The big city.

"That would be the question of the day!" Rose said in a high pitched voice, one she only go when she was truly stressed.

"Both of you calm down. It's going to be okay." Ashley said soothingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look, I love Cora more than anything. I would never hurt her that way, or anyway. So please, move on" Carlisle begged.

The minster nodded and was silent.

Ava frowned, but said nothing when Blake disappeared. Instead she looked down at the ground, thinking. When she looked up she thought she saw Nick's face, but when she blinked, it was gone.
~~~~
Ashlyn soon stopped, and slid down the cold alley wall, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mason," She mumbled, shaking her head back and forth over and over again. "So sorry."

Just as she spoke, she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw the boys from the night she had met Mason, the ones she had beat up. They smirked, seeing her tears.

They started to insult her, calling her things that made her so angry she had to restrain herself from hurting them. But after one came at her, she fought. She fought harder than she ever had, her anger at Mason's death fueling her rage. After getting a few punches and kicks at them, one tripped her. A dirty trick.

"Fight fair, you cowards!" She thrashed as one pinned her arms behind her back. Another one, seemingly their leader, stepped forward and and gave her a good punch to the stomach. Her eyes widened and her breath was gone. He repeated this a few times until she doubled over in pain. The one holding her arms had let go. One kicked her so hard in the ribs that she swore she heard something break before leaving her there, gasping for air.

Ether was there, but did nothing. Said nothing. She never did.
~~~~~~
"Here," Hymn said, handing her the key.

"But---" Lenora started, but Hymn shook her head. she started to lead her to where the bottle was. She went into the small crack in the wall and lead her to all the other bottles. Moving one of the shelves aside, she revealed a small safe looking box.

"It's in there," she said simply, her voice sounding dead. "Break the bottle, and he'll be okay.

"Thank you," lenora whispered. "So much."

But Hymn just nodded before leaving.
~~~~~~~
Sable was in the underworld, while Raven was at the park. Raven was crying, while Sable was doing....nothing. He felt nothing. He knew nothing. He was nothing.
~~~~~~~
Try as she might, Cora could think of no reason her father wouldn't show up to her wedding. She felt a tug at her heart and tried to ignore it, but it just kept coming back, stronger and stronger each time.

"It will be fine. He will show and worse come to worse I;m sure your other or your brother can give you away." Rose began to pace up and down the hallway, her voice was still high pitched as she convinced herself not to panic.

"Rose, please. You are supposed to calm people down not freak out!" Ashley shouted. Rose nodded and used her power to help Cora calm down. Rose still paced however.

Cora was calmed, but only slightly. She shook her head.

"No, he'll show up," She mumbled. "He wouldn't just not come....he wouldn't do that." She looked thoughtful.

"He better hope so or he will regret it." Rose snapped, even though she was usually rational and collected when she did lose it it was sorta big.

Cora was just shaking her head, trying to hold back the tears that suddenly sprang to her pale blue eyes.

Rose stopped pacing and looked at Cora. "I'm sorry, my freaking can't be helping you out." she looked at her sympathetically before using her power again to calm her even more.

Cora just shrugged. "No, it's not your fault," She mumbled, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. She smiled at her, though it was obvious it was forced.

"It will be fine. He'll show up and he'll say it was because something very important came up that was very time sensitive." Rose said, "Cheer up, think about who is at the end of that aisle, waiting to marry you."

Jade was still cring. She didn't know what to do. Suddenly her tears stopped, she had cried herself to sleep.

~~
Dust was sitting on the floor by the goddess feet.

~~
Felix tried not to laguh. He failed.

~~
Blake appered next to his father. "How many times?" He asked, not sounding happy.

"What?"

"How many times are you going to let her down?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?"

"All our lifes you weren't there, because you got yourself killed." he said. "Now Cora is welcomeing you back, and you refuse to show up?" His voice was slowly riseing.

"Why do you care? You don't even like the preson she's marrying."

He sighed. "True, but I'm not ruining it fo her."

