Senkha & Llew: April 3

Senkha pauses at the top of the stairs, frowning slightly. She rests heavily against the wall a moment before squaring her shoulders nad slowly making her way down.
Senkha hesitates again, once in the doorway. She doesn't say much of anything, just sort of looks between the two.

Sidoni says: Yeh. That'd be right nice too, fer ya t'braid my hair. Mebbe I'll grow it all th'way down t'my ass.

Wheaton smiles wearily, his head leaned against the bars as he holds Sid's hand. "That'd be really nice, love," he says softly. "I'd b--" He stops, catching sight of Senkha in the corridor.

Sidoni glances up when he stops speaking so abruptly, following his gaze to Senkha. Her own expression wavers somewhere between anger and relief, and she gently releases his hand to raise to her feet, walking over to greet the other woman.

Wheaton rises to his feet, his hands gently grasping at the bars as he watches the two women.

Senkha 's expression is as deadpan as it has been for the past couple of days. She clears her throat. "Sidoni, I'd like to speak with Llew alone, please. Would you mind waiting upstairs?"

Sidoni smiles, a little wearily. Nevermind how she's been snappy at Senkha lately, she's been snappy at everyone. And this is Llew's family. "Yeh, sure thin'." A pause, and then: "I'm right glad yer here, Senkha."

Senkha doesn't answer this, though from the expression on her face, she's not glad to be here at all. She just nods and moves past Sidoni towards Llew's cell.

Sidoni looks over at Llew. Regardless of whether or not he's looking at her, she blows him a kiss and then does as she said she would, and leaves.

Wheaton heart clutches in his chest. It skips, it flutters. His eye is focused only on his cousin.

Senkha doesn't look at Llew, not really. She sinks into the chair beside the door to his cell, staring at the wall opposite. She seems at a loss for how to begin.

Wheaton's gaze falters, though internally he's glad she isn't staring him down. Had her gaze been on his, he wouldn't have been able to keep looking at her. He moves along the bars to be nearer to her and sinks to his knees next to where she sits. "I'm sorry, Senkha," he says quietly, his head bowing. "I'm just so fuckin' sorry."

Senkha exhales; she can't acknowledge this just yet. She doesn't want to yell, she doesn't want to fight anymore. She's just so fucking -tired-, and eventually, she just speaks flatly. "The League isn't pressing charges."

Wheaton is probably more perturbed by this lack of emotion. He looks up at her. "Are you?"

Senkha hesitates and then finally nods. "It will keep you in here longer," she explains quietly. "The League isn't pressing charges, which means they want to get rid of you in less legal ways. As long as you're in here, you're safe."

Wheaton slumps a little. His brow furrows deeply. "I can't just sit in here, Sennie," he says tiredly, turning to lean on his shoulder against the bars. "Y'ain't gotta try and protect me."

Senkha 's voice grows harsh. "That's what I'm -doing-. Idle Hands doesn't have the manpower to completely protect you from the League's assassins, and you think half of them are trained in that sort of shit?"
Senkha says: Our contract with the League is up after our expedition Thursday. If we can find -something- there to get them off our asses, I'll drop the charges.

Wheaton cringes a bit at the sharpness in her voice. "I don't work for Idle Hands anymore, Sen. Not you or a single one of them has any responsibility to me anymore."

Senkha says: But you're still my cousin. You're my only living family. I can't protect you any other way than this.

Wheaton says: And if they don't let up? An' I end up havin' to stand trial? What then?

Senkha rolls a shoulder. "Then you've got Mr. C., and he's never lost a case. And when he doesn't lose, I'd recommend getting your ass as far away from anything that can be reached by Dark Irons as possible."
Senkha says: But that isn't going to happen. They've let up on the company as a whole because of Shepard's journals. If we can get them something good on Thursday...

Wheaton says: What's happening on Thursday?

Senkha says: We've another expedition planned, a return to the Storm Peaks. The long and short of it is that the research gave us another lead on the Fountain of Youth. And the League wants us to investigate.
Senkha leans back in the chair, still looking at the opposite wall. "None of their previous expeditions have returned. So you can see why they're sending us."

