Bane

January 1, 1998

Midnight, and a minute after.

"Stop sulking."

David cringed, staring over the yellow patches of grass, all that remained of the once lush green, rolling plot of Twin Knolls park as the rain came down upon them. "Look at all of this, Karen."

"I've seen it a hundred times. It's wasted land. Flatten it out. Build new homes for The Order."

David shook his head. "What's happened to you?"

"To me?" Karen pushed David's shoulder. He did not budge.

"Yeah. To you."

Karen sighed. Grifford said it would be like this, but for how long? How long did she have to suffer his recovery? "Babydoll, I love you, but you're mourning over monsters."

"They were my friends, Karen."

"They were Coven. We kill coven." She stepped up next to David, her hair wet, matted to her head, and neck. Her long duster was soaked through, her clothes as wet and cold. If not for the rites and blessings, she thought sure of it that she could catch her death here.

"No one is beyond redemption."

"Goddamned Walker echo."

"Language. You knew it my whole life. Did you think I wouldn't try to save them?"

Karen sighed, and lay her head on his shoulder, sliding her arm around him. "Baby, we would save the world if we could, but it wasn't about saving them. It was about saving her."

David grimaced.

"Yeah. You wanted Jasmine to live, and be something she wasn't. Do you think I would accept that, and stand by while some witch loved on my man?"

David frowned, despite her affections. "I never forgot you."

"You could have fooled me."

"Maybe I got in too deep over my head. Maybe not. I can't help who I am any more than I can change what I am. I loved her, sure... but she wasn't you."

David felt Karen's arm tighten around him, felt the pressure against his ribs. He heard her breathing quicken, and her voice caught in her throat.

David flexed against Karen's tightening embrace. He grunted. "I was born for you, and you only. I'm the older of the two of us, of course..."

"...by fucking minutes, you asshole."

David felt a smile forming at the corners of his mouth. "You know, our families would come here every year. There was nothing but green, lush grass, and frost, and the fireworks..."

"It's the past, you sentimental oaf."

"Why can't it be now? Why are we all that's left of our line? I had a brother and a sister, and they ran through this park. Children, and then later, grown. Sometimes I think I can feel her here... but never him. Why not him?"

"Is that why you come here? To find your family? David, turn and face me."

"You're right there."

"No, turn and face me." Karen pulled him around until they were face-to-face. She rested her forehead to his, his skin cold against hers. "You're looking at your family. Bart is gone, baby. Clayton, and Emily. Jonathan and Nadjia. They're all gone... but look to me! I'm right here, and while you mourn people who never really loved you, you're looking past the one person you know for a fact loves you most of all."