DICLAIMER- Pendergast, Proctor and Constance belong to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Halo Spencer, Ryan Elmasy and the plot belong to me. -Gadget

CHAPTER 8 Halo's POV

"Take my hand; I give it to you, now you owe me all I am. You said you would never leave me. I believe you, I believe. I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing. Holding on to what I'm feeling savoring this heart that's healing." Flyleaf: 'All Around Me.'

It was Sunday, the day of Ryan's funeral and it was raining. I used to love the rain; I used to love a lot of things. The day before, while Grandmother took Constance shopping in town, I finally got Pend to relent to me. He had been reluctant and distant at first but sex is still sex and it still feels good. It gave me the temporary relief from my mind that I had so desperately needed and it had given Pend a way to work with his frustration.

When it was over between us, when our muscles ached so much we couldn't move and when my skin was with the bruises from his teeth; he turned to me.

"I'm sorry I can't be who you need me to be." He'd said and then he'd gotten out of the bed and left me to my thoughts. I had felt the urge to cry swell up in me but I had cried too much already and no tears fell.

I put my suitcase and my Grandmother's in the truck of Pend's car. He wouldn't be going with me to the funeral or to the airport; Proctor would take us to both. Grandmother was speaking to Constance in an animated way while Pend and I stood in front of each other. I stepped forward, wrapped my arms around his middle and held him as tightly as I could. He stood with his arms at his side, refusing to hug me back and after a few moments I moved away from him, resting my hands on his shoulders.

"I'll be leaving for Europe in August," I told him, felt the muscle move as he nodded. "I'm saying goodbye now so that I can just leave when the time comes. But I'll stay in touch."

He nodded again. "I'm sorry for this tragedy Halo, I'm sorry your love was taken from you so forcefully. Halo..." He paused and I looked up at him, my eyes were covered with sunglasses and he lifted them so that he could look into my soul. "Halo, I promise you that I'll be there when you take your revenge on Ryan's murderer. I promise you that everything will be back as it was in only a matter of time and I promise you, Halo, I promise you that you will be reunited with Ryan in the afterlife."

Before I could say anything Grandmother and Constance were at our side, Constance giving me a dainty curtsy and Grandmother once again crushed my ex-lover in a bear hug.

"Thank you for everything Mister Pendergast," She told him. "Thank you."

"It was no trouble, I assure you."

Grandmother patted his cheek and then turned to me, smoothing my hair back. I looped my arm with hers and sent Pend a thankful look and a slight smile to Constance. "Come on honey," Grandmother said.

"Goodbye Mister Spencer and good luck," Constance said.

"Farewell my friend," Pend said softly.

"Goodbye, and thanks again for more than I can say." Sunglasses covering my eyes, hiding sadness and the numbness that had started to take over; I slid into the car seat next to my Grandmother. She put her arms around my shoulder and told Proctor how to get to the church; I looked out the back window at Pend.

AUGUST

My things were all packed, my wizard things still sat on my bed. A twelve inch wand made of rosewood and a dragon-heartstring core. Hybrid wands could be very dangerous but my wand had always worked quite well for me. Also in the pile was a folded dress-robe; those were the only wizarding things I owned and saw fit to bring with me. I didn't have any textbooks or anything like that, everything magical was inside me. I owed it all to my bloodlines.

I had mailed Dumbledore yesterday after I had used a particular charm on his Ministry to convince them I had worked for them briefly before joining the FBI. It was a lie of course, a well crafted lie but one I needed to lay in place. Of course, with a little in-depth searching, the aging wizard would discover my lie and I would likely be sent to Azkaban. It was worth the risk, anything to get away from America, to clear away the memories. I just wanted to start over, to be someone else until I was ready to be Halo Spencer again.

"Knock, knock,"

I turned, Grandpa stood in my doorway. He had been bald for a few years now, he was stooped with his age but he would always be the life of the party and full of zest. Grandmother was a lucky woman and my mom had been a lucky child to have him as a parent.

"Yeah Grandpa?" I asked.

"You're sure you wanna do this?" He asked me, coming into my room to sit on my bed. He didn't give me a chance to reply. "You've grown up so fast Halo, nearly as fast as your mother. You look so much like her..."

Grandpa trailed off, looking around at all my possessions. Pictures of me and childhood friends and of my class mates back in Salem; pictures of Ryan. My trumpet set on the self next to my rows of journals and flying trophies.

"Halo, just be careful while you're at Hogwarts." He told me. "And you know, that no matter what the time, whatever the reason, your grandmother and I are always here for you."

I smiled. "I know Grandpa," I said.

"I know that you know, I just had to say it." He stood, clapped me on the shoulder. "Good luck with it all, my boy. Your grandmother and I love you very much."

"I love you guys too." I said. "And don't worry; I'll watch my back at Hogwarts."

"Good boy," Grandpa said and then left me there.

I walked to my shelf, picked up my trumpet and began to play. I looked at the pictures in my room, at the few shirts of Ryan's I had been desperate enough to bring with me and I put my heart and soul into the music. In my mind I could see Ryan sitting on our back porch, strumming along to my trumpet, his fingers gliding over the cords of his bass. I could hear it my mind, that deep sound, like the slow rumble of thunder on a stormy day. I would never here him play those songs again, never sit on the back porch and just jam, making up the music we played and then sit together laughing. I missed him so much and those feelings, the ones I didn't know names for, the ones I could even begin to describe took on a life within my music. It hurt, my heart ached painfully but I couldn't stop playing the song, couldn't stop the mournful, heartbroken sounds. My soul, and Ryan's soul- would live through my music for as long as I could play, for as long as my hands moved for as long as I breathed. I would play the trumpet for him and I knew, I knew that he could hear the music from his place in heaven with the angels. Ryan could hear my music and I would play until I couldn't play any more. For Ryan, I told myself; for Ryan.

END

The sequel is called "The Prince of Flame." – Gadget.