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sanddusted-wisteria · 7 months

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Latet Enim Veritas [Part 2/3]

Truth is indeed hidden...

F!Builder/Grace; fluff and angst

Warnings: Spoilers for Act 3. Major character death(?), mentions of animal death

Summary: Wisteria and Grace are still talking, even a hundred miles apart.

But is it easier or harder to hide the truth in letters?

Also on AO3

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A/N: So uh…turns out the brainrot don't stop, and here I am again with Wis and Grace! Once again, I have no idea how this happened, but it's hereeeee

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Hey Wis,

What’s up? Sorry it took me so long to write. Had a lot to do once I got back to Atara. My professors were really interested to hear about all the relic discoveries we made in Sandrock. Gotta say, the entire field’s real pumped up about what we found. We got experts writing articles left and right about em. I’ve been making talks everywhere too. So many great questions! I’m pooped. But I think I’m back on my Atara schedule now. Feels weird after getting used to the Sandrock pace of life.

But anyway, that’s pretty much it for me. Just gotta keep going with my studies. How’ve you been? How’s Sandrock doing? Heard the Portia tunnel was just built. I can’t wait to see it when I get back!

Grace

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Hey Grace!

It’s so good to hear from you! I’m still building (obviously). And yeah, the tunnel’s done, FINALLY. Had to deal with a nasty giant worm in there, but we got it. We started taking on some other projects too, now that the whole bandit situation’s wrapped up. We’re getting a school now! An old house just became available, so we’re building it on top of that. And with the road to Portia, we’re gonna try planting some more trees! Don’t think I’ve ever seen Zeke or Trudy so excited. And then a Geegler showed up one day from the canyon! He was the same guy that was trying to use a train to take over Sandrock all that time ago and broke the bridge. Name’s Larry. Seems like he’s good now…although he’s taken over your job at the saloon. Hope you don’t mind…

Oh yeah, and we got a new commissioner too. SOMEhow, it so happened to be Yan’s twin brother. Oh, and Yan apparently has a twin brother. Luckily he’s a lot more…like an actual human being than Yan was. Well, maybe. Man’s got skin like he’s twenty and says he’s more than twice my age… But at least he’s running a fair and tight ship. My guard’s not down yet, though.

How’d the meeting with your boss go? Never a fun thing to have a 1-on-1 with the boss. Trust me, I know. Hope it went okay. Hope you can come back soon.

Wis

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Wis,

The meeting wasn’t as bad as I thought, honestly! The board of directors weren’t super thrilled with the rules violations, but the results speak for themselves, don’t they? Couple of them even commended my quick critical decision making! They let me off scot-free. Not even a warning or anything.

I just submitted my capstone yesterday. Just a final note to the whole Sandrock adventure. It felt really weird stamping it and packing it in the envelope and handing it in. Still feels weird. Thought I’d be throwing a huge celebration when I was done with this project, with drinks and everything. But all I wanted was to go to bed. So that’s what I did.

Slept like a log, even though it was pretty noisy upstairs. Sounded like they were throwing a parade or something up there with all the stomping and the music. Kinda feels nice to have a noisy neighbor every once in a while, I guess. Makes it feel a little less lonely. Especially since I haven’t seen you guys in so long. I really, really hope I can visit soon.

Grace

P.S.: Managed to hear some rumors that that new commissioner of yours is legit. Apparently his death certificate was forged?? Yan must’ve paid someone a pretty penny to get rid of him…or maybe not, since, y’know, he’s still alive.

P.P.S: Ha ha, now a Geegler’s taken over my job, huh? Well, as long as he can cook a proper omelet, I guess I can’t really complain. Maybe he can teach me some stuff when I get back. Wonder what Geeglers normally eat.

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Grace,

I still miss you. We all do over here. The saloon doesn’t feel the same without you around. But don’t worry! We’re not going anywhere. The whole bandit situation proved that. Once you’re back, we can have that big celebration you planned.

How’s the archeology work and stuff? Not sure if the field’s cooled down by now and moved on to the next big thing. Hard to say from over here. It’s been like 2 months and Qi still won’t shut up about the spaceships. Not that I mind. Don’t think I’ve ever seen him so enthused about anything. And this time it doesn’t involve any property damage, so that’s a net positive!

Sandrock’s mostly still the same old. Only real difference is that Haru left pretty recently, though. He’s off to study chemistry in Atara. It’s great that he finally has the chance to chase his dreams. He told me to wish you well.

