Winners of my contest: @Prnamber3909 with 44 comments, @Unknown with 36 comments, @writing_girl12 with 27 comments, @Georgiagorman with 22 comments, and @TheOneForever386 with 20 comments. Send me private messages with your name choice or post it in the comments! Congrats my dears!
Song: None
Maxon's POV
It was one month into her trip. It had taken Alex and I a while to adjust to life without America, but I thought we were managing it pretty well. I made up for lost time with Alex by making sure that we spent at least thirty minutes of quality time together every day. That did put some strain on my work, but it was well worth the effort.
The nightly calls from America definitely made things easier to handle. We would sometimes talk for hours, missing each other's company but thankful for this little bridge of connection.
I still couldn't wait for her return in August, though. I knew she felt bad about missing both Alex's and my birthday, since his was in mid-July, but she promised to bring back gifts. Having her back was the only present I needed.
Alex missed her too. He had told me so a few times, but I could see it in the way he behaved as well. During meals was when it was the worst. He would be talking about something to me and then look over to her empty seat and just slowly go silent. I knew he was upset so I eventually came up with an idea to cheer him up. I told him that he could draw one picture a day of what he'd done that day and then we could make it into a book for America to see when she got back. Alex loved that idea. He would bring his crayons and paper into my room sometimes and draw on the bed while I did work at my desk.
Earlier today, he'd done exactly that. He'd been in my room for over an hour, claiming to be making a "masterpiece". Eventually, he fell asleep and I had to carry him back to his room.
A few hours later, I was sound asleep as well, dreaming about nothing in particular.
Suddenly, I was woken up by shouts outside my room and someone barging loudly into my room. I sat up and saw Gabriel.
"Gabe, what's going on?" I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes. He came over to the bed, grabbing my arm and pulling me off of my mattress.
"I'll explain on the way. We need to get somewhere safe." He led me out the door and we hurried down the hallway. "A large group of rebels infiltrated the palace a few minutes ago, probably the Southerners, but I'm not sure. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if we were fully staffed and they weren't so heavily armed. This is different from all of the other attacks. I think they were hoarding supplies for one huge attack and they decided tonight was the big night. Nearly all of them have guns, at least half of them have Kevlar vests, and some have everything they need to start fires."
He was speaking so fast and about so much that I hardly had time to comprehend what he was saying. I eventually came to my senses and asked, "What is our course of action?"
"Markson is trying to get them to split up and take out smaller groups instead of facing all of them at once. That is our only shot."
I nodded as we finally made it to the safe room, completely unscathed. I looked around the room, feeling uneasy. Something wasn't right.
Alex.
He wasn't in there.
"Where's Alex? Did someone get him?"
Gabe looked puzzled. "A few guards went into his room, minutes before I got you. He should be here by now."
"I have to go find him," I said, leaving the safe room.
"You can't," Gabe argued. "It's not safe. He will get here eventually and he will be fine. We don't know how close they are. You are endangering yourself if you leave."
"I cannot just leave him there, Gabriel! He's my son."
I jogged to his room, hearing gunshots for the first time and and feeling worry clench in my gut. I heard cries coming from his room and I slammed the door open. Three guards were surrounding the bed to try and make him leave. Alex was cowering by his headboard, absolutely terrified.
"Please, Prince Alexander, we have to go," they pleaded.
"No! I don't want to go out there!"
Alex noticed me and ran across his bed to me. "Daddy!" he said and I picked him up. As soon as I started to turn around, he struggled in my arms.
"No! Daddy, please don't make me go. I don't want to. Please."
He was so scared that he was shaking violently, but we had to get to the safe room. "Alex, we have to go. I know you're scared, but it will be okay if we just go right now."
He shook his head and tried to break free again. I had to find away to make him calm down. I placed him on the bed, trying to quickly make a plan, knowing in the back of my mind that our time to escape was fleeting.
I placed my hands on his face so he had to look at me and so that I could wipe away his tiny tears. "Do you want to play a game, Alex?" I asked, hoping it would divert his attention from what was happening.
"What game?"
"One that I just made up. All you have to do is squeeze your eyes closed super, super tight. Then, you have to slowly count as high as you can. Just focus on the numbers and keeping your eyes shut and you will win. Okay?"
He sniffled a little, but nodded. "Okay."
I breathed a small sigh of relief. I picked him up again, whispering in his ear. "Close your eyes and start counting."
He wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his face in my shoulder. I heard him say, "One," and I knew it was okay to leave the room.
