Starring:
Date: March 30th, 2010
Summary:
Tracy picks KeLyssa up from one safehouse to move to another.
"Safety in Likeness"
???
When she got the call from Cody — "Strauss, get over here and pick up Gallagher before I kill her." — the only thing she knew to expect was nothing good. Far be it for Cody to tell Tracy who on earth Gallagher is and why she wanted to kill her.
As it turns out, the damp-haired, blonde advisor to Senator Petrelli is escorting a vaguely familiar face; of course, Tracy had darker hair and went by another name back then, and never gave KeLyssa time of day enough to even remember her correct name. How times have changed. Her arm is about the young woman since she's not entirely sure how hurt she is or in what state of mind as the spring air hits them outside. Moving away from the top secret warehouse of Cody, Erin, and their refugees — or is that prisoners? — Tracy gives the building a glare as she leads KeLyssa out.
There is, as it happens, no car waiting. "I guess we know now why you meant missing," Tracy mumbles, not especially impressed with the nature of this pickup. "I hope you feel like walking."
Having had remained in Cody's somewhat tight neck-hair-lock until Tracy arrived, KeLyssa can't help but keep rubbing her neck, whether consciously or unconsciously, while she and Tracy start their trek away from the warehouse. She doesn't dare look back, she's as angry as it. She might lose it if she ever looks upon the building again. "I kint stay n'the same buildin' as tha' horr'ble, HORR'BLE wom'n." Her speech seems to have gotten even worse in her anger, as if she's reverting to WAY back before she came up to New York. "I'd be 'appy ifin I ain't ne'er gonna see tha' woman 'gain!" She glares up at Tracy, though her anger isn't directly placed on her. "An' why she call ya Strauss? Ain'tcha name Johnson? Linda Johnson?" She glares around them once more. "Ya ain't got no car?" She lets out a huge sigh. "Fine. I'm supposin' I ain't got no choice but ta be walkin' none." She mutters. "Not like the damn col's gonna make me cold none…leastways no' 'less tha' li'l whatever i' was she pumped me with wears off soon." Is muttered, her continually rubbing her neck. "DAMN near strangled me, she did! Couldn' breath fer a few seconds!"
KeLyssa may not dare look back, but Tracy finds herself sending yet another glance at the warehouse they left, angry as it is wary. It turns to surprise as she suddenly turns her head to the younger woman, studying her intently. "She tried to strangle you? Why?" She lets go as KeLyssa seems fine enough to walk, but keeps an eye on her. "And my name is Tracy," she informs KeLyssa. It's not so much a correction; it's is sharing a fact. Time for honesty. "I was working under the radar. I guess you could say I've been in… hiding," she says the last word with a strong distaste on her tongue for it. "…longer than you."
There may be no car waiting right here, but Tracy has no plans on making either of them walk all the way to her unannounced destination of New Jersey. "There's a car waiting a few blocks from here."
It's a moment before KeLyssa responds to Tracy, still fuming greatly in anger. "Why? WHY? She said I had ta calm down some. How could I calm down? HOW? I was under the same roof as someone who put me inta the AP. Don' matter much if she helped get me out none. She caused some harsh damage. She pretended ta be hurt an' tortured an' unconscious, sittin' in a chair next ta me, while her partner caused me psychological damage! Fear! When they'd captured me, I'd gots an intense phobia o' pain. Seein' wha' I thought'd been done ta Cody, an' what her partner threatened ta do ta me an' ta Cody…I darned nearly died o' fright! An' then I gots ta stay under the same room? All cooped up, too, after the Protocol had me cooped up? After I was cooped up in bed 'cause havin' a lack o' my ability caused m'body temperature that skyrocket outta wack ta the point I was delirious an' sweatin' profusely, them changin' ice an' other cold things on me CONSTANTLY? Nah." She shakes her head angrily, continuing her rant. "Nah, ain't no way I wanted ta stay there!" She merely nods in response to Tracy giving her name and mentioning a car.
As much as she watches KeLyssa, Tracy watches the streets more, a watchful eye on the lookout for anything, or anyone, out of place… and for harder-to-spot danger that blends in to the crowds. Any sign of the Protocol. They're way too out in the open but she doesn't have much of a choice.
Despite that, she comes to a complete halt and grabs KeLyssa's arm, turning to face her. "Hey," she says adamantly, a single word that expressly orders listen to me. "I get it. Believe me, I get it." More than she says, in fact. The hints dropping here and there about Ms. Gallagher's ability have her studying the woman even more; she has to wonder. But there are more important things at the moment. "You're safe now, no one is— going to keep you captive anymore. Where we're going, there're no agents. No… Cody," she says, brows raised, shaking her head. "You'll be safe. You'll be with like-minded people and… familiar faces."
