The Taken

I opened my mouth to try and diffuse the situation, but John spoke first. "They already know... David told you didn't he?" he asked quietly, but Brody was close enough that his head whipped around.

"What?" I asked, stunned, whispering.

"They know. They all know, don't they? That's why... that's why you suddenly started being nice to me! You... you have been playing me the whole time. They are all playing us!"

"What?" Brody demanded, standing up warily.

I started to get up, but John's hands went to my arms and he held me. "No!" I whispered, terror shooting up my spine.

"Simon!" Brody said in a panic, going to the door and flipping a switch above it.

"Shit!" Javon swore.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to play it off.

"You have really been playing me?" John asked angrily. "Since what? That first time you and David talked? Was he really trying to rape you or was that mutual and I misread it? You are fucking playing me the whole time!"

"No! No, John, no, he was trying to! He already had once, Brody caught him! Why are you so upset? I don't understand? I haven't been playing you!"

John looked at Missy, her wide eyed terror and I knew it was over. "How long have you known?" he demanded loudly, yelling at Missy.

She jerked and whined, covering her head. "Since we all went and cleaned up at the pool!" she wailed, covering her face.

"Shit!" Javon swore again, looking at Tamika.

I deflated.

"John, please let me go?" I asked softly, trying to stand up.

That seemed to set off a panic as Heidi and Missy both tried to get to the door. Tamika slapped Javon and ran to a bedroom, Salome close behind her as Javon and Marco took off after them. Brody hesitated when Nicki ran to a room, but sat down next to a frozen June instead.

Simon and Braydon were pinning Heidi and Missy down.

John flipped me over and pinned me to the couch. He looked livid. "You are a great actress on top of being ridiculously smart," he hissed. "I should have known. I should have known the second you just stopped freaking out when I got near you. You were just suddenly compliant and I should have known it wasn't that easy! When did he tell you?!?" he screamed.

"He didn't! Not really! I was there when him and Javon dragged you out to talk to you. I was sitting there against a tree. John..."

"No! No more lies. No more talking. Fuck!"

"This is a fucking mess!" Brody said, looking down at June in worry.

She was sitting there, wide eyed and frozen as she looked at Brody. "Are you... choosing me over her?" she asked Brody softly.

"Yeah?" he said hesitantly.

"You really like me more than her?" she asked again, as if she couldn't believe it.

"Yeah," he said again.

A scream came out of the room with Salome and Tamika and I looked that way in concern. "Please, John! This is getting out of hand!"

"You can't control everything!" he yelled. "This happened because of you! Because you LIED and faked it! Faked everything!"

"I didn't!" I said angrily. "Let me GO!" I yelled, jerking as hard as I could.

"Fuck!" he screamed in anguish, standing and taking me to the room. He shoved me towards the bed, then closed the door and slid down it, sitting in front of it on the floor.

I moved, sitting across from him on the floor, my heart breaking as he held his head and cried.

"John... yeah. I knew. I knew and I planned on playing you... but you were so sweet and nice and good. So much better than the guy who creeped me out at first. More and more... I fell for you. I kept falling despite myself. And... yeah. I wasn't acting at all when I got jealous... it's ridiculous that I feel so insanely jealous of those girls..."

"Bullshit. Look at you. Look at me. Yeah, I had no problems hooking up, but they were never like you. They were like me, 2s and 3s. An occasional 4. Never anyone like you at all. Girls to practice on! You are not jealous of that so don't even try that lie again. It's bullshit!"

"Fuck you! I'm not lying! Look at me you jerk!"

"No, Kai. No. I am not letting you hurt me any more. This sucks. This fucking sucks."

"You fucking suck! Listen to me! I like you, asshole! Yeah, I had every intention of just playing my part until we got home, but that changed. I was serious when I said I wanted to see you after we got home. And for the record, I think you are hot. That is not a lie either."

"Right. Please stop Kai. I can't. I need to just... think for a while."

"You don't get to call me a liar and then just tell me to stop, that isn't fair! What did you expect me to do! Of course I wanted to get home, we all do! You can't kidnap girls and expect us just to fall in love with you! You know what? Whatever. This is bullshit. I don't have to convince you of anything. You want to throw yourself a pity party? Have at it. I haven't been faking it since the night we made out and you held me for so long. I enjoyed every minute of it and I KNOW you knew it. Fuck you for blowing this all up."