His father said nothing.

"Will you or will you not come?" He asked.

"I don't know."

"How can't you know!?" He yelled. He clamed down. "What can I tell her."

"What?"

Blake looked annoied. "Why won't you come?"

"Because, I don't feel like I can, I wasn't there to see her gorw up, how can I be there to see her wedding?"

Blake disappered, and reappered at tghe bottom of the stairs of ashley's house.

~~
Chris appered in heaven, seeming sad.

Cora just nodded, but a tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away until she saw Blake. She jumped, almost falling down the stairs. She wiped the tears away, refusing to allow her brother to see her this way, especially on her wedding day.

She hadn't wanted even him to see her until the ceremony, but it didn't matter now.

"Where's father??" She asked, assuming that that was the reason for his appearance.
~~~~~
Lenora stared at the key in her hand. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she was surprised it didn’t stop all-together. Though she supposed it already had.

She looked at her father, who just nodded at her. She reached out with trembling hands, and slid the key into the lock, and turned it to the right. It opened with a clang, and she reached in and took out the bottle that held the soul of the man she loved. She held it close, afraid that she would damage the thing that it contained.

Her father smiled at her.

“I suppose you’re all grown up now,” he said quietly. Lenora couldn’t even bring herself to be angry with him right now; she was too happy, too nervous, too amazed that she was going to be able to bring Dust back. She couldn’t wait any longer. The memories of all the time she had spent with him flashed before her eyes.

How she had hated him when she first met him, been scared of him, how he creeped her out. She almost smiled at the thoughts. And then how he had saved her in the Underworld, when she felt herself slipping away to who knows where…..

How she had hugged him that day, then been unable to forget him. Seeing him on the street and asking him to stay with her. Unable to get him off her mind, drawing him, having the drawing ripped by Dawn. How he had asked if she would believe him if he said he loved her that day behind James’ house. Refusing to admit her feelings for him. How her heart leaped when he asked what she would do if he said he loved her. How she had told him to stop teasing her, the look in his eyes when he said he was serious.

How she had been almost asleep when he had come to her and she had admitted she loved him. How she opened her eyes and he told her he had made a deal with his sister. How she kissed him, her fist kiss, that night. How he left, how depressed and bitter she had been, how he had sent her flowers….

How he came back a few times, and how one time she had kissed James to bring him out of his trance, only to anger Dust. All the times they had had together, and then when he was finally able to stay…..

She threw the bottle against the wall without another thought. She wanted him back, and would settle for no less. He had called her stubborn before, and he was right. She was stubborn. And that’s why she hadn’t given up. Why she would never give up when they were apart. When she didn’t have him with her, she felt as though a part of her were missing. Not half of her, but more. As if the very essence of herself was gone. And she was sick of it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hymn stared at the wall with Chris’ drawings on it, her eyes passing over each one. She didn't know why she had come here; it only added to her pain. She reached up a hand and hesitantly ran her fingers over them, the coldness of the stone passing underneath her fingertips.

She wondered if she had made a mistake after all. Doing what she had done. But the relief in Lenora’s voice and face kept coming back to her, and she thought that maybe it hadn’t been.

She didn’t deserve love; she never had . She was just a demon who had grown up a bitter little girl who died repentant, then fell again and became bitter once more. She deserved nothing, surely not love.

Yet she remembered the day she had first met Chris as clearly as if it were happening again. He was so young, and she hated him then. He was so annoying, and infuriating.

But then she remembered the first time he had kissed her; how she had run from him, avoiding him like the plague! She almost laughed, and a sad smile passed her lips as she remembered. She didn’t want to believe she could truly love, so she had run. And when she finally did accept it, it was amazing. That she liked him, then even fell in love with him. She remembered the times they had just walked, the time a few days ago that she had laughed with him, smearing chalk on his face. Laughed! If Melody could see her now, she wouldn’t’ believe it was her. She hadn’t laughed, much less smiled, in so long, but something about him brought out a side of her that had lay dormant for so long.

And she had given this all up. Now it felt so stupid. But the hopelessness in Lenora’s voice came to her once more, and she shook her head. Why would she give up what she held so dear to a girl she barely knew?

‘Because she’s not a demon. Because you’re an idiot. Because you’re going soft.’

All these thoughts ran through her mind, yet not one of tem seemed to satisfy her.

She stood up and walked out of the ‘cave’ he had called home for so long, where she had first met him, leaving it behind her. She had to leave this all behind her; everything about him, every memory of him, everything she knew about him. That was the only way she would ever heal.

With each step she took, she left his memory farther and farther behind. They had been through so much together, yet she was just giving it up, so it seemed. She didn’t want to. She wanted to run to him and find him, beg for his forgiveness. But she wouldn’t; she knew that she wouldn’t. She was too proud for that. So she walked, and walked, and walked, not bothering to see where she was going. Nothing mattered anymore. She was back to who she was before she had fallen in love with him, made herself vulnerable to another person for the first time in her life. And the last time.

‘Never again,’ she thought. She knew this was the goddess’ fault, yet she blamed herself with every step she took that took her farther away from the memory of Chris, the man she loved.
~~~~~~~~
He was gone.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

