Yay, I'm finally updating! I've been busy with school and church and my other CxA fics, as well as my CxA C2, but now I can finally update again! Truth be told, I'm not really sure how this chap will go. I don't know how it will end or if this will be the last chap. I'll let you know at the end of this chap : )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10:

Alexis stood outside her parents' home, shaking. She took a deep breath before she rang the doorbell, biting back the horrible urge to run while she could. She had to do this. She had to confront her father on what he had done.

After several deep breaths, she finally rang the doorbell. Cringing, she waited for someone to open it. Nobody did. She was confused. Their cars were parked in the driveway. They had to be home.

She rapped on the door, and peered in the frosted glass. She couldn't see anything. A feeling of sick dread rose from the pit of her stomach. She banged on the door again and again, feeling all the sicker. She pounded frantically on the door. No response.

With trembling hands, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed her parents' home number. After calling several times with no response, she tried calling their cell phones. It was to no avail.

Desperate, she called the neighbors. Nobody had heard from her parents. She became more apprehensive.

Finally, she called Atticus.

"Hello?"

"Atticus!" she gasped, panicked, "Have you heard from mom or dad?"

"No."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Well, two nights ago they said they'd be home for the next couple of days. They had the flu….I was gonna check up on them today, but…."

"Atticus," she said, swallowing hard, "I can't get them to come to the door. I've got a really bad feeling about this. Something's wrong."

"Well, then, go get the spare key from under the steps."

She reached under the steps and felt around the cold concrete. Frowning, she peered under.

"It's gone."

"Hmm, I don't know how that could've happened. Maybe they removed it…"

"Atticus," she said shakily, "can't you just accept that something's wrong? We have to find out what happened to mom and dad."

"I'm sure they're fine."

"Atticus, I'm worried about them. Do something!"
"What do you want me to do, call the cops?"

"Maybe you should…."

"Ok, ok, Lex, I'm coming down there, 'k? Just hang on. Wait for me; don't call the police yet, 'k?"

"Ok." She reluctantly agreed.

"Ok, see ya in a few."

"Bye." She shut her phone then re-opened it and dialed Chazz's number.

"Hello?"

"Chazz? Hey, it's Alexis. Look, I'm sorry to call you when you're still recovering from that wound and all, and I know you're tired, but….I'm worried about my parents."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, the thing is, I can't get them to come to the door or pick up the phone. The neighbors haven't heard from them. Neither has Atticus. Last he talked to them, which was two days ago, they had the flu. I can't find the spare key to get into the house. Well, now, I don't know if they're really sick or hurt or……" she trailed off.

"It's Ok, Lex, stay calm. I'll come down there."

"But, my dad hates you!" she blurted.

"I know. But I gotta be there for you. It doesn't matter what the hell your dad thinks. All that matters is that you're Ok."

"Aww, Chazz…..but, wait, you're still weak."

"I'll be fine. I'll do anything for you. Now, I'll be down there as soon as I can, Ok?"

"Ok, but be careful."

"I will, I promise. I'll call you if something happens."

"Ok."

"I love you, Ok? Talk to ya later."

"Bye, I love you, too."

She hung up and sat on the steps, miserable. She toyed with her cell phone, thinking about what Atticus had said. Wait. Atticus had told her that he'd last heard from them two days earlier. The spare key was now missing. Just two days ago, Chazz had killed Charles.

Suddenly, she leapt to her feet and ran around the side of the house. She looked about frantically for anything she could get her hands on. Finding a large rock, she picked it up and smashed the window with it. She had to slam it into the window several times before the glass finally cracked and gave way.

Without thinking, she jumped through the broken glass. A shard sliced across her skin, drawing blood. She winced but paid it little attention.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. She looked up at the mantle which displayed pictures of her and Atticus as children. Nervously, she ascended the stairs, noting the eerie silence that had settled like an omen of death.

"Hello?" she dared to call.

Hearing her voice briefly echo through the empty rooms sent chills up and down her spine. She flipped her phone open again, and made her way stealthily into her parents' bedroom.

At first, she saw nothing because of the blackout curtains. Then, once her eyes adjusted again, she saw two unmoving lumps in bed. The room smelled sour and musty, like spoiled milk, mothballs, and road kill.

Her stomach churned. She dared not look at the bed any longer. Quickly, she averted her eyes and darted from the room.

Sinking to the floor in the hall, she began to sob very quietly. How could she have let them die like this? It had to be her fault. Charles had been a threat, she knew he was dangerous. Yet, she had been so angry with her father, so selfish, so bent on revenge that she had failed to notify him about Charles' threats and actions. Now, because she hadn't warned them or told them what had happened to her, they were dead.