I held him close and stepped into the hallway. The gunshots were getting louder and I knew we didn't have much time until the rebels were on our heels. I just hoped we would make it to safety before they got in a good shot.
"Two," Alex said.
"Good job," I encouraged. "Keep going."
As we turned the corner, I made eyes contact with a man wearing a rugged uniform who was holding a gun in his hand. I stopped in my tracks. He realized who I was and raised his gun. I turned around as the first shot was fired. It sailed far above our heads. I sprinted back around the corner, trying to think of another way to the safe room. I heard the man chasing us, his footsteps slapping against the floor.
"Three," came my son's small whimper. I turned another corner. Bullets whizzed by but this man was an awful shot. None of them were even close to hitting their target.
Another rebel appeared in the entrance of one of the parlors. Light was emanating from behind him and smoke started crawling through the air, its suffocating tendrils making their way into the hallway. He must've set the room on fire. He also had a gun and promptly took it out. I sped up and a bullet hit the wall two feet away from me.
"Four."
I felt like I was on autopilot. I didn't know which way I was going or how it led to the safe room, but I knew I would make it there eventually. All I could think about was making sure that Alex was safe. It didn't even matter to me if I made it through this. He was my top priority.
Another shot was fired and Alex jerked in my arms. I glanced down and saw a red stain on his night shirt. The bullet had caught the side of his arm. Panic zipped through my body. He started crying again from the pain and there wasn't anything I could do to help him, making me feel utterly useless.
"Dad," he wept. I pressed my hand over the wound so it wouldn't bleed as much. He tried to move away, but I held my palm in place.
"I know it hurts, Alex," I said as I ran, temporarily losing the rebels after a few sharp turns. "I know. It will be okay. You're going to be fine. I won't let anything else bad happen to you. I promise."
After another minute, I saw the entrance to the safe room. Gabriel was waiting there, gun raised and ready. I used my last bit of energy to run inside. Gabe slammed the door shut with a bang and that was it. We were safe.
"I need a doctor," I said and carried Alex to a cot. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his lip quivered. A nurse came over with a pair of scissors and cut his sleeve before gently peeling it away so she could get a better look at the injury. I took Alex's hand and he squeezed it tightly.
The nurse turned to me. "It's not serious. I will have to disinfect it and he will need a few stitches, but he'll be fine."
I felt myself relax a little and let myself breathe a little easier. "Thank you," I sighed. I sat down next to him on the cot as she gathered her supplies.
She returned with the antiseptic and first aid kit, along with a towel for me to wipe my hand off with. "This is going to sting a little bit," she warned him.
He squeezed his eyes shut and she dabbed at the wound. He sucked in a pained breath, but didn't object.
"All done," she said after another minute of cleaning it. "Now we have to do the stitches."
Alex looked up at me, more scared than I'd ever seen him. "It's going to be okay," I assured him. "It will be over soon."
He kept his eyes locked on mine as she worked, flinching at the bite of needle every now and then. We didn't have any anesthetic so he had to deal with all of the pain.
It was over in a few minutes. The nurse made one final stitch and then tied the knot. I thanked her again and she left us to go attend to other people's cuts and scrapes.
"I'm so proud of you," I said, smoothing his curls with my fingers. "You did so well."
He didn't say anything in return, seeming to be too in shock to speak. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling. I just knew that I wanted to make him feel better.
"Come here," I said opening my arms to him. He hugged me and I pulled him into my lap. I pressed my lips to his forehead, rocking him soothingly. I was so happy that he was alright. I don't know what I would've done if something had happened to him.
"I'm tired," he murmured.
I gave a small chuckle. "I bet you are. Try and get some sleep."
I thought he would've moved back to the cot, but he remained in my lap and closed his eyes. I grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it the best that I could around him.
"I wish Mommy was here," Alex said softly, on the edge of sleep.
"I know you do," I responded, but he was fast asleep, hopefully dreaming of something better than the nightmare that was outside the door.
.
.
.
America's POV
My experience in Niue had changed me forever. I figured that out by the end of the first month. It showed me that losing some things is not the same as losing everything. You could lose your house, but that wouldn't seem as bad if you had your family. Many of the people I met were in situations like that. Their material possessions were gone, but they had their loved ones' support. Unfortunately, I also learned that some people did lose everything. I saw people sitting by the ruins of their destroyed homes as they mourned the deaths of their family and friends. I saw little children who were orphaned because their parents had given up their lives to make sure that their child made it out alive.
