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Chapter Text

Beatrice didn’t believe in ghosts.

Growing up, kids around school liked to try and tell ghost stories to scare the younger children. After hearing a particularly gruesome story about the one-armed teacher who supposedly stole the souls of children who misbehaved in class, Beatrice had just laughed, and told them to grow up and stop being so silly. This had resulted in the older kids getting all grumpy, but Beatrice really didn’t care about that.

When her friends had tried to convince her to go into an abandoned house as a dare, because there were supposedly ghosts inside, Beatrice had declined. Not because she was scared of ghosts, but because she knew the house was so structurally unstable that going inside would be a terrible idea.

Beatrice didn’t specifically know what she believed happened after death, as her parents’ view of heaven and hell seemed, well, she just wasn’t sure about it. Growing up in a strict Catholic household had been difficult, especially when it had forced her to repress so much of herself. She still had faith in a higher power, and she still held to most of the beliefs offered in the Bible, but apart from that, she was yet to completely decide.

So, no, Beatrice didn’t have any solid idea about what happened after you died, but she was certain that ghosts were not real. There was absolutely no scientific explanation behind it, and Christianity definitely didn’t believe in ghosts, so Beatrice felt extremely confident in saying that ghosts were not real.

Which meant that when a house, possibly haunted, went on the market, and Beatrice’s best friend Lilith wanted her to move in, along with their other friend Camila, Beatrice accepted.

She’d been looking for an escape from her parents for a while, and as she was getting closer to being finished with university, this seemed like the perfect time. With Lilith’s sizeable inheritance, and Beatrice’s as well, they both could have probably bought their own houses, but they both agreed that living together would be preferable. Camila had come along because if they were going to be living in a house with four bedrooms, they figured having another friend with them might be nice.

For some reason, no one else wanted the house, so the three girls were able to move in almost immediately. It took about a week to get all the furniture inside, and there were still plenty of boxes left scattered around, but it was starting to feel real, and for that Beatrice was glad.

They were moving the last lot of boxes inside from the moving trailer when their friend Mary, who was helping them move in out of ‘the kindness of her heart’, mentioned the ghost.

“So, you know that like everyone in the world thinks this place is haunted, right?”

Lilith scoffed and placed her box onto the kitchen counter.

“Don’t tell me you believe that ridiculous story?”

Mary rose an eyebrow as she placed her own box onto the floor.

“If you’re talking about the story of what happened here, it’s not ridiculous, you can look it up.”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Ghosts don’t exist.” She scanned the kitchen, which was currently overflowing with boxes. “Where did you put the kettle; we deserve some tea after all this?”

Mary waved an arm at the wall. “It’s in one of those. You Brits and your need for tea, honestly.”

“Tea’s quite nice Mary, they’ve really converted me,” Camila said as she entered the room.

Mary sighed. “Fine, I’ll have some. But after, we’re breaking out the case of beer that I brought.” She watched as Camila picked up her phone and asked, “What do you think about the ghost story Cam?”

Camila shuddered. “It’s horrible, what happened. My brother told me about it, I think he was trying to scare me, but it’s really just so awful. You know most of the nuns were arrested for abuse afterwards?”

Mary made a noise of surprise. “Seriously? Do they think they killed the girl; I thought it was a suicide?”

Camila shook her head. “They think it was a suicide because the nuns were abusive, apparently there were other deaths that were covered up and they think that they could have been killed.”

“Dark shit,” Mary muttered.

Lilith groaned and slammed the kettle onto a free space on the counter.

“Must you talk about such horrible things at times like these?”

“Oh sorry, we’ll save the ghost stories for bedtime. Unless you’re scared?”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “You’re seriously a child, I don’t know why we put up with you.”

“Because Shannon asked you to keep me company when she’s busy. And because I’m the light of your fucking life.”

Lilith and Mary continued to bicker as the tea was made, while Camila made her way over to Beatrice, who had been leaning against the wall for most of the conversation, staring into the distance.

“Are you alright Bea? You’ve been really quiet.”

Beatrice shook herself out of her silence and gave Camila a smile.

“Yes, of course, I’m just thinking. It’s been a busy day.”

Camila watched her carefully. “Is it the ghost story? I know it’s really sad, I won’t talk about it if it bothers you.”

Beatrice waved her concern off. “No, no, don’t worry. It’s horribly sad, I agree, but ghosts don’t scare me, they’re not real.”

Camila gave her a thoughtful look. “You know I’ve always thought ghosts make a certain sense. Like, if someone has unfinished business then they stick around to see it through. I’d like to have a second chance if I didn’t get to do what I wanted with my life.”

Beatrice smiled. Her friend always had such a hopeful way of looking at things. She was the first person who’d ever made Beatrice consider a life that wasn’t completely under her parents’ thumb. When you were around Camila, you felt like you could truly do anything.

“Perhaps. But I doubt our house is haunted. We’d probably have had an angry ghost throwing open the windows and howling by now if we did.”

“Don’t be too sure. The last owner said that she kept hearing footsteps downstairs and that things kept moving around,” Mary interjected. “She swore she saw a girl in the kitchen once as well.”

“She was old and her sight was going, she didn’t know what she was seeing,” Lilith argued, putting out some mugs for all of them. Even though Mary wasn’t living with them, she had a designated mug, a black one with the words Don’t Mess With Me Until I’ve Had My Coffee on the side. Mary had always stuck with coffee over tea, no matter how much Beatrice and Lilith had tried to convince her. Though, from time to time she would indulge them, such as now.

“Well, when you start hearing footsteps, don’t come crying to me.”

“It’s an old house, we’re going to hear all sorts of things.”

“What if you start seeing a girl walking around?”

“I’m going to assume it’s you trying to mess with me.”

“Hey, it was some white girl, there’s no way I’d pull that off.”

“Then you’d wear a bedsheet.”

Mary and Lilith, once again descended into bickering, and Camila watched them fondly.

Beatrice, on the other hand, found her attention straying for some reason. She couldn’t explain it, but it felt like someone was watching them. Like someone was standing right beside her.

She knew it was a silly impulse, but she looked, just in case there really was someone. But she saw nothing, just the air. Her heart settled in its chest, and she berated it for racing in the first place.

The talk of ghosts was unsettling her, that was all. There was nothing haunted about this house. Sure, it had tragedy in its past, but ghosts were not real.

And that was final.

+++

For the next three weeks, things passed at the house pretty normally. They unpacked and built furniture, settled into their rooms, and started preparing for the new university semester at Oxford.

Lilith was on her final year, studying for a Law degree, and Camila and Beatrice were on their third years. Camila was studying Computer Science, and Beatrice was pursuing a degree in Theology and Religion. Beatrice was on her final year, but she was considering pursing post-graduate study. Even though all of them had busy lives, they still found a way to make time for each other.

And for Mary and Shannon, of course. Mary wasn’t interested in university, and instead had gone for an internship in carpentry. She’d started a new job at the beginning of that year. Her girlfriend, Shannon, had gone to Oxford as well, and had graduated from her Law course last year. They’d all met at the same boarding school, and a series of events, including an unfair detention and a near expulsion for Mary had brought them all together.

Mary and Shannon had started dating in their last year at school, back before Beatrice was even ready to admit her own feelings about her sexuality to herself. By now, well, she had a bit more of a grasp on it, although she was yet to actually tell anyone out loud. She was sure that Mary knew though, judging by some of the looks she’d given her.

One day, she’d tell them. She just needed to make sure that she understood and accepted herself first. It unfortunately happened to be rather difficult to unlearn years of religious homophobia.

But yes, things were going almost perfectly at the house.

Almost.

The thing was that, well, there had been some odd happenings that had Lilith annoyed, Camila curious, and Beatrice confused.

First, their books kept moving.

With all three of them being avid readers of different sorts, there were books aplenty in the house. Some were for pleasure and some were for school. With so many books, at first the occasional displacement hadn’t been a major issue.

But then Lilith had nearly started crying because her Law textbook had disappeared from the table where she’d left it, and then they’d found it under a chair.

And then Camila’s copy of The Fault in Our Stars that she kept as a reminder of Middle School had ended up on her floor.

And then Beatrice’s coveted copy of The Priory of the Orange Tree, which she’d spent the past two years hiding from her parents, had ended up on the kitchen counter, when she knew it stayed in her bedside drawer at all times.

Lilith was convinced that Mary was coming into their house when they weren’t there, just to mess with them, and Camila was convinced that university was already making them lose it. Beatrice wasn’t sure what she believed, but it certainly was unsettling.

The next odd happening was one that only she had noticed, and had been sure not to mention to her roommates so as to avoid panic.

Beatrice stayed up late most nights, and sometimes she went downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. On the occasions that she had, she’d heard strange thuds and creaks, like someone had been going through their drawers and had then panicked and shut them when they heard someone coming.

But Beatrice had checked every inch of downstairs and there was no sign of a person, so she was currently chalking that up to it being an old house, and her mind being over alert.

It wasn’t a ghost, and she wasn’t worried. This was her house, and nothing was going to force her out of it. She would just have to get used to the weirdness.

+++

Things came to a head a full month after they’d moved in.

Camila and Lilith were both spending the night elsewhere. Camila had some sort of computer nerd workshop thing that went through the night, and Lilith was spending the night with Shannon doing some prep for a mock trial.

Beatrice was perfectly fine being alone in the house, because it meant she could play her music louder, and she wouldn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone when she went wandering through the house late at night.

In fact, after a few hours, she was starting to wish that she’d committed to just buying the house by herself, because there was something comforting about being able to sing along to the odd Taylor Swift song and not live in fear of the others finding out that she secretly loved the singer.

What could she say, the woman made some really beautiful songs?

The clock had creaked a little bit past midnight when Beatrice went downstairs for a cup of tea. She’d left her speaker on, because it was loud enough that she could still hear the music on downstairs, and was nodding her head along to the eighties song that had started playing as she came down.

Then she froze.

For a moment she just stood paralyzed on the stairs, certain that her ears were deceiving her.

But she continued to hear the sound, and there was no way that she was imagining it.

Someone was singing along to the song.

It was Somebody to Love, because Beatrice had always held a soft spot for Queen. Whoever was singing along definitely knew it well, and they weren’t a half bad singer.

That wasn’t the point.

The point was that there was someone in Beatrice’s kitchen.

Her hands were definitely not shaking. And that definitely wasn’t her heart accelerating in her chest like one of her father’s sports cars.

Her mind began to spin through possibilities, but all failed to make sense. If it was a burglar, why would they be so dumb as to sing along whilst trying to rob the house? If it was some murderer, wouldn’t they have followed the music to kill her?

If it was a ghost…no, Beatrice was not going to entertain that possibility, because it was ludicrous, and she was a woman of reason dammit!

Slowly, she began to move down the stairs, careful to keep quiet.

Whoever it was, it was a girl. Beatrice could hear her voice more clearly now, and there was no mistaking the feminine tone.

Beatrice waited by the entrance of the kitchen, trying to figure out how best to approach this situation. The girl definitely didn’t know she was there, she was too busy trying to belt out the song.

Closing her eyes for a moment, and trying to steady her breath, Beatrice decided to just go for it. Whoever it was, they were in Beatrice’s home, and she knew three different forms of martial arts, and she was going to be fine.

She moved around the corner.

And for a moment she just stared.

In the middle of the kitchen, there was a girl who looked about Beatrice’s age, performing Somebody to Love to the kitchen drawers. She even had a wooden spoon in hand as if it were a microphone.

The girl was dressed in an old blue hoodie and faded black jeans. She wasn’t wearing shoes and her white socks had holes on the big toes. The girl was completely wrapped up in singing, and with her back to Beatrice, it was clear who was going to have to make the first move.

So, Beatrice cleared her throat and asked, “Who are you?”

The girl spun around, her hair whipping around her shoulders as she did, performance forgotten. For a moment she just stared at Beatrice with wide brown eyes, mouth half open.

Then she said, “Oh fuck.”

And she completely disappeared, letting the wooden spoon clatter to the floor.

Chapter Text

Beatrice couldn’t help it. She screamed.

Not a full horror movie scream, but more the type of scream that comes out of you when you spot a large spider on your knee.

Then she blinked, pinched herself, and stared at the spot in the house where the girl had been.

She had been right there. Beatrice had definitely not just hallucinated that; her mind was not that completely lost from reality yet.

And the wooden spoon was still on the floor. Which it had not been before because Beatrice specifically remembered washing it and putting it back.

Her eyes moved to the counter, and to the book that was sitting there. It was a copy of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Following a suspicion, Beatrice opened it, and when she was Camila’s name inscribed on the front page, she knew she was right.

Except, well, she wasn’t sure what she was right about yet.

She slowly started to move the pieces together.

There had been a girl in the kitchen.

That girl had likely been the cause of the books moving, judging by this book lying right near where the girl had been. She had a very eclectic taste in books, but that was not the pressing issue right now.

That girl had likely also been the cause of the thuds that Beatrice had been hearing. Which meant that she’d been in their house several times before.

And of course, the most important point, the girl had disappeared in front of Beatrice’s eyes.

She was not about to come to the conclusion that she thought she was. There was no way that she was about to think this. But if she was to truly get to the bottom of this, she had to think it.

There was a strong possibility that the girl was a ghost.

They had a ghost in their house.

The house was haunted.

Ghosts were real.

Beatrice felt like fainting.

All thoughts of making a cup of tea completely gone from her brain, Beatrice picked up the book, and went back upstairs.

The first thing she did was return the book to its rightful place in the bookshelf, because she wasn’t 100% sure yet that she wanted to tell the others about this. No, for now, this was going to be a Beatrice only thing. At least until she had enough information to make an informed decision about all of this.

She turned off her music, and opened her laptop again, and clicked on a new window. And then she started looking into the history of the house.

+++

When Beatrice woke the next morning, her laptop was completely out of battery, and she had a massive headache. She thanked her past self for only giving herself an afternoon lecture, and then plugged her laptop in.

The clock told her that it was ten in the morning, which meant that the others had probably already been back, and had left again. They both had midday classes today, so Beatrice likely wouldn’t see them until the evening.

It took Beatrice all the way through breakfast and getting dressed before she registered the events of last night and nearly dropped her mug. Thankfully, she had better self-control than that, and so there was only a little shake of the mug that had tea rushing to the edge, but not quite over.

Her mind cleared and she slowly went through the events that had led to her late night and her current headache.

Right. They had a ghost girl. Totally normal. This was fine. Beatrice’s life definitely wasn’t changed because of this realisation.

Her hands were shaking again.

She sat down and opened up her laptop, looking back over the copious notes that she’d taken last night when investigating.

The house had been an orphanage run by a group of nuns from 1880 onwards. What was most interesting to Beatrice about this was that the nuns had been part of an order known as the Order of the Cruciform Sword, and they seemed to believe in a ‘Halo Bearer’ who would be chosen as worthy, and would then lead them in the fight against evil.

And Beatrice had thought that her parents were intense.

Beatrice hadn’t been able to find any official reports of deaths from the orphanage before 1990, but there had been odd stories of disappearances from 1950 onwards that seemed suspicious to her.

And then there was the death that had earned the house it’s haunted status.

In 1990, a girl named Ava Silva died of a drug overdose on her 19th birthday. The official story was that she’d killed herself because she didn’t want to have to take care of herself in the real world. After a little more digging, Beatrice had discovered that Ava had become quadriplegic after a car accident that had also killed her mother.

The more she’d looked into the story, the more she’d forgotten about her own strange experience, and the more she’d felt sorry for this poor girl. Likely, all she’d wanted to do was live her own life, and had seen no escape, so she’d decided to end things on her own terms.

Beatrice had never specifically experienced suicidal ideation, but she knew what it felt like to be trapped.

A few years after Ava’s death, a young boy named Diego had fainted on school grounds. When they found bruising all over his body, an investigation had gone into the orphanage, and it had revealed a serious history of abuse that seemed to span decades.

Ava’s death had officially stayed labelled as a suicide, but some online theorists speculated that she’d been killed by the nuns as a way to keep her silent.

This could have just been a horrifying story that Beatrice would now have to reconcile with the house that had brought her freedom, except for the matter of the picture.

On one of the news articles about Ava’s death, there was a picture that was cited to have been taken by Diego on a camera. The girl in the photo was unmistakably the same one that Beatrice had seen in her house last night. And Beatrice had definitely never seen that face before today, so she couldn’t have just been imagining it.

She’d also looked up reports from previous owners, and almost all of them said the same things. Possessions had been displaced, especially books, there were weird creaking sounds, and some had sworn that they’d seen a girl walking around.

So, all of this evidence pointed to one thing. Ava, somehow, was a ghost that now haunted Beatrice’s house, and Beatrice had just seen her.

Her headache came back with a vengeance and Beatrice settled her hands against her temples.

Okay. Alright, fine, there was a ghost in the house. Now what?

The idea of telling Lilith and Camila was out of the question. They’d think she’d snapped, especially when she had no way of knowing if the ghost—Ava—would ever show up again. She didn’t want to order an exorcism, as it didn’t seem like Ava was the type of ghost who would try to stab them in their sleep, or possess them and make them stab each other.

Which meant that there was only one option that seemed doable in Beatrice’s mind. Even if it sounded insane.

She needed to find a way to talk to Ava.

+++

Beatrice waited a few days before she attempted her first contact with Ava. She did have rather important study to complete, and no ghost would make her throw away her education. If Lilith and Camila noticed that Beatrice was hiding something, they didn’t mention it.

Over those days, Beatrice paid extra attention to any odd sounds, and she kept checking the corners of her eyes for movement. However, it seemed like Ava had gone quiet. Perhaps she was hoping that Beatrice would simply forget their interaction.

No chance. Beatrice was on this path now, and she would see it through.

She finally had the chance on Monday afternoon. Lilith and Camila both had afternoon lectures, then Lilith was going to her parents’ house for dinner, and Camila was working late at the coffeeshop.

Which meant that Beatrice was alone in the house.

Once she was sure that the others weren’t there, and that they wouldn’t be able to come in without her being alerted, she went downstairs. While she could probably contact Ava from anywhere in the house, a common area that she’d already seen Ava in seemed like a good starting point.

She brought her own copy of the first Percy Jackson book with her, because Ava had already shown interest in that book, and maybe she could lure her out with it again. Then she set up her speaker, and started playing a playlist of 80s music, hoping that Ava would recognise the songs and might come out of hiding.

Then, she pulled out one of the kitchen chairs, and sat upon it, waiting.

Five minutes passed without Ava appearing, and so Beatrice decided that she needed to do more in order to properly summon Ava.

“Ava?” She called out into the house. When there was no response, she tried again. “Ava, are you here? I just want to talk, I promise, I don’t want to hurt you.”

There was no spoken response, but Beatrice felt that strange feeling she’d felt on the first day, like someone else was in the room with her. So, she continued.

“Look, I’m not afraid of you. You don’t seem to wish us any harm, and all I’d like to do is speak with you so I can better understand you and maybe come to some sort of agreement. Just so we don’t have any mishaps. Because I really like this house, and I’d like it a lot more if I knew that everyone living here was happy.”

The silence stretched, and Beatrice was almost about to give up when a voice spoke from behind her.

“I like this song.”

Beatrice spun around in her seat so quickly that she nearly fell out of it.

Ava was standing by the fridge, still in her hoodie and jeans, although that didn’t surprise Beatrice. She supposed that ghosts couldn’t really change clothing.

Beatrice turned her ears to the music playing. It was I Think We’re Alone Now, which felt oddly apt for this situation.

“One of the older kids, JC, had a radio, and he’d bring it into my room and play me songs. He told me that if I ever learnt to walk, he’d get me to dance to this song.”

Beatrice didn’t remember the name of the boy from her research, but that didn’t mean anything. Honestly, it probably just meant that he hadn’t died a horrible death inside this house.

Ava shook herself out of the memory, and gave Beatrice a hesitant smile.

“So, uh, hi. Sorry for, you know, scaring you the other night. I didn’t hear you come down.”

Despite the situation, Beatrice smiled. “That was apparent.”

Ava grinned sheepishly. “I always loved that song too. You had it up pretty loud, and I didn’t think you’d be able to hear. I forgot that you like coming down for a midnight cup of tea.”

Beatrice rose an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

Ava cocked her head. “Uh, well, I kind of live here too? I don’t exactly sleep, and I feel bad about staying in your rooms when you guys are up there, so I usually just chill down here, or in your spare bedroom, and so I kind of notice when you come down.”

It was slightly unnerving, realising that there had been someone else in the house who’d noticed everything, and had been watching them, but Beatrice figured that she couldn’t really be too mad at Ava. It didn’t seem like she had a choice.

Ava blinked and frowned. “Sorry, actually. Um, I know this is like, probably a really weird and freaky situation, and I promise, I’ll stay out of your way. If you want, I can just stay inside the spare room with the door shut, no more watching or anything. And I’ll stop the book stealing. It’s just, I get bored, and I haven’t exactly been able to read the latest hits, but I’ll stop, and you guys can just live in the house, and pretend that I don’t exist, it’s totally chill, it’d be a lot like when I was really alive, and I made it through those years well enough, so it’s no—"

“Ava!” Beatrice interjected into what was rapidly becoming a depressing spiral. Ava looked up at her with wide brown eyes, and Beatrice noted that she looked scared. She had hunched into herself, and she’d started flickering in and out of sight in a disconcerting manner.

“Ava, please don’t disappear, I’m not mad, I promise.”

Ava’s image settled, but she stayed hunched against the fridge.

“Ava, look,” Beatrice searched for the best way to propose her suggestion. “I don’t want you to lock yourself away. While it’s certainly odd to have a ghost in the house, I don’t awfully mind. You don’t need food I assume?”

Ava shook her head, looking slightly sad about this.

“Well, then you aren’t a drain on resources in any way. And when you go invisible…”

“I can still walk around and stuff. I spend most of my time invisible. The only time I go visible is when I need to pick stuff up. So, it’d be pretty easy for me to stay invisible all of the time if that’s what you want.”

Beatrice considered it for a moment, and then shook her head.

“No, it’s okay. Just, um, maybe try to stay out of sight of my roommates? I might be reasonable about this, but Camila would probably freak out, and Lilith, well, she’d definitely try to exorcise you.”

Ava shivered. “Yeah, I’d really like to avoid that. I’ve been pretty good at avoiding them anyway.”

Beatrice nodded. “Well then, it’s settled. You stay invisible for the most of the time, except for when you need to read. I can get you some books and leave them in the spare room, it’s basically a storage space at the moment, so the others won’t notice some more things turning up there.”

It was true. All the boxes that none of them could be bothered to pack up had gone in there. The past owners had left a bed in there, though no other furniture, so they’d decided to just leave it, on the off chance that someone might need to use the room. And well, that looked like it was the right decision.

Ava unfolded and her eyes lit up with a childlike joy.

“Wait, seriously? You’ll get me books?”

“Of course, I don’t want you to be deprived of any entertainment. And this way you won’t have to freak my roommates out with the constant movement of books.”

Ava winced and fiddled with the strings on her hoodie. “Yeah, sorry about that. I mean to return them, but it takes energy to go visible, and sometimes I slip and I can’t put them back. Or you guys wake up before I can take them back, and like, well, you know.” She shrugged and Beatrice smiled.

“I understand.” She watched the other girl for a moment, her mind taking the moment to freak out over the fact that she was literally having a conversation with a ghost. If her parents could see her now, they’d definitely try to exorcise her.

Ava looked at her with that nervous rabbit look she’d worn earlier.

“And you’re sure that it’s okay? I’d understand if you change your mind, living with a ghost can’t be easy. If you ever just want me to stay out of your way, I’ll do it, I promise.”

Beatrice waved her suggestion off.

“Don’t be silly Ava, you aren’t a bother. It’s your house too as far as I’m concerned, and I want you to feel as comfortable as possible.”

Ava grinned at her, a bright smile that seemed to physically light her up. Actually, made Beatrice wasn’t imagining that. There did seem to be some sort of glowing aura around Ava.

“Full disclosure, if I could hug you right now, I totally would,” Ava told her.

Beatrice frowned. “You can’t touch humans?”

Ava shook her head. “Nah. Objects are fine, but something about humans just makes me go invisible again. It’s fine though, it’s not like I’ve ever had a lot of opportunities for warm hugs or anything, so I don’t really know what I’m missing.”

Beatrice was struck with a sudden sadness for this poor girl. She wondered how long it had been since she’d actually been able to touch another human being. Considering that she was quadriplegic, it was likely a very long time.

Ava shrugged and pushed away from the fridge.

“So, uh, is that it?”

Beatrice remembered the book, and held it out to her.

“Here. You were reading this last night, and I thought having my copy would be easier. Let me know if you like it and I can give you the second one.”

Ava took the book and grinned down at it. “Awesome. I only got up to the bit where he met the blonde girl. It seems really cool so far.”

“Those books were what helped me make it through Middle School.” She decided not to mention that Mary had to smuggle them to her, due to the fact that her parents would not have approved of her reading them.

Ava looked up at her, still smiling. There was something about her smile that seemed to warm Beatrice inside. “Then I have high expectations.”

Beatrice couldn’t help it. She smiled back.

“Alright, well, I’d best get back to my study. Let me know if there’s anything else you need, and remember that Camila should be coming back at about ten tonight, so try to be invisible then.”

Ava nodded. “Got it Bea.” She frowned. “Can I call you that? Camila calls you that, sorry, that’s probably a friend thing, I’ll just stick to Beatrice.”

Beatrice found herself shaking her head. “No, no, Bea is fine.” She’d only ever allowed Camila to call her that, and even then, she preferred that Camila call her by her full name. But with Ava, well, it sounded nice coming from her.

“Cool. Oh, um, Bea?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you keep the music on for a little bit? It doesn’t just need to be the eighties stuff; I like hearing new stuff too.”

Beatrice nodded. “I’ll take the speaker upstairs, but I’ll leave it loud enough for you to hear.”

Ava smiled. “Awesome.” She gave Beatrice one last look before saying, “Alright, Ava out,” and then promptly disappeared.

Beatrice blinked and shook her head. “That’s still a little disorienting, I will admit.”

There was no noise, but Beatrice could swear that she heard Ava laughing at her.

Chapter Text

The next two weeks passed very smoothly; all things considered. Ava kept to her side of the deal, and stayed out of Lilith and Camila’s way. The books stopped moving, which led Lilith and Camila to believe that they’d been imagining things.

Thankfully, they seemed to have moved on from the whole idea of there being a ghost in the house. This meant that Beatrice felt much less stressed about the possibility of them finding about Ava.

As for Ava, well, she seemed to be adjusting to their deal pretty well. Beatrice didn’t see her for the two weeks, but she felt small bits of her presence. Whenever she finished a book, she’d return it to Beatrice’s room with a note lying on top with a scribbled smiley face. Some mornings when all three of the living girls were downstairs having breakfast, Beatrice could feel Ava watching them. It didn’t feel invasive, it felt comforting in a way, like she was one of them.

Beatrice played her music on speaker more often than she had before, which did lead to comments on her taste from Lilith, but when Ava left another note lying on her speaker with a smiley face, she decided to keep doing it.

She wasn’t entirely sure that Ava knew how to write, in fact, she had quite a few questions about Ava’s writing and walking abilities, but the notes were nice. Beatrice found herself wishing to talk to Ava again a fair amount, but she supposed that if Ava just wanted to mind her own business, then Beatrice couldn’t force her to talk.

If this was the way that things would be, then Beatrice could adjust to that, and everything would be normal and fine.

This was the mindset she was carrying one night when she was studying alone in her room. Lilith and Camila were out again, honestly, it felt like Beatrice was the only one who actually stayed in most nights, and so Beatrice was playing her music extra loud.

She was so wrapped up in her study that when a voice from the doorway said, “This is a nice song,” she threw her pen halfway across the room out of shock.

When she turned around, Ava was leaning against the door, her face already morphing into an apologetic expression. The pen clattered against the wall, passing right through Ava.

“Sorry! I kind of forgot that you can’t hear me when I’m not visible, and like, well, I guess I wasn’t thinking, sorry.” Ava looked so adorable when she was nervous, and Beatrice couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s fine, I was just very wrapped up in my studies and, well, you haven’t shown up in so long, I had almost stopped expecting you to.”

Ava’s nervous smile melted into a guilty frown.

“Oh, well, um, I can just go. I just…actually you know what, I have no idea why I’m here, and you’re studying, you’re busy, I’ll just head back to my room and—”

“Ava!”

Ava blinked, looking somehow even more guilty. Beatrice felt a tugging in her chest, not pity, but a deep sorrow for what she’d been through that meant that she was so expectant of being left alone, or not wanted.

“That’s not what I meant at all. Why don’t you come in, sit down?” She paused, considering what she knew about Ava’s ghostly abilities. “You can sit, yes?”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, it’s easier than most things actually.” She hesitantly stepped over the threshold of the room, and then settled onto Beatrice’s bed.

“Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?” Beatrice asked, turning her chair to fully face Ava. Ava gave her a sheepish look and scratched at the back of her neck.

“It’s stupid.”

“Don’t be so sure. Whatever it is, I’m willing to hear.”

Ava bit her lip and then tugged her knees up to her chest.

“So, I, um, I noticed that Lilith and Camila were out, and I sort of thought it might be nice to just like, I don’t know, come up and talk to you? Being me can get lonely, and you seemed nice enough, so, uh, yeah.” Ava shrugged and pulled her knees closer, almost as if they were a shield.

Beatrice felt her heart softening. If she had expected anything from an encounter with a ghost, she’d expect someone wise with time, someone who perhaps tried to manipulate Beatrice into giving away things that she didn’t want to, or maybe even someone angry and vengeful. Knowing what Ava had been through, she wouldn’t have been surprised at a level of anger.

But the girl sitting before her was really just someone who was lost and alone, who had spent so much of her life, and her death, being ignored and unwanted. She was nervous, and awkward, and Beatrice felt so incredibly drawn to her.

“Ava, that’s perfectly fine. If you ever want to talk to me, and Lilith and Camila aren’t around, you can come up and say hi. Really, it can’t have been easy going so long without talking to people, and you seem nice. If you need a friend, I can be that.”

Ava’s expression lit up the way that it had when Beatrice had given her the first book.

“Cool!” Her legs dropped back to the ground and began to swing. “So, um, I finished the series, it was really good, if they’d had books like that when I was a kid, well, I’d probably still be dead, but it would’ve been more fun because I could have remembered those books, seriously, awesome stuff.” Ava’s words came out in a rush, and Beatrice found it oddly endearing.

“I wanted to see if you had any other recommendations, maybe not like kids’ books, but just anything good. I tried reading the one you had by your bedside, but it was really long, and my reading level is like kinda good, but I’m not super smart. I sort of stopped going to school when I was 7, so most of what I know was self-taught, and I think you’re like way smarter than me, so you know, anything good and fun and not too smart.” She tilted her head and added, “Maybe with more kickass girls? Annabeth was awesome!” Her smile was so bright, and Beatrice wondered how the scared girl from before could so easily switch into such joy.

“I will look through my bookshelves and see what I can find.” Beatrice turned to her speaker, and gestured towards it. “Have you liked the music I’ve been playing?”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, thanks Bea. The eighties stuff is good, it reminds me of being alive. But the new stuff is cool too, I like the female singer you were playing before, I’ve recognised her voice in a few of them.”

“That’s Taylor Swift.”

“Cool name. But yeah, I think I like her stuff. I’d ask for a copy or something, but it’d probably freak everyone in the house out if music just started blasting from the spare room.”

Beatrice laughed. “Yes, I do think that would be cause for alarm. And remember, we’re trying to avoid Lilith trying to exorcise you.”

Ava nodded, but her eyes turned dark. Her shoulder tensed and she looked down at her lap.

“Um, I’ve kind of already had to deal with something like that. Wasn’t pleasant, so, yeah, definitely want to avoid that.”

Beatrice frowned. Nothing she’d read spoke about an exorcism.

“When was this?”

Ava shrugged. “Back when the nuns were still running this place and I was stuck here as a ghost, I tried to make their life hell. You know, as payback for all the shit they put me through. It kind of backfired though, because they hired an exorcist, or, well, he was just a priest, but he was like an advanced priest. He tried to get rid of me, but it only half worked.”

Beatrice’s frown deepened. She didn’t want to pry, but something about the way Ava was speaking, and the nervousness in her posture made Beatrice think that maybe this was Ava’s way of opening up.

“What happened?”

“I basically got put in a ghost coma. When I woke up, it was ten years later, and this family had just moved in. I freaked out, and they moved out like, a month later.” She shrugged again. “Not pleasant. I promise I won’t do anything bad like that again.”

“You know, I do believe you.”

Ava looked up at her and held her gaze for a long moment, like Beatrice’s eyes alone would tell her if she was being honest or not. She must have seen something that she liked, because she nodded and rolled her shoulders.

“Yeah, so that was kind of a low point. But the past bit has been alright. Except, I kind of went into another coma for five years, I think? It was an accident, and it freaked me out again, but I don’t think it’ll happen again for a while, so you don’t need to worry.”

Beatrice had spent most of her life not believing in ghosts or the paranormal at all. But now that she had solid proof that all of it existed, it was a testament to her restraint that she wasn’t completely assaulting Ava with questions. There was just so much she wanted to know, but she had a feeling that Ava wouldn’t know much herself, so she refrained.

Instead, she asked, “Have there been better experiences? Times that made you glad to be a ghost?”

Ava grinned. “I get to watch a lot of TV and no one tells me to stop because no one knows I’m there. There was a family that stayed for like seven years, I think, and their daughter was really into TV. I got to watch all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Friends and that was cool. Oh, and The Vampire Diaries was kind of good, but she moved out before she finished it.”

Beatrice added those titles to her mental list about things that Ava liked, just for future notice. It seemed like she enjoyed adventure stories, along with romances and stories of friendship. Good to know.

Ava suddenly shuffled forwards. “Wait, I’m kind of realising that I’ve just been rambling on about me. How was your day, or your week, or like, anything from your life? I don’t really know much about you Bea.” Her smile was inviting, and Beatrice, who definitely didn’t talk much about herself to new people, found herself willing to open up.

“My day was nice, I only had one class, so I’ve had plenty of time to get other things complete. I actually went out to a café and had some tea and a scone; it was quite nice.” Beatrice considered what else she could say that Ava might care to hear. “I’m not sure if you know, but I’m studying Theology. I grew up religious, my parents are conservative diplomats, and while faith might not be the easiest thing for me, I’ve always found studying it quite interesting.”

Ava nodded. “Can’t say I understand completely, but that’s still cool. But hey, diplomat parents? That explains how you were able to buy this place.”

Beatrice nodded. “Yes, I wouldn’t say my life has exactly been lacking in privilege. I’m enjoying the freedom though; my whole life was spent getting micromanaged by my parents and it was exhausting.”

Ava sighed. “I get that. The nuns never gave me a moment’s peace. I mean, I couldn’t exactly get up and go cause havoc, but it would’ve been nice to not have my radio and books monitored. JC and Chanel were like, the only reasons I didn’t die of boredom.” She paused, a small smile falling onto her lips. “And Diego. In the last few years, he made everything better.”

Diego. That was the name of the boy who had been hit by the nuns, who had fainted at school and had been the reason why the nuns had been found out. Ava had known him. Beatrice didn’t even know if Ava knew what had happened with that, and she didn’t want to bring it up, just in case she upset her.

Ava shook her head. “Were Lilith and Camila like that for you? They must be good friends if you’re willing to live with them.”

Beatrice sighed and thought of her best friends. Ava was right, if they hadn’t been as close as they were, Beatrice would not have tolerated sharing her space.

“Lilith’s parents and mine were close, so we became friends mostly out of solidarity, and then we grew up together, so it made sense that we became so close. Camila attended our school, and she’s a little ball of sunshine. She’s always been there for me. I really wouldn’t have survived without them.” Beatrice winced. “Sorry, wrong phrasing.”

Ava didn’t seem phased. “Hey, it’s fine, it’s not your fault I’m kind of dead and you’re alive. I’m not gonna get offended.”

Beatrice noted Ava’s phrasing, and wondered if it was intentional. She realised that she didn’t actually know how Ava had died. Sure, officially it was a suicide, but it seemed that was up for debate. Beatrice wasn’t about to ask Ava about her death, that was definitely a step too far, but maybe another time Ava might be willing to open up.

Not today though.

Beatrice was suddenly struck by an idea.

“Do you want to watch a movie?”

Ava rose her eyebrows, sitting up straighter.

“Seriously?”

“Why not? I’ve done most of my study, the rest I can complete before my class tomorrow. If you’re okay to hang out with me, I’d like the company as I relax.”

Ava looked so excited Beatrice thought she might start glowing.

“Bea, that’s, that’s like the best thing you could’ve asked me!” She bounced on the bed, and Beatrice took note of how the bed didn’t move beneath her. “What movies do you have?”

“Do you know about streaming services?”

When Ava frowned, Beatrice stood up, beckoning Ava to follow her. She led the ghost down to her living room, and the large TV they had set into the wall. Flicking it on, she went to Netflix.

“Woah. How did you do that?”

“It’s called Netflix. It has a massive collection of movies and television shows.” She paused. “Although, it has a rather unfortunate habit of cancelling all of it’s genuinely good shows. Lilith wants to cancel our subscription.”

Ava just stared at the TV with an open mouth. “And you don’t have to pay for the shows?”

“Well, you pay a subscription fee, sort of like for the newspaper.”

“But you get all of this?”

Beatrice nodded. “It’s quite extraordinary.” She clicked on the movies tab. “What are you in the mood for?”

Ava looked like she was in danger of spontaneously combusting. “Bea, you can’t give me all this choice and expect me to have an answer. Like, holy shit, I’ve only seen a bunch of bad movies that JC and Chanel stole and the stuff that the girl fifteen years ago was watching, and now you have like a hundred movies to pick from?”

Beatrice smiled. Seeing Ava learning about the excitement of the current world and its technology was adorable. If it meant that she was allowed to see that smile more often, Beatrice might have to seek out more ways to surprise Ava.

“Do you like romantic comedies?”

“Yeah, Chanel would always bring them in to watch with me. She called it girls’ night.”

Beatrice clicked away from the streaming services and onto the DVD drive.

“Hold on, I had an idea.” She headed into the spare room, and searched through the box of DVDs they’d brought with them. Most had been left behind, but they’d held onto a few for nostalgia purposes.

Beatrice emerged from the spare room with a copy of Notting Hill in hand.

“This is one of my favourites. I used to watch it all the time with Camila when I was younger.”

Ava grinned as she dropped onto the couch next to Beatrice. Suddenly, the couch felt a lot smaller than it usually did, which made no sense, because Beatrice literally couldn’t even touch Ava.

“Lilith doesn’t go for this type of thing?”

Beatrice snorted. “No, Lilith enjoys period dramas, Oscar nominated films, and horrors. I’m convinced that she secretly loves these types of movies though, but I’m yet to see proof.”

Ava shifted in her seat, grinning widely.

“I’m excited.”

Beatrice smiled back, and then did her best to relax against the couch. She’d seen this movie a fair number of times. Camila watched it for Hugh Grant’s nervous charm and Beatrice watched it for Julia Roberts’ smile.

Because of how many times she’d seen it, Beatrice was able to stop paying as much attention to the film, and to instead sneak glances at Ava.

Ava’s gaze didn’t leave the screen once. Every line had her attention, every joke had her laughing, every song had her humming along. She reacted audibly to pretty much everything that happened, which was incredibly entertaining for Beatrice.

“Wow, that was a shitty move.”

“Okay, but that’s a really pretty garden.”

“He’s gonna turn her down? Really? But that was such a romantic speech?”

“Fuck yeah dude, go get your girl!”

In truth, during their viewing, Beatrice probably spent more time watching Ava than she did the movie. There was something just incredibly entrancing about the other girl, something beyond her paranormal existence that made Beatrice want to know her better.

Beatrice didn’t want to admit it, but it wasn’t difficult at all to imagine her and Ava becoming friends. In another life, it would have been so much easier, but in this one it seemed to be a friendship that was doomed to be draped in sadness.

She pushed all of that out of her mind when the credits started rolling, and Ava finally looked back at her.

“That was a good one! Will was really, like, awkward and adorable, and Anna was kind of a bitch at times, but it was also so cool to see her coming out of her shell around him.”

Beatrice smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.” Her gaze drifted to the clock on the wall and she sighed. “It’s a bit past twelve, I should probably start thinking about sleep.”

Ava nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I don’t really have a bedtime, on account of the whole, you know, no sleeping thing, so I don’t want to keep you up.” Her smile softened and her eyes seemed to shimmer. “It was really nice spending time with you tonight, Bea.”

Beatrice nodded. “Likewise.” She stood and made for the stairs, but before she went up them, she turned back, her hand resting on the railing. “Ava?”

The other girl looked up from where she was still sitting on the couch.

“Yeah?”

Swallowing back a sudden nervousness, Beatrice said, “If you’d like to talk to me more, my door is always open. Or if the others are home, you can always leave me notes.”

Ava’s smile turned sheepish. “Okay, but fair warning, my handwriting is really bad. Again, self-taught, and ghostwriting is like really difficult.” She grinned at the pun.

Beatrice chuckled softly. “I can imagine. Don’t worry though, I’m quite a good translator.”

Ava nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She paused, looking like she was about to say something else, but then she just shook her head. “I’ll see you later, alright?”

Beatrice nodded. “Goodnight Ava.”

“Goodnight Bea.” And then she was gone again, leaving not a single trace behind, except in Beatrice’s mind, and in her racing heartbeat.

Chapter Text

In the following weeks, Ava and Beatrice’s interactions became more and more frequent.

True to her word, Ava left Beatrice written notes whenever the others were home. And, also true to her word, the handwriting was absolutely awful. Beatrice was pretty sure that it was even worse than Camila’s, which was really saying something.

Still, she didn’t let that deter her, and after a bit of practice, she became quite good at figuring out what all the scribbles translated to.

Usually, they were comments about the books that Beatrice was leaving Ava, but sometimes she had things to note about the happenings in the house.

For instance, one day Beatrice came home from classes to find a note lying on her desk that said,

Lilith was playing Taylor Swift while you were gone. And she was singing.

Beatrice had to resist the urge to run and tease Lilith for this, but then she recalled that this was a secret from a ghost, so it was probably not best to do so.

Then, one night after the three girls sat down to watch some dumb rom-com together, Beatrice found a note under her pillow that said,

I cried so hard when he did that big romantic speech. Also, I liked the song that played at the end of the movie, can you play it sometime?

Then after they all came back late and had to order pizza for dinner,

Man, that pizza smelled good, I wish I knew what it tasted like!

And after Camilla broke out her piano playing skills,

Camilla is really good at playing piano. I wish I could tell her how much I liked it, so can you just like, let her know that you really liked it?

And after a movie night when Lilith made them watch a horror movie,

Okay, I know I can’t sleep, but if I could I’d be having so many nightmares after that!

It was incredibly adorable, and Beatrice was starting to have to poke unwanted feelings away. Not incredibly aggressively, just a gentle nudge so that her heart and her head remembered that any sort of feelings towards a ghost were probably bad ones to have.

The other two remained incredibly unaware of Ava’s presence, despite the fact that Beatrice seemed to be aware of her even when she wasn’t visible.

Like during the movie nights, Beatrice always knew exactly when Ava was there, watching over their shoulders. And at dinners sometimes, she could feel Ava sitting on a spare chair, just enjoying their conversation. Some of those times she’d had to stop herself from making a comment that only Ava would understand, lest her sanity start being questioned.

Not only that, but any time Beatrice was alone in the house, Ava would pop into visibility and come and say hi. Sometimes she’d get Beatrice to take a break from study and watch a movie, or a television series, because they’d started watching Wynonna Earp together, and both Beatrice and Ava were loving it. It had been Beatrice’s suggestion, after scouring the internet for shows like Buffy. The fact that there seemed to be some sort of romantic bond forming between Wynonna’s sister and the female police officer definitely had nothing to do with Beatrice’s growing investment. Ava didn’t seem to notice; she was just having too much fun watching demons getting beaten up.

Sometimes though, when Beatrice really did need to study, Ava would be content to just sit and read on Beatrice’s bed, humming along to whatever playlist Beatrice had put on. Beatrice always put on music when she was home alone now, even sometimes when she wasn’t, just for Ava, which she hadn’t even noticed until Camilla brought it up.

“You never used to listen to music out loud, I used to have to literally pull your music taste out of you with a pair of metaphorical pliers and now I suddenly know so much about you. It’s nice.” She’d said with a smile.

Beatrice had to agree. It was nice.

+++

The first, well, incident came about two months into their living in the house. It was one morning where all three of the girls were up, even though Beatrice didn’t have a class until the afternoon. Lilith was in a particularly grumpy mood, due to having an assignment due at midnight that wasn’t yet finished.

It seemed that she was going to make that everyone’s problem.

Beatrice was standing by the kitchen counter, making herself a cup of tea. Camila was doing a crossword on her iPad, and she had the radio onto a pop station. Beatrice didn’t actually recognise the song, but it sounded like something Ava would like.

It would appear that she was correct about that particular assumption, because she could feel Ava’s presence at the kitchen table. Somehow, she could pinpoint the exact seat. Her ghost senses must be getting stronger. Interesting.

Beatrice was about to go over and sit next to where Ava was, when Lilith came storming down the stairs, and dropped into the seat where Ava was.

Lilith scowled and stood up.

“Why the hell is that seat so damn cold?”

Beatrice hid a smile, knowing that Ava was probably apologising.

Camila hummed and suggested,

“Maybe it’s the ghost.”

Lilith glared at the chair.

“If it’s a bloody ghost I’ll kill it again.”

“Lilith!” Beatrice chided, before realising that being offended on a ghost’s behalf was probably strange. “No need to be so hostile,” she added on, cringing at how forced it sounded.

Lilith stared at the chair for a long moment, before sitting back down, relaxing as she realised that it wasn’t cold anymore.

Beatrice felt a gentle chill across her back and she knew that Ava was standing by her. She smiled to herself.

“You shouldn’t say things like that about the ghost, you might upset it,” Camila said conversationally.

“Her,” Beatrice corrected without even thinking, and then turned back to her tea.

“Whatever we’re calling it, I really don’t care. If there is a ghost in this house, it can piss off, I don’t want it here.”

Beatrice sighed. “Lilith, you’re being ridiculous. There’s no need to say such things.”

Lilith turned her glare over to Beatrice, a hint of suspicion lacing her eyes.

“I thought you didn’t believe in the ghost. Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”

Feeling the need to defend herself, Beatrice scoffed. “Of course, I haven’t. Ghosts aren’t real. I just think you’re taking out your anger on silly things.” She tried not to feel bad when she felt Ava’s presence fade a little, and pressed on Lilith. “I thought you didn’t believe in her either.”

Lilith kept scowling, but she looked less suspicious of Beatrice.

“I don’t believe in it, obviously, but maybe we should just give this house a good exorcism to make sure that all the bad vibes stay away.”

Beatrice bit back another scolding of Lilith, knowing she wouldn’t be able to come up with a good lie for this one. Ava’s presence felt even dimmer now though, and Beatrice felt a quirk of annoyance towards Lilith for making that happen.

The kettle whistled, and Beatrice set about making tea for everyone. Lilith opened up her laptop and began to type furiously away at it, glaring at it so fiercely Beatrice was worried that she might actually burn a hole through it.

She thought that Lilith was done talking about ghosts, and had half a mind to turn the radio up to try and help Ava feel better. But then Lilith growled and whacked her hand on the side of the laptop.

“Bloody Wi-Fi’s gone again.” She glared at the ceiling. “Maybe it’s not a ghost. Maybe it’s just the house. Maybe the house has some sort of curse on it, and that’s why those nuns went crazy and that girl killed herself.”

“Lilith!” Beatrice slammed her cup of tea down on the counter, ready to tell her friend off, if not for what she’d said that might hurt Ava, then for the fact that she really was being incredibly dramatic.

However, this motion was not what drew Lilith and Camila’s attention.

What drew their attention was the way the light bulb above them suddenly lit up like it had been supercharged, emitting a loud humming noise, before hissing and flickering out.

“Shit!” Lilith yelled, and Beatrice realised that her mug had somehow tipped over. Lilith must have knocked it with her hand in shock. She quickly pulled some paper towels off the roll they kept on the bench, and started to clean the table. Thankfully, nothing had spilt onto Lilith’s laptop, although some had tipped onto her shirt.

“Great, now I’ve got to change out of this, and we’ve got to fix the light.” Lilith looked like she was about to break the table in half with her own hands, so Beatrice intervened.

“Lilith, go upstairs, shower, change, and get ready for class, you need to leave in an hour. I’ll make more tea, and some of those crumpets that you like. I’ll fix the light later, I don’t have class until the afternoon, okay?”

Lilith gave Beatrice a brisk nod, before storming upstairs. Beatrice sighed and turned to Camila.

“Well, she’s in quite the mood, isn’t she? We really should get her a stress ball or…” Beatrice trailed off when she noticed that Camila was staring at the wall in shock, her hands white around her mug.

“Camila?” She stepped closer to her friend, concern growing in her chest. Camila looked at her with wide eyes.

“Did you see that?”

Beatrice frowned.

“See what?”

Camila blinked a few times, and relaxed her grip on the mug. Placing it on the counter, she began to twist her hands anxiously.

“I don’t know, it must have been a trick of the light, or my mind messing with me after all the ghost talk, but I could’ve sworn…” she hesitated, chewing on her thumb.

Unease grew in Beatrice’s chest as she started to piece the events together.

“What?” She pressed gently.

Camila shook her head. “It’s silly but, when the light flashed, for a moment I thought I saw a girl standing in the room with us. She looked upset.” She laughed, but Beatrice could tell it was forced. “I’m being ridiculous now. I really should finish up my tea and head off.”

Beatrice did her best to not betray any of the emotions that were spinning through her mind until Camila was out of the house. After that, she quickly finished her tea, feeling her chest tightening with every moment she was left to do nothing but think.

Ava had done something with her powers. She’d lost control. She was upset, and Beatrice was the only one who could do something about it.

Beatrice went over the conversation in her mind, trying to piece together exactly what had triggered Ava’s outburst.

Obviously, she’d been upset when Beatrice had dismissed that ghosts weren’t real, but Ava wasn’t an idiot, she had to know that she’d needed to do that for the sake of maintaining the cover. It was Lilith talking about the ghost needing an exorcism that had made her presence feel physically dimmer.

Of course, that was upsetting. After what Ava had revealed about the last exorcism that was attempted, the mention of such a thing had to bring back awful memories. She made a mental note to remind Ava that there would be no exorcisms happening in this house.

It was Lilith’s mention of the nuns and Ava killing herself that had really triggered it. That made sense, of course, Ava wouldn’t want to think about her death, but something felt…wrong. Beatrice didn’t know why, but the emotion she’d felt from Ava hadn’t been just her being upset that it was being brought up.

No, she’d felt anger. The type of anger when someone was spreading lies about you.

Beatrice had tried not to think too much about Ava’s death, partially for herself, and partially out of respect for Ava. However, now she wondered if the commonly known story about what happened was perhaps incorrect. She didn’t want to ask for clarification, but she certainly was curious.

In the end though, it didn’t matter how Ava had died. All that mattered was that she was upset, and Beatrice needed to fix it.

Once Lilith was out of the house, bringing her emotional storm cloud with her, Beatrice put on the playlist she’d started making of Ava’s favourites. It including a lot of older songs, but also plenty of Taylor Swift and One Direction. One thing that Beatrice had quickly discovered about Ava was that she loved cheesy love songs. It was very cute, and Beatrice was honestly starting to like those songs as well.

Beatrice waited in her room for Ava, because she knew that Ava quite liked it there. She wasn’t sure why, but Ava always seemed happiest when she was with Beatrice in her room.

For about ten minutes, there was no sign that Ava was anywhere in the house. Beatrice didn’t want to rush Ava if she wasn’t ready, so she didn’t go looking. She just wanted to make it clear that if Ava wanted to talk, she would listen.

As the minutes continued, Beatrice decided that Ava must not want to talk. That was fine, Beatrice supposed. There were other things that she could do. Case in point, her assignments that she’d planned to do today anyways. There was an essay that needed a bit more planning, and Beatrice knew she should do that.

Her fingers tapped across the keys, and she tried to focus on the essay as hard as she could. But no matter what she tried; she couldn’t stop seeing Ava’s face. Sure, maybe she hadn’t actually seen what it had looked like in that moment, but she could imagine the hurt. The image she’d crafted tore at her heart, and Beatrice so badly wished that Ava was there.

All Beatrice wanted to do was help.

The music playing from her speaker changed to one of Ava’s favourite’s, a slower song. Usually, Ava didn’t like slow songs, but she’d taken to this one. Humming along to it, Beatrice found her mind drifting to Ava again, wondering if there was anything more she should be doing.

Beatrice was tempted to shut off the music and try to erase any thoughts of Ava from her mind, when she felt it. Ava’s presence, creeping into her room. She turned to look, but the other girl wasn’t visible.

“Ava?” Beatrice asked softly. There was no response, but Beatrice knew firmly in her heart that Ava was there. She could feel it. Fingers tapping on her desk, Beatrice tried to think of something to say.

“Ava, I’m not mad about what happened. I just want to know if you’re okay. And I’m sorry if anything I said hurt you.” Beatrice truly meant that. It felt awful to think that she’d done something to increase the hurt that was clearly cursing through the other girl.

The light above her bed flickered once and Beatrice’s gaze followed the movement.

“You can manipulate the lights. That’s quite the talent.” Her mind was already spinning with theories about what else Ava could do, but she had to quiet her thoughts. Ava’s powers were not what was important, it was Ava herself that mattered.

“Can you turn visible right now? Um, one flicker for yes, two for no.”

The lamp flickered twice, and Beatrice hummed.

“Okay. Is there anything I can do?”

Two flickers.

“Right, well then, I welcome you to stay in my room for the time being. I’ll be playing your playlist.” She paused and tried to think of something that would possibly help Ava feel better. “Would you like me to keep talking?”

One flicker.

Beatrice smiled.

For the next half an hour, Beatrice found herself monologuing to what felt like empty air. She talked about her essay, reasoning that if she wasn’t going to write it, she should donate some thought to it. Then she flowed on to talking about the book she was reading at the moment. After that, it was just her remarking on whatever crossed her mind.

She waited for the light to flicker again, deciding that if Ava wished for her to stop, she would let her know. That moment never came.

Instead, one moment Beatrice was talking about the man with the blue suit in her classes to the empty air, and the next, Ava was sitting by her side.

Beatrice, of course, reacted.

“Ava!”

Ava looked up at her, shocked.

“You can see me now?”

Beatrice nodded, unable to stop her smile.

Ava reached out for a pen on the desk, and successfully picked it up. Upon doing so, she started grinning.

“Oh nice! It usually takes me about a week before I can become visible after an episode like that.”

The phrasing of Ava’s words caused a sadness to leak into Beatrice’s heart. This had happened to Ava before. How terrifying it must be to live like that.

“I’m sorry about this morning, Ava. Lilith was out of line, and I’m afraid I did little to help.”

Ava gave her a weird look.

“What? Why are you apologising to me? I blew out your light and spilt tea on Lilith. If anything, I should be begging you to not exorcise me.” When she saw the expression on Beatrice’s face, Ava backtracked. “I’m kidding, I know you’ve promised not to.”

Beatrice shook her head. “I felt your presence fade when I said that I didn’t believe in you. And I should’ve stopped Lilith sooner.” But Ava was already shaking her head.

“You would’ve sounded insane if you started defending a ghost. You don’t need to protect me.”

“But I want to,” Beatrice said, before she could stop herself. Ava looked at her, and a small smile crept onto her face. Beatrice liked having that expression directed at her. There was just something so warm and joyful about it.

In the back of her head, a logical voice told Beatrice that she should ask Ava what had happened to her, so that way she could understand Ava. So that she knew how to avoid situations like this again. It made sense, and she knew she had to do it, but she still didn’t like it.

“Ava,” Beatrice started, and then hesitated, not wanting to ruin Ava’s newly good mood. Ava seemed to sense that Beatrice was going to ask something that she might not like, because she lifted her hand, and laid it over Beatrice’s thigh. Beatrice could swear that she felt a cool lightness on her skin where she was touching, but that might just be what she wanted to think.

“It’s okay Beatrice. I know you have questions. You can ask them.”

Beatrice nodded. “What happened? How did you become a ghost?”

Ava looked down, but she didn’t flicker, thankfully. Her hands curled into balls, and Beatrice so badly wished that she could pull Ava closer to give her some comfort.

“I didn’t kill myself,” Ava said firmly, and Beatrice nodded. Ava lifted her head to look at Beatrice. “You need to believe that.”

“I do. I believe you.”

Ava sighed, her shoulders relaxing.

“When I found out that that was the story they were spreading, I was so mad. I was paralyzed from the neck down, how on earth was I supposed to get access to the drugs to overdose with?” Ava shook her head, and sighed with frustration. “It was the nuns who did it. Because I was nineteen, they were supposed to be releasing me into the world. But I was quadriplegic, I didn’t really know anything about how to survive on my own.”

Beatrice felt her heart clenching. She’d suspected something like this from the nuns, but hearing it out loud still made her feel sick and angry.

Ava took a deep breath. “What I’m going to tell you next sounds insane, but considering that I’m a ghost, I feel like you have a reason to believe me.”

Beatrice nodded. “I believe you Ava. Whatever you tell me, I trust that it’s the truth.”

Ava grinned. “You’re a very trusting person, Bea.”

“Not usually. You just happen to bring it out of me.” It was true. It had taken so long for Beatrice to fully trust Lilith and Camilla, but for Ava, it just felt right to do so.

Ava gave her an indecipherable look, one that pulled at Beatrice’s heart. Then she sighed and said,

“Okay.” She swallowed. “The nuns were like, insanely religious. It bordered on cultlike. They genuinely believed that one day a ‘Halo Bearer’ would come to save them, and like, lead them into the war against evil.”

Beatrice, who remembered this from her studies, wondered what this had to do with Ava’s death.

“They weren’t patient. They didn’t want to wait for the Halo Bearer, so they decided to do what they could to like, forcibly select them. They had this whole ritual with this freaky sword and this metal ring they called the Halo.” Ava lifted her hand and rubbed at her back, as if to massage pain out of it. Beatrice hadn’t been aware that ghosts could feel pain.

“Because I was about to age out of the system, and because I was quadriplegic, I was one of their candidates. They thought the Halo would be able to purge my ‘wickedness’.” Ava’s tone was so harsh and bitter, something that Beatrice hadn’t heard from the other girl before.

“They sound awful.” Beatrice reached out to lie her hand on Ava’s thigh, but her fingers passed through. Ava smiled at her anyway.

