Surprise! It hasn't been six months since my last update I surprised you and myself. There are a lot of pov changes but it had to be done to tell the story. Here we go. Enjoy.

~"The second act is called the turn. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary."~

I felt like I was going to throw up…but in a good way, if that were possible.

Mom was hovering and fussing around me like a hummingbird, making up for all the time spent being too tired to move. But Richard still wouldn't let her come tonight, even though the doctor himself was saying she was recovering at a miraculously fast pace, wanting to play it safe.

"You look so handsome." Mom gushed. "Yeah…uh…Steve lent it to me." I said shyly. "Saphira, come here. I want to take someshots with you two together."

She came in dressed in a scarlet corset style top that fanned out in a ruffle layered skirt like rose petals with navy blue trim on the edges. She had her hair off to the side in ringlets with a black feather and black fingerless leather gloves.

Good God I think I swallowed my tongue.

"Alright, how do I look? I feel like the feathers are abit much, makes me look like a cocktail waitress." Saphira asked, twirling the featherswhile walking toward me. "Oh, you two look so good together!" Mom cooed.

"Yaassh, I'm the ultimate accessory." Saphira drawled, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Well?" she inquired. "I…uh…I…uh….you…" I sputtered.

"You've broken my son." Mom accused gently. "Whoops." Saphira giggled. "You guys look very good together. Quite complimentary." Mom teased.

"Mom, please." I begged.

"Oh come on, let your momma gush a little. Now if you're going to an after party you call, you got that mister?" Mom instructed. "Yes Mom." I sighed. "And Saphira has a mother's permission to kick your butt should you do something stupid." she added. "Thanks Kare." Saphira cheered at the same time I shouted. "Mom! We're going to be late."

"Okay, okay. You just look so grown up, and you, Fae, look so beautiful." Mom sighed. "Flattery will get you nowhere, but it will get you cupcakes." Saphira teased. "Don't forget the camera; I want Matt to get everything." Mom called.

"Will do. Love ya, bye."

I froze at the bottom of the stairs, Saphira barely stopping from bumping into me. Richard was in his chair, watching TV, like a vulture circling his pray. 'Keep quiet. Make it to the door.' I thought to myself, praying he was too zoned to notice us. "Hey," came a slurring voice from the chair. Shit.

"What?" I asked timidly. "How are you getting to school?" he asked. My heart seized in fear, beside me Saphira shifted to defense. Of all the things I thought he'd say; that was not it at all. He couldn't know. It would be downright amazing if somehow in-between blackout drinking and watching Mom he had the time and the brain cells to notice the strange things going on in my life. "I don't know what you mean." I said.

"Don't bullshit me." he growled. "Matt doesn't come, doesn't drive up, you leave the house. Who the hell is giving you rides to school?" "I do." Saphira answered her voice chill.

"You know what?" he demanded, getting up. "You're lying. Both of you. You're up to something, you can't hide it. You think you can just slink out of this? Sneaking around my house smiling?" he chuckled. "I'm onto your shit." he gloated, revealing in his victory.

"I could warn you the same." Saphira said her face a thundercloud. "Unlike you, I'm not drunk twenty four seven, so that means I think clearly when Andrew comes around with the bruises he gets 'on accident'," she mocked. "What are you saying?" he hissed, stepping into her space. For once I wasn't even scared that he had gotten all dark, Saphira could knock him flat on his ass even before he registered she moved.

"Right now, nothing to your wife. But if I see another bruise or sad look on his face…" she trailed off, smirking evilly. She didn't even wait for him to respond, just took my arm and let us out the door. This was a dangerous woman on my arm. She knew your truths and wasn't afraid to turn them into to daggers and plunge them into your side. It was just fortunate for us lesser beings she used it for good or we'd all be royally fucked.

Palms sweaty, heart ramming against my chest with the nerves of the night to come. Fae, of course, noticed. "You'll be fine, you always are." she assured. "Watch, you'll be such a natural on stage you won't even need me as eye candy."

"I always need you." I blurted out sincerely. I was so focused on not screwing up I didn't she her blush at my words.

(Camera pov)

"Alright CV High, are you ready for a talent show?!" Steve asked the crowd. They responded with enthusiastic applause for their president. "Come on, upper classmen, make some noise, that's not loud enough!" he insisted. "Let's hear it senior class of 2012! Yeah. Shhh…" he shushed. "Okay, I want you guys to give it up for the young and talented….Mr. Andrew Detmer!"

