Chapter Seven
He wondered if she'd received his gift. He knew it would shock and scare her. The thought had him almost giddy.
Soon, he would change her mind. She would see one day, pink roses were so..pedestrian.
What did she ever see in the slayer? He was pathetic, really. On that constant quest for truth and justice, his insane need to rid the world of evil.
How boring, Joshua thought with a yawn.
The silly boy thought he could keep her safe, by leaving her with his cousin, the poor excuse for a slayer that she was. Yet even Rafe himself was no match for him or for any one of his new recruits. Rafe hadn't even gotten Alison to Lucy's house yet, and Joshua already knew where he was headed.
He was actually disappointed. It would be almost too easy.
Alison would realize soon enough what her destiny held. In the end he was sure she'd be easily seduced. By his wealth, his power, his charm.
And if that didn't work, he would simply threaten to kill her precious Rafe. She'd come to him in a heartbeat just to save the man she loved.
Of course, he would eventually kill him anyway. But he'd be made to suffer first.
If Joshua tried he could faintly hear Caleb in his cell below, crying out for his darling Olivia. The sound was music to his ears.
Tsk, tsk, poor mortals. Those men were both completely weakened by their devotion to the women they loved. That love would be just the weapon he needed to get rid of them for good.
Joshua's thoughts returned to Alison. Soon, she would be his. He'd have the one thing that no one in the world would believe he could possibly possess. So, so lovely with her pure heart and innate goodness. If the others in Port Charles saw her by his side, they'd clamor to join him. And once she served her purpose, he'd be rid of her too.
Ah, and then there was Caleb's sweet Olivia. So thoughtful of Caleb to take the time to turn her before he took his little dip in the pool. So beautiful, so devious. She'd be just the one to do his dirty work, she'd be the perfect one to keep him satisfied and fed.
Only one other piece in his puzzle remained. The moment he held the ring that Olivia wore, he'd be completely unstoppable.
**************
"You know, you didn't even let me pack" Alison chided, now safe and sound in Lucy's guest bedroom.
"Well, if you weren't so stubborn, I may have." Rafe replied, his back to her, his mind racing.
"Sorry, what did you say? I'm stubborn? C'mon Rafe, please. You'd win that one, hands down." she teased, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Alright, you know what? Stop!" Rafe shot back. "I said - I'd bring over anything you need. Just give me a list."
"Hey." Alison said, her tone slightly hurt. She reached her hand out to touch his arm.
"Rafe?"
He turned to her then, pulling her to him, his arms tightening around her waist.
The top of her head fit just under his chin. Rafe shifted slightly, placing a kiss on her forehead. She moved closer to him, slipping her arms under his, moving them up his back.
"Rafe?" Alison said again, pulling back so she could look at him.
He wouldn't meet her eyes, kept his closed as he spoke. "I can't lose you." he said finally. "I can't - Alison."
She felt it now too, she knew just what he was saying. It was this awful, helpless feeling that they had both been forced to experience over and over and over again.
"I know, I know, shhh." she said softly, placing her head back on his chest, holding him closer. "It's OK, I'm right here."
Rafe spent a few minutes just holding her, almost rocking her gently back and forth in his arms. He thought for a spilt second that maybe she should come with him, since he didn't want to let her out of his sight. But, he knew with all his heart, that Lucy would do everything she could to protect her. It would be better for both of them if she stayed here.
His hands moved to cradle her face, his fingers threading through her hair. He tilted her head so her eyes met his.
"Alison, listen to me. I need you to stay put. Please. Don't try and run after me to help me. I'll be fine - but I can't do what I need to do now if you're with me. I'll be too distracted if I have to worry about you too."
As Rafe spoke these next words, his tone changed. He sounded almost desperate.
"Promise me. Promise me that you'll stay here until I come to get you."
As it had before, something in the way he spoke scared her. She tried to keep her voice steady as she answered him. "I promise. I will. I promise." She shivered, her heart feeling like it was caught in her throat. She pulled his face close and kissed him, trying to soothe them both.
"OK", he whispered against her lips, gently, slowly, kissing her back, still not ready to leave her.
"I love you," he said finally, and began to tear himself away.
"I love you." Alison replied, and blinking back tears, took his hand and pulled him to her again for one last kiss. She linked her fingers with his. "Rafe, just be careful. Please."
He nodded in reply, bringing her hand to his lips. Reluctantly, he finally let her go and moved slowly toward the door. He stopped and took another moment to glance back quickly.
