Chapter 434 - Heartfelt Farewells

Irene looked like stress if stress had both taken up a name and a face. I'm starting to lose count here how many times already I've seen that same gaunt, disheveled look on her expression… and every time I'm more and more amazed that somehow it never proved a detriment to her looks. 

Seriously… stress has never looked more enticing in a blazer.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, brushing away a loose strand of her between her eyes, but I couldn't quite get it off right even after a few attempts. 

"I'm fine," She replied, wounding up swiping the strand away herself, as she turned towards the station platform. "How are you holding up?"

I turned with her. "Fine."

"And Sera?"

"She's fine," I replied, feeling that tinge of guilt surge again, and narrowing my lips to a long flat line. "Just not happy." 

"That's fine, that's good," Irene nodded her head. "She'll just have to find happiness in some other things. I'd say you made the right choice… but obviously, I'm sure you'll just disagree with that sentiment." 

"You know me too well."

"Which is why I'm also not going to bother asking you to reconsider again. On the way over here, the thought did occur to me, but…" I turned to look at her, only to find her eyes already meeting with mine. "Overly bossy girlfriends don't sound like the appealing type, don't they?"

"Ehh, they have their strengths, I guess," I mused. "But yeah, the supportive ones are way up there on the sex appeal chart."

She snorted at that, crossing her arms together. "Well, I'm not going to start waving pom-poms in the air and shouting your name for your amusement." 

"Don't have to," I said, inching slightly closer. "You're here, you're not stopping me, you're cracking jokes, cheering me up… you're pretty much running ten for ten on that chart." 

Finally, a smile… only briefly though, but yet it helped rid away a bit of that weight on her expression. 

"I have a new case on my desk just this morning," She said, her gaze drifting a little left to the frozen, smiling statue on the seat. "Missing person." 

Oh… I can already imagine it, envisioning that butterfly flapping its wings, rippling the chain of events one after the other. 

"Nick…" I muttered out, and the look in her eyes affirmed it all… no wonder he was in such a rush to leave yesterday. "Well, can't deny that he cares a lot."

"Yes, I had a chance to see that love and affection for myself, fortunately… big man, barely could fit in my chair." 

"What'd you tell him?"

"Short version: nothing," She let out a sigh, and I could hear the fatigue in her breath. "Long version: He's fine, he'll turn up, he probably needs a break, go home… you'll get a call from your father anytime now, I'm sure."

Brief, disregarding, and just a tad bit callous. Knowing Nick, I'm sure he didn't just walk away easily from that.

"And will he though?" I asked.

"I'm working on it, I have a spare phone in my drawer, I took Harry's old SIM, he'll get a long text message explaining everything in the evening. In the meantime, I assured him that I'd get right on it, it was the only way to get him out of my office." 

Yeah, that definitely sounds like Nick, alright.

"Goes without saying but this merely a short-term solution, just so you understand," She turned her gaze onto me again, still lingering a faint trace of uncertainty in her eyes. "The one who's really going to wind up returning a father back to his son is you."

I felt the weight of words pull down at my shoulders, and once more I'm reminded again of the repercussions of failing. What'd it do to Nick, to Hayley… and perhaps, a little selfishly, what it'd do to me too.

All that bravado, all that talk I mindlessly spouted and sputtered out, if I can't back it up, if I can't save him… I don't know what I'd do.

"Hey, don't overthink it," I felt a hand on my arm, her gentle voice, and suddenly Irene was a whole lot closer. "You'll save him, you said you will, no matter what, right? You can do it. " 

I just shrugged. "Don't know how long I'll be gone though…" 

"As long as it takes," She answered simply. "After all, you love proving the impossible wrong. You'll get it done."

"It might be a long time gone, guess you won't be seeing much of me for the time being."

"Oh woe is me, then," She said sarcastically. "How am I ever to survive without you now?"

It just occurred to me then that this really was our last minutes together for quite some time. I said it jokingly before but I really won't get to see her, won't get to hear her… touch her…

"You'll miss me?" I asked, losing the fervor in my tone.

That's when another smile began to form, and everything else was gone, the stress, the somberness, leaving only love and tenderness swirling within her hazel eyes so sincerely. 

"Every second…" 

Had her own problems, her own stresses, and woes, and still, she was here trying to lift me up from my own, and somehow succeeding at it too. The supportive type… they really are up there, aren't they?

My body moved on its own volition, before I knew it, I was leaning into her… but even more surprisingly, at least to me, Irene leaned back. We kissed, longingly, passionately. I nearly forgot how soft and warm her lips felt, her body against me, and because all the more, I didn't want to let go.

Every emotion, every feeling, every word that I forgot or just didn't say, I tried conveying it all into the kiss, hoping she'd hear it, feel it… and I think she did. I felt her fingers dig into my sleeves even deeper, her body pushing back a little harder.

For a moment, I drifted away… and in that serenity, engulfed in that bliss, I thought here, the instance there and then, might last forever. Except, of course…

"Oh my God, seriously?"

It didn't.

"Augh, ew, why did you have to make me see that?" 

