Fantasy Island and all associated characters (except mine and MagicSwede1965's) are owned by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All persons described herein are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Chapter 10: Burning Love

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stoffler," said the stern-looking woman who answered the bungalow door on Sunday morning. "Miss Daniels told me that you might be stopping by, but now isn't a very good time. She's been having a bad reaction to her medication and isn't in any condition to entertain guests."

Something in his stomach hardened, and he had to swallow in an attempt to ease it. Normally he would revel in another person's suffering, but in this case he couldn't. Had Noelle somehow influenced him? "That's most unfortunate," he found himself saying. "Do give her my regards. I will return later if it pleases her."

"I will pass along the message, Mr. Stoffler," said the nurse with a nod. "Good day."

He turned and strode away. A quick inquiry to a staff member informed him that Ms. Trenton was in the Hawaiian lounge, entertaining the island children that had come for the weekly Sunday visit to the resort. Oddly enough, he felt the need to speak to her. The queasy, disconcerting feeling that he'd had when the nurse had told him of Noelle's difficulties was unknown to him, and he wanted an explanation. Ms. Trenton was the only one he could think of who might be able to identify it.

As he approached the entrance to the building, he heard the piano being played, and the sounds of the children clapping along. He took a breath and tried to mask himself as carefully as possible. Young children seemed to recognize him much more easily than most adults, a fact that attested to their innocence. Normally he'd use this to his advantage, but at the moment he'd no wish to frighten them. Ms. Trenton looked up when he entered the foyer but otherwise didn't react.

"Please play another song," several children chorused when she finished.

She smiled at them all. "What kind of song?" she asked. From her posture and voice, the Devil could tell that she was doing her utmost to not show how mournful she was. When the children all called out at the same time, she held up her hands to quiet them down. "Did you have a suggestion, Amy?"

A shy-looking child who sat at the back of the group said in a voice barely above a whisper, "What about that song you were dancing to with Mr. Roarke?"

Andrea hesitated and pursed her lips together before replying, "That is a pretty song, but I'm sorry, I don't know how to play it. I do know another song about love, though." She stretched her arms out in front of her and began to play a rollicking tune. "When you want to hug somebody because they make you feel good; when you fall down and somebody helps you up and makes you feel good…" As she sang, she became more relaxed, and once again the children clapped along happily.

Mephistopheles didn't know the song, but from the words it appeared to be a simple children's ditty about how to recognize love. It didn't exactly describe what he was feeling, but it gave him an inkling of what such emotions were about. As the song ended, an older woman who clearly was the children's chaperone, entered the building from the rear and announced that it was time for the youngsters to move on to their next activity. With a bit of disappointment, they all bade Andrea good-bye and traipsed along with the chaperone like chicks following a hen.

Then Andrea stood up from the piano bench and turned to him. "What can I do for you?"

"It seems that you are finding ways to occupy your time without your dear Roarke," he remarked.

Her mood darkened at once. "There's no need for you to continue to push me," she told him firmly. "I'll ask again: what do you want?"

"Miss Daniels was unable to see me earlier, and the sensation that I had upon learning why was most perplexing."

"Ah, yes," said Andrea in understanding. "She must take some medication each morning that causes her to be ill for a short while." She took a few steps toward him. "Did your feel like your body was going cold, that your stomach wanted to turn over? That's called being worried, and it happens when you care about someone's welfare."

"What if it's a feeling that I do not wish to have?" he groused.

"Emotions are uncomfortable, Mephistopheles. Every human must accept that."

Mephistopheles prodded, "You certainly looked uncomfortable when that child mentioned the song, which tells me it's quite significant."

Her eyes flashed before she whirled and walked back to the piano. Beside it was a tote bag, from which she extracted an electronic tablet and earbuds. When she brought it over to him, she said, keeping a very firm control on her tone, "Here, if you believe that watching it might give you some insight." Then she moved away, clearly not wanting to see it right now. "Please leave it at the main house when you're finished with it." She picked up the tote bag and left.

He glanced at the screen, which was displaying an image that read 'Trenton-Roarke Dance'. Putting the earbuds on, he pressed Play.

After returning the tablet and spending the better part of an hour walking the trails around the resort, Mephistopheles headed back toward Noelle's bungalow. What Ms. Trenton had said and shown to him had given him much to think about. It was obvious that Ms. Trenton was still suffering a great deal, but the sight didn't seem to be as enjoyable to him as it had a few days earlier, and he didn't know why. The fact that she was attempting to help him despite what he had done was also incomprehensible.

The film of her and Roarke dancing had made it clear that the two of them had been completely in synchronization with each other. Their love seemed to enable them to experience one another almost as an extension of their own selves. There was also something much deeper to them that he couldn't quite put his finger on; what he'd seen in the bungalow a few weeks ago had been proof of that. It was something that he might want for himself, if he only knew what it was.

Then there was Noelle. The more time he spent with her, the lighter her soul became. His presence was giving her more reason to live, which was another mystery. Up until now the only people who had delighted in his presence were those who had irrevocably turned to evil and were serving him of their own will. Noelle was exactly the opposite. What was that ridiculous human saying? 'Opposites attract'? He had to admit that he was attracted to her in a way that defied logic. Was that also part of what he'd come here to learn?

