Terrified Mouse (Garcia's)

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

Jo had considered shifting a few times, figuring she was too small to get shot, but all it took was a big foot to find her and she was done. There were positives and negatives to being so tiny in her animal form. Everything happened in a whirlwind, and she had tried resisting but she had been too tired and confused on the bus. Before she really knew what was happening she was being thrown into a group shower, forced to bathe with a bunch of women she didn't know. The whole experience was mortifying.

Jo recognized a few people in the bunker, but she didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone so she found herself a nice corner and curled herself into a ball, crying in her knees. What was going to happen to her? Why were they there? What were they going to do with them? How had they found out about the Therians? A million questions ran through her mind and she wondered if Brandon would try and find her or not. Would he know? And her store! Who would feed Tyler? Would one of the girls know to go in and take care of her cat? Would he die? It only made her cry harder. She wanted Brandon. She wanted Kit, even... someone. Anyone!

The hours ticked and Jo had no idea what time it even was, but they were herding everyone outside into the bitter air. It was dark and she could hear the trees ruffling over the people crying and talking, the guards shouting and people running towards a fence. She watched in horror as some people touched it and got electrocuted, making her fear where she was even more. Jo didn't want to move. She was afraid of shifting, afraid of doing anything, really! She looked around, wondering if Kit was there, but if he was then she didn't see him. That was when she realized the people on the other side of the fence had wings.

WINGS!

In a moment of desperation she ran to the fence, careful not to touch it as tears welled in her eyes. Was Brandon there? She hoped he wasn't, prayed he wasn't, but it didn't take long to spot his black and brown eagle wings alongside a pair of identical ones. He was there and Jo simply stared, tears dripping down her face. How desperately she wanted to shift and squeeze through the tiny holes between the fence to be with him, but the current would kill her at that size if she touched the fence accidentally, and if that didn't one of the gun toting guards certainly would.

Jo watched him for a long moment, afraid to scream out. That was when he turned and their eyes connected, making a fresh wave of tears start streaming down her face, her hand cupping her mouth. When he came closer she wanted to reach through and touch him, but she couldn't. She didn't even know what to say to him! All she could do was cry, falling to her knees as the situation truly enveloped her. They were found out; what were they going to do next?

[BRANDON GARCIA]

It was a blur for Brandon. One minute he’s being pulled off to the side with his sister to receive their “vaccinations,” the next minute they’re falling asleep on a guarded bus and shuffled through a very imposing gate. There were two gates, but he and Melanie were escorted through the right gate before he had time to wonder what was to the left. People were being queued through that gate too, but there was no time to think about the difference between himself and them. Maybe they really were sick, but he was pretty sure it was what showed up on his full body scan that landed him a one way ticket to this barbed wired facility. If it was meant for sick people, why did it look like a prison? He was pondering this, his arm wrapped around Melanie’s shoulders when a guard suddenly yanked her away from him. She started crying, yelling out his name and he struggled against the guards who surrounded him. “Bran!” “Mel!” Another guard came to assist the two that were already holding him back from reaching his sister. “Get off her! Get off my sister!” he roared, which earned him a punch in the gut and the butt of a rifle to his lower back. Pain seared through him and he crying out at the back that erupted from the end of the gun and made his knees buckle. He was hauled off, shoved into line with several other men whom he realized he knew. Not well, but these men were Avisailles. So he was right, it was his body scan that threw him into this mess.

Wings.

That’s what showed on his scan. It showed on Melanie’s scan too, so now here they were. He was certain she was being forced to remove all of her clothing and jewelry as well and place them in a plastic bag. He was certain they took everything from her and forced her into a shower with a dozen or so other women. He was certain she was being humiliated too. It made him seethe and he wanted nothing more than to tear through those guards, save his sister and beat a hasty retreat to the air. But considering the amount of ammo he could see in just his immediate vicinity, he would never make it past the door. So he changed into the clothes issued to him, pushing his wings out of the back of the jumpsuit. He looked like a common prisoner. Was having wings really so severe a crime? It wasn’t something any of them could control. But it was what happened next that made him sick to his stomach.

He was shut into a room with a woman in a white lab coat and two guards posted at the door. In the middle of the room there was a table. Strewn all over the floor were bits of feathers of every color. “Fuck…” he hissed, taking a step back from the table only to be met with a shove from one of the guards. The woman in the lab coat was gazing at him pitifully and he knew exactly what was going to happen here. “Please…have a seat on the table.” Brandon felt a surge of fear and rage. “Go fuck yourself, lady,” he spat. That earned him another butt of a gun to his kidney, making him cry out and stumble to his knees. The doctor pleaded for the guards to stop before they could do it again and Brandon’s eyes glared up at her. She was going to take away the only ability that made him a guardian; she was going to render him flightless. Would his balance ever be the same? His strong ability to fly higher than most had always been a quality he was immensely proud of. This woman was going to take that from him with a few simple clips of her scissors. The guards dragged him to the table and shoved Brandon onto it, his black eyes glaring up at them. The doctor reached for her scissors with shaking hands and the look he gave her would have killed her if it could. He watched her and only her as she clipped his beautiful feathers and stole his balance and superb capability. She was uneasy under his gaze and he was grateful for it. It was a small comfort to make her feel uncomfortable as she clipped away what he had always been proud of.

