Broken Past, Good Path

I know that I shall meet my fate

    Morgan strummed the chords of her violin with her bow in very jagged movements that complimented her mood. She was angry and unable to contain the feelings rising inside her that she was only able to turn to the one thing that gave her some kind of relief. She did not stop venting her feelings out through her violin until her room was completely dark and her stomach began to growl angrily. She had not eaten anything all day and now she was going to pay for it. Morgan looked longingly at the door of her room, wishing that food would magically flow through it towards her. She put her violin down in its case, moved towards the door, and placed one ear against the cool wood. She sighed as no sound came through. Morgan pushed the door open, tiptoeing out in hopes to not bring any attention to herself. However, her door opened right to the living room where Noah, Olivia, and Bradley were seated.

                Morgan ignored them, going to the kitchen and checking the food in the fridge. She grimaced slightly, closing the door of the fridge with a snap. Her icy blue eyes considered the two unfamiliar people in her living room.

                “Will you be staying for dinner?” Morgan asked.

                “Miss, we will be staying in twenty-four hour shifts,” Olivia was the one to reply, her blond hair cascading down her shoulders as she stood. Morgan sneered slightly.

                “Do not call me miss. We are the same age and you know my name is Morgan. Also, I refuse protection. I hope that you will accept the dinner I make and then leave,” Morgan walked back to the foyer, leaving no room for discussion. Heavy footsteps behind her told her she wasn’t alone.

                “Sorry… Morgan. Since your father paid for this apartment… and we work for him, not you…” Olivia’s voice was distant. Morgan grabbed a coat, turning to find Bradley standing in the foyer with her. His cold, grey eyes viewed her fiercely.

                “Where are you going?” Bradley asked.

                “There is not enough for dinner for four people.”

                “I will come with you,” Bradley pushed past her out the door, scanning the hallways in a reserved manner. Morgan gritted her teeth, following him out of the apartment, making as much noise as possible. Once they were on the bottom floor, Morgan rolled her eyes at the back of Bradley, who was covering her while his eyes roamed the streets. They made it halfway down the block when the local grocery store came into view. Bradley’s body seemed to slacken as he fell into step beside her.

                “I told you I did not need protection,” Morgan stated smugly, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked.

                “You would have met your maker today if not for me,” Bradley growled back. “We are trying to protect you.” He added in a friendlier tone. Morgan laughed harshly.

                “You say that but you had no issue making fun of me in school,” Morgan refused to be choked up from the harsh memories that arose in her. She turned to find Bradley tight-lipped. “It really makes me curious. If you are here to protect me or bully me… again,” Morgan said as they reached the supermarket. Morgan grabbed a basket, walking quickly to make the items for stir fry.

                “You wouldn’t understand,” Bradley responded once he had finished deciding if everyone in the store was going to try to kill them or not.

                “So, you expect me to understand about some killer or that my father hired my school bully to protect me?” Morgan shot back angrily as she made a line for the check out counter. Bradley couldn’t think of anything to say, at least, that is what Morgan thought as they remained silent the rest of the way back to the apartment. Once they were safely nestled inside, Bradley dropped his domineering, overprotective act as Morgan went to cooking.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

                Olivia Hodgens observed her hostile leader, Bradley, with a knowing silence. She really had to hold herself back from the way she usually was, which was a chatty extrovert. She let her eyes do the talking, letting them flutter back and forth between Bradley and Morgan. Olivia had seen how her leader observed their charge with firm, but sensitive, grey eyes that were usually shadowed. Now, they were in a brightly lit house that made his eyes glitter with curiosity towards Morgan. Olivia looked away with a smile, meeting the gravelly brown eyes of the only other person in the room. She froze as the eyes perceived her indignantly. She faltered for a moment, her heart beating a little faster. It was the first time she was looking at the eyes of Noah Walstead. They look like gems, Olivia gawked, losing herself in the eyes she was staring into.

                “Dinner is ready,” Morgan stated with a mundane voice, breaking the trance. They all moved to the dining room table, set up just outside the kitchen, where there were exactly four chairs. They took their seats, Olivia beside Bradley and Morgan next to Noah.

                “This is lovely!” Olivia had to break her silence. It had been too long since she had spoken. “I’m surprised you know how to cook so well.”

                “What is that supposed to mean?” Morgan shot back with a note of defiance and hurt in her voice. Olivia covered her mouth.

