Crimsonwings92: Holy Cow, another long freaking chapter! I am only one away from 40 reviews! 40 REVIEWS! That's a record and I'm loving it! My goal is to get up to 100 reviews like a bunch of these stories that I've seen are getting, but that'll take some work on my part. I was trying to get this chapter up on Christmas Day, but then that didn't happen, so here it is afterwards. Better late than never, right? Hahaha. People I must thank for the reviews on the last chapter: TenebrisSagittarius, Daisy54154, XXTakaraXX, DoctorWhotaliaandtheOlympian s, Jane Frost, and secretlovers. You guys are amazing and I appreciate you taking the time to actually review and tell me your thoughts! I also want to thank everyone who is following this story and has favorited this story! I feel so special with all the love it's getting and I hope I don't disappoint. Now, so I don't bore you any longer, here it is! Chapter 6. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians not mine.
A Frosty Season
Chapter 6: Mother Dearest
"…Mom, is dad just being mean now?"
"Oh, he's only having a little fun, sweetie."
"He does know he's kind of scaring Jack, right?"
"Of course he does, but you know your father."
"Uh huh."
"Besides, Jack seems to be fairing rather well with him if that smile and laugh is anything to go by. Your father definitely likes him, but you know he also likes giving any guy that looks at you twice a hard time."
"That's true."
Brownish-green eyes watched with an amused light twinkling in them the two men shoveling the driveway that went right past the kitchen window. It had snowed the night before, a good four inches it looked like, and Daniel Rhodes had taken it upon himself to start shoveling the concrete driveway so they could get their cars out. He incorporated Jack into assisting him as soon as the youth showed up at the house to be with Maya, something he has continued to do despite the arrival of the man a week ago, and told the girls to leave the work to the men while they remained warm inside the house. Maya was certain that had it been any other guy, they would have run away screaming the moment they met her towering, teddy-bear of a father who liked to play the mean guy towards teenage boys that looked at her twice. However, Jack actually braved through the meeting on that cold night when Daniel first arrived at the house. The man instantly had a liking for the boy, especially when he proved to be polite, respectful and kind, but he still had great fun in making him suffer if only a little.
Maya giggled to herself when Jack's shovel got caught on the edge of an ice patch and his feet slipped right out from under him, causing him to fall to the floor for the third time in a row. Her father, handling the snow-blower, came up behind him, lifted him up by his collar and set him back on his feet before switching devices with him to reduce the amount of injuries the youth would otherwise sustain if he left him to the shovel for another second. Jack grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, but nevertheless took hold of the snow blower and continued his task with determination. As he passed by the kitchen window, his eyes locked with hers and he smiled warmly which, in turn, caused Maya to blush while returning the motion with an added wave. Jack's shoulders hunched in a quiet chuckle that he kept hidden from Daniel and waved back, the man actually paying more attention than the teen gave him credit for. He was so lost in Maya's gaze that Jack didn't notice her father watching him with piercing eyes, the boy quickly coming back to Earth when a snowball hit the back of his head. Turning around, he was met with the playfully narrowed eyes of Daniel who then jerked his head down the driveway, indicating that the youth should continue on. Without a moment's hesitation, Jack did just that and with a little more quickness in his step.
Annie came up behind Maya and watched the men quietly for a minute before she giggled lowly and placed her hand on her grandchild's back, "Looks like they're almost finished."
"Yeah, go teamwork," the girl giggled while turning her youthful face to the aged one of her grandmother, smiling brightly, "Maybe we should reward them with some hot chocolate."
"I'm sure they would appreciate it, especially since it's below ten degrees out there," the woman agreed with a grin that was as bright and young as Maya was.
Nodding, Maya crossed the kitchen to the tall cupboards, pulling out a small pot and setting it on the stove. Next, she zoomed over to the fridge, pulled out the gallon of milk, and returned to the stove where she nearly filled the pot up with the white substance. After turning on the fire, she continued gliding around the kitchen getting all the other necessary items such as the hot chocolate powder, the marshmallows, the spoon for stirring, and the mugs. Annie and Ida, the girl's mother having been sitting at the table the entire time, watched with amusement in their eyes the teen bustling about the kitchen.
"Despite how much my boy is giving him a hard time, he really does like Jack," the old woman started, looking out the window in the back door as Daniel packed a snowball in his hand and chucked it at the unsuspecting youth, the white haired boy collecting his wits and retaliating with a quickly made snowball in return, "They even seem to be having fun with each other."
"I think we all like Jack. He's such a sweet boy and so polite, too. When was the last time we met a young man that said 'yes ma'am' or 'no ma'am' without us having to tell him to respect his elders?" Ida contributed, tossing her mother-in-law a grin, "He was respectful towards us right from the start and that is what got him in my good graces."
"Hallelujah," Annie praised while lifting her hands in the air, both older women laughing humorously while Maya just rolled her eyes at the silliness of her mother and grandmother.
Ida glanced at her daughter, a sly grin spreading across her face as she addressed her, "What do you think about Jack, sweetie?"
Maya stirred the warming milk in the pot for a second more before she turned to her mother with an adorably innocent expression on her face, "…Hm?"
"What do you think about the boy that's out there in the freezing cold trying to prove his undying love for you by shoveling the driveway with your father?" the woman reiterated with her eyes narrowing at her child's obliviousness or, more specifically, her act of obliviousness.
"He is not trying to prove any kind of love to anyone!" she stated firmly as she momentarily faced Ida with her hands on her hips, "And…I think…he's…nice."
She turned back towards the stove and allowed for a few seconds of silence to settle over them before her mom and grandmother both scoffed at her words and looked at each other; "As aloof as always towards the opposite sex," Annie commented airily.
"I know, right? At this rate, I'm looking at a teenage spinster for a daughter," Ida added, both women withholding howls of laughter when they heard the teenager in question start choking on air.
"W-What?! How could you…I mean that's just…UGH! What do you guys want me to say then?!" she shot back at them, turning the top half of her body towards the two women sitting at the table.
"It's not like we want you to say anything particular, Maya. We just want you to tell us what you really think of Jack. That's all!" Ida explained, her eyes wide as if she were confused by her daughter's agitation.
"God, I don't know!" The teen threw her hands in the air as she turned back to the stove with the near boiling milk in the pot, pouring in a few packs of hot chocolate mix, "I guess I…I guess I think he's a really great guy."
"You guess he's a great guy?" Ida repeated questioningly, catching a chuckle in her hand when she saw Maya clutch the spoon she was using to stir the contents in the pot tightly and lift it above her head as if ready to strike something before she sighed deeply and dropped her hand back down again.
"Alright, fine! He is a great guy, okay? That's what I think about him!"
Ida and Annie looked at each other; "Oh…that's it. He's just a great guy. No details," Ida commented.
"I don't know why we expected anything else," Annie contributed, knowing from the even deeper sigh that left her granddaughter's lips that she was beginning to lose her resolve to keep her thoughts to herself.
