Runaways

Whether you are running in fear or because you don't belong, you are a runaway in need of some care.

Well, I'm back with part 7 of The Apologize Saga and what a saga it is! Exciting, fearful, scary, awesome… The Apologize Saga has everything! Well, except for you people who like certain kinds of "M-RATED" stuff…You'll never find that kind of stuff under my username. E. V. E. R.

Another side note: To a certain reviewer who said that the Tracys should've figured out that Alex is Alan and that I was dragging this out too long, just wait. You'll see why the Tracys can't figure out that simple fact soon.

To the rest of you, thank you for the reviews and sorry this took so long to get out!

Some parts in this story deal with major and extremely severe child abuse. I used 'A Child Called "It"' as a reference.

I do not own Thunderbirds or 'A Child Called "It"'

One more thing, the Tracys won't be featured in this chapter. This is a Forrester chapter only, featuring Allison, Nick, Ember, Alex, and Jake, the dog.

Another thing: I just realized this. You know TAS stands for The Apologize Saga? Well, it also can stand for [and seriously, I just realized this!] Tracy, Alan Shepard. Wow... Can't believe I never noticed that before...

Beta: shadowfox8

Onto Part 7

The room was pitch black, dank, and smelled of blood and urine. There were no windows, nothing to let enough fresh air in, save for the small crack in the wall that let her see the outside world, but it was basically useless.

She cowered in the corner of her dark cellar room, hoping, praying that they wouldn't hurt her tonight. They hurt her every night. Purple, black, and yellowish-green marks marred her pale skin. The only piece of clothing she wore was a filthy pillowcase –complete with armholes and a hole for her head- and underwear. The pillowcase was stained, ripped, and smelly. But, then again, so was her whole body. She hadn't bathed in so long.

Under her pillowcase, her ribs were visible and her stomach was hardly there. Her hair was ratty and long; she couldn't even remember what color it was. Another thing she couldn't remember was the warmth of the sunshine. That's why her skin was so pale; she hadn't seen the sun in so long. She had lost count a while ago, after day ten; she hadn't learned how to count past that.

She shivered again as silent, secret tears streaked her cheeks; tears that she had promised herself that she wouldn't shed. She had to be strong but knew in her heart that she was weak. That's what they kept telling her anyway.

When they acknowledged her existence, that is.

She felt faint, weak hunger pains. She had become accustomed to the pain, welcoming it. At least it meant that she was still alive. But she soon despised it. She didn't want to be alive. She just wanted this nightmare to end.

There was a loud pounding on the door. She cringed, hoping that it wasn't them. She drew her knees up to her chest and, wrapping her arms around her pathetically thin legs, buried her head.

"Hey! Is anyone in there?! Katie?!"

Katie? Who was that? The girl didn't respond.

"The door's locked. We're going to have to break it open! If anyone's down there, stay away from the door!"

The voices were slightly muffled behind the thick door. The girl glanced up just as the door was kicked open. She instantly regretted it as white light filled the room. She let out a piercing scream.

Ember Forrester woke with a scream.

~Forrestersarego~

Alex Forrester, having been adopted into the Forrester family almost upon arrival, woke with a start. He heard the pain-filled scream and jumped out of bed. There was a pounding of feet outside of his room. He quickly opened the door and saw his adoptive parents running into his adopted sister's room. Once they were out of sight, he quietly crept into the hallway and over to his sister's doorway. With his back against the hall wall, he twisted his neck and peered into the room.

Ember was on the bed, crying into Allison's chest. Both parents sat on the bed with their daughter, holding and rocking her back and forth, whispering soothing words into her ears.

Alex felt out of place. He also felt a surge of some other kind of emotion, jealousy. And he knew why, too. How many times had he woken up from a nightmare and there had been no one to comfort him?

Alex shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. He silently and carefully made his way back to his room. He still needed his rest.

After all, tomorrow was his first day of High School.

He walked into his room slowly and looked around. His room was mostly bare, save for a nightstand, bed, mirror, and dresser. On the dresser were a couple pictures of the Tracys and the Thunderbird machines. Alex walked over to the dresser and picked up his favorite photograph: The four Tracy sons standing side by side with him in the middle. He smiled and looked at another photo: It was the main villa with all the Tracys standing in front of the pool. In the background stood Mr. Tracy, flipping burgers on the grill. Also featured in the picture were Tin-Tin, Fermat, and their parents.

Alex walked back over to his bed and sat down, placing the picture of him with the four Tracy boys on the nightstand. He swung his legs up onto the bed and laid his head on his pillow. After a few minutes, he turned on his side and stared at the picture, finally loosing his battle against sleep and drifted into his memories…

~Forrestersarego~

"Alex! We're going to miss the bus!"

