Chapter Twenty-six
Jamal looked around. He still couldn't believe he was there. The vampire's den. He remembered when Jack had been turned, how hard he fought. But way back then, there were so few of them. It was easier now to just go along.
He looked around the room, his eyes focusing on two paintings. One looked like it was of Port Charles, crawling with vampires. The other was a portrait, a wedding portrait, of Joshua and Alison.
So, this was Joshua's plan. He would take over the town and he would marry her.
Jamal's thoughts were once more confused. He had been angry when he had first been turned, with good reason of course. But this was way too freaky.
He may not like Rafe. He might still be a bit regretful that he'd lost Alison to him. Deep down he could see that she and Rafe truly loved each other. They may have turned him, but he could not stand by let something that horrible happen to her. He could not help make it happen.
If that's why Rafe had been focused solely on saving Alison lately, well, he'd made a good choice. Jamal would not wish a nightmare like that on his worst enemy and he would never wish anything so vile for someone as special to him as Alison.
He looked at the picture again. Though the image was horrible to imagine, he couldn't help but notice whoever had painted it had captured her smile so perfectly. Spunky, he thought. The name fit her so well. That little smirk she got when she tried to wind him around her finger. Knowing she believed in him when no one else did made that easy enough for her to do. Even after he left her and she began her life with Rafe, he was still a sucker for that smile, every time.
If I'm going to be here, if I'm one of them, then I'll use what I can learn to save her from that. I'll find out their game and make sure they get the message on the outside. For the first time in days, he felt like himself again. He always could play the best of them. Joshua and his ghouls would be no different.
Jamal heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Mr. Woods. So lovely to have you here." Joshua came into the room, Frank, as obedient as ever, at his side.
"Joshua." Jamal answered, his voice deadly calm.
"I'm so glad you decided to join us. Franklin has given you a very rare gift. I'm sure you appreciate the thought."
"Yeah, thanks again Frank. It's been, you know - a blast so far." Jamal replied.
"You're welcome." Frank said sarcastically.
"Mr. Woods, surely you are not suggesting you do not appreciate the honor I have bestowed on you? That would be a grave mistake." Joshua warned.
"No, not at all. I'm just getting sort of tired of just sitting around here, looking at the artwork. If you've got plans for me, if there's stuff I need to do, let's just start rolling," he said, looking Joshua straight in the eye.
"My, my, more eager than I imagined. You're first task will begin shortly, and it's one I believe you'll enjoy. Very soon, my blushing bride will arrive. You know her well. Alison Barrington."
"Yeah, I got that. I saw your little wedding picture over there."
"Yes. Lovely isn't she? You'd know that firsthand, since you used to be lovers. A shame that her standards lowered and she took up with that slayer."
"Well. That's how it goes sometimes, you know."
"True enough. My wish is for you to ease her into her new lifestyle. Knowing what I know about my sweet fiancée is that she is not about to enter into our marriage without putting up some sort of resistance."
"That's for damn sure." Jamal muttered.
"Then we agree. You will help me tame her and in return, I will make you one of the exalted here. You will help me reign."
"That's all you need from me? Just some clues as to how to get to Ali?"
"You are correct. Do we have a deal, Mr. Woods."
"Yeah. It's a deal."
***********
Rafe stacked the last dish in the kitchen. Wiping his hands on the towel, he then threw it into the sink, more forcefully than necessary.
He needed to go and begin to fight, before they could hurt Alison again.
He watched as she walked back into the room, now dressed for what was left of the day. She moved to the window, pulled the sleeves of her shirt to cover her hands and hugged her arms around herself.
Rafe came up behind her. He took his hand and began to rub small circles on her back, hoping to soothe her.
"Hey." he whispered in her ear.
"Hey."
"You OK?"
"No. Not OK. But I'm better." She sighed and leaned back into him a bit.
His arms came around her.
"I'm sorry."
She broke free and walked across the room. She turned to look at him.
"Rafe. Please. Stop apologizing. It's not you. It's the evil that lives here."
He looked on sadly as she continued.
"This is my home, this is where I grew up. And these vampires, they're destroying it, bit-by- bit, piece-by-piece, more and more everyday. I know we could leave but that would mean that we let them win and we can't do that."
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked.
Alison looked up at him, anger lighting her eyes and heard clearly in her voice as she spoke.
"I want us to fight. I want us to fight until not one of them is left standing. I want us to make them so sorry that they ever dared to come here."
"Are you sure? Alison, are you sure that's still what you want? Because it's not going to be easy."
"Nothing worth fighting for ever is." She said simply, her voice clear and strong.
He smiled a bit and crossed the room. Standing before her, he took her hands in his. She looked up at him, her eyes nearly furious. He looked back, loving her more at that moment than he had ever thought possible.
"I can't believe this." He said, almost laughing. "You sound just like a slayer."
"Well, I hang around one a lot. I figured someday it might rub off on me." she smiled at him.
"You're sure you're up for this?" Rafe asked, wanting her to take him seriously.
Alison thought for a moment before she answered.
"Let's see. I survived Caleb the first time. I survived you leaving me the first time, and then the second time. I survived watching Livvie trick you and keep you from me, having to save your soul and then you leaving me again. I survived Caleb coming back and ruining our wedding and now Joshua having me kidnapped."
"Not to mention an aneurysm and a plane crash, among other things." Rafe added, as his arms circled her waist.
"Hmmm. Good point. Are you saying I'm not the luckiest person in the world?" Alison asked, moving in close and kissing him softly.
"Yes." Rafe answered, "Because I am."
