Harry Potter Fan

((Sequel to Dreams Are Powerful Things.))

Part One.

I woke up quite suddenly, and I could instantly tell that I was shaking and close to hyperventilation. I balled my hands tightly to try and control it, but it didn`t help much. I shivered as a cold chill ran down my spine. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. I took deep breaths, concentrating on that one function.

In. Out. It. Out. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. It took more attention that it should have to make my heart rate lower.

What had that dream been? Well, it obviously hadn`t been a dream. It was definitely a vision soft of thing that took me somewhere. But where? I got a bad feeling and looked down at my clothing.

I was no longer in the clothes that I had fallen asleep in. I was wearing long, dark clothing. I knew the clothes well. They had been specially tailored just for me. They were made so I could be armed to the teeth and no one would know. The cloth was thick, so it wouldn`t be cut as easily as cotton. I ran my hand over my arm, and I was right again. I was armed. Not with the four short daggers that I had before, no. I knew without checking that I had four long daggers, two knives that were as long as my shin, and eight standard daggers. Those had all been specially made, too, with enough silver to make a werewolf yelp, but enough steel to stay deadly sharp.

I scrambled off of the bed, not noticing that my breathing had quickened again. I pulled a knife from my arm and carefully ran my finger across the blade. Sure enough, a thin line of blood bubbled up. I smiled and put the blade back, sticking my finger in my mouth to stop the bleeding.

At least Jonathan, whoever he was, had given the knives back.

But, that meant that he expected to see me again. He said that he would see me again, but how? When? What would he do to me? What did he want? Was he really my uncle? How did he know my father? How did he make that bracelet appear?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had way too many questions and not nearly enough answers for my liking. I didn`t like the fact that he had so easily taken control of me. I had become used to being powerful, and I liked it. I liked knowing what I could do, and what others could do. But with Jonathan, nothing. I got nothing.

I rubbed the wrist that the magic bracelet had been. The first time I had been forced to wearing it, I had been kidnapped. The feeling of being powerless was horrifying. It made my skin tingle, and even now I would absently scratch that wrist. I couldn`t help it. Being a witch, and one with supposedly unique powers had made me think a lot of myself, I realized that now. But compared to other students, I was powerful. Extremely so. The only person who had been able to slice through my blocks with ease was Ginny.

I was scared.

How couldn`t I be? Any smart person would have been scared a long time ago, but I was stubborn. I was raised by a mother who didn`t exactly make things easy for me. I had to fight for what I wanted, and I was used to it. I fought, and I fought hard. I would get what I wanted.

I shivered again and looked around the room, which suddenly looked a lot smaller than it had last night. My eyes rested on my bag. The bag that held all of the clothing I brought when I stormed away from home. It didn`t hold a lot, but it did hold a few more changes of clothes that were clean. I stared at the bag for a moment, Jonathan`s face swimming before my eyes. I shook my head and got a change of clothes along with some toiletries. I made my way to the little bathroom, feeling really dirty.

Funny, I had felt fine last night. All that I cared about was getting home to Aiden. Now I realized that I should look out for me, too. My father hadn`t made me realize this, but getting visited by a stranger in my dreams who claimed to be my uncle sure did.

I locked myself in the bathroom and took a deep breath. The floor was chilly against my bare feet, and that struck me as odd. Things weren`t often cold to me. Most things were about the same or warm. I shrugged it off, it was just the floor, and took off my outer layer of clothing.

I say outer because I always wore a tank top and shorts under this particular set of clothes. I only wore these things if I was going to be armed, and I didn`t want to sheaths against my bare skin. After a little time and some friction, they hurt. The sheaths can make your skin raw if you wear them too long, so I always made sure that I wore clothes under them. It was a bit hot after a while, but what is a little temperature when you might be fighting for your life?

I carefully slipped the knives off and folded them with their wrapping on top of the toilet lid. I wasn`t going to put them on the floor, they had saved me more than once.

As I went to get a towel, I slipped into a regretably familiar blackness.

Awesome Stacey as ever!

Great first part!
Honestly can't wait for part two.

Part Two

The darkness was almost painfull, just like sudden bright lights were, but it was a quiet pain. It felt like I was falling again, falling into forever darkness. I braced myself for the landing, but as I rolled onto my side I hit the stone floor with an Augh! The sound echoed faintly around the room, and I could hear it around me. The candles were still in place, as were the big men.

But as my worst fear, Jonathan wasn`t in the circle.

I looked around myself. I couldn`t call thins a dream, I was awake. So what was it? Like, a vision? A really messed up vision, that`s what it was. I carefully shifted my weight, closing my eyes against the pain. And for the forst time, I noticed that my eyes were black. I could feel them being black, could sense them. It was just that little feeling I get when my eyes change color, but I knew. This was definatly not a dream.

I moved myself into a sitting position, my eyes still closed. I would think that I would hear any movement, but Jonathan wasn`t there anyway. He was obviously in charge. My hip hurt badly, and there would be a bruise, but I was fine for now.

Opening my dark eyes, I instantly locked on him. There he was, that smug little son of a b*cth.

Jonathan smiled at me, his arm loosly crossed. His eyes were an emerald shade of green. My eyes would never change that color without seeing him. He was wearing a worn pain of jeans and a baby blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I have to say, he looked better than me in my black tank top and shorts. And of course I had no knives. My knives would be folded up not two feet from my unconscious body.

"What do you want?" I asked suddenly and loudly, my eyes flashing red with a purtrid hate.

Jonathan began to circle me again, still smiling. "Well, well, well, aren`t we just a little bit shirt-tempered today?" He asked me in a scolding tone.

I followed him with my eyes, standing up painfully and turned as he circled. He would not be at my back. "Maybe I would be in a better moon if you hadn`t pulled my from my life to come here again. Why so soon? I can`t have possibly gotten anything you want. I`ve only been awake for less than a half hour." I raised an eyebrow, giving him a harsh look. I still had my powers, for now.

Jonathan clicked his toungue. "I merely wanted to make sure I could pull you under again while you had your own free will. looks like I did good enough." The small frown on his face told me that something was different. I closed my mind with all that I had, everything but shutting it off. I had had to learn how to do this when I worked at the Ministry. All of the other powers would interfere with mine and make me horribly sick. I had to learn to only use my own self. That`s what I did now, making a mental block all the way around. I, myself, wouldn`t be able to use my own powers to their extent.

"Well, I`m here, so can I leave?" I asked.

Jonathan pretended to think about it, even tilting his head. I looked away quickly. He had puased in walking aroung me, so I didn`t need to turn anymore.

"Well, you can`t be of use to me here, so I suppose." He acted like he was doing me a favor, and from the look he gave me then, I was glad that he let me go. I didn`t want to be there when he got angry.

Well, I didn`t want to be here at all, but I had no choice in the matter.

Another excellent chapter.
XD

YAY! Excellent part two!

Thank you, guys!
Now the next part will be a while off.
I`m going to write something where Stacey is driving to a train station, and then when she gets back to Hogsmead.
I finally found a way to bring it all back to magic!

Muahahahahahaha!!!

((Before I start, I would like to say that the parts where Aiden is speaking and whatnot, those are Aiden`s words. Because it is from Stacey`s point of veiw, her opinions and stuff will be in more detail, and Aiden`s stuff will be very minimal, but Alexis did an awesome job. XD Give her some credit, too!))

Part Three

The purr of the car`s engine was somewhat calming as Stacey raced down the highway. She was cheating a little, though. She wasn`t exactly using her powers, but she wasn`t not using them either. Anyway, her path was clear and she wove around the other cars easily in her fast red car.

Her eyes were glowing a pale lime green, letting off an unnatural light. Yes, they glowed. Her mouth was set in a tight line, and her eyes were set on the road. She was speeding, too, as if everything else wasn`t enough. No one stopped her. No cops. Even though she passed a couple cars. It was like she wasn`t there at all.

She was on her way to the closest train station. She was going home. Today. There was nothing that could stop her, not when she was like this. She was determined to go home to Aiden. The sick feeling in her stomach was stronger than ever, and not because of all of the white chocolate she had eaten. There was still some left, but most of it was gone. She needed to be home. She needed to be around magic. Her skin thingled, as if something had brushed against her. It was driving her crazy, and she knew that being around other witches and wizards would solve it. But it was mostly Aiden that she needed. She needed him, and now more than ever.


Stacey was coming home at last. After being away for three weeks, she was finally coming back to where she belonged. Real power singed through her veins,her skin tingling with the simple powers of the wizards that surrounded her, and she could actually use it without getting in trouble. That thought made her giggle. But the thought that made her smile brightly and tremble was the fact that she was coming home to Aiden.

She sat on a train that was destined for Hogsmead. Stacey had sent a letter ahead of herself that told Aiden when and where to meet her. She was coming home. There was no way that she could ever apologize to Aiden about being gone. She had vowed to never let her mother separate them, and she hadn`t kept that promise. It wasn`t really all of her fault, though. Carrie had done everything in her Muggle power to bring Stacey home and get her to a shrink.

Thats what had taken so long, the doctor. And the visions. How was she going to tell Aiden about the visions? She had to. She wasn`t going to keep a secret from him like that. She would worry about that when the time came. Right now, the train was hissing into the station.

Stacey stood up and pressed her nose to the glass, trying to see him, but the smoke fogged everything up. "Come on, come on." She muttured, waiting for the director to say they were free to leave the cabin.

Aiden stood in the crowded, busy train station. It seemed long, too long since he had seen her. It felt horrible to be away from Stacey, his love. A day seemed like weeks to him, but three weeks?  It was unbearable to say the least. The hadn't been away from each other since they had first met. It was like something else was missing from him whenever she was away.

Aiden's eyes were bright, unusually bright.  His eyes were never this bright until he saw Stacey, but the fact that he was going to see her after being weeks away from each other made them the brightest they had been in a long, long time.  He stood upright, feeling very impatient as he paced back and forth.  He was finding it hard to sit still. 

