"I WANT TO BE CORRUPTED. By Paul's cock."

As far as reviews go…that was…scary. It actually made me choke on my own spit, lol. So, erm, thanks.

Anyway, my lovelies… once again, this story is getting nearer and nearer to the final stages. And once again, this chapter was supposed to include a LOT more than this, but Lolly got carried away and thus the next stuff had to be shunted to Chapter 26. No matter! I'm sure there will be some people who are glad that this particular chapter wasn't cut short.

We love you all so much…

- Lolly and Steph.

For a long time inside my mind, everything was really…quiet. I couldn't remember the last time I'd experienced that kind of silence, that solitude. It scared me. I had just shut down from everything that had been chasing me with torches and pitchforks, turning away completely in favour of nothingness. At least this empty place was better than the building evil inside of me.

However, wherever Gabriel, the Corrupter of Innocence was, he wasn't quitting on his little attempts to turn me in to Darth Susie since it was only mere seconds before the emptiness around me gained substance and structure. Internally, I moaned for it to leave, but soon the lines around me started snaking and flickering to form edges of shapes. I hated their insincerity…I knew the truth. It wasn't real – none of it was.

Despite my despair, a perfect imitation of the Forgotten Plane soon surrounded me, chilling me with the erratic flickering of the scene as if it was barely tied to existence. Furiously, I scrambled to my feet and glared around, waiting for Gabriel's next impostor to try and convince me with ultimatums and seductions. It wasn't going to work. Fool me once, shame on him – fool me twice and I was just an idiot. But this – since Paul's little impersonation had brought the Jesse fraud count to a terrible two – would be three time's the charm. I wasn't going to believe it for a second.

And so when I saw the pale form of Jesse standing in the corner glaring at me with wary eyes, I just scowled.

'Get out,' I spat.

He laughed coldly. 'Oh, yes… how possible you make this for me…'

I turned away from him so as to give myself no reason to convince me of his lies. 'You're not going to trick me again, you know,' I promised. 'I've had enough.'

Gabriel's hoax sneered. 'Trick you? I hardly believe that you're the victim here, you evil snake…'

Pissed, I spun to face him. 'I am not evil,' I said through gritted teeth. 'I refuse to be what you're trying to turn me into. Yes, I may have had a little…slip up, but that doesn't make me evil!'

The man remained in the corner, tinted greyly by the dimness of his own monochromatic light. Once again, I was the only one in colour. He laughed at my choice of words. 'You claim to have only had one slip up.' He snorted. 'One moment of being truly evil… I'd suggest that you take a Math class, my friend.'

'Friend? Dude. We are not friends. You don't have friends. You are this…thing. Nothing but a shadow – an evil shadow that I'm going to crushas soon as I freakin' – '

Striking faster than the evil snake he'd accused me of being before, the hoax was in front of me, grabbing my wrists. I gasped at their warmth. It wasn't as warm as Jesse had once been…but it was close. And the lie threatened to claim me once again.

And when I looked up at him, I gasped sharply.

His face was…hurt. His cheek was bleeding, and the side of his head was darkly bruised. All along his arms were deep, quick cuts that hadn't yet begun to heal, thus staining his white shirt crimson. His chest had a mark that looked distinctly like a burn, and although I couldn't see properly, it appeared that he'd sustained some severe injuries to his back if the blood creeping around his side gave any indication.

'Leave,' he threatened in a low voice that shook me with its anger. 'You've done enough.'

I yanked my wrists from his hands and remarked icily, 'Don't touch me.'

He laughed as if touching me was the last thing he'd wanted to do, before quickly turning away and returning to the corner, facing the wall, murmuring in low Spanish and closing his eyes. Finally I saw the terrible marks on his back - his shirt had been cleanly sliced open to reveal three gaping wounds running over his shoulder blades. I stiffened from the sight.

'Oh, so this is a guilt thing,' I said in realisation, finally catching on to what Gabriel was trying to do. That's why he was taking the form of a wounded Jesse. 'Trying to guilt me into attacking again, to keep turning me evil... well, once again. Really not happening.'

The hoax looked back over to me, bewildered rage in his eyes. 'Guilt you? What is this garbage you speak?' Loosing patience with me, he growled, 'Just get out - or be done with whatever you wish to inflict upon me today minus this mindless small talk.'

I shook my head at him in almost pity. 'What the hell scenario are you trying to play out here? This doesn't even make sense.'

