She could feel the intensity of the fire on her face, the way it made her hair sizzle and people around her scream. Her breath was leaving her in heavy pants, her heels clicking against the tile floor as she ran. Her eyes stormed every room and every corner for him, calling out his name in weak cries fearfully.
She could feel her entire facade dropping, the one that bottled up her feelings and pretended that they didn't exist. She could feel it crumbling, washing away like dirt under her nails as the white colored walls were set aflame.
There was an unfamiliar boy by her side, but the longer she stared at him, she could slowly recognize that strong wave of black hair that laid slightly against his shoulders. His grip on her hand was tight, leaving her no room for arguments as he dragged her away from the scene.
She was screaming, pulling, begging for him to let her go, and the words that her lover had spoken to her echoed in her ear; "I'll find you."
~~~
She would usually jump start awake after a nightmare, but her body made no reactions this time. Her eyes peeled open softly, and she swallowed as she looked to the sleeping boy who laid against her bare, sheet covered chest. There was a sick, sinister feeling in her stomach, and she could feel nausea brewing in her throat as she wiped sweat away from her forehead.
Her dream slowly came back to her bits at a time, and she froze as she tried to get her breathing back on track. The dream was different than what she usually dreamt of, and she was filled with more fear and confusion than usual. And even though she was confused, she could remember it all clearly.
She sat up slowly, removing his arm off of her as her hair fell over in waves. She tightened the sheet around herself, bringing her knees to her chest as she stared out the window. It wasn't just a little dream that came in random bits with no meaning. No, this latched on to her, and she took a shaky breath as her hand found his beside her.
Whatever it was, she didn't like it. All those feelings she felt in her dream, she felt now. The building had seemed so familiar, and apart of her wanted to think that it was the cooperative. But why would the cooperative be set on fire? Of course, fire could be started by the most random of things. For example: perhaps Miriam were to leave a burner on while she baked and baked away. Maybe Jeff's computer got overheated from the amount of porn he was watching. Maybe a cigarette wasn't put out properly.
But the thing was, none of those reasons felt right. It felt vicious and violent, like the flames were set to destroy and harm everything she loved. And it wasn't just a dream, this did not feel like a dream. And who was that boy? She had seen him before, but she couldn't picture his name.
She sat there, sweat rolling off of her and breathing shallow and weak. Her hair stuck to the sides of her neck, and her lips parted as her hands shook. She could practically feel the heat of the flames on her face, and she groaned as nausea over powered her. She hurriedly jumped up from the bed, carrying the sheet loosely with her as she scurried off to the bathroom.
She fell to the floor, her hands and knees cracking against the tiles as vomit spewed from her lips and into the toilet. She gasped out a breath, her chest heaving as she emptied the contents of her stomach. All she could think about was the fire, the heat on her skin as her eyes blurred. She was in a daze of fire and vomit; loud, pained groans leaving her dry throat. Her ears seemed to deafen from the hacking of her chest, and she could quietly hear Michael calling out to her.
And then, he snapped her out of it. His hands grabbed her face, turning him toward her as the fire disappeared and she was left on the bathroom floor. "Answer me, damnit!" He panicked, holding her face close to him as he searched her eyes.
She coughed violently, breathing in deeply as she leaned her head against his chest. Her hand fell from the rim of the toilet, and she practically collapsed into him. "Anastasia, tell me what's wrong." He wrapped his arms around her back, adjusting her body weight so he could hold her against him. "You're scaring me, tell-"
"I'm okay." She choked out, nodding weakly against his chest. He narrowed his eyes, she certainly didn't sound okay. She sniffled against him, her head pounding as he lifted her up.
His face seemed pained, like he had absolutely no idea what to do. He held her up by the shoulders, and their eyes met as he sighed. God, she looked absolutely ghastly. She was beyond paler than normal, sweat pouring out of her like rain. She averted her eyes, embarrassed by her actions as she cringed at the smell of her vomit. "You've been doing that a lot lately." He brought her back to the conversation, and she swallowed as she licked her dry lips.
He tucked a curl behind her ear, shaking his head as he kissed her forehead. "You're going to make me go grey, Anastasia. Tell me what to do. Are you still sick? I need to do-"
"I'm okay." She rushed, covering his hand with her mouth. She breathed out shakily, her skin burning as she remembered those flames that wouldn't leave her mind. "It was just a nightmare."
