Chapter 24

The rest of the afternoon was enjoyable for all involved. Summer and Yang taught Kali to play a simple racing game. In spite of her lack of skill, they enjoyed themselves greatly, falling off the tracks, speeding off jumps and hitting each other with powerups. It was thrilling to both of them, and ultimately tiring for the younger of the two. Winter was already drowsy after a long day spent enjoying some rarely earned privacy, and elected to take Summer to bed for a nap until dinner, leaving Kali and Yang to talk shop.

"No, it's not that Winter could burn salad, she has burned salad." Yang laughed as she stirred the contents of the slow cooker, the curried chicken smell filling the kitchen with its strong scent.

"How?" Kali scoffed. "How do you burn salad? You don't even cook it!"

"Well, I wasn't in the room, so I didn't see it, but the way Winter tells it, she'd just finished mixing the salad, poured some dressing on it, turned around to put the bottle in the fridge, and when she turned back it was on fire." Placing the lid back on the cooker, Yang turned to meet Kali's befuddled gaze. "I got there in time to find her shouting obscenities as she tossed the flaming bowl out the back door and into the sand." Kali started laughing, and Yang continued. "I asked her what happened and she just started shaking, stammering and stuttering and trying so hard to figure it out that she just fell apart and started crying on the spot. I felt like shit because I was laughing so hard while I hugged her."

Both Kali and Yang were breathless, trying to keep quiet while hysterical. "How?!" Kali managed between bouts of laughter.

"I don't know!" Yang chuckled. "Like, a chemical reaction? Act of God? Ruby and Weiss fucking with us from beyond? Anything's possible, it was just that stupid." Yang recovered, wiping her eyes of tears as Kali was still wracked with giggles.

"Who's Weiss?" Kali asked, taking a deep breath.

"Oh." Yang sobered quickly. "Weiss was Winter's younger sister. She passed about a year after Ruby."

"Oh, that poor girl, both of them...all of you." Kali sighed. "You've gone through so much."

"Yeah, but we made it, and we found each other in the process, all of us." Yang smiled. "It's a hell of a silver lining, but I appreciate it."

"Were they the sort to set things on fire?" Kali returned the smile.

Yang laughed. "Ruby, maybe if she thought it'd work. Weiss? From what I hear no, but I like to think they're up there in the heavens frolicking together, looking down at us and sending little messages however they can."

"You're a woman of faith?" Kali asked.

"Not really?" Yang shrugged. "I've never been to church or really prayed. I dunno' if I believe. I just...hope. I hope that when I talk to Ruby she can hear me, that when I visit her grave she's maybe sitting next to me, telling me she loves me too, that I'm doing well, that she misses me too, and is waiting for me to join her…" Yang caught herself, noting Kali's kind but worried gaze, and smiling. "Not that it'll be anytime soon. I'm a mummy now, and soon I'll be a wife, and a godmother, and Blakey needs her best friend. No, I've got too much to do before I go." Yang turned to stir the curry again, but had barely removed the lid before an arm wrapped around her own.

"It's okay to have moments of weakness Yang." Kali soothed. "At my worst, I considered drastic measures too. Blake was, and still is my world, and without her...everything seemed so grey. But I persevered, like you do, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have found my girl again, and to have met her friends, and Summer too. You have a wonderful family Yang, you're a wonderful person. Don't bottle things up when you have so many who will listen."

Yang set the lid down, instead laying a hand over Kali's, taking a shaky breath. "Sometimes I dream...that she's there when I wake up, or when I've gone somewhere, or when I'm visiting her...we talk, and laugh and play like we used to...then every time, there's a light, and she's walking into it, and I go to follow her, but no matter how fast I run she just seems to get farther and farther away...waking up from that is the most painful thing I ever go through. Sometimes Winter is awake, and she helps me through it, but usually I just try to stay quiet, wishing everything was a nightmare, that I'd wake up and...she'd still be there with me. It's even stranger now Summer's here, because I can just go into her room and...it's like she is still here, but then she wakes up, and calls me mummy, and it hurts, because Ruby should be here. I should be Aunty Yang, helping Mama Rose raise her beautiful darling girl, but I'm not. I'm mummy, and it's like raising Ruby all over again." Yang choked and Kali pulled her into an embrace, Yang burying her face in the shorter woman's shoulder as she sobbed, comforted by gentle hands rubbing her back, and a soothing voice in her ear.

"It's okay, I've got you, let it out, you're going to be okay." Kali whispered.

