Forgiveness

[02.23.02] » by John Fee

Memories of Aya and Eve

                "It's been a long time, Melissa." Aya Brea kneeled down quietly, the wind whipping her rain-spattered trench coat around her body as she set the half a dozen roses down on the base of the tombstone. "Almost seven years, really." The young blonde woman sighed quietly, resting there for a few moments, her hands absently tracing the patterns of letters on the gravestone.

Melissa Pierce

1970-1997

Daughter and Friend

She gave the world her song.

                "We tried to explain, you know. To your mother, when she come looking for you after the accident…" Her pale hand dropped back down to her lap as she turned her eyes to the sky. "But…it seemed better to just tell her that you were killed in the opera house fire. Perhaps you were…"

                She cast an irritable frown at the clouds when they began raining on her again, and tugged up her hood quickly, her green eyes vanishing into the dark recesses. "We stopped her…Eve, I mean…and her child. You're child?" A quiet laugh echoed into the night. "I don't think you'd want that particular honor. Little demon thing nearly killed me."

                She lapsed into silence again, lost in the memories of the New York Harbor, destroying that aircraft carrier and then floating in the ice-cold water for what seemed like hours before someone had managed to find her.

                "Mom?" A hand on her shoulder…and her face turned, inside that hood, to look up at another young woman…old child…and a perfect image of herself when she had been sixteen. "You okay?"

                "Yeah babe. Just…some bad memories." Aya reached up to take the girls hand softly, squeezing it reassuringly as she offered a half-smile.

                "Okay…we told Kyle we'd meet him at eight, remember? We should probably be going soon."

                Aya nodded and turned back to the gravestone, her fingers intertwining with her daughter's gently. "Melissa…this is my daughter, Eve." She couldn't help but smile as the young girl turned to read the epitaph. "It seemed a fitting name…I didn't give it to her, but…still, it seemed right. She's like us. All those powers…"

                Eve gave her mom's hand a squeeze in return, her own green eyes searching the stone for a moment…and then turned to the kneeling woman. "You mean, this is…?"

                The older woman nodded. "Melissa Pierce…the young woman who became Eve all those years ago…you're namesake, in a way." She reached out to steady herself on the top of the headstone and rose to her feet. "You can go start the car…I'll be along in a minute."

                Eve nodded, looking at the grave again, and then turned and caught her adopted mother up in a hug. "O-okay." Before she turned and moved off quietly towards the parking lot.

                "She's a great kid." Aya said quietly, once she'd turned back to Melissa's grave. "She had a hard time, for a few years, but now…I'm going to her gymnastic meet tomorrow." She smiles faintly, resting her hand on the top of the headstone again. "I'm sorry, Melissa. If I could have saved you…" Those green eyes closed, warding away tears, and she looked away. "I'm sorry. Sleep well." And she turned, moving away over the wet grass.

                The wind whipped around her again, a moment later, catching up her coat and making it stick to her legs, almost tripping her. Grabbing a tree branch to steady herself for a moment, her hood was yanked down by another gust.

                "…Thank you…"

                A voice drifted to her ears…so familiar, yet different…and Aya looked around quietly, searching…and smiled. An image flashed across her eyes, of a young brunette standing on a stage, singing quietly in a beautiful red dress, her arms spread wide, calling to the people, beckoning them forward.

                "Goodbye…"

                When Aya got back to the car, she was crying.