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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2014 0:51:39 GMT
September 2nd
A decision that needed to be made was weighing heavily on Roy’s mind, and it was one that he hoped he would have to be the one to make it. Of course, only time would tell which path his life would go down, and by the time displayed by the clock on his wall he didn’t have much time left. He knew that he wasn’t rushing into this like he had on so many other situations in his life because he had been thinking about what needed to be done for a few months now, but watching the news in the last few weeks had been the final straw.
The sound of a whistling pot reminded him that he had been in the middle of the something when he had gotten lost in thought. After turning off the burner, he poured the hot water into his cup of tea and waited for the knock on the door that was the buzzer on his internal timer. Glancing around the room, Roy could see that he had done to make it a safer environment for Lian when she came over. There were toys in the living room, a stack of age appropriate movies on the table and a lot of newly installed safety devices to keep her from getting into things that she need not get into.
Sipping his tea, Roy started to notice that he was tapping the mug with his fingers, which told him that for the first time in a while he was in fact nervous. “Never thought that I would be this nervous before having a stressful conversation. What does that mean,” he asked himself as he heard the doorknob move. It looked like his time was up, so he walked over and opened the door.
“I was wondering when you would get here.”
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Post by Cheshire on Nov 20, 2014 5:00:42 GMT
The text message she got from her estranged husband was vague but Jade could practically hear the 'tone' through his simple words of 'We need to talk." Who know such a small phrase could hold so much weight. Jade was sure that they did need to talk, she was sure Roy had a lot to say given her activities of late, something Jade had hoped to avoid a while longer if not forever but...it seemed his moral compass was not as jaded as she once thought. She had a passing thought of just avoiding the conversation completely and acting like she never received the text message but thought against it. Something of this nature would be better to not let fester and grow into something larger.
Calling her usual baby sitter Jade asked the young woman to watch Lian for a few hours while she went to run some errands and the girl agreed once she got done with classes for the day. After she got off the phone the assassin glanced at the clock to check the time: 2PM which gave her two hours to waste while she waited. When Marci arrived at Jades apartment she told the girl that she wouldn't be long before giving her daughter a kiss goodbye and heading out for Roys home. Had this been a normal visit Jade would have been more than happy to bring their daughter along, she took no joy in keeping their daughter apart from her father but she could not shake the feeling that this was not going to be something they would want Lian around for.
When she finally arrived at Roy's it was a little after five and Jade climbed the stairs to the floor where his apartment was located and knocked on the door, reaching for the doorknob to check to see if it was open. Nope. With a sigh she stood back and waited for him to answer and he did not keep her waiting long.
"I was wondering when you would get here."
He greeted her with. Not a hello or some other pleasantry but what did she really expect?
"I had to wait for Marci." Jade simply said as she walked inside, her eyes instinctively scanning around the room as she entered, a habit picked up from her training and one that came in handy when she was expecting a trap. Not that she thought this was but the thought had crossed her mind more than once that eventually Roy and his pals would tire of her antics and try to bring her down. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2014 7:46:09 GMT
”I had to wait for Marci.”
Right. Roy had forgotten that Jade would need to have someone watch their child while they had this conversation since neither wanted to have her around when they knew a fight was going happen. There had already been too many days like that as it was, and they certainly didn’t need to add on to that list. Of course, he sort of wished that Lian would have been in her arms just in case this argument went so far south that Jade threatened to keep the girl away from him, which wasn’t how either of them wanted this to go. Or at least he assumed that was what Jade was feeling, but he definitely could have been wrong about that one.
”So how is Lian doing,” he asked as he looked her over. From what he could tell, she didn’t seem to be hurting, but then again she never did. If there was one thing that she was good at, it was hiding any wounds that she got from her jobs if she ever did. The only times that he had ever seen her emotional were when she was trying to get him back from his sour state after the whole clone revelation, which reminded him of why he married her. Underneath her tough exterior, there was a good person there who cared deeply for those that she let stay around her for more than an hour, and now that he thought about he saw that person every time she held Lian. At least he thought he did.
That thought gave him the necessary confidence to think that this entire talk was going to go his way whether she wanted it to or not, and he knew she was stupid. The woman before him was one of the most intelligent women that he had ever met in his entire life, so he knew that she had more than likely put all of the pieces together that the moment that he had dreaded had finally come. ”Jade, I think you know what I asked you to come here tonight, so do you want to skip the pleasantries or just get right down to it?” Directness had always been his way, so there was no point in switching it up now when it could only hurt his chances at this.
