Cora was fine, thank you very much. Just because she was downing enough whisky to throw a man twice her size on his back, and her mind felt like a broken record on repeat meant nothing. So what if her boyfriend was in the Arctic, with another woman. Coworker, to be fair, but still. That was fine. She was fine. She downed another glass and stared into the empty glass. 

The staff at the bar had the owner's number but were hesitant to make the phone call. After all, what did you do when it was the owner's girlfriend downing all the profits? She seemed upset, but no one knew what to say or do.

They didn't need to help though. Cora was just A O K!

Evelyn wasn't great. She had tried to word the text explaining it but she couldn't quite get the letter E to capitalize on her phone. She gave up, leaving the half finished message on draft. Evelyn was upset that her adopted dad was upset. Cora understood. Sam had been reminded of that family again. His family. Cora shut her eyes and cussed, trying to wish it away. How could she explain to Evelyn what was going on? The kid was real but felt shadowed by this family they all knew didn't exist.

We are his family... Cora wanted to say it, and that desire landed her here. She was hiding in the liquid of a whisky bottle as if she could drown reality there. Sam was running from ghosts and Cora was running from reality. She set her head on the counter and pushed the empty glass forward for more.

The bartender looked around for backup. No one wanted to be the first to tell the blue haired woman no.

It had been a week for Sam, maybe even a month. A long one, one full of distractions mishaps and fumbles. He had been home for less than an hour when he got the call. Still unpacking from rescue mission that turned from a simple rescue to an assault on a hidden military base rescue mission. Liz wasn’t trained for missions like that so he regretted bring her along. It was a dangerous situation for anyone who wasn’t trained like he was.

They found who they were looking for and the researchers were reunited with his family so that was all that mattered. They were safely returned home and Sam could brief some of the team about it later. His room was a mess. Bruno hopped onto the bed and proceeded to pass out as the cat greeted them both with open eyes then curled up next to Bruno who was still exhausted from the mission.

A bottle swashed around in his hand as he took a swig then looked to his phone already knowing that this couldn’t be a good message. Cora was drunk at his bar waiting for him. Leaving his bag still packed Sam shut the door behind him and headed to the city. He could talk to Eve later, it was late anyways and she would have heard the jet landing.

----

The door to his bar opened and Sam strut in making his way to the bar where a blue haired woman was sitting at the bar. His girlfriend, his bar. Sam raised a hand and then pointed in front of him signaling for a drink. The staff was reluctant but they trusted their boss. They knew he was recovering but also knew he was dealing with a lot being who he was.

A biker walked by and patted Sam on the back before continuing to greet some others, ”Sorry I’m late. Had to shut down the bird.” he said mentioning the jet. A bottle was placed in front of him with two glasses. He looked to Cora’s glass then back to his own and started to pour the amber drink.

Sam didn’t have much to say, he was tired and still pretty banged up from the mission, a few bandaids covered his face where he was cut up and he ignored the blood on his knuckles until a clean rag was tossed in front of him as the bartender strode off. ”Want to catch me up?” Sam asked worried what she would say as he took a swig of the whiskey savoring the taste.

Cora considered being embarrassed for just a moment, but she was far too drunk for that. She lifted her head for a moment to look at the bartender and made a face at him, "Snitches get stitches!" she accused before turning and trying to focus on her boyfriend.

Damn, was he the one who was drunk or her? Looked like he had about the same day. Although, she wasn't bloodied up from a fight... yet. She looked down at her hand for a moment, self-consciously checking the thread lead to a real person. It was Sam. She was busted.

"Have enough of the snow? Decided to join the rest of us rejects?" she remarked. The tone came out catty, a side effect of the alcohol. Cora with a drink in her set her on edge, and it was probably a blessing she hadn't started a fight. She considered it. The bartender and her may have some words later. Although, he was supplying the whisky so he may survive for now.

She snatched the shot glass before anyone could think better of it and downed it. The bartender was forgiven for now.

"Your daughter has too many abandonment issues for you to do this to her, she found herself saying. Her mouth couldn't seem to find the filter it needed. Maybe she was just swinging at people verbally tonight.

The comment almost made Sam chuckle as he looked to the bartender apologetically. He didn’t do anything wrong, all of Sam’s staff were supposed to call him if a choice few decided to try and shut down the bar by drinking all the stock. It was an insurance policy for his friends because Sam didn’t want to pay more for actual insurance in case they decided to get rowdy. Heck Cora could decide she wants everyone to forget her and end up cutting everyone in the room from who they knew.

Sam eyed the thread connecting them and chose not to comment on it. She was thinking about them. The color didn’t change so he had that going for him. If it was a different color he would have been far more concerned. Not to mention Eve probably would have given him a heads up. She was good at reading people like that.

