The big city.

Ava released his hand, shaking her head. "I don't know what else---" She began, then her eyes fell back on Nick. She took a step forward, her face impassive, but her hands shaking. She wasn't sure what to do.
~!!~
"Brianna!" Ivy shouted, but as soon as she stepped outside, she was out of sight. She spun back around and stormed upstairs, into her room and glared at Monroe.

"I understand you had to make my life miserbale, but why hers?!" She shouted. "Why her?!"
~!!~
Cora just nodded, and sat down on the bench in the park. She didn't want to go back, not in case Robert was still there. She never wanted to see him again, but it seemed as though he didn't care, just as he never had.
~!!~
Raven just stared at the spot where he had stood, then slowly shook her head, tears in her eyes as she disappeared, reappearing back in 'her' room, now Kasper's. She didn't know why she had tried. She hated herself for falling in love with him now. She walked over to the corner and sat down, ignoring Sable's probing stare as she pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding her tears from him.

Carlisle stood there patiently, after that he noticed a detective snooping around close by and he froze, "Cora? Has he been after you to find out who killed me?" he whispered.

Kasper crawled off the bed and sat next to Raven. "What's wrong?" He asked. He still thought he made her up, but at least this showed that he was kind to himself.

~!!~
Monroe smirked. "Because she is just like you. So young, so foolish, so fun to break." He said laying down on her bed. "I'll find her in due time, and I will kill her. I won't make the same mistake, I let you live, and look what happened.

Ivy glared at him. "If you think that I'll let you lay one hand, one finger, on her, then you're wrong. I will never let you touch her," She hissed, shaking her head. "Never."
~!!~
Raven turned her face away from him, shaking her head and mentally kicking herself. She should never have fallen asleep that night; it was her fault. "Nothing," She sadi quietly, ignoring Sable's chuckle.
~!!~
Cora blinked and looked where he was, shaking her head slowly, remembering what Rose had said. "I don't--I don't know," She said quietly.

"Hmm... I will be right back." Carlisle muttered and he walked away. Once out of sight he disappeared and reappeared behind the detective.

The man seemed scared once Carlisle began to speak to him, he nodded and left. Carlisle silently walked back and stood in his former place.

Monroe smirked. "Wanna bet?" He asked, titling his head. "You have no choice. I will do what I please." He answered.

~!!~
Kasper stood up. "Fine then." He answered.

Cora frowned slightly. "What did you do?" She asked quietly . It felt strange to be speaking to him, and she tried to push the feeling away.
~!!~
Sable smirked, and Raven looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. He stared back, and for a moment neither said anything. Finally, Raven looked away again, and the room was silent.
~!!~
Ivy shook her head. "I won't let you hurt her," She said quielty, her voice determined and low. "I won't."

"Nothing, I just sent him away. I can be a tad more persuasive than Rose is." Carlisle told her, "People tend to listen more when there are a pack of squirrels staring at them, I don't know why. I would never hurt him." Carlisle chuckled lightly. It was then that a small squirrel looked at Cora and it appeared a large smile crossed it face before it flitted away.

Monroe smirked. "We'll see." He said simply.

~!!~
Kasper stood up when Bryce pushed open his door. She smiled at him, then at Sable and Raven.

With every day that passed Laurinda found she was forgetting Lance’s face more and more. She didn’t want to forget his face; she never wanted to lose sight of it. She had no pictures of him, no way of remembering him but her memory. She turned over on her bed, burying her face in her pillow with a sigh. She reached a hand underneath and touched the cover of her journal.
~!!~
Cora was sitting on her bed, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She felt no less confused than she did before about Carlisle, and weather or not she wanted him to stay. She felt sad every time she saw him, yet even worse when he wasn’t there. She no longer knew what to do.
~!!~
Ava no longer saw Nick, and for that she was grateful. After that day, approaching him and hearing him speak to her, she no longer feared him here. She was in heaven, looking for Blake even though she knew they were no longer bound by anything. She still wanted to be near him. She was having more trouble than she had hoped for, though.
~!!~
Elliot was slowly returning to her normal self, bit by bit. Andrew saw that, not that he really cared. The fire in her eyes and heart was returning bit by bit, and her fight was back. She was as stubborn as ever.