“They fucking sucked.” She shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure what happened during the ritual, because they’d drugged me, but what I do know is that something went right in a way they weren’t expecting. I didn’t become what they’d hoped for but…” she paused and then reached for the back of her shirt. “Look.”

Beatrice was about to ask Ava what she was doing, but before she could, Ava pulled up the back of her shirt, and all of Beatrice’s questions faded away.

On Ava’s back, there was a circle scarred into the flesh. Beatrice instinctively reached out to touch it, but flinched back before she could try to make contact.

“Ava. What is that?”

Ava chuckled. “That’s the Halo. They put it in me, and I think it killed me. Except not really, because instead of completing the job, it stuck me here. In this in-between place.”

Beatrice’s mind was spinning with all this new information. She desperately wanted to start researching into this Halo, and the rituals of the nuns, but she suspected there wouldn’t be much information to be found online. Perhaps there were some texts in the local library about the Order.

But first, ahead of all of that, was Ava.

“You’re sure it’s the Halo?”

Ava nodded and dropped her shirt.

“I can feel it anchoring me here. And when I have a flare up, like I did before, I can feel it reacting to my emotions. I don’t know what the hell it is, but it’s not just some normal metal ring. I don’t know if they wanted it to do this, but it definitely had some power in it.”

Ava twisted on the bed and sighed. She looked so tired. If Beatrice hadn’t wanted to hunt those nuns down and give them a piece of her mind before, she definitely did now.

“So, um, I don’t even know if I’m a ghost, because I didn’t leave a body behind. I just straight up disappeared.”

Beatrice frowned.

“That’s your real body?”

Ava flexed her fingers, and then wiggled them, making jazz hands. “Yep, this is 100% real Ava Silva material right here. I’d offer to let you feel for yourself, but, well, that kinda defeats the point.”

Beatrice nodded, trying not to blush at the thought of touching Ava.

“So, um, yeah, sorry about the explosion, but that’s the whole truth about me. Resident ghost weirdo Ava, blowing up houses since 1990.” Her smile was definitely still forced, but Beatrice didn’t try to push. Ava had opened up enough for one day.

“Well, you’re certainly my favourite ghost weirdo.” The compliment was clunky, and so Beatrice added on something a little more heartfelt. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I know it can’t have been easy, so, thank you, truly.”

Ava’s smile was like a beam of sunlight on a cold and cloudy day. It seemed to somehow defy the sense of the situation, and made the day better just simply by being there.

“You’re my friend. Trusting you is kinda part of the deal.”

Beatrice felt her heart stuttering in her chest. Friends. Ava thought of them as friends. That sounded like the best possible option, and somehow also a stabbing pain at the same time. Beatrice decided that she wasn’t going to think too hard about that, and so she turned to her desk.

“I have a bit of time before I have to go into my classes in the afternoon. Would you like to watch something with me?”

Ava nodded. “Can we watch that superhero show?”

“Which one?”

“The one that Lilith pretends she doesn’t like.”

“That doesn’t narrow it down at all.”

Chapter Text

The weeks continued, and Ava’s presence in the house remained a secret for only her and Beatrice to know about.

Beatrice, in her spare time of course, started to do some more research into the Order of the Cruciform Sword. When she had first researched it online, there hadn’t been much about it outside of the case involving the house. So, she’d gone to the library nearby, and had scoured the stacks.

That was where she’d found more information. Specifically, about their beliefs and some of their rituals. Thank God for people who liked to write books on weirdly niche subjects.

From what Beatrice had learnt, the Order had been around for much longer than Beatrice had first assumed. They’d been in circulation since the Crusades, when the first Halo Bearer had apparently been called. This had been a woman known as Areala, and she’d apparently been gifted the Halo by an angel. Or, possibly God, the accounts weren’t really clear.

As for the Halo, Beatrice had learnt that the Order had held the Halo for centuries, waiting for the next Halo Bearer. They’d searched through Europe, trying to find girls who were considered worthy, but had been unsuccessful. Beatrice had found some reference to a Sister Melanie and her journal, so she’d searched all over to find information about it.

She’d found the journal in PDF form online. So, one night when she was in the house with Camila and Lilith, Beatrice had read through it. She didn’t like to do research if she thought that Ava might be around to see it. It may have been silly, but Beatrice didn’t want to upset Ava by digging into the Order who had hurt her so much.

But she needed to know more, needed to find out what had happened to Ava. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to bring Ava back.

The journal described the story of a nun of the Order named Melanie who claimed to have been trying to attain the Halo. She spoke of going through Nazi Germany, and being captured and sent to a camp. At first Beatrice had been confused, but then she’d realised why the nun had been considered an undesirable.

She was a lesbian.

After reading that, Beatrice became entranced, reading the story of this woman who had fought her way through a bar full of Nazis, and had eventually realised that she’d been fighting feelings of unworthiness due to her sexuality. But then she’d accepted herself, had set herself free, and had felt worthy to return home and try to take the Halo. The journal ended there, and a chilling thought told Beatrice that things hadn’t gone well.

Beatrice sat there for a long moment, thinking about Melanie’s story. About how much it resonated with her. Those feelings of not being enough because of who she had loved. The belief that she could not be accepted within those she called family due to it. The fear and the shame. But eventually, the acceptance.

Without even realising it, she began to cry, something shifting in her chest that she hadn’t even known was there. She felt understood, for the first time in a very long while.

“Bea? Lilith and I were thinking that maybe we should take a break from study. Do you wanna come down and—oh.”

Beatrice looked up from her laptop screen and saw Camila standing in the doorway. Her mouth had fallen open a little way, and she looked very small and soft wearing her unicorn pyjamas. She took a hesitant step into the room.

“Are you alright? You’re crying.” She frowned, and Beatrice tried to remember the last time she’d cried in front of Camila.

Beatrice wanted to smile, to tell Camila that she’d just seen a sad story online, but that she was okay, and that she should finish her question. She wanted to brush this away like she had so many times before. But the story of Melanie sat right beneath her ribs, aching and warming, and before she knew it, she was crying even harder.

“Oh no.” Camila rushed into the room. Clambering onto the bed, she rested a hand on Beatrice’s knee. “Bea, what’s the matter? It’s okay, you can tell me.”

Beatrice sniffled and wiped some of her tears away with the back of her hand. She tried her best to say that she was fine, but she couldn’t.

“Camila? Is Beatrice—oh.” Just like Camila, Lilith stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Lilith was never very good with emotions, and her hands grasped at the air helplessly, before she made her way over to the bed. She didn’t sit down, but rather stood right beside it.

“Beatrice?”

Beatrice swallowed. Her heart raced in her chest, for a moment filling her with fear. But then she looked at Camila and she looked at Lilith, these two girls who had been by her side throughout everything, and she realised that she wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

The words found their way out of her mouth without even thinking about it.

“I was reading this story online, and um, it really just resonated with me. It was about this—this lesbian woman in the 1940s, and she spoke about thinking that she wasn’t enough because she was raised religious, and she didn’t think she was worthy of love because she was gay. And I just—” Beatrice cut herself off again, tears blocking her throat. Camilla rubbed her hand on Beatrice’s knee. Lilith made no move, but her eyes were slowly filling with understanding.

“I just felt like she understood me. Because I have spent so much time hiding, and I thought I was okay with myself, and I thought that I’d accepted myself, but now I realise that I hadn’t, and I was still scared, and I still thought that I was unworthy because of who I am. But that’s fucking stupid.”

Lilith and Camila both flinched slightly as they heard Beatrice swear. It was a very rare occurrence, but Beatrice felt that it was necessary. She didn’t want to filter herself right now.

“The truth is, my sexuality is a part of me, and no matter what my parents and their stupid religion believes, I am accepted, and loved, and I will be okay. I’m a lesbian, and that’s just fine with me.” Beatrice swallowed back a sob, trying her best to sound as strong and as confident as she could.

Lilith and Camila stared at her for a long minute. Then Camila reached out, shut the laptop resting on Beatrice’s lap, and all but tackled her in a hug.

“Woah, Camila!”

“I love you so much Beatrice!”

It took a second, but Beatrice wrapped her arms around Camila, smiling as she did. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears dripping out. A few moments later, she felt Lilith’s arms wrapping around the both of them.

That feeling of being understood now burned proudly in her chest.

When they finally broke the hug, Lilith put a hand on Beatrice’s shoulder and leant in.

“Beatrice, you and I have known this for a while, but our parents and their views are shit. Don’t spend another second believing them, okay?”

Beatrice nodded. “I know.” She smiled. “It feels so good to say that I’m a lesbian out loud. And I mean, I know both of you probably suspected, but I am still glad to have your support.”

Camila shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what we suspected. We weren’t going to say anything until you were ready.”

Lilith squeezed Beatrice’s shoulder before letting go and leaning back. “We’re just proud of you. You’re always going to be part of our family, no matter what.”

Beatrice sighed, very thankful for her friends. She hadn’t been ready, Camila was right, but now she was. And now that she’d said it, everything felt right. It felt calm.

Camila wriggled happily on the bed, patting the covers. “We should celebrate. Do you want me to go buy cake?”

Beatrice opened her mouth to stop Camila, but paused, and then grinned.

“Actually, cake would be lovely.” Why not celebrate with her family? It was what she deserved.

Lilith nodded. “I’ll get the champagne. You pick the movie; we’re having a girls’ night.”

Beatrice laughed as the two of them left the room, Camila already trying to decide which cake would be the best, and if there was enough time to get one inscribed. Once they were both gone, Beatrice just sat there for a moment, smiling.

She was so proud of herself.

+++

Beatrice spent the next three days floating on a cloud. The day after her impromptu coming out session, she met up with Mary and Shannon to tell them as well. Neither had been surprised, but both had been incredibly proud. Beatrice was pretty sure that she’d seen tears in Mary’s eyes.

Suddenly, it just felt like everything was perfectly going her way. Assignments felt easier, she felt lighter, and the whole house had been in good spirits.

Well, except for one particular spirit in the house who hadn’t popped up in a bit.

Beatrice hadn’t noticed Ava’s absence at first, assuming that she was just taking some alone time. But after she hadn’t returned Beatrice’s latest book loan, and there had been a noticeable lack of sticky notes, Beatrice wondered if something was wrong.

She hadn’t been at the house a lot, but usually Ava would find a way to communicate even if she wasn’t. The sudden disappearing act weighed on her mood, and dragged her back to earth. Beatrice didn’t want to leave any notes lying around in case of someone discovering them and questioning her sanity, but she played her Ava playlist, and hoped for something, anything.

All she had was hopes for four days. And then, on the first day in a while that she’d been alone in the house, Ava had appeared.

It had been a very sudden appearance, in that Ava had literally appeared about five minutes after Lilith and Camila left for the day. Beatrice had been downstairs, making herself a cup of tea and listening to music, when suddenly a voice had spoken from behind her.

“Hi.”

Beatrice had gotten used to Ava’s appearing act, but in the few days of radio silence it seemed that she’d lost her touch. So, instead of reacting like a normal person, Beatrice spilled her cup of tea.

“Ah!”

“Shit, sorry!”

Beatrice set about cleaning up the tea, and Ava moved into sight, also grabbing paper towels to help.

“Did you get any on your shirt?”

“No, no, I knocked it forwards, but it’s dripping on the floor.”

“I’ll get the mop, hold on.”

After a scramble of cleaning, Beatrice looked up at Ava, who was clutching the mop, and smiled.

“Sorry for the reaction.”

Ava shook her head. “No, no, it’s my bad.” Her cheeks were tinted pink, and she kept bouncing on her toes.

Beatrice frowned. “Is everything alright?”

Ava rose her eyebrows, and then nodded very quickly. She moved the mop from hand to hand.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine, I’m fine, why wouldn’t things be fine? I’m all good, everything is normal, and cool, and great, and fine.”

Beatrice stared at Ava, who started to flicker.

“Ava, please don’t disappear.”

Ava frowned, and her image stopped flicking. There was a long-drawn-out silence, and just as Beatrice was about to ask, Ava started rambling again.

“So, um, okay, I feel really bad about this, but uh, so the other night, I was chilling out downstairs, you know, just doing ghosty things, and I wanted to come up and return the book you leant me. And, you know, like, chat about it, hang out, fun stuff like that. But you were talking to Camila and Lilith, so I sort of just stayed outside, and listened in to make sure that you were okay, and um,” Ava swallowed, catching her breath after the excessive word vomit that just came out of her mouth, “I sort of overheard your whole conversation, and I don’t think I was meant to.”

It took Beatrice a moment to comprehend the whole rant, but as she did, a sinking feeling began to set in.

Ava had heard the conversation. Which meant that Ava now knew she was a lesbian. Ava, a ghost who had grown up in the eighties in a religious household. Ava, who was averting her gaze, and acting all uncomfortable.

Beatrice had completely forgot to even consider this as a possibility. She swallowed and straightened, begging for some of Melanie’s strength in this moment.

“Right. So, you know.”

Ava nodded, still not looking up.

“Well, if you have a problem with it, then I would honestly prefer that you keep it to yourself. I’ve lived enough of my life hearing people telling me how they are disgusted by what I am, and I do not need to add you to that list.”

Ava opened her mouth, shut it, looked up, and her eyes widened. She jumped forwards, arms out and waving around.

“What? Oh shit, no! No, no, no I’m not disgusted by you, shit, Bea, I could never be disgusted by you!”

Beatrice blinked, the cogs in her head turning as her posture unstiffened.

“You aren’t?”

Ava shook her head quickly.

“Then why are you all nervous?”

Ava shrugged, looking down again.

“I wasn’t meant to hear it. I felt bad, because obviously that was a really big moment for you, and it’s like, your moment, and I eavesdropped, and now you’ve accidentally come out to me, and like, that should’ve been your choice.”

Oh. That wasn’t what Beatrice was expecting, but it did soften her posture. So, Ava wasn’t upset that Beatrice was a lesbian, she was just worried that she’d listened in on a private conversation. Hearing that made Beatrice smile a little, just because it was such a caring and Ava thing.

“Well, that’s very sweet of you, but it’s okay. As long as you’re okay with it, I have no problem with you knowing.”

Ava smiled nervously. “You sure? I can try to forget it if you want.”

Beatrice laughed. “No, if anything it saves me from having to go through the emotions of coming out.”

Ava nodded. “Okay, cool.” She frowned. “You really thought I’d be disgusted by it?”

Beatrice sighed and sat down on one of the kitchen stools. “I didn’t really know. I assumed you’d be fine with it, but there’s always a fear that comes with telling someone who you are. For example, I could never tell my parents.”

Ava frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “Why not?”

Beatrice looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers. It was a nervous habit that she’d picked up, one that she tended to do when she was being open with others.

“Well, they’d be horribly disappointed. I’d get a whole lecture on ruining the family legacy, how it’s a rebellious phase, how they expect me to be better. The usual things. They were quite religious, and not at all quiet about their opinions.” She sighed. “It became very easy to hate who I was in that household.”

“Don’t hate who you are.”

Beatrice looked up from her hands. Ava was staring at her, eyes full of sincerity. Her smile had dropped, and she looked almost as serious as Beatrice had ever seen her.

“Who you are is beautiful.”

The words were said so confidently and with so much emotion that Beatrice felt like crying. It felt like the air had been knocked out of her, and like she’d come home all in one moment. Like Ava had changed her life, just by saying those words.

Beatrice didn’t think anyone had ever told her that she was beautiful in such a way. In a way that didn’t account for physical appearance, in a way that was only focused on who she was at her core, on the person she was inside. It was truly marvellous how Ava had brought Beatrice such wonder in so few words.

Something inside Beatrice’s heart crawled out and whispered, ‘I think I just might love this girl’.

That of course kickstarted a panic that Beatrice was not at all ready for, so she shoved it away with a force.

She smiled brightly at Ava.

“Thank you.” She cleared her throat and stood. “Shall we watch something? I’ve been wanting to watch Wynonna Earp for days.”

Ava blinked, obviously a little thrown off from Beatrice’s quick pivot, but she followed suit.

“Yeah, okay.” She grinned at Beatrice. “You know, I really can’t believe you thought I was homophobic. I watched Buffy and Wynonna Earp. And they’re both like, pretty gay.”

Beatrice laughed. “Well, now that you say it, I suppose you’re right.” She smiled to herself, remembering Ava’s enthusiasm about Waverly and Nicole kissing for the first time. Maybe she’d jumped to conclusions a little quickly. Although, a voice in the back of her head mused, that was likely to protect herself from getting hurt by this person who she really cared about.

Because she did care about Ava. Perhaps more than she should.

But she was not thinking about that right now. That was a problem for later.

Chapter Text

After that Beatrice entered, well, a sort of crisis. Except, she was in a complete and utter denial about this crisis existing, so really, everything was fine.

The problem was that she could not stop thinking about Ava. She’d been like that before, having thoughts about Ava popping up every now and then, but now it was something that completely dominated her mind. At university, she’d learn about something, and think about how Ava would find it interesting. She’d see someone eating pizza, and she’d wish that she could order some for Ava to try. It was so bad that she’d once accidentally mistaken a girl in her class for Ava, and had quite the dramatic reaction.

Beatrice’s friends were confused by the fact that she was suddenly acting nervous and flighty, and they were trying their best to be there for her, but Beatrice just brushed them all off. They could accept her for liking women, but liking the ghost that haunted their house might be a bit too far for all of them.

The solution for this problem that Beatrice had come up with was to completely ignore the problem. Yes, she thought about Ava a lot, and the best part of her day was when she got to see her, and she may have seen Ava in a few of her dreams, but it was fine. Thinking about it and following her heart in this situation would only end in a completely and utter explosion of everything.

So, no thinking. No problem.

Instead, she focused on doing more research. This time, she took a new tactic, steering away from the OCS and the Halo, and looking more into theories on ghosts. There was a lot about unfinished business, and how ghosts were often vengeful. In Ava’s case, she certainly wasn’t vengeful, and Beatrice wondered what kind of unfinished business she could be sticking around for.

Honestly, most of the things Beatrice found would either need more information from Ava, or were just simply untrue in this case. Especially since Ava was currently inhabiting her real body. The way Beatrice saw it, it almost seemed that Ava was in another dimensional plane, and could use energy to interact with theirs, but that was only a hypothesis.

She wanted to ask Ava more questions, so that she could find a possible way to bring her back over to their side, but she didn’t want to hurt Ava. Ava really didn’t like talking about her past, or the fact that she was dead, and besides, it seemed rude to give hope where there might not be any to be found. So, Beatrice would need to do this by herself.

Ava herself was quite happy to just enjoy the time she had with Beatrice, it seemed. She was spending more and more time visible, which was starting to lead to a few close calls. Thankfully, Ava had a fairly good reaction time, and Beatrice was well practiced at hiding her emotions and pretending like nothing was happening.

Unfortunately, though, this was something that worked well until it didn’t. And then everything blew up very quickly.

Beatrice and Ava were both alone in the house, and were in the kitchen. Ava was sitting on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth, and Beatrice was making scones. Camila had been very stressed out with her assignments recently, and Beatrice felt like she needed a pick me up. Everyone loved Beatrice’s baking, so she’d decided to do some of that.

Ava, of course, had simply just decided to hang out for the fun of it. She seemed very interested in the process of making the scones, even if she was very disappointed that she wouldn’t get to eat them. One of the main things that Ava was upset about, Beatrice had learnt, was her inability to eat. She supposed that made sense, especially after Ava had been confined to a bed and spent most of her life eating bread and soup only.

They’d put on some music, and Ava was singing along happily. Beatrice just smiled to herself as she worked. Ava’s voice was quite lovely, and she was taking the time to enjoy it. She knew that it was probably a bad idea, because it made Ava all the more endearing, but she just couldn’t help herself. And it wasn’t like she was going to tell Ava to stop.

“So, where did you learn to bake?” Ava asked as Beatrice put the tray of scones into the oven. Beatrice shrugged.

“I had a lot of time to myself around the house. My parents were away often, and while we did have a personal chef, I found myself wanting to make my own food. Our chef wasn’t so good at baking, but she tried to help me where she could. I found it nice to have a talent that was just for the benefit of myself, something that my parents didn’t see as necessary. Besides,” Beatrice added with a smile, “I really liked having banana muffins and baking them myself was only too easy.”

Her parents hadn’t cared much for Beatrice’s talent for baking. They thought it was a silly hobby, and that she should spend more time on practicing for school, or martial arts, or violin, or one of the languages she was learning. And while Beatrice did all she could to be perfect at all those things, she needed something else. An outlet that had no benefit to them, but that she was still proud of.

“You know, the more you tell me about your parents, the more I dislike them.” Ava wrinkled her nose, and Beatrice laughed.

“I don’t think you would get along with them, no. You’d probably give them quite the fright, and they’d disappear from the house making the sign of the cross.”

Ava laughed. “You’re right.” She tilted her head. “I’m just amazed that people like that could make someone as wonderful as you.”

Beatrice stopped in the middle of washing the bowl. Ava was far too free with compliments; it was unlike anything Beatrice had ever encountered.

“Well, I’ve been told I’m a lot like them, so,” she left that sentence unfinished. Her parents and their associates had told her that. Lilith had said it once, in a really bad argument, and had apologised for it profusely. Beatrice still worried that deep down she was just as cold and focused on being perfect. That she’d push the people around her to the side for her own benefits.

“Nah, I don’t think so. For one, I don’t think your parents would make a playlist for a ghost. And your parents can’t bake, I’m assuming, so that’s a score.” Ava nodded. “Oh yeah, and your parents probably don’t like cool TV shows, and they probably wouldn’t make scones just because their friend was stressed out, and they probably wouldn’t buy Lilith candles even when she has too many.” She gave Beatrice a wide smile. “From what you’ve told me, your parents don’t seem to care about like, other people, and you’re one of the most caring people I’ve met.”

Beatrice looked up at Ava with a smile spreading across her face. Ava just grinned at her, but her eyes were full of determination, like she’d do anything to prove to Beatrice that she was extraordinary.

“Thank you,” Beatrice whispered.

Ava shrugged. “It’s all true. You’re my best friend, and you’re pretty amazing. I would hate it if you didn’t think of yourself the same.”

Beatrice felt like she might pass out. Ava thought of her as her best friend? She hadn’t realised that the ghost cared about her so much. And she hadn’t realised until Ava said it, that she felt much the same. She loved Lilith and Camila, but the bond between them was different to the one she had with Ava. With Ava, she felt free, unburdened, unbound, finally herself.

Lost in the realisation that had overwhelmed her, and the soft look in Ava’s eyes, Beatrice missed the sound of keys in the door. And she missed the sound of the door opening. And the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

She missed all of that, until it was too late.

“Who’s this?” Lilith asked from the doorway. Beatrice and Ava both turned at the same time, and Beatrice felt her heart kickstart in her chest, ready to race straight out her throat.

Okay, this was bad, this was very bad, but Beatrice could surely still play off that Ava was a friend from university that she’d invited over. That was all. Lilith wouldn’t recognise Ava, and it would be fine.

“Oh shit,” Ava said, before promptly turning invisible.

Beatrice winced. Well, now things would not be fine.

Lilith dropped her keys, finger jabbing at the air as her mouth fell open.

“What the fuck!”

Beatrice moved towards Lilith, hands out placatingly. Lilith was known for her hot temper, and Beatrice had the feeling that it was definitely going to flare up right now.

“Okay, Lilith calm down.”

Lilith turned her dark glare on Beatrice, freezing her in place.

“Calm down? I just saw a fucking ghost and you want me to calm down?” She stepped forwards, waving her arms out as if she could pull Ava out of the air. Beatrice started mentally running through all her possible explanations.

Lilith spun back to face Beatrice.

“Did you know that we had a ghost in our house?”

It was a trick question, obviously. Lilith would have put those pieces together in her head, she just wanted Beatrice to admit it.

“Yes.”

Lilith’s eyes widened. “So, you’re telling me that you knew that we had a ghost in our house, and you decided to not tell us?”

Beatrice sighed. “Yes.”

Lilith threw her hands out wide. “What the hell Beatrice? We could have exorcised it by now. Or it could have killed us in our sleeps.”

“Her name is Ava.”

Lilith blinked. “Sorry?”

Beatrice folded her hands. In her chest, she could feel panic that wasn’t her own, and she knew that it was Ava. Right now, Ava had moved behind Beatrice, as if using her to shield her from Lilith, even when she was invisible.

“Her name is Ava, and you’re upsetting her.”

Lilith looked like she didn’t know if she wanted to scream or start laughing.

“I’m sorry, are you defending a ghost right now?”

Beatrice sighed. “Look, Lilith, you need to relax. She’s harmless, and if you calm down, she might be able to actually explain that to you in person.”

Lilith shook her head, advancing on Beatrice. “That’s why the light bulb blew, that’s why all our books were moving when we first came here.” She waved a hand. “Beatrice, she could be doing anything to us. Watching us when we sleep, hoarding our possessions, stealing our life force. She’s dangerous.”

The new light bulb they’d installed flickered. Lilith pointed to it. “See?”

Beatrice reached out to grab Lilith’s hand but was avoided. She balled her hands.

“Lilith, she’s not a threat. She’s my friend.” Beatrice hadn’t defended Ava to Lilith before, but she certainly would now. What kind of best friend wouldn’t?

Lilith actually laughed this time. “Beatrice, she’s probably doing some creepy mind manipulation thing. What if she needs to get close to you so she can possess you? This is insane, you should have told me.”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you would overreact.” Beatrice watched the light bulb, and felt for Ava’s feelings. She didn’t seem in danger of a blow out, and Beatrice wanted to keep it that way.

“I am not overreacting! This is a perfectly normal reaction! You’re claiming to be friends with a dead person haunting our house. I would expect this from Camila, but Beatrice, you’re meant to be the reasonable one in the house.”

Beatrice scoffed. “Firm words from someone who is being incredibly unreasonable right now.”

Lilith’s hands landed on Beatrice’s shoulders, and she shook her gently.

“Beatrice. You are defending a ghost.”

“Yes I am,” Beatrice said calmly. She stepped out of Lilith’s grip. “Once again, you don’t know her, and you have no right to make assumptions like this.”

Lilith shook her head. “This is absurd. I’m going to find an exorcist.”

The light bulb flickered again, and Beatrice grabbed Lilith’s arm. “Under no circumstances will you do that.”

Lilith yanked her hand away, glaring at Beatrice. “Try and stop me.”

Grabbing for a compromise that would stop Lilith from doing anything rash, Beatrice did the only thing she thought might work.

“If you’re going to make decisions about our house, at least wait for all members to be present.”

Lilith rose an eyebrow. “You want me to wait for Camila? She’s too soft-hearted, she’ll get tricked too.”

Beatrice folded her arms. “When we bought this house, we agreed that all three of us were equal here. So, we don’t do anything until Camila is here. And, you agree to talk to Ava.”

Lilith huffed, striding away from Beatrice, who just waited. Seconds ticked by, and then finally Lilith turned back around.

“Fine. We’ll wait for Camila to get home. She should be here any minute. We’ll discuss, and then we’ll talk to your weird ghost. But you need to promise me that if we decide she’s a threat, you’ll let us exorcise her.”

Beatrice swallowed. She knew that Ava was still in the room, still listening, still terrified of getting hurt. There was no way that she was going to let anything happen to Ava, but she needed to get Lilith to agree.

“I promise you that if she presents herself as dangerous, I will help take steps to ensure that we don’t get hurt.”

Lilith didn’t look happy with that answer, but Beatrice set her face in stone, making it clear that it was as far as she was willing to move on the matter. Lilith jabbed a finger at her.

“I’m going up to my room. If you would be so kind as to keep the ghost out of there, that would be lovely.”

Beatrice gave her a stiff nod before she disappeared up the stairs. The moment she was gone, Beatrice collapsed into a chair, her hands shaking.

“I’m so sorry Ava. I promise you; I’m not going to let her hurt you,” Beatrice said quietly, aware that Lilith had scarily good hearing. She felt a presence in front of her and smiled.

“Can you turn visible right now? One flicker for yes, two for no.”

The light bulb above the kitchen flickered twice. Beatrice sighed.

“That’s alright. Do you think you’ll be able to come back soon?”

One flicker. Beatrice smiled.

“Okay good. Stay here, Camila will be home soon, and you should be present for that conversation.” The timer that Beatrice had set for the over started beeping, and Beatrice laughed to herself. Right. The scones.

Camila came in right after Beatrice had pulled out the last of the scones. She lit up as she walked in and smelt them.

“Ooh, are those your famous scones?”

Beatrice smiled. “Yes, I made them for you.”

“Don’t let her bribe you into agreeing to anything,” Lilith called as she came down the stairs. Beatrice sighed as Camila frowned.

“Yeah, what’s going on? Lilith texted me about needing a house meeting ASAP. Did something happen?”

Lilith strode into the room, and folded her arms.

“I don’t know Beatrice. Did something happen?”

Beatrice sighed. Lilith was definitely going to be a pain to deal with right now. She always had been stubborn and strong-minded. As had Beatrice, which had led to the majority of their arguments growing up. Beatrice still remembered the worst one, which had been over whether or not their parents were terrible people. They’d somehow managed to come to the same conclusion there, which was that they in fact were, so Beatrice at least had some hope for this argument.

“Beatrice?” Camila asked, tilting her head between the two of them.

“Essentially, we have a ghost living with us,” Beatrice said. Camila laughed, a smile breaking onto her face.

“Oh good, I thought you were serious for a moment there. You guys had me worried.”

Neither Lilith nor Beatrice moved, both of them glaring at each other. Camila’s smile slowly dropped.

“Lilith? Please tell me this is a joke.”

“I would love to Camila. But unfortunately, Beatrice is telling the truth, and not only that, but she’s been put under the ghost’s spell.”

“I have not!”

“You keep referring to it as your friend!”

“And you keep referring to her as an it!”

Camila held her hands up to stop their back and forth.

“Hold on. So, the ghost that we all agreed was fake, the ghost of the girl who killed herself—”

“She was actually killed by the nuns.”

Camila nodded slowly. “Right. Yes. Okay. So, that ghost is living with us, and it’s tricked Beatrice.”

“Exactly.”

“No! I have not been tricked. Ava is my friend,” Beatrice insisted. It was quite frustrating to hear Lilith being so sure that Ava was tricking her. She didn’t know Ava like Beatrice did, didn’t know how kind and funny she really was. How caring.

“She’s only pretending to be your friend so she can possess you,” Lilith said scathingly. The lightbulb above her head flickered and Lilith glared at the ceiling. “Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking to you!”

Camila cleared her throat. “Okay, can I just ask if either of you has actually seen the ghost?”

“Yes,” the two of them answered in unison. Camila nodded again.

“Right. Can I see her?”

Lilith folded her arms. “Beatrice wants us to talk to her. I don’t trust her.”

Beatrice sighed. “Ava doesn’t really react well when people threaten to exorcize her, so she’s having a bit of trouble making herself visible.”

Camila looked at Beatrice carefully. “You really know this ghost well, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“How long have you been talking?”

Beatrice mentally counted back the days. “A little over two months.”

Lilith’s mouth fell open. “We’ve been living here for a little over three months! You’ve known for that long and you didn’t think to tell us?”

“Forgive me for not wanting to tell you when you reacted like this,” Beatrice bit back.

Camila waved her hands. “Okay, this is going nowhere. Is there a way for Ava to connect with us without becoming visible?”

The light above Camila’s head flickered. Camila startled slightly.

“Oh, is that her?”

“That is,” Beatrice confirmed. “Usually, we do one flicker for yes and two for no.”

Lilith mumbled something under her breath, but Beatrice and Camila both ignored her.

Camila looked up at the light.

“Okay, um, Ava, do you wish us any harm?”

Two flickers.

Lilith scoffed. “You want us to believe that?”

One flicker. Lilith rolled her eyes.

“It was a rhetorical question.”

Camila shushed her. “Ava, is Beatrice really your friend?”

One flicker, so quick that Beatrice couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She could almost hear Ava’s voice in her head. The ghost was definitely making all sorts of remarks right now.

“Alright, Ava, if we promise not to hurt you, can you make yourself visible?”

One flicker. Camila smiled.

“I promise not to hurt you.”

Beatrice tucked her hands behind her back. “You already know my feelings on the matter Ava.”

The two of them turned to look at Lilith. Lilith shook her head, crossing her arms tightly.

“I am not promising the ghost anything. This has to be a trick.”

“Stop being childish,” Beatrice scolded. Lilith opened her mouth to retort, but Camila cut her off.

“Lilith, promise that you won’t hurt the ghost.” She used what they referred to as Camila’s ‘scary voice’ for that command. Lilith shut her mouth, clenching her jaw tightly, and digging her fingers into her arms. They waited for a response.

Finally, she spat out,

“Fine. But the moment she starts acting creepy as shit, I’m grabbing a Bible and a cross.”

Beatrice sighed. “I think that’s the closest we’re going to get to a promise to do no harm.”

“Yeah, I think so,” Ava said.

The three of them jumped back, even Beatrice, who had known where Ava was. Ava had appeared in the middle of them, already raising her hands non threateningly. Lilith scowled. Camila’s eyes lit up.

“I saw you! When the light bulb exploded, I saw you.”

Ava smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I just get a bit sensitive about the whole death thing. Especially since everyone got told the wrong story.” She nodded at Camila. “By the way, I really love your piano playing. I told Bea to tell you, but I wanted to make sure you knew.”

Camila smiled with surprise. “You heard that?”

Ava shrugged. “I kinda live here. I hear a lot of things.” She looked at Lilith. “But I promise I don’t watch you guys sleep or read through your diaries or whatever. That would be weird and creepy.”

Lilith didn’t break her stony expression. “I don’t trust you.”

Ava’s shoulders dropped a little. “I know. Believe me, you’ve made that very clear. But, if it means anything to you, I promise I won’t hurt you guys. I’m just a formerly living person who just happens to be hanging out in your house. I don’t mean any harm.”

Lilith cast a glance to Beatrice. “And what do you want from my friend? Why did you tell her that you were here?”

Ava looked to Beatrice with a smile. “She caught me in the kitchen dancing to Queen.”

Lilith’s expression shifted a little, like she was fighting off the twitch of a smile.

Ava held her hand up. “Look. I promise, I want to be Beatrice’s friend. I haven’t really had much chance for that in my life. And honestly, I kind of want to get to know you guys better too.”

Camila brightened. “You do?”

“Yeah of course. We all live together already, and I know some things, but I want to talk to you guys. You’re Beatrice’s favourite people, so you must be cool.”

Lilith softened slightly, the tension going out of her shoulders. “Beatrice said we’re her favourite people.” She looked at Beatrice, so close to smiling.

Ava nodded. “Yeah, I mean she said that she wouldn’t have survived with you guys, and she’s always smiling when she talks about you.”

Lilith dropped her arms by her sides. She didn’t seem completely convinced yet, but actually talking to Ava seemed to be loosening her up. Camila looked at ease already.

“So, Ava, what do you do around the house?”

Ava shrugged. “I read books that Bea lends me, listen to music when she plays it. Sometimes though, when she’s not around, and I don’t have anything to do, I come up with stories and things to entertain me. I can’t really sleep, but I wish I could sometimes because it does get boring to be me.”

Camila looked like she was ready to donate her entire book collection to Ava, and also go out and purchase a bunch of toys for her.

“That sounds really lonely.”

Ava shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of that. But it’s been nice with you guys. And with Bea.”

Lilith held up a hand. “Sorry, does Beatrice actually let you call her that?”

Ava’s brow creased. “Uh, yeah?”

Lilith looked at Beatrice with wide eyes, and Beatrice very pointedly looked away.

“She doesn’t even let me call her that. She barely lets Camila call her that. What did you do?”

Ava failed to speak for a moment, before quietly saying,

“I don’t know?”

Lilith squinted and looked between the two of them. She stepped closer to Ava.

“Ava, what would happen if I told you that I wanted you to stay out of our way and not talk to any of us for the rest of our stay?”

“Lilith!” Beatrice interjected, but Lilith waved her off. Ava swallowed, and ducked her head.

“I’d stay out of your way. It's your house, I'm just here. I don't want to mess anything up. So, yeah, I'd stay away from you.”

“What about Beatrice?”

Ava struggled to speak for a moment, mouth making syllables, but no words. Lilith tilted her head, and Beatrice recognised that she was doing her scary Lilith act.

“I mean, I promise that I won’t hurt her. But if she tells me that she wants me to stay away, then I’d respect those wishes.” She met Lilith’s eyes. “If it’s just you telling me to stay away, that doesn’t count. You can’t decide things for her.”

Beatrice didn’t think she’d seen someone who wasn’t one of them go toe to toe with Lilith in a mood like this in a while. It made her heart squeeze in her chest, and she tried her best to ignore those feelings.

Lilith looked at Beatrice, and then back to Ava. A small smile started to spread across her lips.

“Oh. I see.” She laughed.

“See what?” Ava asked, frowning.

“Anyways,” Beatrice interrupted loudly, hoping very much that Lilith had not come to the conclusion that she thought she’d come to. Because that would be beyond embarrassing. And Lilith would literally never let her live it down.

“So, you guys have met me now. You’ve done your investigation. Do I get to stay?” Ava looked a bit like a puppy dog that you’d find on the street tucked into a cardboard box with the nervous expression she had on her face.

“Of course,” Camila said, smiling at Ava. “We were just a little concerned, but if you’re just going to be nice to us, there should be a problem.”

Lilith sighed. “Yes, you can stay for now.” Her expression went serious again, but Beatrice knew her well enough to know that she was mostly bluffing. “But if you mess with any of us, I will break out the holy water.”

Ava nodded; mouth shut. Lilith sighed.

“Right, well, now that we’ve sorted this out, I’m going up to my room. Ava, that’s an off-limits zone, yes?”

Ava nodded again.

“Good.” She turned and stalked up the stairs. Camila turned to Ava.

“That’s just Lilith. She takes a little bit of time to warm up to people.”

Beatrice laughed to herself. That may be a slight understatement. Lilith had taken a good year and a half before she decided that she wanted to actually talk with Beatrice instead of just being passive aggressive and straight up aggressive to her.

Ava bounced on her toes. “I can be patient.” She smiled at Camila. “You’re cool though. Beatrice has told me a lot about you. You’re like a super computer person, right?”

Camila flashed Beatrice a quick smile. “Yes, essentially.”

“I don’t think I could turn a computer on, so that’s like super cool to me.”

As Ava and Camila started talking, Beatrice felt her heart relaxing in her chest. Her friends had accepted that Ava was living with them, and they weren’t going to try and exorcize her, or kick her out. This was a bigger win than Beatrice had expected at first.

She was glad that now all her favourite people were on good terms. It felt right, like they were just meant to work together.

Chapter Text

Having the whole house aware of Ava’s presence changed a lot in the way that things ran. For one, it meant that Ava was visible a lot more now. She joined them during shared meals, talked with them when they came home, and Beatrice really loved it.

Camila did too, honestly. She’d taken to Ava quite well, and the two of them spent a lot of time chatting. Lilith hadn’t yet decided that Ava was a friend, but she wasn’t being actively mean. She was mostly just giving Ava a lot of side glances.

Ava seemed to even happier as well. Beatrice knew that Ava had been lonely, and now she didn’t have to hide away, and she had more people to talk to. Camila loved having someone who’d actually sit and listen to her explaining what she did for university. Ava might not understand any of it, but she sure was entertained by it. And as much as Lilith was neutral to Ava, Beatrice knew that Lilith didn’t mind having someone who was actually interested in her law stuff.

Ava was just interested in everything, Beatrice had found. This was likely a symptom of not getting to learn properly, and being trapped in the same place for years, but it was still lovely to see someone who approached every situation with such wonder.

Now that Ava was no longer a secret to be hidden in the spare room, Beatrice set about acquiring her some more items. She bought Ava copies of the books she’d liked the most, so that she could read them at any time. After a bit of searching Beatrice and Camila found Ava a CD player, along with some CDs, seeing as Ava didn’t have a phone to play music through, and Beatrice didn’t want Ava to be alone in silence when no one was home.

Beatrice also went shopping for some more clothes for Ava. It was incredibly depressing, seeing her in the same ragged clothes all the time. Ava explained that she’d taken them from one of the families when they’d boxed up a bunch of clothes to donate. That was no acceptable, so Beatrice found Ava some new hoodies, shirts, pants, underwear, and socks.

Ava offered her suggestions, which resulted in Beatrice buying Ava only patterned socks, because Ava found them fun. Camila was the best when it came to clothes shopping, so she was the one who took point for most of it, but Beatrice did add in suggestions for things she thought Ava might like.

Ava was very appreciative of it all, which resulted in her trying to hug them. And then of course, she passed straight through them, but it didn’t matter, because Beatrice appreciated her trying anyway.

During meal times, Ava now sat with them, even if she couldn’t eat, just because she enjoyed the company. The more time that passed, the more it felt like she’d been there all along.

As much as Beatrice enjoyed seeing Ava getting alone with her housemates, she did have to say that she missed having Ava all to herself. It seemed that Ava didn’t spend half as much time sitting in Beatrice’s room, chatting to her about anything, or watching shows on the couch with her, or listening to music with her.

Beatrice missed Ava. It was selfish to say, but she truly did. Ava had said they were best friends, had she only said that because Beatrice was her only friend? It felt silly that she’d been so excited at the time, as that probably was the only reason.

This insecurity that had crawled up into Beatrice’s mind seethed and bubbled, and the tangled itself up with her feelings for Ava. It was bad enough having feelings for the ghost living in her house, what was worse would be if that ghost had only been hanging out with her because she had no other choice.

Beatrice tried her best not to let this possibility affect the way in which she interacted with Ava. Because Ava was still hanging out with her, just not as much. She still came into Beatrice’s room, and sat on the edge of her bed as Beatrice studied. And she still kept pestering Beatrice to play her music. Even if it was only occasionally.

Camila had found it very entertaining when she’d figured out that Beatrice had started playing her music out loud for Ava. Beatrice could only hope that she wouldn’t bring up the implications of that. That would just be too embarrassing.

+++

Beatrice came home from university one afternoon to be faced with an incredibly confusing situation. Camila was standing on a chair, trying to turn off the smoke detector as it beeped as her. Smoke was rushing towards it out of the oven, clouding the air.

Ava was running around the kitchen, panickily trying to empty the oven of what seemed to be some very burnt clumps of pastry. Wind blew in through the opened windows, and Beatrice noted that it didn’t affect Ava’s hair. Interesting.

“What on earth is going on?” Beatrice exclaimed. Ava’s head snapped to the door and her face lit up with a sheepish grin.

“Hey Bea! We’re fine, don’t worry!”

Camila swore at the smoke detector. “Shut up! I know there’s smoke!”

Ava kept smiling. “We’re just having a bit of an issue.”

Beatrice set her bag and laptop down on the table, and walked over to them, examining what Ava was trying to clean up. Upon further inspection, there was flour all over the counter, egg shells on the floor, and several stains on Camila’s pants.

“Once again, what is happening?”

Camila pulled a wire, and the smoke detector stopped beeping. “Aha!” She looked down to Beatrice. “Um, it’s Ava’s fault.”

Ava’s mouth fell open. “Hey rude! Just because I suggested it doesn’t mean that it’s my fault!”

“You’re the one who forgot to set a timer.”

“I’m a ghost! Why was that my job? Besides, I’m not the one who completely forgot what the recipe was.”

“It’s not like I have it memorised! And I think I was pretty close.”

Beatrice cleared her throat, and both of them looked back to her.

“Were you attempting to bake something?”

Ava shrugged. “Camila wanted to pay you back for the scones you made her, and I mentioned to her that you said you liked banana muffins, and so maybe she should bake them for you.”

Camila gave Beatrice an apologetic smile as she stepped off the chair she’d been standing on.

“I thought it might be a nice gesture. But neither Ava nor I really know anything about baking, so, it kind of went sideways.”

Beatrice was struck with gratitude and adoration. She had two friends who had gone out of their way to try and do something nice for her. It was shocking enough that Ava had remembered Beatrice mentioning that she liked banana muffins, but the fact that she’d tried to help Camila was just so lovely.

Beatrice knew that Camila was a terrible cook as well. She’d learnt that the hard way. But still, it was the thought that counted.

“Alright, okay, let me help you clean up, and then if you like, I can try and make some.”

Camila shook her head. “No, Beatrice, let us clean up our mess. We were trying to do something nice for you.”

“Yeah, if you want to help us, you should really just go sit on the couch and relax. Now that we’ve got the smoke detector off, it should be fairly simple to get the rest done.”

Beatrice evaluated both their imploring faces, and knew that there was no way she’d be able to convince them to let her help. She sighed.

“Alright, I’ll go sit down. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Ava nodded. “Totally. Ooh, do you want to watch a movie with us after?”

Beatrice smiled. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Ava shook her head forcefully, this action making her hair whip around her head.

“No, you wouldn’t be interrupting! Tell her Camila.”

Camila looked at Beatrice with a wide smile.

“We’d love to have you.”

Well, Beatrice couldn’t say no to the two of them combined.

“In that case, I’d love to.”

The clean-up process was actually quite quick, all things considered. Soon enough, Camila and Ava were joining her in front of the television. Camila curled up in her armchair, and Ava threw herself onto the couch, legs kicked up onto the coffee table. Beatrice recalled the time Ava had tried to throw her legs over Beatrice’s lap, and they’d just gone straight through. Ava had been incredibly disappointed. Now she just put her legs out in front.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Ava couldn’t touch her. If she could, Beatrice just might die from all the touches that she knew Ava would try to give her. Even now, Ava was sitting far closer on the couch that she needed to, her head practically on Beatrice’s shoulder.

Camila let Beatrice pick the movie, and she ended up picking a new Disney movie that had dropped, purely because she was in the mood for something light-hearted. And also because Ava absolutely adored these types of movies, and watching her reactions was half the entertainment.

Halfway through the movie, Beatrice looked up from Ava’s face, to see Camila watching her with a small smile on her face. Beatrice blushed, and looked at the screen, trying to pretend like she had any understanding of the plot.

Even if her eyes did drift back to Ava once she was sure that Camila was no longer watching.

+++

After that experience, Beatrice had thought she was ready to walk in on anything. Ava and Camila were a chaotic combination, and she had to be ready for anything.

Her next surprise wasn’t courtesy of them though. No, it was due to Mary.

Beatrice opened the door, and stepped into her house, not looking up as she entered, because there were no immediate loud noises or big movements that demanded attention. She took that to mean that they didn’t need to fix anything immediately.

Beatrice intended to walk straight up to her room and to start working on the assignment she’d asked her professor about that day. She was stopped, halfway to the stairs, by a call from the living room.

“Hey Bea!”

Beatrice turned to say hello to Ava, and found Mary sitting in the armchair opposite from Ava, holding a mug of coffee, grinning widely. Ava bounced off the couch, pointing to Mary.

“I’ve been hanging out with your friend Mary. She’s super cool, she has a motorbike, and she has a shooting licence? Why haven’t I heard more about her?”

“Yeah Beatrice, why haven’t you been talking about me to your ghost friend?” Mary’s smile was far too entertained right now, and Beatrice knew that she was in for far too much teasing this afternoon.

Beatrice sighed and set down her stuff.

“Mostly because I didn’t think the two of you would ever meet,” she said, pointedly looking at Mary, who had definitely not let them know that she was coming over to the house.

Mary just shrugged. “Lilith told me the ghost story. It sounded insane, so I had to come over and see if it was true. I have nothing better to do with my life now that Shannon’s on that trip for her internship.” She pointed to Ava. “The girl appeared out of nowhere, it was freaky as hell.”

Ava grinned. “She threw her phone at me.”

“I was startled.”

Beatrice rested a hand on the edge of the couch, which Ava dropped back into, sprawling her whole body across.

“Well, you’ve met Ava now.”

Mary nodded. “She’s super weird. But kind of awesome. And she’s the only person I’ve ever met who doesn’t get bored when I tell her in detail about my work. Even Shan doesn’t have the patience for that.

Beatrice smiled softly at Ava. “Yes, Ava is quite a good listener.”

Ava sat up a little straighter, beaming at the praise.

“Hell yeah I am. And also, it’s just super interesting. She makes and fixes things. I barely know how to do anything.”

Mary took a sip from her mug and put it down on the table.

“Ava also told me that you made her a playlist. And that you’ve been sharing books with her. And watching television with her. And disrupting your study for her.” Mary’s eyebrows rose with every sentence, and Beatrice winced inwardly. Curse Mary and her eye for a chance to be irritating. At least Camila had been gentle enough to only give Beatrice knowing looks.

Ava, completely oblivious to what was going on, wiggled her fingers at Beatrice.

“Yeah, Bea’s been awesome.”

Mary’s smile widened. “And that you let her call you Bea.”

Beatrice huffed. “Just because I don’t let you call me that.”

“I just think it’s funny. It’s kinda like how only I can call Shannon ‘Shan’.”

Beatrice tensed at Mary’s very obvious suggestion. Seriously, Mary hadn’t even seen her around Ava, she shouldn’t have been able to figure out her feelings this easily. Especially since Beatrice hadn’t fully accepted them yet.

Ava sat up. “Hey, so Mary, seeing as you’re super cool, does that mean you watch cool things?”

Mary’s eyes flicked from Beatrice to Ava. “I don’t know, what does cool mean to you?”

“Well, I really like Buffy and Wynonna Earp and The Vampire Diaries and stuff like that?”

“Ah, I see Beatrice has you watching nerd shit.”

Beatrice stumbled over a response. “She likes it!”

“Ava, please tell me you’re aware that Beatrice is a massive nerd.”

Ava grinned up at Beatrice, who felt very self-conscious all of a sudden.

“Oh yeah, but I’m kind of a nerd too then. It’s good stuff!”

Mary shook her head. “Beatrice must be thrilled to have a friend like you. Lilith and Camila refuse to watch that type of thing.”

“I’ve heard.” Ava sat up on the couch, looking Beatrice. “Are you staying down here or do you need to study?”

Beatrice sighed. “I would love to stay, but I really should get a start on some of my work.”

Ava frowned, but nodded. “Okay. Do you want me to come up later? Camila was going to teach me how to play a card game, but if you want company I can hang out with you instead?”

Beatrice just smiled. As much as she wanted to spend time with Ava, she knew that having her there would only act as a distraction. Besides, Ava was probably looking forwards to spending time with Camila doing something, rather than just sitting in Beatrice’s room doing nothing.

“No, that’s alright.”

Ava’s frown stayed, and she dropped back onto the couch. “Okay.”

Beatrice looked to Mary. “Are you intending to stay for dinner? Lilith is cooking tonight, so you should text her if so.”

Mary shook her head. “Nah I’ll be gone in about an hour. Just wanted to see Ava. And confirm if Lilith was right.” She gave Beatrice a look, and Beatrice sighed deeply. Of course, Lilith and Mary had already discussed it.

“Right about what?” Ava asked, her brow still furrowed. Mary waved a hand at her.

“Just a little thing, don’t worry about it. Now, you wanna hear about this dude who had a lion in his backyard when I came over to fix his table?”

Ava turned to Mary, lighting up with excitement. “Of course!”

Beatrice just smiled at the two of them and headed up the stairs. Even if Mary could be an enormous pain, it was nice to see her getting along with Ava.

+++

Out of all the interactions Beatrice had witnessed Ava having with her friends, none was weirder than the one she saw between her and Lilith.

She’d been sitting upstairs, quietly studying, when suddenly she’d heard sounds of yelling downstairs. Beatrice had known that Lilith was home, downstairs preparing some stuff for a mock debate, but she knew that Camila wasn’t home, and shouldn’t be. Which meant that if Lilith was yelling, it was Ava she was yelling at.

Quickly, Beatrice saved her work, pushed her laptop to the side, and jogged down the stairs, ready to come to Ava’s defence. Instead of the all-out brawl she’d half been expecting, she found Ava and Lilith sitting on opposite ends of the kitchen table, Lilith reading something off of her computer.

Ava was smiling at Lilith.

“No, your points are good, you’re just phrasing them weirdly. And you know they’re going to twist your words if you do that.”

Lilith groaned and rubbed at her temples.

“Yes, Ava, I know that.”

“Hey, I’m just helping.”

Beatrice cleared her throat and Ava looked up. Her smile widened.

“Oh, hey Bea!”

Lilith just dropped her head onto the table, making a loud thunking noise. Beatrice frowned and looked back to Ava.

“May I ask what is happening?”

“Lilith needed to practise her mock debate points on someone, so I offered. She seems to like yelling at me.”

Lilith lifted her head off the table. “That, and, you’re actually helpful, and you don’t get frustrated when I do, surprisingly.” She gave Beatrice a pointed look. Beatrice hid a smile. The last time Beatrice had tried to help Lilith practise, they’d ended up yelling at each other because Beatrice had poked too many holes in Lilith’s argument.

“I also watched like a stack of Law and Order when this one old lady was here, so I picked up a bunch of law stuff.”

Lilith scowled. “She’s infuriatingly helpful, and she doesn’t yell at me when I yell at her. She’s perfect.” Lilith sounded like she wanted to pull out her teeth whilst admitting that.

Beatrice turned to Ava.

“You sure that you’re alright? Lilith can get intense.” Beatrice pointedly ignored the glare that Lilith sent her way. Ava just shrugged happily.

“Hey, it’s fine. Now that I’ve figured out that she’s not going to exorcise me, she doesn’t really scare me, which means that her yelling at me when I point something out doesn’t do anything.” Ava smiled at Lilith. “We’re bonding.”

Lilith sighed. “You could say that.”

Beatrice almost wanted to stay and watch whatever this was. She knew that if Lilith wasn’t actively cursing Ava out and telling her to leave the room, that meant that Lilith actually meant it when she said that Ava was being helpful. And if this was how the two of them bonded, then Beatrice wasn’t going to get in the way of that.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” She turned to Ava. “I’m glad that you’ve managed to handle Lilith this long.”

Ava just laughed and looked back to Lilith. “Nah, she’s chill.” She looked to Beatrice. “You sure you don’t want to stay? It could be fun?”

Beatrice shook her head. “No, that’s alright. I wouldn’t want to throw Lilith off.”

Lilith rolled her eyes, but didn’t disagree. Ava nodded, frowning slightly, but then she turned back to Lilith. “Alright, now go over that last point again. You nearly had the wording right.”

Beatrice retreated up the stairs, heart aching a little. If Ava ended up preferring Lilith to her, she might just have to start crying. And Beatrice rarely cried. She’d already had her emotional moment once this year, which meant there would be no tears until next year.

So, she really needed Ava to not forget her.

+++

Later that night, Lilith strolled into Beatrice’s room, and shut the door behind her.

Beatrice didn’t look up from her laptop at her desk. “If you’re here to finally kill me, I should warn you that I have a knife within arm’s reach.”

Lilith scoffed and sat on Beatrice’s bed. “You’re being dramatic, and you’re trying to distract me.”

“Am I?”

“In case you were wondering, Ava is currently occupied with Camila, who is under strict instructions to keep her entertained until I leave this room.”

Beatrice clicked save on her work, knowing that Lilith was one of the few people more stubborn than her. If she wanted to have this conversation, there was no avoiding it. She shut her laptop, and turned to face Lilith.

“Alright, fine, what is it?”

Lilith rose an eyebrow. “I think you know.”

Beatrice held back a groan. Of course, Lilith was going to make her say it.

“If this is about Ava—”

“Of course, it’s about Ava,” Lilith interrupted. “Seriously, Beatrice, it is getting embarrassing.”

Beatrice kept her facial features as still as possible. “I’m really going to need you to confirm which conversation we are having.”

Lilith sat up. “The conversation where you admit that you have feelings for our resident ghost.”

Beatrice looked away. Suddenly, the calendar on her wall, covered in different events and classes that she had to complete, was the most interesting thing in her room.

“Oh God, you can’t even look at me. Beatrice, come on, I’m being serious right now.”

Beatrice sighed and looked at Lilith, who did in fact look serious, and also—wait, was that genuine care in Lilith’s eyes?

“I know you’re trying to hide from it.”

Beatrice scoffed. “Lilith, she’s dead, of course I’m trying to hide from it.”

Lilith sighed. “Well, yes, that is a significant problem. But also, I know you. You’ve never dated anyone, you don’t talk about your feelings, and you think that actually admitting your feelings out loud somehow makes you weak.”

Beatrice frowned at Lilith. “Stop using your knowledge about my parental issues against me.”

“I will if I’m wrong.”

Beatrice couldn’t prove her wrong. Because that was exactly what was happening. Her parents had taught her early on, through their actions and words, that love was not something you should be open about. You should hide it, use it as a bargaining tool, but make sure that you were never vulnerable to its influence. When they’d started to figure out exactly where Beatrice’s feelings lay, they’d doubled down. Love was weakness, especially if she loved a girl.

Lilith swallowed, and then delicately reached out her hand to touch Beatrice’s knee. Neither of them often engaged in physical contact, but Beatrice felt her heart warming a little at Lilith trying to help her.

“Look. I know that it must be hard, with Ava being who she is. And believe me, I have no idea why on earth you’d like her like that, because she is so different from you that it’s hard to believe.”

Beatrice shrugged. “Maybe that’s part of it. She’s such an unexpected person, someone I can’t help but be drawn due to our differences.”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Wow, okay, you’re really gone for her.”

Beatrice glared at her. “And here I thought you were trying to make me feel better.”

“Oh, I am. But I also reserve the right to make fun of you for falling for someone who literally fell off a table, despite the fact that she is literally a ghost.”

Beatrice smiled at the memory.

“Seriously? That makes you smile?”

Beatrice’s glare returned, but she knew there was no heat in it, judging by the way Lilith just laughed.

“My point is that if you need to talk about it, talk about it. We all know about it—don’t give me that look, you’re a terrible actor—so please, just talk to us. We don’t want you getting hurt, and we don't want you bottling it up.”

Beatrice sighed. “Alright, fine.” She rose an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

Lilith shuffled closer to Beatrice. “I know you’re probably just trying to ignore your feelings or whatever but Ava thinks you’re avoiding her, and she’s being a whiny little shit about it, so could you please stop doing it?”

Beatrice frowned. “I’m not avoiding Ava. If anything, she’s avoiding me. All she does is spend time with you guys, it’s like…” Beatrice trailed off, even though she knew it was too late to hide that thought from Lilith. Dammit.

Lilith’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Sorry, what were you going to say?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“This situation is embarrassing. Say it.”

Beatrice looked back down at her desk. Her fingers found a pen, and she picked it up to fiddle with it. She twirled it in a circle, and then tapped it to the desk.

“I wonder if perhaps Ava didn’t like me. If maybe I was just the first person to talk to her, and she was lonely.”

Lilith’s answering laugh was so loud that Beatrice dropped the pen. She rubbed at her forehead, and then looked up at Beatrice with eyes full of mirth and irritation.

