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EIGHT

Jackson knew that Al felt ashamed of killing her mother. By now he knew that the young woman had very few words Jackson could read her body language and Al's actions had always spoke louder than her words. The whole time she told him about her bitch of a mother Al couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"I just...I want...I want my daddy" she whispered, "that's...that's all I want"

"Al when's the last time you've seen your father?"

"I don't know" she said honestly "I was four maybe five"

"You've haven't seen or heard from your father in twenty years?"

"He's still alive" Al said defensively "I know he is"

Jackson knew exactly how she felt and she didn't want to think otherwise. Al had to believe her father was still out there somewhere it was the only peace of mind that she had.

"I'm not crazy" Al said softly " and I know people think I am it's just bad things always happened to me since my daddy and I were separated"

"So your mother really made you believe that your father was dead?"

"Yes"

"Your father have anything to do with the Grand Canyon?" Jackson guessed

For the first time probably since he met her Al gave a little smile that really struck something inside of him.

"He told me he'd take me there someday"

Tears rolled down Al's face and whispered

"I just...I just want to see him again"

Jackson gently rubbed Al's shoulder in comfort but she turned away from him

"Al?"

She didn't say anything

"Aaliyah?"

Al brought her knees to her chest until she was in a fetal position. Seeing that made Jackson want to move heaven and earth for Al to find her father; because it seemed like that her world had been a living hell since she was separated from him.

"It's getting late" Jackson noted. The two of them had spent the day on the couch in the recreation room just talking and nobody disturbed them.

"Are you hungry? it's probably time for dinner"

"No"

"Well let's try to eat something okay" Jackson said "I don't like it when you don't eat Al"

"....okay"

"Hey it will be okay Al I promise"

 

Just as Jackson predicted Al did not eat much but she did manage to eat a small cup of soup; it was better than nothing. Ivy Hill was getting ready to settle down for the evening as everybody was going to bed.

Jackson was on his way back to his room after seeing Al to hers when he heard some of the staff talking at the nurse's station.

"....she's been here for a while and still no progress"

"Yes she's very stubborn"

"There's nothing more we can do"

"The facility over at Sunrise handles patients like her well" Keith said "we can arrange to have her relocated there next week---"

"Arranged to have who relocated where?"

"Jackson? You shouldn't have heard that---"

"Well I did" Jackson cut them off "you're getting rid of Al?"

"Jack please---"

"You're not sending Al anywhere"

"We're just thinking about nothing is set in stone"

"She's not going anywhere"

"Jack we all care about Aaliyah---"

"Bullshit! I'm the only one who cares about her" Jackson said angry now "you let Wilson rape her!"

"We didn't know about---"

"Fuck that you knew! Al isn't going anywhere she needs me!"

One of the nurses gently laid her hands on Jackson's shoulders and tried to calm him down.

"Jackson we know that you've grown quite found of Aaliyah but there is nothing more we can do for her. We're sending her to a nice facility that will help her"

"Bullshit"

"Jack don't argue---"

"Shove it Tight Collar" Jackson cut Keith off "I can't believe I'm hearing this so it's best to just keep passing Al around instead of actually helping her?"

"Jack---"

"No I don't want to hear anymore excuses"

Keith and the nurses were left confused by Jackson's words but what they didn't know was he already had a plan in motion.

 

"What?!?"

"I'm serious"

"Dude really? You know how much trouble you'll get in?"

"I'm not getting caught"

Jackson rummaged through some of the things he had managed to keep from the staff. Under his mattress he had hidden away the keys to his truck, which had been parked in the back for months and his wallet.

"Damn" Jackson muttered as he counted his money he only had two hundred dollars stashed away. How far could he get them with only two hundred dollars? He needed gas, some food of course, anything else they might need too.

"Jack come on just think about this" Peter tried to reason with his roommate "you're just going to run off with some retarded chick?"

"Don't talk about Al that way" Jackson said firmly "she's not retarded there's nothing wrong with her"

"Okay fine but why are you doing this Jack?"

"These fuckers don't want to help her that's why" Jackson replied putting away his truck keys, wallet, money, some clothes and toiletries into a duffel bag "she needs me Pete I know this"

"Where are you going to go?"

"I'm taking her to the Grand Canyon we're going to look for her father"

"Grand Canyon?!?" Peter exclaimed "dude that's all the way in Arizona"

"Yeah I know" Jackson said knowing that he would have to drive through quite a few states since they were in Ohio

"And you're willing to go through this?"

"Yes I am" Jackson said firmly "if these so called doctors keep pushing Al the way they're pushing her she will actually kill herself and I can't let that happen"

"Looks like I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this huh?"

"No Pete you're not"

Peter sighed

"When do you plan on leaving? Or should I say sneak out of here?"

"Sunday"

"This coming Sunday?"