She stood up and walked to the entrance of the cavern, stretching and ignoring the pain in her back. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around, still feeling disoriented from sleep.
~!!~
Raven was standing in Kasper’s room ,her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Her tears were gone, replaced by a stoic expression that could explode into anger at any moment. Sable only laughed when she started screaming at him, and that only made her more furious. She didn’t know what to do, and wanted to leave, but where? She couldn’t go to Aden. Apparently he didn’t trust her, and instead of being sad, she was just angry now. She felt like she shouldn’t have bothered with him, not after what he’d done to Jade and in turn, Sable. But her heart was bigger than her head apparently

And now, Melanie had assigned her to protect Kasper, from her own brother. As if things couldn’t get any worse. She looked down at the pendant around her neck, glowing. She stood up and looked at Sable, who was touching his arm. She ran over to him and shoved him away with strength not befitting someone her size, to which he just laughed.
~!!~
Melanie was sitting near the old dried up lake again, seemingly the only place she came lately. She hardly ever came to the underworld anymore, and spent most of her time sitting here, thinking of what it used to look like. She no longer looked for Warren, but she never forgot him, either. She never would.
~!!~
Brianna reached up a hand, and knocked on James’ door. Surprisingly, getting to New York was easy if you had the right money and the right attitude. Every step of the way Ivy told her to turn around and go back, but she wouldn’t listen. And now, she was here. She was sick of her father and her mother, and the bruises on her arms.

Lenora was still trying to get over the image of her old home, and her friend she’d seen on the street. She knew she should be happy, back where she came from, but as it turned out she was anything but. She heard the knock on the door and glanced over at Dust, but didn’t get up to get it.
~!!~
Hymn was walking aimlessly through the underworld, the only thing she seemed to do lately. She looked up as she came to the goddess’ throne room, then turned around. She no longer had any desire to be there, or here, for that matter. But she had nowhere else to go.

Truth be told, she wanted to find her brother. She didn’t know where to look, though.
~!!~
Ashlyn was back in her room again, going through her old things. She found a yearbook from her elementary school and smiled slightly as she leafed through it before setting it off to the side. She didn’t why she tortured herself by coming here, but it was better than thinking about other things, such as Mason, whom she hadn’t seen in so long.

Carlisle had talked to Rose early that morning and asked her if they could switch charges for the day so Cora could decide if she wanted him around. Rose reluctantly agreed, but only for a few hours. Rose appeared on the bed beside Cora and sighed, "He is gone for now." she announced, "Wants you to decide if he should stay and this seemed like a good way to him." she added, "but only for a few hours."

Meanwhile, Ashley and Carlisle had left the house to give Cora space. The two at the mall on Ashley's suggestion.

Blake was walking randomly in heaven. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. He had let Lance die, and it was his fault that Lulu lost someone else that was so dear to her. He couldn't take it no more. It was just about making him insane. And to top it all off, Lance wasn't in the nothingness.

~!!~
Kasper looked at Raven as she shouted. He had already learnt no to mess her. His mind really did need to make nicer hallucinations. He didn't think he would last much longer with what he thought was his own mind yelling at him.

He stood up and walked over to Raven, and touched her shoulder. "Calm down." He said.

~!!~
James stood up, slowly, carefully, and walked to the door. He opened it only to find Brianna. his surprise was quickly replaced by worry. "Brianna! What are you doing here!? Where are your parents?" He asked, peaking his head out of the door to see if they were near by. "Please tell me you didn't come here alone." For once in a long time, James was in a panic.

Dust looked at Lenora, frowning. He pointed to James. "What is going on?"

