"Hal. Open your eyes." Maggie's soft, light voice drifted through Hal's jumbled mind, and he opened his eyes very slowly.
The light was blinding at first, and he squinted in pain. Once he adjusted to the brightness, his eyes focused on her, her gold hair shimmering beautifully in the sunlight.
Hal sat up easily, expecting to feel the pain he had become so accustomed to, but found none. Maggie was squatting next to him, her arms resting on her knees. She was smiling, her eyes shining playfully.
Hal looked around them, his eyes sweeping over the area cautiously. They were on a beach, resting in the comfortable shade of the grassy dunes. He looked out at the somewhat distant waves crashing on the shore, and he felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. He turned his gaze back to Maggie, who was watching him closely.
"Maggie, what… How did we get here?" Hal asked, his eyes searching through hers carefully.
Maggie bit her lip, seeming to ponder his question. She hesitated for a long moment, her gaze never falling from his. After a few moments, she gave a gentle smile. She stood up, grabbing Hal's hand as she did so. She pulled him to his feet and gave a light laugh.
"Follow me." She said, her smile widening.
She pulled Hal through the dunes, moving effortlessly over the soft sand. Once they reached the edge of the shore, Maggie dropped Hal's hand, and broke out in a sprint.
"Come on!" She yelled, her voice light and playfully.
Hal hesitated for a long moment, not because he didn't want to follow her, but because he wanted to watch her. He felt overcome with happiness as he watched her run towards the gentle waves. He took in every detail. Her hair bouncing on her shoulders as she ran, the way her feet seemed to hop more than sprint, how incredibly graceful she was despite the unevenness of the sand.
Hal watched as she reached the shoreline, her feet slightly sinking into the wet sand. She turned to find him standing where he had been moments before, and she cocked her head a little.
"A little motivation, then?" She called, a smirk taking residence on her features.
Hal raised his eyebrows as she began to undress herself. She pulled her shirt off first, tossing it to the side. Then she smoothly unhooked her bra, letting it fall to her feet. She paused, meeting his gaze evenly, the playful smile faded and replaced with a serious, intent look. Then she gently unbuttoned her pants, pulling off the rest with them.
Maggie stood there, completely exposed and vulnerable to Hal Mason. He was a little taken aback by her beauty. She stood there, looking a little uncertain, like maybe undressing herself had been too presumptuous. She looked at her feet, shifting a little, before glancing back at Hal.
Maggie found he was slowly making his way to her, his gaze unfaltering. Hal finally reached her, pausing as he did so. He looked into her eyes, and she saw something she never knew could exist for her: undeniable, uncontrollable love.
Hal reached out, cupping her cheek gently. He let out a small breath, then he swallowed tightly, almost like he was having difficulty controlling his emotions.
And he was. As Hal looked at Maggie, in this moment, he realized how incredibly impossible life without her would be. Life without her was redundant, because it wouldn't be life. There would be no point to it, no meaning. It would be impossible to live without her, because life would simply cease to exist anymore.
Hal made no hesitation. He moved his hand to the back of Maggie's head, and he pulled her to him quickly, but gently. He pressed his lips to hers softly, yet with so much passion that Maggie lost her breath.
Hal moved so that he was pressed firmly against her naked body, and he pressed his free hand to the small of her back, his other hand still tangled in Maggie's golden curls. She put both of her hands to his face, holding him as close to her as their bodies would allow.
Maggie pulled back then, inhaling deeply and shakily. Her wide brown eyes met his intense hazel eyes. She gave a small smile, her eyes sparkling.
"How about it, then, soldier boy? Want to take this to the water?" She asked quietly, kissing him once more, letting her lips linger on his for a long moment.
Hal gave a half smile, sending Maggie's heart into hysterics.
"To the water, my love." He said, speaking with such intensity.
As Maggie pulled back to head for the water, Hal undressed himself, throwing his clothes off to the side next to Maggie's heap.
Hal ran a little, catching up to Maggie. He grabbed her hand without stopping, and pulled her with him, laughing easily. She laughed, too, and picked up her pace to match his.