"You guys are just being mean now," Maya mumbled as she took the pot with the hot chocolate in it over to the table where the mugs were and started to fill them with the hot substance, "I don't know what you are looking for me to say. Jack is a great guy, there's no other way to explain it. He's…thoughtful and kind and warm. He knows what to say to make me laugh and I feel like I can tell him almost anything without the fear of being judged. I'm not afraid to be myself around him. I've actually caught myself letting my guard down with him more than I should, but he has this way of making me feel comfortable and relaxed. Jack is…amazing…and I'm glad I got to meet him."
For a moment, it appeared that Maya had lost herself in her own world filled with thoughts of the boy of their discussion, images of Jack's smiling face and shining blue eyes flashing across her vision in her mind's eye. She smiled secretively to herself as she set the now empty pot down on a pot holder and took up the bag of marshmallows where she proceeded to fill each cup with the fluffy, white sweets. When done, she looked at the mugs she used and found something hilariously peculiar about them; one cup had pictures of snowmen on it and she had every intention of giving it to her father, but the other cup had multiple sizes of snowflakes drifting around it on a light blue background. She instantly decided to give that cup to Jack and giggled quietly while shaking her head.
'Must be because his last name is Frost,' she thought to herself in amusement, missing the way her mother and grandmother were watching her closely and smiling their own secret smiles.
No more than a few seconds later, the back door opened followed by a gust of frigid air that carried Jack and Daniel into the kitchen, both males shaking the snow from their jackets and boots while shivering from the sudden change in temperature.
"All done shoveling the driveway already?" Ida asked as she watched the two of them.
Daniel's boisterous laughter filled the kitchen as he beamed at his wife and nodded happily while clapping his hand on Jack's shoulder, "Of course, my dear! Working as a team made it an easier job and my boy here really picked up the pace. Thank you for helping me clear the driveway, Jack. I appreciate it."
The boy turned bashful at the praise, but grinned nonetheless and nodded, "It was no trouble at all, sir. I'm glad I could help."
Daniel smiled satisfactorily and patted the boy's shoulder in good nature. He had honestly grown to like Jack, had a feeling he would right from the start, but of course, like any good father, he had to be suspicious of any boy his only daughter's age that came around. He always had great fun making those little teenagers nervous if he ever met them, though they were few and far in between considering that Maya hardly ever brought a new face by the house let alone a boy and most of his fun came from frightening young men on the street that were eyeing the girl as they walked past. He acted like the mean, overprotective, murderous father towards any lad that showed an interest in Maya just to see how they would react only to feel disappointed when they would turn tail and scurry away like roaches when the lights came on. He even expected Jack to do the exact same thing when he first met him, especially when he saw the look of pure apprehension on the boy's face the moment their eyes locked, but he was pleasantly surprised when the teen straightened up, gave him a bright, polite smile, and introduced himself with a firm handshake. From that moment on, Daniel knew he was a good kid and quietly accepted him being in Maya's life, figuring that he was most likely more than just a friend to her…but still, he liked to make being affectionate towards each other a little difficult for the pair. Just a little bit…for fun.
"You boys are right on time. Maya just finished making you both some hot chocolate for all the hard work you put in out there," Annie voiced as the girl took up the mugs and brought them over to the men.
"Thank you, angel," Daniel replied graciously to his child as she handed him the mug, rubbing her head affectionately and placing a loving kiss to her curls.
"You're welcome, dad. Here, Jack, it's fresh off the stove. Warms you up, right down to the fingertips," Maya said, repeating to her companion what he had said to her that day in the Plaza when she was practically walking around as a frozen chocolate bar.
Jack, remembering those words, smiled both gratefully and in amusement before taking the mug from her hand, "Thanks, Maya."
His fingers brushed over hers and lingered on her skin for a beat longer than it should have, but neither teen minded and only gazed at each other silently with silly smiles on their faces. Jack, without breaking eye contact, brought the cup to his lips and took a tentative sip to make sure that the drink wouldn't burn his tongue. The hot liquid flowed into his mouth, covering his tongue in a coat of chocolaty sweetness before slipping down his throat to start warming up his cold body. He groaned in satisfaction and took another sip, savoring the sweet taste of the drink that was made for him by an even sweeter girl. Maya watched him quietly, tilting her head to the side as she studied his features. A giggle slipped past her lips, catching Jack's attention, and she lifted her hand to rest it against his cold cheek.
"You're cheeks are red," she stated, turning his head slightly to the left and gasping a small laugh, "And your ears, too! How cute?!"
"Yeah, a guy likes being told that his red ears are cute," Jack retorted sarcastically, playfully rolling his eyes while drinking more of the hot chocolate.
"I find it adorable…and hilarious."
"I'm just cold."
"You feel cold."
By this time, Maya had both of her hands cupping Jack's face, the teen boy allowing her to touch him as she pleased since it also benefitted him in that her warm hands were helping to fight the cold on his cheeks. Once their playful banter had died down, they merely stared at each other, their expressions turning equally serene as they lost themselves in their own world. All Maya could see was Jack's silky snow white hair and shimmering blue eyes while Jack felt himself falling into the deep green color of her hazel orbs.
"Maya, my cheeks are cold, too!" Daniel suddenly spoke aloud, sidling up to his beautiful teenage daughter with a small pout, purposefully trying to interrupt their moment, "Won't you help daddy's cheeks get warm, too?"
The girl just blinked as her shoulders dropped a little and, without taking her eyes off of Jack, replied, "Mooooom! Dad's cheeks are cold."
"That's not exactly what I meant by helping me."
"Oh, my poor handsome man," Ida cooed as she got up from her seat and glided over to her husband, placing her fingers on his cheek and turning his attention to her, "We can't have you with cold cheeks now, can we? How should I help you? Perhaps I can…kiss away the cold from your skin?"
The woman peppered the man's right cheek with gentle kisses, pulling a loving chuckle from Daniel as he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, smiling down at the beautiful face of his wife; "Well…your kisses always did a lot to…warm me up," he hinted deviously, making his wife giggle while she eyed him seductively.
They continued to whisper sweet nothings to each other while getting close and snuggly, making their daughter shiver in disgust and turn away, "Ew, gross. Parents getting all cuddly in the middle of the kitchen."
Jack, who had watched the exchange as well as a neutral party, just shrugged and laughed lightly, "Eh, they're in love."
"It's disgusting."
"Well, wouldn't you want to cuddle like that with someone?"
"…It depends on who the person is," Maya answered, ignoring Jack's puzzled expression as she smiled thoughtfully, "If it's Jacob Black, then definitely. I would love to cuddle with the guy. He'd keep me warm all through winter!"
The teen boy's eyes narrowed humorlessly at her words, "Wow, I had no idea my competition was a sculpted teenage wolf with terrible taste in women."
His words were said as a joke, but Maya couldn't help but actually put some thought into them as she blinked and peered up at Jack's face. She tilted her head to the side and said, "Competition?"
Her companion winked secretly at her and continued to gulp down the now temperate drink he was offered earlier, laughing inwardly at the way the girl simply rolled her eyes and looked away while shaking her head at his playful antics.
