Other Half

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Hex, and I'm not making any money from this fic

Summary: After the final episode of season two – where the end of days has begun – Ella feels bad about the way she treated Leon, who's the perfect fit to her soul

Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers; mentions of violence; someone calling someone else a bad name

Author's Note: I first got into Hex after watching one of the season two episodes on Sky One, when we had it for a brief time. I asked for season one on DVD for my birthday, and got seasons one and two. Since watching the final episode, this idea has been playing around inside my mind off and on

Ella sat against the tree, one hand resting over her heart, where she'd received the fatal wound. Leon had cauterised it, but she'd still lost a lot of blood, and she still felt quite weak. It didn't help that they hadn't yet managed to find any food, since the nearest town was now – more than likely – under Malachi's control.

"You know, you're lucky to be a ghost," Ella said, turning her attention to Thelma, who was still wearing the ridiculous angel get-up. "You don't need to have food – at least not like us living people do."

"Hey, just because I don't have to eat doesn't mean I don't enjoy food," Thelma protested. She glanced around. "Where did the nob go, anyway?"

"Leon went off to look for food while you were supposed to be getting changed," Ella answered. "Speaking of which, what happened there? You're still wearing the angel costume. It's not a great look for you."

"Hey, Roxanne said I looked good," Thelma protested. "Well, for being dead, at least. And you know how hard it is to be a lesbian ghost. I figure that at least this outfit would make for some great pick-up lines."

"Lost angel or something like that?" Ella smirked and then closed her eyes, leaning back against the trunk of the tree with a sigh. "Actually, I'd be happy just with some water and a bit of meat." To be honest, she probably wouldn't be happy with that – and not because water and meat wasn't exactly a healthy diet.

"All right, what's wrong?" Thelma asked, leaning forward. "You've been looking glum since we left the school. And not in a oh-no-the-world's-about-to-end-because-I-failed-in-my-duty sort of way."

"It's that obvious?"

"For someone who's been around for hundreds of years, you're not very good at hiding your feelings." Thelma steepled her fingers and leaned forward slightly, trying to look stern and serious. "So, come on." She pitched her voice at a slightly lower volume. "Tell Auntie Thelma all about it."

In spite of herself, Ella couldn't help smiling. She didn't really feel like laughing, though. "I appreciate the effort, but the angel costume kind of ruins the whole effect."

Thelma shrugged. "Ah, well. It was worth a try. So are you going to tell me what's wrong? Oh no, wait. Let me guess. It's Leon, isn't it? You still feel bad about the way you treated him, and what your actions led to, am I right? You should forget about that. After all, it's not like you still dwell on Maya."

"You're wrong about that," Ella whispered, turning her face away. "I still feel bad about having to do that." Maya wasn't the only one who had had to die in the attempt to stop Malachi from ever coming into existence. So much bloodshed… and it had eventually all come to nothing.

"But you've got a backup about Malachi, right?" Thelma asked. "Please tell me you've got a plan B."

"I think we're gonna need a plan Z," Ella muttered. She sighed. "I'll think of something… later."

"When you're finished moping?" Thelma guessed.

"I'm not moping!"

Before the arguing could continue, Thelma and Ella's attention was drawn to Leon coming back through the undergrowth. He was carrying drinks and crisps, chocolate, and various other fatty foods. "Anyone hungry?"

"Yes, me!" Thelma answered immediately.

Ella stood up with a frown. "Leon… How did you get all this stuff?" she asked.

"The town's deserted," Leon replied. "I just smashed a few windows and took enough food. Figured I'd get something for Thelma, as well. A hungry ghost probably isn't a good idea at all."

Thelma paused in the act of reaching for some of the food, and then glanced towards Ella. "Wait… How do we know he's telling the truth? Malachi could have got to him again."

"I'm not falling for that again," Leon said.

"He's right," Ella said. "Having been freed from Malachi's control already, Leon's not going to listen to him again. I know that I wouldn't." Then again, she'd made so many mistakes… Tom's death was her fault, as was Leon becoming one of Malachi's incubi. She needed to be able to trust Thelma and Leon.

And they needed to trust her.

"Here." Leon passed Ella a pizza and Thelma a chocolate bar. He then sat down next to Ella. "It seems like they just vanished, without locking up or even putting food away. I found a couple of pizzas still on their stoves." As he spoke, Leon started eating a pizza of his own after setting down the rest of the food and water bottles.

Ella didn't feel too hungry, but she made the effort to eat, for Leon's sake. Thelma seemed to be enjoying her chocolate bar well enough.

"So what's the plan?" Leon asked when he was about halfway through his pizza.

The rest of Ella's appetite left and she stopped even trying to eat. She glanced at Thelma, and her eyes locked with the ghost's. Ella swallowed, suddenly feeling close to tears. This was stupid. She was over four hundred years old, and was acting like a love-struck teenager. Then again… she had made a lot of poor choices lately.

