Chapter 75: Loss

 Warning: This chapter has lots of bad language and lots of bad behavior.  Read at your own risk!

 

 Ivory woke with a start, sweating, her heart pounding in her throat.  The nightmare had been all too real.  She closed her eyes briefly, trying to banish the images, but they wouldn't go away.  Night after night they had plagued her, and because of their intensity and frequency, she had refused to turn off the lights when she slept.  Colin had humored her in this, told her he preferred the lights on anyway.  She turned her head to look at him, while she couldn't see his face, she could hear his soft snores.  The man was a heavy sleeper, and rarely stirred.  She studied him, committing all that she could to memory, because after this day, that was all he would be, or could be.  A cherished memory.

  She carefully got up out of the bed, and quietly pulled her clothes on.  Her heart hurt, she wanted nothing more than to snuggle up against him, pretend that they were a normal couple.  Pretend that Raven didn't exist.  She swallowed the bile rising up her throat, and took a deep breath.  She had no choice.

  Her anguished heart cried out inside of her. Romeo...Colin...my Love. She held back a sob.  Here in this moment, she would acknowledge to herself what she would never be able to acknowledge to him.  She loved him.  She had tried not to, but that was like trying not to breath, it had been impossible.  The memories of their days together played through her mind, a kaleidoscope of life.  Of a lifetime hoped for, but one she could never keep.

  What would he think of her, when he found out?  What would he think when his brother was finally found, tortured, his throat slit?  He would know it was her.  He would know then why she had come, who her target had been.  Her terrible purpose.  Would he hate her then, for tearing his family apart?  Would he hate her for taking his brother from him, the brother he both loved and hated?  Would he remember their conversations about his family, and wonder about his part in it?  Would he regret the words he had spoken to her, regret meeting her? Regret loving her?

  A lone tear escaped, and trailed down her cheek.  She ignored it, and forced herself to open the door, and put one foot in front of the other.  She should have already been there, should have already finished the process she had barely started, but she had selfishly wanted one more night with him.  Just one more memory to help warm her soul on the cold nights of her eternity of regrets.

  As soon as the door shut, Colin rolled over and opened his eyes. She had been acting f*cking peculiar for the past couple of f*cking weeks now, and she had f*cking refused to talk about it.  F*ck.  It p*ssed him the f*ck off.  He f*cking hated the f*cking sadness in her eyes, f*cking hated that she f*cking tried to f*cking hide it from him.  He really f*cking hated the f*cking wall he sensed she was f*cking trying to build between them.  Well, f*ck, no more of that sh*t.  He was going to f*cking find out what the f*ck she was up to.  Then they could f*cking solve her f*cking problem together.

  
  He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and flicked it open.  She would be f*cking pissed off when she f*cking found out that he had put a f*cking tracer on her.  He rolled his eyes.  She would f*cking get over it.  He dialed a number, and waited until he heard a small voice say, "Hello?"

  "Nick, what the f*ck are you still doing up?  On a f*cking school night?  Sh*t, nevermind, I don't f*cking have time to f*cking deal with that right now.  I want you to f*cking listen to me okay?  I need you to f*cking do something.  This is f*cking important, so don't f*cking mess this up."  Colin gave Nick his instructions, then ended the call.  He jumped out of bed and threw his clothes on.  "F*ck Angel, what the h*ll did you f*cking get involved in?"  He muttered as he grabbed the key to his motorcycle and ran out the door. 

  Twenty minutes outside of town, he found himself staring at an abandoned warehouse.  "What the h*ll?" he whispered.  "F*ck, must be one of her f*cking hits."  There was no sign of life, so he cautiously moved closer.  Still nothing.  He crept up to a set of steel doors, and slowly pushed them open.  They made no sound, like they had been recently oiled to keep them silent.  Glancing around him, all was still quiet.  With a shrug, he went inside.

  It was dingy and damp, poorly lit, with a row of doors in front of him.  F*ck.  Which one should he f*cking try first?  He opened one door, and nearly had a dusty ragged old mop clobber him for his efforts.  "Sh*t."  He put the mop back, and shut the door.  Wrong f*cking door.  The next one he tried led to a narrow corridor.  He followed it, and opened the first door he came to.  The light was weak, but he could hear faint sounds of what sounded like moaning, and rattling of...chains?  He followed the sound, then abruptly stopped, stunned by the sight in front of him.  "What the f*ck?!" he asked in disbelief.

