We're Going To Need Help

Participants:

colette_icon.gif kaylee2_icon.gif robin_icon.gif

Scene Title We're Going To Need Help
Synopsis The Ferrymen discover Joseph Sumter's absence, and they're not going to let the actions of the past be repeated again.
Date December 12, 2009

Grand Central Terminal


It's been a handful of days since Kaylee had last been to Grand Central and given Robin a letter to give Joseph asking his help on her little project, since she was still to embarrassed to do so herself. No phonecall came from it. Kaylee realized this while out with Colette, having drug the teenager to lunch to discuss her ideas. Kaylee's treat, of course. So.. it was concluded that they should march down to Grand Central and lay in wait for the man himself and find out what the deal was.

So that's were they currently doing, coming out of one of the tunnels talking softly. "I'm pretty happy with the help I got from Robin. Everything will be done right here." The crunch of her boots on the floor, echo slightly around them. "Seemed like the right place.. It's got storage places galore, can keep the kids in the dark till it's time. The my stuff they didn't use to furnish the place, it's stored away here.. since I'm not exactly employed right now." She gives the teen next to her a lop-sided smile, shrugging her shoulder like it's no big deal.

"Hopefully, we can find out what the deal is though.. I thought for sure, Joseph would be all over this…" The blonde telepath frowns a bit, truly uncertain why the good Pastor would pass it up… or at least call her and tell her no. Didn't seem like him. "Maybe Robin will know something."

"Yeah! This place is actually pretty cool, an' it's not too far from where I've been staying lately…" The sound of Kaylee's footsteps is accompanied by the clomping bootfalls of the teenager following beside her. Colette's voice is less subtle, more like a vocal brick to the side of the head as she winds her way through the abandoned subway tunnels. The pair eventually empty out from the danger-orange lit tunnel and into one of the subway platforms, winding their way past storage crates covered with blue tarps and small tents pitched alongside the rails on palette floors.

"He hasn't been around the couple of times I came by though." Wrinkling her nose, Colette comes into view first, walking backwards with her hands folded behind her head, facing Kaylee. Her black denim jacket is cut short and dusted with concrete powder from their journey down underground, the same with tight fitting pants of matching fabric, cuffs rolled up to reveal yellow-laced black leather boots. "Alicia's here though, so…" She chews on her lower lip pensively.

"He's probably just hiding from me…" Colette admits with a wrinkle of her nose, nearly tripping on one of the rails, stumbling backwards with a yelp, then catching her footing with a crunch in the gravel beside the tracks.

Robin has paint out and is sort of working on the mural, though he isn't painting much. He's sitting cross-legged on the floor, his brow furrowed in thought when the girls arrive. "Whoa, got to be careful, you okay?" He unwinds and stands, putting the paintbrush down and dusting off his hands. Catching sight of Kaylee, he waves. "Hi Kaylee, and Kaylee's friend." Hearing Jo's dog's name, his natural smile fades into a small worried frown. "Are you talking about Joseph?"

"Why would he be hiding from you?" There is amusement lacing the young woman's voice as she studies the teen, with tired blue eyes. "What did you do to think that?" If there is anyone Joseph should be hiding from it's Kaylee, if her nightmares say anything.

When Colette stumbles, gloved hands move quickly to grab Colette's arm to hopefully keep her from going down, "Watch your step, girlie. Last think you need is a broken leg." Kaylee states with a soft chuckle. "Robin!" Kaylee's greeting to the safehouse operator is bright. When she realizes he doesn't know Colette, she helps the girl straighten and turn towards the man. "This is Colette.. Friend of Joseph and mine."

"But, yeah we're talking about him. Is he around? I never got a call, I figured I'd find out why…" Kaylee smirks slightly, reaching up to tug her beanie off her head and comb fingers through wind tangled hair. "Maybe beg his help if need be."

Glaring as she looks down at the track like it said something crude to her, Colette furrows her brows and softens her expression when she looks up at Robin. The Grand Central Terminal operator happens to be the perfect distraction so Colette doesn't have to answer Kaylee's question, which is just a marvelous development in her mind. "Oh ah— t-thanks." There's a squint of green eyes as she considers the dark-haired man, one finger wagging slightly in the air as she postulates, "You're— Neil right?" No, Colette, not Neil. "Yeah Kaylee an' I wanted to grab him for something, but he hasn't been 'round for a couple days…" There's an edge of nervousness in her tone as she starts clearing the distance between herself and the mural Robin was working on, thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her jeans as she walks.

