LIFE AFTER DEATH

Part Eleven: Action/Reaction

Tom's study was completely trashed, since he had suddenly flown into a rage at his very own incompetence. The sight of Ginny breaking down in tears was more than he could stand, and he had left her to be comforted by a maid. All he could think about was how it was his own terrible fault, he rarely made mistakes, but it seemed when he did, they had major consequences, just like now.

His baby could be dead, thrown in a watery ditch somewhere by some nutcase. It wasn't thinkable. Tom caught sight of his picture of Ginny, smiling adoringly down at her pregnant stomach, picking it up, he sighed. The picture had been a result of a memory he had of her, like using a Pensive, he had extracted the memory, and put it into the form of a still picture. Elizabeth had been much safer there, inside Ginny's womb, where she couldn't be kidnapped at all. He sat down; rubbing his temple, trying to think logically now his mind wasn't clouded with rage.

Tom's pattern of thought went in this direction; he would get his very best men searching every corner of the planet. Spying on anything suspicious. And a reward to whoever found her, even for the public. He would get everyone involved. Tom Accioed his eagle-feather quill, inkpot, and a dozen pieces of parchment, intending to write letters to his men, and then finally to his Minister of Magic, who Tom had personally appointed, who would get the message across to the whole of Britain.

He had already tried all forms of Locator spells, and none had succeeded; this kidnapper was clever, he must have put up all kinds of shields to prevent Tom penetrating his hideout. To prevent his capture, and eventual torture.

There was nothing more Tom could do now, so he left his ramshackle study, after he had sent those letters by Owl post. He made his way back to his sleeping quarters, not wanting to see Ginny crying any longer, yet, when he opened the door, he found her staring blankly at the floor as she sat in the armchair by the fireplace. He dismissed the maid, and stood by the fire grate, his back to her, with his arm resting on the mantelpiece.

Unable to resist any longer, Tom faced her once more, but she was now looking into the blazing fire, her eyes wide, and childish, and he had to look hard to see whether she was still breathing or not, for her body was almost impossibly still. It seemed she was in a total state of shock; all cried out, and fearing the worst. Tom wanted to comfort her, but in situations such as these, he always remained a realist. How could he console her when he had no idea if their baby would be safe? How could he console her when there was nothing to assure him? He remembered how hysterical she had been earlier on, and she had not eaten all day. She obviously wasn't very optimistic of Elizabeth's chances.

Now, all he could was wait, It was too frustrating beyond belief, to know that he could have prevented this, if only he had finished those Wards. If only he hadn't been so arrogant to believe that he was completely untouchable in his manor. If only….

Just then, Ginny burst into tears again unexpectedly, her head on the arm of the chair, and one of her arms dangling hopelessly as she sobbed. Tom finally took her hand, and bent down. "Ginny, come," he murmured softly, crying won't help this matter."

"It h-helps m-me," she mumbled, making it almost impossible to hear amongst her sporadic sobs.

"You must stop," he said gently, stroking her head. "I need you to think for me, for the baby, do you understand?" Ginny looked up at him as fresh tears spilled over her cheeks when she nodded. "Last night, when you thought someone was following you, who or what do you think it could have been?"

"I-I don't know at all," she replied, sniffling, "b-but, it did s-sound like a house elf Apparating." She pressed her face into his shirt, making him hold her. "What if she n-needs me?" she cried. "I w-want to h-hold her so much!"

"Shh, hush, now," he said soothingly. "I will find her, you don't need to worry, alright?" He lifted her face, and wiped away her tears. "Do you doubt me?"

Ginny shook her head. "No," she said quietly, "I-I want to believe you will find her, but what if she is never found, Tom? I couldn't handle it…."

"I wouldn't say I could find her if I couldn't," he murmured. "Now, come to dinner, you need to eat. Remember, we have a son also." Tom kissed her forehead lightly, and took her hand as he led her out of their room, and into the dining room, where Leo sat, accompanied by a house elf, waiting for them.

"You late!" he said in an accusing manner. "I a good boy for not being late."

"Yes, that's right," Ginny muttered gently to him, ruffling his hair as she sat down. "You're a very good boy, and Mummy and Daddy are naughty." She gave a slight smile, before looking down at her plate.

