Runaway Train

Something is Not Right

Chapter Two

Something is Not Right

Addison woke up with a start hearing the thunder rolling. Turning over and squinting at the alarm clock at her bedside she registers the time and wonders why she was awake. It was after 4am and something just felt off. Her husband was working the night shift so he wouldn't be home for another 4 hours. Normally on nights like this she slept soundly in their big bed and only woke briefly when he slipped in beside her. Assuming the storm interrupted her sleep, Addison lets out a yawn and decides maybe a cup of tea would soothe her back into dreamland.

As she is making her way towards the stairs she hears a key in the lock and the front door opening. She furrows her brow in confusion and hurries her steps, making her way downstairs quickly. Only a few people outside of Derek and herself had keys to their brownstone, and her husband was quite obviously at work. She was pretty sure Mark had mentioned having a date tonight and he was probably off getting laid. The last option was her youngest sister-in-law Amelia, who was only 14 and was unlikely to be out on her own this late.

That said, Addison knew the youngest Shepherd often found herself in trouble, and had been having a particularly rough year. Regardless, the redhead had always felt connected to her husband's much younger sibling, and loved her so much, almost like she was her own. She hoped that when her and Derek had kids, if they had kids, they'd be just as sweet and caring as that young girl Addison met nearly 3 years prior. Amelia was the reason Addison realized she wanted to be a mother.

Despite her confusion, Addison had gathered by hearing the key in the lock and the careful footsteps that she wasn't dealing with an unknown intruder. As she descends the stairs she can hear two hushed distressed voices in her foyer and recognizes them immediately.

"Amelia? Mark?" She asks, surprised. "How the - what is going on?" She demands. A creeping sensation of dread comes over her as she sees both of them standing there dripping wet. Both not wearing very many layers.

Mark glances at Amelia briefly before he responds.

"She ran away, got caught sleeping in the park by the cops, and gave them my address. Once they left she tried to run away again." He sighed, reaching over to squeeze Amelia's ice cold hand.

"Addie, she's completely sober." He states firmly. "But, she's scared to go home and you're the only person I know she trusts completely and she needs help. She needs to warm up; she's practically ice." He pauses, looking her in the eye. "So will you? Can you help?"

Addison swears she can feel her heart break seeing her sister so broken. She agrees without hesitation, meeting Mark's eyes with understanding and determination; her maternal instincts kicking in.

"Oh Amy, come here. You're staying right here with me at least for tonight, and after that we will figure something out." She reaches out, wrapping her arms around the shivering girl. Amelia looked so much younger than her 14 years at that moment, and she felt impossibly tiny and frail as she wilted into Addison's embrace. She seemed so defeated by life and the two young adults in the room shared a pained look as that realty struck them both.

"Come on sweetie. Let's get you into a nice hot bath and into some warm dry clothes, okay?" Addie cooes softly, stroking Amelia's wet hair away from her forehead and leading her to the stairs, an arm wrapped securely around her, all thoughts of tea now long forgotten.

"Mark? Take a shower in the guest bedroom and crash here tonight. It's too late and too dangerous to even consider going back home." She throws over her shoulder, making sure Mark knew it wasn't an offer but rather a demand.

Mark visibly relaxes now that he knows his sister is safe. Addison is the one person who has never even attempted to turn their back on little Amy. Even Derek as of late had grown too hardened and scarred by Amelia's youthful mistakes to love her through them.