Fandom Troopers - Saturday

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

The sheriff's office was less of a mess than it had been a week ago. Actually, it was rather clean. His inbox was empty safe for a few files that needed to wait until Monday. Roy had worked through the paperwork from home, but his side was slowly healing up and he was determined to sit through a whole shift today.

The report in front of him was meant for Amestris, but Roy was struggling how to word the attack from Kimbley in just the right terms so no one would take offence to it. The island seemed to have returned to that same lull between chaos where you could almost start to believe that it was always like this. And in that quiet, Roy found himself mulling over that feeling of unease that had been creeping up on him since the end of the previous semester. He hadn't even realised it was there until somewhere in the last few days it had suddenly become hard to ignore.

Comments

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

The man he had met at the Perk - Ray - had told him to report River going missing. Simon suspected it might already have been done, and added to his reluctance to get in touch with the authorities, he suspected the Sheriff might not be able to do much. His sister had been dragged off to another universe after all.

Despite this he entered the trooper's station around lunchtime.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy was just at the lobby when Simon entered the station and he looked up from his black notebook. "Can I help you, sir?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"My name is Simon Tam," he said, turning to Roy. "I arrived here a few days ago to look for my sister, and now I've learnt she's been kidnapped." He paused. "Has a report been filed? Is anyone looking into it?"

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Tam. The name didn't ring a bell and Roy straightened up, instantly at full attention. "No. Is she a student at the school?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"She was. She graduated this spring. River Tam." His sister usually made an impression. "She never returned home and I got worried."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

She did, Roy just never got to know her last name. "River," he said and he slumped back in his chair for a moment as he processed this information. "I thought she did go back," he murmured, more to himself.

And then he was up on his feet. "Please, let's discuss this in my office," he motioned for Simon to follow him.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon followed him into the office. "You know anything about this?" he asked as the door closed behind him.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"Know?" he shook his head. "But I have my suspicions. The timing..." He motioned for Simon to take a seat. "Did you manage to find anything out about her?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon sank down on the chair. "I talked to professor Skywalker. He saw one of River's teachers, Sarah Kerrigan, abduct her. He told me he tried to stop her but failed."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy muttered something underneath his breath that might have had to do with communication or the lack there of. "She was her teacher. Kerrigan was very protective of River," Roy said softly, surprised that he seemed to be using the past tense. "She left here under... difficult circumstances, but I had no idea..."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"River trusted Kerrigan," Simon said, a hint of irritation in his voice. Had none of these people decided to look for River? "I need to find her."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I understand," Roy said quietly, knowing exactly what it felt like to need to find someone. "I wish I could help you. I'm afraid I haven't been able to find a way to reach Kerrigan or anyone in her universe."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"You knew her?" he asked. "Why? Why did she do this?" He wasn't sure Roy would have any answers, but he voiced the question anyway.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"Kerrigan was a friend," Roy said with a nod and he didn't use that word a lot. "I don't know her reasons. She wasn't herself, she'd changed but I think..." He paused. "I don't think she meant to harm River."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon paused, thinking for a moment. "Skywalker said she used a trigger word on my sister. But... I'm not sure. River might have gone with her, had she asked." Something in the way River had talked about Kerrigan when they last spoke made him say that.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy nodded slowly. "Kerrigan meant a lot to River," he agreed. "I think she was one of the few people here who could relate to her."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"She needed someone who could," he said quietly, falling silent for a moment. Then he looked up. "I need to find her."

[bedtime for me]

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"It wouldn't be easy," Roy said quietly. "Kerrigan's world is big and it's torn apart in war."