FAKE Fic: A Daring Escape
Title: A Daring Escape
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Carol, Ryo, Bikky, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: Vol. 6, Act 17.
Summary: Carol has been through a terrible ordeal, but she survived.
Word Count: 1146
Written For: Challenge 362: Brave at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Poised on the window ledge, Carol took a deep breath and jumped, trusting Ryo to catch her, because even if he missed, anything would be better than having the psycho who’d abducted her get his hands on her again. After what he’d already done to her, she was more afraid of him than she was of a three-storey fall, possibly to her death. That would at least be quicker and less painful than whatever the psycho had planned for her.
But Ryo caught her, just as she’d been almost certain he would, because he was the kind of guy who’d never hesitate to put his life on the line to save someone else. Duh! He was a cop, and that’s what cops did. He caught her as she plummeted towards him, even though her weight and momentum took him right off his feet, and she almost flattened him into the sidewalk. That was sure to leave bruises, but there wasn’t a word of complaint from him.
In fact, even though she’d just about knocked all the breath out of him, the first words out of his mouth were…
“Are you alright?”
He was so brave, more concerned about her than about any damage she’d done to him, and she loved him all the more for that. She wanted to hug him, tell him she was fine, and thank him, because he deserved at least that much, but she didn’t want to lie to him.
She wasn’t alright, not really. Her ankle hurt, and she had so many bruises from where the psycho had hit her, and yet she couldn’t quite bring herself to tell Ryo that either, not after he’d just saved her life. She didn’t want him to think he hadn’t done a good enough job, so…
“Yeah. I guess so.” That wasn’t a lie, not exactly, because she was better than she had been.
Before she could say anything else, Ryo was gone, to help Dee catch the psycho, and Carol knew they would because they were her heroes, the best cops in the whole of New York. They had to be, because they’d found her, even after her phone call had gotten cut off.
Part of her didn’t want Ryo to leave. She’d felt safer with him there, protected, and now she felt so small and alone, sitting on the cold sidewalk. But she wasn’t alone; Bikky was there, and he wrapped Ryo’s jacket around her.
“You okay?”
“I’m good.” She did her best to put a brave face on it, might even have managed to fool him if he’d stopped there, but he didn’t.
“Were you scared?”
“Yeah.” Suddenly Carol was crying, and shaking; she couldn’t stop, and she clung to Bikky, drawing comfort from his presence. He was her hero too; this wasn’t the first time he’d been there when she’d gotten herself into trouble. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled against his shoulder.
“It’s okay, you were scared, but you’re safe now. I would’a kicked that guy’s ass if I’d gotten hold of him. Nobody’s ever gonna hurt you and get away with it, not as long as I’m around.”
“You’re the best, Bikky. I know I’ll always be safe with you, you’re just like Ryo, always so brave and kind.”
“You think so?”
“Uh huh!” Carol nodded against her friend’s shoulder.
“Well I think you’re pretty brave too. You fought that guy and got away from him; that made rescuing you a whole lot easier. And when you jumped outta that window… That was WAY crazy, even for you, but it was still a brave thing to do. You could’a really been hurt if Ryo hadn’t caught you.”
Sitting up, Carol wiped the tears off her face with the back of one hand, wincing as she brushed across a tender spot. “I know. You’ve jumped out of windows before though.”
“Well sure, but only from two floors up, not three. That was REALLY high.”
“I didn’t have much choice; I think he would’ve killed me if I hadn’t jumped. Besides, I was sure Ryo would catch me, and he did.” Carol was silent for a few minutes before finally asking Bikky, “What happens now?”
He shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Now, we take you to the hospital and get you patched up.” Ryo appeared, crouching down beside them, offering Carol a clean, white handkerchief.
“Thanks.” She wiped her eyes. “What about…” Trailing off, she glanced apprehensively at the run-down tenement where she’d been held captive.
“We got him. Well, Dee did; I got there a bit too late to help with the arrest. There’ll be a trial, eventually, and we’ll probably need you to testify against your kidnapper. Think you could do that? It would help a lot.”
“Yes, I can do it.” There was a defiant tilt to Carol’s chin. “I want that psycho to get what he deserves for all the girls he killed.” She looked sadly at Ryo. “There were a lot, weren’t there?”
“Yes, at least six, but probably more. Come on.” Ryo scooped Carol into his arms and stood up. “Dee will be along with the car in a minute.”
“Okay, that’s good.” Leaning her head against his shoulder, Carol closed her eyes, finally feeling she could relax.
“Carol, what you did, fighting back, getting away… That took a lot of courage. I’m proud of you. We all are.”
“I was really scared.”
“I’m sure you were, anyone would’ve been, but listen; courage has nothing to do with not being scared. It’s about being afraid but not letting the fear control you, not letting it stop you from doing whatever it is you need to do.”
Carol thought about that for a long moment. “D’you ever get scared?” she asked as a car pulled up beside them and Dee got out to open the rear door.
“All the time. Being a cop can be very dangerous; anyone who isn’t scared probably won’t survive for long, fear keeps us alert and ready for anything. But do you know what scares me most of all?”
“What?”
Ryo whispered in her ear. “Spiders.”
Carol giggled. “Really?”
“Yep. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Okay, my lips are sealed.”
Dee held the car door open as Ryo placed Carol gently on the backseat. Bikky scrambled in the other side to sit beside her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. She smiled at him even though it made her face hurt, knowing she was lucky, not just because she’d survived when so many other girls hadn’t, but because she had such wonderful people in her life. She knew they’d always be there for her.
She’d had a horrible day, but the worst of it was over. Battered and bruised though she was, she knew that even if just for the moment, she had nothing to fear. Everything was going to be fine.
