Memories

LXII

3 NIGHTS

'Three nights at the motel
Under streetlights in the city of palms
Call me what you want, when you want, if you want
And you can call me names if you call me up'

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Hi, um..it's been a few days. It's Christmas tomorrow! And then my nephew's birthday and then it's New Year's Eve, so I probably won't be updating till the new year after this. Hope y'all are having a nice holiday tho and get everything you want for Christmas (if you celebrate it)..so ya, have fun in the sun! (or the snow if you're from the northern hemisphere :)

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"Was it easy?" Andrew asked in German. He was talking to Neil, but Thalia was listening to their quiet conversation on the floor from Kevin's side. He wouldn't let go of her. Wouldn't let her leave his side. She didn't blame him, the last time she had, she'd flown to West Virginia and hadn't come back. "Kevin told us who he worked for."

They were talking about the execution of Nathan Wesninski, and Neil had told Andrew Stuart had done the deed. But every time Thalia closed her eyes she saw her father throw up blood and fall to the floor. Every time she fell asleep, she heard him telling her how he named her to make her come back. "I did it," she said in German, interrupting their conversation. Andrew looked away from Neil's eyes, up to Thalia's, a questioning look on his face. "I killed him. Not Stuart Hatford. It was me." she was glad the agents didn't know what she was saying, because it was highly incriminating.

Neil turned around to look at her, a startled expression gracing his burned and slashed face. It looked painful, and Thalia wouldn't doubt that it was. "You? You killed your father?" Andrew said. Thalia nodded slowly. There was something like respect in Andrew's eyes. "Killing someone is never easy."

"Well I guess you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Aaron butt in. Nobody said anything for a few seconds, and Neil turned back to Andrew, but his words were loud enough for Thalia to hear too.

"My uncle said he was going to them to try and negotiate a ceasefire. I don't know if he's strong enough to bargain with them, but I'd like to think he wouldn't have risked it without real ground to stand on. Promise me no one's talked to the FBI about them." Neil told him.

"No one's said anything to them since they said we couldn't see you," Andrew said, flicking his eyes to Thalia's and back down to Neil.

"But why? I've done nothing but lie to them," Neil said. Thalia sat up straight, and Kevin stiffened. He didn't grab her tighter, knowing it would only hurt Thalia, but he didn't want her to leave. She wouldn't. Not yet. "I willingly put them all in danger so that I could play a little longer. They got hurt last night because of me. Why would they protect me?"

"Because you are a Fox," Thalia said. Neil looked back at her again. "You will always be a Fox, and Foxes look out for each other."

"And so are you," Andrew said to Thalia. "You may have left us, but it wasn't willingly. You're back now, and as long as you stay, we will continue to protect you."

"Andrew," Thalia started. She looked into Neil's eyes, which were as sad as she felt. He knew as well as she did that they'd have to tell them all sooner rather than later that they weren't going back with the Foxes. That they'd never see them again.

"They want to take us away," Neil said, still in German, to Andrew. "They want to enroll us in the Witness Protection Programme so our father's people can't find us. I don't want," Neil paused, sighing visibly. "If you tell me to leave, I'll go." Andrew was quiet a moment then jutted his chin towards Thalia.