Courage
By Anya
Disclaimer: I wish. I really do.
A/N: One of the little random one shots I have written to get my creativity flowing.
xxx… Lock Me Up And Throw Away The Key, As Long As You're Here With Me …xxx
A low murmur sounded on the edges of his hearing. He tossed and turned, not quite escaping the once awful memories that only ever plagued him in his sleep. Ever since he had found the group of six teenagers to become his best friends, everything had changed. He no longer woke screaming. He had learned the value of loyalty and trust.
He had also learned fear.
Never before had the previously troubled teenager felt fear. He had felt muted emotions, nothing more. His father had beaten that out of him at an early age. At that time, he didn't even care about the pain for himself anymore. He still didn't care what happened to him.
In almost destroying him, his father had given him a weapon. Strength.
Archie feared nothing. He never had.
Until he had met the beautiful and reckless red head Atlanta. She made him feel more than he could ever imagine possible. But mostly, he felt fear. He no longer woke up thinking his father was about to kill him. He awoke wondering whether or not the one thing he cared about was safe.
So when Archie was woken from his light sleep to discover that someone was phoning his PMR, he panicked slightly. Almost flinging himself from his bed, Archie snatched the device up, answering it in one fluid motion.
"Hello?"
A thin voice came from the earpiece, and Archie felt sick dread claw its way up his stomach and rest unsettling close to his heart. "Archie?"
He had never heard Atlanta so close to tears. Fury ripped through him, replacing the dread. He threw his gaze towards his digital clock, seeing it was almost three.
"Atlanta? Why are you phoning me at three in the morning?" He asked calmly, despite the barely concealed panic.
A delicate sniff sounded from the other end, "I didn't know who to call. And you're my best friend so I was hoping-"
Her sentence was being drowned out by some incoherent screaming in the background, Atlanta shouted back, but her words were lost in the overpowering din of noise. Archie heard a large crash from Atlanta end and he bounced out of bed, racing to where Atlanta should be sleeping. She was not in her bed.
He sprinted to his bike, his ear glued to his phone as he snatched his keys and hopped on his bike.
Finally a sob broke through the phone line. Archie felt his vision go red. Whoever was making Atlanta cry was going to pay.
"Archie, could you just come pick me up. Please?"
Archie almost hated the sound of her broken begging more than her crying.
"I'm already on my way; I just need to know where you are."
Dead silence filled the line and Archie thought he had lost connection, but just when he was about to hang up, Atlanta's voice echoed through the phone once again.
"New Olympia Jail."
Archie cursed, and dug in his backpack he had grabbed before he left. The small box was still at the bottom.
"I'm going to be there right away, start packing up." Archie ordered.
"But Archie, my bail-"
He interrupted her midway through her protest, "Doesn't matter, I have it. Just pack up, I will be there in ten minutes."
Archie hung up his phone, racing off on his bike, beating the speed limit by thirty in every area. The drive to the jail only took five minutes. He parked the blue bike and practically sprinted full force into the building. He reached the deserted front desk and stopped dead, ringing the small silver bell like a maniac.
A balding chubby man whose crooked nametag said Wallace shushed him. He grumbled and waddled over to where Archie was tapping his fingers on the counter.
Wallace practically growled at him, "Why are you here young man? You realize we have a curfew for those under eighteen."
Archie seriously debated on attacking the man where he stood, but knowing that wouldn't help either him or Atlanta he restrained himself and his rage.
"I am Archie Killes, here to pick up Atlanta." He snapped.
Wallace lifted an extremely bushy eyebrow, "We were not informed that either Atlanta Gregory or Atlanta Killes would be leaving us tonight, and even if we were, her bail is one thousand dollars."
Archie raised an eyebrow to match the old man, keeping his outward appearance completely stoic and calm. Inside he was wondering why Atlanta would use his name instead of her own, and why her bail was so high.
"Atlanta Killes will be coming with me tonight; here is one thousand dollars in cash. Please bring her out." Archie demanded quietly, letting a portion of his anger seep into his cobalt eyes.
Wallace eyed the wad of bills in Archie's fist hungrily and quickly called another guard. Archie refused to hand the money to Wallace until Atlanta was within sight.
"So, why are you here? Picking up your sister? Do your parents know? I have the right to call them you know, the curfew starts at one." Wallace threatened. Archie grinned savagely.