“Beatrice. I really shouldn’t have to be the one to tell you this, but all that Ava has been doing with us, is just talking about you.”

Beatrice sat up a little bit. “Really?”

“Yes. And if she’s not telling us things about you, she’s asking us to tell her stories about you. The girl is obsessed. Please, put her out of her misery and spend some time with her.”

Well, Beatrice didn’t need Lilith to tell her twice. Really, she knew that she was being silly. It had just pulled at her heart, thinking that maybe Ava hadn’t meant all those things she’d said to Beatrice. All those things that had buried themselves in Beatrice’s heart.

“Well, this has been a lovely chat.” She tilted her head. “You’re going to tell Mary and Camila everything, aren’t you?”

Lilith shrugged. “Don’t blame me, I’m not the one who made the group chat.”

“Right. In any case, can you please leave my room? I need to spend some time with Ava.”

Lilith shook her head as she stood. “I have to say, seeing you being an idiot over a girl that you like is quite something.”

Beatrice turned back to her desk, refusing to dignify it with an answer. Lilith left her room chuckling.

Barely a minute later, Ava was rushing into her room.

“Hey, Lilith said you wanted to speak to me?” Ava looked flushed, her hair a mess over her shoulders. Beatrice turned to face her with a smile.

“Yes, I did.”

Ava nodded quickly, moving to sit on Beatrice’s bed. Beatrice left her desk chair to sit at the head of the bed, facing Ava.

“So, uh, what’s up?” Ava chewed at her lip, her fingers pulling on each other. Beatrice felt a tickle of anxiety in her chest, and she knew that it was Ava’s.

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” Beatrice reassured her. Ava’s fingers stilled.

Beatrice took a deep breath. This was going to be an unfortunately vulnerable conversation for her, and she wasn’t even talking about anything too close to her heart. She was literally just asking the girl she liked if they were still friends. Why was this making her heart race in her chest?

“You’ve been getting along well with the others,” Beatrice started. Ava frowned a little, clearly surprised by this direction of the conversation.

“Uh, yeah. Camila’s really fun, Mary is like super badass, and Lilith is actually really—well, not nice, but she’s good. I like them.” Ava smiled at Beatrice. “I mean, of course I would.”

Beatrice rose her brow. “Oh?”

“Yeah, I mean, they’re your favourite people. They helped get you through a hard time in your life, and they make you happy. How could I not like them?”

Oh.

Ava really was amazing, wasn’t she?

Beatrice looked down, hoping to hide the overwhelming emotion that must be flowing out of her eyes. Ava wanted to get close to the others because they were important to her, not because she was bored of Beatrice.

“Are you alright?” Ava asked, her voice soft. Beatrice looked back up, smiling.

“I’m good.”

Ava nodded, biting her lip again. “I only ask, because, well, you’ve been kind of distant lately? I feel like I’ve only seen you in bits and pieces. And I know that you’re busy and everything, and it’s been lovely getting to know the others, but, well,” Ava shifted on the bed, looking away, “I missed you.”

Beatrice sighed, wishing that she could reach out to take Ava’s hand. It seemed like some touch would comfort her right now.

“Ava. Look at me.”

Ava looked back up, eyes showing just how much she’d been worried about this. Beatrice had never felt more foolish. How could she have let her doubts get in the way of their friendship like this?

“I thought that you were having fun with the others. I didn’t want to stop you from getting to know them. And, to tell you the truth, I thought you might be a bit tired of me, after spending so long only talking to me.” Beatrice swallowed, heart racing with the effort of being so open.

Ava frowned, shaking her head immediately. “What? Beatrice, how could I ever be tired of you? I meant it when I said you were my best friend. Granted, I didn’t know the others yet, but I know them now, and I still mean it. They’re nice to me because of you. You were nice to me because you wanted to be.”

Beatrice smiled. “I’m still your best friend?”

“Of course.” Ava’s frown shifted into something else. Not hurt, but more like she’d just watched a small kitten get kicked. “Wait. Bea, don’t tell me you actually thought that I liked the others more than I liked you?”

Beatrice shrugged and looked down. It did sound silly when Ava said it out loud.

“Bea.” Beatrice heard Ava sigh. “I’m sorry.”

Beatrice shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

Ava scoffed. “Well, no, you shouldn’t have. But seriously, I’m sorry that I made you feel less. You’re not. Never to me.”

Beatrice nodded and smiled. “I know that.”

“Good. Because it’s not changing.” Ava reached her hand out to grab Beatrice’s and pouted when she moved straight through. “Dammit.”

“It’s okay Ava. It’s the thought that counts.” But Ava was shaking her head.

“I just wish I could touch you. That I could hug you for like ten minutes, so you’d really know how much you mean to me.”

Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever been hugged for longer than a minute, but Ava’s proposal sounded enticing. Her mind drifted to the research she’d been doing, that she’d been hiding from Ava. She would figure it out. She’d find a way for Ava to get her wish, to properly live her life.

“I know,” Beatrice whispered. But from the look in Ava’s eyes, she knew that she didn’t.

She wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

Chapter Text

Doing research had always been interesting for Beatrice, but it was especially exciting when the information she found started to lead to a breakthrough. She’d thrown herself back into the research on the OCS, looking back over old leads, trying to find anything good.

Beatrice had come close to screaming after multiple sources led to dead ends, but then, one Sunday night when she was at home, she’d found something. It seemed like nothing at first, just an offhand mention of the OCS in a 2009 post, but then Beatrice had done some digging and found out something very interesting.

The OCS was still very much in operation. No one could say for sure where, or what they were doing, but it was clear that they hadn’t disbanded after they’d lost the Halo. When she looked into the supposed disbanding, she found that in fact, they’d changed leadership. No one knew who the current leader was, but the fact that the OCS still existed was definitely promising.

Perhaps Beatrice could find them, ask first-hand about the Halo, and how it affected people, what it had done to those who had previously had it. It was a long shot, but anything to help Ava was worth it. She deserved to live her life.

“Beatrice!” Camila called up the stairs, just as Beatrice clicked onto a post about possible sponsors for the OCS. She sighed.

“What?”

“Lilith broke the television.”

“I did not!”

Beatrice groaned and stood up, leaving her laptop open. Hopefully this was just a quick little thing, and she could get straight back into her research.

However, when she reached downstairs to find the television smoking, Beatrice lost that hope. Lilith at least looked a little bit sheepish about this.

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything! I was just trying to hook up the speakers so that Camila and I could watch that new HBO show.”

Ava chose this moment to poke her head out of the spare room.

“Why does everything smell like smoke?”

“Lilith,” Camila answered. Lilith rolled her eyes. Beatrice stepped forwards to examine the television.

“Alright, stand back. I’m going to see if I can figure it out.”

The other three gathered behind Beatrice as she examined the state of the television. She wasn’t sure what Lilith had managed to do, but she’d definitely messed up some wires that shouldn’t have been.

“We’re going to need to get someone in here to look at this,” Beatrice told them. Camila groaned.

“This is why you should always let me handle technology.”

“Why weren’t you?” Ava asked, clearly amused.

“I was making popcorn, and I didn’t think Lilith would be able to break everything.” Camila threw up her hands. Lilith sighed.

“Okay, I apologise. But seriously, I was looking forwards to watching that. I did all of my work, and I cleared my schedule for this.” Lilith didn’t often get sad about things, but Beatrice could tell that she was about this. Her schedule was always so packed, and Beatrice knew she had been looking forward to her time with Camila.

“Can’t you just watch it on your tablet?” Ava asked. Camila shook her head.

“I was using mine for work today, it’s all out of charge.”

Beatrice sighed. “Alright fine, I’ll go grab my tablet. The big one, with all the streaming accounts on it, the one you’re always stealing.”

Ava, who was closest to the stairs, started moving first. “I’ll grab it.”

“It should be charging next to my desk.” Beatrice looked to Lilith. “You know, if you’d just get a tablet, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

“I have a phone and a television, why would I need that?” Lilith glared at the both of them. Camila just sighed.

“It’s fine. Thanks Beatrice. I promise I won’t let Lilith break it.”

“Are you ever going to let this go?”

“Never. Also, you're paying for it."

"Well, I am the one with the most money, so that makes sense."

Camila grinned at Lilith. "You'd make an excellent sugar mummy, you know that."

Lilith looked at Beatrice, and Beatrice could swear that she could see miniature explosions happening in her mind.

"Please never say that again."

Ava walked back into the room. Beatrice turned to thank her, but paused. There was something off about Ava. Her steps were tentative, her shoulders tight, and she was very much avoiding looking at Beatrice.

“Here,” Ava said, holding the tablet out to Camila, who took it with a smile.

“Thanks Ava.” She opened it up and started tapping at the screen.

Ava cleared her throat. “Hey, uh, Bea?” She still wasn’t looking at her.

“Yes, what is it?” Beatrice stepped towards Ava, who chewed her lip.

“Can I talk to you about something?” She looked at Camila and Lilith. “Alone?”

The other two looked between them, catching onto the change in Ava’s mood. Camila looked like she was about to question it, but Beatrice cut her off.

“Sure.” She smiled at the others. “Do you think that you two will be alright?”

Lilith nodded, her eyes flicking to Ava. “We’ll be alright.”

Beatrice made her way up the stairs, Ava leading the way up to her room. She couldn’t figure out what it was that had Ava acting strangely, not until they walked into her room. And she remembered that she’d left her research open, as well as the notebook she’d been recording everything in.

So, Ava knew that Beatrice had been looking into the OCS.

Ava stood in the middle of Beatrice’s room, her eyes on the computer screen. Beatrice shut the door behind her with a click, and made no move to get closer to Ava. There was a tense silence for a moment, and Beatrice tried to figure out what she could say that would explain her intentions the best. Ava beat her to speaking.

“So, why didn’t you tell me you were doing research into the OCS?” Ava’s voice was level, but Beatrice had learnt to read her over the past few months. She was upset.

“I didn’t want to worry you, or to get your hopes up.”

Ava looked back at her for the first time, her dark brown eyes fraught with concern.

“Yeah, well, I am worried. Beatrice, you know that these people aren’t good, right? You don’t know what you’re messing with here.” Her voice had hidden tones to it, and Beatrice wondered if maybe Ava knew more about the OCS than she’d let on.

“I know that they’re dangerous, of course, but I needed to—”

“To do what? To find out more, to find answers for questions you could’ve asked me? Beatrice, I know these people, I spent years trapped in this house with them. Dangerous doesn’t begin to explain it, they had people everywhere, they had access to far too much money for just a weird cult.”

Beatrice looked to the screen, which displayed a post speculating about the income for the OCS back in the 90s. Ava took her attention back by throwing her hands up.

“Beatrice, seriously, you should have told me.”

“I know. I’m sorry, but you didn’t like talking about your past, and I didn’t want to upset you.”

Ava’s eyes softened a little, but her mouth was still pulled into a frown. “I don’t even get why you were looking into this. Did you wake up at some point with some fascination into the cult that ruined my life?”

Beatrice swallowed. She hadn’t anticipated Ava being this angry, not like this. She’d thought that Ava would’ve mostly been traumatised by the mention of them, but this was anger mixed with worry. Ava didn’t want her anywhere near these people, she could feel it pulsing off her in waves.

“I was looking into it for you. I thought I might be able to find a way to bring you back,” Beatrice explained, hands folding themselves in front of her.

Ava stared at her for a long moment, eyes wide and shocked. Then she started shaking her head.

“No.”

“Ava, I was only trying to—”

“No!” The lamp by Beatrice’s desk flickered, and both of them looked to it. Ava shook her head again.

“Beatrice, don’t do that. Don’t try to help me, especially not with this. There is no way to bring me back. I am stuck, I came to terms with that long ago.” She balled her fists and pressed them against her forehead, breathing heavily. Beatrice wished that she could reach out and unfurl her fingers, hold them in her own.

“I’m sorry,” Beatrice said quietly. Ava swallowed.

“I know.” She sighed and shook her head again, with less anger. Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever seen Ava look so tired. “I just…I think I need a moment, okay? I’m not mad at you—well, okay maybe I’m a little mad—but mostly, I just need to, like, breathe.”

Beatrice nodded. “Whatever you need.” She resisted the urge to apologise again.

Ava looked up at her, her hands shaking as she dropped them to her sides. Beatrice had not known Ava could look so defeated.

In a blink, she was gone, turned invisible. Beatrice knew the exact moment that she left the room, because suddenly she felt very empty and alone.

She’d just been trying to help. She’d just wanted to give Ava the chance at life she deserved. But maybe she’d been rash. Maybe she hadn’t considered all possible consequences. Which was unlike her, really.

However, it was Ava. There was little Beatrice could do to stop her heart from leaping out of her chest, trying to do everything for her. It was a frightening concept, that she’d grown so close to someone in such a precarious position in such little time. Beatrice wanted to shove it all away, but she remembered what Lilith had said. Bottling up her feelings would do nothing to help her.

Not that it mattered much, now that Ava was angry with her. Beatrice dropped her head into her hands, feeling utterly lost and defeated.

+++

“Bloody hell Beatrice, how did you manage to do this again?”

Beatrice looked up from her desk, where she’d been trying to finish up a report. Lilith stormed into her room, Camila following close behind. Camila looked mostly worried, curling into herself, but Lilith looked like she might be considering murder.

“What?” Beatrice paused her music and took out her headphones. It had been a been a bit since she’d used those, as she’d been playing her music out loud for Ava recently. But now, given that it had been a full 24 hours since Ava had even been in the same room as her, she’d decided to mope and keep her headphones in.

Lilith shut the door behind her and folded her arms.

“Ava has been upset all day, and she doesn’t want to talk about it, and judging by the look on her face every time you came up in conversation—which really, is excessive—something happened with the two of you.”

Camila stepped to the side. “She’s in the spare room at the moment. She didn’t even want to play Uno.”

Ava not wanting to play a card game with Camila was definitely a sure sign of something being wrong. Beatrice pursed her lips, knowing that her friends wouldn’t let this go. The downside of everyone being friends with Ava was that now they got to have opinions on things.

“Ava and I did get into a disagreement,” Beatrice confirmed. “But Ava asked for space, and so I am giving it to her.”

Lilith huffed. “Okay, well, what happened? It can’t be that bad.”

Beatrice sighed. She hadn’t yet told her friends of her research into the OCS, or anything about Ava’s past, but it might be good to have another opinion on the situation.

So, she explained. Not everything, because some of that was Ava’s story to tell, but she spoke about how she’d been looking into the people responsible for Ava’s condition. And she explained the argument, how Ava had been upset because Beatrice might be putting herself into danger, and how she didn’t think it was worth it for Beatrice to try and find a solution.

Lilith and Camila were silent for a moment, both looking at each other. Beatrice tapped her foot against the leg of her desk chair, waiting for their response.

“To be clear, what was your endgame with all of this?” Lilith asked.

Beatrice tilted her head. “I was planning to see if I could track down any members of the OCS, to see if they could offer insight.”

Lilith tensed, nodding her head. “I get where Ava’s coming from then.”

Not expecting that, Beatrice frowned. Lilith let out a sigh.

“Beatrice, these people are complete unknowns, who seem to be connected to multiple disappearances and deaths. They’re dangerous, Ava would know. And you were going to show up and start asking questions about all this? Not only could that put you in danger, it could put us and Ava in danger. I know you just want to help her, but seriously, I don’t want you anywhere near those people.”

Camila nodded slowly. “Ava’s just worried right now. You’re her best friend.”

“I know that.” Beatrice picked up a pencil just so she had something to do with her hands. “I just think that she deserves a chance at life. And sure, maybe I let myself get carried away. But I still want to help her.”

Camila and Lilith looked at each other again. Once, Beatrice had been confused by how the two of them seemed to be able to communicate with just a look. But now, after knowing just what Ava was thinking just by how she smiled, Beatrice understood it a little better.

Finally, Lilith spoke. “Look. Ava’s our friend too, and obviously we want to help her. So, if you keep doing research into this, we’ll help out, make sure that you go about this right. But you need to talk to Ava first. If you explain everything, and you ask her, and she tells you to leave it, you need to do that.”

Beatrice smiled. “You’ll help?”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Of course, we will. If you’re going to try and bring a ghost back from the dead, I’m not letting you do it alone.”

“And I’m obviously part of this,” Camila added.

Lilith kicked the bottom of Beatrice’s chair.

“But you need to apologise to Ava, and make sure that she agrees first.”

Beatrice squirmed on the chair, tapping the pencil against the desk.

“She asked for space.”

“Yeah, and at the moment, she’s using that space to mope in her room. Please, just go and talk to her, I promise you that it’s all she wants.”

Beatrice was hesitant to go against Ava’s actual wishes, but she also knew that Ava was very good at spiralling when left to her own devices. If Beatrice did leave her alone, Ava might very well convince herself that Beatrice was trying to get rid of her. And Beatrice had to admit that it was incredibly hard, spending time away from Ava.

“Alright, I’ll go and talk to her.”

Both Lilith and Camila sighed in relief.

“Good. Sort things out with your ghost girlfriend.”

Beatrice blushed and ducked her head as she stood from her chair.

“Not my girlfriend.”

Lilith and Camila just laughed to themselves as Beatrice left her room.

+++

Beatrice lifted her fist to carefully knock on the door of the spare room. She didn’t want to barge in on Ava, and if she truly needed space, then Beatrice would give that to her.

But from the room, muffled through the door, came Ava’s answering voice.

“Come in.”

Carefully, Beatrice opened the door, not stepping into the room. Ava didn’t look up from her book at first. With some warmth, Beatrice noted that it was one of the books that Beatrice had lent her to read.

“Ava,” Beatrice said quietly. Ava’s head snapped up, and the book was shut quickly.

“Hey Bea.” Her voice was soft, surprised, but not angry. For a moment, her facial expression shifted, like she couldn’t decide what emotion she wanted to be showing. She settled on a faint frown.

Beatrice stepped into the room, letting the door fall shut behind her.

“I wanted to speak with you,” Beatrice started, cursing herself for falling into that formal way of speaking that she used when emotions were too hard.

Ava nodded, chewing her lip.

“Okay.” She said nothing else, just watched Beatrice. Sighing deeply, Beatrice folded her hands behind her back. It occurred to her that perhaps she should’ve planned something to say, rather than just hoping the words would find her in the moment. They didn’t tend to, not when Ava was involved.

When Beatrice stood there silent for a long moment, Ava sighed and stood.

“Look, if this is about earlier, I’m sorry for snapping at you, but I just needed you to understand that whatever you’re planning isn’t going to work out. It’ll put you in danger, and it isn’t worth it anyways, okay? It’s not worth it to try and get me a life, I’m doing alright here, and really—”

“You deserve to live,” Beatrice burst out, surprising herself as well as Ava, who just stared at her. Beatrice swallowed, and then threw herself into the words that she’d been trying to sort into sense. Nothing about this made sense, so why should she?

“You deserve to have a normal life. You deserve to leave this house, to feel the wind on your face, the grass under your feet. You deserve to eat scones, and pizza, and to drink hot chocolate. You deserve to be able to hug your friends, and to go to the shops, and to buy your own books, and to travel the world.”

Beatrice could see it all in her head. Ava was made for the world. She was made to dance in the rain, and to run across a beach barefoot, and to eat ice cream in the hot sun. In Beatrice’s mind, she imagined her running through the city, insisting on visiting all the touristy destinations, holding onto Beatrice’s hand as she dragged her into a whirlwind of an adventure.

Ava stared at Beatrice; her mouth slightly open. Beatrice didn’t often let her emotions get the better of her like that, didn’t often just let all her feelings tumble out into words. But it clearly had an effect on Ava, because she seemed to be struggling with a response, based on the way she kept swallowing and staring at Beatrice with wide eyes.

She was so beautiful, Beatrice noted. She’d known this for a while, but it was rarely the first thing that Beatrice thought of when she thought of Ava. Usually, she thought first of her humour, her warmth, and her strength. But right now, the sun coming through the window caught her just right, and Beatrice couldn’t ignore the way it made her dark brown eyes glow, the way her hair fell just right, the way her lips looked so soft.

And well, how could Beatrice ignore the fact that the real reason she wanted this life for Ava was because she loved her?

Ava finally spoke, her voice small and uncertain.

“I don’t want anything happening to you. You’re my best friend Bea, I don’t think I could take it if something went wrong.”

Beatrice shook her head. “I can take care of myself.”

Ava folded her arms over her chest, tensing her jaw.

“Beatrice, they’ve killed people. Not just me, I heard a lot of stuff I haven’t told you about. And like I said, they had powerful allies, people that I never met but I heard enough to know that they were dangerous. If something happened to you, because of me, I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive myself.”

Ava wrapped her arms around each other, giving Beatrice a pleading look. Beatrice hated this situation so much, hated that such a wonderful person could be in such danger. And sure, she knew that the danger could come for her, but Beatrice had never been one to allow injustice to just simply pass her by.

Beatrice held Ava’s gaze.

“And I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try for you.”

Ava didn’t look away from Beatrice, so Beatrice was able to catch the exact moment in which Ava realised that this wasn’t a fight she could win. And, about three seconds later, when Ava realised that this wasn’t a fight she really wanted to win anyways.

Sighing, Ava stepped forwards, arms dropping to dangle by her side.

“There’s nothing I can do to convince you not to do this, is there?” Ava smiled a little as she spoke, eyes full of a wild hope that Beatrice could only dare to fulfill.

“No. There isn’t.” Beatrice smiled. “But you were right. I shouldn’t have done this without you. So, please, Ava, can you help me?”

Ava’s smile widened, and she shrugged her shoulders.

“I will.” Her expression turned serious. “But if at any point, I tell you that we need to stop, or that you need to give up, I need you to listen to me.” Ava’s eyes were firm on Beatrice. “You might want to save me, but I still won’t let you get hurt for me.”

Beatrice’s heart knocked against her ribs as she realised that Ava really meant it. That while Beatrice wanted to give Ava her choice at a life, Ava genuinely wanted Beatrice to be safe. To not risk herself. There was something in her gaze, in the sincerity of her words that just felt right to Beatrice. She couldn’t explain what it was, not yet, anyways.

When Ava waited for an answer, Beatrice nodded.

“Of course.”

Ava smiled again. “Alright.”

Beatrice moved to the door, opening it. “Well then, we’d better let the others know. They’re quite insistent that they help out.”

Ava’s eyebrows lifted, her smile lifting into an open mouth.

“They want to help?”

“Of course, they do. They’re your friends.”

Ava didn’t react for a moment, and Beatrice wished she knew what was going through her head. Then she smiled brightly, the light above her head glowing just a bit brighter.

“Cool.” Ava tried to say it casually, but the way she was practically floating gave away her excitement. Beatrice looked at her then, so full of light and love, and knew again that she was certain about her feelings.

She was in love with Ava Silva.

Chapter Text

The next morning, all of them sat around a table, waiting for Beatrice to start.

Lilith had a mug of tea, and a notebook open. The pen in her fingers kept making loops around her fingers, and Camila had barely looked away from it for the past minute. Camila had her laptop open, and her glasses on. Mary was also with them, jacket over the back of her chair, her to-go cup of coffee half empty already.

Ava was the only one not sitting, because she’d been pacing back and forth for the past couple minutes. She’d told Beatrice that she had some information that she needed to explain, stuff that she hadn’t told her at first. Now, she seemed to be freaking out a bit over this.

Beatrice really wished that she could comfort Ava somehow. She’d gone through all possible options, and she had a few ideas of how to perhaps make Ava feel better, but none that she could utilise right now.

It wasn’t like Beatrice to wish for physical contact, but she wished she could touch Ava. Even to just rest a hand on her shoulder, so that she could anchor Ava’s mind. But she had to admit that she longed for more than that. She wanted to hug Ava, hold her close, tuck Ava’s head into the crook of her neck, and to feel Ava’s heartbeat against her own. God, what it would be like to feel Ava’s heartbeat, to know that she was alive, that she was safe.

“Bea?”

Beatrice blinked to find that Ava had stopped her pacing, and was watching her with a hesitant smile. Nervously, Beatrice looked back down at the book she was setting up.

“Yes, sorry, just distracted. We should be ready to go.”

Mary hummed. “Good. The anxious vibes coming off both of you right now are stressing me out.”

Beatrice sighed, steadying her hands against the table. Lilith’s hand stilled and she set her pen down by her book. Camila looked over to Beatrice with a bright smile, like she used to when they were in school and Beatrice had to do a presentation.

Ava didn’t sit, but she did settle, waiting for Beatrice to speak. Something about the excitedly nervous look in Ava’s eye was enough to get Beatrice to start speaking.

“Alright so, we all know why we’re here. We’re trying to bring Ava back from being incorporeal, so she can reside on our earth.”

“Beatrice, stop being so formal. We’re resurrecting Ava’s ghost ass.” Mary gave Beatrice a look, and Beatrice relaxed herself. She had slipped into her formal voice again.

“Well, in any case, we should go over what we know. Ava, do you want to explain, or would you like me to do it?”

Ava chewed at her lip, and then stepped up to Beatrice’s side.

“I’ve got it.”

Beatrice stepped back, but didn’t sit down. She wanted to be ready to step in whenever Ava needed her.

Ava stood at the head of the table, and sighed.

“Alright, so crash course. I think I’m dead, because my heart isn’t beating, and I haven’t aged in like thirty years. I can’t leave the house, because every time I try, I just get thrown back. I can become visible in this plane, and I can interact with things. I don’t need to eat or drink or sleep. When I get,” she paused and looked nervously up at the lightbulb above them, “upset, I can surge electricity. I can control electricity anytime though.”

Mary chuckled. “So, just to clarify, all the stories about lights blowing up and stoves breaking, from past owners and shit, you’re the culprit.”

Ava nodded, a flicker of regret on her face. “Yeah. It’s hard to control something you don’t really understand.” She reached a hand to touch her back. “The reason that I’m like this, is because the creepy nuns who used to own this place put a Halo in my back.”

Lilith frowned. “A Halo? As in, an angel’s Halo?”

Ava shrugged. “That’s what they believed. I don’t know if it’s true, but it definitely has some sort of power.”

“Fascinating,” Camila murmured. She typed something out on her laptop and looked up to Ava. “So, do you know specifically what the nuns believed would happen?”

Ava looked to Beatrice. “Okay, you wanna take that one? It’s all boring stuff to me, I never really cared about the history.”

Beatrice nodded, stepping up besides Ava.

“Right. So, what I know is that the Order of the Cruciform Sword truly believed that the Halo would give its bearer powers that would allow them to fight evil. They’ve been in operation since the Crusades, and there’s still a chapter today.”

Mary let out a breath. “And I thought your parents were weird.”

Beatrice laughed, despite herself. “Believe me, so did I.” She looked to Ava. “That’s all that I really know. There’s not much out there, they’re quite a niche religious sect.”

Ava folded her arms. “Well, what I have isn’t really about the Order as a whole, but more like, my experience with them.” She sighed, looking down. “They were incredibly focused on the worthiness of their candidates. Honestly, they thought I was going to be a failure, and they were hoping that the Halo would at least purge my soul.”

Lilith tapped the table with her pencil. “So, they knew it would likely kill you?”

Ava nodded. “Yep. It had killed everyone else who’d tried it before. After I died, I did some digging, and I found out that they’d tried to give the Halo to at least twenty people, all of whom died. A few of those people were unwilling candidates taken from the orphanage, with a similar intention to what they tried to do with me. The thing about me though, is that when I died, my body disappeared.”

Everyone in the room frowned.

“Wait, so that’s your actual body,” Lilith asked. Ava nodded.

“They never had a body to bury. Which means that they couldn’t get the Halo back and try again. This, right here the body I have right now, that’s my normal. Except for the fact that I can walk.”

The group didn’t react much to that. Ava had already told all of them about her life as a quadriplegic, and loved to make little jokes about it. Beatrice’s mind was spinning though, thinking about the implications of that.

“So, you’re not a ghost, you’re just on another dimensional plane,” Camila suggested. Ava’s eyebrows rose, and she shrugged.

“I mean, yeah? That sort of makes sense.”

Camila made another note. Beatrice turned to Ava.

“You said there was more than you hadn’t told us. Things that weren’t just about the Order, but about you.”

Ava took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yeah, so uh, there’s two things. The first is about the main sponsor of the Order.”

“They had a sponsor?” Mary asked, looking mildly disgusted.

“It was this rich guy. I never met him, but the nuns always talked about him. I had the feeling that he was sort of part of the Order in a weird way. They always referred to him as Angel. I never got a proper name. He was the one who was pushing for them to do experiments with the Halo.”

Beatrice thought of the research she’d started conducting into sponsors.

“If there’s an external source funding the OCS, then we should be able to find a connection. Perhaps this Angel figure might be able to give us some direction.”

Ava swallowed. “The other thing is that there was this other guy who started showing up towards the end of my time there. I think he was sort of external as well, because he was a lot nicer than they were. He always came into talk to me, and he seemed to actually want to know that I was okay.”

Beatrice smiled to herself, glad that Ava had at least one person who was there for her.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” She asked, wondering if perhaps Ava had, and she’d forgotten. That didn’t seem likely though, as Beatrice made sure to remember everything that Ava told her.

Ava sighed. “Honestly, I was half convinced that I made him up. And, well, I think he was the one who suggested that I should take the Halo.”

Beatrice tensed. Mary did as well, her half smile turning quickly to a frown.

“So, he wasn’t on your side at all?” Lilith asked, and Beatrice noted that she sounded angry. It was quite nice seeing Lilith becoming protective of Ava.

Ava shrugged. “I think he was, just a bit misguided? I don’t know, they told me that he thought I would be worthy of the Halo. That I was the one they’d been looking for. They didn’t believe him, but I guess he was right. I never did see him after that.” Ava frowned down at the ground, and Beatrice flexed her hand by her side, resisting the urge to move closer.

“What was his name?” Camila asked, and Beatrice could just tell that she already had a tab open, ready to see if she could hunt him down.

“Vincent. I, uh, I didn’t ever get a last name, sorry.”

Camila frowned. “I can try to look him up, maybe see if we find any Vincents in the area that you recognise?”

Beatrice frowned. There was a memory at the back of her mind that was itching, begging to be free.

“Ava,” she said slowly, “did Vincent have arm tattoos?”

Ava scrunched her face up. “Uh, yeah. Bea, how did you know that?”

Reaching for her phone, Beatrice felt the memory in her mind growing clearer. She opened up her university websites, searching through the teachers list. When she found him, she turned her phone to face Ava.

Ava’s face lit up. “Holy shit, that’s him! Like, he looks a lot older—shit, I guess it’s been thirty years for him—but that’s definitely him.”

Mary grabbed the phone from Beatrice’s hand. “Wait, isn’t that the Religion professor guy who was really into religious artifacts and shit? You aced his class.”

Beatrice nodded. “I did. What’s more, he should remember me, because I met with him multiple times to discuss my assignments.” She took her phone back, and placed it on the table.

“So, could you ask him about the OCS?” Camila looked at Beatrice with wide eyes. Beatrice took a hesitant breath, and looked to Ava.

“I think that should be up to Ava.”

Ava stepped close to Beatrice, looking at the photo of Vincent. Without even looking, Beatrice could feel Ava’s emotions, could feel that little flare of hope that brightened up her eyes.

“As long as you don’t let him know that you live here and that you’ve met me, that’s okay,” Ava confirmed. Beatrice smiled.

“Well then, we’d better come up with a plan.”

+++

Two days later, Mary and Beatrice stood outside Vincent’s office. Beatrice had decided that she didn’t want to go alone, that it would make her feel better if she had someone with her. Mary had volunteered, because she was very bored with Shannon gone.

The plan was simple. Beatrice was going to mention that she’d been looking into local religious sects in the area, and that she’d come across the OCS, and that she was wondering if he’d ever interacted with them. If that didn’t yield much, they could bring up Ava, mentioning that they’d heard she was murdered by the nuns. The aim was to see if there was anything he could reveal about what the Halo could do, or perhaps who he had worked for.

Under no circumstances would they bring up how they knew about this, or the fact that they knew Ava. Even if he seemed like he was on their side. Ava wanted to be consulted before they did something like that. As much as she’d liked Vincent, she still didn’t feel good about trusting someone who’d been a part of the OCS.

They all agreed with Ava on that point. It would be foolish to trust someone easily, even if Beatrice had liked him. You never knew what truths someone was hiding.

Beatrice turned to look at Mary, who nodded her head. With a firm hand, Beatrice knocked on the door. She stepped back, waiting for a response.

The door swung open to reveal Vincent. His sleeves were rolled up, and Beatrice could see his tattoos. They’d always fascinated her, made her wonder about the stories behind them. Beatrice caught sight of a rose and a cross, before she moved her gaze up to his eyes. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes fixed on Beatrice.

“Beatrice, what a lovely surprise.” He looked to Mary. “Who is your friend?”

“I’m Mary, I’m working with Beatrice on a project. We thought you might be able to help us.”

Vincent nodded. “Well, for such a star student, I truly hope I can offer some help.”

“I’ve been looking into the history of a particular religious sect for an extra credit project. I recalled that you had some connections to local religious communities, as well as extensive knowledge of some more niche sects.”

Vincent’s fingers pianoned on the side of the door. His face betrayed nothing except curiosity.

“Is that so?” He tilted his head. “And what particular sect are you looking into?”

“The Order of the Cruciform Sword.”

Vincent’s hand stilled on the door, tensing. His eyes widened for a half second, and then hardened.

“Right.” He stepped to the side. “You girls should come into my office.”

Beatrice kept her face still, but inside she was full of elation. So, he did know something, and he hadn’t immediately turned them away. Now it was just a matter of getting him to talk about the right things.

Vincent shut the door behind them and walked over to his office chair. The room was sparse, with no photos displayed, only a crucifix on the wall above his laptop. His folders were in various shades of grey, and several versions of the Bible sat on his bookshelf.

Neither of them sat, even though there was an available chair. Something about that just felt wrong.

Vincent tapped his desk, face drawn back into a mask of steel.

“So, what do you already know about this Order?”

Beatrice took a deep breath, and then answered with the words she’d been repeating in her head.

“I know that they have a darkened past in this city. They’ve been in circulation since the Crusades, but not many know of their existence. I’ve heard little about their actual beliefs, that’s why I’m here. I need to know a little more about what they believed, possible sacred artifacts, things like that.”

Vincent sighed, adjusting his glasses again.

“Well, I can help you with that. In the past, I had an association with the OCS. You see, they ran an orphanage in this city—a very small operation, really—and I was an outside source who helped them take care of the children.”

Beatrice tried her best not to tense up at that. She held a retort about him not taking proper care of Ava behind her teeth.

“From what I knew, they believed in a holy warrior who could come to save them from sin. This person would be a normal person, someone who was deemed worthy.”

“How so?” Beatrice questioned. They were getting closer to the topic of the Halo.

Vincent reached into one of his drawers, and pulled out a leather-bound notebook. He flicked through the pages, and then turned it over, showing them a page.

Beatrice was barely able to stop herself from gasping. On the page there was a pencil sketch of a circle, with patterns and markings wrapping around it. Beatrice had never seen the Halo in real life, but she knew that this had to be it.

“They called it the Halo. It was supposedly a divine object, something that could sense worthiness. They never found one who was worthy though.” His mouth twitched, and Beatrice knew that this was the time to start gently pushing.

“I’ve heard stories about the OCS, and the orphanage. About Ava.” Beatrice hoped that she didn’t give herself away as she said Ava’s name. It was hard to say it without putting the weight of the world onto it.

Vincent swallowed, and he set the book down. His hands folded.

“Ava.” The way he said her name echoed with regret and time past. Beatrice wondered what he’d been like the last time he’d seen her. Did he think of her often?

“She was killed by the nuns, wasn’t she?” Beatrice asked quietly, like it was a theory she’d had, not a fact she seethed about.

Vincent pressed his forehead against the backs of his thumbs and closed his eyes. He was silent for a long moment, long enough that Mary and Beatrice shared a look of concern.
When he finally spoke, it was in a low voice.

“Ava was a bright girl. She didn’t let the darkness of her world dampen her light. In my time with the OCS, I never met someone who I thought fit the bar of worthiness better.”

Beatrice wanted to press, wanted to ask him what she’d been like, what it was that had drawn him to her. But she didn’t. Besides, it didn’t matter. She knew her reasons, and that was all she needed.

Vincent sighed, dropping his hands. “I was not present when Ava died. I do not know the exact details of what happened. But I know that they made a mistake. The people I worked with were not happy.”

Beatrice kept her eyes from flicking to Mary.

“Who did you work with?”

“An outside group, with a vested interest in the Halo.” He tapped the book. “Whether or not it was divine, there was something interesting about it. Some power that we could not define.”

Beatrice nodded. So, there was another group involved. Were they connected to this Angel? Did Vincent know the Angel?

“Could you tell us about the nature of the group you worked with? Or perhaps, the nature of the Halo?”

Vincent opened his mouth to answer, but shut it quickly. He frowned up at Beatrice.

“I’m sorry, but what is your exact project?”

Beatrice felt her heartrate picking up in her chest. It seemed that she’d nudged a little bit too far, and she’d hit upon his suspicions.

“I’m looking into the Order of the Cruciform Sword and their history. I’m trying to figure out who they were.”

Vincent stared at her for a moment, and then sat up a little straighter.

“Well, I must tell you that I know very little. As I said, I was an external worker. What I know is that the Halo is no longer in their possession, and I split from them in the wake of Ava’s death. They’re still in operation, but not in this city.” His eyes felt a little too knowing for Beatrice’s liking. “It’s an odd topic to be interested in.”

Beatrice swallowed. “Well, you know that I’m majoring in Theology and Religion. I heard about the OCS in passing, and they fascinated me. I thought they might be interesting to look further into.”

Vincent watched her carefully, as if he would be able to see the lie in her eyes. Beatrice was very well trained at keeping secrets, and she kept still, trying to appear calm. She made sure that her hand wasn’t shaking on her leg.

Finally, Vincent smiled at her.

“I think that’s all I can tell you.” He nodded at her. “It was good to see you again Beatrice. And it was nice to meet your friend.”

Beatrice and Mary moved to the door. Just before they left, Vincent called after them.

“If either of you finds anything out about Ava, in your research, do tell me. I would like to know what happened to her.” His voice hinted at regret, at grief, but his eyes told a different story. There was that knowing look again, like they weren’t looking at the situation from the same level.

Beatrice did not like that look at all. Still, she mustered up the strength to smile and nod at him. The moment the door shut, she was striding off, Mary keeping pace.

“So, are we calling that a success?” Mary asked.

Beatrice swallowed. “I’m not sure.”

+++

Upon further discussion when Beatrice arrived home, they decided that it wasn’t quite a success, but it wasn’t a failure either. Vincent definitely knew more than he let on, but he had revealed that he was part of an outside group. That was a lead they could follow.

Ava didn’t really react as Beatrice explained everything that had happened. She just sat on her chair at the table, watching Beatrice. It seemed that she was always watching Beatrice, even during mundane moments. Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever had someone that paid so much attention to her at all times.

Later that night, Ava was sitting on Beatrice’s bed as they both read their books. Ava was on somewhat of a poetry kick, and she was currently enrapt in a copy of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Beatrice was reading a book of essays from feminist writers that Camila had recommended to her.

Ava was unusually quiet, which Beatrice clocked onto immediately. Usually, she’d be interrupting them both to read out a line that she liked, or to ask Beatrice about her book, or to just ask a question that had popped into her head. But this time she was just staring at her book, quiet and still.

Beatrice let it slide for about ten minutes. At first, she thought that maybe Ava was just tired. But then when she realised that Ava hadn’t turned a page in at least three minutes, she put her book down with a sigh.

“Ava, are you alright?”

Ava didn’t look up from her book.

“Yeah fine.”

The lack of eye contact was concerning, considering that Ava was the type of a person to try and stare into your soul during a conversation. Which did provide difficult for Beatrice sometimes, but she missed it right now.

“Ava,” Beatrice said in a quieter tone. Ava’s mouth twitched, and the hand holding her book shook slightly. Beatrice watched as she slowly put the book down, still not looking at Beatrice.

“What’s wrong?”

Ava sighed, eyes flicking up for a moment. “I guess I’m just…I don’t know. Scared?”

Beatrice frowned. “Scared that something bad will happen? Because Ava, I promise you that we’re being careful, and that I will let nothing happen to any of us.”

But Ava was shaking her head. “No, I know.” She bit her lip, looking up at Beatrice with a sad smile. “I’m more just scared to let myself hope.”

Oh. That did make sense. Beatrice was familiar with the feeling. When she’d first started going to university, when she’d first started truly living her life on her own terms, she’d been terrified that somehow her parents would be able to take it away. She’d been scared to let herself settle into the hope that this could be something good.

So scared in fact, that she’d never truly been open. She’d stayed hidden, not telling her friends her truth even though she knew that they would never judge her. Beatrice had been so scared to hope for something good that she hadn’t allowed herself to think about her life like that at all.

It was a horrible way to live.

“You talked about everything that you wanted for me, and I’d spent so long convinced that I’d never have anything more than this, that, well,” Ava shrugged, “I guess I’d never thought about it. I didn’t think I’d ever have friends in the first place, and now I might have a life, and it’s just so—” Ava cut herself off, shaking her head.

Beatrice reached her hand out, pressing it to the top of the book Ava had been holding. She might not be able to touch Ava, but she could touch where her hand had been. Ava’s eyes dropped to her hand for just the touch of a second.

“I understand. And I know it’s scary to hope for a better life. And I can’t promise you that you will get it. Nothing is ever certain.” Beatrice swallowed, wishing that she could promise Ava that it would all come true. But she couldn’t, and it would be cruel to do so. “However, what I can promise you is that even if things don’t work out, we’ll still be here. And we’ll find a way to give you the life you deserve.”

Ava looked at her, that disbelief in her eyes so clear and so heart-breaking.

“Yeah? How?”

Beatrice sat up a little straighter, allowing her mind to reach into the hazy future.

“We’ll get you into online shopping, and you can get whatever you want. We’ll build a miniature replica of cities from around the world right here in our house so you can travel. I will personally throw a house party so that you can meet new people. And most of all, I’ll never leave you. So, you can trust that for as long as I live, you will have me.”

Ava looked like she wanted to disagree, but instead she just stared at Beatrice. Beatrice felt her jaw trembling slightly, likely from the pure amount of emotion she’d just thrown into her words. Because she meant them all. Ava was part of her life now, and Beatrice didn’t think she could ever live properly without her there.

“Okay.” Ava smiled at her, eyes filling slowly with adoration. Hesitantly, she lifted her hand, and placed it on top of where Beatrice’s was on the book. As usual, it went straight through, creating a strange image of their hands somehow both existing in the same place, Ava’s looking transparent.

But Ava didn’t move her hand, she just kept it there, keeping their hands in the same place. Beatrice couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t feel heat or cold, but something about the thought that their hands were in the same place, just separated by a thin dimensional barrier, made her heart light.

They were together. Not in the same place, but in the same time. And maybe that was all that counted.

Chapter Text

Beatrice had been continuing to look into the OCS for some time now. It had been three days since she’d spoken with Vincent, and recently she’d been examining possible other groups who he could have been involved with. She’d found some information about a group known as the Arc, and it seemed that Vincent used to be publicly involved with them, but there was nothing in recent years.

She’d been conducting this study when her phone has started buzzing. Beatrice frowned down at it, because she didn’t know many people that would call her. Everyone she knew preferred to text. When she checked the screen, she found that she did not know the number.

Deciding that it was probably a wrong number, Beatrice let it ring through. But no more than a minute later, it was ringing again, from the same number.

Beatrice sighed and picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Beatrice?” The voice on the other end was female, with a slight accent.

Beatrice frowned. “Yes, who is this?”

“My name is Yasmine Amunet. I’m a student at La Sapienza in Rome.”

Beatrice’s frown deepened. Why was someone from Rome trying to contact her?

“Okay.”

“I’m calling because I heard that you have an interest in the Order of the Cruciform Sword?”

Beatrice sat up straighter. Something chilled up the back of her neck. How did this student from Rome know what she’d been looking into, and also know her name?

“Is that so?” Beatrice asked, careful not to confirm her assumption.

“Oh.” Yasmine laughed nervously. “Sorry, I realise that must sound creepy. I’m friends with Shannon Masters, and when she found out my area of study, she told me about you.”

Beatrice felt relief in her chest. Right, Shannon was in Rome right now.

“Right. Well, she is correct. I’ve been conducting some study into them for a university project.” Beatrice hoped that Shannon hadn’t broken their cover story. She wouldn’t though, Shannon was trustworthy.

“My area of study is the Crusades, and I have a special focus on the Order of the Cruciform Sword.”

“What a happy coincidence,” Beatrice mused, still not entirely sure if she trusted this woman. This whole situation seemed to be more than she’d ever expected, and every new piece of information, every new player in the game, only added more complexity.

“I have a lot of information about them. About their beliefs, their history, and about the Halo.”

Beatrice’s hand tightened around the phone.

“The Halo?”

“It’s a holy artifact. It’s believed that it has the ability to grant new life, or powers that transcend our human realm.”

Beatrice thought of Ava, able to walk when she’d been paralysed, able to communicate through lights, able to control her interaction through dimensions.

“It sounds intriguing.”

Yasmine made a small noise, and then quietly said,

“I also have some information about Ava Silva.”

Beatrice nearly dropped the phone.

“Is that so?” Yasmine certainly seemed to know a lot. Was this due to the fact that she was knowledgeable, the fact that Shannon had told her what Beatrice was interested in, or did Yasmine have some connection that Beatrice didn’t know about?

“I can’t tell you it all over the phone, but I’m coming to London in a couple of days for study reasons. Shannon said you were based there, and if you’d like to meet, I’d only be too happy. It’s been a while since I’ve actually been able to discuss all of this with someone not already involved.”

Beatrice hummed, taking her time to answer, trying to find the right words.

“Well, Yasmine, that does sound interesting. I’ll have to see if I can make the time in my schedule, as it is rather late notice.”

“Yes of course. Just text me if you can meet, and we’ll set a time and a place up.”

“That sounds lovely. I’ll let you know.” Beatrice hung up the call, and sighed deeply. This was a possibly massive lead, something that could give her information that could help her bring back Ava. And she seemed to be only too happy to offer it.

But could Beatrice trust her? What if this was a trap, what if Yasmine actually had connections to the OCS, and she was trying to find out what Beatrice knew?

Beatrice didn’t think she’d been this paranoid before. Perhaps living with a ghost who’d made an enemy of an underground religious cult had changed her perspective on things a little.

No matter what decision she came to, she had other people to consult first. Beatrice pushed herself to her feet, and made her way down the stairs.

+++

“I say trust her. Shannon’s told me about this girl, she’s a bit talkative, sometimes too nervous for her own good, but she’s bright. And she’s not evil,” Mary said, knocking her fist against the table. They’d all gathered in the kitchen that night, thinking over Yasmine’s proposal.

“Shannon is a good judge of character,” Camila mused. Lilith frowned.

“I don’t know. It feels too good to be true.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “Must you be pessimistic about everything?”

“Someone needs to be.”

Ava sighed, swinging her legs back and forth. She’d situated herself on top of the kitchen counter again, and hadn’t said anything yet.

“I think we trust her.”

Beatrice looked to Ava.

“What makes you say that?”

Ava shrugged. “Well, she wanted to meet in person, right? Which means that either she’s planning to kidnap you and dump your body in the river—”

“Ava, please don’t—”

“Or,” Ava rose her voice to speak over Beatrice, “she wants to meet in person because she thinks it’ll make sure that the OCS aren’t able to intercept the communication.”

That did make a certain amount of sense. Someone who was working with the OCS wouldn’t be afraid of them listening in.

“If she is actually evil and trying to kidnap you, well, then it would be pretty helpful if you had three friends who would die before they let that happen.” Ava tilted her head, and waved her hands in the air. “Oh wait!”

Mary nodded at Beatrice. “Girl has a point. We can stand in as backup. But still, I don’t think she’s a threat.”

Beatrice swallowed, and pulled out her phone. “Alright. I will text her, and we’ll arrange a meeting place.”

Ava kicked her heel against the drawer below her. “If this girl does anything to you, I except Lilith to personally decapitate her.”

“If she does anything to hurt Beatrice, I will claw out her heart with my own hands,” Lilith said, not even hinting at a smile.

“It’s lowkey scary that you’re so down for that.”

+++

Beatrice met Yasmine in a café at 10am on Wednesday morning. Yasmine was a girl with dark hair tied back in a ponytail, light brown skin, and a bright smile. Beatrice was already waiting in the café when Yasmine stumbled in through the door, searching the room for her.

As Beatrice made eye contact with Yasmine, she thought of her friends. Mary and Lilith were sat in a booth across the café from them, both ready to move if anything went wrong. Camila was outside in the car, also waiting. Seeing Yasmine, Beatrice didn’t think they’d have a problem.

She pulled into the seat opposite Beatrice in a scramble of limbs, and immediately stuck out her hand.

“Yasmine Amunet, pleasure to meet you.”

Beatrice took the offered hand without hesitation. She might not trust Yasmine, but she had been raised with basic manners.

“Beatrice Young, and the pleasure is all mine.”

Yasmine had a bag with her, one that she slid onto the seat next to her, and then procured a notebook from.

“Right, so I’ll get right into it.” She opened the book. “How much do you know about the Order?”

Beatrice hesitated before answering.

“I know that they used to be based here, running an orphanage, and that they were abusive to the children in their care. I also know they’ve been in operation since the Crusades, and I know that the Halo was one of their sacred artifacts.”

Yasmine nodded. She turned to a page in her notebook, and tapped it.

“The Halo, while its origin is unknown, was first used to bring a woman back to life.”

Beatrice couldn’t hide the shock on her face.

“I read that it was gifted to Areala, because she was seen as God’s Champion.”

Yasmine grinned. “That is true, but what is not recorded is that she actually died in battle, and was then given the Halo, and it brought her back. When she died again, her dying wish was that the Halo should be taken from her and given to someone else who was worthy.”

Beatrice nodded slowly. “But it didn’t work?”

“No. Because people misunderstood her.” Yasmine ran her finger down the page. “It was believed that she meant that the next person who should take the Halo was someone who was worthy of being God’s Champion. But what I believe is that she meant it should be given to someone who deserved a second chance at life.”

Beatrice’s mind spun. The journal that she’d read through had spoken of trying to be worthy, of trying to be a hero and a warrior. Ava was not perceived as worthy by the nuns, was not what they’d envisioned. But Vincent had seen something in her that they hadn’t, or perhaps he’d just known something that they hadn’t.

As Beatrice thought, Yasmine continued.

“The OCS tried to find someone who was worthy, making them prove themselves before they tried to place the Halo inside of them. However, the Halo did not take to any of them, and instead the process killed them. They didn’t deserve a second chance at life, or perhaps, they just did not need one.”

Beatrice’s eyes drifted down to the table as she thought. Ava had been quadriplegic, had lost her family, and was about to age out of the system, into a world that would likely not care about her. Had the Halo sensed something in her that it had also seen in Areala?

“This is what I believe happened to Ava Silva.”

Beatrice’s head snapped up, eyes narrowing. There was a look on Yasmine’s face, something secretive and nervous, like she was testing Beatrice somehow.

“What do you mean?” Beatrice asked slowly. Yasmine leant closer, lowering her voice.

“Ava Silva, the girl who was killed by the nuns, she was a test subject for this. They gave her the Halo, and something happened.”

Beatrice swallowed, forcing herself to stay focused, rather than letting her eyes flick over to Mary and Lilith. She definitely did not look composed right now, and they might assume the worst.

“What do you believe happened to her?” Beatrice asked.

“Well, all records of the Halo show that shortly after she died, it disappeared. You could assume that it was confiscated due to its involvement in her death, but I don’t think so. I think the Halo accepted Ava, but just not in the way anyone was expecting.”

Beatrice leant back, trying to look calm. If Yasmine believed the truth, and had more information about it, then that was helpful for them. But she could not let on that she knew anything about Ava. She still couldn’t trust her.

“Do you think that Ava stole the Halo?”

“No, I think it stole her, in a matter of speaking.” Yasmine flicked to another page. “I found records that state that Areala was able to phase through dimensions. Mostly she was fully solid in our realm, but when she needed to, she could move into another space, one that allowed her to move through solid objects, and on occasion, turn invisible.”

Another piece fell into place. Beatrice had been wondering why the Halo had taken Ava to another dimension, but if it had done this before, it made sense. It also made sense that it would take her energy to come into this dimension, because it was essentially the opposite of what Areala had to do.

“You think it stuck Ava in this other dimension,” Beatrice stated, trying to sound like this had just occurred to her. Yasmine nodded excitedly.

“I do.” She turned to another page, one that was covered in newspaper clippings. “Here are records of ghost sightings, dating back to 1990, that match the exact description of Ava. It is my belief that she’s stuck, which leads to her manifesting as this ghostly presence, and she can only come into our dimension briefly.”

Beatrice tapped the table. She had an explanation for what happened to Ava. Now, what she needed was a way to fix things.

“If this is true, would there be a way to bring her back? It seems like leaving her as a ghost would be cruel.”

Yasmine’s eyes flicked across Beatrice’s face, clearly searching for something, and Beatrice did her best to not give it up. Eventually she just sighed, the smile dropping from her face.

“There is a way.” She turned to a new page, one with an illustration of a crown on it. It looked a lot like the crown of thorns that Beatrice knew from all depictions of Jesus on the cross.

“Is that—”

“No, it’s not the actual Crown of Thorns. We believe it was crafted by Areala, based on the design of the Crown of Thorns, as a failsafe, should the Halo ever fail her in a time of need. If this is placed on someone’s head, it will anchor them to this dimension.”

Beatrice nodded. “So, if Ava was to put this on?”

“If she could reach into our dimension and place it on herself, it would anchor her here. From there, using the right techniques, it should be possible to fix the Halo’s mistake, and make it so she can exist here permanently, even without the crown.”

So, that was it. Beatrice just needed to find that crown, and then she’d be able to bring Ava here for good.

“Where is this crown at the moment?” She asked, probably not masking her excitement the way she should. Yasmine grimaced.

“That’s the bad news I’m afraid. Currently the crown is under the possession of Adriel.”

Beatrice frowned. The name rang a bell, but she wasn’t sure why.

“Adriel?” Beatrice made a note to herself to properly research him when she went home.

Yasmine nodded, a crinkle forming in her brow.

“He’s a very rich man, and a religious fanatic. He funded the OCS back in the nineties. Since then, he’s split from them, and is not on good terms with the current order.” Yasmine sighed. “He has incredible security, and the crown is one of his most prized possessions. Getting it from him would require a miracle.”

And just like that, all the hope that Beatrice had started forming in her heart disappeared. The crown was the solution to their problems, but they had no way of getting to it, and this Adriel figure didn’t sound like the type to be willing to just give it away.

Beatrice clenched her jaw. This was just another dead end.

“Well, that’s good to know.” Beatrice stood, ignoring Yasmine’s frown and stuttering words. “I should be getting on my way.”

“Wait, Beatrice, I was hoping that I could ask—”

“Thank you for what you’ve told me. I’m sure it will be a great help in my studies.” Beatrice swallowed, and stepped out of the booth. She heard Yasmine stumbling to her feet behind her.

“Beatrice, I know that you’re not doing this for university.”

Beatrice froze. Slowly, she turned back to face Yasmine, blanketing her expression with ice.

“What are you talking about?”

Yasmine gestured vaguely with her notebook.

“I know that you’ve met her. Ava.”

Beatrice swallowed, feeling her heartbeat in her ears. Shannon wouldn’t have told Yasmine that, there was no way she would have. So, how did Yasmine know?

This wasn’t good at all. No one outside of their circle could know about Ava. Beatrice didn’t know what Yasmine’s intentions were, and she could endanger Ava. She could expose her to the church, or even the world, and then what would happen?

Swiftly, Beatrice caught Yasmine’s wrist, holding it still. She knew her grip must be tight, and slightly painful, judging by the wide-eyed look that Yasmine gave her, but Beatrice didn’t particularly care.

“Listen very carefully. Whatever you think you know, you don’t. You’re going to go back to where you were, and you are not going to mention this conversation to anyone. I have never met Ava, and you should take care to not look into her.”

Yasmine opened and closed her mouth, eyes wide. Beatrice stepped closer. She knew that this must look odd for a café conversation, but she didn’t care right now.

“Am I understood?” Beatrice asked in a low voice.

Yasmine just stared at her, her eyes flicking across Beatrice’s face.

A hand came down on Beatrice’s shoulder, and she nearly sent her elbow careening back into the owner’s nose. She controlled herself, and merely turned back with a glare.

Mary was behind her, eyes serious.

“Beatrice, we should get going.” She looked to Yasmine. “Whatever Beatrice told you, listen to her. You don’t want to see her when she’s angry.”

Yasmine swallowed, and then gave them a stiff nod. She didn’t speak as Mary tugged Beatrice away, her arm shifting around her shoulder.

“Jesus Beatrice, could you not threaten to break a girl’s wrist next time?” Mary questioned as soon as they were out of the shop.

“She knew about Ava. I needed to make sure that she wouldn’t tell.”

Mary looked at her warily. “What else did she know?”

Beatrice’s mind was still spinning. Adriel. The crown. The Halo. So many pieces to a puzzle that was bigger than she could have ever imagined when she came downstairs to investigate strange noises.

“Beatrice.” Mary reached out her hand to grasp Beatrice’s shoulder and stop her in her tracks. Beatrice turned to look at her. “Did she tell you anything that can help us?”

Beatrice swallowed. “She told me a lot. I—I don’t quite yet know what to think of it all.”

“She knew that you’ve met Ava, though?” Mary’s eyes shifted over Beatrice’s shoulder, watching Yasmine through the window.

“She did.”

“Shannon didn’t tell her that. I checked last night; all Shannon ever told her was that you were interested in the case.”

Beatrice shook her head. “Then how does she know?”

Mary was silent. She yanked on Beatrice’s arm, and the two of them walked to the car. Lilith was waiting for them.

“Are we good?” She asked, checking behind them as they climbed into the car.

“We’re fine. Just make sure we aren’t followed,” Beatrice instructed Camila, who nodded.

Lilith looked over the back of her seat to where Mary and Beatrice sat in the back of the car.

“Did she know how to free Ava?”

Beatrice sighed. “There’s a way. I just have no idea how we’re going to do it.”

She thought of Ava, waiting at home for them. Ava, who had stopped herself from hoping for so long, who had just started hoping again. And Beatrice had let her down.

Fuck.

+++

When they stepped in the door, Ava was waiting for them at the kitchen table. She stood immediately, rushing to Beatrice.

