Broken Angel

Last Train Home || Coria

When Cory had told Aria he loved her, he hadn’t expected her to say it back, nor did he expect her to still have those same feelings for him. The words had merely slipped past his lips on their own accord. After what he’d done, after leaving—and now knowing she never got his letter, he knew he’d broken her heart. He was the one person she trusted, even if he didn’t think himself completely worthy of it half the time. He’d betrayed her, no matter how unintentional. He had written, and rewritten that letter over and over again. None of the words sounded right in his head when all he’d really wanted to do was take her and run. Anywhere. Cory had spent the last nine months his father’s personal punching bag. He wouldn’t tell her all of what had gone on; Aria had too much on her plate as it was. He could only imagine the pain she was suffering through. If the horrid news had caused him to break down right in front of her, he could only imagine.

But hearing those three little words as Aria nuzzled against his neck, made Cory get emotional all over again. He had too many thoughts, too many feelings and a lot of those feelings consisted of him feeling very, very unworthy. Especially now, after everything. He was still reeling from shock. He was a father to a child he would never meet. He hadn’t meant to get her pregnant in the first place, so he felt guilt there as well. He didn’t want to voice his thoughts, he couldn’t, for fear he would hurt Aria further. But his mind spun during the whole, long drive. What was he going to do? What were they going to do? How was he to care for all of them with little money, and a psychopath on their heels? The only thing keeping him content and grounded was the beautiful girl sleeping against his arm, her weight reminding him that this was real and not a dream.

Cory tried to make as few stops as possible, not wanting to wake Aria while at the same time trying to put as much distance between them and his father’s house. He was careful to pay for everything with cash and to not leave a paper trail, grateful for the many nights spent watching way too much television. He’d also stopped at an ATM and taken out as much of Steven’s money as possible before disposing of the card. Cory’s was staring, transfixed on the road when he finally felt Aria stir beside him. He was munching on fries when he turned to her, a slight frown on his lips. He didn’t comment upon her slip of tongue and instead offered her some of his food before placing a second bag in her lap, he’d ordered fast food for the both of them. “Yeah I’m here. I know you’re not the biggest fan of fast food but, I got you something simple.” It was a grilled chicken sandwich along with a large tea. “I think we are in some tiny town in New Jersey. I drove all night, only stopped once for gas and then to get food.” Cory said again, glancing out the window toward the signs that they passed.

He chuckled at Aria’s worried tone. “He woke up earlier. You’re right—he does talk a lot. But I gave him a cookie and we went back to sleep. There is a little kids meal in your bag as well, apples, yogurt and chicken nuggets. I’m not exactly sure what he’s allowed to eat.” He made a face at Aria, hoping she’d fill in the blanks for him, but he was trying. “I’ll find us a cheap hotel.” He wasn’t sure how much driving he’d be able to do, let alone what use he would be to her if he was dead on his feet. Not to mention, Aria hadn’t laid in a bed in god only knows how long and Silas was bound to start getting antsy eventually.

Forgiving Cory was something that felt as natural as breathing. There was a lot she still couldn’t formulate into words, but on the brink of sleep, she could at least let something as simple as expressing her feelings slip by, for his sake. After all, he was uprooting himself for her. And, it was by fault of Steven that she never received a letter from him, and while she would have still been livid that he’d left her.. at least it wouldn’t have been without some kind of explanation. At least she would have known he was coming back for her eventually, instead of simply waiting on blind hope.

But, as they ventured into newer towns, with newer people, Aria could practically feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest. She leaned herself back into her seat, gripping her hands against the seat rests until her knuckles were practically white while she stared out the window. In fact, she’d hardly heard what Cory had been saying to her, as they drove. The world was far bigger than she could have imagined, never really having left the literal and metaphorical cages of New York City and Idaho Falls. Briefly, her mind flashed to the realization of how many people here could potentially hurt them, how many could kidnap, abuse, kill.. there was nothing they’d done in Serenity to prepare her for that realization. Little towns looked a little more cozy than the big city, but on the same token, they were quiet. Quiet wasn’t something Aria was use to. Her whole life, there’d been the noises from the city, there’d been screaming, and there’d be general chatter from people not yet sleeping. Here, the quiet sent chills up her spine, and she had to stop looking.

Instead, she turned back to look at Silas, who was just now beginning to stir. “I’m not hungry, but yeah, he can eat those things. He eats pretty much anything now. He’ll be three in a few months. Come here, bud.” She lifted the little guy from his chair, pulling him onto her lap in the front, offering him the best smile she could as a good morning. Though, it was obvious from the child’s face that he’d experienced something awful, something he couldn’t put into words, for lack of them. “You need to sleep.” She commented, glancing over at Cory, unable to keep that ‘Mom glare’ from her face. “Do you think we’re far enough from S-T-E-V-E-N that it’ll be alright to stop?” She asked, spelling out the word to not upset Silas. Though, something told her they would be okay, and when they pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, she didn’t question it. She had no real survival skills, no real knowledge on the topic other than run and don’t get caught, so she was heavily relying on Cory to be her brain. And, she would make sure he got his rest, ate his food, etc. But, for the most part, she felt rather useless. Though -- if they ever need money, Aria knew one way she was good at, even if she really didn’t want to go that route. But, if need be, she’d do what was needed.

They’d gotten out of the car, headed into the little office where the front desk awaited them, and rented the room. It’d be another first for Aria and Silas, never having been in a hotel room before. They’d made their way to the room, looking around at the white walls, old television, and bed that decorated the room. It wasn’t much -- but Aria thought it was perfect. She helped Cory to lay down, and she’d laid down with him for a moment, but Silas was awake beyond a doubt. So, instead of waking Cory, she took the boy downstairs after leaving a note, finding a pool, and though she couldn’t swim, they could at least pretend in the swallow area. And, stepping right over their final barrier to the water, Aria simple stripped down to her bra and panties, helping Silas to do the same. The water was a little cold, but neither really minded. Aria needed to bring a little bit of normalcy back into Silas’ life, he needed to laugh, and she needed to hear him laugh, letting her know she didn’t destroy whatever was left of his innocence.

