Fear the Night

Chapter 18: The Positive; The Negative

Yukio dragged Natalie behind him through the dark woods, gun in hand, Joshua covering them from behind with a shotgun. They all knew something was wrong. The Drones weren’t attacking. All three wondered where they were as they kept their guard up.

“Where the hell are they?!” Yukio growled, referring to Maverick and Isabella, who they had been looking for, for what seemed like hours.

“I wouldn’t worry about them,” Joshua assured him. “With Maverick on the loose, I’d be more worried about the Drones.”

“I’m more worried about Isabella,” Natalie panted, trying to keep up with Yukio. He suddenly stopped and pulled her under his arm when the three heard a few snarls and growls around them. Yukio and Joshua aimed their guns at any yellow pair of eyes they spotted but didn’t fire.

“Why aren’t they attacking?” Natalie wondered in a whisper at Yukio. “One of them should have tried to kill us by now.”

“They won’t,” a familiar voice called in the darkness and all eyes shot to the direction of the voice. “The squad leader is making sure of that.”

Maverick stepped toward the three from the darkness, Isabella clinging to his arm.

“Mave!” Yukio grinned in relief. “Izzy! What the hell’s going on here?!”

“Your father got to you, I take it?” Joshua guessed, lowering his rifle with a smirk. Maverick only nodded.

“Isabella!” Natalie called, running to the other girl and hugging her fiercely. “I was so worried about you! I’m glad you’re alright!”

“Let’s get back to the house,” Joshua suggested, slinging his riffle over his shoulder. “Maverick and I will explain everything to the three of you.”

“The Drones won’t bother us,” Maverick assured them, glaring at Joshua. “Just walk and don’t look at them.”

The group, with the exception of Maverick and Joshua, hesitantly headed back in the direction of the house. Maverick and Joshua led the way, and when they reached the house they looked back at the Drones but they were gone.

“Now, why don’t I make us some tea?” Joshua suggested as he set his rifle on the couch. He spun around but his smile was wiped off his face when Maverick socked him in the jaw, sending him to the ground.

“Maverick!” Isabella gasped, running to him and pulling him back from jumping the man. “What are you doing?!”

“You told me he was dead!” Maverick snarled at Joshua as he sat up, rubbing his jaw. “You told me he was killed by a Suit after I left! What the hell did you lie to me for?!”

“I didn’t want you to go looking for him,” Joshua replied, slowly standing and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth where his lip had split from the punch. Maverick’s eyes widened in shock as the other three watched the scene in front of them and Joshua continued, “He needed time. Time to remember that he had a wife and a son that loved him. Time to remember his life before the darkness. I’m sorry, Maverick. I couldn’t let you see him or look for him.”

“That’s why you only mentioned it once,” he realized. “You didn’t wanna take the lie any further than that.”

“You’re so much like your father; angry and hateful at times,” Joshua admitted. “I didn’t want the Darkness to take you as it did your parents.”

“It hasn’t taken him completely!” Maverick boomed. “His eyes! If you had been seeing him, you would have seen that they were his normal color, not Drone Yellow!”

“I did,” Joshua nodded. “But even so, I couldn’t tell you he was alive. He would have stayed away instead of making the progress he’s made thus far. Even if you can’t forgive me, I’ll tell you that I’m sorry anyway.”

Maverick stared at the other man. He hated being lied to by someone he trusted for so long. Joshua had been like an uncle to him, if not a father. Learning that he’d known his father was alive but told him otherwise enraged him. It took all of him not to beat the man to a pulp.

“Mave?” Yukio called softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Maverick still stared a seething glare at Joshua. “What happened back there? What’s this have to do with it?”

“My parents are Drones,” Maverick replied in a low tone. “I’m not sure about me mother, but my father lives in the cave we rescued Natalie from. They took Isabella because they knew I would go after her. It was the only way my father could get me to come to him.”

“So, what did he want you for?” Yukio wondered as Natalie clung to his arm, her gaze shooting between everyone.

“He knows I’m planning to tell everyone the truth about what happened forty years ago, and he’s willing to help,” Maverick reported. “He said his squad would protect the people in town from other Drones while we bring everyone out at night to show my father to them. He can talk and tell people about what he saw and who it was. He’s batter at speaking then Faye was.”

“So, they won’t attack us again?” Natalie wondered in a shaky voice.

“No, my father won’t let them,” Maverick assured them and his eyes locked with Isabella’s as she still held his arm. “We’ll need to sleep. We’re leaving in the morning.”

“So soon?!” Yukio asked as Maverick headed down the hall to his room, Isabella letting go of his arm and watching him. “We just got here! Shouldn’t we think of a plan before we go risking our lives?! The Suits are gonna come down on us faster than we can blink!”

“We’re leaving the girls at the Barrier gate,” Maverick explained, stopping outside his door. “Yukio and I will come back once the girls are inside and we’ll return that night with the squad and my father.”

“And how do you expect to gather the people at night from outside the Barrier?” Joshua wondered, crossing his arms over his chest. Maverick looked up at the four beyond the hall and smirked.

“I’ll leave that to our little heiress,” he replied and all eyes turned to Natalie in shock.

“What?!” she squeaked. “What am I supposed to do?!”

“You’ll know when you get home,” Maverick replied. “Like I said, let’s get some sleep.”

