The Calm

Disclaimer: Oh come on... does it look like I own Bebop... or Sith for that matter! Seriously, people, I work at a Starbucks... in a Jewel! If I owned something like Bebop, would I be working there?

The Calm
Chapter 3: Innocence

*Well I\'ve had enough of these selfish cries.
I hurt myself again not knowing why.
It seems so easy to leave it all behind,
And avoid the truth.
I think I\'d rather just go blind.*

“She’s lucky to be alive at all. We pulled out a good twenty bullets from her tonight. She nearly bled to death,” a male voice whispered.

“But she’ll be fine?” a cold, familiar voice asked.

“Yeah, she’ll be fine. What does she do anyways? I’ve never seen anyone with that many wounds, especially a woman”

“You don’t need to know that,” the cold voice snapped.

“Alright, alright. I’m warning you though, Mr. Vicious. She may not be so lucky next time,” the forgin voice said, followed by the shuffle of feet.

“I know,” Vicious’ voice drifted through her hazing mind as she fell back into darkness and memory.

~*~*~*~

* Then everything erupts;
My life has come unglued.
And the ties that bind have left me.
What am I to do?*

She was five again, dressed in a blue sundress, sitting next to her worrying father. He had been a handsome man, his grey eyes, that she inherited from him, looked pale. His golden colored hair was disheveled and matted with sweat. Her mommy was in the operating room, the doctors were making her better, making the blood stop.

[Flashback]

Her father was asleep on the couch, his hand hanging down onto the floor. He had come home late the night before, smelling like the nasty brown bottled stuff that he drinks. She was fine on her own, she had eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Mommy had made for her before she went to save the world. Her mommy was a superhero, she worked with other superheros called the Red Dragons. She stopped the bad guys. Her daddy worked for the Red Dragons too, but he wasn’t as powerful as Mommy. Mommy was the best.

She was playing in her room, her favorite doll was Mommy and the others were the bad guys. She then heard the door open and the smell of flowers and smoke wafted into the room. A large smile grew on her face and she scrambled to her door. Mommy was home!

“Mommy! Did you win?” she asked as she ran into the hall. Mommy didn’t look good, red stuff was all over her shirt and was dripping onto the carpet of the apartment. Mommy was bleeding. Her grey eyes widened and she ran to Mommy’s side. “Mommy! Did the bad guys get you?”

Mommy looked at her with pale blue eyes filled with pain and grief. “Yes, honey. Go wake Papa.”

She nodded vigerously and ran to where her Daddy slept. He could help Mommy, he could stop the blood.

[End Flashback]

“How is she Doc?” Daddy asked the doctor.

“I am dreadfully sorry, Mr. Robinson. Your wife came in with multiple gunshot wounds, we tried our best to stop the bleeding and heal the damage, but she was too badly injured. I am sorry, sir, but we lost her,” the doctor said.

“Is she hiding?” she asked. Daddy looked sad, she didn’t understand. Was Mommy lost? Could they not find her? “I’ll go look for her!” she declared as she hopped from her seat and dashed down the hall, much to the shock of her father and the doctor.

The place smelled of bleach and sickness. A sickening smell that would forever make her hate hospitals. As she walked down the white, brightly lit halls, she came upon a room that was dimly lit. She couldn’t read the words on the doors, but she knew that if someone was hiding, it would be a perfect spot. ‘I bet Mommy’s in here!’ she thought as she slipped inside.

Her mother lay on a bed, seeming asleep. Her skin was paler than usual, her eyes closed. ‘Did Mommy fall asleep?’ she asked herself as she used a stool to climb up and sit next to her mother. Gently, she shook Mommy’s arm. “Mommy? Wake up! It’s time to go home!” she whispered. Her skin was slightly cold. She didn’t move. She then remembered a story that her mommy had read to her once. “Are you under a spell Mommy?” she asked.

[Flashback}

“Mommy? How did Sleeping Beauty wake up? Did she sleep forever?” she asked.

Her mother laughed, her pale eyes dancing with happiness as she lay next to her on her little bed. “No, Marissa, she didn’t sleep forever. She slept for a hundred years. Then a prince came and woke her with a kiss. It was kis kiss that broke the evil fairy’s spell,” she explained.

Her grey eyes were wide. “Could a fairy cast a spell like that on me?” she asked.

Her mother laughed again, her voice like music to her young ears. “If one ever does, I’ll make sure to find a prince to wake you up.”

She smiled, showing her missing front tooth. “And I’ll kiss you, if a fairy ever casts that spell on you!”

Her mother smiled back and hugged her close. “I’d love that, sweetie.”

[End Flashback]

She leaned down and softly placed a kiss on her mother’s cooling cheek. Slowly, she raised her head and gazed with a confused wonder at her mother’s still ‘sleeping’ form.

“Mommy?” she whispered. “It’s time to wake up, Mommy.”

Figuring that the spell was really powerful, she came to the conclusion that it would take time for the spell to break than in the stories for her beloved mother to awaken. She snuggled close to the cool form beside her and wrapped her small arms about her mother’s arm, her eyelids drooping as she drifted off into a gentle sleep.

* Can\'t seem to recognize that stare behind those eyes.
Who is this man I see who\'s looking back at me?
Can\'t focus through the pain, and I am fading into nothing.
The reflection must get clearer.*

~*~*~*~

* I think I\'m cracking up, like I\'ve lost my mind.
I hurt myself again. Still don\'t know why.
I end up the same way each and every time.
Can\'t avoid the truth. There\'s just nowhere to run and hide.*

“She’s been slipping in and out of consciousness for a while now. We can’t determine yet when she will fully awaken,” a feminine voice said softly.

