This was so surreal. Seeing her again. Seeing the one person Sidney Prescott secretly never hoped to see again because she knew what it would mean. That would mean some sick fuck was out there again. Trying to hurt her again. But maybe she liked the thrill of it. The killing. Maybe she enjoyed killing the bastards who killed all her friends. Her family. Maybe she liked it just a little. But that was just as much of a secret as her deep-down want to see America's favorite reporter again.
When she approached the secluded table three feet from an exit and in view of a window but hidden enough that no onlookers could peek inside and see its guests, Gale stood up quickly and pulled her into her arms. Sidney let out a shaky sigh, melting into the hug, and breathed out, "Gale." The older woman smiled. Sidney could feel her chin elongate against the crown of her head. "Hey, Sid."
They sat in the booth now. Quitely. Across from each other but not daring to make eye contact. There were maybe two other occupied tables within the whole coffee shop and Sidney just stared down at her half-empty mug. It had been years. Nearly a decade. The whole thing was so... Awkward.
She was frowning. She hadn't realized that. Really she was thinking. But Tatum told her she frowned when she thought. And Billy told her that it was cute. But she didn't want to think about him. Then she'd scowl and Gale would think she'd lost her mind.
"Hey..." the ex-writer mumbled, reaching out to push a strand of hair out of her old friend's face. It was reflexive. Gentle. But Gale Weathers was never gentle. Especially not with Sidney Prescott. So she released the strand before she could even graze it.
That was just what happens.
Same old song and dance.
It was always touch and go.
You could never tell with Gale- What she was going to do.
Her next move.
Sidney either.
"Penny for your thoughts?" "I-" The younger of the two lost her words. Still thinking. "I'd need a lot more than a penny to tell you any of the shit that goes through my head." Weathers looked weathered but beautiful nonetheless. Sidney missed seeing the way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. "Yeah? Like what?" "Like a promise that this is off the record," she chuckled.
Gale apparently did not find it amusing. She frowned. "I'm sorry, you know? For what I put you through. She coughed a dry laugh, "I was such a bitch." The taller of the two smiled widely. "Yes, you were." Gale grinned and sighed and looked down and looked back up again when she felt Sidney's eyes on her. "I forgive you though, for everything. You saved my ass more times than I can count." "I think it's the other way around, Prescott." She placed her hand over the other's.
Older, but just as calloused and rough hidden under a layer of softness. "I'm glad that what I went through was with you. I would've been long gone by now if it weren't for you." "Yeah? Well, if it weren't for you, the total of punches my face has taken would be two less than it is now." They both laughed. "How many punches has your face taken exactly?"
"Two. Well, three. If you count that girl from high school. She was such a bitch ." Sidney snorted and Gale was in shambles. How the hell was she so... perfect ? "Hey, why don't we get out of here?" she suggested. Maybe she wanted to get Sidney alone. Maybe she just didn't feel safe in such a public area. Whatever it was, she wanted to be away from here but with the same company.
"Why'd you offer a penny for my thoughts if you could read my mind the whole time?"
Gale liked the way Sidney strung words into sentences. Talking with her was like reading The Great Gatsby. The reporter slapped a twenty dollar bill on the table and shot her companion a glare before she could protest and try to pay for the drinks herself.
Sidney knew better than to argue with Gale fucking Weathers.
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An hour went by like a minute. The hospital was like that sometimes.
It was like that when Gale was with her.
Not all the time.
But the few times when Sidney laid in the intensive care unit all bruised and scarred; cut open and stitched back together, and Gale laid by her side, stroking her hair and whispering worried words that mixed between: 'Are you okay?' and 'I love you' more meaningfully than any man in her life had mumbled before.
Those were the times. When the nurses told Gale she wasn't allowed to be in there that late at night or at all and Gale stared them down and continued her business because Gale Weathers never let anyone ever tell her what to do.
Those were the times when hours felt like minutes and selfish, annoying, heartless reporters felt like heaven's equivalent. At least to Sidney anyway.
