After Lewandowski had finished healing she knew it was time to abandon her post. Yes, she was breaking one of her general orders, she had not been properly relieved. Frank had decided she was good and well on her own at the compound so he went on a simple, 4-day mission with Lieberman. In this time, Lewandowski had already written what was basically a novel to Frank and letters to both Curtis and David. The decision to leave did not come lightly. She had spent most nights wide awake, in front of her and Castles' mirror wondering where it had all went wrong, why she was like this, and why she was abandoning everybody.
'It had to happen. Simple as that,' Lewandowski thought. As soon as they left and she was alone for the first time in months, she packed every single one of her belongings into her sea bags, shoved her ID's into her pocket, exiting the compound and was on her way to the inner city. As soon as she had made it, she flagged down a taxi and asked to be driven to the nearby airport. To get far away from her old life was the ultimate goal. Her driver had tried to ask why she was sobbing, why her hair was a mess and if she was okay but Lewandowski was focused on the window outside and gave him no answer.
Instead she paid him forward before the ride was over ( she knew how much it cost, she had looked it up two weeks in advance ), and kept her head low the entire ride. When she was dropped off, she thanked the driver and booked it to the gate of her flight. They had just started boarding and thank god she hadn't let her emotions get the best of her as she had left. How comfortable her and Castles' bed was, the photos of the two. As she had left and looked into every room, memories had flashed her mind, almost making her regret this.
She sat in her assigned seat, throwing herself into it, headphones on, and mind blind to the world around her. Sydney, Australia here comes your newest runaway.
( waiting to first person )
~
I was so excited to see my girl on the drive home that the traffic couldn't dampen my mood. So much had happened, so much was accomplished and she needed to hear about it. Yes, she was leaving but when you have something exciting to tell your best friend, that doesn't matter. "Frank, you gotta calm down before you die of fucking excitement. I swear..." Lieberman joked, sipping on his coffee. It was early in the morning, Lewandowski had to be awake by now.
"I'm excited to see my gi- best friend and tell her everything that happened. What's wrong with that?" I was incredulous as to why he would ask that question, he should know by now. I turned up our favourite station even more, banging in the steering wheel to the beat of the music.
"When are you actually going to man up, grow some motherfucking balls, and tell that woman you are head over heels for her? It's getting sad to watch." He smiled as Frank coughed on nothing and almost killed them. "Woah there, killer."
"When we get home, actually. I don't know how and I haven't because that woman is my best friend, my rock, my person, my partner in crime. I'm not risking fucking losing everything over some love-y, dove-y bullshit. She's all I have."
That was the end of that conversation and any conversation at that. For the remainder of the drive, we listened to the same radio station. A whole days drive ahead in silence was just what I needed to clear my mind. I'm just on short day, I'd be confessing my love to Lewandowski.
~
This much I knew, Frank and David had made it safely to the compound and I had landed in Sydney, Australia. It was already the next day, the heat was in full swing and my new life was going to be assumed. I stopped for some chow at one of the food courts and looked up the nearest place to get a license here, a car, a credit card, and any other things I'd need to basically live here. All to be completed in the next week. My identity needed to be changed over as soon as possible.
First order of business was the money card. I'd need a ride there and a citizen was kind enough to give me a lift. Setting all my garbage in their trunk, we made way to the bank. Same bank they used. I thanked them for the ride and made my way in. All the weird looks I received for my sea bags was the least of my concern. They made a home by the front door and I made mine to the front desk. "Hello, ma'am. How may I help you today?"
"Hi ma'am, I was wondering if I would be able to set up a card with you guys today. I just arrived here on business and am in desperate need of help." I made my best effort to look as hopeless as possible, like I had tried other options and was turned down. Thankfully she took pity on me and within minutes, I was sitting in front of the man who knew how to set it up.
And in a few short hours, I was out of there with a brand new card in an identity my friends back home knew nothing about. Next on my to-do list was car and license. I'd need a car big enough for my trash but also inconspicuous enough to keep a low profile. And maybe something to sleep in while I find a small house.
