Title - Light Of The Full Moon
Chapter title - Leaving
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Adventure/Friendship/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own the Uncharted Series in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the games. For this chapter I own, Lucy Oakley.
Chapter Word Count - 2885 words.
A/n - Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:
"C'mon Sam, it's Halloween! It's the best day of the year!"
"What about Christmas?"
"That's second best."
Lucy and the Morgans were walking around their town the morning of October 31st. Lucy had loved Halloween ever since she was a little girl and she always dressed up and always went trick or treating. Of course, being fifteen the later part wasn't on her to do list, but she still wanted to dress up.
"I'm not coming." Said Nate as he kicked a pile of dried up leaves. "I've seen the kinda weirdos that hang around on Halloween, no thank you."
"You're supposed to be on my side." Lucy ruffled his hair, letting her arm rest around his shoulders as she again turned to Sam. "Please?"
"I'm not dressing up with you." He shook his head, nuzzling his face deeper into his denim jacket as the cold wind whipped around him.
"You can dress up as a pirate, Captain Morgan." She giggled. "We'll get you an eye patch and everything."
"That sounds awful." He muttured, wishing he was somewhere nice and hot. "What would we even do anyway?"
"I don't know... Just wonder around and have fun. But no egging houses, only assholes do that... Please?" She fluttered her eyelashes earning a chuckle from Sam. "I'll do your chores for a week."
"Two weeks." Sam sighed.
"I get to pick your costume." She reasoned and he nodded, shaking her outstretched hand.
"No tights and I get to choose what we do and where we go."
"Done and done."
"Is this really necessary?" Sam groaned as Lucy applied fake blood to his forehead.
"Absolutely."
Sam had insisted his costume was nothing ridiculous and something he could move around easily in. So Lucy had settled for making him look like a car crash. Blood and bruises everywhere and ripped clothes. She had struggled not to blush when she tore a hole in the cheap shirt they'd bought and started applying blood to his chest that peeked through.
"What are you gonna be?" He asked once she'd finished.
"Little red riding hood." She gestured for Sam to turn around whilst she changed. He had crept into her room after hours so they could sneak out together.
"I thought you said Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary."
"Little red riding hood, half eaten by the big bad wolf."
"There ya go." Sam chuckled and Lucy shushed him.
She kept shorts on underneath her black dress and wore her old and worn in black boots. She smothered more fake blood around the side of her neck before pulling on a cheap red cape she'd found in the costume store and pulled up the hood.
"How do I look?"
Sam turned around with a grin. "Awesome."
Sam and Lucy wondered around town for a few hours until it hit midnight, even stopping at a few houses to trick or treat. It had begun as a 'let's get something for Nate' and turned into a 'I'm not too old for candy so why the hell not'.
They ate what they had collected as Sam lead them towards the edge of town. Lucy was curious since he was refusing to tell her where exactly where they were going but she was happy in his company and so she followed along.
"Here we go." Sam stopped and Lucy looked up from the Reese's cup in her hand.
"You're joking, right?" She stared up at the old warehouse in front of her. People talked about that place all year round, there were countless stories about it being haunted by the people that used to work there.
"Are you scared?" Sam teased, poking her arm with a laugh as she pouted.
"No. But I'm not dumb enough to go in there either."
"Aw, c'mon! I dressed up for you and I went trick or treating for you and you chicken out now?" Sam sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'll be right there with you, ok? We'll be fine."
"One noise in there and I'm leaving." She huffed and Sam punched the air, leading her to a weak part of the fence where he knew they could sneak in.
I can t believe I let you talk me into this. Lucy grumbled as they crept their way through the building.
It was old and dirty and the walls were covered in graffiti. Luckily Sam had brought two flashlights so they could see since it was otherwise pitch black. She followed closely behind him, jumping at every noise around them. Of course, she had threatened to leave but she knew she wouldn't get Sam to go with her and she didn't want go wondering off on her own.
"Hey, let's look down there."
Sam was shining his light down a set of stairs that led to the underground area. Lucy shook her head, gripping Sam's arm tightly but once again his charming smile won her over and she was tiptoeing down the stairs. She looked around at the shelves of long forgotten tools for a while until she couldn't see Sam's flashlight beam. She turned, scanning the area with her own light but not finding him anywhere.
"Ha ha, very funny." She rolled her eyes at the darkness. "C'mon Sam, I wanna go home now." She jumped at a noise up ahead. "I'm not coming over there so you can jump out at me you dumb ass."
