Chapter 2
Six months of running, of hiding, of seclusion. Rowan and Ash were taking no chances. After the funeral they had disappeared. There was no way Cedar's death was an accident and they knew exactly who did it but they had no idea why, or where the creep was. So they never went home, they never stayed still, and they never formed new relationships. They dropped off the grid, ceasing all phone, internet, and card use, getting paid for small jobs in cash. First it was a thrift store, then a diner, then a diner, and another diner. Moving from place to place they had covered more distance than ever before. Rowan had lost track of the state they were in and honestly couldn't remember the name of the diner they were working at currently. They were all the same anyway so it really didn't matter. Their apartment was a one room, run down thing with no electricity and the tap hadn't worked in years but the two sisters spent all their time either working or sleeping before figuring out how to leave again so it didn't matter. Now their faces were pale and there were constant shadows under their eyes. Small smiles and even smaller talk were all they graced the world with, the light gone from their once bright eyes.
"Here's your coffee sir," Rowan said to a customer politely but in a dead voice. There was a throbbing behind her stale grey eyes and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before it would build into a full blown migraine. They had started after the phone call from Dis a life time ago and had become worse and more frequent after Cedar's death. The worst part was she had run out of medication and there was no way to get a refill. It didn't really make sense; she had had plenty a week ago but now the pills were gone. No point in worrying over it though. They were gone and she couldn't get more so all the older sister could do was retreat to their apartment, cover her head, and wait until the pain passed, if she was lucky.
With a tired sigh she put the customers' money in the register before glancing up at the clock above the door just to see it open and bright daylight blind her for a moment. Oh yeah, this was going to be a bad one. "Hi, take a seat-" she called to the new customers but choked off. No, no it couldn't be. Rowan shook her head and looked again, wincing as the movement jostled her head too much. The hair; the hair was too long so it couldn't be them. Still eyeing them closely she called to Ash. The younger sister came out of the back with two plates. "One sec," she answered, taking the orders to the appropriate table first before coming to her sisters side. "What is it?"
Whispering, Rowan glanced towards the table in the back, gaging the youngers' reaction. "No way," Ash said shaking her head but Rowan heard the quaver in her voice. "No, they're dead."
Rowan rolled her eyes and huffed, "Then you go get their orders because I'm not convinced."
It was Ash's turn to roll her eyes but she took out her notebook and walked over to the table. Trying her best to act discreet Rowan retreated behind the counter and pretended to be busy wiping down the counter, glancing up occasionally but her head began to pound painfully and she knew she'd have to leave soon or suffer a migraine at work. She wasn't aware she had stopped until Ash returned with the order. "Are you alright," she asked?
Rowan gave a frustrated snort. "No but it doesn't matter. What about the look-a-likes? Are they…?"
Ash bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. "Well, I'm not sure. They look like them but at the same time…."
"Not," the older finished. Sighing she took the order and began pouring the coffee. "Really, just coffee?"
"They seemed a little," Ash hesitated before going on. "Guarded? Nervous?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed as she handed off the coffee but was nearly blinded by another wave of pain from her head. She must have hissed or something because Ash was giving her that worried look that she'd been seeing too much of lately. "Another one?"
All the reply she got was a nod and a dismissive wave towards the back table before the older sister was retreating to the kitchen. Once there Rowan dashed into the pantry, sinking to the floor in time for a fresh wave assailed her. She covered her eyes with a towel and clamped down on her ears but still everything was too bright and loud. Time seemed to slip by and drag on all at the same time and she felt those damned tears rolling down her cheeks once again. Long ago she'd learned how to cry quietly so Ash wouldn't hear but sometimes she suspected her little sister knew despite her efforts. When the pain at last began to fade to a dull throb again Rowan saw two hours had passed and it was almost closing time. Shakily she pulled herself to up and went to find her sister. As it turned out she didn't need to. Her little sister was already coming to get her. "Oh! There you are," Ash said breathlessly. "They're gone but they left this." Handing Rowan a napkin the younger stepped back and bounced from foot to foot. Looking at the napkin all Rowan saw was an address.
"What's this?"
"I'm not sure but I think we should go."
"What? Why?"
Ash bit her lip and fidgeted. "I dunno. To get answers? Or just to see what they want?"
Rowan thought about it for a second before giving a defeated chuckle. "Well, it's not like we have anything to lose. At least we got our conceal-and-carry before the funeral."
Ash smiled grimly before throwing her apron in the corner and pulling Rowan along. "I think I know where it is so come on. There wasn't a time so we can't let them leave before we get answers."
Rowan didn't answer but allowed her sister to pull her along, grabbing their bags from the hook as they walked past. How fortunate that they kept all their material possessions with them at all times. The elder grimaced at that thought. Not an ideal life. They walked in silence, not minding the dark. It was nothing new. The address led them to an old abandoned grail elevator and there in the street light stood the look-a-likes from the diner.
"It really does look like them doesn't it," Ash whispered, grabbing her big sisters arm when the two came to a sudden stop.
Nodding, Rowan shoved her hand in her purse, clutching the hand gun there. "I don't know if I can take losing them again. This is too much."
