Trembling: Corona

[Evangeline]

Battered & Bruised

Her arms, wrapped around her as she walked down the streets of downtown. Nothing but the night before, running through her mind. She was shaken, and shaken to the core.

She would hate to think what would have happened if Cain hadn't of overheard them, and made Nicolas leave. She probably wouldn't be here, not that she was feeling so alive in this particular moment.

She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her neves as she reached up, wiping away a stray tear. Her hand slightly touching the bruise on her cheek. Flinching, she sucked in a sharp breath, mumbling to herself as she continued on her way.

Lost in her own, hell. She wasn't really paying attention. So, obviously, it didn't come as a surprise when she knocked into someone. "Oh, shit." she muttered. "I'm sorry, I--Corona?" Her brows furrowed.

It was. It was Corona. "I'm sorry." She said again. Not just for bumping into you, but.. for everything. she thought to herself.

[Corona]

Cloudy Days Again

Oh, it was ironic that she should be strolling down New York in the same outfit she had died in. Corona had cleaned it spotless of course but still, it made her feel pain. Lately, she had been living in a tiny little motel that was probably the scariest place to live and she hadn't spoke to Shames directly for weeks. Mostly, she'd text him some small thing concerning Lyra. Yes, she missed her old house.....her house.

In fact, she was just thinking about that when some absurd woman ran into her. Corona tumbled down, breaking her own fall luckily but staring up at the person. She saw a bruised Evangeline but almost took no notice. After all, Corona had seen her own reflection today. Her makeup was faded and smeared down her cheeks; her eyes were red and puffy. It was obvious that poor Cor cried constantly. Sometimes, Corona felt as though she was pregnant again with so much crying.

"You're sorry? Pfft."She hissed when she made a wobbly attempt to get her bearings straight again. Cor stopped there, unable to release all the hurt she had been through but int was apparent on her distraught, British face that she was emotionally pained right now.

[Evangeline]

"You're sorry? Pfft."

To say Evangline was surprised, would be over-estimated. She knew how Corona must feel. She could only imagine. She sighed softly, nodding. "I am, y'know.. sorry." She said once more, starring at Corona's face, she noticed the puffy eyes and smeared make-up.

She looked like.. well, her. Minus the bruises. "Are you.. okay?" Of course she wasn't. She had lost her husband, and it was all Evangeline's fault. She hung her head then, feeling more than ashamed.

But should she, really? It wasn't really her fault that Shames and her had fallen for one another. It was.. the universe's right? But telling that to Corona.. she wouldn't hear it, Evan knew.

"Guess there's no better time than now." She muttered to herself. "Look, Corona.." She started, pausing for a moment to find the words. "Can we.. talk? I think we need to, y'know?"

[Corona]

"Are you.. okay?"

Now honestly, that couldn't be a serious question, could it? Surely Evangeline already knew the answer to that particular question. "Do I look okay to you?!" She snorted; and rubbed her eyes shortly before pulling a crumpled up tissue from her pocket and dabbing her eyes. Of course she was not okay. She had been dwelling in a tiny little motel room that smelled undoubtedly like old shoes. She had lost her husband and she missed her house.

"Can we.. talk? I think we need to, y'know?"

For a moment, Corona said nothing for she was pondering the question. Talk about what? What was there left to talk about? She nodded softly and sighed, "F-Fine.....about what?" Cor didn't see anything they could talk about but apparently Evangeline did.

[Evangeline]

"Do I look okay to you?!"

No sense in a reply, Evan knew she didn't look good. She also knew she wasn't feeling so up to par, either. But she couldn't stop the words that came from her mouth, anyway. "No. In fact, you look horrible, Corona."

"F-Fine.....about what?"

About everything, Evangeline thought to herself. "Shames, Lyra.. this whole.. thing." She sighed, looking down a moment as she took off her sunglasses, revealing a nasty black eye. "I didn't..." She couldn't say she didn't know, because she did. She knew Shames had a wife who had passed away. "I'm sorry about what I said, that day." She brought up softly.

"I understand, sort of." She said, pausing a moment. "Lyra loves you, and even if Shames doesn't say it, I know he does too." She cleared her throat gently. "But here's the thing, Corona.."

She took in a deep breath and let it slowly. "I love Shames, and I adore Lyra, even if she doesn't feel the same. I understand her point of view, though. Shames is around someone who isn't her mother, it's.. confusing." She looked up and into Corona's eyes. "It's complicated."

