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Chapter 8: Catch Me if You Can

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Jet cursed to himself as he soared over the ocean. He trailed along the direction R-02 had taken off but detected nothing. He thought of his harsh words with Lily...

"You are not my family!"

"You're on your own then!"

He winced, recalling of the look in her eyes; that broken, scared expression. He thought of his own tactless words. He had promised himself to always take care of her, no matter what. To be patient, to be understanding. To have the relationship he always wanted. To be different from all the other messed up relationships he saw while growing up… to be different from his own family. He wanted to make his own family. But she does she really see him that way? After everything they had been through, was he not family to her? He turned mid-air and headed back to the house. Maybe she will have calmed down by now. Jet knew very well that Lily's temper could rival his. They had disagreements now and then and were best resolved after both had time to think and collect their thoughts.

However, this was by far the worst one. When he saw her being pulled by R-02, his heart trembled. Flashes of what happened with R-03 ran through his mind. Then within a minute, R-02 was gone. She broke into Lily's personal space, forced a blood bond on her. He knew that Lily did not know that was going to happen, and he knew she must have felt guilty and stupid in that moment. But his sharp words stung her when she was down. He knew she was suffering, ever since December rolled in and people began talking about the holidays. It was like a light went out in her eyes. The reality of not seeing her family now or ever struck her hard. He should have held his tongue, but what she said hurt him too.

Jet touched down on the ground and his shoes sank into the sand. 'Just another pair of ruined kicks.' He began walking back to the house, mentally running through a script of what he would say to Lily. 'Should I apologize first? Really, she should say sorry. She probably will. She will.' Bracing himself, he opened the front door and kicked off his destroyed shoes. Closing the door behind him, he edged down the hall and peeked into the living room. It was just Dr. Gilmore, Francoise and Joe. They all noticed him. "Hey, is Lily here?" Dr. Gilmore looked at him curiously and replied, with just enough annoyance in his voice, "She stormed upstairs and slammed the bedroom door. If you can convince her to come down, I wish to run some tests after that bite from R-02." Jet nodded and noticed Joe staring at him. "Hey, you okay Jet?" he asked quietly. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just gotta take care of some damage control. Will see you later," he responded as he walked upstairs.

Arriving at their bedroom door, Jet stalled. He raised his hand to knock then dropped it again, resting it on the doorknob. Slowly turning it, he opened the door, bracing himself for what expected to be a long talk. His eyes rested on the bed, on the bundled up Chinese uniform. Scanning the room, he saw the wardrobe door ajar, then the open window, and finally the note on the desk. Jet felt his stomach drop. Lurching forward, he picked up the note. Stumbling back out into the hallway, Jet tried to find his words. "Joe, she's…. she's…" Joe appeared at the top of the stairs. "What's wrong, Jet?" Jet leaned against the wall as the note paper fluttered to the ground. "She's gone."

…..

Lily gathered her rucksack belongings and documents after being scanned. She queued up for passport control and checked her gate number. She paid a small fortune for the ticket change and upgrade but it was only luck she managed it. Moving through the winter wonderland duty free, Lily walked straight towards her boarding gate. Maybe going on her own was not the best idea, but there was no way any of the others, including Jet, would have agreed to go with her. Handing her passport and ticket to the air steward, Lily managed a small smile. "Happy holidays, have a pleasant flight!" he greeted, handing her papers back. She walked through the gate, turning to catch a glimpse at the sparkling waiting lounge. Nobody to stop her. Lily continue walking, looking up at the lit up board gate signal. Flight 237: JFK New York

…

Jet loomed over Joe's shoulders as he tapped away at the computer. He bounced impatiently on his heels. "Well, can you change it?!" he demanded. Joe winced. "Uh, yeah, you can change your flight to the 6am one today. But it'll cost you. Are you sure about this?" Jet nearly snapped his head off. "Of course I am sure! She must have taken off for New York. She took her passport and plane ticket." Joe sighed. "But Jet, she said she in the note that she wants to be alone. Maybe you should do what she says?" Jet almost exploded. "Do you not know ANYTHING about women?! When they say it's fine, it's not fine. When they say they want to be alone, they do not want to be alone. When they run off, it means you follow. That's the mistake I made and now SHE'S GONE. BOOK. THE. TICKETTT!" He spun Joe's chair around back to the screen. His fingers ran over the keyboard like lightning. "Done, you better get going." Jet slapped him on the back. "Thanks, bud! Go get the car. I need to refuel myself before going. If that plane doesn't fly, I am flying myself back to New York!" he cried out as he headed for the fuel reserve in the dolphin. Joe watched him run off, looking exasperated. Francoise sat in the corner, angrily stirring her tea. "He's right, you know. I am not fine" she stated quietly. Joe looked at her steely expression. 'Oh, boy…'

…

Jet's leg jittered as he watched the air steward perform the safety instruction. 'I swear I'd fly back to NY faster than this…. I wonder if I have enough fuel…. I should have listened to the Doc when he was blabbing on about limits….' Finally the plane started to taxi out onto the runway. 'Okay, finally. I'll head straight to the house first. She is probably there. Or at the florist. I'll find her. I'll make this right.' He stared out the window seeing the blue run way lights. 'See you soon, Lily.'