"Competition," she repeated sarcastically, thoughtlessly gathering all of her curly locks into a bunch and bringing them to drape over her left shoulder, giving Jack the perfect view of her slender neck and petite shoulder revealed by a wide-necked sweatshirt, the boy barely able to catch himself before he started choking on the last gulp of his drink.
Maya remained happily oblivious to his predicament for in the next minute, the sound of little feet hitting the floor reached her ears and she looked towards the entrance to the kitchen in time to see Malcolm, who had been in the den watching a movie, come sprinting over to them. He had been patiently waiting for his new best friend, Jack, to come back in from shoveling the driveway and as soon as he heard their voices clearly, was not going to wait anymore.
"Jack! Jack! Jack!" he shouted, launching himself at the teenage boy who barely had enough time to even realize what was happening before the child wrapped his arms around his waist.
The mug he had been holding, and almost dropped, was saved by quick-thinking Maya as the girl grabbed it from his slipping grip and set it on the table while he gave his attention to Malcolm; "Hey, little man, haha! Aren't you full of energy today?" he playfully asked, hoisting the kid up on his hip.
"I've been waiting for you Jack. Fly! Fly! Fly!" the little boy demanded, lifting his hands in the air.
"You wanna fly, huh? Alright! Get ready! Take off!" Jack exclaimed, throwing Malcolm above his head and catching him again in his arms before running around the kitchen with the boy in the air.
Malcolm's shrieks of delight and merriment echoed around the room, everyone there watching with tenderness and happiness shining in their eyes as the child had the time of his life in those few minutes that Jack played with him. The youth eventually stopped and giggled along with the little boy, grabbing his nose gently in between his thumb and forefinger before sighing dramatically.
"Wow, kid, you're pretty heavy," he joked, settling the toddler down on the ground to take a breather.
"That's because he's eating really good," Annie stated from her place at the table, smiling down at her grandson as he ran up to her to hug her leg affectionately.
"Finally," Maya mumbled to herself, though her father had heard her and simply placed his hand on top of her head in comfortingly.
"Jack, come on! I want to show you the picture I was drawing! It's a dinosaur with red scales and a long, curly tail! And his teeth are really big but his feet are really small and…" Malcolm kept on rambling as he pulled on the blue-eyed boy's hand and lead him into the den, Jack laughing awkwardly as he followed behind him and listened to his story.
"I thought he was watching a movie?" Maya asked, looking at her mother and grandmother.
Ida looked at her daughter, then looked at her mother-in-law, then back to her daughter and said, "…I thought so, too."
"And-And-And the dinosaur goes ROOOAAARRRR!" Malcolm's voice carried back into the kitchen as he brought to life his imagination in story form, making Maya laugh as she made to follow behind them.
"Maybe I should join them. Don't want Jack to suffer alone," she joked, leaving her father's side only to be called back by Ida.
"Hold on a second, sweetie." The girl looked over at her mother who was gazing back with a very serious yet worried expression on her face, "We actually all need to talk first."
Judging from the tone of the woman's face, Maya knew it was serious and it most definitely had to do with Malcolm. Looking back towards the two boys, her eyes locked with Jack's as he stared at her curiously. She smiled reassuringly and waved him on.
"I'll be there in a minute, okay? Just keep him busy," she stated, though her companion didn't miss the way her smile fell short of her eyes and the hazel color turned dark gravely.
Nevertheless, he grinned cheekily at her and nodded, "Right, I got it." With that, he followed the child the rest of the way into the den and disappeared from sight.
Maya's smile fell from her lips and she turned back to her family who now all wore serious expressions identical to that of her mother's. The Rhodes were a close knit family and rarely kept anything from each other, so with a matter like this at hand, everyone was involved, even someone as young as Maya who still did her part to the best of her ability.
"So…did something happen?" the teen asked, starting the conversation off as she looked at the adults.
Ida shook her head, "No, nothing too worrisome…but we've decided to go ahead with the case." Here, she looked at her husband, who nodded encouragingly, before she turned back to her daughter, "We're deciding to file for custody of Malcolm."
Maya blinked her hazel eyes, taking a moment for the words to sink in, before she gave a relieved smile and said, "Really? Good…I'm glad."
"However, we can't afford to relax too much just yet," Daniel chimed in, standing next to his mother and putting a hand on her shoulder, "We're really going to have to keep our guard up now that we're making this move. The papers were delivered to Ariana a few days ago and I know she's not happy about what we're doing."
"She should have thought about that before now," Maya muttered, crossing her arms and glaring dully at the cabinets.
"My thoughts exactly, sunshine, but that's the thing about her. She doesn't think; she's selfish, thoughtless, and reckless and when she's crossed, she gets worse tenfold and we're crossing her in a major way."
"Not that it matters," Ida voiced out, "Whether she feels crossed or not doesn't matter because in the end, Malcolm will be coming home with us, especially when evidence of her latest endeavor is revealed in court. She's gotten herself into harder drugs since the last time we heard of her activities and the courts are not going to allow a child to live in that kind of environment."
"Where on Earth did go wrong with that child?" Annie whispered the question to herself, though it was still loud enough to be heard by the other inhabitants of the room.
"Nowhere, mom. You didn't go anywhere wrong with Ariana. You raised her with the same morals and rules that you raised me; this is all her doing and she needs to take responsibility for it," Daniel assured the old woman, kneeling down beside her and taking her hands in his, "Don't blame yourself for any of this. She's an adult, meaning she's old enough to make her own decisions and she's making the wrong ones all on her own. None of this is your fault."
The elderly woman smiled at her son with tears building in her eyes, but she was able to blink them away as she patted his cheek affectionately and nodded her head, "Thank you, son. You're a good man…just like your father was."
Maya made her way over to her grandmother and wrapped her arms around her neck lovingly, kissing her cheek with a sweet smile before standing straight and looking between her parents; "So we're really doing this then. What do you need me to do? Anything specific?" she addressed them with a serious look in her eye.
"Nothing that you haven't already been doing, sweetheart. Just keep watching over Malcolm and making him laugh; that's the best we can do for him until this is all over. Keep him distracted and his mind off of what's to come," Ida replied, smiling proudly at her only daughter, her only child, who was more than ready to do whatever needed to be done in this situation.
"Where is Auntie Ariana now? Do we know?" the teen asked as she looked towards her mother.
"Unfortunately, we do. She's here, in Traverse City," Daniel answered, his expression dark.
"She is?" Maya questioned, her eyes wide as her mother nodded, "That…changes a few things."
"That's why I said we need to keep our guard up more than ever now because she could very well try to do something," Daniel explained.
"She wouldn't do anything on Christmas Eve though…would she?" the teen asked doubtfully.
"She'll do whatever she wants to do. That's what she's been doing all this time."
Maya slowly looked down at the ground, letting her mind absorb all the new information while a new set of anxieties settled in her chest. However, she would not permit them to frighten her just yet and nodded her head while straightening her back and looking at her parents and grandmother.
"Okay. I understand," she stated determinedly, her father being the next one to smile proudly at her as he moved to pet her hair affectionately.
