Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Chosen. Dallas Jenkins does and I am NOT making any money off of this. I only own my Original Characters: Hanna and Maya. And none of the events with Hanna and Maya happened in the bible. Thank you and God Bless you!
"Matthew I still don't understand why you're so confused or mad?" Maya said as she sat on their bed concerned.
"I don't want to talk about it Maya" he said going about his mechanical way of getting ready.
It had been like this since the night before. Matthew had refused to talk or even look at her. It was like he was afraid or something.
He looked at her for a moment. "I must go" he said before leaving the room.
"What are you so afraid of?" she exclaimed as she raced after him all the way to the front door.
He stopped and turned to look at her.
"This is exactly what happened with Hanna" he said, a look of anxiety on his face. "If you get adopted as well, I won't have anyone. I'll be alone."
"Matthew that's not true!" she protested, reaching out to take his hand, only to have him pull it away.
Maya backed up, hurt clear in her light brown eyes. "How can you think this?" she whispered shakily, covering her face in her hands so he wouldn't see her tears.
Matthew gazed at her sadly for a few minutes before walking out the door without even so much as a goodbye. She looked back and forth for a few minutes before turning and running back up the stairs sobbing, Ben following her closely as she did so. She curled up on their bed, burying her face into Matthew's pillow, taking in his familiar, calming scent. She could feel the dog jump up on the bed next to her but didn't reprimand him as she usually did. Instead she hugged him, burying her face in her fur as she cried. How could things get so messed up so fast?
That night Matthew walked inside the house and collapsed on the couch, sighing. He had just come from his parent's house even more confused than he was before about things. This Jesus of Nazareth surely had complicated things in his personal life. If he was honest, his life in general.
After a few minutes of sitting alone, he realized how quiet the house was at that moment. It was odd. Usually Maya would have greeted him by now.
"Maya?" he called out as he walked around the house looking for her. No answer.
"Maya?" he called again louder as he ran upstairs just to find her asleep on the bed.
He sighed with relief and walked over to her, examining her more closely. She had tear streaks on her cheeks, her normally perfect dark hair was tangled. He felt guilt tug at his heart as he motioned for Ben to get off the bed before setting his bag down and laying down next to the distraught girl.
"Maya.." He placed a hand on her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. "Maya wake up."
She slowly opened her swollen eyes and gazed up at him, not believing what she was seeing. "Matthew?"
"It's me" he whispered softly, kissing her forehead, letting his lips linger for a minute. "I am...so sorry that I hurt you. I won't ever do it again."
Maya smiled weakly and reached up, threading her fingers through his hair. "I love you Matthew. I would never leave you."
He paused for a moment in shock at her words. "W..what?"
"Matthew" she said softly, her other hand reaching out to touch his cheek. "I love you."
It was the first time she was saying those three words and it shocked Matthew very much. He stared down at her for a few more minutes before kissing her slowly and passionately.
"I love you too" he said softly, placing his forehead against her's.
Maya closed her eyes and smiled, keeping her arms around him. She should have trusted God. Trusted in him that she and Matthew would work things out.
"I just...I remember how Hanna left and I didn't want you to do that as well, so I panicked" he said as he ran his fingers through Maya's hair, getting all the tangles out.
"Matthew that will never happen. Adopted or not."
"I know" he said softly, pulling her against his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat. He knew that was soothing to her.
"Maya I will never doubt you again."
Hanna walked up to Matthew's booth the next day hesitantly. She was still avoiding her brother, but she wanted to talk to him today. Clear the air at least somewhat.
"Hey honey" Gaius said softly, hugging his daughter as he kissed her cheek.
She smiled softly, relaxing a bit as she turned with her father's arm still around her. "Matthew can we talk?" she asked, trying to get his attention.
"I have nothing to say to you. Next!"
"Matthew!" Gaius reprimanded. "That is you're sister you're talking to."
"She's not my sister anymore now that you've adopted her. Her whole life has been taken over by Romans. A Roman father, mother, two new siblings oh and did I mention a Roman man who is by nature evil?"
"Quiet Matthew!" Gaius snapped as he took his daughter aside, wiping the tears that had fallen in the process of Matthew's whole speech.
"Don't listen to him okay?"
The soldier was about to say more to his daughter when Jesus of Nazareth walked past them.
"So much for me trying to..." She didn't get to finish her sentence when Jesus called out to her brother.
"Matthew!"
Gaius pushed Hanna behind him, placing his hand on his sword.
"Matthew son of Alphaeus!"
"Yes?" Matthew asked, shocked that this man knew his name.
"Follow me."
"Me?" Matthew questioned further, making Jesus laugh.
"Yes you!"
Simon rushed forward and whispered some words to Jesus that Hanna could not hear. She took that moment to really look Jesus over. This was the man Maya had been telling her about for sure. How could he have known Matthew's name let alone her old father's name?
"You want me to join you?" Matthew asked now, making Gaius speak up.
"Keep moving, street preacher."
And that's when Hanna knew this was definitely the man. The man Maya had been praying for since they were ten.
"Do you have any idea what this guy has done?" Simon asked Jesus who simply stared at Matthew.
"Yes" he said simply. He then looked over at Hanna for a split second, making Gaius push her behind him more.
Hanna glanced towards her brother who instantly packed up his things and left the booth.
"Listen!" Gaius shouted. "I said..."
He and Hanna turned around, watching Matthew lock up.
"Stay here honey" Gaius said softly to Hanna before walking to Matthew, stopping him in his tracks. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Gaius let me go" Matthew said simply.
"Are you out of you're mind?" Gaius asked. "You have money, and you may hate him for loving you're sister but Quintus protects you! No normal citizen lives as good as you. And you're going to throw it all away?"
Matthew looked over at Hanna who just stared at him shocked. She didn't know what to feel. Would she ever make things right with him? Would she ever see him again? Shock turned to sadness as she felt hot tears build up in her eyes now, suddenly feeling all her emotions from the past couple of days bubble up to the surface.
Matthew slowly turned back to Gaius now. "Yes" was his simple answer.
Gaius walked back over to Hanna, wrapping her in his arms as she started to cry into his chest, not being able to bear watching her brother walk away from her for what possibly could be for the last time.
"You will regret this Matthew" Gaius said as he ran a free hand through his daughter's hair comfortingly as she sobbed freely.
"It's okay" he whispered to Hanna as he turned and led her away. "You are still my little girl. You're brother's actions are not you're own."
Meanwhile Matthew was walking next to Jesus. "Where are we going?"
"A dinner party" he said simply.
"I'm not welcome at dinner parties."
"Well that's different because tonight you are the host" Jesus said with a knowing smile as the rest of the boys looked at the two of them with confusion. Only Mary had a smile on her face.
And in that instant. Matthew knew that he and Maya's lives would never be the same again.
