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fantasies-fairytales-n-fics · 2 months

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Thranduil and Josie Pt. 172- Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Summary: Rahl suffers the karma of a wicked silverbane trip that holds familiar faces, but only one is real. Best friends once of light ironically unite as allies of the dark. Leeanduil reacts to her mother's changes. Some playtime almost turns deadly as Josie's hypersensitive rage "snowballs". Legolas safeguards Lola, but not from Josie. Haldir's magic is needed again. Jo learns the past truths and her reaction is predominantly as Haldir had presumed it would be. Haldir takes control of an undisclosed plan after she turns on him. Garrett goes on a Jim Morrison trip and it's quite lucid. An old feathered friend soon comes in his time of need.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, nightmares, smut, sexual language, death, graphic depictions, blood and gore, violence,

Chapter characters: Rahl, Narcisse, Julian, Josie, Legolas, Lola, Leeanduil, random warlocks, Haldir, Josselyn, Bash, Garrett, Sarah, Ryan, Rosie, Freddy the crow,

Chapter word count: 11,797

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist:

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Rahl screamed from the cockroach infested grave that the silverbane poisoning had tossed him into and as the petrified warlock awoke from that nightmare, he found himself much deeper than 6 feet under as he delved into the abyss of another one.

"Wake up Rahl." a familiar voice deeply commanded.

Naked as the day he was born, he awoke in perdition and fearfully laid alongside a feces filled cluster of ailing and wailing sinners, all being cooked alive in the burning bowels of hellfire and brimstone....and now it was his turn.

As evil as Darken Rahl was, even he feared Hell and the one who ruled it, the Keeper of eternal damnation, the notorious angelic demon of many names better known as Satan himself, but it wasn't Lucifer who greeted him, for it wasn't really Hell. It was Stephane's special rendition of it, his chain bound iron box accommodated solely for domesticating Rahl. In Rahl's misapprehended mind though, Stephane WAS bad old Beelzebub and just like in the grave, Stephane's voice teased and taunted him from the darkness above.

"Welcome back Lord Rahl. They always say a third time's a charm. I've kept your soiled bed nice and warm for you as you can see, or maybe I should say...feel?"

"NO! No...let me out of here Master. This is a mistake. I am not supposed to be here! Not again. Not again!"

The voice echoed in thunderous laughter. "Yes, I am the true Master, aren't I? I was so very certain this was just your style. Surely, with all you have done, you didn't think you would see the pearly gates now did you? What goes around always comes back around. I would agree that you are right where you belong for locking me away. A taste of your own medicine indeed. Sorry, not sorry though, that there's no sugar to help wash it down."

"Yes...yes there is. Josephine!! Help me!!"

"Oh she is sweet alright, but not for you. She is only sweet for Stephane....which that would be ME. The one speaking to you right now. There is only one soul to one body and the meat suit you're loitering in belongs to ME."

"But I am you!!! I am Stephane Narcisse!!"

"How ironic. That is not whom you claim to be up above? YOU are Darken Rahl, which, by the way, does not even exist. You are the creation of a broken mind...and this....is your destiny. You can't fight fate."

Another voice was then heard. Your voice. "Stephane! Stephane, where are you??!!"

Rahl gazed up into the empty black space and he formed a hopeful smile.

"Wake up!!!" your voice shouted.

Startled awake from your command, a dream within another dream was entered, a mystical and quite erotic dreamscape per se in which he did not want to wake from....at first.

As Rahl's dilated blues moved about his dark surroundings, he found himself in two states of nature. One being that he was still in the nude and the other was the forest. Sighing in relief to be free of the nether regions, he closed his eyes and arched his head back to bathe in the illuminating shower of the full moon. The sigh soon became a surprised inhale as you spoke his name and stroked his face.

"Rahl. Lay back down and cuddle with me. I'm cold."

He turned and gazed into your also dilated eyes. So dilated that he saw his reflection, but it wasn't his. It was Stephane's....glaring back at him with warning. As Rahl fluttered his eyes to regain focus, Stephane's image faded.

"J..Josephine? How...you're really here?"

You traced his bottom lip with your thumb and giggled as you

"Of course I am silly? Did you think I was going to ding dong ditch? I want more of you. Come warm me up again."

As your hand slithered down over his solid aroused pecks, his hand swiftly grabbed yours.

"You don't want me. You want Stephane."

"What? Was it not your name that I was screaming earlier as I unraveled all over your cock...more than once?"

"N...No..I...I don't remember. This...this cannot be real. You're not real."

"Rahl...my love. I am very real. I am your Queen now, just as you wanted. Let me show you again that it is you and only you that I desire."

Rahl submitted and released your hand, allowing you to straddle him and take his mouth fully into yours.

"Mmmm. Do you believe me now?"

Rahl smiled and grinded his solid heat against your clit.

"It is definitely a start, but I think I need more convincing."

Your hand gripped his long girth and guided him inside of you. Rahl could not withhold the gasp that was forced from him as your wetness permitted you to slide clear to his base. Slowly, your bodies began to rock and roll as one and then faster and faster Rahl pumped as the wild cat inside of him was brought forth.

"Ah fuck...fuck Josephine....I...I can't stop myself...you...you have to get up."

"No...Come inside of me this time. I want, I need to feel you."

"I...I can't! You know what will happen. It will heal you and you...you won't want me anymore."

"I...I...I don't care...oh god...oh god Rahl...I...I'm coming!!! Come with me!!"

You were glued against him, rolling your hips like thunder through your climax which simultaneously brought Rahl to his.

"Jose..Josephine no, get up!! Ahhhh....ahhhh fuckkkkk....fuckkk...me...god....damn...it...ahhhhh."

As you lifted your head from Rahl's neck and brought your eyes to his, you sprung off of him in panic.

"Oh my god...I...I'm healed! Stephane, you...you did it! You brought me back and now I am going to bring you back!"

Rahl arose with hurt, gaping eyes. "I..I am not Stephane. I am Rahl! You...you used me. You're...MY Queen. How could you do this to me?? I thought you loved me???"

Your satirical laughter and words of ice punched a hole right through his little black heart.

"Love? You don't even know the meaning of the word. You have a black soul. I am going to rid of you, regain my power and heal Stephane and be HIS Queen. He is the one I love. That is the only reason I could fathom riding your cock because it's HIS cock. God he is so much better than you in bed too. Now....Stephane Narcisse....WAKE UP!"

Wake up. Your words faded and morphed into mordant words of someone else. A very familiar someone else.

"It's time to wake up Darling Rahl."

As a pale, injured and unconscious Rahl laid on the cold winter ground, he slowly opened his eyes and there in the sunlight stood an expressionless Julian hovering over him.

"Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of your nine lives. You should get up now. You stink of rot. It's a wonder the wolves and hawks have not yet descended. Your frightful appearance is most likely your savior." Julian quipped with a curled lip.

