You guys are making me feel so guilty. I feel that with all these people waiting for me to update they are just sitting by their computer like I do. It's so sad so I try to finish these chapters as fast as I can. I'd like to thank Truth or Desire who reviewed again. Do you who review at 10:00pm and 1:00pm have a life? It takes me until 4 o'clock to get on my computer and then make a plotline as well as the typing these long chapters for you all. It takes hours and hours and I'm backing up on the stories. I sent them out the minute I finish them out and barely spell check so sorry if things are mis-spelled.
Thanks for reviewing. If you read my story take time to review and just put something like 'update soon', or 'read your story' so I know more than 4 people have read it. Thanks. You guys are pushing me to this awesome adventure of my life to write and review. It's hard with advanced classes, friends, IM, books, competitions and more but I'll always make time for you guys. I haven't got a chance to read the newer BeyBlade stories yet but I've heard they're awesome so review so I'm update finish this and can take a break.
I enjoy my time to talk to you but now I must start the story. It's so sad that you have to read one of my stories, there good but you didn't read this to here me complain. That's my friends' jobs.
Chapter 6: Max and Miriam
Max and Miriam have lived by themselves for almost 3 months since they helped Mariah and Ray in court. They are happily married and living on their own. They are so excited because they are going to be living with Ray and Mariah which should prove to be a wonderful experience. They have each other and now they have friends, what else could be better.
"So when do you think Ray is going to propose to Mariah, Max?" Miriam said preparing the house for their friends' arrival.
"He's going to propose? I just figured they'd arrange it next year at the arrangement ceremony." Max had never thought that Ray would propose. He knew Ray loved Mariah but he thought it was expected to get married and a proposal was just another way to say it.
"It's still my guess but him to propose to her would just be so romantic. I mean it's wonderful if he saved her at the last second but it's not very safe that way. The earlier you realize and return someone's feelings, the better. That's how I see it." Mariah was right it was just a normal and relaxing way to start their relationship. They're love was so entirely perfect and sweet, it just needed a perfect start to a perfect relationship.
"You're such a simple true romantic Miriam. It took me long enough to tell you I love you. I never realized how much of a true romantic you were. You're so sweet and beautiful." Max said kissing Miriam then they talked as they finished up their chores.
"I never had a chance at true love until I met you Max. I was forced to marry whoever they wanted. I'd liked people but never felt the way I did with you. I love you so much. You did so much for me and saved me from another horrible fate. You brought me back into the truth; and it's the second time." Miriam and Max sat on the couch to watch TV. They couldn't believe all the gifts everyone had given them, and helped them build.
Max and Miriam's friends helped build them a house, gave them tons of food, extra clothing, electronics, phone service, and a lot more. They were safe to keep there love secret and safe from the world. They were far from anyone and anything, they were as happy as two people could be.
There was a small knock on the door and Miriam went to the door someone said the password, she looked and it was Mariah and Ray. It was an odd picture if you saw it Ray was carrying Mariah like a baby in his arms, and 2 duffle bags on his shoulder.
"Ray, come in. Just set her down on the couch for now. You like tired, she looks well rested. So what happened to her?" Miriam said as Max walked into the room to greet his new housemates.
"I don't know, we were on the train and she fell asleep and won't wake up. I carried her here, I'm fine but I'm worried about her. Can you find out what's wrong with her?" Miriam nodded and Ray picked up Mariah and carried her into the one of the spare rooms.
After 20 minutes, Miriam came out of Mariah's room. "Ray, she has a horrible fever. Her heart rate is high and her scar's bleeding badly. What should we do? She's going to die if we don't do something?" Miriam and Max looked at Ray.
"I'm taking her to a hospital, we're pretty far from the white tigers as well as they don't plan on looking for us. If she dies then there's no purpose to hiding. I won't let her die." Ray carefully picked up Mariah and they walked a mile to the hospital.
"Excuse me, can you fill out this emergency paperwork for her." Ray picked up the paperwork and looked at it.
Name of Patient: Your name:
Relation to Patient: Date:
Medical Insurance: or none
Previous Doctor: Residence of Doctor:
City: State: Country: Patient's Age:
Condition:
Ray looked at the lines and wondered how he should answer. He couldn't figure it out. He thought of what he could put down as of his relation.
