Chapter 16 is here. Sorry it's taking so damn long for me to write! Honestly, I'm annoying myself.

But when it comes to writer's block the struggle is real.

Disclaimer: The usual nonsense :|

(Chapter Sixteen)

I was swimming in a sea of ink. The vast sky was black, void of stars, and the moon was missing from the heavens. Everything was so empty and the ebony abyss swallowed whole. But I sort of liked it here. There was something I was afraid of. Something that would not be right when I woke up and I wanted to stay right here where I was just safe and sound.

But I couldn't stay forever.

"Ivy…" A voice called from far away. I ignored it and buried myself in the darkness. "Ivy!" It beckoned again. I shook my head. I didn't want to answer, but the caller wouldn't give up. "IVY WAKE UP! NOW!"

I moaned and my eyes fluttered open against my will. Blurry images hung over my bed. I shied away from them in fear. I felt weak for some reason, physically and emotionally; like I used to have the biggest stick on the playground and now it was gone and I was helpless. Why did I feel that way? I hadn't felt like this since I left foster care…

A warm hand touched my shoulder and I whimpered and jerked away, scared for absolutely no reason. "No, it's okay. It's just me." A familiar voice spoke softly from my bedside. "It's Jacob."

I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes. His worried face slowly came into focus. "Jake?" I asked, looking around my messy bedroom in confusion. Why were my bedside tables broken? And why was my mattress brand new? "What happened to me?"

Jacob gathered me in his arms and slid carefully into bed next to me. He sighed heavily when I rested my head on his chest and curled my sore body against his side. "What do you remember?" He asked, his voice very quiet.

"Nothing. Was it my birthday?" I asked, looking at the pile of presents by my door. But there was something wrong, right? Something I was supposed to be upset about. My forehead bunched as a small headache began to pulse behind my eyes. I tried to make my mind go back and remember what I had obviously forgotten. It was hard to concentrate with all the random aches and pains in my body, especially my shoulder for some reason, but suddenly the wall circling my memories crumbled. I gasped and sat up, images dancing across my vision.

My birthday. The red-eyed vampire bursting through my window. Being terrified for hours over Jacob's kidnapping. Going into the caves. Finding Jacob beaten and bloodied. Meeting the witch. Fighting Victoria. The talisman breaking. The black smoke changing my entire body.

Those were all scary memories, but the worst part-the part that made my heart race and my skin break out in a cold sweat-was the fact that water wasn't obeying me and my body felt completely wrong on all levels. My skin was too tight and my limbs swollen and too long. My hair even felt wrong against my back.

I had an awful, unbearable, terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. "I remember. I remember everything." I whispered, looking around my messy room at the water fountain cascading down the wall. My stomach sank. I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel anything but my own body.

I threw off the covers, pushed myself out of Jacob's arms. "What's wrong?" He asked, but I didn't answer. I ran to the fountain and held out my hands, begging the water to jump into my palm.

It didn't.

"No, no, no, no, no." I choked. I pressed my hands into the flow, praying for something to happen. For the water to glow. For the water to freeze. Something. Anything! But my hands only got wet. That's it. It just felt wet.

I couldn't feel my energy or the water's or Jacob's. I couldn't sense the water in the sky or underground or in the walls. It was just me trapped inside of my own body like a prison cell. "NO!" I shrieked in absolute horror. I splashed the water all over myself, soaking my hair and clothes to the skin. Jacob was talking, but I could barely hear him over my own terrified screams.

I was powerless. I was nothing!

A warm hand touched my shoulder and I jerked away, holding out my hands. In a horror movie, a girl would be reacting like this with blood on her palms, not water. But this was reality, not a movie. This was really happening to me. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" I started shaking violently from head to toe, even my teeth chattered. "I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Thunderous footsteps pounded up the stairs. I crammed myself into the corner of my room just as the door burst open and Jasper ran inside. I didn't look at him. I just watched the water drip from my hands, praying I could stop just one drop. Jacob's bracelet was circling my wrist. It used to hum against my skin, but now it just felt like beads.

"What's going on in here?" Jasper demanded.

"I don't know." Jacob said desperately, worry creasing the corners of his mouth. He tried to step closer but I cringed back. He backed off immediately. "She just started screaming."

I tried to extend my mind, to feel Jacob's energy, to feel my energy, but I was just a body. My mind was only human. I used to feel so much more than this. How did humans live every day disconnected from the elements? It was unbearable. The terror built, bubbling up my throat until I was screaming again. "HELP ME!" I begged, sobbing uncontrollably. "PLEASE! I'M BROKEN! HELP ME!"

Jasper winced as my terror slammed into him and took a step closer, understanding dawning on his face. "Oh my God." He uttered in complete shock. "The talisman. It turned her fully human."

