All at Once (Complete)

ii. Grown-ups

Stumbling up the steps of the city's police station, my lack of sleep suddenly caught up with me, despite the three coffees I'd already had this morning. It was about 10:30am and I already felt like collapsing from exhaustion. These stupid nightmares were getting ridiculous. The only thing keeping me from investing in some sleeping pills is the fear of being stuck in the terrifying memories that plague me each night.

I needed to find Detective Hudson; he'd told me to meet him at the station to discuss the 'little adventure' they were sending me off on. Apparently my parent's murderer, William Chase, had people on the outside. People who would be willing to do his dirty work for him... Like killing me. So, I was being put into Witness Protection Program... Great.

My extreme tiredness had resulted in a surplus of clumsiness on my side, and apparently it was here in full today because just as I faltered through the great, glass double-doors of the station I found a rather large body was in my path. One of the police officers had been in a rush to get out the door and in doing so had run smack bang into me. And holy God if he wasn't solid. His concrete body sent me flying back upon impact. Luckily he also had fast reflexes, reaching and catching me before we both fell to the ground.

It took a second to catch my breath, the impact causing a winded effect.

"Are you okay?" The officer asked, he had a crease of worry written upon his face, I could see it as I looked up, suddenly releasing I was lying in his arms. Intimately in his arms.

I quickly sat up and he let me go. "I'm fine... Thank you."

"Good. Then you should be fine to learn to watch where you're going." He stood and brushed himself and his deep blue uniform off. I was shocked at the sudden change in attitude and didn't move, my mouth hung open before I promptly shut it.

Pulling myself up alongside him, I put my hand on my hip and put as much Sabine Greyson bravado into my posture as I could. "Yeah, and maybe you could learn some manners."

"If only we had the time, but the grownups have things to do. What are you doing at the police station anyway?" Oh my god... did he seriously just insult my age? He looked like four, five years older than me.

"Okay, big-guy, for one: I'm seventeen, not seven. And two: You have no idea how many," cue air quotation marks, "'grownup' things I'm here to deal with." I throw in a kind of 'huh, take that look' to accompany my words. To my displeasure, he wasn't fazed.

"Good for you, but I have better things to do than stand here and argue with a teenager."

"Obviously..." My sarcastic tone displayed my distaste for his attitude and he walked in the opposite direction without another word.

God, people were so rude these days! As if I didn't have enough going on in my life.

"Jerk..." I continued on my way into the police station, being very careful not to bump into any more storming assholes.

                                 -

"I know you don't want to leave, Greyson, but we've got to keep you safe." Detective Hudson was going through his speech again, like I hadn't already heard it a million times.

I knew all the reasons for why I had to leave, I even agreed with what they were doing for me; I just didn't like the situation.

"I know, Hudson, its okay. I'm okay." Detective Hudson and I had grown reasonably close over the trail period and he had kind of become my adopted uncle. Seeing as I didn't have any blood family left.

"Good... Good."He muttered, almost to himself. He was sitting at his desk, shuffling though papers. I saw his kind brown eyes scanning over the text; the colour matched his short hair, although it had streaks of grey through it, showing his age.