In other news, we planted a bunch of trees, but a sandstorm took them out. But we’re not giving up. There’s an Old World lab of some kind that’s supposed to have some different algae that we can try to make biocrust with. We’re going to explore it in a bit. Hopefully I can take some notes and pictures for you while I’m down there.

Be sure to get enough sleep, okay? Work’s important, but you can’t do it if you’re sleep-deprived.

Wis

P.S.: Wei’s proving himself…but my hackles aren’t down yet.

P.P.S.: Larry’s actually a pretty decent chef! Shame he can’t really partake in the fruits of his labor, though. Geeglers mostly eat algae. Apparently those algae machines we’ve been remaking are their “meal machines.” Fang’s been testing what human foods he’s able to eat. But even so, there is only ever ONE Grace Sand Omelet.

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It was warm.

Warm air, warm food, warm lights.

Warm heart.

Owen raised his glass and said something. Grace couldn’t hear exactly what it was, but his smile and his voice were warm.

One by one, everyone around the table raised their glass. Heidi. Logan. Andy. Haru. Qi (begrudgingly).

And last of all, right by her side, Wis.

They all drank and laughed and went back to chatting amongst themselves.

Except Wis. She simply put her glass down and turned to Grace, all the warmth of the room reflected in her eyes. She lifted a gentle hand to Grace’s cheek and leaned in.

It was so very warm.

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Grace woke up slowly. Pleasantly. A nice change of pace from forced wake-ups and diligently-set alarms.

She curled tighter into her blankets, trying to hold the warmth in her stomach inside just a little longer. She stole a glance at Wis’s last letter on her nightstand.

I still miss you.

Her chest ached as the warmth faded. She sighed. Well, that was that.

She got up, washed up, and changed, then sat down at her desk to pen her reply.

Wis,

I miss you too. Last night I

She froze. What the hell? Why would she write that down?! “Last night I dreamed that you kissed me”? “Last night I realized I missed you more than anything”? “Last night I figured my chances of seeing you again are even slimmer now”? Well, she could salvage it with something more innocuous…

I miss you too. Last night I dreamed I was back in Sandrock and we were holding that party I was talking about. Don’t remember all the details, but I knew I was really happy.

Heh, funny you mentioned Qi. We’ve been getting his reports on the regular nowadays to assess the area as time goes on. And they are LONG. Like “I don’t even know how he’s typing all this through the telegraph” long. Poor telegrapher’s gotta work in shifts to get the whole thing down. And then we’ve got a committee that simplifies what he gives us. And then another committee goes in and simplifies THAT before it gets to my bosses.

But anyway, it looks like the gist of it is that the region’s pretty non-hazardous now. Y’know, since the pest removal and all the broken relics were so effective. Unfortunately…that means I probably won’t get another assignment for the Sandrock region anytime soon. Unless one of you guys starts wrecking the whole place again, I dunno. (Please do not do that.)

Kinda sucks, but at least we can still keep in touch this way. Maybe that’s why I dreamt about you guys last night. Hope you get the tree problem sorted. You guys always find a way.

Grace

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Grace,

Huh. Strange coincidence. I dreamed about you being back too. We were just hanging out at the bar like usual. Think I ordered my usual? Can’t remember. The kitchen wasn’t on fire, so I guess it was a good day!

And yeah, we did get the tree problem sorted…hopefully. We did end up finding some new algae machines in there, so we’re trying those out. Fingers crossed. Didn’t get any notes for you, though. Sorry. There were some leftover Geeglers in there, and they were not friendly. Apparently Larry’s no longer the boss. Ah well. Guess we have something to do when you get back. And you WILL be back some day. I know it. I’ll be waiting. :)

Wis

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Wis opened up her mailbox and shuffled through the usual junk mail.

Nothing from Grace.

She sighed. “3 weeks…”

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Hey Wis,

Sorry it’s been so long since I last wrote. I’ve just been sooo busy lately. Wish I could give you more details, but…you know. I’ve hardly had any energy left after I come home at night. I just take a quick shower and collapse into bed.

But anyways, how’ve you been? I’m sure there’s plenty of exciting new things going on in Sandrock. Fill me in!

Grace

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Grace,

You doing okay? You don’t need to tell me all the details, but still. Letters are still kinda slow even with express postage, but if you’re ever having a bad day/week/whatever, you can talk to me.

Not sure if you have any friends over in Atara, but maybe you should take some time off and hang out with them. Take a walk. Go to a nice restaurant. Just get your head away from work for a bit, y’know? Then you can come back at it with fresh eyes.

