Disclaimer: I don't own The Suite Life Series, Disney does.
Chapter 6: Opening Up part 2, Dreams
Zack stood in the shower, as the water ran over him, his thoughts turned back to the events that had unfolded over the past few hours. From winning the race, to his car being destroyed, to the argument he had had with Maddie on the way back to the hotel, which had led to her admitting that she loved him, to when he had kissed her, and then ran. Anger slowly began to build up inside him. Sure he had been angry earlier when he had watched as Richie pulled the gun out from inside his jacket and squeezed off the rounds that had blown up a week of his life. But the anger he felt now was double that and this anger was turned toward himself. Anger over the fact that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get over the loss of Maya and his child and move forward with his life.
"Why is this so hard?!" he yelled, as his right hand balled into a fist and struck the wall in front of him. Shaking of the little bit of pain that hitting the tiled wall had caused he washed himself down, rinsed off, and got out of the shower. When he turned the water off he heard a knocking at the door.
"Yeah?" he called out.
"You alright, bro?" his brothers voice sounded a little worried.
"I'm fine." Zack said through the closed door.
"What was the thump I heard?" Cody asked.
"I punched the wall." Zack answered, while toweling himself dry.
"Why did you hit the wall?"
"Because I felt like it." Zack bit out as he put his boxers and sleeping pants on. Opening the door he looked his brother square in the eye, "Why didn't you guys just come inside when you came up?" he asked.
The look on Cody's face went from worried to sheepish in a matter of seconds. It dawned on him then that Zack, even though the water in the shower had been running, had heard the conversation between him, his mother, and the two girls from inside the bathroom.
"We figured it best to not walk in on that." Cody answered.
"So you stood by the door and eavesdropped instead?" Zack accused.
"It's not like we tried to listen to what was going on in here." Cody intoned trying to diffuse any argument that might pop up.
Zack looked his brother in the eye, trying to see if he was lying. Seeing no sign of it, he nodded once and turned for their bedroom.
"Okay, fair enough." he stated as he opened the bedroom door. Leaving it open behind him for Cody to follow, which the younger twin did.
"Zack, what happened in the car on your way here?" Cody asked, as he sat down on his own bed.
Zack, who had sat down at the desk, looked over at his brother, trying to think of a way to avoid the question. When he couldn't think of a good enough reason, he decided to answer it truthfully.
"Me and Maddie had an argument."
"What about?" Cody promted.
"Me opening up." Zack replied, "Then, as we kept going back and forth, she ended up blurting out that she loves me. You know the rest of what happened. Considering you and London were outside the car when it did."
Cody nodded, "So then why did you run away?"
"Because, for some reason, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get over Maya and the..." he stopped short of saying the word baby, not sure if he could get it out without dissolving into tears for the second time that night.
Cody nodded again, knowing what the unsaid word was, "I know. I also know how hard all of this has been on you, and I'm sorry to say this, but I agree with what Mom said. You'll never know what life has in store for you, if you don't take a chance."
"I know, Cody." Zack retorted, taking the towel that had been draped across his shoulders and tossing it across the room into the hamper, "I wish it was that easy though." he added hanging his head.
"It'll get easier." Cody assured him, as he walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks." Zack said, looking up at him, from his place on the chair and getting a wicked grin on his face, "Now don't you somewhere to be and someone to do?"
Shocked by the sudden change in his brother, it took a minute for Zack's question to register and when it finally did Cody turned about three shades of red. Taking the hand he had placed on Zack's shoulder a moment ago, Cody smacked his brother upside the back of the head.
"Hey, what was that for?" Zack asked, rubbing the back of his head to ease the stinging sensation that the smack had started.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the blatant reference to my sex life in that question." Cody shot back, "FYI, I was making sure you were alright. My brother is a slight bit more important then sexual intercourse, in my book."
"God, did you really just use the words, sexual intercourse?" Zack asked staring at his brother, trying not to laugh, and failing.
"Yeah, I did." Cody said, "That is what it's called."
"I swear we've been out of high school, for what, one month shy of a year, and you still have to sound like a damn textbook."
"What's your point?"
"It's funny." Zack continued laughing at his brothers expense, until Cody smacked him again.
"Hey, knock it off!" Zack exclaimed, trying to catch his breath. Grabbing a pillow from his bed, Zack chucked it at Cody's head. Cody caught it just before it hit him and threw it back. Zack wasn't as lucky, even with all the sports he had played he wasn't expecting the pillow's return trip and got smacked square in the face with it.