                “Oh, I’m sorry! It wasn’t meant to offend… I just mean you had grown up in a rich family so I thought others would have cooked for you,” Olivia felt Bradley kick her under the table which she ignored. The room went silent for a few minutes.

                “Forget it. Let’s just eat,” Morgan stated weakly, dishing some of the stir fry onto her own plate. The room fell silent as they all ate in peace. Once Olivia tasted the stir fry, she found she couldn’t stop herself. The food had been made excellently. She only looked up when she finished the food on her plate and the clatter of a fork falling grabbed her attention. Morgan was slumped forward, holding her head. Noah was leaning over her with a worried look. Bradley reached across the table to feel her forehead. He snapped his hand back immediately.

                “She has a fever,” Bradley said. Noah leaned into Morgan, a lost look of shock on his face. Morgan waved at them.

                “It is nothing. I’m fine.”

                “It is my fault. I got you sick,” Noah looked abashed. Olivia eyed him carefully, a pity for him washing over her.

                “No. I forgot to change out of my wet clothes and went out again. I will be fine.” Morgan’s voice sounded strained.

                “You need to take some medication and take a warm bath,” Bradley interrupted their conversation.

                “We don’t have any…” Noah stated. Olivia felt her partner tense beside her.

                “Olivia, help her get a bath. I’ll be back with some medication,” Bradley stood and was out the door within seconds. Olivia, following an order, stood and went to help Morgan in a prompt manner. She could feel the woman had been holding in the pain. Noah had also come to help and together they moved Morgan into the bathroom.

                “Be gentle with her,” Noah left with regretful eyes that Olivia hated to see. She worked quickly in filling the tub with warm water and undressing the girl she had been watching for so long now. Since their meeting ten years ago, Olivia had actually thought the girl to be very pretty.

                “What… do you think about?” Morgan’s voice was weak as she laid in the tub. Olivia smiled, shaking her head. “Please… tell me…” Morgan insisted, leaning towards her. Olivia bit her lip. She knew she would get a scolding if anyone, mainly Bradley, found out that she had talked to Morgan.

                “I was just wondering if we would have been friends if…” Olivia silenced herself. Morgan’s eyes widened a little as she shifted once more in the tub.

                “Friends? You bullied me for nine years in school…” Morgan reminded her. Olivia gave her an apologetic smile.

                “You don’t understand… It was the only way for us to…” Olivia paused, wondering if she should explain. She stood, facing the vanity mirror, finding Morgan’s sad face weighing down on her. “We all loved our parents… They all worked for your dad you see…”

                “I see…” Morgan’s eyes rolled to the bottom of the tub.

                “Every holiday our parents would be with you or at least at your house or out on some mission,” Olivia reminisced, her voice sounding more bitter than she had intended. “Many of us just longed to have time with our own family… who knew we would accept the same fate… that is why in school we kind of took our anger and frustrations out on you while fulfilling our promises.”

                “…I’m sorry... If I had known… I would have given everyone’s lives back,” Morgan’s voice became soft. Olivia turned her jade eyes onto the girl.

                “Many of us feel bad for how we treated you… kids will be kids, right?” Olivia frowned at her own statement. Morgan nodded, her eyes blank of any emotion, but the glacier blue became a little less icy in Olivia’s opinion. Olivia helped Morgan to dry off, dress in a robe and climb into bed, staying for a few more minutes to talk before leaving her room altogether. She was met in the hall by a very serious looking Noah.

                “How is she?” Noah questioned her. Olivia gave him a reassuring nod as she walked past him to the living room.

                “She will be fine. She will sleep once she gets the medicine. No Bradley yet?” Olivia turned, surprised not to find her leader.

                “He sent a message on your phone. Said he had to go to a*****e further away,” Noah shrugged. Olivia turned to him, raising her eyes in surprise.

                “You looked at my phone?” Olivia’s lips twitched. “You would make a good one of us,” She said, turning away from him once again. She was afraid she would be sucked into his eyes once again.

                “How exactly does one become ‘one of you’?”