Alex finished pulling up his jeans, grabbed his backpack, and sprinted down the stairs.

"Nice hair," Ember said nonchalantly, hiding a smile behind her hand.

"Huh?" Alex looked at the small mirror in the hallway. His blond locks, recently tipped with blue, were sticking straight up in the air. "Aw, man!" he growled.

A horn blared outside. Ignoring Alex's cries of annoyance, Ember grabbed her little brother's arm and pulled him along behind her into the dark outside. As they boarded the empty bus, Alex grumbled, "Why does the bus have to come so early? School ain't startin' until 8:00 a.m.! It's only 5:30!"

Ember glanced at her brother as she took her seat. "This is the time the bus comes. Live with it. We live the farthest from the school, so the bus comes to get us first. It's only your first day. You'll get used to it." She looked out the window and muttered, "Or you'll go insane."

Alex just stared at his…sister. He still had to get used to thinking of her as a sister. 'As insane as she may be, what she says makes sense. Why else would they send the bus so early?' he wondered. He sat down on the opposite side of the aisle and laid his head against the window.

It had been about three months since he had come to live with the Forresters –him coming to stay with them in late May. Since then, he had helped out on the farm –being mindful of his mending arm- and had pondered what Ember had said two months and two weeks ago.

"I know who you are. I'm just surprised that the Tracy's haven't figured it out."

'It can't be true. I'm no one special. Never have been and never will be,' he mentally told himself, but like with the bus, what his sister had said was now making sense. He could only remember bits and pieces of his childhood from before he was seven, and those memories were filled with people who looked just like the Tracys. After a few minutes, he found his eyes drifting close. He yawned and his eyes finally fully closed as he fell into his dreams.

Dreams that quickly changed into nightmares.

He was running. Always running. Scotty had yelled at him. Scotty hated him.

He had pulled the embedded glass shard out of his arm just before Scott had run in and…and…said those things.

He was too caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he had stepped out into the middle of the street. The last thing he saw was two bright lights and the squeal of breaks.

Then nothing.

-FLASH -

"Baby, remember! Remember your past! It's time to remember once more!"

-FLASH -

"Hey, kid. You alright?"

Who was speaking? He opened his eyes and saw nothing. Where was he? He could feel someone shaking him, but couldn't see who it was. Why couldn't he see? Why did his head hurt so much?

"Da-Daddy?"

"Who's your daddy?"

Why couldn't he remember?

-FLASH-

"Jeff Tracy…" a voice whispered.

-FLASH -

"I-I don't know," he said in a small voice.

-FLASH -

"Jeff Tracy…" the persistent voice said again.

-FLASH -

"What's your name?"

What was his name?

-FLASH-

"Baby, remember… Alan Tracy…Remember…"

-FLASH -

"I don't know!" he shouted. A few seconds later, he felt someone slap his face.

"Don't you dare talk to my husband like that, you little brat!"

"Calm down, honey. We'll take him with us. We didn't hit him, but he did hit his head. It could be possible the little darling doesn't remember his past. Didn't you always want a kid?"

-FLASH -

"I remember…I remember!"

-FLASH -

"Well, yeah, but this- Oh…I see what you mean. Yeah, let's take him. He reminds me of our dear ex-employer's kid. His youngest kid. Maybe now we can get our revenge on him. After all, it was his fault that the damn Child Protection Service had taken away our daughter."

He was filled with fear. "Do-Do you know who my daddy is?" Another slap to the face.

His cheeks stung from where the…man? Woman? He didn't know which, but he preferred not to know who had hit him.

-FLASH -

"I remember! My Daddy! He's not dead! I knew Daddy wouldn't leave me!"

-FLASH -

"You know what? I think he is his kid," the woman said.

-FLASH -

"I AM! I AM! I WANNA GO HOME! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

-FLASH -

A hand on his injured arm roughly pulled him up. He let out a scream of pain and fear before he felt something smash over his head. Then he fell into the endless abyss once more.

-FLASH -

"Baby, I knew you could do it…I knew you could…"

-FLASH -

He saw the hypodermic needle coming towards him. "This will make you forget everything you once knew!" Adam Frost yelled as he shoved it into the seven-year-old's vein.

"NO!"

Alex Frost woke up with a cry.

~Forrestersarego~

Ember watched her younger brother squirm and shy away from an unseen enemy. He let out a fear-filled cry that caused the bus driver to swerve the bus in surprise.

Alex still didn't wake up.

"What's going on back there?" the bus driver, Frank, called. "Do I need to pull over?"

