Warning: Chapter contains violence, gore and child abuse. Who can't read that stuff, just be warned. It's the flashback of what happened shortly before the first chapter so you have an idea what is about to come.

Chapter 4: Loosing Innocence

Something felt really wrong. Her gut tightened and a shiver ran over her back. She pulled Ivy closer to her body. The house was dark. There should be light. There was always light as soon as the sun got down. Somebody had left the door ajar. The door was usually locked. What was going on?

Why had she been so stupid? Bo had swept her of her feet, unfortunately on the wrong day.

She had been careless and happy when she shouldn't. It was late. They had forgotten the time when they were together. Lauren cursed herself. The permanent smile that had plastered her face the entire afternoon in Bo's presence was gone and the usual frowney, serious and scared face made a reappearance.

They still stood in front of the door. „Ivy I want you to hide, ok sweetie?"

Ivy just looked at her questioningly.

„It's a game hon. Hide and seek, you know that game..."

„But it's dark... And we should be inside..."

„Hide Ivy. Please..." Lauren sounded desperate. It was probably nothing, her crazy mind playing tricks on her, but she had to keep her sister safe. She didn't want her to see the things their father was capable of, even if it'd break her.

The brunette still clung at her side. Lauren slowly got onto her knees, looking the smaller girl in the eyes. Her look was pleading and desperate. Ivy was young, but she wasn't stupid. She could feel that something bothered her bigger sister. She just nodded and hugged the blond tightly.

„Go..." Lauren whispered.

She made sure that Ivy was in a safe distance when she slowly pushed the door further open. The hall was covered in darkness, to afraid to turn on the light, Lauren waited for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Being able to distinguish the Outlines of her surroundings her eyes stuck on a body.

„Oh god Helen..." Lauren whispered nearing the lifeless body on the floor. She had neer been her biggest fan, but she was Paul's and how much it hurt her also Ivys mother. They couldn't lose her, she knew how it changed a kid to loose their mother, Ivy being to small to remember.

She kneeled down and instantly got frightened by the horrifying expression of her stepmother's face. The most disturbing and psychotic grin she'd ever seen or imagined greeted her. Lauren didn't know that the corners of ones mouth could be in such an strange angle.

The blonds hands shook when she checked for a pulse. There was none. A bile formed in her throat when she looked down the womans body. Her clothes were partly ripped, but there seemed to be no injuries.

What the hell had happened and where was her father? She had to check on Paul, but first she had to call the police. Lauren took a deep breath and stood up, making her way to the telephone. The moment she picked it up to dial the number, she was slammed against a wall.

„Da...Dad..." Her voice started to shake. Her father was pressing her mercilessly against the wall. His eyes were glowing a deep blue.

„Minerva...my beloved Mina..." His voice sounded distant when he said Laurens mothers name.

Her heart was racing and her whole body shook when he cupped her cheek. This was worse than the other times. A hundred times worse.

„You finally returned..." His thumb caressed her face in slow circles, his body still firmly pressed against Laurens.

„Daddy.. please... stop..." The blond started to cry.

„This is not you... please... fight it Daddy.." she sobbed, but he didn't seem to hear her.

His fingers traced her jaw, lingering a moment on her chin just to make their way down to her collarbone.

„I thought you were gone... that you left me, even though you promised to always stay with me... You left me and took a big part of me with you... You were my mate... my MATE!" he growled. His features mor feral than human. His grip tightened and he pushed hard into her. Lauren squirmed, tried to break free, but her father was to strong.

„You knew what it meant for an Incubus to mate. You KNEW and you left me!" he spat.

„Dad... look at me... it's me! Lauren... your daughter... do you remember? You teached me to ride a bike... to swim... to..." she gasped when his touch had trailed further down. Tears were streaming freely now. He didn't seem to hear her, he just continued with his monologue.

„But then you returned... different... why are you so different? why don't you let me touch you anymore?!" The slap echoed between the walls of the hall. Lauren felt her lip splitting open and tasted a coppery liquid filling her mouth. It shocked her to see him starting to cry.

„Oh god... I'm... I'm sorry... please forgive me Mina...I... I wasn't myself... Please take me back. I know it was a mistake, but I took care of her... She won't stand in our way anymore. I know how you looked at her. I'm sorry...Please Mina... I can't wait anymore... You know my nature... I have to... I..." The air seemed to vibrate, his eyes turned darker and his breathing got heavier.

The things that happened next became just a distant foggy memory. Lauren tried to think about her mother and how she always showed her how the world worked. She thought about the first time she read a whole book, the first time she scrapped her knee and how her mom always seemed to take away the pain. She thought about Ivy, when she was born, took her first steps, said her first words.

Lastly she even thought about Bo. Her deep brown eyes that made her forget the ordeal of her life at the moment. Her caring nature although she didn't knew her. The blond tried to remember Bo's scent while the musky smell of her fathers aftershave funneled into her nostrils.

She blocked her fathers touches out the best she could, but there was still the distant feeling of his hands tugging at her clothes, cupping her breasts, tracing her curves. She cried miserably and begged her father to stop, over and over again, but he didn't hear her. He just continued to appreciate her body, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, talking to her like she was her mother.

She wanted to throw up, wanted to curl herself into a ball. She squirmed, she hit him, but he didn't stop. Never had she felt so helpless, so dirty so inhuman. What had she done to deserve this? Maybe she could have prevented it if she hadn't been so preoccupied earlier. It was her fault that Helen had died.

