Guava 21, Blue Raspberry 27, Cola 13: Fighting Back
Title: Fighting Back
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Guava 21 (been there, done that), blue raspberry 27 (a hint), cola 13 (When you care enough to send the very best), My Treat (AU: someone is being stalked and receives a creepy gift), malt (gandolforf's easter egg: You've been telling me a genius since you were seventeen; in all the time I've known you, I still don't know what you mean - "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan), chopped nuts (straight AU), fresh peaches ( Watch your back today, Cancer. There's a distinct presence nearby that requires your attention.).
Word Count: 772
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Gina has a scare, and makes a choice.
Notes: For the malt challenge part two, a story inspired by "Every Breath You Take," which came out in 1983.
The box came on their eleventh anniversary.
Gina hadn't expected it. In fact, Gina hadn't expected anything. Perhaps another letter from her inlaws on how she was ruining their son's life by having the gall to leave him, but she'd learned to ignore those. Or a lawyer's letter-- that could actually be important, but would come certified. This, as far as she could tell, came from no postal service whatsoever. It was just a plain box, wrapped in brown paper, with her name and her parents' address written on the top.
Frowning, she stooped, picked it up, and carried it inside to open it. It didn't weigh very much-- less than a pound, she thought, for a shoebox. Whatever was inside couldn't be very bad. She set it on the kitchen table, tore open the paper, lifted the top off, then jumped back, her hand pressed to her mouth, her heart pounding.
It was a knife.
He'd sent her a knife.
Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, God, he knew where she was. He knew where she was, and he knew where her children were.
She ran upstairs, heart in her throat, and found to her relief that both Caty and Beth were still where she'd put them, fast asleep, little Caty on her back and Beth with her thumb in her mouth. Robbie and Leah played quietly next door, blond heads bent over a toy. She stood in the doorway of Caty and Beth's room and forced herself to breathe.
They're safe. They're all safe. They're safe. He hadn't taken her children.
When her breathing had returned to normal and her heartbeat had slowed a little, she went back downstairs and approached the box, carefully. It was from Grant-- she knew it was from Grant, because who the hell else would send her a knife? On their anniversary, no less. It had to be Grant, trying to intimidate her.
Gina's immediate instinct was to call the cops. She knew Grant, and she knew he would want to stick around, to see if he could get a look at her reaction to his little present. But the cops couldn't do anything, because the restraining order hadn't come through yet, and he wasn't actually doing anything when she thought about it. Nothing illegal, nothing the cops could do anything about. She supposed she could report him for trespassing, but...
The knife still lay in the box, light shining off its blade, looking both innocent and deadly.
Gina lifted it out and set it carefully on the counter, and only then noticed the white envelope beneath it. It was addressed to her, of course. She opened it, with hands shaking so badly she tore the half the flap off.
Gina, it read, in his familiar and frightening scrawl,
I saw you at the store. You were so beautiful, just like the day we met. Do you remember?
Yes, she did remember. She remembered meeting a tall, handsome man who was so gentle and kind with her. But that wasn't Grant McKean, not anymore, and she had no idea who it had been.
And when had he seen her at the store?
I miss you, Gina. I miss our children. Please, accept this gift, and come back to me.
Grant
PS: Eleventh anniversary is steel.
Gina crumpled the note, and looked back at the knife.
He had sent her a knife, and he expected that to bring her back to him. What the hell was he thinking? Was he thinking? How could he imagine that she would want to be anywhere near him, after what he had done to her son? And to send her a knife, a weapon, did he think she wouldn't see the threat in that?
But then, he'd always underestimated her. Even back when she thought he'd loved her, she knew he thought she was less intelligent than he, and it had only become more obvious as the man she loved slipped away and the monster replaced him.
He'd looked at this knife and seen a threat.
She looked at it, and saw a weapon.
Gina picked up the knife and slid it carefully into the knife block, then put the box and the note into a corner, away from her children but safe for the police. She'd keep the children inside today, and tomorrow, she decided, dusting off her hands, she would call the police station and see about getting that restraining order expedited.
The day after that, she'd start looking for jobs, somewhere far away from here.
