June 7th, 50XX251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRjXZbDYYq
Monday
Franny and Kate hurry up, finishing changing out of her uniform and the clothes, Kate was arrested in, inside Julian's van while they wait for him.
They're outside a trailer park at the moment, has been living there for a while and they're going to hit the road when he returns.
He went out to withdraw what money he could from an ATM and took Franny's cards as well to withdraw from hers, she willingly gave up the pin to him.
"How do I look?" Kate asks, smiles, looking up.
"You look good. So much cleaner after being a runaway for a little while..." She responds, bundling up her police uniform and gathering Kate's old clothes and she let's her hair out of it's stiff bun while Kate re-fixes her own ponytail.
There is a knock on the door to the van and Franny grasps her gun, gently peeking through the cloths that cover the windows of the van, it's Julian.
She lets out a sigh of relief and lets him in. "We got money now?" She asks.
"Yep." He responds, handing off what belongs to Franny.
"I'll take the clothing." He says, seeing it and she hands that over in exchange.
"Julian." Kate whispers. "Yes, Kate?" He answers.
"We're are we going?"
"Uh, I don't know. But we just can't stay here. I'll just go dump both your clothes, okay and then give me one minute so I can switch out the license plate on my van.
That's really easy."
"But it's illegal." She says, and looks to Franny. "You're a police officer, say something."
"Uh, I-I don't know, Kate." And then she bends down to Kate's level.
"Sweetie, I know, but we did this for you."
"Yeah. He wouldn't have been arrested anyway; they wouldn't have removed me." Kate responds, looking dejected, not noticing Julian leave the van.
A moment later, he returns. "License plate changed." He says, "And now..."
"Now?" Franny says, "Cause I don't really have a plan thought through."
"Good thing I do then, sort of... I have a friend; she runs a hotel pretty far out.
She helps everyone, she's no snitch. I've worked with her before. We head there, lay low for a bit and have a proper discussion and plan making there. She can also alter both your ID's and mine.
This country is vast and not every cop is going to be looking for us. Really only the ones in this area and if we get into the next area succesfully, we'll mostly be good.
And for now, you are my wife and you are our daughter, okay. If we get pulled over at traffic stops or anything, anyone."
"You think they will buy it?" Franny says.
"Well, the kid you adopted was the opposite of you. If you didn't say, people wouldn't pick you for his mum."
"Ugh, fine. That is true, I could very well be Kate's mum here at the rate that children go into care here is high..."
"Exactly." He says, starting up the engine. "Franny." Kate cries a bit. "Oh, hey. It's okay, don't cry." Franny shushes her, wiping away a tear and helps Kate take a seat, doing her seatbelt.
"Kate, I have some comic books in the back. You like superheros? Maybe Zombies..." Julian tells her. "Right next to you."
"Yeah!" She squeals, seeing the pile. "Thank you." Franny mouths to him, climbing into the passenger seat beside him now that Kate is distracted and starting to head deep into the comic books, Julian owns.
"If she does get road sick in my van though, you're responsible for that, Mum." He says and she lightly slaps his shoulder, scrunching up her face and sticks her tongue out. He reaches his hand out, trying to grasp it.
"Don't!"
"Then don't poke your tongue out at me, Fran! Also, sick bags and a bucket are behind you." He laughs and they both focus on the road, him driving and Fran reading a map to him.
---
"No way, this room is ours?!" Kate says excited, sprinting inside of their hotel room. They made it there without any hitches.
"Yes, it is. It was really nice of Shaniqua to let us to stay. If you see her around, you be nice and respectful towards her, okay, Kate?" Julian tells her.
Kate nods her head and is running around the room, excitedly jumping between the two beds. One is a double and the other is a single.
Franny walks in behind them and places down her sons backpack, Kate's backpack, her satchel and Julian's duffel bag he had in the van, closing the door behind him.
"So, our ID's." She speaks. "I'll go talk to Shaniqua now and have her alter everyone's. You and Kate just relax, there is towels and stuff, don't let anyone in while I'm not here and I'll be back soon.
