Silver Lining - The Host fanfiction

Chapter 41 The Broken Hearted

I know I have a heart, because I can feel it breaking.

- The Wizard of Oz

 

Sky

 

I don’t know what to think anymore. Burns keeps saying everything is fine, but he’s been acting strange ever since Toledo.
I’m worries. Perhaps he is sick and needs a Healer.

Perhaps he is like me.

A small voice in the back of my had finds that thought appealing. And I’m not talking about Emma. If he is like me, then I won’t be the only one with a rebelling body. Maybe we can help each other.

We are currently in a motel, a little of the highway, extending our trip to Toledo with a  trip to the Grand Canyon. From there we will go visit Rain and Storm. I can’t wait to see their faces when we surprise them.
Of course it will mean seeing Patt again too. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
I haven’t seen him since I left to find Burns.
I wonder if he’s still happy with Carmen.

Burns is sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, circling places on a map.
I place a cup of tea on the table and sit down next to him. “Have you decided yet?”
He looks up and smiles. At least that has turned back to normal. He’s not so distant anymore. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it. Maybe he was just uncomfortable, with Yellow Leaves and Reads the Stars so close. He seems more relaxed now that we’re alone again.

“I was thinking we could go here first,” Burns says. He points at an area on the map. There’s all different kinds of color that don’t mean a thing to me. I only know they have something to do with altitude and vegetation, but I know Burns can read it just fine.
“It’s close to Vegas,” he continues, “we can stay at a hotel there and take a car to explore the Canyon.” He looks at me. “What do you think?”
I nod. “Sounds good.” I look at the map. Las Vegas was once famous for it’s gambling halls. The casinos are all gone now, but the hotels are still there. The other buildings have been turned into Healing Facilities and Insertion Centers. One of the biggest Shipping Centers is located there too.
“Okay,” Burns smiles, “I’ll go into town in the morning to get some supplies. I need new film for my camera too. And then we can leave. Is that alright?”
“Sure.”
Burns nods and takes a sip of his tea. “Nice,” he compliments, “thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I still blush when he looks at me like that.
There’s something sad in the smile he sends me.
“Hey,” I say, “when we’re visiting Storm and Rain, we can drive to Tucson and visit your friend Scales. It’s not that far.”
Burns looks up surprised. “What?”
“We could visit Scales.”

There’s a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yes,” he says slowly, “we could.”
“If it’s too much…” I start, “we’ve been on the road for a while. If you want to go back home first, that’s fine of course. I just thought… since it’s so close to where Rain and Storm live…”
“No. No it’s fine. It’s a good idea. Yes, we should visit him. I haven’t seen him in a while and I haven’t met his partner yet.”
“He has a partner?”
“Only since recently. I think she came from the Singing World. Her name was something with a song.”
I let out a soft laugh. “isn’t that the case with all Bats?”
A faint smile appears on his face. “I suppose so.”
“So we’ll go?”
He laughs. And I sigh relived. It’s good to see him so carefree again.
Burns shakes his head. There’s an amused twinkle in his eyes. “You’re like a little puppy sometimes,” he says, “so jumpy and enthusiastic.”
“I’m not puppy!” I gasp in mock insult.
“Yes you are,” Burns smirks and I blush again. How does he do that all the time? It’s pleasantly unsettling.

It confuses me.

His eyes are warm again and my face becomes even darker. “Stop teasing me,” I pout.
He chuckles and I hide my face by looking down.
His hand cups my cheek and turns my face towards him. The stutter in my heart is not just mine.
I smile at him and he smiles back, but then he frowns. His thumb runs over my cheek. “Why are you crying?”
I pull back surprised and bring my fingers to my cheek. They come back wet and I stare at the moist.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Burns says, “I was just teasing you. I’m sorry. I did not want to make you cry.”
“I’m not crying,” I mutter, still staring at my fingers.
Burns eyes me concerned. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I say , but I can’t stop the tears from falling and it scares me, because they’re not my tears.
“Hey,” Burns says and he pulls me in a tight hug, “it will be fine.”

But that does little to comfort me, because the sigh that escapes my lips is not mine either.

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A/N Sorry it's so short, but the chapter was essential. I can't believe that six pages in my notebook make up for so little space in Word. T.T