The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
The past few days where spent with the usually quiet house flooded with music and when it got late Riley would be kept up at night not only by the horrible dreams but by Catherine’s TV constantly playing. It was hard not to hear her, though his parents where a little luckier since they where not as close to her room as Riley was, part of him felt as if she did it on purpose, just to show him how well she could manage without him. With every day that passed and Catherine remained isolated away he seemed to get only more worse, even his attitude was going down hill, snapping at the slightest thing that went wrong. He’d gotten into a rather heated argument the day before with his cousin, Ben, the guy as only a year younger but he had a two-year-old daughter and wife was pregnant with their son who was due in two months. Ben had sounded overjoyed at first but then when he discovered Riley’s pregnant girlfriend was a mutant.. and was told Riley was as well, he seemed to continuously point out the perfect lifestyle he had while Riley’s mutant girlfriend didn’t even want to show her presence down to introduce herself. There where little remarks like ‘Are you married’ and then these irritating facial expressions that just where used to cause Riley to be more upset then he already was. It wasn’t a good time to try and get on Riley’s bad side, but with all the kids around Riley was able to keep his retaliation only to verbal abuse, his father Jonathan ended up sending Riley up to his room and when Riley threw his hands up and turned to leave Ben had made another awful remark about the baby would probably be horribly deformed. Everything seemed to have gone deathly quiet but Riley didn’t retaliate to that, he just replied as he walked up the stairs the same thing he had told Catherine. He’d not love her any less if she looked or acted differently to others.
But the comment had still hurt him, he didn’t like people saying back things about his daughter, especially when both her and her mother weren’t around to defend herself, both his parents had kept knocking on his door but Riley refused to respond to them, he had it locked as well so they couldn’t give him any of the food they made. Though Martha insisted on Catherine having something while it was warm before she went back down to join the others, Martha and Jonathan didn’t really understand what had Catherine locking herself away, but they knew Ben had preferred his TV and music to the company of others when he was younger so maybe it was just what Catherine was used to. The entire night had been horrible, Riley hadn’t slept at all, tossing and turning angrily, he could hear his parents had woken up and where moving about to and from the bathroom while they got ready to head into town to get the food for tomorrow’s feast.
It was about ten in the morning, Riley’s eyes where so sore and tired, they had gone red from the lack of sleep and stress he’s been going through, not to mention his eyes would swell with tears whenever he thought of all the horrible things that had happened and been said. He didn’t try and intrude on Catherine, even if every part of him wanted to just throw open the door and force her to be more interactive with others even if he had to rip the darn thing off its hinges. There was the sound of his parents hushed voices, they where hurting so much from the way their two guests where acting, especially since one was their thought to be dead son and the other was carrying their grand child. Riley didn’t even attempt to move until he heard their car drive off, his body felt so heavy, so hard to move, he had trousers, socks, shirt and jumper on, plus a dark blue beanie he tugged over his head during the night to replace the cap, he still felt wretched and he didn’t feel comfortable with any part of his body, he couldn’t please Catherine and that had crushed him terribly, especially with the devastating was she had told him off.
Every part of him had to be hidden otherwise he was uncomfortable, she would stare at him and judge how terrible he was, he knew that’s what she’d do if she saw him again, part of him was avoiding her just as much as she was trying to avoid them. He changed, putting on a clean gray jumper and his new light blue jeans, the thighs looked as if they where worn down with a whiter shade of blue on them, but that was just the style, Riley hardly cared, he just grabbed his size without any consideration of the actual style of jeans he was getting right now. He opened Catherine’s door without any care of knocking, like she’d say he could come in, he felt very unwanted so it didn’t seem like a likely chance of having her accepting his company. But he didn’t try and enter yet, just opened the door and then made his way down stairs. His mother had made breakfast before they left but no one was willing to go downstairs to eat with them, though Riley hardly assumed Catherine was up for bacon and Egg’s, she’d probably want cereal again, so he poured her a bowl and served the milk. Dropping the spoon into the cereal, he miserably turned around, the room spun about slightly with his movement’s, a heavy feeling in his chest which was a little more real then the usual feel he’s been having. The grip in his fingers weakened enough for the bowl to slip from his hands, he felt horrible, he felt like he was going to be sick, but it was fading away, his eyes opened to stare down at the smashed plate.. he broke one of his mother’s plates. That made him feel even worse, taking a few minutes to slowly clean up the mess, he felt a little light headed still, but he figured it was just from his lack of sleep, not once thinking it was just more signs of something that will only get much worse.
Instead of cereal he just quickly cut up an apple for her to nibble on, if she wanted more she could come down and have brunch with him, otherwise this is all she gets, well.. most likely if she asked for something else he’d do it for her but he wasn’t going to admit that right now. Once making his way back towards her room, he hovered at her doorway instead of just walking in on her, his eyes remained stuck on the neatly peeled and cut quarters of apple, he knew it wasn’t much but with the lack of money it meant they where putting most of their cash into the Christmas dinner, they wouldn’t let him buy anything, they kept saying it was their treat to him and Catherine.
“There’s no more milk, they only had enough money to get the Christmas food so they had to skip shopping the other day.” Part of him felt she’d just be upset that he thought an apple would be a fitting breakfast for someone who was pregnant, but he didn’t go into detail why the last bowl of milk was wasted.. she probably wouldn’t care anyway. There was something he had been wanting to ask her, but at the same time he didn’t want to see her so it was hard to talk with her when he wanted to stay as far out of her sight as possible. He placed the apple down on her side table and moved back to the door, he seemed to slow to a stop though, half turning towards her though his eyes still couldn’t manage to look at her own.
“Is it because they’re poor?” Everything she had said to him just kept spinning about in his head as if she where still shouting at him, he added a little more so she understood what he was asking “I know why you hate me, but I’m not sure what my family did to you.. Do you hate them because they’re poor and they don’t have many modern things.” As soon as she got her TV and stereo she seemed content, did that mean she just hated his family because they didn’t have those things, she had made it seem like he was strange because he didn’t have a lot of things in his apartment. It felt like a horrible thing to ask but didn’t he at least deserve an answer as to WHY she hated them, he was a very family orientated person so it was very hurtful to have someone say they hate his family, especially since it was Catherine..
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
It was yet another morning where she didn't feel well, she'd wake up about eight feeling nauseus she wouldn't always be sick though, most of the time she just felt like she was going to throw up. It was a horrible feeling ... nothing about having a child seemed to have been good yet, her hormones were all over the place, she felt sick and she spent most of her time feeling sleepy. She'd got dressed and was sitting on the end of her bed, one of her hands resting on her flat stomach, her thumb stroking over the jumper she was wearing in an effort to stop the queesiness she was feeling. She knew that there was a stranger about the place as well, she'd heard them calling him Ben .... she couldn't help overhearing their yelling match yesterday. She knew that this new person didn't like her, he'd never met her yet he'd already judged her like she'd once judged mutants before she'd been forced to accept them. She'd already decided she didn't like him, after she'd heard him say their baby would be born deformed. She'd felt a sudden rush of anger and hatred towards him, he'd no right to say things like that about her child. She'd been all alone up here with only the life growing inside her for company for the last few days, and to hear someone say that stirred up an instinctive mothers response to protect her child even if she didn’t really think about it. The remark had just sealed her determination not to come out of her room, shutting herself away with the television and watching Christmas shows without much enthusiasm.
There was the sound of movement from Riley’s room and then a moment later he pushed her door open, hurrying away down the stairs before she had chance to react to him not asking to open the door. A few minutes later she heard a crashing sound as if Riley had dropped something, then a little later the sound of his feet on the stairs. She looked over at him as he entered the room, her eyes looking hungrily at the apple even though she didn’t feel as if she could stomach anything right at the moment. Her eyes dropped back down into her lap, ignoring the people on the television screen.
