Persona (22 page)

Reaching the kitchen entrance around the corner, Liam’s senses are affronted with the strong welcoming aroma of coffee. He perks up when they come around the corner and he sees that Dave’s wife Pam is sitting at her island counter with steaming mugs of coffee. She stands and smiles when she sees him, and he offers her one of his own as well. Just like her husband, she hasn’t really changed over the years. Still rail thin, and waves of auburn hair cascading down her closed bathrobe. She too has grey streaks in her hair, but Liam believes they could actually be white if he isn’t mistaken. Her age shows more than Dave’s, but it doesn’t take away from her bright spirit and he freely welcomes a hug when she approaches him for one.

They embrace, and with her arms around him, he is reminded that the last time anyone held him like this was when he was a small boy. It makes him miss being a boy, getting hugs without other intent. When Pam pulls away, she offers him another bright smile.

“How are you my boy, it’s been to long indeed?”

Liam steps back and accepts a cup of coffee from Dave who is now sitting at the island.

“Honestly Mam, I’ve had better days.”

Pam places a gentle hand on his cheek and gives him a motherly sincere look.

“Oh darling, I can only imagine. I spoke with your mother last night, and she informed us of things. Even under the circumstances it is good to see you well.”

Liam nods at her with another honest smile, while she sits beside her husband and drinks from her own coffee cup. This makes Liam sip from his own cup, and feels instantly refreshed from the first drop on his tongue. Lowering the cup from his lips, he looks up to see Dave watching him, oddly.

“I’m afraid I couldn’t come through as fast as I promised your mother. I won’t be able to get the passports you need until this afternoon.”

Now Liam understands the look Dave was giving him, it was a nervous one. He sees Liam as a step in for his father. Meaning that they see his father as a sort of boss, in a way he kind of is, Liam thinks. He just finds it funny when he is reminded of that fact. He is about to tell the Stevens that it’s not a problem to wait for the passports, when he hears the others come into the house and make their way into the kitchen with them. He can feel Moira as soon as she enters the threshold of the house, and the scent of apples races before her and fills him up.

No sooner are they all in the entryway, is Raven already gushing about getting a shower. She gets a smack from Daisy and a glare from Ray; Marty is just smirking and shaking his head. Moira isn’t paying them any attention, her eyes are just for him, and he tries not to let it get to him. It takes everything in him to not let the scent of apples overpower his strength and bring on his persona. From the way she looks slightly pinched like she ate something sour, Liam thinks she is feeling the same way.

Before he can apologize for his rude ingrate friends, whom he is glaring at, Pam rushes over to them.

“Oh you poor dears. You can all help yourself to anything you need. Let me show you to our spare room, so you can get cleaned up.”

Smiling she walks out of the room and the others flock right after her, each nodding their hello’s to Dave. The man addresses them with a wary grin, before giving Liam a stern look when they have all gone.

“You need to be careful son, these are dangerous times. It’s only a matter of time before you come to the wrong folks for help.”

Liam lowers his eyes and stares at his half empty coffee mug, and tries to think about how he even got himself into this situation. Then he remembers, it’s about a girl, isn’t it always?

“I know that Sir, thank you for your concern.”

“I just know what it was like after your father escaped seventeen years ago, and it wasn’t pretty boy. Keep in mind, those men have better resources now.”

Liam doesn’t say anything, and continues to stare down his coffee. He knows Dave is just trying to offer him guidance in the form of a warning, and it definitely sends chills down his spine. However, he has too much confidence in what he does, to let it get to him. His family has been on the outskirts of the ‘law’ for years now, and he knows how to get around them.

Dave mistakes Liam’s silence as ignorance of the situation, and tries to convince his still of the reality of things. Or so Liam believes.

“The girl, the pretty little thing with the red hair, is she really worth
all of this
son?”

Liam’s head shoots up and his eyes bore into Dave, and for just a moment he can feel his persona rising in him like a wave, and wanting to crash to the surface. He clamps it down at the last second though, and only his eyes change making his vision clearer. Dave scoots back slightly, as if he is uncertain of Liam’s reaction. As he should be, Liam thinks, how dare he say that about her.

