Sorry for the long wait!!!! But I have decided that,since I usually update about every two weeks, I will treat you to a fun poll every time I do. This chapters poll: If an elephant stomped into your house and told you to make it a sandwich, what would you do?
You review and I write!
MPOV
I yanked Jeb out of the house, not caring if he got banged around on the trip out the door. I kept pulling that awkward stumbling man until we reached the far end of my mom's huge backyard, where we were mostly concealed by trees. Hopefully big ears wouldn't hear us all the way back here.
I stopped abrubtly and glared at Jeb as he reoriented himself. That clumsy guy…
I waited until he was staring back at me, uncomfortable at my hard, icy glare, but also with a hard defiance in his eyes.
"Yes, Max?" Jeb broke silence in that condescending tone of his.
"Is this some kind of cruel joke!?" I said incredulously, my hatred of him shining in my words."
Jeb sighed. He sighed! Can you believe the nerve of that…never mind.
"Is what some 'cruel joke?'" he said slowly and mockingly. "Max, I don't know what is going on, but I don't have time for this garbage. I was invited for dinner, as a guest, not as some servant or slave of yours."
My fists clenched at my sides. I was practically shaking with anger and (though I will never admit it) grief and longing. I just wanted to be back inside with my family, relaxing for the first time in my life.
My eyes bored holes into his. I yanked my hair off the back of my neck so hard and fast it brought tears to my eyes.
"You call this garbage?! You think my death is a waste of your time?" My voice shook and tears slipped down my cheeks, but I didn't care anymore.
Jeb stared at me in silent shock. Well, mostly at the back of my now covered neck.
"Max, I- …I didn't know." It was a weak excuse and we both knew it.
"How could you 'not know'? You're the high and mighty Jeb Batchelder knower of all things and the worlds worst dad! Whose son died at seven years old because of him" –my voice broke and I ended in a whisper- "and now his daughter will too."
Somehow I had fallen to my knees, at the mercy of His Royal Highness. It made no difference. Tears were flowing freely down my face as I looked up to stare into the soft, brown eyes so much like my own.
"I'm so scared. More scared than I've ever been before. And more alone, too. I can't even tell Fang. I tell him everything.I'll save the world a hundred times, but I can't do this. I can't just stand up and fight when the battle is already lost."
Jeb had softened to an understanding adult. He knealt down and rubbed my shoulder. His hand was rough and scratchy even through my T-shirt.
"What do you need from me, Max?" compassion and caring in his voice. Of course, it meant nothing to me, but at least it was better than him ignoring me and walking away.
Suddenly, I felt like little Ari, my poor brother, and a new wave of pain washed over me.
I stifled my tears with so much difficulty, you have no idea. I whispered up to him so softly, I'm amazed he could even hear me, "I…I need your help, Jeb." I swallowed and stood up, using a tree branch for balance. I still managed to stumble. "If it's too late to save me, at least for them. Don't let them die this way too."
I met Jeb's eyes with so much hope and desperation, it almost made me sick. How could I let myself be such a sap, especially around Jeb? I didn't have a choice. That's how.
"Please?" My voice still a whisper, I was too scared to manage anything else.
Jeb was silent.
He glanced around at the beautiful trees in full bloom, at the house about the size of my thumb, at the window with five horrified faces peering out at…. Crap.
I bit my lip hard, trying to keep back the long list of swear words at the tip of my tongue. I must have shown more of a struggle than I had thought because Jeb looked over at me and raised his eyebrows.
Then, so softly I wasn't even sure I had heard him right, he said out of the side of his mouth, not looking at me again, "Eight o'clock, meet me at the gas station."
Then he just stalked off back to the house, as if he had just been out for a refreshing morning walk.
But I am positive I heard him say to himself as he turned his back to me, "I'm sorry, Max."
When I glanced back at the window, Fang was the only one left. I refused to meet his eyes. Something about them always made me want to tell him everything, which was, I'll admit, basically what I did.
Not this time.
