The Hunt for Sviederbach

Disclaimer: I do not own Shake it Up

A/N:

Chapter 16 (Meek Heart)

"It's not true, tell me it's not true!" Mala screamed as she struggled against Martin's arms. She wanted to get away from him, from his entire family. She wanted to find Art, she needed to talk to him. He always made her feel better. Martin growled and threw her onto the ground, she let out a loud yelp and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Don't hurt me, please…"

"I'm really stressed right now, Mala. I do not need this." Why should she care about him? She didn't. He didn't care about her, none of them did. From what they heard over the speakers, it sounded like Regina was implying that either King Brustrum, or her mother, one of the two, handed her over to the Lamont's. She already knew this, but the speculation made her suspect whether or not her mom intended it. "What the hell are you looking for anyway?"

"All my life, I've wanted answers, and I still want answers Martin." She flinched as he lunged for her, grabbing her shirt and pulling her up. She began struggling under him and looked into his deadly glare. If her mother was so strong, so powerful, why couldn't she at least stand up for herself? "Martin…" In the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw a mist in the air. She couldn't explain it, as she herself wasn't quite at the point of tears yet. Could he see it too?

"You want answers? It's just as we've told you all your life, your fucking mother dumped you with us. She didn't want you, never bothered to give a shit like we did. Okay? My fucking family took you in, so at least-" The mist was hovering in front of him now, but he didn't even acknowledge it until it moved around his head.

He released her, dropping her to the floor, and quickly grabbed his neck while gasping for air. The mist was shooting up his nose and into his mouth, scratches were appearing on his face from out of seemingly nowhere. She started crawling on her back towards the wall. They were next to the door that led into the underground dungeon that was no longer used, the mist had come from there she thought.

Martin started falling to his knees, still gasping out for air. In Mala's mind, she heard the word 'run'. An odd strength formed in her legs, allowing her to get up and bolt for the door. She needed to get away from him, away from his family, before they did anything else to her. She couldn't go far, as she was already out of breath, so she bent over behind a tree and started breathing heavily.

If she went back to the apartment, she might endanger Art, and she couldn't do that to him. As she looked to the door, she thought she could see the mist coming out after her. Her heart stopped and her breathing halted. Tears welled up in her eyes as the mist drew closer to her. She had a feeling of great fear, but yet, an unshakeable peaceful feeling was forming in her gut.

"I'm dreaming, that's what it is. I'm dreaming." Everyone knew ghosts existed with those Soul Disks, and she had thoughts that spirits existed in different forms outside of those disks, but she never looked into it all. She clenched her eyes shut and held her head in her hands. "I didn't just see a strange mist attack Martin…and there is no mist coming towards me." It had to be some phenomenon, maybe weather shifting or something.

The mist enveloped her and she let out a loud yelp. When she started to panic, she took a moment to pause. Nothing was happening, not like with Martin. Rather, she felt extremely warm, almost serene. She stood straight and dried her tears with her shirt sleeve. "What…" What was this feeling that she'd never experienced before? This warmth, it damn near frightened her. "I'm imagining this…" She should be scared of Martin running out after her, but she felt as though he were unconscious. She wasn't sure what was making her think this, but it was good to know he might not be coming out after her for a while.

She hugged her arms and began walking, the mist clung to her skin like a protective shield. The painful bruises and scrapes on her body felt as if they were being medicated with a cool compress. She moved her hands to her belly and closed her eyes, breathing in slowly. "Really, what is this mist…" Was it a ghost that hadn't crossed over yet? The ghosts belonging to soul disks were either ghosts that had crossed over, or spirits still clinging to the earth that were nearby when summoned. Those spirits were different, but she didn't know exactly how different. Either or, spirits that didn't move on were the ones that had work left unfinished. "Are you a spirit or just something strange in the air?" She really needed to look this up. Couldn't unexplained mists be something other than spirits? If there were, why was this one bothering with her? "Surely you have other people to visit or see. I'm not important enough to anyone…"

Her phone chimed, the tune was one associated with the adding of a new phone number. She raised an eyebrow and pulled her phone from her pocket, staring in wide eyed wonder at the name, it was Art. "I didn't add his number…" She looked back at the castle, then back to the phone, pausing as the mist started to go away. Taking a chance, she dialed his number. When he answered, her heart skipped a beat. Would he even talk to her? Tears formed on her cheekbones as she stammered for a split second. "Art it's Mala."

"Mala! You're okay?"

