The Ghost of Christmas Past and Future

[lick_of_flame]

When they had told him, he'd been staring out the window of the baby's room. Imagining being home, imagining the snow that would be falling if he were back home. Fucked if he knew why he was still here. Cali-fucking-fornia. Only reason he stayed was in this very room. Or had been in this room

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[viv_ward]

Vivian had known for a while who her husband was, she'd acquired the information partly through Hallenbeck and partly through Snake. The latter costing her her engagement ring. But what did that matter? It didn't mean anything to her, there was no sentimental value in a ring that a man she didn't even remember had given her. None at all, at least that's what she'd told herself. And if she didn't stay, he'd promised her he'd give her half of its worth back. She hadn't believed that, she'd thrown away her chance of actually starting over with money, for this information, for this address. For a vain hope that maybe, just maybe she'd married this man because she loved him

[lick_of_flame]

Books are generally bullshit. People didn't think like that, no one felt like what some fucking writer had put on a piece of paper to describe a so-called emotion. But damned if he wasn't doing it right now, drinking in the sight of her, feeling his heart beat harder, hearing the thumping in his ears, rhythmic, and loud.

It was her, or one hell of a goddamned good imitation. No, he knew better. It was her, Vivian. He knew it, he felt it. He believed, he wanted so hard to believe. But, why? Why now, why here? Just disappear off the earth, and suddenly appear on Christmas fucking eve, right on his - their - doorstep

[viv_ward]

It was almost ironic that the voice coming from the intercom shocked her, if she'd remembered anything at all, then she'd remember how it was practically tradition for him to catch her unawares, sneak up on her when she was least expecting it. Despite his best attempts to ease her in gently, she jumped as the distorted voice came through resonant and crackly, that all too familiar laugh of hers ringing out to cover her surprise. Nervous, jumpy, self deprecatory, the laugh she gave to make people think she was in control and it did nothing to disguise her unease, regardless of its intent. It over compensated, it always had, and it was as transparent as her sass or hard nosed act.

Vivian was clean, well as clean as you can get given her status in life. Yeah, she took the odd line of coke when it was offered, but she didn't squander her own hard earned precious cash on it. If it was offered, then she took it, but she didn't seek it out anymore, and she couldn't actually recall ever having taken heroin. But she knew she had, there

[lick_of_flame]

"He might know you" Came the answer, a few long seconds later