Chapter Text
Annleigh didn't believe in necromancy. Or, more importantly, Annleigh didn't believe in raising the dead. That was something only her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ could do, but she also really wanted to fix things with Farrah and fuck Clark someday, after they were married of course. Somehow, despite her strongest faith, she found her personal desires to be stronger, and that's how she ended up standing with the Tigers, minus Riley who has sent to prison and plus Mattie who had been released, at the gates of the cemetery at dusk.
"Okay, team, whatever happens, it's everyone for themselves if shit hits the fan," said Cairo, clearly feeling that team spirit and 100% not like she was just there to see the proverbial droppings come into contact with the wind-maker.
With that wonderful pep talk, Reese hoisted Kate up and over the gate. Next up was Eva. Annleigh wasn't sure how she felt about being caught by the two of them. What if they were too busy making eyes at each other to catch her? This is why you don't date your teammates. You have to stay focused. It didn't matter though. As soon as Eva was in position next to Kate, Mattie was up and over the fence. Safe and sound. Annleigh had nothing to worry about. Nothing whatsoever. She wasn't going to worry that her step-sister--no, her sister-- wouldn't be who she remembered. She wasn't going to worry about the possible zombie that could come out of Clark's grave to eat her brains instead of love her forever. She was willing to try most things with him post-marriage, but brain eating was not on the table. Cairo went next. Reese was really good at this, but Annleigh realized that once everyone was on the other side, there would be no way for Reese to get in. This was her chance, she could stay and keep her teammate company.
"Ready, Annleigh?" Reese asked, putting her hand out as a lift. No. No I'm not ready. She nodded and hopped on. It would all be fine. Everything would turn out well. It would. They could do this. She just needed to breathe. In and out.
By the time she finished her exhalation, she was securely in Kate's arms on the inside of the cemetery.
"Reese, how are you getting in?" Cairo asked, trying to put the pieces together.
Mattie tapped Cairo on the shoulder and smiled. "Okay, girl, do your thing." Cairo's jaw dropped as Reese just scaled the wall and next to the gate and climbed down the other side.
"Yo, what the fuck?" Eva said without a hint of sarcasm.
"Ever since Mattie mentioned something about this girl who could scale walls, I wanted to learn. So I did," Reese shrugged like it was no big deal, but her eyes beamed with pride. "Let's go, Tigers" Annleigh saw Eva squeeze Kate's hand. She wished she had someone there by her side to squeeze her hand. That was Clark's job. She wasn't going to cry. That wouldn't be very useful. Besides, if all went to plan, she would have him beside her again very soon. She just had to have faith, and it would all be fine.
"Okay, so where to first?" Mattie asked, taking the lead when no one else did.
"Clark and Farrah are in the plot over by the chapel." Annleigh pointed to the small, foreboding building silhouetted by a streetlight.
Kate pointed the other direction. "Chess is over there"
Mattie did a quick calculation and consulted with Reese. When the two of them came to an agreement, Mattie said, "We'll start with Chess. She's the farthest off the road but closest to the gate. If we need out, that's going to be the fastest route. Plus she'll be the only one there if something goes horribly wrong. Not that anything will go wrong!" There was a pep in Mattie's voice that grated on Annleigh. It reminded her of Riley that night and how they had all ended up in this mess in the first place. And yet, if it hadn't been for Riley stabbing Kate, they would have never found the New Skin or hatched this insane plan. I guess everything happens for a reason?
Chess's grave was simple. A small, elegant granite tombstone sat at the head of a mound of dirt that still hadn't settled properly. The process was simple, drill a hole through the earth into the grave and pour a bit of the viscous New Skin into the grave. Once the liquid was inside, stand back and pray. Annleigh was still thinking about how much she wasn't sure about all of this when Mattie handed her the post-hole digger that Reese may or may not have pieced from the keeper's shed. She wasn't really sure how to use it, but once Reese turned it on, it made short work of getting a hole into the grave. She shut the machine off and removed it from the freshly dug hole. Kate walked over to the hole with the liquid and poured it into the hole.
Annleigh held her breath, “Hail Mary”s and “Our Father”s running through her head at lightning speed. She wasn't sure she could preempt her penance, but she was definitely feeling like she would need a lot more than a set number of prayers to keep herself from going to hell for flouting God's master plan.
A foul smell filled the air as a cloud of something arose from the hole. Instinctively, everyone took a step back. There was a flash of light and suddenly there was a human form collapsed on the ground. Kate made a move forward, but Eva held her back. Annleigh was terrified. The form stretched and shakily stood. In the dim light of the moon, Annleigh could see two things. It was indeed Chess as she was the night she died. Chess was naked.
