The Bride of Chase Young Chapter 11
"Marie, what do you want for Christmas?"
Marie looked up from her copy of Prince and the Pauper to stare at Wuya.
"What did you say?" she asked. Wuya looked at her.
"I said, what do you want for Christmas? You do want something don't you?"
"Normally I would say yes, but I thought you didn't celebrate Christmas here." Said Marie carefully. Wuya shrugged.
"Well, I've been celebrating it with Jack up until last year when I moved in here. I kind of got Chase into it too. But this doesn't answer my question. What do you want for Christmas?" Marie looked at her feet sadly. In all truth, the only thing she wanted was to see her brother and sister again. She wouldn't admit it to Chase, but she was feeling very homesick.
Just then, Crow flew in the open window, a letter tied to his leg. He perched on the back of Marie's chair and stuck out a leg, cawing impatiently, as though anxious to get the letter off. Marie hurriedly reached up and untied the letter. Crow shook his leg once the letter was off and fluttered down onto Marie's lap. He cawed painfully to get her attention, then stuck his leg out again. Marie looked at it and noticed the scales were indented in a ring around his ankle. Whoever had sent this letter had tied it on far too tightly.
"They must have cut off your circulation, poor fellow." Marie murmured, checking the letter to see who it was from. She gasped. It was from her parents. Massaging Crows leg gently, she ripped the letter open and scanned through it.
Dear Marie,
We saw this bird bringing Tom a message and we thought we'd send you one of our own. Now, down to business: you and Chase are invited to the farm for Christmas. You two can stay in your old room as long as you keep the noise level down. Otherwise, we will be asking you to sleep in the hayloft of the new barn. We will have a heater installed for you in that highly likely event.
Kindly reply quickly so we can set an extra two places for dinner.
Sincerely,
Your Mother, Tiffany.
Marie stopped rubbing Crows leg. She stared at the letter angrily. First her parents had the gall to tell her she was going to China to marry some guy she didn't even know, but then they practically ordered her to bring him to Christmas dinner at the farm. Her first thought was to throw the letter in the fireplace and watch it burn.
"Serves them right." she thought bitterly. But then she stopped when another thought came to her mind. It was because of her parents that she was in love with Chase in the first place. Crow cawed and snapped her out of thinking mode. Wuya looked at her in concern.
"Did you go to that green place in your head again?" she asked, referring to Marie's glazed look which she had explained as her 'gone to the green place' look.
"This time it was purple." replied Marie. Wuya looked at her for a moment before both of them burst out laughing.
"What might I ask is so funny?"
Chase had just entered the room, attracted by all the sounds of merriment. Marie reined in her giggles enough to talk.
"Oh, just some girl stuff Chase." she said. She remembered the letter in her hand. "By the way, my parents have invited us over for Christmas." Chase stopped in his tracks and stared at her in shock..
"They what?" he asked. Marie shrugged.
"They just sent me a letter asking us to come over for Christmas this year. I know, It's stupid, but you have to admit they did bring us together." said Marie, as though getting letters from parents who sold you into slavery was the most normal thing in the world. Chase crossed his arms sullenly.
"I really hate you say this Marie but...I'm not fond of your mother." To his surprise, Marie shrugged again.
"I don't like her much either, or my father for that matter, but this may be the only chance we have of seeing my brother." She said. "I miss my brother Chase. And my old home. It would only be for a few days. Please Chase?" She looked at him pleadingly. Chase sighed and rubbed his temple.
"If it means that much to you." he said after a few tense moments. Marie squealed with joy and hugged him tightly.
"Oh Thank you Chase!" she said. "We don't have to leave till at least the 23rd, and it's the 19th now, so we can relax for a while. Yay! I've got to tell mama!" she dashed off to the Cat room, leaving behind a very confused Wuya.
"I don't get it." she said. "If you both dislike her mother, then why bother going?"
"Because of her brother." replied Chase. "She hasn't seen him in nearly six months and I hate seeing her unhappy. Besides, I've been waiting to talk with madam Jones over the way she treated Marie." Wuya giggled evilly.
"Ooohhh, tape it and send me a video." she said. "I want to see you beat the snot out of this woman." Chase snorted angrily ad left the room.