Ash squeezed her arm in sympathy and slowly they approached the two look-a-likes. Just as they came to the circle of the street light, the blonde look-a-like looked up and nudged his dark haired companion. The other looked up and nodded before turning and walking off. Jerking his head slightly in indication to follow, the blonde turned as well and left. There was no need for the sister to speak or even look at each other. They followed.
It was quite a confusing, slightly circuitous path to get to where ever they were going. For not knowing the town very well the girls were quite unsure of where they were when the two leading them finally went into a dark house with its blinds closed and no light coming out the door. Bracing themselves and clutching their bags even tighter, the two sisters entered a moment later, the door shutting behind them.
As soon as the door was closed a light came on and suddenly the two were swept up into enormous bear hugs that drove the air from their lungs leaving them gasping. "I knew it was you, I knew it," a familiar voice was saying, slightly muffled by the fact that the dark haired speakers face was pressed into Ash's hair. Ash stood there, frozen for a moment, unable to decide on how to react. Finally she squealed and returned the crushing hug before pulling back and hitting the young man. "Why didn't you tell us you were alive? We thought you were dead Kili! Do you have any idea how hard it's been?"
The dark haired man winced but continued to smile, too caught up in the joy of the reunion to become angry or upset or even repentant. "Mahal, it's good to hear your voice again."
"I never dreamed we'd see you again," said the other holding Rowan just as close. That voice was all it took for fresh tears to start making their way down Rowan's face. "You're alive," she gasped. "Mahal, Fili, you're alive." She clutched at the dead man returned, nuzzling into his familiar blonde hair. He pulled back and held her face between his hands to look her over. "I couldn't believe it was you. I couldn't bring myself to hope. But you're here." Once again he pulled her close and they simply held each other, happy to be reunited. The boys looked older, more tired, and each had grown his hair out to be quite long. Longer than Rowan's own hair for sure. They were thinner and there was a haunted look behind the joy in their eyes that made the girls ache.
Finally they all broke apart and the questions came pouring out one after another. "Where have you been?" "What happened?" "What have we missed?" "Why are you hear?" Then someone asked the question the two sisters dreaded the most; "Where's Cedar?"
Instantly both girls paled and reached for each other. They shared a look before Ash finally said, "He…he's dead."
The silence that followed was almost as loud as the shouts of despair and questions that followed. "What? How?"
Rowan's eyes grew hard as she spat, "He was shot." With that she told them of the creep that came into their coffee shop/bookstore for weeks before the sudden shooting that resulted in their brother dying. Once she was done silence once again permeated the room. It was only broken by the sound of someone coming into the hall.
"Fili? Kili? What's going on out here?"
"I thought I heard voices. Did you boys listen to a word I said when I told you you had to be discrete?"
Rowan looked up and saw a face she had thought dead as well and it took all her will power not to run up and embrace the man. Thorin looked much the same as she'd last seen him but he also bore the same haunted, gaunt look the boys did. There was a story to be had out of these three but now wasn't the time.
"Uncle, we found them," Kili said in guarded joy.
"Good gracious me," the other man with Thorin exclaimed. "Where have you girls been? We've been looking for you for months!"
"Hi Gandalf," Ash spoke up sheepishly.
"We thought it would be best if we left," Rowan explained stepping in front of Ash a little. "After what happened to Cedar and with how little the cops were doing we thought it best to disappear."
"If you two would have waited a little you would have been brought to me much sooner," Gandalf scolded. "We were going to put you in protective housing until everything was dealt with."
"Well we're here now," Ash volunteered.
Gandalf sighed before being brought out of his thoughts by Thorin. "What are they doing here boys? It's not safe for them here."
"We saw them at the diner when you and Gandalf chased us out of here," Kili said with a shrug.
"You still shouldn't have brought them here!"
"Uncle, he targeted them," Fili interjected. "We weren't even there and he killed Cedar."
Thorin stopped and looked at the girls, eyeing them closely. "Tell me what happened."
Once again Rowan recounted the terrifying three weeks leading up to their brother's death and on up to the current date. "And now here we are," she finished.
Thorin frowned and crossed his arms mulling over the news. For a moment Rowan was afraid he was about to send them away and she'd loose Fili again but then Gandalf cleared his throat and beckoned Thorin over to the side. After a brief debate they came back and Thorin addressed the girls. "You can stay, but only if you agree to listen to orders and obey."
Hopeful for the first time in a very long time the girls nodded ecstatically. "Alright then come here." He gestured for them to stand side by side in front of him. Once they had complied he took one arm at a time an inspected them carefully while asking a series of questions. "Have either of you been doing any kind of drug?"
"No."
"Have you been having any kind of fit or melt down?"
"No."
"Have either of you been doing any form of self-harm?"
"No."
"Any suicidal thoughts or desires?"
He had reached Ash by this point and though her older sister gave a simple no, he did not miss the flinch Ash gave. "Ash?"
The younger winced and chewed on her lip before blurting out in a rush, "Only once. I was having a bad day, I didn't know where Rowan was, and it was only a week after Cedar's funeral so I swallowed all of Ro's migraine medication. I threw it up right after though! There's no way I could leave Ro by herself like that!"
My sister wrote this! I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will come soon!