"NO!" Ember cried quickly. She got out of her seat and clambered in next to her brother. She hugged him tightly. She heard his whimpering…

"No…leave me alone! I want my Daddy! Daddy didn't leave me! You lied! I remember! NO!"

Ember had to smile. So, he has finally remembered the truth. She knew it. "Ale- Alan, wake up Allie. Wake up…"

"Mama?" Alex's eyes opened and rested on his sister's forest-green ones. "Katie?"

Ember –Katie- removed her arms from around Alex's shoulders and smiled. "You remember, don't you?" It was more of statement than a question.

Ale- Alan just nodded. "I remember…You were ri-" He froze. The needle. He looked at his sister. "Ember, I remember how they managed to keep me from squealing that they had kidnapped me! It was a needle! A vial with green liquid! They said it would make me forget my past…"

Ember stiffened, and then cursed. "Damn. Dearest Mother and Father were working on something like that before they got booted from Tracy Enterprises. I was their guinea pig for their sick experiments… That's why Jeff Tracy fired them. I should've remembered that one!"

Alan froze. "Ember, there's something else. I've been getting threatening letters for weeks now. They've found me. We have to get home. Now."

Ember was filled with fear. "You've gotten what?!" she hissed. She glanced up at the bus driver and noticed that the bus was slowing. "We're reaching the next stop. Get near the back door. We've gotta jump."

Alan nodded. Ember got up and grabbed her backpack. She pulled out her cell phone and immediately dialed her home number.

"Hello?" Allison's voice was filled with strain.

"Mom, they found him! They know where he is! They're goi-" Ember was cut off by the sounds of gunshots and her mother's scream that was cut off.

Ember dropped her cell phone and hurriedly put on her backpack. "Screw waiting. We're getting off now!" She ran towards the back and pulled the handle to the EMERGENCY door. She pushed the door open and jumped.

"Ember!" Alan cried, grabbing his backpack and Ember's cell phone, and followed his sister, ignoring the bus driver's cries. He tucked and rolled; just like Gordon, Virgil, and Johnny had taught him. Didn't do much good, though.

~Forrestersarego~

Allison Forrester smiled as she cleaned her son's room. Son… She was so proud that she now had a son. She continued to vacuum the floor, though it barely needed it. The entire room was practically spotless.

She glanced at the nightstand and smiled at the image of the Tracy boys and Alex. That's when she froze and studied the image more closely. 'Oh my God…' "NICK!" she screamed, picking up the picture and running downstairs with it.

Allison met her husband in the kitchen, where he was finishing his food. "What?" he asked, getting up at his wife's shout.

In answer, Allison shoved the picture in his face. "Look very closely at this image. Do you see any similarities between the Tracys and Alex?"

Nick froze. "Holy…" He looked at his wife in amazement. "How did they not notice?!"

"I think they did. They just didn't want to admit it. If Alex isn't the long lost Alan, they don't want their hearts broken again. But there is no way he's not." Her smile reached her eyes. "We have found Alan Tracy. Katie was right. She knew that her parents had taken Alan, but we didn't believe her. Why didn't we believe her?!"

"There's another thing to consider. How come Alex didn't know?"

"Same reason our darling daughter couldn't really remember what really happened to her."

Allison and Nick looked at the kitchen door in shock.

Adam and Judy Frost stood in the doorway, each pointing two guns at the couple.

"Alan Tracy had his chance to leave you guys for two months. We told him that if he doesn't leave, you would pay," Judy sneered.

"You kidnapped him! You tortured him! Why would he leave the place where he could be safe?!" Allison growled, not afraid of the gun.

Adam backhanded her, sending her to the floor. "Shut up, bitch. The one place he would be safe is with the Thunderbirds and they ditched him."

"They didn't ditch him!" Nick shouted, helping his wife up. "They rescued him!"

"You are a pain in the ass. Where is he?" Adam growled, releasing the safety on his .22.

"I don't know," Nick answered, standing in front of his wife.

"You liar!" Adam was about to pull the trigger when the phone rang.

"Answer it," he growled, pointing his gun at Allison. Allison moved towards the phone.

"Put it on speaker."

Allison did as she was told. Truth be told, she was scared stiff. "Hello?" she asked in a strained voice.

"Mom, they found him! They know where he is! They're goi-"

Adam pulled the trigger.

Nick fell to the ground, a bullet hole located on his forehead. Allison screamed, but her scream was cut off when Judy fired a shot at her. She fell to the ground; her hands still wrapped around the picture of Alan.

"I warned you to not piss me off, Tracy," Adam growled, picking up a paintbrush and studying it. He sickly smiled. "Looks like they were going to repaint their kitchen. Let's help them, shall we?" He moved towards the fallen bodies.

