Chapter 18

Recondite

Hey guys! Welcome to the next chapter!

I'm surprised no one has noticed so far, but has anyone realised there's a pattern with the chapter names?

Whoever guesses…I may give you a scene like I did with the 'Lollypop' character…kindness is key! Or if you don't want a scene, you can name a prize through a PM.

Response to reviews:

princess mh: Thanks for your support as always! Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

CreativeWritingSoul: Thank you so much for all the gorgeous reviews! I hope you like this chapter, as there shall be (as you call it) 'Haddie'-ness and weirdness from Briar, who I am unashamedly writing as a slightly crazy party girl. I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of sick of Huntlynn being Couple Goals, so I wrote a fiery argument. And trouble? Xavier? No way! In fact, I based his name after 'saviour' because he'll be like a guardian angel in this fic. Xavier and Reece are basically my two dream guys with added flaws that I smushed in…

"So, Briar, what are you trying to do exactly?" Dexter asked, raising an eyebrow. They were seated in a fancy restaraunt with Raven and Briar on one side of the table and their husbands on the other. They were all wearing as elegant clothing as possible.

"I'm just saying, if Hopper married me, and you're my cousin, you're his cousin in-law, but if you married Raven…" Briar paused for effect. "Would that make Raven his in-law in-law?"

"You invited us to fancy restaraunt just to discuss this," Raven said, but it sounded more like a statement then a question.

"Yes!…No!" Briar answered.

Dexter sighed. "Can you just get to the point?"

"Is Raven allowed alcohol?" the stilletoed brunette asked.

"How do you deal with her?" Dexter muttered to Hopper, who shrugged.

"Shut it, Mr Politician!" Briar snapped.

Raven was looking exasperated but amused. "Is that the point of inviting us out here? To ask if I can consume alcohol?"

"Part of it," Briar admitted. "Because I was thinking, next week on Thursday night we could invite everyone to this fancy bar and book a private room, as a celebration for Raven's department…"

"Departure," Hopper corrected.

"Same thing! Anyway, Raven's departure from the hospital and her departure to Deutschland!"

"That means Germany in German," Dexter deadpanned.

"Ah, shit. You know I slept through all my language classes," Briar muttered. "Anyway!" She cheered up. "What do you say?"

Dexter shook his head. "I think that's a terrible—"

"I like it," Raven interrupted. "And besides, it is my party, Dex. Briar said so herself. I'm allowed alcohol in one week, and it's Wednesday, soo…that sounds great, Bri!"

"This is why I love my cousin in law," Briar said, hugging Raven and sticking her tongue out at the men.

"Who should we invite?" the wheelchaired woman asked her cousin in-law next to her.

"I was thinking you, me, Maddie, Cerise, and Ashlynn, and they can choose one guy to bring along. We want it to be a private thing, not announcing to the world that you're going to France," the (slightly crazy) brunette responded. "Maybe Cerise will bring along that hot maybe-boyfriend of her's!"

"I'm sitting right here," Hopper deadpanned.

Dexter was still looking skeptical. "I object. It's a lucrudious idea. If Raven gets drunk, she might injure herself around the skull area, which means she might get amnesia forever! It's dangerous, it's stupid, and it's irresponsible."

"Years of being a governmental-debater-guy has done its work on you," Briar observed, unfazed.

"Governmental-debater-guy IS NOT A—"

"Hush it. Raven will be fine. If anyone's going to get drunk, it will most likely be me," the curly-haired Beauty answered lightly. "And everything be will great. What's the worse that can happen?"

The bespectacled politician pouted like a sulky kid. "Fine," he muttered at the food arrived.

"Chin up, Dex. It will be alright," Raven smiled, patting his arm.

The four settled down to eat.

Hopper jumped as his phone rang. "Sorry, I'll be right back," he apologised, and walked out to take the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Hunter," responded Hunter's voice. "Hey, uh, is Ashlynn at your place with Briar?"

"No?" Hopper frowned. "We're at a restaraunt…why? What happened?"

"She left a note saying she'd come back at seven, and I need to know where she is," Hunter explained.

"Why? You don't have to stalk your wife, man," the ginger chuckled.

"I know! It's just that…you know, you might be stupid and do something weird. That I don't want her to do."

"Okay then. Name five things she might be doing now that you don't her to do," Hopper answered.

"Uh, jump off a bridge…get a divorce…see someone else…"

"Do you think Ashlynn has the sanity and heart to do any of those things?"

"Admittedly not, but I'm going out to find her. She might be doing something crazy now! Hold on…wait, screw that, she's home now. Bye."

"Uh, okay…?" Hopper hung up and shrugged before walking back inside.

"Who was it?" Dexter asked.

"Hunter."

"What was he calling about?"

"Honestly? I have no idea," Hopper admitted.

—

"Ash! Where have you been?" Hunter cried. He walked forward to hug Ashlynn, who just looked…worried.

