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Seven Years Later
There was a knock at the door. It made a metallic hollow sound that awoke Annie from her memories. Her eyes widened as she looked around at the room as though she was confused by what she saw.
She could have sworn she was just someplace else.
Another knock sounded and Annie was brought back fully to the present. She wasn't in Honolulu Heights with Tom, Hal, Eve and Alex. Honolulu Heights was ash, Tom, Eve and Alex were dead and Hal was just as well if not worst. Annie was trapped and the world was shit.
The door creaked open and she waited to hear Hal speak. He almost always greeted her with the time of day. She appreciated that because she could no longer tell the difference between morning, noon and afternoon. They all blended into gray now and then night faded into black.
"Hello, Annie," said a man but it was not Hal.
It was not Hal at all.
"I've come to talk about that proposition I made to you earlier," he drawled moving slowly across the room.
He stopped to stare at the shelf that held all of the little gifts and trinkets his progeny had bestowed upon the woman. Mr. Snow sneered at the silly things but the photograph caught his eye. He leaned in close but before he could even lift his hand to touch it Annie spoke.
"Don't you dare," she spat, although she had been hollowed out and beaten down there was still rage in her.
Rage that could make her tear down a building with her bare teeth.
"Mmm still feisty as ever I see," Mr. Snow said smirking at her little outburst.
He could practically smell the electricity coming off of her. He knew she had power; he knew from experience.
"Now about that proposition," Mr. Snow said sweeping across the room to stand by Annie's side, "you're very certain that you won't give us an answer?"
Annie thought her silence was enough of an answer.
"Well good then," Mr. Snow said catching Annie off-guard.
She looked up at him from her seat with wide eyes. He was letting her go. He was letting her decide not to do this. Just the tiniest bit of hope swelled up in her because Annie was always and would always be a fool for hope.
"Because this wouldn't have been as fun if you cooperated."
Annie tried to scream.
2011
"Hal!" Annie screeched when she popped into the room.
The energy and electricity of the jump still running through her being took the place of adrenaline. Eve screamed from her pram squirming around but all Annie could see, all she could pay attention to was Alex.
The young Scottish woman straddled the still unconscious Hal, her knees resting on either side of his waist. She sat poised and ready to strike. Her arms were raised high over her head shoulder joint connected to the elbow leading up the forearm all the way to her hands that clutched a makeshift stake.
"No!" Annie howled and she launched herself into the air at the other woman.
There was a shout so horrid and terrible that it could not have come from the living. Later neither woman could decide who had made the sound nor was either willing to own up to it.
The two tumbled to the floor and the stake was knocked out of Alex's hands. It rolled under the small table in the middle of the room and Alex made a dive for it but Annie was having none of it. Annie leaped up and landed painfully on the other woman crushing her side into the floor.
Alex retaliated by elbowing Annie in the face causing her lip to split on her teeth. Alex went again and that time got Annie square on her cheek bone.
"Get the FUCK OFF OF ME!" Alex screeched pushing her hands into Annie's hair.
She bunched up a knot of curls in her hands and pulled as hard as she could causing Annie to cry out in pain. Annie gripped Alex's wrists digging her nails deep into what would have been skin if she still had a body. Annie was suddenly glad she didn't have time to properly cut her nails before she had died because the length came in handy.
"Ouuuuch! Fuck!" Alex screamed as pale red threads of what could have been blood ran down into her sleeves.
Annie was already aware of the extent of damage that other beings could inflict on a ghost, that being not much. She didn't know, however, how much damage one ghost could do to another not until that night.
Alex loosened her grip on Annie's hair and Annie took it as an opportunity to remove the pale vicious fingers from her curls. She ripped them free of her hair and pushed her hands downward. Her fists curled around Alex's fists made contact with the younger woman's chest. Annie could distinctly feel what would have been Alex's sternum as it bent under her fists.
"Oof," Alex said as though she had the air knocked out of her, "fer fuck's sake."
Annie managed to get her legs on either side of Alex's hips. She gripped the other woman tightly as she could with her thighs. Alex squirmed but Annie brought their combined fists down once more and Alex let out another cry.
"Let me gooo," she moaned, "let me the fuck go."
Annie kept their hands pressed into Alex's left collar bone but tried her best not to inflict anymore pain.
"Just let me DO IT!" Alex hissed, "he deserves to die. HE DESERVES TO DIE THAT BASTARD!"
She continued to rage against Annie but Annie was older. She was a more experienced ghost; she had more power. Annie's chest heaved though she had no lungs.
