Maya was restless. Aunt Tia had told her that her parents were together and talking and that things were good, but Maya just was struggling to believe it. What if they were lying to her? What if her parents were fighting and going to break up? The kid always finds out last, she knew that.
It didn't occur to her to ask to talk to her mother or dad. No, she was too far into her anxious thoughts for that. She thought hard about what brought people together, and that gave her an idea.
She waited until everyone was occupied with something, and then she slipped out, hopped on her bike with her backpack on, and rode away.
...
Toll watched Rena and Cheryl baking together, and he couldn't help but smile. Rena was slowly coming out of her shell, but she still got shy at times. He still felt unsure of what Fred had done to her, if anything, but Rena never said he hurt her. All she said was that he would visit and make sure she had what she needed; sometimes he'd play with her, which Toll had a hard time picturing. Then she said Fred and the nanny would hole up in the bedroom together, and Toll winced inside knowing what that was about. He felt bad for Serena, but he wondered if she'd guessed Fred was cheating on her.
"Wanna try?" Cheryl asked, holding up a finger covered in chocolate.
"Does a bear..." he started, and she gave him a look, "...toot in the woods?" Rena began to giggle furiously, and he smiled. Cheryl just shook her head at him, and he let her stick her finger in his mouth.
"Well?" Rena asked, hopping a bit. "Is it good?!"
Toll groaned. "So good." He winked at Cheryl, who made a kissy face at him to indicate they'd pick up on that spark later.
"Yay!" Rena clapped. "This is so much fun. I never got to bake before."
This statement hurt Toll a little, and he wondered what else she'd been deprived of. He guessed they'd figure it out eventually.
"I'm glad you're having fun, sweetheart," Cheryl said, smiling. She reached to smooth Rena's hair, and for the first time, Toll didn't feel guilty for wanting to adopt her. Despite being 12, Rena still had a bit of a childlike innocence to her, and he knew that would change, so he was going to enjoy it now.
His phone buzzed with a text, and he looked at it.
"What?!" he exclaimed.
"What?" Cheryl asked, looking at him.
"'Maya's gone. Is she with you?'" he read. "No...right?" Had she somehow snuck in without them knowing?
"No," Cheryl agreed.
"No," he said out loud as he texted it back to Caesar. He called him next as he went to another room for privacy.
"Damn, man. You sure?" Caesar asked, answering.
"She's not here. When did she leave?!"
"I have no idea. We just noticed now. She'd been staying in bed feeling crummy, so we left her alone. Next thing we know, she's gone!"
"Where would she go? Why would she even leave?!"
"I dunno. I think she thinks we were lying about Lee and Emily talking and working things out."
"She wouldn't go find them, would she?"
"I have no idea."
"Shit," Toll said, gripping his head. "Okay. We gotta start looking."
"Tia's already in the car." Faint honking could be heard in the background now. "Call Barney."
"What about Lee and Emily?"
"If we can't find her in the next little bit, then we'll call them," Caesar answered. "No sense in freaking them out yet."
"Okay."
"I'M COMING!" Caesar bellowed now to Tia, who was still honking. "Gotta go. Let me know if you find her before we do."
"Will do."
They hung up, and Toll felt distressed. Why would Maya run away? What good could possibly come out of that? He ran to get his keys.
He hoped this would end well.
...
Emily's mouth was soft and warm against his. Lee was extremely aware of every move and sound in this moment. He held her close as their kiss amped up and then slowed down. They pulled apart gently, lips grazing and hot breaths against each other's skin.
"We really do have to go," she said finally, and Lee's awareness was brought back to the fact they were standing at the landing after dealing with the boats and going to get into their separate vehicles and drive down to the airport.
"I know," he sighed, smacking at a persistent fly trying to get into his ear.
"I'll see you in a few hours," she promised, touching his face lightly.
"Okay."
She kissed him one last time before pulling out of his embrace and opening her car door. She flashed a smile, which he returned before shutting the car door for her. He leaned down slightly to see her through the open window.
"Drive safe," he said, reaching to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.
"You too."
He smiled again as she took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. He reluctantly took it back and stepped away from her car. She waved as she drove away, and he got into his next and followed, the waves of the lake gently lapping at the shoreline in his rear view mirror.
