Chapter Twelve
Six Months Later
Katie paced anxiously in the lobby of the Supervillain Rehabilitation Project’s Wichita Headquarters. She checked her phone for the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes, reading the text from Shawn.
Plane landed. Getting an Uber. Be there shortly.
Nothing since then. Should she text him and ask how long he’d be?
No, that would just make her look overeager.
She kicked herself for not figuring out a way to meet him at the airport.
Of course, she didn’t own a car, but still, she could’ve gotten a rideshare there .
.. just to take a rideshare back to where she’d started, but this time with him.
The sound of a car door closing snapped her head to the entrance.
Shawn emerged from a sedan and approached the building.
Her heart dropped to her feet. Though they’d video chatted since she’d bid him farewell in College City, he looked so much better in person.
Heart in her throat, she rushed to the door to greet him.
“Hey.” His smile brightened his face and lightened her heart. He shifted his carry-on-sized suitcase to the other hand to offer her a one-armed hug. “Long time no see.” He glanced around. “This is a nice office. Do I get to meet your team?”
“Soon.” She reluctantly withdrew from the hug.
“They actually had a training exercise this morning, but Rain—she’s the team leader—told me I could stay behind so someone would be here to meet you.
” She glanced back at the elevators leading up to the second floor where the team’s personal quarters were.
“I’ve got a guest room ready for you. Do you want to see? ”
“Later.” He nodded towards the couches that took up half of the lobby. “It was a long flight, and I haven’t seen you in so long—could we sit and talk for a minute?”
Her stomach flopped like a beached fish, but she managed to nod and lead him to the seating area. They settled together on a couch.
He leaned back. “So how are things going with your team? Your emails make it seem like you’re clicking as a group.”
“Yeah, we are. I’ve actually moved through the training to the point where they are taking me on actual missions now. Like real villain fighting, crime stopping, people saving missions!” She beamed. “I love it! Who knew stopping a bank robbery could be just as much fun as committing one!”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“What about you?” she said. “You’re almost done with school now, aren’t you?”
“Couple more classes after spring break, and I’m a free man with a bachelors in criminal justice.
” He then snorted. “Though, based on my DOSA application process, that is not impressing anyone. I guess no one really cares what degree a superhero has. All my interview questions were about my powers, not education.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the general vibe around here too.” Katie laughed.
“It’s amazing how many ways super abilities can manifest. My team has a weather manipulator, a speedster, and two strength sables.
At first I wasn’t sure I’d fit in, my powers being so weird, but I guess villains are just as susceptible to being scared into surrendering as heroes are.
Also, Rain especially likes it when I use my powers to put on a fireworks display or something.
She says it’s good for team morale.” Her energy flickered in her hands, manifesting as flowers and starbursts.
“I’m starting to come to terms with my abilities as potentially good things.
I don’t feel like I can be ‘Apparition’ anymore though.
I’ve been trying to get used to being Katie instead of Kacey.
My team calls me that pretty much exclusively, and of course Mom does too, but it’s not exactly a workable hero handle. ”
“Oh, I don’t know, I think a lot of villains would quake in their boots if presented with the great and powerful Katie.” Shawn shifted in his seat, sitting more comfortably.
Katie looked at his hand, resting on his knee.
She longed to touch him, but maybe he wouldn't like it. Maybe with the time they’d spent apart, he’d moved on.
After all, the girl he’d kissed in the hospital was a traumatized, naive mess, and even with the healing she’d done within the SVR, she still had a long way to go.
That he still wanted to be her friend after everything he’d found out about her was a miracle.
Expecting something romantic to develop, that was too much of a happy ending for real life.
“Picking out a new handle could be a good way to take ownership of your new DOSA life, though,” he continued. “You could ask your team to help you come up with something. Every sable ever has gone through the process, and they probably have some tips.”
“I’ve brainstormed with them a little, actually,” she said.
“I want something that goes with my powers, of course, but not the scary version of my powers. You know, the difference between a nightmare and a dream? That’s kind of the two sides of what I can do, and I’ve had enough of the nightmare side. ”
A slight smile crept over his face, his dark eyes softening. “How about Dreamgirl? As far as I’m concerned, that’s you to a T.”
Her cheeks warmed.
His gaze dropped to his lap. “Sorry, that was cheesy.”
“No, it ... it’s not,” she said quickly. “Or if it is, I don’t care.” She bit her bottom lip. “I mean, I don’t think I’d want that being my official handle, but I like it when you call me that.”
“I like calling you that,” he murmured. “Katie, look—the whole plane trip down, I kept telling myself to lower my expectations. Kept lecturing myself that I’d built you up to be some sort of perfect woman and no one could live up to that.”
She tensed. Was she a disappointment to him? Did he want to back out?
“But now, seeing you here, in the flesh, hearing you laugh again—” He let out a long breath. “I think I seriously undersold you somehow. You’re even better than I remembered.”
Her muscles gave out. “Really?”
“Really really.” He took her hand. “Look, remember when we said goodbye in College City and I said that I wouldn’t have any hard feelings if once you got some time away from me, you realized you didn’t care about me as much as you thought?
I still mean that. If you’ve moved on, I’ll understand.
I’m not going to lie and say it wouldn’t hurt like crazy, but I’m not here to pressure you into anything you don’t want.
” His hold around her fingers tightened.
“But Katie, if you still feel the way you did six months ago, I would very much like to start where we left off, if you know what I mean?”
She considered him, his sincere dark eyes and kind smile, the way his hair fell over his forehead, and the warmth in his voice.
“I don’t feel exactly the same,” she whispered.
The corners of his mouth quavered. “Okay—”
“Don’t be sad!” she said quickly. “I mean ... It’s hard to explain, but six months ago, I didn’t know if I could be anything besides what Father had trained me to be, and what he’d trained me to be—it wasn’t good enough for you, Shawn.”
His eyes softened. “That’s not true—”
“Yes, it is. Shush.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s my turn to be sappy.”
He shut his mouth.
She sorted the words in her head. “Since then, though, I’ve found out that I have a living mother who still loves me.
I’ve learned how to work on a team with other sables and how to use my abilities to help people rather than hurt them.
I’m ... still not sure I’m good enough for you, but I’m so much closer.
” She stroked his cheek. “I love you, Shawn Park, and as hard as it is to believe that I’ve really ended up this happy, I’m ready to let you love me too. ”
A smile blossomed across his face, and he pulled her in for a long kiss. Katie melted into him, one hand gripping the back of his T-shirt, the other entwined in his hair. Her heart sang. Yes, she was ready to let herself be happy, and Shawn was going to be a big part of that.
The End