Bad Day Part Nine

Who: Brian and Olivia
Where: Olivia's apartment
When: Around 5

Brian had made a point of saving Olivia for last-- or, next to last, as Domino got that official place. He'd thought on what he wanted to say and do, and he'd had a strange but strangely apt idea earlier when he'd considered it. He'd hurt her trust in him, and leaving when they were only just barely starting to rebuild that trust wasn't going to help matters much, but he thought he might finally have a way to make it up to her. After all, between shadow-attacks, what had he time to do besides bandage any new wounds, have a quick cuddle-session with Domino... and practice?

So when he pulled up in the Tourville parking lot, he sat in the truck a long few minutes, making sure he was ready. It was risky, what he wanted to do, but he thought it was probably worth it. When he had everything in order, he got out and trudged to the stairs that led up to Olivia's apartment, the knocked after a moment of catching his breath. Stairs were painful, these days....

Olivia was on the phone, having just finished making arrangements for Herbert to fly home. The taxi would be there around six to take him to the airport where his ticket would be waiting. She already had his things packed, and an envelope of cash to give him. She felt a bit despondent about the whole thing. Especially getting the call that Corwin was leaving as well. The number of friendly faces in town was dwindling. Olivia was hanging up just as the knock at the door came. Hoping it was Judiel - she needed a hug - Olivia left the kitchen to open the door.

"Brian," she said, somewhat surprised. But she smiled anyway and stepped back. "Come in. Everything all right?"

"Hey, Olivia," Brian said with a little smile. It'd been a wearing day, and he was pretty sure he looked tired and probably a little strung out. For the last couple visits, he could tell the toll it was taking on him, because he'd caught himself at the beginnings of short-circuits before he managed to calm himself down. Last one. He could do it. He came in when invited, and gravitated towards the nearest something to sit on. "Things could be better," he said, almost apologetically, because while she didn't know what was coming, he knew she wouldn't be terribly happy when it did. "With you?"

Olivia frowned and shut the door. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach, but she tried to ignore it. She had been receiving nothing but bad news today, but that didn't mean Brian was about to hit her with more of it. Maybe he was just having problems with Domino. "I'm okay. My roommate has to leave town, so I'm sort of trying to figure out what to do about that." And she was still upset about it. It was like sending her little brother off somewhere alone. It didn't sit well with her. "What's going on with you?"

Brian tried not to glance at the ghost following him in as he sank into one of her kitchen chairs. Then when she spoke, he had no trouble not doing so: he frowned and fixed his gaze on Olivia. "Your roommate's leaving, too? That-- Herbert kid? How come?" Hell, talk about bad timing.... He didn't really even want to say anything, now-- but he had to. He couldn't leave her without letting her know.

"His dad has cancer. He's in remission." It sounded awful. Olivia sat down on the couch and clasped her hands together. "I'm just trying to make sure everything's ready for him to leave. I suppose I'll figure out what I'm suppose to do later." She made a small face, feeling both guilty and anxious. "I don't think I can afford to live on my own. But I'm trying not to panic over it just yet." And she realized he still hadn't answered. "What's wrong?"

Well, that was officially awful.... "I'm sorry," Brian said quietly. "I know how much you care about him. That can't be...." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. There was nothing good about this situation, and she was going to hurt for it, he was afraid. "And I'm here to make your day worse," he added with a tiny smile. "Or maybe better-- maybe you should have stuck with being angry with me."

That didn't sound good. Her frown deepened and she ignored the sick feeling churning in the pit of her stomach. "Why? What's going on?" She didn't really want to ask. She really just wanted things to be fine and okay and maybe she could make him something to eat to show she'd been cooking more lately. Or they could just talk about how nice it was that things were normal again. Or how the weather was getting cooler.

"Apparently 'sick parents' is going around," Brian sighed, scratching at his head and one of the healing slashes in his hair. "My mother's got some kind of stroke disorder-- my brother couldn't remember the name over the phone." He paused, then added quietly, "She's dying."

That was really bad news. Not only for Brian but for... Olivia swallowed once but figured she needed to say the appropriate things. "I'm sorry, Brian. That's awful." Olivia shifted lightly on the couch. "You've got to go home to see her?"

