Fighting Next To You ~ A Clintasha FanFiction

Part Nine

Eventually Taylor opens the door and lets me into the bathroom. I haven't known her long, but she seems like a really caring person. Who else would willingly take in someone else's kids who are nearly the same age as themselves?

Quickly, I text Clint telling him to make sure Brett doesn't leave the dining room.

Taylor wipes her eyes on some toilet paper and her bottom lip trembles. "I'm so sorry Kayley, I've just had to bottle everything up for too long and now I've actually made a friend who I can trust, I feel like I have to tell you everything."

Taylor flushes the used tissue down the toilet and a wave of guilt passes over me, mainly because I'm not being honest with her. A part of me wants to tell Taylor about who I really I am, but I decide against it.

"Sure, go ahead." I say, as a grab a tissue from my pocket and wipe her eyes for her. She smiles graciously and begins her story...

"When I got with Brett, I was still only young. He was charming and loyal, and I knew I could tell him anything. Growing up was rough, having six siblings made it difficult to get any attention, and I suffered from depression for several years. Brett helped me. When we met, we just clicked; I knew it was meant to be. I dropped out of school and went to live with him. All of a sudden he told me he had two kids, Xander and Marcie were only eleven at the time, and they were still getting over their Mom leaving them. I didn't feel like I could walk out on him just because he had kids, so I took care of them, more so than ever when we went to live on the army base. Brett was in the army for a few years, and when he stopped he suffered from PTSD, meaning no company would employ him. He suffered from night terrors mainly, we couldn't cope well. The kids were the most affected by it, and it was hard taking care of them without Brett's help." Taylor stops to blow her nose and carries on.

"Suddenly this organisation that Brett's brother Andy was a part of turned up on our doorstep, they offered Brett work. So he took it."

I interrupt, "What organisation?"

Taylor gulps before telling me, "A.I.M. they're bad people, none of them are good." Taylor shivers.

"Anyway, I didn't think it was a good idea, but Brett disagreed. He started off filing paperwork and now he manages one of the divisions. His division focuses on mutations in genetics. He's had the job for a couple of years, and since then he's changed. He started to get really funny around the kids, especially Marcie. It turned out that his division were struggling to mutate the genes of male participants."

I interrupt once more, "Were they willing to be experimented on?" I ask curiously.

Taylor shakes her head, and tears well up in her eyes. "They would steal men off the street. Brett had his eye on female participants though. I remember the evening so clearly. I was helping Xander with his Spanish homework and Brett was on the phone. Marcie was watching TV, she was normal back then. All of a sudden Brett grabbed Marcie and marched her outside; Xander started shouting and chased Brett out of the house. Brett shoved Marcie in the back of a white van and slammed the door. I remember holding Xander back, he was trying to run after the van, he kicked, he screamed, I've never seen him like that before. Brett got in the van too and drove off without saying a word. A.I.M. needed a test subject, and Brett decided to sacrifice his own daughter. He knew that all the other test subjects had either died or been left with severe conditions and disabilities, but he didn't care. Xander broke in two. He didn't sleep, eat, talk; he couldn't go on without Marcie. Brett didn't come home either and I was left with Xander, it was hard, but Xander was grateful to have someone around. We really bonded over those few weeks we spent alone together; I didn't feel like his Dad's new wife, I felt like his Mom. We tried to escape, but Brett had the house watched and guarded, so we weren't allowed to leave. When Brett came back he brought Marcie back too. She had survived the tests, but the tests didn't work. They couldn't change her genetics, something to do with her blood type, but she changed. She was left with these scars on her hands and wrists from where they poked needles and tubes into her. She wouldn't talk about it, not even to Xander. Since that day, Xander has never left her side. His main focus is to help Marcie get better, but it seems impossible, especially since she has been left with the severe psychological impact of it all. Brett has always neglected his kids, but never like that. I tried to run off with them, but he found us packing up the car early in the morning. Since then he's started to torment me. He always threatens that it'll be me getting in the white van next. A.I.M. now targets women who might have mental conditions; they say that they'll 'help' them."

Taylor stops talking and without thinking, I hug her tight.

"It's alright Taylor, it's okay; you don't have to do this anymore I promise. I can help you."

Taylor looks up at me with tears in her eyes. "Really?" She asks me.

"Yes, Linus and I will help you and the kids."

Taylor smiles. "They're good kids, they don't deserve this." She's right.

"Taylor, you don't deserve this either." Now I'm really considering telling her about who I really am. "Taylor, I need you to stick out another few days here, you can hide at our house, Linus and I will keep you and the kids safe, we'll call you to tell you when we're ready. Okay?" Taylor nods. "Now come on, we need to finish dinner."