At first the crowd didn't know how to respond to the man that came on stage. Some couldn't remember if he went to the school or not, others who knew him sneered at the idea of him doing anything talented.

"And his lovely assistant, quite the jewel herself, Ms. Saphira Spector." Saphira wasted no thought to strutting out on stage to stand by Andrew, the picture of grace and confidence. The guys in the crowd made their approval known. Steve gestured to Andrew that the floor was his.

And the show was on.

Andrew patted his pockets looking for something, and then started to look panicked when he couldn't find it. Saphira tapped his shoulder and gave him a deck of cards, batting her eyes in an overdramatic fashion. Andrew began to awkwardly shuffle the cards; Steve looking bored already walked by him and quite clearly tripped him up. Cards went flying all over the stage.

Steve, covering up his tracks, threw his arms out in exasperation at Andrew's clumsiness. Saphira, not fooled by him, pouted deeply and put her hands on her hips. Andrew simply shrugged and held his hand out, palm up. The cards lifted off the stage and flew to his hand, back into a deck. The crowd was star-struck. How the hell did that happen?!

For his next trick, Andrew was juggling bright colored balls. Saphira sat up on a table looking alluring, watching Andrew do his trick. Steve offered Andrew a drink of his soda, but Andrew just looked annoyed at the interruption. Steve shrugged but looked happy at his decline. Saphira grinned and hopped off the table and whispered something to Andrew, he nodded.

Saphira snuck up to Steve and grabbed his soda and ran across the stage. Steve, enraged at having his soda swiped, took off after her. At the same time Andrew stopped juggling, but the balls hung in the air until Steve passed them, then they fell down and hit him square in the head. Andrew and the crowd cracked up, while Saphira returned to her perch and took a triumphant sip of the stolen soda.

Steve, nursing a bruised ego, left to get ready for the next trick. Andrew motioned at Saphira to stay where she was. He walked up to her, grabbed the table, and pulled it out from under her. But she stayed in her 'seat'. She hopped off her 'seat' and bowed to the crowd's applause then gesture to Andrew, who bowed in kind.

He pulled back out his deck of cards and flipped the cards out of the deck into a graceful arch to his hand. He then flicked the deck at Saphira and the cards twirled around her like a whirlpool. She plucked all the cards out of the air back into a deck, then flipped a card out like Andrew did at the beginning, then gave him a look that said, 'see-I-can-do-it-too-magic-man.'

Steve had set up a tight rope across the stage and invited Andrew to give it a go. At first Andrew looked very uncertain about making it across. He was very wobbly and jerky. At one point he almost fell off and on his face, but caught himself at the last second. He straightened up then began to causally walk across the rope like it's nothing, even shrugged his shoulder as if to say 'no big deal'. Steve pantomimed Andrew being a show off. Steve tossed his juggling balls at him. He then starts juggling and walking across the rope. He tossed a ball out of the circle and onto his outstretched foot it then fell off onto the rope and followed him across the rope.

While they cleaned up the stage, Andrew enjoys the explosive applause of the crowd. Steve shows off both Saphira and Andrew. They hold hands and bow, then take a bow separately. Andrew revealing in his movement of having everyone's attention on him. It was the crowning moment he always dreamed of.

(Andrew pov)

Saphira's house was lit up in true Gatsby fashion; bodies of teenagers were wondering around, music was blaring across the ground.

"Get in there." Matt said giving me a shove toward the house. "You're the man of the hour."

It was surreal having everyone look at me and not with contempt. Kristi, Steve's girlfriend, practically tackled me to the ground with a welcome hug. Steve wrapped an arm around my shoulders and ushered me in, announcing, "Move aside! VIP coming through!" and went on to say how everyone was waiting for me.

Everyone was losing their shit like this was a Justin Bieber concert, girls flirted, guys fist bumped, and high fived me. And I soaked up every second like a sponge, pretty sure I was glowing from it all.

Inside Charlie had somehow de-aged twelve years and looked closeenough like a fellow teen that no one noticed him taking the car keys of the completely smashed.

