Author's Notes~

I make a reference to the song 'Never Alone' in this chapter. I do not own the song. :)

Poisonous Wish

Part Three

Candace found herself shaken awake, pulling her out of the tormenting echoes of the words that now haunted her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring up first at the worry-filled eyes of Julius. Her sister must have been in the shop area.

She breathed deeply for a moment, continuing to stare up at Julius. "Was I...?"

"You were mumbling and twitching in your sleep," Julius explained, falling back comfortably into the chair beside Candace's bed. "And it didn't look pleasant..." his eyes looked over Candace, still carrying some concern. "I thought that waking you-"

"It's fine!" Candace assured, lifting herself so that she was sitting upright. "I'm glad you did...and I feel fine now. I'm energized and read to get back to work. Grandma needs some clothes done, we certainly can't afford to go out of business!"

With that said, Candace moved to rise from the bed but Julius quickly rose back to his feet yet again and gently pushed her back. "Wait now!" He shook his head. "Hold on...something's wrong, Candace. What's wrong? What's causing these nightmares?"

"Nothing," Candace insisted, though her voice and her expression easily gave her away and she was already sinking back into her bed in defeat.

"Candace..." Julius said softly, placing his hand over hers. "I'd like to understand, maybe be of at least a little help." There was a hint of pleading in his eyes. Julius truly wanted to know, he truly wanted to help her if he can. Candace, she hated to say, had her doubts. But...perhaps it would be better to let it out.

"Yesterday..." she began, her gaze straying towards her lap. "I was in the clinic...and Ramsey was there for Jin to treat Chloe's cough...and she was forbidden from going into the mines for a while because of it."

Julius tilted his head back thoughtfully. "Chloe loves spending time in the mines. She's often there with Owen," he commented. He then nodded for her to continue.
"Well..." Candace slowly looked up, trying to look at Julius straight in the eye without breaking contact. "She...she was so upset and...she yelled at him." Her lips were trembling slightly. "She..." Candace gazed slightly downwards. "She said she wished he wasn't her grandfather."

A faint gleam of understanding flashed in Julius's eyes and he gently squeezed her hand. "That phrase triggered something, didn't it?" he assumed. "What did it trigger, Candace?"

"It..." Candace again looked slightly up, attempting once again to keep her gaze locked on Julius without breaking it. "Well..."

Julius placed his fingers tenderly under Candace's chin, lifting it so that she faced him. "Someone said a similar phrase to you..." he said. "Or..."

"I-I said it..." Candace said, tears starting to gather in her eyes. "To my mother...right..." she gulped. "Right before she and Father died..." Now her tears were starting to fall. "I didn't mean it! I really didn't...but he was the first true friend I ever had."

"Who, Candace?" Julius gently pressed, stroking away the tears. "Who was your first friend?"

"Cloud..." Candace answered, her voice barely under control. "A stray puppy...one I found after school one day...but...he...he wasn't stray."

Julius seemed to be comprehending the whole ordeal. "He was already owned...and you had to give him up."

The blue-nett nodded, her lips briefly pressing together before speaking again. "They were travelers...and they were leaving and taking Cloud with them." Her gaze was now locked directly with Julius's. "And they did...they did!"

"Shh...Hey now, it's not all gloom," Julius said reassuringly to the sobs that began to escape from Candace. He pulled her forward into a gentle embrace.

"But he was the first who seemed to listen...who seemed to like me and who didn't judge me," Candace said, resting her head against Julius's.

Julius stroked her hair to calm the girl. "Sacrifices are apart of life," he pointed out. "You had to give up Cloud so that he can fill the heart of another family, and in return," he smiled down at her. "You received more people you can depend on, people who do love and care for you."

His words seemed to trigger something in Candace's mind and she pulled back slightly, looking up at him. There was another thing that bothered her still. "But my mother..."

"Loves you still," Julius said with a smile. "That hasn't and won't ever change." There was a slim fade of her guilt from her gaze, but there was still a look of uncertainty in Candace's eyes. Julius continued to smile and went on. "Tonight," he said. "We'll go to the graveyard where your parents' graves are. You'll see that your mother knows very well that you love her and she loves you back."

The moon was unmasked by the clouds and shimmering down on Harmonica Town that same evening. Its gentle glow seemed to dance off the smooth stones that hosted the names of Candace's parents that were neatly engraved.

Sitting on a soft blanket, Candace and Julius gazed up at the beautiful night sky that glowed with life, the sound of the lapping waves of the ocean bringing a sense of calmness to Candace. She was already feeling drowsy, but she didn't want to leave. She found herself at peace, comfortable, and soon was resting against Julius, who in turn had put a comforting hand around her.

Sleep had come.

She was swaying gently in her mother's lap. She could hear the soft song her mother was singing to her, and Candace recognized it, and began to sing happily with her.

"My love will follow you, stay with you, baby you're never alone..." her mother was singing softly, words that rang true.

There was a soothing breeze that came, and together Candace and her mother rocked in the soft, fluffy clouds of the blessed Heaven where her mother now watched her from. Candace was not watching from afar, she was her, sitting in her mother's lap with a sway of a rocking chair and the voice of a song.

Her head was rested against her mother's shoulder, her eyes slowly closing as the sound of her mother's voice streamed through her head like a creek making it's way through the calm forest.

No longer did she hear those awful words, those words that held no truth, not gold, to them. They had faded away, now locked away in her mind as a piece of history never to be revisited.

"I love you, Mother..." Candace said softly. There were, again, tears in her eyes, but this time they were those of happiness. The good kind of tears, the ones Candace liked.

"And I you, always," was her mother's response. "Know that."

Candace slowly opened her eyes. She was still in her mother's lap, but now before her was Julius and next to him, Luna, both smiling warmly at her.

Julius extended his hand. "Let's go home. Together."

With a genuine smile, Candace reached out and took Julius's hand and he softly pulled her to her feet and into a bright light.

Candace woke, her eyes opening up to the moon above. She was cuddled next to Julius, who too was awake and still with his arm around her.

It was a beautiful night, and Candace loved every bit of it.

Author's Notes~

There you have it! Three very short chapters. I hope you all had fun reading it! Thanks for giving it a shot!