The Runner (Instrumental) by Zack Hemsey
Sinner's Prayer by Sully Erna
You Were Never in the Game by Lucas Videl
Neela Drifts by Brian Tyler
1992
London, U.K.
Luke was jostled around in the hallway of his school, but he didn't care. Everyone had somewhere to be, but he just had to head home and study. He was also helping his mother with a target. It hadn't taken long for her to get him back into assassin duties. He'd gone along with it because he didn't see much point in fighting it. This was who he was. No one could save him from it.
"Hi, Luke," a girl said as she passed him. She looked over her shoulder at him almost shyly, and for a moment, it took him off guard. How had she even noticed him? He kept to himself all the time.
"Hey," he said back, knowing it would be rude if he didn't respond at least. She burst into giggles and then turned to whisper frantically to her friend. He felt confused and amused, but he let it go and trudged out the door.
When he got home, Johnny was out back frying up some form of meat while Jess was poring over maps and photos. Luke leaned over her shoulder briefly, scanning.
"There," he said, putting his finger on one of the photos. "That's your vantage point."
"Ah, yes!" Jess exclaimed. "Thank you! I was going nuts for a moment."
Luke said nothing as he went to his room and unpacked his bag. He sat at his desk and went over his notes to study. Sometimes he didn't see the point in school. It wasn't like anyone there cared about him anyway. Some of the content was hard and made him struggle, but he was holding his own. No one had asked why he'd showed up at the school the way he had, nor did they test to see if he needed to be held back a grade. No one cared. He felt like someone should be a bit concerned by that.
"Luke! Dinner!" his mother called a while later. He sighed and pushed his chair back, getting up to join them. He tried and failed to not look at his father's book on the dresser on his way out. The usual pang of grief hit him in the stomach; then he was sitting and trying to eat while feeling unable to.
"Bob's dead," Johnny said after chewing for a bit. Jess looked at him in surprise.
"Bob?" she repeated.
"Yea."
"How?"
"Lost a hand to hand combat."
"Did the target get away?"
"No. His partner got him," Johnny answered, sticking another piece of meat into his mouth and chewing slowly. Luke half listened. He had met some of the other assassins through the years. Bob hadn't been his favorite. He leered at his mother and drank too much beer.
"That's too bad. He was a good one."
"I know."
Luke looked out the window as the rain started to come down. It felt like it was always raining. He pushed his food around his plate with his fork, lost in thought.
"What's with you?" Johnny asked him, and Luke looked at him. The anger and borderline hatred for his stepfather was strong, and he knew Johnny knew it.
"Nothin'."
At least Johnny wasn't the type to press further for information. A kid could get away with murder in this house. Well, they actually would. Luke almost laughed at this thought. He didn't know of too many parents who encouraged their children to kill people.
"I'm going for a walk after I clean up and the rain stops," Jess said now. "You coming, Luke?"
"I can."
"Let's do it." She smiled. He smiled back. He'd come to understand that his mother was less in control than she thought she was. He excused himself after clearing the table and went back to his studying. When it was time, he went out for a walk with his mother.
But it just didn't feel the same anymore.
Montana, U.S.
"What's that?" Rita asked, craning her neck.
"Carburetor," Lance answered. He had pieces of the lawn mower on the workbench in the garage, and Rita had come to investigate what he was doing.
"What does it do?"
"It mixes fuel and air."
"Oh." She wanted to know more, so she got closer and watched him work. He explained what he was doing and why. He showed her the other parts on the table and went over what each of them did. By the time he was done, Rita knew all about how lawn mowers worked. She loved how much her father enjoyed talking about it.
"Hank, leave it!" Lance called as the donkey tried to sneak and steal parts. Rita giggled as the donkey flashed Lance his smile and leaned against him with all his weight. Lance huffed and pushed him back. "Go play with the horse. Go on now."
Hank did no such thing. He chose to hover right next to Lance's arm. He ignored the huff that escaped Lance's lips. Rita knew her father tolerated the animals more often than not, that his biggest soft spot was for Willow. She loved all of them.
"Come on, Hank," she said now, snapping her fingers and getting the donkey's attention. "Let's go for a ride."
"Be careful," Lance called after her. She wished he wouldn't tell her that all the time. She knew how to ride Willow. It was very second nature to her now. Once she got Willow all set, she mounted and looked down at Hank.
"Keep up," she instructed. The donkey liked to go for a walk with them, and if he noticed he was left behind, the entire neighborhood heard his hee haws. She smiled as she rode Willow along the trail with Hank trotting behind happily. She couldn't imagine a time where doing this simple task would be obsolete.
Rita thought about what her mother was like for the millionth time. She'd studied her father's photos enough times to remember what she looked like, along with the memory of her dream. He didn't have many pictures, but they were worn with how often they were looked at. She tilted her head to the sky, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. She imagined her mother watching from heaven and smiling. She got a lot of comfort from that image, and the words from her dream.
Mummy loves you.
When it was time to go in for supper, she walked Willow back to the yard and dismounted, pulling off the reins and saddle after. Hank watched with mild interest, his ears twitching every so often. Rita put everything away, looked after Willow and brushed her, and then dusted herself off with her hands before filling up their feed bowls. Once they were eating, she went inside to find her father frying up something and keeping an eye on the television in the corner where the news was playing. She washed her hands and set the table. It didn't bother her that it was just the two of them. On the contrary, she liked it a lot. She felt more connected to her father than she imagined most girls were. At least, that's how it seemed with the girls at her school. She'd listen to their conversations about things, and rarely did they speak of doing stuff with their fathers.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Lance said suddenly, making her look at him over her shoulder from the utensil drawer, her hand mid-dig in the tray for forks.
"You'd be lost," she stated with a smile. He smiled back.
"Very," he agreed. He reached to tug her braid playfully before going back to finishing cooking. Rita felt warm inside. She liked this very much.
She never wanted it to change.
Spain
Rosie was on standby, and she had been for the last couple of months. She was okay with that. She could pretend to be a normal person. She was sipping a beer and reading a book when someone came through the door. She aimed her gun at them, and they lifted their hands, a smile on their lips.
"We all know I'm gonna die driving too fast, not by a bullet," Wes commented. Rosie lowered the gun and shook her head at him.
"If you keep sneaking up on people, you might not get your wish," she warned, and he laughed. "What are you doing here?"
"I got shipped out a while ago," Wes told her, sitting next to her slowly. "I just found out that Jess got Luke back, so I thought I'd tell you."
"No," Rosie said, slightly anguished. "What happened?"
"Looks like Johnny found Brendan and killed him," Wes replied, rubbing his neck. "I'm not sure how he found him."
"Some bloody connection I imagine," she said, giving a groan of frustration next. "I feel sick."
"I know. Luke was doing well when I left," Wes commented. "I guess we can't escape our fate, can we?"
Rosie scoffed. He didn't have to tell her twice. She took another swig of her drink and tried not to feel rage towards Johnny. It was hard. She felt terrible for Brendan as well.
"I smell trouble," Wes added, looking at her.
"Like what?"
"I don't know what. I just feel it coming," he said. Rosie felt her skin prickle at this. She uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, tapping her fingers on her glass.