“Hey, how’d it go? Did this Yasmine girl have good info, did she know anything?”

Mary turned to look at Beatrice as Camila and Lilith made a beeline for the kitchen. Lilith had decided that they needed to have some tea to calm down.

When Beatrice said nothing, too stuck on the lump in her throat, Mary spoke.

“She knew a lot, but not all of it is good.”

Ava nodded, and reached out for Beatrice, her ghostly hand resting on her arm. Beatrice couldn’t feel it. She might never feel it.

“Hey, Bea, you okay? You look really sad.”

Beatrice swallowed, trying to get words out. This wasn’t her fault, she tried to reason with herself. She was just one person, playing a much bigger game. And she’d tried. And she wasn’t giving up yet. Not by a long shot.

Still, the defeat stung. The fear that she might have found and lost her only hope within the space of an hour chilled her bones. Tears threatened to break through.

Ava moved closer. “Okay, you’re not alright.” She looked to Mary. “What did Yasmine do to her?” Anger laced her tone, and Beatrice nearly smiled at the thought of Ava being protective over her.

“I don’t really know; Beatrice has barely spoken since we left the café.” Mary gave Beatrice a hesitant look, and Beatrice finally spoke.

“The only way to save Ava is a complete shot in the dark. There’s no way for us to do it, not without resources that we do not have.” Beatrice tried to say it in a calm way, like she was just stating objective facts, but her aching heart rushed the words out.

Ava’s eyes widened, just a fraction, and then she nodded.

“Hey Bea? Can you just come with me for a second?”

Beatrice nodded, and wordlessly followed Ava as she led her into the spare room. She didn’t know what Ava wanted, didn’t know why Ava wasn’t more upset right now. With a click, the door shut behind her, leaving them both in the room together.

“Bea? Look at me please?” Ava asked gently. Beatrice met Ava’s dark brown eyes, and felt the first tear escape her eye.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, lifting a hand to wipe the tear away. This was foolish. Why was she the one crying? This wasn’t about her.

Ava shook her head. “It’s okay Bea. It’s going to be okay.”

Beatrice sighed, and turned away, walking to the bed so she could sit. Her legs felt like they might give out at any moment.

Ava moved to sit next to her quietly, not saying anything else. Her hands twitched in her lap, and Beatrice wondered just how badly Ava wished that she could do something, touch someone. She might never get the chance.

“Do you want to tell me what happened? Or do you want to just sit here for a bit?” Ava asked, her eyes steady on Beatrice.

The answer was clear to Beatrice. She had to tell Ava what she knew. With another sigh, Beatrice started speaking.

“Yasmine had a lot of information about the OCS and the Halo. She told me that she believes that the Halo could only be taken by someone who it saw as worthy of a second chance at life.”

Ava blinked, and looked down at her hands. She didn’t say anything, just frowned down at herself.

Beatrice continued.

“She also told me that there is a device that may work to tether you to our plane of existence, and that from there, we would be able to find a way to permanently connect you here.” Beatrice saw Ava looking up at her out of the corner of her eye, and rushed on, knowing she couldn’t let any hope flare up in her heart.

“But we can’t get it. A man named Adriel, a rich religious fanatic has it, and from what Yasmine said, it didn’t seem like he’d ever want to part with it. It also doesn’t seem like he’d be the type of person we want to ask for help.”

Ava shoulders dropped, and she nodded slowly.

“Oh, so, dead end?” When Beatrice winced, Ava added, “No pun intended.”

Beatrice shrugged. “She also knew that you were still around. And she knew that I’d met you.”

Ava nodded. “Okay, so what does that mean?”

“I don’t know.” More than anything, Beatrice hated not knowing things. It made her feel like someone had stuck something to the back of her brain, and she just couldn’t reach it to find out what it was.

Ava was quiet for a moment, likely digesting everything that Beatrice had said. Beatrice lowered her head.

“I’m sorry that she didn’t give us any good answers.” Beatrice was too afraid to voice the other apology in her heart. The one that feared that the answer Yasmine had for them was the only answer at all.

Ava sighed. “It’s okay. I knew it was a long shot anyways.” By the sound of her voice, it seemed like Ava had figured out by herself what Beatrice hadn’t said. That this was a failure. That Beatrice had failed.

Guilt stung at Beatrice’s mind. She’d given Ava hope, only to take it away. Wasn’t that cruel?

“I’m sorry for everything. I know that you were scared to hope, and that I made you hope, and now I’ve failed you. I’m sorry that this lead didn’t work, and I promise I will not give up yet. I will not fail you, Ava.” Beatrice swallowed back her tears. Ava took a moment to respond, staring at her intensely, before shifting closer to her on the bed.

“Hey, Bea, listen to me.”

Beatrice kept her eyes down. Ava made a frustrated noise, and then Beatrice saw ghostly fingers reaching out to touch her face. They didn’t make contact, but Beatrice turned her head anyway, shame crawling up her throat.

Ava’s eyes were firm on her, and she didn’t move her hand.

“You have done nothing wrong. Ever since I met you, my life has been so much better. I get to talk to people, and I get to actually do things, rather than just pretending that I don’t exist. So don’t apologise to me, because you have done more for me than any other person that I have ever met. You have not failed me, and you could never fail me.”

Beatrice shook her head. “But I gave you hope.”

Ava sighed, her eyes dropping. “You did. But I’m not an idiot. I knew that it was a long shot. And I’ll be alright. I’ve been doing this for a while. If the best you can do for me is to make my life a little bit brighter for a little while, I’ll take that. And when you leave me, I’ll never forget the kindness you’ve shown me.”

Beatrice hated the way Ava said that. Hated the fact that she’d never considered what Ava was implying. Ava didn’t age in the state she was in right now. Which meant she’d likely outlive them all. And then she’d be alone again.

“I promise, as long as I live, I won’t leave you alone,” Beatrice promised. Ava gave her a sad smile.

“Bea, you can’t promise that.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.” Ava dropped her hands, and shook her head. Rising from the bed, she stared at Beatrice incredulously. “Beatrice, you have a whole life to live, you can’t just stay here.”

Beatrice may have never considered this possibility, but she already knew in her heart what her answer was. It was the only answer that had been making any sense as of late.

“And why can’t I?” Beatrice stood as well. “I don’t need to travel anywhere, Thanks to the wealth of my awful parents, I own this house.”

“Yeah, but what about when you get a job?” Ava was giving her an intense stare, and Beatrice answered it with one of her own.

“Likely, I’ll get a job translating religious texts. I can do that here.”

Ava shook her head, running her hand through her hair. She sighed.

“I thought we were trying to convince you that you don’t need to do anything else for me.”

Beatrice so badly wanted to pull Ava close to her, to hold her so as to make sure that Ava could feel the weight of her words. But she couldn’t, so she held her ground, and held Ava’s eyes.

“What if this is for me? What if I can’t bear the idea of a future where I’ll always be thinking about you, wondering how you are, but unable to know?”

Ava didn’t have an answer for that, she just stared at Beatrice. So, Beatrice kept going, her heart pounding in her chest. She was revealing so much right now, was probably baring her heart in an embarrassing way, but Beatrice didn’t care.

“Ava, you are my best friend. I may have changed your life, but you also changed mine. I have never met someone I can be so truly open with. I love my friends, they have done so much for me, and I would never want a future without them. But Ava, you don’t understand just how much I simply adore you.” Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever put so much raw emotion into her words.

Ava blinked at her, and silence fell upon the two of them. Beatrice had to look away from Ava, terrified that if she looked any longer, more words might come spilling out. She examined the boxes they’d stored against the walls, the books she’d given Ava sitting on the dressing table, a blue pen sitting by a bound notebook that Beatrice didn’t recognise. Her clothes were hanging out of the dresser, the sleeve of a hoodie Beatrice had given Ava reaching out for the floor.

“Okay.”

Beatrice turned back to Ava, who was standing there looking breathless. She offered Beatrice a smile.

“I mean, I think you’re being dumb, and that you should definitely not choose to live your whole life in this weird house, but I also know that you’re incredibly stubborn, and that I don’t think I could change your mind. Even if you’re being seriously dumb.”

Beatrice laughed, raising an eyebrow. “How so?”

Ava shook her head, half smiling now.

“I mean, what happens when you get married? You’re gonna bring a wife home and be like ‘oh by the way, my creepy ghost friend lives here too, don’t worry about her’?”

Beatrice nearly laughed out loud, half out of the absurdity of the hypothetical, and half because, well, talking about marriage with Ava seemed to be entirely too dangerous.

“I don’t think I’ll have that issue,” she said, hoping to shut off that conversation. But Ava snatched onto it with ease, frowning.

“Why not?”

Beatrice shrugged helplessly, trying to come up with a reason that wasn’t because she was currently in love with Ava.

“Well, I mean, I just,” she cleared her throat. “I just don’t think I’ll ever meet someone who’d want to marry me.” Beatrice hid a wince, because, wow, that thought sounded depressing when she said it out loud. She wished that she could take it back, but honestly, some part of her felt that it was all too true.

Ava looked like someone had just kicked her.

“Beatrice.” She started, and Beatrice awkwardly laughed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood back down.” But Ava was already standing barely an inch away from her, ghostly hands moving to cross over Beatrice’s. Beatrice felt her skin tingling, not from the sensation of Ava touching her, but more from the intense longing in her body to be able to touch Ava.

“Beatrice,” Ava said again, her tone serious. “One day, you’re going to meet someone. And she’s going to be smart, and funny, and pretty, and she’s going to get you. You’re going to talk to her, and it’s just going to feel right. You’re going to spend all your time thinking about her, and she’s going to do the same about you, because you’re amazing. She’s going to be absolutely obsessed with you, because you are so smart, and you’re kind, and you’re so focused, and I don’t think anyone could stop you from getting something you want.”

Beatrice felt her lips parting, her body freezing in place as she was overcome by shock at Ava’s insistent words. Ava was staring firmly into her eyes, and Beatrice found herself noticing that Ava’s eyes were truly as gorgeous as the earth. She wanted to dig herself into them, and to never rise again.

Ava continued.

“You’re going to fall in love with someone, and they’re going to fall for you just as hard, and you’re going to be happy Bea. Because that’s what you deserve. Because you might not understand just how beautiful you are, inside and out, but the rest of us can.”

Beatrice had to close her eyes, just for a moment. She didn’t think she could keep looking into Ava’s eyes like that and not immediately shatter into a million pieces. Not when Ava was saying these things about her, things that Beatrice just couldn’t understand.

When she opened her eyes again, Ava was still looking at her. Beatrice felt a burning heat in her chest, and she realised with a start that she wasn’t sure if it was her own. Because she always felt like this for Ava, but there was something added to it, some added fire and ferocity that Beatrice couldn’t quite grapple with.

It felt like when Ava was scared and Beatrice felt fear tugging at her heart, like when Ava was upset, and Beatrice could feel the claws of sadness raking across her chest. But this was so much warmer, so much softly, like it was a feeling that belonged to Beatrice, even if it came from Ava.

But how could it be Ava? Why would she be feeling this? Why was she feeling this for Beatrice?

Like a magnet to metal, Beatrice’s eyes fell to Ava’s lips. She hadn’t looked at them much, hadn’t allowed herself to, but they were so lovely. Soft and pink, falling slightly open, and Beatrice wanted to lean down and kiss them.

Unconsciously, she could feel her body doing just that. Her hands rose through the air, aimlessly, because their destination would have been to touch Ava’s face. Somehow, they still tried, and instead just passed through the air.

Ava’s eyes closed, and she sucked in a sharp breath, but neither of them moved. When Ava’s eyes opened again, she wasn’t looking at Beatrice’s eyes.

For a moment, they were just held in this unescapable dance. Neither of them could touch, so the moment had to end. There was no other way for this to go. And yet, they both stood there and stared, Beatrice not entirely sure that this was real, not entirely sure that she wasn’t making this up.

Beatrice wanted to kiss Ava so badly. It was a want that itched and scraped at her chest, and she couldn’t hold it back, but she couldn’t do anything with it, so it just stayed, aching inside of her. And right now, she was paralysed by it.

Until the door slammed open, hitting the wall hard enough that Beatrice was worried it might dent. She spun away from Ava, straightening her posture, and staring at the person who had just burst in.

Mary blinked at them for a moment, looking like she so badly wanted to comment on what she’d just walked into, but then she waved a hand in the air.

“Alright, I have no idea what is happening here, but put it on hold. We have a problem.”

Beatrice felt her heart dropping.

“A problem?”

Mary turned and headed back into the living room. “Come on!”

Beatrice didn’t turn to look at Ava. She could feel her presence beside her, could feel emotions buzzing through her, but she couldn’t look at her. Not right now. Not after the moment they’d just existed in together.

Beatrice had wanted to stay there so badly.

But unfortunately, the world had other plans.

Chapter Text

“What’s the problem?” Beatrice asked as she strode into the room. The others were gathered around the table, all of their phones placed on it. Even Beatrice’s, which she hadn’t noticed was missing.

Mary tapped her phone, and when the screen lit up, it showed a line of notifications. The others tapped their phones, showing much the same.

“Who is it?” Beatrice asked, fearing that she already knew the answer.

Camila opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by her phone buzzing with an incoming call. The number wasn’t attached to a contact. Beatrice’s frown deepened.

“Camila. Who is it?”

“Yasmine,” Lilith answered, picking up Beatrice phone, and showing her that she had seven missed calls from Yasmine.

“She’s been calling all of our phones. Mary’s pretty sure that she took our numbers from Shannon, but we aren’t certain. She’s been calling nonstop for the past five minutes.” Camila folded her arms, and they watched as her phone stopped ringing.

It was only about ten seconds before Mary’s phone started buzzing with an incoming call.

“Well, she’s certainly persistent,” Ava commented, her voice shaking. Beatrice turned to her.

“We won’t let her do anything. She doesn’t know we live here, right?” Beatrice turned to look at Mary, who nodded.

“Shannon never told her that. Right now, I’ve got Shannon looking into Yasmine, trying to find out who the hell she is, because she seems way too intense to be just a uni student looking for answers.”

Beatrice sighed as her own phone started ringing.

“Can we just answer and tell her to fuck off?” Ava asked hopefully. Camila shook her head.

“If we do that, she might be able to track our call. Then she’d know where we live, and obviously, we can’t have that.”

Lilith picked up her phone and opened it. “We might not be able to answer, but I’m blocking her number. It’ll stop her until she finds another phone to bug us with.”

Beatrice picked up her phone, about to do the same, when Mary tensed, turning her head to the door.

“Did you hear that?”

There was silence in the room, none of their phones buzzing with a call. Beatrice was about to ask Mary what she meant, and then she heard it. The distinct sound of someone shutting a car door near to their house.

And then footsteps on the driveway.

Everyone moved, grabbing phones, rushing to turn off lights, and duck out of sight of the window. Ava flickered straight out of existence, and Beatrice found herself glad for Ava’s absence for perhaps the first time ever.

They found themselves ducking down in the living room, Beatrice glad that they’d shut all the windows earlier in the day. She switched her phone onto silent, and turned to her friends.

“It could be a coincidence?” Camila offered, but Lilith shook her head.

“No one is meant to be coming to the house, and they’re definitely coming here.”

A knock sounded at the door, making all of them jump. Silence fell upon them, all of them crouching on the floor in various states of panic. The knocking came again, sharp and purposeful.

“Do you think we could pretend that we aren’t home?” Camila whispered. Mary grimaced.

“Our cars are all here. And mine, which is parked on the side of the road, so she knows you have visitors.” The knock sounded again, louder this time.

“We can’t wait her out, can we?” Lilith asked grimly. Beatrice shook her head. Swallowing, Lilith rose to her feet.

“Alright, the rest of you, get out of sight of the door. I’ll say you’re upstairs studying. She shouldn’t know my face, right?”

They all nodded, and moved, running to hide on the staircase. Now they were out of sight, but in earshot. Beatrice tensed herself, running through all the different martial arts that she was aware of. If the situation called for it, she could defend herself, and claim that she was defending herself against an intruder. Her parents would likely pay enough money to keep the story out of the press, so they should be fine.

The door clicked open.

“Oh. Hello ma’am.”

Mary frowned, and mouthed, ‘Ma’am?’ at the two of them. Camila shrugged.

“Hello. Is Beatrice home?” It wasn't Yasmine speaking, but that didn't make Beatrice feel any better.

Beatrice closed her eyes, feeling every muscle in her body tensing. So, they knew that she lived here. Perhaps they’d followed her home one day, perhaps they’d been watching her longer than expected.

Dammit, Beatrice didn’t even know who ‘they’ were, and she was terrified of them. What was her life right now?

“Beatrice?” So, Lilith was going to be playing dumb.

“Yes, Beatrice Young. My associate met with her earlier today, and we believe that she is one of the new owners of this residence.”

Beatrice’s mind spun. So, they didn’t actually know that she lived here. They just believed it, likely because they knew that this was where Ava had died. And they knew it had been bought by new owners, so perhaps they were just leaping to conclusions. Perhaps they could get out of this.

“Sorry, you’re mistaken, I don’t know a Beatrice.”

“That’s very interesting Lilith, because she’s on your social media profiles.”

Shit.

They’d stalked them all, and they knew that they were trying to lie.

“Who are you?” Lilith asked, her voice coming sharp and dangerous.

“My name is not relevant, just know that I am the current leader of the OCS.”

Fuck.

Up in Beatrice’s room, a light flickered. So, that was where Ava had hidden herself. Beatrice tried her best not to think about the implications of her hiding there, rather than in the spare room.

“I don’t think you should be here.”

“Lilith, let me be exceedingly blunt. Do you know about the ghost in your house?”

“What are you talking about?” Lilith’s voice was sharp, but Beatrice could note the lie in it. And she had a feeling that whoever was at the door, knew that too.

“You do. Where is Ava, right now?”

“You need to leave—”

“Ava is in danger.”

Beatrice was moving before either Camila or Mary could stop her. She didn’t even think that she was aware of it herself.

“What are you talking about?” Beatrice snapped, almost shoving Lilith to the side.

Her eyes went over the woman at the door, finding herself mostly unsurprised. The woman was older, dressed in a nun’s habit, with a long scar across her face, and holding a cane. Her expression was steely, and Beatrice examined her, mentally calculating if she could take her in a fight.

“Ah, Beatrice.” The woman nodded. “I need to come in and speak to you about Ava.”

“I am not letting you into this house,” Beatrice snapped, her hand landing on the doorframe. She was aware of Lilith stepping back behind her, and she pulled herself up taller.

The woman sighed. “Beatrice, I assure you, I offer no threat to Ava.”

“I am well aware of what the OCS did to her.”

“And I will be only so happy to explain everything about what has happened with the OCS from then till now, but right now, we are running out of time.”

Beatrice felt tension pulsing through her body, so quickly that it was hard to process the words. But as they slipped through her mind, she felt herself settling into logic again.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I am not trying to hurt Ava, but Adriel certainly is.”

Adriel. The man that Yasmine had brought up. The one who had worked with the OCS in the past, and now had the crown that she’d spoken of.

“How would he know anything?”

The woman sighed, looking like she was barely holding herself back from smacking Beatrice with the cane in her hands.

“Because you went to talk to one of his underlings about Ava, and he became curious, so he used his resources to discover that you live here. And now he knows that Ava is still around, and that she likely still has the Halo. Which means that we don’t know how much time we have before Adriel comes knocking at your door, and he will have ways of getting in.”

Beatrice swallowed. The only other person who they’d talked to about Ava was Vincent, which meant…

“Vincent works with Adriel.”

“Yes.” The woman tapped her cane against the floor. “May I come in now?”

Beatrice stepped aside, and the woman moved in with speed that Beatrice wouldn’t have expected from someone with her age, and a cane. She scanned the room. From the staircase, Mary and Camila crept out.

“I see you have friends,” the woman noted. Mary stepped in front of Camila.

“You try and hurt any of us, and I swear to God I will end you.”

The woman nodded. “I have no doubt.” She looked around. “Where is Ava?”

Beatrice felt Ava’s presence entering the room, and the fear that was streaming through her.

“She’s here.”

The woman sighed. “Can she make herself visible please?”

Beatrice was the one to walk forwards, following Ava’s presence until she was sure that she was standing in front of her. It felt strange to be talking to empty air, but she knew that Ava was listening.

“Ava? I promise you; I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The bulb above their heads flickered, and then suddenly, Ava was in front of Beatrice, smiling softly.

“I know Bea.” She looked past her, to the woman. “So, you’re the head of the OCS? Come here to finish the job?”

The woman just stared at Ava for a moment, clearly shocked by her sudden appearance.

“No,” she finally said. “I’m here to take you to a secure location, so we can work on properly moving you into our world.”

Beatrice frowned. “Moving her? Ava can’t leave.”

“Yeah, every time I try to get past the front door, I just get thrown back.”

The woman nodded. “From what our research shows, this house is warded with divinium. It’s stopping you from leaving, and likely acted as a protection for the Halo, when it was still in this world. What we need to do is to find and deactivate those wards. Once that is done, Ava can travel with us.”

Mary held up her hand. “Sorry, us? Where the hell are we going?”

“You will all be coming with me, as Adriel likely will have also learnt your names. If he can find you, he will believe that he can use you as a way to get to the Halo. And we cannot allow for that to happen. So, I am taking you to our main base. There, I will discuss everything further, but right now, you need to assist me in breaking the wards.”

“What if I stay?” Ava asked, folding her arms. “Adriel can’t touch me, I’m not in this realm.”

The woman slammed her cane against the ground, startling Beatrice into clenching her fists, and moving towards Ava.

“Ava, I understand your mistrust of me, as I represent an order that hurt you. But we are running out of time. If Adriel gets to you, he can use the crown on you to bring you here. From there, he will take the Halo from you, and you will die. So, you need to decide right now Ava; do you want to live or do you want to die?”

Ava looked confused at the mention of the crown, but she didn’t question it. She looked to Beatrice for a moment, clearly weighing something in her mind. Tightening her jaw, she looked back to the woman.

“I want to live.”

“Good.” She turned to the four of them who were not Ava. “I need you to search the house. There should be four wards, imbedded into the house somehow. Divinium is blue. When you find it, tear it out of wherever it is, using whatever means necessary. I promise you; the state of your house is not the most major problem right now.”

Lilith was the first to move, going for the spare room. Camila headed up the stairs, Mary close after her. Beatrice went to the kitchen, running through her mind.

“Would it be in plain sight, or possibly buried?”

“It wouldn’t be buried. The warding would need to be in the actual house in order to properly seal it.”

Ava rose a hand.

“Hey, so um, divinium is blue?”

“Yes.”

“And if I came into contact with it, would it fuck me up?”

“Yes.”

Beatrice’s head snapped to Ava, who nodded.

“Yeah, okay. Bea, check the air vent above the living room.”

Beatrice grabbed a chair, dragging it over to where Ava had said. She had no idea why Ava would know this, but she supposed that she didn’t need to know that now. Carefully, she removed the cover of the vent, and reached up.

“Where would it be?”

“Uh, should be just on the edge.”

Beatrice’s fingers ran around the edge, and then she touched something cold and hard. She gripped onto it, tugging. When that failed, she dropped her hand, glaring up at the vent.

“I can’t get it.”

Lilith, who had re-entered the room with a crowbar, strode up to her.

“Woah, how did I not know we had that?” Ava exclaimed. Lilith gestured for Beatrice to get off the chair, and then reached up into the vent with the crowbar.

“My dad is going to be pissed,” she commented, giving the crowbar a tug. With a crunch, and a shower of dust and bits of plaster, Lilith pulled something free. She then reached up to tug it out.

The divinium was about the length of Lilith’s hand, and true to the nun’s word, was blue.

“Good, that’s one,” the woman commented.

“Hey, so if we’re going to be doing this with you, can we get a name?” Ava asked, staring at the woman.

The nun nodded. “You may call me Mother Superion.”

“Hmm, okay, but like, a first name?”

Lilith strode out of the room and up the stairs, clearly deciding that Ava’s conversation with Mother Superion was not at all relevant. Beatrice dropped the divinium on the counter.

“Any other suggestions Ava?”

Ava shook her head. “No, that’s the only time I ran into something like that.”

“May I ask how?”

“Oh, I thought it would be cool to crawl through the air vents once.”

Beatrice blinked at Ava, and her calm expression. Sometimes, she truly wondered how it was possible for someone like Ava to exist. And how on earth she’d fallen in love with her.

“What? Die Hard was super cool,” Ava defended, and Beatrice couldn’t help but smile.

A yell came from upstairs.

“Guys, get up here!”

Beatrice took the stairs up two at a time, Ava and Mother Superion following close behind. When she reached the top, Camila was cradling a blue cross.

“This has been in the bathroom for ages. I thought it was just a weird tiling pattern.”

Mother Superion nodded. “It’s divinium. That’s two. I’m assuming this house has an attic?”

Lilith was already striding over to the door on the ceiling, reaching out to pull the stairs down.

“None of us have really been up here. We’ve been using it to store stuff that we didn’t want to put in the spare room.”

Camila went up first, as she was the shortest, and she clutched the crowbar tightly in her hands. Beatrice followed, turning on the flashlight of her phone to scan the room. The attic was cramped, not really the type of space you’d like to spend any amount of time in.

It smelt like dust and cardboard, and Beatrice resisted a cough that tugged at her throat. Crouching down, she moved her torch across the walls, looking for the strange blue metal.

She found it in the roof, laid into one of the beams. Beatrice winced. Fixing this place up after they tore it apart was going to be quite inconveniencing. And just after they’d already needed to repair their television.

“Camila, up there.” She pointed, and Camila moved, lifting the crowbar. She tried to pry the metal out first, and then decided to carve into the wood around it, before forcing it loose. Sawdust fell down, and Beatrice did sneeze, and then wrinkled her nose.

“Got it!” Camila held up the bar of blue metal. “This stuff is so weird.”

Beatrice was already making her way down to the others.

“We found it in the roof.”

Ava bounced on her toes.

“Right, so that’s only one more?”

Mary shook her head, eyes wide. “This is so fucking weird.”

Mother Superion was on the move already.

“It will likely be set into one of the exits to the house. Check all doorways and windows.”

They didn’t need much more than that. It was truly shocking, how quickly all of them had moved on their quest to rid the house of weird metal in order to free their ghost friend, but Beatrice felt it was right. They had never been a normal group. Why start now?

Ava walked to the doorway, and moved her fingers across the edges. Beatrice frowned.

“What are you—”

She was cut off by Ava hissing in pain and throwing her hand back, her image flickering.

“Ava!”

Ava shook her hand, and Beatrice noted that the tips of her fingers were red.

“Yeah, there’s divinium under there.”

Beatrice held out her hand, and Camila understood, marching over to give her the crowbar. She slammed the top of it into the doorframe, right where Ava had pointed, putting a dent in the wood. Slamming it again, and then dragging the bar down, Beatrice exposed the shining blue metal.

It took a few more hits, but finally, she dislodged it, and the final piece of divinium fell to the ground. All of them gathered by the doorway, staring down at it.

There was silence for a moment, and then a phone started buzzing. Everyone’s heads snapped back to where their phones were, but this time, Mother Superion was the one to pull the phone out. It was a strange sight, seeing a nun holding an iPhone 13, but really, it wasn’t coming close to the weirdest thing Beatrice had seen in her life now.

She lifted it to her ear.

“Yasmine, what is happening?” She went quiet, and Beatrice could hear Yasmine’s voice faintly yelling about something on the other end. “Alright, thank you Yasmine, we’ll be out soon. We just cleared the house, so Ava will be able to come with us.”

Ava, meanwhile, had walked up to the doorway, staring out with a hunger. Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever seen this expression on her first, this thirst and desperation for something that was so close to her. Although, somehow, it looked a lot like the expression she’d worn before, when they were in the spare room together.

Beatrice didn’t want to think too much about that.

Mother Superion walked through the doorway, and turned back to face them.

“Yasmine just called to inform me that Vincent is on his way here now. If you have any research about Ava, or the Halo, go inside and get it now. He will find his way inside, and it would not do to let him know what you know.”

Beatrice turned to Camila. “Grab my laptop and my—”

“Notebook, yep got it,” Camila said, already moving upstairs.

Lilith looked back into the house. “Should we take anything else?”

“We can get anything else once we’re there. If Vincent or any others break in, they won’t be interested in valuables. If you bring your phones, give them to me, and I will make sure that they are untrackable.” She narrowed her eyes. “If there are any among you who are unwilling to come, stay.”

Mary folded her arms. “I’m coming.”

Lilith nodded. “Where they go, so do I. Camila would agree.”

“And where Ava goes, I go,” Beatrice told her.

Ava grinned. “You guys are the best.”

Mother Superion tapped her cane on the ground and inclined her head to the van that was sitting outside the house.

“Come.”

Lilith and Mary moved first, following Mother Superion. Beatrice turned to Ava, who was still hovering on the edge of the doorway.

“Ava?”

“I’ve never left this house. Since I was seven years old, I haven’t left this house,” Ava whispered. Her fingers brushed the wood where the divinium had been. “I didn’t think I ever would.”

Beatrice so badly wanted to offer Ava physical comfort, but she couldn’t. So, instead, she stepped backwards, out onto the pathway leading up to the door, and held out her hand.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Ava looked at her, that longing look back in her eyes. For a moment, Beatrice wasn’t sure if it was for the outside world or for her.

And then, ever so carefully, Ava put her first foot over the threshold. And then the second. Her feet moved forwards, carrying her across the rocks until she was standing in front of Beatrice, beaming.

“I did it.”

“You did.” Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever smiled so hard at someone else. How did Ava make her feel like this?

“Beatrice, Ava, come on!” Mary yelled, and the two of them turned to looked at the van. The side had slid open, revealing that Mary had hopped into the passenger seat already. Beatrice and Ava walked over, Ava hopping as she did, because, well, she didn’t have shoes.

The two of them climbed into the back seats, cramped together, but it didn’t matter, because it wasn’t like Ava actually took up physical space. Beatrice was pretty sure that their knees and elbows were crossing over.

Lilith sat in front of her, and when Camila hopped in, holding a bag, she sat next to her.

“I got everything. If anyone tries looking for what we knew, they won’t be able to get it.” She dropped the bag next to her, and slid the door shut.

“Everyone in?” Mother Superion asked.

“Yes,” Lilith responded for all of them.

The car engine started. “Alright, it’s a bit of a drive. Sit tight.”

“Where are we going?” Ava asked.

“I told you, the headquarters of the OCS. I will explain everything there. Right now, I’d probably think about sleeping. You aren’t likely to get much once we arrive.”

More than anything, Beatrice wanted to reach out for Ava and to hold onto her hand. Partially to reassure Ava in this brand-new situation, and partially because she needed something to tether her right now. Instead, she just watched Ava.

Ava’s eyes were fixed on the window, on the passing houses. It struck Beatrice then that Ava had never done this before. How long had it been since she’d sat in a moving vehicle, just able to watch the passing houses? It was such a strange thing for someone to be excited over, but Beatrice could tell that this was an important moment for Ava.

And so, she just sat and watched, not saying anything. This could just be Ava’s moment, for now. Beatrice was just happy to be a small part of it.

+++

At some point in the car ride, Beatrice fell asleep. She hadn’t realised that she was tired, but it was likely that the heightened emotions, and the sudden stress placed upon her had worn out her mind.

When she awoke, it was slowly and with a grimace. She’d been leaning her head on a window, and now her neck felt awkward, after being bent like that. Everything felt fuzzy, the way it did when she used to fall asleep in her parents’ car on the way home from important events.

Except this time, when she awoke, there wasn’t her father’s face, hovering over her before he told her that she needed to wake up and head inside. It was Ava, just watching her with a soft smile.

Outside, the midday sunlight had dwindled into late afternoon, the sun lowering itself to the horizon. Beatrice reached for her phone, before remembering that Mother Superion had it.

Peering through the van, Beatrice saw that the others were also asleep. Camila was resting her head on Lilith’s shoulder, and Lilith’s head rested on top of hers, almost protectively. Mary’s head was bouncing against the window in a way that must be uncomfortable, but Mary had become a deep sleeper over the years.

Beatrice turned back to Ava, who was still smiling at her.

“What?” Beatrice asked, wondering what it was about her in this moment, still groggy from her unexpected nap, that made Ava smile at her like that.

Ava shrugged. “You looked really peaceful. I don’t need to sleep, so I’ve just been doing some sightseeing.” She tapped the window. “It’s fucking weird, having all of this at once.”

Beatrice decided to jump over the fact that apparently Ava’s sightseeing included watching her as she slept.

“Any favourite sights?” She kept her voice quiet, careful not to wake the others. Mother Superion could probably hear them, but Beatrice didn’t know if she wanted that either.

Ava shrugged. “Honestly, as pretty as everything is, it’s the people I like seeing the most. All the life. You can see a pretty landscape in a picture, but no one ever makes movies about the mundane things. Like, someone walking the dog in the street, someone trying to balance the groceries as they get out of the car, or kids playing sports on muddy fields.”

Beatrice was pretty sure that she fell more in love with Ava every single time they talked. Because there was just something about hearing her perspective on the world, something about how she was so moved by the simple things of life, that made Beatrice realise that maybe she’d never really understood life in the right way before.

But now that she knew Ava, everything was different. Her world was different. And maybe that was love. Maybe love was found when you met a person who just changed things, and made it so you could never be the person you were before. So, no matter what, you would always carry them with you.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ava asked, her brow furrowing as she smiled at Beatrice. Beatrice wasn’t sure how she was looking at Ava, but she didn’t have it in her to stop.

“You truly are extraordinary,” Beatrice told her. There was really nothing else she could say.

Ava blushed. “You’re too nice to me Bea.”

“I think I’m exactly as nice as I should be.”

For the rest of the drive, Ava stared out the window, and Beatrice watched Ava, neither of them speaking. Neither of them needed to.

Chapter Text

The base of the OCS was a large compound on top of a hill. When they arrived there, Yasmine was at the front gates to greet them, now wearing a nun’s habit. Beatrice definitely had questions about how she’d met Shannon if she was secretly a nun, but she decided not to push it right now.

Yasmine moved to greet them, smiling nervously.

“Hello.” She looked to Beatrice. “I’m sorry for upsetting you when we met this morning. I was just hoping that you’d be willing to work together.”

Mary stepped in front of Beatrice.

“How exactly did you find out that we knew about Ava? Were you stalking Beatrice’s search history or something creepy like that?”

Yasmine shook her head. “Nothing so sinister. We just keep track of people who occupy this house. And we’ve been watching Vincent, so when you went to see him, we realised that you probably knew about Ava. When he contacted Adriel, which we know about because we have a bug on him, we moved to talk to you.”

Beatrice blinked. How had she gone from a university student to the main character of a spy movie in the space of a few months?

Ava nodded. “That still sounds fucking stalkery.”

“If you don’t mind, could we move this conversation inside? It would be much better to discuss this all with us all seated.” Mother Superion interrupted. Beatrice nodded.

“Yes of course.”

When they headed inside the compound, Beatrice noted that there were many women watching them, all in nun regalia. Ava was the one who captured the most interest, with many people whispering to each other with their eyes on her.

Beatrice stepped a little closer to her, as if she could somehow shield her with her body.

“They’re just curious. Everyone’s heard about Ava, but many assumed that she was a myth,” Mother Superion explained.

“I’m a myth? Like, I’m the ghost, the myth, the legend?” Ava bounced on her feet as she walked. At least her ability to lighten up any situation hadn’t failed her now.

Mother Superion didn’t so much as smile.

“Your death was the catalyst for a lot of changes in the Order. I will explain further in a moment.”

The group of them were ushered into a meeting room, one with enough chairs for all of them to sit. Another woman occupied the room. Her hair was blonde and pulled back into a ponytail, hairs flying away around her face. She looked incredibly stressed, and Beatrice noted that she was the first person she’d seen here who didn’t wear any religious clothing.

“Oh thank god, I thought he’d got you,” the woman exclaimed as they entered.

“As far as we know, he doesn’t know that we’re in contact with the girls yet. He should figure it out around midday tomorrow, by our projections,” Mother Superion said as she led them in.

“Um, who the fuck is that?” Ava asked, pointing to the new woman. The woman turned to her, eyes widening, and she leapt forwards as if yanked by an invisible chain.

“It’s really her.”

Ava stepped back, her foot passing through Beatrice’s leg, but Beatrice didn’t mention it.

“Uh, hi?”

The woman stopped, her hands reaching out for Ava, and then dropping to her sides.

“Forgive me, it’s just, well, you’re a miracle of proportions unseen by humanity for many years.”

Ava grinned nervously. “That’s me, miracle ghost girl.”

The woman nodded. “My name is Jillian Salvius, I’m essentially the Science and Communications Manager here at the Cat’s Cradle.”

“Last I checked, science and religion don’t mix,” Mary piped up from the chair she’d sprawled herself in.

“Well, generally, they don’t, but in the case of the OCS and the Halo, and Ava’s case, a new viewpoint on things was required,” Jillian explained.

Mother Superion rose her hands. “Everyone take a seat. We have much to cover.”

Everyone found their places at the table. Beatrice sat in front of Ava, as if she could physically defend her from Mother Superion, who sat at the end of the table. Even though no one here could touch Ava, she still felt that it was important to defend her physically.

Mother Superion placed her folded hands on the table and surveyed the group.

“This is a highly unusual situation. Usually, the OCS does not reveal itself to civilians, but as you are the ones to discover Ava, and I have gathered that you care about what happens to her, I will allow you to stay as I explain the situation.”

“How gracious,” Lilith said, folding her arms. She was on the opposite end of the table to Mother Superion, and had her fixed with the angriest expression possible. Beatrice resisted a smile.

“The OCS, or the Order of the Cruciform Sword has had many purposes over the years. You would most likely know the manifesto of the sect that ran Ava’s orphanage. They believed that the Halo Bearer would be the figurehead of the Order, someone to worship, someone who would help them face the evils of the world and defeat them. And so, they searched for someone that they felt fit that.”

Ava’s hand twitched on the table. Beatrice lay her own hand next to it, hoping that she could provide some comfort that way.

“Through research though, our current order has discovered that they were approaching the situation incorrectly. In the past thirty years, the order has undergone many reforms. Today, we mostly focus on offering a second chance to those who felt that their lives were unworthy of continuing to live. Those who felt worthless, unloved, or forgotten.”

Beatrice swallowed. For a moment, she considered what her life would have been like if she’d found out about this order when she was a teenager. Back when she’d still been trying to follow her parent’s religion, and block out her own feelings. She knew it would have sounded very tempting at the time.

“Areala, the first Halo Bearer, was a hero in her time, which is what allowed for the misconception of the Halo’s purpose to arise. But when she died, she specifically requested that the Halo be given to someone worthy of a second chance at life.” Mother Superion nodded at Ava. “Like you.”

Ava shifted in her seat. Beatrice wondered if it was hard for her, thinking of herself as worthy, when she’d spent so much time convinced that the Halo had chosen her by mistake.

“Your death should not have occurred. If things had been done correctly, the Halo would have passed into you, healed you, and would have granted you that second chance. But from what we can tell, they placed drugs in your system that made the Halo react strangely upon being inserted. And along with that, well, we believe that you did not feel safe, and so you unconsciously used the Halo to phase.”

Beatrice closed her eyes, thinking of what it must have been like for Ava in that moment. She must have been terrified, thinking that she was going to die. No wonder the procedure hadn’t gone well.

“So, essentially, you have been living on a separate plane of existence, kept there by the Halo.”

“Why can’t I touch anyone?” Ava asked. “I mean, I can phase back to this plane, I can sit in this chair, I can go visible, why can’t I touch people?”

“We believe that it’s a defence mechanism. The Halo is trying to protect you from harm, so it is refusing to allow you to interact with people.”

“But they don’t mean me any harm!” Ava looked like she was about to twist her body around and give the Halo a stern talking to about being overprotective.

Mother Superion sighed. “We aren’t sure, but what we can say is that if you were to be brought into this plane, you would be able to interact with the people here normally. It’s just that, in your current state, the Halo is refusing to allow you to make contact with people.”

Ava huffed. “Nice one buddy,” she muttered. Beatrice hid another smile. How was she supposed to remain serious if her friends continued to act like this?

Mother Superion continued.

“We won’t know for sure until we can properly examine you, but we believe that the Halo is also currently keeping your body in stasis. For as long as you stay stuck in this other plane, the Halo will stop you from interacting with living matter, and it will stop you from aging. If you come into contact with divinium, the Halo will be overwhelmed, and it will shut down, likely causing you to fall into a coma until it has the chance to reactivate.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Beatrice caught Ava’s shoulders squeezing together, her knuckles going white as she clenched her fist. That was what had happened, Beatrice realised. Ava had interacted with divinium, and then she’d been knocked into her ‘ghost coma’.

“Now, the Crown is a device made in Areala’s time. We do not know if the Halo, or the Crown, operate under a scientific or supernatural rule, but we do know that both work.”

Ava spoke up.

“So, this Crown, what will it do to me?”

“If used correctly, it should bring you to this plane of existence. From there, we just need to make sure that you can stay stably here without it’s interference. Again, we will need Jillian to examine you to determine the best course of action there.”

Beatrice was the one to speak next.

“How does Adriel and Vincent come into this?”

Mother Superion sighed.

“Vincent was a young man of the Order. Adriel provided money to keep the Order functioning, in return for the Halo experiments. You see, he wanted the Halo for himself, but he didn’t want it until they could figure out a way for him to have it without it killing him. So, he had the OCS test it for him.”

Beatrice’s jaw clenched. Of course, Adriel was a power-hungry man willing to use anyone to get what he wanted. She really shouldn’t be surprised.

“We believe that Vincent knew more about the Halo than the nuns, and that he figured out that Ava would be a good recipient for it. It is unknown what exactly his plan was, but it obviously didn’t work. Vincent couldn’t find Ava’s body, and so he and Adriel have believed that she died and took the Halo with her wherever she went. The OCS went under investigation, and everyone involved in the orphanage was excommunicated. I took over as the head.”

Beatrice was glad to hear that there weren’t any nuns from Ava’s past hovering around here. She thought that if they ran into such people, she might not be able to stop herself from getting violent.

“I knew of Areala’s powers, and I believed that Ava had taken the Halo with her to another plane, but that there would be a way to get her back. When there was news of hauntings at the house, I believed it to be her, but we could never prove it. Until, of course, now.”

Ava laughed. “Yeah, I’m here. I’m dead, but I’m here. So, now what? You take me back to the real world and then I give the Halo back? You kill me for good this time?” Her voice was sharp, and Beatrice wondered how long Ava had been considering this possibility.

Beatrice’s eyes snapped to Mother Superion, watching for any sign that she was considering what Ava had said. But instead, she shook her head.

“No. The Halo chose you, and we believe that it should not be taken forcibly from its Bearer. Once we bring you to the real world, as you say, you will be allowed to live your life in whatever way you choose. We just request that you allow us to train you first, and that you check in regularly with us.”

Ava folded her arms. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me?”

Mother Superion sighed. “Ava, I promise you, the OCS does not wish you harm. You are the Halo Bearer. All we want for you is to properly teach you how to use the Halo, so that you may live as Areala would have wished.”

Ava was silent for a moment, and she looked to Beatrice, as if needing her reassurance that this was a good idea. Beatrice looked to Mother Superion, evaluating her.

“I believe her,” she said finally. She didn’t think that the older woman wished Ava any harm, and she was fairly certain that in the event of a betrayal, they could find a way to get Ava out of there.

Ava turned back to Mother Superion. “Okay, fine. Test me.” She tilted her head. “How the hell are we getting the Crown though? Doesn’t major dickbag Adriel have it?”

Beatrice had half a mind to put her elbow through Ava and remind her that swearing in religious places was generally frowned upon. She decided against it, as she didn’t think Ava would listen anyway.

Mother Superion’s mouth twitched, and Beatrice thought that she might have been trying to stop a smile.

“Well, the current plan is that we’re going to break into his house, and steal it from him.”

+++

After that bombshell of an announcement, Mother Superion had decided that they didn’t need any more information, and had them shown out of the room. All of them except for Ava were to be taken to the rooms they would be occupying here, while they stayed for the foreseeable future. Beatrice found herself very glad that they were in a university break right now, otherwise she’d be falling horribly behind on her classwork.

Ava was taken to be examined by Jillian, and Beatrice, of course, decided that she was going to accompany her. Partly because Ava had looked terrified at the prospect of going with this new and strange woman alone, and partly because Beatrice felt sick at the prospect of letting Ava out of her sight.

Jillian looked between the two of them for a moment, furrowing her brow as if they were a new maths problem that she wanted to solve. Then she hummed, like she’d found the answer, and turned to head down the corridor, telling them both to follow her.

They’d ended up in a small clean white room, one that was somehow halfway between a doctor’s office and a scientist’s lab in terms of decoration. There was a bench full of magnifiers and test samples, and a bed with a light over the top of it. Ava was instructed to hop onto the bed, and Beatrice to sit on the metal chair next to it.

Jillian hurried around the room collecting various things and setting them on a tray, before heading back to Ava. Tapping a tablet, she looked up at the light above Ava’s head.

“Now, sit still for the moment, it’s going to scan you, and see if what it can see. Then, I’m going to examine your cells, so I will need a skin sample, and a blood sample. Once that’s done, I’d like to examine the Halo, to see if I can figure anything out.”

Ava swallowed. “You know, I thought being dead would get me out of all this testing bullshit.”

Jillian gave her a long look and then said, “I’m very sorry for what happened to you Ava. No child should be treated like that.”

Ava shrugged. “I mean, I was hardly a child when they put the Halo in me.”

“Maybe not, but I know they weren’t kind to you before that.”

Ava didn’t have an answer for that, Beatrice could tell from her clenched jaw, and so she changed the topic.

“You have much experience with kids, doc?”

Jillian smiled. “I have a son, Michael. It’s only thanks to work done with the OCS that he’s still breathing today. He’s seven.”

Beatrice watched as Ava relaxed, just a little bit, her shoulders untensing.

“I had a best friend at the orphanage. Diego. He was seven too.” She blinked. “Although, he’s probably thirty-seven now. How time flies, right?” She laughed, but Beatrice heard the sadness in her. In the back of her mind, she made a note of it, promising herself that when they had Ava here, she’d find Diego for her.

Jillian didn’t respond, and instead reached for a stethoscope. “I’d like to try and hear your heartbeat. Would that be possible?”

Ava laughed. “You can try, but I haven’t felt my heart beat in thirty years.”

Jillian nodded slowly, still approaching Ava. It was a little bit tricky to get the instrument onto Ava’s chest, considering that her hands couldn’t actually touch her, even with gloves on, but they managed. Jillian went silent, listening, and Ava made eye contact with Beatrice over her head, giving her a half smile.

Beatrice smiled back.

“Well, you’re right, no heartbeat. Which aligns with my theory. You should have died, but the Halo attached itself to you, and it is keeping your body in stasis. You can’t age, you don’t need to sleep or eat, is that correct?”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, one of the few benefits of being a ghost. Except, I kinda miss eating chocolate. JC used to sneak me Mars bars, and those were the shit.”

Jillian hummed. “Right, well, now I’m going to need some cell and blood samples, just to confirm that your body truly is in stasis. Because once I know that, then I can start figuring how to get your body out of this state.”

Ava chewed her lip, and Beatrice moved her chair a little closer to her. Ava’s unease was chilling her, and she needed to comfort her.

“It’s alright Ava. It will likely feel strange at first, but that’s how it’s meant to feel.”

Ava swallowed, and nodded at Jillian. “Alright doc, science me up.”

Jillian was very efficient with taking the samples. Ava winced as her blood was drawn, and Beatrice found herself once again wishing that she could hold her hand. Once Ava was back in their world, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to let her hand go.

The next thing for Jillian to do was examine the Halo, to see if she could figure out how it was keeping Ava alive. She told them that likely there would no scientific reason, but it was always good to know for sure.

Ava didn’t like the weird tube that they attached to her back, Beatrice could tell, but she didn’t complain. Beatrice averted her eyes as her shirt shifted down, revealing the skin of Ava’s shoulders and collarbone.

Jillian hummed and tapped her tablet, leaving the room mostly silent. Beatrice wasn’t sure what to say in this situation, and so of course, Ava decided to speak.

“You know, I didn’t think my life could get weirder after I became a ghost. And now here I am, with a weird tube on my back, sitting in a science lab in a church, with my best friend next to me, as we try to figure out how to resurrect me.” She grinned. “Have to say, it’s definitely more fun than lying in a bed for twelve years.”

Beatrice smiled. “When we get you back, I promise we’ll try to reduce the weird in your life as much as possible.”

“Normal sounds good. I think I could go for a normal and boring life.” She tilted her head to Beatrice. “As long as that life is with you. And the others.”

Beatrice blushed, and was saved from responding by Jillian making a noise of surprise.

“What is it?”

Jillian turned to them. “I can’t tell how the Halo is keeping Ava alive. But what I can see is that the Halo isn’t only connected to Ava. There’s an energy coming from it, one that projects outwards.” She looked at Beatrice. “The Halo is also connected to you, somehow.”

Beatrice blinked, and then moved to look at Jillian’s tablet. She didn’t understand any of it, so she looked back to Jillian.

“How can that be?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Can I ask, have you felt anything strange since meeting Ava? Anything that’s directly connected to her perhaps?”

Beatrice opened her mouth to confirm the negative, and then she remembered that normal people probably couldn’t feel their ghost best friend’s emotions.

“I can feel Ava’s emotions. And I can tell where she is in the room at all times, even when she’s invisible.”

Ava blinked. “What?”

“Did I not tell you?”

Ava shook her head. “No? I’d definitely remember it if you told me that you could feel my emotions.” Ava twisted nervously in her seat, and Beatrice could feel the stings of anxiety moving through her.

“Only really strong ones, and they’re usually feelings of fear. Like, right now, you’re nervous.”

“Fascinating,” Jillian muttered, tapping her screen. Ava looked at Beatrice like she’d shocked her with electricity.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you could literally feel my emotions. How long has that been happening?”

Beatrice thought back, and winced slightly when she remembered. “Since we moved in. Only really faintly though.”

Ava’s eyes looked like they might explode out of her head. “Please tell me that you didn’t feel anything super weird from me.”

Beatrice frowned. “What weird feelings would I have felt from you?” Briefly, she was thrown back to standing in Ava’s room, just a breath away, feeling a burning heat in her chest, one that she couldn’t identify as her own. Was that what Ava meant? But if that was what Ava meant, then what did that mean?

Jillian closed her tablet. “Alright, well, I have much to consider. But it’s getting late, and I believe that Suzanne intends to have all of you very busy in the coming days. Beatrice should get some sleep, and Ava, well, you should have whatever classifies as rest.”

The tube disconnected from Ava’s back, and Jillian moved over to her table, clearly expecting the two of them to lead themselves out. Ava hopped off the table awkwardly, adjusting her shirt. Beatrice felt the sudden need to look literally anywhere else, concerned that she might lose her mind a little if she just kept staring at Ava.

Really, the depth and intensity of her feelings was unbelievable. Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever been made so unhinged by her feelings for someone else.

“Alright, well, I guess we should go find your room, right?” Ava suggested. Beatrice nodded, still not looking at Ava.

The two of them wandered through the corridors, Beatrice realising halfway out the door that she didn’t know where she was supposed to be staying for the night. She hoped that she’d run into someone at some point to direct her.

“So, weird day, huh? Started off with you having a super-secret meeting with a random girl, and now we’ve been kidnapped by nuns,” Ava said, kicking her feet out in front of her. Beatrice shrugged.

“I think if it’s consensual, it isn’t considered kidnapping.”

“Fair. But it’s still weird.”

Beatrice finally turned to look at Ava.

“How are you feeling about it? I know it can’t be easy, considering your past with this particular branch.”

Ava’s jaw tensed slightly.

“Well, can’t you just use your superpowers and know what I’m feeling?”

Beatrice sighed. She should have told Ava sooner, but really, she’d forgotten to mention it. It had just become so natural, and she’d forgotten that it probably wasn’t something that everyone could do.

“It doesn’t work like that. It’s just when you feel really strong waves of emotion, I can feel it. Like when we argued, I could feel your anger. And when Lilith found out about you, I could feel your fear.”

Ava nodded slowly. “Right. Still, it’s kinda freaky, finding out that you can feel that.”

“I apologise. I should have told you.”

Ava chewed her lip, but didn’t say anything else. Beatrice continued.

“And I promise, nothing I have felt from you has felt wrong. If anything, it just helps me understand you better. So, I can help you.”

Ava laughed, but it didn’t sound happy at all. Beatrice wondered what it was that she was afraid of. Was it just because she couldn’t control it, or was there more to it?

“Yep, because you’re my best friend, and you just want to help me.”

Beatrice frowned. “Ava, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Ava stopped walking, shaking her hands out. “Nothing’s wrong, Bea. It’s fine, I’m just…I don’t know, I guess it’s just hard reminding myself that you don’t think I’m a burden.”

Beatrice felt her heart softening, and she stepped closer. Her hand brushed through where Ava’s hand should be.

“Never to me. Having you in my life is the opposite of a burden. It is a joy, and it is my pleasure to know you, and to help you find your way back to life.”

Ava let herself smile, her eyes flicking across Beatrice’s face. In her chest, Beatrice felt a heat, but she knew that this was her own longing. Her own wanting to be able to hold Ava the way she dreamt of. They were so close to it.

Ava wet her lips with her tongue, and tilted her head up to look at Beatrice, her gaze turning nervous again.

“Hey Bea?”

“Yes?”

“Earlier today, in my room, did you—”

“There you are!”

Beatrice, startled, stepped back from Ava, and turned to face the person who had spoken. It was Yasmine, rushing over to them.

“Mother Superion told me to go find you, because we realised that you didn’t know where your rooms were. I’m here to show you where to go.”

Beatrice swallowed, feeling her heart racing in its chest. Ava’s proximity truly did wonderful things to her, even though it was hard to deal with sometimes.

Ava was the one to speak first.

“Sounds good. Show us the way.”

Yasmine beamed, and set off down the corridor, the two of them following. They walked in silence, not looking at each other until they made it to the rooms.

Beatrice nodded at Ava as she stepped into her room.

“Goodnight Ava. I hope you can find some rest.”

Ava shrugged. “Worst comes to worst, I can just read a Bible.”

Beatrice laughed, and stepped into her room, closing the door softly. Inside, she found herself wishing that she’d asked Ava to stay with her, just for a little longer. It was foolish, she knew that Ava had other things to be doing. But still, she hated to be parted from her.

It was fine. The morning would come, and they would make a plan to bring Ava back. Not long now at all.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Beatrice awoke, and knew immediately that she wasn’t where she usually was. At first, she didn’t know why, so she sat up straight, tension filling her body. As the image of the room hit her eyes, information and memories filed into her mind.

Right. They were at the Cat’s Cradle, after taking Ava with them.

Beatrice swallowed, and pulled herself out of bed. Upon checking the wardrobe that was set at the other side of the room, she found there was clothing inside. Thankfully, they had her size. Beatrice hoped that was a coincidence, and that they hadn’t been stalking her so accurately as to figure out her clothing size. That crossed a line.

She left the room wearing a navy jacket, a white shirt, and a pair of black jeans. Giving the place a quick scan, Beatrice found that there were many nuns moving throughout the corridors. They gave her strange looks, but didn’t say anything.

Beatrice looked to her sides, wondering if those rooms belonged to her friends. Should she check? Would they be awake yet? What even was the time? Beatrice still didn’t have her phone, as Mother Superion hadn’t returned it yet. She’d have to ask.

“Beatrice!”

Beatrice turned to her left to find Yasmine hurrying towards her. She was in her nuns habit again, but she received judgmental looks from the other women as she passed.

“There you are! I was just coming to wake you up. We’re having a meeting before breakfast.”

Beatrice smiled. “Thank you, Yasmine.”

As they walked, Beatrice decided it was time to fill in some blanks about Yasmine.

“So, were you pretending to be a university student?”

Yasmine shook her head. “No. I may be a nun, but I am still allowed to pursue higher education. I happen to be one of many that does so, but most live here and do online courses. I chose to leave because I wanted to explore the world. I met Shannon through some mutual friends, and when I told her my area of interest, she mentioned that you were also interested.”

Beatrice nodded. “You study your own order?”

“Well, yes. I joined a few years ago, for my own reasons, but I’ve always been fascinated by the history. I figured, why not learn more about our past, and about the Halo.” Her expression turned a little awed. “Meeting Ava…you have no idea how surreal it is. I’ve known about her for years, I’ve studied her case, I know so much about the Halo, it’s so odd seeing her now.”

Beatrice found herself tensing, just slightly.

“You have to remember that she’s a real person. She’s not just your Halo Bearer, or your case study. She’s a real person, and she didn’t ask for this.”

Yasmine nodded, her smile fading.

“I know that.” She gave Beatrice a curious look. “How long have you known Ava?”

“About three months and one week.”

“Wow. And how long have the two of you been…” she trailed off, waving her hand. Beatrice frowned.

“What?”

“You know.”

“I don’t.”

Yasmine gave Beatrice a nervous smile.

“Together?”

Beatrice’s frown deepened.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You know, like, dating.”

Beatrice felt like her brain had stopped working inside her head. This was not happening. She was not being asked by a nun how long her and Ava had been dating. That was the type of completely embarrassing and confusing situation relegated to dreams and nightmares.

“Oh, we’re not dating,” she said quickly. Yasmine frowned.

“You don’t have to lie.”

“No, I’m not lying. We’re just friends.” Beatrice looked down at her hands, wishing for this walk to the office to be over so she could be done with this conversation.

“Are you sure?”

Beatrice gave Yasmine a sharp glare. “Why are you so insistent that we must be dating?” Mentally, she prayed that whatever obvious tell Yasmine had picked up from her wasn’t obvious enough to give her away to Ava.

“Because of how she looks at you.”

Beatrice nearly stopped walking there and then. Somehow, she managed to keep her legs moving forwards.

“What do you mean ‘how she looks at me’?”

“That meeting, she didn’t look away from you once. And when you put your hand next to her, it was like all the tension bled out of her. She was safe next to you, and she knew it.”

Beatrice ran her tongue across her lips. She was reminded of the way Ava had looked at her in the spare room, the way Ava had looked at her in the corridor before. Was that how Ava had looked at her? Or was it different, something Beatrice had yet to see?

“And, well, I mean, you’ve been acting like a protective girlfriend ever since you made me fear for my life back at the café,” Yasmine joked, looking incredibly nervous and embarrassed.

“Well, I am very protective of her. There are many who would wish her harm, and I refuse to let anything happen.”

Yasmine just nodded, not saying anything. Beatrice wondered if what she’d said had just made her case of proving that they weren’t dating easier or harder.

