn’t blame Alicia for wanting to leave. He would have been the same way if he’d been in her situation. He actually wished he was the one in the bed instead of her. He held up a finger. “I’ll be right back,” He said and paused before turning to step outside the room. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Once outside, he flagged down a nurse and told them he was going to take the patient out for a brief stroll while promising to bring her back in one piece. They did insist he take a wheelchair, and he had a feeling he knew how that was going to go. Wheeling the chair back into the room, he motioned to the chair.
“I promised them I’d bring you back, so don’t get any crazy ideas. And we can ditch the chair once we get outside.”
She sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Bucky vanished, it was a good thing he wasn’t gone long because she was planning to escape otherwise.
“Unless you’re planning a wheelchair race, I’m not getting in that, my legs still work,” she glared at the chair before he got a word out. “Fine, but you owe me a race.” She added walking gingerly over to it and sitting down.
“We can work to organize the race while we’re out,” he quipped while she sat down. Knowing that it was cold outside, he grabbed a couple blankets and a jacket that hung on a rack and handed them to her. Once she was set, Bucky wheeled her out of the room and through the hallways and elevator until they were outside. He made sure they were a little ways away from the entrance and stopped.
There was a walkway that went around and between some of the buildings that they’d started down. “You can always take advantage of letting me push you around, you know,” he added once they’d stopped. “No one is likely to notice through here.”
The moment they were outside she took in a deep breath. It was exactly what she needed. She shut her eyes for a moment and only opened them when Bucky spoke again.
“Give me your arm,” she said with a smirk holding out her hand reaching for his good arm as she pulled herself up and dropped the blankets on the chair. “I’m sick of sitting down.” She couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what I’ve missed but seems no one really wants to tell me too much,” she prompted.
“Fair enough,” Bucky acknowledged and held out his arm for her to take. He kept it there even after she stood so that she could hold onto if she wanted. Bucky took in a breath as they walked, trying to think of some of the things she’d missed both while on the mission and while she’d been away.
“I guess you already know about the battle at the end of the mission and that several people were unconscious for a few days,” he started. “They were unrelated instances. Steve was one of the ones asleep, but he came out of it alright.” From what Bucky figured out after people started waking up, those that were asleep seemed to be working through their fears.
“As far as normal Atlantis happenings, some people were giant huggers and some turned into squirrels and penguins. Oh, Steve lost a bet between the two of us and had to go to work the next day in a bear costume and a tutu.” He smirked at the image he still had of the next day at the base.
Nodding, she’d heard about it, she’d heard Callie was one of the ones that had been in a coma but she still didn’t feel like she had enough information about it, something about it bothered her. “Did he tell you about it?” She didn’t want details she just wanted more general information.
“And I missed it?” She hit him lightly. “You got pictures yeah? Because I think that should be put on a t-shirt or something if you did.”
“Bits and pieces,” Bucky said. He got the jist of what happened, and he’d been able to read between the lines after knowing him for so long. “They were having dreams that involved their fears, but they weren’t alone. Somehow they were trapped in there but with someone else - one of the others that were asleep too.” Bucky wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Good that they weren’t alone, but bad that they’d had to endure someone else’s fears and that those fears were shared with someone else.
“Of course I have pictures.” Plenty of them. Bucky pulled out his phone and flipped to a few of the ones he’d taken just as Steve had arrived for the day. There were a handful of him in his training classes with his team too. “I told him that he might have found his new uniform.”
Alicia looked down. “Sounds familiar,” was all she muttered. It was different from what she’d been through, and the others but it still felt oddly familiar to her. “When did it start?”
Grinning she leaned over a little to see the pictures and started laughing. “It fits him so well.” Alicia teased as she laughed pausing just long enough to cough once.
“Five days ago or so? Some people woke up earlier than others, but everyone I think has woken up as of this morning.” From what Bucky understood it had to do with whatever the fear was inside the dream and how well the person dealt with it. As much as he didn’t want Steve dealing with it, Bucky was also glad he hadn’t been included in the group. He had plenty of his own fears and demons.
“Doesn’t it?” He smiled while flipping through a couple more pictures then pocketed the phone again as she coughed. They were coming up on bend in the path, and he led them in the direction that would eventually take them back to where they started. “It sure beats being the one that turns into the bear.”
