The big city.

"Mom... It does matter. How you feel matters more than you want to know..." Damon muttered, he stepped closer to her and set a hand gently on her arm, "Just don't shut us out..."

Carlisle frowned deeply, "I should take Annabell upstairs." he muttered but he didn't move to get her.

Isaac shook his head. "I'll do it." He said, turning to the little girl, and picking her up. "What room?" He asked.

~!!~
Lance frowned. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Laurinda mumbled. "Don't tease me like that," She added, almost as an afterthought. It wasn't that she really minded, but for a minute there she had really thought...
~!!~
Andrea shook her head, shaking his hand off gently. "I'm fine," She repeated. "It does't matter. It never did."

"Upstairs, end of the hall..." Carlisle muttered.

Annabell readjusted in her fathers arms before falling silent and still once more.

"But it does..." Damon mumbled as his hand dropped to his side.

Suddenly Link was leaning over her. "Why not?" He asked, softly, holding her chin so she would look at him. "Hmm?"

~!!~
Isaac quickly walked pass his son, careful not brush against him as he walked pass. Almost as if he didn't want to touch his own flesh and blood. Moments later he was laying the little girl in the room Carlisle had indicated.

"Just forget it," Andrea said softly. "Go see if your sister is okay, please," She said quietly, sinking down on the front porch steps. "I need to be alone now. Please."
~!!~
Laurinda opened her mouth to make the sarcastic remark she had in her mind, but suddenly it was gone. She closed her mouth quickly, unable to tear her eyes away from his. "I---" She began, but no words would come to her mind. She never felt this flustered; it was unnerving.

Carlisle watched his father go up, a wide frown across his already saddened face.

Annabell readjusted once more on the bed before going into what seemed to be a peaceful sleep.

Damon sighed before walking inside and sitting on the couch.

Isaac came back down a few moments later. He said nothing.

~!!~
Link frowned and kissed her cheek before letting her go.

Laurinda sat up slowly in bed, looking around. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, looking at the clock. 12 pm. She blinked in surprise; had she really been that tired? She wondered what day it was, or if Lance had school today. She couldn’t remember. She felt bad once more, looking around, about taking Blake’s room. She still didn’t know what had driven her here. She knew her ‘parents’ would be looking for her by now, and though they had lived a good distance away, it wouldn’t be too terribly hard to find her. She worried what would happen to Lance if they did; would he get in trouble?

She shook the thoughts off and slipped out of bed. She rummaged through her bag, and got dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a t shirt that was still too big for her. She combed her hair quickly and poked her head out of the door. She was still thinking about the day she had come here, 2 days ago…she had really thought he was going to kiss her, and then had been so mad at herself for it later. But she didn’t know why; she thought that in the time he was gone he probably didn’t like her anymore. Maybe he had realized she wasn’t worth it, and thought of her as a little kid the way every one else did. She frowned, wondering why the thought bothered her so much, yet she knew why.
~!!~
Melanie was standing, invisible, in front of Hope’s house. She wasn’t sure what she hoped to accomplish by coming here. She wondered if Warren was still here.

‘Why would he be?’ A voice in her head told her. ‘You killed his charge. Of course he won’t be here.’ But part of her hoped.

‘But what will you say to him if he is?’ the voice chimed in again. She flinched. She didn’t know. Part of her hoped to explain herself, though she knew there was no explanation she could give him. She had tried to do the right thing, and ending up probably making her hate him. ‘So it’s no use,’ the voice came once more. ‘Give up.’

But she didn’t want to.
~!!~
Hymn really had tried to stay out of trouble this time. She really had, but her anger always seemed to get the better of her. She was sick of everything here, and only wanted to lay down and sleep, or better yet, disappear. She could think of only one downside to that, and that was not being able to see Chris again.

She let her cloak slip off her shoulders, and now she stood only in her small dress, the tight sleeves on her small arms and the dress itself ending high above her knees and showing her small legs. She slipped the cloak over her arm and continued to walk. It was darker here, and she knew that she was doing a horrible job of picking a good place to get away from demons. Most of them stayed back here, where it was darker. But she just wanted the dark to think.

She brushed her hair out of her face and walked faster, letting the darkness overtake her. She could barely see, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she preferred it this way. Voices reached her ears but faded as she continued to walk. The bruise on her cheek was fading, but it was accompanied by new ones on her neck and wrists. She walked faster, desperately trying to clear her mind.
~!!~
Ashlyn had seemed close to remembering herself once more during the past 2 days, but now, chip saw, it was almost hopeless.

He had spent all this time trying to figure out exactly what could have happened to her. He had thought about her everyday he was away from her, only to see hera gain like this…dead, and a demon at that. He had enver given the afterlife much thought, but now he was. For Ashlyn was able to do things he didn’t think she should. She was able to make him remember things he had spent his entire life trying to forget, the painful memories he had buried in the back of his mind.

