A/N: Thank you. All of you. Thank you so much for the review, support, and love you have given my story. I hope my story has pleased you.
Thank you so much.
Welcome all readers. Welcome. Please enjoy.
Song of the Day: "I'll See You in my Dreams" by The Real Tuesday Weld
My parents never came home that night.
I waited for five days at Mrs. Johnson's house with my grandparents, but nothing happened.
No phone call.
No news report.
Nothing.
Then, on the sixth day, a call came from a hospital in Lake County; one of their patients knew my parents and wanted to see me in person. And, in my pure childish mind, that mean this person had my parents with them.
Words cannot explain the joy that phone call gave me, and I was practically bouncing around the house and was already in Nonno Upshur's car before they could pull their coats. During the drive, Nonno and Nonna sat up front while Halapoji and Halmoni sat in the back with Annie and me.
Two year old me couldn't understand why everyone was so quiet. After all, wasn't this person going to give me Mommy and Daddy back? I had prayed every night that if my family was brought back to me, I would be a better daughter. I would finish all my vegetables, I would stop playing in Daddy's office, I would give away all my toys, and I would even stop asking for Mommy and Daddy to play with me.
If I could have my family back, then I would give up anything.
When we reached the hospital hours later, I raced inside the moment I was unbuckled and tugged on the information nurse's scrubs.
"Take me to Mommy and Daddy, please!" I smiled, bouncing on my heels.
The nurse looked down at me in wonder before gazing back at my grandparents. With an amused smile, Nonno leaned in close and whispered something in her ear, her expression becoming stern within seconds.
We were led down several hallways until we reached a secluded patient room on the 5th floor. There was a bunch of scary men in black suits surrounding the outside of the door. Excited, I raced towards the doorway and got on my toes to open the door, when one of the scary men pulled me back.
"Grown-ups need to go first, Miss Upshur." He said in a funny accent, so I sat on a bench next the door and watched my grandparents go into the room. Another nurse came by and tried to take Annie from me, but I wouldn't let her. No one else was going to disappear on me. Eventually, one of the men told her to leave me be, and I stuck my tongue out at her.
Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours.
I kicked my feet back and forth impatiently, wishing I could go inside and have the person give me my parents' back already.
And, just when I was about to doze off from boredom, the door opened and the man with the funny accent took me by the hand and led me into the room; my eyes immediately went to its occupants.
Nonno was sitting next to the door, his head in his hands and his shoulders shaking. Nonna was sitting next to him, her eyes screwed shut as tears poured down her cheeks. Halapoji and Halmoni were standing near the sink. Halapoji was staring at the ceiling, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes were all puffy. Halmoni was knelt on the ground, her face veiled behind her hair, but like Nonno, her shoulders were also shaking.
And, in the middle of the room, there was a man in a hospital bed with a woman and two little boys sitting with him. The woman looked at me for a moment before suddenly turning away, covering her mouth with her hand as tears rolled down her face. The older boy was sitting on the woman's lap, a mixture of confusion and distress swirling around his eyes. The younger boy, who was also on the woman's lap, displayed no signs of distress or worry, instead he just looked confused as to why I was here. And the man who was sitting in the bed, had the most painful expression on his face. When we made eye contact, the man let out a tiny gasp, and he bit his lip like he was trying not to scream.
I couldn't understand why everyone was crying. Why was everyone sad? This was supposed to be a happy moment!
"Where is Mommy and Daddy?" I asked.
The moment the words left my mouth, Nonna cried aloud and Nonno pulled her into his arms, while Halapoji's face pinched up and Halmoni curled her hands into fists.
The man closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment, before slowly opening his eyes back up and he reached out for me.
With Annie still in my arms, I made my way to the edge of the bed and let the man lift me up on the bed.
"Cute dog you get there." The man gave a small smile as he stroked her fur.
"Thank you!" I grinned widely. "She is Annie! Daddy brought her home for Mommy!"
His breath hitched at the mentioned of my parents, and I began to get this uneasy feeling.
"Where is Mommy and Daddy?" I asked again, looking him straight in the eye. "Are they hiding?" I whipped my head around the room but couldn't find a hiding spot. "Come out! Come out!"
"Ae-cha," The man whispered, his voice shaking. "Your…parents aren't here."
