How Soon Is Now

Part One - Chapter Nineteen: One Way or Another

Fernando all but threw himself at Nicola when she went to leave to go food shopping with Amber; she looked at him oddly as he forced his lips to hers, she had no idea what had brought this on.

“Don’t go,” Fernando breathed holding her close, he couldn’t believe that she was okay and he wasn’t going to let that future happened; Nicola kissed him softly wondering what had upset him while Adrian and Ryan watched the two sadly.

They knew that it had been hard for Fernando to lose Nicola but she was here now alive, they had a chance to change everything and they would be the only ones to remember the future that had been.

“Nando… I’m going shopping, I’m not leaving you,” Nicola joked but she stopped when she saw the hurt in his eyes, she had no idea what was wrong; it was like he knew something that she didn’t and it worried her.

Nicola cupped his face as she tried to comfort him; Fernando buried his head into her neck, he couldn’t believe that she was going to be okay not when the Source’s words still rung in his ears.

“You died,” Fernando sobbed breaking down, Nicola pulled back confused wondering what he was talking about; this clearly wasn’t a reincarnation thing, this was a now thing and it was scaring her.

Nicola brushed her fingers through his hair and made Fernando look at him, she couldn’t figure any of this out and she wished that she could; she hated seeing him cry when everything was okay.

“Nando, I am right here,” Nicola whispered softly wondering what was happening, she wanted to reassure him even if she had no idea what had happened.

Fernando couldn’t fight the tears back anymore and cried into her shoulder as Adrian and Ryan lead Amber and Marissa away to tell them what had happened.

Nicola kissed the top of his head as she drew him close, she had no idea what had upset her boyfriend but she didn’t like seeing him like this; she was sure that everything was going to be okay.

Fernando sobbed into her shoulder, he tried to forget the Source’s words that were ringing in his ears; he couldn’t forget them, they would hurt him until the moment that Nicola was killed again.

Suddenly there was a clash in the next room that caused the couple to pull apart slightly, Fernando refused to release Nicola as the shouts of her coven called to her; she sighed and looked at him knowing that she couldn’t just leave them.

“I’m coming back…” Nicola promised him pressing a kiss to his lips, Fernando wasn’t able to stop Nicola from going to see what had happened; the blonde was confronted with the sight of a demon trying to kill Marissa before Nicola threw him off of her.

The younger witch looked at her gratefully before Nicola ducked out of the way as the demon launched a knife at her; Nicola hid behind the couch wondering what the hell was going on.

Nicola groaned as she watched the demon moved through the living room, she knew that she had to stop him; she quickly flicked her wrist causing a chair to knock him to the ground.

Quickly moving from her spot, Nicola hissed as she was tackled to the floor by Fernando, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach but she knew it wasn’t her; she couldn’t believe that Fernando hadn’t stayed out of the way.

Amber produced a fireball and threw it at the demon who was distracted after he had tried to injure Nicola, only for Fernando to get in the way; she doubted Nicola would be pleased with her boyfriend’s decision to get involved.

Fernando might have had good intentions but he was a distraction that Nicola couldn’t have while dealing with a demon.

The demon was quickly vanquished and Amber smiled until she heard a commotion behind her; turning she saw the one sight that she didn’t want to see, her heart stopped making her feel sick.

Nicola held back tears as Fernando stroked her face, he winced as the blonde pulled the knife from his stomach; she had no idea what had made Fernando do something like that.

“I saved you…” Fernando breathed as he stroked her face, he hadn’t wanted to watch her die and he was determined to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again in this life time.

Nicola nodded as tears filled her eyes, she couldn’t believe he had done that for her and now he was lying in her arms bleeding out; she cursed Ryan who had orbed away when the demon had attacked, she needed him to heal Fernando before it was too late.

“Nando…” Nicola said shaking her head as he brushed away her falling tears, he smiled up at her as he gently pulled her into a kiss; he didn’t care what happened to him as long as she was okay.

Fernando winced pulling back from Nicola, he had saved her and he prayed that she was okay; he could feel it getting colder and he knew what had to happen now.

“I saved you this time…” Fernando breathed as Amber called out for Ryan however she received no response; Nicola shook her head as she pressed on the wound to stop the flow of blood the best she could.

Marissa stared in shock, she had no idea what to do right now but if Ryan didn’t hurry up then they would lose Fernando; she could only imagine what that would do to Nicola.

“Nando, please… I can’t lose you,” Nicola cried as his breathing became shallower, he gently pulled her into another kiss as he cupped her face; this was the last time that he would see her like this and he wanted to say goodbye properly.

“Promise me… promise me, you’ll stay safe,” Fernando pleaded struggling to stay conscious; Nicola stared at him brokenly as she realized what he meant and it broke her heart.

Amber called out again panicking as Nicola shook her head, Fernando’s breathing started to become slower; there was no way that Ryan could be ignoring them right now not when they truly needed him.

“Don’t… don’t you dare leave me,” Nicola whimpered with tears clouding her vision, she felt Fernando rest his head against hers; he pressed a kiss to her nose as he watched her, he hated seeing her cry.

Fernando wished that there had been another way to save her but he knew that Nicola was going to be okay; the coven would stop her from doing something stupid and she would live a long and happy life.

Nicola sniffled, she wished that there was something that she could do and she cursed the people who seemed to think that her life was some sort of game; if she lost Fernando then she would never forgive anyone for this.

“I love you…” Fernando whispered before he pulled Nicola into a final kiss, the blonde felt the Spaniard go slack in her arms as she broke down.

Nicola clung to Fernando as she sobbed, she held onto his lifeless body pleading or him to come back; she needed him and she wasn’t prepared to deal with any of this right now.

Amber stared as her coven leader, cradled his body to her own and wished that there was something that she could have done; she felt Adrian draw her into a comforting hug.

Ryan orbed into the room, however he stopped when he saw Nicola holding Fernando’s head and crying; he swallowed hoping that he had done the right thing.

“Save him…” Amber ordered pulling away from Adrian and storming over to the whitelighter, she couldn’t believe that he hadn’t come when she had called and now Fernando was gone.

Amber moved to slap Ryan, she didn’t know why he hadn’t come but she hoped it was worth the broken heart that Nicola now carried; she doubted that the blonde would ever recover from this.