And, it was the biggest sigh of relief when he did. He laughed and laughed as she spun the child around, and eventually, it brought a real smile to her lips, and then, real laughter. Just for that moment, nothing else existed outside of this probably germ-infested pool. And, she had been laughing so hard with Silas that she hadn’t heard the door to the pool open.

Last Train Home || Coria

At least Cory could drive knowing that Silas was safe in a car seat. Even if Silas was Steven’s biological son, Cory had been in his life up until nine months ago. And no matter the time that had passed, Cory still cared for him as if he were his own. The poor boy was probably so confused, and Cory wouldn’t be surprised if he hated him. He wasn’t even sure he was in the slightest bit remembered, given his young age and their time gap. He turned briefly, able to somehow feel Aria’s nervousness and he flashed her a small smile. It didn’t reach his eyes however, but it was the best he could do for now. As she grasped tightly at his free hand, he squeezed hers back in turn, settling into a quiet, almost peaceful evening drive. It was almost as if they weren’t running from anything, yet he knew that wasn’t the case. As Aria began to tell her story about her experience with driving, Cory chuckled at first, until the part about Steven slapping her. The fact that she was able to say it so casually really hurt him. He had spent over a year building her up from the damage done in her past, only to have Steven knock her back down again. “I can teach you some time. If you want, that it. I promise I won’t hit you if you screw up.” He said with a small shake of his head. “After all—fuck this jeep,” He chuckled again, running his hand along the dash. “What’s another dent? Poetic justice I say.”

As Aria let go of his hand, Cory reached into his pocket. Noticing the way she fiddled with her fingers, he dropped her cellphone in her lap. She wouldn’t be able to properly use it anymore, but he’d taken a glance through her photos while he’d taken out the tracker. “I don’t care about all of that—you know. I mean, yeah education, good—yada, yada.” He waved his hand in air dismissively. “My life is with you.” He said, keeping his eyes on the rode as she tried to tell him that he could dumper her off somewhere. “The course of my shitty life changed the moment I met you. You are my life.” He shook his head again, trying to put the thoughts in his mind together for her without overstepping. After nine months apart he wasn’t exactly sure what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t. “…Back there, that wasn’t a home. You, Silas…our daughter…” His voice cracked at the brief mention. “that’s my home. And I’m not going to leave you behind, ever again.” He took a deep breath, refusing to allow himself to break down again. “And she’s…she’s beautiful by the way. And you’re not ruining Silas’ life—you’re saving it. I wish…I wish my mom had been brave enough to run away with me all those years ago too.”

Things felt much too easy once they hit the highway, but Cory knew that Steven wasn’t right behind them and with the persuasions he had taken—they had at least a few days to devise a plan. “They let you out?” He asked, disbelief in his voice as he glanced over at her tired face. He rolled his eyes, relaxing back in his seat. “Of course he did.” Cory rolled his shoulders, completely and utterly annoyed with Steven. He’d always known there was something very dark about him. This had been a long devised plan, and no one had seen it coming. “I’m sorry. If it helps—I think you’ve gotten better. I mean, besides the fact you kinda look like you got hit by a truck, and then that truck backed up—you’re holding it together better than any sane person could.” He knew that wasn’t a good thing, that she deserved a breakdown, she deserved sleep, but he didn’t want her blaming herself either. “Oh Silas talks a lot—pretty sure he got that from his mom.” Cory was glad for the subject change, and talk of Silas not only made him feel better, but sad. He hadn’t been there to see any of this, and it hurt him to the core. For the longest time Silas had called him ‘Dada’, and even though he wasn’t—he had been the male figure in the boy’s life.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white. “You’re doing the right thing—that title should be up to Silas, and whoever he’s willing to bestow it upon. Steven…he doesn’t deserve the title of father, from anyone, let alone Silas.” He shook his head. “You’re not—He’s already learning the difference. If he called him Mr. Steven, he knows. He can sense your emotions. And I’m sure Silas knew something was off the whole time. He protected you, remember?” In Cory’s mind Silas was perfect, he might be confused, but eventually he would put all the pieces together. Like Cory—he wouldn’t end up like his ‘father’.

“Maybe once you get a little proper sleep, you will feel better.” She had to be running for days, and he knew what that kind of lack in sleep did to the body. He drove in silence after that, occasionally glancing over at Aria to make sure she was alright. But as she settled her head against his shoulder, he nuzzled her gently. He’d missed her. He’d missed her so much. “I love you.” His words were barely a whisper. He drove for hours after that, content in knowing she was asleep beside him.

Her eyes were fluttering open, fighting the sleep that she so desperately needed, just in case this would all just be a dream when she finally reopened her eyes. She’d escaped the deepest level of Hell, just to be thrown into another with Steven. And, maybe Aria didn’t believe in Heaven or Hell the way that most religious folk believed in it, but she did believe Heaven was merely a couple people on Earth with her. Wherever they were.. she could find Heaven. Even now, after experiencing one of the worst tragedies a mother could face, her heart rate slowed exceptionally with Cory and Silas near. Which was why, being so close to Cory, despite the amount of time that’d passed, she could easily drift off. But, only before she heard those three words she had been struggling with since she’d laid eyes on him at his house. She knew how she felt. Undoubtedly, she knew how she felt, but she was afraid of how she felt. If she admitted it, it was allowing him the opportunity to hold a gun to her heart once more. And, she wasn’t certain if she could survive another round of devastation that came with losing him.

But, he had his reasons. And, if he had known about Aubrey, if he had known about Steven.. there was no way he would have left. Besides, if they wanted to survive, they both had to step away from the past and run towards their future. Despite what she wanted to believe, Aria couldn’t survive on her own with Silas without Cory. He was her rock, her strength, and the brains of the operation. Seven years of being away from society caused her to rely on him for a lot, him always with a strong head on his shoulders, even when he refused to believe it.

So, she had a choice. She could have pretended that she hadn’t heard the words that he’d whispered, she could have left him believing she no longer felt the same, or she could take a chance and remind him that there was no length of time that would stop her from adoring him to her very core. So, as she readjusted, snuggling closer towards his neck, a whisper slipped from her lips before sleep eventually dragged her into unconsciousness.

“I love you, too.”

Whatever his soul was made of, hers was too. Maybe they were created from the same star. Either way, she could feel so confused towards Cory, yet know she was desperately in love with him, all at the same time.

