"Okay well, now what the h3ll are we gonna do?" Stephan spoke up after everyone calmed down and I was finished with that disgusting blood.

"We've got a man down, wounds of our own to heal, and a bunch of hybrids after us on their home turf. This whole thing is going to s**t," he shook his head.

  "Did you expect it to be easy?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No, of course not," he frowned at me.

I chuckled, "Well at least it's going better than I expected."

He looked at me incredulously. "How in the h3ll —"

"No one's dead yet," I shrugged.

  Cali snorted, "Yeah, no matter how hard you tried to change that," she commented snidely about Wolfie and I's tiff.

  I frowned deeply.

  She looked behind me at the sleeping Wolfie, and I felt my blood starting to boil at the mear sight of her looking at him in such a vulnerable position.

  Then I immediately stuffed it down, because I'm the one that put him there in the first place.

  I have no right to be upset.

  It's my fault we're a man down. . .

  "Hey! What the h3ll have you done on this trip? Nothing!" Rose snapped at Cali.

  "Yeah, you can't be mad at Maria, she's practically been carrying this whole team the entire trip," Brandon glared at her.

  But that doesn't mean I'll stop my friends from going at her.

"Could you three stop it with your little cat fight and help me move him to the stream?" Happy interrupted their glaring contest.

  I took a step forward.

  He put his arm up. "Sorry Maria," he looked at me sympathetically. "I think you need to take a little bit of a breather before you help him."

  My heart dropped into my stomach.

  "I have been taking a breather," I jumped to explain. "I'm fine now. I-I'm not gonna do anything. I promise."

  "There's still a lot of blood, Maria —"

  "I've cooled off, I can handle it."

  "Listen, I made sure he gave you your space after he did this to you, now I'm doing it for him. Ask someone else to help," He said sternly.

  My nerves spiked all over again, but this time, it wasn't because of a threat. I became aware, all over again, of what I've done, and it made me ring my hands together and hold back tears.

  A huge lump formed in my throat and I got antsy, because all I want to do is help him.

  Fix what I've done.

  Unf*ck up what I've f*cked up.

  But Happy won't let me.

  I glared at him.

  Cali chuckled, "So much for having cooled down."

  I switched my glare to her. I'm pretty sure I felt my eye twitch.

  Rose came to my defense, as always, "Listen you b**ch, I don't know what your deal is, but if you don't stop making off the shoulder comments, I'm gonna —"

  "I'll help you Zach," Cali cut Rose off with a stupid smile.

  "Um, no you will not," I raised my eyebrows at her.

  "I'll help," Brandon stepped up to Wolfie's unconscious body.

  Stephan bent down too to help carry him over to the stream.

  "One, two, three." They all grunted as Happy finished the countdown and they lifted.

  "Holy s**t, what does this guy eat?" Stephan groaned as they moved him.

  They moved him the last few feet and set him on the edge of the creek.

  Happy got to work on the rest of Wolfie's wounds, considering he himself didn't have anything too pressing.

  Since he wouldn't let me touch my own mate, I begrudgingly sat down by the edge.

  Before I got working on myself though, I looked to Rose and Brandon. "Hey, you guys need any help?"

  "Nah, we're good, we can do it ourselves, thanks Mari," Brandon reassured.

  I nodded and cupped my hands to fill them with water.

  I held my breath as I poured it over my calf first.

  It may be an older wound, but it's been through a lot today. It hurts like h3ll.

  I grit my teeth as I continue to clean it, and when I'm done I trade out the gauze wrapped around my forearm.

  I stand and grunt.

  Yep, the gash on my chest is going to be problematic.

  I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth.

  I'm gonna need help wrapping this before I even think about fighting again.

  "Hey, can someone help me out?" Stephan asked the group while struggling to clean his cut up hands.

  I cringed at them, they look pretty bad.

  "Yeah, I can help," I slowly walked over.

  It's so much harder to walk now that the shock's worn off.

  "Oh, um," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "thanks."

  I let out an equally awkward laugh, "Don't worry, I um, won't go all crazy on you. . . Haha. . ."

  He nodded and I slowly reached for his hands.

  He suddenly jerked them back, "Are you sure? There's a lot of blood."

  I looked at him, a little shocked for a second, but then couldn't hide my slightly devastated expression. I tried to cover it up, but he was already jumping to explain himself.

  "No, Maria, I didn't mean it like that, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just —"

  "No, it's fine." I forced a smile. "I'll, uh. . . Go ask Brandon or Rose."

  I did that before he could protest to make me feel better, and my fake smile fell.

  I really can't blame him.

  Any of them.

  I just ruined everything.

  At least when it comes to their images of me.

  I wouldn't trust me either. . .

  "Hey babe," Rose smiled gently and I let a small tear fall.

  Why am I being so emotional lately?

  Oh wait.

  My life's a freaking mess, that's why.

  "Brandon's taking care of Stephan. You want help with," she motioned to my chest.

  I smiled lightly and nodded.

  Rose is one of the only people I could never push away. Someone who could never lose trust in me, because she's seen it all.

  And when I say 'it all' I mean it all.

