I need to find a way out.

(Y/n) didn't know what options she had left. Over the last three hours she had tried everything to get herself out of this damn bedroom. She had tried opening the windows; which of course, had been safely locked by Tobias beforehand; she had tried screaming, had tried pounding the door open and had tried searching the room for miraculous secret passages only to find a painful nothing.

From the looks of it, there was no way out from her current predicament, even less so with her broken ankle and broken ribs. And although (Y/n) didn't want to give up this soon, she couldn't help the wave of helplessness that washed over her as she fell back down on the bed, shoulders slumped over and features haggard.

Was this really what the universe had in store for her? Had she come this far only to be locked up in a bedroom against her will, by someone she considered a friend nonetheless?

But then again, maybe this had been her mistake. Maybe she should have known that things would end up this way. Everyone had warned her about the Infected city, everyone including Tobias himself. Still, not only had (Y/n) insisted on staying but she had also fooled herself into thinking that trusting an Infected could be a good idea, into thinking that her friendship with Tobias could ever lead to something other than betrayal.

Truth was, she had brought this upon herself. She had known the risks of staying in the city and befriending Tobias, but it hadn't stopped her from doing what she wanted and pursuing a taste of the sweet freedom she had been denied for so long by her own mother.

And even now, as tears rolled down her eyes and as she slowly started to process the gravity of her situation, (Y/n) couldn't find it in herself to regret her past choices.

Because if she hadn't stayed in the city, she wouldn't have met Lupita, she wouldn't have discovered what it meant to be free to choose for one's self, and she wouldn't have discovered who she truly was. If she hadn't stayed, she would have forever remained the poor little (Y/n), helpless and dependent on both her mother and sister. Which was why, even if things truly ended like this, with her locked up by an Infected, she could never regret the choices she had made for herself.

I can't give up just yet. (Y/n) was going to get her freedom back, one way or another. She wasn't going to let Tobias take her life away and store it in a safety room. What she had gained from living in the city was too precious for her to give it all up. I'm going to get out of here, even if I have to wait for an opportunity.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, the door creaked open, Tobias stepping in the room like he was carrying all the shame in the world on his shoulders. And (Y/n) damn hoped he was.

"Hey." He said, in a voice softer than (Y/n) had ever heard it, like he was afraid of scaring her if he spoke too loudly. His eyes scanned her from head to toes, heaving a quiet sigh of relief when he saw she was still safely bandaged with no new bruises or cuts.

(Y/n) quietly scrutinised him from her corner in the bed, gathering her legs up to her chest and holding them there. She didn't like the way he looked at her, with so much care and affection. With so much reverence.

It made her skin crawl.

Tobias's gaze then landed on her uneaten breakfast, which had probably gone cold by now. A frown creased his brows and he straightened his posture, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You haven't eaten?" He asked, like a parent berating their child. (Y/n) didn't answer, but she didn't think Tobias expected her to anyways, the answer to his question was more than obvious. "(Y/n)..." He groaned, his voice tainted with frustration.

(Y/n) remained silent and turned her head away from him. To be honest, she had been so caught up with trying to find a way out of this shithole that she had completely forgotten about the breakfast he had prepared for her.

"You've got to eat. Your body needs the nutrients." He continued, the floorboards softly squeaking under his feet as he approached her.

Silence, heavy and deafening, was the only thing that greeted Tobias yet again. It was obvious (Y/n) wasn't going to make this easy for him, and he couldn't blame her for it either. Tobias knew she didn't want to be here, he was holding her up against her will for crying out loud. But still, she needed to realise that starving herself wouldn't do her any good!

"(Y/n), please, don't make me force feed you." Tobias groaned, in a tone that sounded more pleading than annoyed. "You won't recover properly if you don't eat. I can make you something else if you want? Really, I'll make whatever you want, as long as you just eat."

Tobias knew talking to her right now was no better than speaking to a stone wall. And as much as it hurt for her to ignore him, he tried still.

He took another step forward, softly sitting down on the bed. Pain pierced his chest as she flinched at the close proximity, the bitter taste of rejection coating his tongue. What hurt the most wasn't her rejecting him though, but more so the thought of her fearing him enough to flinch away from him.

Then again, this had to be expected, as to her he was probably no better than other Infected in the city. He had gone from being a friend to being a foe and a threat. It made perfect sense in Uninfected logic. Tobias could only hope that (Y/n) would come to see him as a safe place again one day. And in spite of how much it pained him to acknowledge that she feared him, whatever she felt about him paled in comparison to her safety.

If her being afraid of him was the price to pay for keeping her safe, then so be it.

"Listen," He said, swallowing back the ball of nerves at the back of his throat. "I know you don't want to be here, and I know you probably hate me right now. But I promise I'm doing this for your own good. You weren't safe out there, (Y/n)."