"That's my girl. Strong, brave, and beautiful; just like your mother," he told her, chuckling when he heard his wife click her tongue and saw her roll her eyes playfully, "Now we have some last minute Christmas shopping to do so your mother, grandmother, and I will be leaving for a few hours. Will you be okay here on your own?"
"Of course, I always am. We'll just stay in, today, and watch movies and whatnot until you guys get back," the teen assured him, smiling brightly.
Daniel grinned at her and kissed her curls lightly, "Alright, then."
He then left the kitchen to get ready, Annie following close behind him. Ida was the only one left as she approached her daughter and took her by the shoulders. She peered into the teen's face, searching her expressions, and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay, sweetie?" she asked her child, looking worried.
Again, Maya smiled to reassure her parent, "Yes, mom, I'm going to be fine."
"I know it's a lot to take in and it can be pretty scary. Your Auntie Ariana is…reckless, as your father said, and I can understand if you're scared to be here by yourself-"
"Mom," Maya cut her off, a grin on her face to show her courageous spirit, "I promise you, I'm going to be fine. We are going to be fine…I am your daughter after all; I'm no push over and I can hold my own."
Ida's smile bloomed across her face as her heart swelled with pride anew. The girl was right, she was, indeed, no push over and could hold her own to a certain point. She only hoped she didn't have to hold her own while unprotected.
"Alright then, sweetie, I'm going to go get dressed then," Ida told her quietly, cupping her daughter's face in her hands and placing a kiss on each cheek lovingly.
Maya giggled and nodded, watching her mother leave before she made her way to the den where she saw both Jack and Malcolm bent over the coffee table that was set up in the middle of the room, both seeming to be concentrating rather hard as they scribbled and colored on pieces of copy paper. Maya nearly fell out laughing, but only snickered quietly and held the rest in so as not to disturb them. She knelt at the coffee table beside Malcolm, all intentions of being silent until they were done going out the window when the toddler yelled happily and threw himself all over her, forcing her to tumble backwards.
"Oh! Malcolm, are you serious?!" she exclaimed as the child locked his arms around her neck and giggled, "You're just going to attack your cousin like that? That's not even right! I thought we were cool!"
The little boy laughed and kissed her cheek over and over again simply because he was excited and that was the first thing that came to mind for him to do. Maya laughed at his show of affection, tickling his tummy to settle him down a bit as she sat back at the coffee table with her cousin still clinging to her, his little hand reaching for the paper he was just working on.
"What are you guys doing anyway?" she asked.
"We're having a drawing contest and you're going to be the judge! Look at my picture first, Maya! It's better than Jack's, isn't it? I should get first place, right?" Malcolm asked excitedly as he held the picture right in her face.
Maya spluttered as the paper hit her smack in the face and all she could see was a swirl of blues and greens and purples and oranges; "Well, I can't see it if it's practically being shoved up my nose!" she huffed before the child moved it away from her face, "There we go, that's better. Now, let me take a look…Wow, buddy! This looks awesome!"
The picture the child had drawn was of an assortment of snowmen, all of them different sizes and different colors and wearing what looked to be jackets and gloves and the like. Snow was falling all around them and there were multi-colored clouds in the sky while a little blue house stood in the corner behind them. Malcolm grinned proudly and took the picture, his cousin readjusting him in her lap as she looked over at Jack.
"So what you got for me, Frostbite? It better be good," she stated playfully.
Jack was silent for a few seconds more before he dropped the crayons he was using to color with and whipped the picture up dramatically; "What I have for you, madam, is a pure work of art. A masterpiece to behold! I give you…Jack Frost's Picasso!" he introduced with a flourish, revealing his artistic wonder to the girl.
Maya looked at the picture for a long time, seeing lots of stick figures littering the page wearing Santa Claus hats and buildings in the background. There were little to no colors on the page and all around, it was less creative than Malcolm's by a mile. The judge looked at the picture then looked at Jack with dull eyes before turning to Malcolm.
"Yeah, you win hands down, Malcolm. Sorry Jack, but that's just sad," she stated.
The teen boy slammed the picture down on the table and placed his head in his folded arms while practically wailing, "My heart! My heart! My heart is torn from the rejection of my masterpiece! How could you, Maya?! How could you?!"
"Oh suck it up, you big baby!"
The girl laughed before she abruptly stopped when Malcolm reached up and grabbed at her cheeks with his little hands, his face practically tearing in two from the smile spreading across his lips; "Maya, Maya! Today is Christmas Eve! Santa will be coming to put presents under the tree!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down in her lap.
"That's right, buddy. He'll be coming down that chimney to put all kinds of cool stuff under the tree for you. You have been a good boy this year, right?" she played along, raising her eyebrow at him.
"Yes, I've been really, really good this year!"
"Well, then, I guess you can expect lots of gifts, right?" Maya laughed as she took her cousin off her lap and set him on the ground before turning her eyes to Jack, "Speaking of Christmas Eve, shouldn't you be spending it with your family?"
The teen boy chuckled and shook his head while opening his arms to the toddler that jumped on him, "You would think so, right? But they'll have me all day tomorrow on Christmas, so I've decided to spend my day here with you…I mean, if that's alright, of course. Did you…want me to leave or something?"
His face suddenly clouded over with doubt and Maya giggled as she shook her head, "No, no, no, that's not what I was trying to say. I was just worried that you felt you had to stay or something and that I was taking you away from family time."
"You're not taking me away from them, Maya, and I'm not doing anything against my will, either. I want to be here with you…and with Malcolm, too," he assured her, looking down at the child he had come to adore like his own little brother.
The girl looked pleased as she said, "Good. Truth be told, I want you here, too. I feel…safer around you."
Jack blinked in surprise at her words, a soft blush dusting his cheeks, "R-Really?"
She nodded and giggled lightly while moving closer to him, her heat radiating off of her body and warming his considerably, "Definitely."
Her lips brushed over his cheek gently, like he had done to her so many times before, and he reacted by blushing redder than a fire hydrant. Maya had never displayed such affections towards him like that before and he had never taken offence to it, but when she made that move for the first time, his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest and he was almost certain that steam was coming out of his ears. The girl just laughed and moved away, feeling like she accomplished something by making him feel bashful for a change. Minutes later, the three adults came by the den, all of them dressed and prepared to face the cold in the outside world.
"Okay, kids, we're off!" Ida proclaimed with a grin, her daughter returning the action.
"Alright, mom. You guys be safe out there," she told her family, giving a short cry when Malcolm jumped on her again, nearly making her topple over.
"We will, sweetie. Call us if you need anything, okay?" her mother insisted, her eyes flashing with worry once again, "Are you sure you're going to be alright here alone?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine. Jack is going to be here, too, so we'll be good," the teen explained, looking to her companion for confirmation.
Ida, Annie, and Daniel all seemed to sigh quietly in relief when they heard those words, though they made sure that neither teen nor toddler noticed it. Daniel looked at the young man who was sitting on the other side of the coffee table adjacent to his daughter and smiled broadly.
