It had taken Claire everything she had to get up and force herself to go to the gym on the morning of Halloween. The night before had rattled her to the point she spent the night staring at the ceiling in bed, unable to provide an answer to Cooper as to what was wrong. Time was such a precarious thing, so easily influenced by changes in decisions that the ripples made by a simple answer could turn into tidal waves by the time they reached some far off shore. But routines had to be maintained, that much she was certain of. No matter the tragedy that framed her life at every turn, routine was important. It was the only way to keep hold of her sanity, or at least what was left of it. Cooper assured her that he had the twins well handled as always but she was still reluctant to take her leave. The pair had been buckled into their high chairs and breakfast was well underway by the time the cowboy finally shooed her out the door with her motorcycle helmet in hand. The ride to the Caelum Training Center under typical circumstances should have taken nearly forty-five minutes but speed limits were more like guidelines in a world with no true laws and the Suzuki that roared beneath her was too powerful to say no to. She made it there in twenty-two minutes but it was just inside the entrance where her rapid fire progress came to a screeching halt.

?Lady Light, mail for you!? Ezio li Fonti called from the gym?s front office as she passed the door. Claire backpedaled and peeked her head in, her brow cocked high.

?Anything important?? She asked. Ezio thumbed through the envelopes and picked one from the pile, holding it up for her.

?Not junk but no return address. Want me to open it up for ya?? He answered, wiggling the envelope. Claire shook her head and stepped into the office to steal it away.

?I?m capable of opening my own mail, you know. Thanks for the offer though.? The handwriting on the front was familiar. Too familiar. Claire wriggled her thumb beneath the back flap of the envelope then slid her nail along the top edge to cut through the paper. A single piece of paper was within so she plucked it free, unfolded it, and grazed her eyes down the masculine scrawl of an excitable hand. Once, twice, thrice she read it, each subsequent readthrough serving to only solidify the arctic chill in her blood.

?Oh gods, Niko? what did you do?? She murmured softly. Ezio quirked a brow and stood up on his toes to try and steal a look at the letter. Claire quickly folded it and tucked it into her jacket pocket on her way back to the front door. ?I won?t be making it to training today, Ez, I?ve got a family emergency to take care of.?

August 5th, 2033. It was a date that echoed in her mind as she ran through the forest that played buffer between the training center and Caelum Manor proper. The birds in the trees were just starting their day, still stretching sleepy wings amongst leaves of red and gold that were getting ready to make their final descent to the forest floor below. Their soft songs urged her along until she broke through the treeline and made the final sprint up the hill to the quiet manor. Since Noct?s death, she had set foot within the house only a handful of times. Her visit this time would hardly be long lived though, quick as she was to press through the front door, locking it behind herself before beelining for a locked room at the end of a winding hall. That too was relocked behind her, leaving her to the warbling quiet of a room full of magic. A room filled to the brim with potential.

Before her, three portals glowed with soft light. Green, blue, purple-black. A fourth, inset against the furthest wall, carried no light but emanated an infinite number of possibilities. She passed the three active doorways and came to a stop before the empty gateway. Around its frame were a number of etched runes and markings, each speaking of the power of space and time and the responsibility she had to them both. Claire set a hand to each side of the blank gateway. In her mind, she conjured an image of exactly what she was looking for.

August 5th, 2033.

A Rhydin where everything was different.

A Rhydin where Kruger was dead.

Addie and Nick?s Rhydin.

She promised.

It was easier to nail it down when she added the two youngsters into the picture, pinning the source of their energy signature with only minimal effort. A brilliant red light sprung to life within the doorway, thrumming erratically. That was never a good sign. Claire exhaled and dropped her hands, stepping back from the gate. It wasn?t her realm so surely her meddling wasn?t against the rules there, right?

?August 5th, 2033. Enlightenment Park. Here we go.? Sucking in a deep breath, she stepped forward again, freefalling through the portal to go hurdling through the years and the timelines. Around her, the Crux spread out the many possibilities for each day, week, month, and year that passed so she had to pick her exit carefully lest she end up in the wrong place or time. Zeroing in on the exact point she needed, she caught the very edge of it and tugged herself through. The temporary time gate spat her to her knees on hard cement, shredding the denim over her kneecaps and staining the material black with liquid wisps of chaos. Quick to rise, she dusted herself off and looked for some sign that she had come to the right place.

The smoldering crater fast confirmed her fears. She had arrived before anyone else but after the last of the Order had departed. The forge was gone and she feared she was too late but still she jogged to the crater?s edge then carefully slid down the incline that led to the swell of debris within. Perhaps she needed to step back just a few moments earlier, surely then she could have stopped whatever had caused this.

No.

Because if she did that, then it would change everything both here and in her own time. Too many paradoxes could have easily been created from such a thing so, though she ached to do it, she climbed the rubble in search of her charge. Nick had asked, begged almost, for her to come to this point. To find him, his father, before strangers could. By that request alone she had to be late. There were others buried there, plum robed figures with weapons still curled in their marked fists even in death. In the very center of it all was a broken man. A powerful blade had nearly ripped him in two, leaving his body exposed to the elements though he bled no more. Across his broad chest a black brand had been left behind, burned into flesh and clothing alike to form a mark that Claire hadn?t seen since Raven had died almost three years ago.

?Son a bitch?? She whispered, dragging her fingertips down the fallen smith?s face to close his eyes for the last time. For all of the carnage, he still wore a cocky smirk across his mouth that she had been so accustomed to seeing in the rings, and for a moment she wasn?t surprised that even in his last moments, he still managed to go out with a bang.