"Okay, beer. Because wine's expensive and you can spare me the tacky coolers," Gale announced, walking out of the convenience store with a six-pack in hand. "Drinking at five p.m. on a Thursday evening. Ms. Weathers ," Sidney faked a gasp. The elder's tongue winced painfully attempting to hold back the words on its tip. Mrs. Riley . That's how she would have corrected it. That's how she used to.
But Mr. Riley wasn't hers. Not anymore. And a part of her would never be okay with that.
" Please . We all know I've been on the naughty list since the day I was born, Prescott."
There was a deep tone to her voice; husky.
It was enough to make Sidney blush and turn her head.
"Yeah, well... I can't say I've been an angel myself."
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They were sitting on a peek now, one that overlooked the city, each two beers and a hundred sentences of playful banter down. "I've missed you," Sidney admitted, knocking her head against Gale's and letting it rest on her shoulder. "A lot." There was no response. Just a light sigh and a tensed arm squeeze. "Yeah..."
The topic of care for each other was a touchy one at best. Gale never really accepted her feelings for Sidney, even after all the times when Dewey wasn't home. When Mark wasn't. The taller girl took a swig of her third bottle. "You sure that's smart?" She nodded and got to her feet, swaying around the ledge. "Don't do that, Sidney."
She just smiled and floated closer to the cliff. "What if I just... jumped?" Gale's heart twisted into a knot, but she never let emotions shine through. "Then I'd kill you. Seriously, bitch. You jump, I gotta listen to your husband moan and groan about how I didn't save you." Sid scoffed and repeated the words in a sour whisper, "' Husband '."
Gale noted that. She always listened for tone. Best way to spin a story. "You guys having problems again?" "He gets... frustrated sometimes. You know... When I don't want to." Yeah, Gale knew. "But I think he's just embarrassed. 'Cuz when I do want to, he can never get it up. So I guess that's where I'm stuck." She shrugged. "I'm sorry," the older of the two mumbled.
This time she fulfilled the full action of pushing hair out of her friend's eyes. "Why don't you back up a little bit? You're drunk and I don't want you to make a mistake." Sidney rolled her eyes. "If I killed myself, it would be on purpose. You know I'm not stupid. And I'm not that drunk." "Yeah, well, do it for me, Sid. Please?" She backed up and smiled.
"You called me 'Sid'."
"So? I've been doing it all day."
"Yeah, but I like it. You hardly ever call me by my first name."
"Yeah? What do I call you then?"
"Prescott..." she giggled, mostly to herself, "...bitch."
"I'm gonna start calling you 'stupid' if you ever get that close to a cliff again."
She leaned into her shorter counterpart and peered up at her. She was still so beautiful despite the worry wrinkles and obvious, yet fair, aging. "You're cute when you're worried." "Yeah? Well, then I must be really fucking adorable right now." Sidney pecked her cheek. "Always." And holy shit , Gale never knew her skin could turn so red.
And because Gale Weathers refused to be pushed around and attacked with words and actions intended to steal her heart, she retaliated with a kiss. A real one. Softer than expected, but it was familiar. They fell into the same old patterns. Gale did selfish things for her own benefit that hurt Sidney in the long run but didn't feel too bad at all in the moment, and Sidney just went with it.
Tomorrow, though, Gale would be gone.
No trace would be left of her. She'd be like the ghost they've fought time and time again. Sidney'd pretend it never happened and go back home to Mark and their daughters. She'd resume being the perfect wife and mother. She'd pretend to understand him and rely on the love because the passion was long gone. She'd think about Gale and Dewey and Tatum and maybe Billy or Derek if she felt risky.
Maybe she'd flip through a couple pages of The Woodsboro Murders and smile when she thought about Gale writing down her name and thinking of the time they spent together (even if it involved murder and trauma).
She'd probably cry in the bathtub and down a pint of rocky road like a college kid going through a breakup. But she'd never done that before since all her boyfriends were killed instead of dumped. Maybe she'd mourn what could have been instead of what is.
But whatever she did later didn't matter now.
She just wanted Gale.
It was stupid and selfish and a little fucking childish, but she didn't care. Not in the slightest.
"I love you. Always have."
The other just smirked against her lips and drug her closer by her hair.
"Liar."