[ANASTASIA BONES CAVELLIER]

[googlefont=Allura]

I'd never given much though to how I would die. But dying in place of someone I love, seems like a good way to go.

Anastasia Cavellier sat on the train, staring out the window as the land went by. She had been doing that for quite a while now, perhaps five hours now as the scenery had changed from London's city views to the quiet villages and rolling hills of the south. But with those hills now changing to trees, and the occasional glimpse of a sea, Anastasia or well, Ana as preferred, knew that her train ride was coming to a close. She had a chaperone with her, Detective McCoy, who had tied up the loose ends of her case once she had ended up in the hospital. The teenager had wished she hadn't need a chaperone for this trip, but adjusting from her boxed life to the busy streets of a city had done her no favors, and so they thought it best she had someone upon delivery to her mother.

Mother. The word still felt foreign to Ana. A fleeting image that barely registered in her mind. For the longest time, Ana thought she had no mother, well, not a live one at least. But her whole life had been a lie, and now she was learning the truth, and relearning society. Sometimes she did great, and other times, not so well. She hated talking to the therapist that the city of London tried to give her, and so, they thought it best to ship her down to her mother, Elizabeth Michelle Bones, as soon as possible. The fifteen year old didn't know what to expect, she had awkward phone calls, but that was all, now it would be face to face and Ana didn't know what to expect.

As the train came to a stop, Ana felt her fingers clutching her beaten copy of Twilight a bit hard now. The time of wondering was over. She was about to get her answers to her wonders: "Come on, Ana. Your mum is meeting us outside the train station." The teenager merely nodded, pushing herself up to her feet now as she grabbed her backpack and swung it over her shoulder, Detective McCoy grabbing her dufflebag and she followed her out. Already, the air felt different in Willow Bridge than it did in London, more similar to the remote cottage that she grew up in. Ana couldn't decide if that was welcoming or not: "Keep up, Ana!" The voice broke through her thoughts, snapping her back as she trotted after the older woman now as they headed down the stairs and out onto the city streets of Willow Bridge.

Standing there next to Detective McCoy, her blue eyes stared out at faces walking by, wondering who might be her mother until Detective McCoy spoke: "Dr. Bones! How wonderful it is to final speak in person." Ana couldn't help but to roll her eyes, only an adult could make a reunion sound boring and unimportant. She turned now though, to face the direction in which her chaperone had spoken to and came face to face with a slender brunnette woman, and all what Ana could find in her normal outgoing chatter was shyness: "Um...hi...mum."

april 2024 • ELIZABETH MICHELLE BONES

thanks aofie!

[ELIZABETH MICHELLE BONES]

The flat was beginning to feel big, now that James had left to attend art school, and his room had been cleared out and she was here all alone... well, her and the dog that no one could ever pick the breed of. Then, she'd received the one phone call that had ripped the rug out from under her, the call that she never expected to get.

She still didn't know where her emotions were sitting as she made her way to Willow Bridge City, where she had arranged to meet the detective and her daughter. She was equally nervous and excited about being reunited with her daughter, but mixed in there was a bit of fear, as she had no idea what the girl had been told over the last twelve years, and she knew that the girl wouldn't remember who she was.

After parking her car, she made her way down to the cute little cafe with nice outdoor seating, moving her phone from one hand to the other as she went through many ways this could work out, unsure whether to find a table or not. "Dr. Bones! How wonderful it is to final speak in person." She smiled. "Please, it's Beth." She hadn't been Dr anything since she had taken her nephew in. She gave Anastasia a warm smile "You can call me Beth, if it feels too soon to call me mum." She offered. They were strangers to each other, as this young woman wasn't the bubbly four year old that had been spirited away in the middle of the night all those years ago. "Shall we find a table and get something to drink?" even if the detective needed to hurry off, it would be a nice neutral place for her and Anastasia to get to know each other

ANASTASIA BONES CAVELLIER

[ANASTASIA BONES CAVELLIER]

[googlefont=Allura]

I'd never given much though to how I would die. But dying in place of someone I love, seems like a good way to go.

Ana felt awkward as she stood between the two adults, her blue eyes flickering back and forth as they had their small exchange over how to address each other. Small talk. The teenager did her best to not kick at the payment and scuff the bottom of her boot, even though it was so tempting. Her nerves were bundled up, and Ana was certain that she had poisonous bees dancing around in her stomach. It was stupid really. This was her mum, her real mum, someone who loved her, yet to Ana, she was a complete stranger.

Speaking of Beth Bones, there was a warm smile on her lips now. The kinda of warmth that could bake some cookies without ever needing an oven. Ana felt drawn in, yet still remained wary as if Detective McCoy was some sort of shield. Still, Ana offered a smile, "Beth." The fifteen year old now said now, trying out the name. It did seem easier to say than 'mum', truth be told, although she didn't want to hurt her feelings. At the offer of a table, Detective McCoy appeared to agree, yet their phone went off, and they excused themselves to go take it.

Blue eyes watched them step a way a good few meters, giving the pair privacy, "I know that move," Ana observed now, "It's going to end up being just you and me." Her gaze and attention moved back to Beth now, they were alone. It was a little fast, faster than she thought, but Ana trusted the detective, therefore, she trusted that Beth was Beth. Besides, the crowds of the streets were starting to annoy her, "Do you like...boba tea?" A new addiction the fifteen year old had discovered in London after being freed, as her blue eyes glanced past Beth to see a logo hanging over a door that contained a cartoon dog holding said drink, "Because that place looks good and...quiet."

april 2024 • ELIZABETH MICHELLE BONES

thanks aofie!

[ELIZABETH MICHELLE BONES]

Beth smiled as it seemed that her offer had pleased the teenager. And having the girl back in her life was so much more important to her than ever being called mum. Even after she had adopted her nephew, he'd always called her by her first name. "How do prefer to be addressed?" She knew the girl's name, but she wanted to tread carefully here, and if Anastasia suddenly said that she wanted to be called Sally, she'd be happy to go with that.

Beth chuckled at the comment as the detective stepped away to take a call. "Our parents did it to us, and when we become adults, we seem to think the younger generation won't have caught on." Her brows rose at the question about boba tea and she smiled as she followed the teen's view. "I prefer it over the smell of coffee." She replied with a grin. She liked the odd cup of coffee, but the smell could get to be a little too much when surrounded by it for too long. "Sounds like a great idea, let's go." She nodded her head in that direction and led the way. "What flavours do you like the most?" Seemed like a good way to break the ice between them.

ANASTASIA BONES CAVELLIER