Comfort of a Heartbeat

"Comfort of a Heartbeat" is a Season 4 thread written on May 2, 2015. 
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Grey Bergman: “Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that.”
Warren: The soul fire roared and exploded in a deafening boom and she could just see both of them frozen in a moment before they were engulfed in the unimaginable heat. Someone was picking her up? She found herself curled in someone’s lap like a child, she stiffened, eyes wide and staring at nothing. Whose voice was that?No- she was rushing forward, throwing herself against the barrier and sliding to her knees, her own screams were drowned out of her ears by the fury of the flames devouring her family, her love. She beat the magic with clawed fingers, screaming their names. Terror, fear, hopelessness, explosion, pain, gone, gone-Warren gasped as arms wrapped around her and the dungeon came into focus around her. Grey’s voice. Grey’s embrace. Grey was here. Warren screwed her eyes closed and leaned into her friend, sobbing so hard that her body shuddered and her breaths came in gasps and hiccups. The side of her head rested on Grey’s chest and she could feel the steady rhythm of her sister’s heart, hear each breath she took. She’s alive, she’s alive, she’s alive, she’s alive.Warren’s breathing steadied a little as it began to synchronize with Grey’s. She was curled so tightly that she seemed tiny and vulnerable, a panicked kit in the arms of her older sister.
Grey Bergman: “Shhh…” Grey said hugging her friend…her best friend close…making sure that the half-Pooka heard her heartbeat. It was the only way to reassure both of them that she was still there. She was alive. “Warren, it’s okay…it’s okay. I’m here. I’m here. Shhh…” She hugged her little sister tighter as tears came to her own eyes…as she thought about how close she came to losing all this, but she couldn’t let Warren see her tears. She had to be strong…no matter what. 
Warren: Warren shook. “You were gone,” she whispered. “You were j-just- the fire died down and you were laying there… I saw you….” She turned her head to bury her face in Grey’s shirt. “You died and I… I….” She dissolved into trembling, unable to continue.
Grey Bergman: “But I came back,” Grey said hugging Warren tighter. “Midgardsormr brought me back.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Warren. I’m so sorry. I…I only tried to save Shadow. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her when I just got her back.”
Warren: Warren gave the slightest nod against Grey’s shoulder. She focused on Grey’s arms around her, the sound of her heartbeat, the rise and fall of her breathing, and forced away the image of the fire. The half breed relaxed slightly and stared into the darkness, beginning to calm. “…Will you keep talking to me?”
Grey Bergman: Grey smiled and kissed Warren on the top of her head hugging her even tighter. If they could talk for as long as possible, perhaps the trial would be long forgotten…at least for tonight. “Of course,” she said. “What do you want to talk about? Anything on your mind?”
Warren: Well, yes, but she didn’t want to talk about it. She thought back through their friendship, their past conversations, and recalled the time they’d finally had time enough together to strip the beds in the barracks and make a blanket fort. They’d talked about lots of things that night. Pasts, futures, families… “Tell me about your mom…?” said Warren almost in a whisper, hazel eyes flicking up apprehensively even though she couldn’t clearly see Grey’s face. 
Grey Bergman: Grey could only look down at Warren with a smile never leaving her face. It had been a while since they talked about their families. Maybe this could be one of the steps to move past this. “Sure,” she said. She took a moment to figure out where to start. “Well, my mom’s name is Ingrid. She has long brown hair that reaches down to her waste. Recently, before I left, I noticed that it’s been turning gray. She has brown eyes like mine. A lot of people say I look like her more than Dad. She…she has the most gentle voice in the world, and she was kind…caring. Perhaps that’s why she makes a good healer.”
Warren: In, out. In, out. Breathe.Warren could still feel herself shaking but it was beginning to subside. Grey’s words were less comforting then the fact that she was there saying them. Funny how you appreciated someone’s voice more when you were worried you’d never hear it again.
“She sounds like you,” Warren mumbled, trying to picture Ingrid from the description.
Grey Bergman: “Yeah, I guess she does,” she said rubbing Warren’s arms as if to warm her up. “This actually was how she usually comforted me when I was little. She would put me in her lap and held me until I felt better. We’re really close. Don’t get me wrong. I’m close with Dad too, but he was busy most of the time. So sometimes it would be me and Mom.” Suddenly, Grey fell silent as she realized once again how close she came to never seeing her mother again….how close she came to almost being taken away from her parents for good.
