Participants:
| Scene Title | Hen Talk |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Abby and Kaylee have a late night talk about the dream Abby witnessed. It leads to a discussion about nightmares and the men in their lives. |
| Date | January 25, 2011 |
Every person gets them. They say it's the minds way of cataloging and dealing with the amount of information that an individuals see's over a day. Influenced by what we watch, some swear by what we eat. Beware that quesidilla you had just before going to bed.
For some, sleeping is something they look forward to and make it through the night with nary a peep or a movement. Dead to the world, sleeping like a log. For some it's a fleeting thing, filled with terrors and horrors, worries that have sunk their fingers into the crevices of the mind and don't relinquish it's hold till your dripping in sweat and a scream is dying in on your lips. These days, you also have dreamwalkers to contend with. Not even ones dreams are sacred.
Hundred of feet below the ground, buried beneath the rubble and snow that coat the surface of midtown, insulated from the cold by artificial heat and natural from bodies and behind doors of steel lays one of the last bastions of the Ferry network. It's not uncommon to see people up and about, keeping an eye on things even in the dead of night, possible early morning. With the threat of evolved detecting robots roaming, searching for those who illegally reside within the cordoned off zone not to mention an emergency that may come barreling down the halls, there's always someone up.
To a telepath, the people that reside here are whispers compared to what she would be getting if she were up top. But they're still noise and in the sea of dreamers and actives down here, the mental scream of a sleeper coming back up to the surface of consciousness isn't hard to hear or too hard to block out. It dies down, a familiar enough mind to the Kaylee, down to the active rumble of others - She's a little noisier mentally than most, Peter could attest - and she's soon passing down the hall, past the room that the ferry teep occupies, likely heading to the kitchen.
Blue eyes watch the passing of a silhouette across the doorway, heart still thumping hard against her chest. Kaylee Thatcher was already somewhat awake when that scream ripped through her head. A quick check told her who it was and brows furrowed thoughtfully. After a moment of consideration, Kaylee slowly extracted herself from the arm draped over her stomach and slid out of the bed she shared with Joseph.
Well, she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, anyhow.
Sliding on her leather jacket over the less then flattering clothing she used for sleep and tucking socked feet into shoes quietly, she moves to follow Abigail. After making sure that the covers were in place to keep the Pastor warm, of course.
Wrapping the jacket around her tight and folding arms around it as well, Kaylee gives a little shiver almost tempted to go back to the warmth of the bed. Curiosity wins out and she makes her way to the kitchen. "Abby?" she speaks the name softly, even if it echos a little, concern heavy in her tone.
Nowhere near as bundled up as Kaylee is, Abigail turns as Kaylee's questioning use of her voice, turning on her toes to look towards the blonde. Damp, drying as she goes, flannel bottoms and a long sleeved short, bare feet on the floor. It's nice being your own heater, she's discovering that it's not all bad with what she was scientifically blessed with.
"Sorry, though I was quiet. You should go back to bed Kaylee, I'm just getting some tea" Likely get her shoes too and go for a jog around the concourse since there's not really any television to watch down here or any husband to stare at longingly like some sparkly vampire.
"You screamed," comes the tired reply, finger tapping at her temple, as Kaylee moves closer to the other blonde. A brushes at the sleep in the corner of her eye. "I wouldn't be a friend if I didn't come here and find out what's up." She turns to where the dishes are placed and extracts two cup.
"Make enough for two. I wasn't really fully asleep anyhow." It's admitted ruefully, almost embarrassed. "The nightmares make it tough for me to sleep." Kaylee sets the cups down near the other blonde. "Just… don't tell Joseph?" A small hint of a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. It's one of the few things she doesn't really talk about to him. There is enough guilt in him over how long it took to find her.