He jammed his eyes shut again, whispering louder to himself and holding his head as if in pain. 'She's not there... it's not her, she's not real... go away, go away...'

'Cut the crap!' I snapped. 'Look. I know what's going on now! You think I'm going to fall for these mind games again? I KNOW this isn't happening. Just show me your true self and we'll talk shop again - '

Barely an instant had gone by before he was once again standing over me, fury dancing in his onyx eyes. 'My true self? Dios, you would not survive if I showed you my true self...'

'Let me have it,' I goaded him. 'Come on.'

He bared his teeth, glaring down at me. 'Show me your true self first. So the facades are of the past.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Um, all here and accounted for.'

He was quivering, he was so angry. I saw his fists ball and flex, as if itching to be hurting me. Wondering what turn this hallucination was going to take now - perhaps Gabriel was going to try and convince me that Jesse was evil or something? - I took another step forward to show I wasn't scared. 'Go on, Gabes. Show me what you got.'

'Oh, I will, Slater... only I won't hide behind my magics as you do,' he spat, before slamming me against the wall.

A stab of fear seized my heart suddenly. Not because my back was smooshing plaster, but -

'What did you just call me?' I demanded.

With a swift punch to my stomach which I returned furiously to his already beaten head, he replied, 'I'm sorry...what is it that you prefer?' He proceeded to list very nasty sounding Spanish alternatives which stung even my non-lingual ears. 'Yes, I do believe the last is most fitting for you... Do you think I won't hurt you, simply because you cower within Susannah's form?'

My eyes widened again, and I felt sick.

No - it was a trick.

'I told you, I'm NOT falling for that anymore!' I shrilled. 'And I should say the same for you! Just because I love him, doesn't mean I'm not willing to smack around that smart ass face of yours, because it doesn't belong to you! You should check back with Paul to see how stealing my boyfriend's body went for HIM!'

His hands snuck around my neck. 'Tell me, Paul,' he snarled. 'What happens to your body, should your soul die in the Forgotten Plane?'

...Oh my God.

This was - he was really...

But what if it was a mind game again? What -

It really didn't matter what it was. Because suddenly, those capable hands at my throat were constricting very tightly. I couldn't even get a sound out to tell him his mistake - I could only choke in horror as the air never reached or escaped my lungs, trapped on either side by his gripping fingers of murderous intent.

So I did the only thing I could possibly do to save myself.

I used my power on him.

It scared me to do so - what if, once again, I used too much? What if I accidentally sank into that terrible place where I couldn't stop again? What if I...enjoyed it?

But that didn't happen. With a large, brief explosion of white light, the man who'd been about to end me was thrown away violently, hitting the wall with a horrible crunch. The plane surrounding me flickered angrily as if jolted by the presence of such power, but rapidly returned to normal.

I panted.

...Gradually, the limp form stirred with a groan before placing shaking hands against the wall for support as he heaved himself up. His eyes, however, were very wide.

'Your power...' he breathed. 'It's...white. Not red. You're not...'

'I'm not Paul,' I whispered.

'Then...'

I blinked back tears.

'...Susannah?'

I didn't want to believe it so easily this time. How was this different from before? Once again, an equally convincing cover story had been laid out for me. Would I carelessly allow myself to be duped? What if... there was still a chance that this all was a lie...

But it was so real. Every detail was just so -

His wounds. His confusion. His assumptions that I had been Paul Slater, ready to torture him again. His attempt to kill me. And once again, his sliding sanity...

Suze, don't. Don't do this to yourself.

Don't.

Not for the third time!

But...I knew his eyes...

My breathing stopped completely as he wearily climbed to his feet, staring at me in wonder. 'Susannah...' he breathed. 'It's...it's you. I can feel you now. You're truly here...' He moved over to me, sliding his hands warmly up my arms. Then a look of sudden horror came to his face and he tore away in disgust. 'Mi Dios...I just - I just tried to kill you!' He jerked back again, crushed.'Querida, I'm so sorry - oh God... I didn't - '

'Shhh...' I breathed. 'You didn't know... it's okay.'

'But I could have - '

I gently took his hands again. 'You didn't. Don't worry about it. I was probably ready to do the same thing...'

This comforted him slightly. Then, without warning, his next realisation seized him directly after the whole Murderer thing - that is to say, his real, non-Slater induced girlfriend was actually standing in front of him, at which point his arms grabbed me, fiercely pulling me into a taut embrace. I returned it, almost willing to believe that the chest my face was pressed against was truly his...