"Mama, you look sad," the young boy said curiously. "What makes you sad?"

Ginny looked at him, and kissed his forehead. "Many things, my love," she murmured softly, "many things."

"It is a new era, my love," she heard Tom murmur in a smooth voice, his breath making the nerves in her ear tingle. "And in this era, you will obey me completely, your thoughts will not betray me, your body will not betray me, and your soul will not betray me. This marks your final chance, my wife, and it will be your final chance to prove your loyalty to me."

"I understand, Tom," she whispered, looking ahead of her with confidence.

"You will no longer visit who you wish, or go outside of this manor where you wish, unless I give my approval," he stood in front of her now. "When you were returned to me, I was too pleased to have you back, that I let my mind become clouded, and I became too soft on you. This is a new era, Ginevra," he repeated, looking down at her with a blank look. "No longer will I allow you to elude me, or cloud my judgement."

She stood up, looking up at him, and reaching out to touch his face, until he held it firmly, and placed it back to her side. "Tom… I only want to show you that I have changed," she said softly.

"You will show me that soon," he said in a straight voice. "You will show me that you are a true wife in front of all my Death Eaters, in front of Ministry officials, in front of their wives, who remain loyal to them, who don't betray their husbands the way you have."

"But, I told you why," she said defensively. "You told me that you forgive me…" she muttered hopelessly.

"And I do," he replied, "and it is a rare thing for me to do, especially since you were conspiring to kill me, conspiring to kill the father of your children, and, worst of all, conspiring against me when you were pregnant with my very own flesh and blood," she looked down, guilt ridden on her face, although she had repented to him, he was still making her feel the way she was. "You would do well to fully appreciate my forgiveness, Ginevra." He lifted her face up to his, and looked down at her face with satisfaction. "You look beautiful, my sweet, and I will make love to you, tonight. For once, we will conceive, and the child will be pure of our attacks on each other. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Tom."

"Mistress Riddle," someone was calling her out of her slumber. "Mistress Riddle?" It was a feminine, human voice, and she opened her eyes slowly, finding the face of her personal maid hovering over her. "Mistress, Master is requesting that you go to breakfast," she said softly, her eyes sympathetic.

"OK," Ginny mumbled. What was the point? What was the point in doing anything anymore? Without her baby girl, she couldn't be anything but depressed, and teary. She tried to take her mind off it, and concentrated on the dream she had just had. It was like those others where she had been distraught, and crying, and those were coming true, the night before had been like déjà vu, and she knew she had dreamt it before. Ginny could only wonder whether this dream would come true, whether he would find out about her plans. She looked down, it seemed almost blasphemous to even think about killing Tom in the situation they were in right then, it seemed so wrong. Especially when he had been her comfort, and support ever since Elizabeth had been taken from them.

She made her way downstairs, and went into the dining room, where Tom sat, waiting patiently for her, but Leo was nowhere in sight. As if reading her mind he said "our son is taking breakfast in his room, I wish to eat alone with you."

"Why?"

"I am bidding you farewell," he stated.

"W-What?" she whispered. "You can't leave me, not now… I need you," she was close to tears already, even before he could explain why he was leaving.

"I want to search for my daughter, Ginny," he said in a placating manner. "I am Elizabeth's father, I can't stay at home at let my men get on with it. I can't sleep anyway, what is the point in staying here? I will be of more use to you, if I was searching for her myself."

"Then I want to go with you," she demanded.

"No, Ginevra," he said firmly, his eyes hard on her. "You have other obligations, like looking after our son."

"Tom, you can't go," she repeated. "I won't have anyone to reassure me."

"Ginny, I will write to you of our progress," he said in an obvious tone, giving a slight grin at her forgetfulness about Owls, and their uses. "With me out there, there will be considerable progress, a better chance of finding her. You understand this?"

Ginny sighed, holding her head. "Yes," she mumbled. "I understand. If you don't come back with her, I'll never forgive you, Tom," she said accusingly.

