DEREK hadn't expected to stay in Washington for more than three days, let alone three weeks.
He never talked to so many cops in his life; it was too overwhelming. Sometimes he went days without talking to them, and each time they requested to chat again, they just disappointed him. They weren't trying hard enough for Derek.
No body understands a situation until it happens to them. Derek realized this in the hardest way. He missed his fiancé more than anyone knew. His heart pained him every time he looked through his phone and saw pictures of them together. He didn't think something like this could happened to him, or even her.
She was too good of a person. Things like this didn't happen to people like her.
"We're sorry, sir," Officer Wayland, the same man he had been talking to for weeks, replied. "We still haven't found her. It's like she disappeared out of thin air."
Derek ran a hand over his face, eyes darting to the bed-and-breakfast that he had been staying too long in. He was lucky enough that the owner felt bad for him and let him continue his stay. "Well, obviously that is not possible."
"I think it's in your best interest to go back home. We will contact you about anything we find, but staying here is not helping you."
He kicked the ground. "Just –" he blew out a sigh "– call me if you find anything, and I mean anything."
Officer Wayland gathered with his fellow officers to discuss the investigation as Derek walked away, but he was close enough to hear them all whisper, "Poor guy. Bet the woman ran off with another man."
Derek explained his issue with Mrs. Travis, which she responded with a shake of her head. "I think I'll be heading out tomorrow," he said. "Thank you for housing me during this issue."
"It was not a problem, dear," the elder replied. "I remember seeing a story like this on the news months ago. Married couple comes here for their honeymoon, and then the wife just vanishes. Police found her after a week and it turned out she ran off with a secret lover. Oh, was her husband devastated."
Derek swallowed the lump in his throat.
Mrs. Travis looked up. "I'm not saying that has happened to you, but ..." She stopped herself. "You'll feel better if you go home, dear."
•••
Derek felt his suitcase weigh heavier than normal as he walked through the clean halls of the Washington airport. He slid his ticket into his back pocket, taking a seat in the row of chairs near his gate. In a matter of five hours, he would be home, but she wouldn't.
A TV broadcasting the news sat to his right and Derek continued to ignore it, until a photo caught his eye.
"The case regarding a Vermont woman's disappearance is still being investigated by police." The newscaster reported as a picture of Maia appeared to the left of the screen. "Police have released that her name is Maia Sanders. Miss Sanders traveled to Washington with her fiancé for a vacation before their wedding, but vanished the morning after they arrived. If you have any information about this disappearance, you are requested to call police."
Derek looked back at his plane ticket. Five more hours.
•••
Maia found comfort in the stars at the Wall. She had been sitting in the courtyard at night, but after Gilly became tired, she was left alone. Though she didn't mind, because this time give her a moment to think.
She had come up with a dead end on finding a weirwood tree. She practically looked like an insane person as she spied on every living tree in her vicinity, which was very little. When she asked Ed about this, he told her many trees inside the Wall and outside were cut down so the Free Folk couldn't use them to make weapons.
She heard a foot crunch under the snow on the ground, but tried her best to ignore the sound as she continued sewing the dress she'd had for weeks. Then she heard another, and another. The footsteps were getting harder to overlook and Maia slowly looked up, seeing two Night's Watch brothers walking a path over to her.
"A beauty, isn't she, mate?"
Even in the darkness, Maia could see that one was short while the other remained tall. Already, she could feel the situation growing worse, so she stood from her spot and began to saunter away.
The short man chuckled. "Where you going, love? Aren't we better looking than the other men on these grounds? Or are you more for Eddison?"
"Excuse me," she muttered, trying to move past the two.
The larger one wouldn't budge as he looked at his friend. "The question is if she is truly pretty, or is she just pretty because she's one of the few girls here?"
"Move."
Shorty held a hand to his chest. "Why don't you give us a kiss first?"
Maia glared at the men. "Leave me alone."
"Come on, love," Shorty persisted.
The taller man laughed. "A man gets lonely guarding the Wall."
"No," she seethed, shoving her way through them. To her surprise, she was thrown backwards.
"There's no need to be rude." Shorty frowned. "Would you like me better if I were more handsome? If I had the face of the Lord Commander?"
Maia lifted her hand, slapping the man right across the face. She felt the other gaining up behind her, trying to lift up the back of her dress. She shot out her left hand, pushing him back. "Stop that," she spat. "Last I heard, you brothers had vows."
"That doesn't mean we always have to follow them," the tall one advised, propelling Maia to the side.
The group of three heard a sword unsheathe before them. They whipped their heads in the sound's direction.
"Let her go or I'll have your heads." Jon Snow snarled. The two men refused to move. "I said to let her go, Ser Robin and Paolo."
Robin raised his hands in surrender. "Didn't mean anything by it, Lord Commander. Just wanted something she couldn't give."
"I beg to differ," the raven-haired man replied. "You two should be on your way."
Paolo was shaking his head as they walked away. Maia watched the men look back at her in disgust before locking eyes with Jon. She swallowed the bile creeping up her throat.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Jon pushed Longclaw back in it's sheath. "My pleasure."
He gestured for her to move past him, which she took gratification in. She began to walk in the way of her room, but before she heard Jon call, "Maia."
She looked backwards where he still stood, playing with his hands. "If you need anything – ever – please, just ask."
Maia nodded. "Thank you, Jon Snow. For everything."
