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Green Eyes Killer	By : Isabelle_Jennings Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 3964 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: this story is non-profit, I don't own Batman or any DC Comics characters

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
PART 10: GARDEN PARTY
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--- LILHY ---
It was a little while later and Lilhy was out on the lawn with Talia, Ivy, and Ivy's lover, Silver. M'gann and Catalina were off looking after the comatose maid, Nina, in the house. Talia and Ivy were sitting on a bench together, having a somewhat lively conversation about eco-politics and ideology. Topics which Lilhy really didn't care much about. She'd been more interested in getting to know the peaceful, dazzlingly beautiful, woman who was tending to the once thought dead grounds-woman, Shelley.
"Can you explain what you're doing, exactly?" Lilhy asked her new acquaintance.
"Of course. Or, well... it's not so easy to explain it in words, but I'll try." She admitted. "M'gann changed her, transformed her into something of the flora, or the green, rather than fauna--not unlike Ivy and myself in some ways--though in other ways, quite different; quite... unique. For now at least. But, as I said, we're alike now. More plant that human, really... I can, we can both, communicate with other flora. Not in spoken language, but, still, we do commune with them. Shelley's spirit, her soul, is still here; she's still alive, only... different." There were flowers and vines and leaves and now roots growing from Shelley's shriveled looking body. "The sun, water, soil; they're giving her things she needs, but she needs to know how to use them--needs company, encouragement, support... It's going to be a long ways back for her, I think. She went through a trauma; nearly died. But she'll come back... I just hope her lover will be awake by the time she does."
Lilhy shook her head a little. "Amazing..."
"I know, isn't it?" Silver smiled softly to her.
"So, you and Ivy? You're in love?" Lilhy asked back, her voice as soft and welcoming as Silver's smile.
Silver looked over at Ivy and Talia, who seemed to be getting along very well. A little too well, as far as Lilhy was concerned, actually. "Yes." Silver answered. "Very much." She turned back to meet her eyes. "I asked her to marry me."
"Truly?" Lilhy was surprised. "So soon? And, um, after what she did to you? I wouldn't have thought..." She trailed off. It really wasn't her place, after all, she realized.
"Mm, you would think I'd be more upset about being turned into a glorified love slave, wouldn't you? Except, that's not really the truth of it. Even if it were though, I don't know..." She looked down at her hands. "She's... she's just it for me, you know? My one."
"I know." Lilhy replied softly, thinking of Talia and how she'd do just about anything, probably forgive her just about anything...
"It wasn't anything even bad, you know; belonging to her... It was beautiful in fact... she just loved me. Really loved me. Listened to me. Was my friend... She's the most amazing lover... and when she looks at me..." She met Lilhy's eyes. "It was always real between us. I can't explain what I mean exactly, but... I know it was." She told her. "I know it -is-."
"...I believe you." Lilhy smiled softly. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks." Silver answered then, soft and meaningful, reaching over to take her hand in hers. "You and Talia? You seem... You don't like that she's talking with my lover so much, do you?" She asked a little teasingly.
"I hate it, actually." Lilhy confessed. "I know it's nothing, but she's always had that effect on me." She let go of Silver's hand and looked over at Talia again. "Whenever she pays attention to anyone else, it always gets to me. Probably because of... that man."
"Bruce, you mean?" Silver asked.
"Please don't use his name..." Lilhy asked, turning back to Silver with a sigh. "Honestly, I'd be happy to never hear that name again as long as I live."
"What happened?" Silver asked curiously.
Lilhy smiled. "She saved me; she was my knight in, mm, well, something considerably more revealing than a suit of shining armor, actually." She told her. "I'd never met anyone like her. So bold, and sure of herself. On the surface at least. I'd never been in love before. Aside from a few fleeting infatuations that I never had the courage to act on. I'd told myself that it wasn't worth it. Love... I was a fool; I had no idea what love actually was, to think such things. Talia showed me. From the moment our eyes met, she stole my breath from me... I think... I think I've been breathing just for her ever since." She admitted.
"That's beautiful." Silver replied softly.
"It is nice to be around people who think so, for a change." She admitted, smiling to Silver. "Even if it means my jealous side must suffer."