Rage, fear, anger. She didn't have lungs anymore or glands or chemicals running through her to make her feel all those things but she still felt them. Annie felt vicious. She felt like she could tear worlds apart.
"Just – please," Alex said thickly as her emotions got the better of her, "it's all his fault. It's all his fault."
After the tears started Alex forgot to struggle and she forgot about the stake just a foot or so out of her reach. With all the rage drained out of Alex and the violence that had been building up since Annie had got back from the future spent, the two women collapsed onto the floor.
Annie lay beside the younger ghost suddenly feeling all the blows the Scottish woman had landed. She briefly thought of George and just how proud he would have been. She had come a long way since their Gayest Ninja days.
From the corner of her eye she spotted Tom standing in the doorway. He hadn't seen the whole fight but he had seen the end and he felt damn proud. He'd never had the chance to see Annie fight. In fact he didn't take Annie for much of a fighter with all her "commandments" against violence but she was savage when she aimed to be.
"They're dead," Alex said capturing Annie's attention again, "me dad, me brothers they're all DEAD!"
A nasty hollowness grew in Annie as she spoke. This was the world Eve had warned her about. Whole families massacred, children crying in the streets, people herded like cattle in to camps made for slaughter. That future was already here.
"And it's all because of that blood suckin' wanker," Alex yelled pressing her palms into her eyes hoping to hold back the tears.
But it was no use. First the tears and then the great heaving sobs, Alex had held it all in for a good seven hours. For hours she had sat in their hotel room with the all the blood and body parts that used to make up her family until someone found them and took them away.
They had been murdered but not drained. They had been ripped to shreds but not drained. There was no real point in her family's murder. It was pure mindless violence. It was evil.
"Fookin' vampires," Alex mumbled under her breath, "it's all their fault, it's all his fault."
"It's nah," Tom said finally finding his voice, "it's nah Hal's fault, not entirely. If you're lookin' for a vampire to blame, it's Cutler."
The name caught hold of Alex's attention.
"Cutler," she said as though testing the taste of it on her lips, "he's the one who killed me."
"Tha's righ," Tom said stepping into the room, "he set me up as well. He was gonna make me kill a whole load of people. I dun know whay but it was 'im whot did all this. If anyone is to blame, it's Cutler."
The new information seemed to shake Alex to her core. Annie could practically see the cogs turning in her head.
"Maybe, yea maybe it was Cutler who killed me family," she said still on the floor, "but it was Hal's fault too. It's all of your faults. You let him out. You let him talk to me and have a drink with me. He's the reason the wolves caught my scent. It's everyone's fault."
She didn't exactly sound angry just aggravated by just how little had been done to protect her. In actuality she did make a very good point. In the end Alex and her family had paid the price for Hal's attempt at humanity, for all their, Annie and Tom included, attempts.
Annie tried to sit up but found her arms were like jelly. She tried her best not to catch the attention of the other two as she pulled herself up using the leg of a chair. She didn't want to look pathetic after that awesome fight. When she finally had her top half up she rested her back against the wall.
"But we didn't mean ta," Tom argued, "but Cutler set this whole thin' up. And it's my fault too I shoulda, I shouldn've - my point is that if you're lookin' for someone to kill, if you're lookin' for someone oo needs ta be put out of 'is misery, it's Cutler."
Annie could hear Allison's influence in Tom's mini speech. And she supposed it worked because it won Alex over.
"Then that's what we'll do," Alex said looking over at Tom.
"Hold it," Annie said, "what do you two think you're doing. You can't just be making vendettas and plans like you're Beatrix Kiddo."
"Anneh-"
"No, Tom," Annie said her voice getting shrill, "whoever this Cutler person is he's obviously dangerous."
"But he can't hurt me," Alex cut in, "you said so yerself."
"Yes, but he can hurt Tom," Annie said.
"Then he doesn't come," Alex said turning to face her.
Tom feared there would be another fight with the amount tension between the two women.
"Good," Annie replied curtly, "he stays and I go."
"What? Annie you're going ta go?" Tom asked incredulous.
Annie hauled herself off of the ground trying not to show just how much effort it took. She managed to bite back a grunt as she finally got on her feet. For some reason she felt like some sort of relic with the way Alex and Tom looked at her.
"That's right. Like Alex said they can't hurt us and I may not have as much experience with vampires as you have," Annie replied, "but I've had my share."
"But it'll be dangerous," Tom said.