"Actually I am picking up my best friend. And no my parents do not know, and you are welcome to call them if you want, but if my father wants to visit, please don't give him the address. Considering my father is in jail and I am the one who put him there, He wants blood, so to speak. As for my mother, she is the reason he went to jail."
Wallace let his jaw drop slightly, and Archie smugly set the money on the table, seeing some flaming red hair out of his peripheral vision. He turned to the gate, which had a metal detector around it. Waiting was more than torture for Archie. He couldn't stand knowing Atlanta was scared, and something as stupid as some rules people decided on keeping him from her.
But when she finally turned and saw him, he felt his jaw drop and his vision go red. Happiness at seeing her beautiful face was overcome by murderous rage at the lurid bruises that covered that face and the arm that was exposed. He took a step forward, unsure whether it was to kill someone, or collapse.
Atlanta however answered the problem for him when she raced away from the guard who had let go of her for an instant and threw herself into Archie. He wrapped his arms around her gratefully, trying to control the almost incapacitating emotions whirling around in him.
"I'm so glad you're okay, I was frightened. I don't know what I would do without you." He whispered in her ear. He felt her sag in relief against him, and he finally realized that he had come so close to telling her his real feelings. He pulled away awkwardly, and she did the same. They were eyeing each other, wondering who was going to call the other one out. When neither of them said a thing, they both turned to look at the guard, who was watching them suspiciously.
Archie, feeling rebellion and something akin to cautious happiness burble up in him, reached over and connected his large hand with Atlanta's smaller calloused one. For a second she tightened her grip, as if to pull her hand away, but almost instantly after that, her grip relaxed and she held his hand calmly.
"Can I take her home now?" Archie asked venomously. Atlanta wondered how her Archie could be so cruel and dangerous looking. He was dangerous, but never to her. And he had never looked so angry or deadly with her.
Nor had he ever pierced her with his blue raptor glare that screamed he wanted blood, and he wanted it now.
Atlanta swayed lightly as she watched the guard who had handled her so roughly blanch.
"Yes, you may take her if the bail is covered. We will be watching out for you Miss Atlanta Killes." The guard growled threateningly. Archie tugged Atlanta out the door, stopping only once to stare straight back at the guard.
In a voice so low, only the guard could ever hear him, Archie muttered, "Don't ever touch her again."
"Are you threatening me?" The guard wondered, somewhat unnerved and surprised.
"No, if I was threatening you, I would have said, 'Touch her again and I will make you wish you became a nun instead of a cop.' Instead, I just told you not to touch her." Archie explained, his smile basically a snarl. "Have a nice night with your wife sir."
Archie continued walking out the door, glancing back only once to see the man spinning the ring on his finger. He wouldn't sleep tonight.
Archie turned his attention away from the worthless guard and back to his bruised and silent Atlanta. She eyed him with amusement, and something akin to caution in her face. Archie breathed deeply, his anger mostly gone as he watched her. He wondered if he had frightened her. He hoped not, he didn't want her to be afraid of him, ever.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He laughed quickly.
"I should be asking you that!" He said, his free hand raised to brush against the purple and blue bruises on her face.
She scrunched her eyebrows as she frowned, "That was the worst jail I have ever had the extremely bad luck to visit."
Archie let his jaw loosen lightly, some of his anxiety dissipating.
"Let's go home. Then you have to explain what happened to me. I don't care if you don't tell Jay or Theresa or whatever, but I want you to tell me, because I picked you up. Then we have to sleep because we have school in… hmm, well about two and a half hours."
"I am not going to school. Jay can scold and cry all he wants, but I refuse to leave the brownstone when it looks like I got beaten up." Atlanta stated determinedly. "But I will tell you what's going on."
Archie almost laughed as he got on his bike. It was just like Atlanta to not go to school because people thought she actually lost something. She would die before losing if she could help it. He put on his helmet, and kicked up the stand, holding the bike steady for his red head.
He glanced at her as she was about to get on the bike. She was wearing one of her short sleeved shirts. He couldn't let her go on his bike with no covering when it was such a cold night.
"Wait, I have something for you." He stopped her with his hand. Digging in the small backpack that had carried her bail, he pulled out one of his blue sweaters (A/N: I have this weird obsession with her wearing his sweater don't I? Haha.). He handed it to her and she put it on gratefully.