"Then I guess we better be ready, huh?" she replied.
"Yea," he agreed. "We better."
Rosie involuntarily gripped her glass a bit tighter as she thought about what Wes's idea of "trouble" could be. She wasn't done with planning the end of her father's reign. She just needed the perfect timing and the right tools. It was going to take a while, but she wasn't about to give up.
She had too much at stake.
1993
London, U.K.
Jess felt slightly worried. Luke was on his first mission, and even though he was sixteen and more than capable, she still had fears that something would go wrong. It was her target, but she'd gotten Luke to help her with it and plan it all out. She knew he had to get out there and start doing the job sooner than later. He was more than ready; she knew that.
When he came home that night, she could tell he was not handling it well. She didn't address it, knowing that it would pass and not wanting to embarrass him about it. She remembered her first kill. She'd vomited for hours afterwards. It was something that would pass.
Unlike the pain inside from losing Brendan.
Jess still couldn't believe he was dead. She'd been so angry at Johnny for doing it that she'd avoided talking to him for a long time after. He never said anything about it, and he'd withdrawn even further after coming home from doing it. She didn't care to know why.
"Luke?" she said, nudging his door open. He was lying on his bed with his hands folded on his chest. He turned his head to look at her. She noticed how pale he was.
"Yea?"
"A girl named Tracy dropped this off for you," Jess said, holding out a textbook. "She said it was important."
"Thanks."
Jess wondered if he was dating or if he'd had his first experience with a girl yet. He'd never said anything to her about it, though. Luke took the book from her without a word, and she left him alone again. She felt a bit bad that her son was living a bit of an abnormal life, but she knew it was the price to pay in order to keep the world relatively at peace.
She just wished he didn't hate her. He didn't come out and say it, but she could see it in him that he hated her involvement with Brendan's death, as if she'd told Johnny to pull the trigger. She wished she could tell him that if she'd had the chance, she would have found a way to keep Brendan alive. She missed the way things used to be between them, but it was too late to get it back. She had to settle for what she had now, no matter how much it hurt.
...
Luke felt his heart pound slightly as he waited for his mother to leave before he opened the textbook. He flipped to the middle and found Tracy's note. She was the girl who'd bumped into him in the hallway at school earlier in the year. She'd then become his lab partner in chemistry, but there was something starting to happen between them. He noticed her perfume and if she'd changed up her hair, and she made any excuse to touch him. He'd never had a girlfriend before. He'd added that to the list of things not to do in his line of work.
Now, though, he wanted to know what it would be like to kiss a girl, to hold her hand, or love someone. He waited until dark before sneaking out his bedroom window. He found Tracy at the spot she'd told him to find her at, and she was smiling at him.
"I can't believe you came," she said.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I dunno," she answered, looking down briefly before looking at him again. He felt his heart flutter slightly.
"Come on," he said, being bold and taking her hand in his. "Let's go for a walk." She squeezed his hand after taking it, and they started to walk together. He soon had her laughing about one of their classmates, and he was starting to feel a bit looser and relaxed. They walked and talked the loop of the trail and came back to where they started about forty minutes later.
"This was really nice," Tracy said, looking at him.
"It was," Luke agreed. He could feel it coming, and he didn't know how to feel when her lips touched his lightly. It was an exciting feeling, but at the same time, it didn't deeply move him like he thought it would.
"I'll see you at school," she said, touching his face gently.
"Yea."
She backed away, smiling. Then she was gone. Luke made his way back home, and as he crept into his window, he heard shouting coming from his parents' room. It was almost old news now, but he still listened to make sure his mother wasn't getting killed. So far, it sounded like a familiar argument. Johnny was accusing her of something she didn't do, and she was defending herself. Luke knew his stepfather had issues, and he wished the man would just get help for them.
He wished it all would just end sometimes. He tried to fall asleep thinking about Tracy, but it was difficult, and it wasn't all to do with the yelling either.
Montana, U.S.
Rita was pumping her legs hard, but she couldn't catch her father if she tried. He was calling over his shoulder at her, giving encouragement, but she could barely keep up. By the time they got back to the house, she was ready to fall face first onto the ground.
"The more you do it, the better it'll get," Lance advised, patting her back. "Good first try, though."
"You do this every day?" she asked.
"Most days," he answered, wiping at his brow with the back of his arm. "Running is good for you."
"No thanks. I'll just die," Rita stated, huffing and puffing and feeling so tired and sore suddenly. Her father laughed at her.
"You'll feel better when you finally beat me," he told her, tweaking her cheek with his fingers and going inside. She hauled herself in after him, going to shower and get ready for the day. Her father had invited her to run with him for the first time, and she hadn't wanted to say no, but she wished she had built up to it a bit more than just diving right in. She felt like rubber.
He was still chuckling at her as she ate breakfast and got ready for school. She wanted to point out that he had long legs, but she was too tired to even talk.
"Have a great day," he said as she went to wait for the bus.
"You too."
She shouldered her backpack and went to stand by the mailbox. She found herself dreading school a bit. She had a huge crush on a boy named Eliot, who sat by the back of the bus most days. She had barely spoken to him, but she knew she'd get tongue tied if he tried to talk to her anyway. She sat alone as usual and watched the scenery pass by her window as the bus drove. Sometimes, she wished something interesting would happen to her, but she'd resigned herself to having a pretty boring life. She still didn't have friends, and it wasn't like she didn't try. Other girls just weren't interested in her, so she lived in her books. They never let her down anyway.
"Watch it, nerd!" a boy said now to someone else, and she shrank down further in her seat. Sometimes, though, it paid to be invisible.
A Week Later
London, U.K.
Johnny was feeling nauseous. He pulled out another drink, still trying to numb the feelings that were trying to come flying out of him. He couldn't stop hearing the screams of the little girl he'd killed the day before. He hated that the agency made him do those jobs. He hated that they knew he hated it and made him do it anyway. Johnny was starting to wish he wasn't alive anymore...had felt that way for a while now, and it was pure dumb luck that he was still there after doing the last few jobs despite wanting to die. When Jess started in on him about Brendan yet again, it was the last straw.
"Why did you kill him?" she demanded now, standing in front of him. "You could have let him live."
It was the same argument among many, and they'd been fighting a lot lately. Johnny couldn't stop letting out his anger towards himself on her, and he never understood why she just took it with minimal fighting back. He looked at her now and saw the angst and rage on her face for what he'd done to the love of her life. He'd never told her the truth, that it was either Brendan or Luke, but he decided that enough was enough. Perhaps she'd leave him alone if she finally knew he hadn't made the choice lightly. He was also just so tired.
"I had no choice!" he exclaimed. "Okay?! It was him or Luke. Do you understand?!"
She opened and closed her mouth, unable to say anything. He knew that she had to know what it was like. She'd had to make a choice herself too.
"He told you to kill him?" she asked quietly, referring to Zeke.
"Yes. Him or Luke. Who did you think I was going to choose?"
"You should have found a way!" she shrieked, coming at him now and hitting him hard. "You should have figured something out! You shouldn't have killed him!"
"Why? Cos you still love him?!" he shouted.