Her fingers shook as she dialed Chazz's number. She angrily wiped away a few tears that had strayed down her nose and sniffed.

"Hey, babe, I'm almost there." Chazz answered.

"Chazz," she gulped, "don't come."

"Why?"

"Don't." She stifled a sob. She didn't want him to see this

But Chazz knew that this was her way of saying that she needed him immediately. He knew something was wrong.

"Alexis, baby, I'm pulling in the driveway…"

"No, don't!" she sobbed, "Please leave."

"I can't. Where are you?"

"Nowhere."

"Princess, tell me where you are."

"I-I-" she finally relented, "I'm inside."

"How'd you get in?"

"I broke a window."

Painful throbbing in her arm then reminded her of the cut. She then slapped her hand over it to stop the bleeding.

"I found it. I'm coming in."

"No….stop…."

It was too late. She heard footsteps downstairs. She squeezed her eyes shut and huddled shaking against the wall, grief-stricken and guilt-ridden.

"Lex?"

She felt strong arms go around her. She nestled against his chest, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

"Chazz," she whimpered, hot tears forming in her eyes, "we're too late…."

"What do you mean?"

She took in a sharp, painful, involuntary breath. "Charles…he…he…killed them…He killed my parents."

Chazz tightened his grip around her and the shock settled in. "How did that bastard…."

"I don't know." She gasped, then swallowed hard. "But it's too late. And it's all my fault. I was so intent on getting back at my dad that I didn't tell him about what happened to me. I should've told him. He could've stopped Charles and stayed alive. If it weren't for me then he'd still be alive. Oh, Chazz!"

She flung her arms around his neck, and ran her fingers up in his silky raven hair. She gave deep, shaking sobs until she couldn't breathe anymore. He held her tightly, his chin on her head, rocking her back and forth.

"If…only…I had never been born," she gasped, "If only…I'd….If only….If only…."

He didn't say anything only pressed her shaking body closer to his and held her tighter. He held her so tightly that she thought she wouldn't be able to breathe. Yet, she could, as was obvious from her sharp intakes of air.

Her chest began to hurt from sharp pangs brought upon by the sobbing and her heartache. She couldn't breathe anymore. It didn't matter how tightly Chazz held her now, as long as her eased her suffering.

"Ch…azz…" she moaned, "If only…If only…I'd….I could've…this wouldn't have…."

Seeing her language was becoming incompetent, he shushed her by pressing her head deeply into his neck. She cried on his neck, tears running down and drenching the collar of his shirt. She certainly couldn't breathe now. It didn't matter to her anymore.

"I…should…die…for…my…sin…" she gasped, her voice muffled by his neck, "I killed…them."

"No, you didn't, Alexis. Stop blaming yourself. It was Charles, not you. It's not your fault. There was nothing you could do. After all, you were too busy avoiding death yourself."

"It'd have been better if I had died instead." She whimpered, sliding onto his lap and not caring that she was sitting on him in a semi-dirty manner.

He didn't pay it any attention for the time being. His only concern was for her emotional well-being. He cupped her chin gently in his hands and pulled her wet face out of his neck. Looking her right in her tortured eyes, he took his thumb and wiped away all her tears.

Her sobs began to finally subside. She stared at him with despair.

"Alexis," Chazz said quietly, "It's not your fault. It's Ok. God will take care of them now."

She nodded, pained.

"It hurts to let a loved one go," Chazz told her, "but you have to. It was their time. And you'll see them one day. I promise."

"How do you know for sure?" she asked skeptically, "Have you ever died?"

"No, but I know that there has to be more to our existence than this life. I mean, life sucks. Of course there has to be some reason to go through all this torment. One day we're going to be happy. And you'll see everyone you love and miss."

"You never were religious…" she began, puzzled.

"You don't have to be religious to know that there's more to life than this existence."

Feeling comforted by his words, she pulled away from him and stood up. "Thank-you, Chazz."

He only smiled bittersweetly.

"Come on, I have to show you something." She took his hand and led him back into the bedroom.

He was confused, then understood. They pulled the sheets over her parents, then called 911.

As they watched the ambulance carry her parents away, Alexis and Chazz stood with one arm around the other. They turned towards each other and hugged, then kissed.

Atticus arrived, then, seeing from his car that Chazz and Alexis were engaged in a private moment, and seeing the ambulance driving away, chose to leave for the hospital.

Alexis kissed Chazz harder, seeing Atticus leave, and ran her fingers through the back of his hair. He pulled his mouth from hers and stared her directly in her honey colored eyes.

"Just remember, Lex," he told her, "every ending is a new beginning."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aww, sadness T.T Poor Alexis. Bad, Charles, bad! Don't worry, I decided there will be another chapter. Of course, that one might be the last. Who knows?