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Billy sits in the rafters, in shadows, crying. He knew this was coming, he even knew why and what would happen. He had seen it before. It still didnt make it any easier. Barry is gone, a friend is gone and a hero is gone, and he hates it, even as he knows it had to happen. So he cries and the shadows conceal him to most eyes.

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Not to Catherine's eyes, as she looks up.

Her own cheeks wet, she attempts a small smile and holds out her hand to him.

His concealment ended, he almost flies down the rafters and ends up next to her somehow, his eyes full of tears and his whole body shuddering.

She gently puts an arm around his shoulders, that small smile wobbling in place.

And he hugs her, crying some, and just shaking some in reaction. It is weird to him to not be able to change anything, and he hates it. So he cries, and he says goodbye in his mind to Barry.

She holds him tight, closing her eyes, shushing him like she would with Lindsey, slightly rocking in place.

He shivers in her arms and cries, letting it come out as he hasnt before, somehow trusting her even when he doesnt know her, but needing to cry, now. But the crying does eventually slow.

He does know her, doesn't he? She'd be wounded if she knew, really.

"He can't be gone," Catherine says softly, over the top of his head. "He was such a good man..."

He shivers, and slowly gulps then nods.

"He... he was a wonderful man, and a good hero... and he was the one person I truly looked up to, of all I knew..."

She squeezes his shoulders, nodding, her voice halting. "But he's still around--in the Speed Force..."

He nods, and looks up at her.

"That sounds... nice. I hope he is happy, whereever he is..."

He sniffles in for a moment and seems to attempt some small dignity, then.

"How are you?"

It sounds lame even to him, but it is the thing you ask.

Catherine wipes at her cheeks ineffectually, blinking hard, and tries to smile. "In a whole lot of very small pieces right now. I think we both need a drink."

He smiles, and sniffles some.

"Yeah.... or a shake."

What? Shakes are the cure to everything!

Of course they are. This is a natural law of the universe.

She nods, extends her hand to him. "C'mon, let's go to the bar."

[ooc: another wrap? She really has to take him to the CSI lab sometime ^^]

He sniffs loudly, then takes her hand and nods.

"Okay."

He smiles a little at her as they go.

(ooc: that works. And er... hopefully soon, but I cant dedicate him to a date right now. he has canon he has to go back to and when that is done, his situation will have changed. Once I have a schedule for him in my head, maybve we can plan something?)

[ooc: No worries, sounds like a good thing.]

Most isn't all. She can see in near-perfect darkness. And has taken to actually watching the rafters.

Especially in the last few days.

So in her sweep of the room, she happens to notice Billy.

"Hey, kiddo. You all right?"

He glances at her, his tears probably more visible, but he tries a smile a bit.

"Yeah, I think so... just... mourning a friend."

"Ah, shit." She winces slightly. "I'm sorry."

Because loss is something that is universal.

He edges forward intot he light slightly and nods.

"Thanks."

The tears are slowing some, and he is doing his best to keep it under controlnd try to... honor his friend. Sometimes it sucks tryign to do all that stuff they tell you you are supposed to do.

"Did you know Barry Allen?"

"Not really. We'd met in passing, at the Security meetings, but that's it." In fact, she doesn't know many of the old guard, really.

"He, uhm..."

Billy shakes his ehad and scrubs his eyes.

"He Moved On this morning."

He closes his eyes for a moment and then nods.

"I mean, I know he is supposedly going to a better place and all but... yeah."

"But you still miss him, 'cause you're still here?"

Seems like a decent enough guess.

"Yeah... and because, he was someone I could talk to, I guess? Someone who knew a lot. We were from the same world, and knew a lot of the same stuff, even if we were from different walks of life. It was nice, having sopmeone to talk to like that here..."

he shrugs, sniffles, sitting up a little straighter. Then he rubs his eyes for a minute.

"But, I'll be okay."

"There anyone else you can talk to here, from your world?"

Even if you can't replace a friend, it's not a good idea to cut yourself off entirely.

And no, she's not inclined to take her own advice on that matter. So there.

"Well... yeah. There is a friend I can talk to some, but it'sa little different, her being a girl and all."

He smiles a bit and wipes his nose with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"I dunno... I just... feel limp, you know?"

Max rolls her eyes at that. "...Males."

A moment's pause, and she nods. "Yeah. I know what you mean. It's never easy to deal with losing a friend."

He almost laughs at that.

"It's just guys talk like guys and guys and women talk differently... even when you are best friends. I've never really understood why, but that seems to be the way it is."

And he nods.

"I think I am just gonna sit and think a lot today. And remember..."

"...They do?" Most of her division issues when it comes to matters of interpretation stem from her royally screwed up upbringing. The gender divide just doesn't really register much of the time.

"Well, don't let yourself get too depressed."

He smiles a bit. Then he shrugs.

"I dunno. It always seemed that way to me. But I could be wrong..."

He smiles again and nods to her.

"I wont. If I get to annopyingly depressed with myself, I will go get a shake."

Because shakes are miracle cures, didn't you know?

Well, milkshakes are better than being tossed in a snowbank.

She nods slightly. "Good. Take care of yourself."

He smiles a bit, sniffles, and rubs his face again, retreating back into the shadows.

"I will. "

Then he sticks his head back down and calls,

"And Max? Thanks."

She grins faintly. "S'what I'm here for."

He grins and fully retreats again. he feels a little better, anmd maybe even a little bit better than that to know there is soemone who can see in the shdaows, so even when he is up there, he wont be completely alone.

(ooc: and fade/wrap?! and thanks for the thread!)

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