...
Barney was freaking out. He couldn't understand why Maya would take off like this. What was going on in her head?! He wished she had talked to him or Tia or someone about it. He wished she hadn't let it get so big that it caused her to run away. He thought hard on what had been going on lately. She'd seemed fine a few days ago, laughing and playing with Louis and Rena in a very carefree manner, so what had changed?
Emily leaving. That had to be it. Did Maya think her mother abandoned her again? Was she going to look for her? He felt despair if that was the case. It was a big country from here to the island, if that's even where she'd figured out her mother was.
He decided to call his contact with the police. They'd keep an eye out for a small girl hitchhiking, biking alone, or being at the airport. He knew he had to tell Lee and Emily eventually, but he really hoped to find her first to save them the heart attack.
"Okay, kid," he said out loud to himself as he got into his truck. "Where are you?"
...
Caesar was beating himself up as Tia drove. How could he have missed Maya sneaking away? Why hadn't he or Tia checked on her sooner? Why had she even left?!
"I should have got her to talk to her mom," Tia said now, also beating herself up. "Why didn't I think to do that?!"
"Because you assumed Maya would take your word for it when you said things were fine," Caesar answered.
"Stupid is what I am. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Tia smacked the wheel with each "stupid."
"You're not stupid," he countered.
"You sure you don't know where she'd go?" Tia asked Louis now, who had been sitting quietly in the back the entire time.
"No," he answered. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, sweetheart. We'll figure it out."
Caesar nodded in agreement as his mind kept swirling. Where would she go? Surely she wouldn't go to the island?! Not by herself. Would she?
He read Toll's text saying she wasn't at Lee's, so she hadn't gone home. He felt aggravated now. Maybe it was time to tell Lee and Emily.
"Head for the main highway," he instructed.
"Already going," Tia answered, turning right. As they drove along, he stuck his head out the window and started hollering Maya's name. Louis followed suit shortly after.
...
Emily was still smiling as the cab pulled into the airport. Since they'd both rented a car from the same place, she met Lee there and shared a cab with him to catch their flight. He currently had his arms around her and his face pressed against the side of her head.
"Felt like forever," he commented, muffled by her hair.
"It was four hours," she answered, giggling.
"Too long."
She felt wonderful pings go through her at his touch, but she noticed the cab driver watching and nudged Lee to knock it off.
"To be continued," he said in her ear, and she nodded. Then they were parked, and he paid the driver while she got out and collected their bags from the trunk. Lee slung his over his back and carried hers despite her protesting she was fine to take it.
They were sitting and waiting for their flight to be called when Lee suddenly asked her a question.
"Does Jesse want to be her father?"
"What?" she asked, feeling surprised.
"I just wondered since he wanted to meet her...if he had regrets walking away and that maybe...maybe he called you and changed his mind about wanting to...to be in her life," he said, finishing awkwardly. Emily shook her head.
"No," she replied. "Jesse is sticking to his decision of not being in Maya's life. He won't be back. That moment...whatever it was...it was just him needing to answer the question again, and it did. He won't change his mind."
"Oh."
"And anyhow," Emily said, turning in her chair to face him fully and taking his face in her hand. "You're her father, and don't you forget it." He finally smiled crookedly, and she kissed the corner of his mouth lightly. She hoped that would help him feel better.
"I'm a bail jumper now," he told her as if he was remembering to tell her about his new job.
"Maya said that. Is it dangerous?"
"Not like being a mercenary was."
"That's good."
"What are you gonna do now?" Lee asked, curious. She played with his fingers in between hers.
"I got a job at the high school teaching art," she answered.
"Really? That's great."
"Yes," she agreed, smiling. "I was sticking around regardless of how this worked out because I didn't want to uproot Maya again. I figured we'd just share her moving forward if you and I weren't going to make it."
"I'm glad it worked out differently."
"Me too."
They smiled at each other again, and Lee moved to kiss her properly when their flight was called. He pulled her to her feet, and they walked hand in hand to board.
...
Barney met up with the others at a diner by the highway. There was no sign of Maya, and no one had reported her being on the highway or at the airport. She had officially vanished.