She heard the noise again, sounding like something clattering against the floor. Subconsciously she stepped back, her back hitting something as she did. She let out a loud scream and blindly flailed her arms until Sam grabbed her wrists.
"Hey, relax it's me." He chuckled and she punched his arm.
"You're not funny, Morgan."
"I am actually... But uh, that noise down there... Not me."
Lucy knew that this time he wasn't lying since he was behind her and the noise was far on the opposite side of the room. She stared at him for a second, the silence almost deafening until the same noise sounded again. Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her along, back up the stairs and along the corridors until they were back outside. Once they were on the opposite side of the fence they stopped to take a breath.
"It was probably just a rat." Sam panted, smirking slightly.
"Next Halloween, you aren't invited."
The first time Lucy worked up the courage to run her fingers through Sam's hair, she hadn't even been thinking about it. It was coming up to Christmas and she noticed Sam had become quieter. It was unusual since he was the most talkative and when she asked Nate, the younger Morgan predicted it was something to do with their mother passing around the time of the festive holiday.
Lucy didn't ask Sam about it, figuring that if he wanted to talk, he would go to her. It wasn't until almost all of the children were watching a movie in the living room that he did. The two of them were sat on opposite sides of the window seat, watching the snow settle on the ground outside.
"Sorry I've been so distant." He murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. "Nathan said you'd asked if I was ok."
"I do worry about you y'know." She teased, earning a smile. "Was that a smile?"
"Shut up... It's just... this time of year brings back some memories." He shrugs, taking a deep sigh as he meets her gaze. "My mom, she-"
"I know. Nate told me." She silenced him with a wave of her hand. "You don't need to explain yourself to me but I just want you to know that I will listen if you need me to. You can come to me, whenever you need.
"Will you two stop flirting for two minutes and shut up. This is my favorite part." Jacob groaned from the sofa, causing both Lucy and Sam to blush and avoid each others eyes for a solid five minutes.
"You wanna go watch the movie?" She asked but he shook his head.
"I don't like it." He glanced out of the window at the snow, getting an idea in his head. "Wanna make a snowman?"
The two of them headed outside, grabbing their coats, scarves and gloves on the way. They spent ages making the perfect sized balls and piling them on top of each other before decorating. When they'd done they stepped back, Sam with his arm around Lucy's shoulders, to admire their hard work.
"We make a pretty good team, huh?"
Lucy grinned as Sam moved off to the side. She readjusted one of the eyes until piles of snow rained down over her head, slipping inside her scarf and making her gasp at the bitter cold against her skin. She turned to spot Sam, doubled over in laughter, clutching at his stomach.
"Oh, you're dead, Morgan."
Lucy ran to gather up her own fistful of snow, aiming it at Sam and hitting him in the shoulder. This went on for a while until Lucy successfully hit Sam in the head. He gave a dramatic cry before collapsing in a heap on the ground, waiting until Lucy was close enough to pull her down with him.
She laughed a little, looking at his red nose and flushed cheeks. She saw the flakes of snow dotted all over his hair and removed her glove to reach up and brush them out. Sam smiled up at her, not saying anything. She let her fingers run through his hair more than once, giggling when she realised Sam had closed his eyes.
"Enjoying yourself there, buddy?"
"It feels real nice, actually." He hummed, nuzzling his head against her hand like a cat. "Don't stop."
"Father Duffy is looking at us. I'm sure he'll find a way to make playing with someone's hair a sin."
"Alright, let's go back inside. I'm freezing anyway."
"You know, I think I'm good for you." Sam said one day as they sat in the dining room for lunch.
"You do, do you?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I mean... you don't like the crust end of a loaf of bread, so I eat them for you."
"My hero."
"Well you don't get a lecture on waste, do you?" Sam smirked. "And you hate laundry and I hate pot washing so we always switch... Where would you be without me, huh Oakley?"
"Oh god, I'd be a hopeless mess surrounded by bread crusts and laundry. What a nightmare." Lucy rolled her eyes, chuckling when Sam aimed a grape at her face.
"Hey, what was all that paper you were putting in the trash earlier?"
"Oh." Lucy grumbled a little, looking down at her sandwich. "They were notes, from the others."
"Others?" He frowned and she gestured around the room at the other children. "They're writing you notes?"
"Just writing our names in hearts together and stupid little rhymes about us getting married." Lucy avoided his eye, finding her lunch rather interesting all of a sudden. "They think we're dating."
"But we're not." The defensive tone in Sam's voice hurt her a little but she managed to cover it up with a snort.
"No shit."
"Man, I can't wait to get outta this place." He mumbled and she frowned.
"You're running away?"
