It's peaceful, almost too peaceful and for a moment I feel that panic I used to wake up to every morning.
Then it's gone.
"Hey."
Keeping my eyes closed, I can't help the smile that comes with sound of his voice. "Hey." My finger idly tracing the outline of his abs like a little hot wheels car on a track bouncing off the sides of it. One eye opening finding morning has come creeping in. Tilting my head up I find him already smiling down at me. "Wolfy."
"I hate when you call me that."
"No you don't."
"Think what you want."
"Always do."
"Mommy!" His voice…Junior's voice traveling from downstairs. My eyes rolling at the familiar call of responsibility. "Mommy!"
"Duty calls." Sighing, I roll from the bed as he sinks right back in, burying his face in the pillow. "Ass." Shaking my head I make my way down the stairs down into the kitchen, stopping for a second at the landing as something seems off. Like I forgot the layout of my own house. "So weird." Mumbling to myself I jog down the last set of stairs, Junior sitting next to Kenz at the island. "Morning stinky butt."
"I'm not!"
"I was talking to your aunt." Laughing, hand on his head as I place a kiss to his forehead. "But now that I can smell you…you're a stinker too."
"Mommy!"
"What are you doing?"
"Working a case Bo-Bo, what you were supposed to be doing." She lectures, earning a nod as I only half listen. Attention dead set on the coffee machine. "D-Man coming down?"
"He went back to sleep."
"Just like D."
"Yeah, but…" My words trailing as I take a drink, leaning back against the counter as my eyes linger on her. "Um…"
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Do I got a booger?"
"Booger." He laughs, stealing a drink of her juice, his cup already empty.
"No, nothing."
"A pic would last longer."
"Sorry, it's just…your hair."
"What about it?"
"It's…different."
"It's Tuesday, we wear pink." Her hands running down her hair, smirking. "Only been this was for the past I don't know…ten years."
"I'm just not awake yet I guess."
"Is D-Man's magic stick running low on juice?"
"What's a magic stick?" He looks between us, wide-eyed. "Can I have one?"
"No." I laugh, shaking off this weird feeling that keeps popping up. "Sean, grab your bag, it's time to go."
"Who's Sean?" Dyson asks from the landing, arms folded over his chest and it's so familiar…but not him. He doesn't do that…does he? "You okay Bo?"
"Sean?" Shaking the feeling off once more, free hand rubbing the back of my neck. "Must be a client, I don't know. Sorry baby boy, get your bag."
"You sure you're okay?" Kenz asks, staring at me.
I want to say yes, say everything is fine because it is…isn't it?
Setting my cup down on the counter I feel my head begin to spin, their familiar voices becoming less familiar by the second. Junior's face fading into this blur. Sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I can't breathe. Stumbling passed them as they call for me, as they reach for me. Running into the couch I almost fall but push off of it, getting to the door. Unlocking the five locks, ripping it open and lunging myself out of the house desperately needing to breathe, I find myself surrounded by darkness.
Turning back around to the house, it's gone.
And slowly the memories come seeping back in.
"Lauren." Her name rolls passed my lips in a whisper, pain beneath my chest both emotional and psychical. She's gotten stronger than I realized, maybe more than she's realized. "Where the hell am I?"
I look around pointlessly, darkness surrounding every inch. Hands shaking from the cold, my breath hanging in the air. Strangely familiar feeling beginning to nag at me. I know this feeling. I know this place. I've been here before. Just gotta push right on through Bo. Sighing to myself, remembering my last little mind walk through hell.
Taking five steps or maybe six, I find my legs grow tired. Another three steps or five steps, I find my breath labored. I know I haven't taken more than ten steps, I'm counting them but it feels like I've been walking for hours. Heart aching as somewhere in the back of my mind my 'death' replays itself. Each time a little more doubt seeping in.
And then it's over.
Though this time when I make it through the darkness, there's no bridge. There's no watercolor memory. There's nothing except more darkness and…people. So many people. It's so dark, so cold but I can see them all. They're all so perfectly still, like little robots who've powered down. Eyes closed, heads hanging and perfectly still. No rows or lines, but they're everywhere, like a maze. It takes five steps before I even make it to the first one which I could have sworn was within arm's reach.
A woman, pretty. Nothing special, nothing against her but just a woman. She looks fine, except the weird coma deal. My hand hesitantly coming to her chest, eyes widening to find it perfectly still. No heartbeat, but her eyes are moving beneath her eyelids. What do they call that again? Reps? Reams? Rem? Some bullshit.
"This is so fucked up."