Suddenly, a loud high pitched whistle sound in the distance.  Steam could be seen from the top of the train, and the tone could be heard getting closer.  After a few minutes of the train slowing down, it came to a stop in front of the station.  Aiden quickly pushed his way through the big crowd, and stood in the front as he anxiously waited for the large silver doors to open.

Stacey was all but bouncing up and down as she stared at the back of the conductor`s head. "Come one, come on." She whispered, clutching her bag in one hand. Her eyes were an impatient orange, but they had blue streaks in them. She was happy, but she would be happier when she was with Aiden.

The conductor blew a whistle and she jumped from the seat with a yelp. She almost ran into the silver doors, she got up so fast. She jumped off of the train and disappeared into the croud, running right into Aiden.

Aiden looked at Stacey, startled by the collision.  His heart almost skipped a beat as he met her magnificent eyes, the ones he had missed so much.  His stomache tightened again, but this time with joy. 

He quickly picked up Stacey, holding her tight in her arms.  He squeezed her in a warm hug, and spun around in a half-circle.  He didn't even want to let her go, never.  He grinned a brilliant smile, and leaned his head back to look at her face.  Aiden's teeth shined in the light along with his brightly golden eyes.
"You're back!"  Aiden explained the obvious as he still held her in his arms.

Stacey had gasped softly when she colided with Aiden, and she instinctively used her free hand to steady herself, holding onto his arm. She managed to wimper before Aiden picked her up.

She laughed, her eyes flashing bright blue. She was unaware of everyone else now, it was only him. "Yes, I`m back." She exclaimed softly, and it was her turn to hug him now. A large smile was spread across her face. She was home now.

Aiden held her up with much ease.  He stared at her eyes, finding peace in them.  When she hugged him, it made his heart pound in his chest.  However, not of these things he was aware of at the moment. 

Aiden held her close.  He leaned forward to kiss her gently, he couldn't help but grin as he did so.  His eyes shot brighter under his closed eyes.  He wasn't even paying attention to all of the people around them.  He didn't mind showing public affection to his wife.  He leaned back with a smile.
"I missed you so much."  He said truthfully.

Stacey grinned and looped her arms around him, putting her head on his shoulder. Her heart was beating quickly, but she didn`t know it. She could only think of him.

"I missed you more." She teased, her eyes switching from blue to light pink to green to orange, along with other bright colors. She was pressed against him, still in his arms. She didn`t care. She was his wife. This was where she belonged.

He gently rubbed his hand down Stacey's arm.  He'd missed this, he'd missed this alot.  Aiden was glad to have her back.  It was as if a part of him had came home, to where it belonged.
"How was it?"  He asked quietly.

Stacey winced slightly, her eyes pausing on a rather unpleasant green.
"My mom sent me to a shrink, Aiden. It wasn`t fun." She said, a frown on her face.

She leaned into Aiden, putting her head on his chest. She had missed him, too. She had missed his slightly warmer skin against hers, the way she knew exactly how she would fit against him. This was what she missed. The simple touching, talking, just being normal. She didn`t like being away from Aiden. She hated it, in fact.

Aiden leaned his head back.  It was obviously not a good trip, her eyes showed that if not her wincing.  He sat her down, wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug once more before leaning back, and taking her hand.  He motioned his head to a bench of the other side of the train station.  It would be quieter there for them to talk.

Aiden walked over there, holding onto his wife's hand.  He sat down slowly, and turned himself so he could show his full attention to Stacey.
"A shrink?"  He asked surprised.  His tone may have sounded angry to someone outside of the conversation.  "Why the hell did she do that?"
He meant no disrespect to her mother, but he knew Stacey didn't need to see a shrink.

Stacey smiled as Aiden suggested the bench. She sat beside him, but facing him. And she couldn`t help but grin broadly when he questioned her about her mother.

"Yes, she sent me to a doctor. And now that you mention it, I don`t really remember why she sent me. There was a reason, but..." Her voice trailed of and she shrugged. She started to figit nervously with her bag. This was where the hard stuff was going to come in.

awesome!

Awesome, even if my horrible writing was in there.  =P

It wasn`t horrible, Alexis! And I had to take some stuff out about his feelings and what was in his head. Stacey wouldn`t know that stuff, so I had to take it out. The next part will be up soon.

Aiden leaned forward without realization of doing so.  He raised an eyebrow, looking curious.  He gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, edging her on.

He lifted his eyes to Stacey's.  They had turned to his natural dark shade of brown now.
"You don't remember...?"  He asked curiously.

Stacey paused for a moment, thinking.

"I... I think it was because of the dreams I had been having." She finally said. Did Aiden know about the dreams? She couldn`t remember if she had told him about them or not. He would freak out when he did know, nonetheless. She knew that much.

Aiden tilted his head more, then cleared his throat.  He frowned, a crease forming in his foread.  He looked like he had just figured something out.

Aiden looked at Stacey's eyes again, and she knew that he was trying to read her from them.
"Dreams?"  He inquiered.

Stacey looked down at her hands again with a guilty expression. It wasn`t like she was guilty about anything, but she felt bad for not telling him about the dreams. In person or by letter.

"Yeah, I started having these... dreams. But they aren`t like real... dreams." She answered slowly, choosing her words carefully. How would she tell him about Jonathan? And how would she question her father about her supposed uncle, for that matter?

Aiden watched her expression fall.  He looked a little off, like he was feeling sick.  He gently took her hand, holding it in his lap.

Aiden looked at her face, trying to find the right words to say.  He looked like he was being careful, like he had always been since the voices.
"Dreams...?  What are they of?"  He asked, his voice quiet.

Stacey chewed the inside of her lip, thinking of how to say it without making Aiden think it was much worse than it was.

"Well, they aren`t... dreams, really. They`re more like... visions. And... a man named Jonathan says that he`s my uncle." A man had paused a few feet away, seemingly looking at the train. He was too close for comfort. So she sent a burt of air towards him, making his hat fly away. Hee muttured under his breath and started to walk away quickly after his hat.

Aiden was watching Stacey, not really noticing her what she was doing with the wind.  He seemed distracted as he listened to her explain.  He hadn't known Stacey had an uncle, if it was true he didn't think Stacey knew either.
"And this guy, he didn't hurt you did he?"  He asked, sounding wary again.

Stacey`s eyes snapped back up to Aiden`s, and there was something subtle in her eyes. Something deep and fierce.
"No," She said firmly, "he didn`t hurt me. All he did was talk to me. He said that he was my uncle. I don`t believe him, but it was him who caused the voices." She clenched her jaw for a moment, very angry all of a sudden at a man she didn`t know.

She wouldn`t let anyone hurt her if she could help it. She was too hardheaded and controling for that, but it was against her values to let someone hurt her.

Aiden noticed her eyes change.  He swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned his head so he could look Stacey directly in the eyes.  He looked like he was concentrating on speaking, not getting lost in their colors.
"He caused the voices?"  He asked, his tone serious and getting louder.  "Then he did hurt you!"

"Aiden, no! I mean... I don`t know." Stacey exclaimed, getting looks from a couple of people. She leaned forward and rested her head on Aiden`s shoulder.

"Can you... make your questions more specific? I haven`t been getting a lot of sleep." She said after a moment, squeezing her eyes closed. The truth was, she hadn`t gotten any sleep really since her mother had called her home, but it was the most recent nights that had affected her the most.

Aiden took deep slow breaths, and she could tell that he was using it as a remedy to control his anger.  His eyes shot darker as a pounding began in his ears.  It wasn't until a few moments later he realized it was his own heart beat.  Aiden took a swift glance at the people around them.

He turned his head to Stacey, his eyes black with worry.
"Maybe we should talk somewhere."  Aiden pointed out quietly.
He didn't want to cause a scene here.  They would need to talk alone.

Stacey chewed the inside of her cheek nervously. She could tell that Aiden was angry and she leaned back so she could look into his eyes. It surprised her just how dark they were.

"I was about to suggest it." She said just as softly. She stood up carefully, looking down at Aiden, still holding his hand softly.

Aiden slowly walked after Stacey, holding her hand.  They wouldn't have to worry about her bags, he had gotten someone to take care of them for her.

He followed Stacey, looking down at the ground.  He wasn't paying attention to the large crowd around him, and she could tell that his mind was elsewhere.  He wasn't angry at Stacey, not at all.  He was angry at the man who did this, who was supposedly her uncle. Aiden ground his teeth together as he thought to himself.

I love it.
=]

((Sorry if there`s any confusion, but I just realized that I messed up the last two posts. Let me know if anything doesn`t make sense. And I`m telling you all now that I`m really disecting Alexis`s posts as Aiden, so don`t judge her posting on how I may make it look. Thanks, you guys, for reading!))

Part Four

I led Aiden silently, lost in my own thoughts. One thing that stood out was his anger. I could feel it like cold water over her skin. It made me unhappy to see Aiden like that. So as soon as they exited the train station, I stopped and turned to face him.

"Aiden, where do you want to go?" I asked slowly and softly, meeting his eyes with a concerned look.

He lifted his head, and led me towards the forest. He looked around, and saw that no one was near was in earshot. He took a deep breath, exhaling with a deep sigh.

Aiden stopped walking, and turned towards me.  He looked calmer now, but I could tell that he was still upset.  He seemed like he was waiting for me to say something.

I took a deep breath, my eyes on the ground.

"Aiden, I-- I don`t know what you want me to tell you. When my mon called me home, she never wanted me to come back. I`m not sure exactly what happened, but she sent me to a shrink. The dreams.... they were getting stronger. The voices were softer, but I have handle on them anyway. Then one night.... something happened. It was like a vision, but in dream form. I dreamed of you. Me and you. And... first I want to know if you dreamed that too."

That was the first time I had ever felt some sort of substance in a dream. It was important for her to know if he had felt it too, and that it wasn`t just Jonothan`s doing.

