EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.
A/N:
Sky: HOLY CRAP, THAT WAS A LOT OF REVIEWS BETWEEN CHAPTERS! 50? *faint*
I wrote this ASAP because you guys have been so freaking nifty! Sorry it felt so slow ; ;
However we also got our first flame. LOL! And it was pretty lame, too. More like an ember than a flame. Get it right or don't write? What does that even mean? XD I originally had a mean-spirited laugh at the reviewer about hiding behind the anonymous function and not even making sense, but… I changed my mind. So I'll just say: grow up. ^^
To everyone else:
To clear a few things up ASAP, I'm writing the entire Beginning of the End saga by myself, with only one guest appearance from Ayns in a later scene with Daphne. All of it takes place in Future Puck's timeline, and all the events happened prior to his going into the present. None of this has happened in the current timeline.
Also, we originally had 300+ pages, but we haven't actually used the original writing since chapter 8 or so. We've re-written just about everything, sometimes taking a paragraph from the original and shoving it in. We also never sit on a chapter—the minute it's ready to be posted, we throw it onto the site. Considering none of the chapters have been less than 6 thousand words, I think our rate of updating is pretty decent X-x
We basically had to edit everything we ever wrote because it was done over AIM messages. Like…
Ayns: Puck did all this stuff, Blah blah blah.
Sky: Sabrina reacted and then did this blah blah blah
So it had to be edited to fit a story format, and fix typos, make it better, etc. The original Heartless plot took place when Sabrina and Puck were only 13 or so, and the fighting had been purely over Red being an Everafter and sharing a room with Sabrina and Daphne. We changed route and added more skips, so clearly we had to re-write to fix it XD I think the only thing from the original we kept so far is Red and Daphne's scene when they realize Sabrina got left behind XD Also in the original, Will arrived for the first time at the meeting, and was killed like 2 seconds later. So… Yeah we did a lot of 'making it better' and re-writing, I'm sorry if it's keeping you guys waiting XD
I've had another hectic and bad week, so I only just started writing this chapter on 8-24-09 while at work in the afternoon. XD My birthday's only 4 days away, and yes I know we won't hit one thousand reviews by then, but that's okay, the reviewers rock and we're at an AWESOME pace. ^^ Also winners of the one-shots, I'm sorry but it'll be a bit longer for us to get those done. We haven't forgotten you!
Enjoy!
*.*.*.*.*
No Matter What
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Beginning of the End Part Two
The Decision
*.*.*.*.*
The house seemed empty.
That was Puck's first thought as he opened the door, glancing around. It was pretty unusual, considering school was about to let out and it was a weekend. But then, as far as he knew, everyone had gone out regularly while he'd been gone.
"I'm home!" He called, sounding cocky and bored. As if coming home was more of a service and favor to the inhabitants than anything else. It was just about all the self-importance he could muster, knowing Sabrina was probably off in New York, having a high old time with her mother. He hadn't stuck around to hear her answer or face rejection. The moment the meeting had let out, he'd spread his wings and flown off, as far as he could with the barrier in place. His only worries had been that Relda or someone would have tracked him down to make him say goodbye, so he'd gone to one of his few hiding places.
He didn't care if anyone called him a coward. He didn't care if they were mad. He wouldn't let anyone know that he had cried the first night away.
Puck's fists clenched a little as he recalled the longest night of his life. He'd wanted to go after Sabrina and tell her to stay with him. Apologize for the fighting. Forgive her for everything she'd ever done. Hell… He'd even been willing to throw her an 'Everafters Suck' parade if it would have made her stay.
So why hadn't he?
Simple. Pride.
"Yo?" he called, frowning and walking inside. "Anyone else here? Or did you all go to New York like a bunch of losers?"
When no one answered, he scowled and trudged into the living room, not bothering to wipe his muddy shoes. It had started raining that morning, and it wasn't like he planned to clean it up.
"Jeez, I leave for a week and everyone falls apart," he muttered sarcastically, heading into the kitchen for some real food. Living as an animal had been easy in the sense that he hadn't cared about eating other animals or grass, but as a boy, he wanted some ramen.
For some reason, the scene in the kitchen made him pause, uncomprehending. Jake Grimm was passed out at the table with stubble on his chin, a coffee cup in his hand. It looked like no one had done dishes in a long time; the food had caked and dried onto each plate or bowl, the sink overflowing and filthy.
