Title: Problems with the Past

Author: I AM GRUMPY BEAR

Rating: PG

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: If I owned Early Edition, I would be rich, but I don't so well boo hoo for me. Besides if you sue, you'll get pocket lint, don't worry it's nice and clean.

Summary: Gary meets a girl who's past is quickly catching up to her and that could spell disaster for everyone.

Note: This story has a lot of other stories in, but if those stories aren't there, the whole story won't make since sorry. Well here's the story. I'm done babbling.

Problems with the Past

Chapter One: The Promise

Fred Bostwick sat handcuffed in the back of the police car. He was transported to another prison, but that wasn't what he was thinking about. Fred Bostwick was thinking about her. He was thinking about everyday she was alive, every step she took, every time she took a breath, and how he wished he could end it all.

"I'm making a promise now, Robin," Bostwick said to himself. "I'm going to get out, and if I go back again, it's going to be for your murder."

******

Fifteen-year-old Robin Mason sat in the seat before the police chief's desk. She had no idea what the meeting was about, but every second she sat there, she became more and more nervous.

"Hello, Robin," said the police chief, Dave Smith. "How are you?"

"F-fine," said Robin stuttering slightly. She always stuttered when she was nervous, or knew that something important was happening, or for no reason at all sometimes, "but c-could we drop this stupid polite chitchat and get to the reason you ca-called me here?"

"Knew you would want to know quickly." said Chief Smith. "He got out."

"How?" asked Robin as she slumped back in the chair.

"While he was being transported," said Chief Smith, "he managed to get out of his handcuffs. He killed the driver and got away. They haven't been able to find him yet."

"He's going to come ba-ba-back," said Robin nervously. "I know he is."

"I know, Robin," said Chief Smith. "They've decided they need to put you in the witness protection program."

"I ha-ha-have to leave Knoxville?" said Robin staring at the police chief.

"Yes, Robin," said Chief Smith. "You'll be moving to Chicago."

"But I don't want to move-move-move," said Robin. She gave up on that sentence and said, "I don't want to leave Knoxville!"

"You'll be safer," said Chief Smith. "You and your family."

"I don't want to go," Robin almost shouted. "I don't want to run anymore. Just let him catch me already." She looked down at her feet and then out the window.

"I know you don't mean that, Robin," said Chief Smith.

"I do, too," said Robin. "I don't want to move."

"I know you don't want to move," said Chief Smith. "I'm talking about the other thing. I know you don't actually want him to catch you."

"Sometimes I do," said Robin. "Then everybody's lives could go back to normal. No one else would have to die because of me and Bostwick would stop coming back."

"We're going to catch him, Robin," said Chief Smith. "We've caught him before and we'll catch him again."

"We should have only had to catch him once," said Robin, "and the only reason he keeps breaking out is because he wants me dead. Too many people have been hurt and killed trying to protect me and that includes you."

Chief Smith unconsciously rubbed a fading scar on is arm where he had been shot by Bostwick half a year before.

"Please understand that we help you because we want to, Robin," said Chief Smith, "not because we have to."

"I know," said Robin as she got out of the chair, "but that doesn't mean that it's not my fault." She walked out of his office and then back into the main room of the police station. Carver Hanson and Sarah Box were both sitting at their desks and watched her as she left the police station.

"I assume she didn't take it too well," Carver said to the chief who was standing in the doorway of his office.

"What do you think?" the chief asked bluntly.

"I think she'll be safer in Chicago," said Sarah.

"We have always thought what we were doing was going to make Robin safer," said Chief Smith, "but we always seem to be wrong."

"She was safe on her last two birthdays," said Carver, "and she spent them here."

"She was so happy, too," said Sarah sarcastically.

"We got her a cake," said Carver. "We tried our best to make her birthday fun."

"Having a piece of cake at the police station doesn't even compare to having a party with you friends," said Sarah as she got up from her desk. "I thought you guys would understand that."

"Bostwick was out of prison," said Chief Smith. "We were under orders to keep her at the police station."

"We didn't keep her too safe," said Sarah. "He shot you and nearly killed Carver, not to mention Robin."

"Please stop reminding us of our failures," said Carver. "They're on our minds enough."

"All I'm trying to say is that maybe the police, and the feds, and everybody else should stop meddling in Robin's life," said Sarah as she got a paper glass of water and sat back down at her desk. "She seems to be able to take care of herself."

"But what if she isn't able to one of these days?" asked Carver.

"That's the only time we need to step in," said Sarah.

"Famous last words," muttered Carver.

"All I want is for her to be okay," said Chief Smith. "She kind of grows on you after awhile." He walked back into his office and closed the door.

******

"Say g-g-good-bye to Robin Mason," said Robin as she stood in the police station a week later, "because Robin Mason no longer exists."

"At least not until you're out of the Witness Protection Program," said Sarah.

"Are you guys even supposed to know I'm in it?" asked Robin.

"Don't know," replied Carver, "just don't tell us who you're going to be."

"Can do," said Robin. "I just came here to say good-bye."

"Good-bye, Robin," said Carver. "I guess we'll see you if you ever move back to Knoxville."

"Take care of yourself," said Sarah.

"I'll try," said Robin. "Good-bye, Sarah."

"Robin," said Chief Smith. She turned toward the man. "Be careful."

"She smiled at him and said, "I will. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," said Chief Smith.

Robin waved good-bye and walked outside. She climbed into her parents' car and took one last glance at the small police station.