Leaving her be, I force my tired legs to push on into the crowd. Body after body…all the same. They're all just…normal. They're nothing special about them. Just regular people. Nothing worth collecting. Not that they weren't great people, they just all look…normal. And I know none of them. Not a one. I must pass a hundred bodies, and not a one I recognize.
Slight movement up ahead, startling me. Knees locking, stopping me dead in my tracks. It's far ahead…he I think by the outline. He's big, I can tell you that much. To my left and to my right just bodies, but no movement. Behind me, I know. So, the question is do I go toward the movement or run. Could be someone just woke up like me…did I wake up? Maybe this is another mind game, my mind is known to do that.
Choice taken away from me as it grows closer…as he grows close.
Heart skipping a beat, eyes widening as I find myself staring into eyes I never thought I'd see again.
"Niko?"
His head tilts, almost the way Lauren's does. He stares right through me for a moment. "B-Bo?"
"Is that really you?" I can't help the dry chuckle that escapes with my words, tears filling my eyes. "Like you, you?"
"Are you, you?"
"Y-yeah I'm me." I nod, heavy arms hesitantly reaching out for him as I watch the tears fill his eyes. "Is it really you?"
"I think so." His voice breaks as he pulls me into his arms, or maybe it's me who lunges into them. "I think so."
.
Victoria's POV
.
My jog already having come to a fast walk slowing further. I had been so determined to get here I had stopped pay attention to everything. There's…no one. Nothing. Dim lights and empty halls. No T.V.s on. No overhead paging. Nothing at all. There's a feeling…something in the air that I don't quite recognize but do all the same time.
'It's death'. A little voice in the back of my mind whispers.
Turning down the next hall, I stop. There at the foot of the vending machine is a body. There's a white sheet over it, covering it from any prying eyes that might happen to wander through, but I know who it is. I don't need to pull it back, I know. Skylar. Slight twinge of fear creeping in. Sky was a seriously powerful bitch, doesn't even look like she put up a fight. Is that really how powerful Dani is?
Question dawning on me, who the hell covered her. Don't think it was Dani. Looking around cautiously I push on further, eyes staring at her as if I could see through the sheet. I'm sorry Sky, you deserved better. It's only another two turns before I see the morgue doors. Heart racing, fists clenching as I feel my body go cold.
Fear, it's a bitch.
Pushing the doors open I find Aunt K sitting there, facing the door perfectly calm. "I've been waiting." She says so flatly and I can't help snorting a half chuckle.
"Do you know how long it takes to climb down that building?" My eyebrow raising, taking several steps forward, trying to keep my eyes on her and not what she's sitting in front of. Another white sheet to hide pain, as if its so simple. "I'm a succubus, not a cat."
"Danielle?"
"She's busy with mother. By now they've either killed each other or fucked, can't tell with them."
"Watch it." She warns. She's so…different.
"I didn't mean it."
"Yes you did."
"No."
"Yes, you did."
"Alright. Yeah. Kinda did." I nod. Head tilting to the right a bit. "Is that…?"
She just nods. "Ria, I need you take a seat."
"Take a seat?" I snort. "Sure, let's just wake mom first."
"Victoria." She snaps, stopping me dead in my tracks. "Your mom wrote you a note, a long one. I read it."
"Invasion of privacy much?" My arms folding over my chest. "So this was planned?"
"Yes, no." She shrugs. "We planned to fake Bo's death, yes. A big commotion. Make it believable. Planned. Perfect. But uh, things didn't go as planned. Bo, your mom…big lug could never control herself." Her voice like her words cold, but the tears in her eyes and soft smile say something else. "I guess this was more believable than anything we ever could have planned. Life is…funny that way. Your mother realized that sacrificing Skylar was high probability. She went straight to me, passing me the chi. Your mother, she's always been a survivor and that's what makes her sneaky. Your mom on the other hand has always been the hero, and that's what makes her a little predictable."
"Aunt Kenz, I need to wake mom."
"No, what you need to do is listen."
"To what? Lectures on my parents? Sure yeah. Tell me all about them once I make sure my mom is alive."
"Before you try you need to listen Ria," She looks up eyes meeting mine. "Because by the time this is over, you won't be child anymore."
"I…"
"Your mom, she wrote you a beautiful note. Made me cry. I don't cry much anymore." She smiles softly, loosening up as she realizes before I have that I've given into her demand. "But it's not what you need to hear."
I laugh. "But you're gonna tell me what I need to hear?"
"Our tale…"
"Aunt Kenz, c'mon."
