Beneath the Waves

A Cross to Bear

Walking out of the bathroom, Ria looked around her apartment. It was a mess. Tables were knocked over, her couch had a giant rip in it (probably from the equally giant fucking sword) and of course her blood was everywhere. Her body ached. Water might heal the cuts, but she was still bruised in the places the blade had touched. Not entirely healed then. Hopefully, she didn't have internal bleeding or something like that.

She started picking up around the place, putting things where they belonged. She grabbed a sponge and bucket and made work of the blood all over the place. She needed it to look semi-normal in case a family member decided it was time for a surprise visit. It rarely happened, but you could never be too careful with her family.

After finishing everything she was exhausted. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, replaying the fight with Chris. She started to feel the anger bubble up in her throat and tried to push the whole thing from her mind. She needed a distraction. She knew that there was no way she would be able to sleep right now, so instead, she got up, grabbed her grams' notebook and laid back down to start reading.

She learned about more underwater powers and the diets of the first of her kind. Not surprisingly, they mostly survived off of fish and kelp. The next page almost made her sit up in her bed. She saw the word Chayal, and thought about throwing the notebook so it hit the opposite wall of her room. Instead, she started reading.

Chayal, even inexperienced, will turn in the presence of one of us or the other 7 originals. They will have no control over their actions, their human forms stuck within a warrior exterior. Only once they complete training they will be able to marry their two forms, but until then they will turn into killing machines in the presence of one of us turned. They are the most dangerous in their infancy because their strength knows no bounds. If they have the blood of the Chayal running through their veins, they will turn when in close proximity.

The transformation of the Chayal will begin once one of our own steps into their power. If we exist. They will exist. It has been written.

She actually did throw the damn notebook across the room then.

"Fuck!"

This means that Chris, yes lied to her, but it was HER fault. The only reason Chris ever turned into that terrifying ghost nun thing was BECAUSE Ria had 'activated' her powers. So really all of this was Ria's fault. And she had just chased Chris out of her life.

"Fuck" she said again

She didn't know what to do... if Chris would even want to talk to her after everything she said. She didn't know if it would work but before she knew what she was doing she had her phone to her ear, her (hopefully still) girlfriend's phone ringing.

The ringing cut out with a "Ria" in the tiniest little voice she had ever heard. Chris had been crying. It seems like days had passed, but really it had only been a few hours since their fight.

"Chris... I... I'm sorry" she said carefully, not sure how Chris would respond.

"Sorry? You're sorry? You didn't do anything wrong... you... the things you said... did you mean them?" came Ria's voice, barely even a whisper

"I did in the moment... but I... no... I didn't mean them. You're everything to me. I... I found some information that made me realize this was all my fault. I'm sorry for doing this to you... I'm sorry for everything... I..." before she could finish her sentence all she could hear from the other side of the phone was uncontrollable sobbing.

Chris was crying, loudly, mumbling something about someone named Amma, and about Chayal and how sorry she was. She wasn't making a lot of sense at all. Ria was starting to get worried. Well, more worried.

"Chris, are you home?" Ria asked, already putting on socks.

"Amma... you... I... yes... I'm home", she replied through sobs

"I'm coming over, just stay where you are okay? I'll be right there"

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She ran up the stairs and into Chris' apartment without even knocking. Thank God it was unlocked. Taking off her shoes she ran into the bedroom where she found Chris, rolled up into a tiny little ball still crying her lungs out. She raised her head and acknowledged Ria's presence with an extra loud sob, before burying her face in her pillow again.

Ria got in bed behind Chris and pulled her flush to her own body, trying to get Chris to breathe deep breaths by doing so herself.

"Breathe with me baby" whispered Ria

She took long deep breaths, in and out.

It took a while but Chris finally tried mimicking her breaths, sobs still ripping through her small frame. She felt even smaller than usual like this in Ria's arms. She wasn't tiny, but she was shorter than Ria. Ria kept breathing slowly in and out until Chris was breathing exactly in time with her. Mostly cried out for tonight.

She stroked a hand through Chris' hair, whispering soothing words in her ear and planting soft kisses in her hair. Ria felt Chris slip softly into sleep, gentle snores escaping her exhausted body.

There was talking to be done, but for now they could just stay like this. Breathing together. Getting ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Together.

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Both of them slept until well after 11 am the next morning, but Ria was the first to wake. They were still in the exact positions they fell asleep in. Chris in her arms, breathing steadily. She kissed Chris' hair, breathing in her lily shampoo. She hugged her tight and as so many times these days it felt like things were close to normal. She knew they weren't though. Things were very very not normal at all.

Chris stirred, starting to wake up. She turned around in Ria's arms and faced her girlfriend for the first time since she had almost killed her. She looked up at her through lashes, an apology on her lips. But before Chris could apologize, Ria kissed the words right from those very lips. Both of their cheeks already wet with tears again, they smiled through professions of love and devotion. Ria's body was still bruised and hurt but that didn't stop her from showing Chris exactly how much she loved her. They spent most of the morning in bed, then took a shower where Chris kissed each of the bruises she left on her body.

When they were finally cleaned up and dry, they went to the kitchen where Ria made them coffee. While it was brewing she went to her car to fetch her bag, the book of sea monsters sitting safely within. She put it on the counter in front of Chris.

"We have a lot to talk about," she said

Chris stood up, bringing a book of her own and slamming it down on the counter next to Ria's book.

"More than you even know", she said.