That Girl

Finley waited. And then she waited just a little bit more. Her father was pacing in front of the coffee table, and it took all of her self control to not dig out her iPhone and not text Alex to waste some time. They were still waiting for Walker to show up. And Finley's mind was racing with all the possibilities. He normally stopped by once a week to check up on them, but this time? This time Finley knew something was different. She just didn't know why.

The pounding on the door surprised her. When she met Walker's eyes as he walked in, she knew something was wrong.

"Robert, Finley," Walker greeted with a nod, setting his bag on the coffee table.

"Take a seat," Robert told him.

"I'd rather not," Walker replied.

Finley looked between the two of them. "What's going on, Walker?"

Walker sighed, running a hand over his face. "They're in town."

Finley's stomach dropped. "What?"

"When?" Robert asked.

"Two days ago."

"How the fuck did they find us?" Finley asked.

"Fin--" Robert warned.

"No, I deserve to know!" she told them.

Walker sighed. "They have someone on the inside."

"Who?" Finley demanded.

"They've been fired, Finley, I assure you," Walker said.

"Sorry, Marshall, but your assurances mean nothing to me," she snapped.

"I'm afraid you've been compromised. You have to move within the week," Walker announced.

"No."

Robert looked over at his daughter. "Finley, we have to--"

"We don't have to do shit," she told him. "I'm not moving again. I'm sick of running. We should face this head on."

"Finley, we can't do that--"

"And why the hell not?" she asked. "We know they're here. We can find them and take them out before they can try anything."

Walker shook his head. "It doesn't work like that, Finley."

"It can. I'm not moving. I finally found a reason to stay somewhere, and I'm not running from them anymore. They think we know all of this shit about them and we don't. I have nothing to hide. I'm not pretending anymore," she told them.

Robert sighed. "Walker, let's talk in the kitchen."

Finley frowned. "You can't hide everything from me, father," she said quietly.

Robert didn't respond, he just nodded towards the kitchen and walked out of the room with Walker.

"Dammit," she muttered, running her hands over her face. She should've known, really. After all, they never really stayed in one place for two long. She should have known the minute she met Alex that something would go wrong sooner or later. Biting back a sigh, her eyes landed on the bag that Walker left on the table. Glancing back at the kitchen, she felt herself smile.

That was the opportunity she needed.

+

Robert took a glass out of the cabinet, filling it with ice-cold water, before taking a drink. "I wonder if Finley is right."

Walker took a seat at the table. "I think we need to get you out of town."

"Does it have to happen now?"

Walker sighed. "I can try to get you a week."

"Try hard. I'll try to talk to Finley. But…she really wants to stay," Robert told him.

"Why?" Walker asked. "She's never care before."

Robert shrugged. "There's…a boy."

"Finley? And a boy?"

"I was shocked as well," he admitted. "He seems…relatively decent. She seems rather attached. She stayed there last night."

Walker's eyebrows raised. "I'll talk to them about it," he repeated. "I'll do what I can but. There are no promises."

Robert nodded. "I understand. I appreciate any time you can give us."

+

Finley retreated to her room; she wasn't in the mood to talk to Walker if she didn't have to. She was able to get the information she needed from the files in his bag and, well, she didn't feel guilty about that. She stored the information in her phone before changing her password--just in case her father had known what it was before. She changed from her jeans and the shirt that she had stolen from Alex into a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, decided to resort to the spare bedroom which they used as a gym.

She walked out of her room, retying her hair and brushing her bangs back, and she ran into her father. "Father."

"Walker's going to give us a week, if he can," Robert told her.

"A week to find and take care of these assholes?" she asked.

"No," he said. "A week for the Marshall's to figure something out. A week for us to not do anything."

Finley sighed. "You can't expect me to do nothing, dad--"

"I can. And I do," he told her. "I don't want you getting involved."

"I'm already involved, dad. They've tried to kill me before. Unless you've forgotten that little fact," she told him, pushing the top of her tank top aside to show him the scar tissue. "Though I doubt you've forgotten."

Robert sighed, shaking his head. "Finley, it's too dangerous."

"They killed my mother. Why can't I--"

"You're not killing anyone, Finley."

"Then why can't I at least get my revenge? They killed my mother, they've tried to kill me--"

"No!" Robert snapped. "I'm not losing you, too."

"You can't keep me on lockdown."

"But I can make sure to keep you safe," Robert told her. "You're staying with me this week. I'll inform the school in the morning. You'll go with me to the studio and--"

"No."

Robert paused. "Excuse you?"

"I'm not putting my life on hold because you're scared," Finley said. "I'm not afraid of these people. And you shouldn't be either."

"I'm afraid of those who put the ones I love in danger, Finley," Robert told her softly. "Please don't do anything stupid."

"I can't promise that."

+

Alex could say he was surprised to see Jack waiting at his house when he got home from dropping Finley off. And he kind of was, but it was more so expected than anything. He and Jack didn't go long during an argument; they almost always apologized within twenty-four hours. He climbed out of his car, nodding towards Jack, hoping it was an apology that was the reason for Jack being at his house.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Jack sighed. "I'm sorry, bro."

Alex nodded. "I know."

"I want you to be happy."

"So do I."

"Did I mess anything up?" Jack asked.

Alex shrugged. "Believe it or not, I can do that enough on my own."

Jack laughed. "I believe you."

"She's, uh…kind of my girlfriend," he told her.

Jack's eyebrows raised. "Really now?"

"Well…just kind of. I mean, she hasn't agreed to it yet, but…I think we're close," Alex said.

Jack laughed. "Good for you, bro."