[M] Kindling Love {Karma & NotWhoIWas}

[Notty]

This roleplay is rated [M] for Mature, and may or may not contain adult themes including but not limited to violence, blood, coarse language, sensual situations and drug use. It is intended for Mature audiences. Read on at your own discretion.

[Notty]

The gray clouds outside mirrored the emotions stirring within Jackson Behr. His brow was furrowed as he stared out the window, the clouds swirling as the wind whipped at the trees outside his window. Too long he had been cooped up here, yet he knew there was no escape. The large, wrought-iron fence around the estate made sure of that. And even if he did leave, where would he go? There was nowhere that he would be free of the pain that plagued him. There was no way to escape that, except for....

It was a curious thing, the old house that sat up on Manor Hill. A beautiful, stately home, but lately had seemed to fallen into a romantic sort of disrepair. Not quite derelict, but also not at the prime of it's life. It looked a bit overgrown and forlorn, but it could be easily remedied, if someone had the heart to do so.

Jackson started down the stairs of the house, tugging on a black jacket as he stepped outside. The wind blew his dark brown hair, and he closed his pale green eyes, taking in a sharp breath. This was one of the only places he felt comfort- one of the only times he felt comfort- outside. The wind whipped cruelly across his face, but allowed him a brief moment of relief from the pain that had engulfed him.

When you can control the fire of anger inside you, then the pain will end. Until then, as the fire of anger rises, so shall the pain you feel. Control the anger, and the pain will end. Find someone who can heal the anger, and it will be gone forever.

Jackson sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, not gonna happen. Hasn't happened in 10 years, won't happen in the next 100..." His fists clenched as he let out a soft groan, the sensation of being burnt dancing over his skin. A strange curse, it was. That the anger that burned inside him should be physically sensed as well. The angrier he got, the worse it hurt. And what was more- the ones that lived with him, his faithful friends and servants- the angrier he got, the worse it hurt them as well. It wasn't fair, not to them, but....they didn't seem to be able to leave either. So all that Jackson seemed to be able to do was to try and keep a level head, for their sake.

[.Karma.]

Her sketch pencil flew across the paper. For some reason Elena was always drawn back to this place, the house almost seemed like it had been frozen in time. She remembered seeing this place when she was young, hidden back in the woods, and she had always been curious. Then when she started to grow older, she would come out here to draw. Some of her first sketches were of this old beautiful house. The trees almost looming over it, and the iron fence, had given it almost a frightening look. It had never struck fear into her though, just curiosity. Inspiration.

Lately though, her sketches included more then just the houses and the trees. Just as Elena started to wonder if she was going to see him today, he stepped out of the house. She positioned herself better on the tree branch she was sitting on, the wind was making her art more difficult to achieve today, and blowing her long auburn hair into her face. This branch was one of her favorite places to sit though, it hung over the fence and it gave her a closer view of the surroundings. It ensured that she didn't miss any of the details, but still provided some camouflage.

When he came closer into view, the focus of her bright blue eyes couldn't help but change to him. There was always something about this man. Something that she couldn't put her finger on that always changed her focus to him. Her pencil almost moving of it's own accord to start outlining his features. She could never quite capture the look in his eyes though. Never fully encompass what secrets were hidden within. Her pencil moved down to his jawline with quick even strokes when a large gust of wind rushed through the tree again, but this time, she hadn't been quick enough to grab on. Her hands were scrambling, her sketchbook dropping to the ground, shortly followed by Elena herself, landing into a bush below on the inside of the gates.

"Oh shit..." She whispered. There were clear no trespassing signs the whole way up to this remote location, that she had ignored. It was next to impossible that no one had heard or seen her ungraceful fall from the branch.

[Notty]

While the fall went unnoticed by Jackson, it didn't go unnoticed by all in the home. A pair of brown eyes widened and then let out a cry, feet pattering down the hall and skidding into the kitchen. "Mama! A girl just fell out of a tree, into the garden!" The middle aged woman turned and furrowed her brow a little, a hand moving to her hip. "Come on now, dear, don't go making stories!" she chided. The little boy shook his head and moved closer, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her out of the kitchen. "No, I promise, please! Come look!"

Sighing softly, Mrs. Emerson followed Reg down and out of the kitchen, towards the large hallway window, where the young boy could often be found. "See, there's absolutely nothi-" Mrs. Emerson began, then her eyes widened and she cupped a hand to her mouth. "Oh dear!" she cried out, hurriedly turning and heading down the stairs and to the front door.

Pushing it open, she quickly made her way around the house and stopped several feet from where the girl had landed. Her eyes were wide as she looked at her, as if she hadn't seen someone new in many years. "Are you alright?" She called out, now closing the distance between them, reaching out to try and help the girl out. "What happened? How did you come to be on this side of the gate?" Mrs. Emerson continued to question, then chuckled slightly, "forgive me, so many questions and you're all jostled up. "Here, come inside and we will get you cleaned up.."

[.Karma.]

Elena struggled a bit to get out of the bush, when she heard a voice. Her cheeks were red from embarrassment as she was helped out, wincing a little as she stepped down on her ankle. It was extreme pain, but she had definitely twisted it. "I um.. well I was in the tree.." She looked a bit sheepish as she turned around to grab her sketchpad, but she had lost her favorite pencil. Things just kept getting better didn't they?

Pushing her dark hair back away from her face and picking some leaves and dirt out of it a bit, she tried to give the kind lady a smile. "I would appreciate that, thank you.." Limping a bit toward the woman, biting her lip in nervousness. "I'm Elena Brooks... I'm really sorry." She walked along following the sweet lady into the house. She was quickly ushered into a chair and handed a cup of tea.

The woman looked a bit nervous, but pleased to have someone there. "Well, dear, it's been quite some time since we've had company." She smiled a bit before looking the girl over. "Is your ankle going to be alright, dear?"

"I think it will be, I'll just put some ice on it when I get home." Elena gave a small smile, her cheeks still slightly red from embarrassment. She knew she should apologize for intruding and try to head home, but she was actually inside this glorious home that she had sketched oh so many times. It was exciting, and by what she had seen it was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. Maybe, just maybe, if she stayed long enough... She would get to at least meet the man with the beautiful sad eyes.

[Notty]

Mrs. Emerson pursed her lips a bit as Elena mentioned putting some ice on it when she got home, but she said nothing, instead, she gave the girl a warm smile. "Well, for now dear, you just rest, okay?" She had a very motherly attitude about her, and she had no plans of leaving her alone anytime soon. "Can I get you anything else?" Mrs. Emerson asked with a smile, "a little snack like a sandwich? Are you cold, I can get a blanket if you are...are you quite sure that you are alright? You did take a pretty big fall there...."

As Mrs. Emerson fawned over Elena, Reg was curiously watching from around the corner. At 8 years old and with curly brown hair, the blue-eyed boy had never seen anyone outside of those that lived in the manor. To see a stranger- a girl stranger, at that, was quite exciting. He shifted and scooted a little closer, an unmistakable look of wonder in his eyes. A real life girl, here....wow.

Hearing the door and the scrambling of footsteps, Jackson furrowed his brow, looking up from the book he was reading. "Mark?" he called out, standing and crossing the large library. "Mark, is that you?" he barked, tossing the book on a nearby chair and curling his hands into fists. "MARK!" He screamed out, his eyes lighting up with anger as the middle-aged man came scrambling around the corner. Mark was tall and thin, dressed in a plain pair of gray pants and a white shirt with a pair of suspenders.

"Yes, yes, here I am!" Mark called out breathlessly as he moved towards Jackson, giving him a smile. "I'm sorry, I was preparing your lunch, was there something the matter?" His eyes moved to Jackson's and he could feel a twinge of pain. The curse, as most curses go, did not only affect Jackson. Every person that stepped foot in that house was tainted by his anger, and by way of that- the curse. The longer you were in Jackson's presence, and the angrier he got, the more pain you felt.

Reaching up to rub his forehead, as nonchalantly as he could, Mark forced a pained smile. "I heard noises downstairs! What is going on!?" Jackson barked out, causing Mark to hold his head again. The pain always seemed to be the worst when Jackson was yelling at him. "I...I'm not sure, I'll go check. I'm sorry, I'm sure whoever it was didn't mean to disturb you while you were reading...." He continued, giving a slight bow before turning and hurrying down the hall, towards the front door.

[.Karma.]

A smile spread across her face at this woman's motherly nature. It felt nice since her parents had been gone for some time now. "I would love a sandwich, thank you." She said politely, a sweet smile still across her lips. Her blue eyes turned to scan the room, when she saw a little boy. Elena had always loved children.

"Hey, buddy." She gave him a bright, comforting smile. "I'm Elena, but you can call me Elly if you want. What's your name?" She pushed her tangled hair out of her face as she continued to look at the young boy. Just as it seemed like he was going to answer, a pained look crossed his face. Like something was hurting him.

"Are you okay?" Her eyes went from comforting to concerned, but again before her questions could be answered, they were interrupted again. This time by a man who looked pained as well as a bit flustered.

"Ms. Emerson, Mr. Hartston would like to know what is going on that distur-" He cut himself short as he saw a new face, his eyes widened in a slightly horrified, surprised state.

[Notty]

Mark straightened up a little and brushed the front of his shirt, as if he wasn't expecting to see a new face. Well...he wasn't. It had been years since someone new had come into the house. And well...he wasn't. His brow furrowed slightly, and he reached up, rubbing his forehead as though he had a headache. "I...I apologize...but, who are you?" Mark asked, looking to Elena.

By now, Reg had retreated to the kitchen, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cried. "Mommy....my head hurts again.." he cried, tugging on the apron around Mrs. Emerson's waist, but she too, was dealing with the pain, her brow furrowed in an attempt to fight it. "It...it's....I know it does, sweetheart..." she said, turning and giving her son a weak smile. "Here..." she said, handing the young boy a glass full of chocolate milk. "You take this and drink it, okay? It'll help your head feel better...." Reg nodded, sniffling before taking the cup with both hands and eagerly drinking it, already on his way out of the kitchen and back towards the living room where the girl was.

Mrs. Emerson sighed and carried the sandwich on a plate, rubbing her forehead with a soft sigh. It isn't fair that he should suffer. It isn't fair that any of us should suffer. If he could just learn to manage and kill his anger... But the moment she stepped through the door and saw Mark, she shifted, stopping in her tracks briefly. Mark looked up from Elena and nodded before stepping over to Mrs. Emerson. "He wants to know what the noise is all about..." Mark whispered through clenched teeth. His eyes darted over towards Elena, "and who is that?"

[.Karma.]

"I'm..E.." Ms. Emerson walked in just then and this new man went over to whisper to her. She couldn't get anything answered, or answer a question around here. She did hear the whispers through his teeth though. She was right here! "I'm Elena! I fell out of the tree!" She said rather loudly, the politeness all but gone in her voice. He wasn't really being all that polite either, so why should she be? She was starting to feel strange in this house. Something making her incredibly uncomfortable.

Maybe she should just go? But she was still so curious. It was a hard decision, she picked up the sandwich and took a bite. Maybe after the sandwich. Maybe, just maybe she would at least get another glance of the man in her sketch book.

She was stuck now, with her awkward outburst and a bite of sandwich in her mouth. She decided while they whispered about God knows what, she would look at the drawing she had done today. Pulling her book out from under her arm she began to look through slowly. Nope, she still wasn't quite able to catch that look in his eyes. She let out an audible sigh as she continued to flip through the pages, taking bites of the sandwich until they weren't so preoccupied.

[Notty]

Reg was peering at the girl as he sipped his chocolate milk, a mustache forming above his upper lip where he had drank deeply. When she cried out, he couldn't help but smile and dart over towards her. "I'm Reg," he smiled, his nose still a little red from crying, but the chocolate milk seemed to have helped the pain. He sniffled a little more and took another drink of his chocolate milk before leaning on the arm of the chair Elena sat in.

"You are pretty..." he said, giving her a lopsided grin, his brown eyes scanning her face. "Are you here to stay?" Reg asked, full of curiosity. Mrs. Emerson glanced back and saw Reg talking to Elena, and she shuffled over, Mark in tow behind her. "Oh, forgive me, I'm sorry dear," she said, moving back over to Reg and placing her hands on his shoulders. "This is my son, Reg, and this is Mark."

Mark nodded slightly, but still looked a little suspiciously at Elena. "It is good to meet you, ma'am," he said with a slight bow, then looked to Mrs. Emerson. "I should be returning to my duties, I trust that you will take care of everything?" Mark asked, then opened his mouth to speak again. Immediately he was interrupted by the slamming of several doors, and what sounded like something shattering. His face paled a bit before he reached up and rubbed his head, Reg crying out softly as he turned into his mother and cried against her apron. "My head hurts..." he sobbed, Mrs. Emerson trying her best to soothe the boy as she dealt with the pain as well. "Forgive me, I must go..." Mark said with a pained voice, and quickly turned, exiting the room in an attempt to calm Jackson down.

[.Karma.]

Her irritation quickly quelled when the young man came over asking questions. "No, sweet boy, I have to go home and doctor myself up!" She smiled softly to the young man, totally over not having her questions answered. "You are pretty handsome yourself. Are you the prince of this here castle?" She smiled and winked.

Glancing back to the two having a private conversation, she saw they were heading this way, giving names of the two she had not met yet. "Nice to meet you, Mark. And you too Prince Reg." She took the last bite of her sandwich and realized she was probably over staying her welcome by now. Mark had other duties to attend to. Reg didn't seem like he was feeling well.

"Well, I really should.." A crash and a bang made her jump a bit and look around. Doors were slamming and sweet little Reg was crying. "Here, my prince, do you like to draw?" She handed him a piece of paper and her favorite sketch pencil. "Why don't you draw me a picture for when I come back to visit again, alright?" She tried to give him a comforting smile and started to limp toward the door. "I'm really glad to have met you all, but I really must be going." Yep, she needed to go. Things breaking, people sick, words whispered. It was definitely time.

[Notty]

Reg nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks as he took the pencil and paper from Elena, his eyes following her as she limped towards the door. Mrs. Emerson had looked up from where she was standing, nursing her pounding head, and saw Elena heading towards the door. Quickly she followed her over, limping slightly herself from the pain, and tried to stop her. "Oh, uhm, dear, won't you stay a little longer?" she asked, giving her a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry, you've caught us at a bad time, please..." Mrs. Emerson continued, only to be interrupted by a voice booming through the house. "WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN THERE!?" Jackson's voice echoed down the halls, another door slammed shut, and Mark's voice immediately following. "Nothing, please, let me go get your lunch. Perhaps a drink?" Mark continued, trying his best to appease his master.

Mrs. Emerson's eyes were wide as she looked at Elena, trying to figure out what to do. "I uhm, please dear, just come in and sit a little while longer, okay?" she said, trying to push Elena back into the living room, but the doors immediately swung open. Mark was there, his eyes wide and his face pale, he was nearly visibly trembling. But in front of him, the more threatening figure, was Jackson. His dark brown hair was ruffled, his green eyes fiery now. He looked almost wild. "Who....are.....you?" He spat to Elena.

[.Karma.]

Nope. She was thoroughly creeped out. Why was this woman trying so hard to get her to stay when obviously there was someone angry, and she had fallen out of the tree at a bad time. If there was someone throwing a fit in her house, she'd surely want company to leave. "No, no really I must go. This ankle needs ice."

The angry voice was getting closer. Putting her hand on the door handle quickly she gave a polite nod. "I do appreciate all the hospi-" The doors swung open and she stumble back a bit wincing out in pain. Her look of pain replaced with a fear as the man with the sad eyes stood before her. But he did not look sad right now. He did not look like any of her drawings. He looked frightening. Nearly feral. She backed up quickly away from him.

"I..I..I'm..." As she backed up her legs hit the coffee table and she fell backwards onto it, landing awkwardly, reaching for her already sore ankle. A fire lit up into her own blue eyes now. How many times did she have to introduce herself in this house. What the hell was going on here? "I'm ELENA. I fell from the tree AND I was just leaving! So if you would kindly excuse me!" Her eyes looked directly into his as she stood up, wincing only slightly, but her limp was worse as she tried to push past him this time. Her hands were shaking with thinly veiled fear, but she wanted out of this house. Now.

[Notty]

Jackson's eyes darted over Elena's face as she stepped back, obviously fearful of him. He watched, unflinching, as she stumbled back and into the table. Mrs. Emerson darted forward to try and help her, but she was up quickly and headed towards the door. "Elena..." she whispered, trying to follow her, but Jackson barked out after her instead.

"You can't leave!" he shouted after her, somewhat intrigued by the girl who had literally fallen into their lives. He was certain that the initial thoughts of all the others was that she was here to break the curse, but right now she was just infuriating him. Didn't he tell her she couldn't leave? And she was trying to push past him to go outside? "I said, you can't leave!" Jackson barked again, running a hand through his dark hair and scoffing, as if trying to wrap his mind around why this woman wouldn't listen to him.

Immediately Mark darted from behind Jackson, trying to do his best to smooth over the situation. "I...I think what he means, is that you are unwell and so you shouldn't leave..." But Jackson quickly countered, "No, I said she couldn't leave. She was stupid enough to fall in here, she's stupid enough to have to suffer with the rest of us!" With that, he turned on his heel, stomping up the stairs, back towards his room.

[.Karma.]

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. Who did this man think he was? She whipped around to meet his gaze. "I can leave, and I will!" Her blue eyes ablaze at the audacity of this man. She couldn't believe she had been intrigued by him. She was so stupid. He could stomp around and slam doors like a child if he wanted.

Elena knew the gate was locked, she had been here many times, but she didn't care if she had to climb the stupid thing with a sprained ankle. She was leaving. Turning on her heels, her dark hair waving out behind her, she walked as fast as she could for the door, slamming behind her. She didn't care who followed she was getting out.

When she got to the gate, it was locked as she suspected. If he wouldn't give her the key, she would climb. Her heart was racing, she would not be kidnapped. This could not be happening. With one more look up and down the tall gates, she jumped and gripped on as high as she could.

A sizzling sound could be heard and she dropped to the ground, grasping at her hands. What the hell? Angry tears came to her eyes as she looked at her hands that were red and seared. What was going on with this place. Now she was terrified. She just wanted out. She would try again.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Elena jumped. Gripping onto the bars again, she felt the searing but still tried to pull up, using her elbows to help give her leverage before crashing to the ground again. Cradling her arms and hands. Finally she let out a sob, she was stuck, she had fallen in here on accident only to be kidnapped in this insane place with gates that burned like a branding iron. Pain was shooting up her leg and her hands and arms were burned, but all she could do was sob in fear.

"HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" She shouted out of the gates, but she knew there was no one to hear her. This place was hidden back here and she had never seen a single soul around. Now she understood why.

[Notty]

Mark looked to Mrs. Emerson with a quick sigh, and then quickly turned to follow Jackson up the stairs, hoping that he would be able to make some amends, to calm him down- if he could. Mrs. Emerson quickly darted out of the house, Reg standing in the open doorway as she tried to hurry out after Elena. "Elena, no!" she cried out, her eyes widening with fear as she watched her reach out and grab the gate.