The blood drained from my face and Jacob went as pale as a ghost. "No!" I screamed out, covering my face as my body was wracked with broken sobs. Not this. I could bare so much, but not this. Anything but this. I didn't know who I was without my powers. They were the thing that defined me. The thing that made me me. And they had been stripped away? Just like that? "Jasper, I can't be like this!" My knees buckled and I crawled to Jasper and clutched his leg, sobbing. "Please, you have to help me!"

He bent down and started speaking, but I was hyperventilating. The air in the room was thin, so thin I couldn't breathe. "Ivy!" Jacob cried when I started turning blue. Spots danced before my vision and I disappeared into my own nightmares where I lived in a world full of monsters and I was helpless to fight back…

. . . . . . .

I came-to a mere five minutes later. I was in the living room now and Carlisle was looking over me. In fact, everyone was looking at me from over the side of the couch. I lay sprawled in a body that still didn't feel like mine. A body shouldn't make you feel trapped like this. I took a sharp breath and scrambled to my feet, ignoring all the voices that broke out and spoke to me. There was a vase of flowers on the table. I picked it up and smashed it against the wall without a second thought. The water and petals rushed down the wall, forming a puddle on the floor. A puddle I couldn't manipulate in any way, shape, or form. "This can't be HAPPENING TO ME!" My voice grew louder and louder with every word, but the walls didn't shake with my anger. The water on the floor didn't bubble and steam. This was real. Not a God-awful dream. I rounded on my family and Jake. "What the hell is going on?! I was already human, that talisman shouldn't have done anything to me!"

"We didn't know that kind of magic was possible," Esme began before Jasper cut her off.

"You weren't completely human." He said quietly, his expression strained.

I ground my teeth together, barely keeping it together, "Give me a phone." I ordered, holding my hand out.

Rosalie placed her cellphone in my hand very carefully. I squeezed it tight enough to make the plastic creak. She was treating me like I was something breakable. Normally, I would be offended by that, but she was right. Ugh, I was fragile! I couldn't fight them or heal so much as a paper cut. I couldn't do anything to defend myself if one of them decided to attack me. Not that I thought they would, but there were lots of vampires in the world - vampires who wouldn't give biting me a second thought.

I looked at the number-pad with blurry vision and dialed a familiar number with shaking hands, turning my back on the audience. A familiar, terrible British accent cooed after three rings. "Lady Morgana's Mystical Menagerie. How can I be of service?"

A lump formed in my throat at the sound of Lydia's voice. I covered my face with my hand as more tears slid down my face. "Lydia?" My voice wavered.

Her normal accent made its appearance. "Yes. Who is this?"

"Lydia, it's me." My voice cracked. Twice.

"Ivy?" She gasped. "What's wrong? Are you in trouble?"

I coughed, trying to clear my throat, but it didn't work. "I got hit by something bad. A spell."

"Oh no. What did it do to you?"

I bit my lip, unable to voice the words for a moment. "It turned me into a full human." I managed, hoping I didn't need to elaborate.

I didn't. After a second, Lydia's horrified voice rang out, "Oh my God! Who would be stupid enough to conjure a spell like that? It's suicide!"

I took a steady breath. "It's a long story and it doesn't matter right now. Is there any way to reverse it?" I asked, clutching the phone to my ear with both hands. Hope fluttering in my chest. Lydia was the most powerful witch I knew. She could fix me, surely she could.

There was a very long, unsettling pause. "I'm so sorry, Ivy…" Lydia's voice held true remorse. "Nature gave you your gifts, not witchcraft. There is no spell on earth that can create an elemental." she explained, "And humanity isn't a curse and it can't be dispelled with magic... unless vampirism is involved which I would guess is not an option for you. I'm afraid-" She paused, looking for the right words, "I'm afraid the effects are permanent."

I slid to the floor, pressing my head against the cold hardwood. "Don't you say that to me, Lydia!" I half sobbed, half yelled. "Don't you dare say this is permanent! Crack open your grimoire for God's sake! You didn't even look! You're supposed to help people! Help me. Please!"

Lydia took my punches admirably. "I am truly sorry, Ivy Adair. You were the greatest elemental warrior I have ever encountered. I hope Mother Nature chooses to return your powers, but there is nothing I can do to restore you. Forgive me." The line went dead and my hope died too. All I wanted to do was scream and cry and never move from this spot. I wanted to wallow in my utter and complete misery for the rest of my life. But even in my desolation, I knew it would do no good.

I swallowed several times, forcing the tears to slow and the sobs to cease and stood up slowly. It was the longest turn of my entire life; pivoting to face the watchers. All eight of them stood behind me-staring. My brothers, sisters, parents, boyfriend-their eyes pierced me like a thousand needles. The window was behind them like a large mural of a dense forest and just when I opened my mouth to speak, the sky cracked with lightening and split apart, pouring rain in an impressive torrent. It was like the floodgates of heaven had opened and all the rain in the earth was aimed at this spot.

