Alright, first off. I want to thank everyone that has been reviewing. I'm really encouraged.
*inserted at a later date* - Since both the Prologue, the first and second chapters have been updated, this, now- also, is to be updated and SEVERLY changed. How I even managed to STOMACH what use to be here in this chapter was a miracle that I don't know how happened. So now, this is updated, and changed into a wonderful, much-better chapter.
M: You have fifteen minutes, Luke. Fifteen minutes. I wish to encourage you to write quickly.
L: You 'wish' to 'encourage' me? Why not say: ''I'm' so 'going' to totally 'kill' you if you don't write this in 'fifteen' minutes.'
M: I don't feel like writing that. In fact, I really don't feel like writing at all.
L: I'M GONE!
M: HEY! Just because I said I don't feel like writing doesn't mean we're not writing this chapter. I called you over for a reason.
L: That stinks. Okay. Sooner we start, sooner I'm gone.
Chapter Three; "I'll Always Be There For You."
Luke swallowed hard, then reached up and used his thumb to lightly brush the tears away. Madeleine sniffed again, then buried her head once more in his tunic. Almost in a state of shock, the older sibling still stared at her. Madeleine never cried; not for a scraped knee- not after being lost in the woods: she hadn't even cried when she was four, and had been attracted to the shimmer of the copper kettle- boiling over the fire. She had, of course, screamed when her hand had touched it, and Olivia had raced immediately to her rescue, but there had been no tears. Not even the baby-Madeleine was immature.
So why now?
Luke tried to put his thoughts in order- into a complete, logical list like he always did. But so many things flashed in and out of his mind before he could even tell what they were, that he couldn't. It just didn't fit. Madeleine wasn't immature, that was the first thing. It wasn't even a possible option. And her crying, actually crying? Where on earth did that fit in?
Sighing, big brother curled his arms tighter around Madeleine. She seemed to relax next to him, and his arms molded around her almost like they were made to be there. Luke's head nodded forward, coming to rest on Madeleine's curls. Then he jerked himself awake again and continued to rock her. The sobs quieted after a while, then the tears stopped flowing, and ever-so-faintly, Luke could hear her breathing deepen.
Waiting until he was entirely sure she was asleep, Luke struggled to his feet and peeled back the quilt covering her bed. Madeleine's boots were taken off, and he tucked the quilt back in around her up to her chin. The black curls fell prettily around her flushed-pink cheeks, framing her childish-mature face. Luke drew a soft breath, running his hand gently over Madeleine's cheek, then watched as an expression of pain suddenly drew down the mouth that had been so happy before.
He was severely tempted to grab her shoulders and shake her awake - force her to tell him everything. But that wouldn't work. Force didn't work with Madeleine. She would rather die than tell something if she didn't want to. But- but she was in so much pain. Luke's heart suddenly caught in his throat as he remembered that same face from his past - far back.
They had been arguing, him and Lucas. He could remember standing up, eyes blazing with youthful indignation and making a promise. Lucas had looked like that. He hadn't cared about the argument anymore, he was silent, in fact. But his face. His face had looked like that in the wagon bed as they traveled back from town. So tortured; ideas and threats running through a four-year-old's mind that never should have been there in the first place.
Luke could remember feeling pride at shooting down his opponent for the first five minutes, but after a few glances at Lucas' face, the feeling had been demolished. Lucas' face had held Madeleine's utter horror. There was no comfort, or naivety just because of being so young. He was an adult, and suffered, just like Madeleine was doing thirteen years later. Luke could remember his worry when they had gotten out of the wagon since Lucas still hadn't spoken to him. But when he had denied the promise. That was worst than anything. Luke could still feel his horror. They had done everything together. Why was this any different?
How can they look so much the same? And why not happiness? Why pain?
Luke trailed his fingertips over his sister's cheek again. The little girl gave a sigh in her sleep and turned into his hand - clinging to him, even unconsciously. Then Luke frowned, looking closer at the pale, distraught face. Perhaps that was it. He had never thought of Lucas clinging to him. They had always been together - a two-in-one package deal. But perhaps Lucas had needed a leader, much like Madeleine needed one. Maybe... Lucas had gleaned that if Luke kept his promise, they would be separated.
It made sense. Lucas had never been the rule-breaker. If the two had wanted cookies, Luke had always been the one to snitch them from the tray, with Lucas standing guard. And in revenge as well, Luke had been the one to stick the burr under Gideon's saddle whenever he went to town alone and decided not to take the two of them; yet Lucas was always there in the near sidelines, participating, but still hanging back enough he wasn't doing anything. But in mischief he was first, always being the one to gather up eight ears of corn, and whenever Olivia had finished the first batch that she had gathered for dinner- switched out her shucked ears with his un-shucked. It had been funny to watch Olivia think she was going nuts and shuck about thirty ears of corn.
The vague memory brought a faint smile to Luke's lips, and he leaned down and kissed his sister's forehead before he started out of the room. His promise would be a breaking of just about every moral in the book, and if there was anything Lucas couldn't stand, it was that. So perhaps that was it. Leaving them - Lucas or Madeleine, would be like killing them from the inside out.
Luke paused in the hallway before he opened his door. The Cahill home was always a noisy place, even at night. Deep throaty snores were issuing from Thomas' door, as well as from Gideon's. It sounded like Jane was managing to hum a sonata in her sleep - an impressive ability, even for a seasoned composer. Katherine's mechanical wind-chimes were scheduled to ring softly every half-hour, although Luke had no idea why you needed to know that when you were asleep. But Madeleine's door was silent.
Luke walked inside his room and blew out the tallow candle that was burning on his desk. As he climbed under his quilt, he could see the glowing purple vial Madeleine had left to his safekeeping. He could remember Madeleine's innocent, curious face as she announced her idea to him a few days before. "It'll be marvelous, Luke! Can't you see? If we can balance all the chemicals out together correctly, then it should work like it's suppose to." Should. There had been a raise of his eyebrow. "And what is this vial suppose to do?" Madeleine's cheeks had flushed a vivid red. "It's- it's suppose to keep us from dying. Our bodies die, not our spirits, supposably. If- if we could change that using added chemicals that, so our spirits are just... temporarily suspended- I guess, then we wouldn't die- really die - as long as the vial is there. That would work for all of us; Katie, Tom, Jane; you, me - don't you think?"
And of course, he had gone along with it. Madeleine's green eyes had been irresistible. Somehow... Somehow I've got to be the one to prove I don't care how old she is.
And Luke fell asleep.
M: Scoot, Luke. You're out of here now. Yup, bye!
The Next Day, Evening;
Madeleine winced as another straw filled with hot milk, was deposited on her lap as Dani pulled away again. "Come on..." Madeleine muttered, filled up the straw again, and held her finger carefully against the top so none of the milk would run out. Dani drank about half a straw, then pulled his mouth away and the rest of the milk spilled on Madeleine's apron. "I could actually swear that you're doing this on purpose," Madeleine's eyes flashed, but she filled up the straw again. An idea suddenly hitting her, Madeleine emptied the straw, then filled it up halfway.
That seemed to solve the problem. Dani drank the half-straw, and Madeleine was able to stop wearing the absurd apron on her lap to prevent the milk from staining her dress.
After Dani was fed and wrapped up warmly, the girl peeked out her window. It was starting to get dark, and outside, the bottoms of the pine trees were beginning turn a dark brownish-gray. Madeleine leaned against the windowsill and sighed softly. The outdoors had always seemed to be a forbidden place. Perhaps not exactly forbidden, as she had been outside with Thomas that very after noon, but closed off to her.