His eyes went wide, and he pulled her hand away from him. "Another one?"
She looked away embarrassed, feeling idiotic for sitting on the floor in a sweaty mess. And he shook his head as he read her thoughts, tilting her chin up to him. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You can't help it."
She sighed as she rubbed her face, cringing as remnants of her dream buzzed around her. It was beginning to become frustrating, and he jumped when she angrily banged her fist against the cabinet beside her. "Fuck." She spat, cringing as her body burned. "It's hot in here." She glanced around the room, taking a deep breath. "It's fucking hot in here. I can't-"
"Hey." He grabbed her face, recognizing the panic that was forming in her throat. "It's okay. Calm down and breathe, Ana." He waved his hand, turning on the shower as he pushed her hair away from her face.
"You should stay home today." He sat up straighter. "You shouldn't be out if you're sick."
She shook her head. "No, I'm coming with you."
"Ana-" He frowned.
"Michael, I'm coming with you!" She argued, shutting him up with the stern tone of her voice. She huffed in frustration, covering her hands over her face. Usually the dreams didn't bother her so much. Yes, they left her confused and creeped out, but it never effected her for so long. "I'm just tired of these fucking nightmares." She groaned, her voice hoarse as she pulled her hands away. She sniffled, looking up to his sad eyes. "But I'm fine, and I'm coming. So shut up about it, okay?" She spoke softly, her face etched in exhaustion.
He didn't like it one bit, but he gave a nod, knowing damn well she was going to do what she pleased. But as he nodded, Ana felt her stomach twist sickly again, her words burning her throat like acid. She shouldn't go, it didn't feel right. But even so, she couldn't be without Michael. She could barely handle that anymore. The voice of reason shouted in her head to stay home, but she ignored it.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek, sighing deeply as he grabbed her hand and gestured to the shower. "Come on, I'll help you."
He helped her remove the little layer of clothing she had on, and he tossed his off to the floor as he guided her into the cold water. She already felt immediately ten times better, and she sighed as he pulled her into him. His arms laid against her stomach, her back against his chest as he kissed her shoulder.
She tried to forget it, but the dream just wouldn't go away. It felt like a warning, and as much as she did want to stay behind, she couldn't bring herself to speak it. And even though the spell had helped her greatly with her fear, she still could barely be without Michael. He knew that too, so he always made sure she was by his side. He didn't mind it, but it was times like this where he wished she would just take it easy and relax. But Anastasia was Anastasia, completely and wholeheartedly stubborn.
His fingers combed through her hair, and he let her lay against him as he gently washed her hair. She felt disgusted with herself, letting nightmares bother her so. But they did, and she couldn't help but feel like crying. The water droplets fell down her face, crying for her because she was too damn stubborn to allow herself to do so.
~~~
She looked uncomfortable, Michael noted, watching her from across the room as Jeff talked her ear off. She had her arms crossed, chewing on her lip as she nodded along to what he was saying. She hadn't told him what her nightmare was, but that hadn't been a surprise for him, given that she never did.
"Ms. Grey seems in poor spirits today." Venable tapped her cane against the floor, gaining Michael's attention. He gave her a once over, clearing his throat as he took files from her hand.
"She's fine." He offed solemnly, glancing back over to Ana. He knew the dreams didn't bother her too badly, but they were starting to get worse and become a nightly occurrence. She could barely sleep properly any more, and would usually throw up in the morning just like she had hours prior.
Venable smiled, glancing over the girl from afar. "She seems tired. Is the relationship taking a turn for the worst?"
He huffed, turning to send the woman a sharp glare. "Don't you have work to do?" He nodded to the hallway behind her.
She swallowed, pursing her lips as she sent a death stare off to Ana. She turned and left him, and he rolled his eyes as he opened the files she had given him. He didn't know why Venable hated the girl so much, and everyone else in the building seemed to love her. Perhaps that was the reason why, a simple case of the jealousies. Venable was strict and stuck up, while Ana was bright and full of high spirits. People feared and become annoyed with Venable, but Ana's positive energy always lured them in.
"Hey." He looked up, smiling as Ana made her way over to him.
"Hey." He spoke back, watching as she latched her hand in his and leaned against his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
She hummed, snuggling against him as she looked down at his papers. "What's that?"
He cleared his throat as he looked down, hurriedly shutting the file as he stuffed it in his jacket pocket. "Nothing." He brushed off, smiling down at her as he kissed her forehead.