"Ugh," Puck shook his head and walked over to Jake, kicking him in the leg lightly. "What's up with the dump?"
Jake groaned, then opened his eyes, wiping them blearily. "Sorry Briar," he mumbled. "I'll go with you in a minute, just need… Rest my eyes…"
"Flattered, but you have the wrong gender," Puck said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
Jake's hand froze, no longer rubbing his face awake. His entire posture tensed, and then he was out of his chair, grabbing Puck and shoving him against the nearest surface, hands at his collar. "You little bastard!" he snapped.
"Whoa!" Puck stumbled, wincing. His wings had still been out, so slamming into the wall had hurt double. "What the hell is your problem?"
He looked up to glare, but his expression faltered at the sheer pain and anger he saw in Jake's expression. He had dark circles under his eyes, and a sense of shame all about him. "What…"
Jake throttled him. "How can you ask that? Where the hell have you been?"
"None of your business! Get off of me!" Puck yelled, shoving at him. He couldn't budge Jake's grip.
"Use your damn bracelet and help us find Sabrina, NOW!"
That got Puck's attention. He was able to frown up at Jake when the throttling briefly ceased. "Find Sabrina? What are you going on about now?"
"Just use it, I'll explain on the way," Jake said desperately, letting go of him. "We don't have any time to waste."
'Whatever,' Puck thought, hand going to his left wrist. He wasn't sure what kind of breakdown Jake had experienced lately, but the on the off-chance that Sabrina really WAS in trouble, he activated the bracelet. Not that he was sure what good it would do; Sabrina was past the barrier in New York.
The glimmering cord appeared, and with a sigh, he followed it. When Jake saw his leisurely pace, he shoved Puck forward, goading him out the door. "Faster Puck, we don't have time to waste and she's been gone for a week."
"Will you tell me what this is about?" Puck demanded angrily, stumbling, but picking up his pace.
"During the meeting a week ago," Jake said, practically jogging alongside him. "Red Riding Hood ran away from home. Daphne and Sabrina went looking for her. Kerdy covered for them, since they took the transportation orb."
"And?" Puck frowned, running to match Jake's stride.
"And Sabrina was kidnapped by Bluebeard and Nottingham after making sure Daphne and Red got away," Jake snapped . "We haven't been able to find her."
Puck nearly tripped, but Jake steadied him and they kept running.
It had to be a joke. It had to be some kind of sick 'hah, got ya, that's what you get for hiding for a week' joke. Sabrina wasn't in that monster's hands. She wasn't missing. She wasn't in danger.
It had to be.
"You-"
"Before you start trying to accuse me of lying or trying to get back at you for being gone," Jake interrupted. "Think really long and hard about whether or not Sabrina's family would joke about her being in the hands of a serial killer and child rapist."
Puck shut his mouth, feeling his heart sinking into his stomach. His entire chest felt like it was going numb, with sharp pangs of panic and dread bursting behind his lungs. He didn't question Jake, or even speak out loud. He only ran faster, eyes never leaving the glittery silk cord that connected him to the girl he loved.
'This has got to be a bad dream. I must have gotten a fever. This is all a hallucination. Worst case scenario. It can't be true. Sabrina can't be with that monster. Please don't let Sabrina be with that monster,' his inner voice sounded as panicked as he felt. He could remember every time Bluebeard had stared at his Sabrina, and the terror it had inflicted upon her. He could recall every time she had trembled or hidden in his arms just thinking about the man Bluebeard had once been—the man he probably still was. The thought of Sabrina being hidden away, kept against her will by someone like Bluebeard made him feel sick to his stomach.
'I shouldn't have left,' he thought desperately, trying to fill his head with words rather than the images or scenarios trying to invade his imagination. None of them were good. 'I should have done everything to make her stay. I should have found her earlier. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself!'"This is leading into town," Jake huffed, interrupting his thoughts. "We checked everywhere, including Bluebeard's castle. Charming and Will inspected it top to bottom."
"She's at the other end of this cord," Puck snapped, all-business. "You didn't look hard enough."
He wanted to shout at Jake, and accuse him for sleeping at the table when he should have been out looking for Sabrina. But not only could he not find his voice again, to try and shout his opinion, he knew Jake had tried his hardest. The human body could only take so much… Jake had probably gone full tilt until his body had given out, and Briar had forced him to rest while the others all looked.
