The thick metallic taste coated her taste buds, throat igniting in a sharp and fighting burn. With each second her stomach tightened all the more. It left a sour taste in her mouth, nose running, and skin coated in sweat. The sheets stuck to every inch of Beca's body. The room was humid, too humid for her to fold to any type of comfort.

Victoria grimaced, her sharp features shaded by the glowing candle- a scentless wax that filled the room with a dull shaded yellow. She didn't move to comfort Beca, knowing her counterpart would love nothing more than to heave in her own mess, having locked herself up in this room days ago.

She coughed, a dry and berated sound that made the young witch cringe as she dipped the white cloth into the bucket of cool water. It had grown warm over time, but it was still several degrees cooler than Beca was right now. She squeezed the fabric tight, letting the water run into the bucket before she leaned close to the girl.

Beca looked smaller than usual in the bed, the duvet clouded around her. She was pale, skin a sickly grey and coating in a layer of sweat. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her bearings. A bit of crimson blood collected at the corners of her mouth, something she didn't' have the effort to wipe away.

Victoria leaned against the side of the bed, her book put aside as she pushed the cloth against Beca's forehead, a sigh of relief pushing past her lungs. She wasn't even sure Beca knew she was there- or if Beca knew anything other than pain. It tore her apart, made her grief grow stronger each second.

"You know," She talked like she had been doing the last few hours. Even if Beca couldn't understand what she was saying, she saw her body language relax. "People told me that you weren't worth it."

Victoria ran the cloth close to Beca's hairline. "That you were stubborn and crude and dying anyway. Because let's face it, Mitchell, your family does not have the best track record."

She knit her eyebrows together, staring down towards the base of the bed. Her breath was soft as she draped the cloth over the edge of the bucket. Her chair creaked as she sat back. She was quiet, staring at the girl that kept her eyes clenched shut.

"I really hope there is a but somewhere in that sentence." Beca croaked out, dark green eyes shooting her way as Victoria all but flung herself at the woman. Her stare was propped open now, such a dull blue that they were almost considered grey. "Listing a woman's flaws while she' on her deathbed is a new level of cruel, Vic."

Victoria blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes, forcing a laugh past her lips. "Beca Mitchell, you are worth it." She reached forward, grasping her girlfriend's hand as she held it close to her lips. "I wish you would… Will you consider it?"

"Consider you plunging a knife into my chest?" She murmured, using her elbows to push herself up against the headboard, she shivered as the already heavy air coated her skin- squeezing the cool hand that gripped her harder.

"It sounds crazy when you put it that way." Victoria cowered into her words.

"That it does." Beca swallowed thickly, trying to quell the burn in her throat. "I don't want you to doubt yourself." She said slowly "But forgive me if I have reserves for a spell never done before."

Victoria couldn't fault her for that. Despite the Mitchell's having their edge of rumors rushing around town, the Henry's were local herbalists. They had cures for common colds and broken bones. But consumption was never something they cold remedy. Not until now. Not until the youngest of them sat beside her only loves bed, begging her to take a chance.

"I'm dying." She whispered, staring ahead. "I probably don't have more than a few hours, maybe a day," Her voice cracked.

Beca Mitchell wasn't scared. She didn't' let the fear in, not when her mother fell into a strong sickness and was probably rolling over in her grave at the thought of her with a woman. Not when her father turned to drinking and holed himself away in the pub, not even when her brother took off towards Colorado to test his luck with health there. But death? Death was new, it was the end. It was unknown, and she didn't want to face it alone.

"I can't do it," She croaked out, "If I am meant to die, then I will, Victoria. We knew this was coming."

She sniffed, not sure if it was because of the sickness, or because of the tears that were streaking against Victoria's perfect features. Again, she disregarded her own personal health and pulled herself closer, silencing Beca's protests as she tangled her hand in the woman's hair- pulling her forehead against the cold brunettes. "I can't lose you, Bec's."

"Just stay with me," The girl said, swallowing back the sour taste in her mouth. "Please. Just stay."

The air filled her lungs as she opened her eyes to darkness- blinking rapidly to quell the anxiety in her chest. Her body was buzzing, chest heaving up and down as the residual effects of the memory continued to replay in her mind. The dreams had been more often, lately. Reminding her of the time that she wished she could forget.

Beca held herself up on her elbows, clenching her jaw as she raised her fingers to her cheek, wiping away the moisture that had collected against chilled skin. Her heart was against her throat at this point- the woman glancing haphazardly over to her sleeping roommate.

Amy snored, loudly at that. Her covers thrown down on the ground as she tossed every few minutes. She never woke though, just moved. Beca had grown used to it over the months, happy that her companion was such a heavy sleeper.

Chloe was another story; the girl was cuddled into her side the thick scent of strawberry shampoo clouding her lungs as she looked down at the woman close to her. She had groaned at the disturbance, flipping over to face the wall as she pulled the pillow into her arms in the absence of Beca. She wasn't meant to stay the night- but the two of them had studied long into the evening before relinquishing to the sleep that threatened to overtake them.

"Are you okay?" Chloe whispered sleepily.

"Yeah," Beca answered, not sure if the girl was fully awake. Her pulse was slow enough to consider her passed out. Maybe she was, but either way, Beca couldn't shake the edge that stuck with her, grasping her own pillow as she hugged it to her stomach. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

Chloe drew in a soft breath as she turned over to lay on her back, placing her hand under her head as she stared over at the girl. They didn't talk much after that initial kiss- both girls recoiling into themselves as they focused on their studies, and Beca made regular trips home, just to appease her mother. This was the closest they had allowed themselves to get in two weeks.

"Is this about Blair?" Chloe whispered, breathing in.

"For once, no." Beca let out a bitter chuckle, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder as Chloe let out a content sigh once the instant contact soothed her. She scooted down, pulling the object under her head as she laid on her side, staring deeply into blue eyes that were so prominent that they even showed in the complete pitch.

She traced Chloe's features with her eyes. The girl didn't look like a vampire. She didn't' look like she could use her sharpened canines to rip a man's jugular out. Her stare turned into a crimson color that is so unimaginable until it's the only meal that appeases the insatiable hunger. She was supposed to enjoying her junior year of college. She was supposed to be living a happy life with an uptight roommate and maybe a few drunken nights. But not this.

"Hey, Chlo?" She asked after a few strangled seconds.

"Yeah, Bec's."

"I'm sorry." Her mouth was dry as she stared into sullen eyes. "For turning you. For forcing you into this life when you-"She stalled "you don't deserve to survive this way."

Chloe was silent for a few moments, breathing soft enough to believe that her lungs were barely moving in the first place. She had a determined stare and thick edges. She didn't know what to say- not at first. Not while the girl she had fallen for had such a tortured stature.

"I didn't give you a choice, Chloe."

"You saved me," The redhead finally spoke, voice cracking uncannily. "I don't know what your mother did, or… or how she killed me but I know you gave me a choice that night. It's not like you were holding me against my will at gun-point Beca. I knew the dangers and I still followed you willingly."

Beca didn't say a word. She couldn't' bring her thoughts together. Instead, she watched as Chloe reached up gently and tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear. It was such a soft and simple gesture. "This is how I'm supposed to be." She whispered, "If I am meant to be this way than I will be."