“There’s no more milk, they only had enough money to get the Christmas food so they had to skip shopping the other day.” There was a nod from her that indicated that she’d heard what he was saying though her eyes remained glued on her legs and the hand that was stroking over her stomach. She hated feeling sick like this, it was only marginally worse than the feeling of being tired all the time. It was horried, sometimes she'd be watching a film and she'd just doze off half way through and wake up during the credits. Either that or she'd be listening to music, she'd guessed it was something to do with the child so she wasn't too worried about the fact she kept sleeping. Her body was working overtime trying to create the new ball of life that was growing inside her in a race to meet the nine month deadline. “Is it because they’re poor?” She blinked and looked up at him, not really sure where this conversation was headed. “I know why you hate me, but I’m not sure what my family did to you.. Do you hate them because they’re poor and they don’t have many modern things.” Her eyes looked back away again before she looked at him. Why should he think that? She was sure he must be confused, but then as far as she was concerned he had seen the flats she'd lived in for three years, that wasn't a particularly nice place. Most mornings there would be reports of stabbings, rapes or clashes between rival gangs or different ethnic groups. She was only one of a handful of white kids in her area.
‘No…I was just mad, I didn’t mean it.’ There was a short pause. ‘Any of it’ Her hand was still stroking over her stomach in an attempt to clam the feeling of sick that was weeling up in the back of her throat. She didn't want to be sick today, she hated the taste of the acid burning her throat. And now she knew what it was doing to her throat and the last thing she wanted to do was get sick all the way out here miles from the nearest hospital.
ooc: Sorry this is short, but it’s half past four in the morning lol
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm‘No…I was just mad, I didn’t mean it.’ It did make him feel a little better, but then he wandered if she didn't mean it then why was she still hiding up here ‘Any of it’ He turned a little more to stare back at her, she did mean it, maybe if she was mad they she said it all more hurtfully then she intended but she still meant every word. It wouldn't be the first time she's lied to him either, so it's not like he knew she was telling the truth now, she could just be trying to make him feel better because she felt a little bad about yelling. She's promised she'd never leave him, more then once, and she has left him.. and she still seemed willing to leave him, even if he was trying to convince himself she wouldn't.
It just hurt so much because she wasn't just someone who was a momentary presence in his life, he wanted to be with her always, but how could he if all those things she said where true? A melody began to play though it caused Riley to pull his dull red tinted eyes away from her and lift the back of his jumper, there was his disk men and both his phones, the new phone similar to the one he had before, silver in colour as well, he may be told the Initiative are no longer in operation but he still wasn't going to just stop switching phones, he was just cautious incase someone was scanning the channel's for his voice. The tune was 'Everywhere', the same song Catherine had sung in the jeep when they where escaping the Initiative so many months ago.
Flipping open the phone, Riley stared at the screen, but it didn't show any of the names from the school, or anyone he new, it just said 'Unknown Contact' He sent messages to everyone's phone telling them that he wasn't using his old phone anymore and giving them the new numbers, he couldn't really image anyone else getting his number, maybe they where calling from another phone and not their own.
"Riley Finn." His words sounded as down as he felt, but everything about him seemed to lighten up immediately "How did you.." He went a little a shocked as whoever was on the other side kept speaking to him "..you stole Dawn's phone?" Riley slowly inched his way out of Catherine's room, but hovered in the hall between both their doors "Yeah I know, you can't find me there because I'm not at the school.. I'm in Iowa." He went silent for a while as he listened to the other person speak, his fingers pinching lightly at the gray fabric of his jumper.
"Is Forrest there with you?" There was a short ringing sound on his phone while he was speaking and Riley pulled it away from his head to stare at the screen, grinning slightly at the picture before quickly placing it back onto his ear while they stared talking again. "No.. well.. I guess I do, it's not really a job though, I just help some of the students with their work, though the Professor wants me to take a class this year." Riley sounded a little proud at that as he turned around and disappeared off into the back room "She's here with me," It's the only thing Riley would say about Catherine, he wasn't going to get into details by saying she's good when she obviously wasn't, and he wasn't ready to tell them she was pregnant yet.
"I'll send you one later.. I look terrible right now.." Of course, Riley would try and put off sending them a pic until Graham or Forrest started being more insistent. But he hasn't been able to speak with them for ages so neither cared really to press the matter. Though Graham made some jokes about him getting old and losing his shape while Riley was walking back to his room, causing him to pause at their doorways again and place a hand over his stomach.
"Ok.. bye." The excitement had faded completely and he felt miserable again, though it was nice to think his old friends went to all the trouble needed to obtain his number from the girls while they had been at the Dying Star nightclub. Riley was just glade they at least made sure to put the phone they took back, otherwise Dawn would have been very upset that her phone was missing, especially around Christmas time.
"Graham called.. he says hello." Riley stared at his phone for a moment, studying the picture of Forrest and Graham, both had joined a basket ball team in New York and where asking if he wanted to join them, be part of their team again in a sense. He leaned on the doorframe to her room, he looked a little preoccupied by the conversation he had just had.
"They wanted to see if I would join them," He didn't realize he hadn't yet told her what exactly Graham and Forrest where doing, for all she would know they could be trying to recruit him again for another demonic agency. "I haven't played for ages though, what if I'm really bad and I disappoint them like I disappoint everyone else in my life." Getting himself upset again he turned around and sulkily stomped down the stairs, moving into the kitchen and slamming the front door behind him as he picked up the earlier discarded basketball moved over towards the barn.
Heather had rooted her body down in front of the fire place, even though it wasn't on right now, she hadn't moved much at all the past few days, her food had been brought into the family room beside her since moving seemed awkward for her. Toby trotted excitedly after Riley when he saw a ball being played with, though he was startled by the loud bang of the door and remained still for a moment before continuing after Riley. Putting down the ball by his feet, Riley placed the head phones that dangled on his front from the neck of the jumper into his ears, tugging off the beanie he had found stuffed in the back of his bedside table draw. his was terribly messy, the fact he'd shower and put on a hat or the beanie meant it was drying all horrible, twisted and flat, when he took it off and ran his fingers through it the hair looked as if even if he had tried to comb the mess it would have just gone back to the new style it had developed.
It made Riley look untidy, he felt untidy, he still felt horrible, shoving the dark blue beanie into his pocket before picking up the ball and angrily throwing it towards the hoop. The ball hit the wall of the barn above the hoop and bounced back towards him. Why would she even care what he was going to do in his life, as long as it didn't embarrass her she should be find with anything, she wouldn't care if he didn't do anything, she wouldn't care about anything he did choose to do it. She was going to leave him, she said she hated him and he didn't believe her when she said she didn't mean it, she had said she hated him over and over again, he hated himself, why should he expect others to like him when he didn't even like who he was? He was just some stupid brainwashed jerk that couldn't do anything right, he hates Jon for hurting Catherine but now his nights are filled with horrible dreams of him doing the exact same thing to her, hurting her, taking advantage of her, watching her cry while he used her. She had every right to hate him as far as he was concerned.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
She wanted him to say something to reassure her, something to say he'd forgiven her for flying off the handle at him but before he'd had a chance to respond to her words there was the sound of a tune being played. Her eyes centered upon his waist which was where the music seemed to be coming from. He seemed to hesitate for a moment as he looked down at the two phones that were attatched to his belt. She didn't really understand his need to have two phones, shurley one would have been anough for anyone but then Riley was rich wasn't he so he could afford ten phones if he wanted them. Her own eyes slid over towards Angela's phone which was lying on the floor next to her bed, no one had tried to phone her, there was a sudden stab of jelousy that ran through her at the thought that he had people who cared enough to ring him up when her friends seemed to have forgotten about her entirley. She was being too stubborn to phone Angela up after the girl was short with her on the phone. The fact that the school was having problems didn't seem to bother Cat. It just felt like she'd been carted off here and dumped with Riley's family. Maybe she shouldn't have come here in the first place, they were supposed to be reparing their relationship but things just seemed to be falling appart.