There's silent scrutiny when she climbs up the narrow steps on to the subway platform, giving the mural an askance look with a quirk of her head to the side and one brow raised, lips slowly curling up in an expression of amusement. She doesn't comment, really, she's bombarded him with enough for now, but it's clear that the unfinished piece of artwork has a portion of her attention.

Normally pretty cheerful, Robin's smile is a pale imitation of his standard expression when he responds to Colette. "No, no. I'm Robin, Neil's out right now, but it's good to meet you." As Colette seems distracted with the mural, he turns his attention to Kaylee. "I was looking to beg Jo's help too, and then just plain looking. I haven't seen him in days, and Alicia was out of food and water when I checked on her yesterday." No matter what Joseph's schedule, his dog is not something he neglects.

Kaylee watches Colette curiously, frowning a bit. What could possibly be bothering the girl… of course, the telepath isn't so rude as to go looking for the answer herself. Of course, any prying would have to wait in light of Robin's words, which she almost misses. "Wait.. What?" Did she hear that right? Kaylee's brows drop low with concern. "He…. hasn't fed Alicia?" That does not compute right away, she slowly looks over at Colette as she says. "So… he's not been home? Normally when he goes out, doesn't he ask someone to feed his dog?"

"Colette?" She calls the girl back, before looking at Robin, "He didn't tell anyone where he was going?" The knot of worry is already knotting at her stomach. This.. wasn't good.

Robin's last comment entirely draws Colette's attention away from the mural. The look on the teenager's face is one of too-quick worry, green eyes darting around the subway terminal as teeth toy at her lower lip. "He didn't— " her answer to Kaylee's question hitches in the back of her throat. "He'd never leave Alicia." She's turning now, sharply, scuffing footsteps moving over to Robin, looking up at him with dark brows furrowed together. She looks calm enough, if not a bit worried, but the way her hands are so white-knuckled curled into fists at her sides are one tell that inside nothing's quite working the way it should.

"When'd you see him last!?" She advances a quick step "What'd he say to you!?" Another step without even a pause between questions. "Has anyone been down here!?" She's practically in Robin's face now, were it not for their significant height disparity. "Did he say anything weird!? Was he upset!?" It might seem like she's mad, were it not for the fact of the glassy quality of her eyes and the way she's struggling to keep her jaw from trembling.

Holding up both hands to try and calm Colette, "Whoa, just… one at a time, okay?" He runs a hand through his hair, understanding her worry all too well. "I saw him maybe… six days ago, he didn't say anything in particular, nothing about him taking off for a bit and he didn't ask me to feed the dog." Shrugging helplessly, he continues, "He didn't seem upset about anything, but he can be hard to read, you know?"

When the teen advances on Colette, Kaylee moves quickly to place a hand on the teens shoulder and try to pull her back gently and give Robin breathing room, "Don't go ballistic on Robin." She chides gently, trying not to let her worry show, even though it's clawing at her stomach. If Colette continues to try and get in the safe house operators face, an arm across the chest will replace the hand, then the teen would feel a slight trembling of contained emotions in that arm.

Head turning back to Robin, Kaylee asks "Has anyone unusual been hang around any of the entrances to the safehouse?" Her jaw clenches at a sudden thought, grip on the teenager tightening ever so slightly. There is a moment before Kaylee is sure that her voice isn't going to crack. She turns a worried look to Colette, "Has there been any increase in Humanis First activity? Did Danko get free?" Her voice does catch with worry at that last part. If he had…. Oh god.

Recoiling when Robin makes that placating gesture and coming into Kaylee's grip at her shoulder, Colette hunches them both up and looks away sharply, eyes halfway lidded. "Six?" She regards Robin thorugh the dark fringe of her lashes, then turns to offer Kaylee her profile, teeth worrying at her lower lip. "Danko's in jail," she says emphatically, J— Joseph told me so. He— it's not him." She absolutely refuses to admit to anything else out of childish stubbornness. "He wouldn't leave Alicia, he wouldn't he wouldn't." Green eyes dart around the subway station and Colette pulls away from Kaylee, stomping several paces away, pale fingers raking through ink-black hair.

She doesn't say anything, just comes to a stop ten or so feet away with her back to Kaylee and Robin, fingers in her hair and posture tense like she's surrounded by spiders and snakes. Kaylee can tell there's a taut rubber band of panic winding up inside of her, and that ever-present psychic loudness that Colette's over-active mind booms out is practically screaming.

Robin rubs his hand over his jaw, feeling almost guilty when Colette says 'six' in that manner. "It's been a long time, I know, but he doesn't always stay here, and I'm not here 24/7 myself." He tries to shake off the guilt, but it's only replaced by worry. He takes a step toward Kaylee, "There haven't been any reports of anything strange going on at the entrances or around the terminal at all. I checked the reports for the past two weeks and nothing was out of order. If he was… If he was taken, I doubt it was from here. Which just makes it harder to try and track him down."