~Forrestersarego~

Ember ran through the wheat fields with Alan not too far behind her. She was scared when she didn't hear her father's tractor.

Alex followed his sister, limping slightly. He had twisted his left ankle when he had jumped out of the bus. "Ember, wait up! Ow!" he cried as his injured limb fell through a hole in the ground. 'Damn it. If it wasn't sprained before, then it definitely is now! I'll be lucky if it isn't broken!'

Ember turned back at her brother's cry. She swore and helped him out. "When we get to the house…" she bit her lip.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll be fine." Alan winced as he slowly got up with her help. "Go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

"Nonsense. We go together." With that, Ember wrapped Alan's left arm over her shoulder, placing her own arm under his arms and around his back and helped him walk.

Together, they slowly made their way through the wheat fields and out into the open.

The house looked normal. Everything looked normal. That is, until an intense barking came from the barn. Ember gently set Alan down on the ground, raced over to the barn, and opened the door. "Jake!" she cried as the malamute raced past her. She followed her dog, only stopping to help Alan up. "Come on, Allie. Something's wrong."

Alan bit back his cry of pain as he limped up the porch steps. Why, oh why did there have to be so many steps?!

They pushed the front door open and walked inside the deathly still house, Jake running around them in circles. "Jake! Down, boy!" Alan grunted, glaring at the dog. He let out a yell as Ember dropped him on the floor. "Ember! What the hell?!" He looked up at his sister angrily.

His anger melted away when he saw her paler-than-normal skin. "Em?" he questioned.

He followed her gaze and bit back a scream. He pulled himself up, using the arm of the couch as a crutch, and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

The sight before him brought him to his knees. It wasn't the bodies of his adoptive parents that filled him with fear and dread; it was the writing on the walls.

You didn't heed our warning and your "parents" paid the price.

You can run, Alan Shepard Tracy, but you can never hide!

We will hunt you down

And destroy your real family for what they've done to us.

Jeff Tracy shall pay.

And you will be the price.

You are never safe.

We are coming for you.

Adam and Judy Frost

The words were written in blood.

Alan Tracy fell on his hands and threw up what little he had for breakfast.

Ember walked up to her parents and sat between them, crying her heart out. Alan didn't blame her. It was his fault. All his fault. "What have I done?" he whispered.

Ember looked up at her little brother. "It wasn't your fault. If it's anyone's, it's mine. I should've told the authorities what I knew seven years ago. If I had, none of this would've happened. Hell, if I had died years ago, none of this would've happened."

Alan glared at his adoptive sister. "If there is anyone to blame, it's those sick bastards who have ruined so many lives," he growled, closing his eyes.

He heard Ember begin to cry and wished he could hug her. But, as it was, he could barely hold back his own tears –let alone move. Two of his favorite people have been murdered in cold blood. He knew it was his fault. If only he had told them about the letters…

It was about fifteen minutes later when the smell of blood became too much for the grief-stricken teenagers who had seen too much at too young of an age. Ember helped her brother stand and together they made their way to the living room.

"We have to get out of here," Ember whispered. She helped Alan over to the couch and set him down. "Stay here. I'll go get some supplies to take with us."

Alan didn't want her to go. He didn't want to be left alone again. He watched her charge up the stairs and let out a small whimper. "Jake!" he called. The malamute let out a whine. "Go with Ember. Keep her safe." Jake let out a small bark and followed Ember up the stairs.

Alan pushed himself up and slowly made his way up to his room, cursing the stairs. Once he made it into his room –a good five minutes later-, he went over to the dresser and pulled off his backpack, setting it on the ground next to him. Opening the dresser drawers, he pulled out several pairs of clean clothes and stuffed them in his backpack. Once that was done, he grabbed the pictures he had of the Tracys and gently placed them in the front pouch of the backpack.

He then pulled out the watch Gordon had given him out of the top drawer. He knew what he had to do. Pressing the sides of the watch, he waited for someone to answer.

"Gordon, why are you sending the panic signal?" It felt so good to hear Johnny's voice, but he couldn't get past the fact that Gordon hadn't told anyone that he had given Alan his watch. "Gordon, if you're pulling a prank, I swear-"

Alan didn't answer. Instead, he set the watch on the dresser and pulled something else out of the drawer: the letters he had received from the Frosts. He set them next to the watch and closed his eyes.

"Gordon, what the heck is going on? Why are you in Iowa?" By Johnny's tone, Alan could tell that his older…brother…was confused. 'Brother…I have a family…A real family…'

Ember stuck her head in the room and took a double glance. "Alan?! Let's go! The Frosts could be back any time!" she cried.