Aiden slowly entwined his fingers through mine, his eyes on our hands. He gently squeezed my fingers and looked into my eyes. There wasn't any place to sit down so they would have to stand.

"Well, I had dreams, but what was yours about?"  Aiden asked quietly, turning towards me completely.

I slowly took Aiden`s other hand and laced my fingers through that hand, too.

"Well, I don`t really know. We were just... together. It about about a week and a half after I had left. I know that I felt better after." I tried to explain softly. She hadn`t really paid much attention to that particular dream, she was too far in it. She had missed Aiden terribly, and had just been begging for a dream like that.

Aiden gave me a small smile.  He had mentioned very briefly once that when he did sleep and dream, all of them being about myself and him.  That's how it always was now since they spent most of their time together; it was expected.
"I had dreams, too.  All of them about different things."  He pointed out quietly.
"And of this guy...?"  He trailed off, not sure of his name.

I smiled slowly, but rested my head on his shoulder. I was getting a headache, and I was exhausted. All of the lack of sleep seemed to rest on me now.
"Aiden, like I said, I haven`t slept very well. You`ll have to make your questions a little more descriptive if you want a logical answer." I replied, looking up at him with a pained expression. I didn`t like having to ask this of him. It wasn`t just that I was showing weakness-- like my mother had raised me not to show-- but because I was showing it in front of Aiden. I didn`t want him to worry, even though I was.

Aiden watched me carefully then sighed.
"No."  He replied quietly, his tone serious.

He looked up at the sky, seeing it was almost sunset.  Aiden could most likely tell that I desperatly needed to sleep.  He tilted his head to one side, and caressed my cheek.

I took his hand from my cheek and squeezed it tightly.
"Aiden, really. You can ask your questions. I`ll be fine. I promise." I looked up at him, pure love in her eyes. I felt that Aiden more than deserved the answers to his questions than I needed sleep. I was, after all, the one who had left in the first place just because my mom had snapped her fingers at me.

Aiden lifted his finger, and put it up to my lips.  He looked at my eyes and watched different emotions run through them.  He squeezed my other hand as a reply.
"Yes, but my questions can wait.  Your health is my first priority."  He replied quietly. "First you need to get some sleep."

I sighed softly and closed my eyes for a moment. "Okay, my moon." I gave up, then stepped forward slowly and wrapped my arms around Aiden`s waist in a hug.

"I love you. I`m glad I`m finally home." I whispered. I really was tired, I just didn`t want to be.

Aiden slowly wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a soft, gentle hug.  He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against my head.
"I love you, too."  He replied softly in my ear.

He tilted his head to one side.
"Do you want me to take you back to the dorms?"

I winced, then mentally kicked myself when I knew that he`d noticed.

"Please. And could you transpost us?" I was more tired than I want to admit. I opened her eyes and gave Aiden a pained look. I didn`t want him to worry about me, but that would mean lying to him. I wasn`t going to do that, either.

Aiden saw the look on my face, the look of pain and loss of fatigue.  His eyes suddenly flashed a darker shade, and he nodded.  He slowly wrapped his arms around me.
"Sure thing love."

Aiden closed his eyes, taking in a deep, slow breath.  He exhaled slowly and did this once more.  He closed his eyes, and suddenly it seemed like the world had fallen from beneath us. But when I opened my eyes we were in the Gryffindor common room.

I sighed again and opened my eyes.
"Thank you." I said softly, lowering myself onto the end of the couch.

"I`m sorry about all of this. I should have never left. This probably wouldn`t have happened if I didn`t let my mother control everything." I covered her face with her hands.

Aiden sat down next to me.  He wrapped his arm over my shoulder, the other around my waist.  He looked at me straight in the eye with his own dark brown eyes.
"Stacey, don't blame yourself.  I know it wasn't your fault."  He told me quietly.

He gently rubbed my shoulder.
"There is no need to apologize."

I took my hadns away from my face as Aiden rubbed my shoulder.
"Yes there is. I shouldn`t have left. If I would have stayed here, we`d both be happpy, and I probably wouldn`t have let those dreams work." I said in a rush.

"I don`t know what happened." I said before yawning largely.

Aiden embraced me gently as he watched me.  He would stay awake, but I needed to sleep.  I had already had a enough rough nights.
"Shh.."  He whispered in my ear quietly. 
He would let me sleep, knowing it was only a few moments until I would be under.

I yawned again, my jaw popping twice.
"I love you." I whispered before once more falling into the blackness of sleep.

Part Five

I didn`t fall this time. No, this time in the dream-vision, I started out already on the floor. I was facing the mirror, my back tot eh rest of the room. I could see Jonathan in the glass, of course, but it isn`t exactly the same as facing him. I turned around in one fluid movement, just as I was trained to when I took all of thise years of self defense classes. Somehow they managed to forget to put in a class about how to deal with your sadistic supposed uncle.

"What now?" I asked, and instantly regreted it.

He didn`t yell at me. He didn`t hit me. He did nothing. He just glared at me. He was just standing there, his eyes an unnatural black, with his feet planted shoulder-width apart. That could either be a good thing, or a really, really bad thing. He smoothed down his light blue button-up shirt then crossed his arms. His blonde hair was just long enough to cover the top of his evil eyes, and I wasn`t going t look away.

I had been raised to stand my ground, and that`s exactly what I was going to do. My father had been a wolf Animagus, and a good one. I knew all of the rules about dominance.

I squared my jaw and planted my own feet, crossing my arms. If he was turely a Black, he wouldn`t attack with me like that. But I was scared silly, and I didn`t want him to know that.

Finally he spoke. His words were sharp and loud. I noticed again that the large men weren`t there, and I wondered idily for a moment about where they were. Of course, what did I know? They could still be here, just where I couldn`t see them. The only light came from the eight candles, and they weren`t exactly bright.

"You, young lady, have gotten stronger." He snapped. He was obviously extrememly angry, and that made me shiver, which made him smile for a moment. "As you`ve become closer to the wizard world, I have been unable to access your mind." He started to slowly circle me, like a wild animal playing with it`s prey before it ate it. "I can no longer see what you see. I can no longer hear what you hear. The last feed I got from you was that you were getting on a train to Hogsmead." He stopped pacing and glared at me.

He was closer to me, and I didn`t like that, but I was between him and the mirror.

"Sorry." I shrugged. "I missed my husband, so I went home." My tone probably could have been softer, but I couldn`t keep the edge from it.

Jonathan smirked angrily. "You little b!↕(h." He hissed. I shifted my weight to my other foot, glaring back at him.

"You know, calling me a b!↕(h isn`t exactly correct." I stated. My Animagus form is a snow leopard-- a cat-- not some mangy mutt." I narrowed my eyes at him, challenging him with an unspoken agreement that`s as old as time-- he who get s the last word wins. Or something along those words.

Jonathan laughed loudly, a laugh that made him lean his head back and close his eyes. I instinctively tensed, as if I would actually be stupid enough to attack him. But I still wasn`t ready for the hard blow against my cheek that sent me to the floor. My hand flew to my cheek. It throbbed with my pulse, but at least it wasn`t bleeding. I lay there, stunned, as Jonathan towered over me.

"You sniveling little thingyroach!" He roared. "You are your father`s daughter, d*mmit, exactly like him. The same little attitude that makes you think you`re better than everyone else--"

The dream ended there. The next thing I knew, I was gasping on the floor of the Gryffindor common room.

Part Six

"Stacey?" It was the first voice she heard. That wonderful voice that she could listen to for the rest of her life. But it was calling to her, wanting her to wake up....

"Stacey!"

I woke with a start. I rolled onto the floor and onto all fours, coughing heavily. My eyes were wide and I could tell that they were and electric lime green-- shock.
After a few moments I stopped coughing.

"I`m sorry." I said, her voice hoarse.

Aiden quickly bent down to his knees on the floor.  He put one hand behind my head to hold me up and the other around my back.  His eyes were dark with worry, and his expression full of suprise and panic.
"Sorry?  What?  No."  He exclaimed.  "Stacey, whats wrong?"

I coughed hard once, then sat up, rubbing my hands over her eyes. I blinked a few times, clearing her sight.
"It was Jonathan." I said reluctantly after a moment.

He pat my back softly, and held me up against the couch.  Aiden looked over me to see if I was hurt, but there was nothing to find. My cheek burned a little, like a phantom of the blow Jonathan had given me, but I definatly wasn`t going to say anything about it unless he asked. His face still looked worried and panicked.
"How?"  He asked, calming down his voice.

My eyes went distant as I remembered the dream. I let Aiden hold me against the couch, clutching his hand.
"It was like before. I was just asleep, and he was suddenly there." I was silent for a moment, then shook my head. I hated myself for letting this happen, especially in front of Aiden. He would worry about me, which could be stressful. I didn`t want to make him stressed or hurt or anything less than happy.

Aiden pressed his lips together into a tight, straight line as he thought. She could have easily tuned in to hear what he was thinking, but he head was staring to hurt.
"What happened in the dream?" He finally asked.

I thought about that for a moment, my breathing slow and steady. Jonathan hadn`t really gotten to the point, just glared and yelled at me.

"He was angry. He couldn`t access me while conscious after I got back. It made him mad, because he could before." I think I sounded like I was talking more to myself instead of Aiden.

Aiden looked down, sliding his fingers in between mine as he held me up against the couch.  He quickly grabbed a pillow from the couch, and sat it behind my head as a soft place for me to lean against. I couldn`t help but smile as he did this. It seemed like he was always looking out for her. Always trying to do what was best for her, even if it meant going out of his way.

Aiden kept his eyes fixated on our hands as they were entwined together
"How did you make it stop?"  He asked, lifting his eyes to meet mine.

"I don`t know." I finally replied. "I guess some part of me just pulled myself from it. It was still a dream, after all." I explained softly, thinking quickly as she spoke.