Thankfully, they’d just approached the door of the meeting room, so Beatrice didn’t have to deal with that conversation any longer.

Jillian was the one sitting at the end of the table today, with Mother Superion to her left. The rest of them had already found the same places as yesterday, and they were similarly dressed to Beatrice.

Except for Ava, who was still wearing the clothes that Beatrice had bought her, a hoodie and some jeans. Ava, who was smiling so softly at Beatrice that Beatrice could only stop in place and smile back.

“Beatrice, please sit,” Jillian said, indicating the spare seat. Beatrice moved into it, looking back to Ava, who was still smiling.

“Did you sleep well?” Ava asked.

Beatrice shrugged. “Fairly well. Did you get some rest?”

Ava shrugged back. “I did some exploring. It was pretty relaxing to not be trapped in one space.”

“Alright, let’s start,” Jillian said abruptly, as if she knew that Beatrice and Ava would only continue to talk if she didn’t cut them off sharply.

Beatrice turned to face Jillian. She wondered if Ava was still looking at her now.

“Right, so from examining Ava, I have concluded that she is in fact technically dead. Her heart is not beating, her cells aren’t reproducing, and she doesn’t need any energy in order to keep her body running. She’s essentially held in stasis right now. The Halo is doing that. Usually, it should just heal wounds, and give extra energy to the user, but it appears that it has somewhat malfunctioned. This is likely due to the way in which Ava received it.”

Mother Superion nodded. “Do you believe that you’d be able to break Ava out of this state, once we bring her properly to this plane?”

“I do. If I can get her heart started, and well, provide the right conditions, it should essentially set the Halo back to regular, and Ava can exist normally.” She paused. “If that is what she wants?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ava asked.

Jillian shrugged. “You don’t age, you don’t need rest, you don’t need food, and likely the Halo would manage to heal any injuries. For all intents and purposes, you are immortal right now. It must be somewhat tempting.”

Beatrice turned to look at Ava, not sure how to feel. Jillian had a point. If they could pull Ava into normal being, allowing her to exist in this plane all the time, and still keep her in stasis, wouldn’t that immortality appeal to Ava? The ability to live a hundred lives, in order to make up for the one she lost.

But Ava was frowning, shaking her head.

“No, I don’t want that. I want to be normal. I’ve spent pretty much all of my life being different. Either I couldn’t walk, or I couldn’t live. No, I want to be normal, I want to get tired, and I want to eat, I want to actually feel things, and I want to grow up instead of being stuck at nineteen forever.”

Her eyes flicked to Beatrice, who smiled. A little voice in her chest reminded her that Ava wanted those things by her side.

“Very well. If you change your mind, let me know.” Jillian cleared her throat. “I also identified something strange. It seems that the Halo has connected itself to Beatrice, allowing her to sense it’s presence, and also feel Ava’s emotions. I’m not sure how or why this has occurred, but it has.”

Beatrice felt every eye in the room landing on her, and reddened. She just knew that Mary was never going to let this go.

Beside her, Ava shifted in her chair. It seemed that she was the only person in the room that wasn’t looking at Beatrice. Which Beatrice found she really hated.

“Hmm.” Mother Superion was looking between the two of them with an incredibly knowing look, and Beatrice decided that it was her least favourite thing she’d ever seen. Beatrice prayed that whatever she knew, it wasn’t that Beatrice was in love with Ava.

Yasmine shuffled forwards. “I can look through accounts of Areala? See if there’s any mention of this occurring?”

“That would be best,” Mother Superion agreed. She stood, leaning on her cane, and surveyed the group. “Now, we should all be prepared for the eventuality that Adriel will get into contact with the church. We were not altogether subtle about our involvement, and he will figure it out. Not to worry, he can’t hurt us, but once he becomes involved, that is when we will start to make our moves.”

“And what are these moves?” Beatrice questioned. “You mentioned stealing the crown, but I must remind you that we are literally just university students.”

“Yes, and I don’t particularly feel like getting arrested. I’m too close to graduating and getting a job,” Lilith added.

Mother Superion just gave them both a cool look. “That is why neither of you will be stealing anything. Ava will be.”

Beatrice tensed. “What?”

“Actually, that makes sense,” Ava said. When Beatrice turned to look at her, she shrugged. “I can go invisible, they can’t touch me, and if I somehow got caught, what are they gonna do? Arrest me? I don’t legally exist. Kill me? I’m already dead.”

“Exactly my thinking.” Mother Superion made an expression that might have been what passed for a smile on her face. “In fact, I would like to discuss some things with you Ava, in private.”

Both Ava and Beatrice tensed at that, but it was Ava who relaxed first.

“Yeah, okay, cool.” She smiled at Beatrice. “I’ll be fine.”

“In the meantime, I suggest the rest of you have breakfast. We have a dining hall, as well as food. Yasmine can take you.”

It was clear that they were dismissed, and that the conversation was over. Beatrice stood reluctantly, eyes on Ava, who just grinned at her.

“Don’t worry about me Bea, I’ll just be learning how to be a super spy over here. Mother S is gonna have me robbing banks in no time.”

Beatrice was pretty sure she saw Mother Superion physically wincing at that, and she wasn’t even sure which part of the sentence was most offensive. But Ava was mostly right. She would be okay. And if she wasn’t, well, Mother Superion would have to deal with Beatrice.

+++

As soon as they settled into the dining hall, Mary turned to Beatrice, grinning.

“When were you going to tell us that you had an empathic bond with Ava?”

Beatrice went red. Yasmine, who had decided to sit with them, lent closer.

“What’s the nature of the bond? Can you feel what she’s feeling right now?”

“No, I cannot.” She glared at Mary, who was still smiling. “It didn’t come up.”

“That’s a lie,” Lilith said. “We were discussing Ava’s situation, and you didn’t tell us.”

“I didn’t think it was relevant.”

Beatrice hoped that her friends would pick up on her blatant denial and decide to leave it alone. Except, well, why would she even hope that? There was simply no chance of it.

“You know Bea, I think this is a wonderful time, with us all here, to discuss your feelings for Ava,” Mary said, leaning forwards.

Yasmine sat up, grinning. “I knew there was a romantic connection.”

Beatrice wanted to slam her head into the table. It wouldn’t render her unconscious, but perhaps the pain would be enough to completely wipe this conversation from her mind.

“Come on, Bea, what’s the harm in it?” Camila asked.

“The harm is that I am Ava’s best friend, and as such, I should not be indulging such feelings. She does not feel the same way, and it would be wrong of me to impose anything on her in such a way.”

Mary snorted, Yasmine frowned, Camila sighed, and Lilith looked almost murderous.

“Beatrice, are you insane? Ava is so gone for you that it’s embarrassing.”

Beatrice shook her head.

“It’s alright Lilith, you don’t need to say such things in order to make me feel better.”

“Come on Beatrice, when would I ever do that?” Lilith scoffed. “Ava looks at you like you’re an angel, and, as I have told you before, literally will not shut up about you.”

“Not to mention the fact that the Halo imprinted on you like it’s a damn baby duckling,” Mary added.

Beatrice’s cheeks were so warm and her palms were beginning to sweat. Why had she been given friends such as these?

“Look, we don’t know what happened to the Halo. As for Ava, she’s a very loving person. She cares deeply, and I am her best friend. I promise you; she does not see me in a romantic way.”

Camila sighed. “Is there anything we could say to convince you that Ava likes you?”

Beatrice shook her head. “No. But that’s alright, I don’t need her to like me back. I’ve become quite used to my feelings for her being unrequited.”

The others looked incredibly sad about this, but Beatrice just turned her attention to her breakfast food. It was fine. She’d accepted this. It didn’t matter how many times she caught Ava looking at her like that, or how many times her and Ava ended up closer than would be expected of friends, she knew that was just Ava longing for human connection.

Ava didn’t love her. It was just unthinkable. Why would she? She was everything that Beatrice was not, and she deserved someone who could make her feel loved and as ethereal as she really was. Beatrice was too stilted and repressed to properly care for Ava.

+++

After breakfast, their little group was taken on a tour of the convent. Everyone was rather subdued, and Beatrice felt responsible. Her unrequited feelings for Ava were now painfully obvious to everyone, and they felt bad that their friend had fallen for someone she couldn’t have.

She tried her best to move past it. The convent was quite extraordinary, and Yasmine was a very enthusiastic guide. Unfortunately, Beatrice couldn’t stop herself from thinking about how Ava would find all of this so exciting. She loved learning new things.

Beatrice wondered where Ava was, and what she was talking about with Mother Superion. How would she steal the crown? Would Adriel do something about it? She’d wanted to look more into who Adriel was, but she still didn’t have her phone back. Next time she saw Mother Superion, she was going to ask about that.

As it turned out though, that wasn’t very far away. It was, according to Mary’s watch, 12:04pm when another sister, one with dark skin and surprisingly muscular arms, came up to them, telling them that Mother Superion wanted to see them. Yasmine led the way back to the office, and they all filed in, the new sister leaving them to it.

Mother Superion, Jillian, and Ava were all staring at a phone on the table. Beatrice didn’t recognise it, but it seemed to be the latest model, in a black phone case.

“What are we looking at?” Camila asked.

Ava gestured to the phone. “Just wait.”

They waited. And then, the phone started ringing.

“Well, that’s déjà vu,” Mary commented wryly. Ava looked up at them.

“Except this time, it’s not Yasmine panic calling us.”

“It’s Adriel,” Mother Superion said gravely. She picked up the phone. “Everyone stay silent, I’m putting him on speaker so we may all here what he has to say.”

Beatrice wanted to move to Ava, because she could feel the stings of terror coming from her, but she dared not move. Mother Superion hit answer, and held the phone out, waiting.

There was silence, no one in the room speaking. It seemed that Mother Superion wanted to wait for whoever was on the other side to speak first. As the silence stretched, Beatrice started to wonder if there even was anyone on the other side.

“Hello Suzanne,” a male voice crackled through the speakers.

Mother Superion nodded her head. “Vincent, I should have known Adriel would have you calling.”

Ava’s eyes widened, and Beatrice felt something cracking inside of her. She never should have gone to him, should never have given anyone reason to suspect that Ava was still around.

“Is Ava with you?”

“Ava?”

“Suzanne, don’t undermine my intelligence. We know you were at the house.”

“Do you?”

He sighed. “The divinium is gone.”

“Divinium? A priceless holy metal, one that shouldn’t be used recklessly, or to injure anyone? I do hope that wasn’t inappropriately placed somewhere in order to trap someone.” Mother Superion’s tone was calm, but Beatrice could still feel the slicing disgust underlying her words.

“I was not aware of the divinium. You know I was removed from the house shortly after Ava’s death.”

“For good reason, I hear. Wasn’t it that you actively contributed to the death of a woman? One must wonder how you avoided jail time.”

Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever met anyone more intimidating that this woman. She’d hate to end up as her enemy.

“Suzanne, what do you hope to gain from this? You don’t have any way of bringing Ava back, you know that.”

“Well perhaps the OCS has evolved in the years since you left. Your puppet master isn’t the only one with powerful friends.”

“Ah yes, Jillian Salvius. Are you hoping that her technology can bring Ava back to our plane?”

“I’m thinking that if anyone can, she can.”

Beatrice watched intently, wondering what exactly Vincent’s endgame was here. It seemed that Mother Superion had the same idea, because she asked,

“What do you want Vincent?”

“I’m merely a messenger. Give the Halo to Adriel. He will pay handsomely for it, and if you do so, he will have no reason to damage any of you.”

Lilith and Mary looked like they were both about to jump into the conversation, but Mother Superion held up a swift hand, halting them both.

“Resulting to threats now? You must remember that the Halo does not belong to Adriel.”

“He is the one it was entrusted to.”

“And now it has found a new owner. He cannot take it.”

“You know he will find a way. Please, Suzanne, for your sake, I hope that you don’t underestimate him. Now that he knows the Halo is able to be taken, he will take it.”

Mother Superion didn’t even bat an eye at the pleading.

“He may try.” She hit the end call button before Vincent could respond, and sighed. The phone was placed back on the table, and she rubbed at her forehead.

“Now what?” Mary asked. Mother Superion gave her a tired look.

“Just wait.”

And no longer than one minute later, the phone was ringing again.

When Mother Superion picked it up this time, she answered quickly.

“Hello Adriel.”

A new male voice laughed on the other end.

“Hello Suzanne. I heard you turned down my offer to you.”

“I didn’t hear an offer.”

“It was an offer of mercy.”

“Oh, is that all? I think we shall manage.”

Ava was biting her fist to hold back a reaction. Beatrice noted that even Mary and Lilith looked impressed by Mother Superion.

“Listen to me. I know you have Ava. I also know that the girls who occupy that house are with you right now. Whether or not they can hear me is irrelevant, I just want you to know that I know all their names, their universities, and I can and will ruin their lives.”

Beatrice tensed up, her mind spinning. Whoever this Adriel was, it didn’t sound like he was bluffing. Judging by the look on Mother Superion’s face, she didn’t think so either.

“Threatening college students now? How low you’ve made yourself.”

“Give the Halo to me. Bearer attached or not.”

“You’re assuming that you’ll be able to hold her if you have her.”

“I have my ways, Suzanne. I would like to have her sooner rather than later, so please don’t delay. I’ll expect you to get in contact soon.” The call ended and Beatrice felt like her legs were going to give out.

Ava looked utterly panicked.

“You didn’t tell me he knew about them.”

“I was hoping that he didn’t, but I suspected that he might.”

"You said they would be safe!"

"And they will be. Adriel just knows what weak spots to try and exploit."

“I won’t let him hurt them!” Ava exclaimed, and Beatrice noted the light flickering above her. She stepped forwards, the tension in her chest mixed between both her and Ava.

“Ava, it’s alright.”

“It’s not alright!” She snapped.

There was a moment of silence and then Lilith spoke up in a very firm voice.

“Listen here Ava, because I’m only saying this once. Over the past month or so, you have wormed your way into our hearts. This Adriel guy may have influence, but I was not raised in a house with rich assholes without learning how to deal with them. We’re going to get that crown back, then we’re going to tear him down, and you’re going to live your life.”

Camila nodded. “She’s right. We’re doing this. We got you this far, we can keep you away from this jerk.”

Ava looked to Beatrice, and Beatrice knew that without a doubt that her words would make or break this. So, no hesitation.

“Ava, you are my best friend. Adriel may be powerful, and scary, but he’s not going to beat us. I promised you that we would never leave you alone, and that I would give you a chance at the life you deserve. I do not break my promises, and so, whatever we need to do, we will do. Whatever it takes. It’s what you deserve.”

Ava had tears in her eyes, and Beatrice could feel the overwhelming rush of emotions in her chest. She couldn’t identify any of them, but she understood the gist of it.

“Okay.” She looked to Mother Superion. “Can we get this guy? Like, can we make sure that they stay safe?”

Mother Superion’s lips twitched into a smile.

“Oh, the OCS has been wanting to take him down for years. It will be difficult, but I promise you, whatever it takes, Adriel shall pay for his crimes. But first, we need to bring you back. And we need the crown.”

Beatrice sat up, her mind spinning. “So, you want Ava to steal it from Adriel? Even though he just mentioned that he has his ways of catching her?”

Mother Superion’s lips pursed. “He will not be expecting such a direct attack. I don’t know what methods he could use—”

“What if he used the crown itself?” Camila piped up. When they all looked at her, she continued. “It could bring Ava to this dimension, and then, well, she might not be able to phase through objects. He would be able to get the Halo.”

Beatrice felt fear spiking at her heart. “This mission to get the crown is incredibly dangerous. Adriel knows that we’re going to try something, he has to, and you want Ava to go to him? She could get caught or killed.”

“And Ava was aware of this when she told me ten minutes ago that she wanted to do it.”

Beatrice looked to Ava, and found unwavering determination.

“She told me that I would be the only one at risk, that it was my life, and I got to choose what risks I did and didn’t want to take.” Ava took a deep breath. “So, I’m choosing this. If you guys are willing to stay in this fight, then I’m going in and getting that crown.”

Beatrice had never felt at more odds with herself. She’d wanted nothing but the chance for life for Ava for so long, and here they were, within arm’s reach of that life. But she’d also wanted to keep Ava safe. Wanted to protect her. This wasn’t safe or protected. This was Ava walking into a lion’s den alone.

“Bea, you said whatever it takes. This is what it takes, so I’m doing it. Trust me.”

Beatrice sighed. She’d always known which side she’d fall on, eventually.

“I do.”

Ava looked to Mother Superion.

“She has a plan to distract Adriel, so he isn’t there when I go in. She’s got it all figured out, seriously, she’s a freaking super spy.”

Mother Superion didn’t immediately frown at that, and Beatrice wondered if Ava had managed to charm her in the mere hours spent along with her. It wouldn’t be surprising in the least; Ava truly had that effect.

“Ava will leave early tomorrow morning, with Yasmine taking her to Adriel’s place with some of our sisters. She will enter the building, and they will act as backup, ready to intervene and retrieve her if something goes wrong. The rest of us will stay here, and I will get into contact with him, insisting that he come here to negotiate the Halo. I’ve known him long enough to know how to press his buttons in order to get him here and keep him here.”

There was a pause as the room took in the information. Ava’s expression showed that she’d heard this already.

Mother Superion looked to Beatrice. “You and your friends will be taken to a safe house of the OCS for the time being, and Ava will meet you there.”

Beatrice leant forwards. “I want to go with Ava.”

Mother Superion shook her head. “It’s too dangerous.”

“As you’ve said. But I’m going with her.”

“Bea, I can’t ask you to put yourself in danger like that.”

Beatrice gave Ava a firm stare. “You’re not asking. I’m telling you that this is what I want to do.”

Mother Superion looked between them.

Beatrice added. “Besides, if I go with, and perhaps stay outside of the premises with the backup, my connection to the Halo will be able to inform us if Ava is in danger, and it’ll make it easier for us to find her.”

Mother Superion’s gaze was firm and like a cold steel dagger. Beatrice held her ground, not backing down. She’d promised to not leave Ava alone. If she couldn’t protect her, this was the second-best option.

With a tired sigh, one that spoke of too many years of holding authority, Mother Superion relented.

“Fine. You may go with Ava, but you must stay inside the van that the sisters take. You may let them know if something goes wrong with Ava, but you do not leave that van.”

Beatrice nodded. “Alright, it’s settled.”

Ava didn’t look exactly happy with that, but well, Beatrice wasn’t happy that she was walking straight into Adriel’s den, so maybe neither of them got what they wanted today.

Mother Superion rubbed her forehead.

“You may all leave now. We will have a final briefing before we leave tomorrow, and I expect you to all be awake at six in the morning for that. Until then, please take the time to rest.”

They all stood and left the room. Almost immediately after exiting, Ava turned to Beatrice.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone.”

“I don’t want you to follow me.”

“That’s unfortunate, I’m following you anyway.”

Ava huffed, and turned to the others. “Can you convince Beatrice to please value her safety a little more?”

Mary laughed. “Nope. I’ve known Beatrice for long enough to know that once she’s made a decision, you’re not going to get her going back on it. She’s stubborn as hell.”

Lilith shrugged. “Honestly, this is a good thing, because I was almost worried. But Beatrice won’t let anything happen to you.”

Ava looked back to Beatrice, worrying her lip between her teeth. Beatrice wished that she could reach out, wrap her arms around Ava, pull her close, tell her that nothing could ever separate them, that she’d never leave her. But she couldn’t do all that, so she settled for just smiling at Ava.

“I will be safe. I just want to be there for you. It’d drive me mad if I had to sit in some safe house and wait for you to make it back to me.” Beatrice was very aware that the others were all watching them, and that she’d accidentally implied that Ava would be coming back to her, and dammit, that had rather romantic implications, didn’t it? But right now, that didn’t matter.

All that mattered was the little smile on Ava’s lips, and her head nod.

“Okay,” she said in a small voice. She looked to the others. “Alright, so I’ve been stuck in one place for the past few hours. Can I show you around the convent?”

“I already gave them a tour,” Yasmine informed her. Ava grinned.

“Yeah, but did you show them all the cool hidden shit?” When Yasmine frowned and shook her head, Ava nodded her head down the hall. “C’mon, I found a bunch of stuff when I was exploring last night. Let’s go.”

Ava led them off down the hallway, and without a second thought, they all followed her. They received odd looks from the sisters, but Beatrice paid them no mind. In a way, this little group of them was their own sisterhood, their own family. And it was one that she was very proud to be a part of.

Chapter Text

That night, Beatrice found herself pretty much on the verge of a complete and utter breakdown. Because, okay, what the fuck was going on?

She was literally about to help her ghost best friend break into a very rich man’s house with the assistance of nuns. And there was now the potential threat that not only could her life get ruined, but Ava might actually die.

Ava could die. There was no guarantee that she’d be able to make it out of that house. Adriel might know what they were doing, or maybe they just had better security than planned. Either way, this was not the type of thing to be doing that filled Beatrice with a sense of safety and security.

She was pacing in her room. The others had gone to bed early, due to the fact that they would be waking up very early, but here Beatrice was, still awake, because, well, what else was she supposed to do? How could she sleep at a time like this?

She’d always prided herself on having a good sleep schedule, but no amount of scheduling and planning could offset the boiling anxiety in her stomach. It was fine, this was fine, there was a plan for tomorrow, and Beatrice would be with Ava, and she could keep her safe. Except, every plan had the chance for misfortune, and the stakes were too high for that.

Dammit, Beatrice had never expected loving someone to be this painfully terrifying. She knew it would hurt, she knew that her heart would ache, she knew that it would likely never be a truly happy feeling, as she’d probably never get loved back, but she hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t expecting how it would feel like there was an open wound on her chest at all times.

Her attention was suddenly pulled to the door. There was no sound, nothing at all, but Beatrice could feel Ava’s presence right outside. Ava had her own room, but she didn’t need to sleep, so she’d told the others she’d probably just keep wandering around tonight, burning off nervous energy.

If that was the case, why was she at Beatrice’s door?

Beatrice waited, wondering if Ava was going to knock, or if she’d just been stopping by Beatrice’s door on her rounds. There was silence, and Ava’s presence didn’t move. Seconds moved by, and Ava stayed there, outside Beatrice’s door.

Slowly, Beatrice walked over to the door, standing in front of it. On the other side, was Ava mirroring her position? Was she staring at the door, wondering what Beatrice was doing? Did she think Beatrice was asleep? Why was she still standing there?

Her hand reached out to grab onto the doorknob. Well, if Ava was still standing there then Beatrice might as well see what she wanted. She pulled the door open.

On the other side, Ava’s mouth fell open, her hand raised as if she’d been considering knocking.

“How did you—” Ava winced. “Right. You can sense my presence. Forgot about that.” She looked over her shoulder. “Thanks for that one buddy.”

“Are you talking to the Halo?”

Ava shrugged. “Jillian thinks it’s got some sort of sentience. Whether that be an extension of me, or Areala, or whatever, it seems to have a mind of its own. So, uh yeah, I’ve been talking to it.” Quieter, she mumbled, “Actually I’ve been doing that for a bit, but that doesn’t matter.”

Beatrice nodded, her hand still on the doorknob.

“Are you alright?”

Ava blinked. “What?”

“You were just standing in front of my door for about three minutes. Was there something you needed?”

Ava shrugged again, this one a lot more helpless. Her hands fiddled by her sides, and her feet looked like they wanted to start running. But she didn’t.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

Beatrice stepped aside to let her into the room. Ava smiled gratefully and strode inside.

“You know you can always come talk to me.”

“Yeah, but I thought you might be sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you, especially seeing as you’re insisting on coming with me.” She gave Beatrice an unimpressed look, but Beatrice just folded her arms.

“I’m not leaving the mission Ava. If you came here to try and convince me otherwise, it’s a lost cause.”

Ava sighed. “I know. I know you Bea, once you decide you’re doing something I can’t really stop you.” She smiled. “It’s one of my favourite things about you, actually. The way you never let anyone stop your heart.”

Beatrice wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She didn’t feel like that was something she did. Or, well, maybe she did, and the only person who could ever stop her heart was her.

Ava stepped a little bit closer. “I just wanted to talk to you, because we don’t know how this is going to go, and I think I’d never forgive myself if I was stupid and didn’t talk to you first.”

Beatrice unfolded her arms, reaching out for Ava. “I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

Ava shrugged. “I know. You’re going to do your best to protect me. I just also know that if something stops you, you’re never going to forgive yourself.”

Beatrice swallowed. Ava was right. If Ava was hurt, or worse, on this mission, Beatrice would think about it until the day she died. She’d always wonder what would have happened if she would have just left Ava alone, if she hadn’t pushed, if she hadn’t pulled her directly into danger.

“Beatrice. If anything happens to me, that’s not your fault. You have done everything you could for me. And even though I’ve been okay living my, well, death, as I have been, you have changed everything for me. You know that. You know that you’re my best friend, and my favourite person and that I’m always going to be thankful for knowing you.”

Beatrice could feel tears poking at the corner of her eyes.

“I just need you to be okay,” she whispered. Ava grinned.

“Right now, I’m better than okay. I’m here with you. And that’s pretty amazing.”

Beatrice didn’t know how Ava did it, how she always managed to say something simple that left Beatrice completely floored. How did her presence make Ava happy? It didn’t make any sense to her.

Ava’s hands pulled at her hoodie. The light above their head flickered once, and Beatrice could feel a touch of anxiety coming from her. Why was Ava so nervous? Was it just the mission, or was it something more?

“Okay, so this next bit isn’t gonna be easy for me to say, and it probably won’t be easy for you to hear, but I need to say it. If something happens to me, I need you to know this, and I need to say it. Just so you know, and just so I’ve said it. You don’t need to do anything about it, or feel obligated to feel any way, okay?”

Beatrice frowned. Ava was being exceedingly cryptic, and she did not know how she felt about it. What was she talking about? Why would this be hard for Beatrice to hear?

“Ava, you’re worrying me.”

Ava gave her a nervous grin.

“It’s fine, it’s just—well, it’s—okay look.” She flexed her hands, closing her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. “I know why the Halo imprinted on you.”

Beatrice couldn’t stop a little oh of surprise from escaping her. She’d been trying not to think about why the Halo might have done that, mostly because she’d been scared that she’d somehow influenced it. Which was silly, she knew, but still.

Ava continued.

“Yeah, so, I was talking about it with Mother Superion, and she found evidence that Areala’s Halo imprinted on one of her sisters. Her sister could feel her emotions, and could sense Areala’s presence during battle. She was Areala’s protector, the person who knew her best.”

Beatrice felt her heart racing in her chest. Ava considered her a protector. The Halo had chosen her because she was best suited to protect its Bearer. Something about that felt right to Beatrice.

“So, it’s because the Halo wanted me to protect you?”

Ava chewed her lip. “Kinda, but that’s not really all. Mother Superion asked me when you could first sense me, and well, you told me that you could sense me on the first day you moved in. Even if it was really faint.”

Beatrice nodded. “I could tell you were in the room with us.”

“Yeah.” Ava swallowed. “She was surprised, because, well, I didn’t even know you then, so the Halo shouldn’t have attached itself to you. Not unless…” she trailed off, looking at the floor.

“Not unless what?” Beatrice asked, feeling her chest tightening. There was something here that she wasn’t grasping, and she so badly wanted to.

“Not unless I consciously reached out for you. Which, um, I think I did.”

Beatrice frowned. “Why would you do that?”

Ava waved her arms out helplessly. “I don’t know, really? Because you were new people coming into the house, and I was excited, but scared. And then you were all talking about me. Lilith and Mary both seemed so intense, Camila, well, she was nice, but I don’t know, I liked you. You seemed quiet, but nice, and I don’t know, there was something about you.”

Beatrice felt like she was going to blush. “I don’t think I was anything special.”

“I did.” Ava said it so sincerely and Beatrice could feel her heart trying to tear itself to pieces inside her chest. “I instinctively sort of just reached out to you. I’ve done that in the past with people, but usually it doesn’t go past a little touch. When I got to know you, I latched onto you. I didn’t realise it was actually doing something, and I am sorry about that, but yeah. You can feel my emotions because I basically just attached myself to you.”

Beatrice nodded. “Okay.” She was a little perplexed. That didn’t seem as dramatic as Ava had been making it out to be. “Is that all?”

Ava paused, and Beatrice could see her fighting with the words in her throat. Silence started to stretch, and then Ava sliced it in half.

“No. No, there’s more.” She let out a long deep breath. “This is the hard part.”

Beatrice just folded her hands and waited for Ava to speak. Whatever it was that she had to say, she deserved to say it uninterrupted.

Ava started and stopped a few times, stumbling over her words. Beatrice continued to wait.

With shaking hands, Ava finally set upon talking.

“The Halo attached itself to you because you’re my favourite person. Because when I see you, I just know that I’m safe. Because you’re the first person to make me smile, and make me feel accepted, and cared for, in like, well, pretty much ever. And maybe you think that shouldn’t be special, but it is, because you’re the one who did it, and you’re the one who found me, when I didn’t even really recognise that I was lost.”

Beatrice wasn’t really sure if she was breathing at this point. Ava’s words just kept stumbling out of her mouth, impassioned and firm. Whatever point she was coming to, it was one that she meant with all of her heart and soul.

“I’m stalling. I know that I’m stalling, and it’s because you’re so important to me that I’m doing that. Because I don’t want to lose you Bea. But I also need to tell you this.” She sighed, and then fisted her hands. “I’m in love with you, okay?”

Beatrice was pretty sure that her heart stopped beating right there and then. There was no way that Ava just said that.

No.

Absolutely not.

Ava kept speaking, the words flooding out of her again.

“I’ve been in love with you for ages now, and I know it’s stupid, because you don’t see me that way at all, and I get it. But I can’t stop it, and I need to tell you, because you seem so certain about the fact that no one will ever love you, and you’re wrong, because I love you so much. I love you, and even if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay. That’s okay, I just need you to know that I love you.”

This was a dream.

A really cruel dream, because how on earth was Beatrice meant to return to reality after hearing Ava saying that? How was she supposed to look Ava in the eyes after seeing this look of pure and unfiltered love in them? How could she be expected to just simply get up and walk around without those sentences echoing in her mind?

“Bea? Can you please say something because otherwise I’m going to flicker out of existence with embarrassment?”

This was not a dream.

This was real.

Ava was standing in front of her saying that she was in love with her. That was a genuinely real thing that was happening.

It was a real thing that was happening, and Beatrice was just staring at Ava in complete shock. She needed to say something. She really needed to say something.

Ava’s form started to flicker.

“Right, um, okay. Yep, cool, that’s cool. I’m sorry. I get it, I just needed to tell you. I know it’s going to take a moment for that to properly sink in. Um, if you don’t want to come on the mission anymore, that’s fine, just let Mother Superion know, I promise I’ll be—”

“Did you tell me you’re in love with me to try and stop me from coming on the mission?” Beatrice wasn’t sure why she’d chosen that to be the first words out of her mouth, but, well, no going back now she supposed.

Ava blinked, then frowned deeply.

“What? No, no that’s not why I told you. I told you because I love you and I need you to—I’m just saying that if you’re mad at me, I’ll understand.”

“You seriously think I’d be mad at you?”

“Well, I mean, you’re kinda looking mad right now.” Ava grinned, but it was a poor attempt to deflect.

“Stop trying to change the subject.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, we can go back to you rejecting me if you’d like.” Ava’s lips looked like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to smile or frown. Beatrice had no idea what was happening right now, but she was not about to let Ava get the wrong idea.

“Who said I was rejecting you?”

Ava opened her mouth to retort back, then faltered, her whole face twisting through several expressions. Beatrice hadn’t realised that she was breathing heavily until there was silence except for the sound of her breathing.

“Are you…are you not rejecting me?”

Beatrice swallowed, straightening her back. This shouldn’t be this hard. It was Ava. Ava, who’d already confessed to loving Beatrice.

“Well, what if I’m in love with you too?”

Ava just stared at her for a moment, mouth falling a little bit open. Beatrice could feel her palms sweating and she resisted the urge to wipe them off.

“If?” Ava’s voice was quiet, quieter than it had been since she’d entered, and Beatrice knew that there was more she had to say here.

“Not if,” she clarified, “I am in love with you too.”

It was distinctly odd saying it out loud, but also very right. Beatrice was quite proud of herself. She didn’t think that she’d ever been open about her emotions like this.

“You’re sure?”

Beatrice blinked.

“Am I sure?”

“Yeah, you’re sure you’re not like, I don’t know, feeling my feelings and confusing them?” Ava sounded nervous, like she genuinely believed in that ridiculous possibility. Beatrice pulled herself up, and spoke without thinking. It seemed the most efficient way to handle this.

“Ava, I can tell the difference between our feelings. I know that I’m in love with you, because I feel it when you smile, and when you tell terrible jokes, and when you ask me about my day, and when you watch a movie with me and I can’t help but look at you.”

Ava stared at her, and then very slowly, her lips pulled into a smile.

“You seriously love me?”

“Honestly, I should be the one asking you that. I thought you would never feel the same.”

Ava laughed. “Well, I definitely love you. I’ve loved you ever since you brought me back from disappearing when Lilith got mad at me, even if I didn’t really know that was what it was. I only realised that it was love when you told me that I deserved to live, right after I found out that you were looking into the OCS.”

Beatrice laughed as well. Life certainly had a strange humour to it.

“What’s so funny?”

“That’s when I realised. I think I’d been in love with you for long before that, but that was the moment I knew.”

“So, you’re telling me that we’ve been in love with each other this whole time, and we were both being stupid about it?”

Beatrice nodded. “I suppose so. Although, I have no idea how you didn’t realise that I loved you.”

Ava threw up her hands. “Bea, I’ve had about six friends in my whole life. How was I supposed to know how someone acts when they’re in love with you?”

“You watch rom-coms all the time!”

“It’s different when it’s you! I thought you were just being nice!”

Beatrice gave Ava a pointed look. “Have you ever seen me being that nice to Camila or Lilith?”

Ava paused. “Well, okay no, but come on, I panicked. I didn’t want to assume and then completely fuck up.”

Beatrice understood that well enough. Especially seeing as she’d been doing the exact same thing without even realising it.

Ava looked at for a moment and then started grinning and laughing. Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh with her. She still didn’t know if this was really happening, couldn’t understand how this was happening, but she was willing to indulge the joy of this moment.

Maybe everything would be ruined tomorrow, maybe they’d lose it all, but for now, they were okay.

Ava suddenly groaned, throwing up her hands.

Beatrice frowned.

“What?”

“I really want to kiss you right now, and I can’t!”

Beatrice laughed again. Because, well, she hadn’t even realised it, as she’d been pushing down the urge to touch Ava for so long, but she really wanted to kiss her right now.

“Well, if things go well tomorrow, you can,” Beatrice reminded her. Ava started smiling again, stepping closer. Her hands moved to touch Beatrice, and Beatrice delighted at the soft and cold feeling of Ava occupying the same space as her.

“It’s gonna go well then. Because there is no way I’m missing out on getting to touch you. And getting to kiss you.” Ava bounced on her toes and Beatrice leaned her head forwards.

“It had better go well. Because I’ve been wanting to hold you for so long.” The idea of actually getting to touch Ava, without having to hold herself back, was almost too much to believe. Ava actually loved her, wanted her back.

There was no way that Beatrice would be letting anything get in the way of bringing Ava back now.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but instead she just ended up yawning. Ava giggled.

“Someone feeling sleepy?”

Beatrice glared at her.

“It’s nearly eleven.”

“You say that like you’re not a night owl.”

“It’s been a busy day and it’s going to be worse tomorrow. I should get some rest,” Beatrice reasoned. She didn’t like that, she wanted to instead spend as much time with Ava, now knowing that her feelings weren’t unrequited. But she had to be sensible. Sleeping now would help her be more effective at protecting Ava tomorrow.

Ava nodded, but didn’t step back. She tilted her head.

“Could I…” she shook her head. “Never mind, I’m being stupid.”

“Ava?”

“Yes?”

“Just ask.”

Ava gave her a small and nervous smile.

“I might not be able to sleep, but, uh, could I stay with you tonight? I think it might make me feel more rested, you know, because you make me feel safe?”

And who was Beatrice to turn down Ava when she sounded like that, all soft and earnest? In her mind, she pictured a morning where the two of them could wake up back in their house, her arms around Ava. She’d never done that with anyone before, and the idea that she could have that one day with Ava sounded perfect.

Just one more night would be spent with her being unable to touch Ava.

“You can definitely stay tonight.”

As Beatrice was already dressed in the sleep clothes provided by the OCS, all she really had to do was brush her teeth and turn off the lights. Ava stayed with her, sitting on the edge of the bed, and then when Beatrice lay down, Ava laid on top of the covers. Beatrice wanted to invite her under the covers, wanted to be as close to her as possible, but she didn’t. She didn’t want to push too far tonight.

And so instead, she just closed her eyes. She could feel Ava’s eyes on her, but it didn’t make her feel nervous. It just made her feel safe and protected. It felt right.

She fell asleep quicker than she had in months. When she dreamt, she dreamt of Ava.

Chapter Text

When Beatrice awoke the next morning, it was far too early. Her body clock was used to waking up at about seven in the morning, so waking up two hours earlier than that was not what she particularly wanted.

However, it wasn’t exactly an unpleasant experience.

“Bea? Hey, Bea, c’mon, you gotta get up.”

Beatrice groaned and rolled over, eyes blinking open. Ava was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a new jacket and jeans. Memories of last night flashed through her mind, and suddenly everything seemed clearer.

Ava loved her. Ava loved her, and they were going to get Ava onto their physical plane, and they were going to get her heart beating again, and Beatrice was going to get to hug her.

Suddenly getting out of bed seemed far too easy a task.

Beatrice pulled herself across the room and over to the cupboard. “What time is it?”

“It’s a bit before five. Mother Superion told me to come and get you.”

Beatrice nodded as she pulled out the clothes she’d planned to wear today.

“You look very cute when you sleep by the way.”

Beatrice flushed and ducked her head. The idea of Ava watching her sleep was a lot, but she didn’t hate it. If there was anyone she trusted to watch over her when she was at her most vulnerable, it was Ava.

“Alright, I’m going to go get changed.” She nodded her head to the bathroom, and headed in. When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, cheeks still pink, ridiculous smile on her lips, she couldn’t help but smile even harder.

Wasn’t it so strange that she was at her happiest right before she was about to help her ghost best friend—actually, were they girlfriends now, Beatrice would have to check—break into the house of a rich religious fanatic?

Once Beatrice was dressed, she walked with Ava to the office, and while they didn’t speak, they kept looking at each other. Beatrice nearly walked into a wall because she couldn’t take her eyes off Ava, and she was pretty sure that Ava did actually walk through a wall because she was too busy looking at Beatrice.

In the office, there were a group of nuns, along with Mother Superion and Jillian. Beatrice went to ask where her friends were, but Mother Superion cut her off.

“Your friends will only be leaving in two hours. The safe house is close, so they won’t need to be up so early. The two of you will be leaving with the team in about half an hour, right after I finish briefing you on today’s plan again.”

Beatrice stared at Mother Superion.

“And it needs to be Ava? You can’t just send your team in to get the crown?”

Mother Superion sighed.

“If I send my team in, they’ll be spotted, alarms will be raised, and they won’t be able to make it inside. I need Ava to go first, to disable the alarms, knock out the guards with Jillian's technology, and make it so that if things somehow go wrong, my team can make it in without being severely injured. But Ava knows all of this, and she was the one who volunteered.”

Beatrice looked back at Ava who gave her a smile.

“Come on Bea, you know I have to do this.”

Beatrice sighed and nodded.

“I know. I just had to make sure.”

With no questions left that Beatrice didn’t think would be answered in the next ten minutes, all there was left to do was sit down. Ava sat next to her, and pulled her seat as close to Beatrice as possible, not even trying to be subtle about it. Beatrice tried her best to hide her smile.

Mother Superion tapped her cane against the ground and began.

“You will be taken to Adriel’s storage facility. We know that this is where the Crown is located. Ava will break in using her ability to phase and remain invisible. Now, as she will have to turn visible in order to take the Crown, we will need to be prepared for the possibility of someone seeing her, or Adriel anticipating our move. If this happens, the team will be authorised to go in, and to ensure that Ava escapes safely. Her survival and the retrieval of the Crown is the focus of this mission.”

Everyone nodded, including Beatrice. She knew that she would be expected to remain in the van for the duration of the mission, but if something happened to Ava, she didn’t actually know if she’d be able to control herself. Hopefully it didn’t come to that.

After all, if she was seen, Ava could just phase out again. It would take a little more energy, in order for her to keep a hold of the Crown, but she could do it. Beatrice knew that she could.

“Adriel will be distracted by myself, I will be meeting him near to this convent, as he can’t legally come onto the premises. That will ensure that he can’t actually be there to stop Ava. He will likely realise that the Crown was stolen during that time, but as he won’t be able to prove my connection to it, it will be fine. Once all that is done, we shall move onto the next steps, the ones that include making sure that Adriel does not even bother Ava again.”

Mother Superion looked directly at Beatrice.

“As a civilian, I am going to give you a chance now to back out. If you do not want to do this, say it now, and you can go with the others.”

Beatrice set her jaw and straightened her posture.

“I’m coming.”

Mother Superion nodded and looked to Ava.

“And you Ava. I’ve told you the risks, and as the main target in this mission, you should be the one to make the final decision. Do you want to do this?”

Ava didn’t even hesitate before answering.

“I do. I want my life back.”

Mother Superion didn’t exactly smile, but Beatrice thought she saw a flicker of pride in her eyes.

“Very well.” She tapped her cane again. “The Sisters will show you to the van. You will depart shortly.”

+++

Sitting in the back of the van with Ava was actually quite nice. The other Sisters were in the back as well, all of them sitting on benches in silence. They’d brought weapons, which led Beatrice to genuinely wonder at the nature of this order, but if they were going to be used to help Ava, she wasn’t exactly complaining.

Ava seemed content to just quietly talk to Beatrice the whole time. She was well aware that they had an audience, and so she didn’t bring up anything they’d discussed last night. Instead, they talked about Ava’s plans.

“You’re telling me that the first thing you want to do is get ice cream and pizza, and then go for a walk on the nearest beach?”

“Yep. I have no memory of doing any of those things, and I think it’s high time I changed that. Ooh, and then after that, I think you should teach me to swim.”

Beatrice couldn’t honestly name the last time she’d been swimming.

“I don’t think I’d be a very good teacher.”

“Fine, we can get me swimming lessons then, but you should come with me. You know, for moral support, as my best friend.”

How could Beatrice say no to that?

“Alright, fine, I’ll come with you.”

Ava nodded. “Another thing I want to do, is get a haircut. It’s been stuck at this length for ages, and I can’t cut hair for shit, so we should get it professionally done.”

Beatrice tried to think of what Ava would look like with a different haircut.

“What would you get done?”

“I think I’d go for just above shoulder length. I think that’d be hot.”

Beatrice made to elbow Ava’s side, but her arm just passed through. Out of the corner of her eye, Beatrice swore that one of the nuns was holding back a smile.

Ava continued to list the things she wanted to do, including Beatrice in them one way or another. Beatrice didn’t entirely allow herself to picture the things that Ava spoke of, because they weren’t there yet, and if things didn’t pan out, it would kill her to have imagined something that would never be.

In a way, it felt like too short of a trip before they ended up at Adriel’s storage facility. The van was parked far enough away that no security cameras from the facility would be able to pick them up.

The nun leading the mission, Sister Dora, stood up and strode over to Ava.

“Alright, we just have to wait for the signal from Superion that Adriel is occupied. Once that happens, you can head inside. Disable the alarms and locks using the code that Jillian stole, just in case we need to go in. The tranquiliser Jillian gave you will require you to become solid to use, but if you're quick, you should be able to take out the majority of the guards outside. You will have an earpiece, one that you can communicate to us through, but only use it in emergencies, because any sound you make might be picked up by sensors or guards.”

Ava nodded as she took the earpiece. Dora couldn’t directly hand it to her, so she had to drop it into Ava’s hand in order for her to properly take it. Beatrice turned to Ava.

“Be careful in there."

Ava gave Beatrice a joyful grin.

“I know Bea, I’ll be fine. I’m a master thief, you’ll see.”

Beatrice nodded, the lump of anxiety in her throat stopping her from doing anything.

A beep sounded from Dora’s pocket, and she pulled out a small black device. She checked it, and then nodded as she stowed it again.

“Mother Superion signalled. Adriel is with her. It’s Ava’s time.”

Beatrice swallowed. She wished that she could give Ava a good luck hug, or a squeeze of the shoulder, or even just a gentle touch to the face. But as she couldn’t, she was stuck with nodding at Ava and saying,

“See you on the other side.”

Ava grinned back, her eyes not showing a hint of fear.

“I’ll be right back.”

And then she was gone, disappearing into the air. Beatrice felt her presence leaving the van, and heading further and further away from them, until she was only just the gentlest touch on Beatrice’s heart.

Beatrice bowed her head and folded her hands. She hadn’t prayed properly in a while, not really since the last time she’d seen her parents, but if there was time for it, she thought it might be now.

Please, she thought, please let Ava be safe.

+++

For ten minutes, Beatrice sat in the van, holding onto that small spot of Ava in her heart. For ten minutes, there was silence, the nuns waiting for any sort of signal from Ava, any reaction from Beatrice. They’d figured out that if everything went well, Ava should be in and out in under twenty minutes. The compound was not large, and with Ava’s ability to move through walls undetected, she should be quick.

For the next five minutes after she hit the ten-minute mark, Beatrice felt her own anxiety growing within her. This was fine, she told herself. Ava must be struggling to find where the crown had been hidden, or perhaps there were people guarding the room, people she needed to deal with. If there were additional problems that Ava couldn’t deal with on her own, she could just come back out and tell them. They had time, Mother Superion would keep Adriel occupied, it was fine.

And then, sixteen minutes after Ava left the van, Beatrice felt it.

A sharp spike of terror and pain. She hadn’t felt something like that from Ava before, something that indicated such immediate threat.

Through the earpiece that Beatrice had placed in her own ear, so that she could hear Ava if she called for help, she heard a crackle, and then Ava’s voice.

“Fuck! It’s a trap!” And then there was silence. Which meant that either someone had stopped Ava from speaking again, or she’d gone invisible in order to avoid detection.

The words echoed in Beatrice’s head.

Trap.

It was a trap.

Ava had been trapped, and she was scared, and Beatrice could still feel it, deep inside of her pulsing with a vengeance.

And then, she noticed something shifting in the connection. Like someone was trying to cut it off, or change the signal. Something was wrong with it, Beatrice could still hold onto it, but it wasn’t right.

The sisters rose to their feet, Dora spoke.

“Alright, Ava’s in danger. I’m sending in team one, use whatever you need to get in there and make sure that Ava gets out safely. If there are complications, team two will come in to help.”

Beatrice stood as well. Anxiety pulsed through her, along with the memory of what Ava had told her about her connection to the Halo. Ava had chosen her as a protector, someone who made her feel safe. Beatrice needed to protect Ava.

“I’m going in.”

Dora held up a hand.

“I can’t advise that; our sisters have face covers to protect their identity and they have training in situations such as this. You do not.”

Beatrice grabbed a space mask off the wall where they were hanging.

“I know five martial arts.”

Dora looked like she was genuinely considering knocking Beatrice out.

“Beatrice, I know you’re worried but—”

“Ava is my best friend, and I swore to her that as long as I live, I will not leave her alone. I promised myself that I would always protect her.”

“Ava wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger,” Dora reasoned. Once, that reasoning may have appealed to Beatrice, but not now. Not when she could physically feel the fear from Ava in her chest, growing stronger but not closer.

“Ava isn’t here right now. If she’s mad at me, she can do it after I save her.” Beatrice lifted up the mask. “We’re wasting time arguing. Let me go.”

Dora sighed. “Fine.” She looked to the other nuns. “Do not let Beatrice out of your sight.”

Beatrice fixed the mask over her head, taking a moment to get used to the limited vision. It was a mostly mesh covering, one that resembled chainmail. Along with the black jacket and cargo pants she was wearing right now, Beatrice at least felt like she would be able to put up a fight if they ran into any guards. Besides, she hadn’t been lying about the martial arts.

The nuns stepped out of the van, and Beatrice followed, close on their heels as they ran. Inside her chest, the pocket of anxiety that belonged to Ava moved closer with every step they took. Beatrice held onto that, wishing there was some way for the Halo to know that she was coming.

+++

Breaking into a highly secure facility was just like Beatrice had expected. Which, she knew was weird, but she’d thought about it before. When she was a teenager, she’d always liked to come up with hypothetical plans for strange situations. It had been a rather odd phase, one that Lilith had hated and Camila had indulged.

One of those situations was the robbery of a museum. She’d assumed there would be guards, and alarms, and security cameras. This was close enough, and she’d been quite right. It crossed Beatrice’s mind briefly that this was very illegal, and that in fact, she could get arrested for this. Strangely, that thought didn’t even weaken her resolve a little.

She figured that helping with the murder of several orphans meant that you were a horrible person, and therefore you deserved to have your storehouse broken into. So, she didn’t even hesitate as she followed the nuns.

Beatrice didn’t contribute much to the actual breaking in process. Ava had pretty much cleared the way for them, with five unconscious guards lying outside, and all the locks already open.

Holding onto the piece of Ava that had latched onto her, Beatrice took the lead. The others might know where Ava was supposed to be, but Beatrice knew exactly where she was, even if it felt odd, like something was wrong with the connection. Her desperation helped her stay at the front of the pack, anxiety moving her limbs quicker than they had in a long time.

They didn’t run into many guards on their way in, which Beatrice was thankful for. However, there were some, and the nuns did their best to take them down as quickly as they could.

The house was much larger than she expected, and at some point, she lost track of the others. This may have been due to her speed, and the fact that the others were busy fighting, but Beatrice didn’t care. Wherever Ava was, she was going to find her, and the others could figure it out from there.

Beatrice came to a stop outside of a room, knowing deep in her heart that Ava was inside.

She reached for the place inside of her where the Halo had latched on. While she could tell that Ava was in there, and that Ava was terrified, something was wrong with the connection. It was dulled somehow, reminded Beatrice of how it had been back at her house. When she’d been outside their house, she couldn’t really properly feel Ava, but the moment she stepped inside, she knew where she was.

Wait.

What if there was a reason that it felt the same? At the time, Beatrice had put it down to the distance, hadn’t really thought about it at all, but now she knew there was something that could actively block the Halo from working.

Divinium.

The wheels turned in Beatrice’s head. If there was somehow divinium in that room, then Ava wouldn’t be able to get out. She would be effectively trapped.

Cold fear seized Beatrice. She remembered what had happened when Ava had come into contact with the divinium last. It had put her in a ghost coma, unable to move or be seen for years. If somehow divinium came into contact with Ava, they could never get her out of that room.

Beatrice pulled herself up to her full height. She didn’t have a weapon, didn’t have anything, but she knew how to fight without one. No matter what faced her in that room, she was not leaving without Ava and the crown.

The door in front of her was closed, and when Beatrice looked, she saw the blue metal shining at the top of the door. Well, there was one piece of the divinium.

Beatrice shifted her weight, readying herself for what she needed to do. She’d never actually kicked down a door, but she knew how to do it, and she knew that she possessed the leg strength necessary to do so.

Her leg lifted, and then struck out.

The door fell down with a crash, and Beatrice marched through, scanning the room for any hint of Ava.

Inside the room, there were two visible things.

Vincent, and the crown.

Beatrice’s fists tensed by her side. Vincent was looking at her, surprise flickering briefly across his face. Then he smiled and lifted the crown.

“Looking for this? I’m afraid I can’t let you have it.”

“Not my first priority,” Beatrice found herself saying back. Vincent gave her a smile that looked almost sorrowful.

“If you’re looking for Ava, I’m afraid that you’ll be disappointed. We used the crown on her already, and she’s been moved. The crown has no use to you, and no matter what you do to me, it won’t help you get to Ava quicker. If I were you, I’d leave through the door, and report your failure to Mother Superion.”

Beatrice realised with a rush of adrenaline that he didn’t know about the Halo connection. He was bluffing, trying to trick Beatrice into leaving. Trying to trick her into believing that she’d already lost, so that she’d quit the game.

It would have most likely worked, except for the fact that Beatrice could feel exactly where Ava was in the room. She was right behind Vincent, and right now, she was pulsing with an uncontainable joy.

Beatrice took a step closer, and Vincent tensed. Fear flickered in his eyes, and Beatrice knew that whatever plan he had, it hadn’t expected this.

“I would be careful if I were you. You might think that your identity is safe, but we have our ways. If you do anything to me, we can bring your whole life down.”

Beatrice stopped, calculating her options. Ava couldn’t get out of the room if Vincent was still there. The sisters would surely be on their way, and once they were there, surely Vincent wouldn’t be able to hold them all back.

Vincent did have a point about being able to find out Beatrice’s identity and being able to ruin her life. But he was also gripping the crown tightly, in a room sealed with divinium, planning to kidnap Ava and have her killed.

So, logic didn’t really factor into this equation.

Beatrice didn’t think. She just moved, swinging her foot up like she’d been taught, and kicked Vincent in the head. He dropped to the ground, the combination of surprise and the force of Beatrice’s hit knocking him out cold. Beatrice smiled to herself.

“Holy shit!”

Beatrice looked up to see that Ava had taken form in the room again. Her shoulders dropped as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Ava.”

Ava grinned nervously at her.

“Hey.” She frowned. “Wait, you’re not supposed to be here.”

Beatrice dropped down to grab the crown. Strangely, it didn’t appear that there were any thorns on it.

“I’m not very good at doing what I’m told, I’m finding.”

Ava sighed, looking more relieved than mad. From outside the door, there was a sudden noise, and Beatrice snapped her head, ready to fight off any attackers.

The nuns rounded the corner and entered the room. When they saw Beatrice with the crown, Ava, and the unconscious Vincent, they dropped out of their offensive positions.

Beatrice moved towards them.

“There’s divinium in the walls, it’s stopping Ava from leaving.”

Ava moved to stand besides Beatrice.

“I came in through the doorway, and then Vincent came in after me and shut the door. He clicked a button, and the divinium dropped in.” She pointed up at the walls, and Beatrice turned to see that in the middle of each wall, there was a divinium shaped cross now pressed there. “He set the perfect trap.”

The leader of the nuns flicked out a staff, sharp edges catching the light of the room.

“We’ll make short work of this. You two, get ready to run, and don’t let go of the crown.”

Beatrice tightened her fist around the crown.

“I’m not letting go of this until it’s on Ava’s head.”

+++

Getting the divinium off of the walls was a fairly quick task, all things considered. Beatrice supposed that Vincent hadn’t expected anyone besides Ava to be here.

Speaking of Vincent, he’d tried to wake up at one point, but had been quickly tranquilised. Beatrice was just glad that her kick to his head had been enough to keep him down for at least a little while. Ava explained that she'd tried to tranquilise Vincent when she'd seen him, but that he'd been quicker, and that he'd had the crown so she'd needed to stay invisible so he couldn't get her.

By Beatrice's side, Ava was now practically vibrating with nervous energy. Beatrice had to say, she felt much the same. Now that she actually had the crown in her hands, she just wanted to put it on Ava’s head. She’d been told not to give it to Ava until they were safely in the van, just in case there was a side effect.

It was torture, having to wait to save Ava, but Beatrice had learnt patience as a young girl. Just a few more minutes.

As soon as the divinium was all out, they were moving. It was so quiet, Beatrice noted. Somehow, the silence was more unnerving than the scream of alarms and howl of sirens could have been.

Everything blurred in Beatrice’s mind as they ran through Adriel’s complex and then out through the streets. Her heart was racing in her chest, and Ava’s seemed to be almost be racing in time with it. Now that she was right by her side, it felt like the Halo was reaching out to hold onto her as an anchor.

Beatrice didn’t mind. As long as it was helping Ava feel better, she’d do anything.

Crawling into the van felt like finding sanctuary. Dora met Beatrice’s eyes as she came inside, and looked like she was barely resisting a heart attack.

“If you had taken any longer, I was coming in after you.”

Beatrice didn’t respond. She just pulled Ava down to the bench so that neither of them were unsteadied by the sudden starting of the van.

The crown remained clutched in her fingers. Ava kept looking at it.

“So, that’s the thing,” she said quietly. Beatrice nodded.

“It seems so…I don’t know, ordinary?” Ava tilted her head as she examined it. Beatrice pulled off her mask and hung it behind her. Strands of her hair had come loose and were now falling around her face.

Beatrice looked up at Dora.

“When will I be able to put the crown on Ava?”

Dora sat down opposite them.

“Well, Jillian said we should wait until we’re at least in the van, just to make sure. If you want to wait until the safe house, that’s okay. We’ll be switching cars soon, just to make sure we aren’t tracked, so you can do it then if you’d like.”

Beatrice just turned to look at Ava. “It’s your decision. You’re the one who would be wearing it.”

Ava swallowed. “Can we do it when we change over? It feels weird to do it in the van, but I don’t want to wait until the safe house. Even if that’s stupid, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly use my powers if we get caught, I don’t care. I want to be here.”

Dora nodded. “Alright. I’ll let Beatrice do the honours.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t let anyone else get close to me with that thing.”

Dora smiled. “Understandable. We’ll be changing cars in about five minutes. It’ll just be me, you, and Ava in that one. The others will stay with the van, hopefully that should work.”

Ava nodded, a tired smile on her face.

“We’ll do it then.”

+++

They changed over cars, as Dora had said, five minutes later. The van with the nuns sped off quickly, and the three of them climbed into the new car, with Ava and Beatrice both in the backseat. It was a fairly standard black car, not too small, and not too flashy.

Ava turned to Beatrice. In Beatrice’s lap, the crown sat waiting.

“Let’s do it,” Ava said with fire in her eyes.

“Are you sure you want to do this now?” Beatrice asked, needing to know that what she was about to do was Ava’s choice, completely. This would completely change her life, would change everything. She didn’t want to do it unless Ava was ready.

Ava swallowed. “Yes. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m fucking terrified, because Jillian gave me a crash course in what could happen, but I need to do it. I want to be here Beatrice. I want this.”

Beatrice shifted to face Ava, and when it obstructed her, she released her seatbelt. Ava did the same, so they could probably look at each other.

Beatrice’s hands were shaking as she lifted the crown. She almost wanted to stop and ask Ava what Jillian had told her, but she feared that knowing that would unnecessarily stress her out.

Ava wanted to do this.

So, Beatrice was going to do it.

Slowly, so as to give Ava every chance to back out, Beatrice lifted the crown up to her head. Ava met her eyes and nodded once.

Beatrice placed the crown on Ava’s head.