When he approached the bungalow, he saw Noelle sitting in a chair on the porch, and another unfamiliar feeling came over him. It was a warmth that spread outward from his chest and brought happiness to him in a fashion that was totally unlike anything else that he'd experienced. He couldn't help but smile as he walked up to her. "Hello, Noelle."

She returned his smile. "Hello, Nick. I'm sorry that I couldn't see you earlier; it took longer than usual for the effects of my medicine to wear off and I didn't want you to see me like that. Many people don't like to see others suffer." She stood up and held out her hands.

He stepped up onto the porch and took her hands. "I understand what suffering looks like," he said. "I wouldn't have minded being there… if it would've given you comfort." It took a bit of an effort for him not to shiver. Had he truly just said that? What was happening to him?

"That's very kind of you," said Noelle. "But it's all right. You're here now, and I'm so glad to see you. There's something that I need to talk to you about."

"Of course," he said.

She sighed before gazing at him. "This is hard to say, but… perhaps it's better to just say it. I've really enjoyed your company this weekend. And… I think I'm falling in love with you, Nick. You're just about the kindest, most considerate man I've ever met. But I'm–"

"Stop," he said softly. Her words had once again touched off that warm feeling within him and it was quite unnerving as he finally realized what it was: he cared. For the Lord of Hades to care about anything would be seen as a weakness. He couldn't continue this any longer, even though he knew it would hurt Noelle. "Don't you know better than to believe everything that you see?" he said with anger in his tone. "What you know of me is a falsehood, and I no longer want to subject you to it." He abruptly strode off, leaving Noelle standing there, bewildered.

"And then he walked away, and I don't know where he went," Miss Daniels told Andrea dejectedly as they sat in the main house's study. "I couldn't find him anywhere. It's like he just… vanished."

Andrea sighed. She had hoped that things would turn out better, but it was beginning to look like the experiment had failed. If she couldn't salvage this, her soul would be forfeit at midnight. What would Roarke say in a similar situation? "Miss Daniels," she said kindly, "this island is a place of fantasy and mystery, where not all is at it appears. Nick Stoffler was a fabrication for a powerful, yet reviled man who desperately needs love but doesn't know how to deal with it because he has never experienced it."

Miss Daniels stared at her. "That sounds a lot like me," she mused. "The moment people find out that you have some incurable sickness, they tell you they're sorry and then treat you as if they might catch it from shaking your hand. I didn't ask for this." She leaned forward with urgency in her manner. "Please, could you help me find Nick? It's very important that he hears what I need to say. It doesn't matter if he's not who he says he is."

Andrea hesitated, and then said, "Very well, although I must apologize in advance for what I'm about to tell you. What he told you has been the truth, up to a point. He is the manager of a prison, its lord if you will, and it's known as Hades. His business is the collection and punishment of souls. His true name is Mephistopheles, otherwise known as the Prince of Darkness, or the Devil."

Miss Daniels began to shake with dread. "He can't be the Devil. He was so kind… so understanding."

"Because you gave him a reason to be," said Andrea gently.

"But… the actual Devil?" She stared into space, her face slack. "He's supposed to be the embodiment of evil. How am I supposed to deal with that?" Tears streamed down her face. "But I've seen him. And when I think of him, and how he made me feel when he was with me, he seemed like a good person."

Putting a comforting arm around Noelle's shoulders, Andrea said, "Even the evilest person has good in them somewhere; it takes the right circumstance, and person, to find it. You were that for him. What you must do now is look deeply inside yourself and determine whether you have the strength to continue to find the good in him."

The woman wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. She sat still for a long time, until she finally whispered brokenly, "God help me. I do love him. I'm in love with the Devil."

"He might be the Devil," Andrea told her, "but he's also a very lonely man who lives with the fact that he's the most feared and hated being on Earth. I daresay that he even hates himself for what humans have made him into."

Miss Daniels looked up, her eyes glittering. "How could he understand love, then?"

"If anyone can help him to understand, it would be you," Andrea said staunchly. "In such a brief time, you've shown him that love is capable of transcending any barrier."

"But I'm just a lowly human compared to him!" she protested. "What can I do?"

"Love him, Miss Daniels. Trust in that."

To say that Mephistopheles was in a foul mood would be an understatement. Since he'd returned to Hades, he'd been filled with such rage and self-loathing that he could barely stand it. His usual rounds gave him no solace, the tortures that he inflicted gave him no joy. All he could think of was the look on Noelle's face as he'd left.

He wanted to hold Roarke responsible, along with that damned island and that pesky Elemental. But to do so would be lying to himself. He had accepted Ms. Trenton's wager thinking that he would be able to outwit her, as opposed to every time he'd tangled with Roarke. It hadn't been her intelligence that had stymied him, though, but her heart. Her heart was so powerful that even he couldn't stand against it. She had challenged him on equal terms. She had faced destruction on Roarke's behalf. She had led him to Noelle to learn about love, and he had inadvertently succumbed.

