There was one stop Ashe wanted to make. It wasn't the smartest one, maybe, but it needed to be done according to her. She needed to close the last door of her old life. And that meant I had to follow her back to the scene of the crime.
"Anyone home, B.O.B.?" Hidden behind a hedge, we can see the remnants of the birthday party went bad.
Abandoned cups and plates, leftover snack foods, and the lingering smell of burnt oil and flame-retardant chemicals. The omnic went still for a moment, then shook his head.
Not surprising. Why would they stay in a burned-down house, even if most of the rooms were still fine?
Ashe stayed quiet as B.O.B. unlocked a door, slipping inside like we were shadows of the past on our way to say goodbye to the ghosts. I was close to her, not muttering a word. Rather let her deal it her way with the people she can trust close by.
Immediately, she headed upstairs to the bedrooms. The doors to where Frankie, Julian, and Cole had been sleeping were open, their stuff is gone from sight. B.O.B. had thankfully done a thorough job of hiding anything that might be incriminating, including their presence in the manor.
Continuing on to her room, Ashe freezes at the sight of it.
I sigh. "Must've burned it down because they saw me in here, wanted to leave you a little gift but..." I glance at the burned-down table and lower myself down the burned wood trying to dig it out.
"It's fine... you already bailed me out and..." she sighs, "One way to celebrate your birthday."
I chuckle. Finding the burned necklace on the ground, it was caked in ash with scorch marks around the jewels, I lift myself and walk towards her reaching for her hands. Placing it in them she looks at it.
"Didn't know if it would suit you, didn't even know if you'd care for it. Well... considering there isn't much left of it."
She smiles at me with a pained expression. With a short exhale she steps closer to kiss me slowly, she was clutching tightly at the hem of my shirt. I don't blame her for being so frustrated after they ruined what could have been the best day of her life.
Pulling away. "Help me scavenge what we can?" she tucks the burnt necklace into one of her pockets.
I nod. "Sure."
Even now, she doesn't even sound like she was going to cry. She is hard as steel and I don't think anyone else could say otherwise, I don't even think she is sad... but rather relieved that it was going to be the end of all of this.
"B.O.B., go grab the others' things."
We passed the dining room, and she paused, suddenly pensive. The doors were still closed and locked. Ashe keyed in the code to open them, entering to find the room awash in the murky light of dawn. In the dining room, the portrait of her great-great-great-grandmother but it was the white envelope on the mantel opposite the portrait that drew Ashe's eye. It was the card her parents had sent the morning of her graduation, right where she'd left it months ago.
Ashe's gaze fell on the Viper rifle, she grabbed it and then started to make her way out of the building.
This was the end of this chapter, the end of the heiress of the Arbalest trade. Now it was just Ashe, and I know that it is exactly how she wanted it to be. Even if there was a part of her grieving what she could have had... I know she'd rather prefer what she had now instead.