Save Me: Living's a Wicked Dream

Alice sat up in the bed beside Zack and looked around. She felt a little panicked and when she saw the shadow by the window it took everything that she had not to scream. When she moved from the bed it woke the man laying beside her. He looked up at her and watched as she backed towards the door. He looked in the direction she was and saw nothing.

“Ali, what’s wrong?” She didn’t speak just pointed. “There isn’t anything there.” He said and she watched as the shadow moved towards her. Zack moved from the bed grabbing her before she darted naked from the room. Standing his arms around her he saw the shadow. “Shit.” He said and grabbed the shirt he had been wearing earlier off the floor tossing it at Alice and ordering her to pull it on. He looked around and found her panties tossing them to her as well. He pulled his jeans on and shoved her out the door. A moment later he was pounding on Plagues door.

“What the fucking hell?” He demanded as stumbled from the bed pulling on his discarded jeans and moving to the door before Katy was woken up. He opened the door and glared at the two in the hall. “What?”

“Shadows in my room… only Alice can it.”

“What the fuck is Shadows…oh not that one…” Plague took off toward Vengeance’s room and opened the door. He looked at Vengeance. The green eyed man rolled his eyes and said something quietly to the woman with him. She moved and hesitantly touched Plagues arm. He looked around the room and saw nothing.

“By the window.” She said quietly.

“It can’t hurt you.” Vengeance said and moved to hold her. The minute he touched her Plague glanced towards the window and moved forward. As long as one of them was touching her they’d all see it. He walked around the shadow that was just standing there and muttered under his breath.

“This isn’t fucking good.”

“James? Vengeance? What’s going on?” Katy asked walking into the room as she did up the buttons on a pair of shorts. They turned to her.

“Katy, wake the others. Don’t ask, I’ll explain when everyone’s awake and in the hall.” She nodded and moved to do as she was told. She was back ten minutes later standing in the hall with the other three. Slowly the others made their way to them.

“Geni’s gone.” Christ said. Vengeance and Plague looked at one another.

“Where’s Gates?”

“I have no clue. Could he have gone out?”

“No he was here when we all headed up.” Hadley said from beside Shadows.

“Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have…”

“He said he was going to bed and that’d he didn’t want to be disturbed until morning.” Hadley said interrupting Plague. He sighed.

“We have to find him. There are shadows lurking in Vengeance’s room.”

“Shadows?” Christ asked.

“Yeah, dark ones at that. I could only see one, but I sensed more.” Plague said and then looked at them all. “Spread out, we need t find Genevieve and Gates.”

“If there are shadows lurking up here, and they’re in Vengeance’s room then he doesn’t need to be on this floor.” Shadows said.

“Good point. Take the main floor. Shadows, Hadley, attic. Christ this floor. Katy love, we’re going to split up. I’m going to take the third floor. You need to take …”

“I’m not going down to the basement.”

“She has this thing about basements.”

“Shut it Hadley.” Katy said.

“Fine, I’ll take the basement. Love, take the third floor. Shadows, make sure the two of you search the entire attic.”

“Bu the attic is as big as the whole house and there are so many places up there to hide, not to mention the converted room at the complete other end of the…”

“Do as your fucking told.” Plague said and Shadows took Hadley’s hand and dragged her off down the hall to the door at the very end and up about seven steps.

----

Vengeance sighed as Alice shook as they walked down the stairs.

“Ali?”

“What’s going on Zack?”

“Baby, there’s a lot to learn and take in.”

“Zack I understand all of that, but why can I only see the shadow or whatever it is? Why can’t he? Or you for that matter?”

“I don’t know.” He said and glanced at the x on her neck just below her ear. She knew it was there, and he had explained everything to her last night. She wasn’t all that happy with the fact that until she agreed, if ever that she was to be his mate that she couldn’t leave the house unless it was with him.

“What kind of fucking answer is that? You’re the idiot that got me into this!”

“Alice… c’mon. You know how I feel about you!”