He could hardly pay attention with the guards briefed them on camp rules in the barracks. Brandon didn’t give two shits about the rules. What he cared about was finding his sister and making sure she was alright, that she wasn’t hurt. She couldn’t handle this on her own. She was too fragile. It was so frustrating that no one else understood that but him. He needed to protect her! But other questions started to pop into his mind. Were all guardians being targeted? That couldn’t be. All of the other guardians looked like humans for all intents and purposes, so how would anyone know what they were. Avisailles were the only ones that couldn’t hide what they were. That was a comforting thought when he considered Jo.

Jo…she would be so worried about him. How would she know where he was? Was there a way he could reach her and let her know he was okay? There had to be! He had to think of something to let her know. That would be his first project once he was certain Melanie was okay. They were the only two people he really cared about in the whole world. One he was certain was okay for now, so the other one would be his main focus.

Finally they were brought out into a large yard…and across the way was a large group of long-haired figures in identical clothing. The women…some of the men and women began sprinting to each other and his eyes roamed the women’s face frantically. At last they fell on the one person he was looking for. “Melanie!!” he bellowed. She looked in his direction, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy even from this distance, and they both launched toward each other at the same time. Halfway there, she began to cry and he ran faster. At last they collided with each other, her arms fastening themselves around him and he held her tight. She sobbed and he sighed in relief that they were reunited. Before they got too comfortable, he nudged her back quickly, grabbing her face roughly. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” Melanie shook her head in short, quick movements and he sighed again, pulling her back to him. He tucked her head under his chin as his arms came around her comfortingly. “Shh…it’s okay.” She continued to sob, clinging to him, and he was reminded of times when they were young and she missed their mother. He would hold her just like this, her hair in pigtails as she clung to her big brother. Brandon wanted nothing more than to get her out of this place, spare her the fear that crippled her right now. He hated all of the people who had frightened her, all of the people who held them here; he hated each and every one of them. His brows were low over his eyes, those black pits burning as he stared off into nothing.

A commotion by a fence on the edge of the yard called his attention from his dark thoughts. There were more people on the other side of that fence, also in jumpsuits. But they didn’t have wings…He was confused as he scanned the faces, horrified as a couple people fell to the ground in convulsions after touching the fence. An electric fence?! His eyes shot back up to the fence, looking for any warning signs when his eyes caught a pair of large brown ones. His heart stopped.

Jo…

What was she doing in the jumpsuit? She looked so lost and scared and her large brown eyes were fixated on her. No…no, no, no. He released Melanie and darted to the fence, seeing Jo collapse to her knees. “Jo!!” he cried, stopping a couple feet from the humming fence. She was sobbing, her tiny form curled in a ball and Brandon had never felt so helpless in his life. He wanted to hold her, to touch her, to save her too, but there was no way he could do that through the fence. He went to his knees too, feeling tears threatening as he gazed at her in desperation. “Jo…please don’t cry. I’m here. I’m…” His voice choked and he brought a hand to his hair and pulled hard as he gritted his teeth. A strangled roar left him as he felt completely and utterly useless. Brandon always had a way to fix a situation. He protected the ones he loved, and up until recently there was only Melanie in his life to love. He could protect Melanie if he could see her at least a couple times a day. How was he supposed to protect Jo through an electric fence? He couldn’t even comfort her here.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie was still shaking as she walked from the barracks with the other female Avisailles. No one would tell them why they were here. She had asked Marius, but he didn’t know. He was the only truly kind person that she had encountered here. It sounded as though he was tricked into doing this, into clipping wings, and they had cried together as he sheared her feathers. Her beautiful feathers…now clipped an inch shorter to prevent her from taking flight. She wondered if she would ever have balance again like she had before the clipping. There was a part of her that doubted she would ever fully recover. It broke her heart. She had told Kevin that her wings were little more than a pain in her butt, but now she regretted ever saying it. She had jinxed herself and now she would never have the same capability in flying again.

