Aberrant: Dead Rising - Mine, yours, ours [complete]

[Venus]

(ooc: the events of this fic happen before "Blind Date")

Fate was a strange thing. Violet never believed much in anything except maybe for beauty. Back before Z-Day beauty opened doors, made living easier (most of the time) and it was her capital. Even though she, that means Jennifer, never really felt that beautiful. People told her she was a looker but she never really believed it. She didn’t like herself and was envious of many girls in the business.

Then everything changed. She had trouble explaining how or why but the changes were obvious. At first it was like a huge rush and if it wasn’t for James and the sisters she might as well be still on that rush. Power corrupted they say and her abilities made her prone to that. Manipulating people was easy. Getting what she wanted was easy. Only a very few could resist her and those who did were supers, none of the ‘normal’ people. Without her powers and without the changes that came with her powers she wouldn’t be in this situation. She would be just another of the women trying to survive in the Refuge. Violet asked herself if James and the sisters would have taken notice of her if she was just Jennifer? That question drove her mad. And if that wasn’t enough now that strange girl named Cassandra appeared out of nowhere and looked like Violet – albeit a less endowed version of her but still – if you compared their faces they could’ve been sisters. Was there a meaning to this? Did anyone expect her to do something about it? Why did that girl look like her? Or did she look like that girl?

But now wasn’t the time for that. Right now she had to focus on her ‘family’. On keeping it from falling apart and she wouldn’t use her powers to make everyone feel happy about it. She would have to rely on an honest reaction – if that was even possible around her.

James and the sisters were waiting upstairs and Violet shut the door to the club to make sure no one interrupted their little talk. Upstairs the girls were tending to James who enjoyed being the center of their attention – that was until Violet entered the room. Even without using her powers Violet drew attention to herself whether she wanted it or not did not matter. She found she couldn’t ‘turn it off’ without changing back to Jennifer and that option got less and less attractive as time passed. Most of the talk would be between her and JoAnna so she sat next to her but kept her distance – no breaching of personal space. No messing around with her emotions – she promised that herself.

“I thank you for giving me the chance to apologize, Jo. I didn’t want to ‘use’ you or make you believe you might be a lesbian or whatever you feared had happened to you because of me. I made you feel like that because I wanted it to, although I only enhanced what was already there. I can understand if you hate me because of that now but I want you to know that Ido love you, even if you don’t want to see me again.”, Violet sighed before she continued her eyes briefly looking down before they met JoAnna’s again.

“Whatever happened to me… or James or any of the other ‘supers’ I can’t explain how it works and I wished I could. All I know is that I need you – all three of you.”, she reached out with her hands to Jill and Jo. “Without you I would still be the ‘crazy’ Violet that would try to fuck everyone she saw.”, she gave them a weak smile – “Although I still have trouble keeping that under control – but that’s why I run to you if I fear losing control. I trust you.”

“But this is not only about me. It’s about us and each one of us has different desires, fears and hopes. I know that James wants children and I don’t want your relationship to suffer because you don’t, JoAnna. I’m willing to give James the children he wants because he is the only partner I can imagine having children with. But I can’t do this without your help. All three of you. There are so many things we need to take care of – the club hasn’t even opened yet and so many things are happening lately that I am afraid if the moment is the right one. I’d like to talk to Doctor Shattuck first and make sure I’m ok. She is the only Doctor I trust in the Refuge. But I can’t do this if it means losing ‘us’. I just can’t.”

[Courier]

James got very still and thought, *So she did mean what she implied earlier... well now. Well now. Well. Now.*

Thoughts a whirl, James listened for how the sisters were handling this.

[Dawn OOC]

"I don't want to take care of your kids, either," JoAnna said softly. "No offense to you, Violet. It isn't about you. It's just cruel to bring children into this world, when we don't know if there's a cure."

"We need kids," Jill said softly. "Cure or not, the human race won't live without kids."

"First, the human race is doomed anyway," JoAnna said. "If the zombies don't get us, the supers - the bad ones - will. We're on the way out - the only ticket to life is to become like Violet and James."

