Chapter 20................ Away from here
A/N- OKay, this was not actualy updated, but some one has pointed out that
chapter 21 had some problems, so I decided to fix that. So, Thanks to Mija,
who brought that to my attention;)
Max stood under the tall tree that stood in her back yard, facing the emptiness that had slowly been embracing her since she had started seeing Ben. She felt foolish and hollow. She had a loving husband, who she loved in return. She had a beautiful daughter, that out shine any doll. She had Zack, and she now had Ben. Yet she still felt empty, dark.
She turned around and saw Eva in front of her. She held a gun in front of her, a look of determination on her face. A moment later a shot rang out and Eva fell dead to the ground. Max let out a small gasp. she shook her head, Eva had died over ten years ago. This wasn't real.
but as she turned again she saw Brin. Her face looked weak, her eyes pleading "I don't want to die" she said "Please....... don't let me die" Max reached out to her sister, wanting to embrace her. But her face darkened, and grew strong and stiff. "You shouldn't of come here Max" she said with hatred. Max shook her head, "No" she said, her eyes beginning to water. Her face changed, into that of Tinga.
"You take care of your self baby sister" she said smiling a little. Her face was warm, and shined. But it seemed to Max that it was growing paler, she crumpled to the ground. The face that seemed a moment ago warm, now was could, and an unhealthy color, her hair down and wet. Max fell to her knees, reaching out to Tinga, who also disappeared.
She was alone only a moment, for Ben appeared before her eyes. She looked around, finding herself in the woods again. "Please" he said with tear filled eyes. "You know what they'll to me, they'll put me down there... with them, the Nomalies".
"No, Not again" she said aloud.
"X5-599" A deep, all to familiar voice said behind her. She turned, and saw Zack, towering above, holding a gun to his head. "I've got a heart for you" he said.
"No Zack! No" she shouted. but a shot rang out any ways, identical to the one that had killed Eva. He fell down towards her, but disappeared before he hit the ground. A beep moved through the air. It came in again, louder.
And again and again. It disturbed her, though she didn't know why. Her voice remembered though. "Turn it off" she said. the beep grew louder and louder. She clasped her hands over her ears, and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
"Turn it off" She said again, thinking that her voice could block out the name. She leaned forward so that her forehead touched the ground. "turn it off" she said it meekly now, and continued to repeat it.
Strong arms wrapped around her, "Max" a deep voice she had heard but a moment ago whispered into her ear, "Turn what off?" he asked.
Max looked up, seeing Zack on one knee before her. "Zack" she said through her tears. She through her arms around his neck, finding that the beeping had gone when he had come to her.
"Max, what's wrong" Zack said rubbing her back.
"Nothing" Max said. "Nothing now that you're here" Zack held her tightly in his arms, waiting for her sobs to subside.
She looked up at him now, and dried her eyes, a little embarrassed. "I'm leaving Max". Her eyes grew wide, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Max, I have t-"
"NO!" she said loudly cutting him off.
"Max please don't make this any harder then it is" Zack said.
"No, you can't leave me, not again. Please, listen, I'll-"
"No Max you listen. I'm not staying. I was never going to stay here forever, you know that. I have other people to take care of" he said trying to reason with her.
"Zack no. Don't go, I need you" she said, her voice squeaking.
"No. That's the thing. You don't need me, not like they do. Your oceans away from the danger, look around you. You have a life. You only need me because I've been here so long. Max, look at your self. You're a shell of the person you once were. You've become weak. You were never weak before. All I'm doing by staying here is keeping you from going back to how you were." Zack stood up, and reached a hand out t her. She took it and stood in front of him. "Max, I can't stay" he said softly.
Max shook her head "Zack you're wrong. I do need you here" she said. She looked at him with pleading eyes, using them to beg him.
"Max," he said softly. He put a hand on each of her shoulders, and leaned his forehead against hers. Max knew that this moment took a lot out of Zack, who hated showing emotion in any form. "Max, you will never die, and never be hurt, as long as I can prevent it. But right now they need me" he didn't explain who they were, she knew who he was talking about. "You have Alec, and now Ben. You have the closest thing to a normal life any of us ever will. And you can live it with out me" he kissed her temple, and stepped back.