"She looks over to you a lot, you know--like she's worried you I might be seducing you. I don't think either one of you is actually going to... stray, though." Silver ventured. "You're probably a good match that way, in fact."
Lilhy smiled. "That does make me feel better." She admitted.
"I thought it would." Silver replied.
"Whatever M'gann did to her... Talia asked me to marry her last night; so I suppose we really do have a lot in common, don't we?" Lilhy shared. "Both somehow set to we on the very same night."
"That's amazing." Silver agreed, looking a little surprised and unsure of herself somehow for some reason.
"What is it?" She asked her.
"Nothing. I just... Do you think you'll have children? You and Talia? Do you want them?" Silver asked.
Lilhy paused, caught off guard. "I... I hadn't thought about it." She admitted. "Talia wants children, I know that at least." She told her. "That man... She called him 'good breeding stock' more than once." She told her honestly.
Silver laughed.
"But... No." She admitted softly.
"No, what? You don't want children?" Silver asked.
"Not really." Lilhy admitted. "I wouldn't... even know where to begin to be a mother. I've never more than glanced a baby at a distance a few times. I'm sterile--unable to conceive myself--so it's never been something I thought I'd have to contend with. I considered myself lucky actually... If Talia and I did have children though, I think I would be jealous of them, for taking her time from me. But... of course, I'd want to give them to her, share that with her; if... if it meant making her happy."
"What about your happiness?" Silver asked.
"She is my happiness." Lilhy answered with quiet honesty. "When she smiles to me, and I know I am the reason... When she laughs... When she's happy, because of me, there's nothing in the world that's ever made me feel even close to that wonderful, that happy."
"...So what you're saying is you like to be on top in bed." Silver asked playfully.
Lilhy felt her cheeks warm a little. She looked over to her new friend and smiled a little. "Yes, actually." She admitted. "I've even tied her up sometimes..." She admitted softly. "Have you ever?"
"Tied Ivy to the bed?" She asked. "No; but it's not a bad idea, now that you bring it up." She considered thoughtfully.
"So, you like to be on top too then?" Lilhy asked curiously.
"Mm, it's always seemed to be about equal, actually; between me and her." Silver told her. "We take turns."
"But, which do you like most?" Lilhy asked.
"Um, both?" Silver answered, a little helplessly. "You like being on top of her more than being under her?"
"No... it's just." Lilhy sighed. "I don't know. How did we start talking about this again?"
"My fault." Silver admitted. "It's nice having another couple as friends though." She complemented. "I had no idea how... um, how things were going to be; with Ivy. From now on I mean. I thought we might end up on the run--you know, just on our own; us against the world? It seemed like... well, the Bonnie and Clyde analogy did occur to me this morning. Or Thelma and Louise. Not that I've actually watched either movie myself, come to think of it. I just have this picture of us going down in a hail of bullets or something, and it's so sad. For everyone, really, if Ivy doesn't succeed."
"Are we talking about eco-politics now too?" Lilhy asked playfully. "I came to talk to you to avoid that, you know."
"You don't believe in ...'the cause'?" Silver used air quotes with her fingers. "Mm, too bad; guess it's the firing squad for you. And here I thought I'd made a friend."
"At least you have a sense of humor about it." Lilhy smiled.
"Yes well... I do take it very seriously though." She told.
"You're just not quite as... intense about it, as your lover is?" Lilhy ventured.
"Mm. I don't know. She's been doing this longer. She has more frustration in her, I suppose. Maybe I'll be as bad before too long." Silver contemplated. "What about you? If you don't want to save the planet from 'the plague of runaway humanity', what do you believe?"
Lilhy sighed and looked down, then over to Talia again.
"You just believe in her, don't you?" Silver observed.
"I suppose... If I believe in anything at all." She confessed.
"Huh." Silver observed. "Something tells me there's a story there."
"Isn't there always?" Lilhy countered.
"A particularly interesting story then?" Silver pursued the subject.
"...I wouldn't know." Lilhy replied vaguely.
"Tell me?" Silver asked.
