Title: Problems with the Past

Author: I AM GRUMPY-BEAR

Rating: PG

Spoilers: None

Summary: Gary meets a girl who's past is quickly catching up to her and that could spell disaster for everyone.

Disclaimer: Don't own them. No smart sayings this time.

Note: Really stupid title. I would like to explain something. Knoxville, Illinois is a real place. St. Mary's Chapel is a real place in Knoxville, also a real place, and I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but Knoxville Jr. High is a real place. I just graduated from there. That's all. Please review.

Problems With the Past

Chapter Twelve: The Truth Comes Out

Gary and Hazel sat at McGinty's.

"He has my gun," Hazel kept muttering to herself. "This puts Robin in more danger. My boss is gonna kill me when he finds out about this. My job is now on the line. "

"Who is Robin?" asked Gary.

"What?" asked Hazel looking up.

"Who is Robin?" Gary asked again.

Hazel looked out the window and asked quietly, "Can you keep your mouth shut?"

"Huh?" asked Gary.

"Can you keep your mouth shut?" Hazel asked. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Why?" questioned Gary.

"Because what I'm about to tell cannot leave this table," said Hazel. "Few civilians know this and the more that do, the more danger a lot of people are put in."

"What are you talking about?" asked Gary in frustration.

"Did you even wonder why a federal agent would be working on a hit-and-run?" asked Hazel as she looked back toward Gary.

"I guess a little," replied Gary.

"The driver in that hit-and-run is named Frederick Charles Bostwick," said Hazel, "and to put it simply, he is wanted for far more than reckless driving." Hazel took a drink from her glass. "I hate him so much."

"What else has he done?" asked Gary.

"Murder, attempted murder, robbery," said Hazel. "You name it, he's done it. He's got a rap sheet as long as War and Peace."

"Why did he hit Robin?" asked Gary.

"Mainly," replied Hazel, "because she embarrassed him. Bostwick is not the most intelligent man. He's a criminal. All criminals are idiots, mainly because their criminals, but Bostwick is one of the worst. I've been on his case for two years and in that time he has killed three people. One of those people was my partner." She sighed and started to looked around. "Bostwick may be an idiot, but he has a very strong sense of pride."

"Is there more to the story?" asked Gary sensing that the federal agent wasn't done.

"Of course there's more," said Hazel as she rubbed her eyes. She proceeded to tell Gary about Bostwick and Robin's history together and when she was done, Hazel ran her hand through her hair with a sigh.

"Understand why I told you to be careful?" asked Hazel seeing the look on Gary's face.

"Yeah," replied Gary.

"Now I have a question for you," said Hazel. "What were you doing in that alley? I know you saved my life, but how did you know to be there?"

"I......uh....uh...um," stammered Gary as he tried to come up with a story she would believe, "I was walking by that alley and I-I-I saw that you wer-wer-were in trouble and I j-j-just came to help you."

"Right," said Hazel her voice full of disbelief. "You just happened to be walking by the alley I was in at the exact moment I needed help. That's kind of hard to believe. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the help greatly, but I am not a stupid person, Mr. Hobson."

"Th-that's what happened," said Gary.

Hazel stared at him for a moment and then said, "Fine. It doesn't matter. I will be seeing you and thank you once again for saving my life. Good-bye." She stood up from the table and walked out of the bar.

???

Robin looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was leaving the hospital soon and walking back into Bostwick's reach. She had wanted to get out of the hospital so badly she forgot that she was safe there. "He wouldn't try and kill me in a hospital," Robin thought. "Not even Bostwick's that stupid."

She sat down on the bed and looked at the bear Rachel had given her. "What should I do?" she asked the bear. Its black eyes only stared at her. "You're a lot of help," said Robin sarcastically as she set the bear back in it's place on the table. She picked her shoe up off the floor and put it on. "I can't run forever. It's impossible. Eventually he'll catch me." She put her other shoe on.

Robin picked up her backpack and put the bear inside of it. Her parents were checking her out and she was supposed to meet them at the elevators. The elevators had finally been fixed. She stood up and walked out of the hospital room.

"Good-bye, Emma," said Nurse Ellen when she saw the girl walking down the hall.

"See ya," said Robin quietly. She saw her parents standing at the elevator next to an orderly with a wheelchair. "You can't be serious," said Robin when she reached the elevators. "I can walk."

"Hospital rules," said the orderly with a shrug. "Have a seat."

Robin looked at her parents and saw that they were on the orderly's side. Robin shook her head and sat down in the wheelchair. "I don't need a wheelchair," she muttered as her father took her backpack.

"Just listen to the doctor for once," said Roy, "please."

Robin crossed her arms and was quiet the entire elevator ride. When the doors opened, Robin stood up from the wheelchair.

"Sit back down," said the orderly.

"It wasn't just for the elevator?" asked Robin.

"No," said the orderly. "It's until you get to the car."

Robin sat back down and the family left the hospital.

???

Bostwick walked down the sidewalk with his head hanging down. He would have worried about people recognizing him, but he knew there were only three people in the city who could identify him.