"Oh" Oh. That scream. Guilty as charged, she nods as she draws on some water into a pot so that she can turn on the burner and start heating up water. "It's a common occurrence Kaylee, Peter got used to it. Robert.. I slept better beside Robert. Don't knwo why, maybe because I felt safe around him"
The air is cool, not cold, but cool and she moves closer to Kaylee so that she can share her own currently innate warmth with the blonde. "I just get up, have some tea, I go back to sleep eventually. Was just.. just a bad dream is all. Makes me wish Hokuto would stick her nose in and smack me on the nose like some bad dog for getting to the state I'm in again"
Blonde brows tip down thoughtfully at the name, though thankful for the warmth. "Hotuko," Kaylee murmurs. "That is…" The telepath cuts off suddenly, giving a shake of her head. It's been years since she thought about the dreamwalker and almost said so. It's hard to keep something like that to herself.
Kaylee falls into silence watching Abby work.
"I never really had nightmares til recently." It's a calculated start to the conversation, Kaylee watching the other woman. "Always the same one." She tucks hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "A man named Samuel, pulling a whole building down on top of me."
There is a soft sigh, Kaylee grimaces. "You'd think after, I don't know, five years? That a nightmare like that would go away."
It takes Abby a few moments to remember that Kaylee has snagged those extra five years and much like Francois, suffers from chronological age impairment. "You'd think but no. Not always. Hooray for variations on a theme though? Maybe some day, it'll stop. Maybe Joseph will help chase them away" She's noticed the two are a couple, you can't help but notice they're a couple and there's a small pang of jealousy in her heart.
'I had a dream about you. The other night. You, Joseph, Bannerman Castle"
A couple, but then Kaylee was torn from Joseph for five years, if anyone could sympathize… it's her. "Hasn't helped yet," she states simply. "It's nice to have something — well, someone — to ground the fears when you wake up, though." She doesn't dwell on it, for the sake of what Abby has to say.
In fact, the telepath gives her a slightly odd look, a single blonde brow tips up. "An odd sort of dream." Kaylee sounds rather amused about that, a little self conscious even to be the subject of someone's dream.
"we must have been.. maybe 20 years from now? Joseph's funeral. It was just.. weird. This girl, I think it was his daughter? I don't know, she kept blaming Ryans and Raith for it all. I never really had something like that. Maybe delia's kicking around and doing something. Maybe Hoktuo's poking around, it was strange either way" The water is simmering but not boiling yet. Still a wait. "I didn't have that tonight. Tonight was just…" Green eyes in the dark, smoke, ash, a tingling touch along the cheek and wolves circling a burning house.
Both brows shoot up as the dream is describe. "I do know he has a daughter with Claira." It's admitted a touch uncomfortable. "Sure you haven't gone precog on us?" Kaylee comments in an attempt at humor, or maybe to ease a bit of tension in her stomach.
"Probably one of the dreamers messing with you, especially if you're having a dream like that." Not hard for Kaylee to pick up the flashes of images from tonight's nightmare, but she doesn't comment on that just yet. "Someone with an odd sort of humor." Not that Kaylee thinks a dream about Joseph's funeral is funny, the tipping down at the corner of her mouths proof of that.
She doesn't want to think of there being an end to what she has, even if it is just some cruel trick. "But, that nightmare… that would have me up too."
"Not a precog in the least Kaylee. I turn into fire still, last I knew" The water boils enough for her liking and she starts the process of wrapping her hand around the handle, pouring the hot liquid carefully over teabags into the respective cups so that they can steep. Find some powdered creamer.
'Gotta be, because… because I remember it Kaylee. I mean, I vividly remember it. I remeber that Liz looked like she hadn't aged well, that Joseph looked so peaceful in his suit and you gave a very beautiful eulogy." She starts relaying it then, the strange dream, as best as her sometimes spotty memory can remember it. But it's a great deal more detail than a normal dream, that's for sure.
Abby might have to stop what she's doing for a moment.