Mrs. Emerson knew what would happen- they all knew what would happen. "No, please.." she said, starting to jog towards Elena who was now trying the climb the gate again, only to fall back on the ground, crying. "Please, Elena, please just stop trying the gate..." she said, quickly kneeling down on the ground beside the girl, looking over her arms and hands. The burns were red and angry, and she knew all too well, that they were incredibly painful. "Here, please..." she murmured, pushing the hair from Elena's face. "Please, just....just stop screaming, okay?"

Reg was standing in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks as he watched everything happen. Mrs. Emerson leaned up and saw him, "Reg, go get Lucas, quickly!" She called out, and the boy turned and ran into the house. Moments later, another middle aged man, this one a bit more stout than Mark, came out of the house. He frowned, having heard the commotion, he was nearby. "Oh, poor dear.." he murmured, looking to Elena. "Please, help me get her inside.." Mrs. Emerson said, and Lucas nodded, leaning down and scooping up Elena in his arms.

"Just bring her inside, second floor there's a room we can let her rest in...." Mrs. Emerson continued, looking at Elena. "Just...just trust me for a little bit, okay? I'll explain everything, I promise..."

[.Karma.]

Elena heard Ms. Emerson, but didn't move. When her hair was pushed away from her face, she moved her head away from the touch. Looking up into the woman's eyes, her own full of tears. "Please, I won't tell anyone. I just want to go home." A sob shook her. "I just want to go home..." Her voice trailed off, looking back down to her hands and arms. The burns did look pretty bad, and they were quiet painful.

Through everything that was going on, she hadn't heard Ms. Emerson call for yet another man. Terrified eyes glanced from this new man to Ms. Emerson. "No, please, just take me home. Someone get the keys, just let me go home!" She was scooped up into his arms, she tried to fight a bit, but that just sent more pain shooting through her leg and her arms.

Explain? Trust her? She was being held hostage in this house full of nut jobs. As she was carried up to the second floor she was still pleading. "Please, I don't have any money!" She sobbed. "No one to pay any kind of ransom, I'm all alone. Please just let me go home!" She whimpered and cried out as she was set onto the bed in a room on the second floor just like Ms. Emerson had said.

The room was beautiful, gorgeous paintings hung all around her. There was a door to the left that was what looked to be a personal bathroom. The furniture was all wood and carved with beautiful designs. There was a full length mirror. The bed was kind sized and soft, full of pillows and a comforter that felt like it was full of feathers.

None of that mattered though. A beautiful cage was still a cage!

[Notty]

Mrs. Emerson followed the quite frantic Elena up the stairs, trying her best to assure her that she would be alright, but she continued to cry and plead. Once Lucas had set her on the bed, and Mrs. Emerson had sent him after some salve and bandages, Mrs. Emerson sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Elena. "Please, dear, we don't want your money, and I promise that none of us will hurt you...just....just take a deep breath, okay?"

A knock came at the door, and Lucas soon followed. He carried a tray with a pitcher of ice water and a glass, a jar of some salve and some bandages. Without a word, he set them down on the bedside table, his eyes meeting Mrs. Emerson's for a brief moment before he turned and left the room.

For several minutes, Mrs. Emerson worked quietly, applying the salve to Elena's arms and hands, and then bandaging them up. She looked over her ankle, and wrapped that up as well, before cleaning up and then setting the tray to the side. Her lips pursed slightly as she looked at Elena, her mouth opening a few times to speak before any words actually came out. "Elena, please, just....just listen." She smiled a little and patted her shoulder. She began to speak of Jackson, of the curse, of how they had all been here for years. About the gate.

Finally, she went quiet for a few moments, letting Elena take it all in. "Please, you....you must understand. There is no way for you to leave..."

[.Karma.]

Elena took deep breaths just as she was asked to. Wincing and crying out a few times as her burns were tended to. Ms. Emerson as always was motherly and kind, but she was still being kept here against her will. When she was finished, there were tears running down her face, but now they were silent. She couldn't get out, they had done something to the fence.

Then Ms. Emerson told her the tale of curses, the gate, and her eyes went wide. These guys were just plain nutty. She had heard of curses and of course magic as there was quite a history of it here. But she had always seen those as fairy tales or ways to scare your children into doing what they're told. Elena shook her head in disbelief, but if not that, then why. Maybe this was a cult! Her mind flew about a thousand different ways, but how had the gate turned into a branding iron, if not by magic? Maybe certain parts of it, but the whole thing?

"Just get out..." She said quietly at first. "GET OUT!" Now she was yelling through her tears, she needed to be left alone to think. Not just about this woman's story, but how to get the hell out of this nightmare she had walked into.

[Notty]

Mrs. Emerson looked at Elena, giving her a weak smile and then nodded, standing up and backing away slightly. "I'm sorry, please Elena, please just...just try to...try to understand, okay?" Giving her a brief smile, she nodded, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her. She has to understand, she has to believe...otherwise...I don't know what we will do...

Jackson paced back and forth in his room, his fists clenching and unclenching as Mark stood before him, giving a weak smile, doing his best to calm him down. "Please sir, you do know that we are trying to see what we can do about the girl...." Jackson growled and grabbed a glass, throwing it across the room. "Why is she here? Why is she poking around?" He shouted, feeling like his body was on fire. "Please, I'll...I'll try and find out. But sir, you have to understand that...that you have to control your temper. Have you not considered...."

"Of course I have! Why do you think I'm so worked up! I want this gone as much as you do!" He shouted, pushing back an armchair so it fell with a loud thud. "Just...just tell her to go to dinner. Tell her to be at dinner."

[.Karma.]

Dinner. Elena was required at dinner. Did she really have much of a choice? Her clothes had been a mess. Her pants torn, full of dirt and leaves. So she had taken a shower and what did Ms. Emerson bring for her to wear when she redressed her wounds? A formal dress. Of course.

She rolled her eyes as she pulled the dress over head. One of the other servants here must have had it around, but it did fit remarkably well. Forming to her curves. Before she knew it Ms. Emerson had her sitting in front of a vanity and was doing her hair. Elena shot dirty glances at her, getting her all done up, like she was some form of livestock. Honestly, she still felt like she really had much choice.

She was at their mercy and she was frightened. What would they do if she didn't comply? Sure right now Ms. Emerson seemed motherly and kind, but what about the frightening man? What about the rest of them in the house?

When Ms. Emerson finished, she stood Elena up and gave her a twirl, smiling at her handiwork. Jackson surely wouldn't be able to help but be attracted to this. Surely her beauty would soften his heart, and lessen the pounding headache she had.

"Okay come, come now. We mustn't be late." She smiled and took Elena by the hand leading her out of the room and through the halls into a huge dining room. The dining room had a long table like she had seen in movies and was gloriously decorated with candlesticks and silver. Everything had been made to be perfect, there was even some music playing in the background. "Please, try and be kind dear. I know you're frightened, but he is easily angered. Please?"

With those words she parted, leaving Elena standing in the door way. Smoothing down her yellow gown, (http://www.prommagics.com/upfile/Prom%20Dresses/2012%20New%20Arrival/shop%20online%20custom%20colors%20beading%20short-length%20luxury%20yellow%20prom%20dresses@1.jpg) her heart pounding, she took very slow steps toward the table.The man who had screamed at her before and had informed her she couldn't leave was already sitting at the head of it and there was a place set to his right. Her heels clicked softly on the ground, as she nervously pushed her flowing brunette curls away from her face.

Swallowing back her fear a bit, her heart pounding out of her chest, she finally made it to the chair. She wasn't sure what to do though. Should she just sit? Wait for permission? Her mind was racing, her hands fidgeting and just ended up standing there looking at him awkwardly, trying to hide the fear in her eyes.

[Notty]

Jackson had paced for a long time that afternoon, trying to figure out what to do. Why had she been there? Was she snooping? Just being rude and wanted a look at him? Trying to figure out why the house was empty for so long? He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. When his eyes opened again, they turned to an enchanted rose (http://img00.deviantart.net/a112/i/2013/021/4/3/the_beast_enchanted_rose_by_justhands-d5s76nl.jpg). Already it was starting to wither and wilt, and Jackson knew he didn't have much time until his fate, and the fate of all those in the house was sealed. He had to make this work.

Pulling on a dark blue suit (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a3/cc/c6/a3ccc6517757e6cbbad25c053fe18354.jpg) after a shower, doing his best to keep his temper down, knowing that this might be his first and last shot at a good impression. But he was so nervous, there was so much riding on this one moment...

Hearing the door open and her footsteps, Jackson stood up, his chair scraping across the hardwood floor. He had to admit, she looked beautiful. Swallowing hard, trying his best to forget his actions before, he moved around the table and to her. Giving her the best smile that he could, Jackson held out a hand. "I..I realize that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot..." he began awkwardly, trying to remember it exactly as he had rehearsed it with Mark. "I'm Jackson.."

[.Karma.]

That smile. She had never seen him smile. In all the drawings she had done, with as many different expressions she had seen. She hadn't seen him smile. It was beautiful.No Elena! You are a captive here! A captive that was in a glorious dining room, with a man she'd been dying to speak with for ages. Elena gave him a small smile and placed her own wrapped up hand in his very gently.

"Elena." She nodded, she had already shouted her name at him before, but she figured it polite to repeat it again. In maybe a gentler tone. Where before he had been angry and terrifying. Now he seemed awkward and almost endearing. The strong beating of her heart slowed just a little as she took her seat.

Be polite, he has a temper. If she was going to be stuck here, surely she wouldn't want to keep making him angry. Not intentionally at least, or for no reason. "You have a beautiful home, Jackson. I've always loved it." Her eyes kept meeting his green orbs directly, and she found it hard to break away, even with the horrible display they had went through just hours earlier.

[Notty]

Jackson helped her to her seat, noting almost immediately her beautiful blue eyes, and the angry burns hidden by the bandages on her arms and hands. Because of me. Because of my stupid temper. I don't even know her, and I hurt her... he thought to himself, clenching a hand under the table as he tried to keep his calm. He nodded and smiled a bit, though somehow it was slightly pained this time. "Thank you..." he said, glancing up as Lucas came in and poured them both a glass of water.

"Wine?" Lucas offered, now wearing a black suit, a bow tie and even white gloves. Jackson looked to Lucas, giving him a slight smile. "Red for me, Lucas.." And then his attention went right back to Elena, curious as to what she had said. "What do you mean, you've always loved it?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he looked to her. "This is your first time here, and I know that it is not on purpose. None come here on purpose..."

Mrs. Emerson stood at the door that lead from the kitchen into the dining room, listening intently as to what was going on. So far, everything seemed to be going well. "Well that's a good sign..." she murmured to herself as she plated some salads with fresh tomatoes, and a home made dressing. "As long as he can keep that temper under control, we might make it out of here..."

[.Karma.]

"Same for me too, please." Elena responded in regards to wine. Jackson's voice had changed a bit, not as pleasant, but not angry either. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Why should she care? She was not responsible for his moods. As Lucas disappeared to get their wine. Elena felt it was best to answer his questions honestly. She was stuck her anyways. Why lie?

"Well, I mean, I didn't climb that particular tree by accident." She said a bit sarcastically, she was a bit irritable, she should not make him angry. "Sorry, what I mean is that... Well..." Wow, it was very hard to explain to someone that you were basically kind of a stalker artist. "When I was a child, my family and I would drive past this place often. Well, they never saw it, but I could see the roof poking out. I knew there was a house back here..."

Lucas brought in their wine and she paused to take a drink. Holding the cup awkwardly with her bandaged hands, but she still managed. Hopefully this would make her less nervous.

"So, I uh.. When I got a bit older, I came and found the hidden house in the woods. I always thought it was amazingly beautiful. It was so peaceful out here, and the home with it's nearly medieval look was fascinating. I knew that I had to draw it..." She shrugged and gave a nervous smile, meeting his eyes again. "So I would often come back here, to capture a different view, to get a different angle of the house. Things would change, and I'd draw that too."

Her voice was getting a bit sheepish. She knew she sounded ridiculous and stalkerish. "I just always felt really at peace here with my sketchpad and pencil, I felt calm. It was a place to go without stress." She didn't mention that after her parents accident, she came here much more often. She had come here to grieve, spending much more times in the trees around this place. It had become a very comforting place for her. She also didn't mention that many of her drawings were of him specifically as of late.

"So today, I was drawing again, and the way you could see the tree's coming over top of your home from the angle in the tree, was most beautiful. Have you ever seen how amazing this place is from an arial view?" Oh lord, she had gone from slightly stalkerish to creepy now. "Well basically the wind blew me out of the tree..." Her cheeks were bright red and she was looking down at her plate more and more as the story had went on. Bringing the wine glass once again to her lips.

[Notty]

Jackson's eyes followed Elena's as she spoke, listening intently as she spoke about her life before. How she had spent time with her family, how they had driven by here, the seemingly insatiable curiosity. He took a drink of the wine and set the glass down, rolling his shoulders a bit. "And? Is it all that you thought it would be? Is it as charming on the inside as it is on the outside?" Suddenly, Jackson found himself getting a bit irritated at her. Why did she find it so intriguing? Who was she to judge what the house was like? To climb the trees and spy on him?

"And I suppose that you delight in your freedoms, hmm?" he said, his voice lowering, starting to take the edge that it had earlier. "Well you have none now, so forget about them!" Now Jackson was angry. Who was she to come in here and taunt him about her freedom, in an attempt to tell him that his house was beautiful. "The outside matters nothing, all that is inside is darkness and pain!" With that, Jackson slammed his fist down on the table.

Hearing the noise, Lucas immediately came out, witnessing the very end of the conversation, he quickly stepped up in an attempt to try and salvage what was left of the dinner. "I think..." Lucas began, pouring more wine for both of them, hoping that it would help to calm the nerves and tempers that were beginning to flair. "I think that what he means, is that....this home hasn't seen a new face in some time.."

[.Karma.]

"Yes, the inside is even more enchanting then the out.." Before she finished, he continued with a barrage of questions. Each one more accusatory then the next. More angry. She could see the kinder look in his eyes change visibly to that of rage. As the look changed her heart beat faster and she even flinched away from him.

"No...no I wasn't deli.. I.. " Tears came to her blue eyes, her hand holding her wine glass visibly shaking. When his fists slammed on the table, she jumped, her wine spilling on her dress. Quickly she set the wine glass down, grabbing a napkin and frantically wiping at her dress.

Tears dripped from her blue eyes, smearing her mascara down her face as she pushed the chair back away from the table. "If you... you'll please excuse me..." Standing from the table, she pushed her chair back, and ran from the dining room.

There hadn't been that many turns to get there from the room they had her in, so she made it back there with no issues. Slamming the door behind her and collapsing on her bed in tears, grabbing up her sketchpad and finding a pencil she began to draw. Draw and cry, it helped her let it all out.

[Notty]

Jackson watched as Elena's eyes filled with tears, and the fact that he made her cry, made him even angrier. "No, I...." he stammered out, trying to undo the damage he had just done. But when she got up to leave, he grew even angrier- more at himself, than at her, but it came across as anger at her. "Fine! Leave then! Just run away! That's what everyone does!" He shouted, knocking the wine glasses from the table, causing them to spill and then shatter on the floor.

His head ached, and his entire body felt like it was on fire as he roared in anger, listening to Elena cry and retreat up the stairs, back to her room. Look what you've done! You blew you first chance with her! Now she hates you! She will never want to talk to you or see you again! You've doomed yourself to live with this curse for the rest of your life!

As soon as Jackson had settled down slightly, Mrs. Emerson came storming out of the kitchen, her head aching, but she was fit to be tied. "Jackson! What on Earth are you thinking?!" she cried out, her face turning slightly red. While Mrs. Emerson wasn't Jackson's mother, she was, and had been, the closest thing to a mother that he had, and he deeply respected and loved her. "You scared that poor girl! You asked her to dinner, and then grilled her like she was in an interrogation!" She said, her hands on her hips as she looked up at Jackson. "You go up there now, and you apologize to the poor girl! She's lost everything today, and you just had to rub it in her face, didn't you?"

Jackson's eyes had widened a bit, and he had certainly calmed down, but as Mrs. Emerson finished, he opened his mouth to argue. Quickly, she responded. "No, no arguments. You've done enough of that. Go. Now."

[.Karma.]

Elena's pencil flew over the paper, tears blurring her vision, but she didn't really need to see. She wasn't paying attention to what she was drawing, she just let her hand fly. It was much more difficult with them bandaged, but she wasn't trying to make anything exceptionally beautiful. She just needed to draw. It was what she had left.

There wasn't really much she had left behind. There was a small apartment that she had on her own. She had sold her drawing and paintings for money to survive. Never really went out to make friends. Art had become her life after her parents accident. She spent most of her time either in her apartment or out in the woods. If the circumstances had been different, she would have loved to have been staying in this house.

But the circumstances weren't different. She was stuck here with an angry man who hated her. Forced to put on pretty clothes and get dolled up, just to get screamed at and to feel despised, to feel worthless. To have it thrown in her face that she was stuck here. That she could not escape this anger, the disdain, the hatred. More tears smeared the lead on the paper as she shaded more lines.

Was this how it would be forever? There was no one to look for her, no one to wonder where she was. No one to care, no one to rescue her. There was no knight in shining armor in this mock fairy tale of a home.

There was just her.

Alone and imprisoned in a nightmare.

[Notty]

Jackson looked at Mrs. Emerson in surprise, never having seen her stand up to him quite like this. But almost like a dog that had been scolded, he turned and slowly headed towards the door, tail tucked between his legs as he opened them and stepped out into the hallway.

And now what do I say? What can I say to make things better? I can't make things better. I only ruin things. It's this damned temper! And she's so beautiful, and I'm so.....I'm just a monster. It's all I've ever been, and with the way things are going, it's all I'll ever be....

Jackson was surprised to find that he was already standing in front of Elena's door. Several times his hand reached out to knock on the door, but each time, before it actually made contact, he withdrew, as if the door would burn him. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, turning and looking out the large window that peered out over the large garden- the same view that Elena would have from her bedroom as well.

Sighing, Jackson crossed the hall and leaned against the wall, scooting down until he was sitting on the floor directly across from Elena's door. Once more, he ran his fingers through his hair, holding his head in his hands before saying, his voice gentle as it had been before. "I'm sorry, Elena..."

[.Karma.]

Footsteps. Elena could hear them coming towards the door, they were too heavy to be Ms. Emerson's and there was only one other person she could imagine followed her to her room. He hadn't broken her enough? He needed more. Swiftly she shut her sketchbook, hiding it under the covers, but the steps just stopped. There were no other sounds.

Getting up from the bed, she put her back against the door. Like she was somehow going to hold it shut if he decided to burst in. But he didn't, she heard a bit of movement and her body tensed, but nothing happened.

