All Those Years Ago

Conversation

A/N: I had a lot of time to write today. Hopefully the next chapter will be up in the next couple days. Enjoy!

Chapter 2:

We walk down a couple blocks to head to lunch. The heat is beating down on my bare neck. Kurt knew that I loved Italian when we were younger so he said that he would treat me to his favorite. We walk up to the small, corner restaurant about three blocks from my apartment. There is a large, dark oak door that leads into the dining room of the restaurant. A smiley hostess waves to us.
"Hey Kurt! It's good to see you. I got worried when you didn't show up yesterday." She says as they hug.
"Case popped up, you know the drill." He responds as he steps back from the embrace. Kurt follows her eyes to me. "Oh yes. Katy this is Taylor. We were very close friends when we were younger."
"Nice to meet you." She smiles at me. "So two menus?" Kurt nods. We follow her to a corner window booth. Kurt and I sit across from each other. We order our drinks then look at the menus.
"How have you been Tay?" He asks, glancing up from his menu.
"Okay I guess. How about you?" I smile back.
"Ditto. So what have you been up to?"
"Just surviving." I sigh as I pick up my water and bring it to my mouth. It is ice cold as I feel it brush past my lips and spill down my throat. "You?"
"FBI agent. The job takes up most of my life. I live with Sarah and my nephew Sawyer." He explains to me. I nod my head. It is obvious that he wants to know more but the look in his eye says that he's to afraid to push for details.
"I know that you want answers. Ask away Wells." He smiles wearily at his old nickname.
"What happened that night?" He asks. He is obviously hurt and still recovering from that terrifying experience.
"I- um- I went to the bathroom. I heard you watching TV downstairs so I snuck across the hall. My dad had come by earlier that day. I had never met him before, but I heard my mom yelling at him. Then I heard a thump and a scream. He hit her, hard. So when I saw him, I tried to scream for you but he put his hand over my mouth before I could. Then I got hit with something on the back of my head and when I woke up, I wasn't home anymore." I remember the night vividly while I describe it. I look down at my hands which are now shaking.
"Little bear, I'm so sorry! I should have checked on you. It's all my fault." Kurt shakes his head. Then I realize it, he has been kicking himself for years.
"Kurt! Don't put this on yourself. It's his fault, not yours. There is nothing you could have done." I smile at him slightly.
"What happened next?" He is still kicking himself but I just ignore it now.
"He introduced me to his girlfriend and told me that I would live with them now. He showed me my room and the bathroom that I would use. It was a normal house. He said that I would go to school but I couldn't tell anyone that he took me from my mom. I just did what I was told. When I didn't, he would hit me. I learned what to do and how to act pretty quickly." I look down sadly.
"Why didn't you ever come back afterwards or call me?" He questions.
"I looked you up when I turned 16. I was thinking of calling you but I got scared of what would happen if I did. So I didn't. He died on my twentieth birthday. I moved here to get away from his girlfriend. They ended up getting married. Once I heard my mom died, I couldn't take it anymore. Everything was so overwhelming, so I forgot about my past and changed my last name."
"Where did he take you?"
"Honestly I'm not sure. Somewhere in Pennsylvania but far from Clearfield." I look at him. The brims of his eyes are filled with tears which are threatening to fall. "Kurt, I'm fine. I'm past it." I explain. We sit in silence the rest of the lunch. I eat cheese and beef ravioli while Kurt has spaghetti and meatballs. As we get up to leave, Kurt gets a phone call.
"Yeah... Yeah... okay, I'll be right there. No it's fine Patterson, on my way." He hangs up and shoves the phone quickly in his coat pocket. "That was the office. We got some more information on a case. You want to come with? It won't be anything big so we would just be at the office."
"Uh, Kurt? Are you sure-" He cuts me off with a firm 'yes'. I follow him out of the large oak doors and we walk for 10 long minutes to get to the FBI building. We walk up to glass doors on a grey, metal building. It has yellow letters above the doors that read 'Federal Bureau of Investigation'. I froze as Kurt walked through the door.
"Are you okay Tay?" Kurt looks back over his shoulder. I swallow the lump sitting in my throat and nod my head.
"Let's do this Kurt." I begin to walk into the grey building with my best friend, brother, other half.