Chapter 13: Bad End

A/N: I ain't got no excuse

Clockwork sat in the middle of the couch, human disguise in place. An olive skinned man with white hair, scar going over his left eye, and obscured characteristics to define age. Sitting there, menacingly.

"I do hope you girls are doing well."

"'Doing well' my ass." Irene spat. "You force us out our lives, into your world, and expect us to perform errands for you."

Clockwork smiled and side eyed an operative. "That's something I prefer to be our little secret." He pulled his staff from thin air, before K and O could say anything, he rewound the clock. "Let's try that again."

"I do hope you girls are doing well."

Irene snorted and crossed her arms, "we've been better."

"Alright, hold on, who are you again?" O asked.

"Their landlord and family friend," he smoothly lied, "I live quite a distance. When news of a fiendish spector crossed my path, I came as quickly as I could." He stood up. "To ask the girls if they would like to terminate their lease and return to...their hometown."

"They can't go," O defied, "not yet, Velia still has a curse to break."

I cowered in my corner, I had hoped my silence would keep me out of this conversation. Guess not.

"It's not like she has to," Taylor piped up, "we could leave and let Vlad be as he is. It's not like much changed for the guy."

O and K shifted.

"Right?" Taylor asked, probably hoping for an answer.

"He hasn't been eating...right lately." K started. "We've been seeing less and less of him, his new secretary hasn't physical seen him once. Yet the few times we've managed to actually look at him…"

"He looks dark, like he's planning something." O finished for him. "And the eating...he's been eating coal, wood, charcoal, basically anything to help set a fire. I've seen him eat flint and matches for dinner once."

"There's no way he's eating all that in public." I finally spoke in disbelief.

O shook his head, "He's been sneaking it in his food, when he thinks no one is looking. We've tried to sneak in ghost equipment around him but, you know how he is."

A pinch of guilt tightened my chest. "How long do you think this has been going on?"

O looked away from, tight lipped.

"We didn't notice until two days ago, but we suspect it's been happening since you left." K nervously scratched the back of his head. "I was hoping to get him under observation immediately but, he's technically our boss."

"Well then, it's a good thing we have those roses out there." Taylor chirped. "Cause we can plan how to stop Vlad being more crazy."

Wait…I scrunch my face in confusion. Blood blossoms keep ghosts away, but how did Clockwork get here. "Clockwork, you're allergic to those said roses." I stated.

"Ah yes, I had two...helpful children uproot them. It's quite rude to plant something your landlord is allergic to." He smiled sweetly.

Banging could be heard from the door.

"Velia, Miss Velia are you there?" Vlad's voice sounded disparate. "Please, open the door."

"Fucking…" I cursed under my breath.

Everyone stared at the door, unsure what to do.

"I suggest you, oh what was that saying, rip the band-aid off all at once."

O and K may not know what Clockwork is on about, but I do. And I hate it.

I stepped closer to the door, K grabbed my arm.

"He's been more unstable lately, Velia, Jeanette," his knuckles barely brushed my cheek, "be careful. If he's really under that ghost's spell, make the question quick and the action quicker." His lips ghosted over mine, barely touching, before pulling back. "I still-" He stepped back, letting go of my arm, face like stone. "Make it quick."

I nodded and opened the door, Vlad suddenly engulfed me in an embrace.

"Thank goodness you're alright." He whispered, I slowly returned the embrace. "I thought the worst when the operatives didn't report your whereabouts."

I stiffen at the last sentence, did he have people spying on me?

"I sent them out soon after I noticed the Amity covered in green." He pulled back and glared behind me. "They were supposed to report your well-being immediately."

I heard nervous coughing and a low growl behind me.

Before Vlad could say anything I gripped his jacket. "Um…" what was I supposed to ask, "I have a question?" Damn it, what was I supposed to ask.

Vlad looked down at, waiting. "Yes?"

Blushing, I began to rub my fingers with my thumbs, jacket still in my grasp. "I forgot."

The sound of hand slapping face echoed in the apartment.

