Andie had a strong feeling she knew exactly where to find Bane. When he was upset, he always turned to training and solitude. After all, he had known almost nothing else for the past nine years. She ran down the street, not caring that it was a mile away.
As she raced around a baker's, she skidded to a halt just in time to avoid crashing into a tall, broad man, waited anxiously for him to pass and shot off again, stammering hurried "excuse me", "sorry", and "sorry, coming through!" as she went.
She had come in Eric's car, and she could hardly ask him for a lift to reunite her with his romantic rival. Plus, she felt the need to run. She wanted to push out everything that had been weighing her down for the past month. So she ran. The wind whipped through her hair, slapped her face, but she didn't give it any notice. Every step forward took her closer to Bane. She didn't understand how it had taken so long for her to realize that Bane was the one she wanted. The one she'd always wanted.
I suppose I let the shock of his secret cloud my judgment... she told herself. I just hope I'm not too late...
She pushed on, for once grateful to Balon that he had made them run so many laps over the months. A year ago, she wouldn't have been able to run for more than two minutes at this speed without catching a stitch and bending over to catch her breath. She had changed in many ways since she'd first arrived in Olympia.
Her breathing steady, her footing strong, she kept moving, her heart racing at the thought of holding Bane again, kissing him. She knew there was a small chance he wouldn't want her anymore, and she couldn't think about what she would do if he didn't.
She pushed the thought out of her mind and kept going. She was just going to take whatever he gave her. She had put herself into that situation, after all. As she came closer, she paused, her lungs burning. After catching her breath she straightened up again and ran to the top of the small hill that overlooked the abandoned building. Glancing around, she saw him. He was practicing some movements on his own. For a few seconds, she stopped, admiring the grace and power in his movements. A smile appeared on Andie's face, her heart thumping from the effort. She grasped her knees, her breath short. She thought her heart might explode. Though honestly, she couldn't say whether it was out of fear or eagerness. Maybe it was a little bit of both.
"Bane!" she called. "Bane!"
He paused, looking around for the source of the voice. Finally, he looked up in her direction. His face turned puzzled, then worried, thinking there was an emergency. She smiled and hurried towards him, somehow managing not to stumble and fall over as she ran down along the grassy hill. Bane looked at her in confusion, then noticed her smile. Andie's heart leaped, her vision blurring when she saw his face light up, readying his arms to receive her.
"Andie...!"
She flung her arms around his neck. Bane lifted her up as they kissed, and she finally felt whole again.