Interlude Five

Fitz.

It took literally every ounce of strength I had to not push Willow down on that desk, and do to her every single thing I’d dreamt about doing for the last three miserable fucking weeks. It was only getting worse. I thought for a little while that this thing in me would fade without her there. Out of sight, out of mind. Whoever came up with that was a lunatic. The only thing I’d been thinking of while trying to get my shit together to leave was burying my face in her hair, tasting her skin again. Settling the strange ache in my chest that her absence caused.

Here she was. The most bittersweet feeling filled me. She wasn’t safe anymore, but she was here. She was with me. Within reach to touch. Though everything about her stance told me that if I tried it, she’d fuck me up. It was almost worth it.

I reached behind the cabinet she wanted in, and grabbed the key that was taped to it. I showed it to her, and she huffed again. Oh, but she looked delicious while doing it.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, risking her wrath.

She crossed her arms. “I guess I can’t stop you.”

Perfect. “Are you wearing my clothes because you miss me, or as a warning that you decided you belong to me?”

Her cheeks reddened, and she had a sudden look of panic as she glanced down. She was in one of the button ups I’d left in my SUV before I gave the key to her. It was long enough to mostly cover the shorts she had on under it. But even better than the shirt, was the fact that she had no shoes on. She came here to break in, and she didn’t even bother with shoes. The half of my soul that was now hers started humming.

“I-I just, I didn’t have anything else,” she stammered. “This was just there.”

“Mmm hmm.” I smiled and turned to open the cabinet. “What do you need?”

“My file, Mom, Dad, Juliet, Pepper and Ferris.”

I breathed out. Ferris… “Why did you take that kid anyway? Do you have any idea how angry Felix is about that?”

She laughed. “Good. He deserves it for how horribly he treated his son.”

I turned with a smile. “You’re so sweet to care about me like that.”

She smirked and I knew I was in trouble. “Not you, Sugar.”

My eyebrow went up. “What are you saying?”

“If you get me his file, I’ll tell you all about my new Lost Boy. It’s quite the tale.”

I started digging and sure enough, each file she wanted was in there. I started piling them on the desk. I heard her shuffling through them as I happened across my own file. I had my number memorized. I’d never felt the need to come and look for it. But since I’m here…

I closed the cabinet and started reading my file.

Name: Grant Allen Fitzgerald. “Fitz”

Birth date: 12/8/1987

Date discovered: 2/23/1993 Aged four years Development: Shifter- Manifested from birth. One of a known thirteen. REDACTED. One of a known twelve at given time.

Family history:

Mother; Martha Fitzgerald. Formally Martha Fishel. Date of death 3/2/1993. Aged thirty-two.

Father; Clark Fitzgerald. Date of death 3/2/1993. Aged thirty-three years.

Sister; Sarah Fitzgerald. Date of death 3/2/1993. Aged eight years.

Subject 24602 was the only member of his family with Shifter power manifested. Typical for ability to manifest at birth, first shift being around year one. Parents appeared to be aware of ability, but not of the existence of other creatures like him. No knowledge of what they believed their son was. Overall observation was familial harmony despite the unexplained abilities in the child.

Recovery:

Discovered by scouter 83626 and reported back the following morning. Immediate action was taken and a number of scouters were sent to gather intel on subject. When abilities were confirmed, it was decided that he would be taken into custody.

Child was recovered and brought onto base. Family was disposed of by means of termination. Code 8b. Home was desolated after the bodies of Martha, Clark, Sarah, and a boy of similar size to 24602 were placed in home. Appeared gas leak rendering them unconscious, and unable to escape when fire started. Stand in for 24692 was taken from orphanage after passing from unknown illness. No autopsy was performed as no next of kin were available for request.

Adjustment observations:

24602 spends most of his time with 12734 during waking hours. She met him when he was brought into base. Chose new name and took up handle of playmate. The boy seems to have quickly forgotten his old life as he so easily embraces his new one. He plays well only with 12734, but doesn’t mind the lack of interaction with other children.

During testes he seems to have full grasp over abilities. When shown a picture of an animal, with ease he shifted to them, and back to human form. Further tests will be conducted as per instructed.