"That doesn't matter!"
"You know what really burns me, Jess? I had to fulfill your consequence. I had to make the choice! I thought I'd made the right one!"
"You could have found a way!"
The fight dragged on, and he suddenly realized how he could get out of this life. He threw her off and reached for the knife on the counter.
"No, Johnny, no!" she begged. He could see the fear in her eyes, but he also knew his plan...she did not. The gun was there. She knew where it was. All she had to do was go for it. Then Luke was suddenly there, and he was fighting with him.
"Luke!" Jess shrieked as Johnny punched Luke in the face more out of reflex than anything. He managed to disarm and throw Johnny down, though. Luke told him to leave, and Johnny fully intended to, but not the way Luke thought. He knew Luke hated him. He could see it every day. He wished the boy knew that Johnny had killed Brendan to save his life. He didn't think Luke would understand, though, and he got that. He also knew Luke would not hesitate to do what he had to.
"You don't tell me what to do, boy," Johnny said, fueling the anger. He needed Luke really mad right now.
"And you're not really my father, but there's not much we can do about either of these things, right?"
"What did you say to me?" Johnny demanded, even though it was true. He needed to keep this going.
"Luke," Jess tried again, sounding scared for him now.
"Leave her alone," Luke ordered Johnny, "you pathetic old man." He spat at Johnny, and Johnny took a moment to gather his courage before doing what he did next. He grabbed the knife again and went at Luke, aiming for his neck. Luke fell to the floor and grabbed the gun from under the table, unloading it three times into Johnny's chest. Johnny felt the shock on his face despite knowing all along this was the end result...what he wanted. Perhaps he really hadn't thought Luke could do it, but it turned out he could. He felt the life start to drain out from him as he collapsed onto the floor, the knife clattering away from him. He didn't speak. He had nothing to say anyway. It was finally over. No more pain...no more regrets. He couldn't hurt anyone else anymore. He could stop being a monster.
He closed his eyes and gave one final shudder.
He could rest now.
...
"Oh my God," Jess whimpered. She looked at Luke, who had Johnny's blood on him. He looked sick. She got to her feet and grabbed the counter to hold herself up. The tears surprised her, but she was crying more for the fact that she hadn't been able to spare Luke from killing Johnny. She met his eyes after a moment.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
"We get the hell out of here," she answered.
"Where are we going?"
Amelia. Jess knew Amelia would help. She'd find her a safe place to go.
"I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I have an idea," she told Luke. He nodded, and she instructed him to go pack his things. She packed a bag quickly as well. Then she called Amelia.
"What do you want?" Amelia asked, seeing it was her calling.
"Johnny's dead," Jess answered. She was outside waiting for Luke. She'd slipped out quietly to make this call out of his earshot.
"What happened?"
"Johnny lost it and tried to kill Luke, so I...I had to kill him," Jess lied. She wasn't going to let her son take the rap for it.
"You killed one of Zeke's best men? That's not gonna go over well," Amelia said.
"Don't I know it. Look, I need a place to send Luke for when they come after me," Jess said. "I can deal with Zeke, but I want Luke out of this whole thing."
"You're letting him be a kid finally?" Amelia asked.
"I want him to finish his training," Jess answered. "I don't want him blamed for Johnny's death."
"And where do you plan to send him exactly?" Amelia's voice was hard to read, and Jess took a moment, knowing it was going to get a strong reaction.
"I want to send him to be with Harry."
"No," Amelia said sharply. "Absolutely not."
"Amelia, please," Jess practically begged. "I know he'll be safe there."
"My father knows where he is. Luke will not be safe there."
"It doesn't matter. I already know the deal that is going to be made. I'm never going to be allowed to see Luke again, but I need to know that he's safe. Please, Amelia."
"It's too risky."
"Zeke wants Luke to be trained," Jess reasoned. "He won't touch him if he's being trained. He'll collect him when he's ready. He won't kill him because he wants a good assassin on his team. And Harry will keep him safe!"
"No," Amelia said again, stronger this time. Jess took in some breaths, trying to stay calm.
"I'm asking you as a favor," she said after a moment. "I don't really need to. I can just take him to Harry without even telling you. Please, I need you to make the deal with Zeke. I leave Luke with Harry, and I never see him again as punishment. Please, Amelia. You know I never ask for help unless I need it." She listened to Amelia sighing and muttering to herself.
"Fine," she said. "I'll tell him."
"Thank you..."
"Don't thank me yet. He hasn't agreed to anything." She hung up on Jess, who turned as Luke finally came to meet her.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"The States," she answered. "I have somewhere we can go."
He didn't say anything, but she could see that he was shaken up and very pale. He helped her clean up, and then they were out of there.
Jess just hoped that Zeke would keep his end of the deal.
...
Rosie knew this was a face to face conversation that needed to be had. It still shook her up that Jess was taking Luke to Lance. She wondered how that would play out.
"Hey, misfit," Colter said as he passed her in the hallway. She ignored him and went into Zeke's office. She figured Jess would be long gone by now since it had been a few hours.
"This is a surprise," Zeke said, looking up at her. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you about Jess Wright."
"What about her?"
"Johnny's dead," Rosie said matter-of-factly. "He attacked her, and she defended herself."
"Excuse me?" Zeke asked, taking off his glasses and looking at her seriously.
"You heard me."
They had a staring contest, and Zeke finally blinked and cleared his throat.
"Where is she?"
"She fled. She thinks you're gonna kill her."
"I might. Johnny is one of my best. Was, I guess."
"She said to tell you she'd make a deal," Rosie added.
"What deal is that?"
"She leaves Luke and never sees him again." She watched her father mull this over, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Where is she leaving him?"
"With Harry," Rosie answered, knowing that lying never worked. Zeke was very surprised at this, and he leaned back in his chair, surveying her.
"Why him?"
"She just said he would finish training Luke for you and that she trusted him the most," Rosie answered.
"I see."
"Are you taking her deal or not?"
"I'll see what I can do," Zeke answered. Rosie didn't like that answer, but she didn't press. She knew better.
"Leave him alone," she told him. "He's just a kid."
"I'll pick him up when Harry's done with him. It won't hurt to get some training from him under the kid's belt," Zeke reasoned. "That'll be all, Amelia." She turned to leave, feeling aggravated. One day, this would be over. One day.
She just had to hang on a bit longer.
Montana, U.S.
Luke was exhausted. His mother hadn't said much to him on their journey, but he could see she was frazzled and upset. He had no idea where they were going. They had landed in a different state and drove to Montana. Luke watched the scenery go by through his window and tried not to think about all that he'd left behind. He wondered how upset Tracy was going to be to find him suddenly just gone.
His mother was muttering quietly to herself, which made him look over at her. She looked a bit anxious as she turned the wheel and pulled the car down a fairly long laneway.
"Mum?" he said, and she looked at him.
"It'll be alright," she promised.
"Who are you trying to convince more? Me or you?" he asked. She didn't answer, and he was left alone with his thoughts again.
Johnny's face as he shot him kept appearing in his mind. There had been a look there that almost made it seem as though he'd wanted Luke to kill him. It was unexplainable, and yet...
