Participants:
| Scene Title | Plenty of Reason |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | After receiving a note, Brian and Sami head off for greener pastures. |
| Date | January 7, 2010 |
Leaving The Garden
The Garden was silent. The note had been received, read, reread, and then reread again. It had seemed like an impossible inevitability, a drip of water making large ripples in a large lake of water. Ripples that grew into larger circles. Which eventually made waves. With the majority of its occupants already having taken the road less traveled— away from the safety of the lopsided house into the staunch violence of Staten Island.
In a way it left them all like pilgrims. Leaving one home to make a pilgrimage to another, yet how could any be considered home at all? The necessities were taken, the rest left behind, relegated to whatever fate they would meet. Likely looters in the end.
Ironically, even with the dismal necessity of leaving the island, some spirits aren't easily crushed, although they are moderately softened. Joy and compassion are Samara Dunham's bread and butter. "I hope Koshka got Evil King Bob," she offers while tugging her coat tighter to her body and readjusting the scarf around her neck. "I couldn't find him this morning— she must've right? She wouldn't leave the kitten alone— " The trail outside is uneven, the pack on her back is heavy, and the assume danger of the island is real, but Sam's thoughts go to the defenseless kitten. Or, at least, she tries to direct them to the kitten.
"And Koshka will be fine," she reassures with a bright smile. But Brian isn't the one who needs the reassurance. Her gloved hands are shoved deeper into her coat pockets as she carefully paces ahead.
Brian seems somewhat distracted. The three of him are trading around their different gears and equipment, trying to balance out which one has more weight. While the other two trade this pack and that pack, this bag and that bag. The third Brian is fussing with a shotgun, while they're in the foliage it seems safe to play with guns.
"Motherfucking military.."
It's what he's been saying most of the trip. "First the lighthouse, now this. Motherfuckers." Winters examines the length of the barrel. On the topic of the Evil King Bob, Brian seems indifferent somewhat of his Highness. But for Samara's sake… For his fiancee's sake. He mumbles something like, "Yeah she got him.. her.. herm." Reaching to pull the backpack off his shoulder, the shotgun is shoved into the side of it before it is replaced on his back.
As two of the Brian's lead the way, the third drops back. His fingers splaying, one finger hooking around her wrist. Tugging on her wrist gently, he attempts to lace his fingers with hers once her hand has been liberated from the pocket. "Koshka's going to be fine, baby." He smiles reassuringly.
"Right," Sami repeats fighting against her more anxious parts. "Koshka has Bob. He's fine." Her hand is easily removed from the pocket, and even easily taken in his, complete with a quick squeeze. She nods a little and manages a more confident, although still nervous smile, as he reassures her. Again she nods, "Right. Koshka is fine. Everyone is fine. This is just… a normal everyday that happens."
She swallows and nods again, falling into step with him, "Where will they go? Back with everyone else?" She sighs quietly, "I should've encouraged her to leave earlier. Go be with the other kids and like— be a kid. Or something." She shrugs. Nothing she can do about that now.
"Is that where we should go? Or just back to Chinatown…?"
Smiling lightly, a gentle squeeze is given to her hand. Swinging his arm a little, their hands swinging back and forth in an exaggerated motion. Pulling her in closer he smiles gently down at her, bringing his head in to kiss the side of her head. His thumb going to rub against the ring on her finger gingerly. As if to make sure it's still there.
