Fear the Night
Chapter 19-The Reentry

Chapter 19: The Reentry

“We’llwalk with you to the edge of the woods and watch you go back across theBarrier,” Yukio explained to Isabella and Natalie as Maverick stood in thedoorway of the house with Joshua as the other three stood inside, the girls adjustingtheir cloaks.

“Istill don’t like the idea of leaving the two of you here,” Nataliegrumbled. “Can’t you come back with usand have Joshua bring the Drones into town?”

“Fugitives,”Maverick reminded her, making everyone look at him. “Yukio and I had to ‘play dead’ to get outta there. I can’t imagine what our Little Heiress wouldthink up to get us back in.” He pushed off of the doorframe and steppedtoward the three, closer to Isabella. “It’ll be easier for the two of you to get back in through the lie wetold to get out.” He turned to Isabellaas Yukio began helping Natalie fix her cloak.

“Youkeep this hood over your head and stick close to Natalie,” he ordered, pullingthe hood of her cloak over her head as she nodded. “If the Suits found us once, then they knowwhat we all look like, and they won’texercise restraint because you’re a woman.”

“Iknow,” she nodded again as she looked at him and swallowed. He couldn’t keep himself from stroking herhair and twirling a piece of it in his fingers. “I have to agree with Natalie, though.”

Maverick’seyes locked with hers as his fingers still twirled her hair.

“Idon’t like leaving you two to bring Dronesinto town,” she continued in a murmur.

“Don’tworry, Bell,”he smirked. “You’re ‘brother’ will befine. All he’s gotta do is listen to me,for once.”

“I’mnot worried about him,” she smirked back then stepped closer to him to whisper,“I worry more about you.”

Maverickfrowned in confused wonder at her, letting his hand fall away from her hair.

“Why?”he honestly wondered.

“Well,”she shrugged, slightly, “i-if something happens to you, I’d---” She cleared her throat then glanced down, twiddlingher fingers beneath her cloak, “I’d never hear the end of it from Yukio.”

Mavericksmiled and tilted her head up to look into her eyes as she swallowed again.

“Yeah,he’s always saying the same thing about you,”he smiled, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “If anything happened to me, hewouldn’t hear the end of it from you.”

Shelaughed nervously and cast her eyes down again. He leaned closer to her face and this time lifted her head using hislips as a guide and kissed her tenderly.

“I’llbe alright, Bell,”he whispered. “Three of us men make agood team. My father will be looking outfor us, too.”

Isabellanodded in a daze as her eyes fluttered open from his kiss. He could see tears forming in her eyes andfelt a pang of guilt stab his heart at seeing her sniffle and look down, stillnodding. She threw herself into hisarms, her own arms around his chest and hugging him close.

“Whenyou come back across the Barrier,” she shuddered, “be careful, please. That’s not a request.”

“Shouldn’thave said ‘please’ then,” Maverick scoffed, patting her back. “But I will. I promise.”

“You’dbetter get going,” Joshua suggested to the four. “I’m sure the Suits would be looking for MissKeith if her parents report her missing.”

Isabellastepped away but Maverick quickly pulled her back and kissed her cheek as Yukioand Natalie headed for the door.

“Thankyou, Doctor,” Natalie smiled, shaking Joshua’s hand as Maverick and Isabellastepped toward the doorway. “Isabellameans very much to all of us.”

“Somemore than others, I’m sure,” Joshua smirked, glancing at Maverick who onlyglared back at him.

“Thanksfor letting the girls stay here, too,” Yukio cut in, speaking to the doctor aswell.

“Ofcourse,” Joshua nodded. “Hurry back,boys.”

“Let’sgo,” Maverick muttered, walking between the couple and the doctor whiledragging Isabella behind him.

“Thankyou, Doctor, for your help!” she called as Maverick kept going and the othertwo hurried after him. Joshua waved ashe stood in the doorway, the sun shining brightly.

Yukioand Natalie finally caught up with Maverick and Isabella who slowed theirmarch. The red-head glanced at Yukio andsmiled when he looked at her. He smiledback and glanced at her hand before slowly sliding his into hers, making hersmile wider.

Maverickglanced over at the coupled as they all continued walking then glanced atIsabella as she walked beside him. Heglanced at Yukio and Natalie again as they couple cozied up to each other,Natalie giggling the whole time. Heswallowed and looked back at Isabella in thought.

Shesuddenly looked up at him, feeling his eyes on her and she smiled as she asked,“What is it?”

“Nothing,”he replied, shaking his head slightly. “I just---Nothing.”

