Finn

“Mr. Willis?” I asked as I poked my head through the door to his office. “Sir, you wanted to see me?”

He was on the phone and I was about to back away slowly, but he motioned for me to come in. I closed the door behind me and sat down in the chair I had sat in during my interview.

“Okay. I’ll have them ready for you by Monday. Don’t worry—Lawson, I promise you, they’ll be in your hands by two o’clock Monday afternoon. Alright…okay. Fine. I’ll talk to you later, alright? Goodbye.” He hung up and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. “Damn worrier,” he mumbled and I chuckled.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” I repeated.

“Ah, yes, Finn, I did,” he said smoothly as he cleared some stray papers off his desk. “How do you like it here so far?”

“Oh, I like it just fine. You have a lovely home and your daughter’s a nice girl.”

“I’m glad you think so,” he said. “She’s very special to me.”

“I can tell.”

He bit his lip and began twiddling his thumbs. He seemed a little uneasy, and I couldn’t tell why. “Finn, my daughter is special in other ways as well.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh? How so?”

He paused to run a hand through his hair. “My wife, the late Mrs. Willis, passed away when Bridget was only five-years-old,” he began. “Rachel died because she was trying to protect Bridget from several men who were trying to abduct her.” He paused, then struggled to continue. “I was heart-broken when my wife died. But what really scared me was why these men were trying to kidnap her.”

I waited patiently, but my heart was throbbing painfully fast.

“When Bridget was three-years-old, she fell on her head and suffered a terrible concussion. She went into a short coma and the doctors operated on her. The operation was a success, but it had rather devastating effects.”

I held my breath in anticipation. “What were those effects?” I asked quietly.

“They injured her amygdala, so much so that the damage was irreparable. The amygdala is the part of the brain that processes emotions and controls responses to fear and pleasure. In this case, Bridget’s impaired amygdala prevents her from feeling fear.”

I paused for a moment, trying to absorb this information. “She can’t feel fear?”

“No. She’s aware of this; this is the main reason why I taught her every martial art I knew, but I was also afraid that her lack of fear would lead to a reckless attitude, so I instituted the help of a bodyguard to ensure her welfare.”

“She knows that she can’t feel fear?”

Mr. Willis nodded. “I didn’t tell her the technical aspect of it until she was thirteen, but I think she knew the whole time. She reacted to threats differently than her peers, and I think she was always conscientious of the discrepancy. Bridget and I have always kept this as our little secret, but now it becomes your burden as well,” he said, giving me a pointed look.

I nodded. “Is that why those men tried to kidnap her?”

Mr. Willis nodded darkly. “The doctors that operated on her publicly recorded her condition and the effects of the operation. They never named her directly, but someone got past that patient confidentiality and found out who she was. They wanted to observe her under controlled conditions, something they knew that neither Rachel nor I would allow, so they attempted to take her by force. Interest in my daughter only increased after learning of her immense skills in the forms of martial arts, and I fear what these men will make her do if they apprehend her. So you see, Mr. Finn, my daughter has been in danger for most of her life.”

The sad look on Mr. Finn’s face did not go unnoticed. I realized that this man was fearing for his daughter’s life every moment she wasn’t around, while she couldn’t fear at all.

“Did the other bodyguards know about her…condition?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I didn’t think they would last long enough to take the risk. However, your skills are impressive and my daughter seems to like you, so I have a feeling you’re going to be here for a while, Mr. Finn,” he said with a paternal grin.

---

“She can’t feel fear,” I murmured to myself in the back of the limo. Mr. Willis informed me that part of my daily duties included seeing his daughter off to school and picking her up. Michael, the grumpy chauffeur, pressed the switch that brought a screen up between the driver’s seat and the back. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to care.

We stopped and I got out of the limo to wait outside the school. Now that I knew why I was Bridget’s bodyguard, I wasn’t going to take any chances. I felt oddly protective of my new charge, but then again, that’s what makes a good bodyguard.

