Chris had no plans of stopping for rest. He could make a six hour drive no problem, fueled on coffee and pure force of will. He could be more stubborn than a bull sometimes, or so his friends told him and Chris planned to put that little aspect of his person to the test.

And if he happened to add a shot of vodka and maybe a some Red Bull to his coffee, well, no one ever told Chris he wasn't crazy at times. Hell, the first time he had put together such a mix in front of other people, he'd been stared at and asked if he was trying to see into the void. In response, Chris had drained the whole drink in less than a minute, staring his coworker in the eye while he did.

Bao had thrown his hands up and walked away, muttering about he was surrounded by crazy people.

Chris stopped off in Atlanta, two hours into his journey, for a break and to stretch his legs. He checked his messages, unsurprised to see several unread, as he had turned his phone off the moment he was on the interstate.

KB
What the hell is going on, blondie? Bao just cancelled on me saying he had to cover for you.

Kakeru
You're not at the bar? Bao said you left in a hurry? Are you okay? Do I need to call my brother?

There was also three missed calls and a voicemail from Kakeru as well. Not that Chris was surprised, the kid seemed to overreact about a lot of stuff. Still, his temples throbbed a little in exasperation- it was barely nine thirty in the morning...

Yo-Yo
Whatever you've done to warrant my brother calling me and flipping out over your sudden leave, FIX IT.

Red
So, uh.
Everyone's kinda worried about you, and apparently the answer of 'family emergency' isn't enough to keep them at bay. Gimmie something I can tell them, whenever you turn your phone on.

Chris sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Out of all his friends, Bao was probably the most reasonable. Still, he could admit that he had sort of just... left without a proper explanation. His friends did deserve that at least.

Yeah, sorry about that. Should have told you more. Basically, my sister called out of the blue and I'm picking her up in North Carolina. Think that'll satisfy everyone?

The reply was instant.

Red
I'll make it satisfactory.

Chris snorted.

I know you will. Don't spin a tale.

Red
Who, me? Noooo. Why would you think I'd do that?

Bao.

Red
... Fine
But for the record, you owe me the full story.

Fair enough. Who all showed up for their shift?

Red
I did, obviously. Tyler's running late, something about his cousin. Toby and Zeo are here already. Kakeru, Ryuto, and Chao Xin are on their way. Haven't heard anything from Hikaru, Jack, or Dami yet, but I'm sure they'll be in for the night shift.

Hikaru won't. She's got a date with Ryuga tonight. Da Xiang's covering for her.

Red
Got it.
Gotta go. Fixing to open up.

Talk to you later. Don't set anything on fire.

Chris grinned, waiting just long enough for his phone to light up with an incoming call before he turned it off. It was fun to tease his friends, especially when referencing embarrassing stories of the past. He stretched his arms over his head, before deciding to grab another coffee and breakfast from the McDonald's he was parked in. Maybe not the healthiest option, but Chris could care less about that for now, he was hungry and heaven knew Nefertiti always had a sixth sense when it came to Chris' eating habits.

Unsurprisingly, the fast food joint was busy. It gave Chris the chance he needed to sort through his thoughts, at any rate, while he waited for his food.

The last time he'd seen Christina was seven years ago, when they were twenty two. At the time, it had been just five years since Chris had come home from his 'journey of self discovery'- Read: he'd run away from home because he'd thought that was the better choice than trying to talk things out with his (former) friends. Just like their parents, Christina had been overjoyed to have her twin back, and Chris had been happy to have her back too... Once he'd properly talked things out with his friends, and started therapy, he'd gone to college and got his job at the bar he now owned.

Chris should have known, out of everyone, Christina wouldn't have been the one to let it go so easily. His parents told him she'd been depressed in the year he'd been gone from home, and Christina had always had a bit of a temper when it came to things she cared about- not to mention, where Chris had been abandoned by his friends, Chris had abandoned his sister. Of course she would have had something to say about it. And something to say, she did, when Chris came home on break one semester.

Christina had wanted to have a family discussion. The discussion quickly turned into a knockdown drag out between all four members of the Cadelle family- one that had ended with Christina being the one to deliver the final blow- physically, in slapping her brother and then storming out of the house without another word.

Chris had assumed just needed time to cool off. So had their parents. So they'd all retired for the evening, gone to bed. But the next morning, Christina hadn't come home. They'd waited a few more hours before filing a missing person's report. Their parents had tried desperately to call their daughter, and Chris was in a state of half terror, half guilt as he'd done the same. She'd never answered, and eventually, her phone was disconnected entirely.

The years had gone by, no new leads, no form of communication, and even now, seven years later, Chris still felt the heavy weight of guilt on his shoulders. Often times, he found himself wondering if that day had gone differently, would Christina still be around today?

The past was the past, as the saying went. Still, Chris was very interested to know where Christina had been and what she had done the last seven years. Though, her phone call earlier implied part of her time had been in jail...

Chris' order number was called out, snapping him from his thoughts. With a sigh and a quick hand rub over his face, Chris picked up his order and rushed out of the restaurant.

If he ever wanted answers to his questions, he needed to get back out on the road.