Lilhy met her new friend's eyes and, for some reason, did have a desire to share her story with her. "Alright. I was born into an order... A very ancient order of Templars. The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas. I was taught of an almighty god; of sin, and wrath and vengeance against the evils of the world. Strict rules of right and wrong. Rules I followed, but never embraced in my heart; never actually believed in... I thought... I thought there must be something terribly wrong with me. That I must have such sin in my heart, that the principals of goodness, they could find no purchase within me. So... So I tried to be the most devout of my sisters and brothers; strived to do the work most diligently--hoping that by doing these things, the sin in me would starve and I would believe. It never happened..." She admitted. "...As I grew older, in fact, I grew more and more disillusioned with the calling I was born to. Nothing made sense to me. But I kept along my path... Until I met Jean-Paul Valley. The order's avenging angel. And he was given to me to guide. I remember thinking how absurd that was. The symbol of our belief given to me, who could not, herself, believe. I thought, perhaps it was a test? Perhaps the elders suspected my heresy? Or perhaps... even Saint Dumas himself, if he existed, thought me unworthy, and so put his killer at my back so I'd be easy to chop down when I showed myself for who and what I was."
"I was right, this is interesting." Silver observed in friendly fashion, giving her an open and encouraging smile.
Lilhy smiled back. "Um, that is... As it turned out, we were a good match after all... Jean-Paul was a... very gentle soul. And they did... I never knew; how they made an Azrael? When I found out. When I found out what had been done to him, I forsook my vows and took him away from them. I determined that I had been right all along not to believe. That it must all have been lies. Even though I found out later that Saint Dumas, or his ghost, was, in fact, real--he was such a retched thing though, I would never put my faith in him..."
"What happened then?" Silver asked when Lilhy was silent after that.
"The order does not suffer deserters well; their poor, battered, damaged holy angel, least of all. They pursued us across southern Europe and into the Middle East, where we met Talia, and her father, Ra's al Ghul. Talia... took a liking to me." She smiled. "She offered us protection and a home. And even my former order were not so foolish as to challenge The Demon's Head, or his League of Assassins. And so we were safe. Talia's father made use of Jean-Paul's... skill, on occasion; though I insisted I always go with him as his handler. I was... the only one Jean-Paul trusted. Talia came with me on those occasions as well, though she didn't have to. Soon, we became lovers; though she was afraid to admit this to her father, who wished her to marry a worthy man to give him an heir... You can guess the rest, I'd imagine." Lilhy finished.
"...So, I suppose, in a way, you kind of owe us then--me and Ivy--for... getting rid of the competition?" She asked a little playfully.
"...It was all I could to not to laugh and dance in joy when I heard, yes. So much was I relieved, that I barely even felt guilty for feeling that way... Though I believe he was a good man, or at least tried to be. Still, if his death means I have my hearts desire, then I can truthfully say... I am happy for it." She admitted softly. "So... I suppose I do owe you for that, don't I?" She admitted. "Well, Talia has seemed to join your cause. Not a big leap for her, actually; she's always believed in those things. And as she goes, so do I; so I imagine I will have the chance to repay your... kindness, at some point."
"I imagine you will." Silver answered thoughtfully.
--- IVY ---
(starts a little before it, and happens at the same time as Silver and Lilhy's conversation)
After talking with everyone in Talia and Lilhy's room, Ivy had wanted to go out and check on her lover in the yard with Shelley. M'gann said she was going to check on Nina, Nightwing, and Robin, hoping to work past her mind-blindness, and Lina went with her; so had Ivy invited Talia and Lilhy to come along with her. She wanted to get to know these two women she'd just met; to find out if she really had them as allies. She trusted M'gann... mostly, and Lina... Lina was Lina; but these two were unknowns.
In the yard, Ivy went over to Silver; knelt down and kissed her. "She's doing well; you have a talent for this I think." She told her, impressed with how quickly Shelley had improved under her lover's care.
"It's... so easy. I hardly even have to try." Silver replied, caressing her cheek. "Who are your new friends?"
"Mm, come on; I'll introduce you." She offered.
Silver took her hand and got up with her, going over to meet Talia and Lilhy. They exchanged pleasantries, and Silver excused herself to go back to Shelley; not wanting to leave her unattended.
"So, tell me more about your father?" Ivy asked. "And why you want him dead?"
Talia sighed as she sat down on a bench in the garden. Ivy sat beside her and Lilhy sat at Talia's feet, leaning on her legs. Talia played her hands idly though her lover's hair and looked at peace. "How much do you know of him?" She asked.