"No." Sam gulped down the rest of his drink. "But I'm seventeen now. I'm gonna find a job so I can support Nathan but I can't stay here whilst I do it."
"Oh."
Lucy drifted into her own world for a minute. She hadn't even thought about Sam being able to leave since he turned sixteen. Of course she knew he wouldn't stay there forever but the past two years seemed to have flown by without her even realizing. Sam was her best friend and she just thought he'd always be there. Hell, he promised he'd always be with her.
"Lulu, you listening?"
"Sorry, I was miles away... Does, uh... Does Nate know your leaving?"
"No, not yet." Sam sighed deeply, looking across at his little brother who was sat at a different table with one of the few other boys he got along with. "I've still gotta talk to Father Duffy about all this but I'm thinking about taking him down to the arcades, y'know? He loves it there. Do you wanna come?"
"Sure, why not." Even the promise of an evening in the arcades didn't ease the ache that had settled in her chest.
It was a week before Sam was set to leave the orphanage and he still hadn't told his brother. Lucy had been urging him to but she also knew what Sam was like when it came to emotional conversations. It was the reason she hadn't really told him how she felt about it all.
They were heading towards the arcades, Sam had planned on telling Nathan afterwards, when he noticed she was being particularly quiet.
"You alright?" He bumped her shoulder with his and she nodded.
"I'd bet she's upset." Nathan grumbled. "Y'know, since you're leaving and all."
"What?" The three of them stopped walking, Sam trying to find words whilst his little brother stared at him with a frown.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Nate gave a humorless laugh. "So, were you just gonna leave without saying something?"
"No, I was gonna tell you tonight, I-I... just didn't wanna upset you, that's all."
"What butter me up at the arcade and then tell me you're leaving?"
"Nathan, it's not like that." Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I got a job, ok? I'm gonna save up some money so that I can take you out too. But I can't yet."
Nathan was quiet for a moment. "You promise?"
"Of course I do."
"Alright." Nathan nodded, still clearly upset, but also understanding Sam's reasons. "Bet I can beat you on Pac Man."
Once Nathan had successfully got back into his and Sam's bedroom after their evening at the arcades, Sam and Lucy headed back off into the night together. They once again found themselves at the old fishing dock they danced together on over a year ago.
It was summer and so Lucy took off her shoes and socks, rolled up her trousers and dangled her feet over the edge, letting them dip into the cool water. Sam reluctantly followed her actions at her insistence. They stayed silent for a long time, Lucy's head resting on Sam's shoulder.
"Please don't leave." Her voice was barely a whisper but Sam heard her.
"I have to... You could come with me, you're sixteen."
"I can't leave this place, Sam." Lucy sighed, lifting her head from his shoulder. "I'm not ready."
"I know... Wishful thinking, I guess." He sighed. "I don't want you to hate me but it's my only chance of giving Nathan a good future."
"I don't hate you. Couldn't if I wanted to." Lucy turned her head away as she felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. "I just... The orphanage sucks but when I'm with you it feels like home. I just feel like you're gonna leave me behind."
"Hey, I'm not leaving you! I'm just leaving the building, I'm still gonna come see you and Nathan all the time. And then when I can support him, and when you're ready... We get out of this dump, together."
"Promise you won't leave me here alone... I need you."
"I need you too." Sam held up his pinky finger, wiggling it in her face. "I promise. Besides... what would I be without my sharp shooter, huh?"
Lucy linked her finger with his, laughing at the nickname. She had forced him to watch Annie Get Your Gun a few months before and he'd noticed that she shared a surname with the main character, Annie Oakley. The joke had stuck since.
The day when Sam left Lucy gave him a tight, lingering hug until Father Duffy had cleared his throat behind them. She ignored him and squeezed Sam tighter, earning a laugh from the fluffy haired boy. Before he could leave she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, letting him be the one to blush and stutter for a change.
She hung out with Nathan for the rest of the day until it was time for bed. When she finally got to her bedroom she found two new notes that had been slid under her door. With a groan she picked them up.
One was in Jacob's childish scrawl, a bad drawing of her and Sam kissing with a rather crude picture of Nate being sick in the corner. She tossed it into the trash and made a mental note to kick the boy in the shins the following morning.
The second note however, held a much neater handwriting and no such childish pictures.
'Lulu, you're my best friend and you mean the world to me. See you tomorrow night. Captain Morgan. xx'
She felt like her heart was set to burst all from a simple note. She tucked the note inside her journal, pressed between the pages where she'd written his name in hearts and climbed into bed, already excited for the following evening.