It was more than time she and her children got away. For good.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Guava 21 (been there, done that), blue raspberry 27 (a hint), cola 13 (When you care enough to send the very best), My Treat (AU: someone is being stalked and receives a creepy gift), malt (gandolforf's easter egg: You've been telling me a genius since you were seventeen; in all the time I've known you, I still don't know what you mean - "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan), chopped nuts (straight AU), fresh peaches ( Watch your back today, Cancer. There's a distinct presence nearby that requires your attention.).
Word Count: 772
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Gina has a scare, and makes a choice.
Notes: For the malt challenge part two, a story inspired by "Every Breath You Take," which came out in 1983.
The box came on their eleventh anniversary.
Gina hadn't expected it. In fact, Gina hadn't expected anything. Perhaps another letter from her inlaws on how she was ruining their son's life by having the gall to leave him, but she'd learned to ignore those. Or a lawyer's letter-- that could actually be important, but would come certified. This, as far as she could tell, came from no postal service whatsoever. It was just a plain box, wrapped in brown paper, with her name and her parents' address written on the top.
Frowning, she stooped, picked it up, and carried it inside to open it. It didn't weigh very much-- less than a pound, she thought, for a shoebox. Whatever was inside couldn't be very bad. She set it on the kitchen table, tore open the paper, lifted the top off, then jumped back, her hand pressed to her mouth, her heart pounding.
It was a knife.
He'd sent her a knife.
Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, God, he knew where she was. He knew where she was, and he knew where her children were.
She ran upstairs, heart in her throat, and found to her relief that both Caty and Beth were still where she'd put them, fast asleep, little Caty on her back and Beth with her thumb in her mouth. Robbie and Leah played quietly next door, blond heads bent over a toy. She stood in the doorway of Caty and Beth's room and forced herself to breathe.
They're safe. They're all safe. They're safe. He hadn't taken her children.
When her breathing had returned to normal and her heartbeat had slowed a little, she went back downstairs and approached the box, carefully. It was from Grant-- she knew it was from Grant, because who the hell else would send her a knife? On their anniversary, no less. It had to be Grant, trying to intimidate her.
Gina's immediate instinct was to call the cops. She knew Grant, and she knew he would want to stick around, to see if he could get a look at her reaction to his little present. But the cops couldn't do anything, because the restraining order hadn't come through yet, and he wasn't actually doing anything when she thought about it. Nothing illegal, nothing the cops could do anything about. She supposed she could report him for trespassing, but...
The knife still lay in the box, light shining off its blade, looking both innocent and deadly.
Gina lifted it out and set it carefully on the counter, and only then noticed the white envelope beneath it. It was addressed to her, of course. She opened it, with hands shaking so badly she tore the half the flap off.
Gina, it read, in his familiar and frightening scrawl,
I saw you at the store. You were so beautiful, just like the day we met. Do you remember?
Yes, she did remember. She remembered meeting a tall, handsome man who was so gentle and kind with her. But that wasn't Grant McKean, not anymore, and she had no idea who it had been.
And when had he seen her at the store?
I miss you, Gina. I miss our children. Please, accept this gift, and come back to me.
Grant
PS: Eleventh anniversary is steel.
Gina crumpled the note, and looked back at the knife.
He had sent her a knife, and he expected that to bring her back to him. What the hell was he thinking? Was he thinking? How could he imagine that she would want to be anywhere near him, after what he had done to her son? And to send her a knife, a weapon, did he think she wouldn't see the threat in that?
But then, he'd always underestimated her. Even back when she thought he'd loved her, she knew he thought she was less intelligent than he, and it had only become more obvious as the man she loved slipped away and the monster replaced him.
He'd looked at this knife and seen a threat.
She looked at it, and saw a weapon.
Gina picked up the knife and slid it carefully into the knife block, then put the box and the note into a corner, away from her children but safe for the police. She'd keep the children inside today, and tomorrow, she decided, dusting off her hands, she would call the police station and see about getting that restraining order expedited.
The day after that, she'd start looking for jobs, somewhere far away from here.
It was more than time she and her children got away. For good.