Kevin…

He would worry so much about her. She promised she would never leave him, that she would always be there, but now she was being held prisoner, and he was alone again. Would she make it out of this place alive to return to him? How long were they supposed to be here? And how would he know where to find her, where she was? She couldn’t imagine the government being forward about their incarceration at all. But someone had to tell, someone would have to figure it out. More tears came to her eyes as she wished she were with Kevin, held in his arms buried under a blanket on her couch. Just the sight of him would be enough to calm her now. Or her brother…

As if on cue, Melanie heard her name being bellowed. She searched the faces frantically, but it only took her a couple seconds to recognize Brandon’s face. Immediately the tears jumped back to her eyes as her heart leapt. He was okay! She raced for him, holding in her sobs until she collided with him. Then her tears began to flow freely as she sobbed into his chest. He didn’t hold her long before he nudged her back to take his face in her hands. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” Melanie shook her head quickly, making him breathe a sigh of relief before he pulled her back into him. She clung to him, sobbing full force as his chin rested on the top of her head. He cooed and she felt so much better. As long as Brandon was okay and Kevin was far away from here, she could let some of her worries ease slightly. She wanted to get Brandon out of here, spare her big brother this humiliation, but as long as he had to be here, she was glad he was.

When the commotion started by the fence, she peeked over from Brandon’s chest and felt sick at the sight of bodies convulsing. Her first instinct as a nurse was to run to them and clamped their mouths shut so they wouldn’t swallow their tongues. But it was the person she saw on the other side of the fence that made her forget what was going down on the ground. Her heart sank into her gut, making her turn her eyes up to her brother’s face. It was terror she saw there. He ran to the fence, releasing her, and she went chasing after him. “Brandon!” “Jo!!” For a moment she thought he was going to go charging into the fence and Melanie felt a surge of fear. If she lost her brother too…He stopped two feet before it, and she breathed a sigh of relief before watching the two of them. Jo fell to her knees in tears and Melanie felt her own spilling onto her cheeks. Even Brandon fell to his knees, helpless to help his girlfriend. The scream of pain and frustration he emitted from clenched teeth made her sob and kneel beside him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

She looked up at Jo, tears dripping down her face with a pitying look. “I’m so sorry you’re here too, Jo,” she said softly. “How…how did they find you?”

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“Jo…please don’t cry." But she couldn't stop. Terrified eyes landed on the man across from her, separated by a barrier she could not breach. She would give anything to curl into his arms, feel his security, his promise things would be alright.. "I’m here. I’m…” She gulped, pushing back her own sobs as he growled his frustration. If only she could hold his hand..

“I’m so sorry you’re here too, Jo,” Her eyes fell on Melanie, biting her lower lip as she watched her boyfriends sister sadly, still not having uttered a single word. Her throat was clenched and she had to focus on simply breathing. “How…how did they find you?” She shut her eyes and shook her head, which bowed. How had they found her?

"I don't know." She choked in a cracked whisper. "I went to get my vaccine and... and..." A fresh wave of sobs wracked her body, her palms coming up to her face and rubbing her eyes fiercely. "My cat's at the store, no one's going to feed my cat! I need to get out of here. We need to get out of here!" Her tone was panicked, her eyes pleading as she opened them back up on Brandon. "I need you.. I don't want to be here all alone.." She all but whispered, unsure how long she would actually get to see him. It was so cold outside.. she wanted to find someplace warm, but the thought of leaving that spot in the fence close to the only person that seemed to matter, killed her.

"Why are they doing this? We've never done anything! We've never hurt anyone, I don't understand. I don't understand.." She repeated, shaking her head. "Why, Brandon?" All she wanted was answer. Well, answers and her freedom. "I want to go home." Jo moved herself so her rear was sitting on the cold ground, sending bitter chills up her spine. She hugged her knees tight to her chest and buried her nose between them, sniffling helplessly. She was normally much stronger than this, but she couldn't help it now. She felt so very alone even with Brandon so close. He was there but he might as well not be. She couldn't touch him, not without being shocked to within an inch of her life it seemed. The loneliness only made her colder. She'd never felt so low.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon was mildly comforted by Melanie’s hand rubbing his shoulders, but he still wanted to rip through the fence and hold Jo. He wanted to promise that they would get out of there, but how could he promise that? He didn’t even know why they were here. “I’m so sorry you’re here too, Jo.” He could hear Melanie crying too. Brandon was so useless. He couldn’t even stop their tears… “How…how did they find you?” Melanie’s question sparked his interest and he looked up at his girlfriend at last for her answer. She looked so small in that jumpsuit…small enough to curl into him. He wanted nothing more than to save her from this place, hold her and comfort her. “I don’t know. I went to get my vaccine and…and…” She was sobbing again and he reached out instinctively before Melanie snatched his hand and shook her head when he looked at her. He looked back to Jo feeling beaten down and weary. If they meant to torture him, this was the perfect way to do it. “My cat’s at the store, no one’s going to feed my cat! I need to get out of here. We need to get out of here!” Her big eyes were so panicked and all he could do was nod. “I know, baby,” he said weakly. What more could he do? He wanted to get out of there more than anything else in the world. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to get Melanie and Jo to safety.

