𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

21. chaos is coming

"I'm going to tell you a story okay," Liam looked out the window at all the greenery which blossomed in the sunlight. "Okay," Ruby whispered into the air. She knew the story was meant for Pandora though. "It's Summer in your little village near Salem. You're suffering through another hot July and you're working in one of those ice cream trucks in the park. One day, the ice cream parlour runs out of ice cream - that happens you know - and your Dad says 'Hey, let's go to Virginia Beach'."  "And where are you in this story?" Pandora asked, her arm intertwining around Liam's. "Me? Well, I'm in Walmington," He smiled, his eyes turning to her. "Suffering through another boring hot Summer, working at the garage," He smirked. "Wanting to run off to some fancy university, my Mom doesn't want her baby to leave. So she packs us up for one more Summer at Virginia Beach," He looked at Pandora, letting her eyes water. "I see where this is going," She whispered, letting a tear roll down her cheek and drip into the duvet. Liam chuckled.

"And then, as fate would have it, on our last day at the beach, I spot you. I think I'm in the middle of playing volleyball with my best mate Chubs. But it's like everyone else disappears. You're walking towards me, you have these big sunglasses on, and you're buzzing. Music's blaring," He smiled gently. "Definitely some sort of Taylor Swift," He turned to her, laughing as she nodded. "You're beautiful, and you keep smiling and laughing and you keep looking out at the water,"

"But all I want to look at is you." 

Liam turned to Pandora who was now hugging a sobbing Ruby. "What happens next?" Ruby asked, crying softly. "Well, then I tell her that I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her," He grins at Pandora who just smiles softly. No sneaky comment or snarky remark. Just pure unconditional love. 

"Guys close your eyes, let me finish this story," Ruby said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Liam and Pandora reluctantly close their eyes, confused expressions on their face. Ruby's eyes started to glow orange as she gently placed her hands against Liam and Pandora's hands. She let every memory of her fade away into the air. 

The infirmary. The boiler room. The car. The first time they exposed their powers. The gas station. The van. Lady Jane. The motel. The laughter bubbling out of them in the car. The tent. Stopping to let Ruby see her family. Exposing their powers to the group. Waking up in the van. Ruby's storming off performance. The safe haven. The dance. The arguement. Ruby being hurt by Clancy. Taking the helicopter down. 

Everything faded like dust. Until the memories were just the four of them. Pandora had broken out of Thurmhond on her own, escaped from the League by herself. Joined Chubs, Zu and Liam alone. She'd done everything with them, but without her Orange to keep her out of trouble. 

Ruby let go sadly, tears rolling in streams down her cheeks. She left the room, letting Pandora and Liam keep their eyes shut. When she made it to the door, Kate had returned with two backpacks and fresh bottles of water. "Who're you?" Liam asked, his eyes now open and wide. Kate looked to Ruby who just nodded. "We're the League," Ruby said gently, "If you feel well enough, you can go," Kate handed him the things, Liam staring at her. "Supplies, money, new ID," Kate patted the bag which rested on the side of the bed. "You're the League and you're just going to let us go?" Liam asked, looking softly at Pandora who just stared at them. "I don't want anything from you," Liam glanced at the bag.

Ruby stepped forward, Liam standing in front of Pandora protectively. Ruby reached for the bag, holding it out to Liam. He stared at her confused for a moment. "You're what- 16? You're really going to work for the League?" Liam sounded disappointed. "Go, before we change our minds," Ruby said, watching as Liam took the things. He walked out the room, looking back at Ruby. "Give us a second," Kate said, letting Ruby leave the room before turning to Pandora. Kate's eyes glowed purple, her body shifting into Clancy Gray. The eyes seared with heat again as he shifted the tied up body guard back into his usual form. "You utter a word and I will make you a worm," Clancy said with scary calmness. The guard nodded with fearful eyes. He then untied the guard, punched her so hard she collapsed and then shoved her body in the nearest closet. The guard would be too scared to tell on them and if she wanted to, all she would remember would be Clancy Gray's face - nobody would believe since the boy was dead. Clancy then shifted into Pandora, her usual self, and left the room. 

"Dora," Ruby called, her eyes teary as her and Liam left hand in hand out the League's house. "Just... be careful," She smiled. No action was reciprocated as the girl in her new clothes and backpack walked down the sunlit pateo. "You too," Liam added as he let his love walk drag him down the path. The two stared at Ruby with questioning glances before looking at each other and beginning to walk down a path. Ruby watched with a heartbroken smile as they clung to each other, lovestruck, and laughed as he listened to one of her cheesy jokes. 

"I don't even know how you got them to leave," Kate shrugged from behind Ruby. "W- what?" Ruby asked, remembering Kate being in the room with her. "Nevermind," Kate smiled and shook her head, "We're ready for you," She gestured down the corridor. Ruby turned her back on the couple she'd just saved, crossing her fingers that it wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed. 

Pandora ran through the forest, hand in hand with Liam. The world glittered in the sunlight. They didn't have Zu and the didn't have Chubs. But their fates would align like always, and the two would fall back with them once more. Liam held her hand, grinning at her as the romatic pair ran far far away from that place. They didn't notice the memoir, the small bee toy which was clipped onto the back of Dora's rucksack. She wouldn't know until months later, when she looked further at it, played with it a little - when she accidentily broke it, she would find a small scroll inside. The writing was small and barely legible but she read it. And she repeated it over and over, wondering where it came from: You taught me that the only one who could help us, was us. 

She would run and hide and run some more. She would love and laugh with her life-long love. She would think of Zu and Chubs every day. She would think of Ruby. Although they thought they had erased her, she would never forget. Ruby Daily would not be forgotten, not by the world and certainly not by Pandora Drakes. 

The government may have gotten away with it for the first few years, but now she had awoken. Chaos is coming.