"Art…you don't hate me?"

"Why would I?"

"Because of Martin and his family, what they're doing to Aveline." He didn't take a second to confirm his opinion of her was still the same. Her heart began to rise up and she quickly wiped her eyes. "I thought for sure…I don't understand how you couldn't hate me."

"I don't think anyone hates you. Martin's kind of taking over the airways anyway…" She was tired of being abused, tired of being afraid, and just wanted someone to treat her right. Someone like Ander, someone like Art, men who actually knew how to treat a woman. "Are you okay? Do you want to come over?"

"I can't…I don't want Martin coming after you."

"He dropped his key, he couldn't get in here."

"He'd find a way, Art." Would he really protect her? The urgency in his voice told her he would do anything to protect her. Why? "Art…why do you even care?" She wanted to yell at him to turn away and forget her, that getting involved with her would only cause her pain because Martin would never leave him alone. It didn't help that Martin knew she was attracted to him, feelings were developing because he was caring. "You care, and yet, Martin could kill you…"

"I care about you because I know you're a beautiful woman who deserves to be happy. You have a heart, and you don't deserve to be smothered." She moved her hand to her chest and bowed her head. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and his soothing voice was generating something in her that she wished would remain there. "You are strong whether you know it or not, you've just let Martin push you down for too long…"

"I know. I don't love him, I don't even want to be with him, I just…"

She stopped and continued walking, holding back on her emotions. Maybe if she bit her tongue, she wouldn't have to reveal her most intimate fears and concerns. "What is it? Talk to me, I'm here." God how she wanted him to be right there with her, and not on the phone.

"I'm afraid I won't find anyone who wants to be with me because of my mother and what happened to her."

"That's not true at all, Mala. Plenty of people would want to be with you."

"My mother didn't even want me, Art. She let me be dumped in with the Lamont family…I don't even know what to do." She felt like she could trust him, where she didn't know who else to trust. This was a first by far, how could she honestly trust anyone? When everyone was busy hurting her, abusing her, she was busy tearing herself apart. "Art, be honest…would even you want to be with me? Knowing my mother is Tabitha, knowing I'm just damaged goods-" Her voice cracked. She had to take a deep breath and calm herself to continue. "Knowing my mom was sexually assaulted, she didn't even mean to have me! I'm screwed up, Art, I'm broken…I'm a terrible person…"

"Yes." She froze, waiting for his full answer. "Yes I would want to be with you despite all that you've said. You're not a terrible person, Mala. You've gone through hell, and that would make you stronger." Was he for real? Saying she was strong? "Your mother was strong, I think that's what history tells us. She may have made poor choices in life, but she was strong, and you're her daughter, that makes you strong as well. You just need to tap into that."

Her lips curled into a smile and she slowly closed her eyes. It was truly a shame she wasn't with him right now, but she was scared to leave Martin while knowing he'd just come after her. She was also scared to go back in there. Art's words were a comfort for her. She was confident that he would be one to hold her if he were there. "Thank you, Art…"

"Mala if you need anything, you just call me, okay? I'll do whatever it takes to reach you, you know that." She wiped her eyes again and quickly nodded.

"Thank you." Remembering the strange mist, she glanced back over her shoulder and eyed the castle in the distance. "Do you believe in spirits, Art? Like in the form of mists and stuff?"

"Sure, there are some people that hang back a while, looking for stuff."

"I didn't even have your number in my phone. Martin was going nuts and this mist comes out of nowhere, starts suffocating him and leaving all these little cat scratches on his face…when I ran, the mist came onto me. I felt…different…and then your number popped up in my phone. It was strange." Art hummed for a minute, which only made her more anxious than before.

"Maybe you have a spirit following you."

"I doubt it…" She heard Martin calling for her and looked back in a panic. "Oh no…" Martin was standing outside the castle, looking around frantically, anger was plastered onto his face. "Martin's up! I have to go, Art. I'm sorry!"

"Mala!" She hung up the phone and clenched her eyes shut, muttering as she heard Martin's footsteps towards her. It wasn't long before he grabbed her and started pushing her back to the castle. She chose not to fight him, as she didn't think that would do anything.

"Please Martin…" She truly was rooting for Aveline at this point. She didn't care what happened, she just wanted to get away from Martin, and wanted the royal family to be safe. So what if his family did horrible things to him, he didn't need to take it all out on her, she didn't deserve it.

A little view of Mala for you guys, what do you think?