Hey everyone. This story has been in the works for a few weeks now, and I figured when better to post this than my birthday (a little birthday present to myself).
Side note: I'm taking a creative liberty to add an extra week before the planned earthquake, and with the additional time, I'll try to add some elements of the original Greenhouse because I just loved how much more stretched out and relaxed it was compared to the English version.
I hope you guys enjoy reading this. See you in the next chapter.
"Hayley?" She hears the confusion in his voice before she sees him, and it takes her a few seconds to register who he's talking too... Since when did he mingle with the Ravens? What more Ryan Woods' daughter?
She steps back towards the tunnel, making sure he can't see her.
"Uh, it's my mom's phone, I think."
Her heart stops for a moment, a thousand different thoughts assaulting her all at once. He's talking to her using her phone, her burner phone, which he shouldn't know about - no one but Ryan knows about it. How did he get a hold of it, but more importantly, how did she get the number?
The swish of the bucket in her hands breaks her out of her thoughts, and she realises she has to put a pin in it. Whether he's faking it or not, Daniel and his health is always her number one priority.
"I got the ice!" She announces with a smile, stepping out from the shadows.
"I have to hang up." His mumbles seemingly echoes throughout the gym, reaching her ears seconds before he empties her bag onto the gym floor.
"I'll just get this in the..." She eyes the mess, setting the bucket down with the cloth, feigning ignorance on what she heard. "Oh. What happened here?"
He sighs. "I knocked over your bag. I... I'll put everything back in." Reaching for it, he props it up beside him, already dropping the little knick knacks into it despite knowing the mess would irk her.
Shaking her head, she crouches down next to him, ice bucket sitting abandoned by her side. "Okay. There we go. Bam, bam. Okay."
She breathes, hoping he would ask the burning question.
And he does.
"So, uh, what is that?"
"This? It's a make-up compact." She turns it over in her hand, playing it off as if he were asking about it any other day. "You know, this doesn't just happen by magic." Waving the device in her hand, she sends him a smile before dropping it back in her bag and tending to his ankle.
"Marcus." She barges into the cave, setting her bag down on the table. "We have a little complication, namely Miss Hayley Woods."
"What..." He blinks, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, wondering how the girl could have posed any sort of problems to their project. She had no connection whatsoever to Judy, even her knowledge of her mom's mission was minimal so "How?"
"I need you to access her Louie. Show me the latest messages and calls." She commands. "And you're going to help me fix this mess."
He rolls the Louie in his hands, tapping it against his thigh as he waits anxiously. Flicking it open for a second, he notes the time before slamming it shut. From what Alex said - because he was grumbling about his sister taking too long to come back - she'd be here at 8, and it's already 9. He knows there may have been a jam but she could've at least called him.
Sighing, he resolves to wait another 30 minutes. Trust these ravens to never be on time... And to stand him up.
"Has anyone seen Hayley?" Leo questions for the umpteenth time since the earthquake, scanning the clubhouse for the dark-haired teen.
"No, captain." Max replies, settling in bed.
"It's late." Jackie echoes from her own. "She'll probably stay the night and be back by morning. Now turn the lights off, and go to sleep."
"But-"
"Now, captain." Jackie says mockingly as she turns over in bed, pulling the covers over her head.
"Fine." He huffs, and with a longing glance at the unoccupied bed beside his own, he falls into a restless slumber.
"Hey Alex." Daniel pats the boy on his back as he walks into the room. "What's with the long face?"
"My sister's not coming back, at least for a while."
Sophie tssks as she moves closer towards him, nudging him till his head leans on her shoulder.
"She was in the water during the earthquake and almost drowned. Apparently she saw my mom when she was underwater and is really stressed right now, so she's taking a break."
"At home?" Sophie asks softly, but Alex shakes his head.
"No, dad told me she'd already left. He's a little worried since she said she'd come back here, having lots of classes and stuff, but then just took off." He sighs.
"But why would she leave when she said she wanted to meet?" Daniel asks himself.
"Why would she leave so suddenly?" Jackie asks, looking over the message again.
"Well, she's done it before. Remember after her Louie incident?" Max reminds her as he fidgets with a chess piece.
"I don't know, Max. Something doesn't sound right."
"She could just be really tired." He reasons as he finally moves the piece. "Your turn-"
"I'm gonna go get her back again." Leo announces as he steps into the clubhouse, ignoring Aspen as she clung to him. "Anyone wanna come with?"
"But Lee... With Hayley gone now, we can continue our relationship. Put everything behind us, yea?" Aspen begs.
"No, she belongs here, in the Greenhouse." The with me is left unsaid but she hears it anyway.
"Why are you so obsessed with her?" She huffs.
"As captain it's my job to make sure all my Ravens are here." He reasons half-heartedly, brushing off her concerns as he steps towards the door.
"Don't you think it's killing me, seeing how you look at her?" Grasping his shoulder, she turns him around so they're finally face to face.
