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Walls of Washington

【NOVEMBER 24th / THE PLANE / 20:45PM EST】

 

"What happened?"

 

June didn't know how many hours had past after the plane took off. But she noticed it was already getting dark outside.

 

June looked at Nick who was sitting at the pilot seat. Still like a stone. His wound had stopped bleeding and the dried bloody tracks went from his brow down to hischin.

 

"I was supposed to be there to pick you up this morning. But someone came out of nowhere and knocked me down when i was checking the function of the car."

 

His voice, even though waveless, still had a warmth attached to it like it always had been.

 

"I woke up in a warehouse with my hands and feet all tied up. There were a few soldiers keeping an eye on me and I recognized one of them."

 

June listened dumbly. He used to be an eye. She thought.

 

"So i started making conversations about how it was wrong and they needed to let me go. They didn't listen of course.”

 

June felt the plane took a turn. She looked outside the window. Sickening darkness.

 

"Eventually someone became impatient and threatened to kill me. I banged my head against his and caught him off guard."

 

Nick didn't say anything else but June was smart enough to figure out the rest.

 

"Hold on. We're almost there."

 

Nick warned her.

 

"Where?"

 

June grabbed onto her safety belt. She felt stupid to have ask that question.

 

"Switzerland."

 

【NOVEMBER 24th / THE CONFERENCE ROOM / 21:00PM EST】

 

"Ma'am, do you think they'll show up?"

 

A man with a pair of hawksbill glasses asked the woman who was sitting next to him. 

 

"You know how they are with their behind-time-custom, and seeing it as a display of status. So i wouldn't worry too much. But if i were you, i would definitely worry about that pile of mess you got on your desk."

 

The woman who got asked the question replied while staring at the closed main door.

 

The two of them were currently sitting in a conference room somewhere in Berne,Switzerland and they were accompanied by some Swiss officials. 

 

The meeting between Gilead and Canada was a secret so both party agreed on holding it in a neutral state. That's also why they didn't use the more formal building that the Swiss government suggested.

 

"Yes, Ma'am."

 

Hawksbill glasses blinked his eyes nervously and started to organize the documents in front of him.

 

"They're here."

 

Another man opened the door to the room and announced.

 

Incoming a woman dressed in blue.

---

June looked outside the window and saw a man who was already there waiting forthem when Nick was landing the plane. He welcomed them with a firm shake of hands.

 

June didn't take his hand.

 

It didn't seem to offend him because he smiled at June and introduced himself as a member of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And he said he would take themto the room where the meeting was held.

 

Is his name Luca?  June zoomed out at the time.

 

June grabbed nick's hand before Luca (or whatever the man's name was) opened the door to the conference room.

 

Nick nodded at her before letting go of her hand.

 

June stepped into the room and felt everyone's gaze was on her. She hesitated a few seconds before walking to the nearest seat of the round table and stood beside it.

 

"Welcome, i'm the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Cristina Redo. Nice to finally meet you, Mrs...?"

 

A woman's voice came from the other side of the room.

 

"June."

 

June said in a small voice.

 

"I'm sorry?"

 

The woman who called herself Cristina questioned.

 

"My name is June."

 

She looked up at the woman.

 

She's got kind eyes.

 

"Can i have a glass of water?"

---

"That's it. The whole story."

 

June stared at the empty glass in front of her.

 

She drank almost a liter of water but she's still parched as hell.

 

After she sat down on the chair she began to tell her story. Everything she knew about Gilead. Starting from the very beginning.

 

She ignored the rest of the people and their colourful faces and occasional gasps.

 

She was telling the story to and only to the woman who was sitting at her opposite.

 

June only needed one person to believe her.

 

One's more than enough. 

 

The room was dead silent after she finished with her story. 

 

She left out the night at the cabin, and some other parts that involved Serena and the truth about their relationship. Some parts that nobody needed to know. Someparts that only belonged to the two of them.

 

"If what you said was entirely true that you were forced to become a Handmaid of Gilead and got mistreated inhumanely. Then I'm deeply sorry.” Cristina was the first one to speak. 

 

June nodded as a response.

 

"But i'm afraid we need more proof that just your testimony to actually do something about it." Cristina eyed June and the blue dress she was wearing.

 

June didn't understand.

 

What else could they possibly need?

 

"I am your evidence."

 

June took off the Wife's hat she's been wearing this whole time and reveled her marked ear.

 

"Plus, didn't you already have the letters that Moira, my best friend, smuggled outof Gilead? And Emily and Rita and Janine and baby Charlotte and Hannah and Ni...” 

