AUTHOR'S NOTE: This second chapter mostly takes place within the Labyrinth after Victoria's attack in the alley so it's a flashback. WARNING! This chapter includes the conception of Victoria and Pinhead's child. This was mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, but I figured I'd remind you. This chapter will probably be longer than average because we've got a lot of ground to cover, but I'm sure you're not complaining ;)

Chapter 2: Transformed

She didn't know where she was or why she was there. She couldn't even remember her own name. She was lying on her stomach, her face turned to one side. She opened her eyes, her vision momentarily clouded. Her surroundings were dimly lit; she could just make out stone walls and the posts of the bed she was lying on. She realized that she was naked; the only thing covering her was a thin blanket resting low on her hips. She was also aware of a white-hot pain extending the length of her spine. She shakily reached behind her to touch her back, but a hand closed around her wrist.

"Do not touch it, Victoria," a familiar voice gently warned. Victoria. That's who she was. Suddenly everything came back to her, the box, Pinhead, Adrian, the alley. She became alarmed by the searing pain in her back, not the sensation itself, but the very fact that she was feeling it at all. She had been paralyzed by a knife wound in that alley.

Pinhead walked in to her field of view, kneeling before the bed as to be at her level. He released the pressure on her wrist, gently trailing his fingers over her hand. She noted the unusual pallor of her skin.

"The pain is excruciating at first," he said. "But in time you will become accustomed to it and it will fade."

"What are you talking about?" she inquired.

He stood, extending his hands to her.

"Give me your hands," he said. "I will help you to your feet."

She extended a shaky hand toward the cenobite, who gently, but firmly grasped it in his own. As he carefully pulled her into a sitting position she felt something brush against her shoulder, but the sudden wave of pain that shot up her back forced any further concerns about it from her mind. She cried out in pain, tears springing to her eyes. Pinhead reassuringly squeezed her hand.

"Come now, to your feet," he prompted.

She took a deep breath and gently eased herself onto legs she was certain wouldn't support her. She stumbled momentarily, Pinhead firmly taking hold of her elbows, but quickly regained her balance. She let out another agonized moan, her tortured vertebrae protesting the support they now had to provide.

"This way," Pinhead said.

He led her to the opposite wall, positioning her in front of a large piece of black fabric concealing something on the wall.

"Brace yourself," he warned.

He pulled the fabric away, revealing a full length mirror in an ornately carved ebony frame. Victoria's heart stopped and she felt as though she were going to faint. It was the unnatural shade of her skin that gave it away. She realized that it was her earlobes that had brushed against her shoulders; large metal disks had stretched them to immense proportions. She gently touched the piercings that studded her face. Pinhead took hold of her shoulders and spun her around. She felt her knees give way as she surveyed the massive wound on her back. Pinhead caught her as she collapsed and half carried her back to the bed. She sat on its edge and began to sob, leaning into the cenobite standing before her and wrapping her arms around his waist. He put an arm around her shoulders, putting the other hand at the back of her head. Victoria took no notice to the close proximity of their bodies and her own nudity; she was too absorbed with the pain and shock.

Victoria eventually calmed down enough to initiate a conversation. She pulled away from him, but held fast to his hand.

"What happened?"

"You were dying," he said. "You had been paralyzed by a stab wound to the lower back that nearly severed your spinal cord. The blade slid right between lumbar vertebrae three and four."

"I remember," she whispered. "I just managed to solve the box before it happened."

"Yes," he said. "But I was not summoned in time to save you as you once were. I had to bring you back to the Labyrinth, to Leviathan. He saw potential in you; he has from the moment you set foot in this place."

Victoria was suddenly struck by a powerful memory, an odd, but seemingly meaningless occurrence from those first few weeks in Pinhead's company; the cenobite standing in Leviathan's shadow, staring at the floating behemoth in a sort of trance.

"I would have eventually offered you the choice to join us," Pinhead continued. "But the decision was made for the both of us. There was no other way to save you. I did not want it to happen this way. I wanted you to come into this willingly, fully aware of what our existence entails. You now have to go through it unprepared."

"But not alone," Victoria said. She looked up into the demon's eyes, locking her gaze with his. She thought she saw a shimmer of emotion in the normally void blackness, but he looked away before she could be certain.

"No," he said still avoiding her eyes. "You will not be alone. I will be here." He met her eyes again and this time she was sure she saw the emotions that skittered into view before quickly disappearing again. Victoria squeezed his hand and mustered up a weak smile.

"Rest," he said. "You have been through a lot."

He stood up, helping Victoria lie back down on her stomach. He pulled the blanket up to its former location at her hips. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she truly was until she was lying down again. In a matter of seconds she was asleep again.