I sat on the steps of the gigantic fortress of a school and waited patiently for Bridget to come out. The bell rang, and a few moments later, I spotted her strolling out of the entrance, her long dark brown hair blowing in the wind.

She looked around and found me waving to her. Grinning, she bounded up to me with her hands clasped behind her back. “Hiya, Finn.”

I raised my eyebrows but smiled. “Someone’s in a good mood.”

Her smile was bright enough to light her entire mansion. “I had an exceptionally good day.” She paused, then added, “No, not just good. Awesome.”

I chuckled and opened the limo door. “Get in and you can tell me all about it.”

She flopped on the plush leather seats and launched into explanation. “Okay, so I walk through the big double doors thinking it’s gonna be the worst day ever because it’s the first day of school and everyone knows that those are the worst days ever.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. When I first met her, I wouldn’t have pinned Bridget as the hyperactive type, but she just kept contradicting my first impressions.

“And then I went to get my schedule from the front office and I realized that I have the best teachers teaching my classes! I was so happy and then when I went to my classes, I also realized that I have a good friend in each of my classes! Then I went to lunch and the cafeteria was serving my favorite lunch. Those lunch ladies serve the best taco baskets ever!”

“You’re easily pleased.”

“That’s not all! They’re starting a martial arts club at school and Mr. Kai wants me to be a moderator!” She sighed in happiness and snuggled into one of the couches with her eyes closed. “I’m so happy, I’m tired.”

I raised an eyebrow amusedly. “How does that make sense?”

“I get exhausted from just being happy. And it’s a good feeling.” Soon afterwards she fell asleep and I decided not to wake her.

She was so bright and optimistic; she was easily content and cheerful. Was that what it was like to be fearless? Were you just happier in general?

When we got home, I gently prodded her awake. She blinked several times and stretched. “Did I really fall asleep on the way home?” She asked sleepily.

I nodded. “Yup, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Oh, but I wasn’t done telling you how wonderful my day was!” She exclaimed. “The best part is that I don’t have any homework!”

I frowned. “Congratulations, but you don’t usually get homework on your first day of school, do you?”

She snorted. “At Nolan Academy you do. That’s why I was so excited when school ended.” She jumped out of the limo and skipped inside the house, singing at the top of her lungs, “I don’t have any homework! I don’t have any homework!”

“She’s happy,” Adele said with a grin as I walked into the kitchen.

I laughed. “No kidding. On the way here she was gushing about her day and then all of a sudden, she just falls asleep!”

“She’s happy-tired,” Adele said wisely. “It’s a good kind of tired.”

Bridget

I was in the arena, practicing with the punching bag in the corner when Finn sat down on the bench next to me to watch.

“Bring your left fist up a little, you’re leaving your chin unprotected,” he advised.

I stopped and turned to him, panting. “I’m not fighting anyone,” I said with a smile. “I’m just punching a bag.”

He shrugged. “You should still keep in mind that you could get attacked at any moment.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. That sounded too much like my father’s thinking. “Dad told you, didn’t he?” I asked.

“Told me what?” He inquired innocently, but I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for that one.

“Told you about my, ‘condition’,” I replied as I took a drink of water. “He gave you all the gory details of why you’re bodyguard, didn’t he?”

Finn nodded gravely. “I won’t tell anyone.”

I shook my head. “I wasn’t worried about that. I was worried that you’d perceive me as some angst-ridden teenage girl with a gigantic chip on her shoulder.”

To my surprise, he just smiled. “With the way you bounded into the house today? How can I think you’re angst-ridden at all?”

I gave a small smile, but turned back to the punching bag. “I guess. I just don’t want to be stereotypical.” After a few more rounds with the bag, I stopped and sat down next to Finn on the bench.

“What’s it like?” He inquired.

I turned to him and raised my eyebrows. “You jealous?”

He shook his head. “No. Just curious.”

I pondered the question for a moment. No one really asked me what it was like, because no one really knew and I think father just wanted to forget it, as if my “condition” never really existed. “I think of it like a disability. You know how when one’s senses are impaired, one’s other senses are just heightened?”

