Together We Stand

twenty-eight

E L I D I

We were dropped in the middle of an elevator, which thankfully was empty. Levi fainted, and I couldn't find the slightest piece of me that felt bad about it. Matter of fact, I was so angry, that I wished he would die right then and there. And I didn't feel guilty. Layla wiped her face and ran out of the elevator right as it opened at the lobby. She asked the lady at the front desk for three double-bed rooms, and the lady handed her the keys. She walked back over to us, helping Luka carry Levi to an empty room.

"Who's...who's going to stay with him?" Layla asked, her voice cracking. She turned to Luka, who shook his head.

"I'll kill him."

She sighed, before agreeing to sleep in the room with him, slipping into the bed next to Levi's.

"I'm going to stay with Aidan tonight," I whispered, not finding my voice in me. Luka nodded and walked to the other room. I grabbed Aidan's wrist, walking him to the room we were sharing. He was staring at his feet the whole time, tripping occasionally. He just looked so lost.

We each slipped into our individual beds. I was on the verge of sleep, when I heard Aidan murmur, "he's really dead, isn't he?"

---

I was woken up by Aidan whimpering and thrashing around in his bed, making the springs creak. I sat up, walking over to him and shaking his shoulders. He woke up and looked at me, his grey eyes studying me. He then sat up and looked around, before looking back over to me with with a doe-eyed, innocent look.

"Where's Jase?" he asked and I felt my heart break a little bit. "I just had a nightmare."

"Just go back to sleep, Aidan."

"No, wait," he whispered, grabbing my wrist. "Can you just...lie with me? I'm not used to being alone."

I felt my heart break even more as I slipped under the covers. Immediately, he curled up to me, burying his face into my shoulder.

"He's really gone," Aidan whispered. "No, he can't be gone. He just can't be."

"Shh, Aidan, go back to sleep."

"I'm all alone now," he sobbed into my shoulder, holding me tightly. "I'm all alone."

"Shh."

"My entire world is just...gone, Elle. What do I do? I need him, I can't do this! I feel like someone is stabbing me in the heart repeatedly..."

"You're half asleep. When you wake up, you'll feel better."

"How can I feel better when Jase was the only one keeping me alive?" He paused, sniffling. "He used to sing to me...can you sing to me? Sing anything you want."

I began a lullaby my mom used to always sing to me, and Aidan smiled.

"He used to sing that to me," he whispered.

I continued singing and only stopped when I felt myself doze off, falling into a dreamless sleep.

---

Aidan woke up suddenly, causing me to wake up as well. He looked around, probably trying to find Jase, before he remembered. I saw it in his eyes and I knew that right now, he was living his worst fear. A life without Jase.

He slipped out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, starting a shower. I sighed and changed really quickly, before redoing my hair in a ponytail. I jumped when I heard a knock on my door. I answered it and Layla stood in front of me.

"How was he?"

"Bad. Nightmares, constantly. And once or twice, he woke up and asked me where Jase was."

"Oh my gods...Elle, you can't leave him alone," Layla whispered. "I remember seeing Aidan right before he met Jase, and I'm telling you, that's something I never want to see in anyone again."

I nodded and she sighed, sitting on my bed. I sat next to her.

"What are we going to do?" she muttered, running her fingers through her hair.

"Go back to camp," Aidan answered, walking out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. I saw three jagged scars running down his chest, and when he turned around, there was another one on his back. He slipped back into the bathroom to change.

"So we just...pretend nothing happened?" I asked, looking to Layla.

"You got your wish, didn't you? You're alive and well, and the curse is gone," Layla said, a bit of anger in her voice. "And Jase is dead."

"Gods, don't look at me like it's my fault!" I yelled, standing up and walking to the window.

"Well, I wish I could say it wasn't-"

"Hey," Aidan said, pointing at Layla. "Don't you dare blame Elle. It isn't her fault Ja-" he stopped, before swallowing. "It isn't her fault that he's dead, it's Levi's!"

"Levi did what he thought was right-"

"Ja- he...Jase, gods dammit, was in the midst of reversing the curse, Layla," Aidan whispered, his now grey eyes dark with tears. "And Levi has been inside our heads this entire time. He would know."

"You're wrong," Layla shook her head, "I don't believe you."

"Fine. Don't. But when another one of us is dead because of him, you'll believe me then."

---

We had just enough money for a bus ride back to Long Island Sound. Levi had zapped us back to the U.S. thankfully.

The six - five - of us got onto the bus, where we were once again separated, except Luka made a guy get up so he could sit by me. I guess there were still creepy old men to protect me from. Oh well, I kind of liked it.

The guy in front of me - a guy my age, maybe older - turned around and smiled at me. I smiled politely back and he struck up a conversation.

"You from around here?" he asked, a bright smile settled his face.

"I'm from Massachusetts," I said. "And I'm currently living in New York. I was just on a road trip with some of my friends."

"Cool, cool. I'm from New York. So...you gotta boyfriend?"

"Again?" Luka muttered to himself.

"Actually, I uh..." I threw a look at Luka. "I'm kind of crushing on someone right now."

"Oh, well it's just a crush, right?"

"I don't think so," I grinned and he nodded, before turning back around. Luka turned to me, his amber eyes practically glowing.

"So...this seems a little early, I guess, but...when this is all over, do you want to go out to dinner with me sometime?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck, his cheeks dusted with the lightest blush.

"I would love to."

"Really?" he asked, happiness in his beautiful eyes. I nodded, a smile adorning both of our faces.

"And Luka?" I asked, causing him to turn around to look at me. I leaned in and kissed him quickly, before pulling away. "For the one I kind of ruined."

He smiled, and I knew, somehow, that everything was going to be just fine.

(A/N: *whispers brokenly* I'm not used to being alone....*sobs* sorry for that.)