Chapter 52

"No, no it's really not. There's no reason for you to stay here anymore. Everything is great at home again and…"

"No offense, but this is between me and your father. We'll figure things out, it just takes time. Now stop asking questions and eat your food, please." Brooklynn sat down at the table, already done with her dinner as well as Steve and Trish and watched as Trish bounded back into the dining room with a kit in hand.

"Finish eating and I'll fix your hair. First though…" Trish snipped the last of the braid off and set it on the table, wincing at all that beautiful hair gone. "I really hope this spell is worth it, Mark."

"Mind your own business." He grunted, catching her hand before she could smack him upside his head. "You really think I'd lop it off if it wasn't?"

Trish growled at him.

"The Undertaker is trapped; you guys know that, right?"

Steve dropped his beer.

Mark was already eating, the braid resting on his lap.

"You… told her?" Trish gaped in shock.

"If she's old enough to learn magic, then I think she's old enough to know other shit. She's not a kid anymore." As much as Mark wished she was, his eyes moved to her. "Well, not all the time." He amended with a snort.

"I told him I wanted an owl, like Harry Potter." Claira was twirling her spaghetti on a fork. "He says I'm not funny."

Brooklynn rolled her eyes at that, biting back a scoff. "Yes well, Undertaker was trapped for 17 years and, with one magical phone call from Seth Rollins, all that changed."

Trish and Steve winced at that one because it was a point that couldn't be argued.

"I don't trust him being trapped. He needs to be GONE, for GOOD." Brooklynn couldn't believe Mark told Claira about Undertaker and didn't know how to feel about it. Mark was right, she wasn't a child anymore, she wasn't their little girl, but at the same time, she was only a teenager. "And you are not having any kind of birds in the house." She was not a fan of birds, at all, and owls were downright creepy. "Do you realize you have to feed owls DEAD mice?"

"What?"

"Mmmhmm and when the owl is done, he hacks up the bones and leaves them before going onto his next prey."

"Mom, I'm eating."

"So, are you still going to get an owl?"

"No, not after that." Claira groaned, resumed eating and hoped her mother saw reason, wanting her home.

Mark didn't bother pointing out that Brooklynn should have sounded the alarms when she realized Taker was out and just ate quietly. He had gotten to see all those memories of Taker's; she had been way too busy getting fucked to worry about consequences.

"Dad already said no, I was hoping you'd change his mind…" Claira sighed wistfully. "We're going this weekend to see if we can find one. We don't get to pick, I could wind up with a snake…"

If Brooklynn knew what Mark was thinking at that moment, she would've co-cocked him in the face. It was HIS counterpart that invaded her dreams and not only seduced her, but manipulated her as well! She didn't just ask Taker to fuck her right out the gate! As far as keeping it a secret he was back, again, Taker had made her feel guilty over what happened 17 years ago, when she had asked Mark to bring him back, or out, to defeat Nemesis. He played on her emotions and guilt, along with manipulating her. Not to mention the sham of a marriage they now had, since Mark never wanted to marry her in the first place. Taker did, Mark didn't and that was still something Brooklynn was slowly working through. Luckily, she couldn't read his thoughts, only Steve could, but then again, Mark had the power to block him and Trish out.

"I really hope you get a dog."

"Well, come home and find out."

"Claira…"

"You can't stay here forever, Mom."

"I know, I'm not." That caught Mark's attention, his eyes moving from his plate to look at her. "They've put up with me for the past month and…I went out today to find an apartment since I really don't want to stay in a hotel."

Claira raised a slow brow, her emerald eyes wide, while Trish began working on Mark's hair to prevent him from moving out of his chair. "Mom…why are you getting an apartment when you already have a home? And don't you dare tell me it's complicated!" Her emotions were heightened as the table began to shake, bolts of lightning flashing in her eyes. "Dad loves you and Undertaker is locked up! There's no reason for this! There's no reason for you not to COME HOME!"

Every bulb in the house exploded at the sound of her shrieking voice, making Trish actually scream out.

"CLAIRA, calm down!" If she set their kitchen on fire, Brooklynn would make sure Mark Bound her magic for life since it was obvious she couldn't handle it.

"Claira…"

This wasn't surprising, outbursts were to be expected and she was still in training. He raised an eyebrow at her, glad for the distraction. Brooklynn was out apartment hunting. She didn't have any intentions of coming back and would hold everything she could against him.

"That's because nobody will ever fuck you the way I do, Lynn."

"Y-You're right…god, you're right… Taker…I love you so much..."

"I'm done." He stood up, pushing away his plate with an apologetic smile at Trish. "Sorry darlin', I need to get this done."

He had a solution, he was working on the details. But would it matter? Would Brooklynn ever stop blaming him for everything and anything? Mark groaned, running a hand down his face. She had always been that way and he had accepted it. Just like he thought she had accepted him. Wrong. He had been wrong. Didn't matter. Figure. It. Out. He already knew he loved her enough to do whatever it took to keep her. Now he just had to convince himself she felt even half the same way.

The blame wasn't on Mark. The blame was on Undertaker and, unfortunately, he was PART of Mark. They weren't separated, they were in the same body and whatever Taker did, Mark got the backlash of it. Brooklynn never blamed Mark for any of Taker's crimes, but until he found a way to destroy that bastard, she couldn't be with him. She just couldn't. She didn't trust herself around Mark right now for fear of Undertaker coming out and making one of her first dreams a reality.

Killing her, throttling her…she touched her throat, recalling that horrible nightmare.

