Hey, Nukia here!
This fanfiction is a side story to Beyond This Love.
I don't know if any of my old readers are reading my rewrites anymore, but I'm going to keep going. Sorry for the delay, I've been busy like I said in my author's note in my last chapter. I spent some time writing this chapter, I'm slowing down now because this fanfiction is coming to an end. There will be one or maybe two more chapters after this one, then I'll continue writing BTL when I've tweaked parts of it.
But thank you for the reviews, favorites and the alerts! Also to the unknown people who read my fanfictions, I promise it will pick up at some point! If you don't like it, then don't read it.
Chapter 34!
It wasn't long until we were on the train to London, the estimated journey time was about 1 hour and 28 minutes. The train was empty which surprised me, I thought a lot of people would be going to London for work or Christmas shopping at this time of year. I spent most of the train journey looking through the window while Backup slept on the seat across from me, he had told me the names of the train stations we would go through until we got to our stop which would be Paddington Station. I looked through the train carriage's window as it pulled into a train station, I felt the train jerk as it came to a holt and I listened to the train station's announcement. I got up from the seat I had been sitting on for most of the train journey and sat down next to Backup, the next train station would be our stop. I gently shook his arm, he stirred in his sleep and mumbled something under his breath as he partly opened his left eye.
" The next train station is our stop, you've got to wake up now I'm afraid..." I whispered.
" Alright, just let me rest my eyes for a while longer..." He sighed as he closed his eye. " I need to gather my thoughts before we get off the train, sleep deactivates your mind and makes its bone idle in simple terms..."
" You can say you're tired if you want, you don't have to lie to me..." I smiled.
I slightly shook my head at him, I pulled my knees to my chest and looked through the window as the train pulled out of the station. I glanced at Backup a few times and giggled at him when I noticed dribble running down his chin, he must be dreaming about strawberry jam or something disturbing. It wasn't long before the train pulled up into Paddington station, I quickly elbowed Backup and got up from the seat. He grabbed our bags from the hand-luggage rack, he handed me my duffel bag and told me to be quick. I followed him along the corridor, he took hold of my hand and led me through the train's sliding doorway off the train. We walked along the platform together, I let go of his hand and hung my bag over my shoulder as I watched a few people walk past us.
" What hotel are we planning to stay in well we're in London?" I asked.
" There is a number of hotels connected to the Heathrow Airport's terminals, I believe one of those hotels would be acceptable for the night..." He replied, he took a folded leaflet out of his hoody pocket and opened it up." There are many hotels listed in this leaflet, but I believe the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel will be perfect. It's connected to terminals 1 to 3 which are direct links to Heathrow Airport, this will make out journey tomorrow to the airport straight forward..."
" You do realize the Hilton Hotel is renowned for being expensive, can we afford to stay in a hotel near by it?" I asked. " I think this DoubleTree Hotel would be expensive too, maybe you should look for other hotels near by the Airport first before making a decision so quickly..."
" I see, the prices seem reasonable in my eyes..." He replied.
" How much does one night cost in the DoubleTree Hotel then?" I asked.
" That would be telling, I think you should leave the expenses to me my dear from now on..." He replied as he folded the leaflet back up. " You do not need to worry about things that don't concern you, now let's find a taxi to drive us to the hotel's location. I believe you will change your mind when you see this hotel, the hotel rooms looks rather exquisite and elegant from the pictures in this leaflet..."
" Okay, now it sounds too expensive!" I sighed. " I'm not dressed for fancy hotels though, I've got mud on my shoes and I smell like the outdoors! We'll get kicked out the minute we step through the hotel's entrance, also we're not being accompanied by an adult or parental guardian. How do you plan for us to get a hotel room without one?"
" You need to learn to trust me, don't worry about things like that my dear..." He replied. " I have it all mapped out in my mind, it may surprise you to know I do have connections outside of the orphanage. Connections of Watari's who could easily turn a blind eye for the right price if they're offered it, you will now understand why I took all of the money from Roger's office safe..."
" And you can easily be double crossed too, are you sure about this?" I asked.
" I'm definitely positive that my plan will work, I will not betrayed and if so I have several backup plans that will be used against my betrayer which would not end well for him..." He replied with a smirk as he took hold of my arm and led through the doorway to the train station's lobby. " But for now I need to make some telephone calls from one of the pay phones over there near that shop, I would like you do go and buy yourself something nice to read from that shop well I'm calling my connection. I will not be long, just stay where I can see you and don't leave the shop until I come to collect you. Do you understand?"
