Oh, the blonde in this chapter is JJ. But Declan, being 11 when he meets her doesn't catch a name.
Story number 3 in the "Innocent Journey" series. (It goes I'm Coming Home, Keeping Declan Safe and now Still holding out for you.) I still have to come up with a title for the next story After that I think the Innocent Journey series is over with.
Declan/Emily pairing (friendship)
May 12th 2013
Robert Gibson glanced outside the kitchen window; it was a new street, a new home, a new school, all the way across the country from where he'd used to live.
After he'd seen Lauren again, some important looking people had come to the door, they'd taken him and his mom and while they'd been on a plane going to Washington the story had come out, Declan had known some of it, Lauren was really Emily, they couldn't tell Declan or Mom why she'd lied about who she was but they had to pretend they had never heard of Emily Prentiss or Lauren Reynolds.
They'd been given new names (well, a new last name anyway,) and a new life. Apparently Robert/Declan hadn't been supposed to see Emily/Lauren.
When he'd tried to explain to the blonde who'd been giving them all the information the woman had smiled and said that it was okay. "Lauren knows you didn't mean to blow her cover." She'd said, "and once Lauren is able to come out of hiding you'll be able to come out too."
"Do you know when that's going to happen?"
"No, I'm sorry." The important looking blonde woman said.
"Is Emily going to be safe?" Declan had asked then.
The blonde had given him a long look, the look on her face said no, while her voice said "She'll be fine."
And they'd been in Seattle for nearly 2 years now. Robert was just getting used to being Robert Gibson, he was in a new school with new friends. One thing that stayed the same was that he was always watching, wherever he was, watching for Emily/Lauren. He missed her. He'd told her that but he hadn't said how much he'd missed her.
"Robbie!" His new group of friends was waiting by the door Robbie got his books and backpack and quickly left the house, it was time for school. Kenneth, Larry and Gary they all lived on the same street so they walked to and from school together. Out of habit, Robert glanced around the street, looking for Lauren/Emily. As usual, he didn't see her, he never did. He sighed and kept up with his friends, not joining into the conversation, still thinking about Emily/Lauren.
Halfway to school, he glanced up to make sure he could cross the street safely. For a moment he thought he'd seen her, but then he saw that the woman had a baby with her. That meant it couldn't be her, Emily didn't have a baby.
"Yo, Robert, come on!" Larry's voice brought Declan out of his thoughts.
"Coming," Robert said, he hurried down the street and caught up with his friends.
They got to the front of the school and began walking up the large lawn to the front doors. The principle was out in front ordering around a couple of students who were picking some spilled papers up one by one.
He went to his locker and after making sure he had the things he needed for his first two classes, he went to English early.
"Good morning Robert." His teacher greeted.
"Morning." Declan said quietly, he sat in his seat and got his homework ready to turn in.
"I really enjoyed reading the creative writing piece you turned in last week; it's obvious that Devin really misses Laura."
Declan tried not to smirk. He'd been assigned a creative writing piece the week before and had written it about Devin, a 13 year old boy who missed his step-mom Laura.
"You got an A on it." His teacher gave him the graded piece early. Declan should have been proud, before in Concord he'd always been proud when he'd gotten a good grade, but now, ever since they'd moved to Seattle he never was. He continued to get good grades and tried his hardest in school but it didn't matter, it's not like Lauren would ever see the grades.
When he'd seen her last, he'd given her a packet of his old school work, the stuff he'd been most proud of. He hadn't expected an answer or a note saying that she was proud of him, but when it never came it hurt.
Students filled into the classroom and his teacher started teaching, before he knew it, it was time to go to History and he quickly turned his work in and tried to pay attention.
"Mom!" Allison, one of Declan's classmates got up and race to the door, the entire class turned to see what Allison was doing. Allison's mom was in the doorway, she wrapped her arms around her daughter and upon seeing that the woman was wearing fatigues, Declan remembered that Allison's mom had been fighting the war in Korea for nearly a year.
Declan's heart clenched. It seemed childish but he wished that Lauren/Emily would do that. He knew that Lauren/Emily was doing something important but once it was over, why couldn't she come and see him? She'd said that she'd never stopped thinking about him.
Declan didn't think that his day could have gotten worse, but it did. In Math there was a new student, her name was Lauren. And in Science Kenneth's dad surprised him much like Allison's mom had, only Kenneth's dad was getting back from Afghanistan. In PE there was another new student and she had hark hair and dark eyes, just like Emily had.
He knew it was childish to miss Lauren/Emily that much, but she'd practically been his mom, why shouldn't he miss her?
The final bell rang and Declan got up and left, if he hurried he'd be able to get out sooner then Kenneth, Larry and Gary and he wouldn't have to listen to their conversation all the way home.
When he'd gotten out to the front of the school, he thought he'd seen her again, but from a distance it didn't look like her. Robert walked down the stairs, and when he'd gotten halfway across the big lawn in front of the school something made him look up.
All he could do was stare. There she was, standing by a car. Declan was about to turn away, they'd have to go to another place again, they weren't supposed to see each other, but Lauren yelled something over the noise that the students were making. Declan couldn't make the entire thing out, but he only needed to hear two words. "It's over."
"MOM!" Declan wasn't sure how it happened but Lauren was back. Right now he didn't care how it happened; all he knew is that it had happened. His Lauren was back.
"Declan." Emily's voice seemed chocked up and she held onto him just as tight as he was holding her. "I'm back."