"How you feeling?" I asked a dazed Matt on one of the couches. "I'm- I'm feeling great," he answered. "Yeah? You sure? Cause you look really out of it." I laughed.

"Hey!" a girl with pink hair called at me. "I gotta say that was so hot." she praised, swaying a little. "Oh thanks." I replied, still not use to all the compliments I was getting.

"So, uh, do you not remember me at all?" she asked. I didn't hang out with anyone unless bullies and douchebags counted, but something about that hair stuck in my mind. "Monica." She got so excited that I remembered. "Yes! Come on big shot let me get you a drink."

I had always said I would never drink, it was what made Richard the violent, rageful mess he was, but then I also said I would never be this popular and look how that changed. Besides I figured I could always sleep it off here and not do too much damage.

The first sip burned down my throat. After the third or was it the fourth cup, Monica pushed me down on a couch, giggling the whole time as I tried to protect the camera but not really caring.

"Have you ever played that over there?" she asked. I glanced over at the group around a table bouncing Ping-Pong balls into cups. "Uh, no. I have never played 'that over there'." I joked. "No. I bet you're really good at it." she purred into my neck, and stroked my leg. Where I not however many cups in, I would have shied away and blurted out something stupid that would have made her leave, but I was however many in and I really like the attention that people gave me for using my powers.

"So you just throw the ball in the cups?" I asked. "Yep." She nodded. "I-I actually think I could be good at that." I chuckled. "Let's find out."

So I played the game, and despite my foggy mind my powers still worked flawlessly. Monica stayed welded to my side the whole time. Never once did I question why after so many years she was paying attention to me, now that I was famous. Nor did I ask why it was her and not Saphira with me. Not once did it occur to me to think about the girl that before tonight had brightened up every minute of my dark life by just being there, that had showed interest in me even before the powers. I never thought of the girl that had defended me after the truck, had told me her story and understood my pain and threatened Richard, had gotten me a job, and was first person I had ever really thought it possible to have later in my life as my wife. I had horribly forgotten her for the fame of the night.

All I thought about was enjoying every second of attention I had been denied before now. I like to think in the very back of my mind the part not doused in alcohol was asking for Fae, or maybe that's what I say now. That I thought I could try some moves on Monica and see how it worked. But really without Saphira in my sight I forgot her and everything we did together and what I had wanted with her.

The constant flow of booze made sure I wouldn't remember. All I knew was the pleasant haze of laughter and smiles and I loved it.

When I won the game and Monica planted one on me, it felt…like nothing, like kissing a wall. I felt nothing for the wall and nothing for the girl that was my first kiss. That didn't seem right. Hot girl throwing herself at me, I should feel something. But I felt nothing even as I followed her up to a room.

(Matt's pov)

It was like being in an alternate universe. When was I the one on the edge of a party with the camera and Andrew having careless fun? It was also weird to see him without Saphira right beside him. Ever since that night with the rock she was a constant presence near him. And that wasn't a bad thing. I was not her biggest fan but I wasn't so high to not see how good they worked together. Not that either of them did anything about it but whatever.

"Hey Matt," Steve greeted. "Hey man. Hey, you seen Andrew?" I asked.

Steve gave me a proud parent look. "Andrews upstairs with the girl with pink hair," he said. Pink hair? Not Saphira. Oh shit. I may not have been the best cousin to him since I found pot but I would still be sad if he got killed by a vengeful harpy. He had to be beyond drunk to forget his massive crush on her. "No way. Like they went together?"

Steve scoffed. "That's my boy up there. Of course they went up together. He is getting luckyyyyyyyy up there." Steve said rather excitedly I might add.

A vase beside us shattered.

The crowd, too drunk to realize no one had touched the thing, just applauded the sound of shit getting broken.

Saphira stood, face twisted in anger and sadness, glaring at us.

"Oh damn, Fae, I'm sorry," Steve tried to calm her down.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed. "I don't want your sympathy. I must be the biggest idiot there ever was to believe after getting the attention of everyone that ignored him; he'd still be the same. That he'd remember who helped him when he was nobody that I pulled him out of the pit and into the spotlight. That I had been with him through everything. 'Always need you', what bullshit. Well now I know what I'm worth to him." she raged bitterly about herself.

Her eyes narrowed on the camera and ripped it out of my hands so hard and fast, I actually had to count them to make sure they were all there.