"We're here," his mother said, pulling the car to a stop. Luke saw a rather tall man standing there looking at them. He saw the man's fist clench slightly around the pitchfork in his hand and his stance shift to one of defense. Just where exactly had she brought him?
"Who is that?" he asked.
"A friend of mine," she replied. "Stay here." She got out of the car, and Luke watched her approach the man and converse with him. He saw the man look at him again. Then, his mother was gesturing for him to come out. Luke took in a breath and pushed the door open, pulling his backpack out with him and slinging it over his shoulder. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next.
"Luke, come here," Jess said, gesturing, and he moved closer.
"How old are you?" the man asked him.
"Sixteen, sir," Luke answered. The way the man was looking at him made him feel slightly nervous. He knew without a doubt that this man could kill him in an instant without breaking a sweat. Luke worked his jaw a little, hoping the man couldn't see the pain and vulnerability in his eyes.
"You know who I am?" the man asked.
"A friend of my mother's."
"This is Harry, but he goes by Lance now. Remember I told you about him? He's gonna finish training you," Jess told Luke, making him look at her now. He felt really confused in this moment, recalling a past conversation they'd had years ago.
"You said Harry was dead."
"I lied."
"Right," Luke said with a snort. "I should have known. So where are you going?" It suddenly hit him now that she was not staying with him. She was abandoning him here. He felt a surge of anger towards her. Wasn't he hurting enough? Did she really have to leave him on top of it all?
"I have to disappear," Jess replied. She reached to hug him, and he put an arm around her stiffly. She was leaving him. He felt panic inside. He didn't want to be left alone here.
"Why can't you just stay here?"
"Because I'll put you at risk if I stay here," she answered. From her voice, he could tell she was lying, but he didn't know why she'd lie to him. Why couldn't she stay? What was going on?
"I'm never seeing you again, am I?" Luke asked next after she pulled back from him. She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Never say never," she answered. "Okay?"
Never say never. He knew she was confirming his statement without actually confirming it. This was goodbye. He was suddenly incredibly angry at her, so he said nothing, and Jess gave a watery smile before looking at Lance again.
"I really appreciate this," she said.
"Don't thank me yet," Lance retorted. She swiped at her hair again and smiled at Luke.
"You're gonna be fine, baby," she said. "I have faith. Remember everything I taught you, and you'll do good." She pressed a hand to his cheek one last time.
"Bye, Mum," Luke said. About a thousand other words went through his mind that he wanted to say to her, but he couldn't bring himself to. If she was going to abandon him, then he'd let her go without knowing how he felt.
"Bye, luv."
She walked to her car and waved before getting in. Both Lance and Luke watched her back up and turn around before driving away. The dust rose in the air as she got farther away. When she was gone, they both looked at each other.
"I have one rule," Lance said.
"Okay," Luke agreed, his anxiety flaring up again.
"My daughter is becoming a beautiful young woman, and she means the world to me."
"Okay..." This guy had a daughter? He found that hard to believe.
"What I'm trying to say is you leave her the hell alone," Lance directed. "You don't touch her, you don't think about her, you don't date her. You do that and you're out of here. You understand?"
"Perfectly." Luke had zero intent on doing such a thing. He was going to bide his time and then get the hell out of here. Hell, he might even bail within the week or the next few hours. He could look after himself.
"Good. Now get inside. I'll set you up with a room."
"Thank you, sir."
They walked towards the house, and Luke caught sight of a girl watching from a window, her face showing curiosity.
"One more thing, Luke," Lance said as he pulled open the door.
"Yea?"
"She has no idea who I really am. Keep it that way."
"Understood."
"Never call me Harry," he added.
"Got it."
They went inside, and Luke stalled in the foyer as Lance moved into the house further. Thumping on the stairs alerted him to the arrival of the girl.
"Dad?" she said, coming into sight. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing Luke. "Who is he?"
Luke felt something inside of him as he looked at her. He'd put her around 15, and he could tell she was of a curious nature, but it was her eyes that struck him the most. On top of them being the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen, there was a pain there that matched his own, and he couldn't imagine why it would be there. He suddenly felt a protective surge towards her, and he didn't even know her.
"This is Luke," Lance said, twisting to look at him. "Luke, this is Rita. My thirteen year old daughter." He didn't miss the emphasis on the word thirteen. This hit Luke as a surprise. She certainly looked older than that.
"Hullo," he said to her, and he noticed a flush starting on her neck. He resisted smiling. Apparently she had felt something about him too.
"Hi," she said back. "Are you staying with us?"
"I promised a friend I'd look after him for a while," Lance answered for him, and Rita looked at him again. "Go wash up. Supper will be soon."
"Okay."
"Luke, you're going to be down here," Lance said, heading down the hall. Luke held Rita's gaze for a moment longer before following him. He barely heard what Lance was saying. He knew he was going to have to ignore Rita, though, to avoid getting into trouble.
...
Jess sobbed as she drove away. Saying goodbye to her son had been the hardest thing she'd ever done. She suddenly understood how Amelia had felt all those years ago. She wished she had been a bit kinder towards her.
She thought briefly about Johnny. In the end, she'd hated him more than she loved him, but she had loved him. He had changed so much over the years, and she knew it had been the job getting to him. She almost wondered if he'd done what he did in order to die. She hated him a bit more for making it be Luke do it. Then again, he had come at her first. Maybe she was supposed to have done it and had messed it up. She'd never know.
She got on the highway and drove, hand pressed against her lips as her tears slid over her fingers. All her memories of Luke from baby to now played through her head. She trusted Harry, though. She knew he'd look after her son.
She just had to keep faith that the agency would hold their end of the deal.
...
Lance didn't know what to make of all this. He didn't know how to feel. He looked at Luke and saw a kid who was acting like he had it all together but was really hurting inside. It made Lance feel a bit fatherly towards him, but he knew he couldn't do that. Luke was a protégé, and that was all. Despite the fact it made him think he'd been given a second chance to make up for what happened with Simon, he felt nervous. He'd put his assassin days behind him, and now here he was going to finish training Luke. He didn't want Rita to know or find out, but he felt like this was the beginning of the end for his secret.
There was no going back now.
London, U.K.
Wes's groggy voice answering the phone made Rosie feel only slightly bad for calling him so late. She owed him for a few late night calls anyway to return the favor of his early morning calls.
"Yea?" he croaked.
"Jess Wright took Luke to be with my husband and daughter," Rosie said. She knew this had his attention. Wes cleared his throat more and coughed up half a lung; she held the phone away from her ear, wincing.
"What?" he asked afterwards.
"You heard me."
"Why did she do that?"
"Johnny's dead, and it was self-defense. She made a deal with our father through me to leave Luke with Lance and never see him again."
"Shit. Alright, so what do we do then? Leave him there?"
"Yes," Rosie answered, looking out the window at the dark landscape around her. "He'll be safe there."
"You really think so?"
"Dad hasn't gone after him yet, has he?"
"No, but that doesn't mean he won't."
"It'll be okay," Rosie told her brother, twisting the phone cord in her fingers. "I have a feeling."
"You and your feelings," he chuckled. "Alright. Thanks for the update. I'll swing by and check in when I can."