I got dizzy. A strange head rush over came me. I stumbled and swayed and, suddenly, I was me again. Connected. Free. Power surged in my veins like a heroin buzz. My tears dried completely and my muscles and skin relaxed against my frame. In an instant all pain and fear was gone and I was in harmony with myself again.

And best of all, I could feel the water. It swirled all around me, puddling outside, gliding through the pipes inside, and surging even within my body. "It's back!" I smiled, my grin nearly splitting my face with relief so acute I felt like I was floating on a cloud. My family looked just as relived, especially Jacob who was pale with fright only moments ago. They all started rushing toward me with bright smiles and thankful words on their lips.

But just as soon as I was restored, something tore me apart again.

The black smoke was still inside of me, hidden away deep within. It immediately began to strip me of my connection to water. Just like the first time, my eyes turned inward as I watched my cells get rewired. I screamed in anguish and collapsed to the floor in a pile. I started having a violent seizure immediately, something that had never happened to me before. It was dark and humiliating and terrifying all at once. Everyone was yelling and I could feel several pair of cold hands and one set of warm ones holding onto me. Something cloth-like was shoved between my teeth seconds before I almost bit my tongue in half.

I rode out the wave of body-spasms. I felt each and every muscle contract and clench against my will as I was blindly stuck in my own head; unable to speak, unable to stop moving. When my body finally gave me control again and when the black smoke was done ruining my life for the second time, I fell still. I couldn't tell if hours or decades had passed. My body weighed a thousand pounds and I was sweating buckets. Every muscle was tender and sore like I'd been hit by a car going 50.

I could handle the pain, but I couldn't handle the loss. How cruel it was to have my powers back for less than a minute, only for them to be stolen again? My eyes fluttered open and tears slipped from the corners and disappeared into my hairline. Carlisle's concerned face was the first thing I saw. I spit the cloth out from between my teeth. "It's gone again. What's happening to me, Dad?" I whimpered.

His eyes were tight with worry, "I don't know." He replied, clearly wishing he could give me a different answer.

My stomach rolled and I felt so nauseous the room spun, but I hadn't eaten anything to throw up, "I'm gonna be sick!" I yelled anyway, knowing something was about to give. There was no time to stand and run to the bathroom. I could only turn over and vomit on the floor in front of everyone. Oddly, it was only water. I coughed and spat. "I'm sorry." I moaned, feeling embarrassed and weak.

"Don't apologize for a thing." Esme chided, wiping my forehead with a cold cloth. "It's not your fault you feel sick."

I nodded and laid my cheek against the cold floor to help ease my nausea. Carlisle gently felt my pulse and checked my temperature. He pinched the skin on the back of my hand, which I thought was kind of weird, and watched the skin slowly sink back down. "She's slightly dehydrated." He tried not to sound worried, but I read it in his voice easily enough. "You need to drink some fluids soon or I might have to give you an I.V." Carlisle said then turned to Rose, Alice, Edward, Emmet, and Jasper. They all stared at me with dark black eyes, each look varied from fear to concern to horror to anger. Emmet was that angry one. He looked pissed beyond pissed. "All five of you need to feed. Go now. You're no help to your sister half-starved." He ordered.

Alice and Rose were reluctant to go, but they nodded and let their husbands lead them away. "We'll be back, Ivy." Rose promised, kissing my cheek. I felt a little less under-the-microscope without everyone staring at me, but I still felt utterly terrible.

Carlisle stood and I tried to get on my feet, but I was pitifully frail. I couldn't even get my knees under me to stand. Jacob's familiar touch circled my waist. He pulled me effortlessly up. I swallowed several times when my stomach felt like rebelling again. "I'm going to brush my teeth." I said, just to break the unbearable silence. I tried to walk on my own, but my knees buckled on the third step. Jacob caught me just before my face smashed into the floor. He swung me up in his arms, his jaw bunched with some emotion I didn't recognized, and swept me upstairs to the bathroom. I slid from his arms and walked slowly to the sink. He stood in the doorway, watching my every move carefully. I grabbed my toothbrush and turned on the faucet. And just stood there staring at the water as it rushed out, swirling around the bottom before disappearing down the drain.

I broke down again. I braced myself against the counter and started crying so hard, I thought my head would split in half. Jacob grabbed me in a tight embrace, "I'm sorry, Ivy. I'm so sorry." He said. We sank to the floor together and I clung to him, crying into his shirt, not holding back anything. I couldn't help but feel entirely cheated and betrayed by the universe. I was trying to save a woman's life! And in return I'd been stripped of my powers? Anger replaced sadness. I was livid. I stopped crying immediately and shoved myself away from Jacob and stood, staring at my bloodshot eyes in the mirror. My hair was a mess and my cheeks thin and pale. I half didn't recognize myself.

