I'm sorry dearies this is the last one *tears* but I have one up my sleeve that I know you are all going to love if you don't love them already what am I saying you've gone this far.

Claire

I sat with my head on my knees curled up to my chest. The wind whipped vigorously at my hair like a bully. The shadows danced around me teasing, taunting, wanting me to give them some sort of satisfaction in retaliating. I felt the freezing cold consume me and hold me captive in my own body. I could hear the voices badger at my subconscious and begged them to go away. They never left. "I'm so tired of being here. Suppressed by all my childish fears." I felt my tears freeze on my face. "And if you have to leave. I wish that you would just leave." I heard the voices morph to rib me by my beloved. "Your presence still lingers here. And it won't leave me alone." I coughed as air began to contract in my lungs making me suffocate. "These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase." I managed to choke out and the vice on my lungs released. I cried out at cold air penetrated my throat and made me curl deeper into my ball. "When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears. When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears. And I held your hand through all of these years." I tried to stand up. "But you still have all of me." I managed to stand up only to be tackled back to the ground by the invisible forces of my subconscious. "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone." I pushed through the darkness. "But though you're still with me I've been alone all along." I crawled seemingly undetected by my merciless tormentors. I was fighting between reality and fiction. Between life and dreams. And the dreams and fiction were winning. I was shoved back and I rolled and felt myself falling. Down, down, down, down…..Until I wasn't. Light blared in my unadjusted eyes and I winced. I was caught in the halo and was suspended in midair as if I was being abducted. I stared into the light feeling airy and magical almost. I tried to move, but I was paralyzed. I seemed okay with that. Almost abruptly I was being tugged forward as if on fishing line. I felt myself go limp and waited what was coming for me.

Myrnin

I paced in the room; the only noise was of the beeping on the monitor and the sound of my mad ramblings. I finally called the friends and they were over in minutes. The young vampire stared at me for what felt like eternity.

"What!" I snapped and flashed in front of him. "I didn't do this. I saved all of you. Without me you would all still be that intruder's slaves." I tilted my head, my eyes swirling with red and a manic grin replaced my face. "Of course she was the one to lead the mediocre entourage of humans; nothing is ever done unless she has the will to do it, really." I leaned back, somber now. I slowly inched my way to the floor and crossed my legs laying my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I listened to the beep, beep, beeping of the heart monitor and the sobbing of the girl next to Claire. My, she cried a lot. Where did all of those tears come from? How could one person possible cry that much? I felt a cold presence, colder than myself, and I closed my eyes. Finally the great and powerful beauty arrives. I heard the blonde move and Amelie enter the room. I turned my head in my hands, slowly.

"Myrnin." She was cold and clipped. I stood up with a great flourish.

"Oh look the great hand that plays the pieces on the board begins to realize that the pawn she threw into the cross fire is more important than a pawn." I sneered with a smile.

"No," I growled and the girl stopped sobbing whilst the new vampire ran to her side. "Silence fool. I came to tell you that we have caught him." A chorus from the two erupted, but I felt cold inside. Colder of course. I turned around to look at Claire lying in the bed with a tube sticking out of her neck.

"But at what cost?" I slowly walked over to her side. The cheering stopped and the cold presence dispersed. Before too long everyone had left. Everyone. I was the only one left. Waiting for her. I hadn't left the hospital in the three days she had been here and I doubt I ever would. As long as the monitor was attached to her in this building I wasn't going anywhere. I held her hand and darkness once again rose to capture the sun. I felt her tense and grip my hand tighter. I watched her with hopeful eyes. She took a deep breath and gasped. Her eyes shot open and took a minute to remember what had happened. She looked at me and gave a pained smile.

"Hey." She sounded weak; weaker than before if that was possible.

"They caught him." I suggested.

"That's nice." She closed her eyes and blinked for a long moment. "Hold on. I'll make it. I know you're worried, but I'm a fighter. Just, hold on for me." Power charged through the air and I wondered if it was always going to be this way.

"I'm bleeding out. If it's the last thing that I do is bring you down. I'll bleed out for you." I sang softly not to hurt her ears. "So I bare my skin and I count my sins and I close my eyes and take it in." I closed my eyes and bit my lip. "And I'm bleeding out. I'm bleeding out for you." She looked on the verge of tears. "When the day has come that I've lost my way around, and the seasons stop and hide beneath the ground." I squeezed her hand careful of my strength. "When the sky turns gray and everything is screaming. I will reach inside just to find my heart is beating." I lifted her hand to my chest and I tried to imagine a heartbeat. I scrunch my face up in determination. "You tell me to hold on, oh you tell me to hold on, but innocence is gone. And what is right is wrong." I removed her hand, but she attached her nails into my shirt fabric and held me close. "When the hour is nigh and hopelessness is sinking in and the wolves all cry. To fill the night with hollering." I could hear the faint call of coyotes in the distant winds. "When your eyes are red and emptiness is all you know. With the darkness fed I will be your scarecrow." I tuned my ears into her own pitter pattering heart beat. "'Cause I'm bleeding out, so if the last thing that I do is to bring you down. I'll bleed out for you. So I bare my skin and I count my sins and I close my eyes and I take it in. And I'm bleeding out; I'm bleeding out for you." I felt icy liquid spill down my face and she reached up to wipe the tears away.

"Don't cry." Her voice broke and I finally opened my eyes to see her crying as well. I managed a meek laugh. She responded with one of her own. She patted her free hand on the side of the bed. I tilted my head releasing her hand. She managed to scoot over to make room. "Please?" She looked up with weary eyes. I stared back at her evenly. Finally I gave in unable to deny her request. I flitted almost in a blink to lie beside her and propped an elbow up on her pillow. I watched as she swished closer to me until she could wrap her arms around my midsection and she buried her face in my chest. I lay one hand in her hair and kissed her crown.

"I'll stop when you do." She chuckled and I loved that feeling as it worked its way through my dormant chest.

"Thank you Myrnin." I shook my head looking out the window absently.

"Don't thank a monster like me. I did this to you." I dug my nails into my scalp.

"You didn't wound me, you are not a monster. You have remorse and forgiveness in your eyes after you hurt someone. That is the last thing I expect from a monster. Thank you." She did it again. A low rumbled sounded deep in my chest.

"Are you going to keep saying that?" She nodded into my chest and yawned.

"Of course, along with this," She yawned again. "I love you." My unneeded breath hitched in my throat. Her steady breathing signaled sleep before I could register a reply. Finally I kissed her crown again. My lips lingered on her head before replying.

"I love you too, fyannwyl."

So here we are on my 20th Clyrnin story and I hope it was good I hope you liked it I will have 99 up soo too