"I'm coming, Ember." He picked up his backpack and swung it onto his back. He turned back to the watch. "Johnny, they found me."

"What the- Alex?!"

Alan sighed. "My name isn't Alex. It never was. It's Alan. Alan Shepard Tracy. Tell Gordo that he was right all along."

He heard Ember calling from out in the hallway. "Alan, hurry up! We've gotta go before they return!" Ember cried, helping her little brother out of the room and down the stairs, ignoring any cries Johnny made from the watch, and the curses from Alan as he put weight on his injured limb.

"How on earth did you get up here?" Ember asked, glancing at her younger brother, as they passed the living room. "I come down here to call the police –which I did, they'll be here soon- and you aren't where I left you! Do you have any idea how freaked out I was?! I thought they had taken you!"

"Sorry. There was just something I had to do," Alan whispered.

Jake let out a bark behind them. "I'm sorry, Jake, but you can't come with us," Ember cried. Jake let out a whine and watched his two favorite people disappear through the wheat fields.

Alan stole a glance behind him at the farmhouse before the wheat blocked his view. He would miss the place.

"You can't dwell on the past, Allie. It will only bring you down." Alan was amazed at the strength in his sister's voice. She should've been crying, but here she was.

Taking care of him and trying to be strong.

When you get caught in the rain

With nowhere to run

When you're distraught and in pain

Without anyone and you feel so far away

Alan looked up at the dark sky as rain began to fall. 'Well, that's irony for ya…'

His heart began to grow heavy with sorrow. Two people had been murdered because of him. Two innocent people dead because he was too scared to tell them about the letters he was getting.

Tears streaked his face and became lost among the tears falling from the heavens

That you just can't find your way home

You can get there alone

It's okay

What you say is…

Tears fell from Ember's eyes. She rested her head on Alan's as they made there way through the wheat fields. Her father's wheat fields.

She no longer thought of the Frosts as her real parents. The only thing they were real at was destroying lives.

The Forresters are…were her true parents. Alan Tracy is her true brother. She had missed the little guy when she went to live with the Forresters. He had forever been following her around when she had lived with the Tracys so, so long ago.

She had lived through being separated from the family she had come to love. From the brothers she had come to call her own. She could survive this.

I can make it through the rain

I can stand up once again

On my own and I know

That I'm strong enough to mend

They would mend, that much they knew.

But how long would it take?

How long would it take them to let their hearts to heal in wake of this crisis?

And every time I feel afraid

I hold tighter to my faith

And I live one more day

And I make it through the rain

Ember hugged her little brother tighter; just to make sure he was still there.

They broke through the fields of wheat about an hour later and frowned. Around them were open planes and beyond that was a group of trees in the far distance.

Ember swore. "It's going to take us all day to get there!"

"We can't let the Thunderbirds find us! If they do, we'll be taken to Tracy Island. We'll never find the Frosts then!" Alan muttered.

Ember looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe you should-"

Alan stopped and glared at his older sister. "You may be my sister in spirit and you may be older than me. You are not in charge of me. You can't make decisions for me. I am not going back to Tracy Island until we destroy this threat. I don't care if I die in the process. You are not going to face them alone."

And if you keep falling down

Don't you dare give in

You will arise safe and sound

Ember smiled. "I guess you're right. Oh, and until we destroy this threat, one way or the other, just call me "Katie". Once we finish our job, I will renounce my former name forever and shall forevermore be known as Ember. Ember Forrester."

"You'll always be Ember Forrester Tracy to me. If we get out of this, I'm going to make my father adopt you," Alan muttered, looking out at the horizon.

Katie smiled and kissed the top of Alan's head. "Thank you, little bro."

"Ugh!"

So keep pressing on steadfastly

And you'll find what you need to prevail

What you say is…

"If we hurry, we can make it to those trees by ten," Katie said as they continued walking.

She had slowed their pace when she noticed how heavily Alan was relying on his right leg.

Alan nodded, knowing why she was slowing. He was grateful. He wondered how much time had passed since they had left the farm. An hour, at least. He heard the Thunderbirds arriving in the distance. "We have to move faster! If they find us, it's all over!" he cried.

They heard a train whistle in the distance. A few seconds later, they pushed out of the tall grass and met a welcoming sight: Train tracks.

"Who wants to catch a train?" Katie asked with a smile as a slow moving freight train came towards them.

Alan smiled and they backed up into the tall grass, waiting for their chance to board the train.

I can make it through the rain

I can stand up once again

On my own and I know

That I'm strong enough to mend

As the train passed, they saw an open boxcar. The train was practically moving very slowly, probably coming to a stop somewhere up the way. It was now or never. They hurried to the car and helped each other on.

