Chasing Shadows: An Alice In Borderlands Fanfic (Completed)

Chapter 26: The Fringe

"I've been looking all over for you. This place is a fucking maze." Niragi scanned the room. The windows caught his eye and he walked over to them. "So, where are we anyway?"

"The Fringe," Karube said. "It's where those who die in Borderland end up."

Niragi tapped on our window. "Is that us?" He looked my way.

I came up behind him. "Yes. We ended up together in one of our other lives."

"Other lives? Oh, right. Like there was another Karube and another you. There were other mes, too?"

I nodded. "We ended up together there. And in this one, I ended up with Karube." I pointed to the other window.

"And the dark one?"

"That was our story," Karube said. "It ended, and we are here now."

"So," I said to my husband, "Niragi's here. Are you going to tell us why we are here?"

Karube nodded. "Follow me."

As we walked through the maze that comprised the house, Niragi slipped beside me and pulled me back behind Karube. "I'm a little confused. How did we get here, exactly? I mean, we were out of Borderland."

Of course he had the same questions I did. I quickly explained to him that we had never left Borderland, so when we died, we came to the Fringe.

Suddenly, Niragi grabbed me and shoved me through a nearby doorway he'd opened. I squeaked as he pressed me against the wall inside the room, slamming the door shut with his foot as he moved.

"Niragi, what are you doing? Let me go!"

A pounding came at the door. Karube's muffled voice shouted, "Let me in!"

Niragi kicked at the door. "Give us a minute!" Then he turned his attention back to me. "I just want to know where we stand, you and I."

I swallowed as he studied me in the darkness, his eyes glinting.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked, although I knew damn well what he meant.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear. "Are we done? Is this it? You have your precious Karube back, so are you going to drop me?"

"I, uh, Niragi, I..." I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I don't know." Shit. What could I say? Despite how much of an asshole he could be, I didn't want to hurt him. My heart pounded in my chest. "I love my husband."

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes searched my face for something, some hint of emotion toward him. "Did you ever love me? Because I fell in love with you. I need you, Jennie-chan. I can't breathe without you."

Tears slipped from my eyes. "I-I'm sorry." What else could I say?

His lips were on me before I could stop him, searing mine. I pushed at him, but he held me against the wall with the weight of his body. His mouth smothered my protests. I closed my eyes.

The door burst open.  Niragi was ripped away from me with a roar. I wasn't sure if it was Niragi or Karube who roared...maybe both?...but when I opened my eyes, Karube had him pinned to the floor, an arm twisted behind his back as my husband pressed a knee between Niragi's shoulder blades.

Karube hissed in his ear, "Just because I am tender towards my wife does not make me a gentle man. You hurt her or you touch her in any way she doesn't like, and I'll kill you again."

Niragi yelped as his arm twisted further.

Karube let him go and Niragi scrambled to his feet, holding his arm. "You don't scare me. How can you do that if I'm already dead?"