Sweeter Than Wine

Welcome Home

***John's POV***

I watch from the window as George and ______ disappear into the car, fear spiking through my veins.

I jump slightly as Ringo places his hand on my shoulder. I turn to face him, being met with a mirroring expression of anxiety.

"...______'s a tough girl...her and George can handle things if they get too rough..." He say, trying to reassure the both of us.

I purse my lips, watching as the car takes off down the drive, not saying anything until Paul comes back into the room.

"What's our plan for going in, boys?" I ask, turning to face the remaining two of our quartet.

***Your POV***

The inky blackness my tired mind swims through is suffocating.

I feel as if I cannot possibly exist anymore, my body floating airily through the murk.

I can vaguely make out a voice. His voice. The blackness takes on a tint of red as anger flares within me.

I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to make out exactly what he's saying.

"I can't believe you idiots took so much of my blood! I should kill you here and now.."

I feel my lips pull back in a snarl, a female voice, Emma, interjecting, "No! Father, you don't understand, we need him to be here. I've seen what his presence does..."

There's a long pause, so long I thought I may have actually died from the extreme blood loss.

Finally Samuel speaks again, "...explain. Before I kill this miserable little-"

Emma speaks slowly, a smile evident in her tone as she cuts him off, "why, can't you see, father? Just being in the mere presence of them, of him, increases her blood. He's her calm. Don't you think she'll be more cooperative if she has him? Don't you think we can turn her to be one of us if we let her have the one thing she most desires? We would benefit greatly by turning them to our side. We would rule our people. Mother and I know many things about the Psyche, and this time she cannot die. If you kill, or even lay a single finger on him, she will do double the damage to herself. If he dies, she'll make sure she does as well. Look at me, I'm a miracle of the Fountain of Life. Mother told me all about how she couldn't bear you any children....but once you got your hands on her, that changed! We can get her to cooperate with us, all it takes is letting her have George. Eventually the others as well. They only care about keeping her safe, and happy. They all love her, and it's perfect...Father, do you wish to know the greatest secret of all?" She pauses her monologue, a flash of unease flowing through me at her words.

"....Well?" Samuel asks, surprisingly no hint of irritation in his tone.

"...any child the Psyche bears, will also be blessed as a Fountain of Life..."

A chill runs down my spine at her final words, blackness creeping into the edges of my vision.

Fear pierces through my heart as I realize I haven't heard George during this entire ordeal.

Panic surges through my being as their voices fade, the inky blackness wrapping itself around my senses, rendering me into complete solidarity.

***George's POV***

I remain silent as Emma divulges a plan to her Father, a sickness rising in my stomach when she mentions _______ bearing a child.

I could never let this monster use any child of ours. I open my mouth to speak but Emma clamps her hand around my throat, silencing me with bruising force.

"That is some very...interesting information...I see your point. He will stay, if she can bear his child to produce another Psyche. Then we must turn the others as well. First, we'll settle them into a nice little room...."

Emma's hold on my throat slowly pulls me under, the last thing I remember is Samuel lifting me unceremoniously over his shoulder before losing consciousness.

My world stays black for some time before I finally pop my eyes open, greeted with darkness, patting all around me in a panic.

My hand brushes warm skin, and a soft moan responds. "______?" I say anxiously, gently brushing my fingertips across her skin.

I wait for a few moments before she finally answers, her voice hoarse from non use, ".....Geo?"

Her hands clumsily find their way to my face, prodding around as if to see if it's really me.

I grasp her hands, kissing them softly, "...yes, darling....it's me...." I reassure, sliding my right hand up her arm to stroke her cheek.

She sighs in relief, "....where are we? And why is it pitch black?"

My brain struggles to remember what exactly happened, ".....I...don't know..."

I feel around me, the smooth silk of sheets greeting my probing fingers.

I reach further, eventually touching the surface of a table. I lean over for a better vantage, feeling the cool ceramic of a lamp.

I feel my way to the switch, clicking it on.

______ gasps loudly as the light illuminated our surroundings.

My mouth falls open as I glance around the room.

It's our room. I leap from the bed to look out the window.

It's too dark to tell where exactly we are, but a relief floods through me as I look around the familiar space.

______ joins me at the window, looping her arm through mine, giving me a small smile.

"....well, welcome home, love." I whisper, tilting her head into a passionate kiss.