Nothing Would've Ever Happened

Chapter 4

 "Kids! Go inside the car! Mom needs to grab a couple things!"

"Okay mom! Hurry! We don't want to be late!" Mavis said as she ran out the door with Drew following behind. Elaine went up the stairs to the bedroom, looking for her keys. She finally found them on their bedside table, her phone underneath it. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, her phone buzzed a text message. Curious, she checked to see who it was, My Love sent a text on her screen. For a few seconds, she thought it was going to be a cute text message as he always does around the time, but as a reflex, she checked to see what it was.

"...what?" She thought to herself as she read the strange text message. She started to type a response, asking what was going on, but instinctively thought it wasn't a joke. Quickly, she looked through her contacts, trying to find someone on her phone that could help.

"Come on... come on..." she said frantically as the phone rang.

"...Hello?"

"Isabel! Oh my god! Are you free right now?!"

"...Uh, yeah, I'm at home right now. It's my day off, why?"

"Thank god! Okay, I need you to pick up the kids right now!"

"Elaine, don't they have school right now?"

"Isabel, something went wrong at Justin's work. He texted me that there were W.A.T.T. agents all over the place, and that they're on their way to my house right now!"

"Okay okay! I'm leaving right now!"

The call ended as Elaine started running down the stairs. She ran outside, where Drew and Mavis were waiting for the car to open.

"Mom, are you okay?" Drew asked.

Elaine froze for a second, "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

"Aren't you going to unlock the car? We're going to be late for school." Mavis said.

"I just got an email from your school saying that it's Staff Development Day, so you guys don't have to go to school today..." She said slowly.

"Oh cool!" Drew said excitedly.

"You guys are going to Aunt Isabel's today, alright? She's on her way to pick you guys up."

"What about you mom?" Mavis asked, confused.

"...I'm going to dad's work. He needs me to bring something for him, he forgot it here at home."

"Like always..." Mavis laughed.

"Come on, now." Elaine ushered them back inside the house. "Go grab anything you wanna bring to Auntie's..." She looked out onto the street, seeing the Aperture Science building far in the distance.

Bzzzz!

Elaine checked her phone; it was Isabel. She ran to the front door and opened it, seeing Isabel standing in front of her.

"Isabel!" Elaine smiled and hugged her, trying to act normal.

"Elaine, what's going on?" she whispered.

"Kids! Aunt Isabel is here! Get your things!" Elaine called into the house.

"Okay!" They both said.

Elaine brought Isabel into the house, "I don't know what's going on, but I have a really bad feeling that it's bad..."

"Did you tell the kids?"

"I told them it was a Staff Development Day, didn't want to scare them..."

Drew and Mavis ran down the stairs behind Elaine, their backpacks clanking with their things.

"Aunt Isabel!" they both yelled as they hugged her legs.

"Aww! Hi Drew! Mavis!" She smiled. "How are you guys?"

"Good!" They said in unison.

"Go inside the car, your mom and I are gonna talk for a bit." She smiled as she unlocked her car. Drew and Mavis walked outside and slid the van doors open, getting inside.

Elaine took a deep breath, "I'm going to Aperture."

"Are you crazy?!" Isabel shouted. "I thought you're coming with us!"

"I need to find out what happened with Justin. He could be in danger!"

"Elaine, no! You can't do that!"

They fell silent when they heard police sirens in the distance.

"Isabel! Leave now!" Elaine yelled as she ran inside the house.

"Elaine..."

"GO!"

She watched Elaine run upstairs, hesitating to leave. Unable to think of a different plan, she finally huffed away and closed the door. She walked to the car and got inside, Mavis and Drew waiting for her.

"Is Mommy okay?" Mavis asked innocently.

Isabel looked in her rear-view mirror and looked at Mavis, "Don't worry, she's alright."

Elaine ran upstairs to the bedroom, grabbing a small bag in her hurry. She ruffled through her drawer underneath her clothes. She pulled out a few handguns and flashlights, stuffing them into the bag. Scanners and little devices also were thrown into the bag as she filled it up with as much gadgets as she could that would help her if she ran into any trouble in her attempt to save Justin.

She zipped up the bag and ran downstairs, running towards the front door. She unlocked the car from inside as she opened the door, making sure she had everything she needed. Just as she walked outside and closed the door, she froze, a barrel right in her face. She saw a group of W.A.T.T. agents surrounding her.

"Mrs. Cortez, put your hands in the air, you are under arrest."

She slowly put her hands in the air as two agents went behind her and clasped her hands in handcuffs. She was brought to her knees as they injected a serum into her arm, making her drowsy and slowly falling asleep.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Drew said as he pressed his face against the window.

"Drew, W.A.T.T. cars aren't cool." Mavis rolled her eyes as they passed by.

Isabel grasped the steering wheel tighter as she drove away from the house. She looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the cars stop at the front of her house, Elaine's car still in the driveway. A small red gem swung back and forth as they drove away into the distance.