And, so, she wasn’t certain for how long they drove or how many times they had to stop to refuel. She had fallen incredibly deep into sleep, deeper than she’d had in over nine months. So, the moment she’d awoken, she briefly had forgotten what had just happened, why she was running.. all the bad stuff disappeared, and her eyes slowly peeked open, a sleepy smile on her lips as she glanced up at Cory, “Am I dreaming? Are you really here? Is she..” Instinctively, she’d reached down to her now flat abdomen, the realization stabbing her in the gut, before she forced her smile back for Cory, “Where are we? How long have you been driving for? Maybe you need to sleep.. Or, maybe you’re hungry. You’re always hungry.. Did Silas wake up? God, is Silas alive?”

Last Train Home || Coria

“Yeah, it’s raining.” Cory replied simply, gathering their bags and watching Aria put his oversized hoodie on. At least it would keep her relatively dry for the time they would be walking. It wouldn’t do for her or Silas to get sick on top of everything else. Closing and locking the door behind him, Cory had made sure to make it look as if he were still up in his room sleeping. At least his father, he knew wouldn’t come looking for quite some time. It wasn’t uncommon for Cory to be gone for days at a time. “No, not entirely safe.” He admitted quietly, hoisting their bags over his shoulder as they walked down the street. He made sure to keep Aria close, his honey brown eyes ever watchful. If something happened, or either Steven or his father showed up, he was prepared for them to make a run for it. As Aria gestured toward a car driving down the street, Cory instantly tensed; turning his head before letting out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. It wasn’t Steven, just a car that looked like his. He nodded his head; that was good information. At least now he wouldn’t be so paranoid—unless Steven was smart enough to drive a rental car. Because if it were him—that was what Cory would do. And that was how he was going to play this, trying to keep four steps ahead of Steven no matter the cost.

He reached out, his free arm wrapping around Aria’s side, keeping her close as they walked. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her. It wasn’t sexual or entirely too needy. It was as if just by being able to touch her, he was reminding himself that yes she was there and this wasn’t one of his horribly twisted nightmares. Even though, in the grand scheme of things—he desperately wished that it was. And that would make much more sense to him, than anyone not only physically and emotionally abusing her, but killing a child. A new born. If this were all just a nightmare, his twisted mind had reached new heights.

At Aria’s complaint, Cory sighed. “It’s not that much farther and I promise you can sit once we are there. They came to a shady parking lot, the vehicle in which he was looking for, parked behind some shrubbery. For the last nine month this had been his hobby—the one thing that made him feel better in shithole. Not only had he destroyed Steven’s truck, but he’d also rebuilt it from the ground up. Cory shook his head at Aria’s question, the smallest of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “My Jeep.” He corrected, giving her a look as he read the worry in her expression. “Aria—I don’t particularly enjoy the thought of dying today by way of ditch, telephone pole, or six car pileup—so no, you will not be driving.” The sarcasm was strong in him, yet he smiled down at her as he clicked the button on his keys to unlock the jeep. “Get in; you’re going to have to hold Silas on your lap—I don’t have a car seat.” He said, putting their bags in the backseat along with the stroller before getting into the driver’s side.

“I graduated.” He shrugged his shoulders, watching Aria get in beside him. Starting the car, he fiddled with the radio. “I mean—you know, without the walking, and the cape and all that fancy shit.” He didn’t have parents to be proud of him anyway. Pulling out of parking lot, he drove quickly through the residential area, hurrying to get on the highway as he continuously checked the mirrors. “I’m not sure yet. I’m just going to drive and keep driving for a while. You sleep; you can put the seat back if you want.” He said, showing her where the lever was under the seat. “Are you hungry? I raided the kitchen before we left.” He said, keeping his eyes on the road.

“I have a car seat.” She answered, revealing that the stroller was one of those fancy, ‘grows-with-your-child,’ carseat, stroller mixes. Holmes always made sure she had the best of everything, and she hoped he’d understand how grateful she had always been in the note she’d left behind for him. Somewhere in the midst of all their teasing, Aria grew to really love Dr. Holmes as her father. And, one of the few things Steven had ever taught Aria was how to hook up the carseat. So, effortlessly, she buckled the child in the backseat, before settling herself into the passenger seat, pulling the safety belt across her lap. Being in the car still made her very nervous, but she knew they needed to get away from the area as quickly as possible. Naturally, her hand reached across to grasp Cory’s, a little tighter than normal in her worried state. She glanced over at him, an apologetic look on her face, before moving into a more comical storyline, “I did drive once. I never wanted to. But, Steven didn’t give me a choice. So, I was trying to drive in a parking lot, and he kept yelling at me, because I didn’t want to go very fast. And, he slapped me, and it shocked me, and I pressed my foot down on the little button on the bottom, and it went really fast into a pole. He had to pay a lot of money to fix it, and I think if I weren’t pregnant, he would have actually killed me. But, it was some form of justice, if you ask me. He loved that stupid car, and I wrecked it.”

She smirked in her seat, a little proud of what she’d just said, before looking down at her hands, feeling guilty to even feel somewhat happy for a quick second. After all, she was alive. Their baby wasn’t. She pulled her hand away, fiddling with her fingertips on her lap, trying to refocus on their conversation, “I’m glad. Proud of you, Cor. I know it was something you really wanted to do. And, you’ll get to do the college thing, and you’ll be able to live your life the way you were suppose to. You don’t.. have to do all this. You can drop me off in another state, and I’ll write you. Let you know I’m alright. I don’t want to ruin your life, too. It’s enough that I’m ruining Silas’. And..” But, she couldn’t finish the last sentence. Talking about her was just too much. “Um, but.. you know they let me out? Of Serenity? Because, Steven found some loophole in how they were keeping me or something. So, they had to let me out, and then.. I didn’t have anywhere to go, because I’m 17, and.. he decided to.. keep me. I thought all this time they left me out because I got better..”

