And we are back! Hopefully this shooting mess will be settled once and for all but I don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and see!
Thanks to Kimyco, Ignotus Angelus, and TurtleJustice for their reviews as always. Now… On with the story!
Jordan leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back legs and resting his feet on the edge of Brenna's bed. Chris was busy playing with his baseball cap, plucking at a couple loose strings. He looked to the passageway door, slightly curious as to why it hadn't opened yet.
"Hey Jordan… Any idea where Shawnee is?" Jordan looked at the door as well and shrugged.
"No. And if she doesn't show, then oh well." It was their turn to be on "guard duty" so to speak. And so far, Shawnee had not been here for daily vigil. Matter of fact, she hadn't been seen all day. Jordan set his feet back on the ground and stood from the chair to stretch.
"I don't see the point in keeping an eye on Brenna… Seems like she's never going to wake up at this rate…" He was cut off by a slight groan from the bed. They both looked at the bed in shock, watching Brenna's slightly shifting form. Brenna's eyes slowly opened and she stared the ceiling for a moment, still a little weary. Chris and Jordan moved a little closer to the bed and looked down at her curiously.
"Brenna? Are you in there?" Chris asked. Brenna turned her head towards him slowly, trying to get her eyes to focus.
"Chris? Jordan? It's you guys right?" Brenna squinted her eyes, watching the blurry shapes before her begin to take shape until she was able to clearly see her two friends standing there.
"How… long have I been out?" Brenna asked quietly. Chris chuckled and shook his head.
"Two days. Must've really hurt to get shot." Brenna groaned, closing her eyes.
"You have no idea." Jordan headed for the door.
"I think I'll try and find one of the musketeers." He left, taking his time. Brenna looked back up the ceiling with a sigh. Jordan returned with D'Artagnan trailing behind him and held open the door to Brenna's room.
"See? I told you she was awake." He nodded and approached the bed, a slight smile on his face.
"It's good to see you awake." Brenna gave a weak smile and a small nod.
"It's good to be awake." There was a knock at the door and Athos, Porthos, and Aramis walked in but froze in the doorway when they saw that Brenna was awake.
"Well this is unexpected." Aramis said, slightly shocked.
"Do you think you can sit up?" Athos asked her. Brenna frowned and tried to push herself up with her hands but found the effort too great. Chris and Jordan came over and helped her sit up and get her settled on the edge of the bed.
"Since you can sit up, why not try standing?" D'Artagnan asked. Brenna nodded and Chris and Jordan grabbed her hands to help her. She stood for a few seconds before dropping back onto the bed.
"I don't think I'll be able to stand for a bit yet." Brenna said and looked around the room, seeming to be searching for someone. At that moment, the passageway door opened and Shawnee poked her head out, checking the room to see if it was empty. Since it wasn't, she went to pull back when she saw Brenna sitting up the bed.
She looked at her in slight shock for a moment before slowly coming into the room, the eyes of all the others watching her with scrutiny. She sat quietly in a chair in the corner, twisting her hands in her lap and avoiding everyone's eyes. She looked up only once and saw D'Artagnan's warning glare. He didn't have to tell her to stay in the corner. Brenna saw all this and found herself very confused. She watched Shawnee for a moment and smiled as a plan came to her.
"Actually, I think I could walk if I had some help..." She left the sentence hanging, hoping that her friend would understand and offer to help. Shawnee didn't say a word and didn't look up. Athos came forward to help her but she waved him away with a frown.
"Chris, Shawnee, would you mind helping me up?" Shawnee looked up at her in shock, surprised that Brenna would want her help after what had happened. She stood and walked over slowly, her eyes constantly shifting between Brenna and the others in the room, watching her with barely disguised glares.
Brenna stood and held on to her friends until she was sure she could keep her balance and tried to take a step. Her leg buckled slightly and she stumbled at first but after a few steps, she was able to make her way into the middle of the room. Shawnee followed her at arms length, ready to catch her if she fell but still at a distance that was suitable so as not to be glared at as much by the musketeers.
"Is there a reason you're still here?" Athos asked, his question directed at Shawnee. Shawnee flinched back as if a whip had just been cracked in her face.
"I-I was just checking up on Brenna… I'll be going now." Shawnee turned and tiptoed back towards the passageway, shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Stop right there Shawnee. You're staying here." Brenna said, her voice cold and determined. Everyone looked to her in shock.
"Are you insane child?!" Aramis cried out. "This girl shot you! The last thing she deserves is your forgiveness!" Brenna sighed and looked at Aramis with slight contempt.