"Thank you."
"Now, go to sleep," he ordered, hanging up on her. She laughed and put the phone back on its cradle. She couldn't sleep, though.
Instead, she went out for a late night run to clear her head.
Montana, U.S.
Supper was entertaining for Luke as Rita asked him a bunch of questions and then got banished by Lance. He saw her trying to eavesdrop, and he found himself liking her spirit. He helped tidy up after supper, and then Lance took him outside.
As he was shown everything, Luke wondered how he was going to survive here. He kept thinking that he'd leave in the night and not look back.
But then Rita happened.
He was brushing his teeth when he heard a presence in the doorway. He turned his head to see her standing there. She didn't say a word, but he could tell she really wanted to. He'd done well to not show interest in her for most of the evening, but he didn't know how long he could go doing that.
He held her gaze, toothbrush still in his mouth unmoving. She opened her mouth and then closed it, her face going red once more. Then she turned and left. If she hadn't looked so haunted, he would have chuckled at the cuteness of it.
As he crawled into bed, all he could think about was Rita and her pain. He looked over at his unpacked bag, and he suddenly no longer wanted to run away. He had this feeling inside that he was meant to be here, that he was supposed to keep Rita safe, and he suddenly really wanted to do that for her.
So he stayed.
The Next Day
Rita took extra care with her hair and clothes that morning, more than she usually did. There was a very cute boy in her house now, and she wanted to look decent. She felt like an idiot for not being able to talk to him last night, but the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. How could she just out and out say that she saw his pain and wanted to be there for him? It was ridiculous. She blushed again. And that was an annoying habit that kept happening to her when she was embarrassed or shy. She really hated that.
"Good morning," Lance said to her when she appeared. Luke was not there, and she briefly felt panic that he'd left in the night.
"Morning," she said back.
"I think it's time you try some coffee," Lance said out of the blue, and she felt surprised. He'd always coveted his coffee and got a bit nuts about it at times, and he'd never offered her to try it before. Was this his way of apologizing for being gruff with her last night in front of Luke?
"Okay," she said eagerly. She wasn't about to let the opportunity pass her by, regardless of the reasoning behind it. Her father poured her a mug and slid it over to her. She picked it up and smelled how strong it was.
"Try that," he instructed. "If you can't handle it, we can add some sugar and/or milk to it."
She nodded and took the mug to the table, knowing she had to wait a bit before trying it. She didn't want to burn her tongue. Lance handed her a plate of toast and butter before sitting down across from her. Rita felt like a grown up suddenly with her coffee and paper. Granted, it was the comic section of the paper, but still. It made her feel important.
"Did Luke leave?" she asked casually, earning a look from her father that she couldn't fully interpret.
"He's out for a run," Lance answered.
"Oh." She felt surprised and then happy. Luke ran! They could run together. That would be fun...
"Rita," her father said now, his tone serious. She felt her happy thoughts slide away as she looked at him.
"Yea?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous suddenly.
"I need you to be careful around Luke," he told her. Rita wondered why he was worried about Luke. She did not pick up on a bad vibe from him, but she also knew that he was keeping in mind what Simon had done behind his back, and she respected that.
"Okay," she promised. He looked like he wanted to say more, but the door opened to announce Luke's return. Rita sat up a bit straighter as he came into view.
"Looks like a good run," Lance commented, flicking the paper after giving Luke a quick once over. He was covered in sweat.
"Yea," Luke agreed. "It was."
Rita was tongue tied once more, but Luke didn't even look at her. She felt disappointed as he went to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. The shower started a moment later.
"Well?" Lance asked, and she felt a jump inside. Had he noticed her looking at Luke?
"What?" she countered. He gestured to the coffee.
"Any good?"
"Oh, right." She'd forgotten about it. She took a sip and promptly choked. Lance started to laugh at her spluttering and disgusted expression and stood to bring her milk and sugar.
"Try one or the other first and see what you think," he suggested. She did so, and she found three sugars made it a lot better. She had no idea how her father could drink it with nothing in it.
She watched Luke come back and Lance direct him on where to get something to eat. Then she had to go to school. She felt disgruntled that she was leaving Luke behind already. She'd barely seen him.
"Have a good day," Lance said to her, tousling her hair on her way by. A slight noise escaped her, and she automatically reached with her hand to cover up the disaster that was now her hair after that. Lance gave her a quizzical look, and she ducked into the bathroom to fix it. It was still steamy in there from Luke's shower, and she felt pings of something she couldn't describe go through her at the thought. She rapidly fixed her hair and then ran out of the house to catch the bus.
For the rest of the day, she thought of hardly anything else but what Luke was doing.
...
Lance wasn't entirely sure what the hell was going on with Rita today. He'd never seen her freak out about her hair before. And she'd put on nicer clothes as well. He couldn't figure out why, but it was when he was driving Luke to meet Kenny that it suddenly hit him:
Rita had a crush on Luke.
"Hrrnngh," he said nonverbally, unable to help himself. Luke looked over at him, slightly concerned.
"You okay?" Luke asked. Lance cleared his throat hard.
"Yea. Fine," he answered. He was going to have to monitor that. He knew it was normal for teens to have crushes, but over his dead body was Rita going to date Luke. Ever.
He did his best to think about something else as they pulled up to Kenny's. He got out with Luke following suit, and they approached Kenny as he was pouring gas into his four wheeler.
"Hey, Lance," Kenny said without looking. He'd known they were coming. Lance had asked him if he'd like to have Luke help him on the farm, and Kenny had jumped at the chance. Any other hired hand he had didn't last long or they tried to steal from him. He knew how fed up Kenny was with that.
"Mornin'," Lance replied, stopping a few feet away and hooking his thumbs into his pant pockets. "This is Luke."
"Hey, Luke," Kenny said, looking up at him now. "Nice to meet ya."
"You too," Luke replied.
"I gotta get to work, but I figured you can take care of him for the day? Show him around and whatnot?"
"Yea," Kenny agreed. "And again, I really appreciate this."
"No problem." Lance turned to Luke now. "Kenny is the best damn rancher I've ever met. You're in good hands."
"Okay."
"Come on, kid," Kenny said, finishing up with the gas and twisting the cap back on the can. "What do you know about cattle?"
"Erm, nothing," Luke answered as he followed Kenny.
"Then you better brace yourself, boy, because you're gonna learn lots today," Kenny stated. Lance turned and got back into his truck. He felt good about Kenny and Luke. Kenny would feel out if there was anything off about Luke and would tell him. He could guarantee that.
For the rest of the day, he did his best to not think about the fact his daughter had a crush on Luke.
...
Luke liked Kenny. The guy was funny and lighthearted, but Luke learned he could also be sharp and disciplinary if he needed to be, like earlier with whoever it was he'd been talking to. He felt bad for the person on the other end of that phone call.
It was afternoon, and his back was slightly hurting, but he was really enjoying learning about ranching. He'd never seen cattle before, so that was new. Kenny had laughed at his hesitancy of getting into the field with them, but once he convinced Luke they were harmless for the most part, it was easier to do it.
