AN:

"The lines are long, there's no going back. Through hands of steel, and heart of stone".

"We're wounded by fear, injured in doubt. I can lose myself, you I can't live without".

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For the rest of the morning Alex stays extremely quiet. She doesn't say much, just the absolute necessary to help in the process of their getaway. Her mind is still trying to assimilate everything. It's like the world itself tilted on its axis, sending her adrift in an unknown universe of deceit.

Another escape plan. Another race against time. They've done this countless of times before, but this one feels entirely different. Like a stab between her ribs, the reality of Diane as a traitor wraps her in an endless void of uncertainty about everything she once cherished.

She feels stupid, ridiculous even. Clinging on to memories from a past that wasn't there. From a constructed lie, so perfectly crafted as to make her believe that she was living an actual life.

She doesn't pack. Not with Riley. She stays in her room, silently replaying the events of last night's encounter. Everything comes back to her in a flash. The three men. The black van. The conversation inside the van. She remembers everything; every single phrase that came out of their mouths. But she doesn't say anything to Riley. It's not something that she doesn't know either.

There, sitting at the edge of her bed, behind the closed door of what has been her room for the past year, she makes a decision. A decision that will change their lives forever. With consequences so abyssal that she can't fully understand its true dimensions at the time, but that will finally end the nightmare Riley and Mia have been living.

She's going to turn herself in. To them.

It's like a new willpower reached her, and she jumps from the bed and starts gathering all her belongings in a green duffel bag. Pants, shirts, shoes. All gets stuffed in there somehow, while she moves with an urgency she cannot explain. She doesn't think about her sister, she doesn't think about Mia. She just knows that if she doesn't do this right now, her chest will explode.

After a few more things are harshly shoved into the bag, she hurriedly closes it before scanning her bedroom one more time to check if she's missed anything. Her eyes land on a picture of Mia and Riley, resting on a small table beside her bed. A dreadful sensation climbs to her throat, but she does her best to ignore it. She walks towards the picture, removes it from the frame, puts it on her pocket and heads for the door.

Riley is outside, attempting to organize Mia's clothes in one big suitcase. The older sister looks up, and their eyes meet.

If Alex thought she had her act under control, she was mistaken, because the look on Riley's face cannot be accurately described with words. She tentatively stands up, looking at Alex with frightened eyes, as if she knew exactly what was running through her mind.

"Alex?" She finally says, her voice trembling.

But Alex doesn't say anything, because the pressure on her chest is so huge, and the look on her sister's face is so heartbreaking that she can't come up with any explanation that would be good enough.

"What are you doing?" Riley dares to ask. Once again demanding Alex to explain herself, as if she need Alex to verbally confirm it before believing it. Neither of them moves.

Alex's hands are clenching the strap of her duffel bag across her chest. She bites her lower lip and looks down, before taking a deep breath and apologizing. "I'm sorry". She says, and immediately rushes to the door, with an alarming hotness behind her eyes and strident footsteps just inches away.

But just when she's about to open it, the door is slammed shut again, a strong hand pressed firmly against it. "Where the fuck do you think you are going?" Riley yells, her previous terror quickly replaced with confused anger.

"It's better this way". Alex responds, trying to move past her sister to no avail. This only manages to annoy Riley even further. "No!" She stands in front of the door. "You are not setting foot out of this house alone. You are not going anywhere. Do you hear me?"

"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do Riley!?" Alex snaps. "What? Tell me! Are we going to hide for the rest of our damn lives? Are we going to keep sleeping with one eye open, moving from place to place, from city to city, hoping that they don't find us. Well here's some news for you in case you didn't noticed: You were right, they always do".

It's like something snapped inside of Alex, and she begins lashing out everything that's been on her mind this morning, much to Riley's shock. Placing her duffel bag on the floor, she continues.

"Is this the kind of life you want for Mia? With no stability; changing schools in the middle of the semester because a very powerful branch of a foreign government is tracking down her mother's every move to take her away? What kind of life is that? Do you want her to be as fucked up as we are?"

