𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

"Wow, you look like shit."

Addison rolled her eyes as she wrapped an arm around Court's neck, allowing him to lift her out of the drivers seat, "you really know how to make someone feel special, it's a wonder you don't have a girlfriend." A laugh slipped past Court's lips as he lowered her down to the ground, the trees rustling while his hand rested on her hip to keep her steady. He gave her a quick overview, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, the poorly wrapped wrist, the way she uncomfortably shifted on her legs where the fabric rested against the unhealed stitches. "How is she?" Court's gaze shifted to Claire asleep in the passenger seat, Addison's sweatshirt wrapped tightly around her. Dried tear tracts rested on her cheeks, a steady breathing pattern calming both of them down. "Scared," Addison gripped onto Court's arm when she lost her balance, his other hand swinging up to wrap around her waist, "she watched me shoot someone, I had no choice."

"Are you okay?"

Addison paused, her heart stuttering in her chest. The truth was, she hadn't sat down long enough to think about if she was okay or not. Her entire focus was on making sure she was able to secure Claire, and get the little girl to safety. "I'm not sure," a genuine answer, her voice wobbling before she pulled away from Court, heading towards the passenger door. Carefully, she lifted a sleeping Claire into her arms, grabbing Claire's backpack, it was more so to just make her not focus on the fact that her world was falling apart. "Butterfly," Court's hand curved carefully around her shoulder, her eyes falling shut as she tried to drown out the one emotion she couldn't bare to have right now.

Blind rage.

She was angry, angry at Court, at Lloyd, at Denny. Every single one of these people saw her as disposable. She was a tool to them and nothing else. While she poured her heart and soul into her friendships, her loyalty ran deep. But here she was, virtually alone, her best friend now a stranger, her lover an enemy, her ex boss on a mission to kill her. Her life was a movie she didn't want to be in. "Yeah," she blew out a long breath, trying to calm her shaking hands, "yeah I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She forced a laugh, looking over at Court who dropped his eyebrows, staring at her with an intensity she hadn't seen in years. It was the same look he gave Addison when he planted his first kiss on her lips and begged her to stay alive. "You called Don, you don't do that unless you're fracturing at the seams."

"You're right," Addison spun on one heel to face Court abruptly, his hand falling from her shoulder, "I'm not okay, I've been used by every single person I've been around for the past ten years," she swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to continue her rant, "you left me, you begged me to love you, I did, I loved you so fucking much and you left, just like how Lloyd used me for information for four years, broke my fucking heart, shattered it completely, only to come back and convince me he loves me, to turn and shatter me again," she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks this time, felt the heat of them against her cheeks, "I have a broken wrist, the stitches in my leg have come undone, I have a child that I have to hide, the entire Sierra program is convinced I'm killing them off, I haven't slept in over thirty hours, so yes Court, I'm fracturing," a deep breath left her lungs, stopping the gut wrenching sob that was working its way up her throat, pity resting in Courts eyes,

"And let's make two things clear, I don't want your pity, and the only reason I called for your help is because Claire is going to need both of us," She shifted Claire's weight to sit more comfortably against her hip, "not because I wanted to see you, purely because I had no choice. She's more important."

Addison didn't even give Court the chance to respond before she pivoted on one heel, walking up the loading strip of the plane. Another day she was hiding between crates and barrels, thanking Donald for having people to pay to keep them safe. She smiled at the men who lead her into the main cabin, pulling down a cot for Claire. Dropping the backpack with a soft thud, she carefully lowered Claire onto the cot, ignoring the throb of her wrist as she placed the sweatshirt back over the sleeping girl, before she collapsed down on the floor, her back pressed to the crates. Her knees were brought up to her chest, forehead pressing against them as silent tears ran down her cheeks. She was exhausted, she was scared, and for the first time in her life she had no plan.