Bat Country

"I don't like this, Andy." Alexis was internally panicking as they stood on the banks of the lake. "He's here. I can feel him, but it's so weak, I can hardly feel it. I can't even tell where it's coming from."

Andy stood behind her and smoothed out her shoulders. "Close your eyes. Take a deep breath."

Alexis looked behind her and when his eyes urged her to just do as he said, she finally turned around again and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath.

"Good. Now remember his scent as clearly as you can. Lock onto it in your memories. Think of his body, his flesh, remember the texture. Remember his eyes. His hair. Remember it Alexis, because it's going to strengthen your pull to him. He knows you're here, dying or not. He is waiting for you to get him and to take him home with you. To your new home. He's waiting. He needs you and he needs you now."

"Andy, I can't...it's not working." Alexis sighed.

"Alexis! Focus! He will die if you don't rescue him! It's in your blood to protect your bonds! Listen to your fucking blood!"

"My blood only tells me that he's here! I don't know where!" Alexis was shouting over her shoulder at Andy.

"ALEXIS, IF YOU LOVE HIM YOU WILL DO IT!" Andy shouted back, forcing Alexis to keep her head facing the water.

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"You've been with him the whole time, Jimmy?" Thor asked, trying desperately to not rescue his child, kicking furiously as he swung from the silver noose.

"Well, not the entire time, but I'd say close enough. I caught Alexis and Brian leaving through the back exit, which they never did. At the entrance I could hear them talking about Nikki and Andy, and it didn't take too much to follow Brian's scent back to their nesting place." Jimmy said.

"How could betray your own nest?" Thor asked in horror. "They have given you everything you could have ever wanted!"

"Funny, how everyone thinks that. He is not as gracious as you think. He made Alexis for the sole purpose of fucking her so that Brian would be miserable since he would not leave her. He abused a fledgling! A fucking newborn! For you. He raped her so badly that her injuries were enough to automatically make her lose her scent to protect herself. He tried daily to bully her into submission. I don't care if she does fuck Brian, she is a very special being. Very rare, I can at the very least, admire her for the novelty and want to keep her around. Not to mention she is so young, even as a human. A sheltered youth. She hadn't even experienced life and she had experienced a brutal death." Jimmy was rambling, and he continued to do so. "What a beautiful creature you have made, only to use, and abuse her for your own amusement. Well I won't have it again. My own maker was so traumatized by him that he did not know how to be with me, and he barely knows how to be with Isabel, assuming you did not take her away from him! Truth is, I always loved Brian. He was my first friend in this life, and he thought he owed me an apology. He tried hard, and again, and again, Matt wanted to ruin his happiness because he could not love him because Matt is such a monster. So yes, when I was positive Alexis was with Brian, I made sure he could keep her. I offered my support. Because I'd rather live in a place of love, than be cooped up with a bunch of nestmates who want to destroy each other! Right, Miranda? Alexis planned to heal you tonight because she was upset that Matt scarred you. Yet she is so awful you'd want to destroy her. Good God, how ever could I betray my own nest?"

"James, clarify something you just said for me." Nikki said. "What did you mean 'he made Alexis for the sole purpose of fucking her so Brian would be miserable'?"

"I don't think that needs extra explaining. He wanted to rub her in Brian's face. He knew Brian had to have her from the first time he smelled her, and that as long as Alexis was there, he'd never leave again. He thought he could both punish Brian by having Alexis for himself, and two, get Brian to love him by keeping him within the nest."

Nikki's eyes turned into slivers and her turned to Thor. "You know why I am saving Brian's line? Because he and his children kept the fucking humanity that lets them love others deeply! Brian, James, Isabel. All three of them. Brian taught them his humanity and they kept it. If you could have done the same, I would have kept you, Thor. But you were more content with getting your own way." Finally, Nikki turned around and yanked on Matt's leg so that the whole tree branch Matt had been hanging from crashed to the ground. "As for this piece of shit. He came so close. He loves Brian and Alexis deeply, but not deeply enough that he can forego his OWN GODDAMN DESIRES AND LET ANYONE ELSE BE HAPPY." Nikki removed the silver noose from Matt's neck and threw him to Thor. "You can love your child but no one else. Well, yourself not included."

Cracks of dead leaves and dry sticks made everyone, including Matt who was shaking on the ground, glance over to see Andy and Alexis carrying Brian and Isabel back. They were all soaking wet, water dripping from every part of their bodies.

"Ah, my child, and lovely Alexis. I see you have indeed found Brian and his creation." Nikki said smiling. Alexis's face was grim and Andy's wasn't dissimilar.

"Yes, but Brian needs to be put to ground now, before the sun comes up." Andy replied coldly.

"And his child?" Nikki asked.

Andy paused a moment and pursed his lips before simply shaking his head subtly.

Alexis was biting her lip and crying, the bloody tears being diluted by the lake water that still ran from her hair and over her face. Kneeling down she held the delicate Isabel to her body and cradled her. "I don't think she's going to make it Andy, I don't know what to do."

Nikki's eyes followed Andy's body as Andy laid Brian down on the ground and began to dig a hole with his bare hands. Brian was weak, but awake, his eyes focused on Alexis's shivering form huddled over his child.

"She's going to die and you fucking deserve the loss, you traitorous little bitch!" Matt yelled.

Nikki kicked Matt hard in the face and Alexis was sure he lost at least one tooth from it.

Fighting back tears, Alexis pushed back Isabel's hair from her face and noticed how right now, Isabel looked like a very young girl. A child even. "She was the very first friend I ever had in this life. The only one who tried to comfort me. She talked to me when I was uncomfortable, she helped me believe I could fit in. She loved Brian, she loved me. She loved everyone! She was so kind! How could you do this to her?" Alexis asked both Matt and Thor who just stared at her blankly.

"Alexis, calm down. Get her to ground with Brian, and hope they both come out alive." Nikki tried to give Alexis hope.

Nodding Alexis tried to stand up, but Isabel's eyes opened. Those dark blue eyes were clouded over by red cataracts and a raspy breath rumbled through her chest. It looked like she was struggling to even live and Alexis felt worse. Isabel's skin began to become tinged with deep burgundy, and blue and red veins began to rise to the surface of her flesh. Isabel looked like she was sweating, she felt sweaty even in places where her skin had been dried. Not knowing what to expect, Alexis just looked down and let tears fall, fighting back sobs and cries by biting her lower lip.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have done this. I'm sorry, Isabel. You were my greatest friend and because of me this has happened. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Alexis whispered.

Isabel weakly fumbled for Alexis's hand and Alexis gave it to her readily, her eyes still dripping crimson tears. A weak grasp made Alexis even more sad than she had been. But the small smile on Isabel's face somehow offered some relief. In between raspy breaths, it looked like Isabel's body was boiling on the inside. Bubbles would pop up and then disappear as quickly as they came. Isabel's clouded eyes came to Alexis and Alexis saw some happiness, but it did nothing to abate her tears or misery.

When the boiling had seemed to stop, Isabel's whole body began to form blood blisters, and large ones that filled with deep purple blood. Isabel's expression of happiness never changed, although Alexis though surely she must be in pain.

By this time Alexis had given up her hope of holding back her cries, and just let herself sob loudly and openly. "Please don't go, Isabel!" Alexis shouted. "Please, you're my only friend! Brian needs you, I need you! Please live!"

"I'm free..." Isabel said weakly before her body suddenly erupted, spewing blood everywhere, coating Alexis in it and splashing those closest.

Alexis was silent, her arms still in the positions they were in to cradle Isabel's small body. Except where Isabel had been, there was nothing but a puddle of blood.