"What?" I held Annie closer, the uneasy feeling growing. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is," He took one of my hands and placed something cold in my open palm, "…..your parents aren't coming home."
"Ae-cha!" Ban Woo-jin called out to me as I passed through the school gates, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned around and smiled at my friend, waiting for him to catch up with me.
"Sunbae," I greeted. "What are you still doing here? I thought you left hours ago."
"Well," He panted, his hands on his knees after sprinting across the school yard. "I planned on leaving early, but I fell asleep in the astronomy room by accident."
I laughed at my friend's ditzy nature and gave him a pat on the back.
"And what about you?" He rubbed his sore neck. "It will be midnight soon, y'know."
"I was in the library, doing some studying." I patted the books in my bag. "I guess I got too caught up and lost track of time."
"Eh? Why? We don't have any tests this week."
"There many things to study besides school material, Sunbae." I smiled before glancing at my watch. "Say, don't you ride the bus home? The last one leaves in three minutes."
"Shit!" Woo-jin screamed and tore down the sidewalk at breakneck speed, shouting a "See you tomorrow" behind him.
I laughed to myself once again before turning on my heel and walking the opposite way. There was a cool night breeze passing by, and I closed my eyes to enjoy it.
And as I let myself get lost in the breeze, my mind began to wander along with it.
Even after my mom's rings were presented to me, I refused to believe my parents were dead. No, they both made a promise to come back to me, and I knew they would keep it.
I told myself my parents just go lost or were hiding as part of a game.
But three months later, the man, Waylon Park, uploaded his footage to the web, and I saw for myself the horror my parents went through. I saw my mom and dad, beaten to a pulp and missing body parts as horrible creature chased after them. I never finished watching the video though; one of my grandparents pulled me away from the screen and unplugged the computer.
I was an orphan now, and the time had come to decided where I would live.
Just in time for my 3rd birthday.
"No!" I cried, stamping my foot as my future was discussed in the living room. "This is my house! What if Mommy and Daddy come back, and I am not here?! I am staying here!"
For the past few months, both of my grandparents lived alongside me in the house, trying to take my mind and their own off my parents' fate. But, they couldn't stay there forever and neither could I.
So a decision had to be made.
Since they were closer, I went to live with my dad's parents in Kansas City. They loved me to death and made sure I was never alone, but….they weren't my parents.
I slept in my dad's old room, letting the familiar smells rock me to sleep every night. Since I was still a small child, Nonno and Nonna would take turns bring me to work, always engaging me in their occupations and never letting me feel left out.
Then, when I was almost five, it came to light some people were looking for me. It was inevitable really. Even after the footage was released and Murkoff took a huge blow, there were still untouchable officials who would go to their graves to make sure their secrets would stay secrets.
Waylon Park and his family disappeared, and since my parents were in the footage and my dad was studying Murkoff, I had to do the same.
Since it was better to leave the country, I was sent to live with my Mom's parents.
Nonno and Nonna gave me a tearful goodbye at the airport with an abundance of hugs and kisses, but I didn't shed a single tear.
I hadn't cried since the moment Waylon Park gave me my mother's rings because I had nothing to cry about. I still believed my parents were out there.
Life with my Halapoji and Halmoni was vastly different than life in the States. They weren't as affectionate and loving, but they took care of me. I had heard stories from my Nonno that they were hard on my mom, made her study hard every day, and that they fiercely objected to her dating Dad.
But, they don't treat me like that.
Perhaps it is out of guilt.
But I still work hard at school and bring home excellent grades, so they cannot complain either way. I live in my mom's old room. I have added a few personal touches here and there, but it has remained the same overall. And as I lie in bed every night, if I concentrate hard, I can smell her and that is what helps me sleep at night.
I try my best to be a good granddaughter. I help around the house, and do my best not to give them trouble. I wash my school uniform every night and make sure to dress appropriately, so I will not embarrass them. I also send e-mails to my Nonno and Nonna using a private server so they can still keep in contact with me. Programming is one of my hobbies, and when I can find the time, I like to fiddle around with various gadgets and codes. I enjoy listening to music, but I never inherited my mom's talent for it nor my dad's way with words.
And so, here I am at 16 years old.
