Standard Disclaimers apply...Even the not so standard.
A warning to those prefer happy endings, maybe it is best to have ended on the chapter previously, as we all know where Sirius and crew are headed. But for those who want to play with my take, go ahead, read away (And remember what I have said before-it is not over until stated.)
"Luv," Ava said amused from the far side of the chopper. "Do we need to rehash about upkeep? How many times need I stress it?"
Sirius, at the side of the garage, sat on her worktable near the door with his hands in his pockets. He rolled his eyes. "No, Luv. It got away from me."
She stood up to read his face on the truth of the matter. Satisfied she sat back down to fiddle with the mechanics. "If you don't maintain it, all it will be good for is flying and a lawn ornament."
"It flies." Sirius shrugged, he was happy enough with that.
"And what happens when you set it down and have to push it everywhere? Hmm, bright one? Just keep it up and you won't have to hear me harp, how about that?"
"Deal!" he jumped up off the table.
He grinned at the glare she sent him through the spokes of the front tire. He moved slightly so she couldn't see him through them. He knew she was right; he had just been busy the last few weeks. And in all honesty, he knew she didn't mind doing it. Probably complain that he did it wrong anyways he mused.
Having free time, Sirius spent the rest of the night in their garage with her as she touched up his bike. She was pleased for the company and they actually had time to talk for a change. As she polished the bike, her hands rested on the chrome as she looked over at him.
"Love watching me do your job?"
"But you do it so well." He took a step towards her, his lips curving up into a sexy smile. She gave him an appraising look rivaling him with her own smile.
"Ava luv," he purred. He set his hands on her shoulder and brushed her hair away from her face.
A sudden POP! broke their attention away from each other as they looked over to see a mass of black fall onto the few steps into the house. Both strided over to see who or what had caused the interruption. Sirius reached his hand forward and pulled the body's shoulder back as the person lay on his back. Sirius froze in place for a moment to see Regulus before him. Ava's hand was on Sirius' shoulder, giving him a small squeeze after seeing his brother there. He looked over his shoulder at her, her face as confounded as his own.
Ava sat down on the steps on one side of Regulus as Sirius took the other side. She reached towards his pale face and gave it a swift pat or two, hoping he might come to. "Regulus."
Sirius sat for a minute, unsure of what to do or say. His brother? Here? After all this time and hate? He watched Ava for a second the back of his mind saying it was good she was doing something. When he saw his estranged brother stir, he finally said his name. "Regulus?"
The younger man's eyes came slowly open as his eyes flickered around to try to make out his surroundings. For a long moment, his eyes fell on Ava, looking truly at her but not saying anything. He tore his eyes away as his head turned slightly to look at his brother before his eyes followed along. "Sirius."
"Yes?" Sirius leaned closer, seeing how weak his brother was. "I'm here Regulus."
Regulus blinked some and took a long breath as he tried to regain himself. Sirius gave him all the time he needed but couldn't help but remember all their times together. When they were very young they had once been close, and that was the brother he was seeing now. It wasn't until their school ages that they had grown so apart when Sirius had decided to go a different way than the family, and Regulus had maintained the tradition.
"I'm sorry." He gasped still not strong enough to render much sense. He shook his head about slightly.
"Why? What?" Sirius tried to help him out.
Ava had lifted the man's black trench coat and tried to survey if there was any damage. After a quick search she found the wound. Sirius looked at her and what she was doing with a quick glance, not quiet understanding it fully as he turned back to his brother. Ava grabbed her clean rags from the table, reaching over the small banister. It was all she could manage for him right now, knowing they didn't have a first aid kit or anything of the sort inside. She took notice of how similar they looked with their short spiky black hair the only difference was their eyes, one with the deepest blue, and one with the darkest brown.
"Regulus!" Sirius said a little louder, still trying to make sense of his appearance and strange words.
"Sirius!" Regulus' eyes flew open and searched for his big brother, flickering past him many times before seeing him. "Sirius."
"What happened?" Sirius tried.
"I," Regulus panted. "I was. A fool."
"I forgive you." Sirius supplied quickly, trying to help his little brother out some. "I forgive you."
"Sorry." The man's eyes closed again in a pained way. Sirius eyes flew to what Ava was doing to see if that was the source of his pain. But she was just holding pressure against what had looked like a blade wound of some sort. With her other hand, she had cleaned the blood off his face and was running a hand through his hair stroking his head trying to soothe him. Sirius' eyes came back to Regulus'.
"What are you sorry for?" Sirius asked in a calm voice, hoping it would be contagious to Regulus. The man seemed to relax as he took a deep breath.
"James. Lily." He exhaled his last breath.
Ava's hand drifted over the man's face, shutting his eyes as they swept over. Sirius looked over to her not quite understanding what his brother had just said or what had just happened. He looked back and saw the pale form of his brother, eyes closed. Dead.
Ava's own face was twisted in conception. 'James and Lily', what had he meant? "What about James and Lily?" she asked him worriedly.
Sirius face blanched a pale white that rivaled his brother's lifeless pallor. Ava could see a look of knowing dawn in his eyes as he searched her own face, a look as if couldn't possibly be what he thought. Her hand was on his shoulder as her worried eyes searched his own. "Sirius! What did he mean?"
"I'm not their secret-keeper." He flat out told her. She knew he was supposed to be, but he hadn't even told her that they had switched at the last minute, thinking Peter would be an unlikely suspect if someone where to look for the Potter's brace. Sirius was a sure bet, they would think. But Peter? How, wh-the rat!
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ava was on her feet. Sirius might not be the official secret-keeper, but he knew where they were. "Tell me where?" she asked in a hurried voice. A pox on the Aparration-ward! Right after she said it, she morphed into the hawk he knew and loved.