Ashlyn stared up at the sky, struggling to breathe. Her stomach ached, and she was sure at least a few of her ribs were broken. She had had worse, though, but she just couldn’t find the motivation to get up this time.

Mason.

Never before had she cared for anyone like she cared for him. Not romantically, no, but just…..opening up to someone, allowing them to see you as well as you saw yourself. Friendship. It was a foreign feeling to her. She didn’t understand it, but she craved it. She wanted his company again.

She mentally scolded herself for ever letting him into her life. She should have kept him out. That way this pain would never have come. A pain worse than her aching ribs or her shallow breathing. A pain that couldn’t heal, even with time.

The heart’s pain.

She forced herself to her knees, only to cry out in pain. Her ribs were defiantly broken, at least some of them. It hurt, but she’d had worse. Gritting her teeth together she forced herself to stand and leaned against the cold brick wall. She started the long walk to the hospital. It was still light out, but the sun would set soon. She lived in a bad part of the neighborhood, so the streets were mostly empty. As she stumbled down the sidewalk, no one saw her struggling. And if they did, they did nothing.

She felt shattered, as if her life were falling apart right in front of her eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it. Sure, her life hadn’t been the easiest in the world. Her father was a drunk who got his kicks out of yelling at her and making her life miserable. But even that….didn’t hurt like watching Mason die did. Feeling so useless, and just watching him take his last breath.

She could still see him when she closed her eyes, and it made her shudder.

Ether, her shadow, remained silent as she followed her. For once she didn’t make things worse. Ashlyn had all but forgotten about her, her and Felix. She soon had to stop, and as she breathed in she cried out again, clutching her stomach and leaning against the wall of the building she now stood in front of. She slid down to the ground, sucking in breath after breath and trying not to scream. She wanted to scream, to let out all her frustration. Frustration at herself. She was angry; angry that she had allowed herself to become so vulnerable.

Scenes flashed in front of her eyes of all the time she had spent with him. He had seen her scars; he knew about her life. She knew about his. They had bonded through pain, or so it seemed to her. The times she had been mean to him, or laughed and joked and thrown pillows at him, or eaten ice cream with him, read a book while he was just….there flashed through her mind, more vivid than ever, as if she were watching them happen all over again as a ghost floating outside her own body. The first few nights, the night he had a fever and she helped him. The guilt she felt everyday at not doing anything about his condition, convincing herself that she didn’t care. Everything felt so wrong now. How could she have been so blind? She should have done something. But she knew why she didn’t. She admired him, though she’d never admit it. He had the courage to do something that she never could have, but wanted to every day; run away. And she knew that taking him to the hospital again meant giving him away and forcing him to go home.

She just couldn’t do that to him; she respected him too much, liked him too much.