She adored everything about the woods though - the silence, the soft, green, moss-covered ground; the peace that came from it. But she wasn't suppose to be outdoors alone, technically. Only with Thomas, and then she had to tell somebody if she wanted to go out herself. The torture of the pine-scented breeze was excruciating. There was hesitation for a few more moment, and then Madeleine slid out of her window and landed softly on the grassy ground. What did it matter if nobody knew where she was going? She'd be back soon enough - maybe.
M: Ah... Hello, Edward.
E: Remind me why you called me here to do what?
M: Remind me why you came here with a bag of Cheetos. Get rid of those.
E: That wasn't a question.
M: I EXPECT AN ANSWER!
E: Geezie! Calm down, calm down. Fine. Out to the kitchen... and back. So why am I here?
M: I am writing the story of my life- exactly how it happened, and you make appearances. Everybody who makes appearences is suppose to write. I just kicked Luke out, by the way, because you and him ought not to be writing at the same time yet. I'm frightened at how that would turn out...
E: SWEET! I'M CO-AUTHOR!
M: Oh, shut up! No you're not! I'm the author. Luke's the co-author, since he called it first, and you get to be the editor. There are like- fifteen pages you need to correct and edit from previous chapters, by the way.
E: Fif-teen. Pages. You better be pulling my leg, Madeleine.
M: It's not THAT much. I mean, if I've got everything down right, there's going to be about 250 pages in the book. You're the editor. You're going to do all of them.
E: Two. Hundred. And. Fifty. Pages. No way. I'll skip out of town.
M: Not that much. I was going to do a continuous trilogy about our lives, and that might add up to be 700 pages.
E: Seven. Hundred. Pages. I am NOT the editor. Sorry, Mads.
M: Eh, sorry. You're doing it whether you like it or not. Chew on that. Let's start writing. We've got an hour before we have to go to Ian's.
E: Editor...
Brushing off her blue dress, Madeleine looked around the woods with an expression of pleasure on her young face. Excitement began to burrow into her as she looked around at the place where she had never gone alone. Nearly giddy with excitement, Madeleine leaned down, fastened her boots tighter, then started walking into the trees.
It was deathly silent around her, only broken by the crunching of pine needles underfoot. Looking around, Madeleine tried to gather in which direction she was going so she would be able to find her way back to the house. East. Well, northeast, with reservations, as she was walking left around all the trees so she was going south... So... Southeast?
Madeleine turned to her right and faced north, making sure she had everything right.
East- left, north- front, south- behind, west- to my right. Right? She suddenly understood why Gideon had never let her go out alone.
E: HAHAHA! LOST!
M: I was not! I was gaining my bearings!
E: You were lo-ost... You were lo-ost... You were lo-ost...!
M: Oh, shut up and start writing, will you?
She had only been a few minutes in the forest and all of the trees looked the same. Sure, one branch was sticking down at an awkward angle, and another on a different tree split into two forks, and then the two forks splitting down their own middles after that, but they were all pine trees. All the same.
The girl took a deep breath and forced herself not to panic. With calm assurance, she started walking north. She wasn't that far from the house anyway. If she had to spend the night out, and they missed her in the morning, she'd be found quickly. Cheered, Madeleine began listening to the forest around her.
The silence didn't seem as quiet now. There were the soft, night-calls of doves and mini rustles in the grass; most likely field mice, or rabbits even- perhaps. After a few more minutes of walking north, Madeleine stopped against an old, moss-covered pine tree and sat on the ground. Within a few moments, the forest began to come alive around her. An enormous beetle began tunneling in the pine needles about a foot away from her left ankle. Madeleine swallowed hard, but eventually curiosity won out and she watched the beetle dig away until it was completely immersed in the soil.
A rabbit came by, visiting, apparently, because there was good grass underneath the pine needles where Madeleine sat. The rabbit stared at her for a long minute with its soft brown eyes, then lowered its head and began to nibble away. Madeleine didn't dare breathe.
The fox crept up from the west, being careful to not be seen. Madeleine was completely oblivious anyway, having only eyes for the rabbit, and the rabbit only wanted his grass. A few seconds later, the fox pounced forward. Both Madeleine and the rabbit jumped, then both animals were instantaneously gone in a flash of red, black, white and brown fur. Madeleine worried over the rabbit for a few moments, then laughed and settled back in sitting position to wait for the next unexpected woodland show.
Bats flitted around in the heavy dusk. Madeleine could see their lithe shapes as they darted around, and around- aiming precisely for the gnats and moths that were enjoying the evening. An owl hooted somewhere, reminding the girl that she was technically suppose to be in bed. Up above, fireflies danced, lighting up the clearing with their brilliance. Madeleine wondered if she ought to catch a few, just to show to Katherine later. Her eyelids were too heavy though, to move, and her head felt unreasonably heavy. She breathed in the twilight air and smiled at the heavy pine smell.
Madeleine heard the hoofbeats then.
The woodland life was already starting to disappear into the dark shadows. Fidgeting, the girl grew antsier as the hoofbeats gained volume. But was the rider going to turn away? Or did he know she was here? Or perhaps it was Luke, looking for her. Madeleine frowned, knowing that Luke was in bed, obviously. He never liked to stay up late, for many reasons. Besides, he didn't even know she was out, unless he'd looked. And why on earth would he look?
Scrambling up, Madeleine hid behind the tree. Her heart pounded double-time for some reason, and she almost felt- afraid? The girl bit her lip, vivid imagination whirling. Who was riding in the forest at this hour of night?
The hoofbeats didn't turn away. They came closer, closer, and then suddenly the someone galloped straight out into the clearing riding on an enormous beast, nearly one and half times Madeleine's height. The mystery rider pulled back on the reigns when he was halfway across the clearing, and then he had dismounted and was stroking the beast's head. Madeleine's breath caught in her throat and she turned towards the south- her back to the tree, so she could run away. Her legs were a mixture of cement and pudding, of course, and they wouldn't move to save her life. Literally, more or less.
Gathering strength to confront him, the girl realized she had none, and her tongue had turned to sickening lead. Her stomach churned.
It was a boy though- the rider. Madeleine could see the back of his tunic and the golden color of his cropped hair. He moved quickly, patting the beast, then kneeling down and gathering up one of the hooves. Noticing much in her momentary glance, the girl saw the beast didn't have cloven hooves like an ox had. So that crossed one animal off the list...
"Hey!" The boy gave a light laugh. He was crouched down on the left side of the beast, and staring at a few markings on the ground where the fox and rabbit had run through. Madeleine peered out from behind the tree again, daring in an burst of courage, to slightly expose herself. "What do you know, Carrie? Looks like old Red-Hide and Long Ears have been up to it again. Who's your money on?"
The beast snorted, almost as if it was laughing at all the foolish talk.
"Red-Hide, eh? You know he hasn't caught a rabbit in the entire decade he's been alive."
Another snort.
"Still? Well my money's on Long Ears, you can bet your own winter coat. Eh, Car?"
A whinny from the beast. Madeleine ducked behind the tree, almost certain of the boy's demolition. But of course, there was no sound. She peeked out again and saw the boy rubbing the beast's long nose. He was talking softly now, face almost up against the large cheek. The beast's ears were both rotated towards him- perked, listening. Madeleine strained her own ears to listen in, and unknowingly stepped a bit farther out from behind the tree.