Aiden slowly ran his fingers through my hair, probably as an attempt to comfort me.  He leaned his back against the couch in what was probably a more comfortable position.  He looked down, thinking for a moment.
"Did he say anything to you?"

I nodded slowly, my eyes becoming distant again as I thought.
"Yes. He said.... something about me getting stronger as I neared magic. How he had to work harder to get to me." I said softly.

Aiden nodded, rubbing his neck with his palm.  He bit his lip, and looked at the fireplace.
"So, that would be good, right?"  He asked. Aiden cleared his throat and turned his eyes to look at me.
"That means he won't be able to get to you as easily.  Maybe these dreams will stop completely."

I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. My eyes were dark-- they had been since I woke up-- and they were a dark grey that would remind anyone of storm clouds. I could hear it in his voice; he wanted what he said to be true. He hoped the dreams would stop. But I knew they wouldn`t.

I started to shake her head slowly and squeezed his hand. "No, they won`t, Aiden." I replied softly. "I don`t know what he wants, but he`s determined to get it. He won`t give up on what he believes in."

I won`t give up, either. I thought to myself. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him. "I love you." She reminded softly. "In case you forgot about me." I smiled, knowing he would argue. I had missed him too much to care, though. I just wanted to stay here in his arms forever.

awesome!

Very good.  XD
Moreee!

Aiden frowned, opening his mouth to object but she could tell that he decided against it. He squeezed me gently and kissed me softly.
"I love you too." He replied quietly. He sighed, and patted my back.
"You know, maybe if we can find what he wants...we can figure this out."  He suggested.

I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. I didn`t feel physically tired any more, but I was mentally tired. There had just been so many questions that I didn`t have the answers to. I hated not knowing what was going on. What if Jonathan got to my father? Or worse, Aiden? I don`t think that I could stand it if Aiden got hurt.

"Maybe." I replied. "He wants something, but I have no idea what it is." I leaned back so I could look at Aiden.

Aiden leaned forward slowly, his eyes serious as if he were thinking hard about something.  He placed both of his pale hands on either sides of my face, caressing my cheeks and kissing me again.
"I'll help you find out what it."  He said after he leaned back.  "If you want."

I couldn`t help but smile as Aiden kissed me. After he spoke I kissed him back.
"Of course you can help." I replied, then grimmaced. "If you can. I don`t know when he`s going to show up again, or how strong he`ll be." I said with a frown.

Aiden smiled, and he leaned back, and ran his fingers through my hair absentmidedly now.
"Maybe..." He began, trying to think. "Maybe if I waited with you while you slept or something.  I could watch and see if anything happens."  Aiden suggested softly.

I nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Since I can`t see myself when I`m asleep, maybe that would be a good idea." I agreed. Suddenly looking embarrassed, Aiden rubbed his palm against the back of his neck. "I just realized how creepy that sounded of me."  He pointed out with a frown.

I laughed and took Aiden`s hand.
"Like you don`t watch me while I sleep anyway." I teased. I had never actually witnessed Aiden sleeping. He often stayed awake while while I slept, so he really did watch me while I slept.

Aiden smiled.
"But it still sounds creepy."  He teased as he cringed over-dramatically.  "I can't imagine how you felt when I suggested that. He squeezed my hand gently, rubbing his thumb over my palm slowly.
"But I'll make sure nothing happens to you."  He added sincerely. And I know that if everything else went wrong, he would still keep his promise.

This is good.
Even if I've already read most of these posts I still find it interesting to read in her point of view.

Hehe. Glad I could make it interesting for you, since you already know what`s going to happen, pretty much.
You don`t know exactly everything, though.
Muahahaha.
*Evil laugh over evil plans.*

Part Seven

I slowly traced a finger over the back of Aiden`s left hand. The only light in the room was from the softly burning fire, because it had gotten dark out by now. You could just make out the moon if you looked out the window at the right angle.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked suddenly. Neither of us had spoken for about half an hour, content with the silence that had been filled with the occasional kiss or laugh.

Aiden was staring into the fire, the bright orange flames reflecting in his eyes which were now only a medium brown shade.  He was sitting on the couch, next me. He had thought that he was keeping his thoughts to himself, mainly thinking about the past and occasional future, but I had enjoyed glancing over them, interested in what he was thinking.

He turned his head slowly, removing his gaze from the flames. "Sure, anything love."  He replied.

I was silent for another moment, deciding which question I wanted to ask.

"What do you want to do? Like, as a job? Have you ever thought about things like that? I mean, the Ministry thing I did was kind of forced on me, but I really don`t have to work at the Three Broomsticks if I didn`t want to." I said, softly but quickly.

Aiden lowered his eyes and his lips pursed together, his expression showing that he was in deep thought.  He leaned back against the couch, his other arm resting against the back of it and his hand brushing my shoulder.

He turned his gaze back to me, his eyes hitting mine and making my smile, despite everything.
"I don't really know anything I'm good at for a job."  He replied.

I nodded slowly, and I could feel my eyes get a little glassier as I got a little more tired.

"You know, really, neither one of us should have to work." I replied. "I need to take you to the Black`s vault in Gringott`s sometime." My eyes flickered back up to his, the flames reflected in them.

Aiden did notice how tired I was getting, I could tell.  He wrapped his arm around me, and looked down at me.

Then he thought about that for a moment.  He out his index finger up to her lips softly.
"You know I would never do that."  Aiden decided quickly, clearing his throat.
"I need to work for my money."

I smiled kindly. Of course he would want to work. He had insisted on taking care of the honeymoon and the house himself. Both were surprises for me, too. I hadn`t been allowed to know anything about them.

"Okay," I said, knowing that he wouldn`t change his mind, "Then what do you think you would like to do? There are a few shops in Hogsmead or Diagon Alley that would like a couple extra hands."

Aiden about that for a moment, too.  He would insist on getting a job, I knew that. He wouldn`t want to just mush off of my family`s money.

He gently squeezed my fingers.
"That's a good idea.  Any particular stores in mind?"

I just shrugged, my eyes on the fire. As I watched it, it shivered and sparked brightly, then just did whatever fires do. I smiled, my eyes flashing orange from playing with the flames.

"Not really. I don`t know what you would want to do." I said slowly, holding back a yawn. Aiden watched me look into the fire. He quietly snapped his index and ring finger together, causing the fire to slowly dim down. He knew how tired I must be.

Aiden looked back to me.
"You know what, I'm going to check them out and see whos hiring."  He decided.

I knew that he knew that I was getting tired, even if I tried to hide it. He knew me too well.
"You really don`t have to do that." I argued half-heartedly. I knew that he wouldn`t change his mind, but I didn`t mind.

Aiden smiled down at me.  He didn't let the fire go out completely, and she praised him silently for that. It was easy to just put a fire out, but taking it and dimming it took a little more thought.

He shrugged his shoulders as he tilted his head to me. "Well, I think it's a good idea. I want to."  He replied quietly.

I grinned again.
"I know you do, my moon." I said softly, tracing patterns on the back of his hand. "I`m just saying that you don`t have to if you don`t want to." I added.

I couldn`t hold the yawn back any longer. My jaw popped loudly as I did, and I rested my head against the back of the couch.

Aiden looked down at our hands, and he gently began to rub his thumb over the back of my palm softly.  He saw my yawn, and raised an eyebrow.
He turned himself towards me. "You need some sleep." He noted.

I didn`t even argue about it. I just nodded.
"M`kay." I sighed, yawning again. I snuggled between the corner of the couch and Aiden, making sure that I still held his hand.

Aiden leaned back some, and took in a breath.  He used his other hand to slowly run through my hair. He would wait for me to wake up, making sure that I didn't dream anything bad.

Aiden watched me yawn again.
"Goodnight love."  He whispered softly in me ear, barely hearing it before I drifted off to sleep.

awesome!

Part Eight

I woke up in the large, dark room. No falling this time, which was good. I just woke up with my back pressed against the mirror. I could feel the cold glass through my thin shirt. my knees were pressed to my chest, and my arms were wrapped around them. I opened my eyes to see Jonathan standing over me, his eyes shimmering an emerald green.

He was smiling, and that grin made me nervous.

"What do you want?" I asked, standing up, careful not to touch him. He was standing close to me, and that made me nervous, too. I was between him and the mirror, and I didn`t like it.

The blonde man smiled. "Little Stacey, you are so ignorant." His expression was just so... knowing, and she badly wanted to know what he had to say. She didn`t even really doubt that he wasn`t her uncle, anymore. She had seen so much of him lately, and no one to tell her different. How could she not believe him?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, scooting back as far as I could.

Jonathan took a half-step back, giving me a little more breathing room. "I am your uncle, and you deny it. You do not even know what your own father is. You wonder why you are so powerful, and he can tell you why. He keeps so many secrets from you, and you have no clue. You, who know nothing but what he lets you know." He paused. "So young in body, but so old in soul. Kept in secret, but in dire known." He said, his eyes getting a little distant.

By this time, I was staring at him.
"Wh--what?" I asked, my voice shaking. What was he talking about? What was that last thing he had said.

The man smiled, his eyes sparkling. "The prophecy, young child. You don`t even know of that. Go to your father, ask him. He will tell you. And give him this." He swirled his hands in a figure eight motion, and a dagger appeared in his hands.  It had a long, blackwood handle. The blade was jagged and looked deadly sharp. The silver of it glinted in the light from the candles.

It stared at the dagger, familiar with blades. I knew that it was a good knife, and I was instantly scared of it in his hands.

Jonathan smiled and held the knife to me, holding the blade as a common courtesy, and the real way to pass knives. "Give this to him, and he will know what it means." I took the knife, and looked up to meet his eyes. But he was gone. In the next instant, I was again in the Gryffindor common room.

Cool!

Mhm, great job.
Can't wait to read what happens next. XD

Part Nine

I stood nervously on the last stair, looking out to the forest. It looked so dark in there, I had never noticed that before. It had always just been a place to be alone, a place to hide. Now it looked like a place for people to be hiding.