"Don't worry," he murmured. "Now eat, you need to remain healthy, remember that. And try not to be depressed, you should be reassured that I will find her. And I will murder whoever it is that has taken her, and caused your pain." Ginny supposed that if she had a twisted mind, those words would have been romantic, and would have warranted a kiss between them. But, Ginny didn't have a twisted mind, unfortunately for Tom, who leaned over and kissed her anyway.

The next few weeks were an unhappy blur for Ginny, and even more so when she had to act like everything was alright around Leo, who didn't take Elizabeth's disappearance very seriously. He merely thought that she would simply come back again when she wanted to. Ginny had wished she could have had the very same simple, and careless explanation, and be happy with it. But, she knew better than to be naïve, Tom had taught her that when they had first met, and a painful lesson it was.

Tom's letters had been nothing more than optimism, that didn't suit Tom very well, and Ginny knew that they were no closer to finding her than Ginny was, so what was the point of him being out there? This impatience came as an uncertain blessing for Ginny, as it made her come out of her slump, and start thinking….

That was how she had found herself in the manors' kitchens, speaking with the house elves. "Do all of you, every house elf that works here, report back to this kitchen?" she questioned. Her reasons for going to house elves was simple; the sound of the Apparation was definitely that of a House Elf.

"Yes, Mistress," they answered in unison, all of them dropping their duties to reply to her.

"And has there been anything odd happening around here?" she said inquiringly. "Or an elf who hasn't reported back?"

They all seemed to shuffle their feet, their huge eyes bulging in their sockets as though guilt was overwhelming them. "Mistress!" one cried. "Please do not punish us!"

"What is it?" Ginny said frantically to the grief-stricken elf. "What has happened?"

"Andriy is witnessings a disobedient house elf!" he wailed, tugging on his ears, as the others began to randomly search for items to beat themselves with, until Ginny stopped them abruptly, to their immense relief.

"No! I need you to tell me about this house elf, I don't want you to punish yourselves, just tell me!"

Andriy sat on the floor and sobbed into his hands. "I is cooking dinner for Mistress, Master is being away, and Yusef is being nasties to us, and not doing his job. He is being a new house elf, Mistress," Andriy explained through his sobs. "Now, he is being gone, tellings us that we will be having our heads cut off by his true masters!"

The others wailed and went to slam themselves against the wall, head first, until Ginny halted them in an annoyed voice. "Stop it!" she shouted. "Continue, please."

"He is sayings nasty lies about Mistress, he is sayings that Mistress is beings a dirty, half-bloods whore!" Ginny gasped, but let him continue. "Then he is gone, and sayings that his Masters is killings Master and Mistress!"

Ginny put a hand to her mouth, struggling for breath at this revelation. She stood up, leaving the kitchens and forgetting to say thank you to the house elves, as she ran to her room quickly and hastily. Once she got there, she yanked open the drawer on her dressing table, and picked up the quill and parchment that lay inside. She sat down, and pulled the inkpot toward her, and began to write messily,

Tom,

I have some useful news, well, whether it will help the search isn't clear, but it is important….

A/N: One of the reviewers got the answer in one, but I don't think it's that hard to figure out, I'm no good at being elusive, or trying to disguise someone. Absolute rubbish at it. Also, I know it's short, but I didn't want to bombard you with what is going to happen in the next chapter. Also, I am trying to make my chapters long, and will probably have long ones soon. This problem really bugs me!

PurpleRainbow: Your observations are correct. Oh, and I love your story, I plan to review the next chapter soon, when I'm not half asleep, and slurring my words.

SanityEscapesMe: Harry is dead and gone. However, I could bring him back with some voodoo magic, and make the story more interesting… hmmm….

Dracoandme: Thanks for your review. The writer merely wants revenge for being forgotten, and now, obviously, people have to pay attention, don't they?

Smileenov: I'm glad you think my story is amazing.

Brownonions: You should take into account Ginny's dreams, they display some truth, so maybe her dream in this chapter will come true, you'll just have to wait and see.

Hayakawa: It won't be too long, because it isn't the main plot, and I want to get on with main plot of the story, if there is one, I never know…. No, I'm joking, of course there is a plot! How was Taiwan?

Thanks for all your reviews, people, even though I don't deserve them for being a neglectful writer. Feel free to give me virtual slaps.