"They'll find a place." He sounds rather non-chalant about the whole thing. "They always do." As to where they should go? "I'm already at both places, baby. I'm at the castle, I'm in Chinatown. And let me tell you. Anna is not the most pleasant houseguest. We could pick up a different apartment in a different borough. I don't liket to stay still for too long. It's dangerous. We could go to like.. Little Italy." He smiles a little bit. "Or the Bronx?" Tucking his other hand into his pocket. "Wherever you want to go, Sameye. "
Yup, the ring is still there, solidly in place. Sami had slept with it on, even with its newness and the nearly awkward feeling it has on her finger, she didn't dare take it off. She hasn't played with it or fidgeted with it. It's a permanent fixture. "I wish I could be everywhere at once," she admires with a bright smile. There's a quiet hmmm as her fingers tighten slightly around his, "Welllll this may seem girly and totally stupid and silly but I kind of want to show my ring off to my family." Her cheeks flush slightly. "Not that I don't want to head back to the castle— I want to help. I do! I know it's silly and kind of flaky and flighty and stuff, but… I like that I'm engaged to you." Her cheeks brighter further. "I'm proud that I'm with you," she cringes a little. "I know it's silly, right? LIke I should be more selfless or something…"
She shrugs slightly. "And I know Tahir is going to be a total ass about it, but Adisa will probably get excited. Or criticize my clothes. And you two haven't even met yet— "
A little laugh escapes his lips. He lets his head hang some. "Well listen.. I've never really been in like a serious relationship. With someone who has family." He already feels guilty about not having talked to Gillian about this before. However, he's fairly sure she's been avoiding him so.. He will be able to leverage the guilt a little bit that way. He clenches her hand tightly for a minute. "I don't know.. Maybe I should like. Talk to your dad, first?" Winters gives her a quizzical look, trying to gain affirmation making sure that makes sense to her too. "I know you're supposed to do it, before you ask. But.. I don't know." He gives a light shrug. "I think he already hates me. I don't know maybe I'll talk to your mom. And then marry her instead."
He tilts his head back some. "I wish I could go through walls." He frowns some down at their hands. "We should really go meet your sister. Does she even know you're alive yet? I'm sorry.. I would've taken you sooner. Just things got crazy and.." He frowns a little deeper. "We can go this weekend. If you want. And.. I was thinking about trying to make Tahir hate me less myself. I was thinking maybe we could fight in a pit for male dominance."
"Dad is just… protective. You know it's weird… Tahir can be a total jerk and like complete womanizer but then when it comes to me he's all big brother-esque. Like not completely cheesy and totally protective. Like— he forgets that all of those women he spends time with are someone's sister or daughter or… whatever— " Sami turns her head and raises her chin to look up at Brian before nodding. "I think Dad would appreciate that? I don't really know. I've never done this before and… it doesn't really make a difference to me or my answer anyways. I just— I think it goes a long way." The notion of her mother, however, makes her giggle, "Mom like adored you! Seriously! You won her over the moment I came home I think."
"Well! Hopefully someday you'll come through walls with me. I'm taking bigger and bigger things. But I really wore myself out yesterday. All of the back and forth. I managed to carry an apple along with all of my clothes and a few other groceries. Not a whole bag yet, but it'll happen. And then when I can walk through walls with you, it'll be like you're walking through walls!" She does a little jump at this thought, completely merry at the idea. "And don't apologize about Adisa. She's crazy anyways! And I'm pretty sure mom told her. Adisa can't live if there's a secret in the family. Or if she can't get her way. Actually, she's kind of a princess…" Sam's eyebrows knit together, "I channeled her the other day when I ran into this cop… I felt a little icky."
"Yeah. That's kind of a weird dichotomy." He pauses smiling as if pointing out the last word he just used. It was a big one. Did you see, Sam? Did you see? He gives her hand a squeeze. "Well give me a couple days, to go see your folks." Winters requests gently. "And your brother. Then.. You can go break the news. Like.. I am asking like right after? Right?" He asks, peering over at her with a little grimace in his features. Brian is really hoping that she allows him that and doesn't get mad at him for it.
"I would love to run through walls." Brian pipes haoppily. He gives a little nod, "Well you probably would want to see her again? Now that you're not-dead?"
"Good word!" Sami chimes. The request is met with a small wrinkle in her nose, but knowing her family as she does, she nods, "Annnnnd yeah, you can go see them if you like. Talk to them. I think, I think Dad will say yes. It's just hard for him to think of me as an adult. I mean, the last time they did anything parental concerning me, I was still sixteen and trying to be independent," she shoots him a lopsided smirk, "Trying being the important word. And again with Mom? She's just happy I'm home. Like grateful."