When the first flash of images flicker through Abby's mind, the other woman straightens and reaches out with a hand, not really thinking about what she's doing. Blue eyes seem almost blank as with contact of a pair of temples to the other blonde's, ignoring the feverish heat.
Her face pales a little, but then her hand comes away. "Sorry,"is hastily murmured. "Hell of a practical joke." Kaylee doesn't sound all that happy, yet a touch mystified. "I'm not even that well spoken." It's a lame joke falling flat.
"Well… it's something to ask Delia anyhow… not sure how you track down someone like Hokuto." With the tea ready, Kaylee is fishing out a hair tie and pulls the long curly lengths away away from her face. "Is Delia even awake? Last rumor I heard was her being comatose."
Matt's about the only one who's ever gone traipsing through Abby's mind, though generally he gives her a bit of warning so she can relax. So when Kaylee's fingers touch, when she can feel that rummage almost, blue eye's widen in a bit of shock before she forces herself to relax, knowing what the woman is looking for.
Not so much the rummaging so much as the touching really that puts the brunette off and when Kaylee apologizes, she just nods her head. "It's.. no it's okay just.. just a little more warning next time. I mean, not like you probably wanna see Robert and I cuddling in bed you know or anything else. You know" She reaches up, scratching at her temples as if it might brush away the contact that Kaylee made. "You crazy telepaths" Lovingly said. "Drink your tea and I don't know about Delia"
At the mention of her and Robert cuddling in bed, Kaylee wrinkles her nose and comments, "Gimme a little more credit then that." But color is making her cheeks flush in embarrassment at her slip up. She prides herself on her morals when it comes to that. "You're loud. It was right there. And I didn't think," the crazy telepath murmurs.
"I'm normally better then that." The tea cup is lifted between both hands, as if to keep them from doing something so stupid again and to savor the warmth. "Touch makes what you were thinking clearer. Difference between direct line or wireless." Again the corner of her mouth twitches up with amusement, before trying to hide her shame in the cup, by taking a sip.
Thank goodness, it's only the two of them to witness that incident. "Sorry," Kaylee repeats again.
"It's okay, I don't mind. Just more warning, so that I can make it easier" Well, more easier on herself. "I'm used to it. Agent Parkman did it, but would give me warning" Abigail takes her own tea, gesturing towards a table. "So you saw it and.. you are that eloquent, when you want to be. Same as I can be not a backwoods barbie when I want to be" When she remembers not to be, but that usually co-incides with her in heels and something that cost a pretty penny covering her and smiling for her husband co-workers.
"Sorry is reserved for when you run over someones cat or you know, when you turn into fire and damage tile in the concourse by accident" Oops. That's the reason for the cracked and blackened tiles from almost a year ago it would seem. "Besides, like you said, I was practically yelling" She takes up a seat, drawing feet up so that she can slip her knee's under her shirt, using it to tent around herself, rest chin on knees.
"You and Jospeh. How is it going?"
There is a softly huffed chuckle at the Backwoods Barbie, followed by a head shake in amusement. Kaylee doesn't answer the question right away, taking time to sip her tea and even find herself a spot to occupy. "Joseph and I?" Her head bobs side to side a little in thought. "We're doing good. He's been there done that and I'm still feeling like a… well a noob."
The word feels odd on her tongue, but it suits.
"I think those five years were at least good for me." Even as she says that her nose scrunches up a bit. "Time to separate myself mentally from that girl I was." Her gaze stays on the amber liquid in the cup, moving her hands just enough to swirl it. "We're probably both more reserved the new really need to be."
A glance flickers up quickly to the mimic, a smile tugging at the corners of the telepath's lips. "I'm scared of messing up, but he's patient…" which with her is a good thing "…and a good man.
"I don't deserve him, but I'm glad I do have him."
"Five years is enough time to mature more mentally, even though you were already so physicially" Abby still doesn't know the whole story about what went down, just enough though, to have gotten the gist of it all. "You're fine with the whole ex-wife, has a kid thing too?"