I got up and went to the other bed, ignoring the yelling from the other rooms. I laid down, facing the wall and tried to wipe my eyes so he wouldn't notice. I needed a new plan, but I couldn't focus. It hurt to see John hurting so badly, but I was also pissed at him.

Someone pounded on the door.

"What?" John demanded.

"We need you out here, man!" Javon yelled.

"Why?"

"Come on!"

John sighed and got up and I looked over my shoulder in time to see him scrub his hand across his eyes. He glared at me before yanking the door open and going out front.

I wrapped in the blanket and followed him as far as the door. The girls weren't in there with them and I could see the one of the bedroom doors had a hasp lock up high. Brody looked past John back to me and John looked back.

"Shut the door," he snapped.

"Why? Why can't I know what is going on? What your plan for us is?" I asked, stepping out quickly as John turned back to me and closed the distance.

He grabbed my arm and pushed me back into the room, intending to push me in and close the door, but I grabbed his arm. "Why are you doing this?" I asked looking up at him. "We could be happy if you let us, you don't have to self sabotage this."

He glared down at the ground a moment, then twisted his arm out of my grip and shoved the door shut. I heard him close the hasp, but I still tried the door, then pounded on it.

"ASSHOLE!" I screamed.

I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear, but I couldn't hear anything at all.

I paced angrily, trying to reason things out despite how pissed I was.

By the time he finally opened the door, still scowling, I had a plan.

I glared at him as I walked past him and through the door where the others were still talking. John grabbed my arm to pull me back to the room, but I yanked away hard.

"Simon," I snapped. "Are those chickens tame or wild and is there already a coop somewhere or do we need to make one?"

He looked at me a little deer in the headlights. "Uhh... they're tame. There's stuff to make a coop in one of the caches."

"Tell Javon and Marco where the cache is and you two go get it. As soon as it's built, catch the chickens so we can start getting fresh eggs. I assume you also have seeds and other things?"

"Uhh... yeah?" he answered, looking past me at John who had a hold of my arm but wasn't pulling me back to the room.

"Bring them to me, I know where I can make a garden. Let the other girls out, we will start talking about jobs. John, grab those other blankets and put them in the washer, we are not sleeping on them like they are. Simon, make a map of all the caches and I need a list of supplies from each one so we can start planning things out. I assume you all decided we weren't leaving here? We need to start planning long term. Let the other girls out! Javon and Marco need to go get the coop. Why are you all just standing there? Move!"

They glanced at each other, then started moving. John let me go and gathered up the blankets while Simon pulled out a map of the island and showed Javon and Marco where to go. Braydon flipped the hasp on the door so the girls could come out.

"All of you, come out here and sit down," I said confidently. "Tamika! Please, not right now!" I yelled when Tamika started after Javon with her first drawn. "Sit down and we will talk about our long term plans."

"We want to go home!" Missy wailed. She had been crying, her and Heidi both. Tamika looked pissed and Salome and Nicki looked lost.

"I know, but that ship has sailed. We need to focus on long term now," I said tersely. "We are stuck here now, so we focus on moving forward, try to come to terms with our... captors. We still have each other. We know now there is no escaping for us, so we have to come to terms with them."

"Terms with them?" Missy asked. "What sorts of terms?" Her voice wavered and giant tears fell down her cheeks.

"We will work that out later, but I know Simon is able to have things dropped in. If we... cooperate to a degree and work with them, maybe we can get things like better clothes and..."

"I vote no clothes," Marco said, hovering at the door.

I turned to him. "You and Javon are supposed to be getting the coop. This talk is for the girls and I, not you. You all had your own talk where you got to decide all of our fates. We can talk about how to work this out so we aren't all miserable for the rest of our lives. Braydon, go start gathering suitable wood. I want a ramp built up to the mouth of the cave so it isn't so hard to get in and out."

Javon and Marco came back in. "It's too dark out to go get it tonight," Javon said to me.

"Fine, first thing in the morning. You too Braydon. Once they are done getting the coop, all of you can find wood for a ramp. I will build the coop, the girls and I. Simon, if you have all the cache's marked, start making lists. Label the caches and what is in each. Heidi, you and Nicki start making dinner please, I will put you two on cooking. Tamika, Salome, I am going to teach you both how to garden. June, you will be in charge of gathering eggs every morning and feeding the chickens. Missy, I am going to show you how to forage. There is a LOT here on the island I am going to show you how to find. Brody, I assume you can fish?"