Yang tightened her grip, and Kali smiled. It felt good to help someone vent, to comfort them. She used to do so when Blake was growing up, when she would skin her knees, when she would clash with the narrow minded, when her friendship with Ilia fell apart, Kali was there to soothe her however she could. It was her purpose in life, to care and nurture. Yang, as strong as she may be, needed this. Blake was better at hiding her feelings, maybe she needed it too. Kali hoped that should that be the case, Blake would open up on her own. The least Kali could do was be patient. She had waited this long to find her again. She could wait a little longer still.

Pregnancy was a constant struggle for Pyrrha. It was not so much the physical aspects as the psychological side. The hormones had caused a shift in her personality. Gone was her calm logic, replaced by occasional irrationality and emotions she found hard to control. She had stopped seeing patients, Glynda covering them for her, as their emotional stories tended to inspire overly emotional reactions. She could have stayed at home, relaxing with Nora, and waited it out, but she hated feeling useless. So she returned to work to once again serve as Glynda's secretary and assistant.

There was also one patient Pyrrha had to see herself. Pyrrha knew sign language - and beyond a few basic greetings - Glynda did not, and so could not take over Pyrrha's one mute patient. The sessions were quite stressful, the patient - Neo - was in a very difficult situation, and one Pyrrha could not help be affected by. But Pyrrha battled through, suppressing her emotions as much as possible until she departed. It was exhausting, but luckily Nora and Sun had the perfect solution. After Neo's appointment, the pair would stop by to share lunch with Pyrrha, giving her a chance to relax and recover.

Nora and Sun arrived at the office exactly on time. Nora's pregnancy related change of personality turned out to be nearly the opposite of Pyrrha's. She had become focused and detail-oriented nearly to the point of obsessive compulsion. Being punctual was probably her biggest preoccupation, much to the surprise of Pyrrha and Sun. Nora had always been a free spirit, the sort to show up whenever. Now she scheduled her days, pushing Pyrrha and Sun to do so as well.

Nora and Sun were greeted by Glynda, who sat at the desk in the waiting room. She informed them that Pyrrha's appointment was running long, then excused herself to go have her own lunch. After a few minutes, the office door opened, and Pyrrha stepped out into the waiting room, joined by a short girl with multicolored hair, presumably Neo. They were obviously signing to one another, though Sun and Nora could read none of it.

Neo looked at Sun and smiled. "So that's your boyfriend huh? Hot."

"Uh, yes well, time for you to go." Pyrrha said aloud, her fingers failing her.

"See you next week." Neo signed. She glanced at Sun. "And I hope I see you too."

Just as Neo walked out and closed the door behind her, Pyrrha took a deep breath and flopped down in the chair at the desk. She slumped, tears welling in her eyes. "Neo's got it so hard. No job, no savings, just a disability check from the government. I wish I could do more to help."

"You could get her a job at Solstice." Nora suggested.

"I tried that." Pyrrha shook her head. "When I offered she said she doesn't want charity, and that she doesn't want to be a model anyway. She's got no one, no family, no friends...it's just so sad." Pyrrha hid her face in her hands and took a few deep breaths. When she looked up she managed a smile, though her eyes were still watery. "I shouldn't talk about patients. What have you guys been up to today?"

"Nora's almost done making the crib." Sun replied.

"Are you being careful?" Pyrrha pressed. "All those woodworking tools look terrifyingly dangerous."

"Of course I'm being careful." Nora insisted. She patted her bulging belly. "I've gotta' for this little one."

"She wears gloves and safety goggles and everything." Sun added. "The other day Sage said he's never seen anyone as careful as her."

"And I cleaned his tools when I finished with them." Nora noted. "I'm the responsible one now, remember?" The others looked at her. "God, I hate being the responsible one."

"Whaddaya' say we eat before this stuff gets cold?" Sun held up the bag of Mistrali takeout.

"Yes, of course." Pyrrha nodded. "I'm starving."

"Me too." Nora agreed. "Carpentry really works up an appetite." Sun passed a series of containers, complete meals with sides, to Nora and Pyrrha as they gathered around the desk. Then he pulled a single small container for himself, just some noodles, and began eating.

"That's all you're going to have?" Pyrrha asked.

"I've got three classes to teach today." Sun explained. "If I eat too much I'll end up making myself sick. I'm already asking Sage and Scarlett to do more around the gym, it would be awkward to ask them to clean up my puke too."

"Good point." Nora allowed. "Just make sure you're eating enough. You don't wanna' pass out either."

"Yes mom." Sun rolled his eyes.