Name of Patient:Mariah Kito Your name: Ray Kon
Relation to Patient: Family Friend Date: 3/10/96
Medical Insurance: or none
Previous Doctor: Tribal Doctor Residence of Doctor: White Tiger Village
City: White Tiger Village Country: China Patient's Age: 16
Condition: Mariah Kito has a high fever, accompanied by low pulse rate, several nervous impulses, and collapses a lot.
Ray hoped Mariah would be okay and she wouldn't die. The worst of their problems was her dying but one thing that came to his mind was that if she got any worse. He would have to take her back to White Tiger Village. That meant they'd have their bit-beasts taken away, punished, and be separated. What could be wrong with her.
A week later, Mariah had made little progress. She hadn't woken up yet. They diagnosed her that she was in a coma. They found nothing wrong with her. She seemed fine but something was bothering her. He had to take her back. He went outside to call Kevin and Lee. He picked up the phone but hanged it up he couldn't. He had to save Mariah and taking her back was only a last resort.
Why had Mariah been a target for everyone? Why was it so important for her to be hurt, punished, killed and unhappy? Mariah didn't deserve to live this horrible life. Did she deserve to be kept alive? Was he being selfish by keeping her going through this pain? He needed advice. He walked home to talk to Max and Miriam.
"Max, do you think I should let Mariah die? Should I let her finally be without pain? She'd been through so much? I don't think she can live anymore. I'm trying to think about what's best for her. What do you think?" Ray just sat on the couch and Max looked at him.
"I can't answer that for you. You told me once that everything she had she brought here. Think about should she leave everything she has that's important to her here. What is her priorities and what would she do?" Max had gotten Ray to think.
"Galax and I were all she ever wanted to be happy. She said the only things she lived for was us. I don't think she wants to die. She wants to stay with me and Galax. She wouldn't want to die. I'm going to do everything to save her. I have always been here for her and I always will be. Thanks Max." Ray fell asleep and at 3 in the morning he got a call from the hospital. Mariah.
Ray ran to the hospital and he came into Mariah's room. There was a smiling face looking at him. It was the prettiest and happiest face he had ever seen. "Ray, you promised you'd keep me safe. Is it safe here?" She hadn't opened her eyes yet but she had felt Ray's presence.
"Of course Mariah, you're at a hospital far away from our village. It's safe here. Do you know what's going on with you right now? The doctors and I don't know. Can you tell me?" She nodded. He looked at her if she wasn't in a hospital and had so much equipment hooked up to her. You'd think she was perfectly fine.
"It's the poison again. It'll keep coming back, over and over again until you get the antidote from the person. That's all they want. They want you to come back to them so they can get you too. Don't go!" She screamed and leaned over to stop him from leaving but started falling. Ray caught her and laid her back on her bed.
"I'm going to find him. Tell me who."
"No."
"Mariah, tell me, I'm trying to help you."
"No."
"You're going to live in a hospital for the rest of your life if you don't tell me. I can't stand you like this, you're not fine, you may look fine but you're in total pain. You're body is dying you're probably going to die if it comes back again. You're body can't take the stress." Mariah started crying he sat next to her in her bed. She kept crying and laid her head down on his lap. She fell asleep.
Ray couldn't leave with Mariah sleeping on his side. He fell asleep and then remembered that he still had her diary. She most likely put down who would have threatened her in the past. He could find out and save her.
Mariah slowly awoke and she looked at him. "Ray if I tell you who it is will you promise to come back here when you're done. You can't leave me. I love you and I'm afraid that you'll get hurt. I know how much pain I'm in. I couldn't stand if the same happened to you."
"Oh Mariah." She cried. He couldn't leave her, he'd just have to ask a favor to his two closest friends to do it for him. He left the hospital to call Max and Miriam.
"I don't know Ray. I don't want to put Miriam in anymore drama or trouble. I'll go on my own. It'll be fine, he wants you and not me. I should be fine. I'm going, tell Mariah I said good-luch healing and I'll be back as soon as possible with the antidote." Max said to Ray in the middle of the rain.
"Thanks so much Max. I couldn't have done this without you. You're the best. I'll make sure Miriam's okay too. Keep in touch while you're gone okay?" Ray was worried for Max, Max was doing this for the love of Mariah and Ray.
"It'll be fine, I'll return and Mariah will be okay. We'll all live happily and in love and no more death threats. Bye Ray, I'll talk to you again soon. I promise you." Max and Ray hanged up.
