Clean Up

Your sleep is fitful. Your emotional exhaustion the only reason you get any sleep at all. The next morning you have a hell of a kink in your neck. Your pain was nothing compared to your sister's suffering however.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" You hear her groan to life. "Ohhh fuck."

You rub your eyes and blink them a few times. "Good morning Fiona."

She rolls off of you holding the sides of her head and looks up with bloodshot eyes. "What the...? What are you...?" You watch her face as she searches her foggy memory for what happened the night before. She slumps the ground and covers her face. "Ohhhh fuck."

"Feel good now? Got that out of your system? Huh?" You ask none to gently.

"Fuck off." She grumbles.

"Ha ha ha! Nah, you feel like shit don't you? You look like it too."

"Fuck off." She says again. She hadn't the cognizance or energy for a fight right now.

"Nah, I'm here to stay Sis." You stand up and look around. "Look at this place. Christ you and your friends did a number on it."

"Friends? Friends! Ohhhh fuck." She moans again as another drunken memory burbles up from the murky haze of the night before. "Ohhhhhh fuuuuuck!"

"Well...probably not friends anymore I'm guessing."

She pulls the blanket over her head. You lean down and tear it off of her. "Get up. Come on. We have to clean up before Mom sees this. Me and El aren't going to do it alone."

She forces her bleary eyes to look around. "El's back? Oh no! She wasn't here...last night...was she?"

"No, she'll be over soon though. You don't want her seeing you like this, do you?"

That did the trick. With a groan of deep suffering and a monumental effort she struggles to her hands and knees then slowly to her feet. She looks over her mostly naked body then around at the room. "Fuck. I'll...buy us a new TV. Fuck."

"Yeah you will." You assert. "Now come on, go get dressed. Splash some water on your face or something. We've got a lot of work to do."

She glares at you. She did not appreciate your tone but was in no condition to argue. "Fuck off."

"Nope, I'm here to stay." You say again. You take her by the shoulder then swat her well shaped booty. Smack! "Off ya go! Come on!"

"When I'm feeling better I'm going to fuckin..."

"Ha! Save your threats Sis. I took you down last night and I'll do it again." You spoke with bravado but after last night you legitimately did not want to go one on one with a sober Fiona. You had a feeling you might not fare nearly so well.

She simply hadn't the faculties to trade barbs with you. Instead she shuffles from the room like a zombie then stumbles up the stairs. You carefully make your way out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. There was another broken bottle and a smashed whisky tumbler, there was also food and drink left out and the pantry door left open, but it wasn't nearly as bad as you were expecting.

You trade a few playful texts with Casey then begin to tidy up. Fiona is upstairs for about twenty minutes when you hear the shower turn on. It is then that you hear Elsie come through the front door. "Hello?"

You look down the hall and give her a smile and a wave. "Hey El, I'm in here."

She wore one of her usual outfits and carried with her a paper bag. Steps forward and turns her head to look into the messy living room. "Holy moly! Wow!"

She continues down the hall and comes into the kitchen. She sets the bag down and you hug each other. "I brought some breakfast sandwiches. They're cold by now."

"Beggars can't be choosers." You say as you uncurl the top of the bag and fish a couple out.

"How is she?" El asks as you hand her a sandwich.

You can't help but chuckle. "Hung over, bad! Real bad!"

Elsie giggles. "Well, serves her right. Mmm. I've been meaning to come back anyways. Pick up a few more things." You both begin to eat your sandwiches.

"You're staying at Peg's then? Permanently?"

She ponders the question as she chews. "I don't know yet. I really like it there and Peg enjoys the company, but it is different. Doesn't quite feel like home yet, ya know? I miss some things about being here." She takes a big bite, smiles with full cheeks, and blinks at you adorably. "If you come over I will stay for sure."

"I can't leave, not now."

She nods and grins. "I thought you would say that." She was proud of you, you could see it in her eyes.

You could hear Fiona making her way slowly down the stairs. After what seems like far too long she finally shambles into the kitchen. She is dressed in a baggy cotton dress and an old loose t shirt, her dark sunglasses covered her eyes.

"Fuuuuuck." She groans as she enters.

"El brought some breakfast." You tell her, you push the bag closer to her.

Fiona looks at Elsie. Elsie stares back at her. These two hadn't seen each other in some time and the last they spoke it hadn't gone well. You could cut the tension with a knife. With the dark glasses you couldn't read Fiona's eyes.

Fiona swats the bag away. "What the fuck are you doing here?" She says to her little sister. "Come to see me suffer? Lord it over me like Jesse?"

Well...so much for Fiona actually acting like a normal human being.

Before El can respond you step between them. "Nope! Nope, we aren't doing this today. Not today!"

Elsie bites her tongue and turns away. She gets out the broom and dust pan from the corner where you had left them and without a word or even another glance at her sister she heads out towards the living room.

