( minor TW: mentions of past self-h*rm )

DISCLAIMER: to be fully invested in the first scene of this chapter, listen to the track i have provided at the very top: "Laurie's Theme Ends" from Halloween Ends!

Three Weeks Later
September 19th, 2004
8:45 A.M.
Christina's POV

Facing what happened then has allowed me to try and heal myself. For nearly two years now, I've hidden away in my own kind of prison because I refused to accept what happened.

On November 29th, 2002, Norman Osborn changed the course of how my life would turn out forever. He took my dreams and took them into nightmares. He destroyed a seemingly normal night I was having when he broke into my apartment and abducted me, leaving a severe amount of trauma ingrained into my memory forever. Earlier that night, unbeknownst to myself, he had ravaged another home... and he then killed my mother.

And then he vanished... or so I thought.

I discovered around a month ago that the Green Goblin was actually dead and had been ever since that night.

The night I found out, I tried to take my life from this world.

But I was saved.

Surviving my overdose inspired me to truly want to get help.

Christina sat at the kitchen table as rays of sunlight traveled through the blinds in front of the window to her right. She placed her pencil down next to her journal for a few moments, rubbing her eyes to get rid of the sleepiness within her; she had only woken up twenty minutes ago and she was completing her goal of getting her thoughts out during the morning.

Her brunette hair, which she had re-dyed once the blonde roots were becoming too noticeable, was a tangled mess from her heavy sleep the night before.

It had been nearly a month since she had been released from the hospital and a lot had changed in her life. First off, she truly started weaning off of all of the medication she had been taking. Now, she rarely ever had to take a single pill, only doing so in extreme circumstances. She hadn't drunk a sip of alcohol after what had happened that night and she was now refusing to follow the urge to do so.

Christina's last therapy session and AA meeting had gone well and she hadn't broken down crying once during each of them. At the therapy session, she basically caught her therapist up on how she was doing and the time spent there had been relatively short.

At the AA meeting, she had received a token for being sober for three weeks, to which she stood in front of everyone else in the room and told her entire story for the first time. She had teared up, but she refused to cry. It had become easier to do that now.

The woman could recall the first time she attended AA; she had been with Peter and had driven them there. He offered to stay in the car and wait while she tried out what this was, and she greatly appreciated him for that. Peter then kissed her on the forehead and reminded her that he loved her before she went inside.

Of course, the first week following her release from the hospital hadn't been the easiest. There were a few nights of Christina waking up from nightmares with a shriek or a sob of despair. Each time, Sidney had rushed into her bedroom to comfort her or she had called Peter whenever it got too bad. She would then give the phone to Christina so he could offer words of reassurance and solace.

"Maybe journaling could help, too," he suggested, feeling sleepy but caring less because Christina's emotions were more important at the moment. "Write down what you're feeling and get it out."

And so Christina did.

And it had helped.

Seeking therapy and AA helped me face demons of my own that I refused to let go for so long. Talking to people who had been through something similar made me realize that I wasn't the only one that felt this way. I wasn't the only one who felt anger and heartbreak and guilt. I wasn't alone. That helped me a great deal.

Sidney and Peter have helped me a whole lot as well. In fact, they've helped me so much that I feel as though they smother me sometimes. But I can't find it within myself to argue against that. They care and that matters a lot to me.

Christina paused again, thinking about what else to write before perking back up.

I start my new job tomorrow, she wrote. I was interviewed by a corporate at the Mount Sinai Health System and I was offered a job on the spot. I wonder if I'll have a client on my first day. I'm a little nervous but I'm willing to give my dream career a shot.

M.J. asked me to be her maid of honor at hers and John's wedding that's in a week. I already have the perfect dress picked out and I'm beyond excited for the ceremony.

Today is Sidney's twelfth birthday. I'm planning a huge surprise for her that I know she will love.

