Volume #27: "Birthday"

There it sat. Rose stepped carefully out of the elevator, looking over the ancient vehicle in the bay with her.

The red paint seemed flawless, even after all of these years. Absently, she ran a hand along the rear quarter-panel, down the length of the fin, trying to quantify the feeling of the car.

Her car. It was just settling in with her. Pontiac had fixed it up for her, as a gift. She had always thought of it as her mother's ... even after that horrible day eight years before. That was why she had never driven it.

Slowly, she placed her hand on the handle of the door, pulling the door open. She eased herself behind the steering wheel, the feel of the leather seats against her body like the embrace of an old friend as she pulled the door closed behind her.

She closed her eyes, placing a hand on the steering wheel, the other near the ignition. She slipped the keys into the lock, turning it until she heard the starter catch, the engine growling loudly within the confines of the Xanacorp garage.

Slipping it into gear, Rose guided the car through the hole it had made not a month before in the garage door, into the New York winter morning.

Rose sighed. Every year at this time; stop by the stand and buy some lilies. The fact that the stand was now in ruins made her sad at first, then even more determined. She put her foot down on the accelerator, zipping the car down the street, leaving the ruined stand far behind her.

More ruined streets greeted her path, as she slowed the vehicle down to navigate around crumbled masonry and rubble. Even more sadness overcame her, knowing that her city had suffered all of this damage only within the last year.

This year of the invasion.

She saw a clearing near a cross-street she needed to take, angling the car into a turn between what looked like a gargoyle's head. She shuddered slightly ... true, it was a carved stone gargoyle, but any shattered gargoyle gave her images of her father's life ... images of what must have been the horror of his life ... seeing his clan broken around him.

Feeling herself become more depressed, Rose kicked the car faster, passing by the shattered stones.

Then she saw him. A little boy, maybe eight years old, running into the street in front of her. Hurriedly, Rose hit the brake, bringing the car to a sliding halt. Eye met eye, as the boy and the hybrid woman gazed into each others'.

The woman's eyes, rife with fear and despair, became affected by the gaze of the hopeful child's, full of his youth and joy. Soon the child's mother rushed out into the cold to retrieve the boy from the gaze of the Fairlane.

Rose couldn't help but smile. For now, the child's hope was in her. For it was reaffirmed what she fought for.

The tranquil afternoon was suddenly broken by loud gunfire raining down upon the street. Rose looked up into the air, seeing them. Rokkans.

She was ready. From its concealed place in her jacket, she pulled out her pistol, looking up at her enemy and firing from the window of the car. They spotted her gunfire, turning their flight to face her.

And now the car engaged. Rose was expecting this, as Pontiac had told her about the little quirks of the Fairlane ... among those being that the car seemingly had a soul.

The car kicked into gear, beginning to zoom into the heart of the combat arena. Rose took that as her cue to pull herself further out of the window, using both hands to level her aim and fire into the sky. Three shots later, a Rokkan attacker was falling. Another had turned to swoop in and take her out.

Rose's cybernetic eye glowed redder than it usually did, as she pulled her fist back. She threw the punch, as the Rokkan came in closer, sending the attacker flying. That only left the third ...

... who was quickly dispatched by a high-flying gargoyle above. Rose smiled once again, as she happily recognized Rain, keeping watch over her. True, she didn't really need him there, but she felt a lot better to have him above her. She waved happily toward him.

He waved back, heading back toward the Castle. Rose slipped back into the driver's seat of the car, taking the wheel back from its spirit driver. Pumping the brakes until it was back down to a manageable speed, she angled the car down another cross-street.

In her hand, she held a bouquet that she had managed to find amongst the ruined streets. Lilies. The elderly owner of another ruined flower stand had given them to her freely, after recognizing who she was and her role in fighting the invasion. Taking a deep breath, Rose began her trek into the heart of the yard.

Pacing up and down the tombstones, she finally found the marker she sought. It was none the worse for wear from the invasion, but it still had a lot of overgrowth around its base. She reached down, pulling the foliage away, until the marker's inscription could be fully read.

Letting out a slow breath, Rose kneeled down before the marker, laying the lilies resting upon the ground before it.

"Hello, Mom. Happy birthday." She sighed. "I suppose there isn't much that I can tell you that you don't already know. You've been such a guiding force to us all through this invasion, it's almost like ... you're with us again. I've never seen Dad so ... lively, since you left us. He always seemed like he was in a cloud, impervious to everyone and everything around him.

"But it's different now. I don't have to assume anything anymore. I know that he loves me, as much as he loves you, or Angela, or any of the Clan.

"And now, there's Rain, too." Rose wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know why, but I just have this feeling that you wanted me to find him, one way or another. I don't recall seeing him when I went to Avalon so long ago ... but something tells me there's something really special about him, something that you know.

"And it makes me love him all the more."

Rose looked over to the setting sun. "Well, it's been fun, Mom, but I have to go. I have responsibilities, but I wanted to get this out of the way for this year. You know I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The woman leaned forward, placing a light kiss on the headstone before rising to leave. She turned back toward the car, getting in and starting up.

Had she looked back toward the headstone, though, she might have seen a shade still standing there, at the gravesite. A female shade.

A tearful shade. Her eyes shimmered in the light of sunset, as she watched her daughter drive off. She blew a kiss toward the retreating vehicle.

"Be careful, my Rose. I love you."