She circled once waiting for his information. "The Hollow, second street, 5th house, right, the blue door. Right behind you." She shot out the garage as he hopped onto the bike kicking it into gear. Within a few seconds he was up into the air following after her, only seeing a form he had to search for a blur in the distance.
With a start on Sirius, Ava was ahead of him by a bit when she arrived. Finding the house, she picked a spot out in the backyard as she descended. Changing quickly in mid-land, she pushed off from the ground like a runner take off as she rushed to the door. The house still stood but smelt of smoke and charred wood-the front entrance must have been forced. She got to the back door, yanking the door open and took a leap of a step inside, but quickly took a couple steps back, nearly falling out the house.
"Altair," Bellatrix's voice oozed a false sweetness. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you."
"Likewise, I'm sure…"
They stopped a few feet out of the door, somewhere where the patio met the grass, one on either side. Bellatrix had her hands on her hips, and a snark of a smile that explained her haughty manner. Ava crossed her arms at the insipid wench in front of her-a silent stand off.
"You would be here wouldn't you?" Ava sneered.
"You would come wouldn't you?" Bellatrix sneered right back.
Another pause.
Ava took a step to go towards the house, hearing noises from the upstairs, was it Harry?
"Wait. Right. There." Bellatrix pulled her wand out and Ava's hands and body jumped as if she had just handled fire.
Curses! How could she do it again? Let this muppet draw a wand on her, if she could reach hers…
"At tat dat," Bellatrix shook her head slightly and her wand, as she saw her opponent try to reach up her sleeve. On a second thought, she paused. She tilt her head to the side. "Why not, go on then."
Ava kept her gaze on her for a moment as Bellatrix encouraged her to get her wand. Finally reaching up her sleeve, and then hurriedly checking her back pocket, and even behind her ear, her wand wasn't there!
"HA! Ahahaha," breaking into amused laughter, Bellatrix hadn't thought it would be this easy. "I'm doing Sirius a favor."
"Still jealous?" Ava couldn't help but be mad at herself, and the flippant tart in front of her, the words flew out of her mouth.
"Jealous?" That just added to her laughter.
"Everyone always knew you were a depraved pervert that wanted to inch on your cousin."
"What!" Bellatrix couldn't believe that here she stood threatening this woman and all she could do was insult her subjugator. She had a death wish.
"You heard me you incestuous cow." Ava didn't feel nearly as confident as she sounded, but if she could stall this dimwit until Sirius arrived, it might work out. The Great Wizard knows he would have grabbed his wand. It was probably stationed onto the bike as usual.
Luckily, Ava heard the familiar roar of the engine increasing as it came closer to her standoff. She didn't take her eyes off of Bellatrix, but the other women did look over to see her cousin descending down. An evil smile crept to her face.
"Looks like dear one's here." Bellatrix gave a cynical short laugh. She didn't take her eye ways from Sirius who was still a few feet up. "Careful there dear cousin."
Ava almost turned to look at Sirius, not that she thought Bellatrix's comment meant he was endangered. Noticing that Bellatrix didn't see her twitch of movement, Ava suspected that Sirius had grabbed the one-track mind of the sow. She took a chance and turned her upperbody, unaware of how she took a step towards her consort, leaving her open. She saw Sirius's face, and at the same moment, her eyes grew big as his. The full realization of what she had done set in.
Slow motion seemed to suspend each action individually.
Ava head spun back to look at Bellatrix, her body following at a slighter pace. She only had her shoulders twisting around when it happened, losing sight of Sirius, who had jumped off his bike in mid air. It fell with a loud crash that no one heard.
"Avada Kedavra!" cackled Bellatrix, her wicked voice danced in the victory.
Sirius ran with everything and anything he had or would ever have, though it made no difference. Bellatrix's spell shot through her wand with such fury it hit Ava on the back and continued her turn for her as she fell to the ground in a slight spin, a slow spiral down.
Sirius had his arms around her as she fell, the full impact of the spell falling to him as it pushed them both to the ground and he managed to rotate with her. Ava's head fell back as her body rested with his. His whole body shaking, Sirius couldn't think straight, barely understood what happened-he didn't even hear Bellatrix.
"Told you to watch your back." She said negligently to the dead girl. With a pop, she was gone, more than pleased with herself.
Sirius sat for a time with Ava in his arms, not knowing what had happened, or was happening, or going to happen. He felt his soul torn from him and ripped in half as the sobs that came from him voiced in growls and roars of anger. His head fell forward while his body convulsed, he couldn't take his eyes of her now peaceful face that paled the same as his brother's. Her eyes closed and her warmth leaving, he held her tightly as if it would bring her back. The tears that fell from his eyes on to her cheek rolled down, leaving a wet streak, her skin not taking the moisture.
She'd dance with the angels now, her rightful place. He knew it. She was his angel. Was. The raw emotion he felt surged through his body as if someone had placed hot coals in his system. No matter how they coursed, they would not lose the edge of pain he felt. Nothing would ever feel the same, he felt the depression that he would never be happy again.
He picked up her body carrying her in his arms, as he walked over to the bike. He pulled out his wand. Feeling like he was holding her back now, he gave her face a final stroke, brushing his fingers past her eyelashes, and then even through her hair, he kissed her simply on the lips. With his wand he waved it slightly over her.
"…evanui…" and her body disappeared before his eyes and from his arms, to the same place that now held Regulus. A Place of nothingness.
:Beware, there is more to come: Rubeus Hagrid takes Harry, Sirius confronts Peter. Hang on kids.