Then I pulled away, frowning apologetically.

Confusion claimed him, and some disappointment. 'Susannah...' he begged. 'It's you. I-I need to be holding you...please don't - '

'Jesse, I'm sorry,' I murmured, not brave enough to speak any louder, because I knew how much I was hurting him. 'I can't risk...getting close to you. Not here, not after - ' I broke off, seeing the torn look in his eyes. 'I have no way of knowing if it's really you, and if it's not and I... I just can't. I'm so sorry...'

He stood up straighter, and slowly comprehension trickled onto his face. 'You've...been lied to also...?'

I nodded forlornly.

Jesse sighed, running a damaged hand through his hair as he characteristically did. 'Oh...I understand, querida. It's all right...we don't have to - ' He took another step back to emphasise his commitment to the No Physical Contact Rule.

I nodded, releasing a gust of breath in gratitude. 'Er...thanks. I think this is the...the best way to get through this.'

'I agree,' he said, sounding official.

Slowly, I moved back closer to him, trusting that the both of us wouldn't go all grabby-and-kissy, no matter how much I could tell we both wanted it. I carefully sat down on the edge of my bed, and he did the same, staring at me intently.

'Are you all right?' he wanted to know. 'I felt you slipping again before... away from me. Did he try to kill you again?'

I looked away, ashamed of myself. 'Erm…not exactly.'

He silently urged me to elaborate, and so I muttered, 'As I mentioned before, I had a bit of a slip up. With my powers. I kind of…went all Dark Side for a moment. They have cookies,' I added lamely.

Jesse tried to smile at my lame joke, but looked too anxious to laugh at any funnies. 'But you came back to me,' he assured me. 'Susannah…with a power such as yours, mistakes are natural. They are how you learn to control your emotions – they make you realise the price there is to pay for not controlling them. Mistakes are good.'

'What if I make a lot of mistakes?' I asked, panicked. 'I didn't even know what I was doing until Paul pointed out how evil I was being. I was about to kill him, Jesse!' I sucked in a breath sharply at the thought. 'I had…the glass in my hand, and he couldn't move, and I was so ready to shove it through his chest, and laugh as he bled…'

'You didn't,' he assured me. 'Just like I didn't kill you before.'

'But I was going to. That's the point. I was ready.'

'Susannah,' he sighed, breaking the No Physical Contact Rule to gently hold my hand. His thumb stroked my skin. 'It was a mistake. The possible outcome is a lot worse than the reality. All you need to focus on now is how to not reach the same depth within your power, if it scares you this much…' He raised his eyebrow a little. 'However…'

I stared at him.

'Are you sure that…not killing Paul is the best idea?' he asked lightly.

'I can't…' I mumbled.

'I'll do it for you,' he decided.

I shook my head. 'No, it has to be me.'

'But you said you – '

I withdrew my hand from his, instead holding my knees against my chest and sighing. 'Paul and I are…apart of something. A Good vs. Evil thing. It's kinda crazy, not to mention wicked unfair… One of us has to kill the other. If he kills me, his side wins, lah dee dah. If I kill him…his side wins anyway, because apparently murder is an act of evil, which means that our side has succumbed to evil in order to try to win, et cetera. Basically, I'm screwed.'

'So…you're trying to…win this game?' he asked.

'No, I'm trying to end it once and for all,' I replied. 'Our side has never won. They've never found a way around the little paradox thing.'

'We will,' he promised me, smiling supportively. My lips twitched. Even if this was a lie, I was prepared to stare at that smile all day… even if his face was marred by Paul's violent influence.

'What about you?' I asked him. 'You don't look so hot right now.' I carefully touched the broken skin on his face, causing him to initially flinch, but not pull away from my fingers.

'I…' he mumbled, 'I shan't bore you with the details.'

'Bore away,' I insisted. 'What did he do to you?'

He shook his head. 'It will only upset you,' he responded dismissively. 'It's not important...' Jesse then heaved a sigh, looking both pained and exhausted. 'I haven't the energy to tell grim stories, querida. I'd much rather see how you are…'

But I badly needed to know, so as to decide what level of vengeance was necessary next time I saw Paul – a level that hopefully didn't involve me trying to gut him to death. Some punching would suffice.

'Please,' I asked softly, before getting a better idea. 'Actually…there is a way I could know without you haven't to explain everything. Do you trust me?'

Without a moment's hesitation, he responded, 'Implicitly.'

