It was late.

Brian had bought a one-way ticket to New York, and it left at one in the morning. Brian thought,

and Megan agreed, that it would be best to leave at night. While Megan knew her family hated her for the most part, Lois wouldn't let her leave. If she did, that would be acknowledging the issue. Accepting, agreeing with Megan she was being mistreated. That would never happen.

Megan had her head in a pillow, backpack on the bed next to her. Truth was, she wasn't used to going without a hat. After receiving numerous head injuries from Peter, she'd decided to cover it up, or at least protect her head with the "stylish" pink hat. This was the longest she ever went without one, and her head felt tender, which was worrying. "Probably just the stress." Megan said quietly to herself. She jumped when she heard a quick knock on the door, and let out a deep breath when Brian walked in.

Brian looked concerned. "You alright...Megan?"

Megan sat up and pressed her hand to her forehead. "Yeah, I'll just be glad to be out of here." She looked at the clock, then hoisted the backpack and jumped off the bed. Her face was bright with excitement. "Is it time?"

Brian smiled. "Yep."

Megan gave a girlish squeal. This was going to be awesome, she knew it.

Megan sprinted down the stairs and into the kitchen. As Brian went to start his car Megan opened the fridge.

"I'll be right there, I'm just gonna grab a sandwich.."

Suddenly the fridge door was closed violently. Megan barely had time to snatch her hand out before it slammed shut. Behind it stood Lois.

She looked venomous.

Megan knew what would happen if she let Lois control the conversation. She would e frightened into staying. Megan's heart gave a little twitch. She knew she wasn't strong enough to resist that quite yet.

"Mom, I'm leav-"

Lois slapped her. Hard.

Megan fell back. All the objects in her backpack pushed into her back as she hit the floor.

She felt the sting. Red hot.

"How dare you!" Lois spat.

She grabbed Megan by the shirt and yanked her up.

"Where'd you get those clothes, princess?"

She pushed Megan down onto the floor again.

"And where do you think you're going!?"

Lois looked down at Megan in disdain. "You owe me an apology, young lady. Look what you've put me through. I know you want to leave." Lois laughed, then crouched down next to Megan and said, as if she were speaking to a child, "You've got a debt to pay, sweetie. Good thing for you, you'll always be mommies little girl. What else could you handle, really?"

Megan looked at Lois, who sneered back.

Megan's face hardened. "I've got news for you, mommy."

Lois gave a sickeningly sweet smile. "What, Meg."

Megan gave a crazy sort of grin.

"I'm eighteen."

Then before Lois could react, Megan tore her backpack off her back and swung it right into Lois' face.

Then, as fast as she could manage she scrambled up and ran out to the garage.

As she opened the door she bumped into Peter, who was standing facing the kitchen open mouthed, beer dripping out of a bottle in his hand.

He looked at Megan, dumbfounded.

"Me-, you...and...she...fridge.."

Megan grinned affectionately.

"Shut up, dad."

Then she ran to the car as fast as she could without hurting herself.

"Brian, let's go!" Megan almost shrieked.

Brian stepped on the gas, and just like that...they were gone.

...

Megan leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath.

Brian glanced at her for a moment, then spoke.

"That...was impressive."

Megan closed her eyes, smiling. "So worth it. Even with the-" she stroked the fresh welt on her cheek softly. "Consequences." Megan squinted in pain as her fingers went over a raised scratch. "Dang, she broke skin." Megan brushed her hair over it subtly. This was...fine. She was a legal adult. No reason anyone would question her about the scratch.

"Oh, Megan, almost forgot to give you these." Without taking his eyes off the road Brian reached into his jacket pocket and handed her two laminated cards, her drivers license and ID.

"You're going to need those in New York. Just remember, practice driving somewhere where no one else is. That way no one dies. I really didn't get to teach you all that much yesterday."

Megan took the cards with wonder, and slid them into her wallet as if they were made of glass, nodding numbly at Brian. She let out a loud breath.

She was free.

...

"Flight 248."

"Change! I need change!"

"Pretzels! Yummy pretzels!"

"Oh for goodness sake, Mildred, on the floor..."

Megan stood frozen in the middle of the busy airport. Even though Brian was right next to her she felt alone and scared.

Brian grabbed Megan's hand and looked her in the eyes. "Megan, it's...all...going...to... be...okay." Megan swallowed and nodded.

Still, she wasn't sure she believed him.

...

The time leading up to the flight went by easily. There were bookstores and little food shops, and Megan was glad it she had time to relax before boarding time. The last time she had been on a plane, somehow Peter was the captain, and that had been terrifying.

She was currently sitting on a little chair by the boarding area, waiting for the flight attendant to say they could board. She was surprised at how calm she felt; Brian was freaking out.

"Now when you get to New York I wan you to text me immediately first find an apartment and then get a job and call me at least once a week and don't talk to strangers or eat yellow snow and-"

"I got it Brian, I got it!" Megan laughed. Somehow knowing that Brian cared enough to be worried for her made her feel very happy. She leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling with eyes half closed.

All the noise began to fade away...

"MEG GRIFFIN!"

Megan's eyes snapped open. "Oh no!" She immediately grabbed her backpack and hugged it. "Brian, it's all over, she's found me, it's all over..." Megan's eyes began to burn.

Brian looked over towards the voice. It was Lois. She hadn't seen Megan yet, and was busy pushing people aside in the thick crowd. "There's still time..." Brian said under his breath. He looked back at Megan. She was falling apart. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Megan, pull yourself together!" He hissed under his breath. Megan looked at him with wide, scared eyes. "Brian, she's coming for me!"

Suddenly they heard the flight attendants high pitched voice on loudspeaker, "Boarding flight 157, boarding flight 157..."

Megan looked up, suddenly in shock. Behind her she heard Lois screaming, "I SEE YOU MEG GRIFFIN! I SEE YOU!" She was winding her way towards Megan with fire in her eyes.

Megan didn't move. Glancing back at the flight attendant, she could move.

Back or forward. The life she knew and hated, or the unknown.

"That woman has drugs!" Brian barked out. Lois was immediately mobbed by police.

Brian turned Megan to face him.

"That'll buy you some time. Megan, this is your chance. Go."

Megan looked at Brian with terror in her eyes. "Brian, what about you? She knows you were helping me!"

Brian made a dismissive motion with his hand. "Peter is a doof, but he's my best friend. He won't let anything happen to me." He looked Megan in the eyes. "It's you who's in danger."

Megan looked at the boarding area. And she knew what she had to do.

She hugged Brian. "Thank you for everything. Goodbye, Brian!"

"Goodbye, Megan."

Brian hugged her tighter for a moment, then let her go. Suddenly they both heard Lois scream, "THATS MY DAUGHTER!"

They both glanced at each other for a quick moment, then they both started running.

Megan ran up to the desk.

"Here are my tickets, this bag fits carry on, plane is this way, bye!"

She said all this in one breath and ran up the shaky metal walkway to the plane. A flight attendant ran up to her, looking cross.

"Your seat is over here, ma'am." She said, obviously annoyed at Megan's misuse of protocol, as she led Megan to her seat.

Once she was sitting in her seat, Megan leaned it back as far as it would go.

Here we go, she thought to herself.

Here I go.