Script

Chapter Thirty: A Crashed Party

Soft and unbelievably long is all I could think. Well that and, what the heck just happened... But so, so soft.

When he pulled away I just kind of stood there. Not knowing what to do next.

"So here's the thing, I didn't think it was fair that I had a permanent mark of you," Mark said, wading over to the edge of the pool and hopping back out. I stood there stunned, still unsure about what was going on. He reached under the wheelchair and pulled something out, then walked back over to the edge, motioning for me to come closer. I sort of hop-swam my way to the edge. He leaned down holding something in his hand.

"So now here's your permanent mark of me." He said, reaching out behind me and gently clasping a necklace around my neck. "Well... sort of permanent." He added, smirking.

I looked down at it.

The necklace was a long silver chain with a simple open heart and a diamond on the inside. Small and simple.

Perfect.

I looked up at him, and he smiled gently.

"You have no idea how much I missed you Allie. No idea."

"I think I do now." I said, pushing up onto my good toes.

Then I kissed him. Just a simple peck on the cheek.

"Thank you." I whispered, smiling.

•~•~•~•

After that we just hung out on the edge of the pool for a while, relaxing. Then he helped me to the chair and we made our way back to the room.

Mark pecked my forehead before we went into our separate rooms. My sweatshirt was still soaking, so I maneuvered my way over to my suitcase and grabbed a change of clothes. Amy and I's room was pitch black so I had to feel my way around with the crutches. Once in dry clothes I walked over to the bed and slid in.

But something was wrong.

Amy wasn't in it.

"Aim?" I called, thinking maybe she was in the bathroom. No response. I flipped the light on beside the bed. She wasn't in the room. I flopped out of the bed, my heart racing. Where the heck could she be?

I pushed myself up on the crutches and hobbled over to the bathroom door.

She wasn't in there.

The closet maybe?

I checked there too. No Amy.

I walked out of our room as fast as those crutches could carry me and into the main room. She wasn't there.

"Mark. MARK!" I screamed and my voice cracked. I could feel myself breaking down.

He ran into the room, only pajama pants on.

Taking one look at my face, he ran up and caught me just before I flopped down on the floor sobbing.

I hate crying and I don't do it that often, but I just couldn't help myself. My baby's gone.

I sobbed hard and ugly.

"Alexis, what the hell is wrong?" He asked, standing in front of me, terribly confused. All I could respond through sobs was, "Amy."

His eyebrows furrowed, and he turned, walking into our room. I heard doors open and close. Then he ran back. He took one quick look around the room and his eyes locked on the open French doors.

"Dammit." He whispered.

No longer than ten minutes ago I was sitting with Mark and had completely forgotten about the Script and Clery, but now it all came flooding back to me.

"They- They- They took her..." I shuddered, my voice wavering.

He walked over and crouched down in front of me, wiping the tears off my face.

"Listen to me." he said, whispering just loud enough for me to hear over my own sobs. I composed myself, and the crying resided into sniffles.

"Mark, my only job is to protect her. I- I- I failed. She's all I have left, and I'm all she ever had." I said, crying again.

"You're wrong." He said. Looking into my eyes, and moving to sit on the floor next to me.

"Huh?" I sniffled. I'm breaking down because my baby sister is gone, and he's telling me I'm wrong?

"You both have me." He said, taking my hand and rubbing his thumb across the top. I sobbed even harder.

He let me cry for a while, leaning on him, until I ran out of tears. Then he shifted so that his body was in front of mine. He wiped my face with his thumb then placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Alexis, the longer we wait, the harder it will be to find her, and I think I know a way." He said, looking at me with those bright blue eyes.

Then he stood up and grabbed the crutches that I had thrown onto the floor. He handed them to me and helped me up. After I was settled and on my feet again, Mark made his way over to the desk.

A laptop was perched in the center of it and he opened it, powering it up. Then he ran into his room and came back out carrying his phone.

"We are going to track her phone. Is it in her suitcase, or does she have it?" He asked, turning to me.

"I didn't see it, but I'll look again." I said, maneuvering my way into our room again. I dug through her suitcase, but didn't see the phone. I did find her sling shot though, still in its case.

I searched around a little while longer but didn't come across the phone. Back in the main room Mark had pulled up some phone-tracking website.

"Is it in there?" He asked, eyes glued to the screen.

"No, but I did find her slingshot. She's unarmed."

"Terrific." He sighed, pulling out his own phone. "All I have to do is input her information on here and it should give us a location."

He did just that and a small dot appeared on a map of Paris.

"Alright, she's at some hotel about a 20 minute car ride away."

"What are we waiting for then?" I said, making my way towards the door.

"Not yet Alexis." He said, jotting the address down.

"Why the hell not?" I asked turning back to him.

"Go put on some long pants and grab your knives. Put some on your good leg. There should be sheaths in your suitcase. And Allie, grab Amy's slingshot. "

"Fine." I grunted, and limped as quickly as I could into my room.

I threw on some gray sweatpants and a black tank top then strapped a sheath to my good leg. It held six knives tightly against my upper thigh. There was one problem though. I couldn't get to them. So I quickly ripped a hole in the pocket of my sweatpants. I grabbed Amy's slingshot out of her suitcase and limped back into the main room.

Mark was standing there in jeans and a white t-shirt with a gray unzipped sweatshirt on over it. He took the slingshot case out of my hand and turned to me.

"Are you sure you want to go, I can handle Clery by myself." he asked, opening the door.

"Absolutely." I grunted. "She's my sister. It's my fault which means it's my responsibility to get her back."

"Okay." He replied, doubt filling his voice.

xS r!