TICK. TICK. TICK.

North stared at the analog clock that rested above the officer's head. It was the only object that hung on the walls of the interrogation room. Neither side was backing down but she could see the irritation etched on the officer's face at her silence. It was past midnight when the officers had raided the House.

The front door had flown off its hinges, gun power filling the air as both sides empty their magazines, and North dragging two young kids up through the house. Oliver and Asher ducking behind furniture just as they were taught since they could walk and her leading the way up the stairs. She remembers kissing their foreheads as Oliver silently cries and Asher nodded at her to go. He would lock the door like he was told in situations like this. The knife in his pocket was for emergencies only.

Had he been taught how to wield a gun, the seven year-old would be standing right beside her at the fight. The gun in her back pants pocket emerged in her hand as she clicked the safety off. Now that her vulnerability was safely hidden away, she had nothing to lose as she stalked down the stairs. A few overhead lights had been shot clean making it difficult to see in the dark but North had grown up here. This was her territory they were hunting on. She could see a limb hand in the distance and immediately crouched to the ground.

She stopped breathing and closed her eyes to listen. The rapid gun fire had ceased which only meant that the ones that were left had gone into protective mode. Also meant there was a slim chance any of them would come out alive at the end. The wooden floor board next to the ratty sofa squeaks and she smiles inwardly.

Emerging ever-so-silently, she raised the gun at the silhouette standing near said sofa. Her index finger inched slowly until the pin hit the bullet sending it out the barrel. The handgun recoiled back from the pressure, but that did not stop her from immediately taking off from her spot. Another shot was fired in her direction before another round of bullets arose from the living room. She could make it to the next hiding spot, she just had to be quick.

Her body slipped and she fell face first onto another person's body. North lifted her face from his stomach to see his white eyes staring at the holey ceiling. It was one of Gracia's brothers. Her hand came back warm and slick from the floor from the multitude of holes that littered his body. Her blood coated hand closed his eyes before her bloodshot eyes grabbed his gun. Deaths are a part of life, she reminded herself.

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

Her blue eyes peeled off the clock, it was a little after four AM, and she turned to focus her attention on the red pen. The officer clicks it once, then one more time for good measure (she assumed), before laying it on the table just a few shy inches away from her cuffed hands. She flipped her hands over that had been stripped of blood in order to take her fingerprints. However, her long sleeved t-shirt still carried his blood. It stained her brain that all that had happened tonight was very much real. Aside from the bullet that had pierced her back shoulder. She shifted her body once before her hooded gaze stared right into the officer's brown eyes.

A game of cat and mouse. Who would be the first to give up? Who was the mouse? Surely, not her. She could do this all day. However, at the end of the day, she was the one caged and not him.

"Officer Plaitt, the results came back in and... you need to see them for yourself," another police member called in to him. Mumbling to himself, he stood up, not before clearing the desk that she was attached to, and strolled out. From the time she had been observing him, he seemed low ranking but highly skilled in his job. North had learned that some low ranking cops could turn a blind eye to their deals for the right price, but not Officer Plaitt. The annoyance that coated his face had to be because he was stuck in here with a kid and not one of the high ranking gang members that they had rounded up. Jokes on him.

North kicked her shoe off to reveal all five toes. She shook the shoe until a few bobble pins fell out and coated the white floor. Going through the practiced motion, she used her toes to grasp some and bring them up to her lap. Leaning down, she pulled some into her mouth and spit them onto the table. She had just managed to unlock one handcuff when the door swung open revealing the same two officers from before.

"Shit."

The officers dropped their papers to grab their tasers as she unlocked the last handcuff. The chair became her weapon against the two cops. The uneven walking became apparent to them at how she snuck in a bobble pin after strip searching her. Splitting up, one guarded the door while the other went around the table. North tried using the chair as a shield while positioning herself between the two but it was going to be a losing game.