" I understand, don't leave the shop..." I replied with a sigh. " Would you like me to buy you some strawberry jam? I know you've not had any since we left the orphanage, you must be craving for it by now..."
" How thoughtful you are my dear, that would be delightful..." He replied and stopped me next to one of the pay phones. " I will also call for a taxi to take us to the hotel we shall be spending the night in, but for now I want you to give me a moment. I need to get you some money from my bag, how much money will cover the items you plan to buy?"
" It's okay Backup, I've got my own money..." I replied. " I saved quite a bit of money up over the years working in the orphanage's kitchen, so you don't have to worry about giving me spending money for now..."
" Why did you not tell me about your earnings?" He asked.
" I didn't think it was important..." I replied.
" I see, then may I ask how much money you have on your person?" He asked.
I gave him a quick nod as I placed my duffel bag down on the floor, I crouched in front of it and unzipped my bag. I took my purse from my bag and held it towards him, I told him that I had over £200 in my purse. I explained to him about how I had saved my money I had earned from working in the kitchen in the orphanage, he took my purse from my hand and opened it. He seemed surprised from how much money I had managed to save up from just working in the kitchen, but to be honest I didn't want to spend the money I had earned on sweets and cakes like most of the other students had done with their weekly allowance from Watari. I watched him zip up my purse, he gave me a smirk as I took my purse from his hand. I zipped my duffel bag back up, I got up from in front of my bag and picked my bag up from the floor. I hung my bag over my shoulder, I took a few 10 pence coins from my purse and gave them to Backup. I told him to use them for the pay phone, I'm guessing he didn't have any loose change in his sports bag. I said goodbye to him and walked over to the train station's shop, I just hope he knows what he's doing by contacting this connection of Watari.
We had booked ourselves into the hotel called DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel which was minutes away from Heathrow Airport, well when I say we booked ourselves in what I really meant was Backup paid this connection of Watari's to book us both into the hotel. He told me it would be the safest method in case we were questioned, I mean two young adults booking themselves into a hotel over night did seem peculiar. I didn't agree with what he was doing, but I guess it's better for us both to stay low until we're sitting on the plane to Los Angeles. We met Backup's connection on the car-park of the hotel, he was a middle-aged dark-haired man dressed in a smart black suit and he had a London accent. He seemed quite well spoken and polite, he didn't seem like the type of person who would betray Watari. We collected the keys to the hotel room from the reception desk, apparently the man had told the blonde-hair female receptionist that we were his children and he needed somewhere for us to stay while he went to a business conference in a different part of London for the night. The receptionist actually believed him which surprised me, I guess some hotels let anyone stay in them.
Backup told me to go to the hotel room, he had to go and pay Watari's connection some money for doing him the favour. I gave him a nod and made sure he knew the room number before he left me in the lobby, I picked his sports bag up from the floor and took the lift to the third floor of the hotel. I thanked the lift-man as I left the lift, I looked at each door as I passed it and stopped when I found my room number. I unlocked the door and quickly opened it, I can't wait to have a hot shower or a bubble bath. The hotel room was really nice, it looked so fancy. There was a single bed in very far left corner of the room near a window, a king size bed in the main area of the room with giant white pillows on it and an expensive television set on a long wooden cabinet. I walked over to the king size bed and placed our bags down next to it.
I looked down at the clothes I had been wearing for the last day and bit at my bottom lip, I need to get changed out of my dirty clothes. I grabbed a clean dress out of my bag along with some underwear and lay them out on the bed. I carefully took off my denim jacket, I hung it over the back of a chair and grabbed a folded up newspaper from the bedside cabinet. I took my muddy sneakers off, I carried them to the bathroom and kicked the door opened with my foot. I switched the light on and took a look around the bathroom, it was immaculate. I placed the newspaper down on the floor, I put my sneakers on it and turned the bathtub's taps on. I pulled my hair-bobble out of my hair, I ran my fingers through my hair as I walk out of the bathroom. I placed my hair bobble down on the bedside cabinet, I picked my dress up from the bed and walked back to the bathroom. I locked the bathroom's door behind me and hung my clean clothes over the toilet.
I grabbed a few toiletries from a small straw gift basket on a shelve above the stink, I poured some of the jasmine scented bubble bath into the bathtub and quickly got undressed. I turned the taps off, I dipped my toe into the water and climbed into the bathtub. I lay back in the bathtub and giggled to myself when I noticed a mirror on the ceiling above the bathtub. I turned my head to the right and saw a bowl full of chocolates, now I'm living the high life I thought to myself as I took a chocolate from the bowl. I popped it into my mouth and took a white sponge from the side, I get could let use to living like this if Backup would let me. I looked over at the bathroom's door when I heard a knock on the door, I sighed to myself and took a bar of soap from the soap dish.
