A. H. Wong

Chapter Thirteen

 

April 10th, 2012

 

Mid-Evening

 

“You. I need to talk to you.” Taylor said, unmeant harshness flooding into his voice. He reaches towards her, catching Beatrix by the arm before she can walk away. She jumps at his touch, but he merely tightens his grasp and wrenches her into his office. Thankful that she had not fought against his grip, he smiles at himself silently, closing the door behind her.

 

Unsure of what to expect, he turns to face her. Will she be mad at him? Hurt that he had apparently left her on her own?

 

How would he be able to explain that it had all been on Master John's order? How was he able to explain that?

 

He wasn't sure he knew. Still, all he had to do now was try his very best to support her, and hope that she forgave him one day.

 

When he faced her, however, she greeted him with a small smile. "It's....It's actually really good to see you again, Taylor. I have missed you. I really have."

 

He flushes softly. "Y-You did? Why? I was just--"

 

"My therapist? Yeah, well....I don't know if that's all you were. You see, I'm trying to figure a lot of things out right now. The major one is, of course, my relationship with Martin and I. But...."

 

"But?"

 

"There's something else. I'm....I'm starting to develop feelings for you. And I know that isn't a good thing, and I know I'm being an idiot, but I...."

 

His heart racing, Taylor breaks into her speech. "Beatrix, I'm very sorry, but I desperately need to tell you about some things. I need you to answer some questions for me, and I....We don't have much time. I'm really, really not supposed to even be around you anymore, and I'm so very sorry about that."

 

Beatrix just looked at him, his rebuke glowing clear in her face. She flushed silently, before nodding. "I-I....I guess I can understand. Taylor, then....Then, just get to it. If there's something you need to tell me about, then tell me about it."

 

Taylor nodded silently. "Y-Yeah. Yeah, I guess I will. Beatrix, I'm sorry to have to do this to you."

 

Beatrix just shook her head quietly. "Do what? Rebuke me? No, no. That's fine. I wasn't expecting anything better."

 

Realizing only then the depths of his screw-up, Taylor's mind flails softly. His logic grasps, working to try and predict a way to get out of this. His mind tosses away multiple options, struggling to think. 

 

Before too long, he realizes there is no way out of the hole he dug himself into, and sets off to make up for his mistakes with the truth. 

 

"Beatrix, I did not mean to do so. I merely am unable to discuss your feelings with you at this time, as I...."

 

"As you what? As you have more important issues to deal with? Gee, Taylor, now that's rich," Beatrix says, her eyes harsh. She leans back against his desk, her eyebrows raising. "Go ahead. Go and tell me what's more important than my feelings. I dare you."

 

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Taylor sighs. "Nothing is more important than your feelings. I just spoke far too quickly. Beatrix, may I....May I please tell you how I feel, then?"

 

Her eyes soften slightly. "Yes. Go ahead. I'll....I'll listen."

 

He smiles uncertainly, before biting his lip. Finding the words completely frozen in his throat, he stammers out: "I think I'm beginning to fall for you, Beatrix."

 

She freezes for an instant, before a smile grows wide across her face. "T-Thank you, Taylor. Thank you, thank you, thank you....."

Her eyes shut, and a small tear falls down her face. Her smile remains, though, glowing and bright. Taylor's heart races for a brief moment, realizing for the very first time that this may be the very first true smile he has ever seen.

 

The very first time he has truly seen her happy.

 

Fighting against the voices in his mind that call him a fool, he walks towards her. He touches her arm gently, smiling faintly. "Beatrix, I love you. I truly do. But....I....There's so much that has to happen. There's so much standing against us, and I need to know that you are truly with me before we can become anything."

 

She nods silently, her smile dimming a tiny bit as the reality of their situation set in. "Y-Yeah. You're right. I mean....I'm still with Martin. Oh, god, I'm still with Martin...." She slouches further against his desk, finally just sliding down to rest on the floor.

