You Don't Have To Go
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Summary: One-shot. During the six-weeks of quarantine, Shawn and Maia get to know each other.
A/n: I decided (since I still have two hours before we leave) that I am going to write a 4400 one-shot featuring our favorite "Shawn Farrell" and "Maia Rutledge" for a short one-shot on quarantine life. This is before the televisions were installed, just pretend.
This could be part of "Guiding Light" where Shawn talks about being 'fond' of Maia. Just a little bit of 'little sister' fluff.
Disclaimer: The 4400 belongs to USA… I'm not rich…
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Shawn Farrell sat there, very confused. He didn't understand what was going on. They were being told nothing. He just wished that someone would show up and tell him and everyone else what the hell was going on.
Slowly, the teen began pacing, trying to remember the last thing he remembered before just… appearing in the middle of a freaking lake with a whole bunch of people that he didn't know.
"Hello," a voice said, interrupting his thoughts. Shawn looked down at a little girl. She couldn't have been more than eight.
"Hey," he said, not quite sure of how to take it. The last person he had seen eight was Danny. And Danny was a different story. He was worried about Danny. His little brother. Who looked up to him and treated him as a God. Him and Kyle. Oh gee, Kyle. What the hell had happened to Kyle?
"He's in no better shape than you are…" the girl answered.
Kyle looked down at the girl. "What?"
"You're friend. He lost time too, like the rest of us…" she replied.
"What are you talking about?" Shawn asked, kneeling down so that he was at eye-level with the girl.
"We all lost time. All of us here."
"You know what is going on?" Shawn asked her, disbelief in his voice.
"No," she smiled.
"Then what are you talking about?" Shawn asked.
The girl shrugged. "I'm Maia," she smiled, sitting down on one of the chairs. Shawn followed her and sat down next to her.
"Shawn…" he said, not quite sure of how to react to the younger girl. She was certainly creepy.
"So where are you from?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
"Highland Beach, Washington, where are you from?" he asked. He figured he'd five in to the girl's questions. They were going to be stuck there for a much longer time, how long Shawn wasn't sure of.
"Crescent City, California. 1946…"
"1946?" Shawn said, shocked.
"Yeah, that was the last date I remember. "March 3rd… 1946. Now I'm here," she smiled. The girl had a sweet smile. "So what happened to you? Everyone has a story…"
Shawn shrugged. He didn't want to relive it, but as he talked to the little girl, he relived the moment in his mind.
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Shawn and Kyle were sitting at the beach, drinking beer. "You need to slow down, cuz!" Shawn said with a chuckle. "I'm not driving back into town for another six pack!"
His cousin looked at him with a smile. "You're just afraid my Dad will kick your ass if I come home smelling like beer!"
"Evil cousin Shawn, that's me! Corruptor of the innocent," Shawn laughed as the two of them clinked their beer bottles together.
They were both far too young to be drinking, being only seventeen, but they didn't care!
"That next door neighbor of yours, what's her name? She seems ready for some corruption," Kyle said with a sly, evil smile.
"You mean Nikki?" Shawn asked, holding back a disgusted sound. "She's 14, Kyle," he said, making sure that Kyle realized that.
"14?" he asked, sounding shocked.
"Mmmm-hmmm…" Shawn said.
"Mmmm-hmmm…" Kyle responded.
Suddenly a bright light appears and the next thing Shawn remembered was being in the middle of the same lake, with thousands of people he didn't know.
Where the hell was Kyle? What the hell had happened?
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"Kyle's sleeping," Maia said quietly.
"What?" Shawn asked.
"He's sleeping…"
"How do you know that?"
The girl shrugged. "I don't know, I just do. He's going to be all right though; you're going to help him."
Shawn blinked quite a few times. He didn't understand how this little girl would know so much, and never had met him before.
But she was so sweet when she said those creepy things. Like she was a possessed doll or something.
"I am?" Shawn asked again.
"Yes," she nodded.
"Okay…" Shawn nodded in return, not quite sure whether to believe the girl or just pass her off as being some crazy little kid.
But it was the way that she said it, that she wanted to help. She was so sweet about everything. Always smiling. Always nice.
Shawn hadn't really gotten to know anybody, and Maia seemed nice.
"So, what's your story?"
"I was picking flowers, it was raining, and suddenly, I was in the same position you were in," she said simply. "But what happened in the past doesn't really matter much anymore. The future is what is going to matter the most…"
"Ooohh-kay…" Shawn said, not really freaked out. The girl was what, eight? She shouldn't be talking like this. She should be… playing with Barbies or something.
"You don't believe me, do you?" she asked sadly.
"I… I never said that," Shawn said quickly. "You're just… scaring me a little bit."
"I never meant to scare you," she said quietly. "I'll go now…"
"You don't have to go," Shawn said slowly. "I mean I think you're the closest person to my age around here. How sad is that?" he laughed.
"Oh," Maia said quietly.
"Other than the fact that you're kinda creepy, you're pretty cool," Shawn said.
"Thanks," Maia said smiling. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Shawn Farrell, please report to Interview Booth 7…"
"I'll be back, okay…"
"I know you will," Maia said quietly as Shawn walked away.
She liked Shawn. At least Shawn was nice to her, unlike a lot of the other people she tried to talk to. Maybe they could be friends, even if he was old…
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Fin.
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A/n: Just a sweet little one-shot to pass the time.
Tell me what you thought!