FREAKS || Jerome Valeska¹

17 || Familiar

The black telephone dial was rotated, her fingers trembling. Breathing more anxiously every time the dial was spun to a different number. Glancing behind her shoulder repeatedly - Reese was in her room, but what she was doing was punishable.

Her free hand fidgeted and pinched her navy-blue colored pants. She placed the phone against her ear, listening to it ring a couple of times and cussing quietly. It was taking forever. There was fear that he might get caught talking to her, which would endanger him.

Clicking on the line caught her off guard. "Hello?" His timid voice spoke.

Reese could feel the muscles in her chest beat faster. Her throat ran dry, and tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. There was no denying that she missed Edward very much. His voice could take her back to Sunday nights, staying up late and watching vintage black and white movies. Laughing at comedies, tearing up at the depressing ones, and admiring the love in romances. She missed the days when he 'scolded' her for eating junk food, when he told her it'd rot her teeth - She would laugh and eat it anyway. She missed having a home, a comfortable place, not just where she got to sleep.

"Hello?"

A lump of thick sadness was swallowed, and her lips parted to speak, "Eddie?" Her voice had become more of a whisper.

On the other side, Edward's eyes widened, and tears threatened to seep. His heart almost froze in surprise, taking too long to beat. He dreaded going back to work - He was afraid they would drop a bomb on him and tell him his sister suffered the same fate as Arnold Dobkins. Now, he was hearing her speak for the first time in days.

"Reese?" He placed down the papers he was holding.

She breathed shakily and decided to go straight to the point. "Ed, where are you?"

"I'm at the GCPD. Why? Are you okay?" He rambled, making the girl clench her eyes. There was no time to sit and chat. "Reese, if you're hurt, you know I'll be there in a second."

"I'm fine." She whimpered. She could hear him begin to speak her name through the line, possibly not believing, "I promise. I promise... I'm gonna need you to leave the precinct."

Edward's eyebrows conjoined, "W-What?"

Reese hesitated, not wanting to say more than she was supposed to, "Ed, listen to me. You cannot be at the GCPD. It isn't safe there."

"I don't - I don't understand." He stuttered but then gaped, figuring it couldn't be anything good, "What are you gonna do?"

She grimaced, "Please don't ask that... I can't say." Outside, Greenwood was heard yelling almost victoriously. Her breathing quickened again, "Promise you won't tell anyone I called you." But he said nothing, sending her over the edge of fear. If he told anyone at the GCPD, they would be in trouble, "Edward, please." She begged, tears now streaming down her face.

He couldn't speak momentarily, "I promise I won't." He paused momentarily, collecting his thoughts before continuing, "What's going on?"

"Just leave the GCPD." She warned before hanging up, leaving Ed baffled and herself in tears. She only hoped he'd listen to her and leave because it would destroy her to know something happened to him.

Meanwhile, Edward hoped that she was safe.

= ∆ =

A snort escaped me as we sat outside the GCPD, watching Barbara go inside, "Poor Jimmy." I muttered in a sing-song voice.

"Must really suck to see your ex-fiancé become the bad guy." Jerome pondered, feigning worry before looking at me with a devious expression. We began giggling uncontrollably in amusement. When we regained our breath, J placed his gun in the holster, "Showtime, baby doll."