Beyond Grim And Evil Installment 2: Return To Bunny Island

Beyond Grim And Evil: Return To Bunny Island

(A/N: Second up today. I will probably finish posting this whole story today as well.)

Nightmare

"For the last time, Doctor Ghastly, I'm fine," Skarr insisted, as she instantly began smothering him with thermometers, warm cloths, and medicine. "It was just a cough."

"Oh, well, okay…" she hesitantly said, pulling away. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," he assured, annoyed.

"Right, okay, bye," she said, heading towards the door. "If you need anything though."

"Oh for heaven's sake, go and get some sleep," he ordered.

"Yeah, sure," she agreed, heading out. He shook his head, then suddenly coughed. She turned around, scared, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Go Major, just a cough," Skarr ordered. She looked about to protest, but he went up to her, shoving her towards the door.

"Wait, here's a baby monitor, keep it by your bed so I can here what's happening. General Skarr, we still don't know what this is…" she protested, waving it in the air. He seized it from her hand, shoved her out, then shut the door behind her and leaned on it, sighing. He rose upright, about to go to bed, but he suddenly paused a moment and looked back. On the other side, Ghastly stared fearfully at the door. Finally, though, she shook her head and went to her own room. She had to calm down.

ECC

She jolted awake with a scream, panting. She heard a coughing fit and gasped. Skarr! She forced down the panic and dread welling in her. He didn't stop. He was beginning to gasp. All at once it ended, and she heard him catching his breath. He was awake. She tried to ignore, but she couldn't. Finally she sighed and got up, grabbing the cough medicine, a blanket, and a pillow. There was no way she would get back to sleep.

He heard his door open. He was sitting up, hand on his forehead. Tiredly he looked up, curious. Well, not so much curious. He knew who it was. More accepting and grateful. "Ghastly," he greeted weakly.

"Are you… I know you don't want to hear this, but are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm not dying, if that's what you mean," he replied, some strength coming back.

She hesitated, then went to him with the cough syrup, saying, "Maybe this'll help."

He looked incredulously at it, then at her. Finally he took it, saying, "Thanks."

"No problem," she absently replied, fingering his dresser. Putting the medicine down, after taking some, he looked curiously at her.

"What do you want, doctor?" Skarr questioned after determining she wasn't about to just leave.

ECC

She closed her eyes tightly. She'd hoped he wouldn't ask. Finally she turned to him. She might as well get it off her chest. After all, he was her friend. It wasn't that weird, was it? She looked down, admitting, "I… I had a nightmare."

He raised an eyebrow. "And this concerns me why?" he asked.

She finally met his eyes, replying, "It was about you." He started, shocked. He could see it for Hector, maybe, but him? "Ever since your… your supposed death… Skarr, they've all been about you. Every night, without fail, and they're getting worse."

He blinked at her in disbelief. After a moment he prompted, now curious, "Go on."

"I guess," she reluctantly said. She looked down again, turning away and rubbing her arms. She began. "When you love someone, your first instinct is to look up, if they step away, to see if they're still there… You're not." He perked up instantly. Had she just said she loved him? As a friend, of course, she was obsessed with that idiot Con Carne, but still; and where was she going with this? "Sometimes you're there, then you just disappear. We try to find you. I try, and you're nowhere. You're just, gone. Other times I do find you. Those are the scary ones, because I always find you dead, or dying. I run to you, but it's too late. There's nothing I can do to save you. In more recent dreams, I'm watching you being killed, and I can't help."

He found himself actually feeling a little sorry for her. Pity? Impossible. After a time, he quietly, gently, stated, "They're just dreams, Ghastly, nothing more."

"It doesn't stop them from seeming so real," she replied. There was silence. What could he say to that? Suddenly she asked, "Can I… can I sleep here tonight? Just on the floor. That coughing fit sounded bad. I want to be sure it doesn't happen again."

Like Hades. She wanted to know he would still be there when she woke up. He knew it all too well. Surprisingly, then, he found himself nodding, answering, "Go ahead. Make yourself at home. See if I care. So, are we back to plotting on how to win over Con Carne?"

