The next day, Iliana walked to the living room to find Deacon sitting in a chair, facing the big metal shutters and smoking a cigarette. She stopped beside Quinn, who was standing in the doorway. "What's up?" She whispered to him.

"It's Mercury. Today is the day he turned her. It's been ten years. He's taking it pretty hard." He whispered back.

"He really loves her."

"Yeah, he did. But he's got you now."

"Yeah, but I can't replace her, even if I wanted to." They stood watching Deacon for a moment. He seemed so sad, so human. "I'm gonna go check on Nix or...something. I'll come back later." She whispered and turned to leave.

"Don't go." Deacon said and she stopped. "Come here." She walked in and stood beside him. "Quinn, leave."

Quinn left the penthouse, leaving Iliana and Deacon in silence. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to him. She cautiously put her hand on his should and he looked up at her. She gazed into his eyes. I hate seeing him like this. But what can I do to make him feel better? I love him so much but I know I can't take her place. I can't replace what they had. She thought. Then, a wild and crazy thought popped into her head. What if I tried to get her back again? "Baby, I have to go see Giselle and Serenity. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" She said gently. He nodded his head but said nothing. She kissed him on his cheek and gazed into his eyes for a moment longer before leaving.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When she got to Giselle and Serenity's apartment, she sat on the couch and stared at the floor. Even she wanted Deacon to be happy, she wasn't too sure if she wanted to risk losing him. She had thought about it the entire walk to the apartment and decided that she would bring back Mercury and just go with the flow. Now all she had to do was convince her two best friends to help her and hope the spell worked this time.

"What's wrong, Ana?" Giselle asked.

"It's Deacon."

"What? Did he do something to you?" Serenity asked.

"No, Seren, he didn't do anything."

"What is it then?" Giselle asked.

"Today is the ten year anniversary of the day he turned Mercury into a vampire. He's taking it pretty hard."

"So why aren't you with him, trying to make him feel better?" Serenity asked, emphasizing the end of her question.

"I'm being serious, Seren. I know how to make him feel better and need your help to do it."

"What are you planning on doing exactly?"

"Bring Mercury back."

"What? Are you out of your mind? You're gonna bring back the girlfriend of the man you love just to make him happy? What about you?"

"I love him and I want him to be happy. If that means losing him to her, so be it. I'm never gonna have his full heart anyway so what the hell."

"You're-"

Giselle put her hand up to silence her sister. "We'll help you, Ana, if you're sure this is really what you want."

"I'm sure."

"Well, sunset isn't for a few hours so go to him and come back then."

"Okay." She hugged Giselle and Serenity and left.

"Are you fucking mad? Why the hell are you gonna let her do that? She finally found a new man and you're gonna let her give him up like that?"

"If he loves her as much as she thinks he does, he won't leave her."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Deacon," Iliana said, walking into the bedroom, "I'm back."

He was now laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He signaled for her to join him on the bed without saying a word. She sat on the bed beside him in silence. "I heard your conversation with Quinn earlier."

"I know."

"You're right. I did love her. I loved her more than anything. I never told her, though."

"Why not?"

"I'm Deacon Frost. I'm the 'meanest vampire in the world'. I couldn't tell her. I wish I would have."

"I'm sure she knew."

"Even so, I still wish I would have told her. When I met you and fell in love with you, I told myself that I would tell you as much as I possibly could so we wouldn't turn out the way Mercury and I did."

"Deacon, what happened to Mercury wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do to keep her from dying."

"I could have made her stay here."

"She wanted to protect you, Deacon, just like I do."

"She knew she didn't need to protect me."

"I know but she wanted to because she loved you, just like you loved her."

"Just like I love you." He reached up and gently placed his hand on her cheek as she leaned forward. She started kissing him gently. He put his hand on the back of her head and leaned into her more.

Just as things were getting intense, the sound of Phoenix's crying grabbed Iliana's attention. She pulled away from Deacon and started to stand up. "I'll be right back."

He grabbed her arm gently. "No, don't go. Let Nissa get him."

"She's not here. I told her I didn't need her for a few hours. I'll be back in a minute." She kissed him again and left the room. Deacon listened to her and Phoenix through the monitor and smiled as she started to sing. She was singing the same song she had sung when she first brought Phoenix to the penthouse. Deacon didn't understand exactly what she was saying. All he knew was that it was Spanish and it was about a flower but her voice was so beautiful, he didn't care what she was saying, he just wanted her to continue singing. By the time she was done, Phoenix had stopped crying and Deacon had relaxed and started to forget about Mercury. A moment later, Iliana reentered the room and laid down beside Deacon.

He rolled over, putting his arm across her stomach and getting his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too." She whispered back, running her fingers through his hair.

They laid cuddling and talking until Nissa knocked on the door. "Ms. Ana," her voice came through the door, "it's six o'clock."

Iliana looked over at the clock and rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Shit."

"What?" Deacon asked.

"G and Seren need my help with a spell they're working on." She got up and turned to face Deacon. She gazed at him for a moment then leaned over and kissed him. "I'll be back soon." She flashed a smile and walked out the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Okay, let's get this over with." Iliana said, putting her cigarette out in the ashtray on the end table and dropping a bag on the couch as she entered Giselle and Serenity's apartment.

"We're already to go. You know this still might not work." Serenity said.

"I know. I'm not a witch, blah, blah, blah. Let's just do the damn thing."

"Chill, it's not that serious."

Giselle lit the five candles around the pentagram on the floor and the three women joined hands in the middle. They closed their eyes and tilted their heads up towards the ceiling. "Gods of Darkness, hear us now on this lonely night as we make our plea...bring us the one they call Mercury, lady of blood and lover Deacon, bringer of the blood god...here on this dark night as we make our plea! Hear us, hear us, hear us, hear us..." They all chanted.

The floor began to glow brighter and brighter as the women chanted louder and louder. The sound of Mercury's cries of pain pierced the air as she appeared in the center of the pentagram. The floor stopped glowing and the four women looked at each other. Mercury was dazed and couldn't figure out where she was. "Mercury?" Iliana said.

"Who are you?" Mercury asked.

"I'm Iliana. These are my friends, Serenity and Giselle."

"What am I doing here?"

"We resurrected you...for Deacon."

"Deacon?"

"Yes, Deacon. He really misses you. We brought you back for him."

"Where is he?"

"He's back at his penthouse. I'm going to take you there, but first, you have to drink this." She walked over and grabbed the bag. She reached inside and pulled out a container of blood. She handed it to Mercury. She drank the blood quickly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." She said. She seemed kind of excited to see Deacon.

"G, Seren, I'll see you later. Probably tomorrow. Sorry I can stay longer but Deacon's expecting me back soon."

"Okay. Bye." The two sisters said in unison.

"Bye, girls." She walked out the door, followed closely by Mercury.

"So, who are you anyway?" Mercury asked on the way back to the penthouse.

"A friend of Deacon's."

"Why didn't he come?"

"He had other things to do."

"Wait a minute, does he even know I'm coming?"

Iliana stopped walking and turned to Mercury. "No, he doesn't. He thinks I'm coming to help them with a spell. I'm not even a witch so he probably already figured out I lied. I get them to resurrect you because he misses you. He says he loves me but I know he wants you, so I'm giving him what he wants. I'm taking you back to him and that will be the end of it." She turned around and started walking again without saying another word.