"Yeah, I'd like to see Addie. Even if she's all prissy and high maintenance, she is my sister. Just— know that I warned you, okay? The kids in my family had a flair for theatrics. I just happened to be the non-drama queen in the bunch… Tay would say he's the non-dramatic one. Addie would be insulted if you called her 'normal' or undramatic— "
Her eyes move to the Brians in front before flicking back to the one she's actually talking to, "You know, I never actually asked you. I know you've said like you can see what all of th— you" she catches herself, "see at once. I think that would give me a headache. Or I'd get like confused in conversations and say the wrong thing to the wrong person. Man. That would be so awkward. I would totally accidentally tell some random kid at a drive thru window that I loved them and tell you I wanted fries with my burger."
"He thinks he's normal?" Brian laughs, grinning at her a little bit. "Your brother is a cartoon character." Says the cartoon character. He gives a little shrug. "I think I can manage a drama queen." Another gentle squeeze is delivered to her hand. "I would like you to meet Gillian, properly. She's.. She can be a little rough around the edges? Only to people she doesn't know. She doesn't trust easy. But.. I love her. She's my sister. And she can make me into an army." He won't add that given a choice of holding Samara's hand or his sister's, it would probably go to the more blood related. However kissing would most likely be a different matter.
"It's all about my link. Learning to manage it. I used to only be able to do two of me at a time.. for not very long. I would get confused… Do that kind of stuff. Exactly. Throw up. So.. When I have too many of me out. It gets more difficult to manage all the perspectives.. And then I need to rest." Brian smiles lightly. "A lot of people don't understand it. But.. I like it."
"Tahir believes himself to be the bar by which normal is measured," Sami counters with a lopsided grin as she reciprocates the squeeze. "Addie isn't scary as much as… shallow." She cringes slightly, "Not that she is shallow, she just comes off that way like she doesn't care about anything other than clothes. It's not true, buuuut— " she tilts her free hand in the air in a waffling motion. "And I'd like to meet your sister," that same pink edges her cheeks again, "Do you think she'll like me? I don't think she liked my reflection self much…" she cringes slightly. "And while you've never been in a serious relationship with someone who has family, I've never been in a serious relationship so… I think you're actually ahead of the game on this one."
"Well.. I hadn't really talked to her a whole lot. She's kind of.." He gives a light shrug. "She likes to think she's tough. I mean well she is. But.. She's still a girl.She's just been around a lot of shit in this City. Once you go through all the junk she's been through.. Fuck, I've been through. You get a little more.. I don't know. Sedated." Holding her hand lightly he lets out a little chuckle. "All you have to go is through Gillian. I have to take on a TV host, a dad, a self indulgent sister, and a mom that I love more than my fiance."
He grins down at Samara, squeezing her hand. "We're not crazy right? Like.. This is going to be good. I mean you make me happy. You bring out the.. funny guy in me. I don't have to be burdened ex-secret agent guy when I'm with you. I.. I like it. I like you."
"Does she know we were even seeing each other?" Sami quirks an eyebrow as she peeks up at him, raising her chin upwards to peek back at Brian. Nervousness edges her hazel eyes, even through her otherwise smiley exterior. "Do you feel sedated?" her eyes flit back to the ground in front of them, "I know I probably seem like… stupidly naive compared to like most people. Silly, maybe. I just… I'm alive. You know? Things are scary but I don't want to stop living ever— " she shrugs slightly.
Her smile softens as her eyes track back to him. "Maybe we are?" Her lips twitch slightly, "But does it matter?" Her eyebrows knit together slightly, "I mean, I know it's fast, but I love being with you. I… I haven't felt so alive.. ever. You make me laugh and smile and don't make too much fun of my quirkiness.. you're kind and sweet and secret agent guy or not, you're a man of compassion and genuine goodness. I love you."
"Uhm.. Last time we really talked? Uhm. No. I told her I thought you were cute. And.. She had to know that was going somewhere. We've never talked a whole lot about our relationships. And she has no footing to disapprove of who I date. She dated a guy that killed me out of cold blood." Brian murmurs, thinning his lips. "Peter Petrelli. President's brother." He scowls somewhat. "Fucking cunt idiot fuck. He absorbs powers. Got mine.. Just when I started learning how to use it. He wanted to know if one of me died, if all of me died. So he picked me up. Flew hiiigh into the sky, then dropped me one million feet." His hand goes into the air and then is brought down fast, slapped into his other hand.
