Responsibilities of saving people with her bare hands, delivering strong punches straight to the jaw, and sometimes just standing still, were abruptly interrupted by an unexpected phone call. It came at a time when the moon was already high in the sky, an unfamiliar voice pleading for her aid.

The moment she heard your name and "hospital" in the same sentence, she dropped everything and dashed to your side.

She wasn't present before, not since Vought has hijacked her schedule.

But when her ex, the one she still secretly adored, landed in dire straits, how could she say no? In a way, this was to make up for lost time.

And so, here she was, making a comeback like a ghost from the past, possessing a physical body once more. Except, she was attired in her homebody attire—cap, glasses, and a mundane sweater—the perfect disguise to feel like a nobody again.

The tiara and boasting armor? Gone, just like Queen Maeve.

Only Margaret Shaw stayed.

"I brought some fruits," Maeve announced as she placed a basket on the nightstand, well within your reach. "Just in case you're feeling peckish."

And in it held a mix of firm yet juicy apples, sweet grapes in their plump clusters, ripe bananas—your favorite fruits, the treats you used to, and still, devour as midday snacks.

She knew your preferences well, considering she was your long-standing ex.

Next to it sat a bouquet of lily of the valleys flowers, sprouting its white measly petals without a yellow, wilting one in sight. Pristine and untouched, that was a purposeful choice, perhaps, to hope for a fresh chapter and leave behind the pain of the past.

Taking a tentative seat on the edge of the mattress, she edged close to your personal space. Mindful of your aches under the hospital gown, she gently pulled the blanket up to cover your chest.

"Apparently, your emergency contact is still listed as Maggie Shaw," she remarked with a sigh.

"You do realize there are easier ways to get my attention, right?"