….

Lily's footsteps pounded the grey floors of the airport as her bag bounced on her back. 'If only I could accelerate here…. I got to make it.' She bypassed other people jogging along, some with cabin bags or with children in tow. She glanced at her ticket again and looked up at the numerous signs. Passport Control, Baggage, Connections. She took a left, following a sign for domestic connections. She passed the gates and finally saw it.

Gate 8B: New Orleans: Last Call.

She was going home.

…

"Who would be calling on us here on Christmas Eve?" Cathy muttered as she checked the peephole of the door to the frantic knocking. Her eyes widened at the familiar face. She opened the door quickly, "Jet! I wasn't expecting this!" she noticed his worried, tired expression. "Is everything okay?" she added quickly. He breathed deeply. "Hi, Cathy, is Lily here?" It took Cathy a moment to process his question. "No. No, she isn't. What's going on, Jet?" Suddenly Jimmy launched himself onto Jet, wrapping his arms around his neck and legs around his waist. "JET! MOM! THIS IS BEST THE GIFT EVERRRRRR!" he squealed. Jet nearly toppled over, but his arms instinctively wrapped around the young boy. "Hey, buddy," he said softly, ruffling his hair. He looked back at Cathy. "Sorry to bother you. I thought she might be here. Um, could you please call me if she calls you?" Cathy crossed her arms over her chest, "Jet, come in. Explain this to me properly."

…

Lily kept her hood up along with her cap and a pair of sunglasses. No way could she risk being recognized here. She had checked into an airport hotel and then traveled out to her old neighborhood. First stop, the cemetery. Maybe that would be enough to make her realize that she no longer belongs in this part of the world. Lily walked along the winding paths that she had always taken every month to visit her grandparents. The old tree still stood guard over her family's plot. Bending down, Lily read the headstones. The last one was new. Liliana Sliva, beloved daughter and sister. Love is enough. Lily fell forward onto her knees. Wilted flowers and some decorations lay in front of the stone. She waited for the tears to come but they did not. 'This is not real. This isn't enough. I have to see them.'

….

Jet sat at the kitchen table with Cathy and Jimmy with a cup of steaming coffee in front of him. Cathy sighed, "Well, that all sounds a bit dramatic if you ask me. But, then again, if I had the chance to board a plane when I had fights, I probably would have." Jet looked at her sorrowfully. "Well, if she is not here, then I don't really know what to do now." He slid him arms out and rested his head on the table. Jimmy patted his shoulder, "Jet, girls are trouble. You should know better."

….

Lily waited until it got dark. She walked down the back way to her street in the suburbs, keeping close to the walls. Only the glow of the street lanterns and glitter of the Christmas lights illuminated her way. Her house was right at the end, trees closing in around it. Lily climbed up the old tree opposite her house that used to be the kingdom for her and her siblings. She was far away from her house to not be seen but close enough for her perfected vision to allow her to see inside the windows. There they were. Lily's breath hitched. Her dad, mom, older sister Rosa, younger twin boys, Daniel and David, and the youngest, Ash, all sat at the dining table. She could make out the table setting, the same dishes they used every Christmas. Tall red candles burned in the center of the table. Six people. 7 place settings. Tears welled in her eyes. They were quiet. No music. No talking. Tears poured down her cheeks. She sat throughout their meal and drinks and watched them clear away the plates. Her siblings cleaned up. Her parents sat hand in hand at the table. One by one, her siblings left the room and went upstairs to their bedrooms. Lily wiped her tear stained cheeks as she quietly sobbed. Her mother got up and kissed her father on top of his head and left the room. Her father poured another glass of wine and stayed sat at the table. Lily could see him wiping his eyes. Another wave of tears hit her. After a few minutes, he downed his glass and got up, blowing out the candle, leaving the house in darkness.

Lily's head pounded. 'Why did I come here? Why did I think this would be a good idea?' She never felt more alone than right now. Not even the test base could compare to this. Her hands trembled as she pulled her bag onto her lap. She searched for her phone and slotted in the sim card and battery. She watched the screen light up, blurring from her tears. As soon as she picked up a connection, a flood of notifications rolled onto the screen. Countless missed calls, voicemails, and messages. There were several numbers but one name appeared again and again. Jet. She held the phone to her ear to listen to the voicemails from the night she left.

"Lily, why aren't you picking up? Where are you? Call me back!"

"Lily, 009 told me that noise means your phone is turned off. Why would you do that? That note? How can I just let you go? How can you leave without a proper explanation?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what I said. I want to take care of you. I want to be with you. Please, please call me back. We can figure this out."

"Lily, I got my flight changed. I am following you to New York. Please contact me. I will go to your house. I love you. Call me back."

"I've landed. I am going to your house. I hope you will be there…. Because you are my family now. I love you."

"Lily….. where are you?... I don't know what to do."