"I know Danko was… but I haven't been keeping up with the news. I helped Joseph and Eileen snag him." Kaylee lets go of the girl, wrapping arms around her waist. "But I agree with Colette… yeah, he loves that dog…. I — just.." Her head is a buzz with her thoughts and anything the young girl is tossing at her loudly. Finally though….

COLETTE

Kaylee's mental voice is sharp and loud in the teen's head meant to shock the girl out of whatever spiraling panic she's doing, much like one would slap a panicking person into sense. It's winding Kaylee up just as tight as she is. In fact, when Kaylee speaks again, her tone is breathless from it all. "Please…. " She gives Colette an apologetic look, ".. calm thoughts for the moment. So I can think" Before the telepath's mind slides out of her's again, the teenager hears a whisper of, //Please God, let him be okay. I never got a chance to try….. // Then it's too faint hear and she's gone.

The word 'taken' catch in Kaylee's brain and she looks at Robin. "Shit… If not Humanis or Danko… who in hell would take him?" Now she finally lets the worry show. "And why?" She can't fathom why someone would take him.

"We have to find him."

Shrinking back like a dog that has a rolled up newspaper swat across its nose, Colette jerks around and looks wide-eyed at Kaylee. Teeth press down firmly on her lower lip, green eyes stay wide, and she's silent for a time. Noisily swallowing, she wipes one pale hand across her eyes, fingers pinching at the bridge of her nose as she tries to drag herself back into a semblance of control. Blinking repeatedly, she looks down squarely at her feet and murmurs, "S— sorry…"

This should be a time for cool, level-headed planning, but she's struggling to keep herself under control. Turning around again, Colette exhales a slow, shuddering breath to try and calm herself and begins pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. Her thoughts wander, jumping thorugh a litany of names like some sort of mental rolodex; Gabriel, Eileen, Raith, Flint, Cardinal, Nicole, Dad, Tamara— Then her thoughts hitch on a name at the end, Matilda.

Robin's thoughts are probably nowhere near as loud as Colette's are but they're full of worry and no small amount of guilt - Should've been around more… checked on him more often. Not that the thoughts make much sense; Joseph doesn't need a keeper. At least he didn't. At this point when he's found he may get a few whether he wants them or not.

"I agree, we need to find him, but I can't think of anyone who'd have a reason to take him and keep it quiet like this." Robin takes a seat on one of the many crates that are scattered through the area. "We'll need help."

"No.. " The telepath sighs heavily, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that…" It's her turn to lift hands in a placating manner as she tries to keep her own thoughts calm, she's trying not to think certain things to keep her own panic from getting worse. "I just…" How does she explain it?

"Matilda?" Kaylee's head snaps around to look at Colette, eyes narrowing as that name is caught on her radar. "You know her? She's a girl, why…..?" Seems like everyone knows someone somehow in someway…. Seriously…

"Robin?" Kaylee starts, his thoughts mellowing out her panic some with concern, pulling her away from the other one's thoughts. "Hey.. " Boots scrap softly as she moves to sit next to him, leaning over to bump a shoulder against his arm. "… you can't be his keeper. Just like me and Colette can't keep an eye on him all the time. I think he'd feel smothered.. and that's the last thing I'd want to do." She reason's softly, her tone taking on a touch of amusement as she tries to ease her tension. Her eyes wander back to the thinner form of Colette, and she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Who can we ask to help? I know we should tell the network to keep an eye out."

"Nei— er," No, Colette. "Robin, Kaylee's right… We— We can't beat ourselves up over it. You're right too," Green eyes dart to Kaylee sharply from the safehouse operator, "we're going to need help." Colette shifts her posture, arms folded across her chest and head bowed, walking back towards the pair. "Even if we're just— freaking out over nothing, we need to know. Matilda's not just— " She squints and looks up at Kaylee. "She's a girl who lives at the Lighthouse orphanage on Staten Island, I work there sometimes. She's the one who helped me tr— " track down Danko and hold him at gunpoint. But only Kaylee hears that echo of a thought, words withheld from speech. "She helped me do some stuff, she's got this weird like, psychic projection ability or something, she can find anyone if you know their name and something about them." Looking over to Robin, Colette's brows furrow, and after getting that fit of panic out of her system, she seems more like business now.