"Are you ready?" I asked Aiden, keeping my eyes on the massive trees. Two bags were at my feet, ready to be moved. I was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and jeans to hide my knives. Aiden had the gun. I didn`t know if he would need it, but I definatly wanted him to have it if he did.

Aiden stood beside me, holding my hand gently. He wore a pair of light blue, thrashed jeans with a black jacket with the hood resting over his head.
He turned his head to face me, nodding his head up and down slowly.
"Ready when you are love."  He replied.

I nodded. "Okay, I`m going to transport us right into the garage. I couldn`t do that before because he had a block on it, but I asked him to take it down. But we`ll show up. I`m not going to leave you here after what has happened." I looked up to meet Aiden`s eyes, my own shimmering in the soft light of the morning.

Aiden took in a deep breath, and squeezed my hand as he sighed. His eyes stayed his normal brown color. "I understand."  Aiden answered quickly. "Have you talked to your father yet?"  He asked before I could transport them.

"No." I replied. "I`ll talk to him when we get there. I was kinda thinking about going back anyway. He would know what was happening. But no matter what, you were going to come with me." I explained quickly and quietly.

Then I took his other hand and faced him, pushing the bags so that they were between us. "Ready?" I asked again.

Aiden pulled my hand up to his lips, and kissed my palm softly.  He looked into my eyes, and smiled gently to me.
"And I'm ready."

I smiled and nodded. After a second of what felt like free-falling, we landed in the so familiar garage of the Black house. I opened my eyes and looked around. My little red car was back in its spot; my father had brought it back from the train station that I had left it at.

"Ready?" The question now had a much different meaning, one that meant something much more. Stacey had become more familair with transporting, having learned to do it herself.  However, it still made her feel sick every once in awhile.

Aiden slowly looked around the room, his eyes curious.  It had been quite a long time since he'd been here, and coming back probably reminded him of a lot.
"Yes."  Aiden replied, looking at me now. "Are you?"

Good job.
I don't know why but I like the way you ended it. XD

=D
I`m not done with this part yet, that`s just where I stopped.

Okay, guys. I kinda sorta got told on a different site that my writting was too graphic.

I`ve kept a lot of it out of this story, because the originals had a lot of stuff in it. But this is your first and only warning. The following content may contain offensive behavior or language. I haven`t written from here a whole lot, so I`m not sure, but I`m positive that there`s going to be some blood.

Deal with it or don`t read it, please. I know that some of you may have read things that were a lot worse, but I`d rather not take the chance. Just so you guys know. I don`t want to loose any of you because I said something. If I ever write something that you don`t like, tell me and I will do my best to fix it. The next part is coming up, so stay tuned.

Part Ten

The house was silent--eerily silent--and I paused, listening. I could hear a heartbeat, but it could have been Aiden`s. I closed her eyes and listened harder, searching for another noise. Another hint of life. This was it`s own type of magic, but not the kind of witches and wizards. No, this was the lost magic that so many people had lost touch with. Every human being had magic, but they had to listen to it.

I led Aiden through the house with my eyes closed. I knew where not to walk in order not to run into anything, I`d lived her my whole life, after all. I wandered through the house with Aiden behind be until I got to the room of windows with the piano. James was there, staring out into his own little world.

James turned around, having heard the two enter.
"I wasn`t expecting you this soon." He said with his deep and chilling voice.

I narrowed her eyes. "And yet you knew that we were here." I replied sharply. "Maybe we should go to the living room." James nodded, his brown hair hiding his eyes. He moved past us and walked to the living room, seating himself in the overstuffed armchair, leaving me and Aiden with the couch.

I sat down, pulling Aiden with me. I looked at him, asking him silently if he wanted to stay. He nodded in reply. I knew that he would leave if I wanted him to. A small part of me felt that what my father had to say was for my ears only, but the other, bigger, part of me wanted him here. Aiden had a right to know what was going on. I didn`t want to admit that I wanted him there to comfort me, too.

I looked down at our hands and took a deep breath. I slowly pulled the dagger out and lifted it for my father to see to see, the engraved side facing him.
"Jonathan said to give this to you." I said softly but clearly.

James stood up, his eyes set on the sharp knife. "Where did you get that?" He demanded.

I jutted my jaw out defiantly. "Like I said, Jonathan said to give it to you. He came to me by way of the dreams. He caused the voices in my head. He caused all of my mental problems." I said, her eyes growing a little red.

James stood gracefully and took the knife from my grip. "D*mn." He whispered, looking the knife over, only breifly scanning the engraved Ouroboros.

"What?" It was my turn to demand an answer. My father looked between me and the knife., his eyes full of anger and something else that I couldn`t figure out. His reaction wasn`t what I had hoped it would be.

Finally he sighed and set the knife on the floor in front of me, making sure that the dull side hit the carpet before the sharp side did.

"Jonathan is my brother, your uncle." I could tell that he was saying something that he had long kept to himself. "And I`m guessing by now that he has put many questions in your mind. Who is he? Where did he come from?" He paused, and I noticed that he left out another question:

Why didn`t I know this before?

I like your type of writing!

(cont.)

"And?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I tried to keep the tone a near hysteria out of my voice, but I`m not sure if he caught it or not.

Aparantly he did.

My father sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. "I didn`t want you to know." He siad simply. "I was going to tell you, but you`re life got so full and complicated. I thought that telling you would ruin it, so I never did. I almost did, too. When you told me that you were getting married." His eyes flickered to Aiden. "But again, I didn`t. You were so happy." He looked down to the floor, obviously feeling defeated.

I, too, looked at the ground. At the sharp knife at my feet. What did this one blade represent? How many had it killed?

"What-- what are you?" I asked, my voice now very shaky and threatening to break. "What are you? Some kind of... spirit, or something?" A tear fell down my cheek and onto my lap, but I managed to hold them back. I never liked crying in front of him, and I wasn`t going to now.

James shook his head. "No, I am immortal. I`ve lived forever, and I will live forever until someone decides to kill me." He said it all in a monotone voice, not looking at me. I was stunned, and couldn`t move. I couldn`t think. What had he just said? Did I hear them correctly? Did he say that he was immortal? How could that be? How could he not tell me this after seventeen years? After so much, he was telling me this now?

I was staring at the floor, tears in my blood-red eyes. I was squeezing Aiden`s hand tightly, so tightly that my knuckles were white. I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes to keep from crying. I was so confused. I couldn`t understand what my father had said, but I did know that it was bad. Aiden took a brief look down at the knife, and probably the symbol on the handle.

"It'll be okay."  He whispered in my ear, only loud enough for me to hear.

I let go of his hand and wrapped it over his stomach, shaking my head back and forth slowly. How could my own father have kept something like this from me? This was something vital, something about who I was. It said so much about who I was, about why my powers were developed the way they did.

James looked at the knife, strong distaste clear in his features. I had always found him hard to read, but he wasn`t hiding anything now.
"I`ll leave you two alone for a while. I`ll be back in a few minutes." He said softly, then left.

Part Eleven

I saw Aiden watched my dad leave, grateful that he gave the two of them a moment alone to talk. I could tell that Aiden was also thinking about what he would say to me. He took one quick glance at the knife before looking back at the wall.

"Love, are you okay?"  He whispered, resting his hand on my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and nodded. I was fighting against the tears and wiped my eyes from the ones that hadn`t spilled over yet.
"I`m fine, I just... I just don`t understand how he didn`t tell me this before. About everything. I mean, if Jonathan always seemed to be a threat, then he should have told me." I wasn`t really upset, just angry and confused. Frustrated. I suppose I had the right to be angry. I mean, finding out that what I thought was my own father turned out to be a big lie, that would take a toll on anyone.

Aiden pulled me closer and hugged me against his chest. I could tell that he was thinking hard, trying to say the right thing.

"He must have a reason why he kept it from you."  He said quietly.

I nodded, but I wasn`t able to keep the red from coloring my irises.
"I know, but still. He... Jonathan could have killed me numerous times. Now or when I was younger. The voices have taken me over before, and not even Ginny knew that it was a live person causing it. He had every opportunity to take me over." I replied angrily.

Aiden nodded; maybe he understood my fear. Jonathan was attacking him by hurting those closest to him, me.  That alone probably made him to want him dead.

Aiden hugged me gently, but leaned back after a moment to look into my eyes.
"He must be waiting for something."  He pointed out, pausing to take a breath and to think for a few seconds. "We have to find what he's waiting for."

I looked up to meet Aiden`s eyes.
"I know, but nothing makes sense. He doesn`t seem to want anything in particular, he justs wants to... I don`t know, hurt me. Maybe its my dad he`s after." My eyes moved to the doorway my father had left through.

"I just don`t know."

Aiden lifted his head slowly and looked at the wall, his eyes getting distant as he tried to think of an explanation. He looked like he was thinking hard about something, but I didn`t exactly care. I was starting to get a headache, probbaly from lack of sleep and stress.

"Maybe if you spoke to your father...try to find out what happened with him and your dad. Perhaps  if you knew more about what happened it would explain more." He suggested.

I took a deep breath and nodded. It wasn`t a bad idea, really, but I didn`t exactly want to talk to my father right now. As if on cue, he walked back into the room.

"Jonathan is your uncle." He said firmly. "And that`s something I`m ashamed of, but he is bad, and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants." He looked down to the dagger, still on the floor.

"The Ouroboros mean immortality." He explained as he started to unbutton his shirt. "Life, and renewed death. Power." He had gotten the shirt off, and turned around.  He had a large tatoo across his back. It was a blue dragon that was shaped in a circle, looking like it was eating its own tail. "Jonathan`s is red. You can guess why." He said sternly, pulling his shirt back on.

I looked at the tattoo on my father`s back, and saw that it was identical to the symbol on the dagger.  Aiden was staring long and hard at the dagger, maybe he was thinking about the symbol, but again, I didn`t know. Aiden suddenly cleared his throat, his eyes curious.