Everyone was looking for Sabrina… And Puck knew he was the only one who could find her. The one who should have been looking all along.
But had he done the right thing? No. He hadn't. He'd made the wrong decision, and Sabrina was paying for it.
When they arrived at the library, a girl was just leaving the building, swinging her arms like a carefree child. Had it not been for the fact that the cord led right to her wrist, Puck would have gone past her to find Sabrina.
The truth was, the girl looked nothing like her. The eyes were nearly the same, the hair the right length, but it wasn't right. Only the tips of her hair were golden blonde, and the eyes were red, not blue. It looked like blood.
The clothes—that was another matter. Her jeans were the same, and the t-shirt she'd picked was ripped, but they were Sabrina's clothes. Splattered with so much blood, it was impossible to tell what the original color of either article of clothing had been. When Puck froze in his tracks, Jake stopped as well, turning. "What?"
"Sabrina?" Puck whispered, taking a step forward.
She stopped swinging her arms, turning to look at him. All at once, Puck could see where people got the phrase, 'the lights are on, but nobody's home'. It looked like Sabrina—probably sounded like her, but there was no trace of the girl he loved in those crazed eyes.
"I need more," she said in a singsong voice that made Jake stop and stare as well. "No one will ever hurt me again."
'Just another taste,' Puck heard her voice say it in his head, and he wasn't sure if it was just from the memory or because she wanted him to hear it. But it made sense.
She reeked of magic. It clung to every inch of her skin, radiating off of her in dangerous waves. It was easy to put the pieces together, and neither Jake nor Puck missed it. She had been hurt badly, gotten her hands on magic, and couldn't control it anymore.
The red that coated her body was blood.
"Sabrina," Puck felt his voice shake, and he tried to sound more confident as he approached her. "Sabrina, come here."
She glanced at him, then giggled and twirled her arms. He deactivated the bracelet before it sent him sprawling. "I don't have to," she laughed. "I'm safe. I'll never be hurt again!"
"Brina," Jake breathed, his eyes wide. "Brina honey, let's get you home. You're hurt."
Her eyes flickered sharply to Jake, the blood red clouding her eyes like an explosion of red around the pupil. "You don't get to have it."
Before Puck or Jake could comprehend what she meant or the power she held, a rain of blood and gore showered the area. Puck turned to stare at Jake, the feeling of dread coming back full force, but he was gone. In his place were his clothes and wedding ring, but his body had been shredded beyond recognition.
Numbly, Puck turned back to Sabrina. "What… Did you do?"
She smiled brightly, a glowing red orb appearing in front of her. "It's mine now." She turned to follow as the red light began to flutter away.
Reacting on instinct, too stunned to let the horror sink in, Puck raced to her side, grabbing her arm. "Sabrina, wait!"
Her body stiffened, and he yanked his hand back at the hot arc of pain that raced up his arm. Neither moved for a long moment. And then, in the blink of an eye, she had turned her head to face him, the movement sharp and sudden. Her eyes narrowed, but she made no move to physically harm him. Instead, he heard her screams in his head as if he had been present for her torture.
The magnitude of what he was hearing combined with the horror of the situation sinking in forced Puck to his knees. He wasn't aware of anything for a very long time, just falling to the ground, lying in the blood-stained street. People screamed from nearby. A fire started somewhere. Sabrina walked away from him, killing anyone who crossed her path.
He knew it logically, but he couldn't comprehend any of it. Her voice tormented him, screaming for him, pleading with her captor, crying out in pain. No one was helping her. Why was no one helping her?
Why hadn't he helped her?
He understood. He had abandoned her to a week of torment and pain. Her innocence and sanity had been ripped from her, just as she ripped apart her own victims. She hadn't thought twice about killing her own uncle, just for being in the way.
Why had she spared him?
Puck closed his eyes and opened them slowly, hands covering his ears as he tried to block out the screams in his head. At the same time, he wanted… No, needed to hear her cries. He owed it to her.
"Sabrina," he whispered, voice hoarse.
With a soft cry, he closed his eyes as tightly as possible, curling up in a ball on the ground. The city could have burned to the ground around him, and he wouldn't have cared.
*.*.*.*.*
Puck hadn't moved an inch by the time they'd found him. For him, everything had simply frozen. The screams echoed in his head, though they had stopped being transmitted there hours ago. He felt like he was watching himself through someone else's eyes. Detached. Briar was crying, sobbing in William Charming's arms while he spoke with Swineheart and Boarman. They'd found Jake's wedding ring in the pile of blood and clothes.
