Secrets and Sins Part 2: Finding Mary

Chapter 50

~Beatrice~

Carefully studying the latest book on PTSD that she had managed to track down in the OCS extensive library, Beatrice tried to ignore the sounds of the game Ava was playing on her phone. The Halo bearer was lying with her head on the taller woman’s thigh, face pinched in a distractingly cute expression of concentration. The Halo bearer had been pretty despondent after the training accident earlier today but seemed to be slowly coming around to the idea that it wasn’t her fault, the tub of chocolate ice cream Camilla had brought the younger woman not long ago had helped.

Both women looked up as a crack of power sounded outside the door, followed by a tentative knock. Beatrice marked the page she was on and placed her book to the side before giving Ava a gentle nudge off her leg so she could answer the door.

Rolling onto her stomach, her girlfriend raised an eyebrow at her, “So Lilith has finally learned how to knock huh?”

“Well, it’s about time, right?” Beatrice grinned, making her way over to the door and pulled it open.

The sister warrior’s grin faded as she took in Lilith’s expression, the winged woman looked upset and had obviously been crying from the redness around her eyes, “Lilith? Are you okay?

“Would you mind if I talked to you…privately for a couple of minutes?” She mumbled, shuffling nervously.

Beatrice was torn, she really didn’t want to leave Ava, especially after her episode this morning, but she could see that Lilith was desperate to talk to her.

“Go Bea, I’ll be okay.” The sister warrior jumped with surprise as the Halo bearer spoke up from where she was now leaning beside the door, Beatrice hadn’t even heard her move.

“Are you sure?” She questioned anxiously; Ava had barely been out of her sight since waking up in the warehouse.

She stepped forward into Beatrice’s space and brought their lips together in a reassuring kiss. The embrace was slow and lingering, it wasn’t until Lilith cleared her throat pointedly that they broke apart.

“I’ll be fine…” The Halo bearer smiled, giving her a final peck on the lips before stepping back, “I promise I will be insanely boring while you're gone and won’t do anything or go anywhere until you get back.”

Still breathless from the kiss, Beatrice could only nod as she followed Lilith down the hallway and out onto one of the small balconies that ran off the side of the convent.

~

“So, Lilith, what can I help you with?” Beatrice asked, leaning her hip against the railing, turning towards her old friend.

Lilith groaned, rubbing her hands across her face before uttering her reply, "Mary."

The sister warrior blinked, "Mary? What about Mary?"

"You can't breathe a word of this to anyone." Lilith started, a serious expression on her face, she waited for Beatrice to nod before continuing, "She's been…Struggling since she returned. She's been having nightmares and flashbacks about when she was captured."

"Well, I'm not surprised. Mary was captive for months and her injuries…" Beatrice shuddered at the thought, Camilla had let slip just how many broken bones the captured woman had been suffering from on her return.

It’s amazing she can even walk now.

Lilith began to pace, sharing the rambling thoughts in her head while she wore a path into the concrete, "I want to help her, but she insists she's fine. But she's not, Beatrice, you should have seen her the other night…she was so broken. I've never seen her like that before." She paused for a moment to stare off into the distance before glancing at the sister warrior, "I know you have been going through something similar with Ava and I wanted to ask your advice as to how to get through to her? I can't help her if she won't let me."