A/N: You guys are FANTABULOUS! Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews and remember- the more the merrier! Reviews are very much appreciated, as always. Remember, I don't know much about cyanide, so forgive me if I'm way off.

Happy Holidays to everyone, I probably won't be updating for a while. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Worse Always Comes Before Better

Lulu sat in the chair, her body numb and her mind blank. She heard and saw everyone swirl around her, people trying to talk to her but she shrugged them off and continued to stare at the wall.

It felt like someone had taken a knife and stabbed her repeatedly straight through her heart, but instead of dying she was left to suffer through the pain. But somehow this pain was worse than any knife could cause.

She was so pale, so helpless, so lifeless, so young.

Too young.

She knew something had gone wrong in the world, someone had decided to turn their wrath onto her and her daughter. Because no one deserved this, especially not an innocent little girl who couldn't hurt a fly.

There were tear tracks down her face, but her eyes were dry as the Sahara because she had run out of tears long ago. Someone was hugging her, talking to her, probably trying to reassure and comfort her, but she couldn't hear them. The only thing she could hear was that long, loud beep from last night. It had ended long ago, but it had never faded in her mind.

It was like a dream, she was watching it and hearing it, feeling it, but she wasn't really there, and she had a feeling that she would never be back. She wanted it to be a dream, she wanted it so bad, hoping that she would wake up and realize that her living nightmare really was just an nightmare.

But it wasn't because she had pinched her self so many times that there was a bruise on her arm, but it couldn't compare to the pain she felt in her heart.

Everyone said it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have done anything, but she knew that it was her fault. Her baby didn't deserve this, but someone had to deserve it, so maybe it was her. Maybe it was a cruel twist of fate that had taken itself out on Lola instead of Lulu.

She saw everyone she had ever loved around her, but not the little girl she loved more than anyone else. No, she was lying on a hospital bed with doctors poking and prodding her, when she should be sitting on her mother's lap, begging for a third scoop of ice cream and just one more squirt of whipped cream.

These people were searching for her, trying to bring Lulu back to life, trying to get the real Lulu back.

But the real Lulu would never be back.

The real Lulu was dead.

And so was her daughter.

And there was that insistent beep, long, loud and annoying, informing her that Lola would never be back, that she would never hug her mother ever again.

Beep.

But now it was getting shorter, and the beep was repeating over and over, succeeding in becoming even worse than before.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

It was getting even louder now, pounding so loud she was sure her head would burst.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

Faster and louder, worse than ever, reminding her that the very meaning for her existence was gone, telling her that she had no reason to live and she should just kill herself now and make things easier on everyone.

Beep.

And maybe she would.

Beep.

And everything was gone.

Beep.

And everything was dead.

Beep.

And it was dark, so, so dark.

She opened her eyes, squinting at the brightness, to let some light into her dark world.

But Lola was the light of her life, the little girl lying before her as she sat in Dante's arms was gone.

And then she realized - Lola was in front of her, her chest rising and falling with each little breath.

It really was just a nightmare.

Just a dream, a horrible dream, a horrible, terrible, horrible dream that wasn't real. And Lola was alive.

She let out a small cry of relief, unintentionally waking Dante.

"Mmph - what's wrong?" he mumbled groggily. He noticed the tears on Lulu's face and instantly leaned forward to see if something had happened to Lola before Lulu flung her arms around his neck unexpectedly. "What happened?" he asked, hugging her back.

"She's okay..." Lulu whispered. "Oh, God, I thought she was dead..."

"Care to explain?" he asked tentatively, trying not to push her fragile mind frame over the edge.

"I had a dream," she began, releasing Dante and leaning back. "Lola was dead and it was horrible, I - I was so scared, I wanted to die."

"Shh, it's okay," he soothed. "It was just a dream, she's fine."

"I know. I'm sorry, I feel so stupid."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, here I am sobbing about some stupid dream I had and-"

"Stop it, Lulu. You have every right to be crying, you just went through a traumatic experience and thought that your daughter was dead. You're taking this better than most people would."

"Thanks," she said quietly with a small smile. "Thanks for everything, staying here, and supporting me. I don't know what I would do if I was all alone."

"Of course, sweetheart." Both of their eyes jerked over to Lola as her arm moved from her side to her stomach and her face twitched slightly.

"Lola?" Lulu said, taking her daughter's hand. "Can you hear me, darling?" Lola whimpered and shifted a bit at the sound of her mother's voice. "Come on, baby, you gotta wake up," she urged.

Suddenly Lola's face contorted in pain and her body began to shake slightly. Lulu held her hand tighter and placed another hand on her daughter's face, speaking to her frantically. "Lola, Lola! Please wake up, please, please! I need you to wake up, it's okay, you're okay..." she trailed off when Lola's body began to jerk violently. Lulu screamed loudly, realizing what was happening. Dante began shouting for help, repeatedly slamming on the help button by Lola's head. Lulu turned Lola to her side and pulled back, afraid that she would cause harm to her daughter.

Robin and two nurses burst through the door moments later and examined the shaking child. Dante guided a frantic Lulu away from the hospital bed, wrapping his arms around her in a half-restraint, half-embrace, hoping to ease some of her obvious pain. She panted and squirmed before sinking back into Dante in defeat as she watched. After a few minutes, or maybe they were hours, Robin and the nurses stepped back from the still figure on the bed and turned to Dante and Lulu.

"She'll be okay," she began. "The seizure was an effect of the cyanide, which apparently isn't been completely completely out of her system yet. We'll give her a stronger dose of medication and I don't think it'll happen again." She moved forward and hugged her friend, who immediately returned the gesture. The two women broke apart and Robin stepped back. "You two should get some more sleep. I managed to get rid of the visiting hours rule, but I'm not sure how long it'll be until Epiphany has enough and kicks you guys out. I'll be back soon with the medications," she finished with a small smile.

Lulu walked slowly over to Lola, taking her small hand in hers and rubbing it reassuringly. She tried to steady her breathing as Dante walked up behind her, placing his hands on the back of her chair. She wiped the traces of sweat of her daughter's forehead that had formed from the physical trauma of the seizure and traced her thumb down her delicate jaw line.

"I really thought she was going to wake up," she said to Dante without turning to face him. "I thought that was gonna be the moment I'd been waiting for all night, but it turned out to be even worse than it was before. But I guess things always get worse before they get better."

"Exactly. Things will only get better from here," Dante said, hoping his words were true.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," she said to a still unconscious Lola. She leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

She turned to Dante and said, "Thank you for staying with me tonight, it means a lot to me. But you probably want to go home now, so-"

"No, if it's alright with you, I think I'll stay."

"Of course you can stay, but I don't think you want to be sitting in this hospital room all night."

"I would sit in a hospital room for a month for you two," he said with a smile.

"Very poetic," she said, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. Dante sat down on the chair and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close.