From all the photos I have seen, I look like my mom, but I have my father's eyes and his height. I'm by no means the tallest girl in school, but I am definitely not the shortest. I don't know what characteristics I inherited from my parents, but I like to believe I have my mom's kindness and my dad's wit. I wear their rings around my neck every day. They hang on a long chain I bought when I turned eleven, and I haven't taken it off since. Even though my school doesn't allow us to alter our uniforms or wear jewelry, I still wear it under my uniform, and as I feel the cold rings against my chest, I feel like everything is bearable and it keeps my hopes alive.
And, once in a while, I pull out the photo albums I took from our old house and gaze at the pictures of my parents through their time from college to my 2nd birthday. I wonder what they would look like now, what it would be like to come home from school and be asked about my day, to watch my mom perform in the orchestra, to read about my dad's brilliance in the journalism field, to learn how to ride a bike under their watchful gaze, to cry about stupid things and have them comfort me.
To just….grow up with my parents by my side….like it was supposed to be.
A small bark snapped me out of my daze, and I gazed down to find Annie at my heels.
"Hey there, Annie." I smiled, crouching down to pet her. "What are you doing here so late at night? You should be at home sleeping."
The Welsh Corgi, who had clearly aged, was my faithful companion over these past fourteen years. While I did have some friends at school here, none of them compared to Annie.
"C'mon, Cinnamon Roll," I sighed, standing back up and dusting my skirt off. "Let's go home."
And so the two of us walked down the empty street, the street lights our only source of light. But, as we passed through Eunpa Park, the wind suddenly became violent and I pulled my jacket closer to fight off the cold.
"A bit windy, eh?" I chuckled, watching Annie squint against the wind.
Suddenly, Annie started barking and raced off.
"Annie!" I gasped, quickly giving chase. "Wait up!"
The wind had gotten impossibly brutal, and my hair ribbons were yanked out of my hair, setting my long hair lose in the wind.
"Annie!" I pushed my hair out of my face and pushed forward, spotting her sitting on the gazebo out in the middle of the lake.
"Annie," I sighed, racing across the stepping stones and waltzing up to the gazebo. "Where do you thi-?"
Suddenly, the wind stopped and everything went still.
Annie was staring at me, her tongue hanging like she does when she is happy.
Then, I felt something touch my shoulder.
My breath caught in my throat, and I placed my hand on my shoulder, only to touch nothing.
But I could still fell something there.
So, as carefully as I could, I reached into my school bag and took out my phone. Taking a deep breath, I turned it on and flipped it to the selfie camera.
And there…..standing right next to me…
Was my parents.
I had always suspected. After watching Waylon Park's video when I was older and reading the documents he recorded and finally watching the final part where my mom was laying in the arms of the Walrider, I always had my suspicions, especially since my parents' bodies were never found.
That is why I stay late every night at the library, not to do homework, but to study what happened at Mount Massive and its experiments. To understand what happened and all the results of the incident.
And, for all of my life, I always felt like someone was watching over me.
Not a guardian angel, but something more familiar.
And, now, I had my proof.
They hadn't changed a bit. Their bodies were submerged in shadow, but it was still them.
It was still my parents.
My eyes stung and my hands shook, as I beheld their faces after so long.
"Mommy? Daddy?" I whimpered, the camera shaking in my grasp.
My parents smiled in acknowledgement and my mom, whose hand was on my shoulder, wrapped her arms around me and laid her cheek on my shoulder; I could clearly see a hole in her chest as she moved next to me. In the footage, her arm was missing, yet here in the camera, a dark nanobite limb was jutting from her shoulder, somewhat resembling an arm. And my dad, he placed his hand on top of my head like he always did when I was little and rested his head against mine. His fingers were still missing and I could see bullet holes in his chest.
Both of them had fatal wounds, yet here they were.
I remembered reading the notes from the footage and looking up on the Walrider. It's abilities were expanding, and it's powers truly depended on its host. Knowing that and recalling the final part of Waylon Park's footage, I realized Dad…had become the Walrider, and he took Mom's dying body and saved her…at the cost of her humanity.
And although my parents were here now, after so many years, they weren't the parents I knew.
They were no longer human, but….I didn't care.
I had so many things I wanted to say, scream, yell, shout at them.
But, all I could do was weep fourteen years' worth of tears and asked them one thing:
"Are you proud of me?"
Mom and Dad, their tears like smoke against my skin, nodded and held me closer, and I swore my heart blossomed in my chest.