"He's filmed everything else in his new life so far, might as well go all the way. Don't follow me or there'll be more magic tonight, the black kind." she warned. The lights dimmed like a power surge. But it was far more terrifying thing that.

I tried to go after her, worried about the unfortunate couple, but Steve dragged me back. "Whoa Matt. She likes him, like really likes him. That was the point for all this; it was to get his confidence up to tell her. I didn't think he'd go with another girl…" he explained. "Then what was all the pride for him for?" I asked. "I didn't know she was behind me. And anyway I thought he'd be crushing on her so much he wouldn't go through with it."

"I hope you're right."

(Andrew's pov)

I did not feel well. I was the go to guy on feeling like shit but that had been purely emotional up to this point. My head felt like I had poured lead into it. My throat felt swollen and bruised like someone had strangled me. I had nothing to compare with but I was sure this wasn't how a first time was supposed to feel like.

I was shaking so badly like I was having a seizure, my face was hot with blood, and my heart was somehow pounding in my throat yet was dropped down in my stomach. I was swimming in my borrowed suit with sweat. I was finally getting it on with a girl and it felt so wrong.

This wasn't right I wasn't supposed to be doing this to the girl underneath me, but someone else. My mind clear of booze yet clouded with sickness finally remembered Saphira. Her smile, her closeness, her eyes. That's why it felt wrong this was a betrayal, I felt sick…. No I was sick. The feeling in my stomach wasn't going to be pushed away and ignored anymore. It refused to settle, getting more intense. The vomit I had been so sure about all night, now coming out of me and onto Monica.

(Saphira's pov)

Men. There really was no helping them. Primal, basic cavemen the lot of them. You give them a nice girl that would be there for them help them whatever they needed but the minute they see another hot chicky they're kicking up dust.

I have never been this pissed off. It was lucky as hell the rock didn't have gamma rays or I'd have done Hulk be now. I thought Andrew was better than this that his mom would have given him more confidence then have drunken sex with the first girl that saddled to him in new fame.

Then I heard a loud scream coming from one of the guest rooms. Two thoughts crossed my mind. One, they weren't in my room. Thank God for that I'd had seriously fucked shit up if he had the gall to do it in there. And two, I was shave that stupid pink hair of that gold-diggers off the second I got my hands on her.

Btu then said pink hair bitch came storming out of the room (fully clothed) and rushed past me, leaving the strong scent of beer and vomit.

I felt all my anger drain out of me like someone pulled the plug. I had heard fame was fleeting but it hadn't even lasted the night.

Looking in I saw him seated on the edge of the bed his shoulder squared off, the air thick with tension.

"Andrew?" I called. "Leave," he growled. I pushed back a shiver because it didn't even sound like him.

I padded over and barely touched his shoulder when suddenly he was up. And shoved me out of his way. I slammed into the wall, my head connecting with the wall hard. Luckily it just hurt like a bitch but didn't bleed.

Andrew was screaming at the top of his lungs, and I could only set there from the shock he had shoved me.

"I am so sick of all this bullshit. I'm tired of having my teeth kicked so far down my throat I choke on the littlest bit of dignity I've scrambled to have at all. I'm so sick of having these power and still be worth nothing. Be called stupid, pathetic and useless!" he howled. The years of abuse from his father and classmates was all coming out.

"And you. I got beat up in front of you and you did nothing," he snarled. "I told you I worked quietly-" I tried. "At least Matt doesn't pretend to be an asshole and acts like he cares." he bowled over.

"You think I wanted to have to wait? You think I didn't want to walk up to every one of them and punch them out. That I wouldn't tell the whole school to get fucked because of what they did to you. I didn't do all that not because you don't mean anything. I did it because you meant more to me. Because you mattered. And that's what made it scary. As long as I did it quietly I could pretend you knew what I was doing and be happy. I was scared if you knew then you'd say no. but you want reality you want the truth? The truth is I love you, you idiot!" I screamed.

Silence.

"You…you love me?" he asked sounding like the idea was impossible. I nodded. "No, no that can't be right. That makes no sense." he denied. "Why is that so hard to believe?" I asked.

"Because," he gestured at me. "You're you! Smart, beautiful, brave, strong, everything I'm not."