?Mom?? The strangely familiar voice came from behind her and forced her to rise from her crouch beside Kruger?s body. Turning, she found a platinum haired boy that she had seen only once ever before. At the time she had thought he was a hallucination of a grief stricken mind but plain as day he stood before her, whole and solid in all the ways he hadn?t been the first time. ?Wait? you?re not? quite her, are you??

?Alexander? you?ve grown.? Claire said softly, in awe of the boy standing before her. He was lanky, built like his father to a height of something just shy of six feet by her estimate. The young man scrutinized her for a few moments, trying to figure out just why she was there. He looked over his shoulder then back at her.

?I just saw you back at home but you?re different. A past version? What?re you doing here?? He asked. His gaze dropped to the body at her feet, his eyes widening. ?What happened to Nick?s dad??

?I?m not really sure what I?m doing here? it?s? it?s a very long story. Your sister, is she here?? She asked, looking past the boy and up the slope to the crater?s lip. He shook his head, drawing her gaze back to him.

?She?s back at home crying over Nick leaving. Seriously, what happened?? Impatience limned his demanding question and Claire couldn?t help but smile sadly at him.

?Were you aware that Averia asked Kruger and Nikolai to go look for Adelaide?? She prefaced her explanation with just one last question. Alex had the sense to look guilty but eventually he nodded. Claire sighed and continued. ?Nick made it through, Kruger didn?t. I came from the point that Nick made it to? where Addie is.?

?Are they okay? Are they back here now?? Alex spun a circle to look but came back to face Claire, intent on an answer. It was her turn to shake her head. Alex?s expression fell.

?I?m sorry? Addie?s still back there and Nick? Nick asked me to come here to make sure his father was taken care of. But? there might be something you can do to help too. What have I taught you about the in between?? Claire bent back down to wipe away a smear of blood from the smith?s cheek. Her hand passed over the brand marked over his body and with a minor cantrip, removed most of it save for where it had ruined his shirt.

?That? we?re not supposed to interfere because the balance can get upset. But so long as the scales are balanced, then all is well in the world. Why?re you asking me about the in between? What happened to Nick?? He asked.

?There was a balance that had to be corrected? Nick forced it into correction with his own death. But,? she paused, holding up her hand to halt Alex?s inevitable attempt at interjection. ?But we must wait. Do you know how to find someone in the between?? Alex nodded. ?Nikolai dies on October 30th of 2016. Late in the night so it may take a little time for him to pass through. It?s best to align your search with the equivalent date in this time too. I wouldn?t ask this of you if I didn?t think you capable of doing it, but the balance must be maintained if you do this. You understand, yes??

?I can? I can bring him back here so long as we keep it in check?? He asked, his golden eyes rounded wide.

?You can say no, Alexander. But I?m under the impression that he?s quite important to you both. You can always talk to me, or at least older me, close to the time if you think it needs to be done. But I wanted to tell you this so that someone knows.? It broke so many rules so blatantly that surely the universe would find a way to punish her for her misdeeds. ?They?re coming. I should go. I just didn?t want him to be alone, you know??

?I?ll find a way. Nobody will know, I promise. But you should go, they can?t see you here.? He agreed and backpedaled to climb the incline of the crater. Claire gave Kruger?s broken body one last look and with a flash of red light, she disappeared.

Don?t Fear the Reaper

?Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew then disappeared
The curtains flew then he appeared, saying don't be afraid? ~ Donald Roeser

Inbetween: The Null and The Void

October 31st

Null and Void were palpable in the space between them. One sought to cancel him out, make him something that never was. The other wanted to drain him away, and in doing so make him nothing that ever would be. Nick couldn?t see or hear them. He couldn?t see or hear anything beyond his own voice, and even that he wasn?t sure about. Was it real, or in his head? If it were real, its sound was muted like there was nothing to carry the waves further than a few inches. If it were in his head, then he was certain that he was losing whatever battle was being waged. Aside from himself, all was truly silent. Not the noise of simply being by himself. He?d been that before. Where there was air there was sound, even if it was just the sound of it passing by his ears. He was breathing, despite the knife that was still lodged hilt deep in his chest. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe that was what cut his air off from making a greater sound. Then again maybe the rules didn?t apply here.

For a while it had been fine, Nick had been wrapped in a cocoon of peace. But peace without action was a curse. He had a body, but he didn?t dare reach out. Something told him that if he touched one or the other his fate, every fate he?d had or might have would be gone. He didn?t experience any kind of numbing or tingling from being in one position for too long. So far as he could tell he wasn?t on anything for that to be an issue. There was no ground or wall, no ceiling above. Not even the illusion of the sky to keep his attention. He?d watched Addie?s face until the darkness came. The sight of her grief still hurt him more than the blade within him. Nick hadn?t feared the reaper. He?d spit in its face, and dared it to do its worst. It?s worst it seemed was to do nothing, to give nothing not even warmth. He?d never been cold like this before.

There were other things that no longer existed here. Time had no measuring. Nick had tried, counted every beat of his heart, but he lost his place so often. Lost his place, taken someone else?s. Had he? Had it worked? Another flood of memories washed over him. A tidal wave of every emotion he?d ever felt engulfing him, then leaving him with only two. The pain etched in his friend?s face, and his own ache for the face he?d never see again. It would be never, Averia would not come here. No, it was simpler than that. She couldn?t come here. Even if she could how would he know? He?d seen nothing of anyone. Wasn?t he supposed to be welcomed by his family? That or perhaps burn forever. Hell was often what you made for yourself. Hell, it seemed right. Little Nikolai, cold alone and unable to make enough noise to get anyone?s attention. He?d felt it before, but couldn?t remember how many times. Within him he could feel pressure building. He?d felt that before too, but not for a very long time. It had been when he was a child, before he could manipulate the flame. It had been before he could manifest it, before he could do anything except burn with fever.