Rahl, now feeling of sound, mind and body, propped himself up on one elbow, smirking with cautious eyes as he peered up at his fellow warlock.

"Well if it isn't my long lost foe, Julian. Come to finish me off instead? I see no book or circle of salt this time."

"Consider this your lucky day. I have a more purposeful use for Ashmole when the time comes. Besides, I am sure you are aware that the Julian all knew as Stephane's faithful friend is long gone. You are more of my type now. In fact, you could serve as a useful ally in said purpose. I do for you, you do for me. I have generously vanquished your poisoning, but that is as far as my healing hand reaches at this time. The wound to your shoulder is of your concern. You really should be more au courant with Stephane's bodily defenses, for they are shut down while he is suppressed."

All but one, Rahl thought to himself as he began to notice the tenacious saturation of his essence confined inside his leggings beneath his heavy cloak.

"Well now. How ironic is this? Jules and Stephane, together again, but neither are of the light as they once were. I would say that is a match made in...Hell, but I have had my fill of that place."

Julian softly chuckled as he raised his brow.

"Ahh yes. Would that be what all your mumbling was about? Cockroaches, Satan and sex, oh my. Apologies for having interrupted you in the middle of moaning my daughter's name."

Rahl looked away with a scowl as he did not find any humor in Julian's jokes, especially the part about you. Although it never even happened, it still stung and he vowed he would be even more careful around you now, for although seemingly a dream, it could have been a vision.

"Is that all you have been up to Julian? Perched up in your little tree like a vulture, watching and waiting?"

"It is. Just as I witnessed you take that hit from your own son. Knowledge is power."

"Tell me Jules. What knowledge did you gain from that fiasco that you did not already know?"

"Many things. Such as I now know of Janus-faced Josselyn's whereabouts. During my years of captivity, I learned she was just as mendacious as my captor, sweet collaborating Caroline. And then there's your worthless and disloyal guards. Their insubordination of your command and loyalty to Sebastian and Charles in place of Stephane proved that and now, they lollygag at the old wagon wreckage and mock you as they play a game of dice for bets on your survival while you have lied suffering. It would seem that they do not respect you, honor you, nor serve you as they did Lord Narcisse and that will only be, as it has proven to be, a great liability for you, not only for your existence, but for the upcoming war as well. Your men should bow to you, so the question is, Darken Rahl, what are you going to do about it? Sit by idly as they are, twiddling your...."

"Enough!!" Rahl roared at Julian's intentional incitement. "No one makes a fool of me." he continued through his teeth in a low emitted growl and stormed off.

Julian proudly grinned and followed Rahl to the location of the six guards where he remained in the shadows to observe and sure enough, to Rahl's dismay, they were doing just as Julian had informed. The wagering warlocks were so consumed in their greed and insulting jeers of the dark lord, that Rahl's stealth went undetected by their normally intact keen senses.

As a cloaked and hooded Rahl slammed his foot down over their game, the startled warlocks stood and drew their swords on him. Even when he revealed his face, the men still maintained their guarded stance with confidence.

"You dare draw your weapons on me? I am your master, Darken Rahl."

One of the men seemed to be the leader of the group and spoke for them as he bravely, but stupidly pointed his sword at Rahl's chest.

"We do not acknowledge lord Rahl as our master. We serve lord Narcisse."

"And he and I are one in the same, yet you audaciously hold me at your blade's edge. You really do like to gamble, don't you? And all over some measly pocket change. Tell me, is that all your life is worth to you? Your duties were to stand and fight at my side, yet all you contemptible cowards accomplished was absolutely fucking nothing!"

"You have powers, we do not. You did not need our aid."

"Says the traitorous guard who did nothing to stop a poisonous arrow from piercing my flesh."

"Even as the black beast, you lack instinct and let confidence rule you. You lost sight of your target and underestimated your opponent. YOU are of no comparison to your true form. You are weak with anger and hatred and you are also weakened by lord Narcisse's will and light. You tried to kill your own brother and your son and he would not let you. We have always and will only stand at their sides!"

"Then maybe your insolent bag of bones should stand no more. As your life means nothing to you, it means even less to me. You are no more than that pocket change. Worthless. And to be very clear, if I want someone dead, then dead they shall be." Rahl snarled and in a trice, he thrust a backwards swing of his honed blade and sliced the unsuspecting guard's throat.

The remaining guards immediately fell to one knee and bowed their heads as Julian applauded.

"A painted picture of how it should be. True power indeed. Well done lord Rahl. Now, are you going to invite your new best friend back to your castle for drinks? A bed would be splendid and I'm sure you can tuck me in somewhere private. There is much to talk about and prepare for in the upcoming few weeks that I think you will be quite interested in. After all, it was I that summoned you forth with the dead."

"Is that so? The irony in the events of this day are astounding. You once killed me, per se, and now you are responsible for my resurrection. Why would that be?"

"Unlike these incompetent fools, I bow to no one, especially not my own brother. I know that you also would never do as such, but surely you must know that Jareth's mission is to destroy and rule all of middle earth, including the rulers in it, such as yourself. So you see, this is where we can help each other. In my light and in my darkness, I have wished to destroy him and I have all the means to do so, except for a few loose ends I will soon gather with the special assistance of a secret weapon. A very wicked army of our own, per se, that will serve"

Rahl's brow arched high in curiosity, but he also knew that curiosity could kill the cat. Julian wanted to rebury Jareth, but would Julian's plan take him down alongside the goblin king? Rahl's cynicism was riding high in the red zone over Julian's unclear agenda.

"Once I am fully healed, we will share those drinks. I must return and assess the situation of my kingdom. Until then, I will grant you access to my nearby villa. It is unguarded at this time. And in a show of my appreciation of your unforeseen aid, I will send you a lovely "gift." Will that suffice?"

"It shall indeed."

The recent spider hallucination had pushed you over the edge and every anxious nerve in your body was feeding your fear that you were going to see Peter at some point, only you knew he would be real. If anyone would jump right through the gates of hell that Jareth had opened, it would be his evil sadistic self.

With a screaming Leean in your arms, you paced about your chambers in futile frustration as you gently but vigorously bounced and patted her bottom to calm her cries. Even the little elven witch's inherited senses were awakening to the surrounding darkness, especially from you and it was the only way the frightened six week old Princess could express her discomfort.

"Lola! Will you please do your job and take her for a walk through the halls or something since you were gone all night and left Legolas and three fucking cats to do it all. I have sang to her, I have rocked her, I have bathed her, all in the past hour and nothing is helping!"

Lola flinched at your scolding as she squeaked out a solution.

"Josie, might I suggest letting her take some milk from you?"

Your eyes slitted as you side eyed the meek mannered girl.

"No you may not suggest that! Do you wish me to poison her??? Have you forgotten I have panther venom in my veins??? I prefer to not even touch her, yet here we are!!" you snapped as you glanced down at Leean's shrieking face, the only visible skin of your snuggly wrapped baby burrito.

Legolas caught Lola's tear tinted eyes as he walked over to you.