Ray returned to Mariah's room and she looked concerned. "Mariah, what do they want from you? They've wanted something from you since the day you were born, what is it? I want the truth."
"It's not just one simple thing for them. They've wanted a lot. Ray's grandfather Mr. Doan adopted me. I'm Lee's technically related sister. I'm like the princess of our tribe. They inherit a lot if they marry me. I also have special bit-beast healing powers. I use it to communicate with bit-beast. If I was to have a child they'd be 3x as powerful as me and that person put together. That's all they want. They want me to get pregnant with a child that they can kidnap and train for their own purposes. It's a lot more too." Ray was amazed by what a simple thing it was. Her White Tiger powers or her children were all they wanted. The problem was if Mariah got pregnant anytime soon she'd die.
"But why poison you? I mean you're in horrible shape. What was the point of all the horrible things they've done to you? Did they kill your parents? What did they do?" Mariah closed her eyes and looked away from Ray.
"If they can't have the child then no one can. They're evil. The point was to make sure no one could ever have the powers ever again. They killed my parents from taking me in the first place. It would be like me protecting my child and them killing me. They killed my parents, bribed the Lintec council and the poison. They're after you know too." Ray couldn't believe these people. They just wanted the powers to do evil with.
"Who are they Mariah? Who is trying to do this to you? I need to know. I just need to know to tell Max what to do." She shook her head.
"Max can't help for sure. Kai is the real one who you should call. Does this sound familiar; turning bit-beast evil and destroying the earth? His grandfather wants the powers to convince bit-beasts to turn evil. It's his next new plan. Zackary is Kai's cousin. I knew they looked sort of familiar." Mariah was tired and overworked and Ray laid her down to sleep.
Ray went home to write down everything that had gone on.
-Why had all this happened to Mariah+She has the power to talk to bit-beasts.
-Why poison her+to make sure no one else can use the power (jealosy)
-Zackary is Kai's cousin-Mariah will never be safe.-Mariah is very weak and poisoned.-they killed her parents, poisoned her, and tried to kill her.-they want to kill me-Kai knew this and never told us.-Mariah's happy on her death bed.
It was a lot but he knew that Ray had once again saved her from a death threat and he know needed to talk to Kai.
"Hi Kai, it's about Mariah. I know about Zackary, you're grandfather's plan for Mariah and I need your help." Kai said nothing for a while.
"Well it's good you finally found out. I mean it took you long enough. I have the antidote. I called Max and told him to come get it. You'll be getting it in about a hour or two. That's all I can do for know.
They both hanged up and they antidote arrived, it was given to Mariah and in a week she was fine again. She told them about the attempted murder on Ray's life before. She told them all the ways they had tried to kill Ray. She promised she'd someday tell him about the terrible things Zackary had done to her. She said it was 'horrid'.
Back at their waterfall home
"So Miriam, how do you think Mariah and Ray's relationship is going? I mean it's very odd to begin with but now it's just all over. I don't think they know exactly how they feel right now. They know that they love each other and the bond is strong but they don't see exactly how strong it is." Max said waiting for Ray to come home to give him the antidote.
"Just give them some time Max. They need to be comfortable with each other and their presence. It took us a while after our trial to finally really be together. There's a world of difference between them. Ray is scared for Mariah and neither of them have any consent for themselves, it's all about everyone else. It's not safe for everyone else to make their choices for them." Miriam said wondering if they could adjust.
"I know it's not right. They've lived their whole lives for it and when they listen to their hearts they end up in trouble, pain and sadness. It's not fair to them." Max said showing his concern for his friends. They didn't realize that Ray had walked in.
"I'd do anything if I could give them a second chance." Miriam said, Max held her in his arms as she closed her eyes tight as to not cry.
"Miriam, I promise you something. If I had a chance to go back and fix things I wouldn't. Those things made me and Mariah who were are; we're stronger because of those things. That's what brought us together, made us the great people we are today. If I could go back I'd find a way to make us keep those traits but save Mariah from this world of pain. I'd change it but I'd never trade our lives for anything, or anyone else's. It's nice of you to but we'd never." Max and Miriam smiled at Ray. They knew how content on keeping Mariah happy he was but he would make her very happy some day.