"Good girl..." The boy smiled, reaching over to stroke the beast's neck. "Always a good listener, aren't you. Always listening to me talk too much. That's what happens when you haven't got anybody to talk to, except a horse."
So that was what the beast was called. Madeleine stepped closer, coming out from behind the tree entirely, but with a cautious hand on the trunk- almost as if to gather the tree's comfort.
"Why did I come here, Carrie?" There was another whisper from the boy, so soft Madeleine had to talk another step forward just to hear it. "Holland's so far away. It's not fair, is it, that I've got to be the one wandering- always traveling, is it?"
The horse nickered softly, and leaned its head forward to gently nudge the boy's face.
"I know, Car. I need to be getting you inside, don't I? It's too nice out here though. You sure you want to go in?"
Another nicker and a soft blow of breath to finish. Madeleine stepped forward once more. It was almost like the power of the horse and the boy together, was pulling her in- taming her. She could feel her heartbeat slow eventually, and her breathing calm down. Then the horse looked at her and snorted softly. All fear poured back. Madeleine's eyes grew wide, terrified, and the girl stumbled backward a few steps.
The boy's eyes pierced her a second later. They were blue, a light- never-seen-in-France kind of blue. Madeleine took another step backward and pressed against the tree, eyes still unable to tear away and locked in horror. "Hey," The boy smiled slightly. "Hey, it's alright. Who are you? There aren't that many people out in the woods at night."
M: Oh, yes, Edward. There aren't that many people out at night... Sure. You were there, ruffian. And I still can't get over the fact you were talking to Carrie like she was actually talking back to you. Weird...
E: Shut up. Since I was usually the only one, there isn't much you can say. And Carrie was a good listener. What might of happened if I hadn't said anything? Lost my voice? "Ello... m-u mook merry mwi-se."
M: Sure, Ed... Sure there isn't... And technically, you talk a lot anyway. So maybe it would have helped with that.
E: Yeah :: Right. In your DrEaMs, Madeleine.
M: And I am stuck with you...
For a second, Madeleine wagged her useless leaden tongue in her mouth, trying to remember the alphabet and the multiple sounds that formed it. Her brain was blank, of course.
The boy took a few casual steps forward. His head was cocked in curiosity now, eyes scanning her up and down in wonder. "Are you lost? I mean, do you live around here? Maybe I can take you home. I know the woods pretty well. Not great, in the dark like this, but I'm sure I could find the town."
Madeleine swallowed hard and wished the tree's trunk could split open and eat her up whole. Oh, why hadn't she bothered to sling a shawl or something over her shoulders when she'd left? And her bodice! Madeleine turned a beet red and wondered if she should try and tighten it. Her tongue curled up tight in her mouth and wouldn't relax for anything.
"Are you mute?" The boy came closer. "It's alright, really. I won't hurt you, and Carrie won't either, if that's who you're worried about. It's alright."
"W-who are you?" Madeleine cursed her tongue.
"Me?" The boy's eyes looked mildly surprised, then grinned. "Oh, I'm Edward."
"Does Father know you're here?" Gaining her confidence, Madeleine tried to force all her fear into her eyes and cause intimidation. It didn't work, that much.
"Father..." Edward's face turned confused, then grinned again. "You mean Gideon, don't you. I would hope he knows I'm here. I've stuck around for eight years working for him. You're one of the Cahill girls then, aren't you?"
"Does it matter?"
Edward shrugged. "Sure it does. Means I can take you home, if you want me to."
"Why on earth would I want you to take me home?" Madeleine glared at him.
Edward took a step back, and Madeleine felt rather proud she had gained a small victory. "Just asking, doesn't mean I was going to kidnap you. Do all your sisters have the same temper?"
"Does it matter?
A curious look spread over Edward's face. His left eyebrow was raised, and a half-smile twitched upward to the left. "Sure it does. Means that none of them are going to get married to decent husbands if they're going to snap his head off at the first question."
Madeleine's mouth dropped open at his imprudence. "I could have Father discharge you!"
Edward shrugged. "Not like I've been living anywhere great for eight years. I call your bluff."
The two children stared at one another for a long minute.
"I'm going home," Madeleine finally snapped. She turned around and was thoroughly grateful her legs were working again.
There was a snort from Edward behind her. "You're going the wrong way... numskull."
Madeleine stopped dead, nearly seeing red from the injustice done from a farmhand. She whirled around on one heel. "I can go where I please, dunce."
Edward rolled his eyes and grabbed Carrie's reigns, still nonchalant. "Sure. And I'll tell Gideon where to find you when he comes all worried to the fields tomorrow. Then they can find your frozen body at the top of the valley- dolt."
"It's not cold enough to freeze, moron."
"Can't you smell the storm on the air, half-wit?"
M: Those brownies are for tomorrow's lunch, dummy!
E: I'm only eating one, fusspot. Relax.
M: No, you're eating five. I see that container behind your back, pudding-head.
E: Brownie-head to you, dullard.
M: Cookie-head, half-wit.
E: Brownie.
M: Cookie.
E: Brownie.
M. Cookie.
E: Brownie! I like brownies more.
M: Fine. Sure, whatever, dope. I can't believe we're actually arguing over what names you're suppose to be called by...
Seething with rage, Madeleine flung herself to the nearest pine cone and hurled it at Carrie. The horse reared up, and Edward had to dodge the dangerous hooves flying beside him. The boy landed on the ground, then rolled away before the prancing hooves that had landed on the ground could squash his head.
"What was that for?"
E: Yeah, what WAS that for?
M: For eating those six brownies. Put the plate away. You're not going to have any for lunch tomorrow.
E: Like there would be any anyway...
Madeleine could vaguely see his outline that was straightening up. It was too dark now, without the fireflies. "I don't appreciate being called names by a servant."
Dead silence. Neither dark figure moved, staring unwaveringly at each other. Madeleine could see Edward's eyes though- still piercing the darkness around them. They were uncontrollably angry, so blue they were ice through and through. Then they took three strides forward and Madeleine suddenly felt two hands grab her wrists. She gasped in pain as they were twisted backward and forced behind her back. Edward's face was five inches from hers. "I don't fight girls," He breathed. "But you just might be an exception."
Madeleine struggled with the black behind her eyes. Breathing deep, she forced her wrists to break Edward's hold, then she slid them up and grasped his own wrists. Using his weight, she leaned him back, placed her boots against his chest and pushed.
Both children flew apart from each other. Madeleine flipped in the air and landed on her hands and knees. She could hear the rip of her skirts as she fell forward, but she didn't care. She was free, at least.
Looking across the clearing, the twelve-year-old met Edward's eyes. His expression was frightening. "You're dead," He hissed.
Madeleine scrambled up and lunged to the nearest tree to climb up it, but as soon as she'd reached it she was crushed into the bark. She gave another gasp of pain at Edward's weight. Then she felt his hands at her back, undoing something. Madeleine kicked backward, desperately trying to hit his leg, or something at least. "Let go of me, you filthy, dirty, lying, creep! Father!"
Edward gave a bark of laughter under his breath. "Just hold still," He promised.
Madeleine felt a knee pinning her down against the tree, and she wished she could authentically 'hate' someone to pieces. She gasped for air, then as she let it out with a mess of curses, she felt her bodice tightening. Tightening like she never liked it tightened; tightened it like not even Olivia had done. Her ribs bitterly groaned under the pressure, snapping with the unaccustomed weight.
