Chapter Eighteen
Still carrying Alison, Rafe walked slowly into their apartment, relieved to see that it all was still intact.
The way things were going these days, he could never be sure.
He moved toward the bed, hearing the crunch of broken glass under his feet.
He was confused by it for a moment, and then remembered the last time they'd been here.
Joshua. The rose. The images had Rafe tensing with rage.
Alison sighed in his arms, bringing his thoughts back to her. He placed her on the bed carefully, not wanting to wake her. It looked for a moment like she was fighting to open her eyes, but sleep was clearly winning.
Earlier that night, in an effort to calm her, he'd kept her busy, talking about what she'd want most once they finally were free of the prison Joshua held them in.
"You," had been her first, and his favorite reply.
Her second had been to get out of the gown that that fiend had made her wear, and into a hot bath.
Since she was still sound asleep, both he and the bath would have to wait, but he could, at least, grant her one wish and get her out of that gown.
Rafe walked to the dresser and pulled out the first thing he could find. It was one of his shirts, which would be at least two sizes too big for her to be sure. She was just like a doll, limp with sleep and barely stirring as he gently moved her to sit up, pulled the straps off her shoulders, eased the dress off quickly. Though he had a bit of trouble without Alison's cooperation, he pulled the shirt down over her head, guiding her arms through the sleeves. Her hands disappeared in its folds. Rafe lifted Alison up and pulling the blanket back laid her gently down again moments later. Tucking her in, he bent over her, placing a kiss on her cheek.
Picking up the garment he'd come to detest for all that it represented he walked to the fireplace and threw it in. Lighting a match, he set it aflame watched it burn and fade to ashes. It was just what he wanted to do to Joshua. Destroy him, and turn him into nothing but dust. He busied himself, adding some wood to the fire, wanting only to keep her safe and warm. Next he swept up the glass near the bed, wanting to sweep any trace of Joshua with it, out of their minds, and their home. Soon, though, his hands were left idle, his mind filled with thoughts and memories of the past few days.
He moved to the window, looking out into the night. Weeks ago they both had stood here as he felt the weight of the world, or at least this little town, on his shoulders. It was then that he'd had the thought he'd finally had the nerve to express on the day they spent in the barn, that if he'd been strong enough to leave her a year ago, he could have spared them all this. Even though he'd been unaware, he brought Caleb back with him when he came to be with her, setting off this ghastly new chain of events.
It was all his fault.
Though he truly believed it was, Rafe was sure of one thing. He'd do it - all over again. Being without Alison for even a second would be a far worse hell to live through than the one they were visiting now. Since he hadn't been able to let her go, and never would be, the least he could do was make it right. He had to save them.
If only he knew how.
The problem was, he seemed to be going backwards, not forwards. He'd found a way to cure Caleb, just to have to give him to Livvie to turn back. On that night, weeks ago Alison had reassured him - that things would be better in the morning. That the morning would chase away all the dark shadows. Her optimism astounded him. He was afraid, if he didn't fix this, she might lose it one day.
He looked over at her now, relief flooding him to see her sleeping peacefully. Back in her own bed, in her own home, safe and sound.
Till his last breath he'd fight to keep her that way.
He saw her turn onto her side, gently tossing her head as she murmured his name in her sleep.
He was suddenly more tired than he ever thought possible, not surprising - since he could not remember the last time he had gotten any himself. It had clearly been days. Yawning, he got himself ready for bed.
Climbing in next to her, he had barely hit the pillow when he could feel Alison curl into him, laying her head on his chest. Content as he'd ever been in his life, he pulled her close, he closed his eyes, gave in, and slept.
*********
Turning toward her father, Livvie tried to reason with him, still aching to finish what she had just been about to start.
"Daddy, please." she pleaded.
"Livvie, don't argue with me. Get the hell away from him."
"Doc, watch yourself." Caleb warned.
"Do not call me "Doc", in fact don't even speak to me, you son of a bitch," Kevin pulled Livvie from Caleb's embrace, pushing her behind him and got right into his face. "You destroyed my daughter once before, I'll be damned if I let you near her again."
"Too late." Caleb replied.
"Oh, I already know, you've turned her. But I will not let you cause her any more pain."
Nearly begging, Livvie pleaded with her father. "Dad, stop, you don't understand. We belong together. Caleb will not hurt me."
"Livvie, he already has. He's made you into a monster just like him."
"You have no idea how wrong you are, Kevin." Caleb said, with a smirk.
Kevin turned to Livvie. "Let's go. You're coming with me."
"No! I won't. Dad, I will not leave him." Livvie insisted.
Anger filled Kevin's eyes as he spoke, "Don't fight me, I am still your father. I am telling you, I will not leave here without you."
Livvie stood her ground.
Sighing, Kevin had wished it would not have to come to this. He reached in his pocket, feeling the syringe, waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
He made one last attempt for her to obey him.
"Livvie. Let's go." He said as he held his hand out to her.
She turned away from him and walked to Caleb, who gently pushed her behind his back.
Kevin moved quickly, lunging toward him, stabbing Caleb in the arm and releasing the drug into his system.
"No, Olivia." Caleb cried softly.
Livvie looked on in horror as he instantly fell to the ground. She faced her father, contempt filling her face.
"Dad, what - how could you - what did you do?" She cried in disbelief.
"You should have listened to me, Livvie." He answered.
Distracted she knelt next to Caleb, trying to rouse him.
She barely felt her father lift the chain from the back of her neck, tugging quickly and snatching it away.
"No!" she screamed in anguish, as she watched him take it and was helpless to stop him.
She had lost the one thing that could protect them. She had lost the ring.
