18: Bonus

SCARLETT QUINN

My life is always one rollercoaster after another. The world is always looking for ways to throw battles at me but somehow I've won every battle and I'm still alive well not now exactly but I'm not sure I can win this one battle. I can't see myself winning against the world this time. Before that explosion, Black, Silva and I agreed that Silva and I would leave my body so Black would have complete control of the surge of dark magic. I wasn't too sure if Black could handle it since it's been a while since she handled dark magic. She managed to keep my body intact somewhere in Ensco so I could use looking for her as an excuse to see Loretta.

I stood beside my family as they watched the cruiser sink into the ocean in flames. I turned to them with a faint smile on their faces. It hurt to see them in pain because of me but they would move on, they had to. This was the only way I could protect them from myself and everything else that would harm them. It would be better if they thought I was dead. Now I was sure I could die for them, I could actually sacrifice myself for someone. Zev and my dad would take care of mum; grandfather would take care of grandma. Nicole and Debbie were in the good hands of Michael and Chris. Everyone would be fine. I turned to Debbie who looked at me with a sad and shocked expression on her face. She had stopped crying and her eyes were swollen.

"Don't look at me like that," I said.

"S…Scarlett?" Debbie called out. Nicole who was still in her lycan form looked up and so did the others but only Nicole and Debbie could see me.

'Come back Scar…please' Nicole cried. It hurt to see my best friend cry but I had to protect her. She was talking through telepathy but everyone could hear her, guess I was actually dead.

"I'm sorry Nicole but I can't, it is better that way…I really don't want to hurt you,"

'You won't Scarlett, I trust you we all trust you please…'

"You didn't see what I saw Nicole, I murdered you with my own two hands, I murdered you in cold blood," I paused. "Your blood was on my hands," I looked at Nicole as her face paled in horror while she shook her head as though not wanting to believe what I said. "I can't live myself if I hurt any of you not to talk of killing all of you,"

Scarlett?" Debbie whispered my name.

"I'm so sorry Deb…I promised I'd hang with you but we can't hang out if you're dead,"

'So you're just going to leave?' Nicole asked.

"I have to Nicole, for your safety, for Debbie's safety for everyone's safety," I ran my hand through my hair and cursed. "I never in my wildest imagination thought that I could care this much to kill myself to protect you…and of all the things I could protect you all from, I'm number one on that list,"

"Scarlett don't say that, please listen to them," my mum begged. She couldn't see me but she could hear me. I turned to her, tears stained her cheeks and her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"I love you so much mum, I never thought I would ever say those words ever again but I do and I know you love me too, you love us all and I don't expect you to say that," I paused. "You went through extra lengths to protect us from what I could become, you tried to numb Silva just to protect me and everyone else from myself, why are you telling me to come back now when you know I'm just a danger to you all?"

"Scarlett we can handle this please, you're my danger, our danger…please just come back,"

"I can't do that mum and you know I can't,"

"Scarlett listen to her, don't be like grandfather, don't be stubborn, just listen to mum and get back into your freaking body and come back home!" Zev said. His eyes were red but I knew he didn't cry.

"I love you dad and I love you too Zev, you're the best brother in the world,"

"Make me the happiest and stay Scarlett Quinn,"

"Scarlett we have to go," Silva said. "Black's waiting,"

"Who is she?" Debbie asked.

"This is Silva Debbie, she's Draco," Scarlett said. "Remember when I gave you my blood Debbie?" I asked and she nodded. "I didn't just give you my blood because you were hungry somehow I knew I had this decision in mind right from the very first day I set my eyes on you, maybe...just maybe I knew that I would be the cause of everyone's death or hurt…"

'Would you quit talking like that Scarlett? You're just being paranoid!'

"You know I'm not Nicole, I gave Debbie my blood because I wanted her to see me, I didn't want you to see me because I knew that when you see the look on my face while I say these words, you'll look for every way possible to bring me back, when I drank your blood after I sucked out Black's bane from Debbie, I knew I couldn't do anything to stop you from seeing me,"

"Why did you want Debbie to see you?" Zev asked.