I smiled. 'Let me see inside your mind.'

Gently, he nodded in agreement. 'All right. My thoughts are your thoughts.'

I closed my eyes, concentrating exclusively on entering his memories; melding with his consciousness. It took longer than I thought – I'd never actively tried, it had always been accidental before, or in the heat of the moment, but soon, that familiar disembodiment claimed me and I felt myself falling right out of existence…

-F&I-

'You know what you sound like?' she demanded hotly, standing before me in the moonlight just on the bottom step of the porch. Her face was perfect, even in all of her anger. Her eyes glittered dangerously at me, and yet I could only be enchanted by their magnificence. 'You sound like a jealous boyfriend.'

If only…

The flush in my cheeks nearly gave me away, but I managed to skilfully deflect the wave of fearful thrill in my stomach by laughing in what I hoped was a scornful manner. 'Nombre de Dios. I am not jealous of that – '

She cut me off savagely. 'Oh yeah? Then where's all this hostility coming from? Tad never did anything to you.'

Of course he did.

He kissed her.

How dare he kiss her? Does he not know that she isn't his to kiss? She is -

I stopped, pale.

Then to whom does Susannah belong, Jesse? Surely not yourself.

I swallowed guiltily all of a sudden.

Never forget it.

With a sneer, I proceeded to call the cretino something that I'd once heard a drunken man falling out of the Salinas bar use. Another thrill flickered within me for using it to describe the cretino who'd boldly kissed mi querida. It was terrible – my madre would have put pepper on my tongue in disgust of me, had she been present.

Susannah, however, remained oblivious as to what it meant, more insulted that I was flaunting my Spanish once again, knowing she could not understand. Huffily, she advised me to keep all non-English words to myself.

'He's no good for you,' I insisted. Surely she could see this. A moment later, I almost regretted saying such a thing, in fear that she'd ask me to list the reasons why the cretino did not deserve her. However, no rational arguments came to mind. All I could possibly think of was that, I could do better than him…

If I were alive.

'You don't even know him,' she snapped.

'I know enough,' I scowled. I was babbling. Of course I was babbling. There were very few moments where I forgot the calm and even face I wore around her…but in regard to the other men in her life, I was lost completely to my jealousy. Oh, I would be surely damned for this outrageous behaviour…

The argument went on, as I dragged the priest into the matter and seriously questioned her ability to handle the situation regarding the cretino's father. She flushed in rage, insulted that I'd highlighted her weakness.

'Ah, see?' I said in angry victory, upon hearing her confession of vulnerability. I stepped even closer to her as she tried to dodge me. 'You admit it! Susannah, this one – you need to ask the priest for help.'

'Fine,' she spat. 'I will.'

'Fine,' I replied, moving even closer to her unintentionally, 'You had better.'

Jesse de Silva, don't you dare!

The thoughts that flooded my mind in that instant terrified me. There she was, an inch away, fury rippling like surging water in her eyes… she probably hated me. She probably loathed my constant interference, my irritating habit of telling her too little, my desire to always keep her safe… Despite this obvious detestation, all I wanted to do was take her in my arms and kiss her like she'd never been kissed before. I wanted her lips to be indistinguishable from my own as I claimed her, whispering the words I'd hidden for so long, a love that would offend her so.

I wanted her…

You can't have her.

She was so close…

Do not kiss her.

…Of course I wasn't going to kiss her.

Furious with myself for even acknowledging what I had been suppressing for so long, I dematerialised far away, scowling at my stupidity.

I was such a fool… a jealous, selfish fool. If she wanted the cretino, who in God's name was I to keep her from him? Of course she'd want him. He was alive…he could take her out, meet her family…

He has a heartbeat.

I could offer her nothing. And she deserved everything…

- My surroundings changed. I heard whisperings, both loud and gentle. They buzzed around my brain as I suddenly found myself in Susannah's room. I book was open on my lap, but I'd barely read a thing. She lay in bed, her hair fluttering gently over her mouth with each breath she expired. She'd been so exhausted ever since we'd returned from Shadowland, and even though I knew we needed to have a serious conversation, I didn't dare wake her. Instead, I just waited.

And watched as she slept.

She's so beautiful, and I love her so dearly...

It is going to hurt when I have to leave.

But it was for the best. I knew that. The priest knew it too. His grim look had warned me of what had to happen, and I understood with perfect clarity how much my love would burden her.