Still, he stubbornly refused to admit defeat. Only a short time remained before Ms. Trenton's soul would be his.

If only… if only he could believe it.

Midnight was approaching as Andrea paused to take a deep breath before entering the clearing. She was taking a huge risk, with Miss Daniels' soul as well as her own. But she'd set these events in motion and she had to see things through to the end to find out whether she would get her beloved Roarke back or not. He would've done no less for her.

"Lord Mephistopheles, I summon you!" she called in a commanding tone. "Under the rules, I request a hearing!" After what he'd told her before, it was unlikely that he'd even bother to answer, but she needed to have faith.

Smoke poured from the ground and the slender, black-suited man appeared, looking annoyed. "You already had your hearing, Ms. Trenton, and my answer is still no. Don't waste my time." Then he smirked. "Unless you're here to turn yourself in."

"This is not for myself, but for someone else who wants to bargain with you."

His interest piqued, he sauntered forward a few steps. "You would barter souls?" He cocked his head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what your dear Roarke would say to that."

Miss Daniels gingerly walked into the glade. "Hello, Nick."

The Devil's eyes narrowed. "What is she doing here?" he said flatly.

"She wants to present her case," Andrea said.

Miss Daniels nodded. "Nick – or whatever you call yourself – I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I wanted to tell you something while I have the chance. I can't believe that you're as evil as people think you are. You're a man who does the worst job imaginable, one that you might not even like sometimes, because of how much everyone hates you for it."

"That is what I am," Mephistopheles said, turning away. "I am the lord of Hades; I collect souls and punish the damned. Few can look upon my true form without recoiling in terror. How can you see me any differently?"

"Because in those times that we spent together, you were intelligent, charming, and sincere," Miss Daniels said. "I found myself falling in love with you. And even after I was told who you really were, I realized that it didn't matter, because I still loved you." She sighed sadly. "I have to tell you that I'm terminally ill; I've only a few months left. Before my illness got too bad, I came to this island for a fantasy. It was to find someone whom I could love, because I'd never really loved anyone, and to have that person love me in return. That's what I was trying to say when you left. It's you, Nick."

Mephistopheles turned back slowly, revealing his devilish form: reddish skin, pointed ears, small horns on his forehead. Miss Daniels gasped and hugged herself, but didn't move as he stepped closer. "You have a beautiful soul that's destined for Heaven, Noelle," he said. "I left you because I, against all reason, found myself caring about you as well and didn't want to burden you with the knowledge of my true nature. Who would choose to associate with this," he gestured to himself, "other than those who have sunk beyond redemption?"

Gathering her courage, Noelle reached out and gingerly put one hand on his arm. "See? I'm still here, and I'm not afraid of you. I'm not even afraid of death at this point. What I am afraid of is dying without knowing whether there's someone who loves me." She smiled wistfully at him. "Are there rules about where souls must go? Could I choose to stay with you if I wanted to?"

He clasped her shoulders. "Hades is not a place for the likes of you!" he insisted as the strange, warm feeling began to encompass his frozen heart once again. "If you were to accompany me, you might never be able to leave."

With a nod she said, "I understand that. But if you are a lord, that means you have power there," she reasoned. "Just as in the rest of the world, if you don't like how things operate, couldn't you try to make changes? Together, perhaps you and I could, I don't know, make Hades more of a place that offers rehabilitation instead of just torture? Or whatever it is that you do?"

His breath hitched and that indefinable feeling increased. How could she not be afraid of him? How could she believe so strongly that one such as he was worthy of love and redemption? Her idea of changing Hades was ludicrous; nothing had changed there since time immemorial… but this was the twenty-first century. Perhaps it was time to, as humans would say, 'get with the program'. "It might be possible, but it won't be easy."

Noelle let out a soft laugh. "Very little in life… or in afterlife, I suppose, is easy." She regarded him with an earnest expression. "This goes against what anyone I know would believe, but I love you. And I'm willing to face anything if it means that we can be together." She snaked her arms around his shoulders and kissed him briefly on the lips before gazing at him once again.

Not all the fires of Hades could hurt him. Not all the desperate pleas of all the souls he'd tormented throughout the centuries had moved him. And yet in that moment, the heart of the demon lord Mephistopheles melted. He suddenly could understand precisely why Roarke had fought so hard for his family and his people, and why Ms. Trenton had fought so hard for Roarke. To know love was to know a piece of Heaven.

His features reverted to his human guise as he surrendered. He gently took Noelle in his arms, returning her kiss with an appeal that surprised even himself, and she responded wholeheartedly.

When the two separated, Noelle glanced over at Andrea. "Ms. Trenton, would you do something for me, please?"

Andrea nodded in comprehension. "Yes, Miss Daniels. I'll make certain that your family is informed that your condition took a sudden turn and doctors were unable to help you. There will be a proper burial ceremony."

"Thank you," the woman said gratefully, then looked up at Mephistopheles. "Let's go, my love. I think we've much work to do." Smoke billowed out of the ground, obscuring the two from view. When it cleared, they were gone.

Andrea bowed her head in respect for the departed.