"Is that your dagger?" He asked, looking a little shy.

James lifted his eyes to meet Aiden`s and shook his head slowly.
"No. It is Jonathan`s, but it has done many bad things to many good people. It`s blade is sharper than any other, and I`m sure you found that out." He looked at me, and I nodded, not wanting to speak.

"He wants something, obviously, but I don`t know what it is, and I`m guessing you two don`t either." He added.

Aiden shook his head, even if the question wasn't pointing directly at him.  He leaned forward, resting his elbow against his knee as his expression changed. 

He stared at the wall, obviously thinking.
"Would you have any idea what that would be?"  He asked softly, meeting my father`s eyes. I mentally aplauded him. It was hard to stand up to my father; he had a very commanding presence, and dominant. He always told me that it was partially because he was a wolf Animagus, but he brought back the ancient, burried instinct of survival out of people. I could understand why, and I began to wonder if he really was an Animagus.

I ground my teeth and looked down at the dagger. It`s blade shined in the natural light of the room. I wanted to destroy it. Not only was it proof that Jonathan exsisted, but it had belonged to him and had killed people. If I knew it would melt, I would have right then and there, but for some reason I knew that it would be very, very hard to destroy that deadly knife.

Awesomeee.
-can't-wait-for-more-

Part Twelve:

James sighed and ran his hand through his brown hair.
"I have no idea. I haven`t talked to Jonathan for about three hundred years, and we weren`t on such great terms then, not now, either." His met Aiden`s eyes with a soft stare, and I think I was the only one who knew that his gaze looked a little too dominant to really be friendly. I would never admit it, but I felt angry at my father just then. He had no right to claim me, especially not now.

I looked between them, hiding my anger. How careful both of them acted. My father seemed to be so careful not to intimidate Aiden, who seemed to be... remote. He looked like he was trying to seem blank. Was he trying to hide something from me? Anger? He had always seemed to guard me from bad things, although I`m sure I`ve seen worse than he has.

Aiden pressed his lips together into a straight line, his eyes curious yet his face was obviously looking as if he was thinking hard about something. Normally I would have laughed at his expression-- it was just funny to see him concentrating so hard-- but this was no time to burst out laughing.

He stared at the knife that was on the ground, then leaned forward, and picked it up in his hand. He fingers wrapped around it tightly, and looked up and down the handle, looking at it as if it would give him some sort of clue or answer.

I carefully took the knife from Aiden, holding the blade with two expert fingers. I had handled knives for years now.

"The Ouroboros, does it mean anything special to him? You said his tatoo was red, and that means that`s he`s fire. Fire symbolizes evil." I stared off into nothing as I thought. "If he`s evil, his plan would be complicated, because he would have thought about it a long time to make sure it was perfect. The plan will go perfectly, unless we do something unexpected." I looked up to her father. He seemed so ancient, as if I could see through his facade now that I kenw the secret. Aiden turned to look at James as I asked him the question. He turned to stare at the knife now and tilted his head gently to the side.

My father nodded again.
"Yes, the fire represents evil, when it comes to him. I`m guessing that you inherited your gift from him. In your case, of course, fire means rebirth and renew." He explained. "My main gift is water and life, which is why my Ouroboros is blue. And before you can ask, I`ve already checked your chromosomes, you won`t live forever." He said.

I couldn`t think right. My mind became a jumble. I ran his words through my mind until they just mixed together.
"What?" I asked. "Live forever?" My voice would clearly state that I was freaking out, but anyone who knew me would know that I hadn`t taken that well.

"Yes, Stacey. I wil live forever, until someone kills me. Unfortunatly, it is the same for Jonathan." His words seemed slow, so slow. Again, I had trouble understanding him. I just couldn`t picture my father as someone who would live for the rest of eternity.

Veryy niceee.
<333

Part Thirteen:

Aiden reached out, and took my hand. He scooped it up and wrapped his other hand around mine. His skin was warm compared to mine; I felt like I was freezing. He looked at James, looking like he was thinking really hard. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat.

"Do you know how to kill him?"  He asked softly.

James squared his jaw for a moment, thinking. Only I was able to see that he was debating on telling the truth or not. There was no way the Aiden would be able to see it, but a small part of me hoped he would. I could tell that they were being careful with each other and I didn`t like it.

"Yes, I know how you can kill him. You have to decapitate, then burn the body and freeze the head. After that, anything can happen to the remains, but there will be no more. The fire prevents the body from reuniting itself with the head, and freezing the head kills the brain." He explained quickly and softly. I could see that he was uncomfortable with this, but I needed the information.

Suddenly I wondered just how old he really was. He hadn`t really said, just that he was really, really old. I was mad at him for keeping this secret from me. angry because he had never explained any of it.

Aiden's eyes fell, and he frowned. His expression showed that he obviously wasn't pleased with that answer. Then he sighed, and balled one of his hands in a fist. I couldn`t tell if he was angry, or just frustrated.

"Is there name...for your kind?"  He asked awkwardly, looking up to James again.

James shook his head. "We have no specific name. Humans don`t know about us, and therefor don`t have a name for us. But we call ourselves the Immortals. There is no other word that can describe what we are. No words for your languages can say it right, and that says a lot, because you have a very specific language." He tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace.

I squeezed Aiden`s hand, and not gently. I didn`t notice it, nor did I notice my eyes change grey-red. How could he have kept something like this from me for this long? This was imprtant. Something like this described who I was.

Aiden looked at the ground, and then at the dagger that I held in my other hand. His face showed a curious surpise.
"Then what does that make Stacey?" 

I tensed, my teeth clenching tightly until it hurt. D*mn. I didn`t want to hear the answer to this question. I didn`t want to hear those secrets that had been kept from me so unfairly.

James was quiet for a moment, his eyes on me. He could see that I was tense, and that I was angry with him. He should expect it, how could he not?

"She is half-Immortal. When you live forever... things happen." He explained quietly, lowering his eyes to the floor in a submissive way. Aiden probably wouldn`t see it, but I did. It meant that he was sorry. The wolf had been his Animagus form, and had often raised me by the ways of the wolf. He was sorry and ashamed, so much that he couldn`t put it into words. I nodded and slowly relaxed my hold on Aiden`s hand. I also turned the knife in my other hand, and dropped it safely to the floor.

"Wait, you can`t be an Animagus? Can you?" I asked suddenly.

"No," He replied, "I am also a shape-shifter. That`s another reason why humans can`t tell us apart. We can age ourselves if we want to. And we have a chosen animal form. Mine is the wolf."

I nodded, looking down at the knife. This was a lot to take in, and I wanted to make sure I understood.
"I want to take him downstairs." I said softly, looking from the knife to the man I had trusted for seventeen long years. "We need to, if this is going to continue."

James just nodded in reply.

Aiden turned his head, watching me carefully. He seemed to be waiting for me to get angry or sad, but nothing yet. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

My husband lifted his eyes, scanning them across the room to James, me, then the knife that now layed delicatley on the floor. His eyes were full of so many questions, but he didn`t ask any of them. Aiden layed his other hands over mine, looking at me expecantly. My heart throbbed and I squeezed his hand. I wanted to make that crease between his eyes go away. I wanted to make him smile and laugh. But that didn`t seem quite possible right now.

I looked to Aiden, my eyes felt like a solid wall that let no emmotion through. I nodded to him and stood up, bringing him with me. I led him away from the room and down two different halls. I stopped at a door that stood alone at the end of the last hall. There was a number pad on the wal beside it, and I punched in a series of numbers.

The door opened with a low click and I pushed it open with a burst of chilly air. A long line of stairs were visible, and everything was black except for the small footlights near the floor, giving only enough light to see where you were going.

I squeezed Aiden`s hand, biting my lip, and shook my head slowly.

Aiden followed me, keeping up with her rather quick pace. His eyes scanned the hall questioninly, having never seen this area of the house. He turned his eyes towards mine.

"Where are we going?"  He asked quietly.

I sniffled, holding back the wave of tears that now threatened to burst out.
"To the basement. If Jonathan is going to keep coming to me, I want to be armed." I explained softly, keeping my eyes on the stairs in front of me. The little lights near the floor weren`t much light, and I hadn`t been down there that often.

Part Fourteen:

Aiden followed me down the stairs and into the basement. His head was just barely tilted to one side as his curious eyes looked around him.
"Armed?"  He questioned.  "Should I get something more, too?" I had already given him one of my guns. He had that tucked through his belt loops.

I nodded, suddenly stopping. There was a door in front of me and another keypad beside it. I punched in another number, and the door clicked like the other one. A burst of cold, clean air burst out as I pushed it open.

The room was large and round with little pads mounted on the wall every now and then. There was a panel on the wall, and Stacey walked over to it. She pushed a few buttons, and flourescent lights switched on with a soft hum. There were glass cases everywhere, with drawers under them. There were also daggers and machetes behind thick glass, looking deadly in the bright lights. I was still holding back tears, but I had it controled. I was just hoping Aiden wouldn`t notice.

Aiden looked around the room, probably amazed at how a normal looking house like the Black's could secretly be hiding such things as knives, guns, and machetes.  It was fascinating but at the same time intimidating.

His eyes locked on mine. Aiden slowly stepped closer to me, and wrapped his arms around me. He rested his head on top of mine and I closed my eyes, leaning closer to him.

"What are you thinking?"  He whispered in my ear.

I took a shaky breath and wrapped my arms around his waist. What was he thinking?

"I don`t know, my moon. I`m confused and angry, but I`m sad and frustrated." I shook my head. There was too much going on in my head. "How is this... possible?" I asked, a sob breaking through my voice.

Aiden held me against his strong frame, holding me close. Maybe he knew that I was comforted when he did that and knew that he would protect me against anything. As if that were possible. He closed his eyes slowly, and took in a breath.