"No you're not. You're caring, sweet, handsome, and tough as hell." I said. From the look on his face he didn't believe me. "You ever watch USA Psych? There was this one where Shawn was going to tell the girl he loved that he did. And he said there were two types of kids when it came to cereal. The kind that flipped the box and went right for the prize, avoiding the adventure. And the kind that waited bowl after bowl till he finally got to the prize. That's how I did it with you. I figured you were already sweet; why not make it even more so. But I waited too long again." I said, feeling tears in the back of my eyes.

He moved closer and helped me up.

"There's actually a third kid, who has never had cereal in his life and can't believe he has that let alone a prize too." he said. "What does he do?" I asked, looking up at him. He grinned. "He enjoys every moment and goes for it."

He kissed me. It was a cross between chaste and passionate. There was something so perfect about the moment of finally being there. We parted when air became a problem, but stayed together with our foreheads touching.

He looked down and started laughing. "What?" I said. "You make me walk on air." he replied. Looking down I saw we had floated of the floor. "The power got away from us." I chuckled. "Is this really happening?" he asked, eyes glinted with that last bit of uncertainty. "It better be, because I'm not letting it go. I'd rather die again."

"It won't come to that. I promise." he assured.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but finally I let go and asked, "I'm done with the party. Wanna go somewhere else?" "I would but I'm kind of covered in vomit," he blushed. "Lucky you I have a huge closet." I teased.

"Wanna tell me where we're going?' I asked flying with her hand in hand. "Nope." she answered. Then stopped and covered my eyes. "No peeking." she warned. "Okay, open your eyes."

We were hovering over a body of water; it was so still it looked like glass reflecting the stars overhead. Where the sky met the water was hard to tell in the dark, and behind us was a wall of mirrored windows. It was lie we were in outer space.

"Wow. How did you find this place?" I asked. "Flying around." she shrugged. "I like coming here whenever I can. It feels like dancing in the stars."

I took the chance before my confidence left, and offered her my hand. "Dance with me?" "I could never say no to you." she smiled, taking it. I never danced but I could sway.

Having her here in my arms was like surrender. I finally dropped everything that made me hesitate. Richard, mom, Matt, school. Everything that had meant so much three hours ago were so far away now. I had the girl of my dreams, who loved me and I loved back. I was dancing with her, the simplest of things surrounded by millions of stars. It was so romantic, so beautiful, and something I never thought I'd experience, but would never part with. With her I felt like I was finally home. That I was finally at peace.

"The End"

~These are the words I desperately wish I could type. Oh I would give anything to say the story ends here. But alas, my mission is not to weave happy endings where they do not occur, but report the actual events. And as much as it pains me, I must confess that their troubles had only just begun. ~ Lemony Snicket

Over the next few weeks I got really used to the calm content feeling my life had been taking on. I didn't feel like I was on borrowed time anymore. Mom didn't look like I'd be losing her the next minute, Richard was scared by Fae's threat to tell Mom, and Saphira was my girlfriend finally.

After the mess that was the party, I apologized for having shoved her so much she had to kiss me quiet. Rather liked that tactic.

Going to school on Monday wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Word had spread of my failed attempt at sex. As a result everyone was making reacting sounds at me.

Wayne had nabbed me out science. "You know Andrew most guys have a problem getting it up, but I've never heard of someone having a problem keeping it down." He and his group roared like it was the funniest thing ever said.

"Andrew, hey. There you are baby, thanks for waiting." Saphira cooed, pecking my check. I smiled at her, laying it on thick for the rest of the hall, who had turned to see what was up. "Hey baby, saw you at the show, nice dress. What are you doing with Detmer?" Wayne asked. "He's my boyfriend or didn't you hear? The magician always takes his assistant home." she teased. "Have you heard what he does with girls he takes home?"

"Yeah works magic in more ways with one." she grinned, taking my hand and walked off. It took everything I had not the laugh the whole way.

It was totally irony, all that time spent looking out for the other shoe to drop it never happened. It was only when I stopped looking it dropped like Hiroshima.

One day I was talking with mom when Richard came in, asking me to come help with something in the garage. I felt blood freeze in my veins, that feeling of danger you get right before a car comes blazing around a corner. I couldn't say no in front of Mom because she would ask why, and I could not, would not take her happiness away, no matter how delusional it was.

The sound of the door shutting sounded like canon fire.

