Freedom Train

February 4, 1963

Monday- February 4, 1963

"Are you scared?" Terry asked Annabeth as they lay together on the cabin's twin sized bed the following morning.

They had talked through the night about how they would move on in their lives. Annabeth wasn't sure when they had finally fallen asleep, but she knew that she had barely slept at all with all her thinking about what comes next for the two of them.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. Alabama's the only place I've ever known," Annabeth answered as her fingers trailed over the thin cotton of Terry's shirt, her hand on his chest.

"You want me to go over the plan one more time?" Terry asked before pressing his lips to the side of her forehead.

"Yes, please," she said as she closed her eyes and took a calming breath.

Terry had gone over his plan with her at least three times before that moment. But anxiety could be crippling if you let it build up in your chest for too long. Just hearing Terry tell her how everything would turn out alright put her at ease.

"Today, you'll go say goodbye to your girlfriends," Terry began, right before Annabeth's stomach growled and cut him off. "And grab us some food," he added with a chuckle, "while I take this last day to move myself around a little more and heal up. Tonight, a few hours after sundown, the two of us will go toward where I've hidden my car and we will head into Birmingham. Tomorrow, I'll go talk to my family and we will talk to the troupe about adding you on the roster. Then, when the train leaves for Baltimore, we will be on it, and we will take it from there."

"And what are we going to do for food and money while we're on the road?" Annabeth questioned for probably the 5th time, only to receive the same answer.

"You don't need to worry about money, Annabeth. I have enough saved up to carry us for a little while. When it runs low, I'll get more."

Terry ran his hand up and down Annabeth's arm as Annabeth sighed at his vague response.

"How will you get more, Terry? You make it sound so easy."

"You make it all worth it," was his vague reply as he pulled her tighter against his body.

*~*~*

Sandy swung her front door open, a frenzied look on her face.

"Thank God," she said as she grabbed Annabeth's arm and pulled her inside the house, firmly closing the door behind her.

"What's the matter?" Annabeth asked her as she was pulled into the kitchen.

Liz jumped to her feet from her place at the small table and immediately wrapped Annabeth up in her arms.

"Nice to see you, too?" Annabeth replied with a short chuckle as she hugged her back.

Liz pulled away and grabbed Annabeth by the shoulders.

"Where on God's green Earth have you been, Annabeth? We were worried sick!" she scolded, practically shaking Annabeth's shoulders with each word she spoke.

Annabeth must've looked confused because Sandy quickly jumped in to fill in the blanks.

"We were worried when you didn't show up to church yesterday morning. And then when we got home we found out that Ronny's been calling all over town lookin' for you. He sounded real worried."

Annabeth smiled, thinking of her little brother fondly for once.

Ronny surprised the hell out of her yesterday, coming to her defense the way he did, even if he was the reason she needed defending in the first place. Annabeth always thought he was just their Daddy's puppet. She was truly surprised that he had stuck up for her.