[Courier]

James said in what he hoped in a calm, reasonable tone of voice despite the subject matter,

"The zoms are rotting. Enough time and they'll be helpless or dead. That might take years but it will happen. The supers... you have a point there."

"We need more supers on our side..." And it's probably in my blood.

[Venus]

"I think now you're being selfish, Jo. I understand I hurt your feelings and I don't know how many times I have to apologize but I'm being serious about this. I respect your decision but I also think it is born out of a hurt sentiment."

Violet looked at Jo and then to Jill as she at least agreed to James' and Violet's plans.

"Jill is right, Jo. We need kids. It is a cruel world out there and maybe we won't survive but there is one thing I can give these people here which we are running out of. - Hope."

She didn't know what else to say about that matter but one thing JoAnna said needed to be addressed - "Don't think that becoming super makes life easier around here, Jo. James and I have privileges but it has its costs. Everything has its costs and negative sides. Just remember how I was before I met James and you - I was lost. I had no real life at least not what I thought worth living for."

[Dawn OOC]

"It's not selfish," JoAnna said angrily. "I don't think it's right to have kids until we have a cure. It's the exact opposite of selfish. It's making sure that I don't dump someone else in this shitty world.

"If you want to pop out babies and hand out tickets to Hopeville, you can," she said. "But I'm not having kids myself, not until I see that this is going to get better. I love kids, and I won't do that to them."

She gave Violet an particularly dark look. "I never said it made life easier, being a super - I said it was possible. James should be dead, and he isn't because he's a super. If you couldn't find something worth living for without clinging to other people... that's not a sign of being super. It's a sign of being needy."

"Hey!" Jill said, standing and putting an arm around Violet. "That's enough."

"Sure," JoAnna said. "I can be selfish because I won't have kids, but she can't be needy because she was lost without us? That's fair."

[Courier]

James broke in with, "Time Out!"

James turned to Jo and said, "You're right, the world sucks..." James turned to Violet and continued, "...and you're right, becoming a super exchanges one set of problems for a different set..." he turned back to Jo, "...and you're right, life is mostly better for the supers. V has problems that Jen does not, but mostly she chooses to be V. If I knew how to infect you I'd do it in a second."

James took a deep breath and continued, "But a cure would almost be pointless. It'd save the bitten, but all it'd do to the zoms is make them fully dead and we can already do that. Their hearts don't beat, their blood doesn't flow. Three other things I should point out. The world has sucked worse than this in the past. The only difference is this time we know what it could be like."

"Second, the four of us collectively are the new nobility. We're the second richest people in the compound after Fox. Priest might have us beat but he won't come even close after the club opens. If anyone here has the resources to give a kid a good life it's us."

"And third..." James voice took a much softer tone, "...third, Zeus' children were godlings, even with mortals. Hopefully a super's kids are also super."

James' tone got very light, before he was serious about every word but this was less so, "And something else, carrying a super kid might be a way to infect it's mother."

[Venus]

Violet didn’t look at JoAnna anymore when she answered. The last thing she said hurt her and it was never her intention to upset her like this. In the end JoAnna was interested only in one thing and that was the major reason she kept close to James. Somewhere there was love for him too, but it faded in comparison to her deep desire to be a super. It was almost as if she felt cheated.

James did have reasonable points and Violet hoped that some of it reached JoAnna and even if she didn’t want to admit that she’d at least had to acknowledge it. There was no reason to follow through with the argument, though. Violet had made a decision and there was no turning back now. She smiled at Jill thankful for her support and understanding. Jill was there when Violet needed her and she never failed her.

“I will ask Dr. Shattuck to give me a full exam. I want to make sure there are no risks and I want to get some advice from her… and I have to thank her for rescuing James. She is really special and I believe there is a reason that she is here. I can ask her how the chances are of becoming if you’d carried James’ child. How cruel would that be then, Jo?”, the last comment was uncalled for but she had said it and it was too late now. Violet was upset and her initial intention to settle the argument was forgotten. If JoAnna forced it she wouldn’t relent, she was ready to fight if necessary.

[Courier]

Hoping to short circuit the upcoming explosion but knowing he probably couldn't, James broke in, "I already asked a different Doctor that question. They don't know. No information available."