I walked to the car dealership which was right across the street and was able to get both a car and a military discount that day. Everything I've done today felt good enough to call it a night. I found somewhere to park, pulled out my poncho liner and called it lights out.
~
We pulled in front of the compound and I ran in to find my girl. Nothing could stop me or so I thought. As soon as I entered our room, all of her stuff was gone, cleared out. My eyes spotted the letter and I knew it. I knew there was no way I'd be able to tell her that I was in love with her, about how I kicked ass on this mission anytime soon. Louie was gone and I wasn't able to cry on her shoulder.
"Hey, Frank..." Lieberman started, wearily making his way to our room. "I'm so sorry." His letter was short and too the point. I didn't have much to say other than thank him for keeping our asses under the radar and shit.
"Shut up, Lieberman. Shut the hell up." I was in my own world now, literally. Before I was in her world, our world, and now it was just mine. Now, I'm all I have. No Louie, no way to contact her either because her phone was left on our bed. David promptly made his way out and the compound was silent, unmoving for hours after we had gotten home. My question is how the hell could she do this to me? To us?
~
The first night without Frank was pretty rough, to say the least. Without his body, his unmoving body, I tossed and turned all night. If this is how the FIRST night went, I can only imagine how it's going to go for however long I'm here. For however long it takes him to track me down. I know I told him not to but it's Frankie, he never listens.
Just when I thought everything had been settled, I realized I was going to have to get a job for these stupid fucking car payments. I guess today would be spent on figuring that shit out with my outdate job history. It's been years since I've had an actual job since I'm technically dead. Adapt and overcome right?
I searched and searched, high and low, for any job that would accept me. Under the facade of Ella Anderson, I was officially a working woman. This name, this job was totally unexpected and was nothing my real namesake would do. Plus, my hair was different, I'd shaved almost all of it off with a fade on the side. Good luck, Frankie.
* Large Time Skip*
It's been ages, years I've counted since I had seen Frankie or David. Sure, I'd keep up with American news to see what they might be doing but other than that, nothing. He hadn't looked for me and maybe I was different for him. The man was for me, everything about him consumed me. Before I'd left, I made sure to leave myself open in the novel I'd written him. He knew that I knew that he knew I was in love with Francis Castle.
Even if he hadn't come looking for me, I made sure my appearance was never the same for too long. My facial features obviously remained the same but I changed my hair often, I got even more jacked, and my voice was deeper. I was starting to blend in with the rich culture here. Just in case Frank decided to pop in for a quick visit, if he could find me. I knew it would be happening soon, that man is unstoppable and if he sets his mind to something or someone, no one will get in his way.
~
"Frank, this is sad. It's been years. She clearly does not want to be found. Didn't she tell you all of this in her little letter?" David breathed out exasperatedly as he watched his friend rummage through camera feeds from that day for the trillionth time. Nothing ever changed, it was the same moving components, same people, same everything. He knew it would never change but he had to hold on to hope that his girl would slip up, that Lewandowski was out there, suffering just the same pain he was.
"David, I need to know she is out there safely, okay? You have no idea what we've went through." He had no idea what we'd gone through in the years before the spook. Even if we weren't in love, we were at least each others rock, each others cover. I continued to scrub the footage for hours as David left me to do my business and I could've sworn I saw something. Spook was able to get us security footage from the airport, the entrance at least but not much else. Even if they saw her gate and flight, there was no way any staff would remember her face or name. Fake name, sorry.
I decided to check the hundreds of flights going in and out of that airport many years ago. Many flights went out that day, thousands of passages going in and out, yet I had to check every single one for my girl. I checked all the flight manifests, all the passenger lists and one name stuck out to me on a flight to the great down under. It was hers, I was sure of it. David was gone, this was my opportunity to get her back, even if she didn't want me.
The flight was booked, my stuff was already packed, and I was on my way. I did the same thing I'm assuming Lewandowski did. I took a cab to the airport and rushed to the plane heading for Sydney. My head hung low, I didn't want to risk running into anybody or striking up a conversation with a stranger. Nothing interested me more than having my person back in my arms again, within reach.