"Josie. I will take her and offer her some of our water. Lola, could you kindly prepare a bottle for Leean and a cup of herbal tea for Josie that will palliate her symptoms and aid her in sleep?"

Your eyes widened at the domineering and dismissive Prince as Lola nodded and rushed off to the fireplace.

" Am I not right here??? And...I do not need sleep! That is all I have done and every time I do, I have these fucked up dreams, not to mention, that water makes it worse so I certainly am not going to drink it!"

"Lola, please use the Dorwinion water for the tea." Legolas corrected with a deaf ear and then took Leean into his arms which instantly ceased her screeching wails.

You then scoffed at him. "Really Legolas Greenleaf?? She doesn't want a bottle. She just don't want ME!"

"Josie, of course she wants you." Legolas softly assured, finally looking you in the eyes. "But she senses your heightened emotions, which is why you really should drink the tea and rest."

In defiance of his repetitive words, you marched to the wine table and knocked back a rather large goblet of the wicked wine.

"Heightened emotions? You're just too damn polite to call me a crazy bitch. I don't need rest!! There is no TIME to rest. How many times do I have to say that?? What I need is what she needs! Her father!!! He is the only one that could fix all of this…fix me…. but that will never happen because he is dead!!"

Your hands went straight to your crinkling face and covered it as you began to sob. Legolas' torn heart ripped clean through, for he knew that in the week head, Thranduil would come and contrary to your belief, Legolas felt that his father was the last thing you and Leean needed at the time or possibly even ever and how was he supposed to tell you? With the state you were in, it was not the right time, but...he knew there would never be a right time for you to know the truth because the Thranduil that lived now, there seemed to be no hope for. His light had been snuffed out of his soul and Legolas knew the darkened heart that now beat inside of the Elvenking would not fix anything, but only destroy you by taking the last bit of sanity and light you had left. If only he could spare you such pain, but he knew it was inevitable.

"I…I can't take this anymore!" you muffled through your fingers. I need to get out of here."

Lola came to Legolas with the baby bottle filled with Mirkwood's magical water. "May I feed her Legolas?"

As he gazed in to her saddened sapphires, his moonstone eyes became apologetic for how he had treated her the evening prior.

"Yes, you may lady Lola."

Lola's sweet smile was also apologetic as Legolas awkwardly maneuvered Leean out of his arms and into hers and then…he took you into his and whispered sweet words of comfort into your ear.

"You are not a crazy…well…you know. Please do not speak of yourself in such a way. You are just dealing with far too much for someone who does not deserve it."

You then bawled gasping breaths in to his chest. "Legolas, I need the amethyst, I need that book, I need to find Stephane and help him, I need the other stones, I need Garrett's dumb ass…I…I need my dad!!! I…I….."

Your sobs quieted as your ears tuned in to the laughter coming from outside the balcony doors.

As you opened the cold foggy glass doors, your breath was momentarily stolen by the crisp breeze that brutally belted you in the face. Your eyes quickly widened in delight when you peered over the rail to see a snowball fight taking place at 8 o'clock in the morning by some of the warlock guards.

"Leggy!!! Look!" you shouted and then giggled. "It snowed overnight!!! Remember at Lestat's, when you and Haldir had that snowball fight after the blizzard? You both had so much fun, minus trying to kill each other with ice packed snowballs and I…I want to have fun too!! Like when Stephane threw me that huge birthday party to help distract me. I want to do something normal and feel normal!! Even if just for a little while or I am going to go crazier than I already am! Can we go play too Legolas??? Pleeeeease!!!??"

Legolas grinned from ear to ear. "How could I forget Haldir's iniquitous ice balls to the face. With the exception of his envious rage regarding you, the brief moment of solace while being in a castle consumed with red eyes and fangs, was greatly needed. You and Lola go enjoy the snow and release some of your own pent up rage. There is nothing more any of us can do at this time about the troubles at hand but continue to wait for Sebastian to hopefully locate Delphine and the others. I will remain here with my sister and watch from the terrace. Glenn-hi (Go now). Enjoy some diversion and equanimity and breathe. Be a flightless bird no more."

You chuckled through your tears as you hugged him tight. "Oh but flightless I am. Literally. I tried to fly once and you do not want to know how that played out. Thank you Leggy. I adore you so."

You released him and then turned to Lola with hopeful eyes.

"Let's go play!"

You and Lola bundled up in your winter cloaks, then ran and giggled all the way down to the enclosed courtyard. Once there, you observed the five warlocks, dressed in their Sunday attire, laughing and playing like little boys. It instantly took you back in time to before your father had become terminally ill and you and he played in the snow together all the time, either sledding, making snow angels, snowmen and eskimo forts or your favorite, snowball fights. Although he was alive and out there somewhere, equally altered to serve his brother Jareth, you still missed and loved him so, but you weren't going to let it make you sad. Instead, you were going to honor him and even the hidden hero Haldir by kicking some warlock ass....and you would envision Rahl's evil face as you did it, a trick Garrett once taught you to do when using your magic that was currently non-existent.

Sly as foxes, you and Lola huddled behind a pillar wrapped in crimson Christmas roses and while you both packed a snowball, the Lenten flowers triggered thoughts of both Stephane and Thranduil and how they enjoyed the beauty of their gardens, probably the only thing the magical beings ever had in common besides their egos and love for you. When the snow fun was over, you were going to pick one in memory of Thranduil and make another useless wish for the return of the King.

"You ready?" you whispered to Lola as you offered a wicked grin.

Lola's grin mirrored yours as she nodded, then you both sprung up and began pitching the packed powder at the bedazzled warlocks. Laughter and snow filled the court as the seven of you darted all around, ducking and diving.

Legolas smiled from ear to ear as he observed the shenanigans from your balcony. His sorrowful heart sang in that moment of seeing you so happy, that was until his nose caught something in the breeze. As his elven eyes followed the familiar strawberry scent, they caught sight of Haldir making his way across the vast open field separating the castle from the forest. At the Marchwarden's side was a woman that Legolas knew he had once before laid his eyes upon and behind them was Rumil, Orophin, Aragorn, Boromir, Bard, Gimli, Sebastian and Charles. As Bash and Charles returned their horses to the stables, Legolas's keen eyes also noticed that the warlock kin appeared to have been in a scuffle of sorts.

Haldir's eyes then locked with the Prince, they both offered a nod and a smile and then Legolas' attention returned to you. All was going well in the playtime. He noticed Lola's flirtation with one of the warlocks as they tumbled to the ground laughing. With a minor scoff, the elf's eyes rolled and returned to you just in time to see your light turn dark as you took a snowball to the face and then another to the shoulder. Legolas' eyes gaped as your mouth did the same, followed by a loud gasp from the shock.

"You IDIOT!!" you fumed at the wily warlock roaring with obnoxious laughter in is victory.

"Now now Josephine. " he chuckled. "It's all just fun and games."