"I appreciate the sacrifices you're making for us." Pyrrha said after chewing and swallowing a forkful of her meal. "And I appreciate Sage and Scarlett picking up the slack. I know it has to be hard on all of you."

"Nah, it's alright." Sun chuckled. "Those guys've been slacking for years. It's about time they pulled their weight. It's nice to have a life outside the gym for once."

"Shame you have to spend it taking care of a pair of hormonal, pregnant ladies." Nora joked. "But don't worry, the new, boring me will be gone soon enough. I hope."

"Eh, you guys are still fun to hang out with." Sun shrugged. "I won't miss giving foot rubs though."

"You think we're gonna' let you stop after the births?" Nora smirked. "Think again monkey boy."

The morning work routine for Pyrrha and Glynda had changed little over the years. They would both come in early, well before the first appointment, Pyrrha usually a bit earlier than Glynda, mostly to do paperwork and deal with insurance companies. There was always plenty to do, usually more than time allowed, as most insurance companies fought against making any payments until absolutely forced to do so. It helped that they could work together, often using a sort of good-cop/bad-cop routine of gentle persuasion and threats of litigation to get the insurance companies to pay up.

Glynda sat at her desk, filling out one of the overly complex forms the insurance companies required from her. She was glad she had come in earlier than usual, as it was going to take quite some time. With a half hour before her first appointment, she might even have time for a cup of coffee. Her phone rang, not out of the ordinary, patients often called in the morning to make schedule changes. She was surprised when she saw who it was though. The name Polendina flashed on the screen. The man's daughter was Glynda's patient, a seven year old with autism and severe phobias. He never canceled or rescheduled one of his daughter Penny's appointments, and rarely called for any reason.

"Dr. Goodwitch." Glynda answered the phone.

"G-Glynda…" A strained girl's voice answered her.

"Penny?" Glynda was taken aback. She had often heard Penny in distress, and even received calls from her during anxiety attacks, but she had never sounded quite so scared, quite so desperate. "What's wrong?"

"Father...f-father won't wake up." Penny struggled. "I brought him his breakfast in bed like I do every day...but he was not awake. I let him sleep a little longer, but he will not get up." She was speaking quickly, something rare for her. Penny spoke like someone learning a second language - slowly and formally - though she only knew the one. She would only speak quickly when stressed.

"Penny...try to stay calm for me." Glynda instructed. "Did you call an ambulance?"

"Yes, and I told them where I live." Penny replied.

"That's good, you're doing a good job." Glynda encouraged. "The paramedics will be there soon. It's their job to help, so don't be afraid of them."

"I know I...I'm scared." Penny cried.

"That's okay." Glynda soothed. "I'm coming right over. Just try to stay calm. Use your breathing techniques."

"Is...is f-father going to be alright?" Penny asked.

Glynda had no answer. She wanted to say yes, but could not lie so blatantly. "I don't know." She got up and rushed out of her office. "Penny, when the ambulance arrives, let the paramedics in and show them to your father." Glynda waved to get Pyrrha's attention. "Penny, I'm going to hang up now, but you can call me again if you need to."

"O-okay." Penny managed.

Glynda hung up. "Pyrrha, something's happened to Penny's father. I'm heading over there. Cancel all today's appointments...unless you feel up to seeing your patients."

"Is he...is he okay?" Pyrrha asked.

"It doesn't sound good." Glynda admitted grimly. She hurried out and ran to her car.

The drive to the Polendina home was a short one, sped along by Glynda's aggressive driving. Sessions with Penny had revealed that she had no other family or friends. She loved her father, trusted Glynda, and was still unsure around even Pyrrha, whom she was well acquainted with. That was pretty much everyone in her life. Almost paradoxically, her phobias included a fear of new people, and a fear of being alone. Glynda needed to get to her fast, as those fears were now running in parallel.

Glynda had no trouble finding the Polendina house. It was in the middle of an upscale suburban block, surrounded by identical houses, but the only one with an ambulance and police car out front. She quickly got out of her car and walked across the carefully manicured lawn, reaching the front door just in time for it to open, and for the paramedics to wheel the stretched bearing Mr. Polendina out. He was completely covered.

A police officer followed just behind the paramedics. "Can I help you?" He asked.

Glynda gestured toward the ambulance, which the medics were just loading. "I'm Dr. Glynda Goodwitch. That man is...was the father of one of my patients, Penny. She called me…"

"Penny...you must mean the girl." The officer nodded. "We couldn't get her to tell us anything. She just showed us to the body and curled up on the couch. We brought a neighbor over to help but…"

"I need to-" Glynda started.