Irene and I broke apart in an instant, and I sprang back so far away I nearly fell into the railroad tracks myself if not for Irene's hold. In a blur, I scoured the platform for the source of the interruption. I know that voice, recognized that tone, and going by sound proximity, she's - !

"Oh, you guys finally made it!" I said on impulse.

They're right in front of us…

Amanda straight-faced, staring at the both of us, frozen in a smile… and Sammy right beside her, flip-flopping between wanting to throw up and wanting to claw her eyes out. 

In that moment, all four of us were stuck in limbo, an eternal awkwardness without end in sight, until a miracle granted by the ticking of time came in the form of a loud horn blaring off from the distance, and then the next second, a silver, shining steed of a train came barreling through, gradually slowing down on approach.

Our ride was here, unceremoniously announced by an automated voice in the loudspeaker, ordering all in-wait onboard with haste. Sammy was all too eager to do as said, and immediately made a beeline for the nearest entryway.

"Don't you look at me, I'm not kissing you," She said as she walked past, disappearing instantly up into the train, just like her innocence. 

Irene was still clinging onto me, only realizing in time when Amanda's unblinking stare seemed to scorch at her grip, by then it was far too late. Things were awkward again. 

"Right, um, I - I better go," Irene stammered, coughed, immediately letting go. "You better leave too, um, yes, one last thing though… Harry will listen to you, every word, he won't resist… but in case he gets restless, use this - " 

Suddenly, I felt her stuffing something into my hand, something that felt round, and a little glassy… I opened my palm, and there was a small vial rolling around my palm, and there inside, corked tightly, something red, misty, and swirly.

I glanced up at her. "This is - ?"

"Yes, it's my scent, concentrated," She hastily finished. "Put it under his nose and he'll sit still. Just try not to breathe in it, and you'll be fine. Now, okay, I really should go."

She gets jittery when she's embarrassed, doesn't she? 

"Um, right…" She fidgeted in place a bit more. "I-I love you, you can do it, okay? Come back soon," then she planted a quick kiss on my cheek, and only after that finally, she straightened the creases on her blaze and marched far away.

Then there were two…

"You know, I did plan on kissing you too," Amanda began, slowly walking closer towards me. "But after seeing that, I don't think you need any more, do you now?"

"We were saying goodbye…" I said limply.

Amanda only dulled her stare even more. "Yes, I'm sure your tongues had plenty to say to each other, didn't they?" 

"Come on now…" I said, giving a meek smile to her. "I mean, If you want… we can still also say our goodbyes too."

"Nope!" She shot me down, turning her nose high into the air. "Succubus already tainted you, I'll pass on that, thank you." 

Well, I tried.

"But in return," She continued on, sternly staring, prodding a finger deep into my chest. "I get to be your 'welcome back', you got it?" 

"Loud and clear," I saluted, 'cause like hell I was gonna say anything else after that drilling.

The train blared again, the intercom chimed once more, and it seems it really was time for me to go. But before that…

"You take good care of Mr. Black, alright?" 

"Always wanted a cat, so don't worry," Amanda assured, her harsh frown becoming a warm smile like a flick of a switch. "He'll be treated like a king in my place."

Okay, now that's out of the way… walking back, I gently rouse Adalia, called Ash over who was staring funny at a random turnstile, and directed them both on board, then as for Harry, I took a deep breath, clutching the vial deep in my pocket.

"You'll listen to me, right?" I asked.

Harry stiffly turned his head to me, staring up with a smirk permanently affixed to his expression. "Of course. The detective said to."

"And you cooperate?"

"What other choice do I have?" He tilted his head. "I know what happens if I say no." 

"Right…" 

I told him to rise, ordered him to follow, instructed him to follow my every step and not do everything else, all of which he did without a word.

"So, that's… Nick and Hayley's dad, huh?" Amanda studied him for a moment, cautiously keeping at a distance, before expelling a little disheartened sigh. "But that's not really him either… oh, that's terrifying… and very sad." 

I nodded. "Yeah… it is…."

"But you can fix it, right? Can you?"

"That's the idea," I said, wearing a confident smile. "Fingers crossed, right?"

Then despite her reservations, Amanda quickly scurried over to me before I could go on board, her expression soft… and a little meek. "You know I'll miss you, right?"

"I do," I said, gently ruffling the top of her head. "And I'll miss you too. But hey, you'll call, you'll text, every day, every hour, won't you? I'm already expecting it."

"Of course," She beamed. "How else would you know how much I love you if I don't tell you every day?" 

I beamed back. "Attagirl."

Harry boarded the train first as per my instructions, with me closely eyeing and trailing from behind, but then once again, Amanda appeared in the corner of my eye.

She opened her lips, spoke a single syllable, before stopping short, and then suddenly wrenching towards her with her hands, "Screw it," she muttered quickly, before locking her lips hard into my own - then before the passenger doors parted close, she shoved me just as hard, sending me tumbling inwards before I could even process what the hell just happened in those brief few seconds.

I saw her through the window, following… in a walk at first, then a jog, before breaking into a sprint, chasing the train until she couldn't any longer, all the while, speaking words that didn't reach my ears, but yet I heard all the same.

"Goodbye."

"I love you."

"I believe in you."

"Come back soon."

Soon. I'll come back soon, alright.

I promise.