Hal sped up, and without warning, he threw both of them into the warm, crashing waves. The water felt so good to Hal's skin that he nearly whimpered in joy. As he resurfaced, he was splashed in the face by Maggie, who wore a goofy smile.
Hal splashed her back, laughing, feeling completely carefree for the first time in what he could swear was a lifetime.
They played for a while, splashing and tossing each other into the rolling waves. But soon they found themselves captured in a more intimate moment, their giggles and smirks fading into longing, passionate looks.
Hal moved closer to Maggie, pulling her wet, exposed body to his. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, placing her arms around his neck. He held her this way, his hands resting firmly on her back, for several moments. They looked into each others' eyes, and then they kissed.
Hal kept his eyes shut tightly, letting himself get lost in the moment. His hands moved over her body gently, yet certainly. He moved his body closer to hers, his grip on her back tightening.
He moved his lips down Maggie's face, letting them fall to her neck. She tilted her head back, allowing him more room. He let his kiss trail down further, reaching her chest, which was just barely above the gentle water.
Hal moved once more, then, allowing them to be completely and utterly connected. Maggie held on to Hal so tightly, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted. Hal pulled her closer, and they both found themselves completely submerged in this moment they had, as one.
After the shortest lifetime either of them could have ever imagines, they found themselves washed up on the shore, resting in each others' arms, wet sand molding around them.
Hal rubbed his thumb up and down Maggie's arm soothingly, her head resting on his chest. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the sweet warmth of the sun, and he released a small, satisfied sigh. This was the happiest Hal had ever felt, before the war or after.
Maggie's grip around his waist tightened suddenly, and Hal opened his eyes, glancing down at her. Her eyes were open, staring out blankly in front of her. She seemed lost in a different world.
"You okay?" Hal asked quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Maggie didn't respond, or even acknowledge that he had spoken.
"Maggie?" Hal sat up a little, knocking Maggie out of her reverie. She glanced up at him, her eyes hardened with an intense darkness, her mouth taking the form of a deep frown.
"What's wrong?" Hal asked, unable to contain the concern he felt.
Maggie waited a long moment, so long that Hal began to think she hadn't heard him. Finally she spoke, her voice low and cautious.
"This can't last, Hal." She watched him, her gaze falling to his chin.
"What do you mean? Maggie, what's wrong?" Hal sat up entirely now, still holding Maggie close to him. He looked at her, confusion in his beautiful eyes. She swallowed tightly and met his eyes once more, fear and pain distinct on her previously carefree face. Her eyes seemed to glaze over, and she took in a deep, shaky breath.
"It hurts." Maggie's voice sounded choked, and her face scrunched up like she might be sick.
Hal moved quickly, so that he was kneeling before her. He searched Maggie over thoroughly, the panic clear on his face. He met her gaze once more, his eyes wide.
"What hurts, Maggie? Where are you hurt?"
But Maggie didn't answer him. Instead, she clutched at her side desperately and let out an agonized cry. She fell back to the sand, her eyes squeezed shut.
"Maggie!" Hal brushed hair out of her face, his hands shaking slightly. He put his hand to the side of her face, breathing heavily as he tried to figure out what could be wrong and what he should do to fix it.
Maggie's eyes opened and she searched for Hal through the pain that consumed her. She was gasping for air, her hands pressed tightly to her side.
"It… Can't last, Hal…" Maggie panted. "You... have to... wake up."
Hal's breathing became more heavy as the panic really set in. Maggie wasn't making any sense. He suddenly looked at the beach, not as a safe haven a comfortable place for Maggie and Hal to share alone in peace, but instead as a cruel trick, a deceiver. He had no idea where they were, how they had gotten here, how far away help was. And he wasn't sure what was wrong with Maggie, but he felt sick to his stomach as he watched her writhe in pain on the wet sand beneath them.
Maggie reached up at Hal now, her hand trembling violently. She grabbed the back of his neck harshly and looked at him, her eyes more serious than he had ever seen.