At that last question, a violent shove makes Alex stumble backwards, and she has to balance herself not to fall. "Shut up!" Alex blinks a few times, surprised by Riley's reaction. "Don't you dare!" Riley is about to push her again but Alex manages to grab her hands before she does. They awkwardly struggle for a few seconds before Alex notices the tears falling from the pair of distraught eyes.

Without hesitation Alex closes the gap between them, and pulls Riley for a fearful hug. She can feel the convulsion in Riley's body; the ragged sobs escaping her chest. "I-I'm doing..." She tries, but the tears won't let her, and Alex's own ones finally give in. She tightens the hug, her cheek pressed against Riley's shoulder. "My best".

They stay like that for a few minutes, until their breathing slows down, and the tears stop. To Alex it feels like the ground below them is collapsing. There's a knot in her stomach; she's nauseous. She wants to stop time, she wants to stay here, with her arms wrapped around her sister. With no bad world to go back to, with no more threats running after her.

After a while, Riley is the first to break the silence with the smallest of voices. "You can't go with them Alex. I need you". Alex slowly pulls back, watching Riley intently, feeling her heart sink further with every word coming out of her mouth.

"I can't keep Mia safe without you". Riley continues, a little bit louder now. "We have survived because we are together. We have survived so many things, impossible things. I love you Alex, for god's sake. I love you. You are my sister".

Alex's heart is breaking right now. The pressure she felt earlier on her chest comes back like a rampant volcano, and she feels her willpower wavering. She stands up, in a reflex, trying to control the storm that threatens to engulf her whole body, trying to convince her to stay.

"They wanted to negotiate". She finally confesses, pacing back and forth in their living room, both hands on her hips. "They wanted both of us, but they were willing to negotiate".

Riley stares at her, still unsure what any of it means, so Alex elaborates. "When they got to me yesterday, it was to make an offer. They said that if I go with them, they'll leave you and Mia alone. Forever. That if I accept their proposition you guys will be safe, and Mia will be left out of this for good". She stopped, crossing her arms above her chest. She repeats herself again, clinging on to those words uttered in the van. "They didn't even cared about her. In fact they were surprised when I begged them for her safety. They told me that if I agreed to work for them, you guys would be safe. They promised-"

It takes a moment for Riley to piece the parts together. "Wha-? She interrupts, her eyes widening in disbelief before she stands up. "And you believe them? Alex, do you have any idea who were you talking with? Any idea? This isn't a fucking game, these people are soulless, they-they-they are monsters. Criminals of the highest order. This is a world you don't want to be a part of, a nasty, evil and deceitful world. This isn't a job, this is a life".

At this point Riley is almost yelling again. "They will own you, every second of every day. They will make you do horrible things, things that you don't even imagine. Alex, you can't possibly think that this is an option. You are smart, too smart to end up giving your life to them".

"What life Ri? Do you call this that I have a life?" Alex swallows the tears that are climbing up her throat. She swallows the fear that screams for self-preservation; the inevitable selfishness that threatens to risk the lives of the only family she has left. So with the steadiest voice she can muster, she confesses the rest of the deal.

"If I go with them now, they will leave you guys alone. If I don't, they will come after all of us, but not to offer us anything".

Riley stays silent for a few seconds, slowly processing what Alex is saying. Then she lets out a defeated sound, like a laughter ran over, and her face falls. This lets Alex now she understood. The ice below them finally gave in, and they find themselves falling into the dark, unavoidable truth of their reality. They need to make a choice, and Alex has made it for both of them. It was easier than she thought. If this is what it takes to keep Mia safe, then so be it. She'll dive into the abyss head first, in order to keep her niece from the life she's had for as long she can remember. And Riley is her mother, so they need to be together. What's there to think?

An heavy silence falls between them, heavier than anything they'd lived. Eventually Alex sits down, running her fingers across her eyelids. The cut on her forehead is throbbing, and she's got a terrible headache. Riley is standing a few meters away from her, looking utterly lost. She's the first to break the silence, with a question that rips Alex in two.

"What are you going to tell Mia?"

Alex lifts her head, her eyes welled up with non-fallen tears. The whole process feels unbearable. That's why she wanted to leave and not think, because there's only so much a heart can take without breaking into weak and unhelpful pieces.