[Dawn OOC]

"Yeah, that'd be swell of me to carry a child into this world just to gain super-powers," JoAnna said sarcastically. "I don't get it, Violet. If I don't have kids, that's more resources for yours. Between you and Jill, we'll have more than enough rug-rats running around to make James feel virile, and to make you two feel like you're helping out the world. Why do I have to change or deny my feelings to make you happy?"

[Venus]

Violet stood up angrily and clenched her fists in response to JoAnna, "Who said I wanted that? Why do you keep assuming I'm doing this all because of me? I told you I need you - all three of you because without you they'd drag me out into the public one day and burn me like a witch. I'd be out of control and I don't want that. I'm trying to make amends and you are being selfish!"

Originally Posted By: Courier

Hoping to short circuit the upcoming explosion but knowing he probably couldn't, James broke in, "I already asked a different Doctor that question. They don't know. No information available."

Violet flashed him with angry eyes. "No! Myfwany is different! She must...", suddenly she stopped without finishing her sentence. They hadn't seen what she saw. They didn't see the miracle, they didn't feel what she felt when she saved James and commanded the animals.

"Jo... please. I don't want to fight with you.", Violet tried to swallow down her frustration and did her best to not escalate things.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Violet

Violet flashed him with angry eyes. "No! Myfwany is different! She must..."

*???*

Quote:

"Jo... please. I don't want to fight with you.", Violet tried to swallow down her frustration and did her best to not escalate things.

*Please dear god let that olive branch be taken...*

[Dawn OOC]

"I'm not wanting to fight with you, either, Violet," JoAnna said, her face scrunching with the effort to hold back tears. "But you called me selfish, and you keep telling me I'm wrong. But here, there are no right answers, only the answers we pick for ourselves. The fact that James can talk of marrying all of us is proof of that.

"All I want to be allowed to do what I think is right without being made to feel guilty about it," she said. "That's it."

[Courier]

James said gently, "There are no right answers, just what we pick for ourselves. And sometimes we have to agree to disagree." And you can give me your final answer about children another time Jo.

[Venus]

"All I wanted is to make sure we stay focused on our family here. You asked James if I was the Alpha here as if I was trying to push you away. I never wanted that. I'm trying very hard to hold back and you don't know how difficult that is for me.", she sighed and spared Jo the rest of her thoughts.

"I respect what you want and what you decide for yourself, Jo. Just don't make me feel as if there is only one reason for you why I'm part of this. Remember - I can feel what is going on and what you feel. I'm sorry for calling you selfish - I overreacted.", and you didn't have to see and experience what I did. If you could only understand how terrified I was because of what happened to James, maybe then you'd understand.

She could show her how she felt but she wouldn't allow herself to do that. She wouldn't try to manipulate her family again using her powers.

[Dawn OOC]

"That's all I want," Jo said, visibly relaxing. "To have a say over what happens to me." She reached out and put a hand on Violet's shoulder. "It's hard to be around you. Before you, I was the 'alpha', mostly because Jill let me be." She and Jill exchanged quick smiles. "I want to be your friend, Violet, and your... I think they call them sister-wife?"

[Venus]

Tears ran down Violet's cheeks as both anger, frustration and a good deal of fear dissolved in honest to god relief resulting in a strange cocktail of whirling emotions that she couldn't contain. Violet reached out to hold JoAnna and embraced her making the other woman feel without any use of her powers how truly grateful she was. It made her even laugh for a short moment. How silly was she? She had become so reliant to using her powers that she feared she could never dissolve any argument or problem without taking active control of it and that meant using her powers to 'convince' others she was right.

She wanted to kiss JoAnna - a natural response from her body but held it back. The other woman could tell though that she almost did. Violet wiped the tears away and smiled at Jo shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry - I'm a silly big girl I guess."

Then she laughed again one arm still wrapped around the beautiful womans waist.

"Sister-wife - always", she reached out with her other arm for Jill who quickly closed the distance. If James could only see them...

[Courier]

James released the breath he'd been holding and smiled in approval. *Now why do I think that was a bigger hurtle than regrowing the eyes?*