Susannah stirred, and I sat up straighter. I watched closely. There had been many stirrings, many quiet whimpers of his name. This was probably just another moment of weakness within her own mind.

But apparently not. A second later, her bright eyes crept open tiredly, and she squinted at me. That was when her eyes widened in apprehension.

I couldn't be clear why. Only twenty-four hours earlier, I would have believed it was because she'd wanted me gone a long time ago, and that's why she'd exorcised me to Shadowland. It had been a long time coming for me.

…But then, after discovering my exorcism had been an elaborate plot of my meddling cousin Maria, and Susannah had almost died in order to rectify my disappearance, I simply didn't know what to think. I couldn't be as bold as to think she returned the love I felt, naturally. That would be asking far too much – much more than I deserved. No...confusion was a more than fitting state for the likes of me.

'You're awake,' I said. It was still a question, but in statement form. I honestly could never be sure with Susannah. Although it looked like at that moment, she was tempted to fake her consciousness and fall back into a pretend sleep.

She didn't though. 'Um. Yes, I am.'

I tilted my head to the side and asked, 'How do you feel?'

'Me?' she asked cluelessly.

All right Jesse, she's awake now. Do it now. A clean break. It'll hurt you less. Just say it…you have to leave. And whatever you do, do not bring up Shadowland. She will undoubtedly realise how much you are reading into her saving you, and you will only embarrass yourself.

I pushed the book to the side, staring at her intently, waiting for her answer before I rushed into my farewell. It was torture, trying to remain neutral when my heart felt like it was breaking. Oh, what a masochist I had been, staying around her for all these months, convincing myself that she needed me when it was obviously the other way around – I'd put her in danger. My past had come back to haunt her instead of me.

'Fine,' she mumbled worriedly. 'I feel great.'

I replied, as business-like as I could, 'Good. We need to talk.'

She swallowed. Dios… she looked terrified of whatever subject I wanted to bring up. I needed to get to the point quickly, then, so she would understand that I only wished to leave, not to impose on her any longer. Hopefully that would take the fear from her eyes.

'You know what?' she said quickly, getting out of bed awkwardly, 'I don't want to talk. Is that okay? I really, really don't want to talk. I'm all talked out…'

I stood up from the windowseat, staring at her.

She's so charming when she's nervous… was what my traitorous mind could not help but think. It almost made me smile knowingly – and I probably would have, had the news I was about to deliver been less depressing for me.

'I'm just – look, I'm going to give CeeCee a call and maybe we'll go to the beach or something, because I really…I just need a day off,' she wheezed.

I moved closer to her.

Just tell her. Tell her you're leaving. There doesn't need to be any theatrics about it. It's for the best.

Why did she suddenly find it so hard to breathe? Her cheeks were rosy as heat rose to her face, and she couldn't look me in the eye even though I stood right in front of her.

"Susannah. I am leaving." Honestly, it isn't that difficult.

'Especially…' she finally met my gaze firmly, although I saw the flash of vulnerability in her eyes that she tried to hide, and I was lost again… Whatever her motives had been…this girl had nearly died for me.

And I loved her for it.

I loved Susannah Simon.

'…From talking. That's what I especially need a day off from. Talking.'

Jesse. Don't.

'Fine,' I shrugged, sliding both hands either side of her face tenderly.

Don't.

'We don't have to talk.'

I didn't want to talk, anyway. I just wanted to be kissing her…

So I did.

And suddenly…I couldn't leave.

In one selfish, forward action for which I would surely be slapped a second later – and with good reason – I had finally fulfilled the dream of kissing this sweet, innocent and fiery woman who'd stolen my heart with such charming thievery.

What shocked me most was her response.

…My God. She's…kissing me back.

It was true. Her lips moved against mine in a longing, forceful way that urged me to increase my timid gentleness to a level that was a little closer to the astounding passion I felt. One hand stayed cupping her face while the other slid to her waist, drawing her closer to me – and then her arm hooked around my neck, dragging my head down to meet her lips with more certainty, and she gasped breathlessly, sighing my name…

I fell in love with her all over again –

- Abruptly, that pleasant memory had vanished into darkness. Instead, I found myself trapped inside a terrible place where the surroundings changed constantly, and all colour had been stripped from the world… It was cold and lonely and it made my heart ache to think of the hardships that were going on beyond the Forgotten Plane's infuriatingly thin dimensional walls that I could not touch nor tear.