"Because now I know why mum, dad and grandfather had to pretend to be dead, now I know why I only saw you on my birthday and now I know why I felt so much adrenaline rush through my veins the day I saved Debbie from that alley,"

"What's the reason?" Chris stared blankly with apprehension in his eyes.

"Because Debbie…Debbie's my sister, I didn't think it was true but she is. I had a guess that night from the alley, her hair and eyes. Every hybrid has a unique color of eyes depending on their parent but why did Debbie have mum's blue sparks, why did she behave so much like mum…?" I paused and turned to my father who had an amused yet pained smile on his face. I knew what he was thinking. 'How would she know how her mother behaved when she only spent ten years of her life with her?' "Why didn't my blood have any effect on her but only made her heal faster and she didn't even hunt, the little of my blood I gave to Debbie made her inner wounds heal faster and even after losing a lot of blood, she didn't go to hunt after I gave her my blood,"

"H…how do you know that, you were unconscious the whole time?" Xander asked. Even he was getting apprehensive.

"When I got back from Darkmire forest that night, I went to see Debbie before I went to my room, her internal bleeding was completely gone and the thirst of blood I expected she would be feeling wasn't tormenting her in her sleep,"

"You never said a word about it," Michael said through clenched teeth.

"I didn't need to, Chris knew about it," I said. Michael, Nicole, Xander and Debbie turned to him.

"We're trying to stop you from leaving don't make them forget that Scar," Chris said and chuckled. "I did know about it but I didn't have any theories and I definitely wasn't going to start digging out information concerning anyone,"

"Aunt Rhiannon died trying to protect Debbie from the rogues; mum took Debbie to her when she was just a month old. I wanted my little sister to know she had a family who cares and loves her when I was gone. I'm sorry you're finding out this way and now, dad I'm sure mum wanted to tell you sooner,"

"It's alright Scarlett, I found out two years later but I never said a thing, your mum goes extra miles when she wants to protect the ones she loves, that is where you got it from," He smiled and turned to Ramona who had a shocked expression written over her face.

"Take care of her Zev, now that I'm gone, you'll all be safe, I promise," I said. Silva took my hand and led me to the forest on the island. Nicole leapt into the air, her bones breaking as her form changed. She landed on the ground with a thud and chased after me. Silva and I passed by the clearing Chris and I had found Michael and Nicole and a faint smile spread across my lips. I looked behind me and saw Nicole hot on my tracks with Michael behind her. His fur was fiery red like his hair and his eyes shone hazel. Silva and I stopped in front of the Lethe; its crystal clear water sparkled as the stars reflection shone in it. The second I get into my body after drinking the Lethe's water, it'll all be gone, the memories of my family, my nightmare, visions, they'd all be gone. I didn't think it would hurt this much to forget your memories intentionally.

Nicole leapt towards me but a force pushed her back and she fell and whimpered in pain, her form shrank as her bones reset painfully. The Lethe's main land was surrounded by shrubs that looked ancient but fresh, only souls could pass through the barrier. I flashed one last smile at Nicole; tears fell down her face as she saw the Lethe, immediately knowing what I wanted to do.

"How did you even know about this?" she choked out.

"It flashed in my memory," I scoffed at myself. The same memory I was about lose. I wasn't exactly sure why I had memories of a Lethe I had never once heard of or knew anything about except from what Silva had said.

"Please Scarlett…"

"I love you Nicole, now and forever," Silva handed me a bottle she'd filled with the Lethe's water and I emptied it in one gulp and smiled at Nicole. Michael had a bag in his teeth while he did his zipper. He'd already shifted and got dressed. He draped her body with a ragged towel and looked straight at the Lethe.

"I don't even want to know how you know what a Lethe is…" he chuckled. "…but I doubt that's a good idea Scarlett,"

"Take care of her Michael," I said ignoring him.

