Part I

It was beginning to snow outside as Effie and Freddie started screaming at each other. They didn't even know for sure what they were arguing about, but they were letting out months of untold frustrations all at once. Freddie did not like yelling at Effie like he was. They had never had an argument before and Freddie just wasn't used to it arguing, unlike Effie who argued with her mother all the time about anything and everything. Effie stormed down the stairs of Freddie's house with Freddie following right behind her. He was upset with her, yes, but that didn't mean he stopped caring.

"You take me home right now. I don't want to be here, I don't want to do this right now, just take me home," Effie demanded. Freddie lived miles away from Effie and he was the only way she had of getting home, otherwise she would have just taken the bus.

"Okay…Okay fine. I'll drive you home. Get in the damn car," Freddie spoke with a lump in his throat as Effie stormed out of his house. He really didn't want her to leave. He wanted to go back to two hours ago when they were nestled up in his bed watching movies and being happy.

They drove in silence while Effie was hiding her tears in the passenger seat. Freddie didn't want this and neither did Effie, but it was happening. Freddie was far from giving up on Effie, but he was wondering if she thought that maybe their relationship had just run its course. Effie eventually sat up with her wavy brown hair in a mess and eyeliner smeared all over her face.

"You okay?" Freddie asked in a calm voice.

"Pull over," mumbled Effie.

"What? Why?"

"Just pull over, pull over. I need to tell you something."

"Uh, okay."

It was now dark outside and Freddie pulled over to this little spot where no one seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Freddie was frankly a little frightened. He was still shaken from their argument and now Effie is asking to pull over to tell him something? He glanced over at her. Effie had her fists clenched and she was staring straight ahead out the window.

"What did you need to tell me, Eff? Are you alright?" he asked.

Effie looked down at her hands laying with their palms up in her lap. Freddie's heart was beating fast. He had his eyes locked on her, waiting to listen to anything she had to say.

"I love you, Freddie," whispered Effie.

"You…you what?" Freddie said without completely putting everything together. Effie finally looked up at Freddie, focusing her light blue eyes on his dark brown eyes. Both of them looked equally worn and terrified.

"I said I fucking love you dammit. I love you, Freddie. I love you and I wish I didn't, but I do. I don't have many good things, Freddie, but you are one of them and I don't intend on taking you for granted. I'm fucked up and I always will be fucked up. I'm crazy in the head and I'm sorry if this scares you and I understand if you don't want me anymore, but I'm not going to let you leave my life without knowing that I fucking love you."

Freddie took Effie's face in his hands and kissed her just as he had wanted to during their whole argument. Effie wrapped her arms around Freddie and tried to bring him closer to her. Freddie had finally let go and wiped away the tears that had been on her face earlier. She smiled, making him smile.

"Elizabeth Stonem, I fucking love you too. I always have. I don't care how fucked up you are and I don't care how much being with you is going to hurt, I love you and I am not going anywhere. I'm going to take care of you," Freddie said with a red face and a quivering voice.

Effie ran her fingers through his black hair and then traced the outline of his face with her hand. Freddie felt goose bumps rise up on his skin. She climbed over the arm rest and wrapped herself around Freddie. Effie looked down placed a hand on his chest and just felt his heart beating. She wanted to feel his chest moving up and down as he breathed in and out. Freddie wasn't too sure what Effie was doing, but he loved it and he loved her. Freddie lifted her chin up and kissed her again until they were both panting for breath.

Effie helped Freddie take his shirt off and she left soft kisses all over his chest. He could feel the whole universe on fire inside of her. That's what Effie was to Freddie. She was fire. Effie was going to consume him completely and he was going to let her.

Freddie slowly took off Effie's shirt. She adored the way her warm skin felt against his. Freddie kissed her all over. Effie threw her head back and let out a soft moan as he kissed a straight line down the middle of her stomach. She leaned down and kissed his neck until he cried out as well. She wrapped herself around him even more. Effie wanted Freddie as close to her as possible. All Freddie could think about for years is how much he wanted her. And now he had her body wonderfully tangled up with his. He was drunk off the smell of her skin. Freddie wanted Effie in every way possible.

Effie stopped for a second and gave a look that frightened Freddie to the core.

"Freddie," Effie said between breaths, "I want you to hit me."

"What?" said Freddie, confused.

"I need you to hit me Freddie," Effie stammered, her eyes were looking back and forth and her breathing was panicked.

"Eff, I love you. I'm not going to hit you," Insisted Freddie with concern in his voice. Effie was getting louder and her body started shaking.

"Hit me, Freddie, do it! Fucking do it!" Demanded Effie as she started sobbing.

"Eff, look at me," Freddie said as he took her tear soaked face in his hands once again, "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm never going to hurt you. I love you, Eff. I'm going to take care of you. It's okay. It's going to be okay."

Effie collapsed onto Freddie's chest and cried out. Freddie felt as if he had just been stabbed, seeing Effie in such a state. He combed his fingers through her hair and sang to her softly until she calmed down.

