Who do you think you're fooling? [Closed]

[hexyeah]

Wanda had recently been released by GLaDOS. It had taken a while to get her bearings again, especially after witnessing Punishment (GLaDOS had been considerate enough to display it on a monitor while she was running mazes). That would need to be dealt with but right now she was more concerned with the welfare of another crew member. One she had hoped would come to his senses on his own without outside interference. Her hopes had been misplaced. Not altogether unexpected, considering his predecessor's great skill in sulking.

Wanda entered the precinct, made her way to the brig, and folded her arms. She, and others, had tried being polite. It was time to take off the gloves.

"Get out."

Comments

[vision-ya.livejournal.com]

Jonas retreated to the bench-slash-bunk and sat down, curling his body away from Wanda's intrusion into his cell. "[I said the premise was stupid. It still is.]"

What would it take to make her go away? He did not want to talk about this. He did not even want to think about this.

"[I don't want to talk about it,]" he said, barely noticing that contractions had somehow slipped into his speech. "[This is stupid.]"

[hexyeah]

"Jonas." Wanda said gently, slowly approaching him. "This isn't what she would want."

[vision-ya.livejournal.com]

"[I don't want to talk about it!]" Jonas repeated, squeezing his eyes shut against the watery sensation that was beginning to make itself known. It wasn't fair -- he didn't have eyes like humans did, they didn't need periodic washing, he wasn't even sure that he had tear ducts, why should he still have the ability to cry?! "[Leave me alone!]"

[hexyeah]

"I won't." Wanda was now close enough to place on hand on Jonas's shoulder. "You've been alone long enough."

[vision-ya.livejournal.com]

Jonas half-flinched in response to her touch. He did not want to be touched, but he had not let anyone get close enough to touch him since Cassie died and his body, synthetic though it was, still craved human contact. Under Wanda's hand, his shoulders began to shake.

"[It still hurts,]" he whispered, almost without wanting to. "[I can't make it stop.]"

[hexyeah]

Since he didn't pull away, and because he needed it, Wanda put her arms around Jonas in a hug. "It will always hurt but you learn how to live with it. Even if you don't want to."

[vision-ya.livejournal.com]

"[I don't want to,] Jonas whispered, hesitantly reaching up to hold onto her arm with his hand to try and anchor himself again now that he was so terrifyingly adrift. He had been trying to hold everything back for so long that he was not sure how to deal with his emotions now that they were loose again, and the only thing he could think to do was cling to the nearest person to keep from drowning. "[I love her and I couldn't save her and it hurts so much...]"

[hexyeah]

"I know." Wanda said softly. She wanted to comfort him but she couldn't bring herself to lie. She couldn't tell him that the pain would go away. She couldn't tell him that things would get better. All she could do was be there for him. "I know."