Hybrid

Chapter 25

Phantom, for the rest of the week, woke up in Gideon's warm embrace, her body still recovering from the pleasure from the night before. He was always pleased when he started making her gasp, moan, and writhe under his mouth and touch, making her feel exhausted and spent after each time he went at it. 

Waking up this day though, her mood was darker, as was the sky outside, it wasn't even dawn. She hadn't really been asleep, only waiting from Gideon to pass out first. Untangling herself from his arms, she managed to slip on a shirt and sweatpants that belonged to him, not making a sound as she crept from the room. 

The halls were deserted, but Phantom wasn't fooled that her and Gideon's sexual actions were missed by the others, they were all far from deaf. Grace's room was on the other side of the facility, the walk took her ten minutes with how quiet she was mindful of being, her footsteps silent on the floor. 

Phantom knocked softly before pushing the door open, showing Grace and Nico sitting on the bed, Noa was in Jane's room. "What's up Crazy?"

"I could ask you the same thing Ghost, you asked us to meet up here." She stated it calmly, her pale blonde hair falling softly around her face. Nico had been more clear headed than ever, Eva seemed to ground her and Phantom was glad, she needed someone. 

Taking a deep breath, she handed several notes to them, all written in her neat but slightly sloppy handwriting. "Don't read those yet, I need time." 

"You're leaving." Nico looked at her, a slightly sad cast to her shoulders. 

"I-," she faltered, she knew. "Yeah, I can't continue putting all of you into trouble. Lilith came to me after I'd healed and come out for breakfast, she knew too." The revelation that she'd been following Phantom her whole life still surprised her. "The names on the notes go to the separate people, Alpha Jones hasn't come around asking about Noa so keep her safe and make sure to have him read the note. It explains everything. Separate ones for you, Noa, Leo, Jane, and anybody else who I needed to give a loose explanation." 

Nico regarded her calmly, "Okay, am I still allowed to visit you in projections?" 

"No, if I need to contact you, I'll call. I can't have you figuring out where I am. That's the point of leaving." Phantom was surprised Nico seemed as content as she was about it. 

Grace suddenly spoke, "What about Gideon? How is he going to live through this, he will go through hell and back just to be with you, even if you hated his very existence. He loves you more than he loves himself."  

"I know," Phantom looked down at her pale slender fingers. "I have a note for him that will explain everything. But once I'm gone, I'm not coming back, I can't." 

"Why'd you come to us?" 

"Because sister, I know you'd understand, these people are your family and I won't be the death of them. And Nico," she turned to her crazy friend. "You owe me, which means you are bound to whatever I tell you and ask of you. I trust you two to not stop me. Will you try to?" 

Grace opened and closed her mouth but Nico spoke. "No, I won't because I owe you. I'll keep your disappearance a secret until I can't make it appear so. You have my word, just promise you'll call when you're safe and far enough away." 

"I promise Nico that I will." She pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you, but if I call, Gideon isn't allowed to be in the room, or anybody else." Phantom pulled her sister in, "Tell dad that I love him and that he did nothing wrong. Also, I will run until they can't find me, if the werewolves find me, I'll leave my safe location to find another one. Just a warning. I'll miss you Grace." 

She let her go and exchanged another look with them before leaving the room and hurrying back to her own. She already had a duffel bag shoved under the bed, Lilith had brought it during the night as requested. Phantom threw a couple of Gideon's clothes in the bag, mostly sleep clothes, and then started tossing her own stuff in it, rushing to the bathroom to grab her toothbrush and other necessities. She froze as Gideon stirred in their room and ran, appearing at his side the second he started struggling into a sitting position. 

"Phantom, what are you doing awake?" He said in an adorable morning voice that squeezed her heart painfully. 

She caressed his cheek carefully. "I'm going out with Eva and the others for a girls night. They want to talk about relationships and such, I decided to join them, they're waiting for me in the hall actually." Her throat felt tight after the lie, as if there was a noose tightening around her neck quickly by each of her lies. 

"Ah," he chuckled, oh how she would miss that sound, it was like a caress against her skin. "Then I shouldn't keep you?" 

"No, you should go back to bed. But I'll go for a kiss if you want, nothing else." Gideon wasted no more time, his tongue finding its way into her mouth, sliding against hers. She fought back the hot press of tears against her eyes and returned it. 

He pulled back with a sleepy smile, pressing another quick kiss to her cheek. "Okay, I won't keep you. I love you." 

"I love you too Gideon, no matter what." Phantom smiled, "Now sleep before you fall asleep on me." He laid back down and she didn't move until she could tell he was asleep, his thoughts silent in her mind. 

Tears slid down her cheeks as she threw the rest of her things together, grabbing a picture from her backpack and pinning it to the wall with her dagger. She would leave it for him, even if she wanted to take it, she had plenty of weapons, she'd smuggled them in periodically while she'd been healing and when Gideon had been sleeping. It didn't take her long to put everything together in her duffel bag, she already had the place she was going to, it was far from headquarters, she would reach there by train in a good day or two. It felt like her heart was shattering as she looked at Gideon while slinging the duffel bag over her shoulder, his handsome face relaxed with sleep, hugging the pillow she used. Phantom pressed a kiss to his forehead before leaving and locking the bottom lock on the door. 

Quill, she knew, would be grabbing the other guard for the hour if she hurried. She reached the front door with no problems, walking away with the same, the ease at which people could come in and out was phenomenal. As she heard the doors a good ways away, she started running, knowing they wouldn't catch her scent or see her if she went fast enough. Phantom looked over her shoulder and could barely see the warehouse building by the time she stopped running and was drenched in sweat. The tears were still running down her cheeks and she ran again, not stopping until she got to the train station and bought her ticket. 

The woman who handed it to her, stared at her, noticing the drying tears on her face, and several that had fallen. A sympathetic expression crossed her face, "Are you okay?" 

"I'm running from a bad relationship." She decided to say, it wasn't a lie, her relationship with the elves was pretty bad. 

She smiled sadly, "Where are you headed to?" 

"New York." Phantom said sadly. 

"That's a several day ride, do you have a travelling companion?" She seemed worried. 

"No, I'm on my own." 

"Well, I was just helping out my sister, I actually live in New York, I needed to go home anyway." 

"I should be fine, thank you though." Phantom tried.

"I insist, really, I have an extra room you can stay in until you're situated and with an apartment or something. I'm Elizabeth Morgan, people call me Eliza or Liz." 

Phantom thought for a second, "I'm Lily Lawrance. I think I'll take you up on that offer. At least until I have what I need." 

"Well, I know a great place to get a job if you're up for it, or okay with it. I'll be back in just a second Lily." Eliza darted into the building, her dark hair trailing behind her. She was a decent height. She came out a second later, holding her stuff and a ticket of her own. "Let's go, maybe I can help with the bad relationship." They boarded as the train blew steam and sat, Eliza had kind blue eyes, Phantom noted, mulling over her hasty name idea, it had just come to her mind. "Tell me about yourself." 

Phantom settled in and allowed herself to smile as she dried her tears, coming up with a story, "Where do I start?"