"I don't know if I can". She finally answers, her voice breaking, not daring to look at Riley in the face. The answer just ignites Riley's frustration and she bursts against her sister, perhaps to shame her in a way that would make her desist.

"You've got to be kidding me". She says, an unknown rage burning in her eyes. "Where you really just about to leave without explaining anything to her, just like our scumbag dad did to us? You really have the guts to sell yourself to these monsters but you can't look Mia in the eyes and tell her what you are about to do!?"

"Riley please, stop!" Alex literally raises her palms, motioning the command. Each word is like a dagger on her chest, but Riley keeps going.

"What am I suppose to tell her? Tell me! Because she's going to ask for you. She's going to wonder where on earth her aunt went and she's going to wonder when are you coming back. But you are not. Aren't you Alex?"

"You don't think this is hard for me too!?" Alex yells, moving a few steps closer to her sister. She points towards her chest with her index finger. "Do you think this is something I want? Riley I'm drowning here. I am so fucking scared, you don't have a clue. The sole thought of going with them makes me want to throw up. You have no idea! All I want to do is keep you and Mia safe, but you are making me feel like shit for trying to protect her".

"Because I don't want you to leave!".

Alex feels her chest rising and falling, she feels the blood rushing to her face. She closes her eyes and runs both hands through her hair, moving away from Riley.

A couple of knocks at their door makes them both turn around. "Riley?" An elderly woman's voice interrupts their discussion before Riley walks towards the door an opens it. It's their upstairs neighbor, Miss Claudette, who often took care of Mia when they needed it.

Riley didn't want her daughter to be in the house while they packed everything, so she asked Miss Claudette to look after her for the morning. The old lady agreed, happy to be of help. Mia enjoyed the time they spent together as well, so she happily accepted. But now she was here, in their apartment.

"I'm sorry to bring her back so early". Miss Claudette explained herself apologetically. "My son called a few minutes ago. He wants me to go see his newborn baby, who came a little bit earlier than expected. I know you asked me to take care of her for the morning". Then Miss Claudette changes her tone, real concern plastered in her face. "I'm sorry Riley, are you alright?"

"Yeah" Riley mumbles rather awkwardly before grabbing Mia by the hand. "We are just...". She doesn't finish the sentence. Miss Claudette stays at the door for a few more seconds looking very confused. Then she says goodbye to Mia, and heads out.

As soon as she comes inside, Mia's voice resonates in the house. "Mom? Are you crying?"

And just like that, Alex's worst scenario is laid in front of her, pushing her to dig into reserves of strength she didn't knew she had. She can choose to stay. Spare Mia from the goodbye. Spare Riley from the heartache. Spare herself from the unknown. But that also means risking Mia's life, and that's not an option.

"Mia, honey". Riley wipes the tears out of her own face, and slowly leads her daughter towards the living room where Alex is standing completely deflated. "Me and Alex... We need to talk to you about something".

"Are we moving again?" Mia interrupts, her eyes traveling between Riley and Alex with worrying speed. Riley takes a deep breath and shakes her head. Then she places a strand of Mia's loose hair behind her ear. And with a defeated look on her face, Riley goes from trying to convince her sister to stay, to explain her daughter that Alex is leaving.

"You know how much Alex and I love you". Riley begins, with a strength and determination that Alex wasn't expecting. "You are the most important thing in our lives. That you need to be one hundred percent sure".

Mia nods, silently. It's like she knows that something very bad is about to happen, and she stays quiet, waiting for Riley to finish. "We want you to be safe, and we want you to be happy. We don't want to keep moving anymore, because I know you don't like that".

Here Riley pauses, and tentatively looks at Alex, who hasn't said a word since Mia came in. "Alex is going away for a while". She confesses, dressing up the truth for it to be more bearable. "She's not going to live with us anymore".

Mia frowns, and looks straight to Alex as if she was demanding an explanation for all this nonsense she hears. "Why?" She asks, the significance of the statement apparently daunting her. Riley turns to Alex and motions the younger sister to elaborate, maybe because if she continues talking she'll break down in front of her daughter.

"Because if I leave, then you can stay here forever". Alex explains, feeling her chest tightening. "You can stay in this school with your friends, and you can stay with Miss Claudette and with Mr. Thomas".