“At this moment, no, no I don’t. For all I know, this whole mate business is so you can be strong for whatever and you’re really in love with someone else.” He turned to face her and pulled her against him and crashed his lips to hers. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck and she pressed against him and when a low growl emitted from deep in his throat she groaned as he pulled her lower half even closer pressing her against him. He pulled back far enough to look in her eyes as he began to speak.

“You’re the only one that can turn me on that easily. The only one that I want more than life itself. The one I would trade my immortality to have.” She looked up at him.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yes.” he said and she sighed as she leaned her head against his chest and he just held her.

“Don’t. I don’t want y…” He kissed her to keep her from finishing that statement. “Zack, why didn’t you let me talk.”

“Don’t ever say those words in that order directly to me until after you make your decision. Even if it‘s to tell me you don‘t want me to worry.”

“Why?”

“Because if you do, then, we’ll never be able to see one another again. I’ll be forced to watch you grow old, find another and then die. And when I say forced I literally mean that.” He closed his eyes and took a breath before continuing. “The ancient ones will make you watch their lives go by and what is only a day to us can be a lifetime to you.”

“Oh Zack!, I don’t want that. I would never wish that on someone!”

“I know Ali.” He whispered as he once more pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes and held on. A moment later however she cried out in pain. Zack looked down at her and saw the blood pouring from her back. His eyes widened and he looked up and saw him. “Sixx.” he growled.

“As touching as that was, now you’ll never hear her say she wants to be yours.” Zack knelt holding Ali close. She looked at him with pained eyes still full of uncertainty. Plague and Shadows were in the room in an instant after hearing Ali’s scream. Plague looked down at her and the amount of blood already lost.

“Say it Al!” He yelled at her. Zack looked up at him.

“Fucking hell Ali, don’t be stubborn it’s five little words. If you want to live fucking say them!” Shadows yelled. She looked up at Zack and he could see the light slowly leaving her eyes.

“Alice.” was all he said. She reached up and touched his face.

“I want to be yours.” She breathed out before her eyes closed and her body became motionless and it seemed as if time stopped as she was now dead weight in his arms. He gently lay her on the ground and slowly stood.

“Looks like it was too late.” Nikki said as a moment later Katy, Hadley, and Christ appeared. They saw Ali lying lifeless on the floor and Hadley’s eyes hardened.

“How’d you get in here?” Katy demanded.

“The pool.” Nikki said easily.

“Impossible. No one fell into the pool. No one would even be watching you where ever you were.”

“Oh but someone had to have been. My daughter in particular. She shoved Gates in. How convenient for me, that since I stepped through and am still here, he can’t come back through. None of you can take me.”

“What do you want Sixx?” Vengeance demanded. He knew he couldn’t’ take him on, not this weak.

“Hadley.”

“Over my dead body.” Hadley said. He just smirked. Moving forward towards her she ignored Matt and Katy, even Plague as they all told her to back down. She glared at him and a moment later he soared back over the pool and into the glass wall of windows. A moment later the ground started to shake beneath them.

“Hadley, control yourself!” Plague yelled. A moment later the ground beneath Sixx opened up and molten lave exploded from the ground beneath him. Matt touched her arm and a moment later everything stopped. Sixx looked at her as he stood.

“Looks like I was right. You are powerful. We’ll be together before this is over!” He said and grinned as a moment later he was in front of her his lips on hers catching her off guard. She shoved him away and narrowed her eyes.

“Fuck you, Princess.” She said and a moment later he was thrown through the water in the pool and not thinking and rolling his eyes Plague and Christ moved together to follow him. The ones remaining in the room stood staring at the pool for a moment when a sound behind them caught their attention. Zack moved quickly.

“Alice!”

“Zack, wh…what happened?” She asked as she slowly sat up. Shadows leaned down and he and Zack helped her stand. Zack made her turn so that he could see her back and sighed as he closed his eyes. The shirt was still covered in blood, only showing how much she had lost. He looked at the floor and smiled only a little. The bullet that had landed in the back lay in a puddle of blood. Zack looked at her before moving his hand to raised the back of the t-shirt she wore only to drop it immediately upon seeing the death bat on her lower back. He pulled her against him and she let him hold her.

“You were shot. Baby, oh god I didn’t think it worked.”