"Come on, you should eat something." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her along with him as they made their way into the cooperative kitchen.
Everyone always smiled at her, and would give a polite nod to Michael who was by her side. They would greet them by Mr. Langdon and Ana. He had wanted them to call her by her formal last name, but she said it was ridiculous. And of course, whatever Ana wants, Ana gets.
"I'm sure Ms. Mead has all kinds of things in here for you to choose from." He chuckled, placing his hand on her lower back as he guided her into a seat.
"I'll just take this." She yawned, grabbing a green apple in front of her as he frowned.
"That's it?" He closed the fridge, leaning against the counter. "You've not ate all day."
She nodded, taking a small bite as he watched her. He sighed as his mind turned in cogs, hoping that they weren't backtracking. It never bothered him to take care of her or comfort her, that was his job. But he didn't like seeing her hurt or in pain. Those were two entirely different things. Of course, it was just a dream, but he could see small moments that reminded him of past behavior.
For example: her not eating and remaining quiet, two things that were extremely rare for her.
He shook his head, opening the fridge anyway and pulling out what looked to be a pizza box. "No, you need to eat more than that, Anastasia." He sighed, tossing the box on the table and taking a seat across from her.
She placed the apple down, pursing her lips. "Really, Michael, I'm okay. I'm just not hungry."
He nodded, but he really, really didn't want her backtracking. She was doing so well these days, and his heart ached at the idea of her falling into another dark trap of her own sorrow. "I know, but just a little. Please." He was begging her, and even though Ana really had no appetite, she was too tired to argue. Besides, she knew he was worried about her, and all day she kept noticing the glances he sent her way or anxious stares.
She rolled her eyes, an amused laugh escaping her that made his shoulders relaxed. She nodded as she took a slice of cold pizza, practically stuffing the whole thing in her mouth as she leaned her face against her hand.
"Thank you." He chuckled, grabbing her hand and kissing her knuckles. She nodded weakly, munching on her slice as he watched her.
Perhaps she was just tired, after all, she was hardly getting any sleep anymore. He wished she would tell him about what she dreamt off, but she didn't like revisiting them, especially the one she had early that morning. His eyes narrowed at her hand that held her slice of pizza, and his lips parted as he sighed. "Ana, you're bleeding."
She froze as she looked down, seeing the trail of blood that leaked from her raw index finger. She cringed, tossing down her food. "I'm sorry." She blushed, embarrassed by her bad habit.
"Shut up." He shook his head, standing as he grabbed a paper towel from the counter. "You don't have anything to be sorry for." He placed the towel around her finger, holding it there as he pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Wait here, I'll go get something."
She nodded tiredly as he left the kitchen, leaving her alone and in the quiet as her stomach ached. She watched as her dark blood stained the towel, making the clean white turn a sinister color as she cringed. She looked away, glancing toward where he had disappeared just moments ago.
She was completely alone now, and she could feel her breathing become short. "Calm down." She whispered to herself, squeezing her finger painfully. It was ridiculous, she took that spell to keep her from feeling this way. But the second something happened, it was barely able to conceal it. At this point, why even take it?
She was able to calm herself down somewhat, and she nodded to herself as she breathed. For a mere moment it was calm, she was calm. And then, it all went to hell in a hand basket. She went to stand to go find Michael, but the entire building erupted into a loud boom. It traveled into the canal of her ears, and she screamed as she fell to her knees. The ground shook beneath her, and the walls crumbled as she gasped out in a panic.
"Oh, God." She choked out, hearing screams of hundreds. She tried standing, her head screaming to find Michael as she pushed open the doors of the kitchen. It was like an earthquake, and yet, it wasn't. There was more to it. "Michael?!" She screamed out, grasping the wall as she tried to keep from falling.
She looked down the hall, her eyes widening when she seen a beam of flames igniting up the walls. People ran past her, shoving her out of the way in panicked screams. "No." She shook her head, the dream overtaking her. Everything she dreamed was happening now, and she remembered the feeling of being separated from Michael, being taken into a new strangers hands. "Michael!" She screamed in a panic, turning on her heel and sprinting down the hall.
She fell back to the floor as it split open, picture frames smashing to the walls as fire enveloped everyone. "Ana!" She looked up to see Mutt, and he reached down to pull her up.
"Michael!" She held him by his shoulders. "Mutt, where's Michael?!" She was gasping for breath, and they both backed up against the wall as part of ceiling collapsed in.