Nodding she frowned, she wasn’t totally sure how long Callie had been down and made a mental not to make sure she checked in, again.
Smiling she nodded. “Well, I don’t know, I rather like it when you lot turn into bears!” She teased.
“It tends to happen fairly often,” Bucky laughed and shook his head. More often than what he preferred, though he was perfectly fine with teasing Steve in his costume as long as he didn’t wake up as an actual bear in a tutu the next morning. Knowing Atlantis, though, it was hard to tell.
They’d started nearing the intersection of the path that would lead them back to the medical offices, but Bucky nodded to one of the benches on the side of the path just ahead. “We can sit awhile if you want before heading back. It’s cold, but at least the sun decided to show itself.”
“It does seem to be a recurring theme.” She agreed, although she would have loved it if Steve had turned into a beer with a tutu the next morning. She’d have laughed a bit at it, alright, more than a bit.
“Let’s sit for a little while,” she said walking slowly to the bench and sitting down. “The last thing I need is to go back inside.” What she didn’t add was that she was sick of feeling trapped and the hospital didn’t help in that feeling.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Bucky said, stepping over towards the bench. “Because that means I have to get back to work.” He smiled a little as they sat down. He tugged his coat a little more around him and slipped his good hand into a pocket for extra warmth. The other arm didn’t really know the difference. “We can sit for as long as you like.”
25 JANUARY - DISCHARGED
alicia + elle spinnet
mention of torture | complete
“Thanks, I’m fine,” she said as she was finally discharged. She’d been asked if she wanted someone to come get her to take her home but she wasn’t sure she could handle any more of people looking at her like she was broken. She didn’t want them to see that she was starting to wonder the same thing.
Getting in the elevator she felt like it was the first time she’d truly breathed in weeks. The doors opened and she couldn’t help but laugh when she saw someone standing in the lobby with their arms crossed.
Elle had second-guessed herself each time she contemplated going to the hospital. She’d only just gotten out of that place after she’d been so worried over Callie being unconscious for several days along with a slew of others. Medical certainly had their hands full, and that group had thankfully woken up barely a day ago.
She’d asked Callie and Emilia how Alicia was doing, but there was a pestering voice in the back of her mind saying that she needed to go see for herself. So, she planned to go down and check in with the doctors and once there she would decide whether or not to see her sister. Only, as she was waiting for the elevator, Atlantis made the executive decision for her because as the doors dinged open, she saw Alicia standing there just as she had the last time she’d been missing. Only this time Elle wasn’t feeling quite so prickly this time around.
“Alicia,” she started but didn’t go on because she wasn’t sure what else to say. She uncrossed her arms and awkwardly took a step back so Alicia could step off the elevator. “Did they discharge you?”
Was Atlantis trying to torture her? Alicia really wasn’t sure. She didn’t have the same anger she had the first time this had happened. She didn’t even know what to say, she stepped out of the elevator and nodded. She probably should have called for someone to come take her home but Alicia was stubborn and she wanted space from it all.
“Yeah, least I’m not stuck for more than a night this go around,” was what she answered. “How’s Callie? I heard about the…” she didn’t even know what to call it.
Elle nodded and glanced down at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as she stood there awkwardly. “She’s alright. Seems to be, anyway. All of the others have woken up too from what I understand,” she explained and looked back to her sister. “She hasn’t said much yet about what happened while she was unconscious.” Elle hadn’t pressed for information but mostly had been concerned with just being there as much as she could.
“Is anyone meeting you?” She asked, a little surprised that she’d found Alicia alone. “I can go if you’re waiting on someone to go with you.” While she had planned to check in on her sister, meeting her coming off the elevator had shaken up her plans. “Or walk with you if not.”
Alicia had managed to get some information out of all the medical staff but hadn’t been able to get as much as she wanted to get. “Glad she’s okay or seems to be at least.” Alicia meant it too, she loved Callie.
Alicia smirked at the question thinking about the first time they ran into each other here. “Nope, I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Me too,” Elle agreed about Callie. Elle remembered feeling worried when Callie was barely a year old when she’d come down with a horrible virus of some time, but that didn’t compare to how worried she’d been when they hadn’t been able to wake her up.
