Scarlett}{heart going boom-ba-boom

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd knew Scarlett had her own car, but lately the family had been driving, he didn't know if she brought her car today, so he just texted her that he was giving her a ride home and that he'd go pick up her car later. He was waiting outside the school, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, tightening and loosening his grip on it as he went. he hated being so shifty, he wasn't usually. But he wasn't sure how he was gonna break this to Scarlett as "gently" as his mother had hoped.

He would figure it out.

Todd heard the bell ring from outside and watched a flood of kids starting to trickle out of the building from his spot in the visitor parking lot. Scarlett would find him first, but he found himself scanning the mass of kids, looking for her.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

By the powers of common-day perception, Scarlett had deduced that something was up. First of all, there was no need for Todd to pick her up. She had driven to school. Todd was a busy guy, so it was odd that he was going out of his way to ensure a ten-minute drive home with her. He didn't even ask is she needed a ride, he just said he was picking her up. And also, that's all he said - that he was picking her up. No 'Hey Letty! Wanna grad icecream after school?' or "Hey Letty, Mom said you feeling off this morning. How about I drive you home?"

So as Scarlett made her way towards the parking lot, she wondered what could be wrong. This time around, she was pretty sure she hadn't done something. If it was serious, like something wrong with the parents, Todd would've actually pulled her out of class for that. So, it wasn't a matter of life and death, but it was something he wanted to tell alone.

Scarlett's heart skipped a beat as she came to one possible conclusion. Did he find out about her hacking? She wasn't sure how he would since she normally cleared her tracks very well, but it was the only possibility. He must be giving her a chance to explain herself before he told their parents.

Part of her was saying that while it fit, it was still very unlikely. She marched straight up to his car and plopped into the passenger seat. "So what's wrong?" she asked a bit impatiently, fastening her seat belt. At this point she was dying to know.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd almost jumped as she opened the door. He hadn't seen her coming, he tried to relax and give an easy smile but he wasn't sure he succeeded. There was no point in pretending nothing was wrong, that was lie. He should have been more easy going in his text... damn. Oh well.

"How was school?" he asked instead of answering her right away. But in the silence after his question he decided he might as well get to the point.

"How would you feel if I ever made contact with my biological family." he asked quietly as he pulled out of his parking space. That was a good start right? Then he would just tell her that they had found him and by they, he meant Nicole. The other sister.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Scarlett had not been expecting that angle at all. Most of the time she forgot that Todd had a biological family, that he has actually technically came from somewhere else. Her first ever memory was her parents telling her that she was getting a brother. When she did remember that Todd was adopted, however, she tried to understand. She tried to see what it was like to think about an estranged part of her somewhere out in the world. But it was too strange. Everything she had ever wanted was with her.

There was no point in beating around the bush. Todd didn't bring this random topic up in an already suspicious situation because he felt it was a good conversation starter. "So you want to make contact with your biological family?" she asked, already sounding a bit hurt. Try as she might to be understanding, her first reaction was that Todd wanted to find a new family.

Had he found someone already? Had he been looking for a while now? Why was he picking her up, to ask her permission or tell her some news?

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd just had to go for it, she sounded hurt at the idea that he was actively looking for his family--which wasn't true. "I didn't go looking, I didn't plan to... you and mom and dad are my family..." He said but he bit his lip, not sure where exactly to go. He gripped the wheel a little tighter as he pulled onto the street.

"A biological family member hunted me down," Todd said carefully not getting to the sister part yet. He didn't mention that Nicole had broken into his orphanage to find information about him. "Apparently my parents turned into heartless druggies... and trust me, I want nothing to do with them." How on earth was that his DNA? At least he'd never tried drugs and now he wouldn't given that he might be predisposed for addiction.

"Her name is Nicole," Todd said. "She's trying to start over, and I said I'd help her find a job and try to get to know her... she looks like me..." Would Scarlett understand that he couldn't pretend she had never showed up? Would she understand that he'd never seen another human being who looked like him?

"We have the same parents." Easier to say than that she was his sister.

"She will never be my sister like you are my sister." If they even ended up liking each other, she could be here for a week and leave.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

you and mom and dad are my family Scarlett's hurt was not at all alleviated. Already it sounded like he was apologizing, before he even said anything. It had to be bad. Scarlett couldn't bear to look him in the eye, afraid of what she'd see there, and what he'd see in her. All the while she just stared at his hands, closed around the wheel.

She felt a pang of sympathy for Todd when he mentioned that his biological parents were addicted to drugs. Scarlett imagined having a reason to hate and be ashamed of her parents ... but couldn't. How would she go by dad by day if she didn't have her parents there, reliable, as a backup?

