Hello everyone! I hope you're having a good time so far! Today is another story heavy chapter, so enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: One of the Family

Frank picked up the phone and weighed it in his hands. It was heavier than usual, like a rock cradled in his palm, making his wrist ache with the effort. He grit his teeth, squeezing the device until the plastic creaked. He couldn't show weakness today; not today.

Miranda hovered nearby, her fingers nervously working away at her knitting, trying to hide her shaking. The small kitchen felt suddenly stuffy, like she couldn't get enough air. She stopped trying when she saw Frank raise the phone to his ear.

A single bead of sweat dripped down Miranda's cheek.

The dial tone was almost deafening in the tense quiet. Frank punched in the numbers one by one, each beep echoing through his skull. When the phone finally began to ring, Frank held his breath.

"Hello?"

Dunhill's voice was scratchy and hoarse, like Frank had roused him from sleep. He grinned, a twinge of satisfaction radiating through him.

"It's Frank," he grunted. Dunhill would know who he was- they'd spoken before- so he left it at that. The line was silent for a few seconds, making Frank wonder if he'd done the right thing after all.

"Well, well, well," Dunhill drawled, chuckling. "What can I do for ya, Frank? Haven't had the pleasure of hearing your voice in… what is it? Four days? A week? I never was the best at keeping track of time."

Frank grit his teeth. He couldn't let Dunhill get to him now.

"I want to talk about Maya." His eyes darted to Miranda, who'd stopped pretending to knit. "I'm looking to make a deal."

"Are you now?" Dunhill hummed; his interest was piqued. That was good. "What kind of a deal?"

"I want to pay off her debt."

A full-bellied cackle erupted in Frank's ear, startling him so badly he nearly dropped the phone. He waited, nerves on fire, until Dunhill calmed down enough to speak.

"That's mighty ambitious for a farmer," Dunhill whistled. Frank could hear the shit-eating grin on his face, and it only served to make his blood boil. "I did little Miss Maya a favor by letting her take over for her Pa, but my generosity is thin. I'm not interested in changing the name on the weekly bill."

"I want to pay it all. Right now."

Dunhill went quiet again. Frank knew he'd taken him off guard, and that was satisfying too. Any little thing to help quell his anger, Frank gladly accepted as a victory.

"You got that kind of money?" Dunhill's voice had changed. It was deeper, more serious. Some of his accent had dropped, and he was all business now. Frank could picture the man behind this voice inflicting pain on innocent people, and somehow that made it easier to keep his temper in check.

"I got it," Frank promised. Dunhill clicked his tongue in thought.

"How'd you get it?"

"Don't worry about how I got it," Frank paused deliberately, hoping that Dunhill would come to the conclusion that he'd gotten the money through less than legal means. If Dunhill thought Frank had something to lose, he'd be more inclined to agree to the meetup.

After a pause, it seemed like Dunhill had made his decision. He sighed, making Frank uneasy.

"Meet me at the crossroads in an hour."

And then the line went dead.

.

Dunhill wasn't a suspicious man by nature. He liked to trust people, because he knew he could.

Being a trustworthy man himself, Dunhill looked for the best in others. He knew that when it came down to brass tacks, people were never surprising. As much as they act like they change, grow, or better themselves, it's all an act. People will show their true colours when they're pushed, and those are the versions of people Dunhill trusted.

Frank was a man that Dunhill was quick to rely on. He was a simple man, a family man, and it was only a matter of time until his conscience got the better of him and he paid up. Frank wouldn't let his niece take the fall for his brother, even if it had nothing to do with him.

Now Maya's father was a different story. Dunhill never trusted him to feel anything except fear. He was a fragile man, one who cared more about himself than anyone else. When Maya offered to take over her father's debt, Dunhill knew the old man would have no objection.

Yes, Dunhill had predicted how this would all play out from the beginning.

The one thing that did surprise him was how Frank had gotten the money together so quickly. He'd been expecting another proposal like the one Maya made- Dunhill would string him a long for a bit, have some fun, and eventually start draining Frank's fortune too. Complete the family trifecta, as it were.

But Frank was thinking bigger. He'd gathered the money somehow, and Dunhill had his ideas. Theft, gambling, another loan shark, anything really, but it didn't matter. Dunhill would get paid, Frank would keep quiet after what Maya went through, and then Dunhill would say his goodbyes to the family. At least until he got bored again, probably in a few months.

It really was too bad. Dunhill had enjoyed his time with Maya. She was a hard worker, and he'd made more money off her than he ever had from her Dad, not that he'd ever tell her that. No, the patriarch of the family was suffering enough, he reckoned.

