Arson

Chapter Nine

Alexandria's P.O.V

We road through the early hours of the morning. I'm fast asleep at this point, ignoring everything around me.

Before I know it, I'm woken up by a slow halt. It lurched forward, nearly causing me to fall.

"Rise and shine!" Frank cried out in a loud voice.

"Oh - are we there already?"

"Wouldn't be wakin' you if we weren't. Better to let sleepin' beauties lay..." He teased me, jumping out of the driver's seat to let Micro take over.

"Shut up, Castle." I hissed in my tired, drowsy state. He opened the back doors for me to get out of, their whine being forcibly stopped once they were halted by him.

"C'mon, I'll help you out."

Slinking over to him, our hands interlocked tightly. In a fluent motion, I'm pulled out and put on solid ground.

Or...damp, leafy, earthy ground. I didn't get out of the city much, this was pretty foreign to me.

"That wasn't necessary, but..." I smirked as I walked passed him, pulling my hood on to conceal anything I didn't want him to see once I walked by. A stray blush or glance, anything to keep my feelings hidden. "Thank you."

"Anytime," He closed the van doors after grabbing our backpacks. "Micro! Drive the van a little ways down the road...we don't want anyone seein' your mug around."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Y'all want your alone time in the woods, you don't need to tell me twice." Micro laughed as the engine turned on. The van began rolling off before I could do anything about it.

As the van disappeared passed the endless foliage, Frank turned to me.

"If he isn't careful, I'm gonna be the one to kill him, and save Agent Orange the trouble."

"Yeah, after this is all finished."

He began walking passed me, but...a familiar burn scraped across my stomach. It completely caught me off guard.

"Stay behind me. Wouldn't want you to get pinned in the stomach by an arrow. Or...any of his traps."

"There's a reason why I don't have a midsection to my uniform," His enticement had me snared. In a few passing moments, I'm walking behind the man. The leaves crunched underneath us, but broke in unison. "It's a statement. Or, a silent way to say:'Here's something to aim for instead of my head'."

"That's stupid." He said bluntly.

"Well, it's worked so far."

"Yeah, I can tell you've never been shot there." Castle leaped over a fallen tree, but turned back to help me over. Once again, our hands touched, and I'm hoisted over the massive log.

"How?"

"Well," He let go of my hand, realizing that he held on a little too long. I didn't mind, but...maybe Castle did. "I just do. Please, for my sanity, fix your uniform."

"Your sanity? My, my, does the big and bad Punisher care?" My pace had quickened, now nearing the lead.

"Alex, stop." He snarled. I thought it was just him getting annoyed...

"C'mon, Castle, I'm just teasing you!"

"ALEXANDRIA!"

"Wha-"

His arms are around me in a matter of seconds, forcing me to a stop. My back hits the rough bark of the tree...and he's the one pinning me there.

"CASTLE, WHAT ARE YOU-"

A hand pressed sternly on my mouth, quieting my yell into a busy muffle. Eventually, I gave him what he wanted, my compliant silence.

All he uttered was...

"Wire."

Nodding over his shoulder, I followed his lead. That's when I saw this black thread tied between two trees.

"Oh..."

His hand slipped off my face, but that glare still held my eyes.

"I told you to stay behind me."

"S-Sorry..." My face burned from an embarrassed blush spreading across it.

"Yeah, sorry wouldn't bring you back from the dead, would it!?"

My hands had been pressed up against his chest from his pin...that rhythmic badump from his heart was fast.

Real, fast.

Like...he was panicked.

"Frank...I didn't mean to scare you. Thank you, for saving my life."

His eyes narrowed, and after that, he tore himself away.

"We're close," The leaves crunched loudly from his heavy and slow pace. "If you wanna stay alive, I suggest you stay behind me."

"Will do, Castle."

The feeling of his panicked heartbeat lingered on my fingertips...nice going, Alex.

_________________________________

We crested a hill...and there it was. A worn down, hidden cabin.

I had done what Frank asked, and stayed behind him the entire hike up to the cabin.

"Do you think he's in there?"

"No, but there's only one way to find out." Frank began down the hill again, and I followed.

We walked down there, in complete silence...until...

"...GUNNER!" Frank's voiced shushed the birds. Made a few fly away, actually.

"Jesus, Frank!" I almost jumped out of my skin. "Warn someone next time!"

He didn't pay me any attention. What he did do, was drop his bag and gun.

"I'm unarmed! It's Frank Castle!"

I wasn't dropping my stuff for anyone, but...Frank wasn't anyone. He was smart, and whatever he did was usually the right call.

So, the backpack and rifles bounced as I dropped it next to his stuff.

"C'mon, Gunner, it's Frank! You home?"

We stepped onto the porch, looking inside and such. Nothing was...out of the ordinary. Someone was definitely living here.

"He's not here, right now." My face leaved the glass window. "Do you think that-"

A stick cracking made me freeze.

"GET DOWN!" Frank lunged for me, pushing me out of the way.

He saw what I didn't.

An arrow cut through the air, a quick messenger of death. It tore through Frank's shoulder, his scream cutting me out of whatever trance I had been in.

"FRANK!"

Before he fell, I caught him just in time. I'm the only thing keeping him up...but the wall is being pinned with arrow after arrow.

We had to get out of here.

It was time for me to save him.