Archive of Our Own

Ripley feels fucking miserable. Mom says she shouldn’t swear unless she needs it, but in this case she really, really needs it. She’s been ripped away from her family and constantly told that none of it matters. Not her mom, not her dad, not her little brother. 

Not her name. They keep calling her Camillela. She’s already screamed herself hoarse that it’s Ripley. Still not enough to get them to listen to her. Still not enough to keep Natalie from giving her nothing but skirts. 

But she’s been getting to hang out with a few friends now. Blair and Devon have been the most regular visitors, but she’s gotten a few others from her class. Natalie got weird whenever Devon got too close or sat on the bed with her which put a damper on things, but it was still nice to feel something normal. 

They aren’t here today. It’s just been her and the blank hospital walls. Ben is off doing something with his creepy cameras and Natalie is off taking care of Sterling, which she seemed like she didn’t want to do. That was weird to Ripley. He was her actual son, why didn’t she seem to like him? 

Still. Just her and the blank walls. And the occasional nurse, who’s coming back right about now. 

“How are you doing sweetheart?” The nurse asks in the same sickly sweet tone she has at every other check in today. 

“Fine. I want to go home,” She knows these people don’t actually want to hear her thoughts, feelings or opinions, so she just gives them whatever gets them to go away the fastest. 

“I know, it gets so lonely in the hospital, but don’t worry, you just got a visitor!,” The nurse continues to take her vital signs, but Ripley is at least glad for the company, as long as it isn’t Natalie coming back. 

“Who is it?” Ripley thinks Ben would suck too, but she’d take his invasive questions and camera over just…whatever is wrong with Natalie.

“It’s your cousin, Valentina. Oh look there she is. You can come in honey!” Ripley freezes as the nurse leaves, and hopes. Hopes hard enough to make her chest hurt. 

In comes Valentina, looking remarkably not like Valentina. Ripley doesn’t know much about fashion, but she’d describe how her older cousin dressed as bling-y, very shiny and showy. Here she’s in a simple pink tracksuit with her curly hair flattened and tied into a ponytail.

“Hey y-” Valentina does not get to finish with the speed Ripley is barreling into her to hug her. Finally her family was here. She squeezes her with every ounce of strength she can, somewhat afraid she’d be ripped away from her if she ever let go. 

“You’re crushing me pipsqueak,” Ripley lets up slightly, but doesn’t let go.

“You’re going to have to let go if you want to get out of here,” Ripley lets go with the same speed that she originally hugged her. If she was getting out, she didn’t need to hold on so hard. 

They hold hands to keep close as they make their way out of the apparent labyrinth the hospital was. Val seemed to know every twist or turn she needed to take and when, as if she had a map.  It was fast in the underground, they were doing the type of fast walk that in slow tag would get you called out, but as soon as they were in the general areas they were just normally walking. It felt weird to Ripley, but Val just held a hand up to her lips and she was very willing to follow her lead, no matter how badly she just wanted to run to wherever her mom and dad were. 

Then they’re in the parking lot, then the parking garage. 

“You have your own car?” It looks rusted and kinda beaten up, but Ripley loved the look of it for that. 

“Nah, just borrowing a friend’s to come pick you up. Buckle in,” Ripley does just that as Val gets the car to rumble to life. Then the pair are on their way, all the way out of Camrose

. 

It’s a long, long car ride. She talks about whatever with Val, mostly about their future shopping trip. They pass through patches of burnt and unburnt forest over and over again. When they are really out there, Val finally turns on the radio and Ripley just focuses on the world outside of the car as they keep on the road. 

Eventually they get to a burnt and cleared section of forest and there they are. There’s her mom and dad and baby brother. It feels more to see her mom, because that’s what Natalie was claiming to be. She’s barely out of the car before she’s launched at her mom, and barely touching her by the time she breaks out into full sobs. 

She’s held on so tight that Mia decides to sit in the back of the car they’re  now getting into. Val sits up front with Dad, while Ripley takes the middle seat in the back so she can be touching her mom and brother the entire time.

They drive for many, many more hours. Ripley falls asleep at some point, is only woken up when mom and dad trade out who’s driving and again when they do it, again. She’s in a car, in the middle of nowhere with no idea where she’s going, but she’s finally home. 

Ben stares at the security footage in what is mostly  astonishment. The recently unkidnapped girl, just walking out with a visitor that neither he nor Natalie gave approval to. Four perfectly timed minutes where there were no guards, no nurses, no eyes on Camellia to cut through the hospital and into a car with fake license plates. 

There are no clear shots of the older woman or girl, the hospital's security is so bad that the only reason they know it’s Camellia with her is because they tracked her from her room. All they have is the name she gave the nurse, Valentina. He finally gets a positive identification from Josie. It’s Valentina Hurst, Mia and Carson’s niece who is staying with them for a bit. 

He also knows that Valentina doesn’t exist. Ben did research into all of the possible families. Both Mia and Carson are only children, and from what he knows, neither of them are in contact with extended family at all. 

Fuck, fuck .