Joanna flung open the bar everything reminded her of him " absinthe" she said tossing a coin on to the bar the bar man placed a bottle of black absinthe on it , grabbing it she found a dark corner to sit in and began to drink straight from the bottle.

I stand outside the bar, watching silently. She's not ready to talk. Not yet. I'll stand here until she is.

After six bottles of absinthe she grabs her seventh and stumbled out the bar into the night.

"Joanna."

Joanna holds the bottle in one hand leaning against a wall she looks at him.

"Hey, Alex ,what you doing here" she says her words slurred

"You know why I'm here. I'm making sure you don't get yourself killed."

Joanna looked at him " why would it bother any one if i did" she said taking a drink from her bottle.

"It would bother me. Despite the fact that you don't look it, you're my mother."

she looked at him and drew her claws " would a mother kill a father" she said taking a second drink

"It's been known to happen. But I don't think you did it, not without a damn good reason."

Joanna finished the bottle and threw it against a wall where it smashed.
"The only man i ever loved and i killed him" she said tears ran down her cheek she slid to the floor then looked up at him " his last words were he loved me too"

I kneel next to her. "And he did. I know he did. He wouldn't want you to end up like this."

she looked into his eyes " then why ask me to kill him" she said softly

"He asked you to do it?"

Joanna stood up " I need another drink" she said moving to the door of the bar.