"Thanks Arch." She replied. He nodded and motioned for her to get on the bike. She sat down and put on her red helmet, setting her feet on her ledge and putting her arms on his sides. This was how they always rode his bike, and Archie started his motor, and accelerated.
They sped through the streets, just under the limit, in case there were cops around. Archie wasn't about to send Atlanta back to jail. It was just beside the park that the two always ran in that Atlanta leaned her head forward so it rested on his back. She let her arms wrap around him and connect together on his stomach. Archie almost lost control of his bike.
With her shielded behind his back, Archie increased his speed slightly, flipping down his visor. He didn't want any bugs to get in his eyes at this point.
He pulled to a stop behind the brownstone, kicking down his stand. Atlanta didn't move. He pulled her hands apart lightly and turned around to discover she had fallen asleep against him. He marveled at the bravery of sleeping on a high speed bike that the god Hephaestus had tuned up.
Archie pulled her helmet off of her, and as she blinked at him with her sleepy eyes, he lifted her. He walked to the door and let the hand under Atlanta's back open it. She barely even moved, half asleep. He kicked off his shoes and trudged up the stairs to Atlanta's room.
He nudged open the door that hadn't been fully closed from before. Laying down the yawning woman, he sat beside her.
"It's okay Lanta. It's been a long night, tell me your story tomorrow. I'll skip with you. Have a good sleep." He whispered, tugging her covers to her neck and tucking her in.
She opened her tired eyes and smiled softly at him. Archie could have sworn that his heart stopped for an instant. He leaned down and hugged her, unsure where his bravery was coming from tonight. He decided it was the fright of what could have happened.
"Don't scare me like that anymore, kay?" He murmured. He pulled away and grinned at her barely open eyes.
"Promise. Thanks Archie." She whispered, her eyes finally sliding into full sleep mode. Archie watched her silently, memorizing the way her chest rose and fell with her soft breaths, and the way her eyelids flickered, as though she watched unseen lands from her sleep. Her lips were so soft and moist, despite the bruises that covered her cheeks.
Before Archie could register the stupidity of his actions, he leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you," exited his lips, leaving his feelings open in the air.
Archie sighed at the way he always postponed revealing his feeling so late that he lost his chance. Slipping from her room, Archie shut her door, and went downstairs, moping on the couch.
He wondered if the guard he threatened was sleeping. Maybe he was. Archie sighed. He sat in the darkness, on the couch. It was probably close to five in the morning, and Theresa would be waking any minute now. Archie lay on the couch, closing his eyes, trying to sleep. He couldn't.
Hearing a noise, Archie sat straight up, hoping for a moment it would be Atlanta. But seconds later, Jay walked into the meager light the rising sun was offering. He looked disheveled and exhausted, and almost panicked.
"Jay?" Archie whispered, "What are you doing up?"
Jay rubbed his eyes, as if trying to convince himself Archie was real. He yawned and groaned softly.
"I could ask you the same thing, but it is kind of a pointless question. I had a bad dream and couldn't sleep anymore." Jay responded, flopping onto the couch like a teenager. Archie marveled that this was the most Jay had ever acted his age or been so relaxed.
"What kind of bad dream?" Archie found himself asking, eager to keep Jay so young.
But Archie's hopes backfired as Jay's eyes slightly glazed over. His muscles tensed for an instant and then the normal Jay was back. He looked straight into Archie's cobalt eyes and Archie almost wanted to disappear. This was the most intense gaze Archie had ever seen.
"If you had to choose your morals or Atlanta's life, what would you pick? I mean, if you knew she was in danger, and you had to let go of something important to save her, would you do it?" Jay asked in a calm voice, but his flickering intense eyes betrayed his supposed composed attitude.
Archie thought for a moment about his question, surprised that Jay would ask such an intimate thing. But he knew the answer before he had even pondered it.
"Well, when it comes to Atlanta, I have no morals. But if it was one of her morals, and she would rather die than betray it then I would listen to her. Even if it killed me. But if I knew she was in danger, I would do anything to save her."
Jay sighed, as if Archie had just giving him the answer to life. He flopped back down, becoming your average teen again. Archie raised his eyebrow in wonder.
"Would you choose capturing Cronus, or losing that maybe once in a lifetime chance to save her?" Jay questioned, his voice barely above the quietest whisper.
Archie glanced sharply at Jay, and the sudden realization of why he was doing this struck him. Why he was fighting Cronus. It wasn't for the world, or the gods or his parents. He was fighting for them as well of course, but the main reason he fought Cronus was for Theresa.
