HI EVERYONE!! Thank you all so much for the feedback! It's almost over
and I have the ending all planned out now - won't be too much longer till
you have the"whole" story. I just want to see how Desire's really going to
end before I commit to my own ending (right now - I have 2 ideas in mind).
I am hoping to continue with another story including Abby that follows the
next arc. Please - let me know if you are at all interested in that or if
I should quit while I'm ahead - so to speak!! If you're interested -
we'll see how inspired I can get. Thanks again! ;) Gracie
Chapter Twenty-five
Ian was losing it. The battle he had been fighting for so long was nearly over.
He could not stay with Lucy. His urges were getting too strong to resist, and her illness made her less of a slayer each moment. He could hurt her now, and he would not let that happen. He had been working with Chris for a month to find some sort of cure, an unbelievable situation in itself, but they were quickly running out of time.
He stood now, outside the building where Rafe and Alison lived. He was to bring them to Lucy's to meet Abby. Maybe he should ask Abby what she sees in his future. Would he ever be able to live a normal life again?
He gazed up and noticed a light in the apartment up above. Night was beginning to fall. So here it was. His best friend was a slayer. He had asked him once to kill him when the time came, and he'd reluctantly agreed. It seems it was upon them now. But there were a few things he needed to do before that happened.
He turned away and in his heart, began to say his goodbyes.
***********
Abby walked back to Lucy's house, certainly less happy than she'd been when left it.
She'd found another friend, but had seen so much more destruction outside its door, it saddened her to see what evil could do.
She needed to talk to Rafe.and Alison. Ian was supposed to bring them both to Lucy's soon. Then they could really begin to fight. Maybe they were already there.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, calling softly, "Lucy? Ian? Anyone home?"
She saw Lucy asleep on the couch, knowing that something was terribly wrong with her. She saw a flash - Ian's urges as a vampire were inching closer to the surface every moment of every day. He was losing control. He would soon leave Lucy, to keep her safe. And Lucy would be getting weaker and weaker, her own body turning against her, killing her slowly day by day.
Turning, Abby went to the door leading to the balcony, she stepped back outside and looked down on the town below. Sighing, she thought about it all and what it could mean. If she could begin to understand what was happening then she would then be able to do her best to fight it.
Love existed here, fought to survive in this town. All of those effected by this evil force shared their own type of love.
Jack and Jamal's friendship had been fractured, but they still cared about each other and Alison as well - The three of them would look out for each other forever, no matter what.
Casey's heart held a love for Ricky that was almost brand new, which was precisely why it was so intense. She was struggling to live here with him, without giving into it.
Ian and Lucy's friendship blossomed at just the right time, when they needed each other most, only to have their dreams of a new life together shattered by Ian's being turned. A slayer and a vampire in love, crazy but true. Now, they each fought off something like a disease, neither one responsible for the "illness" they carried.
Livvie and Caleb. Their love was desperate, passionate, timeless. Like Ian and Lucy, they just wanted to be together but their desire for each other sometimes led to the destruction of others. Even with that, Joshua's evilness overpowered theirs combined.
Then, oh God, Abby sighed, there was Alison and Rafe. Theirs was the love she understood best of all, since she had once had it herself. A love so pure and good, it was the very best of everything that love could be. It amazed her, it could still exist amid all the darkness here, that it wasn't strangled by it all. But, I guess that's what true love is, she thought. True love is stronger than the evil that lurked here, it could truly conquer it all.
The doorbell rang. Abby hurried to the door, so as not to wake Lucy. Looking through the peephole, recognizing the person calling, she pulled it open slowly.
"Yes?"
"Where's Lucy? And who are you?" Elizabeth asked, her voice annoyed and impatient.
Really. Alison's mother was just too much, Abby thought to herself.
"I'm sorry?"
"Look. I don't have time for pleasantries, I'm looking for my daughter." She continued, bursting into the living room, nearly knocking Abby over in the process.
Hearing the commotion she caused, Lucy stirred. She sat up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Elizabeth,"
"Lucy. Where's Alison?"
Lucy took a few deep breaths, making sure she was feeling well enough to stand, she rose to her feet slowly. "She's.she's home. Rafe took her home."
"Oh. Well. That's a relief. I've been calling there all day and she hasn't answered." Elizabeth replied as she sank down onto the couch herself.
"Well, she and Rafe have had a few rough nights. They are probably sleeping. By the way, Elizabeth, just make yourself at home."
"Don't mind if I do. Well. At least Alison's safe now, right? That fiancé of hers might not like me much, but I will say, certainly does love my daughter."
Lucy looked over and saw Abby standing by the door. Happy to know she was not going to have to entertain Elizabeth alone, she smiled over at her.
"Hey. There you are. When did you get back here?" she asked.
"A little bit ago." Abby answered, softly.
"Thank goodness. I'm so glad to see you. I was getting a bit worried. By the way, have you met Elizabeth yet?" Lucy smiled wider.
"No," Abby replied. "Not officially, anyway."
Elizabeth remembered then the strange girl who had opened the door for her. She looked over as Lucy made introductions.