"Which is why I need you to stay here and take care of Hal and Eve."
"Okay now you're the one makin' plans, Annie," Alex cut in, "who says I need someone to come with me."
Annie looked from Alex then back to Tom.
"You don't," Annie said, "but it's the least I can do. After everything that's happened and what with everything that's about to happen and if Cutler is really you're unfinished business then I think there should be a friendly face there to see you off."
Annie reached out a hand offering the help the young woman up. Once again Alex felt an overwhelming wave of affection for the other ghost. Sure they had just beat the shit out of each other but that was okay. Alex was used to the rough and rowdy.
"Okay then," Alex said gripping Annie's hand in her own, "it's settled. We're gonna ta dust the grimy bastard who killed me and me family."
Annie's eyes connected with Tom's over Alex's head. She tried her best to express confidence but failed. Tom could tell she was uneasy about the whole thing. Something was bothering Annie. She wanted to say something or do something but there wasn't any time.
They were running out of time.
It was midday once Annie and Alex arrived at the warehouse that Tom had directed them to. Annie had made quite a fuss over leaving Tom alone with Eve and Annie. Alex was tempted the tell Annie not to go with her but Annie insisted. She set Tom up with a bottle of milk and kissed baby Eve goodbye and just like that they were off to finish some unfinished business.
"Did you ever see your family again?" Alex said, "After you know."
Annie looked startled by the question but answered in stride.
"Well they had the funeral in my old house, not Honolulu Heights obviously but my home back in Bristol," Annie replied.
"No I mean after all that," Alex said, "after everything died down and people forgot to care did you see them again?"
Annie stopped to think about the question. She hadn't actively searched for her family after the funeral. Honestly she had been too far in denial for the first couple months but then after that she didn't know what she'd never looked for them, never went to them.
"Yea," Annie replied, "just once more I saw my mum. She couldn't move on after finding out everything that happened what with the circumstances of my death. I helped her."
"And did she move on? Did she get over it?" Alex asked.
Annie thought long and hard about the answer to that question. She had never checked in with her mother after that. Things had happened so fast and before she knew it she was all the way in Barry in an old B&B with George, Mitchell and Nina. But her mum had said she would try. Carmen had made a promise to try to move on and what else could Annie do but believe her?
"Yea I think she did."
Alex considered that answer. She would have liked her family to have moved on though not very quickly. I mean she deserved some mourning but she would have wanted them to get over it. She would have liked for her brothers to fall in love and get married if that was their fancy. Alex wanted to watch her father with grandbabies, not her own of course. Alex never wanted kids.
"And was that your unfinished business? Helpin' her out?"
"No, but I felt like it was," Annie said, "I wanted to go after that and I trusted some bad people who I thought would help me. I figured I was ready but I was wrong. I changed my mind at the last second. I wanted to stay"
"And that's why you're here?"
Annie didn't know how to answer. The story was longer than that it was far more terrifying and earth shattering. What she had saw beyond the Doors, what they did to her it would take ages to explain. But in essence, yes that was exactly why she was still there. Not because she had something to do or someone to look after. She was there because she wanted to be.
"I'm here because I want to be. I want to see Eve grow up, I want to meet the girl, god help her, that captures Tom's heart. And Hal, I want to be here when Hal finally kicks his addiction and I want to be here even if he never does. I think once you turn down death as many times as I have you have to want be here. Doesn't make sense otherwise."
Alex listened closely to Annie's speech perhaps with the slightest bit of envy.
"I don't have that anymore," Alex said, "my family is dead. I'm dead and all I want is to move on. Who knows I might even get to see them again."
Annie could not reply, not at first. She didn't know what to say to that. A part of her, the part of her that was still young ignorant Annie trying to save the world with shoddy advice picked up from self-help books, wanted to convince her to stay. There would be new families and more people. They'd make you feel alive. They'd find you in the strangest of places in the weirdest of circumstances and that would be enough.
But death both physical and final was a personal thing. If Alex wanted to go through with killing Cutler and then move on then that was her own choice. And whatever Alex chose Annie would see her off.
"I hope you do too," Annie said patting Alex's shoulder.
There was a moment of silence as both women mentally prepared for what they were about to do. They were going to go into a nest of vampires to kill one vampire and despite the fact that they were already dead the thought still terrified both of them.
"Well then," Alex said, "let's get this show on the road."