Kate broke free of Eva and ran to her best friend. "Chess," she sobbed holding onto the girl.
"Hi, Kate. Long time no see?" Chess said, her voice soft as she brushed the tears from Kate's eyes.
Annleigh turned away. It wasn't Chess's nakedness that bothered her. She had seen a naked woman before. She just didn't think that this reunion was for her eyes. Reese sidled up to her.
"So, Annleigh, are you ready to finally see Clark naked?" Cairo asked. Annleigh's brain 404-ed. No she wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready at all for that, but if she was going to sin tonight, she might as well go big or go home.
“I’m sure we’ll find something for him to wear. He can use your sweater as a loincloth,” Reese said trying to be reassuring. It wasn’t working. But it didn’t matter.
Between them, Kate and Eva had found a way for Chess to be clothed enough that she could be considered decent-ish. A hoodie wrapped around the waist really doesn’t cover enough, but oh well.
It was time to move on. Annleigh could do this. She had to. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she passed up a chance to make things right with Farrah. Clark too, but they didn’t have anything that needed fixing. She just wanted to see him again, to have him fill that Clark-shaped hole in her life again.
Clark and Farrah’s graves were, for all intents and purposes, next to each other. That’s what happens when your families have been close for generations.
Annleigh just stood there in front of the graves. She could feel the tears in her eyes and the pit in her stomach. She was used to it. She felt it every time she came to visit. She thought it would get easier with time. She thought wrong. Some days, it was fine. Today was not one of those days. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Cairo. As much as they didn’t get along, Annleigh appreciated the gesture. It was nice to have someone in her corner. Mattie and Reese made even quicker work of digging the holes than Annleigh had. It was almost like they had practiced. She wasn’t going to dwell on that though.
Kate handed her the vial. “Whenever you’re ready.” The glass was still warm from Kate’s hand. She unscrewed the cap and removed the brush. Kneeling between the two graves, she whispered, “I’m sorry,” to one in particular and poured the liquid into the graves before making a sign of the cross and stepping back.
Clark appeared first in much the same state as Chess had. Annleigh caught a glimpse of Kate shielding her eyes and of Eva, Chess, the rest of the squad, turning away very quickly.
“Clark,” she breathed hesitantly. “Is it really you?”
The boy stood up. “Annleigh, you might want to turn around. I seem to be naked.” Something inside her burst and she rushed him like a football player. “Woah, easy there, Tiger. What happened? One minute I was doing… something? It’s kinda foggy. Next minute I’m here.”
Annleigh opened her mouth to explain the situation but another flash of light went off, and Farrah stumbled onto the scene. Annleigh tore off her sweater and rushed to Farrah’s side. She needed to make sure her sister knew that she didn’t hate her. That whatever was broken between them could be mended with time and effort. It wouldn’t fix everything but it would be a start.
“Annleigh, I’m sorry,” Farrah said.
Those three words were all it took. Every emotion that Annleigh has repressed since that sleepover came crashing through the walls she had thrown up around her heart. If this was a sin, God wouldn’t have given us the miracle of New Skin.
**********
Cairo sighed and walked away from the group toward a broken section of the wall. The miracle bottle could fix everyone’s problems except hers. She knew she should be glad for them, but it didn’t change the fact that Riley, her Riley, had murdered them and was now in prison. It didn’t change the fact that she was now without friends.
Caught up in her thoughts, Cairo failed to notice Mattie and Reese following her.
“Cairo?” Reese said getting the girl’s attention.
“Why the fuck did you bring me along? So I could see how much I fucked up? So I could atone for Riley’s mistakes? Is that what this is? A way to remind me that I get to feel loss while no one else does? Well, I’m over it. I’m leaving.”
Reese and Mattie shared a look that Cairo didn’t get. Since teaming up, those two flew on their own wavelength. “We invited you because you’re our friend,” Reese said simply.
“We’ve had our differences, but you’re just as much a member of this family as anyone else, and we protect our own,” Mattie added smiling.
The pain didn’t disappear, but something happened. The aching in her chest seemed to dull, if only a little. Mattie held out her hand. Cairo took it and the three of them returned to the gate where the rest of the squad was waiting for Reese to lift them over. One by one, they all left the same way they came, with the exception of the three scantily clad additions.
Cairo went over the gate last and her squad was there to catch her.
No one knew how they were going to explain the sudden revival of Farrah, Clark, and Chess to their parents, much less the world, but that was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, they would just savor the moment.