But Max still was not willing to except it. She grabbed his hand, "Zack, please don't leave me" she whispered. The fact that she was acting like this, reminded Zack how much she really had changed. She stood before him a tiny child. The child that had been at Manticore. Strong, but dependent on him. Always expecting him to save her. He had to leave, she was a shadow now, and as long as he was there, she would remain so.
"Maxie, I have to" he stepped back again, and she let him go this time. He turned around, and went back inside to where his already packed bag awaited him. He had a flight to catch in two hours, and he still needed to say good bye to Ben.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Zack, don't go" Alec said. He knew he would miss Zack, and he knew it. But his was not himself he was worried about. "Zack, you think you'll be helping her, but your wrong. She'll crack" he told Zack. He was standing by the window looking out at his wife, worried for her. she stood absolutely still. Her hair, that lay strait for the day, blew slightly in the wind. Her small figure seemed to be enveloped in Alecs thick woolen sweat shirt. She stared blankly forward, looking at nothing. Her expression was emotionless.
He turned back to Zack, "Zack, she thought I was Ben, she thought Ben was with her, she was crazy. And I'm not sure she's completely mentally stable now. What I know is that when you came, things got better. She stopped seeing Ben and she was happy again. And just look at her now. She's breaking at the mere idea of you leaving. Zack, I don't know what's going to happen if you leave, but it wont be good" he said.
Zack shook his head. "Happy? you think she's been happy? Alec, she's nothing like she used to be. She may seem happy on the out side, but deep down, she's practically empty inside. Ben being back, I don't know if that's going to help, or make things worse. But being here isn't helping. She needs to be independent again. She wont do that with me here. And why do you all continue to forget that there are other people that count on me. They don't even know I'm alive" he shook his head again. "I'm already gone" he said, and he through his bag over his shoulder, and left.
The baby began to cry. Alec went into his room and picked her up, cooing to her softly. She continued to cry. her diaper didn't need to be changed, which meant she probably needed to be fed or something, which would require Max. He didn't want to disturb her, but some things, like their child, couldn't wait. He walked out side, and over to Max, "baby needs you" he said quietly.
Max looked up at him, her face filled with sadness. She looked down at Morgaine. She reached out, but then stopped, holding her hands up, then waving them as if to say no. She shook her head and went inside. Alec stood out their, with his crying child, not knowing what to do.
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Max stood under the tall tree that stood in her back yard, facing the emptiness that had slowly been embracing her since she had started seeing Ben. She felt foolish and hollow. She had a loving husband, who she loved in return. She had a beautiful daughter, that out shine any doll. She had Zack, and she now had Ben. Yet she still felt empty, dark.
She turned around and saw Eva in front of her. She held a gun in front of her, a look of determination on her face. A moment later a shot rang out and Eva fell dead to the ground. Max let out a small gasp. she shook her head, Eva had died over ten years ago. This wasn't real.
but as she turned again she saw Brin. Her face looked weak, her eyes pleading "I don't want to die" she said "Please....... don't let me die" Max reached out to her sister, wanting to embrace her. But her face darkened, and grew strong and stiff. "You shouldn't of come here Max" she said with hatred. Max shook her head, "No" she said, her eyes beginning to water. Her face changed, into that of Tinga.
"You take care of your self baby sister" she said smiling a little. Her face was warm, and shined. But it seemed to Max that it was growing paler, she crumpled to the ground. The face that seemed a moment ago warm, now was could, and an unhealthy color, her hair down and wet. Max fell to her knees, reaching out to Tinga, who also disappeared.
She was alone only a moment, for Ben appeared before her eyes. She looked around, finding herself in the woods again. "Please" he said with tear filled eyes. "You know what they'll to me, they'll put me down there... with them, the Nomalies".
"No, Not again" she said aloud.
"X5-599" A deep, all to familiar voice said behind her. She turned, and saw Zack, towering above, holding a gun to his head. "I've got a heart for you" he said.
"No Zack! No" she shouted. but a shot rang out any ways, identical to the one that had killed Eva. He fell down towards her, but disappeared before he hit the ground. A beep moved through the air. It came in again, louder.
And again and again. It disturbed her, though she didn't know why. Her voice remembered though. "Turn it off" she said. the beep grew louder and louder. She clasped her hands over her ears, and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
"Turn it off" She said again, thinking that her voice could block out the name. She leaned forward so that her forehead touched the ground. "turn it off" she said it meekly now, and continued to repeat it.