Officer Plaitt was close and taking a chance she swung the chair letting it fly. Ducking down she went for the bolted down table but instead hit the floor, clenching in pain. The taser hit her back and she lay still while being manhandled back into cuffs. Every last cell in her body was drained and she did not even realize she was hoisted up until her feet hit the ground and forced forward. Her head hung low the entire way to her small holding cell until the door slammed shut.

"We'll talk again in a few hours."

She met his gaze with narrowed eyes but this time he did not even bother to hold it. North closed her eyes momentarily before turning to her cell mate for the night. Lorenzo was older than her, but only recently joined the Black Jackals a year ago and had little to no relationship with many of the gang members. A punto débil: weak link as Jefe would say. He was not given many tasks other than to do a couple of drop offs and man the House, so he would not be much use to the cops, that is if he told them anything. Poor Lorenozo just happened to be at the House at the wrong time.

"You tell them anything?" she heard him say as she shifted her hands from behind her to the front, the annoying cuffs still on. North shook her head before jutting her chin at him in question. "Me either."

She twisted her tongue to grasp a bobby pin that she had stored in her cheek, right before the horrendous failed escape. Starting again, she made quick work on the cuffs, now that time was on her side and let them fall to the stained floor. North sided eyed Lorenzo cell and noted that they had not cuffed him like they did her. Figures.

In the time that she has known Lorenzo, he was always non-confrontational. Not that that was a bad thing, but the poor fellow always let people push him around, even Asher. She had found out that he only joined the gang for protection against the teenagers at school and he did comment that they did stop. Good for him, she supposed. Although she was worried what would happen to him when one day the jobs got harder and the people he was forced to interact with became confrontational. What then? Her thumb grazed her other wrist feeling the burned symbol of the gang. Once a Jackal, always a Jackal. He will be in too deep to back out. She sure as hell was. Not that she had a say in the matter.

She could hear the weight of his cot squeaking as he sat down before popping his knuckles. Filling the silence, typical Lorenzo. Walking the two feet from the wall to her own cot, she sat down and hung her head. Her short blonde hair had grown over the last few months since her last haircut, and now tickled a part of her neck. She would need to get it cut again to keep it short and out of her face.

Humming came from Lorenzo's cell and she recognized it to be 'What is Life.' It was one of the few english songs he played on his phone aloud at times. Clearing her throat, the humming stopped momentarily before picking back up again.

"Not all silence must be filled." Her voice was gravely and coarse like sand. The years of smoking and drinking probably did not help her case but she sure as hell could use one of the two right now. The intense showdown had finally left her system and not in a good way. She was pissed. Pissed at the silence, pissed at the noise, and pissed at herself. If only she had been faster. Her shoulder clenched at the treated bullet wound as she hardened her eyes at the floor.

The gunfire had ceased once more in the House. She shoved the other gun into her pants as she silently stepped around the blood in the darkness. North hated that she could hear each squeaked step she took and resorted to crawling on her knees.

She took up shelter behind the dining table, a place that was used more for cleaning guns and storing plans than it did for eating and conversation. She allowed the time behind the table to catch her breath and still her beating heart. It was eerie to hear the House so quiet... so exposed. North felt as if that she breathed, all would know where she was.

With her fingers pressed against the wooden floor, she felt for any vibrations from the heavy armored officers. One step and then another, each step heavier than the last.

Closer. Closer. Almost.

Her movements faltered as the vibrations increased, like there were more people than she was accounting for in her head. Her back lowered itself to the ground and with wide eyes she tried looking for any sign of movement through the legs of the chairs. Something tumbled itself to the ground a few meters to her left, and she made quick work of sliding herself under the table. Multiple steps followed after towards the sound, that was until a body hit the floor.

Fists, knees, and elbows all came after. A wrestling match of criminals versus police ensued before her. North watched as someone hit the table above her before rolling to the ground, nearly breaking the collapsible chair beside her in the process. Now this was a party she could get behind. She rolled out, cracking her knuckles, before taking a swing at the helmented man.