~!!~
Leon was walking around aimlessly when he saw his little sister. He smirked widely at her. "Hymn!" He called walking, no, running, up to her.

Hymn jumped when she heard a voice and spun around, blinking in surprise when she saw her brother. "Hey," She said, her voice soft and hard to be heard. She found it strange that he had found her as soon as she was thinking about him.
~!!~
Brianna clenched her teeth together, and shook her head. "I came alone,' She said quietly, her voice surprisingly strong for a 12 year old. "James, I couldn't stay," She said, pleading with her eyes. "I couldn't."

Lenora glanced at Dust, then peeked around James. Her eyes widened. "It's Brianna," She said quietly.
~!!~
Raven spun to face Kasper, stepping away quickly, and falling into Sable. He grasped her arms and pushed her away. She stood looking at her feet, then at Kasper. "Don't touch me," She said quietly, but her voice was strong. "Don't."
~!!~
Ava soon spotted him, and a smile broke out on her face, regardless of the circumstances. "Blake!" She called, pausing when she reached him. Her smile dimmed as she saw the look on his face, until it disappeared completely.
~!!~
Cora just nodded at Rose's words, still staring down at her hands. "Rose," She said quietly. "I don't know what to do," She whispered, her voice laced with pain. She looked up at her friend, pleading with her eyes, as if she could make the decision for her.

"I have good news and I have bad news." Rose said simply, "Good news is: I can easily decide that for you. Bed news is: You have to make that decision for yourself." she told her. "Carlisle wants you to decide if he stays, if it was up to him he would stay. But alas, his presence hurts you and so does his lack there of it. You have to decide what hurts less now that he is back."

Leon smiled at her. "What's up?" He asked, quietly, you seem a bit down." He said as he rested his arm on her shoulder.

~!!~
James shook his head. "So you left, and came here!? What if you have gotten hurt!?" He demanded. "I already lost my sister, I could of lost you too." He said, he thought of her only like a sister. "Come in." He said shaking his head.

Dust looked confused. "Why is she here?" He asked.

~!!~
Blake smiled weakly at her when he saw her. He wish he could be more happy, at least for her, but he couldn't. He walked up to her, and touched her cheek. "Now, smile, Av, the day can't be that bad.

~!!~
Kasper shock his head. "You're more like Bryce then Bryce is." He said, remembering how Bryce was before... before he mind went.

Raven blinked and looked at Kasper, and for a moment her face softened. "I'm sorry," She said quietly. "I shouldn't take it out on you." She glacned for a brief moment at Sable, but he was staring off at something, something she couldn't see.
~!!~
Ava forced a small smile at him, and shook her head. "The day is good, but I missed you," She said quietly. She had already told him about Nick, and how things seemed to be getting better. She wished she could say the same for him.
~!!~
Brianna flinched, then nodded. "I had to come," She whispered, stepping inside and staring down at her feet. "You don't understand. I coudln't stay." Her sleeves were long, covering the bruises on her arms. She shivered, though it wasn't cold.

Lenora shook her head. "I don't know," She said quietly, watching the small girl. "I can't believe she got here by herself."
~!!~
Hymn shook off his hand, though she liked how it felt, like he was her brother again. "When have you seen me not down?" She asked, glancing up at him. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, a slightly teasing tone in her voice.
~!!~
Cora just nodded, staring down at her hands. "I know," She said quietly. "I know that, but---" She shook her head. But what? It shouldn't have beent his hard to decide, she thought, but each time she thought she had come to a decision she felt torn in another direction. It was like someone was playing tug of war with her, but neither one was winning.

"Oh and another thing. He has decided that if you dont have an answer in one week he is leaving to get you reassigned." Rose told her, " He is tired of hurting you and doesn't know how to make you feel better, he thinks that is the way to handle it... Let you forget him and move on with your life without him."

Kasper shook his head. "I guess I get for hating myself, huh? Of course my hallucinations will yell at me." He said as he sat on his bed and wrapped his arms around his knees.