There was an immediate response, the crown glowing golden, and glowing spikes shooting out from it. Thankfully, the thorns didn’t seem to harm Ava in any way. Ava gasped, and Beatrice drew her hands back, waiting and watching.

Ava’s eyes shut and her face twisted. Her form flickered, much like it used to when she felt scared. The light of the car flickered twice, and Beatrice caught Dora checking over her shoulder to see what was happening.

And then Beatrice saw it. There was a glowing light coming from Ava’s back, reaching out to blanket the car.

The Halo.

Ava flickered once more, and then her eyes flew open, a gasp forcing its way into her lungs.

Beatrice couldn’t move. Didn’t want to, because she was too terrified that her hands would just pass through Ava again.

“Ava? Are you alright?”

Ava blinked, and then looked at Beatrice.

“Holy shit.”

“Ava?”

Ava’s face split into a wide grin, her hands pressing again the car window and the seat.

“Holy fuck is that what that feels like? I don't think I've been able to properly feel like this since I was seven."

Beatrice felt like she was going to stop breathing.

“You couldn’t feel before? When you were trapped?”

Ava was still grinning.

“I mean, I could feel that something was there, but it was muted. But now I can feel the fabric, I can feel the cold of the glass, holy fuck Bea, I think I’m real.”

Beatrice felt her own lips curling into a smile, her heart racing in her chest fast enough that it felt like it was going to break out.

“You were always real Ava. Now you’re here.”

Ava nodded. “I’m here.” A look of terrified hope filled her eyes, and she lifted her hands away from where they’d been. Beatrice didn’t realise what she was doing at first, and then she realised.

Ava was reaching out for her.

With trembling hands, Beatrice reached back.

There was a moment, right before their hands made contact, where Beatrice was convinced that her hands were going to pass straight through. She couldn’t believe that after everything, that she’d finally be allowed to have this.

And then their fingers touched.

Beatrice could feel Ava’s hands. They were warm.

As if drawn by some unexplainable force, Beatrice linked their hands quickly. The sensation was so new and amazing, and she needed all of it at once. Ava’s palm was soft against hers, and her fingers were hesitantly tracing the callouses that Beatrice had earnt over the years. Beatrice’s fingers ran over Ava’s knuckles, feeling the bone pressing against the skin.

Ava looked to Beatrice, with that look of wonder that she had when she looked outside for the first time. She sat there in the backseat of the car, the crown still glowing golden on her head, grinning wildly, and looking at Beatrice like she was the first ray of sunlight in a land that had experienced darkness for a thousand years.

Beatrice didn’t have time to prepare herself for Ava’s next movement. Even if she had, she didn’t think it would have been enough. Because there was nothing in the world that could have prepared her for Ava hugging her.

It was a full hug, completely unrestrained. Ava’s arms were around Beatrice, and her head was buried in her neck, and she was laughing, and Beatrice could feel her chest moving. Beatrice had never been hugged like this.

She could feel Ava against her, pressed against her in so many places, and Beatrice had never really understood what this would be like. She’d thought that she’d grasped the depth of her feelings for Ava, but this was something new. This was a vast and unexplored land in her heart, and Beatrice nearly lost consciousness because of the overwhelming feeling of love in her soul.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she gripped Ava back, holding onto her as tightly as she could. Ava kept laughing, and her lips pressed against Beatrice’s neck. Beatrice could feel them, and they were so soft, and her mind was flooded with images of them pressed against her own lips.

No, not yet. The first time Beatrice kissed Ava; it would be when they were alone.

For now, at least, this hug was enough. Actually, it was more than enough.

It was everything.

Chapter Text

For the entirety of the drive to the safe house, Ava’s head stayed on Beatrice’s shoulder. It was a little difficult, considering the seatbelts they’d had to put back on, but neither of them minded. They just wanted to be touching.

Ava’s hand had also found its way to Beatrice’s, and Beatrice had taken to stroking patterns onto the back of it. It was calming for both of them, Beatrice found, because only about ten minutes into the drive, Ava fell asleep.

Beatrice was surprised, because she knew that Ava didn’t get tired, that she didn’t need to sleep, and yet here she was, falling asleep on Beatrice’s shoulder. She considered waking her, but decided against it. If Ava’s body was telling her to sleep, then she probably needed it. Besides, Beatrice didn’t exactly want to give up the feeling of Ava’s head on her shoulder.

So, she just kept stroking Ava’s hand, even though she was asleep. It wasn’t even really for Ava at this point. It was so she could remind herself that now she could touch Ava.

Dora, thankfully, stayed silent. Beatrice didn’t think that she could speak right now. Not after everything. It was slowly kicking into her mind that she’d helped a group of nuns break into a house, and then she’d assaulted a man, before stealing something from the house. If only her parents could see her now. They’d probably pass out.

The safe house was a small property out in the countryside, at least a ten-minute drive from any towns. Dora pulled into the driveway, and Beatrice noted that there were no other vehicles visible.

She turned to Ava, and gently shook her shoulder. Feeling Ava’s arm under her hand sent a thrill through her every time, and she tried her best to ignore it. She also tried to ignore the fact that the crown was still on Ava’s head. They hadn’t been sure about what would happen if they took it off, so they’d kept it on for the drive.

Jillian had said that the crown would anchor Ava in this plane, but that they would have to make sure that she found a way to properly connect here in order to not immediately revert back to the state she’d been in. She hadn’t been specific about how that would happen, but Beatrice assumed there was some sort of scientific plan for it.

Beatrice shook Ava again, because she hadn’t reacted the first time.

“Ava, we’re here. It’s time to wake up.”

Ava scrunched up her face.

“What?”

“You fell asleep. We’re at the safe house.”

Ava’s eyes opened, revealing her dark brown eyes. Beatrice really loved her eyes. There was just something so soft and caring inside them, in the way they looked at Beatrice.

“I fell asleep?”

“You did.”

Ava smiled. “Holy shit. I don’t think I’ve slept in about thirty years.”

“Explains how you managed to stay asleep for the whole drive.” Beatrice nudged her again. “We should get out. The others will be waiting for us.”

That seemed to be all the motivation Ava needed to finally pull her head away from Beatrice and to unbuckle her seatbelt. The two of them stepped out of the car and joined Dora by the door. Ava fiddled with the crown on her head.

“I’m looking forwards to Jillian helping me get this thing off. It feels kinda silly wearing it.”

Beatrice was about to respond, but she was interrupted by the opening of the door. Jillian stood on the other side; eyes wide.

“You did it.” Her eyes went to the crown, and widened even more. “Oh my. That is quite magnificent.”

“Yeah, I kind of feel a bit like Jesus right now,” Ava joked before frowning at Beatrice and Dora. “Wait, is that blasphemous?”

“A little,” Beatrice admitted. Ava shrugged.

“Eh, I have a Halo in my back. I’m pretty close to heavenly.”

Jillian stepped to the side.

“Come on in. The others have been getting rather antsy waiting for you.”

Beatrice could only imagine. Camila was not known for her patience, Lilith tended to get grumpy when left to wait, and Mary would have definitely been annoying to make up for her boredom.

She walked into the house, and down the hallway until she came to the living room.

Mary was sitting in an armchair, and her eyes met Beatrice first. She jumped up, and tapped Camila on the arm. Camila had apparently fallen asleep on the couch, and she sat straight up the moment Mary’s hand hit her arm.

“You’re back!” Camila ran forwards, wrapping Beatrice in a tight hug. Beatrice could only smile and grip her back just as tightly. Mary walked up to the both of them, and the moment that Camila let her go, Beatrice found Mary hugging her.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

Yasmine, who had been sitting at the table, stood up and smiled at her.

“They’ve all been very worried about you. I was too.”

Beatrice smiled at her. She might not have known Yasmine for very long, but she could tell that she was a genuinely kind person. The type of person that Beatrice could see herself becoming friends with at some point.

Footsteps sounded in the living room.

“Oh, thank fuck you’re back, I was about to start stabbing things.”

Beatrice turned away from Mary to smile at Lilith, who did indeed look very frazzled. Her hair was in braids, and Beatrice wondered who had convinced her to sit still long enough to do that. Probably Camila.

Ava strode into the room, grinning widely.

“Nice house. If I ever move out, I’d definitely consider a place like this.”

Every eye turned to her. Camila’s hands went to cover her mouth.

“That’s the crown?” Mary asked.

Ava shrugged. “Pretty cool, right?”

Camila took a tentative step forward.

“Ava?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you…are you here?”

Ava held out her hands, wriggling her fingers.

“You want to come and check? I’ve discovered that I really like hugs.”

She barely had the time to finish that sentence before Camila was all but barrelling into her with a hug. Ava nearly lost her balance, but instead managed to throw her weight into the hug, laughing loudly. She looked over Camila’s shoulder at the others.

“Group hug?”

Mary and Lilith apparently didn’t need to hear anything else, because they raced over to Ava, wrapping her up in hugs as well. Beatrice could count on one hand the amount of times Lilith had hugged people, so she was definitely going to be bringing this up if she ever started getting mad at Ava.

Ava looked to Yasmine, who was awkwardly standing to the side.

“Hey, you can join in too. I mean, you’re the one who hunted me down.”

Yasmine approached with a nervous smile, and found herself getting tugged into the hug by both Ava and Camila. It was a rather adorable sight.

Ava met Beatrice’s eyes.

“C’mon Bea, you need to get in here. You’re the one who started it all.”

Beatrice smiled, and obliged, wrapping her arms around all of them. She might not really be hugging Ava right now, but it didn’t matter. Everyone else was hugging her. Ava could be hugged by her friends. That was all that mattered now.

When they all finally let go of each other, Jillian made her way into the room.

“I hate to break up this reunion, but Ava, I’d like to do a few tests on you. The crown might be anchoring you here, but your heart is likely still stopped, and I want to see how we might go about starting it again, and making sure that you stay in this plane, and don’t immediately panic and phase back out.”

Ava nodded. “Yes, okay. I’d like that too.” She looked at them. “Can they come with though? I feel like we should all be there.”

Jillian shrugged. “If they would like to accompany you, that’s quite alright.”

Beatrice smiled to herself. Her friends were actually going to lose their minds when she told them about everything that had happened between her and Ava since she’d seen them last. But that could wait until after they’d figured out the next steps with Ava.

Jillian led them to a room in the house that seemed to be a makeshift laboratory. Ava hopped up onto the bench, and the rest of them gathered around the room. Beatrice took the seat closest to Ava.

The first thing Jillian did was pull out a stethoscope.

“Alright, I just need to confirm that your heart is still not beating, and then we can do some quick tests of the Halo. After that, I will remove the crown, and we’ll test to see if Ava can anchor without it. If not, I have a few plans about how to possibly help her.”

Ava nodded. “Sounds good.”

Jillian moved closer, and hesitantly touched Ava’s shoulder. When her hand didn’t pass through, she shook her head.

“It truly is quite incredible, all of this. Scientifically speaking, this shouldn’t be possible, so your mere existence has given me years and years of research to complete.”

Ava grinned. “Well, I’m happy to be a scientific miracle if it means I still get to be a human. Being a ghost was kinda annoying.”

Jillian directed Ava to shift her shirt so that she could properly check for her heartbeat. A few moments passed, and then Jillian frowned.

“Ava?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you experienced anything different since the crown was placed on your head?”

Ava frowned, her face scrunching up. “Uh, you mean apart from being able to touch people and properly feel things?”

“I mean like, have there been any feelings of hunger, exhaustion, anything that usually the Halo stopped you from feeling?”

Ava paused and looked to Beatrice. “Well, I was really tired in the car, so I fell asleep. That was new.” Her frown deepened as she looked back to Jillian. “Wait, why are you asking?”

Jillian pulled the stethoscope away from Ava.

“I’m asking, because your heart is beating.”

Ava’s hand flew to her chest, feeling under her shirt, eyes wide. She must have been able to feel what Jillian had because her face lit up into a smile.

“Holy shit.”

Jillian put the stethoscope down and smiled at Ava.

“Ava Silva, you are officially alive.”

Lilith spoke up. “But how? I thought you said you would need to do something in order to reset the Halo.”

Jillian moved over to machine she’d used to scan the Halo before, setting it up as she spoke.

“Well, I only had hypotheses about it.”

“And what were those hypotheses?” Mary asked.

Instead of answering, Jillian looked at Beatrice.

“Beatrice, did you do anything before Ava fell asleep?”

Everyone looked to Beatrice. Beatrice shook her head at first.

“No, I didn’t do—” she stopped, remembering. “Well, I hugged her.”

Jillian nodded. “I see.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying that hugging Beatrice literally brought Ava back to life?” Mary asked, her eyes flicking between both Ava and Beatrice. Ava was looking at Beatrice with a grin full of wonder.

The machine started to hum as it scanned Ava.

“Actually, you’re almost right. One of my theories circulated around why the Halo malfunctioned in the first place.”

“I had drugs in my system, and they should have killed me, so the Halo panicked?” Ava asked, looking back to Jillian.

Jillian tilted her head. “That was one theory. But another theory we had, one that is seeming more plausible now, is that the Halo recognised that you were not safe. Not only was there physiological danger, in the form of the drugs, but there was also emotional danger, because you were not in a place you considered safe. The Halo connected to your emotions, and well, it tried to keep you safe, so it pulled you away from that plane, and it held your body in stasis until you were somewhere it could consider safe.”

The pieces were slowly starting to connect in Beatrice’s mind, and she almost didn’t believe it. There was no way that Jillian was saying what Beatrice thought she was saying.

Jillian tapped her screen.

“It makes sense then, that the Halo attached itself to Beatrice because Ava considered her to be safe. Furthermore, it makes sense that upon being anchored in the physical plane by the crown, the Halo might have been unsure about safety, but upon immediately receiving physical touch from the person it had latched onto, someone that Ava considered safe, it would have decided that Ava didn’t need to be kept in stasis anymore.”

Beatrice felt like she was in shock. Ava didn’t look shocked at all, honestly, she looked the calmest out of all of them, like nothing Jillian had just said was a shock.

Jillian held out her tablet.

“My scans suggest that the Halo has indeed changed the way it was operating. It’s still connected to Beatrice, but it isn’t working overtime to try and phase Ava or keep her in stasis. Which, if my hypothesis is correct, should mean that it’s safe to remove the crown.”

Beatrice looked to Ava, almost expecting her to tear it off the second Jillian said. Instead, Ava held her hand out to Beatrice.

“Well, if Jillian’s right, and Bea’s what’s keeping me here, shouldn’t she be the one to take it off? Just to make sure.”

Beatrice wasn’t really sure if that actually made any scientific sense, but she couldn’t deny Ava. Not when she was sitting there, looking at Beatrice like she was something truly special. Like she didn’t trust anyone else in the world with something this important. Which, honestly might be true.

So, with nervous feet, Beatrice moved closer to Ava, lifting her hands out to grab onto the crown. She had to be careful to avoid the glowing spikes. It was interesting that they didn’t seem to affect Ava in any way, but it wasn’t the most confusing thing that had happened today.

The crown was lifted off of Ava’s head, losing its glow as it disappeared from her head. Beatrice placed it to the side, and looked to Ava.

“How do you feel?”

Ava flexed her hand, and ran it over the bench.

“I still feel here. Everything still feels right.” She held out her hand. “Double check?”

As if Beatrice needed any convincing to hold Ava’s hand. She took it easily, and stroked her thumb across the back, smiling.

“Still here.”

Jillian nodded.

“In that case, I don’t need to do very much at all. The Halo will likely start to run as it’s supposed to, giving Ava quicker healing abilities, and additional strength. Mother Superion and the sisters will be much more equipped in the process of training you to actually use it properly.”

Ava hopped off the seat, all but colliding into Beatrice as she did. Beatrice wasn’t sure if she’d misjudged their distance, or if she’d just been looking for an excuse to press as much of herself against Beatrice as she could. Either way, Beatrice’s arm came up around her waist to steady her, and the hands they were still holding pressed against their chests.

Beatrice caught Ava’s eyes dropping to look at her lips. Just like they had back in Ava’s bedroom that one time. Had that only been a few days ago? It seemed like months now.

“Alright, not to interrupt whatever this is,” Mary said, “but can we please hear about what happened? No one has told us anything, and given that Sister Dora has already left, I don’t think she’s going to give us a full update.”

Beatrice hadn’t even noticed Dora leaving. She supposed she’d been a little too wrapped up in Ava.

Jillian nodded.

“I would quite like to know what transpired. The sisters will likely give Mother Superion a full report, but I do like knowing things as quickly as possible.”

Beatrice looked to Ava, who shrugged.

“Guess it’s storytime.”

+++

Explaining the events of the mission was quite easy. Everyone was shocked to hear about Ava’s close call, and Beatrice’s act of boldness. Thankfully, no one decided that now was the time to tease Beatrice.

Jillian seemed most interested by the fact that Vincent had known that Ava was coming, and left the room to contact Mother Superion. After all, she’d been the one to meet with Adriel, so if he’d known it was a trap, then what did that mean for them?

Once she left the room, Beatrice looked to her friends.

“What have you been doing while you waited?”

“Not much, really,” Mary answered. “We got in about two hours before you turned up, so we mostly just unpacked and then hung around. I wanted to watch a movie, but Camila and Lilith nearly bit my head off.”

Camila blushed. “I was stressed.”

Lilith just shrugged. “You suggested that we watch a stupid Netflix romcom. You know how I feel about Netflix.”

“Netflix doesn’t even work at the moment. I don’t believe this place has Wi-Fi,” Yasmine supplied.

Ava walked over to the TV, which was set into the wall. Then she opened the cabinet next to it, and turned back to them with a grin.

“They’ve got DVDs here.”

Yasmine perked up. “All OCS safe houses are equipped with entertainment systems that can work without internet access. I do not know how old they would be though.”

Ava pulled out a movie and grinned.

“They stocked the OCS safe house with kids’ movies?”

Beatrice caught sight of the cover. Mulan, one of her favourites as a child. When Ava poked her head back into the cabinet, she laughed.

“Yeah, okay, our choices are like, every animated Disney movie made before 2000, two seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, and Love, Actually.”

Camila laughed. “Who stocked this?”

“Someone who was very bored and had a very low budget,” Mary guessed.

Ava yanked out a few more DVDs. “I’m kinda feeling like a kid’s movie right now. Something nice and light-hearted after the only adult I ever trusted just tried to kidnap me.” Ava’s easy tone nearly distracted Beatrice from her words. When they registered, she frowned.

She hadn’t thought about how Ava must be feeling about Vincent being on Adriel’s side this whole time. Mentally, she made a note to bring it up later, because Ava always accidentally revealed the things she was upset about through jokes.

Mary threw herself back on the armchair.

“Do they have The Lion King?”

“We are not watching The Lion King.”

“Lilith, would it kill you to be nice?”

“Yes. You only want to watch The Lion King because you saw me cry to it once.”

“Aha! You admit that you cried!”

Lilith glared at Mary, who grinned victoriously. Beatrice sighed and settled on the couch.

“I think Ava should choose.”

Ava examined her options, and then shoved most of the DVDs back, holding up Mulan again.

“I never actually saw this growing up. The nuns mostly stuck to the really old shit, like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. And that was when they were feeling nice about letting me use the TV.”

Yasmine and Camila moved to the other couch. Camila looked at Beatrice for a moment before saying,

“Mulan sounds good to me.”

After some fiddling around with the DVD player, they finally managed to get the movie started. Ava, to no one’s surprise, dropped onto the couch next to Beatrice. To Beatrice’s surprise though, instead of just sitting down, Ava stretched herself out, putting her head in Beatrice’s lap.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Ava said happily. Beatrice looked up and accidentally met Lilith’s eyes. Lilith, who was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs that she’d dragged over, gave Beatrice a smirk.

Beatrice did her best to relax, even though she was incredibly aware of where Ava was touching her. She could barely focus on the movie, so she tried to calm herself down by playing with Ava’s hair. It had always looked so soft, and Beatrice was happy to find that her assumption was correct.

Ava definitely liked Beatrice playing with her hair, if the way she cuddled into Beatrice was any indication. For a moment, Beatrice imagined that they were just normal people, curling up on the couch to watch a movie, just enjoying a perfect moment of normalcy.

It was nice. It was something Beatrice never thought that she’d have. Though, she had to think that Ava had properly never expected this either. There was something about that, the fact that they’d both found the wonderful unexpected in each other.

The movie was over before Beatrice had expected. When she looked around the room, she saw that Camila and Yasmine were quietly discussing something in Yasmine’s notebook, Mary had fallen asleep, and Lilith had left the room.

Beatrice looked down to her lap, and found that Ava had fallen asleep again. The second time that such a thing had happened around Beatrice. It was nice to know that Ava felt comfortable around her like that. Although, considering that Beatrice’s hug had made Ava feel safe enough to anchor her here, she supposed it wasn’t too surprising. Even if it was still shocking to Beatrice that Ava felt like that about her.

She nudged Ava with her leg, and then, upon receiving no response, tapped Ava’s cheek.

Ava groaned and lifted her head up. It must have taken a moment for her to remember where she was, but when she looked back to Beatrice, she was smiling.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” Beatrice smiled. “You fell asleep again.”

Ava pouted, an unfairly adorable expression on her face.

“I know. I was really trying to pay attention, but you were playing with my hair, and your lap was really comfy.”

Beatrice reached out to stroke some of Ava’s hair behind her ear. It was so nice that she could do this now, that she could easily and freely touch her like this when she wanted.

“That’s alright. If you ever want to watch it again, you can watch it with me. It was my favourite movie as a kid.”

Ava nodded. “I know. Camila told me a little while ago, when we were talking about movies we’d seen. That’s why I picked it.”

So, that was why Camila had looked at Beatrice like that. Beatrice felt her heart racing in her chest, barely able to contain her fondness for Ava in that moment. When faced with many choices for what to watch, Ava had picked Beatrice’s favourite.

Beatrice was struck with the sudden urge to kiss Ava. Really, it shouldn’t have surprised her, seeing as she’d been feeling that urge for a while now, but this was the first time she could do something about it.

She chanced a look over Ava’s shoulder to Camila and Yasmine. While they were wrapped up in their study of whatever it was, they’d definitely notice if Beatrice kissed Ava in front of them.

Beatrice moved off the couch and extended her hand to Ava.

“Come on. Let’s go find our rooms.”

Ava hopped up. “Can we share?”

Beatrice, who had not been expecting that question, had to struggle to regain her breathing abilities for a moment. Camila looked up from her research, giving Beatrice another smile.

Ava shifted her weight from leg to leg, her face twisting up.

“I mean, if you don’t want to that’s fine, I’m just asking because we shared last night, and like, well—actually no, it’s fine, we can have separate rooms, I was just being—”

“Ava.”

“Yeah?”

Beatrice reached out and took Ava’s hand.

“We can share.”

Ava’s face quickly split into a grin. It was so easy to get Ava to smile, but that didn’t diminish the value of her smiles. Not to Beatrice at least.

Yasmine popped her head up from the couch.

“Our rooms are just down that corridor. We’ve put our things in the ones we wanted, so just pick any of the empty ones.”

Beatrice nodded thankfully, and pulled Ava down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a room empty of any clothing, so Beatrice tugged Ava into that one. She shut the door behind them, and Ava let go of her hand for a moment.

“It’s nice. Big bed, walk in wardrobe, and we’ve got a bathroom.” Pause. “Wait, shit, I need to pee. I haven’t needed to pee in thirty years, I forgot how weird it feels.”

Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh at the confused look on Ava’s face. Ava just held up a hand.

“Alright, I’m going to pee, stay here.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Beatrice assured her. Ava all but sprinted into the bathroom.

As Beatrice waited for Ava to be done, she checked the room. There was some clothing, enough for them to change multiple times. Beatrice was tempted to change out of the clothing she was in, but she knew that Ava would be done soon, and it felt like too big of a risk that Ava would exit the bathroom right as Beatrice started undressing.

And well, Beatrice wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stop anything that would occur after that, even if she very much was not ready for it. So, best to be safe.

Ava opened the door to the bathroom just as Beatrice was checking the desk drawers.

“Sorry, got excited because I saw myself in a mirror. I look fucking hot, no wonder you like me.”

Beatrice blinked.

“You couldn’t see yourself in mirrors?”

Ava gave her a lopsided grin.

“Bea, I was on another dimensional plane. I feel like it makes more sense that I wouldn’t show up in mirrors.”

Beatrice supposed it did make sense. It made her sad though, knowing that Ava didn’t know what she looked like. Beatrice might not be the type of person to use mirrors a lot, but she couldn’t imagine how odd it must be to not know what you looked like.

Ava seemed to sense that Beatrice was getting stuck on a thought, because she hopped forwards and grabbed Beatrice’s hands.

“Hey, no thinking about sad things right now.”

Beatrice sighed. “You’re right.” Sighting an opportunity, Beatrice feigned innocence. “What should I think about instead?”

Ava’s eyes lit up with mischief as she recognised the game Beatrice was playing.

“Well, you could think about the movie we just watched.”

“Hmm, I could.”

“Or, you know, free clothes courtesy of the OCS.”

“Free clothes are always good.”

Ava shifted closer to Beatrice, her lips curling into a smile. Her eyes dropped down, and Beatrice knew exactly what she was looking at.

“Or, you could think about the fact that we’re alone together in a room, and you can finally touch me.”

Beatrice took in an involuntary breath at the low tone Ava’s voice had dropped to.

“I suppose I could do that.”

Ava hummed.

“You know, I seem to remember you saying something last night.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah.”

“What did I say?”

Ava looked up at Beatrice’s eyes again, and Beatrice noted with delight that they looked deliciously dark. If she reached into that space where the Halo had connected, Beatrice knew without a doubt what emotion she’d be feeling.

“I think you said that if things went well today, I could kiss you.” Her voice went breathless at the end, like just saying it out loud was making Ava’s brain short circuit.

Beatrice leaned in, so that her and Ava were practically sharing breath.

“Then I think you should kiss me.”

Ava didn’t need to be told twice. Her lips pressed against Beatrice’s, and Beatrice felt her heart burning in her chest.

She hadn’t kissed someone like this, ever. Never with this amount of want, and need, and desperation. For months, she’d been thinking of Ava, desperately trying to convince herself that anything romantic between them would be a terrible idea.

But right now, when Ava’s warm mouth was against hers, her lips so soft and pressing against Beatrice in the most wonderous way, Beatrice knew this was the epitome of a good idea.

This was what they’d both been heading for this whole time. This was what had been meant to happen.

Ava’s hands were on her now, and they were everywhere. It was like Ava couldn’t figure out her favourite place on Beatrice’s body to rest. They moved from her hips up her waist, to press on her shoulders, then to her shoulder blades. From there, they traced a path up to her neck, gently stroking it, and then she cupped Beatrice’s cheeks, stroking her thumb across her jaw.

Ava was everywhere, and yet, Beatrice needed more.

She needed to touch Ava herself.

Her fingers were tentative at first. Despite the overwhelming need inside of her, Beatrice did still have years of repression to break her way through first. Thankfully, with every second she spent with Ava, it was getting easier.

Beatrice’s hands started on Ava’s face, stroking across her jaw. Like a mirror to Ava, she repeated her movements, but in reverse, her hands moving lower. She didn’t move with the frenzy that Ava had, no, instead she took her time with her touches. Ava was significant, and Beatrice intended to let that be understood through the way she let her hands caress Ava.

Ava moaned into their kiss, and when she pulled back, she muttered,

“Keep doing that Bea.”

“Keep touching you?”

“Yes, please.”

Beatrice hadn’t intended to stop just yet, but at Ava’s insistence, she decided to be a little bit bolder. Her hands found the end of Ava’s shirt, and then they edged up and under the material, carefully running across her skin. She was warm, and Beatrice spread her palm out against Ava’s ribs, delighting in the touch.

Ava pulled back again, meeting Beatrice’s eyes. She’d gone still, for the first time since they’d started kissing, and Beatrice was concerned that maybe she’d done something wrong. But instead, Ava’s hands moved down to where Beatrice was touching her stomach.

Slowly, slower than Beatrice had thought Ava had the patience for, Ava lifted Beatrice’s hand up her body, just ghosting across her breasts—which Beatrice tried her best not to think about—until Beatrice’s hand pressed in the centre of Ava’s chest.

At first, she wasn’t sure what Ava was doing.

And then she felt it.

A steady heartbeat. Actually, no, not steady, racing, thumping hard against Ava’s chest like she’d just run across a country.

“Do you feel that?”

Beatrice swallowed, well aware that her own heartbeat was likely mirroring Ava’s right now. She nodded.

“I feel it.”

“That’s what you do to me.”

Beatrice blushed.

“It is racing rather fast.”

Ava tilted her head, giving Beatrice a grin that she couldn’t quite decode properly.

“No, well, I mean, yes, it is racing because you’re incredibly hot. But what I meant is that it’s beating because of you. You did that to me.”

The realisation of what Ava was talking about made Beatrice feel like oxygen in the room was a scarce resource.

Ava laced their fingers together as they pressed over her heart. She tried to move their hands, but Beatrice kept them firmly in place. At Ava’s questioning look, she explained,

“I just want to feel it a little longer. I just need to remind myself that this is real.”

Ava smiled, and stepped closer, allowing Beatrice to keep her hand firmly over her heart. Their hands were still pressed together, like Beatrice had wanted for so long.

But now, finally, they were not only in the same time, but in the same place.

Chapter Text

The rest of the night passed in a blur. Beatrice and Ava didn’t go further than copious amounts of kissing, but that was perfectly fine with both of them. They ended up coming out of their room for dinner, which was made by Yasmine and Mary out of the various foods present in the kitchen.

Jillian stayed sequestered in her lab for the rest of the night, barely acknowledging them when they brought her some dinner. None of them were really sure of what she was doing, and they decided they didn’t want to know.

There was an understanding amongst them all that returning to normal life would not be happening immediately. None of them had their phones, and Mary was only hoping that Shannon wouldn’t freak out and go to the police when none of them responded to her texts. She had told Shannon that things were getting weird, but hadn’t wanted to tell her too much for fear of dragging her into the mess.

None of them felt much like staying up late, so they quickly retreated to their rooms. Beatrice was starting to feel quite tired, as was Ava, so they pretty much readied themselves for sleep immediately.

Ava sighed as she crawled into bed.

“How is it that I’ve had two naps today, and I’m still so tired?”

“Maybe it’s something to do with not sleeping for thirty years, and your body getting used to being alive?”

Ava huffed. “It’s kinda shitty. Have to say, I didn’t think my first meal back would be a grilled cheese sandwich.”

Beatrice smiled. “Well, when we get back, we’ll take requests.”

“I want pizza. And ice cream. And I want you to bake me some scones and banana muffins, because those smelt so good. Ooh, and I want to try that pasta thing Camila made.”

Ava looked so excited by all the foods she could possibly eat and Beatrice couldn’t help herself from pressing a kiss to her cheek. With a confused smile, Ava turned to her.

“What?”

“You’re just wonderful.”

“I’m talking about food?”

“It’s not about the food. It’s just lovely to see you so alive.”

Ava grinned. “It’s fucking awesome being alive.” She opened her mouth to say something, and was cut off by a yawn.

“Oh, look who’s sleepy now.”

“Shut up,” Ava grumbled, curling her body into Beatrice’s. Her head found a home just above her shoulder, and her arm came to rest around Beatrice’s waist.

Beatrice tensed for a moment, not used to being touched like this as she fell asleep. And then, as she reminded herself that it was Ava, and she was always safe with Ava, she let herself relax into it.

Sleep found her in no time.

+++

The next morning, they were met with a sombre mood as they exited their room.

Ava had delighted at waking up. In fact, she’d been so excited by it that she’d leapt up and started jumping on the bed. If Beatrice hadn’t already been awake, she would have been rather annoyed. But, as she’d been awake, just watching Ava as she slept peacefully, she found Ava’s reaction endearing.

They’d left the room still in their pyjamas, deciding that they didn’t care much about looking presentable. When they entered the kitchen, they found the others already gathered, also in their pyjamas.

“Ooh, pyjama party?” Ava started, then faltered at the looks on everyone’s faces. Jillian, who was standing behind the counter, was still wearing what she had been last night, and there was a distinct air of distress and exhaustion around her.

Beatrice stepped forwards.

“What happened?”

Jillian sighed. “Mother Superion called. She had…rather troubling information.”

Mary scoffed and turned to Beatrice. “Adriel reported us all to the police. Currently, we’re all wanted for breaking and entering and theft. He’s saying it was us, because we’re the only ones he knows the names of. And because he’s an ass with connections, that means we can’t leave the house.”

Beatrice wasn’t sure what she felt first; the numbing shock rushing over her, or the sting of guilt piercing her heart.

She didn’t even need to look to know who that second feeling belong to, because Ava started speaking almost immediately.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t—fuck, I didn’t.” Ava shut her mouth. Beatrice reached out for her, so glad that now she could press a hand to Ava’s arm whenever she wanted to comfort her.

It stung when Ava almost flinched away.

“Ava, it’s not your fault,” Beatrice told her. Ava met her gaze with a dark look.

“I told you Bea. These people are dangerous, and I told you that if you tried to help me, everything would just get fucked up.” Gone was the Ava of this morning, waking up by her side with a light smile. Now she was lost in a storm that Beatrice could never have forecast.

Jillian sighed. “Ava, we’re not just going to let this lie. The OCS has been planning for years how to take him down. There is a plan—”

“Yeah? And how long will it take? How certain are you that you’ll be able to take care of him for good? What if it takes years, what happens to them?” She gestured to Beatrice and her friends. “How long will they have to run from their lives? I did this alone because I didn’t want to put them in danger, but now that’s happened. I knew it would happen; I fucking knew it.”

Ava had retreated away from Beatrice’s hands by this point, and they all watched her warily. If this was before, Beatrice had no doubt that Ava would have been flickering in and out of sight. But as it was, she just looked tired, angry, and scared.

She huffed out a breath. “I can’t be here, I need to just—” she cut herself off and strode out of the room, hands shaking by her sides. They all listened as the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout.

“Should someone go after her?” Yasmine asked. Beatrice sighed and turned around.

“Ava needs space, just for a moment. I’ll go talk to her after.” She knew all too well that sometimes Ava just needed a moment to herself. With another sigh, Beatrice stepped closer.

Yasmine kept frowning after Ava. “Why is she so upset? Adriel didn’t target her?”

“She’s upset because she did warn me. Multiple times, she told me that this was dangerous, and that she didn’t want any of us getting hurt because we were trying to save her. Ava doesn’t much care about her own safety, but she does care about us.”

Lilith shook her head. “Can’t you just get it into her head that we helped because we wanted to?”

Beatrice shrugged. “I’ll try.” She pulled up a chair. “What else did Mother Superion tell you?” She needed to know the full situation, needed to know exactly how bad it was, and what their chances of getting out of it were. There would be no point talking to Ava if she didn’t.

Jillian nodded, seeming to understand what Beatrice needed.

“We believe that Adriel has contacts in the police force, and that they will be on his side. However, we’ve been working with some higher up people, those who’ve noticed that Adriel has far too much money for some who claims to be a philanthropist. We believe that he’s been stealing money from the causes he supports, in order to support him. As we also know, when the orphanage was still in operation, he funded that because he planned to use the Halo for himself.”

Beatrice nodded. “Alright, so we know he’s committed crimes, and that he essentially assisted in murdering children in the orphanage.”

“It’s not just assisted murder. We also believe that he paid to have a woman, known only by the alias Reya, killed. She was an investigative reporter, one who figured out his connection to the orphanage. Her death was marked as a suicide, but we have reason to believe that Adriel was the one who did it.”

Beatrice took in a shuddering breath. The knowledge that she’d just stolen from a man who could so easily order hits sent a chill down her spine.

Mary pressed her hands into the table.

“Okay, but what proof do we have? Ava had a point, if you don’t have proof, you can’t do anything about him.”

Jillian ran a hand through her frazzled hair.

“The OCS has been working on it for some time, but gathering evidence against him has proven to be very difficult when he uses accomplices and scapegoats for everything. And when anyone who could speak out is under his payroll.”

Lilith huffed. “So, you have nothing?”

“Not nothing. We know what he did, we just need to find the connections. Before, we didn’t have any solid reason to move on him, but now we do. Now it’s essential that we do, and so rest assured that we will be doing everything we can.”

None of them looked particularly assured by that. Beatrice certainly didn’t feel any better. Although, that may just have been the aching guilt and anger in her stomach, the Halo tugging on her. It was like it wanted her there, like it needed her to know that Ava was in distress.

She realised that maybe that’s exactly what it was. The Halo had latched onto her because she made Ava feel safe. Right now, the Halo probably recognised that Ava didn’t feel safe, and so it was reaching out to her protector, trying to get her do something.

Beatrice sighed.

“Well, before I talk to Ava, can I get us some breakfast? She’s probably a bit hungry, some food could do her good.”

After that, the conversation about Adriel dissipated. It was clear that there wasn’t anything any of them could do except stay here. Yasmine, who had not been named as a suspect, was going to head into a nearby town to pick up groceries, and they worked on putting together a list. Beatrice casually suggested that she pick up the ingredients to make pizza, as it was one of the only things Camila could make, and because it could easily be saved as leftovers for the next couple of days, if they made enough.

Mentally, she was thinking about how Ava had always wanted to try Camila’s pizza when she made it. If they were going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, she wanted to at least make it not a horrible experience for Ava.

Once Beatrice had eaten her breakfast, which was just cereal with milk, she headed down the hallway to where Ava had retreated, holding a plate of toast. She figured that it was an alright breakfast to start off with.

Ava was still in their shared room with the door shut, and Beatrice couldn’t hear any noise coming from within. With a gentle hand, Beatrice knocked against the door.

There was silence for a moment, and Beatrice was about to knock again, a little louder, when Ava’s voice spoke from within.

“Who is it?”

“Beatrice.”

Silence. Beatrice swallowed, waiting anxiously for Ava’s response. What would she do if Ava turned her away?

But she didn’t have to fear.

“Come in.”

Beatrice pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ava wasn’t sitting on the bed, instead she was standing by the window, eyes staring out of it like there was something she hoped to see. Beatrice wasn’t sure what it was.

“I brought you breakfast. I thought you might be getting hungry.”

Ava laughed humourlessly. “Yeah, I’m starting to get why people hate being hungry so much.”

Beatrice set the plate down on the bedside table. She looked over at Ava, who hadn’t looked at her since she’d entered. The Halo was reaching out for her though, Beatrice could feel it. And so, she stayed.

“It’s not your fault,” Beatrice said calmly. She knew there was no point in asking Ava if she was okay, when she so clearly wasn’t, and she also knew exactly what the problem was.

Ava’s hands clenched into fists, but she didn’t look at Beatrice.

“I knew this would happen. I should have stopped you.”

Beatrice hazarded a step closer to Ava.

“I told you Ava, you deserve a life, and I was willing to do what it took. As were all of them.”

Ava shook her head. “It’s not worth it.”

“Why not?”

Ava looked at her, finally, and it tore at Beatrice’s heart to see that her eyes were red, and there were tear tracks on her cheeks.

“Why not?” Ava echoed. She scoffed. “I’m one person Bea, my life isn’t worth all four of you having yours ruined.”

“The OCS is going to—”

“No!” Ava shook her head. “The OCS isn’t going to do anything. I talked to Mother Superion, you know, asked her what they had on Adriel. She told me that they didn’t have anything solid yet. She told me that it was going to take time.” Ava swallowed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Beatrice didn’t move. She could tell that Ava wasn’t done yet, and that she needed to get everything out first.

“She promised me that you would all be safe, told me that I was the only one going into direct danger, and I believed her. And now, because I was stupid enough to believe that, you can’t go home. Classes will start again soon Beatrice, and I know how much your education means to all of you.”

“Classes can be retaken, Ava,” Beatrice reminded her. Ava squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands into her head.

“You don’t get it Bea,” she croaked out. Beatrice held out her hand.

“Then tell me, Ava. I’ll listen.”

Ava’s hands dropped, and when she opened her eyes, all Beatrice could see was how tired she was.

“I’ve been alone for so long. I was told that it was deserved, that I was just a burden, that anyone who ever got close to me would be dragged down by me. And I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe that I could be good. When I met all of you, I wanted to be a good friend. I didn’t want to make your lives difficult. But now, none of you can go home. You can’t talk to anyone outside, you’re literally on the run. And now I’m thinking that she was right. I’m just a fucking burden, and I was stupid for thinking that I could have this good thing without ruining it.”

Beatrice was frozen in place, completely unable to move any of her limbs. It felt like someone was freezing her heart slowly, the ice cracking as it did.

“I told you Bea, I’d never forgive myself if I let anything happen to you. And I still let this happen. I should have stopped you then, should have told you no, because it’s not worth it Bea, not if you’re the one getting hurt. It was only supposed to be me, so, yeah, it is my fault. It’s my fault because I could’ve stopped you, and it’s my fault because I wasn’t enough to protect you.”

Beatrice was moving before she’d ever consciously thought about it. All she needed to do was to be close to Ava, because the agony in her own heart was only being multiplied by the ache of guilt echoing from Ava.

Ava flinched back, so Beatrice moved slowly, but purposefully.

“I am not going to hurt you Ava,” she told her firmly, and then added on, quieter, “and you will not hurt me. You have not hurt me.”

Ava whimpered. Beatrice could tell that it was taking everything in her to hold herself back.

“I’m sorry,” Ava whispered. Beatrice shook her head.

“Don’t apologise. Just let me hold you, okay?”

That was all it took for Ava to crumple forwards into Beatrice’s waiting arms. She tucked Ava against her body, letting her head rest against her collarbone. Ava was shaking, and Beatrice could feel her tears against her shirt. Moving her hand, she placed it on her back where she knew the Halo was, and moved her thumb back and forth.

“Ava, I need you to listen to me, okay?”

Ava shivered. “Okay,” she mumbled.

Beatrice tightened her hold, just a little.

“Ava, I’m going to tell you what I told you when we first talked about this. You are worth it. To me, and to everyone out there, you’re worth it. Because everyone deserves a chance at life, especially you, because all I have ever known you to be is kind and so full of energy and wonder that it’s only cruelty that could hold you back from life. You could have told me to stop, but I promise you Ava, I am glad you didn’t, purely because it means I get to hold you, and I know that you can properly live now.”

Ava shook her head against Beatrice’s chest. “How can you say that?”

“Because you are not a burden to me. You are a good person, and you do not ruin things. You did not ruin us. We are all grown adults, and we made a choice. That is not on you to blame yourself for. You did everything you could to protect us, and now the only person to blame is Adriel. We will find a way to take him down, and we will find a way to take our lives back.”

Ava sighed. “You don’t know that.”

“I don’t. But I didn’t know if I could get you back to life, and we did that, didn’t we? Have faith Ava. Trust your friends. Trust me.”

Beatrice just held Ava and waited, knowing that even if Ava wasn’t convinced yet, Beatrice wouldn’t stop until she was.

“I just wish I could do something. You’ve done so much for me; I don’t think I’ll ever be able to return the favour.”

“You don’t owe me anything. That’s not how love works.” Beatrice swallowed, silencing her parents’ voices in her head. They’d always told her that love needed to be earned, but Beatrice knew that was a lie. Love was not a commodity to be bartered for, it was something freely given, something completely uncontrollable.

“You still love me?”

Beatrice pulled back, just enough so that Ava could see her face. Ava’s tone had been joking, but Beatrice knew her well enough to know that there was at least a small part of her that was unsure.

“I still love you. That will not change.”

Ava sighed, and Beatrice felt the Halo relaxing, as if it finally knew that it didn’t need help anymore. Beatrice pulled Ava back in, just holding her. Because now she could, and to her, that was worth everything.

+++

Beatrice and Ava entered the main area of the house a bit before midday. Everyone was still there, as if they’d been waiting to see how Ava was. Ava had needed a bit of a rest after her emotional flood, so her and Beatrice had spent most of the morning cuddling on the bed. Beatrice had never thought that she’d be one to cuddle, but when it was Ava, well, nothing seemed more fitting.

Everyone looked up as they entered. Ava sighed, tension returning to her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she started, but Mary waved a hand.

“Don’t apologise. I’m sure Beatrice has already told you that, but we don’t want to hear it. It’s this fuckbag Adriel’s fault, not yours.”

Lilith nodded. “I for one, think this is a good thing. I was supposed to have dinner with my parents this week, but now that I’m a fugitive, I don’t have to deal with that.”

Ava smiled. “Well, I’m glad that you can find the positives. But I also wanted to say I’m sorry for my outburst earlier. I know that was a lot.”

Camila shrugged. “I think it’s warranted.”

“Yeah, you’ve been through some shit, kid.”

Ava sighed again, and this time Beatrice could see and feel the relaxation in her.

“Alright, well, thank you.”

“No need to thank us,” Camila told her with a smile. “That’s just what friends do.”

“Except, I’m starting to think that some of us are a bit more than friends,” Mary said pointedly, looking between Ava and Beatrice. They both looked at each other, unable to hide their smiles.

“Well, we may have come to an agreement of sorts,” Beatrice started, but Ava just grabbed Beatrice’s hand and started swinging their arms.

“Beatrice and I are girlfriends now.”

Lilith groaned. “Oh, thank god.”

“Yeah, took you long enough.” Mary pointed at Beatrice. “I told you that she felt the same.”

Beatrice couldn’t even focus on her friends teasing. Her heart was too busy accelerating in her chest, because Ava had called them girlfriends. They hadn’t had that conversation yet, but Beatrice was realising that it didn’t matter. If Ava was ready to take that step in officialising their relationship, Beatrice was only too happy to follow.

Ava nodded at them all. “So, yeah, Beatrice and I are together. That’s very important. So, also important, is getting us off the wanted list, so that we can go back to normal life.”

Mary pushed herself off the couch. “Jillian is in a meeting with Mother Superion, discussing next steps. When she comes back, we can start planning.”

Ava bounced on her toes. “Awesome!” She looked around the room. “In the meantime, can we watch another movie? I think I saw Beauty and the Beast in there, and I fucking loved that movie as a kid.”

+++

Yasmine arrived home with the groceries. The group made themselves lunch as the movie played on the television. Ava was very excited to actually help making the food, even if it was just a simple sandwich.

Jillian entered the room shortly after they finished lunch. Ava was attempting a new couch sitting position, which involved her practically sitting in Beatrice’s lap. This, of course, meant that Beatrice had very much not been paying attention to the movie, but she didn’t really mind.

Upon hearing the new people entering the room, Mary paused the movie. Ava crawled off of Beatrice and stood up. Jillian gave Ava a quick smile.

“I’m glad we’re all feeling better now. Mother Superion has given us some updates on the situation and our plans.”

The group of the amassed around the dining table, with Jillian at the head. To no one’s surprise, Ava and Beatrice were sitting together, Ava still holding Beatrice’s hand.

“Right, well, as you know, Adriel has reported you all to the police. He has not officially announced what was stolen from him, but claims that it was a valuable artifact. He has not released any security camera footage, but if our reports are correct, no one’s face except for Ava’s should be visible. I may be associated with the church, but I am a respected figure, and when it comes down to it, I can testify that all of you were here with me, working on a project. I have video footage from my security cameras that marks you here at the time of the break in.”

While this should have been reassuring news, and it was, Beatrice still felt Ava’s nerves spiking. The reason why was revealed moments later.

“But not Beatrice. Because she was there.”

Jillian sighed. “No, not Beatrice. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a stable alibi for Beatrice, as she only arrived much later with you, and Ava, we cannot be certain about whether or not your identity is protected on the cameras. Hopefully, Adriel realises there is no wisdom in showing you, especially since you were likely using the Halo’s powers in any footage obtained.”

Ava’s hand tightened around Beatrice. “I’m not worried about me; I want to know what we can do to protect Beatrice.”

Jillian rubbed at her forehead. To try and relax Ava, Beatrice stroked her thumb across the back of Ava’s hand. Ava relaxed a little, but her face was still twisted into a frown.

“Beatrice going with you was not entirely planned for in advance, and as such, we don’t have a stable alibi for her. However, as long as no one referred to her by name in there, they don’t have any evidence to prove that she was there.”

“What about Mother Superion?” Camila asked. Everyone turned to look at her, and she reddened a little. “Well, Mother Superion could say that Beatrice was visiting the convent for research. Beatrice is studying Religion, so it’s not a jump. And Adriel can’t actually prove that the OCS were the ones who robbed him, right?”

Jillian shook her head. “The OCS is very good at discretion. To all outside observers, they are just simply a convent.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “There is evidence to suggest that Beatrice was at the convent, for example, her phone has been there for the past couple of days, and many of the sisters there would willingly vouch for her.”

Beatrice nodded. “I don’t like lying, but I also wouldn’t like to be arrested. If you believe that this would work, then I see no reason why we shouldn’t do it.”

Jillian folded her hands on the table. “In terms of Adriel though, it will be quite tricky to get rid of him. He’s become talented at covering his tracks, and while he has committed numerous crimes, as I said earlier, we don’t have any solid proof of them. So, as it currently stands, he will remain our enemy until he gets what he wants.”

Ava sat up straighter. Beatrice wasn’t sure why, but there was something in the action that made her nervous. Or maybe it was the intense look in Ava’s eyes.

“And what does he want?”

Jillian’s mouth opened, and then closed, her eyes firm on Ava. The two of them stared at each other and Beatrice had the distinct impression that there was a silent conversation occurring.

Mary frowned. “Alright, what does that look mean? What aren’t you saying?”

Without looking away from Jillian, Ava answered.

“Adriel wants the Halo. He wants the Halo, so, the only way he’s going to ever stop is if he gets it.”

Beatrice felt a shock running through her bones, her own anxiety pulling tightly through her body. The way Ava was speaking suggested that she’d already come to a conclusion about this, and Beatrice did not like that.

“He’s not getting it,” Beatrice said firmly. Ava turned her eyes to Beatrice, and Beatrice swallowed. Why did Ava look like that again, all aching to do something to prove herself?

“But if he had it, he’d back off.”

“Must I remind you that if he gets the Halo, you die?” Beatrice’s voice came out sharp in way that she didn’t think she’d ever used with Ava before. To her relief, Ava didn’t seem to take offense. Her gaze only hardened.

“But we have to consider it. Maybe there’s a way we can use it against him, maybe we can tell him that if he backs off, he can have me, and maybe we can find a way to protect me—”

“Or he takes the Halo from you, and you die, Ava.” Beatrice pressed her palms into the table, trying to focus on her breathing. Ava’s eyes had turned into something pleading.

“Bea—”

“No, Ava, we’re not considering this.”

Ava looked to the rest of the table, but they stayed silent. Beatrice worked on controlling her breathing. Hearing Ava suggest herself as such an easy sacrifice like that was too much.

Camila leant forwards. “I’m sure we can find another way. Giving him what he wants sounds like the exact wrong thing to do.”

Ava chewed her lip. For a nerve-wracking moment, Beatrice thought that Ava was going to argue. But instead, she gave Camila a smile and nodded.

“Okay, fine. No self-sacrificing, got it.” Her eyes went to Beatrice. “I promise, I’ll make sure to stay away from danger.”

Beatrice wanted to relax, but there was a small part of her, tight in her chest, that didn’t let her.

She wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Chapter Text

Ava was stuck.

She supposed that she had been stuck for a very long time, but this was a completely new type of problem, with brand new downsides. It was like someone upstairs, in the heavens or whatever, had decided that Ava could never have more good than bad in her life. No, instead everything always needed to be a little bit terrible, even when there was the opportunity for good.

For example, her mother decided to take her on holiday to England, which was very new and exciting. And then, car accident. Her mother was gone, and Ava was paralysed in a weird house.

The orphanage wasn’t anything like Ava had imagined. It wasn’t very big, to be honest, and it seemed that there were only about fifteen kids living in there at any given time. From the floor plans JC had sketched up when he was feeling bored, Ava knew that there were five bedrooms. So, three kids in each bedroom.

Ava tried to make friends, but it was hard when she was stuck in one place. Everyone else left to go to school, but Ava just stayed in her room, listening to the nuns ranting on about weird shit through the door.

After a shitty decade or so of that, Ava met Vincent. He was new, and according to the nuns, he was friends with a very powerful benefactor, someone who was helping them with something. No one told Ava much more than that.

Vincent was nice to her, and he was willing to listen when Ava wanted to talk. Which was nice, because most people got sick of her when she did that. Except for Diego. But he was basically her little brother at this point, after spending five years living in the same room as her, so that didn’t really count.

When Ava was nineteen, she was taken from her bed in the middle of the night to the basement of the house. That was where she was drugged, and that was where they put the Halo into her.

When Ava woke up, and realised that she could walk, and that none of the nuns were in the basement anymore, she thought that she’d finally had some good. But that had quickly been ruined when she realised that no one could see her. She was a fucking ghost.

She tried to make the best of that situation, to fuck with the nuns by playing with the lights and slamming doors, but they just brought in a priest. And then, bam, ghost coma for ten years.

Being a ghost, once she’d woken up and gotten into it, wasn’t all that bad, to be fair. She might not be able to talk to anyone, and she didn’t know how to stop herself from freaking out and blowing up lights, but she didn’t get hungry. The no sleeping kinda sucked, because it could get really boring, but Ava figured that it could be worse.

She could be a paralysed ghost.

So, things had been, well, not good or bad for a whole stack of years. It was just a weird neutral that Ava supposed she was going to have to get used to.

And then she met Beatrice.

Ava wanted to keep some dignity, and say that it had taken time for her to fall for Beatrice, that it was a gradual process, and all that. But that would be a lie. The truth was that the moment Beatrice had stepped into the house for the first time, taking a tour with the retail agent, Ava was gone.

There was just something about the way she considered everything, like every single part of the world was important. There was just something about her smile, the way it always seemed to creep up unintended, the way it lingered like sun through the clouds on a cold day.

Ava had found herself hoping that Beatrice and her friends ended up with the house. And then, a few weeks later she had her wish.

It was the first time in Ava’s life that she could really remember where she would refer to it as just being good. Beatrice and her friends seemed like really nice people, the type that Ava wished she’d had when she was growing up. They all seemed so close, and Ava delighted at the little glimpses of affection that she could find.

And then, well, once she’d actually befriended Beatrice, she could definitely identify this as the best time of her life. She had a best friend, one who listened to Ava, and talked to her, and wanted to show her new things, and tried her best to make Ava’s life good.

Falling in love with Beatrice was really easy. One moment Ava was all calm and normal about her feelings, and the next, she needed to see Beatrice every day, needed to talk to her always. She kept trying to touch her, hoping that maybe at some point, the universe would just let it happen. But no such luck.

Being in love with Beatrice and friends with her was almost enough for Ava. But then she got three other friends, and well, Ava was pretty much set for life. She’d never actually imagined much for herself, but if she’d ever given thought to it, she would have wanted a place to call her own, legs to move her through the world, and friends by her side. So, yeah, she thought the good was enough.

Beatrice thought she could be more, that she could be alive. Beatrice looked at Ava, content with the earth, and wanted to bring her the stars. Just because she cared about her, just because she thought that Ava deserved the chance to live.

And fuck, if that didn’t make Ava’s brain kick into gear and realise that yeah, this was definitely love.

Everything seemed to move into fast forward then. Ava had been terrified that she was fucking with the universe a little too much, that she should just be content, but the possibility of getting to hug Beatrice and all her friends, so she could really show how much she cared about them, well, she wanted it badly.

And then Mother Superion showed up at their door and everything got even weirder. Suddenly, she was watching the house get torn apart as they searched for weird blue metal. Ava remembered touching some of it before, when she’d tried exploring the vents, and it had kicked her straight into another ghost coma.

She’d honestly forgotten about it in the wake of everything, but she was glad that they were getting rid of that shit.

From there, she was able to leave the house for the first time ever. It was weird, being back in the sunlight, breathing in the fresh air, even if she couldn’t properly feel all of it due to being in another plane.

After meeting a bunch of nuns that definitely made Ava feel slightly on edge, and finding out a whole stack of information that she would have really liked to know earlier, Ava was overwhelmed. And the worst part was that now she was worrying about Beatrice being able to feel all of that, and also all of her feelings, because Ava had accidentally attached herself to her.

She shouldn’t have worried, she knew that Beatrice wasn’t the type of person to get mad at her for something like that, but still, she didn’t want to mess up the first thing that had ever tipped the scales towards good. So, she tried her best to make sure that Beatrice stayed safe. Ava was supposed to be the only one breaking into Adriel’s house, her friends were supposed to be safe.

Except Beatrice wanted to come with her. Because Beatrice apparently had no regard for her own safety. And now Ava was freaking out even more, because what if this went horribly wrong? What if she was captured or hurt, and then she could never tell Beatrice all she needed to say? What if something happened to Beatrice?

So, Ava had decided to take the plunge and just say it. She was in love with Beatrice, there was no reason to hide from it, not when everything was so dire right now.

Hearing that Beatrice loved her back was not expected. Ava still barely believed it, because it was Beatrice. It was wonderful, smart, kind, life-changing Beatrice, and she loved Ava. Suddenly, Ava had something that wasn’t just good, no, it was amazing.

And then, to make things even better, she was alive again. She could reach out and touch Beatrice, she could kiss her, she could sleep next to her, she could eat dinner with her, she could be normal with her. Ava thought she’d finally cemented her place in the world, a good place, somewhere she could be happy.

But of course, the universe wouldn’t let that happen. Of course, there had to be a cost. And of course, the cost of Ava’s life had to be the lives of her friends. She knew that Mother Superion had told her that the OCS was working towards putting Adriel down, but she also knew that they had no guarantee.

So, yes, Ava was stuck again. As far as she saw it, there were two options. Either she stayed here, in this safe house, letting her new family stay as trapped as she’d been for years, or she did something about this Adriel problem.

The issue was that Ava didn’t know what to do. She felt completely useless. Sure, she had a magic Halo in her back, but it didn’t make her smarter, or give her the ability to change the world. So, while everyone planned, going over their options, Ava just sat there, because she’d already told Mother Superion everything she knew, so there wasn’t exactly anything else she could add to the plan.

Beatrice kept looking at her. Usually, Ava loved it when Beatrice did that, because it reminded her that Beatrice cared, but Ava could see the worry in her eyes. Apparently, Ava’s offer to sacrifice herself was still on Beatrice’s mind.

Which was fair, because it was still on Ava’s. It made sense in a way. Adriel wanted the Halo, so surely they could manipulate him with it. Ava didn’t want to give it to him, didn’t want to die and make all of this for nothing. No, they’d come this far, she had to see it through, but first, she needed to protect the people who’d given this to her.

So, she started thinking, building up a plan. At the moment, she didn’t have anything, but she’d find something. She’d find a way to help. Whatever it took.

