Late February 2013: Joshua's Lab

[damncompass]

It had been a long few weeks for Joshua. He had been ignoring all of the paperwork that he should have been doing, in favour of just doing research, but this morning, he realized that he needed to get back to his responsibilities and finish the backlog of paperwork. Turning he music up, he settled into a rhythm of getting things taken care of.

About an hour later, something jolted him out of his thoughts. A song came on his player, something that he wasn't sure if he'd put on or if he'd bumped the player into radio mode.

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight.

He stared at his computer screen for a couple minutes, then replayed the song about four times.

More than a few minutes went by, as he just stared into space, a million things going through his head. Ignoring the rest of the paperwork, he spun his chair over to his laptop and started to write:

To: claudiopolis@gmail.com
From: shinyteleportation@gmail.com

Subject: Things

Claudia,

I don't know why all of a sudden I've been thinking about things, but I've been thinking about the past.

I know I've said this a million times, but I'm sorry. I made you a promise, and I broke it, perhaps for good reasons, perhaps for selfish ones, but I still broke it.

However, even through my crappy broken promise, you've become an amazing and wonderful young lady, one that I'm really damn proud of. I am sorry that I wasn't there to help you along the way, but I think you found the way pretty damn well. I think I'm finally learning to stop being an ass and just let it go. You've moved on, I need to.

I know I say it a lot, but I love you, baby sister. (yes, you'll always be my baby sister no matter how old you get) Let's get dinner and ice cream later. We haven't had a sibling time in a couple weeks. Let me know.

<3,
Joshua

Comments

[claudiometer]

See, that's the kind of email that deserves an in-person response. When it no longer looks like she teared up on account of it, anyway. (Not that Joshua would care, but she doesn't want anyone else asking if she's okay on her way down to his lab.) At least she knows where to find him.

Knock knock.

[damncompass]

"Yeah?" Joshua's voice comes through the door, half-paying-attention. He's back to working on the piles of paperwork.

[claudiometer]

"Do my eyes deceive me or have you actually been dealing with shit?"

[damncompass]

"Come in, you." Joshua stands up and walks toward the door. "Yeah, it kinda hit me upside of the head, but yes, I have been dealing with some shit."

[claudiometer]

She does, and promptly goes in for the hug.
"Good. And you didn't even have to get baked first - Dad would be so proud."

[damncompass]

He hugs her back. "Oh, hush. I can deal with shit more than sometimes. I mean it, though."

[claudiometer]

"And you don't have to apologise anymore. I forgave you a long time ago."
She blamed Artie for ditching her in foster care a lot more than she ever blamed Joshua.

[damncompass]

"I know, but I think I felt like I needed to say it one last time." He grins at her. "Letting it go and all. I meant it, all kidding aside. I am so proud of you, Claudia. Everything that you've accomplished, and the person you've become."

[claudiometer]

Claudia smiles. "I'm proud of you too, Regentface."
He's happy, and that's all she ever wanted him to be.

[damncompass]

"I haven't really done that much, to be honest. I've just fumbled around and found a place for myself." He shrugs. "I wouldn't trade it for anything, though."

[claudiometer]

"But you didn't turn that place down, and you're happy. Good enough for me. Now, you said something about dinner?"
Because why stand there being sappy if they don't have to?

[damncompass]

"Yes. I actually heard someone talking about this new place in Featherhead...."

He gets up, paperwork forgotten yet again and grabs his bag. Screw the paperwork. It's waited a couple hundred years, it can wait a few more hours so he can be with his sister.