Apparently realising that Ella was having trouble – and needed to be left alone with Leon – Thelma finished off her chocolate bar and straightened up off the rock she'd been lying across. "I'm going to go see if I can find any more clothes to change into once I get tired of looking like an angel. See you later!" With that, she simply moved off.

Once Thelma was out of sight, Leon turned to Ella. "What was all that about?" he asked, clearly confused.

For a moment, Ella considered saying that it was nothing and just leaving it at that. However, she quickly discarded that idea. This wasn't something that could be solved merely by time. Leon's words to her still rang inside Ella's mind. She still didn't know why he had come back when he did.

But she was glad of it…

"I think Thelma realised that I wanted to talk to you alone," Ella answered, putting the rest of her pizza to one side. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, but she forced herself to continue. "Look, Leon… I know I haven't exactly been fair to you. I've lied to you, kept things from you… and if I hadn't, Tom might still be alive."

"We already talked about this," Leon pointed out, his tone gentle.

Ella refused to look at him as she whispered, "You are… were… wrong, Leon. I do love you. After you left, I realised – what I originally thought Malachi was, it's you. You're my perfect fit; the other half of my soul. And I didn't even realise until it was almost too late…" She blinked, trying to keep back tears. What's wrong with me? I've been crying more in one day than I have in years!

"Ella…" Leon started.

"I've been alive for so long, it's like I forgot how to let anyone else in," Ella continued. "But I've realised… I can't keep people out. And I don't want to. I love you, Leon." The truth of her words resounded in her mind, as she remembered the words Leon had spoken to her before walking out of the school.

I just wish you loved me like I love you.

"I don't know if I can trust you…" Leon said slowly. "I love you, Ella. But you refused to let me in, to let me help you. Because of you, Malachi was able to prey on my heart's desire. I killed Tom because I wanted to become your equal. You can't take away what I did, Ella. He was my friend. And I killed him."

But you are my equal, Ella thought. But there were no words to convince him. Then perhaps actions would work better…?

With fingers that trembled slightly, Ella reached and took the few remaining bits of pizza out of Leon's hands. She then leaned forward and over Leon's lap, thankful that at least he didn't push her away.

"What are you doing?" Leon asked, sounding confused.

Ella couldn't help trembling a little as she replied, "I don't know how to convince you. So… you can punish me. Before I came into my destiny, my dad used to spank me whenever I did something wrong. And this definitely counts…" Not that a spanking came anywhere close to making up for how she'd treated Leon, but…

"I can't spank you!" Leon protested. "You're older than me – and we need you to stop Malachi."

"I haven't been acting like I'm older than four hundred." Ella buried her face in her arm as she continued, "And it's not like a spanking will seriously damage me. Sure, it'll make me cry and I'll be really sore, but I'll still be able to function. And I can't at the moment – because I feel terrible about what I did. So I guess crying will help clear my head and make me feel at least a bit better."

"Are you sure about this?" Leon asked doubtfully.

Ella nodded. Just do it before I change my mind, she thought.

Ella felt a couple of soft pats on her jean-clad bottom, and she wondered if Leon was just going to leave it at that. However, next moment, she felt a hand right in the middle of her back, and a smack landed on her right cheek that was hard enough to take her breath away, even through the jeans.

Before Ella could get out more than a gasp, that smack was followed by more. Even through her jeans, they were building up into a ferocious sting. Feeling all of about twelve years old, she started to kick her feet – purely a reflexive action.

Leon grunted, and Ella realised – with a pang of guilt – that one of her feet must have caught him. She wiped at her eyes and muttered, "Sorry."

"I think these jeans are offering too much protection." As he spoke, Leon slid his hands under Ella to undo the button and pull down her zip. "Raise your hips." When she did so, he pulled the jeans down to just below her knees, and they were quickly followed by her knickers. "You'll need to keep your legs still."

"I'll try, I promise." Ella tensed, knowing that the spanking was going to hurt a lot more on her bare bottom. But she'd asked for this. She was in Leon's hands now – and she trusted him completely.

Leon moved the hand he was resting on Ella's back to loop his arm gently around her waist and pull her against his body. He patted her behind lightly, and then started in with the spanking again.

Ella tensed with each hard smack. Kicking had always been an automatic reaction to being spanked, but for Leon's sake, she tried to curb it. However, as her bottom got sorer, she couldn't stop the sobs from starting. If she'd felt twelve before, now she felt like a baby. If Leon wasn't holding her close to him, she probably would have thrown herself off his lap.

"I'm s-s-sorry…!" Ella wailed. She collapsed over Leon, and just sobbed hard, not caring about the embarrassment. She just wanted the spanking to stop so that she could be forgiven and have the slate wiped clean.

Then, just as Ella thought she couldn't take another smack, the spanking stopped. Before she had time to fully register that, Leon lifted her off his lap and embraced her in a tight hug, kissing her hair. "I love you," he whispered over and over. "I love you so much."

Ella clung to Leon, still crying. But as the soothing words continued, her crying began to slow and finally to taper off. But she still held onto Leon, just wanting to be close to him before they had to worry about Malachi.

"I love you too…"