A Fragile Flower in the Harsh Winter

Everything is Going to Change

"Dean, if you can hear me, give up. Please. Just let me go. There's nothing left to do."

The voice kept echoing in his head as he fitfully slept in the chair next to Nikki's bed and finally, he realized who it was and woke up.

"Nicole?" His voice let out a broken whisper, and even as far away and trapped as she was, her heart still broke.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could just tell you what to do, but there's nothing to do. Anything you try will get you killed. I can't have you risk that." Her voice kept echoing in his head.

"No, I'm coming to get you. I lost you once, I won't, I can't do it again. You're coming back to me. You deserve a life." He looked at the once again unconscious girl on the bed. "Even if it means going to hell and back for you, I'll do it."

He got up and leaned over the bed, brushing her hair gently from her face as the voice echoed once more.

"If you do this, everything will change. The world will become more dangerous. It's better to let me, let this baby, die. I can't guarantee that I'm good enough to keep it from becoming dangerous. You'll put all of humanity at risk. Please, don't do what you think will save me, it could do the opposite."

Dean sighed and looked up at the ceiling before down at Nikki's sleeping body. "I know. But I'll take the risk."

He then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, closing his eyes and allowing himself to find his way into her mind and into the Hell his true love was trapped in, seeing her huddled, shaking in a corner, covering her ears with her eyes shut tightly.

"You're not real, you're not here." She whispered, not even looking in his direction. She'd been seeing him there for decades, but he'd never really been there. It was all to hurt her.

"I'm real, sweetheart, I'm here." He knelt down, brushing her hair behind her ear slowly. "I promise, I'm here."

Her eyes slowly met his, filled with tears as she looked up at him. Her left eye was still pitch black and her right eye was now turning half black.

"I told you not to come. There's nothing you can do now, and you're just going to get stuck here too." She whispered as he looked at her eyes, worry clearly written all over his face.

"I'd never leave you, there's still a chance." He kissed her forehead. "I'll get you out of here, they won't take you over. We'll figure this out, I promise."