A lot had changed since the last time they’d spoken, nine months had a way of creating new memories that would be totally foreign to Cory. “Silas walks well. Runs well. Even climbs up stairs with just his hand being held. And, he talks.. a lot. No idea where he got that trait from, but.. I love his voice.” She glanced behind her, smiling sadly at the little boy who was completely oblivious to the situation, to the scenario. “Steven made him call him ‘Dad.’” She whispered, the hurt evident. “I always said, no matter who his father is or who I’m dating, it’d be up to Silas and the man involved if they were comfortable with the whole ‘Dad’ thing. I never wanted anyone to feel obligated, and I never wanted him to feel like he had to have a Dad to be happy. And, hearing him cry when Steven would yell at him for calling him ‘Mr. Steven’ and not ‘Dad,’ I just.. I’m ruining my baby. I’m hurting him.”

She sighed, though, leaning back against the seat, shaking her head, “I can’t eat. I don’t feel hungry, but I know I’m hungry. It’s stupid. But, I’m fine, thank you.” There were a lot of unspoken words floating in the arm, none of which she could say, but she gently reached over, her hand on his arm for a moment, before pulling her feet towards her chest, hugging her knees. But, she couldn’t seem to get comfortable, so after about an hour of eyes closed, uncomfortable silence, before she moved over, resting her head against Cory’s shoulder, finding it easier to nap in that position.

Last Train Home || Coria

As Aria leaned her head against his chest for a brief moment, Cory kissed the top of her head before she finally pulled herself away and settled in with Silas. She needed sleep. Real sleep. He could read it in her body language alone. She was practically a zombie right now, and given everything that he’d recently learned, he was surprised she was even still able to stand let alone try to help him. But, what Aria didn’t—or maybe she did know deep down, he had a get away plan. Hell—he’d had the same plan nine months ago, except Steven had yet again gotten in the way. He’d allowed the man to plant doubt in his head and it had grown like a cancer. As Aria tried to rest, a tired chuckle escaped him as he went around his room, gathering things from all his hiding spots. “Yeah, clearly.” Aria had been through a lot, and not even Steven had been able to knock her down for long. He shook his head as she went on, knowing she was right but at the same time not knowing what else to do. They could flee the country. Steven wouldn’t follow them that far, would he? There were too many thought, too many scenarios running through his mind right now. Cory just knew he needed to get them out of there.

“You’re right. I’ll think of something, I’ll take care of you and Silas. Just…try to sleep for a bit. I have to go down stairs for a minute. But I’m not leaving you, I promise.” Cory didn’t allow himself to dwell on her words, on the things that Steven did to her since he’d left. It would only make him angrier, and a danger to both her and her son. He had to block everything out, and keep everything in. Leaving the room, he took Aria’s phone, began fiddling with the backing and taking out the sims card along with the motherboard. A tiny chip fell onto the kitchen table as he worked. The tiny tracker blinked, signaling that It indeed was still working. Sneaking out the back door and across the lawn to a neighbors house, he taped the tracker to the bottom of their SUV. The family was known to travel and be gone for weeks at a time. Cory only hoped that it gave them a bit more time, sending Steven on a wild goose chase.

Hurrying back inside as he didn’t want Aria to start panicking, he rushed up the steps and back into his room. Just as he’d walked in, she was awake again. He knew the signs of a nightmare when he saw one and he looked at her apologetically. “Ask me something?” He asked, almost grateful for the subject change as we waited for her question. As the words fell like weights, he turned his head away from her. He ran a hand through his damp hair, wet shirt clinging to him from the pouring rain outside. He steadied himself, turning toward his dresser to pull out a new shirt. “School mostly.” He shrugged his shoulders, tugging the wet clothing up and over his head. He had fresh scars along his back and his abdomen, though she couldn’t yet see it—was back and blue. At her questions, he finally turned back. “I was going to come back. I just…I needed to know you were safe and that when I did come back, I could properly take care of you…and Silas.” But it seemed nothing had gone to plan in the slightest. “I missed you, every day.”

Pulling on the dry t-shirt, he tossed Aria one of his favorite hoodies. “Yeah, I’m ready. You wont have to walk far. A block. I have a surprise for you.” And in the midst of all this chaos, he knew this surprise would bring back one of her old smiles. Gathering up their bags, he gestured for her to take Silas down stairs and he would follow. “Don’t forget his stroller.”

“Is it raining outside?” She asked, noticing his change in appearance, still trying to wake herself up, glancing over at him. She’d seen him without his shirt countless times, but this one hurt more than usual. Scars, bruises.. he’d left her to be tortured once more, and she had to look away to keep her from crying once more. “But, you weren’t safe, either.” She mumbled, running a free hand through her tousled, dark locks. Though, she couldn’t dwell for too long, his hoodie flying towards her. She placed it over her, with Silas still underneath to keep him dry from the rain, and she pushed the stroller outside into the rain. Pulling the hood over her hair, she waited for Cory to meet her outside, and she stayed close to his side as they hurried down the sidewalk in the rain. As each car sped by them, Aria found herself staring at the person inside of it, terrified that Steven would be in the next one. And, when a car that was the exact replica of Steven’s drove down the street, Aria pointed to it, looking at Cory, “That’s the kind of car Steven has now.” She’d been in it a few times, and he even tried to make her learn how to drive it -- even though she didn’t want to. And, what a disaster that was. She’d crashed it into a pole, and Steven’s anger dragged on for a week. Thankfully, she was pregnant at that time, so no serious damage would come from him.

She walked quietly beside Cory, pushing the stroller with one hand, holding Silas with the other. To any normal person on the street, they appeared as a teenage couple with a baby. But, they were so much more than that.. but on the same token, Aria still had no idea what they were. Friends, a couple.. none of that really described the amount of trust she always seemed to have in Cory. But, now, she wasn’t completely sure she was ready to talk about it. Even the ‘L’ word.. she wasn’t certain she could say it. Even if she had waited to say it again for so long. Intimacy was lost when Steven ruined their lives, yet again.

“My feet hurt.” She complained, though they hadn’t been walking for too long. But, as soon as she spoke, she looked up, noticing something in the distance. Something so obviously hilarious, something that adorned her name on the side. “Is that his Jeep?” She asked, finding it in her to laugh, genuinely surprised that Cory, of all people, had Steven’s broken Jeep. And, surprise, it was in one piece? But.. a concerned thought came to her mind, and she looked up at Cory in confusion, “Cory, I can’t drive. I tried, I just.. I can’t do it. Do you know how?” For some reason, Aria felt that driving was a very difficult task to learn, so she was surprised to know that Cory could. But, then again, she should have assumed as such, because he seemed to know just about everything, anyways.