Of course, he had throttled her other times in a purely sexual and exhilarating way, but the one that stood out most to her was being murdered by his hand. She could go after him right now and kiss him, tell him she loved him unconditionally and all that jazz, but…Brooklynn knew it wouldn't do a bit of good. Mark hadn't spoken to her in a month, not even in her dreams, and she could feel the resentment rolling off him in waves. He resented her for wanting Taker, for protecting him and she knew it.

Brooklynn resented him for not paying attention, for not SENSING the danger in their lives sooner with Seth and Bastet's death. Not saying a word, she began carrying the dishes into the kitchen and cleaned up the mess, already knowing which apartment she wanted to take. Hopefully, it would be available to move in immediately because she was ready to be alone for a good long while, deciding she would never trust another man with her heart again as long as she lived.

Her parents were so stupid! They were going to screw this up royally. Claira could see it, her eyes darting back and forth between the pair. "DAD'S MERGING WITH THE UNDERTAKER!"

"Can he do that?"

"WHAT?" Now Trish's jaw was on the floor.

"Goddamn it, Claira…"

He was TRYING because it was the only goddamn way to get rid of the bastard permanently without killing himself. It also gave Brooklynn exactly what she wanted. Both of them. He hadn't said anything yet because he was TRYING; it wasn't certain that he could do it yet. Theoretically, sure, but… no other people out there magical like him, so… he was technically forging his own path and documenting the entire damn process. Just so if anyone else ever had this issue, they weren't screwed.

A CRASH echoed from the kitchen, the shattered plates she'd been carrying scattered all over the floor. Trish was the first in there, followed by Claira, Mark, and Steve. Mark was…Brooklynn couldn't breathe and gripped the counter while Trish moved her aside to start cleaning up the mess.

"Mom? Mom, come on, let's go outside and get you some fresh air." Claira was worried at how PALE her mother was and guided her out of the kitchen to the front door, the warm night air blowing over them. "I'm gonna go help Aunt Trish, you two TALK. I mean it." Then she was gone.

Brooklynn had to sit down on the porch, plopping on it somewhat harshly and tried processing what Claira just screamed in there. "You're…you're MERGING with Undertaker? But I thought you said that could only be done…temporarily?" Now she was looking up at Mark, so many questions and emotions swirling through her amber orbs. "And h-how can you trust this? W-What if his personality gets the better of you and…you become completely evil?" There were A LOT of factors to consider with this. "And will that bastard even AGREE to merge with you permanently?"

"He doesn't have a choice." Mark said flatly, raising a slow eyebrow down at her. Considering this was what she wanted, she should've been jumping for joy and she was not. "I won't become evil, I never was. That was HIM." It was easy to remember they were separate people when she was fucking each of them, any other time not so much. That wasn't fair and Mark knew it… didn't stop him from thinking it. "And it's a work in progress. Either we both go, or we merge." He shrugged his shoulders, stepping away from her. "Claira wasn't supposed to say anything."

"Don't you think I know that, Mark? Don't you think I know you two are different? I don't blame YOU for anything, okay? I blame HIM! This is all on HIM and his selfishness and cruelty! You're nothing like him and I KNOW THAT!" They even fucked differently! "So that's it? There's no other way to be rid of him except merging or…you offing yourself and taking him to the other side with you." Brooklynn felt her heart splintering all over again, wishing for this pain and sorrow to end. "And the reason I'm saying YOU might become evil is because, once you merge, you two are ONE. There is no more designating between the two of you. There's only YOU and you will have his full personality merged with yours."

This isn't what she wanted; she loved them both, yes, and when they were merged it was amazing, but that was before she found out what Undertaker had done. He had put their daughter in danger and was responsible for Bastet's death, even if he was unaware. Taker STILL agreed to do it, all to be freed from his prison inside the Familiar.

"You're taking a huge risk with this and you could die. I can see it in your eyes, you don't know if you'll survive this. And what happens if you die? What happens to me? What happens to Claira? Do you really think we'll survive without you in our lives?! I damn sure won't, I'm BARELY holding on as it is being separated! And the only reason I'm getting an apartment is that I don't want to burden Trish and Steve anymore and I have nowhere else to go." Home wasn't an option, not with Undertaker simply locked away.

"Darlin', it wouldn't work that way. You already saw how we were merged and it was always the same in the past. We'd walk that line, but not out of being evil, I can tell you that." More because it was a bit fun to be a little naughty. "And you're going to wind up losing me if I don't do something because you refuse to be with me as long as he's around and this is the only shot. You can't have it both ways, Brooklynn, I'm doing this FOR you."

She wouldn't come home because she didn't trust him to keep Taker in check. Fair enough. However, she was now freaking out because there was a chance she would lose him because he might die from this. Irony at his finest. She was all right with the possibility of losing him by her own choice, but not this way.

"I can't lose you, Mark. I won't make it without you." Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at him, standing from the porch, so he wasn't completely towering over her. "Being apart from you, knowing you're alive, is one thing, but losing you to death…" She shook her head and closed the distance between them, jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck, forcing him to lower himself to her height. Instead, his arms encircled her waist and lifted her to where her legs wrapped around him in a vise, her arms tightening on his neck. "Don't do it tonight." Pulling back, she rested her forehead against his and breathed him in, her heart thundering in her ears. "I love you and I'm in love with you and I'm not letting you do this without saying a proper goodbye." Because it very well may be his final night on this earth. "Let's…go somewhere, anywhere. We can take your bike and just…ride, forget about everything else that's going on in our lives."

She suddenly kissed him, pouring every ounce of feeling into it she could muster up while he held her with sheer strength, her hands cupping his face. Love, fear, sadness, despair, happiness, desperation, hope and even a little bit of anger all wrapped up in one intense package. Her whole body trembled from all those different emotions tearing through her and didn't care, tightening her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss further.