Henry was silent, standing nearby with Kai and clearly listening. Did he know that Sabrina had done it? Did any of them? Had they put the clues together just by seeing Puck at the scene? Or were they trying to ignore the obvious clues for now?
Puck closed his eyes, then opened them again. He was moving farther and farther away from the scene, still emotionally detached from having to think about anything that was going on.
Who was carrying him?
Puck didn't know or care.
His mind tried to register information for him, but he rejected all of it. So later, when he lay on his bed and finally let himself think clearly, he was able to put events into place.
Sabrina was the Heartless that Will had been talking about. She had murdered people already, no doubt starting with the members of the Scarlet Hand that had assisted in her torture.
Sabrina couldn't differentiate between friend or foe anymore. Everyone was an enemy to her. She had killed Jake without remorse. Her family was aware of Jake's demise, but not necessarily her hand in it. She was too powerful to be stopped without more bloodshed, and far too crazed to listen to reason.
And the other detail, the one that had been gnawing at him ever since her screams had started…
He was going to join her and betray everyone.
But they had to be able to change it, right? It wasn't set in stone. Will had warned them about everything she would do, so it wasn't like they were unprepared for the events.
Yeah, right. Nothing could have prepared them.
Puck slowly sat up, looking around his room. He was on the trampoline—who had put him there?—and the tree house was in plain sight. The very fact that it existed suddenly made him angry, and he turned away, clenching his fists.
There had to be a way to reverse it. Sabrina couldn't be gone. She had to have some part of her left, and they just needed a way to help her reawaken it.
As he made his way back to the doorway of his room, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't become the monster Will had described. Even knowing that Sabrina was the Heartless wouldn't sway him. He knew. He had warning. He wouldn't do it.
'But what if you do?'He paused at the door, the thought echoing in his head. Then he clenched his jaw. There was no way. If Sabrina was gone, then he wasn't going to chase the evil echo that just happened to look and sound like her.
That was what he had to tell himself as he headed for the living room of the Grimm household.
*.*.*.*.*
Puck was silent as he stood in the doorway, watching the family grieve. Briar was still inconsolable, though now it was Buzzflower she cried on, rather than William. Veronica lent her support to Henry and Relda, while Daphne and Kerdy held Cory. The littlest Grimm was too young to understand why everyone sad, but he understood easily that they were. It made him sniffle and pat Daphne's wet cheeks, murmuring 'nokwa' to her over and over.
The word brought a sting of pain through Puck's entire body. He could practically see Sabrina sitting in the playroom, holding Cory in her lap and whispering 'no cry' to him. It was what she said when he got fussy or hurt himself, and he'd clearly adopted the mannerism.
"Puck!"
Everyone looked up except for Briar at Kerdy's exclamation. Kerdy was one of the few people who wasn't crying—he simply held Daphne while she sobbed.
Puck nodded slightly. "Who carried me to my room?" he asked in a strained, quiet voice.
"Mr. Canis," Daphne whispered. "But he's with Red now. She blames herself for…" She trailed off, large tears welling up in her eyes.
"What happened, Puck?" Veronica whispered, while Mallobarb pet Briar's hair and whispered soft words to the distraught widow. "You wouldn't say anything when they found you… You just lay there with your hands over your ears. Did you see what happened?"
Puck closed his eyes. "I just got back today," he murmured. "Jake wanted me to use my bracelet to find Sabrina."
"What happened?" Kerdy echoed Veronica, shuddering. "Did you get attacked before you found her?"
"No."
Puck tore his eyes from the scene and looked to the wall, studying the cracks as if they were fascinating.
"Then what happened?" Henry demanded. "My brother was murdered, and you were the only witness!"
"…" Puck clenched his fists. "Don't you think I know that?" he growled. "I couldn't do anything, she was too fast."
"She?" Relda wiped her eyes on a handkerchief, looking to Puck imploringly.
"…Sabrina," Puck whispered, his voice strangled and rough. "Sabrina was too fast."
The silence that fell over the room hit everyone. Even Elvis had stopped his keening whines of comfort towards Daphne, and Briar had stopped sobbing.
"What…" Veronica was the first to break the silence, after what felt like a lifetime. "What do you mean, Sabrina was too fast?"