"You will listen to me." She snaps. "If not because I am your aunt, if not because you love me then because this may be the last words I ever say to you." My lips part to speak, but I only nod. "Our tale…and what a tale it is had been full of loss and love and sacrifice. And more loss…and more love…it's been a helluvea ride."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"See, the thing is in the midst of the craziest shit that's gone down we've lost ourselves just as we've lost others. We've lost pieces of ourselves, some bigger than others."
"You mean my mother."
She nods. "But it hasn't been all bad…don't ever think that. Don't for one second ever think that our story was all bad. There were so many great, crazy, amazing moments. Some seen and some away from prying eyes. Some conveniently forgotten because well…" She reaches behind herself, hand resting on what I believe to be my mom's arm. "We all have our reasons. But it was never all bad."
"Is that what, supposed to make me feel something for Dani? She wasn't all bad? She wasn't always evil or some shit?"
"No, it's supposed to make you realize something that your parents never did. To be who you need to be, you need to hear this story, not in Lauren's or Bo's words. Not with their guilt and sorrow and anger. You need to hear it the way it happened."
.
Bo's POV
.
"How long has it been?" He asks the dreaded question, well one of them.
My arms wrapped around his arm as we wander through the people maze. "Almost twenty years."
"Wow."
"Longer than you thought?"
"Shorter actually."
"Yeah, Lauren's always said that multi-dimensional timeline bullshit can be a bitch."
"Those her words?" He looks down at me, sort of smirking.
"I'm paraphrasing."
"Just like back in the day."
"What is this Niko?" I ask my dreaded question, letting my touch fall from him.
"You know what this is."
"No, but what IS this…"
"Dani's version of hell."
"What?"
"When she took over the keys to the kingdom, it all changed."
"What was it before?"
"Hell, what you picture hell to be. Torture. Pain. Agony. All those fancy ass words."
"H…?"
"I used to blow my brains out over and over and over again, only I got to feel the pain slowly. Didn't last seconds but hours and I got to watch it happen too. Then one day I woke up in my life, it was perfect. We defeated Dani. I became the most powerful and respected Guardian. Had a wife and a little boy and two little girls. And right when the Queen was having a dinner in my honor, giving a speech…I blow her brains out."
"What?" I stop dead in my tracks.
"Then I wake up, wander around here for a while before it becomes too much and it happens all over again. I never remember until its too late. There's this second after it happens, watch her brains flying through the air that it all clicks but it's always too late. I was always too late."
"Niko, you'd never…that isn't you."
"Yeah, I know." He shrugs, staring to walk again. "Every so often I spot someone I used to know. I've tried to wake them, but everyone wakes in their own time."
"Jack, is he still here?"
"No, one day he was ripping out some guy's heart and then I never saw him again. It's how I knew she'd done it. Hades loved the easy pain, Dani…she loves true pain."
"Yeah, I've never forgotten."
"She must be running rampant out there, killing everything in sight."
"Actually, compared to before…she's rather tame." I sort of laugh, chill shooting up my spine. "Never thought I'd say that."
"Relax, just someone who woke." He calms me, noticing how I jump. A shadow lurking up ahead just as I had spotted him. "You'll get used to it."
"Yeah, no thanks." I wrap my arm around his again, taking what comfort I can get. "I bet Jack loved having a little sicko he could mold. The perfect replacement for me."
"Replacement?"
"Yeah, he always wanted me at his side, guess he got what he wanted in the end. Karmas a bitch."
"I don't think you understand."
"What?"
"Dani wasn't his partner, she was one of us."
"W-what?"
We come to an abrupt stop or actually I force us to one. "Dani was with us, day in and day…or apparently year in and year out being tortured right along with us. Got to admit I took a little pleasure in it, but uh, watching her break…" His eyes meet mine. "Watching the devil break is terrifying."
"No, she couldn't have been…"
"Bo, I watched repeatedly as her skin was ripped off her body. I watched as her heart was ripped out. I watched…unspeakable things. And I watched her break. I watched her bow to him."
"But then…" My eyes shifting passed him. It was just a moment, unintentional. But something caught my attention. Maybe it's the blonde hair. Maybe it's the particularly fair skin. Maybe it's the unmistakable build that spent weeks beating my ass. Maybe it's all of it and maybe nothing. He keeps talking but I don't hear him now as I stumble toward the object of my sudden infatuation. "Oh no. Oh God no."
"What…oh Sky." His voice trails. "I saw her before you."
"No. No. No. No. No! No!"
"Bo, what?"
"No." My heart racing, I think I'm gonna pass out. Can you pass out in Hell? "No. No."
"What's happening?"
"She…she was my…I don't…no, no, no Niko there was a plan. A plan. She…oh God."
.
Victoria's POV
.
"Well…that's uh…yeah." I nod, jaw clenched trying to process what I've just heard. "Guess I should have taken that seat."