“I need you…I don’t want to be here all alone…” He hadn’t cried since his father died, but that’s exactly what he wanted to do right now. Jo needed him. His girlfriend needed him and he was powerless to go to her. “You’re not alone, baby. I’m here. I can’t touch you, but I’m here.” What else could he say? This was killing him. It was absolutely killing him. “Why are they doing this? We’ve never done anything! We’ve never hurt anyone, I don’t understand. I don’t understand…” He didn’t understand either, and there was nothing more he could say. “Why, Brandon?” His eyes were wide and sad, his brow knitted, and no words came to him. He shook his head at her slowly. “I don’t know…” he finally answered. She curled into a ball, sniffling and crying and his hands balled into fists on his knees. He hadn’t done anything to deserve this. How could you hurt people with wings, honestly? There was an anger searing through him again and he swore he could have killed the man in charge of this place. He could even plead temporary insanity with how out of control his emotions were right now. “I want to go home.” Tears were in his eyes, and he brought the heels of his hands over them. “I know, baby…I wish I could take you. God, I wish I could get you away from this place. But they clipped my wings. They clipped all of our wings. I’m so sorry, Jo. I’ve failed you.” Melanie’s hands tightened on his shoulders and for a moment he felt her head on his shoulder. He wished he could do the same for Jo.

“They’re afraid.” Melanie’s voice made him look up, his eyes rimmed red from the effort of not crying. He met his sister’s eyes that were so like his own. “They’re afraid of us because they don’t understand us. They don’t see what we have done but what we could do. That’s why we’re here. That’s why they won’t let us go.” She started to cry again and her hands came to her face. She sank back onto her haunches as she sobbed and then leaned forward toward her thighs. Now it was Brandon’s turn to put his arm around her shoulders once again. “Don’t cry, Mel…please don’t cry…” She shook her head, unable to speak yet obviously and Brandon looked between her and Jo. They were the only people in his life that mattered and he couldn’t help either of them right now.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie’s heart broke as she watched Brandon and Jo. Brandon was doing his best to comfort her, but Jo was too distraught, and understandably so. And when Jo asked why they were here, Melanie had to consider it. Why were they here? There were the mass shifts lately and the accidental Therian attack that resulted in a rash of Therian injuries and even one death where a panther was beaten to death. Melanie had seen some of these beaten Therians in the hospital, though most of her work was with children. But how had they discovered Avisailles before the body scans? Were they investigating Mordecai’s death? No, that couldn’t have been it! But there must have been a slip up…perhaps a sighting on Megsy… perhaps Mordecai had started his revelation early…regardless, they had known about them when they built this place, the construction that had been taking place for a month. Were a pair of wings really so imposing and frightening?

“I want to go home.” Even Brandon began to cry, Melanie could tell from the way the heels of his palms pressed against his eyes, and it only made her want to cry more. He was in agony, that much was obvious. Brandon had a need to fix everything, but there was nothing he could fix about this. “I know, baby…I wish I could take you. God, I wish I could get you away from this place. But they clipped my wings. They clipped all of our wings. I’m so sorry, Jo. I’ve failed you.” He hadn’t failed anyone, but that was how he perceived it. Melanie’s hands came to his shoulders rubbing gently, trying to calm him though her own tears were steadily slipping onto her cheeks too. They were all afraid and they all wanted to go home…and that was how she discovered why they were there.

“They’re afraid.” She met Brandon’s gaze as he looked at her before she panned her eyes to Jo. “They’re afraid of us because they don’t understand us. They don’t see what we have done but what we could do. That’s why we’re here. That’s why they won’t let us go.” A new wave of grief washed over her as she realized the hopelessness of this situation and she began to cry harder once more, bringing her hands to her face. With a sigh, she sank onto her haunches and then bent over so her head rested on her thighs in defeat. They wouldn’t ever let them go free. Humans were terrified of the unknown and the guardians were certainly unknown territory. She sobbed, wanting to bury herself in Kevin’s arms once more. All she wanted was to see him one more time. Brandon’s arm came around her shoulders and she continued to cry into her hands and thighs. “Don’t cry, Mel…please don’t cry…” But he didn’t know why she was crying. He could see Jo, make sure she was okay, but Melanie didn’t have that pleasure.

“I’m never going to see Kevin again,” she sobbed. “I told him I would never leave him, but now I can’t even get to him. My best chance for telling him that I’m here is if Marius finds him and tells him I’m okay, tells him where I am. He’s going to think I stopped caring, that I left him.” She was inconsolable at the thought. Would he find another girl while she was imprisoned here for the simple crime of having wings? Wouldn’t it be easier for him if he had a normal, human girlfriend? Perhaps, but it still broke her heart to think of being forgotten. “Who’s Marius?” “The doctor who clipped my wings. I asked him to find Kevin and tell him where I am. I knew him in Romania and he came here to help us…He said…he said he was going to try and find out what’s going on.” Her answer was sobbed and sad in a thick voice, but it got the message across. She looked up at Jo finally, still crying. “Maybe he can tell us what will happen to us…if he comes back.”

