Twist of fate

Turning point

  Cracker had expected anger, even a little animosity from Ava.
  What he hadn't expected was this outright hatred of him.
  She was looking at him like he was despicable, the fire burning in her eyes searing him.
  And he loved it.
  He loved her spunk, her tenacity, her down right unwillingness to bend.
It's why he'd convinced Mama just over a year ago to give Ava to him. She needed someone to handle the feisty girl and Cracker had been more then willing to step up. Not like he'd had to fight for the groom position anyways, his other brothers found her to much of a spit fire. They wanted obedient, docile, wife's who would bind to their wills.
Something Ava would never be.
  Funny enough it was something Cracker had thought he wanted too just a few years ago. Then Ava had come into his life and grown on him, blowing the entire idea away.
She probably thought he was mad at her, even enraged since she'd spit on him, and he was.
But he wouldn't hurt her.
He could see it in her eyes, that spark of fear that he was going to lash out, retaliate. But she didn't cower from him.
No, mixed with her fear was defiance.
Ava was fully prepared for whatever he might deal out.
It's why his next move surprised her.
His lips smashed down on hers, his big body forcing her farther back against the wall.
And when she tried to turn away, he grabbed her face and forced her to stay.
  Her lips where so soft he could get lost with just his lips against hers.
  She battered his chest, her little hands trying to push him away, but they both knew he wasn't going anywhere.
  Her struggling slowly stopped, her body going lax against his.
  Though the kiss only lasted a moment, when he did pull away, he felt almost high.
  Ava's eyes where squeezed shut, lips trembling. Her hair was now mused, strands tangled up in the feathers of her wings from her struggle.
  "Why did you do that?" Ava asked quietly, eyes opening to look into his.
  Though the fire in them wasn't gone, it had dulled and was now mixed with something he hadn't seen from her in awhile.
  Hurt.
  It was better then the hatred at least.
  Cracker stepped away from her, feeling slightly bereft and kind of cold. She had been like a beacon of heat, now that he'd put space between them, it was missing.
  "I needed you to calm down!"
  They stood there like that, just staring at one another, the quiet almost deafening to Cracker.
  When Ava finally spoke up, she asked the question he'd been waiting for.
  "How long have you known?" Ava whispered, almost dreading the answer she'd get.
  "About a year!" There was no point in feigning  ignorance, she wouldn't believe it anyways.
  "All that time and you didn't think to tell me!" Ava's voice wavered, feeling betrayed.
  Cracker didn't even have the grace to look guilty, instead a spark of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
  He crossed his arms, his signature smile back in place. "What would it have changed, Ava? We would still be here now. No matter how much you protested, or complained, Mama would have still named me!"
  Ava just shook her head, eyes accusing. "It would have given me time to come to terms. It would have given me a reason to trust you!" She looked away from him, finally pulling away from the wall. "Now, you've not only broken the little trust we built up over the last few years, but you've pretty much just flushed our fragile friendship down the drain."
  Her voice wasn't cold, just calm and somewhat sad, like she hadn't been madder then hell just a few minutes ago.
  A pang hit Crackers heart, but he wouldn't feel bad about his decision to keep the information away from her. It was something both him and Mama had agreed upon, no one had known but them.
  Instead he shrugged. "I have three years to build it back up."
Ava huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "You could have all the time in the world Cracker, and I still wouldn't trust you. How could I when you withheld information like this? Information that effects my future, affects me."
  Had she just challenged him?
  Cracker grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, and he smirked.
  "Three years Ava. In three years I'll not only have your trust back, but I'll also have your heart in my hands."
  Her eyes flashed with fire.
  There was his fighter, his hell on wheels.
  "You'll never have my heart Cracker, that's a promise!"
   Ava pulled her head from his hold, and turned heading down the hall. She needed out of this place, away from the expectations, away from Cracker, away from everything.
  "I'll see you next week!" Cracker called out to her in amusement.
  Ava didn't ever respond, she just continued walking.
  He thought she would still show up to help him after what had just happened? After he'd crossed the line?
  He was stupider then she'd thought.
  People stopped to congratulate her on her betrothal as she walked through the halls. But she continued on, not even acknowledging what they had said. She wasn't even mad that her birthday hadn't seemed to matter, because to most, it didn't.
Stopping in the kitchen, she packed a large sack full of food and drink, she would need it where she was going.
  When she exited the château, the guards tried to stop her, explaining that she still wasn't supposed to leave.
  She didn't listen.
  Ava spread her wings and took flight, everyone yelling at her to come back.
  But at this point even the threat of Big Mom wouldn't make her turn around.
  Flying over the town she watched the people move about, living their life's, doing as they pleased. It made her envious of their simple, peaceful life's.
The last rays of sunlight where reflecting on the sea as she passed over it, heading for the one spot that was hers. The one spot no one knew about besides Shinobu.
The little cave on Jam island.
It was a safe space for her when things got to be to much, when she needed to be alone.
  Landing on the ledge for the entrance of her little place, she shimmied into the cave.
  She'd changed a few things over the last couple years, widening the entrance so her growing frame could still fit through the opening, putting in a roll up bed and large warm comforters so she wasn't sleeping on a bunch of blankets on the cave floor. There was even hand made furniture that she'd built. A two drawer dresser now sat in the corner at the left of the entrance, a table and chair in the far right hand corner. Weapons sat in the far left hand corner, mainly bows and arrows, so she could hunt for food. And though it had taken her awhile, she'd carved out a small area for a fire pit in the center, her bed roll right beside it.
  It wasn't much, but it was hers and hers alone.
As of right now, Ava had been gone for a total of five hours. Everyone was probably freaking out trying to find her, looking in all her favorite hiding spots.
  To bad she couldn't bring herself to care.
The thought of just staying here and hiding was tempting, but she couldn't and wouldn't do that. She had to much to go back to.
A few days to get her head straight, come to grips with her future, and maybe a couple nights of good rest, and she would head back to civilization.
For now, she was just going to relax and come up with a game plan to make Cracker regret ever being picked as her groom.
She felt a wicked smile tilting her lips up, plans already forming in her head.
Oh yes, he would regret it.