"Riley Finn." She peaked a glanced at him from over her knees, watching him flip his phone open and hold it upto his ear. His expression seemed to brighten after a few moments though, his voice taking on a much more animated tone than the one he'd been using before. "How did you.." there was a little shocked pause before he continued. "..you stole Dawn's phone?" There was a little part of Cat that was happy at that news, since she'd got back from Wahington there had been little love loss between the them. Cat bluntly ignored her refusing to recognise that the girl was in the room and Dawn seemed more than happy with that fact.
"Yeah I know, you can't find me there because I'm not at the school.. I'm in Iowa." He moved out of the room a little, unintentionally making her feel as if she was listening into a conversation she shouldn't be hearing. It was still easy for her to pick up Riley's words even though she couldn't hear the person on the other end of the line. "Is Forrest there with you?" Forrest? Did that mean it was Graham talking to Riley? She'd had a passing thought over what must have happened to them when the Initiative went under. Like Riley she had no idea just how wide scale the Initiative really was or in how much danger they were even being out here in Iowa. She felt safe however since she knew the telepathic mutant Jean Grey was making sure no one distrurbed them. She woulnd't be able to tell that there was a robot on his way who was going to kill Cat's child and make her dangerously close to loosing her own life.
"No.. well.. I guess I do, it's not really a job though, I just help some of the students with their work, though the Professor wants me to take a class this year." A class? She wondered what he'd be teaching, she knew Riley was really smart but it was likley it would be nothing she'd be taking since at the moment she she'd been put down for a whole lot more lessons than she was turning up for when she could be bothered to even go to them. No one nagged her to go though and there wasn't much insentive for her to turn up. She found the work far too hard, it would be easier next year however when she'd be placed in a lower ability class. There there would be a lot less people and the teachers would have time to sit down with their pupils and go through their work with them. It would be much more akward for her, at least at first since she'd have lessons that were taken by Riley she'd be split up from the people she was friends with.
"I'll send you one later.. I look terrible right now.." Cat sighed her eyes moving back to the television with it's fuzzy picture. There was an adaptation of Dickenson's "A christmas carol" on and at the moment Scrouge was being shown his past by a ghost. It was a film that had been redone over the years countless times, it wasn't one of her favourites but she was bored. There was nothing to do around here, Riley hadn't mentioned doing anything or going anywhere and she hadn't asked him if they could. She figured he was having a good time without her being there to get in the way. Now she'd locked herself away she wasn't really sure how to unlock herself and venture downstairs to talk to anyone. She was getting quite lonley up here all by herself.
"Ok.. bye." There was a pause before his body reapeared back in her doorway again, there was a long moment before she looked away from the television, her hand still resting over her stomach. "Graham called.. he says hello." He was leaning on her doorframe looking in at her, as if she didn't feel he could venture into her room. "They wanted to see if I would join them," Join them? ... As in go and live with them? or had they joined a new organisation and wanted him to go with them? Would he go and leave her alone and pregnant? There was a little flicker of fear run through her, having a child was bad enough but having one without having anyone to support her was an even worse thought. "I haven't played for ages though, what if I'm really bad and I disappoint them like I disappoint everyone else in my life." .... Played? She wanted to ask him what he meant but before she got chance Riley had stomped off down the stairs leaving her staring at the spot he'd been standing in. She took that as she wasn't forgiven for what she'd said to him before. Her eyes moved back to the tevlevision, looking crestfallen that he didn't seem ready to be freidns with her again. She din't like fighting with him, she pefered it when they were making love or simply holding hands, things felt right then.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
For a short while he was just sitting on the front of his car, he was trying so hard to bottle everything up but it was impossible for everything that was happening not to effect him. He was Psychology Major for crying out loud, he should know how to handle these situations.. it was harder when your own emotions where going against you and more then just mentally hurting you.
Everything hurt, and he felt horrible, and he felt like he had been horrible to Catherine.. even though she had been horrible to him first. But she hadn't really done anything for him to be upset with her today, but he was still hurting so much from the hateful things she had said, the way she had just started screaming at him was so painful. Only he was so bored, so lonely, he didn't like having her so close but having her act as if she wasn't around at all. It was all his fault, if he had just been better, if he was just more used to this life, if he was able to react to things normally, if he just knew how he should react, how he should do things, everyone else seemed to know but him.
Now he was so hungry on top of being exhausted, but they didn't have much left overs from the dinner last night, just some salads, cheeses and a few slices of the roast Ben had brought for them. Catherine would get hungry, he didn't want her to starve when she had to take care of their baby, he wished his parents weren't so stubbornly refusing any help he offered. He even brought fresh bread a few days ago and they didn't eat it, it was slowly starting to really get on his nerves.
That feeling still hadn't left him, after all these days he still wanted her to hold him, to make it feel as if everything was alright, even if it wasn't. It took a few minutes before he built up the energy to slid off his car and slowly wander back into the house. It was bad enough Catherine was screaming at him randomly, he didn't need to help her decision to leave him by holding grudges against the hurtful things she blurts out at him thoughtlessly. Riley's movement's where slow as he made his way into the house again, forgetting he had wanting to at least try and play around with the ball to see if he should even bother considering their silly offer.
Automatically his hand pulled the beanie that was half stuffed into his jeans pocket and holding it with both hands was readying to slip it on. He had been walking up the stairs as he was doing this, but paused with the beanie still held in his hands as he stared into Catherine's room, tearing his eyes away quickly as one hand nervously began combing his fingers through his hair as he turned into his own room. He was so exhausted, he should just collapse and fall asleep before his head hit the pillow, but he knew if he tried he wouldn't be able to sleep. Pulling his now dirty socks off his feet, having absent mindedly forgotten to put on his shoes when he stormed off.
"..Catherine," He turned to face her doorway but remained in the safety of his room, if she said no he could just slam his door and lock himself away without her seeing how hurt he was "..Can I lay with you for a little while," His voice was soft, though there was a faint tremble within it as he spoke, but he managed to make it more stable as he continued "I won't say anything to get you upset, I promise." Slipping on clean white socks as he spoke, he went very quiet and still while he finished and waited silently for her answer, but his hand had moved to his door, as if he figured she'd say no, readying himself for the hurt disappointment and shutting himself away yet again, not that she'd notice, she was too busy having fun with her TV and movies to noticed how terribly bad he was hurting.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
Cat hadn't bothered to get up to close the door after he left, she didn't feel well and making herself be sick by moving about too much wasn't what she wanted to do right now. Her eyes stared rather listlessly over at the apple that he'd left for her on the side. She'd been quite hungry before but she seemed to have lost her appetite when she started feeling unwell. She wasn't much of a fruit eater anyway, she'd have rather of had dry cereal than an apple.
She listened to his footsteps upon the stairs, moving along the hall and stopping outside her room for a moment, she wondered if he was about to come in but then she heard him turn into his room. There was a long pause before she heard him call out her name, his voice sounded nervous and as if he wasn't sure how she'd take what he was about to say to her.
"..Can I lay with you for a little while," Her eyes moved over to the door at once, as if expecting him to jsut burst through the door and just throw his arms about her. She was awfully lonley up here, locked away in her room from the rest of the family, but she wasn't sure how to appraoach them anymore. "I won't say anything to get you upset, I promise." Her eyes moved over to the screen again, watching the flickering fuzzy images. She didn't want to be along right at the moment, she'd been feeling awfuly homesick for the past few days. She was feeling so down she hadn't even been bothered to go outside to go and see the horses in the barn and she'd been quite excited about them being on the farm.
