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[palace-jennifer.livejournal.com]

After this, Miranda and Jennifer, finally find the time to talk

Miranda walked out of the lift and towards the gardens.  She was glad the anatomy class had ended in time so Jennifer didn't have to wait for her.  When she turned around the corner towards her little flower bed though, she already saw the young woman sitting on the bench.  She looked up when Thoas landed beside her on the branch of a lilac tree.  "Did you take good care of her?"  Miranda asked the kestrel softly,  "Would you do us a favour, my friend?  Make sure no one's going to disturb us?  Like you did when Liv found me?"  Thoas made a quiet cooing noise and ruffled his feathers, and Miranda felt his agreement.  "Thank you, my friend," she said and walked on.  When she was still a few feet away from the bench, she cleared her throat to give Jennifer the chance to notice her and not be scared.

Jenifer looked up at Miranda. Her hands still laying together in her lap. She had been crying and her eyes were puffy as a result of it. "Miranda." She said as she saw her approach. She would stand to great her, but her legs felt week.

Miranda frowned slightly at the sight in front of her and willed herself to a bright smile.  "Jennifer," she said softly and sat down beside her.  For a moment, she just looked at Jennifer, then she simply pulled her into a hug.  "Gods, sweetie, what is wrong with you?" Miranda mumbled, "No offense meant, but you look terrible.  What happened?"

Upon hearing Miranda's words, Jennifer begin to cry uncontrollably into her shoulder.  "I saw him. He was with another woman. He...and I..." Her voice trailed off. She leaned against Miranda, shaking as she cried.

"Whoa..." Miranda exclaimed and started rocking Jennifer gently.  "It's okay sweetie, it's okay," she whispered.  She was very confused and did not understand a word of what Jennifer had said.

Jennifer wrapped her arms around her. "Brad. Oh, Brad. I never got over him. And to see him that way. With another. It just, It. It hurt's." Jennifer said through gasps for air as she continued to cry.

Now Miranda understood.  "Oh Gods, sweetie, I am so sorry," she said and pulled Jennifer yet closer.  "So sorry."  She placed a soft kiss on Jennifer's hair.  "Let it all out, sweetie."  Miranda held Jennifer and looked at her little flower bed.  She remembered seeing Brad with a beautiful woman at the engagement party that she had never seen before, but she was not sure if she was really what Jennifer thought of her, because she remembered seeing him with a young man of Princess Anna's entourage.  But Miranda figured that this would be even worse for Jennifer to realize that Brad had "replaced" her with a man, so she remained quiet.  "I'm here, Jennifer.  Cry as long as you need, let it all out," she said quietly instead.

Jennifer continued to cry for a few minutes before raising her head to look at Miranda. "I am sorry. I just didn't know he was here, and seeing the two of them... I am sorry." She said wipping tears from her eyes. "Gods, look at my manners. I haven't even asked how you are or anything."

Miranda hugged her again.  "It's okay, don't you apologize.  I didn't know that you and Brad had been a couple, otherwise I could have warned you.  I am sorry that you're feeling so sad.  Don't you worry about your manners, they are perfect.  We're here because you needed someone to talk to and not the other way round.  So I am pretty much unimportant right now.  But since you've asked, I am fine, thank you."  Miranda smiled, for a moment lost in thought about her angel Liv, but then she stirred and gently pulled Jennifer's head to rest against her shoulder again.  "Do you want to tell me about you and Brad?" she asked gently.  Maybe talking of the past would help Jennifer to come over her grief.

Jennifer tried to smile at Miranda. "Back home, he was my first love. Then he became of age and had to serve at Palace to repay his family debt. I thought I had forgotten about him, but when I saw him with her it was just too much. It brought back all of the old memories. It was the first time I have seen him in six years." She pulled back from Miranda, still wiping her eyes.

First love - that explains everything.  Miranda nodded slowly and gave Jennifer an encouraging smile.  "That's understandable.  One never forgets their first love.  You have loved him a lot, haven't you?"

"I have." Jennifer said. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was feeling really drained. "I thought I was over him, but." She looked back to Miranda for encouragement.

The decision was made quickly, and Miranda focused on Jennifer's hope and confidence.  "You will find your happiness again, sweet," she said and gave both emotions a noticeable boost.  Jennifer needed both badly, and she needed it quick, and just by talking and soothing words, that was not achieved quickly enough.  "You will see.  This place is great to find happiness.  Just look at the princes, Craig and Orlando.  Or Dominic, Sean's assistant.  Or Mads, the Head of East Wing.  So it would be strange if you wouldn't find your happiness again."

Jennifer felt a calm coming over her. She could feel herself relaxing. "I guess this place isn't to bad, is it." She no longer felt depressed about Brad. She just looked at the lovely woman beside her and smiled.

"No, it's not bad at all," Miranda smiled, glad to see Jennifer calm down, though she kept the Deflection up for a little longer.  "I came here five years ago, and have made some good friends since, and now I even found love."  She smiled gently.  "You will eventually do the same.  Well, I already consider you a friend, and I hope you do the same.  I should very much like to be your friend.  You will see, it will all work out just fine."

Jennifer smiled at Miranda's kind words. "Thank you, I could use friends. I must admit, I don't know many people here yet. I haven't been here long enough yet. Although I have met the chaos twins, they were giving me absolute hell the other day. Are you sure they have one brain between them?" She asked with a grin. She could not believe how much better she was feeling.