I'll bring dinner back with me from the small dining hall, Shaniqua has here. Her cooking is amazing, so delicious. I don't know how she does it on her own." He answers, collecting everyone's ID, some more cash and heads outside, leaving Franny alone to wrangle a cheeky cow.
"Um, Kate. Kate." Franny says, trying to get the younger girls attention. She stops and stares up at Franny.
"Do you want to go take a shower? There's fluffy towels." Franny tells her.
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
"I said no."
I was not prepared for this... Franny tells herself. "Uh, ok. Why?"
"I don't like showers."
"Do you like baths then? There would be bubble bath and *soft towels*" Franny adds on.
"Will you be here the whole time?"
"I'm not going anywhere; I promise and Julian is on site and will be coming back here. No one's going to hurt you, okay? We're both here, and going to look after you and protect you.
And you may have gotten new clothing that wasn't torn, Kate, but you still do smell, your hair is greasy."
"Okay, I'll wash up. Bath only." She says, taking a towel out of the cupboard and slips into the bathroom, Franny hearing the lock engage.
She takes a seat on the double bed and picks up her son's backpack, then places it right back down. Nope, not yet. Not this soon, she can't do it and a tear slides down her cheek as she lays back fully starting to feel her head throb slightly.
Some time has passed, Julian has returned with modified documentation for all of them and even two fake wedding bands to Franny's reluctance, but she takes one.
They'll all stick out like a sore thumb otherwise if they don't have a cover story that is believable. "How is Kate?" He asks. "Where is she?"
"Uh, showering. Well, bathing actually. She's been a while, hmm." Franny says, staggering as she gets up and walking to the bathroom door, gently knocking.
It opens a second later, revealing a washed and squeaky clean, Kate.
"You okay?" Franny asks her, seeing Kate in some PJ's that Shaniqua gave them also and then she really can see some bruises on Kate's skin.
"Oh."
"What is it, Fran?" Julian calls out, approaching them and then Kate panics and clings to Franny, hugging her and burying her face in it.
"I think you might want to step back a little." Franny warns him, a weird expression on her face and he does so.
"I'll be sitting down when you both are ready, no rush." He says, retreating and Franny stays standing there, Kate hugging her for several minutes.
---
Over dinner, our three start to talk as Kate has calmed down considerably.
"So, Kate, can I ask? It's really important that Julian and I as the adults understand what happened to you.
You don't have to talk about anything you really don't want to or aren't ready to yet, but-"
"I ran away from home."
"Okay, I understand that, yes. And you some conflict with your parents. Mainly your step-dad, more so than your mum and that your real dad is..."
"Gone, he was in a car crash. I hate t-that man came into our lives and he even took his name, my name, our name, trying to replace him."
"What do you mean, Kate?"
"His the one who crashed into him, the reason my dad is dead and Mum likes him, he buttered her up over time, proclaiming he was beyond sorry and would donate any money she needed, told her that I needed a father figure.
It's disgusting, she married him."
"Oh my..." Julian says, turning away.
"She forgave him and because it was an accident, he wasn't prosecuted. I hate him, his rules, his trying to control everything! My bedroom window now has bars on it and a lock on the outside of the door."
"That prick..." Julian says under his breath.
"And that is why you left, I can understand how that would push you to leave and you used the long weekend, school being closed to run." Franny says and Kate nods softly.
"So, how did you end up in the trunk of Aaron Lang's car with... my son?"
"That's his name, the man who took us?"
"Uh, yes."
"He was creepy. We we're walking from a campground having spent the night there and he pulled up beside us along the road and I don't remember much after that. When I came too, Josh- Joshua wouldn't stop being noisy, he got on his nerves and-"
Tears start running down Kate's face.
"We don't have to continue."
"He stabbed him and hit me. I don't know how long past, I was in and out. Then I could hear you, you pulled him over, I could hear your sirens and I started banging and screaming.
You both found me." She says.
"You're a very brave girl, you know, telling me this." Franny tells her.
"You don't know who I am do you? I know who you are, I've seen photos of you many times. We've never met before though so this is awkward."
"What?" Franny responds, looking to Julian who's smiling anxiously, not wanting her to drag him into this.
