mid_nite_green | Breaking bread

Breaking bread

Dough flops onto a flat, floured surface and Tara kneads the sticky mass. The last 18 months have started fading a little. Not fading exactly. Tara's memory is perfect, but there is something about getting distance and new memories that's just as soothing as baking. With Corrine back, the world feels more...organized. Dinner can be made for someone - multiple someones again. She's sorely lacked that focus - that target.

But can it really be what it was?

The dough flops down hard on the parchment paper again.

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It's probably for the best. Corrine's having enough weirdness adjusting to the whole having been dead thing.

"The prophecy didn't lead me anywhere but confused. Add the angels to that list, too," she replies, eying up that omelet next. "It was you guys who led me here. And there. And back again. Anyway, enough about me. What's up, Doc? For, like, the past humongous amount of time I'm not thinking about?"

"I graduated, fixed up a house and chased ambulances. You would not believe how many people attack paramedics." She begins washing her hands and starts eyeing her french press. Coffee sounds tasty.

But to Corrine? She can tell the doctor is editing. Maybe not too much, but enough. There's a sadness to her voice when she doesn't want to bother anyone.

"Congratulations! But while it all sounds fascinating, it also sounds incredibly hum-drum, and I know you."

Corrine gives Tara that 'please' look. "C'mon, this is me. I know a lot has happened with me-- dying and stuff and before that, too-- but I'm still me, Tara. You're still my best friend. And I'd really love it if folks stopped walking on eggshells around me already."

She blows some bangs out of her face. "You missed the zombie hordes." Remembering Kenton, she amends the statement. "The bigger worldwide zombie hordes."

"Some adventuring with the JSA...Travis picked up the squirrel. You saw that." She makes a face. "There was also relationship drama - but this IS Travis and he came to his senses...kinda."

"Let me get my scorecard-- both of them, I guess," Corrine jokes-- an old one between them.

She lowers her voice. "Seriously, though, between you and me? Travis is sweet, well-intentioned, and incredibly oblivious. He's like the brother I should've had-- but damned if I know how to staple him here or even get it across to him that we don't just need him, we like him. Is it any better?"

"He decided to take a ring that feeds off want, a ring that runs off will and use them both to clean up Alphabet City - completely. Like Sinestro would have golf clapped. This was after being drug around half the galaxy trying to finish up the stuff the Outsiders started."

"Basically, we get back. The War of Light is still going on. I'm just in his way, so I get dropped off. Then he does one of his no food or sleep runs to make everything 'better.' Does a B&E number on my kitchen, blows me off completely, takes off, deals more with his old hood. Then, the zombies come because the War of Light didn't work or something and next thing I know he's saving my life and asking me to run off and et married!"

"If I figure that boy out, the world may end."

"Well, saving your life is g-- wait, what?"

Did Corrine hear that right? Her hands fold in front of her chin as her head slouches down and her expression becomes a mix between sympathy and confusion. "So I'm guessing from your reaction you already know that would be a bad idea? At this juncture, I mean."

She throws her hands up defensively. "That isn't to say I'm not rooting for you guys-- I totally am! But, y'know, someone wise once told me that you kinda need to trust the person you're sleeping next to," she replies slyly. "You get a little more faith in yourself, and he develops a little better with it in others, and I'll be the first one pelting you guys with rice."

"Uh, yeah. But this leads to the whole, 'where is this relationship going?' stuff. With Travis, you're off or you're on. Problems in his world mean 'off,' and having toured his world, I can't much blame him."

"I do trust him," she huffs. "I just know him too well to lay on too much at a time."

"Okay," Corrine responds simply, obviously unconvinced. She also didn't miss that there was no mention about Tara trusting herself. There's certain responses that beg one to keep their opinion to themselves, lest it fall on deaf (or unreasonably determined) ears. This conversation-- and any involving the Zukovs-- is one of them.

"So what now?"

Oh, she noticed. That answer is incredibly complicated.

"One day at a time. With the War of Light off, maybe we'll actually figure out if there's enough of a relationship to build from."

"Speaking of which, all this cannot be easy on your couple time." Hey, she's utterly glad her and Caleb moved onto saner relationships for them both, but there were several times where she wondered if stupid was going to fall from the sky and drag them back into a "torrid relationship" status.

Torrid relationship? Almost. Tara doesn't know how close that came, that night after Corrine had left the JSA. She'd called him, blindingly drunk, looking for hope or comfort or maybe to take it all back in one stupid action. Caleb always showed up whenever she called, and this time was no different, but he was smarter than she had the ability to be just then. He dumped her into bed, alone, made her breakfast in the morning, and then walked away from her for good, to the fortune of them both.

"Being dead I think did more there," she says with a smile. "But there's honestly no problems. You can stop worrying. We come back for each other-- that's what we do-- and now we're together again. That's all that matters in the end."

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Breaking bread

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