"Not much... Rumors, mostly. I know he's said to be one of the most dangerous and ruthless humans on the planet. But I don't know, well, much of anything beyond that." Ivy admitted.
"Mm, well, as M'gann knows, he is also functionally immortal. Has lived for around six-hundred and fifty years." Talia told her.
"Because of these Lazarus pits; the ones that bring people back from the dead?" Ivy asked gently, idly looking over at Silver; her breath catching a little in her throat at how very, very beautiful she looked sitting there in the grass, the sun shining down on her making her seem to almost glow.
"Yes." Talia told, smiling a little wistfully to her when she caught the look in Ivy's eyes. Ivy noticed when she turned back to her and smiled.
"...Someone whose lived that long; I suppose it's no surprise they could very well learn to be so dangerous." Ivy ventured, hoping Talia would open up more. It also surprised her little that one so long lived would have a vivid understanding of the degeneration the Earth had suffered by the hands of humans; he must even remember a time in his younger years when the air smelled pure and fresh and one could safely drink from most any fresh water supply without fear.
"An understatement, I'm afraid." She admitted. "All his life, he has lived in conflict and violence. I suspect he would rather like you though; respect you, for what you're trying to do. It's possible he might even seek an... alliance. Provided he were the dominant one in the relationship."
"Hmm." Ivy considered that. "That is the typical problem with males, I'm afraid."
"Mm." Talia agreed, looking down at Lilhy.
"Six-hundred fifty years." Ivy considered. "Before LGBT peoples became widely accepted in the world."
"Not all the world. Many places in the middle-east, Africa, even Russia still have far to go." Talia put forward.
"I take it he is of that mind then, a bigot? Like most people are about plant life." Ivy guessed.
"Mm, yes; I suppose he is, in his way. He would never approve of my love for Lilhy; that is the important part. I'm sure he would try to have her killed were he to know I wished to marry her. And, since I have asked her to marry me, it's obviously necessary to... strike first." Talia told her with simple honesty. "And, with M'gann, I can be assured of success; at least reasonably so."
Ivy smiled a little. "It seems he taught you to well then, how to be dangerous and ruthless."
Talia simply smiled just a little at that.
"Tell me more about his views though; you said they were similar to mine? Are yours then as well?" Ivy asked.
"Before you do, I think I'll excuse myself and go try to talk with Silver over there." Lilhy smiled to Talia. "You know this sort of thing isn't..." She sighed.
"You'd rather smell the flowers than talk about the politics of them?" Talia smiled softly to her. "I know. Go." She acceded gently, stroking her face.
"Have fun." Lilhy told her.
"You two are good together." Ivy complemented.
"We are, aren't we?" Talia smiled, delighted. "It's so... nice to hear someone else say so. Someone with an open mind."
"Mm." Ivy smiled a little. "No so open as that. I've never really cared for the company of straight people... not usually. Not that I hate them, I just... don't get along I suppose. Do you think that makes me a bigot?" She asked curiously.
"To a degree, I suppose it might. Only you could say for sure, I imagine. I can... understand the sentiment though, of course." Talia confessed. "It's just more... comfortable, with people who are like you." She admitted. "It's human nature, I suppose."
"I suppose..." Ivy considered, not really feeling all too great about it, actually. She often thought her feelings in this regard weren't what she'd like them to be. She wished she were more... tolerant sometimes. She just... wasn't though; so she did her best not to let it affect her actions too much. "So, we were talking about... the politics of flowers? Yours and your fathers? You said they were similar to my own, um, outlook?"
"They are..." Talia agreed. "Recently in fact..." She looked off into the woods. "He plotted to use the pits--combust them as volcanoes--kill off most of the human population, wholesale. The pits would have caused a... revitalization. Of the natural world; of plant life in particular. My... Bruce Wayne, the Batman, stopped him."
Ivy was struck by this. The scale of it. "...That's... monstrous... I can see the thinking behind it of course; but, to kill so many... and the plants, they would grow, but so many would be killed in the process, too."
Talia smiled a little. "I'm a little surprised to hear you say that." She admitted. "I thought you would have approved."