  "Okay, strip so I can clean up those ugly @ss scratches."

  I rolled my eyes at her as we walked deeper into the forest, away from prying eyes.

  I sat down on a log while she rummaged through the first aid kit she brought with her to make sure she had everything she needed.

  She started cleaning the gashes with the canteen of water she brought with her and I cringed.

  This is going to be a long day.

  "I know babe, I'll try to be gentle."

  I nodded and she got to work.

  While we were walking back to the others, my chest ached but it was manageable.

  I looked around to find everyone occupied with their own thing.

  Rose was back with Brandon, Cali was resting on a rock, Stephan was nowhere to be seen, but probably just changing clothes, and Happy was tending to his own injuries now.

  I looked down at the shirt I'm wearing and immediately felt appreciative that Rose leant me a shirt. Mine was practically useless. I'm just glad everyone was probably too shaken up to even notice I was nearly flashing them.

  I looked to where I knew Wolfie would be and froze.

  Because he's not there.

  I don't know why I freaked out a little bit.

  Maybe because I know it wouldn't be that crazy for him to decide he hates me so much that he can't stand to be around me anymore so he ran away.

  I felt a pulling in a certain direction so I followed it.

  I can still catch him.

  What? No. No catching. That's creepy.

  But I can't just let him run away. What if he —

  There he is.

  Slouched against a tree.

  Looking right at me. . . And not running.

  He's just staring at me.

  And I'm just staring back.

 
  My eyes subconsciously moved over his body.

  He's still bleeding in a lot of places.

  I had to restrain from rolling my eyes. Great job Happy.

  Instead of standing there and staring awkwardly, I turned around and walked away.

  He didn't stop me.

  Can't imagine why.

•••Jason's POV•••

  Where is she going? Why is she just leaving?

  I felt a frown fall on my face.

  Now I don't have Malaki or Maria with me.

  Ki hasn't talked to me since the fight. I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact he lost.

  I tried to warn him that it was a terrible idea to challenge her with so many injuries, but I couldn't regain control in time. . .

  He'll come back to the forefront soon, though.

  I felt him stir when we sensed Maria.

  Speaking of her, I could hear her footsteps coming back.

  Ki and I perked up.

  She came back with a first aid kit in her hands and didn't meet my eyes.

  She stopped a few feet away.

  My frown deepened at how far she was. I just want her close. Closer than I ever have before.

  Wow, the mark works fast. How has she been able to resist us this whole time?

  . . . Another reminder of how much she hates us, I guess.

  She cleared her throat and I could tell it was her way of steeling herself.

  She's so cute when she does that.

  "Happy didn't do a very good job. . ." She mumbled.

  She shook her head and met my eyes, head on.

  It's funny because her voice still came out unsure.

  "Do you, um, mind if I. . ." She motioned to some cuts.

"Go ahead." I would have shaken my head to indicate I didn't mind but. . . Y'know.

She nodded and slowly walked over.

My eyes went to her new shirt.

"You got your chest taken care of?" I asked as she kneeled down next to me.

She nodded silently.

Then my thoughts got a little darker and I clenched my jaw, "By who?"

She smiled the smallest bit, "Relax, Rose did it."

I grunted.

She shook her head, still with a small smile.

It's not funny, if a guy had been the one to see her chest I would have personally ripped their eyes out, so it'd be the last thing they ever see.

She took me off guard when she placed her hand on my thigh and I flinched.

"Sorry!" She immediately jumped too. "I promise I won't —"

"Hey," I stopped her. "It's alright, you just. . . Startled me."

She looked at me skeptically, but eventually cautiously put her hand back on my thigh.

I don't know who she thought was scared, me or herself, but she finally rested it there and Ki went bristling about.

Mhm, you wanna stop brooding now that we have her attention, huh?

I got nothing in return but I know he's paying very close attention to a certain multicolor haired someone that's about to fix him up.

Then the water hit my ripped apart leg and I grunted.

"I know," she said softly and continued gently, patiently.

She had finished and moved along to my arm when her eyes kept flickering to her mark on my neck.

I wanted to say something to her. I don't know what. But anything to get the turmoil off her face.

I opened my mouth to say anything, but she beat me to it.

"I'm sorry."

". . . It's okay."

"No. It's not."

I took a slow breath. "It was my fault."

"Yeah. It was."

I was silent.

I wasn't expecting that.

"But. . ." She looked at the mark. "If I wasn't the way I am, it wouldn't have happened." She looked down, in what I would kill for not to be guilt.

"I like the way you are." I whispered.

". . . I wish I could believe you. But I don't."

"What? Why?"

She gave a humorless snort, "I'm practically a walking f**k up."

~~~~~~~~~
(A/N)

Haha... it's been a hot minute since I updated... sorry.

But I missed writing and that helped me get passed my mini writing block for this chapter.

It's weird that I even had one, though, because I already knew how I wanted it to end and I've had the first 500 or so words written since last Wednesday, the middle just wouldn't come to me.

But! now it's here! (And this also might explain why this chapter was a little rough).

Thanks for reading:)

~ The Awkward Tortilla