The days passed and soon it was the 23rd. Marie and Chase were packed and ready to go, and Ashanti had insisted she accompany them both.
"I don't trust this Jones woman." she said when Marie asked why she wanted to come. "I'd feel better if I was there to protect you if she gets violent." Chase relented and the three of them stood in the entrance hall, Chase holding Marie's suitcase and Marie holding the Golden Tiger Claws.
"Ready?" Marie asked her two traveling companions, who nodded. Marie raised the claws and barked out the name of the Wu. Leaping into the swirling vortex, they arrived on the snowy porch of a small country house. Marie looked around at the home she had left behind. From the porch, you could see the Large red Barn to the north. To the east, there was the driveway and the large pastures where a small herd of cows stood along with three horses. To the west was the large vegetable garden and the many sheds that included a freezer house, a store house, a butchering shack, a root cellar and a large chicken coop. To the south, and behind the house, there was a small orchard of fruit trees and a fence which supported a Grape vine. The land was frozen and barren now in the icy grip of winter and somehow it made Marie feel worse about this whole trip. Steeling herself, Marie breathed deep and knocked on the door three times. She and Chase heard a voice screech from inside.
"Tom! Get the door. Your sister is here!" there was a split second of silence before the door was wrenched open by a tall man in his twenties.
"Marie!" he roared happily, grabbing hold of her and squeezing her in a tight bear hug. "I'm so happy you're here! I thought you weren't going to show and--" he stopped mid sentence as he caught sight of Chase. "Oh. You're here too." he said, setting Marie down and glaring at Chase.
"Yes, I am here." snarled Chase. "Because I am Marie's boyfriend and thus part of this family."
"An unwanted part." snapped Tom. Chase was about to make a biting comment when they were interrupted by a screeching voice.
"Thomas! What are you doing, leaving them to stand in the cold?! Let them in for heavens sake!" It was Marie's mother, wearing a green and red turtle neck sweater and a festive skirt. Marie hung her head, not looking at her mother.
"H'lo mother." she said quietly. "Thanks for having us over for Christmas." Tiffany looked at Marie as though only just seeing her.
"Oh, no trouble dear." she said absently. "Now where is my new son in law?" she looked around excitedly as the three of them came into the boot room. She spotted Chase and immediately went into what Marie liked to call "butter 'em up" mode.
"Oh, Mister Young!" she trilled. "Welcome to our humble home. It's such an honor to have you here with my little girl and–what is That?!" Her syrupy sweet voice turned into a shriek of fear when she noticed Ashanti. The Tigress snarled and Marie knelt down to put her arms around Ashanti's neck.
"Mother, this is my Lady in waiting Ashanti." Marie explained. "She wished to accompany me here. She's harmless, I swear!" Tiffany looked unconvinced, eyeing Ashanti's sharp teeth and claws anxiously.
"S-she can stay." stammered Tiffany. "But if she harms any of the livestock, she's dog food." Marie sighed in relief and Ashanti retracted her claws. Now that the threat had passed, Tiffany became all business again.
"Tom!" she snapped. "Take your sisters things up to her room at once!" Tom gave his mother a sour look and stood where he was.
"I told you before mother, I'm not your butler." he said venomously, leaning against the wall. Marie sensed a fight and grabbed her suitcase.
"It's okay mother, Really! See? I can get it myself." she said quickly, picking up the suitcase and moving towards the kitchen. Marie moved fast, not wanting to be in her mothers path of rage. Tom and her mother had never really gotten along, but it seemed worse than usual the last few years. Marie climbed the stairs to her old bedroom, ignoring the argument that was breaking out below. She set her clothing into the old blue dresser and looked around. Her old cot was still here, the thin sheets showing the bloodstains from years ago. The dresser was old and battered, her desk had been repainted in a poor attempt to hide the dents left by her mothers riding crop. Her room was small, bare and lonely looking. She heaved a sigh, hundreds of old memories coming back to her.
"So this is where they kept you" said Chase, appearing in the doorway. "She lives in luxury while you sleep in squalor. Disgusting woman." Marie smiled.
