The Unexpected Expected

Part 1: Chapter 5

Maxon's POV

I was glad to see the misunderstanding was cleared up between America and her family. Apparently, while we were flying from Angeles to Carolina my father had made an announcement that we were dead. I can only imagine the shock of having your "dead" daughter and her "dead" boyfriend walk in the door. After chatting for a while and explaining how we were now dead to the rest of society, we waved goodbye and headed out to edge of town where there were several deserted houses. It was sad to see how much the rebel's destruction had caused and the economic situation of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Once we reached the abandoned sector of Carolina, we looked at all the houses to find the one that was in the best shape. Unfortunately, most of the houses had three walls and a roof that seemed like it would fall in at any minute.

"How's this one?" America asked, a small grimace on her face. It had a brick front and four walls, but the roof looked like it was on its last legs. Not to mention, the neighboring building looked like it would collapse on the house at any moment. But it was the closest we were going to get to a home tonight.

"Good enough," I replied and immediately kicked open the door. Then, somehow finding some strength in my tired body, I picked up America and carried her bridal-style through the threshold of the house. At least I wasn't a complete failure.

Once I set her down, America inspected every corner of the house. There were a couple of dead animals, a lot of spiders, mouse holes littered each wall, and there was what looked like a nest of some-sort, but America and I were too tired to worry about our housemates.

Finding an old blanket on the only surviving piece of furniture, an old, wobbly, wooden table, I laid it on the ground and gestured for America to lay on it. She immediately collapsed. Curling up next to her, I slipped one arms underneath her and one arm over her so I was cradling her. Making sure that my back was to the door so any intruder had to go through me first, I gently kissed America goodnight. She didn't reply for she was already out cold.

I chuckled and mentally went over how my life had changed so drastically in the span of two days. I had gone from lying on the kingdom's finest mattress to lying on an uncomfortable blanket on the cold, hard floor of an abandoned house in Carolina.

But it was all for her. Everything I did from now on would forever and always be for her.

*-*

I woke to see America's hair streaked with amber as the sun peeked through the broken roof. She looked so peaceful lying there, her eyelids relaxed and her lips still, that I felt blessed to just see her like that. I wonder if I could take a picture of her before she woke up?

Walking over to my small bag of objects from the palace, I reached the bottom of the bag and found my camera. The camera I had picked was the least-fancy of my cameras but it was also the first camera I was ever given.

Grabbing it, I slowly crept back to America and snapped a couple of pictures. I didn't realize she was awake the whole time until she started laughing.

"Maxon," she wheezed between laughs, "What on Earth are you doing?"

"We have to earn money some way and the most beautiful woman on the planet is sitting next to me, so I figured some other guy out their would love to by this picture and have a secret crush on the photo and probably practice making out or something..." she covered my mouth before I could say anything else.

"Maxon," she said after a while, "You wouldn't actually do that, would you?"

"Not if you didn't want me too. Maybe we can sell pictures of me instead. I know you like my arms, maybe some other girl would like them too."

"Maxon," she warned.

"Kidding, kidding," I said scooping her into my lap, "This body is for your eyes only," I felt her shaking in my lap as she laughed. Mission accomplished.

We sat in silence for a while, her burrowing into my chest, my arms wrapped around her so she was encased by my body. I took the time to bask in the happiness we were living in. After all the doubt and fighting, I've finally accomplished having the most beautiful woman in the world with me. I can finally call her mine.

Looking back at America, I kissed the top of her head as she began to speak, "I better tell mom to contact our old sponsors that she has a new musician available," she paused for a moment thinking. "Since my name can no longer be America, I was wondering if you'd help me come up with a fake name that I can go by when we're in public."

"What's wrong with Mer and Max?" I asked.

"They're too obvious, especially with my red hair." Good point. "Maybe I should dye it?"

"No!" I yelled louder than I meant to. "America, my dear, your hair is part of who you are. And as silly as it sounds, I want to see you in a wedding dress with your hair, to see your hair in our children, to watch it slowly change to gray. America, your hair is one of the reasons I was so attracted to you. You can't just get rid of it!"

I was shocked my speech, and apparently so was America. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about my hair color."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me yet, but that's the beauty of living outside of society in a ramshackle house with no human interaction around for miles. We'll have plenty of time to get to know one another."

"Right." She paused for a moment, "Maxon, what if there are some things about me that you don't like. What if once you get to know me, I repulse you? What if you dig too deep and find something rotten on the inside. What if...?"

I silenced her with a kiss. "America, honey, there is literally nothing you could've done that would make me leave you."

"Nothing?" She said with a small grin.

"Nothing."

"What if I burned the palace to the ground?"

"I'd still love you."

"What if I was a rebel?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't mind the rebels."

"What if I murdered your mother?"

"Murdered my mother? Is there something you're trying to tell me?" She just laughed. I continued, " Although highly unlikely, even then, my dear, I would still love you. There is nothing you could do to chase me away."

Although I meant the words as encouragement, her smile slowly began to die away. She looked down sadly at her palms. "Maxon?" She whispered.

"Yes?"

"What did I do to deserve your love. You're so loving and caring and I still can't understand why you would love someone as plain as me."

I used my finger and pulled her chin up so her eyes met mine. "I thought we already settled this. Although I am amazing," she offered a weak chuckle, "You're worth outshines my own a million times over. I would be honored to be called your husband when the day comes. You are worth fighting for, America, and I'll never leave you."