 

 "Brae?  What the f*ck are you doing here?"  His brother looked roughed up, but otherwise seemed to be in fair condition, for being f*cking chained to a wall.

  "Col, you need to get out of here, and fast.  Go get help!"  Brae's voice was hoarse, urgent.  "Before the she devil comes back!"

  "She devil?"

  "The white haired woman is scary enough, but the red headed she devil is.."  Brae shuddered violently.  "Get the h*ll out of here Col."

  "F*ck that Brae, I'm not f*cking leaving you here."  He scanned the room, looking for any traps that may have been set.  His brother seemed to be alone, and it didn't make any sense to Colin.  Why the h*ll hadn't they left a f*cking guard or something?  What the f*ck was he missing?  How the f*ck was Ivory involved?

  Sh*t.  At one time, he would have f*cking thought he would f*cking enjoy a moment like this, but the f*cking realization hit him, and hit him like a f*cking eighteen ton brick on the head.  He actually f*cking loved his brother, and didn't f*cking want to see him f*cking get hurt.  D*mned inconvenient timing too, f*ck.  No f*cking escaping this one, he couldn't f*cking leave his brother there.  "What a sh*tty a*s time to grow a f*cking conscience." he groaned out loud. 

  "Sh*t Col, get the h*ll out of here, the she devil will be back any moment now.  They have Elliot."  Brae pleaded.  "Go get help!"

  "F*ck, they have Elliot?"  Colin's heart stopped.  Elliot.  How the h*ll did Elliot figure into things?  "What the f*ck have you been up to Brae?  And why the h*ll did you f*cking involve your son?"  My son!, he wanted to f*cking yell, but he had f*cking given that right up f*cking years ago.  Elliot wasn't his f*cking son, he was f*cking sh*t for brains Brae's son.  Sh*t.  Colin was f*cking p*ssed, what the f*ck was Brae thinking?  To f*cking get Elliot involved in some f*cking scheme that could f*cking get them all killed.

  Brae went into a coughing fit.  "I don't know!" Brae cried out, "I swear I don't know.  They used him as bait, to get me, and they keep talking about some book.  It's really important to the she devil, but I have no idea what the h*ll they are talking about.  For Elliot's sake Colin, you have to get out of here!"

  

 

  Sh*t.  He needed a f*cking plan, and f*cking fast.  "Where the f*ck is he being kept?"

  "I don't know.  I haven't even seen him, he could be dead for all I know."  Brae said hopelessly.  Brae gasped.  "Col, behind you!"

  Colin didn't f*cking need his f*cking brother's warning to f*cking know she was there.  He f*cking always knew when she was nearby.  He turned slowly.  "Angel."

  "Why are you here?"  Her voice was cold, emotionless, but her eyes, they spoke volumes.

 

 "You're not supposed to be here." She hissed.  It was all for naught.  She wanted to rail, and yell, and hit something or someone.  She had wanted to protect him, protect him from Her, but there he was.  He wasn't supposed to be!

  "You have to f*cking let him go Angel."  Colin said softly.

  She shook her head sadly.  "You don't understand Romeo.  I can't let him go, Raven wants him."

  Raven, her f*cking mother?  What the h*ll would she want with his f*cking brother?  "It'll f*cking make family introductions a b*tch, I agree.  But f*ck, Brae can be f*cking reasonable.  Just f*cking let him and the boy go, the f*cking family will be p*ssed, but f*ck.  They'll f*cking come around.  Don't f*cking take this path, Angel."  He couldn't f*cking stand there and let her f*cking hurt Brae or Elliot.  He f*cking wanted to beg her, please, please, please...  He couldn't f*cking bear to f*cking see her hurt either.

  He saw the indecision in her, and he could see the moment she made her choice, it was written all over her face.  He felt his heart sink.  F*ck.  "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I have no choice."  She repeated it again, "I have no choice."

  "Sh*t!"  He yelled, as he dodged a kick.  He blocked her punch, and tried to grab her, but she wormed away, then came back at him with another kick.  This was no f*cking foreplay, she f*cking meant business.

