When I reappeared in Remy's living room, Hunter immediately told me to leave again.

You have to go back! he screamed silently. Please, go back.

What's wrong this time? I asked, annoyed.

Hunter was still curled in a tiny ball on the floor, nursing his broken arm and sobbing silently. I was here to help him - to get him the medical care he needed, and get his father to send him to live with me, so nothing like this could happen ever again. I had sworn to protect him, but instead of letting me do that, he kept sending me back to break up fights between a thousand year old vampire and a thirty-three year old weretiger, both of whom should know better. I would babysit my nephew happily, but babysitting two grown men was annoying in the extreme. I didn't want to go back again; if they were determined to kill each other, good luck to them.

He'll get killed here, Hunter corrected me. By the police, not Eric. He'll know when you're dying. The fairy bond will tell him. But he'll get here too late. He'll go nuts when he sees you dead. He'll kill Daddy. The police will find a tiger eating my Dad and shoot him. Please, go back and make him stay at your place? Only Eric can get here in time. You have to ask him to help, not Quinn. He can fly here fast enough.

Hunter's thoughts were a panicked jumble, even with his visions held behind the shield I created for him. He 'told' me his predictions so fast it took me a few seconds to understand what he was saying, but when I did, I was horrified. I was sure he and I would find a way to stay alive, to not get killed by his father, no matter how determined he was. But if we didn't... I shuddered at the thought and went to push it away again... until I realized that if there was any possibility I wasn't coming back, I owed it to Quinn to say goodbye.

I rested my hands against Hunter's face and carefully slipped behind his shields, to have another look at what might happen next. By looking at only a very small sub-set of his visions, I could hold off the vertigo that threatened to overwhelm me before. Remy had made up his mind to kill me, but he hadn't worked out how yet. He kept changing his plans, and that meant Hunter's visions kept shifting, the probability of each possible outcome changing many times per second. It was dizzying to watch, but with careful concentration, I found out what I needed to know.

I could save Hunter.

I would be risking my own life, but if I allowed Remy down from where he was stuck to the wall, the police would be called and the abuse he inflicted on his son would be revealed, whether he succeeded in hurting me or not. That was good. Once Hunter was away from his father, he would need Quinn to protect him and help him with his abilities, whether I survived or not. When I saw the possible futures in Hunter's mind, I was doubly touched to see how wonderful Frannie would be with him; she would be the one to make sure he had a childhood if I wasn't there, the one to take him out to kick balls around, climb trees, build sandcastles and do all the other things kids should get a chance to do.

It took me barely a second to make up my mind. I couldn't just leave Remy stuck to the wall and take Hunter away; the police would hunt me down and send him back to his father. I had to resolve this tonight; Hunter's broken arm gave me the best chance to get him out of here that I would ever get. If I didn't succeed tonight, Remy would do all the same things his own father did to get away with harming his sons, and Hunter's injuries would always be readily explained from now on. He would be just another accident-prone child, always falling off things and breaking limbs, slipping with knives and cutting himself, being careless in the kitchen and getting burnt...

Remy would move to a house with stairs, just so he could threaten his son with another trip down them when he 'misbehaved', i.e. did anything remotely supernatural. He would take his son to doctor after doctor, trying to find out why he was so 'accident-prone', knowing the whole time he was inflicting his son's injuries himself. Hunter would go through so many awful things at his hands that I couldn't bear to look at them all - and I was only looking at the next three years.

I couldn't let him suffer like that.

If I had to give my own life to save Hunter, that was a worthy sacrifice - much better than being killed by my vampire ex-boyfriend so he could boss me around forever.

He won't do that, Hunter told me.

No, he wont, I agreed. I won't let him. I'm gonna go talk to Quinn, OK? I'll be back soon, I promise.

Hunter nodded. Ask Eric to come help, please? he begged.

I ignored him and popped home again.

This time, Eric and Quinn were both sitting down in my living room. The atmosphere was still tense, but at least they weren't threatening each other now. I was pleased to see they had both kept their promise, so far.

"You are back again," Eric asked suspiciously. "Does your charge not need you after all? Or is there nothing you can do for him?"

"I have to deal with something here first," I replied. "I need to talk to Quinn alone. Can you please go into the kitchen for a few minutes?"

Eric went to protest, but when he saw the look on my face he left quietly.

As soon as Eric was gone, I snapped my fingers, gluing Quinn to the seat he was sitting in. A moment later I snapped them again, changing the spell so he could move just his arms. Then I realized the magic I used to stick him there would last indefinitely, which would be bad if I didn't make it back to release him. I snapped my fingers a third time, so he would be released automatically half an hour after I died.

He wriggled and twitched, working out what I'd done to him. Why are you doing this? he asked angrily when he realized he couldn't move.

I looked him in the eye and walked across the room to him, steeling myself to say goodbye.

You're not coming back, he guessed. You're going to die.

It's not definite, I projected, as soon as my hand touched his. I might make it back, I might not.

I'm coming with you, he insisted.

I sat down on his lap and arranged myself carefully, knowing this would be a hard discussion. He put his hands on either side of my face and pulled me towards him, so our noses were just a few inches apart.

Whatever is about to happen, I'll face it with you, he told me. Let me go so I can help you, please babe.

I shook my head slightly. Just hear me out first.