Then his father had been there to talk him down, sing him down was closer to the case. It had happened when Nick hadn?t been with his father. That was the first time he?d ever felt her in his head. The first time she?d known him in a way that few would ever understand. Averia, the air to his fire. Did she ever know that was the first time he ever missed her. She was standing right in front of him, always braver than she should be. She stubbornly refused to get away from him. When her mind left his, Nick missed her. She still stood right there, but in that moment seeing her wasn?t enough. Maybe that was the solution to his problem.

Nick stopped fighting the surging fires within him. He would not give in to Null or Void. He would burn and they would remain Nickless. Fire forgets, he heard the words in his father?s voice. He came to understand what he meant. On a daily basis he?d had to teach the fire what it was to die because the fuel was gone. It would remember for a time, then it would hunger again. It hungered now. Nick did not set it free, he coaxed it ever hotter. The blade in his chest turned cherry, then orange. It kept right on changing brighter and hotter, it burned like the fire had never done to him before. Its white hot edge seared at him, biting and laughing. It was earth, and it did not understand. Everything burns. It began to lose its form with every breath he took, each heart beat blunting a tip that was slowly reaching a plastic state. Nick pushed it beyond, that slow melt became a swift transmogrification.

Melted steel bleed from his chest, and still Nick encouraged the flames. His father had always thought he might melt his way through the world, or explode like a volcano. It was time to find out what. He had nothing left to lose. The pressure grew, but he refused to grant it relief but his flesh had its limits. Flames exploded through his blocking defenses, a miniscule sun too bright to look at. Nick?s arms flew wide with the concussive force, flames rising beyond his limbs and body a dozen feet and more. Had there been anyone to see, if that darkness could be penetrated by the light, they might have marveled at the sight of a phoenix rising on wings that spanned a hundred feet, and just kept burning.

Nikolai was alone, but he was cold no longer.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/08f8c07f7b246643be307d41593dc784/tumblr_mmjdaqNn7H1qgxvcyo1_500.gif

Claire had been very specific in her instructions given months ago amidst the rubble of a collapsed forge and in the wake of both Kruger?s death and Nick?s initial departure. So soon after leaving, Alexander had learned that it would only result in Nick?s death within less than three short months. Just what in the Hell had Averia sent Nick back to? How he had kept Nick?s death a secret for three months was still a shock to Alex but he managed it. Every single encouraging lie he had fed Averia that yeah, sure, Nick would be back eventually was a twist of the proverbial knife. He had given Nick?s death exactly twenty-four hours before he left the compound on Underwood Lane in New Haven, climbing the wall to shortcut his way into Battlefield Park. At most it was a fifteen minute hike, leaving behind his sister and mother who were none the wiser about just what he was planning.

?Wake up, you piece of crap.? Alex called as he banged open the door to the bunker buried in the heart of Battlefield Park. The heavy metal rebounded off the wall and shut behind him. Chained to a pole in the middle of the room was the Orionite he had dragged away from the scene of the forge collapse. The man was thin, his robes baggy and stained on his bony frame. The glow of the mark on the back of his hand had died away until all that remained was a red scar. Alex dumped his backpack in the corner, well out of reach of his captive. The man was already awake, eyeing his captor warily through sunken eyes. Though Alex had kept his word and patched the man up, he had only done the bare minimum to keep him alive over the past three months, bringing him food twice a day and hosing him down once a week. At first he had begged for his life every time he saw Alexander. Then he begged for death. Now he said not a word as Alex moved around the room to a wall void of ventilation or other doorways.

With a stick of chalk he began marking runes at regular intervals in a wide circle that flattened at the bottom where it met the floor. It took nearly fifteen minutes in which he worked in silence as he focused on transcribing the exact marking needing in order to open a gate to where he needed to go. The in between was such a delicate thing, always shifting and changing to suit those who resided there, but he was confident he had what he needed to make this work. If he didn?t? Well? that would be awkward. When the runes were in place, he tossed the chalk aside and returned to his backpack. There he unzipped the front pouch to free a pair of plastic containers. He tugged the lids from both and set them in front of the chained man. Fresh fruit, neatly cubed in one, grilled chicken, cut into thin strips and still warm in the other. Nudging them with his foot, he also unlatched one of the man?s wrists so that he could eat. It was more than he typically brought and the robed man devoured it with abandon, pawing it all into his mouth and barely giving himself time to chew before swallowing. While he did, Alex made his way back over to the chalk outline and gave it another once over.

?Welp. Here goes nothin?.? He declared, setting his hands to the runes with a forceful push of will. The wall within the chalk?s outline flickered a few times then burst into life with swirling purple-black light. That was just right. Almost. All it would take was a few simple words. ?Dimitte me ingredi.?

?What?re you--? The man began to ask only for a brilliant flash of gold to light up Alex?s silhouette. When the light faded, Alex was facing him again, wearing a satisfied smile.

?Enjoy your meal? My mother?s not much of a cook but Cordellia?s terrific, don?t you think?? Alex crossed the room to capture the man?s free wrist in his grasp. Though he struggled, he couldn?t compare to the youth?s strength and soon he had him secured once more. ?Don?t go anywhere. Your cameo is coming up real soon.?

Alex patted the man on his balding head and straightened back up. Whatever he had told the man had him squirming, his thin legs kicking futilely as Alexander made his way back over to the portal. Alex only looked back once before grinning at his watch and stepping through the gateway to the void between worlds.