I chatted with myself in an almost conversational way. My mind was in fragments. I laughed, before quickly rising in my anger and throwing things – but they would return to their rightful place in a mere flicker. Then I'd remain quiet for days at a time, staring blankly at the wall as if waiting for a face to emerge from the plaster and speak words to me.

Sanity and I were not acquaintances. This plane had seen to that.

So when I suddenly felt soft lips seducing my neck, I thought – and hoped – I'd finally gone blissfully mad.

I shuddered in pleasure as she slid around from behind me, coming to stand before me with intensity that burnt holes into my eyes. She drew me closer and kissed me, pressing herself against me in ways that were both improper and desirous. I frowned against her lips, trying to pull away.

'It's not you…' I moaned.

She smiled up at me, raising my hand to her lips before sliding two of my fingers into mouth, biting them very gently. I groaned, dragging her back towards me and kissing her.

'Touch me,' she said.

I did…

'No, not there,' she implored, staring at me. She adjusted my hand. 'Here…'

I jerked away, glaring at her.

This is not Susannah.

'Get out,' I spat. He'd sent another illusion – he was watching from afar, trying to push me into madness once more. I spun around and yelled directly at him, 'Get her out of here, Slater!'

She came back to me once more, pressing herself against me, her hands like minxes. She caught my ear between her teeth, breathing all the sinful things that she wanted me to do to her. I shuddered at the thought – even if I some part of me wanted it, I wouldn't have. Even if she had have been real… I'd never –

She suddenly tore away from me, revolted.

'God,' she scowled. 'You really have no idea how to please me, do you…'

I lost myself in the lie again, trying to appeal to her. 'Susannah, you know we can't… it's not right…'

She scoffed. 'And you wonder why I go to him?'

Him?

…I froze.

'What?'

With a simpering smile, she backed away from me…into the suddenly emerging arms of Paul Slater.

Turning away from me with a defiant look, she moved into him and allowed him to kiss her throat as she gasped sharply. I looked away, shaking. She moaned his name loudly – my gaze accidentally flickered back, and I saw his hands grasping over her clothes at her breasts. Her head lolled back as his mouth trailed across her collarbone.

'Paul…' she sighed luxuriously.

Does she sigh when you kiss her too?

I screwed up my eyes and covered my ears. A moment later, I felt them both collapse on the bed beside me, causing me to rocket over to the corner of the room, sliding to the floor in an attempt to disarm my sensory organs. I didn't want to know…I didn't want to hear, to see, to know this lie... I knew it wasn't real, but it killed me. Because he was able to do this to her anyway. What if there…what if there was even a moment where she loved it? Where she wanted him over me? Where she…wanted him to hurt her like that?

I looked up again, hoping it would be over, that she would be gone – but saw to my complete horror that he'd crawled over her and was working her skirt up, his hand sliding swiftly up her bare thigh. She moaned again, arching her back against the mattress as she closed her eyes desperately. He chuckled. 'I'm almost there…' he promised her.

'Is he watching?' she asked eagerly.

'Yes,' Slater said.

Look away!

…I couldn't.

'I want him to watch…' she grinned up at him. 'He needs to know…'

'This should get the message across,' Slater agreed.

And a moment later, he sank between her legs, pressing her thoroughly against him. She gasped and grabbed his hair, his name on her darkly coloured lips. She writhed beneath him, breathing hard. And he laughed as he glanced over at me, noting my utter misery…

He knelt back, dragging her form with him and moulded it against his body. Her legs clung around him, and she was grinding against him slowly, panting even harder. I couldn't tear my eyes away. The misery was so potent, so intense… She too turned her face to watch me as she…

'Stop it…' I whispered.

They both grinned wickedly at me. There was a terrible, subtle violence as to how they held each other – it made me tense all over. I shook my head sadly as she panted his name over and over again…

He looked away from me, jerking her flush against him as he bit into her neck. She screamed in ecstasy, her fingers digging into his shoulders. My head struck the wall dully; repeatedly. I wanted to knock the image out of my head, even if it took all night until the repetitive thudding against my cranium let me escape this. I felt a trickle of blood run down my neck from my skull. I kept thudding, insane with misery…

Make it stop…

I stared at my hands pressed against the wall determinedly. It didn't stop the sound of their passions, though. I could hear every word, every gasp, every pant, every sigh, every sharp draw of breath, every whisper of lascivious pleasure…

'He still wants me,' she chuckled. 'Even now…even though you're hurting me, Paul…he wants it to be him doing this to me.'

'No…' I groaned.

