[reverse darkest timeline AU: cellthread #2]

[stilljustandrew]

[Previously: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What's worried Baby the most, over the past few days --

Well. What's upset her the most is Andrew's consistent refusal to speak to her mind-to-mind, or out loud beyond the few necessary words she might exchange with any other inmate, such as requests for food, fresh clothes, an extra blanket.

But what's worried her is that he hasn't asked for anything to pass the time. No tablet with games or videos on it, no pencil and paper, no baseball to bounce off the opposite wall.

No books.



In the cell, Andrew finishes his breakfast (cornflakes, with sliced banana), sets aside the bowl, and settles down leaning against the wall.

Comments

[hadyougoing]

"And let me guess. Sam told you it's all okay, at first he was mad but now he gets it, things are working out for the best and you did exactly the right thing?"

On the one hand, she'll hate being wrong.

On the other hand, she might actually respect Lucifer a little bit.

[stilljustandrew]

"He didn't think I did the right thing."

Much lower.

"For a long time."

[hadyougoing]

"Because you didn't wanna join up."

[stilljustandrew]

"Because he thought I shouldn't have come out there to begin with. Because he didn't think he deserved to have anybody there who cared about him."

Andrew's not looking at her now.

[hadyougoing]

"Oh, that's good."

She says it like somebody admiring the craftsmanship.

"I said that to you too, remember? I don't think anyone needs to meet me, Andrew." Her lashes flutter tragically. "Or hell, maybe he was still alive for that part."

[stilljustandrew]

He shrugs.

"I know it's him. I don't have to care what you think."

[hadyougoing]

"That's true," Ava agrees, nodding. "But how do you know it's him? Because his eyes are the right color? Because he sounds like Sam? Because you really, really want it to be Sam, because in my horrible world, he was one of the only people who stood half a chance of fixing things?"

[stilljustandrew]

He's silent, but the look on his face is that same stubborn serenity.

[hadyougoing]

"Because you just know."

She nods, smiling savagely.

"Okay. Awesome."

[stilljustandrew]

"Yeah. I'm hopeless."

He rests his chin on his knees again.

"You should just throw me back."

[hadyougoing]

"Subtle."

[stilljustandrew]

Another shrug.

"It'd be the simplest thing to do. I wouldn't be your problem anymore."

[hadyougoing]

"You're not a problem, Andrew. All this--"

She waves a hand.

"All these little walls in your brain, the ways you're trying to make yourself believe this is fine? That's a problem. Lucifer's a big fucking problem. And look, I get it, I had to do it to myself too. Not because I thought it was fine to kill people who hadn't done anything to me. Because I always knew it wasn't."

[stilljustandrew]

His face closes completely.

"You don't know anything about it," he says, low and thick.

[hadyougoing]

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

"I think you were right," she decides. "Gotta admit, I never really believed you. But we are much, much more alike than I thought we were."

Ava shakes her head.

"Anyway. I gotta get going. I'm supposed to be patrolling now."

[stilljustandrew]

He scrambles to his feet, up to the translucent wall.

"I haven't killed anyone."

[hadyougoing]

"Ooh, good job!" she says. Flat: "Let's keep it that way."

And off she goes down the hall.