Three.


Two.


One.


The burst of fire deep in the dark was right on time.

?What a drama queen.? Alex clucked his tongue, directing his drift through the in-between toward the unbearable heat in a realm of cold. A moth to flame, the platinum haired boy sought his friend in the pitch black, seeing in a way that only those with his mother?s gift could. There were others too, lost to the in between as their eternities were unraveled. Alex wasn?t here for them. Very few people in this world could have persuaded him to sift through the cluster of damned souls left to the decaying realm. It was like trudging through tar and progress was slow. He wanted to call to his friend, to assure him that he was coming, but sound had no place here. Instead he had to wait until he was closer. Then and only then could he reach out and if all went right, he could get a hand on Nick to jerk him from the endless drift that would have otherwise been his state of being for the foreseeable eternity.

?Remember that cameo of yours I mentioned? Yeah, it?s time.? Alex smiled less than sweetly as he strolled the room?s short distance to begin the arduous process of unlooping chains in order to keep the man confined and unable to fight his inevitable fate. Wrapping one end around his balled fist, with his other free hand, he stooped to pull something from the ankle of his sneaker. The sheath let the blade go with a soft whisper of leather. It was an impeccably crafted knife, wickedly curved and razor sharp. Though ornate and beautiful, there was no doubt that it was deadly. Alex had pilfered it specifically from his mother?s personal collection for a very particular reason. Chains in one hand, blade in the other, Alex gave the tether a yank to jerk the zealot toward the portal. The man dragged his feet, tripping and stumbling in hopes of not being forced to go through but Alex was having none of that.

?The sooner you accept what?s coming, the sooner we can get this over. Don?t make me drag it out.? He snarled, whipping the chains with such ferocity that it nearly jerked the man from his feet.

?Please? I beg of thee?? He rasped, shaking his head as he looked between the youth and the portal.

?You?ve spent the past month begging for me to kill you. Now I?m finally giving you a chance to serve a purpose greater than yourself and you?re gonna get cold feet? Tut tut now. Get your ass over here before I made this really unpleasant.? Jerk, yank, tug, little by little he dragged the man over until he stood on the opposite side of the gateway from where Nick was. To the other side, he likely looked like a blurry silhouette tinged in plum. Alex steadied the man on his feet and gave him a pat on the shoulder, spinning him until his back was to the portal. ?Better get praying to whatever big bad you serve because you?re about to meet ?em.?

Before the man could say a single word more, a lateral swipe of the curved blade slashed across his throat with such force that the resulting spray flecked across his assailant in a most macabre spread of gore. Each beat of the man?s slowing heart further gushed pulse after pulse of red, covering man and executioner both in the spatter. Alex tightened his grip on the chains, holding the man up even when his legs began to give out from the loss of blood. He was patient. After all, it wouldn?t take him long to bleed out but just as the man gurgled his last breath and the essence of his life force began to slip away, Alex shoved him backwards through the portal, releasing the chain at the almost exact time he latched on to the hand he?d had Nick place on the gateway?s edge. One good push deserved an equal yank and so he jerked Nikolai through the gap between the living and dead with enough strength to break the lingering hold the void sought on the older boy.

Nick was stretched, pulled in two directions at once as Alex jerked him towards the portal and the morass that was the in between sought to hold what it had claimed for itself. He?d barely had the chance to notice the body that practically flew past him before it began. Even with this new offering, the place was greedy to keep Nick where he was. His joints popped half a second before Alex?s efforts won out. If that had been it, Nick would have counted himself lucky.

Dying or rather undying pains filled him. Had there been this much pain when he?d bled out in Addie?s arms? Surely there had, but it was different. His awareness had seeped away from him in those moments. The worst of the pain had been almost unfelt. That wasn?t now, when his mind was as awake as if he?d just rolled out of bed. He?d just come from a place where every sense had been muted. When he touched the real world, it was like everything had been magnified ten fold. Where the killing stroke had been swift, in reverse it was a slow drag across a field of broken glass. Nick convulsed so hard he thought his spine would snap. If his muscles had tightened anymore it very well could.


Beat


The first real one his heart had done in the hours that separated death from this moment. He knew the difference now. What he?d felt, heard inside of him was in fact his own memories of what it was like to be alive.


beat


His heart tried to work, but there was not nearly enough blood within him. Not yet at least. He could feel arteries and veins expand as the transition continued, and every millimeter was like needles in his eyes.


beat


Nick?s head felt like it was floating. Oxygen rushed through his brain again, the sensation giving some relief to the agony of being raised once more. Stronger were the pulses of his heart, and then it came, his first real breath. Lungs expanded, and Nick was caught up in a fit of coughing. He rolled to his side, retching as lungs that had filled with blood sought to expel the contents across the floor of the bunker. The last of the Nick who had been seeping into the cracks and spreading across the stone. The seizure released, his body became limp, a puppet whose strings had been cut. He was breathing though, the stone was cool beneath his cheek. The air tickled his hair and sounded in his ears. His mouth had gone dry, the back of his throat was parched, it was its own torment, and yet still far better than the place he?d been. ?Thank you?? His voice was raw, had he been screaming as he undied? He only remembered the searing pain.

While Nick was busy undying, Alex was busy trying not to panic. What if he had screwed something up? What if he had brought Nick over only for him to die again? No, Alex didn?t mess things like this up. His sister may have been the perfectionist but Alex was no slouch either. He watched, wide eyed and bloodied though none of it belonged to Nick. At the beginning he nearly rushed to his friend?s side, intent on what he could do to help him, but that wasn?t how the balance worked. It needed minimal interference save for what he had already done and as such, he stood stock still in the bunker?s corner until Nick went still. Alex?s study continued, his breath held until at last he saw Nick?s chest move. He was limp but he was breathing and he wasn?t screaming, which was a plus. The relief that washed over the platinum haired boy was palpable but he wore sarcasm like a finely crafted armor as he moved to stoop beside Nikolai.