"Jay, there will always be more chances to capture Cronus, and knowing Theresa, she would want you to capture him. But I know that you would rescue her first. It is just the way it works when you love someone. Either way, you will always do what needs to be done." Archie answered quietly, smiling reassuringly at him.
Jay looked down, suddenly embarrassed. "Thanks Archie. I was hoping that was what you would say."
"No problem Jay. But Atlanta and I aren't going to school. Just so you know." Archie informed him. Jay turned to him sharply, about to berate him about skipping school without a legible reason. But before he could finish the sentence Jay shrugged.
"Alright Arch. Have fun, relax. Tell her you love her to." Jay conceded, smirking at his quick comeback. Archie scowled at him.
"Take your own advice hypocrite." Archie grumbled, and waved him off. Jay grinned and shuffled back up the stairs, maybe hoping to get another half and hour sleep before he absolutely had to wake up.
Archie lay down on the couch and sighed, staring at the blank white ceiling. He imagined images in the stucco, but when Pan and Atlanta started forming he flipped towards the couch cushions and muttered something about stupid half goats.
Atlanta sat on the stairs, considering the words he had just said. She had awoken shortly after he left her room, the presence of Archie dissipating along with her sense of comfort and safety. She always felt safer when the dork was around, but she would never tell him so.
Walking out to where Archie was glaring into the couch cushions, she sat down beside him.
"Jay go away." Archie hissed, anger and frustration seeping into the words.
Atlanta took a deep breath.
"I'd do anything to save you too Arch. Because I need you. Because you're my best friend. And the closest thing I have to a family since my parents died." She murmured, wondering if he could even hear her at her current volume.
Archie flipped over again, his half asleep haze clearing when he realized that the words he had heard had been spoken by Atlanta, sitting near his feet, turned away from him.
Atlanta felt Archie sit up, her back coming dangerously close to his stomach. If she only leaned back a few inches, she would be leaning on him.
Closer than she had ever imagined.
Dangerously, Desperately Close.
Too close.
Atlanta stood up, preparing to run away like the coward she always was when someone got too close to her. But A strong hand gripped her wrist and made her turn around.
"What did you say?" He wondered, his voice soft.
Atlanta swallowed. "Let me go, I… I just want to g-go." She stuttered, trying to pull away from him.
He tightened his grip to a painful amount and Atlanta gasped. "Your hurting me Archie."
He instantly let go, as though she had slapped him. He was beside her in an instant, his eyes averted, but his body still close.
"I'm sorry, are you okay?" He whispered.
Atlanta rubbed her wrist, but nodded, knowing that he may not be looking at her, but was very aware of her.
"What did you say Atlanta?"
She turned to him, her eyes blazing, for once in her life ready to be bold and trusting. She leaned forward, ready to become even closer, and he looked at her, his arms already about to connect with her waist to pull her those frustratingly few inches nearer.
"I said that-" She started, her voice still quiet, but her tone brave and strong.
"Good Morning everyone!" Theresa's voice rang from the stairs, marking her descent into Atlanta and Archie's private bubble.
Atlanta felt her bravery shrink away, and knew she would never have the chance to do this again.
"I said thanks for coming for me Archie." She finished, pulling away from him.
Theresa waved at them, "You're up early!"
She didn't stop long enough to notice that Atlanta wouldn't turn to her with her bruises and such. Theresa just kept going.
"I'm going upstairs, the bruises you know." She informed him, dashing up the stairs, wishing Theresa would have just waited ten more seconds.
She slipped under her bedcovers and attempted not to throw everything in her reach against walls. The memory of Archie's heroism was already failing.
She had seen him from the guard's grip, everything about him representing safety and protection. Even his green pajama pants had been a comforting sight, his messed up purple hair calming.
And she had known that she loved him, as she had always known that she loved him. But tonight she had been reminded as to why she had fallen in love with the dork.
He would always come for her, no matter what. And he knew it too, and he had told Jay so.
She wished Theresa had hesitated.
She wished Archie had moved faster.
More than anything Atlanta wished she wasn't a coward.
And she wished she would have just kissed the damn fool.
Atlanta sighed, reminding herself that she was an idiot.
About half an hour later, the door slammed, and Atlanta knew that all her friends had gone to school. Probably even Archie, even though he said he would skip with her. He was probably disgusted by her cowardice.