The four watched Maverick step into his room and stayed silent. They knew he was serious. Dead serious. But it was a chance none of them knew whether of not to take. They glanced around at each other but it was Isabella who smiled first and turned to Joshua, hand out to shake his.

“Thank you for the tea,” she smiled. “My headache is completely gone now!”

“Ah---?! You’re welcome,” Joshua replied, shaking her hand as he stared at her with wide eyes. Maverick just outlined a plan that could more than likely kill them all and she was smiling and thanking him for tea?! Was her injury more severe then he had thought?

Isabella turned to Yukio and Natalie who also stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief. She hugged them both and they glanced at each other around her in confusion then at her as she stepped away from them with a smile.

“I’m glad you two finally met,” she smiled, sincerely. “I always knew the two of you would get along perfectly!”

Without another word she walked to Maverick’s door and knocked as the three left stared at her, speechless, until Joshua spoke.

“I see why he likes her,” he observed as she stepped into the room and the couple with him shot their gaze at him. “She’s the positive to his negative.”

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“Isabella shut the door behind her as she stepped in to see Maverick already lying in the bed, his back to the door. She stifled a sigh and slowly stepped to the bed to place a hand on his arm.

“Maverick?” she called, meekly when he didn’t move. “Can I talk to you?”

“You need to sleep, Bell,” he replied, not looking at her or turning.

“I’m not tired,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can tell you aren’t, either.”

Maverick sighed and turned onto his back to prop himself on his elbows as she smiled at him.

“Alright, Bell, you win,” he smirked. “What do you wanna talk about?”

Before she answered, she touched right hand, the one closest to her and asked, “How are your fingers?”

Maverick frowned and lifted his hand to examine it as he sat up, fully.

“I haven’t felt a thing,” he admitted. “Joshua took a look at them after taking care of you. He said you did a good job splinting them.”

Isabella smiled and blushed as he smirked at her and he couldn’t resist brushing a strand of her hair from her face as he looked at her.

“Maverick?”

“Hm?”

“B-Back in the cave, when you told your father you missed him, you sounded like you were ready to---”

She cut herself off, wondering if she should even show her concern or ask about it, but Maverick’s interest was piqued.

“Ready to what, Bell?” he asked with a slight frown, his fingers still playing with her hair.

“You sounded ready to cry,” she mumbled, hesitantly and when Maverick straightened slightly she asked, “Did he mean that much to you?”

Maverick sighed and flopped back onto the mattress, his left hand cradling his head, his right hand on his stomach.

“I was only two when my mother was taken by the Darkness,” he explained, staring at the ceiling. “Ten when my father was. He’d saved me from being killed by my own mother. I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been for him. Losing someone he loved, frightened at the Darkness within himself and raising me. I could see him fighting it, but I was too young to understand what it was. He tried so hard to keep me happy. By the time I was ten, he was worn out. We were happy, though.”

Isabella sniffled and Maverick looked at her with wide eyes as she rubbed tears away from hers.

“I’m sorry,” she shuddered. “It’s just so sad.”

“Well, yeah,” Maverick shrugged, sitting up again. “But I turned out ok. See? I’m still human.” He took her hand from her face and placed it over his heart without thinking. “See?”

Isabella stared her watery, golden eyes at him in surprise. He suddenly realized what he was doing but instead of pulling away, he stared into her eyes, watching for her reaction. She only gave a small smile and he responded with a small frown.

“Your heart is beating a little fast, Maverick,” she murmured, still smiling. He swallowed and laughed, nervously as he pulled his hand from hers which stayed on his chest, but she ran her hand up and around his neck, along with the other. Their eyes never looked away from the other’s as she scooted closer, her smile never wavering as she whispered, “It’s ok. M-Mine is, too.”

Maverick sighed at how cute she had said that, and how she looked and couldn’t help the smirk that came to his lips as he said, “Ya know, I was really ticked that we didn’t get to finish that kiss.”

Isabella blushed but shrugged her shoulders cutely with a smile on her lips. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek but he frowned in confusion when she pulled away.

“Hey!” he chuckled and pulled her back as she giggled, planting his lips to hers. He pulled her back so hard they fell back but she just giggled again as they still kissed and she kicked her legs in delight while they did. She pulled away from the lip-lock and they both smiled in satisfaction.

“I wanted a real kiss,” Maverick smirked.

“So did I,” she confessed in a smile. “Time to get some rest.”

“Yeah,” he sighed and couldn’t help but ask, “Wanna stay with me tonight?”

“Maverick!” Isabella laughed with a blush and smacked him playfully on the chest. “You’re so wicked!”

“What?!” he laughed, nervously then realized what she was thinking. “No! I don’t mean…that, just…I don’t know… Just stay here.”

“Oh,” Isabella replied vacantly, her cheeks still red. “W-Well…” She wrung her hands and looked around nervously. “I-I suppose I could. It’s not like we’ll get in trouble and Joshua doesn’t have anymore empty rooms, does he?”

“Nope,” Maverick chirped, not really sure, but not caring. He just wanted Isabella with him. He pulled her closer and she snuggled her head under his chin as they shifted to be comfortable. He couldn’t help it when his hand began running through her hair, slowly and soothingly, Isabella smiled and snuggled closer to him with a sigh.

“Goodnight, Maverick,” she yawned, suddenly tired.

“Goodnight, Bell,” he smiled back.