"But why do you have to leave?" Mia insists, sounding more distressed. "You don't have to leave so I can be with Miss Claudette, I was with her right now and you were here".

"Mia, I can't stay. I'm sorry". Alex's voice is trembling. "There are some things that I need to take care of, and I can't do it here. I need to go live some place els-".

Mia's face shows the saddest grimace. "Are you mad at mom?"

"No!" Alex instinctively kneels in front the girl, placing her hands on Mia's knees. "No. It's nothing like that". She shakes her head emphatically, before adding "There just some stuff that I need to do".

"When are you coming back?"

Alex swallows the huge lump on her throat that is almost preventing her from speaking. What can she say to an innocent six year old girl who knows nothing about the awful world they live in? How can she explain something that she doesn't understand herself? She opens her mouth, but quickly closes it again.

"I'm not coming back". She finally manages, taking hold of Mia's hand. "Not for a while".

Mia is sitting uncomfortably on the sofa, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. She lifts her eyes to look at Riley, as if she didn't understood what was happening. But Riley's face is rigid, and serious, and she doesn't say anything. The whole thing is so confusing to her that she jumps from the couch towards Alex, her small arms clinging to Alex's neck.

The sudden movement makes Alex stumble backwards, and she has to place her palm on the floor not to fall. Her other arm rapidly circles Mia's body. "Mia, sweetheart... everything is going to be fine. Ok? You and mom are going to be fine". Alex repeats, more to herself than to her niece. It doesn't sound convincing in the slightest. Mia's hands just tighten her grip around waist.

"I don't want you to leave". She finally says, her voice louder. "You can't leave. Why do you want to leave?" She bursts out crying against Alex's shoulder, and her words become unintelligible behind her screams.

Riley gets up from the couch to try and soothe her daughter, but Alex motions her to wait. She gently caresses Mia's hair, running her fingers up and down her back. Alex feels herself crumbling. This might be the last time she hugs her niece, and its nothing short from a nightmare.

The sound of Mia's cries intensifies, and Alex pulls away for a moment, to try and speak to her. "Mia, listen to me". She keeps moving, and Alex struggles to meet her eyes. "Mia. I love you. You need to understand that. I love you so much, you don't have a clue".

"Well I hate you". Mia finally looks up, her face red with tears. And she quickly repeats it several times to prove that she means it. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you". She pulls away from Alex's arms and pushes her, before running away towards her bedroom in a fit. Riley goes after her with long strides. "Mia! Come back here".

She rattles the doorknob a few times, to no avail. "Open this door now".

"No!"

Alex finally stands up, feeling like her chest is being teared in half. It takes her a moment to process what just happened, and she decides this is too much for them right now. She needs to leave now, and not prolong this anymore. Walking past her sister, she grabs her duffel bag and heads for the door.

"Alex wait!"

She doesn't want to wait. She wants to go now, but her legs feel so heavy, and her feet so reluctant, that she halts her strides just in front of the door. Riley's hands turn her around. "I'm sorry". Riley says, her eyes wet. "She's just confused. She doesn't mean that".

Alex just nods. Riley looks up, trying to prevent the tears to keep coming. "You can't come back".

Alex takes a deep breath, not sure of what she's feeling anymore. "I know".

They stay silent for a few more seconds, just looking at each other. This is, most certainly, their last moment together and they both know it. Alex gives her sister a weak smile, her eyes welled up with tears. "I love you Ri". She says, reaching for her sister's hand. "I don't know what's going to happen, but you must know that I love you".

Riley pulls her for one more hug. "I love you too". She adds. "Be safe Alex, and if something happens, we'll always be where we have been before. You understand?"

Alex pulls back from the hug and nods, then she turns around and opens the door. Not another word is said. She walks out, headed to their meeting point where they told her they'd be just a few more minutes from now. Her body is moving, but she's still there in that apartment with her sister and her niece. Her world has shattered inside her, if only Riley could see.

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AN:

Slightly shorter one. I didn't want to give you guys a 10,000 words chapter. Stay put.

Thanks for the feedback. What do you guys think about Alex's choice? Where do you think this is going to lead her?

I'll be waiting for your answers.