"Elizabeth Barrington, who you may have guessed by now is Alison's mother - meet Abby McBride."
As Abby began to cross the room to shake her hand, Elizabeth's face took on a strange look.
Seeing the look on her face had Abby puzzled, too. She stopped a bit short of reaching Elizabeth. Lucy's eyes went back and forth between them, like watching an invisible tennis match.
"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Lucy asked finally.
Keeping her hand at her side, she stood still, almost glaring at Abby. Elizabeth looked her over from head to toe, seeing something familiar in her features. Realization flooded over her. When she spoke next her voice shook slightly. "You're not from around here, are you Abby?"
"N-n-n-o" Abby stammered. The look of contempt in Elizabeth's eyes was making her more and more uneasy by the second. Abby's gift gave her the ability to see lots of things, but she had no idea what was going on here.
Elizabeth's voice turned more and more bitter with each sentence she spoke. "Let me guess, then. Let's see. You don't look too sophisticated, sort of country-ish, actually, so I'm sure you're not from a large city. I bet you you're from someplace with a lot of fresh air, like Montana or wait no, I know. Colorado."
Lucy stood by, shocked by Elizabeth's accuracy.
"Yes. That's right. I'm sorry. How did you know that?" Abby asked, confusion clearly heard in her voice.
Elizabeth wasn't giving answers, she continued to question. "Hmmm, Abby, is it? Tell me. How is your mother?"
Grief crossed Abby's face as it did each time her mother was mentioned. Lucy walked over to stand next to her, gently touching her arm.
"She's passed away." She said sadly.
"Oh. Really. That's too bad. I'd like to say I'm sorry." Elizabeth began.
"Thank you." Abby said at just the same time as Elizabeth continued, "But I really can't."
Stung by the words, Abby turned away, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
Lucy decided to get to the bottom of this. Elizabeth was being extremely cruel and she would not allow that to happen in her home.
"Elizabeth. Stop! You will not speak to a guest in my home that way. Now you obviously know something about Abby and I'm guessing from the way you are treating her you don't like what you know. Now, either explain yourself or get the hell out of here."
"I'd be happy to explain. I just need to be completely certain before I do. Your mother, her name was Julia, was it not?" Elizabeth's voice dripped with venom.
"Yes." Abby said through her tears. "Yes it was."
"Elizabeth. That's enough. Get out!" Lucy grabbed Elizabeth's arm to show her the door herself.
"Wait, Lucy. I have just one more question. Are you a lot like your mother, Abby?"
Abby's tears continued to fall, but this assault on her mother was now making her angry. She whirled around to face Elizabeth.
"I'd like to think so." Abby snapped back, fury filling her eyes.
"Really?" Elizabeth asked, her voice eerily calm, "Do you steal other women's husbands too?"
Chapter Twenty-five
Ian was losing it. The battle he had been fighting for so long was nearly over.
He could not stay with Lucy. His urges were getting too strong to resist, and her illness made her less of a slayer each moment. He could hurt her now, and he would not let that happen. He had been working with Chris for a month to find some sort of cure, an unbelievable situation in itself, but they were quickly running out of time.
He stood now, outside the building where Rafe and Alison lived. He was to bring them to Lucy's to meet Abby. Maybe he should ask Abby what she sees in his future. Would he ever be able to live a normal life again?
He gazed up and noticed a light in the apartment up above. Night was beginning to fall. So here it was. His best friend was a slayer. He had asked him once to kill him when the time came, and he'd reluctantly agreed. It seems it was upon them now. But there were a few things he needed to do before that happened.
He turned away and in his heart, began to say his goodbyes.
***********
Abby walked back to Lucy's house, certainly less happy than she'd been when left it.
She'd found another friend, but had seen so much more destruction outside its door, it saddened her to see what evil could do.
She needed to talk to Rafe.and Alison. Ian was supposed to bring them both to Lucy's soon. Then they could really begin to fight. Maybe they were already there.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, calling softly, "Lucy? Ian? Anyone home?"
She saw Lucy asleep on the couch, knowing that something was terribly wrong with her. She saw a flash - Ian's urges as a vampire were inching closer to the surface every moment of every day. He was losing control. He would soon leave Lucy, to keep her safe. And Lucy would be getting weaker and weaker, her own body turning against her, killing her slowly day by day.
Turning, Abby went to the door leading to the balcony, she stepped back outside and looked down on the town below. Sighing, she thought about it all and what it could mean. If she could begin to understand what was happening then she would then be able to do her best to fight it.
Love existed here, fought to survive in this town. All of those effected by this evil force shared their own type of love.
Jack and Jamal's friendship had been fractured, but they still cared about each other and Alison as well - The three of them would look out for each other forever, no matter what.
Casey's heart held a love for Ricky that was almost brand new, which was precisely why it was so intense. She was struggling to live here with him, without giving into it.
Ian and Lucy's friendship blossomed at just the right time, when they needed each other most, only to have their dreams of a new life together shattered by Ian's being turned. A slayer and a vampire in love, crazy but true. Now, they each fought off something like a disease, neither one responsible for the "illness" they carried.
