Author's Note:

Thank you for those of you who take the time to read and/or review. I GREATLY appreciate it. I apologize for the HUGE cliffhanger last chapter and hope this makes up for it.


Chapter 7

Daniel continued to stare at the corpse in front of him, his tears streaming down his cheeks to sizzle when they splashed onto Kate's skin.

"This is your fault you know." Donnie told him, standing by his side.

Daniel glared at him, at his hallucination of Donnie, and replied bitterly, "I know… I know it is."

"If you would've just taken your meds, you wouldn't have hallucinated a crowd of Kate's and you could've saved her."

"I know." He looked back at her, and to his surprise, she was gone. There was no crispy body on the floor, no blood, only a broken chain and burnt wood. He turned to where his hallucination of Donnie was and found that he was gone as well.

With a deep, shaky breath, he stood and walked out towards where he last left Kate sleeping. As he returned, she started to stir, her eyes fluttering softly, and a soft frown gracing her features. He kissed her and felt her sharp intake of breath as she regained awareness of her surroundings.

"Daniel," she whispered, noticing his tear marks and the soot covering him. "Daniel, what happened? Are you okay?"

He smiled at her, capturing her lips with his before saying, "I'm fine… I'm okay, now."

"What happened?"

He pulled her close, nuzzling his face in her neck, as he felt the vividness of his hallucination come back.

"Daniel…" Kate's voice was filled with panic, and she felt him protectively tighten his hold on her, "I see someone."

Daniel turned, his eyes scanning their surrounding till they set on a figure of a little girl with, what looked like, a vampire bat on her shoulder. He turned back to look at Kate, a confused expression gracing his face. She looked back at him, and shrugged.

"Hey!" Kate called, using Daniel for support as she stood.

The little girl flinched as she heard the shout, and when she saw these two adults walking closer to her she shouted, "Now, Rags!"

Daniel watched, confused, as the bat flew off of her shoulders and charged towards them. They ducked as Rags flew low, nails predatorily arched out towards their skin. When they got up, the treat gone, they noticed that both the bat and the little girl disappeared.

"Who was that?" he voiced, holding onto Kate as she wobbled on her knees.

"I don't know, but if she found us, she could be our way back to civilization." Kate determined, "We need her help."

"Did you see where she went?"

She shook her head, "No, I was too focused on trying not to get scratched by a crazy bat."

He shook his head, "No, Kate, it didn't just attack on its own will, she controls it."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I'm certain that she was behind its attack."

"But… why attack us?"

"I don't know, Kate… but I don't think she'll let us get close enough to find out."

"I know that Daniel, but we need her help to get home."

"How are we going to get her to help us when we don't know where she went?" He pulled Kate closer as her balance shifted.

"By asking very VERY nicely." The little girl responded, startling both of them into silence. They turned around and saw her looking up at them, the bat once again on her shoulder, flapping noisily.

"What's your name?" asked Kate.

The little girl looked to the bat at her shoulder, as if debating the entire thought of giving up her name with it. She, at last, turned back towards them and answered, "Juliette."

"That's a beautiful name," Kate smiled softly at her, "Why are you here in the woods all alone?"

"I should be asking you the same. No one ever comes to this part anymore."

"We... um… we got into a little accident."

"I know, that why I came to see what happened." She shrugged, "I don't get many visitors in these parts."

"Do you know how to get out of here?" Daniel asked softly, readjusting his hold on Kate as she shifted on wobbly legs.

"Yes." She turned and started walking away.

Daniel and Kate stared after her, not sure whether or not they should be following. Juliette looked back at them, her stance expectant, as if waiting. Daniel picked up Kate and carried her forward, pulling her closer as she held onto him.

"If you know the way back, why haven't you gone?"

"I'd tell you, but then Rags will have to kill you." Juliette answered, hiding a smile as her bat turned around to face them and hissed. Daniel hesitated just for a moment, before tightening his hold on Kate and continuing to walk.

"Is that its name? Rags?" Kate asked.

"No." Juliette ducked beneath a low branch, pulling it away so that Daniel and Kate could pass through unharmed. "It's Ragged Wing, but I call him Rags."

"How old are you?" Daniel asked her, turning sharply to prevent Kate from scraping up against a tree trunk.

"Eight."

Before Daniel or Kate could ask another question, she led them out of the woods, arriving at a small Amish community. They stared at it in amazement and when they got back their bearings, Daniel turned to where Juliette had last stood and again saw that she had disappeared.

"You think she does that on purpose?" Kate asked jokingly as Daniel put her down.

"Does what?"

"Wait until we're distracted to disappear."

"It's probably a defensive action." Daniel rationed, "Who knows why she was in the woods."

"I think she lives there." Kate spoke, forcing herself to walk, smiling softly when Daniel stood close in case she fell.

"I don't know, but we should get you to a hospital and safety."

She smirked at him, and with his help, she turned around and kissed him. She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her waist, ultimately pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. She murmured into his lips, "I love you."

He smiled at her, kissing her once more, before saying, "I love you too."

She placed her head on his shoulder, wanting to stay in the comfort and warmth of his embrace. She tensed when she heard gruff voices getting closer. When she turned to the direction of the noise, she saw a crowd of the populace surrounding them.


Author's Note:

I don't really like how this chapter came out, but i had to write something and my mind is pretty fried from this week's and last week's testings. Forgive me, and I'll try to write a better quality chapter 8... Don't be shy to write your reviews, they are the air I breathe.