 

June didn't finish. She couldn't. The though of Nicole made her think of Serena.

 

And the gunshot.

 

"We do...I'm sorry. I think it's best that we take a little break, Miss Osborne."

 

It's weird and highly inappropriate, but June swear she saw Cristina gave her an approving look.

 

Was that a test? 

 

Did i pass? 

 

【NOVEMBER 27th / CANADA】

 

(THE SAFE HOUSE / 4:00 AM) 

 

It's been three days since June got out of Gilead. 

 

Cristina believed her and the Canadian government promised her that they will dosomething about Gilead and soon. They just needed resources and plans. 

 

They were on the same side now.

 

June stared at the ceiling of the room she's currently in.

 

Even though the Canadian government was generous enough to give her a two-story house with a big living room as her temporary residence, June still slept in the cramped attic.

 

It reminded her of the last room she had slept in for years and the time she spent there. Not as a handmaid but as Nicole's mother.

 

June hadn't been able to sleep for the last three days, not even one minute. 

 

It's not like she didn't want to. She's exhausted.

 

She tried. She really tried.

 

But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Serena.

 

The Serena who was making her breakfast while joking about her unhealthy eating habits. The Serena who breathed evenly and peacefully while being held byher from behind for the first time. And the Serena who ran towards the moving cars without saying goodbye. 

 

Eventually she stopped trying.

 

(LUKE BANKOLE’S HOUSE / 11:55AM) 

 

"Anything?" Moira asked as soon as she stepped into the kitchen. She just got back from grocery shopping.

 

"No." Luke Bankole was sitting beside the dinning table while hold a coffee mug inhis hands. He hadn't shaved in three days.

 

They knew June got out.

 

Their handler told them that. But he didn't reveal the location of June's safe housedue to confidentiality issues. He only told them that June had their number and can call them under her own free will.

 

They've been taking turns for any outdoor activities making sure that someone was always home in case June called.

 

"I'm sure she'll call." Moira poured herself a cup of coffee after putting a couple of shopping bags on the kitchen counter.

 

"What if she doesn't?" Luke said still staring at their only phone that's on the wall.

 

"Then she doesn't. There's nothing we can do about it." Moira took a sip of her coffee.

 

Moira understood why June hadn't called yet.

 

She herself didn't want to get in touch with anyone when she got of that shithole months ago.

 

It took her way much longer than three days to turn to Luke.

 

So she knew the only thing they could do was wait.

 

"Ugh, how did you drink this shit? Imma make a new pot. And you, Mister?" Moira poured the rest of her coffee into the sewer and turned around to look at Luke.

 

"You could really need a bath." Moira laughed when Luke grunted something under his breath and went into the bathroom.

 

(THE SAFE HOUSE / NOON)

 

June picked up the table phone that was in the living room of the safe house for the hundredth time since she got here.

 

It's not that she didn't want to call them.

 

She just didn't know what to say.

 

What am i suppose to say? 

 

Hey, it's me, do you want to go out for some ice-creams?

 

Yeah, everything's good. It's perfect. 

 

Oh and by the way, Nicole has two mothers and one of them is the woman who build Gilead from the ground up.

 

She's the reason i'm still alive.

 

And she may or may not be dead, it was all my fault. 

 

But enough about me, how are you? Anything new with your life? 

 

June looked at the piece of paper the Minister gave her and a series of numbers on it.

 

She dialed the numbers.

 

"..."

 

It rang through.

 

Neither side spoke.

 

June listened as the breathing that came from the other side became heavier and heavier until she heard Luke's voice for the first time in almost four years.

 

"...June?"

 

She burst out crying.

 

【NOVEMBER 28th / WASHINGTON / 12:00AM】

 

The mission to destroy Gilead was a huge success.

 

And it didn't cost them many trouble to bring the whole Nation down.

 

It was already falling apart anyway.

 

It had been since the very beginning.

 

So when the Canadian government exposed the true nature of Gilead and what they've done by revealing and publicizing the letters on global media, and joined forces with the PKF and launched the operation while getting extra help from MAYDAY within Gilead itself, there was nothing holding them back.

 

Peace reigned, order restored, they won the war with zero casualties.

 

June saw people laughing and crying and reuniting with their loved ones and she was happy for them from the bottom of her heart.

 

But that's not the reason why she's here at the brand new Washington State Supreme Court.

 

"Miss Osborne?"

 

A male voice came from behind her.

 

"You may see him now."

 

June nodded.

---

 

June looked at the man who was sitting across from her.

