Glad For You

Participants:

odessa_icon.gif richard3_icon.gif

Scene Title Glad For You
Synopsis Richard shares details of his busy life with Odessa.
Date April 25, 2019

PISEC


Richard is greeted in the visitor’s center with a tight embrace. It looks more like a cafeteria than a prison, with tables scattered around the room and vending machines against one wall. “I’m so glad to see you,” Odessa chimes, leading her friend to the table closest to the entrance. A guard sits at a desk not far away, politely disinterested in their conversation.

There’s dirt under Odessa’s nails and a smudge of it under her chin. But she looks healthy and… happy. “I saw Elisabeth.” She smiles and grabs a seat, tucking her hands into the pockets of her blue track jacket. “She said you’d been busy. You look good.”

The embrace is returned fiercely, held for a long moment before Richard lets her escape it; moving to step along after her towards the table, shaking his head. He’s dressed business-like today, in the suit he wears for day to day work at Raytech - it wouldn’t do to show up to this odd prison dressed casual, after all.

“Yeah, with the hydro center opening and the World’s Fair coming up,” he admits, “And… other issues, yeah, we’ve been busy as hell.” He eases down to sit, offering her a faint smile, “Been missing you, though. Sorry I didn’t come earlier.”

“Hey,” Odessa leans over and rests a hand on Richard’s arm, giving a reassuring squeeze, “it’s okay. I understand.” She smiles and leans back in her seat again. “That all sounds terribly exciting. I’m sorry I’m missing it.” Not that she could have presented anyway, but she’d have loved to have her work on display. It was important to her. To a lot of people, she expects.

“What’s new with you? Beyond work stuff, I mean.”

“Can you make phone calls? We could attach a camera to a Spot and have it walk around with me at the fair,” Richard suggests with a raise of both brows, “You could see all the new advances and such.”

He shrugs one shoulder, “Getting used to things. Liz being back, mom being here, all that… ah, me and Liz are getting married.”

“I can, actually. They cost an arm and both fucking legs, but I can make video calls.” Odessa chuckles at the thought of being attached to a Spot. “Are you sure it’s short enough for the Authentic Odessa Experience?” she teases.

And then he drops that bomb. “You’re— You’re what?” Fortunately, she doesn’t look upset, just stunned.

“They can put it on my tab,” Richard replies with a twitch of his lips, “I’ll talk to the Warden about a line of credit.”

One hand comes up then to rub against the back of his head, admitting sheepishly, “She— I mean, she kind of asked, and… well. I figured why not, you know…?”

“Who knows what’ll happen my ass,” Odessa quips good-naturedly. “I knew you two would try and make it official.” She smiles, albeit not without a hint of sadness. “Good for you. Both of you. I’m glad for you.”

Hands slip out of pockets to fidget together in her lap instead. “The director here is a real nice guy. He let me have a plot in the garden and he gave me a book. He’s been real good about letting me have what I need to feel… sane and comfortable.” So she expects establishing a line of credit won’t be an issue for Richard.

“When’s the wedding?”

“Good. If this place ended up like one of the… previous prisons they’ve had,” Richard’s lips purse, but he dismisses it with a shake of his head. It didn’t. So that’s important. “I’m glad that it’s doing well, is there anything you need that I can get?”

A slight raise of his brows, and then he chuckles, “Not sure yet.”

“Well, you let me know how it goes, whenever it happens.”

There’s a shake of the blonde’s head, a little wry twist upward of one corner of her mouth. “This place is no Moab.” That was its own special kind of hell, and it wound up… even worse. “I’m doing real well here, actually. The kids give me drawings and Mateo and Lynette are petitioning to get me a piano…”

Odessa tips her head to one side, amusement in her eyes. “Maybe a shag carpet?”

“A shag carpet, hm?” Richard can’t help but grin, eyebrows going up, ‘I’ll see what I can do— I’ll talk to the man in charge and see what I’m allowed to move in here.” One hand comes up to rub at his chin, glancing around as the grin fades, “I wish I could’ve managed something… more, but. At least you’re doing okay…”

Back to her, “Better than being on the run?” Less hotel room getaways, though.