Jamal looked around. He still couldn't believe he was there. The vampire's den. He remembered when Jack had been turned, how hard he fought. But way back then, there were so few of them. It was easier now to just go along.
He looked around the room, his eyes focusing on two paintings. One looked like it was of Port Charles, crawling with vampires. The other was a portrait, a wedding portrait, of Joshua and Alison.
So, this was Joshua's plan. He would take over the town and he would marry her.
Jamal's thoughts were once more confused. He had been angry when he had first been turned, with good reason of course. But this was way too freaky.
He may not like Rafe. He might still be a bit regretful that he'd lost Alison to him. Deep down he could see that she and Rafe truly loved each other. They may have turned him, but he could not stand by let something that horrible happen to her. He could not help make it happen.
If that's why Rafe had been focused solely on saving Alison lately, well, he'd made a good choice. Jamal would not wish a nightmare like that on his worst enemy and he would never wish anything so vile for someone as special to him as Alison.
He looked at the picture again. Though the image was horrible to imagine, he couldn't help but notice whoever had painted it had captured her smile so perfectly. Spunky, he thought. The name fit her so well. That little smirk she got when she tried to wind him around her finger. Knowing she believed in him when no one else did made that easy enough for her to do. Even after he left her and she began her life with Rafe, he was still a sucker for that smile, every time.
If I'm going to be here, if I'm one of them, then I'll use what I can learn to save her from that. I'll find out their game and make sure they get the message on the outside. For the first time in days, he felt like himself again. He always could play the best of them. Joshua and his ghouls would be no different.
Jamal heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Mr. Woods. So lovely to have you here." Joshua came into the room, Frank, as obedient as ever, at his side.
"Joshua." Jamal answered, his voice deadly calm.
"I'm so glad you decided to join us. Franklin has given you a very rare gift. I'm sure you appreciate the thought."
"Yeah, thanks again Frank. It's been, you know - a blast so far." Jamal replied.
"You're welcome." Frank said sarcastically.
"Mr. Woods, surely you are not suggesting you do not appreciate the honor I have bestowed on you? That would be a grave mistake." Joshua warned.
"No, not at all. I'm just getting sort of tired of just sitting around here, looking at the artwork. If you've got plans for me, if there's stuff I need to do, let's just start rolling," he said, looking Joshua straight in the eye.
"My, my, more eager than I imagined. You're first task will begin shortly, and it's one I believe you'll enjoy. Very soon, my blushing bride will arrive. You know her well. Alison Barrington."
"Yeah, I got that. I saw your little wedding picture over there."
"Yes. Lovely isn't she? You'd know that firsthand, since you used to be lovers. A shame that her standards lowered and she took up with that slayer."
"Well. That's how it goes sometimes, you know."
"True enough. My wish is for you to ease her into her new lifestyle. Knowing what I know about my sweet fiancée is that she is not about to enter into our marriage without putting up some sort of resistance."
"That's for damn sure." Jamal muttered.
"Then we agree. You will help me tame her and in return, I will make you one of the exalted here. You will help me reign."
"That's all you need from me? Just some clues as to how to get to Ali?"
"You are correct. Do we have a deal, Mr. Woods."
"Yeah. It's a deal."
***********
Rafe stacked the last dish in the kitchen. Wiping his hands on the towel, he then threw it into the sink, more forcefully than necessary.
He needed to go and begin to fight, before they could hurt Alison again.
He watched as she walked back into the room, now dressed for what was left of the day. She moved to the window, pulled the sleeves of her shirt to cover her hands and hugged her arms around herself.
Rafe came up behind her. He took his hand and began to rub small circles on her back, hoping to soothe her.
"Hey." he whispered in her ear.
"Hey."
"You OK?"
"No. Not OK. But I'm better." She sighed and leaned back into him a bit.
His arms came around her.
"I'm sorry."
She broke free and walked across the room. She turned to look at him.
"Rafe. Please. Stop apologizing. It's not you. It's the evil that lives here."
He looked on sadly as she continued.
"This is my home, this is where I grew up. And these vampires, they're destroying it, bit-by- bit, piece-by-piece, more and more everyday. I know we could leave but that would mean that we let them win and we can't do that."
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked.
Alison looked up at him, anger lighting her eyes and heard clearly in her voice as she spoke.
"I want us to fight. I want us to fight until not one of them is left standing. I want us to make them so sorry that they ever dared to come here."
"Are you sure? Alison, are you sure that's still what you want? Because it's not going to be easy."
"Nothing worth fighting for ever is." She said simply, her voice clear and strong.
He smiled a bit and crossed the room. Standing before her, he took her hands in his. She looked up at him, her eyes nearly furious. He looked back, loving her more at that moment than he had ever thought possible.
"I can't believe this." He said, almost laughing. "You sound just like a slayer."
"Well, I hang around one a lot. I figured someday it might rub off on me." she smiled at him.
"You're sure you're up for this?" Rafe asked, wanting her to take him seriously.
Alison thought for a moment before she answered.
"Let's see. I survived Caleb the first time. I survived you leaving me the first time, and then the second time. I survived watching Livvie trick you and keep you from me, having to save your soul and then you leaving me again. I survived Caleb coming back and ruining our wedding and now Joshua having me kidnapped."
"Not to mention an aneurysm and a plane crash, among other things." Rafe added, as his arms circled her waist.
"Hmmm. Good point. Are you saying I'm not the luckiest person in the world?" Alison asked, moving in close and kissing him softly.
"Yes." Rafe answered, "Because I am."