"Well, I wasn't going to be here long, so they figured it would be cheaper to let me stay like this." she said, looking through her bookshelf. "I wonder if she got rid of them...no, they're still here!" she pulled a large wad of what seemed to be black and white comic books.
"What are those?" asked Chase. Marie hugged the comics close.
"They're my Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comics! I've been collecting ever since I can remember! I still get a kick out of the first one, 'Traumatize thy neighbor'. You just gotta love Johnny's entrance." she said, flipping through a book idly. "I mean, who else could rip a teddy bear apart and still make you laugh? Johnen Vasquez is a genius." she stopped flipping pages and looked at Chase. He was staring at her with an expression of mixed shock and interest.
"I never knew you were so evil." he said. Marie scoffed.
"I'm not evil. I'm just desensitized to violence to a certain degree. I'm the only one in this town who can read this stuff and giggle." She set the comic down and sat on the old bed. Chase sat next to her.
"I'm sorry about her Chase. My mom I mean." said Marie softly. Chase put an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry about it." he said, pulling her close. They were about to get into some serious snuggling when Tom "ahem'd" from the door.
"Hate to interrupt this touching little moment but I need to borrow my sister for a bit." he said. He looked at Marie. "He's still in the barn Sis. He's missed you. They all have." Marie's face seemed to brighten.
"Who's 'they'?" asked Chase. Marie looked at him happily.
"The animals!" she chirped. "My horse and all the cows and the sheep and even the pigs! Come on, I'll show you." she grabbed his hand and raced down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the door. She led him to the large red barn, with Tom following close behind. Tom led them around to the back of the barn where they heard a loud neighing.
"He knows you're here Marie." said tom. "He hasn't let anyone but me touch him since you left. Go on in." he opened the door and flicked on a light, revealing a spacious building with many stalls.
"Thunder!" called Marie. "You there boy?" they heard a loud whinny and a thump from the last stall on the left.
Thunder turned out to be a huge jet black shire carthorse. He poked his head over the door of his stall and whinnied happily. Marie released Chase's hand and ran to the stall, hugging the horse around its huge neck. Tom smiled at his sisters glee and leaned over to whisper to Chase.
"You know, Thunder was originally supposed to go to the dog food factory. He belonged to one of our neighbors as a little runty colt and they couldn't afford to keep him. Marie saw him and couldn't stand to see him put down, so she begged our mom to let her keep him."
"Obviously she agreed." Chase whispered back.
"Yup. Those two have been inseparable for years. Shire horses like him aren't meant to be ridden you know, but Marie found a way. The only problem is that our mother would always interrupt their riding sessions and that made Thunder see her as an enemy, so he wouldn't let her or anyone else near him but me or Marie. That's why he's still here now. Mom wants to sell him, but I'm the only one who can control him."
"Isn't he dangerous? He must be about sixteen hands tall."
"Eighteen actually. But he's harmless in my sisters hands. See? Look." Tom pointed to Marie, who had entered the stall and sat down with the huge horse. Thunder laid down beside her and nuzzled her affectionately. Chase marveled that such a huge beast could be so calm and gentle.
"He must love her very much." he murmured. Tom nodded.
"Yeah, and he was in good health until about six months ago. See how his coat is dull and patchy? He's been pining for Marie. Now whose fault is that?" Toms voice took a venomous turn. Chase stood unfazed.
"If you want to blame someone, Blame your mother and father. They were the ones who made the deal with me. They were the ones who traded your sisters unmarried life for the right to keep living."
"And just how many times have you raped my little sister?!" Tom hissed.
"None." Chase whispered calmly. "She and I have agreed not to do anything of that sort until she is fully ready and we are really and truly wedded." Tom looked at him, confused.
"You mean, you haven't gotten married yet?"
"No. I thought Marie had told you about that in her letters."
"No she– oh wait, she did, come to think of it. I'd forgotten. So you two haven't...?"
"No." Tom sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. Look man, I'm sorry about giving you a hard time. It's just that Marie is the only person left in this family I have to protect, and I don't want her to get hurt."
"I assure you she will come to no harm."
"Great. Hey, do me a favor would you? Take good care of her. I don't want to see my little sister upset."
