Knuckles

Summary: Maya is searching for answers when Riley is bullied.

Based on Cassie-the-librarian's prompt.

I thought of putting Cassie's prompt in a story where Riley and Lucas are werewolves while Maya, Farkle and Zay are a group of independent superheroes before deciding that it would:

a) take too long,

b) be too complicated and longer than I intend it to be.

So I separated Cassie's prompt and that idea, which is being written as of posting this. Look out for that.

It happened in the library, near the science-fiction section.

Riley, for what all logic was worth, knew she shouldn't stick her nose where it didn't belong. But with her good heart and oh-so-curious demeanour she couldn't help it. So when she heard a few slight scuffles a few rows behind her, naturally, she had to check what was going on.

"So you think scribbling on my face is funny, huh, Laura?"

"N-no! Please! It wasn't me!" Squirmed the little girl, who was trapped in a vice grip from another girl with beefy arms and a mean, sour face. The big girl had to be at least five feet two - much bigger than an average third grader - while the little girl was just as tall as an eight-year old tot. "That was Kelli, she had the marker and - "

"Well, I caught you near me, and the marker was a few inches away from you," the big girl drawled, lifting a kicking Laura higher and higher, "Just so you know, I don't like it when people draw rainbows and bumblebees on my face. I also don't like it when little runts like you -" She scrunched her eyes to meet Laura's terrified ones. "try and hit me just to get even after I pushed you off the slide last week. You'll never, ever match up to me! You understand, punk?!"

"Y-yes, Brianna!" Laura winced as Brianna's hand tightened around the collar of her shirt. "Yes, I understand!"

"Good. Now, about getting even…" Laura choked back a sob and closed her eyes as Brianna made a fist.

And that was when Riley decided to do something noble. Also, dumb? Yeah. Probably.

"Hey!"

Brianna and Laura looked around, startled by the sudden noise. Brianna scowled as she saw a little eight year old Riley standing beside the bookshelf that hid them from the empty library. Riley's hands were in fists - partly to look at least a bit intimidating, partly to disguise her trembling hands - and her eyes shone in determination. "Let her down, Brianna."

"You," She spat. "You should know better than to interfere with things that aren't your business, missy."

"You can't just hit a third grader. It's just not right!"

"'Just not right'?" Brianna scoffed. "Who are you to judge?" There was an oof from Laura as she was dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Riley trembled from her spot as Brianna loomed closer. Seriously, it wasn't nice to see a giant bully leer over you with an evil glint in their eyes.

"She hit me first. Now you can take her punishment for her!" She shoved Riley roughly to a cart of books that was parked near a pile of big encyclopedias. One of the books from the stack fell and hit her eye with the tip of it's spine. Riley cried out in pain, and her vision went black.

When her vision cleared, the first thing Riley noticed was pain, and lots of it. She gasped and clutched her left eye, which caused her to hiss as her palm grazed over the sore mark right below her eye. She tried to stand up, but her knees gave way and she collapsed atop a pile of geography books. There she lied, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Oh, gosh, are you okay?" Came a soft voice beside her. Laura opened a bleary eye to see the same girl being bullied earlier - Laura, she thought - kneel beside her, looking worried and scared and grasping Riley's shoulders and trying to bring her to a sitting position.

"Ouch, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Came the response, "My arm hurts. Be careful!"

"Sorry!" Laura squeaked. It took a few more tries, but she was able to get Riley to stand at last. "Oh, no, you've got a black eye!"

"Yeah, figured as much." Riley said. It must've come out harsher than she intended, because Laura flinched a little. "Sorry, I just… I'm grouchy and all, now that I've got this - " she gestured to her black eye, "and the fact that I know I just did something very stupid which I shouldn't have done in the first place."

"Yeah, about that; I thought it was brave, what you did, but it was dumb."

Riley snorted. "Glad someone agrees too."

"But! You shouldn't have done it."

Riley looked shocked. "What? Don't be stupid!"

"You heard me. I could take care of myself!"

Riley huffed indignantly. "Well, excuse me, since it seemed like you were about to get the lights punched out of you, Ms. I-Can-Take-Care-of-Myself!"

Laura sighed. "No, no, no, what I meant is that I've taken care of Brianna myself before-"

"-And you thought you can do so again this time?"

"Something like that?" She said. "I'm sorry if I sound so insensitive, I mean, you did get her to stop from hitting me, and you're all bruised and stuff, and it's just that no one's ever did that to me before." She finished.

Riley huffed again. "Well, before you start with the thank you's and stuff, how about getting me patched up? These bruises won't take care of themselves, you know."

"Right, right. Follow me." Laura held out her hand for Riley to hold, and she didn't withdraw it even when Riley didn't take it. "I'll take care of it."

A few hours and two cups of cocoa later, Riley found herself walking home to their apartment a few blocks away from the school. She still had the little bruises on her back and arms, though they didn't seem to ache as much anymore.

The last few hours with Laura were… interesting. After the library incident, she took Riley to the girls' bathroom and tended to Riley's bruises and black eye. They chatted about stuff like homework and nasty teachers and gross kids and toys and bullies. You know, stuff kids talk about all the time.

She put makeup to disguise the black eye, and how a third-grader managed to put makeup so professionally Riley didn't know.

"We better put makeup on the other eye, too, just in case," Laura told her through a mouth of cocoa marshmallows.

And that was how Riley ended up with a face as glamorous and full of makeup like the divas on TV.

The apartment was warm and cozy. Cory and Topanga were in the kitchen, discussing birthday plans for Riley's upcoming birthday while Maya ate cookies and listened (the good thing? Even though she was absent that day, Maya was granted pardon because she helped the Matthews with their plans).