'Only you can touch me,' she went on, stopping momentarily as she cried in release – but they still didn't stop. 'O-only you can feel me surround you…only you can love me like this…'

'And you love me,' Slater growled in victory.

'Oh,yes…'

My eyes jammed closed in pain.

Susannah…no…

'Hurt me,' she begged him. 'I want you to hurt me…'

He did. I heard her scream shrilly as he grunted in exertion. My masochistic, perverse eyes flickered back over despondently – she was pinned against the bed, her wrists above her head and her face creased in agony. And then…despite the physical torment she was suffering, she smiled horribly against the pain. 'I love it…' she breathed. 'I love the darkness…'

'You belong to me,' Slater promised her, jolting suddenly in a harsh way, and she screamed again.

'Yours…' she gasped, shaking. Fear was in her voice, but it didn't come close to overpowering the arousal. 'I'm yours…'

Another train of blood fell against my shoulder.

And then, they were gone.

I stood up urgently, a wave of dizziness nearly sending me pitching forward. My head felt quite badly injured, but I couldn't have cared about that at the moment. The air was choked with their sweat. I knew that I wasn't alone…

And only a second later, I'd been thrown against the opposite wall. Before I could adjust to the lurch of my consciousness, a knife had slashed across my cheek. I cracked my eyes open weakly, and Paul stood over me.

'This is actually pretty therapeutic,' he commented lightly. 'Whenever I need to hurt her…I can just come up here and kick the shit out of you and still get the same satisfaction.'

The blade swiped down my arms and I hissed in furious pain.

'Well,' he went on, 'Not the same satisfaction. At least Suze tries to fight back… unlike you. God, de Silva. I knew you were a woman, but this is just really embarrassing.'

More cuts appeared freshly across my skin. I tried to make it to my feet, but he kicked me savagely down.

'The thing about the Forgotten Plane,' he mused conversationally, 'Is that things with a consciousness aren't supposed to be sent here. Therefore, it sucks to be you, big guy. Rules are different here. You don't have your little ghostly powers, for a start – '

'Ah!' I yelled as his knuckles cracked against my forehead. I could barely see from the blood.

'Not to mention, you don't heal…'

A tongue of fire suddenly appeared in his hand. He chuckled down at me. 'You should just be thankful that you don't have a heartbeat, otherwise that blood would just be gushing out right now…'

And he pressed the fire against my chest.

I roared in pain shoving him brutally away from me. He landed, sprawled on the ground, ten feet away. He looked over, a little impressed.

'That's better,' he said. 'Well, a little. See? Pain does wonders, doesn't it? Especially when it's induced by fire…'

'I…' I tried to say, but my voice was rusty and croaking.

He will pay.

He raised his eyebrows, and his pale blue eyes regarded me carefully. 'What, de Silva?'

I groaned. 'I will…kill you…'

He smiled crookedly. 'Yeah. Whatever.' He raised his knife again, ready to strike when suddenly he froze and looked around, his eyes wide. He all but smelled the air as he tried to sense something that had disturbed him.

'Well, what do you know,' he said in surprize. 'Suze's here…'

'Liar,' I scowled hatefully.

'No, really,' he chuckled. 'She's trying to get in. Oh well…I'll be off to milk that one for all it's worth.'

Dropping the knife – which dissolved into nothing instantly – he marched away, leaving me bloody and bruised in the corner. I grunted, 'No – no, it's not over, Slater…get back – '

I needed to retaliate. He couldn't get away with all of this. With hurting my Susannah. I needed to – I needed to stand up and fight…to protect her. Even while I was trapped here, I could at least send him back wounded… it might save her.

I couldn't see him, but he laughed. 'Don't worry, Jesse. I'll be back the next time your bratty little girlfriend pisses me off.'

'Get back!' I snarled.

He snorted in his departure. 'Oh, sit the hell down – you'll only hurt yourself more, idiot. Useless cowboy… To think she actually believes you're coming to rescue her one day - '

'SLATER' I yelled at him, struggling to my feet on shaking knees. My fists were balled in fury, preparing to fight a battle I would loose in mere seconds. But I had to try. For her.

And then – I heard her say my name.

'Jesse!' she cried. My heart seized.

He hadn't been lying. She's here. She is somewhere. She –

But I heard a door creak shut and I realised I'd lost her again. I'd left her…to deal with him.