"The craziest shit about our tale is that no one ever really got it. Not really. It's okay though, it was complicated and batshit crazy." She shrugs, pulling her hand away. "Everyone…thought it was all about Dani and Lauren. Lauren and Dani. But I don't think is was…not really."
"Could've fooled me."
"Sure," She nods. "Lauren was always the prize. Sure, she was always the one in the spotlight. But it wasn't really about her. And if you can't see that by now…I don't know what to tell you…because the truth is…it's about Bo…it's always been about Bo."
"About mom?" I scoff, yeah okay.
"I always see more than anyone else Ria, always. I'm always just on the edge, looking in."
"Pfft, please Aunt Kenz. C'mon. You have been…"
"Shh, listening remember."
"Yeah."
"I've seen more than I even realized, and lately I've had a lot of time to think. I've been forced to think. All of this, it's been about Bo. Not that any of it matters anymore."
"No?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because the game has changed."
"What does that mean?"
She slides from the chair. "It means that while this may be our swan song Ri, this is your and your brother's declaration. However this ends for us, this must be your rise."
"Yeah okay." I snort, running my hand over my hair. "Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit."
"Victoria." She snaps and reminds me of mother. "Your mother, whatever she's told you, she says it as though she just expects you to take the responsibility and hold it. She's expecting you to take this and run with it because that's what we had to do. And Bo, she's such a softie." She smiles. "She tells you what you need to do with the love of a mom."
"And you?"
"I'm telling you what they can't yet admit, our time…one way or another is coming to pass. There is no way this plays out where things can remain the same. And I think Lauren saw it, more than maybe she realized. But I don't think she realizes the most important thing that has to happen."
"Which is…?"
"You or your brother have to be the one to win."
"Are you crazy?"
"Yes, but that's beside the point."
"Me or what, Ethan? Have you met Ethan? Boy is still trying to catch up on what's going on."
"You or Mikey." She says flatly.
"Me or Mikey?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because we may have been the right ones to leads our people to the new world, but we're not the ones to lead in the new world."
"That's some fortune cookie bullshit right there."
"It's called wisdom you little shit." She laughs, smile quickly fading. "Ria, this is…well this is…the dawn of a new age."
I take several steps in, closing the distance between us. Her hand rests on my shoulder as she takes a deep breath, tears building in her eyes once again. "I don't-."
"If this is it," She stops, cupping my cheek with her other hand. "It's okay. I always loved you and always will."
"Hey." Sniffing, blinking back my own tears. "None of that sentimental. You just told me you expect me to lead us now you don't think I can do a little chi suck?" Hands cupping her face, body trembling. "I've been doing this for a while now."
"You're gonna make an amazing queen." She smiles, eyes closing.
.
Bo's POV
.
"There has to be another way out." I try and breathe as I stumble around, panic only growing by the breath. "There has to be one."
"I've tried."
"Not hard enough."
"Really?"
I stop, leaning over with my hands on my knees. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just…I'm freaking out a little here Niko. I just…no this can't be it. No. There was a plan. The good guys win. And I don't die."
"You did."
"Thanks Captain Obvious, but not like this."
"Yeah, I said that too." He nods, this weird look on his face. "I'm sorry Bo, really. For all of it."
"Don't be because I'm getting out and then I'm getting you out too."
"It doesn't work that way."
"Of course it does. The little demon spawn of mine gloats about it all the time."
"Since when do we trust her?"
"Since I've seen it. I saw her bring Mila back. I mean she's adjusting but…"
"Mila?"
"Yeah, there was an attack and…it doesn't matter. Sean's thirty pieces of silver. Not that I'm bitter or anything." Hands running through my hair, calmness coming in spirts. "No Sky. No Ty. No Sean. That only leaves Lauren strong enough to bring me back, but…I don't think she can get away from her."
"I think you need to come with me." He says flatly, that distant look that had been beginning to take over him suddenly gone.
"What, you got a beach condo down here you failed to mention?"
.
Victoria's POV
.
"You're okay." I repeat, helping Kenzi back into her seat. She's weak again, fading. I can smell death on her and I can't explain how. Her hand grips my forearm, surprised I think that I didn't kill her. Taking chi isn't the problem, it's what comes next that I'm worried about.
Nodding more to myself, I step to the right. Staring down at this white sheet, right where mom's face should be. Just like ripping off a Band-Aid. A lie I telling myself repeatedly as I pull the sheet down. Heart stopping beneath my chest, I have no doubt of it. Every fear and doubt I have about myself, about my abilities racing back and slamming into me. She's still and peaceful and cold and discolored and she…
She looks…dead.
