Previously on MPC
'Noah opens up a bit about how Xanthe got involved in this and a few other things she'd been wanting to know.
Xanthe went to visit a cult, which her father was apparently in along with Shanaya and told them if they didn't shut down the buildings she'd inherited after her father's death, then there would be a massacre.
Enjoy this chapter, guys. (I was literally struggling to think of what I should write)'
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 59
I smile at the man walking past me, hoping he doesn't catch on that I'm not a worker at the asylum.
Riding a food cart to a patient's room in a work uniform? Perfect.
I swipe the card across the lock pad, and the disgusting loud buzz unlocks the door for me. I walk inside with the cart.
"You ready?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at Xena, who's already stood there, waiting with her arms folded. She gives me a smirk.
"I've been ready for a long time, little sis," She laughs, ruffling up my hair and then crawling into the cart.
It took me thirty-minutes to brush out those tangles, darn it.
"Let's go, then," I sigh, turning the cart around and letting the door automatically lock behind me.
My heartbeat speeds up when the real maid appears at the end of the hallway, wearing an identical uniform to mine with an identical food cart.
Damnit, I thought her shift wasn't till five.
Her eyes widen when she approaches me. "Um, sorry, but who are you?" She questions, looking pretty panicked.
I smile at her. "I'm a new worker. I had to deliver special food to room 123, because...well, you know," I make a face and she laughs, her shoulders relaxing.
"Of course, of course! Be on your way, then." And she rides off, thankfully missing Xena's room.
That was close.
"Can you hurry up before you end up running into the manager?" Xena hisses from inside, and I quickly start up the cart, rushing off through the automatically locked doors.
Good thing they're not locked at four in the morning.
*~*~*~*~*
"So where are we going?" Xena asks, turning to me with a raised eyebrow. My shaking hands curl tightly around the steering wheel.
How is she always so calm?
"Why? You just wanted to escape, didn't you?" I reply sarcastically, turning a sharp left. Xena grabs onto the door handle.
"Sorry, is that not what you wanted? Maybe once I actually die you'll be satisfied," She answers back, her voice as blank as ever.
I narrow my eyes. "Maybe I will be."
We both go into silence, then she speaks up. "You don't mean that, Xanthe."
"You say that as if you care," I snarl, stopping at a red light. She smiles at me when I turn to look at her.
"I do. Xanthe, I haven't done anything wrong, and I don't intend to. You're my sister, aren't you?" She asks softly.
The warmth in her eyes makes me believe her. Because maybe she's telling the truth. And in all honesty, she hasn't done anything wrong. Not to me, anyway.
"It's okay, I know you need time. Just remember," She puts a gentle hand on my arm. "I'm here now."
Yeah, she's here now. That makes me feel so much better.
*~*~*~*~*
"What are you doing here?" Emma asks, raising an eyebrow. I take a deep breath.
"I need a place to...hide someone," I tell her. She snorts.
"And you come to me?"
I furrow my eyebrows. "What? No. I came to Vicky. You just happened to open the door for her," I smirk. Her cheeks turn red and she scoffs.
"Emma, let her in," Vicky's voice calls from the back. The motel door widens a little, and Emma rolls her eyes, gesturing for me to come in.
"Hey," I say, smiling at Vicky. She gets up, giving me a small hug.
"Did you bring her?" She asks, and I nod, moving to the side to let Xena through.
Emma chokes on her saliva and I hear Vicky's sharp intake of breath. Even Xena looks like she's seen a ghost.
"I never thought this day would come again," Xena says, smiling softly. Vicky nods once.
"Me neither."
I slowly back away, hoping none of them notice me leave. Unfortunately, Emma's more sly than I am.
"Oh no, you don't. You're not going to dump her on us," She hisses.
Damn.
"Watch your tongue, servant, she's my sister," I hiss back, and that seems to shut her up.
I walk out of the motel room, realizing maybe I should've just let Xena rot in the institution after all.
Or should've just killed her.
That's still not an option.
I look at my gas meter and sigh when I realize I have 5 miles of gas left, and it's a nine-mile drive out of here.
It's quite funny how almost every place I go to seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Just my luck, I guess.
I look at the motel through the rearview mirror, wondering if I should go back and ask to borrow a car from Vicky, but decide not to.
No way am I going back there to see her again. Besides, it would be kinda humiliating.