"Ah, there are my lovely ladies," Kenny said, and Luke turned to see a woman and a small child coming towards them.
"Hi, Kenny," the woman said.
"Kenny! I saw a dead bird!" the little girl called. Kenny chuckled.
"Oh boy," he said. "I hope you didn't poke it with a stick."
"I poked it with a stick," the girl confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. Luke bit his cheeks to stop from smiling. This kid was adorable. He didn't have much experience around children, but he was curious about them.
"Did you hire someone new?" the woman asked, peering at Luke. She was smiling, though, and seemed friendly.
"Ah, this is Luke," Kenny said, gesturing. "He's...erm...how do you know Lance again?" He looked at Luke now.
"My mother was a friend," Luke said. "I'm staying with him for a bit."
"Oh, that's nice," the woman said. "I'm Lucy. This is my granddaughter, Keira." She looked down to see Keira hiding behind her legs and peeking at Luke, suddenly shy.
"Nice to meet you," Luke said, smiling.
"We live just over there," Lucy went on, pointing. "Kenny is a dear and helps us out a lot. It's just the two of us."
Luke wondered what happened to Keira's mother, but he didn't ask. He did, however, notice the way Kenny was looking at Lucy, and he could tell there was something between the two of them that indicated they were more than just neighbors.
"You wanna go for a ride, K?" Kenny asked, and Keira burst out from behind Lucy's legs and hustled to the four wheeler. Kenny picked her up easily and sat her in the front while getting on behind her.
"Helmet!" Lucy called.
"I know," Kenny said indignantly, pulling it out from where it was strapped behind him and sticking it on Keira's head.
"Make sure it's on good," Lucy instructed.
"It is."
"Double check."
"Woman, I know how to put a helmet on," Kenny retorted.
"Don't you 'Woman' me," Lucy countered, putting her hands on her hips.
"Then stop annoying me."
Luke ducked his head and smiled at this. They even bickered like a couple, but it wasn't the type that would lead to an all out fight or violence. Luke could just tell. Lucy looked like she was going to say something else, but she remembered Luke and smiled instead.
"He's a bit bull headed sometimes," she explained.
"Bull headed?" Kenny repeated, sounding indignant again.
"Yes, because you spend too much time with your bulls," she said back.
"At least my bulls don't talk back," he stated. Lucy opened her mouth, but he started the four wheeler as she started talking to drown her out. "Come on, Luke!"
Luke went to the back of the four wheeler and hopped on, wrapping his fingers around the metal bars to hold on.
"DRIVE CAREFULLY!" Lucy bellowed at Kenny as he took off with a lurch, making Keira squeal in delight as they shot off down the field. Each bump jarred Luke harder and harder as he held on tighter and tighter, but he was grinning like an idiot from the fun of it.
Yes, Luke really, really liked it here.
...
"What are we doing here?" Simon asked as Colter signaled him to stop. They were in the woods just by the edge of the rock wall behind Lance's farmhouse, looking down at it. Simon had no idea why they were back here, but he was feeling excited. Were they finally going to deal with Lance and Rita? He'd only waited forever for it.
"Just checking in," Colter advised, pulling his binoculars out.
"Why?"
"Because we were told to."
Simon thought this answer was vague, but he shut up anyway. Colter grew impatient easily, and he didn't fancy getting cuffed for being smart. He looked as well, feeling anger inside as he scanned everything below him. Rita was doing chores outside. She was alone; it would be so easy to just take her out right now. He ground his jaw in annoyance. Then he saw something that angered him even more.
A boy.
He was getting out of the truck with Lance. What was this boy doing there? Simon wanted to know. Rita was too young to date, and she certainly would not be dating someone that old. Who was this kid? Why was he there?
"Calm down," Colter said, picking up on his anger.
"Who is that?" Simon hissed.
"Jess Wright's son."
Simon vaguely knew of Jess. He knew Colter was friends with Johnny Wright and that they did work together. He'd met Johnny a few times, but Johnny had always been indifferent around Simon.
"What's he doing here?"
"Well, Jess killed Johnny, and she made the deal that she'd never see her son again in order to stay alive," Colter explained. "Zeke wants us to make sure Harry is actually training the kid."
"Why? Why not just kill them all?" Simon asked, feeling annoyed and irritated. So Lance could train this unknown boy, but he wouldn't train Simon? How was that fair? It still angered him to know that Lance had once been an assassin. How could he not have seen that Simon was perfect for this job?
"All in good time," Colter advised. "This is a long job, Alex. Stay focused on the endgame."
Simon didn't reply. He was used to his fake name now, and he'd done very well to sound more American than ever. Every so often his original accent would slip out, but it wasn't often. He was too careful.
He watched the movement down below, and he simmered in his hatred. All in good time. He wanted that time to be now. He wanted to squeeze the life out of Rita slowly. He wanted to make Lance suffer. Now he wanted this stupid boy to die slowly and painfully too.
"Come on," Colter said after a moment. "Let's go."
"That's it?"
"Yea, that's it. Settle down, and get moving."
Simon could tell that Colter was angry about Johnny's death. He was gruffer than usual and more withdrawn. Simon had spent enough time with him to know his moods. Colter got mad when he was scared or upset. He never showed vulnerability, but it was there.
Later, Simon heard Colter leave the hotel room, and he decided to follow him. He tracked him to a house outside of town, and he watched as Colter spied on it. There was a candle in the window, which was intriguing to Simon. Colter had also driven by this house earlier, but he'd been careful to not look at it. Simon recalled there being a teenager and a younger boy outside with a woman hollering at them. He wondered who they were and why Colter was interested in them.
He made it his mission to find out.
...
Rita had come home from school to find an empty house. She had felt disappointed, having hoped to get some time alone with Luke to try talking to him again. She felt like she couldn't when her father was around. She did her homework and went to take care of the animals.
Now, she heard the rumble of her father's truck. She looked to see him and Luke getting out once it was parked in the driveway. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Luke, more than it ever had for Eliot, and she wondered how she was going to survive this. He was three years older than her, and she was only 13. He wouldn't be interested. He probably never would be.
"Hello, luv," Lance called upon seeing her. "Good day?"
"Yea," she answered, shading her eyes from the sun to see him better.
"Good. I'll have supper ready soon."
"I'm gonna go for a ride first," she said, gesturing with her head towards Willow, who was saddled up and ready to go.
"Alright. Be careful."
"I will." She mentally begged Luke to look at her, but he didn't. He walked across the gravel towards the house and went inside before her father did. Rita was convinced now that her father had told him not to talk to her. As she climbed up on Willow's back, she promised herself she was going to change that.
...
Luke was exhausted. Kenny had worked him hard, and he was going back again the next day. Aside from that, Lance instructed him to work out and keep in shape. He also told him to continue practising Russian and Spanish (the second language his father had introduced to him), so Luke did.
He was heading to bed when he saw Rita standing in the hallway looking at him. He jerked to a stop, wondering what she was doing.
"How was your day?" she asked him. He felt like a deer in the headlights. Would Lance come after him for talking to her? He felt bad ignoring her, but he didn't want to cause any trouble.
"Erm, it was fine," he answered. "Thanks."
