I haven't posted on FFN in a long time. Hopefully, this one-shot isn't too bad. Though not many things have been written on Unnatural History, I think it deserves a lot more. Anyway, reviews are highly appreciated.
Summary: When Maggie is accused of stealing one of the museum's artifacts, her father decides to send her to a military academy in Arizona. Jasper doesn't want her to leave. Jaggie
"Maggie Winnock, I can't believe you would do something as vile as this! You've gone to that very elite school for years now; You were prepared to go somewhere!"
Maggie sighed heavily, breathing in and out quickly as she lay on her bed, tears threatening to fall. Not once in her life was she used to something getting so out of control. She was a very precise girl. Her grades were nearly perfect because of how carefully she planned out every move she made.
Now...now she knew what it felt like to have absolutely no control over anything. Her father, for the first time, was yelling at her. He was enraged...easily madder than she'd ever seen him before. He was literally shaking from the fury that was pulsating from him.
She couldn't ever remember being more scared of her father.
"It wasn't me." She whispered, just loud enough for her father to hear her. It wouldn't matter anyway. She couldn't count how many times she's muttered those three words in the last twenty minutes. "I wouldn't do something like that. It's my senior year!"
"All the more reason for you to do it now. You're my daughter, as much as I dread to say that right now. You plan things out. I wouldn't doubt this has been your plan all along." She buried her head deeper into the covers on her bed, flushing in embarrassment as he continuously got louder as he berated her. The neighbors were probably listening to the whole family drama.
After all, the Winnock family never provided much before. They were quiet...a happy family that was quite close to one another. Fights were not something that happened everyday.
"I swear." She whispered, lifting her head as she stared at her father, who was standing just inside her doorway, his cold eyes burning into her. It almost caused the tears she was keeping back so effectively to fall. "I didn't do it!"
My own father doesn't believe me.
Her father took a couple deep breathes, surprised he'd let himself get so wound up. The only way to deal with her, he knew, was by taking drastic measures. "I believe in where the evidence point and that, Maggie, is you."
"I work at the museum...I probably touched that sword daily along with thirty other students. You can't pinpoint it down to me. It's not logical." Logical. That was what everything came down to for her. Legitimacy. She worked so hard to build her life upon such words. This just wasn't...legit. It couldn't be. She was one of the best students; why would they point the blame her way?
"But your fingerprints were all that were found. YOurs." Her father's eyes narrowed, his uniform making him seem all the more terrifying. "You can't falsify the evidence."
Hearing those words made her lose all hope towards her father ever believing her. He had made up his mind. By unspoken law of the Winnock's, it would never change. They were a stubborn family, and for once, Maggie hated that unspoken family law.
Maggie sat up, glaring mildly at her father. A few seconds later, she turned away. She didn't have the heart. Her father was a man of the military. He was used to liars. That was all she was to him now. Another criminal to interrogate. "What's going to happen now?" Or more clearly; What's going to happen to me now?
"Because of your...favorable past at the school and the fact that the sword was found, they do not plan on pressing charges, nor will they be adding any details to your permanent record." She winced at the words. Just because the school didn't plan to do anything didn't mean she was going to get off without any punishment Her father's previous rage clearly showed that particular aspect. "I will not, however, allow you to go back to that school."
A few weeks ago, those words would hurt as much as they did now. What would she do without Henry...without Jasper?
"I'm sending you to an academy in Arizona, Maggie." Her father was halfway out the door by the time he said those awful words, his hands resting casually on her doorknob. "It's a prestigious military academy. You'll do well enough there." Without another word, he was gone, but she couldn't care less.
She was an academic student...the military was the last thing she was interested in and her father knew it quite well. That's why he's sending me there, after all. To torture me.
Maggie couldn't think of a time when she was more angry at her father. First he doesn't believe me, his own daughter. Then he decides to send me away. He's ashamed of me. After all, an important man like him couldn't have a less than perfect daughter. Just getting caught in the middle of this made her a failure.
"Tomorrow." She said to herself, drawing her legs closer to her chest as she did the mental math. "I'll say good-bye to Henry and Jasper." Maggie knew her father. By tomorrow night, she would be packed and on a plane to Arizona.
(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)(~)
"Don't worry, Mags. We know you didn't do it."
Maggie smiled gratefully at her friends. They were at her house. Her father was away for a few hours on business and she couldn't bring herself to face Jasper's father a.k.a the principal. He was the one to get her clear of all those charges they could have put on her, mostly because of Maggie's relationship with his son and nephew.
"Thanks. It's nice to know someone believes me. I know the class...talks and my father...I don't want to talk about him right now."
"So your dad thinks you..." Jasper trailed off. Something in Maggie's eyes told him not to go there.
"Where's Henry?" She was truly curious. It wasn't normal to see jasper without his cousin following faithfully behind him. Sometimes, Henry reminded her of a lost puppy. Of course, that whole viewpoint disappears as soon as he does one of his special abilities from his worldwide travels. "Currently arguing with my father about letting you comme back to school. Really, though. He should let me handle that. His knowledge on baboons and apes isn't going to help that discussion along "
"He shouldn't bother." She muttered, letting her head fall to the table. Why now, of all times, was she losing her nerve to talk to Jasper. "My dad's shipping me off to some military school a thousand miles away."
"Don't go."
Maggie blinked in shock at his demanding tone. Her first thought was to doing the very opposite and throw the words back in his face like she usually did. This might be the last time you see him. Don't do anything stupid. "I have to; it's my dad."
"I know. It's just..." He ran his hand through his hair, nervousness showing up clearly on his face. "I don't want you to leave. We're all friends now. Henry, you, me. We're all a team."
"I can't stop it. It's too late for that. My place leaves in three hours."
Jasper frowned in frustration. "You were framed. Someone has to be responsible. We can find them."
I smiled sadly, noticing for the first time that Henry wasn't the only one with limitless confidence and determination. "Leave it be. It's only for a year or so. I can live with it."
"You shouldn't have to—" Jasper protested.
Maggie did the only thing she knew to get him to shut up. She kissed him. It wasn't a long, fireworks-filled presentation. It was fast...a mere second in time, but it did the job. Jasper face was filled with raw expressions like shed never seen before. "You don't know how long I wanted to do that." She whispered. "I've got to go. Packing and all."
She left him there in her kitchen, frozen as she raced upstairs, closing her door swiftly behind her before she sighed. A smile played across her face.
When her father caame home to escort her to the airport, Jasper was gone. There was no sign of him ever being there, but she knew. Here, in that kitchen, something changed.
Maggie only regretted that she couldn't stay to see how things would go between her and Jasper.
Love? Hate? Feel free to tell me.