"I could have killed her," Bostwick said to himself. "I should had killed her. I had to keep talking. She probably planned all that. Probably knew it was a trap and brought back up." Bostwick shook his head again and turned the corner. He needed to find Robin quick and get out of the city. He couldn't go to the hospital, because he was almost positive there would have been a guard outside or something that prevented him from getting to her. "My problems have been made easier though," Bostwick thought to himself as he felt the gun in his pocket. "All thanks to that wonderful Agent Hazel." He smiled to himself as he continued walking.

???

Rachel knocked on the door of Emma's apartment. She knew Emma had been released from the hospital yesterday and she was coming to visit her.

Mark opened the door and said, "Hello, Rachel."

"Hey, Mr. Jones," said Rachel. "How's Emma doing?"

"Much better," said Mark. "She's in her room if you want to go see her."

"Thanks," said Rachel. She stepped into the apartment and went to her friend's room.

"Hey, Rachel," said Robin who was sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"Hey, Em," said Rachel as she sat down in the desk chair. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"No," said Robin. "Go ahead."

"Do you promise to give me the truth?" asked Rachel. "No matter what the question."

"Just ask the question," said Robin.

"Answer my other one," said Rachel, "and then I will."

"I promise," said Robin with a shrug.

"Who is Robin?" asked Rachel.

"I told you," replied Robin. "It's me. It's my other middle name."

"No," said Rachel, "it's not. I know you're Robin, but It is not your other middle name. So please answer my question."

Robin looked down at her hands and said quietly, "I can't tell you."

"Fine," said Rachel with a shrug, "but let me tell you what I know. I know your full name is Robin Marie Mason. I know you're from a town called Knoxville, but I don't know which state. And I know it is quite possible for me to find out about you even without you helping me. I just thought I'd give you the chance to tell me."

Rachel stood up and was about to leave the room when Robin said, "Wait, Rachel. I'll tell you."

Rachel breathed a quiet sigh of relief and turned back around toward Robin. "I'm waiting," said Rachel as she sat back down in the chair.

"It's a very long story," said Robin as she tried to get Rachel to change her mind about wanting to know.

"I have lots of time," said Rachel.

Robin sighed and began her story.

???

Gary looked at the paper and saw something in it had changed. "Girl Abducted from Apartment," was what the title said. Gary folded the paper back up and put it back into his pocket. He only had a little bit of time to get across town.

???

"I have to go to work, Emma," said Roy as he walked into his daughter's bedroom.

"Alright, Dad," said Robin.

"Your mom should be home in about two hours or so," said Roy.

"Alright," said Robin. "Bye."

"Bye, Mr. Jones," said Rachel.

"Good-bye, Rachel," said Roy. "Are you going to be here for dinner?"

"No," said Rachel. "I gotta go home and cook dinner for my brother's and sister's here pretty soon."

"'Kay," said Roy. "Good-bye." The two girls waved and Roy left.

"So you're in the witness protection program?" said Rachel as she turned toward Robin.

"Yes," said Robin with a sigh, "but you can't tell anybody."

"Who am I supposed to tell?" asked Rachel with a shrug. "You're my only friend and I don't really talk to my parents. They don't allow me to talk to strangers either."

"But you talk to your siblings," said Robin. "Especially Jamie. You have to keep this a secret. Please, keep this a secret."

"I promise," said Rachel.

"You have to swear," said Robin looking her friend right in the eye.

"I swear on our friendship," said Rachel. She stuck her hand out to Robin and Robin shook it.

"Good," said Robin she leaned back against the wall.

Rachel was quiet for a moment and then asked, "What's it like to know a federal agent?"

"If you're talking about Agent Hazel," said Robin, "she's pretty nice, blames herself a lot, but overall she's okay."

Rachel nodded and then started to spin around in the desk chair.

"What are you doing?" asked Robin as she watched her friend.

"Sorting all this out," replied Rachel.

"And spinning around helps you?" asked Robin in a confused tone.

"No," said Rachel. "It's just fun."

???

Gary waited while the elevator climbed the floors of the apartment building. He nervously kept checking his watch. "Five minutes," Gary said quietly to himself. He sighed and started to nervously drum his fingers on the wall.

The elevator finally arrived on the floor and Gary stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall, but as he was reading the numbers on the apartment doors, he realized he had gone to the wrong floor. He ran back to elevator hoping he still had enough time.

???

Bostwick smiled to himself as he climbed the stairs. Robin wasn't going to get away from him this time. He felt the gun in his pocket and opened the door out of the stairwell. He saw a man already at Robin's apartment door.

"It's HIM!" said Bostwick angrily to himself. He walked quietly down the hall and up behind the man. Bostwick placed the gun against the man head and said quietly, "Ring the doorbell, but if you say one thing you die."

The man reached out shakily and rang the doorbell.

???

Robin heard the bell in her room and said to Rachel, "I'll be right back."

"I can get it if you want," said Rachel.

"That's okay," said Robin. "My house, my door."

Robin walked out of her bedroom and to the door. "Who's there?" asked Robin. No one answered. "Who's there?" Robin asked. There was silence for a moment more and then a shaky voice said, "Gary Hobson."

Robin gave the door a funny look and then reached up for the chain. She opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Bostwick pointing a gun at her.

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Sorry it took so long, but I had writer's block. I think only two more chapters. Who knows.