Until. We. Die

.12.

"Hunter is going back to school today. Lou will be with me but we are going out to run some errands, are you going to be okay on your own today, Tristan?" Mary was at the sink washing dishes this morning as I sat at the dining room table with a laptop and notebook, working through the program Dean had someone get me into.

Hunter and Lou were nowhere to be seen after breakfast this morning, and Dean had gone out of town for work yesterday. Everyone was going back to their normal lives after our small lockdown for a few days.

There was no news on my dad; he was just still in town. He hadn't left for work since I had run away, and no one had shown up here since he was looking for me. "I should be. I'll give you a call if I need anything." Mary and Dean had gotten me a new phone after everything had gone down. After a week of being here, and now being here alone during the day they decided it was best I had one again.

I had lost mine on my run away, and I had been weary about taking the new one from them. But they insisted, and by insisted I mean Dean practically shoved it in my hands with a small smile while Mary did all the talking, "You should have a phone. Only our contacts and Hunters are in it. No apps, no personal information linked to you."

"I...I don't know. I can't take that from you guys, it's too much." I flipped it over my hands, the box looking new and clean.

"Tristan, if anything it's for our sake to know you are okay. If you need anything or anything happens this way you can contact us quickly."

"I...what if he finds me through it somehow? I don't want you guys to get into trouble...I am already a risk for you guys. I don't want anything to happen to you." I tried to argue my reasoning, not wanting to be linked to anything although they said it was safe, I wanted them to be safe too.

Dean spoke this time, pointing to the phone in my hands, "Tristan, nothing will happen to us. You do not need to worry about us or our family. You don't need to protect us, let us worry about that."

"But-"

"No "buts" Tristan. You'll take this phone and let us worry about everything else. Your father won't find you through it. I promise. You let us handle him, and you focus on getting that leg better and on school. We're the adults here, let us worry about the adult problems while you still can. " They both left the room I was staying in and just like that I had a new phone with all their contacts in it. It sat heavy in my pocket on my thigh as the reminder that I had a new phone, a way to contact them, a new safety net of some kind despite my weariness to the idea of it. I didn't even notice that I had lost my phone until a few days ago when Hunter had asked about it during our little "lockdown" in the house. I was thankful I had lost it and not had it in a room here somewhere, because I was sure my dad would find a way to find me through it.

"Doctor Hamlin said he'll try to be here around noon, just a heads up. If you want to go out for a walk or anything, just message me or Dean so we know where you are, even with Doctor Hamlin."

"I will. Thank you for the phone, Mary. I'm sorry I was weary about it. I just..."

"I understand where your worry stems from Tristan. It's okay. But you do not need to worry about us. Dean and I know the risks of keeping you, especially from your father. But trust us...everything will work out fine. We are glad you are here."

__________

Throughout the day I buried myself in schoolwork Dean had gotten me set up with, alone in the house, I hardly left my room until Mary and Lou came back. Something in the back of my head screamed at me to not leave my room, to keep the door locked and the blinds shut. Just in case.