I was frozen solid by the time I finished reading the rest. More about the tests they did on me when I was a little older. I couldn’t care less about that. I was too focused on what was before. I had a family. A real one. And they didn’t care what I was.

Everything I knew was a lie. I couldn’t wrap my head around any of it. The stories I was told, the lies I was fed. They loved me, and Felix had them killed so he could add me to his collection. Willow was right the entire time.

She sniffled and I was ripped out of my own head. “What’s wrong, Sugar?” I asked with no inflection in my voice.

She wiped her eyes. “Ferris. God, how do I tell him this?” The file was open in her hands, and tears were staining the paper. She looked up at me and saw something that I wish she hadn’t. “What’s that?” She pointed to the file in my hand. When I didn’t speak, she took it.

The demons that took Willow and I three weeks ago mentioned this. I thought it was a lie to rile me up, because how could they have known? I should have been smarter than that. They had copies of these files. They knew everything that they could know about us. Including Willow. They weren’t all dead. Just the ones that were in that building. For all I knew, they were still on our trail. Oh, if they touched Willow again… They’d die either way, but at least they could earn fast deaths. If they so much as looked at her, it would be slow.

I didn’t have the capabilities of processing this like I should. I knew that. But I still felt sick. Betrayed by the man who called me his son. I was left with a profound sense of loss and aching. How was it possible for the man who raised me to have been so unfaithful when I was nothing but loyal?

“Fitz…” Willow’s voice cracked with pain for me. Because even though neither of us were human, she was all of the humanity in us both. She put the file down, and walked to me. She looked up, and my eye couldn’t quite meet hers.

She pulled a chair from the desk and stood on it. Her hand found the back of my head, and she pressed the side of my face to her chest. I didn’t care to fight her. Her fingers skimmed the back of my neck as she held me and cried. “I’m so, so sorry, Fitz.”

I didn’t want her to feel my shaking hands, but I put them around her anyway. “It’s fine, Sugar. I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to be fine if you’re not fine. Don’t lie to me.”

I laughed without humor. “You know I’m a liar by nature.”

I felt her skin warming my face as I listened to the gentle thrumming of her heart. It was so calming that I believed I could stand there forever. I was a little stunned that it actually comforted me. Just more of a confirmation of what I figured out the day I made her leave this place.

“You need to come home with me now,” she said after she rested her head on mine. “Unless you weren’t planning to.”

I picked her up by the hips, and put her on the floor. She looked up at me again, and her eyes were just barely not crying. My hands were still on her, and I looked back at the pile of paper on the desk. I wanted to kick myself for not coming down and checking my own file sooner. How many dozens of times had I been sent to fetch something, and just didn’t care enough to look?

It didn’t matter. I knew now. And I knew what I was going to do. First things first. I had to hurry up, and fix what was now broken. My plan was out the window, and that left me without any choice but the one that scared me.

“Why did you come back here?” I sighed.

She blinked at me. Hurt in her eyes. “I told you. I needed the file.”

I needed to make it worse, but at least I was good at it. Destroying things. Unraveling what little progress I made with this girl.

“It was stupid. You could have gotten yourself killed for information you didn’t need. I think you’re a liar. I think you came here for me.”

That did it. “Are you kidding me? I told you, Fitz. I hate you. I’ve hated you from the second I met you. I came here for Ferris. I love him, and I needed to do this for him.”

Jealousy and annoyance seeped into my chest. The logical part of my brain reminded me that he was fifteen, and there was no way she meant a romantic love. The other part of my brain wanted to throttle him at the idea of it being anything else. But no matter what, she loved him. She didn’t love me in any sense of the word. I was nothing to her. Would that ever change? No, I didn’t think so. Not with all I’d done to her. Should that stop me from trying?

I gathered all of the files in my hand, and held her arm with the other as I led her out of the room. I stopped at the end of an aisle, and buried them in between two big books.

“What are you doing?” Willow asked.

I stuck my hand in her pocket, and she gasped. Playtime was later, so she didn’t need to worry. For now, I just needed something from her. I grabbed my phone and car key, and transferred them into my own pocket.

I brought her to the staircase that also happened to be the only exit. “Sorry, Sugar,” I said right before I hit the alarm.