Late Thursday Evening

[x-psylocke.livejournal.com]

Too much contact between friends can lead to complications, Alison and Betsy find an interesting twist to their friendship.

Late Thursday Evening.

Betsy sat on the floor, wearing her favorite pair of tattered blue jeans and black buttoned-down shirt. Across from her sat Alison Blaire, former musician and idol to many. But now she sat humming calmly on the floor while meditating. Elisabeth braced her head in her hands and bit back a growl of irritation. Her head was killing her and all she wanted to do was sleep. Though she kept those thoughts to herself, she did keep a running list of different swear words to keep herself amused, as she hummed along to Alison’s tune.

Betsy stood up, a wan smile on her face as she brought her head down to face her friend. She honestly didn’t have time for this. I have to get some rest before leaving for the city tomorrow, Though she promised this session with Alison. She spoke with a genuine face of regret. "Alison, I’m not exactly focused and we can pick this up next week."

Alison stared at her blankly for a moment. She nodded, as she took in stock the entire internal monologue she overheard Betsy having. I don't think I should know what I know. Oh man. She collected her own thoughts while Betsy got to her feet, and finally looked-up at the purple haired telepath in concern. I don't think I was supposed to get that either. Something's not right. "Er, Betsy?" she started to say, and then stopped eyes widening in surprise. "A will? Why are you making a will?"

The sudden voice breaking through her own thoughts, Betsy cocked her head to her side. Their link was still attached and Ali had heard her. Shit. She couldn’t help her response, even if she’d realized that she was still projecting her thoughts to the younger woman. "I don't know what you’re talking about?" Was the only possible response she could give her.

Alison paled, glad she was actually sitting on the floor. "Betsy, I heard that too." Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes again, trying to set up the more mundane blocking method Betsy had been teaching - mundane for someone who was headblind anyway. "It's like you're in the back of my head somehow. Background noise only some stuff keep popping out?"

Trying to quiet her own thoughts and collect herself, Betsy felt her mind reflexively close itself off from outside intrusion. She definitely didn't like the idea of Alison dancing in her head right about now and well, it wasn’t the safest place to be.

"Ow! I felt that.”

“Sorry,” Betsy said as her eyebrows furrowed. She still felt the stirring of Alison’s thoughts within the silence. A slight panic swept through her. "Stop it."

“I'm not doing anything," was the worried response, as Alison did her best to remain calm.

She kept her weight against the desk. Her anger welled up inside her, her teeth clenched. "You have to be, because it’s not me who’s doing this." Going through her mental dams, she found the link and tried to quickly quell it. She cursed again with no luck. She shook her head, frustrated. "I really don't need this right now."

Oh boy. Not good. Stay calm. "Betsy, I'm not a telepath. Not even close. I couldn't do this to save my life," Alison replies soothingly, worry for Betsy over-riding any other concerns. Hands open at her side, Alison keeps her thoughts as calm as possible, focusing on a musical scale to try and give Betsy some room to figure out what is going on.

She sat back down next to Alison. Stay calm. Betsy couldn’t help but snort at this, how ironic was it to have Alison do the consoling now. But, she heeded her advice and took a deep breath, focusing more intently on this strange bond they’d formed. Within moments, she found it, a bright, gold teather connected the two women. It was beautiful really. Betsy sighed; she fought the urge to rub her own eyes, keeping her face solemn, still. "Give me a minute, alright?"

Still concentrating on the scale, Alison felt the lightest of tugs in the back of her mind - a slight tightening of the muscles at the back of her neck, or so she fancied. "'kay," she murmured trustingly, closing her eyes to keep anything from distracting her while Betsy worked.

The closer she came to the tether, the more images that flitted through her mind. Her heart tugged slightly at seeing a memory of Alison talking to Scott. Though part of her was curious and wanted to peruse her friend’s memories some more, she fought the yearning to linger. She strengthened her resolve and pushed away from the recent set of images. She continued to survey the link with a physician's precision, testing it for its’ weakness. Deducing from the strength of it that this connection had been growing from quite some time. "Hrmph," was all Betsy said after a few more minutes.

At the heart of their link, laid a very thin gold strand, she stared at it for a moment, before moving closer. To find the only way to try and remove their connection was to break the link at the source. Betsy grabbed the link with both her hands. Here goes. Her face still, Betsy said quietly. "Ali, this is going to hurt." She adds softly. "I'm sorry for this."

As a sharp pain lanced through her mind, Alison stopped working on the musical scale, nearly crying out loud in surprise. Determined not to hamper Betsy's efforts to fix whatever had happened however, she went back to keeping her mind as blank as possible, humming under her breath without realizing it.