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“I know, baby…I wish I could take you. God, I wish I could get you away from this place. But they clipped my wings. They clipped all of our wings. I’m so sorry, Jo. I’ve failed you.” It only made her cry harder and she shook her head. He hadn't failed her, and it was awful that they'd clipped his wings! What did that mean? She wanted to asked but her sobs were too strong for her to say anything.

Melanie began talking about how they were afraid of them, but how could they be afraid of her? She was a mouse! In most peoples eyes she was pretty much vermin, which made her even more depressed. Is that what they thought they all were? Vermin? Brandon's sister began to sob as well, talking about never seeing Kevin again and that depressed her also. The whole situation sucked, and poor, poor Brandon was there trying to console two women.

Jo knew she had to settle down for Brandon's sake, and when the siblings began talking about some doctor named Marius, she looked up with some amount of interest, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. She needed to keep it together! "..he said he was going to try and find out what’s going on. Maybe he can tell us what will happen to us…if he comes back.”

That gave her some amount of hope. Someone with the potential to receive information on what was happening to them? Yeah, that would be a good thing. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess.." She finally said when she'd calmed down. She promised Brandon he hadn't failed her and showed remorse for Melanie not being able to see Kevin. Poor Kevin.. she knew they had made up after the whole lying fiasco, but if Mel disappeared he might take it hard at first.

Their conversation was light and Jo fought the urge to shiver in the chilly, dark air. There were spotlights which generated maybe some amount of heat in addition to all the warm bodies, but it was cold and the people all talking made it loud. Their conversation became a little lighter, but not much. "Do you think they're going to tell people about what we are? I mean.. there have to be some of us not in here. Didn't you say your kind travels for a bit in their teen years or something?" She asked, knowing Therians tended to move around a bit. It was easy to hide what they were as long as they had someplace to be on the full moon. "They can't keep us all locked up, right?"

[BRANDON GARCIA]

When Jo assured him he hadn’t failed, Brandon felt some relief, but he still blamed himself somehow. Melanie took several minutes to compose herself, letting out every ounce of grief and fear she felt into her tears. He had never seen her cry like this over a lover. When they were young, there were a few hopefuls she had cried over, but not like this. It was obvious how much Kevin meant to her, and Brandon felt whatever resentment he felt towards the boy fade away. If he meant this much to his sister, then Brandon couldn’t stay mad at him, especially not when he had bigger things to worry about. Jo offered some consoling words, and Brandon was so grateful for it; anything to make Melanie feel like herself again.

Once Melanie had composed herself, the three of them continued with lighter conversation. What else could they say? They had all shed tears over being in this place, and there was no use in remaining crippled by fear and anger. They all needed clear heads if they hoped to get out of this place in one piece. And Brandon had every intention of getting out of here with Jo and Mel at his side. When they all got out, he wasn’t letting Jo go, not for anything in the world. It was cold, and while he and Melanie could curl up together, Jo was left to shiver on her side of the humming fence. If only he could warm her somehow. Not even the spotlights provided much warmth out here and Brandon had to wonder how thick the blankets in their barracks were going to be to warm them in the night.

“Do you think they’re going to tell people about what we are? I mean…there have to be some of us not in here. Didn’t you say your kind travels for a bit in their teen years or something? They can’t keep us all locked up, right?” Brandon considered Jo’s questions and the thought was somewhat comforting. “Yes, Avisailles travel in their younger years to explore the world. It’s possible a few may come back while we’re in here and they’d figure out something was up. I bet there’s some Therians out there too who just weren’t in the area. Not to mention the humans and other guardians who might be involved with Avisailles or Therians; they’ll definitely wonder what’s happened to us. Trust me, these fuckers won’t keep this under wraps for long.” And there would be protests. Not only from the inside, but from the outside too. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that this couldn’t last forever.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie was glad she wasn’t alone in this. She wouldn’t be able to handle it on her own. Even if it was just Jo on the other side of the fence and no brother there with her, it would have been better than nothing. It took a while for her to pull herself together, thinking about Kevin and hoping, praying that Marius would be able to find him and tell him where she was, what had happened. Slowly she came back to herself, her eyes raw, red, and puffy from crying. The conversation lightened some, which she was thankful for. It was like talking about being sick when you were sick—it didn’t help anything. She leaned against Brandon’s shoulder after a while, feeling the chill in the air, before she noticed Jo was shivering almost imperceptibly. She didn’t want her to be that much more aware of the cold because she and Brandon were able to warm each other, so she pulled away from her brother and sat curled in a ball. Had Jo not been there, she might have brought her wings around her to warm her a little.