Warren: Warren could understand that. She remembered many times when it had just been her and Ronan, with Hana or by themselves. She usually hadn’t minded, or at least not that she could remember. She waited for Grey to continue, but she didn’t. Warren shifted a little, apprehensive. “…Grey?”
Grey Bergman: “Hm?” Grey suddenly said as she snapped out of her daze. “Oh,” she added chuckling, “sorry, pal, I just got lost in thought for a second.” This was supposed to be making Warren feel better. It was time to push those thoughts out of her head. She was supposed to be there for her little sister, and that was what she was going to do.
Warren: “Its… It’s okay. …You’re probably tired….” It was the middle of the night. Grey had a dungeon to run. She should be sleeping right now, not bothering with someone else’s fears. …Although she had a feeling that they were both worrying about it.
Grey Bergman: “No…no…I’m okay,” she said hugging Warren tighter trying to fight the tears. “I’m just…I don’t know…my mind wanders off sometimes I guess…” She gave a small chuckle.
Warren: Grey’s voice shook a little and Warren covered one of the other’s hands with her own. “Mm hm,” she said. “Me too.” There was a pause. “Are you okay?”
Grey Bergman: “Yeah, I’m fine,” Grey suddenly said quickly wiping the tears starting to fall from her eyes. “Really, I-I’m just fine. I should be asking you that anyway.”
Warren: Warren gave a halfhearted snort. “Neither of us are fine,” she said quietly, “are we…?” She looked up at Grey. “But we’re not afraid alone. That’s something.”
Grey Bergman: “Yeah, I guess,” Grey said thoughtfully. She then took a deep shaky breath feeling horrible for letting her little sister see that she really wasn’t okay.
Warren: Warren rubbed light patterns over Grey’s fingers as they both tried to calm themselves. “To be fair,” the half-Pooka said, “I don’t think anyone has ever been burnt to death and not been a little messed up afterwards.”
Grey Bergman: Grey gave a soft chuckle as the tears continued to increase in size in her eyes. She wanted to try to hide them, but she knew that Warren wasn’t going to let her getaway with that. She was right though. Was it normal for someone to be okay with the fact that they were burnt to death? “I wouldn’t say I’m a little messed up…” she began running a hand through her hair, “but…my mind wanders to the fact that I was almost taken away from everyone I love.”
Warren: Warren’s hands almost tingled and she could almost feel them pounding against the superheated barrier that had been the only thing keeping her from joining her loved ones in their fate. She’d thought they were dead. And she was right. Warren clenched her fingers to chase away the unwelcome memory. “…Yeah.”
Grey Bergman: The Lady felt the half-Pooka clench her fingers and immediately became concerned for her little sister. She only held Warren closer remembering the real reason they were talking at this point. “I’m sorry, pal,” she said. “I shouldn’t be talking about this.”
Warren: Warren leaned into Grey and took a deep breath. She nodded. They both needed to focus on something else. Anything else…. “I used to think that eating snow would turn your hair white,” she blurted out.
Grey Bergman: Grey looked down at Warren as if the half-Pooka had grown an extra head. Did she really just say that? “What?” she asked.
Warren: “Well I grew up underground,” Warren said quickly, “and it’s too warm for snow there so the first time I ever really saw it was when I snuck onto the Surface during the winter. And there was a half breed there with white hair, so….”
Grey Bergman: The Lady stared at Warren for no more than two seconds trying to picture a young Warren venturing out to the surface in the middle of winter seeing snow for the first time. She suddenly began to laugh…hard. “Oh gods-hahahahahaha-y-you thought-hahahahaha,” she tried to say through her laughter.
Warren: Grey’s happiness had always been contagious, and Warren found herself grinning, childishly proud of making her sister laugh. “Well I learned the truth once I tried it.”
Grey Bergman: Grey continued to laugh hysterically even to the point of holding her stomach in attempt to catch her breath. “Ohohohoho that is just rich!” she said as the laughing fit continued. “That is just–hahahahahahaha!”
Warren: Warren was giggling just from watching Grey. Was it really that shocking? “You should’ve seen Ronan’s face when he caught me. He thought it was poisonous or something.”