"Sabrina is the Heartless," Puck said, his voice surprisingly steady. "She's absorbing magic, and killing anyone who has it or gets in the way."
Henry stood up, his grief-stricken eyes widening. "That's not funny at all. Sabrina would never-"
"Bluebeard hurt her," Puck said, closing his eyes tight and clenching his fists so hard that blood welled up in his palms. "It makes sense now. Sabrina was hurt, and someone had magic… She used it, and now she can't stop. She doesn't want to be hurt anymore."
"Sabrina… She… She did that to my Jake?" Briar whispered, lifting her head and gazing at Puck, her eyes raw with pain.
"You have to be wrong," Kerdy breathed, feeling how tense Daphne was in his arms. But Daphne didn't speak at all. She could feel her heart clenching with absolute fear and horror. She wanted to be one of the ones to stand up and declare that Sabrina would never do such a thing. That Puck was wrong or joking.
But Puck's aura was completely pure and honest. It was jagged with pain and uncertainty—clearly over Sabrina's condition… And his words were true.
"This is all your fault!" Henry suddenly roared, slamming his chair back and ignoring the splintering shatter of it hitting the wall. Like Jake, he was immediately upon Puck, grabbing his collar and shoving him into the wall. "Where were you when she was kidnapped? Why didn't you find her?"
"Henry!" Veronica sobbed, gripping Relda's arm. Cory had started to cry in panic at the sight of his father so angry.
Puck didn't fight back. He let Henry shove him against the wall. He let Henry accuse him, yell at him, curse him… Because he was right.
Puck knew that no one could blame him as much as he blamed himself. He hadn't learned from the time Sabrina had been hurt during their arguments—he'd only ditched her for an afternoon that time. Nothing should have stopped him from being with her while he had the chance. How had he let such petty arguments drive them so far apart? How had he let the cracks between them grow into gigantic fissures?
It really was all of his fault.
"We have to save her," Daphne whispered, staring straight ahead while the tears slid down her cheeks. "We have to stop her before she does all those things Will… Said…"
Again, Puck found all eyes on him. He was positive they were all thinking in unison about Will's other information. The Villain King Puck.
They all knew he had betrayed them for Sabrina in the past—well, future technically—but Puck didn't think he would do it.
"I'm not going to join her," Puck whispered, bowing his head. "Not if she can't be saved. It's not the Sabrina I know. I can't love… that."
"How can you be sure?" Briar demanded abruptly, sobbing again. "How do you know, Puck? You love her no matter what—you're going to become just like her and keep hurting everyone!"
"No I'm not!" Puck shouted in defiance, breaking Henry's grip on him and turning away. He was practically hyperventilating as he tried to gulp in a fresh breath of air, tears stinging his eyes.
His shout had rendered the room mostly quiet again. When he turned back, Briar had turned away, and all eyes were on him.
"Even before this, I… I doubted the promise," he whispered, voice stricken. "Knowing what Will said, and what she's capable of… I won't join her. I want to save her… Not be like her."
"I don't believe you," Briar whispered. "Not if you truly loved her."
"You don't-" Puck started, but Briar let out a shriek of rage and sorrow, slamming her fist on the table.
"I know what love is!" she cried. Her voice was shrill from the sobs, and her chest heaved with each breath she took. "Jake and I were soulmates! I've never felt that way about anyone in my entire life until him, and I'll never feel that way about anyone again! Don't you dare lie to me and tell me love like that is fleeting! It's not! IT'S NOT!" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly, bringing tears to Buzzflower and Mallobarb's eyes. But before they could comfort her, she was shaking her head and wiping at her tears. "That kind of love will never go away! No matter what! Your very promise to her! If it were Jake, if he were…! If Jake were…! If Jake killed everyone, if he hated Everafters, if he lost his soul, I would still love him always! Don't you understand? Jake was everything to me! I know exactly how it feels!"
Daphne wiped her eyes, turning away and biting her hand on a sob so she wouldn't distract anyone. Her throat felt tight and she felt a fresh wave of tears breaking the surface. Her crying distressed Cory even more, and he buried his face in her shoulder while Kerdy tried to hug them both. Briar's speech had brought tears to more than just Daphne's eyes.
"It doesn't matter what you tell yourself," Briar whispered, shoulders shaking. "You'll understand when you have to make the decision. You never doubted it at all. You were scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes… But if you had to choose between losing her and having her, in any form, you'd… You'd stay with her. You'd kill us all."