"Yeah." Kaylee becomes a bit subdued, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Told me about his daughter on our first date. I hope he at least tries to be a part of her life, I told him so.. especially since my own dad was absent. I love kids, so… that's not a dark spot."
There is a slow shrug, worry creases Kaylee's brow. "The ex wife thing — I can live with. I mean — I'm constantly wondering how I stack up. I've seen her, or well — at least when Hokuto used her in his nightmare." The cup rolls slowly and carefully between her hands, mostly to keep herself busy. "I'm so much younger, not exactly the most —" how does she put that? "I've done a lot of bad things, especially when I let myself be manipulated by Adam"
A grimace follows the mention of the man, the curse upon her making her stomach twist uncomfortable. The light wave of nausea has her setting her cup down on a flat surface. "I don't know, Abby. He's good for me, I'm pretty sure that's love I'm feeling… it was still there after five years of thinking I was going to be alone…" Her head turns a bit to cast a glance over her shoulder toward the hallway, "Made my heart stop still when I saw him. I am okay with what he's bringing to the table."
"It ain't lust if it's still there after five years of not seeing him and your heart goes pitter patter and age isn't an issue. Robert is.." She won't divulge his age but. "Could be old enough to be my father and I don't see a problem with that. Love doesn't care for age, legality does." Her hands curled around the cup of tea, she follows Kaylee's line of sight, for a moment thinking that Joseph might have been there and caught the hen talk.
"I guess." She murmurs after a moment glancing back to Abby with a relaxed smile. "I know my granny's asking when she'll get to meet this man who got her wild granddaughter to pick up a bible." Kaylee chuckles softly at the memory of her conversation. "I haven't told her how old he is though… I think that might not go over too well."
Kaylee holds up a finger, as she adds, "However, I suspect the good Pastor will easily win them over, if he ever meets them." Right now it seems unlikely, but she is still confident. "Not sure we're to that point, yet. I think… I'm new to this." They are still serious enough the pair are sharing sleeping space.
"Tell me about Robert?" Kaylee asks after a moment, openly curious. "I.. believe I met him once, in passing really. Back when I woke up Peter's mom." The memory obvious hazy, after so long.
"It's a strange person that the good pastor can't win over. Even my Dah and Momma'd be hard pressed to find much of anything wrong with him. Your granny wouldn't, I'm sure"The tea cup lifted, drank plain without any sugar, she doesn't want any at the moment.
You've met him?" When Kaylee inquires about Robert. That's a surprise. She doesn't know many in her circles who have met the man who she bound herself to. "He's taller than me, of course. He tolerates going out and schmoozing with the hoity toity because it's part of his job. He loves to just… sit on the couch with me and watch a movie or television and eat a home cooked meal. Loves my feet"
Abigail smiles at that. "We uhh, we married. Just after the whole thing with Elle and being found out that I was evolved. He spent the night in the hospital in case someone might try to make off with me. I asked him to marry me. He said yes."
She holds up her naked hand though, a lack of decoration on it. "I melted it, accidentally. Stupid me. I can't afford to get a new one, and if I did, I'd have to get something that could withstand the initial combustion and not melt or break down some. He told me to run, he was out looking for me on the 8th. I came home the next morning and he told me to run and to get as far away as possible and when I thought about stopping, to keep running. He'd come find me when things were better"
Studying the hand, Kaylee sounds amused. "You asked him?" she asks, focusing on Abby again. "I wouldn't have thought it of you." It's not really meant to be an insult. "I mean… I don't know if I'd have that kind of courage. It took me absolutely months to tell Joseph I liked him." Of course, looking back, all those awkward moments are so clear and she can't believe she didn't see the signs.
"I am sorry about the ring…" Said softly as Kaylee considers that bare hand again. "I — wore a wedding band those five years I was gone. Had people believing I was married to a soldier, cause being unmarried meant you had no rights."