?Yeah, yeah. You done showin? off now?? He asked, offering the man a hand up.

Nick laughed, something that had been getting in short supply even before he?d found himself alone in the dark. Gravity was a relief, though his hand felt like lead as he raised it to take Alex?s. He looked around to see where they were. ?Yeah, let?s get the **** outta here.? Home, but what did that mean? ?You got something I can change into?? Clearly his clothes were ruined, something he hadn?t cared about when it was happening. He took a halting step toward the door and realized he was missing a shoe. ?Damn. I?m not going back to get it.? He shot Alex a cheeky grin, something that may have looked odd considering the whites of his eyes had gone mostly red. Hard to say if that was from the lack of breathing or from the seizure.

?On the way you can tell me how you found me. I?m going to wait with my story until we hook up with your sister. I don?t want to have to repeat myself.? Except that he would, because there were bound to be questions and he still couldn?t hold things back.

Once he had helped pull Nick to his feet, he let the man go and went first to close the portal in the wall then to retrieve his backpack from the corner. He hadn?t been anticipating both of them needing a fresh change but after unzipping the main pocket of the bag, he reached in and pulled free a plain t-shirt and a zip up hoodie, both neatly folded.

?You?ll have to deal with a half change.? He cut Nick a crooked smile and tossed both articles at him. Once his hands were free, he tugged the hemline of his own shirt up to use it to wipe his face and neck off. It left his torso, arms, and legs painted in a drying spray of red but at the very least his face was clean. Sort of. He might have just succeeded in smearing it around a bit but it was Halloween so there was that.

?Also, no hookin? up with my sister.? Though it sounded good natured in its teasing, Alex still affected an air of dead seriousness, squinting at Nick before slinging his backpack up onto his shoulders. Sure that his friend was steady, he gave the former gateway one last once over, rubbing his hands through the chalkmarks until they were no longer legible. With that done, he started for the bunker?s door, catching it and jerking it open with practiced ease. ?But yeah, I?ll clean this place up later. Let?s go.?

(Deepest appreciation to the player behind Alexander for everything that is written here.)

Averia crashed into him with all the fury of a tidal wave against an unsuspecting shore, her arms thrown around the back of his neck with little regard for the fact that it left her toes to drag against the grass since he was just a little too tall for her to reach. It gave her the right angle to bury her face against the side of his neck as if it might mute the unexpected sob that racked her body. It didn?t but it also didn?t dissolve into another torrent of tears as her fingers curled against him, feeling him out as if he weren?t possibly real.

?Nick. My Nikolai. You?re here? I? I didn?t think? your letter, you?? She trailed off with a soft shudder as her voice broke, letting a few moments of quiet soak up his presence and the wrap of his arms around her. There were questions, so many that needed answers, but all she could focus on was the fact that he had come back to her. Her begging, her pleading, it had all paid off. He was here, he was real, he was hers.

?Annnnnnd I?m going to go take a hot shower. Wake me up when you two are done smothering each other.? Alex said with a hint of exasperation. Averia was vaguely aware of him passing them and a few moments later, the back door opened and closed as he disappeared inside. The click was enough to jar Avy from her shock and she carefully leaned back from where she had hid her face.

?I thought you weren?t going to come back to me.? She said softly. In the haze of impending dawn, her eyes were wide and red rimmed, silvery bright like the twin moons that were settling on the opposite horizon before the sun could chase them away.

So many things would have to be said tonight, today whatever it was. Nick bent and got a better grip on Avy?s small form before lifting her off the ground. His gaze on her face was serious, she?d been crying. It was his fault. That had his eyes burning too. He admitted to himself that he?d hoped she might. That if he?d stayed there in the place Alex had found him, he needed her to do that much for him. ?I know, and I wasn?t coming, I wouldn?t be here now if Alex hadn?t? I still don?t know how he knew to look for me. I?m sorry, I don?t want to let go right now because it?s too much like a dream. One I don?t want to wake up from.?

He buried his face against her neck now, barely breathing. ?Don?t send me away from you like that again. I can do a lot of things, Avy. Take a few more, but not like that.? It was something that had been through all of his letters to her in one form or another. Only in this moment did he dare to say the words to her. They had to come from him, aloud and audible. He pulled back to look once more into the face he?d been thinking of for the better part of three months. The whites of his eyes were still ruined with red. He gave her a tentative kiss, something that stopped as soon as it started because in the back of his head he could hear Alex?s voice saying no doing his sister.

?Don?t let go,? she murmured quickly, her grip tightening in case he got ideas to the contrary. Averia, always so carefully composed, was a veritable mess. Surely some of it was exacerbated by the lack of sleep but she wasn?t used to being such a vulnerable disaster. As he buried his face against her neck, she did the same, nestling her forehead against the crook of where his neck met his shoulder. The hoodie smelled like Alex but beneath that she picked up the tang of blood and the scent that undeniably told her Nick was here. It was him, she wasn?t hallucinating. His quiet plea had her going still, her breath held to the point that her lungs ached.

?I?m sorry. I?m so? gods, Nick. I?m so sorry. I? I? shouldn?t have? it was too much? please forgive me?? When she exhaled so came the disjointed request in return, trembling with the threat of crumbling composure and the tears that would inevitably come with it. He drew back amidst her murmur, giving her a good look at him up close and personal, but before she could apologize again, his mouth brushed hers. It set her eyes wide but for all of its brevity it could have just as well been her imagination, her desires manifesting in the tingle that lingered on her lips. ?We should probably go inside??