You’re strong, I know, but don’t forget to take care of yourself.

Wis

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Wis,

It kinda slipped my mind when we were at the station, but I wanted to give you the photo I included with this letter. It’s me with my old partner, Cookie. We were still in training then. He was such a good boy. Did a lot of early missions with me.

But…on one mission…I lost him. I’ll spare you the details, but it hit me hard. Still does, really.

Ever since then, I’ve kinda kept people at an arm’s length. Part of the job, I guess. I interviewed a bunch of new archeologist recruits the other day, and they all came in with such high hopes in their eyes… I just dunno how to tell them what it’s really like here. I have some friends, not a whole lot outside the archeology field. We hang out sometimes and it’s fun, but I still feel the struggle to connect sometimes. You’re the first person in a good long while to really get to know me.

Sorry for unloading all of that onto you so suddenly. I’m fine, though. Really. Although…a little PTO isn’t a bad idea.

Grace

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Grace,

I’m so sorry about Cookie… I’m sure he was every bit as good as he looks. Since you’re giving this to me, I figured I should return the favor. Hopefully it won’t get lost in the mail…

And I understand. Making real, true friends is hard. I never really made any good friends at the Builder’s Academy either. Though one of them ended up saving my skin when my old workshop closed down. So even distant friends can be important. Can’t imagine what it’s like in your shoes.

If nothing else, at least, you have me. And again, if you’re ever feeling pressed, you can talk to me. Always.

Wis

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Grace laid on her bed, staring at the photo in her hand in the dim lamplight.

It was Wis sitting on the ground outside her front door, cradling a grumpy-looking Banjo in her lap with a grin on her face, while Nemo jumped up excitedly next to her.

A faint smile rose on Grace’s lips. It’d been so long since she’d last seen Wis. Well, outside her dreams, that is.

Her eyes grew heavy. Another long day. She’d get up to tuck this somewhere safe…right after…she gave her eyes…a quick rest…

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Sunsets were always better in the desert. Not only was the sky more colorful, but the beautiful reds and oranges of the sands made it all pop that much more.

Grace breathed in a deep lungful of fresh, crisp air, letting it out as a content sigh. This was her favorite time of day.

She waved goodbye to Owen and set out towards the train station. For home.

She glanced over to the distant mountain range as she crossed the tracks. The sun was just starting to sink behind the tallest peak. Beautiful.

But not as beautiful as…

An excited barking got her attention. She looked back down again to see Nemo running up to her.

“Hi, Nemo!” she giggled as he yipped and ran circles around her legs. “Is Wisty not playing with you? Aw, she’s no fun…”

“Just give me a second…” came a groan from the workshop yard. “Don’t steal my doggy, Grace…”

“Too late!” Grace chimed, leaning down to give Nemo a well-deserved scratch. “He’s mine now.”

“Well, doggone it,” Wis said, finally popping up from whatever machine she was working at. “My girlfriend dognapped my dog. I can’t believe it. I’m really in the doghouse now. Ohhh nooo.”

Grace couldn’t help but laugh at the stupid look on Wis’s face as she made her way out to her and Nemo.

“Well, even if Nemo’s yours…” Wis murmured as she drew closer. “You’re still mine.”

Grace felt the gentlest peck on her cheek.

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Grace,

Everything okay? It’s been a while since I heard from you. Work’s probably been super busy for you. Just give me a quick check up reply when you next get the chance. No biggie.

Wis

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Grace,

Hey, not sure you saw my last letter… Sorry about this if you did. I’m just a bit antsier about getting a reply since your last letter. Hope you’re still okay.

Wis

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Grace,

It’s been about a month now… I’m getting kind of worried now. I know field work is dangerous, so not getting anything from you has me wondering if you’re still alive… You don’t need to send an essay, just…a sign? Just a “hi”? Even a blank piece of paper in an envelope? Anything so I can at least make sure you’re still around.

Wis

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Hey Wis,

I’m really sorry about the wait. I’m still alive and kicking, don’t you worry. Work’s just been exhausting still. I can’t really make the time to sit down and write. We’ve been looking into a whole slew of relics around the Alliance lately. Lots of data crunching. I’m still doing fine, I promise. Just reading your words is so comforting to me. But what’s new with you? I’m sure at this point, I probably won’t even be able to recognize Sandrock if I saw it! You guys are just so involved! Still a TBD on a return date…

Grace

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You know, Grace…

Somehow I feel like it’s easier for me to tell when you’re being dishonest when it’s through writing. Dunno why. Maybe it’s because I can read it over again as much as I need to and take all the time I need to craft an answer.