Soon enough, I was on my journey from New York to Sydney, Australia. Here I come, Louie. The flight was as to be expected, crying babies, rude customers, just the usual. We landed many hours later in our connecting airport and I rushed to my next gate with time to spare. I got something to eat while I waited and watched some videos of us on my phone. They never got old.
My next flight was eventually called to board and I was on my merry way.
~
Today was eventful to say the least. If eventful was the right word. It took every ounce of discipline in my body to not reach over the counter at work and rip this guys eyeballs from his skull. I cant even describe how infuriating he was but after "mellowing" out down here, it had to be bad to come to that point. My coworkers told me to go take a breather outside because I was shaking with rage.
Work had ended, I made my way home, and called it a night. I wasn't even hungry at this point, I felt sick rather. Almost immediately I fell asleep oblivious to the fact that I was being hunted down, so complacent in my routine. Blissfully unaware of who would be here in the morning.
Just the same as every other morning, I woke up bright and early, threw on some PT gear and made way to my favourite park to run. I did this every morning to get it out of the way and wake myself up. To prepare myself for work and the customers of the day. A customer I thought I'd avoided the past five years. My coworkers greeted me when I walked and I returned the same smile they gave me, giving my favourite one a hug. "Today feels like a good day." Addie said as I hung my stuff up.
"Addie, you say that every day and every day Ella almost ends up with her thumbs in someone's eye socket." Lachlan punched my shoulder as I feigned a smile. It was true, my anger was hard to control sometimes. Yet, I kept it under control as to not ruin what I've built here.
~
After hours of searching for Lewandowski, I had finally found her. She was Ella Anderson of Sydney, Australia who worked at a stupid little sandwich shop in a inconspicuous corner. If it were this easy to find her, I should've searched for her in the years past. She had to have done this on purpose. Any day now she's be off work and find me waiting in her cozy living room. Waiting for some form of goddamn explanation.
I expected her to come through the front door with her gun pointed right at me. No, there was a back door that I hadn't completely forgot about. The only thing I was right about was that she did point her gun at me but I didn't even touch mine. Lewandowski lunged at me full force, knocking my ass on the deck. It was a full on fight now. Punch after punch, kick after kick, until she had pinned me down, hands above my head. "Nice to see you too, Louie...."
I had breathed out and watched the shock sink in to her face for a few seconds. "Or should I say Ella Anderson?" She sat back on her haunches with a haunted look painting her face. For once, my talkative friend was speechless.
"Frankie, I..." She sat there like that for a while, straddling my hips, contemplating what to say next. I wanted a rightful, deserved, explanation as to why none of us got a goodbye. The look I was given from the woman I love was one I'd seen once before, when she was lying bed ridden, relying on me for her every beck and call. "Frank..." Lewandowski reached down to my face, holding it in one of her hands, stroking my cheekbone. It was nice to relish in this moment but I couldn't get complacent in her touch.
"Lou, I deserve an explanation. David deserves an exposition. But most of all, me." Her lip tugged into her mouth and she wiped back her tears. She knew she fucked up.
"Yes, yes you do." Lewandowski went into detail about why she left when she did, why there were no goodbyes, everything. We never moved from our position and my hands had found their way to the top of her thighs, listening to her speak. No matter how enraged I was at this woman, I could listen to her talk for hours. Oh, how I missed that voice. "I am... so so sorry. No amount of apologizing could ever make up for what I did to you." She gently placed both of her hands on the side of my face and eased herself down until her forehead was on mine. The smile on her face matched mine and for a second I would've believed we were finally going to kiss but no. She wrapped her around me and the world stopped.
There was no time, no wind, no rain. Lewandowski's mind could finally rest. How could it be that she hadn't seen my love for what it was before? Pure. Unselfish. Undemanding. Free. I felt her body press in, soft and warm. This was the love she'd waited for, prayed for. She inwardly thanked God and hugged all the tighter. A love like this was to be cherished for life. Finally, she was home.