She was not sure how long the punches were hitting for, or when someone managed to find a loaded gun, but someone did. Someone always did. North just was not expecting it to be her who got shot first with it. Her body hit the ground, from her already crouched position over the unconscious, maybe dead, police officer. The bullet was so close to her heart, that at first she thought they did hit her heart. Her lungs burned from her quick, erratic breathing as she tried to move her shoulder. Her teeth gritted in pain as she tried to hold it together while she moved away from the battle. She was half-way out of the room, when the other officers appeared from the front door, the battle was over and they had lost.

~•~

North found herself being pulled to her feet after the terrible nap of the recurring memory that plagued her mind. The handcuffs were slapped back on her wrists and she was pushed out of the holding cell. Lorenzo gave her a curt nod as she passed the cell, his eyes baggy and tired like hers, before being led back to an interrogation room. Officer Plaitt made his appearance once more in front of her. He opened his neat folder and laid out a couple of known charges against her: illegal possession of a firearm, assault on a police officer, marijuana cultivation and drug possession. Funny, cultivating marijuana was legal now in the state since a few months ago.

"This is no laughing matter," Officer Plaitt informed her by the small smirk that graced her lips. His finger tapped the first two charges and continued, "Assaulting an officer of the law, especially with an illegal firearm, can put you in prison from two years to life. You may think you're safe now since you're a juvenile but the judge can and may try you as an adult."

North's eyebrows pulled together in thought at his words. Prison for life? Years ago she would not have given a fuck what happened to her, but now, her two brothers being raised faraway from her and never to be seen again. Her mouth turned sour at the thought along with her lips turning downwards. Her eyes shifted from the paper to him with a fridge stare, the threat was read loud and clear.

"But?" The word was quick, short and cold as it left her mouth. North took note of his eyebrows raising just a smidge at her voice, her first civil interaction taking him by surprise.

Officer Plaitt pulled the police file of her away before replacing it with several other documents. The old newspaper article dating back seven years ago rested on top. Her eyes scanned the paper at rapid pace as she tried digesting the words that she did not notice a new person had entered the room. He took a seat where Officer Plaitt once was and introduced himself as Mike Hayes, a criminal defense attorney.

"I was appointed on your and Lorenzo's behalf to lessen the charges against you," he explained to her. Hayes rested a hand on top of the documents and swiped to reveal several papers all of the same little girl. The attorney was silent as she scanned the documents. One contained the fingerprint reading they had taken of her earlier, and a smaller near identical one next to it. Reaching her hand as far as she could, she pulled a birth certificate out into full view.

"Lauren Eliana Thompson," she mumbled out loud. The name did not ring a bell and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Who?"

"You."

His word was quick, short, and stated as a fact. Hayes' face remained neutral as he gauged her reaction. Her mind whirled with speed as though she was in a car, darting down a busy freeway being chased by flashing blue and red lights. Not a single memory contained her being called this 'Lauren.' She ended up letting out a low, menacing chuckle at his joke.

"I suspected as much," he concluded. How could she not take it as a joke, like the two of them were friends and he had just made the lamest comeback of all time? She was North, not some missing girl named Lauren from a state away. "Trauma response due to some sort of abuse, maybe fear, has left you unable to recall such memories. Tell me, what's the earliest memory you can remember?"

"Earliest memory," she started, her eyes gleaming bright to prove him wrong.

She was ten years old when she learned that she would be having another sibling. She jumped up and onto the couch to sit beside her mother. The television was playing some movie, not that she was paying attention to it, and her mother had her full attention on it. She regarded her mother's stomach, which was larger than normal and in curiosity she asked, "Mommy, why do you have a big stomach? Are you fat like Uncle?"

Her mother, caught off guard, nearly choked on her chips that she was munching on. Sputtering, she fixed her a hard gaze that sent little North tilting her head to the side with closed eyes. Normally, the hard gaze meant a flick or slap to the cheek but instead her mother pulled her head to her stomach. "Don't move."