"Truthfully though, are you ok?" Cody asked, after getting over his own fit of laughter from watching his brothers reaction to being hit by the projectile.
"I will be." Zack nodded, as he placed the pillow back on the bed.
"Alright, if you need me, just send me a message and I'll come back." Cody said, holding his cell phone up for emphasis and then putting it back in his pocket.
"Will do, now go and have, mad, passionate, sexual intercourse." Zack laughed again.
Cody grabbed the pillow off his own bed and chucked it at Zack. Expecting it this time, Zack snatched it out of the air and tossed it back. Cody ducked this one but got struck by a second seeing as how Zack had sent his own pillow flying again. Cody picked both of them up and tossed Zack's back to him, then placed his back on his bed.
"I'll see you later, Zack." he said turning for the door.
"Yep." Zack replied as he stretched out on his bed.
And with that Cody walked out the door, closing it behind him. Zack listened as Cody said goodnight to their mother and then heard the front door open and close. Rolling over on his side, after the events of the day, he had no trouble drifting off to sleep.
**Zack's Dream**
Looking around, he thought it was strange when he found himself sitting in the Aqua Lounge of the S.S. Tipton wearing a long sleeved, button down white shirt, tan pants, and black dress shoes.
"How can I be here, the ship was torn apart?" he wondered out loud.
"This is a dream." a voice stated simply from behind him.
Turning around, Zack gasped at the sight he saw. Standing not five feet from him was Maya,in a beautiful flowing white dress. Her brown hair was just as he remembered it and her light brown eyes had a sparkle of laughter in them.
"That's not possible...You can't be here...Your..." he couldn't bring himself to finsh the sentence.
"Yes, Zack. I'm dead. But weren't you listening? I just said not three seconds ago that this is a dream. Anything is possible when your dreaming." she smiled, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight hug, "Long time, no see stranger."
He couldn't bring himself to believe it. Standing in front of him, was half of the reason for all his pain over the past months. But he gave in to it, knowing full well he would regret it later on when he remembered this dream. Although at the moment he couldn't bring himself to care to much as he wrapped own arms around his lost love.
Releasing him from her grasp she backed away and moved to sit down at one of the tables. He followed her example and sat down beside her, "Why are you here?" he asked.
"I came to talk." she replied, looking him in the eye.
"Okay, but then answer me this. Why are we in the Aqua Lounge?"
"I don't know, you tell me, it's your dream after all." she shot back at him with a giggle, "It is kind of ironic though, don't you think? The place I broke your heart, is the same place I'm going to mend it."
He was lost for words by that statement.
"Hmm, that's a first. Zachary Martin, speechless." she giggled again, at her own humor.
"Okay, enough laughing at my expense." Zack said, a little offended.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away." Maya apologized, sobering up.
"What did you mean by that?" he questioned.
"Mean by what?"
"The place you broke my heart, is the same place your going to mend it?"
"That's why I came to talk to you. I came to tell you that it's time for you to move on. I'm gone and there's nothing we can do about that now. You however have a full life ahead of you and you need to stop moping around and embrace it."
"But..."
"No buts!" she cut him off before he tried to make an excuse, "Zack, I understand you loved me, but no matter how you slice it you've always been in love with, Maddie. I was just a detour on your road to her." Maya explained, putting emphasis on the words in love.
"That's not true, you weren't a..."
"Yes, I was." she cut him off again, "I was just a stepping stone on your way to her. She is the one you belong with and that's not gonna change. And you need to embrace that."
"I don't know if I can." he admitted, as a few tears escaped his eyes and found their way down his cheeks.
"I do know you can."
"How?" he asked, "do you know how many times I've wished I could have been with you on that plane? Do you know how many times I've thought about causing myself to join you? Either by driving my car into the Harbor or some other way."
"Yeah, I do. And I'm glad that it never happened. If it had, I would've found a way to send you back. We are not, Romeo and Juliet!" she scolded, "My time in the world is up. Yours however, is not. So no more thinking about doing stupid shit. You deserve a long and happy life and you can have that with, Maddie. All you have to do is get your head out of your ass and realize it." she added.
"I don't have my head, up my ass!" he fired back a little frustrated by her comment.
"Yes, Zack you do." Maya nodded, looking at him.
He could tell by the look on her face that she meant business and was leaving no room for argument.
"Maya, it's not as easy as your portraying it to be." Zack defended himself.