Then a gentle voice, it truly surprised her. I'm sorry, Elena. He sounded so sad. How could this be the same man that was screaming at her at the table, who screamed at her in their living room earlier that day. People made mistakes though right? Wait, what was she thinking, she was trapped here and she was feeling sorry for him? Maybe it was all a curse though, and he wasn't truly keeping her here. Then, should she really deny an apology. Was it a real apology? She couldn't tell from through the door.

Moving to the side of the door, she cracked it open to see him sitting on the floor, looking defeated. That look in his eyes that she had often tried to capture but never could. Wiping her eyes, trying to get as much mascara off of her face as she could, she looked him up and down. Her blue eyes softening, she moved over to him and held out her hand.

"You shouldn't be on the floor in your own home. You can come in... I... I'm sorry for intruding on the privacy of your home. She looked, wiping more tears from her face. I guess I wasn't really thinking at the time..."

[Notty]

Jackson glanced up and was surprised when he saw her holding out her hand to him. A slight smile crossed his face, and he shifted a bit, taking her hand as he stood, brushing himself off. "No, I have every reason to be sitting on the floor..." he said, following her in the room. Once inside, he stopped just inside the door, glancing around, not wanting to invade her privacy.

"I shouldn't have blown up like that..." he began, looking at Elena and then out the window. He shifted a little and moved to the window, not feeling confident enough to stand and look at Elena. She's beautiful.... he thought as he stood in front of the window, staring out at the falling night sky. Reaching up, he rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I just...my temper gets the better of me, all too often."

Shifting in front of the window again, Jackson finally got up the nerve to turn and look at Elena again. "I'm sorry, is there anything that I can do for you? Get for you, to make you more comfortable?" His eyes searched her blue ones, desperate for a sign that she forgave him, that she would be willing to give him another chance.

[.Karma.]

When he entered the room, Elena shut the door behind him, moving to sit on the bed. Her ankle was giving her quite a bit of pain, since running from the dining room and not really giving it any rest. Although the wrapping was helping a lot. Her stained dress was ruined and she looked a mess, but she listened to him intently. He deserved that much.

Ms. Emerson had said he had a temper, but he seemed to be genuine in his apology. His green eyes held almost a sadness that made her want to reach out and hold him close. How long had he been stuck here too? She found herself believing that this place was cursed. His anger at being trapped, his upset at her 'freedom' it seemed so sincere.

Turning her view out to the window, following his gaze, she took note of the beautiful garden. She would have to put it in her sketchbook. Those green eyes, they were meeting hers now. Standing up with just a slight wince she walked over to him, standing in front of him.

"Everyone gets angry sometimes." She gave him a gentle smile, she didn't want to see him upset anymore. She wanted to see that beautiful smile that she had only caught a few glimpses of. "This room is quite comfortable, truly. I believe I have everything any girl could ever need." Except her freedom. But now is not the time to bring up those things as the option for her freedom was obviously off the table for now.

"Well, there may be one thing..." Her eyes brightened a little, but she didn't know if it was possible. "I gave my favorite sketch pencil to Reg, and the one I found in here isn't very good. Do you think maybe at some point I can get another? Sometimes I like to doodle. It's comforting..." Swallowing she took a step back a bit, not sure if she should expect anger from him again at mentioning her drawing.

[Notty]

Jackson looked to Elena as she stood before him, his eyes scanning hers as he gave her a slight smile. A pencil, really? He would have given her the world, and all she asks for is a pencil? Nodding slightly, he pushed his hands into his pockets. "Oh, yeah, yeah...I can see if we can get it back..." he said, giving Elena another gentle smile. Jackson swallowed hard and looked back out the window.

This was probably one of the longest, most civil conversations he had in a long time, and he felt a bit awkward to be honest. How was he supposed to continue talking to Elena? What were they even supposed to talk about? It didn't take long for him to feel overwhelmed by the pressure, and Jackson stepped back, as if retreating towards the door.

"Well, uhm, I'll just go." he mumbled rather lamely. "Have a good night..." and with that, he turned and retreated, opening the door and closing it behind him, only to stand right outside her door and sigh. You idiot, you were right in there with her! You could have just asked more about her. If she wanted dinner. If she wanted to get some other clothes! Jackson's mind ran rampant with 'what-ifs' as he stood right outside her door, and he mumbled to himself a bit, "stupid, stupid...."

[.Karma.]

A smile spread across her face as he said he would see about a pencil. He was stumbling on his words and awkward, it was actually quite endearing. She wanted to hug him, maybe she could...Or would he get angry? There were so many questions, but when she finally decided that she would at least try, he was retreating.

It must be awkward for him, she was new, and if the whole story was true then he probably hadn't had to deal with new social situations in quite some time. Before she could gather her thoughts he was out the door and it was shut behind him. "Wait..." She slightly limped after him opening up the door. "WAIT..." She shouted not realizing he was right behind it before colliding into him, gripping onto his arm for support so she didn't fall for the third time today.

"Oh sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean..." Oh god she hoped he wasn't angry. "I just..." She looked down, she had ruined the moment, surely. "I saw a bench out in the garden..." Trying to right herself, she avoided his eyes. "I thought maybe we could make some sandwiches and go... sit out there and eat... or something..."

[Notty]

Jackson let out a soft cry of surprise as he felt Elena collide with his back, and then grab ahold of his arm to steady herself. Turning slowly so that she didn't fall, Jackson gently held on to Elena's shoulder with his hand, hoping to help keep her steady as he did so. Once turned around to face her, his eyes scanned down her quickly and he frowned a bit when he saw her wrapped ankle. "What happened?" he asked, motioning to her ankle.

Suddenly, Jackson felt incredibly ashamed at his outcry. Had she walked all the way up here, crying, with her ankle hurt? And it was all because of him? Immediately, anger started spreading over his face, not because of her, but because of himself. It took all that he had, to clench his fists and try to overcome it. He didn't want to blow it with her again for the third time that day.

"I....I would love.....a picnic..." Jackson said between clenched teeth. Why couldn't his emotions come out like a normal persons? Why couldn't he just tell her that he was sorry for scaring her, and making her cry and walk all this way on a hurt ankle? Instead, he was seething inside, his chest burning with pain as he tried not to lash out at the girl standing before him.

[.Karma.]

That anger, she could almost feel it coming back. Not at first as he steadied her, but as he scanned her over. Maybe it made him think of the fact that she had been invading his privacy again. Maybe it made him remember? She wanted to smooth it over. Maybe she could keep that simmering anger from boiling over.

He had accepted the picnic, but it was through clenched teeth and the look in his eyes changed. "It's nothing, I just hurt myself a little from the fall. Nothing to worry about." She smiled brightly, although it was a little forced as her heart pounded in her chest. Standing on her tiptoes she kissed his cheek. "Thanks for catching me, I have spent more time not being upright today, then standing on my own two clumsy legs."

Smiling again, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward where she thought the kitchen was located. "Come on... let's go make some sandwiches. I want mine absolutely drowned in Mayo." Her heart was still pounding, her body a bit stiff with nervousness, but she really hoped that smile would cross his face again and the brightness would come back into his eyes.

[Notty]

When she leaned up and kissed his cheek, Jackson's eyes went wide and he stood there for a moment, completely stunned. No one had touched him, no one had kissed him in so long....most were just afraid he'd hurt them. And here she was, a stranger in his house- one that he had yelled and screamed at not 24 hours ago- and she had kissed his cheek. Immediately, and like a bucket of water had been thrown on a fire, the anger left.

Now, when she took his hand, he held it back, another genuine smile coming across his face as he began following her down the stairs and towards the kitchen. As soon as Jackson was able to catch up with her, he put his arm around her shoulders, then urged her arm around his waist. "Here, you can...lean on me. I don't want you to hurt your ankle more..." he said with a strange tenderness.

Mrs. Emerson had been watching most of it- well, what she could see from in the hall, and she couldn't help but smile at the two. Maybe this will work out, maybe all hope isn't lost after all.... she thought to herself as she hurried towards the kitchen, making it look like she had been there the entire time. Quickly busying herself with cleaning up from the dinner that was never eaten, she glanced up when Jackson and Elena entered the kitchen.

"Oh, hello," she smiled, her eyes moving to Elena and then to Jackson, giving him a knowing smile. "Is there something I can do for you?" she asked, though knew perfectly well what was going on. Jackson looked to Elena, his arm still around her, holding her against him slightly. "We want to make some sandwiches..." he said, smiling a little. "With lots of mayo..."

[.Karma.]

When his arm wrapped around her, she felt a warmth. Not from anger, but a touch of tenderness. Of concern. She wrapped her arm around his waist gently, smiling her thank you. It did feel good to take some of the pressure off. When they entered the kitchen there was Ms. Emerson.

Giving the motherly lady a smile, she spoke up. "If you could please direct us to the bread and other sandwich supplies..." She put a haughty face on and looked down her nose. "The I have one more requirement..." Flipping her now ruined curls. "I need you...to get a glass of wine... and go relax." She smiled again, ushering Ms Emerson toward the door as Elena thought she already spotted the bread.

None of it should be too difficult to find, they had nothing but time right?

[Notty]

Mrs. Emerson's eyes widened a bit as Elena told her to get a glass of wine for herself and go relax, immediately looking to Jackson. He had never allowed her to do something like that, and a brief look of fear flashed over her face, unsure of how he would react to Elena giving her an order. But surprisingly, Jackson didn't lash out like she thought he would. Yes, his fist did clench in his pocket, a fire spreading up his arm and over his shoulder, towards his chest, but he didn't say anything.

Nodding slowly, the woman poured herself a glass of wine and slowly backed out of the kitchen, her eyes darting between the two until the door shut behind her. Well I never! I must tell Mark and Lucas what is going on! There is still hope for us yet! I do think that she is softening him, yes! I can see it already! Oh! What excitement! she thought to herself as she hurried along down the hallway, towards the library where she knew she could find Mark and Lucas.

Meanwhile, Jackson stood in the kitchen with Elena, trying to steady himself. It's okay, Jackson, she can have the night off. You're here with Elena... he told himself, but he found his anger continuing to grow. When Elena let go of him, it was as if the bandage that had been holding the wound closed was ripped off. "Why did you send her away?" he growled, looking at Elena. "It wasn't your place to do so, she doesn't answer to you. What do you know of her or what we might need?" he barked, clenching his fists. "It's her job to be here!"

[.Karma.]

Again, she could feel that simmering anger, but she refused to lose her bright demeanor for now. Ms. Emerson had deserve a night to herself, she had been dealing with a headache all day. Plus it wasn't only hard on Jackson that someone new was here. It was probably hard on everyone.

Going over to the bread she had spotted, she laid out four pieces on the cutting board and gave him a gentle smile. Her bright blue eyes met with his. "Well, I just wanted some time with you..." She was being sincere and truthful in her words.

Again her eyes took on a nervous look and her heart started to pound as she moved to the fridge, avoiding his eyes. She didn't like when they sparked with anger. It was frightening. She pulled out mayo, a tomato, lettuce, some cheese, and some ham. Holding it all in her arms as she hobbled back to the chopping board. "A knife..." She looked around, searching for the set of knives with her eyes, not wanting to walk around more then she had to at this point. She was hurting, but she tried to hide it well. She just wanted to evening to end on a good note.

[Notty]

"Why are you ignoring me?" Jackson barked out, taking a step towards Elena, his brow furrowed, anger written across his face. He moved across the kitchen to stand near Elena, his fists curled painfully tight. "Why won't you answer me!" He growled, reaching out and slamming his fist on the counter, making the containers jump and then topple over.

Well, I just wanted some time with you... the words surprised him, and Jackson was taken aback, his fists unclenching for a brief moment, before he scoffed. "Well you shouldn't want to. No one does." Obviously words that he said a lot, or at least thought a lot. He growled and grumbled as he turned around, not wanting to look at Elena. Not wanting to see the look of pain that he was sure that he had caused.

"I'll just leave!" He growled, pushing a bowl of apples off the table nearby, causing them to bounce and scatter across the floor. "I'll leave before I can hurt you again!" This time, a vase with some flowers in it, causing the vase to shatter. Amongst the flowers was a rose, and Jackson immediately caught sight of it. It was very similar to the one in his study, the one that taunted him, that reminded him of his impending fate. This only seemed to infuriate him even more. "Take your gentle goodness and leave!" he shouted, kicking at the flowers and then beginning to trash the kitchen, knocking off everything in sight. Containers of flour, sugar, coffee. A jar of crackers. Mrs. Emerson's cup of tea she had been drinking. "LEAVE!"

[.Karma.]

Elena's calm had worn off as he started to trash everything. "Stop! Please stop!" Her eyes flashed anger, but tears were brimming behind them. She just wanted a sandwich out under the stars with him. Now he was throwing things about the kitchen. There was a mess now though and he was still throwing a tantrum.

Vases were crashing and flour was everywhere and with everything that dropped she flinched a little. There went all the stuff she had gathered onto the floor. Her teeth gritted and she reached out, limping toward him and shoved him toward the door. "YOU leave. I have a mess to clean up now. GET OUT!" She screamed. The tears threatened to pour down her face.

Her voice lost the extreme anger. "Get out or help clean up!" Her hands were shaking as she staggered along the floor, picking up large broken pieces of glass. Wincing when she bent down, and fumbling with the glass as her hands were wrapped and shaking.

There was one thing she was not going to do. She was not going to call for Ms. Emerson. She was not going to allow his anger to ruin the relaxation that Elena had offered her. Dumping the glass she had picked up into the trash, she leaned down to grab some more. She wanted to crumple to the floor right there and sob, but she would not give in. Throwing the rest of the big pieces in the trash, she continued to ignore her ankle that was now shooting pain almost up to her knee. Grabbing a broom she began to sweep.

Is this what he wanted? Another servant in his cursed mansion? Where he could throw things about and people would clean them up for him? Her thoughts raced angrily in her head as she swept. Refusing to let her tear filled blue eyes spill over.

[Notty]

Jackson's eyes widened when she shoved him, and just like before, when she touched him, something seemed to calm, like a fire being extinguished. For several moments, Jackson just stood there, against the kitchen door, watching Elena clean everything up. He could see the tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to fall as she awkwardly shuffled around, trying to clean up the mess that he had made.

Closing his eyes, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Now what, you idiot? Look what you've done! You've made a huge mess, upset her, and now she's cleaning up after you. She asked YOU to leave... Jackson leaned up a little and looked at Elena, feeling guilt, and even more anger now that he had hurt her. Again.

Without a word, he moved over to where Elena was crouched, and he pulled an arm around her, lifting her to her feet, and then lifting her up onto the counter. He was surprisingly strong, and lifted her as though she weighed little more than a leaf. His eyes refused to meet hers as he took the broom from her hand, beginning to silently sweep up the mess he had made.

[.Karma.]

In shock, she gripped onto him as he lifted her. What was he going to do? Fear washed over her but was quickly alleviated as she was set up onto the counter. The pressure off of her ankle made her sigh audibly, reaching down to rub her leg softly.

He was... he was actually cleaning. Elena had not expected him to actually listen, she fully expected him to storm out and leave her there to finish the clean up. As he held the broom, she wiped the tears from her eyes and almost smiled. Her breath was heavy and her heart still in her throat, her words were now soft again.

"Come here..." She reached out and grabbed his arm, intending to show him how to hold the broom as he looked like he had never held one a day in his life. But as she pulled him to her, she found herself doing something that even surprised her, but it had felt natural. It was something she had wanted to do since he apologized to her in her room.

Elenas small wrapped arms wrapped around his neck. She pulled him close, putting her face into his shoulder, and pulling his to hers. Soft fingers stroked up through his hair as she just held him there.

[Notty]

Hearing Elena's voice, Jackson glanced up, but didn't let his eyes meet hers. He was afraid to. Afraid of what he would see behind them. Anger? Fear? Disappointment? He barely knew he, but he knew that he couldn't bear to see those things in her eyes, especially when he had been the one who caused them.

Slowly, almost painfully slowly, Jackson moved over towards Elena, his eyes still low to the ground. Once again, he felt a calm, cool rush over his body as her hand met his, gently pulling him a little closer. His eyes darted up a little more, meeting her shoulder and jaw now, still not ready to look into her eyes. Swallowing hard, Jackson opened his mouth to begin to apologize- something he rarely did, when Elena's next move caught him completely off guard.

Her fingers were gently pulling around his neck, drawing him closer to her. Not wanting to fight her, Jackson allowed her to pull him closer, until she was nestled against him, hugging him to her. For a while, his arms hung limply to his sides, unsure of what to do with them. He hadn't been hugged in years. Honestly, Jackson couldn't remember the last time he was hugged. Slowly, as if he was afraid that he would hurt her, Jackson's arms moved up. First, holding her near her waist, then slowly moving up her sides until his arms pulled around her, drawing her into his chest.

[.Karma.]

As his arms wrapped around her, Elena's body relaxed into the embrace. She had needed this hug just as much as he did. There was so much held in emotion from her. Not just from this situation but from when her parents had died, when she had been left all alone. Elena had had to deal with the grief all on her own.

There were no hugs, no comforting words. No one at all. Her parents had been a lot like her, reclusive, not really making a lot of friends. They had focused on their family and on her. It had been since they were alive that she received a hug, and when those arms wrapped around her, she lost it. All the pent up feelings, all the emotions that she normally just poured into her sketching were now overflowing onto his shoulder.

Silent tears dripped onto him, her shoulders shaking and she squeezed him close. Suddenly she realized she was probably making him feel awkward. They barely even knew each other. Letting go of him she quickly wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, she stumbled for words, what did she say now? "You.. were holding the broom wrong..."

[Notty]

Jackson held instinctively tighter when he felt her shoulders begin to shake, and he could feel the tears dripping onto his shirt. He wasn't sure why she was crying, but he certainly knew that he needed this, as much as it seemed that she did. As she pulled back, Jackson finally felt that he was able to look her in the eyes. Releasing her slowly, he reached up and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks before giving her a gentle smile.

"Oh, okay..." He said quietly, grabbing the broom again, feeling even more confused than before. Had the hug meant nothing? No, certainly it had meant something. The way she held him, how she pulled him closer and cried against him. It wasn't because he was holding the broom wrong..::

Shifting his hands a bit, Jackson continued sweeping, his eyes low on the ground, not wanting to meet Elena's as he worked. He was a bit uncomfortable and even more confused as to what had just happened. But he knew that he liked it. And he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he wanted to do it again.

[.Karma.]

When his hands touched her cheeks, she gazed into his eyes, leaning her face into the warm touch. She just couldn't help it, this gentle touch was something that she had been craving for quite some time and hadn't even realized it.

Jacksons voice came out quietly, and she realized how stupid and rude she had just sounded. This was awkward for her as well. Biting her lip nervously, she got an playfully evil grin on her face. Yet again she didn't give much thought that he might get angry again as the plan unraveled in her head. She ought to be more careful, but yet as she spoke, her hand ran along the counter, a glint in her eyes.