Yet all she could think about now was how stupid she had been.

She forced herself to her feet again, things she had heard on TV or read in books running through her mind.

‘Time heals everything. It will be okay eventually. You’ll get over it. You’ll move on.’

Lies. All lies. You couldn’t say that unless you had been there yourself. She would never heal, not even with years of time. Nothing would be okay, never again. She wouldn’t get over it. She wouldn’t move on. She didn’t want to. She would forever cling to his memory in the vain hope that he would return. She could already see this.

She continued to walk, though all she could hear were voices in her head, and she couldn’t tell if it was Ether putting them there as she sometimes did or not.

‘Your fault. It’s all your fault. You should have done something. You killed him. Murderer.’

Was it true? Was it really her fault? She believed so.

She stumbled into the hospital, making up another lie about what had happened. Surprisingly, they believed it. And apparently she could pass for 18, for they didn’t ask for her parents. Good. Her mind was elsewhere, and she only went through the motions. They gave her pain medication for her ribs and put them back in place, though she didn’t even pay attention to how. They told her she wouldn’t be able to move around for a few days and she needed to rest and keep on the medication. She just nodded, signing a few papers for the prescription. The nurses gave her a ride home, telling her it would be unsafe to walk.

She didn’t even realize that she was back in her room until the sirens awoke her from her daze. She rolled over, flinching as she jostled her ribs. Her clock was broken. Of course. She didn’t know how long she had been lying there, but as she forced herself to sit up, it was still light out. The sun still hadn’t set yet.

She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She buried her face in her pillow, and cried. She was pathetic. Worthless. Broken. Useless. Horrible. A murderer.

And nothing could ever change that. Nothing could excuse her actions. In the end, it all came down to one thing; she had killed him.

She rose from her bed, ignoring the throbbing in her ribs and instead looking at the bottle of pills. She swallowed a few more dry before stepping into the bathroom. She closed and locked the door behind her, still gripping the pills in her hand. She slipped out of her clothes, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her stomach was bruised and each breath hurt. She turned on the water and stepped into the shower, allowing the cold water to wash over her. She wanted to wash it all away. Forget everything; go back to the way things were before Mason came into her life. Yet she couldn’t. Even if it had been for only a little while, he had given her something that she had never had before. Someone who cared about her.

Soon the throbbing in her ribs subsided, at least a bit, and she stepped out, wrapping herself in a robe and typing it in the front. She wiped the fog off the mirror and stared at herself. She saw nothing but a worthless girl who had nothing; who was nothing. She found her eyes wandering to the bottle of pills, and a horrid thought crossed her mind. She didn’t know if it had been put there by the demon in her room, or if it was her own, but either way it frightened her.

‘Just end it all.’

She shook her head. As much as it hurt right now, she didn’t want to die. It was a selfish, stupid thought. She stared at herself in the mirror. What a fake she was. What a hypocrite. She couldn’t even bear to look at herself.

She clenched her hand into a fist, and reached back and brought it into the mirror. The shattered glass hurt, but it barely registered in her mind. What was a few more scars? Her reflection stared back at her, but it was broken. She realized then how much blood was coming from her hand. She sat down on the toilet seat, pressing a wad of toilet paper to attempt to stop the bleeding. Her father didn’t come to check on her; no doubt he was passed out drunk again.

She closed her eyes tightly, and slid to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest, leaning against the bathtub, her black hair dripping wet and falling in front of her eyes, the toilet paper that she had pressed to her hand moments before fallen to the ground. Her blood dripped to the ground with each passing second. She didn’t move. She was rocking back and forth, feeling like a child again. A lost child who yearned for the comforting arms of a father or a mother who was never there.

She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t take this. Ether chose this moment to appear next to her in the bathroom. Ashlyn didn’t even look at her, staring at the ground. Ether touched her shoulder wordlessly, replaying Mason’s death in front of her eyes over and over again. They way he fell, how she felt looking down at his dead face, his empty eyes. A shiver ran down her spine. Ether removed her hand a few moments later, and took a step back. Ashlyn’s hair fell in front of her eyes, hiding the tears that she was now powerless to stop.