He nodded and gestured for me to continue.

“It’s kind of like that. Since I can’t feel fear, I feel other emotions to a very strong degree to compensate. When I’m happy, I’m ecstatic. When I’m sad, I’m devastated. When I’m angry…well, it’s not so pleasant.”

He chuckled. “I bet. Especially since you pack a pretty mean punch.”

I smirked. “I try.”

“Bridge!” My father called over the intercom. “Taylor’s here!”

I jumped off the bench in complete elation. “Tay-Tay!” I shouted as I ran to the elevator and quickly pressed the first floor. When it stopped, I caught sight of Taylor’s short dreadlocks and launched myself at him.

“Oof!” He groaned. “Nice to see you too, Bridge.”

“Tay-Tay, it’s been so long!”

He gave me a funny look. “What are you talking about? You were in my H period.”

I waved that aside. “Totally not the point.”

He chuckled. “I brought the DVD.”

My smile brightened. “I’ll go get the popcorn!”

Taylor laughed as he got into the elevator and pressed the button that led to the second floor. I ran to the kitchen to ask Adele to pop us a batch of fresh, hot ‘n salty, buttery popcorn. I watched as she worked and as soon as she was done, I raced to the elevator, bumping into Finn on my way.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?”

“On the second floor!” I cried hopped in and pressed the button. He followed me and gave me a funny look.

“Who’s Taylor?”

“My bestest friend in the entire world! Do you wanna come meet him?”

“Where is he?”

“In the theater. We started a tradition freshman year that on the first and last day of every school year, he would come over and we would watch The Breakfast Club. He usually brings the DVD and I provide the theater and the popcorn.”

“Do you two go to the same school?”

I nodded emphatically. “We’ve been together since we were in diapers. He’s the coolest kid ever!”

When the elevator stopped, I ran to the theater and found Taylor staring at the entertainment system in helplessness. “Bridge! I don’t know how to work this thing!” He wailed unhappily.

I grinned and gave the popcorn to Finn to hold. “You’re hopeless, Tay-Tay.”

“Hey!” He cried indignantly. “Your stuff is just too complicated! Why can’t you get a normal DVD player with buttons in English?”

“What fun would that be?” I asked. He stuck his tongue out at me and I replied with my own outstretched tongue.

I put the DVD in and the screen started playing the standard, “if you steal this, you’ll be fined”, anti-piracy shpeal. Finn gave an uncomfortable cough and I started. “Oops, sorry. Taylor, this is my new bodyguard, Finn. Finn, this is Taylor, my best friend.”

Taylor held out his hand with a grin. “Nice to meet you. Hope Mr. Willis doesn’t fire you, ‘cause you seem like a nice enough guy.”

“We came to a draw,” I informed Taylor as we took our seats.

Taylor’s mouth dropped in awe as he gazed upon Finn with new-found respect. “Whoa, no way! I was beginning to think it was impossible to beat Bridget, much less come to a draw with her.”

“It was pretty tough,” Finn said with an amused look on his face.

The main menu came up and I pressed enter on the remote control. “Don’t you (forget about me)” started playing, and Taylor and I were singing at the top of our lungs; Finn was trying not to wince visibly.

Almost ten minutes into the movie, all the popcorn was gone and I was, once again, lost in Judd Nelson’s eyes. When Emilio Estevez uttered his famous line of, “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all,” Taylor and I gave a loud whoop of approval.

An hour and a half later, the credits began to roll and Taylor and I were once again singing. Even after I took the DVD out and put it in it’s case, we were still singing in our off-key voices.

“Lemme guess,” Finn said amusedly. “You guys aren’t in choir?”

“Hardy har har, Mr. Bodyguard man,” Taylor said as he stuck his tongue out at Finn. “I’ll have you know, Bridget and I can sing very beautifully. When we feel like it.”

“Tay-Tay, do you wanna stay for din-din?” I asked.

“Sure-sure.” Taylor replied, and Finn could only laugh.

A/N- Please, don't forget to review!