Oh my god. I am really sorry I left all you guys at such a horrible cliffhanger. Really, I am. Please don't hate me, okay? Can you all find it in your hearts to forgive me, because I do feel bad at leaving you all like that. I didn't realise it had been so long since I had updated. Sorry. Now I will move onto the chapter.
Chapter 7 -Face the music
Chapter start.
Laurel POV.
Silence.
That's what engulfed the room. Complete and utter silence.
Everyone was staring at Cassie. Cassie wasn't staring back. She was staring off into the distance, hopefully somewhere nicer than reality.
"Oh my god." Susan whispered, clapping a delicate pink finger nailed hand over her pink pouty mouth.
Nick looked broken. He looked in enough pain and guilt for the whole population of Salem yet alone just himself.
I took a deep breath and swallowed past the lump in my throat. "There has to be something we can do." I whispered, my voice cracked. I swung my gaze round the room, pleading for some positive communication to flow through the room.
The atmosphere was so depressing that I felt like it would crush me and I wasn't even the one in an awful situation so I couldn't even begin to imagine what Cassie must feel like.
I stared at Deborah. Her fierce eyes were sad and her mouth was fixed in a grim line. Doug stood beside her, looking angry and sympathetic.
Melanie and Chris were stood like statues, surprise and horror the dominant emotions on their faces. Melanie met my eyes, and I saw that her usual calm collected expression was fading rapidly. She didn't know what to do. She confirmed my thought by shrugging helplessly at me.
Sean was just hunched in the corner, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. It wasn't out of meanness though. Oh no, Sean wasn't a mean person. I just don't think he knew how to deal with all the emotions swelling the air to an unbearable pressure.
Finally, I sung my gaze to meet Adam and Diana's. They were clinging to each other, and I didn't blame them. I could understand why they were doing it. They wanted to cling to the only stable foundation in the room. And that was each other.
"Diana…" I whispered pleadingly. She was supposed to be the calm collected coven leader. Now that Cassie was in this venerable situation she should be trying to regain order. "What are we going to do?"
She was staring transfixed at Cassie. Finally, she gulped back a huge breath and turned to face me. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. "I don't know…" her voice caught in her throat. "I really don't know."
She buried her head in Adam's shoulder, shaking from suppressed sobs.
Right Laurel. Deep breathes now. You are going to have to take over here. Just think…there must be something you can do…
And then I had the most wonderful idea ever. It was like seeing the bright light in a stormy night. It was like arriving home to your favourite meal after a hard day at school. It was heavenly.
"I know what we can do." I said, working hard to keep my voice steady. "We can go look through the spell book…see if we can locate a remedy to help in this sort of situation."
There was loud gasp that echoed round the white sterile room. It was a harsh sound that shattered the foreboding silence. But it was better than that suffocating silence that promised doom and gloom.
I met Melanie's eye across the room and tried to smile at her. "You could come and look up stones to help in these situations to."
The darkness receded even farther from the room when I saw Melanie's eye regain some of their calmness. She nodded, looking slightly more optimistic.
Murmurs of approval and relief danced through the room, and for the first time all day I felt hope.
And when I met the eyes of everyone else in the room I saw that they felt exactly the same way.
Diana had regained some of her infamous rationality, which made me feel anchored and surer of my idea.
"I think we should leave now and try to have something sorted out for tonight." Melanie spoke for the first time since we had heard the dreadful news.
We all nodded, enthusiastic now. This was hope; the hope that Cassie needed; the hope that Nick needed, though he would never admit it; it was the hope we all needed.
We all quietly left the room, all promising to call back later. Grim determination was flowing through the group, and damn, it felt good.
Whatever this dark energy was…wherever it was…it couldn't tear us apart for the world…we were joined…we were one…and we were all hell bent on protecting Cassie.
Nick POV.
I could hear Laurel trying to restore some rationality back into the group. I didn't care. I was focused on Cassie. My Cassie. Why did this have to happen to her? She didn't deserve it. It wasn't right.
God I felt guilty. I couldn't save her. No, I could've, if I had just tried to reach her harder. If I had only climbed down to get her. I'd let her down, and it wasn't something that I could just solve with a simple 'sorry'.
If I could I would gladly swap places with Cassie. This should be my punishment for not being there for her from the very beginning. I felt so helpless, so useless, just sitting by her bed, holding her hand and not doing anything.
I felt lost.
Cassie was my anchor; my everything. But now she was lost, and I needed to be strong fore her. She needed me, and I knew it as soon as her beautiful eyes met mine and she burst into tears.
I abandoned her hand and leant forward, carefully yet firmly wrapping her in my arms. She clutched at my top, curling her fingers into the fabric, her nails digging into my skin. But I didn't care about the sharp pain. I just cared about her.
Her head fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. She nestled in there, and I felt the cool press of tears gently hit my skin as she sobbed. "Oh God Nick…I could be…I could be…" she gasped.
"Shhh." I dipped my head so that I could press my lips to her soft hair. "Its going to be okay." I murmured into her locks. I tightened my hold round her slightly to reinforce my promise.
She shook her head violently. "Its not! Its not!" she wailed, her voice a horrible croak, and then she started crying harder.
I gently propped her on the pillows before untangling the wires trailing from machines to her petite body. I carefully manoeuvred my way in between the wires and lay down beside her on the bed.
I don't think you were allowed to do this but I wasn't moving.
I wrapped Cassie's shaking body in my arms and bent my head close to her ear, "I'm going to make it okay Cassie. Please trust me." I tenderly kissed the spot just under the ear lobe.
She nodded. "I trust you." She seemed reassured by my words, as she took a deep shuddering breath and started gulping back the sobs.
"I love you." I murmured, laying my head on top of her own.
"Stay with me." She breathed. She snuggled down in my arms, and I was careful not to nudge her back.
"Always." I whisper back.
"I love you."
I smiled. "I love you to Cassie. So much."
I heard her sigh contentedly. Minutes later, she was asleep. I lay my head back on the pillows. Thinking. Just thinking. The rhythmical beat to her breathing was calming, and for the first time all day I felt like things may be all right.
For real…
End chapter.
Again, I am so sorry about the wait. Please review! Pretty please? No flames though, no matter how much you may hate me ;)
Thank you for all your support. I will now stay on top of updating this fic more consistently.
Xxx
