Wonderland

~Here She Comes: Part I~

"So, let's rewind." Alexander said, making Annabelle roll her eyes playfully. They were both sitting in Alexander's tent catching up on the past few days, and she had just finished telling him about Christopher.

"You summoned him," He spoke carefully, as if to ask for confirmation, and she nodded. "And in less than 24 hours, he killed ten people, then you proceeded to snap his neck, torture him, talked for a bit, tortured him some more, and then finally decided to kill him, but when you came back, he was gone? Right?"

Another half-hearted nod from Annabelle and a sigh from Alexander.

"Man, this is fucked up." He finally said.

"Tell me about it." She agreed. "And as if I didn't already have a ton of problems, now it seems that my own kind are turning their backs on me."

"I wish I could disagree," Alexander heaved a sigh, running a hand through his messy head of brown hair. "But you need to start acting, Bell. You need to do something. People are getting impatient, and you can't just kill everyone who stands in your way."

"Yes, I know." Annabelle snapped. "That's why I'm planning a meeting tonight. Make sure everyone is in attendance."

"Of course, but what about Christopher?" Alexander inquired.

The simple thought of him made Annabelle's stomach churn.

"I don't know." She admitted. "It's been nearly a week since he's escaped and he hasn't made a move. I've know him for years, and if I've learned anything, it's that he will not wait around if he seeks vengeance. I can only hope that if he does unleash his fury, he does it on me, not you."

Alexander sat in uncharacteristic silence for a few moments. Annabelle, however, knew exactly what he was thinking. She had come to understand his silences, as he did hers. He wanted to ask her something and he was pondering if he should do it or not.

"Just ask me, Alex." She said, taking Alexander by surprise.

He hesitated. "Well, why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"

She could have gotten away with it so easily. She could have said that she wanted to make him suffer, to make him feel true pain, but that wasn't the truth.

"I couldn't." She murmured, closing her eyes for a second as she took a deep breath. "I wish I could have done it, but it's not that simple. I lacked the proper tools."

Alexander rolled his eyes. "You certainly did not lack the tools. It's the will you lacked." He said harshly. "Come on Bell, you can't possibly still have feelings for him. He's a demon. A monster! He made you torture me, for Heaven's sake!"

"I am not defending him." Annabelle snapped back. "I've got blood on my hands, too. We all do. As much of a monster as he may be, or as much of a threat, I cannot cast the first stone when I have sinned as well."

But that was not the full truth either. The whole truth was that maybe a monster was no longer a monster when you loved him.

Alexander ran his hand through his hand again. "You know best, but I hope this tendency of yours, to see the good in people even when there isn't much of it, won't get you killed."

"He wouldn't hurt me." Annabelle said. For some reason, she had believed Christopher when he had said that.

"I wish I could say the same for the rest of us." He laughed, but when he saw the nymph bite her lower lip, concern growing on her face, he put an arm over her shoulder. "Don't worry Bell, we'll get through this. We always do." he assured her.'

"What would I do without you, Alex?" She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Crash and burn." He joked.

And they sat like that, comfortable and peaceful, for a while, but, once realizing what time it was, Annabelle shot up from her position.

"Now," Annabelle said, making her way out of Alexander's tent. "Let's go get this done." She said confidently, walking outside to meet her people.