"Also, Jackson?" Her eyes met with his, trying to keep her face serious. Gently, she slid off the counter, standing on her one leg to move within arms reach of him. "You um.."

"...missed a spot." She took her hand that she had been running along the counter and wiped it on his face, full of flour before trying to scurry off, a soft laughter bubbling up from her as she made it around the other side of the counter to playfully get away from him. Grabbing flour in her hands once again.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled a little, his eyes scanning her face as she shifted off the counter. He had enjoyed how she leaned in to his touch, maybe, just maybe, she craved it as much as he did. His look, however, changed a bit when he noticed the smile drop from her face, looking more serious and somber. "Yes?" he asked, turning to look at her, the broom still in his hands. Then she wiped the flour in his face.

To put it lightly, Jackson was shocked. His eyes widened and he stared at Elena for a brief moment, awe-struck, before a childish grin grew on his face. "Oh, I did, did I?" He laughed, scooping up a handful of flour from the counter and stalking after her.

"You forget I am at an advantage.." He grinned, holding the flour in his hand as he moved around the counter towards Elena. "This is my house, I know all the secret passages and hiding places, and..." He lurched forward, slinging the handful of flour at her, "I can run faster than you!"

Letting out, what probably was the first laugh in years, Jackson turned and skidded across the slick floor, heading towards the pantry for more ammunition. Something, even the tiniest of somethings, had changed inside of Jackson.

[.Karma.]

Letting out a girlish scream mixed with laugher, she backed up as the flour was thrown her way, covering her hair in the white dust. Playfully she scoffed. "That was a cheap shot, going for the hair!" She laughed, bending down to pick up some of the lettuce that was dropped. Throwing it at him all the way toward the pantry.

When he made it inside, she smirked, moving toward the sink, waiting for him to turn his head before aimed the sprayer. Just as Jackson turned around she turned on the water. Laughter bubbled up from her as she soaked the counter and the front of his suit jacket.

"This is war now, Sir Jackson!" She gave a mock evil laughter as she continued to spray in his direction.

[Notty]

Jackson laughed again, finding that he quite enjoyed the feeling of it, and turned to grab something out of the pantry. Not moments after he had looked away, he felt cold water spraying across his back. "YYEEEOOOOW!!!" he cried, turning around, only to splash and gurgle as Elena kept spraying the water at him. "Now that isn't fair!" He called out, reaching back blindly, throwing anything towards her that he could.

The floor was now a slippery paste of flour and water, and Jackson had been slinging handfuls of dried beans, which stuck to his arms, the floor and all over Elena. Grabbing a nearby plate, he held it up like a shield and darted towards her. His dress shoes had little traction, and he slipped and slid until falling down on the ground with an "oof!"

His eyes widened a bit, looking up at Elena with a mixture of shame and embarrassment, and then he let out another laugh, his head falling back as he continued to laugh. "Okay, okay, okay....truce!" He said, looking at Elena, his face covered with flour, bits of lettuce and beans. "Come here, and we'll shake on it, okay?" Jackson said, holding out a hand towards Elena.

[.Karma.]

The laughter didn't stop, she was covered in beans and the floor was a paste of slippery mess, but when he fell she froze. The water stopping as there was silence from him and then more laughter. Whew, she hadn't known she had tensed her body until she felt it relax. "Okay, okay truce."

Slowly but surely she made her way to him, reaching out to shake his hand. Also she planned on helping him up, a bright smile on her face as she reached out to him with her bandaged hands. Those just happened to be covered in beans as well.

"We are the best cleaners ever!" Another laughter erupted from within her as her sparkling eyes met his.

[Notty]

Jackson watched as she moved over towards him carefully, his eyes scanning her face, a playful smile covering his as he waited for her to get closer. Once she reached her hand out, he grabbed it and yanked her down into his lap. Just as quickly as he pulled her down into his lap, his other hand came up and smashed a tomato on the top of her head. He let out a belt of laughter as she sat on his lap in the floor, both of them covered with pasty flour, beans and lettuce- and now Elena, with tomato.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he grinned, his eyes bright as he looked at Elena in his lap. Just about that time, the kitchen door opened and a sharp cry escaped a very shocked Mrs. Emerson. "Wh-wh-what....." she cried out, not even daring to step foot inside. "What happened to my kitchen?!" she cried, her eyes scanning the room.

Jackson froze a bit, suddenly feeling like a child who had gotten caught being naughty. Mrs. Emerson's eyes followed the footprints in the flour on the floor, and finally landed on Jackson and Elena, both looking quite shocked. "What have you done?" she said, trying to stifle back her laughter. "I thought you were making sandwiches, not...not a warzone!"

[.Karma.]

Suddenly, she was in Jackson's lap, a tomato squished on her head. The juice flowed down her face, and without thinking she grabbed the back of his head and smeared her face all over his. Rubbing her face all along his to share the tomato juice that he had so graciously bestowed upon her.

Then there was Ms. Emerson's voice and she froze, looking sheepishly her way and then back to Jackson. "We were cleaning!" Elena tried to keep a straight face, covering her mouth a little, using her other hand to pull a piece of lettuce off of Jackson's face.

"Don't you fret, Ms. Emerson, I will have this cleaned up in a jiffy..." They really had destroyed the kitchen. Her focused turned to Jackson. "Maybe... you could get cleaned up and set up our picnic outside. I will work on cleaning this up?" Giving Jackson a quick squeeze, she used the counter to keep the pressure off her foot and stood, removing herself from his lap.

[Notty]

Jackson looked at Mrs. Emerson as she pursed her lips, her hands on her hips as she bit back what she truly wanted to say. But despite the enormous mess, there they were, sitting together, laughing. Mess or not, that's a step in the right direction.... she told herself, nodding slightly and then turning to leave the kitchen. "Maybe I will need that glass of wine after all..." she murmured to herself.

As Elena pulled herself up and looked to Jackson, he frowned, shaking his head. "No, no...I'll...I'll clean this up. You go get yourself cleaned up. You're in no shape to be cleaning.." He motioned to her ankle and then to her hands and arms. Frowning a bit as he looked at her, he glanced down at himself, and then pulled off his suit jacket, then pulled off his button down shirt, giving it to her. "Here, it'll...it'll keep you from making a bigger mess as you head upstairs..." Jackson shifted a little, left in his suit pants and a white undershirt. He smiled a bit, his eyes meeting hers as he draped his shirt around her shoulders.

"Do you need help upstairs?" he asked, the concern obvious in his voice. "I can help you up, look," Jackson smiled, showing his hands, "no hidden tomatoes."

[.Karma.]

Was this really the man who had trashed the kitchen not long before now? Her eyes gazed into his, a soft smile on her face. "Alright, fine, but I was really looking forward to mopping up this mess." She smirked, wiping beans from her body, letting them drop to the floor.

As he started to take off his jacket, she opened her mouth to protest but quickly closed it. Her blue eyes hovering over his body as he unbuttoned his shirt. She couldn't help but admire how in shape he was as her eyes trailed up, a blush covering her cheeks as he wrapped his shirt around her.

Pushing her arms through the sleeves, she gave him a soft smile. About to deny his request to help her to her room, but then she thought about those stairs. She didn't want to admit it but her leg was aching in pain. It hurt her pride a bit to admit, but she nodded sheepishly, but that nod turned into laughter as he mentioned his lack of tomatoes. "Okay, but I'm keeping my eye out, I don't trust your truces!" She said playfully. "Honestly, though, I probably could use some help. It's just aching a little is all."

[Notty]

Jackson smiled as Elena laughed, and he was rather pleased with himself that he was able to get that reaction out of her, when earlier the reactions he was receiving were anything but pleasant. As she mentioned that her ankle was hurting, Jackson simply nodded and moved over to her. Without a word, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms, one behind her knees and the other around her waist.

It was probably the most intimate thing Jackson had ever done, save the hug that Elena gave him not long before. Quietly, he carried her up the stairs towards her room, feeling the cool relief that her skin against his brought him. While it usually didn't take Jackson very long to get upstairs, and Elena wasn't very heavy, he took his time, wanting to keep her as close to him for as long as he could.

Once at the door to her room, he shifted a little to reach down and open the door. Still, he didn't talk. His mind was running rampant, and he feared if he opened his mouth, some of those thoughts would make their way out. He crossed the room, careful not to step on the rugs in an attempt to not make more of a mess. When he had crossed into the large, spacious private bathroom, he hesitantly let Elena down onto her feet. "There..." he finally said, giving her a small smile. Reluctantly he pulled his arms from her, feeling the relief start to fade almost instantly when he was no longer touching her. "Well then, I'll uhm, I'll be downstairs.."

[.Karma.]

As he carried her up the stairs, she allowed for her head to rest on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she just let herself enjoy his closeness. The comfort that his simple touch brought her was inexplicable and probably a little weird. Elena knew she should not mention it. The last time she had mentioned one of her quirky oddities, she had caused an explosion.

When she felt him shift to open the door, there was a little bit of sadness that washed over her. He was going to have to put her down. Taking her into her bathroom, finally he let her back down to stand on her own two feet. Gazing up into those eyes again, she gave him a small smile. Those eyes held so much. Running her hand down his dirty face softly and finally backed away from him.

"When everything is all cleaned up, why not come up here for a snack or something? Sneak a bag of chips from the kitchen? Since our previous plans.. got changed?" She looked hopeful that maybe they would still get a few more moments together tonight before they had to separate to sleep, that and surely he had other things to do other then babysit her.

[Notty]

Jackson nodded and gave Elena a sad sort of smile, gently leaning in to her touch as her hand caressed his cheek. "Alright, I'll see what I can find.." he said, then turned and closed the bathroom door behind him, and then the bedroom door. Once in the hall with the door closed behind him, Jackson leaned back against her door and let out a soft sigh, then chuckled quietly to himself before heading downstairs to the kitchen.

It took him nearly an hour to clean the kitchen and then to take a shower. But once he was finished, he quickly padded down the stairs, wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants and a plain gray tshirt. Poking his head around the kitchen, Jackson grabbed a couple apples, some cheese and 2 bottles of water.

His heart pounded in his chest as he headed upstairs, but before he could make it, he heard voices coming from the library. "....I'm just telling you what I saw! We have to keep him happy so that it works!...well I'm ready to be rid of this damned place as well....." Jackson stopped, frowning a bit. Stepping back a little, he peeked in the room to see Mark and Lucas talking. "Well of course, think I like having to deal with it? The pain is worse every day, and he can't control it..."

Taking a hand, Jackson pushed the door open, his face clouding with anger. "Damned place?" he spat out, tossing down the tray that had held the food for Elena and him. "Perhaps you should just leave!" Jackson shouted, "perhaps you should just lock me away like a prisoner, or sedate me!" His chest was heaving slightly. "You think I don't hate it too!? You think I do this for fun?" Lucas and Mark's eyes were wide, and they both stumbled back. "No, sir, I....you have mistaken us..." Jackson roared and pushed over a chair, grabbing books off the shelves and began throwing them. "You should have killed me when I asked you to!"

[.Karma.]

Elena had unwrapped her hands and aching foot, taking a shower, making sure to be incredibly gentle with her wounds. As she showered, she couldn't wipe the silly grin off of her face. It had been along time since she had just allowed herself to have fun. In about 15 minutes she had finished. Realizing the only clean clothes she really had was the shirt he had left with her. It went about mid thigh on her, so she just shrugged and only wore that and underclothes she already had.

Humming softly, she limped about, looking over her room. She found an extra blanket in the closet, exactly what she was looking for! Spreading it out across the floor in front of the window, she threw some pillows down there to make their private picnic extra comfy.

It would probably take him a bit to clean the kitchen, so while she waited, she settled down with her sketchpad once again. Looking over her drawing from earlier. It was Jackson, with that terrifying angry look on his face. Quickly she turned it to a new page. This time she focused on the drawing, making sure to capture the beautiful smile he had, the boyish and fun glint in his eyes that she had seen earlier. Just as she was about finished and started to wonder where Jackson had gone and if maybe he had just decided to go to bed... she heard screaming.

Jumping off the bed, not thinking about what she was wearing, she raced out of the room -well as well as she could- and toward the screaming. When she got there she noticed cheese and apples on the floor along with a tray. Slowing down she approached with her limp, looking up and down Jackson and the men in the room with concerned eyes. "Jackson?" She had heard his last sentence, but didn't figure it was her place to say anything.

Elena did attempt though to get his attention off of the servants, hopefully able to calm him enough to at least stop screaming. It was quite frightening. "Jackson, I have the room set up upstairs..." She gave him a gentle smile, but her now unwrapped hands were yet again shaking as she held one out to him, hoping he would come along.

[Notty]

Jackson had pulled almost all the books off one shelf and thrown them across the room, slammed his fists into a table, and bloodied his knuckles. His eyes looked wild as Lucas and Mark stood before him, their hands out in front of them in an attempt to keep him at a distance, and to try and calm him.

"Please sir, no one wants that..." Mark said, swallowing hard. "We were simply talking, you know how we get with one glass of brandy..." Jackson growled and threw another book, his chest heaving. "You should have! You could be gone now! You'd be better off-" his voice cut short when he heard Elena, and he turned, that fiery look back in his eyes as he turned to her.

Jackson clenched his bloodied and bruised fists, looking at Elena. "I'll just hurt you..." he said, snarling a bit. His head pounded, his body felt like it was on fire. "Aren't you afraid of me?" Jackson asked, stalking towards her. "Aren't you afraid that I'll hurt you too?"

[.Karma.]

His words made her sad. Did he really think he was better off gone? Jackson had blown up on her several times now, but he did not deserve to be dead. There was something worth saving in there, behind all the anger he used to cover up his feelings. There was a beautiful man that she only got to see in glimpses. One that she was determined to see more of.

When he stalked toward her, she stood her ground. She wanted to back up, to retreat, but she did not. Her eyes meeting his fiery ones. She even took a wincing step forward to meet him. "Jackson, the only person you're hurting right now is yourself." Reaching out taking his bloodied hands in her own raw burnt ones. "Come now, we need to get these washed up." She gestured toward his hands and pulled him toward the door. Her heart was pounding, as she almost prayed to whoever was out there that this would work!

Her calm had it's limits and she didn't know how much more she could take. How much longer she could stay on this emotional roller coaster in one night.

[Notty]

This time, when Elena took Jackson's hands, he winced. She felt ice cold in comparison to his burning hot skin. He shifted, then his shoulders visibly relaxed, and he took in a sharp breath. As if he was suddenly aware of what he had been doing, Jackson's eyes dropped to the ground, refusing to look at Elena as she gently drew him out of the library.

Mark and Lucas looked at each other, both seemed to be shocked at how Elena had been able to get him out of the library, and without so much as a fight from him. "Are you thinking?...." Lucas whispered once Jackson and Elena had cleared the doorway. Mark nodded silently, his eyes wide as he watched them head down the hall. .

Jackson followed Elena, feeling foolish and embarrassed that he had made such a display of himself. Enough that she had heard him and come down. She had no business walking with her ankle in the shape that it was in. And it was all his fault. His hands clenched up a little once more, but soon relaxed. She's perfect. I...I've known her less than a day. And she's perfect. But....I scare her. I frighten her....how can I get her close enough to.....to love me?

[.Karma.]

Elena needed to take him far away from the other people in this house for now. His eyes once again had changed. He looked embarrassed, thoughtful. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. As they passed a bathroom in one of the halls, she stopped only for second to grab a few towels and wet them.

Then taking his hand again, she began to roam the halls, looking in doors to see where a good place to take him would be. Finally she found it. It was on the other end of the mansion and it was a beautiful ballroom. Her eyes widened at the beauty of it. Even in the dark, where the only thing that lit it up was the moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows. Those windows covered a span of the whole wall, a lake below, also reflecting the moon.

It was actually quite breath taking, but her focus was not on anything but him. Keeping the lights off, gently she limped over to a piano bench, sitting him down. She sat down next to him with the rags and began to dab at his knuckles ever so softly. She still hadn't figured out quite what to say. Nothing seemed right, she didn't know him well enough to know exactly what to say without upsetting him either.

So she just worked on his hand, and waited until she knew what she should say, or until he broke the silence.

[Notty]

Jackson followed Elena as she wandered around the house until they came to the ballroom. It had been...years since Jackson had been in here, but tonight seemed to be a fitting time to come here. Their footsteps echoed in the room as they walked over to the piano bench and sat down. While Elena gently tended to his bruised knuckles, Jackson stared out the window, embarrassed of what he had done.

Every now and then he would open his mouth, as if to speak, only to close it again, not entirely sure of what he should say. Finally, when Elena had finished, Jackson pulled his hands away, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles and wincing a bit. "You, uhm...you didn't have to do that.." Jackson whispered, keeping his gaze on the windows that stared out at the lake.

"Help me, I mean..." His gaze shifted over the windows, the moon high in the sky. Letting out a sigh, Jackson pushed his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. "We should get some sleep..." he said, figuring Elena probably didn't want to talk to him, let alone look at him again. "Here, I'll help you to your room..."

[.Karma.]

Sighing gently, she still didn't quite know what to say. Mulling words around in her head, she put her hand under his chin to turn his eyes to hers. Taking a deep breath, she gazed into those beautiful green eyes. "You're right. I didn't have to." A thumb crossed over his cheek bone gently with her raw hands.

She hoped it was insinuated that, she didn't have to, but she wanted to. She felt too many words spoken were wrong for the moment. Biting her lips, she turned to face the piano. It was another one of her passions, but one she had kept more hidden. Her father loved to play, and spent a lot of time trying to teach her. He was such a patient man.

As she pushed the keys she closed her eyes, letting her hands flow over the keys, her hurt ankle moving to push the pedal to make the music flow over the gorgeous hall. Nervously she opened her mouth and began to sing.

"When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse..." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY9b6jgbNyc)

Her voice got more confident the longer she sang, never once opening her eyes as she played.

[Notty]

Jackson allowed Elena to turn his face towards her, and he looked at her, his eyes scanning hers in the darkness of the ballroom. When she released him, he stood, thinking that perhaps she wanted to leave. But instead, she turned, facing the piano. As she began to play and sing, Jackson felt a lump grow in his throat, and he swallowed hard, turning away from her slightly. How was it that she knew exactly how he felt? How everyday he felt as though he went 1 step forward and 2 steps back?

Slowly he walked over to the window, putting his hands on the framing around it and stared out at the darkness. She shouldn't be so kind to him. It wasn't fair. He had been anything but kind to her. After a few moments, he turned and moved back, standing behind her as she played. Hesitantly, as if he was afraid that he would hurt her, Jackson let his hands rest on her shoulders as she played the piano.

Closing his eyes, he allowed to let the words sink into his soul, he could feel the energy, the passion that Elena held for this instrument, for the words that she sang. Stepping a little closer, Jackson let his fingers brush over the tops of her shoulders and then down her arms slightly. Clearing his throat as the song ended, Jackson swallowed, trying his best to ensure that his voice was level. "Elena..."

