* Edited *
“Monica...” Grace calls softly to her grief-stricken friend with a frown forming on her blood smeared face. “We have to move.” she gently reminds.
No. Monica internally refuses with empty green eyes locked intently on Daniel’s bloody dead body. Unable to even contemplate the idea of leaving him here alone.
Truth be told, she feels numb. All her anguish and anger had died with Daniel. Her feelings were just... gone. It seemed the only true thing that remained within her was her unwavering deep desire to die and join him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she finally whispers hoarsely, her gaze never straying from Daniel’s pale face.
It was true. She had no intention of leaving Daniel. Not now, not ever. This was the end of the line for her, regardless of what Grace was about to say or do.
“Monica, please...” Grace pleads weakly.
“Go.”
Grace frowns at the conviction behind that one instruction, finding it concerning. Already, her mind was racing with all that had just happened – not that she even really understood all that had occurred. All she truly knew was that her friend had lost the man she loved and was now in need of a comforting shoulder to cry on.
Of course, she was more than willing to be that shoulder once she got them both out of the house and to permanent safety. So, with a shake of her head, she again pleaded with her friend.
“Not without you. We’re in this together, remember? You promised... please, Monica.”
Monica shakes her head firmly as her fingers trace the lines of Daniel’s cold face; memorising the details of it. “The goal was to get you to safety.” she says lowly, her voice void of emotion. “I was fully prepared not to join you, and I won’t be. I’m not leaving him alone.”
Her head tilts up finally, her empty green eyes meeting with Grace’s tearful ocean blue ones. “I love you, Gracie. More than you’ll ever know. But I need you to get up and go right now.” She mumbles, causing Grace to shake her head defiantly with more tears rolling down her reddened cheeks.
“Please, don’t do this. We are so close... come with me.”
Monica forces a smile, “I can’t leave him, Grace. I won’t. So please, don’t let his death mean nothing. Run while you still have the chance to.”
Grace drops her head as she sobs quietly into her blood covered hands. She didn’t want to lose her friend - her sister. She couldn’t handle the realisation that Monica had made up her mind and had no intention of joining her in this final attempt at freedom.
She wasn’t ready to say her goodbye; she had wholeheartedly thought that they would get out of this together. Side by side and stronger than ever. She didn’t agree with Monica’s wish, but she would do all she could to respect it. After all, it was the least she could do for her.
“Okay...” Grace whispers through her tears, “If that’s really what you want, then okay. I’ll go.”
Monica nods, “you’ll be okay, Gracie. I’ll be with you, as I have always been.”
“No, you won’t.” Grace shakes her head, “but you’ll be with him. And that’s enough to give me comfort right now. Enough comfort that I'm willing to leave you.” Monica smiles sadly as her own tears pool in her dull green eyes; this was harder than she had first expected.
“I love you, always.” she mumbles as she takes Grace’s hand and gives it one last reassuring squeeze.
Grace smiles sadly and nods to her friend, “I love you too, forever.” She whispers as she slowly stands, allowing her hand to slip reluctantly from Monica’s. Then, with one final lingering smile offered to Monica, she takes off running; determined to escape not only for Monica but for Daniel too.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
Monica could still feel something foreign swirling within her core. That same voice calling to her and making it near impossible for her to focus solely on Daniel.
The voice is deep yet soft. It's familiar and unexpectedly surrounded by warmth. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that a suppressed part of her was tempted to follow it; to find out what it wanted with her and who it truly belonged to.
But again, she buried her curiosity deep down, refusing to give herself over to it.
She had no intention of moving from Daniel’s side. Truth be told, she was just waiting for another member of the Le Domas family to stumble around the corner and put her out of her current misery. She was done fighting, done searching, and done pretending to be something she wasn’t.
“I wish we could have met sooner - before all this shit. Perhaps when we were both single and a little more fun.” She murmurs while stroking Daniel’s cold cheek lovingly. “Though, you’d have probably hated me. I was awful back then, especially when it came to men.” she says with a half-hearted chuckle before sighing at the lack of response offered.