Speaking of, Dunhill patted the envelope in his pocket with a delectable grin.

The local mailman- that blond fellow with the messenger bag and the gaggle of women trailing after him- would never take the letter now. Dunhill suspected the whole town would be on the lookout for Maya's attacker, so he'd have to wait until he was back home. Letters were Dunhill's calling card all around- after all, who doesn't like getting mail?

The letter in his pocket was a bit of an anomaly. Typically, Dunhill's letters all followed the same format for the sake of consistency. This one though, he'd written himself. He took great care to word everything perfectly, and even sealed it with a personal wax seal. Maybe that was a bit risky, but the recipient would never rebel against him. Dunhill knew that.

In the envelope, he'd tucked a picture of Maya. It wasn't her best look, but Dunhill was sure she'd forgive him. She was unconscious, curled on the floor just after he'd greeted her. She looked small, and pathetic, and exactly how Dunhill wanted her to look.

Paid a visit to my favourite, customer! The back of the polaroid was scrawled in black ink, speckled with runoff. The life of a busy farmer… napping on the job!

Dunhill chuckled to himself. Her father would love it.

But right now, he had bigger fish to fry. Frank was set to meet him soon, and Dunhill was more than a little curious as to what was in store for him. He wasn't stupid- he'd brought a gun- but he sincerely hoped he didn't have to use it.

"Here."

Dunhill tilted his head. Frank had approached from Maya's farm, not Westown like Dunhill was expecting. A minor discrepancy, nothing to worry about. Dunhill plastered his signature smile across his face, pulling a toothpick from his wallet and clamping it between his teeth.

"Afternoon, Frank," Dunhill sang, eying the burlap sack that was dropped at his feet. It looked to be exactly what Frank promised it was, but Dunhill couldn't just take him at his word. "Fine day for an errand or two?"

"I'm not interested in small talk," Frank grunted. He held Dunhill's gaze, and the hate seared through him. Dunhill chuckled, stooping to examine the bag. Frank probably thought he was insulting him by dropping it on the ground, but Dunhill wasn't an easy man to offend.

"That's too bad," Dunhill clicked his tongue, rooting through the bag to check for fakes and filler. Finding none, he rose once again. "You're an admirable man, Frank. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

Another of Dunhill's skills was knowing when he'd pushed his limits. With the bag in hand, he started off down the road that would lead him home. He didn't look back at Frank, the man was one quip away from punching him in the nose, and Dunhill didn't need that headache today. No, he got what he came for, and that's what mattered. Frank was an honest man, after all, so what did he need to worry about?

.

Miranda waited nervously for Frank to return. She'd made her calls, updated everyone, and coordinated as best as she could. There was nothing to do for now- not until Frank came home.

He insisted she should stay and keep in touch with the others, but she worried about him. Frank's temper was rare but legendary, and if Dunhill pushed the wrong buttons, then the entire plan would go out the window.

The only thing that kept Miranda from running out the door right that second was Maya.

She was to be released from hospital that day, and Miranda knew that Frank wouldn't risk her life. Not for anything. He'd keep his temper in check if it meant protecting her, so Miranda had to do her part too.

That was another coordinated effort by the three towns. Miranda had an armload of frozen casseroles ready to be delivered to Maya's farm, to make her recovery as easy as possible. She and Lisette had been taking turns tidying the house, and Frank and Wayne had been caring for Josie and the fields.

Miranda smiled for the first time all day, touched by how everyone had come together. Ludus was the real MVP though- ever since the first day Maya was in hospital and Ford allowed her visitors again, Ludus had barely left her side. Frank was a little miffed by that at first, but once he saw how utterly devoted Ludus was to his niece, he begrudgingly shut his mouth.

The clock tolled. Frank would be back soon, if everything had gone well. Miranda tried not to dwell on it, instead focusing her energy on finishing the last pot of soup that she was making for the day. Everything would work out. It had to.

.

"I don't think I've ever been this excited to get a shower!"

Maya was practically bouncing, as much as she could with her residual bruises anyway. She was walking around on her own, celebrating her newfound freedom in whatever way she could- without hurting herself, that is.

After what felt like an eternity in the hospital, Ford had finally given the go ahead for her to leave, having mostly healed from her head trauma. She wasn't recovered, not entirely, but the rest of her injuries could easily be monitored at home. Those were like the magic words to Maya; suddenly, nothing else mattered except leaving this clinic.

"If you're not careful, he's going to have to keep you longer," Ludus laughed. It warmed him beyond words to see her feeling so much better. The moment she learned she was being discharged, it was like the life had been injected back into her. She was almost herself again, and Ludus hoped it would only get better from there.