[Corona]

Corona stared at her eye for a moment. She was half wondering where Evan had got it from; and half wondering why she wasn't the one who gave it to her in the first place. It was apparent that she was a bit peeved but she decided to hear the woman out at least. But she was going to think of what to say.

"I love Shames, and I adore Lyra, even if she doesn't feel the same. I understand her point of view, though. Shames is around someone who isn't her mother, it's.. confusing."

Corona swallowed hard before speaking. "It's uncalled for. Lyra's my daughter and you shouldn't try to replace me. That's what you're doing. You're trying to force yourself in my spot in her life and that is why she doesn't trust you. As for Shames....he doesn't love me."She said and then looked away. "At least, not as much as I thought. If he did, he would've listened...he would've taken my promise to him seriously. I know if he had of died, I would've kept on hoping....I would've had faith in him."

Looking at Evangeline suddenly, her eyes narrowed a bit. "But here's the thing, Evangeline...you don't understand any of it. You don't know what Lyra went through. She watched her mother fall off a roof and get stabbed into oblivion. And you have no clue what torturous things I went through in Hell. I would've given in if it weren't for that glimmer of hope on the other side that kept telling me I had a husband and a daughter waiting for me." Corona said with a small sniffle. "Only to come back and see someone was insensitive enough to take my place! Someone pretty, sweet, innocent....someone Shames would need to comfort constantly. I would think that Lyra would need nonstop love from her father after that traumatic experience but apparently you thought otherwise. If I hadn't of come back, who knows what Lyra would be like. Probably an anti-social empty little girl whose daddy was spending time with some woman she didn't know."

"It just so happens that Shames was my everything. He saved me from my brutal X-husband when I was kidnapped and beaten in the Anti-Mutant Headquarters, for more than thirty days. He accepted me when I moved here. He helped me get through the hardest pregnancy I've ever had which included falling down the stairs. He saved me from the darkest man I've ever met when I was under Azrael's thrawl. And he risked his life to keep me from dying." She then broke down in tears, falling to her knees on the street. Looking up at her, Cor sobbed, "A-And you're taking him away f-from me why?! What h-have I ever done to you to d-de-deserve this?! I never e-e-even met you! W-W-Why must you put me th-through this pain!?"

[Evangeline]

"It's uncalled for. Lyra's my daughter and you shouldn't try to replace me. That's what you're doing. You're trying to force yourself in my spot in her life and that is why she doesn't trust you. As for Shames....he doesn't love me."

Uncalled for? Her brows furrowed. "But I'm not. I would never try to replace you, Corona. I know I can't, and I would never try." She stately softly. "And I'm surely not forcing anything on Lyra, all I want from her is a friendship. Nothing more." She said, shaking her head lightly.

"But here's the thing, Evangeline...you don't understand any of it. You don't know what Lyra went through. She watched her mother fall off a roof and get stabbed into oblivion. And you have no clue what torturous things I went through in Hell. I would've given in if it weren't for that glimmer of hope on the other side that kept telling me I had a husband and a daughter waiting for me."

Evan looked down, one hand reaching up to push a stray hair out of her face, slightly hitting her bruise, which made her flinch, sucking in a breath as pain sered through her. She didn't know, what hell was like. And hopefully, she would never find out. She couldn't even comprehend what Lyra must be thinking or feeling after seeing all of that.

"Only to come back and see someone was insensitive enough to take my place! Someone pretty, sweet, innocent....someone Shames would need to comfort constantly. I would think that Lyra would need nonstop love from her father after that traumatic experience but apparently you thought otherwise. If I hadn't of come back, who knows what Lyra would be like. Probably an anti-social empty little girl whose daddy was spending time with some woman she didn't know."

She couldn't stand here and let Corona make assumptions about her. "Now wait a damn minute, Corona." She said, holding up a hand. "I am fully capable of taking care of myself. I look to Shames for comfort, yes. But not constantly. I've never forced Lyra out of the equation either. So don't think you know me, cause you have no idea what I'm like, who I am, or what has happened in my life. So don't go there." She said, slightly aggravated.

"A-And you're taking him away f-from me why?! What h-have I ever done to you to d-de-deserve this?! I never e-e-even met you! W-W-Why must you put me th-through this pain!?"

"You've done nothing to me, Corona. But I'm not the bad person in this, despite what you think. I have the best of intentions at heart. I love Shames, and I adore Lyra. It's not my fault that we both fell in love with each other. Blame someone else, cause it's not my fault, and it certainly isn't Shames."