"We'll do that better together Scarlett and you know it,"

"That won't happen because you'll both end up dead at my feet,"

"Why do you believe that so much?"

"Because I've tried so hard not to and I didn't realize that I was the cause of attention from the rogues, they want me not you guys,"

"And what if they still try to harm us even after you leave Scarlett then it means that you were never the cause of attention and you killed yourself for nothing,"

"I didn't kill myself Michael,"

"Yeah then what did you do? I know you're not killing yourself but you're killing the Scarlett we all know and love. You can't tell me all this trouble of drinking Lethe water just for protection. Scarlett, you want to forget about us and you think it'll be easy forgetting a friend, a sister, a granddaughter, a cousin, a daughter and a best friend, listen to yourself Scarlett, you can't always protect us,"

"You're not going to make me change my mind on this Michael, I've made my decision and that's final,"

"What about Nicole? You know what you mean to her,"

"That's why you're here, fill up the space," I choked on the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes.

"Scarlett!" I avoided Nicole's gaze as those words fell from my lips. It pained me to say those words because I knew it wouldn't be possible and I didn't want anyone to fill up the space I had in Nicole's heart. Tears were starting brew in my eyes. Michael always had a way of talking that made me realize I was the youngest among us and shouldn't act like the oldest.

"You of all people should know that's not possible,"

"Make it possible Michael because if she breaks, I'll break you," I threatened ignoring the lump in my throat that made my voice that was meant to sound threatening waver.

"What else am I going to say to make you change your mind?"

"Nothing because you've already made me regret my decision already but…I'm still leaving,"

"I knew Michael would be able to at least do just that," Chris voice interrupted us. I sighed. Michael and Chris couldn't see me but yet their words alone were making me want to change my mind.

"Scarlett we know you more than you know yourself, drop this strong girl act and come back home,"

"You don't get it Chris, I'm trying so hard right now not to burst out crying and you guys are making it hard. Almost every time I close my eyes, every time I go deep in my mind, I see you guys dead with your blood on my hands. My nightmare…you were all slaughtered right in front of me and I couldn't do anything about it,"

"That's not true, I'm sure you could but you weren't able to,"

"You're right because I was careless to let myself get stabbed with a poisoned dagger but it doesn't justify the fact that you guys will get hurt because of me,"

"That could've happened to any one of us,"

"Scarlett please,"

"Don't let Michael break her Chris, please do this one thing for me and I promise I'll stay safe,"

"Knowing you I doubt that promise can ever be kept but…if you really want to then, goodbye Scarlett,"

"What are you doing Chris? Don't let her leave! She can't leave…Scarlett!"

"Goodbye Nicole,"

"Scarlett! Wait…" that was the last thing I heard Nicole say as I vanished and materialized in someone's backyard, I spotted my body near the green house and Black sat next to it with her back against the wall and her eyes closed.

"Black," Silva called out. Black opened her eyes and they were darker and more hollow than usual. "Are you alright?"

"That was a lot of dark magic but I'll be fine," Black replied. "Everything'll be fine Scar," Black consoled me as a drop of tear fell from my cheek.

"You ready?" Silva asked. My thoughts drifted to Loretta. I'd gone to my mansion in Ensco to talk to her but she couldn't hear or see me. I watched her reaction as grandfather told her what I'd done and she broke into tears. Somehow grandfather knew I was there and told me to write down what I wanted to say to her and thankfully she could see that.

"Goodbye sweetheart," she said.

Silva and Black took my hands and pulled me into my body. My memories flashed through my eyes form nine years ago when my grandfather nearly killed me because Black was numbed to nine years later when Chris and Michael napped Nicole and I from my parents death anniversary party, the plane, my sparring match with grandfather, Debbie, the poison, the first time I lost control, the first time I met Silva, my hunting spree, Gallus, my birthday and everything that had happened from there. The images were vivid and stopped at where tears brimmed from Loretta's eyes and then they faded.

My world turned black!