Ranger [ON HOLD]

Chapter Twenty-six - Not My Forte

Its not like you really want to leave in the first place... A little voice whispered in the back of my head.

And honestly speaking, I didn't.

Selfishly, I wanted to stay with them. I wanted to sit with Ethan during meal times and laugh with him. I wanted to talk to Von and learn new recipes and tricks. I wanted to sit with Ranger in the library and learn more about their world. A world I'd started to fit more comfortably in than my own.

It was almost easy to live with them. Where in my own world I'd felt as though getting up every day was a chore.

I'd hardly had the time to deserve these thoughts, though. It had been a week or so since I'd been with them, and already I had the audacity to consider myself family. To consider them to be my family.

Had Ethan been around, I was positive I'd already be having a firm conversation with the three of them. It was incredible how much I already missed the dark skinned goofball. The house had grown tense since his departure.

"Ella."

I closed my eyes as Ranger's voice reached my ears, filling me with a surprising amount of warmth that I'd been lacking before. I had little doubt Von had told him I was unhappy.

For a tiny moment I considered not answering him, and pretending I was asleep already. Though the chances of him thinking I was asleep within a minute of shutting my door were minimal at best.

I took a breath, closing my eyes for a moment or two before I pulled myself to my feet. Before I could lose my nerve, I strode over to the door and cracked it open just enough to see his ever familiar scowl.

Despite my sudden swing in mood, I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me at the sight of him. His arms were folded over his chest, head cocked just slightly as his eyes zeroed in on my face. Automatically I brought my hands up to my own face, rubbing away any traces of tears I could with one sweep. What I hoped to be a pleasant smile now covered my lips.

"H-Hey," my voice cracked. "Sorry, I-"

I was interrupted as he strode past me and into the room, letting his arms fall back to his pockets as he openly eyed the crumpled mess of blankets on my bed. 

Awkwardly, I moved to close the door before deciding to leave it open a crack. I had a feeling being in a closed space with Ranger was the least of my worries, but it still ranked high on my "probably shouldn't" list. 

I bit the inside of my cheek, mentally preparing to turn around and offer up any excuse I deemed necessary to put Ranger at ease. Only when I did turn around, I found that excuse quickly tangled in my throat upon meeting his eyes.

And without warning, my tears began to fall.

Suddenly it seemed he didn't have to say anything. For the second her cheeks were clear of tears, they were overflowing once again and he suddenly found himself, arms filled with the sobbing young woman.

He wasn't entirely certain of his actions, even as he tightened his hold around her shoulders. The action caused her sobs to grow stronger, yet at the same time, he somehow knew this was something she needed to do. And with a swift motion, he had her cradled in his arms to sit down on the edge of her bed and hold her. Something he remembered seeing only in a movie. Still, it seemed to help, even if only a little. 

"I-I'm so sorry-"

He cut her off, shushing her before she began.

"It's alright to cry." He murmured, feeling her body shudder as she took in a shaky breath.

For a short time, the only sounds were her tiny sniffles and an escaped sob. As though she were still trying to hold herself together, and then she spoke once again. Only this time, her voice was nearly drowned by her own sadness. The sound causing an uncomfortable feeling to settle in his stomach.

"I-I miss my home."  She whispered quietly.

"I miss waking up and saying goodbye to Kenny. I miss coming home and hoping my dad would be there, even if I knew he wouldn't be." She let out a slightly bittersweet laugh, "I even miss my awful school, and my rude classmates."

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he decided against speaking. For the moment, this was her time to speak.

"I miss it, even if it sucked a lot of the time, and I was sad. It was my home." She rubbed her eyes once again, sniffing.

Her hands clung to the back of his shirt, and her face tucked into his chest as he attempted to rub her back in a soothing manner. 

"You're not from here." It was a statement, not a question. It didn't need to be elaborated upon either. And her nod confirmed it. She wasn't from their world. His world.

"I'm sorry." 

"It's... alright."

And it was. Though the information could have been useful earlier, and he would have been cross any other time, he could also admit he didn't ask where she had come from directly. 

For a moment, he was struck with just how must she honestly trusted him by admitting what she had. Though he had suspected it for some time.
And even though he had - admittedly - taken slight advantage of her not even twenty-four hours earlier, she still trusted him enough to cry into his chest and confide in him.

She trusted him enough to not question anything he did. She just trusted that he would solve it, and return her home where she belonged. It was a foolish kind of trust he almost envied, as it had been sucked out of him long ago when he'd deemed it idiotic. As though by simply confiding in him, he could protect her from every bump in the road.

The knowledge had him tightening his hold around her, his chin resting atop her head. A sudden sense of determination overcoming him.

He would.

X-X-X

I know. So terribly long since I've updated, and the chapter isn't the length I wanted it to be. 

Ella is human. Anyone else would have had this break down right off the bat.

How do you think Von will take the news? 

When will Ethan, Martin, and Artie return?

And how would YOU react in Ella's place?

I'd also like to address my absence:
 I've been busy working on moving plans, and have also been dealing with a nasty case of depression/anxiety. I'll do my best, but please be patient for chapters. Your comments and votes mean the world to me! 

So, please don't forget to vote and comment!