'Ummm ok.' She wanted to say more to him but she wasn't sure what. Her eyes closed slightly against a stronger twist of morning sickness that ran through her, feeling ill wasn't improving her mood though either.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
It felt like forever bfore she answered, and then it seemed to take just as long for him to register the fact she has agreed, he looked up to her doorway with a surprised expression, which looked a little odd since he was so tired his sore eyes had began to close partially as he stared at the door. Slowly he moved towards her, half making himself visible, half of him still obscured by the doorframe and wall. Part of him wandering if she was saying that because she wanted him, or just because he had asked.
As he quietly made his way into her room, his hand nervously running through the mess his hair has become, dropping after a moment so both hands where in front of his stomach, fidgeting slightly with the light gray jumper. Catherine didn't look very well, Riley's father said that when they where pregnant they didn't feel very well a lot of the times. It made him feel guilty that he hadn't been there, letting her lock herself away without trying to help her or insist she come out.
Stepping a little closer to her bed, he wanted to lie down beside her, but at the same time he wasn't sure he was ready to be so close to her again. If she just started screaming at him while he tried to get closer to her he wouldn't be able to take it at all. After a moment however he seemed to have built up the needed strength to at least stand beside her, glancing at her and then at the bed. It was more the fact it felt a little unwelcoming with her having shut herself off from everyone, it was like he was forcing her to accept his company because he was lonely and he just wanted to be around her. She seemed perfectly fine without him but that only made him feel more unwelcomed.. or unwanted since she had made it so bluntly clear when she was angry that she hated him for making her pregnant.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
There was a long silence where she half wondered if he hadn't changed his mind about coming into the room. Perhaps after talking with Ben he might have realised that perhaps he didn't want a mutant baby afterall, her hand rested a little more protectivley over her stomach. If she didn't have Riley she didn't really know how she was going to cope. She'd tried and failed to get a job and a baby was going to need loads of things bought for it, clothes, shoes, a cot, it was all a little overwhelming to Cat. She knew she could manage herself but being responsible for another life was a completley different matter. What if she dropped it or something or it was born with more than just a mutant defect, how could she cope with a disabled child? She wasn't even sure she would be able to get along with a normal child. Even with Riley's help she still found it a really daunting prospect, being responsible for another living being.
Her dark eyes looked over to the door, catching sight of Riley hovering about in the doorway, it felt really akward to be this close to him when she wasn't yelling at him. He inched his way into her room as if expecting her to start shouting and screaming at him. One of his hand's running though his hair, he looked really tired, there was a rather guilty thought that the fact that she had been watching television late into the night. Maybe that had been keeping him awake.
Cat's head tipped backwards so she could look up at him as he came to a stop in front of her, his eyes looking down at her then away at the bed. There was another very akward pause in which she looked back down at her stomach again, it was odd to carry a living being around with you where ever you went.
She moved her hands so they were resting down on the bed so she could lift her feet off the floor and slide her body backwards up the bed, moving to one side so there would be room for him to lye down. She stopped, her lower body against the blankets but her torso supported off the bed by her elbows. Her eyes nervously darting up to his and then over at the television, the film was still showing though it was now centered upon the ghost of christmas present.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
Watching as she shifted about a little, his thumb ran along the faint cut that was almost gone now from when he had cut himself on the first morning waking up here. The bed wasn't huge, but at least it was a little wider then Riley's, he had asked her to come rest with him a few days ago but he realized while he was there alone that she'd barely be able to lye comfortably beside him.
After another little pause, he leaned down, keeping his movement's careful and slow as if he might hurt her somehow should he not take his time and be cautious. Because her bed was also not as old as Riley's, it was much more comfortable, though Riley wouldn't complain since his old Initaitive bed was like a rock compared to any of these.
"What are you watching?" His eyes stared down at the screen for a moment while he tried to get comfortably onto the bed without threatening to either fall off or squish Catherine, trying hard to keep a little space between them even though he just wanted nothing more then to have her arms about him and his own about her. His voice sounded a little tired now, a natural reaction from coming onto the bed, as if his body was getting ready to sleep right away.
Riley may not know any of the shows they watch on TV, but a lot of the things where based on live events, or twisted truths.. Like Jack and the bean stalk, the giant wasn't really evil, Jake stole the goose who laid the golden eggs and the world they where from needed the golden eggs to breath life into it. Once Jake stole the magic harp and goose, the world began to die, that's why the giant followed Jake down the bean stalk, he was trying to save his world, not hurt Jake. Of course, Riley didn't know a lot of organisations ran the real events off as fantasy's to make profit, he also wouldn't like to know some of them had been twisted around to make human's the hero's when in truth sometimes they had been the ones causing the harm.
Even the Savage Lands he had once studied had been turned into movies, many different versions, twisted into some fantasy movie about them recreating dinasaurs from DNA or a land lost in time. But the Savage lands was no park, just a world time seemed to have forgotten, and the only genetic experiments done there where on mutants and the primitive people. The sometimes brutal savages had been experimented on, tested on, enslaved, killed and abused for generations by mutants seeking power and domination, mostly by Magneto and Sinister. They had been the mutants that caused Riley to be weary of the entire race, but he learned like humans, and everything else in life.. and death, there where good and bad in every race.
Riley's eyes left the screen after only a passing glance, he didn't like ghosts, not all where bad but all the ones he was called to handle or vanquish where awful, he wanted to just forget about all the terrible things involved with the Initaitive and just remember the good times, the people who he saved and the ones who had thanked him for helping them, even though it was just his job to do it. Slowly his eyes dropped down to the bed, he could just curl up and sleep with her right now.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
He paused for a moment looking as akward as her about all of this as she was. She watched as he moved closer to the bed, lowering himself down onto it, feeling the bed shifting underneath her as he settled himself down into a lying position next to her, though she noticed he was careful not to let his body touch hers. She wondered if that was because he didn't want to touch her or that he was just nervous. Maybe he just wanted to spend some time with his unborn child rather than to be with her.
"What are you watching?" She looked over at the screen as the ghost of christmas present pointed out a small boy through a window, he was lurching bravley along on a crutch. The ghost was telling Scrooge that the boy Tiny Tim would die if he didn't get help soon for his condition. The picture was rather fuzzy and meant it was hard to see the detail on the screen but Cat had seen this film before so it didn't overly concern her.
'A Christmas Carol.' She was about to go on and tell him what happened in the story but then she checked herself and remembered that everyone at least knew the storey even if they hadn't read the book or read the book. He didn't look too enthusiastic about the film either, his eyes soon leaving the screen. Cat let her body settled back against the covers of the bed, she had the pillows propped at such an angle that she could lye and watch television easily. She still wasn't feeling very well, but it was ncie to have someone to talk to rather than just be sat up here by herself all the time.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
The name didn't help him at all, his blank expression returned to the screen for a short moment before he turned his attention towards her arm. It was like if he just stared at it he could will it to do what he wanted, but he looked away as he seemed a little puzzled while staring back at the screen.
"A carol with ghosts?" That alone basically just screamed out that he had no clue what the movie was about, he figured it had something to do with music about Christmas. Riley lifted his eyes to her again, he wandered what she was thinking, he wished everything made sense, why did things have to be so hard?
"..I don't like ghosts.." The mumbled words slipped from his lips as he thought of all the frightful and awful things he had seen some of the worst paranormal phenomenons caused by the lingering spirits. The images didn't help how he was feeling though so he pushed them aside quickly by closing his eyes and turning his attention to Catherine, he didn't see why anyone would want to watch a movie with ghosts in it.