Normally, you would have took it like a champ and laughed too, but with Rahl's venom inside of you, all you wanted to do was rip his wretched head from his miserable shoulders and Lola and Legolas both quicky took notice of that with worry.

"That is until someone gets hurt, which is about to be you, you cretinous tyrant!"

Enjoy the fun filled snowball games below in my new short vidfic (38 sec) of Lola and Josie. It's a great visual with a relevant song regarding Legolas' words to Jo and the ending gives a nice laugh.

youtube

All over a harmless snowball, your blood rage surfaced and you found yourself grabbing a very large and sharp icicle from the trellis and racing towards him. The warlock's smirk dropped like a hot potato and he froze solid in fear as he watched the crystalline spear in your raised white knuckled fist head straight for his eye.

"Josie!!" Legolas shouted from the balcony and with perfect dexterity, the agile elf hopped the rail, floating down with incredible velocity and landing softly like that of a feather, but not quick enough to get to you before another did.

Just as you lunged, you were scooped up from behind by a pair of strong arms coiling around your waist. As you angrily screamed and turned to strike the unknown attacker, a hand swiftly clutched your wrist.

"Y...you????" you gasped in fright and immediately sprung your fingers open, dropping the makeshift blade when you saw the stern but very worried face of your elven bestie Haldir as his stunned eyes gazed into yours.

"You...your eyes Jo." he whispered as they slowly retracted from blood red back to moonstone blue.

Before you could speak another word, you felt his calming effects manipulating your mind and body and then...you saw a horrified Josselyn viewing from the distance and watched Lola faint.

Legolas ran to her aid, as did Josselyn in a panic. She fell to her knees at her daughter's side and cried as she stroked her pale cheeks with trembling fingers.

"My sweet child, open your eyes. Mama's here now."

Legolas tilted his head like a confused puppy. "You...are her mother? I...I have seen you. Many years ago with a group of gypsy travelers near our lands. Cowering beneath a trailer belonging to that wretched witch Caroline. You were one of them! Why are you here??!!!!"

Legolas scooped Lola's unconscious body up into his arms and backed away from Josselyn as his angry eyes questioned Haldir.

"Legolas. Josselyn is of no harm to Lola or anyone here. She is her mother as you asked and there is much more that you do no know. Take Lola inside and let her mother be with her when she awakes. They have been separated for far too long."

Legolas snarled through clenched teeth as he pulled Lola closer to him.

"Over my dead body."

"No one enters this castle without lord Rahl's knowledge or approval!" snapped the warlock who almost lost an eye. "And you Haldir, were banished from here by lord Narcisse were you not??"

"Since you speak as if there are two of them, neither are here. Just which one of the wicked halves do you serve warlock??!!"

Sebastian then entered and took control of the situation with his sword drawn.

"He serves me! I am in charge when my brother is not here and I say they all can enter, is that clear warlock Gwydion??"

"Yes m..my lord."

You then watched as Bash embraced Josselyn. What the hell was happening??

As you clung to Haldir, you could no longer stand. Weakness and relaxation consumed you and you fell into his arms. Your feet were then whisked off of the ground and later, in a sedated state, you awoke in your bed from the muffled voices of Legolas and Haldir as the Prince was filling his guardian in on what had happened to you...and then they argued as to why Legolas was never told about Narcisse's alter. Haldir's nutshell explanation, which consisted of because Rahl had been long dead, was cut short by your awakening.

"Haldir???" you gasped as you sat up.

The Marchwarden was barely able to sit down beside you when you yanked him into a constricting embrace.

"J..Jo...air. Need to breathe."

"What? Oh...sorry. I...I just missed you."

"I have missed you too. Since when did you become as strong as a vampire??"

"Why on earth would you compare me to those morbid creatures??!"

Haldir's brows furrowed. "Annnnd...since when do you insult the leeches you so love? Is it something to do with Rahl's venom making you have dark emotions? I mean, Jo...your eyes were as red as fire...like Garrett's when he's angry."

You thought of Garrett and Kate, together in that vivid vision with him telling you he was with her now and not coming back.

"It..it doesn't matter. Enough about vampires already. Like I would ever be one of them! Haldir, what is going on?? I know I wasn't hallucinating when I saw Josselyn....was I??? and Lola...oh my god, where is Lola??!!"

"You were not. She is here and Lola is safe, right over there on the davenport."

You peeked around him and saw Legolas at her side, patting a cool cloth on her forehead to try and awaken her.

"Ok, so where is Joss and where did she even come from??? My god, I thought she was dead like Sarah. And I take it that Bash did not find Delphine??"

"Jo...there is so much you need to know and I am not sure I want you near Josselyn right now. She told me everything that happened and there are things that...you may not understand at first....such as....she is..Delphine."

"Ok what??? She's not a witch! She was just Sarah's mundane mother. Jesus, just tell me already!"

"On one condition. Let me show you through your dreams. It's quite a novel and after your rabid display early, I would prefer you to be calm, especially with Leean in the room."

"You mean you would prefer me to be under your dream control."

"Do you wish to know or not?"

You huffed and plopped onto your back. "Fine! Shoot me up dreamcatcher!"

Haldir took your hand and softly smiled, for as much as you always got under his skin with your spitfire attitude, he couldn't live without it.

It was merely seconds and you were under his sleeping spell and entering the dreamworld of the past. During the good hour of telepathic transmission, Lola had awoken and Legolas took her to see Josselyn, for she adamantly demanded it. While he was there, he stood protectively at Lola's side and even held her hand as Bash assisted an emotional Josselyn in the telling of her twisted tale to her daughter and the elf that once intimidated her...and still did.

The transfer was complete and Haldir sat holding and feeding Leean while he waited for you to wake up, for your mind was in a fragile state and he didn't dare wake you.

As your mind processed everything that was shown to you, you began to toss and turn, for the vision of Magnus erasing what you had seen, triggered the suppressed memory and you then began to dream of it.

You were a child, tied to a chair. You saw Josselyn and heard her tell some strange scary looking man to erase your memory. There was a flash of blue light and then you sprung awake to see your brother sitting in front of you.

"Josie. It's ok. I am here. You're dreaming."

"J..Jace?"

"What? It's me Jo...Haldir."

Jace's face slowly morphed into Haldir's who gazed at you with concern as he stroked your cheek...just as Jace had done.

"Oh my god...I..I think I hallucinated again. I...it...it was so real. I...I can smell him, feel him. Haldir...I...I think Jace is near or...is coming back for me and..."

You jumped straight out of bed. "My mother!! My REAL mother...she's...she's alive and locked away. She's not dead like my mot...that lying bitch Caroline told everyone! We have to go rescue her!"

"Jo, no way! Cassandra was last known to be in Jareth's realm. It is a death sentence to go there during this time or ANY time!"

