Captain America: The Phoenix

14. Trust

Quinn awoke that morning, meeting with the social worker Hill had sent to speak with her. She felt almost as if she was in a trance as she arranged the cremation with the worker, unaffected by the insincere, almost routine condolences that she continued to feed to Quinn.

It felt like such a tragic contrast.

When the worker finally left, she then made her way to the medical lab, which a few of the facility's personnel moved and cleared out many of the items and equipment. It was all being shipped out that day as it wouldn't be needed anymore.

After waiting for a man pushing a cart full of boxes to walk through the doorway, she walked in herself.The doctor was standing the middle, directing a few of the movers.

"Helen," Quinn spoke, her voice gentle and almost timid in a way that it often was not.The doctor turned, her kind eyes shining with sympathy once setting them on Quinn. 

"Hi, Quinn."

"I just, um, wanted to thank you. I know you guys are leaving today and I want you to know that I appreciate everything you did for my mom. You didn't have to come all the way here just to help her, but you did."

Helen then gave a comforted smile, almost taking a sigh of relief. Quinn's sincerity took a lot of guilt off of her shoulders.

"I, actually, was gonna come see you, as well." She then turned to the table to her left, grabbing an envelope sitting next to a few boxes. "Your mother wanted me to give you this."

Quinn's brows furrowed as the doctor handed her the small white envelope.

"She had me write it for her because she was afraid you wouldn't make it back in time." Quinn looked down at the paper, the familiar stinging in her eyes coming back. "Your mother was a wonderful woman, Quinn. You are proof of that," Helen told her. "She loved you so much."

She looked up at the doctor once more, giving a small grateful smile. 

Moments after, she was in her room, sitting at the edge of her bed and carefully tearing open the envelope. Unfolding it, she handled the paper delicately, scared that she would make a rip or a smudge.Then she read.

Dear Quinn,

I'm writing this because Dr. Cho has told me that you're on business at the moment and I don't know if I'll have time to talk to you when you get back. First of all, I know. I know who your handsome 'friend' Steve is and I know who you are. In fact, I'm watching the reports on TV right now! The fire powers are surely surprising. When did you get those? But the truth is, Quinnie, I've always known you were special. And you've always been my hero.The only thing I wish for is that I could've been yours too. I used to wish that I did things differently, because I never wanted you to grow up the way you did. I wanted to give you the world. But then again, I must have done something right because I raised the most resilient, intelligent and brilliant young woman.These past few years, I watched you fight and fight and fight just to save me. But now, I can watch you save the world. I am eternally proud of the woman you are. I love you so, so much.

Mom

Quinn closed her eyes, allowing her tears to freely fall down her cheeks. It was a mixture of emotions: sadness, longing, missing her and finally, comfort. Her mother knew who she was, her secret past and now her publicized present and she was proud of all of it. The tears were quiet, painful still, but no longer heavy or lonely the way they used to be.

As she sat there, opening her eyes once more, she could feel the familiar feeling of a burn in her chest. It was spreading, going from her chest, her core and out towards her extremities. She then slowly let in a breath, letting it out in an attempt to ease the warm feeling.After a cold shower to calm her powers down, she got dressed and immediately made her way towards the training room.