"Yeah?"

"Anyone else?" I asked.

"Me," Braydon answered.

"Then you two will be on fishing. Simon, you will be on laundry and kitchen cleanup. Javon, John, Marco, you will be on gathering the wood and rocks and things we need to build things."

"I can have kits dropped in," Simon said softly.

"Fine. They can build them and do other needed things, like catching the chickens. We also want real clothes to wear. John, how full is that pantry by the laundry room?"

"Really full," he answered glumly as he came into the room. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms to glower at me.

It didn't matter if he was upset, so long as he wasn't stopping me. I had started this in charge, I needed to stay in charge. That was the goal in all of this, to stay in charge and keep them doing as I asked.

I moved over to John and tugged his crossed arms open, then turned and leaned against him, pulling his arms around my shoulders.

"Also, have more blankets dropped in. It's cold in here. Unless you have more in a cache somewhere?" I asked Simon.

He shook his head and wrote something down on a second piece of paper. It looked like he was writing a list of what was in the caches and what he needed to have dropped in.

I suppressed a smile. "Girls, make sure you write down your sizes for Simon so he can have the right sizes brought."

"Why can't we just go home?" Missy whined.

"Missy, this is the last time I want to hear that from you. From any of you. Look at me, all of you. They have already decided what to do with us, and that is keep us here. Missy, Heidi, this is on you two. You couldn't just find a little happiness in the moment like I told you to, you two are the reason we are in this situation. All you had to do was be happy for a few days but you couldn't do it. So suck it up! You let all of us down and put us in this situation so you are the LAST people that get to complain. We are going to make the best of this shit situation that YOU two put us in. The rest of us were happy, I was happy. If this is our life now, we are not going to let you fuck it up for us! We want to be happy."

The girls were all looking at me incredulously and Missy was sobbing. I threw up my hands.

"Back in the room, all of you! Now! We are going to have a talk! Go!" I demanded, ushering them all into the room they had been in. I pulled the door shut. "Listen to me!" I said loudly. "You two are going to get your shit together, do you understand?" I demanded.

"Kai?!?" Heidi cried in a whisper.

"If we are blaming each other, we aren't blaming them and they aren't watching us so close," I whispered quickly. "The rest of us want a shot at a decent life! We like our boys! I didn't think I would, but I even like John!" I said, loud enough to be heard by anyone listening at the door, and I knew someone was. "I have a plan," I whispered, "just roll with it. Missy, I love you, don't take any of this to heart, it's all in the plan."

They nodded, though Missy was still bawling.

"So here is how it is going to be! We are here, there is no leaving, and these are the men we have to choose from. Some of us are happy with who brought us here. Heidi, I think you are happy too, even if you are terrified. Missy, what is your problem? Simon doesn't seem like a bad guy."

"I want to go home! I want to see my fiance again! I love him!"

I yanked her close in a hug and rubbed her back. "That's over with now and you have to move on!" I said loudly.

"It's whatever," Nicki said angrily. "I only dated black dudes, but if I am stuck here, I don't want to be alone. I can see if I like Simon, see if he likes me. I mean, fuck. If he's got a tiny dick at least it won't be hard to suck him off."

I blinked at her bluntness, but hugged Missy more tightly. "We can be happy if we let ourselves," I continued. "This won't be so bad at all for most of us. Tamika, I know you like Javon, and Salome, you liked Marco from the get go. I didn't think I would like John, but he is actually super sweet and a gentle giant."

"So is Brody," June said. "I mean, he's not as big as John, but he's the same. A gentle giant. Sweet. And super funny. He makes me laugh. And he does have a bigger than average dick..."

I blushed and Heidi spoke up. "Braydon is nice too... he is a little... inexperienced."

"That will work itself out," I said quickly.

"I know. It's not him... he isn't why I am so upset. I miss my family, Kai."

"I know. We will all miss our families. Maybe someday we will see them again," I said softly. "Soon," I whispered. "Just roll with it."

There was a knock on the door.

I opened it and looked at Javon. "Yes?"

"Time for all of you to come out here," he said, his posture tense.

