The Favor
"Sometimes fate throws you a favor," Hal explained to Matt and his dad while glancing back at Maggie. "We just gotta make sure we're around to catch it."
She caught the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, but it was his eyes that grabbed her attention.
Maybe he'd found a way to come to terms with her past, maybe it was the simple realization that whatever happened in the past didn't matter anymore, or maybe it was the promise of something new and good in Charleston. Whatever it was that changed his mind, she could see in his simple glance that he wasn't giving up on her.
Reunited with his family and finally in Charleston, Hal let out a sigh of relief. Their convoy still stood outside the ruins of the city, the fighters of the 2nd Mass were working to escort the civilians into the capital on foot. They carried in their arms whatever they could—the rest was left to be rounded up in the coming days.
In the midst of all the commotion he'd lost sight of Maggie. The last time he'd seen her she had been helping Dr. Glass and Lourdes unload the med bus.
He'd already taken three trips to the doorstep of their new home—carrying supplies, ammo and whatever else would fit in his arms—but he didn't want to go in without knowing where Maggie was. He spotted Weaver who told him he'd sent Maggie out to do one more sweep of the convoy. Hal offered to track her down and Weaver sent him on his way.
Daylight began to fade as he searched their now abandoned convoy. He walked slowly from vehicle to vehicle, thinking about all she'd told him. They hadn't had much of a chance to talk once they'd been spotted by the Charleston patrol. So much happened so quickly after that, and he knew things between them needed to be resolved.
Now, having had time to fully process everything, he wished he'd reacted differently. To say she caught him off guard would be an understatement. But in the world they live in, the luxury of contemplation was a rare commodity. He couldn't pretend to know why she made the choices she did, but he knew enough now to know that things happen—cancer happens, alien invasions happen—and you have one of two choices: lay down and die or roll with the punches.
He thinks about how he'll soon be turning 18. What would he have done in this post-invasion world if his dad and brothers hadn't been around to guide him—to give him a sense of purpose? Would he have been lucky enough to find the 2nd Mass? To fight the good fight as he'd been doing for the last year? Would he have fallen victim to simple survival—holing up with people like Pope and his gang—doing whatever needed to be done to survive? Would he have survived at all?
Aliens hadn't yet invaded the world when Maggie made her choices, but Hal now knew something of life altering experiences. They have the power to fundamentally change who you are. And despite everything Maggie went through, she survived. She made it through cancer. She made it through drug addiction, jail, withdrawal, pregnancy and the birth and subsequent removal of her son. She made it through the invasion and she made it through her time with Pope. She joined the 2nd Mass and to this day was still fighting by his side.
It still amazed him that out of everyone in their group she chose him. The woman with a spine of steel, sharp shooter instincts, a stare that could pin you down where you stood, and who rarely spoke a word unless necessary, chose to team up with him. Found it somewhere in herself to confide in him—not only the revelations of a past that still haunted her (a past she could have easily neglected to mention to him entirely), but also the admittance that she finds hope in what they have together. She's not just fighting for her survival anymore. He finally gets it—she's fighting for a future. She's fighting for them.
He nears the end of the convoy when he spots her sitting in the back of a pick-up, her legs dangling over the edge. He can't help but smile as he approaches.
When Maggie finished hauling the medical supplies in, Weaver told her to take one last sweep and send along any stragglers. She reached the end of the convoy just as the sun was setting and decided to take a few minutes before heading in.
Hal's quick glance earlier had eased the pain in her chest somewhat, but she was still worried about what he would say when they finally had time to talk. She knows she could have easily gone about her life without telling him anything about her past, but for once, she wanted someone to know. Scratch that. She wanted him to know.
The last time she loved anyone she was left empty handed. And she knew it was her own fault. Her family had tried to make her happy, to make her life as normal as it could be after surviving her ordeal. But she was different, and she didn't know how to handle them. So she did what was easy, she pushed them away.
She didn't want to do that with Hal. And when it came right down to it, she was pretty certain he wouldn't let her. Which was why he deserved to know. If he was going to love her, she wanted him to love all of her.
The warmer air of Charleston couldn't trick the winter sun—darkness was quickly settling in. It was time to go to her new home. Maggie was about to get up when she heard the unmistakable sound of her partner in crime—the sound that could only bring a smile to her face and a small shake to her head.
"Has anyone ever told you you drag your heels when you walk?" she asked without bothering to turn around, her eyes instead turning upward as the first stars began to appear.
She heard him chuckle under his breath as he approached.
"Sorry ma'am," he said as he eased himself down next to her. "My partner told me I need to work on that, guess I had other things on my mind."
He nudged her shoulder with his, and she turned away from the sky, their eyes meeting for the first time since his brief glance hours ago.
She ducked her head, suddenly unsure. She'd put herself on the line and all she could think about was which way the cards would fall. It would be just her luck to end up on her own once again.
"Hey," he whispered, his low tone coaxing her eyes back to his. "I just wanted to say thanks."
This caught Maggie off guard. Her brow furrowed and she stared back at him, confused. That was the last thing she expected him to say.
"I can't imagine how hard it was for you to tell me what you did. But I also know that you didn't have to tell me anything at all." Still holding her stare, his hand reached up and he brushed his thumb along her still bruised cheek. "I just wanted you to know that I'm glad you did."
She closed her eyes and turned her cheek into his palm, relishing in his warmth. "Why?" she asked, once again meeting his eyes—curious as to his change of heart.
He smiled softly as his hand dropped from her face and traced down her arm, his fingers searching for hers. Their eyes both found the sky once again as the stars continued to blink awake.
"Our lives before this one both matter and don't matter," he explained as his hand entwined tightly with hers. "Who we were then isn't necessarily who we are now. Some people choose to remember, some people choose to forget. Some choose to be good, some choose to be bad. Some choose to fight, some to die."
A small tug on her hand brought her eyes back to his. "Maggie you made your choices just like I made mine. And maybe they weren't the best choices, but they were yours. And whatever mistakes you may have made then, you're making up for them now." A hint of a smile ghosted her face as he continued. "I'm glad you told me because I know that we could have lived the rest of our lives without you ever telling me. But it's part of who you are. And I want to know you, all of you—the good and the bad. Because despite what other people choose—I think all of it matters. The before and the after. The then and the now. I want this to be all or nothing. I think we both deserve that."
She shook her head, not believing this man sitting in front of her. Whatever she had hoped for, she never imagined this. She wasn't sure how she got so lucky, but she wasn't going to argue with fate.
When words continued to escape her she did the next best thing. She leaned towards him, and as her lips brushed gently against his she'd never felt happier. Hungry for more he pulled her tight against him, his hand coming up to grasp the hair at the nape of her neck.
They pulled apart only to catch their breath, but he held her close still.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asked, lifting his head just enough so that he could look into her eyes.
"Anything," she replied, unable to contain her smile.
"Please give me a swift kick in the ass if I ever act like an idiot again," he whispered, pulling her closer so that their foreheads were resting against one another.
"I can do that," she replied as she pulled his mouth back down to hers.
She relished in the closeness for a few minutes longer, but she knew Weaver and the others were probably wondering where they were by now.
"We should head back," she said. "The last thing we need is Weaver coming after us."
"Couldn't agree more," Hal replied.
They hopped down from the truck bed and Hal once again took her hand in his.
"So what's the first thing you're going to do in Charleston?" he asked as they started to make their way back.
"I don't know? I hear they have roller coasters there," she said, laughter in her voice.
"No hands?" he asked, continuing the facade as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
"All or nothing," she replied.
He smiled and dropped a kiss on her forehead as they continued down the deserted road toward home.