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Post by Cheshire on Nov 22, 2014 21:21:27 GMT
Lian is fine. Jade said while turning to face him once she had determined that no one was going to jump from the shadows to try to ambush her. She didn't think Roy would ever be that desperate..or..that stupid. If he thought there was a rift between them now he had no idea what would be in store for them should he try to betray her like that. But, that was what today was for wasnt it? For him to try to talk her out of doing whatever she was doing, to turn a new leaf or some such nonsense.
”Jade, I think you know what I asked you to come here tonight, so do you want to skip the pleasantries or just get right down to it?”
She smirked and gave a small laugh, walking to the couch and sitting down; crossing her legs once she had. "That's what I like about you Red." The nickname she had given him when they had been 'dating' stuck around and she didn't think it would ever go away "the no nonsense, straight to the point attitude." So serious, so driven..so attractive but, she was getting off track here. "You wanna talk, then talk." This should be a interesting night. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2014 19:51:35 GMT
Roy had known that Lian was alright. If there was anything wrong with that little girl, then this conversation wouldn’t have been going, and the two of them would be with their daughter. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to think of exactly what words he wanted to use right now. Countless nights spent thinking about this, and nothing wanted to come up. He guessed his subconscious didn’t think now was the right time to have this talk, but it was too late to turn back now. She was here, he was here and the moment was going to be now.
”To put it simply, you need to stop doing what you are doing, Jade. You can’t keep running off to be Cheshire and leaving me with Lian to wonder if you are going to make it back here.” He paused for a moment as he let his mind calm down as it felt like he was going to start yelling at her, and he wanted this to remain civil. Yelling would only lead to a fight, and knowing his luck it would be a real fight this time. ”I know you are good at what you do, but one day there will be someone who is just a little bit better than you and you don’t come home.”
”Or worse. You make it back, and something follows you to Lian. What will you do then,” asked Roy as he looked at her for some kind of reaction to his words. He wondered if she would listen to reason or just run from it.
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Post by Cheshire on Nov 23, 2014 22:48:52 GMT
Jade waited for him to start and she was already preparing herself in her mind. As he went in and gave his reasons Jade kept her face flat, her lips in a tight line. Did he think she didn't know the risk? You don't think I know that? She snapped at him as her arms crossed in front of her I know the risk Roy. Jade was painfully aware of how dangerous a game she was playing.
He probably thought she did it just for the thrill, and while there was a small part of her that did it wasn't the reason. Jade did it out of necessity. When he was doing his 'woe is me I'm a clone' stint she had to support their daughter. She birthed her, fed her, clothed her, protected her, made sure she had everything she could possibly need and that did not come cheap. Jade did what she had to and now she was too far in to just walk away.
She bit her tongue to keep from saying more than she already had. Jade did not want this to explode into a full blown argument so early and she knew that if she continued to speak at the moment that that is exactly what it would do. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2014 2:37:57 GMT
Like he had always known, Jade wasn’t stupid, but it wasn’t her being stupid that he was worried about. It was her being her that made him afraid that she was never going to leave the life, and no matter what it took hew as going to find a way to make her stop being that woman. ”You’re right. The risks of what you are doing are abundantly clear, but let me remind you of the one that is going to tear this family apart.” It was the scenario that he feared coming true as he had no idea what he would do when the time came, which was the part that he truly feared.
”What are you going to do when one of my friends has to bring you in, or worse, when I am asked to do it? How do you think Lian is going to cope with that,” asked Roy as his grip on his cup tighten. Emotions were definitely running high in the room, and he wondered if this verbal conflict was going to transform into a physical one. Then again, something might happen to distract them both. ”What are you going to do if that day comes, Jade? Are you going to fight my friends? Are you going to be able to fight me?”
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Post by Cheshire on Nov 29, 2014 1:42:43 GMT
This lecture was not going to go anywhere he would hope it would go she could say that right now. Was he trying to guilt her into doing what he wanted by laying out all these scenarios? Did he forget who he was talking too? Jade was prepared for that to happen, she knew that eventually it would come down to the sidekicks or even Roy himself coming after her. It was only a matter of time and the fact that it hadn't happened yet was surprising. She was sure there was a certain level of tolerance for her past misgivings because of Roy but sooner or later that well would run dry. If you have to ask me that then you've learned nothing. He could take that how he wanted, what ever made him feel better but Jade would do anything it took to protect herself, her daughter and her interest and if that meant going up against the sidekicks and her husband then so be it.