"Well that's too damn bad! She loves me! TRULY loves me. I saw it when she held me! She is the good one, the true 7th daughter. Oh god, Aunt Mara, I...I mean my grandmother, Maharet, does she know of the mix up?? And...and...Viktor, the vampire that Caroline killed to protect Clov..Raven!! He...he is my grandfather??? Jesus, does that mean Caroline was a dhampir like Raven??? And what does that make me??"

"Breathe Jo. Viktor was still human when Caroline and all her sisters were born. You are as you always were. A witch. About Maharet, that I do not know, but it did not sound like she knew and she would have told you if she knew now, would she not have? What I do know is that Cassandra doesn't sound much of light considering how she tricked Julian just to hurt Caroline."

"Can you blame her after all my moth...damn it...Caroline did to her??????!!"

"Maybe not Jo, but look what and where that revenge got her. Vengeance is not always the answer."

"Oh really?? You hypocrite. Was it not you who slayed the vampire Craven for what he did to YOUR parents??? I...I cannot even process all of this right now. So many lies upon even more lies that I have also learned!! I need to get away from here!! Sarah...she is out there somewhere too!! and Jesus....she is my sister!!! How could Joss keep that from me and my father??!! She had that mad man block my memories for fucks sake! SHE could have prevented everything that happened from happening if she just would have trusted in my father enough to tell him the truth the moment she learned of Caroline's intentions! My father could and would have protected her AND even himself!!!!!!"

Leean began to cry. "Jo..please. Try to calm down and let us talk about this. Josselyn was just a young girl, a child even, when she was forced into this world. After everything Harker did to her and her mother and also with the threat of Ravenna, she suffered oppression and helplessness. Caroline took advantage of that. She manipulated her into believing she cared for her, much like she did to you and even Raven, and when Caroline's dark side surfaced, Josselyn was terrified of her. You of all people know what Caroline was capable of. You were also just a child when you met Josselyn and Sarah, entering your adolescent years. She was protecting you too. Would you have even believed her if she had told you what she knew? Josselyn was protecting Julian while Caroline was alive and she didn't want to harm him even more with the truth while he was ill. She tried so hard to help Julian. You saw it all Jo. Don't let Rahl's wickedness blind you!"

"I..I cannot even fathom listening to you defend her right now. She has clearly bewitched you in some way. And god, poor Lola. She left her here for half of her life believing her mother was dead and to be raised by her own father whom neither of them knew about!! Once again, because of Joss's lies, people will get hurt. Stephane and Lola deserved to know the truth, just as my father did! You will not convince me otherwise Haldir of Lorien! Thank you so much for having MY back over some woman you've known a hot five minutes who clearly has bewitched your cock as well. I'm going to go take a bath to cool off. Care to...join me and...release...some tension?"

You walked up to Haldir with a complete change of demeanor and teasingly pushed him back on the bed, then straddled him.

"Let's pick up where we left off. Kiss me" you seductively whispered.

As heavy as the temptation weighed on the aroused elf, Haldir could never take advantage of you, for he loved you too much. He firmly, but gently shoved you off of him and stood up. For Haldir, it was an instant flashback to Thranduil's halls when you were under Garrett's mind control and he had walked in on you doing the same thing to Legolas.

"Jesus Jo, what is happening to you? First the rage and the red eyes and now this. It is like there are two of you as well. This is not you."

"Hmmph. Bet if I were Josselyn, your tongue would be down my throat and in my cunt as we speak. Suit yourself, which from what I can see, you may need rosy palm and her five sisters to do so."

Off you went to the washroom with an intentional sexy sway of your ass for Haldir to watch and then you winked at him and closed the door.

It was no lie that he was quite turned on with an aching stiffness, but he would not entertain it like you were so hoping he would. Instead, he sat down, closed his eyes and willed it away, and with perfect timing too, for Legolas then walked in.

"Legolas? Where is Lola and Josselyn?"

Legolas sighed with concern. "Lola is still with her mother. She now knows how everything, as do I, even how...she was conceived. I thought it best to leave them with their privacy as Lola is not taking the news very well. She is rather inconsolable and....very angry with Stephane and would not hear a word from Sebastian in his defense of him not being himself or having any recollection of it."

Haldir's brow raised as he noticed something quite different with the Prince.

"You...you care for this girl?"

"That is irrelevant. Where is Josie?"

Legolas's deflection told Haldir that he was on the right path and how Haldir had attested to the way Legolas vowed his own death merely hours prior to keep Lola safe was highly conclusive that his godson's feelings may run even deeper for Lola.

"She is in the bath. Be forewarned Legolas. Jo is extremely angry as well. At Josselyn mostly and she is speaking irrationally of going in search of her true birth mother, Cassandra. Even if we could trust that Josselyn's healing power would not harm her or someone else, I highly doubt Jo is going to let Josselyn near her now."

"Trust me, I know of her changes. She has even spoken of going in search of the vampire. And at one point, she even wished me to take her and Leean back to Mirkwood."

Haldir's eyes widened and he motioned for Legolas to follow him to the balcony so your keen ears would not overhear them.

"I think you and I both know that is not wise and why and I am not speaking of the dangers of the travel. You and I also know what, or shall I say whom, was behind the earth's jolt and I have been well informed of Thranduil's own changes by Aragorn due to what Jareth has inflicted upon him."

Legolas' eyes fell. "It...it will matter not if she goes there or remains here. It will matter not where she goes, he will find her. My father is coming for her and Leeanduil and will be here in approximately 5 days."

"I presumed as much. I think you and I both know though, that when she sees him, that is all that will matter to her. She will want to go with him."

Legolas partially concurred. "That is until she realizes exactly what he has become and what his true intentions are. To claim his daughter and banish Jo from her life and his kingdom."

"Possibly, but let us not forget, Jo is becoming more like his new and unimproved persona. He may just desire her to remain his Queen, even after all of his conditioning to despise her. Is Jareth solely to blame? I think not. I was informed of the dhampir's involvement in carrying out Caroline's plan and now it makes sense after my brothers informed me of her wine and lembas thievery in Lorien."

Legolas' lips pursed as his rage at Raven surfaced. "You do not even know the half of her involvement with my father."

A knock sounded upon the door and you came running out to answer it, dripping wet with nothing but a towel wrapped around you, in hopes that it was Stephane after learning he had been injured. As you whipped the door open, it was Bash. He had come to warn that Rahl had returned and was being tended to by the healers for his injury and warned them to steer clear of him.

"Oh god. Bash..how bad is it?? I...I need to go see him." you fretted as you fidgeted with your fingers like Stephane always did when he was anxious.

"He shifted on me, had me pinned down. Charles shot him in the shoulder with an arrow laced of silverbane, which will hurt Rahl because when Stephane is asleep, per se, his defenses are at rest also. Strangely though, he did not seem ill in the least as I discreetly observed him from afar. The wound is what is being cared for."

"My god, Charles! He must be a wreck over having to do that. Is...is he alright??"

He is a bit roughed up, but it was nothing serious. I must warn that Catherine is with him and she is on a war path over what happened, for she had already lashed out at me for putting her son in danger, so watch your back Josie."