"Sure," I agreed. "We'll be right out." I closed the door and turned back to the girls. "We can do this. We will all miss our families, but we have the boys and we have each other. Ok? Ok, just remember that this is whatever we make it. We can make it miserable for them and us, or we can forgive them for the shitty way they brought us here and just be happy that we are here with some good guys who adore us enough to go to all of this trouble for us. Come on. Let's go back out there and you two can finish dinner, ok? Are you two good with cooking?"

"I am!" Heidi said quickly, "I love to cook!"

"I am fine with it," Nicki said. "But let someone else help tonight. I have... something else to do."

"Any volunteers?" I asked.

"I will," Missy said. "I like to cook too."

"Ok, Nicki, would you rather collect eggs?"

"Sure, I don't care. It's whatever."

I nodded, then opened the door. Javon was still close and so was Brody. They both looked tense and anxious. John was still against the wall by the door, his arms crossed. I went to him and pulled his arms back around me as I leaned against him. Missy and Heidi immediately started cooking and Nicki went over to Simon, hovering close and watching him write. He glanced at her wide eyed, then chewed his lip as he stared down at the papers, not writing anymore.

"Your handwriting is awful," she said. "Let me make these." She took the pen and got two new papers out, rewriting the list as she sat down at the desk. "Tell me what else?" she asked when he started to step back. "Come here, what does this say?"

John's arms tightened around me. "What are you planning, Kai?" he asked in a whisper. "It won't work. I'm on to you now."

"Ok," I said softly, patting his arm.

"And I am not going to let you play me again," he said, shaking my hand off of his arm.

"Ok. You think I am playing you, that's fine. Don't let me play you, as you see it. Why does that mean I can't touch you? If you are on to me, why do you care if I touch you?"

"Because you think it's going to sway me. Make me think you like me again."

"I do like you, even if you are being an asshole right now. So if you think it's fake, why do you care? Let me touch you as much as I want. Don't buy into it. I am doing it for me."

He huffed and let me go, going to the bedroom, then coming back out pulling on a t-shirt. He threw himself into a chair and as soon as he crossed his arms again, I went to him and got up on his lap, pulling his arms around me.

"It isn't going to work," he hissed.

"I'm freezing and I am stuck here with you forever, you are going to have to get over the pissy attitude. You brought me here, you know who I am, who I was. You know I am not a liar, I am who I am. Deal with it. And hold me. I am cold."

He growled, but put his arms around me and twisted so he was wrapped around me. I sighed and laid my throbbing head against his cool arm.

"Fuck, Kai! You are burning up!" he said, sitting up and putting a hand to my head.

"I'm fine, just hold me," I said, trying to push him back so I could lay on him.

"Simon, where is the ibuprofen?" John demanded.

"Bathroom medicine cabinet," Simon answered breathlessly. I noticed he was in the chair and Nicki was in his lap, writing away.

"I will get it," June volunteered.

"It won't help," I said, shaking my head. "I got sun today. I am sort of allergic to the sun."

"How can you be sort of allergic to the sun?"Javon demanded, coming over to feel my head. "She is burning up!"

"If I get a sunburn, it produces a chemical that my body is allergic to. It causes a fever. Seriously, it's not a big deal, I just get achy and stiff until the sunburn goes away. Please, John? Just hold me?"

"I should take these blankets off you," he said worriedly, starting to unwrap the blanket I had wrapped around me.

"Don't you dare! I am freezing! I am already miserable, don't make it worse, please? Just hold me? It will go away, I promise. I am used to it."

He let out a defeated sigh, then leaned back and held me gingerly. I snuggled into him and closed my eyes, my head still pounding. I reached up to play with his short hair, liking the feel of it on my fingertips. It was soft. After a moment, his hand slid up my back and started stroking my hair, then rubbing my head.

"Mm, that feels good, my head hurts so bad."

"Here, take these. Heidi, water?" John said, sitting me up and pressing a pill to my mouth. I took the pills from him and the water from Heidi, then swallowed them quickly before laying back against John. He held me close immediately, stroking my hair and holding me like he was afraid.

"Don't worry," I said softly. "It really is normal. Promise."

He didn't say anything, but his grip relaxed slightly. I could hear the others talking softly, especially Javon and Tamika, talking about how they planned on trying to work through the issues. After a few minutes, I jerked fully awake when John spoke. "Bray, that was the buzzer for the washer, would you please go put that load in the dryer for me?"