This makes Liam remember seeing her for the first time so long ago, and how she instantly disliked him and how she got under his skin the first time he saw her smile. He clenches his fists at thinking back to seeing her strapped to the gurney at the facility. All covered in blood, and frightened that he was the bad guy and not there to help her.

Eyes still boring into Dave, Liam leans in so he is closer to the man. Feeling reserved, he knows he has to make him understand where he stands on this situation, and on her.

“Yes, yes she is.”

With wide eyes on him, Liam sits back and sips from his cooling cup of coffee, all the while hearing the others moving around the house now.

Chapter Thirteen

Sitting on the edge of a twin bed, in a spare room Moira watches Daisy and Raven who have no problem conversing with Pam. She would be a little jealous, if she wasn’t so out of it these days. She used to be the girl who wasn’t afraid to talk to new people, until she moved back to New York in September. Now she doesn’t know who or what she is anymore. Watching them though, it doesn’t really matter if she joins in or not. Raven and Daisy seem to be doing all right on their own.

The Stevens had two spare rooms, and made one up for the girls and the boys. Apparently they have grown children, because Pam offered they’re old clothes for them all to change into. Much to Marty and Rays delight, the Stevens had both a daughter and a son, or they’d be wearing a skirt. This makes Moira chuckle a little bit. Who wouldn’t, thinking about seeing Marty in a skirt? Raven of course could barely keep herself in check. All the while she was talking with Pam, and as soon as the woman was finished, Raven states she gets a shower first. Laughing, Pam leaves the girls to help themselves to the adjoining bath connected off of the room. She tells them she better scurry off to give clothes to the boys, in case they try to reuse the ones that already have.

Raven rushes into the bathroom without saying a word as soon as the woman is gone. Leaving Moira alone in the room with Daisy, and she wouldn’t mind usually, but the other girl comes to sit by her on the bed looking solemn. Moira can feel her breath quickening, and knows that any moment Daisy is going to ask she is alright. And when she doesn’t, Moira has the sinking feeling she is going to break. Since leaving the farm the night before, she has been feeling somewhat empty, but she knows it’s just a farce. All she needs is an opening, and she knows the tidal waves will pour out of her again. Even if she would probably feel better to let them out, she can’t right now. They still have a ways to go, and she needs her strength. Whatever amount of it she has anyway.

Except Daisy doesn’t ask if she is alright, in fact she doesn’t say anything for the longest time. The girls sit in a comfortable silence now, and Moira is grateful for it. By the time Daisy does break the silence, Raven’s shower is just about finished.

“I used to be normal you know. I wasn’t always like the rest of you. My ex-boyfriend last year infected me, and made me what I am.”

Moira whips her head around to face Daisy, who is just starring off into space down at the carpeted floor. Taking a deep breath, Daisy looks back to Moira and looks so sad, that she just wants to take the other girl in her arms.

“I’m only telling you this, because I know what it’s like to have something weighing on your shoulders. Like you can’t really express how you really feel without losing control.”

Nodding, Moira doesn’t even know what to say. She can only think that this is what was just running through her mind a moment ago. She is about to tell Daisy this, when the other girl continues first.

“I also know how it feels to want to keep it all locked inside, but eventually you’ll have to let it out. When you do, just know you can come to me.”

Letting a half smile form on her lips, Moira is still speechless and doesn’t know what to say to that. All she can do is pull Daisy to her in a tight hug and tell her thank you. The other girl nods against her shoulder and for the first time, Moira really has close friends that care. At this moment Raven comes into the room in a waft of steam, wrapped up from head to toe in puffy white towels. The two girls pull apart, and have to squint in the steam filled room now. They find Raven with her arms crossed and glaring at them.

“Oh yeah sure, wait until I’m in the shower to have a heart to heart. I could have joined in on it you know.”

This makes the girls laugh, and Daisy just stands up shaking her head. She lightly touches Raven’s shoulder as she skirts past her into the still steaming bathroom and closes the door behind her.