"I'm glad to hear it. You will protect my little girl, won't you Jack?" the man asked him, an expectant light twinkling in his eye.
The white haired boy grinned reassuringly and nodded, "With my life, Mr. Rhodes."
The answer was satisfying and Daniel's worries about leaving his daughter and nephew alone in the house were alleviated, if only a little. He indeed felt better if Jack were there with them, knowing he would be the backup Maya would need should anything happen while they were away. He prayed, however, that she wouldn't need backup at all and that their time at the house would be peaceful until they returned from town. The adults soon departed, leaving the two teenagers in the house to watch over Malcolm. Although she felt that nothing out of the ordinary would happen that day, a small gut feeling had her getting up and running around the house quickly to make sure the doors and windows were closed properly and locked. Perhaps it was just her anxiety from knowing that her aunt Ariana was in Traverse City, close to Malcolm again, that had her feeling on edge a little bit. She hid it from the boys, though, seeing no reason to worry either of them without probable cause.
The day wore on for them, Jack and Maya adhering to Malcolm's wishes to play a multitude of games from hide-and-seek to dinosaurs and cavemen to rescuing the princess to knights. There were a couple of times that he wanted to go outside and play and Jack had been willing to take him out, but Maya persuaded them both that they should stay inside for the day to keep warm since they had been out nearly every day already and hadn't spent any time just lazing about indoors. Malcolm put up a very weak fight before accepting her words, being conditioned already to always obey his cousin, but Jack couldn't help but feel that there was more to it than just wanting to stay inside for sake of keeping warm. Maya caught his questioning gaze and smiled while giving the excuse that the adults could be back at any moment and she didn't want her cousin to see the presents they had gotten for him. This seemed to appease Jack and he let it go, but that didn't stop the worry he felt gnawing at his stomach.
After a few hours of rough and tumble play, the child's energy finally seemed to have diminished enough for him to sit and eat some lunch while quietly watching a movie. Maya sighed in relief as she sat on the couch, Jack following suit soon after. He sat close to her and draped his arm over the back of the couch behind her, Maya instinctively moving to curl up next to him while their eyes focused on the television screen. Malcolm, who had been seated at the coffee table with his lunch in front of him, turned to gaze at his cousin and her friend, his big brown eyes wide as he studied them silently. After a few moments, he smiled and laughed.
"You guys look like Auntie Ida and Uncle Daniel!"
The teens blinked at his declaration, Maya's brow furrowing as she glanced at Jack and then back at Malcolm, "What do you mean?"
"Sometimes Auntie Ida and Uncle Daniel sit really close together and you're sitting just like them," the toddler explained with a bright grin.
Maya and Jack looked at each other curiously, the girl's eyes widening a fraction when she realized that he was right, "Uh…we are sitting kind of close…aren't we?"
Unfazed, Jack just smiled innocently and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I don't mind, though. It feels nice this way."
"One of the perks of winter?" she asked playfully.
"Definitely one of the perks of winter," he responded readily, his hand slipping from the back of the couch to settle on her shoulder, his eyes narrowing suggestively as he kissed her cheek; it was practically killing him inside that he hadn't kissed her lips yet, but the timing still wasn't right.
They were distracted again by a bashfully giggling toddler who had his hands over his mouth and his eyes crinkling with his restrained laughter, "You're going to get kissy-kissy."
Jack laughed as Maya reached out and swiped the back of his head playfully, the child shrieking in amusement when the girl rose from the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck, covering the side of his face and head in a hundred kisses. Jack watched with a soft light in his eyes as the relatives laughed with each other, taking out his camera and snapping a quick picture when something out the window caught his attention. A red car he had never seen before had just pulled up in front of the house and a dark-skinned woman in what looked to be a tight dress, black, high-heel boots and a long winter coat got out the driver's seat. She looked very displeased, frustrated even, and rounded to the trunk where she threw it open and took out a metal bat.
"Woah, Maya, there's some lady out there with a bat and she does not look happy," he chuckled as he got closer to the window, watching as the lady nearly slipped right outside the gate before catching herself with an audible shriek of frustration and then storming through the gate, "Is she a relative of yours or something?"
When he didn't receive an answer to his playful question, he turned curiously to a sight that made his heart drop into his stomach. Maya's eyes were wide open in a mixture of shock and fear as she stared at the woman who stumbled from her heel twisting. She caught herself and continued towards the house, her face contorted in anger.
"Maya?" Jack repeated softly, his voice a trigger that set her off.
"Get away from the window! Now!" she ordered him hurriedly, pulling him off the couch by his arm before releasing the blinds and shutting the curtains.
Loud banging on the front door filled the house followed by the angry voice of the strange woman, "Open this damn door! Open it! I know you're fucking in there! Let me in!"
Jack was confused and the loud noise was starting to effect Malcolm as the child got up from his chair and stomped his feet while panicking, not sure what he should do or where he should go; "Maya! Maya! Maya!" he cried, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared up at her.
She immediately swooped him up in her arms, grabbed Jack's wrist, and ran with them both to her room, all the while the banging only intensifying when the woman started taking the bat to the door, still screaming maniacally. The teen rushed them into her place of rest and shut the door, trying her best to calm her frightened cousin while also trying to get her brain to stop jamming so she could think straight on what to do next.
"Maya, what's going on? Who is that?!" Jack asked her, flinching when he heard a particularly loud bang resound through the house, his brow furrowing in worry.
"That's my aunt, Ariana," the girl answered as she looked around her room, finding her phone and diving for it before turning to Jack with a saddened look in her eye, "That's Malcolm's mom."
The teen stopped at her words, more confused than ever while dread settled in the pit of his stomach, "What?...I-I don't…understand…"
"I'm sorry, Jack, I don't have time to explain everything to you, but she can't get her hands on Malcolm. We have to protect him," Maya told him, running up to him with her heart pounding in her chest and her head swimming as she firmly placed her phone in his hand, "I need you call my mom and tell her that my aunt is here and she's being violent. Take Malcolm, too; comfort him and stay in here."
"W-What? Where are you going? You're not going out there by yourself are you?!" he asked frantically, taking the child as she handed him to the teen.
"I have to try and stop her."
"She's got a metal bat, Maya! And she looks deranged!"
"If she gets inside this house, she'll destroy it! I won't let her do any damage to my grandmother's home!"
"Those are just possessions! What if she does damage to you?! You're not going out there!"
"JACK PLEASE!" the girl suddenly shouted, instantly shutting him up as she grabbed his shoulders with a pleading look in her eye, "Please! You said you would be there for me…to support me if I needed you! I need you now, so please just do this for me! Stay here with Malcolm and protect him! Please!"
She looked close to tears and Jack just couldn't bear to see it. Biting his bottom lip, he nodded reluctantly. Maya breathed out in relief before leaning up to kiss his cheek gratefully.
"Thank you," she whispered, looking at him and then at her cousin as she stroked his head before turning to leave the room again when the woman's shouting got louder and the banging more violent.
