MeMyselfAndSeabhac[Gillian continued from Meeting in Arden] Almost simultaneously, Gillian felt a Trump contact. She realized, however, it probably had nothing to do with the diving dragon. Her hand faltered as she recognized the caller. Gillian paused, then walked a few steps away from the others. <Hello> she answered softly. <Gilly> Seabhac said. He sounded tired, but pleasant. <I know things have been... well... I don't know really. But I needed you to know that there might be an issue you're unaware of. You're here. With me. But obviously you're not. So, I thought I'd better confirm you're still. Well. Alive.> <Seabhac...> Gillian whispered, like a soft caress. Then guilt and shame gripped her around her metaphorical throat and squeezed. <Oh Seabhac, I'm so sorry. I should have contacted you before now. But you died, and it was all my fault, and then there was the whole Pattern-fixing thing, and... Wait.> She fixed her eye on him. <What do you mean I'm there with you?> <Well, it's you. Voice, looks, everything.Only You-you is generally less... slutty.> he replied. Gillian raised an eyebrow, a suspicion growing. Anytime someone said "slutty--" <And it wasn't your fault, Gilly. I just did the heroic thing and... I mean, we can talk about that later. Or now.> She sensed him smiling. <Now would be good, I think.> Gillian extended her hand to him. Vertigo and silvery movement, erasing the cool night and drawing Gillain into a candlelit room. Seabhac’s hand slipped from hers, releasing her from his gentle grip. She stood in one of the refined bedrooms of Corwin’s chateau. It had transformed into a sick room, the scent of anesthetic and healing herbs thick in the muggy air. But it was the ‘mirror’ in front of her that caught Gillian’s attention. Her perfect doppleganger stood in front of her, greeting her with a pouty frown. ‘Gillian’ wore a non-standard university uniform, cut and altered to show off her belly button and the ‘V’ of her pale breasts. “Well crap,” she sighed. Seabhac lay in the bed, looking like death. He smiled, “Hey.” "Hey," she smiled back, then turned to face her twin. "Ginger?" ‘Gillian’ smiled, “Hello, Kitten. Glad to see you're still alive. Seabhac and I were just catching up.” Gillian ran a hand over her face. Seabhac laughed mirthlessly, “Yeah. Bit of a surprise visit.” Ginger sat down at the end of the bed, “So - “ Gillian sighed and sat down beside her, but faced Seabhac. "You look like hell," she said to him, ignoring Ginger for the moment. "What happened after...after the trump connection dropped?" Ginger sighed; a perfect echo of Gillian’s. “I’ll let you two catch up.” She curtsied most lasciviously and pranced out. Her voice rang through the chateau, “Hey, Sekhmet. How about that sponge bath I promised you?” Seabhac laughed faintly and flicked his hand; the bedroom door closing. He leaned back into the pillows and smiled at Gillian, “Don’t remember much, if I’m truthful. We were cornered by shadows. I kept them busy while everyone else escaped.” He shivered, hugging himself as if freezing. “They flowed over me like… It felt like I was drowning. Each thought striped away. And yet shared. Joined in undeath.” "Good God, Seabhac. I...I wanted to go back for you. But Raina contacted me right then and Cole and Malachi and Rusalka came through and then we were attacked by Suhuy and Cynwyd gave me the Jewel and next thing I knew I was at the beginning of the Pattern and... I really thought I wouldn't survive fixing it, you know? But I didn't particularly care if I died or not, because I thought you were already gone." Tears overfilled Gillian's eyes, slipping down her cheeks to drip onto her bloody skirt. "I'm so sorry," she cried, wiping at the tears helplessly. "You said you don't remember much and it's probably better that way and I shouldn't be dredging all of this up again but it hurts so much to think of you surrounded by shadows, all alone. I'm so sorry that happened." Seabhac frowned softly and reached out to Gillian, drawing her to him. “Hush, angel,” he whispered, lightly kissing away her tears. “I wasn’t truly alone. I had you. Right here.” He placed her hand over his heart. “What more did I need?” His lips touched her forehead, a hopeful smile upon them. “So. Did you get your brother back?” Gillian wiped her nose and nodded. "He's lost weight, but he seems to be mentally there. I left him in the tender care of a pretty nurse. I should go check on him before..." She shrugged. "Well, before all hell breaks loose, as the saying goes." She took Seabhac's hand in hers. "How are you? And tell me honestly, please." Seabhac shrugged his shoulders, managing to smile. “I don’t know. Tired. Very tired.” He glanced down and then back up, meeting her gaze. “I’ve worried that I’ve lost you. And that’s tearing me up inside.” Gillian let out a breath and looked down at her skirt. It was a moment before she spoke. "When I fixed the Pattern, I desired that all those with Apathy syndrome be restored, and that healed Jonathan. I also changed a few things, things that I thought would make Amber better." She chuckled lightly, but it sounded forced. "The king has already had words with me over that. "Ginger was cleaved from me during the process. Cybele was silenced. You would have thought that in my sudden...loneliness...I would have reached out to you. I mean, I was pretty sure you'd been consumed by the shadows, and that meant you would have been restored with along with Jonathan. But I didn't. I didn't even think about you returning until Cynwyd brought it up." Tears dripped down onto her skirt again. "I didn't even think about bringing you back when I fixed the Pattern. I...I don't know why. But the fact that it didn't even occur to me made me feel so ashamed. Seabhac, I couldn't face you. You've given your love to me completely, and I didn't return it." She finally looked up, the tears flowing freely now. "You're so courageous, and so honorable, and I so don't deserve you," she cried. "At all. I'm so sorry." Seabhac stroked her hair, gazing at her with an oddly calm expression. He listened, nodding, but remained silent… even after she spoke. He brushed her tears away and then leaned in, gently kissing her cheek. She could feel his body flutter, shake… a suppressed laugh, she realized. “Gilly,” he said, “For the smartest person I know, you can be surprisingly dumb sometimes.” He cupped her chin, staring into her eyes. “How could you think I’d stop loving you for a second? You saved me. You saved everyone. So what if you were a little distracted? You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. And you deserve the world, Gillian. “If only you’ll let me give it to you.” Gillian gave him a tiny smile. She leaned in and kissed him soundly, holding his face between her hands and catching his upper lip between her teeth. "After the Nyx," she whispered, "you can give me the world, and it will be amazing. So. Utterly. Amazing. After the Nyx. If we survive." Seabhac returned the kiss, hungrily, needfully. His hand trailed down her back, exploring its curves. “We’ll survive. But in the meantime…” He drew her closer, noble fingers plucking at her buttons. “Let’s get you cleaned up and in bed. Resting is optional.” Overwhelmed by thinking about the Nyx, Gillian decided instead to fulfill the adage "Live today, for tomorrow we may die" by focusing on creature comforts: being clean, lovemaking, food, and sleep. [continued in Catscratch Fever] |
