Struggle; One

"Hey, Sonny, Alex! Stop packing for a second and come downstairs. There’s someone at the door for you," Dolly called in her Scottish accent an edge of anxiety laced in her voice.
Upstairs Sonny and Alex both exchanged frowning glances. They were in the middle of packing up all their belongings scattered across their rooms in the children’s home. They’d lived here for two years now, back then they’d arrived with nothing but now they seemed to be leaving with enough boxes to fill the entire van out front.
Sonny had turned eighteen last month and had managed to be accepted by Edinburgh University. She and Alex were moving into halls together since Alex had spent his first year still living in the children’s home so as not to leave Sonny behind.
Alex shut the suitcase and looked at Sonny again before following her out the bedroom door. She had long honey coloured hair and dulled turquoise eyes, when the sun came out she shone and a few baby freckles seemed to dance across her cheeks. Alex smiled, he loved her. He really loved her.
Sonny reached the landing first and froze solid; below they could see the reflection of flashing blue lights on the glass by the door. The home was quiet to, far too quiet. She swerved round to look at Alex; he was stood stony faced with a look of defiance already creeping across his features. His lean eyebrows furrowed above his olive eyes and his thin lips thinned some more. He reached for Sonny’s hand and grasped it reassuringly, his tanned skin alternating against her pale fingers. She looked at his face, his messy dark coffee hair dusting the tops of his eyebrows and she squeezed his hand because she loved him, she really loved him.
Together they walked down the stairs, not sure whether this was actually the reality of their greatest fear or something entirely different. There in the door way stood the facts though. Two policemen, each with a piece of paper in one hand, each piece of paper with the title ‘Missing Persons’ typed boldly above two pictures.
One picture was of a little girl in red silk pyjamas stood next to a little boy with messy brown hair holding her hand, they looked about nine. On one piece of paper the second picture was of a boy, older now but still noticeable the same boy from before, about sixteen years old sat smiling with his bright white teeth in his school uniform at the camera. On the other piece of paper the second photo was of the girl, once again older than in the first picture, perhaps fifteen years old, grinning as she stood next to a bay horse.
Alex looked at Sonny at the same moment Sonny looked at Alex. Shit.
"Sonny Jane Love, Alex Guy Hickman. Please come with us, we have a few questions to ask you down at the station," The bigger of the two officers said gruffly but not threateningly. The second officer glanced down at the photo on the sheet in front of him and then up at the two teenagers in front of him quiet blatantly fascinated.
"Alex, what’s all this about?" Dolly was one of the home carers, she’d been there the day they both arrived, and like the other carers she’d given them the chance they’d needed. Her hair flew out in wisps from its bun and her apron hung crookedly around her hips but she stood tall and took no nonsense.
Alex rested his hand on her arm gently "Nothing Dolly. Thank you for everything. We’ll sort this out," Sonny walked out the door first and was accompanied into the back of the car by the smaller of the two officers, Alex followed suit, along with the larger of the two officers and Dolly was left there. The door behind her creaked open as the car drove off and out popped several sets of young eager eyes.
"Dolly, can we have some ice cream now?" Two of them asked in unison while the older children filed their way out of the living room where they had been kept out of the way back up to their rooms to mess about again. None of them dared ask about the policemen but all of them were curious, especially one nineteen year old boy in particular who had returned from work early today only to see Sonny and Alex off to university.
"Max," Dolly called before he could reach the door to leave. Max’s fiery red hair wasn’t hard to spot from the crowd of children half his height and he was forced to stop for a second before he decided to walk out the front door anyway. He hadn’t lived under Dolly’s rule for a whole year now and he owed that and his current job to Alex. He had to go down to the station and find out what was going on.