Pinhead stood over her for a moment, just watching her sleep. He sighed, gently running a slender finger over her cheek. He was overcome by a strong emotion, one that felt alien to his demonic body. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He turned away from the bed and retreated back into the depths of the Labyrinth.

~[ ]~

The passage of time within the Labyrinth is impossible to measure. The surroundings never change; the time of day is never known. Its inhabitants have all the time in the world, so to measure its passage would be futile. Victoria awoke, unsure of how long she'd been asleep. All she was aware of was the excruciating pain in her back. It had gotten almost unbearable. She let out a low moan, trying to muffle it in the bedding. She didn't want to appear weak. She felt a cool hand on her shoulder.

"It is alright," Pinhead said. "Let it out." He had witnessed infinite amounts of suffering over the past decades, but never had he felt so sympathetic.

Victoria let out a wail, clenching the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white. Pinhead sat on the bed beside her, swinging his legs up and reclining against the headboard. She placed her head in his lap and took hold of his robes. He wished there was something more he could do for the girl who laid whimpering and shaking before him. His presence and support were all he had to offer. He stroked the girl's hair, now cut short to keep it out of the wound.

He remembered his own transformation; the pain, the fear, the suffering. He remembered feeling as though his head wound split apart. He'd pulled the agonizing lengths of metal from his head, desperately seeking relief, only to have them driven back into the bleeding lesions. He'd been alone in his suffering, his cries of anguish falling on deaf ears. It had seemed like an eternity that he lay upon the cold stone floor of the Labyrinth, naked and vulnerable. The experience had hardened him, stripped him of his humanity, and turned him into the cold, calculating creature he now was. He'd picked himself up off of that floor feeling more powerful than ever and donned his robes, taking charge over the world that had caused him so much misery. Now he sat on a bed that he had no real use for being he no longer slept, cradling a girl going through the same thing he'd gone through so long ago. He should have left her to suffer alone, knowing that she would come out stronger in the end, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. He'd tortured countless thousands, reveling in their screams and pleas for mercy, but he couldn't stand to hear her cry. He could feel his humanity slowing beginning to return; emotions he hadn't experienced in decades came rushing back. He was stunned at the effects this girl was having on him.

Victoria began to loosen her death-grip on Pinhead's robes. He slid down in the bed so that he was lying beside her. She rested her head against his shoulder, casually draping an arm across his chest. His wounds were no longer deformities in her eyes for she now carried her own; their modifications were part of who they were, just physical characteristics no different than eye or hair color. He put an arm around her body, keeping clear of the exposed bone and muscle extending down her back. In time, the wound would be able to be touched without causing her discomfort, but they were too new at the present. The exposed nerves needed time to adapt to their newfound freedom. He couldn't help but take notice to the weight of her bare breasts pressing against his arm. He pushed the thought from his mind. It appeared that the meager offering of his touch was having an effect on Victoria. Her breathing was slowing and she appeared to be drifting off again.

"You will never be alone," he whispered. "Not as long as I am around."

~[ ]~

Slowly, but steadily, Victoria began to adjust to her new condition. Just as Pinhead had told her, the pain began to subside.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked her. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently running a finger along the spinous processes of her exposed vertebrae.

"No," she said, a smile on her face. "I feel you touching them, but it doesn't hurt."

"Very good," he replied. "How about this?" He pressed on the mutilated trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles.

"No," she said again. "There's pressure, but no pain."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. His hand lingered on her bare back for a moment. He removed it and stood up, walking across the room. A mass of black leather lay over a chair that seemed very out of place in this world. He picked it up and held it up to her. It was her robes. It dawned on Victoria that she'd been naked the entire time she'd been in the Labyrinth. Strangely, she didn't feel as uncomfortable about this realization as she thought she should.

She got out of bed and walked over to Pinhead, who helped her into the leather garment. It was high in the front, but low cut in the back to show of her modification. She stood before the mirror to admire the effect. She was a true cenobite now. She caught Pinhead's reflection in the mirror and saw the awestruck expression on his face. She turned and went to him. She put her arms around him. He was taken aback for a moment, but then returned the embrace.

"Thank you," she said into his shoulder. "For everything."

"My pleasure," he responded.

~[ ]~

Pinhead was pleasantly surprised at how well Victoria had taken to being a cenobite. She was a natural at torture, probably as a result of being at the mercy of others so recently. She was shocked to discover that Frank Cotton, the man Dimitri had said escaped the cenobites, was real. The other cenobites, most of whom she'd known from before her transformation, readily accepted her into their ranks. Victoria was happier than she'd been in a long time. She was around individuals that were like her that didn't pass judgment.