"To basically be her caretaker," Brian answered. "My brother's got kids and a 'round-the-clock job, my sister's pretty much unreliable, bless her heart. So that leaves me. Tom'll help out some, but mostly... yeah, me. I'm... going to be gone a while." Which was the really hard part.

Olivia realized that 'awhile' was probably going to be longer than she wanted to believe. But she kept her expression calm, even though her fingers were tightening around one another. "So you're leaving too." She tried not to sound accusatory, but between Herbert and Corwin and now Brian... Mathias left town - though he said he would be back too. She half expected Judiel to knock on the door with a suitcase in his hand now. "You're leaving town to move back home."

"Not for good, but... yeah." He watched her, feeling awful. Coming on the heels of her roommate leaving... the timing was just shit, and he knew it. "At least a few months, probably closer to a year. However long she lasts. I'm going to have to get some more details once I get out there." He paused, then added, feeling like he was offering pittance in return for all the shit, "I'll write... and call."

"A year?" That was definitely more than 'awhile'. Olivia bit her lip to keep from pouting or scowling. No need to be immature and upset about it. It felt like all the people she trusted were running. Even though she knew it had nothing to do with her - she was starting to feel abandoned. She lifted a hand to run it through her hair and then sighed. "Okay. I guess... I mean it's not like you have a choice, right?"

The exclamation made Brian wince, but he nodded unhappily. "Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted." To lose Mya, to lose Domino, to leave behind all his friends, people he cared about... for his mother to be sick... no, he would not have chosen this. "Are you all right?" He wanted to reach for a hand, a shoulder, something, but he still didn't feel really comfortable with that, with her. Especially not when she was upset.

"I'm fine." Because what could she say? No, she wasn't fine? That she though it was bullshit? She couldn't say that. That would be wildly inappropriate. And he probably felt bad enough as it was, having to up and leave everyone. "Is Domino going to go with you?" That seemed important to ask. She didn't get long distance relationships, and given their differences, would that even work?

"She feels abandoned," Marcos told Brian, watching his daughter as she spoke. "Tell her not to give into the urge to sabotage what she has left to find some excuse to leave. She needs to curb the impulse to run and stay in Marquette."

Brian cast a glance at the ghost. That made sense, given what he knew about her. He nodded faintly. "I don't know if Domino is coming yet... I'm kind of, er, saving that one for last... afraid to know the answer, I guess." He grinned a little, then scooted over on the couch, within reach, to try and take her hand. "Olivia... I know it's hard. It is hard. But you know I'm not gone for good."

"Everyone says that," Olivia stated sullenly, though she didn't pull away when he went for her hand. "Things were suppose to get better. Things were suppose to start falling into place here, and now everyone is leaving." Because maybe Domino would go with him, then he was gone too. All of her friends, save for Judiel, would be gone. She sighed and glanced at Brian. "I don't mean to be mopey about it. I know you can't help it. I'm just... I guess I was getting used to having people around."

"And there are still gonna be people around," Brian promised with a little smile, taking her hand in both of his warmly. "Mya's staying, and your boyfriend-- Judiel, right? And I really wouldn't be surprised if Domino wanted to stay rather than come with me. It's not exactly going to be sunshine and rainbows where I'm going...." He shook his head a little, keeping the potential unhappiness from that thought in the background. He was just being realistic. "Don't give up on what you still have, Olivia. I think it'll be worth it."

Olivia wasn't overly close to Mya - and she had talked to Domino about the possibility of quitting the diner. But she did have Judiel - to an extent. She couldn't just thrust herself upon him twenty four seven because she didn't want to be alone. "I'd rather have you around," Olivia said dryly, trying not to let her immaturity take over and force her throw a fit about it. It was just - bad timing, she supposed.

That made him smile, though it was a sad one. "I know... I wish this hadn't happened. I promise I'll keep in touch-- I'll call and write. I'll need something to keep me from dying of boredom and mother-chatter." He gave her hand a squeeze. "You'll be all right, I promise. I need someone to come home to when I come back, you know."