"No, don't touch me!" Ashlynn shouted.

Hunter froze. "What?"

"Sorry, I just…I don't feel well," she responded meekly.

Hunter was confused. "Alright, but where have you been?"

"I…I…I haven't been doing anything bad, I promise. I swear," Ashlynn said, looking even more fretful by the second. "I just can't tell you about it. It's nothing that will hurt you or me. It's just private, alright?" Every sentence she spoke, she backed away one step at a time.

"Ash, you have to tell me! Come on, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" the strawberry-blonde shouted. "Please stop asking! It's none of your business!"

"Everything's my damn business! You are my wife, and I need to make sure you don't get hurt. You've been an emotional wreck, and what if you…I dunno, jump off a bridge or try to kill yourself?"

"Kill myself?" Ashlynn repeated furiously. "I wouldn't do such a thing! I wouldn't be so selfish! I'm not an emotional wreck, and if you went through such a thing…having a dead baby you cared for for nine months get ripped out of your stomach…well, it's - it's - it's pretty traumatising! I am not one of your critters who needs saving!"

"I'm just trying to help you! The doctors said your body wasn't stable, so of course I need to watch over you and care for you! It hurts for me as a father as well, you know!"

"SHUT UP!" Ashlynn screamed. She stood there in silence breathing heavily. "Sorry, I didn't know…I didn't mean…I wasn't thinking…" Shaking, she ran into their bedroom. Hunter stared after her. She re-emerged with a full backpack.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Ashlynn ignored him and slammed the front door after her.

—

Ashlynn hopped off her bicycle in front of a shiny modern villa made out of neat oak wood planks. She rang the doorbell and stood there, wondering what had happened with Hunter over the last two minutes.

The door opened and Ashlynn was surprised to see a blonde man standing there. "Oh, hello!" he greeted amiably.

"I'm so sorry…I thought this was my friend's house," Ashlynn apologized, shocked. "Good night, sir."

She turned to leave when she heard a voice coming from inside.

"Ash? Is that you?" Cedar called. Ashlynn turned around gratefully. "Cedar! Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Sure!" Blondie and her head of bouncy curls poked through the door. "Come in, come in! The more the merrier!"

"I had a fight with Hunter," the strawberry blonde whispered to Cedar when Blondie was out of earshot. "We've never had a fight before…I don't know what to do."

"It'll be fine," Cedar whispered back.

They headed in, where Ashlynn was seated on the couch. She was given a cup of warm tea, and the four people sat there.

"Excuse me for asking, but who are you?" the ever-polite guest asked the blonde man. Ashlynn felt that he looked incredibly familiar.

"I'm Blondie's twin, Xavier," he answered cheerfully.

Ashlynn nodded. "Cool! I didn't know that Blondie had a twin!"

"You probably wouldn't because I've been missing for twenty years but they just rescued me from my abusive kidnappers that I always thought were my extended family and they hit me a lot which is why I have all these scars," Xavied said in one breath.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry, Xavier."

"It's fine. The past's in the past, right?" he responded.

They chatted all night about news and personal lives. It was midnight, and they all retired to their bedrooms. Ashlynn made herself comfortable on the sofa bed, where Cedar and Blondie had arranged pillows, blankets, and a huge pale green quilt.

Ash pulled the blankets up to her chin and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows.

—

"…And that's how I got into an Yo Mama insult battle with the president's wife," Maddie finished proudly. "More tea?"

"No, thank you," Humphrey declined politely. They were seated in his house. To be honest, he was grateful for the company, although he would never admit it to anyone. He lived by himself and rarely had guests over.

"I must thank you deeply for coming bunjee-jumping with me. And skydiving," Maddie thanked. "I know you're really scared of heights, but you still did it anyway."

Humphrey sighed. "Yeah, well my dad fell off a cliff when I was seven, which is probably why I hate heights so much…"

"Oh," she responded. "I should go home now. Dad might have forgotten about not leaving the broken tub handle in the cheese display."

He stood up and walked with her to the front door. "Bye, Maddie."

"Silly boy," she laughed. "There is no such thing as goodbye." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before leaving and slamming the door in his face.

Humphrey blushed and sat back down, wondering if he had gone mad. That, or he was in love.

I loved writing this. The first part made me chuckle. I love using Briar as an unleash-ment (?!) of my inner bluntness. It was so satisfying with Hunter and Ash's argument, and even more satisfying that Ashlynn finally knows she doesn't need no man to feel safe!

And Humphrey and Maddie! Ah! I loved the cuteness of them. I hope you guys kaughed at Maddie's first line. She is my fun and optimistic cute lil comic relief! The other couples may be great but they are the epitome of cuteness. She's crazy, he's too overprotective, and she wants to teach him to get over his ways. I will fangirl over them now!

Have a great rest of the day/night!