"Oh my God Jeanette, definition of intimacy." Taylor groaned.

Letting go of Vlad's jacket, I covered my face in embarrassment. Weakly laughing I finally asked. "What's your definition of intimacy?"

"My definition of…" Vlad stood still, mouth opening and closing, head shaking, and finally slicking back hair. "You've once informed me that you've once held affection for me. I wish for that to be true in the present."

My throat closed up, hands shaking. Tears welled up in my eyes, my voice cracked. "I can't tell you that without lying."

Hands covered my shoulders. "Then lie," he sounded so broken, "even if it's a lie, I'll still have memories of you saying it."

That's sad, I think, has no one, "has no ever told you they loved you before?" I froze in shock. I was only thinking. That wasn't supposed to come out.

Vlad barked a short wet laugh. "I can't tell you that without lying."

"I'm sorry," I latched on to his jacket, "you deserve it. Love I mean, at least at some point in your life."

Silence filled the air longer than it should. Vlad unwrapped his arms and gently pushed me away. "But you did, at some point, love me, yes?"

I nodded, not caring that K was behind me. "There was a point in my life where I could've said "I love you", and mean it. But, I'm not at that point anymore."

His lips thinned. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

Was there? I did date K for a small amount of time but, it wasn't long enough to develop actual strong feelings. Whenever I looked back at our time together, I felt pangs of guilt. Guilt since I only used him. Used him to get the press off my back, used him to get my mind off stress, I used him. Period.

I heard K take sharp inhale of breath after my answer. "No."

"Then-" I laid a flat hand on his chest.

"The idea of you is what I loved," I began "not the person. When I finally had more than a few minutes with you, everything that I thought about you was true. Just not in a way I expected." His heart raced under my hand. "Before you...I knew you weren't a good man, anyone that isn't blindsided could see that, I've...always had a thing for bad boys. But, your quick judgment wasn't in the factor." I rubbed throat with my injured hand. I flinched, Vlad made weak low noise probably thinking I was flinching at the memory. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think I've ever romantically loved someone after meeting them, and I have the habit to date out of boredom rather than...getting to know the person."

"Oof," Taylor grunted over K's whine.

"That's," Vlad paused, "it wouldn't have worked out between us. If we started a relationship that is."

Shaking my head, I agreed. "I'll admit, it would've been like starting a fire with a barrel full of water."

A smirk crossed Vlad's face. "What if we polluted the water."

"Sounds toxic."

Impatient coughing could be heard.

Oh yeah, this was supposed to be quick. "I," my throat felt like it was closing, "I love you." I lied.

Vlad's demeanor quickly changed, he stepped back, out of the forgotten opened door. My hand slowly return to my side, I stared as his panicked eyes went wide.

"What in blazes is going on?" He looked down at his clothes. "What am I wearing."

O, sweet and to the point O, did not hesitate to report what was going on. "You were being affected by a ghost that calls itself Infatuation. It is believed that you have been affected for at least three weeks."

"I, I," Vlad grabbed his violently shaking head. "It's all coming back to me." He looked up at me. "You-"

"Mayor, do you remember being infected?" K cut him off.

"No." He looked behind me. "Were there others affected in the same manner?"

"From what we've gathered, we have no definite results." O explained. "I was affected by the ghost and remember being infected, also I did not develop strange cravings as you did."

Vlad paled at that. "Ah yes, my...strange cravings."

"We'll this has gone long enough." Clockwork, who I completely forgot was there, walked towards the door. "Come along girls , it's time to go home." As he walked past Vlad, I saw Vlad freeze as red mist came from his mouth.

As soon as he walked past Vlad, my body felt numb and started moving on it's own. I turned around and faced K.

"Boredom huh?" He sounded hurt.

"Truthfully," my body said, I was no longer in control, "yes but, I'm not gonna lie, I had fun together."

K gave a smile. "You should be more blunt, it suits you."

My body stood on its toes and gave K a peck on the cheek. "See you around K." I turned to head towards the door, Vlad staring at me.