Madeleine fought, pressing back and trying to force her ribs to where they were before, but she could feel Edward's hands forcing the bodice's drawstrings ever-tighter. There was a pause for a moment then, and suddenly Edward's knee and hands dropped. Madeleine spun around, beginning to get dizzy from lack of air. She reached in back of her dress for the strings, but of course, Edward stopped her, grabbing her wrists again.
"Alright," The boy gave her a little shake. "Here's the deal. You can call me whatever you want. I don't care. I can take a 'moron' an 'imbecile' and a 'dolt'. I can stand being a farm hand. I've worked as one for nearly all my life- but I am not a servant. Call me all you please, but, not, that."
Madeleine could feel the world tipping dangerously under her, rocking back and forth; black flickered in front of her eyes. "Fine, what- whatever you say- numskull."
Edward chuckled, then she felt a hand reaching in back of her and the drawstrings popped. Air flooded her lungs, and Madeleine stumbled back against the tree in relief. "What was that for?"
One eyebrow was lazily raised. "Why do you think I did that?"
"You- you- you could have killed me!" Madeleine gasped, stumbling backwards against the tree. She could feel her legs trembling violently underneath her - breaking with Edward's blue gaze and lack of air to strengthen them.
"But I didn't, obviously." The boy snorted, then the nearly-glowing blue eyes turned away and Madeleine could hear items being softly knocked around. "Stop it, Carrie," There was a sudden mumble. "I don't want to play tag in the dark. You might be able to see, but I can't. Hey, quit it!" More rummaging. "Carrie..."
Madeleine bit her lip as she leaned against the tree, wondering slightly if she could somehow conjure up a spell and become part of the tree's bark. And if she couldn't, how far she could run before Edward and Carrie would catch her.
"OW!" There was a sickly gasp of pain and Madeleine could hear one foot jumping up and down - crunching pine needles and making a complete racket. "You OAF! You- daughter of PIGS! You- you ANIMAL! I told you not to step there. I was leaning against you. You did it on purpose you- you ball of hide!... God, my foot... Ow..."
Intrigued, Madeleine decided to ignore her beeping internal alarm and step forward slightly. "Are you alright, E... Edward?"
A bitter laugh from the dark in the middle of the clearing. The sun had almost entirely set, making anything and everything under the trees shrouded in shadow. "I'm fine. Stupid horse nearly broke my toe, I think, but I'll be fine."
Madeleine could almost feel Edward's sudden wince of pain as he set his foot down. "Sure?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. Here..." The sound of rummaging started again, followed by a sigh of relief from Edward. "I got it now. Hang on a second..." Madeleine smiled at the small flame that grew inside the hand lantern. The clearing was illuminated again. Two moths, seeing the light, instantly began to fly around it. Edward held it up and towards her, slightly, then he turned aside and swung atop Carrie. Carrie shook rather nervously, but placidly accepted her rider and the strange light he was holding.
"Well, you coming?"*
Madeleine stepped back against the tree. "Coming where?"
Another snort. "Home, of course. Not like I could take you to Paris on a night like this."
"I don't appreciate your jokes."
E: You NEVER appreciate my jokes. It's like, a rule...
M: That's not true. I do like your jokes, sometimes, anyway. It was just the middle of the night then. I was tired, and I was scared, and you were annoying the crap out of me. And you really don't tell jokes, you're just SERIOUSLY sarcastic.
E: Eh, you're probably right there. Sarcasam RULES.
M: I agree with you, for once. Let's keep writing.
"Shut up and tell me, will you?" Edward snapped. "If you want to spend the night out here, fine. I've got better things to do that ride you home. I've still got an hour's walk ahead of me - all the way to Ewelle. Plus I've got to get Carrie watered, fed and stabled before that. Choose. And choose fast."
Madeleine stared into his eyes. Like Luke, she had a bit of a talent for reading faces. Edward was being completely honest. Perhaps he was slightly worried about what would happen to him if she died in the cold and Gideon found out, but he was worried about her. The girl sighed resignedly and stepped forward.
"Great," Edward dismounted and set the lantern on the ground. "One more thing I need to do. Gideon better give me a raise after this. Alright, now put your foot into the stirrup. Like- no, stupid! The other foot. How in all the world do you think you're going to be able to mount a horse with your legs crossed like that? You'd be sitting backwards. Oh, quit yapping, will you? Yeah, other foot. And... up."
M: I don't think I ever forgot that first horse-riding lesson.
E: Of course. And I actually... edited... there... You know.
M: Oh, yeah. I remember. It wasn't me who had the sharpest tongue in Ewelle (or outskirts) it was you.
E: Bad words are edited... keep writing.
Madeleine hunched forward in the saddle. The lantern light seemed so far below - like a star - from up here. She grasped the lip of the saddle and clung desperately to it for dear life.
"Relax," There was a heavy jar behind her, and Madeleine could feel Edward settle onto the room of the saddle left. He was close, too. Far too close for her liking. "Carrie's never going to feel comfortable with you scared out of your wits like that."
"I want to sit behind you," Madeleine swallowed hard. Carrie shifted her weight uneasily and the girl riding gave a little yelp.
Edward barked a laugh. "And have you fall off? Gideon would tan my hide. Nope. You're sitting right in front where I can keep an arm and an eye on you." In response to his words, Madeleine felt Edward's arm wrap snugly around her waist, still managing to hold both reigns in one hand. She was momentarily surprised by the strength of his grasp though. The hold was firm- cautious, of course, but with a gentle edge to it. A funny-feeling warmth spread through her body and settled right in her chest.
Carrie started walking.
Madeleine could feel the soft plod of the creature beneath her. Each step was a precise rhythm, developed over hundreds of years of breeding. Edward's back was ram-rod straight behind her, yet he let himself fall up and down, still moving with the rhythm Carrie set.
"So who are you?" Madeleine jumped at the words, falling out of the walking beat. "You said you were one of the Cahill daughters, but which one are you? You're too young to be Katherine, I know that much, at least. But- not... you know, I don't know any more."
"I'm the youngest," Madeleine stated simply. "Youngest child, youngest daughter. I'm both."
"Ah," Edward breathed, nodding. "But what are you doing out here all alone? If I know anything about Gideon, he wouldn't allow you - or any of your other sisters either, for that matter- out of the house at night. Doesn't seem to fit him."
"I snuck out, doofus," Madeleine snapped. "What do you think?"
"Easy, easy... chill. I'm not asking questions to find ways to insult you."
Madeleine frowned, suddenly more than aware of Edward's arm around her. "Never said you were, did I?"
Edward was silent for a few yards. "You're defensive," He finally breathed. "And scared. I'm not doing anything to help that, am I."
Nearly blind with rage, Madeleine somehow managed to hold her tongue.
"I've been working here for a while," Edward's tone was even and monotonous, more like a monologue than a splinter for conversation starters. "Six years, as I said before. It's not bad, considering that most of the farmers here grow artichokes and flax," Edward shuddered. "I hate artichokes, and raising them is even worse."
Madeleine smiled in spite of herself.
"Then I could have gone with the blacksmith route. There's plenty of them in Ewelle. They say that the fires never die there, and I've got to agree with them. The problem was that six years ago, there was no chance an eight-year-old would be hired to do blacksmith work - for any rhyme or reason. So I stuck with farming."
"You're fourteen?" Madeleine murmured.
