𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

12. flee

"No, if we keep driving with her they'll find us. It's too dangerous. I'm a Green I would know," Are the first words which Pandora heard as she awoke. She groaned as she felt her bruised temple. "Lady Jane has a fucking good hit," She muttered to herself, running her hand down her jaw. Most of the side of her face was swollen but it had been cleaned and taped up. She looked to her left, seeing an unconscious Ruby lying on the floor of the van too. Then everything came flooding back to her. Her father. Liam wiping the blood from her face. Lady Jane. The President. Ruby's mind control. They'd exposed themselves and now they wanted to get rid of them. 

Pandora ignored the tears which formed in her eyes and slowly moved around the van. She grasped the emptied backpack, filling it was enough food to last her until she found a service station, pulling a couple things from the First Aid kit and a bottle of water. She also pulled on some shoes and couldn't help herself but take one of Liam's jumpers. It smelt like him and she couldn't bare to leave them without a piece to remind her. Even though they hated her and wanted to leave her for dead. She quietly opened the van door and started into the woods. She walked slowly, Chubs shouting that he heard something. That set off a trigger in her reflex's and she started running. Leaves crackled and twigs snapped underfoot, the shoutings of Liam and Chubs heard in the distance. Liam was faster than her and Chubs was smarter. They'd track her down and sell her to some tracker. She wouldn't live like that, not after everything she went through. She couldn't watch and listen to Liam selling her off, not when she felt something for him. She didn't know what, but she knew it was there. Eating away at her, giving her butterflies any time they touched. The excited feeling she got every time she knew he was staring at her. And how he'd look away when he thought she could see him.

Pandora dashed through the woods before finding a large tree which had fallen. Dirt strung like a waterfall from its roots, making it perfect for her to hide under. She tried to quieten her breathing, holding her breath as she heard Chubs walk around looking for her. "I'm going to go back to Betty and see if we an track her," Chubs told Liam before turning back. "Alright, I'll keep looking this way," He told Chubs. Pandora prayed that Liam wouldn't find her, unable to look him in the eye as her heart cracked. He hated her, wanted nothing to do with her. Their conversation she heard was evidence enough of that. "You know that's my favourite jumper, I hope you aren't planning to steal it," Liam said, making Pandora gasp. Slowly, she crawled out of her hiding space to see Liam sat on top of the tree trunk. Pandora grasped the jumper which was tied around her waist tightly. "I'm kidding, it'd look better on you that it ever did me," He smiled. He watched her face, how her eyes were glossy and her face scared. She was scared of him and it took everything in him to not get hurt by that. "I'm leaving," She told him rightly. "Why?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. "Well I just heard your fucking conversation and it sounded like-" Liam cut her off. "We were talking about Betty you bimbo," He laughed, letting Pandora take it in. A smile slowly worked its way onto her face. "Wait so-" He shook his head as she tried to process everything. "We're not mad at you for keeping it from us, nor are we mad at Ruby. She's very rare and you, well i've never seen anything like you before," Liam told her. She had the feeling he wasn't talking about her powers. "So I can come back?" She asked, hating the hope which was clear in her voice. "Only if you never tell anyone Lady Jane put me in handcuffs," He put his hand out. 

Pandora stared at him hand before grabbing the bag on the floor and racing back to camp. "Chubs, I have something to tell you," She called, laughing as Liam ran after her screaming. He easily caught up, grabbing her waist and spinning her around. "Say you promise," He ordered but she just yelled for Chubs. "Say you-" He let her go as she started shaking her hair in his face, unable to see or say anything. She dropped to the floor and bolted closer to the van. Just before she could see Chubs, Liam picked her up again but this time she face him. He held her easily as she wrapped her legs around him. They stopped laughing as they realised how close their faces were. "Say you promise," He told her but she just smiled. Her eyes flickered to his lips, his doing the same. "You are the best person I've ever met," She whispered as they leaned in. "Well that's not a hard list to top," He shrugged, making her chuckle. As they leaned in, Chubs rounded the corner and screamed, making they both jerk back and Liam place her down. 

"Come on guys, there are children about." 

...

The four kids, excluding Ruby, all sat by the campfire, warming up their hands as Liam started cooking the rabbit he'd caught using a simple snare. They were all happily chatting when Ruby stormed out of the van. "Main characters not happy," Pandora sighed, Liam playfully shoving her to quieten her loud mouth. "I'm sorry I lied to you," Ruby said, not even able to make eye contact. "Ruby," Chubs called, making her stop. She turned and started walking towards the truck. "I just forgot my bag," She shouted, Dora noticing the tears on her face. "Ruby we don't care about your Orange ass," Chubs shouted, making her stop. "And for the record, I knew you were Orange from the beginning," He said, making Liam shove him. "Sure you did," Pandora rolled her eyes, starting an arguement as Ruby walked over and sat with Zu.

"I just- I didn't want anyone to be afraid of me," Ruby said quietly. "There's nothing wrong with being an Orange," Liam shrugged. "Yeah, sorry to lying to you guys about Ruby, I needed to protect us both," Pandora shut her eyes, looking down with a small smirk as the Green and the Blue turned on her. "YOU KNEW?" They both said at the same time, Pandora slowly looking up to them. "Maybe?" She asked, Liam stating that he was eating her portion of the rabbit. They fought each other, everyone eventually joining in and playfighting. They acted like kids again.