Lost (TIANA!!!)

Chapter 16

But then, I sat down next to her and without asking, draped it around her shoulders. She protested for a bit, but then eventually pulled the cloak tighter around her, sighing from the warmth. Her ice blue eyes fluttered shut. I touched her arm and felt that her skin was really cold and she was shivering all over. Glancing over at Fitz and Sophie near the warm fire, I and pulled Marella up (who was in a strange not asleep but not fully awake mode) and dragged her toward the fire.

"She needs the fire," I said to Fitz, who was still talking to Sophie in soft whispers. "I understand that Sophie needs it, but I think Marella needs it more than you Fitz. She's cold all over and I don't think you are." After a pause I added, "Wonderboy." 

Sophie actually looked at me for what seemed to be the first time since I had met her (again?) at the hospital. "You- you said Wonderboy!" she said excitedly. 

"He said what?" Linh asked. I turned around and saw her lurking in the shadows of a tree, the shadows pulled over her eyes like a veil, her eyes seeming cold and dark in the night. Her voice had startled me, I had forgotten she was there, and when she spoke, I almost didn't recognize her voice. Her voice had changed from the time I was talking to her in the hospital. It was rougher and seemed a lot more distant and cold than the sweet, bubbly and joyful voice she used to have. 

"Wonderboy!!" Sophie said excitedly to Fitz, who did not seem to share the same amusement as Sophie, shaking Marella awake who had been asleep, her head on my leg. "Marella, Dex said Wonderboy!" 

"Who's there?!" Marella exclaimed, awaking from her short slumber, fists flying. One connected with my leg, another with Sophie's shoulder, and one flew towards Linh's face, but Linh grabbed her fist and threw it down before it connected.  

"What happened, it better be important, cause I literally just fell asleep, and I was having a good dream!" Marella complained, sitting up and bundling my cloak tighter around her. The fire was down to its last flickering flames, but the night was still cold and dark. 

"Dex said Wonderboy!" Sophie and Linh said at the same time, though their tones were completely different. Sophie's voice was excited, her eyes happy and Linh's was more like she was saying it because she had too. 

"That's great!" Marella exclaimed, turning around to face me. 

"What's so great?" I asked, confused. 

"It means you are remembering things again!" Sophie cut in happily. "You always used to make fun of Fitz and call him Wonderboy before you lost your memories!" 

Fitz coughed. "I'm glad that Dex is gaining his memories back, but I seriously would not like to be called Wonderboy all the time again." 

"Too bad!" Marella said to Fitz, sticking out her tongue. "Dex recovering is more important than you not suffering from humiliation."

"That's going too far!" Fitz said, and we all laughed.

Well, except for Linh, who had disappeared from sight back into the shadows of a far away tree. I saw her silver-tipped hair whip around the tree trunk before she vanished. Sophie noticed as well and stood up, calling out to Linh. 

"Do you need me to come over and talk with you?" she asked, sympathetically. 

"No, thank you." Linh replied, the "thank you" seeming more threat like than polite. 

Fitz shrugged as Sophie sat down. "Leave her be. I mean, if she won't listen to you, she won't listen to any of us." 

Marella ignored Fitz and she stood up. "Linh I'm coming over." she said. We waited for a response, but there was none. Fitz gave Marella an 'I told you so' look. 

"It wasn't a no," was Marella's retort as she stepped away from the fire and walked over to the far side of the clearing we were camped in. I watched as she disappeared from sight through some bushes. I glanced at Fitz and Sophie, who were ("surprise surprise") whispering together again. Making my decision, I stood up and followed Marella. 

I heard Marella and Linh talking and walked over to them. I accidentally eavesdropped on their conversation for a bit before approaching them. Linh's voice was back to being soft and gentle, only now it also sounded distressed and scared. 

"It's really hard.... knowing that he left again without consulting me."

"I understand that." 

"It brings up painful memories, you know, seeing as the last time he did this it was when... he left for the Neverseen.." 

"I totally get that." 

"And now he's gone again, and I don't know how to save him. I just hate feeling not able to help him, especially since he's helped me so many times. And I'm powerless to do anything, like, what if he's being tortured, or hurt and I just can't do anything..." 

Marella didn't say anything and sat there, awkwardly with her hands in between her legs watching Linh cry. I couldn't resist anymore and walked over, sitting down next to Marella. Linh looked startled and made a move to walk away, but Marella reassured her. "Don't worry, Dex is still cool. He's the same, if not better from what he was like before, only... well, memory-less." 

Linh slumped back down on the grass, and stared up at the sky. There was a long silence and then she spoke again, "I'm sorry Dex and Marella, for complaining about this stuff. You've both been through so much, and you guys aren't even saying anything. I mean, Marella, with your Dad and stuff," Marella stiffened at the mention of him, "and you having to take care of your Mom on your own and one of your best friend's losing his memories," she looked at me, "and you still don't complain. And then Dex, with your dad dying and Bex going insane and then losing everything, all your thoughts and memories... I can't even imagine"

"We'll defeat them Linh," Marella said determinedly, stretching out on the grass next to her. "We'll get Tam and Biana and Keefe back, and everything will go back to... well not normal, but sort of to what it was like before." 

"Truth be told," Marella continued. "I don't think I could stand going through another Sophie and Fitz and Keefe celebration ceremony. I mean, after the Neverseen were defeated the three of them were honored and then I was looking around like, where's my podium? Do I get a cool sash? Do I get a day dedicated to me? What is it gonna be like now, when there's another ceremony? Two Sophie Foster, Fitz Vacker and Keefe Sencen days?" 

We all gave a little laugh, even Linh cracked a smile. 

"We need a team name," I said. "How about the Underdogs?" 

"We are going to be under a dog?" Linh asked, confused. 

"It's a human term. It means, the team that nobody expects, the one beneath the ones who get all the recognition. The Underdogs." 

"So... Sophie and Fitz and Keefe are the dogs?" Linh asked, still confused. 

"No Linh, it just means we are underestimated!" Marella said. 

"Ohhhhhh," Linh said, finally understanding that we would not be standing underneath Sophie, Keefe and Fitz and that they were not dogs. 

"We need to add Tam and Biana to the team once we get them back," I said laying on the grass next to Marella. 

"Yeah, we do. If we get them back," Linh said. 

"No, not if. When." Marella corrected her. 

We all fell into a silence in which we all understood each other. Now, I could finally understand why I was close friends with these guys. Well, at least I understood the Linh and Marella part. 

"Hey look," Marella said after some time, pointing up at the sky. 

"What?" I asked staring up. 

Linh gave a soft smile. "You can see the stars." 

WOOOHEEE that was a long one! What did you think of it? Sorry it took so long to come out! I really wanted a nice conversation between Marella, Linh and Dex, and this chapter was quite hard to write well. I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!!

Thanks!
Luna