" Is that you Backup?" I yelled.
" Yes, I thought I would knock on the door just to let you know I'm here..." I heard him say from the other side of the door. " Please do not use up all of the hot water, I would also like to take a bath at some point today. But in the mean time, may I ask where you put the carriage bag with the jar of strawberry jam in it?"
" It should be next to the bedside cabinet with my bag, I also brought some cookies in case you want to dip them in your jam!" I replied as I rubbed the bar of soap on the sponge. " Do you think you could make me some tea please, I saw a kettle near the television!"
" Alright, don't be to long..." He chuckled.
" Okay, I'll try not to be to long!" I smiled.
I placed the soap back down onto it's dish, I quickly washed myself with the sponge and washed my hair in the bath water with some shampoo from the gift basket. I got out of the bathtub, I wrapped a towel around myself and pulled the plug of the bathtub. I towel dried myself and got changed into my clean clothes. I wrapped the towel around my head and unlocked the door to the bathroom, I feel so much better now. I took the bowl of chocolates from the side and popped one of the chocolates into my mouth, I may as well eat the rest of them because Backup is not much of a chocolate lover. I opened the door as I switched the light off in the bathroom, I saw Backup lying on the king sized bed eating his jar of strawberry jam. I gave Backup a small smile and closed the door behind me, I hope he doesn't get jam on anything. I walked over to a cream coloured sofa chair near the window, I sat down on it and took a look through the window. I could see Heathrow Airport from the hotel's window, something tells me I'll be hearing planes taking off and landing in the night. I heard Backup clear his throat, I looked over at him and ate a chocolate from the bowl.
" Does this hotel room please you?" He asked.
" Oh course! It's really nice and so clean, I've not stayed anywhere this fancy since my 13th birthday with my Aunt Thora..." I replied. " How much did this hotel room actually cost you? We've got to be careful with that money from The Wammy House, it's got to last us for a long time until we decide on a method of supporting ourselves in Los Angeles..."
" It's affordable, so do not worry about a thing and enjoy your last day on English soil..." He replied with a smirk and sat up on the bed. " But in the mean time, how would you like to tour this town with me? I've decided we need to enjoy out last day in England, what do you say to a little adventure with me?"
" Is that wise?" I asked. " I mean we're meant to be keeping low in case anyone is looking for us from the orphanage, I also thought you were going to get some sleep when we got to London..."
" I slept on the train, I'm wide awake now..." He replied.
" A quick nap on the train doesn't mean you're fully rested, why don't you get a few hours sleep and then we'll go somewhere later..." I said as I placed the bowl of chocolates down on the floor and then removed my towel from my head. " It will give me time to dry my hair and get something eat from the hotel's shop downstairs, would you like me to get you something eat as well? I will pay for it, I want to spend my money before we go the Los Angeles..."
" Why go downstairs when you can order room service, I will take care of the bill..." He replied.
" Room service is expensive and boring, I want something simple to eat instead of Bouillabaisse or Potage aux Legumes..." I sighed. " I want a ham and cheese sandwich or rice pudding. Something delicious, oh how about fish and chips?!"
" Alright, that sounds rather intriguing..." He replied with a smirk as he lay back down on the bed. " But first I would like to have at least 3 hours sleep, then we shall go out on the town and cause some chaos before bedtime. I have always wanted to explore London, to see the sights and the locations of Jack The Ripper's victims. Maybe I could take you on an educational tour of London, I could show you the sites where serial killers lived and disposed of their victim's bodies. Have you ever heard of The Lambeth Poisoner?"
" I don't want to go on a serial killer tour, that's to disturbing..." I replied.
" What if we met halfway, we could tour the sights and see the locations of past serial killers..." He smirked. " Does that not sound fair to you?"
" Okay then, we can explore London and see locations of past serial killers. Then we can go and have some fish and chips before we come back to the hotel unless you would like to see London after dark..." I replied with smiled. " I would like to see the millennium wheel all lit up, the Houses of Parliament and maybe Trafalgar Square. Do you think we could see them all in one day?"
" Yes, I believe we could my dear..." He replied. " Our flight does not leave until 6pm tomorrow and that gives us plenty of time to explore the town, we can even have a few extra hours sleep before we book ourselves out of the hotel in the afternoon..."
" Excellent, I can't wait!" I smiled.