 

   "What the h*ll do you f*cking mean?" He grunted, as he blocked another flurry of kick punches.  "F*ck, you always have a f*cking choice Angel!"  Colin f*cking refused to give up on her.  Sh*t, it would be h*ll with his family at first, but he was pretty f*cking sure he could f*cking talk them around.  F*ck, he had always been able to f*cking talk them around.  Why the h*ll should this time be any f*cking different?  He just f*cking needed her to f*cking listen to him for two seconds, instead of f*cking wasting her time trying to f*cking kick his a*s.

  "Easy for you to say Romeo, but my life is not like yours, I don't have the same choices that you do."  She panted, slightly out of breath.  She feinted a left side kick, but Colin knew her moves too well, and didn't fall for it.  She did a cartwheel kick to his head, which he easily blocked.

 

   "Angel, would you f*cking listen to me?"

  "I can't!"  She did another kick, Colin grabbed a hold of her leg, but she came up viciously, like a cornered animal.  He let her go, and watched as she did a back flip.  She landed on her feet, and raised her fists, ready to go again.

     Colin held his hands up, in a conciliatory fashion.  "Angel, would you f*cking be reasonable!  Sh*t, I don't want to f*cking hurt you, and I f*cking know you don't want to f*cking hurt me."

  "How do you figure that Romeo?"  She asked coldly.

  "F*ck, for one thing, you're f*cking slow as sh*t, not up to you're usual f*cking speed."

  "You f*cking a*shole!" She yelled.  "It's your f*cking fault, you f*cking knocked me up, and I told you what I would do if that happened!"

  Colin stared at her, had he f*cking heard her right?  Sh*t.  They were f*cking going to have a baby?  A baby?!  He felt hope bloom, f*ck, that was why she was so f*cking p*ssed?  He was so  caught up in the moment, he wasn't paying close enough attention.  She took advantage of his inattention and drove her knee into his groin.

  "F*ck!" he howled.  "You f*cking b*tch!  That f*cking hurt!"

  She paused, watching him, dispassionately.  "You should have blocked a*shole.  I'm the one that's going to go through f*cking labor pains!  That little pain of yours is nothing compared to that."

 

   "What the h*ll?  Are you f*cking trying to make sure we don't f*cking have any more kids?  Sh*t!"  He would f*cking throttle her, just as soon as he could f*cking move.

  "More kids!" she hollered.  "Haven't you been listening?  We can't even have this one!" She felt the tears threaten again, "I can't keep this baby, Raven..." she choked up, unable to say the words.  She knew what Raven was capable of, the horrors she could inflict on the innocent.  How could she protect her baby, when she couldn't even protect herself, or the man she loved?

  All of her life she had wanted only one thing, a family of her own.  By some miracle she was pregnant, she had suspected for a little while, but hadn't been able to believe it, she had been told she would never carry a child.  Then she had worried what it might all mean, how Colin would react to the news...

  Colin grabbed her and pushed her up against the window.   "Look at me." he growled.  Ivory looked up, refusing to meet his eyes.  "Ivory!"

   She met his eyes, and Colin could see the unshed tears in them.  He sighed.  "I don't know what you're so afraid of, but I can protect you, just give me a chance to prove it to you."

  Ivory shook slightly.  "You don't know my mother."

  "I don't need to.  I can protect you, and our baby." he swore, "What happened with Brae and Elliot, it won't ever happen again, I can promise you that."  He felt a f*cking twinge at the reminder that his f*cking brother was still f*cking chained to a wall, his nephew was f*cking somewhere in the f*cking building, possibly f*cking hurt.  They f*cking needed to be rescued, but, d*mn it, so did his Angel.  He f*cking knew he could f*cking rescue them all.  He just f*cking needed one more minute...

  Ivory stared at him. Was it possible?  Dare she even hope?  She remembered the day she first met him, at that bar, and the words that Raven spoke came back to her.  Magic."  Raven had snarled the word at her.  "The very thing I cannot use directly against them because they are still protected."

 They were still protected, by something that Raven herself could not get past.  She glanced at his brother, still chained, and remembered that while Raven had struck his face many times, and warned him what she could do to him, she had not really done any of it to him.  Ivory had thought she was just waiting, biding her time, but what if she wasn't waiting?  What if Raven really could not use her powers on the Kahekilis?  Her child would be a Kahekili, her child could be safe...

