Jace's POV
I've been driving for about 20 minutes when the uncomfortable silence began to bug me. I begun drumming my fingers against the steering wheel, in no real rhythm, I just started drumming away.
"Hey Jace" Lincoln pulls me out of my trance "You got any tunes in this car or what."
"Yeah, my Ipod's in my bag just hook it up there" I reply tapping on an outlet.
I see out the corner of my eye as Lincoln lifts my bag onto his lap and slowly unzips it. He begins searching as Sucre and Michael shuffle in my seat. I see this reaction to my guns and the danger, pain and chaos they can cause and I smile.
"Linc, don't worry safety's on"
"I know it's just… I never imagined you with guns."
"I prefer knives"
Lincoln gulps.
"I'm joking; they're just for personal safety"
Lincoln turns to me and glares at me as I watch the dark road ahead of me.
"You and I need to talk" He states in a low voice.
"Okay"
XXX
30 minutes later…
I turn down a path which leads me into the woods and continue driving for what I know is three quarters of a mile. I stop at a large gate and press a button hanging from my keychain, the gate slowly opens and I drive through. I drive for another half a mile and a quite large house appears ahead of me. The house can be seen through the thick darkness by the porch lights that also allow the steps to be seen that make the front of the house seem like the grand entrance to the residence of Roman Emperors. I pull up just outside the grand entrance and cut the engine. I look back at Michael to hand me my jacket but he doesn't instead Fernando does.
"Thanks" I turn to Lincoln "Can you grab my bag for me?"
I climb out of the car and begin walking to the door. As I reach the door I realise that no one is walking behind me. "Are you guys coming or what" I state while I turn around to find the guys in a state of shock and amazement.
All three of them, now out of the car, begin walking up toward me, I turn back around and turn the key in the door. I open the door and tell the guys to wait on the porch while I go and turn off the alarm.
Twenty-one twenty-four. I hear the ever so important beep telling me that the alarm is now switched off. I go back and turn one of the lamps on and tell the guys that they can now come in.
"Linc you can leave my bag on the table there"
Lincoln looks beside him and places the bag there.
"Okay, this place has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms" I point upstairs "All the rooms that are locked are off-limits"
The three guys nod as they continue looking around in complete amazement that resembles a kinetic catatonic state.
"Why don't you guys get settled and fight over the rooms and I'll show you around in a second"
They begin walking up the stairs slowly, as I turn around and get my guns out of my bag placing one in a drawer and the other in my back pocket.
"Three guys and me… alone in my house…not exactly anything new… no wonder Nessa told me to take 'em in" I quietly mumble to myself.
I stand up slowly as I feel someone standing behind me. I turn to find Michael there staring at me, I stare into his eyes until he turned away out of guilt. I walk toward what is my kitchen and begin getting down some pans to cook the trio of escaped convicts some meals.
XXX
I'm cooking in the kitchen when Lincoln walks in and lifts the lid off one of the pans and smells the food cooking inside.
"Havin' fun" I ask from behind him.
The big guy jumps as I take another sip from the glass of white wine I have just placed on the worktop beside me.
"Hey Bear, there's some beers in the fridge if you want 'em." I softly push him away from the stove so that I can continue stirring one of the pots.
"Okay I guess not" I walk toward the fridge but he grabs my arm and spins me around to face him. He reaches for both my hands and begins dancing with me to no particular beat. He drags me into a spin and lets go of my hands causing me to end up on the other side of the kitchen far away from the fridge. I watch as one of my oldest friends opens the fridge door reaches in and gets a beer out. He begins looking for a bottle opener and I just smile. I put out my hand and he hands me the beer reluctantly, I place the lid of the bottle on the edge of the worktop and I hit the top of the lid as hard as I can causing the lid to fly off the top of the bottle.
"I forgot you could do that" Lincoln says shocked.
Fernando walks in and Lincoln hands him a beer after trying to pop the lid off the same as me. I open a cupboard and ask if everyone is eating.
"Yeah I guess" Lincoln replies
"Okay can you call…" I turn back to the stove and I drain the pasta in the sink.
I hear Lincoln chuckle as he walks toward the doorway.
"Michael, food's ready" Lincoln screams to his younger brother.
I put the pasta bowls on the table in the dining room and go back to get my glass and bottle of wine. Fernando walks back into the kitchen after me and gets three beers out of the fridge before kicking the door shut.
"So can I call you Fernando or Sucre like they do?" I ask as I walk slowly toward him knowing that Michael can see as he walks into the dining room.
"Sucre's fine"
"Good" I say before walking away and into the dining room rather quickly.
As I sit at the table I notice Michael staring at me as I sit and place my napkin on my lap before saying grace silently and eating my pasta.
"How do afford a big house like this?" Sucre asked as he gulped down some food.
"It's a gift from my family"
"Really… 'cause if I got a gift like this I would never leave"
"Thank…I'll take that as a compliment."
XXX
After the meal was finished and I had loaded the dishwasher, I retreated to my room and had a shower. As I emerged from the steamy room wrapped in a towel I was shocked to find Michael standing in the doorway and Lincoln relaxing on my bed.
"Who in the fuck gave you two dickwads permission to come in here?"
"A little fairy"
I unwrapped the towel to reveal myself wearing only a set of black lace underwear.
"When did you get the tattoo?" Michael asked from the doorway in regards to the fairy tattoo on my stomach.
I begin pulling on a pair of jeans and I walk across the room to grab a belt and a shirt. I throw the belt next to Lincoln on the bed and I finish doing up my jeans.
"Where you going?" Lincoln asked.
"Well it seems you guys need some new clothes and I definitely want some so I'm going shopping."
"This late?"
