Fear the Night
Chapter 18-The Positive; The Negative

Chapter 18: The Positive;The Negative

Yukiodragged Natalie behind him through the dark woods, gun in hand, Joshua coveringthem from behind with a shotgun. Theyall knew something was wrong. The Dronesweren’t attacking. All three wonderedwhere they were as they kept their guard up.

“Wherethe hell are they?!” Yukio growled, referring to Maverick and Isabella, whothey had been looking for, for what seemed like hours.

“Iwouldn’t worry about them,” Joshua assured him. “With Maverick on the loose, I’d be more worried about the Drones.”

“I’mmore worried about Isabella,” Nataliepanted, trying to keep up with Yukio. Hesuddenly stopped and pulled her under his arm when the three heard a few snarlsand growls around them. Yukio and Joshuaaimed their guns at any yellow pair of eyes they spotted but didn’t fire.

“Whyaren’t they attacking?” Natalie wondered in a whisper at Yukio. “One of them should have tried to kill us bynow.”

“Theywon’t,” a familiar voice called in the darkness and all eyes shot to thedirection of the voice. “The squadleader is making sure of that.”

Maverickstepped toward the three from the darkness, Isabella clinging to his arm.

“Mave!”Yukio grinned in relief. “Izzy! What the hell’s going on here?!”

“Yourfather got to you, I take it?” Joshua guessed, lowering his rifle with asmirk. Maverick only nodded.

“Isabella!”Natalie called, running to the other girl and hugging her fiercely. “I was so worried about you! I’m glad you’re alright!”

“Let’sget back to the house,” Joshua suggested, slinging his riffle over hisshoulder. “Maverick and I will explaineverything to the three of you.”

“TheDrones won’t bother us,” Maverick assured them, glaring at Joshua. “Just walk and don’t look at them.”

Thegroup, with the exception of Maverick and Joshua, hesitantly headed back in thedirection of the house. Maverick andJoshua led the way, and when they reached the house they looked back at theDrones but they were gone.

“Now,why don’t I make us some tea?” Joshua suggested as he set his rifle on thecouch. He spun around but his smile waswiped off his face when Maverick socked him in the jaw, sending him to theground.

“Maverick!”Isabella gasped, running to him and pulling him back from jumping the man. “What are you doing?!”

“Youtold me he was dead!” Maverick snarled at Joshua as he sat up, rubbing hisjaw. “You told me he was killed by aSuit after I left! What the hell did youlie to me for?!”

“Ididn’t want you to go looking for him,” Joshua replied, slowly standing and wipingthe blood from the corner of his mouth where his lip had split from thepunch. Maverick’s eyes widened in shockas the other three watched the scene in front of them and Joshua continued, “Heneeded time. Time to remember that hehad a wife and a son that loved him. Time to remember his life before the darkness. I’m sorry, Maverick. I couldn’t let you see him or look for him.”

“That’swhy you only mentioned it once,” he realized. “You didn’t wanna take the lie any further than that.”

“You’reso much like your father; angry and hateful at times,” Joshua admitted. “I didn’t want the Darkness to take you as it did your parents.”

“Ithasn’t taken him completely!” Maverick boomed. “His eyes! If you had been seeing him, you would have seenthat they were his normal color, not Drone Yellow!”

“Idid,” Joshua nodded. “But even so, Icouldn’t tell you he was alive. He wouldhave stayed away instead of making the progress he’s made thus far. Even if you can’t forgive me, I’ll tell youthat I’m sorry anyway.”

Maverickstared at the other man. He hated being lied to by someone hetrusted for so long. Joshua had beenlike an uncle to him, if not a father. Learning that he’d known his father was alive but told him otherwise enragedhim. It took all of him not to beat theman to a pulp.

“Mave?”Yukio called softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, but Maverick still stareda seething glare at Joshua. “Whathappened back there? What’s this have todo with it?”

“Myparents are Drones,” Maverick replied in a low tone. “I’m not sure about me mother, but my fatherlives in the cave we rescued Natalie from. They took Isabella because they knew I would go after her. It was the only way my father could get me tocome to him.”

“So,what did he want you for?” Yukio wondered as Natalie clung to his arm, her gazeshooting between everyone.

“Heknows I’m planning to tell everyone the truth about what happened forty yearsago, and he’s willing to help,” Maverick reported. “He said his squad would protect the people intown from other Drones while we bringeveryone out at night to show my father to them. He can talk and tell people about what he sawand who it was. He’s batter at speakingthen Faye was.”

“So,they won’t attack us again?” Natalie wondered in a shaky voice.

“No,my father won’t let them,” Maverick assured them and his eyes locked withIsabella’s as she still held his arm. “We’ll need to sleep. We’releaving in the morning.”

“Sosoon?!” Yukio asked as Maverick headed down the hall to his room, Isabellaletting go of his arm and watching him. “We just got here! Shouldn’t wethink of a plan before we go risking our lives?! The Suits are gonna come down on us fasterthan we can blink!”

“We’releaving the girls at the Barrier gate,” Maverick explained, stopping outsidehis door. “Yukio and I will come backonce the girls are inside and we’ll return that night with the squad and myfather.”

“Andhow do you expect to gather the people at night from outside the Barrier?” Joshua wondered, crossing his arms over hischest. Maverick looked up at the fourbeyond the hall and smirked.

“I’llleave that to our little heiress,” hereplied and all eyes turned to Natalie in shock.

“What?!”she squeaked. “What am I supposed to do?!”

“You’llknow when you get home,” Maverick replied. “Like I said, let’s get some sleep.”