It still felt like there where walls between them, even if there wasn't a door stopping them from seeing each other, Riley tried to think of something else to say, but he was too tired to be coming up with topics to break a silence that had been going on for days. He came here.. wasn't that a big enough effort to repair the damage that had been done? Couldn't she help by at least trying to act like it made a difference to her now that he was here? Just by leaning a little towards him, that's all he wanted, anything, he could fix everything on his own, she had to help. Slowly his tired eyes opened again and simply stared up at her, he didn't really understand movies, even when he knew more about them he wouldn't be able to understand them.. he'd never understand how people could sit down or lie back and entertain themselves with bloody images of other people being killed.
---------
ooc: Sorry it's short, one of Anna's friends are over and he can't speak English.. and he's not leaving.. and I'm alone in the house with him
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
"A carol with ghosts?" She seemed to regretfully tear her eyes away from the screen and look over at him, blinking slightly as she had the idea that he might never have heard that story before. Maybe things were different over here in America but back home in England everyone knew the storey, it was just as much a part of christmas as holly was, or stockings. Christmas couldn't be christmas without "a christmas carol" in her eyes, even when she was small her parents had sat down in front of the television with her and let her watch a muppets christmas carol. There was a pang that ran through her at the thought of her parents, at this time of year you should be with your family and here she was three thousand miles from their graves. It upset her sometimes to think of the fact that there would be no one to put flowers on their graves, she didn't know it but that wasn't strictly true her parents had had freinds in the village and, they'd sometimes go up with flowers, less so now that time had passed since the accident and people's priorites altered.
"..I don't like ghosts.." She didn't like the idea of them either but this was just a film, it wasn't real, films couldn't hurt you, they were just a bit of fun. Cat let her eyes wander over towards Riley again, he was so close and it just felt wrong for them to be this near one another without touching.
'Oh no, these are good ghosts.' She propped her head up on her elbow do she could look at him properly, taking her attention away from the television. 'See, it's based on a book by Charles Dickens. He was an English writer, I think he wrote some other stuff, Great Expectations or something like that.. anyway it's set in London and there's this really horrid old man. He'd spent his whole life being nasty to people and so Scrooges old partner comes back to tell him that he'll be visited by three ghosts and that they'll help him change his ways.' It was unusual for Cat to do so much talking. She wasn't stupid, she just found reading stuff out of books wasn't a very good way for her to learn, she'd have been a lot happier with something she could relate to. it was hard for her to picture things in her mind that they were talking about in physics and chemistry, so it was difficult to understand what it meant.
'So the first ghost to visit him is the ghost of christmas past and she shows him his early life and then the ghost of christmas present shows him things that are happening at the moment. The ghost of christmas past tells him that he'll die alone and unhappy unless he changes.. and he does.' Her voice trailed off at the end, her eyes looking across at Riley. She didn't feel as sick anymore, having him here seemed to help, he took her mind off the feelings inside her.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm'Oh no, these are good ghosts.' There was this place, an old apartment in Los Angeles, that had a ghost there, he was murdered by his mother who didn't want him to run off with his new girlfriend even though they where both in their twenties. The mother murdered both the girl and her son, then killed herself, but she kept her son with her in the apartment even after they both died. She had paid a man to put her body into one of the apartments walls, it stayed there and she tormented her son with decads until a former popular girl freshly from Highschool took up the job while discovering how hard the real world really is and that she can't get everything she wants with a smile and by putting others down.
She was so broke and exhausted that when the son tried to get her to leave so his mother wouldn't hurt her, the girl refused to be scared off. The stubborness of the Highschool graduate soon paid off since the son because her security in the rough neighberhood. Whenever someone tried to enter the apartment and take things or to try and hurt the pretty young girl they had seen about the halls, the ghost would protect her from harm. But when the mother came back, her mind recreating the time her son had fallen in love with someone and tried to run off on her, the mother attempted to kill the girl in many small ways without the girl knowing, all of which her son stopped.
Riley's team had been called in when they picked up the unusual signal which clearly meant a powerful ghost was in that area. They had found the body and gotten rid of it, but the female ghost had killed four of their men, all but one had a sharp object thrown at them, one had been thrown out the window and feel the few stories down. Graham and Riley had their bodies riddled with shattered glass by the end of it, Forrest had to drag them out of the room. Riley would be most glade never to hear the word ghost again since that was one of his more pleasent experiences with them.
'See, it's based on a book by Charles Dickens. He was an English writer, I think he wrote some other stuff, Great Expectations or something like that.. anyway it's set in London and there's this really horrid old man. He'd spent his whole life being nasty to people and so Scrooges old partner comes back to tell him that he'll be visited by three ghosts and that they'll help him change his ways.' That sounded awfully familiar, if not the man's name definitely the christmas ghosts, Riley's mind was split, thinking over something while listing to her speaking. He liked how she was talking to him, it made him feel a little more warmly welcomed, though she still hadn't made any attempted to close the gap between them. Sometimes it felt like he was the one always pushing for this relationship to get back together, sometimes it wa slike she was trying to push him away and he was just too stupid to realize, even when he has to travel all the way to Washington to get her.
'So the first ghost to visit him is the ghost of christmas past and she shows him his early life and then the ghost of christmas present shows him things that are happening at the moment. The ghost of christmas future tells him that he'll die alone and unhappy unless he changes.. and he does.' Well they sounded like alright ghosts, but they also sounded like a twist of the Spirit's of Christmas, though there where Christmas Ghosts who did a similar job.. people who died alone and with a wasted life and before they where permitted to move on they had to show others how to improve their lives so they didn't die alone and unloved as well. There was a difference in the sense that the Spirit's of Christmas came into existance from the need to have guides in that time of year to help point them in the right direction.
Ghosts are the spirits of people who died, or anything that died, doesn't have to be human, Riley saw a shark infesting a pool once, the water dwelling ghost wasn't as dangerous as a more sentiant creatures ghost, but it still could crush anyone who was in the pool with its massive jaw's. Even to this day Riley has no clue how the creature's spirit got there, but had no sympathy for it since it had killed a young girl who had been swimminging in the public pool, plus it drowned two older men and wounded many more.
"Like the Spirit's of Christmas you mean? They search the world for those who need guidance during this time, showing them what has, is and will be if they person doesn't change their way." There was a pause as he shifted about a little, trying not to disturb Catherine too much but at the same time not coping well with being so faraway from her still. "We got a few calls to help get rid of them from people who didn't want to listen, but they're classified as Non-Hostiles so we never interferred." He took in a deep breath as he finished speaking which sounded suspiciously like a yawn, though his face had rested down for a moment.
"You sound like you already know the story though." His other hand reached for his back and unclipped all of them, his discmen falling to the ground accidently. He made a slightly tired groan but had no desire to go and pick it up, since he didn't want his other things to fall to the ground he left them on his belt, the phones weren't too bad since they where slim and small. Slowly his upper body leaned a little more towards her, his eyes where closed as he lightly placed his face against her shoulder whose arm was holding her propped up. Riley just wanted to pull her closer, maybe she'd react more if he just tried to hint a little that he was wanting to give and recieve more contact and comfort from her. He was so exhausted of their fights, couldn't it all go back to how it was the night before all those terrible things happened? His body seemed to try and inch a little closer without making any obvious movements. It would have been nice if she met him half way at least, so it didn't look like he was pushing for something she didn't want.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm"Like the Spirit's of Christmas you mean? They search the world for those who need guidance during this time, showing them what has, is and will be if they person doesn't change their way." There was a pretty and pleased smile that found it's way over her face in response to his question. She seemed to have lost her interest in the film since she wasn't looking over at it anymore. She was glad her and Riley seemed to be having some kind of civilised conversation.. at least they weren't yelling at each other. She wondered if Ben was coming back to the house today, she hoped he wasn't, she didn't like the way he'd just judged her without knowing her.