“Do you think they’re going to tell people about what we are? I mean…there have to be some of us not in here. Didn’t you say your kind travels for a bit in their teen years or something? They can’t keep us all locked up, right?” Jo brought up a good point. Melanie considered it before Brandon gave a good answer in return. “Yes, Avisailles travel in their younger years to explore the world. It’s possible a few may come back while we’re in here and they’d figure out something was up. I bet there’s some Therians out there too who just weren’t in the area. Not to mention the humans and other guardians who might be involved with Avisailles or Therians; they’ll definitely wonder what’s happened to us. Trust me, these fuckers won’t keep this under wraps for long.” Brandon’s harsh language didn’t even affect her here, not in this awful place. That would just put them right where Mordecai wanted them, but not where the Therian leader wanted the Therians. The public eye was always something guardians shied away from, but now they were being forced into it. No doubt this would lead to worse things to come. Humans would want to know the inner workings of the guardians…there would be tests and experiments…but surely they would need consent for that. They certainly wouldn’t get Melanie’s consent.

“If the city tells the humans about us, the whole city is going to split in opinion. There’ll be some who support us being trapped in here where we can’t be around ‘normal’ people, but there’ll be others that want us freed. Whichever opinion is more popular is going to determine how long we’ll be in here. Unless we find a way to get ourselves out…which I don’t think is very likely. We may outnumber them, but we don’t have guns.” Her eyes looked to the guards prowling the yards and she frowned. When she looked back to the others, her voice was softer. “But if I found one doctor who doesn’t want to be here, there had to be other staff that doesn’t want to be here either. Which means they could help us, right?” Brandon was actually giving her a devious sort of smirk. She creased her brow at him. “What?” He shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just…I never took you for a rebel.” She gave the smallest of smiles back. “Well, we’ve never been in a concentration camp before.” And that’s when it hit her…that’s exactly what this place was: a concentration camp. It sickened her that she would find a place like this in America of all places, her home where she felt safest in the world…or used to.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

He had a point. there were probably plenty of therian's out there. She had heard one girl saying her mom was up in Canada, which was really very lucky. Plus there were the other guardians and some humans, but would they know they were there? It would have to get out eventually, wouldn't it? "Trust me, these fuckers won’t keep this under wraps for long.” A hair of a smile flickered over her lips. She was glad he was so sure of himself, because truth be told, Jo was anything but. She was certain they might rot there, but then again who knew what the future held? "I hope you're right." She said softly, trying her best to be reassure by his words.

“If the city tells the humans about us, the whole city is going to split in opinion. There’ll be some who support us being trapped in here where we can’t be around ‘normal’ people, but there’ll be others that want us freed. Whichever opinion is more popular is going to determine how long we’ll be in here." Her heart sank. What with all those weird stories in the news, the public might very well want them all to stay locked up forever! Which would be really, really awful indeed. "Unless we find a way to get ourselves out…which I don’t think is very likely. We may outnumber them, but we don’t have guns.” For a second she was hopeful, and then Mel mentioned the guns. Those stupid guns! If they didn't have them, they'd be toast. Which was precisely why they did have them, she was sure. "Ugh, I wish I were something bigger so I could pummel those assholes." She grumbled. Wasn't much a mouse could do to hurt anyone except maybe nibble them. Jo didn't like the idea of biting someone, though. Biting would draw blood and that was just gross.

“But if I found one doctor who doesn’t want to be here, there had to be other staff that doesn’t want to be here either. Which means they could help us, right? What?” “Nothing, it’s just…I never took you for a rebel.” “Well, we’ve never been in a concentration camp before.” There smiles made her smile. Jo couldn't help but really like Melanie. She was sweet and the kind of girl she would want as a sister-in-law. Not that she and Brandon were getting married, not anytime soon anyway.. but the fact that she got along with her boyfriends sister was a huge step. Their banter eased her mind a little. Maybe there was some staff there that would be willing to aid them. Certainly not everyone wanted them locked up like caged animals! She wondered what PETA would think..

"So how do we go about finding more staff who want to get us out? Is there any way to get that doctor to help more?" She asked. "Maybe.. maybe I could escape?" She suggested softly. "I mean.." She bit her lip and looked around cautiously, lowering her voice even more. "I get pretty small. Maybe I could just hide away somewhere. I could probably hide in someones purse and get the hell out of here or something. There are perks to being a mouse, you know.." She would need to be careful if she did actually consider that as an option. One mistake and... Jo didn't want to think about what would happen if that mistake actually took place. The very thought gave her chills. Or maybe that was the cool air..

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Talking rebellion on opposite side of an electric fence was something Brandon never expected himself to do, but he found he actually enjoyed it. It distracted him and it lightened their mood, all three of them. “So how do we go about finding more staff who want to get us out? Is there any way to get that doctor to help more?” Melanie was nodding vigorously. “Yeah, I think he’s going to try to find other people who want to help us too. I don’t know if they’ll be doctors too, but they’ll definitely be staff.” Brandon liked that his sister already had connections in the place. It almost made him laugh that she, the biggest goodie-two-shoes he knew, was so enthusiastic about a prison break. “Maybe…maybe I could escape?” Brandon eyes snapped right back to Jo, all amusement wiped from his face. “I mean…I get pretty small. Maybe I could just hide away somewhere. I could probably hide in someone’s purse and get the hell out of here or something. There are perks to being a mouse you know…” Brandon leaned forward some wanting Jo to catch how much he hated that idea.

