Beyond The Sea Blue Light

The Devil's Living In My Head

I wake up in Vic's lap, my head resting against his shoulder, his arm wrapped around me. Light is streaming in through the window—we must have fallen asleep at some point. For a moment, I just stay there, a small smile appearing on my lips. I can feel his chest rising and falling gently, hear the pounding of his heart. He's alive, he's really alive.

"Morning," Vic says when he sees that I'm awake. He reaches over with his free hand, smoothing out my hair.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask.

Vic shrugs. "I never really fell asleep." He still looks exhausted, dark circles under his eyes.

"How are you alive?" I ask, the question still lingering on my mind.

Vic sighs, leaning back. "I'm not quite sure," he says. "But as far as I know, they had some samples of your blood at the Facility. They injected me with some and your powers worked on me." So that explains the strange dreams. They weren't dreams at all. It was the connection Gerard explained after all. Except it was different this time. Somehow, when they used my blood to heal him, they linked us together, at least temporarily.

"Wow," I whisper. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asks. "You saved my life."

"You saved mine," I point out. "Without me, you would have been free from the start."

"Without you, I would never have tried to plan the escape," Vic counters. "You saved me too."

I can't help but smile, leaning down to kiss him. I've missed him so much that it hurts.

The door bursts open, slamming against the wall. I look up quickly to see Alex and Jack standing in the doorway. Alex looks furious as he storms in the room.

I send Vic an apologetic glance as Alex practically drags me out of the room.

"What were you thinking?" Alex yells. "He could've killed you."

"He didn't," I point out. "Also, I literally have healing powers. I would've been fine."

Alex shakes his head. "I can't believe you," he says. "I thought we were going to find you dead."

Guilt flashes through me. "I'm not stupid," I mumble. "I knew the risk."

"We don't know what they did to him," Jack says. "He could have attacked you."

"He wouldn't."

"He's been brainwashed," Alex says. "He didn't remember you before. What if he's just pretending?"

But I know Vic isn't. He's not pretending and I'm certain of it. He wouldn't ever hurt me, at least unless he absolutely had to. But I know they're not giving up, so I just nod, letting Alex lead me downstairs.

---

It's not very hard to pick the lock on Vic's door. With a bobby pin and a few tries, it finally clicks open. I hold my breath for a moment, scanning the dark hallway for any signs that someone might have heard me, but there are none. The only sound other than my breathing is the sound of soft snores coming from the room over. Satisfied, I tiptoe into his room, shutting the door as quietly as I can behind me.

Dim light is coming in through the window in the back, barely illuminating the room. I cross the room carefully, walking toward the bed where Vic is. He's lying on his back, hands folded in front of him. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume he's sleeping. But he sits up when he sees me, the chains clanking slightly.

"What are you doing here?" he whispers as I sit down on the bed beside him.

"I wanted to see you," I say.

"You should go back," he says. "Before they notice you're in here."

"I don't care," I whisper. "I just want to spend time with you." I swing my legs onto the bed, lying down beside him. He sighs and I hear the chains clanking as he lies down too, shifting so he's facing me.

"You should," he mutters. "You should care."

"I don't care as long as I'm with you," I say with an air of finality. Vic shakes his head, but I swear I can see him smiling slightly. He sits up again so he can look at me better. Even in the dim light, I can see the sad expression on his face and it scares me.

"So were you and Oli?" Vic asks. When he sees my expression, he gives me a small smile. "I overheard the two of you talking."

"No," I shake my head quickly. "We're just, I—"

"I'm not mad," he says. "I was just wondering."

"Vic, it's really not—" I say embarrassed.

"You should be with him," Vic says softly. "He's better for you."

I just stare at him, speechless. Out of everything he could have said, this was the most unexpected.

"I mean, I literally have the power to destroy things," he says. "I burn things down to the ground. I hurt people. You're the opposite. You have the power to heal. You help others. We're just not meant to be."

"Don't say that," I say, my voice shaking. "Don't you dare say that."

"It's just the truth," he says, not taking his eyes off of me. "Kellin, you have to—"

"No." I don't register moving before I'm kissing him, pulling him backward on top of me. We're on the bed, him hovering above me as I wrap my legs around him, kissing him as if it's the last time I can. He resists for a moment before finally giving in, kissing me forcefully.

He finally manages to push me away, panting slightly as he brushes my hair out of my face. "I'm sorry," he says. "I—"

"Shut it," I whisper, pulling him back down again. "Don't ever say that. I love you. I'll always love you."

He just looks at me sadly. "I love you," he begins. "But you need to stay away from me," he warns. "All of you. Tell Gerard and Frank to get all of you and run. They will never find you. Just disappear. They don't have the resources. They won't chase after you, I've made sure of that."

"What are you—"

"You all need to leave."

"You talk as if you're not coming," I say, confused. I see his expression in the dark and my whole body goes cold. "No. No way."

"I'm sorry, Kells," he says.

"I just got you back," I yell at him. "What are you even talking about?"

"They're gonna keep coming after you if I stay. They don't know I remember yet. I need to go back."