I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more.
(Song really fits with chapter even though it's kind of overused and no lie I kinda teared up at the end)
I appeared in the office, only to find it completely empty, unlike most times I've seen it where it was buzzing with demon employees typing and chatting in their cubicles as I looked around the barren dimly lit hallways.
"Harry! You little shit!" I panicked, my emotions going back and forth between anger and fear as I began to breathe heavily, looking around frantically before I quickly headed for his main office, only to find it empty just like the rest of the building aside from a lamp on the large dark cherry wood desk, shining a small spotlight on a disk with the name "Lady Liza" written on it right besides a remote control.
"Please be a really shitty mixtape, please let this be all about a shitty mixtape that he made and this was just a prank." I mumbled nervously to myself, picking up the disk before I looked over to the large flat screen television hanging on the wall behind the desk.
I inserted it in the side of the tv with shaking hands, backing away slowly, almost tripping on the rug as I raised the remote in my hand, turning it on as a white static noise appeared before it cut off to a video of Harry, who looked like he was struggling with the angle of the camera.
"Oh for god's sakes, I've always hated this shit camera." He grumbled to himself, the screen only showing his chest as he fumbled with the camera, backing away revealing his beautiful concentrated face as he bit his lip and furrowed his brows.
"Alright, I think I got it." He breathed, bringing his hands out in a cautious manner as he slowly backed away from the camera only for the screen to tilt and crash to the floor as Harry brought his hands to his hair in frustration from the back, letting out an irritated "bloody hell, Marty come fix this shit" before it went back to a white static screen.
Then Harry appeared on the screen once again, cutting to a new video as he situated himself in front of the camera.
"Hi my lady," He said in his raspy lovable voice, a dimpled smile on his face as he raised his hand, waving slightly at the camera before he ran it through his brown waves of hair.
"I'm assuming you already found out that the Assassin was just a decoy and by now, knowing you, you've probably managed to weasel the information you needed from those other three." He chuckled as I frowned, glaring up at the television, my anxiety getting the better of me.
"Stop chuckling you asshole! Tell me what the fuck is going on or I swear to god Harry-"
"You're probably yelling at the screen right now telling me to just cut to the chase at the moment." Harry then laughed, making my cursing halt to a stop as I blinked up at the television in shock.
I swallowed, nearing the screen as I watched him take in a deep breath, his adams apple bobbing up and down before he looked straight at the camera, as if he was looking right into my eyes and it still caught me off guard seeing him with that green tint in his irisis again.
"Lady Liza, I'm dying." He said, unblinking with a stern expression as I felt my whole world collapse right in front of me, my jaw going slack.
No.
He can't be.
"You've already noticed the small things, like how my body isn't as durable as it used to be or should be. After the first week of testing the serum on the both of us I began to secretly deteriorate, experiencing those heart beats and chest pains once again except two times worst. I'm becoming human again, and with my heart being centuries, centuries of years old, my heart beats will continue to rapidly gain speed until it just... stops and crashes." He explained, his appearance looking blurry from the tears that were forming in my eyes as I wiped at the ones that were trailing down my cheeks.
"I know this may come as a surprise to you, but this wasn't a surprise to me. Not at all. I knew the consequences the moment Frank injected the both of us with the serum- you have to understand that I've been working on a cure for the both of us for decades, preparing for the day you would appear in my life again." Harry said, the video cutting off into an older looking black and white video, showing Harry in the same room again before he brought a paper up with the words dating 'January 12, 1933.'
"Okay Frank, test five hundred and seventy of the serum." Harry said, still looking the same young twenty one year old man I knew this day as I watched the screen anxiously, seeing Frank come into view on the screen as he injected Harry with something.
"Fuck- why's my hair falling off? Shit, shit, shit, shit-" Harry's cursing was cut off by the static of the television before it cut off to another video, this one still looking pretty old but now with color.
"August 30, 1960, test nine hundred and eighty eight of the serum." Harry said into the camera, now backing away as Frank came at his side, doing the same thing he did in the passed video only for it to miserably fail as well.
The screen turned back to it's black and white static noise.
"November 21, 1999, the same year Liza was born although I know she's just going to reappear in the first chapter of my story around the 2000's, alright Frank, you ready?" Harry asked, raising his head from the camera to look at someone off the screen.
And the videos just kept coming, showing all the times Harry was injected, the pain he would have to endure most of the times and the terrible side effects.
"September 15, 2015, test one thousand eight hundred ninety eight," Harry said into the camera, looking absolutely beat as he rubbed his face in frustration, bringing his hands down revealing the dark circles around his eyes as he yawned slightly.
"It's almost the time for Liza to appear and I've still got nothing. Absolutely nothing- it's ridiculous." He said under his breath, rubbing at his eye with his pointer finger before he let out a tired sigh.
The video then cut to Harry in the present.
"As you can tell, no matter what I did I couldn't find a serum for us and I'm sorry for that." He said, clasping his hands and bowing slightly as I continued to silently cry, just wanting to know where he was.