"What are you doing?" I asked myself in disgust. This wasn't me. I didn't give up at the first sign of trouble. I wasn't going to just take Lydia's word for it. True, she was the most powerful witch I knew, but I didn't know that many witches. I would get my powers back. I'd scour the earth searching and I wouldn't rest until I was an elemental again.

I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth, my motions so quick and full of anger my gums were on the verge of bleeding. "Are you alright?" Jacob asked warily.

I spit and rinsed my mouth, trying not to cringe when the water felt unfamiliar against my tongue. I turned to face him. "Are you?" I asked, I reached out and lifted ip his shirt, staring at his smooth chest. No scars, not bruises, not cuts. He was perfectly healthy. I dropped the shirt.

"Not really." He said closing his eyes briefly. "I blame myself."

"For what?" I asked.

"If I had been with you, I might've stopped this." He said, his big brown eyes full of guilt.

I shook my head. "Neither of us is going to take the blame for this." I declared. "Victoria is the one who forced the witch to create the spell and she's the one that kicked into me. This is her fault and I hope and pray she's burning in hell right now as penance." Jacob didn't look like he agreed, but I didn't have the mental capacity to try and make him feel better right now. I may have set my mind to getting my powers back, but every second without him was a fight not to panic and completely lose my mind. I grabbed his hand, "Come on," I said as I pulled him down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" He asked, allowing me to lead him.

"We're going to get some answers." I said cryptically.

. . . . . .

Carlisle didn't want to let me leave in such a fragile state, but I was adamant about beginning the search for my powers and I guess he could see my sanity was barely hanging on by a thread. He eventually let us go, ordering me to take it easy. Fifteen minutes later, Jacob and I were walking into Featherhead's in downtown Forks. The scent of incense burned Jacob's nose and he sneezed several times when the door opened. I let my fingers trail across the dreamcatchers hanging from the ceiling as we walked to the register to speak to the owner, Dusty. "Greetings from the moon goddess." He said with a little bow. His long blond hair was tied back with a purple bandana and shone with multi-colored beads. His tie-dye shirt had tassels at the bottom with little bells attached that rang quietly with every slight move he made. "What can I provide for you today?"

"Dusty, remember me?" I asked, "I came in a while back for supplies on breaking a love spell?" Jacob went very still beside me… Oops.

"Ah yes, the powdered crystals and root of koelreuteria paniculata. How could I forget? Did the spell work?" He asked in a strange, whispery voice that really got on my nerves.

"Um…" I said, looking uncomfortably at Jacob who was glaring at Dusty. "Technically." I finally said.

"Glad to hear it. Do you need ingredients for another spell? Something to calm your friend's temper perhaps?" he asked, looking at Jacob with a decent dose of intimidation in his eyes as he looked up at the angry werewolf.

"Ah, no." I said. "I need to speak to a witch about reversing a spell."

Dusty's pleasant expression turned sad, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but our town's witch passed away recently."

"How recently?" I asked warily.

"Yesterday." Dusty admitted. "Henrietta was a dear friend. She and her daughter were kidnapped several days ago. Haley returned to us alive and well, but Henrietta was not so lucky. She is greatly missed. I can only hope Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, is watching over her in the afterlife."

I squeezed my fists and looked up at Jacob who stared straight ahead grimly. I never asked him how the witch died. It seems to have shaken him pretty bad. We could relate in that regard. "I'm sorry for your loss." I said, my throat feeling thick. "Is there anyone else I might be able to speak to. It's extremely important."

"Well…" Dusty said reluctantly, "There is someone who could possibly help, but he might not be up to it right now. He's Henrietta's brother, you see."

Well that felt like a punch to the gut. "Could you give us his address? I wouldn't ask but it is incredibly important." Dusty gave us both a hard look before he scribbled down the information and passed it over. "Thanks." I said, tucking the address into my pocket. "I'm sure a warlock can help with this."

"Oh, he's not a warlock." Dusty corrected, walking us to the door. "He's a soothsayer."

Oh my God. You have got to be kidding me!

"Oh. Well thanks either way." I mumbled, walking quickly from the store. "Damn soothsayers," I complained to no one in particular.

. . . . . .

We drove in an uneasy silence to a small, artsy neighborhood half-way between Forks and Port Angeles. A back ribbon hung on the door outside the sixth house on the right. This was the place. I unbuckled my seatbelt, praying I wouldn't go to hell for asking a grief-stricken brother to help me remove his sister's humanity. It was a lot to ask. I held Jacob's hand in a death grip and raised my hand to knock on the door, but before my knuckles made contact, the door swung open. A tall, skinny man with bloodshot brown eyes and dark, carmel colored skin stood inside. His clothes were disheveled and an unkempt beard was spread across his chin. He looked like hell. "Hello, I'm-" I began, but he cut me off.