"I don't know!" He finally answered, pulling her away from the flames. "But we need to get out of here. We need-"
"No!" She shook her head, pushing him away as she pushed through the fire. "Michael!" She yelled out, coughing as smoke filled her lungs.
She was panicking, and hardly anyone was in sight anymore. The cooperative was burning to the ground, and she started sobbing out fearfully as she fell to her knees. "Where- oh, God, M-" She coughed, her vision blurring.
"Anastasia!" Her senses snapped together when she heard him, and she shot up as a scream caught her throat. The sleeve of her dress caught aflame, and she panicked as she tried putting it out. "Michael!" She screamed back, wincing at the burning pain in her arm as the flame diminished against her.
She rounded the corner, colliding with his chest as she sobbed. She pulled his neck into her, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she cried. "Oh, God- wh- Michael, what's happening?!"
"Are you alright?" He pulled her away, backing her up against the wall. "Anastasia, tell me-"
"Yes!" She nodded. "Michael, what's going on? What's happening?" She screamed out as another beam fell before them, and he quickly picked her up by her waist and pushed her into another room.
He locked it, staring at in a panic. Ana was sobbing behind him, panicked cries leaving her. Her dream was coming true, she could feel it. And she was absolutely dreading for it to continue. "Michael-"
"It's Cordelia." He swallowed, looking back to her pained. His heart ached at the sight of her arm, and he flinched as loud screams flooded the building.
Her hand went to her stomach, and she forced herself to swallow her tears as she nodded. "What do we do?"
He shook his head, moving closer to gather her hands. "You're not doing anything." He swallowed nervously, a guilty look in his eye that made her face fall.
And in a split second, the world went quiet in her ears. Her heart stopped, her blood froze and her veins iced over in fear. Because the look he was giving her wasn't just simple guilt over this fire or the attack from the witches. No, he was planning something. "Michael." She choked out, letting go of his hands. "What are you doing?"
He licked his lips, grabbing her shoulders. "Ana-"
"No, what are you doing?!" She screamed at him, her eyes boiling with tears as she gasped out a breath. "Michael-"
"Calm down." He grabbed her face, shaking her lightly. "Jack, get in here!" He shouted over his shoulder, and Ana jumped as the door busted open.
Jack Olivers, the sweet, nerdy boy that drove Michael up the wall from Hawthorne entered the room. He stood off the side, tilting his chin up to Ana as she narrowed her eyes. "Jack?" She shook her head in confusion, glancing back up to Michael.
Neither of them said nothing, simply staring at her. She swallowed, looking between them as she sobbed out in a panic. "No." She backed away. "No, whatever you're doing, no!" She moved away from him.
Michael rushed to her, tears filling his own eyes. "Anastasia, listen to me-
"No!" She shook her head, grabbing his hands. "No, Michael, please! Don't! Whatever it is-"
He didn't know how she knew what he had brewing up in his head, but it didn't matter. He flinched as flames began seeping under the door, and his eyes widened as he looked back to her. "Listen to me." He pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands to the sides as she sobbed. "You need to go with him. Jack will take you to a safe place."
She looked between them fearfully, eyes wide as she shook her head. "No!" She cried. "Michael, no! I can't- don't leave me, I can't-"
"I'm not." He shook her face, his voice stern as he tried to not let her cries bother him. "Anastasia, I'm not. It'll only be for a few days. Cordelia is trying to get my attention. I can't have you here. You can't be with me. I'll find you, okay? I promise, I will." He kissed her nose, trying to quiet her tears as she gasped out a breath.
"But-" She glanced back to Jack. "Why is he- Michael, no!" She panicked again, her body grasping at his. "No, no- I can't! Michael, no!" Her voice cracked together violently, and he knew no matter what he said would make no difference.
His hands tightened around her, holding her in place as he refused to let a tear drop. There was no room for argument in this. The building was burning to the ground, and the witches were waiting for him. For what exactly, he didn't know. But there was no way Ana could be with him. She didn't know about it, but long before this day he devised a back up plan, a safe place for her to stay if things went south.
A safe house, if you will.
"Ana, there's no time!" He shouted over the flames, her sobs mixing with them. "Jack," He turned over his shoulder, bringing Ana to his chest. "Take her."
