Maya's POV
We appeared in the center of town with purple wisps dancing around us, but thank God not a whole lot of people were around to witness our arrival. Zer0 and Mordecai carried Jack by his arms and they had wrapped Mordecai's bandana around his mouth. Lilith kept her arms around me as I continued to cry and freak out, trying to make sense of what's going on.
"Where are we gonna put him?" Gaige asked as she opened the door to the HQ.
"We'll put 'im in Roland's stash room." Mordecai said, his teeth gritted with anger.
"I need to see Zed/
To patch this bullet wound up/
Before I bleed out." Zer0 said as he and Mordecai literally threw Jack into the cell.
"Gaige, you should go with him." Mordecai said as he nudged the Mechromancer out of the building. She blushed under her war paint and followed the Assassin to the ex-doctor's clinic. Jack ripped off the bandana and made a gagging noise.
"God damn, do you ever bathe?!" Jack complained, holding the red fabric a distance away from him.
"Shut your mouth or so help me!" Mordecai threatened as he pointed the tip of his sword at the man, causing Jack to flinch as his hand made it's way to his gashed cheek. Mordecai snatched the bandana away from Jack and tucked it in his pocket.
"Mordecai, go tell the others that we have Maya." Lilith said gently. Mordecai took a deep breath and walked away to find the rest of the Vault Hunters.
"Maya, do you want to-" Lilith said before Jack cut her off.
"Maya, listen to me! I'm telling the truth!" Jack pleaded as he wrapped his hands around the bars of the cell.
"I need a drink, badly." I said. Lilith nodded her head and let me go after she placed a motherly kiss to my forehead.
"Everything's going to be okay." She called before I slammed the door shut.
~x~x~x~x~x~
I returned back to the HQ with a slight buzz and a feeling of bubblyness. As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by Krieg running down the stairs like a child on Christmas.
"PRETTY LADY!" He screamed as he ran up to me. I didn't even flinch because he did this to me after I seemed to disappear for hours on end on several occasions. Instead of giving me a bone-crushing hug, he put his hands on my shoulders. I could see his one eye roaming over me before he gave a roar of happiness. He wrapped his arms around me gently and slung me over his shoulder. I laughed and let him run us both upstairs to where others were talking. I could feel Jack's eyes burn against us as Krieg carried me away.
Zer0's arm was wrapped in a bandage and his uninjured arm was wrapped lazily around Gaige's shoulders. Mordecai was talking with Lilith and Axton about something and Sal was busy trying to get into the conversation.
"Hey, Maya's back!" Gaige said excitedly. Everyone smiled and turned their attention to me. Krieg sat me down and wrapped his arms around my shoulders to the point where his hands reached my waist and his chin rested on the top of my head. I smiled and patted his arms, feeling the warmth his body radiated.
"Hey chicka! If you were gonna drink, you should've atleast invited me!" Salvador cried as he walked over to me and patted my arm.
"I'll try to remember next time." I said with a giggle. Salvador laughed and lead me to the center of everyone.
~x~x~x~x~x~
We all talked until Gaige stated proudly that she was tired. Zer0 said he would accompany her back to her apartment.
"Don't stay up all night!" Axton said the two turned to leave.
"AXTON! You're such an ass!" Gaige said she shoved him playfully. Zer0 gave a real laugh and hooked her arm around his and lead her out of the building. Sal yawned and decided to go too, along with Lilith and soon Axton. Krieg had ran off a couple hours before, leaving me and Mordecai alone in a comfortable silence; that is, until he cleared his throat to get my attention.
"So, Maya, what're ya gonna do about him?" He said as he nodded his head towards the stairs. I sighed and plopped myself on the counter next to him, burrying my face in my hands.
"I don't know. I want him to answer my questions, yet I don't want to talk to him." I moaned, feeling tears stinging my eyes. Mordecai stood up and wrapped his arms around me. I gladly took his embrace, pressing my face against the crook of his neck, sobbing pathetically and miserably.
"Shh... it's okay." He muttered, rocking us side to side slightly. "Just do it when it feels right, okay?" He said, running his fingers through my hair. I clung to him and kept sobbing.
"The worst part is that I felt a sliver of something for him!" I sniffled.
"You felt sympathy for him, that's all." He said, but I could still hear the doubt that laced his voice. I continued to cry while he tried to calm me down. I finally settled down, but Mordecai still held onto me.
"God, I'm a mix of emotion." I said, resting my chin on Mordecai's shoulders. Mordecai gave a short laugh and let me go so I could wipe away my tears.
"S'all right. I can understand how you feel to some point. Just relax and we'll keep him alive until you're ready to talk." Mordecai said as he patted my shoulder. "You should probably get some sleep." He said as he ushered me out the building, past a sleeping Handsome Jack and Tannis, who was busy making something that looked potentially lethal.
~x~x~x~x~x~
Mordecai walked me to my apartment and said goodnight, hugging me good bye before disappearing to his place. I opened my door and saw Krieg sitting in the middle of my tiny living room, holding a crudely wrapped gift along with a note in his jerky, small hand writing.
"Oh, hey Krieg." I said, closing my door. He looked up at me and I could see the corner of his exposed eye crinkle up in a smile. He extended the gift and I took it happily. I sat infront of him, looking at the scrap paper taped to the dirty box. He made a motion for me to open it along with the note. I looked at it and saw that my name was scrawled out some-what nicely on the top.
Dear Maya, ever since I've seen you at the train station, I could feel the psychotic part of me dwindle down to the point where he was manageable. I feel attracted to you, but since this Handsome Jack incident happened, I would leave the issue alone until everything's back to somewhat normal. In the meantime, I brought something for you, as a welcome home present.
