The War.

Chapter 38: Amends.

sad warning !!
bit of stella backstory too (it's the tiniest bit sorry gang)

-~•***•~-

Siobhan sat in the room Stella had prepared for her, feeling overwhelmed by the storm of emotions inside her. Betrayal, confusion, and a deep sense of unease twisted in her stomach. Every act of kindness Stella had shown now felt tainted, a mask for something much darker. Siobhan's heart pounded as she thought about their encounter earlier, knowing she couldn't even trust her own thoughts anymore, fearing Stella could sense every flicker of doubt.

She stared blankly at the room's decor, her mind spinning. Had it all been an act? Stella had saved her, fed her, healed her... but now, it all felt calculated, manipulative. She tried to piece together the puzzle, but no matter how hard she thought, nothing made sense. Mia's name echoed in her mind. What had she done to provoke Stella's obsession? Siobhan's curiosity nagged at her, but she wasn't sure if she was brave enough to ask. Or if she even wanted to know the answer.

Meanwhile, Stella wasn't faring much better. Guilt gnawed at her like a persistent ache she couldn't shake. "What have I done?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the quiet room. She knew Siobhan no longer trusted her, and that realization cut deeper than any physical wound. The weight of it pressed on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She was the only one who cared.

Stella's mind spiraled. Her eyes had grown vacant, her body felt detached, almost numb. She had lost the one person who had looked at her with genuine warmth. In that moment, her thoughts flickered back to her childhood—back to a young Stella, the girl who was alone, unloved, a waste of space, as everyone used to say. She could still hear those cruel words, echoing in the back of her mind. The cold, dismissive voices that made her feel like she didn't deserve anything.

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shaky breath. I have to fix this. Stella knew that if there was any chance of redemption, she had to apologize. And this time, it had to be real—no games, no schemes, just honesty. She just hoped it wasn't already too late.

Stella hesitated at the door, her hand frozen on the knob as she heard the faint sound of Siobhan's sobs drifting from the other side. It hit her like a punch to the gut, making her feel nauseous. **What am I doing?** She asked herself, trying to keep her emotions under control, but it was no use. Her head spun with guilt. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door quietly and slipped inside, closing it softly behind her.

"Siobhan?" she called out, her voice barely a whisper, not wanting to startle her.

"Mhm?" Siobhan responded, but her voice was distant, her mind miles away. She didn't even bother to look up.

Stella's throat tightened. She could feel the weight of what she had done settling over her like a heavy blanket. "I'm sorry, Siobhan. I'm a terrible person. I know it," she confessed, her voice trembling. She had rehearsed this moment in her head, but now that it was happening, the words felt inadequate, like they weren't enough.
Could they ever be enough?

Siobhan stayed silent. She didn't respond with words, but her expression—the hurt in her eyes, the way her face twisted in pain—spoke louder than any words could. Stella didn't need Siobhan to say anything to understand what she had done. She had hurt the one person she had left, maybe beyond repair.

The room felt suffocating. For the first time, Stella felt a strange emptiness in her core, a void that went deeper than the exhaustion she had felt after using her powers. Normally, it would take her hours, even days, of continuous use to feel any depletion of her energy. But now, just standing there, trying to apologize, she felt utterly drained. Completely powerless.

Since her mother died, she hadn't felt anything real—no guilt, no sorrow, no remorse. But this... this was different. This was raw. And she had no idea what to do with it.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she repeated, the words spilling out like a broken record, as if saying them enough times would make the pain go away. But deep down, Stella knew it wouldn't.

"Just know I never 'pretended to care.' I know that's how you feel, and no words I say will change that. But I did truly care," Stella said, her voice quieter now, filled with regret. She hesitated, her back turned, as if gathering the strength to finish her thought. "I'm sorry, Siobhan. This is my fault. I get it if you don't want to see me anymore. You can stay here as long as you want."

Stella turned to leave, expecting nothing but silence to follow her. But then, out of nowhere, Siobhan rushed toward her, throwing her arms around her tightly. Stella froze, her eyes widening in shock.

"I know you meant it," Siobhan whispered through her sobs, her tears soaking into Stella's shoulder. Her voice was fragile, but there was trust in it—a trust Stella thought she had completely shattered.

Stella felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her, like she had just been given a second chance. A warm, genuine smile spread across her face, something rare and unfamiliar, but so welcome. The tightness in her chest began to loosen.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped in the quiet comfort of the moment. When Siobhan finally pulled away, her eyes were red and puffy, but there was a softness in them, a glimpse of something hopeful.

- 30 minutes later -

Stella was scanning through documents, her eyes darting over the pages as she tried to formulate another plan to take down Mia. Siobhan sat nearby, observing her carefully. The tension was thick between them, and after a long pause, Siobhan broke the silence.

"You still haven't told me why you hate Mia so much," she said, her voice gentle but curious. She wanted to understand Stella's cause, her obsession with bringing Mia down.

Stella stopped, her fingers hovering above the documents. She took a deep breath and turned to face Siobhan. "Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, her tone heavy with warning.

Siobhan nodded, determined. "Yes."

Stella exhaled slowly, gathering herself before she began to speak. "Well..." And with that, she launched into the full explanation—her past, the bitterness that had grown like a poison inside her. She laid everything bare, every dark memory, every twisted reason for her actions, explaining not only her hatred but also why she had become the way she was. Her voice remained cold, distant, the only emotion breaking through being the flashes of anger when she mentioned Mia's and Roger's names.

a/n - being mean here cuz i've told y'all stella's backstory is amazing but you will not be finding out rn 😜😜 (it isn't that amazing i over compliment myself, its js sad.)

When she finally finished, Siobhan stared at her, wide-eyed, as if she had just been told a horror story. "What. The. Fuck," she muttered, completely thrown by everything she had just heard.

Stella looked at her, concerned for the first time. "You okay?"

Siobhan didn't respond right away, her mind spinning, trying to process everything. Stella had poured no emotion into her explanation, but the rage had been palpable. Finally, Siobhan spoke, her voice quiet, almost numb. "I'll do your plan."

Stella raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Really?"

Siobhan nodded slowly, her mind made up. Stella's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

-~•***•~-

so this was fun !!

i'm gonna kill char after that 6pm gang what.

lowkey i feel like i'm writing a love story while writing stella and shibby. and ik it feels like that while reading too but i promise viv will be here soon. (not soon at all but she'll be here bless her)

someone please message me on tiktok and tell me what you think stella's backstory is PLEASE i need to know theories i can't do this anymore.

(user is @wintumnsdaughterr)

hope you enjoyed !!

bye lovelies <3