In the back of the police car Alex held gently onto Sonny’s hands. Sonny looked across at him, her eyes looked haunted.
"It’s been two years Cassie," Alex whispered, smiling soothingly as Sonny’s eyes widened at the use of a different name. She knew the officers in front would be listening intently "You’re eighteen;" he continued "We can stop running now,"
Sonny understood, more to the point Cassie understood, Sonny was a mask and it was a mask she was safe enough to drop.
"Anthony," she rolled the name over her tongue, re-familiarising its sound "don’t let them tear us apart," she whispered.
"Never," he smiled, kissed her forehead and silently they both started to remember past memories they’d shut out. Re-telling their own story over in their mind until each thought they had finally remembered everything.
It took two hours to get to the police station and Alex reckoned it was the nearest head office they were visiting not in fact the nearest station. The officers both held open the car doors to let the two teenagers out and lead each by the arm into the building.
Inside the office it was warm and smelt strongly of coffee. The blue carpeted floor was worn bare and the vending machine in the corner was out of order. Sonny immediately spotted two security cameras, one behind the reception desk and one monitoring the whole of the front lobby in the far right hand corner. Alex laughed noticing her reaction.
"Old habits die hard," he muttered and for the first time Sonny grinned, after all, they couldn’t be in any real trouble.
"This way," The officer holding Alex opened the second door on the left of a corridor. Sonny tried to follow before the officer holding her pulled her back and opened the second door on the left.
"Separate interviews," he said gruffly. Sonny flinched inwardly, there was that word again, separate. Alex saw the alarm creep across her features.
"Hey Sonny," he called, using her current name to soothe her, "It’s alright. Just tell them everything they want to know,"
"Everything?" Sonny’s eyes watered.
"Everything," Alex nodded before being pulled compellingly into the room behind him. Sonny gasped as she lost sight of him.
There was a gentle tug on her shirt "This way miss," The younger officer directed her into a grey room. There was a plastic table in the centre and two chairs one on either side, one of the walls had an obvious blacked out one way mirror and the door shutting behind her locked with a combination pad. Sonny didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or be thoroughly scared by the feeling of being on a TV crime show.
"Take a seat,"
Sonny took the seat facing the one way mirror like she knew she was supposed to and wondered if anyone was behind it. The room was completely quiet as the officer left her to sit there and sit there she did, and sit there and sit there. Until Sonny’s watch told her she’d been there an hour. She thought of Alex and she looked at the locked door but no one came.
Sonny wasn’t patient at the best of times and she’d learnt not to be scared of authority over the past few years so she called out.
"If you have no reason to hold me I suggest you let me go," and just like that there was a click as the door unlocked.

*

Alex looked at the time, he’d been held here for over an hour by now. He knew Sonny wasn’t patient and wondered whether they were talking to her first. He looked at the locked door longingly; she was only five or so meters away.
"Clam down," he whispered to himself and closing his eyes he focussed on slowing his breathing. They’d prepared for this of course, he and Sonny. The thing was, they’d prepared over two years ago and after the first year and a half Alex realised they’d both shed their old lives and almost even forgotten their own story in the process.
He tapped his fingers across the plastic table and stared at the one way mirror in front of him wondering whether anyone was in fact watching him at that moment. He thought of waving and smiled at the idea until the locked door finally clicked open.

*

"Sonny Jane Love?" The interrogator who sat down opposite Cassie was young, mid twenties and female. The lady had black hair tied neatly in a tight bun and wore a plain grey suit. Sonny took in her features from her high cheekbones to her short lashes, red painted nails and deep green eyes.
She sat silently for a while as the lady placed a thin file on the table in front of herself. She didn’t want to answer, in truth she wanted to be left alone. She wanted Alex.
The lady looked up from her sheets of paper when Sonny continued not to reply. She locked eyes with her for a second and it seemed something inside her snapped. Sonny remembered the feeling and suddenly this didn’t feel that hard at all.
"Yes," she answered, nodding.
"Ok Sonny," The lady smiled, Sonny winced. It wasn’t that the smile was fake it was just the knowledge that the lady was only smiling because she wanted her trust. "My name is Officer Tate. I just have a few questions for you to answer. Is that ok?"
Sonny nodded took a deep breath and leant back in her chair.

*

"Alex Guy Freeman?"
Alex stood up out of his chair to offer his hand to the interrogator before realising how stupid he was being, it wasn’t a business interview. The man smiled good-naturedly and took his hand anyway. He looked about thirty and had dark blonde hair and pale hazel eyes.
The two males sat down opposite each other and Alex tried not to seize the man up as he usually did with people. Instead he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table keeping his arms crossed.
The man pulled out a thin brown file and placed it in front of himself.
"Nice to meet you Alex, my name is Officer Brown. I’m just going to ask you a few questions,"
Alex nodded in acceptance.

*

"Your name is actually Cassie Jane McReigh not Sonny Jane Love?"
"Yes," Cassie answered.
"You arrived in Scotland two years ago with a boy who goes by the name of Alex Guy Freeman?"
"Yes," she repeated.

*

"Your real name is in fact Anthony Alex Hickman not Alex Guy Freeman?"
"Yes," Anthony answered.
"You came to Scotland two years ago with a girl named Cassie Jane McReigh or Sonny Jane Love as you may know her?"
"Yes," he repeated.

*

"How old were you when you crossed the boarder?"
"I was sixteen," Cassie smiled.

*

"Seventeen," Anthony laughed.

*

"Your real birthday is not the 16th of August 1983?"
"No. 16th of July 1983," she said.

*

"Your birthday isn’t the 12th of February 1982?"
"No. 12th of March 1982," he said.

*

"Cassie where did you live before you came to Scotland?"
Cassie looked up and tried to remember, it was harder than she thought it would be. Frowning she answered "Manchester,"
"Where about Cassie?" The lady insisted.
"Cheshire, South Manchester. Sale,"
The woman reached across the table and placed a hand on Cassie’s.
"It’s alright Cassie. You’re safe,"
Cassie frowned, of course she was safe. She had Anthony.