She realised his death was still sinking in for her, along with everything else that had transpired tonight.
“Monica?”
Her brows knit together at the soft sounding voice, immediately recognising it to be Alex’s. Her head slowly tilts up, causing her gaze to lock onto the youngest Le Domas son, where he stands opposite her with eyes drowning in confusion. “Wher—” his voice falters when his gaze shifts down to the body beside her.
Immediately, his eyes grow wide and tearful, consumed with disbelief and grief as he rushes over to kneel at his brother’s side. “Daniel? No, no... please.” His voice is desperate and consumed with grief as he waves his hands around frantically, unsure of what to do.
Beside him, Monica sits silently with gaze softening as she watches him deal with the realisation that Daniel was indeed dead and lifeless. Her teeth nibble on her lower lip as her eyes pool with tears; she’s fighting off a sob.
After all, it was no secret how much Daniel and Alex meant to each other. They were as close as two brothers could be. So, witnessing the overwhelming grief and heartbreak Alex was experiencing in this moment, shook her. It pained her to watch him cry over his brothers bloody body.
He didn’t deserve to lose Daniel. None of them did.
“I’m so sorry, Alex.” she whispers delicately with hand lifting to place a comforting hand atop his back, seeking to support him in the heart-wrenching moment.
Alex turns his head slowly to look back at her, his eyes tearful and his cheeks reddening with every passing second. “What happened?” he asks sombrely.
“He was trying to help us - to help Grace get out.” she mumbles guiltily with distant gaze, lowering to look at her fallen beloved. “Charity caught up with us, and she shot him, all because he was trying to protect us. I think she realised that he was choosing us over the family... it pissed her off.” She recalls numbly before the memories of the events that had taken place in those fatal moments rushed back.
Her eyes finally shed the tears they held, causing her cheeks to grow damp as they rolled slowly along them. Her head shook while her green eyes clenched shut in a weak effort to block the images from mind, though her attempts were futile. The memories were too deeply ingrained in her now.
“I’m sorry, Alex. I-“ her voice trembles with another strangled sob, “I couldn’t save him. I’m sorry. If I could take his place, I would, but I can’t... I can’t...’ her cries grow stronger and more guttural as she continues to mourn for the man she loves. The man she felt she had failed.
He had died because she failed to protect him. And that alone is what broke her in this moment.
Alex watched as she sobbed painfully with arms wrapped around herself for comfort. Her body trembled while her head continued to shake in disbelief. She was crumbling right before his very eyes, causing his gaze to soften upon her with sympathy and understanding.
For the first time tonight, he could truly see how much Daniel had meant to her. He could see how much she loved him and how badly she wished to make things right and bring him back.
She wasn’t just saying that she would trade places with him for the sake of being a ‘good person’. No, Monica meant it. She would die for those she loved – she had already proven that tonight when repeatedly putting herself in danger to protect Grace.
Monica was selfless in her entirety. And right now, Alex admired her for that.
“It’s okay,” he finds himself murmuring while crawling closer to her and carefully pulling her sobbing form into his side. Then, with his own tears freely falling and his grief rearing its ugly head once more, the pair share their combined anguish over losing Daniel.
They hold onto one another, mourning together with heavy hearts hung in their chests. Their souls connect on a level far deeper than they had before; bonded by their enormous loss.
Sure, Alex had no idea that more had occurred after Daniel’s death. He had no inkling that Monica had been the one to kill Charity in a fury. Nor that she had seemingly taken two bullets to the chest with no wounds to show for them. All he knew was that Daniel had been killed, and in being so, Monica had been destroyed too.
For now, that was enough. Especially given that Monica had plans to follow Daniel into death as soon as an opportunity of some form presented itself to her.
“She needs you,” Monica mumbles through a quiet sniffle as she pulls back from him with gaze flicking up to study his tear stained face. “Grace needs you.” She reiterates upon seeing the momentary confusion that had swirled in his eyes. “She took off. I told her I wasn’t joining her. But she needs help, Alex. She needs you to finish what Daniel and I started; you need to get her out. Please.”