"Go ahead." The officer stepped aside and waved Glynda in.

Glynda had no trouble locating Penny. From the door she could see the girl hunched over, pressed back into the corner of the couch. Her hands covered her eyes and she rocked back and forth slightly. Beside Penny sat an older woman who looked bewildered and disturbed, presumably the neighbor. Penny had never mentioned her neighbors to Glynda, and she suspected they had never met before today. Glynda slowly approached the couch and crouched before Penny. Her breathing was unsteady, but followed a regular pattern. She was trying to utilize the breathing exercises Glynda had taught her, but they were clearly not helping.

"Penny." Glynda called.

Penny inhaled sharply and moved her hands away from one of her eyes. "G-Glynda!" Penny leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Glynda's neck, almost knocking her over. She was shaking.

Glynda stood, holding the girl in her arms and rubbing her back. "I'm here. It's going to be okay. I've got you." Penny launched back into her breathing exercises, with more success this time. With each breath she seemed to calm, if only a little. Glynda turned to the neighbor. "You can go. Thank you for being here."

The neighbor breathed a sigh of relief, got up and departed. Glynda sat down on the couch, Penny still hugging her tightly, holding on for dear life. She matched Penny's breathing, doing the exercises with her until her shaking stopped. Penny still clung to her, and Glynda was in no hurry to let go. After some time, Glynda became aware that the pair were not alone. She looked up to see the police officer patiently waiting nearby. "Can I speak with you?" The officer mouthed, adding hand gestures to get the point across.

Glynda nodded. "Penny, I need to speak to the policeman." She whispered. "I'm not leaving."

"A-alright." Penny sniffled. "I-I...I have to get you something." As soon as Glynda let go, Penny sprung up and raced up the stairs.

"Do you know how I can contact her family?" The officer asked once Penny was out of the room. "I checked the address book by the phone, but it seems to be all work-related."

"She and her father never mentioned any family to me." Glynda replied. "I know her mother died in childbirth, but that's all."

"She's not...uh...how can I put this...uh...normal, is she?" The officer struggled.

"She's autistic, and suffers from several severe phobias, among them a fear of strangers." Glynda confirmed.

"How did you know to come here?" The officer asked.

"She called me, right after calling the ambulance." Glynda answered. "As far as I know, I'm the only one other than her father that she fully trusts."

"That will...complicate matters." The officer sighed. "A social worker is on the way, but I don't want to put her through any unnecessary trauma."

"It seems there's not much choice." Glynda frowned. Looking past the officer, she saw Penny just peeking around the edge of the doorway. The officer followed her glance and looked, Penny retreating as soon as he did so. "Could you...give us a moment?"

"Sure." The officer nodded. "I'll wait outside." As soon as he was gone, Penny rushed in and again leapt into Glynda's lap, embracing her once more. There was something in her hand. "What do you have there?"

"F-father said I sh-should give this to y-you if anything...i-if anything bad ever happened to him." Penny handed an envelope to Glynda, moving to sit beside her so she could read the contents.

Glynda opened the unsealed envelope that bore her name. Inside was a typewritten note. It read:

Dr. Goodwitch,

If you are reading this, it probably means I've passed away. I have been ill for some time, but I did not wish to worry you or Penny with that fact. You are the only person Penny has left. I place her in your care. I ask that you make sure she receives the care she needs, and that she finds a good home, with people she can trust and with whom she can live a happy life. I leave everything to Penny, and make you executor of my estate.

G. Polendina

Glynda sighed and looked to Penny. Of course her father would leave her in Glynda's care. There was just no one else. "Penny, I need to take this letter to the policeman. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay." Penny nodded.

Glynda stood and stepped outside, finding the officer sitting in his car. "You should read this." She handed him the letter.

The officer read the letter before passing it back. "In the absence of an official will, this is legally binding...though someone down at the courthouse will probably need to verify the signature. What do you intend to do about the girl?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Glynda admitted. "Finding Penny a family that can properly care for her won't be easy...allowing her to enter the foster system is unthinkable. For the time being, I'll take her into my care."

"I thought you might." The officer said. "You'll still need to talk things over with the social worker." He shook his head. "God, this is a rough situation."

Glynda sighed. "I've been a psychiatrist for about twenty years, and before that I was a teacher. I've seen a lot but this...this might be the most difficult situation I've faced."

"Well...I wish the both of you luck." The officer offered.

"Thank you." Glynda nodded. "I should get back to her."