For Dorothea, she knew exactly when things changed in her marriage. When both of their hearts were broken, and the love they once shared slowly began to fall apart. She knew when all the pain of life came crashing down on them, and not even magic could save them. Often, for the next seven years of her marriage, things would be distant, unspoken, and unsettled. There was a great strain between them and it dawned of her that nothing would make it better. Time didn't deal anything, they grew further and further apart, while Dorothea began to see that she was falling out of love with the man who had once saved her. Standing in the desert, nineteen years old. His long brown hair and sparking blue eyes…just like an angel. All of those memories were gone when it happened.

On the verge of turning nineteen, Dorothea was nine months pregnant. The entire pregnancy had been amazing. Somehow this baby brought Swann and her even closer. She saw a side of her husband that seemed so pure, childish, and fun. The excitement and love growing as did their child inside her. He fussed over her every second, and couldn't wait to finally hold their baby in his arms. Dorothea loved being pregnant. The attention, the love, and the fact here she was…not even twenty and about to give life to something both Philip and her had made. Always rubbing her stomach, she thought of her son safe inside. Wishing she could finally see him.

One afternoon, she came along with Regan again to watch Philip rehearse. This would be his finally show for the year. He planned on taking time off to spend time with Dorothea and the new baby. Sitting in the front row, as she usualy did with Regan, the two talked and giggled while Philip was up on stage talking with the managers and Valentin. Dorothea rubbed her huge stomach and laughed with Regan as they watched the men perform.

"Hey…you wanna go out and get some air?"

Dorothea nodded before getting helped up. Right away Swann looked down as Dorothea waved her hand.

"We're gonna be out in the parking-lot for a little while."

"Stay off your feet…"

Dorothea smiled at Philip as Regan and her headed to the back doors. Winking at her and smiling, Philip turned back around to face the crew. Walking beside Regan, the two kept talking before they went down the hallway.

Then it happened.

Dorothea stopped short, the most awful cramp went through her. Zapping through her body, and aching in the middle. Snapping her eyes shut she nearly fell.

"Ah!"

Regan let out her arm as she held onto Dorothea.

"Oh my God are you okay?"

The pain came again, almost like a knife cutting inside her. The pain made her head spin and feel dizzy as she stood there. It throbbed inside her as she gasped for air.

"Jesus!"

Dorothea screamed before holding herself, seconds later she collapsed onto the floor. Everything slowly began gray as she heard Regan scream. Seconds later she heard guards run over to them as Regan kneeled down beside her.

"GET HER HUSBAND QUICK!"

Dorothea laid on the ground, her insides feeling as through they were being torn apart. Laying there, tears ran into her eyes as she felt her heart pound.

"Philip…"

She muttered, she needed him with her.

Seconds later she heard her name being screamed from a distance. She knew it was Philip, right away he fell down beside her and she saw his worried and terrified face. Holding her, he looked down at her…she could feel he was shaking.

"What is it baby?"

"Something's wrong…I can feel it…"

Dorothea snapped her eyes shut again in pain and began to hiss. Philip's concerned and scared eyes darted up to the guards and Valentin.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE QUICK!"

The guards along with Regan went running, while Valentin kneeled down beside them. Philip held onto Dorothea as she moaned out in pain.

"Maybe she's going into labor…"

Valentine said looking over his friends.

Opening her eyes, she looked up at Philip…she never thought something could hurt so bad in her entire life.

"Help me Philip…please…"

Shutting her eyes, she began to cry out in pain.

The ambulance came five minutes later. Right away the paramedics asked how far along Dorothea was before loading her up. Swann stayed by her side. The entire ride over, Dorothea kept crying out in pain, hardly able to move. Holding her hand, Swann knew something was wrong by the paramedics' faces.

At the hospital, they burst through the emergency room doors and began racing Dorothea down the corridor. Swann ran beside them, holding onto his wife's hand as the doctor joined them.

Valentin meanwhile stood in the lobby, holding his jacket and praying everything was all right.

They rushed her into delivery right away, about seven nurses all crowded around as Dorothea was hooked up to oxygen. Right away monitors began beeping as the doctor got into scrubs. Swann felt helpless, all he could do was hold onto his wife's hand as she cried out in pain. Seconds later the doctor came in and went in-between Dorothea's now spread legs.

"She's dilated…she's ready to go."

Swann felt his heart race, never before…not even when he faced Nix, was he so cared in his entire life. Dorothea looked pale, gasping for air as she cried out.

"Something's wrong!"

"Dorothea, we need you to start pushing…your baby is coming quick."

The nurses tried to sit Dorothea up as they began to coach her to push. Swann stood frozen as Dorothea screamed out.

Seconds later one of the monitors began to go off. A flashing red light came on as the doctor turned around. Swann saw it was the fetal heartbeat.