”Yeah... more than enough.” he said trying to make a joke as ice formed over two of his fingers. One of them was defiantly broken, he just couldn’t' tell which one yet due to the swelling. Doc could wait. Cora was more important to Sam.

Sipping his glass and setting it down, ”You got training in search and rescue when there aren’t any mountains around?” he asked making sure to add the last bit. Liz didn’t have any training but she could posses animals to do so. The dogs and the birds were crucial, along with the whales. Without any of them the rescue would have taken longer not to mention a body count instead of zero.

”Look it was supposed to be a quick search and rescue I didn’t know anyone wanted to start the end of the world." It wasn’t the answer she was looking for but it was Sam’s way to try and diffuse some of the tension. ”Sorry I didn’t call you first to see if you were free.” he wasn’t in the mood for a fight but she was being a little sassy and Sam was used to defending himself.

Pouring the other glass for Cora he touched his glass up too and stared forward at the glass. Chewing over his words. Eve... she was his adopted daughter now, he was responsible for her but he also knew she would say something if she was upset with him.

”She knows I can handle myself, she also knows that I got a lot to make up for.” he said turning to Cora and eyeing her. ”This about me not telling you I was leaving?” or that he took Liz because it was something he thought of when he was on the way out the door? Sam had enough sense not to say what he was thinking.

The liquor in Cora's system made it hard for her to exhibit restraint on her words. When she thought of Sam on the trip, jealousy was quick to show itself, especially when he mentioned experience. She frowned, "Ah well I guess that's something she'll always have I won't. Can't say I got the best cards when it came to mutations and being useful..."

It wasn't like her to admit defeat. She was always the one to try and prove herself. If someone told her she didn't belong, Cora would be the first on the trail anyway. But, relationships were the real problem. Sam knew if it was just a mission Cora would have driven her bike out there.

"Evelyn may have the powers to put the pieces together faster but we both know when you're running from something. We just...why can't we ever be good enough? How are we always losing to a family that isn't real...."

Maybe she want angry so much as hurt. She stared at her whisky but wasn't drinking it now. The bar tender nervously swatted at threads that flickered into existence then disappeared again. Cora's powers were a little spontaneous, making random threads appear and disappear across the bar like spider webs. Cora couldn't understand how threads leading to fake people tangled so badly with the real ones.

”She doesn’t. That’s my point. I ended up having to watch out for her.” he said frowning into the glass wondering why she was so upset about everything. He went on missions all the time, he always had. Why was now so different? Was it because Cora felt bad for Eve or was she busy feeling bad for herself.

Sam took a sip and set the glass down feeling like he suddenly had to explain himself over all his decisions, ”It was supposed to be a search and rescue, we took the dogs and the ravens. Animals have better senses than me, and I want her to start getting more experience so she can eventually lead the search and rescue teams. So I don’t have to.” he said frowning and looking forward. They were both stubborn but Sam knew Cora could be more difficult and he wasn’t really in a fighting mood.

Her next words gave him pause as he started to fill his glass and suddenly he felt angry, more angry than usual. It wasn’t their fault... he was dealing with this. Why did it effect them so? ”I.... he frowned and reached down and grabbed her hand knowing she would probably pull it away. ”Look at the color of my strings Cora.” it was a reminder to her but him as well. Cora’s color would be the strongest and all the others would be faded. Cora was important to him.

”I spent several life times with them, being tricked into having the ‘perfect’ family. It’s hard to just forget about that **** and every time I start getting better someone decides they need to remind me of what I lost, what I can’t have. You know I’m haunted by it, them. I see them in my sleep. You know this. You know why I can’t just get over it. She set it up so I can’t!” he said letting go of her hand and reaching for the now full glass.

”You are important to me. Both of you. She knows that. You should to. You have more proof than anyone.” he said gesturing to the threads that were flicking into existence. ”I... I can’t them... they meant... mean... too much to me. Even if they aren’t real. Those feelings... they are.” his heartache and he was reminded of them when he looked at the glass. At the threads that were faded, almost like they were rotting.

Cora thought she should feel bad for attacking him. It was hard when she was having a battle in her own head as well. How do you tell someone it isn't their fault you don't feel good enough? She felt like she lost him once, got him back, and when he took off like this, she wondered if she would lose him again. 

To be honest they both probably needed more therapy than the drinks they had set up on front of them. There were plenty of healthier relationships out there and there was sort of held together with some duck tape and incredible luck. Cora wanted to drown out how she felt, drown out the fears and irrational thinking so she could just be a normal person.

Then he talked about them and Cora stared at the cup again, feeling a spike of pain he probably didn't mean to send. "It doesn't just hurt you anymore... We know you can't forget them. But, damn it Sam I know I'm never going to be the person to help you recreate that perfect life. So I just keep sitting here wondering if I'm wasting your time with something that's hardly good enough. I'm never going to be the mom figure Evelyn probably needs. Hell I'll probably screw up her life more being around her. I'm the person you go to when you need to break into a building not do math homework...hell she doesn't need help with that but you understand. When you're on mission and I'm just... I'm just sitting here feeling pretty damn useless."