Wheaton sighs heavily. Absently, he reaches into his shirt, but he has no cigarettes, much to his chagrin. The idea of the group going back north while he's stuck in jail is quite irritating.
Wheaton says: I reckon ya'll will find somethin' worth findin'.

Senkha grunts in acknowledgement. After a moment, she adds, "After that, our focus is finding Arubrey. Once we find him, I'm done with the company." Even now, she doesn't sound very emotional; more just exhausted.

Wheaton says: Done? What?

Senkha says: Leaving. I tried the other night, but neither Moira nor Wil would take over leadership. I can't blame them.

Wheaton frowns, slowly rising again. He peers down at his cousin with a concerned gaze. "Why are you going to leave?"

Senkha shrugs. "I'm tired. I didn't want this company to begin with--it was Arubrey's venture, and I just went with it, just to do administrative shit. And then he disappeared and I got left with everything."
Senkha says: And I don't want it...never have. So when this is over, when Arubrey's back, the company's all his. Oliver and I are sending Dizzy to school in Dalaran and then we're going to live in Surwich.
Senkha says: And have something like peace.

Wheaton says: Is that really gonna make you happy? Bein' away from your daughter? Bein' away from everything?

Senkha says: Yes.
Senkha says this firmly, decisively. "Just me and Oliver. Some chickens. A garden. The life I never wanted growing up, but at least there, hell won't find us."

Wheaton frowns gently. It hurts him to see this woman that he's always known as vibrant looking so very worn down by life. His hands grip gently at the bars because he can't reach out and try to comfort her like he's always done before.

Senkha doesn't look much like she wants to be held and comforted. She just sighs. "And Dizzy will do well in Dalaran. The school we found for her there's the safest anywhere. She won't disappear again."
Senkha says: With Emrys, we're only a short ride from the city, so if we ever wanted to come back, we could.
Senkha says: And once we've recovered enough from this bullshit, we may even come on expeditions with the company again, if I can walk. If Arubrey doesn't dissolve it.

Wheaton isn't really sure what to say. Or do. He just watches her. He simply listens. "If that's... if it's what you want, I hope it's.. I hope you get it."

Senkha then becomes a master of subject changes! Still without looking at Llew, she says, "There's something that's been bothering me, Llew. You said that all you'd been thinking about since getting back from Storm Peaks was destroying that research."
Senkha says: Why didn't you say something?

Wheaton shakes his head. "I don't know," he says quietly. The tone of his voice does not hint at anything else. That is the truth. Completely and entirely. "I thought it was just.. " He shakes his head, his eye closing.

Senkha says: Was just what?

Wheaton says: Just one of those stupid thoughts you get sometimes. It was never right up front, but just.. right back there behind everything else. And when I would stop for a while and just relax, it'd just come right up in front of everything.

Senkha exhales slowly, still not looking at Llew. "I wish you'd said something. None of this is like you...thievery, sure. Dishonesty, sure. But never against me. I don't know what to think anymore."

Wheaton's gaze lowers again. He turns his back to the wall, leaning shoulder-first against the bars. "It.. it wasn't -at- you," he says quietly, his voice wavering a little. "I just had to get it. I wish you had just left it in the office; I wish I hadn't known it was in your files at home. I didn't mean to hurt -you-. You know the last thing I'd ever do is hurt you on purpose..."

Senkha rests her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. "But you -did-, Llew. I know you didn't mean to, but you did. And even if the files had been in the office, it would've been against me. All of our lives were in danger because of this."
Senkha says: I wish you'd just fucking -told- me.

Wheaton 's expression falls slowly, all that guilt he's been feeling the last three days rolling back up to the surface. "I wish I had too."

Senkha finally glances sideways at Llew; she looks just the slightest bit emotional, but it's more of the betrayed expression she wore the other day. "I don't trust you," she admits after a beat.

It hurts to hear her of all the people in the world say that in regards to him. But he isn't going to argue it, or plead for her forgiveness. He knows he deserves it. He knows he failed the one person who has always been there for him. The one person he's always supposed to have been protecting. He swallows hard. "I know," he whispers.

