Author Note: Not next chapter but the one after that do they go to Amoris. I just don't wanna rush it (for once).
~CWA

Chapter 1- Ticking:

Annabelle:
My brother says that I can't keep doing this, but I know I have to prove this stupid watch wrong.
"-And so I said, pig? That's my wife!"

He laughed so I laughed. Gosh, this is terrible. I still kept smiling though. Terry was a good guy- I would admit that much. He had a polished look with his black hair was neat and his blue eyes just freaking shined. He was funny and awkward and not my type. But if I convince myself that this is my dream guy and prove the watch wrong it will be worth it.

"You're so pretty," Terry said suddenly and stared into my eyes, "uh? Oh sorry," he blushed.

I smiled faintly, again, good guy, very awkward and not my type.

"Thank you," I said politely. I think I'm going to gag on how fake I am being right now. Gosh, how low have I gone? Well, apparently not as low as I reached with Kevin. I mentally winced, yeah, thanks Kevin for poppin' a cherry and not calling back. Okay, ouch, that memory still hurts since that had to be the one time that I actually fully truly believed that I proved the watch wrong and was in love.

"You're welcome," he smiled, "Waiter! Check please!"

With that, I knew that the date was more than likely at an end. The watch was still ticking. I didn't even have to look at it to hear that damn tick-tock-tick-tock that was very faint but still very annoying. When we got back to his car, Terry was polite enough to open the car door. I smiled, okay, for a dorky dude he is eighteen (a year older than me) and has a cool car….I still like my motorcycle better.

Terry was even polite enough to walk me to the door. He smiled at me,
"I guess…this is it?"
I looked at him a bit confused and he sighed,

"Look…I know you don't like me all that much. But, you're a really cool, pretty woman. Honestly," he ran a hand through his hair, "but thanks anyway…for the great date, actually laughing at my cruddy jokes and being fantastic."

He gave me a peck on the lips and then waved goodbye. I was still staring at him as he drove off. He could tell? I slowly opened the door and Mason quickly ran to me and grabbed my wrist. He looked at the watch,

"Dang it," he muttered and then chuckled, "looks like you didn't find love, sis."
I scowled and looked at the watch, 00:05:10:06:50:18. I didn't really get it- five months? Seriously? Was that all I had left? And why did Mason have five months left on his too? That's weird. Either way, it wasn't going to be right.

Mom sighed,
"Mason, don't tease your sister…Last I recalled," she smiled, "You have five months left on your watch too….Oh! It's going to be wonderful!"

She cheered and twirled Mason and I around,
"Just wait and see! You'll stare into their eyes and they'll stare back….and boom! Love at first sight- literally! Just like me and your father!"

I keep forgetting that Mom had to deal with this stupid watch too. Mom was a fairy, but she was a nonseer (a fairy without magic). It seemed the magic gene from her mother (who was a fairy) only got passed down to Auntie (Mom's sister). Grandma was a cool fairy though (even if she couldn't get the damn watch off). Grandpa wasn't a fairy, he was a normal human- just like Dad was. In a way, that made part fairy, or at least like 1/3 or something. I hate thinking about that though since my life is fucked up enough as it is. Besides, I didn't have that much magic in me. Mason didn't have any magic though. That was weird since we were paternal twins.

I had enough of Mom so I headed up to my room that was upstairs. I could still hear Mason's laughter so I assumed that Dad probably made one of his jokes again. 'I thought fairies had wings.' Most of his jokes were the cheesy ones though. The type were you throw a watch out the window and say 'wow times flies.' I didn't like the jokes but Mason loved them. No wonder he's the favorite twin, I thought bitterly.

I locked my bedroom door and looked at myself in the mirror. Sometimes I wonder…am I trying to prove the watch wrong or am I just scared that I'll end alone? I knew that I wasn't anything spectacular to look at. Some might have considered me cute though- I had a cute face. But besides that I had nothing. Literally. I frowned at my B-cup chest, maybe Auntie knows some magic for that. I had a bit of a short frame and I was petite. I looked like I would break if I just bent the wrong way. My skin was really pale- hence why Mom always compared me to a porcelain doll. My hair was really long and pure black and my eyes were a dull shade of brown. Bleh- black hair and brown eyes. Yet, it worked for my brother. He was perfect. I scowled, of course he's perfect he's always perfect. His black hair was always perfectly nice and his brown eyes always seemed to be shining with excitement. Stupid perfect twin.

I guessed that my looks combined with my attitude was the reason I had no friends. Never had friends, but Mason has too many friends to count. I bitterly scoffed.