[.Karma.]

The words came from her heart, and when he put his hand on her shoulders. She didn't flinch away, but rather leaned into is touch. Turning on the bench to face him, looking up into his eyes.

Elena put her sore hands on his gently, rubbing softly. With a deep breath, she stood on her feet again, wrapping her arms around his neck for the second time that night. They probably should sleep, but first she wanted to give him this last reassuring hug. After a long while of holding him close, she lifted her legs from the floor.

"Take me to bed?" She whispered quietly, it had been a long day and she was hurting.

[Notty]

Jackson was surprised when she leaned into his touch, and even more so when she stood and turned, pulling her arms around his neck and drawing herself nearer to him. This time, it wasn't so awkward for him, and Jackson pulled his arms around her back, hugging her towards him. This time, it was different than before. He didn't feel as strange and alien to her. Jackson's eyes closed and he leaned his head down slightly, allowing his cheek to rest against the top of her head. She fit perfectly into his arms, and Jackson found that after some time, he quite enjoyed having her close.

Then she shifted, pulling her legs up, and Jackson responded. His hands went to her thighs, gently scooting her up and urging her to wrap her legs around his waist. "I've got you.." he whispered gently, holding her much like you would a small child, and he started from the ballroom, walking slowly towards her room. Jackson could feel his heart pounding against her chest as he walked, and he remained quiet in case she actually had fallen asleep.

Opening the door to her room, Jackson carried Elena in and moved to the side of the large bed. There, he leaned over, slowly releasing her onto the bed with a gentle bounce. Reaching over, he tugged back the blankets and pulled them over her, then gave her a small smile. "Goodnight, Elena.." he whispered before turning and disappearing into the hall.

[.Karma.]

Elena did fall asleep. In the comfort of his strong arms, by the time her reached her room, she was snoozing. As the blanket was pulled over her, she nestled into the soft bed, her eyes opening for just a moment giving him a soft smile before falling back into sleep. There were only a few pillows left on the bed, the rest were on the floor on top of the blanket she had set up for the picnic.

Elena slept all the way til morning, no tossing or turning. Just heavy uninterrupted sleep. When she finally did wake up, she saw the sun pouring in the windows, and stretched her sore arms upward. Kicking the blankets off of herself, she turned her body, placing her feet on the floor. Her ankle didn't hurt near as much this morning. Seems like all it needed was a bit of rest.

Now there was the issue of clothes. Seems most of the staff had seen her like this by now, with just a button up shirt on. So she felt she had no reason to be embarrassed now. Shuffling into the bathroom, she grabbed a hair tie and threw her hair up in a messy bun and shuffled out of her room.

Coffee. Then clothes. She wasn't much of a morning person and was even less so without her cup of java... or a few cups. Elena made her way into the kitchen, her limp only slight now, looking around. "Hello, is there any coffee round here?" Her voice was not pleasant, but not angry either. She just wanted coffee.

[Notty]

Jackson headed back to his room and tried to sleep. But for the majority of the night he tossed and turned, staring up at the ceiling, his mind completely consumed by Elena and what all had happened that day. When morning finally did come, he showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain gray tshirt.

Heading down to the kitchen, Jackson settled into one of the chairs at the counter and smiled to Mrs. Emerson. "Good morning," he murmured, looking at her and grabbing an apple. Taking a bite, he glanced to the door and then to Mrs. Emerson. "Well you seem to be in a good mood today," Mrs. Emerson said, her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Jackson.

"I feel....different this morning," Jackson said before taking a bite of his apple. Mrs. Emerson smiled and poured him a cup of coffee. "Well, I certainly hope that today you and Elena can spend some more time together." Jackson nodded, wanting this as well. "Have you considered getting some things for her, to make her more comfortable here? She may want some clothes, books..." Jackson's eyes widened as if the thought never occurred to him. "Will you help me with that, Mrs-" but then the door swung open and Elena stepped in. Giving him a nod of approval, Mrs. Emerson turned to Elena with a chuckle. "I can get you some coffee dear, don't you worry..."

[.Karma.]

Elena mumbled a "thank you" as she moved to the fridge to grab milk out to put in the coffee. She needed it just to cool it down a bit. She was not patient when it came to drinking her coffee.

Flopping down next to Jackson, she took note of his happier demeanor. Stupid morning people. No more words were said as she drank her coffee, until the very last drop. "Another, please?" Her voice was a bit more cheery, pushing stray pieces of hair back into her crazy mess of hair.

"Jackson, I'm not sure if there is a way or not, but I could really use some clothes? This is all I have." She gestured to the shirt and her lack of pants with a little smirk. "Maybe this is what you would like me in all the time, but it doesn't seem very practical."

Taking another cup of coffee, she poured the milk in before taking a drink and returning the milk to the fridge.

[Notty]

Jackson couldn't help but smile a little bit at Elena in the morning, and he sat in silence, sipping his own coffee while she finished hers. Mrs. Emerson moved quietly around, making two omelettes and some fruit salad, then dishing it out onto plates for Jackson and Elena. Pushing the plates towards the two, she smiled and nodded to Jackson, then turned and headed out of the kitchen.

When she mentioned that perhaps Jackson would like her in only one of his shirts, his eyes widened a bit and he turned back to his coffee, taking a long sip and then swallowing it. "I...no, I mean...not that I wouldn't..." he grumbled and sunk down in his chair a little, blushing. "That's not what I mean, I meant to say that I think that we can...we can take care of that, if you'd like..."

Coughing a little, Jackson picked up his fork and began to eat, not wanting to look at Elena after bumbling over his words like he had. For a few minutes he ate in silence, then glanced sideways over to her. "If you want....after we eat, you can uhm, we can get you some. Mrs Emerson sews... For now you can...you can borrow some from me, if you, erm, want..."

[.Karma.]

As he stumbled for words she couldn't help but lean her head back and laugh. "I was joking, Jackson." leaning over she kissed his cheek. She was satisfied with his answers. She didn't mind wearing some of his clothes until some could be acquired for her.

"Oh hey! Good job cleaning up this kitchen!" She smiled, running her finger over the counter and checking it. "It passes the Elena check." She winked, taking a bite of her omelette. Oh my god, she was starving. They never did end up having anything to eat last night. It had been a crazy one for sure.

It didn't take long before she finished her food, standing up and walking to the sink. Running some water and putting some soap in she began to wash her dish. "Are you finished?" She glanced over her shoulder, hinting that she would wash his dish too.

[Notty]

Jackson finished the last bit of his omelette and stood, stretching a little as he carried his plate over to the sink. "Thanks.." he murmured, his cheek still heated from where she had kissed him. Were all people so....forward with their affection? Perhaps Jackson had been starved of affection for so long, that he forgot what it was like.

Standing near her, he watched as she washed the dishes, and then he grabbed them, drying them before putting them away. Every time that his hand brushed hers, Jackson couldn't help but smile, his eyes always trying to catch hers. Elena really was beautiful, and he was a bit frustrated with himself that he had allowed yesterday to get so...emotional.

Once finished, he dried his hands and poured himself another cup of coffee. "Here, you want me to...to show you around the house a little?" he asked, looking to Elena. "Just so you, uhm, know where everything is..."

[.Karma.]

Elena smiled as he dried and put away. It had been one day and they were already acting like a little couple. "Yes, I would love to look around. This home is truly beautiful." She smiled and dried her hands tenderly, the burns still quite evident on her hands. "Let's get me some pants first? Or at least some boxers or something." She laughed.

She followed him through the house as she had no idea where his room was, or if he was even taking her there. Stopping in the hallway looking at a painting, she turned to him. "You know if I was able to get some paint, or find a way to make some, I could paint something for the house." She liked the idea of contributing this beautiful home, but wasn't sure if she'd even be able to make the paint.

She walked slowly, not because of her limp because she was trying to take it all in. She hadn't had a lot of chance yesterday and this was amazing. "Where is your room?" She said out of curiosity. Still slowly looking, sometimes randomly spinning around to get better or second views of things.

[Notty]

Jackson couldn't help but smile a little as Elena spun around, trying to take everything in. He showed her the library, the dining hall, the large office, the parlor. The ballroom from the previous night. There were several large rooms that just sat empty. One corner of the house, however, he hadn't taken her to.

"My room?" he murmured, furrowing his brow a little as he looked at her. "No," Jackson answered rather sharply. "No. You don't need to see it....nothing of importance..." he mumble, shifting between her and the doorway that led to his rooms. Jackson cleared his throat a little and looked to Elena. "You just...stay there..." he said, then turned and darted into his room.

It was large and expansive, a big sitting room which he used as an office and library, which then led to his bedroom and bathroom. In the middle of the office sat an old, almost untouched table. There, atop it, sat the enchanted rose. And beside it, a simple looking mirror.

Jackson hurried into his bedroom and grabbed a couple pairs of pajama pants and tshirts that Elena could wear until Mrs. Emerson had a chance to sew something that would fit her. Once back outside, he closed the door firmly behind him and held the clothes out to Elena with a small smile. "Here, they may be a bit big, but...it'll do for now."

[.Karma.]

The "No" answer was kind of sharp, but the anger didn't seem to escalate so she shrugged it off in her mind. It did make her curious though, he had been in her room. What was so secretive about his. What was it that she couldn't see? When he went in to find clothes, she tried to nonchalantly peak inside, but he didn't give her much chance.

When he brought her out clothes, she immediately put on a pair of the pants, pulling the strings tight so they didn't fall off of her. Even though the legs were awful long. Briefly she considered changing her shirt right there as well, just to hear him stumble on his words again, but decided against it. That would just be plain mean.

"Maybe we can have that picnic for lunch. I am damned determined." She laughed, she wanted to see the garden, she wanted to see the sunshine and feel the fresh air, even if it she was stuck inside those gates that might as well be prison bars.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled a bit as she tugged the pants on, and then nodded. "We can see the garden now, if you wish.." he said, looking to her and then leading her outside into the sunshine. They enjoyed a walk around the lake and the gardens, in which Jackson only got mad twice- once because he tripped over a rock, and the second time, because he had gotten so embarrassed at tripping over a rock.

The next week passed quite peacefully. More peaceful than the house had been in a long time. Yes, there were still outbursts, but Elena seemed to be able to calm him down each and every time. The two had grown closer over the week, and rarely one was seen without the other. Mrs. Emerson had managed to sew Elena several new outfits so she no longer had to wear Jackson's clothes. Jackson had even managed to get her favorite pencil back from Reg, along with several paints and paintbrushes.

It was dreary when Jackson awoke that morning, but he seemed to be in a cheerful mood despite the weather. He had been planning this for a few days now. Tonight, he would cook dinner for Elena. It would be romantic, there would be music and candles, and with any luck, by midnight the curse would be broken. He liked her, more than any other person in the world. That should be enough, right?

[.Karma.]

The week had been good. It had it's down moment, but she was truly learning how to quell his anger, and she felt that he was getting angry less often. She had paint and her pencil, she felt like she actually had a family, sometimes she hardly realized that she was stuck here. Although there were some days where her loss of freedom still hit her.

Elena had actually woke up that morning quite cheery. Jackson had a surprise for her tonight! He had told her to be at dinner at five o' clock. She had even been able to get Ms. Emerson to secretly make her a dress! Her and Jackson had a routine now. They had breakfast together. Washed their dishes. Then often they would separate for a bit and meet back up for a picnic lunch. Yes! She had finally got her picnics. Then usually they lounged around and talked for awhile in the afternoons, or she would help Ms. Emerson with some of her duties, while Jackson did god knows what in that secret room of his.

The day went as normal until lunch, but after that Jackson needed time to himself, and she couldn't help but be giddy with excitement, it had kept her up some last night. What could she do until then? She didn't want to just sit and watch the clock!

Finally she decided that she would take her sketch book outside by the lake and draw. It was peaceful out there. There was a spot behind a tall tree that was surrounded by tall flowers and leaves that she absolutely adored. The spot brought her comfort. If she laid down, sometimes she couldn't even see the gates that held her in.

[Notty]

Jackson had gently shooed Elena away after lunch, and had returned to the kitchen. Mrs. Emerson had left out a recipe for him for some baked chicken and roasted vegetables. It's one of the easiest recipes dear, you can't go wrong with it... she had said to him. Feeling somewhat sure of himself, Jackson set to work.

At first, all went well. He cut and seasoned the chicken, then put it in the oven. Afterwards he worked on the vegetables, putting them in after the chicken. While they were both cooking, he headed into the dining room, setting the table, putting out hundreds of candles, and dozens of bouquets of fresh flowers that Mrs. Emerson had picked that morning while they were eating breakfast.

Everything would be perfect. Tonight was the night that the curse would be lifted. Jackson was certain of it. How could it not be? He cared for Elena, his anger was getting better- that had to mean that the power of the curse was weakening. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was nearly 4:15. Hurrying upstairs, he changed into a dark grey suit with a pale gray vest underneath. His heart pounded in his chest as he headed back downstairs.

He had hardly reached the bottom stair, when his nose told him that something was not right. Throwing open the door to the kitchen, the oven was billowing smoke. Growling in frustration, Jackson threw open the oven and with a towel, pulled out the now charred chicken and vegetables. "No!" He growled in anger, looking up at the clock. 4:45. There's no way I can fix this! I've ruined it! he thought to himself, feeling his anger begin to rise. Immediately he turned, throwing open the refrigerator, desperate to find something that he could have ready in about 10 minutes. Tonight had to be perfect. It just had to.

[.Karma.]

Elena breathed deeply, taking in the smell of the tall flowers around her. Sometimes it felt so good to be outside in touch with nature. It was definitely relaxing. Laying on her back, she looked up at the tree above her and the sky in between the branches.

Pencil gliding along the paper, she tried to capture the clouds and the leaves. She drew every broken branch, the bird's nest, everything her keen eyes could see. The longer she lay there though, the heavier her eyes became. There was several times that she jolted awake and sent a long dark pencil line across the paper.

She would just finish this one drawing, then she would go inside and start getting ready! She smiled again as she made a few more strokes with her pencil before dozing off again in the tall grass and flowers, it was just so hard to stay awake, it was so quiet and peaceful in this obscure part of the property that she had found. Her eyes... they were just... so... heavy...

[Notty]

Jackson stormed around the kitchen, knocking the pan off onto the floor that held the chicken and the other that held the vegetables. The burnt pieces skidded across the ground. "Ruined!" he shouted, knocking some silverware and plates off the counter as well. "It's all ruined!"

Taking a deep breath, Jackson tried to calm himself. Maybe he could still try and patch up this evening. He stepped into the dining room and waited. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was just about 5:00. "She will be here in just a minute, and everything will be all right..." he murmured to himself. But time ticked on, and Elena didn't come.

5:03. 5:08. 5:17.

Jackson's fists clenched and unclenched. "Where is she?" He growled, going to look out the window, and then opening the door and looking out that as well. Did she not want to eat with him? That wasn't like her. Things had been going so well....

His eyes widened and he pushed open the door of the dining room and darted up the stairs towards her room. Maybe something had happened. Maybe she had gotten sick, or fallen. He knocked once. Twice. Three times on her door, but no answer came. Opening it up, he saw that her room was empty.

Now he was really starting to panic. Where was she?! "Elena!" he called out, starting down the halls. "Elena? Is everything okay? Where are you?" The longer her searched, and the longer he went without a response from her, the more nervous he became. Had she tried to run away? Where had she gone? Anger and fear burned inside him, his face feeling like it was on fire, his hands still clenched tightly. "Elena!"

[.Karma.]

Elena stretched, her arm hitting something. Her eyes fluttered open as it touched it again. What was that? A tree? Shooting up off the ground, she grabbed her sketchpad and pencil that had fallen to the side when she had fallen asleep. At a full speed run, she ran for the house. The sun was already setting. It had to have been six o'clock or later.

She cussed herself the whole way, she had been looking forward to this surprise. She had been so freaking excited, and she had fallen asleep. Why had they not come to wake her up when she didn't show? Maybe they couldn't find her? They were probably terrified. She felt so terrible.

Bursting through the door, she tossed her pad and pencil to the side, running up the stairs. "Jackson?" She was trying to catch her breath as she beelined for the dining room. Her clothes were covered in grass and her hair was a mess, but she didn't care, maybe she could still salvage this.

[Notty]

Jackson was standing at the window in the dining room. Behind him was a disaster. He had completely overturned the table, the candles were everywhere. Dishes and wine glasses were shattered on the floor, the flowers strewn about. He had worked so hard to make sure that everything was perfect, and she didn't come. But more than that, he had no idea where she was. He was terrified.

Hearing her voice and the door fly open, Jackson turned to look at her. Relief crossed his face briefly, only to be replaced by anger. "Elena! Where the hell have you been?" He shouted, starting to cross the room towards her. "I've been worried sick that something happened to you, we couldn't find you..."

[.Karma.]

Trying to catch her breath still, she furrowed her eyebrows a bit when he originally yelled asking her whereabouts. "I fell asleep drawing!" At first it sounded defensive, but she truly did feel awful. "I'm sorry, Jackson..."

Stepping over plates and candles, it looked like he had tried really hard to make it beautiful and she had ruined it. "We can still have dinner together..." She reached out toward him, but she wasn't sure how he would feel about her touching him at the moment. She was not sure that she had ever seen this kind of anger in him. It was a little scary.

Finally catching her breath, she tried to break the ice further. "I can show you the picture I drew?" She didn't share a lot of her art, for some reason it felt personal to her, maybe because of the emotions she put into it. But she really wanted to make things better.

[Notty]

Jackson took a slight step back, shoving over a chair. "Elena! I was...I thought....how could you do this?!" he shrieked, feeling himself losing control. "You knew what tonight was! You knew how much it meant to me! How could you do this?!"

He shook his head and looked away, then roared in anger as he knocked over another small table nearby, causing the bottles of wine that had sat on it to shatter onto the floor, leaking out all around them. "I didn't know where you were! I didn't know where to find you, or if you were hurt or sick!" He shrieked, continuing on his rampage of destroying the room. "I did this for you, and you didn't come!"

[.Karma.]

Elena felt her own anger start to rise. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She had been looking forward to it too. If he was so worried, why hadn't he searched harder? As things shattered around her, she flinched, backing away a little. Every step she stepped on other broken things.

"Yes, Jackson, lets break shit like a child." Picking up a plate that was unbroken and throwing it against the wall. "Let's just throw shit around because I fell asleep, Jackson." She kicked some of the rubble in anger. Her own anger was not specifically at him, but at herself too. She had been excited for days about this only for her to fall asleep and enter to a destroyed dining room.

Well, she had been surprised all right. Her blue eyes sparked with anger right back at him, her hands shaking, trying to push down the guilt for adding to the mess.

[Notty]

"So now I'm a child?" he growled, moving towards her. He stood near her, his eyes raging, his fists clenched at his sides. Jackson's chest rose and fell quickly, overwhelmed with frustration and anger. Letting out a growl, Jackson moved past her, slamming the door, and headed up towards his room.