“Surprisingly, yes. I mean, this place has consistent electricity, running water… No Alister Black to talk down to me while claiming it’s a compliment.” Odessa cracks a small grin at that. “Don’t get me wrong, I miss being able to come and go as I please.” The grin fades quickly. “But there’s security in this that I didn’t have before.”

She looks down at her hands and asks in a quiet voice, “Do you think my mom… do you think she’d be proud of me? For doing the right thing?”

“Yes.” Richard reaches over across the table, fingers folding over hers as he says softly and seriously, “She absolutely would be, and I’m sure she is proud of you, ‘Des. All she wanted was for you to do the right thing— we all know what would’ve happened if you’d’ve stayed on the run too long.”

Someone would’ve taken her in, and she would’ve said yes. And it would’ve been the wrong people.

He doesn’t realize how close she came to doing exactly that. And she doesn’t know how close she is to it right now. Every step Odessa takes in the world seems to be a precarious one.

Odessa closes her eyes and turns her hand so she can fit it in his, squeezing gently. “It’s lonely here,” she admits, “but not as lonely as it was before. At least now, I know people will come to visit when they can. Before, nobody dared to.” She’s still amazed SESA wasn’t just following Richard around. Who knows, maybe they were.

“Do me a favor, okay? Buy the kids some ice cream and say it’s from their Auntie Dessa.”

Richard lifts a brow. He visited! Of course, that’s not what she meant, and he knows it. He returns the gentle squeeze of her hand, fingers curling neatly with hers.

“I will,” he promises, “I will. And we’ll get a phone call going, they can see you, we can face-call or whatever. So have you met any of the other— er, inmates? Getting along with people?”

“I… kind of keep to myself. I don’t get the impression that the others consider me a victim of circumstance.” Odessa had hoped there’d be a bit more sympathy. But then again, she’s not really giving anyone a chance to be sympathetic. After Mohinder’s testimony, she’s wary.

“The Renautas girl, though… She looks like she needs a friend.” Not that Odessa would be a welcome one, but the observation stands.

“She probably does,” Richard admits, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Her brother’s pretty fucked up over this whole thing, they’re keeping her negated and they’ve never been telepathically separated this long before. She refused to testify in her own defense, even though Kyle had already told her everything he knew.”

A certain pointed look there, one brow raising slightly before he lets that moment - and whatever hidden message might be there - pass. “She’s very much a victim of circumstance, though, you might find a friend there too. You could use one that isn’t on the outside yourself.”

Odessa nods slowly, taking in what that implies about Kyla Renautas’ situation. “I’ll reach out to her. Hopefully her brother can arrange a visit.” There must be something going on if the sister refused to testify, when she could have been on the outside if she had. No one wants to be here. And Odessa saw the way the girl cried when they were brought here. Kyla especially doesn’t want to be here.

“How’s Kaylee? I was… hoping to see her at the trial.” If she’s disappointed, it doesn’t show in her face or her tone. “I understand why she would have stayed away.” Admitting that they know each other because of Adam Monroe doesn’t seem like the smartest thing to admit to. It’s probably about the only charge she wasn’t brought up on.

“She’s…” Richard grimaces, giving his head a tight shake, “She’s not doing great. Her and Joseph are— separated.”

His gaze drops down to her hand, and then he looks back up to her, “She’s going through a lot right now, and I don’t really know how to help her other than to give her the room she needs… I think she was feeling trapped, or— I don’t know. She’s going to be working with the cops, surrendered her position at the company.”

“I think they try to keep telepaths off the stand, too,” he admits, in regards to the trial.

“Shit,” Odessa mutters under her breath, shaking her head sadly at the news of her friend. “I’m really sorry to hear that. Please send her my love. If she wants to talk about it, she knows where to find me.” That’s a small attempt at humor.