You don’t need to sugarcoat things for me, okay? You never did back then. Why start now? I don’t know if it’s because you don’t want me to worry or you don’t want to talk about it, but I want to hear it. Whatever it is.

I hope that I’m not your only source of comfort right now, but if I am…then let me be that. I’ll be here for you as much as I can. I promise.

Wis

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Grace sat at her desk, a blank sheet of paper in front of her, reading Wis’s letter over and over and over again. Wis wasn’t here. She was a hundred miles away.

So why could Grace feel her eyes boring straight into her head?

She stared at the blank page on the table. It almost felt like it was mocking her. Or maybe that was the sleep deprivation talking.

Grace groaned. She’d finally carved out a good hour to write back to Wis, and here she was with nothing to say. Why oh why did Wis always have to hit her hardest when Grace was weakest?

She really is good at this, a distant part of Grace’s mind hummed.

Grace put her head on the desk, cushioning it with her arms. She stared at the small desk clock nearby as her designated writing hour slowly tick, tick, ticked away…until it was over. And she had nothing to show for it.

She let out a sigh and got up, rubbing her eyes. Time for a shower. She felt filthy. Maybe she could handle this tomorrow…

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Grace watched out the window as the train pulled to a stop. Good ol’ Sandrock. Same as ever, it seemed. Somehow, though, there was a different kind of energy to the place. Alive. Crackling with potential. She let the soaring feeling in her heart take hold. She could do that now. Let loose how she really felt. At that thought, she felt her pulse start to race. How she really felt…

As soon as the door opened, she bolted out and across the tracks. Fresh Pines was still lively as ever, machines churning away and generator humming. And of course, there was Wisteria, busy as ever. She was tending to the garden patch next to her front door, her back to Grace as she overturned the dirt. Looked like she had some new seeds coming in.

Grace felt her pulse thudding in her ears. She swallowed and put on a playful smile. “Hey.”

Wis looked up from her gardening, staring blankly at Grace over her shoulder.

Grace snorted. “Missed me, Wisty?”

Wis only continued to stare. Grace’s smile fell. She should’ve laughed or smiled or…something.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Grace’s stomach dropped. “Huh? Um…oh, are you doing a bit…? Heh heh, good one…” she laughed with a shaky smile.

Wis still didn’t react. “Who are you?”

“I’m–I–it’s…me. It’s Grace.” Icy fear ran through her veins.

Wis’s eyes bore into Grace’s. Why did they look so dull…?

“…Liar.”

She turned back to her digging.

Grace suddenly felt nauseous. She reached out for her, only to see her hands were trembling.

“Wis…Wisteria…I promise, it’s me. It’s really me! N-no more secrets this time, I’m done with—!” She let out a startled yelp. Just as she had gotten close enough to place a hand on Wis’s shoulder, she’d gotten too close to the front door. In the glass of the windowpane, her reflection stared back at her.

Or at least, what was left of it.

A blank face, framed with her blonde hair.

Liar.

A horrid stench filled Grace’s nostrils. She lurched as the nausea got worse. She knew that smell from anywhere. It was a corpse. But where?

Grace tore her eyes away from the glass and looked around. It wasn’t long before she found the source.

Right under Wis’s shovel.

A partially unearthed body.

With Grace’s face.

Decaying and decrepit.

Liar. Liar.

She suddenly heard sniffling. Her eyes darted up to Wis. She was shaking with quiet sobs, head against one arm leaning against the wall of the house, her other hand clutching her chest.

Grace felt her heart wrench. She tried to reach for Wis again. “Wisty…Wisty, no…I-I’m here, it’s okay, I—” Her throat suddenly closed up. As if something was choking her. She grabbed at her neck, trying desperately to free it. But it was in vain. Nothing was there.

Liar. Liar. Liar.

Tears squeezed out of Grace’s eyes as she flailed about uselessly. She wanted Wisty’s tears to stop. She wanted to hold her until everything was okay. She wanted to spill everything that she kept sealed inside her for so, so long. She wanted her to know everything. She wanted to feel safe. She wanted to feel known. She wanted—

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BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Grace jolted awake with a startled gasp. Her head was pounding. She slammed her hand down on her alarm clock.

Better. But not by much.

