Who We Were & Who We Are Now

Part 8

You've closed up the station early, it was near dark outside and you felt the nervousness sitting in your gut. You hear the boys move around upstairs, your fingers fuss with a loose thread on your apron. Your sigh seems too loud in the off silence of the station, it always felt strange without people in it, like the place wasn't supposed to ever be empty.

You see Jack come down first, going behind the counter to pull out a mason jar of shine, grunting as he opens it. Howard's tall frame is following Forrest's shorter, broader one as usual.

"Go get the truck ready Howard, send Cricket in, now," he says with a point of his finger and a nod of his head. He moves next to you, your hands clasped in your lap, eyes looking up at him as he studies your worried expression. He didn't want you to be but he couldn't tell you it wasn't warranted. He pulls a small pistol from behind him, lifting up his cardigan for a moment to retrieve it. "You know how to use one of these Tawny?" he asks, holding it out in an open palm to you.

You take it from his hands. "Don't insult me, Forrest." you say with an odd smile, taking it and clicking it open, checking to see if it was loaded and it was. You snap it back shut and meet his eyes, a nod and grunt follow. He should've known you'd be able to handle yourself. Even if you did paint your nails, curl your hair and wear pretty things now, he could tell you were still that same scrappy little girl you always were.

Cricket limps into the station, questioning eyes on Forrest. "You wanted me in here?" he asks, his head tilted slightly.

"Imma need ya to keep Miss Tawny here company while we're out." he gives a stern nod and Cricket looks over to you. "I don't suspect ya'll'll have any trouble but I don't want nothin' happenin' to her, so you keep an eye out and keep her back, alright?"

"Alright." he agrees with a series of short nods and wide eyes, moving to sit at a table across from where you sat.

"We'll be back late." he says in a quieter voice, turning to you, his back to everyone else. "I'll take care of this, alright?" he says, lowering his face closer to yours, making sure you looked him in the eyes. "Not to worry ya, but you might want to get things set up in case he's hurt." his eyes are more kind now, he really didn't want to worry you, but he also knew you deserved to be prepared and know what he really thought. There wasn't any reason to hide these sorts of things from you any longer, whether he'd wanted you to or not you were now a part of it. "We're all three gonna go down and get him back."

"All three?" you hear Jack sputter out some shine.

"You heard me," he says sternly, turning his head to him. "You wanted in this racket, and you were the one who was with him when he went missin' so it's high time you started helpin' to clean up this mess you helped make." his brow is heavy again, his posture still leaned in towards you.

"Yeah." he nods with wide eyes, not expecting to be coming with them, clearly. "Yeah, Forrest I'll help. I will. I'll-"

"Shut up and c'mon on now, Jack." Howard says, giving him a slap to the back.

"We'll bring him back." his voice goes low again after watching his brothers head out to the truck. "Don't you worry too much now." he orders, his tone far harsher than the look he was giving you.

"I know you will, Forrest." you say with a sigh. "Thank you for doin' this." your voice is almost a whisper.

"You don't have to keep thankin' me Tawny, I told you that." his voice is low but not aggressive.

"I just want you to know how much it means to me is all." you shake your head and look down at your hands. "I won't say it no more about it." you look back up into his eyes, wide and honest that told him how much it meant without words. "I'll be here waitin' on ya." you say with a small smile, it was uncertain but you felt you needed to show solidarity and thankfulness for what he was doing for you.