Freddie
A few hours later found the pair seated together on the train to Oxford. Freddie couldn't account for it. All of Anna's initial objections made complete sense, and it was totally out of character for him to have made the offer in the first place. He did fine with women, and by fine, he had one night stands here and there and focused on his career the rest of the time. There was no point starting a relationship with anyone while his regiment could be deployed at any moment and then he'd be out of the country for months at a time. Why put anyone through the stress of a long distance relationship if he didn't have to?
He was getting ahead of himself. He'd known Anna Russell for less than 24 hours. There was nothing long term about her, or them. They hadn't even had sex! What had he been thinking inviting her to Oxford?
She never responded the way he expected. It delighted him, the surprises her voice issued forth. He loved listening to her American accent and turns of phrase. He just wanted to spend more time with her. So what if he didn't have more of a reason than that.
"I should call my parents and let them know I've changed my itinerary," Anna said abrubtly when the train started rolling.
"You may not get reception."
"I know - I'll just try really quickly." She got up and walked down the aisle to some empty seats where he wouldn't be able to hear the conversation. He figured he should take the opportunity to let his sister know they were coming.
Sophy was incredulous. "You're bringing a girl you just met to come and stay at my house and you didn't think to ask me before inviting her?"
"Come on, Soph, she's great. You're going to like her."
"I'm going to kill you."
"You love me."
"I did at one point."
"You're going to have to dig deep into those memories and find a way to love me again because we'll be there in [a few] hours."
"Bollucks." Sophy hung up, but Freddie knew she wasn't really angry, Sophy didn't have it in her to be angry with anyone, let alone her last living family.
Anna
Anna's call, as one can imagine, went differently.
"Why didn't you call us last night," her mother cried as soon as she answered. "We were worried sick. I was about to call the Embassy."
"I did call - I left a voicemail after dinner."
"Yes, but you said you were out. You know we want you to call us when you get into the hostel each night so we know you're safe."
"I was safe, Mom, I promise."
Mrs. Russell sighed a bit at that, but her lecture finished, Mr. Russell took over the call. "On your way to Edinburgh?"
"Actually, no, there's been a change in plans." Anna could hear the raised eyebrows on her parents' lined faces. "I met somebody at the pub last night and -"
"Somebody?" Her mother interjected.
"And he's invited me to come to Oxford with him for a few days. His sister lives there, and he [studied there for a bit] and I wanted to make sure you knew where I was going."
"Anna Eleanor Russell," her mother shouted into the phone so loudly Anna had to pull it away from her ear. "No! Under no circumstances are you running off with a man you just met. He could be a serial killer for God's sake."
"He could be," Anna replied.
"Young lady," Mr. Russell said, the warning in his voice giving her prom night flashbacks. The boy she went with hadn't been that much of a bad influence.
"I'm being safe, I promise. I'll email you his sister's name, phone number, and address when we hang up. I'll send you his picture and [British army id #??]. If anything happens to me, you'll be able to find him."
"We'd rather nothing happen to you in the first place," her father growled.
"Nothing's been happening to me my entire life. I want something to happen. If not now, when?"
"Anna, you're being irrational."
"Good, I've been rational all my life. Look, it's too late, we're on the train - I'm heading there now. I just wanted to let you know where I'm going."
There was silence on the other end and Anna worried the call had dropped, but then heard her mother sigh again. "Can we at least talk to him?" she asked. The line began to crackle and her mother's voice drifted in and out.
"What was that? Mom?"
"I said... can... you..."
"You're breaking up, Mom. I'm on the train going through the English countryside, not a lot of cell service here."
"Hon... please... I..."
"I'll call you as soon as we get to Oxford." Anna couldn't tell if they'd heard the last bit and hung up thinking she'd done more harm than good with the call.
