All The Time Lost

Elizabeth didn't even like Mary.

Sure, when she had been twelve years old and desperate for a mother, the nice, pretty teacher had looked like a miracle. It all crashed down the second she hooked up with their father. The second she had the man, she couldn't be bothered to look her way anymore. Dad didn't like to bring her over but the teacher invited herself whenever she could and always looked annoyed by the twins' presence.

And yet, despite how clear it was that her father didn't like Mary, Lizzy had been desperate for it to work. It didn't even have to last but she desperately needed to see her father be in a relationship. Get over the monster that had given birth to her.

So she insisted. The more she learned about the teacher and the less she liked her but at least she hadn't murdered anyone.

Lizzy didn't get her brother. They were close and dearly loved each other, but she couldn't understand his need to reach out to June. Just receiving letters from her deeply shamed the little girl, she couldn't imagine opening them, much less responding.

Julian looked like their father, he was tall and handsome and had the kind of countenance that attracted people.

She was short and despite the effort his father's genes had made to colour her, her features all came from her maternal side.

Lizzy would never forget the first time she fell in love. She was eight and Taylor was the cutest boy she had ever spoken to. She was young and naive. Her father had tried to protect her innocence as much as possible and she didn't know anything. That's why she was so shocked when Taylor pushed her down and mocked her confession, asking if she would kill him for refusing like her mom had done. She had been shocked and vexed but she hadn't dared ask Pa or Ma. They hated talking about June. But the dam was broken.

After the first boy spoke, the rumors never quieted down. They started bullying her and her hatred for the mother she didn't even know festered. She was barely eight.

By the time dad sat them down to explain a bit about the truth. Lizzy already knew everything. She never shared it with her twin to protect him but she knew. Nobody had protected her.

Middle school was bad. Junior high was worse.

She gritted her teeth through everything and though Julian beat up everyone who dared to mess with his sister, it didn't stop. The physical assaults lessened, but the psychological harassment became routine. When someone brought her mother's mugshot to school, Lizzy thought about dying for the first time. She looked exactly like her.

Her father Realized something was wrong and he tried his best to help. She changed school, went to therapy, took time off from school. But no matter what she did, the truth always found her, she couldn't escape the sin of being her mother's daughter. She looked so much like her that she had to have inherited the craziness too. Don't approach Lizzy Oswald or you may end up dead.

There was even this tradition of leaving matches and lighters into her locker.

She loathed her mother for existing and loathed her even more for bringing her into this cruel world.

—

« Try this, » Bea grinned down at her as she put a tall glass in front of her. « Pumpkin spices. To welcome autumn. »

« It's great, » June took another sip and sighed in delight at the comforting warmth.

« It's the only nice thing about this damned season. »

« I'm pretty sure you can pull off the autumn girl look, » June patted her hand gently.

« I do, » Bea sighed. « But I'm a summer girl to the core. »

« Come over and we'll grill marshmallows with Old Joe to warm you up. »

« He's still sulking ? »

« You wiped him dry, » June chuckled.

« Who told him to bet his stash ? »

« You ? »

« Whatever, » Bea smirked proudly. « Tonight ? »

« It's a date. »

June enjoyed spending time at Bea's café and found inspiration amongst the flowers. Julian had convinced her to open an instagram page and share her drawings. She was still flabbergasted that over two thousand people followed to be notified when she posted a new one. She still didn't understand how to answer comments and allow DMs but she was slowly learning.

Since she still had some free time, June decided to go for a walk around the city. After a year, she was finally growing used to the few lasting looks she received but most of the heat had cooled and she could start enjoying her freedom more.

Julian had told her about the car shop that served as Cerberus' headquarters and thus she had always avoided this part of the city but now that she had talked it out with Thomas and he had expressed how uncomfortable it made him that she couldn't bear his presence, she figured daring to walk around his workplace was a good place to start.

That part of the city was just as crowded as the center and contrary to her past belief, it wasn't filled with outlaws and sketchy guys. Bea had told her about a nice thrift shop around the area and she had decided to finally visit it. She did cross a few groups of men she could definitely place in a mob but they didn't stand out that much and went on about their own life peacefully.

—

« Boss, » Kyle, one of the guys who had been around since his father's generation but stuck around when Sawyer took the reins, called him out as he was about to head up to his office.

« What is it ? » Sawyer immediately went over to where the man was working on a bike since Kyle was usually a quiet one and he only spoke when he had something to say.

« Isn't that the Bear's woman ? » Kyle's wrinkled face showed curious amusement.

« What ? » Sawyer whirled around to follow the elder man's eyes. Indeed, June Dylan's petite figure slowly walked up the street.

Once again, Sawyer was struck by how little and how much she had changed at the same time. He recognised all those gentle features and yet long gone was the joy radiating from her face and through her subdued gestures. Sawyer had been an angry teen and at first, he had treated June like every one of Thomas' previous girlfriends. The beating he got made it clear that his bro wasn't joking around and nobody should mess with her. Not even him. It also made him Realize that the Oswald curse was damn real and despite desperately wishing to avoid it his whole life, Thomas easily fell pray the second his path crossed June's.

But it wasn't only out of respect for his best mate that he treated her well, it was mostly because, despite her shy nature, she always did her best to include him whenever they hung out together. Thomas only had eyes for June but the young woman always made it clear she wasn't here to steal his friend and Sawyer had needed that back in the days when Thomas was the only family he had apart from his abusive father.

The thirty-five years old woman was even prettier than she had been eighteen years ago, but she was also a lot more somber. It wasn't even about the scar but the way she held herself, what lain in her eyes, it was a kind of darkness only people who had gone through hell could recognise and it still made a lump form in his throat to think that the gentle June Dylan had.

As a father, he ached for Kelly's parents and he couldn't lie and say he wouldn't have moved heaven and hell to get the minor to be tried as an adult too if he was in their place.

As June's former friend, he still found it so unfair that she had to be sentenced as an adult and spent so long behind the bars.

He had seen the kind of love Thomas and her had shared. Had found it frightening at time. So intense. So hungry and needy. That's why when Thomas' grandparents had approached him and asked he speak sense to his friend, he had.

« I'm not saying it's wrong, » he had put his hand on his friend's shoulder. « Just… Take a step back. Try and if you can live without her then go back to her. But as I see it, you're too dependent on her. And she is too dependent on you. That's fucked up man. You're turning into your father. »

Sometimes, alone at night, Sawyer still thought about it. All of it. And he wondered what part he had played in the tragedy.

Since meeting Autumn and his own brand of the infamous curse, he got that you could love like that. It was rare and maybe way too powerful for the large majority of people, but it happened. And when it was reciprocated, fuck, it was worth it.

« Tell the guys to keep an eye out for her, » he ordered, still watching her as she stopped to window-shop in front of a jewelry store.

« They already do, » Kyle rolled his eyes at him.

« Warn the guys from other gr-»

« Boss, » Kyle cut him off with a laugh. « We're talking about the Bear. There's not a fucking man in the whole damn state who had not be warned not to mess with her. »

« Good, » Sawyer nodded and allowed himself to observe her a bit more.