Rose's temper rose again "He better have on hell of a good reason!" she snapped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carlisle stood at the alter waiting somewhat impatiently, "Where are they?" he mumbled under his breath.

"Perhaps you are getting your due." The minister chuckled.

"She wouldn't do that." Carlisle snapped.

"She might." the minister said.

"She's not like that" He said through gritted teeth.

"Not comeing." Blake said, dully. "And it's not a good reason."

~~
Dust blinked. Where was he? Then he knew.

He looked up at the goddess, who had a playful smile.

"Bye, bye, now." She said as he ran ut of the thrown room.

"Lenora!" He called.

~~
Tally sat in the front row. Her sandles had slid off her feet, and now laid in the sand below. Her dark blue dress was covered in sand, but she didn't care. Her dark tinted sunglasses slid off her face, and landed in her lap. She glance over at Carlisle, her eyes went from blue to gold, to green, to red, to neon pink, to black, then pure white, before she put the sunglasses back on.

~~
Leon came up behind Hymn.

"Not coming....?" Cora managed to choke out. "But.....why?? Why would he do that??" She cried, not bothering to conceal the tears. Great, now Blake knew his older sister had feelings. She tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming.
~~~~~~~
Lenora watched as the bottle shattered against the cave wall and the pieces slid to the floor. Her father put a hand on her shoulder, and she didn't even bother to shrug it off. She was holding her breath, unsure if it had worked. Then she heard her name being called. She turned and ran out of the small cave, tripping a few times ont he way, but her father picked her back up.

"Dust?!?" She called, coming out into one of the corridors of the underworld, looking around frantically for the source of his voice.
~~~~~~~~
Hymn turned when she heard footsteps. She saw Leon, and just blinked.

"Hello," She said dully.
~~~~~~~~
Ashlyn curled her hand into a fist and watched the blood drip down to the ground. She didn't even try to stop it. Ether smiled strangely and moved closer again. The fan still whirled above them; she hadn't bothered to turn it off.

Blake frowned. "He has some crazy idea that because he didn't see you grow up, he can't see your wedding."

~~
Dust closed his eyes, and sighed. He had went to far. He quickly truned back around and ran to Lenora, wrapping his arms around her as soon as he was close enough.

~~
"What's the matter?" Leon asked. "Yu been happy lately, why so dull soundnding?"

~~
Lance sighed and finally pulled out his cell phone. He pulled out the phone book, and found Ashlynn's number. He dailed it.

Cora ran down the stairs, stopping close to her brother.

"Take me to him," She pleaded. "Please. Let me talk to him."
~~~~~
Lenora cried as he hugged her. She didn't even care that her father was there; she didn't want to let go ever again. She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
~~~~~~
"No reason," Hymn mumbled. She looked at him. "What's up?" She tried to look happy for him, but it failed miserably. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them she had her uncaring face on once more.
~~~~~~
Ashlyn jumped when she heard the phone ring from her room. She stumbled to her feet and opened the door, shivering as she stepped out of the warm air of the bathroom. She ran to her room and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She mumbled quietly, glad that whoever was on the other end couldn't see her.

"Ashlynn?" For a moment he sounded like Mason. "It's Lance." And it was gone. "I need to talk to you."

~~
Blake frowned. "No. I can't, you're human, I won't take you to the underworld." Blake said.

~~
"I'm sorry." Dust mumabled. "I fell for a silly trick."

~~
Leon fowned. "Really now?"

Ashlyn almost dropped the phone. Her hand began to shake. Mason. Mason was calling her....but how?

'It's Lance.'

Oh.

She felt like an idiot, and was glad that no one was there to see her shaking and shivering in her robe in her room besides Ether.