"My day was okay," she said, answering the question he hadn't even asked.
"Good."
"Are you afraid of me?" she asked, tilting her head at him. He looked at her, contemplating his answer.
"No," he replied. "I'm not."
"Good," she said, smiling a bit now. "Then we're off to a good start." She turned and left before he could say anything else, not that he knew what to say anyway. He went to bed and found himself falling asleep rather quickly since his body wasn't used to so much constant labor.
For once, he had a dreamless sleep.
New Zealand
Jess was working to keep a steady hand as she looked through the scope. She was all over the place today. She couldn't stop thinking about Luke. Was he okay? Was he adjusting well? Did he miss her? She definitely missed him. His personality had grown and changed throughout the years, and she'd grown used to his gentle approach and wittiness. His smile sometimes was the only thing that got her through the day.
"Take the shot," Amelia's voice sounded in her ear. "Now."
Jess held her breath, aiming and steadying herself. Then she pulled the trigger.
"Hurry up and get out of there," Amelia ordered. What did she think Jess was going to do? Sit down and have a tea party? She disassembled her rifled quickly and packed it up. She hurried down the steps and pulled her hat low. Everyone was running and screaming off to the left, and she stepped to the right and did her best to blend in. No one paid her any mind. She looked like she was off to a round of golf after all. She hoped no one had x-ray vision and could see her rifle tucked down in the bag beside all the clubs.
"Did anyone see you?" Amelia asked when Jess made it to the car.
"No."
"Good. Get in."
"Stop bossing me around," Jess snarked, shoving the bag into the trunk and closing it. She yanked open the passenger side door and got in while Amelia shut her door and cranked on the engine.
"You're lucky I was able to pull this off for you," Amelia said, looking over at her as she drove. There were sirens everywhere, and an ambulance sped past them suddenly.
Jess had no response to this. Yes, she got lucky, but did she really? She wasn't ever allowed to see her son again.
"He's in good hands," Amelia said after a while, her voice a bit softer. "Lance won't let anything happen to him."
"I know."
Jess felt the sudden urge to cry, and she hated it. She turned her face away, resting her cheek against her hand and looking out the window at the passing scenery. Tears tracked down her face a moment later.
Days Later
Montana, U.S.
Rita had waited for the perfect moment to bring up Luke's pain to him, and after she did, she felt so giddy. He'd accepted her friendship, and that meant the world to her. She finally had a friend, albeit a secret one since she didn't want her father to get mad at her. She'd tell him eventually. For now, she enjoyed having this private relationship with Luke.
Now, if only she could stop freaking blushing every time he looked at her.
She'd heard yelling from his room one night, and she'd been about to go see if he was okay when her father beat her to it. She knew better than to eavesdrop, but she'd noticed her father had been in Luke's room talking with him for a while. She wondered what he was saying. She wondered if it was related to Luke's pain. She wished she knew more so she could help him.
Now, this morning, she'd gotten up early and threw on a t-shirt and shorts since it was finally warm outside. She was going for a run.
Correction: she was going for a run with Luke.
"I almost gave up on you," he commented when she appeared and crammed her feet into her running shoes.
"You said 6:30. It's 6:28," she pointed out, lacing them up quickly.
"Don't all girls need 20 minutes to get ready?" Luke asked, teasing. She shot him a look.
"I am not like most girls."
"I can see that."
Damn those cheeks of hers. She could feel them starting to flame up already. She straightened and pulled open the door.
"Loser has to collect eggs from Agnes for a week," she said over her shoulder as they went down the porch steps together.
"Aw come on," Luke complained. "That hen is gonna murder me."
"She does have a personality," Rita said, starting a light jog. Luke kept pace with her easily.
"Personality? She's a coldblooded sociopath," he corrected. "She flew at my face, Rita. My face."
"Don't lose then," Rita said, going faster now and not looking back. She laughed as he ran to catch up with her. She couldn't help but smile as her feet pounded on the ground and the wind tugged at her hair.
...
"You suck," Rita said when they got back to the house and Luke beat her by three seconds.
"You're the one who came up with the consequence for losing," he said with a laugh. He had a slight stitch in his side. She'd nearly beat him, but he was not dealing with that damn hen for a week, so he'd put on a final burst right at the end and managed to win.
"Where were you two?" Lance asked as they came inside.
"Running," Rita replied. "Now you don't have to worry about me going alone."
"I see," Lance said, looking at Luke. He cringed a little. Maybe this wasn't okay. Maybe he should have asked Lance first if he could go for a run with his daughter.
"You slept in," Rita added, giving her father a look. "Or else you could have come with us."
"I will next time," Lance advised, still looking at Luke. When Rita was gone to change, Luke waited for the tongue lashing.
It didn't come.
"Can you promise me something?" Lance asked instead, and Luke instantly relaxed.
"Anything."
"Can I count on you to help keep her safe? I don't exactly trust that my past isn't gonna haunt me someday."
"I will. I promise," Luke said. And he meant it.
"She seems a bit taken with you," Lance added.
"Sir, I'm honoring your request to the fullest," Luke started.
"I know you are," Lance interrupted. "It's her I worry about."
"Rest assured I won't let anything happen."
"Good."
Luke went to clean up next and got ready to go to Kenny's. He wondered if Lance could tell how much he enjoyed Rita's company. She was a breath of fresh air...funny, sweet, kind, and empathetic. She was good for him.
He just hoped that his influence wouldn't ever bring her down.
...
Lance felt confident that Luke was going to take him seriously and not become interested in Rita romantically. He could see that Rita was being friendly with him, but he figured that would be okay. Luke was proving to be decent, and he couldn't be rude to her after all. Lance would monitor it, but as he told Luke, it was more Rita and her feelings that he was concerned about. If he was honest, there was something about Luke that made Lance know he could trust him with his daughter's life. It was in the way Luke behaved around her. He wore an expression of caring on his face. And even though he'd won the race and didn't have to deal with that damn hen (Rita had told him all about the bet), he still went and helped Rita with it before she went to school.
It made him think about how he needed to show the boy his escape plan and soon. With Luke there, it doubled Rita's chances of survival. Luke was already well trained in a lot of areas, and Lance knew that if it came down to it, Luke would save her.
July 1993
Montana, U.S.
Luke felt surprised at how much he missed Rita when she was gone. He was brushing Willow's coat, wondering what she was up to wherever she was. Ever since Rita made him take the horse for a ride, he'd secretly done more riding to get used to it. He felt like he and Willow had an understanding now.
"She'll be home soon, girl," Luke promised, seeing Willow watching the driveway. He got a snort in response.
Rita had gone to camp for two weeks. Luke had gathered that Lance had sent her away to get some one on one time with Luke, and he'd been right. Lance had shown him the escape plan and his plane. He'd shown him his rifle collection. Luke knew they had to be careful of this stuff when Rita was around.
"Alright, alright, alright!" Lance was saying as he backed out of the chicken coop, slamming the door behind him. He released a groan/growl and wiped at his brow with the back of his arm.
"Agnes?" Luke asked.
"Bloody hen," Lance retorted. "I fancy a nice chicken stew tonight, don't you?" The hen squawked from behind the door as if she could hear and understand what he meant.