"Yup" Jackson replied, "I'm going to need you to cover for me"

"Yeah I can do that" Peter agreed, "I'm going to miss you Jackson and I hope you know what you're doing"

"I'll miss you too Pete and trust me I know exactly what I'm doing"

 

Jackson had everything set that Sunday afternoon. His truck was packed and ready to go in the parking lot of the facility with just of enough gas to at least get them out of the city. It was the usual free time for the patients two hours before dinner and Jackson found Al with her breadcrumbs for the ducks.

Now if he could just convince her to come with him because he wasn't going to let. Jackson sat down beside Al and she managed to give him a little smile.

"Jack"

"Al"

Jackson didn't know how to start the conversation so he just went for the punch.

"Al I'm getting you out of here"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm taking you away from here" he repeated, "this place isn't good for you"

"I can't....I never.....I don't want to get in trouble" Al said softly obviously scared "what if we get caught?"

"I'm not going to let that happen" he reassured, "I promise

"...no"

Al tried to resume feeding the ducks but Jackson gently took her hand in his squeezing it a little

"Aaliyah look at me" he said firmly but softly "if I don't get you out of here today they are going to send you to another facility next week and I won't be there with you"

"I don't want that to happen" Jackson continued to explain "and I know you don't want that to happen either"

"But where will we go?"

"Arizona" Jackson replied, "I'm going to help you find your father"

"Really?"

"I'm going to do the best I can" he replied, "we can also see the Grand Canyon just like you always wanted"

The look on Al's face was that of mixed emotions she seemed excited but reserved; however time was running out.

Jackson looked over Al's shoulder to see Peter on the basketball court giving him the signal that it was now an hour until everybody would be headed to dinner so they had to get going.

It was now or never.

"Let's go Al" he said urgently "everything will be okay I promise"

"But....but my things....the rest of my clothes---"

"All get you some more clothes and whatever else you need but we need to go now"

"Okay"

 

It was late by the time Jackson was able to get them from a comfortable distance away from Ivy Hill and the city it was in. It was almost eleven and it was dark and cold.

The heat in the truck wasn't that strong so Al was bundled up in some of the thick blankets that Jackson was able to take from his room at Ivy Hill. Speaking of Ivy Hill at this point they probably know now that the two of them took off and were probably after them.

As long as Jackson got them out of Ohio by tomorrow evening they had nothing to really worry about. Al had mostly been quiet for most of the afternoon and well into the evening and even took a little nap.

"You hungry?" Jackson asked, "there's a McDonalds at the next rest stop and I have to make a phone call"

"That's fine"

"Al it's okay to say that you're hungry"


"Mommy! I'm hungry!"

"Mommy!"

"Mommy! Where are you?"

Six-year-old Aaliyah closed the empty fridge and went looking for her mother. It was almost midnight and she wasn't home but sometimes her mother did work late. Valerie always told her to go for what she knew.

Aaliyah checked the pantry to find a box of Frosted Flakes with just a little bit at the bottom. There was no milk so the little girl sat on the kitchen floor and shoved handful after handful into her mouth until the box was empty.

Aaliyah was still hungry but she had no choice but to wait until Valerie got home; and hopefully she'd have some food when she got there.

 

"...yes I'm hungry" Al admitted letting her guard down

"Nothing a juicy burger and fries won't fix" Jackson said "it's ten times better than that mush at Ivy Hill"

"Jack...can I um...can I have a chocolate milkshake too?"

After all the shit Jackson saw Al go through in the short amount of months he knew her; he wanted to give her all the chocolate milkshakes in the world.

"Of course you can"

The McDonald's meal was the first time Jackson saw Al actually eat and not just nibble. Al ate and she ate well. Jackson knew that they would have to get actual food eventually but for their first meal out of that hellhole greasy burgers, hot fries, and milkshakes hit the spot.

 

"Jackson Adam-Griffin Ford! Where are you?" Elizabeth Montgomery asked concerned on the other line "Ivy Hill just called and told me that you and another patient disappeared from the facility"

After they finished a late dinner Al was curled up in the truck with the blankets while Jackson made a call to his mother on the pay phone close by.  Jackson explained the whole predicament to his mother and she was still a little troubled.

"Jack you do know that Arizona is on the other side of the country right?"

"Yes Mom I know"

"What are you going to do after you help this young lady find her father?" Elizabeth pointed out "are you going to leave her or stay in her life?"

Jackson didn't even think about that. As much as he wanted to help Al get her life back together and find her father he wasn't sure if he was ready to let her go. Just like the nurses at Ivy Hill pointed out Jackson was becoming quite found of Al.

"I don't know Mom" Jackson said honestly "but I do know that she wasn't going to get better there I had to get her out of there"

"You're noble and stubborn" Elizabeth said supportivately "just like Adam you are your father's son and it looks like I'm not going to change your mind at this point"

 "Jack you be careful okay? I know you'll take good care of that young lady"

"I will Mom" he replied watching Al from the phone booth "I love you too"

Jackson ended the call and got back into the truck and looked over at Al.She was asleep but some of her curls fell in her face; Jackson reached over and tucked those curls behind her ear. 

Al was an angel a broken angel but an angel nonetheless. Al was his angel to protect and Jackson was going to do just that.

 

 

 

 












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.