Hot tears streaked down her cheeks again. Lily took a deep breath and shook her head. She hit return call. Only two beeps. "LILY?!" Jet gasped. "Jet. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…. I shouldn't have left. I made a terrible mistake," she choked out. "Where are you? Please tell me where you are," he pleaded. Lily started to sob again, "I-I'm in New Orleans, near my h-house. Oh Jet, I saw them, from afar. I th- thought it would help to see them. I can't, I can't cope with this. I shouldn't have come." Lily could hear him sighing heavily. "I should have known. Lily, baby, stay there. I can be there in a few hours. Tell me your location." Lily tried to control her sobbing. "Y-you can track directly from the call, our phones are synced cos my sim is activated again." "Okay. Please stay hidden. They can't see you, okay? I will be there in about two hours. Hold tight, Lily. I love you," his voice cracked. "I l-love you too. I'm sorry again," she sighed and ended the call. She leaned against the trunk of the tree and pulled her hoody sleeves down, covering her hands. Lily closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.

…

Jet flew as fast as he could over the long distance. No way could he go through airport security and wait again for a connecting flight. It all made sense to him now. The despair, the family comment, the running off. It was reckless but at the same time, understandable. The way she sounded on the phone broke his heart. He slowed as he neared his destination. He had the exact co-ordinates and landed near the trees at the end of the street. "Jet!" came a hushed voice from one of the trees. He looked over to see Lily drop down, dressed in all black. They ran to each other and embraced, Jet lifting her off her feet. "Lily, don't pull a stunt like this ever again, you hear?" Lily sniffed into his chest. "I won't, I promise. I just had to see them. Now I know it doesn't help. I miss them so much, Jet. It hurts so much." He stroked her hair and shushed her. "I am sorry for what I said. You are my family, Jet. I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you," she shook in his arms, tears wetting the front of his shirt. "C'mon, let's get out of here." Lily nodded. "But first, I want to walk around the house. My dad's garden is at the back. I want to see it, please." Jet looked over at the small house, now in complete darkness. "Okay, let's go."

They walked hand in hand around the house. Lily stood on her tip toes to peer over the wall. The garden was small but beautifully maintained. She looked up at the back of the house and let out a small gasp. "What is it?" Jet whispered. Lily pointed to an open window. "That's my room. The window is open. Maybe, maybe I could go and look in." Jet quickly pulled Lily down by the shoulder so that they were now crouched down by the wall. "Are you crazy? What if you wake up your family, how can you explain?" he hissed. Lily shook her head. "I can accelerate up there and out! I just want… I just want to see it." Jet sighed. "Okay, let me come with you. I know you don't listen to me." Lily gave him a sad smile. "Thank you. It'll be the last time I see the inside of my home."

They used their accelerators to scale up the wall and land on the roof, right above Lily's room. Very carefully, Lily edged her way down and used her foot to swing out the window. Then she swung herself into the room, landing softly on the window sill. She stood up and looked around. Jet followed suit and stood beside her. The soft street light offered some visibility. Her room was small; just a single bed, desk, and wardrobe. Dozens of photos decorated the walls. Jet leaned over, seeing Lily with various people at different ages. He smiled, seeing her smiling and making goofy faces. Lily was at her bed, which was in the corner, next to the window. She reached down, her fingers lightly touching an aged teddy bear. Suddenly the door made a little creak. "Go!" Jet hissed and Lily accelerated, jumping out the window. The door flew open and something hard collided with Jet's knee. He stumbled back, falling to the floor as the bedroom light switched on.

"A thief! Maria! Call the police!" the man stood over Jet, wielding a baseball bat. Jet's arms flew up. "No! I know Lily!" The words were out of Jet's mouth before he realized. The man lowered the bat, his blue-gray eyes soft. "You, you knew our Lily?" A lady holding a phone stood beside him. She looked exactly like Lily, except for darker hair and skin. "Maria, don't call yet. How do you know Lily? And why are you here?" Jet's mind raced. "I met her before she went to Japan. Uhh, I just wanted to see her room. Listen, I knew her before…. Before she…. Left." Another four faces peered in the door frame; a young lady, almost the image of Lily, but much taller, identical teenage boys with light, wavy hair and brown eyes, and a little boy, around Jimmy's age with grey eyes and dark, curly hair. Lily's father turned to look at Maria, then back to Jet. "I'll open more wine," Maria sighed and left the room. "Come talk with us downstairs. Your leg okay?" Jet rose to his feet and flexed his foot. "I've had much worse," he replied softly, following Lily's father. "What's your name, son?" Jet paused. "It's Jet. Jet Link." Lily's father eyed him suspiciously. "Well, I'm Anton Silva. Try any smart moves and I will take your leg off, alright?"

Jet followed them down the stairs. He opened his internal communicator. –Lily, why don't you listen to me?-

-You're meeting my family!-

-I will kill you-

…

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this! Are y'all surprised? Went on a 360 of what I originally planned XD

Reviews and abuse welcome. I LOVE YOU! *screams into the abyss*