My back still throbbed. Had that only been about ten minutes ago that I was flying away from a mysterious and very random exploding arrow? It seemed like forever.
Forever. I hated that word.
I turned away from the window and stepped into the security of the trees, hiding myself from Fang. Yeah, mostly Fang.
But what else could I do?
I stood out there for who knows how long. A half hour? Finally, I was sure that the tears had dried up, and that my eyes were no longer puffy and wet, like the clouds above me.
I walked back towards the house, carefully avoiding that window.
I slid open the door and was greeted with a blast of cool air and a near silent house. I walked through the living room and made my way towards the kitchen. Step by step.
I almost smiled to myself.
Every journey begins with a single step.
That mystical taxi cab would have been so helpful right about now. Yeah, right. New York held nothing but painful memories for me.
Okay, not completely. Of all the horrors and awful events proceeding the Big Apple, maybe it was worth it. Worth it to see the Gasman so happy and carefree during that concert. Worth it to go to the world's biggest toy store and find Angel something to love and hold onto. Worth it to add Total to our Flock.
I actually smiled at that last one. Total was… well, I don't know what Total was to me. I'd figure it out eventually.
"Yo."
I swear, I jumped like ten feet back and knocked into a chair and somehow landed on the other side of the room.
Okay, so I was a little jumpy.
Fang raised an eyebrow at me.
You would be jumpy too…
"You okay?"
Don't meet his gaze, don't meet his gaze, don't meet his gaze.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You just startled me, that's all."
"Yeah, I just 'startled' you." Jeez, what was it with people mocking me today!
"Yup. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." I managed to keep myself my usual jaunty and carefree self, at least, so that was something.
I passed Fang and walked over to the refridgerator behind the island. It was just something about asking for help that made me so hungry…
"Seriously, Max, what's up?" He gave me his no nonsense tone, the same one that I had tried so many times on him. My thoughts went back to right after that fatal run-in with…Ari. Fang had gotten so hurt and then we'd gone to hospital and- It was just flashback central today, wasn't it?
I must have spaced out for a second or two, because when everything came back into focus, Fang was right next to me, staring at me with such concern, that it reminded me of New York again and the brain attacks and WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN!?
I sighed and shook my head. A bad move on my part.
"Max," Fang said again. He put a hand on my back.
I hissed in a breath and the touch sent new waves of pain up my back. Dang it. But I couldn't help it. My hand was clenched around the door handle. And it hurt soooo much!
Wordlessly, Fang lifted up the back of my shirt and gasped. Was it really that bad? Oops.
"Max, what happened?" He finally exploded at me. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"
Something told me he was referring to more that just my back.
"Come on, let's go upstairs and get you cleaned up." He was still angry at me. I just have that natural talent to make people mad at me with out as much as saying a few words.
He didn't wait for my answer, instead just pushed me up the stairs, carefully avoiding the burned part of my back. We stepped into the bathroom and he clicked the light on.
"Counter."
"Fang, I'm fine really, I don't- "
"Counter."
I sighed and climbed onto the counter next to the sink so I was facing the mirror.
He pinned the bottom of my shirt to my collar and started with the antiseptic and tongue depresser.
I bit my lip again, this time to keep from crying out. God it hurt so much.
"Max, quit fidgeting."
"Kinda hard not to," I said through clenched teeth.
"What happened, Max?" He was still trying to get an answer out of me, "What did Jeb say to you? What made you…cry?
He had finished with the stinging antiseptic and had started bandaging me, wrapping it around my stomach and back.
"It was an exploding arrow. A man with a black hood."
Fang frowned.
"Ow, Fang, not so tight! I gotta breathe!"
"Sorry."
We were silent for a few moments as Fang finished treating my burn and pulled my shirt back down.
Finally, he managed to catch my eyes in his, "Jeb?"
I pulled the tiny metal circle off of my first finger and put it into Fang's hand. It was a promise ring, my most prized possession because I had made it myself. Ten years stuck in a cage with a little silver wire gives you time to do that kind of stuff.
"I promise, Fang, I will tell you." When I'm ready.