She stilled with baited breath, waiting as instructed. Something small, hit the side of her cheek and she jerked upwards. Her mother smiled, a rare sight she ever saw, and North put her head back waiting once more. Another kick, this time softer.

"Your stomach; It's kicking me!" she giggled softly to her.

Her mother rubbed her stomach and told her, "That's because there is a baby in the uterus." Her mother was a nurse, so she knew all the fancy words.

"Oh. Is that the fancy word for stomach?" North pushed for more answers. Her eagerness to learn did not go unnoticed by her mother.

Her mother sighed, likely cursing herself for leading North on a spiral for more knowledge of how this baby magically came to be. Silently, North watched as her mother got up, which was a struggle, before carrying herself over to the lone bookshelf. There weren't many books that littered said bookshelf. Rummaging around the scattered trash, weapons, and other assorted items, her mother produced a thick book.

"This will answer all your questions." She wagged the book in the air and North staggered off the couch, reaching up. Her mother brought it down before immediately pulling back. "But first, did you practice your lock picking? Gun cleaning? Daddy will be testing your skills tonight when he is back."

"Yes, mommy. I did them both this morning while you were sleeping," she answered honestly. Her mother eyed her, seeming to search her face for any sort of lie.

However, unable to tell or maybe just to observe how fast she was, her mother said, "Do it again. Then you can have this book."

North tried to recall any memory before that moment. However, no matter how hard she pushed herself in the deep dark mind of hers, nothing. Not wanting to waste any more time, she half-lied to him. "When my mother was pregnant with her second born. I was five."

"You're lying. Asher was born six years ago. You were ten. Oliver was born not long after him."

Her face immediately drained of color like a bucket of ice, cold water had been dumped on her. Who was this man, and how did he know about them? It was not possible. They should not know anything about them. How did they know? How did they know?! The chair tipped backwards as she flew up. Desperate for a reaction, she was surprised to say the least for the man's face remained impassive, he appeared to simply be studying her. The cop however, took not a second more to shove her back in the chair, a look of killer on her face. Firm hands never left her shoulders.

"If you so much as touched them, I'll fucking pop your fingers off one by one. Starting with the ring finger."

The attorney popped his fingers, one by one, her threat did nothing but amuse him. When he finished, he put his hands together and said, "Like I said, I'm here to help you. CPS talked to your brothers, the two of them told them they had an amazing sister and wanted to know if she was okay. They saw the bodies and thought one of them was you. You took them upstairs to protect them, didn't you, North?"

Her gaze softened at his words and she ended up turning her face away to avoid appearing weak. Her eyes squeezed shut and she breathed deeply in to settle the buzzing in her stomach. At least, they are alright.

"North. I can tell you don't remember but if you at least pretend to be her, the judge may lessen your sentence. You're a victim. Be the victim. If not for you, for them."

North stayed silent, mulling over his words. Her gaze remained averted and she gritted her teeth. He was right. If not for me, then for them. Her eyes found him through her strands of hair from her tilted head position. She straightened before saying, "Fine. I'll play this missing girl for them."

He nodded. "I'll get started on the papers then." He was almost out the door before he stopped and stared at her. "And North. Once this gets out, Lauren's parents are going to want to see her."

~•~

And he was right. She had been moved to a temporary jail unit until her court hearing, and it had only been a couple of days before she was called to the visitation room to meet Sandy and Daniel– Lauren's parents. North was hardly half-way through the room before a pair of arms engulfed her, pulling her in tight. However, the hug was not suffocating nor rough, but was warm, soft and soothing. A gentle hand caressed her head, something so foreign yet right, before an air-light kiss brushed her forehead.

She had received more affection in the last second than she knew what to do with. Her fingers twitched at her sides as the warmth in her chest tingled out and was replaced with... something. Her blue eyes could hardly stay put on their faces but with each flicker she noted the twisted lips and sympathetic eyes.