For the first time since he entered the room, she acknowledged him, shooting him a glare so intense he half expected it to burn holes through his skull.

(Y/n) had so much she wanted to say, the words all seemed to fight for an exit in her mind and in her mouth. She wanted to scream, shout, cry and beg for him to let her out all at the same time. But nothing came out, she was stuck with a raging hump of brewing emotions that she didn't know how to channel into words. So she sat there, silently seething as Tobias took the plate of food in his hands and stood up from the bed.

"I'll reheat it and come back to feed you myself." Tobias stopped by the door, turning around to check on her a last time before leaving. "Unless you'd prefer for Marcus to feed you instead?"

At the mention of the elder, (Y/n) perked up, hope flickering in her gaze at the idea of seeing the only person she still considered a friend in this home. She didn't expect Marcus to agree with Tobias locking her up, and she hadn't thought about his whereabouts until now but if he was still here... Maybe that meant he could help her out.

Before she could rejoice too much though, Tobias offered her a sad empathetic smile. One that chilled her to her core.

"Don't try to bribe him into letting you out. He won't." Tobias said, leaving the room before (Y/n) could speak her mind. This didn't stop her from screaming her frustration at the door though.

What did he mean by that exactly? Marcus was an Uninfected just like her, and had stated his dislike for Infected behaviours on more occasions than she could count. Marcus would never agree to this, it just wasn't right. Unless of course, he had been threatened into complying by Tobias himself. And (Y/n) had a feeling whatever Tobias had threatened him with could only concern his own Uninfected identity.

Of course Marcus wouldn't help her if his own life was on the line.

So (Y/n) was back to square one, silently waiting for either Tobias or Marcus to come feed her.

After what felt like an eternity but had probably been a few excruciating minutes, the door finally clicked open, slight relief washing over (Y/n) as Marcus entered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

And at this moment (Y/n) didn't know which one of them was the most miserable. Her for being held against her will and him for being threatened into acting like the ones he despised.

"Hey there, (Y/n)." Marcus greeted, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm and warmth. He sounded exhausted, resigned. The poor old man probably didn't want to be here, much like her.

(Y/n)'s lips stretched in a sad smile at his words, she couldn't be mad at Marcus, not when he was a victim of this situation as much as she was.

"Tobias reheated your breakfast. And I know you're probably not very hungry given the... circumstances." Marcus said, for lack of a better word. "But he made it clear that you had to eat. And I really don't want to have to force feed you."

(Y/n) let out a heavy sigh, tightening her hold on her legs as if to shield herself from the possible scenario, she had no doubts that if she didn't eat Tobias would find a way to make her. The mere thought had her stomach churning in disgust and unease.

"I'll eat." She said, reluctantly accepting the plate. The food looked appetizing, it was clear Tobias had put great care in whipping it up for her, but it stunk with the taste of captivity and lost freedom.

She took a first bite, then a second, then another and another and another. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's lunch, and in spite of her reluctance to eat, her own body ended up betraying her in its urgent need for food.

Marcus observed her, his features softening at the sight, though they were soon overtaken by a mix of guilt and worry. He bowed his head in shame and crossed his hands atop his knees.

"I really tried to prevent this, you know?" He said, "I thought that by keeping Tobias as far away from you as possible things would get better but..."

He looked up to meet (Y/n)'s eyes with a sad apologetic smile.

"Guess I was pretty naïve, wasn't I?" He said with a hollow chuckle. "And now we're both paying the price."

The food turned to ash on (Y/n)'s tongue, Marcus's words sinking low in her mind. Back when Marcus had tried to push her away, she hadn't even thought about why, too emotionally blown by Tobias's harsh words to dwell on Marcus's behaviour. Maybe she should have, maybe then she would have been able to prevent things from escalating the way they had.

If Marcus had been naïve, she had been too. Gods, her very presence in the city was due to her blatant naivety and lack of self preservation.

She had been so freaking blind, that she hadn't even seen that Tobias's harsh words had, too, been an attempt on his part to drive her away from himself.

It was too late to beat herself up though, all she could do now was stand face to face with the result of her own decisions.

"I'm sorry, my dear." Marcus continued, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, his hand cold and soft against her own. "I know you probably hate m-"

"No, I don't." (Y/n) cut him off firmly, planting her gaze in his. "If anything I'm sorry for everything. If i hadn't shown up, if I hadn't asked you for shelter... None of this would have happened."

Marcus tenderly brought his other hand up to her cheek, cradling it with gentle care, his eyes immensely sad.

"You did what you thought was right, no one can fault you for that." He said with a fatherly smile, one that had tears springing up (Y/n)'s eyes. "I wanted to help you, and I still do. So please, let me."

What?

(Y/n) paused, letting his words register in her mind.

"But Tobias said-"

"I know." Marcus continued, "But I'm an old man, (Y/n). You're a young woman and you've got all your life ahead of you. Letting my own grandson take it all away from you wouldn't be right."