[/I][/color][/div]

There was silence after he talked and a tear welled up in his eye as he looked to the drinks in front of him. If he focused he could hear a cry for help that wasn’t there. A little girl and he sighed loudly as if a mental flood gate opened up.

His bartender made sure to stay clear of them for now. It was clear they were going through something. They weren’t good at this, expressing things. It was clear they moved and spoke. Sam not sure if he should look at Cora or keep his gaze forward, it didn’t help he wasn’t sure what she wanted or needed either. It wasn’t fair that he put the pressure of adopting Eve into the relationship either.

”It wasn’t all perfect...” he finally said his voice a little hoarse the more he mulled it over as if at any moment it would break. ”Half the time I remember them I remember what happened when I didn’t follow the commands. She...” he gestured with the hand that had the toxic thread. The one he had seen a few times and stood out in his mind whenever he thought of them.

”She came up with ways to make me more compliant, hurting them in my perfect little world. That’s the part that still haunts me.” he said tapping his head, ”I can’t get them out and I’m not sure I want to. They meant a lot to me.” she knew all this.

”You aren’t wasting your time.” he said reaching out to her hand still not ready to look at her. He needed to get the feelings out, the words. ”You aren’t useless either, I’m... just not ready for anything to happen to you.” she meant too much to him. A reminder of his past and the man he wanted to be.

”I’m not strong enough to deal with that...” he said hefting the bottle summing up his situation. ”Eve doesn’t need a mom, she doesn’t need a dad. She just needs someone that cares about her, someone to help her when she’s lonely and sad.” he took a swig of his whiskey feeling and welcoming the effects.

”I... uhhh.... I need you.” Sam stammered out. ”You aren’t useless. You’re important.” at this point he turned to her and leaned his head forward. ”and I need you.”

Sam then scoffed feeling the buzz and welcoming the distraction, ”She’ll never need help with homework.”

Cora let the faint numbness shield her brain from some of the emotions. Others continued to swim around like a twisted cocktail she had tried to get away from. They both had baggage they didn't like to talk about. Cora was always trying to find ways to feel useful when her powers often seemed more cosmetic than anything. She could help Sam at night, cut some threads and make the threats go away. But he didn't always need to forget. That was just the easy way.

She looked at his hand, looked at the threads going this way and that. She looked at the thread linking to Evelyn, a sort of color that hadn't quite settled on a shade. She cared, she was uncertain, she didn't know how to meet what was being thrown at her. 

Magic, fake lives, age changes, attacks, disappearances, her life had been chaos over the past year. ["I'm trying. I'm not...not always good at dealing with things. I get jealous and I get unhappy and... I know it's not easy I just... I don't want to be forgotten again. Not by you."[/]

She let herself smile a little at the image of Evelyn ever being given homework. She could run circles with any paperwork placed in front of her. Cora suddenly fumbled around, refund to remember where her phone was. She felt like there was something she needed to check on.

"Dang it, someone should check on her. I think she was trying to find another chemistry lab she could work in since she got kicked out of the school one... You don't think they would sell her anything too flammable without an adult do you ?"

His eye glimpsed over the threads at they appeared and he focused on the one, the most important one. The real one. His and Cora’s. ”I know it’s a lot. Being with me.” he said mumbling into the drink as he reached out for her hand the one with their thread attached. ”My life is unpredictable at best.” he said before adding, ”You’re doing just fine though.” he said trying to comfort her.

”You and the rest the mansion won’t let me. They all like you too much and what I’m like when you are around.” he said truthfully. He didn’t need to try and be anything else, most of the time he didn’t even have to fake being happy. He was.

”You’d have to destroy all my entries for me to fully forget you. Even if you did, no way in hell Eve would let me.” he said chuckling, ”Think she likes you more than me.” he didn’t know if that last bit was true or not but she should. Cora had a lot more redeeming qualities than the icemancer had.

”I think she’ll be fine.” Sam said waving his hand, ”She’s smart enough to know what not to do. Even if she does it she has everyone's number.” he said suddenly wanting to check his phone as well just in case. ”I’ll talk to her tomorrow about that. Could have sworn we discussed no fire. Maybe I’ll revoke flight privileges.” it felt weird threatening to ground a friend. Even if she was a kid now.

Cora felt relieved by his admissions. Knowing she was at least beneficial set some of her anxiety at ease, even if her mind couldn't really let everything go in its current state. She was trying to get the threads to stop appearing randomly, but that may be just a problem the bar patrons would have to tolerate for a bit. At least until she sobered up. She felt tired more than angry now, but did chuckle at the idea of Sam revoking any of Evelyn's privileges."I'm not sure anyone really revokes Evelyn's privileges unless she wants them to. Maybe we need to give her more constructive outlets for things..."[/]

She paused, focusing on Evelyn's thread and muttering to herself. No, it definitely did not lead to the mansion tonight. What on earth was she getting into anyway?