It has been a year and ten months since my mother died... and I feel everything is becoming easier to accept. Mom would be proud of me for being happier right now, I know she would be. Right now, it is up to me whether I cower away and succumb to the grief or unlock my chains and set my demons free.

Christina adjusted the last part of her sentence. ...set myself free.

_____

Four Hours Later
12:50 P.M.
Sidney's POV

"Will you please just tell me where we're going?!" Sidney groaned as they continued walking down the street, growing a little out of breath because of how much they had been traveling through Queens.

"Nope!" Christina replied with a devious and sly grin on her face, looking at her little sister for a moment. "It's a surprise, remember?"

"Well, I don't like surprises!" Sidney retorted with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Sure, you don't," Christina sarcastically said. "It's this way!" She gestured to a building to their left that wasn't too far away.

"You're the worst!"

"Oh, I know!"

The two approached the building that Christina was referring to, both of them wishing that it weren't so hot outside. But fall was on the horizon and would be starting in the next few days, so the agonizing heat wouldn't last too long after this.

Sidney was now twelve years old and, although she didn't feel any different, Christina could have sworn that she grew half an inch in her sleep the night before. She was now even taller than her older sister and she knew she wouldn't stop teasing the woman about it, even if it never truly bothered her.

The one thing that made her happier than ever right now was that Christina looked healthier and more hopeful than she had when she first met her. The brunette seemed to be more at peace than she once was; the nightmares and emotional outbursts were now extremely rare and Christina was seen with a grin on her face more often. Mary Jane had told her that she always smiled before Margaret had died, so this was her going back to her normal self.

Christina made sure to pay more attention to Sidney and what was going on in her life, not wanting to ignore her or be neglecting. She had even gifted her with a picture of the two of them that had been taken by Michael recently, which had made the pre-teen girl tear up. This had led to Christina giving her little sister a kiss on top of her head before telling her to get dressed so they could go celebrate her birthday.

That was why she got even angrier at the complete assholes that constantly picked on her from time to time in middle school. Normally, Sidney didn't let it bother her and she just ignored them. But, when Christina was brought up in a negative way, she wouldn't have that.

In fact, she had put one of her classmates, Bethany Riley in the emergency room with seven stitches because she had beaten the shit out of her a week ago. The bitch had referred to Christina as a "poor little weakling without her mommy because she's dead." That had pissed off Sidney so much in Gym class that she had tackled the taller girl to the ground and hit her until a spot above her forehead was busted open.

When Christina had picked her up from school early and found out she had detention for a week, she scolded her about being violent towards others. She had said to her, "What that little shit said doesn't bother me because it's not true. So don't let it bother you. You don't have to protect me every minute of the day."

Peter had been with the two of them when they went back to the apartment and he had seemingly agreed with Christina's words. But, when the brunette turned her back to start preparing dinner for all of them, he had leaned over to Sidney and whispered, "I don't normally condone violence but, if anyone says shit about her again to you, don't be afraid to defend her. Just this once, I'll allow it."

Sidney secretly took that advice to heart, although she never told Christina.

"We're here!" the brunette announced, breaking Sidney out of her thoughts as they approached the front doors of the building. "Now close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes!"

"Why do I need to –?" Sidney started, tilting her head out of confusion.

"Just do as I say!" Christina said in a mock-stern tone, trying to stifle laughter.

Sidney's brown eyes rolled into the back of her head out of slight annoyance but she closed them a few moments later. "Alright," she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

She could then feel a hand on her back as she was seemingly guided into the building by her older sister. She reluctantly allowed this, trying her best not to smile with anticipation at what she would see on the other side of the two double doors that had been in front of her seconds earlier. She was hit with the cold air of the lobby of the structure she was standing in and she didn't even care about the goosebumps that had erupted on her arms due to that.

"Okay, now you can open them," Christina said, a grin in her voice.

And Sidney did.

Her eyes widened almost instantaneously when she saw what was in front of her. "You can't be –! Holy shit!" she exclaimed quietly, making sure the older adults in the room with their families wouldn't hear her.

