Do you guys care that the Conrads are were-jaguars? Someone said I should make them werewolves because no one wants to read about cats (LOL).

Chapter 47 – Aftermath, Run. Skip. Hop. Jump. Fly. (Samson Conrad POV) Pt.1

"Didn't you see the weather report?" I asked Silas years before when he was going with Brian to fly the plain that took his life. "It's too risky, don't do it, why don't you guys find something else to do?" I told him.

"We have to live Samson, just because we have to be careful doesn't mean we have to be boring robots," I could almost hear the judgment in layman terms. Which I sure was what Silas was going for in the first place.

I was the boring twin.

The one that played it safe.

The one that over thought every little decision made, letting the moment pass me by while I analyzed it to death.

"Your brain is where fun and exciting ideas go to die Samson," he told me once. "The world is full of scary things where you won't know the outcome unless you jump. What? Are you never going to experience something because you're scared, it's risky and you don't know for sure that you'll land on your feet?"

Silas always had a way of dragging me into whatever he was doing. I'm not sure I did it for the same reasons as him sometimes. I knew there would be trouble or that our parents would be angry but what overrode those thoughts were that at least he wouldn't be going down on his own.

"If you always know how something is going to end, what's the point in doing it?"

"Give her some time son," my father said just after Fatima left the kitchen. Emotions running high and wild, I knew Fatima wouldn't just add fuel to the fire but I also knew she had this belief that she was a burden to our family. At first I thought maybe she just thought she was better than us somehow but that all changed when I realized that there was so much more to Fatima Ashlynn than we had been told.

She was entirely too kind and helpful and weirdly, when she did something for you she did it with all her heart. Yet, somehow when you tried to do the same back for her it was lost in translation.

Then I was gifted more of her story, I took the time seeking her out because Damnit if she wasn't in my every thought. There was so much that was unique about her and I enjoyed every layer there was to her. Dad might not be aware of the truths I was, but I do stay away from her. I give her time.

Except, that's not all together true.

If Fatima was going to leave the room then I had to stay. How else would I know what was going to happen next? Lydia dying was tragic, but not anyone's fault but her own and maybe Cynthia. If what Imogen had stated was true.

I knew there would be a punishment that Danny, Leslie, and Lia maybe would want handed out to Fatima. After Silas died, when I finally stopped the sedation stage. Brennan finally came to me and set the record straight, it wasn't a dream, and Silas was gone.

I had missed more time than I even realized, but that didn't stop the guilt and anger from being so much it consumed me. I could have told someone what Silas was up to and prevented the crash. While I would take the blame one minute, the very next I thought, "How was Silas able to get into the bunker without someone realizing that dad or an adult wasn't with him? What adult in that place should be held responsible? Surely he or she needed to lose their job."

It went back and forth, the self-hatred to anger until it was a swirl of emotions that couldn't be changed.

I didn't want that for Fatima. It was a tiring thing; over analyzing each facet of what happened, wondering what you could have done differently.

I sit stiffly as dad hosts a meeting, shutting down all ideas of turning Fatima over to the Elders. All those ideas coming straight from Nick Romas, it was as though he had an agenda but thankfully dad, he saw that as well.

"Your daughter was in the room, I found her cowering in the corner, should we hand her over to the Elders too? For doing nothing?" Nick's eyes widened. "What Nick? You want to hand over Faith when Imogen and my son have said that Fatima did nothing. Your daughter also did nothing, should we hand her over to the Elders while we give them Faith?" my fathers' eyes are hard, the glare he sends Nick's way is final.

I have to look away while I smirk.

Exhaling, knowing that dad was standing by Fatima was a relief. Still, the unease inside didn't settle nor did the voice screaming, "She is going to run."

As though sitting right in front of me, Silas cocks his head at me, "You love her," I blink unsure and watch as Imogen checks her phone, before slightly showing it to Luca. Two minutes later, they both get up and leave the room, ignoring the looks coming from Nick.