She turned away, wordlessly while her fairy godmothers enveloped her in tight, firm hugs. Nobody in the room said a single word against her, or her views.
Puck found himself shaken to his very core, and when Henry let go, he sank to the ground, just sitting against the wall with a pained look on his face.
He didn't know if Briar's words were true for him. He believed that he truly loved Sabrina, but how could Briar be so sure what he would do? That his doubts hadn't been real?
Yeah, sure he and Sabrina had been through a lot, and survived many situations that brought them closer. But the Heartless… That was another story.
"I have to let William know," Veronica whispered finally, going to the phone and dialing with trembling hands. Nobody stopped Puck when he slowly stood and left the room. No one had the strength or the purpose to do it.
*.*.*.*.*
By nightfall, barriers had gone up over several areas of Ferryport Landing, courtesy of Will and any other magic users. William had put out the alerts on Sabrina's condition and level of danger, evacuating all non-Everafters on an excuse of a gang of serial killers. Even Snow had thought the excuse was rather far-fetched, but it had worked, and with the recent murders in town, no one objected.
Only the Everafters remained. Even if they had wanted to, the Grimms couldn't leave to lower the barrier. Sabrina was still a Grimm, and she clearly had no intention of leaving.
Relda had gone with Mr. Canis to find Baba Yaga, but Sabrina had already gone after the old woman. All of the magic was gone, and only blood remained. With Will's advice on what to do and who Sabrina would go after, they were able to keep people like Farrah, AKA Blue Fairy, safe. For the time being.
*.*.*.*.*
Will closed his eyes tightly, leaning against the window in the room he still used. It was a worst case scenario all around.
'I didn't want it to be her,' he sighed to himself, pressing his forehead to the cool glass.
He honestly hadn't expected it, or wanted it. He liked Sabrina's attitude, and despite everything, he had admired her faith in Puck. And now… Puck was most likely to betray them.
'Will he still? Knowing what he knows… What she becomes… Will he still betray us and join her?'Will sighed again. If it has been his wife… He would have betrayed everyone.
But this time, Puck had warning. He knew in advance what his joining the Heartless would do…
Would he care?
'I'm sorry, Sabrina. I can't allow either one of you to live. Better to get rid of him now before he joins you and gains in your power. I'm sorry I have to break my promise to you.'Will pulled away from the window, iron sword appearing in his hand. Puck was still in shock, from what he'd heard… All he had to do was make it quick and make it fast.
*.*.*.*.*
"Naughty naughty."
Will froze, hand inches from the door to the Grimm home. He had his iron sword hidden, ready to summon it to his hand once he was close enough to Puck. He hadn't anticipated Sabrina following him or waiting outside the Grimm house.
Turning, he found her tripping towards him, high off her own power and giggling.
"Heartless," he breathed, shuddering. "What are you doing here?"
"That's iron," She purred. "I can smell it in your bones. I can taste it. Naughty naughty. You broke your promise."
Will's eyes widened in horror. "How…"
He took a step backwards, but Sabrina laughed and moved closer, pressing into the barrier that separated the Grimm house from her.
"HELP!" Will shouted in panic, slamming his fist against the door rapidly, rather than knock.
His shout woke most of the people inside. Kai, Gerda, Forse, Garret, and Rae had come to stay with the family as well. The first ones outside were Mr. Canis and Henry, but Puck and Kai followed quickly. The others had been ordered to stay inside, huddling together fearfully.
"Sabrina!" Puck stumbled forward, but Mr. Canis grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him closer to the house.
"Uh-uh," Sabrina shook her head, staring at them with crazed eyes, her lips curving into a playful smile.
"Sabrina," Henry whispered in horror. He had imagined many things he would do or say when he saw his daughter again, but he honestly couldn't think of anything but her name. Puck hadn't exaggerated her appearance, and Will hadn't exaggerated the horrifying nature.
"She's gone," Sabrina murmured, nuzzling her cheek to the barrier. She pressed her hand against it. "Bye bye Will."
"No!" Puck reached for Will, but he couldn't do anything to stop the ripping, the rain of blood, and the murder of another person right in front of his eyes.
Mr. Canis stiffened, then ushered everyone back into the house, staring from the doorway. Red screamed from inside when they came in covered in blood, and Gerda fainted.