“No.” The statement was firm and simple. Melanie looked at him uncertainly. “But Bran…” He shook his head to indicate he wasn’t going to listen to protests. “Absolutely not. Do you know what will happen to you if you shift, Jo?” he demanded in a hushed voice, staring at her with a lowered and concerned brow. “You’ll get shot, probably killed. Even worse, you could be stomped beneath someone’s boot at that size. Or what if they found you hidden away in someone’s purse? Whatever woman owned that purse would freak the fuck out and probably hit you until you died. I’m serious Jo, don’t do it. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.” His eyes were wide with anger and worry. He didn’t know if he loved Jo or not, but he knew the thought of her dying made him sick to his stomach. It was a good plan in theory, but there were too many risks. Way, way too many risks.

“But what if…” Brandon turned his eyes to Melanie, giving her a look that warned her not to make any stupid suggestions. She hesitated for a moment, but then plowed on. “What if Marius called her into the infirmary and then she shifted in there? He could put her in his pocket and get her out without anyone knowing!” Even Jo looked excited at that idea, but Brandon shook his head. “They would know, Melanie. Marius might be able to hide the clothes, but there are probably guards in the infirmary too. They would know when someone went into a room and didn’t come back out.” The thought obviously hadn’t occurred to her, and she looked disappointed at the ground. He would do anything to get Jo out of the camp, but not at the risk of her losing her life. That was the one risk he would never take.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie had thought her suggestion was genius. Who better to sneak out a little mouse than Marius? He would totally do it too! Well…maybe…there was the risk to him…If he was caught with that mouse in his pocket, he would be in enormous trouble. There was a chance he could be killed too. Abigail would be heartbroken, she was certain of that. Perhaps there were far too many risks involved in an escape plan. A collective effort to escape was one thing, that was a rebellion with tons of Therians and Avisailles holding each others’ backs. When it was just two people escaping the jaws of a prison, the risks grew so much higher. No, she might not even suggest it to Marius after all. The last thing she wanted was to get anyone hurt.

“Besides, I don’t like the idea of my girlfriend in any other man’s pocket but mine.” Brandon had a small lopsided grin on his face, obviously making a joke to lighten the mood once more, and Melanie had to roll her eyes and let out a soft laugh. “Perv.” Her brother grinned wider at Melanie and then looked back to Jo. He wanted to reach out and touch her, brush her cheek, her hair, anything; all of that was obvious in the way he was looking at Jo. If it were Kevin on the other side of the fence, she would look the same way. How long would it take for Marius to find Kevin? She wished she had given him the name of the apartment building, but there was no specific address she could give. She had never been to Kevin’s apartment, so she didn’t have the address, but she did know the apartment building’s name. He would think of some way to look it up, surely…but how long would it take? When would Melanie see Marius again to give him that information? It made her anxious to think of it.

A whistle blew loud and piercing from a guard standing on the edge of the yard. “RETURN TO BARRACKS!” The guard’s voice bellowed across the yard, and it was joined by another voice on the edge of the Therian yard. Break time was up, apparently. Melanie looked back to Jo and Brandon, her brow knitted up. “Good luck, Jo…we’ll see you again tomorrow.” She turned to Brandon, who wasn’t making a move to leave, and she figured he was hanging back to say his goodbyes to Jo. Her arms came up around his shoulders and they squeezed each other tight before Melanie made her way off. She knew she would see him again tomorrow at the latest, but she wondered if the men and women would get to eat together too. They would just have to see this evening…For now, she returned to her barracks with a large group of other women, leaving Jo and Brandon to give their farewells.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“No.”

Jo's eyes widened and then her brows furrowed at the harshness of the single command. No. Like she was a child or a dog or a submissive little wife, which she was none of. “But Bran…” Melanie tried to interject, Jo sitting there still speechless. “Absolutely not. Do you know what will happen to you if you shift, Jo?” Jo pursed her lips, not liking him talking down to her. Yes, she was aware of the dangers and yes, she was willing to risk it if it meant freedom not only for her, but for everyone! Her escape could mean everything for their futures! “You’ll get shot, probably killed. Even worse, you could be stomped beneath someone’s boot at that size." He was going on and on and Jo opened her mouth the interject, but he was talking too much! "I’m serious Jo, don’t do it. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

She softened considerably as he closed his argument. She knew he was saying it because he cared, but dammit she didn't like being told what to do! Not in that manner especially.

