A/N: Ben 10 doesn't belong to me in the least~
Pierce awoke to sunlight streaming through the soft curtains. A groan and he rolled over, lifting an arm to cover his eyes. "No…" And he had finally been sleeping too…
"Oh, you're awake?" He looked up blearily at Meena halfway…
He shot up, covering his face with his hands, ignoring the dull throb in his chest. "W-what're you doing?!"
"Getting dressed?" She sounded confused, something Pierce had learned about her in their days together. She seemed confused easily by the simplest things and then it took an explanation from Pierce to make her see her mistake or get embarrassed. "Does… does it bother you?"
"Yes!" He heard the closet doors close but he didn't risk moving his hands. "Y-you can't just—Not in here!"
"What's the problem? I'm dressed after-all." He opened one eye, peeking out from behind his fingers. Hm. So she was. He dropped his hands slowly, sitting crosslegged and peering at her closely. Sometimes he wondered if there was something wrong with her. She was looking at him expectantly. "I thought boys didn't notice much here? You're much more laid-back here than at home." Pierce colored, ducking his head down and massaging his temples.
"It's not that we—Hey! We notice things!" He frowned and she shrugged lightly, giving a small smile. His hand shifted up, feeling the bandage around his chest. A week he had been here and his injuries were healing much better than they ever had in Manny and Helen's care… Ah. Therein might lie the problem… "What'd you do anyway? It barely even hurts now, something I didn't expect with the size of it." Her eyes widened and she bit at her lip, looking away quickly. "Was it that gel stuff?"
"I-I suppose… I just used what… what was in the medical kit…" He didn't understand her hesitation. "You must be hungry. I'll begin breakfast." She turned, leaving him alone. She was a weird girl, he had to say. Probably from way out in the country, he supposed. That was the only way to explain her politeness, total lack of social skills, and no knowledge of how life worked.
"Hey, I'll help!" He rose, now being able to move about easily.
"There's really no need, Mr. Pierce. It's just toast." He entered the living room, peering around the small room, then moved toward the even smaller kitchen. The toaster was going and she was pulling out peanut butter and the cream cheese. He sat quietly at the table, watching as she pulled out butter and cinnamon for him. She claimed it helped when one wasn't feeling good, but he didn't understand why he could only eat that. He was perfectly able to digest jelly. Two knives and two plates were set on the table as the toaster spit out their bread. "See? In the time it took you to move down here, it was just about done." She pulled two of the slices out, setting them on a plate and pushing it toward him. "You should have just stayed in bed. You still need to rest."
"Forget it. I'm fine, just need another week and there'll probably only be a scar." She gazed at him silently, then pulled her own bread from the toaster.
"If you insist, Mr. Pierce." They sat in silence, eating their respective breakfast, Meena gazing out the window. He saw her glance down to the sidewalk and her eyes widened terribly. "N-no…" She looked up at him quickly. "Y-you have to go back to my room! And close the door! And make no noise!" She stood up quickly, taking his plate from him and tossing it in the sink and then hurrying him from the table.
"What? Why?"
"No time! Just, please!" He didn't understand what was wrong. Had she seen something? Or someone? "Please, Mr. Pierce! Just be absolutely silent!"
"Is it that guy from before?" If it was him, what was the need? There was no need for him to hide, it's not like—
"No, it's my brother! Please please Mr. Pierce!" She hurriedly pushed him in, giving him such a desperate look. He sat down in the chair, crossing his arms. "Please, don't make any noise…"
"Fine." He supposed he owed her that much, taking care of him and feeding him, using her own money. He had tried to pay her back but she would have none of it. If she wanted him to sit here and be quiet, then so be it. She smiled, such a brilliant smile, then closed the door. It was few minutes before he heard a quiet knock on the door. He heard it open, footsteps moving into her apartment.
"Meena, my sister. You're well?"
"Quite. Brother, why are you here? Has Fitori—"
"He told me of your conversation, but when I heard you had been missing work all this week, calling in sick… I was worried. How else are you to pay for your home, your food? You will not accept our payment and you have not asked your friend for help." Pierce felt extremely guilty once again. Not only was she paying for herself but for him also. And, if the truth was she was accepting no help what-so-ever, how was she managing? She said she only had one job, using all her other time studying. She was still a kid so, she still went to school. High school was hard enough, but…
How was she managing?
"I… can manage. I don't need your help, Brother. I make enough for myself and rent is not so terrible. There was some saved up."
"I'm glad to hear you can survive on your own for an extended period of time, but it's time you stop playing and come home." So not only did Fitori harp on her, her brother did too. He was beginning to see why she ran away. Her brother didn't seem like an incredibly nice person, his voice level and calm, his tone that of someone who was bored. "Meena, it's time you take responsibility."
"No. I'm not going home just to be—be trapped! I have friends here, a job!" There was silence for a long time and Pierce was wondering if her brother would allow her to stay because she was pursuing her education.