"Linc, check the time"
Lincoln looks over to my bedside table and reads the red digital numbers on the clock.
"9am, wow I haven't even slept"
"Yeah, me too" I mumble quietly.
"What are you gonna say if they ask who the clothes are for?" Michael asked.
"Why would they ask questions, I was gonna buy a load of skirt and shit and hope to pass you all off as girls, butt-ugly girls but girls none the less."
Lincoln began laughing as I glared at Michael I put on my shirt doing up the buttons except the last one, so that if I bend down my bra can be clearly seen. I sit on the bed next to next to Lincoln and begin pulling on my stiletto boots and I lean over Lincoln to reach my belt showing Michael quite simply put what he can never have. I stand up, smoothing down my jeans and I walk over to my mirror. I put on some eye make up not too heavy but not too late, and I pull my damp hair into a clip in an up- down hair style. I grab my purse from my bedside drawer and begin walking toward the door and I wait for Michael to clear the doorway so that I can walk through.
"I'll be back soon" I shout over my shoulder.
"Wait a minute" I hear Lincoln scream as I reach the top step of the main staircase. "What happened to you Jace" He whispers in my ear as he stood next to me.
I look back at Michael and simply say "My heart broke" loud enough for Michael to hear it.
I walk out the door picking up my jacket and bag on the way out.
XXX
Narrator's Viewpoint
5 hours later…
"Where is she?" Sucre asked banging his head against the back of the sofa "It's been five hours"
"She's a woman- and she's shopping. You do the math" Lincoln answered slowly with no energy.
The guys sat up as they heard a car pull up on the drive, Michael silently walked over to the window and exhaled when he saw it was Jace.
"Can someone open the door, my hands are kinda full." Jace screamed to the three men inside.
Michael opened the door and had a load of bags pushed into his face.
"Thanks" Jace breathed.
She dumped the rest of the bags onto the sofa next to Sucre. Sucre began rifling through them until he came across a black bag. He looked inside the mysterious bag and his eyes widened in shock. Jace emerged from the kitchen with a bottle of water as Sucre stood to show Michael and Lincoln the contents of the bag.
"OMG! What are you doing?" Jace screamed as she noticed what they were looking at.
Jace ran over to them jumping over the couch as she did. Lincoln held the bag just above her head as she tried to reach up for it.
"You haven't grown at all have you Jace, still 5'5""
"Shut up Big Bear"
Michael watched as Jace climbed onto Lincoln's back and covered his eyes with her soft petite hands.
Flashback
Michael holds a book and closes it as Jace walks into the room.
"Mike what are you doing in my…" Jace trails off as she sees what book Michael is holding.
Michael opens the book and begins reading from it.
"Today I saw Tommy Crenshaw as I was walking with Mike and he actually smiled I me. I mean I don't know if it was me or Mike he was smiling at but he definitely smiled in my direction" Michael looked up at me as he closed the book "Really is gripping and that isn't even my favourite, I was thinking I could take this and publish it, I mean people would pay money to read this."
Jace looked at the ground and bit her bottom lip.
"Michael give me my diary back or else"
"What you gonna do Jace, get James I think he'd wanna read this, don't you" Michael stood up "In fact I think I may just show him after all he is your brother"
Michael walks toward the door and as he touches the handle Jace jumps onto his back and covers his eyes with her hands. He begins spinning around to try and get his teenage best friend off his back. He spins so fast that he loses his footing and falls onto her bed, they lay next to each other laughing.
XXX
Present Time…
Michael comes back to reality as Lincoln throws Jace onto one of the sofas and pounces on her- tickling her sides whilst she squirms underneath him.
"I'm going outside" Michael announced all of a sudden.
Sucre, Lincoln and even Jace looked up to watch Michael leave through the kitchen. Jace pushes Lincoln off her and began gathering her bags.
"I guessed your sizes and if erm… they don't fit just tell me okay and I'll err… get some new ones."
Lincoln and Sucre were left on their own as Jace walked up the stairs and to her room. They waited until they heard the door slam before they looked at one another.
"What's the deal with them two?" Sucre asked Lincoln suddenly.
"Well what's there to say, they used to be the best of friends and then she left."
"I'm hating the tension between them and today that just proved there's something more."
"Yeah a lot of hate… Alright but if they find out you know I didn't tell you." Lincoln waited until he saw Sucre nod. "Jace moved in when Michael was about 11, Jace err… was 10 and she was carrying this huge box full of books when she tripped up and some of the books landed on the floor."
"She smiled as he helped her pick 'em up and she gave him one of them as a thank you. I actually think he's still got it" Lincoln said chuckling "They were best friends from then on but erm… when Michael went to college no one as prouder of him than Jace and she supported him the whole way. He promised that he'd always be there for her but one day came home from school and she got attacked. I stopped him before anything but she got was permanently scarred. I got her into the bathroom of mine and Mike's apartment but there was too much bleeding, and she wouldn't go to the hospital without Mike so I had to keep her there. Mike came home and started bitching about her and her being in the bathroom she could hear every word, he didn't she was bleeding when she ran past him. "
"That's how she got the scar"
"Yep, two weeks later I caught her getting into a cab but she wouldn't let me stop her, she gave me a hug and an envelope and got in. She drove away and didn't come back. I caught her a few years later climbing down the fire escape from her room and I took her out for a cup of coffee, and err… she told me that she was avoiding Mike."
"What was in the envelope?"
"A picture of the 5 of us at the beach"
"5?"
"Yeah err… me, Mike, Jace, her brother James and Veronica. But the weird part was she was cut out of the picture"
"Wow"
"Yeah thus what we see today"
Lincoln and Sucre sat in silence not knowing that someone was watching from the shadows listening to the story also.
XXX