They moved away from the door and looked around. Around them were stacks of hay. Some of the hay had come loose from their bonds and were scattered across the floor. Katie helped Alan over to one of the loose stacks and had him sit down.

"Let me look at your ankle. And don't tell me 'no'. I'll do it anyway."

"What's the point in asking me, then?"

"Courtesy."

Alan let a small smile cross his face. "Go ahead. I'm not in the mood to argue." He took off his backpack and leaned back against it. He let out a cry as Katie removed his shoe and rolled up his jean cuffs. Though she was being careful, it still hurt like hell.

"Sorry," she murmured as she set the shoe aside. Looking at the ankle, she swore. The ankle was incredibly swollen and was blue and black in color. She ran her hands gently along the ankle, feeling for any sign of a break. Not finding one, she sighed and pulled her backpack off. She unzipped it and fished around in it, smiling once she found what she was looking for: Medical wrap. "This is really going to hurt."

Alan braced himself as Katie gently –well, as gently as she could be on a moving train- lifted his ankle and wrapped it. He bit back a cry of pain as the pressure her hand was giving his injury.

"Done. You know you're rather lucky that it's not broken. I'm sorry that I don't have any ice packs to reduce the swelling," she whispered, zipping up her backpack. She moved her pack under Alan's ankle and moved over next to him, sitting down and drawing her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes and turned away, facing away from him. She didn't want him to see her silent tears.

Alan turned his head to look at his sister's dark hair. He could see her shoulders shaking and knew she was crying. Ignoring the pain in his ankle, he spoke. "Kate, it's okay to cry," he whispered over the click-clacking of the train on the track. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Really. Go right ahead. You've earned it."

"No…I'm okay…" she whispered, though the sobs coming from her told otherwise.

"Like hell you are." Alan sat up. "Kate, look at me." He was ignored. "Kate…"

Katie sniffed but still didn't move.

Alan moved toward her and placed both hands on her shoulders, turning her towards him. He was startled by the scared kid look that showed on her face. But then again, she was just a kid. She had a right. He hugged her and let her cry on his shoulders. It was the least he could do as her cries became louder and her tears soaked his torn T-shirt.

And every time I feel afraid

I hold tighter to my faith

And I live one more day

And I make it through the rain

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep. He didn't even recall falling asleep. He found himself lying on his back in the hay. He attempted to sit up, only to find that he couldn't move. He lifted his head and found his sister's head resting between his shoulder and chest. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders. Her arms were drawn up to her chest; her eyes rimmed with red, as were her cheeks.

'We must've fallen asleep while she was crying…' he wondered briefly. He turned his face towards the open door and saw stars in the sky. His eyes widened. "Holy- Kate! Kate, wake up!" He began to shake her.

Katie's eyes slowly opened and she looked at Alan with confusion and bewilderment. "Allie? What the-" Seeing where she was, she jumped away in shock, her face bright red. "How the hell-?!"

"We fell asleep. But that's not the point! Look!"

Katie followed his gaze and stared in shock at the starry sky. "Oh, crap! Where the heck are we?!" she practically shouted, jumping to her feet.

"I'm supposed to know?!" Alan tried to stand only to have his injured ankle fall off the backpack and slam against the floorboards. He let out a yell as tears filled to his eyes. He let out a string of swear words that were only muffled by his sister's hand that quickly covered his mouth.

"Shh!" she chastised. The train wasn't moving. She could hear voices coming their way.

"I swear I heard something back here!"

"Go and check it out then, Larry! If it's a hobo, chase them off! We don't want any of those on our train!"

Alan and Katie's eyes widened as a shadow appeared in the doorway with a flashlight in hand. The light illuminated their frozen forms.

And when the wind blows

As shadows grow close

Don't be afraid

There's nothing you can't face

"Hey! Who the hell are you?! Get off this train!" the man behind the light shouted.

Alan tried to move again, but found that he couldn't. He glanced up at his sister.

Katie looked at the man. "We can't! He's hurt!" she cried, helping Alan sit up.

The man clambered in to get a better look. He shined the flashlight on the teen's ankle and let out a low whistle. "Holy… Man, kid, that's really swollen."

No, duh, Alan wanted to say, but thought better of it.

The man, Larry, shined the light in their faces and did a double take. "Hey! You're those two kids! Your faces are all over the news!"

Katie and Alan glanced at each other in horror. "You must be mistaking us for someone else. We'll just leave," Katie said, helping Alan stand and not letting him put any weight on his injured ankle.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You see, there's a reward for your whereabouts. It's being offered by not only Jeff Tracy but by International Rescue, too!" Larry said, blocking the exit and pulling out a cell phone. He started dialing. That's the last thing he remembered before something slammed into the back of his head.