Don?t let go, she?d said. He had no intention of doing so. Even after Avy had suggested that they go inside, Nick was unwilling to simply let go. How many times had she refused his offers to carry her through muck or mire? Maybe the right thing then would have been what he did now. He scooped her up and headed for the door that Alex had taken inside. He carried her through familiar rooms and halls, up the stairs and finally reluctantly as ever let her down at her own door. His lip caught between his teeth as he looked from her to the room beyond. ?I almost forgot myself. Maybe this wasn?t what you had in mind for a destination.? What had he been thinking anyway? Truth was that he wasn?t thinking, just moving to a place he?d wanted to be. But it was her place and her permission that he?d need to go that far. Maybe in the last second he thought of being caught again, and now that he had the chance he?d been begging every god he knew of for he didn?t want to lose it.

?Besides, Alex isn?t the only one that needs a shower.? The acrid smell of the in between had been mostly driven out of his nose by Avy?s scent. It did linger though, and he wasn?t sure if it was because it clung to him or to his mind. It was likely that his shower would end up being a bit colder than Alex?s. ?Let me do that, and I?ll answer all your questions.?

The hitch in her breathing was the only indication of her surprise as he slipped an arm beneath her knees and hoisted her off of her feet. To make it a little easier on him, she snaked her arms around the back of his neck so she could bury her face against him again. She knew every step of the way even if she weren't the one taking them herself. Rather than protest, she went along for the ride, savoring the quiet moment that stretched from the point of entering the manor to the point that he set her back down on her feet again. Once upright, she tried to ignore the spinning of her head or the pounding of her heart in her ears long enough to hear him out.

?I? this is fine.? She assured him, sucking at her bottom lip until she could rake her teeth across the pulp. Her room was an uncharacteristic mess, her bed covered in letters and crumpled paper where she had tried to answer those letters. It wasn?t even all of them since some were still up on the roof. The window was open, flung wide to have allowed her up onto the roof, leaving the room chilled though not nearly as cold as it was outside.

?You can use mine if you want? um, my bathroom that is.? Quickly catching herself, she nodded toward a door to their left even if she was reluctant to let him out of her sight. At the very least it would give her a few minutes to compose herself. ?I can grab you something of Alex?s to wear, if you?d like. He won?t care.?

Nick?s breath caught at the distraction her mouth had suddenly thrown his way. He tried to hide it, even if he couldn?t quite mask where his eyes had found themselves. ?I? That would be good. Both would be I mean.? Alex was only a little shorter than Nick, and anything was better than what he had on. ?Is there a fresh towel in there?? That really didn?t matter much to him, the only real reason he thought to say it was just to keep talking to her. This world was solid, didn?t seem like it was going anywhere. Maybe he didn?t have to worry about waking up and breaking the illusion. ?Never mind? I?ll just go do it and get back faster.? He reached out and brushed his thumb along her cheek, trying to make it forget the track of a tear that had held more than its share of masquera. By the time he turned away, he was already shedding the hoodie and heading through the door into a bathroom that was definitely Avy?s.

He let the water run to cover the deep sighing breath he?d been needing to take since daring to sweep Avy up off her feet and parade her through the house like he had rights that he was quite sure some people would insist he didn?t. He might even be among them. He stripped away Alex?s shirt, and the rest of his clothes. So far the only thing that had changed had been him.

He was staring at her, she was staring at him. Truthfully she couldn't fault him. After all, she had sent him off to his death and yet somehow he was there in her bedroom discussing the logistics of taking a shower. A shower in her bathroom nonetheless. She had to actively force herself to not think about that. Instead, her fingers touched to the spot his thumb had only just brushed against her cheek before watching him disappear into the bathroom. Some part of her was sure that if she followed, he wouldn't be there after all and she would discover that this was all a cruel dream. But once she heard the water running, she quickly dashed from her room to Alex's, shoving open his door without so much as a knock to go raid his closet on Nick's behalf.

"...the hell, Av?" Alex had only just stepped from his own bathroom, wrapped in a terry cloth robe. He tugged at the belt to make sure it was secure as he scowled at his sister.

"Drop the modesty act, Alex. We were womb-mates, remember. I'm just getting Nick clean clothes." She flapped a hand at him as she disappeared into his closet, pawing through his clothes until she found something that would suit Nikolai. Just a t-shirt and sweats, but he would at least be comfortable for the time being. When she stepped out, she couldn't help but frown. "Alex... what'd you do?"

"I don't wanna talk about it right now, Averia." He suddenly sounded far more tired than he had moments prior, pulling Averia's frown down further. His hand mussed through his wet hair then dropped with a dull slap against his leg. ?I did what I had to. We can talk about it tomorrow or next week after I?ve slept for awhile. Tell Nick he should get some rest too, he needs it, I?m serious. Now get out of my room.?

Shooed out of Alex?s room with more questions than answers, she scurried back to her own room and cracked open the bathroom door long enough to set the change of clothes on the counter lest she be tempted to linger. That was trouble by every definition of the word and so she quickly departed and instead took a whopping three and a half minutes to fret over a change of clothes for herself, swapping the previous day?s outfit for something far more put together even if she didn?t feel the part. It would do for the short term at the very least, and once she was re-dressed, she perched at the foot of her bed, intent on the bathroom door as if she could will him into finishing up and coming back to her.