"I wonder what she would be doing at a museum at this hour anyway. Or is there something near the museum
...zoo? No she wouldn't play in the zoo...." right?

”That sounded very parental of you.” Sam smirked, wondering what kind of constructive outlets a kid like Eve needed. She was smarter than most adults, which meant she was smarter than Sam. He only had the flying and training sessions to coax her into not setting things on fire. Maybe she’d be interested in climbing?

”Oh?” Sam asked sipping his glass knowing he’d regret all the drinking in the morning. ”Pretty sure she’s breaking curfew.” Sam didn’t care what she did when she was at the mansion after hours as long as she wasn’t putting herself or anyone else in danger. If she was out of the mansion this late at night... well Sam was responsible for her and had to clean up any mess she left behind.

”Welp, lets go pick up my kid.” he said making sure not to say ‘our’ kid. He knew the idea was still too much for Cora and given that they were drinking he didn’t want to make the situation any worse. He was too tired to deal with anything else. Antartica took a lot out of him.

Standing up signaling he and Cora were done there the bartended went for the bottle that Sam quickly snagged from the bar top and then nodded his head. ”I’ll pay for this tomorrow.” he said knowing he’d be getting an earful from not only his staff but everyone who saw him drinking. A few of the regulars also happened to be in his A.A. meetings.

”How mad should I be with her?” Sam asked looking to Cora wanting her to lead the way.

Cora got to her feet glad she could at least walk still and wasn't too tipsy to go chase after the kid. Because chase was all too literal of a possibility with Evelyn. Cora focused on the thread, trying to ignore the way it flickered a little, sort of mimicking her inability to completely focus on one thing. Her kid, his kid, whose kid? She hardly knew anymore.

"How mad should you be? Depends on how well she is handling whatever problem she created... Definitely seems like the zoo, but what would she be doing at the zoo? She has all those guinea pigs, unless she wanted...she wouldn't try to get a larger pet, would she? Ugh, she was hanging around with that Elke person for awhile, I wonder if she got into the whole animals don't belong in zoos wagon. Even Evelyn knows they are dangerous though!" she was talking out loud as they crossed a road and tried not to stumble across the gutter. Depth perception, not 100% clearly.

”It’s after hours though right?” Sam asked looking up as they left his bar to see the sky. It was darker, city lights were polluting the sky enough to give it an almost black appearance. Star gazing would have been impossible here. Which was fine, they were on a mission anyways. ”What she doing at a zoo this late?” Sam continued wondering allowed not wanting to know the answer.

Elke was a name he was all too familiar with, she was one of the kids Sam kidnapped a few years ago when he was under the control of Amanada who wanted to ‘restock’ her ranks. Knowing it was a traumatizing experience for the kids he did ‘collect’ he did his best to stay away from Elke. Just in case Sam did anything to trigger her and her memory. ”I’ll call her.” he finally decided pulling out his phone. Taking a swig of the bottle and handing it off to Cora he stared at his phone for a moment.

A car honked and Sam realized he was standing in the road looking at his phone. Turning to the bright lights of the vehicle that stopped abruptly he gave a slight wave with his free hand. ”Sorry!” “Get out of the road!” Almost skipping to the edge of the road he cleared the gutter and dialed. Keeping his eye on Cora in case she decided to let gravity take hold and face plant.

”V...” he said doing his best to sound stern into the phone. ”Cora and me are out on the town. She might have mentioned you are at the zoo or was it the museum? Staying out of trouble?” he asked waiting for a response.

”I got her on the phone.” he said to Cora. ”How much trouble do you think she is in?” he asked into the phone but was talking to both Cora and Eve.

It was after hours. Cora wanted to know exactly how late it was, but that would mean also admitting how much she drank. If she thought about all the liquor she could end up throwing most of it up. She could hold her drink pretty well but all the moving and stress made her a little on the nauseous side.

When she noticed Sam was calling Evelyn she flinched. She knew how upset the kid was, and breaking into the zoo could easily be a cry for help.

"No trouble, just the Zoo... Did you know there is someone who gives animals mutant powers? There is a cat, and he was teleporting and... Wait, did Cora call you? No, you're with Cora? When did you get back?" Evelyn sounded a little accusatory, and Cora didn't blame her. They were both upset by everything, but their dysfunction little group needed time to iron out all these issues.

They got closer to the zoo and Cora thought she saw something prancing past in the dark. A cat? Was that the teleporting cat? Was Evelyn doing detective work at this hour? Well, detective work seemed better than practicing pyrotechnics but also, it was late.