"I know who you are." He interrupted.

I blinked, taken aback by the anger in his voice. "I heard about your sister. I'm very sorry for your loss." It felt useless and empty, but what else could I say? I was an idiot for not bringing a pie or casserole. No self-respecting southerner would visit a grieving family without some kind of comfort food.

"Thank you." The man said tersely. "Now please leave." He tried to shut the door in my face, but Jacob's hand flashed up and kept it open.

"I know I don't have the right," I said desperately. "But I need your help. Please."

He paused, his hand still on the door. "Here is my first impression of you, Ivy." I shivered when he used my name with such familiarity. Soothsayers gave me a bad vibe, "This man," He pointed to Jake, "Whose name starts with a… J, returned my niece to my brother-in-law last night. And one of you was the last person to speak my sister alive." He swallowed several times, blinking away tears that gathered in his eyes. "Why is that? What happened to my sister?"

I hesitated. "It's a long story." I said, looking around for eavesdroppers. I didn't want to be overheard talking about magical powers and vampires and get tossed into the nut house.

The man looked torn between wanting me to leave and getting answers. He finally stepped back and opened the door wide. "You might as well come in." He muttered. I stepped through the door, not letting go of Jake's hand. The man led us to a cozy den and sat down at the edge of his seat. Jake and I took the couch, perched just as uncomfortably incase a fight broke out. "What happened to my sister?" He demanded.

I started to answer, but Jacob beat me to it. "I was captured and tortured by vampires last night."

The man immediately rubbed his temple, his eyes flashing gold for the briefest moment as he got a vision. "Ah. Werewolf," He said, his face going a bit pale. "I see it now. You found Haley in… a cave? It looks like a cave. You and… Sam brought her home to her father last night." He looked up, his expression grim, "They tortured you for a very, very long time."

Jacob nodded grimly and I cringed. "They did." He confirmed.

"What about my sister?"

Jake winced with painful memories, "Ivy and I discovered Henrietta in the cave system where I was being held. A vampire named Victoria had kidnapped her. Henrietta refused to conjure the spell Victoria wanted, but Haley was used against her as leverage. She eventually gave in. Ivy tried to stop the spell from being cast, but Victoria used it on her instead." Jacob paused a moment, his voice going low, "I was with Henrietta in the end."

The man's lip quivered. "You were?"

Jacob nodded. "She wasn't in any pain, she just drifted off to sleep and it was over." He said, trying to soothe the man's grief.

A few tears escaped his eyes and he wiped them away, "Did she say anything?"

Jacob nodded. "She wanted me to deliver a message to her husband, Ben, and her brother, Ethan. She told me to warn you that Haley would grow into an even more powerful witch than she was. She said you had to protect her and be there for her when she came into her powers. And she said she loved you and she was sorry." Jacob's hand shook in mine. I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "She was sorry she couldn't stay."

Ethan broke down then, harsh sobs breaking from his throat. "The spell. The humanity spell." He choked, looking at me, "Is that why you feel like her?"

I blanched. Now I felt even more guilty. I felt like her? "I suppose so." I admitted. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her, Ethan." The mourning brother cried for a few moments and I felt helpless. Even if I had my powers, there was nothing I could do to ease his grief.

Suddenly a bedroom door flung open down the hall and a little girl I had only seen in a mirage sprinted into the den and threw herself into Jacob's arms. "Jakey!" She squealed with delight, her pink tiara askew on her head.

Jacob smiled and scooped her up in a hug. Ethan and I shared a surprised look. "Hi Haley." Jake said. Ethan looked at his niece with sadness, wiping his eyes furiously so she wouldn't see him cry.

"Why are you here? To see me?" Her cinnamon skin turned red around her cheeks. It looked like I had some competition.

"Of course I did." Jacob said, the pain in his eyes easing just as little as she kissed his cheek.

Make that major competition. I couldn't compete with that level of cuteness.

"Come outside and see the playhouse Uncle Ethan bought for me!" She demanded, scrambling from his lap and tugging his hand. Jacob looked at me for permission. I nodded and he let the little angel pull him down the hallway and out the back door.

"Where is her father?" I asked.

"He's making arrangements at the funeral home." Ethan ground out the words, looking like he could hardly believe he had to voice the terrible words.

"She seems to be coping with everything alright." I offered.

"She's in denial." His shoulders curved in a little. "After she was brought home, she threw up a mental block. She's forgotten everything that happened when she and her mother were kidnapped. It's a coping mechanism; probably better that way. A child shouldn't have to deal with that kind of trauma."

