Part 32

Ethan followed the directions carefully. So far so good. Jez and Morgead were following behind on their bikes to be discreet. The area he was heading into was dank and almost spooky in the gathering dark, street lights were sparse, flickering on and off.

He pulled up in a parking lot by an abandoned building. Susanna was in there. He spotted Carter's silver Porsche, and the black car he'd seen Morticia and Pierce in.

He couldn't hear any screaming so they weren't torturing her.

He tried to call her telepathically, but something was blocking him from getting into Susanna's mind. She'd never blocked him out before.

This was a spell. A very *powerful* spell.

She was in there.

And he was going to get her out.

* * *

Tiegra hated being left behind at the house with Monica, Shanna, Bridget and Jack. Rashel and Quinn had followed after Ethan and the others, in case backup was needed.

She despised sitting around doing nothing while the lives of the two people she loved more than anything were in the worst danger possible.

"They'll pull it off," Monica said reassuringly.

Tiegra didn't say anything. She didn't believe her.

* * *
Obsidian held her breath in anticipation as Sven drove her to Greenville. She didn't even have to breathe, but she was too keyed up to think about the absurdity of it.

"We're almost there," Khal said, trying and failing to be reassuring.

Faith sat silently beside her, not meeting her eyes. Someone's cell phone was ringing. Faith answered and handed it to Obsidian. Obsidian frowned. "Wait until you see who's come to visit," he said, and hung up.

Obsidian put down the phone. Faith glanced over at her, curious. "What was all that about?"

Obsidian shrugged. "I have no idea. Step on it Sven, I want to know."

Sven floored the accelerator.

* * *
Susanna was certain she was dreaming, or having a nightmare. That was the only explanation she could come up with. Half the coffin lifted. A wave of painful; magic surrounded her, immobilising her.

She stared upwards with shock into Ethan's dark eyes. He reached out, stroking her hair gently. She couldn't quite interpret the look on his face.

"Ethan?" she whispered.

He slammed the lid back down on her. She cried out but to no avail. What the hell was going on? How could he do this to her? She had loved him! Trusted him! And he had betrayed her.

R had he?

Was this some kind of clever plan to throw them off and save her?

Susanna didn't know. This was becoming very confusing.

* * *

Part 33

"Well, Ethan, it's nice to know you've finally come to your senses," Morticia said, talking hold of Ethan's arm.

"Who the hell's *he*?" the blonde was demanding.

"Who the hell's *she*?" he countered with a pleasant smile.

The witch glared. At least, he thought she was a witch. She'd done the spell on Susanna.

"That's Glory, ignore her," Morticia said.

"You really did one hell of a job fooling us like that." Even Pierce sounded impressed, and that was really saying something. Now he was actually *here*, Ethan had no idea of how he was going to rescue Susanna. He could probably take out Glory and Carter with no problems, Morticia and Pierce would be harder.

"Well, well. Look who's here."

Ethan turned, finding himself facing Obsidian Redfern. "What the..." Morticia turned around, looking terrified. "Carter?"

Carter smiled slightly. "I thought it was kind of weird when you called, asking for Susanna."

Obsidian walked into the room and over to the coffin. She unlocked the latches and lifted Susanna out, kissing her gently. It took every ounce of Ethan's self control not to storm over there and yank her off.

Susanna didn't say anything. She didn't fight or even struggle. She merely stood beside Obsidian, who was smiling very pleased.

"At least she's behaving."

Susanna met Ethan's eyes once, then she turned away.

"The question *is*," Obsidian went on leaving her prize and pacing up and down in front of Faith, Morticia and Pierce. Glory, Sven and Carter stood slightly to one side.

"You could always kill them," Ethan said lazily.

"Could be fun," Pierce put in."

"Since when do we actually *trust* him?" Faith said harshly, glaring at him. "How do we know this isn't some sort of trick so he can make us al dead and rescue his bitch?" Her glare turned on Susanna.

Obsidian glanced over at him, studying him. She walked over to him, her heels clicking on the stone floor. She touched his face with a long red nail. "You know, Ethan, she does actually make a good point."

Ethan smiled at her, pulled her close and kissed her passionately as he could. Obsidian sighed, giving herself up to him. She never had been able to resist him. "How could you think I'd ever want anyone but you?" He hoped he sounded convincing.
"But *why* - "

"There's four of *them* outside, including the Cat, and a Wild Power." He wasn't particularly bothered about giving them Quinn and Morgead. He was pretty certain Rashel and Quinn could handle themselves.

"Which Wild Power?" Pierce sounded alarmed.

"I believe she was a friend of yours," he said with a smirk.

Pierce stared at him for several minutes. "'Bye!" Then he turned and all but ran out the door.

"What's *his* problem?" Glory muttered.

Ethan shrugged. He was about to answer when he saw Susanna turn.

"Someone get her!" Obsidian screeched.

The door crashed open, figured began streaming in, and all hell broke loose.

* * *
Part 34

"I can't take it!" Tiegra had had enough. Instincts were telling her if she just sat there something bad would happen.

Before Shanna or the others could stop her, she'd grabbed a set of car keys and was out the door, her momentum giving her a head start. She found a car, gunned the engine and floored the gas pedal.

~Hold on Susanna,~ she thought. ~I'm coming.~

* * *

Susanna held herself still when she heard Obsidian's voice. She kept her composure calm and careful, refusing to let any emotion show. Not even when Obsidian kissed her and took her out the coffin. Not even when Obsidian kissed Ethan. One look at him and she knew all she needed to know.,

Clever, clever Ethan. How impressive.