I had nearly broke after the first week. I would do the best work that I could during the day, but nights were filled with the dreadful scenes I'd witnessed flashing at the front of my mind. It still was painful to see the suffering, but I was starting to realize how much better things were getting. Maxon had sent the extra workers and they had been a huge help. A few boats had been able to make it off shore to fish and the farmlands were starting to be replanted.
The people were what really got through to me. There were so many amazing personalities on this island. For instance, there was this sweet little girl who I was teaching to sing. Her name was Evie. She reminded me of Alex because, like him, she was curious and intelligent and eager to learn. Every night after I finished distributing food, she would grab my hand and pull me away from the crowds so we could review notes and such. After we finished, she would sit in my lap and ask me to sing for her. Evie would sit there until she was lulled to sleep. I never had it in me to wake her so I would carry her home to her mother. It was people like Evie that kept me going through all of it.
Now, in early July, I was walking with Solomon and Tiberius to the next house we were helping build. The men walked a few feet ahead of me, chatting lightly. I was enjoying the sunshine and fresh air when someone came up behind me, grabbing me roughly by the shoulder. I let out a cry of surprise, alerting the guards. I was turned to face the person. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. It had been so long since I'd seen that face. It had been years and I had been quite content to keep it that way. I didn't know how this was possible. I was filled with complete and utter shock.
"Hey, Mer."
Aspen's voice shook me from my state of surprise. I was filled with anger as I remembered exactly what he'd done to make me despise him so much.
I yanked my shoulder away and shoved him up against the nearest wall, seething with rage. I kept him pinned there with my forearm. He squirmed a little for show, but didn't move. I knew he could've escaped in a second, but I suspected he liked being this close to me. It just made me angrier. "What the hell, Aspen?" I hissed.
Tiberius and Solomon stiffened behind me. They didn't have weapons with them so they were uncertain of what to do. "Your Majesty?" Tiberius asked questioningly, wanting orders.
"Wow, Your Majesty," Aspen said in a mocking tone. "That's a big step up for you."
I resisted the urge to spit in his face. "Shut up. Just do not talk to me."
To the guards, I said, "This is the man who tortured the king, who held him captive before we were married." I saw their expressions harden. Everyone had heard the story, but no one really knew who Aspen was.
"You know I'm so much more than that, Mer," he purred seductively. It made the hairs on my arms stand up.
"You cannot call me that anymore. Not after everything you did to Maxon, to me. You don't even deserve to be near me."
"Ouch, that hurts. Really, I'm deeply offended."
"Why are you even here? I know you aren't stupid enough to come for no reason."
He smirked disgustingly. "I definitely have a reason. I wanted to see if you were ready to be with me again."
I scoffed. "You're insane if you think I would ever go back to you. Even if I wanted to, which I severely do not, I have a husband. I would never leave Maxon."
Aspen smiled, like he knew something I didn't. "That's right, that's right. I remember now. Lovely wedding, by the way. The ceremony was so touching. Don't even get me started on the reception. Those purple flowers on the tables and the romantic lighting- Silvia really outdid herself."
I went rigid as he spoke. How could he know all of those things? I suddenly remembered something. There was a stranger at the wedding, someone who'd been watching us with extreme dislike. I'd never figured out who it was. "You were there," I gasped. "I saw you."
"Ah, there's that lightbulb I was waiting for. And while we are on the topic of your new life, I hear that there is another new Schreave in the world. That's just wonderful. I can't seem to recall his name, though."
"Alex," I realized out loud.
"Yes! That's it. Alex. I wonder how he would like to meet the man who almost married his mom and tortured his dad. I'm sure that would be a lovely story to tell."
Fury boiled in my veins, licking at my heart like fire. I pulled him forward a bit just so I could slam him against the wall again. I knew I was making a scene, but I couldn't care less at the moment. "Don't you dare go near my son. You son of a-"
"Oh, calm down, Mer," he drawled. "I'm not going to touch a hair on his little blonde head. I'm only here to see you." He leaned against my body and I moved away, releasing him.
"You are revolting," I spat. I turned back to Tiberius and Solomon. "We have to arrest him."
"On what grounds?" Solomon asked, though I could tell by his face that he was itching to slap a pair of cuffs on Aspen's wrists.
"Kidnapping, assault, treason, and a known affiliation with a terrorist group that is guilty of many deaths and injuries within our country."