"No... I would not." Ivy answered solemnly. "Despite how much... I... I would not do that; not unless the state of things grew significantly more desperate. There is good in humanity..." She looked over to Silver and saw her look back, smiling. Ivy smiled back to her. "So much good." She looked back to Talia. "Also so much potential for... extremes. Especially in men, as they tend to be more... forceful. All I'm trying to do is... prune back... the more harmful aspects of the species. Bring justice to the worst in humanity--the rich, the governments, the corporations, the rotting societal customs and behaviors that have grown diseased from inattention--so that, hopefully, the best in humanity can better thrive, and learn to be at peace with the other inhabitants of this world." Ivy thought about it. "I suppose, at the root of it, I want to teach humanity a better way to live; in harmony with the green world around them."
Talia smiled softly. "M'gann never said how... inspiring you could be." She complemented.
"You think so?" Ivy asked, smiling softly. "Thank you... It's nice to have someone say that."
"I suppose most people would call you crazy for saying things like that, wouldn't they? Me as well for believing you." Talia offered.
Ivy smiled to her, genuinely delighted, and feeling a good deal less alone in the world for having talked with this woman. "...And, after your father is dead? What are your plans then?" She asked softly.
"Besides marriage, you mean?" She asked, looking over at Lilhy and Silver, who were getting along very well by the look of it.
"Besides that, yes. Though, I hope you'll invite me to the wedding. You're officially invited to mine and Silver's by the way." She offered.
"Of course, I'd be honored." Talia answered, just a little shyly. She felt a little heady in fact, the longer she was with Ivy. It wasn't attraction or anything; it was just... It felt so good being around her. She had this energy about her; and the way she looked at you, made her feel so special, like she was the only other person in the world at times. "And... as for my plans after my father is dealt with... for that, I think I would very much like to help you with yours--help you in your cause--if that's something you want. I'll have my father's resources--his connections and man-power--they can all be bent to... to our goals." She offered, liking that Ivy seemed happy by the use of the word 'our', where her father would have bristled at the very idea of any such plan that was not 'his'. "And... my sister, Nyssa; I think she could be convinced to aid us too. She and my father have been rivals, and... I haven't been able to see her as much as I'd like; but... I know she would help. If for no other reason than to spite the memory of our father." She told Ivy thoughtfully.
--- M'GANN ---
(again, happening at the same time as the other two conversations)
After trying to wake Derick and Tim, unsuccessfully, M'gann determined it best for her and Lina to tie them up just in case. Because if they woke, she was reasonably certain they wouldn't be under her control anymore, and she'd have no way of knowing they'd awakened. And, while they would obviously know they weren't a match for her themselves, they could escape and bring help. Even J'onn, and she very much didn't want to have to try to explain to him why she was helping a serial killer. J'onn was a very open minded sort of individual, but... just the same, that particular conversation was one she wanted to put off as long as possible. At least until after she had Artemis back. And besides, even if J'onn could accept it, Kal probably wouldn't and she honestly had no idea how Kara would react. Maybe Helena would understand though, she'd considered. As Huntress, she was no stranger to taking the law into her own hands, after all. That included killing the guilty when she thought it was best.
Once Derick and Tim were secure and as comfortable as they could make them, she and Lina went to see Nina. Lina had been mostly silent as she'd helped her with tying up their captives. M'gann could tell she wasn't at all comfortable with it; but, to her credit, she did it anyway. Soon, M'gann stood in the doorway and looked at Nina, who looked like she were only sleeping. She looked cute and pretty, and M'gann couldn't help but remember how it had felt to touch her, make love with her, be inside her mind. She still knew everything about this woman. Those memories and feelings would always be a part of her now, much as she may wish it had never happened. Nina would always be a part of her, like Lina and Shelley would. Lina walked by her and sat on the bed then looked over to her, and their eyes met and M'gann felt startled by what she saw there for a moment.
It was not unlike looking into Artemis's eyes. Seeing that amount of true love and real longing there. "Lina..." M'gann stepped forward.
"I want to help you." Lina spoke. "You should be with her." She told her. "She makes you happy."
M'gann was stopped in her tracks. "Lina... thank you." She replied softly as she came into the room and sat beside her.
"I love you; I can't... I want..." Lina couldn't keep going apparently and M'gann wanted to hug her but just... didn't feel comfortable enough to do that.