Strong arms wrapped around her, "Max" a deep voice she had heard but a moment ago whispered into her ear, "Turn what off?" he asked.
Max looked up, seeing Zack on one knee before her. "Zack" she said through her tears. She through her arms around his neck, finding that the beeping had gone when he had come to her.
"Max, what's wrong" Zack said rubbing her back.
"Nothing" Max said. "Nothing now that you're here" Zack held her tightly in his arms, waiting for her sobs to subside.
She looked up at him now, and dried her eyes, a little embarrassed. "I'm leaving Max". Her eyes grew wide, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Max, I have t-"
"NO!" she said loudly cutting him off.
"Max please don't make this any harder then it is" Zack said.
"No, you can't leave me, not again. Please, listen, I'll-"
"No Max you listen. I'm not staying. I was never going to stay here forever, you know that. I have other people to take care of" he said trying to reason with her.
"Zack no. Don't go, I need you" she said, her voice squeaking.
"No. That's the thing. You don't need me, not like they do. Your oceans away from the danger, look around you. You have a life. You only need me because I've been here so long. Max, look at your self. You're a shell of the person you once were. You've become weak. You were never weak before. All I'm doing by staying here is keeping you from going back to how you were." Zack stood up, and reached a hand out t her. She took it and stood in front of him. "Max, I can't stay" he said softly.
Max shook her head "Zack you're wrong. I do need you here" she said. She looked at him with pleading eyes, using them to beg him.
"Max," he said softly. He put a hand on each of her shoulders, and leaned his forehead against hers. Max knew that this moment took a lot out of Zack, who hated showing emotion in any form. "Max, you will never die, and never be hurt, as long as I can prevent it. But right now they need me" he didn't explain who they were, she knew who he was talking about. "You have Alec, and now Ben. You have the closest thing to a normal life any of us ever will. And you can live it with out me" he kissed her temple, and stepped back.
But Max still was not willing to except it. She grabbed his hand, "Zack, please don't leave me" she whispered. The fact that she was acting like this, reminded Zack how much she really had changed. She stood before him a tiny child. The child that had been at Manticore. Strong, but dependent on him. Always expecting him to save her. He had to leave, she was a shadow now, and as long as he was there, she would remain so.
"Maxie, I have to" he stepped back again, and she let him go this time. He turned around, and went back inside to where his already packed bag awaited him. He had a flight to catch in two hours, and he still needed to say good bye to Ben.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Zack, don't go" Alec said. He knew he would miss Zack, and he knew it. But his was not himself he was worried about. "Zack, you think you'll be helping her, but your wrong. She'll crack" he told Zack. He was standing by the window looking out at his wife, worried for her. she stood absolutely still. Her hair, that lay strait for the day, blew slightly in the wind. Her small figure seemed to be enveloped in Alecs thick woolen sweat shirt. She stared blankly forward, looking at nothing. Her expression was emotionless.
He turned back to Zack, "Zack, she thought I was Ben, she thought Ben was with her, she was crazy. And I'm not sure she's completely mentally stable now. What I know is that when you came, things got better. She stopped seeing Ben and she was happy again. And just look at her now. She's breaking at the mere idea of you leaving. Zack, I don't know what's going to happen if you leave, but it wont be good" he said.
Zack shook his head. "Happy? you think she's been happy? Alec, she's nothing like she used to be. She may seem happy on the out side, but deep down, she's practically empty inside. Ben being back, I don't know if that's going to help, or make things worse. But being here isn't helping. She needs to be independent again. She wont do that with me here. And why do you all continue to forget that there are other people that count on me. They don't even know I'm alive" he shook his head again. "I'm already gone" he said, and he through his bag over his shoulder, and left.
The baby began to cry. Alec went into his room and picked her up, cooing to her softly. She continued to cry. her diaper didn't need to be changed, which meant she probably needed to be fed or something, which would require Max. He didn't want to disturb her, but some things, like their child, couldn't wait. He walked out side, and over to Max, "baby needs you" he said quietly.
Max looked up at him, her face filled with sadness. She looked down at Morgaine. She reached out, but then stopped, holding her hands up, then waving them as if to say no. She shook her head and went inside. Alec stood out their, with his crying child, not knowing what to do.
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