Always your

Chapter 16

Maddie spends the night in and out of Buck's temporary room. He struggles to sleep, due to the nightmares. They finally settle on the sofa again watching TV. Buck looks over and sees that Maddie has fallen asleep. He slowly gets up, trying not to disturb her. He moves the blanket, so it is fully over her, then he glances at the coffee table where his phone now sits the screen cracked. He reaches out to attempt to pick it up, but he stops and shook his head and heads to the kitchen hobbling, using the crutch as best as he can. but as quiet as he can and gets a drink of water. As he drinks, he looks back into the living room. The tv has some silly shopping show on asking to buy the latest crap for Christmas.

'No one will want me round for Christmas, Maddie will leave me to go off and enjoy it and ill be alone like I always am.'

Buck decides he needs some fresh air. He slowly heads to his room. Thankfully, he is on the lower floor so he would not need to climb any stairs. He grabs a fluffy gown that his sister had got him. He looks at the picture of stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) on the front and smiles. He looks at the time on his bedside clock its five-am. He slips his trainer on and heads back down the hall, quietly lifting the crutches up and down. He opens the front door slowly and takes the keys that were nearby.

As he closes the front door slowly making sure it was locked, he turns around and as the brisk cold December early morning air hits him, he rubs his hands as he looks round the enclosed courtyard, Buck liked the fact that Maddie lived in a enclosed complex. He made his way across the courtyard trying to manoeuvre the crutches on the cold ground and saw a bench nearby and sat down. As he sits there, he looks up and can see the stars above him it is a clear night he could see that dawn was close, but dark enough that he still could see the stars. He just sits there looking up wishing he could be up there where he would have no worries whereas down where he is there is problems all over. He looks over at the fence and watches the odd car and jogger pass by.

'I'm broken and weak, maybe it be better off for everyone if I just vanish.'

He sits there for a while longer not knowing how much time has passes as he just watches people go by there business, the morning sky still dark but the tell-tale signs of morning is in the air, he is broken out his thought when he hears a voice.

"Now, I know you aren't sitting out here all alone, now are you?" Athena says as she opens the gate.

"I've not been out here long." Buck replies truthfully as he turns round to look at Athena walking to him.

"Well, come on. Let us get you back in the warmth, put some coffee on and we can chat" She says with a smile.

They head over to the front door, Athena watches and offers to help him as he struggles with his crutches and trying to use the key to open the door. They quietly enter and walk pass the still sleeping Maddie and into the kitchen. Buck starts to walk over to the kettle, but he feels a hand on his shoulder he tenses up.

"Sorry, Buck." Athena says, "You sit at the island, I'll make the drinks." She continues

"It's okay, I'm sorr-" He starts but Athena gently interrupts.

"Baby, you don't need to say anything. I understand completely." She says with a smile

He nods back and watches as she fills the kettle and starts making the drinks.

"Hey Athena, is it six am already?" Maddie says

Buck looks at her and when he glances over to the clock on the microwave. sure enough, it was nearly six am. he had been outside for nearly an hour.

"Yeah, I found this one outside watching the world go by, so I brought him back in." Athena says as she sets a third cup.

"Buck, what, when?" Maddie asked a bit shocked