Clothes lay in two piles on the bathroom floor, reusable and destroyed. Alex?s t-shirt and hoodie made up the first pile, while the other consisted of the things Nick had been wearing at the time of his death. The cloth had clung to him, stuck in place by day old dried blood. They were a stained ruin, much like everything he?d left in his wake. They would be discarded, Nick wouldn?t even miss them. He wished that could be said for everything he?d had to leave behind. Regardless of his original intentions, jets of near scalding water blasted into his skin raising steam and reminding him once more that he was real. The spray needed to be hot, to pull the remnants of his last moments with Addie from his body and send them redly down the drain.

This was the first time he?d been alone since Alex had come for him. It wasn?t the same, yet Nick hurried nonetheless. He didn?t want to be alone, to feel ungrounded in reality. The door had opened and closed to quickly for him to ask her to stay and just talk about anything. He felt stuck in his own mind, listening to an inner monologue that wasn?t so charitable about how he?d chosen to finish things. It wasn?t wrong, not about that or about what he owed Alex. What he?d done bordered on insane, and yet Nick was sure he?d do the same for his friend.

There was no surprise Avy waiting for Nick when he opened the curtain. He wasn?t sure if that was good or bad. It was likely both for different reasons. There was no question in his mind that he wanted her there. He?d have said as much if he could have figured out a way for it to sound less like a come on. It wasn?t like that for him. What he?d written to Claire was true, and he knew it. He could have done nothing, learned to be happy with another. Others had done so, would likely do so again. Maybe what he?d done was a coward?s way out, but nobody else was stepping up to be the person that Addie needed. They all had too much to lose. In his head he?d already lost it, which left him with everything to gain. The problem with that was, he didn?t want the gains of a life that was empty of Avy. He refused to be almost happy.

When he had a chance to think about it later, he might wonder why even though she?d kissed his mouth, he felt it in his spine. Other things were obvious, the need to close his eyes, the catch to his breath, even the parting of his lips as she murmured against them. Those made complete sense, as did the way he instinctively turned into her and sought another from her. It wasn?t the awkward thing he?d done with Addie, desperate to say goodbye the only way he could. It also wasn?t the brief moment from earlier. Nick wanted to kiss her, and took that moment to do it. He could taste the vanilla on her lips, and his own as he broke the kiss and caught his lip between his teeth. ?You are, and will always be welcome.?

He?d been a fool to go, done things he knew he shouldn?t because he was Nikolai. He?d gotten lucky in his friends, and their desire to save him from himself. Was it over? He had no way of knowing that either, part of it was. This part was just beginning, everything up to this point was, from a certain point of view, just making him ready. ?I?m here now, and I?m afraid you?re stuck with me, because no one else will ever be enough.?

Her interlaced fingers drummed out an erratic little beat against the back of his hand, a nervous fidget that helped her pull her attention away from the working of his teeth against his lip when he drew away. He had nice teeth, she noted. It wasn?t new news, but yes, she decided, she was quite fond of his mouth in general. Averia looked down to their clasped hands then back up to his face, sucking in a deep breath that straightened her spine and lifted her shoulders.

?Promise?? She asked, reluctantly freeing her hand from his for the sake of curling her fingers into a fist save for her pinky which was offered in his direction. Pinky promises were serious business or at least that?s what her expression said. ?There are far worse things in life than being stuck with you of all people? so pinky promise me that you won?t? I guess that you won?t listen to me if I ask you to do something crazy like leave.?

The change of her posture didn?t help matters for Nick, who?s head was already full of her. Did she need to remind him with every little move? His brain would have likely melted if she hadn?t freed her hand from his for the all sacred pinky swear. ?I don?t know if that will work for eternity.? Still he looped his pinky into hers. ?I promise not to listen if you ask me to leave. Never to go further than a place I can get back from if I can?t keep the first part, and never to willingly leave this life again, in either case.? It wasn?t exactly what she?d been asking for, but really who knew what she?d need in the future? Nick didn?t immediately release her, he had something that he?d need to say back. ?Now, promise me that you?ll be open when I am gone, but that you won?t forget.?

It was hard to go into this knowing that Averia would, like her mother, out last him by forever. What would he be able to do if she agreed and didn?t uphold her promise. Haunt her maybe? That would more likely be Avy, haunting herself. ?I want to give you as much of me as there is to give. Even if that means hanging on for a thousand years.? Not something he believed possible, but he could hope that maybe some of that fae or elven blood had taken ahold too.

?Just so long as you promise.? She nodded. As his pinky looped hers, she shifted, turning toward him and curling one leg beneath her as she did. He turned the promise around on her though, leaving her to try and fight off the pang in her chest that came with the thought of just what he meant. Her chin lowered as she licked her lips, defeating the purpose of the lip balm she had put on while he was in the shower. After a moment, a short nod followed as her gaze rose again.

?I could never forget you, Nikolai. I promise.? Avy whispered. After all, she had something within the same vein in the letters that he would likely never read if only because it made little sense for them to be sent now. He could have stayed in 2016 and she would have never forgot him even if he had never had the chance to be hers to lose in the first place. He could have died and much the same, she couldn?t have let his memory go no matter how hard she tried. While the twins? mortality was a contentious subject of debate, one thing was certain, she wanted to spend as much of it as she could with the big dummy sitting on the bed with her. ?For as long as you want me, I?m yours.?

In the back of his head he heard Alex again, snorting and letting loose with the words Dude, Phrasing. He wanted her, in every way possible, and that was the source of Alexander ?Jiminy Cricket? Caelum?s voice. Nick managed to cut off the wicked grin with a sigh. ?I want you forever, Avy, but I?ll start with today.? There was no mistaking the predawn that lit up her window now. The overcast sky made everything seem grey out there. He?d kept her up all night now too. Exactly how long would it be before her presence was missed? Surely not before the sun could come up and burn away the cloud cover.