“That is one shitty way to choose.”

“She didn’t.”

“She had a choice Vengeance, die or not. She obviously preferred to live.”

“No, I made my choice the minute he said he’d give everything up for me.” Alice said and Zack looked down into her eyes. She just smiled. “I’d rather an eternity with you than only one lifetime.” She said and everyone else laughed.

“C’mon we have to find the others.” Shadows said. “Uhm, but first maybe Alice could you know get dressed. Properly anyway.” Hadley raised an eyebrow at him. He said not a word as Zack and Ali disappeared.

“If I’m going to be kicking ass this early in the morning I’m putting on actual clothes. Not pajama’s. Wait Katy, is there a reason that you are already dressed?”

“They woke me and James up first. I got dressed before meeting them in Vengeance’s room.” Hadley just said oh as she and Matt disappeared. Katy sighed and looked around. She walked to the pool and looked down. On a sigh she touched the death bat that was peeking out of the top of her shorts and thought about James. A moment later the pool rippled and she saw clearly where they were. She didn’t know how long she stood there alone but she watched as the others slowly made their way back into the room.

“How do we get there?” Hadley asked.

“I have no clue. It’s part of hell.” Shadows said.

“But there has to be a way, doesn’t there. They got there.” Alice said and the others looked at her. She just shrugged.

“The only way I can think is by going through the pool but, enough people have gone between through the pool. I’m starting to feel the shadows in the house.” Vengeance said.

“There is another way.” They all turned when they heard someone speak. Vengeance’s eyes narrowed and Shadow’s eyebrow rose.

“Someone has a death wish.” Shadows said.

“Want to clue us in?” Katy asked.

“Plagues sister.” Vengeance all but growled. The woman smirked.

“You still holding that grudge? Please it was three hundred years ago.”

“Aaryn, Plagues sister.” Vengeance hissed.

“We’re wasting time!” the newcomer shouted.

“She’s right. Do we trust her?” Shadows asked looking at Vengeance.

“No.”

“Then keep Ali close. Katy, Hadley, hold on tight.” Shadows said. “Because I know how to get there as well.”

“That’s dangerous.” Vengeance said realizing what he was thinking.

“No, not the river.” And with his arms around the sisters and shouting a mental message at Vengeance who nodded. A moment later they appeared in a cave underground. They glanced around and Hadley let go of Matt. Katy moved away from him as well. Alice moved to join the girls as a woman walked towards them.

“Persephone.” Shadows said nodding his head in her. Vengeance nodded as well.

“Well if it isn’t two of the fallen American gods. What are you doing here?”

“We need you’re help.”

“With?”

“Nikki Sixx.”

“You come here for help? After what your kind did in Paris last year.”

“Shaddix was dealt with.”

“We heard it was Sixx’s daughter.”

“No, it wasn’t. Look we need into our hell and you’re the only one that can us there.”

“You’ll owe us.” A woman said walking up to them.

“Aphrodite.” Vengeance said and he and Shadows both nodded in recognition.

----

Genevieve glanced around and slid slowly through the caverns. She was concentrating on her mother and needed to find her and fast. She couldn’t let her mom die. Because if her mother died, she did as well. Her mom had been impregnated by her father as a mortal and she had been in her mothers womb when she took her fathers claim. She walked the skirt of her dress lifted so she could move faster. She sighed as she ran into yet another dead end. She cursed under her breath and glared at the wall suddenly there was a loud rumble and she stepped back as the wall crumbled.

She grinned as she finally walked into the room she knew that she would find her mother in. She glanced around and sighed. She saw her mother standing over the crib that she had used so many years ago.

“Mother.”

“Genevieve what are you doing here?”

“You have to listen to me. If you die…”

“You do as well. The only way to save you was to turn you mortal. Now I can’t even save my only child.”

“You said…”

“I lied. I knew who did that.”

“You bitch!” Geni screamed, “I could’ve waited. Claimed Johnny when you were dead!”

“Do you want me dead Geni?”

“Yes!”