He looked at me expectantly, willing to listen, even though he'd already made up his mind that he was coming with me, no matter what I said.

Hunter's going to need you, I started. If I don't make it back - and it is an 'if', I promise - the police will take his father away. But Remy learned all his ideas about disciplining kids from his own father, and his parents will want to take Hunter. You can't let them do that, you have to care for him if I'm not here to do it. Tell the child protection people you were my fiancee and you want to look after him because I died trying to save him from his father, so he's all you have left of me. Take Frannie with you to meet them, she'll tell them you raised her and that'll sway them in your favor, especially when they see how much he loves you both. Once he's in your care, take him far away, some place nobody knows us.

You're the only one who can do this, I added. You're the only one who can protect him. Even if I make it back, I can't keep him safe alone. I need your help... especially because he just found out he can shape-shift. He could become a cute, non-threatening collie like Sam, but he saw you shift, so he wants to be a tiger. You're the only one who can convince him to learn to be other things, too. Please, do this for me?

I will, he promised, but you don't have to die for me to take care of him. Please, let me come with you.

You can't get there in time, I explained. It will all be over by the time you arrive. Seeing me dead... you'll go nuts, kill Remy and get shot by the police. You'll die. Frannie still needs you, and Hunter needs you, and your Mom needs you... you can't get killed for me.

But I need you, he begged, tears running down his face. Please, don't go. We'll find another way.

I'm trying, I promised. I'm looking for another way, and so is Hunter. I won't just let him kill me. But if he does... I owe it to you to say goodbye.

He nodded in understanding then, realizing how highly I must regard him to leave Hunter in his care. He felt honored that I trusted him so much.

Is this the only way for Hunter to be OK? he asked. Do you have to risk your life like this?

I hesitated for half a second, thinking of what Hunter said about Eric being able to save me, before I told him Yes, emphatically.

Eric could get to you in time, he accused, reading a bit more from my mind than I wanted him to. That's why Hunter told you to ask for his help before, he added, and I realized he had overheard Hunter 'talking' to me earlier, too. He could fly there and save you.

Yes, I admitted, but then he'll know about Hunter. Promise me you'll keep Hunter away from vampires, no matter what? Promise me you won't let him end up in the same mess we've both been in? Please?

He nodded, defeated. He saw no way around this, even though letting me face death alone went against his every instinct.

"I love you," I whispered. "I've loved you as long as I've known you."

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, holding my body against his as he sobbed. A lump in his throat stopped him speaking, but he was pushing all his love to me mentally, letting me feel exactly what I meant to him. I hadn't known until that moment; he'd been frightened his feelings would scare me off, so he'd carefully kept from thinking certain things around me: That he was certain I was his soul mate. That he felt sure we were fated to be together. That seeing me across a crowded room that first time had turned his life upside down. That when I woke to find him sitting in my room the morning after the takeover, he had waited to talk to me so he would have one last chance to watch me sleep, knowing he might never get to see me like that again. He needed the memory of me looking so relaxed and peaceful to go on without me.

He had many more memories to keep him going now, and that made me feel marginally better. I was glad I let him spend so many nights in my bed, holding me as I slept, even before I let him back into my bed in a more carnal sense. I was glad I fell asleep on his shoulder in front movies so many times, knowing how fondly he would recall the feel of me resting against him. I was glad I had claimed him as my own, formally accepting all he offered me in the custom of both shifters and fairies. I was glad we made love so many times in the last three days, giving physical expression to all the things we felt for one another. I was glad to have experienced his love, however fleetingly, and I was glad I had given him all I could in return.

Tears formed in my eyes as I realized what I had; what I would come back to if I survived; what he would live without if I didn't. Then I remembered the pledge; my obligation to die when Eric wanted me to, so he could keep me forever, whether I wanted that or not.

I couldn't find the words to tell Quinn how I felt about him, but my fingers traced the scar on his neck and he knew. That scar was forever; an eternal symbol of what we had shared, albeit for such a brief time.

I love you, I finally managed. The time we've had together... it's been the happiest of my life, and I'm so sorry it has to end. I'm going to leave this world on my own terms though, for a worthwhile purpose. I won't be turned into a monster. It has to be like this. I'm sorry.

When he looked at me again, his regard for me had been completely restored (and then some) from the shock of finding out about the pledge an hour or so earlier.

I hope you've been on the path long enough, he told me. I hope they make you an angel. You deserve it, babe.

I sobbed my heart out then, wishing I didn't have to do this, that I could spend a little longer with this wonderful man. Heck, I wished I could stay right here and grow old with him... but we both knew that wasn't to be. Saving Hunter was important enough to be worthy of our sacrifice.

I kissed him goodbye; perfect, pure love flowing between us as we each savored what would likely be our last moments together.

I heard Eric walk into the room behind us and clear his throat loudly, telling us we'd had all the time alone he would give us. I couldn't bring myself to look at him; couldn't tear my eyes from the man who wanted me to be an angel, to look at a man who would turn me into a monster.

Quinn gave me one last smile, his cheeks dimpling deeply as he gazed at me lovingly, his beautiful purple eyes still full of tears.

I smiled back and pressed my lips to his, sinking into his arms one last time.

Then I teleported back to Hunter, ready to meet my fate.