"Why are you sitting here Samson?" Silas keeps speaking while I know he is not real. "You love her, she's going to run, you know you want to go with her," I ignore the shadow of my brother.

"You know she is running away, you know her well enough. You love her-" How does he know that? Silas is gone. Glancing down, I squeeze my eyes shut, and the only voice I hear is dads. But then, I hear a chuckle, "Really Samson? What am I? Thunder?" Silas laughs heartily.

"Now, as I was saying, you love her, so be with her... keep her safe," I frown as my heart picks up beating rapidly, ready to burst out of my chest. With the panic comes a wave of hurt, keep Fatima safe, like I couldn't keep you safe, I think swallowing thickly.

Not wanting to call attention to myself, to the reaction I was experiencing. I stand, bolting out of the room, ignoring the stares as Luca and Imogen had minutes before. Straight to the second floor, I linger, unsure.

"She needs you," I gasp hating how real Silas was to me in this moment. "You aren't real," I whisper painfully.

Wishing he was.

"But she is," he says as the mirage of my mirror image dissolves before me. Silas was right, or me. I saw what I wanted to see. Anything he says is just a regurgitation of what I was thinking, I tell myself.

Away from dad and the others, Fatima as well, the unease is easy to recognize and find the source creating it. It didn't matter if dad got everyone to calm down, after what happened, Fatima would leave.

Hell dad wanted to as well, but the only difference between us was that I could pick up and run with Fatima while he had to think of the best interest for everyone. It was purely selfish, but it was like I knew from the get go that Fatima wasn't going to always stay.

I didn't run with Silas, but now with Fatima, I could not handle knowing she would be out in the world without me. I wanted to be there not because I think she needed me, but I needed her. I wanted her. She had so much to discover and I wanted to be right by her side while she did, holding her hand, wrapping my arms around her.

The decision is made even before I go knock on her door. I had told her before that if she ran I would go along but it wasn't a concrete offer as it was now. It wasn't meant to placate but it didn't have a backing.

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Even in my grief and knowing that nothing had been settled, Luca, Imogen, Fatima and I sat in her room, writing, reading statements she was making and planning.

No trails. She writes showing it to Luca and Imogen, her face stony. For Imogen, with no family I'm sure it was an easy choice. However I glanced at Luca skeptically. He was going to run away with Imogen? What about his wife? Yet, from Fatima's notes, I started to realize I was missing a part of the story.

Who the hell were Seraphima and Rhys? She had said the same in the car but now, she was calling them by those names in the paper, speaking about their failure, and not once did either Luca or Imogen refute Fatima.

Had she met them before?

Was Seraphima and Rhys code names so Lennon and Giselle wouldn't know that they were secretly getting on behind everyone's backs?

Although, based on how Nick acted, his words included, I'm not so sure that this surreptitious relationship was all too secret. Still, no matter what is written, and all I do not know, my mind is decided.

Imogen reaches for the notebook, taking the pen from Fatima. You wrote that we needed to go somewhere? Where exactly is that? When she places the notebook on Fatima's lap, I know for sure I've missed much more than just this Seraphima and Rhys thing for sure.

Fatima, I reach out to her, hopeful she can hear me. I had many questions, none of which I knew I could ask in front of Imogen and Luca. They had information that they only wanted to share with Fatima, I recall from the conversation in the car.

Had they filled her in?

I as I call out to her a second time, I feel her body slightly stiffen though she doesn't look up into my eyes. Can you hear me? Wait, if you can hear me, I freeze for a moment; I wanted a signal from her. Something to let me know the answer right away, nodding was out. Luca and Imogen were much too focused on my girl right now.

If you can hear me, can we trust Luca and Imogen? Tap your pen twice against the notebook for yes, I think eyes narrowing on that pen. Two quick taps answer my question before she begins writing beneath Imogen's question.

And here's the thing, I believe Fatima.

She was such a paranoid person although that was just a conditioned response I think. Who she was now, is because of her past. She admitted that she couldn't put complete confidence when it came to her thoughts and memories.

If Fatima could confide in them, then I knew that meant something.

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