"Marc!"
His hands had been light, gentle magic as they crossed forbidden lines. "Marcus!"
He had loved her and walked away, and she had never recovered. "Marc!"
"I'm here, Angie."
He sounded older, used, and she winced at the pain of having him in her head. It reminded her of when it had been just them against the world.
"Are you still coming?"
Fear of the past made her hold her breath, whispered, "No," that she would be alone forever.
"Yes. I should be in Cincinnati in less than a week."
Angela let out the breath, ashamed of the grateful cry from her anxious heart. Five to seven days away. She had been afraid he wouldn't come, and was still worried he wouldn't care once he found out what she wanted. She didn't know what kind of person he had become and she was depending on a debt that was very old.
"Will you tell me what's going on? I picked up a few things, but I can be better prepared if I know more."
"But, you do know what kind of person he is or you wouldn't have called him," the old Angela, the one the War had almost freed, stated flatly from her twisted cell door. "Tell him what he needs to know." "Angie?"
"I'm here, Brady." She could almost feel him wince this time and it surprised her to find she didn't enjoy it. She owed him much worse.
"Can you tell me?"
The caution in his voice allowed the old Angela to open the door between them a little wider and the words fell with a simple awkwardness that made her cry huge, silent tears of loss.
"My...son is somewhere in the middle of the country. I need you to get me there and help me steal him back, if it comes to that. I'm leaving now. We can join up on the road."
There wasn't even a thoughtful pause after her request. "It's really bad out here, Angie. I wish you'd wait for me."
She could feel him immediately wanting to take it back, but her rage was quick, harsh. "I tried that already!"
Suddenly, she was sixteen again, hurt, betrayed, and alone, with no one but Corporal Kenny to turn to. She slammed the door on his incoming protests, but the old Angela was stronger now and she was forced to listen to the muffled apologies and explanations he labored to push at her. She heard the words and his remorse, but no matter what he said, Angela refused to answer. She was ready to go and could deny her mother's heart no longer.