Generations: The Long Game

Time to Say Goodbye: Part Three

TW: potentially fatal illness. Mention of death and miscarriage

AN: I know all of you, and myself as well, have struggled with this arc. One of you had hoped/wished it would be over by today. I am deeply sorry that wasn't the case, but tnnfanforlife I did give your favorite a little nod in this chapter.

Happy Birthday!

The 24th of August 2027

Mia and Charlotte

Charlotte walked down the corridor with her eyes on Marjorie's door when she noticed Mia stepping out. As she approached, she heard the familiar lilt of Deliah's voice coming from inside the room. It both surprised her and didn't surprise her at the same time. It probably wouldn't have been a secret that after Roger was sent to prison the board wanted to give her a severance package and send her on her way. What she may not have known was that Marjorie had been the one to back the rest of them down. Deliah was good at her job. A little jarring at times, but she kept the parents in line and the children loved her.

"Hello sweetheart, I don't think it will be long, but I was a bit surprised to see Dee Dee here." Charlotte wrapped herself up in the redhead's embrace. She could wait as long as she had Mia to hold her. Like all the others who had already arrived today, Charlotte's face was red and swollen from crying the better part of the morning. "Where are the children?" The brunette looked up into her wife's eyes. She could see the exhaustion, but what concerned her was the defeat. Maybe they had all made a mistake leaving her to care for Marjorie the lion's share of the time. "Carly's mom sent out a text this morning offering to watch anyone's children. I am not sure she bargained on three two-year-olds, but Lynn and Lucy are there to help as well. Carly was still there with Cory and Eric when I dropped them off, so I should have a bit of time before it all becomes too much for her." The redhead left out a deflated chuckle.

As Deliah and Sara left the room silently, Char held Mia's hand tightly and entered it. The lump was rising in her throat again and the tears began to fall. "Mia, I don't know how to do this. How do you say goodbye to your best friend? We have known each other so long it is hard to remember a time when we weren't in each other's lives." The redhead pulled her into her arms and held her in the silence of the moment. The truth was she wasn't sure how any of them were supposed to say goodbye to someone who hadn't even reached their fortieth birthday. "You just tell her how you feel Char. What she meant to you. What she means to you." The brunette looked from Mia to the bed and back again. "Stay with me?" The redhead looked down into her brilliant blue eyes. "Of course, sweetheart."

She slid the chairs up close to the bed and motioned for Charlotte to sit before settling into her own. "Go on baby. Just tell her how you feel. She can hear you." The brunette reached out and took Marjorie's hand. "Marjorie this isn't how it was supposed to end. We were supposed to grow old and senile. We were supposed to run these nurseries until the end. That is what you said." The tears began to fall and the thoughts of all the time they had spent in the nursery came flooding back to her. Marjorie scrolling endlessly for hours still not realizing that the love of her life would come waltzing into her life along with the love of her own. Agnes being the constant back drop of Marjorie's office and always there to back Marjorie up in whatever silly situation she was about to get herself into. Chef not knowing any of their names. Marjorie's villain era, her growth, her redemption, and finally her strength. The fallout. That moment still stung for her. She knew it wasn't all her fault, but it certainly wasn't Marjorie's either. Their babies playing together. The fantastic four. It all seemed too much to bear.

"I remember the first time you called me "my love" before I knew it was just your ... thing. I thought you were patronizing me in the moment. Do you remember how red I went? I was embarrassed and angry all at the same time, but I never would have said. Not back then. We have so many memories, but we still don't have enough. Not nearly enough. I will miss you. Thank you. Thank you for being unabashedly you. I think that gave us all the strength to do the same. To just be who we were without fear of repercussions. That was maybe the biggest gift you gave us. Everyone of us owes you more than we could ever ..." Her words were coming out jagged between sobs before coming to a stop. Mia stood and gathered her wife into her arms pulling her nearer the door. "Char, you did well baby. Go on home. Please. Just go on home."

They both looked back before heading down the corridor. As Mia guided her back to her car in the car park, she noticed the familiar red jaguar pulling in.

Autumn and Winter

Mia didn't approach the jag opting to just head back into Marjorie's room. They had looked like they were in a heated discussion, and she hoped her brother-in-law wasn't being a twat. Not today. She heard the rapid click of her sister's heels before the door swung open with a bang. "You, out!" The redhead raised an eyebrow and just stared at her younger sister before standing and leaving. Today was not the day to pick that particular fight. Autumn pulled the chair up until it touched the bed rail while Winter stood back. He still couldn't imagine what she was going to do next, and he still couldn't believe she has just kicked Mia out without the redhead saying a word. Autumn settled into the seat while grumbling under her breath. "Marjorie, you need to listen. You cannot fucking do this. You cannot fucking leave. I have seen you fight over the most mundane thing, but this you decide to rollover on. You will be leaving your children. They are far to young to be motherless. Emery and Rory are going to need your crazy emotional arse. You are leaving Reece! My brother won't survive without you and we both know it. I mean the man still dresses like a twelve-year-old boy for goodness' sake. And me! How dare you think this is okay! That any of this is okay!" She was screaming, but Winter stepped toward her and place his hand on her back.

"My love, she isn't doing it on purpose. I know you know that. You are hurt and you are scared, but I am here. It's going to be okay. I promise." She scowled at him, but he could see his words had stuck. Her face softened as she turned back towards the bed. "Marjorie I am not good at this, but you know that. I never thanked you for half of what I should have. For coming to me the day of our miscarriage. That meant a lot to me. More than you would probably ever know. That broke me more than Roger ever could have but you helped me put the pieces back together. You helped me be brave enough to be a mum to Lili and Ben. I am not even sure I would have even given myself a chance to be loved or to love Winter if it weren't for you. Thank you, Marjorie. Thank you for my family. Thank you for loving my brother. He was lost before he found you. I was lost before I found you." All of her emotions gave way to sobs. Winter hoisted her from her seat and held her tight. "My sweet, she knows. She knows you love her. Even without you ever saying. She knows."

They made their way back down the corridor with Winter trying to hold her up as she sobbed uncontrollably. His own thoughts and memories of a friendship he never expected flooding his mind. Their alliance would soon be missing a favored member.