(A/N: I'm not telling you anything about this chapter... except that there is a MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. Thank you.)

Pulling on her silky white gloves, Abbey stepped out of the time machine, Heath right behind her. She smiled at the oh-so-familiar way her heels clicked on the somewhat-cracked checkered pink tile. But something seemed off...

Abbey touched the tan walls, the old paint peeling, and she spotted a splotch of red. Red? The halls were never red before.

Eyeing the ground, she saw that the crevices were grimed with blood. Someone had been there before them. And she knew exactly who.

"We are too late. Someone else has already come."

Did it really have to be today?

Heath raised an eyebrow. "Who was it? Who did they kill?"

Abbey shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "I have come too late. It is the end of Abbey now."

Was it normal for a ghoul to get mad at you then freak out and act like it would be their last time seeing you? Heath thought not. "Wait, whoa, let's backtrack for a moment, okay? How exactly is it the end of you?"

Abbey scowled in response. "Because they have killed the past me. Will be gone in matter of hours. Is best for you to leave now."

"Why?"

"Because they will kill you, too. Want you to go back were we started, okay?"

"Cool... you're coming with me, right?

Abbey shook her head, multiple tears running down her face. "As of now, am supposed to be dead. I am time anomaly. They will come to get me, and then will be gone forever."

"And you're saying?"

"Do you not get it? I. Am. Dead."

"But... how? Will I ever see you again?"

Abbey sat down, leaning against the wall. She patted the area next to her, and Heath awkwardly sat next to her, trying not to sit too close.

"My enemy... her name is Toralei. She was the 'mean girl with sandpaper tongue' where we work. Like, the person who always ruin everything that you do. Until she quit. Then she join enemy agency, vowing she would get me one day. Just did not know would be today."

Heath crossed his arms. "I think you did know that it was going to be today. This wasn't a mission, was it? It was you trying to get me to help you save your ass. Well, I'm not."

Abbey shook him, gripping his shoulders. "Has it not occurred to you that I am going to die, Heath Burns? Yes, have blown cover, but at least care, right?"

"No. Honestly, I don't care," Heath frowned at the way Abbey was sobbing, but he continued. "You lied. I actually went in this so-called 'broken machine', just 'cause I was excited for adventure, the-"

"The what?" A small voice purred in the distance.

Toralei was here...

Heath's eyes widened as the feline hopped down from the old light fixture.

"Who are you supposed to be, fur-ball?"

"The name's Toralei, Toralei Stripe. Hello, Abbey. I see you brought your boyfriend along to protect you." Toralei? That name sounded familiar.

Abbey quickly stood up, stepping on the cat's tail, making Toralei give out a little yelp. "He is not boyfriend! He is assistant who cannot listen to instructions."

"Oh, really now? So you wouldn't care if I kicked him?"

"Kicking him is worst thing can do?"

Toralei smirked, kicking Abbey in the shin. "No, but it isn't the worst I can do to you, either."

Abbey gave her a sharp glare, then froze Toralei's feet to the ground. "You cannot kick if feet are stuck."

Toralei tried to break free, but failed doing so. "Let me go!"

"Never."

That was it. Toralei was Heath's old ghoulfriend. And he hadn't cheated on her, she cheated on him. He had gone back in time for nothing, and had caused the ghoul of his dreams to be murdered.

Wait, ghoul of his dreams? Did he just think of her like that?

Forget it, he had to help.

Taking one of the pictures off the wall, Heath smashed it on Toralei's head, causing the glass and picture frame to shatter.

Breathing heavily, Heath glanced at Abbey and smiled, but he frowned yet again to what he saw.

Abbey's panicked eyes darted from her now disappearing hand to Heath, who was frowning at her.

Abbey draped her arms over his shoulders, crying her eyes out.

Heath just stood still, unmoving, not showing anyway that he cared at all. This made Abbey cry harder.

"Abbey, what have you not been telling me?"

Making her tears come to a cease, Abbey explained everything as fast as she could. How Toralei had killed her last assistant. How she would be gone pretty soon. How he had made the job better. She explained everything she had never told him... Almost.

"...and there is one more thing have not told you."

Heath raised an eyebrow, knowing that in seconds she would be gone.

"What would that be?"

"Am thinking that like you, Heath Burns. Why have not said this, well, you must be wondering. Did not finally realize that until now."

Right before disappearing into oblivion, Abbey kissed his cheek goodbye.

Heath opened his eyes, only to see Abbey gone. Even after all the crap he had put her through, he had this painful feeling in his stomach and his chest, like he would throw up.

She had said that she liked him. Was all the heat of the moment or something? No, Abbey would always think things through.

He had to stop thinking about her.

Every time a single thought led to thinking about Abbey, it felt like a punch to his gut. He could normally handle things like a slap or kick, but this seemed to hurt ten times worse.

Why, heck, the flu would be a mere cold compared to this.

Stumbling back into the time machine, Heath punched in all the necessary numbers, and he went back in time.

(A/N: Hey again! Yeah, yeah, Abbey died. And I want to know if you want her to stay dead or come back to life somehow.

Thank you all,

-JackieLanternXOXO)