Still carrying Alison, Rafe walked slowly into their apartment, relieved to see that it all was still intact.
The way things were going these days, he could never be sure.
He moved toward the bed, hearing the crunch of broken glass under his feet.
He was confused by it for a moment, and then remembered the last time they'd been here.
Joshua. The rose. The images had Rafe tensing with rage.
Alison sighed in his arms, bringing his thoughts back to her. He placed her on the bed carefully, not wanting to wake her. It looked for a moment like she was fighting to open her eyes, but sleep was clearly winning.
Earlier that night, in an effort to calm her, he'd kept her busy, talking about what she'd want most once they finally were free of the prison Joshua held them in.
"You," had been her first, and his favorite reply.
Her second had been to get out of the gown that that fiend had made her wear, and into a hot bath.
Since she was still sound asleep, both he and the bath would have to wait, but he could, at least, grant her one wish and get her out of that gown.
Rafe walked to the dresser and pulled out the first thing he could find. It was one of his shirts, which would be at least two sizes too big for her to be sure. She was just like a doll, limp with sleep and barely stirring as he gently moved her to sit up, pulled the straps off her shoulders, eased the dress off quickly. Though he had a bit of trouble without Alison's cooperation, he pulled the shirt down over her head, guiding her arms through the sleeves. Her hands disappeared in its folds. Rafe lifted Alison up and pulling the blanket back laid her gently down again moments later. Tucking her in, he bent over her, placing a kiss on her cheek.
Picking up the garment he'd come to detest for all that it represented he walked to the fireplace and threw it in. Lighting a match, he set it aflame watched it burn and fade to ashes. It was just what he wanted to do to Joshua. Destroy him, and turn him into nothing but dust. He busied himself, adding some wood to the fire, wanting only to keep her safe and warm. Next he swept up the glass near the bed, wanting to sweep any trace of Joshua with it, out of their minds, and their home. Soon, though, his hands were left idle, his mind filled with thoughts and memories of the past few days.
He moved to the window, looking out into the night. Weeks ago they both had stood here as he felt the weight of the world, or at least this little town, on his shoulders. It was then that he'd had the thought he'd finally had the nerve to express on the day they spent in the barn, that if he'd been strong enough to leave her a year ago, he could have spared them all this. Even though he'd been unaware, he brought Caleb back with him when he came to be with her, setting off this ghastly new chain of events.
It was all his fault.
Though he truly believed it was, Rafe was sure of one thing. He'd do it - all over again. Being without Alison for even a second would be a far worse hell to live through than the one they were visiting now. Since he hadn't been able to let her go, and never would be, the least he could do was make it right. He had to save them.
If only he knew how.
The problem was, he seemed to be going backwards, not forwards. He'd found a way to cure Caleb, just to have to give him to Livvie to turn back. On that night, weeks ago Alison had reassured him - that things would be better in the morning. That the morning would chase away all the dark shadows. Her optimism astounded him. He was afraid, if he didn't fix this, she might lose it one day.
He looked over at her now, relief flooding him to see her sleeping peacefully. Back in her own bed, in her own home, safe and sound.
Till his last breath he'd fight to keep her that way.
He saw her turn onto her side, gently tossing her head as she murmured his name in her sleep.
He was suddenly more tired than he ever thought possible, not surprising - since he could not remember the last time he had gotten any himself. It had clearly been days. Yawning, he got himself ready for bed.
Climbing in next to her, he had barely hit the pillow when he could feel Alison curl into him, laying her head on his chest. Content as he'd ever been in his life, he pulled her close, he closed his eyes, gave in, and slept.
*********
Turning toward her father, Livvie tried to reason with him, still aching to finish what she had just been about to start.
"Daddy, please." she pleaded.
"Livvie, don't argue with me. Get the hell away from him."
"Doc, watch yourself." Caleb warned.
"Do not call me "Doc", in fact don't even speak to me, you son of a bitch," Kevin pulled Livvie from Caleb's embrace, pushing her behind him and got right into his face. "You destroyed my daughter once before, I'll be damned if I let you near her again."
"Too late." Caleb replied.
"Oh, I already know, you've turned her. But I will not let you cause her any more pain."
Nearly begging, Livvie pleaded with her father. "Dad, stop, you don't understand. We belong together. Caleb will not hurt me."
"Livvie, he already has. He's made you into a monster just like him."
"You have no idea how wrong you are, Kevin." Caleb said, with a smirk.
Kevin turned to Livvie. "Let's go. You're coming with me."
"No! I won't. Dad, I will not leave him." Livvie insisted.
Anger filled Kevin's eyes as he spoke, "Don't fight me, I am still your father. I am telling you, I will not leave here without you."
Livvie stood her ground.
Sighing, Kevin had wished it would not have to come to this. He reached in his pocket, feeling the syringe, waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
He made one last attempt for her to obey him.
"Livvie. Let's go." He said as he held his hand out to her.
She turned away from him and walked to Caleb, who gently pushed her behind his back.
Kevin moved quickly, lunging toward him, stabbing Caleb in the arm and releasing the drug into his system.
"No, Olivia." Caleb cried softly.
Livvie looked on in horror as he instantly fell to the ground. She faced her father, contempt filling her face.
"Dad, what - how could you - what did you do?" She cried in disbelief.
"You should have listened to me, Livvie." He answered.
Distracted she knelt next to Caleb, trying to rouse him.
She barely felt her father lift the chain from the back of her neck, tugging quickly and snatching it away.
"No!" she screamed in anguish, as she watched him take it and was helpless to stop him.
She had lost the one thing that could protect them. She had lost the ring.