"We did though, eventually find one serum that worked. It was a cure... but it could only work for one of us. I found that this solution, once injected into our bodies would let us be able to touch and make contact with one another for a few weeks. After that though the heart beats would come back and they wouldn't stop. Fortunately, I managed to alter the formula, so that only one of our bodies would take the impact of both of our heart beats." He explained, a sad look in his eyes as I shook my head in shock.
"No, no, no, no, no, no," I began, choking on my sobs as I touched the television screen, wishing I could reach out and actually hold him in my arms.
"You didn't- Harry don't tell me you did this." I grit out, my shoulders heaving as I continued to shake my head up at the television in denial.
"I think you know which body I chose to take all of the heart beats," Harry said, a sad smile forming over his face.
"I looked into it, making a serum that would cure the both of us permanently was not possible, at all. This was the only way I could really hold you, treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I told you I would do anything to love you like the Queen you are to me. I know you're probably mad, you probably think that my actions were irrational and that we could have just lived like this forever, without touching but still being with one another." Harry said, playing with the ring on his finger.
"Living and not being able to hold you, to see the pain on your face everytime I so much as kissed or touched you wasn't living to me. I was hurting you, we were killing ourselves being with one another. I'd trade in my life to just be with you normally and hold you without hurting you. And that's exactly what I did." He finished as I looked up at the screen in horror.
"Did!? What do you mean did! Did is past tense! Did is past tense where are you Harry! You're not dead and you are not dying on me!" I cursed in terror, screaming at the television and hitting the screen in frustration, crying my eyes out as Harry kept his calm demeanor on the video.
"I love you Liza. All my life and after." He said before the screen went black.
"No! No, no, you come back! You come back and redo this serum! I'll do anything please- just please-" I begged, frantically retrieving the remote as I clicked all the buttons, hoping that wasn't the end of the video.
The end of him.
"There has to be more, there has to be more that can't just be it, he can't just-"
Someone cleared their throat behind me, making me turn around to find Frank at the entrance, a grim expression etched on his face as I stared at him through watery eyes.
"That can't be it..." I told him in a low, shakey voice as he frowned.
"Come with me." He simply said, gesturing me to follow him as I looked back at the black television screen before I weakly nodded, putting the remote control down.
He led me through the never ending empty hallways as I unconsiously fisted the hem of my shirt, nervously before we entered one room all the way to the back, Frank opening the door for me as I slowly walked in, my eyes widening at the sight of Harry laying on a bed attached to a heart monitor, looking weaker than before, even when he was in my story.
It was the worst thing, the heart monitor was beating rapidly which was usually a good sign, but not this time as I ran to his side, falling to my knees near the bed, my shaking hands hovering over his before I retracted it back, knowing his body would take both of our heart beats if I so much as touched him.
I didn't think it was possible to cry even harder because at this point I was brutally sobbing, watching him in his frail unconscious state.
It was when I saw the folded picture in his hand, the only one of me and him that we had together thay it all became too much.
"There has to be a way- there has to be a way I can undo this, that I can save him." I practically pleaded, rising to my feet and turning to Frank as he sent me a hopeless look.
"You know he always looks at that picture, he just stares at it until he passes out-"
"I didn't ask you to tell me more shit to make me cry! I'm asking you how to save him!" I panicked, gripping onto his collar as his eyes widened at my raised voice.
"T-there isn't one." He told me, visibly shaking in my grasp as I narrowed my eyes at him.
I studied his face, continuing to glare at him before he gulped.
"You're lying." I claimed.
"H-he told me not to tell you- he said-"
I didn't let Frank finish before I placed my hand over his forehead, closing my eyes and willing myself to do what Harry always did before all the information Frank knew flashed into my mind.
Frank gasped, breaking away with a bewildered expression that seemed to mirror mine as I backed away from him.
"Harry told me you didn't know how to do that." He exclaimed, gaping at me in shock as I looked down at my hand in disbelief.
"I never really tried." I admitted, breathing hard before my eyes met his.
"It'll never work. Harry made sure to put a hex on you, a protection actually to make sure you or anyone else you know can't harm you." Frank informed, my hands balling into tight fists in frustration before I pursed my lips in thought.
"What if I jump in front of a stranger's moving car?" I questioned, causing him to blink at me, obviously caught off guard from my question.
"Uh....." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Thanks for the answer Frank, and sorry about this." I said, giving him an apologetic look before I brought my hand down over his face, his eyelids closing right when my hand reached his chin before he fell forward, making me catch his lanky twig-like body before I layed him gently on the ground.
I looked over at Harry again, laying there sleeping as the heart monitor continued to beep loudly and quickly, as if he was running and not just asleep in bed, his body taking the impact of both of our hearts.
He wouldn't have to take my heart beats if I didn't have a heart anymore.
This time, I was going to save him.
I spotted a black sharpie on the nightstand near his bed with a clipboard, walking over and taking the marker, quickly grabbing the photo of us from his hand making sure not to touch him in the process before I turned it over, writing something down across the back of the picture before tucking it back under his hand.
"I love you. More than you'll ever know." I told him, my hand hovering over the side of Harry's unconscious pale face, knowing it was too dangerous to actually reach out and touch him as I slowly backed away, keeping my eyes on him as long as I could.