Victoria and Pinhead were walking through the misty corridors of the Labyrinth. They entered the room that Victoria had spent her first days in.

"You are awfully quiet," he observed. "Is something bothering you?"

"It's just that, I mean, I'm happier than I've been in a really long time, but I miss my family. I miss Adrian and Dimitri," she explained. "I missed out on so much because of this."

He sighed.

"I knew that it was only a matter of time before you brought this to my attention."

He handed her the Lament Configuration.

"I understand that there are people from your former life that are still important to you," he said. "I will give you the opportunity to remain a part of their lives, even though it is not necessarily allowed. We are supposed to remain separate from the humans' world, with the exception of when we are summoned, but I am willing to bend a few rules for you."

Victoria beamed up at him. She put the box down and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she said, pulling away. "This means a lot to me."

"Anything for you," he replied, a genuine smile crossing his face. It reached his eyes, causing his entire face to light up.

Victoria's breath caught in her throat. She'd never seen any true emotion in his face before that point, with the exception of those miniscule flickers in his eyes the day she'd awakened in the Labyrinth. Her heartbeat began to speed up and she was suddenly aware of the closeness of their bodies. She was abruptly conscious of feelings she'd been harboring for a long time, even before her transformation; she loved him. He must have known what she was thinking. He took hold of her waist and pulled her against him. He leaned toward her and kissed her; his pins scraped lightly against her face, but she took no notice. He slid a hand down to her rear end and gave it a light squeeze. She moaned against him and he took to the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She'd never noticed his tongue stud until now and was pleasantly surprised. He took hold of her thigh and pulled it up against his hip, pulling their bodies even closer. She felt his erection beginning to show itself beneath the leather robe. She ground her hips against him. He growled in the back of his throat. He nudged her other thigh, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the bed, which was finally presenting a useful purpose to Pinhead, and laid her down upon it. He undid the closure at the back of her robes and removed it in a single swift movement. She sat up wrapping her legs around his body once again so that he stood between them. He cupped a hand around her breast, gently teasing the hardening nipple with his fingers, then replacing them with his tongue. Victoria moaned at the sensation of the metal stud against her flesh. He ran a hand between her legs, sliding a dexterous finger into the moist opening. She gasped at the foreign sensation. He stopped and looked at her.

"Virgin?" he inquired.

"Did you honestly think otherwise?" she asked curiously.

He smiled seductively.

"Of course not," he said, kissing her gently. "I will take care of you."

He stepped back, allowing his robe to fall to the floor. His pale body was all lean muscle and virtually hairless. Her eyes were involuntarily drawn to the sizeable organ between his legs and the piercing hooked through its tip. He chuckled softly and she blushed, slightly embarrassed that he'd caught her looking. He moved back to the bed.

"If I had not wanted you to look, I would not have undressed," he whispered in her ear. He ran his tongue along its elongated lobe, causing Victoria to shudder.

He pushed her back against the bed and knelt above her. He put his hands on either side of her head and kissed her deeply before running his tongue along her jawline. She moved her hands along his back, letting them come to rest against his hips. She hesitated momentarily, then slid a hand beneath him and took hold of his member, gently tugging at the piercing. He moaned against her throat. He pushed himself back into an upright position. He gently nudged her thighs apart and positioned himself between them. He leaned forward to kiss her reassuringly.

"I will do my best not to hurt you, my love," he whispered.

"I think I've already experienced the highest threshold of pain," she said.

"True," he agreed, up righting himself again.

He took hold of her hips and slowly eased his way in. Victoria hissed at the brief burning sensation as the head of his penis tore through her hymen.

"Are you alright?" he asked once he'd slid his entire length into her.

"I'm fine," she reassured. "Proceed."

He pulled back, and then thrust forward with a little more force. He began to pick up a steady rhythm and readjusted Victoria's hips so that he'd enter at a different angle. She pulled her legs back, resting her ankles on his shoulders to allow him deeper entry. She cried out as his piercing rubbed against her g-spot. He began to thrust harder and faster as he neared his climax. Victoria screamed his name as he brought her to her own. He followed closely behind, spilling his seed deep within her. He pulled out, falling against the bed beside her. She turned to face him and he pulled her into his arms, holding her against him. She put her head on his shoulder, feeling his chest rise and fall rapidly beneath her. They lay in silence for a few moments; the only sounds their heavy breathing. Victoria rolled onto her side and he moved with her, holding her body against his, her back to his abdomen, their open mutilations pressed together. He kissed the back of her neck.