Aiden shook his head slowly. I knew that he wanted some way to fix this, but knew that this wasn't something he could control, no matter how badly he wanted to.
"I know.  I know."  He started slowly. "But are you okay?"  Aiden asked, his voice urgent.

I thought about that. Was I okay? I wasn`t physically hurt. I wasn`t going to be crippled in any way. Really, I was fine.
"I guess." I said as she sniffled. I squeezed Aiden tightly before taking a step back. He had always been there for me, always there to comfort me.

"Can you shoot a Glock?" I asked suddenly, stripping off my shirt to reveal a black tank top and my sheathed knives. The sheaths were tight against my skin and held my many knives in perfect positions for use.

Aiden looked down the tank top and my arms, staring at the knives with a thoughtful expression. His eyes finally reached mine, realizing I was asking him a question.

"I'm sure I can manage." He replied in a hard, serious tone. He swallowed, and cleared his throat. I think he still had so many questions roaming in his mind.
"Are you giving me another gun?"  Aiden asked as he finally spoke.

I looked down at the ground, no expression showing through my eyes. I kicked myself mentally. I shouldn`t be treating him this way. He did nothing wrong. He was trying to help me. But I was just... in shock. I couldn`t act differently, and I hated myself for it.

"Yes, and you`ll have to learn how to shoot it right." I looked up to meet my husband`s eyes. "If he`s coming after me, he`s sure as hell not going to leave you alone." I said, quickly pulling off my jeans. The tight sheaths of my lower-body knives didn`t move a centimeter, secure in their spots. just like this, anyone could see that I had at least a dozen knives on me. I had started to carry more weapons recently, only have carried a couple before things started getting bad.

"Take this." I had turned towards a glass cabinet and punched a few more buttons. It clicked and popped open. I removed the wicked-looking gun and handed it out carefully to Aiden. I opened the drawer under it and pulled out a handful of new magazines, also tossing those to him. "Be careful with that. It`s not as safe as some of the other ones are. If you accidently pull the trigger, it`ll shoot. And it`s not a light gun."

Aiden held his hand out, and took the gun slowly in his palm. He looked at the black gun, knowing this small peice of metal could be lethal. I wondered if he had ever seen the effects a heavy gun could make.

Aiden took in a long deep breath, and sighed. His eyes weren't dark, but a medium brown. However, it probably wouldn't be long before they changed. The mood around them would be sure of that.

"Don't worry about me, I can handle myself.  It's you I'm worried about."  Aiden said slowly, knowing I would probably disagree.

I stood there, looking down at the floor, a small gun in hand. My bottom lip trembled, and I looked away and blinked, trying to clear them. I stepped closer to Aiden again took his hand. It was a moment before I spoke.

"What happened to your parents, my moon?" I asked in a soft, shaky voice. I traced the lines of his palm with a fingertip, trying not to cry. I felt as if the world was on my shoulders, and I was crumbling under the weight. I didn`t want Aiden to worry about me, but I wasn`t going to lie to him and say that I was fine when I so clearly wasn`t.

Aiden blinked, surprised by the question. I had never really asked him about his parents. He always promised that would tell me, and I had never asked him about it because I could tell that it was a difficult subject, but the question still obviously took him off guard.

He put the gun behind him through his belt. He used his now free hand, and took my other hand in his own. His eyes strayed to the floor, finding it difficult to look up.
"They died in a car wreck."  He said simply, his voice almost sounding angry.

I squeezed Aiden`s hands and hugged him tightly.
"I`m sorry." I apologized. "I just... I don`t know. I guess I just wanted to know. I`m sorry for asking." I whispered, burrying my face in his chest.

Aiden wrapped both of his arms slowly around me and rested his cheek against the top of my head, and closed his eyes. He took in a deep, slow breath. He gripped his eyes shut tight, and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"It's okay."  He reassured her quietly before he paused. "I should've told you more earlier.  It's just...It made me a wreck, you have no idea.  I wanted to do some things, I had ideas..."  Aiden said, unsure.

I squeezed Aiden tigtly.

"Don`t think about it anymore, my moon. You can`t think about that now, not with me here." I whispered. A tear ran down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. "I`m sorry. I really am." I added. And I was. I had no right to ask him that, and I don`t even know why I did.

"You said you were worried about me," I said, changing the subject. "I`m not going to tell you not to, because I know you will anyway. Just remember, I can take care of myself, but I need you with me." I leaned forward on her toes to kiss him gently. I didn`t mean to make him upset. I wanted him to be happy again, or at least as happy as he could get with the present situation.

Aiden kept his eyes closed tight. His kissed me back gently, and sighed again. He pressed his lips together in a straight line with a expression on his face as if he were thinking hard about something.

He opened his eyes slowly, which were black now. It wasn't until then he saw the tears running down my cheeks, and he used his thumb to catch one and wipe it away off my red cheek.

"I promise to be here, love.  I'll be here with you as long as you need me."

Part Fifteen:

I slowly raised my hand until my palm was pressed against his cheek. I stared up into his eyes, mine just as black as Aiden`s.

"I know you will be." I sighed. "I know I can count on you. you`ll always be there for me, just like I`ll always be here for you." I replied, running my thumb along his cheekbone. I didn`t think that this was fair. He had always supported me through everything, and I didn`t feel like I gave him much in return. It made me feel selfish. I didn`t bring it up, though. He would just talk about how much I had changed him, but he didn`t know how much he had changed me.

Aiden looked into my eyes, seeming to see through them.  He was barely aware of how our eyes were the same dark colors, which meant that we were feeling the same way. He nodded slowly, lifting his hand to touch my arm while my hand rested softly on his cheek.

"I know."  He whispered as he blinked slowly.
"We can help each other through this."

I leaned forward and rested my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I don`t know what I ever did before I found you." I whispered, closing my dark eyes. He felt unusually cold compared to me. Normally he was hot, but right now he felt almost the same. Maybe it was just the room, but a part of me doubted it.

Aiden scooted closer and hugged me close to him. He sighed, and moved his head so that he was breathing on my neck. He must have known that the soft pattern of his breath calmed me. When he held me close to him and his heart beat against mine, I felt peaceful.

After a long pause he finally broke the silence.
"I know my life was worthless until I met you." He whispered into my ear.

I couldn`t help but smile a little as he said that.
"You know, I was nothing until I found you. Just some girl who sat in the back of the class and never talked to anybody. You made me find out who I was." I replied softly.

I tilted her head just slightly to the side, letting Aiden`s breath run over my skin. I breathed in deeply, letting the smell of his skin wash over me.

Aiden stretched his face closer to mine and kissed my neck softly, but in a polite way that he probably hoped would comfort me. He leaned back a fraction of an inch, and kept his eyes tightly closed..

"You know I'll love you no matter how you are."  He pointed out, his voice slow and quiet.

I smiled, opening my eyes, which had lightened a little to a soft grey. I leaned forward on my toes and pressed my lips against his softly, returning his sweet kiss. I hoped he knew just how much he meant to me; it didn`t seem like I could ever tell him how much I loved him.

"And I`ll love you no matter what." I said softly just as the door was pushed open with another click. James appeared and closed the door quietly behind him.

"I thought you`d like to know something." He said, obviously ignoring how close Aiden and I were.

Aiden lifted his head as my father approached them. He took a step back, but kept his arm securely wrapped around my waist. I lifted my eyes to look at my father. I really didn`t want to see him right now, and he would know that. It must be something important for him to have come down to the basement when he knew how I would be feeling.

"Gold. It has the same effect that silver has to werewolves. You have silver-plated weapons, but not gold." He didn`t meet either Aiden`s nor my eyes, and just walked over to one side of the room. In one certain display case, there were two heavy-duty guns with three locked drawers under it. James ran his hand over the front of the top drawer and it pushed open open.

"I want you to take these, but be careful with them." He got out four boxes of bullets and magazines and two knives. The blades were silver, though. I looked up at my father with a questioning gaze. He had just told me that gold would harm an Immortal, and yet he was giving me more silver.

"White gold." He explained. "If you pulled out a gold knife, Jonathan would see the color and know. These aren`t so easy to notice."

I stepped forward and took the weapons in both hands. I handed two of the boxes and one of the knives to Aiden.
"Be careful with that." I mummured softly as I handed him one of the knives. "The blade is almost as sharp as the other one." By 'the other one' I meant the one with the Ouroboros engraved on it.

"You`ll want to get a few sheaths, so it doesn`t cut you." I added. No one seemed didn`t even seem to notice or care that I was standing there in nothing but a rather small tank top and not-very-long shorts, along with my weapon sheaths that were strapped closely against me.

Aiden took the knife in his hand, and gripped the handle tight in his palm. He ran his left hand over the blade slowly, careful not to cut his fingers. He tilted his head slowly to one side. After a few moments Aiden lifted his eyes, and looked at James. He blinked, and nodded his head once as a reply. I gave a small smirk, glad that my dad couldn`t see my face.

James nodded to Aiden, meeting his eyes for only a moment.
"Gold will also disable some of an Immortal`s powers. It`ll hurt, too." He winced as if he was remembering pain.

I nodded, not looking at my father.
"Okay. We`re taking a few things, but just the normal stuff." I said softly, looking at my pile of knives a few feet away.

Aiden held the knife so tightly in his palm that his knuckles were turning white. I bet he wished that he could kill jonathan himself. I knew that he felt protective right now.

Finally he looked at the ground, and tilted his head, then blinked his eyes slowly, and turned his head to look at the rack of lethal weapons on the wall.
"Is there anything else that we should know?"  Aiden asked James quietly.

The expression on Aiden`s face was full of hatred. No matter how how he tried to hide it, I could tell that he was mad. I she put my hand over his, lowering the knife in his hand.

"No." James said. "We`re too powerful for much to harm us. We heal fast, too. There`s not anything else that can outlive us." His voice was soft and his gaze was on the floor.