Then suddenly there was this really strange feeling. Something was tugging at her insides like her life was being drained from her. She felt light headed, content and it disgusted her how her body felt. She screamed internally, but not a single noise made it out of her mouth. Lauren couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried, her body disobeyed. She felt getting weaker, her breathing becoming more shallow. Was this how she was going to die? By some sort of demon who possessed her father? She knew it must sound ridiculous, that there weren't demons, but she had no other explanation.

Then suddenly the pull stopped. A hand grabbed her neck, choking her. The thrall being broken Lauren tried to loosen his grip and frantically pulled at his hand, but he was to strong.

„Who are you?!" her father growled.

Lauren tried to speak but the hand pressing on her trachea prevented any air escaping her mouth.

„At first you tasted like her, but on the other side didn't... And...And your eyes... Your eyes are brown.. they...they should be blue..." His eyes turned into slits.

„What kind of Fae are you? What kind of game are you playing? Are you a Kitsune? A Doppelganger? Tell me!" he tightened his grip on her neck, shaking her to emphasize his demands.

Fae? Doppelganger? What was he talking about? Lauren felt really light headed. Was she hallucinating words and things because of the cut air and blood supply? Her whole body was shaking, without her fathers hand holding her in place she would be long lying on the floor.

„You are not taking them from me, you imposter. Keep your hands from my babies! Tell the Ash or the Morrigan or whoever sent you that I'd rather die than let you harm them!"

Ash? Morrigan? Saving his children? Why didn't he recognize her?

She desperately clutched at his hand and kicked with her feet to no avail. Her lungs were burning, her whole body prickling like little bubbles floating through her veins. She couldn't see anymore.

She only prayed for Ivy to be save, to be still hidden somewhere. But this last hope, her last prayer was shattered when she heard the voice of her sister.

„Lori..." the fearful voice of the brunette sounded behind her father. Surprised he turned around and let go of Lauren, who slumped loudly coughing to the floor. Her hands touched her horribly bruised neck while she frantically tried to pull air in her burning lungs. Her muscles were seizing. She felt like she would pass out any moment, but every fiber in her body fought against it. Ivy, she had to keep her save, no matter what.

The blond stumbled while she tried to get up. After several attempts she was eventually standing a little wobbly on her feet. The world around her was turning, she was dizzy and sore. She grabbed a vase on the nearby end table and entered the living room.

Her heart clenched when she heard Ivy crying next to the destroyed coffee table. Without thinking she stormed at her father shattering the vase on his head. When he fell to the ground Lauren rushed at her sisters side.

„Ivy... Are you all right?"

The brunette just sobbed and pointed at the other side of the room.

„Pauly..."

„No..." Lauren breathed out, shakily walking to him.

„No..No No NO!" Dried tears started to flow again. Lauren felt like she lost the ground under her feet. Everything seemed surreal. Her little baby brother was lying on the floor, the same horrifying grin in his face like his mother. She slumped down, cradling the lifeless boy in her arms, desperately trying to wash that grin from his face, but the effort was fruitless. His eyes were staring at her, like they were asking why she hadn't been here, why she didn't save him, them. It was all her fault. If she hadn't met Bo... God... She couldn't lose it, she had to be strong for Ivy, but inside she was falling apart. She gulped down the bile that was forming in her throat, again and again. The acid was already burning her.

She took long, deep breaths to calm down at least a little bit. Trying her best not to think about what happened, she slowly made her way to her father to check on him.

He was still alive. unfortunately? She felt such hatred for this man for what he did, wanted to see him dead, but a small part of her was convinced that... that the demon was at fault, that her father was still in there. All the things he said about a Ash or Morrigan or him being an Incubus, those were things she had to investigate, to find a solution.

Lauren wondered if the heavy hit on his head might have brought her father back. She was trembling when she kneeled down. Her body struggled against touching him. Flashes of what he had done just a moment ago made her sick. She was so utterly disgusted of this person, so frightened that it took all of her strength to touch his shoulder to move him.

Her eyes widened when she saw in the familiar blue glowing eyes, a predatory grin flashed on his face when she felt something sharp enter her lower body. White hot pain spread through the very corner of her body. She felt the thing inside her moving, ripping her insides apart just to be pulled out of her. A trembling hand clutched at her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding and to keep everything inside, but it was just like a drop in the bucket.

The crimson liquid trickled through her fingers, forming a sticky pool of blood under her.

Everything felt numb, but on the same side it felt like only the pain, the agony of her wound existed in her conciousness. She wanted to scream, but no words were coming over her lips. She didn't feel, didn't see, didn't hear. She was the pain and nothing more.

Blood was pooling in her mouth, every breath hurt. All she wanted to do was to give in, to lose this fight because it hurt to damn much. She knew that she would eventually loose it anyway, so why delay the inevitable?

„I should hae kissed her" Lauren thought, but then there was a scream. Ivy. No. Not her too.

Lauren mobilized every inch of strength that was left in her, grabbed the discarded knife beside her and flung it at her father. She must have hit them, when she heard him cry out running out of the door.

Her muscles gave out and she hit the floor. Her heartbeat slowed down, her breath becoming more shallow. So this is what dying felt like. The pain seemed to vanish, everything seemed to get lighter, to finally falling into place.

Finally loosing conciousness Lauren closed her eyes, being sure that it would be for the last time.

A/N: Phew... that was... difficult I have to admit. It took me a long time to write it and I'm still not satisfied with the outcome. I hope you liked (okay as much someone can like something like that) it a little. You don't? that's ok too, but leave a review why you didn't like it. Still trying to improve my writing. I'd like to know what you think Ivy and Lauren are. I really do =) So... love you all for supporting this story and... before I get mushy or geek out a little myself (yep I really do that *sighs) I say bye bye and stay tuned
Joony