Mrs. Emerson was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, peering out at the scene that had unfurled. She knew how much this had meant to Jackson, how excited he had been. And it hurt her to see him so...broken. It had been years since she had seen him so excited about anything. And while she knew it wasn't Elena's fault, she couldn't help but feel sad about the whole situation.

[.Karma.]

Elena just watched him storm out. She didn't follow, she didn't try to comfort. When she heard the door slam, she allowed the tears to fall. Her eyes wandered around the room and slowly she started to pick up broken glass. Leaning down she gathered a bunch of big pieces in her shirt.

Moving to throw them in a trash can nearby, and then picking up some more, angrily throwing them in the trash. Mumbles to herself could be heard through angry tears as she tried to clean up the majority of the mess that Jackson had made. She continued to clean until really all that was left was for things to be swept and mopped. At least that was all she had left for Ms. Emerson.

After she finished, she stormed out of the dining room, up to her room and slammed the door behind her with a loud bang. Locking the door behind her. He could just be angry. She didn't care. What about her anger? What about her feelings in this house. Let's just all tiptoe around Jackson, poor Jackson got cursed cause he's an asshole. She continued to rant in her head.

Turning on a hot shower, she took off her clothes and climbed inside. Letting the water scald her skin. Let the anger and hurt run off into the drain.

[Notty]

Jackson was standing at the small table in the middle of his office, the petals of the rose still continuing to drop. "Of course..." he growled, "of course. Tonight was supposed to be the end of you, but now it seems it'll never happen..." Picking up the small mirror beside, he spoke. "Show me the girl."

The mirror flashed to life, showing Elena hurrying up the stairs and then slamming her door, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jackson growled and slammed the mirror down on the table, the image sputtering out and then fading. "Does she not know what this means?! If this doesn't work! Why is she being so ridiculous! All I asked for was one evening, one evening!"

For the next few hours Jackson fumed in his room. Turning over furniture, throwing books, pacing back and forth. His anger only continued to stew inside him. She was gone, and I didn't know where to find her....

[.Karma.]

Elena couldn't sleep. The anger had seeped away to some extent, but she just tossed and turned. Probably had been the accidental nap she took. She was hurt, hadn't he realized how much it meant to her too?

She had accepted every single one of his apologies. Every. Single. One. But she was not granted the same. All she received was his anger in return. Anger that she had helped him calm so many times. Not this time. She had tried to say she was sorry. Elena had not meant to hurt him!

Guilt. That was guilt. She wasn't just feeling hurt. She felt guilty for something she hadn't meant to do. Pushing the blankets back, she pulled on a pair of pajama pants that Jackson had given her. She still wore them at night. They felt special. Quietly, she slipped from the rain, making sure to shut her door quietly. Making her way to the other end of the mansion.

She opened the door to the glorious ball room, taking a deep breath, she moved over to the piano. Running a finger along it before sitting down on the bench. Her fingers touched the keys, but didn't push down. Moving her hands to a different position she closed her eyes. Slowly her hands pushed down on the keys, a steady rhythm as her hands flowed, her emotions powering through her fingers

"Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'll be the one, if you want me to
Anywhere, I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I am feeling so small
It was over my head
I know nothing at all" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds)

As she sang, tears flowed down her face, her voice choked with tears. But that didn't stop her. She kept singing and playing, letting out her feelings that she felt she all to often held in.

[Notty]

Jackson seemed content for now to stop throwing things, and he simply stood in the wreckage of his room, staring out the window. Lightning could be seen flashing in the clouds above, heavy and laden with rain, but so far, no rain or thunder. Thinking that he heard something, Jackson tilted his head slightly and furrowed his brow. No, this time he was certain that he heard something.

Stepping out of his room, he could now hear it clearly. The piano. "She can't sleep either..." he murmured to himself, slowly moving down the hall towards the ballroom. His bare feet moved silently over the carpeted floors, and he stopped just outside the door to the ballroom.

....I'll be the one if you want me to. Anywhere I would have followed you....

Jackson swallowed hard, hearing the emotion in Elena's voice. He knew she was crying. And...and suddenly he realized that maybe it wasn't her fault. Maybe it had been an accident. His hand reached for the door and he turned the knob slowly, not wanting to startle her.

Every now and then, as the lightning flashed, Jackson could see Elena illuminated before the piano. He could see the tears on her cheeks, and the ones that had fallen down and landed on the piano keys. Slowly, carefully, he made his way into the ballroom. He wanted so badly to stand behind her, as he had done before. To touch her, to feel the life that moved through her as she played the piano, but he feared that this time, she wouldn't want him. So he kept his distance, his eyes fixed on her as she played and sang. It was his turn to apologize. It was his turn to make things right.

[.Karma.]

She hadn't heard Jackson come in, lost in her own feelings in the song. Right before the song ended, her hand dropped on the keys, letting out loud strange notes. Her elbows falling on them, causing strange discord to run through the the ballroom. Her head falling onto arms as she just laid there on the keys, letting out the sobs.

Jackson and her obviously cared about each other. Why did it have to be so hard for them? She was no longer angry, truly she just wanted to have his arms around her right now. To feel his warm embrace. His gentle touch. To see the tenderness in his eyes, to feel his heart pound against her own chest.

Lifting her head from the keys, she wiped her eyes. Standing up from the piano, another flash of lightening illuminated the room. That's when she noticed the familiar figure. Relief washed over her, the sobs rising back up from inside her.

She didn't care if he was still angry or not. Elena pushed the bench back, knocking it over, but she did not care. She ran toward Jackson. Running straight into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, just like the last time they were in this room together.

[Notty]

Jackson watched as she continued to play, then his brow furrowed as her fingers seemed to slip, the notes ringing out in the room rather awkwardly. But when she laid her head down in her arms to cry, something inside Jackson seemed to break. He stepped forward a little bit more, not wanting to frighten her.

How do I do this? What do I say? How can I even begin to tell her how sorry I am? How worried I was that something had happened to her? But before he could open his mouth to speak, Elena had leaned up, her eyes catching him in the flash of light.

Hearing the sobs begin again, Jackson pushed himself forward towards her, catching her in his arms and held her close to him. One arm wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to himself, the other cradled the back of her head, allowing her to cry against his chest as he held her.

"It's okay...." he whispered, his own voice thick with emotion, swallowing hard as he continued to speak. "It's okay, Elena, I was...I was worried..." his face tilted down to be near hers, and he kissed the top of her head. "I was scared something had happened..." His lips pressed to her temple now, then to her cheekbone, her tears now wetting his lips. "I'm sorry Elena..." Jackson whispered, gently tilting her head up towards his. Without thinking of the consequences, Jackson leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

[.Karma.]

In between his words, her words came out in ugly sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Jackson. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." His arms around her felt so comforting, like somehow this was just where she was meant to be. When he lifted her face, she gazed into eyes, but hadn't been expecting his lips to meet hers.

Passion rolled through her, every emotion, every fear, every hurt, all the care she had for him, how sorry she felt. All poured into that one kiss. Her tongue grazed against his lips softly, her body pushing up against his. Raising her legs, just like she had done before, Elena wrapped her legs around him, never doubting that he would hold her. Her nails grazed softly along the back of his neck.

Jackson was holding her just like their first experience here, but this time it was much much different. There was a passion, a desire that was not here before. Even with tears pouring down her face, the need and thirst for each other was tangible.

[Notty]

Feeling her legs wrap around his waist, Jackson reached down with one hand to hold her thigh, while the other still held the back of her head, kissing her deeply. A soft moan escaped his lips as he regretfully broke the kiss, his forehead resting against Elena's. As her nails grazed along the back of his neck, he shivered, pulling her even closer.

"Elena..." he whispered, pressing his lips to her again briefly. "Elena..." He pulled her a little tighter against him, feeling their hearts beating together. "I....I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have...but I was worried...and now..." he swallowed hard, kissing her again. Surely she knew how he felt. Surely she could tell how badly he wanted her.

But then his brow furrowed a little, what if she didn't want him too? Shaking his head and the questions away, he kissed her again. "Let me take you back to bed..." he whispered against her lips, turning to start out of the room. "Let me..." he whispered, holding her close.

[.Karma.]

As his forehead rested on hers, she breathed heavily, gripping onto him as if he was her only saving grace. "I know..." She kissed him back each time. "I know..." Her hands ran over his face, stroking his cheeks gently with her thumb. "Shhh. It's okay.."

He mentioned taking her to bed, and honestly, she would have let him take her right here in the ballroom. But as he began to carry her, she whispered. "Yes, take me to bed..." All the way up the stairs, she kissed at his neck, her nails scraping down his chest a bit, then kissing up to his lips and down the other side of his neck.

When they made it to the room, she released her hands for a moment, to slam the door behind them. She felt the soft bed underneath her, but she refused to let him leave her there. Elena locked her legs around him, pulling him down to the bed with her. Pulling his lips to hers in another passionate embrace, her desire evident.

[Notty]

Jackson let out a soft laugh as she pulled him down onto the bed with her, his hands trailing and tracing over her skin. "Elena...." He whispered, kissing her deeply several times, his chest heaving as he tried to make sense of all that was going on. Should he even try to make sense? He kissed her, the Lightning flashing and thunder rumbling as Jackson lost himself in Elena.

Blankets were jumbled and strewn across the bed, as Jackson pulled Elena towards himself, kissing her forehead slightly as he let out a soft sigh of contentment. He had awoken, but it was still dark out. His fingers drug up her back, teasing her bare skin as he pulled her a little closer. "Elena..." He whispered, kissing her temple again. "Thank you for saving me..." He whispered, not sure if she was even awake or not, but it didn't matter. He was happy, incredibly happy.

[.Karma.]

As his fingers went up her spine, Elena's blue eyes fluttered open. Gazing into his green ones for a moment. "...and you me..." In her sleepy state, she didn't really fully grasp the meaning of his words and before he could say anything else, she nuzzled back into his chest.

In moments she was was fast asleep again, her cheek against the skin on his chest, listening to his stead heartbeat. It wasn't long though until it was her that was disturbing their slumber. Her body tossing and turning in the sheets. Her eyes were still closed in sleep, but her movements became frantic as if she was gagging.

She couldn't breathe, she was trapped. Water was entering her mouth and nose. There was no holding her breath anymore and it was full with water. Her father reached out for her. Suddenly she could breathe and she was screaming "No! NO!" Gasping for air.

It was always the nightmares that she didn't wake up from. The good dreams were always interrupted.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled and kissed her forehead again before holding her against his chest, his fingers dragging up and down her arm as he began to drift back to sleep. He slept soundly for a while, until Elena began moving. At first, he thought that she was simply shifting around to get comfortable, but then she began thrashing more and more. Finally, he opened his eyes, looking at her. Elena looked like she was fearful, terrified as she slept, and Jackson reached over to touch her.

"Elena..." he murmured, gently nudging her in an attempt to wake her up. "Elena, sweetheart, it's just a dream..." he murmured, brushing some hair from her face. "You're here with me, you're safe..." Jackson frowned, feeling incredibly helpless as Elena dreamt. If there was a way that he would be able to take those bad dreams away from her...

[.Karma.]

Elena woke with a start, sitting up in the bed, looking around holding her chest. Her breath was heaving as she looked at her surroundings. She was still home...err in Jackson's home. Turning to him she gave him a small smile, trying to just smooth it over. "Sorry about that..."

Please don't be mad, she pleaded with her eyes. Anger was not what she needed after one of those dreams. Pushing her hair out of her face. She took another deep breath, her gaze moving from him to out the window. It had to be near dawn now. Maybe she should just get up. But she didn't really want to. She wanted to stay nestled up with Jackson. It just felt so right.

[Notty]

Jackson jumped slightly as she jolted up, and his hand moved to her thigh, gently pulling her closer to him. He reached up to pull her head against his chest, letting her lay across him as he held her. "Is everything okay?" he whispered, kissing the top of her head and stroking her arm.

Then his brow furrowed. I'm not angry. I don't feel...the least bit of anger inside of me. Maybe...maybe it worked! He smiled a little and kissed the top of her head again. Later....later. Right now, this is where I belong...

Reaching down with one hand, the other still around her, he pulled the blanket over them and snuggled closer to her. "You're okay here, you're safe..." he whispered, his voice gentle and calm, pressing kisses to her forehead and temple as he held her. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

[.Karma.]

Every touch, every sound of his voice was soothing. Kissing his chest gently, she laid across him. Slowly her heart slowed down to match the beating of his own, and her breath leveled out. Clearing her throat a little before she spoke.

"My parents died in a car accident when I was young. We were driving in the fog, and ended up going off the side of a bridge..." Clearing her throat again, she began to run her finger of his chest in little swirls to kind of distract herself. "...you'd be amazed at how fast a car fills up with water. I remember knowing I was going to die. But as everything went black... My dad pushed me through his partially open window. He had tried to open the doors and break that window a few times. But underwater everything is different..."

She was giving needless information now. Surely he didn't want this huge sob story. It was over now. Nothing she could do to save it. "Well, anyways," She swallowed. "I lived, and they died. I just sometimes have dreams of being in that car is all.." She shrugged looking down at his chest, her finger still running over his chest in no specific pattern.

[Notty]

Jackson's fingers played designs across her back as she spoke, and his brow furrowed, concern and sadness crossing his face. "Elena..." he whispered, reaching down with one hand to push back her hair gently. "I'm....I'm so sorry..Elena, I wish..." his lips gently pressed against hers, then he rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispered, gently nudging her nose with his own, then taking in a deep breath. "I wish I could take it away.." Jackson murmured, his fingers pushing through her hair, and then curling the ends slightly. "I wish you never had to feel that pain again.."

He shifted underneath her, and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly and holding for a long time. Jackson wasn't entirely sure of what else to say. How could he apologize or make amends for her losing her parents as a child? Would he have behaved differently if he had known that? He couldn't say, but he did know, that from now on, things would be very different.

[.Karma.]

"You don't have to be sorry. We all go through pain. It's how we handle it that makes us who we are..." She gave him a gentle smile, feeling better as his fingers ran through her hair. Her lips meeting his when they touched hers. This tenderness, this side of Jackson, this is why she gave him another chance every time he had an outburst. Is this something she could do forever though?

There were moments of doubt, but for now, she was content in his arms. She didn't end up falling back to sleep, but when the sun started to show over the horizon, she leaned up and kissed his lips softly. "Come on, lets go shower." She kissed him again before pushing the blankets off of them, grabbing his hand and slowly making their way off of the bed and toward the shower.

[Notty]

Jackson held her there, nodding off a few times, but never truly falling back to sleep. He felt her begin to move, climbing from the bed and pulling the blankets off of them. He grinned, looking at her as she grabbed his hand and gently led him towards the bathroom. Each chance he could get, Jackson leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her jaw or shoulder, laughing softly as they fumbled with turning on the shower and then climbing inside.

When they emerged from the bathroom, Jackson had a towel around his waist, and stopped just outside the bathroom door, a smile growing across his face. There, beside the bed, was set up a table. On the table was a tray, filled with fruits, juice, coffee, two omelettes, bacon and toast. His eyes glanced back to Elena and he couldn't help but laugh. "I think someone wishes us to stay in a little longer..."

[.Karma.]

Elena laughed as she poked her head around the corner when she heard his voice. She was just finishing putting her hair in a ponytail, and hadn't noticed until he spoke. "Well she certainly doesn't miss a thing, does she?" Tying her robe around her, she smiled sweetly at him as she grabbed up the coffee.

"Would you like a cup?" She poured herself a cup of coffee, picking up some milk from another tray and pouring it in. Picking up a piece of bacon she put that in her mouth too. "Someday, I'm going to put a piano in here. So I can look out over the garden and play." She gestured toward the garden. From here she could barely see the place she had fallen asleep yesterday behind the tree.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled and kissed the top of her head as she sat on the edge of the bed, munching her bacon. He reached over and poured a cup of coffee for himself, sipping it as he sat down near her, grabbing some grapes to eat, and a few to feed her. When she mentioned a piano, Jackson smiled even more. "You wouldn't have to stay in here, you know. There are other rooms, bigger ones if we wanted to....to share..."

Immediately Jackson looked down at his piece of toast and took another bite, suddenly embarrassed by what he had said. What would Elena think of the idea? Would she even want to share it with him? It was stupid of him to ask, they had just had one night....but....but certainly she felt something, right? It seemed like she did...

Mrs. Emerson smiled and nodded to Mark and Lucas as she passed them on the way to the kitchen. "Well everything seems to be going as well as it could be.." she smiled, starting to clean up from making breakfast. "That was a good call, Mark, to make them breakfast. Leave the lovebirds cooped up a little bit longer together. Certainly it has to work, right?"

[.Karma.]

Elena smiled as he kissed her head. Chomping on her bacon. It felt good to not have to get up. It also felt good to feel this close to him. The way his eyes lit up, the way he smiled. It was beautiful. Absolutely perfect. Smiling back, she got up for another cup of coffee, moving to look out the window at the garden again.

Move into a room with him? I mean where would she go when they argued? It was kind of a big step, she didn't think she'd mind, but it still made her a bit nervous. "I mean, if I did, why couldn't I just move to your room? It seems huge!" She didn't see the reason to move both of their things when one could just be moved.

She would miss the view of her room, and it had some memories here. It was hard not to worry about his anger, if they stayed in a room together. What if she didn't put the lid on the toothpaste? What if he was irritable and she hadn't cleaned up after herself?

Biting her lip, she looked up into his eyes before a smile spread across her lips. "I'd be willing to try!" There was no way to know how it would turn out unless she gave it a chance. Elena always wanted to give him the chance to do things right, not just be waiting for him to do wrong. That wasn't fair.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her side and her hip as she stood and then headed over to the window. His eyes followed her, still completely in awe that he felt...calm today. Cool and collected. Jackson shifted a little and sat back on the bed, his brow furrowing a little when she mentioned his room.

"Oh, no, no...it's....it needs a lot of repairs, and it...it just isn't as nice as this one...." he said, trying to smooth things over. Truth was, he didn't want her in his room. The rose was there, and the mirror. If anyone so much as touched the rose, it would wither and die- taking Jackson along with it.

But when she mentioned that she was willing to try, Jackson's face brightened back up, and he stood, moving over to the window and standing behind Elena, pulling his arms around her. "Really? Really you'd want to try?" he asked, rubbing her hips and kissing her shoulder. "I'd love that so much, and there's plenty of space here...maybe later we can go pick out a room?" he grinned, more excited than he had been in a long time.

[.Karma.]

Laughing out loud at his excitement she nodded. They could make new memories in their new room certainly. But this one did hold a nostalgia for her, which was crazy since she hadn't actually been here that long.

That boyish excitement though. That glint in his eye of pure happiness, the smile across his face. How could she resist. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his lips lightly. Then again, and again, and again. Showering his lips with small playful kisses.

"Lets get dressed and find us a room then!" She didn't quite understand his absolutely happy state, yes they had a wonderful night together, after one of the worst fights they had ever had. But he seemed absolutely elated. She was not going to question it though, just enjoy it.