"Good enough for me," Solomon said. He motioned for Tiberius to help him detain Aspen. The two of them combined were three times as strong as him and he had no way to escape. They didn't have handcuffs with them so they just had to hold him by the arms and force him back to the house.
"We can have him sent back to Illéa before tomorrow is over for his trial and, eventually, imprisonment," I said as we walked back to the house.
When we reached the dwelling, the guards shoved him inside and into a chair, securing him to the kitchen table with handcuffs. Mary came out from our room and gasped.
"Your Highness, why is he here?"
"He approached me on the street," I answered. "I'm sending him back to Illéa for punishment for everything he's done."
She nodded, sending Aspen a hateful look before going back into the bedroom.
"What do we do in the meantime?" Tiberius asked.
"We continue our normal business, but have someone watching him at all times."
They nodded and went into their room, leaving me to watch him. I pulled out a chair and sat down in front of him. He was staring at me intently. "You've changed," he said.
"You're right. I am not that girl from Carolina who loved you anymore. I am someone who I am proud to be."
"It's not even about me, Mer. The way you hold yourself is different, with more confidence, I think. And you have this motherly air about you. I always imagined you like this when we were together."
I thought back to all of those years ago. I had pictured the same thing with him a few times, of him being a dad. I'd known that kids weren't a great idea because we would've been living as Sixes, but the thought had crossed my mind. "Well, you ruined your chances in that department."
"I know. I wish I had done things differently. Maybe things would have worked out between us, we might've been together."
"No, Aspen, we wouldn't have been. I told you that I loved Maxon on your last night at the palace. You accepting that wouldn't have made me want to be with you or made me love him any less."
Aspen looked at me thoughtfully. It was strange to see this side of him again. Ever since that night, he had been basically psychotic and angry all of the time. This was almost what he used to be like.
I held his gaze for a bit. He started to lean in to kiss me. I realized what was happening and stood from my seat. "What are you doing? Did you not hear a word I just said?"
"I thought you felt it too."
"Felt what?"
"That spark or chemistry or whatever you want to call it."
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. "There was no spark, Aspen. How many times do I have to tell you this? I do not love you. I never will feel anything even in the same range as love towards you."
"So you say," he grumbled. "I don't believe that for a second."
"I don't know why I am even arguing with you. It's pointless."
I moved my chair far away from him and sat down,
We sat in silence until Isla came running in, her expression urgent. "Turn on the TV," she ordered. I got up and pressed the power button the image was a little fuzzy but I could see the picture.
It was a palace. My palace. There was smoke coming through the windows of one of the corridors. The headline read: Rebels Attack Illéan Palace. My heart nearly stopped in my chest.
I listened for the reporter's voice. She said, "Several hours ago, the Illéan palace was stormed by approximately thirty rebels. An inside source says that it was probably the group from the south. It was a very violent attack, setting about three fires within the palace, and there are sixteen confirmed fatalities and many are in critical condition from the shootings that occurred. The status of the king and the young prince has not yet been released, and many fear the worst."
She probably continued speaking, but I couldn't even hear her. I felt dizzy and lightheaded. I couldn't even comprehend what was going on. It felt like I was drowning as I pressed a hand to my chest and gasped for air.
Mary came into the room. "Your Majesty, are you okay? You should sit down."
She helped me back into my chair, but it didn't help. Terror rushed in my ears, roaring louder than any physical sound. My family could be dead because of the rebels.
Because of the rebels Aspen was involved with.
Anger grew inside me. "You did this, didn't you?" I said to him. He kept his expression blank.
"How dare you!" I yelled, rising to my feet. I almost slapped him across the face, but Mary stopped me, grabbing my arm and attempting to pull me away. Isla tried to help her.
"You're a monster! My son was in there! Do you hear me? My family was in there! My child!" The two dragged me back as I screamed at him. "You son of a bitch!"
I was sobbing now, having no control over what I was feeling. Isla and Mary got me into the room and closed the door. I wrenched free from their grasp and looked around the room. "Mary, where's my phone?" I shouted.
"On the dresser," she answered quietly.
I stumbled over to the dresser and groped for my cellphone as Isla and Mary left the room to give me privacy. I opened the simple flip phone and dialed Maxon's number. I collapsed at the foot of the bed, praying for an answer. "Please pick up, please pick up," I chanted softly.
It went to voicemail. I hung up and tried again. I cried as it rang. Again, it went to voicemail.
"Damn it, Maxon. Answer your stupid phone!" I said after it beeped to signal it was recording the message.
