Fulcrum

Chapter four

After a whole day of looking for more info and gathering the supplies she needed, Felicia finally decided to call it a night. She walked through the dark empty streets until she reached her intended destination, the homeless shelter. Since her stealth suit cloaked her from being seen, she turned it off so she could enter as herself. Inside she could see a bunch of people getting food from the volunteers working, many of them were elderly or sick. Everyone recognized her and greeted her warmly. 

"Fulcrum thank goodness you've made it here safely." The owner Cleo said to her. Felicia smiled and gave her close friend a hug, since she stopped by here all the time she had become close with the people that worked here. 

"It was no problem and I know a lot of people have been getting sick," Felicia answered. "So I brought some medicine, food, water and some cleaning supplies." She handed a bunch of bags to Cleo. Her friend smiled and said that everything inside would definitely help them get through the next week. 

"We really can't thank you enough," Cleo said. "You've saved a lot of people here." 

"It's my pleasure I only wish I could do more," Felicia answered. "I'm no doctor or police officer." 

Cleo said that she underestimated herself and that there were other ways to save lives. Felicia reminded her friend that she already knew that but left out the fact that she had run into an old friend. 

"By the way, where is Asher?" She asked. 

"Oh he's in the back with Jessy and Jake, they've been taking babysitter shifts." Cleo explained. Felicia couldn't help but laugh and said that she would go see how the two were handling a three year old. Ever since she ran away from foster care at sixteen, she didn't have any place to crash so she made her home here. It was where she raised her son and hung out with her friends and girlfriend. The only thing she felt was missing was a family, she had never had that and she wanted it more than anything.

"Jake help me, he keeps running away!" Jessy screamed from the back room. Felicia laughed as she walked down the hall and overheard the sound of her girlfriend suffering. Jessy was a blessing as always, the two had met during Felicia's dark teen years. They had both been placed in the same house with a cruel foster mother, to get back at her for her neglect. The two often snuck out to cause trouble which led to feelings coming out and a few imprisonments. By the time she was fifteen Felicia had been in jail nine times but she never stayed long as she was always bailed out or broke out. 

"It's probably because you keep taking his toy," Felicia said entering the room. "Even without his hearing he still knows that's mean." Asher noticed that she had come in and dropped his toy horse to run to his mother.
"Hi mommy." He said to her in a soft raspy voice. Felicia hugged him tightly and using sign language how his day was. Good but I missed you, he signed in response. Ever since his birth Asher had been deaf and Felicia so wished she could afford to get him a hearing aid. She promised him on his first birthday that one day he would wake up with them on his bedside and he would finally hear her voice. But that hadn't happened yet and she was hoping her son wasn't counting the days to his next birthday.

Aww I missed you as well I thought about you all day and I love you baby Felicia signed and kissed him on the forehead. Asher whined about being tired and Felicia thanked her friends for watching him.
"Its what we we're here for." Jessy reminded her. Jake cleared his throat and Asher gagged claiming that kissing was gross.
"You said it kid." Jake said rubbing the boy's hair. Although Asher couldn't hear his words he read them off Jake's lips, he smiled brightly and waved as Jake left.
"I'm sure you have to put him to bed so I'll let you be," Jessy laughed. "Sleep well Felicia."

"Its Fulcrum but thank you Jessy, I wish I could pay you for this." Felicia responded. Jessy told her not to worry about it and left the mother son duo.
"Mommy." Asher whined pulling on his mother.
Alright sweetie it's time for bed. Felicia sighed and brought her son over to the bed she had made him. She actually made it with help from Jake out of some wood, a mattress and some fabric. The pillow and blanket were both items she had herself from childhood, but Asher never once complained about them being a bit girly.

"Story?" Asher asked. Felicia reminded him that he knew the story by heart but still the boy begged. So the twenty year old went through their few things and pulled out a picture book she had made herself. Asher pointed at pictures even though he had seen them before while Felicia told the whole story with sign language. There once was a little girl who loved playing outside. As she signed through each page she could see the memories playing out in her head. She remembered running around outside when her mother left the house. It was the only time she got to feel like a real kid that is of course Walker came along. But the girl lived with a mean witch who said she couldn't have fun.

"No." Asher said even though he knew what would happen after that. Felicia smiled brightly at his words but thought about how her mother had treated her that way. She sat down and cried wanting a friend. Those days were still in fresh in her head and so was every moment after. But one day a hero came to save her, the witch was gone and the girl was saved. Felicia turned her head away briefly at the memory. Walker had changed her life that day she only hoped he knew that. They had many fun times after and the little girl got to meet the hero's princess. She also remembered Emily had who had been the mother she always wanted. It broke her heart a little when she remembered that Emily was gone.

"Then?" Asher asked wanting to hear the end.
They never should have said goodbye to each other, but one day the girl will be older and she can find her hero again. She closed the picture book as Asher clapped before slowly drifting off to sleep. Felicia smiled and kissed him on the forehead again. "I love you baby." She stood up and placed the picture book back in their box. Felicia thought about her meeting with Walker earlier and wondered if he could help her. He always had before and while it had been years she still fully trusted him.

But she couldn't show up as Fulcrum, she wanted Walker to see her as herself not his their. She was a smart woman and knew that it was his job to catch thieves, she just hoped that he would let her explain herself. After all she was a bad person, she just had bad luck.