Part III: Family Matters

Chapter: Something worth living for

Margot was dead.

The thought hit Myers like a wrecking ball, destructing everything, every inch of his world shattered to pieces on the sight of her lifeless body.

"No….!" the groan left him, a raw and desperate animal sound. "Christ, no…!"

He was by her side in a heartbeat, grabbing her slender shoulders, with his bare hands, touching her skin - to feel nothing. No hint of the electricity that always surrounded her, no trace of the contact that always tugged him within her mind when they touched.

"Help!" he cried out. "Kat, do something! I can't… I can't feel her. Oh, please, no!"

Kat was already kneeling by Margot's side, her blue, three fingered hand on Margot's neck, feeling her pulse. It left stains of blood on her white skin, but Myers hardly noticed.

After a few seconds that felt like eternity, Kat looked up to Myers' eyes.

"She has a pulse." she said. "Steady and strong - she's not dying."

A relief so fierce that it almost made him black out, washed over Myers. He breathed in deep a few times, to get his head back in the game.

She isn't dead! Sweet mother of Christ, she's not dead!

"Margot." he breathed. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe now."

But there was no answer, she lay limp on the floor, as if in deep, deep sleep, and he still felt nothing when touching her. His hands were on her shoulders, in her hair, and he gently shook her to wake her up - but nothing happened.

"Margot, come on." he said, with a sterner voice. "Wake up!"

No response, nothing. Her lifeless, glass like eyes stared at the wall, not seeing a thing, and fear, like liquid ice filled Myers' bloodstream.

He looked at Kat, beginning to panic.

"She's not waking up." he breathed. "It's like she's... not here."

"Fuck!" said Kat. "Maybe I should-"

"No way." said Hellboy. "No more giving away life force, you hear me?"

"But she's my friend, damn it!"

Myers couldn't take his eyes off Margot's face. It sounded like the argument came from somewhere far, far away. The only thing he could see, was her beautiful face, her slightly parted lips, the high arcs of her brows, and her eyes… their empty stare chilling his blood. He laid his hand on her pale cheek, to feel the warmth of her skin, let his fingers gently brush the corner of her lips.

If he lost her, he knew he would die.

But if he let Kat sacrifice her life for Margot, what would it do to Hellboy?

He cleared his throat, trying to keep the tears from falling.

No crying, you're on duty, damn it! Keep your shit together!

"Kat, don't even think about it." Myers forced himself to say. "Margot's gonna kick your ass if you do that daftness again."

"We cannot help her here. She needs medical aid." said Abe, kneeling closer. "We should take her away from here, right now."

"Home. Let's take her home."

"You go." that was Hellboy. "Kat, take Myers and Margot back to the base. I'll stay to finish the job."

Myers turned his eyes to Red.

"You sure?" he asked, glancing from his friend to the lifeless Goddess who lay on the bed in a pool of blood.

"Yeah, the guys can help me clean up."

"Sure." said Kaye. "Just go ahead already, Boss. You both need to get to sickbay asap."

Myers nodded, suddenly feeling the pain of his broken ribs again. He felt exhausted, like all life had been drained of him, and he didn't even bother to tell Kaye to stop calling him 'Boss'.

His eyes were in Margot again, in her lifeless, pale face, her blank eyes, her chest that hardly moved when she breathed, and a cold fear filled his heart.

The Goddess was dead, but at what cost?

What if… what if Margot never wakes up?

What if I really lost her this time?

"Just make sure that Goddess has now body she could resurrect to." he managed. "Finish it for good this time."

"Sure thing, Boss." said Clay, and stepped closer to the body who had held the spirit of the Goddess. "We'll get rid of her."

"Ready, John?" said Kat, her yellow eyes wide and serious.

"Yeah." he replied. "Take us home."

They both laid one hand on Margot's shoulder, and Myers held out the other one for Kat to take. In a blink of an eye, a loud 'bamf' and a cloud of blue smoke had engulfed them.

24 hours later:

Myers sat on an armchair, his eyes fixed on Margot, who lay on the sickbed.

His broken ribs had been taped, but they still hurt, his head ached and throbbed of sleep deprivation, and he was more tired than he ever remembered being.

And yet, he could not sleep.

The doctors had said, there was physically nothing wrong with Margot. Her life signs were good, her pulse strong, her breathing fine… but her mind was not in her body.

Where it was, no one new.

Even Abe could not have said anything more than that. He had felt no trace of Margot's presence when touching her. It was like the Goddess had taken Margot's soul when she had died. At the exact moment that Kat had killed the Goddess - or more likely her vessel - Margot had went limp and fallen to the floor, as if her mind had been sucked out of her body.

Myers cursed in his mind, and rested his tired eyes closing them for a moment.

Yeah, they had known that Margot was working with the Goddess, they had suspected that she had been brainwashed to do her bidding, but none of them had guessed the depth of the contact those two had shared.