"Psshtt. I don't fear that beldam bitch."

Haldir's exhale was harsh and heavy as his eyes rolled over to you.

"Well you should be with no power and did you forget all that she has already done to hurt you?"

"Whatever HAL...DIR! I am going to dress and go see Rahl about what he's done. Could you watch the kid for me. All she does is cry when I am around anyways. SO annoying."

Haldir grabbed your arm and spun you back to him. "No Jo, I forbid it! Have you lost your damn mind like Narcisse has??"

"You WHAT??!" you shouted as you yanked your arm free and as you did so, a tornadic microburst flung the Marchwarden onto his back.

"HA! No powers eh?" you scoffed and then scowled. "Don't ever touch me again elf."

Off you trotted to dress while Legolas and Haldir's gaping eyes stared at each other.

"Sebastian. I was under the presumption that Rahl's venom had disarmed her magic?" Legolas questioned.

"Well you clearly presumed wrong as you can see." Haldir snapped as he vigorously hopped up from the floor.

"It should have? Bash replied and then his brows furrowed. "It..it is like something else is feeding her and it is possible Rahl's venom has awoken it? And let us not forget, his venom will still bring her to eventual darkness as he is."

"Her eyes...when she attacked Gwydion. They were of fire." Haldir described.

"Yes." Legolas agreed. "As they were when I found her unconscious in the hall yesterday. For just a split second when she had opened her eyes."

"Feeding her....how did I not see this before with my considerable knowledge of the breed?" Haldir whispered as his eyes fluttered in disbelief. "And her strength...it is substantial for her size."

Legolas stepped forward. "Breed??"

"Craven...he had the blood rage gene and he is Garrett's maker. The gene can be passed down through the vampire venom. Legolas, you and I know Jo has Garrett's blood inside of her."

"So...what you are saying is....Garrett's blood and Rahl's venom... she is some hybrid, like Michael Corvin? But instead, that of a vampire and a...cat??!!"

"No Legolas. Garrett did not bite her and Rahl's panther form is no ordinary lap cat."

"Yes he did Haldir! He bit her wrist!"

"But we were able to reverse it before it changed her. What I am saying is Rahl's venom is igniting the blood rage just as Sebastian mentioned."

"So then, what do we do?"

"Don't piss her off."

"Thank you Haldir, for the unadorned advice. Sebastian, where are the others?"

Bash informed that Aragorn, Boromir, Bard, Gimli, Rumil and Orophin had set up camp just outside of the castle's perimeters for the time being to be an extra sets of eyes, ears and protection regarding the surrounding threats and then said he must get back to Josselyn. As Bash was set to leave, Haldir stopped him.

"We have no other option now. Speak to Josselyn. Convince her to heal Jo. If anyone would know the warlock ways, it would be you Sebastian considering you are one. Josselyn took his knife. Find out if she still has it. You said taking something of his would break the curse he placed on her magic and I would have to agree that what happened to the boy after her healing is a manifested symptom of the Black Plague. I also do not believe she caused the live stock deaths merely by her presence. She is not evil."

"But will Josie allow it even if Josselyn agrees?"

"If she does not wish to comply, then we will be forced to give her no choice."

Drip. Drip. Drip echoed on the wooden floor boards of the cabin's basement as Garrett laid chained to the bed, shuttering at each drumming drop with spaced out, weakened eyes of starvation yellow and iron poisoning. His sensitive vampire hearing had became so muffled that it only intensified the sound of insanity and as the hallucinations consumed him, he began to mumble a whispering tune.

"This the end. My only friend, the end."

His songful words of sorrow soon faded and eventually ceased as he closed his eyes and entered a world of nightmares and dreamscapes that began as a nightmare.

Through the scorching and desolate desert, an injured and bloodied Garrett staggered through the sandy trail of broken bones the endless wasteland had consumed.

He had no recollection of how he he had been hurt or even how he had gotten there and everything that wasn't supposed to affect a vampire, especially him because of Amara's branding mark of protection, was. The heat, the loss of blood, the pain...it was all sucking the life out of him and he feared he would soon join the remains he trekked around.

The relevant Door's song he had been singing became a reverie as the Indian vibes of guitar notes sounded from the radiant sky. In his human days of Roman Bryson, his love of music and talent in the industry was extensive and it became almost solely who he was, so much so that it carried over with him in his immortality. Garrett could belt out any note and manipulate any instrument from his self taught learning, which was a significant reason the music loving Seelie Queen adored her rockstar daylighter. Although his musical idol was and had always been Jon Bon Jovi, in this dream, Garrett became the iconic legend, Jim Morrison.

As he pushed on, desperately seeking to quench his thirst, but not for water, the hallucinations crept back up on him in the form of a mirage? He wasn't sure. In the far distance, he believed he saw someone, a woman, who saw him too. She too appeared exhausted, as if she had been lost and out there a long time and from what his vampire vision could make out, she looked very much like Sarah, the teen blonde girl in the photo with you that he had found hidden in the cabin, only much older.

In that moment, Garrett didn't care who she was, for his dire thirst for the warm red liquid that loudly pulsed through her veins triggered his uncontrollable blood rage and it gave him just enough strength to begin sprinting towards his prey.

Gasping with incredible fear, the unconfirmed Sarah scurried with all her might, tumbling over a sand dune to get away from the beast with raging red eyes and ferocious fangs.

If Garrett had been feeling his normal vampy self, the girl would have never even made it over the summit of the hill, for he would already be drinking her dry, but instead, his adrenaline rush was short lived and he found himself nose diving down the hill and rolling over and over until he came to an unconscious halt.

Buzzards circled and screeched above as the vampire laid deathly still on his stomach, except for the involuntary twitches every now and then as his hunger withdrawals tortured his limp, helpless body.

He heard the music again and spattered out some of the lyrics into the searing sand.

"Can you picture what will be? So limitless and free. Desperately in need of some stranger's hand in a desperate land...."

Garrett's whimpering words were cut off as he heard another song meshing into and taking over that one. A song he instantly recognized, "Funnel of Love" by Madeline Follin, for Ryan, his older brother by one year, had been listening to it a lot before the car accident that Craven caused which left both Ryan and Garrett, then known as Roman, comatose.

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Garrett saw it all over again, the day he awoke from the 3 month long coma and found his lifeless brother being kept alive by a ventilator. As if he needed to see it once more, for he relived it every single day and he knew it was the guilt making it happen.

He remembered touching his brother. It was like nothing he had ever experienced and he couldn't explain it, not then anyways. Supernatural was the only word that had came to his mind, for the memories of the accident flashed through him like the electrical charge that had been used to shock him back to life and it knocked the wind right out of him. He could still hear the nurse's voice when she found him cowering in the corner.

"Mr. Bryson, are you alright?"

Garrett knew something wasn't right. He didn't feel right, like he wasn't even himself. He told the doctor he had buzzing in his ears and that he couldn't get warm.