"She will be treated with the utmost love and respect."
"Good. Because if she ever writes to me saying you hurt her, I will hunt you down, rip out your entrails, make them into a chili and force feed it to you." Tom said this very conversationally, as though discussing the weather. Chase chuckled. He liked this fellow more every minute. The afternoon passed enjoyably with Marie catching up with the farm animals she had left behind and Chase and Tom chatting quite amiably.
Soon though, it grew dark and clod outside and the trio trudged back to the house. Tiffany met them with a simpering smile and an announcement that dinner would be ready in half an hour. The trio went into the living room to chat, but found it otherwise occupied by Marie's father.
"Hello Harris." spat Tom. Harris merely grunted and turned his attention back to his newspaper.
"Tom, why do you act like that around Dad?" asked Marie sitting down next to an old piano. "Sure, he doesn't interact with us much, but surely he deserves a little respect." Tom flinched at the word 'Dad', and looked away.
"I have my reasons kiddo." he said softly. "I have my reasons." he cleared his throat awkwardly and changed the subject.
"Uh, hey Chase, did Marie ever tell you I'm a professional Pianist? It's Christmas after all, maybe we can all sing some carols or something while I play." Tiffany poked her head in the door.
"Before that Marie, I need you to do something. We have a nice fat turkey we've been raising for Christmas dinner, and I need you to go catch it." she said. Tom glared at her.
"Mother, Marie is a guest for now. Why don't you go do it?" he snarled.
"You know why Thomas, now be quiet and let your sister do her share!" Tiffany snapped. Tom was about to say something more when Marie stood up with a smile.
"Do you have any scrubs I could borrow?" she asked. Tiffany pointed upstairs.
"In your room, just as you left them." she said tonelessly. Marie ascended the stairs and was back within minutes, wearing a pair of coveralls and a bandanna around her hair.
"You still know how to use the plucking machine?" Grunted Harris from his easy chair. Marie nodded.
"Yes sir. Mother, as long as I'm the one killing the bird, can I cook it too? I've been wanting to try my hand at cooking turkey." Tiffany nodded.
"Leave the thing to drain in the butchering house and don't drip blood when you come back in." she said, opening the door for her daughter and slamming it after her.
"What, not even going to tell her to be careful with the axe?" said chase with a smug look. Tiffany jumped, having forgotten he was in the room. She hitched a simpering smile back on her face.
"Oh, she'll be fine. She's been killing the turkeys for dinner for years. She knows what she's doing. Now, if you'll excuse me master Young, I have to put the finishing touches on dinner." She left the room and they heard sounds of bustling in the kitchen.
Marie returned fifteen minutes later, her cheeks pink with cold.
"Wash up before dinner!" snapped her mother by way of greeting. A few minutes later she joined the others at the dinner table.
"So Chase."Asked Tiffany over dinner. "Can I be expecting any grandchildren within the next six months?" Marie gasped and started choking on a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Tom quickly reached over and thumped her on the back.
"Mom! They haven't even been together six months yet!" he said. Tiffany scoffed.
"That's plenty of time to be married. Harris and I found out about you after only three months."
"That's a goddamn lie and you know it!"
"Tom, what are you talking about?" said Marie, now recovered enough to speak.
"She and Harris didn't find out about me. She and dad did!"
"But Harris is our dad!"
"No he's not! He's--"
"THAT'S ENOUGH THOMAS!!" screamed Tiffany. She looked positively livid. Tom glared at her furiously.
"She deserves to know the truth! You've kept her in the dark all her life and it's time she learned!"
"Be quiet you nasty little liar!" Tiffany screeched. "We told you that was just a bad dream!"
"So it was a dream when you came back to the hotel without dad and covered in blood?!" roared Tom. Marie's eyes went wide with shock.
"Stop it!" screamed Tiffany. " I forbid you to--"
"Marie, It's time you were told the truth." barked tom, standing up to his full height and glaring down at his mother. "Mom killed our father the same night she sold you to Chase!"
Gasp! A cliffie! Sorry about the slowness guys, I got hit by a car a few nights ago and I've needed to heal. But next chapter will have loads of fun fights and the re-appearance of a certain character! Bye for now!