"Wake up, Hal. You have to wake up."
Hal's eyes opened so quickly now that he felt sick. He gasped desperately for air. He felt like he was suffocating. The world in front of him swirled terribly, and he suddenly became aware of a pain in his chest so excruciating that he couldn't breathe.
Hal began to cough violently, and he felt blood rising into his mouth with each heave of his chest.
The blood began to seep out of the sides of his mouth, and he choked for a moment, swallowing a mouthful of it.
"Your lungs are filling with blood, Hal. Pretty soon you'll be drowning in it."
Hal felt his heart freeze painfully in his chest at the sound of her voice. Everything suddenly came back to him in a cruel rush. The explosion, Karen, the stick, Maggie, the Skitter.
Hal swallowed loudly, gagging on the rusty taste of blood. He managed to turn his head weakly towards the sound of Karen's voice. He saw her, standing to his right, her frame almost casual. He gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into pathetic fists at his side. The unbearably strong pain Hal felt was replaced with an even stronger anger as his eyes locked with Karen's.
Karen smiled menacingly at him, her eyes gleaming with something demonic. She took a few steps closer to Hal, still smiling.
"You got hurt pretty bad. Probably don't have much longer. You lost a lot of blood, but that's nothing compared to what's happening on the inside." Karen laughed at this, her laugh dark and grave, mocking Hal.
Hal glanced around, noting that he was alone now, Maggie, Pope, Tom and Ben nowhere to be seen. He was lying on a table similar to the one he had been strapped to earlier, but this one had no restraints. Hal supposed they assumed he would be too weak to try and escape or fight back. They had assumed right. Hal barely had the strength or willpower to breathe in and out.
Hal met Karen's gaze evenly, his lips pressed so tightly together they were white.
She stopped at the foot of his bed, her head cocked to one side as she watched him.
"Poor Hal Mason. So weak, so helpless. And Daddy's not here to help you either, now." Karen smiled at this, finding genuine pleasure in Hal's pain.
Hal bit his tongue to keep from speaking. He didn't want to let her know her words were getting to him. Instead, he kept his face as emotionless as he could, trying to hide the incredible pain he felt.
Karen took another big step closer to Hal, and she bent down so that she was only inches from his face. Hal cringed from her closeness, struggling to muster the strength to turn his head away.
Karen didn't show any anger at his struggle to move away from her. Instead, she smiled, her eyes moving over Hal's body slowly. She straightened up again, her eyes never looking away from Hal.
"We could have been happy, and this could have been so much easier, Hal. But you had to make it difficult. If you had just done things the way I had wanted, none of this would have had to have happened. But now I'll have to find another way to get what I want." Karen sighed, like she was deeply upset about this news.
Hal watched her carefully as she moved away from his bed, and picked up something off a long table, similar to the one he was resting on. As Karen turned to face Hal once more, he saw that she was holding what appeared to be a long, think needle. His already weak and shaky breath became even more unsteady.
Karen eyed the needle for a moment, then tapped it quietly as she looked back at Hal, who was devoid of any color or emotion. He looked like a ghost. Karen smirked at Hal, sending shivers down his aching spine. He coughed painfully, more blood rising into his mouth, and he closed his heavy eyes as he swallowed it back down.
"You look pretty bad, Hal, and I know you have to feel worse than you look. You won't make it much longer unless you get that blood out of your lung. I know you don't want to die, Hal. Not yet, not like this. So how about we make a deal?" She walked over to him casually, still holding the needle tightly in her grasp.
Hal opened his eyes again and glanced at her weakly. She was less than a foot from him, and she met his eyes without hesitation.
"This needle can save your life, Hal. It'll take all of that blood out of that lung, and patch up the wound so more blood doesn't get through. All you have to do is tell me what the 2nd Mass has been planning with those revolting rebel Skitters. Hmm? Tell me their little plan, and you live." Karen sounding so promising, like she would never betray Hal.
