Generations: The Long Game

Take Forever

"Oh for fuck's sake, Marjorie! We are not doing this again! I am not you! I am not Char! And I sure as shit am not Reece!"

"Mia?"

The redhead paced the room for a minute not answering the brunette. Maybe she was delirious. If she was, she certainly couldn't keep answering her delusion. She needed sleep. That was what it was. She just needed sleep. She slumped against the wall and slid herself to the floor. When her bum hit the floor, she dropped her head down into her hands.

Mia?

She was shocked back to her feet when her eyes met the deep blue eyes of the brunette. "Marjorie?" The brunette looked back at her with bewilderment. "How long... How long have we been here?" The redhead didn't even answer. She ran out the door and down the corridor shouting back to the nurses' station. "She's awake. She's awake. One of you get up off your arse and get in there! She's awake!"

She ran down the corridor and hit the button for the elevator but couldn't wait. She turned and flew up the stairs. She ran down the corridor until she got to the waiting room. The blonde was sat hunched over with his head in his hand. His fingers laced through his own hair and pulled taut. "Reece?" He looked up. His face red and swollen. "Mia can't you just leave me alone?" She had run the whole way there and couldn't catch her breath. "She...She..." The tears began to fall, and his heart pounded in his chest. "Awake...Reece...She's awake."

He flew past the redhead and sprinted down the corridor. He entered the stair well and skidded down the stairs more so than ran down them. When he got to her floor, he pushed the door with such force it slammed against the wall and swung on its hinges. Not taking a moment to notice, he sprinted back down the corridor and bounded into her room finding no less than six people around her bed checking monitors and vitals. Asking her questions. And then he heard it. Her voice. Amongst the chaos of the machines and the cacophony of the doctors and nurses was her beautiful voice. His patience running thin but not wanting to push, he paced the room waiting for them to clear out. He wanted her to have the best care, but couldn't they do this a bit later? He just wanted to touch her, to hear her, to be with her. Only her. If only just for a moment.

As they began to clear out one by one, his heart began to pound when she spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have made you wait. I am sorry, my love." He stood still for a moment not able to move. He barely heard the words. Her brilliant blue eyes. He hadn't seen them in so long. The tears came before he moved. When he did, he fell into her lap sobbing. "Marjorie I... Marj..." He stood and sat on the edge of her bed, cupping her face he pulled her into a soft kiss. "Gorgeous I thought...they said...I've missed you."

Her body was thin and frail, but she found the strength to pull him in and hold him tight. "I am sorry my love. Sorry I made you wait. I was trying. I am sorry it took so long. Sorry I took so long." He looked into her eyes. "Gorgeous I would have waited forever for this. To hold you. To look into your eyes. To hear your voice just one more time. I would have waited forever."

2072

Ollie wiped the tears from his eyes, as Mia and Siobhan looked to Reece. "My boy she is okay now. She made it through. We all made it through. It was touch and go there for awhile and even after she came home, we were constantly terrified of infections, but by the end of September we knew she was cancer free." Ollie looked at Siobhan. "And your daughter? She was born the same day." Siobhan beamed with pride. "She was." Her eyes glazed over with tears at the memory. "Forty-five years ago, today as a matter of fact. You likely saw her at some point yesterday. She is the spitting image of me but tall like that one." She gestured to Reece as he continued flipping pancakes.

He looked over at Ollie. "She and Jamie both went into the aerospace field. She as a mathematician and he as an engineer. I couldn't be a prouder uncle if I tried." He beamed and smiled at Siobhan. "They have certainly taken a childhood love and made it into very successful careers. Viv and I couldn't be more proud." Mia cleared her throat as Marjorie sleepily entered the kitchen. "Well speak of the devil."

She glared at the woman whose red hair had all but faded. "Can't really call you a mean redhead anymore, can we?" They all chuckled as Marjorie pulled Mia into a hug. After everything they went through that year and all the years since, Mia had long since stopped fighting her over the physical affection. "You alright? We missed you yesterday." Mia went on to tell her about the twins and their latest crazy adventure, as Ollie stared at the two. He hadn't meant to make them self conscious. It was just so odd in juxtaposition to the stories he had been told. Mia spoke first. "Oliver, time changes things. We went through something really heavy, and for awhile we were all the other had, in a way. We understood each other. What the other needed from the arrangement. It wasn't always easy on those around us." She looked to Reece who looked down at the floor. "That year changed us. All of us."

He looked at all of them, tears forming in his eyes when Marjorie pulled him in. "You lot had to tell the cancer story, didn't you? Ollie, 2027 wasn't all bad. It graced us with Rory, Ben, Cory, and our beloved Crystal. Now that is the story to tell." Siobhan chuckled. "We've already covered that, Jorie." None of them seemed to look as old as he knew them to be, but Siobhan didn't look a day past fifty as she laughed causing everyone around them to fall into laughter. "You have an uncanny knack for being one step behind."

Mia pulled the young man from Marjorie's arms and led him to the table with a plate of pancakes. "Come on, 2027 wasn't done with us yet. Let me tell you about it."

AN: This arc was inspired by my experiences with my sister. While I changed some details, the emotions of the experience were the same. With her permission I have decided to share a photo of her and I after she woke up.