Smoke Signals

38 ⚠️

⚠️ ABUSE ⚠️

JJ and I went out for coffee while we were on a break from the case. We were walking down the sidewalk silently, hand in hand until I stopped. "You ok?" She asked once she saw me staring at the entrance of a campground.

"Yeah...I just need to stop somewhere." I started walking and she let go of my hand. "Come with me?"

"Oh, sorry." She laughed softly but I only frowned, adding to her concern.

I dragged her to the nearest bench and sat down. She sat down next to me and I looked around, sipping my coffee. "This is uh...this is where I went when I left. Right here." I sat, gesturing to the bench.

"How far away is it to where you lived?"

"I lived ten miles that way." I said, pointing ahead.

"Ten miles?"

"It's amazing how far you can run when you're scared." She squeezed my hand.

"Did you bring anything with you?" I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for pressing, you don't have to answer if you don't want to-"

"No, it's fine. All I took was the clothes I was wearing, as much money as I could stuff in my pocket which was $450 and water. A lot of water."

"No food?" I shrugged. "Why not?"

"Didn't think about it."

"Oh."

"Yeah." I tossed my coffee into the nearest trash can. "I got a job...minimum wage and then when I had enough money instead of sleeping in a tent I bought up a used car from the 80's to stay in. Then I traded it for a van." She listened to me intently as I spoke. "I would always keep the radio on when I slept." I said while laughing. "Because I knew my dad would never find me, I was too deep down in the campground and he wouldn't even care so I wasn't that scared. But How Soon Is Now would always come on and it would scare me shitless."

"You don't like that song?"

"When it's 2 in the morning and you can't sleep...not really." She nodded and I could sense the love and pride radiating off of her, so glad I was opening up to her. "So yeah...this is where I lived for 3 years."

"Where did you go to college?"

"University of Michigan."

"Major?"

"Astronomy and Astrophysics."

"Why didn't you work for NASA?"

"Because the FBI asked me to work for them?"

"They asked you?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I'm kind of cool."

"You're very cool." She kissed my cheek and messed up my hair. My face went red and she pulled me into a side hug. "Can I ask you something?" I nodded. "How are you so comfortable walking around here?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Well...it's different when you know you're not alone." She smiled and kissed my temple. "And if my dad saw me I know he wouldn't even recognize me. Every time he saw me I had a black eye or a cast on so he wouldn't know what it looked like for me to be physically well." She frowned and I rested my head on her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry that you had to go through all of that. It's really not fair."

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault."

"You didn't deserve that."

"Yeah well...what's done is done. Can't change it now." I stood up and waited for her to do the same. I knew she was trying to do a little speech but I wasn't in the mood for it.

"Angel...I just really want you to know that you didn't deserve it. I don't want it to be something that I just tell you I want it to be something you know is true."

"Ok, I'm getting there." I assured her. She took my hand in hers and kissed me.

"Good. I'll be here with you every step of the way."