They opted against rent-a-ghosting in. Alex was still shakey with her teleporting skills and neither of the women had ever actually been in the warehouse. Blundering in and tearing shit up, they decided, wasn't the best route. So they went for the very suave, very ninja-like sneak attack.
It was dark in the warehouse but oddly empty. Annie and Alex moved slowly and cautiously between the crates and large metal structures that created questionable shadows across the concrete floor.
They didn't speak. They didn't make a sound. Annie gripped a cross and a stake to her chest while Alex held her stake at the ready.
"I'm Cutler, Nick Cutler," they heard a man say just a little ways away.
Alex froze up in fear or in anger Annie couldn't tell. For a moment Annie was certain Alex would turn around and leave but she didn't. She snapped out of whatever daze she had been in and moved in the direction the voice had come from.
Annie and Alex had made a couple of plans before leaving Honolulu Heights. According to Tom, Cutler had claimed that the Old Ones were supposed to be coming and there was more than a good chance that they were already there. Though that had to be taken with a grain of salt considering that Tom had got that information from the very bastard they were trying to kill. However, if that was the case and the Old Ones had arrived then Annie would hold them off and Alex would go in for the kill.
There was more rambling from Cutler then the sound of something rolling like a cart. He was talking about giving someone the world like he was some lovesick puppy.
"Yes by presenting them with something worse," Cutler, Nick Cutler said rolling his TV along.
Annie and Alex found him. They peered at him from behind a stack of empty crates. At the sight of a table full of what seemed to be a bunch of vampire stereotypes Annie and Alex gave each other a knowing look.
"Worse than me?" one of the vampires said.
It was the one in the middle. He was pale, pale in the way that you could see blue veins snaking their way across his cheeks. It was like his skin was too thin like old worn down drapery. Annie couldn't take her eyes off of him. Alex was far too preoccupied with Cutler to notice him but Annie could smell the disaster on him. He was like Herrick, like Mitchell that day in the kitchen drunk on blood but far worse. He was barefaced evil.
"Well not worse of course but something less elegant perhaps," Cutler replied, "Werewolves."
"What was that you little fuck?"
Then Annie let out an ear-shattering scream as she jumped out from behind her hiding place behind the crates. She focused all her will towards the people at the table and pushed.
Most of the vampires went flying but not Mr. Snow. He stayed seated not even bothered but slightly amused. Then the werewolf came at her and she pushed him too. He flew across the room into some pipes but he wasn't down for good. Already he began to move but so did Alex.
Cutler, ever the survivalist was already scrambling towards the door that Annie and Alex had entered through. Alex was waiting for him.
"Do ya remember me you smarmy dick?" Alex screamed as she came face to face with her murderer, the man who had made her an orphan again, who had literally drained her of every bit of life she had in her.
Alex savored the look of surprise on his face. Her stomach turned with the most exquisite feeling of murderous pleasure as his expression morphed into one of horror as he realized what she had come to do. She let out scream, a battle cry and plunged her stake into his heart.
Alex watched as Cutler crumpled to the ground clawing at the stake at the center of his chest. He could feel his insides burn turning his skin to ash. He managed to get one word out before he turned to dust.
"Bitch."
"Same to you, wanker," Alex said spitting into the pile of ash that was once Cutler, Nick Cutler.
Already the vampires had fled unwilling to be the next to get staked by the rampant ghosts and feeling far too old for that shit. They didn't like getting their hands dirty, the pretentious bastards. All of them, even Mr. Snow had gone though he had left slowly. Rising from his seat and walking away all the while keeping his eyes on the gray ghost too preoccupied with his little hound dog to notice the cold dead eyes watching her every move.
When Annie noticed that Alex had reaped her revenge she stopped and Milo realized that everyone else had gone. He took Annie's momentary distraction as an opportunity to escape leaving only Alex, Annie and a pile of dust in the room.
"Is that it?" Annie asked breathing heavily "Is it over then?"
Alex seemed to hear her because she began to reply until something caught her eye. It was bright and though it was obscured by empty crates, steel cages and stacks of pipes Annie would know that light anywhere.
Sure enough on the other side of the room against the wall appeared a door. It was old and yellow. It was the kind of door you find on cheap apartments with leaky ceilings and dubious plumbing. The paint was chipping and the door handle looked like it was about to fall off but Alex could only stare with love at that door.
She knew that door.
Then for a moment she remembered Annie and glanced back at her friend. Annie only smiled in return urging her onward. A friendly face to you off, that's what Annie had promised.
Alex went to her door feeling of both dread and exuberance.