*

"Anthony where exactly did you live before you turned up in Scotland?"
Anthony grimaced, remembering everything he had left behind. It was painful, he chose Cassie over his family. Oh god, he thought, his family.
"I came from down South. St Albans,"
The officer across the table smiled warmly and turned to look at the one way mirror, he lifted his thumb up and the walls seemed to crackle as a women’s voice spilled out of several hidden speakers.
"It’s him! It’s my boy!" Anthony was horror stricken. The voice was torn with raw emotion; he could hear the pain and relief all at once gushing from the hidden room. He started to cry.
"Mum?" he called.

*

"There are people waiting for you in the waiting room. We’re not finished but you can have a short break," the lady stood up and opened the door. Cassie followed her out and saw Anthony’s back through the open door of his room being consumed in a fearsome hug form his- Cassie stopped. His mother.
"It’s ok mum," she heard Anthony soothe, he was facing the wrong way to see her but his mother had a clear view. She glared with hostility at Cassie and seemed to grasp Anthony even tighter. It was clear what she was thinking. ‘I blame you’ her eyes said ‘You took away my baby’.
"Cassie?" a tentative voice called from further down the hall. Cassie turned to look at the face of her own mother and blinked. She felt nothing, her head screamed at her to do something but, there was nothing.
"Cassie is that you?" her mother called again. Her auburn hair was cut short and greying but hey eyes were still the same emerald green. Freckles danced across her cheeks in reflection of Cassie’s own but her mother’s skin had begun to dim.
Slowly Cassie began to step forward and after each step hot tears flooded her face so that by the time she reached her mum Cassie was drowning in her own flood. Still, there was no emotion, she still felt hollow, and she still felt empty, still, there was nothing.
"Mum?" Cassie was enveloped in an almighty grasp before she could even fathom her mother’s possible response. She didn’t think she was ever going to be released, she could feel her mother shuddering as she cried out her heart like Cassie realised she’d probably done before.
"What is the meaning of this!" an almighty shout rang from the direction of Anthony’s room and Cassie realised his father had arrived also. Cassie twisted out of her mothers embrace to see what was going on but her mother placed one hand securely on each of her shoulders.
"Don’t worry about him anymore Cas’, you’re safe now," her mum whispered through the tears. Cassie shook her head in confusion, why were they all talking about being safe.
"Anthony," Cassie called panic creeping into her voice.
"No Cassie, it’s over. Don’t worry," her mum repeated but now Cassie was really worried.
"Anthony!" she yelled fear stricken and confused. He could fix it, Anthony fixed everything. Cassie thought she heard her name being called out in return but before she could call out again Anthony’s mother charged out of his interrogation room.
"You," she spat "You filthy liar!"
Anthony’s dad walked out the room behind her, Cassie noticed him closing the door as he left, and he grabbed onto his wife trying to restore her self control.
"My boy would never do anything like this! This is all, your fault!" she continued.
There was banging from the inside of Anthony’s holding room and muffled shouts and Cassie knew it was Anthony, he was yelling her name.
"You liar," she repeated and the banging from Anthony's room ceased "My boy would never have abducted you! He wouldn’t lay a finger on anyone! You took him away, you whore!"
Cassie’s jaw dropped in spite of the situation. This wasn’t real, this could not be real but finally she understood why everyone kept insisting she was safe.
"I never…" she stuttered trying to get the words out but Anthony’s parents were taken into the room next to Anthony’s again and Cassie chocked on her own words. Cassie released herself from her mothers grip and stared at the face’s behind her.
Her now sixteen year old brother, tall, thin blonde haired, blue eyed and freckled face; her step dad old and bearded; her aunts and uncles were hear as well and all her cousins. Pretty much her whole family had come.
"Anthony didn’t take me," Cassie said but the faces of her family didn’t change "Anthony did not abduct me!" Cassie shouted.
Still the faces merely flickered as Cassie looked from face to face.
"Wait," she looked across all the faces again "Where’s dad?" Cassie looked at her mum "Mum, where’s dad!"
Cassie’s mum had a look of anguish on her face "I didn’t want to be the one to tell you sweetheart," Cassie’s eyes widened thinking of the worse. "Your father had a heart attack two months after you were taken,"
Cassie crumpled on the floor suddenly not wanting to move feeling like some one hand punched her in the stomach. She sat and cried as her whole family watched her grief overflow. Her mother reached out a hand to place on Cassie’s shoulder but withdrew it swiftly as if she had been burned.
There was a muffled yell from Anthony’s room again, resolutely Cassie stood up and looked her family in the eyes again.
"I was not taken,"
The smaller officer from the police car before placed his hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. Her interrogator was called down the corridor to exchange a few words with a man with dark blonde hair and a black suit on.
"Cassie what other possible explanation is there?" her mother cried.
"For god’s sake! We ran away ok? We ran away. Together," Cassie yelled, still not convinced this was all really happening but determined to put and end to its horrible train of thought.