Max handed Ray the vile of antidote he had retrieved from Kai. Ray ran back to the hospital with it to give it to Mariah. He didn't slow down, kept his steady pace and moved on. When he arrived the nurses were helping Mariah get out of the bed and stand up. They saw Ray, helped Mariah sit down and left.
"Here Mariah, this should cure you. Max brought this from Kai. You should be better soon." Mariah grasped the vile and drank it and she felt tired so he laid her down to rest. He sat in the chair next her, and fell asleep because all the running had made his quite tired.
It had been 1 month since Mariah's birthday, and the night they left. They had received no calls or anything from the Village so being at the hospital was safe. Today Mariah could return home to the waterfall home with Ray and finally be happy. She was excited to return. She hadn't seen it before and she wondered what it looked like and how it was there.
They walked in the front door and Max and Miriam welcomed her home. "Hi Miriam, hi Max, it's really beautiful and nice here; no wonder Ray wouldn't tell me how it looked. It's so beautiful, wonderful and calming. I feel so at peace and safe." She looked around and hugged Miriam and Max and they gave her the tour. It was a three level house. Upstairs were the bedrooms, bathroom, and a lounge. Mid-floor was the kitchen, living room, and dining room as well as another bathroom. The Basement was just like a gym, dojo, and recreation center in short. "This place is awesome. I can't believe Hilary, Kai, Tyson, and you two built this on your own."
"Ya, it's pretty awesome isn't it?" Max said taking a second to admire his house for the first time he saw it how other saw it. It wasn't just a safety home for the four of them; it was like a real house, a home for those who couldn't be safe anywhere else.
"Max, thanks again for letting us stay here. It means a lot to both of us." Max started laughing which stopped when he was hit in the back from Miriam. "No really it means a lot to us."
"Ray, it's nothing. The home was built for like 5 people anyway, not two. It's very quiet when Miriam leaves for shopping or just going into town for something. It'll be nice to have another guy to pal around with. I'm sure Miriam would like some company when she goes into town too." Miriam nodded and that brought a large smile onto Mariah's face.
"How about I make us a nice big dinner to celebrate, okay?" Max and Miriam agreed but Ray looked worried.
"You sure you're up to it Mariah? I mean you just got home from the hospital, maybe I should do it?"
"No Ray, I'm perfectly fine. The poison is completely out of my system, I've never felt this healthy in a long time. I'm also going to regain all my strength back. I have a lot of it back but resting isn't going to help it. I insist, I'll do it." Ray sighed and Max, Miriam and Ray went and watched TV while Mariah cooked up a buffet for them.
"Wow Mariah, do you ever just cook a normal meal for anyone? I mean when we came over you made one, then when Ray came back you made another one, and now this. I'm surprised they didn't know how great of a wife you would be." Max said, they sat down at the dinning room table and put in table leaves to extend the number of people who could sit at the table to 4.
"I'm not, I only return nice deeds to those who are nice to me. Zackary definitely wasn't nice to me at all. I hated him, they tested me on my wife skills when I was at Zackary's house and I failed big time. The elders said he'd have to train me and teach me. They gave his permission to do anything to me to train me. I couldn't stand the evil things he did to me." She closed her eyes tight and looked away. They knew she had brought it up again and Ray just laid his hand on her shoulder and she smiled and stopped crying.
Both Ray and Mariah had lived up to their names to the fullest. Raymond meant 'protector'; this was very fitting for him because he protected Mariah. Mariah meant 'bitter and beloved'; it was kind of fitting because she had became very bitter and sad most of the time only few could be around her when she was sad and in pain which was a lot of the time. Mariah also meant beloved because to her protector and only her protector she wouldn't be bitter she was only beloved.
The name thing is true. Mariah means 'bitter or beloved' depending on the site while the two sites I used said Raymond or Ray meant 'protector'. I used and It's a cool site to use to find the meaning of your name. Marina means 'sea maiden' or 'maiden of the sea'. I recommend going there and find out what your name means. Then ask you're your parents if they know and if they don't tell them. It's fun.
This chapter was really good in my opinion. They next few chapters is going to be a lot of fluff from the 2 sets of character pairs. I mean now they're alone, safe, unharmed, happy and pretty care free. They're together and hope you're going to be expecting a lot of surprises for this upcoming chapter. I haven't made a plot line since the first 3 chapter and last 3 but I don't know how long it'll take me to get there. I know it'll be a pretty long fan fic in the end. Its 21,940 words now. Marina