Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: For purposes of this story, this is the route they took: NYC to Akron, Ohio; Akron to Ottawa, Illinois; Ottawa to Omaha, Nebraska; Omaha to Rapid City, South Dakota; Rapid City to Billings, Montana; Billings to Portland. Possibly one more quick stop before their final destination. Also, since it was long-range teleports, I imagine it probably takes more concentration and/or energy. They would probably need to rest a bit before continuing to the next stop. Italicized text indicates thoughts.
xxx TTP xxx
After leaving the bar, John and Russell went back to the lot to get their bags. Russell was quiet the whole time, which was very unlike him. John had noticed, but brushed it off as having something to do with the reasons for the trip - his Dad's funeral and returning home after being away for so long. Once they had packed up their few belongings, John grabbed Russell's shoulder and teleported them to the next stop.
With the delay in Akron, they were going to make one more overnight stop right before they arrived in Portland. They probably could have made it, if they rushed, but decided to rest up before the visit.
They arrived in Billings, Montana and decided to camp there for the night, then make the final jump. Similar to their stop in Akron, this was another abandoned cargo box that had some lights, a cot and a table with a few bottles of water on it. Unlike in Ohio, this time, John let Russell have the cot.
"Since you'll be seeing your Mom tomorrow, you should rest up," John said. "You take the cot and I'll sleep on the floor."
The decision made, John pulled a blanket out of a box under the cot. He spread the blanket out on the floor, then folded it in half to provide a bit of a barrier between him and the cold metal surface. He laid down and tried to get comfortable then grabbed his backpack to use it as a pillow.
Finally noticing that Russell hadn't moved, John said, "Hey, Russell! Get some sleep."
Having been jarred out of his daze, Russell shuffled over to the cot, tossed his bag on the floor and sat on the edge.
"Psst, it works better if you actually lie down," John whispered then rolled over and closed his eyes.
Russell sighed then tried to get comfortable. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed in the Lair, but it was softer than the floor. A wave of exhaustion sweeping over him, he closed his eyes to try and get some rest.
The problem was, Russell couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, with John's statement still haunting him. "Last time I checked, I don't even have a family to go home to. I'm here for you, man."
"Russell, what's wrong?" John turned to look at him.
"Nothing, why do you ask?"
"The cot squeaks every time you roll over and it's keeping me awake. So, what's bothering you?"
"I'm fine. Just having a hard time getting comfortable," Russell responded, trying to blow him off.
"It will be okay," John stated. Then rolled over again to try and get some sleep.
"Yeah ... yeah," Russell half-heartedly responded.
After a few minutes, Russell couldn't take it any longer.
"Look, John, I'm sorry about what I did back there at the bar," Russell said as he got up and walked over to John. "And what I said."
"What are you talking about?" John looked up at his friend.
"I was a jerk," Russell stated.
"Oh, that," John replied, rolling over once more. "Don't worry about it. Already forgotten."
Russell couldn't let it go.
"It's not fair ... or right," Russell continued. John turned to look at him. "You shouldn't be here, you don't need to do this. I'm going to see my Mom and ... well ... I don't think you need to be here."
"Look, Russell, you are my family," John said. "You, Cara and the rest of the Tomorrow People are my family. That's why I'm here, because I want to be here for you, in case you need a friend. It's okay, Russell."
"No, it's not," Russell insisted. "I have a Mom and you don't. I don't want this to get awkward for you. You don't need to ..."
"Do I have a mom or a dad?" John cut him off. "At one point I must have, but they are out of the picture ... have been for a very long time. Actually feels like they were never in it. When I was younger, I wondered who they were and why they left me, but that got me no where.
"Once I got my powers, all I did was focus on the 'families' I did have, my foster brothers and sisters. I took care of them as best I could. It's what I do. The thing is, those people were always temporary. Finally thought I found a home when Jedikiah rescued me, but you know how that turned out.
"So here we are in the middle of no where, because you, Russell, are my brother ... not a temporary one like the others, but a real one. I have your back, and am pretty sure you have mine. So don't worry about it, okay? I want to be here ... for you."
"Thanks, man," Russell said with a slight smile.
"Now, get some sleep."