Blue eyes flash in anger, only for a second, at Tracy as she grabs KeLyssa's arm. Cody had grabbed her arm, before wrapping that God-awful hair around KeLyssa's poor neck, the memory still fresh in Lyssa's mind. As she stops and listens to Tracy, something she's much more willing to do, in all honesty, than to Cody. "Good, I ain't gonna stick 'round ifin yer gonna keep me locked up in yer li'l 'safehouse', like they 'tempted ta do at this here one 'round here." She responds. She lets out a little laugh, though it's pretty humourless. "Hah. Ya, next thing yer gonna be tellin' me is tha' every single person I know well with an ability's gonna be stayin' at this place we're goin'." With a roll of her eyes, she says, "So, where's this here car ya were talkin' 'bout?"
"Should be just around the corner," Tracy states as begins to walk along once more along, her pace brisk, taking long strides. "Maybe … not everyone you know. But Nathan— is at the safehouse," she points out, glancing to KeLyssa to gauge how much of a surprise that is.
Just as she said, there is a car parked and waiting around the corner. It is not, however, a taxi, nor is it a car she owns or even rented — it's a sleek, black town car, with a driver hired for the day for more money than any fugitive should conceivably be spending. "…It was this or a motorcycle," Tracy explains. Sort of. "The second we get in that car we're, the driver will take us to New Jersey without asking any questions. Don't say a word about abilities or … anything else until we're there."
KeLyssa snorts. "Petrelli? Least he got outta there. I'd hate ta think tha' when this's all o'er I'd be outta a job." She says, not seeming surprised in the least. More…nonchalant. As if she doesn't really care one way or another. "We're goin' to New Jersey?" Not that surprises her. "Who in the hell'd wanna have anythin' in New Jersey?" She asks of Tracy, eyeing the woman as the reach the car. "Oh sure. Not even a li'l ol' peep o' anythin' that's goin' on. I kin pretend. After all, I pretended an' acted when workin' at Petrelli's office." She clears her throat and, in a more 'Northern America' voice, says, "Good day, Senator Petrelli's office. How may I direct your call today? Of course sir and or ma'am. Let me see if they are currently available to receive your call." She snorts again. "Ain't how I like ta do things, but I suppose it's pretty well needed, ain't it?"
Tracy actually smiles for a moment at KeLyssa. Scarce and mild as it is, she is amused but, more than that, knowing. She knows all about pretending. "That's the point," she says of Jersey. "Hiding in plain sight only works for so long." So when in doubt— hide in New Jersey, evidently. Approaching the car, she raps her knuckles on the window to one of the back seats. The doors unlock. "I'm not going to tell you where you're going is… a happy family, but it's… what I can offer," she says matter-of-factly with a shake of her head. "It's safe, and… it's temporary." That, she says with conviction. She opens the door for KeLyssa.
KeLyssa gives another humourless chuckle as the approach the door. "I ain't exactly from the happiest o' families ta b'gin with." She responds to Tracy. "I ain't gonna hold ya ta m'family's standards, though." She says, voice maybe dripping a little with sarcasm. "I don' mind ifin it's only temporary. Anythin' ta get outta that place." She says in reference to the other safehouse. When the door is unlocked and opened, she scoots herself in, making room for Tracy to come in through the same door.
" --I meant it's only temporary because this-- " Tracy starts as she slides into the dark interior of the car, shutting the door a moment later. " — everything that's happening to … us…" People like them. People with abilities. Now inside the car, she becomes a little more vague. "It's not gonna go on for the rest of our lives. One way or another it's gonna come crashing down."
The car, destination already known, slides away from the curb and starts the journey out of the city.
KeLyssa watches the scenery out the window as the car drives them to their destination. "Oh, I know it ain't gonna last forever none, I'm gonna wanna see ta that, make sure o' it." She tries to keep from going into deeper detail however. "I need ta git m'self a new wardrobe, so in the next few days I'm gonna head out an' do a li'l shopin' some." It's not so much a request as it is a matter-of-fact. She's going to do it one way or another. Though she doesn't say how she plans to get the money to do so.
Tracy gives the younger blonde a solid, accepting nod. She has no plans of keeping KeLyssa locked away, per se, but any talk of very real safety precautions — or, for that matter, money — will have to wait. She's silent now, making zero use of her conversationalist skills. Instead, she folds her hands on her lap atop the dark fabric of her pants and gaze moves to her own window and the city whizzing by although the scenery en route to New Jersey isn't really on her mind.
Keeping in turn with the silence, KeLyssa keeps watch of the scenery as they drive to…wherever it is that they're going. She's fine with silence. She's fine with stewing in her own thoughts. She's got plenty to think about, regardless.