Roaring in fury, I barrelled over to her bedroom door, where he'd exited. I didn't make it, falling two feet shy of the distance on knees that wouldn't support me. Weakly, I crawled over to the wooden door, panting hard with pain and misery. I heard voices beyond, but I couldn't make them out. They fought and screamed – I heard laughter and then crying.

…And then, the warmest sensation washed over me as I realised that she was right outside…

I could feel her, through the door.

She is there…oh, my sweet Susannah…I haven't lost her.

I closed my eyes in sad contentment, and slid into a cavernous world of black…

-F&I-

With a jerk, I fell out of the terrifying place within Jesse's mind, shivering violently. I sagged against him, devoid completely of energy. I guess when I wasn't calling on my body for extra backup, I was running purely on my soul's reservoir of energy to keep running up here. And mind jumping was taking a lot out of me – especially jumps as intense as that one.

I cringed at the disturbing, terrible things Paul had shown him...

'Oh, Jesse,' I whispered wretchedly, running my hand through his hair. 'I'm so sorry…'

He flinched under my touch again, and I realised I'd hurt his head. Withdrawing my fingers, I saw a few drops of blood sparkling back at me, and felt very ill at the though that none of Jesse's wounds would get better in this place.

He looked devastatingly pale, and not just because he was trapped in a world of grey – his skin was starkly ashen in comparison to its customary darkness. 'I know it's all lies,' he breathed. 'And yet, the misery still comes…'

A tear trickled down my face, and doing away with the No Physical Contact Rule, I edged closer to him, holding him carefully and resting my lips against his neck, kissing him there comfortingly. He sighed, wrapping his damaged arms around me. I caressed his neck with soft kisses, nuzzling against his skin. I felt his hands tighten around my arms as he felt my cold tear trickle down his skin.

'Don't cry…' he entreated. 'Please, Susannah…I can't stand it.'

'I'm sorry,' I said again, helplessly kissing him between my sobs. 'But this is all just so bleak. And you're so hurt…'

He brought me away from his throat, cupping my face tenderly as he had done during our very first kiss. 'Susannah, I will heal. As soon as I find a way out, I will be fine. Do not waste any of your energy on worries for me.' He kissed away my tears kindly, which only mademore come when I realised how classically Jesse an action like this was. It was really him… 'I love you, querida…'

I stared at his forearms, at the slashes I'd seen inflicted by Paul's knife. The lesions shone mockingly up at me, refusing to close over and heal because Jesse's ability to do so was frozen in time…forgotten. There was nothing I could do to help them get better…if I touched them, they'd bleed more.

He watched me examining him with a solemn expression. 'Susannah, stop,' he insisted. 'It's just making you upset…'

'Of course it is!' I cried. 'Look what he's doneto you!' More than ever, I regretted not having the darkness I required in my soul to kill Paul Slater. No one was more deserving of death than him.

Jesse's lips brushed against my forehead soothingly. 'Shhh…' he said gently. 'How about we just lie down, Susannah?'

I went to move in this position myself, but instead he gathered me up in his arms and carried me over to the head of the bed himself, laying me there and moving on the bed with me. 'You shouldn't have done that,' I said. 'You're injured…'

'I'm fine,' he kept saying dismissively. 'Stop fretting about me.'

I curled up against him, staying close. He wrapped his arms around me tightly until our breathing soon fell into perfect synchrony. My eyes continued to leak liquefied pain. My heart was exhausted.

'I hate this…' I whimpered against his throat. He played absently with my hair. 'I don't want to go back… I'll miss you too much. And I'm just tired, all the time…I hate this all. I hate trying to pretend I'm strong, when I'm not…I can't keep lying to myself… I'm nothing – '

'Susannah,' sternness entered his voice immediately. 'You are not nothing. You are strong enough to do this. And you are never alone, querida. I am always with you, even if there are a few planes that separate us.'

'I can't – '

'You can.'

'Not without you…'

'You can do this. I believe in you, Susannah.'

'I don't want – '

He shushed me lovingly. 'Rest, mi amor…' His fingers crept to the base of my neck and he tickled there with a tantalisingly soft touch, something he knew from long ago that pacified me. I sighed breathily from the calming sensation that melted over my body. I felt at peace, in his arms… Quiet and still. As every second went by, more hope trickled into my heart.

More faith in his belief in me.

'I will get you out of here,' I swore to him. 'I'll save you…'

'And then, let me save you,' he prayed.

'Okay…' I muttered tiredly.

His voice was quiet and even; his sanity was grounded by my presence. 'But for now… just rest with me.'

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