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

                Bradley Thomas began to sweat as he ran from one place to another, trying to find the very specific type of medicine he used to give his father when he would come home with fevers. He frowned as the sweat on his forehead cooled and ran down his face in the freezing air. Who would have thought that he would be running around, looking for fever medicine today? Not I, he thought, as his grey eyes finally caught sight of what he was looking for. He walked back to the apartment on the main street. Why was he rushing to go back there? It is your job, he told himself, his body shuffling forward. He remained alert to what was going around him till he was hidden away in the elevator.

                He walked back into the apartment, his grey eyes finding Olivia and Noah, huddled together on the sofa. Bradley felt a tweak of annoyance. Olivia tended to talk too much. He moved into the kitchen, pouring a glass of water as he held the box of medicine tightly in his grasp. He moved past the two, understanding the tension in Noah as he moved to the door of Morgan’s bedroom. Bradley entered slowly, not letting the door make any sound as he closed it behind him. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, the only light coming from a light on the small bedside table. As the silence stretched on, he had begun to think that Morgan had fallen asleep. Her small frame remained still on the four-poster bed. He crouched down beside her, taking in her elegant form. Her eyes were closed. Bradley set the glass of water on the table, taking note of a basin that was filled with cool water. A dry washcloth was next to it.

                “Noah?” Morgan’s weak voice questioned the darkness. Bradley turned his grey eyes back to the bed, finding Morgan’s eyes searching him with a cold, icy stare. “What are you doing here?” Morgan shivered, tried to sit up, and fell back again. Bradley wordlessly wrapped an arm around her, smelling her perfumed body and hair as he pulled her up into a sitting position.

                “I’ve come to give you your medicine,” Bradley retracted his arm, grabbing the glass of water off the table.

                “I’ve gathered that. Why is it you thought?” Morgan’s question pierced him like a cold blast to the heart. He never would have thought that she would hate him so much, even after he saved her that very afternoon. Bradley snapped his jaw shut, afraid of what he might say. He avoided her icy gaze, handed her the glass of water and medicine, and turned back to the basin. He plunged the washcloth into the cold water, watching it soak for a few moments. He was having a wordless battle as he tried his best to forget the anger and the hurt that swelled inside of him. He ran out the water from the washcloth, folded it and turned back to the icy blue eyes that were on him, masked with distrust. The glass of water was still in one hand. The other, that had the pill, was now empty. Bradley lifted the washcloth to Morgan’s forehead, placing it down gently.

                “Please leave,” The gentle request came from Morgan, leaving her lips like a dagger. He nodded, grabbed the glass of water, and set it down on the table. Morgan looked away from him, her icy blue eyes shutting him out of her view. Bradley stood slowly, pulled up the sheets to cover her.

                “I will send in Noah,” Bradley stated through clenched teeth. He walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him even though he had a mind to slam it. He found Noah and Olivia still on the couch, their eyes on him. “I have told her that I would send you in, Noah,” Bradley said. He walked back to the kitchen, doing his best to control his anger. The kitchen was neatly organized except for what was left of their dinner. Bradley went to work, washing the dishes while memorizing where everything went. He busied himself so much that he didn’t realize his partner had taken a seat at the dining room table and was peering at him with the usual curiosity.

                “Morgan and Noah are really very nice,” Olivia blurted out. The words made Bradley bristle.

                “Nice?” Bradley let out a snort of sardonic laughter, his hands grasping a plate a little too firmly.

                “You just have to be nice to them in return,” Olivia defended her statement. Bradley dropped the plate he had been washing back into the hot, soapy water of the sink.

                “Saving her life wasn’t nice? Getting her medicine wasn’t nice?” Bradley gritted his teeth. Olivia shook her head. “She hasn’t even thanked me.”

                “You did those things because your job required you to. Have you tried to apologize to her?”

                “Apologize? Why should I?”

                “Oh, come on Bradley! We were mean to her when we didn’t have to be… We took our problems out on her when she was going through a lot of issues too! Do you think Mr. Thomas… Your dad-.”

                “Do. Not. Talk. About. My. Father!” Bradley became heated. Olivia glared back at him in disdain. Bradley shook his head, dropping everything as he decided to leave.

                “She has no reason to trust us until we give her one!” Olivia shouted at him as Morgan’s bedroom door opened and Noah exited. Bradley ran a hand through his hair, anger bubbling inside him.

                “Stay here. I’ll send over Jax,” Bradley gave on final command. He exited, red flashes of anger leading him blindly out of the building. He knew what Olivia had told him was true. Perhaps that is why he was so angry.