Taylor and Irene were outside already, as I made my way towards them, a hand stopped me. It was Vlad, he looked at me with question in his eyes before letting me go. His gaze was the last thing I saw before I was downtown in my hometown again.

"Are we on crack?" Taylor asked. "Because I think this how being on crack feels like."

"Wait," Irene's face distorted in confusion. "Did we have a shared illusion? Did we experience folie à deux?"

I looked at both of them in confusion. "What?" Was my intelligent response.

"We were just at the apartment, talking to fictional characters, then we're back here again." Taylor pointed to the ground.

"I thought I was having one of my elaborate daydreams, wait that was real?" My fingers twitched. "Did you guys develop mind reading powers?"

"I very much doubt," someone grabbed my hand, "that an "elaborate daydream" would cause an injury."

I looked at my bandaged hand and gasped at Clockwork's person. "What the hell."

"Damn straight "what the hell", I feel like need therapy." Irene's grasping hands looked like she was choking someone.

As Irene and Taylor tried to rip Clockwork a new one, I stayed in my thoughts with Vlad's gaze staring at me. Pleading, begging, for something. It feels engraved into my mind.

"If you would like, I could give you a form to see into my world as it progresses." He held an amulet. "All you have to do is press against a mirror."

"Oh no, I am not letting something that should have never happened back into my life." Irene stated.

"Yeah, if we're not going back, let go and move on." They both grabbed their things and walked away.

"What about you?"

I looked at Clockwork then at the amulet. I wanted to know what happens. I reached my hand out and took it, he disappeared immediately afterwards.

"Come on Jeanette, we got an overdue day to finish." I followed them.

After getting home, actually home, I greeted my mom and let my brother know I was home. It was as if I never left to another world for almost a whole month. It felt like a year, Irene and Taylor were probably doing more dramatic greetings to their families. I walked upstairs quietly, to not wake my dad, and locked my bedroom door.

It was still the same, walls covered in drawings and posters, floor cluttered with things I'm too lazy to put away, yet organized in its strange way. I put my things on the bed and quietly put everything in their place, still trying to process what I went through. Putting my shirts in the drawer, I looked up at the mirror. It wouldn't hurt to look. I glanced at the bed, staring at the bag the amulet was in. It wouldn't hurt.

Grabbing the amulet, I pushed it against the mirror. At first nothing happened, but then Amityville came to view. The scene looked as if it was rewinding, going faster and faster, until I saw myself being stopped by Vlad. It started playing forward.

Vlad and the operatives looked sad as the four of us left in Clockworks car, strange I don't remember that part. Vlad quickly sent a double to follow the car, his original form turned to look at the Operatives.

"I would like to know more about this Infatuation."

The scene followed the double. He stayed on the cars trail, never faulting. Soon as the car past the cities welcoming sign, it disappeared. "What in blazes?"

"Now, why were you following those girls?" Clockwork hummed.

Plasmius jumped. "You, you were the man she left with. Where did you take her?"

"Oh, I see, it was only one that you were following."

"Don't ignore the question."

Clockwork gave a smirk. "She's home, safe and sound."

Vlad scoffed. "How would I know if you're telling the truth?"

Instead of answering, the time ghost looked to the side. "Danny, could you thank your friends me again?"

Danny quickly made his way to the ghosts side. "Um, yeah sure. But, why did make them take those-Plasmius! What are you doing here?"

"So you know this ghost Daniel?" Plasmius folding his arms.

"Clockwork? Yeah I know him." Danny shrugged. "What you don't?"

The older halfa was taken back. "Clockwork, as in the time ghost Clockwork? That Clockwork?" He began shaking. "So, was she a ghost, no. Was she even part of this timeline?"

Danny cocked his in confusion, Clockwork shook his head. "She was not met for this timeline, but it was necessary that she was."

"Won't those eyeball guys get mad?" Asked Danny.

Plasmius clenched his hands.

"No." Both older ghosts said.

Plasmius flew off, with Danny looking confused and Clockwork staring at me, before the image faded away.

I took the amulet off the mirror when all I could see was my reflection.