"Aw… I want to play," Sabrina pouted when they retreated. "One more taste? Just one more… I don't need more than one…"
"Sabrina!" Puck tore himself from Mr. Canis' grip, running back outside and stopping on one side of the barrier. "Sabrina, stop this!"
She glared back at him, expression unreadable. "Sabrina's gone. She'll never be hurt again."
"That's not true!" Puck shook his head, putting his hand at the barrier. "Remember? You promised—I promised! I'm not going anywhere, I told you that! Trust me, and please stop now!"
She looked to his hand, bringing hers up to touch the barrier where his palm was. The thin space between their hands felt powerful.
Then she smiled and tapped the barrier once. "Sabrina's gone."
Turning, she stumbled off into the night, giggling and twirling.
Puck stood there for several moments, tears stinging his eyes. He hadn't missed the similarities between that moment and the time when she had been under Klarissa's curse. He also hadn't missed the use of their code. It had convinced him. Fully convinced him that Sabrina was really gone. In her place was a heartless monster with the same mannerisms, the same voice, and the same body. Nothing else was Sabrina's. The attitude he loved, the smile and laugh, the sparkle in her eyes… It was gone forever. She'd never again look at him with love, or smack him for pinching her. She'd never wear an 'I heart Puck' shirt or sing while fixing breakfast, and she'd never just lie in his arms and whisper 'I love you' to him in their tree house.
She was gone. Forever.
"I won't," Puck whispered, his voice cracking with pain. He sank to his knees, closing his eyes and trembling. He'd made his decision. He would never join the Heartless. He wouldn't let Will's death be in vain.
When Mr. Canis came back to retrieve him, he offered no protest, numbly heading back into the house. He didn't bother washing the blood off his clothes or body, and instead of going to his own room, he went into Sabrina's, sitting on her bed.
Her journal was out—slung carelessly with her backpack. He'd almost forgotten she'd spent the night at Jake's house right before everything had happened.
Almost numbly, Puck picked the journal up and opened it to the entry that had caused all of the problems. Her doubts in him. She was right now, wasn't she? He planned to kill her if they gave him the chance. The plan wouldn't fail this time. He wouldn't let himself be fooled by her face and her voice.
Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he turned the page and began reading. She had about four entries past the one stating her doubt, and it was all he had left of her views and her voice. He needed to know what she had been thinking or feeling. How much of it was his fault.
When he read the entry about her reasons for distrust, he felt like crying again. Few things made him cry, and really, it was mostly influenced by Sabrina. It wasn't until he reached the lines about her love and trust in him that the tears came.
When it comes down to it, I love him more than I like to admit. He's been with me for some of the hardest times in my life, and he's never really let me down. Maybe Will's information was half-right. Maybe Puck was torn between dying like everyone else and joining the enemy, or maybe he let the Heartless think he'd joined her. He tried to save me, and maybe I sacrificed myself for him, and made him promise to live, any way he could. Or maybe he tried to save me and accidentally hurt me. Or maybe, he hid me away from the Heartless and visited me. Maybe Villain King Puck isn't Puck at all, like he said… Maybe it's someone who just calls himself that. I don't know. But I refuse to believe Puck would ever intentionally hurt me.
And even if he did… My heart won't change. (I don't care how corny this is, who asked you?)
He loves me. And I love him. No matter what.
Got it?
Good.
He had to stop and push the journal away, worried about his tears getting on the page and ruining her writing. He didn't want to smudge her messy penmanship and blur the words he didn't deserve.
'I'm sorry,' he thought, his heart breaking all over again. 'I should have been here with you.'
Under normal circumstances, he might have cared about how pathetic he looked, covered in blood and crying on Sabrina's bed. But as it was, he just didn't care anymore. It wasn't like he planned to kill himself once Sabrina was dead. He promised not to. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt enough that he wished he were dead.
When he managed to calm down again, he stripped off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. The blood was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he pulled the journal up and turned to the next pages, resolving to read straight through.
*.*.*.*.*
Yeah yeah, I should date my entries. Am I going to? Nope. Deal with it.
So, today, Puck and I fought again. I nearly yanked him down the stairs… I shouldn't have done it, but I just got so frustrated!
But… I told Will about the promise. I let him know that Puck and I love each other no matter what. I told him my doubt was gone. And I made him promise not to hurt Puck unless Puck made a direct threat on Will's life.
Will's pretty cool. I feel bad about his future. But I know that even if the future seems… Bad right now… I have to believe this is going to pass. Puck and I will get through this. We promised.