"Fourteen," Edward agreed. And almost with a non-given signal, Carrie broke into a smooth canter-trot. The trees seemed to whiz by, and Madeleine shrank into Edward - closing her eyes to get away from the blurring woods. She couldn't shut her ears though. "Gideon had just got Carrie when I came along," Edward chuckled. "She was a flighty thing, and she wouldn't let a harness be put on if she could help it. We just- got along well. So I stuck around doing odd jobs on the place."
"Farm," Madeleine corrected him.
It felt like Edward was trying hard not to laugh. "Place. This isn't a farm. A farm is where the sole purpose is to sell goods, as well as produce enough to provide for a family."
Madeleine wished she could spit on the hand that was holding her. "A farm is a place where you grow things."
"Former."
"Latter."
"Former, I'm quite sure."
"Latter, Edward."
"Former, youngest daughter of the Cahill family."
"Shut up."
M: Shut up. The best words ever invented in the English language.
E: Yup. Have to agree with that one. Best words ever.
The arm around Madeleine's waist grew tight with Edward's laughter. When he laughed, Edward laughed - like Thomas, or Gideon. She could feel him shaking nearly uncontrollably behind her. Raging, Madeleine snatched the reigns from Edward's hand and leaned forward next to Carrie's neck while kicking the horse. Of course, Carrie shot forward like a bullet.
Edward came quite close to falling off.
Madeleine felt his arms clamp around her hard, almost cutting off her breath. She gathered the reigns and urged Carrie forward. Maybe he would fall off - and break his neck. Then the world would be rid of at least one brainless person. There was slight regret for that thought immediately afterward, but Madeleine quieted her conscience. Brainless people deserved what they got - a broken arm, or head, included.
Edward's surprise was beginning to wear off. Madeleine could feel him leaning forward and grabbing onto her to make sure he didn't lose his balance. With almost a feeling of desperation, she jerked the reign she was holding in her right hand far back. The hands around her waist flailed wildly trying to regain the balance they'd lost. Carrie didn't appreciate her mouth being yanked by an inexperienced rider though. With an angry snort, the horse stopped dead, hunched her back, and flung her heels up into the air.
Madeleine could see a wall of bark coming closer, and then everything -
Thud.
The worst night. Not the third-worst, not the second-worst: The Worst. Period.
Edward opened his eyes.
Carrie was slobbering all over him. The gross, green, second-time-cud-chewed horse slobber that made cows and oxen's slobber look like cake. Ew. "Get off me," Edward shoved her nose away and managed to lurch to his feet.
The lantern was lying on the ground, blown out with the wind from the drop. Edward relit it and looked at Carrie. She still had her saddle on. That was good. Leaning down, Edward checked the girth strap out of habit. It was tight, maybe a little too tight. He loosened it. Edward glanced at Carrie's reigns next. None of the straps had been broken, but it looked like she had gotten cut slightly in the corner of her mouth where that stupid girl had yanked on the reigns.
Oh, great. The girl.
Edward made a disgusted face at Carrie. "She's quite the picture, isn't she. Can't teach her anything, I'll bet," He gave a low chuckle and patted Carrie's neck. "It's a wonder old Gid doesn't complain every time he goes out to the fields. I would. Could you imagine her as a daughter?"
A nicker from Carrie. The horse nosed his pockets for a lump of sugar, or a treat of a similar nature.
Edward dug into his breeches and held out the misshapen lump of sweetness. "That was suppose to be an after-dinner treat."
Carrie took it anyway.
"Pig," But Edward smiled and leaned against the horse. She deserved it, even though she wasn't suppose to have that much sugar - having a crazy girl-rider and all. "Should we even take her home at all, Car? What do you think? She doesn't want us to take her home. We could leave her here. She'd die in the night, and we can tell old Gid we knew nothing about her. Be quite simple, actually."
A whinny.
"You're right. She's a handful. I'll give her that much. A handful of trouble. She's over there by the oak, isn't she - knocked out straight. Should we leave her there? It's up to you."
The woods were silent as Carrie licked the remainder of the sugar off her teeth.
"No," Edward answered for her. "No, of course we can't leave her there; whatever the trouble. Firstly, because I could never lie to Gideon. Secondly, if I told him the truth, there would be a fire of questions why I didn't save her. And thirdly, I couldn't let her die. Be nice, but I couldn't. You couldn't either, could you, Car?"
A snort from the horse.
"That's right," Edward sighed. "No matter. Perhaps we shouldn't wake her up, and then we'd just sling her on the saddle and drop her off at the house. We did bring her home then. It wouldn't be our fault if she died because she didn't wake up."
A whinny.
"But we're nicer than that, right Car? We're going to wake her up and take her home - whatever she says, just because she's Gideon's daughter, and I'd get fired if I didn't."
Edward turned around, still holding Carrie's reigns in one hand and the lantern in the other. Madeleine was lying on the ground by the oak tree, head twisted at an unnatural, awkward angle from her fall. Her black curls were spread out prettily around her, but they were knotted now, with a few leaves and blades of grass inserted at intervals. The hem of the blue dress she was wearing was ripped in three places, adding to the disheveled look of the girl.
But she was pretty.
Edward held the lantern out over Madeleine, still watching her. Her face was round, and evenly proportioned in sweetness. While unconscious, there was a continuous upper turn on the red lips, making her look as if she was going to open her eyes at any moment and smile. Her lashes were long and thick - covered with a thin layer of brown dust now, but later, Edward was quite sure they'd be jet black like her hair.
She was perfect - nearly. While her mouth was upward, her eyebrows were pulled slightly down, making her look as if she was worried - not about herself. It wasn't a pouting frown. It was almost more of an inner conflict: an inner conflict caused by an outside problem. She was pale too. Unnaturally pale, almost. It was like the sun had decided that she was unworthy of it's glare - or perhaps too fine, and had skipped over her. The girl's hands, though tiny, lithe and wiry, were worn; and there was dirt under her thumbnails. Edward tried to put the puzzle pieces together.
She was happy, or continuously glad - obviously. But she was worried over something she didn't have anything to do with, but had put herself in the middle. She had done something outside, from the dirt, but her hands were quick and strong besides. She had the airs of a princess, but wasn't above thrusting her hands into the soil. It looked like she enjoyed doing that, too.
Edward smiled wryly. Yes, she was worth saving - even with her magpie-like tongue that was sharper than a two-edged sword.
M: Oh, THANKS!
E: You're welcome.
M: Sharper than a two-edged sword... my eye...
"I want to sit behind."
Edward tightened Carrie's bridle chin strap for the third time, dreading the moment he had to swing up and settle behind the girl. "Not happening."
"I want to, Edward."
Edward snorted, took the reigns from Madeleine and swung up into the saddle. "I'm not going to have Gideon wring my neck because you broke yours falling off of a horse in the middle of the night. You shouldn't be here anyway. I'll get in trouble for that alone."
"Ow!" Edward gasped in pain as Madeleine's elbow nonchalantly found his stomach. "You're the devil in disguise, you know that? I pity your future husband."
"Perhaps I won't find one," Madeleine's voice was sweetly innocent.
Edward snorted again. "I pray for that day. So why are you out here in the middle of the night? You never told me that."
"Should I?"
A wry smile covered Edward's face. He decided to throw the girl's tactic back in her face. "I'm riding you home. You ought to."
Silence. Of course. She didn't want to tell, but she owed him. "I don't want to go home with you."
"But you are."