“How is school? Did you pass all the classes?” She realized, maybe, just maybe, he’s gotten through high school, and maybe if things settled down, she could help him go to college, like he’d always wanted. Steven didn’t really encourage Aria’s furthering of her education, and he really didn’t care if she finished her GED or not. She was a housewife, her only duty to reproduce and care for her ‘man.’ And, even if Aria really didn’t care if she went to college or not, it was still nice to have someone who wanted her to do whatever it was that made her happy. “Where are we gonna go, anyways?”

Last Train Home || Coria

Cory wouldn’t have left Aria if he had the choice. There was no one else in this world for him, and no woman ever would compare to her. No matter some of the stupid situations she had somehow put them in. But this…this was neither of their faults and yet, their lives were on the line, again. Cory had thought the worst that could happen was taking a knife for her and Silas, but apparently things could get much worse. And, as he walked up the steps with little Silas in his arms and Aria gripping the back of his shirt, he wondered if Steven had put thoughts in Paul’s head as well. He wouldn’t put it past him now and it was all this huge conspiracy. As they entered his bedroom, Cory carefully placed Silas on his bed, moving pillows around so the small child wouldn’t roll off in his sleep. As Aria stood in the middle of his room, he never thought he’d ever see her here. In his house. In his room, which looked about as depressing as he felt.

“Don’t…just…I’m glad you woke up. You’re still alive.” Cory couldn’t imagine her dead, both children slaughtered at the hands of worlds worst security guard. He’d always joked about Steven making skin lamps, but now—that was closer to the truth than he could acknowledge. He murdered their child. He was clearly somewhere in his head as Aria began moving around his room and picking things up. He reached out, grasped her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “I don’t need help. I got this, okay?” He said reassuringly. “You, lay down with Silas. Take a nap.” He took the phone off the dresser and began examining it for a moment as she spoke. “He wont get Silas, alright? We will—go in hiding for a while. And then…we will go to the cops. I mean—they have to believe us.” What was he saying, his own father was a cop and as corupt as they came. Cory honestly trusted no one. And for right now, all they could do was run. As Aria turned back to him, he reached out and rubbed at the back of her neck. “You can, alright? You can. You’re the strongest person I know. And we will get through this, like we have gotten through everything else.” His words were quiet, reassuring yet again as he pocketed her phone for the moment.

He was honestly impressed that Aria had thought to grab anything but Silas, let alone money or a debit card. He hadn’t even been sure she knew what that was. “Alright, we are definitely going to need it.” He told her before stepping over to his closet. Inside the small walk in was an air vent way in the back. Reaching over his clothes, he jimmied it loose and reached for what was hidden inside. Wrapped securely in a cloth was one of Cory’s fathers many guns, which Cory had stolen from his gun cabinet along with a bunch of rolled up bills. Unwrapping it, he checked the safety and put it securely in his back pocket, under his shirt. He didn’t say a word as he then got out a gym bag and began throwing basic necessities inside of it.

She wanted to argue with him, she wanted to be of some use, but she must have looked as exhausted as she felt, if not more so. She leaned her head against his chest for one moment, before heading to lie down with Silas, wrapping her arms around the child and pulling him close to her chest. It mattered none to her that she now knew the identity of his father -- she loved him no less. Maybe even more now, needing to compensate for the cruel father he was created from. Her eyes closed, but she couldn’t seem to drift away the way she’d wanted to. “It’ll take more than a nutcase to kill me.” She whispered, a little joke in the midst of so much tragedy. “I just.. Cory, Steven’s a cop, too. If we tell them, they’re just going to side with him, and he’ll lie. I’ll get stuck with him, I can’t go back there, I can’t. Please.. you don’t know what it was like.” Though, she knew -- in some ways, Cory knew what it was like. But, waking up frequently with a thirty year old man hovering over top of her.. there was no escaping the nightmares. She awoke to them.

But, for now, there was no Steven, and eventually, she did fall into a short sleep. For the moment, she was safe enough to keep her eyes closed for awhile, letting Cory do whatever it was that he needed to do. Though, when the tortured newborn’s cries began resounding throughout her nightmares, she awoke with a start, shaking her head quickly, “I can’t sleep anymore. I--” But, she couldn’t get the words out to explain the nightmare to him. She’d rather he not have to suffer with her, the screams and terror that came from all three of the innocent souls that were tarnished on a few short days ago. “Cory, I need to ask you something..” She forced herself to sit up, Silas still entangled like a monkey attached to her body. There had been a few things stuck on her mind, even though there were far more concerning things to worry about. Something that had kept her awake for the last nine months was the awful thought that maybe he wasn’t.. alone, in his mind or his bed, while he had been gone. She may have been stuck next to Steven.. but there was only one person she’d thought of.

“What did you do? While you’ve been here? What have you been doing?” She had to look away, unable to look him in the eye. She wanted to ask if he’d missed her, if he thought of her the same way she thought of him. “When were you going to come back? I mean.. if you were going to come back.” She had gotten up, holding onto Silas, letting there be a silence before she offered a little smile, “You ready to go? I probably should have brought more comfortable shoes.. How far are we gonna have to walk?”

Last Train Home || Coria

Cory wasn’t a crier. He didn’t cry. His father would beat him black and blue right now if he saw him. But he felt as if the weight of the entire world, his entire world—had crashed down upon him. He had a child. A baby girl. And clearly, he was not father material. Just like his own dear old dad. He wasn’t there for the one person that needed him most. He wasn’t there for her. He wasn’t there for Silas. He wasn’t there to save the life of his new born child. He’d take a knife to his abdomen again just to go back and rewrite their history. Aria’s hands in his hair soothed him slightly, yet for the moment he felt weak, powerless. “I…I should have never left you. Left…our baby.” He said, even as she tried to put the blame on herself. “My father—he was sending…death threats. He was…going to kill you. So I—I planned for us to leave.” His voice shook with raw, painful emotion. If he’d just run away with her—they would be happy right now, no matter where in the world they were. “And Steven he…He wanted me gone the whole time so he could…” He was putting the story together out loud, yet he couldn’t finish it. Steven had fooled everyone. Steven had literally taken his entire life away. The love of his life, his happiness.