He blamed himself. The plan had worked, alright, but at what cost? The Goddess was gone, but they had failed on their mission to get Margot back. All they had now, was a lifeless shell of the woman he loved.

And if they didn't get her back, she would die.

Myers glanced at her petite form on the bed. Her eyes were closed now, but otherwise she looked just as she had on the floor of the penthouse suite. Totally lifeless, limp and without any sign of being conscious. Her hair fell to the pillow, her face was calm and pale, even the smallest of her muscles completely relaxed.

Myers' heart broke at the sight of her helplessness.

How long could they just wait for the miracle to happen?

How long would her body hold on like this?

The doctors had injected a cannula to the back of her hand, to keep her hydrated, but Myers knew it wasn't a permanent solution. He knew Margot wouldn't want her body kept alive without any hope of a real recovery.

But how could Myers ever say, that it was time to give up? To stop feeding her precious body, the one he loved with his every cell?

He knew he'd sit here, by her bed, the rest of his life, unless someone else did the decision for him.

No, not yet. Don't go there. Maybe she's just unconscious. Maybe it's just coma. Maybe she'll bounce back any minute now, sit up and smile to me, and laugh at me for being an ass.

But just then, the door of the hospital room opened, and Kat poked in.

"Myers, a word."

Her voice had a tone of command, and Myers didn't argue. He knew this had hit Kat at least as hard as it had hit him.

He walked to the door, and giving one last look to Margot's peaceful face, he stepped into the hallway.

Three blue figures stood there, waiting for him, leaning on the wall, their arms crossed. Kat, and… two Andus? Myers blinked a few times. No, the other one had to be Jay, but which one? It was impossible to tell now, for both of their faces were dead serious.

He cleared his throat, glancing from one brother to another.

"Good, Kat found you, finally." Myers said. "You're our-"

"-only hope?" the other blue guy raised an eyebrow. "I love it when you quote Star Wars, Myers. That's so hot."

Yeah, that was Jay.

Myers gave him a look, which miraculously shut him up.

"I don't know what Kat told you, but... We… we don't know what to do. The doctors say there's nothing wrong with her, but-"

"Yes, Kat filled us in." Andu said. "We'll do what we can, even if this is not an ordinary healing."

"Just… please." Myers said, his voice breaking. "Please, help us."

Andu placed his hand on Myers' shoulder. The grip of his three fingered hand was strong and calming, the look of his eyes told he felt Myers' pain.

"We'll start right away." Andu said, and without further conversation the blue twins disappeared into Margot's hospital room, leaving Myers and Kat in the hallway.

Jay took a long look at the pretty girl on the bed.

Yes, a pretty girl on a bed was a familiar sight to him, but this time everything was different. He didn't need to be told, this was not about fun, or sex or an orgy - this was about life and death. And contrary to the image he liked to give to people, Jay was actually the one with a good heart.

He knew it would kill Myers, if they didn't get Margot back. And he was prepared to do whatever it took to succeed - for Margot's sake, but for John's as well. For Jay really hated it, when pretty boys were unhappy. In fact, he thought, there should be a law against cute guys being sad. Myers looked so much better, with a smile on his face.

Slowly he walked to Margot, and laid his blue hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, girl." he said with a soft tone. "A rough day at the office?"

But of course there was no reply. Margot's face was like a doll's face - pale, perfect and motionless. Gently Jay moved his hand to her cheek, but no hint of her mind answered his touch.

He frowned, and looked at his brother.

"She's gone far." he said.

Andu nodded, his hand also on Margot's skin. "I don't think we can help her, brother."

"Probably not, at least not by ordinary means."

Andu gave Jay a concerned look. "What are you thinking?"

"I'll go in." Jay said, his eyes on Margot's face again. "I'll find her, and bring her back."

"No." Andu replied, and frowned. "I should do it."

Jay gave a small laugh. "Why, brother? It will be easier for me, because I've touched her mind before."

Andu shook his head, still not convinced.

"You will get lost."

"I never get lost!"

"You always get lost. You cannot even find home after a night in a pub."

"That's because there is beer. I'm sober now." Jay said. "It should help. Besides, I'll find back, following your voice. You'll never abandon me, brother."

Andu didn't reply, but Jay read his mind to know that he agreed.

"It scares me, when you're the sensible one." Andu said. "But you might be right - we have no choice. Try and find her, if you can, but be quick about it. The longer you stay, the harder it will be to find your way back."

"Don't worry for me, bro." Jay replied with a wink, taking his hand. "If I succeed, you'll owe me a beer."

Jay stepped into a forest meadow.

He glanced around, but there was nothing but woods behind him and he couldn't see the path that had led him here. It was night, the sky was dark with no moon, but only stars to give some light, though he didn't recognize any of the constellations. His dark blue skin blended into the shades, making him all but invisible.