As promised, just outside of Charlotte, Chris pulled off the road and called his sister.

"Chris?" Christina sounded tired, voice slurred. She also sounded hopeful, but maybe Chris was reading too much into that.

"Send me the address of where you're staying. I'll be there as soon as I can," Chris told her, before hanging up. A few minutes later, he received a text of the motel, address, and room number, which he quickly plugged into his GPS and then was back on the road.

Just forty five minutes later, Chris pulled into the parking lot of a Motel 6, cut the engine of his truck, grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone and went off in search of room 216. Second floor, go figure. It took a few minutes, but Chris found the room easily enough, overlooking a grassy courtyard. With a deep breath, Chris raised his hand and knocked, three times, in quick succession.

There was a beat, before he heard the lock click and then the door opened. He found himself eye to eye with a face he'd thought he'd never see again.

Blonde hair, raggedly cut, was pulled back into a low ponytail, side swept bangs tucked behind her left ear. Violet-blue eyes glittered with a slightly haunted look to them. The young woman was dressed in a pair of dark gray sweatpants, with a matching hoodie over a white tank top. She looked healthy, if not just exhausted.

Christina Cadelle straightened to her full height, just below Chris' nose, and looked up at him. For a moment, neither of them said anything, and then, Christina seemed to crumble. She stumbled forwards, and Chris reached out automatically, grabbing her in a bone crushing hug.

"It's alright," Chris murmured, running a hand through her hair. "I'm here. I gotcha."

Christina only cried harder.

After a breakdown that lasted roughly thirty minutes, Christina quietly packed her belongings- phone, phone charger, a pair of jeans, a shirt, hoodie, an extra pair of shoes and a notebook- into a backpack, before she checked herself out and climbed into the passenger seat of Chris' truck. She didn't say anything, and neither did Chris, but by the time Chris had filled his truck up with gas, grabbed his fourth coffee in the last six hours, and pulled out on to the interstate, Christina was out cold. She was curled up over the middle seat and passenger seat, using her bag as a pillow.

At a rest area a few miles down the interstate, Chris noticed her shivering. He turned down the A/C and pulled the blanket he kept behind the seat over her, before continuing on. It was just after two in the afternoon, now, and still with another six hour drive. A quick mental calculation, though, told Chris that there was a very good chance he was going to hit Atlanta at rush hour if he went the way he came through the first half of his trip.

He decided to go down Interstate 85, and then cut around Atlanta on 285. It added another hour to the trip, but Chris really didn't feel like battling traffic. Besides, it wasn't like he planned on going to work tonight.

... Or tomorrow, for that matter.

... Actually, he should probably call Bao and tell him he was in charge for the rest of the week.

Chris filled the silence with the truck radio, flipping it through stations when the static became too much to handle. He kept it on the country or classic rock stations, just for the nostalgia of childhood.

Just outside of Cartersville, four hours into the roughly seven hour trip, Christina began to stir. Chris turned the radio down a little as she sat up, stretching and yawning. She blinked blearily, squinting out the window, "Wha' time is it...?"

"After six," Chris answered. He drummed his fingers over the steering wheel, "You hungry?"

A stomach rumbled, and Christina flushed, "I could eat."

"Great. I know a place," Chris grinned. "If you think you can stay awake long enough to get there."

Christina rolled her eyes, and side eyed Chris' coffee, "Still take it black?"

"Yep,"

Christina snatched it up and drained the cup, which had been half full. She paused, then her face twisted, "You didn't tell me it was cold!"

Chris erupted into a full blown cackle as Christina cursed him.

The Original Steak and Rib House was nearly packed, but a ten minute wait got the duo a booth. After ordering their drinks- water for Chris and Dr Pepper for Christina- Christina went to the bathroom. Chris used the chance to check his messages again.

Kakeru
Dude you have a sister? Why didn't you ever tell us? I wanna meet her!

Red
Why the hell did you hang up on me you bastard.
Tyler called in- apparently Masamune is in the hospital. My guess is his recklessness caught up with him.

Neffy
How's it going?

Chris decided to only reply to one of those messages.

We've stopped in Cartersville for dinner. She slept the whole way from Charlotte to here. She cried when she saw me. I've not asked questions yet, but I'm going to while she's awake.

Chris pocketed his phone as Christina slid into the booth across from him, right as their waitress came with their drinks, "What can I get you darlin's to eat?"

"I'll take the Bar-B-Que burger with a side of coleslaw and baked beans," Chris folded his menu, watching the girl scrawl out his order before turning to Christina.

"Rib eye steak, mac n cheese, and potato salad," Christina said. "Uh, can I go ahead and put in my dessert order?"

"Of course darlin' what will that be?"

"Brownie ala mode," Christina told the girl. The waitress wrote it down, gathered their menus, and disappeared back to the kitchens.

"There's no way you're gonna eat all that," Chris said, amused.

Christina stared him the eye, voice quiet when she said, "I haven't had a decent meal in five years. Watch me."

Chris straightened, eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

Christina looked down, picking at the hem of her hoodie. She looked... small, quieter than Chris had ever known her. The haunted look that had eased out during sleep returned again, and with it, Chris felt a spike of anger and concern flare up in his chest.