Before she left, Jack reached out and seized her arm, stopping her and forcing her to look back at his serious expression; "If I hear anything happening to you, Maya, I am coming out there. I won't let her hurt you if I can help it…I promised your dad I would protect you and now I'm making that promise to your face," he stated, leaving no room for argument.
Maya knew it would be pointless to try and convince him to stay inside the room, so she just nodded in understanding. That's when the sound of glass breaking reached their ears, the teens freezing up when the woman's shrill voice filled the house as clear as crystals. Malcolm cried from the noise and the fear, Maya looking back at Jack with her own eyes wide in frightening realization.
"She's inside the house," she whispered before throwing the door open and stepping out, "Lock the door, Jack! And call my mom!"
Those were her last commands as she slammed the door closed and ran out into the den. There, she saw the woman in the tight dress and boots and winter coat climbing through the broken window, the metal bat clutched tightly in her hand as she stepped all over the couch. Her short hair, dyed a bright and obscene red for someone of her skin color, was messy and disheveled and her eyes, as dark as Malcolm's, seemed to be glowing with the fierce anger she obviously held.
"You little bitch! Where's my son!? Give him to me!" she shouted at Maya.
"Like hell I would, aunt Ariana!" the teen retorted just as angrily, her adrenaline pumping as she glared at the woman, "Why would I even consider just handing him over to you!?"
"He's my child! MINE! I am his mother!" she insisted.
Maya just glared and hissed out venomously, "I've seen a dog give birth, that doesn't make it a mother."
This set the woman off again as she swung the bat at her niece, the girl just able to dodge it only to feel herself being slammed against the wall by her aunt. Her head struck the hard plaster and she felt disoriented for a second as Ariana stormed down the hallway.
"Where is he? Where is my son?! Malcolm! Get your little ass out here! I'm taking you home!" she shouted, kicking open doors and checking the rooms.
Just before she got to Maya's room, the teen had regained her senses and charged at her, ramming her into the wall before snatching her hair in her hand and yanking it hard to get her away from the door, "Get out of my grandmother's house!"
"You damn whore!" Ariana somehow got free and swung the bat again, this time hitting her target as she struck the girl in the stomach. Maya doubled over in pain and let out a shriek when the metal object made contact with her back hard, slamming her down on the ground. She retaliated in the only way she could at that moment, kicking her feet out at the woman's legs and knocking her over.
She then pounced on the woman and struggled to gain possession of the bat. Ariana slapped her hard across the face and then clutched her neck with a murderous glint in her eye. Her manicured nails dug into the girl's skin, breaking through and drawing blood. Maya, feeling herself choking, pulled back her fist and punched her aunt right in the nose, feeling and hearing the audible crunch of bone breaking underneath her fingers. The woman screeched in pain and released her, giving her the chance to rip the bat from her hands and toss it away safely.
While the fighting continued outside the door, Jack was locked securely inside the room with the child, the phone pressed to his ear, "Yes, we need the police to come to the house right away. A woman broke in with a bat and she's very violent!"
After calling her mother at Maya's orders and telling her what was happening, Ida had ordered the teen with panic in her voice to call the police immediately. Jack gave the operator the address and begged him to hurry before he hung up and held Malcolm tightly. The child was still frightened and trembling visibly in his arms; Jack was at a loss of what to do, especially when the racket outside the room intensified every few seconds, but he knew he had to distract the little boy. He looked down at him and smiled reassuringly, making sure that Malcolm didn't stop looking at him.
"It's okay, Malcolm, it's okay. I'm right here, buddy."
"I'm scared, Jack! Maya's going to get hurt!" the child wailed, big tears flowing down his cheeks.
"No, no, no, don't cry, little buddy. D-Don't think about what's going on out there, okay? We're, uh…we're going to have a little fun, okay?" Jack said instead, giving Malcolm a big grin to ease his nerves.
Malcolm stopped crying, but the tears still fell from his eyes and he sniffled, "We are?"
"Yeah, of course we are! We're uh…we're going to play Monsters!" the teen replied, flinching just slightly at the crashes he heard outside the door.
"How do we play?" Malcolm asked, momentarily distracted from the chaos around him.
"Um…well, do you hear all that noise outside the door? Those are monsters trying to get in and they're after…they're after this!" Jack quickly reached out and grabbed the snow globe that was on Maya's desk, shoving it into the toddler's hands, "This is their secret treasure and they don't want anyone else to have it because they're greedy!"
Malcolm laughed at the prospect of a new game and grasped the snow globe, "No! They can't have it!"
"That's right, they can't and you have to protect it."
"How?"
"You have to hide in here!" The teen boy swept the child up in his arms and made his way to Maya's closet where he quickly put him in the corner and made sure he was well hidden, "The monsters don't like small places like this. So you sit here and protect that treasure while I go out and slay the monsters, okay? Can you do that for me?"
Malcolm nodded his head vigorously, seeming to have forgotten about the noises outside his cousin's room, and clutched the snow globe tightly in his arms. Jack smiled warmly at the child and rubbed his head gently before a loud crash sounded in his ear. He assured the little boy that he would be back soon and shut the closet door before running to Maya's aid. When he opened the bedroom door and ran down the hall into the den, his blood ran cold at the sight before his eyes.
After Maya had punched her aunt in the nose, the woman bounced back and viciously attacked the girl. They fought until they ended up in the den, Ariana actually overpowering her niece after a few good elbows to the stomach and chest. She then straddled the girl's waist and wrapped her fingers around her neck, squeezing for all she was worth. Maya choked as her air was taken from her and clawed at the woman's arms and shoulders. Ariana hovered over the teen, blood dripping from her nose and her eyes wild with rage and insanity.
"You stupid bitch. How dare you try to take my son away from me!?" she sneered down at the girl, squeezing harder and shaking her head against the ground, "He is my son! MINE! What I do with him is my business, not yours! My brother is trying to take my boy away from me…so I'll take his daughter from him!"
Maya's vision swam with blackness, the girl struggling to keep consciousness as the need for air made her panic. She thought she was going to die in that moment, tears starting to prick the corners of her eyes at the thought of never seeing her mom and dad again, never seeing her grandmother or Malcolm…or Jack.
"Get your hands off of her!"
"AAAHHH!"
Just when she thought her life was over, for the second time in the past month, the fingers around her neck were gone and she gulped down lungfuls of air while coughing. She heard her aunt screaming obscenities at someone and looked up to see Jack tossing Ariana against the wall roughly before running to her side and kneeling protectively in front of her.
"Maya, are you okay?!" he asked her frantically, holding her face in his hands.
She stared into his frightened blue eyes, her heart flowing with relief that he was there, but before she could answer, movement behind him caught her attention; "Jack, look out!" she shouted, throwing herself over him just as her aunt swung the bat down.
It connected with Maya's back, the girl crying out in pain and triggering Jack into action as he grabbed the object and tore it from the woman's hands. He then restrained her and forced her on to the ground where he quickly tied her arms behind her back with Malcolm's scarf that he found discarded on the couch. Ariana screamed crazily and demanded to be untied, but her cries were ignored as Jack fell to Maya's side and helped her sit up. He embraced her tightly, his heart beating erratically in his chest as the fear that he didn't even know was there coursed through his veins.