"It was not her fault." Porthos gave a booming laugh.
"The shot must have made her lose her mind!"
"I did not lose anything! The shooting was not her fault! It was mine for putting myself in front of the barrel!" Brenna shouted, her frustration reaching its peak. Athos placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Brenna, she shot you. And she did it without any second thought." His voice was gentle yet patronizing. "That is not the mark of a friend." Brenna rolled his hand off her shoulder and glared at him.
"That may be true. But only when the shot was intentional which this one wasn't! And so, I forgive her!"
"She is not deserving of such loyalty." D'Artagnan muttered. Shawnee closed her eyes and gave a small sigh. She headed for the door, her step full of purpose.
"Shawnee wait –"
"Forget it Brenna." She walked out of the room, glaring daggers at everyone she came to, hearing the whispers that began as soon as she passed by. She hardly noticed where her feet were taking her, her mind focused on other things.
She soon found herself sitting outside on the palace steps, being soaked by falling rain that had kept everyone trapped inside for the day. Her glasses showed her only warped shapes when she looked through them due to all the water drops on the lenses and she grew chilled as the rain soaked through her clothes. She had been out there for a few minutes when she heard a voice behind her.
"Shawnee?" The girl in question spun around to see Brenna standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing?! You shouldn't be out here!" Brenna came and sat next to her on the steps.
"Who says?" Shawnee just smiled. At least her friend's sense of humour was still intact.
"I am so sorry for shooting you. I didn't mean to. Honest!" Brenna nodded and gave her a one armed hug.
"I know that! That's why I was defending you!" They sat on the stairs for a bit, not noticing that the rain had stopped or that they were freezing cold from it. Shawnee stood and offered her hand to her friend and helped her stand.
"How did you get out here anyway without a tag-along?" Shawnee asked, incredulous. Brenna started laughing.
"That's actually a funny story…"
"What on Earth was that for?!" Brenna asked D'Artagnan angrily. "What ever happened to believing in your friends?! And what about the motto that you four LIVE by?! Does that mean nothing?"
The musketeers shuffled awkwardly. She had caught them blind with her questions. When she saw they had nothing to say for their actions, she spun on Chris and Jordan.
" And you two! Why didn't you stick up for her huh?! I thought you knew her better than that! You both know she would NEVER hurt me on purpose!" The two boys couldn't look at her. She had trapped them as well.
"I'm going to go find her. And I'm doing it WITHOUT your help." She limped out the door, using furniture and walls to help get her through the palace with her still troubled wound.
"And that's what happened!" Brenna finished with a choking laugh. Shawnee joined her laughter with her own. Imagining the boys and musketeers trapped by their actions was a very funny thought.
"I can't believe that you told them off! That was pure brilliance on your part." Brenna shrugged.
"Anything for my best friend." She looked up to see two people watching the two of them from a window.
"Don't look now Shawnee but we're being watched by a couple of nosy musketeers." Shawnee glanced up out of the corner of her eye to see Athos and D'Artagnan watching the two of them walking.
"Probably making sure I don't try and kill you or something." Brenna smiled.
"Probably. Can we head back inside? My side's starting to hurt." Shawnee nodded and the two of them headed back inside the palace.
Meanwhile, the two musketeers were in D'Artagnan's office, watching as the two girls returned inside.
"How they are still such dedicated friends I do not know." D'Artagnan said, shaking his head in disbelief. Athos nodded.
"Yes… It is rather strange." He said quietly. The sound of a slight cough struck their ears and they spun around to see Brenna and Shawnee standing in the doorway.
"How is it strange that we're still friends?" Shawnee asked. Brenna smiled.
"Yes… It doesn't remind you of anybody does it?" The two men looked at the girls for a moment before sending each other sideways glances. Brenna gave a small laugh.
"That's right. Reminds you a little of yourselves doesn't it? We took on your names as our nicknames for a good reason, not just because we could." With that said, Brenna and Shawnee went to leave.
"Wait a moment you two." D'Artagnan said, his voice slightly tinged with guilt. The two girls turned back and looked at him curiously. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I… just wanted to apologize. Our behavior was inexcusable." Shawnee couldn't hold back her smile.
"Apology accepted."
Finally! The shooting disaster has been resolved! And guess what… We now have Brenna back for the Author's Notes! Welcome back friend ^^
Thanks Shawnee , and now I'm going to say this again, it was not her fault so now ... D'artagnan can get off her back!!
I HEARD THAT!
*Looks back into distance*Where did he come from?
I have absolutely no idea… Let's just hope he goes away on his own. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Only a few more until the end. See you then!