Chapter 29: Our Safe Place
I'm back! And on Valentine's Day at that! (That's because Valentine's Day is overrated and a bit depressing when you're single, like me. Thanks holiday) But I hope everyone else had a good one, and have a second to read this new installment. This chapter is dedicated to Fangirling37, my one reviewer!
Fangirling37: I do try, but thank you. Musicals are great, I love to sing them, see them, act them, but because of my incurable stage fright I could never be in them. Ah well c'est la vie. Huh, never heard of that title, gonna have to look into that, cause I love Anna Kendrick. Thank you thank you, and thank you for reviewing!
This is another one of those low key chapters, but we get a little look see into the mind of Desmoira. Thank you LadySly! Enjoy!
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Moira's POV
I was standing in front of my home again as the sun shone brightly and the birds sang. I could hear my mother's voice drifting through the open windows as she sang. I felt tears blur in my eyes as I ran up the front walk and in the front door. Everything looked exactly the same. I was home. I ran into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of my mother making something and my father reading his paper at the kitchen table. I was home. The other life was nothing more than a dream.
Both smiled when they saw me. "Welcome home Dessie. Did you have a good day?" My mother asked as she set a snack on the table for me.
I nodded and hugged her tightly, letting my tears fall free.
"Goodness! What's brought this on? Darling are you alright?" My mother asked as she wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm fine Mama. I just love you so much." I sniffled tightening my grip.
I heard my father get up and wrap his arms around the both of us. "We love you too baby girl. We always have since the moment you came to us. And we always will. Remember your mother and I are always watching over you and your sister. Take care of her." Daddy said as he placed a whiskery kiss on my head.
"I will Daddy"
"We love you so much…" They both said before they disappeared.
I looked around for them frantically, racing through the house. "Mama! Daddy! Where are you?!" I peeked in Ani's room but she wasn't there either.
Soon I reached the door that led up to the attic and a feeling of dread settle over me as I slowly turned the knob. "Mama? Daddy? Ani?" No answer.
I slowly walked up the steps, fighting the urge to turn around and flee. But I had to do this.
I finally reached the top and shakily switched the light on. I wish I hadn't as I started to scream. My parents lay on their fronts on the floor, their eyes wide and lifeless as blood dripped from the first finger on their right hands, a spinning wheel glowing with an eerie green light stood next to them, the needle of the spindle oozing blood. Ani lay on top of them on her back, tears falling from her empty eyes as a dagger lay buried to the hilt in her heart, the blood staining her little blue dress.
"Oh you poor simple fool! Thinking you and your pathetic little friends could defeat me and the others!" A cold, cruel voice spoke from behind me.
I turned around and saw Maleficent. "You! What did you do to them?!"
"I did nothing child! This was their fate when you and your friends went against us! And they aren't the only ones who've suffered. Here's your precious future!" She said whipping back her robes to reveal a small bundle lying on the floor, wrapped in blankets. I crept forward slowly and picked up the bundle, moving the blankets back a bit. Inside was a beautiful baby girl, with John's hair and eye color with my curls. She was perfect. But she wasn't moving or making any sound. I felt no breath from her and her eyes stared blankly. I felt something wet and warm on my hand and I pulled it away to see it was covered in blood. I gasped as I started shaking as more blood dripped down onto my lap from the bundle I held. She was dead. I started screaming again and again never stopping as I cradled the lifeless body of my baby, her blood staining my hands.
I sat up with a strangled gasp, tears pouring from my eyes as my nightdress clung to me from cold sweat. I tried to get my breath back as I looked at John while he slept by my side. He was still asleep so I at least would be able to avoid the questions I did not want to answer. I quietly slipped out of bed and took a quick bath before dressing in a black dress similar to that of Christine Daae's dress before slipping out the door.
No one was awake yet as it was just before dawn. Perfect. We had only been here a short time after the attack. I still felt very lost and confused. Slipping a shawl over my head, I slipped out the door and into the cool morning air. It was silent and calm here, almost like the outside world didn't exist, that we weren't fighting for our lives.