"I'd say we should go to my dad, but— there's too many questions we'd have to answer. So, so we're going to have to see if Matilda will help us. If— " she hates to even consider it. "If Joseph's really in danger, Brian— the guy who runs the Lighthouse— might be willing to help out. I know a lot of people on the island that I might be able to grab together. I— I'm not going to just— " she shakes her head. "I'm not failing Joseph this time." Green eyes flick from Robin to Kaylee and back again. "We're not letting something bad happen to him again."

With as low-key as Kaylee can be about her telepathy, Robin is almost startled by her catching his thoughts. He bumps her shoulder back lightly, even managing a faint smile. "Thanks. You're right, both of you. He'd hate having someone following him around all the time… and right now we need as many people as we can get looking for him." Calmer now as well, he latches on to the idea of this Matilda person. "What exactly would Matilda need to know about Joseph to find him?" Nodding to Kaylee, "You probably know the most about him, right?"

"Oh.. really?" That revelation clears up a few things about the little girl in question."I saw her yesterday. She's — not at the lighthouse anymore." Kaylee offers up reluctantly, her hope fizzling a bit. Brows lowering as she turns thoughtful trying to remember the other day. "She was at Summer Meadow wandering around.. her mind was on her freedom. She kept on about someone being back and looking for a woman names Hokuto." She shakes her head slowly. "So she's not gonna be found there."

"So… chances are.. our one hope to find him.. is to find her.. Oh great." There is no hiding the sarcasm in that. Running fingers through her hair, tucking the loose locks behind her head, Kaylee looks at them both, something in her voice. It's soft with worry, "No.. we're not going to let something bad happen to him." That much she's determined about, she suddenly wants that chance to try those other things people keep telling her, to get his attention. Amazing how the little things will change your priorities. "He's been through enough shit. If I could just…." Her head lowers and her hands grip the sides of her head as she tries to think back on the conversation with Matilda.

"His name should work, that's all I needed when— "Colette's head jerks to turns ot Kaylee. "Wh— what do you mean she's not there anymore? Does— " One hand comes up to cover her face as a groan of frustration comes through her. "Christ, we don't have time for this. I— I saw him on tuesday. He could've…" a hissed curse is shot out under Colette's breath as her hand rakes up through her messy hair, returning to pacing back and forth as she does.

"Alright I can go look at Summer Meadows, see if anyone's seen her there." Dark brows furrow again as Colette tries to figure out some sort've game plan. "I— don't know anyone else who can help find out where anyone is." Colette's eyes drift up to Kaylee, then to Robin. "Do either of you know Brian Fulk? I can't be in two places at once to look around the meadows and go talk to him," she cracks a smile, "but he probably won't be too happy if just anyone goes and asks him to, uh, you know— ask for him to be all James Bond about stuff." A hopeful look is shot between the two. "Or, you know, if either of you know anyone else who might be able to help out."

"If she was at the lighthouse, maybe she'll go back there. Or told someone there where she would be." Robin pats Kaylee's back, "Try not to stress. Well, stress more." Not stressing is impossible for all of them on some level. "Brian… I don't think I've met him." He looks up at Colette, "I can't think of anyone who can help off the top of my head, Kaylee? What about you?"

Nodding, Kaylee's head comes up expression pained, "Yeah.. better that it's you. She freaked out when she found out I was a telepath. I guess before the lighthouse she lived with one." Kaylee's tone is subdued as she straightens. "I can't think of anything off the top of my head that would tell me where she might be.. But I remember she thinking she'd never go back." Her head turns a bit, to sort of look at Robin. "Trying not to stress too much," Kaylee assure him, before giving Colette her full attention.

"I — ah… got a thing tonight, but yeah.. I know Brian. Knew him from my time with Adam… Course found out he was using me then.. but yeah.. I know him." A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "So I can try and talk to him. I need to go get the Santa Letter's from the Lighthouse anyhow. As for help… when it gets down to it.. I might be able to get Doyle in on it.. Not sure about the others at McRae's. I haven't seen hide nor hair of any of the others that come to mind."

Her eyes narrow a bit and Kaylee murmurs, "What about Deckard? We know how to get a hold of him.. don't have time to wait for him to show up here or at his safe house."

Slapping her fist into her palm, Colette offers a toothy smile. "Eric!" There's an affirmed nod from Colette, brows scrunched and nose wrinkled. "Alright, we can do this! Kaylee, head down to Staten Island and see if you can get Brian's help, and if he's worried about Matilda let him know that I'm looking for her." There's a gruff snort from the teem as she looks over to Robin, nodding her head curtly.

