The Sequel No One Expected
~Artemis Quinn Morgenstern

I AM MAKING THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR RIGHT NOW. THIS IS NOT A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE STORY. THIS IS A SEQUEL THAT TAKES THE EVENTS OF ITS PREDECESSOR, RE-WORKS THEM, AND THEN GOES ON TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY. IT'S AS IF YOU TOOK THE LAST CHAPTER OF "THE RUNAWAY" AND DID IT THIS WAY. JUST LIKE WITH MOVIES THAT HAVE ALTERNATE ENDINGS *Think Tim Curry's movie Clue to get what I'ms saying*. THAT IS WHAT THIS IS.

A/N:
Ok, so I'm assuming if you've found your way here, you've read my other RHPS fic "The Runaway". If you haven't...GO READ THAT NOW! Otherwise none of this will make the slightest bit of sense. If you have read all the way through it, you know that I basically left no room for a sequel. And part of me wants to leave it that way, but another part of me enjoyed writing that so much, I don't want to let the characters and story go.

So...I offer you this. An alternate ending that will give you a different outcome. What would have happened if the events of "The Runaway" had ended differently? If you read through to chapter 12 and liked how it ended, read no further. This is going to go in a completely different direction. "The Runaway" is it's own entity and I have never been more proud of a fic in my life. But for those few fans who were ready with pitchforks to find where I lived after reading the end of "The Runaway", this is for you. Starting with a re-telling of chapter 12 of "The Runaway" with a different set of events unfolding...

Chapter One - You Saved Me In A Different Way

Calicia raced through the castle, calling for Riff Raff and Magenta as she went. She found Magenta first, coming out of the kitchen.

"Magenta! Thank the gods!" Calicia exclaimed, throwing her arms around the maid.

"Calicia? What's wrong? Is it the master?" Calicia nodded in reply, still too out of breath to form a complete sentence. Magenta grabbed Calicia's shoulders firmly and locked eyes with her.

"Calicia. Breathe and relax. I need to be able to understand you." Calicia nodded again, took several deep breaths, then finally found her voice.

"The wound. It's infected. And Frank said that only medicine from Transylvania will save him. So I came looking for you and Riff hoping that either of you had something that might be able to save him." Magenta's eyes widened as Calicia spoke, then she said something in a language Calicia didn't understand, but she understood the tone. Magenta grabbed Calicia by the wrist and took off in the direction of her bedroom. She threw open the door, then released Calicia as she began rooting through an old wooden trunk at the foot of her bed.

"Where is it...where is it..." Magenta muttered, throwing shoes, books, fishnets, bras, and other articles of clothing everywhere. Finally, with a triumphant cry, Magenta produced a small bag from which she drew a glass vial with a bright blue liquid inside and a syringe.

"This will get rid of the infection and save the master," Magenta said. "But we need to hurry." The two women raced across the castle to Frank's lab and into his bedroom, all the while Magenta was wondering where her brother was. She didn't have to wonder long. When she and Calicia reached Frank's bedroom, they discovered Riff Raff already there, a syringe of his own in his hand.

"Riff Raff! What are you doing?!" Magenta screamed, a look of horror on her face as she eyed the deep green liquid in the syringe her brother held. Calicia looked at Frank, barely conscious in his bed, his pallor a sickly pale color.

"Magenta...what's wrong." Calicia said slowly, not taking her eyes from the man she loved, who's eyes had fluttered open upon hearing her voice.

"It's poison!" Magenta cried.

"What?! NO!" Calicia screamed, lunging for Riff Raff. Before anyone could move, Calicia had Riff pinned to the stone wall of the bedroom, her knife in hand, sharp edge at his throat.

"Why, Riff! Why would you try to kill him?!"

"Because!" Riff Raff spat the word in Calicia's face. "I'm sick of being the servant! I'm sick of being at his beck and call! My sister and I deserve better than this!"

"What you deserve, Riff Raff, is to be bled like a pig!" Calicia screamed. And with one fluid motion, Calicia drew the blade across Riff Raff's throat. Riff's eyes went wide and Magenta screamed behind Calicia as the blood poured down, soaking the floor and covering Calicia and Riff Raff. Calicia stepped back, letting Riff Raff's body fall to the floor where it convulsed for a moment then went still. Magenta was still screaming as Calicia wiped her knife on the back of her jeans where they weren't already covered in blood, then she turned to the maid.

"Magenta. Would you shut up and bring me that damned antidote." Magenta instantly fell silent and took two hesitant steps toward Calicia, her outstretched hand holding the vial and syringe shaking.

"Honestly, Magenta. I don't have time for this." Calicia snapped, closing the distance between herself and Magenta and snatching the items from her hand. Calicia drew the blue liquid into the syringe to the level Magenta told her, then grabbed Frank's left arm, searching for a vein.

"H...Here." Magenta stammered, handing Calicia a black ribbon from her hair. Calicia snatched it up and tied it off tightly around Frank's upper arm. When a vein was visible, Calicia stuck the needle in and released the antidote into Frank's bloodstream. She counted to 10 slowly, then released the ribbon from Frank's arm. Frank inhaled sharply as the antidote raced through his body.

"Calicia..." Frank said weakly. Calicia dropped the empty syringe to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed with the man she loved.

"Yes, my love. I'm here." Calicia cooed in reply.

"You...you saved me." Frank's words brought tears to Calicia's eyes. She leaned over and kissed Frank's forehead.

"Of course I did. It's just like in chess. The queen always protects the king. And I fully intend to do that until you tell me to leave."

"I will never tell you to leave, my sweet angel." Frank replied, gazing up into Calicia's eyes, the life slowly returning to his own eyes. Calicia smiled and gently kissed Frank's lips. It was at that moment Calicia remembered Magenta. She looked to the foot of the bed and discovered that Magenta was no longer standing there. Calicia considered going to look for her to see if she was going to be a problem, but decided at that moment that she didn't care. Frank was going to be alright. That was all that mattered.