"Maybe I'm not so unlucky," I tell myself cheerily, trying to stay positive.
Negativity never got anybody anywhere.
Well actually, it has, but that's not the point.
Suddenly, my phone rings.
Unknown number.
I pick it up and answer, more curious than I am afraid. "Who is it?" I ask immediately. The line on the other end is extremely quiet.
"Is that how you greet your boss, Xanthe?"
I freeze, and the phone almost drops from my hand.
I don't even need to ask again because I'd know that voice anywhere.
He's back.
I jerk up in my seat and look around, noticing only leaves and trees. "Where are you? Tell me before I kill you," I hiss.
"Behind you."
I turn in my seat, and sure enough, another car is parked behind mine. I let the phone drop this time, and rush out, towards the door already open.
He steps out, and I stop, my breath catching in my throat.
No way is this happening. I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming.
I thought you wanted this, idiot.
He's here. He's there. He's stood in front of me. He's here.
I take a deep breath and walk towards him, his amber eyes glowing and shining before I've even reached him, his almond-coloured hair longer than I remember, his body taller.
His face more handsome than I thought it could ever get.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now," I mumble, my heartbeat speeding up and everything inside of me that I thought was gone coming right back.
It felt like being awoken after an endless dream, like the life that had been sucked out of me was being injected back in.
"I will kill you," I say again, my voice quieter.
And I mean it. I'll kill him for leaving me without a word. Without a single damn word.
I mentally kick myself for letting tears form in my eyes.
"No, you won't," He growls. The cold voice I'd been longing to hear much more than I would've expected to think.
"Why won't I?" I ask, hoping he'll say what he always says.
"Because I said so."
I throw my arms around him, partly because I really wanted to and partly because I didn't want him to see me cry.
He's actually back.
*~*~*~*~*
"So how have you managed to ruin my gang whilst I've been away, Xanthe?" Arsen asks, his cold voice almost as if he wasn't happy to see me at all.
I just smirk. "In more ways than one, Arsen. But that's a story for another time. You know, I'd like to know where you've been."
His amber eyes meet mine, and I look away in case I don't stop looking at all.
"Why should I tell you, Xanthe? Are you my boss?" He asks, foot hitting the pedal hard.
I always thought he was a safe driver. "You know, Arsen, there's something almost different about you, but I can't put my finger on it," I smile, looking at him.
This time, when his eyes meet mine, I don't pull away. "Care to elaborate, Xanthe?"
"Sure. You seem almost more full of yourself than you'd been when you left. Then there's the fact that you think you can just come back without an apology, and also--"
"Xanthe."
"Yes, Arsen?"
"Shut up."
I smile, realizing how much I've missed this. And how much I've missed him.
My heart thuds in my chest as I realize I have to tell him about Xena, and that she's still alive. Or if he already knows or not.
But I guess that time isn't now.
When Arsen turns to me, his cold expressions don't seem as cold, his emotionless eyes don't seem as--well, actually, they're still the same. But I don't mind.
This is almost too good to be true. It feels like he's here, but not here.
Yet he is. He's sitting beside me, in a borrowed SUV, driving us back to our home.
Our home. Where the gang is waiting for me, with an interesting surprise about to walk in through their door.
"Do the others know you're back?" I ask, looking at Arsen. His amber eyes narrow slightly.
"No."
My body tingles from the happy feeling I get. "Gee, Arsen, you came to me first?" I ask, watching his expressions closely.
A flicker of his eyes tells me exactly what I need to know, and I settle into my seat with content.
"I thought I told you to shut up, Xanthe."
"Oops. Forgot."
*~*~*~*~*
The look on Noah's face almost made me want to never stop laughing again, but I stopped when Arsen glared at me.
That damn glare I missed so much.
He gave Arsen a handshake, telling him he was happy his boss was back and trying to look way more manly than he was.
Xander hugged him, with the knowing thought that he wouldn't get a reaction. And of course, Arsen told him to get off with a glare, but did that affect anyone? No.
Ameena also hugged Arsen, and he let it slide.
Kade dropped his glass of water out of shock and let out a loud bark of happy laughter, and Jax just sat there saying, 'I saw this coming' like some wise old goat.
All in all, everything was normal for a few minutes, it was happy.
I forgot about everything that had happened the past nine months, or even, the past year and a half.