Small lines of sweat fell down Betsy face, as she focused all her psionic energy. This was all her fault. If she wasn't defective, she would've realized what was happening and stopped it long before it started. She stood before the link, a sole presence in the midst of tumbling thoughts. As she steadied herself, her hands began tearing at the link. But outside, in the real world, Betsy's hands shook as she pooled all her strength in breaking the bond formed.

Concentrating on her breathing, Alison did her best to ignore the pain - musical scale utterly forgotten as the pain spiked to a near intolerable level... and then leveled out suddenly, to something far easier to bear. Opening her eyes cautiously, she snuck a look at Betsy, still deep in concentration.

Betsy pulled back and stared at the link, not so much gold now, but it emitted more of a light orange hue. Too tired to focus, she felt her grasp on the astral plane waver. Taking one more look at their bond formed, she sighed. We'll have to try it again later when I'm not so tired. Betsy followed her part of the link back to its origin, her muscles tensing as she found herself back within her own body.

Alison's blue eyes, darkened with concern and showed faints signs of pain greeted her upon her return. "I felt that," she murmured, giving Betsy a worried look. "Are you ok?" she asked, before continuing hesitantly. "I don't feel it anymore, whatever it was..."

Her hand went to her face; it came back slick from sweat. " ‘M Fine." What wouldn't have affected her two years ago while doing the same thing with her brothers, she felt more nauseous at how much her body was malfunctioning.

She laughed casually at the glare she felt Alison sending in her direction. But Betsy tilted her head at her, “I’m fine. But are you alright?”

Giving Betsy a disapproving look, Alison reached for the tea, pouring her a cup and adding sugar. "Here," she murmured, setting the saucer in her hands. "I added sugar - you need it right now." Leaning back, wincing at the still present headache, Alison tried to figure out exactly what that had felt like. "It was odd. Like hearing traffic, only sometimes you get snatches of conversation that are clear in all the noise? And it... felt like you. Don't know how else to describe it." She tilts her head, waiting patiently, calmly.

Betsy held the cup in her hand, setting it aside. She needed to know how much Alison had heard. "What did you hear exactly?"

"I felt that you were tired and worried about something. And then I very clearly heard you say 'I have to go to the city to set up my will.' Clear as a bell," she added softly, placing the tea back on the table without arguing.

Betsy felt her heart tightened again. Though she bit down on her response from both fronts, Alison couldn't find out about her plans. Her hands still on her knees, she leaned forward. "With everything that's been happening, I don't want to take any chances. About the will, I mean." It was the truth, however slanted.

Nodding carefully as the headache reminded her regularly that something had happened, whatever it was, Alison tried to focus. "What happened, Betsy?" she asked softly, guessing, but wanting to know for certain.

Betsy let out a small smile, "It was stupid, really. All this time we've spent training you on your control and technique, I was the one to slip." She paused for a moment, bowing her head as if she were talking to the ground. "After so much contact with one another it became harder to disconnect our connection. I thought maybe it was because I was tired. But, I was wrong. I'm sorry, Ali."

After a moment, Alison reached over to pat her shoudler, poking her sternly when the pat got no response. "S'okay." She shrugged, mentally reaching back to see if she could still feel the link, and not sensing anything. Then again, I'm not a telepath. She smiles at Betsy. "Rest up. We'll see what it was, if it's still there or whatever, when you're feeling better. Ok?"

Betsy mumbled to Alison, "it's still there. Just definitely not as strong. I just am too tired, now to fix it." She leaned against the desk behind her and shook involuntairly at the headache that was growing in waves. "I'm sorry, Alie. I didn't mean....so sorry." she said wearily.

Wincing faintly at the renewed headache, Alison rose to her feet. "You need some rest." She moved towards Betsy, looking calm and unconcerned the entire time. "It's alright, really Bets. It's dampened for now. We'll poke at it some more when you've rested." She reached out, offering her arm to help her friend. "You need some rest. Why don't you go lie down?? I'll go get an icepack to help you with that migraine..."

Betsy felt the pain emanate from Alison and winced herself. She placed her left hand in Alison's and her right hand grabbed at the top of the desk. She raised herself shakily and let out a frustrated sigh. "Thank you. I can make it to my bedroom on my own, Ali. You don't have to look after me."

Alison snorted quietly. "There's nothing wrong with leaning on a friend, Bets. And I've had my share of migraines before, when my powers started showing up." She steadily helped Betsy to her room, making sure she was sitting on the bed before turning around. "I'll fetch that ice pack now," she called softly over her shoulder.

Not use to the feeling of depending on anyone, Betsy couldn't help but smile. "Thank you," she said softly. Leaning back into her bed, Betsy’s mind wandered, as she found herself staring at the link. She gave it a small tug of gratitude and fell back to her bed without another word.



Alittle late, but still done.