Work Text:
Trina was deep into her work when the telephone rang. She took a moment to look and picked it up when she saw it was Joss. She knew that her friend must be worried about her after she had left earlier than normal that morning. She felt bad, but there had really been no time to explain. She wouldn’t ignore her call now. She owed her dormmate an explanation.
“Hey, Joss.”
“Hey,” Joss greeted, ignoring her study partner who had settled onto the floor beside Trina’s bed. “Where were you this morning? I woke up and you were gone.”
“Yeah, I’m at the gallery covering for Ava. After everything that’s happened in the past few days, she wanted to take the morning off and spend it with Avery.”
“Aww, that’s really sweet of you.”
“Listen, can you do me a favor?”
“Yeah, anything.”
“So, somebody was supposed to drop off an art book for me. Has it come yet?”
“Um, no. It hasn’t and I’ve been in the dorm all morning studying with Adam for Organic Chem.”
“When it comes, will you just lay it on my bed?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Ok, thanks,” Trina turned her head towards the entrance of the gallery when she heard someone come in. “Ok, Joss. I got to let you go. Somebody’s here,” She hung up the phone and got ready to greet the customer. Usually, Ava handled all the sales, but Trina knew how to close a deal or two when needed. She got to her feet, ready for whoever the customer was...but her stomach dropped when the last person she had ever thought that she’d ever see again entered the gallery.
Cyrus Renault.
“Trina. What a nice surprise. Forgive me for startling you,” Cyrus approached her, looking as if his being there was the most normal thing in the world.
“What are you doing here?” She tried to keep her voice calm, tried to not show fear, knowing that fear was what people like Renault fed off of, but she couldn’t help remembering that night when this man...this murderer had taken her and her mother hostage! How he had tried to kill her Dad! He had done things to her family that she would never forgive or forget! Why he was free, she didn’t know...but it brought back that fear that she had felt all that time ago. It was like it had never left, but that was something that she refused to let him know!
“Right down to business. I like that. Um. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but I was released from Pentonville. God bless our justice system.”
God bless our justice system. Right. A justice system that has been worthless to her so far in her young life. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to find some artwork for my new place,” Cyrus waked towards a painting that hung on the wall behind her desk. “I thought Ava would be here. It was just a fortuitous accident finding you here.”
“There’s no such thing as an accident when it comes to you,” the anger in her voice worked to cover the fear she felt, so she grabbed hold of that anger and held it tightly. It was the only defense she had to keep herself from becoming a weeping mess. Why did they let him out?! Wasn’t Esme enough? Wasn’t almost being sent to prison enough? What was with this so-called justice system?! Why was this justice so hard for her to come by and keep?!
“I stopped by General Hospital to apologize to Dr. Robinson and she gave me a stern warning not to seek you out, and of course, I would abide by your mother’s wishes.”
“Then leave.”
“You’re right. I should go,” Cyrus made his way back towards the entrance, then, to her horror, he turned around and began talking again! “But before I do, I’d like to apologize to you for my past actions. For what I had put you and your mother through.”
The anger in her heightened, giving her a voice that she normally tampered down, but not now. Now was different. Now, she had to make herself heard or be a whimpering little victim forever! “What you put us through?! I can’t believe this bs that I’m hearing. You held us hostage at gunpoint and you want me to forgive you?! You’re more of a psychopath than I thought you were! Get out! Now!” She angrily pointed at the door, just wanting him to go far far away! Preferably back to prison, but if not prison, just somewhere she wasn’t.
“Trina?! What’s going on?!” Spencer rushed in and came to a stop to see Cyrus there. He was positively shocked. He had come to the gallery in hopes of getting some time in with his girlfriend. Cyrus Renault being there was not what he had expected at all. “Cyrus? What are you doing here?”
“Spencer my boy,” Cyrus grinned, his voice amused. “I really would like you to call me Uncle.”
Spencer then had to wonder what it was with his family and why it was him who was stuck with insane Uncles. Like hell, he was going to call anyone Uncle after Victor!
“You’re out of prison,” He approached the former inmate.
“I am!” Cyrus held his hands up. “Miracles do happen if you believe.”
“Wait. Spencer, I thought you knew he was released,” Trina inwardly winced. She didn’t know why she thought Spencer would know that and wouldn’t tell her. She knew him better than that. They had been through too much together for her to even think that he would keep that from her!
“No.”
“He went to GH and harassed my mother yesterday. She called me. She said she’s going to get a restraining order so you’d stay away from us,” She switched her attention to Cyrus for a second, then back to Spencer. “Yet, here he is. Bothering me.”
“Spencer, I explained this to Trina, already. I had no idea that she would be here. I stopped in to patronize Ava’s gallery.”
Spencer wasn’t really buying it. His experience with Victor had told him that there were no accidents. Trina was clearly upset by the man’s presence, yet he was refusing to leave. That told Spencer all that he needed to know. He was tempted to toss Cyrus out and be the hero, but he knew Trina. She’d feel like a damsel in distress, someone who didn’t have her own agency, someone who couldn’t take care of herself and she would hate him for that, so he’ll follow her lead.
“If Ava wants to sell you something, that’s on her. But I refuse to wait on you!” She stormed over to her desk, just wishing that Cyrus would leave.
“I don’t blame you,” Cyrus turned to her again, holding his arms out.
“Oh stop with this disgusting act! I don’t buy it!”
