Gravity Rises (S2)

OCE: Part Two

Mabel had been in all sorts of scary situations. She'd been trapped by evil clones, chased by a crazy shapeshifter, shoved out of her body by a demon.

But nothing came close to the sheer terror that consumed her now.

I am going to die.

Even with all the dangerous things that had happened this winter, Mabel had never thought of the possibility of death. How could she? It's not like anyone who died in accidents, supernatural or no, was expecting it.

But now she was expecting it. Pacifica had told her what she was going to do to her.

She didn't want to die. She was only thirteen! She had her whole life ahead of her! And she had unfinished business, too. Would Ford continue with trying to reactivate the portal even while mourning her? She could only hope he would. Stanley didn't deserve to be abandoned, not for mourning, not for anything.

Her mind went in circles as Pacifica and her lackeys dragged her through Order headquarters, and her body shivered uncontrollably after that walk through the freezing winter night with no protection on her bare arms save the straps of her backpack. There was a part of her that was hoping, just maybe, Gideon would come and save her. But she couldn't hang everything on that hope. Gideon was the only one of her allies who knew what had happened to her, and she didn't even know if she could officially count him as an ally yet. Besides, he was probably facing Gaston's wrath back at the Northwest Manor. Mabel had seen firsthand how much control that. . . that monster had over his son.

If only Gaston were the one about to die instead of Mabel.

Mabel stopped when she had that thought, causing her to stumble as she fell behind the forced march. Where had that come from? Mabel wasn't one to wish death on anybody, not even that monster.

Must just be her terror taking over her rationality.

A few feet ahead, Pacifica put her hand up to bring the morbid procession to a halt. Mabel stumbled again when her captors stopped sooner than she did.

"Bill?" Pacifica was saying.

Mabel's head snapped up. No. No no no. She was already in a bad enough situation. He could not show up to make this worse.

"Bill, I've got her! I can finally be rid of her!"

Mabel frowned. Pacifica appeared to be talking to thin air. How was she talking to Bill, anyway? Couldn't he only show up in dreams?

"What? What do you mean I can't kill her?!"

Pacifica shot a glare of pure loathing back to Mabel, then turned back to the space where she evidently thought Bill was floating. Mabel watched her body sag, then stiffen, then stiffen some more. "Then what will get rid of it?" she demanded.

The Order members surrounding Mabel did nothing to react to Pacifica's rambling. Apparently this was a common occurrence.

"Oh, sure, like that will work. 'Mabel, darling, could you please stop sending your spirit out to torment me? Much appreciated.'"

What now?

Pacifica flinched from some unheard retort of Bill's. "Sorry, Bill. This just came out of nowhere. I thought killing her was the answer and now you're telling me it's not!"

Mabel's confusion was swept away by a sudden tide of relief. Did that mean. . . did that mean Pacifica wasn't going to kill her? There was a part of Mabel that screamed at her to not get her hopes up, but that part was drowned out by said hopes.