Lexi sighed as she looked through all the notes Bellatrix's therapist had sent her. It was a jumbled up mess. Not only were the notes all encrypted and obviously spelled, but Hermione was not happy at all. The brunette had thrown herself into wedding planning and had basically told the older witch that this had all better be situated before she walked down the aisle.

She knew at some point she was going to have to confront Bellatrix about all this, but she was afraid it would bring attention to Kingsley. He was just itching for any chance to thrown the dark witch back into Azkaban. She remembered Hermione sitting on her lap and holding her face with her hands.

"At what point are you going to stop protecting that woman? You have already more than paid back the debt for your life. You have given her the tools to improve her life, it's not your fault if she doesn't use them correctly."

Lexi stood and gathered her cloak and wand. Hermione was right...it was time she stopped protecting someone who took her for granted. She was going to find out what was going on and give Bella her ultimatum. Standing straighter than she had in the past week, Lexi turned on the spot and apparated to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix had heard the explosions from outside her room, but all doors had gone into lockdown. A fine mist started to expel from the ceiling and the room started spinning. She laid on the bed, just as the door to her room burst forward. A tall figure stood in the doorway. "Well hello beautiful."

The voices were muffled as she started to wake back up. There was a dim glow of light, but nothing really gave away their location. She sat up and the voices stopped. A sound of shuffling feet alerted her to the fact that someone was making their way to her. A large hand cupped her face as she looked at the dark face in front of her.

"I'm so glad you've finally woken my Bella. We've all been waiting for you."

Bellatrix looked away from her husband to the small band of Death Eaters standing nearby. Rabastan and Dolohov stood closest. Behind them was Amycus Carrow and a few other hooded figures she did not immediately recognize.

Rodolphus cleared his throat and her dark eyes focused back on him. "As I wrote in the notes, we are gaining forces and were waiting on the best time to get you out. You did brilliant, by the way, at getting yourself into that silly rehabilitation program. As the Dark Lord's second, we turn to you now."

Bellatrix shook her head, "no...no Rod, I...I can't do this. I promised Lexi."

Rodolphus glanced over his shoulder, "give us a second."

The group nodded and disappeared into other rooms. Rodolphus sneered, then reared back and smacked Bellatrix hard across the face.

"Let me make one thin clear...WIFE! I tolerated your obsession with your cousin because the Dark Lord was fine with it and you were his second. You are a pureblood and a Black...that makes you better than everyone else. You are a wild animal, you weren't meant to be caged!"

Bellatrix shook her head and flinched as he drew his wand. Instead of cursing her, he ran the wand from head to toe. She realized he had performed a diagnostic.

"I should've known...they've been forcing mood enhancement potions into your system. No wonder."

He summoned a potion from another room as it came flying into his hand. He uncorked the lid and held it to the dark witch.

"Here...the Dark Lord made several of these. This will cancel out that nasty potion they have forced into you."

Bellatrix's shoulders sagged as she nodded, "fine, give it to me."

Rodolphus smiled and handed her the potion. She uncorked the top and brought the bottle to her lips, throwing the liquid in her mouth. She swallowed and grimaced at the taste.

Bellatrix screamed out and shook as he body spasmed back on the bed. It looked as though she was being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse. Finally, the spasms stopped and she sat back up. Rodolphus looked on as she raised her head and smirked...dark eyes gleaming.

"Now there she is. It's about bloody time."

Bellatrix cackled, "you're right...I feel better. Time to get back to work and retrieve what is mine."

As Lexi landed, it took her a second to get her barring. Smoke was pouring in from different areas of the building and an Auror had a wand pointed to her head.

"What's going on here."

The man lowered his wand and looked over his shoulder. "I apologize Ms. Black, but there has been a break in. A few Death Eaters came in here and took one of the residents."

Lexi felt her stomach bottom out. "Who did they take?"

He gave her a knowing look, "they took Bellatrix Lestrange. It was Rodolphus, his brother and Dolohov."

"How long ago?"

He sighed, "about an hour and a half. We've been moving through and securing the rest of the residents."

A second later a silver otter patronus burst through the door. Hermione's voice echoed through the otter. "We are under attack at the Bell's. Death Eaters are breaking through."

Before the Auror had a chance to respond, Lexi turned on the spot. Crashes and lights flashed as she spun into the Bell's living room.

"LEXI!"