000000000

I was woken up from my sleep in the car by screaming. We were on our way to the fair and it was a long ride so I decided to sleep. Then, I jolted awake. Mason looked horrified. Mom and Dad seemed scared. What's going on? Then I saw it. The truck. That large delivery truck that was so much bigger than our tiny little car….and it was sliding on the ice…towards us. We were sliding too and there was no escape. In horror, I grabbed Mason's arm and I buried myself into his shoulder. He was surprised but soon he just petted my hair,
"…Shh…it's okay…"
All of this is happening in just a span of twenty seconds. It seemed longer. The truck collided with our car. Dad was instantly dead and I screamed. Mason's grip around me seemed to tighten. Mom was…she was almost dead. I could hear the sound of distant sirens.

"I love you," Mom cried, "I love you both….," she looked at me, "be good, my porcelain doll."
"No," I screamed as Mom passed. I cried. I was crying. I faintly saw some pink go from my fingertips and sink into Mason's arm.

00000000000

When I woke up again, I was screaming and I was in an unfamiliar place. It took me a full minute to realize that I was in the hospital bed and Mason was sitting next to me.

"What happened," I asked and then winced. My voice was hoarse and scratchy. I tried to sit up, but Mason put me back down,

"You need to be careful," he said softly, "you're hurt pretty bad."
He sighed and I looked at myself. I noticed I was in a gown, I had an IV, and I felt pain in my side. I winced.
"You were hurt on your side pretty badly, some metal got you," he explained, "they needed stitches."
I took a look at my brother and noticed that he didn't have any injuries. Of course he doesn't, he's perfect, I thought a bit bitterly.
"Oh don't make that face," Auntie tsk'ed and I realized that she was in the room too. For once, she wasn't in the fairy outfit she usually wore. She had on normal jeans and a light purple shirt- it was the most normal that I have seen her. Her eyes were puffy and red- she had been crying.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered as she hugged me and Mason gently, "…they placed you under my care."

"Your care," I asked slowly…and then I remembered Mom's face, Dad's face, their blood. Mason seemed to sense my distress- 'an inner twin-sense' he called it. He grabbed my arm gently,
"It's okay, Sissy…You're okay, I'm okay…we have each other and we have Auntie."
Auntie smiled weakly and I couldn't help but smile faintly back at her.

"But…you're not hurt," I pointed out.

Mason rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly,
"Yeah…I don't know what happened it's not like I have…magic," he seemed saddened for a moment and then continued. Auntie giggled and we turned to her as she said,

"Your sister kept you safe!"
"You did," he asked me surprised and I was just as shocked,
"I…did?"
Auntie giggled again,
"You may act like you don't like him sometimes sweetie, but deep down you really do love him. I suppose that in your distress, you involuntary used your magic to protect your brother."
I looked at him, okay well yeah. He is my twin. I guess deep down I really do love the guy. Mason hugged me tightly,
"AWW! MY SISSY DOES CARE!"
…or maybe not.

Mason:

During the funeral, I kept looking at my sister beside me. It still amazed me how strong she was being. She was crying, but she didn't break down. She didn't throw a fit. She hasn't gone nuts. I cried too, but for the most part I was trying to be strong like her. I would never admit it out loud- but I did envy her in her more ways than one. She was stronger than I was, more outspoken and headstrong. Though that wasn't all I was jealous about- she had magic and I didn't. There I said it- I am jealous that she has magic. She used it sometimes and I was jealous since I couldn't do it. Now, I was just mad at her magic because she used her magic to protect me. It should be the other way around. I should be protecting her! Even if I was different from her- being a goody-too-shoes type of a guy. Not to mention I'm actually friendly.

Despite how different we were, she was all I had left all. I did love her- and I knew she was a bit…bad sometimes. She smoked, she drank, and she had sex- well once she had sex. She didn't know that I knew that though. I was her twin though- there was hardly anything I didn't know about her. Anyway, we were yin and yang- two opposites that complimented each other. I was convinced that part of it had to do with that we were twins…and now orphans.

I watched as they lowered the caskets into the ground. I had silent tears running down my face. Sissy was showing one of her few moments of weakness and was crying into my shoulder. Auntie was crying the loudest though.

Annabelle:
As I cried into my brother's arm, I glared at my watch. Stupid watch. Stupid ticking. How dare you tick when they're dead! It seemed like forever until the funeral was over. I hated that it was over. I just…I wanted them back. I wanted Dad cracking those stupid jokes. I wanted to hear Mom call me her porcelain doll. I wanted to hear Mom cheering at our watches so I would just complain about it. I wanted things to go back to where they were before.

And just when I thought things couldn't get worst- I realized something. Auntie was our guardian now. She didn't live here- she lived in some place called Sweet Amoris…I guess that means we're moving- that's just freaking fantastic.