"You ready?" asked Robin's mother, Christine.

"I've said good-bye to my friends, I've said good-bye to them," said Robin, "but if you're asking me if I'm ready to say good-bye to myself? Then no, but I don't have a choice now do I?"

"This doesn't have to be a bad thing," said Robin's father, Roy, as he pulled out of the parking spot.

"Yeah, right," said Robin. She watched as the house by the car window and felt her life slowly slip away. "Good-bye Robin Marie Mason. I don't know if I'll ever see you again." She looked down at her hands for a moment and then said so quietly that only she could hear it. "Hello, Emma Baily Jones."

******

Gary Hobson stooped down and picked up the newspaper. The cat stared up at him for a moment and the trotted into the apartment.

"Hello to you too," muttered Gary as he closed the door. He flipped through the paper as the cat went over and curled up in a chair. It apparently wasn't too interested in anything today.

Gary flipped threw the newspaper looking for what he had to do that day. The front page had no major stories so he flipped to the second page. One of the on the page was tittle, "Teenager Killed in Hit-and-Run."

"'Emma Jones was killed in a hit-and-run accident yesterday afternoon," Gary read quietly to himself. "She was walking home when a driver hit her while she was crossing the street. Paramedics arrived on the scene ten minutes later. She died at 4:05 while still in the ambulance."

Gary set the newspaper down and looked over at the cat. It stared at him for a minute and then jumped down from the chair. Gary turned from the cat to the newspaper and sighed.

******

"Happy Birthday, Em," said Rachel Pendri as she set her lunch tray down opposite her friend. "You're fifteen, right?"

"Yeah, Rachel," replied Robin. (A/N: Emma and Robin, same person.) She had been Emma Jones for almost five months and she still wasn't used to it.

"Then why are you so sad?" asked Rachel as she watched Robin pick at her lunch. "I thought birthdays were supposed to be happy times. Hence 'Happy Birthday.'"

Robin looked up from her lunch and said, "I just don't feel too happy today, Rachel."

"Why?" asked Rachel.

"I don't know," replied Robin.

"Why?" Rachel asked again.

"Because," said Rachel as she became impatient.

Rachel was silent for a minute and then asked, "Because why?"

Robin slammed her hands down on the table in frustration. "Because, Rachel, and if you ask me again, I'm going to scream."

Rachel stared at Rodin for a moment and then said, "You don't have to be rude." She started to eat her lunch.

"Sorry," said Robin. Rachel was the only person in Robin's entire school who had gone out of their way to be friendly to Robin when she first started going there. "I guess I'm just on edge today."

"Apology accepted," said Rachel. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a card. She tossed it to Robin and said, "Happy Birthday. I didn't know what to get you, Emma, so I got you something you could use."

Robin opened the card and pulled out a five dollar bill.

"How did you know?" asked robin with a laugh.

"Just a guess," answered Rachel. "What are you gonna do for your birthday?"

"I don't know," said Robin. "I'd have a party, but you'd be the only one to show up."

"You could," said Rachel trying to think, but she soon gave up and said, "I got nothing."

Robin laughed and then started to pick at her lunch again. "I'm just going to try and have a good day, Rachel."

"Alright, Emma," said Rachel. She picked up her fork and took a bite of her spaghetti. "They really need to start serving real food here." Rachel set her fork back down and pushed her lunch away.

******

Bostwick drove down the interstate with a sick grin on his face. It had taken several months, but he had finally been able to find out where Robin was.

He had gone to the police station in Knoxville just to ask them where she had gone, but they had all refused to tell him. They apparently had expected his next move because they all looked pretty shocked when he had shot Carver.

Bostwick was lucky enough to answer one of Chief Smith's phone calls from the Feds. They were calling to tell the chief that Bostwick was in the area.

Bostwick had started laughing and then hung up the phone. When they called back a little while later, Bostwick was ready to negotiate. He had held the three police officers hostage for two days before a weak Federal agent had finally broken down and told him where Robin was.

He had let the three officers go, one of them in worse condition than the other two, and left for Chicago.

"I promised that I would get out, Robin," said Bostwick as he pulled off onto the Chicago exit, and "and I'm going to find you."

******

Gary walked down the sidewalk trying to get to where the accident was going to happen. The paper hadn't given the exact time of the accident so he had to estimate. Gary turned the corner and saw the girl who was supposed to be hit about to cross the street.

"Wait!" shouted Gary as he ran toward her.

The girl stepped back onto the sidewalk and looked at Gary just as a car speeded by. It would have definitely hit the girl.

The girl turned back toward the street and watched as the car turned a corner.

"Th-th-thanks," she said blankly to Gary.

"Are you alright?" asked Gary.

"Yeah," said the girl quickly. "Not a scratch." She stood there for a moment and then said. "Thanks again, um.."

"Gary," said Gary. "Gary Hobson."

"Ro- Emma Jones," said the girl quickly. "Thank again." She gave a small wave and started to cross the street.

Gary took out the paper and flipped to where the article had been. The story had only changed slightly. "'Girl in Critical Condition after Hit-and-Run,'" was the new tittle of the article.

Gary turned back toward the girl and saw her crossing the street. The same car from before come around the corner and slammed into her. The driver braked the car, got out, and looked over where the girl was lying. He looked over at Gary and Gary saw a look of pure hatred on his face. The driver got back into the car and drove off.

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First chapter up. Please review.