[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

[gothamsheiress]

"Elua above," Brix whispers.

"It wouldn't take long to become dependent on such a thing."

[hadyougoing]

She smiles ruefully.

"I wonder if Andrew thinks so too."

[gothamsheiress]

"I'm not sure I follow."

Blame her mun's tiredness.

[hadyougoing]

"I wonder," Ava says slowly, "if Lucifer's been visiting Andrew like Azazel visited me."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix raises her eyebrows, considering this for a few moments.

"If I were to guess," she says, very slowly, "I would think not. If Andrew could speak to him, surely he would be less distressed."

[stilljustandrew]

"I do not believe such visitation to be possible," says Baby, "while the intended object is incarcerated here. My cells were made to be impermeable to any external form of magic."

A beat.

"Andrew Wells is doubtless aware of this."

[hadyougoing]

For a moment, Ava's expression is on the verge of flickering very ugly.

But she just nods.



"Everything he wants right now really is about him."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix feels very foolish, and very annoyed now. This means that there's a decided edge in her voice when she says, "So it would seem."

But -- she takes a breath, a sip of tea, another calming breath.

"But he has been made dependent on this angel. That isn't his fault."

[hadyougoing]

Ava's fingers have tightened on her mug.

But she's careful about her breathing too.

"No," she agrees. "It's not."


She wants to remind Brix that she's not obligated to do this work. She's on the verge of saying it: they'll find someone else, they'll just keep Andrew and hope he dries out like a drunk, they'll--

I'll kill him before I let him go back there.

[gothamsheiress]

"I need to think," Brix sighs. She rubs a hand across her forehead. "I believe he has bad dreams, no matter the cause. And I made the offer to bring him some tisanes to help him sleep. I'll need to go home, or speak with the Bar."

[hadyougoing]

Ava nods.

"Okay."



And when she finally manages to add--

"If you decide you don't want to do this again--it's okay. I understand."

--it comes out sounding so, so much weaker than she intends it to.

[gothamsheiress]

"I wouldn't sleep well myself if I gave up that quickly." She waves the idea away. "Thank you, though."

[hadyougoing]

Ava huffs a soft laugh, glancing down at her mug and her hands.

[gothamsheiress]

". . . Ava--"

Brix leans forward and lays a hand over Ava's briefly.

"You're worried for him, and for me, and that does you credit. I truly thank you for that."

[hadyougoing]

Ava doesn't pull her hand away, but she does lean back slightly, mouth still twisted into a small smile.

"Oh, I'm not that great. I'd hit him in the face if I could get away with it."

And if Epimetheus hadn't gotten there first.

[gothamsheiress]

"Well," Brix says, drawing back again, "that doesn't preclude caring."

Exhibit A: James Delacroix. Observed exhibits B and C: Eliot Spencier and Alec nó Eglantine.

[stilljustandrew]

"My observations indicate that the two frequently occur simultaneously," says Baby, again with the glowing patch on the wall. "I have never experienced the combination, but I was not designed to experience the urge to violence, and am not aware of having developed such an ability."

A beat.

"I am, however, increasingly worried for Andrew Wells. His output has been erratic and unreliable on multiple counts since his return."

[hadyougoing]

Ava tenses a bit in surprise, then frowns.

"Output, Baby?"

[stilljustandrew]

"He has made untrue statements."

A beat.

"I am unable to determine whether or not he is aware that he has done so."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix frowns.

"How do you know they're untrue?"

[stilljustandrew]

"Twice now he has referred to the first direct meeting between himself and Lucifer, and stated that --"

Andrew's own voice comes from the wall abruptly, from an earlier recording. "I tried to Summon Him. -- Of course I couldn't do that really, I'm not strong enough to do anything like that --"

Baby's own voice resumes. "I have firsthand data of the incident, and this account is false. Andrew Wells successfully Summoned Lucifer. I am unable to determine whether he is misremembering or deliberately falsifying data, nor speculate on why he would do either."

[hadyougoing]

Ava sighs.

"I don't know exactly why, but I think it's stories--something about remembering it that way makes everything else easier."

[gothamsheiress]

"He's very insistent about his insignificance," Brix murmurs, nodding. "Especially compared to Lucifer. To believe that he never stood a chance of defying him might be more comforting than facing the idea that he had power himself, once."

[hadyougoing]

Her brow furrows.

"Maybe. Yeah."

[gothamsheiress]

"Has he made other untrue statements, Baby?"