The Conductor {Black Lightning}{Wattys2018}

Ch. 39: On My Time

A/N: Trigger warning: brief discussion of a panic attack

Also, even though this is a gen fic, there will be some romantic banter in this chapter. Not too much, though.

***

"I'm leaving for...for the night," said Anissa, putting her coat on. "I'll probably see you in the morning."

Anissa stumbled over her words like she was avoiding a forbidden word. Like if she mentioned family dinner, Eugene would go off the rails again.

"Okay." Eugene looked up from her cup of tea and gave Anissa a tight-lipped smile. The effort was sweet, but slightly pointless because she knew exactly where Anissa was going. "See you tomorrow. Drive safely."

With Anissa gone, the apartment fell into a stomach-churning silence. Eugene and Gambi were the only ones there.

"You do know that not going to family dinner won't help you avoid Jefferson forever?" Gambi's eyes stayed glued to the dishes he was washing.

Eugene huffed through her nose and puffed out her cheeks. "You do know he and I work at the same school? I'm not stupid."

"That doesn't mean you'll talk," said Gambi. "And you need to talk to him."

"Which I will do--" She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "--on my own time and not because some hypocritical nag asked me to."

Gambi looked up from the dishes, his lips pressed into an ugly frown."You know, one of the reasons I didn't think it was you was that you're so polite, but now I see the resemblance. And if we're going by your time, you and Jeff won't talk until 2026."

Eugene lurched forward slightly and snickered into her hand. "Well," she said, smiling sweetly. "if we're going by your time, he and I won't talk until 2030, so I think I'll go by mine."

"Oh, no, this isn't about me--"

"This isn't about you?" she spat, ignoring the lump in her throat, ignoring the tears burning at the back of her eyes. "Because let me tell you about you! You're just as bad as I am.

'You've murdered. You've lied. And you certainly haven't talked to Mr. Pierce about what you've done. So until you get your shit together, you've got no right to talk to me about me!"

Almost making her chair tip over, Eugene stood up, dumped her dirty cup into the pile of dishes, and walked off to get ready for bed.

***

"Lynn, let me help you cook." Kaiya straightened her back, rolling back her shoulders and blowing out her cheeks. "Just because I have scleroderma and a metal hip doesn't mean I'm useless."

"I never said you were useless." Lynn rolled her eyes. "But you're a guest and guests don't cook."

"That's bull, Lynn."

"It's final is what it is," said Lynn.

"You won't win with her," Jeff told Kaiya, setting a knife and fork on the table in front of her. A smile played across his face as he peered at Lynn with fond eyes. "She's a bull and she's not backing down."

"My zodiac sign is Taurus the bull," Lynn explained when Kaiya furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, arguments are terrible," said Jeff. "It's like talking to a brick wall."

Lynn glared at him. Jeff's smile spread into a wide grin.

"A very beautiful brick wall," he added.

Kaiya snickered. "Smooth."

Jeff shook his finger at her. "You don't get to talk. You're single."

"Yeah, I've got Yoojin and that's all I need. Doesn't mean I don't get to poke at you two, though."

Jeff's smile vanished. Kaiya wouldn't be thinking so optimistically if she discovered the truth about Eugene. Or if she knew what he had done to Eugene. If the truth came out, she might be angry with Eugene, but she would kill Jeff.

No, she wouldn't actually kill him. Killing people in the name of family was what got him in this mess in the first place.

But he would be metaphorically dead. Very, metaphorically dead.

Damn.

Kaiya nudged him with her cane. "Hey. Lighten up."

Before he could reply, the front door clicked as someone turned the lock. Seconds later, Anissa came into the kitchen.

"Hi, honey." Lynn briefly looked up from the pot she was stirring and kissed Anissa on the cheek.

"You need help making dinner?" Anissa asked, hanging her jacket around one of the chairs.

"No, I got it."

"Is Yoojin coming?" Kaiya asked.

Jeff turned away from Kaiya as his shoulders heaved. Eugene better not be coming. He wouldn't be able to control himself.

"No, she was too tired," said Anissa.

I thought so.

"I'm kinda worried about her, though."

"Well, that's normal," said Lynn. "Poor thing just had a heart attack. Of course she's going to be a little off."

"Earlier she was crying and couldn't move," said Anissa. "I'm...not sure that's just from a heart attack, Mom."

Kaiya leaned forward in her seat, frowning. "She couldn't move?"

"Yeah, she got up to go to the bathroom and then she fell down and couldn't get up. So then I tried to help her up and she blew up at me and hit me. And then she started crying - probably because she hit me. And..." Anissa shook her head. "...it was a mess."

"She hit you?" Jeff asked.

"It was partly my fault, though. She kept saying not to touch her and I did it anyway. I don't think she meant to do it, either. It seemed more like a reflex."

"Yes, well, you don't touch people who are in a panic attack like that," said Lynn. "Unless, of course, they ask you."

"Yeah, well, next time I won't." Anissa heaved a sigh. "It was just so weird. I've never seen her like that. I don't know if it was something I said or..."

"What did you say?" Kaiya asked.

"I told her she could come to family dinner if she wanted and that's when she started acting weird. I just don't get what's so triggering about family dinner."

"The doctor did limit visits and phone calls so she wouldn't be stressed," Kaiya mused. "Maybe it's simply being around people that stresses her out after what happened."

"How exactly did you tell her about family dinner?" Jeff asked. He had a working theory. "Like, uh...what was the exact phrasing?"

Anissa paused, staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds. "I told her that you and Mom were having family dinner and then I asked if she wanted to come. Oh! And I mentioned Aunt Kaiya would be here."

Of course. Of course that was it. Anissa had mentioned him and Eugene snapped. Even after everything that happened, Jeff couldn't blame her. He would've snapped too.

At least she was as unprepared to face him as he was to face her.