“I…I’m sorry. My…child. I’m…I’m a father.” Usually when a man found out such a thing he was meant to smile, be overjoyed. But all Cory felt was utter heart break, guilt. He let his baby be murdered, granted however that hadn’t known she even existed until five minutes ago. Cory felt like he couldn’t breathe, yet he knew he needed to get a hold of himself, for both their sake. They were in enemy territory. Nowhere was currently safe.

As Aria lowered herself down toward him, he let go of her waist, arms falling limp to his sides as he quickly began to brush the tears away from his eyes. He nodded his head. Yes, he wanted to see what she looked like. He wanted to know her, and now he would never get the chance. As Aria continued to speak, telling him that Steven knew where they were, reality of the situation crashed down upon him. He needed to get up, get them out of there. Get them to safety. Neither of them had the time to grieve. “Do you still have your phone from the asylum?—They kept a…a tracker.” He swallowed, taking a deep breath as he attempted to bring himself back to a less emotional, more logical state. He rubbed at his face, rising to his feet again and reaching out to take Aria’s hand and help her up. “We…have to get out of here. Give me your phone.” Cory had gone from emotional breakdown to strict survival mode in minutes. Cory hadn’t been there. Cory hadn’t witnessed his baby die. But if he allowed himself to dwell, he wouldn’t be able to protect Aria and Silas like he needed to do right now. He needed to be the head of his family right now. Protect what he had left.

Moving toward the couch, he gently lifted Silas up into his arms, the young boys head resting upon his shoulder. “Come on. I’ve got to pack.” He said, gesturing for Aria to follow him up the stairs and to his room.

Of all the people in the world, Aria was one of the dimmer bulbs in the box. She wasn’t very smart, but if there was one thing she knew and seemed to usually understand, it was Cory. And, she knew that he was deeply, deeply hurting if he had been brought to tears, but to call him out on it would make him feel worse. But, it was like a knife to the chest to hear about his father, his threats, and the reason he’d left. Suddenly, she’d felt like shit for even being angry in the first place. She’d just assumed he’d grown tired of her, like Steven had always said he would. That there were millions of more beautiful women in the world, and she wasn’t important enough for him to stick around for. For months, she’d believed the words Steven had slowly been sticking in the back of her mind, and it was as if everything were coming true. Until now. But, that didn’t make her feel any safer, now knowing there were two psychopaths that wanted the three of them dead and buried. She had remained frozen for a moment, before he’d gotten up and started gathering Silas. Fearing being alone more than ever, she’d forced herself to get up and follow him up the stairs, one hand gently holding on to the back of his shirt so he wouldn’t lose her.

When she’d entered his room, she again looked around, unable to control that natural curiosity that lived inside of her personality. And, it was then that she finally found herself able to speak once more, “Don’t blame yourself.. He’s more evil than I think I could have imagined, Cor. We couldn’t have escaped. He left me unconscious, even Silas.. By some grace of.. someone, I woke up, and we had just enough time to get out of there. It was pure luck, and..” Her voice trailed away, before she’d sighed again, “Do you need help?” She’d asked, gesturing to the things he’d had lying around his room.

And, before giving him time to answer, she began to grab things she figured were important, things he’d need. She had no real idea where they’d go or how long the money she’d stolen from Steven would last, but they certainly couldn’t stay here. She just felt guilty for dragging Cory along with her. “I’m sorry.. I shouldn’t have even.. come, I don’t.. want you to get stuck running forever.” But she knew he wouldn’t stay behind now. She set the phone that was issued to her from the old asylum onto the dresser, “What if he still keeps finding us? He still wants Silas, you know.” She asked quietly, unable to turn around and share the terror that was obvious on her face. There was one person in the world that Aria had promised to never allow anything to happen to, and she’d failed. It hurt her deeply to know that she wasn’t enough to protect her first baby.. and she couldn’t even let herself feel the grief and guilt about the second. “I don’t feel very well, Cory” was all she could say to explain, and in reality, she didn’t, emotionally or physically. She’d only just delivered a baby a couple weeks ago, Steven was an abusive fuck, and her emotions were threatening to make a show, and she turned to look at Cory directly in the eye, “I’m not sure I can do this.”

She took steps towards him, her feet not stopping until she was near enough to breathe in his scent. “I’m scared and I’m tired and I..” She shook her head, before trying to be more productive, “I stole one of Steven’s debit cards, too. We might wanna go take as much money out from there as we can, and then just.. ditch the card. He already knows I’m here.”

Last Train Home || Coria

Cory was filled with more anger than he believed he had ever felt in his entire life with that simple nod of Aira’s head. Everything fell together like puzzle pieces in his mind, old events beginning to make much more sense to him. Steven had been so manipulative, so twisted—Cory had known it deep down all along. The man had tried to kill him once, smashed his head against the floor of his office repeatedly. All because he had the one thing that Steven sickeningly desired most. Aria. But what she was telling him now, at first made no sense. “Found out what?” He asked, trying to decipher her quick, rambling words. “Gracie?” Had he killed Gracie? His mind had instantly gone to the little girl who spent a lot of her time with Aria. As she practically collapsed against him, Cory wrapped his arms protectively around her tiny, trembling frame. He held her tightly, afraid if he let go she would crumble at his feet and all the duck-tape in the world wouldn’t be able to put her pieces back together.

He kissed the top of her head, cradled against his chest as she spoke. He didn’t want to hear any of this. Didn’t want to know that every fear he’d had for her had come to pass the moment he stepped out of her life. At the hands of Steven Waldec. The one man he truly hated more than his own deadbeat father. He glanced over at the sleeping child on the couch. Silas had grown in the nine months since he’d seen the little boy and he couldn’t help the rush of pride he felt knowing he’d protected his mother. “Shh, just breathe.” He said quietly, running his hand soothingly along her back even though he was shaking himself. This was all too much and he felt like collapsing himself.