But only fifteen minutes after that her door opened.
Archie walked in, sat on her bed and waited for her to look at him. Atlanta counted to ten, but he was not leaving, so she turned to look at him, her back flat and him looming above her.
"Yes?" She said, not caring if her voice was loud since they were alone.
"I want to know what you really said, and then I want you to finish what you started." He demanded, his cerulean eyes blazing with something Atlanta couldn't distinguish. It wasn't the anger he had displayed earlier this night, but it wasn't happiness either. It was just a fire full of heat and passion and maybe something more, something softer.
Like love.
"I said that I would always come for you too no matter what it took. And I said I needed you. And I said you were my best friend and the closest thing I had to a family since my parents died." She explained, her face heating and her eyes trained on the roof.
Archie leaned farther over, blocking the view of the ceiling. She swallowed hard.
But instead of kissing her like it appeared he was going to, he just lay down beside her.
Atlanta breathed softly, trying to get her heart to stop beating so fast. She turned on her side to watch his chest rise and fall. It was the most peaceful and intimate moment of her life and Atlanta wondered if something would interrupt this one.
Nothing came.
So Atlanta recalled the fact that she was one of the world's saviors and had been in more jails than she could recall. Compared to the beating the guard had given her tonight, this would be easy.
She leaned over him and noticed that she wasn't the only one who seemed nervous.
"You don't have to Atlanta." He murmured, "It won't hurt me. You will always be my best friend, no matter what happens."
Atlanta frowned at him, "I always finish what I start Archie."
So she leaned down and kissed him, softly and inexperienced. He pulled her down, his arms wrapping around her, his kisses nothing like Pan's. Archie's were soft and gentle, but demanding. Pan was more, hard and insistent. Not bad, but different.
Fireworks didn't go off, but Atlanta knew that something had changed, gone off in her and perhaps in him too. She pulled away and stared at him, trying to sense a change in him.
She found it in his hands.
Instead of holding her to him, he was just holding her. He was not trying to keep her with him, like before when he had grabbed her wrist. He was more trusting. He knew she was with him by her own free will.
So she laid her head on his chest and wondered how this would change the group.
"Our secret?" He whispered, reading her thoughts. She nodded into his chest, and felt him turn to shelter her completely in his arms. Safety consumed her.
She smiled, finally realizing what had changed in her. She was brave and confident with him. And she was letting him see her soft vulnerable side without fearing that he would break her.
"Hey Arch? Have you ever been in jail?" She asked, curiosity evident in her question.
Archie laughed, "Yeah, I went in a few times for stealing things to eat. But they were usually only overnight till I bailed myself out. The worst was when I hit a cop cause he was trying to stop me from getting to my mother."
"Ahh, so that's why when I used your name the officer said that the Killes were a bad bunch." Atlanta realized.
Archie shrugged, "Yeah, you probably would have been better off with your own name."
"No way, if I get one more charge to my own name I have to go to Juvie for a year."
Archie burst out laughing and didn't stop until Atlanta was blushing and furious.
"Oh Atlanta, you can go to jail for multiple reasons but you couldn't kiss me?" He teased.
Atlanta felt chills erupt on her when he said her name and blushed more.
"Excuse me, you have gone to jail too, and I didn't see you kissing me or asking me out!" She exclaimed in her defense.
He stopped laughing abruptly and Atlanta giggled.
"Well, I…I…." he blustered. Atlanta flipped in his arms.
"I need sleep." She breathed and kissed him softly. His anger evaporated and he kissed her back.
He pulled away first this time, and eyed her with suspicion.
"I am never going to win an argument again am I?" He wondered bitterly.
Atlanta laughed, "You never won one to begin with."
He sighed. "Yeah you're right."
She laughed lightly, poor Archie didn't even know what he was in for. There was absolutely nothing he could do that could let him win against her.
"But even if I lose every argument for the rest of my life, at least I get to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world." He muttered in her ear.
Atlanta cursed softly, "Fine, the odds are even again. I'll play fair."
Archie laughed then kissed her neck, making shivers run down her spine and arms.
"Atlanta, I don't like it when you play fair anyway."
xxx…All It Takes Is Some C-C-Courage …xxx
A/N: So random, but whatever, it is a happy-making story (Sorry, I have been reading Uglies). Review please! Love Anya.