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It wasn’t every day that a former convict returned to the prosecutor’s office, and because of this, it was only appropriate to throw a large function to celebrate the reinstating of Prosecutor Simon Blackquill. The prosecutor’s office had never been one for moderation or modesty, and this occasion had been no different. As Simon was basically Athena’s only remaining family, attending the gala in his honor was not only anticipated, but expected of her.
There had been a large crowd at the office, full of prosecutors and police and their dates, all ready to have a good time and celebrate to excess. Athena was dressed to the nines in a black gown, and her hair was thrown up in some intricately braided design that Pearl Fey had done for her before she had left. Athena felt very glamorous as she gave her name to the officer controlling the guest list, but as soon as she stepped into the banquet hall, her heart sank. Simon was nowhere to be found, as he was probably busy performing duties, and the whole event was so loud. It wasn’t just the music or the drunken antics, or even the shouts of excited guests, but their hearts what were causing Athena’s senses to be overwhelmed.
She could feel overwhelming happiness here, anger and sadness over there, and shock and fear behind her. The hurricane of emotions, of wants and desires and hopes and dreams, it was all too much to handle. Her heart began to race and she wanted to run out as fast as she could, but that wasn’t an option. She was here for Simon, and she had to support him no matter what.
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The gala had dragged on longer than Athena had anticipated, and even though she briefly got to see Simon, most of the night was spent with her trying to make polite conversation even though her head was screaming in migraine-like spasms, including auras on her vision. The overwhelming feeling made her positively nauseous, and by the time she made it back to the Wright Anything Agency, she had to stop in a hall bathroom to hurl. Her eyes were puffy, but she had to keep a brave face. She didn’t want to fall apart in front of her coworkers.
Athena made it up the stairs and into the office, keeping her expression flat and emotionless. When she opened the door, she half-hoped that everyone would be gone, but instead she found herself in front of Trucy, who was grinning from ear to ear. “Thena!” She screeched, causing Athena’s head to reel. “How was the party? Was it glamorous? Did anyone get really drunk and embarrass themselves?”
If Athena didn’t feel so positively sick, she would have been entertained by Trucy’s questions. Yes it was glamorous, and Yes, some detective that thought he was a cowboy ended up getting shitfaced and fell off the stage. But, Athena couldn’t open her mouth. Her eyes looked cold and empty, but Trucy didn’t notice until Phoenix came in with a concerned frown. “Athena?” He called, and she lifted her head slowly to reveal red and puffy eyes, glazed over with tears. Athena cupped her forehead in her palm and tried to delay the sobs coming from her chest, but there was no way to hold them back.
“Sorry, Boss.” Athena mumbled, and Phoenix took a step closer to her to place a soothing hand on her back. The touch felt familial, like Mr. Wright really cared, and it took a second for it to hit her, but she realized that he did. Even though she was embarrassed by her breakdown, Athena wrapped herself around Phoenix and sobbed heavily into his chest. Trucy looked on with a worried expression, and she wanted to desperately to help, but she didn’t know how.
“You don’t need to be sorry, Athena.” Phoenix cooed, which made her sniffle and try to cease her sadness.
“It’s just so loud… It hurts…” Athena sniffled hard, which made her head hurt more, and Phoenix decided to guide her into sitting down on the couch.
“Truce, grab some clothes for Athena.” The older lawyer asked, and Trucy nodded with extreme determination. Phoenix knew that a gown probably wasn’t the comfiest thing to wear with a headache the size of Mount Everest, and Athena had to agree. She changed quickly, then returned to the couch to curl up in the fetal position. Phoenix was in full dad mode, and the worry that he felt was displayed prominently on his face, determined and caring. “Athena, I need you to breathe for me.”
“I tried so hard… To keep it together… for Simon.” She sobbed, ignoring Mr. Wight’s request. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed it softly, trying to soothe his ailing protégé.
“And you did great. But now you don’t have to keep it together for anyone. You just need to breathe.” Athena obeyed this time, even though it was shallow and ragged. Her ears were hurting so incredibly bad, and the pain was radiating into her skull like there was a jackhammer on her head. “One more time. As much as you can.”
Again, Athena obeyed, but this time she was able to bring more air into her lungs. “Good…” Mr. Wright gave her a smile, and he was about to get up to get her water and painkillers, but he was stopped by Athena wrapping him in a hug. He could feel her heart racing as he reciprocated the hug, but her breathing was returning to normal.
“I don’t know what I would do without you, Boss.” Athena said with a small grin, which caused Phoenix to smile in return.
“Yeah, well. I don’t like seeing my family in pain.” Athena looked up at her boss with confusion, but there was no discord in his voice, only happiness. She knew that he meant every word that he had said. She was part of his family now, and she couldn’t be prouder.