xp_logs | Cecilia and Alison

After Kitty's announcement, Cecilia gives up on finding Madelyn and Shan quickly enough to retain her sanity and calls a cab. Alison finds her out on the front porch, trying very very hard not to have a second nervous breakdown before the cab can arrive.

Taxis were not nearly fast enough. Cecilia hugged her knees up against her chest as she watched the drive from her perch on the mansion's front steps, most of her face hidden behind her knees, arms or hair - she was about two seconds from losing her already shakey grip on her precious composure, with frustration, disbelief and fear making a rather unhappy combination inside her head. But, she was determined to keep it together, just like she always was. Though, if her predominant fear was right and she really was just dreaming from a coma ward, it didn't really matter much, did it?

The door opened and closed behind her, footsteps hesitating before heading towards her. Running shoes, she easily could tell from the sound.

"Hey." Alison set down on the top step next to her, looking ahead while stretching out her legs, clearly heading out for a run. Her knee cracked and she winced at the sound, smiling a bit ruefully as she chose to retie the laces of her running shoes instead. "Using a taxi to head out?" There were more than a few cars in the mansion for the staff's use. Alison wondered if that meant Cecilia was expecting being unable to drive herself back.

Cecilia jumped slightly at the voice, tensing and hunkering down in place a bit more, squeezing her eyes closed as she frantically tried to regain her grip on her composure. Hell. Taxis definitely were not fast enough. "Like I said I was going to, yes," she replied, her voice quiet and tight.

The cringe was hard not to notice, although Alison didn't give any outward reaction to it, other than to keep looking forward towards the opened gates at the main entrance to the grounds. "Got your cell phone with you?" she asked calmly, knowing Cecilia had been given one by Lee just like any of the new arrivals, adult or child.

"No," Cecilia replied honestly, keeping her eyes closed. Somehow, that made it easier. "If I have it with me, I'll use it to call someone here and ask them to pack my things and bring them to me, so I'm leaving it here."

A small sigh greeted that. At least Cecilia had that choice, Alison reflected, spotting the yellow flash of a taxi as it drove by. A breaking sound echoed and soon it was backing up, the driver leaning over to check the address on the wall near the gate, goggling a bit at the layout of the place. She leaned over, giving Cecilia the briefest of hugs, an arm draped over her shoulders for only a moment. "Your taxi's here."

She was quite honestly torn between shoving the hug away and frantically trying to get it back, and the two conflicting wants just plain cancelled each other out, leaving Cecilia sitting rigidly still. "Tell Madelyn and Shan I'm sorry I went without them?" she asked hopefully, reluctantly uncurling so that she could unsteadily get up to her feet.

"Sure." Someone else would no doubt have wondered at the mono-syllabical replies. But there was no one else there to notice and Alison merely made sure that Cecilia wasn't about to fall over as she rose at the same time, careful not to touch her anymore. "Any place I can tell them to find you at?"

"Harry's, probably," Cecilia nodded, drawing in a deep breath before finally opening her eyes again, so she could glance over at Alison. "You can come, if you promise not to laugh at me for being freaked out anymore."

"Thanks." Alison shook her head however. It had been clear enough that safe people were what Cecilia needed and from her reactions to her, Alison wasn't it just now. "I have a training session later this afternoon I can't miss. You go on. I'll send the girls after you." The taxi drove to a stop, the driver waiting patiently for his fare.

Cecilia nodded slowly, trying not to look disappointed. Any company would have been good, really, but.. well, training sessions were training sessions. "Suit yourself," she shrugged, and moved to approach her cab. "Thanks, Ali."

"You're welcome." She accompanied Cecilia to the cab, closing the door after her gently. Alison looked at the taxi for a while, until it drove down the end of the lane and turned out of sight, likely heading for Harry's, just as Cecilia had said. Where normal people had normal lives and didn't have to worry about much of anything else but work or family or friends. After staring ahead at nothing for a while, Alison finally looked down, shaking her head a bit. It hardly mattered, anymore. And with that she went down the stone steps and headed for one of the jogging paths for an afternoon run.