~!!~
Blake smiled weakly back, and he wrapped his arms around her. "That's good. I wish I could be around you more." He whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry that I'm not." And he was. He was pitying himself when Ava needed him. Not because she was seeing nick, but because he wasn't there at all for her. He felt like a failure.

~!!~
"I don't understand." He said, closing the door behind her. "You need to explain it to me. And don't sugar coat it, no 'its not important's." He said crossing his arms over his chest, and leaning against the door.

Dust frowned. "I wonder why."

~!!~
Leon smiled widely. "When you were in the middle." He teased back. "Not up, nor down."

"I'm not a hallucination!" Raven protested, turning away from Sable and looking at Kasper. "If I am, that means he is too," She said, pointing at Sable. "And I'm sure what he's made you feel was real enough, right?" she asked.
~!!~
Ava shook her head, hugging him tightly. "It's not your fault, you know," She said quietly. "Lance. It never was. You protected him for so long," She said quietly. "It wasn't your fault; you have to realize that."
~!!~
Brianna was silent, then she rolled up her sleeves. All up and down her arms were bruises, some old and fading and some that looked new. She pushed her hair away from her face, showing the bruise that covered some of her left cheek. "That's why," She said, pulling her sleeves back down and moving her hair back to where it was. "Monroe--" She paused, knowing he didn't know who that was. "My demon," She said quietly. "Made my dad more angry than usual. And this is the result."

Lenora took a step back, shaking her head as she looked at Brianna. "Poor girl,' She said quietly. She looked sad.
~!!~
Hymn laughed slightly, a strange sound to hear coming from her. "Okay, that may be true," She said. She felt her smile fade as she looked at him, her thoughts drifting back to Melody. Suddenly, she had to ask. "Have you seen Melody lately?" she said. "I mean, I was just wondering.." She trailed off at the end.
~!!~
Cora shook her head and cradled her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do," She whispered, her mind spinning. She didn't understand what she wanted. She wanted him to stay, but at the same time she wanted him to leave.

"Maybe it is best that he go. Perhaps it will allow you to move on with your life, maybe meet someone... You can't do that with him around because we both know he'll get jealous." Rose muttered, "but then again... With Robert around... Will Carlisle be helpful or harmful? Afterall he just wants you to be happy..." she seemed like she was watching a scene before her. She snapped out of it and smiled at Cora, "It is really your choice." she told her.

Kasper looked at Sable then back at Raven. "What else can it be. There is no such thing as the bogeyman or ghost. No such things as angels and demons. Really, if angels did exist why haven't they saved me from the torment these things give me. I have long since given up on angels. I'm tired of asking for their help, and finding out that they aren't real, because if they were real, they wouldn't let this happen to me. Not to anyone." He waked over to his bed and found that he couldn't stop talking. "Nothing exists. It's all in my mind, I may see 'things' touching me and hurting me, but it is really just me doing it to myself. I am mentally unstable, that is what they say. One day I'm going to creak, I'm going too break. And I'll truly be insane. No there is no such thing as angels, they wouldn't let this happen if they did. And if they do exist, I really must be worthless if they let happen to me." He sat on his bed and looked down at his hands. "But they don't exist, and I don't deserve this." He feel silent then, his lips no longer able to form words. As if he had buried them deep in side of him. The world was spinning, and he was struggling to hold on, and he was loosing his grip. And he was about to break, just like he said.

~!!~
Blake only wrapped his arms around her, he never wanted to let go. "That is just it. I protected him for so long, why not for another few years?" He asked. "Why could I protect him for that long, but not for the rest of the time. Why? Why did he have to die anyways? It wasn't fair." He closed his eyes. "Why did he become a demon?" He asked suddenly. "He didn't deserve that, and yet, he is a demon. He isn't the nothingness." I failed at protecting him, and I failed at helping him upward. This all my fault, Ava!" He closed his eyes tightly. "There had to be something I could of done to save him. Something I should of done!" His voice suddenly dropped. "But now he is dead. Now he is a demon, and it is all to late."