I cried a little and opened the box. Inside was a legendary revolver with a crudely painted smiley face painted on the butt of the gun that could only be from him. I held it and smiled, rolling it over in my hands.
"Thanks Krieg." I said, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I kissed the side of his mask and watched as he started laughing with embarrassment.
"Bye pretty lady." He said in a hushed voice before standing up and walking away with a bounce in his steps. I smiled as I watched him leave and clutched the revolver in my hands.
I sat in the middle of my living area, looking at the revolver and feeling my heart step up a beat. I couldn't believe that he would do something nice for me, let alone that their was a saner part of him! I stood up and walked to my bedroom, placing the revolver down on the dingy bedside table with care. I stripped off my shoes and clothes and welcomed the cold embrace of my lumpy bed.
~x~x~x~x~x~
I woke up feeling refreshed and happy that I was in my own bed. I ran my hands through my hair and and stretched before stumbling out of bed and walking to the bathroom to make myself look presentable to everyone.
I was eating bits of Stalker jerky that was in my small refrigerator for breakfast when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Gaige giggling and smiling at me.
"Hey sunshine!" She said as she clung to me, causing us to nearly tip over. I laughed and clung to her before she straightened herself out.
"Hey moonshine!" I said, watching her giggle.
"Are you feeling any better?" Gaige asked as she let me go. I nodded my head and looked at my feet.
"I'm gonna have to talk to him sooner or later. I don't want to, but I'm going to today." I said, lifting my head to look at the Mechromancer. She smiled warmly and nudged my shoulder playfully.
"Yeah, and if anything goes wrong, you just let me handle it." Gaige said as she balled her mechanical hand into a fist.
~x~x~x~x~x~
I walked into the HQ and saw Tannis kneeling behind the back of her chair while wheeling around the room, shooting pencils at Jack with a homemade cross bow made out of five pencils, a paper clamp, and a rubber band.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Jack said as he raising his hands to his face. "Seriously! What is your deal?!" He demanded. I walked slowly towards Tannis and nudged her chair slightly. She snapped her eyes to me and sighed.
"I guess I should stop this childish act for now." She muttered while she sat properly and wheeled herself to her desk.
"Thank you Maya!" Jack said as he brought himself out of the corner. He wrapped his hands around the bars and looked at me. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be with your muscular boy toy?" Jack said, hurt clearly evident in his voice.
"I wanted to talk to you, actually." I said, feeling defensive and a little disgusted to be near this asshole.
"Oh really?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow with a scowl. I walked closer and nodded my head.
"Can we please sit down and talk like normal people?" I asked him. He sighed and sat with his back against the chest where Roland's guns used to be. I sat down too, crossing my legs and wrapping my arms around my waist. I took a deep breath and began. "Why did you take me?"
"I did it because you were the only one who would understand me! You understand all the other bastards, so why couldn't you do the same with me? You have a heart, unlike the others here, and I've seen it! You're caring, beautiful, dangerous, just everything!" Jack said, a pleading look in his eyes.
"How did you take me?" I asked, trying to ignore the look Jack was giving me.
"I told some of the truth. You were with your Vault Hunting buddies and when you weren't looking, I knocked you out and ran off without anyone seeing." Jack said.
"How do you know you love me?" I asked him, furrowing my eyebrows and searching his face for the honest truth.
"Remember a couple months back, before you guys killed me and the Warrior? When I came face to face with you? I felt a spark between us as we spat at each other, and to me, it was playful taunts. I thought you'd feel the same." He said.
"I'd never feel the same." I muttered, feeling bitterness rise up inside me.
"Maya, please, I do love you!" Jack pleaded. He reached his arm out and grabbed my knee. I made a move to swat him away, but he grabbed my wrist, pulled me close, and kissed me. It was slow and passionate, but I pulled away before it could get any worse. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and walked upstairs, completely disgusted and I felt unclean.
"Hey Maya! You okay?" Mordecai asked as I walked up to him.
"Kill him. Now." I demanded.
"What happened?" He asked as he stood up and went to the door.
"I got my answers, but he kept saying he loved me and then hE FUCKING KISSED ME!" I yelled, gripping at my hair. "I WANT TO KILL HIM! HOW CAN HE DO THIS TO ME?!" I screamed, trying to figure out what to do with this pent up anger.
"Calm down! It's alright, we'll take care of it!" Mordecai said as he walked down stairs. "Hey, pendejo! What the hell is your problem?!" Mordecai yelled. Tannis skittered away, but muttering excitedly that Jack's gonna get what he deserves.
"Look at who's talking!" Jack retorted.
"Why are you causing Maya so much pain?!" Mordecai screamed as he gripped Jack's vest and pulled him close to the bars.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Jack yelled as he pushed against the bars. Mordecai gripped his vest tighter and slammed Jack's head into the bars.
"Answer. The. Goddamn. Question." Mordecai growled.
"I love her! I need her in my life! I'm not doing anything bad!" Jack pleaded, a welt clearly seen on his forehead. Mordecai sneared and rammed Jack's head into the bars, harder this time, and Jack went limp.
"Did you-?" I asked before Mordecai cut me off.
"He's knocked out. I'm not killing him, not here. He can suffer away from here, from any civilization." Mordecai said as he let the unconscious man fall and crumple to the ground.
I held myself and just stared at Mordecai, feeling a mix of emotions. I loved the idea of Jack suffering, yet I didn't want anything bad happening to him. What's wrong with me?!
What's this?! A cliff hanger?! Do you think it means... *Gasp* another chapter?!
Yeah... it does! Let me know how I did! :D