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It's beautiful. White frosting, adorned with strawberries, a delicious odour emanating from it. Diana wants to take a greedily large slice of cake now, then fill up the empty space with more buttercream and hide the evidence, but she restrains herself. Her birthday cake needs to be enjoyed by everyone. And they're in need of enjoyment right now.
So Diana carefully slides it into the fridge, taking great care that the cake isn't squashed. She'll bring it out tomorrow, when they've all made up. When they've put aside their differences for one day - her birthday, and they'll sing for her and she'll blow out her candles, eighteen at last. And they'll celebrate with her, and eat the cake she baked for all of them.
(Ingrid had offered to make her a cake, Diana remembers, when she'd realised her eighteenth birthday was coming up. But Diana stifles that thought before her smiling facade shatters.)
They'll enjoy it, she tells herself. And then, after her job's done, she'll finally let herself have a slice.
"D-Diana, don't be upset..."
Diana stares despondently at the other Ultimates arguing among themselves. Damon and Ulysses didn't even bother showing up.
"We can...take a walk? How about we take a walk together...? You need a break from all this."
Diana turns to the cake in the middle of the table. No candles. No singing. No celebration. Wenona had said one thing about Cassidy and then the mood had devolved from there, Jean somehow being caught up in it, Jett defending Mark when Wenona insulted him. And Jean had gone after Grace when she'd stormed out, and Mark had left, too, telling Jett not to follow him-
"If Toshiko is feeling up to it...maybe we could visit her room?" Eloise offers. She places one careful hand on Diana's shoulder, trying to guide her to the exit, but Diana's eyes are still glued to that birthday cake. Radiant. Stunning. Uneaten.
"They didn't even touch it...!" is all Diana can say, as Eloise walks her to the door.
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I spent three hours on that cake...I thought we could eat it all together..." She feels her eyes watering, despite her best efforts.
"We can try again another time. M-Maybe when they're calmer?" Eloise smiles, attempting to be reassuring.
But she thought they would be calmer now. Diana thought she could stop them from arguing now. Instead she's walking out the door. Failing them, all over again.
"...I'll try another time." Diana says. Because there's nothing else she can do other than try, and try again. Either that, or they'll all end up killing each other.