I tried again and again with no luck. The phone fell out of my hand. I told myself that it didn't mean anything, that he might just not be near his phone, but I was still so scared.
At that moment, the phone rang from the floor. I grabbed it hastily and I saw it was Maxon's number. I answered, filled with relief.
"Oh my God," I sobbed, overcome with emotions. "Oh my God."
"America, is everything okay?" Maxon asked.
"I thought you were dead, you idiot. Do you think I'm okay?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. I wanted to call you, but I didn't have my phone with me and we just left the safe room fifteen minutes ago."
"What about Alex? Is he okay?" I asked. Maxon hesitated. Apprehension returned to my body. "Maxon, how is Alex?"
"Well, to put it simply, he was shot."
"What?" I shouted into the phone.
"No, America, he's fine. I promise. It just hit the edge of his arm. He only needed a few stitches."
I nearly fainted from my conflicting emotions. "I'm going to kill you. You do realize that, don't you? You told me our son was shot and scared me half to death, Maxon Calix Schreave."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. I sighed, trying to calm myself down. Everything was fine. My family was okay.
"Can I talk to him?" I asked. I had to make sure he really was fine. He was a tough boy, but I was still worried.
"Yes, of course. He should be out of his bath by now. Give me a second."
I heard his footsteps through the phone and his knock on Alex's door. After a minute, a small voice came on the phone. "Mommy?"
I started crying at his voice, imagining how scared he must have been. "Hey, baby," I said, my voice cracking. "How are you?"
"My arm is okay. It hurts a little. The nurse lady said I only need to have my stitches in for a week."
"That's great, Alex."
"I guess, but can you come home now?"
I made a promise to these people on Niue, but I really wanted to be with Maxon and Alex again. Especially after everything that happened. I wanted to be there with them if it happened again
"I'll have to talk with your dad about that," I answered. "Can you put him back on the phone, please?"
"Okay."
"I love you, Alex."
"Love you too, Mommy," he said. I smiled.
"Goodbye. I will call you tonight."
"Bye."
It was a moment before I heard Maxon's voice again. "Hey. I'm here."
"Alex wants me to come home," I said.
Maxon sighed heavily. "I don't exactly disagree with him. Another two months is a long time and we don't know what else could happen."
"Well, what do I do? Should I come home?"
He thought it over for a minute. "No, just stay there. We will figure things out here. If something else happens here, I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire. Just finish your work in Niue."
"What about Alex?" I asked.
"He will be fine. His arm will heal, he'll settle back into the routine. Alex will be okay until you get back."
I nodded to myself. He had a point. "You're right. I'll stay here."
"It's settled then. I guess I will let you get back to your day."
"Wait," I said, having something to tell him something that I knew he wouldn't take well. "There's something else."
"What is it?"
"Aspen's here."
I heard him suck in a breath. "Aspen as in Aspen Leger?"
"Yes. He came up to me in the street. I'm sending him back to Illéa for a trial."
"A trial? What's the point? He's literally the most guilty person I have ever met. Why can't we just put him into jail and finally put it all behind us?"
"Because we have a reputation to uphold. If we want to have a fair country, he has to have a trial. Trust me, I wish we could put him away immediately, too, but he's not going to walk free."
He grunted frustratedly, but didn't object. "Okay. I will make arrangements to have him picked up at the airport."
"Thank you. This is the right thing to do, Maxon."
"I know. I'm just so sick of him coming into our lives and messing things up. It would just put me at ease to know he was locked behind bars."
"I get it. He will be there soon enough."
We stayed quiet for a while, letting the events of the day settle in. I really wanted to be in his arms. I missed the comfort it gave me. I would probably feel a lot better right now if he was here.
"I miss you," I whispered into the phone, pulling my knees to my chest.
"I miss you, too, America," Maxon replied tenderly, affection creeping into his voice and making my heart yearn for his.
"I'm so tired of talking on the phone. I want to see your face. I want to hold your hand. I want to kiss you."
"Two more months," he said. I didn't know if he was trying to reassure me or if he was thinking about how long of a time that was.
"Two more months," I responded with a sigh.
.
.
.
A few days later, an envelope came in the mail for me. There wasn't a return address. I opened it curiously. There was a single picture inside. It was of Maxon and Alex making goofy faces and laughing. I flipped it over, smiling, to read the message written in blue ink on the back.
You said you wanted to see my face. I brought Alex in just for fun.
Love you to the moon and back,
Maxon and Alex