  Colin relaxed his hold on her.  "I think we should get married." He said it gently, and watched her face for her reaction.  He had f*cking been thinking of f*cking marriage for some time now, unsure if he could f*cking go through it again, his first f*cking marriage had been a f*cking disaster of epic proportions.  He found, to his f*cking amazement, he really did f*cking want to marry her.  She had f*cking branded his heart, his soul, he was already f*cking hers, why not f*cking make it official?

  He could even f*cking picture them, in a house, with a f*cking white picket fence and a f*cking dog, raising their baby.  Together.  The image should have f*cking given him hives, a rash, a f*cking panic attack, but it didn't.  In fact, he f*cking loved the idea.  Him.  Her.  Their baby.  D*mn, even the idea of having more f*cking kids with her didn't f*cking faze him.  With her, he could f*cking do anything.  "How about it Angel?  We could f*cking get hitched, buy a f*cking house with a f*cking white picket fence, f*cking raise our baby.  D*mn, maybe even get a f*cking dog?"

  Her eyes shone up at him, with a glint of humor in them.  "I hate white picket fences."

  "F*ck, I'll f*cking paint them black for you then!  F*cking black picket fence just for you.  Marry me."

  Ivory felt hope and love, and a whole bunch of nameless emotions swell up in her.  She wanted to marry him, and have a family with him.  She was just about to say yes when a swirl of smoke appeared behind him, and Raven materialized, knife in hand, she pressed it to Colin's throat.  Stark terror hit Ivory, and she couldn't move.

  "Go ahead Pet, I'm most interested in what your answer will be."

  Colin gritted his teeth.  He couldn't f*cking see the woman behind him, but he f*cking knew that this was her mother.  The b*tch that had f*cking hurt his Angel.  F*ck that sh*t, she would f*cking rue the day she had f*cking messed with his Angel.  He saw the panic in Ivory's eyes, and did his best to give her a reassuring smile.  Her lips formed a no, but he ignored her silent plea.

  He slammed his head back, against Raven, causing her to drop the knife with a howl.  His head smarted, and he saw a few stars, but he didn't let it slow him down any. He twisted his body, grabbed Raven, and with a few short moves, flung her to another part of the room.  She turned her cobra eyes on him, touched the blood flowing from her nose and hissed.  "You'll regret that."

  "F*cking b*tch." Colin snarled.  "You don't f*cking scare me.  I'm going to f*ck you up b*tch!"  He looked around the room, his eyes seeking something big and heavy  Anything he could f*cking use to f*cking knock her head off.

  Raven laughed nastily.  "You stupid fool."  She chanted a few words, and a mist of white sprayed in front of Colin, then disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, leaving him unharmed.

  "Stupid b*tch." He mocked her.  "What, you think some f*cking mist is going to f*cking hurt me?"

  She held her hands out once again, and chanted, a whirl of color appeared briefly over her hands.  Colin glanced over at Ivory when he heard her moan.  Ivory sunk to her knees, clutching at her throat.

  "What the f*ck?"  He watched in horror, as Ivory desperately gasped for air.

  "Pet, you are such a disappointment to me.  I thought you had learned."  She made a tsking sound.  "It appears I was wrong.  You know what that means Pet?  And as for this," she flicked her gaze at Colin,"man, I'll make sure he's properly punished.  Your arrogance Pet, thinking you could best me?"  Raven chuckled coldly.  "You are no match for me, and neither is this pathetic excuse for a man.  You will pay Pet, oh yes, you will pay, and this man with you."  She cackled.  "Oh the fun we'll have Pet, breaking his spirit.  He is a spirited one, now isn't he?  I will really enjoy breaking this one."

  Colin was still frantically searching the room with his eyes.  There, he finally found something, a f*cking large piece of wood, it was f*cking perfect.   He looked over at Raven, who was speaking only to Ivory, totally ignoring him, as if he wasn't a threat to her at all.  He smiled grimly, well, he was about to f*cking show her he was a f*cking threat.

 

  With precision timing that would have f*cking impressed Woo, he grabbed the f*cking wood and f*cking hit the b*tch with it.  The force of the blow whirled Raven around, and she staggered backwards, releasing her hold on Ivory.  With lightning quick reflexes, before Raven could turn back around, Ivory sprang into action, grabbing the knife that Raven had dropped earlier, she threw herself at her mother.