"Yup! I already paid for us to come here," Christina replied excitedly, beaming from ear to ear.

The two of them were standing in the lobby of a small animal exhibit; one look outside through the windows across said rooms revealed a gigantic zoo to Sidney, and her youthful face lit up like she was looking up at the stars in the night sky. In fact, she was so stunned that she could hardly move from where she was standing.

"Happy birthday, kiddo," Christina murmured to her, her heart warming at the pure innocence in her baby sister's eyes.

"Chris, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Sidney muttered in complete amazement, also beginning to smile. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Sid," Christina said, giggling a little bit. "I booked two-hour tickets so, if you wanna go see some animals now, we can!"

Sidney practically jumped up and down with exhilaration as she grinned happily, nodding her head. "Come on, let's go!" she said as she began jogging ahead of Christina.

"Alright, hold your horses," Christina mumbled under her breath, chuckling softly as she moved to catch up to her.

Over the course of the next hour, the two sisters explored the exterior of the zoo and came across. Whenever Sidney was allowed to pet some of the animals, she did so with precise care and gentleness as she didn't want to bring harm to any of them. She was even allowed to feed them and she did so with a huge smile on her face; all the while, Christina was unbelievably cheerful to see Sidney in such a good mood since that had rarely been the case after she had been released from the hospital.

Just seeing her little sister be a kid again was enough to make her forget about all of her own worries and doubts within herself. Today was about the two of them making memories and fuck everything else.

Christina even snapped a few pictures of Sidney with the animals using a spare camera Peter had let her borrow out of the kindness of his heart. Each photo just made her smile like an idiot.

"Oh, you've got to see this!" Sidney shouted when she saw something in particular, now sprinting away from her older sibling, trying not to laugh with pure joy.

"Sidney, wait!" Christina yelled after her, trying to keep up but the younger girl was faster than she was. She noticed that, to get to wherever Sidney was going, she had to walk up a taller ramp; she figured that the animal must be a larger one and she wanted to keep an eye out for her sister's safety.

Reaching the top of the ramp, Christina couldn't find Sidney at all. Because of this, her anxiety rose just a little and she prayed to God that she was okay and that she was just being the curious and innocent twelve-year-old she always was.

Rounding a corner that didn't contain a wall that went over her head, the brunette's jaw nearly dropped at the sight she saw. Her eyes widened with utter wonder as she stared at what was in front of her.

Sidney was standing next to a towering tree that leaned against the wooden railing, grinning in disbelief as she stared up at the animal in front of her. It was her favorite animal.

It was a giraffe.

It was an actual fucking giraffe.

A chuckle of astonishment left Christina as she timidly took a step forward and closer to Sidney.

"You see this?" Sidney asked her in a hushed whisper, her brown eyes bright and filled with pure awe at what she was looking at.

Christina smiled gently as she stepped closer to Sidney, nodding her head. "Do you wanna pet him?" she murmured.

"I don't wanna scare him," Sidney said instantly, shaking her head.

"You won't, it's alright," Christina replied, gently grabbing Sidney's hand and raising it up to the gigantic giraffe. "Hey, fella..." she added to the creature, a sweet smile on her face. "Go on, he won't hurt you."

Sidney shyly raised her right hand and carefully patted the giraffe's short fur, which made him slightly turn his head towards her. "Hey there..." she whispered, giggling gently. "So fucking cool..."

Witnessing this moment brought a few tears to Christina's blue eyes; right then and there, as she watched Sidney's interaction with the giraffe, she was incredibly grateful to be alive and healing. If she weren't, she would have missed out on memories like this one and she would have felt immense guilt. She was glad that she had been saved and given a second chance in this world, and this made her have to blink back the tears to avoid getting too emotional.

"Did I do okay...?" she sheepishly asked Sidney with a hopeful smile on her face.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sidney responded with a chuckle, which allowed Christina to follow suit with her own laughter.