"We got a few calls to help get rid of them from people who didn't want to listen, but they're classified as Non-Hostiles so we never interferred." Non-hostiles? She wondered where she'd fit in their catagory system, afterall they'd imprisioned her in their cells before without much thought of releasing her. There was a breife thought, wondering if she'd still be there now if it wasn't for the fact Forrest and Graham hadn't helped them escape.
"You sound like you already know the story though." She nodded in response to him, she'd been suprised to learn that the Initive delt with ghosts though, she knew they were into deomon hunting but ghosts were another thing completley. She hadn't really come across one before and she wasn't sure she wanted to see one. The chances were anything that the Iniative was involved in wasn't very nice.
She watched as Riley reached a hand to his belt as he unclipped his walkman, it fell to the ground making a clattering sound, it was followed by a groan from Riley who made no attempt to retrive it. Her heart beat a little quicker as Riley leaned in a little closer to her, his head resting against her shoulder. There was a moment when she didn't move, it was still all so horribly akward but at the same time she could tell by his body language that he seemed terribly lonley and wanted her to comfort him. She felt really guilty over shouting at him now.
The hand that wasn't propping her head up reached down, the tips of her fingers stroking over the skin of his cheek and then moving to run gently through his messy hair. She wanted to say sorry to him but he'd closed his eyes and looked so peacful she didn't want to disturb him, wondering if he'd gone to sleep or not.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
There was a tiny smile that tried to tug at the corner of his lips as her fingers caressed his skin, though it was a little weak since he was was so tired. It was so simple her touch but at the same time it was soothing and comforting, he hadn't had many chances to have her comforting him. Then again they didn't sem to find the time to comfort each other like this, most of the time their form of comfort would be to make love and rest after wards in each others arms, though sometimes it didn't feel like they properly enjoyed the afterglow of the act.
There was one good thing about having Riley as a roommate and that was because he was so quiet, Forrest snored in his sleep and sometimes Riley found himself staring at the ceiling unable to sleep because of the annoying sound vibrating from across the room. But Graham was quiet as well so they both where able to sleep peacefully, though Riley sometimes made noises with his throat, like a groan, when he had nightmares. Martha had been walking by their doors every night since Riley mentioned a few days before that he wasn't sleeping well, if he sounded restless she'd always walk in with a hot chocolate as if somehow that would make everything better. She'd never know if Catherine was awake or asleep since the TV or music was always on and when it was turned off it was normally too late for Martha to comfortably go in and check on her.
The sounds of the TV slowly faded away though it was hard to realize he had fallen asleep since his mind was continuing to register the fact he was closely against Catherine. For Riley, the time seemed almost instant from when he felt her fingers against his cheek to a moment later when the front door swang, the voices his parents calling out for Emily to check on Heather and see if her bowl of water and food needed any filling. Although Riley's eyes had partially opened, momentarily only seeing the black of Catherine's jumper, he closed them again since it hurt too much to have them open, the drowsy feel forcing them to shut again.
Emily's voice could be heard singing out excitedly, wanting to know if Catherine was around and if she could give her presents to them now. Martha was trying to quieten her saying they where probably busy and the rustling of bags could be heard as she asked Emily to help unpack the shopping. Part of Riley wanted to get up and drag himself down stairs to see if he could raid any of the nibbles or if everything was for the dinners. But another part just wanted to bury himself even deeper against Catherine and go back to sleep.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
It didn't take too long for Cat to drift of either, her body eagerly taking the chance to replenish some of the energy she'd lost since she was last asleep. Inside her her body was hurridley creating the child that they'd never know, it would never experience life since it's chance would be stolen away from it by the Initiative. Everyone would be so happy over christmas that they'd never suspect what would happen on new years eve when Cat would spend the night fighting for her life on a hospital bed which surgeons desperatley tired to save her.
While she was sleeping her body instinctivley inched a little closer to Riley, their knees touching and her face lying near to his. She didn't wake up at first when everyone came back to the house, her eyes remaining stubbornly shut even when she did awake. If anyone came upstairs the sight of them both resting so peacfully would have been an endiring one, especially if they knew the fact that the couple hadn't been getting on very well with each other recently.
She snuggled a little closer to him still in an effort to block out the sounds that were coming from downstairs. Cat knew his parents knew she was carrying Riley's baby but she didn't know when he'd told them. She was a little dissipointed though since she'd like to have been there when they were told.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
Although the sounds of footsteps where heard making their way up the stairs, Riley ignored them, Catherine's movement's had caused him to squint open his eye just a little against the bright glare, the blurry image of Catherine's face, with her eyes still closed and no signs of getting up and leaving him, meant that Riley could relax again. Although his parents where coming to insist they both come down and spend the day out of their rooms and mingling with the family, neither had the heart to wake them and slightly closed the door so it was open only a tiny bit.
After that the house seemed to go a little more quiet, though soft Christmas tunes had began to play quietly from the living room as Emily helped add the new gold star they had gone out and brought since the old one was so old the gold had faded and it was silver with faint cracks, and one of the tips where broken off. While Martha's parents helped with most of the Christmas food and other odds and ends, Jonathan's parents (who owned a small olive grove) had organised a nice tree, even though it was very big, but it was still a beautiful tree. They always brought a lot of drinks and some small dish dishes of salades or hot foods and other things to nibble at, it was yet another good thing about having a large family, it meant everyone could help pinch in.
There was a gentle knocking at the door a few hours later as dinner was slowly approaching, Jonathan had a cleaning rag over his right shoulder as he leaned into the room. Martha hadn't wanted to disturb them, she had hoped they'd get up on their own, but with Riley's lack of sleep over the past few nights this moment of rest with Catherine was helping him recharge his batteries a great deal, both physically and mentally.
"Guests are going to be coming soon kids, might wonna start getting ready for dinner, put the hot water on already," Riley frowned a little as his mind slowly began to wake, what guests.. Ben again? He groaned a little, his arm had drapped itself over Catherine's waist recently as they slept, so his fingers trailed over the dark fabric of her top while he pulled his hand from her and moved them away to rub his tired eyes.
"Who are the guests?" There was a little spark of hope that since Ben had hated Riley's company so much last night, that he wouldn't be back again, besides, he might be off with his wifes family now. Riley pushed his upper body a little off the bed with his elbow so he could look back sleepily at his father.
"Everyone, it's Christmas eve, come on you two," Jonathan left the room, his feet thudding down the stairs as he called out to them again "Everyone's looking forward to meeting you two." It was a hint that they might want to start getting ready since they would most likely be the center of attention the instant everyone starts to arrive.
The news wasn't the most exciting for Riley, he'd already been rather snappish towards his parents the last few days, they mst be worried he's going to be short tempered with the others as well. He felt really bad, even before, which only made him more upset after he argued, well, he wasn't feeling bad for arguing wth Ben, that jerk deserved it. Though Martha and Jonathon where surprised that the two best friends would have changed their views on each other so drastically. Though it wasn't Riley's fault, Riley didn't even remember Ben, all Riley knew of his cousin was that he had said all those horrible things about Catherine and their baby.
Looking back towards Catherine, he smiled a little, this is what he had wanted for so long, to lay with her, not because they bribed each other with the thought of making love, but because they where both needing the other's company. Leaning slightly closer to her, his hand that wasn't holding him up reach for the side of her head, the tips of his fingers stroking likely through her hair.
"I'm going to go wash up then," But he didn't want to leave, he just wanted to shut the world out and curl up with her for longer. The sleep seemed to do him excellently, although his hair really looked like he'd slept for weeks since normally it wasn't so untidy, he really ought to stop wearing those silly hats, but they helped him feel as if he could hide himself away just by lowering his head, the caps front would stop others from seeing his face.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm"Guests are going to be coming soon kids, might wonna start getting ready for dinner, put the hot water on already," She awoke with a little start, wondering for a moment where she was before she remembered, letting her tensed muscles relax. There was a slight blush as she realised it was Riley's dad who was speaking and that she was lying on a bed with his son. Her eyes moved over to Riley's face before they wandered away to his fathers figure .... what guests? She didn't really want to meet any new people, she hoped it was just his grandparents even if she'd only met them a once. As long as it wasn't that Ben person who's told Riley she'd give birth to a deformed child. She didn't want to meet him, how could she be nice to someone who'd she'd heard say horrible things about her and her unborn baby.
