Welcome To The Age of The Machine (Part 2)

Charlotte had never given much though to all the time JJ spent with her aunt. Aunt April was married to his brother, but JJ usually saw more of April than Brisbee did.

Conversations between the two often (alright, always) ended in an argument.

Charlotte knew excatly what they were arguing about, but they didn't know that. They didn't know that she followed April into the sitting room where JJ would be waiting for her, where she would hear him plead with her to let him fly April and Charlotte to a safe camp in Luxembourg.

"Why would I go to where those machines are?"

"That's where they'd least expect it, April!"

"Those machines will never make it to Manhattan."

"The machines might not, but I have information about gas that they-"

"I don't want to hear it. You and your foolish conspiring friends, always worrying about something that will never happen. Why would I leave a place where I can buy liquor for cheap?"

"Do it for your niece, then, if you care about her!"

"I do care about Charlene!"

"Charlotte."

"Whichever. She'll stay with us. You don't care about her, then, trying to keep her away from all the fun in the city. There's a masked ball on the-"

"You don't understand."

It wasn't uncommon for these arguments to end with JJ taking Charlotte for a walk, strained smile on his face, telling her that everything would be fine, and that even if her aunt never agreed to get her to safety, he'd take her there anyway.

Even if he had to do it secretly.

He was a pilot, and even had his own plane. An old Cessna built out of scrap parts that flew better than some brand-new ones. This plane would be their salvation, he told Charlotte, and he had even hidden it's production from the government.

He had even hidden it from April and Brisbee.

He'd do anything to keep his niece safe. She was better than them, she shouldn't have to suffer the same fate they would. She was smarter than that.

JJ knew that, even if Charlotte didn't.

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Part 3
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