The words had actually meant: "This is perfect."

"You're welcome, kiddo..." Christina mumbled, patting Sidney on the back.

_____

Two Hours Later
2:55 P.M.

"So, where are we going next?" Sidney asked Christina as she slowly began to run out of breath from walking so much.

"Like I told you, it's a surprise, kiddo!" Christina shouted back.

"Oh, will you stop that?!" Sidney exclaimed with a harsh sigh.

"Never!"

Sidney slowed down and chose to sit on a nearby bench to catch her breath so she would be energized again soon. Christina noticed this and sat down next to her.

"You good, Sid?" she pondered, tilting her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sidney answered with a chuckle, faintly tracing the light bruises on her knuckles from where she had beaten Bethany's face in the previous week. "Just need to rest, that's all."

Christina just nodded her head as her hand slowly moved to caress her left wrist where Margaret's watch once rested. Instead of touching the spot where her wrist bone was like she normally would, she instead moved her fingers over two slim marks on the skin that her veins were under. She hadn't felt the need to touch the scars in several months so it almost surprised her to sense them there again.

Sidney took notice of what she was doing and she even grabbed Christina's left wrist to look at the scars, her eyes wide with deep concern until she saw just how old they looked. They seemed to be well over a year old now.

"When did you get these?" Sidney mumbled, genuinely curious as to what the answer was.

"A month after Mom died..." Christina answered with surprising ease, closing her eyes before tentatively removing her wrist from Sidney's hand. "Um... I didn't really see a purpose after I lost her. And I had thought about it... I was ready to do it. I didn't even think about how everyone else would feel. But... when I went to finish the job... I hesitated...."

Sidney just stared at Christina with a ton of surprise behind her brown eyes, mostly since this was something she had never known about when it came to her sister. She figured that the real reason she always wore that watch on her left wrist was to hide said scars, and that brought a few tears to her eyes. She felt very guilty for not even noticing what had happened to her all the way back then.

"What made you hesitate...?" Sidney asked, tilting her head.

"I thought of you..." Christina admitted, her own eyes brimming with tears. "I thought of how you'd feel if I did this to myself... So I was scared to go through with it. I still did hurt myself but not as severely as I would have..."

Sidney sighed shakily, her shoulders quivering as her head bobbed up and down. "Well, now, you have therapy..." she said. "And therapy heals all wounds, I guess..."

"It's not just therapy that's doing it," Christina corrected her, looking right at her little sister with gratefulness in her eyes.

Sidney instantly understood what she meant and one tear trickled down her cheek; she instantly wiped it away and cleared her throat a little. She then dug through her right pocket and pulled something out.

"When you told me you lost that watch..." she began, taking a deep breath. "...I had Dad take me to your old house. I looked everywhere for something, almost everything was still there. I found this... and I took it. I hope you don't mind."

She then held out the object to Christina. "Open it..."

Christina carefully took the necklace from Sidney and opened the pendant up. She chuckled lightly, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the small photo of her and Margaret from when she was sixteen. The memory seemed familiar until she recognized the night of her sixteenth birthday in 1999; Margaret was hugging her daughter from behind as a much younger Christina was laughing with pure joy. She was completely unaware that her mother had owned this in their home.

"Well... um... No matter how hard you try, I guess... you can't escape your past..." she muttered, her voice cracking as she fought the tears. "But you can fight it... thank you, kiddo."

Sidney just nodded as she rubbed her sister's shoulder comfortingly, smiling sadly at her. But then, a new thought appearing in her mind, she lowered her head as she took a deep breath. "Um... Chris..." she murmured, a lot more timid than she usually was. "There's... uh... there's something I need to tell you... I've been meaning to tell you for a while..."

Christina turned to look at her sister, raising one eyebrow as she nodded lightly. "What is it...?" she pondered, treading carefully just in case.