Aiden pressed his lips together, and swallowed. He cleared his throat, and lowered the knife as my hand brought it down.

"Ah."  He said dryly, his eyes still dark.

I sighed sympathetically, knowing that he was trying to change his eye color. I hated it when my eye color gave away my emotions at any certain time. But they had a mind of their own, and would not change unless they wanted to.

"And... one more thing." James said, interupting my thoughts, "Stacey, your power to absorb energies is very unique and perfectly rare. Someone once told you that they knew a person high in some mountain range that could do the same thing as you. That`s because the only known person to also be able to do that is Jonathan."

I froze, my eyes back to blood red and looking pure deadly. James quickly excused himself, closing the us back into the room full of deadly weapons.

Very nice.
I like reading Stacey's POV on things.  It's interesting.

((I`m glad you like it. XD ))

Part Sixteen:

Aiden turned, his entire body facing me now. His face looked worried, but only for me. His eyes, like my own, showed some deep emotion in their dark color. However, I couldn't tell if it was fear of the unknown, or fear for me.

His eyes watched my face closely, and I knew that he could feel the tenseness in the room.
"Stacey?"  Aiden asked in a hushed tone.

I noticed that the air felt heavy, like it didn`t have good circulation and had been locked in this room for too long. It smelled slightly musty and felt suddenly small, too. The room would have been cold if heat hadn`t been rolling in waves from Aiden. I could tell that he was trying to get my attention, but I had to concentrate on pulling myself out of her anger. My mind felt blank, but completely full at the same time. I was so full of... hatred and pain. I had no coherent thoughts, just frustration and betrayal.

"I`m fine." I said softly. "Or I will be." I corrected herself, knowing that he would just argue against my obvious lie.

Aiden wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tight, but not too tight. Just enough to show his concern. His eyes looked ahead but I knew that was didn`t seeing anything.
"Don't worry love.  I'll make sure nothing happens to you, I swear it.  I'll do whatever it takes."  He promised, showing his sincerity in his voice.

He took in a deep breath, and waited a moment to exhale. It wasn't until then that I noticed something. He took in the real meaning of what James said. A crease furrowed in his brow.

I looked up, feeling Aiden tense.
"What?" I asked, a crease forming in my own forehead. "Did you remember something?" It had, after all, been him who had recognized the Ouroboros on the knife. Maybe he had remembered something that he hadn`t before. He shook his head quickly.

"No."  He said quietly.  "I was just thinking.  If your father is immortal, that makes you at least half of what he is, right?"

"No."
I said it softly and firmly. "No, he said he had checked my chromosomes, I was mortal. That means I`ll have a normal life span, but I`m guessing a lot of my powers are influenced by that half. I`m one of the most advanced people for my age, and that doesn`t happen unless something makes it happen. My mom is a Muggle, so she wouldn`t be the cause." I had hoped that I would soung confident when I said that, but my voice cracked.

Aiden nodded, his expression distant. My answer seemed to comfort him quite a bit. He breathed out a sigh of relief, and rubbed my shoulder gently with his pale hand.

He stared into mine eyes, seeming to come back now after his dark eyes looked so far away.
"What do you think then?"

"What do I think about what?" I asked. My voice sounded snippity and cross. I sighed and clenched my hands into fists.

"I don`t know what to think, my moon. I... I feel... betrayed. Left out. I feel like some part of me was lost. Like I lost my father." I clenched my teeth together and pressed my head against his chest, tears escaping again despite how hard I tried to hold them back. D*mn. I thought. Why couldn`t I control myself?

Bump, first of all you guys. Come on, I know people read this thing. I know I haven`t posted in a while, but still. I would have posted earlier, but my computer deleated the post. =( But I`ll post soon, once I get it written.

That`s the second thing. This next post will be the last part of this thread. I`ll be starting a new one soon, and a couple people kinda know what it`s about, but it`ll be different. I hope you`ll all read it, too, since it`s kinda starting something else. I know this FF has been hard to keep up with, but things happen. Just please tell me what you think of this next post, and tune in for the next one, which won`t be far off.

Stacey.

Part Seventeen:

I felt Aiden pat my shoulder gently, resting his cheek against my forehead.  He closed his eyes, and nodded in understanding, then sighed softly, and it was all too obvious that he was thinking about Jonathan.

"I know, love."  He whispred softly.  Aiden turned his head so that his lips were at my ear.
"It's okay.  You can let it out."

I tightly closed my eyes and whiped my frustrated tears away.

"God, I mean, how could he keep something like that from me?  He`s immortal.  He`s lived a thousand lifetimes, and how am I supposed to know how many more lives he`s made?  He could have lots of children over the years."  My words stoped suddnly. I had pulled a little away from Aiden in my own tornado of emmotion.  My hands were balled into tight fists and I could feel my fingernails digging into the skin of my palms.

"I`m sorry."  I whispered quickly.

Aiden took both of my hands, and held them both in each of his, aparantly not caring about how tightly balled around they were.  He stared into my eyes, a hint of something glowing in his own. He looked so... protective and sad, angry at himself for letting me be upset. How could anyone ever resist that? I stared up into his eyes.

He shook his head slowly, as if he couldn't quite wrap something around his mind.
"You're sorry?"  He asked, confused.

I squared my jaw, lowering my eyes to his chest. How could I explain it all? I was sorry that he had to watch me go through this, sorry that I had brought him into it. I didn`t want him to suffer for me, I didn`t want him to have any discomfort because I couldn`t handle my own problems. I just didn`t seem fair. He shoudn`t have to sit here and suffer with me.

"Yes. I`m sorry. I shouldn`t be freaking out on you like this, I`m sure you`re under enough stress without me yelling like I`m some sort of maniac." I uncurled my fingers and squeezed his hands. I saw the little flicker in his eyes, but didn`t say anything. I didn`t want him to get any idead and try to go fighting anybody. Really, I knew that he means well and wants to protect me-- I can understand that-- but he didn`t see what Jonathan could do. He wasn`t there with me that first horrible night when my uncle first pulled me into his evil world of darkness. Jonathan had made me think his was Aiden, and I had let him hold me in his arms...

The memory made me shudder, and a ran my hands over my bare arms.

Aiden moved his hand to caress my cheek softly as his fingertips ran through the hair by my ear.  He stared into her eyes seriously.  Again I saw something flicker behind his eyes-- something deep, something I didn`t fully understand.

He cleared his throat.
"Stacey, you have nothing to be sorry for.  You must be going through so much now, and I don't blame you for acting any certain way.  However, you're definatly not acting like a maniac."  He replied, scanning over her face.
"Take your time, it`s okay."

I squeezed his hand that was still holding mine and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and pushing it out slowly. I did that two more times before I opened I eyes, which had lightened slightly. Doing that had made me feel slightly better. It was something an old theatre director had told everyone to do whenever they got nervous or scared. Going through the familiar motion made me feel calmer. My heart rate was slower, and anger wasn`t the first thing on my mind.

"Okay." I said softly as I looked up into Aiden`s eyes. I felt horribly bad for making him go through that, even though he didn`t seem to mind.

Aiden ran both of his hands from my back to my shoulders, then to caress each side of my face softly.  He lifted my head up to his and looked into his slightlly lighter eyes.

He gave me a small smile that was just so sweet I couldn`t help but smile back.
"Better?"  He asked, looking relieved as he noticed my eyes.

I nodded, starting to really smile. How could I not feel better when Aiden was there with me, looking like that?
"Yes. Are you ready to go? I think we have enough." I motioned towards the room with my hand, but my eyes stayed on his. I was still standing there in my shorts, tank top, and sheaths but I didn`t feel the cold.

Aiden nodded slowly, seeming to feel better now that I was smiling at him.  For a moment he just had to smile back, his eyes almost shining despite the darkness in the room.
"I'm ready."  He replied slowly, but his voice showed that he was sure of himself.  He squeezed my hand softly.

I squeezed his hand in return before letting it go and moving towards my pile clothes. I slipped back into my jeans and shirt, running my hands over the fitted sheaths that were completely hidden now.

"Is there.... anything else you want to ask him?" I asked softly, motioning toward the door where my father had left. I didn`t have anything left to say to him, and I`m sure he coule understand how I felt.

Aiden stood there, staring at the door.  I saw the answer in her careful eyes before he spoke. He would wait.
He shook his head, turning to look at me again.
"No, not right now."  He replied after clearing his throat.

I nodded, looking down to he floor.

"I don`t know about you, but I really don`t want to go up there again." I looked at the door, my eyes flickering darker for an instant. The thought of seeing my father again just made me want to cry, which is something I really didn`t want to do again today.

Aiden nodded his head up and down slowly in understanding. He pulled me closer to him, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He took in a deep breath, and turned his head to whisper in my ear.

"It's okay.  We can stay down here as long as you want."  He said slowly. The way he did that made we wonder if he really did want to stay, if he did want to ask James something else. But the thought of going back upstairs, back into the living room to sit on the couch while my father spit out words I didn`t want to hear... I just couldn`t take any more of that today.

I did smile then, my eyes sparkling slightly. It always felt weird when they did something like that-- like a feather had brushed against my eye.

"Do you really think that I want to stay down here? It`s cold and smells funny. And there`s more than one way outa here." I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around Aiden`s waist and in the next second we were back in the warm garage, standing next to my black Mercedes.

Aiden chuckled, looking around the garage.  The atmosphere was a lot warmer here than in the dark, damp basement. I could see that he already felt more relaxed and comfortable.

"Do you want to stay here, or would you rather go somewhere else?" He asked as he brushed my hair out of my face.

I just shrugged and opened the shiny black door.
"We can do whatever we want. What do you say we go down to the coast?"  We had been there the last time we had been up here together, and it seemed like the perfect place to go. It woulld be warm and sunny, seemingly the farthest thing from my cold father and his unwanted words. As soon as both of us were in the car, we disappeared into the sunlight together.

Very Nice story and ending!

=D
You did half of it.