Chapter 25:

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Reid stumbled and hauled himself upright, having great trouble in doing so. The pain burned in his chest, blood dripping from his nose, his ears, and his mouth. His entire body screamed in protest with every muscle movement. He wasn't going to last much longer. He knew this. But he had to get up… for her.

But his body would not allow it. After about the third time of rising just to fall on his face again, Chase laughed out loud.

"If you ask for death, you shall receive it," Chase informed him. "But not until…"

Reid continued in his fight to get up, and did not give him the satisfaction of a reply.

Chase directed his attention back to Liv, walking up to her slowly. Liv's feet were still stuck in place, otherwise she would have backed away from his advances.

"Watch how your mighty hero falls," Chase told her, then turned and extended his hand to Reid once more, launching a painful blast of energy his way.

"AHHH!!" Reid yelled in pain, writhing and squirming in an apparent torture.

"Tell me, REID!" Chase called over the noise of his screams. "Are you willing to give your life, to wipe out your namesake, to end your own bloodline, all for this deceptive slave of mine?"

But Reid could not hear anything, could not concentrate on much besides the torture being inflicted on him.

"AHHH!!"

He was dying.

"Reid, no!" Liv screamed in tears. "Oh, God… Chase, please, STOP!"

"LIV!" Reid shouted through his pain. He reached his hand out toward her, wishing to touch her one more time before his breath left him for good…

Flashes of lovely memories streaming through Liv's mind of when he and Reid had met, of when they had first kissed, what his lips felt like upon hers… memories she held most dear, memories that were threatening to cause horrible pain if Reid did not survive to keep them sweet in her mind.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a rock sailed into the side of Chase's head. Then another, then another.

All eyes turned to find the source of this attack, to find Cassie and Rachel with stones firmly grasped in their fists. Liv smiled at such a welcome rescue.

"Back away from my girl Liv, you creep!" Cassie yelled, throwing another rock. Chase, now prepared for such blows, easily threw the stone aside before it hit him. But their purpose was served, for his paralyzing spell on Liv was broken.

Suddenly the glow sprang back to Liv's skin, her eyes narrowing and her hands tingling in anger and raw determination. Slowly her fists tightened and clenched into a ball. Her whole body began to shake. Slamming her palm to the moist earth, she screamed:

"Selah undomnia extollo humus!"

She couldn't help but wonder why those words for Chase's resurrection that he had taught her so long ago had just sprang to her mind to say. An image appeared in her mind of Caleb giving her an encouraging nod. He had told her through a mental message.

Chase looked at Liv like she had gone insane. His torturous hold on Reid paused long enough to listen.

"What was that?" he asked her in bewilderment.

After that, he almost immediately felt it. He clutched his heart, frowning in utter confusion. The ground below him began to split apart, the earth falling watery like mud. The sludge shifted like a living substance, wrapping itself around Chase's legs with a firm grasp, pulling him downward into the opening hole.

"No!" Chase yelled in fear and surprise. "NO!"

The mud drifted up to his torso, and he began to sink like he was standing in quicksand. Soon it crawled over his head, swallowing him like a monster taking over. The earth finally overtook him, and Chase was gone.

Liv let out all her breath in relief, dropping to her knees. It was over.

"Liv!" Cassie yelled, running up to her, Rachel right behind her.

"How did you know?" Liv breathed in gratitude.

"I filled her in on some of it," Rachel confessed.

"I saw the rest with my own eyes," Cassie added on.

Cassie put her hand Liv's friend's cheek, smiling with deep understanding.

"He really loves you, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Liv replied honestly, frowning in embarrassment.

Liv looked down at the boy in question. His eyes were closed, and she feared the worst. Even in the face of death, he had never been more beautiful.

The Reid's eyes opened, and he looked at her as if he couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. The pain was so great inside him that his brain was slowly shutting down all feeling in his nerves. He coughed once, more blood, then gathered his breath to speak. Seeing as this would more than likely be his final words no matter what Liv did, she didn't stop him from using the last of his strength on such a task.

"I would have given you my name…" Reid breathed. Liv smiled and laughed through her tears.

"And I would have given that name to a son," she assured him. Seemingly satisfied, Reid closed his eyes and all consciousness left him.

-

Liv stroked the hair from Reid's face, as he lay on a king-sized bed in the Garwin mansion. The white satin sheets had speckles of blood from his various scrapes and cuts. His shirt had been removed to clean and dress his wounds. The room was dim, with the dawn's light just barely coming through the window.

Reid was still within an inch from death. Still barely breathing. Still a lifeless mound. Caleb, Tyler, Pogue, Cassie, and Rachel stood around waiting for a change, but one had not come in many hours of patience.

"Liv," Caleb broke the silence at last. "You will die within sixteen hours. You have to let me revive you."

"No," Liv countered firmly. "If he dies, I'm going with him."

"But you--" Cassie started.

"I'm sorry, that's my final decision."

As the hours passed, Tyler, Pogue, Cassie and Rachel all had gone home. Only Caleb remained in a waiting chair, while Liv laid beside Reid, her life fading from her quickly. She was more than ready to draw her last breath with him.

She looked upon the face she had grown to love. Grown to live for. Grown to be Liv for. She felt like the years she had spent truly alive were the ones really pointless, yet there was not a day of her half-life that she would consider wasted. Through her Eidolon life for Chase, she had truly become more human than her former human life. Every moment near to Reid was now worth a thousand lifetimes. Thus, she hugged him closer to her.

Her breath began to fade. Caleb only watched, expectantly waiting for her to change her mind and yell for him to revive her. But she would not.

The world around began to fall dim. Her breaths were more forced now. Her heart slowed in its beats. Liv leaned her head upon his bare chest, hearing his heartbeat to make up for her gradual lacking of one of her own. Sighing in contentment, she closed her eyes and released her final breath.

-

Liv fluttered her eyes open to a bright white light, afraid and very much confused. She was still on Reid's bed, but she now laid alone upon it. She came to realize quickly that she was supposed to be dead. A quick glance about the room and she saw Caleb, Tyler, Pogue, Cassie, Rachel, and finally… Reid. The blonde was sitting upright upon the side of the bed, a broad, mischievous, and slightly suggestive grin upon his face.

"So," he said with a dirty smirk. "I guess you're MY slave now…"

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THE END

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Wow, it's really over? Thanks to the many of you who supported and reviewed this story. Oh, and a Reid/Liv tribute vid is up now on YouTube. The link is on my profile page, as usual. Thanks again to you all! Final thoughts are wanted.
Signed,
--RedRogue