"Just say the word," Luke said with a chuckle. He finished brushing and gave Willow's side a pat before going to put the brush away. Hank had been done first, and he stood there next to Willow looking proud and handsome. The goats were off doing their own thing. Luke had to admit, he was very used to this place and all the animal chaos now.
"Luke!" Keira shouted, appearing suddenly. Lucy was trying to keep up behind her. Luke bent to catch the little girl as she leaped into his arms. He grunted from the impact but managed to stay standing and lift her up onto his hip.
"What's going on, girlie?" Luke asked, tickling under her chin with his finger.
"Nana and I made cookies today," Keira answered.
"And you didn't bring me any?" Luke asked, feigning outrage. She giggled.
"Nana has them."
True enough, Lucy handed Lance a tin with a smile and a small shake of her head. Lance wasted no time digging into them. Luke declined for the moment, but he was definitely going to be getting into them later.
"Well, that just saved you getting tossed in with the hens," Luke told her, and Keira shrieked as he took a step closer to the coop while doing a tossing gesture at the same time.
"Noooo! Not the hens!" she cried, clinging to him tighter. He laughed and ruffled her hair before setting her down. The goats running by made her start to run with them. Luke smiled and turned to face Lucy and Lance where they were conversing.
"You're still okay with picking up Rita tomorrow?" Lance was asking.
"Of course. Keira is excited to have her back. Apparently she wants to do some beading with Rita this summer."
Luke moved to start filling up the feed bins for the goats. He thought about his mother, which happened frequently still. He had a feeling he was right in thinking he was never going to see her again, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that yet.
"Come on, missy!" Lucy called for Keira. "We've got to eat supper and then get you cleaned up and ready for bed."
"Awww!"
She still came, though, and took Lucy's hand while looking up at her.
"Bye, kiddo," Lance said. "Thanks for the treats."
"I put in extra chocolate chips," Keira whispered loudly. Luke's lips twitched into a smile slowly. He sometimes wondered what it would have been like to have a younger sibling.
"I could tell," Lance said solemnly. "It was amazing. Thank you."
"Have a good night, boys," Lucy said, walking away with Keira now across the property towards the trail that led to her place. Luke waved and went back to work.
It was days like these that made him reconsider what he was training for.
A Month Later
Rita was walking along the trail in the woods and thinking. Her father asking her to not fall for Luke after she'd gotten home from camp was still bothering her. Did he know how much Rita thought about him? How much she imagined what being older and being his girlfriend would look like? His asking her to stay away from Luke in that regard was a promise she didn't think she'd be able to keep. If fate wanted them to be together, then she believed they would be together.
She reached the stream and followed it to the pond, sitting down on a rock and hugging her knees to her chest. She looked at the water, wishing she wasn't so afraid of it. She couldn't get the memory of almost drowning out of her mind, though, no matter how hard she tried. It hadn't helped that Simon used to flick water at her all the time as a reminder. It had taken her a while to feel safe in a shower afterwards, but she got better at it with time. She didn't know how long she sat there, but she sensed his presence before he joined her.
"What's up?" Luke asked, nudging her leg with his. He rested his arms on his knees, one on top of the other.
"Nothing," she answered. She picked at the hem of her jeans. It was a warm day, but the smell of autumn was in the air now, and she was dreading school and being away from Luke all day again. Even though he worked at Kenny's all day anyway, she would still see him when she went to help out, which was more often than not. If Kenny knew she was only really there to be with Luke, he never let on.
"I'll tell if you do," he replied, and she worked hard to hide her smile. It was something they said to each other when they wanted honesty.
"Okay, fine," she sighed. "I'm not looking forward to school." It wasn't what she really wanted to tell him, but how could she tell him that her father had forbade her from falling in love with him? That would be admitting that she kind of did love him.
"How come?"
"I'm just not a people person," she replied, looking at him finally. "I mean, I've got Bridget now, but no one else really likes me." She'd met Bridget at camp, and they'd hit it off despite some of the differences such as: Bridget hated to get dirty, and she loved boys. Rita knew Luke wasn't a fan and would hide if Bridget came over. She didn't blame him.
"And you know that for a fact?" Luke challenged. She growled/sighed. She hated when he challenged her.
"The evidence is that I'm alone," she retorted. "So yea, that's a fact."
"I think you're just not selling yourself well enough," Luke reasoned, smirking at her.
"I didn't realize I had to."
"Maybe a little," he said.
"Okay, your turn," she countered, desperate to stop talking because she felt like the truth was going to be blurted from her mouth very shortly if they did not take the spotlight off of her.
"Same," Luke told her. "I'm dreading it too."
"Right. New school, new people," she said, getting it.
"And I'm a year behind apparently," Luke added. "That's just begging to be picked on."
Luke worried about getting picked on? This was new. Rita wondered why anyone would pick on him. He was nice, friendly, funny, and sweet. Anyone would like those qualities.
"I think things'll be just fine," Rita predicted.
"Ditto," he said back, lifting a brow at her. She rolled her eyes. Then she stiffened as he stood and shed his shirt, dropping it next to her. She finally registered he was in shorts as he threw himself off the rock and into the water. She tried not to feel frightened. He knew how to swim. She watched him surface a moment later, spewing and wiping at his face with his fingers.
"You coming?" he asked.
"No," she answered. "It's not really my thing."
He frowned. "Why not?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," she insisted. Thankfully, he didn't push and just gave a curt nod in understanding. He did some laps and tread water before doing more laps. When he finished, he hauled himself out and sat down next to her again, dripping everywhere. She worked very hard to not stare at his bare chest. She noticed what looked like a dog tag on a chain around his neck. So that's what was on the end of the chain...she'd wondered ever since seeing it peek over the top of his shirts at times. It glistened in the sunlight.
"So how do we survive school?" he asked a bit later.
"I have no idea."
"How about we share the best and worst things that happened in the day when we get home?" he suggested.
"Alright."
When he was semi dry, he pulled his shirt back on and stood up again. He offered his hand, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. The feel of his palm against hers sent a million tingles all over her. She hated when she had to let go, but they fell into step beside each other as they walked back to the house.
"You're a very special person, Rita," Luke said before they got within earshot of Lance, who was fighting off flames on the barbeque and cursing to himself (Rita wondered what batting flames with a flipper was going to accomplish, but she kept that thought to herself). "Don't ever let anyone tell you any different." Rita stopped walking and looked at him, which made him stop a moment later after noticing. They stood there two feet apart, just looking at each other. She knew that he meant every word.
"So are you," she said softly. Something went through his eyes at this, and she wanted to say more, but they were interrupted.
"Ah, there you are!" Lance called, seeing Luke. "You mind giving me a hand with this?" Luke gave a thumb's up and nodded before looking back at Rita.
"Don't ever change," he told her, moving to walk away. Rita was left standing there feeling like she might faint from her feelings. She'd never had anyone tell her that before (her father excluded). Coming from Luke, it meant the world. She began to walk back slowly, keeping her distance to spare her father seeing love all over her face. She went inside and started prepping the rest of dinner.
It was very evident to her that she'd forever love Luke Wright.