F•A•S•T//r.s.l.❣

2.9

"Um, sure" I sat up, putting my book away. "What's happening?"

He seemed like he was fighting himself inside, and whatever he was struggling to get out was getting the best of him. I frowned.

"Is everything okay? You're sort of scaring me"

"I don't know how to begin"

"The very start tends to work" I joked and he smiled. "Just go for it, can't be anything so bad"

Ross breathed in. "I was shot on the head, kept in a coma for months as doctors wondered if I was brain dead or terribly disabled; quite literally if I was going to become just a bag of flesh who couldn't walk or speak. I surprised them, recovering to top shape after two years of physiotherapy. They were stunned that I remembered how to speak, walk and eat since only weeks before I was fighting for my life"

"Wow" I was stunned myself. "Was that all?"

"There is way more. I remembered everything; not just the basics. I could recall my memories from here, I could recall you. There were nights I would try to sneak, to come and see you. And then, a man walked in one day to tell me everybody except from my family thinks I'm dead, and the thought alone of you having that told to you hurt more than a bullet to the head" he explained. "This man being Mr Parks. He told me he knew about my background at F.A.S.T. and offered me a place, working for him as a spy still. I accepted it, hoping to make a new identity for myself. That obviously failed, since I still use my name"

I sat attentive, taking in this new information.

"It was literally like the HQ there. I practised my skills with my brothers who also were offered a job, and together we went on missions; until I was allocated the mission of a lifetime. To kill another spy. I took it, but regretted it deeply once told who I was killing-" he paused. "They were aiming to kill you, Athena. You're one of F.A.S.T.'s elite spies, who evolved so fast; you were on a roll, and they wanted to put a stop to it. But I continued through, thinking of this as a way to move on from the past and I was supposed to start a fire on the first day you arrived at St Mary's, which would then leave me to kill you. And I was about to do so when you entered the canteen, but the moment I locked eyes with you, everything just hit me so hard I knew I was going to fail this mission from there. My new mission was to gain you back, one way or another, and now, we're here"

Now I was surely stunned. I sat in absolute silence, mouth slightly agape. Ross nudged me. "I know it's a lot to take in but-"

"You remembered me. You knew who I was right from go, but you still put me through the pain of trying to wrap my brain around your mixed signs" was all I could say properly, tears already forming in my eyes along with the lump on my throat. "You left me for three fucking years thinking the only person I loved who wasn't my own blood was dead! You made me turn cold, and shut everybody out because I was thinking I was never going to say what I wanted to say to you! You had me crying myself to sleep for the last three years!"

"I know, and I'm sorry-"

"Why did you do it?" I cut him off. "Why did you not even bother to call? Hey babe, I'm alive and well by the way, trying to kill you though"

"Athena, it wasn't that easy! You would've been killed" he tried to reason. "I know it doesn't serve as a good excuse for what I did, but please forgive me"

"Get out of my room" I said.

He stopped. "What?"

"I can't look at you, it's like opening a healing wound" I looked away, tears spilling down my face.

"Athena-"

"Please, Ross" I choked out. He sighed, and stood up. Quickly yet tenderly, he left a kiss on my forehead, and then left.

+++

I piled my final bag into the back of David's car. Casey and Sierra both enveloped me in a hug. "I'll miss you girls"

"We'll miss you too" Casey wiped her eyes. "Can't you stay? Finish the year?"

"I wish. My mission here is done" I replied. "And I don't think I could stand being here"

I looked up at the dorms. "He didn't even say goodbye"

Now it was Riker and Rocky who hugged me.

"Sorry my brother is such a dick" Riker commented. "I'll miss my smartest lab partner to date"

"And I'll just generally miss you"
Rocky added.

I smiled to them both. "I will keep in touch, with all of you"

David signalled it was time to go, and we shared a final hug. With a great struggle, I detached myself from them and into the car. There, the tears became uncontrollable, but I saw them as washing out everything that was hurting.

Time to turn a new page.

we are just about half way, or three quarters into the book 💖