She reached a tentative hand up to her neck. Nothing was there.

She stared blankly at a spot on her blanket, trying to slow her breathing down. Swallowing, her eyes found the blank sheet of paper still on her desk, Wis’s letter sitting next to it.

She threw the blankets off and yanked out her desk chair. Her grip on the pen was tight enough to make her knuckles turn white. She forced the tip to the page. A spot of ink pooled under where it met the paper. She willed her hand to move.

Wisteria,

Her heart was pounding. What should she say? What was the best thing she could say? What could get her the info she needed in this scenario? How could she talk her way out of this? What did her handbook say? Remember your training, remember what they told you—

…

What do I really want to say…?

…

Wisteria,

I love you

There was a sharp knock at the door. A message slid under the crack.

Briefing at 1100

Grace’s mouth twisted into a grimace. The next mission. What a day to get all the details finally sorted. She flicked open her lighter to dispose of the message. As the slip burned to ashes, her mind wandered to the other paper sitting so innocently on her desk. She sighed. It was 1030. She’d have to finish it later.

After the last remnants of the paper were flicked away, Grace tucked the unfinished letter away between some books.

As she plodded to the briefing room along the barren hallways of HQ, she tried to push down the growing unease in her gut.

She couldn’t.

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Mission objectives: Investigate increasingly suspicious activity in the Northern Eufaula region. Duvosian involvement suspected. Capture or eliminate any Duvosian spies or military entities. Oversee restabilization in the aftermath.

Risk: Potentially life-threatening.

Start date: Tomorrow, 1200 hours. Move to Northern Eufaula base. Await further orders.

Grace was back to staring at the page on her desk, uneasier than ever.

I love you.

She wanted to say it. She really, truly did. She wanted Wis to know. Even if she didn’t love her back. But now…

I love you.

Now she was dumping this new mission onto her, too. Her life was on the line. Whatever she wrote here could be her last words to her.

I love you.

Did she want her last words to be that big of a bombshell? Throw Wis into perpetual uncertainty while the mission happened? Not even sure if Grace was alive or dead?

I love you.

Make the grief even worse…?

Grace took a deep breath. The last thing she needed on a dangerous mission was knowing that Wis was worried for her. But either way, Wis would be worried. There was no way for Grace to reach her from out there. She couldn’t control that.

But she could control something else. So she was going to make a gambit. Gamble on Wis’s worry overtaking her reason for the briefest moment. Her eyes would gloss over the finer details. And Grace could veil the truth that she desperately wanted to share.

She tossed the old letter and got a fresh sheet.

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Wisteria,

I’ve got my next assignment.

Let it be known that it’s a big one. Life’s on the line.

Orders are orders, though.

Very soon, I’ll be heading out.

Even if everything goes according to plan, it’s dicey.

You might be wondering if I can ever get back to Sandrock now.

Once this is over, I’ll do my best to get there. I’m not 100% confident, though.

Until then.

Grace

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Grace.

Even when you tell me your deepest secrets, you still talk in riddles.

I love you too, alright?

Maybe it’s not my place to pry, and I know I can’t get all the details, but I still just…don’t understand you sometimes. You told me that you wanted a deeper connection that you couldn’t get on the job. That kind of connection is made when you’re vulnerable with each other. You see each other at your weakest and your worst and you choose to keep pushing forward, side by side. In spite of everything. In spite of each other.

I’ve felt that with you sometimes. We’ve come so close to really being at the level you really wish for. When you talked to me about Cookie, I felt it. And so did you, I wager. But even so…you still want to keep a part of you sealed away.

Are you scared? Are you scared of me? Are you scared of yourself? I don’t know what else could be holding you back as much as you have.

I’m sorry if I’m being overbearing. Part of it’s because I’m worried. You’re the most capable and competent person I’ve ever met. But you’re still human, at the end of the day.

The other part of it is because I can see that this is something you want. More than archeology, more than the awards. More than anything.

You want to be you.

Really, truly you.

And I love you.

The real, true you.

Even the parts I have yet to see or learn about.

I have no idea if this’ll make it to you. You’ve probably already been out there for a while by the time I got your letter. But I wanted to get that off my chest. And to let you know that I’m still waiting for you here. All of us are (yes, even Qi. He’s just a dingus about it).

Stay safe. Please. I believe in you, even if you don’t.

And when you come back to Sandrock, we can talk. For real.

Love,

Wisteria

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Wis opened up her mailbox. Only one thing in there today. She took it out, looking at the envelope to see…her own handwriting? And it was addressed to Grace…

Her heart froze.