"I love you. I believe I always have," he sighed, sincerity in every syllable that passed his lips.

A tear fell from Victoria's eye, but she smiled. She turned to face him.

"I love you, too," she replied. Never in a million years would she have thought that she'd have such an exchange with this creature. She had thought him incapable of such things, but she'd been wrong.

"And I will forever be at your side," he added.

~[ ]~

Cenobites do not get sick, nor do they show any symptoms associated with illness. Nonetheless, he knew something was amiss.

"What?" Victoria asked. She was sitting on an outcropping of stone, stroking the Chatter Beast's belly. The dog-like cenobite was lying beside her with its feet in the air, its teeth chattering together cheerfully. Pinhead was staring at her, clad in nothing more than a floor length black kilt riding low on his hips. She smiled at him.

"You look sexy like that," she cooed. "You should dress like this more often."

"It is unprofessional," he said. "Do you feel…different at all?"

Victoria raised a perplexed eyebrow.

"Different like how?" she asked.

"I am not sure," he replied. "But something odd is going on with you."

Victoria stood up. The Chatter Beast gave her a disgruntled look and flipped over, watching his masters' exchange with mild curiosity.

"Are you okay?" Victoria asked, moving toward him and putting a hand on his hip, the other hand began to play with the piercing in his navel. "You're the one who's acting weird. What's up, babe?"

"Like I said, I am unsure," he said. "But it is something. Come with me. I must consult Leviathan."

The two of them walked hand in hand toward the revolving deity. Pinhead looked up at it, going into the trance-like state he entered when speaking to Leviathan. She had noticed that Chatterer, Butterball, and the nameless female also spoke to the god in this manner. She still had not managed this feat herself. Pinhead said that only the more powerful cenobites can accomplish this and that in time she would be able to do so as well; the idol had chosen her after all.

Victoria saw her inhuman lover's brow wrinkle in concentration, but then his eyes grew wide.

"How can that be?" he said more to himself than anyone else. He turned to her, eyes still wide in disbelief.

"What's going on?" she asked beginning to panic slightly.

"I would have called anyone else a liar, but I know that Leviathan only speaks the truth," he said.

"About what exactly?"

He moved towards her and drew her against him. He rested a hand against her stomach.

"A child," he whispered.

"What!" she exclaimed, drawing back. "I thought cenobites were unable to conceive."

"As did I," he said. "Leviathan says that in the early stages of the transformation there is still enough of your human self still present to make conception possible on rare occasions."

Pregnant. Victoria wasn't sure what to say or how to feel. Pinhead took her into his arms and held her. He always seemed to know what she was thinking or how she was feeling.

"What strange parents we'll make," Victoria said and began to laugh. Pinhead soon joined in.

~[ ]~

Adrian and Dimitri silently stared at the cenobite couple, processing the information they had just presented.

"Hmmm," Adrian said. "Very interesting…and so surprisingly romantic."

Dimitri looked Pinhead dead in the eyes.

"I owe you an apology," he said. "I was out of line."

"As was I," Pinhead replied. "I reacted rather harshly."

Dimitri approached the cenobite, who stood a good five or six inches taller, and extended his hand. Pinhead accepted it.

"Allies?" Dimitri said.

"Indeed," Pinhead agreed nodding. "I am taking good care of her."

"Keep up the good work," Dimitri smiled.

"You better hope this kid doesn't take after his daddy," Adrian said. "That would be a horrendous birth."

The other three individuals looked at him.

"You're a fucking idiot, you know that right?" Victoria said to him.

Adrian smiled.

"It's good to have you back, Tor."

ENDNOTE: I'm not gonna lie, I really love this chapter. I enjoyed writing Pinhead as a more sentimental guy, even though he is a master of torture. Bad guys can have sensitive sides too. I feel like I did one hell of a good job on that glorious sex scene (I'm just a fucking perve lol). I was originally thinking about taking a bondage-type route with it, but decided that was too impersonal for their first time (maybe later…). I also decided to use the Hellbound Heart description of Pinhead in regards to the tongue piercing (for those of you who haven't read it…Every inch of its head had been tattooed with an intricate grid, and at every intersection of horizontal and vertical axes a jeweled pin driven through to the bone. Its tongue was similarly decorated. It's an awesome novella and I highly recommend it.) I also decided to play up the idea of the genital piercing; I'd like to think Pinhead actually has a Prince Albert ;). I'm still not sure why the navel piercing is supposed to be an indicator to a genital piercing, but whatever… So I'm pretty much running on nothing right now so expect a wait before the next chapter. READ AND REVIEW! I worked my ass off on this chapter. You see how much I love you guys? 3