Madeleine tensed to where it had to of hurt, hesitated, then suddenly relaxed under his hand. Edward glanced down at her, surprised. Madeleine's eyes were closed now, hiding their light-reflecting greenness, and her forehead was creased with wrinkles.
"Are you alright?" Edward whispered, nervously wondering if his neck would still get wrung if she told Gideon everything - even if he brought her home.
The girl stayed silent.
"Hey," Edward pulled Carrie to a gentle stop. "I mean it - are you alright?
The girl suddenly leaned down, sliding down and wrapping her arms around Carrie's neck. Edward had to let her go so he wouldn't lay on top of her. "I- I came out here be... because I was tired of being in... there," The girl gave a little sniff.
Edward dismounted and looked up at the little pale face contrasted against the brown of Carrie. "But why now? Couldn't you have come before - like, in the day?"
"But I always do that," The girl straightened up but was still hunched forward. "I always come out to Tom when he's on his break for lunch. Thirty minutes isn't enough - not thirty minutes around the house, in the garden. I don't want to be one of those girls you hear about the are so engulfed in their own thing- in the house; the garden, the about-town things, that they don't know what it's like to be outside. I don't want to be one of those girls that have never seen the sun rise over Fat Man's Buff. But- but I don't see how I can't."
Edward frowned slightly, thinking. "Fat Man's Buff: isn't that what Tom calls the hill over there?"
The girl smiled. A rather watery-looking smile, Edward thought, as she climbed down from Carrie to stand by him. He placed the lantern on the ground to illuminate the clearing better. "I promised Tom I'd climb it sometime, but it's an all-day hike, and I- I can't be gone that long, even with Tom. That- that would happen in my life. No. I'm too- too boring to be paid attention to."
Edward watched as she scooped a pine cone up from the ground and casually fired it at the fork of a tree. It lodged there with perfect accuracy. Boring? "Considering that you just turned my nightly routine upside down," Edward rolled his eyes and tried to take a lighthearted turn to the conversation. "I don't think you're that boring."
It got a little laugh out of her. "Not that boring now, maybe - at home, I'm stuck doing whatever people want me to do."
Edward scooped up another pine cone and tried to knock out the pine cone already lodged in the tree. He missed to the left by a few inches. "Whatever they want you to do? Sure?"
The girl beside him laughed - more at his throwing skills, than his words. She threw another pine cone and accomplished what he had failed. "Well, not really. It's- it's complicated. I don't... really have time to myself. Except- now. Or... fifteen minutes ago, I guess. I came out here because I wanted to be alone."
Edward laughed and threw another pine cone, then picked up Carrie's free reigns, the lantern, and started walking towards the house. Madeleine followed. "So you got stuck with me, is that right? Silence is shattered, and dirt is trodden?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Put like that - yes."
"I guess I get why you were so mad at me, but trust me, it's not like I want my head chopped off either."
"I know," The girl sighed.
Edward looked down at the melancholy pale face. She didn't act like the child she looked like. She was so... mature- like a grownup that had been placed in a child's body. "Here," Edward said the word before he realized fully what he was going to do. He ignored the resistance of his mind though, and blew out the lantern. "Follow me. I... think you might like this."
Madeleine's little hand squirmed into his, making sure she didn't lose him in the dark. Edward smiled. Carrie snorted behind him, her hooves dully clumping along as she followed them. And then the fireflies were back as they walked into a different clearing - dancing, swinging around the pair. Edward watched Madeleine's eyes whirl around, desperately trying to follow one after the other.
Pine trees stood sentential on the outskirts of the clearing, only making a break at the one entrance where they'd come in. Grass was everywhere. Edward saw the nightly drops of drew, dropping from the moss hanging on the trees. Moonlight shone down as well, helping the fireflies, and encouraging them to shine.
Madeleine was smiling now; a real smile - one that showed creases at the edges of her eyes. Her hand left Edward's, and she knelt down to the ground, running her fingers over a few of the lightly illuminated violets and pansies that were growing there. Edward glanced behind him. Carrie had pulled her reigns out of his hand and was grazing placidly nearby. Dropping down, Edward smiled at the girl who was still gazing around in awe.
"Never knew it was so nice in the forest at night, eh?"
The green eyes flashed toward him with a fiery zest. "It's more beautiful than anything I've seen in my life, honest."
Edward smile, reaching up a hand to temporarily capture a firefly, then set it free. "I come here sometimes, when I don't feel that great. I always feel better afterward. It's probably the one place in the world where nobody's harmed anything. I come here to enjoy it."
The girl smiled again, this time at him. "Thank you, really. And I'm sorry - I was so mean. It was just- I wanted to go home, and you scared me right then. It was too sudden..."
Edward stood up and offered Madeleine his hand. "Let's get you home; how about that?"
Maybe... maybe he's not that bad.
Madeleine's eyes drifted wearily and her head nodded forward. Then she quickly pinched herself to make sure she stayed awake. Carrie's walk was plodding and slow - ingredients enough for sleep.
"Few more minutes," Madeleine felt Edward's arm give her a quick hug. "Not that long. Hang in there."
"I'm... trying," But Madeleine yawned, relaxing in the boy's grasp.
"... hey, you, wake up little goose. You feel asleep on me!"
Madeleine blinked. The rock of Carrie's walk had stopped. Why? Oh, home.
"Come on, goose. It's nearly time for curfew to start, and I've still got Carrie to tend to." The girl groggily lifted her head, then let herself be scooped up into Edward's waiting arms and set gently back on the ground. She yawned again.
"Should I pinch you to get you awake, or are you going to punch my nose in?"
Madeleine had to giggle. He was funny. "I'm- I'm up. I... think." Suddenly there was a wet something that landed on the back of her neck. Madeleine's eyes popped open with a start and her hand flew to the wet spot. In the light of the lantern, the girl could make out green. She spun around.
Carrie was placidly chewing her cud, unaware of the disturbance she'd caused. "Ew!" Madeleine spun back to where the sound of Edward's laughter was coming from. "That's disgusting!"
The boy shrugged, coming around from Carrie's opposite side. "It got you up, didn't it?"
Madeleine rolled her eyes and wiped the rest of the green spittle away. "I guess it did. Where are you going now?"
"Same place I was heading before I ran into you." Edward grinned. "Put Carrie away - go home, get a few hours sleep before I come back here in the morning."
"Thank you," Madeleine suddenly found herself smiling up at him. "For everything - and for putting up with me. That must have been a challenge."
Edward grinned as he walked around Carrie and sprang into the saddle. "No problem. But please, no more midnight walks. Try and stay in the seven, to eight range, where you can find your way home before dark."
"I'll do that."
It seemed like Edward was going to kick Carrie, but then hesitated. "Who are you? Really? I mean, not just- who you are. What's your name?"
"Madeleine," It didn't seemed strange that Edward ought to know it. "I'm Madeleine - Madeleine Cahill."
Edward nodded, grinning. "Thanks, Madeleine. It's kind of nice to know the name of the person you saved, you know?"
"I know, thank you."
Carrie was spurred up and the two figures had disappeared into the dark line of trees before Madeleine could blink.
M: Yuck.
E: Ha. Got you up, didn't it?
M: Yeah... but it was DISGUSTING!
E: Eh. Can't say much to that. Sorry.
M: Anyway, Ed- you're out.
E: Wait, what?
M: You're out, Luke's in. He's in the end, not you.
E: WHAT?
M: Sorry. Bye. GET OVER HERE, LUKE!