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Carol, Ryo, Bikky, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: Vol. 6, Act 17.
Summary: Carol has been through a terrible ordeal, but she survived.
Word Count: 1146
Written For: Challenge 362: Brave at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Poised on the window ledge, Carol took a deep breath and jumped, trusting Ryo to catch her, because even if he missed, anything would be better than having the psycho who’d abducted her get his hands on her again. After what he’d already done to her, she was more afraid of him than she was of a three-storey fall, possibly to her death. That would at least be quicker and less painful than whatever the psycho had planned for her.
But Ryo caught her, just as she’d been almost certain he would, because he was the kind of guy who’d never hesitate to put his life on the line to save someone else. Duh! He was a cop, and that’s what cops did. He caught her as she plummeted towards him, even though her weight and momentum took him right off his feet, and she almost flattened him into the sidewalk. That was sure to leave bruises, but there wasn’t a word of complaint from him.
In fact, even though she’d just about knocked all the breath out of him, the first words out of his mouth were…
“Are you alright?”
He was so brave, more concerned about her than about any damage she’d done to him, and she loved him all the more for that. She wanted to hug him, tell him she was fine, and thank him, because he deserved at least that much, but she didn’t want to lie to him.
She wasn’t alright, not really. Her ankle hurt, and she had so many bruises from where the psycho had hit her, and yet she couldn’t quite bring herself to tell Ryo that either, not after he’d just saved her life. She didn’t want him to think he hadn’t done a good enough job, so…
“Yeah. I guess so.” That wasn’t a lie, not exactly, because she was better than she had been.
Before she could say anything else, Ryo was gone, to help Dee catch the psycho, and Carol knew they would because they were her heroes, the best cops in the whole of New York. They had to be, because they’d found her, even after her phone call had gotten cut off.
Part of her didn’t want Ryo to leave. She’d felt safer with him there, protected, and now she felt so small and alone, sitting on the cold sidewalk. But she wasn’t alone; Bikky was there, and he wrapped Ryo’s jacket around her.
“You okay?”
“I’m good.” She did her best to put a brave face on it, might even have managed to fool him if he’d stopped there, but he didn’t.
“Were you scared?”
“Yeah.” Suddenly Carol was crying, and shaking; she couldn’t stop, and she clung to Bikky, drawing comfort from his presence. He was her hero too; this wasn’t the first time he’d been there when she’d gotten herself into trouble. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled against his shoulder.
“It’s okay, you were scared, but you’re safe now. I would’a kicked that guy’s ass if I’d gotten hold of him. Nobody’s ever gonna hurt you and get away with it, not as long as I’m around.”
“You’re the best, Bikky. I know I’ll always be safe with you, you’re just like Ryo, always so brave and kind.”
“You think so?”
“Uh huh!” Carol nodded against her friend’s shoulder.
“Well I think you’re pretty brave too. You fought that guy and got away from him; that made rescuing you a whole lot easier. And when you jumped outta that window… That was WAY crazy, even for you, but it was still a brave thing to do. You could’a really been hurt if Ryo hadn’t caught you.”
Sitting up, Carol wiped the tears off her face with the back of one hand, wincing as she brushed across a tender spot. “I know. You’ve jumped out of windows before though.”
“Well sure, but only from two floors up, not three. That was REALLY high.”
“I didn’t have much choice; I think he would’ve killed me if I hadn’t jumped. Besides, I was sure Ryo would catch me, and he did.” Carol was silent for a few minutes before finally asking Bikky, “What happens now?”
He shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Now, we take you to the hospital and get you patched up.” Ryo appeared, crouching down beside them, offering Carol a clean, white handkerchief.
“Thanks.” She wiped her eyes. “What about…” Trailing off, she glanced apprehensively at the run-down tenement where she’d been held captive.
“We got him. Well, Dee did; I got there a bit too late to help with the arrest. There’ll be a trial, eventually, and we’ll probably need you to testify against your kidnapper. Think you could do that? It would help a lot.”
“Yes, I can do it.” There was a defiant tilt to Carol’s chin. “I want that psycho to get what he deserves for all the girls he killed.” She looked sadly at Ryo. “There were a lot, weren’t there?”
“Yes, at least six, but probably more. Come on.” Ryo scooped Carol into his arms and stood up. “Dee will be along with the car in a minute.”
“Okay, that’s good.” Leaning her head against his shoulder, Carol closed her eyes, finally feeling she could relax.
“Carol, what you did, fighting back, getting away… That took a lot of courage. I’m proud of you. We all are.”
“I was really scared.”
“I’m sure you were, anyone would’ve been, but listen; courage has nothing to do with not being scared. It’s about being afraid but not letting the fear control you, not letting it stop you from doing whatever it is you need to do.”
Carol thought about that for a long moment. “D’you ever get scared?” she asked as a car pulled up beside them and Dee got out to open the rear door.
“All the time. Being a cop can be very dangerous; anyone who isn’t scared probably won’t survive for long, fear keeps us alert and ready for anything. But do you know what scares me most of all?”
“What?”
Ryo whispered in her ear. “Spiders.”
Carol giggled. “Really?”
“Yep. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Okay, my lips are sealed.”
Dee held the car door open as Ryo placed Carol gently on the backseat. Bikky scrambled in the other side to sit beside her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. She smiled at him even though it made her face hurt, knowing she was lucky, not just because she’d survived when so many other girls hadn’t, but because she had such wonderful people in her life. She knew they’d always be there for her.
She’d had a horrible day, but the worst of it was over. Battered and bruised though she was, she knew that even if just for the moment, she had nothing to fear. Everything was going to be fine.
The End