"Are you okay, Maya?" he whispered in her ear, his voice trembling slightly.
"I'm okay, Jack," she responded, trying not to flinch when he pressed on her bruising skin, "I'm alright. Are you okay?"
He nodded silently and pulled back to look in her eyes, feeling on the brink of tears, though he held it in. Maya definitely looked like she had been in a fight, bruises starting to form on her shoulders, arms, and most definitely her back, her cheek was red from where Ariana had slapped her and blood had dried in small rivers from where her nails had cut into her neck. He swallowed as he looked at her before pressing his lips to her forehead in relief. Maya sighed contently at the gentle attention, her heart bursting with her own relief when the sounds of sirens filled the air, indicating that the police had finally arrived. While Jack went to retrieve Malcolm from the closet he left him in, Maya went to the door to let the policemen into the house so they could collect her aunt Ariana. The officer took one look at the teen, at her bruises and battle scars, and sighed despairingly.
"You look like you've been through hell, young lady," he commented as he pulled her out onto the porch.
"I feel like I've been through hell," she responded with a bitter smile, grimacing in pain every time she moved.
The officer asked for the story and Maya relayed it to him as calmly as she could, but it was obvious that she was rather shaken by the whole ordeal. The policeman assured her that she can take her time and that there was no need to rush. Halfway through the story, Jack reappeared with a confused looking Malcolm, the teen boy taking the time to put the child in a jacket before bringing him out into the cold. Maya was grateful to him for doing that and took her cousin in her arms, the tears springing to her eyes anew when she realized that he was safe again. Jack stood close to the teen girl, his arm around her shoulders and his body turning in front of her slightly, as if protecting her from any other source of harm. The officer watched this with a curious eye and indicated his next question at Jack.
"So you were here when this all took place?"
"Yes, sir, I was," the boy answered, looking the man in the eye.
"And the child?"
"Yes. She was after him so we hid him in the room and then I moved him into the closet so I could go and help Maya."
"Are you two…together?"
This froze the teens in their tracks and they looked at each other in bewilderment. They stumbled over their own words as they tried to answer, the officer continuing to watch them curiously and with a hint of amusement. They were saved from having to answer by the sound of another car pulling up to the house followed by three adults jumping out and rushing towards the porch, the faces of Ida, Annie, and Daniel contorted in extreme worry. In that same moment, the second officer was escorting a screaming and shrieking Ariana from the den and out the door, the woman demanding that they give her son back and shouting threats at Maya. Ida was the first one up the stairs, her eyes blazing with anger and hatred as she pulled back and backhanded her sister-in-law.
"You evil, vile, wretched woman! How dare you put your hands on my daughter?! How dare you attack her?!" she screamed wildly, trying again to hit the restrained female only to be held back herself by her husband.
"How dare you try to take my son?!" Ariana shot back just as fiercely, fighting against the officer, "You take my child, I take yours!"
Ida screamed at her and fought harder against her husband, but Daniel kept a firm grip on his wife and glared at his only sister, "You've gone too far this time, Ariana. Malcolm deserves better than this. It'll be a cold day in hell before we let you have him."
His sister only hollered more obscenities at him before she was forced down the steps and towards the police car. They watched as she was made to sit in the backseat where she continued to scream uselessly and even spit at the window. She carried on and on like this until the police car pulled away from the curb and disappeared in the distance. That's when Ida and Annie turned to the teenagers and hugged them both tightly, Malcolm caught in the middle. Ida grabbed hold of her daughter and nearly squeezed the life out of her, tears streaming down her cheeks when she saw just how much she had endured. She kissed her cheek over and over again, causing the teen to giggle at the ticklish feeling before turning to the officer when she was addressed.
"Would you like to press charges against her, young lady?" he asked seriously, looking not only at her, but at the whole family, including Jack, "This is a breaking and entering situation as well as assault with a deadly weapon with the possibility of intent to murder."
"I would definitely like to press charges," Maya stated decisively, her expression hardening.
The officer nodded, "Very well."
He took her statement, along with Jack's, and had her sign some papers on the charges before the officer left. Everyone retreated back into the house where a cleanup took place in near silence; they were all a little on edge and weren't willing to say anything just yet. The glass was swept up, the broken pane taped over for the time being, and the couch and carpet were vacuumed to ensure that no slivers of glass remained. Daniel went around the abode to assess the damage done to his mother's house- the ruined door, the broken window, the holes in the walls from when Maya struck her head against it or Ariana missed the girl and hit the wall instead- and Ida ushered the teens and toddler into the kitchen where she made them some hot chocolate. They were fussed and fretted over, Maya's injuries being tended to as her mother iced her bruises and applied ointment to the cuts on her neck before bandaging them. They did all they could to make sure Malcolm wasn't traumatized and thanked Jack a million times over for being there to protect them both and to save Maya's life once again. When all was said and done, it was late evening and the two teens were out on the porch, sitting on the steps. They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts and worried about what the other was thinking, before Jack turned to his companion and lightly touched her hand. She looked at him with a blank expression and waited for him to say something.
"Do you want to talk about what happened today?" he asked her quietly, smiling nervously and chuckling without humor, "Because I kind of do, heh. That was…the most intense scene I've ever witnessed…outside of a movie, that is."
Maya was quiet for a long time, but then her soft voice replied, "I'm sorry you had to be a part of that today, Jack. I really, really am; if I had a choice, I would have never let you stay had I known that that was going to happen."
"If I hadn't stayed, you wouldn't be here right now," he insisted quickly, his brow furrowing as his expression became serious. Her mouth thinned into a line and Jack retracted to keep his nerves from making him say something that he shouldn't.
"I'm just confused, Maya," he told her, moving closer to her, "Why was she so angry when she came to the house today? I mean, she was completely out of her mind!"
Hazel green eyes locked with ice blue and Maya could only sigh since she knew she had to tell him the truth; "Earlier, I told you that she was Malcolm's mom," she started, Jack listening closely as the girl stared down at the ground, "But she's only a mom in title; she really couldn't care less about him. Ever since he was born, she's been dropping him off at random relatives' houses while shooting off into her own life, refusing to care for him as a mother should. She would only come back to get him when she felt like having a child again and take care of him for about a month, sometimes only a few weeks, before she left him with someone else. My grandmother is the last person she left him with and he's been here for over a year already. She's come by only once to give my grandmother some money for watching him before she was gone again. Grandma is old and can't take care of Malcolm the way he needs to be taken care of, which is why we're out here. She finally told my dad what's been happening and he decided to fly us out here early for the holidays to help her care for him. My mom and dad have finally decided that enough is enough and they're filing for custody of Malcolm, something that no one has ever thought to do until now. My aunt was served the papers and it pissed her off…that's why she was here today. To get Malcolm so we couldn't keep him."