I set off past the pool until I reached a wall covered in ivy. Pushing it aside there was a door that only I had the key to. I felt like Mary Lennox from the Secret Garden as the door unlocked and swung inward. Mickey had brought my garden from the basement of the Castle and brought it here for me. The ivy fell back into place behind me as I began to walk through the garden. Being here made me remember how much I loved gardening with my mother when I was young.
We shared love of a great many things. It was still hard to imagine she and my father were gone. She had been such a kind and warm person. She had such high hopes for me.
I stopped in front of the two tomb stones that bore my parents' names and placed the roses down. I sat quietly for a few moments before speaking. "You can come out now Ashley."
I turned my head as she stepped out from behind a tree. She looked confused as she came my way.
"How did you I was here? And that it was me?" She asked as she sat down beside me.
"Honestly? I don't know. And that's what scares me. I wish more than anything my mother was here. She had this habit of making me forget my troubles."
Ashley nodded before looking at the stones. "Are they buried here?"
"No. They aren't. This garden was in the bottom of the castle hidden so only I could get in. These tombstones are here just as a reminder. Mickey had it moved here so I could visit this place in safety. No one knows it's here. But I trust you to let you stay here with me. Sometimes...it's good to have company other than the memories."
"What happened to them if you don't mind me asking? You never told us."
I sighed deeply, the pain still fresh. "Even John doesn't know. You see about 3 years now ago I came home one day from a late night in the library. Mom always stood by the door to wait for me as I walked home. Only that day she wasn't in the door. She usually called me if she or Daddy were going somewhere. I walked into the house and all the lights were off. I knew something was wrong as my mother usually lit candles. She didn't like using lights unless she had to. I searched downstairs and couldn't find them. I went up to check on Ani and she was fast asleep in her crib. The attic door was ajar. I never liked going up there to be honest. I went up anyways...and wish I hadn't. My parents were there...dead. Their fingers were pricked and a spinning wheel stood in the corner glowing with evil magic."
"Maleficent." Ashley breathed beside me.
I nodded. "You know how the rest of the story goes. I came here and was in hiding for some time before my attack. I didn't always stay hidden in the Court of Miracles you know. I trained and traveled. There isn't much that I don't know about the realms. I know secret ways in and out and hiding places. But I do know that there are very few safe realms that we can hide in. If those fall...I'd rather not think about that. But I still maintain the hope that we can do this. I've walked among the people of Disney. I've gotten to know them very well. They look to us for protection. We guard their hopes and their future. Not only for them...but we have to protect the future for Anika, Anna, and Carmen's little one. We can't give up. We've seen what they'll do. They will pay for what they've done to your parents and mine. They'll pay for what they did to Emily, to all of us. Amber pay for her sins at my hands. As long as we have something to protect, something to live for, I have faith that we will win. If we give up...then who will protect the Kingdom?"
"How can you be so sure?" Ashley asked as the sun began to rise up.
I placed a hand over my womb, the other on her shoulder. "Because I have you and the girls. As well as my love for John and Anika. Because I have a future that I want to have with John and I'll be damned if I let anyone take that from me. Remember: happiness can be found in the darkest of times if one remembers to turn on the light. Wise words I think we'd do well to remember in these troubled times. I know you're scared and I am too. But we just can't give up."
"I know. It's so hard, but I know it's important to try," she replied, Mori nodding at her.
"I should hope so. Ash when you feel the need for revenge, just remember I feel it too and you're not alone. You are never alone. And what was spoken between us? Let's keep it to ourselves. Last thing anyone needs is to be brought down by my depressing story. Come on. If we don't hurry Ani and Anna will wake up and get into all sorts of trouble and I don't think poor John can handle the both of them."
Ashley laughed quietly as we walked back to the house. I knew Ashley would keep my secret. But what I didn't tell her is that I felt strange; even more than when Amber attacked. Whatever it was, it didn't bode well for me and I knew my time was running out.
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Ivy's P.O.V.
The soft and golden rays of sunlight spilling through the curtains were what woke me. I didn't open my eyes, as I felt content and cozily warm, when I remembered I was no longer in my bed. My eyes snapped open, to see that I was curled up against Sam's chest, his arms around me. I heard him chuckling at my confused expression, and smiled when I felt him brush a strand of hair over my ear.
"Finally up I see," he said, and kissed me, while I hummed in contentment, rolling over to face him.