The last week had been hard on everyone, but especially him. Maya was confined to her hospital bed for the majority of her days, and seeing her stripped of her usual energy was difficult. He did what he could to help, bringing her board games, puzzles, books, and little crafts to keep her occupied, but they were only temporary fixes.

The real cure was getting the hell out of there.

"I'm being careful," she insisted, demonstrating just how cautious she was by taking a few slow, deliberate steps across the room. Ludus shook his head, smirking at her. He caught her gently around the waist as she made her last round, pulling her securely against his chest.

"Not careful enough for my liking," he told her, wrapping her in his arms. Maya rolled her eyes, poking him playfully in the cheek.

"Your definition of 'careful enough' includes full body bubble wrap," she teased, humming contently as he kissed her.

No matter how often he held her, Maya didn't think she'd ever get used to his touch and attention. He still filled her with the same lovestruck butterflies that he had on day one, and they'd only worsened since Sealight Night. More often than not, Maya caught herself with a stupid grin on her face for absolutely no reason at all. Despite everything, she was happy; happy that she and Ludus could finally be with each other as a couple.

Not that they'd been given much of a chance yet.

Even though Ludus had been with her since the second day she was hospitalised, they were never alone. Ford was always there, checking on Maya's condition, reading her charts, asking questions, and just being a good doctor. It was probably the least romantic first week of a relationship ever.

Now that Maya was feeling better, she was more than a little excited to spend some time alone with Ludus, getting back to their normal. Whatever that was.

"Everything ready to go?" Ludus mumbled against her lips. Maya nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him. That was getting harder and harder as the days wore on, knowing that Ludus was finally hers and still having to be chaste with him. Alas, Ford was just upstairs, preparing her prescription and a list of things he wanted her to do while she was at home. His footsteps sounded on the board above them, so Maya knew he was returning shortly.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to take it easy for another full week," Maya sighed, just as Ford came back. He tutted, pressing the paper and prescription into Maya's outstretched hand. It was just some mild painkillers, but Maya had never been on any type of medication before. She awkwardly held them in front of her.

"If you'd rather I monitor you until you're fully healed, we can arrange that." Ford eyed her, not entirely joking. Maya tucked the paper and prescription into her bag, and reached for Ford's hand to shake.

"No offence," she smiled, "but I'd rather put up with Ludus's constant nagging than spend another week here."

"And constant it will be," Ludus assured Ford, also shaking his hand. Maya rolled her eyes, but Ludus ignored her. "She'll be staying with me at the Inn for a few days, until she can get around easily on her own."

"No farm work for at least another week after that," Ford reminded them, giving Maya a meaningful look. "Given your quick recovery, I suspect that your rib isn't broken like I initially thought. More likely it's a severe bruise, but you'll still need to give it time to heal."

"You gave me the spiel yesterday," Maya agreed, laying her hand gently over her ribs. They were in a lot pain still, but it was a relief to know they weren't broken. As much as she hated the thought of having to ask for help with her farm for so long, she knew she had no choice. "I promise I'll take care of myself."

"Good," Ford grunted, stepping aside to let them pass through the front door. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to come back."

Maya assured him that they would, and then she was free.

Almost immediately, Ludus had to help her down the stairs, dampening her enthusiasm a bit. It was still difficult to walk long distances, so he kept a firm hand on her as she limped along, despite her grumbles. The whole thing reminded Maya a little of when she'd injured her ankle- although it wasn't particularly long ago, it felt like a lifetime.

The sun in Westown was nearly blinding, but that wasn't surprising. She hadn't been allowed outside during her stay, but her bed was right next to the window. The warm, golden glow of the Westown sun brought her immeasurable relief from the cold, harsh light of the clinic's fluorescents. Now that she was free to step into it, she took everything in, feeling the rays dance across her pale skin.

What did shock her though, was the group of people waiting for her outside of Ford's clinic.

Maya froze on the bottom stair; her eyes immediately found Wayne, Lisette, Frank, and Miranda, but there were others. The twins, Tototara, Komari, Yuzuki, and Hinata were clustered together in the middle of the path, all beaming up at her as she made her way down the stairs with Ludus's help.

"What's all this?" she began carefully, glancing up warily at Ludus.

He'd been rather tight-lipped on the situation outside the clinic, suspiciously so. Maya was fairly certain she knew why, but that didn't help ease her anxiety.

They had to be discussing Dunhill, how could they not be? But no one would bring it up to her. If she tried to broach the topic herself, she was simply met with 'we're handling it'. That didn't sit right with her, but after three days of failing to glean any new information, she gave up.