The boy nodded like a soldier, and Ana screamed and kicked like a toddler against her lover. "No! Michael, no!" She sobbed, clawing against him. "No, no- please, don't leave me!"
"I'll find you." He whispered into her ear, pushing her into Jack's arms.
His arms wrapped around her like iron, and she sent Michael a pleading, broken look as she began dragging her away. "Michael, no! Please, Michael-"
Her heart felt like it shattered and crackled against the floor, and she screamed out hysterically as Jack drug her out of the room. She sobbed and screamed for the person she called her soulmate, fighting and kicking with everything she had for him to let her go.
He pushed through the flames with ease, shielding Ana from the fire as she struggled to breath. "Jack, let me go!" She begged him brokenly. "Please, Jack, let me go!" They got to the doors, and she began screaming all over him.
"No, Michael!" She glanced back, her hair whipping wildly behind her. "Michael, please- Michael!"
She let out a gasp while her next cry was cut off, and the next she knew was darkness.
~~~
It was a small, cosy little home. It held everything that a person could ever need. Four walls, a roof and a bathroom, food and water to keep a person stable. Jack wasn't even sure where they were at, and he continued cleaning Ana's wounded arm as she slept on the cot against the wall. He inspected her burns carefully and cleaned them properly, making sure she could fight off infection until Michael was back to heal her without interruptions.
Michael had given the boy exact coordinates to teleport them to, and he knew for certain that they were no longer in America. They were on an island, and he looked out the window above the girl's head to see the ocean waves crashing along the shore line.
There were palm trees everywhere, bright colored flowers and fruit laying against the ground like the garden of eden. It was a safe house, but the entire island was abandoned, only Ana and Jack remaining. It was a nice place, really; peaceful.
Jack didn't remember the girl, but he knew who she was after being recruited by Michael almost two months ago. He had done it completely in secret, and the boy knew he had hid it well from the shocked look on Ana's face. It had all happened the night of when they had been held at gunpoint for the second time, and Michael had decided that he needed a backup plan.
Life was too dangerous, the planet was too dangerous. With Cordelia and her gang, he couldn't take the risk of her being unprotected if they were separated. Thus, brought in Jack to their little tale. He hadn't immediately thought of him first, but he needed someone he could trust to protect Ana if he wasn't around.
On nights where she slept peacefully, Michael worked to create a safe haven for her. He picked a deserted, lonely little island out in the tropics, and he found the best, hardest working men and paid them handsomely to create her little safe house. It wasn't much, really. But it was safe. The island was undetectable with the amount of power and spells he had put over it, perhaps too much. But this was his backup, and he needed it to be one hundred percent safe.
But Ana couldn't be there on her own. Well, he knew she could be, but he didn't want her too. She'd go crazy, and as much as he hated the thought, he wasn't entirely sure if he trusted her to be alone for so long. When it came down to it, he knew she wasn't a suicidal person, but a person could only take much for so long. And when it came to him, Ana could barely take it being separated. So he decided he needed someone to look out for her, to help out or simply keep her company.
The reason he chose Jack was simple; his loyalty. Now, it wasn't as if he had just offered up his life to protect the antichrist's girlfriend, that's not what happened at all. But Michael could remember how much Jack had liked him, the way he considered him a friend and that he would do absolutely anything for. He couldn't understand why, but he didn't question it. He found Jack at his home late one night, and he put an enchantment on him that commanded that he followed all of Michael's demands.
It simply just brightened his loyalty to him, and to Jack, the only thing he knew was protecting Anastasia. He held barely any memories of his home life or old friends, just Michael and snippets of Hawthorne. He remembered their so called friendship, and how he cared for him, and now he was taking care of his girlfriend.
He didn't know much about what was going on, but he knew it had to have been bad. This safe house was a complete last resort, and he knew Michael wouldn't have summoned him unless it was absolutely necessary.
The girl's dress was torn, practically burnt off her body as he cleaned her wound. He kept a blanket over her to protect her modesty, and he stayed quiet to make sure she stayed sleeping. Michael had informed him somewhat about her, but he felt clueless on what to do when she woke up.
She was going to panic, he knew that certainly. The fit she had thrown at the cooperative was obvious proof of that. He sighed, continuing to wrap her arm in gauze as she slept. It didn't matter though, because he was there to protect her, help her or do anything that she needed. He knew only one thing, and that was to protect Anastasia Grey.
And if need be, he'd die fighting for her.
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i ain't ready for none of this