"Christina," Chris said, slowly. "What happened?"

Christina let out a bitter laugh, "It- It wasn't so bad at first. I ended up in Nashville, singing on stage with other rising stars, you know? Music has always been something I loved, and I could just kind of... disappear there, in bars and in the music. I thought maybe... maybe I could find a new beginning... maybe wait a while to get settled down and figure myself out, but-" Christina cut off, fingers curling into fists as she squeezed her eyes shut, "But I got myself into some trouble. Or... trouble found me. The last thing I remember was being offered a drink, and then... the next thing I remember was weeks later." She ducked her head, hair shielding her face from view, "Traffickers... H- human traffickers."

... Yep, Chris was beginning to think his anger was justified.

"... I don't wanna tell you what happened, but... I managed to escape, about two years ago. I spent almost three years in hell, going from state to state, and then they were careless enough to not drug me and well- I've always been good with getting myself out of sticky situations. I saw my chance and took it. I was weak, and terrified. I ran for a while, just to put some distance between me and... those monsters- and... I should have thought before I tried anything, but... I wasn't thinking straight. When I tried to steal from some random guy on the street-" Christina swallowed, thickly, eyes glazed over. "I ended up getting arrested for petty theft. Ended up in jail for two years. It wasn't the best thing, but... I was a lot safer than I had been."

"... you said you got out on good behavior?" Chris asked, barely able to keep his voice calm.

"I spoke with the jail assigned therapist," Christina said. "I told her... what I wanted to. She suggested I try to reach out to you, but I didn't want you to know I was in jail so- I worked my ass off so I could get out on time. I was surprised when they let me out on good behavior. They gave me enough funds for about a week, and I used part of it to buy my phone, bag, and notebook."

It was at this moment the waitress returned with their food. Silence fell over the two as they started their meal, Chris eyeing Christina in wonder as she dug into her phone with vigor. She inhaled half of her mac n cheese before she even glanced at her steak.

"... I take back my earlier statement," Chris said as she devoured her food. "Seconds to go, maybe?"

"Maybe a side or two?" Christina grinned, sheepishly, as she took a sip of her Dr Pepper.

Chris rolled his eyes and took a bite of his burger. It was good, but not as good as his own place's food- but then again, he was biased. Sue him.

A thought occurred to Chris, and he paused with a bite of coleslaw half to his mouth. Christina noticed and blinked at him, "What?"

"How did you get my number?"

Christina winced, and gave him a look, "So, uh, funny story. I called the house first, new people had moved in-"

"Yeah, mom and dad retired to Florida," Chris nodded.

"And the new owners gave me your number. Both your cell and your work place. You own that old bar now?"

"Yep. I'll tell you about it. Did you call mom and dad?" Chris asked, carefully.

Christina poked her steak with her fork, eyes downcast, "... I haven't yet."

Chris sighed, "You'd better. Mom hasn't been the same since you left. Neither has dad... neither have I." Chris sighed again and looked down at his food, "Christina... I'm sorry I hurt you so badly. I... If I had known all this would happen, I... would've thought twice. I should've apologized a long time ago, but I guess... I thought- we're twins. If anyone would have understood... it would have been you. Guess I was wrong."

Christina looked up at him, and gave him a small smile, "... I should've talked, instead of let it eat at me. I'm sorry, too."

Chris returned the smile, and the two finished their food over idle chatter- Chris telling Christina about his business, his friends, his wife. Christina reacted accordingly, with humor and awe and pride. Her eyes got brighter as the time passed, and before Chris knew it, an hour had passed.

"Sounds like I have a lot to catch up on, huh?" Christina smiled, ruefully, as Chris paid for their food. She dumped her second glass of Dr Pepper into her to-go cup, and picked up her to-go box of her second order of mac n cheese, "... I was worried you wouldn't come when I called."

"I'm glad you called," Chris told her. He fell back behind her, pulling his phone out as he followed her through the parking lot. One message awaited him.

Neffy
What's the verdict?

Chris grimaced.

Let's not use that phrase, considering she just got out of jail...

Neffy
... She probably has a parole officer if she did time. She did clear it with them that she could leave the state, right?

Chris stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his phone. The thought hadn't even occurred to him...

Neffy
If she didn't you're aiding in an escape of a parolee. You could do jail time.

"Christina?" Chris called, warily, looking and squinting through the dimly lit parking lot, "Are you on parole?"

"Oh, yeah! Forgot to tell you, I got all the paperwork and stuff for my new parole officer. I'm supposed to meet him on Thursday at his office," Christina was standing by his truck, now. She looked sheepish, "Um... could I lift? My appointment is at nine in the morning."

Chris blew out a relieved breath, "Yeah, sure thing."

She's got it all under control. I'll be taking her to her new parole officer on Thursday.

Neffy
K. When will you two be home?

Probably be another two to three hours. Can you get the spare bedroom set up?

Neffy
Consider it done. See you soon.

Chris shut his phone off, climbed behind the steering wheel, and just like that, Chris and Christina were on the road again.