Lee X reader - Bones And All

7

I board the bus and take the window seat towards the back. I had a packet of Pop-Tarts and managed to calculate that I need to travel 1,417 miles with twenty-six dollars left. A man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties sat down next to me and talked with someone across the aisle. I'm so glad he didn't speak to me, I don't know how much longer I can go on this journey if people keep pissing me off. I plug in the cassette tape and put my headphones on. I decided that I'm going to have to listen to this eventually so I might as well start now. As soon as I press play, the bus leaves the station.
"You were still with your baby teeth. I had a sitter for you then. I worked the late shift. Her name was Penny, from our apartment complex. I don't remember her last name. When I came in, she was on the bathroom floor. She must've been about to give you a bath as you were out of your little overalls and the tub was full. There was... so much blood. Her face was chewed up, bad, but the worst of it was her neck. She must've been holding you when you started in on her. Her hands... all chewed up. You were on the rug next to her. I thought you were dead, too, like someone had broken in and done you both... but you were sleeping. When I turned you over I saw the blood on your mouth. You had something in your cheek, like a wad of gum. With a little hole in it, where an earring would go. I thanked god she hadn't been wearing any. You could have choked. You woke up when I had you in the sink, washing you off. It didn't seem like you remembered. You liked her, Penny. I got the body out, bleached the place, twice, and then packed us up and left. I don't know if they thought Penny had run off with us or what. She was on disability, it would've been a while before anyone missed her. Far as I know, they never found where I put her. That was the last time I used our real last name. Now you know why." I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I had no recollection of that memory whatsoever.
"I couldn't leave you with anyone, but I needed to work. I wasn't a good enough thief to do that for money. So I got jobs I could take you to. Nothing happened for a few years. So I relaxed. You had to start school and I thought you wouldn't do it in public. And you didn't. But you got clever. So fucking clever." I stopped the tape with a bit too much force than necessary so the cassette tape falls onto the floor and I scramble to get it before it can be broken.

The bus parks at the station and the driver said something about transfer information but I didn't listen. I get off the bus with my rucksack on one shoulder and walk up to a service window at some depot. I hadn't eaten in a while and I was so incredibly hungry. I just wanted something to eat. Not someone. Yet. I see a person in the service window and hope they can help me out.
"Is there a place to eat here?"
"Head that way. Town's right there." He nodded his head in the general direction of some more buildings.
"I'm on the bus to Chicago tonight. When do I have to be back?" Hopefully I'd have enough time to eat something.
"There's no bus out tonight. You've got 'til morning." What? What was this guy talking about? I give the agent a confused look.
"It says nine fifteen-"
"Check the date." I check it. I misread it. This just made everything so much more better. Forget about other people trying not to get pissed off at, I'm practically kicking myself. How could I have not checked the date? The bus came tomorrow.
"I'll just wait here if it's ok." The agent opened his mouth to talk, but he didn't look like he was going to say 'oh that's fine', which didn't bring up my mood.
"We lock up at nine, but open up again at five, so just grab a bench." I think about it. Now the electricity-less house didn't seem so bad.
"It's a safe town. And the police station is that building just there." He points over to a long row of car parks. The agent keeps talking,
"I'll take a drive past before I hit the hay as well." Well that's sweet of him.
"You don't have to do that."
"I'll just drive past. If you're up, I'll honk at you. I'd sleep better." Well if he really had it then ok. But I have no idea if I can trust this guy or not.