The Roots of Love

Cornelia/Caleb

Rated: T

Chapter One

Cornelia's POV

"Are you definitely sure? If you just wait another 40 minutes, my Mom will be back from Dean's and she can give you a lift home? Corny?"

I smiled. How kind and generous Will is. As we stood in her garden, I looked into the familiar redhead's eyes and saw concern.

"Will! Stop fretting! I'll be fine. I have 18 blocks to walk. I'm fine with that! Honestly, I need to get home before 11, or I'll be in major trouble!"

Will totally wasn't reassured. Still, she reached over and hugged me forcefully.

"Thanks for coming, Cornelia. It means so much."

"No problem! Will, you're unhappy, and I won't stand back and watch you just get unhappier! You're my best friend. No boy - not Matt, not anyone - will get away with making you sad."

Will managed to smile. I grinned too.

"Oh jeez, Corn. You're such a babe! What would I do without you?" she said, gratefully.

"Hm...how about nothing?" I replied, with a wink.

We laughed, and I began to walk out of her garden.

"Be careful!" Will called.

"I will be! I'm gonna ring Caleb to pass the time anyway. It's so exciting now that he knows how to use a phone!"

Okay, so maybe I was ever-so-slightly lying to Will. I was worried when I was walking for 18 blocks in Heatherfield to my apartment in the pitch black night. However, I discarded the butterflies in my stomach as soon as I dialled Caleb's number.

"Hello?" His sexy voice filled my ears.

"Hey Caleb!" I said, smiling as the words left my mouth.

"Cornelia. What are you ringing for at this time? I just came back from the Tavern with Aldarn and Vathek."

"I'm walking back from Will's house. I swear she's having a breakdown. It's Matt - she told him that she loved him and now he won't answer her calls, IM's, texts...she even tried to approach him at school but he avoided her!"

"Man...why would he do that? That's low."

"I know...so anyway, what's going down in Meridian? Phobos still wielding his inflated, tyranny-filled ego around?"

"Pretty much. We had an attack planned to raid the backstore of the Palace's grain, but unfortunately Phobos has secured the back gate with extra guards. It's getting harder and harder to find ways into that damned place!"

I sighed. Caleb worked so hard for his villagers!

"You'll find a way, Caleb. You always do. You're so...perfect like that."

"I wish I was perfect, Cornelia. Like you. You're the perfect one. Another reason why I love you."

I smiled to myself. How did I deserve Caleb? I didn't. He was far too beautiful, honest, talented, intelligent and generous.

I shivered.

"Are you cold?" He asked, worry evident in his tone. "Wait a sec, you said you were walking? At this time?"

"Calm down...it's fine, it's not like there's real danger."

"Yes there is! How far is it until your house?"

"...14 blocks."

"What? Right, I'm coming to get you. I'll take Blunk's tooth thing and make a portal."

"Fine...if you're that set on coming, I don't really mind. I'm at Grovestone. It's a load of streets...whoa, hold on a minute -"

I froze. A group of five men were headed towards me. I slowed down. What I hadn't mentioned to Caleb, of course, was that Grovestone is single-handedly the roughest place in Heatherfield. I kept my head down.

"Cornelia? Cornelia! What is it?" Caleb called down the phone.

"5 men. They're headed towards me. They're grinning and laughing. Oh my god. They're staring at me. Help."

Caleb's POV

"5 men. They're headed towards me. They're grinning and laughing. Oh my god. They're staring at me. Help."

I froze. Cornelia was in danger. I ran and shrugged my coat on, phone still pressed to my ear.

"Cornelia, keep calm, baby. Just keep cool, okay?" I reassured, even though I myself was about to "crap my pants" as the Heatherfielders say...

Then I heard the voices.

"Mmm! What do we have here? Pretty little girls like you shouldn't be out at this time!"

"Y'alright Blondie? Fancy coming back to mine for a couple of hours with the lads?"

"Yeah, c'mon babes, if you do as you're told, you'll have a whale of a time..."

"No thankyou. I'm fine, and I'm going home now." Cornelia - the only familiar voice - said.

I was seething. Perverts. I had to get to Heatherfield. Now.

I left my room at the top of the Infinite City stairwell and sprinted down a nearby staircase.

"Don't think so, fitty. You're coming with us."

"DON'T TOUCH HER! TOUCH HER AND YOU DIE! I SWEAR DOWN!" I screamed down the phone, startling some of the passing rebels.

I could hear Cornelia squirming.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

"Lay a finger on her and you'll wish you were never born!"

I heard scrabbling noises, then the worst came.

It sounded like applause, however, it was accompanied by screams.

Piercing screams. Heart-wrenching, piercing screams.

It was an attack. Kicks, punches, slaps and...

...Cornelia's screams.

Next chapter: Will and Caleb unite to save Cornelia. Will they succeed?

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