The gym, late Tuesday night

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia headed straight from the roof to the gym and grabbed a bo staff. She warmed up quickly, trying to focus on her breathing and not the prickly feeling behind her eyes. She closed her eyes, memories lunging out at her from the back of her mind.

The police officer, lifting his club. Roberto telling her she was special. Her and Walter sparring the first month of school. Walter the vampire, leering down at her with Pippi the fairy at his side. The tail lights fading over the causeway. Walter and Cally lying with her in bed. The look of concern when she'd gotten the email. The look of pain, lasting only moments, when she said she was leaving. Cesar spotting her in the airport, Cesar drilling with her, insisting on taking her out for a drink even when she kept saying "no". Roberto grabbing Cesar by the shirt. Roberto putting the necklace on her after she graduated.

Diego, bleeding and dying on the floor of the club.

The look of shock on Roberto's face when she drew the gun.

The smile when Walter had first spotted her, and the way he looked at her when he shook his head.

She realized she was screaming when she ran out of breath. She took a step back from the dummy she was beating the crap out of with her staff.

If it'd been human, it'd be dead by now.

Crap.

She dropped her staff and fell to her knees, struggling to catch her breath.

It was probably better Walter had broken it off.

She wasn't exactly safe.

[ooc: open, should you want to know wtf re: the screaming.]

Comments

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras burst through the gym door, her heart pounding in her throat.

Screams were bad under normal circumstances. Screams in this place...well, it didn't bear thinking about.

She stood panting in the doorway, taking in the almost empty gym.

No blood, no monsters, no demons, just...

"Nadia?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia hurriedly scrubbed at her eyes, still gasping for breath. "S-seras. Hi."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras looked her over quickly. Dr. Reid would have approved.

"Are you hurt? I heard screams."

[nadiathesaint]

"I . . ." Nadia pushed herself to her feet, suddenly noticing how sore she was. "That was me. I'm okay. Just . . ." Angryupsetpossiblyhomicidalfeelinglikeanidiot ". . . Venting."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras glanced at the dummy then back at Nadia.

Venting. Right.

"What happened?"

[nadiathesaint]

"I talked to Walter."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras paused, recalling this afternoon's talk with Walter. His confession that he was in love with Alucard. Shit...

Still, no knowing for certain.

"Yeah...he can have that effect on people."

[nadiathesaint]

"Him and his fucking vampire!" Nadia slammed her staff into the dummy again. The staff snapped.

She really had to work on that.

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras bend down and picked up the broken off bit off staff.

"Alucard?"

God, it felt strange to even say his name.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia managed to refrain from hissing.

"He slept with me, when he knew he wanted to be with--with--with that thing, and now he says 'it wouldn't be fair' to be with me and everything is just so fucked up and I can't do this."

Refraining from crying she didn't manage to do.

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

On some level, Seras wished that if she was going to get more practise hugging, it could be under happier circumstances. But, now was not the time for those thoughts, and she pushed them away, hugging Nadia tight.

"Can't to what?" she asked.

[nadiathesaint]

"Be here, with him around--I thought I was over it--I even thought I might have loved--" She cut herself off abruptly.

She seriously hated that word.

"I want to go home. But I don't know where that is, right now."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras stroked Nadia's hair. She seemed to remember her mother doing the same thing for her, ages and ages ago.

Love. She remembered the look on Walter's face as they'd talked about Alucard and the gun. And, now Nadia...

Yeah, Seras was definitely going the Joan of Arc route.

"Stay here," said Seras, rocking her a little, "At least until you know where you *want* to go."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally had been restless after her earlier discovery.

She'd wandered down towards the gym, wanting to just get her mind off it.

Then she heard the noises, so she ran.

"What the frak is goin' on," she said, coming through the doors.

[nadiathesaint]

"Cally."

Cally liked her. Cally even wanted her. And Cally had never said that goddamned four letter word. She reached out to grab the other girl and pull her into a hard kiss.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

For one briefest second, Cally wondered what the heck was going on.

Then she realized Nadia was kissing her, and went with that, kissing back with everything she had.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"What's going on... earth...?" Parker had come in after hearing the screams from the other direction, and stopped cold when she saw Nadia kissing Cally.

Well, that answered that question.

[nadiathesaint]

Parker's quetions popped Nadia's brain back into gear and she backed up fast, tripping over the broken pieces of the staff.

"Sorry, I--shouldn't have--I don't--"

She had no idea what to say or what the hell she'd been doing.

Maybe she should have just stayed in Argentina.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Hey, why'd you. . ." Cally reached up, tracing a thumb against her lower lip. She glanced over and saw Parker. "Oh. Heh."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hi. Uh. Welcome back, Nadia. It's good to see you back so soon." Parker tried to remember if there was anything in any etiquette book that covered this. Probably not. Soooo. "Since no one is bleeding, I think I should be-- elsewhere. Yes. Night, Cally."

Parker turned to go, shaking her head.

[nadiathesaint]

"Parker, I--this isn't what it looks like!"

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. . . .

She'd have to apologize, profusely, to Cally later.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally looked back at Nadia. "Erm, it isn't?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Hoo, boy. Parker turned back around, hoping not to make the situation any worse. "I don't think I saw anything, Nadia. Really. Whatever I might have seen? Clearly wouldn't be any of my business." She shot Cally a quick look, and smiled carefully.

[nadiathesaint]

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckshitfuck. . . .

Oh, look, Nadia's English vocabulary was improving.

"It . . ." Nadia gave them both a despairing look. "I don't know!"

There may have been flailing.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally bit her lip. "Well whatever it is, can we just go back to doin' it and worry about what it is later?"