"Sit down." he ordered. I did as he said; hoping he'd just yell then let me go. He pulled out my camera and my heart tried to escape my chest.

"I can't believe you were hoarding a five hundred dollar camera while your mom was dying, I don't care if she's not anymore, the fact you did it at all…How selfish can you be!" he shouted at me. I just keep quiet. "I went through your camera."

Oh, fuck. I scrambled to remember what was on it, trying to remember what I had uploaded and erased. Unfortunately I was too panicked to think clearly. "What did you see?" I asked. "Just you being a loser." he sneered. "You think those people are your friends. That that girl is with you for anything but charity? You're just something to put on an application. You have no friends. No one cares about you. You are an embarrassment. You're running around this town spending my money. Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Despite the fact I knew everything he said was a bunch of bull, I still felt my blood boil at what he said about Saphira. "I didn't spend any of your money," I said vehemently. "Because I don't have a dime to spend. Every last cent….look at me! Every last scent goes to school for you and… "

I was tired of him making me his outlet for the stupid shit he did to himself. He got himself injured and fired, he drank himself into oblivion. It was never my fault for anything. Now that I was getting somewhere and he damn well knew it. He figured he could trip me up again so he wouldn't look like the failure he was. No more.

"School?!" I shouted back incredulously.

"Treatment for your mother…. "

"You don't pay for a public school you idiot!"

Silence.

I knew I crossed the line. Fear replaced anger. His face twisted in fiery rage at my rebellion.

"What?!" he said. "What did you just call me, you little shit?!" he roared. Grabbing the table and hurled it behind him, the bottles shattered, books thuddingon the floor. "You're calling me an idiot? HUH?!" the chair I jumped off of to put distance between the two of us followed the table.

Frantically I looked for a way out of here. Suddenly pain exploded in my cheek and I went down hard. Then he was on my screaming abuse, grabbing my shirt and hauling me up to scream in my face. I tried to get away, all rational thoughts was replaced with blind panic. Then I didn't feel scared anymore.

Using my power I took control and forced him across the room and slammed his back into the wall. "I could crush you, damn it!" I growled at him. But it didn't sound a thing like me. Then I threw him clean across the room, where he crashed into a pile of junk. He lay there groaning in pain and writhing with agony. And it felt good that it wasn't me that ended up the mess on the floor.

This didn't seem right. I shouldn't feel happiness at hurting someone. But the power….it wouldn't stop. What was happening to me? I needed to get out of here.

I felt something primal, something deep within me. It was like I had inherited someone else's body. Like I wasn't myself. I felt bigger, stronger. I felt more in control then I ever had in my life. I felt…dangerous.

(Saphira's pov)

"So are you and Drew okay?" Steve asked me. "Oh yeah, we're good. Brilliant, actually. We both found out we were complete idiots that loved each other." I explained. "I'm happy for you guys, and again I'm sorry about the hook-up plan." he said sheepishly. "Oh, no worries. Without you I don't know when we'd have stopped dragging our feet around each other."

"Sooo does that mean I'll be the best man at your wedding?" he teased. "Well, I wouldn't trust Matt to get him to the alter or remember the ring. Or not fill his head up with depressing philosophy on the happiest day his life." I informed him. "So true. My advice would be just stand there, look nice, say two words, and then tell about the honeymoon when he gets back." he chuckled. "Perfect." Andrew was lucky to have such a good friend like this.

Suddenly I got a splitting headache. At first I thought I was having another vision, but then I saw Steve having a similar problem, "You too?" I asked. "Yeah. Weird. I was fine two seconds ago." A cry of pain was ripped out of both of us and this time the pain came with a voice. Andrew's voice, screaming in agony and misery. "Andrew's in trouble!" Steve said through gritted teeth. "Yeah, we gotta get to him and fast. Call Matt, I think it has to do with our powers." I explained just as we each got nosebleeds.

God I felt awful. I was barely able to fly, my head hurt so bad. I tried to ignore it; the pain would just have to take a backseat. Andrew was in trouble and I was going to get to him ASAP. Steve offered to give me a hand, but Andrew was more important. So I sent him ahead. As I was trying to calm the pain with deep breathes, I hear thunder.

Oh shit. This was it, my vision.