I turned around, ready to teleport and vanish only to find the Psycho, Assassin, and Vampire at the entrance of the room, looking over at Frank who was still passed out on the floor before turning to me.
"How long did you guys know..." I asked them, my gaze hard as I glared at the three and their guilt ridden expressions.
"He told us after he made you black out. We promised that we would make sure you didn't do anything rash-" The Assassin spoke up, taking a step forward as my body tensed.
"I can't let you guys keep that promise." I cut him off, holding my ground as they stared at me with torn looks on their faces.
"Pumpkin, just listen-"
"No. You guys listen to me, please, just this one last time. I know what I have to do and you guys won't stop me. I know all of you have someone you care about, someone who you really truly love and would do anything for. If you all really cared about me, you would let me do this." I told them in a stern solid voice, watching as they all exchanged uncertain and sorrowful looks.
"Please, please let me save him." I now begged, looking between the three with a desperate expression on my face, tears clouding my vision.
I closed my eyes, frantically trying to wipe away my tears away, feeling so helpless until I felt someone hug me, realizing it was Vampire Harry as he held me close, rubbing my back before Psycho joined in, his hands on all the appropriate places for once while the Assassin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me as well.
I let out a shakey sigh, calming down under all of their comfort as I stood their and enjoyed their embrace.
"You're a good kid Liza." Vampire Harry pulled away, swallowing as he gave me a sad smile, his voice shakey as he blinked back tears before he ruffled my hair.
"You're a good vampire." I shot back, attempting to give him a small grin before I took something from my back pocket, handing the small plastic bag of gummies to him, gummies that were in the shape of crowns, kitties, and a little man that had a similar appearance to my Demon Prince.
"I made those for him, he loves gummies. I just don't think I'll be able to give it to him this time though, I hope it's not too much to ask the best vampire in the world to give these to him when he wakes up would you?" I asked, enclosing Vampire Harry's fingers around the small package, his cold hand shaking as tears now streamed down his face when I met his yellow eyes before he bit his lip, simply nodding as he backed away from me, wiping at his eyes.
"I want you to know that you are so not eight years ago, and if you still need someone to nom on your neck, you know which story to find me in." I joked, trying to lighten the mood as Vampire Harry forced out a laugh, bringing his bandana over his watering eyes with one hand as he shook his head at me.
I turned to the Psycho, watching his hands ball into tight fists at his sides as he stared at me, his eyes shifting to my face then to the floor, his mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to say before he ran his hand through his hair.
"I don't- I don't know what to say..." He confessed, his voice breaking before I pulled him in for another hug, resting my face against his chest, hearing his rapid heart beat as he bent over a little to bury his face in the crook of my neck, one arm snaking around my waist, keeping me close to him as his other hand rested behind my head.
It was only when I felt his body shudder ever so slightly that I realized he was crying.
"I don't want you to leave... You're my pumpkin..." He cried, his voice broken as he buried his face more into my skin, his broad shoulders heaving up and down ever so slightly as he tried to drown his soft sobs against my skin while I wrapped my arms around his neck, rubbing his back for comfort.
"Hey, look at me." I said in a soft voice, breaking away to cup his chin, looking up at Psycho Harry's slightly red watery eyes as he sniffed and peered down at me, still holding me close like a lost puppy.
"You tell those mean voices- aside from Haylie of course to pipe it down a bit okay. It's your mind, your body, you are in control of yourself, you always have been. You're a good person." I told him truthfully, holding his face as he leaned into my touch, nodding slightly at my words as he stared down at his feet.
His arms then dropped, letting me go as I turned my attention to the Assassin.
I opened my mouth, ready to say my goodbye only for him to grab my wrist, pulling my body to his in a tight embrace that I welcomed with open arms.
"I'll never forget you amore, you know that right." He told me, resting his face on top of my head, hearing him gulp slightly making me raise my head up to look at him, finding him crying as well.
"Uh-oh, is that- Oh I think it is. Harry, you never told me you had emotions." I teased the Assassin, trying not to cry myself as I poked his nose while he let out a raspy chuckle, letting me go to try and compose himself as he wiped at his eyes.
"Only when it comes to you of course, and my amante." He said with a shakey breath, looking at me as I smiled at him.
I then looked at all three of them, all their eyes slightly red from crying as they looked back at me.
"All the love to you Nom noms." Vampire Harry spoke up in a sad gravelly voice.
"I love you pumpkin, always have always will." Psycho Harry added with a soft look in his green eyes.
"Ti amo amore mio." Assassin Harry said, all three stepping away, parting to make way for me as I just looked at them, knowing those might be the last time I hear those nicknames in a while.
I walked out of the room, stopping right at the opened door to look back at them, the bandana hipster Vampire, the brooding always dressed in black Assassin, and the tall long haired Psycho watching me leave.
"I love you guys too. So, so much." I told them, my voice genuine before I looked over at my princess behind them, still laying there asleep on the bed, holding on to that picture of us tightly in his hand.
And I guess this time, it was my job to save my princess from his everlasting sleep.
AN: One chapter left. It's actually a bittersweet ending so don't worry loves.