"We're loosing a heartbeat…get prepped for an emergency C-section!"

Dorothea snapped her eyes shut as the nurse shook her head.

"Stop pushing honey, we need to get your baby out."

Laying Dorothea down, the doctor and nurses began to move quick. Swann stood back, knowing something really was wrong.

Then…

The monitor flat lined.

"Get her open quick, we just lost a heartbeat!"

Swann could see Dorothea was bleeding, one of the nurses pushed him back as they started the C-section. Right away visions of things that happened with Nix began to appear before his eyes.

So much blood.

"Please not my baby, please…"

Dorothea muttered.

The doctor and nurses crowded around Dorothea's lower half that Swann couldn't see anymore. Standing there, he looked down as Dorothea's face was covered in an oxygen mask. Tears running down her beautiful face.

Then…

He saw the baby get pulled out, blue and lifeless…the cord wrapped around it's neck.

The nurses and doctor all eyed each other as Swan felt as though somebody had torn his heart out. Thinking back to Nix, he thought maybe this was his punishment for what they did. No, it couldn't be…

"I'm sorry. it's still born."

Dorothea threw back her head, her eyes shut as she screamed out. Before Swann could even get a better look, the baby was taken away.

A few hours later, Dorothea was sedated and resting in one of the hospital rooms. Sitting beside her, Swann felt as though he couldn't do anything. He was trapped in this awful nightmare he couldn't escape.

His son was dead.

The nurses had tried to work on him for nearly a half an hour. Trying his start his heart and pump oxygen. Finally they called it while Dorothea had a complete mental breakdown. The doctor took Swann out into the hallway and said how sorry he was.

Since then…there was silence.

Thinking back to earlier. He remembered how he was just touching Dorothea's stomach in the limo. Feeling the baby kick. What had gone wrong? Why was God doing this to him? He felt completely blank. Words couldn't describe how empty he felt. The doctor had given him something to relax, and told him yet again how sorry he was.

His son was dead.

Just then, Valentin entered. His head lowered.

"Philip?"

Philip looked over. Outside the city was starting to sparkle from down below by the night's sky. Glancing over, Dorothea laid there sleeping. Looking at her, he thought of the beautiful child he had fallen in love with. She now looked lifeless, empty, and dead.

He couldn't comfort her, he felt frozen.

Valentin took a seat, his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry Philip…"

Philip turned away, tears slipping down his face. A few moments later, his good friend held him as he cried.

Things really had fallen apart.

Two days later, Dorothea, Swann, and Valentin all stood together in the cemetery. It was beautiful out. Rolling lush hills filled with marble headstones from the rich and famous. In the background palm trees slowly rocked back and forth by the wind.

There the tombstone read…

Atticus Swann

1989

Set free by magic.

Dorothea wore huge sunglasses and a hat to shield her pale and broken face. She had just gotten released from the hospital and was still recovering. The doctor had given her medication to help her though this. The entire morning she sat on the sofa downstairs, hardly speaking. Stoned, and blank. She muttered a few words before the three of them left in the limo.

Swann hadn't slept in the last two days. In fact, he was worse then Dorothea. He couldn't snap himself out of this. It hit him all over like a knife wound. Over and over again the pain hitting him. Knowing their son was gone…before they could even hold him.

The three of them stood around as Dorothea broke down, leaning over and sobbing. Valentin eyed Swann before seeing his blank emotionless eyes stare at the tiny grave. Crossing over he put his arms around Dorothea to comfort her.

Swann knew he wouldn't be able to this.

He was hurting too much.

Whatever Hell Dorothea was going through, he couldn't help her with. He too had lost their son and seemed as though someone had ripped his heart out. The grief was too much. He wished he would just die to escape it.

Once they got home, Valentin gave Dorothea another pill and sent her up to bed. Swann meanwhile planned on drinking until some of the pain went away. Sitting in his study, he thought of what would of happened if his son lived. Would he have looked like his parents? He thought of all those plans and dreams he thought raising him and watching him grow into a happy go lucky teenager. Now his son was buried under the ground…lifeless before he was even born.

Drinking, he closed his eyes as tears slipped down his face.

He knew he would never be the same.

Then…Valentin entered.

"She's asleep."

Swann cracked open one eye before nodding.

"Good."

"Are you all right?"

Swann laughed.

"Oh I'm fucking great…my newborn son is laying in a coffin that would probably only fit a doll, my wife is suffering a mental breakdown, and I think I am too."

Valentin crossed over.

"Philip, you need to be there for her…she needs you."

Swann closed his eyes again, the pain was getting worse.

"You can have other children, the doctor said so."

Swann shook his head.

"I just can't escape this…I fucking…I fucking can't…"

There he broke down, crying into his hands as Valentin went over to him.

He knew that Philip and Dorothea would never be the same again. When their baby died…so didn't a huge part of them.