[Corona]

Corona scoffed, looking quite taken aback. "A-Are you saying it's my fault then? That I deserve to lose my husband, my house, and everything I've ever worked for?!?" She interrogated with quite upset eyes as she stumbled back to her feet."If you think that then clearly you don't have the best intentions at heart. You wouldn't be causing my little girl so much stress. I see that I will never get my husband back and probably I never have another one, but right now, I'm concerned for my daughter."

She stood straight and looked Evan right in the eye. Lyra was young, and had been a rather shy little girl from the beginning. She knew how worried this must make her little girl feel. "Yes, you love Shames....but did you ever consider how Lyra looks at all this? While you may not be forcing her, it feels like it to her. Did you ever think that this little thing might not be temporary? That Shames might....ahem...propose to you and you'd become her mother? How that little girl already has a mother, a friend...and she doesn't want to lose her mother to some strange woman? She's scared. She fears that she might lose her dad next time before her eyes."

Eyes softening, Corona sighed, "How would that make you feel? If you were in her position. It doesn't matter how much you try, you'll only upset her. She's a smart little girl; anything but normal. She seems to sense things before they happy...without really possessing the power of premonition. Besides, what happens if whoever gave you those bruises got to Shames & Lyra for revenge? You don't want that, I'm sure."

[Evangeline]

"A-Are you saying it's my fault then? That I deserve to lose my husband, my house, and everything I've ever worked for?!?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Corona. No one is at fault for what has happened or what will happen." She countered, her brows furrowed. She temple was throbbing with pain, and all she wanted right now was aspirin.

"If you think that then clearly you don't have the best intentions at heart. You wouldn't be causing my little girl so much stress. I see that I will never get my husband back and probably I never have another one, but right now, I'm concerned for my daughter."

"I do." She said, her voice cracking. "I do have the best of intentions at heart, Corona. I do. Every move I make with Shames, Lyra is always in the forefront of my mind." She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself slightly.

"Yes, you love Shames....but did you ever consider how Lyra looks at all this? While you may not be forcing her, it feels like it to her. Did you ever think that this little thing might not be temporary? That Shames might....ahem...propose to you and you'd become her mother? How that little girl already has a mother, a friend...and she doesn't want to lose her mother to some strange woman? She's scared. She fears that she might lose her dad next time before her eyes."

In all actuality. No, she hadn't thought of that. "No." She said softly, eyes already starting to tear up. "But if it does come down to that, Corona. Don't you think we'd be thinking of what's best for Lyra, and not just us?"

"How would that make you feel? If you were in her position. It doesn't matter how much you try, you'll only upset her. She's a smart little girl; anything but normal. She seems to sense things before they happy...without really possessing the power of premonition. Besides, what happens if whoever gave you those bruises got to Shames & Lyra for revenge? You don't want that, I'm sure."

She took in a sharp intake of breath, her hand reaching up and slightly grazing the bruise on her cheek. "I know Lyra is special." She said, a small tear slowly trickling it way down her bruised cheek. "And you're right, Corona. You're right. I don't want what happened to me, to happen to Shames and Lyra. That would kill me, literally." She wiped at her tears, looking away.

"What happened last night.. it has to do with my past, that I am trying... so hard." She cried. "I'm trying to hard to put it in the past where it belongs. But he won't let me, he wants revenge, and you're right." She nodded.

Shaking her head, she looked down at her shoes. "If it comes to any of that.. If he even threatens Shames, or Lyra.." She looked up and right into Corona's eyes. "I'll do whatever is necessary. Whatever it takes.." She paused. "Even if that means breaking Shames' heart."

[Corona]

"But if it does come down to that, Corona. Don't you think we'd be thinking of what's best for Lyra, and not just us?"

"Lyra doesn't understand this! She's not that smart. In her world, she sees her mommy, her daddy, and herself. I'm sorry but you can see that she doesn't think you fit in it. I'm not going back to Shames because I know he doesn't want me back. I just want my daughter to be happy, to not feel nervous every time you show up. She's too young to understand that love can break and others come in. Can't you see? You're just confusing her!" She explained with a serious tone. "Trust me if I was in that position, whoever the man might be, I'd think of what this might do to the children before. This experience will make her so distant in the future. You're not impacting just Shames, you're impacting a five year old little girl as well. And whatever you do will change her in the future."

"I'll do whatever is necessary. Whatever it takes.." She paused. "Even if that means breaking Shames' heart."