Annie was almost envious of her as she approached death with a look of bliss upon her face. Annie had never known that. Even when she had first seen her door she had been terrified. Then she had been dragged through to the other side and then the Doors had abandoned her all together.
"Annie," Alex called to her breaking the other woman from her thoughts, "thank you for everythin'."
Annie smiled as sincere as she ever could. Then nodded to her.
"Go on then," Annie said, "don't want to miss it."
Alex smiled back suddenly very sad to leave the dark skinned woman behind. She wanted to ask her to come with her but something told her that it wasn't allowed. It was taboo. So she just waved as she put her hand on the knob.
Then from the corner of her eye Annie saw a flash of pale skin and a black suit.
"NO!" she screamed but it was in vain.
Mr. Snow slammed the door, which was barely even ajar, closed and wrapped his arm around Alex's throat putting her in a chokehold. Upon the back of his hand was a symbol freshly carved into his skin.
Alex struggled and tried to rent-a-ghost but found she could not. He had her trapped.
"Annie," she choked out but that only made Mr. Snow grip her tighter.
Annie approached ready to raise hell but before she could reach the pair Mr. Snow took out a knife. It glinted in the light still radiating from Alex's door. In that flash of metallic illumination Annie could see that there were marks upon that as well similar to the one on Mr. Snow's hand. The thin twisted lines slithered in and over each other like snakes in a pit.
He raised his weapon high then plunged it into Alex's side. She shrieked at the action and squirmed wildly. Annie watched frozen in horror at the sight. That wasn't right, that was impossible mortal weapons couldn't hurt the dead.
But Alex continued to screech as Mr. Snow twisted the knife and slit her belly open. She gurgled and spat up her blood, real actual blood before she dropped to floor. Annie watched in horror as red spilled out onto the floor, pooling around the young woman. Then Alex began to flicker, her image slowly fading in and out of reality.
And then she was gone and her door with her.
Mr. Snow watched as little Annie gaped at his handy work. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"Hello, Annie," he greeted her flicking the blood from his blade, "I've been dying to meet you."
Across town in a run down bed and breakfast a young werewolf watched the sun set humming to a little baby girl as she gurgled contentedly up at him. Tom had taken Annie's seat besides Hal's bed. The two women were taking longer than expected and that made Tom nervous.
So many thoughts ran through his head as he rocked baby Eve in his arms.
I should have gone with them.
I should have insisted.
I should have protected them.
Tom couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming and it was coming for them.
Annie had instructed Tom to change Hal's bandages once every ten minutes or so because the bleeding was pretty bad and his blood wasn't congealing or something like that. She had told him to use whatever fabric he could find except the good sheets. Those had belonged to Nina and Annie would not allow them to be ruined. Frankly Hal would not have stood for it either. He had always spent and extra amount of time and effort to keep those sheets immaculate. Hal had always appreciated fine linen.
And Tom had done as Annie told him at least he had tried but when he went to remove the old and bloody bandages he found that the wounds had stopped bleeding and for the most part closed. He applied new bandages but found that they remained clean and white.
"An' I dun see tha point in rippin' up more sheets, do you, lil love?" Tom said to the little girl, a habit he had picked up from Annie, "I know Annie said tha I should change em but Hal seems to be doin' just fine."
Tom looked at his bed ridden friend. It hurt to know that he had been the one to put Hal into that state. If Tom wasn't so careless, if he wasn't so goddamn gullible then all of this would have never happened. Tom couldn't help but think that they would have all been better off without him around to muck things up.
"Dun worry, Eve," Tom said quietly to the little girl in his arms, " Annie will be back any time now and then we'll all be together. Then we'll be safe."
Eve replied with a hum of what sounded like agreement and then a low whine.
"Nah don worry about Uncle Hal," Tom replied as though she had spoken back, "he's pretty strong your Uncle Hal. 'Sides he's me best mate and he wouldn't just leave me like this nor you or Annie."
At that moment there was a loud gasp. It scared Tom nearly to death. Hal shot up into a seated position his eyes pitch black and fangs out. His hand went immediately to his chest, which was bare and bandaged. He ripped the strips of sheet off to reveal only thin discolored lines that ran across his torso.
His head snapped to Tom who sat shocked and astonished.
"Where is she?" he said urgently, "Where's Annie?"
A/N: Well there you go kiddies. This story is winding down and we're almost to the end of this part in the series. There will be a sequel though I'm not sure what its called yet.
Next Chapter: The Beginning of the End
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