MM's Apartment | Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

Even after a couple days in space, Annie felt a little uneasy even stepping back into New York again. It helped that she had no intention of doing so again for a long, long time after this. She'd been out in the city long enough to see the coverage about her was waning and that Homelander and Ryan were off the grid still, apparently, but to also catch sight of a few protesters bearing signs that urged people to #BelieveStarlight, and that...helped.

But she also knew it wasn't enough to keep her here, anymore.

"Hello?" she called, letting herself into MM's apartment with the key he'd given her (and that she would be leaving in a discreet spot on top of his doorframe when she left, since she wouldn't need it again.) "It's me."

And when no answer came, she -- well. It had been a long, long few weeks, and she had good reason to be wary of not hearing an answer.

"Are you there?"

Maggie	She hadn't gotten an answer because Maggie had been taking her time, thank you. Jesus, Annie. Always in such a fucking rush. Stop and smell the roses every once in awhile. Maybe given your walking bruise of a friend a little time to make her way out of the bedroom you, yourself, had so recently spent a few nights in with Diego. But here she was, dressed in a clean button-down shirt, her hair loose, her missing eye patched and a bruise over the good one.
Annie	"Oh God." Annie took a moment to watch her approach, thinking about how much worse this woman had looked a few days prior -- when she and Diego had helped her hobble into a van while MM boxed up Soldier Boy for Colonel Mallory -- versus her appearance now. "Well, you, uh...you look like shit." She looked beautiful. Human, and gloriously so. Annie couldn't help but grin at her, despite her words.
Maggie	"Fuck off, Smurfette." There was no heat to Maggie's comment, in spite of the way her voice rasped slightly. She almost smiled, though. This all hurt like a bitch. And she loved it.
Annie	Annie laughed, a little relieved as she looked her friend over before coming back up to meet her eyes. "You gonna be...okay?" Annie had never been hurt that badly. Considering it took the likes of Stormfront or Viktor to give Annie bruises, she could only imagine what kind of pain someone as tough as Maeve had to be enduring to have survived that kind of fall and explosion.
Maggie	"Slowly," Maggie told her, looking down thoughtfully at her wrist. The old injury didn't bother her now, amongst the new ones, but she couldn't help but think of it anyway. "Painfully. Just like every other powerless schmuck in America, thanks to Soldier Boy." A parting gift. But unlike Kimiko, Maggie would actually beg Annie to make sure she stayed this way. "Question." An important one. "Should I get a pirate patch, or the Sammy Davis glass eye?"
Annie	"Oh, pirate patch, no question. I know a girl in Fandom who's missing an eye and I'm pretty sure she matches her patches to all her clothes," Annie told her with a nod. Helpful! Especially since Annie actually still found Margo intimidating in much the way she'd once found Queen Maeve.
Elena!	There was another stirring from that back bedroom, and out walked Maggie's old girlfriend Elena. They had broken up last year, but Elena was now greeting Annie with a smile and coming to rest her chin on Maggie's shoulder. Had you all forgotten about her? It would be reasonable, since no one even mentioned her name to remind you she existed for, like, well over a year! Who knew how this reunion had occurred. Whatever! Happy endings! Hooray!
Annie	"Where will you guys go?" Annie wondered, knowing that she probably wouldn't be given a real answer. It all ached, still, and she knew it would for awhile. It was so, so, so much better than thinking like the rest of the world that Queen Maeve had died that night, but the end result was...very similar. But she couldn't blame them for wanting the cleanest break they could get.
Maggie & Elena	"I dunno. Somewhere Homelander won't find me," Maggie answered resolutely. "A farm, ideally," Elena added, playing a little with Maggie's hair. "She was a Future Farmer of America." "Great," Maggie commented softly. They had less than minutes left with Annie, Elena. Couldn't have just...kept that to yourself until they were out of Mary Sunshine's earshot?
Annie	Oh, Annie loved that so much. She loved that so, so much for you, Maeve. She was quiet for a moment, studying this woman in front of her who had kept parts of herself so siloed away for years, but whom Annie still felt so privileged to have known as well as she did. "Thank you," she said softly. "For everything."
Maggie	Maggie was quiet too, choosing her words. "First time your prissy ass showed up at the tower, crying in the conference room...." She cut herself off, offering Annie a wordless apology. She should have done more, that first night. She could have done more, and she hadn't. "You saved me." But that was the thing about it. She hadn't been in a position to help anyone, then. She'd needed Annie to remind her how. "Truth is," she continued, "you don't need me anymore. I could jump. But you can fucking fly."
Annie	Annie didn't trust her voice right now. But she did, however, trust her gut. And so she moved forward to do something she'd never before dared to even try with Maeve, and gently wrapped her arms around her. She'd never get another chance.
Maggie	It was strange how something as simple as a hug could knock the wind right out of you, but Maggie was struck breathless before she grinned and wrapped her good, unbroken arm up around Annie. "Sorry I can't be at the wedding." Summer -- not June, not Starlight's Bestie, Summer -- would be better at the Maid of Honor thing than she ever could, anyway. "Take care of Diego. Give him one of these for me."
Annie	And that, noticeably, was not any variation on Starlight's Boyfriend. This really was goodbye, wasn't it. "I will," Annie promised, blinking away a few tears. They were mostly happy, though -- as much as she knew she was going to miss Maeve, this was like hugging a walking, breathing miracle. She wasn't going to let go until someone made her, though. And she was the stronger one now, Maeve. So there.
Maggie	"Enough," Maggie chided, pulling back -- easy enough, despite Annie's narrative. "You're like a walking Hallmark card, Jesus." It was kind of her favorite thing about her, and what she was probably going to miss most about Annie.
Annie	"Yeah." Annie cleared her throat, though she couldn't help but still reach a hand over to touch Maeve's arm as Elena took her other hand to head for the door. "Bye, Maeve." Oh, it sucked to say. She was going to have a good cry here in MM's apartment before she headed home, wasn't she?
Maggie	"Maggie," she corrected, and Annie's future daughter's name from a few weeks prior rushed back into her head, now infused with brand-new importance. Maggie gave Annie's hand one last squeeze before dropping it as she and Elena headed for the door. "Bye, Annie." And with one last smile over her shoulder, Maggie exited the apartment, Elena closing the door behind them both. You probably shouldn't meet your heroes. But Annie would always be grateful she'd gotten to meet hers. Bye, Maggie.

[An epilogue, taken from The Boys 3.08, preplayed with myself, and NFB/NFI/OOC is welcome! (I'm actually done for real now!)]