Livvie and Caleb. Their love was desperate, passionate, timeless. Like Ian and Lucy, they just wanted to be together but their desire for each other sometimes led to the destruction of others. Even with that, Joshua's evilness overpowered theirs combined.
Then, oh God, Abby sighed, there was Alison and Rafe. Theirs was the love she understood best of all, since she had once had it herself. A love so pure and good, it was the very best of everything that love could be. It amazed her, it could still exist amid all the darkness here, that it wasn't strangled by it all. But, I guess that's what true love is, she thought. True love is stronger than the evil that lurked here, it could truly conquer it all.
The doorbell rang. Abby hurried to the door, so as not to wake Lucy. Looking through the peephole, recognizing the person calling, she pulled it open slowly.
"Yes?"
"Where's Lucy? And who are you?" Elizabeth asked, her voice annoyed and impatient.
Really. Alison's mother was just too much, Abby thought to herself.
"I'm sorry?"
"Look. I don't have time for pleasantries, I'm looking for my daughter." She continued, bursting into the living room, nearly knocking Abby over in the process.
Hearing the commotion she caused, Lucy stirred. She sat up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Elizabeth,"
"Lucy. Where's Alison?"
Lucy took a few deep breaths, making sure she was feeling well enough to stand, she rose to her feet slowly. "She's.she's home. Rafe took her home."
"Oh. Well. That's a relief. I've been calling there all day and she hasn't answered." Elizabeth replied as she sank down onto the couch herself.
"Well, she and Rafe have had a few rough nights. They are probably sleeping. By the way, Elizabeth, just make yourself at home."
"Don't mind if I do. Well. At least Alison's safe now, right? That fiancé of hers might not like me much, but I will say, certainly does love my daughter."
Lucy looked over and saw Abby standing by the door. Happy to know she was not going to have to entertain Elizabeth alone, she smiled over at her.
"Hey. There you are. When did you get back here?" she asked.
"A little bit ago." Abby answered, softly.
"Thank goodness. I'm so glad to see you. I was getting a bit worried. By the way, have you met Elizabeth yet?" Lucy smiled wider.
"No," Abby replied. "Not officially, anyway."
Elizabeth remembered then the strange girl who had opened the door for her. She looked over as Lucy made introductions.
"Elizabeth Barrington, who you may have guessed by now is Alison's mother - meet Abby McBride."
As Abby began to cross the room to shake her hand, Elizabeth's face took on a strange look.
Seeing the look on her face had Abby puzzled, too. She stopped a bit short of reaching Elizabeth. Lucy's eyes went back and forth between them, like watching an invisible tennis match.
"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Lucy asked finally.
Keeping her hand at her side, she stood still, almost glaring at Abby. Elizabeth looked her over from head to toe, seeing something familiar in her features. Realization flooded over her. When she spoke next her voice shook slightly. "You're not from around here, are you Abby?"
"N-n-n-o" Abby stammered. The look of contempt in Elizabeth's eyes was making her more and more uneasy by the second. Abby's gift gave her the ability to see lots of things, but she had no idea what was going on here.
Elizabeth's voice turned more and more bitter with each sentence she spoke. "Let me guess, then. Let's see. You don't look too sophisticated, sort of country-ish, actually, so I'm sure you're not from a large city. I bet you you're from someplace with a lot of fresh air, like Montana or wait no, I know. Colorado."
Lucy stood by, shocked by Elizabeth's accuracy.
"Yes. That's right. I'm sorry. How did you know that?" Abby asked, confusion clearly heard in her voice.
Elizabeth wasn't giving answers, she continued to question. "Hmmm, Abby, is it? Tell me. How is your mother?"
Grief crossed Abby's face as it did each time her mother was mentioned. Lucy walked over to stand next to her, gently touching her arm.
"She's passed away." She said sadly.
"Oh. Really. That's too bad. I'd like to say I'm sorry." Elizabeth began.
"Thank you." Abby said at just the same time as Elizabeth continued, "But I really can't."
Stung by the words, Abby turned away, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
Lucy decided to get to the bottom of this. Elizabeth was being extremely cruel and she would not allow that to happen in her home.
"Elizabeth. Stop! You will not speak to a guest in my home that way. Now you obviously know something about Abby and I'm guessing from the way you are treating her you don't like what you know. Now, either explain yourself or get the hell out of here."
"I'd be happy to explain. I just need to be completely certain before I do. Your mother, her name was Julia, was it not?" Elizabeth's voice dripped with venom.
"Yes." Abby said through her tears. "Yes it was."
"Elizabeth. That's enough. Get out!" Lucy grabbed Elizabeth's arm to show her the door herself.
"Wait, Lucy. I have just one more question. Are you a lot like your mother, Abby?"
Abby's tears continued to fall, but this assault on her mother was now making her angry. She whirled around to face Elizabeth.
"I'd like to think so." Abby snapped back, fury filling her eyes.
"Really?" Elizabeth asked, her voice eerily calm, "Do you steal other women's husbands too?"