"Why do you think you fell in love with me, I wonder...?" M'gann asked, looking curiously into her eyes.
Lina smiled softly. "I felt... I felt like I -was- you for a while there. I mean, I know everything about you, don't I?"
"You know everything about Nina; are you in love with her?" M'gann asked.
"No... I mean, I do love her, just... not like that." Lina answered softly, looking away.
"Why?" M'gann asked gently.
Lina looked back, their eyes meeting again. "She's not you." Lina answered honestly.
M'gann smiled faintly and looked away, over at Nina. "That's not really an answer, you know." She told her.
"No; I guess it's not, is it?" Lina admitted, holding her arms across her chest and looking down at her knees. "And I don't know what to say; how to answer... It just... You just... It's like, you just fell into some place inside of me; in my heart, and... I just feel like; I want... Like I'd do just about anything just to see your smile one more time, or have you look at me, so I know you really see me."
"Oh, Lina..." M'gann spoke softly; turmoil, doubt, and guilt roiling inside her. And again, she was at a loss for what to say or how to feel about this. About her.
"I know; I know it's probably wrong, alright? You love her; you're... taken. In a strange way, I sort of even love her too; Artemis. Or, at least the you that's inside me does. But I just love you. I can't help how I feel. I kind of wish maybe you'd... I don't know, take us both? After you bring her back. But I know, she'd hate that idea, wouldn't she?" Lina smiled a little softly, finally meeting M'gann's gaze. "She'd probably want to fight me more than kiss me." She laughed just a little and M'gann did too.
"She would." M'gann admitted softly. "Probably. But... I think she'd understand, at least."
"Yeah." Lina agreed quietly, looking away again.
"So, if you know all that... why are you still here? Do you think... Do you think maybe I'll chose you over her? Or maybe..." M'gann smiled. "Maybe you can convince her to have a threesome after all? I'd kind of want to see that, actually." M'gann smiled to herself a little, thinking how funny that would be.... to watch from a safe distance. While invisible.
Lina smiled. "No." She met M'gann's curious regard again. "I just want to see you happy again. I mean, if I can't have you, can't be the one to do that for you, I at least want to make sure you find that with her again. I want to see you with her again, for myself. So I'll know... that you're loved. Then I think I could find a way to move on, find someone else."
M'gann just looked at her for a moment; so vulnerable, laying her feeling bare and knowing they probably wouldn't ever be returned. She couldn't help it... feeling love for this woman. It wasn't enough to make her chose her over Artemis; there wasn't really a choice for her, or anywhere in her, about that. Artemis would always be... She was her mate, and that was writ in her so deep it simply could not be otherwise for her anymore. She could never picture not wanting her more than anyone or anything else. Still... she got up and walked over to Lina, bent over, and kissed her on the forehead, then caressed her cheek and tilted her head up to meet her eyes. She didn't say anything at first, wasn't sure what to say, then tears started to fall from Lina's eyes. "Oh, Lina, no..." She sat beside her on the bed and hugged her. Lina hugged her back fiercely.
"Don't look at me like that; I can't take it..." Lina asked her roughly.
M'gann just held her back. This was so hard. She hated--just hated--the idea of hurting Lina as badly as she knew she must be hurting her. She wanted to make it right; wanted to give her her wish somehow, give herself to her somehow, or... No, even if she had her telepathy back, she wouldn't try to make Lina forget. She knew from experience. If, after Artemis had died, someone had offered to make her forget, she would have wanted to kill them just for offering that.
"Why does it have to be so hard?" M'gann pleaded softly, feeling ragged inside. Her life had always been so very hard... She'd found times of great joy, happiness, and love; but she'd had to bite and scratch forward every bit of the way to get there--and whenever she did, it seemed like someone or something always came and ripped it all away sooner or later. Would that happen again? When she got Artemis back; would something happen again? Would someone just come along and take it from her again? She'd kill them, she determined; she'd destroy anyone or anything who tried. She just... She wouldn't let it happen again. No matter what.
"Wish I knew." Lina answered, relaxing a little in M'gann's arms. M'gann soon let her go and sat there next to her, holding her hand and looking into her eyes.