"If you think Josh running away was just chance, it's not. I planned to leave earlier, but my step-dad was always one step ahead of me and Josh had to wait till I had an opportunity to escape and that was on Friday morning, no one could take me to school, so I said I'd make my own way there.
I found Josh after that; he was nearby. He waited every day and we went off together after that, but ran into that sketchy asshole a few days later."
"Wait, are you saying you and my son planned this?"
"We're classmates, we have been for years."
"Shit, I'm sorry, Kate. I don't even recognize you."
"In Josh's bag would be this year's yearbook. I'm in there, have a look." She says, and Julian helps Franny to open Joshua's bag, gently holding her hand as it's shaking.
Kate's right, there is a year book, she's in there alongside Josh, their other classmates, other photos of her and Josh together, a small camera that develops photos instantly, some clothes, a snack bar, a yoyo, portable handheld gaming console, few games and so forth, even money and Joshua's wallet with his I.D inside and a few coins, some notes left.
Franny picks up one of the photos, looking closely. She has her arms wrapped around Josh and is kissing him on the cheek, Josh squirming, it's clear his the one who took the photo, his arms reaching, holding the camera.
"Are you his girlfriend?" Franny asks and Kate nods slowly. "Are you mad at me? This is not how I planned on meeting the mum of my boyfriend going.
We're going to hide, turn 18 and come back later."
"That's four years and a half you and Joshua would have to be on the run, Kate. That's a long time.
This whole time, I didn't know he had a girlfriend."
"Well, you worked so much. That's what he said, he wanted your attention and you weren't giving it. Also, he saved me.
That's why I went with him, he was saving me from my step-dad."
"Fran, Romeo and Juliet." Julian whispers, gesturing to a book of Romeo and Julian he pulled out of Joshua's bag she had not noticed.
A banned book. "So, that's why you and my son both ran away, him leaving home long before you did? You both we're in love and he was saving you and you we're going to hide for the next four and half years till you both turned 18." Franny re-questions.
"Yes. The other kids in the school vanish too, class sizes keep dropping and we thought we could do the same."
"Uh, I don't think those other kids and running away for the same reason you and Joshua did..." Franny says and Kate looks confused.
"Okay, I'm just going to come out and ask you this again, Kate. Do you know what the Rainbow Teen Freedom Movement is?"
"The what? What is that?"
"You don't know what is it?"
"Should I?"
"Uh, well, that depends... Are you into politics?"
"Not really. I like books, photography and video games. Josh does too!"
"Yes, I do also like reading and photography. The videos games, not so much..." She responds, and Kate opens her backpack, showing her Josh's small handheld pocket-sized game console with few buttons and only three game cards for it as that was all Franny could afford for him.
"He gave it to you? I noticed he wasn't playing it as much around the house."
"Borrowed. I was borrowing it, he let me. I was playing it under the covers at bedtime. Any more dumb questions, Franny?" She says, suddenly turning a little hostile towards her and Julian.
"Where we're you both heading and going to live till you both turned 18?"
"We wanted to get across the border."
"Are you joking?"
"No, why would we?" I mean, I?"
"Kate, you said the boarder."
"And? Apparently, the other kids make it across."
"Do they?" Julian asks Franny, challenging her. "Uh, okay, there is some teens we don't often find and their case becomes a cold one. Maybe they do? I don't know. I've never worked up at the border, never even been there." She lies.
"Do you know how hard that would be though, Kate? It's heavily policed and we don't even know if there is anything out there.
The rest of the world could be a wasteland. There could be zombies."
"But how do you really know? I asked in class once, was told it didn't matter and if I ever asked again, it was detention.
No one has ever seen what is on the otherside, you really think us in here is all there is? Because what if it's not?! Also, zombies don't exist.
Our country's leader is a tyrant."
"True that!" Julian laughs. "Oh, so, you are political and aware of our state of affairs?" Franny says.
"N-no. That's just what my step-dad said and I think he was right on that. It's the one thing him and me didn't argue about."
"I think you should stop pushing her, Fran." Julian whispers.
