Corazon is not just a girl. She's Spider-girl. (beat_and_break) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-11-01 16:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, anya corazon (spider-girl), elaine mallory, harry dresden, magius |
WHO: Anya Corazon, Elaine Mallory, & Harry Dresden (w/ cameo by Magius)
WHAT: Homecoming
WHEN: Shortly after this log
WHERE: Irvine general, then Home
WARNINGS: emotional reunions
Cora hung up the telephone when her parents informed her that they were pulling into the parking lot. She almost ran out to the lobby to meet them, but then she realized she was only wearing a robe and some other sundries, so she waited. She hoped everybody else was okay. Aunt Neena had looked like she was about to pop that baby out at a moment’s notice.
Harry led the charge in to see her and, after a single look of astonishment, saw her there inside her eyes, and scooped her up in his arms. "Hello, love. You're home."
After a huge hug, he passed her to her mother.
Cora stood there like a deer caught in headlights for a moment, feeling the pull of her father’s eyes. She remembered to blink just in time, and then he was there, holding her close, hugging her; and her mom was there, too. Her shields filtered out a lot of the shock that must have been going through their minds, but she could see it on their faces. Shock, and relief, and a rainbow of other emotions.
“It’s okay,” she heard herself saying, her voice jumbled up with Elaine’s--who was saying the same thing. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
And a flit of lyrics filled Harry's mind for a moment, almost echoey. It's alright, it's alright, alright, She works in mysterious ways... And he pushed it aside for later, hugging them both.
"You're home."
He pulled back and looked at her. She had aged, but was still her. Her eyes, despite being another color, still were hers.
Cora hugged her mother tightly, but her eyes followed her father’s movement. She smiled at him, feeling warm, and welcomed. Loved. She was home, and everything was going to be all right. “I wish I could have brought back souvenirs,” she said, “We saw a lot of amazing things. But there wasn’t time to bring anything back with us.”
“We don’t care about anything but you, Cora. You’re home, and safe, and well, and that is all that matters.”
Doctor Magius wandered over, the birth and afterbirth over and clad in a new set of greens. “She is very well and healthy, though she will need some more nutrition. I’ll send some documents to your emails, so you can help her regain what she has lost.” Then he smiled to the three of them. “Go home, rest, and recover.” He was glad to see families so loving one another. Especially when he had known some of them for a long time.
Cora nodded. She hadn't been to the dentist in five years, and they'd had to rough it a bit, but they'd done their best to stay healthy--and to help their village stay healthy. She felt like they'd done pretty well, especially hearing doc Magius' report. "Raising a village is hard work."
Magius raised an eyebrow, nodding. “Yes, it is. Now go home, rest, and call me tomorrow or sometime soon to schedule a regular appointment.” He waved hands at them and moved off.
Harry chuckled. “Well, far be it from me to argue with a doctor…” He smirked at the expressions on the other two’s faces. “Shhh. Come on you two. Time to go home.” He hugged them both again and kissed Elaine. This would be a challenge, but they were a family.
Elaine returned the kiss, and rattled the car keys. She couldn’t help but smirk as she teased Harry, “I guess you finally get to experience bringing your baby girl home from the hospital.”
Cora laughed, and said, “Hopefully we don’t have to do it again any time soon.”
Harry laughed. “Yes, please. I think we’ve all been in this hospital; far too much. Let’s go home, have some good, and rest.” As they got into the car, he nodded to Cora. “When you feel like talking about it, we’ll be here.”
“I know,” said Cora. “We had so many adventures, and I want to tell you everything.” Well. Almost everything. “I guess I ought to begin at the beginning.”
And so she did. It began, Once upon a time, in Egypt, in a time that has long since passed into legend…
It was an amazing story, and several times in it, Harry felt the need to hug her, her mom, or both.
Elaine alternated between holding Harry’s hand and Cora’s, whenever she didn’t need it for driving. She wished she could have just teleported them home, but the drive gave Cora plenty of time to tell her story, and she made no move to get out of the car, even after they were safely parked, until the young woman was finished saying what she needed to say. Then, finally, she urged her family out of the car and inside for more hugs.
“You’ve grown into a strong, and beautiful woman, Corazon,” she murmured, kissing the top of her daughter’s head and holding her close while threading her fingers through Harry’s. “And I think I speak for both of us when I say that we’re very proud of you.”
Harry nodded and smiled at them both, then turned to face his daughter, and smiled warmer. “We are. You did a lot of good in the past and you helped people a lot. I am proud, as I have ever been, of who you are.” He nodded. “We’ll help you adjust and figure out what is next.”
"I don't want to think about anything but just...being home for a few days," Cora said, "and if I go back to school, I want to study from home for now. I've had five years to think about what ifs, and I think I've had enough change to last me a few years." Working things out with Nate and Billy, and staying healthy through the transition into a new environment was her first set of priorities.
“Makes sense.” Harry kissed Cora’s forehead and squeezed Elaine’s hand. “We’re here for you. And you’ve been through a lot. If there is anything we can do to make this easier on you, let us know, okay?”
He eyed her and chuckled. “When you feel better, I imagine we can discuss getting rid of your curfew as well.” His eyes danced with the humor of it. He had lost his little girl, but he had gotten a beautiful grown woman instead, and he was so proud of her he could burst.
“Okay.” Cora hugged him. She didn’t really mind having a curfew, in theory--but then, she hadn’t really matured enough back then to want to be independent yet. She’d soon find out how she really felt about all of that. Her thoughts were interrupted by some grumbling from her stomach, and she laughed. “I almost forgot, we were about to have breakfast when Nate beamed us up. Can we have pancakes and scrambled eggs?”
“We can, yes. And bacon. And whatever you like.” He nodded. Tonight would be a night for just enjoying themselves. There would be a lot to deal with in the coming weeks. New school, new identities, new memories, and new things in their lives. But for now, it was about family.