Those Hollow Lies

Closure II

Roz 08/16/09 – 1946

The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon and for once I wasn’t buried underground. I was standing on the roof of one of the skyscrapers in the city, close to the edge to feel the rush of knowing that falling was a one way trip right now. That wasn’t my intention though. This was one of the few places outside of The Quarter that I came to whenever I needed to think and clear my head. I had found myself standing at a crossroads with too many choices to make and too many voices in my head. I didn’t want to listen to any of them, yet they stayed there, shouting and yelling at me whenever I strayed too far away from what they wished for me to do.

I had never encountered anything quite like this before, but it was exhausting. At least up here there was no one to bother me, no emergencies that might come in and interrupt the moments of peace that I did have. Everyone was mainly quiet since we had all returned to Chicago and the news had broken internationally about the tragic passing of a president who had collapsed under the weight of his own guilt. Keeping our heads low for a little bit was the best course of action and that morning I had instructed everyone to return to their families and the lives they had away from The Quarter. I didn’t know when we would be operational, but everyone could do with a rest now that the biggest mission most of them had ever undertaken was finally over.

“I thought I might find you up here.” Glancing back over my shoulder I saw Joe walking across the rooftop from the door I had left propped open. “You’ve been coming out here since you were thirteen. I kind of knew where you’d be when you weren’t back at The Quarter.”

“Actually I was twelve.” I corrected, smirking across at him as he came to join me, leaning his forearms on the ledge of the building and glancing down. “Geez, good job we’re good with heights.” He mumbled, leaning back in a little bit, but keeping his position.

“I didn’t exactly choose it for a social location.”

“Yeah, but sometimes you just have to make do.” Joe said, turning his head to look at me. “So, are we going to make pointless small talk or are you going to tell me what’s bothering you lately?”

“I thought you’d come to gush some more about your daughters.”

“Well, as perfect as Phoebe-Rosaline and Isabella-Kate are, I’m more about their godmother right now.”

“I never agreed to any of that and you know it.” I sighed, casting my eyes back out over the Chicago skyline.

“Yeah, but you’re the reason they’re safe and that their dad is back. Besides, someone needs to teach them how to scare off the boys during those teenage years and I really can’t think of anyone better for that job than you, Rozzie.”

“I have to admit that it does sound like fun.”

Joe laughed and then took a moment to let the humour pass before trying to get to me again. “So, what’s the problem, Roz?”

“There isn’t a problem; everything is fine.”

“No it isn’t. If it was fine then I’d like to think you’d be with Russell and you’d be doing things I don’t need to know about.”

“Joe-“

“Roz, you’re twenty years of age and the guy is crazy about you. For once there isn’t a need to monitor computers or sneak through the night killing people. You should be with him and enjoying your life.”

“What life? I’m a sociopath and it’s too late for that to change.” I scoffed, shaking my head and flicking the dark hair from my eyes.

“Who told you that?”