Most of the ride was quite. Jonathan watched the sun rose. "Ever been to Philly," Neil asked.
"No," Jon answered. Their family only took a few vactions. one to Florida, and one to Texas. Both were for family things. But when their mom was healthy she would aleays talk of different places. Each morning while they had breakfast and got ready she woulf tell them about a different state.
"Great city, tons of history. And food," Neil laughed, "they put cheese on everything."
"Were we born in Philly," Jonathan asked. He had been born in Ohio. His parents too, and now that was another life. And it added to the lie. His life now was a lie.
"You were born in Lancaster county," Neil answered. "I have all the paperwork, when you get there start memorizing it. Ecspecialy the birth date."
"What is my last name?"
"Ambrose."
"At least it is not Smith," Jonathan laughed, "although Good wasnt much better. So once we get there you taking off?"
"Yes," Neil answered honest, "we cant stay."
"I get that," Jonathan tried to hide his disappointment. His whole life he wanted to be on his own. He didnt want people telling him what to do. And now here it was, and it terrified him.
"Got some job leads," Neil said. "Made a few calls."
"So are you guys all over," Jonathan asked. The thought of little old woman and man running an underground society for troubles youth was almost funny.
"We are," Neil stopped there.
"Do you ask why," Jonathan asked.
"Do you want to tell me," Neil looked at Jonathan. Jonathan only looked away. From the short time Jonathan had spent with him he liked him. Maybe it was better Neil didn't know. How do you look past something like murder? Right now he and Brittany were only run aways. And if Jonathan and Brittany were ever found out it would be better they didn't know. No sence in dragging more people in to this.
"How do you do all this, the names birth certificates," Jonathan asked.
"The Internet has a lot on it. And with money you can buy just about everything." Neil raised his eyebrow. "That is what happened to my daughter. She was told she could make extra money modeling." Jonathan cringed. "They found her behind an run down apartment building in New York. They said drugs. But I saw ads on line." Neil stopped, he didn't want to say it, and Jonathan didn't want to hear it. "But that is how I learned all about the underside of the Internet." Neil forced a smile.
...
Brittany watched the road fly by. "You want something to eat?" Niel's wife asked. Brittany smiled and shook her head no. " Philadelphia is nice."
"Never been," Brittany answered. "Do you ever hear from or check up on anyone." Neil's wife tilted her head.
"In some ways."
"Do they all stay," Brittany didnt know the word. "Hidden."
"Most, some reconnect with their family." Brittany bit her lip trying to hide tears. That was never going to happen. She wasn't going to see that town again. Not that she left a lot behind. But she would visit her mother's grave, kept it up. There were a few people she knew that she would miss. "You have to ask yourself," Neil's wife said. "Is it worth what I am giving up?"
"There wasn't much to give," Brittany wiped her eyes, and maybe that was the saddest part.
...
Jonathan and Brittany stood in a small dark apartment. "It is not much," Neil looked around. Jonathan could tell he felt bad leaving them. "First two months are paid. All the info is in the paper work. Which once you memorize, beside the legal stuff, get rid of."
"Thank you," Brittany said. It seemed still very unreal. She hugged Neil.
"We wish you both luck," Neil shook Jonathan's hand.
"Thanks, I can't say it enough," Jonathan choked on his words.
"Well," Neil wife smiled at them both. "Not every one gets this. Please do your best, that is all we ask. I wish I could say we will be in touch but we can't." Brittany and Jonathan nodded in understanding. It seemed like neither could say bye and walk out.
"There is a corner store below," Neil said "and check out those job leads out. Two months like go fast."
"Yeah," Jonathan rubbed his hand through his hair.
"We need to go," Neil's wife motioned for the door. "Bye," she paused, "Dean and Callie." And with that they were gone.
Brittany sat herself on the couch, "there is a bed room," she looked around.
"You can have it," Jonathan said. He looked around. "Are you hungry."
"Not really," Brittany shook her head. "I am sorry."
"For what," Jonathan asked.