She blushed. "Uh, actually, after you supposedly died, Hector saved my life. He comforted me and we had a moment. I think he's finally getting a clue. Of course I couldn't enjoy it. You were gone, and we were mourning. Gee Skarr, I never meant for you to die for the plan," she teased.

"I didn't. Good for you Doctor," he replied, laying down and drinking the medicine. She blinked. Oh boy, it was worse than she thought. She lay down too, though.

ECC

The clock struck midnight. Both lay sleeping soundly. All at once, however, Ghastly began to toss and turn, moaning and muttering on hearing the chimes subconsciously. All at once Skarr was jolted awake by her scream. "General!" she cried. He shot bolt upright with a gasp, thinking he was being attacked, and drew his rapier, prepared to fight back. "General Skarr!" she screamed again. He whirled, facing her. On seeing her, though, he knew instantly she was having a nightmare. At first angry and annoyed, ready to yell at her, his gaze began to soften as he watched her. She wouldn't stop. For a moment he even felt worried. "Skarr!" she suddenly shrieked, bolting up, sobbing. He nearly had a heart attack.

"Ghastly, please!" he exclaimed, leaping out of bed and pulling her to him, holding her tightly, instinctively. He stroked his friend's hair, cradled her. Firmly, gently, he urged her to be quiet. This was so undignified, yet he found himself unable to reproach the woman sobbing into his chest. This couldn't be a good sign. Soon enough she was simply clinging to him, trying to catch her breath. He continued to stroke her, soothing, "There, there. Better now? Do you need to talk about it? Do you need me to get Hector for you? Ghastly, what ails you?"

"A-a nightmare, General, just a nightmare," she replied hoarsely, meekly. "Don't worry about me. Don't bother Hector."

He said nothing a moment, waiting for her to become calmer. Finally he inquired, though he wasn't really sure he wanted to know, "What was it about?"

ECC

At first she said nothing. Finally, though, she narrated, "I was standing in a field, beneath a weeping willow tree. The wind was lazily blowing the tall grass and willow branches. I'm waiting for someone. I think maybe Hector, but then I hear marching. I look down the hill. An endless army is passing by, just the silhouettes of men, but I know they're soldiers. Then I get this feeling of dread. A shadow breaks away, coming towards me. I can't tell who it is, I assume it's Hector, but as he nears I see…" She trailed off.

"You see…" he prompted.

She swallowed, closing her eyes and holding him tighter. "I see you," she finally admitted. Skarr's eye widened, shocked. "This is weird, I know, but dreams are weird. They don't mean anything, right? You come up to me and I greet you, taking your hands. You look distracted, sad. Then I gently place my hand upon your face, your scar, and ask what's wrong. You just take my hand and gaze mournfully at me. You kiss my palm, then back away into the army. I call out to you, but you don't come back, and I'm left waiting."

He'd almost scoffed at the thought of anyone touching his scar, but he restrained himself. Maybe it was out of pity, or maybe he sensed the solemnity. Instead, he whispered, "Go on,"

"Then the field changed. There's still the hill, still the weeping willow, but it looks terrifying. I look around, and down the hill I'm watching the most vicious battle I've ever seen. Death everywhere, screaming, crying…On the other side, away from the battle, stretches endless graves and crypts, going as far as I can see. I'm shocked, then scared. Then I hear a noise and turn. I gasp. I try to scream, but I can't. It's… it's th-the Grim Reaper, standing right in front of me above a grave. He points at it, and I follow his finger. Then I see it," she continued.

"See what?" Skarr softly asked.