*.*.*.*.*
We're fighting more. Do I need to date this? Just consider everything about the Heartless in the 'month from hell'. There ya go, you have a timeline.
I feel so pathetic about all of this. I'm not the girl that dies without her boyfriend, or goes into shock during a breakup.
We're NOT breaking up, by the way. It's just… It's just hard right now. I really do feel empty when I think about what we had and compare to what's going on right now.
God. I'm using my Grimm journal as a 'woe is me diary'. What do you care? Don't read it then.
I just… Wish we could go back to how we were. I want to hold hands with him. He always brushes his thumb over my knuckles. He used to do it to reassure me, back when I was cursed by Klarissa… But then he started doing it just because. Sometimes, I find it hard to sleep knowing that we're in such bad shape, and he's not there, so I close my eyes and use my left hand to do it myself. Lame, huh? Well, it makes me feel better. I can pretend he'll be there when I wake up and tell me he loves me.
I really do love him. I know, I'm only fifteen and what if it's puppy love, blah blah blah. Well who asked you?
*.*.*.*.*
I just keep reminding myself that we promised. We promised… He won't go back on it.
*.*.*.*.*
The funny thing is, I wanted to date this message. But I don't know the date. I don't even know what year it is. I'm so upset right now, I barely know my own name. I think that was the worst fight we've ever had. I tried to explain my reasons, but he doesn't want to hear it. He recoiled from me when I tried to touch him. He doesn't know if he means his promise anymore.
Maybe everyone was right. Feelings and people change. It's not like we're Romeo and Juliet or something. And it's not like I want to kill myself.
I don't know how I feel. I got Uncle Jake to go back to his own room and leave me alone, but…
I have got to stop feeling sorry for myself. This is lame. Nothing's going to get in the way with us. I don't care how much I have to apologize. After the meeting tomorrow morning that Will told me about, I'm going to use the bracelet and make sure Puck stays put so I can talk to him. I'll apologize as much as I have to. I'll bring back the love declarations. I'll throw an 'I love Everafters' parade.
I won't run away from this. Screw my pride. This is worth it. I meant what I said. No matter what.
Everything'll be back to normal in the morning, once I talk to Puck. We'll do the stuff we used to. Find a way for him to leave the barrier one day. Maybe I'll consider becoming an Everafter and staying with him forever or something. At this point, I'd be willing to compromise on just about anything. I'll tell him that.
Then we can be happy again.
*.*.*.*.*
Puck didn't even bother trying to hold back the fresh tears, even though they stung and burned his eyes.
How could he have ever been so stupid?
It wasn't like either of them had been perfect or completely right… But she had set aside her pride, and he hadn't. In the end, he was the one who had created the Heartless, because he was the only one who could have prevented it.
And now…
Well, he promised not to give. He had promised not to kill himself or anything once Sabrina was gone. He'd keep his promise to her, no matter how much it hurt or how badly he didn't want to.
After all, he'd already made his decision.
*.*.*.*.*
A/N:
Sky: Sorry it's not longer, I've been super busy ^^; This is still in Future Puck's timeline, so don't distress. This story DOES have a happy ending. Much luvvies guys, and hopefully Ayns agrees with my Puck portrayal in THIS story. ^^!
Thanks to all the reviewers (HOLY CRAP 50 WOOOAAAH) since chapter 25!: iD Sisters Grimm iD, Lilyflower-314, Schadenfreude62, Trickster Queen464, The Grimm Smiler(x2!), BookLoverAF, emerald rose, Lara D, SeekDreamaAndFindHope, DeDe, Erin, Taylor Wimbley, fangfan5(x2!), Lyla Domae, curlscat, Syd(x2), obsessedwithbooks, Ascaisil, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Hypocritically Her, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Grimgirll667, Amy(x3), Aynslesa(teehee!), wormybook, Sorry-NotValid, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, SweeneyToddLover26, I lov PUCK, Reader, chemicalsilver, Onyx, GrimmGurl4Lyf3, silent-entrance, gothicgall000, giggleguts, Sabrinagoodfellow, Alice Alee(x2!), Zeorzia, Viva-Musica, Squiggles, LR, 'hate your story'(LOL!), and the one who figured it out, -flying-dreaming-dancing- ^^
THANKS GUYS! You rule.
Keep it up :D Luvvies!