She turned around at the sound of the door opening and closing. "Hey, so - Rley, what the heck is that on your face?!"

Cory and Topanga jumped at the outburst before Cory screamed, too. "RILEY MATTHEWS YOU ARE TAKING THAT MAKEUP OFF YOUR FACE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

"Calm down!" Topanga shushed her husband. She got a face towel and walked over to Riley.

"Mom, no! I- urghgeterwopmi,"

"There! All cleaned up and Riley, is that a black eye?!" Topanga said. "What happened?!"

"Mom, it's alright. I just fell, s'all," Riley said. She felt horrible lying to her parents, but hey, there was a bit of truth to her excuse. Judging from Maya and Cory's expressions, she's sure that they don't believe her as well.

"You fell," Cory repeated.

"Yeah,"

"And that gave you a black eye?"

"Cory!" Topanga hissed.

"What? I've heard weirder excuses before." Which was true, given that he is a high school teacher for two years in the running and all.

Topanga sighed. "Never mind your father, dear," She said. "But really, did a li'l ol' fall give you that shiner?"

Riley nodded.

"Something must've hit you in the eye for that to happen," Topanga mused. Riley nodded again. Well, at least that part was true, too.

"Well, come on, let's get you washed and cleaned." She started to steer a reluctant Riley in the direction of the bathroom, but Maya came in between them and took Riley's arm instead.

"I'll do it!" She said, a little too enthusiastically for Riley's liking.

Topanga pulled back, albeit reluctantly. "Well, okay then, Maya dear. Just be careful. Alright, girls?"

"Got it, Mrs. Matthews!"

Riley swore she heard her dad say, "That was the best thing she could think of? Seriously?" as she was dragged to her bedroom.

"What really happened out there, Riley?" Maya said as soon as she locked Riley's bedroom's door. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, trying to look intimidating and all which would've worked except Maya had slightly levelled a tooth skateboarding so she looked like a grumpy chipmunk.

Riley sighed. "I- "

"Don't give me that 'I fell' nonsense," Maya said. "Who did this to you? And seriously, you let someone put makeup on you? You never even let me do that!" Riley knew she should feel slightly guilty at the hurt in Maya's voice, but she found herself getting a bit too annoyed to care.

"Fine. I was shoved into a bookcase, and I fell, then a book hit me in the eye. Happy?"

"You were shoved? Who did this?" Maya's voice was strained, so Riley knew that she was really angry. "Was it Decker? 'Cos I swear when I see him again, I'll- "

"God, no, it's not Decker," Riley sighed.

"Was it that weird Minkus kid?"

"No; He wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Maya scoffed. "You never know," She said. Walking over to Riley's bay window, she sat down and patted the spot beside her, but Riley didn't move. She sighed. "Riles, look, this might be getting annoying for you, but-"

"What do you care?"

"I care because you're my best friend. I love you. Your parents care about you, and I wish mine were the same. You know I'd do anything to protect you."

A sigh. "I know."

"But I won't really be able to do anything if I don't know what's happening here."

"I know," Riley hugged herself. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," She whispered.

Maya patted the space beside her. Riley slowly walked over and sank into the cushions, wariness coming over her like a blanket. "I'm just afraid that one day you'll get hurt, and I don't want that to happen," She whispered to Maya.

"Shh," Maya put her arms around Riley, rubbing comforting circles around her back. "I can watch myself, Riles. But it's you I'm worried about."

"Why? Why always me?"

"Cause, like I said, you're my best friend. For like, forever. I'll watch your back, and you've got mine," She said. "How else would you explain you talking us out of trouble when I do something stupid, or me looking out for you when there's a bully around?"

Riley giggled a bit, but quickly sobered. "But I can take care of myself," She said.

"Mm-hmm," Maya mused. "That explains why you've got a black eye and a bruise on your left arm."

"Heavy books, their fault," Riley grumbled.

Maya looked at her intently, as if studying her. It was silent for a while, until she spoke. "You're not gonna tell me who it is, are you?"

"No, I just wanna lie down and rest," Riley yawned. "But promise, you can catch her tomorrow at school."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise." They flexed their pinkies.

Maya sighed and stood up. Rile went to her bed, snuggling into her blankets for an afternoon nap. After a few minutes of staring at her back, Maya moved to the door to let herself out.

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay with me?"

Maya smiled and moved to the space on the bed beside Riley. There they just lied down beside each other in comfortable silence.

"Maya, what you said about having each other's backs… Did you mean that?"

"Of course I did. I would be really, really sad to see you hurt," Maya said.

Riley whispered. "I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. That was mean."

"You have nothing to apologise about," Maya cooed. "It happens to the best of us. But I swear, when I find out who did this to you, he'll pay."

"Violence isn't always the answer, Maya."

"Yeah, but you gotta do what you gotta do, especially if it's to people who hurt my Riley who was trying to be the shining armour knight thing to help some poor kid."

Riley frowned. "You knew?"

"I'm not that dumb, pumpkin."

"I didn't say that," Riley said. "But it would've saved us some time when you were interro- uh, integrro- ugh. When you were talking to me."

"Well, I just needed to know how you got that black eye, then I put together the puzzle pieces which was easier thanks to your habit of helping people even when you shouldn't."

Riley giggled. "Okay then, genius," She said. "I love you, Maya."

"I love you too, Riley." Maya answered. "Now go nap or something."

Riley smiled, listening to the beat of Maya's heart as she lay on her shoulder, warmth filling her from the arms that were hugging her. In a few minutes, they were both asleep.