“Trina, you’re angry with me and I understand,” Cyrus continued, not noticing Spencer behind him, who took a step towards him, ready to throw him out if he took another step towards Trina. “I did a terrible thing to you and your mother.”
“You’re damn right, you did.”
“And I regret it, deeply. But since finding the lord, I’ve tried to make amends."
Cyrus turned to Spencer, knowing that if anyone would believe his change it would most likely be him, unaware that Spencer didn’t really trust any of his family members anymore except Laura, Alexis, and Sonny. “Spencer you know about this! You’ve witnessed this in Pentonville! I did everything I could to make sure that no harm came to you while you were there! I did everything to protect you!”
“Yes, you did look after me while I was in Pentonville. But what you did to Trina, to Dr. Robinson, and to my grandmother, is unforgivable. Someone could have been killed that night,” He turned to join Trina behind her desk, knowing that she’d need his support.
“Spencer, I realize that and I’m trying to make amends with everyone that I wronged.”
“Spencer, are you buying this?” Trina glared at him, keeping a tight hold on her anger, not ready to let the fear come in just yet, not while that man was still present.
“Oh, look at that,” Cyrus spotted the turtledove that Trina had left on her desk. “The turtledove. I gave those to Spencer just before Christmas last year, in the hopes that he would share them with you, Trina and he did. That warms my heart.”
“You don’t have a heart,” Trina kept hold of the anger, not allowing the part of her that tended to want to people please take over. She had been working on her tendency to just let things go when she shouldn’t and she had been doing a great job. She wasn’t about to regress now, and sensing Spencer nearby gave her strength to keep it up.
“I hope you kept the other one, Spencer.”
“I did.”
"Good. May I?” Cyrus reached out for the dove.
“No!” Trina snapped, scooping the figurine up. It was as if letting Cyrus handle the dove was like betraying the bond she and Spencer had and she wouldn’t allow that! “I’m not going to stand here and hold a pleasant conversation with someone who held me and my mother at gunpoint.”
She was going to have to move again. She needed Cyrus to know that she didn’t need Spencer or anyone else to hold her up. She could stand on her own two feet. “I am not going to allow you to waltz in here and pretend that you didn’t hold me hostage at gunpoint! You threatened to shoot me if my mother didn’t tend to your gunshot wound! And if Laura hadn’t offered to take our place as your hostage, you would have killed us! Those words came out of your mouth! So you want me to forget all that?!”
“I never asked anyone to forget what I did, I asked them to forgive, like the good book says…”
“So let bygones be bygones. You expect me to accept your pathetic, meaningless apology just because you’re Spencer’s Uncle! But guess what? I don’t forgive you. And I don’t care if you did protect Spencer in Pentonville. If you come near me again, I will call the cops.”
“I can understand why you don’t trust me.”
Spencer decided it was enough. He could tell it was becoming too much for Trina. She was doing a good job standing her ground and holding position, but that wouldn’t last for long. It was time for Cyrus to go. He calmly walked up behind Cyrus and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s time for you to go. Now.”
“Ok,” Cyrus gave in, seeing that his apologies were not going to be accepted.
Cyrus started for the door, then turned around, ignoring Spencer’s hand going up to keep him from going anywhere near Trina again. “I owe you a great debt, Trina. If you ever need my help for any reason, you only need to ask.”
“I will never ask you for anything. Do you hear me?! Never! Now get the hell out!”
Cyus indeed left, leaving Spencer and Trina alone.
It was then that the anger fled and the fear flooded in. With a whimper, Trina felt her legs go weak, but Spencer was soon there, pulling her into his arms.
“It’s ok, it’s alright. I’m here,” He held her as she began to sob as the fear nearly drowned her.
After getting her to sit down on a bench that seemed so familiar, Spencer went to get her a bottle of water and was back in a matter of a few seconds. He unscrewed the top and handed it to her.
“Here’s your water.”
“I shouldn’t have given that man that much power over me,” Trina rambled, the fear clear in her voice, even though her heart rate had returned to normal and she no longer felt so weak. “Nobody should have that much power over anybody. I’m not going to let him make me a victim again, Spencer.” She took a gulp of water, hoping it’d calm her down some more.
“Trina, you did good,” He rubbed her arm, wanting to lend her as much strength and support as possible. “You did really good. You practically kicked him out, all by yourself.”
“Can you promise me something?”
“Trina, I’m never going to let him come near you ever aga….”
“No no, that’s not what I mean. I know that you would never let him do anything to me. But I need you to promise me that you won’t tell anyone that I had lost it like that with him. Especially my mom and Curtis. Because my mom is already angry and terrified that he is released and I don’t want to add fuel to the fire. And I know Curtis is in a wheelchair and he feels that he can’t protect us from Cyrus…”
“I’m not going to tell anyone. But clearly, you can take care of yourself. Though if you ever need backup, just know that I’m right here, ok?”
“I know you are.”
Trina hugged him once again, grateful that he had faith in her that she could stand up for herself, yet was so willing to be there to defend her if need be and she felt the same. Ever since they’ve met, there’s been a connection between them, a bond that no one, not a psycho ex, not a crazy Uncle, not anyone could ever break. It saw them through situations like this one and it strengthened them like nothing ever had before. She knew for a fact that she wouldn’t have gotten through that confrontation without Spencer’s silent strength and faith that she could stand up for herself and that meant the world to her.
It was a bond that would never break and would see them through the coming hard times of their lives.