"I know you've already got a lot of responsibilities as an Operator, but if you can spread word through the network that Joseph's gone missing, and anyone who's seen him to send word. Anyone who might know anything or be able to help— " there's a weak smile offered to Robin at that, "it'll be more help than any of us can do."

Rolling her tongue across the inside of her cheek, Colette rests her hands on her hips. "I'll head out to Summer Meadows and look for Matilda." One of her hands slips into the back pocket of her jeans, withdrawing a cell phone and flipping it open. "These things might not be secure without that Wireless chick around, but it's better than nothing. Robin, give me your number so we can keep in touch."

Robin has to smile at the way Colette is ordering the troops, as it were. He reels off his number and takes out his own phone so he can get her number. "I can put the word out, most here know Joseph so they'll be willing to search and spread the word to keep an eye out for him." He stands and taps his phone against his palm, "It's a solid plan; we'll find him." It's not clear if he's trying to reassure the girls or himself. Probably all of them.

"If anything.." She starts slowly, ".. if he is okay and all.. He'll know people are worried about him." Kaylee's bland tone says she doesn't believe he's just waylaid. "But yeah, I'll go talk to Brian before I gotta go meet some people." Slapping hands on her legs, she pushes to her feet, and sighs. "Okay… we've got a plan." Kaylee points to Colette. "Keep me informed… Like I said. I have people to meet tonight. But if you have no luck tonight.. I'll join your in searching tomorrow."

"We can do this.." Kaylee states is firmly as more of a pep talk to herself, then for the others. Closing the distance between her and Colette, Kaylee reaches out to grip the girl's arms with her hands, her head turning to the side, just before she hears the telepath's thoughts. Not gonna let anything happen to him. I — like him, Colette… I want him safe. There is something in her mental tone, especially when she uses the word 'like'. When she continues she add, "As soon as you find her, contact me. You need help.. Contact me. Okay?"

Kaylee's words strike Colette in a particularly unique way, brows furrowed and then eyes wide. There's a look on her face, midly conflicted. Like Like? Echoes in her head in only the way it can from a teenager. But it's ont really a question she wants tp pose to Kaylee, but just her generally poor ability to hide away from telepaths. Swallowing back a distraught expression at the reassurance and how conflicted it makes her feel, Colette blinks away the emotion in her eyes and hides her anxiety and fear behind a smile that does nothing to fool Kaylee's more honed senses. "Alright," she whispers, then repeats with more conviction. "Alright."

Looking past Kaylee to Robin, Colette offers a somewhat more earnest smile. "Hopefully, when I get out of here…" the smile turns into a smirk, "we'll find out Joseph's piss drunk with Flint and he's just sleeping it off, we'll laugh about this awkwardly…"

Colette rolls her shoulders and hangs her head, "…and this'll just all blow over."

Standing and walking over to the mural, Robin traces one of the seahorses that Jo painted. He manages a grin as he turns to look at the other two. "If he's okay, and knows people are worried about him he'll definitely check in. That's just how he is." The grin quirks a little bigger, "And if he's drunk with Flint then he'll be embarrassed and want to make it up to us." Nodding toward one of the cardboard boxes that is set in an out of the way corner, Robin continues. "I vote we make him do the gift wrapping." It's a weak joke, but he's still too worried to really be able to tease about this.

Yeah.. Is all Kaylee says to confirm Colette's suspicions. ..like like. There is actual amusement to her mental tone at using that. Her smile falls a bit and her head tilts a bit studying the younger woman. Not… that he knows. He deserves a good person. That is stated firmly, before she lets her hands fall away from the teen, feeling a bit uneasy for some reason. Kaylee has never had muc of an opinion of herself.

She can't help but grin, back at Robin. "If he's piss drunk with Flint, I'll have to get on him about that.. He told me he doesn't drink anymore." But as soon as it's there, Kaylee's grin falls away. "Okay.. I better get going if I'm gonna get anything done before tonight." She hold her hand in the universal sign of a phone. "Call me!" She gives each a significant look before she starts to move away.

One hand rubs across Colette's forehead, green eyes drifting from Kaylee's retreating form to Robin. There's a silent uncertainty in that lingering smile she offers the Ferrymen Operator. "Get the word out…" She says with a nod as she starts to move, heading to the edge of the train platform and jumping down to the gravel beside the tracks with a crunch. The teen looks back over her shoulder, to the mural and to Robin, then simply nods her head sharply and heads down the opposite direction from Kaylee along the tracks, and as the girl runs her exterior seems to peel away like stripped layers of paint, revealing nothing but empty air within. With a haze of distorted light and a ripple, she disappears from sight, save for the crunching sounds of hustling footfalls.

Joseph… We're coming.


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