*Written with the idea that they can remember the underworld.*
I see through the darkness my way back home
The journey seems endless but I'll carry on
He had walked from the bedroom, a smile on his face, with Callum at his ear teasing him, good heartedly, about the kiss he had just walked in on. He laughed it off and settled himself down on the sofa. He had kissed Rory and he couldn't believe it. It was the best moment of his life and yet this was a thing that couldn't possibly happen. His duty to The Shadow Cabinet wouldn't allow it. Still, he had allowed himself to imagine the possibility. He had closed his eyes and leant his head back against the seat, holding onto the make shift bandage so that it wouldn't fall. He could still feel Rory's mouth against his.
The darkness was consuming. It enveloped everything and he felt like he was falling. He could hear Rory's voice, begging him not to leave. He tried to scream, tried to call to her, tried to tell her that he would never leave her but he couldn't move, couldn't speak and it felt like he couldn't breathe. But she was begging, pleading and it was breaking his heart. He fought. He didn't know what it was he was fighting but whatever it was, he fought hard. He fought for Rory. Her voice disappeared as the darkness overcame him. No, he thought, no! I'm not leaving her! Nothing in Heaven or Hell would make him leave her.
He closed his eyes against the darkness, praying to the God he wasn't sure he believed in not to take him away from his friends, his life and from Rory. He wasn't sure how much later it was when he opened his eyes but, when he did, he was sat in an American diner with no idea how he got there. He looked around at the diner, empty except for himself, and found it vaguely familiar. Where had he seen this before? He let his mind wander back and remembered being here with Regina when he was thirteen. Why was he here now? How did he get here? The more and more he thought about it, the more he remembered about the diner and the harder it was to remember anything but his weekend in London with Regina. He squeezed his eyes shut, took off his glasses and rubbed his face.
He couldn't forget the six years that had happened since, there were too many things from that time were too important to forget. He forced himself to think about them and to list them and to keep doing so. Eton, his suicide attempt, Peter, restarting the squad, Boo, Callum, the Ripper, Rory. He kept running through them in his head while his thoughts were replaced gradually by Regina and his past. Regina, hanging, Peter, the squad, Boo, Callum, the Ripper, Rory. Regina - was she in the toilets? - Eton, hanging, Peter, the squad, Boo, Callum, the Ripper, Rory. Regina - he was sure she was in the toilets, Eton - yes, he was going there in a year, the squad - what squad? Boo and Callum - who? Rory - he knew that name. It wasn't her actual name. It was Aurora. He had kissed her, she had begged him to stay. He had to hold on. He had to get home to her. He would do whatever it took, no matter how long it took.
Regina - yes, she was in the toilets. She met her friend and they went in just a few minutes ago. Eton - he was going in a year. He was the only one at school who had passed the entrance exam. Rory... He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion - he didn't know a Rory, did he? And yet, when he thought of the name, he couldn't help but imagine a hot Louisiana day.
With every step I take, the less I know myself