Sidney closed her eyes as her hands began shaking, a slow breath leaving her lungs. A part of her didn't want to let it go but she needed to reveal something she had been hiding from everyone around her for over a year now. "Um..." she muttered before pulling out her purse and removing her wallet from it. From that, she drew out a picture of her and a girl from her school she had known for years; the girl's name was Arabella Carpenter, and she had short, dirty blonde hair that went perfectly with her sienna-colored eyes.

Christina noticed the photo and tilted her head with curiosity, seeing the two girls in the picture hugging one another and grinning at where the camera had been placed.

"Chris... I'm... I'm a lesbian..." Sidney shyly admitted, her breath caught in her throat for just a moment. "This girl... she's my best friend but... I've had a huge crush on her for a few months."

Christina's jaw didn't drop with absolute shock, although she was somewhat surprised for just a second. But then she realized that it made sense, considering Sidney's tomboyish style of fashion and her utter refusal to bring up any boys in her school she may have liked.

It all made sense now.

"That's great, Sid," Christina said in a genuine and soft tone, grinning at her baby sister.

"What...?" Sidney replied, dumbfounded that Christina looked happy. "You... You don't hate me for that?"

"Of course I don't, you little shit..." Christina whispered as she giggled. "I support you every step of the way, so don't forget that. I'm... uh... I'm panromantic... I had a girlfriend around a year ago. Her name was Alyssa. She was great to be with but... I was scared to tell people about our relationship. So we drifted apart until we eventually broke up. I haven't talked to her since."

"I didn't know that..." Sidney said truthfully.

"You keep a lot of secrets when you're not exactly straight..." Christina joked. "Welcome to the club, kiddo."

Sidney just chuckled lightly. "Thanks, I guess..."

"But, seriously, I support you," Christina said with a comforting smile on her face. "And I still love you for you, no matter who you turn out to be. And this Arabella girl... I think you should talk to her more... see if she feels the same way. Just don't get too wild, you're still a little kid."

"I'm twelve!" Sidney retorted playfully.

"To me, you're a toddler," Christina said coyly, beaming from ear to ear as she burst out laughing.

Sidney also began laughing for a long period of time but, afterwards, she rested her head on Christina's shoulder. "Thank you for still loving me regardless of that..." she said quietly, closing her eyes as tears of relief fell down her face.

"I'll always love you, sis..." Christina replied with a gentle smile, putting an arm around Sidney's shoulders as she rested her head on top of hers. "It doesn't matter what sexuality you are, I'm going to love you nonetheless..."

"Same here..." Sidney said, grabbing her sister's hand that was around her shoulder and squeezing it tightly.

Afterwards, the two sisters got up and continued walking; Christina surprised Sidney yet again by bringing her to an astronomy museum and they toured that until they grew too exhausted for their own liking.

But it was the best birthday of Sidney's entire life, and nothing would ever top that for her.

A/N: doesn't that just warm your heart?!🥹😁

so, anyways, thoughts on this chapter? did you like it? i'm sorry if it seemed somewhat rushed.

christina is finally recovering! she's seeking therapy and AA, and she's journaling! thoughts on that?

what did you think of the surprise she planned for sidney?

what about the moment with the giraffe? that was taken straight out of The Last of Us Part I!!

what about the discussion they had about when christina did that to herself almost right after margaret's death? personally, i think it was good that christina could finally talk about that without breaking down and struggling.

and finally... the moment where sidney came out to christina as a lesbian... thoughts on that? i have been anticipating writing that moment for months and months!

speaking of that, let's discuss both sisters' sexualities! sidney is a fully fledged lesbian! no ifs, ands, or buts about it! she is only into women! christina on the other hand, is a panromantic demisexual woman. i'm sure you know what both terms mean but, in case you don't, just look them up and it'll make more sense!

i have created moodboards for each sister based on their sexualities!

Sidney

Christina

ANYWAYS, predictions for the next chapter? what are you hoping to see?

be looking forward to the next chapter, because i think you will absolutely LOVE IT!!!☺️😁😁

-denbroughswife