"Yes, actually it is." Maya replied, "Tell me something, Zack. Why do you hang on to me so hard?"
"Because, I love you, and the baby." he answered, matter of factually.
"Yes, we've already gone over that. You may have loved me, but you've always be in love with, Maddie." she said again, with the same emphasis as before, "And by the way, Marion is a beautiful name for the baby. Even without you knowing whether it was a boy or girl."
"Well, Mr. Moseby was kind of a strong support for me when you died, so when your parents asked me what I wanted them to put on the headstone, I figured that would work."
"Have you told him?"
"No, only Mom, Cody, London, Maddie, and me know. Cody found out by reading your last letter to me, and London and Maddie overheard me and Mom talking."
"You should. He deserves to know."
"I guess your right." he nodded.
"I know I am. About all of it." she stated, looking at him with the same no arguments look on her face as before.
"Yeah, I suppose you are right about it all." he said, "I still don't like that you called yourself a stepping stone and a detour though." he added.
"Sometimes the truth doesn't always sound good." Maya smiled, "And I'm glad you finally agree with me. So tomorrow when you get up, I want you to go to Maddie and tell her everything. Tell her you love her, tell her your ready to move on with your life with her. But before I go, there's someone here who would like very much to meet you." and with that she pointed to a spot behind him.
Turning around to look, his eyes fell on the smiling face of a little girl, with Maya's hair and face, but had his bright blue eyes wearing the same, if not for the fact that it was smaller, dress as Maya. He could feel the tears flowing freely down his face now as she came up and raised her arms up toward him. He knew exactly what that gesture meant, so he reached down and picked her up. Setting her down on his lap he looked into her eyes, and a quiet sob escaped his throat.
"Hi, Daddy." the little girl said as she made her self comfortable on his knee, "Why are you crying?" she asked.
"Because, I lost you before I ever met you." he answered wiping away some of his tears, only for them to be replaced with new ones.
"Daddy, don't cry. You never really lost me, I've been right here all along." Marion said as she placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart.
He was lost for words again, this time at his daughters statement and more tears spilled down his face. He enveloped the little girl in a tight hug before releasing her and putting her down.
"Now, Daddy stop crying and go be happy." she said as she walked over her mother, "Can you do that for me and Mommy?"
He didn't trust his voice, so instead of talking he just nodded.
"Promise?" Marion added.
"I promise." Zack said, his voice breaking.
"Good." the little girl nodded and smiled, "Mommy, I'm tired, can we go home now?" she asked turning to look up at Maya who had stood up and walked around the table.
"Sweetie, you go ahead, I have one more stop to make." Maya replied.
"Nah, I'll wait for you." the little girl said reaching up to her mother.
Maya reached down and picked her up, then looked back at Zack, "Remember, we love you and are always with you. Goodbye, Zack."
"Goodbye, Maya. Goodbye, Marion. And thank you."
With their goodbyes said, Maya with Marion in her arms turned and walked out the door. Zack watched them until they disappeared.
**End of Zack's Dream**
Zack sat up in bed and looked over at the clock, it flashed 3:00 am at him. Running a hand through his sleep tousled hair, he laid back down and drifted back off this time into a dreamless sleep.
Maddie walked into her suite, having just left the Martin's. She took off Zack's jacket and hung it in the coat closet right inside her door. Turning to the empty suite she walked over to the couch and sat down still reeling from what she had overheard. Not only had Zack lost Maya, he had lost a baby in that plane crash too. Tears began to form in her eyes as she finally knew why he kept himself so distant from everyone besides his family. The nights events, having taken their toll on her she stood back up and made her way to the bedroom. Not even having the strength to change into her night clothes she took off the borrowed boots, stretched out on the bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep until some time after three o'clock in the morning, when she had what she thought was one of the strangest dreams of her life.
**Maddie's Dream**
Maddie found herself sitting in the Lobby of the Tipton. Looking around she found it oddly empty, except for two other people standing in front of the Candy Counter looking over at her. A young woman and a little girl both wearing flowing white dresses. Both of them also had long brown hair, but where the young woman had light brown eyes, the little girl had blue. Maddie had seen those eyes before, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out where. Looking down at her self she saw that instead of the outfit she had worn to Zack's race, she was now in light blue sundress and sandles that had a slight heel.
The two others walked up to her.
"Mommy, she's pretty." the little girl said, looking between her mother and Maddie.