We both knew the risk when we got together. You know that I just can't walk away from the lifestyle. It wasn't that simple. She had enemies everywhere, she had a lot of dirt on powerful people, if she just stopped working it would leave her open and make her a bigger risk to the people that wanted their secrets kept secret. A assassin that stopped working was either dead, locked up or in protection and people might think she talked and cut herself a deal if she pulled out of the game again. In her own twisted way Jade was doing what she was to protect her family. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2014 11:22:09 GMT
He felt like this was one of those situations that would only end with him being miserable, which was how his life usually turned out. If anything, Roy was surprised that it had lasted this long, but that was probably because he had let so much go into that gray area. Sadly, his instigation of this conversation told him that there was not going to be anymore wiggle room, so he was going to have to try one last argument before he laid his cards all on the table. ”You can walk away from it, Jade. All you have to do is trust me, and I can get you out of this. Then, the three of us can disappear and have a normal life together, and the rest of the world can go on doing what it’s doing without us.”
Honestly, Roy’s plan was kind of the oldest one in the book that would only work if he could convince Jade as well as the certain members of the League to do some things that neither side was going to like, but he didn’t care if it kept his family safe and whole. ”Just this once, will you trust me to do the one thing that I should have been doing all along,” he asked as he walked towards. Reaching out with his hand, Roy tried to brush her hair back and cup the side of her face with his hand. ”Will you have that I can protect this family? Please?”
It was a desperate request from an already desperate man, and his entire being was wishing that she would just let him be the father and the husband that he should have been.
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Post by Cheshire on Nov 30, 2014 2:30:46 GMT
"You can walk away from it, Jade" He sounded so sincere, so sure of himself, like he believed this to be the easiest thing in the world. He had no idea just how hard it was, Jade wanted to walk away. She enjoyed her work but she enjoyed and loved her daughter more and would like to just run away and disappear like he was suggesting but it just wasn't that simple. It's not that simple. He had to know that, even if he could convince his friends to forgive and forget her it wouldn't be easy and who's to say that things would even go his way?
Jade's eyes watched as Roy stepped closer and she allowed him to push her hair back. It was nice to feel that touch again. She may not seem like the type but Jade did crave physical touch and she missed Roy's touch but...she couldn't him get to her like that. As his hand cupped her face she tilted her head into it a little for a moment before bringing up her hand grabbing his and bringing it down. Once his hand was away Jade pushed herself up from the couch and stepped away from him. You can't guarantee that we can just disappear Roy and if we do, then what? We just live the normal white picket fence life? That wasn't her, that wasn't him. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 12:40:15 GMT
She was right about it not being a simple thing, but it was possible if everything went the way he needed it to go. Of course, Roy could tell it was turning into a losing battle when she removed his hand and stood up, and he didn’t know what else to tell her other than the truth. ”That is sort of what I had in mind if you scratch out the white fence for a red one,” he said with a smile. If there was anything that he could think of as paradise, then it would be having a home with her and their daughter in a place no one would think to look for them.
”I’m not saying that it would be easy. In fact, it will probably test both of us more than either of us could imagine, but it would still be better than the lives we lead right now.” All she had to do was tell him yes, and Roy would make it happen. Even if it forced him to cross the line, the archer would make it to where they could live in peace for as long as he lived, but from the sound of it Jade wasn’t going to take this chance. ”Jade, this is the only way I know of making this family whole, but if you don’t walk away from the life then we both know how this will end.”
It would end with both of them losing.
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Post by Cheshire on Dec 2, 2014 0:19:55 GMT
When he confirmed that that was exactly what he wanted Jade looked at him for a moment before laughter burst from her lips. He was serious; he actually thought that they could just run away from their life and start fresh somewhere. Just leave it all behind and forget about everything. Oh Roy. ”When did you become so naive?” The laughter stopped as quickly as it came and Jade stood there looking at her husband at least, she thought that was who she was looking at. She couldn’t be sure thou because her Roy wouldn’t be so desperate.
”You think that it would be better? That you and I could actually live the apple pie life? Look around you Red. This is what our life is, this is what our life always will be and you know what? What if I’m not ready to just leave it all behind?” Perhaps she was using her job as a crutch but it was the truth. She had tried to leave it once and it nearly killed her. Lian was a good reason to keep on living and after the (apparent) death of Artemis it had been one of the things that kept her from going on a rampage. Jade had done good for a while and she thought she could completely leave it all behind her but, when Crusher came knocking on her door looking to seek revenge Jade jumped at the chance. Avenging her sister was one thing but what Jade really wanted was a chance to get back in and after getting that taste again it just became all too consuming. The hard cold facts are, she is good at what she does and it’s the only thing she knew, it was the only thing that made sense to her other than her daughter and maybe Jade wasn’t ready to let go of that.