"Well that's your fault for making me so cozy," I said, and he laughed, before looking serious.
"Ivy, what made you so freaked out last night anyway?" he said, looking concerned when I looked away. I sighed, and pulled down my purple tank top at the shoulder to show him my scar.
"When we first came to Disney two years ago, I went on the Haunted Mansion as my first ride. It's actually where I met Carmen, Ashley and Chloe for the first time. It was one of my favorite rides in the entire park, but it was also the place where the four of us were almost killed. That is the first time we were almost killed," I said, Sam's eyes going wide.
"We were up in the attic part of the ride, and the doom buggies stopped. We couldn't move, the restraints wouldn't let us, and Constance Hatchway, that psycho, axe wielding black widow bride almost killed us," I said, the off key version of here comes the bride still fresh in my mind.
"And that's where you got this?" he asked, and I shook my head.
"Actually no. We managed to escape before she could kill us, but later on Ashley and I were kidnapped and held hostage at the mansion. That's when she got me. And that's why I came in here last night, because I had a nightmare that she was standing over me, and this time she didn't miss," I said, and took a couple of deep breaths to slow my thudding heart. Ghost or not, that women terrified me.
"She sounds crazy even for a Disney villain. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, and I looked at my hands.
"I didn't want to worry you. Besides, I don't ever want to go back there again, so unless she comes to us, and I think that's unlikely since she's part of the ride, then I don't think I'll see her again, but….. I'm still afraid of her," I said, before Sam grabbed my shoulders, gently, but protectively.
"She's not going to touch you again, Ivy. None of the villains are going to hurt you or any of you girls ever again," he said and I nodded , for while it sounded sweet, I was still skeptical. Still, he cared about me and loved me, and that's what counted. This would be our safe place. It had to be. I yawned and got up from the bed, Sam pouting and giving me the puppy dog look. I rolled my eyes and smirked at him.
"Hey, we'll do this later, but it's breakfast time and I'm starving," I said, before blowing a kiss to him as I headed out the door. Crossing the hall and entering our shared room, I saw that everyone else was already up and gone. I quickly changed out of my pajamas and into a white and purple tank paired with dark blue jean shorts. I jumped into my sandals as I quickly brushed and tied back my hair, and flung open the door, revealing a surprised April on the other side.
"April!" I said, grinning as she put a hand over her heart.
"I was just coming to see if you were up yet, but I seem to have gotten a heart attack instead!" she said a little reproachfully.
"Sorry, I slept like a rock last night," I said sheepishly, as I walked into the hall with her. I saw Sam coming out into the hall, and I still got that warm happy feeling when he turned and smiled at me.
"Morning Ivy. April," he said, before putting an arm around me and kissing me on the cheek.
"You two are a match made in dreamland. Same sleep schedule and everything," she said, the three of us walking down the hall and descending the huge carpeted staircase. I could only stare as we passed through a huge living room. This was my dream living room! With its dark brown couches, fireplace and a flat screen TV with it's impressive amount of DVD's underneath (mostly Disney, naturally) already making me want to get a bowl of popcorn and just kick back. We entered a smaller room within the kitchen, which turned out to be a cozy breakfast nook, where almost everyone was sitting down enjoying what looked like a buffet of breakfast foods. Pancakes, sausages, toast, biscuits and gravy, you name it, it was there, along with a cornucopia of juices, teas and fruit smoothies.
"Hey, you're up! Sleep well?" asked Carmen, a large plate of food in front of her. Guess she and the baby were hungry this morning.
"Yeah, just fine," I said, sitting down at one of the empty seats at the table, filling my plate with some biscuits and gravy, sausages and some toast.
"This is so good," said Emily, taking a bite of deviled egg.
"I'm glad there's a lot of us to eat it all, though Julia and Carmen might polish it off before we get a chance to" laughed Carly, all of us laughing as the older girls scowled at us.
"Good, cause while this is delicious, I'm getting stuffed," said April as she patted her stomach.
"Well if everyone is finishing up, then we can take a bigger tour," said Ashley, wiping her mouth as she stood up, assisting Peter in helping Carmen stand up, as her pregnancy had altered her sense of balance.