"Who are the guests?" It seemed Riley had the same thoughts as her, maybe he didn't want Ben to be there either. She realised for the first time when Riley moved his arm that it had been drapped over her waist as they slept. She wondered if he'd put it there on purpose or done it while they were asleep. The television was still playing but it was showing a chat show now, talking to a couple, one of which was a mutant and the other a human and the host was talking about how they delt with a relationship together. Some of the audience weren't being too nice to the couple though, they seemed to think that mutant should be with mutants and people with people. To Cat though it didn't really matter, you lived with whoever you loved, she didn't care Riley had been genetically altered just as he didn't mind that she carried the mutant gene.
"Everyone, it's Christmas eve, come on you two," Everyone? Who did that include? At least she didn't feel sick anymore, her eyes looking across at the brown apple that Riley had brought her that morning. She wondered what time it was, she felt really hungry though and if there were going to be people coming around their would be food right. "Everyone's looking forward to meeting you two." The word meet didn't make her feel much better, that indicated that there would be people there that she didn't know. She looked over at Riley rather nervously, hoping that she could just hide away in a corner somewhere so no one would pay much attention to her.
She watced as his dad dissapeared off leaving the two of them alone once again. One of her hands nervously tugged at the bed covers beneath her, she stopped however when she felt his fingers stroking lightly through her hair, her dark eyes centering in on his.
"I'm going to go wash up then," There was a slight nodd of her head, her body remaining where it was for a moment before she pushed her self up so she was sitting on the bed, her eyes looking down at Riley. She wished they didn't fight so much, if they just got on better things would be so much easier.
'Ummm right.. I'll get ready as well then.' For her however that would probably be dragging a comb through her hair and peering out of the window to try and catch a glimpse of any of the guests that were coming.
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
Pulling himself off the bed, he stretched a little as he moved towards the door, slowing as he remembered his Discman and spinning about to scoop it up off the floor. Riley pulled out his old phone, since it looked the same as his new one he had to open the front to look at the screen. There was a picture of him, his new one didn't have one yet, though he might use the picture of Forrest and Graham. He looked really happy in this picture, Angela had been laying on the ground and he was looked down at her, he was grinning with both his thumbs touching, his index fingers where pointing out but his other fingers where curled closed.
The sky was a really nice blue and you could just see the top of the green hedges, he had his gray jumper on again but the sleeves where pushed half way up his arm. You could tell he had recently had a shower because some of his fringe curled a little onto his forehead, though most of his hair was dry by then. It was lunchtime, Catherine had just left with her friend and Riley was keeping the girls company while he waited for the War Room meeting to start. He had a right to be happy, he had made love to Catherine and they had talked, he had been a little disappointed that she had gone out, but she was with someone... he tried not to worry too much about her, keeping his phone handy incase she needed to call him.
"Um, while I remember, Angela said you could keep her old SIM card from her mobile since she isn't using it, I thought you could put it in my old phone, I need to destroy the one that's already in here," As he said that, he placed down the Discman on the bed and let his fingers fiddle with the back of the phone "Just incase.. anyway, I thought it would be useful for you, it's already paid off so it wouldn't be any extra charges for you, I just thought maybe it would be good if you had a phone to keep in touch." He knew she wasn't keen on him giving her expensive things, but he had gotten this for himself and Angela said he could have the card from her phone since she doesn't use it, as long as she got the outer case since her father had brought it for her.
"It's a nice phone.." He didn't want it to go to waste, especially now that he could see how much trouble his parents where having money wise, it was hard to understand the value of money when you had so much given to you when you already had little need for it since when he was living on the farm they basically produced everything they ate or swapped it for other stuff they needed. Since the phone was full of special extras, it had a different chip that stored all of the special features like the camera's small film clips or still photo's and recorded sounds and all sorts of other things that you don't really need in a phone. Dropping the phone onto the bed once he removed the tiny card from its back, picked up his Discman again.
"You can delete the sound files and the added ring tones and the photos and I might have a few short film clips in there still, I copied everything from there onto here so I don't mind." It had been the reason he had kept hold of this phone instead of tossing it away like the others he destroyed, whether it was willingly or by accident his phones always got ruined somehow. And last time Catherine called him she had been at a pay phone out in the cold, he didn't want her to use payphones, what if one day she didn't have the change to call him?
"Oh, and every call you make under 5 minutes is free, and you send four SMS's a day and two photo's a day for free." He added as he turned to move out of the room, so if she used the phone carefully, like he did, then she wouldn't even have to pay for any more charges on the phone, besides, he couldn't really imagine talking to anyone for 5 minutes.. He hasn't lived so far away from Catherine since he met her though and have phone access to her, if he could call her while she was gone he'd probably be content talking for an hour even if it was about nothing.
He didn't really wait around to have her refuse his offer of the phone, he flashed her a grin as he disappeared into his room and dropped everything onto his bed before searching his room for something to wear. He didn't know it was almost six, it was going to be dark soon, that meant people where be on their ways and arriving the next 3 hours. Normally they arrive late Christmas Eve and stay all of Christmas day, but only Ben, his family and Emily where staying, and Ben was only staying because he didn't want his kid sister frolicking with freaks on her own.
The time in the shower was quick, he kept worrying that one of his parents might walk in on him, which was silly since they'd be able to hear the shower running, but he was being a little paranoid with the thought since he wasn't used to living with so many people. He wouldn't care if it were Catherine.. he might be a little shyer now after how she had yelled at him but she had already seen him undressed before.
On his way out, he had new pair of dark jeans on, he seemed to like jeans and now that he had the money he would by all sorts. Well he only really started this recently, earlier it was just when he needed them, but Angela and Dawn had taken him shopping saying it ought to cheer him up since it cheers them up. It didn't really, but it helped keep his mind off things and Catherine who had been grouchy with him over his questions about the baby. He had a habit now to grab new jeans if he past one that was a different shade to the ones he had, that way he had more then just the black and blue jeans he tends to stick with. These black jeans had the same style as his other ones only the thighs where faintly with a dark navy blue colour.
His dark blue shirt had black shoulders and a black strip ran down the sides of his shirt, as well as around his collar, he was drying his hair was he walked out of the backroom in his black socks. He hovered between his room and Cat's, facing the stairs as he called down to his mother who could be heard fixing things in the kitchen.
"Mum!" Riley stopped drying his hair for a moment as he called out for Martha "Do you need any help?" 'No Dear' was heard being called back in a rather amused tone as if the thought of him helping her in the kitchen was somehow strange. "...Does Dad need help?" Emily's voice called out this time, saying that she was helping him with the Christmas decorations. Sulkily Riley thought for a moment, then slowly made his way down the stairs to look about at what Emily and his dad where doing, they where putting coloured fairy lights onto the tree, and he had set up small white fairy lights along the edge of the ceiling on thin little nails that where there from years ago.
Hurrying back up the stairs after watching them testing the lights, he didn't like how they blinked so much, he moved back to Catherine's doorway and knocked lightly on it, he smiled a little, but dropped his gaze away after a moment and stared at the ground as he thought.