"Can we get across the border? Can we go there? Will you help me?" Kate asks.
"You seriously want to go there? It would be easier to hide out till you turn 18, Kate and then any charges against us would expire. Julian and I still know people from when we we're yours and Joshua's age. Remote communities here, we can join one of them till you turn of age." Franny says.
"You're either with me or against me. If you don't want to help, fine. I'll leave and find my own way there even though Josh is now gone.
I don't need you! Or your boyfriend!" She yells at them. "His not my boyfriend!" Franny yells back, but now Kate is having an absolute meltdown and actually on the floor, kicking and screaming which is unusual for her age and that it came out of nowhere.
"Uh, what's her medical history?" Julian asks Franny.
"How would I know that? I deserted my job for her and you. I don't have access to that kind of information now, I can't just go into a station and use their computer to pull every ounce of her information the government records."
"Well, this isn't normal. Look at her, something wrong and this isn't just the result of a teen who's been abused by her step-dad." He whispers. "And maybe more, you said she was reluctant to shower. If I ever seen her Step-Dad, I'm beating the guy to a pulp. I sware to God."
"You believe in God?"
"Uh, well-"
And then there is a knock on the door. "Shit." Julian says, Franny quickly trying to get Kate up off the floor and into the bathroom to hide, she screams louder, trying to scratch Franny.
"Julian, what is going on in there? I can hear the girl you have with you from my office. I know I put up people like you regularly, but I can't tolerate this.
They and others are still guests. I've already had two phone calls from other rooms as well." Says Shaniqua coming in, armed with a skelton key and Julian steps aside to reveals Kate having a meltdown and Franny trying to calm her.
"No, no!" Kate yells, Franny holding her wrists. "Let go of me! I hate you! I hate you!"
"You're doing a terrible job for someone who was a cop until this morning.
You've been one for six years. Do better, Fran."
"You think this is helping, Julian? Shut up! And quit just standing there, you could help me out-least- Ow!" She says, Kate's shoe colliding with Franny's shoulder.
"Okay, I've had enough of this. Stand aside." Shaniqua says, collecting a pillow and approaches Kate, shooing Franny aside. Kate kicks and hits the pillow and overtime calms down, Shaniqua softly talking to her till Kate is calm and curled up in a ball and hugging the pillow.
"There we go, was that so hard?" Shaniqua says and Julian and Franny are both silent. "I think she probably has a disorder of some kind; I'm not qualified to say what though.
I used to work as a teachers aide at a boarding school for 'disturbed and disabled kids', though the diagnosis we're vast or not even diagnosed at at all.
I suggest you both come up with a plan sooner rather than later cause if that happens again, I can't keep you here.
How old is she?"
"14." Julian responds.
"I see. I think your best bet would be taking her and your ex-cop chick here to a remote community, they'll have a doctor. Unless you have any better ideas?
Now, I have to go back to front desk, but please don't let this happen again. If you need anything, pick up the room phone and call me." Shaniqua says, leaving the room, but before she does.
"Bye Kate, you take care lovely." She whispers softly and then leaves, gently closing the door behind her. Kate gives her a small wave.
"What do we do know?" Franny whispers, both trying to be quiet for Kate's sake who's still lying there on the floor, silent, back to them.
"I think we should just let her chill out. She has had a stressful day, I'll phone Shaniqua... and I guess we can watch TV softly and let Kate be and maybe she will move to her bed when she gets tired or watch TV with us.
Let's just let her ride this out and we'll talk in the morning and move on from there."
"Okay." Franny whispers, gently packing Josh and Kate's bags back up while Julian gently lifts the phone receiver to his ear.
The rest of the night goes smoothly, Kate eventually moves to play on Josh's handheld pocket console for some time while eating dinner which Julian managed to talk to her into eating and she said she liked chicken strips, was really fussy about food, and wouldn't even eat a slice of tomato or lettuce for him or Franny, both noting the girl was considerably underweight for her height and age and this food fussiness was a part of it, not just abuse and then Kate went to bed sometime and so did they later not long after, turning in to for the night.251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ninBIfaRz
