justprompts - Lost and Found
(Follows this.)
In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found//Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground//Run away before you drown, or the streets will beat you down//Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground ~Billy Talent
Randall and Frankie had just returned from their day out, and Frankie was in the kitchen with his grandmother.
"I'm glad you could take him," Heather said softly.
"Me too," he nodded, standing awkwardly by the door. He looked up at her. "Come for a walk with me?"
Heather thought that over carefully, watching him, then nodded. "Okay." She picked up her jacket and shouted over her shoulder that they'd be back. Randall held the door for her and followed her out to the street.
They walked quietly for a few minutes as Randall tried to figure out what to say. Heather's arms were crossed over her chest and she leaned into him, jabbing her elbow into his arm. "Something's on your mind," she said.
"Am I that easy to read?"
"To me, yeah."
He sighed and looked over at her, pulling her to stop. He held her elbow gently and looked down on her. "Why does Frankie have a bruise on his side?"
She blinked a moment, then shook her head looking away. "I don't know. He's a kid."
"Don't." Randall shook his head, his teeth gritting. His hold on her was still gentle, though. He could never be anything but to any woman. "Don't lie to me." Her head fell and she watched her feet.
"What do you want me to say, Randy?"
"Your mom said you have some bruises, too. I want to know why. Please," his voice went soft with the last word. "Is the bastard hitting you?"
He felt her body shake and her hand moved up to her eyes. She didn't say anything still, but she didn't need to. Randall closed his eyes and pulled her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and hid her face in his shirt. He rubbed her back slowly as she started to cry against him.
"How long?"
"He's...he's got a temper."
Randall was trying really hard to not be angry with her. "And how long did you let him hurt Frankie?"
"No. Don't." She pulled away from him and looked up to his eyes with a glare. Her arms hugged herself again. "That's why...why we came early. As soon as he..." she shook her head again. "He was always strict with Frankie, but he never..."
"Never hit Frankie? Just you? Are you sure of that?"
"Damnit, Randall! Go to hell." She turned to walk off, but he moved around in front of her to block her path. She bit her lip as she looked up at him, trying to keep it all in. "Frankie wouldn't stop talking about seeing you. Peter got fed up and pushed him."
Randall's eyes closed as he absorbed that. The corners of his lips were twitching in fury. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch." He turned to pace for a few seconds before stopping and pointing a finger at her. "Don't think for a minute I'm letting either of you go back."
She slapped his hand away. "I'm not going back! Don't you get it? We left early to leave." Her hand moved to her forehead as she started to shake again. "He hurt my baby. No one...no one does that."
"And what's he going to do when he realizes you're not going back?" Randall asked softly.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I...haven't had time to think it all through. I didn't...expect everyone to.."
"To notice you're not the same?"
She met his eyes again. "He was a good man."
Randall sighed and pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly. "You wouldn't have been with him if he hadn't been at first," he assured her.
"I was just stupid enough to believe it."
"No." Randall kissed her cheek gently. "He was stupid enough to fuck up having you and Frankie as his family." She started to shake with tears again at his words and he just moved closer to hold her tighter. "You're okay now," he whispered. "You and Frankie are going to be okay. I'll make sure of it."
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In a crooked little town, they were lost and never found//Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground//Run away before you drown, or the streets will beat you down//Fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves... on the ground ~Billy Talent
Randall and Frankie had just returned from their day out, and Frankie was in the kitchen with his grandmother.
"I'm glad you could take him," Heather said softly.
"Me too," he nodded, standing awkwardly by the door. He looked up at her. "Come for a walk with me?"
Heather thought that over carefully, watching him, then nodded. "Okay." She picked up her jacket and shouted over her shoulder that they'd be back. Randall held the door for her and followed her out to the street.
They walked quietly for a few minutes as Randall tried to figure out what to say. Heather's arms were crossed over her chest and she leaned into him, jabbing her elbow into his arm. "Something's on your mind," she said.
"Am I that easy to read?"
"To me, yeah."
He sighed and looked over at her, pulling her to stop. He held her elbow gently and looked down on her. "Why does Frankie have a bruise on his side?"
She blinked a moment, then shook her head looking away. "I don't know. He's a kid."
"Don't." Randall shook his head, his teeth gritting. His hold on her was still gentle, though. He could never be anything but to any woman. "Don't lie to me." Her head fell and she watched her feet.
"What do you want me to say, Randy?"
"Your mom said you have some bruises, too. I want to know why. Please," his voice went soft with the last word. "Is the bastard hitting you?"
He felt her body shake and her hand moved up to her eyes. She didn't say anything still, but she didn't need to. Randall closed his eyes and pulled her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and hid her face in his shirt. He rubbed her back slowly as she started to cry against him.
"How long?"
"He's...he's got a temper."
Randall was trying really hard to not be angry with her. "And how long did you let him hurt Frankie?"
"No. Don't." She pulled away from him and looked up to his eyes with a glare. Her arms hugged herself again. "That's why...why we came early. As soon as he..." she shook her head again. "He was always strict with Frankie, but he never..."
"Never hit Frankie? Just you? Are you sure of that?"
"Damnit, Randall! Go to hell." She turned to walk off, but he moved around in front of her to block her path. She bit her lip as she looked up at him, trying to keep it all in. "Frankie wouldn't stop talking about seeing you. Peter got fed up and pushed him."
Randall's eyes closed as he absorbed that. The corners of his lips were twitching in fury. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch." He turned to pace for a few seconds before stopping and pointing a finger at her. "Don't think for a minute I'm letting either of you go back."
She slapped his hand away. "I'm not going back! Don't you get it? We left early to leave." Her hand moved to her forehead as she started to shake again. "He hurt my baby. No one...no one does that."
"And what's he going to do when he realizes you're not going back?" Randall asked softly.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I...haven't had time to think it all through. I didn't...expect everyone to.."
"To notice you're not the same?"
She met his eyes again. "He was a good man."
Randall sighed and pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly. "You wouldn't have been with him if he hadn't been at first," he assured her.
"I was just stupid enough to believe it."
"No." Randall kissed her cheek gently. "He was stupid enough to fuck up having you and Frankie as his family." She started to shake with tears again at his words and he just moved closer to hold her tighter. "You're okay now," he whispered. "You and Frankie are going to be okay. I'll make sure of it."
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