And should they tell you

You'll never pull through

Don't hesitate

Stand tall and say I…

Katie stood behind the man with a large flashlight. She knew they had to act fast. She grabbed their bags and swung them over her shoulders. She then began walking with Alan to the closed door on the right. She pulled it open and helped him sit on the edge of the car and she jumped onto the ground. Once on the ground, she dropped the bags and helped her brother down. She muttered a curse. "You are going to have to start laying off the cheeseburgers, bro."

"What can I say? I'm a Tracy. Tracys love to eat!" Alan replied with a smirk.

"You know, I'm beginning to wish you didn't get your memory back. You were so much quieter without it!" Katie grumbled, helping him walk. Alan just smirked at her. They found themselves on the edge of a large train yard in the middle of a large city.

"Where are we?"

"You children are in the great city of Chicago. It is 3:00 a.m. and I am wondering what you are doing here."

Katie and Alan looked towards the source of the voice. They found a police officer glaring at them. Next to him was a large dog with its teeth bearing and a deep growl in its throat.

"Listen, sir, we just need a place to take shelter. My brother, here, is injured and we're both hungry. We know we shouldn't have climbed into the train, but it was the only way…"

"Enough chit-chat. You are coming downtown with me. You must be a couple of runaways and liars. There is no way you are related. A couple of lovebirds hoping to make a break for freedom from your parents, eh?"

Alan sighed, wanting to throttle the idiot. It didn't look like they were going to be getting away any time soon. "Sir, you are right about one thing: we are running away, but it's not for the reasons you think. First of all, we are adopted siblings. Second, have you heard of the murders down in Iowa?"

The policeman nodded. "The Forresters. It's all over the news. Are you confessing? "

"No, sir. Apparently they had two children, correct? And the children are missing."

Once more, the man nodded. Then he laughed. "You can't be serious. Wow, you're pathetic. I'll believe you when pigs fly."

"But we are!"

"Su-ure."

"Listen, mister. My parents were good people who were murdered by my real parents, the Frosts. Those damned bastards shot them in cold blood just because of who they had with them," Katie growled.

The man's eyes widened. "They never mentioned how they were killed in the news. But the FBI has been in contact with police stations all over America. We are supposed to be on the lookout for the kids. Apparently one of them is the main topic in an FBI cold case file."

Katie looked startled. "They reopened the case?"

"Yes. That's all over the news, too. Seems that the Tracy kid is still alive. Say, what are your names?"

Katie smiled. "Ember Forrester, formerly known as Katie Frost, and Alex Forrester, formally known as Alex Frost, and also known as Alan Tracy. We ran away because the Frosts killed our adopted parents."

"Still on that kick, huh? Well, I'm just gonna have to take you downtown." He pulled out a pair of handcuffs while the teens slowly backed away.

I can make it through the rain

I can stand up once again

Alan winced with each step he took, but he ignored the pain. There was no way in Hell he was going to go with this guy. Something wasn't right about him. For one thing, he was giving out information that he shouldn't be giving out.

The policeman grabbed Katie's arm and squeezed hard. Katie let out a cry and Alan saw red. He fell to the ground as Katie lost her grip on him. It was then that he did something he normally wouldn't do to a cop. He swung his good leg against the cop's legs, who then lost his balance and toppled over. Katie's arm was freed and she helped her brother up. "Run! Run!" she cried as they ran as fast they possibly could –which wasn't very fast.

The cop let out a yell. "Sic 'em, boy!" he yelled to the dog. The dog needed no further encouragement. He leaped over his master and chased the teens. As he neared their legs, he reached out his muzzle and snapped at them.

Katie let cry as the dog's sharp teeth came dangerously close to her leg. She kicked back at it, nailing it in the jaw.

The dog let a howl of pain and rage. It leaped at them, this time coming out victorious.

Alan let out a cry as the eighty-seven pound German shepherd brought him down. Katie was brought down with him and they lay on their stomachs with the dog's sharp teeth just centimeters away from the back of Alan's neck.

The cop let out a whistle. "Down, boy! Don't kill them!" The dog let out a growl and got off of the terrified teenagers. The cop walked over to them. "You two are lousy runners."

"Well, of course we are! My brother's hurt his ankle! I can't believe you would sic the dog on us! We're hurt, we're hungry, and we just want to find somewhere to stay!"

The cop was about to speak when something slammed into the back of his head. He fell to the ground, out cold. The dog prepared to attack the attacker when something slammed into its neck. Upon further inspection –had the teens had time- you would've found a tranquilizer dart.

