We last left Shadow and John arguing, and her departure. Now they are out in the woods somewhere near the BPRD hunting for her.

John's POV

"What the hell do you think you were doing shouting at my sister for?! She trusted you with more than you realized you ass!" Hellboy shouted.

He let go of a branch, and it hit me in the chest real hard. We were out searching the woods for Shadow.

"You finally accepted that huh?" I muttered, knowing I was sulking.

"Yeah, my father came to me. He told me that there was trouble. And I show up to warn you all, and you're screaming at her!"

"She was kissing someone! I thought that it was sacred for a mage, but apparently not!" I yelled back.

"Did you ever think that maybe he was kissing her? I've had a bad feeling about this guy since we met him." Hellboy said.

"You didn't feel right about me either."

"That's different. I thought you were movin in on my girl." Hellboy said.

"I'm SO not your girl. I'm your wife." Liz said.

"In any case. You gotta find Shadow, and apologize to her! You had no right to shout! She's in danger! Act like you got a pair, and protect her!" Hellboy said.

"She takes pretty good care of herself." I said.

"You know, for someone who's in love with her, your pretty rotten at showing it." Hellboy said, getting in my face.

"I showed her how much I loved her; I was going to, when I walked in on her kissing that guy." I said.

"She wasn't kissing the guy! I don't know her very well, but I do know what her wolf mother said to me! She was in love with you, and bound to you. She didn't want to kiss anyone else!" Hellboy shouted.

Before I could argue the point against him, we heard a screech of pain come from the woods close to us. We ran to the source of the noise. We found Shadow, clutching a tree, crying out, howling. I felt my heart break at the sound. I reached her, but she shied away from me, something in her eyes that was confused and afraid.

She turned to Liz, and collapsed in her arms, crying.

"I can't understand her. Something happened that was bad enough that she can't speak." Liz said.

:Shadow.: I sent to her

:Leave me human!: She sent back, growling.

:Shadow… I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. What happened?:

:I am being torn. You accuse me of actions I would never do. Sister is gone, dying. All is taken.: She sent.

:Shadow…:

She turned from me. I told them what had happened. Then she seemed to prick up non existent wolf ears. She darted off, becoming a wolf, and we hurried off to find her.

By the time we did, it was too late. Phineas had her.

We had lost our way, I had no idea the woods outside our headquarters were so chaotic. When we found the clearing, Shadow was unconscious, in his arms. The vines and leaves that made up her jungle attire, had sprouted thorns, as if to protect her. But it wasn't working.

He laid her on the altar he had created, next to Moon. He had taken her, and she lay dying next to her sister.

He threw everything at us that he could, to stop us. I had gotten so close, but it didn't matter. I was so close to saving her. Instead, he plunged the dagger into her chest. She looked surprised, shocked. And then I watched the life leave her eyes.

"SHADOW!"

I didn't realize it, that I was the one shouting. The wind had picked up, like there was a hurricane or tornado bearing down on us.

"I am chaos! I rule this world! And the world it will become!" Phineas shouted.

Hellboy, an agent of chaos himself, broke free. He took on Phineas. Liz backed him up as I tried to free myself.

"Shadow, please Shadow. Don't go. I am so sorry, can you ever forgive me? I never meant to hurt you." I said my voice breaking.

She tried to speak to me, but could only reach out and touch my face. She closed her eyes as her life continued to bleed onto the altar around me.

"Shadow no!" I screamed.

I barely noticed as I sliced my hand on the knife. Phineas had taken it from her chest, most likely to complete the ceremony he was performing. No doubt tainted by my actions now.

There was a flash of white, as I threw myself onto her still form. When I opened my eyes next, I was somewhere else.

"You're in the land of the dead John. Hopefully you have come to fulfill the prophecy. My daughter has arrived before you. Snakehead, the man you know as Phineas, has completed the ritual with her death. To save my daughter, and the world, you must do what no other has done, save my son. Free her from the land of the dead." Professor Broom said.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I have to do? A quest?" I asked.

"Taking a soul from this realm to the living realm is hard enough John." He said. "After how you upset her, it's going to be even harder."

"How I upset her?!" I said, exasperated.

"It doesn't matter how you saw what happened. You overreacted. You might have listened to what she had to say. She is still new to how humans operate. She had no idea someone would resort to that kind of trickery to get to her power, or to separate her from those she loved. And you proved to her how horrible humans are."

I looked at Professor Broom and sighed. I went to find Shadow, who was sitting in the dark, so it was hard to find her.

"Shadow, I know I upset you, but please, at least hear me out. Do for me what I couldn't… wouldn't do for you." I said.

She just glared at me, and I sat down in front of her.

"When I saw what had happened, it looked like you were kissing him. It even looked like he was the one trying to get away from you. He played us all Shadow, even Hellboy. I was hurt, thinking that I didn't mean anything to you, that you had found another. I suppose that it didn't matter that you and I… when we first kissed… it bonded us. I've loved you since we first started training, but I didn't know it. It's been almost two years since we brought you with us." I said. "I fooled myself for so long, thinking I wasn't worthy of what people believed in me."

She looked at me, with disbelief in her eyes.

"IF you loved me, you would not have said such things." She whispered.

"I do love you, never think otherwise Shadow. I just… I thought you didn't love me when he kissed you. I was so hurt… I couldn't think straight, and everything kind of got messed up from there. Please, come back. If not for me, for your sister. She's dying. And if you just die, your letting that guy take the power you were given, and destroy the world, and that includes your jungle home." I said.

She stood up, touching my face.

"Why save a world that wishes to destroy itself?" She asked.

"Because, we need that chance." I said, pleading with her. "Because, no matter what has happened between us, I love you more than anything in this world or the next. I would gladly…"

"Do not finish that sentence John. Otherwise they will take you up on that offer." Professor Broom warned.

"Noted." I said.

"I…" Shadow started.

"I am so sorry Shadow, please, forgive me." I whispered.

"I will. Let's go. They need help." She said.