Richard, that utter bastard had hit Andrew again and threwhis power into a protective frenzy. It wouldn't be able to tell the difference from friend or foe. It had created the storm I had seen kill Steve. No, no, no! That was not going to happen. I needed to get over there. I needed to get Steve out of there. I needed to be faster than lightening.

(Andrew's pov)

Pressure squeezed my lungs like a vice. I could feel the flow of my blood as it rushed and stampeded through my veins. Darkness feathered my vision. The rest was filled with bright flashes of light that stabbed into my brain like a thousand knives, then left the feeling of needles, then repeated itself.

"Hey. Hey, asshole." Steve called. "Hey what are you doing up here?"

"Just leave me alone Steve." I warned. He could not be up here. I wasn't in control anymore. I had come up here so the power could build up all it wanted and release without it hurting anyone. He needed to leave.

"You can't be up here, dude. This place isn't safe!" he called. "I don't wanna talk to anyone." I told him. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. "Leave me alone." I repeated. "How did you find me?"

'I don't know man. I was with Fae and our noses started bleeding, we heard your voice in our head or something…. "

Saphira was coming here? No. NO! Fear was the wrong thing to feel in this state. The storm around us got more violent. They needed to get the hell out of here.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Steve demanded. More fear for the storm. I hated talking about what Richard did to me. "Nothing, man. Just leave me alone!" I denied.

"No dude that ain't nothing. Your dad. Your dad beat the shit out of you!" he shouted in concern and anger. Not as much as I beat the shit out of him. "He can't do that to you…"

"Will you stop acting like you give a shit!" I roared. Why did he have to care? It would save his life right now if he acted like Matt.

"Dude…" his voice went quiet. "Why are you talking to me like that? I'm your friend."

"I don't have any friends," I denied using Richards dark, terriblewords from earlier. "You were never my friend before any of this."

"I hang out with you, Fae, and Matt every day!" he shouted in defense. "What about that? We're supposed to fly around the world together, don't you remember that?"

"Stop talking to me!" I screamed. This was only making the storm worse.

"What about Saphira?" he demanded. "You two just got together. She's coming here for you because she cares about you, she always has."

"Just leave me alone, Steve! I'm telling you to get away from me!" I warned.

The throbbing in my temple was becoming unbearable. Pain seared behind my eyes in intense spikes. I could only see in flashes now. As much as I wanted to stop I couldn't think past the pain. I felt furious…powerful…invincible…out of control. My power was in full control of my body. The rage and fear I felt with Richard had melded with the power and took charge of what I never could do myself. And it wouldn't stop. I was barely holding out to it. One more thing was all that was needed to break the control and who knew what would happen with it unleashed.

"Get away from me now! Please! NOW!" I howled as I lost my grip on the power and it flared out. Lightning struck out at Steve…

Or where Steve had just been. At the last possible second Saphira had come out of nowhere, literally nowhere. No sound, no moment in the corner of the eye, she was just there shoving Steve and herself out of the way.

"W-w-what the hell man?!" Steve shouted. I had no answer for him. I had almost killed someone, not just anyone, a friend, my only and best. I had lost control again, no I still had control….but the powers control of me was greater. It responded to my mood, my deepest want, to not be weak, to be heard when I talk. It let me have it. I was so disgusted by what I had almost done.

Steve looked beyond terrified. Saphira looked…exhausted? There was not an ounce of fear or shock at what had just happened in her. She looked awful, skin pale and sweaty, nose bleeding none stop. "Drew…" she whispered, before her eyes rounded up in her head and she dropped out of the sky!

It was like Steve and the plane all over again. Only this time when we hit the ground there was no energetic jumping hugging fest. When I put Saphira on the ground, her chest wasn't moving. Putting two fingers on her neck feeling for a pulse only to find there was none.

"No, no, no, no, no! Saphira, Saphira! Come on, wake up!" I yelled, giving a shake. Nothing. "Please, God please. Don't be dead. Come on wake up. You can't leave me, I just got you. Come on, it's not fair. You're the only good thing I've got. Please!" I begged, tears streaming down my face. Still nothing. It was my fault. Richard was right, I was an embarrassment. I wasn't in a relationship a month and not only was it over but I had killed her. I didn't care if I hadn't meant to. It had been my power, my lack of control that had done this. It was my entire fault.