[Notty]

Jackson grinned and picked her up, returning every kiss as he spun her around, laughing happily. "You're perfect, Elena.." he whispered against her lips as he set her back down on the ground, his fingers gently pushing up and into her hair, tangling in it slightly before he kissed her deeply. "Elena...my Elena..." he murmured against her lips, smiling.

"Well then, let's get dressed..." he grinned, glancing back to the clothes he was wearing the previous night. "Looks like this is what I get," he chuckled, tugging on the pajama pants and gray tshirt he had been wearing. Reaching a hand up, he ran it through his hair and sighed contentedly, happier than he had been in..probably his entire life.

He sat on the edge of the bed while he waited for Elena to get dressed, sipping the rest of his coffee and eating a banana, glancing over to Elena every now and then as she dressed. He fully planned on going and trying the gate later. He wasn't angry, so certainly the curse was broken, right?

[.Karma.]

Elena held on as she was spun around, blushing when he told her she was perfect. She was far from perfect, she was just a girl who liked to draw. She gazed into his eyes a bit when he tangled his fingers in her hair, God she loved when he did that. Like there was nothing more important in the world than her.

Were they going to fast though? She tried to push the doubt away, but it was hard for part of her not to think that maybe his feelings weren't completely genuine, she was just the only person here. What if he had options, would he still choose her? It shouldn't matter. Here they were now. Did everyone have these doubts after a night of passion? This had been her first so she didn't really know.

Shut up, Elena, and just enjoy yourself! She went to the dresser and found the pair of pajama pants he had given her when she first arrived, and then pulled on a tank top. "Okay, sir, let us go house hunting!" She saluted him in a silly way before taking his hand with one of her own, and grabbing another piece of bacon with the other.

[Notty]

Jackson chuckled as Elena pulled on the pair of pajama pants he had given her, his eyes scanning her face as she moved over towards him and grabbed his hand. Standing up, he leaned over and pecked her cheek before falling in to step with her. Jackson reached out and opened the door, turning back to look at Elena while a very startled Mrs. Emerson tried to nonchalantly scatter from the door.

Recovering a bit and smoothing down the apron that was over her dress, Mrs. Emerson smiled, acting as though she had just come up the stairs and was heading down the hall. "Oh, good morning Jackson, Elena," she smiled warmly. "I hope that you both slept well..." a cheerful glint in her eyes as she looked at them.

Jackson could feel his cheeks heating, knowing that she knew full well how they slept. Clearing his throat a bit, Jackson nodded. "I slept just fine, thanks..." he said, squeezing Elena's hand. "And thank you for breakfast.." Mrs. Emerson gave a slight nod, her eyes scanning Jackson's face and then Elena's. Something is different, I dare say. Perhaps it worked! Perhaps the spell is broken!

[.Karma.]

"We didn't do much sleeping." Elena grinned, as she already knew that Ms. Emerson knew exactly what had went on. Ms. Emerson was a bit nosy, but that's what made her so loveable in all her meddlesome ways.

Keeping ahold of Jackson's hand she turned to him, gazing into his eyes. "Okay, where are these bigger rooms that you speak of?" She smiled to him, leaning up and kissing his chin and then his neck, and then biting his shoulder playfully. "I require many amenities!" She put on a fake haughty face, flipping hair.

Elena let him lead, not knowing exactly where these rooms were, trying to silence her mind of listing out all the cons of sharing a room, and instead listing the pro's. This was something new, and they needed to try it!

[Notty]

Jackson's eyes widened a bit when Elena was quite...liberal with the events of the night, and he choked a bit, trying to cover it up with a cough. Mrs. Emerson chuckled slightly and nodded, looking to Jackson before turning and heading into the bedroom, starting to clean up after their breakfast.

Chuckling, he raised her hand and kissed the top of it, then pulled his arm around her shoulders and gently hugged her towards him tighter. "They are here, don't you worry..." he grinned, kissing the top of her head before turning down a hall that was uncomfortably close to his quarters.

"Here...there are 2 rooms and they are fairly similar..." he said, opening up one door. Inside was a large room with an even larger bed than Elena's in the middle. Off to one side was a fireplace, and another whole wall were windows, with a large windowseat beneath. A door to the right led to the large bathroom, and a door to the left led to a small sitting area.

Jackson's eyes scanned Elena's face as they looked around. It had been many years since someone had occupied this room, and it would need some cleaning and sprucing up. "Well, what do you think?" he smiled, taking her hand and squeezing it slightly.

[.Karma.]

Wow. That bed was huge, and she loved the window seat. Letting go of him, she walked around the room, running her finger along things as if she was really being critical in her choosing. "Hmm..." Elena then walked into the bathroom and saw the rather large bathtub. It was a clawfoot bathtub where the water could come right up to your neck, and was big enough for more then one person.

Her eyes widened as next to it was a shower, with a showerhead that made the water fall down on you as if it was rain in a rainforest. She was in heaven in this bathroom.

Trying to keep a serious face, her eyebrows furrowed. Elena turned back to him and gave a deep sight. "I dont know... I think..." This was so hard, she couldn't do it anymore. A smile stretched across her face. "... I think I love it!" She eeked excitedly and ran to him jumping into his arms. "I should get some cleaning supplies and get it cleaned up!"

[Notty]

Jackson followed a few feet behind her, looking over the room, but also enjoying watching Elena move around the room. When she turned to look at him, his brow furrowed a bit, not entirely sure why she seemed so serious. But the moment the smile broke out across his face, he chuckled and pulled his arms around her, spinning her around in the room. "I love it too!" he grinned, leaning down and kissing her gently.

His forehead leaned against hers briefly, before he kissed her deeply, tenderly, allowing his fingers to curl up into her slightly damp hair. "This can be ours..." he whispered against her lips, "our getaway..." Jackson smiled and kissed her cheek, then let one hand down to rub the small of her back before pulling away slightly.

"Come, I'll show you where the cleaning supplies are kept. Is there anything else you think we will need?" he asked, turning and heading out of the room with her, his hand on her waist, holding her near him. While he tried to be focused on the room, and the chance of them sharing it, Jackson couldn't help but have the thought of the curse being lifted hang in the back of his mind.

[.Karma.]

When his fingers curled in her hair. Elena's own hands moved to cup his face lightly, kissing him back deeply. His kiss taking her breath away and sending butterflies into her stomach.

This can be ours. She didn't expect for those words to feel so good. Something that was theirs to share. It helped strengthen the bond between them to have something they had together. That bathtub was calling her name, and she would need to use it, so very soon.

When his hand ran over her back, she leaned even more into him. Pressing her body against his for just a moment before allowing herself to be lead where the cleaning supplies were kept. "No no, you let me clean and get the room ready. It's called nesting or something like that. You go find us a nice set of sheets, or maybe inform Ms. Emerson of the move. I just need one hour."

The smile just wouldn't leave her face as she picked up the cleaning supplies, shooing him off for just an hour. She wanted it to be nice and clean for him. Her eyes sparkled a little in mischief, and maybe just maybe...

[Notty]

Jackson chuckled as Elena gently shooed him away, and he kissed her gently several times before watching her turn and head back up to the room. When he heard the door click, he immediately turned and headed for the front door. He had been dying to check out whether or not the gates opened, and now was his chance.

It took all the self control Jackson had not to run out to the gates and pry them open, but he didn't want to raise suspicions, so he simply strolled out, calm and collected. "Just...just go over to the gate and open it up. You've been calm all day long. You've been happy. The curse is broken and life will be perfect..." Jackson murmured to himself as the massive iron gates grew larger and larger.

When they finally stood in front of him, Jackson reached his hands out, surprised that they were shaking slightly. Taking in a deep breath, he grabbed hold of the gates and jerked them towards him. Nothing. Jackson frowned and gripped the bars of the gate harder, tugging on them again. But just as before, they didn't budge. No. This can't be happening. The curse is broken. We....we kissed. We slept together. It has to be broken... Jackson tugged over and over, but the gate didn't budge. Instead, it made the burning pain inside him white-hot, boiling over into a loud scream. "NO!"

[.Karma.]

Elena headed back into the room, cleaning supplies in hand. On the way she picked up the radio from her room, turning music on so loud the windows were shaking. This was just too exciting and she LOVED music while she cleaned. Dancing around the room and singing at the top of her lungs, she dusted everything. Wiping down window ledges, even opening one for some fresh air.

She wiped, cleaned and scrubbed every inch of that room. Making sure it was spotless and sparkling for when he returned. When she was finished, she set the cleaning supplies outside the room and looked it over with a smile of satisfaction.

On the radio, she changed the song to something slower, more romantic. She had found a rather large collection of music in the library some time ago. As the soft song played throughout the room, she went into the bathroom turning on the water to a steaming temperature, pouring in some bath oils and letting the smell fill the bathroom and the room it was connected to.

Now she just had to wait for him to return, she expected it wouldn't take him too long before he would want to see their own little space that they would be sharing now.

[Notty]

Jackson just stared at the gates. This couldn't be happening. There was no way that this was possible. Suddenly, his hands clenched into fists, and he turned on his heel in the gravel, stomping back towards the house. Immediately, the anger was back, but even worse this time. His hopes had been raised and then crushed to the ground.

When he tugged the front door open, he slammed it so hard behind him, that the pictures on the walls nearby fell and shattered to the ground. Mrs. Emerson peeked out from the dining room, having been preparing lunch, and her eyes widened a bit when she saw the look on Jackson's face. "Sir?" she called out tentatively, hoping that perhaps she would be able to calm him down.

"NO!" he growled, swiping at a table in the hall and pushing it over, the vase on top of it falling and shattering to the ground. "It's useless!" he screamed, heading up the stairs and towards his room. "It'll never happen! It was lies! All of it! Everything I felt was a lie!"

[.Karma.]

Elena jumped as she heard things crash above her music, her hands immediately shaking. Maybe someone just dropped something. Surely, this could not be Jackson. Not... Not today. Not with how he had been acting all day. Taking deep breath she walked towards the door, looking out the door, but seeing nothing yet. Then as she hurt another crash, she felt as if her insides were on fire, and an awful headache coming over her all of the sudden.

Making her way down the stairs, she saw the broken pictures and a turned over table. No. This was definitely Jackson. "Jackson? What the hell is going on?" Elena continued her decent to stand before him. "What is wrong?" Elena was concerned as when he had left her an hour earlier, his eyes held nothing but kindness and care. Elena's head was pounding, and this burning, what was it. Putting her hand on her stomach a bit, she tried not to show it.

Now... now those green eyes held nothing but anger. A near raging inferno of anger. "A...are you okay?" What could have possibly happened in the matter of less than an hour?!

[Notty]

Jackson looked at Elena, his eyes narrowing. "Did it mean nothing?!" He shrieked, shoving over a table. "Didn't it mean anything to you, Elena?! I tried, I came to you, I showed you how I felt?!" His hands were shaking with rage and he pushed one through his hair, trying to calm himself down. "Why did it mean nothing to you? Do I mean nothing to you?"

He went silent for a while and then shook his head, pushing past her to head up the stairs. "It would have been better if this had never happened! Why did you have to come?" He shouted from the landing above. "I had accepted what would happen! You came and changed everything!"

[.Karma.]

As he turned over another table, it almost made her knees buckle as another burning pain ripped at her insides. She was trying to register his words through the pounding in her head. "What? What the hell are you talking about?!" Her hand gripped at her shirt and her teeth clenched at the pain that felt like it was engulfing her with heat.

"NOTHING? NOTHING JACKSON?!" Her words came out in a pained scream. Elena didn't even know how to defend herself. She had been nothing but happy and welcome for things to come and now this!

She opened her mouth to answer him, but as she did he mentioned how he wished it had never happened. How he didn't want her here. Honestly, she didn't know how long she could stay on her own two feet, let alone figure out what words to describe how he made her feel at that moment.

"Fine!" Stumbling toward the door, she managed to step out and slam the door before crumpling to the ground right there on the front step. Holding her her body and sobbing. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like she feel like she was being burned alive. It was all she could do not to scream, but she didn't want him to come to her. She didn't want him to know. Who knew what this was?

He didn't want her there, she would just stay out! Whimpering in pain, the sobs overtook her. Heartbreaking sobs, only interrupted by whimpers of pain. She could see no burns nothing on her skin, she was so confused and couldnt fulling think about it, as it felt like she was being fried from the inside out.

[Notty]

Jackson growled and darted up the stairs towards his room, amidst the cries of Mrs. Emerson and Mark, who were both trying to calm him down. His eyes had narrowed and he let out shaky, ragged breaths as he climbed the steps to his room. Once inside, he began destroying it. Anything that had been left on the walls was torn down, furniture knocked over, curtains shredded.

Nearly inhuman growls rumbled from his throat, and he was more beast than man as he tore apart the room. Mark and Lucas stood outside the door, wincing as they could hear things shatter and break. Each looked at the other and sighed. "It's never been this bad before..." Lucas said, looking to Mark. "What happened to set him off?" Mark shrugged, sighing again. "I don't know, but he went after Elena as if she had something to do with it, the poor dear..."

Mrs. Emerson had followed Elena, stepping outside and tentatively standing on the steps a few feet away from her. "Dear, please..." she murmured, stooping down beside Elena. "Please, come inside. Let me get you something...you know how he gets...." Though he's never been cruel like that...especially now that things have changed...

Finally all went still. Jackson stood in his room, his chest heaving, his knuckles bloodied from punching the walls and shattered glass that now littered the floor of his room. The only furniture that remained right side up and intact, was the enchanted rose, which now had two limp petals remaining, and the magic mirror, which sparked every now and then, showing images of Elena crying outside.

[.Karma.]

Elena's eyes fluttered open to see a blurry Ms. Emerson standing near her. Crying out in pain, she sat up. "There is something wrong! I... can't... it burns..." Then she realized she was basically making excuses for him. You know how he gets... She had done absolutely nothing, she cleaned a room. Drew a hot bath for the two of them as a surprise. That is what she had done.

"LEAVE... ME... ALONE..." She growled through the pain, pushing herself to her feet, still bent over as it felt like a fire raged inside of her body. Like some kind of witch being burned at the stake. Stumbling back inside and away from Ms. Emerson, she headed for the room with the bathtub. Anyone who got in her way, she just stumbled past. Letting out whimpers of pain.

Finally she made it to the room they had chosen together. The room she had made perfect for them. For them to turn over a new leaf together. To start a new beginning. More sobs shook her body as she made her way to bathroom, ripping off her clothes and pulling the drain from the hot bath.

As soon as the bath empties she turned on the cold water as far as it would go. Her body was shaking and she was drenched in sweat as she stepped into that freezing claw foot bath, but it barely did anything to quell the burning that was eating away her insides. She still shook and sweat in the water. Maybe she was dying, she screamed again, but this time loudly in pain. She could be dying and there was nothing that could be done. She was fucking stuck here to die in her misery.

[Notty]

Jackson stood in his room for a few moments, his body burning up and boiling over with pain, until the images from the mirror caught his eye. Shifting a little, he glanced over at it, to see Elena stumbling up the stairs and towards the bedroom that they had chosen. Sickness rose up in his stomach and he growled. That should have been ours. Why is the curse so cruel? We kissed, we made love! Isn't that all there is to it?

Sighing, Jackson ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes briefly before pushing the mirror away. He couldn't look at it. He couldn't look at her. His thumb brushed across the backs of his fingers, and he frowned. Where was his ring that he usually wore? His family seal. It wasn't like him to take it off, and in the wreckage that was his room, it would be almost impossible to find. He growled and kicked at a chair, sighing. Trying to think of where it might be, the last place he could remember it, was in Elena's room.

Taking in a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. Just go in there, look for it quickly, and then leave...that's all you have to do. With any luck, you won't run into her...

[.Karma.]

The pain had died down some. It was to a dull throbbing burn now. Elena needed to know what that was. Maybe she needed medical attention. What was supposed to happen in this place if someone did fall ill? What if there was something terribly wrong.

Ever so slowly she stood up, getting out of that big beautiful bathtub, that she had planned for some relaxation with Jackson, but now held freezing water. Now that the burning had quelled, she was freezing! Her teeth were chattering, but her insides still burned with an inexplicable smolder.

Elena didn't have any clothes in this room yet, and her others were covered in sweat, so she grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped herself in it, making sure every bit of her was covered. She hoped she wouldn't run into Jackson, she did not want to ask him about this. Anyone but Jackson. Jackson could rot in hell right now for all she cared! She grinded her teeth in anger.

Maybe she would find someone on the way up to her room. She needed clothes, she couldn't be wondering around the house soaking wet with just a blanket around her. Shaky legs led her out of the room that was meant to be a new beginning, and towards the room that they had spent the night together in. It almost broke her heart at this moment to be heading back there.

[Notty]

Jackson stole away to Elena's room and stood outside for a few minutes, trying to gather himself. Surely she wasn't in there...when she ran off, it didn't sound like she had entered her room. His hand shook slightly as he reached for the doorknob and turned it... With an audible sigh, Jackson stepped into the empty room. Scanning around, he searched for where his ring might be. He had undressed in a hurry the previous night, and so he got down on his hands and knees, searching to see if perhaps it had fallen under the bed.

With a frown, he leaned up, his eyes scanning nearer the bed. A book on Elena's nightstand caught his eye, and glancing back to see that he was still alone, Jackson stood and walked over to it. It was her sketching book- he knew it well, she almost always had it with her; though he had never seen what was inside. Tentatively, he opened the book.

His eyes immediately caught sight of himself. He was angry, brooding. Standing outside of the house, in what he assumed was the angle she caught him in from where she had sat in the tree. Several other pages were filled with sketches of him, all of them angry, looking as though he was miserable and hated the world- and in fact, before she had come, he did. The next page held Jackson as well, but something was different. He didn't look angry, in fact, he looked happy. There was a small smile on his face, and his eyes didn't hold the fury that they had in pages past. Unable to keep from smiling a little himself, Jackson continued flipping through the book.

What was next, astonished him. Sketches of Jackson and Elena. The first he immediately recognized. Standing at the piano in the ballroom, holding each other for the first time. Then another of them holding hands, both of them looking incredibly happy. A knot formed in Jackson's throat as he continued looking through the pages, filled with images of them holding hands, hugging, Elena's head resting against Jackson's shoulder. Things she hoped for.

The last page made him stop, a soft sob escaping his lips as his fingers traced over the lines of the sketch. This was in a completely new place. The other scenes had portrayed them at the house, but this was at a park that Jackson had never seen before. He sat, amidst large, full trees on a park bench, a book in his hands. Elena was beside him, laying on the bench with her head resting on his thigh. Tiny rings could be made out on their hands, and Elena's belly was swollen- carrying their first child.

Jackson felt something that he hadn't felt for many years. A tear roll down his cheek. I love her. I love her. And...I cannot keep her here any longer....

[.Karma.]

