Work Text:
After hearing about Gwen's murder through the grapevine Gayle decided to pay her sibling a visit.
She didn't actually manage to show up until three days after the funeral. Gayle had tried to come sooner. Actually she had hopped in her car and driven into the city the moment she heard that Gwen may have been romantically involved with her baby brother (it had truly been a long time).
Gayle found herself knocking on her father's door, something she previously thought she would never do again. Philip didn't open the door until she was ten seconds from leaving.
He had booze on his breath and a bottle in his hand, but that was to be expected.
She didn't waste time with formalities, "Can I see Jordan?"
Philip started rambling incoherently about fucking ungrateful spoiled brats and overly permissive aunts.
When Gayle asked her father to clarify she was met with a shout of, "He doesn't live here anymore!" before he slammed the door in her face.
It took a lot of asking around and strategic Facebook stalking to figure out where Mary Jane, yes Mary Jane as she had discovered not too long into her search, was currently residing. As first Gayle had assumed the state had taken her away, but surely she would have been notified. Right?
It was a huge relief to discover that she had been living with Aunt Anna. Aunt Anna had always been kind.
Gayle knocked on another door she never expected to touch again with a box of hastily baked cookies in her hand.
Aunt Anna smiled and ushered her inside. Mary Jane was on the couch wrapped in a blue hand knitted blanket.
Gayle hesitantly offered Mary Jane a cookie, "Red hair suits you."
Mary Jane barely looked at Gayle as she grabbed the cookie, "Thank you."
Gayle awkwardly sat down next to Mary Jane, "So I heard about Gwen."
Mary Jane didn't acknowledge that she had said anything. She just stared straight ahead. Gayle grabbed her hand. Mary Jane did not grab back.
After what seemed to be eons of silence Mary Jane said quiet, "You haven't been here."
"Yeah," there was no sense in denying it, "but I'm here now."
Mary Jane rolled her eyes, "But just for now, right?"
Gayle shook her head, "No."
She finally pulled her hand away, "I'll believe you when you come back."
Gayle had visited two more times since then and had begun calling every few days.