Still, even when she knew, she didn't move. Biding her time. Waiting for her chance. Obsidian wasn't even clinging to her, too distracted with the others...

Fuck it.

She ran.

Obsidian started screeching, people were rushing in. "Ethan get her!" Obsidian screamed now.

Ethan wasn't coming to get her. He was locked in a to-the-death battle with Carter. Rashel and Quinn ran in, battling with Faith and Morticia. Jez and Morgead were fighting as well.


Susanna shot forwards. She wanted *out* of this. It wasn't fair. She didn't belong here. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, dragging her back. "Oh no you don't!" she snarled, turning Susanna over and slamming her on the grounds, grabbing her wrists and pinning them.

The shock of their soulmate connection coursed through Susanna, frying her mind, turning her vision a sparking pink. She turned her head away, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"No," she whispered.

Obsidian slapped her. "Why don't you understand?" she cried. "I love you!"

"No. You just *want* me, mainly cause you can't *have* me!"

Obsidian shook her head frantically, tears of her own falling on Susanna's face. Susanna turned to look at her, her orchid pale skin, raven hair falling, cloaking them both, her ever changing Redfern eyes now a forlorn blue, filled with heart broken tears.

"We're soulmates," she said softly. "We're meant to be together."

It was inevitable. They were destined for each other. Maybe in time she could bring herself to love Obsidian...

Obsidian gasped suddenly, a shocked expression on her face. She and Susanna both stared in disbelief at the stake protruding through her heart. She turned around, staring at Ethan.

She threw herself on him. Susanna screamed helplessly as Obsidian's last push shoved the stake into him. "Two birds, one stone," she said with a hideous smile before she died.

Susanna scrambled to her feet, yanking Obsidian's mummifying corpse off Ethan.

Ethan smiled back painfully. "We saved you," he whispered.

Susanna looked over to see Faith, Carter and Morticia had been killed. How long...It couldn't have been more than a few minutes...Who cared? They were dead.

"I love you," Ethan said, tears shining in his dark eyes.

Susanna shook her head. "I can't loose you too," she whispered. "We'll take you home, you'll be okay..."

Ethan shook his own head. "The wood went in too deep."

Susanna kissed him lightly. "I love you."

"Ethan?" It was Quinn. He knelt down beside Susanna in front of the dying vampire. "For what it's worth, I'm...sorry. I guess you are a...good guy."

It sounded grudging, but it was probably the best he was going to get. "For what it's worth, you're forgiven." Ethan reached out weakly. Susanna took his hand and squeezed tightly. "Tell Tiegra I love her too. She'll take care of you." Ethan tried to smile.

"Oh, Ethan..." Susanna breathed.

Ethan wasn't holding her hand anymore. The light had faded from his eyes. Susanna buried her head against his shoulder and sobbed.

* * *
By the time Tiegra got there she knew she was already too late. Rashel and Jez were standing in one corner, being held by Quinn and Morgead. Susanna was on her knees in front of one of five mummified vampire corpses. *Five?* A massacre. What the hell had happened.

"Is Ethan..." Bridget couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Oh no," Shanna whispered.

"He's dead," Susanna said, standing up, her voice lost and broken. Tiegra sank down beside her and pulled her close, holding hre tightly.

"Obsidian?"

"He killed her, but before she died, she took him with her," Susanna sniffled. "I bed if she couldn't have him, then no one else could either."

"I'm still here. I'll take care of you."

Susanna smiled faintly. "I know. He said to tell you he loves you. And you'd take care of me."

Tiegra nodded. Ethan hadn't deserved to die. But they had to deal with reality. "What'll we do now?"

The others exchanged glances.

"I think we know," Monica said softly.

* * *
Part 35

Glory sighed heavily with impatience as the car stopped at a red light.

"You think they're all dead?" Sven asked.

Glory snorted. "Of course."

"At least we were smart enough to get away."

Glory nodded. She'd known from the minute Ethan had supposedly come back home, something was going to go wrong. When Pierce had made a less than heroic exit, they had decided to sneak away as well.

"So now what?" Sven asked as the light turned green. He drove on.

Glory shrugged. "We can do whatever the hell we want."

* * *
The sun was just beginning to spread over the eastern horizon. Susanna placed a single red rose on Ethan's grave. She'd insisted on taking care of everything herself.

She'd burned the building she'd been held in along with the corpses of Faith, Morticia and Carter. Glory and Sven were nowhere to be found, but they weren't much trouble. Not worth fussing over. She'd been told by Jack that Katherine had been found dead as well She could allow herself to be pleased about *that*.

She had buried Ethan, and unable to burn Obsidian, had buried her too. If Ethan hadn't...if Obsidian hadn't...Things could have been different. She could have convinced Obsidian to come back to the house with her.

Just because they had to be together, why did they have to things Obsidian's way? She could have learned to love her. She'd thought that before...

Her eyes closed. ~I forgive you,~ she thought. ~I understand.~

Now, she finally understood why Obsidian had done what she had. She'd dealt with her problems, and was ready to move on and go home. She'd said her goodbyes to everyone at the house, and had promised to come back and visit.

"Ready?" Tiegra's arms slipped around her from behind.

Susanna nodded. "I'll miss them both," she said sadly.

Tiegra sighed. "I know."

Susanna took her hand. She'd lost so much, she knew a part of her would never be filled without Obsidian and Ethan.

On the bright side of things, she still had her beloved Tiegra. She could be with her friends. Have her life back. Eventually, things would be normal again. She turned around and kissed Tiegra deeply. Tiegra kissed her back, eyes sparkling with love. "I love you, Susanna," she whispered.

Susanna smiled. "I love you too. I'm ready to go home."

THE END.