Finally she had reached her room, turning the corner into room with the blanket bundled around her. Elena looked up and jumped a bit, as she wasn't expecting Jackson to be in here! Elena expected him to be in his room ripping it to shreds.

"W...what are y... you doing." She shivered out a cold look in her eye as she moved to a drawer, trying to find clothes. The pain was gone now, as if it was imagined. Anger started to boil inside of her as she saw her sketchbook in his hands. Any other time, she probably would have shown him the pictures, but he hadn't even asked her! As she pulled on a pair of pants and a loose shirt, she opened her mouth to let him know what she thought about him looking through her things!

But... he was crying... It broke her heart to see him so upset. This was different, these were emotions she had never really seen. Elena had to stop herself from running to him, from holding him and telling him it was all okay. It wasn't okay! This anger, this rage, this making her feel awful for things she hadn't done, accusing her of not being genuine. It had to stop! Bright blue eyes softened though. She might not be able to run to him and comfort him, but she couldn't bring herself to yell at him.

Elena needed to tell him something was wrong, first with her health, someone needed to know and tell her what to do, and since she hadn't ran into Ms. Emerson... She would have to tell Jackson.

"Jackson, there is something... there is something really wrong... " She avoided his eyes, she could hardly stand the tears in his eyes. "... before... it was like my insides... they were on fire. Like... I know it sounds silly, I know it does, hear me out..." She cleared her throat. "But... like I was being burned alive... from the inside out." Elena turned to look out the window. Would she die here? With no way to get help? She didn't understand. It was hard to think of now that the pain was gone as if it never existed. The only thing to show what she had just been through was her shaky knees.

[Notty]

Jackson had heard Elena come into the room, but as of yet, he hadn't been able to turn and look at her. He was too ashamed. Ashamed of what he had done, what he had said- how he had made her feel. But when she mentioned feeling strange, he turned to look at her. His blue eyes were tinged red from crying, and his brow furrowed as she began to speak. But... like I was being burned alive... from the inside out.

Immediately Jackson knew what had happened. He was causing her pain now. It made sense. His anger caused everyone else at the house to feel pain, certainly it was only a matter of time before he started hurting her. But the fear in her eyes was too much for Jackson to bear.

"You can go," he murmured softly, his voice breaking slightly. Clearing his throat, he spoke again, his voice still shaky, but stronger this time. "You can go home..." he murmured, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a single key. The key to the gate. The key to her freedom.

[.Karma.]

Elena looked confused. She believed in the curse. How could she just leave now? "The gates... they burn..." She turned to him, still with the confused look. There was a battle within herself. He was telling her she could go. The problem is, even with all of the terrible things that they had been through. They had been through beautiful ones, she had seen so many beautiful things in Jackson, that she didn't believe he couldn't be saved. They could make it through!

"I'm not going anywhere... I'm just scared... and admittedly pissed off right now..." She didn't want him to think that just because they argued, even if it was huge, that she would just disappear. "That is not how this goes, Jackson. Her eyes met his. You don't get to just get angry and push me away! I just wanted to know if there was someone here that could... give medical attention or something."

"Wait.." She stepped closer. "If I could go... Why wouldn't you come with me?" Her eyes were searching his. There were so many things she could not grasp, things that she couldn't understand and had never been explained to her. Elena wanted to understand. Wanted to understand all of this, why he didn't come with her. What was going on? Had it all been a lie somehow? That she could have left all along but they had been keeping her hear due to the curse? "TELL ME, JACKSON. I'M SO CONFUSED!" Her fear came out as a bit of anger at always being kept in the dark.

[Notty]

Jackson looked up at her, his hand still holding the key flat in his palm. And for the first time, it wasn't burning. He knew. Without even trying the key in the lock of the gate, he knew it would open, he knew it would allow her out. A weak smile came across his face, and he shook his head.

"No," he said at first, swallowing hard as she continued to question why he couldn't come as well. If I could go... Why wouldn't you come with me? His eyes met hers briefly and then he turned his face away, clenching his other hand into a fist. "....I don't want to go." he said plainly, looking back at Elena. This time, a painful anger veiled his eyes.

Stepping forward, he pushed the key into her hand and then stepped back. "I don't want to go. I want you to leave Elena, I want you to leave and never come back." His voice was rising with anger as he spoke, both of his hands now clenched. He had to get angry. He had to make her leave. It was the only way to keep her from hurting, to stop hurting her with his anger. "You have to leave, Elena! I don't want you here!"

[.Karma.]

I don't want to go.

I don't want you here.

Elena could feel every little piece of her heart as it shattered. She looked him over in disbelief, and saw that his fists were clenched. I don't want you here. It kept ringing through her head, like it was on repeat echoing in her head. Like she was drowning in the words. Choking on her own heart. After all they had been through. After everything.

Clenching her teeth, her hurt came out in anger. Screaming over the sound of her breaking heart. "Well you got yourself a good screw then, didn't you Jackson?! Your fuckin' one night stand!" Stomping her way through the room she grabbed her sketchbook and began tearing out the pages. "It was all a lie?" The anger and disbelief in her voice evident. The hurt and despair.

She was trying to keep the sobs at bay, but with each page she tore out, they escaped. When she got to the last she couldn't bring herself to do it. "FINE! You can rot here alone with your rage!" She through the sketch book directly at him, snatching the keys from his hands. One last look into his eyes and she turned.

Disregarding how exhausted her body was. She ran. She ran through the house. Running running. Not bothering to close the door behind her. Running to the gate, she hesitated for only moment, barely touching the gate. It didn't burn. He was right. Sobs ripped through her chest as she fumbled with the key, throwing the gate open and running some more.

The pouring rain and lightening flashing in the sky, matched the storm that was inside her. Elena didn't stop. She ran and she ran until she stood in front of her small apartment in a town with hardly anyone in it to notice, she didn't even lock the doors. No one to notice her having been gone, no one to notice how she returned home. No one. She was alone.

Stepping inside the doors, she started ripping sketches off the wall. Sketches of that house, paintings of him. Pulling them down in a sobbing mess.

Finally she sunk down to the floor, curling up in ball. This was not home, not anymore. What was she going to do now?

I don't want you here.

[Notty]

Jackson watched as the realization of what he was telling her washed over Elena's face, sadness, anger and confusion. It played like a movie, over and over in his head as he stumbled back up to his bedroom. Suddenly, it was as if he had broken, his legs and arms didn't seem to move correctly, and he forced his way up the stairs. It had to work, it had to.

Opening the door to his room, he staggered towards the table which now held only the enchanted rose. Jackson had managed to slip the magic mirror into Elena's jacket pocket as she stormed from the house, and he hoped beyond a hope, that she would find it.

"Even if she never returns..." he whispered hoarsely to himself, pulling himself towards the table. "Even if she never feels it, or sees me again...."

His hands gripped the sides of the table, holding himself up. His eyes were drawn to the flower. The stem was thin and curled at the top, the last petal now a dark blood-red, shriveled at the edges and hanging on by what seemed to be the tiniest sinew. There wasn't much time. An hour, if Jackson was lucky.

At first, his hands clenched the sides of the table in anger, then they relaxed. One reached up to pull the glass enclosure off of the rose. It hung, suspended in mid-air before him. "I suppose it may be time..." he murmured softly, tears starting to fall down his cheeks and drop on the table around the rose. Beside the rose, now gathering teardrops which turned to smudges, was the sketch Elena had made. The final sketch. The sketch of what should have been. Of what could have been.

"I love you."

[.Karma.]

As Elena lay sobbing on the floor of this place that was no longer home, she heard a clatter that startled her. On the floor next to her was a mirror. It looked old and worn. It most definitely was not hers. Sitting herself up, she gripped onto it. It was truly the one thing she had from that house. The only memory of her life changing time in that hidden mansion in the forest.

Holding it to her chest, she sobbed. "I just want to see him again." She sobbed audibly. "I... I love you Jackson." Her voice was almost a whisper as she pulled the mirror away. When she pulled it away, her eyes were drawn to the reflection. It wasn't showing her own face though. It was showing a room, she could tell it was the mansion, but all she saw of the room was a rose hanging in midair.

Pulling the mirror closer to her face, she saw her sketch and hands. Hands that were far too pale. Elena knew those hands. They thrown dishes around the room. Vases off tables. They had also thrown beans at her when she was soaked in water and flour, making a mess of the kitchen that was filled with laughter. They had stroked tears off her cheek, tangled in her hair. They had run over her skin softly in a night full of passion.

God, she did love him. She loved him! But now those hands looked like they were holding his weight. They were far too pale and weak! She could see drops smudging the lead. She couldn't see his face, but she could only assume what would be causing the smudges. Why had he told her to leave? Why would he want her to leave, yet keep that picture!

She didn't understand, but that rose, it only had one petal. Elena remembered hearing veiled comments around the mansion, or comments when they thought she wasn't listening. They spoken about petals and how close the last one was to falling. They had to hurry because of the rose. She hadn't understood now, but there seemed to be a correlation between his weakness and that petal.

Pushing herself to her feet, her body still weak, her face still full of tears. Her hair a tossled mess. She ran as best she could yet again. Slamming the door to the place that held no feelings for her anymore. She did not care if he wanted her to leave. Elena did not care if he said if he did not want to come with her, or if his words spoken said he didn't want her there. There was something wrong, he was weak and pale. She could tell just by his hands, and she was going there. Elena loved him with all her heart, and she did not care if it was reciprocated, she had to help him! He was not okay, she had to go to him! Whether he wanted her or not!

She was weak, and was stumbling through the woods this time. The three miles seemed to stretch on and on. Several times she had to pick herself up off the muddied ground, but she was going to make it to him. She had to make it to him. She was still soaked to the bone, the thunder crashing and lightening flashing, but she was determined. Jackson needed her.

[Notty]

Jackson held himself there for what seemed like hours. Every now and then the petal would sway, but it still held on. His eyes shut, heavy and filled with weariness. Finally, as though he had found a new strength, he pushed himself from the table. "I have to see her, even if it's one last time..." he murmured.

Stumbling from his room, Jackson headed towards the stairs. He had no idea where he should even go to find her, he had never asked where she lived- it hadn't mattered then. Nearing the bottom of the stairs, he stumbled, falling down the last few stairs and landing on the floor below. A soft groan escaped his lips, his body feeling so weak, so near death. "I have...to..." he whispered to himself, and pushed his body from the floor.

Mrs. Emerson had heard the commotion and stepped out, her eyes red from crying. She had overheard all that had happened, and even though Jackson had never said it to her, Mrs. Emerson knew how he felt. She knew that he loved her. "Jackson?" she called out softly, her brow furrowed as she watched him, slouched over, stumble towards the door. Her eyes widened when he opened the door, lightning crashing and rain pouring just outside. "Jackson, what are you doing?" she called, but her question was left to the stillness of the house as he slammed the door behind him.

For one of the first times in his life, Jackson felt cold. The rain was pelting him like a thousand needles, and it was just a matter of minutes before his clothes were soaked. It took all the strength he had left to reach out and push the heavy iron gate open, and then stumble out into the muddy street. Never before had Jackson been outside the walls of the house, and he had no idea which direction to go. He was so weak. So tired. There was no way he could make it.

"Elena..." he called out weakly, his voice barely audible over the crashing of the thunder. Each step was painful, and his knees continued to buckle underneath him. Jackson's tears mixed with the rain running down his pale face. Inside, the final petal began to sway. It was time. As though Jackson's body was connected to the rose, he stopped in his tracks, his knees buckled as he swayed slightly. It took all that he had in him to keep his eyes open. "Elena..." he called out weakly as his knees gave out and he slumped to the ground.

[.Karma.]

As he slumped to the ground weak hands gripped onto him. Using all of her strength, she caught him up in her arms. Elena had almost collapsed herself, and almost thought she was imagining his voice calling for her. But no, he was there, she had caught sight of him in the rain and caught him in her arms just in time.

God it felt good to feel his touch, but he was weak. Was she too late? Lowering him to the ground slowly, she cupped his face in her hands. Stroking gently. "I'm not going anywhere." She sobbed, her fingers stroking the side of his face and through his hair. "You can't make me. I'm not going anywhere, Jackson! You can yell and scream, say anything you want! I can't live without you." The sobs were pleading as she held his weak form in the pouring down rain.

Elena wasn't even sure he could hear her, his eyes were fluttering, and the thunder was booming around them. "I LOVE YOU, JACKSON!" Her heart was racing and she was staring deeply into his eyes. "Can you hear me?! I love you!" With that proclamation, she wrapped one hand around the back of his head, putting the other hand on his heart, she pulled his lips up to hers and kissed him with everything she had.

The rain could pour down on them, the thunder could roll, but she loved this man. She didn't care. The only thing that mattered right now was his lips on hers, the love that she felt in her heart, her hand feeling the slow thumping in his chest that seemed to only slow, causing hers to beat faster.

Tears mingled with the rain. Don't let this be their last. Breaking the kiss for just a moment. "I love you, Jackson. Please don't go. I love you." She kissed him hard again as sobs shook through her entire weak body, but her lips did not again leave his.

[Notty]

Jackson let out a soft groan as he fell to the ground, but much to his surprise, he didn't hit the ground. Instead, his body slumped into Elena's arms, and he lowered him to the ground gently and carefully. He shifted slightly in her arms, trying his best to focus his eyes, blurred from the rain and weariness, on her. No. It couldn't be her. This must be some cruel trick that the curse was playing on him.

You can't make me. I'm not going anywhere, Jackson! You can yell and scream, say anything you want! I can't live without you, a weak smile came across his face as she spoke, and his hand lifted, reaching to gently cup her cheek as she looked down at him. He could feel his heart slowing in his chest as he watched her, tears rolling down his own cheeks, mingled with the rain.

As Elena kissed him, Jackson tried to kiss back, his lips cold against hers, his fingers brushing across her cheek one last time before his hand fell to the ground, splashing in the mud.

I love you.

The words rang in his ears as he took in a final breath, his body going limp beneath her.

For several moments, he lay there, lifeless before her. The rain continued to beat down on them, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened. Then, a spark hit the ground near Elena, then another, and another. Soon, the rain had changed into falling sparks of light, surrounding them. A larger spark dropped, landing on Jackson's chest and he took in a sharp breath, his eyes fluttering open.

Blinking several times, he took in another sharp breath, as though he had been holding his breath for a long time. Slowly, the color came back to his cheeks, and his eyes cleared, focusing on the only thing that matter to him. Elena. "You....you came back...." Jackson whispered, his eyes meeting hers.

[.Karma.]

When his hand fell from her face she tried to grab it back up and place it back, then she felt his heart stop. It stopped. Heart wrenching sobs escaped her mouth as Elena wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She tried to shake him awake at first, but he was gone.

Shivering and shaking. Loud sobs escaping her lips, she laid down beside him in the mud still holding him close. Softly she mumbled a tune. The sobs breaking up the words.

"Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you"

It was from the first song she had sang to him. She shouldn't stay here, but she couldn't let go, she couldn't leave him. As she continued to sob a spark of light surprised her. Must be her imagination. But then another...

and another...

and another...

Until it was pouring down on them instead of the rain. Pushing herself up on her elbow she looked all around her, her heart was racing. What was happening? Then those beautiful green eyes. The ones with all the secrets. They fluttered open and she immediately grabbed his face stroking gently, looking into those eyes. This couldn't be real. Sobs of heartbreak and sorrow turned into sobs of incomparable joy and relief.

How? She was in such disbelief, but then he gasped for air, her lips immediately started kissing the cheeks that had gained their color, and all over his face, when he took in another sharp breath, she couldn't help but kiss his lips, her weeping in pure elation continued as she heard his voice. That voice of perfection that she thought she would never hear again.

"Of course I did. Life is nothing, without you." Her eyes met his with true sincerity, and without any other words, she gripped onto his face and kissed him hard, with desperation that only someone who had thought there love was dead could have.

[Notty]

Jackson smiled weakly as he felt Elena's lips pressing against his cheek, listening to her sob as she realized that he wasn't in fact dead, that he was alive. More alive than he had ever felt. His hand raised again, cupping her cheek as she looked at him, brushing some mud and tears away before she leaned down and kissed him.

It was a kiss unlike any other they had shared before. It wasn't out of passion, or raw desire for one another. It wasn't out of need, or want. It was out of love. Pure, desperate, deep love for one another. Jackson kissed her back tenderly, his hand moving to the back of her neck, tangling in her hair.

When the kiss finally ended, he smiled against her lips, kissing them briefly before speaking. "I love you, Elena..." he whispered, his voice still somewhat weak. "I love you, I couldn't have....I was afraid that you..." he shifted slightly and closed his eyes. "It doesn't matter now," Jackson murmured, kissing Elena gently several times. "What matters now is you are here, and I love you..."

Mrs. Emerson had been watching the whole thing from the front door, her eyes full of tears and her cheeks wet from crying. She had feared that it was too late, that Elena had gotten to Jackson too late, but then he leaned up. Then he kissed her. A sob of joy and relief escaped her lips and she jumped for joy, running out through the mud and light rain to the couple. "Jackson! You're alright! And Elena, you're back! It worked! It worked! Thank heavens!"

Jackson looked up at Elena as Mrs. Emerson cried and then ran back towards the house, yelling for everyone else to come outside, that Jackson was alright and Elena had come back. "I love you, Elena.." Jackson said softly, his thumb brushing the back of her neck as he closed his eyes. "I love you."

[.Karma.]

"Shhh Shhh." She whispered when he started to tell her how scared he was. He was right. None of that mattered now. They were here together, and they loved one another. That is what mattered. Elena kissed him one last time as the rest of the 'family' came outside. There was not a dry eye around. Despite his anger, Jackson was truly cared about.

Elena tiredly raised herself up from the mud and helped Jackson up as well. She stumbled a few times, she had ran almost six miles today, but they all made it back inside the house.

After they got cleaned up, everyone together opened up a bottle of wine and celebrated the end of the curse and just spent some good quality time together, realizing what they almost had lost, until Elena fell fast asleep in Jacksons arms.

---------------------------------

Elena's eyes fluttered open to see Jackson sleeping softly beside her. It had been a week since the nearly tragic incident, but she still counted herself so grateful that they were here together. Elena couldn't resist reaching a hand up and stroking his face gently before giving him a soft kiss. They were in a huge king sized bed, full of soft pillows. A room that before a week ago, she had never seen for herself. Jacksons room.

Well, it was not just Jackson's room anymore. It was their room. The study was decorated in roses, to help remind both of them of the curse and what was important in this life they were starting together. Jackson still got angry sometimes, but he was learning to control it on his own. Things were not perfect, he was not perfect. That was the beauty and the struggle of it. They were still learning, learning to live with one another, learning how to properly love one another. It was a new adventure that had it's ups and downs.

This was an adventure that they were both determined to push their way to though. Their love for one another was evident, even in the hardest moments. They had their odd little family to help them learn and progress through this life together. This life full of love, happiness, and hardship.

This new life that she couldn't wait to start with the man that had secrets in his eyes.