+++

Beatrice pulled Ava back into their room after the strategy meeting. Ava still hadn’t gotten used to the feeling of Beatrice’s hand around her wrist, or the feeling of Beatrice’s hands on her anywhere, really. It was definitely the best out of all the feelings Ava could now experience.

When Beatrice shut the door behind her, she turned to Ava, that cute little furrow in her brow showing up again. Ava knew that Beatrice was still thinking about it, so she decided to employ her new number one, 100% effective tactic to stop Beatrice from thinking.

She reached out, took hold of Beatrice’s face, and pulled her in for a kiss. Beatrice had been about to say something, but Ava swallowed it with her lips. It felt so nice to actually feel the tension leaving Beatrice’s body as she relaxed into the kiss. The fact that Ava could at least make Beatrice feel a fraction of what Bea gave to her made her so happy.

Because Beatrice made her feel safe and protected, and like life actually meant something. So, being able to make Beatrice relax seemed like the least she could do.

Beatrice pulled back from the kiss, a smile already on her lips.

“How long have you been wanting to do that?”

Ava tilted her head, pretending to give it thought. “Hmm, like an hour? I can’t help it Bea, you’re just too kissable.”

Beatrice laughed, reaching out to stroke her hand down Ava’s cheek. Ava leant into it, enjoying the way that her entire body seemed to light up just from a simple touch.

“Are you okay?” Beatrice asked, her brow furrowing just a little. Ava gave Beatrice her best smile.

“I mean, all things considered, I’m okay. Not going to blow up with stress anytime soon, and I don’t feel like storming out of the room, so we can call those wins.”

Beatrice didn’t look entirely convinced just yet.

“And your suggestion?”

Ava winced, not able to meet Beatrice’s eyes. Not when she was still considering it, still trying to figure out a way to save Beatrice like she’d saved her.

“It was just a spur of the moment thing.” Ava bit her lip and forced herself to look back at Beatrice as she spoke. “I don’t want to give up, okay? I want to fight this; I’m not just going to walk up to him and let him kill me.”

Beatrice’s shoulders relaxed, just the tiniest bit. “Well, good. Because if you tried that, I’d simply have to rescue you, just so that I could yell at you.” Her touch returned to Ava’s face, lower this time, her fingers cradling Ava’s jaw. “I love you, Ava. I don’t want to lose you.”

Ava swallowed, wishing that she could promise Beatrice that she never would. Instead, she just smiled.

“I love you too.” She pressed her own hand against Beatrice’s, just taking the moment to feel it. “So, are we just gonna hang out here until dinnertime?"

Beatrice gave Ava a shy smile, and Ava just knew that she had a plan. Something purely and sweetly Beatrice.

“Well, I thought we could rest together for a little bit. But after that, I thought we could make dinner with the others? I asked Yasmine to buy us the ingredients for pizza, Camila can show you how to make it the best.”

Ava didn’t think it was possible to accurately describe the feeling in her heart. It was too overflowing and warm to pin down to a few words. But all that she could think about was that Beatrice had done this for her. Even trapped in a safe house, Beatrice was thinking of Ava, doing what she could to make life worth living.

In that moment, Ava just nodded, unable to speak. She felt like she might cry, but she held the tears back. Beatrice smiled at her, and took her hand, leading her to the bed.

For a little bit, they just laid together. But after a while, Ava started getting antsy, so she revealed one of the things she’d found whilst having her mini breakdown.

“You found books?”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, there’s a little library, tucked away down the hallway. Most of it is non-fiction stuff, or religious stuff—which you should have a look at, it’d probably be great for your degree—but I did manage to get my hands on some fiction.” She held out a book to Beatrice. “This one is called This Is How You Lose The Time War. I read a little bit of it, and it seems really cool, but I thought you could read it to me? Your voice is really nice, I like listening to it.”

Beatrice had that surprised look on her face that she always did whenever Ava complimented her. It was like her whole life, no one had ever told her these things, and so she was only finding them out when Ava told her. Ava thought that was the most unfair thing in the whole world, because Beatrice was wonderful, and she deserved to know that everything about her was beautiful.

With a careful hand, Beatrice took the book from Ava. The two of them settled up against the headboard of the bed. Ava’s head dropped to Beatrice’s shoulder, and she closed her eyes, just listening as Beatrice read to her. At some point, Beatrice’s hand started playing with her hair, only lifting away when it was time to turn the page.

Ava nearly fell asleep again. The only thing that kept her there was her intense will to not lose a second with Beatrice to sleep.

They were summoned into the kitchen by Lilith yelling through the door.

“Get out here lovebirds, we’re making dinner!”

Ava groaned and lifted her head off of Beatrice’s shoulder. Beatrice just laughed and shut the book, marking the page with a bookmark she’d found in their bedside table.

“I think that’s our cue darling.”

Ava was always aware of the Halo. Even when it wasn’t doing anything, she could feel it humming in her back, providing her with an odd warmth. But when Beatrice did or said things like that, it was as if the Halo was trying to reach through her whole body, filling her with its light.

Beatrice had called her darling with that awfully attractive voice of hers and the words were sinking straight into Ava’s heart.

For a moment, Ava was filled with the need to crawl back into Beatrice’s arms. To merge their bodies together somehow, so she never had to leave the safety and the home that she’d found within her. The love inside her was so strong and burning, so completely overwhelming, that she could barely think, could barely breathe.

“Ava?”

Ava hummed, aware that upon hearing Beatrice calling her ‘darling’, she’d sort of just frozen. Beatrice had already risen from the bed, and was giving her a curious look.

“Yep, yes, I’m coming.” She gave Beatrice a smile, unsure of how obvious her adoration was in her eyes. “Please call me that again.”

Beatrice rose an eyebrow. “What?”

“What you just said?”

“Oh.” Beatrice smiled, looking at least a little bit proud of her ability to completely decimate Ava’s heart and nervous system with one word. “Well then, Ava, darling, would you please join me?”

Fighting the urge to phase straight through the bed and onto the floor, because the Halo was going crazy right now, Ava pulled herself off the bed. She all but threw herself into Beatrice, who just laughed at her.

“Come on.”

Ava followed Beatrice into the kitchen where the others had gathered. Jillian was absent, which was to be expected at this point, but the rest of them were waiting expectantly for Ava and Beatrice.

Camila put her hands on her hips, barely fighting off a smile in order to appear serious.

“Alright. It’s time to teach you all how to make the best possible pizza.”

In the end, it actually went really well. Or at least, Ava thought it did. She didn’t really have much experience with cooking, but it seemed fun. Mary threw a handful of shredded cheese at Lilith, Lilith tried to flick some sauce on Mary, but ended up hitting Camila. Ava got flour everywhere, including all over Beatrice, but Beatrice didn’t seem to mind.

After all their pizzas were cooked, Ava tried each one. She had to say, after seeing television always talking about pizza being the best thing ever, her expectations were high. After just one bite, not only were they were met, but they were exceeded beyond imagination.

“Holy shit,” Ava mumbled around her mouthful. “I’m never eating anything again.”

Mary grinned. “Unfortunately, now that you’re a mortal like the rest of us, you’re gonna have to eat healthy.”

Ava gestured at the pizza Beatrice had made. “Bea’s pizza has vegetables on it, I’m fine.”

“Ava, that’s not how that works.”

“Eh, semantics.” Ava took another bite. “All I know is that this is fucking delicious.”

They ate their dinner together, all talking and joking as they did. Yasmine, despite being a new addition to the group, fit in rather well. Her and Camila got along very well, and Ava could tell that Lilith was already starting to warm up to her.

Mary leant back against her chair.

“You know, once this is all over, I’m bringing Shannon back. It’s been too long since she properly hung out with us, and she needs to meet you, Ava.”

Ava was halfway to a smile, when she remembered that Mary hadn’t talked to Shannon in days.

“Do you think Shannon’s okay?”

Mary shrugged. “She’s probably very worried, and honestly, she’s probably trying to figure out what happened. I told Jillian to tell Mother Superion to get into contact with her though, so hopefully she doesn’t tear down the city trying to find us.”

Lilith laughed. “She would do that. Shannon always was persistent.”

Beatrice looked to Ava, her hand pressing against her arm. It was so strange how Beatrice always knew when Ava needed her to touch her. She wondered if that was part of the Halo connection, or if it was just a uniquely Beatrice thing.

“She’d love you,” Beatrice told her, and Ava did actually smile.

Mary nodded. “Oh yeah, she’d find you hilarious. She’d have too much fun teaching you pranks and shit.”

Lilith slapped her hand against the table, grinning. “God, Shannon was terrible with those. I’ll never forgive her for that one time with the shaving cream.”

Camila cackled at the top of her lungs. “You looked so stupid!”

“Hey, she only did that because you were being an ass,” Mary added. Lilith gave her a very indignant look.

“Oh yeah? And what about the time she switched all the times on your clocks to fuck with you? What did you do to deserve that?”

Mary bit back and soon her and Lilith had devolved into their usual banter. Yasmine was watching with fascination as Camila egged them both on, seeming to enjoy watching them hurling stupid insults at each other. Beatrice chipped in where necessary, smiling as she did.

Ava watched them all. They were all so happy. This was a family, something she’d never had before. Not since her mother died, and even then, with only one person, it’s hard to feel like a proper family.

But this, this was what Ava had always dreamt of. This was what she’d never realised she could have. And now she was part of it.

In that moment, a plan clicked into place in Ava’s head. She needed to get her family back to their lives, to protect them like they’d protected her. And now, she thought she might know how to do it.

+++

Ava slipped away from the others, saying that she had a question she needed to ask Jillian. Beatrice offered to come with, but Ava had convinced her to stay behind with a quick kiss to her cheek.

Knocking before she entered, Ava pushed the door open to Jillian’s study.

Jillian looked up from her desk, where she had a tablet and a laptop and a computer all open, all showing different things. Her hair was coming out of her ponytail, and she still didn’t look like she’d slept.

“Ava, hello. If you’re here with dinner, I’m afraid I’m not feeling very hungry right now. I’ll come grab some leftovers later.”

Ava let the door shut behind her, and crept further into the room. Her eyes caught on a picture on Jillian’s desk of her with a young blonde boy. She looked a lot younger in that photo, and Ava wondered if it was her son.

“Actually, I’m not here for that.”

Jillian frowned. “Is something wrong with the Halo?”

Ava shook her head. Taking a deep breath, Ava decided to voice her thoughts, rather than letting Jillian linger in confusion.

“I want to lure Adriel using the Halo. I want to pretend to give myself over to him, and then find a way to trick him into incriminating himself.”

Jillian blinked, and then turned fully away from her desk.

“Pardon?”

Ava swallowed.

“Adriel wants the Halo. What if we give it to him—gave me to him? Because, I was thinking about it, and if he wants the Halo, he can’t just take it from me, no, it’ll reject him if he does that. He needs me to give him my blessing like with Areala, and I can tell him that if he doesn’t already know. So, I have a bargaining chip, something that means I need to be alive. And from there—well, I don’t know. This is just what I came up with.” Ava tucked her hands under her arms, and waited for Jillian’s response.

Jillian tapped her finger against the desk. Ava swore that she could see the tiny gears spinning in her brain.

“If you did that, it would be incredibly dangerous. Even if he believes you, what if he tries to coerce you using divinium, or threatens someone else? What if he decides to take it anyway? Even if you phase, you’re still putting yourself at risk, Ava.”

Ava nodded. “I know. But I also looked at the facts. If you don’t get actual proof that Adriel did all this, he’s not going away. And we have something he wants, so why not give it to him? Why not use that as bait? It’s a good card, and I can tell that you know that. We don’t have a better plan right now.”

Jillian kept her eyes on Ava.

“Why not wait? If given time, surely Mother Superion and I could—”

“I’m not waiting any longer,” Ava said firmly. “This is my family, and I’m the reason they’re caught up in this. If we wait any longer, there’s no telling how much Adriel could mess with their lives.”

Jillian didn't move.

"So, this is you sacrificing yourself for them?"

Ava sighed. "I don't want to die. I really badly want to live, I really do, they did all this so I could live. But to me, they're everything, and even if we only did all this for me to have this small amount of time, that's worth it. So, no, I don't want it to be a sacrifice, I want to live past all this bullshit, but I'm also willing to do whatever it takes to protect them."

Finally, Jillian turned back to her desk and picked up her phone.

“I’m going to call Mother Superion, and I will discuss this alternate plan with her. She might still say no, but you’re right, it’s worth mentioning.” She paused. “Was this the group’s decision?”

Ava shook her head. Jillian nodded slowly.

“Right. Do you want them to know?”

Ava shook her head again.

“Alright.” Jillian sighed. “You should tell them. They care about you Ava.”

“I know.” Ava looked back to the door, thinking of her family. “That’s exactly why I can’t tell them.”

Chapter Text

Ava was acting strange.

Beatrice could tell that even without the help of the Halo pinging, as if it were an alarm trying to remind Beatrice of something. The issue was that she didn’t know what the Halo was specifically trying to tell her, and she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Ava.

Technically speaking, there was nothing obviously wrong with Ava. She was joking around with the others, delighting at cooking and eating, watching the movies they had stored up, and being her normal self. When Beatrice had asked the others if they had noticed anything, they told her that she was just stressing herself out over nothing.

But Beatrice knew Ava. She knew her very well. And so, she could see that something was wrong.

There was just something about her happiness, something that seemed rushed and desperate, like she was going to choke from how quickly she seemed to consume joyful moments. In her smiles there was an intensity that Beatrice didn’t understand, and sometimes a determination that didn’t seem to match.

Ava had also been working with Jillian a lot more. She told Beatrice that she thought Jillian was going to work herself to death in isolation, and that she felt bad for her, but it felt like there was more to it. Ava was apparently working on Halo related things, but she didn’t tell Beatrice much more than that. Which was odd, because Ava loved to tell Beatrice things.

When they were alone, Beatrice tried to figure it out, but she couldn’t find it. Ava just seemed happy to be in Beatrice’s presence always, no matter if they were reading together, or, well, doing less family-friendly activities.

Beatrice, for someone who had never seriously dated anyone or ever been intimate with another person, felt like she was doing alright when it came to making out with Ava. If the noises and gasped words coming from Ava were to be believed, she was doing an excellent job. Ava was very vocal about being pleased, and Beatrice wasn’t complaining.

But still, Beatrice felt like something was wrong. Before, when they’d kissed, Ava had been intense—of course, it was Ava—but this was different. It was frenzied, like Ava could feel seconds slipping through her fingers, and she was terrified that she’d never get them back.

And maybe it was something to do with Ava being afraid to revert back to her ghost state, or perhaps just the overwhelming threat of Adriel. Whatever it was though, Beatrice wanted to fix it. The issue was just getting Ava to talk about it.

Ava, as it turned out, was extremely good at avoiding conversations. This may have been in part because Beatrice couldn’t say no to Ava, but it was also because Ava seemed to be just as in tune with Beatrice as she was with her. Beatrice would pause, just about to lead the conversation in a new direction, and Ava would suddenly start talking about poetry, and how she wanted to give Yasmine a book list for when she went into town next.

Or, as Beatrice was currently dealing with now, she would shift into a slightly serious mode, and Ava would just kiss her.

Right now, they’d been in the safe house for nearly a full week. Ava had been acting really antsy during the morning, flitting around from person to person, bugging them all into playing a board game that Jillian had found for them. She’d been clingy too, which wasn’t surprising, but it was with everyone. Lilith had nearly smacked Ava for kissing her on the cheek after Ava had beaten her.

So, when they’d retired to the bedroom for some afternoon quiet time, Beatrice had been meaning to ask Ava if she was alright, if there was something making her feel anxious, or if Beatrice could do anything about it. Her mouth had opened halfway, and then suddenly Ava was kissing her, hands already on her hips.

And well, Beatrice may have wanted to talk, but she didn’t think anyone could really blame her for being distracted by Ava kissing her.

As it was, she currently had Ava in her lap as she sat on the edge of the bed. Ava really liked crawling into Beatrice’s lap, and wrapping her legs around her waist. She’d very much gotten a kick out of realising that Beatrice could fully lift her off the ground when she did that, and Beatrice had filed that information away for further use.

It took Beatrice a moment to remember that she’d wanted to talk to Ava. After that, it took another moment to realise that Ava was distracting her again.

“Ava,” Beatrice mumbled, but Ava didn’t seem to hear her. Either that or she thought that running her fingertips just underneath Beatrice’s shirt was a more important adventure. Beatrice was mostly used to Ava touching her bare skin now, but that didn’t stop her from feeling a thrill through her body every time.

Ava’s hands skated up her ribs, and Beatrice gasped.

“Ava, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something…” Beatrice trailed off as Ava’s lips found a specific point on her neck. If there was one thing that could be said about Ava, it was that she was a very quick learner when it came to Beatrice and what she liked.

“Hmm?” Ava sucked Beatrice’s skin into her mouth, her fingers tracing circles into Beatrice’s waist, and once again, all thoughts left her mind. She’d never understood why people always said that being in love made you lose your mind, but being with Ava redefined it every single moment that she knew her.

Right. Yes. Ava was distracting her on purpose.

“Ava,” Beatrice said, trying her best to be firm. Ava’s mouth lifted from her neck, and the hickey she’d almost definitely started working on, and Beatrice felt her sigh against her skin.

“Yeah Bea?” Ava wasn’t looking at her yet. That was a tell-tale sign of Ava being nervous. She loved looking at Beatrice’s eyes, had told Beatrice that she thought they were gorgeous. Beatrice had never heard anything of the sort before, but she didn’t think that Ava would lie to her about that.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.”

Ava sighed again, and lifted her head up. Being so close to Ava meant that Beatrice could examine her eyes easily. There was that soft look she always reserved for Beatrice, but underlying it, Beatrice swore she could see that ripple of anxiety that was tugging at her chest.

“The Halo’s been, well, calling out to me. Which is to say, I can tell that you’re worried about something.”

Ava shrugged, giving Beatrice an easy smile.

“Hey, I mean, there’s a lot to be nervous about, right? Under house arrest again, evil mastermind trying to kill me, you guys in danger? Sounds like perfect conditions for stress.”

Beatrice fixed Ava with a pointed look. “You know that you’re not as good at lying as you think you are?”

Ava shrugged. “I mean, I’m better than you. I once saw you try and convince Lilith that she must have already eaten the last of the ice cream and simply forgotten, with the ice cream bowls that you and I used literally sitting in the sink.”

Beatrice poked Ava in the side. “Don’t change the subject.”

Ava’s smile dropped. Beatrice hated taking Ava’s light away, but well, she was worried. She’d much rather Ava be okay and safe.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

Beatrice reached under her own shirt to find Ava’s hands where they had stilled on her ribs. She interlaced their fingers.

“Talk to me.”

Ava sighed. “I just…I guess it is about Adriel and all that shit. I just really want to beat him, you know? I want to go back to our house, and to get a start on living my life with all of you. We don’t deserve this shit; you don’t deserve this shit.”

Beatrice nodded. It made sense. She wondered if Ava was still feeling an underlying sense of guilt for what had happened.

“I understand. I know this is hard for you, having to hold back from living when you were so close to having your life back.”

Ava chewed at her cheek. “Yeah.” She gave Beatrice a little smile. “I guess you noticed that I’ve been a bit, well, restless.”

Beatrice smiled. “A bit. I didn’t want you to bottle it up. And I promise, Ava, if there’s anything you want to do, we can try our best to make it happen.”

Ava nodded, and then tilted her head, that mischievous look coming back into her eyes.

“Anything?”

“Well, within reason. Obviously, we can’t go for a day trip down to the nearby town yet, or visit the beach but—oh.”

As Beatrice was talking, Ava’s hands started moving across her skin, moving high enough to touch the underside of her breasts where they were covered by the bra. Beatrice stopped talking.

Ava grinned. “Right now, all I want to do is make out with you, and touch as much of you as possible. Can I?”

Beatrice found that words had deserted her, so she just nodded. Ava’s grin widened.

“Awesome.” She leant back in and kissed Beatrice. This time, there wasn’t any of that nervous desperation, this was just Ava kissing Beatrice because she wanted to be kissing Beatrice. And well, it was one of the best things Beatrice had ever felt.

Her hands moved away from Ava’s, so that she could properly pull Ava close to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Ava hummed as she shifted on Beatrice’s lap.

In these moments, every part of Beatrice was alight with want and need. And it seemed that Ava felt very much the same way. Her hands moved back down to touch the edge of Beatrice’s shirt.

“Bea?”

“Hmm?” Beatrice had dropped her mouth to Ava’s jaw, kissing along it. Ava let out a little whine before continuing with her question.

“Can I take this off?”

Once, Beatrice would have panicked at such a question. She would have blushed, and stuttered, and felt her brain literally having thought short circuits in seven different places. But right now, she felt none of this. All she felt was the overwhelming need to have Ava closer to her.

“Yes.”

Ava’s hands wasted no time, and Beatrice assisted her in the removal of her top. She wasn’t sure where it landed once it left Ava’s hands, but she didn’t care. There were more important things to do—like kissing Ava—and more important things to think about—like Ava’s hands now having almost unrestricted access to her skin.

Beatrice was realising now that she’d been far too cautious when it came to touching Ava. Her hands had not yet really ventured underneath Ava’s clothes, mostly because she’d constantly been panicking over whether or not Ava wanted them there. But now, feeling Ava’s hands moving across her skin like she couldn’t figure out where she wanted to be the most, Beatrice had no doubts.

“Ava?”

“Yes?”

“Can I?” Beatrice tugged at Ava’s own shirt, unable to finish the sentence. Ava moved so quickly that Beatrice was barely able to process what was happening, not until Ava was shirtless except for her bra.

And, oh.

Oh.

Beatrice remembered in this exact moment why she’d always forced herself to look away when she passed lingerie stores with her parents. Because seeing Ava like this, the soft skin of her stomach, the curve of her collarbone, the dip of her waist, just above her hips, was enough to completely blank out Beatrice’s mind.

Ava tilted her head in that curious way she often did.

“Bea? You good?”

Beatrice didn’t answer with words. She just pulled Ava in for a kiss, one that was so messy and intense, Beatrice nearly felt embarrassed. But how could she feel anything but euphoria, now that her fingers were tracing across Ava’s warm skin? She’d been so foolish, holding herself back like that, when the ability to touch Ava was a blessing.

Ava was definitely acting like it was one. She moaned and pushed Beatrice back, trying to crawl completely on top of her. Acting completely on instinct, Beatrice flipped them, using her years of martial arts training to do it effortlessly.

Ava’s back hit the mattress and she broke their kiss with a grin.

“You have no idea how hot that was.”

Beatrice hummed, barely able to hide her smile.

“I might have some idea.”

Just as she was leaning in to kiss Ava again, there was a knock at the door. Beatrice froze, inches above Ava’s lips.

“Not to interrupt your make out session, but Camila’s about to serve dinner, and Yasmine found that trashy movie that Ava requested we watch.”

Dammit Mary.

“Mamma Mia is not trashy!” Ava called out. Beatrice looked down at her, and Ava shrugged.

“Right. Well, in any case, could you please put your clothes back on and get out here?”

“How did you know we took our clothes off?” Ava asked, scrunching her face up. Beatrice had closed her eyes by this point, feeling her cheeks heating up.

“I didn’t. Thanks for that mental image and confirmation though Ava,” Mary said, barely hiding the laugh in her voice. Beatrice heard footsteps leading away from the door.

“Whoops.”

Beatrice groaned and dropped to the bed on the left side of Ava.

“Could have been worse,” Ava said after a few moments.

Beatrice turned to look at her.

“How?”

“She could have just straight up opened the door.”

Beatrice had to close her eyes again, wincing at the possibility Ava had put in her mind. Ava just laughed.

+++

Dinner was, well, really nice. All their dinners together had been nice, but there was just something about this. Lilith had employed Camila’s help with the cooking, and that had actually resulted in a very nice spaghetti Bolognese. Mary had managed to get a bottle of wine onto the shopping list, and so they’d had some of that. Ava had been very excited at first, having never drunk alcohol, but she didn’t really like the wine. Nevertheless, she still seemed to delight at having the chance to try it.

Watching the movie was quite fun. Mary, for all her teasing of Ava, definitely seemed to enjoy it. Yasmine, Camila, and Ava, as it turned out, had all seen this movie many times, and took to quoting dialogue, and starting sing-a-longs. Beatrice had a soft spot for the occasional ABBA song, so she let Ava drag her into it, even as Lilith and Mary gave her mocking grins.

Before they all retired to bed, Ava made a show of saying goodnight to everyone, to the point where she decided that she had to go tell Jillian goodnight. She told Beatrice to go and start getting ready for bed, and that she’d see her in just a minute. Mary grinned at Ava’s retreating form.

“I really like that kid. She’s good for us, I think.”

Beatrice smiled.

“I agree.”

When Ava came into bed, Beatrice was reading Little Women, one of the books Yasmine had found at a nearby second-hand store. Ava insisted that Beatrice read aloud to her for a little bit, having claimed that Beatrice was better than any audiobook. Beatrice, of course, complied.

Once they turned the light off, Beatrice found that she was quite tired, despite not having done much in the day. She turned on her side, reaching out for Ava in the dark, her hands meeting her back.

Without thinking about it, Beatrice slipped her hand under Ava’s shirt, moving her fingers up until she felt the ripple of scars. Ava took in a sharp breath.

“What are you doing?” She didn’t sound angry, just curious. Beatrice’s fingers followed the perfect circle of the Halo that she’d seen on the day Ava had shown it to her. She was hit with shock when slowly, a dull glow started to emit from under Ava’s shirt.

Ava laughed softly. “It likes you, Bea.”

Beatrice smiled to herself, still barely able to comprehend that something so unexplainable and wonderful like the Halo would attach itself to her. She vowed that she would never let anything happen to Ava; she could not bear to let the faith of the Halo down. And she could never bear it if anything happened to Ava.

Beatrice’s hand drifted away from the Halo, back out to the outside of Ava’s shirt. Ava, sensing that Beatrice was done, rolled over.

“Hey,” Ava said, smiling. In the dark, Beatrice couldn’t make out Ava’s eyes. She wondered what she would be able to see if she could.

“Hey.”

Ava shifted closer.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you.”

Beatrice frowned.

“Thanked me for what?”

Ava shrugged. “For everything, really. My life, for so long, was just pointless. Every day, I just moved through time, unable to do anything, feeling like I didn’t even exist, like there wasn’t any point to me being here. But then I met you, and you opened me up to life. You reminded me what it was like to have friends, to have family. You showed me what it was like to be in love, to be loved. No matter what, I will always be grateful for that. You did all that so I could live my life, and I want to live it, so badly. But even if I never had the chance, it would be enough to me that you tried.”

Beatrice couldn’t stop the tears that fell from her eyes to the pillow. Ava’s thumb came up under her eye, wiping them away. Beatrice reached out and held onto Ava’s hand, pressing the softest kiss to it.

“I love you. And I promise you, you will get the chance to live. I don’t break my promises Ava, I don’t intend to start now.”

Ava smiled. “I know, Bea.” If they hadn’t been so close, Beatrice would have missed what came next. But as it was, she became very aware of a tear falling from Ava’s eye. She frowned and mimicked Ava’s movements, wiping it away.

There was nothing more for her to say. Ava seemed to sense that, because she sighed, and lifted her head. Moments later, Beatrice felt a soft kiss being pressed into her forehead.

“I love you, Beatrice. In this life and the next.”

Beatrice wasn’t sure where those words came from, but they felt right. Like an echo of all that her heart had ever felt for Ava.

“In this life and the next,” she mumbled, sleep already reaching its arms out for her.

The last thing Beatrice felt before she fell asleep was Ava, holding her hands, lips resting on her forehead, their bodies close together.

+++

When Beatrice awoke, she was alone.

That was her first sign that something was wrong.

Her second was that it was far earlier than she usually awoke. There was no light coming around the curtains, and when she checked the clock by their bed, Beatrice saw that it was only a little past four in the morning.

The third, and most alarming sign that something was wrong, was the burning ache in her chest, like the Halo had attached a rope to her heart, and was now yanking tightly on it.

It wasn’t painful, but there was an urgency to it, and intent. Something that told her that it wasn’t just the Halo that needed her, it was Ava calling out to her.

Ava, who wasn’t there.

Beatrice was out of the door in about three seconds, marching down the corridor, wearing only her pyjamas. She didn’t even have socks on, due to the fact that she hated how they felt on her feet when she slept.

Her mind was spinning, unable to land on a train of thought that made any sense. Why was Ava gone? Why did Ava need her? Why did Ava need her so late in the night, why was Ava gone so late, where could she be?

All those thoughts were driven to a halt when she saw what waited for her in the living room.

Jillian Salvius, sitting alone at the dinner table, a lamp lit by her side. She didn’t look very surprised to see Beatrice, really, she didn’t look much of anything. Tired, perhaps.

“She thought you might be the first. Said that you’d just know, or that the Halo would probably let you know.”

Beatrice’s hands closed into fists. She didn’t know what was happening, but right now, she wasn’t feeling very friendly towards Jillian. No, she felt like slamming her head against a wall, and yelling at her until she told her where Ava was. But Beatrice managed to show restraint, keeping her body very still.

“Where is she?” She asked, the words coming out quietly, but with a sharp edge.

Jillian moved her hand to the side, a lifted up a piece of paper.

“She wrote this for you. She didn’t want to leave you completely in the dark.”

Beatrice moved quicker than she thought possible, snatching the note out of Jillian’s hands and spurring her eyes across the page.

Bea

I know you’re probably feeling a lot right now, and I know it’s probably a lot of bad feelings. And I’m sorry, I really am. But Bea, I had to do this.

What I have done is give myself over to Adriel. Not for real, I’m not suicidal or stupid. It’s a trick, and I’ve been planning this with Mother Superion and Jillian for the past few days. We both know that there’s no way we’re going to be able to get Adriel, not unless we can get a confession out of him. So, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to get him to tell me exactly what he did, and I’m going to make sure that we get it recorded.

I know what you’re thinking; what if he just kills me? The thing is, he’s not going to be able to touch me. I know how to phase properly now, Jillian’s been giving me a crash course, and if they try anything, I can avoid it. Not only that, I have a divinium resistant vest, so that should protect me from getting hurt that way. And he knows damn well that he can’t take the Halo, not unless I willingly give it to him, so I should be safe.

It’s not perfect, but that’s where you guys come in. I can get in and I can get information out of Adriel, but I’m going to need a rescue crew. Mother Superion wanted to just send in just her special crew, but I knew that you’d probably go crazy if you couldn’t do something to help me, and well, I’d feel much safer if I knew my personal protector was coming to get me. If the others want to come with, they have permission. I know they’re going to be upset as well.

As for why I did this, it’s for all of you. For my family. You saved my life, you did everything for me, now it’s my turn. I couldn’t tell you guys, because I knew you’d try to stop me, and I’m sorry, but you all matter too much for me, and I had to do this. If this goes horribly pear-shaped, well, just know that the past few months with you guys has been the best of my life. I wouldn’t change a thing, except for the parts where you got hurt. I love all of you. Trust me, and I’ll trust you.

All my love,

Ava Silva

Beatrice’s hands were shaking as she set the letter back down onto the table.

Ava was gone.

She’d given herself to Adriel, because she thought it would save them. She’d hidden all of it, because she knew they’d stop her.

The thing was, Beatrice didn’t even feel surprise. All of it made sense. It was Ava, who loved with all of her heart, the girl who’d told Beatrice that she would spend the rest of her life hiding away if Beatrice didn’t want to see her in the house. She’d do anything for them, because it was Ava, because she loved them, even more than she loved life, because to her, they were life.

Beatrice understood it. But it also tore her apart, because right now, the idea of a life without Ava didn’t seem like one that mattered much. She felt the pulse of anger in her heart, and pushed it away. Anger towards Ava wouldn’t help her right now. And that was what mattered.

“She wanted to make it very clear that she intends for this to work. She doesn’t want to die, Beatrice. She just loves all of you enough that to her, this risk is worth it.”

Beatrice sighed, her breath coming out shaky.

“She needs us to help?”

“She convinced Mother Superion to give permission for you all to come on the mission to retrieve her, if you wanted. She didn’t seem like it was something she wanted you to do, but I think she knows you all well enough to know that she couldn’t have stopped you.”

Beatrice nodded to herself.

“Well, she was right about that.” Her fist relaxed and clenched again. “Is she with him yet?”

Jillian shook her head. “She’ll be heading in to meet with him in about an hour. We’ve given her the necessary gear to keep her safe, and the equipment required to record his confession of guilt. We have authorities on our side, ready to act once the confession comes through. Once we have that, we need to get Ava out of there.”

Beatrice nodded again. “We should wake the others. They’ll want to know.” She knew that she sounded like a robot right now, but it was like all the feelings inside her chest had just stopped working. There was nothing inside her except the burning need to get to Ava. That was all that mattered. Her anger, and her hurt, and her fear could wait.

Jillian rose to her feet. “That would probably be best. I was going to come and wake you soon, but you beat me to it.”

Or, Beatrice thought, Ava beat you to it. Ava found a way to call out to her with their Halo bond. She wanted Beatrice to know what had happened.

“Very well. Let’s get started.” Beatrice turned, and made her way down the hallway to the rooms.

Inside her chest, the Halo ached as it hung onto her heart. Beatrice swallowed back tears that threatened her eyes.

There was no time to process this.

Ava came first.

Chapter Text

Ava wasn’t scared.

She knew that logically, this was an absolutely terrifying situation to be heading into, that she should definitely be incredibly scared, but honestly, she was pretty calm. All she had to do was think about her family, about the people she was doing this for, and she wasn’t scared anymore.

That, along with everything Mother Superion and Jillian had taught her and given her, had her feeling pretty good, all things considered. Even if it was five in the morning, and she’d been awake for two hours already, because holy fuck, Ava understood why everyone hated early mornings now.

However, despite her lack of fear, Ava still reached out to Beatrice.

It wasn’t something she’d ever tried before, mostly because Beatrice had always been within walking and touching distance, but now that she knew about their connection, and now that she’d become a little more in tune with the Halo, well, she wanted to try it.

So, she tried her best to reach down the line that connected them, and use the Halo to call to Beatrice. She’d kept it like that for the past hour, hoping that Beatrice could feel it. Obviously, Jillian would have woken her up if she couldn’t, but Ava liked the idea that she could somehow be connected to Bea right now.

Beatrice always made her feel safe. And right now, Ava needed a little bit of that, just so she could keep a hold on the Halo.

It should be simple enough to phase out of the way of any attacks. If they were divinium, well, that was what the vest was for. Hypothetically, it should repel divinium, but they’d had a very limited amount of time to properly test it. Ava was willing to take a leap of faith, just this once.

Taking a deep breath, Ava finally approached Adriel’s house. His house was this massive fucking mansion that was separated from the main towns. It looked like the type of place a supervillain from the 1800s would live, which she felt kinda fit the vibe Adriel gave off.

This made the experience of just simply walking up to the door and knocking, incredibly fucking weird.

She stood there, wearing a black jacket and trousers, with a cap pulled over her face, and the vest underneath her clothes. Her hands moved to fidget with the cap as she waited for some sort of response.

And then, through the speaker next to the door, came a familiar voice.

“Hello?”

“Vincent," she greeted evenly.

There was silence for a moment and then,

“Please turn to face the camera.”

With nothing to hide anymore, Ava took her hat off, and turned to the camera. She gave it a smile, figuring that she didn’t want to come off too hostile right now.

The door clicked, and Ava turned to face Vincent. He was dressed quite similarly to how he had been when she ran into him in the room with the crown, but Ava noted he still had a light bruise where Beatrice had kicked him.

She did her best not to smile about that.

“Ava.” He looked over her shoulder, probably trying to see if there were any tactical nuns about to converge upon him and kick his ass again.

Ava held her hands out non threateningly.

“It’s just me. I wanted to talk.”

He frowned at her.

“Do the OCS know you’re here?”

Ava shook her head.

“I got sick of them keeping me prisoner. I’ve had a fucking lifetime of that, thank you very much.”

Vincent adjusted his glasses. Ava was surprised that he hadn’t yanked her through the doorway yet.

“Why did you come here?”

Ava sighed. “Because I have nowhere else to go. And because I’m not stupid. Adriel wants the Halo, I have it. The way I see it, I have bargaining power, and if the OCS won’t do anything about that, then fine, I will.”

Vincent finally stepped to the side.

“Come in. It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

Ava stepped up and through the threshold. Vincent shut the door behind her, and Ava heard him click the lock shut. The soft noise sent a bolt of fear through her, especially as she remembered what had happened last time he’d locked her in a place, but she pushed through it.

“Why don’t you come with me? I’ll bring you to the sitting room, and then I’ll call Adriel. He’s with some clients right now.”

Ava grimaced, her eyes casting over the opulence of the mansion. There were so many religious paintings and artifacts stored in glass cases, framed portraits of Adriel, lush carpets made of animal fur, and a whole cabinet of wine glasses.

She found her way to one of the chairs, settling down in it. Vincent definitely seemed out of his element, not at all sure what to do with her. Ava tried not to smile about that. After what he’d done to her, betraying her to Adriel, she thought that he deserved a bit of upsetting.

“What does Adriel even do? I’ve heard he’s a religious fanatic, but that type of thing doesn’t earn money like this.”

Vincent shrugged. “He’s a philanthropist. He works with charities, in order to improve our world.”

Ava looked again over the room, and thought about the size of this house in her mind.

“Right.” Fuck that, this asshole didn’t care about improving anyone’s world except his own.

Vincent ushered a man in a suit over, and whispered something to him before leaving the room. The man in the suit glared at Ava, and Ava had the feeling that he might try and choke slam her to the ground if she moved. Good thing for both of them then that she had no plans of going anywhere yet.

The cap in Ava’s hand felt weird, so she tossed it onto one of the chairs. She looked up at the man in the suit.

“So, you’re one of the goons?”

The man did not answer. Ava noted a bruise on his cheekbone, and she pointed to it.

“Did one of the nuns do that? Sorry dude, they’re kinda rough.”

The man continued to glare. Ava shrugged and turned her attention back to the room. She supposed that she’d just have to take her wonderful conversation skills elsewhere.

Or, perhaps conserve them for later, when she had to talk Adriel into his own prison cell. That was going to be fun.

Vincent rounded the corner again, but this time he wasn’t alone. Behind him stood a man in a suit, with long hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a neatly trimmed beard. He looked like a man slightly past his prime, but still desperately clinging onto it. There was a dark glimmer in his eyes, and a harshness to his smile that sent shivers up Ava’s spine.

Adriel.

“So, this is Ava Silva, the infamous Halo Bearer.” He waggled a finger at her. “I thought you were dead.”

Ava shrugged. “So did I.”

He laughed and strode further into the room.

“Vincent says that you left the OCS. I can’t imagine a reason why you’d do that, not when they’ve been keeping you so well hidden from me. Not after you and your little friends went to such lengths to take that crown from me.”

Adriel dropped into the chair opposite Ava, lounging in it like it was a throne. Vincent stood behind him, and Ava’s immediate association was those creepy advisers that bad guys always had in movies.

“I never wanted to be with the OCS. I mean, trapped in a place with nuns? Yeah, that was half my childhood, it was shit.” Ava scrunched up her face, not hard pressed to look disgusted as she thought of her past.

Adriel nodded. “I see. So, Mother Superion wasn’t a welcoming host?”

Ava scoffed. “She wanted me to be their Halo Bearer. Wanted me to lead the Order, to do all this spiritual shit. I’m no one’s guiding light, I never wanted this.” It wasn’t hard to force the anger into her voice either. She’d been feeling that ever since she’d figured out what the nuns had been trying to do to her back at the orphanage.

Adriel smiled. “Well, I can imagine that it must be difficult, considering that you do in fact bear the Halo.” He tilted his head. “I have to ask; how did that happen? It should have killed you, just like it killed the others.”

Ava tried not to tense up at the casual mention of others being killed by the Halo. It wasn’t good enough of a confession though, she needed him to say that he was directly responsible for it.

“Well, you were looking at it wrong. Everyone thought that Areala wanted it to go to someone worthy of being the Halo Bearer. But what she meant was that it should go to someone worthy of a second life.”

Adriel’s lip curled. “And so it chose you. The orphaned girl who couldn’t walk.” He chuckled. “Well, well. I suppose I was right to not trial it on myself first.”

Ava bit back a comment about how he would’ve deserved it killing him. It should have been him, not the other kids at the orphanage who died. They’d been a thousand times more worthy of a second chance than him.

“I guess you were,” she said instead. Adriel leant forwards, his eyes glinting with that dark energy again.

“You know Ava, I’m beginning to wonder why you’re here. You don’t want the Halo, you want to be normal, but why give it to me?”

Ava swallowed, preparing herself to follow the script Mother Superion and her had set up together.

“Because the OCS want to just let me die. They would take it out, let me die, and force me to give it to the next sister they thought should have it. But I know that you’re powerful, you have access to science and technology that they don’t, even with their science lady.”

Adriel paused in his pacing, clearly listening. And so, Ava continued with her cover.

“You could find a way for me to live without it. If you did that, then I could make it my wish that the next bearer of the Halo is you. Just like Areala passed it onto someone she wanted to have a second chance, I could give it to you.”

Adriel’s eyes lit up, and Ava knew she had him.

“A very interesting prospect indeed.” He stroked his beard. “Mother Superion and her lot always were unappreciative of those who sought a different path. I’d be only to happy to help you, as long as you’re willing to help me.”

Ava nodded, smiling at him. “Good. Because if you want it that badly, you can have it. I just want to be normal.” She scoffed. “I can’t even imagine why you’d want this thing.” It was what Mother Superion had told her to say, because apparently Adriel couldn’t resist a monologue.

Adriel barked out a laugh. “My dear, do you even understand the level of power you carry in your back? The ability to heal faster, to move through walls, to control electricity, why, people would kill for that.”

“And you did,” Ava said calmly. Adriel chuckled again, spreading his hands.

“Only a little. I oversaw the experiments, yes, and I was the one who suggested that they trial it on the children, because Vincent suggested that they would be easy to manipulate. It’s a shame that so many died, but, well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” He gestured at her with a smile.

Ava smiled back, knowing that somewhere, on the other end of the transmitter currently residing on her back, Mother Superion was doing her version of a little victory fist pump.

“So, superpowers, is that it? You want to save the world?”

Adriel laughed again, this time rising to his feet. He started to lazily stride across the room, as if used to having all eyes on him.

“Saving the world, well, that’d be quite a task. No, Ava, I don’t intend to use my power like that. But could you imagine the power I could amass if I was to walk through a wall, heal from a wound, if I was to light up a city street with just a word? People are so keen to believe in the unbelievable, that’s why religion exists in the first place. With support like that, I wouldn’t need to save the world, no, I could tell everyone to do it for me. Who are they to resist a god?”

Ava wanted to put her head straight through a wall. How could anyone be so self-obsessed and deranged? Adriel was taking the term god-complex to the next level.

Adriel looked back to her.

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand. I’ve been on this earth for sixty years, and what I’ve learnt is that shows of great power inspire more than shows of great selflessness. People are more likely to follow a god that they know will be around to protect them in ten years, rather than one that would leave them alone in the world with no hope.”

Ava nodded, pretending that any part of this monologue was sensical.

“I take it that the church doesn’t like that.”

“The OCS hates it. Mother Superion hates it, she would rather people continue to believe in that which they cannot see. You see Ava, some people let fear rule them. And this blinds them to the true possibilities of this world.”

Ava saw her opportunity and leapt on it.

“What if someone figured out your past? What if they figured out what you were behind?”

Adriel, just like any powerful man who believes far too much in himself, didn’t even hesitate to walk into the trap.

“Those have tried. There was a woman, a few years back, who thought that I was a threat. And, well, I suppose she was right, in the end. I couldn’t have her ruining my rise to power before it could properly begin. You see, even without the Halo, I have power, Ava. Enough power to stop people like her, to silence them forever.”

His gaze turned steely, and Ava felt a thrill of fear up her spine.

“You understand then, that you must give it to me. I can’t do anything to you, and I have no intentions to, but your friends are a different matter.”

Ava clenched her jaw and tried her best not to explode every light in the room.

“I’m working with you; you don’t need to threaten them.”

Adriel shrugged. “It always pays to be sure. When I work with all these charities, sometimes they feel that I’ve cheated them, that I’m tricking them, and they try to trick me right back. So, I find ways to prove to them that they shouldn’t test me.”

“I’m not going to test you. I just want to know that you’re going to let us go. I want you to promise that you won’t hurt them.”

Adriel’s eyes lingered on her, and a slow smile ran across his face. Ava definitely didn’t like that expression.

“You care so much about your little friends, don’t you? It’s very sweet. We wouldn’t want anything happening to them, would we Ava? After all, if they tried to go against me, they could very well go the way of—what was her name? Oh, yes, Reya. That irritating reporter. I can see from the look in your eyes that you know that I had her killed. You don’t want your friends ending up like that.”

Ava stood from her chair, unable to hide her anger.

“I won’t let you kill them.”

He grinned at her, looking more and more like a feral predator with every moment.

“I won’t have to. Not if you tell me that I can have the Halo.”

It was then that Ava realised her mistake. She’d assumed that Adriel had some semblance of sanity, that he had some humanity left in him that would stop him from doing something rash and stupid. When they’d planned, they’d assumed that they would have some time to prolong Adriel, that he’d be willing to go along with Ava in exchange for the Halo.

But they’d been wrong. Adriel didn’t care about making deals, he wanted the Halo, no matter what it took. Now that he knew how to get it, he wouldn’t stop for a second. He was impatient, he wanted his power right now.

Ava took a step back.

“Don’t come any closer. I can’t give you the Halo if I’m dead.”

Adriel just kept smiling. Vincent hadn’t moved yet, and Ava wondered if spending so long with Adriel had completely numbed his mind and heart to any sort of empathy.

“You can’t leave this house Ava. You might have taken the divinium from that room, but I’ve been storing divinium in this house for years. I knew you’d come here; the whole house is closed off. You can’t run. Give me the Halo, and I promise that your friends will live.”

Ava clenched her fists, her heart racing in her chest.

“What about me? You gonna let me live?”

Adriel sighed, like she was a toddler that just didn’t understand the way the world worked.

“While your fantasy of getting healed is very lovely, I don’t think I can spare the resources to let one child live. But rest assured, your sacrifice will be looked upon kindly. I will always remember you, my little Halo Bearer.”

Ava had spent a lot of the past forty years aching to be alive. Even when she’d been alive the first time, she’d wished to stand, to walk, to run, to feel again. She burned for the simple pleasures of life that she’d never truly appreciated as a child. And then as a ghost, the yearning had resided within her chest for so long that it almost seemed to be another part of her. It was something unavoidable, something ordinary.

Once she’d had her life back, she’d been swept up in the simple joy of it. Everything she’d wanted for years was at her fingertips. She was alive.

When Adriel had become a problem, Ava hadn’t gone to stop him for her own sake. She did it for her friends, for her family, for the people who loved her. Because she knew how valuable life was, and she couldn’t bear to see them lose any part of it.

But now, in this moment, with Adriel promising to let her friends live, even if she died, Ava was filled with a red hot, almost painful need to be alive. There was too much left to do, too much life that had been stolen from her, too much love she needed to give.

The Halo pulsed in her chest, and Ava glared at Adriel.

“Not a fucking chance.”

And then she disappeared.

Adriel’s smile was torn away by a malignant snarl, his teeth baring and his fists balling. He grabbed a nearby glass and threw it at her. Obviously, it sailed straight through her head, shattering brutally against the white wall behind her. Ava didn’t even flinch.

His next move was slower. From his suit jacket, he pulled a glowing blue knife. Divinium. Ava wondered if he’d been planning to tear the Halo out using that very instrument.

The blade hissed through the air, and Ava closed her eyes. She hoped like fuck that the vest worked, that Jillian and Mother Superion had done this right, because if not, she was absolutely fucked.

There was a thud sound, and the blade dropped to the ground after hitting the vest. It was still glowing blue, but Ava was still standing. Still invisible.

Thank fuck.

Adriel almost growled at his failure. A vein jumped in his forehead, and his face was going slightly red.

“Vincent,” he barked, not looking away from where Ava was, “make sure this house is locked down. No one comes in or out. Tell my people that I want them on the lookout for Ava’s friends. Catch them at any costs, it’s our only way to get Ava to work with us. Do not let her escape.”

Vincent paused for a moment; his eyes still focused on where Ava was. Adriel snapped his head back.

“Vincent!”

Vincent blinked, and bowed his head, before scuttling off to do as was requested. Ava swallowed as Adriel moved closer.

“I’ll get your Halo. I’ll get what I deserve. I don’t care how many of your friends I have to tear apart to get it. I will be the next Halo Bearer.”

Ava wanted to phase back into existence, just to punch him in the face, but she resisted the urge. Instead, she strode away, already on the search for the place that Mother Superion had told her to go in the house.

Mother Superion was sitting on the other end of that transmitter. Ava didn’t think she’d be hard pressed when it came to using that as evidence to convict him of multiple crimes. Especially since he’d threatened to kill Ava and her friends.

She’d done her bit.

But now it was time to trust her team.

Chapter Text

Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever seen her friends so intense and awake at such an early hour of the morning. But then again, they’d never been in a situation like this before.

Ava had been gone for about an hour now, meaning that she would be going into meet Adriel any time now. Mother Superion was supposed to get into contact with them once they either had all the information they needed, or if things went horribly sideways.

No one had spoken since they’d been told where Ava was gone. Beatrice had dressed the quickest, and had been sitting on a chair, staring at the floor, thinking, for about fifteen minutes. Now everyone else was dressed and ready. Jillian had made tea and coffee, and they’d all taken a to go cup for the road.

The plan, as it currently stood, was to take the van to about two minutes’ walk away from the mansion. They would rendezvous with Dora and her team there, and wait for the signal.

Jillian had told all of them that no matter what Ava said, technically, they shouldn’t be coming on this mission, and that it would be much safer for them to stay at home. It had been Camila who’d argued with that particular point.

“Ava isn’t safe right now. And she’s our friend. She did this to protect us, so we’re doing this to protect her.”

The rest of them had given Jillian their own death glares from behind Camila’s head, and that had seemingly been enough to convince her not to argue. Even Yasmine was on board, despite the fact that she wasn’t meant to be going on missions like this. But as she’d told Beatrice, Ava was also her friend, and she couldn’t just stay behind. She was a Sister Warrior, and they didn’t run from danger.

Beatrice liked that. She felt like perhaps, in another life, she would’ve quite liked to be a Sister Warrior.

But in this life, she was going to save Ava.

Beatrice could still feel the Halo reaching out for her. It hadn’t faded yet, which Beatrice didn’t know how to take. On the one hand, it could mean that Ava was actively holding onto the bond, or it could mean that the Halo was continuing to freak out and reach out for safety.

Either way, Beatrice was coming.

They climbed into the van, Jillian and Yasmine taking the front two seats, and the rest of them crowding into the back. Camila sat next to Beatrice, and gently put a hand on her knee.

“It’s going to be okay Bea.”

Beatrice let out a tight sigh. “I just wish she would have told me. I wish I could have been a part of planning this.”

Mary shrugged. “You would have told her no.”

Beatrice wanted to argue that, but she knew very well that she would in fact have told Ava that it was out of the question. That it was a stupid plan, and that she’d get hurt.

“She was being stupid,” Mary continued, “but she was also being brave. It’s Ava, we know that she loves us, and we knew that she felt awful about us getting framed. But she’s also not being a self-sacrificial idiot. There was a plan, and she did it with people who know their shit. And she’s asked you to trust her, because she trusts us.”

Beatrice swallowed. Of course, she was upset that Ava hadn’t told her, but she did also understand why she didn’t. The real thing that she was upset about, causing the guilt that stabbed her right between her ribs, was the fact that she didn’t pick up on it.

“I knew something was up with Ava. I should have pushed, I should have done better, I should have—”

“Don’t do that,” Lilith said, waving a hand. “Beatrice, I know you think that you’re responsible for everything, but this is Ava we’re talking about. She doesn’t react well to being pushed. She was never going to tell you, because she wanted to protect you. She may be dumb for that, but that’s what she was thinking. It’s not your fault.”

Beatrice fiddled with her fingers, thinking of Ava lying next to her in bed that last night. Of the way she’d thanked Beatrice, the way she’d promised Beatrice that she’d love her in the next life. Beatrice should have known it was a goodbye.

Camila sighed and rapped her knuckles lightly on Beatrice’s skull. Before Beatrice could question what that was for, Camila started speaking.

“Stop thinking about what you could have done differently. Sure, maybe you could have figured Ava out, but we probably would have ended up here anyways, because it was Ava’s choice that got us here. You can be sad about not noticing and all that later, but right now, we need to go save your girlfriend from an evil billionaire. Get your head in the game Beatrice.”

Beatrice thought about it. Logically, they were all right. She knew that she tended to put needless weight on her shoulders, that she’d always held herself to ridiculously high standards, but she’d always thought that she could bear it. But now, sitting in the back of the van, she knew in her heart as well that they were right.

She could not change what had been, only what would be.

Beatrice nodded. “Alright. I’ll stop blaming myself. And while I will be giving Ava a lecture on not being reckless when we get her back…” she sighed, “I understand why she did it.”

Mary knocked their shoes together.

“Glad to hear it. We need our Beatrice to be firing on all cylinders if we’re gonna pull off a badass rescue mission like this.”

Beatrice let herself smile. “Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

+++

Sitting in the van, Beatrice felt ever muscle in her body tensing as Jillian picked up her phone. They’d been waiting at the meet point for about twenty minutes, and Dora’s team had been waiting in the other van for about half that time.

Beatrice knew the plan, had gone over it with Jillian, who had pointed out exactly where they needed to get in, and how they were going to do that. It calmed her to repeat the details in her mind, making sure that there were no errors in her mind.

Moments before the phone had started ringing, Beatrice had felt a spike of anxiety in her chest, one that burnt and howled. So, she knew that whatever was coming next, it wasn’t good.

Jillian picked her phone up, eyes on their little group. Everyone was already reaching for the masks that Jillian had provided, ones that would shield their identity from cameras. They didn’t want any actual proof of them breaking and entering surfacing.

The phone call was short, and Beatrice couldn’t gage anything of its tone from Jillian’s blank face. But Ava was somewhere on the other side of this connection between them, and she was yanking tightly on it. She needed Beatrice.

Jillian put the phone down.

“Ava got the information we need, Suzanne will be contacting the authorities that have been on Adriel’s trail, and hopefully, this will give them what they need.” Jillian let out a shaky breath. “But Ava’s in danger, and from the sound of it, so are all of you. If any of you want to back out, now—”

“Not a chance,” Mary cut her off, pulling the mask on. Beatrice had already secured hers, having started moving the moment that Jillian hung up. Jillian nodded again.

“In that case, good luck to all of you. Bring Ava back.”

Lilith yanked the back door open and hopped out. Yasmine crawled over her seat, mask secured, and she followed Camila and Mary out. Beatrice nodded at Jillian, and jumped out of the van.

Dora’s team was also assembling. They would be taking the lead, knocking out any security. Beatrice’s team was supposed to find Ava, who would be hiding at a specific location that Jillian and her had pre-selected from looking at Adriel’s floor plans.

Again, they technically didn’t need to be there, but it felt like a good idea to have the person who could actually sense the Halo, and her family on the mission. If anyone was going to save Ava, it would be them.

Beatrice followed Dora, and her friends followed her. The nuns in front of them were armed again with their long staffs, and Beatrice really wished that she had something more than just her martial arts skills. The others all knew self-defence, but if it came down to it, Beatrice didn’t know if they could win a big fight.

She pushed that thought away. The nuns were the ones fighting. They were the ones who needed to be armed, because Beatrice and her friends were just working on making sure that Ava made it out of the building.

Adriel’s security was clearly prepared for this, because when they came within sight of the house, a shot rang out, and all of them scrambled for cover. Beatrice ended up with Camila and Dora behind a wall, breathing heavily.

“Was that a bullet?” Camila breathed out. Dora sighed.

“He’s got shooters. We’ll have to make our way in. Our equipment is bullet proof.” She turned her head to Beatrice. “I know Jillian gave you guys bullet proof vests, but I need to recommend to you that you withdraw.”

Beatrice looked to where the rest of her friends had gathered, behind another wall. She couldn’t see any of their expressions.

Camila tapped Beatrice’s arm.

“What do you want to do Bea?”

It was an impossible choice. Logically, she knew they should go back, that the nuns would have it handled, but she also knew that she couldn’t leave Ava.

“Camila, you should go.” She turned on her earpiece. “Mary, Lilith, Yasmine, you should retreat with Camila.”

“Not if you’re staying,” came Mary’s firm reply.

Camila stared at her. Beatrice couldn’t see her expression, but she was pretty sure that she could figure it out.

“It’s dangerous,” Beatrice said.

“It’s still dangerous for you, even if we all go.” Camila folded her arms. “If you don’t leave, neither will we.”

“We’re not leaving you idiot,” Lilith added.

Beatrice clenched her jaw. “Are you sure?”

Camila scoffed. “As sure as I was when I decided that you were going to be one of my best friends for life. I’m staying.”

“What she said Beatrice. We bonded for life that day in detention. If Shannon was here, she’d stay as well. So, if that means we’re all going into danger together, then that’s what it means.”

Beatrice sighed, letting a smile form under her mask.

“Alright, fine, we’re staying.”

Dora nodded.

“Okay. We’re going to move now, and try and draw the attention of the shooters. You all need to move quick, go from cover to cover. Do not try to enter the house until we’re there with you, okay?”

Beatrice and Camila nodded. Dora and her nuns moved on a count, and more shots fired out. From what Beatrice could tell, there were at least three guards with guns.

“Go!” Dora commanded through the comms, and Beatrice moved with Camila.

The five of them ended up crouching behind a line of hedges. The nuns were on the other side of the house, and it seemed that the shooters had moved there. Camila turned to look at the gates blocking them from the driveway and the rest of the house.

“If we can get the gates open, we can get onto the driveway, but they’d have clear aim at us there.”

Beatrice sighed. “We’re going to have to wait for Dora and her team. They have guns, I think they’re going to try and take out the guards from the ground.” She couldn’t see properly, but Beatrice swore that the nuns had been firing back up at the roof where the shooters perched.

Lilith edged a glance around. “The team seems pretty held up. We don’t know how much time Ava has left; we need to go now.”

“There will be guards inside,” Beatrice warned. “Even if we get in, it’s not a straight shoot for Ava.”

Mary shrugged. “I’ve been taking boxing classes with Shannon for five years now. I’ve always wanted to punch a guy.”

Yasmine was practically shaking, but Beatrice couldn’t tell if it was from fear or adrenaline.