“I’m here, okay? I’m here. I never, ever wanted to leave you. Do you understand?” His voice was thick with emotion. But at the mention of another, a baby, he stopped. She had a baby. Nine months he’d been gone. He pulled back to look her in the eyes. Even as she told him of yet another crime Steven had committed, his eyes weld with tears. She had a baby. His baby. “I’m a f-father?” His voice cracked, “Was…a father?” Cory collapsed to his knees right there in front of her, the beginnings of a breakdown she had never witnessed from him before. “He killed my…my daughter…” He wrapped his arms around Arias’ waist and placed his head against her belly. “This is…this is all my fault…” Her shirt became wet with his tears.

Aria let her hands run through his hair for a few moments, before nodding, her heart breaking all over again in her chest as she helplessly watched it happen all over again in her mind. “I tried.. I tried.. to save her, but.. I couldn’t stop him.. I tried, I tried..” It made her feel sick to her stomach, the idea that a man could torture an innocent child without even batting an eye. But, she couldn’t let Cory blame himself, either. Steven was an evil force to be reckoned with, and when he wanted something, he didn’t stop until he got it. “It’s not your fault.. He.. It’s mine, I should have listened, all those times you told me not to talk to him.. And, he was going to just.. tell her that he was her father, but I said no, and that I wanted you to know her, whether he was going to allow me to leave him or not. You deserved to meet her. And, I’m so sorry.”

Aria had looked into the face of evil thousands of times for seven years, and never had she been deceived so easily by someone she had trusted. Steven had weaseled his way into Aria’s mind, manipulated her into believing everything was safe, that he was kind, and yet -- all he wanted was to destroy her, once she had finally grown tired of his physical, mental, and emotional abuse.

“But, you’re still.. a father.. Don’t say ‘was.’ She existed, she..she..” Aria would always be her daughter’s mother, despite the fact that their baby wouldn’t ever change from a couple weeks old. “Do you.. do you want to see a picture of her?” Aria asked, slowly lowering herself to her knees to close the distance between her and him. She was holding herself together quite well for a woman who’d witnessed the death of her child, but internally, she was a whirlwind of emotions. But, she had to surpress them -- Cory was grieving the loss of his daughter, one he hadn’t known existed until after the fact, and she needed to allow him that. “I just.. I can’t stay too long. He knows I’ve left. And, he messaged that e knew where I was going. I just needed... um.. you. I don’t know what to do anymore. I wanted.. I wanted.. us to be a family.. You, me, Silas, and Aubrey. And, I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.” She wasn’t completely certain what she’d expected when she’d showed up here, but one thing was for certain, it hurt. “I-I want her back, Cory. I want our baby back.”

Last Train Home || Coria

As Aria looked around, Cory scanned the familiar, empty street as well. If someone was after her, they definitely couldn’t stay here long. It seemed nowhere was safe. But, he’d been preparing for a day like today for years. He retracted his hand wordlessly, the sadness flickering across his face more a moment. However, he busied himself by bringing in the stroller and dead-bolting the door behind him. As Aria looked around the living room, Cory glanced through the curtains as he began walking about the rest of the house, checking the windows as he went. The house looked relatively normal, but there were few family photos, and none of his mother sitting in view for guests. Regardless, his father was was good at making his home look normal, safe to the occasional guest. Coming back the other way, he stood in the living room doorway, watching Aria and her sleeping child carefully.

He shrugged he shoulders, giving her a look as if his answer would be obvious. “Steven.” He shook his head. The man had not only foiled his plans, and planted doubt in his head, but apparently he hadn’t given her Cory’s letter either. He should have known. The man was…evil from the very moment he’d met him and had always had this twisted obsession with Aria that made his skin crawl. As Aria turned back to him, the tears and look of pure pain on her face had him stepping toward her instantly. However, her words had him stopping midstep and he was frozen there for a long moment. “What?” He’d always thought the worst of the security guard who for over a year had tried to take Aria from him, but never had he thought…Cory yanked at his hair, embracing the sting that kept him grounded for the moment.

“That filthy…worthless piece of…” He needed to keep his temper in check, for her. He reached out, fingers ghosting along the side of her face, along the healing bruise. “And…he did this to you?” He was going to kill him, there was no other option in his mind.

She nodded, feeling the sadness from just a few days ago hit her once more. Steven had taken so much from her, and more than just emotionally, too. She couldn’t bring herself to remember the innocent face of the child that Steven, for 10 months, believed to be his own. “He found out.” She whispered, “He found out, and he was angry. And, and, and.. he killed her.. He made me watch.” She managed those words, before falling into Cory’s arms, gripping his shirt to hold herself up, sobbing desperately against his chest. She hadn’t slept since it’d happened, the images of the child who’d hardly gotten to live bursting into her conscious memory. It hurt, physically, to be held so close, but she didn’t care. She needed this. She needed Cory, but she wasn’t going to admit that out loud just yet, either. It all hurt too much.

“He hit me, and he kicked me, and Silas, he came to my rescue, and he actually hurt my Silas, too! He’s a toddler, he’s.. innocent, just wanted to protect his Mama, and..” She paused to take a couple of sobbed breaths, “I woke up on the floor, and I knew we had to run. I didn’t know where else to go, Cory, I have nowhere else to go.” And, while she hated to realize, it was as if no time had passed, as if she could just curl up in his arms and feel that familiar feeling of safety. And, after a long period of silence, she dropped another bomb,

“I had a baby, Cor.”

She knew it would come off wrong in his mind. She knew he would assume she had willingly slept with someone else, but that hadn’t been the case. “He.. I woke up and he was holding his hand over my mouth.. and..” She couldn’t continue with the details, she knew he’d know what she was trying to say, “But.. it was only two day laters I found out I was pregnant.. I didn’t tell him for a while, because.. you can’t know that soon.. and I told him it was his, because I was afraid. And, I was writing you a letter after she was born, to tell you, and he got pissed.. because..” She leaned back, with her devastated, tear stained face,

“Because, that beautiful baby girl was yours.”