 

Taylor nods, swallowing again. "And he sees me as a threat, which I suppose he should. Then, of course, there is the matter of Master John not exactly wanting me anywhere near you. THEN, there is the matters I need to discuss with you."

 

She glances up at the last part. "Yeah....You must have pulled me in here for a reason. So....Go ahead. Shoot."

 

"Now, I'm really not supposed to discuss this with anyone, so I must ask you to please be silent about it."

 

She frowned faintly, but nodded just the same. "Sure. Yes. I will be silent about it--I won't tell a soul. Not a single soul."

 

Breathing slowly, he asked her, "What do you know about the death of Lily White?"

 

Beatrix just frowned at him, angling her head slightly to the side. "Just that she...just that she ran away, and it didn't turn out well for her. Got jumped, or something. Aren't the police working on that?"

 

"The....The police aren't working on this, Beatrix. I truly hate to say this, but I do believe that Lily White was murdered. Murdered by....Murdered by Master John."

 

Beatrix just froze, staring at him for a few seconds. She began to laugh, not believing him in the least. "You....You have got to be kidding me. Are you serious? No. There is no way he would do that. No way at all."

 

Taylor looked at her in silence, before shaking his head. "Beatrix, there's a lot you don't know about the Agency. In fact, there's a lot that everyone here doesn't know about the Agency. And I think it's high time all of you find out the truth."

 

She swallowed, her laughter ceasing as soon as the fact that he was serious sunk in. "Y-You're kidding me, right? He actually....He actually had her killed? Why?"

 

"Because she knew about the Agency's secrets. Beatrix, why are you and the other residents of the seventh floor ostracized? Why is the Plucked Feather a different resident from the others?"

 

She blinked. "Well, that's....That's not that big of a secret. I mean....We all got molested, didn't we? And then we all killed the people who molested us. Or, at the very least, fought back enough to hurt them seriously."

 

Taylor nodded. "Yes, but there's....One other thing. You know about all those pedophile killings, right? The ones going on everywhere?"

 

Beatrix nods, before suddenly she barks out a laugh. "Taylor, you really think that I didn't figure all of this out the absolute second I got here? The reason I barely see the other residents of the seventh floor is because they're the ones off doing the killing. I mean, seriously.....It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

 

He just stares at her in silence. "Wait....You mean you figured it out? And....And no one told you?"

 

She laughs again. "I may be a deeply screwed up person, but I'm not an idiot, and I'd seriously prefer it if you didn't treat me like one. Look, Taylor, I know. It's always been obvious. In fact, I also know that the reason Janelle and Maverick--as well as most of the others--don't go to school is because they're training all the time."

 

He examines her closely, cursing himself--and Master John--for not foreseeing that the residents here were, in fact, extremely clever people. "Do you also know the other reason?"

 

She grows sad instantly, regarding him with a haunted look. "Yes. I know. The residents of the Plucked Feather....People like me....The only way we're ever going to leave the Agency is if we die."

 

Taylor nodded to her silently. "There's no way out for you, Beatrix. And I'm so, so sorry."

 

She reached her hand up to him, pulling her down onto her level. "You know what, Taylor? Don't be. It's okay. I really don't care about what happens to me. I mean....I like the Agency. It has food, and warm clothes....Besides, it's kind of nice to not have to worry about being afraid all the time."

 

Taking a seat beside her on the floor, he leans gently into her side. "I guess that's a good enough reason to stay. S-So....So, I guess this means that...."

 

"That you aren't getting rid of me?"

 

He grins. "Yeah. Yeah, it does mean that."

 

They go silent again, caught in thought. Before he can register what his hand is doing, his hand finds its way to Beatrix'. He clutches it gently, holding it tightly. "I-I....I think we need to discuss what to do about Master John."

 

He feels, rather than sees, her shrug. "Are you completely sure that he had her killed?"

 

Taylor nodded. "And he...he did it because of...."

 

"What's up, biotches?"

 

Taylor leaps to his feet, staring at the now-open door.

 

Kevin stands there, a smile wide upon his face. "Mind if I come in?"