Fiona calls after her. "Just leave Elsie! Get out! Run back to Peg's! I don't need your pity." She grumbles under her breath afterward. "I don't need anyone."

You sigh. "Fiona. Shut...UP! She's here to help for fuck sake."

She looks at you. "You are mighty uppity this morning bitch. You need to learn your place."

You shake your head sadly. You weren't going to fight her, not today. "Whatever."

You grab a roll of paper towels and some spray on cleaner and head off to follow El. Fiona steps up to stop you. "Just get outta here. Go see your your new fuck toy or something."

You look at her. "We're here to clean up your mess. You can't stop us."

Fiona stands tall for a short moment and then her shoulders slump. She turns away from you and puts her hands on the counter, her head down she wavers a bit. She had it rough! "I don't need your pity." She says in a low voice. "Go away. Just...go away Jesse. Take El and go."

"It's not pity Fiona." You take a breath. "Hey, about what I said to you last week..."

"Fuck you!" Fiona growls. "I don't care about anything you have to say. I don't care if you hate me. Why would I care about a pathetic little boy like you?"

"Fiona, stop this."

"You nut yet bitch?"

You sigh. "No."

"You will. Soon. Once you're mine I'll really give you a reason to hate me!" Her head was still down, her hands gripping the counter. Her unsteady dry voice didn't have nearly the same conviction as her bold words.

"I don't hate you Fiona."

"Fuck you and fuck off! Fuckin needle dick bitch." You see her slump but she is able to hold herself up. "Casey will find out what a useless man you are, just like Allison did. Then you'll be begging for my attention."

Her attacks were toothless now. There was no sting, no pang of self doubt, no feelings of insecurity. Peggy had built you up too well. You then just shake your head in sadness once more. You wanted to hug her. Instead you leave her be and walk out of the kitchen to join El.

Together you and Elsie clean up the living room. Once the glass and spilled booze is dealt with it really wasn't that bad. Fiona tries once more to get the pair of you to stop and just get out, she insults you and berates you but you both ignore her and continue to clean her mess without her. This infuriates your older sister and she eventually leaves without a word of thanks, slamming the door behind her as she goes.

After a moment you stand. "I'm going after her!"

El says. "Don't, she won't listen right now."

You knew she was right. "We have to do something. I'm really starting to worry about her. She thinks we hate her!"

"Well...we did tell her that to her face. And honestly, there's a part of me that does." Elsie comes to you and takes your hands. "But there is still a bigger part of me that loves her."

"Yeah, me too." You look toward the door as you hear Fiona's car pull away. "She doesn't make it easy, does she?"

"She wouldn't be Fiona if she did." She grips your hands. "Hey, about that idea I had..."

Elsie outlines her plan to help her sister. It certain was unique. You were dubious as to whether it would work though. El was committed however and soon enough you would find out.

"You're sure you don't want me to do it?" You ask her after.

She shakes her head. "No. I want to. I need to."

"Very well El. Good luck."

As the pair of you are carrying the TV out to the trash you say. "Hey, I think I might head over to Casey and Felix's after this. Want to join me?"

You see her blush. "Uh...oh...um..."

"Is Felix working today?"

"Er...I don't think so."

"Then come on. It'll be fun. You two should see each other, face to face. Maybe I can get Casey to sing for us. You HAVE to hear her. You just won't believe it." You set the TV down by the trash can and dust your hands off.

"Um...sure." El smiles, her hands clasp together in front of her. "It'll be easier with you there."

"Ha ha! There we go." You almost vibrate with excitement. You should be tired from a bad night sleep yet you were brimming with energy! "Oh El! I can't wait to see her again! GAH!"

Elsie laughs. "I can see that!"

The pair of you head inside and finish up. Working with El made the chore fun as you joked and talked. You take the bdsm toys you found and leave them in a bag by Fiona's bedroom door. You send a message to Casey saying you and El might stop by. Within seconds there is a response telling you it was okay. You shower, change, and get ready to go.

You take one last look around. Except for the lack of a television the place looked great. One less thing for Fiona and your mother to clash about. Before you go you look at the spot on the floor where you had slept. You rub your sore neck and remember how it felt holding Fiona. Last night was rough, but you were happy it happened. It clarified things for you. Fiona was your sister. You would not give up on her, no matter how hard she pushed you away.

As you go Elsie is all smiles. She picks up her box of stuff she had collected and asks. "Can we take the Queen of Hearts?"

"Ha! Sure. Oh, remind me I have to get her roof fixed." You say as you grab your coat.

She nods. "Sure thing. Let's go!" She was nervous to see Felix, but she was pretty pumped as well. You being with her gave her confidence.

You lock the house and head out to the Queen. You were glad to see Fiona's "freinds" cars were gone.

You put down Queenie's roof to give Elsie the full experience.

ROAR!

You grin. That sound just never got old. You pull out of the driveway and head for Casey's.