“But, she will awaken?” Vicious’ voice was clearly filled with concern.

“We can’t really tell. She may never wake up.”

“It is a possibility, but knowing her, she’s far too strong.,” Sith’s logic laden voice stated.

“Is the pretty lady going to be okay, Papa?” a small voice asked.

She stiffened, her heart rate going up slightly.

“She reacted to your daughter’s voice. She can hear us,” the soft voice said. She had determined by now that it was the voice of a nurse.

“Is she under a spell, Papa? Like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White?” Aurora’s voice asked.

Her heart rate jumped again. ‘No! Not again!’ she cried mentally. ‘Not like my mother!’

“She seems to react strongest to the sound of the child’s voice,” the nurse stated.

Amaya felt the pull of unconsciousness take her again. Her thoughts falling into the soft darkness again.

*Then everything erupts, just like I knew it would.
Been down here long enough.
It never felt that good.
Is this what I\'ve become?
My life has come unglued.
And the ties that bind have left me.
What am I to do?*

~*~*~*~

* Can\'t seem to recognize that stare behind those eyes.
Who is this man I see who\'s looking back at me?
Can\'t focus through the pain, and I am fading into nothing.
The reflection must get clearer than it appears to be right now.*

She was sitting at a bar now, she was Rain at this time. It was the night after she ran from the ship. Her mind jumbled with her feelings for both of the men on that ship. She quieted them with liquor. Her thoughts were fuzzy now, the most conscious ones ‘Beer… foamy, bar… smoky.’

“You seem to have a lot on your mind,” a familiar cold voice said.

She turned to the right, her hazy grey orbs locking with the cool blue of Vicious. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Something wrong? Usually, you don’t drink this much unless it’s important, or stressful,” he said.

“Go away, I don’t need your shit right now.”

“What? Life not going your way?” he teased.

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“You used to tell me things.”

“That was before you decided that my life needed saving,” she snapped.

“Just tell me,” he insisted.

She growled and then spun to face him, wobbling slightly as she stood. “You want to know so badly? Fine, I slept with both Spike and Jet tonight and now I don’t know what I’m going to do! I ran away from them because I knew that I was going to hurt them! Happy now?”

“No,” he answered.

“Good, I hope you fester in the thought!” she spit as she turned back around and fell backwards into his arms. “Oh, crap.”

Vicious chuckled. “You should probably stop tonight. You can barely stand. Where are you staying? I’ll walk you,” he offered as he stood her on her feet.

“No where, I came straight here.”

Vicious sighed and shook his head. “Lucky you I decided not to grace Sith with my presence and sleep in a hotel tonight.”

“No funny ideas!” she said as she pointed at him. “And after this you leave me the fuck alone!”

“Alright, jus stay with me tonight.”

* There must be someone I can see.
There\'s gotta be something for me.
Show it now. Let it go free.
I know it\'s there, waiting on me.
Let it out. Let it go free.*

~*~*~*~

* Can\'t seem to recognize that staehinehind those eyes.
Who is this man I see who\'s looking back at me?
Can\'t focus through the pain, and I am fading into nothing.
The reflection must get clearer.*

Amaya groaned as she opened her eyes, the light from the window burning her lids. She was in a hospital. She hated hospitals. She then turned her head towards the door, away from the evil light of day. A pair of grey-blue eyes stared at her from the edge of the bed. Amaya raised an eyebrow at the blonde headed child.

“Sith says that you’re a ghost!” she squeaked.

“Where am I?” Amaya asked.

“A doctor place! Papa said you were really hurt. Are you better now?” she asked.

“Yes, dear, I am.”

“Are you really a ghost?”

Amaaughaughed. “No,” she answered.

The child smiled and climbed upon the bed, laying next to her. She was wearing a lavender dress, covered with little flowers, her feet clad in one sock. Her blonde locks were in wild curls all around her head. Amaya smiled at her and brushed a stray curl from her eyes.

“You’re very pretty,” she said as she touched the scar on her eye with a small finger.

“So are you,” Amaya complimented back.

“What’s your name?”

“Amaya, and you’re Aurora.”

“Yup! Hey, both our names start with the letter A!” she cheered.

Amaya smiled softly and nodded. “Yes, they do. You’re very smart.”

Aurora smiled wider, her little chest puffing a bit. “I know all the ABC’s.”

“That’s very good,” she said. She felt her eyes get heavy, but fought it.

“You can sleep, Amaya,” Aurora said.

“I don’t want to be alone…” Amaya muttered softly as the heavy pull of real sleep claimed her.

“You’re not alone, Amaya. I’ll watch you,” she heard Aurora whisper as she drifted off into the world of dreams.

* Can\'t seem to recze. ze.
Can\'t seem to recognize.
The reflection must get clearer.*

~*~*~*~
*Song, “Recognize” by Flaw*
~*~*~*~
Levii: Wow, two in one day! Whoohoo! I’m just on a roll here! I love this character so much, she just… works for me. Oh, and if anyone noticed. Whenever I write from a child’s perspective, how the world is so simple and idealistic. How the child never refers to either parent by their name, with an exception for Sith. It’s because, since I’m writing from the perspective of a child, I thought that writing from a child’s mind set would be more fitting. Children think like this, their point of view is very simplified and idealistic. They aren’t quite able to articulate or process the world as something cold and harsh, so the world isn’t harsh. Hehehe… look at me, talking all intelligent n’ stuff. This is what years of child development courses and child and general psyche get me. It gives me an interesting way to write… makes it more... interesting I hope. Ah, well, enough babble. Review and tell me what ya’ll think! Ja ne!