"Alright, lets see how rich people live!" said Chloe, all of us laughed as she stuck her nose in the air and walked out of the room, her back straight as a cane, all of us laughing at her mimic.
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Carly's P.O.V.
I couldn't believe how beautiful this place was! I had never been in a mansion before, and this one was just amazing! The kitchen was huge, the dining room looked like something the white house might have, and the living room had the biggest TV's I had ever seen, with a wide variety of Disney movies and brand new movies that had only just come to DVD.
"To quote Tito, if this is torture, chain me to the wall," said April, stretching out on one of the three incredibly soft couches, frowning when she had to get up. We exited the living room and crossed through the front hall, entering one of the most beautiful libraries I had ever seen.
"We need to invite Belle over" I breathed, instantly imagining myself sitting in one of the comfortable looking armchairs with a book and a cold glass of lemonade.
"Mickey told me this was a library, slash meeting room," said Carmen, looking at a large table against the far wall, with twelve official and comfy looking black chairs. Each spot even had it's own polished nameplate, our names written out in flowing cursive. We moved on through the next doorway, our jaws dropping as we went into a good-sized ballroom, with high ceilings, polished floors, and a small stage with a beautiful grand piano some guitars and a couple of microphones.
"Wow," said Desmoira and Chloe, and I knew they were thinking of all the singing and music they could do. I looked over as Emily and Jim shared a look, and held hands. We went off the side to a small hallway that led to a good-sized laundry room, as well as a bathroom with a Jacuzzi and steam/ sauna room. We then backtracked through the ballroom and went to the last room, a beautiful sun room with huge windows, comfortable wicker chairs and couches, and a beautiful view of a the surrounding gardens. That's when Chloe did a double take and raced to the windows.
"Mickey never said we had a Pool!" cried Chloe, before grabbing Taylor and racing towards the backdoor, Kim and James racing after them, though by their wet hair I guessed that they had already gone swimming. We followed them, at a slower pace, and saw another jaw dropping sight. Not only was there a fairly large pool, complete with lounge chairs, diving boards and a gazebo that housed a hot tub, but there was a patio with a three four person tables, each with it's own umbrella, along with a huge grill and small bar, that made it look like a classy cafe. And then were the gardens, lush and green, filled with the wonderful aroma of multi-colored flowers, which then gave way to a long stretch of green grass. And all of this was ringed by a forest of beautiful trees, giving it the look of a huge clearing.
"Pinch me, I'm dreaming of what I think is heaven," I said, wincing as a sharp pain shot up my arm. "Julia when I say that, I don't mean it literally," I said through clenched teeth, Zoey nodding in sympathy.
"Especially with those nails," she said, Julia smirking as she crossed her arms.
'Then use words that don't have a double meaning," she said, as a smirked at her logic.
"Mickey said we have a few days off to relax, so, with his words, Rest, Relax and Enjoy," said a grinning Carmen, as we all broke off to go do our own thing.
That's when a felt Danny wrap his arms around me from behind, his head on my shoulder. "I don't think we've gotten a full tour of our room yet," he said huskily, starting to kiss me, starting from the base of my neck to the bottom of my ear.
"I believe you're right," I said, my voice sounding very sultry.
We then walked back up to the house and up the stairs, Danny surprising me and sweeping me up into his arms, bridal style. He tossed me down on the bed, then walked over to the closet, and began to look around for something.
"What are you doing?" I asked, grinning when he pulled out a tie.
"No interruptions," he said, opening the door and putting it on the outside doorknob. I smiled as he walked over to me, our lips meeting in a heated kiss. And for the next few hours it was only us, our love for each other only seeming to grow stronger. And when it was all over, we both fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms without a care in the world.
Carly and Danny. Yeah, you can envision what you will from that scene, as I'm not good at writing believable lemon's…. so yeah. I promise I'll do better in the future! Once again, a big thank you to LadySly for her help on this chapter, as well as Desmoira's bit. (I love Phantom of the Opera, and Mori's moment with the graves is an allusion to the graveyard scene from the movies, which in no way belong to me) As always, I hope you review, because feedback helps me become a better writer, which is always the goal (or so my fiction teacher tells me) The next chapter will be up sometime next week, so until then fanfictionites!
~Rainlily216 Out!~