"About?" She asked, closing her eyes tightly and taking deep breathes to calm herself.
~~~~~~
"No, I'm sorry," Lenora sobbed. "I shouldn't have left without telling you where I was going. I just---needed time to think, was all," She cried. She turned to glance at her father, but he was gone, so she hugged him again.
~~~~~~~
Hymn nodded.

"Yes, really. Was there something you needed, or just a nice little family reuinon?" Her voice was sarcastic and sharp.
~~~~~~~
Cora glared at him, all traces of tears gone.

"I haven't seen him in almost a thousand years, and now I'm getting married. Take me to see him. Please," She said, her voice tight and controlled as she said the last word.

Lance rolled his eyes. "What do you think? My cousin just died in your house, and I'm calling about the weather?" He sounded sarcastic and mean.

~~
Jade was cring in her sleep.

~~
Dust smiled, still holding her, he disappered and reappered in James' liveing room. He frowned at the sound of Jade's sobs.

~~
"I can vist you anytime I want." Leon declared.

~~
Blake sighed. "Your safety is more importent to me then visting father."

His voice were like knives cutting into her flesh. She tried to hide the sound of her sobs, and somehow managed.

"It's sunny out. Go look," She snarled back. She didn't need this now. She felt guilty enough as is. Why did he feel the need to add to it?
~~~~~
"This isn't about a visit!" Cora snapped. "This is about one of the most special days in my life. It's not going to happen ever again. And I---" She cut herself off before she said 'I don't know what will happen to Carlisle in the next few months.'

"Please, just let me talk to him. Or bring him here. Just let me see him," She pleaded quietly. She sounded broken, like she was a little girl again.
~~~~~~~
Lenora heard Jade as well, and found herself wondering where Sable was. She finally pulled back, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She smiled sadly at him, eyes watering again.
~~~~~~~
"Good for you. Then come back later," Hymn snapped, and tried to push past her older brother.

The was slapping sound on the other end of the phone.

"Marybeth!" He hissed.

"Be nice!" A little girls voice yelled.

Lance was rubbing his cheek. "Look Ashlynn, I didn't call to be mean." He was glareing at his cousin.

"No, you're just naruraly like that." The girl said loud enough to be hread over the phone.

"I was calling to tell you when his furnal is." He said.

~~
Blake sighed. "I'll see if he will come, but I refuse to take you to him." Blake suddenly smiled. "Does he have to come willingly?"

~~
Dust walked over to Jade and tried to wake her.

"What happened while I was . . . . gone?" He asked.

~~
Leon frowned. "No, not till you tell me."

Ashlyn's blood ran cold. Funeral. Well, yes, what had she been expecting? The dead had to be buried.

"When?" She asked quietly. Her hand was dripping blood on the carpet, but she didn't even notice.
~~~~~
"There's nothing to tell. Leave me alone," Hymn hissed.
~~~~~
Lenora found that tears sprang to her eyes again.

"Sable's.....gone," She whispered.
~~~~~
"No," Cora said quietly. "Just as long as you can get him in the same room as me."

"It'd this Saturday, and the viewing, the wake, whatever you want to call it, is this Thrusday." Lance said. "Your invited to both."

~~
"What do you mean?' Dust asked.

~~
Leon sighed. "If yu say so." He said.

~~
Blake frowned again and disappered.

Ashlyn froze. Saturday. That was the day she turned 18. She almost laughed at the irony, but instead just nodded before realizing he couldn't see her.

"Right. I'll go," Was all she said.
~~~~~
"Gone. Insane. Again, probably forever this time." She wiped the tears away, but more came.
~~~~~
Hymn pushed past him this time, pullling her hood up as she headed to the darker parts of the Underworld, hoping to stay there forever. Maybe she could melt into the darkness, become nothing more than a shadow if she stayed there long enough.
~~~~
Cora sat down on the couch, cradling her head in her hands as she waited for him. She still didn't understand why her father would do this to her. She didn't understand why he would feel the way he did.

Lance said nothing more before hanging up.

~~
Dust frowned. "Oh." He sounded worried.

~~
Blake appered before his dad.