[reverse darkest timeline AU: cellthread #3]

[stilljustandrew]

It's been about two days.

Nobody's come for him.



Andrew's lying down, staring at the far wall.

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[gothamsheiress]

"What if he's the one who isn't big enough?"

[stilljustandrew]

A swift intake of breath, and his head jerks up to stare at her with -- shock, yes, verging quickly into offense and anger.

But first, and clearest, a flash of stark fear.

"No."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix sits, still and impassive, meeting his gaze.

(She's as afraid to push too hard as to push too little.)

[stilljustandrew]

"Don't --"




"Don't say things like that."

By the end of the sentence, it's almost a plea.

[gothamsheiress]

"I told you from the beginning that I would be honest."

[stilljustandrew]

"I -- I know, but --"

He swallows.

"I can't listen to that kind of thing. I don't want to ... get angry."

[gothamsheiress]

Her eyebrows go up.

"Why not? It might be good for you."

[stilljustandrew]

"You wouldn't leave?"

[gothamsheiress]

"If you got angry?"

She sounds genuinely surprised.

"Andrew, of course not. I'd be more worried if you weren't angry, in your circumstances. And if you need someone to curse at or strike or to hold onto you, to be angry, I can be that someone."

[stilljustandrew]

He holds very still, barely breathing.



"I," thin and stifled, "I think I would prefer not to do that."

[gothamsheiress]

"Then you don't have to. That's all right."

She gives him a close look. "But is there a reason you'd rather not get angry?"

[stilljustandrew]

"It's ..."

A beat, and he looks away.

"I don't want to make you angry at me. And I, I don't want to ... take anything out on you."

[gothamsheiress]

"You think if you get angry, that will make me angry at you?"

[stilljustandrew]

He nods, silently.

[gothamsheiress]

She lets out a breath.

"I beg your forgiveness if I've made you fear that," softly. "I know I haven't always had the best control of myself. But that fault lies with me, not you. Certainly not you."

[stilljustandrew]

Very soft: "I don't think it's you."

[gothamsheiress]

It's a small thing -- but she feels her heart lift. Small progress is still progress, after all.

"What would he do, if you were angry?"

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew blinks at her.

"I ... He didn't do anything. I didn't get angry at Him."

He says it like it's an impossibility.

[gothamsheiress]

She frowns. "I find that hard to -- understand."

[stilljustandrew]

He frowns in turn, looking down at his knees, trying to find the words.

"I think ..." Slowly. "Like you said before. You, you can't get angry at the center of the universe."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix nods slowly.

(She may disagree, but she understands what he means.)

"You may not have been angry at him, but were you never angry?"

[stilljustandrew]

"... Sometimes." Very soft. "Mostly early on. At Meg, or, or whoever. And I'd ... mouth off at whoever it was, try to like ... score points by talking."



"It never did any good. In the long run."

[gothamsheiress]

"Did they punish you for it?"

[stilljustandrew]

He nods, without looking up.

[gothamsheiress]

She takes a deep breath, lets it out.

"That was wrong of them, Andrew," she murmurs. "It was a way to control you."