Garrett quickly entered another dream within his own dream where he was floating on the ceiling of a rose scented room he had never been in before, but he knew the smell and in that room of red prominence, the song blared from a 45 record playing on an old turntable. Just as the record spun round and round, so did he as he gazed down at a very pale man relaxed on a couch with his eyes closed, holding a mandolin guitar.

The music abruptly stopped, just as the rotating room did and then the man, unrecognizable to Garrett but quite similar in physical appearance of his own, including very familiar blue eyes, stared up at him. Eyes of the man who had always been enthralled by the color red, especially roses and who was also musically inclined. It was Ryan and he was a vampire, just as Craven had said he was.

"No!! No...Ryan..no. I...I'm so sorry. I..I never meant for this to happen to you. I..I told him not to do it, to give you the choice I didn't have. Please...please forgive me."

For a few moments, Ryan was silent and held his fixated gaze on Garrett, then he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"Romeo? Where for art thou Romeo?"

Garrett chuckled, for it was a pet name that Ryan always called him, mostly because Ryan was engrossed in Shakespeare's dark and twisted tales and then also because Roman was a bit of a ladies' man at an early age who coincidentally even had a high school friend with benefits named Juliet.

"The question is, where are you Ry? Clearly you're still somewhere in the mundane world and from what I can see, in one hell of a dump for someone who was always a neat freak. Come on man, help me down. I'm kinda stuck up here. Let's hang out like we did in the good old days before we grew up and apart. I've missed you."

"We'll meet again. All in due time little bro. Someone needs you right now."

"What? No one has ever needed me?"

"She does."

"Who? J..Josephine??"

Garrett felt something poking his shoulder and when he was able to force his eyes open, he was on the dry desert sand again being peered down at by the blonde girl.

"Hey. You dead?" she asked.

When she moved out of the blinding sunrays, he could now see that she was indeed the long lost Sarah whom you had believed dead for 8 years now.

"It...it's you. In the photo. You spoke to me. Sarah?"

"Depends who's asking."

Garrett worked his way up onto his elbow and snickered.

"Well that pretty much gives it away that you are she. Rather brave to stand so close. You do realize I just tried to kill you right? So why did you risk your life and come back?"

"Well, first of all, Garrett, right? It's because I realized you are the one I reached out to through said photo. So glad you found my things in your klutzy drunken stupor. I can use them for communication. You really are a hot mess man. Second of all, that means you are not physically here. You're having an out of body experience. You can't hurt me here even if you wanted to. Oh...and third...you're wearing my fucking ring on your pinky."

"Wait, the talking picture was real? Then....if I'm not really here, this isn't real either. I'm just hallucinating again, but in my sleep. Fever dreams basically."

"Oh no, sorry Shaggy, this is very real. The spirit world. Did you not just hear me? Astral fucking projection dude. That's what you've managed to do but how and why you came HERE is what I would like to know. Actually, who the hell cares, just get me the fuck out of here."

"Easy there Sarah the swearing sailor. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now Saint bloodsucker?? We both know what you do with that mouth. You have NO idea the stress I am under AND I haven't even seen my mother in I don't even know how long because it's impossible to keep track of time here, but i know it's been years. YEARS! And I'm still wearing the same dress from the night I got myself into this mess! Now, are you going to help me escape because then maybe I can help you too. You DO want to get back to my sister, don't you??"

"S...sister?"

"Jo! DUhhhh. The one you're head over heels in love with!"

"I...I thought...you and she were only best friends??"

"Well, we were...are bff's because we were never told the truth. Ironic huh? How we still clicked. I learned all of the lies during my time here from...."

Sarah spun around and gasped in terror at a sound only she heard.

"Shhhh!" she adamantly whispered. "He's watching. He's always watching. Taunting me with the doors. Doors that float above the sand. They're so far away. I always run to them, but I never make it before they disappear."

"The doors. Now that's ironic..."

"What??"

"Never mind. That era don't seem your style. Even if you made it to one of the doors, how could you even trust what's inside of them? And who is watching? Harker??"

Her hand quickly covered Garrett's mouth with a hard slap.

"Don't ever say that name here. He doesn't know where I am. I got away from him that night. He's the least of my worries right now."

Garrett yanked her hand away. "Then who the hell are you talking about?"

"The keeper. He has the keys but he won't let me leave. I never should have came here. I was still so unskilled with my magic back then."

"Does this keeper have a name?"

"He has many just as he has many faces and...."

Sarah's eyes grew as she stared off into the distance.

"Oh my god, look! You see?? There's a door, behind you! Come on! Before it goes away!"

"Sarah...I...I can't. I can barely feel my legs. I'll only slow you down. Besides, what if it's some sort of trap??"

"At this point, nothing can be any worse than this hell, so I have to try."

"Uhhh yeah, in a few weeks, you may think MUCH differently."

"The solstice, I know. Ok, listen to me Garrett. You'll eventually go back to your body and wake up and when you do, I need you to somehow make sure Jo gets my pendant that you found and tell her where I am. I..I'm sorry. I have to go!"

Sarah scuffled off through the sand and before Garrett could even react, she blended into a visible heat wave and faded away.

"Wait! How am I supposed to do that when my broken body is chained in iron shackles to a fucking bed!!"

Garrett's question was quickly answered, but not by Sarah. It was you, whispering into his ear.

"Me Garrett. I want you to think of me."

"J..Josephine...you...you're all I think about, but...you...you never hear me. I...I'm too weak."

"Then take my hand. I'll give you my strength."

Garrett's bloodied hand weakly reached up for yours and as your fingertips united, speckles of sparkling sand danced about.

"Now find me Garrett. Get up."

"But...you're right here??"

"No I'm not."

Garrett hadn't even blinked and you vanished. Had you merely been a muse, willing him to fight? Either way, it worked as he now had just enough strength to stand and as his squinting eyes darted all around in search for you, all he saw was the open, endless desert and the trail in the sand from which he had crawled.

"Josephine!!!!" he shouted, but all was silent with no trace of you ever being there.

As Garrett stood panting in the blistering sun, he began to notice something at the top of a hill. A..forest?? He had an inkling that it was most likely a mirage, but he didn't care and began staggering towards it in hopes for shelter and possibly even a four-legged furry snack to dull the thirsting ache in his gut. Even if he wasn't really there like Sarah said, it sure as hell felt like he was, so the famished vamp was still going to try to hunt, considering he had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go.

The shaded heaven drew nearer and nearer, but Garrett's newfound strength and will to go on was depleting. In one last and desperate attempt, he called out to you again.

"Josephine!! Please come back. I need you! I'm so lost without you."

"I'm right here silly." answered a voice that wasn't yours.

"Good god in heaven!!!" Garrett yelped as he spun around to see a little girl with auburn tresses sitting at the edge of the forest.

The bemused vampire never forgot a face, even due to age. He had seen this child before in your dream long ago, only she was much older with chestnut hair like his and hints of copper like yours.