“But what if…What if Marius called her into the infirmary and then she shifted in there? He could put her in his pocket and get her out without anyone knowing!” Her eyes brightened at the suggestion and again opened her mouth to speak, but Brandon wasn't hearing it. She felt herself growing frustrated again. “They would know, Melanie. Marius might be able to hide the clothes, but there are probably guards in the infirmary too. They would know when someone went into a room and didn’t come back out.” Jo glowered at the two momentarily before looking at the ground. She didn't want Brandon's permission to go through with a rescue plan, but she felt trapped. If she defied him they would fight, and he was really only looking out for her best interests and said what he did because he cared. She didn't like answering to anyone, though. She had practically raised herself and she had never done well taking commands from others.

“Besides, I don’t like the idea of my girlfriend in any other man’s pocket but mine.” Jo looked up and forced a hair of a smile onto her face. He probably could tell she was annoyed and was trying to clean it up. Jo told herself she was extra edgy considering the circumstances and she should let it go and enjoy the little bit of time she had with Brandon instead of squandering it being mad.

As if the guards heard her thoughts they blew a whistle and called everyone back. A panic swept over her, wanting to cling to Brandon all over again! She didn't want to be alone and go in there, afraid of what would happen to her if she did. What were they going to do to them? Still, her body was cold and she wanted some warmth and food, but would she get that inside? Brandon wasn't inside! "Bye.." She said softly to Melanie, pouting a little but grateful she gave her and Brandon at least a minute alone. Jo bit her lip looking anxiously at her boyfriend. "I...don't want to rule it out completely, you know.." She said softly. "Just let me think on it a couple days and come up with something before shooting me down. Please? It could mean us getting out and being together again." A tear welled in her eye. "I miss you already." She said softly her cheeks flushing. "Is that so pathetic? I was with you yesterday and just now, I.." The guard was blowing his whistle again and Jo peaked over her shoulder at him before back at Brandon. "Meet here tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon didn’t want to leave. He could have stayed comforting his girlfriend from the other side of the fence for as long as she needed. Part of him wanting to tell the guards to fuck off, he wasn’t going anywhere, but there was a good chance that would get him shot. The anxious look on Jo’s face made him want to reach through the fence and hold her, though. “I…don’t want to rule it out completely, you know…Just let me think on it a couple days and come up with something before shooting me down. Please? It could mean us getting out and being together again.” Brandon didn’t want her to think about it. He didn’t want her to risk being hurt, bring killed. In his deluded and, admittedly, sexist thinking, it was perfectly okay for him to put himself at risk, but he didn’t want her to do the same. If she got killed…he’d lose his damn mind.

There were tears in his eyes, and once again he felt helpless to comfort her. “I miss you already.” Her cheeks flushed and he wanted to kiss her, to hold her until everything was okay again. “Is that so pathetic? I was with you yesterday and just now I…” The guard’s whistle interrupted what she was saying and it made Brandon snap to attention just as his heart was beginning to ache. “Meet here tomorrow?” He looked down at her and nodded. “I miss you too, Jo. As long as this fence is between us, I’m going to miss you.” His eyes glanced to the guard, knowing he needed to get moving to the barracks before they came hit him in the back with a gun. He looked down at her. “When we get out of here, I’m going to kiss you like you’ve never been kissed.” The promise was softly spoken and though it sounded lusty, his smile was somewhat sad.

“I’ll be here tomorrow. I promise.” He turned his body to walk away, but he kept his eyes on Jo. “Don’t cry, Jo. We’ll get through this.” Brandon wasn’t certain of many things, but that was something he was certain of. They would get through it, even if it took months for them to get out. And they would get out; the other guardians, the free guardians, they would help, he was certain of it. In the meantime they would do their part from the inside, and what more could they do? Finally, Brandon looked away when a guard pushed him, and he was forced to hustle up to the rest of the group, glaring at the guard that pushed him. He would remember that face so he could beat the shit out of it when they left this hell hole.

[JORDANNA HAILE GARCIA]

“I miss you too, Jo. As long as this fence is between us, I’m going to miss you.” She felt a tear start to well in her eye and nodded, wishing she could just touch him for a moment. “When we get out of here, I’m going to kiss you like you’ve never been kissed.” The sad smile on his face mirrored on hers and she nodded again. "I'm going to hold you to that, sailor." She teased back in a slightly quivering voice.

“I’ll be here tomorrow. I promise.” He turned from her and began walking, Jo staying put despite the yells for everyone to get in behind her. "You better be!" She called after him, forcing a small smile which came off as sad. “Don’t cry, Jo. We’ll get through this.” The tear dripping down her face defied them both, but Jo nodded again, reaching a chilled hand up to wipe her eyes dry while sniffling. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said so softly only she would be able to hear it, watching his form mixing in with the rest for as long as she could.

The whistle blew again and Jo bit her lip, seeing how few people were left in the yard. A guard was glaring at her so she turned and hustled back, peaking over her shoulder one last time. Would they make it through this? Could they? What if something happened to them? Or at least one of them? Jo didn't like to think of it and she would do her best to survive this. She really wanted to give her and Brandon a chance.

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