There was a small pond in midst of the meadow, the water still and black, reflecting the strange stars as if there was another sky on the surface. By the shore, under a lone weeping willow, sat a girl, her long, curly hair loose, covering her naked form. She was hugging her knees, every inch of her body tense, her posture stiff.

Jay neared her, his silent footsteps almost inaudible in the quiet night. It was only when he was very close to her, that she noticed him, and her eyes widened.

"Who are you?" she gasped, fear and shock in her eyes.

"Hey, it's alright. You know who I am."

He gave her a friendly smile, and took a seat by her side, careful not to scare her. Her eyes were like the ones of a wild animal, and they pierced through his heart.

The grass was moist, and the coldness of the ground crept to him, but it didn't seem to bother Margot. The way she sat there, naked, the strange wind in her hair, made Jay nervous, though he kept it to himself. She seemed to belong here, and he knew he didn't. This place was not for the living.

Margot tilted her head, her eyes wide and dark. Her shoulders were rigid, and her whole form seemed to shiver with effort as she tried to remember.

"J… Jay?" she exhaled, barely audible.

He answered with a smile. "Yeah. Even this place couldn't wipe me from your mind."

"I do remember you. We were... we were lovers?"

Oh yes, they had been indeed, Jay remembered that too. They'd spent a marvelous few days together some years ago - something he had hoped to do again sometime. But now there was Myers, and Jay knew it was serious. Margot had found the one, and he wasn't about to break that.

"We were." he admitted, with a grin. "But it was some time ago. You've moved on."

"How are you here?"

Jay shrugged. "I followed you."

"But this is not real. This is… I don't know. Am I… dead?"

"No. But you will be, if you stay here."

She was silent for a rather long time, her eyes dark as the water of the pond. Nothing moved in this strange world, but a wind that brought scent of flowers, long ago forgotten. Margot's hair moved in the wind, the long curls that hid her nakedness from his view, and sadness dribbled from her mind to his.

"I should be dead." she breathed, her voice a thin whisper. "I remember. Not all, but some. Things that I did. The blood on my lips." She paused for a long while. "Too many dead, because of me. You shouldn't have come, Jay."

"It's easy to just give up, and die. I know. But you're not a quitter. You are a firebrand."

"There isn't that much fire left in me."

"Come on, sparky." Jay leaned to give her a gentle push on her bare shoulder. "I know you've got something to live for."

She turned her face to him, her cheeks milky white in the night, her eyes huge, her pupils dark and dilated.

"I… I loved." she frowned. "There was… someone."

"Dig a little deeper, sweetie." Jay encouraged. "You'll get there. He's a handsome guy, just look."

He reached for his pocket, and - miraculously - there was a photograph in it. Thank God for this place that reflected their imagination! He pulled the photo out, and showed it to Margot.

It was a Polaroid from their wedding, showing Myers and Margot as happy newlyweds, kissing under the palm trees. Myers had wrapped his arm around Margot's slender shoulders, pulling her near, and they were both smiling, like only those who are in love, can.

Margot watched the picture for something, that felt like a small eternity, her bare shoulders trembling slightly. She raised a hand, to let her finger trace the line of Myers' jaw, as if trying to remember how it felt to really touch him.

"John." her voice was nothing but a faint whisper. "I remember."

"He's a great guy, and he really, really loves you."

But Margot shook her head, hiding her face in her hair. Her hand fell, and she wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them close to her chest.

"No, not anymore." she breathed. "It's too dark, the sun is gone and I have lost all. No one can love me now."

"Come on, John's not one to give up easily. He'll catch you, every time you fall."

Margot didn't reply, she stared at the pond her face blank, not revealing any emotion.

"You know, he made you really happy." Jay tried. "You told me so yourself. About the great kisses, and amazing sex, and-"

"But it's too late. Jay, can't you see? It is too late. This is the in between, and there is only one way out of here."

"Says who?"

"That's just the way it is."

"Baby, if you remember anything, you know we're both all about breaking the rules." Jay gave a her a wink. "That's why we made such a great couple! Just take my hand. Do you trust me?"

A small, wavering silence, but then an answer, light as the wind.

"Yes."

"Then, do you have anything worth living for?"

Margot hesitated, for a heartbeat, or for a year, Jay couldn't have told. Finally she turned her eyes off the black waters, to his face, and in them he saw a desperate plea, an ocean of fear - and a sparkle of hope.

"John." she breathed, her voice light as the wind. "For him, I'll go back."

"Cool!" Jay's grin widened. "Let's go home, sweetie!"

He took her hand, and in a blink of an eye, they disappeared.

I struggled a lot with this chapter, so all feedback is truly appreciated. Please, review - means the world to me.

Thank yo,u dear reader,s for following this story this far!