[Woot, second part today! Yayness for boredom. Happy Reading! Comment lots, like it or not! ^_^]
"Can't we hurry up a little?" Belinda asked, the shivery feeling in her stomach still threatening that tranquil feeling she had been trying to construct. She knew she wasn't fooling either Jack or Keith, but it was easier to pretend she was if she was trying. "I have a really bad feeling, and it's not going away."
"We're trying Bel, honest," Jack replied gently, trying to soothe her frazzled nerves. "It's just...we've got to make sure we're going in the right direction. If we just rush off, how're we going to be sure we haven't just rushed off in the wrong direction?"
"I know that Jack," Belinda snapped impatiently. "It's not that it's the whole place giving me the creeps. Just here," she indicated, sweeping her arms in a circle around her. "I know we'll be fine if we get out of here."
Keith looked at her surprised. She wasn't Wiccan, he knew that. But...was she right? Was there some immediate danger he wasn't paying attention to? Or was she just paranoid? It was possible that she thought he was dangerous and hadn't realised it. The body could do strange things without the mind even knowing 'how', much less 'why'. The thought of her being afraid of him was disheartening, more so than everything else so far. Jack he could compete with (if he had to). Mistakes he could make up for (with time). But fear? Was that even remotely curable? Or-
Crash!
Belinda screamed, launching herself to the side, landing on an unprepared Keith. The surprise, topped with the electric shock she always gave him, was too much to handle. He yelped, his legs giving way beneath him. His arms went around her instinctively, not wanting to drop her, and he could feel her heart beating erratically. Well, he thought mildly. She might be a little afraid, but obviously not too terrified.
Seconds later, she rolled out of his arms, looking around alertly. They were sitting up, staring at the space where Jack had been. There stood a tall young man (or, at least, it looked like a person to Belinda) with dark eyes and hair, smirking. He no longer held the facade of humanity, of pretending to love Belinda. And his true face was scarier than anything she had ever imagined.
"Why, hello Belinda!" Andrew said, almost pleasantly as he stepped closer to them. "Funny seeing you here! Have you had a change of heart since you shoved me ruthlessly back in here? Or are you still hoping that prince charming over there will help you?"
"What have you done to Jack?" Belinda demanded - or at least, tried to. It sounded like more of a squeak than anything else. She flushed and tried again. "I swear to God, if you've hurt him-"
"Oh my," Andrew tutted, his eyes falling upon Keith maliciously. "Don't tell me she ditched you too! And after everything you went through..."
"It's not like that!" Belinda and Keith said simultaneously. Belinda blushed again, looking away before turning back to Andrew with narrowed eyes. "Seriously Andrew, you don't want to piss me off right now. Give him back."
"Oh? And what exactly, my small and very non-threatening ex-girlfriend, are you going to do?"
Belinda fell silent, wishing she was powerful like Maggie or Keith. She hated being powerless, so unable to do something - anything - for the one person who understood her. What she wouldn't give for Keith's unpredictability, Maggie's visions, Gina's raw power for but this one moment.
"It's not very difficult to undermine her will power, is it Keith? I mean, I'm sure you took advantage of that particular-" Andrew searched for the right word "-virtue. I mean, I liked that she was so Goddamn gullible, but I suppose it must've been nice to know you could make her do whatever you wanted. She may not be the prettiest flower but you know what they say - a bird in the hand..."
Keith went white with rage. How dare he make fun of him? It was none of his business what happened with Belinda. He should have killed him instead of trying to send him here, should have ripped off his head when he had the chan-
"Now, now, that's just not very nice Keith." Andrew shook his head in disapproval, smiling manically at him. He took a step closer. "You wouldn't like it very much if I told her what you were thinking, would you?" He took another step, his voice dropping dramatically. "Or Jack for that matter. Do you think he'd like to know what you think of his new girlfriend?"
"Shut the hell up," Keith growled, fists clenched. His eyes threw a furtive glance in Belinda's direction. "And get the hell out of my head while you're at it."
"Oh, but it's so interesting in here. You know, I could browse through your mind all day. And then I could tell your little friends everything they've never known about you. For example, Belinda," Andrew called out, turning his head in her direction slightly. "Did you know, Keith here used to get bullied? Or that he used his powers against those bullies? Poor, unsuspecting children who couldn't defend themselves."
"It's not like I knew exactly what I was doing," Keith defended himself. "I was a kid myself! It was just payback."
"Look, this isn't the time for this crap!" Belinda shrieked, throwing a despairing glance at Keith. "Where the hell is Jack?! You give him back right this second! He never did anything to you!"
"But I have so much leverage if I have him."
"Please! You don't understand, people will miss him if you take him."
"But I'm so hungry Belinda," Andrew said, a vicious smile rolling across his face. "After you rejected me so cruelly, I haven't had a bite to eat. And he has such a pure soul."
Belinda bit back the tears, refusing to let Andrew see her cry. She didn't feel right, not knowing if Jack was safe. Jack had to be safe. It was a feeling she couldn't control, fear and desperation jumbling inside of her. She took an involuntary step forward, torn between rushing Andrew and running away. If she rushed Andrew, he would catch her. Even with the slim chance that she caught him off-guard, he would realise what she was doing before she could do any damage.
"Very true Belinda, very true. You'll never be able to get the drop on me, though. Not so long as you still have something that resembles thoughts in that airy excuse for a head."
"Sod off!" Belinda hissed vehemently. "If you want a soul, come and get it! You're not touching Jack."
"Belinda, no!" Keith shouted, trying to step forward. But something was holding him back. He glared at Andrew, trying to break free of the invisible hold he had on him. "Let go of me, you ass!"
And then, suddenly, Keith was free. He jerked forward, landing on his side in front of Belinda. He leaped into a standing position before he realised that Andrew was no longer standing in front of him.
