What if this is how it goes when Ava comes back in the first scene of S3???
***
The Cruciform Sword continues to glow inside the glass case as Ava kept trying to slice through the air. She’d been doing this for a while and always failed but this time, she thinks she’s finally got it. Alas! The air opens up and a crack appears.
Camila, who passes by the courtyard notices the crack in the empty air and quickly alerts the whole place. Soon, all the Sisters, Mother Superion and even Father Vincent rushes out into the courtyard, on guard and on high alert, gripping their weapons tight as they readied themselves, expecting the Tarasks to burst through the crack.
But then Ava came out of the gap and they were all left dumb-founded. Ava had collapsed onto the ground. She looks up at the familiar faces of the nuns and Father Vincent. She smirks and says, “Well, are you all just gonna stand there or help me up?”
Everyone laughs and immediately walked toward her. Camila and Yasmine help Ava stand up as the rest of the OCS gathers around them. Ava smiles at them widely, eyes brimming with tears and hugs each of them, taking her time with each embrace. Then her gaze landed on Mother Superion and she breathes out shakily.
“Mother…” she softly says and was about to reach out to Mother Superion but was instead hugged by the nun.
“Oh.” It was all Ava could muster as she relaxes into Mother Superion’s embrace. It was an unexpected gesture from the otherwise stiff and strict nun she knew.
From a few feet away she catches Father Vincent’s eyes and nodded and smiled a little at him. It was all she could do for him after all the shit he’s put the OCS (and the world) through.
Mother Superion releases Ava and Ava sees the nun had tears in her eyes. They all laughed as they cried happily.
“We’re so glad to finally have you back here,” Mother Superion says to her.
Ava only half heard her though for she was too busy sourcing the small crowd in search of someone else she’s been dying to see.
“She isn’t here,” it was Camila. “She left a little while after you went through the portal. She waited a few weeks, hoping to have you back soon but…” her voice trails off as she looks at the ground, thinking about her former Sister Warrior. She sounded sad. They all looked miserable without Beatrice, it seems.
“Where did she go?” Ava asks.
They all shrugged. It was Father Vincent who spoke.
“Last I heard she was back in Switzerland. She said she had some unfinished business there. I’m not sure exactly where though.” The priest tells them.
Ava smiles widely. “I do.”
***
Ava watches Beatrice come out of the bar laughing and wobbling. Ava begins to approach her but quickly stops in her tracks when a girl - the same curly-haired and dark-skinned girl Beatrice was talking to last time they were together here in Switzerland - comes after her.
“Beatrice! Wait for me!” She yells and laughs.
They were both drunk, Ava could tell. Ava falls back into the shadows of the alleyway and continues to watch them. Beatrice - even in her current state - senses something and turns to the alleyway. Her sight lingers there but all she could see was darkness. Ava had gotten too good at blending in the dark. She’d had a lot of practice on the Other Side.
“Beatrice…come on. Let’s get you home.” The girl says and Beatrice leaned against her and let the girl lead her down the other way.
Ava continues to silently follow the two and it wasn’t until they stopped in front of the apartment that Ava realized they were going inside THE apartment, the very same place Ava and Beatrice had rented during their time in Switzerland while hiding and training before Adriel happened and Ava got sucked through the portal that saved her life.
Beatrice and the girl went up the stairs. Ava knew she couldn’t use the same stairs so she levitates up quietly and phases through the wall of the apartment’s kitchen. She got inside before the girl could unlock the door. She quickly hides in the shadows until they stumbled inside.
The girl helps Beatrice onto the bed - the very same bed Ava and Beatrice had shared every night during their stay here - and started removing Beatrice’s shoes. Beatrice grunts sleepily.
Ava was about to tackle the girl but stops herself. The girl places a blanket over Beatrice and looks at her longingly before turning away toward the kitchen. Ava’s eyes widened and before the girl could see her hiding there, Ava phases through the other wall and into the bathroom. She almost stumbled back into the bathtub but thankfully balanced herself. The door was open and she could still see Beatrice moaning and talking inaudibly on the bed.
“Noooo,” Beatrice protests like a child. “Stay with me, please. Don’t leave me.”
“I can’t..” the girl says and Ava couldn’t help but remember Beatrice saying the same words when Ava was about to go through the portal.
“I need to work in the morning at the bar. So I need to go home now too,” the girl says and Ava couldn’t help but think, Would you just leave already?
The girl laughs and Ava realizes Beatrice must have been doing her thing when she’s being all drunk and cute, pouting and pleading like a puppy. Ava grunts quitely and balls her hands into fists. Beatrice only ever made that face when she was with Ava.
The girl stands up and Beatrice catches her hand. “Please stay,” she mumbles again.
The girl sighs and repeats, “I can’t. Just sleep this off and drink a lot of water, okay? Here…I left it on the table,” she gestures towards the glass.
Beatrice heaves a deep sigh and breathes, “Yes, mother.”
The girl gently smiles before kissing Beatrice’s forehead and says her final goodbye. At last, she leaves the room but not without a last worried glance at Beatrice. The door closes with a thud. Ava pushes the door of the bathroom open with a creak.
She suddenly hears Beatrice begin to cry. Ava freezes and her heart stops. Beatrice’s body suddenly curls up as she continues to wail. Ava flinches at the heartbreaking sound of Beatrice’s cries.
“Please don’t leave me. Please…” Beatrice repeats these words in between her sobs and knew then she wasn’t talking about the girl who just left the apartment.
Ava rushes to the bedside and quickly falls down on her knees and looks at Beatrice with wide, pleading eyes.
“Bea…” she says, her voice cracking. “Bea!” She repeats a little louder and Beatrice opens her eyes.
The lamp illuminated the right side of Ava’s face. Beatrice’s cries slowly dies down and she smiles as she looks at Ava.
“I’m so happy I could see you…even if it’s just in my dreams,” Beatrice softly says and closes her eyes again.
Ava’s mouth opened and her eyes brimmed with tears. She shook her head and placed her hand on Beatrice’s face and it was as if Beatrice got electrocuted or something because her eyes fluttered open again so swiftly and she somehow sobered up in a snap. She blinks back her tears as if trying to see clearer. She side-eyes Ava’s hand on her face, disbelieving what she thinks is actually happening. Beatrice pushes herself up on the bed after a minute and Ava sits on the small space Beatrice has made for her.
Beatrice stares at Ava in disbelief and blinks again rapidly.
“Ava?” Beatrice whispers in the dimly-lit room. “Is it really you now?” She reaches out and holds Ava’s face in her slightly calloused hands.
“Yes, Bea. It’s me. I’m here.” Ava smiles through her tears and Beatrice finally grabs Ava into an embrace and sobs into her shoulder.
