Beckoning Lyght

Back to Basics

Chapter One: Back to Basics

It would be raining, she thought as she somberly rang the doorbell. She didn't know what to do, who else to turn to; for a brief moment, she had wished that she was a drinking woman. However, as welcoming as a stiff drink sounded to her, she knew that drinking wasn't the solution. It felt like an eternity to her when the door finally swung open.

"Tabs! You're soaked! Get in here before you catch cold!" the professor eyed her strangely as she actually had to drag her young friend inside the house. She blocked out whatever Jamila was talking about and dragged herself not into the kitchen as she always did but in the living room. She didn't care about her wet clothes as she plopped down on the couch and stared straight ahead. She hadn't stopped crying since she had left Watchtower and had become numb, "... Tabs...? Oh... oh, no..." Jamila sat down beside her friend and immediately embraced her. She knew what was wrong; Tabitha had been too late.

She had tried to talk to her friend however sobs came out instead of words. The professor held in her own tears; someone had to be strong at this point! All she could do was attempt to soothe her.

"H-H-H-He's... gone..." her lips quivered out. Jamila stopped rocking her friend and looked at her.

"What? Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'? He... shit, he left the League?!" she had really hoped that was what the lightning woman had meant by "gone"; she didn't want to think that the Martian Manhunter had actually passed away. Either way, it made no sense to her; why would he leave the Justice League? Was the Martian that upset with his former girlfriend?

Tabitha couldn't understand much at that point. She knew that she may had overreacted when she found out that he had erased a memory, one that she fully admitted that she didn't mind not remembering. She had been so upset with him that she didn't even want to hear him out whenever he tried to explain himself; all she wanted to do was try to forget. But, she couldn't; there was no denying that she not only couldn't forget everything that the two had been through, she couldn't get over him, overall. It was the woman who held her right then and there that made her come to her senses and she was more than willing to beg for his forgiveness.

But, he had left. Without even saying goodbye, she started to fume. Tabitha finally calmed down enough to take a deep breath and hug her best friend back.

"He... he didn't even have... the gaddamn decency to tell me... goodbye..." more tears clouded her vision.

"Wait... what?! That... don't sound like him at all... why wouldn't he tell you goodbye?!" she really wanted to know. The professor had gotten to know the Martian over the years and knew his mannerisms; this was out of character for him.

"I don't fucking know!" she angrily wiped at her tears, "A fucking leave of absence they call it..." she sniffed and shivered. Jamila simply held her tighter.

"You know what... it don't matter. Nothing don't matter, now. He made his decision... now, you gotta make yours. You got a whole station to take care of now; you can't dwell on this..."

"Doc..." she was surprised to hear her friend's words. Jamila shook her head.

"You can sit here and cry your ass off all you want; I don't care. But, the minute you step out that door... you can't do it no more."

"I don't... understand. Why..."

"I know how you're feeling right now. I've been through it. I had loved a man so much... I was willing to drop everything I ever planned just to be with him. And, we were happy; really happy: we had gotten engaged. He was military and so he went overseas for a while; came back and got stationed somewhere else. But, we made our plans, still. Then... he stopped calling me..."