1994
THINGS THAT DON'T CHANGE
John is nine when he gets his first school photo taken. His foster parents make him dress up and demand that he behave himself. He still winds up looking about as happy as a kid being force-fed spinach. His foster mom puts a framed copy over the fireplace, so he decides to send his mom one out of pure spite. He writes on the back to keep it with her, always, and he'll always be with her. Reading it back, the words piss him off. He nixes the whole idea.
2002
THE UNKNOWN ROAD
The longest year of John's life is over. Kate Parker is by his side. They've been traveling together for a few days, and it's finally starting to feel real. The undercurrent of static on the car radio helps ground him. If he changed it to something with a better signal, things might seem too perfect. Besides, the selection of oldies but goodies is out of this world.
John recognizes the opening of Elton John's "Your Song" and turns it up. Kate sings along, softly, like she doesn't want to be heard. Little does she know, John loves her voice. It's not quite what he imagined it would be, but that's what he likes about it.
"You're a much better singer than my mom," he says.
"I am?"
"Yeah. She's got a soft spot for old Elton. When I was a kid, she used to sing his stuff to me when I couldn't sleep, but she kinda sucked. I just never told her, because I was afraid she'd stop, and I liked having a mom who would sing me to sleep."
Kate picks the song back up, her voice louder and more confident this time. Before long, John catches himself singing along. He's even worse than his mother, but Kate smiles and nods encouragingly. Together they sway to the music. As the outro plays, she rests her head on his shoulder, and he does the same atop her head.
"Never let me do that again." He laughs.
"You aren't getting off that easy," she says. "I like having a boyfriend who will sing with me."
His heart skips when she calls him her boyfriend. It's the first time either of them have defined their relationship out loud. He's sort of actively avoided it, for want of a word. He's her future husband, but not yet her fiancé. They love each other and have had each other, but lover just sounds corny. He hasn't taken her out, but she says boyfriend so naturally.
"You're a hell of a girlfriend." The word rolls off his tongue with a rush of adrenaline.
She puts her hand on his knee. He wishes he could touch her back, but his hands stay firmly attached to the steering wheel. They ride along the highway, humming along to the radio. The signal clears as they approach the next town.
"Can we stop?" Kate asks. "I'm hungry."
"Did you check the blue bag?"
"We finished that stuff off at the last rest stop."
"Oh shit, that's right." He checks his watch. "Alright, we're making good time. Let's stock up."
"Do we really need to do that? We're only an hour away."
"Yeah, but we're not gonna stay in Vegas. Might as well be prepared."
The local market is playing the same radio station John had on in the car. He'd grow suspicious, but his dreams have never been so mundane as him and Kate grocery shopping. She's poring over the snack aisle, while he pushes the cart. Hoods up, they probably look suspicious, but as long as they don't look like themselves on camera, it's fine.
"Here's those cookies you like so much." She tosses a few sleeves of Marias in the cart. "We've got dried fruit, beef jerky, trail mix, and water. What else do we need?"
"We should get some chips for Mom," he says.
They turn into the next aisle, and Kate reaches for a standard sized bag. John shakes his head.
"Party size."
"Why?"
"Because she really likes potato chips."
Kate raises an eyebrow, but grabs the bag.
Their cashier is a middle aged woman with a vested interest in other people's groceries. She looks over the lot before scanning it and, as she works, her gaze lingers on John.
"Haven't I seen you before?" she asks.
John's blank expression masks a rapidly beating heart. He shakes his head. "No, we're just passing through."
"Road trip?"
"Yup." He puts an arm around Kate. "It's our first as a couple."
The cashier tilts her head sentimentally. "You're so cute together. Where are you headed?"
"Death Valley," Kate says. John nods, impressed. He couldn't have come up with a better lie himself.
"Well, you two have fun. Your total is $28.33."
John hands the cashier thirty bucks, collects the change, and takes the bags. He and Kate head for the exit, walking briskly.
"Good job," he whispers.
"Thanks."
The first set of automatic doors open. John continues walking, but Kate falls behind.
"Oh my God."
"What is it?"
She steps up to a bulletin board, tears off a piece of paper, and brings it back to him. His eyes widen. The flyer declares him missing. His first and only school photo is paired with an age progression that looks nothing like him. The jaw and nose are much too wide, the eyes too far apart. It would be laughable, if it weren't so serious.
He starts up walking again. "Let's go."
Kate follows, clinging to the flyer. As John drives, she stares at it.
"Wishing you had that guy?" he asks cheekily.
"No," she says. "I'm just trying to figure you out."
"What's to figure out?"
"You're smiling in this picture, but you don't look happy."
He snorts. "That's because I wasn't. I don't know if I was ever a happy kid. Definitely not while I was in foster care. Maybe when I was really little, before Mom put my training in high gear. But I really don't remember."
She gives him a look, full of pity and concern. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. I turned out fine."
"You deserved so much better than just 'fine.'"
"Things are better, now." He smiles, and it reaches his eyes.
"Then you think you made the right choice, coming to find me?"
"What kind of question is that?"
She holds up the flyer. "You took a big risk."
"Your life was on the line."
"I know... but how did you?"
John holds his breath to try and keep his heart rate steady. He croaks, "What?"
"How did you know I was in danger?"
"Every Breath You Take" by the Police starts playing on the radio, and John briefly reassesses the situation. That's a little too on the nose not to be a dream. Then again, they wouldn't be having this conversation in his dreams. It must be real. Oh, how he wishes it wasn't real.
"I, um, I installed something on your computer."
"Wait, you what?"
"It was just a little program I cooked up. I call it the Watcher."
"Watcher? You mean like spyware?!"
He cringes. "Yeah, yeah, you could call it that."
"Oh, that's just perfect!" she cries. "So I had a father keeping tabs on me at home and a future husband keeping tabs on me from God knows where."
It was Paraguay, but that's beside the point.
"Look, I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be, but you've gotta understand, I only did it to protect you."
She rolls her eyes. "Sure."
"I'm serious. It's not like I would have flipped out if you were talking to other boys. I just needed to know that you were okay. I was afraid somebody might have you under surveillance."
"Somebody else, you mean?"
"Yes," he hisses. "And they did. Without the Watcher, I never would have known you were a target. You could have died. You get that? And if that happened... I don't know."
He thinks about his mother. She and his father only had one night together, and she's been in mourning ever since. If Skynet had found Kate before John, they wouldn't have had the luxury of a night. He would be mourning a dream, but he would mourn forever.
"I love you, Kate."
She's silent for a bit, and he starts to feel nauseous. Then she mutters, "I love you, too," and all is right with his world.
"So we're cool?"
"We're cool."
The radio signal turns fuzzy. John changes the channel to something clearer. He isn't sure how he got so lucky, but he's beyond doubting it. Kate is real and she is his, sure as he is hers. So it is, and so it will be.