Didn't I know it. "Ethan, when you first saw me, did you happen to see anything about my future?" I finally asked.

He shook his head. "I'm trying not to look." He admitted. "I don't want to see something I'll regret."

I nodded, incredibly disappointed. "I'm a water elemental and the humanity spell hit me and took my powers away. I need them back. If you could look, see if there's a chance I could be restored." Ethan's mouth turned down at the corners. "I know I don't have the right to ask," I said quickly, "I just… I don't know how to live without my connection to water." I shivered and rubbed my arms.

He sat back, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. "Ah. So that's why you're here."

I bit my lip, unable to meet his eyes. I was trying to think of something to say when it happened again.

The head rush came back and the room spun. And I was me again. It was a rush of ecstasy. The water pulsed around me with life and energy. I felt the layout of the house. The two life-energies in the backyard and I could feel the intense power from Ethan. He was an incredibly strong soothsayer. His energy readings were off the charts. If I could actually see charts. I stood and ran to the kitchen without permission and turned on the faucet. I bent the water turning it into snow that sprayed up and drifted down gracefully. I caught the flakes on my tongue and they tickled as my tastebuds registered the power. I stroked the water-bracelet at my wrist, feeling the pulse of electricity against my skin. Ethan stood in the doorway, his eyes flared gold once as he stared at me.

"It's back." I smiled, taking a deep breath, reveling in the completeness of me.

And just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

I slammed onto the floor, screaming as the pain sliced me open, laying me out like a patient under the knife. The convulsions started again with a vengeance as the Henrietta's life-force turned me into something powerless and weak all over again. Jacob's voice rang out suddenly from down the hall. "Ivy!" His hands were holding me in place. I tried to focus on his warmth and his voice and not the pain. God, I wanted to call out to him, I wanted my body to stop flipping shit. I wanted my life back.

Finally, the invisible hand twisting me about like a puppet let go. I curled into the fetal position shivering from head to toe, every molecule in my body was sizzling like it had been poked with a branding iron. My stomach rolled and I knew what would be next. Jacob must've known too. He picked me up and sprinted to the bathroom where I threw up about a gallon of water into the toilet. I coughed, exhausted tears streaming down my face. Why was I throwing up water? I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in hours! "Ivy, baby, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Jacob asked, his expression grim. His eyes searched mine.

I shook my head no and buried my face in his shoulder. "Why is this happening to me?" I croaked. Was I ever not going to be in pain?

"I don't know." Jake said. There was stark fear in his eyes. We had faced many dangers together, but he never looked scared like this before. It shook me to my core. "I'm taking you home." He declared. He picked me up and strode down the hall. Haley peeked at us from around a door, when my eyes met hers she jumped like she had been caught doing something naughty and slammed it. Ethan was waiting for us by the front door. A faraway look in his eyes as he braced one hand against the wall. "I need to take Ivy to see her father. Thank you for talking with us." Jacob said, opening the door.

"I saw something." Ethan said darkly.

Jacob stopped cold and looked over his shoulder. "What did you see?" He asked.

Ethan sat down in the den again, slumping in his seat and rubbing his forehead. Jacob was reluctant to follow him, but one look from me made up his mind. "What did you see?" I asked from my seat on the couch, leaning against Jacob because I was barely strong enough to raise my head.

"Three distinct things I know for certain." he said, "First, I saw you die."

Jacob jumped and I gasped a breathy, "What?!"

Ethan shook his head, "It's not what you think. Your lifeline is… I don't know how to explain it, it's frayed and tangled, going in a completely different direction than it should be."

"Meaning?" Jacob asked in a dangerously low voice.

"Meaning, Ivy is supposed to be dead. You were supposed to get shot in the head saving a woman who was getting mugged."

I reeled back. "Are you kidding me? That's how I died!" That was ridiculous. No alley mugger was going to take me out.

"But you didn't meet that woman for some reason." Ethan continued in confusion, "Did something happen in September? Something that completely altered your life?"

My indignant thoughts screeched to a halt. "I randomly met a soothsayer on the street who told me to come to Forks." I explained, half of me worrying about the woman I was supposed to save. Was she okay? Did she survive the attack?

"That would explain it. You're alive because she intervened." Ethan said. Jacob looked at me with wide, horror-filled eyes. I bet my death was playing out in his head.

Wow. So the crazy soothsayer saved my life. Her quest stopped me from dying. I felt like I'd just been slapped in the face. What if I hadn't come? I'd be dead! Dead by some loser mugger. Ugh! That was a lot to wrap my head around.

"What was the second thing?" Jacob asked, clearly not wanting to hear more about my death.

Ethan leaned forward, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Her natural state is in constant communion with water. I saw her body revert back to normalcy, then the essence of humanity destroyed it again." He cleared his throat. "That's what's bringing on the seizures and pain."