“Something you’ll be chastised for later no doubt,” Elle said with a hint of amusement. One of their siblings or one of Alicia’s friends would probably have insisted on meeting her for the walk home if they’d known she was being released today. When Alicia didn’t seem to object to her presence, she turned forward and started walking with her out of the building. “Alright then.” Such a stark difference from how this happened just under a year ago.
Alicia could practically hear the string of voices telling her she should have told them. She was lucky it was such a long list but she wasn’t feeling exactly lucky a the moment. She was a little bit surprised that Elle started to walk with her but she didn’t object to it either
“Don’t tell them,” she warned but it wasn’t a mean sort of warning.
At first Elle wondered if Alicia meant whether or not the ‘don’t tell them’ meant she shouldn’t tell them Alicia hadn’t warned anyone she was being discharged today or if they were walking home together, but after a moment of walking, she figured it was the former. If she hadn’t wanted her here, she would have said so. They hardly were ones to mince words with each other.
“Wasn’t planning on it,” she said with a shrug. Elle stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket, protecting them from the cold air as they stepped outside. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked after a moment of silence. She assumed no, but she figured she’d at least ask.
In that moment Alicia felt like she had when they were in Breckentale, when they were close, where things were completely different but all the same. There were changes and she noticed them more when it came to herself and Flint, but it was weird sometimes.
She shrugged at the question. “Not much to say, got kidnapped again, did the weird tortures, saw in black and white and got a tattoo for my troubles.”
Elle didn’t like the sound of what happened, and there was something about the casual way Alicia spoke of what happened that bothered her too. Not that she voiced her concern. They weren’t really there no matter how many fake memories she had telling her otherwise.
One piece of information did surprise her though. “You got a tattoo?” Elle asked, looking at Alicia with a puzzled expression. “What sort of tattoo do you mean?” The first thought that came to mind was some kind of branding or tracking device disguised as a tattoo.
“Don’t worry, it’s not trackable, or recording us or anything, they had loads of people look at it already, test it and all that sort of stuff.” Alicia had had the same thought when she found out about it too. “But just in case there is a spell on it to detect anything strange.” She added.
Carefully she shrugged off her coat and pulled down her shirt showing her left shoulder. The tattoo wasn’t very big but it was there.
Elle hadn’t expected Alicia to show her the tattoo, but she took a look when it was shown. She frowned, studying it for a brief moment. It seemed so random and unlike anything she’d ever seen. “Do the others have one?” She asked. “The tattoo?” She was glad to hear that they had spells on the tattoo just in case, but Elle had a feeling it meant something. Why else would they have taken the time to give it in the first place?
“They’re different,” she answered. She hadn’t seen all of them, but she had gotten that they all had different tattoos and she really wished that she understood it a little bit better, but she just really didn’t and she wasn’t completely sure if she ever would fully understand it.
“Different,” Elle repeated but let it go at that. She certainly wasn’t going to press for information when it was likely Alicia didn’t know much else yet at this point anyway.
As they began walking again, Elle pulled her coat a little tighter around herself from the cold but also as for something to do with her hands, no matter how small. “I’m glad the team was able to get to you lot,” she said after a moment, keeping her eyes forward. This was new territory for them - in this reality - and it was hard to know exactly what to say.
“Just think, a year ago, you probably wished I hadn’t made it back,” the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, but it was true. Alicia didn’t figure Elle would have prefered she didn’t make it the last time she’d been kidnapped. “How time, and different relaties change.” She added with a small shrug.
“A year ago I was plotting my own methods of torturing you.” Discreetly and indirectly, of course, since Atlantis wasn’t the type of place that would allow one of its residents to get away with a direct approach. “But, yes, I guess they do end up making a difference.” She knew that they would never have the sort of relationship that they shared in that alternate reality, but it was something at least.
Alicia actually laughed at that. “I’m sure you were.” Alicia was pretty sure she had her own ideas of how she was going to make sure Elle left Atlantis and wasn’t ever going to let her near anyone she cared about. This, this was different. It was almost an inbetween, she could live with that.
Elle smiled a little but didn’t say anything. She just kept walking and letting an almost comfortable silence pass between them. Comfortable: a word that Elle never imagined she’d think of when it came to Alicia. It wasn’t a typical sibling relationship or even an always functional one, but at least it was something. Merlin only knew what another year would bring if they stayed here.