Thefour watched Maverick step into his room and stayed silent. They knew he was serious. Deadserious. But it was a chance none ofthem knew whether of not to take. Theyglanced around at each other but it was Isabella who smiled first and turned toJoshua, hand out to shake his.

“Thankyou for the tea,” she smiled. “Myheadache is completely gone now!”

“Ah---?! You’re welcome,” Joshua replied, shaking herhand as he stared at her with wide eyes. Maverick just outlined a plan that could more than likely kill them alland she was smiling and thanking him for tea?! Was her injury more severe then he had thought?

Isabellaturned to Yukio and Natalie who also stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief. She hugged them both and they glanced at eachother around her in confusion then at her as she stepped away from them with asmile.

“I’mglad you two finally met,” she smiled, sincerely. “I always knew the two of you would get alongperfectly!”

Withoutanother word she walked to Maverick’s door and knocked as the three left staredat her, speechless, until Joshua spoke.

“Isee why he likes her,” he observed as she stepped into the room and the couplewith him shot their gaze at him. “She’sthe positive to his negative.”

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“Isabellashut the door behind her as she stepped in to see Maverick already lying in thebed, his back to the door. She stifled asigh and slowly stepped to the bed to place a hand on his arm.

“Maverick?”she called, meekly when he didn’t move. “Can I talk to you?”

“Youneed to sleep, Bell,”he replied, not looking at her or turning.

“I’mnot tired,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can tell you aren’t, either.”

Mavericksighed and turned onto his back to prop himself on his elbows as she smiled athim.

“Alright,Bell, you win,”he smirked. “What do you wanna talkabout?”

Beforeshe answered, she touched right hand, the one closest to her and asked, “Howare your fingers?”

Maverickfrowned and lifted his hand to examine it as he sat up, fully.

“Ihaven’t felt a thing,” he admitted. “Joshua took a look at them after taking care of you. He said you did a good job splinting them.”

Isabellasmiled and blushed as he smirked at her and he couldn’t resist brushing astrand of her hair from her face as he looked at her.

“Maverick?”

“Hm?”

“B-Backin the cave, when you told your father you missed him, you sounded like youwere ready to---”

Shecut herself off, wondering if she should even show her concern or ask about it,but Maverick’s interest was piqued.

“Readyto what, Bell?”he asked with a slight frown, his fingers still playing with her hair.

“Yousounded ready to cry,” she mumbled, hesitantly and when Maverick straightenedslightly she asked, “Did he mean that much to you?”

Mavericksighed and flopped back onto the mattress, his left hand cradling his head, hisright hand on his stomach.

“Iwas only two when my mother was taken by the Darkness,” he explained, staringat the ceiling. “Ten when my fatherwas. He’d saved me from being killed bymy own mother. I can only imagine howhard it must’ve been for him. Losingsomeone he loved, frightened at the Darkness within himself and raising me. I could see him fighting it, but I was tooyoung to understand what it was. Hetried so hard to keep me happy. By thetime I was ten, he was worn out. We were happy, though.”

Isabellasniffled and Maverick looked at her with wide eyes as she rubbed tears awayfrom hers.

“I’msorry,” she shuddered. “It’s just sosad.”

“Well,yeah,” Maverick shrugged, sitting up again. “But I turned out ok. See? I’m still human.” He took her hand from her face and placed itover his heart without thinking. “See?”

Isabellastared her watery, golden eyes at him in surprise. He suddenly realized what he was doing butinstead of pulling away, he stared into her eyes, watching for herreaction. She only gave a small smileand he responded with a small frown.

“Yourheart is beating a little fast, Maverick,” she murmured, still smiling. He swallowed and laughed, nervously as hepulled his hand from hers which stayed on his chest, but she ran her hand upand around his neck, along with the other. Their eyes never looked away from the other’s as she scooted closer, hersmile never wavering as she whispered, “It’s ok. M-Mine is, too.”

Mavericksighed at how cute she had said that, and how she looked and couldn’t help thesmirk that came to his lips as he said, “Ya know, I was really ticked that wedidn’t get to finish that kiss.”

Isabellablushed but shrugged her shoulders cutely with a smile on her lips. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek buthe frowned in confusion when she pulled away.

“Hey!”he chuckled and pulled her back as she giggled, planting his lips to hers. He pulled her back so hard they fell back butshe just giggled again as they still kissed and she kicked her legs in delightwhile they did. She pulled away from thelip-lock and they both smiled in satisfaction.

“Iwanted a real kiss,” Maverick smirked.

“Sodid I,” she confessed in a smile. “Timeto get some rest.”

“Yeah,”he sighed and couldn’t help but ask, “Wanna stay with me tonight?”

“Maverick!”Isabella laughed with a blush and smacked him playfully on the chest. “You’re so wicked!”

“What?!”he laughed, nervously then realized what she was thinking. “No! Idon’t mean…that, just…I don’t know…Just stay here.”

“Oh,”Isabella replied vacantly, her cheeks still red. “W-Well…” She wrung her hands and lookedaround nervously. “I-I suppose I could. It’s not like we’ll get in trouble and Joshuadoesn’t have anymore empty rooms, does he?”

“Nope,”Maverick chirped, not really sure, but not caring. He just wanted Isabella with him. He pulled her closer and she snuggled her head under his chin as theyshifted to be comfortable. He couldn’thelp it when his hand began running through her hair, slowly and soothingly,Isabella smiled and snuggled closer to him with a sigh.

“Goodnight,Maverick,” she yawned, suddenly tired.

“Goodnight,Bell,” hesmiled back.