"So, my body is fighting the spell, but the spell is fighting back? Are you saying if I got rid of the essence of humanity, there's a possibility my powers would come back?" I asked. He nodded. "Then how the hell do I get rid of it?"

"That's the third thing I saw." He hesitated before continuing. "You can't get rid of it. To anyone else the essence would turn them into a human and disperse, but to you it's a parasite lurking in your cells. It will not leave your body until your powers are completely gone. But since your powers are literally a part of your chemical make-up, they will never give up completely."

My breaths starting coming in small gasps. "Are you saying I'll keep getting my powers for seconds at a time, only to break down with seizures and lose them? Over and over again forever?"

Ethan's sigh was full of regret. "No. I'm saying your body is at war with itself and eventually the fight is going to kill you."

My blood ran cold. "I'm going to die?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

Ethan nodded and Jacob shook his head and crushed me to his side. "You're wrong." He said to Ethan. "We'll find a way. She's not going to die. I won't let her." His voice grew harder and harder with every word. "Wait here," He said to me, kissing my forehead. "I'm going to say goodbye to Haley and then I'm taking you home to have Carlisle take a look at you."

He strode purposefully down the hall. I stood, my head reeling, and went for the door. Ethan gave me a hand and I tried to say thanks, but he leaned in too close for comfort and my words died. He pulled me into a tight hug and I felt his tearstained lips press against my cheek. I was too stunned to jerk back and push him away. He let go after a moment, a mournful look in his eyes that nearly swallowed me whole. The depth of his despair was immeasurable. "I never got to say goodbye." He finally said, "That was my last chance."

I placed my hand at my throat, not sure what to say. My eyes caught a picture by the door of Henrietta and Ethan and another man, I assumed was her husband on their wedding day. She and Ethan were a lot younger than I thought. Only in their late twenties. Henrietta looked radiant, a smile on her face that must've taken your breath away when you saw it in person. Ethan wouldn't get to see that smile ever again. Neither would Haley or Ben. "She burned." I said. "The vampire that took her from you. My brothers made sure of it."

Ethan nodded once, his eyes going hard. "Good."

Jacob came back, Haley in his arms. "Bye Princess," he said, ruffling her hair and placing her on her feet. She scrambled up into her uncle's arms and he held her close, unshed tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry we bothered you like this." Jake said.

"It was the least I could do for getting Haley back for us. I wish I could give you better news, Ivy." We parted ways then, the uncle and niece waved from the porch. I turned and gave Ethan and Haley one last look before we got into the car and drove away. I don't know how I knew, but we would never meet again. This was hello and goodbye all at once.

I mulled over the three premonitions Ethan saw, feeling more and more alarmed by the second. I watched the rain splat against the windshield, torn between wanting those few seconds of powers back and dreading when the seizures and pain would come back to eat me alive. "It's not going to happen." Jacob blurted randomly, mostly trying to convince himself. "You won't die from this."

My anger at the entire situation rose to a pitch, by the time we pulled outside of the my house, I was livid. A feeling that was much easier to deal with than blind panic. "This is such bullshit!" I yelled furiously, slamming the car door. "I've only been seventeen for one day and now I'm going to die!?" I ran my hands through my hair, "Why did Victoria have to kick that damn talisman at me! Why couldn't I have moved out of the way? Why, why, WHY!?"

The fury bubbled inside of me until I was buzzing with unshed energy. I cocked back my arm, aiming for the car window, and let my fist fly. Just before my knuckles made contact, Jacob stopped my hand and spun me around to face him, "Are you crazy? You'll break every bone in your hand!"

I jerked away, "I don't care. I want to break something! I want to hit something over and over until my hands bleed. And then I want to heal myself and do it all over again!"

"Well you can't!" Jacob yelled back in agitation and fear. "Don't start acting reckless, Ivy. You can't afford to make mistakes like this without your powers."

I threw my head back and let loose a little scream. "Ugh! Don't treat me like a china doll. I am not weak!"

Jacob crossed his arms, his expression tight, "You are right now. I understand that you're scared and frustrated, but I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

My teeth ground together with an audible snap. "You can't stop me." I said petulantly.

He looked at his feet before staring at me with those intense eyes that always had a knack for reading my soul, "I will if I have to." He said quietly.

I shook my head, "Stop acting like this. You're my lover, not my bodyguard."

"I'm anything you need. That's how imprinting works." He replied, holding up his hands in a non-combative way. "Victoria is dead, a pile of ash I saw with my own two eyes just to be sure. But do you want to blame somebody that's alive? Is that what you need? Then blame me. It's my fault I got captured and you had to come after me. If I had been stronger or faster or better I wouldn't have been in that cave in the first place. I'll be what you need, Ivy. Just tell me what you want!"