Clutching the letter tightly, she ran off to find Jasmine. Fresh Pines was the last stop on the mail route, so she should be heading back to Construction Junction…

“Jazz! Hey, Jazz!” Wis called as she spotted Jasmine skipping after Macchiato, who probably caught wind of someone cooking something good. She stopped in her tracks and beamed up at Wis.

“Hey, Miss Wis! What’s up?”

“Jazz, do you know what happened to this letter?” Wis held out the letter in her hands, trying not to clench too hard and wrinkle it.

“Oh…” Jasmine hummed with a finger on her chin. “Yeah, the Atara Post Office said that there wasn’t anyone named Grace at that address. So they put the big ‘Return to Sender’ stamp on it.”

Wis suddenly felt a little dizzy. “Oh. I see…”

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Miss Grace was real! We really knew her!”

“Yeah, w-we did…”

“Maybe she just changed her address? Forgot to tell all of us, though. Ma’s getting a little worried.”

“Mm-hmm…”

“But I’m sure she’ll tell us real soon, Miss Wis!” she shouted, loud enough to give Wis a jolt. “She’s still got our addresses, so she’ll probably write soon!”

Wis let out a chuckle. “You’re right. I hope so. Thanks, Jazz.”

“You’re welcome! See ya!” Jasmine replied, before running off to catch up with Macchiato.

Standing alone in the square, Wis sighed and looked down at the unsent letter. She remembered the night she wrote it, frustrated and exhausted. She’d tossed out at least 10 different versions before this one. Some were too angry. Others too self-pitying. Others too long-winded. Even now, she had doubts if this was really what she wanted to say.

Regardless, though, there was one sentiment she knew to be entirely true, no matter how she shouted or spat or sobbed it.

I love you too.

She sighed again and headed back home. She tucked the letter away on her desk under a large stack of other papers.

Then she headed out to start her workday. But all the while, her mind stirred, always coming back to one question:

Was it better or worse that it never reached her?

------------

Atara Times

Northern Eufaula Espionage Plans Foiled! Duvos Spies Captured!

Some time ago, the Northern Eufaula Development Plan jumped into full swing, but not without its share of complications. In an incredible twist of events, an investigation by the Alliance Council uncovered that some of the problems were in fact part of a deliberate campaign of disruption.

Who is this dastardly foe? Well, let's ask one simple question. If the Northern Development Plan is to fail, who is to gain? None other than the Duvos Empire!

How did this happen? In order to counter the Duvos activities, Alliance Central Intelligence carried out Operation Weeding. This operation quickly and efficiently identified and eliminated the Duvos infiltration, and effectively restored order to the Northern Development Plan once again. Currently, the plan as already initiated three settlements across the Northern Eufaula, next to the Duvos border.

Unfortunately, three Alliance operatives' lives were lost in the process. The youngest of them was a young woman in her twenties. She had achieved outstanding military achievements throughout her career and had made a lasting impact on the safety of the Free Cities. We shall never know the names of these brave heroes, but we, all of us, owe them our safety.

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There was a knock at the door.

Wis didn’t move.

The knocking came back.

“Wisty?” It was Heidi. “Everythin’...well, I don’t suppose anythin’s alright…”

Wis stared at a knot in the wood floor.

“I’m comin’ in, okay? Got some fresh grub from the Blue Moon…”

The door creaked open. Sunlight spilled in.

Wis pulled the blankets over her head.

“Wisty…”

…

“I, um… I asked Trudy if she could get any info, but the Alliance ain’t talkin’… as we’d expect from military types, I guess…”

…

“Uh, technically speakin’…there could’ve been a lot of twenty-somethin’ ladies out there. I don’t wanna jump to conclusions either way, of course, but still…”

…

“I’m still holdin’ out hope. But…I know it’s hard. I know how much you cared about her.”

A tear slipped out of Wis’s eye.

“…I still got your back, Wisty. No matter what.”

Wis choked on a sob. More and more tears flooded out of her eyes. She felt Heidi hug her from outside the blanket, whispering soothing words.

There in the dark, she shook. Left to choke on words that would never be heard. Left to cling to hope that she didn’t hold.

Left to feel a love too late to be received.

A/N: Thanks for reading! There'll be one last part after this.

And icymi, I posted a quick status update on Builder, Researcher, Rooftop, if you've been following that! (psst...it has some sneak peeks of act 2)

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