Her tearful green eyes hold his greyish blue ones, hoping with all her might to reflect how desperate her plea for him to help Grace escape was. She knew it was a lot to ask of him, especially after the loss of his brother, but this was Grace they were talking about.
His wife.
So, surely he’d want to do all he possibly could to aid her in escaping safely. Even if overwhelming grief chipped away at his heart.
“I don’t... I can’t—” he stutters, only for Monica to interrupt him abruptly, her voice thick with emotion.
“He can’t have died for nothing! He didn’t take that bullet just for you to turn your back on Grace.” Her head shakes, and her nostrils flare with rising anger and frustration. Then, that sadness washes over her once more, causing her head to dip down and her body to slump in defeat.
Truth be told, she felt exhausted and deeply confused. Her emotions were all over the place; shifting quicker than she could truly keep up with.
“Please...” she breathes with a single teardrop falling from her chin and onto her dress. “I can’t help her, Alex. I can’t leave him...” her fingers move to tenderly caress Daniel’s face, admiring him sadly. “For once, I want to do something for me. So, I need you to protect her. Please...”
Alex frowns at the request, finding himself understanding Monica more in this moment than he ever had before. She was finally putting herself first and choosing to stay right beside her heart and soul; right beside Daniel. She was being selfish for the first time in her life, and rightfully so.
She had spent the entire night fighting people off to save Grace. She had been beaten, bruised, and broken throughout the events, and still, he could see the guilt she felt for asking him to take over in helping Grace. It made his heart ache for her because she truly couldn’t see how amazing she had already been.
How selfless she had been up until this point. It was sad in the purest form because she deserved the world and more. She deserved to stay by Daniel’s side, even if it left Grace without her.
“Okay,” he agrees lowly with a nod, “I’ll find her, and I’ll get her out. I promise.”
Monica feels that weight lift from her shoulders as her head bobs in acknowledgement. “Thank you,” she mumbles in appreciation and relief as her tearful gaze rests once more on Daniel.
“Take care of him for me,” Alex murmurs before pressing his lips softly against her temple, lingering for only a moment before he inhales deeply and pulls back. Then, with tearful gaze drifting to look at his brother one final time, he pulls back completely and stands.
His hands clench at his sides as he wills himself to turn and walk away from his brother and friend. It feels impossible but after a short encouraging nod and smile from Monica, he finds the strength to turn and run off in the direction he assumed Grace had rushed off in. Determined to keep the promise he had made.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•
The bloodcurdling screams echoed through the air, shattering through the silence and startling Monica from her trance-like state. Her head tilted up, staring off in the direction the screams were coming from. “Grace,” she whispers with brows knitted together.
Her heart hung low with guilt, unable to ignore Grace’s desperate cries for help. Sure, she had intended to block the noise out and stick to her selfish decision to stay knelt at Daniel’s side, but right now, she couldn’t.
Not when her friend – her sister – needed her help. She couldn’t turn her back on Grace, not when they had worked this hard to get her where she was. Not when Daniel had given his life to help save her.
Monica would not allow his death to mean nothing. She firmly believed that he had to have died for something. So, with a deep breath taken, she nods to herself while deciding to do what’s right.
“I’m coming back, Daniel.” She promises while taking his limp, cold hand in her warm one. “I just gotta go take care of my Gracie first.” She murmurs with lips pressing a tender kiss to his knuckles.
Then, after placing his hand back atop his stomach, she strokes back his curls and stands. Her hands clench at her sides to hide their subtle trembling while her feet move quickly down the hall, searching with determination for her fearful friend.
She follows the sound of Grace’s terrified cries until they lead her directly outside the dining room. Her eyes harden as her hands lift towards the doors, giving them a firm push until they both swing open, allowing her to run quickly inside.
She immediately spots Grace being pinned to the top of the dining table by Becky and the crazy aunt. Meanwhile, between them, Mr Le Domas stands chanting with a knife held over Grace chest, prepared to plunge it into her at any given moment.
“No!” her head whips to the side at the sound of Alex’s voice. She watches with jaw clenched as he struggles with all his might against the grip Finch has around him. All the while, his sister, Emilie, points a knife at him weakly, attempting to prevent him from interfering.