"I want to be me again!" I raged. The light drizzle had turned into a steady downpour and I was shaking with combined efforts of the of icy rain and freezing wind. "I want to be in glacial water and not shake from the cold. I want to feel your energy and mine intertwine and grow stronger when we're touching. I don't want to live like this! The pain is coming, I can feel it, it's only a matter of time and it hurts. I don't want to cry, but every second I'm fighting tears. I don't want to be weak," I gulped, "And I don't want to die when I'm only seventeen."

Two incredibly powerful magic users gave me a zero-percent chance of recovering from this and I was officially scared for my life. If only there was an opponent to fight! But there was just the darkness inside of me, waiting for it's next opportunity to cause irreparable harm. I couldn't fight it. Apparently, no one could.

Jacob's hands fell to his sides. "I'm not going to let you die."

"It's not up to you." I whispered so quietly, not even he could hear me. My stomach clenched with hunger and I realized my mouth was like sandpaper. Food and water would be great about now.

"You need to eat." Jacob said, taking my arm. I leaned on him and we walked inside. Esme greeted us by the door, a flour stained apron on. She looked like Snow White for real now. I wished she was Snow because that would mean this was all a fairytale and we were guaranteed a happy ending.

"Oh! You're soaked to the skin!" She exclaimed, running at top speed to grab two towels and throw them over our shoulders. "Come through to the kitchen. You must be starving. I made pancakes."

I managed a small smile. "Thanks Esme."

She made me a glass of milk to go with my colossal plate of pancakes and I dug in like I'd been starving for years. I wiped my mouth, even more thirsty before, but I spurned the milk and asked for water instead. Esme gave me a tall glass, which I downed in seconds. I asked for a second then a third. "Thirsty much?" Rosalie asked, hopping onto the counter to sit across from me while Esme worked on another pile of pancakes for Jacob who had already consumed his first plate. She looked at me carefully through bright gold eyes from her recent feeding. They were all walking on eggshells around me. I had been home five minutes and it was already getting old.

I shrugged, "Yeah, can't seem to get enough of it." I walked to the sink and flipped on the faucet to get myself another cup when my stomach cramped so hard I gasped and dropped the glass. I watched it shatter into a million pieces on the floor, then I started throwing up… again.

Every ounce of water I just swallowed came back up, burning my throat like was laced with cayenne pepper. Luckily it was all in the sink this time. I was hanging onto the counter for dear life when Rosalie caught me up in her arms. "I'm taking her to the infirmary. Carlisle!" She called in alarm. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the wind on my face.

The next thing I knew I was laying on the hospital bed, tucked under the covers with an IV pumping fluids into the vein in my elbow. "What happened?" I croaked and looked around at the full room of worried family members. "Did I pass out?" My speech was slurred, which annoyed me. I shivered and tugged the blankets closer.

Carlisle, who was checking the IV bag when I woke up, leaned over and smoothed back my hair. "Your body seems to be rejecting water not delivered intravenously."

"Huh?" I blinked. "Can you dumb that down?"

"If you drink it, you'll throw it up. If I give you an IV, you'll keep it down." He said, that small smile reserved just for me tugging the corner of his mouth.

"Ah. I see." I looked around at the full room. Everyone was acting like I was dying. I glared at Jacob. "You told them about what Ethan said, didn't you?" He nodded. "Great. Now everyone's going to baby me until I die."

"You're not going to-"

"Not going to die," I interrupted him, "I know, you keep saying that." I sank back into the pillows, but the atmosphere in the room was suffocating me. I just wanted out and I wanted to be alone.

I sat up and tugged the IV from my arm and hissed, surprised by the pain. "What are you doing?" Carlisle questioned, pressing buttons on the IV monitor when they began beeping.

I stood and forced myself not to sway when the room started spinning. "I'm going to prove a point. I can't be around all of you right now. Your gloomy fear is sucking the air from the room and I actually need air to live." I walked to the door without a backward glance. I needed to feel something that didn't involve fear or anger or death. "I need to be alone." I what I said instead.

"Ivy," Edward called, "Where are you going? Come back! We need to talk about this as a family."

"No. I can't do this right now. I'm on borrowed time as it is." I called over my shoulder, "I need to live a little before my light blinks out. You watch and see the kind of hell I can raise when I put my mind to it." I'm not weak. I'm not. But that little voice in the back of my head whispered, 'Yes you are. Stay with your family and be safe.'

I kept walking told that little voice to go straight to hell.

. . . . . . . . . .

Forgive any spelling/grammar/or general mistakes. It's about 3:30 am right now and I am incredibly tired.

Sweet dreams readers, it's time for me to hit the hay.

Next chapter up soon. Cross my heart!

p.s. Thanks for all the reviews! You're the best!