Splat
"So.. yeah. She was with him. Or at least close to him. I donno if they ever like did it. But.. whatever. And.. So. I never gave her shit. So she has no room.." He smirks over at her. "She'll like you." He assures. Glancing down his smile reaches up to his eyes. "No. I don't feel sedated. Not anymore." Her hand receives a soft squeeze of thanks. "Thanks for waking me up."
While Brian may just glower at the Peter Petrelli story, Sami's general optimism melts away somewhat, "What!? Why would someone do that?! What was he thinking!? Who the fu- " there are, however, some barriers that are harder to break "— udge does he even think he is?! What does he look like?! What the he— ck?!" She frowns considerably as she squeezes Brian's hand like somehow if she doesn't, Peter Petrelli will swoop in and fly away with Brian. Again.
Of course, it doesn't take long for her to bounce back from this, giving credence to the theory she has some form of ADHD. There's a slight edge to her lips as they curl upwards again, but she fights the little comment that itches to get out. With a mild cringe, she manages, "I know this is like the worst conversation to make jokes about and it probably like really hurt and stuff when you died… but… I can't…" She presses a finger over her lips before she clears her throat, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" The bad pick-up line is just too easy to use.
The bad, and somewhat inappropriate joke aside, she tilts her head slightly, "I woke you up? Really? You were pretty awesome when I first met you, even if you got the lyrics wrong…"
"He has a big ugly scar on his face. Want to hate him more? He killed me and he also kind of killed you. This is a secret but.. Peter Petrelli was the cause of the Bomb. He was the one who blew up Midtown. I know everyone thinks it was Sylar.. Who you also met by the way. I didn't tell you because.." He smiles lightly. "I didn't want you to get scared. Gabriel.. Gray. The guy who saved you is Sylar. The guy they say blew up New York. He didn't though. It was Petrelli. Little brother of the president." Brian smirks a little, shaking his head. "That would be a good dish against him in the next election.. If there was a next election. I imagine Petrelli will somehow turn this place into a monarchy before his term is over."
He lets out a loud laugh, looking down at her with unadulterated delight in his eyes. That was a good joke! Smiling brightly, his laugh continues until he is able to answer. "Um. After, yeah. For a long time. After I died the first couple times I was super emo. The Company taught me how to control it though. How to turn it off so I didn't feel the pain. But the actual fall, when my naked body went splattering into a million pieces? I didn't really feel that."
Sami gapes at the new information, her lips parting slightly. Her voice gets caught in her throat at first while the shock sets in. "I— what? The fucking," there it is, "President's family were behind the bomb?! That's like— " her jaw drops a little further, "That's like conspiracy! Was it on purpose? It was some like random bid to get the President into power! The government is like… so messed up…" Her eyebrows arch at the name Sylar, "Isn't he like… a serial killer?" Her muscles stiffen slightly. Of course, it turned out okay, so the Sylar bit is easily cast aside. "So… this Peter fellow is like the real bad guy?" Her voice turns to a whisper, "So weird."
It doesn't take long for her good humoured smile to return. "Well," she swings their hands again, "let's just choose to be happy. I mean. This Petrelli guy is like a murderer. And the government is all conspiracy. And the military is out to get people like us. You're wanted. I'm dead. But we have each other!" his hand gets another squeeze, "And our families! And the Lighthouse kids! And it might be cold and not the best circumstance to leave under but it's kind of pretty out here."
She pauses before quipping with a half-smile, "And we just got engaged last night. Lots of reason to be happy~"
Well.. Sylar was a serial killer. But Brian won't go into that. No need! "Yeah.. It was an accident. He couldn't control his power." Brian gives a little shake of his head. "Worse thing that happens to me when I can't control my power is I'm naked and flopping around all over the place. But this guy took out a city." Winters smiles lightly giving her hand a light squeeze. "Gabriel is a friend. And he brought you back." He assures her. "Well.. Peter.. Is technically on our side." He grumbles. "He's a part of the Ferryman." He's on the Ferryman's side, not Brian's side.
"It is kind of pretty out here." Brian smiles gently, looking down at her. His other bodies continue on while he stops short, tugging on her hand. Leaning in his lips part as he presses a passionate kiss against hers. When he finally pulls away, he lets out a content breath.
"Plenty of reason to be happy."