Participants:
Scene Title | I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours |
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Synopsis | Two friends in a support group have a conversation they're not supposed to have. Backscene. |
Date | March 2007 |
Financial District — Somewhere not too far from NYPD HQ
She doesn't usually come to the support group meetings every week anymore. In the months since the explosion, she's begun to come to terms, just as most of the group has appeared to, with what happened and why. Her resignation from the force just a few weeks ago was greeted by this particular group of people with dismay but understanding. But it was her mother's birthday last weekend, and Elisabeth found she needed the group again. She showed up twice last week, and twice the week before…. and the absence of Norton Trask finally prompted her to ask the facilitator of the group if something had happened. The news that Trask was an Evolved and taken to Homeland Security? Yeah…. that was a huge shock. She worried about him until he finally showed back up. It was a huge relief to see him appear in tonight's meeting. And she watched the reactions of some of the others in the group — most of them, thank goodness, pretty positive. This group is a SUPPORT group for a multitude of issues. The ones who were spewing hatred left after the first few weeks because the remaining members are all about trying to heal.
When the official session is finally through, Liz makes a point to head out the door a little early and wait for Trask to come out, heading him off as he does. "Hey," she greets him with a gentle smile. She hasn't forgotten his support when she resigned from the force in spite of the encouragement from the rest of the group to not do it. "Missed you around here."
Trask smiles seeing you, he nods and looks around to see who else is about, seeing noone he says, "Yeah…got tied up with some paperwork at work. I didn't know you were coming again?"
Elisabeth shrugs a little bit. "Mom's birthday," she replies softly. "Wanna grab a cup of coffee?"
Trask pauses, thinking then nods, "Sure….theres a place around the corner with decent coffee…come on we can catch up a little."
Elisabeth nods and swings into step with him, shoving her hands into the pockets of her leather bomber jacket. As they step outside, she glances up and down the street automatically, those cop instincts still in place. Noting nothing out of the ordinary, she keeps pace with Trask in comfortable silence unless he breaks it. It's not the first time they've walked like this.
Trask doesn't break the silence, his eyes watching where Elisabeth's aren't at any one time, about half way down though, he playfully bumps her shoulder with his, but keeps on walking, giving her a little grin.
Elisabeth glances at him and grins easily, bumping him back with an amused, "Dork." As they walk, though, she considers whether what she wants to say should be said inside. When they're about 10 steps from the door, she looks at him again and says softly, "I heard why you weren't actually there, you know."
Trask stops short at that. He pauses a few seconds before nodding slowly, "I figured. Not like it's not public record."
Elisabeth stops as well, looking up at him in the lights that come from the coffee shop's window. "Wanna walk or sit?" she asks him easily. Clearly it's not an issue for her.
Trask says, "Changed your mind about the coffee?" He smiles a little, "I can do either one…Actually walking is more attractive…I've been sitting for a while."
Elisabeth shrugs casually. "Didn't change my mind about coffee, just figured I'd offer the dark and half-anonymity that comes from talking in it if you wanted it. Walking's fine with me." She resumes walking, waiting until they're a little ways further down the street before asking, "So…. what are you going to do now? They obviously cleared you."
Trask says, "Yes…Tier 0 according to the new system, harmless." He sighs softly, "I've been told I'm allowed back to the force…but…I am to be watched.""
Elisabeth nods slowly as they walk. "Sounds…. terrifying," she comments quietly.
Trask says, "Two weeks of interrogations and testing to see what my..limits where..to try to force me to control it…before they realized I have no way to control it at all, I can't even turn it off."
There's a grimace on Liz's face as she listens. "They didn't… abuse you or anything, though, did they?"
Trask says, "Define abuse?" He looks over at you, "They did need to see if it worked the same under various conditions and stiumulai."
Elisabeth shakes her head and says softly, "And they wonder why people hide it." Her eyes skim the street around them restlessly as they walk, her jaw clenched. "Listen, I…. " She hesitates. "I wanted to tell you that if you want to talk…. my door's always open, okay?" She looks at him again. "Anytime."
Trask raises an eyebrow and smiles over at her. "Are you hitting on me detective?" He grins and winks. "I appreciate that…but you have to be careful what you wish for. Also…some of this is stuff…I have to work through alone. I'm different now."
There's a soft laugh from Liz when he teases. "Not quite," she replies dryly. It's taking a lot for her to buck up the courage to say it to him. "Believe me, I know, Trask." She stops once more near the edge of the small park they're passing, taking a good look around before looking into his face and uttering the words. "I left the force because I couldn't face the idea of what you just went through."
Trask turns and looks at her, he obviously doesn't get it, "I'm just glad you never will have to. It's not something I would go through willingly. But you don't have to work in hypotheticals. You have nothing to worry about."