The crease her own ring left, has since smoothed out, but she still rolls her fingers around where it would have sat. "Miss it sometimes. The weight of it, even if it was a lie. Margaret gave it too me, it was her's before her husband died of illness. She loved him enough that she wouldn't look at another man." There is a sort of wonder in her tone.
"I know what you mean, about the missing it. I do too, I touch the finger too"
Like she does now, and for once not bawling her eyes out over Robert. Might just be the late night, or that she's talking with someone who to a degree understands. Kaylee. Cash. "That was very kind of her, giving you her wedding ring. It's hard to give up something like that
Kaylee nods slowly, looking suddenly sad. "She did a lot for me. Found me half dead and bleeding, lying in an alley in the pouring rain. Took me in. A stranger. Nursed me back to health and gave me a place to stay." Her head shakes ever so slowly. "The original Ferrywoman," the telepath jokes lightly, but the humor doesn't reach her eyes.
"It's where I learned to cook." She explains, voice heavy with emotions. "Of course, if she hadn't taken me in, she wouldn't have lost her Inn. The place she made with her husband. Samuel's people burned it to the ground.
"Anyhow," A finger lifts to wipe as moisture that started to gather in the corner of her eye. "She saw a woman that lost everything to a mugger." Or at least that's the story that Kaylee spun, cause the truth would get her locked up. "And when she gave it to me, I had started loosing faith that Hiro was gonna come get me… or that I was ever going to see Joseph again."
Kaylee has a soft smile, eyes dipping down to an unknown point, "So she gave me the ring. Said I needed something to remind me to have hope and faith that God would lead him home." The words soften and quiet towards the end of her little story, before she goes completely silent. Lost for a moment in memory.
"A good Christian woman, and you learned from her. You'll have to remember her always. Maybe, if you and joseph get really serious, if y'all both ever decide to try and make family, you could do her the honor of naming a babe after her" Abby points out, lacking a kleenex or a hanky to pass over to Kaylee.
She was doing okay with holding back tears until the suggestion was made. Kaylee's teeth snag her lower lip and hold it there, eyes getting glossy with tears. There is a quick nod of her head and an amused, "Maybe."
Brushing at the tears with her hands, Kaylee looks a touch embarrassed. "When did I get to be such a girl?" She hisses slightly irritated with herself. "Anyhow, yeah… Maybe. Margaret is an awfully formal name. And Marge? Margie?" Poor kid. Still she seems to considers it. "Middle name maybe, if all else fails. But… that's… a little too close to counting chickens."
Who knows what their future holds really, Dreamwalker practical jokes aside or not. "It's a good suggestion, tho. Really good."
"Oh, I dunno, when you had to wear skirts and dresses and corsets and all that clothing for five years" Abigail points out. "Come on, we'll clean up and I need to go sit on the concourse, do my loud thinking there and save you from me keeping you from going to sleep" She'll probably get dressed, spell someone on watch for a bit too.
"I have no idea what Melissa sees in them… but then I don't think she'd last in a real corset." Kaylee comments, moving to rise and help clean up. "That is the worst torture ever invented. What she wears is nothing in comparison. I never want to wear another one again."
Taking up the tea cup, Kaylee gives Abby a wink, reaching out to touch her friends arm. "Thanks Abby. I haven't really talked about things like that… Didn't know how much I needed that. Worth getting woken up."
Kaylee sighs softly, looking at the cup in her hands. "You'll see him again. It might take awhile." She doesn't point out again how long it took her, it's an unspoken fact at this point. "Faith will be your way. It was for me."
"fides est lux lucis ut rector vos per obscurum" Abigail tosses verbally at Kaylee. She knows the sentence well, it's inscribed in her skin, forever to remain there, unable to be removed. Faith is the light that guides you through the darkness. "REst well Kaylee, so lay down beside Joseph" And she's gone, padding out the kitchen and down the halls that comprise the terminal.