She answered, "I see… I see your name on the headstone. Then I look down into the battle, and I see you finally sustaining the mortal wound. I scream 'General.' You're bleeding badly, dying slowly and painfully. No one helps you. Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to do anything. Then the battle disappears, and I see just the grave. I scream for you again, looking for you, trying to find you. I feel something on my shoulder, and I turn. You're there, gazing gravely at the tomb, then to me. I take your hand and hold it to my cheek, making sure you're really there. I see you, I feel you, you're there, but you shake your head as if you're telling me than no… no you're not. Then I hear the army again. I don't want to look away from you, because I know that if I look away I'll lose you, but I do. I see figures rising up from the graves below. I move towards them, scared, then look back to see if you're still there. You're gone. Then there's only the grave, then everything goes quiet, disappears, and I call your name once more."

ECC

He listened in shock. Strange that she would have such a dream concerning him. Why had she? Why did he suddenly feel so elated it wasn't Hector she cried out for? Why… Oh forget it. He knew. He realized it with a start. He lov…oh heck no. He cared for her, deeply. He leaned against his dresser, letting her rest on his chest and neck. After a moment, he assured, "It's over now, Major Doctor. Shh, it's over."

She shivered, but calmed quickly down. Why wasn't she letting go? Why did she feel so safe in his arms? Him of all people? The traitor of the group. Why was she even asking? "Don't leave us, General Skarr. I want you to be here, always. Please," she begged.

He was silent a moment. He couldn't make that promise, and they both knew it. At least not in the way she implied. She knew he wouldn't stay here forever. Not even when he was content here would he have remained. However, he could make the vow in the sense that terrified her most. Finally he answered, "Take my love, my pain, and all of my anger." She looked up at him, curious at the meaning of those words. He met her gaze, and her breath caught in her throat as the endless possibilities hit her. He didn't describe what they meant. He never would. That was for her to decide, to interpret. Instead, he finished, "I'll never leave you. Not like that. But you know I can't stay here."

Tears in her eyes, she swallowed, answering, "Yes." They hardly noticed how close they'd drawn to each other.

ECC

In that moment, something happened that neither wanted to face again. She'd dreamt of a moment like this, but the man she was about to share it with wasn't the man she'd pined so long for. He was her friend, her General, nothing more. She was his co-worker and Major, whose optimism and goody, goody attitude ticked him off, but at the same time offered him such a welcome relief from himself. He couldn't get it elsewhere. It wasn't right, but at the same time felt so right. They gazed into each other's eyes, then almost by some unnatural force, drew closer and closer together. Faces only centimeters apart, they paused only when their noses touched, then advanced once more until the most unexpected thing in the universe happened. Their lips met, and neither pulled away.

It wasn't a passionate kiss. It was chaste and gentle. But it offered so much more than a fiery one could ever have hoped to. It seemed like a long time, but was mere seconds. All at once, they pulled apart slowly, breathing shakily. What had they just done? This wasn't supposed to happen, but they wouldn't change it, even if they could. They opened their eyes.

All at once, Skarr realized that Ghastly was stroking his scar, near to his evil eye. Automatically he reached up to pry her hand away, but she soothed, "Don't. It isn't frightening." He paused, taken aback. She continued, "There's nothing to worry about. I'm not appalled by it. You're not a monster, Skarr." He blinked at her, then closed his eyes, swallowing. No one had ever done something like that before. Some were revolted, some were afraid, few treated him like a normal being. The one eyed weirdo, not that he'd particularly cared when anyone called him that is. He was used to it. But her… Why was she doing this?

"Tell that to everyone else," he stated bitterly, gently covering the hand caressing his face.

He was so hateful, so cynical. How could he live with himself? She couldn't imagine herself being able to take it. But somehow, he did. "They need to learn themselves," she replied. He looked at her in disbelief. Right then, he almost kissed her a second time, but he caught himself, simply lying down on the floor. They were friends, nothing more. Forget the heat of the moment. At least she had some practice for when she went at Con Carne again.

She looked at him, then lie down as well, glad for it. Glad for the contact with the man she dreaded to lose again. They just fell asleep, her arm stretched over his torso, and his beneath her head, caressing her, stroking her. Nothing happened, no advances. Why would friends do that? Only once was Skarr awakened by whimpering. Only then did he take her into his arms and whisper, "Hush, Major Doctor, I'm here. I'm still here."