Though they did not possess the warmth to comfort me, I could still feel their love and that was enough.
And I remembered something.
"That night," I sniffed. "when Waylon Park told me what happened, you guys came back didn't you? When I went to sleep, you came into my bedroom and sang me to sleep with my lullaby while holding me all night. I thought it was my imagination, but it was you all along, right?"
Their faces said all, and I busted into tears again.
"You kept your promise." I whispered between my sobs and pulled out the chain from my blouse, the rings shining in the moonlight. "You've kept your promise this whole time."
And they wept and held me tight, so tight that I swore I could actually feel them.
Then, as they both kissed my forehead, I knew this was only temporary.
"Don't go." I cried, my vision blurry. "Please, don't leave me alone anymore."
But that was an impossible request, and I knew it.
Murkoff, though it had been years, was still searching for the current host of the Walrider. And, if they took me with them or exposed themselves to the crowds by staying close to me, Murkoff would come and put me in harm's way to get to Dad and Mom.
My parents want me to live normally, and they know they cannot be near me in order for that to happen.
Yet as they both released me and backed away, I suddenly made a declaration, one from the bottom of my heart.
"I'LL FIND A WAY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my tears burning my eyes. "EVEN IF IT TAKES ME YEARS, I'LL FIND A WAY TO BRING YOU GUYS BACK, AND THEN WE CAN BE A FAMILY AGAIN! SO, PLEASE, WAIT FOR ME!"
They were sobbing at my words and I could see it in their eyes they desired the same thing. But, until that faithful day arrives, they have to settle for watching me grow up from afar. After granting me one last kiss, Mom and Dad faded into the darkness.
And…after so long…I heard their voices as clear as day.
"We love you, Ae-cha."
And then….they were gone, and the world started moving again.
Annie barked and wagged her tail before waddling across the gazebo, ready to go home.
But I wasn't.
Instead, I fell to my knees as my phone clattered against the gravel and stared ahead through blurry eyes.
I was going to fulfill my promise. My parents fulfilled theirs, so I will fulfill mine too. I will study and learn all I can, and I will find a way to bring my parents back.
But….that was for tomorrow.
As for now, after meeting my parents again after so long only to lose them again, I felt nothing but hollow inside.
Shutting my eyes, I collapsed to the ground and wailed at the top of my lungs, mourning everything that I had lost the moment Waylon Park sent that e-mail.
My screams echoed throughout the park, but they fell on deaf ears.
I envied Waylon Park's sons; they got their father back while I lost both of my parents.
Where was the justice in that?
Even after I screamed my throat raw, I continued to lie on the gazebo floor, staring blankly ahead at the lake while tears continued to flow down my cheeks.
In the distance, I could hear Annie barking and I knew I had to move forward now.
'I have…to be strong now.'
Wiping my eyes, I pulled myself up to my feet and trudged down the gazebo stairs.
'All human beings have their own milestones in life, some good and some bad. My parents' last milestone was a dead end, but it doesn't mean their path is over. Because where their path ends, mine begins, and I can only hope that through me, my parents' fates can change." Taking a deep breath, I raced forward and hopped onto the first stepping stone.
The road may be hard and near impossible to complete, but I will succeed in the end.
Why, you ask?
Because I am Ae-cha Fucking Upshur, that's why.
A/N: Thank you everyone for standing by "Milestones" for these past seven months. From my first reviewer to the many I have now, I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. As of this time, "Milestones" is the longest Miles/OC fic on fanfiction and the second longest completed story on fanfiction, from what I've seen anyways. Thank you so much. It has been so fun. I may do more with this idea in the future, maybe write about Miles and Young-ja and the Walrider's abilities or about Ae-cha as she works to bring her parents back. As for what happened to Young-ja, I've said some of the Walrider's abilities were creating/absorbing objects from another and how they were like the dokkabei. Well, dokkabei can change things at a price, so Miles made Young-ja part of the Walrider in exchange for her humanity/life by taking her soul. Kinda like the Horerczy, which is also what can kill the Walrider. Yet, since the Horerczy is technically the Walrider, it works. Maybe I'll expand on that someday. But, for now, thank you so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was actually crying when I wrote this. Hahaha. I definitely cried writing that last line because Ae-cha stated her name, just like father did.
Thank you so much. It has been fun. :)