Helooked ahead as she frowned in confusion but didn’t say anything else. He wasn’t good at come of the romanticstuff. He could kiss her when he feltlike it, but when it came to the cute, amateur moves, he had no clue how tolead to it.

Isabellagave a little sigh then glanced at Yukio and Natalie as the couple held handsand murmured to each other. She lookedback at Maverick, who wrung his hands behind him. She inched toward him as they all walkedthrough the woods toward the road and slowly slid her hand around his arm.

Maverickjumped and looked down at her as she only wrapped her entire arm aroundhis. She looked up at him and smiledthen rested her head on his arm. Hecouldn’t help but smile back then pat her hand that was around his arm.

“I’mstill worried,” she whispered and Maverick smiled reassuringly.

“It’llbe fine,” he said. “I promise.”

Thetwo couples kept walking, occupied with the person they were infatuated with,until before they knew it, they came a few yards away from a clearing wherethey saw the barrier and all sighed in disappointment.

“Alrightgirls,” Maverick said, turning to Isabella. “We’ll wait in the bushes until you two get across.”

“Maverick,”she whispered, stepping closer to him so that only he could hear her. “Are you sureabout this? What if something happens---?”

“It’llbe ok, Bell,” Maverick assured her as Yukio and Natalie said good-bye to eachother. “Nothing’s gonna happen, and Ipromise, if something does happen,I’ll let you slap me with no hard feelings from me, ok?”

Isabellagave a giggle to keep herself from crying but he could see the tears formingaround her eyes. Maverick glanced towardYukio and Natalie who were locked in a passionate kiss then back at Isabella totilt her chin up to face him.

“CanI tell you a secret?” he smiled warmly and she frowned, but nodded. “Joshua said I always look at the negative;that I should look at the positiveside of things…” Her frown deepened ashe trailed off then he leaned in close to whisper in her ear and continued, “Sopositively speaking, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Isabellasighed, not knowing whether to feel euphoric of terribly guilty that she wasleaving him now, even though it was hisidea. She threw her arms around his neckand felt his slide around her in return so they hugged each other close.

“Don’tdie,” she whispered then pressed her lips to his ear and said, “because I thinkI’m falling in love with you.”

Shehad told herself that now was not thetime for that, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d been thinking about him non-stop ever since they’d met and she hadfigured it out on their way there. Shewas afraid of his reaction, but when he hugged her closer she relaxed a bitwith a smile of relief.

“Yeah,I’m kinda falling in love with you,”he murmured and Isabella felt her heart skip a beat, not being able to holdback her grin from ear to ear. Shehugged him closer, feeling tears prick her eyes. Apparently the feeling was of elation wasmutual because she felt him bury his face in the crook of her neck.

“Iwon’t die,” he whispered. “I promise.”

Shenodded as they pulled away to look into each other’s eyes and she glanced athis mouth, wanting to kiss him, but afraid to lean in.

“Isabella?”Natalie called, drawing their attention. “We need to go.”

“Alright,”Isabella sighed in disappointment then turned back to Maverick with a sweetsmile. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,”he replied, just as disappointed. Isabella hugged Yukio tightly and turned back to Maverick with anothersmile but be couldn’t let her leave with just a smile after what they’d toldeach other.

“Aw,hell with it,” he snapped, more to himself then anyone around him. Isabella frowned at him in confusion but hedidn’t answer as he gripped her hand, pulled her toward him and planted hislips to hers, his arms around her waist as her arms slid around his neck.

Neitherone of them cared that Natalie and Yukio were smirked at them and they didn’tcare that Yukio began tapping his foot impatiently when he felt they weretaking too long. They stayed in theirlip-lock for as long as they could before they both knew they had to pull awayand they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I’llsee you on the other side, Bell,”he murmured, snuggling his cheek to hers as he hugged her again.

“Hurryback to me,” she breathed. Mavericknodded and kissed her cheek before she pulled away, knowing that one moresecond in his arms would make her want to stay there forever.

“I’llsend a messenger to you if I have any luck with my father to address the peoplein town,” Natalie told the men as Isabella stepped next to her.

Yukionodded and the girls waved as they turned to head to the barrier. Natalie had to stop to pull Isabella alongwith her as she still stared at Maverick and Yukio had to do the same withMaverick. The younger man pulled himinto the bushes to watch the girls stop at the Barrier.

Theycouldn’t hear what the girls were saying, but they stayed hidden until they sawthe girls head across the Barrier. Theyboth sighed and sat behind the brush, leaning back on their hands and facingeach other.

“So,”Yukio chirped and Maverick turned to him. “What did Isabella tell you that made you attack her like that, huh?”

Mavericksmirked, leaned toward his friend to reply, “None of your damn business, boy.”