"This is bad," Doc said. Gunner was quiet, worry etched on his face. Barney knew that none of them wanted to imagine the unthinkable right now.
"You don't think someone kidnapped her, do you?" Toll asked, frightened, voicing this unthinkable thing.
"I don't know," Barney groaned, pressing a hand to his face. "I don't know!"
"Where would she go if not to find her parents?" Tia asked. "I don't get it."
"We have to tell them," Caesar advised. "We have to."
"Yes, we do," Tool agreed.
"You tell them," Toll urged. He knew how pissed off Lee was going to get, and he didn't want to be at the end of that wrath.
"I'll do it," Barney offered.
"No, she was in our care, I'll do it," Caesar countered. He sighed heavily as he pulled out his phone. They all braced themselves.
...
"Yea?" Lee said, answering his phone as he walked out of the terminal in New Orleans with Emily. It had been annoying to not be sitting beside him during the flight, but she'd endured it. "What?" He stopped moving, and Emily frowned at him.
"What's wrong?" she mouthed, and he shook his head at her.
"What do you mean, she's missing?" he asked, his voice getting hard and angry. "She was with you!"
"Who is missing?" Emily asked, frantic now. Not Maya...surely not!
"We just got off the plane now," Lee said, looking around. "Where are you? Okay. Yea. Fine." He hung up and growled.
"What?!" Emily asked, catching his arm and giving him a shake.
"Maya took off," he answered.
"WHAT?!"
"Barney's alerted the cops. Everyone's been looking for her, but they can't find her. There haven't been any reports of a girl hitchhiking or biking alone or being at the airport," he advised, thinking hard as he scanned the space around them as if he might see Maya there.
"So...where is she?!" Emily exclaimed, freaking out. Lee looked at her then, and he looked weirdly calm.
"I know exactly where she is," he answered.
...
Maya hummed to herself as she swung her legs over the water. She was sitting on the little bridge that went across the creek, and she listened to all the nature sounds in the woods around her. Her dad had brought her to this place a few times, claiming it was quiet enough to still thoughts and bring peace.
It was working.
She leaned back on her hands, squinting up at the sun that was flickering through the trees. It was almost set, and she wondered what she was going to do for the night when she heard footsteps. She twisted to see both her father and mother coming towards her.
"Maya!" her mother cried, breaking away and getting to her first. Maya jumped to her feet and braced for impact. Her mother's arms felt so good around her.
"You found me," Maya said, feeling emotional suddenly.
"What were you thinking?!" her mother asked, taking her arms in her hands and giving her a slight shake. "You scared all of us to death!"
Maya looked at her father standing there quietly and not making a sound or gesture to indicate what he was feeling or thinking. She swallowed.
"I knew if you had to look for me, you'd have to work together," she said now, her childish plan sounding really dumb once she said it out loud. "I figured if you worked together, you'd have to make up."
"Maya," her father said now, his voice slightly aggravated. "Why didn't you just call one of us to ask what was going on?"
"I...I don't know," Maya answered, her voice small.
"Maya," her mother said, sighing loudly and roughly. "This was really irresponsible of you."
"I'm sorry."
"I will be grounding you."
"Okay."
Maya looked at her parents, and through their worry and anger at her actions, she could see they looked different.
"Did you really make up?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes, you turkey," her mother answered, giving her head a slight, playful shake now. "We did, and then you gave us a bloody heart attack."
"I'm sorry," Maya said again. "But...does this mean we're all going home?"
"Yes, love," her father replied, finally moving to hug her now. "We're going home." That's when Maya burst into happy tears, and her mother joined the hug too, and all was well with the world finally and forever.
...
Lee groaned slightly as he sank down onto his bed, his wonderful bed. He did not miss that back breaking thing called a mattress at the cabin. He lay there propped up, watching Emily come in from tucking Maya in for the night and start removing her earrings and such.
"I can't believe she ran and hid to make us work together and find her," she said, sounding both annoyed and amused.
"Well, it was kind of clever," he admitted, giving his daughter that, even if it was silly.