Her name was Nicole. They had the same parents which made her ... At that point Scarlett's eyes flashed dangerously. Todd had .... a sister named Nicole. How did Todd think he could comfort her?

"Of course she'll never be a sister like I am!" Scarlett said, a tad loudly. The note of hysteria in her voice surprising even herself. "You two looks alike! You're related! You probably have loads of things in common!" They had a array of common DNA. They were biological siblings - they were predisposed to get along, weren't they? Nicole and Todd would probably naturally get along and very quickly. They'd be closer than she and Todd could ever be because they probably slept the same way, or liked precisely the same food, or had the same habits. They'd would just go together.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd pulled the car over and looked at Scarlett. "She will never be as good a sister as you. You are my sister. She just has the same parents as I do. Sure, she looks like me.. if I were a maladjusted girl with pink hair." He felt a little guilty judging Nicole before he knew her. But she grew up with druggies, never stuck to anything, was always running away.... She would never love Todd the way he loved Scarlett, the way Scarlett loved him.

He sighed and shook his head. "I wish she'd never shown up." He said honestly. "But now that she has, how can I turn her away?" But how could Scarlett understand?

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Scarlett wished he didn't pull over and draw to the fact that she was being dramatic. She felt childish as she looked away from Todd and blinked back tears. And what's the point of talking? Nothing Todd could say could make her feeling better. This was a tragedy of a situation.

But then Todd said something that made her feel better. A maladjusted girl with pink hair? Todd's biological sister was a punk? Normally Scarlett would know better than to judge people, but she was making the exception for the girl who was stealing her brother. Todd would never really get along with a punk, or someone who was trouble. He was a cop after all, he tended to have high standards for people.

And then he said that he wished she'd never shown up, which did calm Scarlett even further. She looked at her brother, more composed than before, her eyes damp from the initial tearing up. "... You feel sorry for her?" she guessed quietly (and sortof hoped.)

[Todd Stephen Owens]

"I feel sorry that her life has been crap while mine has been wonderful," He said, not knowing that was the truth until the words came out of his mouth. He had been adopted and loved his life, she was stuck with them in hell. "But I mean, she's the only biological member of my family I've ever met. Maybe I can learn something about myself, my genes.... I mean... I'll always wonder what she was like if I sent her away. I may hate her, but then I'll know."

He paused and pulled back onto the road, slowly leading them toward home. It was nice to be honest, but he wished it caused her less trouble. "Maybe I can make her life better." It was his cop, the sad orphanage boy in longing for connection really at play here. he wanted to help her because she had sort of asked for it, even if not in so many words.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Scarlett listened to the things he was saying, feeling worse and worse about her outburst before. So, this Nicole character had a shitty life. That was a bit sad. And even though Scarlett knew she didn't expect any less from Todd, she still wished he wasn't so keen on helping Nicole. So she said his sympathy, but even through that there could be a way into his heart.

"You're a very good person, Todd." Scarlett told him, though she knew that since forever. He had to know it to, after so many times of her telling him over the years.

But Scarlett couldn't hold back her fear. Todd was hers. She didn't want to live without him. Her chin and voice quivered a little, new tears collecting in her eyes, "You promise she won't steal you away?

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd had to pull over the car again, and wordlessly he pulled Scarlett into his strong eyes. "I promise. No one could ever take your place. She won't steal me away." And he meant it, Scarlett would always be his sister. Nicole wasn't going to change who he was, he wouldn't let her.

He remembered again when he had shown up and his parents were telling Scarlett about how love grew. Did she remember that? "Even if I like her, I will never have with her what I have with you" Todd held her even closer, he felt himself tearing up slightly, but he was resolved. Scarlett was his sister. Nicole would be whatever she was in time. A different kind of sister.

"I will always love you, always have time for you, no matter what. There is always enough love, it grows."

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Scarlett nodded to his words, her tears spilling down her face now. Nothing was going to take Todd away. He was hers and she'd never let him go. He was best, the bravest, the nicest ... He was everything good."I'll always love you, too." She managed to say inbetween shaky breaths, but then she just started crying, the emotion of everything being just too much.

She grabbed his arm and held it to her chest, needing to at least hug some part of him. She didn't care if he'd be forced to drive with one hand and that it wasn't ten and two like he taught her. She just needed to hold onto him.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd held Scarlett tightly, wrapping his free arm around her waist. He kissed the top of her head softly, rocking slightly like when she was a child. "Want to go get some ice cream?" He suggested quietly. Not to make small of what was happening here, but maybe it would just cheer them up, bring them to baseline.

"My treat." he said, "But you'll owe the office some more scones." he said with a little laugh and a smile, trying to make the mood a little lighter.