Fuck this.
Monica feels it again; that foreign power swirling within. Her body tingles, rising goose bumps all along her arms as her fingertips twitch instinctively. Her emotions grow stronger, now led by anger and frustration with those in the room with her.
She'd had enough of the violence.
Her head tilts to the side as that power rises up to the surface, spurred on by the sight of Mr Le Domas closing in on Grace. She watches as he brings the knife closer to her chest, directly above where her heart still beats.
Then, she feels that rush.
The power she had felt swirling within her throughout the last few hours, rose up like an angry wolf, taking full control.
“Enough!!”
A wave of energy passes through the room, sending all the Le Domas family members flying against the walls with force. Monica breathes heavily as the new, unfamiliar energy pulses through her veins, empowering her. She glares at each person in the room fiercely before ordering Grace to get the hell up and behind her for safety.
Of course, Grace immediately climbs off of the table and with shaky legs carrying her across the room, she runs behind Monica with a startled and confused Alex in tow.
“I am sick of this shit!” Monica bellows with nostrils flaring. “Enough blood has been shed tonight. I’ve watched enough people die without you fuckers adding to that number. So, stop this or I will.” she threatens darkly.
“In fact, if Mr Le Bail wants Grace dead then that bastard can come and get her cause you bunch of morons ain’t getting her. I swear, I dare any one of you to try me right now.” Her voice is firm and confident as her bright green eyes drift along the faces in the room before resting upon Mr Le Domas.
She watches with brow arched as he shares an uneasy look with his wife and sister before slumping his shoulders in defeat and nodding in understanding. Informing her that he and his family were done with their attempts to sacrifice Grace.
It was clear that they were now afraid of Monica and whatever inexplicable power she appeared to possess. Their eyes reflected their fear, as did their obvious fidgeting and lack of eye contact with her.
It seemed the roles had reversed; now it was them wanting to hide and shrink away from her.
“It’s okay,” Alex murmurs to Grace with hand caressing her hair softly while his other arm wrapped tightly around her, pulling her against his chest. Grace smiles and leans against him whilst clutching her injured hand, allowing him to offer her the comfort she sought in this moment.
Then, as if on cue, the sound of slow clapping echoed through the tense and heavy air, causing all eyes to fall to the figure now seated in Mr Le Bail’s assigned chair.
The man – whoever he may have been – was dressed in an old fashioned suit of sorts. While above his lip, a long and well groomed moustache proudly sat. Truth be told, he looked odd. Especially with his smile that honestly appeared creepier than Monica assumed he’d intended.
All in all, she wasn’t impressed in the slightest.
So, with arms folding defiantly across her chest and eyes rolling at his obvious smugness in this moment, she speaks up. “Crappy entrance, seriously.” she says through a humourless chuckle.
Though her words only seem to increase the stranger’s amusement, causing his smirk to widen and his eyes to dance with something Monica could only describe as a mix of pride and curiosity.
“You really are a lot like me,” he says simply with head titled to the side.
“I’m nothing like you,” Monica disagrees firmly with a scoff, her eyes hard as she studies the peculiar man seated opposite her. “I don’t even know who the fuck you are.”
The man chuckles while leaning forward to rest his chin in his hand, amused by her still. His deep eyes watch her closely, scrutinising her without shame nor the desire to be discreet. It seemed he wanted her to know that she alone was his sole interest.
“I am Mr Le Bail.” He says with head again tilting a fraction, surprised by her lack of reaction. “I am the devil, my dear.” His voice is low, his words spoken slowly as though to truly get his identity across to her.
He wanted her to believe he was who he claimed to be because their future depended upon her doing so.
“And, I'm your father.”
His words hang in the air, earning a number of shocked gasps from those in the room – including Grace and Alex. From what he could tell, the only person unconvinced and unbothered by his statement was Monica, who simply arched an incredulous brow and chuckled.
“Yeah, sure.” She scoffed, “And I’m Tina the talking fucking tummy.”
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•