"I.. I've been trying to find a time to tell you but I only remembered my condition recently and I keep forgetting to tell you, and.. and I just remembered again," He looked up at her when he started mumbling "Do you mind if I talk with you while everyone's busy, it's such a silly and stupid thing and Forrest used to always make fun of it and it's nothing really.." He didn't like talking about this, it was very uncomfortable at all since Forrest had found it so highly amusing about his condition towards flashing lights. Of course he didn't just walk into a room and pass out at the first glance of a flashing light, but it he was there for a few minutes he'd get a head ache, and passing out was the lucky result of it, in some cases he could just enter a state where he comes totally unresponsive and even though it looks like he is awake he'd be unable to move or speak or register much of what was happening around him, almost as if he's entered some form of coma but with his eyes open.
And Riley hardly wanted to risk anything like that happening while he wasn't on any form of medication and surrounded by people, no one knew about his condition aside from his friends now and that meant if something happened they wouldn't know what was wrong or how to help him. It was very simple to help him, in most cases when one is put into that state they can be brought out by the same blinking light that had knocked them out. It was all very humiliating though, everyone was so scared of how strong his was but he could be knocked out by Christmas lights.
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
Cat shifted her position about so she was sitting with her legs folded under her, her face looking over at where Riley was standing. He'd pulled out his phone, his diskman still held in his other hand, his eyes looking down at the phone, she wondered if they'd slept though him getting a message or missed a call or something. He didn't seem to be pressing any buttons though, just looking down at the screen.
"Um, while I remember, Angela said you could keep her old SIM card from her mobile since she isn't using it, I thought you could put it in my old phone, I need to destroy the one that's already in here," He was giving her a phone? She'd never really thought about having a phone before. There was a look of excitement about her though at the thought of having her own mobile phone even though she didn't have anyones numbers. She didn't understand that when she put Angela's sim card in their the numbers would stay on the card so she'd have loads of peoples numbers, most of whom she didn't know. "Just incase.. anyway, I thought it would be useful for you, it's already paid off so it wouldn't be any extra charges for you, I just thought maybe it would be good if you had a phone to keep in touch." She wondered why he wanted to destoy the sim card in the back of his phone, not really thinking about the fact that the Initiative might have been able to track him using the signal. She seemed to have sat up a bit taller, looking over at Riley her eyes watching as he fiddled around with the phone. She looked almost as if she might snatch it out of his hands in a moment if she didn't give it to her. She might not like he giving her things but this was something she really really wanted.
"It's a nice phone.." She wouldn't have cared if it was a brick, it was still much better than she had at the moment. When she'd been living Washington people found it hard to get in contact with her to change plans and she often didn't find out that plans had been altered till the last moment if she got the word at all. "You can delete the sound files and the added ring tones and the photos and I might have a few short film clips in there still, I copied everything from there onto here so I don't mind." She'd stopped listening to him though, her whole attention focused on the movement of the phone. She watched him drop it onto the bed, looking at the two halves of the phone, with an expression that hinted that in a moment she might just pounce on it. "Oh, and every call you make under 5 minutes is free, and you send four SMS's a day and two photo's a day for free." That sounded good, she wasn't sure who she could call other than Angie, Nina and Brad. She couldn't send Nina or Brad a text message because she didn't have their numbers. He flashed her a grin and vannished off down the hall towards the bathroom and a minute later she heard the sound of running water.
Her hand reached over and rather tenativley took hold of the phone... took hold of her phone. She settled back down again her hands exploring the delicate instument, her hands reached over to pick up angela's phone. So she had to take the sim card from Angela's phone and put it in her one, it sounded easy enough. It turned out to be hard though, her fingers fruitlessly trying to open the back of the phone case. She couldn't be blamed though since she'd never opened a phone before and it was just getting the nack of it. It was beginning to infuriate her when Riley got back out of the shower again. There was a strong instinct that she should just hurl the damn thing at the wall, it was Angela's phone though and it didn't belong to her.
"Mum!" She paused in her wrestling match with the spotty phone her eyes looking over towards her door, realising she hadn't made any effort to get ready and they had guest coming soon. "Do you need any help?" She scrambled off the bed, hurrying over to the TV and switching it off, silencing the sounds that were coming from it. Her brush was lying next to the television and she quickly pulled it through her hair a couple of times. "...Does Dad need help?" Her attention turned back to the phones that lay on her bed, she could ask Riley to help her open the back of the phone, it had looked so easy when he'd done it with his own phone. She was sure there was just a nack to it that she hadn't picked up yet. Cat realised she was really hungry, she'd not eaten all day and her body was using up nutrients in order to create the new ball of life forming inside her.
"I.. I've been trying to find a time to tell you but I only remembered my condition recently and I keep forgetting to tell you, and.. and I just remembered again," Riley had come back upstairs again and entered the room, he looked agitated but just at the moemtn Cat's attention seemed to be more focused upon the phone she was trying to prise open. "Do you mind if I talk with you while everyone's busy, it's such a silly and stupid thing and Forrest used to always make fun of it and it's nothing really.." She suddenly realised he wanted to talk with her about something that seemed quite serious, what was it he had said, his condition? She wondered what that meant, was he sick? Her attempts at opening the back of the phones ceased as she looked over at him.
'Whats wrong? Are you ill?'
Cat: Can there be any hope for us after all thats happened?
Re: The Day Before Christmas - Calm before the Storm
It hadn't been his intention to get her worried, he wasn't used to talking with people about being sick, and normally everyone knew if something was wrong with him, often someone else knew long before he did since the doctors would always study, test and scan him for anything. Stepping into her room, he turned around rather slowly, seeming to take his time, he didn't really know how to explain it without making him sound like a completely pathetic idiot. His hands pushed the door closed, his thoughts distracting him enough so that it was a moment longer before he turned around and looked at her again.
"It's nothing serious, it really is stupid.. you're probably going to laugh at it." It sounded as if he rather ashamed of whatever was wrong with him, it was so stupid, he hated it so much he wished he had taken better care of himself now and got the stupid medication, but he hasn't needed it and it's been over half a year now since he went off his meds.
"I.." Hesitantly he forced the sound to come from his lips, but seemed to allow himself to get distracted with the phone in her hands. Riley moved a little close to her, reaching out and taking hold of the animal patterned phone, gently pulling it from her hands as he opened it.
"I have this thing call Photo Sensitivity Syndrome," His eyes focused on the phone while he spoke, his fingers pulling out her SIM card and closing the case again "..which means.. I, um.. I don't deal well with flashing lights." His voice seemed to become a little quieter, he didn't want his parents to know since they where going through all the trouble of fixing up their house and then he comes back and he's got a stupid condition that will ruin their pretty decorations.
"The Meds the Initiative gave me kept it treated, but then I went off the Meds and I didn't remember until recently but there wasn't ever a need to go and get the medication since I dealt alright for the past few months without it." There was another side to that, it wasn't just that he had put it off over the last few days, "I guess.. I also didn't want to go back on any kind of drugs." He dropped the phone back on the bed and picked up the new one he was giving her, fixing the SIM card into it while he continued speaking.
"Last week when Angela was singing at the Dying Star and they took me with them to get out of the school, they had those bright flashing lights at the club at one point and I passed out, but they all thought I was drunk and they had Heath and Connor take me home," He should have gone down to the Medical bay then but he got distracted with meeting Catherine in the hall and he had excitedly asked her how she was doing and if they could talk about the baby.. and that encounter didn't go too well.. "I can take out demons and vampires, ghouls and ghosts and all sorts of horrible creatures and then someone turns on a stupid Christmas tree and I'm out cold or in some semi-coma state." He waved his arm in a gesture of frustration as he sounded upset and sat down on the bed, hi s eyes still down on the phone as he added the password to gain access and went to security options to delete Angela's old password.
"If I don't go into Town now and get the medication I might have a problem when they start turning on the lights, they look all excited and I'm going to ruin everything for them." He was glade they where talking again, if Catherine had still been locked away in her room when he needed to talk with her about this he probably would have refused to leave his room the entire night and all of tomorrow and he would hurt his parents and everyone who was coming to meet him.
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