"I know, sweetie." the young woman replied, with a small smile on her face. Turning her gaze from the little girl, which Maddie now knew was the young woman's daughter, she extended her hand, "Hello, I'm Maya Bennett and this is, Marion." she introduced herself. The little girl waved, with a big smile on her face when her name was said.
Everything dawned on Maddie with just that simple introduction. She had seen those eyes before, but in a different person's face. Zack's face, "Hello, I'm Maddie Fitzpatrick." she replied, shaking Maya's out stretched hand.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Maddie." Maya said as they released each others hands.
"I don't understand, how are you here?" Maddie asked the question that was eating her alive.
"This is a dream, Maddie. Do you know what's wonderful about dreams?" Maya replied with a question of her own.
"I don't know how to answer that. There are a lot of wonderful things about dreams." Maddie intoned.
"Anything is possible in dreams." Maya said, looking into Maddie's chocolate colored eyes.
"Very true." Maddie nodded, mentally kicking herself for not coming up with that.
"Would you like to know why I'm here?" Maya questioned.
"If it's not too much to ask."
"I'm here to talk to you about, Zack."
"What about him?"
"Well, I know right before you fell asleep you had a fleeting thought, that maybe you should just give up on him. I'm here to ask you not too."
Maddie was taken aback by that statement, yeah that thought had gone through her mind. But as quickly as it had reared it's ugly head, she had thrown it away. There was no way she would ever give up on Zack, "I wasn't planning on it." was all she said.
"That's what I thought, but I had to make sure." Maya replied, "On that note I have a couple more questions for you."
"What are they?" Maddie asked politely, not sure where this was headed.
"Do you love him?" Maya questioned.
"Yes, more then life itself. He means everything to me." Maddie answered, infusing her voice with every ounce of sincerity she had.
"Good. Because he deserves someone who will love him for who he is. I can tell from the way you answered that, that you do. Now another question I have for you is, why did you turn him down when he asked you to be with him before?"
"Because, I thought he would be better off without me. Plus I didn't want him to have go through the strain of a long distance relationship. I had denied that I had had feelings him for so long that it was automatic. I shot him down before I ever gave him a chance and I regret it to this day."
"Another good answer, which brings me to my final question. Well more a request really." Maya said.
"What is the request?" Maddie asked, looking into Maya's light brown eyes.
"Please, take care of him and don't ever leave him. He's been through a lot in the past months and it's hurt him badly."
"I know, and if I can get through to him, show him how much I love him, I will. I'll take good care of him. As for leaving him, I don't think anything besides me dying would ever be cause enough for me too."
"Thank you, Maddie. You don't know how much we appreciate this." Maya said motioning to herself and her daughter, "You'll be good for him."
"Thank you, too. You made me realize that he means more to me then even I realized." Maddie nodded, offering her hand to the younger woman.
"It's a shame we never met when I was alive, we would have probably been good friends." Maya smiled as she grasped Maddie's hand and shook it again.
"As long as we wouldn't have ended up fighting over, Zack." Maddie laughed.
Maya joined in on the laughter, "Wouldn't have happened. I would have been the one telling you to give him a chance. He really is a great guy."
"I know." Maddie stopped laughing but her smile didn't waver, "your right we probably would have been good friends."
Maya looked at the watch that adorned her wrist, "Well, we're out of time. It was nice to finally meet the woman who has always held Zack's heart. Goodbye, Maddie. Take good of yourself and of him too."
"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else." and with that said, Maya nodded once again, scooped up her daughter, and headed for the door of the Tipton Lobby, disappearing after she was through it.
**End of Maddie's Dream**
Maddie's eyes opened as soon as Maya had disappeared in the dream, "Thank you, Maya, and I will take care of him. I promise you that." and with that, Maddie rolled over and fell back to sleep.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: That's it for this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope you all liked Maya's cameo appearance, and hopefully this will kind of redeem me in the eyes of some of you Maya fans out there for killing her off.
Countrygirl19: As always I'd like to thank you for your review. I'm sorry if this chapter takes away some of the realistic feeling this story has had so far. I think it turned out well though. Please let me know what you think?
Killerm1: I'll say thank for the review first. Second I'm glad I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat, that's one of my goals as a writer. As long as I can keep you on the edge of your seat, I can keep you interested. I don't if this chapter will keep you on the edge or not. I hope it does. Please let me know if it does?
And to everyone else: Thank you again for taking time out of your busy day, and joining me in my world. I hope enjoyed this chapter. Stayed tuned, it's far from being done!