Her own smile was sad. "Do you think I won't be here when you get back?" A tiny part of her - a tiny, tiny part of her - thought about leaving too. But she knew she could never do that at this point. At least, she kept telling herself she couldn't.

After another tiny glance aside at Marcos, Brian shrugged a little sheepishly. "It's always a possibility... I know neither you nor Domino actually intended to stay here. But already it doesn't seem like the place'd be the same without you...."

"It won't be the same without you either." She felt like she might start crying. "I don't know. It just feels like... I lost my dad already. And now you're leaving and it kind of feels like..." Olivia stopped and shook her head. She wasn't going to cry. She reached out to brush her finger against her eye impatiently. "I guess at least I get to say goodbye to you."

I think that's my cue. Brian gave her hands another little squeeze. "Actually, I kinda wanted to talk to you about that, too.... Um, I told you about the seeing spirits fuck up I made, a couple weeks ago, right?" Did he? He didn't remember if he had or not-- he might have been on the outs with her at the time....

Her brows furrowed together in confusion as she looked at him. "Yeah." She didn't know what that had to do with what they were talking about, but she supposed it had some relevance. "What about it?"

Ah, she did know, good. Brian smiled, albeit a little hesitantly. "Well, see, I've kind of been practicing, and there's something I'd like to do for you...." He looked back over at Marcos and started drawing energy from various places around-- light, heat, air movement, friction, electricity, even the spirit realm itself. "It's all you, now, man," he said, and held out a hand to transfer it over to the spirit, transmuting it into something he could use and giving him the strength to manifest. Brian couldn't force it, he wasn't that good, but he could give a spirit the power to do it himself.

Olivia was taken back and nearly scrambled off the couch in surprise. She didn't know who he was talking to, or what was happening, but it frightened her initially. "What's going on?" she asked Brian, her voice shaky.

There was really no time to answer because suddenly her dad was there. Only not. It was him - she could tell that much - but it couldn't really be him. Could it? Olivia was torn between being extremely frightened, and confused.

"Don't be afraid, Livvy. He brought me here to be able to say goodbye to you," her dad told her, his voice soothing and familiar. It was definitely his voice and it churned emotions in her that she had long since buried. Olivia's eyes were wide, clouded and snapped back to Brian.

"What's happening?" Olivia choked out, standing abruptly from the couch and stepping back. "I don't... know what this is."

Brian scratched his head a little awkwardly. "Well, see, if I can see spirits... I can also kind of call them. If they want to come, I'm nowhere near good enough to force anything yet. Your dad apparently thought coming was a good idea, and you never got to say goodbye, so...." He shrugged with a slightly uncertain grin. "I thought I'd at least try to give you that chance. Since I was so bad about it, before. He's only got five minutes, though."

"Five minutes," Olivia whispered, as though she didn't quite comprehend that. But she did - because she knew about spirits manifesting. Five minutes. She looked back at her dad standing there and suddenly her mind was blank. All of the things she had ever gone over in her head to say to him were gone. Instead all she could do was try not to cry and force two words out of her mouth. "I'm sorry."

Marcos smiled sadly, and he lifted his hand as it wanting to touch her, but it fell back by his side. "I'm sorry too. But you know I loved you like my own daughter. And I know you loved me too. You're happy here, Livvy. You're maturing into a beautiful, young woman and I do not want to see that torn apart because you might be afraid of what is coming. Your mother would be extremely proud of what you're making of yourself here. She loved you more than you know. I know for some years now you have thought the opposite, but I assure you, she and I both wanted you and loved you."

Olivia couldn't really hold back anymore and she started crying, though she stayed where she was, lifting her hands to her face to brush the tears away. She didn't think she was doing anything so great that her parents would be proud of her, but it still sparked some kind of hope inside of her to hear it. "I'm sorry I wasn't around. That I didn't get to say goodbye."

"You don't have to say goodbye to me," Marcos told her quietly. "I'll be around, even if you can't see me. I've only ever wanted you to be happy and taken care of. Your mother left you a small amount of money when she died. I've put aside some for you as well, in case something were to ever happen to me. There is a friend of mine, a hunter - Steve Dent. He has a key for you, that will give you all the information you need to retrieve it. I expect you to do so, Livvy. I want to see you settled and happy. Not living how you have been for the last few years."

