Falcon↪E. Prentiss

Ch 3. | expectations and the unexpected

THE FIRST THING ADELIA SAW WHEN SHE WOKE UP WAS SUNLIGHT. And this was very unusual, considering she kept her blackout curtains closed tight. The minute Adelia tried to get up, she got a splitting headache, and when she tried to put weight on her leg, stabbing pain shot through her leg. But she didn't cry out in pain. She didn't shed a tear. She gritted her teeth and stood up. Adelia prided herself because of her high pain tolerance. Sure, it hurt, but it wouldn't stop her.

She looked to the side of her bed and saw her crutches. She looked back between her crutches and her leg in the cast. Stupid leg, Adelia thought. But she pushed on, without the crutches and into the living room. What she saw shocked her even more than the sun in her face.

Her apartment was clean. No pizza or sushi boxes on the floor. No alcohol bottles hiding in the nooks and crannies of the bookshelves. And Emily Prentiss was in her kitchen, cooking something that smelled strangely like bacon and pancakes.

"Emily?" At the sound of her name, Emily looked up and smiled at Adelia. But then she looked down at her leg.

"Adelia! What are you doing? You need your crutches!" 

"Thanks, mom, but I've got this. And what are you still doing here? I thought you would have left by now." Adelia limped over to the couch and sat down, glaring at Emily. Adelia didn't want her apartment cleaned, she didn't want her curtains to be opened, and she certainly didn't want Emily Prentiss in her kitchen cooking breakfast. But then again, Adelia would have had to walk home without Emily and no matter how much she hated it, she was grateful that Emily could even look at her considering what she had said in the past. And she hated anything that reminded her of her past. Emily certainly did. But the funny thing is, she doesn't hate Emily. She doesn't even dislike her, she might even-

"Adelia, do you want chocolate chip pancakes, or blueberry?" Emily turned from the pancakes as she asked.

Startled, Adelia turned around to look at Emily and wrinkled her nose. "Ew. Healthy stuff. I'll take a pancake with extra chocolate."

Adelia thought for a moment then added, "and while you're at it, add some tequila."

Emily gave Adelia a look, one that said, really you think I'm gonna do that, while narrowing her eyes, "Adelia, after yesterday,  I'm not letting you get within a hundred feet of even a wine cooler, let alone serve you some. Plus, I got rid of all your alchohol last night while you were sleeping."

Adelia thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. She moved as fast as she could with her cast and grabbed Emily by the collar of her shirt. "What did you do to my alchohol, Prentiss."

"I threw all of it away, shattered the bottles too." Emily admitted with a sly look on her face, despite her predicament.

"You did what?!" Adelia screamed as she threw Emily's back against the wall. "You have no idea what you've done."

Seeing the wince Emily gave her, Adelia let her go and ran shaking hands through her hair. "Do you know what happened the last time I went through withdrawal, Emily? Do you?!"

The raven haired woman shook her head.

"I saw things. Things I've kept buried for a long time. Things I would much rather die then relive. And I relived it all. I hallucinated, I saw Yiesha." Tears traced down Adelia's face and she didn't care, didn't care, didn't care.

"I couldn't save her, Emily. I got her killed. And you want to make me relive that again?" Adelia held the most heartbroken face she had ever saw and it took her breath away.

"I'm so sorry. I didnt know that, but Adelia, you can't keep destroying yourself! Yiesha wouldn't want that. And I'm not going to sit around and watch you continue to hurt yourself."

Adelia took a deep breath and harshly wiped away her tears.

"Get out." She whispered, barely audible.

"Hmm?"

"Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out."

Emily rushed to get her things as Adelia threw things at her. Adelia had picked up a glass bowl and Emily was able to get one last glance at Adelia before she closed the door. The glass shattered against the door and Adelia started to sob.

She looked broken, Emily thought. And worst of all, she looks empty.

---

Hi guys! First off I want to say I am so sorry for not posting! Life got busy and a lot of things happened recently that have changed my life. I just wanted to say thank you so much for everyone's patience and kindness. I will try to post more regularly but no guarantees.

Thank you all so much!

~TearsThatRain037