Flowers For McGee

19 - Live With Nancy

Johnny was severely uncomfortable, but he went along with Cameron and Rose. He didn't want to let his sister down, even if it meant destroying everything he worked to build for the past seventeen years.

"Oh no," Johnny says as he sees his mother's car still inside the property gates. "What do we do?"

"Um, turn around and park on that road," Rose says, pointing an old dirt road. "We can hide your car behind some limbs."

Cameron did as he was told. They do there best camouflage and the three are quickly running toward the house. Rose was eager to see McGee and Johnny wasn't as eager to see how this was going to play out.

"Stay here, I'll be back." Johnny says and he walks up to the front door of his home and opens it slowly. He sends silent praises above as the door opens without a sound and he steps inside and shuts it behind him.

Johnny walks to the pantry where his mother keeps the keys. Johnny may have been a good kid, but Rose wasn't the only one who knew things. He overheard everything silently and most things Maggie did didn't go unnoticed by her son.

Oh god, Johnny thinks, she is never going to trust me again.

Johnny hears his mother's voice and and silently gasp. He quickly shuts himself in the pantry and prays she doesnt open the door. Through the cloudy glass door, Maggie stops and pulls her jacket down and stands.

"I'm running a little late on meeting Jesse anyway, Nancy, so I figured I'd call about Rose," Maggie is silent for a while until she sighs. "Yeah, I just don't know what to do. These past three years have been difficult on her no doubt. but I think she is unhappy with me. She didn't get in trouble living with you or John." Maggie says in a emotional tone.

"Nancy? Grandma Nancy?" Johnny whispers.

"Yes," The voice says behind him and Johnny nearly jumps out of his skin, but he has to remain silent. "She is thinking of sending Rose away." Johnny glares at McGee and then looks back out the door.

Mom couldn't do that, she just couldn't. Rose already had enough issues with mom. It was hard for Johnny to believe.

"This will destroy whatever bond they might have and mess up our chances of finishing. You can't let her do this." McGee says and the pantry drops to freezing temperatures and Johnny scowls as Maggie opens the front door and leaves.

After a feeling moments, Johnny opens the pantry door just as Cameron and Rose enter the house. Johnny looks at his sister with shadowed eyes and then he looks to McGee and the two share a look. They wouldn't tell Rose what they heard.

Johnny unlocks the basement door and the four quickly descend the stairs.

-

"We broke through!" Cameron yells up basement steps as Johnny tears through the diaries with his eyes with an alarming rate, trying to find anything that could help. It's been several hours and to Johnny it seemed to be only seconds.

Johnny doesn't say anything as he tosses the book aside and reaches for another one. A flying, crumbled piece of paper catches his attention and he stops.

Johnny looks over and swipes it quickly. He unfolds it and he is surprised to see words instead of pictures.

Soon.

"A little help with this?" Johnny asks out loud. He rarely liked being alone, which is why he spent so much time with his mom. But now Johnny knew he wasn't alone, despite being the only body in the room, and that scared him more. "I don't like this." He says and looks around when he notices snother piece of paper on the ground by the door.

Sure, he could be tough and mouthy with his sister, but with dead people? No way. There was no way he could be as fearless and brave as Rose.

Johnny has no courage as he reaches down with a shaky hand and quickly picks up the paper, quickly looking around as he opens it.

Come up.

Johnny steps out into the hallway and he looks up the stairs. No trail was left, so he slowly walks up. His hand softly glides along the failing and his ears focused on every creak the old episode made under his feet.

On the second floor was the famous red crayon, the only indication that he was on track. He stares straight ahead to the second staircase. He picks it up and walks forward. Gwen has never left words.

On the third floor, the door to the attic is opened and the latter is down. On the last step sets a piece of paper. Johnny hesitates at the staircase, fest pulling through him at a rate that he feels like crying. He runs forward and snatches the paper of the step and backs away.

She's here.

Johnny wraps his fingers around the paper tightly and it crushes in his hand. "Johnny... " He looks up and sees a face looking at him through the darkness.

"Shit." He mumbles and the girl begins screaming and climbing down. She launches at him and he screams, backing up.

-

"What's that sound?" Rose asks and in an instant, McGee is gone. Rose and Cameron run up the basement steps and into the hall.

Rose gasps and screams as she sees her brother fly over the railing. "Johnny!" She runs forward and Johnny stops several feet above the ground, McGee and Gwen holding him. Johnny has a glassy look in his eyes as he stares at his sister. They set him on the ground and Rose wraps her arms around hims neck and he is breathing heavily.

"She's here. I don't know when, but she is coming." Johnny says and they run downstairs.

Rose stands back as McGee and Cameron dig into the dirt behind the brick. "There is it! It's there!" Cameron and McGee both pull on it as Rose digs away at the dirt around it. It ahoots out and the two boys land on their backs with the chest between them. McGee smiles and sits up. His hands hesitantly hover iver the box and he lets out a small laugh.

"Your mother is turning into the driveway. Cameron needs to leave," McGee says and Cameron nods, running up the stairs. After he is gone, McGee turns to the twins. "Okay, let's-" Hands reach out and grab McGee and Johnny and Rose scream and grab his arms.

"Take it, she won't let go!" McGee says and looks to the chest. "Rose, let me go and take it." He says pleads and ahe shakes her head vigorously.

"No, she can hurt you." Rose panics and he forces them to release him. "McGee!'' Rose screams as he disappears behind the layers of dirt.