"Let's get one thing clear here Ryan, you don't own me. My mother has escaped from prison and I need to head back to England right now" I commented, dumping another patch of clothes into my suitcase.

"I may not own you but you are my mate. I do have-"

"What are you even so worried about?" I interrupted, my frustration rising by the minute. He paused, looking away from me.

"I don't want her to get to you. What if she tries to kill-"

"For fuck's sake Ryan, I'm a cop. I know how to take care of myself you know. Besides, any bad behavior from that woman and I'll just shoot her dead" I coldly stated.

Ryan remained silent for a few more minutes, watching me as I ran back and forth, dropping items into the suitcase. As I was almost done, my phone began ringing, pulling us both out of our deep train of thought.

I examined the caller ID, picking it up without hesitation.

"Hello" I began.

"You're mother escaped from prison?" James' voice erupted through my phone, no doubt catching Ryan's attention. His expression stiffened as he realised the voice on the other side of the phone was in fact a boys.

"Yeah, I'm heading back to England right now" I commented, continuing with my packing. Ryan looked at me with an expression that said 'I'm going to kill him' which I simply decided to ignore, resuming my attention on James' words.

"How did that even happen? After all these years?"

"I don't know James. All I know is I got a call from the London Police Department telling me that my psychopath mother escaped from the HMP Pentoville" I found myself stopping in front of the mirror, noticing the small details I had inherited from her that I hadn't noticed before.

The way my hazel eyes instantly reflected hers, or the way my brows would knit together when I was in deep thought.

I escaped her display, noticing Ryan stare at me intently through the mirror.

"Liz, what if she tries to kill-"

"She won't James. I'm ready for her, and when I do see her, I am going to kill her"

*****

"Please call me when you get there and the first thing you find out-"

"I will tell you Em, calm down. I better go now" Emilia sighed, certain heaviness was present in her breath.

"Kick her ass El"

"Will do" I replied, hanging up.

I stared at the Newark Liberty International Airport ahead of me from the car seat. This was it.

My eyes fell back on the figure sitting on the driver's seat: Ryan.

"I guess I'll see you when I'm back then" his eyes stared hardly at the wheel in front of him, his hands clutching tightly onto the handle, his knuckles turning white with how hard he held on to it."Ryan-"

"I'll come with you" he blurted, startling me.

"No" I responded immediately. "This is my business Ryan, you are not involved-"

"I sure as hell am involved if it involves my mate." He snapped back, cutting me off once again. I rolled my eyes at his unnecessary protectiveness. Did no one notice the gun and badge strapped to my hip?

"I don't understand what you're so afraid of. I have a gun, a badge, and ass kicking skills." His eyes closed as he pondered about my decision.

"How long will you be gone?" he released through his grit teeth, his eyes refusing to meet my gaze.

"I don't know, maybe two weeks." I responded, collecting my purse from the floor, ready to take a step out of the car.

"Can I kiss you?" His question took me completely by surprise as I stared back at his eyes that were now piercing straight through mine.

However this was something that was better left undone. There was no need to complicate things further. He had already fallen too deep for me; I could see it in his eyes. I, however, was not in at all. Ryan had turned out to be a good man, but not my best match. A man being the exact identical of myself, wasn't good for me. I needed someone to balance out my emotions, not add weight to them.

I never wanted someone who could protect me or cherish me in that way. Somehow the fates messed up their math, and despite having a great man as my other half, he happened to be the one thing that reflected me.

"Perhaps the next time I see you. Goodbye Ryan" I reached forward pressing a peck of a kiss on Ryan's cheek, before turning around immediately to exit his vehicle.

What went wrong? What went wrong in a life so perfect? What went wrong in a love so perfect? Why did it have to be my family? Did my mother love me at all? Or did she love the perception of a family?

Everything was perfect, until the day I stood out standing in the cold, shivering in the London cold, waiting till 11pm for my mother to pick me up who was supposed to come 7 hours ago.

What went through her mind when she saw me come back freezing in the arms of my father that day?

What went through her mind the minute she began cheating on my father?

Or the minute she decided to join the brew and begin drinking and taking drugs?

It was all so perfect.

What happened?

Memories flooded my mind and I as I took my seat on the airplane, I was suddenly reminded of every good memory of her. Each and every one of them since there weren't that many.

I remembered walking down the road of Piccadilly, one hand joined with my mothers and the other with my father's as they both took me towards the M&M's store. I remember the way they both laughed as I walked in a tiny fashion between them.

I remembered the way my mum would take me to the park when I was young and would play with me in the sand after every other kid refused to play with me.

I remember how I would run towards the door when my dad got back from work, hooking on to his foot until he gave me a sweet.

I remembered every moment I shared with them, with the people that gave birth to me, gave me a chance at experiencing life.

And all at once, all too soon, it all disappeared.

I hadn't realised how long my eyes had shut, or how long I dreamt of the days that I cherished the most, the memories that made the person I was today, but I knew that things had changed, and that I was a better person with only one intention of bringing my father's death to justice and my mother to prison as soon as the airhostess announced.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Gatwick Airport. Local time is 11:15 and the temperature is 12°C. On behalf of British Airways and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice stay and welcome to England!"