She looked simply satisfied though her lips were pursed. "Good. Because knowing such a bruise, it's a strong person or weapon, correct?" She asked but didn't even give Evan time to answer. "I do not want to find my innocent, helpless daughter beaten to death somewhere. The past never stops chasing you until you get lucky....and don't insist Shames to fight it for you, for I can see this is the same as Jacque; and that was four years ago. Shames doesn't have that much in him now."

[Evangeline]

"I just want my daughter to be happy, to not feel nervous every time you show up. She's too young to understand that love can break and others come in. Can't you see? You're just confusing her!"

She remained silent, giving a slight nod here and there. But there was nothing she could do for Lyra. Nothing that she hadn't already tried. Every single time Shames invited her over, or vice versa. Every-time Lyra was with him, she tried.. She tried so hard. But ended up failing miserably.

"Good. Because knowing such a bruise, it's a strong person or weapon, correct?" She asked but didn't even give Evan time to answer. "I do not want to find my innocent, helpless daughter beaten to death somewhere."

"That won't happen." She said firmly, finally speaking up. "I can promise you that here and now, that no one, will ever. Ever, lay hands on her."

"The past never stops chasing you until you get lucky....and don't insist Shames to fight it for you, for I can see this is the same as Jacque; and that was four years ago. Shames doesn't have that much in him now."

"Maybe I was wrong. We shouldn't talk." She said shaking her head. "I know what you want. You want the best for Lyra. And despite what you [/i]say[/i], Corona.[/b]" She paused. "I know you want me out of the picture." She gave a nod, looking right at her.

"Well congratulations. Nicolas might just give you that." Her teeth clenched, she turned, getting ready to walk away, but something stopped her. Slowly, she turned around and walked back quickly.

"I know you want to best for Lyra, and for Shames." She ponted out. "I know you want Lyra to be a happy, healthy little girl, and so do I. But doesn't Shames' feelings count in all of that?"

[Corona]

"I didn't say out of the picture. I meant take it slow. Slow enough for Lyra to get used to things. You're rushing things too fast for a little girl her age. She's only five years old for heavens sake. If I had what I wanted, Shames would be living in your house, I would have my house and take care of Lyra myself....but we can't all have what we wish for and I'd never want to pull Lyra from her father the way you insist that Lyra should spend more time with you than with me. Besides, I'm her mother and I know her far better than you could ever wish to know that little girl. I'm thinking of what's best for Lyra to be the best girl she can be in the future. I don't want a little girl to end up like Amarie's insane husband." She pointed out softly and then stopped in mid-sentence.

"Well congratulations. Nicolas might just give you that."

Out of all the things that Evangeline had said, one word stuck out more than virtually anything. "Uhm....who's Nicolas?" She asked with an entirely clueless expression. She just wanted to know what she had meant by that earlier comment.

[Evangeline]

"I didn't say out of the picture. I meant take it slow. Slow enough for Lyra to get used to things. You're rushing things too fast for a little girl her age. She's only five years old for heavens sake."

"I am not rushing things!" She shouted, clearly getting angry at Corona's assumptions. "If anything, we have been taking this slow. For Lyra, and for myself, and for Shames. I don't want to rush into anything.." She said shaking her head, her eyes closed. "Rushing into things is what got me this!" She said, pointing at her face. "So think before you talk."

"but we can't all have what we wish for and I'd never want to pull Lyra from her father the way you insist that Lyra should spend more time with you than with me. Besides, I'm her mother and I know her far better than you could ever wish to know that little girl. I'm thinking of what's best for Lyra to be the best girl she can be in the future. I don't want a little girl to end up like Amarie's insane husband."

Anger boiled down deep inside of her, and despite the looks they were getting by passer bys she let everything out. "If you want your house back. That is something to talk to Shames about. Not me. Two, who said I was trying to take your place, and insisting more time with lyra? Cause whoever told you that load of crap is pulling you fucking leg, lady." She took in a deep breath, before continuing. "No, cause she has you, and she has Shames. She is your daughter, and Shames' daughter. I know she's not mine. But I love her nonetheless. It comes with the territory, I knew that when Shames and I started this. So don't you dare.."

"Uhm....who's Nicolas?"

Her breathing was erratic, her nerves shaken. "The person who gave me this." She said, pointing at her face. "So when he gets done with me, you can go over and thank him, kay?" She glared. "Cause I know you hate me Corona. But my mom has taught me alot of things, and one thing in particular sticks out right about now." She paused, looking at her.

"There are a million reasons to love me, and a million reasons to hate me." Her face twisted slightly. "So pick one."