Chapter 25: Runaways

With their old life behind them, Noah and Adelaide had very few options left. Running away from their families gave them independence, but now they were homeless.
After walking for a long time, they finally found a place to settle.



As they checked out the surroundings Adelaide was surprisingly calm. She knew that all home held for her was a mother who didn't love her, and the hollow memories of her childhood. The one person who had cared for her, her uncle Camden, was now dead, and that was how Adelaide felt about her past. Dead and buried. There was safety to be had in burying your past.



But it wasn't exactly like that- it was more akin to reincarnation. Adelaide had said goodbye to history and now her heart was open and ready for what lay ahead. She had a new life and it was time to start living.



That night, Noah and Adelaide started a simple fire and used its warmth to cleanse their worries. They stayed up deep into the night just talking- sharing their hopes and fears, their dreams and aspirations. It was an honesty Adelaide had never experienced the like of before.



Eventually, when tiredness caught up with them, the young couple found a place to rest and drifted into a peaceful but uneasy sleep.



In the light of the morning, the runaways were able to fully explore their new dwelling.











It's definitely a fixer-upper...



As both Noah and Adelaide had the Loves the Outdoors traits they adapted to their new life with relative ease. Of course it wouldn't be that simple when hunger began to gnaw...
They had no money to buy food, so they began to live off the land.



Both gardening and fishing provided them with produce they could sell to raise funds.



And with no kitchen appliances in sight the fruits and vegetables they grew became their only source of food.



Noah and Adelaide couldn't risk going to school as that would be the first place his parents would look for them.
Still, they didn't want to grow up uneducated so many trips to the library were made and, when they had any money, they spent it at the bookstore.



With Noah out selling his fish to buy supplies, Adelaide allowed some sadness to creep in. It wasn't for her own situation though- Adelaide felt bad for Noah. Whilst she had grown up detached from her mother Dahlia, he had been much loved by his family. She couldn't help but think about how distraught they must be without him.



But when Noah returned home all these worries were brushed away with the simplicity of a smile.
And a kiss, of course ; )



Life isn't fair, and anyone who tells you different is selling something.
Noah knew the sacrifices he had made, but he didn't live in regret. He knew his parents were good, kind people and, were he able to explain his actions to them, they would understand. If he ever saw them again, that is.



Still, sometimes the situation would eat at him.
Whilst he was in town, Noah had heard that his mother and father were expecting a new baby, and he couldn't help but feel like maybe he was being replaced...



Often Noah would stand outside their house, just trying to snatch a glimpse of the life he had left behind. He knew that, if only he had the strength to knock on the door, his parents would welcome him back with open arms.
But he couldn't do that to Adelaide. He needed her.



As time passed, Noah and Adelaide's wasteland became their own private utopia. Yes, it was still cluttered with all sorts of rusted junk, but the plants they had grown definitely helped to brighten up the place somewhat.



Besides, some fun could be had in their withered wilderness.



When you're that young one person can be everything.



So much was lacking but, because they had each other, Noah and Adelaide were complete.



There were still a number of nagging questions that had echoed through Adelaide's life. She had come to accept that she would never get the answers she needed, but maybe she was wrong...



One day, after going to the bookstore to get some new reading material, Adelaide became transfixed by someone she noticed in the distance...



She'd never met him before in her life, and yet he looked so familiar...



Can you tell who it is yet?



As Adelaide introduced herself to the young man, parts of her life seemed to slide into place like puzzle pieces. Her mother had been so closed off about everything in her past, but her uncle Camden had let a few facts slip through. Like the fact that she had a brother...



So when the man introduced himself as Laurent Mars, everything made sense. Whatever bond was between them, Laurent felt it too, so he told this relative stranger about his life- about how he had been adopted when he was very young; about how he only had a limited memory of his real mother.



Both Adelaide and Laurent had such fractured memories of their youth, but together they were able to complete the picture. Laurent was Dahlia's son, the one who had been taken away by the social worker before Adelaide was born.



Suddenly everything made so much sense- this was why her mother seemed so sad all the time; why she was so bitterly angry. Adelaide felt so bad for Dahlia, though she knew that this still didn't excuse the way she had been treated.
But that wasn't important. Adelaide had a brother, and that was something to be celebrated. The present and the future were what mattered most.



After their meeting Adelaide and Laurent spent as much time together as they could. They had only known each other for a short time, but Adelaide found herself telling him everything about her life- including where she now lived.



And when she returned home at night she shared her joy with Noah.
By now Noah and Adelaide were beyond inseperable. They had been together for so long that they knew that it was more than just a teenage crush. They wanted to get married, have children, and grow old together.



Of course the path to future bliss would have complications, like the time Adelaide got arrested : o



Don't worry, she managed to give him the slip.



Before long it was time for Noah and Adelaide to celebrate their birthdays.
Living rough had been difficult, but they had seen it through together.



Adelaide was first to sparkle.



She gained the Technophobe trait.

Fairy nuff- I don't see a lot of televisions around here do you?



Next up it was Noah's turn.



He gained the Light Sleeper trait.

His other traits are Loves the Outdoors, Handy, No Sense of Humour, and Hot-Headed, in case you were wondering.



Now that Noah and Adelaide were Young Adults, they were finally able to do something they had been eagerly anticipating for a very long time...



Get married.



With the rings placed firmly on each others fingers, Noah and Adelaide were bonded in a way that no small-minded family member would be able to tamper with.



They had known that they belonged together for such a long time, but now it was official it seemed that much more... perfect.



: )



Through all their produce selling, Mr and Mrs Mars had saved up enough money to build themselves a little shack.



A love shack ; )



That night, Noah and Adelaide sealed their marriage by consumating their relationship for the very first time.



We'll just leave them to it shall we?



Adelaide and Noah Mars are now married, but they're still living in a virtual dump. Will they be able to work their way out of poverty? Will they ever return home to their families? Find out in the next chapter of The Mars Family Legacy, coming soon.


You can find the original on the story board here- feel free to rec that if you've enjoyed this : )