She was not their Lauren, at least not anymore; If she was even theirs to begin with.

The man with bleached blond hair suddenly smiled (a small smile, but still a smile), and motioned for her to follow. "Come, let's sit," his voice was deep but comforting. His wife filled the seat next to him, her brown hair spilling over her shoulders as she silently communicated with him before turning her full attention to her. Her deep brown eyes were just as warm as her hug from earlier.

"Lauren-"

"They call me North," she stated to them. Her eyes tossed between the two of them, reading their expressions.

Daniel's face tightened together more out of curiosity than anything else as he asked, "Is that what you prefer?"

"Yes, it is my name."

"Okay. North," he acknowledged, his fingers twitched to move to hers but he ended up resting them in his lap as he sat up. "How are you feeling? They did not hurt you, right? I heard of the charges pressed against you but you're not associated with them, right? When your-"

Sandy's hand rested on his shoulder as she leaned over to him. "Breathe, darling."

"Right, of course." He gave a sheepish smile in her direction, before straightening his stature. His face appeared more calm afterwards.

She had been debating on telling them about her brothers all night when the officers had told her they would be arriving today. Telling your greatest weakness to a bunch of strangers that apparently were your parents, she never thought she would ever be losing sleep over that. But she needed help, even though she did not want to admit it. Staring at the two now, they seemed like good people... good enough to care for her brothers until she got out of this hellhole. They could make sure they were safe, something she failed to do.

Leaning forward in her seat, she clasped her hands and whispered, "My brothers are with some CPS. Can you get them?"

Sandy's head tilted while Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "Brothers? You don't have any brothers. If they kidnapped others, North, their families would be just as worried sick as we were," he informed her. His hand came to rest on hers for once. "I'm sure we could get in contact to set up visits but-"

North pulled her hands back to hug her forearms. "No, you don't understand. My mom," she paused. Her mom. That's who she was to her. She could not remember a time that she was not. However, the documents proved otherwise. Her silence did not go unnoticed by the strangers in front of her, but they waited with open ears. "The lady who kidnapped me, I watched her give birth to them. Blood-related or not, they need me."

Warmth tickled her ears and her palms were slick with sweat. What was this feeling? Humiliation of having to plead for help or nervousness that they would tell her no? North hardly had a second to decide before Daniel answered, "North, it's not that simple. We can't just take them in. There's paper work and fees and we don't have a room available for them."

Sandy stepped in before North could butt in. "And right now, we need to focus our attention on getting you home. Your court hearing is set for-"

"Fuck the court hearing! I don't care what happens to me," she interrupted her, she smoothed back her hair. She hated not being able to do anything in this concrete building. It was like a cage and she was the rabid animal. But if she had found an opening at any time during her stay, she would have taken it, damn the consequences.

"Don't say that!" Sandy's tone slipped from warm to cold in a snap. Despite this, every groove that coated her face held not an ounce of anger but rather worry. "We care deeply about what happens to you. We always have."

How could they care about me? They don't even know the things that I have done to protect my family. How could they understand?

North head hung down, her body had felt all sorts of emotions but now left drained and tired. She rubbed her forehead then her eyes before saying, "If you care. You'd do this for me." She did not even bother to look at their faces as she turned in her seat towards her officer. She singled with her hand that she was ready to leave, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

A sigh escaped one of them before Daniel said, "We do, but you'll understand this is what is best for you right now. We'll see you tomorrow at court." He rested his hand a few inches away from her on the table as he stood, only part of him visible from her hung head. His fingers twitched up but seemingly deciding against it, he pulled away.

Sandy took his place immediately after, North's frosty mood did not seem to bother her as she rested a hand on North's cheek. The warmth is a clear contrast to her cold. The pressure was gone too quickly. Their shoes were gone from her vision and she waited to hear the door open then close before looking up. The officer graced his presence with a pair of handcuffs and she lifted her hands to him. The cuffs were cold and hard, just like her fate for tomorrow was going to be.