“She’ll… Kaylee needs to spread her wings. She always has. Once she gets a little freedom, she’ll figure out what she wants.” Maybe she’ll go back to her husband. Maybe she’ll come back to Raytech. Odessa can’t say. Maybe Kaylee will discover those things are what confine her. Odessa sympathizes.

“I’ll tell her,” Richard promises, giving her hand a squeeze, “And I’m sure she’ll stop by soon… and that’s what I’m hoping.” He shakes his head a little, “I just hope she knows she has me, and her family, still. No matter what.”

A brow quirks up, “And that goes for you, too. You need anything, you let us know.”

“Thanks, Richard.” His hand is squeezed in return. “You’ve done so much for me already… I don’t know if I can ever repay it, but I’ll try. By not screwing this up.” It’s about all she can do for anyone at this point. Odessa smiles briefly. Her gaze lowers to her lap.

“I asked the director if… If I could see J- See Woods.” She’s afraid to hope for it, but there’s hope in her expression all the same. “I had no idea he was even alive. He was… under my nose the whole fucking time I was with the Institute and I had no idea.” That part hurts. “Maybe… Maybe you could talk to someone. A lawyer? About appealing his conviction. He deserves a chance at parole.”

Especially since the court decided she of all people still deserves a chance to return to society.

“I can have Jared look into his case, but…” Richard’s lips twist in a grimace, “The courts aren’t exactly… generous with people in his situation. I’ll do what I can, though, I promise. I don’t know what the exact sentence is but I’ll have it looked into.”

He raises a brow, then, “And you don’t need to repay me, Odessa, not for any of it. The best repayment I can think of is for you to be happy, and find peace somehow.”

Odessa runs her tongue over her teeth, still staring down. “I know it’s probably… not possible. I get that. But I have to try. Someone has to try. He’s a good person.” Not that that’s ever meant anything. Good people do bad things. Sometimes bad people do good things. Odessa’s been on both sides.

“When I saw him in that courtroom… He feels it too.” Blue eyes lift to settle on Richard’s face. Silently, she’s begging him to confirm that she’s right, even though she knows he can’t. Even though she knows it’s unfair to ask him to tell her that another man loves her. “I saw it. I just… If I can just see him, I know we’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know him,” Richard admits slowly, “I mean, you’d mentioned him, but— that courtroom was the first time I’d ever met the man. I can’t say how he feels, or if he’s a good person, or— what. I trust your judgement, though.”

Only a little white lie there. She has a history of trusting the wrong people.

“Hopefully they let you visit him, I’ll…” He offers her a faint smile, “Like I said, I’ll have Jared look into it.”

One of Odessa’s hands closes into her fist, angry with herself and feeling foolish. “Thanks,” she replies simply. She heaves out a great sigh. It’s an alternative to the stream of expletives she’s directing to herself in her own head.

“I’m glad things are going well for you, considering what we’ve been through the last… year or so.” While her smile is a sad one, the sentiment behind it is genuine. She is glad that he’s got good things happening in his life. Even if she can’t fully be a part of them.

“They’re going better than they were. Being proven right about everything that seemed so crazy… that helps,” Richard says with a shake of his head, a faintly sad smile of his own as he looks back at her.

Fingers squeeze to hers, and he says quietly, “You were the only person that never doubted me, Des. And I’ll never forget that.”

Blue eyes lift to settle on Richard’s face. “Of course. I mean… You believed me when I told you about all the things I was experiencing. There aren’t many who would have.” Not until the visions started for everyone else, at least. Odessa sighs quietly.

“Thanks for coming to visit. It means a lot to me.”

“Yeah, well,” Richard offers over quietly, “You mean a lot to me, so, it’s only fair. I’ll be back to visit when I can— I’m sure the others will too. We’re not just going to abandon you.”

“I know.” She pauses, a small smile creeping up. “I know.” For the first time in her life, Odessa finally has a family.


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