-
L: Why am I back? It's the Stanley Cup FINALS! I mean, SERIOUSLY! Couldn't you have chosen a BETTER TIME THAN THIS?
M: Oo... Like when?
L: Like- never.
M: Just write. The sooner you write, the quicker you can get back to your wonderful hockey game. Honestly...
She was in the first field.
Madeleine walked quickly towards her window, pulling leaves and other objects of outdoors, and of rather distasteful natures. Her dress was torn. She could feel the slits easily since she was able to walk two times as far as she normally could. Her petticoat was in shreds - undoubtably. But... she was happy.
Happier than she'd ever really felt in her life.
Edward had stuck with her, even though she'd insulted him, even though she'd tossed him off Carrie, and he'd been helpful through it all. He had cared for her, even though he'd never seen her before in his life. Edward was a friend now, without question.
The few minutes it took to walk to her window were over quickly. The dark of her room was so, well- dark compared to outside, and the moonlit scenery. Madeleine sighed with relief, swinging her legs carelessly over the windowsill and dropping to her desk right below. It took a moment before she saw the two figures standing by her door.
Madeleine felt her face completely drain of color.
"You're not suppose to be out at night, Madeleine," The smaller figure stepped out of the shadow, revealing her face with the light from the window. Jane, of course. "You're suppose to be in bed- asleep."
"You've been gone for over an hour," Luke stepped forward as well, eyes boring into her, but Madeleine could here the opening left for her own words.
"I- I went out for myself. It's... it's none of your business."
Jane's head cocked in the superior, older-sister manner that Madeleine hated. "None of our business, Madeleine? You shouldn't be out at night. Besides, Father says so. It's a good thing I got Luke, and didn't wake up Father."
Madeleine swallowed rage. She had found Edward; found Edward, seen the beauty of the woods at night- and they didn't want her to go back? And it was that stupid age difference again. Madeleine found herself glaring at her sister. "I came back, didn't I?"
"With help from somebody?" It sounded like Luke was almost laughing.
And the rage boiled over. "I am not a child!"
"We never said you were," Jane's voice was sickly-sweet and so haughty she could have been Madeleine's mother herself. "We want you safe, Madeleine."
"I can do things myself!" Madeleine took two steps forward and gripped her quilt in both hands, trying to direct the rage there. "I'm not a baby, Jane!"
"But you're a child, Madeleine, you still need to be watched over and helped- saved, if needed. You know- like the time you burned your hand. What would have happened if Mother hadn't been there?"
Madeleine saw red. No rage, no anger- it was fury. Fury gripped her that she was being compared to her four-year-old self.
"GET OUT!"
She could make out the figures of Jane and Luke step back at her cry. The passion clutched her tighter. She could force them to do what she wanted. She wasn't a four-year-old, and she could prove it.
"Get out, Jane! NOW!"
"Madeleine, you'll wake the house-"
"I don't care WHO I wake!" Madeleine voice rose, spewing out like so much molten lava. "GET OUT! This is MY room! And I WON'T be treated like a FOUR-YEAR-OLD HERE! Get out, NOW!" Madeleine grabbed the closest thing to her - a charcoal pencil - and aimed it precisely at Jane's head. The older girl dodged it, but was showered with the bits and pieces of black ash. A large dark mark was on the wall exactly where Jane's head had been.
"Madeleine, stop this, now. I didn't wake up Father because I felt I didn't need to. I will if I must."
Madeleine whirled on him. Even Luke then? So be it. "Wake him up then," She snarled. "See if I care. I'll get spanked, and I'll go without supper, but I won't repent for what I did. I will not be treated like a child!"
"Si-lence!" Luke's voice was so commanding that even Madeleine had to pause. "Madeleine, you will not go outside at night, and you will not go outside at all without letting anyone in the family know. If Father's rule is disobeyed again, I will go directly to him the next time it is flaunted and tell him everything. Everything, Madeleine. Do you understand?"
"I understand that this is my room," Madeleine whispered softly under her breath, but loud enough her brother and sister could hear. "I understand that I am twelve years old. I understand that I am not a child. And I understand that I have, and am, being treated like one. I understand, and hope that you, Luke Cahill, understand my wish that I want to be respected; and you follow, and honor that wish. Do you understand that?"
Luke's brown eyes drilled into her. They seemed almost alive, like flaming coals - no longer part of him, but a part of themselves, alive with fire. "Tell us, Madeleine:you happen to be too precious to lose. Good night."
Luke spun around on his heel, opened the door, waited while Jane scooted outside, then closed the door behind him, and was gone.
Madeleine cried.
It was like losing Lucas all over again. Luke scribbled out what he was writing for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. Olivia had gone into Madeleine's room soon after both Luke and Jane had left. Madeleine had turned Olivia away quickly though, and now the house was eerily quiet with stewing anger.
Luke snapped his book shut and grabbed another from his nearby shelf. He found a paragraph, and then began copying down the meaningless words in his painfully precise handwriting. Mind whirling other places, Luke frowned, trying to forget Madeleine's frightened, upset, and utterly furious face.
Oh, quit it. Luke shut the book and slammed his pen down on his desk. His inkwell jumped. Madeleine didn't get angry, just like Madeleine didn't cry. Lucas had never lost his temper - upset, maybe, but not angry. Not furious. Luke sighed and gently shut the other book, then subsequent placed both back on his shelf. The other things were arranged neatly on his desk after that - the way he always had them.
The oak beams groaned as Luke sat on his bed. It wasn't like they weren't use to his weight, they'd been holding it up for fifteen years of nights. But this night they seemed resentful, as if they hated him. Luke sighed and scanned the room. He'd be leaving it soon - in two years, perhaps. The tests were to be administered in Paris, the ones that would help select the officials that could replace the old ones. This would all become a thing of the past then - Katherine and her geek-ness, Thomas and his absurd climbing obsession. And no Madeleine. Dragging a fourteen-year-old along on official tests? Even Luke had to smile.
But why now?
For some reason Luke had the fact stuck in his head. He didn't have much time left here; not much time left to spend with the people he'd always been with. If Lucas had lived, perhaps he'd be here - grinning his goofy, impish grin. Perhaps there would be someone to take to Paris, to laugh, to flirt, to 'oh' and 'ah' and not think Luke was being childish or immature. There would be someone to tease.
But that was the main thing: if.
Luke stood up and walked across his room; across the hallway, and gently opened up Madeleine's door. There was a fat lump under the quilt. "Go away. I don't want to talk."
"It's me, Maddie."
The lump was silent.
Luke closed the door, then gently sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Mads."
"So- s-so am I."
Luke found himself raising an eyebrow. "What for?"
There was a sniff from under the quilt. "I- I despise myself."
"Why?" The words came out harder than the boy meant them.
"I- I... yelled... at you. I... I hated you, Luke. Maybe for... that one second- maybe, but I hated you. I wished that you'd never... existed. Or Katie, or Tom, or Jane. I wished that I was the only one, and that Mother, Father and I- we could just- live together. How could I think that?"
Luke sighed. "Don't, Maddie. It's... not worth it."
"Why not?" -a sniffle- "I deserve it."
"Because-" Luke stopped as two green eyes peeked over the quit, making the lump look less lump-ish. "Because, Maddie..." Luke shrugged helplessly. "Because I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I'm sorry. I'm the one that ought to be feeling horrible. Not you."
The lump and two eyes unfurled itself and crawled out from under the quilt. Madeleine wrapped her arms around Luke and buried her head in his tunic. Smiling slightly at the feeling of deja vu, Luke hugged her tight. Then words suddenly poured into his mouth with such speed he couldn't get them out fast enough.