~!!~
James' breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. "And you didn't tell anyone? Brianna, people can help you. He shouldn't be hitting you, no matter what your demon does, he can't do that. He can hit you. He could in trouble for that." There was worry in his voice.

~!!~
Leon frowned slightly. "I seem her as much as you have." He pointed out simply.

Raven was silent until he sat down on the bed. Almost without thinking she sat down next to him, seeming to sense that he was close to breaking by the faint glow on her pendant. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close to her with her small arms. "I'm real," She said quietly. "What you said is true, in a way. I'm supposed to protect you and I'm doing a horrible job of it," She whispered. "And I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am." she didn't pull away, but she continud to speak. "If I'm not real, how can I tell you things you wouldn't know? In the back of the empty room down the hall there's a huge stain on the wall from the time Sable spilt coffee," She said quietly. "In the kitchen there's pencil marks near the back wall where we used to measure how tall we were getting. They were painted over, but if you look really closely you can still see them." As she spoke she only tightened her hold on him. "And you feel me now, right?" She asked. "You're not crazy, and you're right, you don't deserve this. But I'm going to keep trying to protect you. You won't get rid of me."
~!!~
Ava shook her head quickly, but her mind was racing. Why wasn't Lance here? Why was he a demon? She didn't undersand it either. She didn't pull away as she spoke. "You can't blame yourself," She said quietly, knowing her words were falling on deaf ears. "It wasn't your fault. You did all that you could."
~!!~
Brianna shook her head quickly. "It wasn't his fault!" she protested, wondering why she was defending the one who had made her life so miserable over the years. "It was Monroe's. Things were okay until he came along." That might not have been entirely true.
~!!~
Hymn didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but she nodded nonetheless. "Right," She mumbled, and glanced away, wondering if he would be able to tell what she was thinking. The wall she had so carefully built up over the years had fallen when Chris came along, and she could'nt seem to put it back up.
~!!~
Cora knew she was right, in more ways than one. "I know," She said quietly. "But I still don't know what to do. I want him, here, but everytime I see him I'm just reminded of what happened," She whispered. Even the mentoin of Robert couldn't change that.

"I understand...we wish you hadn't watched that..." Rose muttered, she felt like it was her fault at times. "I wish I could make this easier for you but I promised I would let you figure this out without my help or use of my power." she add. She wrapped her arms around Cora and hugged her tightly, "I am always here for you, okay? Even if it doesn't seem like I am right this second; I am."

Kasper couldn't stop himself. He wrapped his arms around Raven, and almost cried. He was scared, but he wouldn't admit it, he never would, at least he didn't think he ever would. "You're real." He said as if convincing himself.

~!!~
"No!" Blake cried. "I could of have saved him." He said, falling to his knees. "But I didn't."

~!!~
James frowned. "Then go back!" He said. "If he hadn't been angry in the first place Monroe wouldn't of have been able to make it worse."

~!!~
Leon sighed. "Hymn, do you want to see her?"

((Working on new plot. -insert evil laugh here- )

Brianna shook her head, staring down at her feet. "But I can't," She said quietly, sounding pained, torn. She looked back up at him. "Please!" She cried. "I can't. Please let me stay here. Please."
~!!~
Ava knelt down next to him, shaking her head. "You did what you could," she insisted quietly, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Blake," She said quietly.
~!!~
Raven nodded, her grip loosening slightly. "Yes, I am," She said quietly. "And I'm going to protect you. No matter what, I won't let him hurt you."
~!!~
Hymn scowled, shaking her head. "Of course not,' She said simply, folding her arms across her chest. "Why would I want to see her?"
~!!~
Cora nodded quietly, unable to even munster the strength to hug her friend back. She just noded and closed her eyes. "Thank you," She said quietly.