(Saphira's Pov)

It was dark. That was the first thing I knew. The second was I ached all over, laying back when I was testing for my belts. Only now it was every single ache from every test layered over each other. And the third was someone was crying. Deep heavy, agonizing sobs. Barely I realized it was Andrew crying. What happened? Did I get there too late to save Steve? God I hope not. Then I remembered snow. I saw it snowing again. Oh boy.

This sucked. We had finally gotten him in a good place. So much so I was going to ask him when I had him come home with me tonight. Damn that Richard! I was gonna rip that drunken bastards head off. On that thought I should probably wake up.

Opening my eyes felt like pulling back a decade old wallpaper. First thing I saw was his face soaked with tears, his face twisted in despair so raw it twisted a knife in my heart. My arm felt pumped full of lead as I reached up to brush the tears away. At my touch his eyes flew open and stared down at me in shock.

His eyes weren't normal regular blue. They were still those pure, innocent baby blue I was used to looking into, only now they were glowing. Not with like emotion, like someone had lit a flashlight behind them, or that rock that started all this. I hadn't escaped death alone this time, he had pulled me back.

His mom's recovery had made me suspicious, but now here was the proof staring me in the face. I had to tell him and maybe if he knew the better solution to helping his mom he would avoid that awful future I saw for him.

But first I needed to get up and calm Steve the hell down before he exploded, and lifting Andrew of the guilt he no doubt felt for what happened to me. It wasn't his felt, it was mine. That trick of mine worked alright but it was too far way too quick. **

It was weird I had just died again but it didn't feel like it. I think it would have hit me a hell of a lot harder had Andrew not poured his power into me. As it was, I felt great. Like I could run a marathon.

Steve was freaking out, but I would rather have him harp on the fact I had just been dead instead of him yell at Andrew for almost killing him. This was going to be pure hell to talk to Matt after this. But we'd cross that bridge when we got there. As it was I wanted to get Andrew home and convince him he was in no way responsible for any of the things that happened tonight and thank him for bringing me back.

After the adrenaline started to wear off Steve became too tired to fuzz or argue about trying to get me to a hospital and after the thousandth time of assuring him I was fine, he went home. Turning to Andrew you could see him trying to build his walls up. "You're coming home with me mister!" I informed him firmly. "Tomorrow I'm killing Richard."

"You should kill me, like I almost did to you…" he told me, voice hoarse form crying.

"I'll kill the guy responsible for this whole mess and that's not you. It's your dad. Drew, you were attacked by your dad and you defended yourself, End. Of. Story."

"It wouldn't stop….It saved me from him but it wouldn't stop…."

"I know but I dropped out of the sky, not because of you, but because I pushed my own power too far too quick. I have never lied, certainly not to you or my dad. Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying when I say you had nothing to do with my second death." I challenged. He looked, long and hard. Finally he gave me a reluctant nod. So unused to it not being told in some way it was he's fault.

He crushed me in to a hug. I'd take a broken rib if it meant he believed he was innocent. "Good, now again. You're coming home with me."

(Andrew pov)

The trip to her house and up to her room was quiet and calm but as soon as the bedroom door clicked shut she was on me. It was an attack of lips, tongue, and teeth. And God help me if it wasn't the hottest thing I ever felt. She pushed to her bed, when my legs hit the mattress I fall flat on my back. She pulled her shirt off and was back on me again. Now I knew what Wolverine felt with Jean Gray. She ripped my shirt off and grazed my scars with her fingers while she kissed and nipped my neck. All I could do was hold onto her like she was the only ground thing in this thunderstorm of passion and heat. Thunderstorm…I froze up. She had been dead not two hours ago, now she was writhing on top on me.

"Fae I-I can't," I tried to tell her. She ignored me still focused on my neck and doing some very distracting and so good things to me below the belt. "If we don't stop now… we won't ever." Both a warning and a promise. She paused and sat up, straddling my waist. "Don't you wanna?" she askedway too innocent then was possible with the situation. I looked up at her, cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen, tousled raven hair shone blue in the moonlight, eyes full of love and lust for me. My heart swelled. I took a deep breath, "Hell yes." And took the leap.

There it is. First time with anything that south of the gutter. Two more chappies till the end. Thank you all for holding on.

** does anyone have an idea as to what Saphira did to get there so fast?

Review plzplzplzplzplz.