Raven uncrosses her arms, and gives Moira a softer look, one that makes her afraid again what the other girl will say to her.

“I am a good shoulder to unload on you know. Daisy isn’t the only sweetheart that can listen. So you know, whenever you need to talk, I’m here too.”

Moira nods at Raven, and almost like it sets her free, the other girl rushes over to the clothing box that Pam left for them over by the door. Moira watches her dig through it and wonders again how she got such great friends. They have given up so much for her, and who knows what else is coming their way. The only thing she knows for sure is that she is going to make it up to them no matter what. No matter what Fletcher has behind his back for a plan for her, she won’t let it bring any harm to her friends.

Even if it kills her in the process.

Raven stops digging through the box suddenly and holds up a thick fabric to Moira. She has a cheeky grin on her face, and is wiggling her eyebrows. Moira inspects the garment and is trying to figure out what is so funny about it, and then she sees what it is. It’s a large old fashioned sweatshirt, with a smiling cat on the front with a giant bow in its fur. It’s hanging upside down on a tree branch, and the inscription on it says ‘Hang on it’s almost Friday.’

“So babe, what do you think, who gets to wear this masterpiece?” Raven asks with a light lit to her voice.

Moira shakes her head with a laugh, when the other girl flings the sweatshirt across the room and to the floor. As raven goes back to searching for something to wear, Moira watches the shirt fall to the ground almost in slow motion. The only going through her mind now, is that she is like the cat in the shirt, hanging upside down by her claws. With a long way to the ground and not chance of hope to make it till the end the course, she prays her nails are stronger than the cats. Because if they are not, she knows she is very screwed. So much for feeling better, she thinks with a heavy sigh, as she goes back to Raven pulling out flare jeans from the box.

***

Liam wound up getting changed shortly after his talk with Dave, who is now hiding out in his office making calls on their behalf regarding the passport situation. Pam on the other hand, since coming back from helping out the others has been holed up in the kitchen preparing them all something to eat. He must admit to himself, he sure does feel somewhat better now that he is in a change of clothes. Even if the dark jeans and long sleeve white shirt are a little tight, but then he isn’t one to complain. His growling stomach doesn’t complain on that front either, since he can’t really remember the last time he ate anything decent.

For the last couple of minutes he’s been slouching on the Stevens couch in their living room, with Marty and Ray. Who by the way, have been halfheartedly arguing over what they want to watch, while discussing their next driving route. Liam has the remote though, so he only listens only slightly and he is also the one doing the driving later. Still sipping his refilled coffee mug, he half watches the television and takes in the Steven’s living room area. He supposes for an older couple, it’s not that old fashioned. It resembles something that came out in the early 2015’s with all the shiny expensive looking leather. Not a big fan of that era, Lima prefers updated items that more sleek and average. Not that he really cares about home goods or decorations. His family has always just used what they could find cheap. Besides, thinking about the design of the Steven’s house, keeps his mind off of Moira and what he and Dave were talking about earlier.

Deciding it’s not the time to go there again. He flips through the channels on the television and revives the argument between Marty and Ray. Who had finally stops and just argued what highway to take or skip. Liam is about to start picking on them for being stupid, when something on the screen catches his eyes as he flips past the last channel. Quickly he goes back, and he sits up with his eyes going large at what he sees.

It’s a news broadcast, and the volume is turned down low so that he can’t hear what the man on the screen says. But that’s not what has got his attention. There is an image at the right hand corner of the screen, a perfectly sketched image of Moira, in Technicolor. He can feel his persona under his skin like a living thing, as it tumbles and rolls through him, begging for a release. He would let it come to the surface, but he is too freaked at the moment to really control it, so he just lets his eyes go.

When they do, his vision is clearer, and he sees the sketch of Moira better now. Needing to know why there is a picture of her on the news. Liam lifts his hand holding the remote and cranks up the volume. He can’t hear it though, since the guys are oblivious to what is on the screen and that he is upset.