The teens rolled onto their backs. Standing behind the police officer was a black teenager with dreadlocks. "Come with me. I know of somewhere safe. I can help your friend." He held out his hand and smiled at them. Seeing their disbelieving faces, he spoke again. "That is a bad cop. He does bad things to stowaways."

"What choice do we have?" Alan asked as he sat up. The pain in his ankle was now a white-hot burning pain. "Ah, dang it. I think it's broken."

The teen helped Katie pick up Alan and haul him to his feet. "Ya, I think it is. I'll take you to my mother. She's a doctor. She'll help you."

"Who are you? Why are you helping us?" Katie asked.

"Answers later. Your brother needs help now." Between the two of them, they carried the fallen Tracy to wherever the black teenager was taking them. They would just have to trust him.

On my own and I know

That I'm strong enough to mend

"Ah, home sweet home," the black teen said as they arrived outside of a rundown old apartment. Alan and Katie glanced at each other in astonishment. The boy led them inside and up the stairs. They stopped in front of beat up door with a number 6 on it. He knocked and slowly opened the door. "Mama, I brought people who need help!"

A woman, about the same size and shape of Katie -who must've once been very beautiful-, appeared out of one of the rooms. She walked over to them quickly. Her eyes widened when she took in the strangers. "Bring him over to the couch. Johnny, bring me my medical bag and a splint." They did as she said and the black teen disappeared. She placed a pillow under Alan's sweating head. "Poor dear. What happened to him?"

Katie kneeled down and took off the backpacks. "Rabbit hole."

Alan let out a small chuckle. "No…first it was…the bus…"

The woman's eyes widened. "You got hit by a bus?" she asked, astonished.

"No, ma'am. We jumped off of one," Katie whispered.

"Whatever for?!"

Katie began to tell her tale. She knew she could trust these people. She didn't know how she knew. She just did.

While she was talking, Johnny brought his mother her medical bag. The woman immediately got to work on the prone boy's vitals. It was about an hour later when both she and Katie were finished. Alan was now sporting a makeshift cast around his ankle. Turns out that it wasn't broken, just badly sprained.

"My name is Alyshia. I am a fully certified doctor that has fallen into bad times. I take care of people who can't pay for medical emergencies."

"Her dream is to open up a clinic, but we don't have the money yet. That's why I'm working two jobs," Johnny put in.

"Hush, child."

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, Mama."

Alyshia turned back to the two teenagers. "So now that I have heard your tale, I know who you are. We could turn you in and collect the reward money, but somehow I don't think that would be too fair. I see that you wish to avenge your parents' deaths, but that is the wrong path for one so young. That is what truly ruins lives. Would you be any better than these murderers if you take your own revenge?"

Katie thought about it for a minute before turning to her brother. Seeing that he had fallen asleep due to exhaustion and pain, she turned back to the people who had helped them. She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when Alyshia placed her hand over her mouth.

"No, child. It isn't for my ears to hear. It is your decision. Yours and your brother's. I cannot influence your choice, for that would be unfair of me. I trust that you will make the right decision. Now rest. You've had a long day." Alyshia got up and helped Katie stand. "Would you like to stay with your brother or stay in one of our spare rooms?"

"With my brother. We…we both still have nightmares…"

Alyshia nodded. "Very well. Johnny, bring a couple pillows and two blankets. And then you head to bed yourself. You were up late, too."

"Yes, Mama." Johnny disappeared into a room and returned a couple minutes later with the necessary items. He handed them to Katie, said good night, and disappeared into what Katie presumed to be his room.

Katie placed a blanket over Alan and placed her own pillows on the carpeted floor. She lay down and wrapped the blanket around her. She didn't even remember closing her eyes.

Nor did she hear Alyshia singing softly, "And every time you feel afraid, hold tighter to your faith. And live one more day and you'll make it through the rain."

"You can make it through the rain and live one more day, and you, you can make it through the rain. Oh yes, you can. You're gonna make it. Through the rain…"

Wow! Finally finished with part 7! Through the Rain does not belong to me. Just wait for part 8! Will I bring in the Tracys again? Or will it be another Alan/Katie centered part?

Either way, the Apologize Saga is almost COMPLETE! I bet you're all dying to know what happens!

I know you hate me for what happened to Allison and Nick. I was sad to see them go… How about you guys? Don't y'all hate the Frosts? I know I do.

Part 8 will be coming to you soon! Don't ask me when, cause then I'll punish you and never get it done! Lol.

REVIEW!

Please?

Oh, and the bit with Ember in the beginning? You'll find out more about that soon. And it centers around Jeff Tracy.

Tah-Tah for now!!!!

Fenix