“Then kill me before he marks that redheaded bitch!” Geni’s eyes hardened and a moment later she slammed her mother against the wall with all of her strength. The force of impact made the wall behind her crumble and out of nowhere Geni held a sword. She spun quickly and her mother’s head was severed from the body and started to smolder. Geni dropped to her knees as she felt the pain from her mothers death course through her body. When her mark burned black on her chest she screamed in pain. Only to disappear and find herself in the middle of a battle. She saw on one side of the cavern Gates breathing heavily as he tried to help Ali stand. She had been blown back against him in the blast leaving them under rubble and heavy pieces of stone from the walls. She nodded to him and the two turned back to the fight at hand.

“Are the two of you going to stand there and do nothing!” Genevieve yelled as she spotted Aphrodite and Persephone.

“It’s not our battle.”

“Greek bitches!” Geni muttered under her breath and found herself fighting a moment later beside Christ. He barely acknowledged her but he did and a moment later she was no longer in the dress and heels that she had worn to meet the Council of Gods, but a pair of work out pants and a tank top and sneakers.

Sixx was standing hand to his side as he felt the burn. Aaryn moved when she saw Shadows move towards him. She caught Shadows with a blow to the side of the head as made to move forward.

“She’s dead.” Nikki said and Aaryn rolled her eyes.

“Not the time.” Plague upon hearing her voice turned form making sure that Katy was alright after he disposed of one of Sixx’s men. A moment later with the distraction of brother and sister Nikki managed to come up behind Shadows and suddenly a long thin sword was held at just the right angle against his neck.

“Matt!” Hadley yelled and everyone stopped. Aaryn moving to grab Hadley’s arms.

“Don’t try anything or he’s dead.” She said in her ear. Hadley swallowed.

“Now isn’t this sweet. You’re all here to witness the fall of one of the fallen gods. We all know none of you are anything without your mates.

“Sixx enough!” Persephone yelled.

“You have no say here. You only got them here.”

“You know killing one god for his mate is frowned upon.”

“Only by you my dear Aphrodite. Only by you.” Aaryn said.

“What so you want Sixx?” Hadley ground out.

“Why, you of course.”

“That’s just too bad. Because you can’t have me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I can do this two ways. Kill him, and claim you as mine, or you can let him live and I still claim you.” Hadley’s eyes met Matt’s.

“You’ll have to kill me.” Matt growled.

“Shut up and let her decide.” Nikki said. Geni began to move and he tuned his head towards her. “Next on to move, dies. Even you daughter.” Geni stopped dead in her tracks. No one else moved. Ali glanced at Zack and he watched her shaking his head.

“What’ll it be Hadley?” Aaryn said and the red head looked to be at a loss for words. She looked to the others and they just stayed silent. The tears began to fall and Matt saw her begin to form the words on her lips.

“No, Hadley don’t.”

“You have to promise not to kill him.” Hadley said.

“My word on it.” Nikki said. Hadley swallowed. “Say it.”

“I don’t want Sh…”

“Hadley no!” Ali shouted and a moment later rush of water slammed through the cavern and everyone moved at once. Hadley took the opportunity to slam her elbow into Aaryn’s gut and the minute she was released ran to Matt who once she was in his arms disappeared with her. The others following closely behind them.

----

Gates sighed as he sat in the room they had all landed in. Hadley was clinging to Matt who wasn’t letting go of her. Plague held Katy close as she cried and Vengeance held Ali. Christ and Geni had already moved from the room.

“Thank you Alice.” Hadley said as she finally spoke pulling away from Matt.

“I couldn’t let you do it.”

“Why?” Hadley asked.

“Because no one deserves to be treated that way. Made to choose, especially when it’s life or death between the man that wants you because you’re his other half and a man that’s just flat out fucked up.” Hadley laughed and stood grabbing Matt’s hand and grinning at him. He raised an eyebrow at her. She just smirked and ran her hand over his death bat sending a chill down his spine.

“I think they have the right idea.” Vengeance sad and Ali grabbed his hand and the two were gone a moment later. Plague looked at Gates.

“I know, I’m looking alright.” Was all he said and disappeared form the room.

“So, what about you love?”

“I agree with Vengeance, Hadley and Matt had the right idea.”