The Elementalists

DAEMON

   I hear Mark say, "She's dead," but I don't know whether he's talking about Robin or Time. I overheard Time talking to Mark, but I didn't grasp most of what she was saying due to the fact that the last person I truly could call family was lying in front of me, cold, still, and unmoving.

Robin's dead.

I had been prepared to lose Mark. I had been prepared to lose Jamal. I had not, in any way, shape, or form, been prepared to lose Robin.

Daemon, remember the plan. Remember what you were going to do if Mark or Jamal died, I hear my thoughts saying. I blink, and I know what I have to do, but I can't move. The pain I feel right now is worse than the pain I felt when Angel had died—Angel had lived longer than Robin, had seen and been through so much, and I knew he was happy to be back with his family. Robin... Robin had died so that we wouldn't have to. She had died so that we could complete our mission and save the town, our friends, and our family.

Their family, I correct in my mind. My family is all gone now.

I look at Robin's broken form—she lies on the ground with her head tilted at an unnatural angle, her right arm and both legs twisted at an odd angle as well. I feel the tears streaming down my face, and I pick her up and carry her over to where Liz sits. Liz looks up at me, confusion crossing her face, and I just shake my head—I don't want to talk right now.

Mark looks over at me and his eyes soften—he knows what I'm about to do. He lies Time down gently on the ground; he then stands up and, with one last glance back at Time's still form, walks over to me. His face is stained red from the tears he's been crying, but he had stopped crying once Time had died.

It was as if, when you see people die in front of your eyes, you just give up. When you know how easily death can claim someone, you have to fight to keep your emotions from going completely out of control.

Mark walks up to me and, much to my protest, gives me a big hug and says, "Daemon...I know I can't stop you...," his voice cracks as he says this but he doesn't seem to notice. "Just...thank you...for everything..."

He pulls away, and I hear Liz burst into a fresh round of tears. I look over at Jamal, who has walked up to stand beside his cousin, and see the sadness and confusion that covers his face. He runs up to me and hugs me just as his cousin had. Before he pulls away, I hear him mumble, "Thank you so much...for everything you've done...," and by this time, I feel like crying even more.

I can see now why Robin loved her friends so much.

I bend down and press the palm of my hand to Robin's forehead. Closing my eyes, I let memories of her resurface. I think of her when she was alive, how she was always happy, and always optimistic until there was absolutely no way that she could be. I think of her standing beside her friends and laughing, before her body was broken and she had ceased breathing.

And I begin to cry, not because my life is about to end, but for Robin. I want her to live the life that I never got to live; I want her to be able to protect her friends like I was unable to do. I want her to be happy.

But, more than anything, I have nothing left to live for if she's gone. She's my family, and I loved her and Angel just as much as I ever did Lily. So as I feel myself grow weak and tired, and begin to wonder if this is going to work, I hear Robin let out a groan and I open my eyes.

Robin is sitting up, her previously broken body as solid and sturdy as ever, looking up at me with wide eyes. She cries out as she realizes what's happening, but it's too late. I fall over onto the floor, and everything begins to fade away. I hear Robin screaming my name, yelling at me to come back, but I know it's useless, and I know she knows that as well.

I smile as I think about my last act, and over the fact that I got to see Robin alive and kicking one last time.

As everything begins to fade away to black, I hear a little girl's voice calling my name. At first I think it's Robin, but then I recognize the voice as one I haven't heard in a long time.

"Daemon," Lily says, and I see her small form standing beside me, holding out her hand, "you came back! I knew you would!"

I smile and take her hand. "Yeah," I say, "I told you I'd come back, didn't I? Sorry it took so long."

"It's alright, since you came back," Lily says, beaming. She looks up at me with a big smile and asks, "Can we go home now, Daemon? The others are waiting."

I lace my fingers through hers and answer with, "Yes, Lily, we can. Let's go home."

And together we walk off into the bright light that lies in wait for us.