Right now he was sitting at home. He had the day off of work, and was attempting to read a book. But it was hard, with Ashlyn sitting in the corner and staring at him.

Ashlyn could remember nothing; right now she knew what she was here for, but everything beyond that was blurred, like looking through a window in the winter and not being able to see through the fog. She didn’t want to, though. It was almost…peaceful, not knowing. She didn’t mind.
~!!~
Sable was staring straight ahead, and Raven was trying not to look at him. He hadn’t shown any signs of remembering anything at all, however much she wished he would. She didn’t know what to do. She was as tired as she could ever remember being, and she knew she wasn’t helping Jade as much as she should. But she was trying; she really was, but Sable was somehow still managing to hurt her, both physically and mentally. She only wanted her brother back, but she knew that wanting did no good. She needed to dos something about it, but she didn’t know what. She could think of nothing to do other than what she was already doing, but it obviously wasn’t helping. She felt a failure.

She looked over at Jade in silence; she was worried about her, too, always being so sick. And Sable certainly wasn’t helping that any.
~!!~
Elliot was wandering through the underworld, worry and sadness clearly written on her face. She had been unable to find Tyler the past few days, but refused tos top trying, no matter how much Andrew tried to discourage her. She simply would not listen.

She didn’t know what to do; Tyler had taken his insanity back. But she didn’t want to see him suffer. She felt torn; she didn’t know what to do. Even now, as she walked, she had no idea. But first, she had to find him. She just had to know he was okay, see him…She had to.
~!!~
Ava was sitting on the ground near the couch in the living room, staring at the blank TV screen. It was obvious from her face that she had not gotten any sleep the night before, even with the lights on. She was seeing him again, every time she closed her eyes; Nick’s face. She knew he was gone, that he couldn’t hurt her anymore, and she was still so, so grateful to Noah for that. But her nightmares didn’t seem to care about that. She still saw him, and she could not stop it.

She looked up as she heard a door open somewhere in the house, but didn’t go to see who it was, though she could guess. Laurinda seemed to sleep late a lot, she had noticed about the girl. She closed her tired eyes, but the sudden darkness made her open them just as quickly. Sleep hadn’t been her friend the past 2 nights, and she had a feeling it wouldn’t be any time soon.
~!!~
Andrea had spent that first night out on the porch. Angels couldn’t get sick, but they did get cold. But now she was sitting outside once more on the front porch, waiting. Hoping that Isaac would finally leave so she too could. She wouldn’t go until she was sure he was gone, and not going to hurt Carlisle. She was thinking, though. About what Damon had said, and what she had said to him. She was stubborn though, so much so. She wouldn’t just go out and show emotion like that. It made you vulnerable, and that was something she refused to be. She stared down at her hands; even if she had wanted to she could not explain all she had felt and was still feeling to her son, nor to anyone else. She couldn’t’ even figure herself out.

She closed her eyes, feeling the heat of the midday sun on her face.
~!!~
Cora was in the living room, looking out the window at the sky. She spotted Andrea and looked at her still form for a moment before turning back to the living room with a frown on her features. She bit her lip as she sat down on the edge of the couch. Her worries about Carlisle were gone, replaced by worry for Annabell, and now even worry for his mother. It was something she just couldn’t help; she had always been this way, though she had a way of not showing that she cared for her brother during her life.

Annabell jumped down the stairs swiftly until she reached the door. She walked outside and stood by her mother with a smile.

Carlisle was behind Annabell in a few seconds, however rather than go outside he walked over to Cora and smiled.

Lance was clicking his pen. He was in the middle of the school right now, and he just wanted it too end. The teacher turned around, and scolded him. He dropped the pen, and frowned. He was worried about Lulu, as he called her. And then there was that person who was following him. He hadn't told Lulu, and Black had been more on edge lately, his pendent glowing all the time.

~!!~
Warren felt broken. He was still sitting where Hope had died. He hadn't moved, but her body had been taken away. He was still covered in her blood, now dark brown on his face and clothes. He wrapped his arms around his knees. He remembered the last time he felt like this, when he wanted to kill him. He might of have found it funny that the one person who could him was the one to destroy him, but it wasn't funny, it hurt. He didn't move, he wouldn't be able to if he wanted to.

~!!~
Mason was pacing. That all he had been doing lately. Ashlyn was breaking him


~!!~
Jade was sick, but she had to get to work. She was learning fast how to take care of herself of crose she had the help of Phillip. She opened the door of her small apartment just as he was coming up the stairs to get her. He has been taking her to work. She smiled at him. She thought of him as nothing more then a good friend, perhaps a less annoying version of Dust.

