Chapter Text
Anya was watching the TV and caressing Bond’s fluffy back on the couch. Loid was taking his shower and was watching the cooking show she would usually watch with her mother. But this week Yor had left her family for a « business trip » as a civil servant, Anya obviously knew it was a lie but she was used to it. All those lies, coming from her parents, coming from her classmates, coming from herself.
The only honest being in her life was Bond, and she was convinced it was because he couldn’t talk. Heaven knew what lies the dog would have told her or her parents, she knew he would have lied to Yor in order to avoid her small but poisonous treats.
Fortunately, Bond was too pure for lies and even if Anya had found a small comfort in this life full of lies, she remembered how the uncomfortable was the cold and hard truth. After all, lies got her out of the orphanage, lies gave her an elite education and friends, lies gave a roof, warm food, warm water and a warm bed.
The day she read Bond’s mind and found out about the truth, the only truth she had spent years to fight against, to run away from. The so called uncomfortable truth she had rejected her entire life.
They weren’t a real family. It was all fake. It was a mission. Things would eventually go back to normal.
She saw her father, wiping his tears and looking the home one last time before closing the door forever. He was leaving.
She had know idea about when this would happen but she knew her father and unfortunately she found out about his plans. Operation Strix had been a success, as Donovan Desmond went behind the bars for his conspiracies.
It took Anya to become an Imperial Scholar, to become friends with the scion and eventually to date the same scion. The latter ended up breaking up with her after learning the truth. Him telling her to refer him as Damian and nothing else.
Being honest had just caused a regular mess in her life.
Her world had already been deceived by heartless acts and words anyway.
Anya couldn’t grief her past relationship as she knew about Loid’s plans. She was 18 now and she realized how human her father was, how small and how emotional he actually was after all these years. He wasn’t the cold as ice Loid Forger she knew once, all she could see was her middle aged father who was trying hard to keep his spy career despite dealing with back problems and wrinkles.
Loid had planned to leave during Yor’s absence to make things easier. That was the reason he was so clingy to his wife for a week, night and day. Claiming he wanted to spend a lot of time with his wife and child because he loved them.
Liar.
He just wanted to leave them with good memories. Before planning his fake death. A cool liar until the very end.
Anya knew it, she took the time to read his mind and to take notes of every single thought, dream, idea that went through his mind.
How could he ? Abandoning his family. Just like that. Like a coward ?
Anya had to protect herself and her family, she had to protect her world, she had to protect her mother from a heartbreak. She had to protect her family. Maybe it was filled with lies but it was comfortable. Much more comfortable than the truth.
That Loid probably never loved them. At least, they didn’t mean much to his eyes for him to stay with them.
Anya sighed and walked towards the apartment, checking if everything was in place for her Agent Starlight ultimate mission. Okay, she didn’t pass the W.I.S.E entrance exam despite her hard work and had to reconsider her career choices now. But her current priority was to convince her father to stay in her life.
She finally entered her bedroom and went to bed, knowing Loid would leave in the morning since Yor would arrive some time in the afternoon. She did read it in his mind so it was a reliable information.
Then why did she felt his lips on her forehead in the middle of the night ?
She opened her eyes and she could smell his citrus scent in her bedroom. Bond was not sleeping next to her as well. She could hear steps outside and she looked at her watch, showing two in the morning.
He lied. He chose to leave in the middle of the night, probably because it was the moment when most people were sleeping deep and couldn’t hear anything.
Coward. Traitor. Liar.
She stood up and slowly opened the door, spying on the man as he was crying silently while looking at the family pictures they had cumulated over the years. She felt anger and disappointment, her fist was clenching as she was realizing the scene she had seen in Bond’s mind was coming earlier than planned.
— Papa ?
Loid heard his daughter’s calm voice in his back, while his shaking hand was about to touch the door’s handle. He took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face her.
— Anya, you are awake ?
He whispered back.
He was taking advantage of the lack of light in the living room to hide his face and his red, swollen eyes.
Oh, no. Why is she here, she was supposed to sleep.
She read and sighed.
— Where are you going with this small bag ?
— I have an emergency case with a patient. You should go back to sleep…Your mother is coming back tomorrow you have to welcome her.
Another blatant lie. It was insulting, he thought she was stupid. Her blood was starting to boil, slowly but surely.
— You need to welcome Mama too.
She spat, trying to hide the fury in her voice. He couldn’t see her clearly because of the darkness but he knew she was not having it. It was clear as the day.
— Anya, please…
— Where are you going ?
— To the hospital.
She asked again. And he lied again and put his hands on her shoulders, as he would always do when he wanted to control a complicated situation.
— WHERE ARE YOU GOING ?
She exploded and tears instantly fell down, her voice broke as well. But Loid kept his composure and shook her body a little to keep the control.
— Anya, you need to calm down and to-
He didn’t finish his sentence. He was in shock and couldn’t believe what had just happened. He wasn’t sure of what had actually happened because she was his daughter and something like this would never happened.
Well, he hadn’t felt her coming behind him at first, it was just like with Yor.
He got a reality check when he felt the burning pain in his waist. He looked at her apple green eyes, shining in the dark despite her wet face being stoic. He felt another pain and the next thing he saw next to those green eyes was a huge kitchen knife, the one he loved to use to cut vegetables. The knife was drenched in deep red blood and some of it had stained his daughter’s forearm.
She did stab him, without breaking the eye contact.
— Shhh. It’s okay Papa. I know what I am doing.
Twilight fell on her, holding tight onto her as he was losing balance due to the blood loss. Confused and deceived, he couldn’t tell if it was real or not. He felt her hand on his back, patting in rhythm with his slow heartbeat.
— Why ?
— You are not going anywhere. It’s okay, I will take care of it.
Anya slowed made him lie on the floor. Her hand caressing his face, became the last physical touch he had experienced. Her shaking voice humming this so personal lullaby he loved and hated so much at the same time, remained stuck into his mind.
She, bent over him, with some of his blood on her, remained the last image he saw before closing his eyes, falling into the depths of unconsciousness.