"She's lucky the emergency department wasn't crowded with all of us having a bloody heart attack," she went on. Lee chuckled. That would have been a sight. He smiled as he watched her brush her hair and get changed. This was what normal was like; he quite loved it.
"C'mere," he said, catching her wrist as she went by. She let him tug her down onto him and shifted to get comfortable curled on his lap and her head against his. He put his arms around her and kissed her temple softly.
"She wasn't even upset with her grounding," Emily went on, which was true. Lee had to contain his laughter as Maya had simply just beamed through the entire spiel of what she was and wasn't allowed to do for two weeks.
"She's just happy we're together," he reminded her. "She doesn't care about the rest of it."
"Well, I hope she doesn't run away again the next time she wants us to get along."
"She won't."
"How do you know?"
"Cos I told her if she does, she's not going to university."
"Lee!" Emily exclaimed, and he burst out laughing, which made her start to laugh as well. When they both calmed down, she shook her head at him. "I can't believe you'd say that to her."
"She took it very seriously," he reasoned. "She doesn't know that we can't actually stop her."
"You're so bad," Emily told him.
"The worst," he replied with a cheeky smile. She kissed him hard suddenly.
"I like bad," she advised during a pause.
"Oh yea?"
"Yea."
"The good kind of bad, not the bad bad," she confirmed. He slid them down slowly until he was resting on top of her on a bit of an angle.
"Define good bad," he said, kissing her neck.
"Can't...too busy right now," she replied. He laughed softly and she pulled him in closer and kissed him deeply for a moment.
"Am I continuing?" he asked, referring to his statement hours earlier.
"Oh, yes...yes you are," she answered, and he kissed her again, pulling the comforter up and over their heads.
A Few Days Later
"You two just look so damn cute," Tia commented. Emily went slightly red in the face as Lee hugged her tighter against him. She was sitting on his lap on the picnic table, his chin resting on her shoulder from behind.
"Why thank you," he said when Emily couldn't come up with anything.
"Ahem." Barney cleared his throat. "Isn't this supposed to be about me?"
"Isn't it always about you?" Lee retorted.
"Actually, lately, it's kind of been about you," Barney countered. Emily started to laugh, and Lee rolled his eyes with an unimpressed expression.
"Well, today is all about you," Tia said, patting his shoulder. "It's your retirement party after all."
"I didn't get one," Lee said childishly.
"Yea, I didn't either!" Caesar called out, overhearing.
"Or me," Toll added.
"Oh, well, then I guess this is for all of you then," Tia advised.
"Does age count?" Barney asked. "Since I'm older than all of you?"
"I don't think so," Toll answered, smirking.
"Fine," Barney sighed. "I'll share the moment."
"Makes me feel kind of left out," Gunner commented, and Doc nodded in agreement.
"When your day comes, we'll celebrate too," Tia promised him, and he grinned back.
"I technically never officially retired," Tool commented thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Maybe I should."
"Yea, maybe you should," Barney agreed. Louis, Rena, and Maya went barreling past, shouting out something about something to each other. Barney had lost track what game they were playing. He was just happy to see them playing. After Maya's stunt, she'd been grounded from friends and reading and video games for two weeks, but they let her play with the others today as an exception. She'd taken her lectures from him and the others and apologized profusely. He couldn't stay mad at her. He knew her heart had been in a good place.
Emily got up to assist Tia and Cheryl, so Barney sidled up to Lee for a chat.
"Everything good?" he asked.
"Yea," Lee answered. "Why?"
"Just checking."
Lee nodded slowly, watching Emily with a smile on his face. Barney was glad to see him happy, finally. After all of this, that's all he wanted for his friends and family: happiness.
"You got it," Barney said, making Lee look at him.
"Got what?"
"Your family," he answered, gesturing. "You're normal now."
"Yea, I guess I am," Lee agreed. "Although, I'm far from normal."
"I know. We all are, but you know what I mean."
"Yea, I do."
"I'm happy for you," Barney said, clapping Lee's shoulder fondly. "Hell of a way to get here, but we got here."
"Yes, we did."
They grinned at each other and then fist bumped. Barney went off to play with the kids, and for once in his life, he felt carefree and very, very happy.
One chapter left :) Thank you to those who are still reading this :)