Despite her tears, Olivia smiled through them. She never thought she would love being lectured by her dad so much. "I promise. I love you. And I miss you."

There was a soft sort of wistful look in Marco's eyes before he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. She breathed in the familiar scent of her father, closing her eyes and hugging him back as tightly as she could. She heard him tell her he loved her too before he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Talk to me whenever you need me, sweetheart. I'll be listening."

Olivia nodded, unsure of whether or not she could speak properly. She wiped her hands over her cheeks again. It felt like the ache in her heart that had been there for years night be starting to mend. There was still so much she wanted to say. Stuff they needed to talk about. But their time was ending.

"I love you, Livvy."

"I love you too," Olivia managed before her dad pulled away. She reached out for him again, but she felt nothing. He was gone. Blinking, Olivia stared at the empty space for a moment before she turned. Brian was there. "Is he gone?"

Brian had his head down, elbows on his knees and hands laced behind his head. He couldn't watch, though he didn't have a choice about listening, and after the day he'd had, he was having a hard time not crying a little, himself. He chanced a look up through a fall of graying hair and, well, he could still see Marcos, with that familiar gray-light sheen that his own willworking put on spirits, but that meant she couldn't, anymore.

"He's still there," he answered, "just can't manifest without help, that's all...." Maybe if he stayed here, instead of in the deep realms... or if he needed more time to learn how to do that sort of thing, if he never went beyond to begin with. He had to wonder if he'd be able to call his own father someday, have a few questions answered... but he wasn't going to hold his breath. "You okay?" he asked after a little pause.

He was still there. That provided some comfort and warmth and Olivia reached up to push her hair behind her ears. She sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling like she had just been hit with a truck. She had just seen her dad. Who had been dead for months. And he loved her. Olivia inhaled deeply and looked over at Brian. "Thank you," she said, answering his question the best way she knew how. "I don't think I could ever thank you enough for that."

Sitting up a little more and unlacing his fingers, Brian reached over to pat her knee, all he could really reach from where he sat. "I just want you to be happy, and hell, if I can't be here to try and help, I gotta do what I can...." He was just glad it worked, and then didn't backfire when it did work.

Olivia leaned over to hug Brian rather than accepting the pat on the knee. She was going to miss him, even if he promised to keep in touch. Even if he was coming back. "I'll miss you," she said quietly. "Promise you'll keep in touch."

He could do that, a hug. Brian wrapped both arms around her tightly. "I'll miss you, too," he said, a little tightly after everything and fighting back that threatening bout of tears, but hell, he managed not to short out the lamp. He'd count that as a win. "I'll call so much you'll be sick of me, promise."

"Doubtful," Olivia replied with a small smile. She pulled back enough to look at him. "I really hope your mom pulls through. If there's anything I can do for you, tell me because I promise I'll do my best."

"I hope so, too. Thanks, Olivia. Just stay safe and I think I can be happy with that." Part of him wanted to wipe at his eyes, but he had a feeling that would make things worse. He wasn't actually leaking yet. "Long as there's people to look forward to coming back to."

"I'll try my best," she promised with a weak smile. Living in Marquette, who knew what safe was anymore. "And I'll be here when you come back." Hopefully that was sooner than later.

He gave her shoulders one more little hug. "You'll be all right...." And she had her dad, even if she couldn't see him. At least he'd done that, for her. "I should probably get going-- can't put off asking Domino what he wants to do much longer."

She frowned, not quite ready to let him leave, but she knew he probably had other people to see. "Okay. Please be careful. And maybe call me soon?" She stood from the couch and wiped her eyes again. She was sure Domino would go with him. If he didn't... well, she wasn't sure how she would react to that. But then again, would Judi have left with her if she was in that situation? Who knew... "Be safe, Brian."

Brian picked himself up tiredly, and once standing pulled her gently into one more hug. "I'll call once I get in and get settled, promise." He'd have a lot of phone calls to make, then, but he didn't begrudge a single one. He didn't want to actually say goodbye; that felt too final. He kissed her forehead warmly and said instead, "You, too."