Last Train Home || Coria

Cory stared at her, it was all he could do when his brain seemed as if it were out of commission for the moment. She looked just as beautiful as the day they met, yet much more broken than before. Wait–what had she just said? He blinked at her, glancing over at her child that looked about as bad off as she did. “His father…?” One of many men who had hurt her. His mind filled in the blanks quickly and he felt disgusted with himself–guilty that he hadn’t been there to protect her. He shook his head. “I left to protect you.” He tried to explain it, but the words felt pointless in his mouth. There was truly nothing he could say to appease her. She sounded so…tired. He looked up into the grey sky and ran shaky hands through his hair. “…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry. I’ve missed you…every day. But do you honestly think I’d put myself back in this hell willingly?”

“I–I wanted to. I wanted to run away with you, with Silas. As far as we could go. Let’s just say–security…caught onto my plans.” Cory was inwardly beating himself up. How could he leave her–she was right. He didn’t even know the full story, yet still felt completely gutted inside. The more he tried to explain, the angrier she seemed to become. “Aria, come inside–he wont be here til early morning. We will be safe for the moment. And we’ll…we’ll talk. About everything.” He reached out his hand carefully for her to take, unsure if she would even allow him to touch her after everything. “I’ll protect you now, I promise.”

“His father.” She answered, her voice quiet. She didn’t want to admit who it was -- after all this time, she’d have to admit that she fucked up royally, and Aria was never one to fully admit when she was wrong. She turned her head, scanning the area for any faces she recognized, and when it seemed no one had followed her, she picked up Silas -- who was still sleeping. Glancing at Cory’s hand, she shook her head, unable to fully forgive him quite yet. He didn’t know everything, and before he could apologize, he needed to know. Regardless, she followed him inside, making sure he locked the door behind them. She couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing, why she was even here, but ultimately, there was still a part of her that trusted Cory would do whatever he needed to do to keep her and Silas safe. And -- it was nice to be around a friend, regardless of her confused feelings.

“Security.” She repeated, his explanation shedding more light on how she ended up the way she did. Steven was the reason Aria had been forced to stay behind. “Who did you.. leave that note with?” She asked, already having an idea why she didn’t receive it. Even though Cory despised Steven, Aria had always been able to make friends with the Devil, and anyone would have assumed that he would have passed it along. She laid Silas down on the couch, before wandering throughout the room, looking at pictures and other objects that decorated the house, before finally beginning allowing Cory a piece of what was hurting her so deeply. “Steven. He’s..” She bit her lip, feeling her face crumpling, wanting to cry at the thought, but she couldn’t. She needed to be strong. It was all that was keeping her together -- she needed to be strong for Silas. “Steven is Silas’ father.”

helpchangethe-world-deactivated

#omfg this is no joke???#coria

Last Train Home || Coria

Cory had left Serenity over nine months ago. But that didn’t mean he didn’t think about Aria every damn day, wondering if she was okay, if the love of his life and best friend was safe. He’d left to protect her, though he’d thought of going back many times. He’d left her a note explaining everything, and to this day he’d hoped it was enough. It wasn’t a forever goodbye, he would come back to her someday, as he’d always made sure to keep his promises to her. Preferably when his father was no longer a threat. Currently, he sat on the top step of his old home, nursing aching ribs from another round of fights with his father, who’d left earlier to get himself completely shitfaced, again. For a law enforcement officer, Cory still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact no one ever saw the monster beneath his bullshit lies.

The knock on the door surprised him–on one came here, not ever. Neither did Cory ever invite anyone, either. So he automatically assumed that whoever was behind the door was one of his fathers ‘buddies’. He forced his way down the steps until he could reach out and fling the door open. But who he saw standing on the other side made his heart stop beating for the longest of moments. “Aria…” Her name was all he could say at first, shock registering in his voice. She shouldn’t be here–it wasn’t safe. Hadn’t she read his letter? But upon closer inspection, even as she yelled at him–all he could focus on was the bruised staring angrily back at him. “Who hit you?” It was the first thing that flew out of his mouth as he glanced back at the stroller behind her, noticing she’d brought Silas. “Didn’t you get my letter? It’s not safe for you here.”

It seemed forever, the pair would be subjected to reliving their pasts, over and over again. Cory, with his father, and Aria, with men who only wanted one thing. And, while she knew exactly who had done this to her, she couldn’t get that disgusting, hateful name out of her mouth. After several truths had been uncovered, her mind was still in shock. It was hardly noticeable, but her voice trembled slightly as she answered, “Silas’ father. And, you know what? No, I didn’t get some bullshit letter about how you left, and it’s not safe. Don’t you get it? There’s nowhere I can go that’s safe! You told me, you’d protect me, and well, I had nowhere else to go. I needed you. I.. 9 months, and I really needed.. you.” More than he knew in this moment, she had needed him.

She could hardly keep her gaze on his any longer, warding off the tears growing too hard the longer she stared into his honey brown eyes. Letting out a drawn out sigh, Aria fiddled with her hands, “Why? Why couldn’t you have taken us with you? We could have run away, done anything.. None of this would have happened. I had to run away.. Silas, he was going to kill Silas, too. I needed you. Why did you leave me?” Her voice grew from anger to a more tired, pained tone, as she finally looked back up, meeting hazel with brown eyes. “I just.. don’t know what else to do, Cory. I need help. I didn’t know where else to go..”

Last Train Home || Coria

After spending dozens of hours on a train, the brunette finally stepped onto the streets on NYC, a city she couldn’t forget, despite her greatest efforts. But, after opening her eyes on the floor of a crazy man’s apartment with a black eye and some aching ribs, her mind began to wonder about leaving. It wasn’t until she laid eyes on the welt on the side of her remaining child’s head that she quickly packed bags, stole some money, and fled without warning. But, to where? Where could she possibly go that might make her feel safe? The answer made her angry, as that person had left her without a word. But, that was how she ended up in this city, the only place she could imagine her ex would be. It was a long shot -- but, Aria had nowhere else to go and nothing to lose. If he wasn’t here, well, she’d just continue on her way with Silas.

Leaving Silas in his stroller, the brunette took a few steps onto the porch, bravely knocking on the door. And, when the door swung open, the woman left no time for friendly hellos. Crossing her arms across her chest, her shocked stare turned into a glare, “How could you leave us, Cory Wallace? Without a fucking word? You just.. left!” She could feel the warm tears behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall -- she hadn’t cried since the incident, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to start just yet. So, instead, she stared, her bruised eye finally having begun to yellow while spending time on the train, waiting for him to respond.