“Mother Superion makes sure that all OCS members are trained in combat, even if they’re not part of the mission squad. If we get into serious trouble, I can do my best.”

Lilith jabbed Beatrice’s shoulder.

“We’ve also got the aikido and martial arts master here. She’s been training since she was thirteen.”

Beatrice would have loved to say something in response to that, but she didn’t get the chance. Instead, Dora’s voice came through their comms channel.

“Alright, we’ve gathered all the shooters on one side. We should be able to take them out, but time is of the essence, and now that Adriel knows we’re here, we don’t know what he’s going to do with Ava. Is there any way you can get the gates open?”

Beatrice looked to her friends, and all of them looked to the gates. They weren’t anything special, just big wrought iron gates with an electronic lock controlled by a keypad. None of them knew the passcode, so unless someone had an explosive device with them, she didn’t think they could easily open the gate.

Camila though, straightened up.

“Actually, I have something.” She rummaged around in the bag she’d brought with her, and pulled out a small machine. “It was something I was messing around with, just as a side project, and I brought it with me, mostly because I thought it might come in handy. If it works correctly, it should be able to scan the keypad, and open the gates.”

Beatrice had never been so thankful for Camila’s slightly illegal genius.

“It’s a good idea as any,” Dora told them. “Go for it, we’ll keep the guards busy.”

Camila and Lilith were the ones to run over to the keypad. Lilith had decided to essentially be a human shield, it seemed, which stressed Beatrice out to no level. Although, she had to admit, if it was her and Ava, Beatrice would do the same thing in seconds.

The three of them remaining anxiously waited behind the hedge, hoping like hell that the device would work. Beatrice held onto her faith; she trusted her family, had always trusted them, and that had not stopped now.

There was a series of beeps and the gates creaked open, swinging back into the driveway.

“Go quickly, the guards noticed the gates opening!” Dora yelled. None of them needed to be told twice.

They sprinted their way up the driveway, making it under the cover of the roof before the first shot rang out. Beatrice saw the bullet striking the ground where they’d been seconds ago, and swallowed her fear.

“If you guys would like to come and help, that would be lovely,” Lilith hissed into the comms.

“On our way,” Dora responded. “If it’s safer in the house, go. Get Ava, we’ll get rid of the guards. Reinforcements are coming.”

Beatrice was glad to hear it. Right now, she felt painfully inadequate at this mission.

Another bullet hit the ground; this time closer to them. The shooter knew where they were, and it was probably only a matter of time before he managed to find a way to hit them. While it might be out of the frying pan and into the fire, they needed to get into the house.

It seemed that Yasmine had a similar idea, because she’d bent down to the ground. Where they were hiding was a patio out the front of the mansion, with a full set of chairs and a table. Yasmine grabbed onto a brick that lay near one of the tables.

Beatrice frowned as Yasmine hefted it up.

“Watch out,” she warned, before hurling the brick straight through the closest window.

The response was instantaneous. Alarms sounded off, echoing through the whole house. Glass shattered the patio, and Beatrice had a newfound respect and pride for Yasmine.

“Alright, go, go, go,” Mary yelled, moving first. The rest of the window was effectively cleared by her body coming through, and then they had no choice but to follow her into the den of the beast.

Inside, the alarm was even louder, and it was accompanied by every light in the mansion turning off. Glass crunched beneath their feet and they scanned the room quickly for any threats.

It seemed they’d landed in a study, one with ornate wooden shelves displaying trophies and photographs. There was a desk in the middle of the room with scattered papers and a laptop. Beatrice was incredibly tempted to sweep all the paper off the desk, but they had bigger problems right now.

Mary was the first to move, yanking the door open, and running through. They all followed her, and Beatrice held onto the feeling in her heart where Ava resided. The anxiety didn’t seem to have spiked, but it certainly hadn’t left yet.

Their group ran into what appeared to be a living room, and then slammed to a stop.

This room had someone in it. But he wasn’t a guard.

Standing before them was Vincent, looking far older and more tired than he had when they’d seen him only a couple of weeks ago.

Mary moved forwards, clearly about to knock Vincent over, but he moved quicker, a gun appearing in his hand. All of them froze, weighing the danger of the gun against their bullet proof vests.

Vincent gave them a tired smile.

“Please don’t. Adriel has commanded that no intruders make it past me. I might not look like much, but I promise you, I will pull this trigger if I have to. If it means keeping Ava here, and my master getting his Halo back, I will do what it takes.”

Beatrice’s fist tensed and Lilith made a harsh noise that almost sounded like a growl. His expression remained the same.

“You’re out of luck. Adriel has the best security team in all of Europe, and he’s too close to the Halo to give it up now. I would recommend that you walk away now. Ava is as good as gone.”

Beatrice looked at this man, and she remembered everything he had done to Ava. He had gained Ava’s trust, and suggested her to the nuns, knowing what the Halo could have done to her. He was the one who’d told Adriel that she was still around, he was the one who’d betrayed them.

“Where is she?” She asked, her voice sharp. Vincent’s expression shifted, a look of surprise on his face.

“I didn’t realise you nuns cared so much about Ava. Unless…” his eyes lit up with a dark light, “unless of course you aren’t nuns.” He sighed. “I didn’t think you would be so foolish as to come here.”

Lilith stepped forwards. “What did you do to her?”

Vincent shook his head. “Nothing yet, but Adriel is persistent. If she does not give him the Halo freely, he will find a way. No matter how hurt she must be, it is necessary. The Halo is his right.”

Beatrice knew it was probably a very stupid idea, considering that Vincent had a gun, but right now, she didn’t care. This man had just threatened to torture Ava. The rage that boiled inside her seeped through every inch of her until she could barely see, until she started moving without thinking.

Vincent dodged her first kick, but Beatrice recovered quickly. He looked at her with wide eyes, the kind of look that someone who’s never really been on the other end of power gives you, right as they realise the danger. His arm lifted, trying to aim the gun, but Beatrice slammed her hand into the joint of his elbow. The gun fell harmlessly to the ground.

Beatrice’s first hit caught him on the jaw, and her second hit on his temple. He staggered back, and she kicked him again, this time knocking him fully to the ground. She dropped down as well, grabbing the gun. Making sure that the safety was back on, so that it wouldn’t accidentally fire, she slammed the butt of the pistol into Vincent’s head, effectively knocking him unconscious.

When she looked up, her friends were staring at her. Beatrice just shrugged and rose to her feet.

“He’ll come to in a moment. We should probably get moving, we need to get Ava and get out of here.” Beatrice noted to herself that it was the second time in about a week that she’d knocked Vincent out. Really, for a man such as himself, he was quite weak.

Mary nodded, and stepped up to Vincent. She kicked his arm.

“Bastard,” she said, before they all headed off deeper into the building. Beatrice knew where Ava was supposed to be, which was hiding under a large cross shaped window on the first floor of the building, but she was also following the pull in her chest.

There were sounds of fighting coming from elsewhere in the house, likely where the nuns had run into guards, but Beatrice and her group managed to evade anymore people. The alarms were still blaring loudly, and Beatrice scowled as the sound scratched at her ears.

They turned a corner, one that should lead them exactly to where Ava should be.

That was where they found him.

A man with a long ponytail, dressed in a suit, holding a glowing blue sword, with an expression on his face that could only be described as unhinged. His eyes lifted as they entered, and a sick smile appeared on his face.

Adriel.

“Ah, I see you’re looking for Ava. Not here I’m afraid, but close.” He lifted the sword. “It’s glowing, it knows she’s here. I will find her, and I will get that Halo. But if you would like to try and stop me, be my guest.”

No one moved. Vincent may have had a gun, but he didn’t have this look that Adriel did. He wasn’t the man that had committed multiple murders just so he could have a grasp at power.

Adriel laughed. “Scared now, aren’t we? Walk away sisters. Maybe I’ll be nice and I won’t have to kill you.”

Camila was the one to speak up this time.

“We’re not leaving without Ava.”

He laughed again, the sound harsh and bitter.

“So foolish. Very well then. What’s a few more?”

Without any more warning than that, he lunged at them, swiping the sword through the air. They scattered, some of them dropping to the floor, some, like Beatrice, just jumping back.

When he looked back up, Beatrice knew that he’d completely lost it. This was not a man that could be reasoned with. This was a man corroded by power, maybe not even a man anymore. Perhaps it was more apt to simply call him a monster.

He pointed the sword at Beatrice, because she was closest to him. The sword cut an arc through the air, and Beatrice barely managed to move out of the way in time. She felt a stinging on her arm, and she knew she hadn’t quite been quick enough.

Somehow, she kept her footing. He turned again, the sword glowing bright blue. It looked even brighter than it had when she’d first stepped into the room.

Wait. No.

It was brighter. It was glowing bright blue now, blindingly so, blazing enough that Adriel stopped in his attack to stare at it.

Inside of Beatrice’s chest, she felt a burning heat of anger and protectiveness.

Behind Adriel, Ava appeared, holding a vase. She lifted it up, and with a definite movement, smashed it down onto his head.

To say that it was incredibly satisfying to watch pain, confusion, anger, and utter shock passing across Adriel’s face would be understating it. Especially since Beatrice also had a front seat to the look of determination and protective fury in Ava’s eyes.

Adriel crumpled to the ground, groaning. A bit of blood seeped down from his hairline, and the shattered vase, one which Beatrice was sure had been rather expensive, lay around and on top of him.

It was clear that Ava wasn’t done yet, because she dropped down next to him, her hand slamming onto his chest. Adriel opened his mouth, but Ava spoke first.

“You wanted to feel the power of the Halo? Here you go.”

If Beatrice had to describe what Ava did, it was like she had pulsed her energy straight into him. Her back lit up with the glow of the Halo, and Beatrice felt a surge rushing through the room, brightening every light for a glorious moment. Then Adriel’s head slumped back against the floor, and the lights above Ava’s head went out.

Ava struggled to her feet, and turned her head to face them. A tired smile split across her face.

“Hey.” She tried to move towards them, but her legs stumbled as she moved. Ava looked down with a frown, and then looked back up at them. “Just warning you, I think my limbs are about to give out.”

Beatrice caught Ava right before she crumpled to the ground. The others moved around her, helping Ava back onto her feet. Thankfully, Ava hadn’t completely passed out.

“Well, that’s fun. I think the Halo’s tired.” Her head slumped against Beatrice’s shoulder, and despite the situation, Beatrice smiled.

“Come on, we need to get out of here.”

Ava nodded, her eyes not quite focusing on anything.

“Yep, whatever you say.”

Getting out of the house was incredibly easy, all things considered. While Ava couldn’t walk, they were able to support her enough that it didn’t matter. Jillian had given them directions to a back exit, and so they made it out of there without interacting with any guards.

The van was waiting for them when they made it to the road. They all ended up crammed back where they’d started, except for the fact of Ava basically being in Beatrice’s lap now. She’d all but fallen asleep, which spoke to just how much effort she’d put into blasting Adriel like that.

As mad as Beatrice was that Ava had done this very reckless thing, she had to admit that she was also very proud of her. Ava had done things that she didn’t think either of them had expected when they first met by accident in the kitchen.

Jillian drove them away fast enough that Beatrice was certain they were breaking multiple traffic laws, but she didn’t mind. As long as they were far away from Adriel, that was all that mattered.

“So,” Mary spoke up, “did Ava’s plan work? Did she get the son-of-a-bitch?”

Jillian chuckled.

“Oh, she got him. Adriel, on audio recording, not only threatened to kill all of you, but actively admitted to murdering Reya, and that he was behind the human trials of the Halo on children who then died. We sent all that to our contact in the system. Right now, Adriel should be getting arrested on account of murder. They’ve been waiting for a very long time to have a solid reason to do that, and not only do we have a spoken confession, but we now have access to his underlings and files. Rest assured; Adriel will be spending the rest of his life in prison.”

Beatrice heard all of them let out a sigh of relief. He was done. Which meant that Ava was safe. They were all safe.

In Beatrice’s arms, Ava smiled, right before falling asleep.

Chapter Text

Jillian brought them back to the safe house. According to her, Mother Superion would be sorting out the majority of the issues with the authorities, but until then, they just had to wait.

Ava had fallen into such a deep sleep that she didn’t even rouse when Beatrice shook her shoulder. So, obviously, the only thing for it was to carry her out of the van. She was lighter than Beatrice had expected, and even in unconscious sleep, she managed to curl her head into Beatrice’s neck.

If Beatrice caught her friends giving her smiles and looks out the corner of her eye, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was carrying Ava into the house and getting her into bed.

Funnily enough, it was still morning. All of this had happened so early in the day, and in such a short amount of time that it hadn’t even passed to midday. How strange was it to think that just mere hours ago, Beatrice was waking up alone with fear in her heart?

Now, all she felt was peace, Ava was safe. Adriel and Vincent would be going to prison. She wasn’t sure how the nuns were going to get out of being arrested for breaking and entering, but she was starting to suspect that there was a lot more to the OCS and their connections than she had been told.

Beatrice decided that she didn’t need to know.

Instead, she gathered with the others in the kitchen as they made food. Camila had decided upon eggs, scrambled or fried, depending on the person, and they didn’t really want to leave each other alone yet.

Except, all Beatrice could think about was Ava, asleep in their room. It must have shown on her face, the way that she was anywhere but present, because Mary nudged her shoulder.

“Go on, go be with your girl. We’ll bring some food in for both of you in a minute.”

Beatrice didn’t even hesitate. Once, she would’ve, but she supposed that a lot was different now. Most importantly, she was different. Stronger. Maybe a little bit more vulnerable, though she didn’t consider that a weakness like she used to.

Ava was still asleep when Beatrice slipped into their room. Allowing herself to recognise that she was also incredibly exhausted after all the adrenaline and stress of the morning, Beatrice settled in next to her. Before she did, she changed out of the clothes she’d worn for the mission already, and settled into a nice sweater and pair of trousers. It wasn’t exactly pyjamas, but Beatrice found that she didn’t mind. She just wanted to rest next to Ava.

It was hard to tell when exactly she fell asleep, because all Beatrice knew was that she’d curled into Ava’s body, her back and the glowing Halo pressed to her front, and she’d felt at peace. When she awoke, she was still holding Ava, but Ava had rolled over, and was now watching her with soft eyes.

Beatrice found herself gaining consciousness quicker as she registered that Ava was awake.

“Hey Bea. Camila said to let you know there’s eggs waiting for us in the kitchen, and that we just need to heat them up when we’re ready. They’ve all gone back to sleep as well.”

Beatrice checked the clock by the side of the bed. 2:34pm.

“How long have you been awake?” Beatrice asked. Ava shrugged.

“Not long, I think maybe five minutes? I just like watching you sleep.” Ava paused. “In like, a totally not creepy serial killer way. More just that you’re really pretty and I like seeing you so peaceful.”

Beatrice couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, as long as you promise that it wasn’t in a creepy serial killer way, then I guess it’s alright.”

Ava grinned. “Good to hear.” She yawned. “Fuck, it feels like I’ve spent half the time being alive just being tired and falling asleep. This Halo sure is high maintenance.”

Beatrice’s smile faded as she remembered why Ava had been so tired to begin with. She remembered the way she’d pulsed the Halo through Adriel, knocking him out. She remembered the things Adriel had said, the things Vincent had said, the letter that Ava had left behind.

Noting the change in Beatrice’s mood, Ava pushed herself up onto her elbow.

“Bea? What’s up?”

Beatrice sighed. “We need to talk.”

Ava chewed on her lip, looking away from Beatrice. What was she thinking? Did she feel bad for it? Would she do it again? Did she really think it had been the right move, even with how dangerous it had been? Did Ava’s own life matter to her?

“Okay,” Ava breathed out.

Beatrice swallowed. “I know you were never going to tell me, because I would have stopped you, and you’re right about that. But I still reserve the right to tell you that it was reckless decision, one that could have ended with your death, and I’m not happy with you Ava.”

Ava sighed and sat up fully. Beatrice followed her, matching her position on the bed. She’d read somewhere once that it was better to communicate with someone when you mirrored their position. That way it was clear that you were listening.

“You scared me. You need to understand Ava, when you put yourself in danger, that hurts me, because I love you, and if anything happened to you, it would kill me. I know that you felt like you needed to pay us back, like you owed us something, but Ava, you never have.”

Ava was already shaking her head. Her hands reached out and slowly interlaced with Beatrice’s. Beatrice let out a slow breath at the feeling of Ava’s hands on her own. No matter how many times she felt it, Ava’s touch would never stop feeling heavenly.

“Beatrice. I didn’t do it because I felt like I owed you guys. I mean, yes, you are the ones who brought me back to life, and yes, I will forever be thankful for that, but I didn’t do it to pay back a debt.”

Ava’s eyes searched Beatrice’s face, as if trying to make sure that she was paying attention. Beatrice nodded slightly, and Ava sighed.

“Bea, I did it because I love all of you. Because I love being a part of your family. And because I love you all so much, I wanted to protect you. I didn’t want to wait to live my life with all of you. I’ve done too much of that. I knew I could do something about the situation, so I did it. And I would do it again, because we’re all here, and we’re all safe, and we’re going to be okay.”

Beatrice couldn’t stay upset. Already in her heart she found the worry and the hurt ebbing away, replaced by a soft love. It made sense. She’d known that Ava did it for love, but she’d believed that there had been a part of Ava that had done it out of guilt. From the way that Ava was looking at her now, Beatrice knew that wasn’t true.

“Do you believe me? I promise Bea, I wasn’t doing this as some massive self-sacrifice play. If I had died, I would’ve been fucking pissed. And I knew you guys would save me, I knew I wasn’t alone in there.”

Beatrice smiled and squeezed Ava’s hand.

“Of course, I believe you darling. I was just worried. I didn’t want you feeling that way.”

Ava nodded. “I know. That’s what you told me, back when I had my freakout. And okay, I did at first feel responsible, but you’re the one who showed me otherwise. And then spending time with all of you, I knew that I was a part of this family. I know you don’t feel like I ruined your lives, and so I just, I don’t know, allowed myself to believe in the love you all had for me.”

Beatrice didn’t realise she was crying until Ava wiped away a tear. With nothing else to do or say, she found herself melting into Ava’s arms, wrapping her body up in a tight hug. Ava shuffled closer to her, just so that she could touch more of Beatrice, so that she was basically in Beatrice’s lap.

It was nice, having someone doing something a little bit extra, just because they wanted to be near you. The feeling of being loved like that, wanted like that, it was something that still shocked Beatrice. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be used to it.

The moment was broken by a grumbling noise echoing out from Ava’s stomach. Ava laughed into Beatrice’s shoulder, her thumb stroking across Beatrice’s spine.

“I think we should probably go check out those eggs.”

Beatrice pulled back, smiling.

“Come on. If we heat them up properly, they should be perfectly fine to eat.”

“And then we can come back here and cuddle some more?”

“And then we can come back here and cuddle some more.”

+++

The news that Adriel, Vincent, and all of their underlings had been arrested came the next morning. Mother Superion herself arrived to deliver the information, looking incredibly haggard. Beatrice had the feeling that the older woman hadn’t slept in the past 48 hours.

All of them gathered around the kitchen table. Yasmine made tea for all of them, including Mother Superion, who took the mug with a thankful smile.

“So, we got him?” Mary asked. Mother Superion nodded.

“Ava did very well. He admitted to everything that law enforcement had been trying to pin him down for. They also managed to expose his influence in the police force. Which means that the report of all of you breaking into his house has been called off. There’s no actual evidence to put you there, and I had enough evidence to suggest that you had been with me.” Mother Superion looked rather proud of herself.

“Can we go home?” Ava asked, her arm around the back of Beatrice’s chair. She’d taken a few sips of her tea, but Beatrice suspected that she didn’t like it all that much. That was alright, Beatrice would just have to find something she preferred.

Mother Superion nodded. “Yes, you are all free to return. Adriel and his allies should not bother you, not with everything they will be dealing with. However, Ava, we do request that you visit the convent, just so we can make sure that you have proper control over the Halo. You seem to know the basics, but we just want to make sure.”

Ava shrugged. “Hey, you guys basically just got me and my friends out of criminal charges, I’m willing to visit every now and then.”

Lilith took the moment to lean forwards. “I do have to ask, what is the state of our house? Because you might remember that we left it, well, in a bit of disrepair.”

Mother Superion waved a hand. “I can have that paid to be fixed up. It’s the least we can do after you helped us out.”

And well, that was mostly that. There was nothing more they could do, or needed to do. The best part of this was when Mother Superion gave them their phones back. When they opened their phones up, they all found that they had multiple missed calls from several people.

Neither Lilith nor Beatrice’s parents had reached out. They both found that really, they didn’t mind too much about that. All the family they needed was already with them.

Mary called Shannon within moments of getting her phone back. Shannon picked up almost instantly, and Mary put her on speaker.

“Oh my god Mary, where have you been? You and the others were on the news, apparently, you’re suspects in a breaking and entering case? And then this woman called me, and told me you were all safe, but that you needed to stay out of contact for a bit. And now they’re saying that you were framed? Seriously, next time you all want to get involved in some weird shit, you’re taking me with you, okay?”

Mary was silent for a moment. “That it?”

“Yes.”

“Cool. How quickly can you get to London? I think this is a conversation we need to have in person. Oh, and by the way, we're fine. All of us.”

“Hi Shannon,” Camila piped up.

“Hello Shannon,” Yasmine said.

“Is that Yasmine? Everyone’s been wondering where you went, you just went to London to talk to Beatrice, and then it’s been radio silence ever since.”

Yasmine laughed nervously. “Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning my degree. I just had another piece of business to attend to. Again, I think you should come here.”

“Yeah, a whole stack of shit happened,” Ava added in.

Silence.

“Who is that?”

“Oh I’m Ava.”

“…the ghost?”

“Not a ghost anymore! Also, Beatrice’s girlfriend.”

Beatrice smiled to herself, mostly at the look of pride on Ava’s face.

“That would be correct.”

Silence.

“Alright, yeah, okay, I’m getting the next flight to London, you all have some explaining to do.”

+++

Three days later, Beatrice and her friends returned to their house. It had taken a little bit of time to get all the walls fixed, but Mother Superion’s people were very efficient.

Accompanying them was Yasmine, because according to her, she could take a little bit longer of a break from her PhD. Beatrice suspected that really, she just didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t think any of them minded. After all they’d been through, Yasmine was one of them too.

Stepping into their house again was a weird feeling. It was much the same as they had left it, but it felt different somehow. Brighter. Or maybe that was just because Ava was no longer trapped there.

Ava didn’t want to go into the house at first. To start with, she laid down on the grass outside the house, just enjoying the way it felt. Beatrice knew that Ava was nervous, that there was probably a part of her terrified that if she stepped into the house, she’d lose her life again. And so, she just waited, knowing that when Ava was ready, she’d come.

While they waited, Mary and Camila went out to buy groceries, considering that they had no food in the house. Yasmine and Lilith ended up on the couch, silently watching a documentary together. Beatrice went into Ava’s room, and made it ready for her.

Obviously, Ava had already been living in there, but she hadn’t been sleeping there, so Beatrice properly made the bed. They hadn’t bought any pyjamas for Ava yet, because she hadn’t slept last time they were here, so Beatrice brought a pair of her own down. She thought Ava might find some comfort in that, at least until they bought her some new ones.

It hit her then, all the things that Ava would be able to do. She’d be able to come shopping with them, she could pick out the clothes that she wanted. She could eat Beatrice’s baking, could eat all the unhealthy takeout they ordered when they were up late studying. Would Ava want to sign up for university? Could she even do that? Beatrice would have to check with Mother Superion to make sure that Ava had actual identity certificates.

Shaking herself out of that, Beatrice went outside to check on Ava. She’d pulled herself into a sitting position, still out on the lawn, but now she was just watching the rest of the street. Beatrice pulled herself down next to Ava.

“You alright?”

Ava hummed. “Just feels weird, being back here, but being alive. I never thought this would happen to me.” She sighed. “I feel like if I walk back in there, it’ll all be a dream. I don’t think I’ll ever stop dreaming of being dead.”

Beatrice reached out and took Ava’s hand, interlacing their fingers.

“What if I hold onto you? You know, so I can remind you that you’re real, and that you’re here?”

Ava gave Beatrice a sharp smile, her shoulders tensing. “I don’t need you to hold my hand Bea, I’m not actually a toddler.” There was something hostile in her now, and Beatrice wondered where it came from. There was so much pain and heartache in Ava’s past, and Beatrice just wished that she could slowly unravel it, and stop it from ever hurting Ava again.

Beatrice decided to ignore Ava’s attempt to deflect. “And I don’t consider you to be one. I just know that touch centres you, and that you find comfort in it. I always want you to feel safe and comfortable, so I’m trying to help.”

Ava softened at that.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” She shifted her shoulders and squeezed Beatrice’s hand. “Being back here just reminds me of the nuns, the evil ones. They were such shitheads, always telling me that I’d never be able to get through life by myself, that I’d always be a burden.”

“And we’re gone over this, Ava. You are not a burden to me; you are my love. I don’t want you to go through life by yourself because I am in love with you.”

Ava smiled at her. “I’m in love with you too.” She looked back out to the street, seeming to make a decision. Beatrice was pulled to her feet by Ava, who was now bouncing on her toes.

“Okay, house time.”

Beatrice led the way into the house. Ava took a deep breath as they moved through the doorway, but Beatrice chose not to react to it. As they moved further into the house, she slowed her pace, knowing that Ava was behind her, looking at everything with new eyes.

When she looked back at her, she was smiling.

“You know, it feels different here. Less like a prison, more like a home.” Ava shrugged. “But that might just be you. You seem to make anywhere feel like home to me.”

Beatrice did her best not to completely melt into a puddle when she heard that. Instead, she tugged Ava through to her room.

Ava faltered as she stepped inside, her eyes taking everything in, a smile crossing her face as she saw the made bed and the pyjamas.

“You know, this was my room. Back when I was alive the first time.” Beatrice watched Ava, letting her say what she needed to. “The other kids in the room always changed, until Diego, and then he stayed, even when the other one changed.”

Ava came to sit on the bed, and Beatrice sat with her. Picking up the pyjamas with a smile, Ava pressed her face against them.

“Hmm, they still smell a little bit like you. But not enough. You might need to wear them a couple of times.”

“What will you sleep in then?”

Ava shrugged. “I can sleep naked.”

Beatrice couldn’t help the bright red flush that overcame her cheeks, as images flashed through her head. She knew that it was definitely Ava’s intent, judging by that teasing smile on her face, but it was still weird to be thinking of Ava naked when she saw sitting right by her.

Ava nudged her shoulder, not leaning away once she’d made contact.

“Or, you know, I could just come up and sleep in your bed.”

Beatrice rose an eyebrow at that. She’d been sleeping in the same bed as Ava when at Jillian’s place, but that had just been how things turned out. Somehow, she’d thought that perhaps Ava might like some space, that she might want distance from Beatrice, now that everything had returned to normal.

Ava seemed to clock Beatrice’s nervous thoughts, because she rushed on, saying,

“I mean, I don’t have to, I can definitely stay down here. It’s just, well, I liked sleeping with you—in the same bed with you, I mean. But if you want to have some space, I’m totally cool with that.” Ava grinned at her, and it was that expression, the soft and happy expression, the earnestness in her words, that made Beatrice shove straight past any walls she’d tried to hide behind in her mind.

“No, actually, I think it would be nice to have you come and sleep in my bed. I found that I had quite restful nights when you were with me.”

Ava nodded. “Mm, totally. That’s the only reason you want me in your bed. Because I’m a great teddy bear.”

“You do give rather good cuddles.”

“Thank you, I’m very proud of them.” Ava’s face split into a wider grin. “You’re serious though? I can come and sleep with you?”

“Of course, you can Ava.”

Ava responded to that by essentially barrelling her whole body into Beatrice, knocking her back onto the bed. Beatrice wasn’t even really fazed, she’d become used to Ava’s sudden movements of affection, and so all she did was pull Ava down into a kiss once she’d settled on the bed.

Kissing Ava was another thing that Beatrice didn’t think she’d ever get used to. Every single time she did it, she felt light vibrating through her body, felt like she had her own personal Halo in her heart.

“This is really fucking nice,” Ava mumbled out in between kisses. Beatrice laughed.

“I agree.”

“No, but I mean,” Ava pushed herself up on her elbows, “kissing you here, in our house, in the room where I was trapped for twelve years. It feels like a massive middle finger to the nuns who said no one would ever love me.”

Beatrice reached up to brush a strand of Ava’s hair behind her ear.

“Well, I happen to believe that you’re extremely loveable.”

Ava wiggled her eyebrows.

“The nuns also said that I wasn’t sexy at all.”

“They did not.”

“No, they did not.” Ava grinned. “But can you still tell me that I’m sexy?”

Beatrice laughed. She pushed herself up, and easily moved Ava so that she was on her back under Beatrice. If she didn’t know better, she might say that Ava enjoyed getting moved around like that.

“Ava Silva, not only are you incredibly gorgeous, loving, and a delightful girlfriend, but I do happen to find you unbelievably sexy.”

Ava’s mouth fell open a little bit.

“Fuck, you’re so hot.”

Beatrice grinned and leant down to kiss Ava. Ava kissed her back with a hunger, and Beatrice could tell just how much Ava had liked hearing Beatrice tell her all of that.

When they pulled apart again, Ava was panting, and her cheeks were flushed.

“One of these days, you’re going to set off the Halo just by doing that.”

Beatrice laughed. “Well, it’s already letting me know just how much you like this.”

Ava winced. “Oh so you can feel me getting incredibly turned on right now?”

Beatrice blushed. That is not how she would have described the feeling, but, oh, well, if Ava was admitting that she was incredibly turned on right now, she couldn’t really think about anything else. Although, she couldn’t blame Ava at all, because she could feel heat of her own starting to burn low in her stomach.

“I couldn’t actually, but thanks for letting me know.”

Ava groaned and pushed her head against the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut.

“I really need to shut up, huh? Otherwise, I’m just going to completely ruin any chance of you having sex with me.” When Beatrice didn’t respond, Ava’s eyes opened, wide and panicked. “I mean, uh, fuck, not that we need to have sex, or that you’re ready for that, or that—ah fuck Bea you gotta help me out here.”

Beatrice pressed a light kiss to the tip of Ava’s nose. Once, she might have absolutely panicked at a conversation about sex like this. But right now, all she could think of was the fact that it was Ava, and Ava would never do anything to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Personally, I find your rambling very cute. And as for sex, well, for now, I want to take it slow. But eventually, that would definitely be something I’d want with you.”

Ava grinned. “Seriously?”

“Yes Ava, seriously.”

Ava cackled. “Awesome. I can’t believe my super-hot super smart girlfriend wants to have sex with me.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes. “And I can’t believe that my super-hot super heroic girlfriend wants to talk when we could be kissing.”

Ava shut her mouth, then opened it, shut it again, and then just started nodding.

“Yeah, yeah, no, good idea.”

Beatrice laughed and leant into Ava, kissing her again. It felt so right to do it here, finally. In their home.

Because it was home. It was the place that Beatrice had found her freedom. It was the place where she’d fallen in love. It was the place where Ava had been trapped for so long, but now, had a family and a love to live with. It was their freedom, and their safety, and their home.

They were home.

Chapter Text

Ava and Beatrice were upstairs in Beatrice’s bedroom when Shannon arrived.

Beatrice had meant to be getting her schedule organised for her next semester of university, but then Ava had run up the stairs and bellyflopped on the bed, ready to tell Beatrice about her shopping adventures with Camila. And so, Beatrice had set her planner and laptop to the side, and had given her full attention to Ava’s story.

Now, they’d transitioned to Ava resting her head in Beatrice’s lap, idly musing about a trip to the beach as Beatrice played with her hair. Beatrice could tell that Ava was probably going to fall asleep, because she always did when they ended up like this, but she didn’t have it in her to stop.

“And you can teach me how to swim.”

Beatrice chuckled.

“I thought we agreed that you were going to get an actual teacher for that.”

“Nah, I changed my mind. I think you’d be the best teacher.”

Beatrice rose an eyebrow, lifting her hand away from Ava’s head.

“Why so?”

Ava wriggled her head so she could properly look at Beatrice when she spoke. Her brown eyes were so soft and full of gentle adoration, and Beatrice felt herself smiling.

“Well, I trust you, so I wouldn’t be scared of drowning, because I’d always know that you were there to save me. You’re also one of the only people I ever listen to, so I’d actually learn something.”

Beatrice scoffed. “Ava, you never listen to me.”

Ava rolled over so she could sit up.

“I do!”

“What about when I told you that you shouldn’t hand yourself over to Adriel?”

Ava pouted. “Are you gonna use that to win all future arguments?”

Beatrice shrugged, barely able to hide her smile. She’d found that most of her worry about Adriel had ebbed away, now that he wasn’t a threat.

Ava sighed and shuffled over so that her body was next to Beatrice’s, and dropped her head onto her shoulder.

“By the way, that’s not what I meant.”

“And what did you mean darling?”

“I mean that I remember when you tell me important things.”

Beatrice lifted her hand up to stroke through Ava’s hair. She thought of what it might look like if Ava got that haircut she’d spoken about before. Ava would probably look very pretty, no matter what she did.

“What important things?”

“You told me that you learnt how to bake because it was something just for you, and that banana muffins are your favourite. You prefer winter because you hate getting all sweaty in summer. You like complicated fantasy and sci-fi novels because you love learning all about a new world. You want to do translation work because you love it, but also because you want to make things accessible for everyone.”

Beatrice fought off that breathless love that had taken up residence in her chest, just so she could respond to Ava’s words.

“Trivia about me isn’t important.”

Ava frowned, looking slightly offended by the statement.

“Of course, it is. You’re my favourite person, everything about you is important to me.”

Beatrice couldn’t think of a good response to that, or at least, not one that was comprised of something other than babbled love declarations. So, instead she just kissed Ava, and Ava was only too happy to have that as a response.

They didn’t get very far into it, because soon enough, Mary was yelling up the stairs.

“Ava! Beatrice! Shan’s here!”

Beatrice pulled away, smiling. Ava shifted in place, her eyes flitting around the room. Beatrice took her hand.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“How do you know I’m nervous?”

Beatrice just gave Ava a pointed look.

“Okay fair.” Ava sighed. “I just…I know that Shannon is like the last part of your family, and I don’t want her to hate me.”

One of Beatrice’s hands found its way to Ava’s waist, and she rubbed her thumb across the skin exposed by her shirt.

“She won’t hate you.”

“I’m the reason her girlfriend and all her friends nearly got arrested.”

“All that will mean to her is that we care deeply about you. Shannon just wants us all to be happy.”

Ava relaxed at that.

“Alright. Then I guess it’s time to go meet her.”

Shannon was in the middle of greeting everyone when Ava and Beatrice came down the stairs. Yasmine and her were laughing, probably talking about the abject ridiculousness of their situation. It was quite miraculous that Yasmine had found them that way. If she hadn’t, well, Adriel might have the Halo right now.

Ava hid herself slightly behind Beatrice as they stopped at the edge of their circle of friends. Shannon’s eyes lifted from Yasmine to Beatrice, and she stepped away, smiling.

“Beatrice. I hear you’ve been having an eventful few weeks.”

Beatrice shrugged. “I’m just glad I finally had the chance to put my martial arts training to use.”

Shannon grinned. “I told you that you’d make a good ninja in another life.” Her eyes slid to Ava, and her smile widened. “And so, this is Ava.”

Ava stepped forwards, bouncing on her toes and offering Shannon a wave.

“Hey! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Shannon walked forwards until she was in front of Ava, who lifted her weight from foot to foot.

“I’ve heard a lot about you too.” She flicked her head to Mary. “This one says that you finally got our Beatrice to open up.”

Ava smiled over at Beatrice.

“Yeah, well, I’m happy to be of service. Beatrice is the best.”

Shannon nodded. “I know. And from what it sounds like, you’re the best for her.”

Ava blushed and looked at her feet. “I try.”

Shannon grinned. “Well, that’s enough for me.” She looked around at them. “Alright now, I need all of you to give me the full story, because all I know right now is that Ava was a ghost, Yasmine is a nun, Beatrice took out some guards, you went on the run, and now Ava isn’t a ghost and Adriel is in jail.”

Mary laughed as she strode over to the kitchen. “I’m getting booze for this. Shan, you’ve got a story ahead of you.”

Beatrice leaned into Ava and whispered into her ear.

“She definitely likes you.”

Ava didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the night, as they regaled Shannon with their tales, and eventually moved somehow into playing a very complicated card game. Even when Ava lost every round, she was still there to laugh, and make fun of Lilith for being just as bad as her.

Beatrice looked around at all of them, assembled on the couch, armchair, and floor, and smiled as well. They were all family now. There was no separating their hearts.

+++

A week or so passed. Shannon travelled back, but promised that she’d be home soon for good. Mary seemed especially happy about that, and Ava tried her hand at teasing her for it. This was shut down when Mary called Ava out for getting separation anxiety when Beatrice had to leave to go to an appointment for uni.

Yasmine also travelled back. She did have a PhD that needed work, but she was added to their group chats, and they had told her very firmly that she was to stay in contact. Yasmine seemed delighted at their request, so they were sure that she’d take them up on it.

Ava’s official paperwork arrived, and Ava got very excited about it. She’d had to send a photo over to Mother Superion earlier for it, which had proven to be a difficult process. This was due to Ava’s inability to stop smiling when Beatrice was in her line of sight. Beatrice had to actually leave the room so they could actually get a photo taken for her passport.

They decided to do something to celebrate Ava’s official existence. Ava requested two things; ice cream and a haircut.

Camila took Ava to a hairdresser, because Ava wanted to surprise Beatrice with her new hair. While they waited, Beatrice, Lilith, and Mary went shopping to get Ava a new button up shirt. They ended up deciding on a red one with yellow ducks on it, because they all agreed that Ava would find it delightful.

Once that had been purchased, they waited outside on a bench for Ava to be done. Beatrice opened up her phone, and found herself smiling at her lock screen.

Ava, upon realising that she now showed up in photographs, had insisted on everyone taking a whole bunch of photos with her. Her smile every time she saw herself in a photo was only motivation for them to start doing it more.

Now, Beatrice’s lock screen was a picture of Ava and herself. Ava had taken this one when they were on the couch together. The two of them were leaning against each other, and Ava was pressing a kiss to Beatrice’s cheek. Beatrice was smiling fondly at Ava. When she’d seen the picture, she’d loved the look on her face so much.

Before, when love had been vulnerability, she’d done her best to keep emotion from her face. She didn’t like the idea of someone knowing how she felt if it could open her up to hurt. But with Ava, she loved knowing that Ava could read her. She loved knowing that she looked so adoring every time her eyes hit Ava’s face.

“Hey guys!”

Beatrice looked up, and saw Ava.

And, oh.

How did she manage to get more beautiful every time Beatrice saw her?

Her new haircut fell just above her shoulders, and all Beatrice could think was that this was how she was meant to look. This was Ava, the living Ava, the Ava who could make choices with what she did. It was exactly as it should be.

Ava was smiling brightly, and bouncing on her toes. Her hands kept coming up to touch her hair, probably still getting used to the length. By her side, Camila was only looking at Beatrice, as if she’d known that her reaction would be the most interesting to watch.

Throwing her arms out, Ava did a little twirl.

“What do we think?”

Beatrice strode over to her and reach out to touch her hair. Ava stilled, her eyes following Beatrice’s movement.

Just as Beatrice had suspected, Ava’s hair was just as soft as it had always been.

“Beautiful,” Beatrice told her, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Ava giggled.

“Thanks Bea.”

“You want a present Ava?” Mary called out, lifting up her bag. As expected, Ava sprinted over, grabbing onto Beatrice’s hand and pulling her after.

“You got me a present?” Ava opened the bag and looked inside. They hadn’t wrapped the button up, so Ava was able to just reach in and pull it out. She actually squealed with delight when she saw it.

“Oh my god!” Her face was lit up with a smile as she looked from person to person. “No joke, this is the best gift I’ve ever been given, and I am including the magic Halo in my back in that.”

Mary snorted. “Alright kid, don’t oversell it.”

Ava, who was already wearing a blue and white striped button up, pulled her current shirt off so she could pull the new one on. Out the collar, the price tag tangled against her front, but Ava didn’t seem to mind.

She did another spin.

“This is the best day ever! New haircut, new shirt, and I’m actually a real person! I don’t think it can get better.”

Camila nudged Ava and nodded her head to the shop they were standing outside of. Ava’s jaw dropped.

“Shut up. We’re having ice cream?”

Beatrice took Ava’s hand back.

“You did say it was one of the first things you wanted to try.”

“And this is the best ice cream shop in town. It has so many flavours, Ava, you’re going to die again!”

Beatrice shot Camila a glare for that comment, but Ava laughed, and Beatrice couldn’t stay mad.

“Fuck yes! Alright, ice cream time!”

They all ended up with their own separate ice creams, sitting on a pair of benches nearby. Ava, who was almost too overwhelmed by choice, had picked two different scoops, chocolate and vanilla, because they were the ‘classics’ and she had plenty of time to try all the interesting ones.

Beatrice had opted for her normal salted caramel ice cream, but was much more entertained by watching Ava’s face as she licked the ice cream. She didn’t think she’d ever heard someone so vocal about eating ice cream.

“Holy fuck, I think I just licked heaven right then.”

“Fuck Bea, you’re telling me that you guys have access to this all the time, and you don’t eat it for every meal?”

“I’m going to cry. This is actually the best day of my life, and it’s only because of this ice cream.”

Beatrice chuckled.

“Well, when we go to the beach, we’ll have to get ice cream then as well, just to make sure that you still have a best day of your life coming up.”

Ava nodded. “Definitely. Don’t wanna waste my best day of my life so early on.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent back at the house, relaxing in their rooms, and then watching a rom-com with dinner. Before they fell asleep, Ava pressed a kiss to Beatrice’s forehead and told her that she was glad that her best day ever ended in Beatrice’s arms.

Beatrice fell asleep with a smile on her face.

+++

Three months passed.

Ava being alive honestly didn’t change too much. They just had one extra person to account for when buying food and when driving to places. Most of them went through an incredibly stressful period with their exams and university, during which Ava learnt how to cook basic meals without burning them, and also learnt how to order takeout when she did burn them.

Ava was interested in doing university at some point, but she didn’t think she’d ever do something intense. After all, she hadn’t exactly received a full education, and her handwriting was still improving. Lilith was the one who’d decided to teach her, and it was going surprisingly well, all things considered.

When exams ended, and all of them were free again, they went out to celebrate. On that night, they introduced Ava to the concept of alcohol, and in the morning, they introduced her to the concept of a hangover. Ava may have gone a little overboard, but she’d just been so excited about trying all different types of alcohol, and thankfully, the Halo’s healing powers lessened the effect.

Beatrice didn’t often drink, but she had a few lemon drops at Ava’s insistence, and ended up dancing the night away with Ava by her side. The others provided her with many photos of the night, and she added them to her camera roll happily.

Her and Ava had been going very well. Again, dating didn’t really change anything about their relationship. They just kissed now, and fell asleep together, and Beatrice felt actually confident about flirting back now.

Oh yes, and there was sex as well. At some point, when both Beatrice and Ava had felt ready, they’d slept together, choosing to do it on a night when everyone was out, which ended up being a very good choice, due to how vocal ava was about her pleasure. Since then, they’d just tried their best to be quiet, which didn’t always end up working. Lilith had started threatening to get noise cancelling technology for her room, to which Ava had responded that maybe if she’d just get laid, she wouldn’t be so grumpy.

That had resulted in Lilith and Ava not speaking for a day. A truce had only been formed at Beatrice and Camila’s insistence.

But yes, everything was going very well.

Beatrice, though, may have been doing something a little bit risky. Well, not really risky, it just might not be the best received thing in the world.

With Camila’s help, she’d started looking to see if she could find any of Ava’s old roommates. She’d spoken the most fondly of Diego, so he’d been the one she focused on.

Eventually, she’d found him. Diego Molina, thirty-seven years old, now living in Switzerland with a wife and child. He was a physical therapist, specifically specialising on children with disabilities.

At first, Beatrice hadn’t known how to bring it up to Ava. She knew that they’d probably have to check with Mother Superion before they did anything, but she also knew that Diego had been Ava’s best friend before everything that had happened. If she could give Ava the chance at seeing him again, she wanted to.

She finally brought it up to Ava one night, after they’d all been out bowling. Ava was terrible at it, but she’d had a lot of fun cheering on Mary and Lilith, trying to see who would win out of the two. She was currently curled up in their bed with a book, furrowing her brow as she read.

Beatrice slipped in next to her.

“Ava.”

Ava looked up, immediately putting her bookmark into place. She’d become very good at noting when Beatrice needed to speak with her about something important.

“Yeah Bea?”

“I have something I need to talk to you about.”

Ava grinned. “Gathered that. What is it?”

Beatrice chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment as she gathered up the words she wanted to say in her head.

“So, before you’ve mentioned Diego to me.”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, I mean, he was my best friend. It got to a point where he was basically a brother to me.” She smiled. “So, what do you want to talk about? Because I’m willing to tell you anything you want about him.”

“Actually, I have something about him I need to tell you.”

When Ava didn’t say anything, Beatrice let out a breath and continued.

“He’s living in Switzerland. I have his address and his phone number. He’s thirty-seven.”

Ava’s mouth fell open. For a moment there was silence as Ava struggled to find something to say. Beatrice couldn’t really feel anything from her on the other end of their bond. Ava, in learning to control the Halo, had learnt how to control her connection with Beatrice, which meant that Beatrice didn’t feel her feelings as much. She missed it a little bit, but she also understood Ava’s need for privacy of emotion.

Finally, Ava spoke.

“He’s okay?”

Beatrice nodded. “He’s okay. I don’t know what happened to him after you died, but he’s okay now. I can tell you more if you want.”

Ava nodded quickly, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. Her eyes were starting to glisten.

“Please.”

And so, Beatrice told Ava the handful of information that she’d learnt. Ava was quiet afterwards, so Beatrice spoke tentatively.

“If you would like, I could ask Mother Superion about the possibility of meeting him.”

Ava’s eyes widened.

“Are you serious? Do you think she’d let me?”

Beatrice shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. But if it’s something you feel is worth a try, we can try.”

Ava was nodding again. “Yes, definitely.” She laughed, eyes now shining. “Fuck, he’s gonna be all grown up. He’s gonna have a kid, and a wife. I always told him that he’d be happy. He told me I’d be happy too.” She smiled at Beatrice. “I guess we were both right.”

All Beatrice could do in response to that was kiss Ava.

+++

To both Ava and Beatrice’s surprise, Mother Superion approved of their meeting with Diego. Of course, she had restrictions, she wanted it to happen within Cat’s Cradle walls the first time, so she could get him to sign paperwork that would keep Ava’s identity safe. But apart from that, she thought that if Ava was willing to make the risk, then it was up to her.

It was Beatrice who called him, mostly because Ava just couldn’t summon the strength to speak.

“Hello?” Diego answered on the third ring.

“Hello, this is Beatrice.”

“Hello Beatrice. Why are you calling?”

“I’m calling because I believe that thirty years ago, you were roommates with a girl name Ava Silva. Is that correct?”

Diego was silent for a long moment. Ava, sitting across from Beatrice, with Camila and Lilith by her sides, couldn’t stop bouncing her leg.

“Yes, that’s correct. What’s this about?”

“What I’m about to tell you is going to sound unbelievable. But I promise, it’s true.”

“Beatrice, what are you talking about?”

Beatrice swallowed.

“She’s alive. Ava is alive.”

Diego made a strangled noise.

“There’s no way. Ava died thirty years ago.”

“Did you ever see her body?”

Diego went quiet, and Beatrice had the distinct feeling that this was something he’d thought about before.

“Look, if this is some fucked up prank call, I need to tell you that you’re a shitty person.”

“It’s not a prank.” Beatrice looked to Ava, who gave her a tiny nod. “Would you like to speak to her?”

“She’s there?” His voice was full of such desperate hope that Beatrice felt like crying.

“She is.”

“Let me talk to her. And trust me, if it’s not her, I’ll know, and I’m hanging this phone up and blocking your number.”

Beatrice smiled and handed Ava the phone. Ava clutched it to her ear.

“Hey super Diego. I hear you finally moved out and got that house in the mountains you always talked about. Does that mean you’re also eating chocolate for breakfast?”

Beatrice couldn’t hear Diego’s response, but she could tell from Ava’s smile that he believed her.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me. It’s me Diego, I’m okay.” Ava was crying. “It’s a really fucking long story, but if you have the time, I’d love to tell it to you.”

And so, that was how they’d ended up here, in the Cat’s Cradle, waiting for Diego to show up. He’d left his wife and kid back in Switzerland for the trip, mostly because he wasn’t sure how to explain it to them yet.

Ava’s anxiety was touching Beatrice’s heart, and so her hand hadn’t left Ava’s arm all afternoon. Touch worked the best at calming Ava down, but in a pinch, soft words worked as well.

“It’s going to be okay Ava.”

“What if he doesn’t come? What if he isn’t happy to see me?” They’d been over this already, but Beatrice knew by now that Ava tended to be very good at spiralling.

“He’s not going to cancel, and you know he’ll be very happy to see you.”

Ava sighed. “I know, I know.”

“It’s okay to be nervous.”

“I know that too.”

Beatrice smiled. “Then it’s going to be alright.”

Yasmine popped out from around a corner and hurried down to where they were.

“He’s coming with Mother Superion now. He seemed wary of her, but he signed all the paperwork. He seemed really nervous.”

Ava grinned. “He never liked the nuns. He said they smelt weird.”

Yasmine frowned, and looked down at herself, as if she might need to give herself a quick smell test. Beatrice didn’t have the time to tell her that she smelt just fine, because there came Diego and Mother Superion.

Diego was much taller than Ava, probably reaching at least six feet. He had a dark beard, and messy black hair. There was a softness in his eyes that immediately set Beatrice at ease. Although, that might have just been the rush of relief that surged into her body, coming straight from Ava.

The two of them just stared for a moment. Diego, transfixed by how much Ava had not changed, and Ava transfixed by how much he had. And then Diego laughed, and started running.

Ava started running too.

They met each other half way in a fierce hug, both of them still laughing. When Diego pulled back, he stared at Ava with a shocked smile.

“You look the same! Fuck, Ava, you look the same but,” he laughed and looked down, “you can walk! You can run, and you can hug me, I mean—how is this possible?”

Mother Superion stepped up next to him. “It’s hard to explain, but if Ava wishes, we can.”

Ava was nodding already. “It’s gonna blow his mind. I’m a fucking superhero!”

And so, they explained the Halo to Diego. His mind, was in fact, blown, but he seemed mostly excited about the fact that Ava could walk. The two of them were left alone for some time, so that they could properly catch up.

Beatrice went for a walk around the convent, saying hello to the sisters that knew her, including Dora, who seemed much happier to see her now that Beatrice wasn’t gate-crashing a top-secret mission.

When Beatrice came back to check on them, Ava immediately leapt up, and pulled Beatrice over to him.

“D, this is Bea.” She grinned. “Haha, that rhymes.”

Diego gave Beatrice a warm smile and held out his hand for her to shake. “It’s nice to meet you. Ava tells me that you’re the reason she’s alive today.”

Beatrice smiled back as she shook his hand. “Well, perhaps if Ava didn’t insist on putting herself into danger, she wouldn’t need saving.”

Ava rolled her eyes and threw her arms around Beatrice’s neck. “Bea, you know that’s not what I meant. I was being nice.”

“Oh, I know. I was being mean.”

Diego laughed. “You know, Ava always told me she was going to date some smart and beautiful. Told me that one day, whoever she ended up with was going to be the best possible person in the world.” He put his hands into his pockets. “I have to disagree with her there, because my wife is definitely the best person in the world, but Beatrice, from the sound of it, you’re a close second.”

Beatrice turned to look at Ava and smiled, imagining a teenage her, lying in a bed, dreaming of a life with love. There weren’t enough words in the world to describe how lucky Beatrice felt that she was the one able to give that to Ava.

“I certainly hope so. It’s what she deserves.”

He nodded. “Good.” Leaning forwards, he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know, I have so many stories about Ava from the orphanage. The sisters hated her, one time, after they were being shitty, she kept the whole orphanage up by singing the entirety of an ABBA album.”

Ava cackled. “Oh, I remember that! That was funny of me. JC was the one who snuck me the album, I learnt it off by heart for the perfect moment.”

Beatrice smiled at Ava. “You know, the first time we met was when she was singing?”

He grinned. “I bet. Was it terrible, or has she improved? I’m just saying there’s a reason the nuns were so mad.”

Ava whacked his arm. “Hey, I am not that bad!”

Beatrice shrugged. “I quite liked it.”

Diego laughed. “Oh, I see. Love has blinded you.”

“Hey! Rude!”

Beatrice just smiled at Ava. She looked so alive and full of light. Beatrice could tell that this was how she’d been with Diego when he’d known her. Nothing would ever put out the shine that emanated from Ava at all times.

Diego shook his head, laughing.

“My wife isn’t going to believe this. I told her about you, you know? Just some stories from the orphanage, how you were basically my big sister. I told her everything I could.”

Ava’s eyes softened. “You did?”

He nodded, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. He pulled out his phone and tapped on it, showing them his lock screen. On it, Diego was smiling with a beautiful woman and a young girl.

“That’s my wife, Esme. And that’s our daughter.”

Ava grinned. “Your daughter is so cute. How old is she?”

“She’s eight next month.”

“Wow. What’s her name?”

Diego’s smile widened. “Ava.”

Beatrice could barely comprehend the sudden wave of emotions that hit her chest before Ava was leaping at Diego, wrapping him in another tight hug. He laughed, tears in his eyes.

“Thank you for remembering me,” Ava told him. He pulled back and smiled.

“It was my honour.”

They left the convent with Diego’s phone number, and a promise to visit him at some point. He wanted his family to meet Ava, and had said that Beatrice and her friends were welcome as well.

Ava didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

+++

Just two weeks after they met with Diego, Ava and Beatrice found themselves alone in the house. Camila and Lilith were out, and they’d both given Beatrice vague reasons as to what they were doing. She didn’t really care; she was just happy to be home alone with Ava.

It wasn’t even for sex reasons, even if Ava kept flirting up an absolutely storm. No, it was just because it was so nice to have some time and space to themselves. Just like it had been at the beginning, before it had all changed.

The two of them were in the kitchen. Ava was wearing one of Beatrice’s hoodies, one she’d stolen and refused to give back, and Beatrice was trying to ice cupcakes that she’d baked. It was proving to be a slightly difficult task, because Ava kept stealing the icing. Ava had never been one to hold herself back, and now that eating was an option, she’d become notorious for eating things she wasn’t supposed to. Beatrice was surprised that Mary hadn’t yet shot her for stealing her fries.

Ava had put on Beatrice’s playlist, the one she’d made for her. She’d given Ava access to the playlist, but all Ava did was add love songs and tell Beatrice that she’d thought of her when she heard them. So, truly, it was a bonus.

The beginnings of a song started, and Ava started laughing.

“Bea!”

“What?” Beatrice asked, lathering another cupcake in blue icing.

“This is the song.”

Beatrice set the cupcake to the side. “What do you mean?”

Ava pointed to the speaker with the wooden spoon she had in her hand. Beatrice listened for a moment, looking at Ava, and then it clicked, a small smile spreading across her face.

“This is the song that was playing when we met.” Somebody to Love. How fitting that this was the song they’d met to.

Ava grinned, bouncing on her toes.

“It’s my favourite song now.”

“You have a new favourite song every day.”

“Yeah, but I mean it this time! Because no other song made me sing so loudly that it helped me meet you, so this one is the winner.”

Beatrice smiled fondly at Ava. She looked so different from the Ava she’d met then, but her smile was the same. And when Ava started singing into the wooden spoon as if it was a microphone, she sounded the same. She really wasn't that bad of a singer in Beatrice's opinion. But then again, she really was biased. Everything about Ava was beautiful to her.

Ava seemed to decide that she wanted to do a dramatic performance of the song, just for Beatrice. And Beatrice, well, her cupcakes could wait. Her love was dancing, and Beatrice couldn’t look away from her.

Spinning around, Ava held out a hand to Beatrice.

“Dance with me!”

Beatrice laughed.

“I’m very bad at dancing.”

“So am I! Let’s be terrible together.”

Beatrice had never really considered saying no, not when Ava was looking at her like that.

“I don’t really think we can properly dance to this song.”

Ava rolled her eyes and took Beatrice’s hand, pulling her closer to her.

“Ye of little faith, you can dance to any song. Besides, I’m not asking you to ballroom dance, it’s fun dancing time.”

Beatrice took Ava’s other hand, and let her lead as they danced. Ava hadn’t lied, she was pretty horrible at dancing, but the two of them managed to find a rhythm. Their dance was somewhere between a sway and a jump and a spin, but it worked.

It was them. Of course, it worked.

Ava giggled and fell into Beatrice, who nearly toppled over, but thankfully had enough grace to wrap her arms around Ava, and keep them both steady.

This resulted in Beatrice having her arms wrapped tightly around Ava, who was resting her head on Beatrice’s chest. The two of them swayed back and forth as the song came to a close. Beatrice could feel Ava’s heart beating against her, and it made her smile.

Alive. Ava was alive.

“Thank you, Ava,” Beatrice found herself whispering.

Ava pulled back, looking up at Beatrice with a half-smile half frown.

“For what? I didn’t do anything.”

Beatrice just shook her head, smiling.

“For existing. For making my life better. For helping me be better.”

Ava’s expression shifted into a bright smile, and Beatrice could feel Ava’s love inside her own heart. Right where it had always been.

“Happy to return the favour. Because Bea, you do that for me too. You found me.”

“I hardly found you, you were dancing in my kitchen.”

“Hush, let me have this.”

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, before breaking down into laughter, Ava pressing her head back against Beatrice’s chest.

“I love you, Bea.”

Beatrice kissed the top of Ava’s head.

“I love you, Ava.”

The two of them danced for a little longer, before they inevitably had to part and Beatrice had to finish with the cupcakes. Ava convinced her to watch a movie, and they cuddled up on the couch under a rug as they did so. Despite all her flirting, Ava fell asleep halfway through the movie, and was too tired upon waking to do anything.

So, Beatrice carried her up the stairs to her bedroom, something that Ava had recently found that she could do, and loved greatly. The two of them dressed into their pyjamas, and crawled into the warmth and security of the bed they shared. Beatrice read a little of her book as Ava fell asleep again, and then Beatrice turned off the light, settled against Ava’s back as she joined her.

Neither of them saw it, as they were both asleep, but the Halo pulsed gently, as if to signal that it was safe and happy. Because it was. Because they were.

All of them.

Safe and happy.