Now, maybe, she was finally getting some answers. Maya just wasn't sure she wanted them.

Frank cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him and Miranda. Maya noticed that they were standing fairly close together, making her smile to herself.

"We're all here to support you, Maya dear," Miranda began tentatively, folding her hands and resting them on her skirts. "We're happy you're feeling better, and we had some news we wanted to share."

"News?" Maya repeated dubiously. She looked to Ludus again, but he was avoiding her gaze rather obviously. Maya scrunched her nose at him.

"We all wanted to help," Miranda continued, circling around the question in a way that made Maya nervous. "So, we put together a few gifts for you to speed along your recovery. There's lots of food of course, but we threw in some other things too."

"You didn't have to do that," Maya insisted immediately. It had been hard enough listening to Ludus update her on who was taking care of her farm and house, she couldn't possibly accept any more kindness. "Truly, I appreciate it, but-"

"Absolutely no 'but's!" Tototara harrumphed, planting her hands on her hips. "If you think we're all just going to sit back and watch you struggle, you're crazier than I am."

"If you think my nagging is going to be bad," Ludus stage-whispered, leaning over to speak into Maya's ear, "wait until you have to deal with Nana."

Maya heard the teasing in his voice, rolling her eyes.

"We all made a little something," Komari beamed, her arm linked through Hinata's. "Dad put a bunch of stuff together. Some of it isn't very tasty, but it's great for your health."

"That's what parents say when they're trying to get you to eat something gross," Hinata argued, making Yuzuki chuckle. "Just eat the stuff that doesn't look toxic."

"More importantly," Frank spoke up suddenly, looking more uncomfortable than anyone. Maya blinked at him, her heart clenching in panic.

Frank hadn't spoken to her much during her hospital stay. At first, she thought he was angry with her; it soon became apparent however that he simply didn't know what to do or say. He visited often, brought her things all the time, and had even stopped shooting questionable glares at Ludus after the first two days, but he never struck up a conversation.

"We protect our own." Frank continued, his entire face red from the strain of his words. Maya felt Ludus's grip on her tighten, and she knew what was coming. "And… well. Let's just say you won't have to worry about Dunhill bothering you anymore."

Maya's face went white. She worked her jaw, trying to find words, but her mind had gone blank. She'd been expecting this, prepared for it, but when it was spoken aloud like this… well, she didn't know what to do.

"Uncle Frank…" she stammered, her tongue thick in her mouth. "You didn't… tell me you didn't pay him. I can't let you-"

"Don't you worry about how we handled it," Miranda interjected sternly. She looked quickly at Frank, then at Ludus, but she was speaking only to Maya. "It's done. And you'll never see that man's face again."

"I…" Maya's voice was weak. She knew that Frank wouldn't be able to let this whole situation with Dunhill go now that he'd hurt her, but she'd never expected him to take care of it so quickly. She thought she'd have time to work something out, to come up with a solution that didn't involve anyone sacrificing anything for her. But she was too late.

"We were going to wait to tell you," Lisette spoke up, worried lines creasing her forehead. "It's your first day out, and we don't want to overwhelm you-"

"We're clearly doing a great job," Iluka snorted, but Maya could see the concern hidden behind her cynical expression.

"We knew you'd be stressed about it," Lisette continued softly, wringing her hands together. Wayne covered them with his palm, lending her strength. "Right now, you need to focus on getting better. We didn't want this to be on your mind."

"We wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible," Wayne jumped in as Lisette's voice broke, "that way, you can go straight to the Inn and relax. I know it seems like a bit of an ambush… we're sorry if this was the wrong way to handle it."

Maya began to shake her head, but stopped.

The sting of tears exploded behind her eyes, freezing her in place. Too many times she'd cried in front of her friends, too many times she'd broken down in the clinic and scrambled to hide it. She couldn't let them see her cry anymore- not after they'd gone to such great lengths to free her from her pain.

She had to keep it together. She had to say 'thank you'. She had to assure them that she didn't feel ambushed or overwhelmed, that they'd done the right thing by telling her as soon as possible. She had to say a lot of things, but if she opened her mouth, Maya didn't know what would come out.

Every face was staring at her, filled with love and worry. Then, abruptly, they were gone. Maya's vision went completely black as something covered her eyes, warm and familiar.

Ludus.

"Mahalo, everyone," he announced, his voice rumbling through his chest and floating over Maya's head. Quickly and gently, he'd pulled her into his embrace, tucking her face in the crook of his neck and shielding her from the others. "I think this might be enough for today. We're both very tired, and I know I for one desperately need a nap on something comfier than a cot."