"Everything," she wiped her eyes.
"Look," Jonathan sat next to her, "this is a new start. Jonathan and Brittany are back in Ohio. We can be what ever here. And if what happened with that Steven asshole hadn't happened." Jonathan stopped taking a deep breathe. Yes he was mad at her. It was stupid and reckless. But he knew she was trying to help. Brittany always tried to help. It just seemed to get mixed up every time. "We might not have met Lee Ann and Charlie."
"She knew," Brittany wiped her nose. "She knew in the dinner."
"Maybe, Jonathan said, "but we here. So let's start over." He playfully pushed her. "Ok, Callie." She smiled.
"Alright Dean."
...
6 months later.
Callie sat on their coach, looking out over the city. She had gotten use to the noise at all hours. The banging of door, people yelling cars beeping. The noise never stopped all day and night.
Dean would be home all hours. He worked shifted work at the navel yard. A good job that paid well. Better then what Callie had she worked at the corner store below. It was nice mostly the same people in and out. It took her a month to answer to her name. She always had a reason why. She didn't hear them, thought it was some one else. And every time people paid no minded, yes fitting in, in a big city was far easier.
The first couple of weeks were the hardest. Every time they heard a cop car scream by, they were sure it was for them. Any time they heard Ohio mentioned on the news, they were sure it was for them. But after two months of nothing they settled in. Well, Callie did. Dean was restless, he drink more, brought a different girl home just about every night. And they fought more.
It all came to a head one night when Callie told Dean to go back to her place. They screamed yelled, Dean even throw something. His date for the night left in the mist of it. But when he grabbed his sister and shook her, tossing her to the ground he stopped. The room went quite. Callie pulled herself and looked Dean straight in the eyes and said, "you are just like him," with that she want to the bedroom and locked the door. Dean sat outside the door. He thought about every thing. Everything before here, and since. He cried about things he never cried for.
And when Callie finally came out they talked. Really talked, and finally left they could move on. Their past didn't have to dictate their future. They had been given a chance most never did. They needed to make the best of it.
Callie watched the door as Dean walked through. "Hey," she smiled.
"Hey," Dean plopped next to her. He reached down and untied his boots.
"God, you feet smell," Callie turned her head.
"I worked all day," Dean laughed.
"Are you going tonight," Callie asked as she stood.
"Yeah I need a shower, maybe something to eat." For months Dean had been going to a gym on the other side of town. His co worker brought him. At first he thought it was boxing. Boxing was a major deal in Philadelphia , being home of Rocky. But it was a wrestling school. Dean had loved wrestling as a child. But with all that had happened he had not been able to follow it. But this brought him back.
It had almost become therapeutic for Dean. He could work out any frustration, be what he wanted. No one knew him before, only what he told them. It was complete freedom.
"You coming," Dean asked. Callie came most nights just to hang out. Dean hated the idea of her alone in this tiny apartment. And she liked it there, had even made some friends.
"I might," Callie walked back to the coach with a water in hand. "You don't mind me being there?" She always felt in the way. Unlike Dean she was still Guarded. Afraid to day the wrong thing. But it was nice to see Dean so relaxed, and happy.
"Callie, if I didn't want you there I wouldn't ask."
"You are pretty good," Callie smiled.
"Not really," Dean shrugged, he knew he didn't have the sizes, never would. He wasn't going to be a guy who could fly. But he knew there was a lot more to wrestling. Yes you had to be able to wrestle, but you also had to pull people in. The people he remembered the most like Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Jake the Snake all made you believe what they said. No they may have not been as good as the Hart Family in a ring but you remembered them and waited for what came next.
Dean knew he could do that, because he had been faking it for six months. People believed he was Dean Ambrose. Believed his story about his parents being killed in a car crash. He was born in Lancaster Pennsylvania. His father was in the Navy and his mom was a stay at home mom. That he went to trade school for piping and venting, which helped get his job at the Navy yard. Dean had memorized the scripted Neil gave him. And he played the character. Wrestle was the same.