Water spots glinted across Roman's face from the cool lake water. His lips were parted slightly as Rachel ran her hands across his shoulders.

"Please stop scaring the children."

Roman smiled.

"Kitten...you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

They kissed.

Pain. It lanced across Rachel's back, rippled through her soul. Pennywise was gone. Her lover, the father of her miscarried child, the biggest source of both her joy and sorrow was dead. Rachel heard a loud wailing sound and realized it was coming from herself. She vaguely heard someone close by gently say her name. Then she felt a hand on her arm try to pry away her hands that were covering her face.

"Rachel." Roland rubbed her arm. "Rachel. I am so sorry. You know I had to do it."

"But why did he have to die?" she wailed.

"He was going to kill you. He would have killed all of us."

"Do you...need me to do anything?" Jake asked.

"Just stay back for now. I don't know if she's hurt."

((((()))))

Rachel had blood splatters on the front of her gown. Roland knew right away that those were from Pennywise. He held her arms back from her face, which was streaked from tears that continued to fall.

"Rachel, are you hurting anywhere?"

"Pennywise is gone!" she cried out.

Roland sighed. "I know. But are you hurt. I really need you to tell me."

"What difference does it make if he's dead?"

She started crying harder. Roland was getting nowhere. He wouldn't be able to help her. Not like this. But he knew someone who could.

"Jake." He turned his attention to the boy. "I need you to hide. I'm going to try to move her. But if I can't, I'm going to have to get someone to help."

"Oh, I can help."

"No. You just hide. I'll get this."

"But what if those Taheen come back?"

Roland sighed.

Jake frowned. "I'll go."

"Just stay in the bushes past those trees over there." He pointed. "I'll let you know when it's clear."

Jake took off. Roland looked at Rachel really looked at her. He had only seen her this distraught before—when she had miscarried her baby.

"Rachel…" He put her hand on her stomach, "I need you to sit up. Can you sit up?"

"It hurts," she cried.

Roland rubbed her temple with his other hand. "What hurts? Tell me what hurts."

"My b-back."

Roland took a deep breath. "Can you sit up? Let me have a look?"

Rachel started to sit up, but cried out and lay back down. "Oh my God! It hurts!"

Roland couldn't stand it anymore. He jumped to his feet, his hands clenched at his sides. "Walter!" He turned around in a circle. "Walter! I know you can hear me! I know you're watching! You always are!"

Silence. The only sound that could be heard was Rachel's crying.

"Walter!"

How had it come to this? Roland relying on his mortal enemy to come to the rescue? He glanced over at Rachel. Her whole body seemed to shake from her sobs. Roland heard a rustling sound in the near distance and pulled his guns. Walter sauntered out of the trees. Roland pointed his guns straight at him.

"My how things have changed. You summoning me for help."

"Do you think I would have if there was another way?"

Roland wanted to pull the triggers so badly. But once again, it would do no good. Walter idly strolled up to him.

"Well now, that's half of my competition taken care of." He glanced down at Pennywise's still body. He glanced up at Roland. "Good job."

"I didn't kill him to help you," Roland said with a snarl. "He went after Rachel."

Walter finally turned his gaze towards her. "So much pain over that demon." He shook his head.

"Pain because of you too," said Roland.

"Nice to think that, isn't it?" Walter took a step towards Rachel, but Roland got between them, his guns still trained on his enemy. Walter stopped. "Come now, Roland, you called me here to see about the girl, now you're going to stop me," he said heatedly.

"Walter," Rachel called out weakly.

"I'm here, baby girl," Walter called back. "I don't think your friend trusts me though, even though he's the one who called me here." Then in a quieter voice, he said to Roland, "You think I would hurt her while she's like this. Go ahead. Shoot me. We'll see how much longer she lasts without me now that she's struggling to find a reason to live."

"I will kill you one day, Walter. But not now. I can't help her. So today, only today, I want you to live. For her."

"Now finally there's something we can agree on."

Roland lowered his guns and moved aside. He gritted his teeth in frustration and disgust as Walter knelt next to Rachel.

((((()))))

"What's happenin', sweetheart?"

Rachel sobbed harder. Walter had come. She felt his hand on her brow. "Walter, it hurts so much."

"I know, sweetheart, but you need to relax. Think of our child."

"It's not just…" She hiccupped. "Something's wrong. Something's coming out of my back."

Walter's eyes grew wide. "Your back?"

"She's growing wings," Roland said heatedly. "I tried to move her, but she's in too much pain. It must be from that."

"Wings…" Walter muttered half to himself. Then louder he said, "Rachel, I'm going to turn you over now."

"No," she whimpered.

"Sweetheart…I need to check you out."

Rachel let out a shaky breath. She didn't even wait for Walter. She slowly turned over onto her side and her breath hitched in her throat at the pain.

((((()))))

Roland watched as Walter placed his hand on Rachel's arm. His other hand disappeared behind her back. Roland gasped as Walter pulled his hand away.

His fingertips were covered in blood.

"The bones are sticking out of her back," Walter announced in a choked voice. "They must have come out when Pennywise tackled her."

Roland closed his eyes. "Can you help her? Take the pain away?"