And then - he was gone.
He wondered if she'd received his gift. He knew it would shock and scare her. The thought had him almost giddy.
Soon, he would change her mind. She would see one day, pink roses were so..pedestrian.
What did she ever see in the slayer? He was pathetic, really. On that constant quest for truth and justice, his insane need to rid the world of evil.
How boring, Joshua thought with a yawn.
The silly boy thought he could keep her safe, by leaving her with his cousin, the poor excuse for a slayer that she was. Yet even Rafe himself was no match for him or for any one of his new recruits. Rafe hadn't even gotten Alison to Lucy's house yet, and Joshua already knew where he was headed.
He was actually disappointed. It would be almost too easy.
Alison would realize soon enough what her destiny held. In the end he was sure she'd be easily seduced. By his wealth, his power, his charm.
And if that didn't work, he would simply threaten to kill her precious Rafe. She'd come to him in a heartbeat just to save the man she loved.
Of course, he would eventually kill him anyway. But he'd be made to suffer first.
If Joshua tried he could faintly hear Caleb in his cell below, crying out for his darling Olivia. The sound was music to his ears.
Tsk, tsk, poor mortals. Those men were both completely weakened by their devotion to the women they loved. That love would be just the weapon he needed to get rid of them for good.
Joshua's thoughts returned to Alison. Soon, she would be his. He'd have the one thing that no one in the world would believe he could possibly possess. So, so lovely with her pure heart and innate goodness. If the others in Port Charles saw her by his side, they'd clamor to join him. And once she served her purpose, he'd be rid of her too.
Ah, and then there was Caleb's sweet Olivia. So thoughtful of Caleb to take the time to turn her before he took his little dip in the pool. So beautiful, so devious. She'd be just the one to do his dirty work, she'd be the perfect one to keep him satisfied and fed.
Only one other piece in his puzzle remained. The moment he held the ring that Olivia wore, he'd be completely unstoppable.
**************
"You know, you didn't even let me pack" Alison chided, now safe and sound in Lucy's guest bedroom.
"Well, if you weren't so stubborn, I may have." Rafe replied, his back to her, his mind racing.
"Sorry, what did you say? I'm stubborn? C'mon Rafe, please. You'd win that one, hands down." she teased, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Alright, you know what? Stop!" Rafe shot back. "I said - I'd bring over anything you need. Just give me a list."
"Hey." Alison said, her tone slightly hurt. She reached her hand out to touch his arm.
"Rafe?"
He turned to her then, pulling her to him, his arms tightening around her waist.
The top of her head fit just under his chin. Rafe shifted slightly, placing a kiss on her forehead. She moved closer to him, slipping her arms under his, moving them up his back.
"Rafe?" Alison said again, pulling back so she could look at him.
He wouldn't meet her eyes, kept his closed as he spoke. "I can't lose you." he said finally. "I can't - Alison."
She felt it now too, she knew just what he was saying. It was this awful, helpless feeling that they had both been forced to experience over and over and over again.
"I know, I know, shhh." she said softly, placing her head back on his chest, holding him closer. "It's OK, I'm right here."
Rafe spent a few minutes just holding her, almost rocking her gently back and forth in his arms. He thought for a spilt second that maybe she should come with him, since he didn't want to let her out of his sight. But, he knew with all his heart, that Lucy would do everything she could to protect her. It would be better for both of them if she stayed here.
His hands moved to cradle her face, his fingers threading through her hair. He tilted her head so her eyes met his.
"Alison, listen to me. I need you to stay put. Please. Don't try and run after me to help me. I'll be fine - but I can't do what I need to do now if you're with me. I'll be too distracted if I have to worry about you too."
As Rafe spoke these next words, his tone changed. He sounded almost desperate.
"Promise me. Promise me that you'll stay here until I come to get you."
As it had before, something in the way he spoke scared her. She tried to keep her voice steady as she answered him. "I promise. I will. I promise." She shivered, her heart feeling like it was caught in her throat. She pulled his face close and kissed him, trying to soothe them both.
"OK", he whispered against her lips, gently, slowly, kissing her back, still not ready to leave her.
"I love you," he said finally, and began to tear himself away.
"I love you." Alison replied, and blinking back tears, took his hand and pulled him to her again for one last kiss. She linked her fingers with his. "Rafe, just be careful. Please."
He nodded in reply, bringing her hand to his lips. Reluctantly, he finally let her go and moved slowly toward the door. He stopped and took another moment to glance back quickly.
And then - he was gone.