He smiled, he wanted to be more then that. "You look sick." He noted. She nodded. "I can help it." She said, and he nodded.

~!!~
Issac appeared in the room. He was frowning. He said nothing, and looked away.

Laurinda looked at Ava, and offered her a small smile, which Ava returned, though Laurinda could see that her mind was elsewhere. She looked at a calander that she saw in the ktichen, and realized that Lance must be at school. She frowned, and walked back into the living room. Ava looked far off, tired. Laurinda snuck back upstairs quickly.
~!!~
Melanie made her way inside slowly, ignoring the feeling inside of her that grew with each step. She stopped, and looked at Warren's form when she saw him. She felt frozen to the spot; she opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He looked so...so broken. And she knew she had done it.
~!!~
Chip looked at Mason, trying to resist the urge to say something smart. He looked away and back at his book, trying to ignore them both.
~!!~
Raven frowned as she looked at Phillip. She followed quickly, invisible to them both for now. She ignored Sable, who followed as well.
~!!~
Andrea looked over at her daughter, and offered her the smallest of smiles. She turend away quickly, afraid to say the wrong thing. She was silent.
~!!~
Cora smiled back, and then looked at Isaac as he apepared. Her smile slowly faded, and then was gone altogether.

Annabell looked at her mother with a worried expression, "Mommy...?" she said slowly.

Carlisle saw her smile fade and then saw his father and his faded as well. "Hi Isaac..." he muttered, "Can I help you with anything?" he asked.

Warren looked up at her. "Why are you here!?" He yelled. His voice was dry and broken. It sounded like he hadn't had a sip to drink since who knew when. "Didn't you already ruin everything!?" He yelled. "First you break my heart, then murder my charge! What else can you do me?" He demanded. "Spit in my face!?" He yelled, tears in his eyes. "I hate you! I hate your guts, I hate your soul, I hate everything about you!" He wanted to stand up, and yell louder, but his muscles wouldn't let him. "Is that what you wanted? You wanted me to hate you!? Well I hope you are happy now! Look at what you have done! Look at what you destroyed!" He was glaring at her. "But you don't care, do you?" He said. "You truly are a demon." He said, his voice stinging his throat. "I-" He was cut off by a fit of coughs. "I thought it was my fault you had died, but know I see the monster you really are. You really deserve to be where you are." His voice was lower, he could not yell any more. "I hate you. I hate your smile, I hate your laugh, I hate all the memories we had shared, did they ever matter to you? I hate you." He repeated. "I hate the fact that I had loved you." Then he fell silent, no more words left on his tongue.

~!!~
Isaac frowned. "I have a job to do." He said. "If I don't do it more of you will be hurt worse." He said, but did not move. He didn't want to.

Melanie was unable to speak even as he did. She turned her face away from his, her lower lip quivering with unshed tears. 'First you break my heart, then you murder my charge!' She knew he was right, and her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. 'I hate you! I hate your guts, I hate you soul, I hate everything about you!' She could have sworn she felt her heart break in half right then and there. No...no...she hadn't wanted this! She had only wanted to help him, and had hurt him beyond repair in the process. 'You truly are a demon.' A cry built up in her throat, but would not escape. Perhaps he was right. 'I hate you. I hate your smile, I hate your laugh, I hate all the memories we had shared, did they ever matter to you? I hate you. I hate the fact that I had loved you.'

She stood there, frozen, for several moments in the newfound silence, his words ringing her ears. 'Hate, hate, hate.'

She could never remember him yelling at her. It hurt more than the day she had died, the weight of hte water on her chest. It hurt more than not being able to breathe.

"I lied," she whisperd finally. "I never stopped loving you. I said what I did so I could go to the goddess, quit all of this, all of hurting you and Hope, and be done with it. I was hoping that it would work, and it did. I told her I didn't care about you, so she wouldn't change you again into a fallen. But then she said...if I didn't kill Hope, she would change you into something worse..." She looked at him now. "I was selfish. I didn't want you to hurt, and I didn't ask you what you wanted. I messed up everything, and you have every right to hate me. I even hate myself." Tears streamed freely down her cheeks now. "But I---" A cry escaped her lips, all the hurt evident on her face. Nothing had hurt this bad before, she thought. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Warren," She said, though she said his name slowly, as if it pained her. "I never...never wanted this to happen. I still love you," She whispered.
~!!~
Cora took a step closer to Carlisle then, though she did not glare at Isaac this time. She could understand that he was doing this to help his family, but it would hurt Carlisle in the process, and he was his family too, was he not? She said nothing, just looked at him.
~!!~
Andrea glanced over at Annabell. She saw the worried expression on her face, and flinched. She couldn't do anything right, could she? Even in trying not to worry her she did.

"Yes?" She finally asked quietly, still unaware that Isaac was in the house.