"Of course. But it will only be temporarily. Unless…"

Roland inclined his head towards Walter. "Unless what?"

Walter turned to face Roland. "Unless her own powers are used to heal it."

Roland gave a nod. "Her powers that come from the Tower."

"Precisely."

Roland couldn't see Rachel's face which was hidden behind Walter, but he could only imagine the pain she was in. Pain that Roland was sick to death of seeing her in. Anger started to course through him.

"You expect her to be able to access her powers like this?"

"Not her." Walter reached into his coat pocket. "Me." He held up a black orb.

Roland's eyes grew wide. He had heard of Maerlyn's Rainbow or the Bends 'o the Rainbow, they were also called. He had specifically heard of the Black Bend.

"Walter, please do something."

Rachel's voice was so weak. She laid down on her stomach and rested her head on her arms. Good. Now for sure she wouldn't be able to see Pennywise. But she was still crying. Roland swallowed when he saw one of her wing bones sticking out of her back.

"I'm sure you've heard of Maerlyn's Rainbow," Walter told Roland. "Thirteen orbs of power…" he turned his gaze back to Rachel, "for thirteen guardians of the Tower."

"And you think this will help her?"

Walter placed his left palm flat in the middle of Rachel's back. "I'm taking her pain away now, but I can't heal her. The bones are going to need to finish growing out."

Rachel's sobbing started to lessen.

"Doing good, baby girl," Walter crooned. "Just relax. Breathe."

Rachel sniffled.

Walter rubbed her back. "Just lay here and rest. I'm just gonna go have a talk with Roland." He stuck the black orb back in his pocket.

"No!" Rachel's head shot up. She turned to look behind her. "Walter, please don't hurt him!"

"It's alright, Rachel," Roland called. "Just lie still for now."

To his relief, she put her head back down. Walter stood and came over to Roland.

"Tough times, old friend," Walter whispered.

"It never ends, I tell ya." Roland placed his hands on his hips. He shook his head while he watched Rachel. "But it will."

"You still think killing me is the answer?"

"She doesn't know what she's getting herself into."

"Oh I think she does." Walter said coolly. "Now maybe she didn't with him." He gestured with his chin towards Pennywise. "But we shall see."

"So you still intend to pursue her?"

"Well she doesn't exactly turn away from my embrace."

Walter winked at Roland. Roland had to clench his fists in order to not hit the sorcerer as he returned to Rachel. Roland didn't think he could possible hate the man's guts any more than he always did.

He was wrong.

((((()))))

Rachel laid on the hard ground. Her back wasn't hurting her anymore, but she couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that had seeped into her being. She heard footsteps to her left.

Walter crouched down in front of her. "How are you, my love?"

"Walter, I don't know what to do anymore."

He put his hand on her head. "Give it time, sweet thing. You think you can get off of this ground now?"

Rachel sighed. Part of her wanted to get up. The other part of her wanted to just sink into the ground and disappear. She got on her side. Leaves clung to her gown. She got to her knees and started to turn her head to the left. Walter's hand reached out and grabbed her chin. He made her look at him.

"Eyes on me, pretty girl." He said gently.

Rachel did as she was told, never breaking her gaze with Walter as she stood. She remembered how just a few days before he had rubbed her arms, trying to get her to get comfortable with him. And without giving it a second thought, just like she did that day, she stepped up to him and rested against his chest. She put her arms around him and closed her eyes. He put his arms around her. They stood like that for a moment. Finally it was Walter who spoke first.

"You have survived your worst days."

"Barely."

She opened her eyes and a fresh tear leaked out.

"Then you're stronger than you realize."

"I don't know how to be strong without him. Even though we've gone our separate ways many times, just knowing that he was here…that he was around…" She gripped Walter's jacket as she started crying again. "I'm so sorry that I left you. I wasn't trying to get away. I was just so worried about Roland. He's been so good to me. You both have. I hate it that the two of you fight. I just wish there was another way."

Walter rested his chin on her head with a sigh.

"But there's only one way that I know, Rachel."

She pulled away from him, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked up at him. "Then maybe it's time we both start over."

She saw Walter swallow. He brought his hand up to caress her face. "Well I see you're all better now. Time for me to get back." He bent to kiss her forehead.

"But you're…you're leaving?"

"Yeah." He squeezed her shoulder.

"Walter…you can't leave me," she said desperately.

"But I have to. We both have things to take care of." He started to turn away from her.

She shifted from one foot to the other. "But I want to go with you."

He tilted his head towards her. "Sweetheart, you can't handle another trip like that."

"But I'll be with you!"

Her voice had come out louder than she intended. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Walter turned back to her. "Don't you try anything. 'Cause I'm going to have to hurt you this time if you do that."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "And no one's going to hear me scream. Blah blah."

Walter gave her a sly grin. "That's my girl."

Then he turned and left. After he got several feet away, Rachel gasped. Her clothes were starting to change again. She watched the blue material change into a dark blue shirt. Black slacks formed on her legs. She shook her head. Classic Walter. Coming and going like a whirlwind. Except she didn't mind it so much with him, like she had with Roman.

Because when Walter did come.

It made her world just a little better of a place.