”Are you really going to stand there and tell me that you are just going to leave it all behind? That you are ready to hang up your bow for good and turn your back on Oliver, Dinah and all your little pals?” Her eyes trained on him in a intense glare ”You think you can just let it go knowing what you know? You’re lying to yourself if you think you can. It’s a sickness Roy, an addiction and you might be able to put it off for a while but eventually you are going to get that itch and it will consume you and then what? What are you going to do then? Just walking away would only make things worse in the long run. This is who we are Red, that is not going to change. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2014 12:17:51 GMT
Her words hurt him more than he thought that they would, and Roy knew that the damage this time was going to be harder to heal. The laughter was something that he could deal with it, but she made it sound as though he was just a child that was making a wish on his birthday cake or waiting around for Santa Claus. It was abundantly clear that there was no way that she was going to turn away from the life that she had been leading for who knew how many years, and that meant there was only one thing for Roy to do at this point.
”For the record, that was what I was saying, Jade. I would have given up my friends and the name ‘Red Arrow’ if it meant having a chance at making this work,” said Roy with a straight face. He kenw that she was right about there always being that tugging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that one more go with the bow wouldn’t hurt anyone, and he knew that it would be hard to silence it at first. It was like any addiction that one had to get rid of, and it meant finding an anchor to remind him what was at stake if he were to fall off the wagon. ”And you and Lian would have been what kept me from going back. Every time that urge might have popped up, and I would have thought of the two of you to stop myself just like I’ve done every day since you brought me back from that destructive path I was on.”
Alas, her meaning couldn’t be more clear if it had been tattoo’d to her forehead, and that was she could walk away from Cheshire. Walking toward the window, Roy looked out on the city as his next words entered his mind. ”I guess we are going to have to set some ground rules about how we are going to handle this relationship, and the first one is that you are going to have to move from the city. The League and the Team will come after you once they hear about this conversation, and they will hear about it even if I don’t tell them.” He was pretty sure that Batman had his place bugged just in case there was still some programming in his head that might betray the Team.
Honestly, Roy knew what he was giving up by telling her that she had to leave the city, and it was more than seeing the woman that he cared about more than anyone save Lian. He just hoped that it was a lost that he would be able to bear.
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Post by Cheshire on Dec 7, 2014 17:14:22 GMT
This hurt her. Jade knew she didn't put on like it hurt but it did. She loved Roy and while she may have had funny ways of showing it she loved him deeply, if she hadn't she never would have went through all that trouble in helping him find Speedy. If she didn't love him she wouldn't have bothered trying to help him get on track. She did love him but her sense of self preservation may have been a bit stronger. It was how she had survived as long as she did and it wasn't something she was just going to give up because of something like love. That wasn't how she worked.
Thou, she wished it was.
There were other reasons she couldn't do what he was asking her, reasons that he wouldn't understand and reasons she was sure that if she told him he would interfere and only make things worse. No, in the end this was for the best.
When Roy told her that she had to move from the city Jade looked at the back of his head, glad that he was turned around because even if she knew that would have to happen it may have hurt a little to hear. "Fine. Anything else?" Jade knew she wasn't playing nice, that wasn't really her style but if this was how it was going to have to be then maybe it would be best if he was so mad at her when she left that he wouldn't try coming to find her later on. (meh, sorry about the meh post and the long wait. Still trying to get back into the swing of things from being sick) |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 23:20:52 GMT
Was there anything else? Yeah, she could change her mind and choose him over the life, but he would plead with her no more on the subject.Of course, there was something that he was going to say that would probably cause him to cry, so he was preparing himself in order to keep that from happening. All that he needed to do was hold off until she left the apartment, and then Roy could let his emotions pour from him however he saw fit.
"The second rule that I have, and this is the one that you are going to have to follow no matter what happens, understand? You take care of her. You protect her from everything because if something happens to her then..." He let his voice trail off as the obvious threat hung in the air between them, but what she probably didn't realize was that if something happened to Lian then all of the rules were taken away. He would be coming for blood, and anything in his was would be getting an arrow through its chest.
There was nothing left for him to say at this point besides some sort of goodbye, but he didn't know if he was going to be able to muster up the words for such a thing. Finally, he came up with the one thing that he could forced from his lips, and Roy knew it wasn't going to sound very loving. "Now go away, Jade. Go away and be safe for once.
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