"...I wish I could be who you needed me to be." M'gann told softly, looking down at her lap. "I wish a lot of things. Maybe that's been my problem." She let go of Lina's hand and went over on the bed next to Nina. "I'm going to try again..." She took one of Nina's hands in both of hers and looked to Lina. "It might help if you held her other hand?" She offered.
"Of course." Lina agreed, hurrying to comply; sitting on the other side of their former lover and taking up her left hand the way M'gann was her right. "Do I need to, I don't know, think certain thoughts or something?" She asked.
"No; just sort of... listen--except, um, with your thoughts?" M'gann asked. "Try to hear me. Try to hear her. Try to find me. If you do, try to hold onto what you hear; it might give me a... a guide. Like... like a lighthouse?" She offered.
She could see Lina understood what she meant like she hoped she would. She smiled to her, and Lina looked away a little shyly; M'gann chiding herself for doing that. It could have looked a lot like flirting, and that was just, well, a little cruel. She remembered having feelings for girls who didn't feel the same way. With her own people, she wasn't seen as a... a good potential mate. She didn't show strength. None of the girls she liked paid any attention to her, or, at least, not the kind of attention she'd wanted from them. After she'd gone to live with the green Martians, she'd had a few heartbreaks there as well. She'd finally found a girl to be her girlfriend, and it had been... really nice, for a while. But she hadn't... they never really connected on the deepest levels; not the way she had with Artemis. Though M'gann hadn't realized that at the time. G'yal, M'gann remembered her name; her first real girlfriend. They'd moved into the same room together; M'gann remembered thinking how big a deal that was, how great a feeling it was to have someone to be her... her one. Her mate. G'yal had died in the fire plague of course. M'gann found she rarely thought of her anymore. After the plague, she'd clung to the memory of her of course; even had imaginary conversations with her sometimes when she'd got to feeling especially alone. But then she'd met Artemis, and everything had changed for her. Everything.
She looked across at Lina and their eyes met briefly; but that time it was M'gann who looked away. She'd changed things in nearly that same way for Lina, she could tell. When you met someone like that, your life was forever split. A line drawn, burned into you. There was before Artemis, and there was after. You never confused the two; never. Would that be how Lina looked back on her? The prospect of it scared her. Because she couldn't even think... even imagine... how would it feel if Artemis rejected her? She couldn't even face imagining it. And that was what she might be doing to Lina right now. And she knew it was all her fault too. That she'd done this to her. So in that moment, she knew, she had to find some way to make it better. She didn't have a clue how she would do it, she just knew she had to somehow. If there was a way to bring the love of her life back to her from beyond even death, there had to be a way to make things right with Lina. There had to be. She just had to find it.
For the next couple hours, M'gann and Lina sat there silently, patiently--Lina never speaking, while M'gann tried again and again to reach Nina; to work through the blindness that had taken her telepathy and bring Nina back from what she'd unintentionally done to her. It hurt, like trying to move a broken limb, but she did it anyway. Tried to work in small steps first, just little things--try to sense just a feeling, a thought, something. And as she practiced, it did start to hurt less. And she imagined she might have caught the faintest whisper of something a few times, she wasn't really sure. At last though, she sighed and let go of Nina's hand; brushed her hand through Nina's bangs a little. "It's no use." She admitted, looking up at Lina.
"No? When... um, you'll heal yourself eventually though, right?" Lina asked hopefully.
"Mm." M'gann nodded yes. "If I keep at it; keep practicing, keep trying to rebuild what's been lost in me, it'll come back, but... It will probably take a year at least I think." She admitted in defeat. "The only other way would be for me to..."
"Go to J'onn for help?" Lina asked, obviously having suspected that would be the case.
M'gann smiled a little. "Yeah." She admitted. "I guess we both knew that would probably be the case going in, huh? I just hoped I was wrong."
"I did too." Lina smiled softly to her.
"Um, we should probably at least give her a bath though, don't you think?" M'gann put forward.
"I know I'd want one, if I were her." Lina considered.
"Right." M'gann agreed gently, purposefully not smiling to her this time.
This wasn't going to be easy. Not the bath, but that she now somehow found herself in the center of a love triangle that she didn't want to be in. Someone was almost certainly going to be hurt badly, M'gann knew, but she also knew she was going to try her best to not let it happen somehow.
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(to be continued)
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Green Eyes Killer