Jack could only stare at her, feeling at a loss for words as she laughed bitterly and shook her head, "She's so damn selfish…and wicked…and evil. Malcolm doesn't need that, he doesn't deserve that. He didn't ask to be brought into this world, so it's not right for her to treat him like a burden."
Silence reigned until the boy found his voice and asked quietly, "So…this is what's been bothering you. And this is why you couldn't tell me about it."
Maya gave a half smile that didn't reach her eyes at all and glanced at him, "Honestly, that's only half the reason."
He blinked in confusion and let her continue. "In truth, I was afraid of what you would think of my family…think of me if I told you what was happening. There's already that stereotype about black families being ghetto and dysfunctional and overrun with drugs and teen pregnancies and parents that abandon their children. I…I didn't want you to believe that about us, too."
His hand took hold of hers firmly, Maya gasping silently when Jack's face was closer now and his forehead was touching hers; "I would never think that about you, Maya. I know you're family isn't like that and I never thought they were," he assured her warmly, rubbing his nose against hers, "So from now on, trust me with your secrets, okay? I'll protect them and you."
She raised her head a little to look into his eyes, searching his face as she breathed, "Jack…"
He smiled at her and stood up, tugging on her hand encouragingly, "Take a walk with me."
She stood up and followed him down the steps and towards the gate, the two teens making their way through the quiet residential street together. Jack took up her hand and placed it in the bend of his elbow, keeping her close to his side and protected. The girl felt her cheeks burning and turned away, but that didn't keep the smile from spreading to her cheeks. They walked for some time, Maya following Jack's lead as they found themselves on the main street, passing the park they would always go to with Malcolm. People were milling around here and there, most of them couples, but other than that, they were alone since it was nearly midnight. The girl wondered where Jack was leading her to, especially when he crossed a street just before the Plaza and walked them both down a winding path lit up with Christmas lights. They saw a plethora of structures and figurines decorated with the lights, some of them moving and some of them still. Maya looked around in wonder at the lights, unconsciously clutching Jack's arm just a little tighter and giggling excitedly. What added to the beauty were the snow covering the grounds as well and the icicles hanging from the barren trees that reflected the radiance of the Christmas lights surrounding them.
"Wow…what is this place, Jack?" she asked him breathlessly, giggling as a lit up reindeer moved its head towards her and then away from her slowly, "I've never seen it before."
"This is Christmas Lights Park," he answered her, grinning with his own excitement, "Well, at least it is for now. It's actually just Three Points Park, but every year the city decorates it and transforms it into Christmas Lights Park for the winter season leading up to Christmas; I like coming here and seeing all the figurines. I bring my little sister here sometimes too."
"It's beautiful," Maya said softly.
"But," Jack continued, seeming to become shy as he looked down at his feet and his cheeks became redder, "this is my first time coming here…with a girl I really like."
His words caused a skip in Maya's heartbeat and she whipped her head around to look at him. He was gazing back at her, his eyes shimmering with the truth and his cheeks an alluring red color. They slowed to a stop in a section of the park that was filled with frosted white trees shining with red and blue and green ornaments and dazzling white lights. They faced one another, Jack staring at her with a gentle, adoring light in his eyes; Maya didn't know what to say or do, but when he took her hands in his, she squeezed them firmly.
"Earlier, when we were talking to that officer today, he asked us if we were together. Do you remember that?" the boy asked her, refusing to look anywhere but at her face, though his cheeks were burning with the heat they felt.
Maya nodded. "You didn't say anything," he told her quietly.
"You didn't say anything either," she snapped back, looking down in embarrassment when she heard him chuckle, "…Are we together? Like…lovers or something like that?"
All was silent for one heart stopping moment and then Jack finally said, "I want us to be."
Her head snapped up at his words and her eyes widened as he brought her cold hands up to his lips and kissed her fingers gently while gazing into her eyes, "You're amazing, Maya. Beautiful, strong, brave, hilarious, and so sweet. I think about you every minute that we're not together and all I can do is smile when I get to be around you. I text you all the time because I want to know what you're doing, what you're thinking and if you're thinking about me. All I want is to cuddle with you and kiss you and make you laugh until tears are coming down your cheeks."
"You're pretty good at that, by the way," she suddenly voiced, only making the boy chuckle as he moved closer to her, his forehead nearly touching hers as he leaned down to stare into her captivating eyes.
"I want to know everything about you and I want you to trust me with your secrets. I want to be the one you cry to when you're sad or talk to when you're mad. I don't want anyone else to have you, but me."
"Jack," she breathed, not knowing what else to say as he leaned closer still, his breath warm on her lips.
"Maya, I want to be your first boyfriend. Will you let me seal it…with your first kiss?" he whispered, his fingers lightly drawing up her jaw until he was cupping her cheek in his warm palm.
Staring into his ice blue eyes, so beautiful and clear, Maya saw nothing but sincerity and gentle affection reflected in their color. He was not lying and he was not playing her…he never had been. His feelings for her were real and her feeling for him?
With a breathless laugh, she nodded her head and Jack wasted no more time in pressing his lips to hers just as the clock tower about a mile away from the park chimed midnight. The tolls of the bell vibrated through Maya that early Christmas day as Jack's warmth seeped into her body, his lips gently taking possession of hers. He moved slowly and sweetly, bringing her hands up to wrap around his neck while his own encircled her waist. He pulled her flushed against him, delighting in the way she received his affections while completely giving in to the kiss. She tasted sweet and she felt warm and he never wanted this to end, but when air became a necessity, he had no choice but to pull back. He stared down at her dazed expression, pecking her reddened lips lightly and caressing her cheek with his fingers as their mixed breaths crystalized together in front of them. She giggled girlishly as she tried to remain upright, her knees feeling like cooked noodles as they buckled and she had to lean against him for support; not that Jack minded.
"Best first kiss…any girl will ever have," she said dreamily, gazing up at him.
Jack blushed brightly, but smiled nonetheless and gently nipped at her bottom lip, indicating that he wished for another kiss. Maya pulled back just a little and grinned at him as she tapped his nose.
"One more thing."
"What's that?"
Her smile grew a little wider as she looked around at the wonder of the season that kept them cold, but brought them together, "Winter is definitely the best season for lovers."
It took Jack only a second to realize what she was saying and a smile to match hers soon bloomed over his face, "I told you."
She giggled and closed her eyes as he kissed her again, this one longer and a little more heated when his threaded through her curls and her hands clutched at his soft, white locks.
"Merry Christmas, Maya," he murmured against her lips, tightening his hold around her waist.
"Merry Christmas, Jack," she replied softly, once again submitting to his wishes as he claimed yet another kiss.
End Chapter
Crimsonwings92: Aaahhh! I had fun writing this, I really did, but it was KILLER man! I'm just glad I finally got the truth out about the mom and Malcolm and all that. AND Jack and Maya finally kissed. Awe! I'm so excited! Now that that's out of the way, I can move on to some more…heated action, hehehe. Anywho, please, please, PLEASE review! I'm having so much fun and I love reading your thoughts, guys. So don't be shy, tell me how you feel! Until next time, lovelies! Ciao!