Grey Bergman: Grey continued to laugh at the though of Warren’s older brother freaking out when he saw little Warren wandering in the snow. “Aw man,” she said, “all the pranks I can pull on you now. I’m sorry, but this is too good.”
Warren: Warren recoiled. “What? What are you talking about?” Grey must’ve really been out of it. Warren giggled through her words, “How does that even… how could you possibly use that as a prank?”
Grey Bergman: “That, my little Kangaroo, is for me to know,” she said, “and for you to find out.”
Warren: Warren scowled indignantly. “You can’t just do that! I’m going to be looking over my shoulder every time I go outside!”
Grey Bergman: “Relax, I’m kidding,” she said holding up her hands in an attempt to calm Warren down. “You know I wouldn’t do that to you. Greg might, but I won’t.”
Warren: Warren regarded her friend suspiciously, sniffing away the residue of the earlier tears. “Wouldn’t you?” She struggled to hide a smirk. “I may have to swear you to secrecy in order to be truly safe from our trickster.”
Grey Bergman: “Hmmm…I don’t know,” Grey said pretending to think about the offer. She honestly wouldn’t tell Greg what was said in their girl talks, but she just enjoyed seeing Warren freak out over something as silly as this. It was a great distraction from what was keeping them both up. “This is pretty juicy stuff, and since Greg is your beloved boyfriend…”
Warren: Warren raised her eyebrows. “Oh, you think that’s juicy.”
Grey Bergman: Grey’s face immediately fell as her eyes widened and darted in all different directions. “Well…I did…now I don’t…”
Warren: Warren reached out to Grey in a pang of guilt. “I-I mean it’s not like… my biggest secret ever but…. I really don’t have much in the way of juice.”
Grey Bergman: Grey chuckled. “Well…I don’t know,” she said. “Someone, who’s half-human, half-Pooka tends to speak in volumes in terms of juice.”
Warren: By this point Warren had forgotten about the night’s earlier events as she spluttered defensively. “I don’t… ‘terms of juice’- what even is ‘juice’?! Some vague human concept- with Pookas you squeeze fruit, you get juice, you don’t get all this invasive manipulation personal history type stuff. That’s… I don’t even know what that is.”
Grey Bergman: Grey laughed at Warren’s sputtering. It was amazing to see a half-Pooka be confused over a human figure of speech. “Relax, would you?” she said. “We don’t need you to pull your fur out. It’s just an expression. It means that something about a person is interesting…mysterious, you know?”
Warren: Warren scowled. “My fur is staying in, thank you very much. I’m relaxed.” The half breed paused, mulling over the definition. “…Eating snow is… mysterious?” She quirked an eyebrow at Grey.
Grey Bergman: “Well, no, it’s just plain hysterical,” she said stifling a giggle.
Warren: “You are so confusing,” Warren chuckled. “But I thought I told it to you to make you laugh, so I’m glad at least that succeeded.”
Grey Bergman: “I really appreciate it,” she said hugging Warren close to her again. “I just feel bad. I’m the one who’s supposed to be cheering you up, and it ended up with you doing the cheering up.” 
Warren: “As long as cheering up is happening, I don’t care who does it,” said the hybrid, leaning appreciatively into Grey’s hug. “We both needed it and we both got it, so I don’t see anything to feel bad about.”
Grey Bergman: “Well, alright, no more feeling bad,” the Lady said. Another moment of silence fell upon them…until Grey finally spoke up again. “Do you think we’ll ever most past…what happened?”
Warren: There was a heavy pause. Warren stared out into space, expression almost unreadable. “…I don’t even know what being past it would be like. I’m not sure it will ever really leave us alone.” She looked back at Grey. “But I don’t think… it will always be… like this. This hard.”
Grey Bergman: Grey nodded thoughtfully. Warren was right. They would never truly move past the fact that Grey and Greg were killed and brought back to life. It would forever stay with them. However, there probably would come a point in time where it would not be hard anymore. “You’re right,” she said, “but we’ll face it…together.”
Warren: “Just like we always do.” Warren leaned against Grey, feeling a thread of determination. It would get better. They would live the lives they’d fought to keep. “And I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
Grey Bergman: “Good,” she said holding Warren tighter, “because I don’t plan on going anywhere either…not for a long…long time.”
Category:Events
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Warren
Category:Season 5
Category:BOTGD