Rolling her eyes, Liz shakes her head at him. "Don't be dense, Trask. I didn't bring you out here to play what-if." She studies his face. "I brought you out here to tell you if you need a friend, I *understand*. I was a damn good hostage negotiator, and it wasn't just my winning personality that got me there."
Trask smiles softly, "I know you have training…A lot of it. But this isn't a hostage negotiation. I know your willing to be there for me, and I appreciate it…alot more then you know. I know you will try to understand…but…" He sighs and looks away.
She stares at him. Incredulous. "Trask, I knew men were dense, but you're taking the cake here, man." Liz shakes her head. "I have some kind of sound-related ability. I do well in crowds — quelling riots, convincing people to give up hostages, convincing them to tell the truth. I can also shatter glass on occasion with some kind of percussion wave. It manifested right about the time Trade Towers fell."
Trask blinks and looks at her….like…he doesn't believe it for a few moments, "Your kidding…why….you shouldn't be telling me this…"
"Yes! I know that. And I hadn't realized I was going to have to literally spell it out for you, you know — I kind of thought you'd take the hint and we'd leave it unspoken." Liz just shakes her head and whaps his shoulder. "For God's sake, man."
Trask nods slowly, "I'm sorry…but…you know according to the law I have to report you…and…if what you say is true…" He pauses and frowns looking away, "It would be much worse for you.
Elisabeth nods a bit. "Yeah," she says softly. "I know." She pushes her hand through her hair and then shoves both of them into her pockets, rocking on the balls of her feet. "I'm telling you because…. you need a friend. I wish I'd had someone to talk to when mine came out." She looks down the street away from him. "And I'm taking the chance on you because you're my friend. If turning me in is what's right for you…. well, so be it." Her gaze comes back to his face, accepting his decision on it whichever way it goes. She weighed this choice carefully. "I didn't want you to be alone with it. Especially now that you've been outed and will be basically under their thumb forever."
Trask thinks for a long moment, his eyes searching yours, "I…I can't do that to you…Not…no…" He looks down and chokes a little. He gives you a soft hug.
Elisabeth doesn't drop her gaze from his as he makes his choice. And when he says no and moves to hug her, her hands come out of her pockets so she can put her arms around him and return the hug. "I'm sorry…. that they found you out. That you had to go through this," she whispers to him.
Trask says, "I know…I….noone should have to go through this…""
She offers the comfort of the hug for as long as it seems to take. When she steps back from him, Liz's expression is gentle. "How are you really holding up?" she asks quietly.
Trask shrugs, "I get by….at least my power doesn't do anything….I was going to say detructive or disturbing but really…it's more anything.
Elisabeth grins a little at that. "Do I get to know what you can do?" she asks curiously. "You're free to tell me no, of course. And I wasn't asking how you were handling your power…. I'm more concerned about how you're handling all that you've been through in the past couple of weeks," she adds quietly.
Trask smiles softly, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He winks.
Elisabeth laughs at him. "All right then," she answers. "Uhm…. something small." She looks around and points to one of the lights on a pole just inside the park. "Most of what I can do seems too subtle to use, but one of the more… erm… destructive abilities… should be able to break the light there." She turns to face it, and tries…… and looks very puzzled when nothing seems to happen.
Trask smiles a little and looks at you, "Go on….don't be shy."
There's a faint frown on her face as she turns to look at him. "Something's wrong," Liz admits.
Trask says, "My power is simple…I make other evolved humans…as long as they stand near me, they can't use thier powers."
Elisabeth's expression clears. "Wow," she says, impressed. "That's going to be very useful in your line of work."
Trask says, "Yeah…that is why I got off so easy."
Elisabeth nods her understanding, though she can't quite smile at him. "So much of what's going on in the news these days is …. " She sighs softly. "It'll be … nice to be able to talk to someone about it, but I'm sorry it happened this way."
Trask sighs softly, "I…this can't be the right way to deal with …all of this."
Elisabeth grimaces. "Which 'this' are we referring to? Registration? Interrogating citizens without due process? Hauling people off to jail without reading them their rights? No…. no, I don't think 'this' is the way it's supposed to be."
Trask shakes his head and sighs, looking a bit defeated.
Elisabeth hooks her arm into his and tugs him into motion again, this time walking with him arm in arm. Standing around like this might draw the wrong kind of attention in this city. As they walk, she says quietly, "We just have to be patient. Things will straighten out…. they have to. People can't be scared forever, right?" Well, color her the optimist.
Trask says, "I wish I had your assuredness of that. I smell something…coming on the horizon, like a whiff before a storm."
"Yeah," Liz replies softly, glancing over her shoulder in an instinctive movement as they walk, feeling as if someone's walking over her grave. "Yeah…. I know."
Summer 1993: The God of Small Things | August 2008: Sandwiches and Streets |