The memory replayed like a movie through his mind. She had touched his face and showed him a vision of two little girls happily playing together in the forest. Garrett didn't know it back then, but he knew now that it was the girl sitting before him, whomever she was, and the other child was Leeanduil.

"You're not Josephine? You're a child. Althoughhhh, oddly, your...your olive green eyes remind me of hers in the picture I found. I...I've seen you before. Who are you and where did you come from and...and why are you here in this terrible place?"

"I'm part of her, or at least I will be if you don't die. I'm Rosie and my doll told me to find you. Her name is Sarah like my aunt's. My friend Zedd made it for me."

Garrett's thick black brow raised as he eyed the wooden carved doll clutched in her hand. It was overly uncanny to him as to how much it resembled Sarah, hairstyle and all and quite frankly, it gave the fearless vampire the heebie-jeebies.

"You can talk to Sarah through that thing? The girl that I was talking to earlier? She's your aunt? Wait...wait...wait...and what do you mean if I don't die??"

Rosie giggled. "You're silly. It takes two people to make a baby doesn't it?"

"Gah! My ears. what are you, like 8???"

"7. Physically anyways. Dhampirs grow really really fast. We fully mature around 20, like my other aunt.

"Other....aunt.....dhampir....what???"

"Hello? Scooby Doo, where are you?? My aunt Raven, well, she goes by Clover again. I'm a dhampir like her. Josie is my mom. Your my dad. Hence...Rosie. You even named me. It's the portmanteau of your real name, Roman and my mom's, like how you mentioned to that faerie Queen. You see? This is why you must live. You die..I don't exist."

Garrett's hands went to the sides of his head as if he were in pain.

"I seriously need some Scooby snacks. My brain is shutting down. There's no way I can have a kid. I mean...literally. I'm DEAD!"

"You mean metaphorically. You're very much alive. You're still in the newborn phase and haven't learned all the vampire truths yet. Even though my mom's human, she's a weaver witch. She can birth a vampire child and you carry the blood rage gene to make that happen. Just like Clover's dad, except her mom didn't have that capability which is why he chose to change her after."

"My head is going to explode. I'm speaking to my daughter who does not even exist. This is all a fucking... shit..I mean shoot, sorry kid, I mean...freaking fever dream. You're not real. I'm not even here. Josephine was never here...and Sarah...is she even real?? Where is she?"

"I think the bad man got her. She don't answer me anymore. But she did say my mom's in trouble. She's...sick."

Garrett's hands fell from his head to his sides. "What???!! What do you mean...sick??"

"See for yourself. Everything here is a message. You just have to wake up." Rosie replied and pointed in the direction behind him.

Garrett whipped around with a startled gasp to see you swaying about in a delirious demeanor and then....you just dropped.

"Josephine!!"

Garrett felt it this time. His lifeless heart thumped hard and heavy, one single time. It was like he had been shocked back to life again by the defibrillators, like when he had laid bloodied, broken and bruised beside the wreckage of the accident.

His eyes burned red as lava as his combat boots pummeled through the loose, unstable sand with little effort, for his heart was in control now.

Garrett dropped to his knees beside you and pulled your limp body into his trembling arms.

"Josephine, baby. Open your eyes. I'm here now. It's me little one. Your Tommy.... and you're my Gina or you can still be Daphne if you want. Come on. Please Josie. You...you feel real. I can feel you, I can....why do you smell like burnt cherries??"

The perplexed vampire then harshly sneezed. "Pepper??? Josephine, what's happening?? Please wake up!"

Without warning, your eyes sprung open, only they were not your icy moonstone, they were blood red like an apocalyptic moon.

Garrett was swiftly flipped onto his back with your hands constricted around his neck as you straddled him. Your strength was astounding. Not an ounce of air was able to slip through to his lungs, but that wasn't the problem, for vampires didn't need oxygen. The problem was that at any given second, you would crush his neck and rip his head off. Had he still possessed his own natural vampire strength, he had to question if he would have even been able to pry your death grip free, just like the iron chains that bound his physical body.

As Garrett's fight with your arms severely weakened, his crystal clear image reflected in your orbs of fire and it was the last thing he saw as he stuttered out the ending lyrics of his own end.

"It hurts... to.. set you free, but... you'll never follow me. The end... of laugh..ter and soft lies. The end... of nights... we tried to die. This is...the end...my only..friend..the end of our elab..orate plans... the end of every...thing that stands... the end. No safety.... or surprise, the end. I'll never look into.... your eyes again."

Garrett's tired eyes closed, for how long he didn't know and then...he felt something warm and wet dripping onto his cheek as you he heard you sobbing 3 little words he had always longed to hear.

"Garrett. I...I love you. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please... wake up."

Drip, Drip, Drip.

In a gasping panic of calling your name, Garrett awoke with wide, darting eyes that traveled right to his open palm as the leak from the cabin floor above him dripped into it.

"What...in theeee jinky...fuck?!" he groaned as he lifted his hand to his lips to drink the tiny puddle of much needed lubricant for his dry, burning throat.

As he wearily pushed himself up into a sitting position, he froze solid, for he sensed a presence. Slowly turning to his right, there sat Freddy, your beloved crow.

"Eyyy, Freddy my man. Is it really you? Please tell me you're real because I really need some help as you can see."

"CAW!" the blackbird screeched, once for yes and then he pecked Garrett's hand.

"Owww, easy bro. Ok, you're real. You gotta do something for me. You owe me remember? For saving your life?"

"CAW!"

"Alright. Here."

Garrett reached deep into his pocket and pulled out the purple amethyst pendant.

"Take this to Josephine. She has to have it to rid of the dead....and somehow...find a way to tell her where I am. Do charades or something."

"CAW! CAW! CAW!" Freddy chanted with a head bobbing motion, almost as if he were laughing.

Garrett smiled and held the necklace up. "I'm pretty sure you know how important this is, so keep it safe. Oh, and she will need her moonstone pendant too that I had you hide."

Little did Garrett know about either pendant. He had the means all along and right there in his hand to transport himself back to you in a matter of seconds.... and then there was your pendant that his feathered friend had taken and given to Thranduil long ago to hopefully help bring the darkened elf lord back to the light by uniting it with his moonstone ring, which even the bird now knew that was a terrible mistake he would have to try and fix and he also knew such a task was easier thought than done, for the Elvenking would have a very tight grip on the two gems that formed one powerful piece of moonstone magic.

Freddy balled up the chain and stone with his talons and flew off through the broken basement window in which he had entered, but before he took flight to Dowrwinion, his keen black eye caught sight of something he knew he would need to make you understand.

On the porch sat a bag of Garrett's personal belongings and beside that laid a hairbrush. As he eyed the single strand of hair tangled in the bristles, his sensitive nostrils drew in Garrett's molasses scent. With his beak, he then snatched it up and took off into the night sky that held an almost full winter solstice moon.

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