?I should go, but I want to wait at least until sunrise. I know we?re both tired.? It had been held off, that same bone weariness that had sent Alex to bed. Adrenaline had been the first line of defense, followed by the shower in an unfamiliar bathroom. That too was draining away from him, and the only thing holding him in the waking world was the girl in front of him and the need to see the birth of the new day. ?I said should, not want to go. Alex probably cleared me a spot in his room.? If he hadn?t fallen asleep before thinking about it he would?ve. From Nick?s perspective there were days you didn?t want to miss the beginning of. Day one, his first day with Avy seemed like the best example.

"Don't go... please, not just yet," she quickly asked, tightening the lock of her pinky on his. For such a small hand, the girl had quite the grip with but a curl of a single finger. For as tired as she was, she was still coming to terms with the fact that he was truly there and even if he went just a few rooms away, she feared that she would wake up and it he would be gone, as if it were all a cruel dream. The twenty-four hour mark of having been awake was fast approaching and the prior day had been nothing short of exhausting. In short, she was dead tired. Or maybe that was Nick. He was the one who had died and evidently been brought back. That was likely a whole different level of draining. Avy was quiet for a few moments, mulling things over whilst chewing on the inside of her cheek. Finally she tipped a look back up to meet his gaze, caught somewhere between shy and hopeful.

?Stay with me? Even just for a little while. I?m? I guess I?m afraid to let you go and I?m scared I?ll go to sleep and wake up and you won?t be here. So? stay?? Quiet but clear, there was a touch of defiant conviction in her request, as if daring the world to say no. After all, nobody said no to Averia Caelum. Not often at least.

Nick pulled his lips inward, still trying to find the taste of Vanilla that had been thoroughly consumed already. He just watched her as she asked him, explaining with reasons that so mirrored his own. She may even recognize the look as something very similar to the one his father had worn when she?d asked them to go months ago. He didn?t smile, he already knew what his answer had to be.

Slipping his finger from her grip, Nick rose and stepped away from her. He wasn?t heading toward the door. Instead he stepped around the foot of the bed and bent over. ?Watch your feet?? He gave no more warning than that before giving a great heave to the antique monstrosity. Not that it wasn?t beautifully carved, but those old beds were always heavy. He managed to get it away from the wall enough to get behind. The Feng Shui gods might crucify him for this. Not really his fault as he knew as much about that as he did most forms of magic. It may not even be an issue, unless it was by their grace that he was here now. Still, he had to do this even if the reasons made no sense.

Nick twisted the headboard outward so that the foot of the bed faced the window. It left the entire thing in the center of the room. Quite likely it had turned Avy?s proper bedroom into a chaotic mess. They?d just have to deal with it later. When he was done, he reached to clear away both letter and crumpled attempts at returns. Those went to a nightstand, leaving space free to accept Nick. He laid down, looking up at her to see how serious she had been for him to stay. ?You see the things you make me do? Simple requests produce nothing but a huge wake of disaster. Come here and be close to me.? His arm went across the bed at his invitation, ready to wrap around her. His eyes were on her, demanding that she comply as he had done.

There was something familiar in the way he looked at her, an unfulfilled longing tinging the pull of his expression. But just like that he was slipping away from her, leaving her hand to settled awkward and empty in her lap. What she hadn?t expected, however, was the sudden lurch of the bed. A surprised squeak found her quickly pulling her other leg up onto the bed for the sake of doing what she was told. Grasping at the bedspread, she let slip a quiet giggle as he turned the bed to his liking and again when he laid down. His invitation was sobering though as she tried not to dwell on just what a mess she had made of the last time she had asked him to do something for her.

?The only disaster is going to be having to put this back again.? Hardly chiding, she crawled from the foot of the bed to where he laid, shifting aside to tuck against his body and drape an arm tentatively across his chest to where her hand could settle over his heart. Its beat was resolute, a defiant cadence declaring not only his continued presence but his intent to stay as well. If she had it her way, nothing would steal him away from her again.

?Thank you,? she murmured as she laid her head against his shoulder. The first hints of dawn?s sleepy fingers were beginning to infiltrate the sheer curtains over the window, leaving rose and gold to stretch across the ceiling in the first sunrise of November. For as beautiful as it was, she couldn?t help but tilt her chin up to study him in profile instead, memorizing every line and plane of his face as if it were the first time seeing him. Or the last. As an afterthought she added, ?For everything.?

Light and heat slowly worked its way along their frames. It would have to be enough to feel it, the rise of the new day he?d been so intent upon watching now couldn?t seem to hold his attention. Not when its brilliance was outmatched by a pair of silver hued eyes, and hair so dark it drank the light. Nick?s fingers played through it, a five toothed and callused comb that caught on individual strands as he worked them through her tresses. He let out a soft sigh, and shook his head. ?You?ll never need to thank me, not when you offer me this.?

Putting things back the way the were wouldn?t be a problem. Unmaking the mess he?d just created would be a pleasure, assuming something or someone didn?t come along to make it impossible for him. Some things hadn?t changed. Nick was still a slave to his impulses, at least now they were focused in the direction he wanted to go. His breathing gradually slowed, contentment at having her there, warm and firmly entrenched against him was enough to send him drifting. How long he held out, watching her until his eyes finally closed he couldn?t be sure. Time seemed to have different meanings in different places. In Avy?s arms it seemed to stretch out forever.

(Eternal gratitude to the player behind Avy for your time and patience... and your words too!)