"You can do this." Aunt Kenz whispers.
I have to do this….
Leaning down, careful not to touch her my lips part slightly and all I can think about is all the little technicalities. Should my lips be on hers? Do I need to part her lips? Should I open her mouth? Would her jaw be locked already? Is she really dead? Can I do this? Did I take enough? Has too much time passed? How could they possibly think I'm the one to do this?
Natural instinct taking over childish fear, I feel my energy draining at an alarming rate. I feel myself weaken until everything from Aunt Kenz is gone. I feel myself weaken until I feel nearly everything I have within myself disappear…and still I keep going until everything turns black. It's only a moment, but it's all black and cold and dark and…lonely.
But it's only a moment before I find myself staring up from the floor at my motionless mom.
.
Bo's POV
.
"Niko will you stop." I demand as he grips my hand, dragging me through the people maze. "Niko, dammit." I demand once more, getting my wish only to suddenly regret it. "No."
"Whatever game you think Dani is playing, it's not what you think it is."
His words softly echo in my mind, I hear them but they don't make much sense. My eyes tracing every inch of this girl's face. I can't even remember how long I've know her or how many days and nights I spent with her. It's enough that I can't tell myself I don't know her. She's my son's wife. She's my daughter-in-law. She's…she's…
She's still here…
"She doesn't have any control over us if she lets us go."
"Wh-who else is here Niko?"
"Everyone."
I turn to face him, weird rush of heat digging it's claws into me. Shit. This must be the fade into dream hell. "Who have you seen?"
"What does it matter?"
"Who have you seen Niko?" I double over, hands on my knees as my eyes close in pain.
"Are you okay?"
"Who?!"
"Hale! Iel. Markus. Sky. Mila. That little weirdo I saw in pics all the time from Kenz. Victor or…"
"Vex?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Who else?"
"I don't know. Details…they fade."
Oh shit.
My heart racing, mind racing. I can't breathe. I can't think. Childbirth has nothing on this and that's something I never thought I'd say if I lived a million years. Hands gripping my knees so hard I want to scream but I've forgotten how. He won't be here when I wake back up. I'll lose him. I'll lose it all maybe.
I have to remember. I have to remember. I have to remember.
.
Victoria's POV
,
"I…I don't get it…"
"Take the rest."
"N-no. It's…no I did something wrong." Hands trembling, knees weak as I manage to stand. "I…I don't get it."
"Take what's left Victoria."
"It won't matter…"
"I…where did…?"
"AHHH!"
My mom's sudden screaming shriek as she bolts upright sending Aunt Kenz jumping off the chair right into my arms, the two of us stumbling back slightly. Neither of us letting the other go as we stare at her in fear. She says nothing, falling silent as she looks dead straight ahead,
"B-Bo…?"
"Mom, can you…are you…?"
Her head tilts just enough to look at us, neither of us moving. "Fuck plan-c." She says after several seconds flatly.
"W-what was plan-c?" I whisper stupidly, still holding onto my aunt. Eyes slightly widening at my mom actually swearing…saying something more offensive than shit.
"What plan are we going with then?"
"X."
"What's X?" My words still a whisper for a reason I can't explain.
"I…have…no…clue." She whispers, leaning into me.
.
.
.
Lauren's POV
.
She wasn't supposed to die before me.
It's all I can think of as I sit propped up against the bed, Danielle fast asleep at my side like a stray dog desperate for any type of affection. My eyes lingering on her face as they have for hours. She looks so peaceful and innocent. She looks…like something she isn't. Every breath drawn, every rise and fall of her chest I see the image of another person whose life she's taken. And with each I hate myself a little more for not being able to end it sooner.
For not being able to end it now.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repetitively while expecting a different result.
End it Lauren…end it.
The sound of Ethan stirring in his room pulls me away from the tempting thought. Too many risks. Too many variables. Too many…everything. Too much everything. She stirs and my heart races and with every accelerated beat my anger with Bo grows. I should be dead now. We were bound as one, I should have faded now which means she found a way to unbind it. Which means she figured it out and Bo being Bo had to be the hero. She had to save me…leave me here.
Maybe this is my hell. Maybe this is it. Alone, destined to lose everything I love.
Head hanging, eyes closing as I welcome the darkness. It's a momentary peace as darkness fills with scattered images I can no longer make out. Until there's nothing. It's all gone and this sharp piercing pain tearing through my heart sliver by sliver is just a dull pain of guilt and exhaustion. My eyes fluttering open as my heart races. Tears slipping down my cheeks as my lips curve into a smile before I can fully process what it all means.
I can feel her.
She alive.