 

  The force of her weight shoved the knife deep into Raven's back.  She screeched, a banshee's wail as a green mist enfolded her.

  "This is not finished!"  Raven shrieked.  "I will have my revenge!"  Then she disappeared.

  Ivory broke into noisy sobs, and ran into Colin's arms.

 

  He held her tightly to him, and looked up at her.  He had almost f*cking lost her, he couldn't f*cking bear the thought.  "I love you."

  She smiled down at him, her heart in her eyes.  "I love you too."

 

  "We did it, Angel.  We vanguished the b*tch from h*ll, f*cking sent her back where she f*cking belongs."

  "What if she comes back?"  Ivory worried.

  "We'll f*cking chop her f*cking head off."

  "I love the sound of that." she sighed.

  Colin grinned.  "I f*cking thought you would."  Colin opened his mouth and started to ask her about the black picket fence when he was interrupted by one word, shouted by more than one person.

  "Freeze!"

 

  Sh*t!  He had forgotten about his instructions to Nick.  "Put your hands up where we can see them."  Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, he had to get Ivory the f*ck away from here.

  Ivory backed away from him, devastated.  "What?!  You set me up?"  She yelled.  "You a*shole!"

  Colin looked up at her, startled.  "What the f*ck Angel?  I didn't..."

  "Did you call the cops?"

  "Well, not exactly, but..."

  Ivory's face hardened.  "You f*cking a*shole!  I'll f*cking kill you!"  In her fury she struck out at Colin.

  "Angel, it's not what it f*cking seems..." he said, and the rest of it f*cking happened like a f*cking slow motion nightmare.  The police shouted freeze or we'll shoot, distracting Colin for that one precious second.  Ivory's foot connected with Colin's head, sending him crashing backwards.  He heard shots ring out, but they sounded far away.  Then nothing, all was blackness.

  Ivory screamed as she fell on the ground, she clutched her side.

   The tears rolled down her face.  "Colin!"  She screamed his name over and over, but he didn't answer.  She was barely conscious of the police and medical personnel that were pouring into the building.  All she could see was Colin, the stillness of his body, and all that blood that pooled around him.  She couldn't stop the screaming, she had killed him.  It was an accident, but that didn't matter.  He was gone from her, forever.  She felt her body cramping, and the grief overwhelmed her.  Was she to lose his baby too?  The last part of him?  She felt hands reach for her, she fought them off, and still she screamed.  She felt a pinch, a pinprick really, and within moments she could feel the blessed darkness descending.

  She would never forget that last image of him as she faded into silence; never, nor would she ever forgive herself; ever.  Her last conscious thought was that she hoped she never woke up.

 

 

  ________________________________________________________________________________________________


Notes:  Don't hate me! *hides*  What all can you expect from a Romeo romance?  lol  Colin had rolled single, so as I hinted very strongly throughout their romance---they were doomed from the beginning.  So, that was kind of nice, right?  Lots of hints that this wasn't going to end very well...I'm all sad though, cause when I came up with this storyline, I wasn't expecting to love them so much as a couple, they just meshed so well.  *sigh*

  Is Colin really dead?  Sorry, I'm gonna be mean, and make you wait until next chapter to find out for sure. *hides again* =P

  Is Raven really gone?  Here I'll be semi-nice, and let you all know that she is severely wounded, but not dead.  So we may just see her once again...

  I think I have one, maybe two more posed chapters before I can finally get back to game play chapters.



  Some outtakes, cause, after that ending, I need a little humor---



  Colin:  *laughs*  And then, do you know what the crazy b*tch said...uh, she's behind me, isn't she?

 

 Colin:  Help!  I'm the heir, you won't let her kill me right?!

  Raven: *grins*

 

 Colin: "You are so hot."

 Ivory:  "No, you're hot."

 Colin:  "No, you're hotter."

 Ivory:  "No, you're the hottest."

  Um, guys, in the middle of a scene here?  Hello?

  Brae:  Yeah, I'm chained to a wall here!  Could we get this this shoot done already?

  Thanks for reading!  Next chapter will be the aftermath of this one. =)