"What?" He asks exasperated.
"I'm not blind, Leo. I know you have feelings for Hayley. And it's bloody hard to be the only one working for this relationship."
Shaking his head, he turns away again. "I have to go-"
"God, sometimes I wish I let her drown." Aspen shouts. For a second all is silent, even the shuffling of chess pieces stop, all eyes turned to the British schoolgirl. "I was just kidding."
"Hello? Sarcasm." She grins, hoping to play off her slip of the tongue.
"No, I know you, Aspen. You don't just kid around." He whips around back towards her, doing his best to control his temper and keep himself from strangling her. "How long were you at the beach before I showed up?"
"I don't know." She shrugs simply. "I wasn't wearing a watch."
"You saw Hayley before I did, didn't you?" He watches as the colour drains from her face, and it takes all his strength to hold himself back from snapping at her. "You saw her and did nothing."
"Lee, I-"
Ripping his arm free from her grasp, he pulls out his Louie at the beep, his hopeful expression disappearing as he scans over the message.
"Everyone to the exam room for a media workshop." Leo announces with a sigh, before turning to Aspen. "We're not done with this conversation."
"Alex." Jackie approaches said boy as she finds her seat. "Did Hayley say anything to you about taking a break?"
"No, but her decision was pretty sudden. My dad said she was already on her way back here before she changed her mind."
"Oh." She breathes, cataloguing the tidbit before taking her seat beside Max. "Ok. Thanks."
"Tell me about the time you saved Hayley and Leo from drowning." Michelle purrs, noting the shift in the girls demeanor at the mere mention of her name.
"Oh, umm... I was just standing there at the beach when it all happened, minding my own business when, out of nowhere, I saw them in the water, caught in a whirlpool." Her brows furrow as she retells the story, the lapping of the waves echoing in her ears as the ground tremors beneath her.
"It was horrendous, so I didn't think at all. Just the thought of losing this guy." She shivers, her hand blindly searching his for comfort. "It tore me up inside. I just... I just jumped straight into action. And-"
"I can't do this anymore." He shakes her hand off his lap, moving to stand, to get away from everything. "I can't go on like this."
"With the interview?" Michelle asks with a pleased smile, the turn of events more thrilling than what she had hoped for when she first called up the couple - or ex-couple? "Or with Aspen?"
"With both." He replies firmly, stepping out of the spotlight and back to his seat, waving off any further attempts at questioning by the journalist.
Murmurs immediately erupt throughout the exam hall, some not too kind towards Aspen, others to Leo. Another Raven, however, was busy on her Louie.
'You're going to regret not being here right now.' Jackie types quickly. 'Leo just broke up with Aspen in front of everyone.'
"Michelle, I think we've learnt enough for one day." Louis' voice powers through the chatter for all of one second, urging her to leave.
"I just have one more interview. Jackie Sanders?" All eyes turn to the blonde surfer, each as curious about her as the day she came.
"I'm sorry. I have to go." Pocketing her Louie, she rushes out of the room, barely sparing anyone a second glance.
With a nod from Louis, Max follows suit, finding her a few corridors down. "Jackie-"
"You can see where the message was sent, right?"
"Yes, but-"
"Just do it, Maximilian Miller." She commands. Flicking open her Louie, she prepares to send another message if need be.
"The Greenhouse." He zooms in, trying to pinpoint the exact location.
"What? Why would she..." Shaking her head, she watches as he types in a few more lines of code. "Nevermind, try and find where her Louie is right now."
"The cave?" Max whispers, confusion seeping into his bones. "What's it doing there-"
"Let's go." He's cut off by a sharp tug to his arm, urging him down the cliffs towards the ocean.
"I'm sorry, Michelle but I think it's time for you to leave. Maybe you could continue this another day." He apologises before whispering under his breath. "Or not."
"I get it." She forces out the grin, gathering her stuff.
"Daniel, why don't you help Ms Wallace out." He may not like reporters, but if there's one thing that Louis Osmond is, he's a gentleman.
"Sure thing, Louis." Taking a few of the camera equipment in his arms, he leads her out the door and towards the parking area...
"What's my mom's car doing here?" Daniel murmurs, eyeing the car occupying the furthest lot.
"Sorry?" Michelle turns to him, reaching for her bag.
"Nothing." Shaking his head, he turns to leave. "Have a safe drive back."
Once she's out of view, he heads down the cliffs, hiding behind an overhang as he spots his mother before him.
He watches as she seems to gaze up at the sky, counting down the seconds before placing her hand against some rocks. The ground beneath him rumbles, bits of gravel tumbling down and collecting in a small pile. The dust makes it hard to see, but he's almost certain the cave opens up.
He steps closer, running his fingers over the rock surface as he contemplates entering the closing door, when he feels a hand grasp his shoulder.
"Daniel?"
And this has been an AngelFanfics productions.