"Freddie, I meant it when I said I was fucked up. I'm sad Freddie. I'm really, really sad. I don't know what's wrong with me, and I don't know how to fix myself. I'm scared," Effie said with a shaky, quiet voice.

"That's okay Eff. I'm here. I'm going to help you. I'm going to take care of you."

Freddie left small kisses on top of her head and traced shapes on her skin until she fell asleep on him.

Part II

The music was loud and Freddie had no idea where Effie had gone to. People where everywhere and he barely saw anyone he actually knew. How did Effie even know all of these people? Freddie was getting worried. He knew that Effie was having a rough week in her head and she didn't even want to have this party in the first place. Freddie kept looking around for anyone that looked familiar. He finally ran into a much panicked Naomi. This made Freddie even more nervous than he already was.

"I've been looking all over for you. Effie's been in the bathroom for a while and I keep knocking on the door, but she just isn't answering me. I don't know what's going on. The door's locked, I can't get in," said Naomi with a trembling voice. Freddie felt his heart drop. He was pushing people out of his way as he ran to the bathroom door. He shook the knob and of course, it was locked like Naomi had said.

"Effie?! Open up the door! Open up the door or I'm coming in there," Demanded Freddie. There was no answer. Freddie back up and shouted at everyone to move out of the way before running into the door, knocking it open. What he saw ripped his heart right out of his chest. Effie laid covered in blood on the floor. She had slit her wrists open and her eyes were closed. Freddie sprinted over to her, sat her up, and wrapped her wrists up with whatever he could find.

"Effie…..Effie no, no. Don't you do this to me. FOR FUCK'S SAKE SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE. SHE NEEDS AN AMBULANCE," screamed Freddie with a lump in his throat.

Naomi immediately ran to the phone while Freddie stayed at Effie's side. He held her seemingly lifeless body in his arms.

"Effie please….don't leave me, I need you. Don't you leave me. I love you, Effie. I love you so much. Don't die, please don't die Effie," said Freddie with trembling lips and a shaky voice, "I love you Effie." He pleaded with her as calmly as he could with tears rolling down his face.

He kept down at her helpless body in his arms. He saw her eyes flutter a bit, giving Freddie an inch of hope that she would be okay, physically at least. He held her tight as he sobbed for her. It killed him to know the pain he was experiencing from this moment was nothing compared to how Effie must have been feeling inside. He brushed the brown wavy hair off of her face and kissed her forehead, telling her that she was going to be okay.

He glanced up at the bathroom counter and noticed a piece of paper. It was a note addressed to Freddie.

"Freddie,

I'm so sorry for doing this to you. You're the last person I would ever want to hurt. You're the last good thing that I had. Please forgive me. I just can't stand being inside of my head anymore. I tried, Freddie. I really tried. The sadness just won't leave me and I'm tired of fighting. They're coming for me, Freddie. I'm hoping that once I'm dead and free from my body, I'll be free from my mind as well. I'm going to be free this way, Freddie. I won't be able to hurt myself or anyone else anymore. It's going to be okay this way, I promise. You'll move on and I won't be holding you back anymore. You won't have to hear me complaining all the time. You'll find someone who is happier than I ever was. You won't have the burden of taking care of anyone anymore. If there's anyone who could have saved me Freddie, it would have been you. You gave me more happiness in this life than anything else ever did. But you couldn't have saved me, Freddie. No one could have. Please forget about me, Freddie. I'm a ghost now and I refuse to haunt you. I love you. I always have. I have love you in so many ways and I know you've loved me too. I'll see you again soon, sweetie. And when I do, we'll both be happier people then."

The ambulance came and Effie was in the hospital for days before she woke up. Freddie never left her side. He told her he was always going to be there for her, and he was. When she finally woke up, it was getting dark outside and Freddie had fallen asleep in the chair.

"Freddie….," Effie muttered in a confused voice with all the breath she had.

Freddie heard her voice and thought he was still in a dream. When he finally came to, he realized it was her actual voice. Immediately, Freddie perked up and went over to her. He got in her hospital bed next to her and just held her for a moment. Both of them had tears in their tired eyes. He took her face in his hands and kissed her head.

"Please don't you ever do that to me again, Effie. You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were gone. I thought you were gone, Eff. I love you so much. I love you so fucking much," said Freddie with a lump in his throat while he ran his fingers through her hair. He put his hand on her chest, just like she did to him that night in the car. He felt her chest move up and down with each breath. He felt her heart beating. He felt the fire still alive inside of her. Freddie was crying his eyes out.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. My sweet boy. I'm so sorry," Effie managed to mutter out. Her voice was weak and her face was wet.

"You're going to get help, Eff. You're going to be happy again, okay? I promise you, I promise you," he said to her as he nestled up closer to her in her bed.

"I believe you Freddie. I'm sorry I put you through this. I love you so much. I love you so fucking much."

Freddie promised he was going to take care of Effie, and he did. Effie played with Freddie's hair while he fell asleep with his arms holding her tightly.