Miranda rolled her eyes.  "Spare me from them, I am so glad I got to get away from them.  I worked with them for five years, can you imagine that?  Don't ask me how I kept my sanity during all these years though, I couldn't tell you."  She leant in close to Jennifer and whispered, "It has been scientifically proven that they share one brain, and that's a malfunctioning model."

Jennifer erupted with laughter. So hard in fact she had to hold onto Miranda's shoulder.  Her laughter was just subsiding as she saw a bird swoop down and land on the bench besides Miranda's shoulder. Jennifer pulled back slightly and looked at the bird, then Miranda as it nuzzled up next to her beautiful blonde hair.

Miranda finally dropped the Deflection as she saw Jennifer laughing as she did, but she was ready to start it anew when she saw the look of awe on Jennifer's face and followed her gaze.  She smiled softly as she found Thoas settling on the bench by her shoulder.  "Hello my friend, want to join our talk?"  Miranda said gently.  The kestrel puffed his feathers and tilted his head, looking at Jennifer, crowing quietly.  "Don't be so impatient," Miranda chuckled, "I will introduce you now.  This is Jennifer.  Jennifer, I'd like you to meet Thoas."  She gently stroked the bird's head as he started preening.

Jennifer smiled. "May I touch him?" She asked as she looked at Miranda. She had never seen a bird up this close before, especially not one this beautiful. She looked over at Miranda, then back to Thoas. They are both so beautiful, she thought. Such a perfect pet for a perfect person. Whoever her love is, they must be very lucky.

"Would you like that, hmm?" Miranda said gently to Thoas, "Will you allow her to touch you?"  The bird stopped his preening and looked at Jennifer again, then he hopped over to sit on the bench between the two women.  Again, he crowed softly and looked directly into Jennifer's eyes.

Jennifer reached slowly down and touched him. He felt so soft. She looked over at Miranda and smiled. "He's a very lovely creature. Is he your pet?" She asked as she continued to touch Thoas gently.

Thoas leant into the touch and slightly puffed his feathers, sending Miranda a touch of his appreciation.  "He thinks he you are beautiful," Miranda chuckled, "Always flirting with the beauties, are you?  You naughty boy, you," she chided him softly.  "No, I wouldn't call him my pet.  He's a friend, he chose freely to come with me to Palace.  Maybe you could call him my familiar, though we are not as close as Mads and Freya."

Jennifer smiled. "He is so lovely." As she gently touched him she thought of her dog she had left with her parents. "Um, Do you think it would be ok if I had my Dog sent here to be with me? His name is Da Vinci. He is a white Maltese. Do you think anyone would mind?" She asked looking over at Miranda. "I get lonely here, and he is such a great companion."

Miranda watched the two together and smiled gently.  It obviously did Jennifer good, so having her own pet around would be even better.  "Yes, that would be possible.  No one would mind him, I am sure of it.  He could be running about the gardens and up in the stables all the time.  And I'd be happy to make the acquaintance of Da Vinci.  I have a small gift of Animal Empathy, you know.  What do you think, Thoas?  No, you could not chase him around, you cheeky buggar!  I really need to have a word with Mads, Freya is such a bad influence on you.  She drops things at people, buttons, and stuff.  Since Thoas met her, he's become very cheeky."  Miranda sighed but winked.

"Really, then I will send for him. He is such a sweet dog. Him and I are the best of friends." Jennifer said as she looked at Miranda. She thought about Brad, but for some reason it didn't really bother her right now. "I am so pleased you took time to talk to me." Jennifer said smiling. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her makeup had ran. "I am sorry, but I must return to work soon." 

"Yes, have him sent here.  Maybe someone from Palace Deliveries can pick him up for you.  Don't worry about the charges, I will pay for it."  Miranda returned the smile.  "Of course, my dear.  Whenever you feel like a chat, let me know.  I will always take time to talk to you.  Yes, I have to go back to class too.  Wouldn't want Liv to be mad at me for missing any," she said, almost sighing Liv's name and smiling absent-mindedly for a moment before she remembered Jennifer.  "And you better go back to your room first and have your face cleaned up before you return to your desk."  She held out her arms for a hug.

Jennifer blushed. She could not believe the Miranda would pay for him to be sent here. "You are an angel." She said as she hugged her before standing.

Her cheeks were pink when Miranda hugged Jennifer.  "You are my friend, and I will always be there for my friends," she mumbled and glared at Thoas whose snickering she could hear inside her head.  "And you need your dog with you, so I will see to it that he gets here as quickly as possible.  Come on, let's go in, our ways are the same for a while at least.  Oh, wait..."  She bent down in front of her little flower bed and grabbed the gardening scissors that were hidden under a pot there.  Cutting a white and an orange gladiola, she hid the scissors again and offered the orange flower to Jennifer.  "For you.  The white one is for my love.  Now come on," Miranda said and held her hand out to Jennifer.

Jennifer blushed a deep red as Miranda offered her the flower. "It is, it is beautiful." She said as she took the flower in one hand and took Miranda's had with the other. She could not believe how sweet she was. Never in her life had she encountered someone as sweet, other then Brad, and at the moment she didn't care about him. She followed Miranda back inside, sniffing the flower as they went.