"I was so scared, Madeleine. When Jane woke me up- I thought something had happened, you were hurt, or taken. But I didn't want to get Father since he would make everything five times its size. And then you were gone for so long: and every other minute, I kept saying to myself that the next second I was going to get Father- or the next minute- or next half hour. But I couldn't force myself because I was scared the second I walked out of your room you were going to come back, and you were going to pretend like it hadn't happened at all. And all the other, 'every other minutes' I was swearing to myself that I was going to go wake up Tom and go get you. God, Madeleine-" Luke suddenly realized he had Madeleine with both hands by her shoulders. "God, Madeleine, I was so scared. I though- I thought that I was going to lose you."
His voice cracked.
"Don't ever do that again, Madeleine. Please. Not without telling somebody, or going with somebody. Please. Promise me."
Madeleine nodded once, then twice, as if nodding harder would convince him.
Luke forced a smile at her. "I lost some- someone once, Madeleine, to disobedience. I..." The words had stopped dead, as if someone had put a dam before his tongue. "I knew... what he was doing. And I could have stopped him; I might have saved him, but- but I didn't. And it... killed... him." Luke brushed Madeleine's cheek gently with the back of his hand. "I couldn't ever live if that happened to you.
"Don't ever do that again, Madeleine." Luke could hear the begging in his own tone. "I don't ever want to have to go through that again- please."
Madeleine sniffed, then flung her arms around him so tight it cut off his breath. Luke smiled slightly as something wet slid down his cheek. Seventeen-year-olds don't cry, stupid! He fiercely brushed the tear away. Tears continued to be rebellious though: another slid down his other cheek.
"Who was he?" Madeleine sniffed again. "A friend?"
"A friend," Luke echoed in a whisper. "Someone I loved- who I... lost."
Madeleine adjusted her grip on him, "Luke, when- when we're older- can we still do this: you and I? I mean, sit here, and just talk?"
"Of course," Gently prying her off of him, Luke set Madeleine on his left side, right up against him.
"Really?" She was worried now, afraid that her leader would leave. "Truly? Even... if I live in Germany and you live in England?"
Luke wrapped his arm around her. "Truly, Mads. I'll sit right here and hold you, and then you can tell me everything."
"Everything?"
"Everything, for sure. And if you live way over there in Germany, then we can meet in the middle. Holland, or something like that."
Madeleine snuggled up against him and Luke smiled again. "I love you," She finally whispered. "I don't think I'm ever going to love anybody else- ever."
"I'll always be here for you, Maddie," Standing up, Luke pulled back the quilt and tucked his sister in. "Don't worry."
"I won't," -a yawn big enough to swallow the Rock of Gibraltar- "Luke?"
"What?" Luke's hand paused on the doorknob.
"Do you think- maybe if you and I went out together one night- it really is beautiful- and you and I..." -another yawn, bigger than the first- "...so it- it wouldn't be disobeying. Do you think something...?"
"Maybe," Luke whispered. "Go to sleep, Maddie."
She was sleeping before he closed the door.
M: Dang. He was that big?
L: You're beanspilling, if I've got it right.
M: Shoot. True. But I didn't state anything.
L: When people read this, there's already going to know something's up by the mysteriousness in your words. Nice try.
M: Eh. Whatever. It's not like they know who- HE is.
L: Wow. You amaze me. Like- literally. Keep writing.
"Luke, that is you, isn't it?" Olivia. Luke could make her out in the dark light- just barely. A pity. He hadn't even made it halfway across the hallway. She must have been waiting for him.
"It's me."
Olivia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Did you talk to Madeleine?"
"Yes."
"What did she say? Did you get anything out of her?"
Luke sighed softly in the dark. "She said she wouldn't do it again- if you want to call her way of saying that, that."
"Anything else?"
"No, not really."
Luke could almost hear Olivia's silent worrying in the dark. "She says she isn't a child," -a pause- "But she is, Luke, frightfully so. I worry for her sometimes. When you leave-" That again? "I worry about what's going to happen to her. You know how she is. I almost wish you're not leaving, just because of her. She's going to be heartbroken when you're gone."
Swallowing hard, Luke nodded. "I know. I almost wish I was taking her with me, but you know, I couldn't possibly do that."
Olivia chuckled softly. "She would love it, I'm sure, but the officials wouldn't. You know, if-" But she cut off her words and didn't finish.
Luke knew what she'd been about to say though. If Lucas had been alive- Every nerve in his body screamed with self-inflicted pain. Luke sucked in his breath, and closed his eyes, hoping in the dark that Olivia wouldn't notice. "I know."
Silence across from him. Olivia laid a hand on his arm. "You have a life ahead of you, Luke. You can't live waiting for him to catch up. You'll never get anywhere looking over your shoulder, and I know you- just like I know Madeleine, and every one of my children. You can do things, Luke. Don't hold back because of the past."
"He died from what Madeleine just did," Luke snapped. The pain was forcing outwards now: he pushed it in. "If he hadn't disobeyed-"
"He died from the plague," Olivia cooly reminded him. "It's not your fault, Luke."
It hurt too much. Spinning around on his heel, Luke made for his bedroom door.
He barely caught himself from slamming it.
M: HAHAHAHAHA! YOU CRIED!
L: WHA-? NO! I did not! What on EARTH give you THAT idea?
M: The fact that you wrote every word of that last section. Duh.
L: Okay. Fine. Got me there. But on a more serious factor- why would I cry?
M: I donno. I was watching Toy Story 3 too... That- probably has something to do with it.
L: That's a stupid movie.
M: NOT!
L: Oh, please. Janus came up with it. Janus, with a EKAT DIRECTOR.
M: I am NOT talking to you for that.
L: What?
M: Silence.
L: Silence? Wait... what are you doing?
M: Not- Silence.
L: Oh... great. I guess if you're deciding to be a selective mute, then you can't come to Jane's and hang out with all of us since the hockey game's over. (Grrrr...) We were going to watch a couple horror flicks. You know, the Tomas garbage... Oh well. I'll miss you.
M: WHAT? Like JAWS? I is not mute any longer.
L: No, of course not like- 'Jaws'. That's by Steven. Jane and I conspired together and came up with Birds and stuff like that. I think there was something called; 'Let Me In'... Or yeah. Like that.
M: I... saw- that... one. Don't- yeah, Luke... don't- don't watch it.
L: Why not?
M: *cough* I... shouldn't tell. Really.
L: I'm curious now.
M: Don't be.
L: Okay. Well I told Jane we'd be there by six. She was coming up with some lasagna thing too. I don't really know... So shall we complete this and go?
M: It's completed anyway. We're done. But no watching that last movie. Ugh. *shudders*
Question; What do you get out of this chapter, and why?
*inserted at a later date* - If you didn't notice, I changed the italic parts too because I was so annoyed at Madeleine for being a rambling- yammer on. For all you M/E fans, yes, that is Edward, and he makes an early appearance in the re-writes. XP
Poor Madeleine, too, because I know MY ribs would have been cracking if somebody stuck a bodice on me and started pulling on the drawstrings. =P
I don't own Jaws, Birds, or 'Let Me In', if that is the title to that movie. I've actually never watched it, so I couldn't say whether it was good or not, but just the title - *shudders* sounds rather creepy to me. I would watch that one before Paranormal Activity though... *shudders twice*