This is Not My Home

Chapter Twenty

Before

"I need you to understand what you're asking of me, Director."

Ratchett stood quietly, meeting Audra's gaze.

"Having a family is not something that we allow here."

"If I may—"

"You may not."

He closed his mouth.

"If I allow you this privilege, then that means I have to allow it to other people. I don't want to compromise the function of this headquarters and of your division."

"The TCC won't function worse if I marry and have kids," Ratchett shot back.

"Your attention will be elsewhere," she said.

"I can multitask."

"Can you?" Audra rose to her feet, smoother than a flower field in the breeze. "I don't want you getting distracted."

He took a deep breath through his nose, then let it out through his mouth. "Madam Audra, please. I promise I will be loyal without another thought if you just let me have this. I won't question anything you say, and will do whatever you ask. I swear it on the life of my employees."

She clasped her hands together. He flinched at the sound of glass-on-glass and dug his nails into his palms.

Audra narrowed her gaze, her pale periwinkle hair curling and winding around her head like snakes. "If any of your offspring or your spouse make one misstep, you will execute them all."

Somewhere In the Middle

Ollie woke with a start. Foxglove grabbed her before she could fall and situated her back on the saddle.

She shielded her face from the rain and leaned into Foxglove's warmth at her back. "Lovely day!" she shouted over the wind.

"I'm surprised you could sleep!" he replied, sounding almost frantic.

"Me too! How long has it been raining?"

"A while! I didn't want to wake you, so I just decided to let you sleep."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He took her to an old abandoned shack and left the horse outside. He took her hand, leading her in.

"It smells kind of musty in here," Ollie murmured.

"I'm sure it's just the rain."

She sat down on a nearby bench and leaned back. "So what's the point of this little stop?"

He sat next to her, facing her and giving a dashing smile. "I was thinking it could be our little, one-time romantic hideaway."

"Oh?" Ollie said, leaning toward him and sliding onto his lap. "This is hardly romantic."

He wrapped his arms around her, tracing lazy circles in her back. "I know, but it was the best I could do. We are wanted criminals, after all."

"I guess we are."

Foxglove pulled her closer, having to tilt his head back to meet her gaze. Ollie sat back a bit and kissed him, holding the sides of his face. One of his hands caressed the back of her head while the other held her by the small of her back.

Ollie tilted her head a little more, holding him tighter. She came up for air but hardly moved her lips away before closing the gap between them again.

"Miss Sky," he murmured, moving back a little bit. "No matter what happens, remember that I love you."

"What are you talking about?" she said, a joking air to her voice.

Foxglove did not meet her gaze.

"Foxglove?"

"My name is Jackson."

"Okay... Jackson, what are you talking about?"

She turned upon hearing footsteps and was greeted with the sight of three or four armed males in black clothes, watching them through narrowed gazes.

"Miss Ollie Sky, you are under arrest for timeline hopping and resisting arrest."

Ollie glanced at Jackson, then at the officers. She got off of his lap and took a few steps back, shaking her head. "You did this."

He stood up. "I was with them the entire time, Ollie. They tasked me with whisking you off to bring you here for your arrest."

"You tricked me," she whispered.

"You were foolish enough to fall in love with a boy you just met," he replied with a shrug.

Ollie expected to feel sadness and tears, but instead she felt white-hot anger that burned in her veins and made her dress suddenly too heavy and too warm.

"It's sad, really," he said. "I was starting to warm up to you."

"You snake!" she yelled, darting forward and kneeing him in the groin. He fell to his knees, curling up.

The officers grabbed her and clipped binders around her wrists. She looked around frantically before they pulled a sack over her head.

"Thank you for your help," one of the officers said. "Your money will be given in time."

A sudden rush of wind swirled around Ollie, whipping her hair and her skirts against her body. She cringed inwardly, her breath coming in gasps as the sensation of being flattened overcame her.

Soon, the sensation was gone, and she could feel the smooth stone below her feet.

She was pushed and led around in a less-than kind manner until she was stopped and held in one place.

The bag was lifted from her head, replaced by white, blinding lights and the face of a man with scraggly beige hair, striking green eyes, a bit of stubble around his chin, and an outfit usually made for a businessman.

"Which timeline is this one from again?" the man asked, taking her chin and gently moving her head from side to side.

The officer nearest to her gave a string of numbers. The man pressed his mouth into a line and sighed.

"Get the other two and bring them here. Make haste."

The officers left, leaving Ollie in the room with the strange man. He slowly walked around her, studying her. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she said slowly.

"What did that wretched boy do to you?" he asked, his eyes burning with fury.

"Foxglove?" Ollie asked. "Um... Why?"

"Ah, no matter." He waved her off and started to pace, clasping his hands behind his back. "I'll simply sift through your memories to see."

"Excuse me?"

"Your memories," he repeated, pausing and glancing up at her. "You wouldn't remember."

She took a step away from him. "Are you going to hurt me?"

"Maybe," he said with a noncommittal shrug and continued to pace. "Hopefully I won't have to, if you behave."

"What's going on here? Who even are you?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me that," he said, turning and facing her. "Ollie, you might not remember, but..."