Once everyone finished gushing over a human being who wouldn't give even one answer about where he'd been, Arsen retired to his room, stating he had to make a call to Sarge.
As soon as he left, everyone turned to me. And I couldn't possibly avoid the knowing looks in their eyes.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were blushing," Jax laughs, poking my cheeks. "Oh wait, I do know better, and I still say you're blushing!"
I wave him off, my cheeks getting hotter.
This is what I was truly dreading.
"How do you feel about him being back?" Noah asks, taking a step forward and tilting his head, his face blank.
I take a deep breath, wondering how to answer his question.
In all honesty, I wanted to leap into the air and squeal like a damn pig, but I didn't.
I stood rooted to my spot and shrugged. "I'm as happy as you guys, obviously," I answer with a smile, and Noah seems to approve.
Kade rolls his eyes with a smirk. "Why do you care, Noah? Someone getting jealous?" He pokes him, and Noah glares.
"If anyone's jealous here, I'd say it was you," Noah snorts. Xander laughs as well, and Kade turns to him.
"What? Don't act like we didn't see your baby fists clenching up into baby balls," And Xander takes a step forward.
"I'll show you what these baby fists can do," He hisses, lifting one in the air.
Ameena's about to step in when the door to the living room opens and Arsen appears. His amber eyes scan the three boys, then me, then the boys again when they land on me and stay there.
"Xanthe, my room, now." And he leaves again.
Never have I been happier than in that moment.
Ameena nudges me with a wink, and I ignore her, not getting what she's trying to say.
Arsen is the only thing on my mind right now. "What's up, boss?" I ask, walking into his room.
For the first time in nine months, I can walk in here and not imagine Arsen gone with me having no idea where he is.
I feel my heart twist a little, and Arsen's amber eyes stop my train of thought. "Come here." He says, almost as if testing my ability to obey.
Like a bewitched puppet on a thread, I walk towards him with nothing else in my line of vision.
The person I've been waiting for longer than you'd think.
I look up, seeing the amber cloud my vision.
No other eyes in the world have been so enchanting, like peaceful oases in a dark void. I realized then that those beautiful eyes were the first thing that stole my heart. Literally.
"Have they been like that ever since I was gone?" He asks, pushing me harshly against his wall and resting an arm against it. I tilt my head to the side.
"Yeah, you could say that," I shrug, wanting him to get closer.
He does. He leans his face so close to mine I smell his Starburst breath, just as sweet as I imagine it to taste.
"Do you know the reason?" He questions once more, looking weirdly calm and peaceful about it.
I know about his possessive nature, and I've witnessed it more than once.
I love that side of him. I want him to have control over me, to command me like I'm his and his alone.
"I suppose they're as infatuated with me as you are, boss," I say, smirking slightly.
The only reason I said that was because I wanted him to admit it. I wanted him to admit how much he wants me, how much he missed me.
I want him.
I see his left fist curl, and almost feel satisfied with his anger, loving the adrenaline it causes to rush through me.
"I don't like that," He growls, leaning closer.
His almond-coloured hair falls into his eyes, and I brush it away, wanting to see his face. His angelic, mysterious face.
Much more mysterious now than it ever has been before.
"Why don't you like that, boss?" I ask him, my thumb creating small patterns on his glass skin, this boy that I've only been able to touch in my dreams.
"Because, Xanthe," He growls in a low voice. "You're mine."
And he leans forward, gently pressing his lips against mine, chasing away the very little breath I had left.
Nothing could have readied me for that moment, because in truth, his kiss was all I'd been asking for all this time.
I let his arms circle round my waist, and close my eyes slowly, not wanting this to end, relishing the moment.
This time, I could kiss him knowing he was real.
He was here now, and that's what mattered. All other problems could wait until tomorrow.
"So Arsen, did you miss me?" I ask breathlessly in between kisses. He growls against me.
"Don't be so arrogant, Xanthe."
_______________________________________________________
2520 words.
Holy SHIT, I've been waiting so long to bring Arsen back and FINALLY!!!
But this chapter also comes with sad news.
Now that Arsen's back, it means the end is near...and once the main man arrives, it also means the problems are in safe hands so rest assured, all villains will be exiled.
Thank you SO MUCH, guys, and don't forget to...
Vote, COMMENT, Share!
(Ps...sorry for the late update. I have no excuse except for the fact that I--cba.)