Hal laughed at her. It was a weak, croaking laugh, and blood came with it, but it was a laugh, and it made Karen's eyes flame with anger. He continued to laugh, ignoring the raging agony in his chest.
Karen's jaw clenched tightly, and her lips pressed tightly together, but she managed to smile mockingly at Hal.
"I figured you wouldn't give up the information for yourself. Hal Mason, always such a selfless man. It's sickening, really. You live in a world filled with nothing but reasons to be selfish, yet you still hold desperately to the belief that there is still some good left. Just like your pathetic father." Karen was practically spitting at Hal now. Still, he laughed at her, blood seeping through his clenched teeth.
"But there comes a great price with selflessness, Hal." Karen continued, her voice sadistic. She glanced towards the foot of Hal's bed, and he followed her gaze, still chuckling weakly.
Hal's laugh disappeared immediately, as did all feeling of pain. His heart stopped for a moment, and he lost all sight except for the small person who stood terrified before him, a Skitter right at his side.
Hal swallowed and a small, choked cry escaped his pale lips.
"Hal!" Matt was shivering, unable to move as the Skitter pinched his small arms tightly, holding him firmly in place. His face was so small, young and vulnerable as Hal looked at him that Hal nearly sobbed.
They had gotten his baby brother. They were using him as leverage, and Hal knew that once they got what they wanted from him, they would still probably kill Matt, finding no further use for him. They were trapped, and Hal had no idea how to get out.
"Hal, help me!" Matt was whimpering now, his whole body trembling as the Skitter's hold on him tightened.
Hal sat up quickly, feeling no pain as he watched Matt's scared, small figure.
"Matt!" Hal yelled, seeming so much stronger than he was. His chest was severely wounded, and his lung was quickly filling up with his own blood, but all Hal cared about right now was protecting Matt.
Suddenly, Hal was slammed back down by Karen, who had knocked her arm harshly across his face. He thudded painfully against the metal table, moaning from the impact.
"Hal!" Matt's voice sounded a little distant now. Hal's eyes fluttered back open again, just in time to see Karen's hand swinging down to his chest quickly.
Her hand collided with his wound, and she dug her fingers in it deeply, roughly. Hal felt a new kind of pain, one so excruciating his vision went completely black as he howled in misery.
Hal felt blood rush into his mouth quickly, his body thrashing in agony as Karen ripped her fingers even deeper into Hal's wound.
"Ahhhhahhhahhggahha!" The pain was so clear in Hal's screams that Matt tried to break free of the Skitter's hold and run to his big brother. The Skitter clawed Matt's arms viciously, and he fell to the ground, crying out in pain as he clutched his small arms.
Karen pulled her fingers out of Hal's chest quickly and brutally, an evil smile on her face. Hal gasped for air, blood spilling from his mouth down his pale cheeks.
"Tell me what I need to know, Hal, or Matty here's going to feel a pain worse than what you're writhing in." Karen spat angrily.
Hal choked on a terrible combination of blood and air, his heart beating rapidly in his shredded chest.
"Tell me what I need to know, or your little brat here is going to really know what it's like to feel pain." Karen's voice was relentless and hostile.
Hal tried to control his coughing and gasping, but he was failing so miserably.
Karen paused for a moment, watching Hal closely, then she turned to the Skitter.
"Pick him up!" She roared, pointing harshly at Matt, who was still hunched over in pain on the ground.
"No! Hal! Hal, help me! Please help me!" Matt screamed desperately, the pain in his voice echoing throughout the room. He was so young, so small, and innocent.
Hal managed to focus on Matt now, as the Skitter ripped him from the ground angrily, blood dripping from his skinny arms.
"No! Matt, it's okay! Everything's going to be okay!" Hal's yell was weak, but certain.
The Skitter began to drag Matt from the room, and he screamed once more.
"You promised, Hal! You promised to protect me!" Matt's voice was a whimper, filled with so much pain and fear.
Hal felt his heart shatter into a trillion pieces at his brother's words. He had promised to protect his brother, to never let anything happen to him. He had failed him miserably. Matt was going to die, and it was all Hal's fault.