(Y/n) stared at the old man, mouth agape and silent tears streaming down her face. She could faintly see his own clouding with sadness and repressed emotions. They both knew what this meant. If he helped her, he'd have to deal with the consequences of Tobias's threat.

Marcus was willing to lay his own life on the table to save hers.

"I can't let you do that. I can't let you-"

Marcus shushed her with a shush and a shake of his head, casually brushing off her refusal.

"Listen, I've got the key to the window. I'm going to give it to you. So I want you to open this damn window, climb out and run as fast as you can. It'll probably hurt considering your current state but you don't have a choice." Marcus explained, "I know you probably want to go find your friend but her house is the first place Tobias will check when he finds out. I'll try to hold him back, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to do so for long."

"Marcus-"

"Promise me you'll get out of here." Marcus cut her off, squeezing her hand in his pleadingly. "Promise me you'll get out of here and live a long happy life far from my grandson. Promise me you'll be free and live the life you want for yourself."

(Y/n) choked back a sob, silently nodding her head, Marcus finally heaving a relieved sigh and collecting her in his arms.

"Good girl." He said, "You've got this, okay?"

(Y/n) nodded yet again, wiping away the tears from her eyes. She couldn't believe things had come to this, she couldn't believe she was about to trade Marcus's freedom for her own. But as Marcus had pointed out, she didn't really have a choice.

"Alright, I'll-"

A loud bang echoed through the house, followed by hurried steps and a voice (Y/n) knew all too well.

"Under Infected Law, we have authorization to search your house for (Y/n) Parker. Any attempt at stopping us or hindering our search will lead you to the Criminal Court."

Jasper.

(Y/n) couldn't even hear Tobias's words amongst the loud clatter of objects and furniture being moved around and doors yanked open. It was only a matter of time before they found her, and their presence here could only mean one thing.

They knew. They knew she was Uninfected and they were here to bring her to the Uninfected Camp.

(Y/n) shot Marcus a panicked glance. The old man was already rummaging through his pockets for the key.

"Okay, guess we don't have as much time as I thought we would." He said, fishing out the key and proceeding to open the window.

"Not here, sir!"

(Y/n)'s heart sunk to her stomach as footsteps approached the door, Tobias's voice still a blur through the surrounding commotion.

"Keep searching! She has to be here, this is the last house on our list." Jasper said, in an authoritative and cold voice that had (Y/n)'s skin crawling.

She turned back to Marcus, the old man struggling with the lock, until a satisfying click reached both their ears. Marcus shot her a glance, opening the window wide.

The fresh air slid inside, tickling her skin and calling (Y/n) to freedom. It was now or never.

"Go." Marcus said, "You don't have a second to spare."

From a distance, (Y/n) heard another room being opened. The more she waited, the closer these men were to finding her. She needed to get out now, and broken ankle or not, she'd have to push through the pain.

Marcus helped her up to the window sill, her hands shaking as she grabbed onto the ledge. And before she knew it, Marcus pushed her forward and she found herself outside on the ground. Pain shot through her limbs at the unexpected impact, her knees sore and scraped from where she had landed. Thank gods the fall hadn't been from very high up.

"Go!" Marcus shouted from up ahead, gesturing for her to run through the bushes where she'd be hidden from sight. And just as (Y/n) was about to thank him for his help, she was cut short by the sound of the door to her former bedroom being slammed open and various footsteps filling the room.

Time had run out. She had to leave now.

So with a heavy heart and tears streaming down her cheeks, (Y/n) pushed her way through the bushes, ignoring the pain flaring from her broken ribs and injured ankle.

Until a familiar voice made her freeze on the spot.

"(Y/n)!"





A/N:

Can't believe I'm saying this but this is actually the last chapter of Darling, and I'm feeling kind of emotional right now because honestly this story has taken up so much of my time, energy and brain space that I can't really wrap my head around the fact that the adventure's over :,) But at the same time I'm so excited for what's to come and I know that I'll probably find a way to write some additional tidbits for the Darling characters in the future. I was actually thinking about opening a special Notebook for that, where I'd be writing and sharing some writings featuring characters from both Broken Wings, Darling and my other stories to come!

I'll be posting the endings next week (probably, if I'm not too busy with finals) and I know some of you were curious about them so here are the characters that will be getting an ending of their own: Tobias, Jasper, Penelope, Lupita and Artty (I know some of you thought he wouldn't be getting one because the asshole died but he's getting one anyways).

Thank you all so so much for reading this story and for all your support and kind messages, you've all made writing this book so much fun <3 If you have any questions about Darling's lore or the characters, I still plan on doing a small Q&A so don't hesitate to write your questions in the comments and I'll be happy to answer them once I've published all the endings :)

Have a nice day/evening and take care <3