"Friends? Please." His voice took on a dark tone and Pierce could almost see his eyes flashing in distaste. "That girl at that stupid little diner? Wake up. She doesn't care about you. You're just some kid she sees a few hours a few days a week. She's not your friend. That man? He doesn't care, no matter how much he says he'll listen to your problems. A job? You only have that because you're a pretty face with a sharp memory. You know all you can, everything you need to take your place in our world has been given to you. Everything you need to be useful has been drilled into you. You have nothing here." Pierce had half a mind to ignore the deal he made and simply walk out and give this brother of hers a piece of his mind. But he restrained himself. If she was afraid of her brother seeing him, what would he do to her if he simply did walk out?
"That's… That's not true. Miss Rachel is nice to me. More than you ever were." He heard the anger in her voice, anger barely contained under quiet resistance. "And my job pays for my home and what I eat. What I do may not be glorious or praiseworthy, but I'm able to use that money to live. School is important here, it determines how far in life you can go. I intend to see exactly how far I'll go."
"Meena, don't make me involve Father." Terrifying. Falling back on that, was he? Pathetic. "He will put you in your place if you choose not to heed my words."
"I will not listen to you. You don't control me, Brother."
"But I very much do. You know that as well as I do. Meena, stop this playing around. I know you're simply acting for the sake of whoever's in your back room. And yes, I know there's someone there. You can either abide by my wishes or I can simply make you submit by force." The temperature dropped and Pierce found himself holding tight to his hands, trying to keep the warmth there.
"Brother, I'm sorry." Pierce hissed as the cold brushed at his chest, the icy fingers irritating his skin, making the fire longed dulled begin to rise once again.
"That's better, Meena. I'll allow you the rest of your time to end this life you've created and come home." The footsteps travelled toward the door once more, the solid wood opening. "And when I come back, I expect you to be ready, your friend back wherever they came from." The door closed and the cold slowly retreated with them. Pierce pressed a hand against his chest as he rose, moving toward the door and opening it quietly.
"Meena?"
"I'm here, Mr. Pierce." He dropped his hand, walking down the hallway, looking at her sitting so forlornly on the couch. She looked up when he sat across from her. "Mr. Pierce, it seems you'll be getting your wish."
"What?" She smiled sadly, looking back down into her lap, hands clasped together tightly.
"You'll go home. You're well enough now without my help, just be sure to change the bandage often. I'm sure you can manage."
"Why didn't you stand up to him, Meena? Like you did to that other guy?" She shook her head and he was growing annoyed. He wasn't someone she needed to protect, he could handle himself!
"He would have found you, Mr. Pierce. I would rather my brother leave peacefully than with violence. I will be leaving eventually anyway. There's no need to agitate him more than necessary." He frowned at her, irritated.
"I can take care of myself." She didn't look up, probably remembering finding him on the road, dying. "Wait, you're leaving?"
"Of-course." She looked up at him then, dark eyes open. "When my time is up, I'll return home. Is that not what you do here?" Well, he had to give her that one, but she looked too young to… Oh. Her brother was trying to make her come home, one last time, before she…
He stared at her for a long moment, then smiled softly, his heart constricting from the pain of his injury.
"I understand." She nodded, holding tightly to her hands.
"Manny? Helen? I'm back!" The place they called home was quiet. Meena stood a few feet behind him. "They should be here, it's not like they—"
"Pierce? Pierce!" The typical speed expected of his younger sister knocked into him, throwing him off balance. He took a deep breath as his chest throbbed, holding onto her. "Pierce, we were so worried! You've been gone and there's been no contact!" He looked down at her, giving a weak smile. "Pierce, is everything alright? You aren't hurt are you?"
"N-not anymore, no, I'm fine. Helen, this is—"
"So you're alive, huh?" The imposing form of Manny Armstrong leaned in the doorway, two of his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed on his form. "Thanks for telling us where you were the past two weeks." Helen frowned at her partner.
"Manny, don't say that. There's a reasonable expla—"
"Reasonable? He left us on our own! Don't you remember what we had to deal with?!" Manny exploded, rounding on the smaller male, towering over his shorter frame. "Those Forever Knights—"
"Mr. Pierce, I'll be going now." A quiet voice interrupted and Manny shot a dark look at the pretty brunette. Helen looked over at her silently, then looked curiously at her brother.
"Meena, it's—" The girl held up her hands and he stopped. A smile and she held out box of gauze and a container of ointment. He took them silently.
"Do not forget."
"I won't." Helen stepped back when she stepped forward, placing both hands on his cheeks and leaning his head down, pressing her forehead against his. Her eyes were closed as he looked at her suspiciously, already use to such actions from her. "Meena?"
"May the Gods protect you as they have thus far." She opened her eyes, pulling away. "You are blessed, Mr. Pierce. Do not forget this gift they have granted you. Who knows if they will give it again." She dropped her hands, stepping back and bowing her head to his friends. She straightened, looking at him calmly, a smile on her features. "Good-bye, Mr. Pierce. I hope we will not meet again."
And she turned her back to him, walking away.
Manny elbowed the already bruised teen, raising a brow. "If that's the reason, say no more, man."
"Can it, Manny."
Ahhh and so we have another chapter~
I know ya'll were probably like "WAAH, LOVE~ THEY'LL STAY TOGETHER AND FALL IN LOVE AND GET HITCHED AND HAVE LOVELY BABIES AND FIGHT GALATIC WARS AND FOU FA LIKE THAT~"
Yeah, naw. She got her life, he got his. But yeah. They will meet again~