Maya blinked in the darkness, feeling his armed tighten around her, as if to hold her upright.

"You can cry if you need to," he whispered to her, his lips ghosting across her ear, "it's okay. I won't let anyone see."

Tears were spilling before he'd finished, soaking into the fabric of Ludus's vest. Maya reached up, twisting her fingers in his shirt, and then she began to shake.

Ludus held her all the while, blocking her view of anything and everything around them. Maya knew the villagers weren't stupid- they all understood that she was crying- but she could live with that. For now, it was enough to bury her tears in Ludus's shoulder, listening as he quietly took control of the situation.

"Nana?" Ludus began, careful not to speak too loudly or suddenly. He'd known from the start that addressing her like this, with everyone, was going to be a risk. Maya was strong, stronger than anyone he'd ever met, but she was fragile too. Whenever Dunhill was concerned, Ludus didn't think there was a right answer.

But this is what Miranda and Frank had decided on, so Ludus did the only thing he could.

Tototara nodded, setting to work right away. She pushed everyone to disperse, having done what they set out to do. Maya knew, and that was enough for now.

All the while, Maya wept.

She felt a hand appear at her back, one that wasn't Ludus's. She wiped furiously at her eyes, choking back her tears, but the person spoke before she could lift her head.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Lisette murmured, locking eyes with Ludus questioningly. He nodded almost imperceptibly, squeezing Maya as tightly as he dared. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to upset you."

"No, no," she sniffled, struggling to hide the catch in her throat. "I just- I don't know what to say. I'm so grateful. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all of this."

"Repay us by getting better soon," Tototara's voice appeared then, patting her on the head, her eyes crinkling in a warm smile. "I've got Ludus's bedroom all set up for the two of you. I thought you might like to take a nice bath in the bathhouse, so you've got the Inn all to yourself tonight."

"Where will you be, Nana?" Ludus asked, clearly not privy to that particular part of the plan.

"I have some things to take care of," she and Frank shared a discreet nod, one that Maya couldn't see, "so I'll be staying with the twins tonight if you need me."

"And text me, when you're all settled," Lisette requested, hoping she wasn't pushing too hard. She heard Maya mumble a 'yes', and that was enough. Wayne took her hand, and the two of them set off towards the flower shop.

Ludus waited until everyone was gone before he loosened his grip, just a little. Maya wasn't shaking anymore, but her body was tense and rigid. He pushed his fingers through her hair, soothing her.

He really hated seeing her like this, but he also knew it was necessary. She was going to find out about Dunhill sooner or later, and sooner was better for her overall recovery.

Still, it didn't make it any easier.

"I'm sorry," Maya murmured eventually, shaking her head against his skin. He began to hush her, but she rambled on before he could. "Everyone went out of their way to see me off and do all these wonderful things and I couldn't even look them in the eye to thank them."

"Don't worry about that," Ludus assured her, slowly swaying her back and forth. "They all know how hard this is. No one is upset that you needed to take a break."

"I should've thanked them," Maya insisted, lifting her head for the first time in ages. She met Ludus's gaze, her eyes wide and wet. "I should've been able to-"

Ludus cut her off with a kiss, gentle and soft. His hand cupped around the back of her neck, holding her in place, as his lips erased the stress from the forefront of her mind. Maya felt herself relax into him, distracted by the subtle taste of his mouth.

"You can message everyone later," he told her, his voice suddenly hoarse. Maya's heart skipped. "Right now, I think it's best that we take you home, yeah?"

She nodded mutely, letting Ludus help her towards the next set of stairs that would lead them out of Westown. Just as they were about to take the first step, Maya caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye.

Frank was hanging back near Ford's garden, not watching them, but hovering. Maya suspected Miranda was nearby too, but she couldn't see her right away.

"Hang on," she said to Ludus, placing her hand on his arm. He stilled, waiting for her to take the lead.

Without help, Maya limped over to Frank. He still didn't look at her, his eyes fixed firmly on a pumpkin that Ford had tried to grow out of season. It was horribly misshapen and no larger than a walnut, but Frank was glaring at it as though it rivalled his for the blue-ribbon spot at the county fair.

Maya reached out and took Frank's hand in hers, chewing methodically on her lip.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking. She didn't stop, staring firmly at the side of her uncle's head. "Thank you for everything."

Frank grunted. Maya smiled.

Ludus was still waiting for her at the stairs, a barely suppressed grin on his face. Maya didn't see it, but as she walked away and took Ludus's arm again, Frank reached up and wiped a wayward tear from his cheek.

It was the first time Ludus had ever seen him cry.

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