 

Fred Waterford was wearing the orange prison uniform and his hands and feet were cuffed. Ball and chain and everything.

 

That's why she's here.

 

"Where is she?"

 

June cut to the chase right away.

 

"Shouldn't i be asking you that?"

 

Even as a war criminal, Fred still hadn't lost his feigned attitude. 

 

Pious little shit. 

 

"Stop fucking around, Fred. I know it was you who sent the guards." June wanted to smash his stupid face into mash.

 

"I did. But they never reported back."

 

Fred looked better than the last time June saw him. Considering the fact that he could barely move his arms at the time, and now he can talk out of his ass withoutbreaking a sweat. 

 

"I heard the car she was in had an accident. But that's all i know."

 

He looked at June like he still owed her. 

"And you didn't ask?"

 

June's patience were running out.

 

"Why would i? She betrayed me. I don't care about someone who's useless."

 

Fred shrugged his shoulders.

 

"But YOU...you cared, aren't you? And you cared A LOT."

 

He used an assertive sentence.

 

And he smiled. Like king of the world.

 

June stood up and walked to the door.

 

"We're done here."

 

June said to the police officer outside.

 

"I told you she will never leave Gilead."

 

The poor officer had to use all of his strength to save Fred from being choked to death by June.

 

【NOVEMBER 30th / THE SAFE HOUSE / 12:00AM】

 

June opened the door of the safe house while balancing her daughter's crib and some supplies goods in between her hands. She just came back from the court. 

 

She was there to fill out some forms and go through some judicial procedures for her and Nicole. 

 

She's officially not a fugitive nor a refugee any more.

 

She's got a green card and Nicole got her own birth certificate.

 

"Name: Nicole Holly Osborne"

 

"Date of Birth: November 2, 2017"

 

"Nationality: Canadian"

 

"Parents: June Osborne & Serena Joy" 

 

June looked down at the piece of paper in her hands.

 

She thought of a conversation Serena and she once had.

---

"What's wrong with the name ‘Nicole’?" Serena looked up at June from the roses she was tending. 

 

"And what's wrong with the name ‘Holly’?" June, 33 weeks pregnant and sittingon the rocking chair in Serena's greenhouse, questioned back.

 

"I asked first." Serena looked at the pregnant woman while holding the scissor.

 

"Nothing's wrong with ‘Nicole’. I just want to name her after my mother, the woman who gave birth to me, that's all.” June closed her eyes only to open themfive seconds later.

 

"Are you crying?" June noticed Serena's breathing had changed.

 

"No." Serena just kept trimming her roses. 

 

"Great, because that's gross and it doesn't suit you. And i wouldn't have believed you if you did." June closed her eyes again.

 

"FINE. I'll write your name down on the parent column, how's that?" June offered when the sound of Serena sniffing her nose became too annoyed. 

 

Fucking Crocodile.

 

"You promise?" The utter joy in Serena's voice made June want to take back her words.

 

"I promise. Not can you please switch back to the bitch Serena i knew and preferred?" June rolled her eyes while rubbing her belly. 

 

That night, June noticed there were fresh white roses in her vase. 

---

Nicole's crying brought June back into reality.

 

June scooped Nicole up from the baby crib and started rocking her daughter backand forth.

 

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay baby, Momma's here." June pressed Nicole's face gently to her chest and said in a soothing voice.

 

But baby Nicole kept crying even after June made sure that she was not hungry and that she didn't need a diaper change.

 

Serena was the one who's better at dealing with Nicole. 

 

They had a connection that even June envied.

 

When Nicole was still in the incubator, her heart would beat stronger whenever Serena's around. And Serena's eyes would always go softer at the mention of Nicole's name.   

 

Sometimes June wondered whether the tall blonde had some kind of magical power. Otherwise it just didn't make any sense that a crying Nicole would calm down the second she's in Serena's arms.

 

"You missed your Mommy didn't you?" Finally June gave up and she stopped pacing around. They stood in the middle of the living room.

 

Mommy.

 

They debated about what Nicole should call them one night when June was resting on the couch and Serena sitting beside her knitting. 

The night before June's water broke and scared the hell out of both of them -- mostly Serena, June was in too much pain to think straight. 

 

Serena won the title of “Mommy” with a very strong argument -- “because Hannah already calls you ‘Mommy’” and a kiss on June's belly.

 

When Serena looked up, June saw her own reflection in that ocean blue.

 

There was nothing but her.

 

June buried her face in Nicole's fuzzy baby hair.

 

I miss her too.