"Be happy, mommy..." Annabell pleaded.

"I understand..." Carlisle muttered, being the only human member of his family he knew he had to put up with it, "Who is it this time?" asking who was under threat now.

((Sorry, out with friends all night...))

Isaac smirked slightly. "Damon." He said. "Believe that?" His lame attempt at a joke. His hand were twitching slightly at his sides, like they always did when he wasn't sure what to do. "Normally, I would just leave it be. But I fear if I did that your mother would have my head." Another poor attempt. He frowned. "Don't ask what she will do to him, I don't know, I'm sure she will find something." He mumbled.

~!!~
The look of anger only seemed to increase as she spoke. His words seemed to find him, but they came out low, and dry, that was all he could manage. "I don't care." He said. "I still hate you, I will always hate you. You're sorry!? Don't give me that bull crap. If you never did it you would never have to say that you were sorry." He said, looking down. "Didn't want this to happen? Well it did, and it is all your fault!" His voice bitter. "You still love me? I don't think you ever loved me." He spat.

~!!~
Phillip helped Jade into his truck. "Thank you." She said softly, and pulled her hand out of his. She didn't like his touch. Phillip nodded, with a frown, and walked to the other side of the truck, getting in himself.

Cora was silent, struggling not to say what she was thinking. 'Leave Carlisle alone, let Damon take the punishment.' She flinched at her own thoughts; she knew that it was cruel of her to think that way, and it scared herself that she even was.
~!!~
Andrea was silent. "I am happy," She said quietly, somewhat of a lie. "I am, really," She said quietly, standing up when she heard a voice inside. She tensed up immediately.
~!!~
Melanie flinched, taking a step back. "That's not true," She said softly. "I did love you. I still do. You think that our entire life, I was faking it?" She whispered. "When you dragged me out of my house at night, when you kissed me...you thought I was faking it?" She asked quietly, shaking her head. "What do you want me to say? That I was an idiot? That I deserve to have you hate me? I am, and I do. And I'm sorry, Warren!" She cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know you can't forgive me, and I don't expect you to. I just wanted you to know...know that it was all a lie. That I cannot, and never will, stop loving you, regardless of weather or not you hate me."
~!!~
Sable's face was impassive, as always. Raven climbed into the truck behind them, not happy to have to sit next to Sable. He smirked slightly, seeing her discomfort. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.

Annabell tensed up slightly as well when she realized it was her father. "What is he doing here?" she hissed.

"Right..." Carlisle muttered, holding back malicious thoughts.

"Go away!" Warren suddenly yelled. "Don't you get it!?" He asked. "I don't want to see your face ever again. If you ever truly loved me you would of have thought twice before you did all those things, but you didn't think at all, did you?" He asked. "Go away, demon you have no business here." He spat.

~!!~
Isaac smirked. "Do you hate your brother in-law that much, that you wouldn't mind to see him experience what ever cruel fate the goddess has planned for him?" Isaac asked, almost as if he could read her mind.

"I don't know," Andrea muttered, and walked inside the house in silence. She heard Isaac's last words, and her eyes fell on Cora, then Carlisle before making her way back to her husbnd as she slowly pieced two and two together. "So she's threatened Damon now. I take it that means you're not leaving," She said tightly, looking at Isaac.

Cora was staring at her feet now, feeling ashamed of herself. The thoughts she held for Damon, the horrible things...they scared her. She knew that it was wrong of her to wish that fate upon anyone, even someone like him. Yet...she did. She did, and that scared her more than anything else.
~!!~
Melanie took a step back slowly, her hands shaking violently. "I'm--" But she didn't finish. What cuold she say? she had ruined everything, and nothing could ever fix it again. She had lost the only thing she had ever truly cared about by her own doings. She had no one to blame but herself, and perhaps that hurt the most.

She shook her head, and disappeared. She reappeared in the underworld, and her legs finally gave out from underneath her. She slipped to her knees, burying her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. It was over; he truly hated her. And she knew she deserved it.

Carlisle looked at Cora with a frown before looking at his parents, "Don't talk to her!" He snapped at his father.

Annabell followed her mother in and a stood by Carlisle and Cora.

"And why not?" Isaac asked. "It is my only amusement." He said with a smile. Then he looked at Andrea. "What else can I do?" He asked. "I won't leave, I can't, the next person on her list, after Damon, is you, after that there is nothing else she can do to hurt me, but to hurt me directly." He said.

"If it were me on her list, I wouldn't let you hurt him," Andrea hissed. "I would sooner take the punishment myself." Cora was still staring at her feet in silence, her blonde hair falling over her face and hiding her eyes, which were misty with tears.

Carlisle scoffed at his father and turned back to Cora and gently pushed the hair from her face, "Hey, it's okay..." he muttered, "Don't listen to him..."