Lexi spun and saw Katie huddled behind a table, Astoria clinging behind her as the young witch trained her wand on every little noise. Lexi scrambled behind the table and threw up a Protego just as a spell broke towards them.

"Who is here?"

Katie reached back to try to calm Astoria as the child shook behind her.

"My parents, Hermione, Ginny, and Andromeda. They were all over for tea to discuss the wedding when spells started flying. They told me to wait here and protect Astoria. I think they ran out back, but I'm not sure."

Lexi reached up and wiped a stray tear that began falling from Katie's face.

"Will you two be okay if I go help?"

Katie nodded and pushed Astoria closer to her back.

Lexi stood and cast a silencing and disillusionment spell. "There...now they won't be able to see or hear you...don't come out unless one of us comes and gets you."

Lexi wanted to get them to the fireplace, but she knew it would bring too much attention back to the living room. She raised her wand and quietly made her way back through the house. A loud cackle sounded from the backyard that made Lexi's blood run cold. She ran to the door and looked as Hermione, Ginny and Andromeda battled against Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Dolohov. The Bell's were laying on the ground along with Rabastan.

Bellatrix shot a powerful Redecto at the ground in front of Ginny and Andromeda, which sent the two flying backwards. The three Death Eaters trained their wands on Hermione. Before she could think, Lexi threw a stunner at Dolohov and spun with the momentum, throwing an Avada at Rodolphus. They weren't even aware of her presence and both spells rang true. Bellatrix watch as Rodolphus fell beside his brother and Dolohov joined him.

The dark witch sneered at Lexi before disappearing in black smoke and re-appearing behind Hermione. She held the brunette by the throat and pressed her wand at the young girl's head.

"Come now cousin, don't be foolish."

Lexi raised her hands, "I'm not being the foolish one here Bella. What are you doing? You had a shot to be something better...something more."

Bellatrix cackled, "Did you think they were ever really going to give me a chance cousin? I snuck into the therapist's office and read their notes. They're only solution was to keep me drugged on mood enhancers. They classified me as a permanent resident. I wasn't the delusional one...you were cousin."

Lexi narrowed her eyes, "so what now Bella? You go back to the Death Eaters...kill my family, kill me?"

Bellatrix smiled, "oh no, I could never kill you. But maybe if I get rid of all the other distractions, things can go back to how they were. Before you fell for this Mudblood filth, before you had a child, back to when you were as much of a devoted Death Eater as I was."

Lexi threw back her head and laughed, startling both witches. Bellatrix frowned, "well that's highly inappropriate."

"I'm sorry...it's just so funny. Do you think I relished being a Death Eater, that I enjoyed living in darkness with you and the Dark Lord? Every time we went out, my soul ripped apart in tiny pieces. I am not you Bella...I love my life now, I love the people I've surrounded myself with..." Lexi paused and looked deep in Hermione's eyes, "and I love the woman I proposed to. I could never go back Bella."

Bellatrix scowled, "but you love me too cousin...I know it."

Lexi's eyes snapped to the dark ones glaring at her. "Yes Bella, I do love you...you are family. It hurts me that you've chosen this path. But, if you let me, I will help you."

Bellatrix growled and threw Hermione to the ground. "I know your heart Lexi...you are dark, you can't run away from that. That is why you fight for me...you will always choose me."

Lexi's eyes flashed dark blue to black, "you're right Bella...I can't fight the dark in me."

Bellatrix smirked and raised her wand to point at the brunette. "See Mud-filth...she will always belong to me...Avada..."

Lexi's wand shot forward, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green light shot forward and connected into Bellatrix's chest, throwing the dark witch backwards. Lexi fell down to her knees as her eyes returned to their normal shade of blue. Hermione stood on shaky legs and made her way to her fiancé. She knelt and pulled Lexi into a hard embrace, stroking the dark-haired witch's back. Lexi buried her face in Hermione's neck.

"She was right...I do have darkness, but I also have you to drag me out of it."

Hermione leaned back and captured Lexi's lips with her own. Lexi moaned and held the young witch closer.

Hermione leaned back, "she never could understand that."

Lexi stood and looked at the yard, pops were heard as Auror's finally showed up. They took Dolohov into custody and removed the other bodies. Hermione tended to Ginny and Andromeda as Lexi went back inside to retrieve Katie and Astoria.

Katie broke down in Lexi's arms as she saw her parent's bodies. Lexi held her close, sandwiching their little girl between them.