"You're the only person I had left from my family who I could trust," Senkha continues softly. She doesn't mean to keep piling this on; she knows he's got the same guilt that she has, but it's hard to keep it inside. "I know it wasn't you. I know it wasn't your fault, whatever got in your head. But I am just...I'm tired, Llew. I'm tired of being hurt. I'm tired of getting close to people and getting burned."

Wheaton rolls toward the bars again, his forehead touching one. "I know you are, babe," he says quietly. "And I'm sorry I put you in this place... I'm sorry I've made you think of me like this." All the emotion he's been trying to hold in all night is becoming hard to hide. "I'm just so sorry. Just sorry." The word just isn't strong enough, but it's all he knows to say.

While Llew may be letting his emotion out, Senkha seems to be mostly devoid of it. It's not that what Llew's done didn't hurt, just that she's past the point of tears and holding and emotional responses. She's all the way around the bend, though she reaches over, after a long hesitation, and touches Llew's fingers against the bar. "I know. I forgive you. I don't know that things'll be the same again, but...you're all I've got, Llew. I can't afford to let you go altogether."

Wheaton nods, swallowing hard again. His fingers shift in an attempt to catch hers. "I'll always be here for ya," he says quietly. "Always. I know I fucked up bad, and I ain't gonna try to keep pushin' myself into yer life. But I'll always be here if you ever need me for anything..."

Senkha nods, letting him catch her fingers, squeezing his in return. "I'm just trying to keep you safe in here. I can't take losing someone else. Not you. Not again. I'm tired of losing people, and if I can keep someone safe, even in prison..."

Wheaton will sit in prison if it comforts her. His hand shifts so he can hold hers more firmly. "Just make sure I don't sit in here forever," he says quietly. "I got a pretty girl that still wants to marry me."

Senkha says: I'll try to do what I can.
Senkha says: I don't want you in here forever, either. You're like me...if there weren't bars, you'd be running now. Maybe with Sid. Maybe without. But you'd be running.

Wheaton shrugs gently, giving a small sigh. "I'm tired of runnin', kiddo. I just wanna be normal too."
Wheaton says: Wanna be a good husband.. wanna be a good dad.

Senkha finally laughs weakly. "What do you think going to Surwich is? I'm not too proud to admit that I'm running away. You were the one who taught me to follow that instinct...the one that tells you when it's time to retreat."

Wheaton's expression falls again. His thumb brushes over her fingers gently and then he draws his hand away. "I'm the last person you should be taking life lessons from, babygirl," he says quietly, pained. These things he does not want to to admit.

Senkha shrugs and shakes her head. "Whether that's true or not, I've been following that instinct too long to really be able to ignore it now, when it's screaming at me. It's been screaming at me a while, Llew."

Wheaton nods. He knows. It's been screaming at him for months, and it's a difficult thing to ignore. "I just want ya to be happy, Sennie. Whatever it takes to do that. THe only thing I ever wanted out of life was to make sure my girl is always happy."

Senkha gives a wry smile. "Happiness comes and goes. I'd just like to have some semblance of peace so I can stop hurting."

Wheaton sighs quietly. He nods gently. "Where's Oliver?" he asks quietly. "I think maybe you should go be with your husband."

Senkha nods and slips off the chair slowly, resting on her cane. "I'm going to go find him. I'll send Mr. C. down to talk to you in the next couple of days, alright? ...I love you, Llew."

Wheaton stretches on arm through the bars again, his hand lifting so his fingers can brush over her cheek. "I love you, Senkha."

Senkha holds Llew's hand to her cheek for a moment, managing a smile for him. Weak, shaky, but genuine. "I'll come by again sometime soon. And I'll make sure they get you better pillows."
Senkha gives Llew's hand one more squeeze before turning to hobble back up the stairs.

Wheaton smiles faintly. "I'm alright. Wil brought me that one with the fish on it... some tobacco would be good though."
Wheaton waves as she moves away.