Jeremiah POV

It's been a week since I forced Quinn to choose between her family and Bella. She is now refusing to eat or drink anything and she is getting weaker and skinnier. All she seems to want to do is sleep. If something doesn't change soon I'm going to have to take drastic measures.

She refuses to speak to me, in fact she won't even acknowledge my presence in the room. I hated seeing her like this. It was as if she was in this deep hole and no matter how hard I try, I can't reach her. I've been keeping her isolated but that doesn't seem to be helping either...

"Quinn, you can't keep giving me the silent treatment." Quinn looks at me with the oh yes I can look and I groan in frustration and run my fingers through my hair. I watch as she pulls the covers over her head and falls asleep once more. Walking out of the room I lock it behind me.

"Miah!" Bella practically screams jumping into arms.

"How's my precious babydoll?"

"Miah me want baba."

"I already told you no Bella." Came Echo's stern voice and Bella began to whimper.

"Echo..." I said warningly and Echo sighs.

"Fine. Here." She replies irritatedly shoving a bottle into Bella's hands. "Happy now?" She demands and Bella nods. "Spoiled little brat." She mutters under her breath. I frown in irritation but then quickly mask my frustration with a forced smile.

"Bella baby, why don't you go explore while Echo and I have a little chat."

Quinn POV

"Come on Quinn, you know you can't stay angry with him forever." I heard Jerome whisper in my ear.

Quinn: "get out of my head Jerome!"

Jerome chuckles as he replies "sorry kiddo, no can do. I'm here because you want me to be."

Time skip now it's been almost a month.

"Hello sunshine." I say pulling the blankets off Quinn. and pulling the drapes aside letting in the light. "It's time to rise and shine." Quinn groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. "Go away. Just let me sleep." She mumbles. "What time is it anyway?" She grumbles with a groan.

"Almost two in the afternoon. You've slept the half the day away. Come on it's time for lunch." I say as I help her sit up in bed.

"I'm not hungry." Quinn replies attempting to
try and lie down again.

"Quinn, you've got to eat something. Anything."

"I said I'm not hungry!" Quinn snapped at me and then instantly her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that. I shouldn't have snapped at you. After all, your only trying to help. I'm just not hungry right now ok?"

"Alright. I'll let you rest for a little while longer but I expect you to eat something upon my return. I won't let you starve yourself to death Quinn. If I have to I will either force feed you or ultimately I will get an IV to provide you with the proper nutrition your body needs. I hate to have to do that. I know how much you hate needles." Jeremiah said with a chuckle.

"Even you wouldn't go that far..."

"Don't try my patience Quinn. Believe me, You don't know me as well as you think you do. I lost you once, I won't do it again."

"Fine." She grumbles "How about some baked potato soup?"

"Your wish is my command." I reply with a bow as I exit the room. "Sleep well my love."

Quinn POV

I sighed in relief as Jeremiah accepted my choice of not wanting to eat anything right now. I can't believe that he threatened to inject me with an IV. I closed my eyes and soon I was fast asleep though unfortunately my dreams were anything but peaceful. "Hello Dollface. Long time no see."

I groaned "Jerome what are you doing in my dreams again?!"

At this Jerome chuckled "Your the one dreaming about me Babe." At this I frown and smack him upside the head.

"First of all, ow. Second what did I do?"

"Don't call me babe!" I hissed at him and of course he began to laugh. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Like I said it's your dream you tell me cupcake." Again I smacked him upside the head and I have to admit that it felt really good to do so.

"Ow. Is the only reason I'm here so you can assault me? Geez. I was just trying to cheer you up. So why am I here anyway?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I don't want you here."

Again Jerome chuckled "obviously that isn't true or I wouldn't be here. Admit it, you miss me. So tell me, what's been going on since I left? Come on spill the beans. I'm dying to know what's been happening. Dying? Get it? Cause you know I'm already dead. Anyhow, how have things been going with good old Jeremiah? Did the gas work? How's Bella doing? Have you been protecting her like you promised you would?"

"First of all, your the last person that I'd want to dream about or wake up to for that matter. And secondly don't even go there!" I hissed at him.

"First off ouch. That was a little uncalled for and second why do you sue venom on me? What could I have possible done to make you despise me?"

"You left us Jerome. After everything that we had been through you choose to leave us. I know Jim shot you Bella told me but he also tried to save your life. You chose to not take his hand. You chose to fall. Did you even think about how your death would effect Bella and I? Did you even think about us at all when you were on that roof?" I asked sadly.

"Of course I thought about you. Did you think that I wanted too leave you? Even if I had taken Jimbo's hand I'd have still wound up leaving you. I was bleeding to death Quinn."

"I reached for Jim's hand but slipped it was all I could do to hold onto the ledge I was on. Jimbo didn't truly try to reach me or pull me up. The truth is that He knew that I wouldn't be able to reach his hand."

"He let me fall Quinn. It is true, that I accepted my fate and let go but not because I wanted too but because my hands slipped. You know with all that blood covering them."

"Besides, I knew that you'd be in good hands. Jeremiah and I didn't always see eye to eye but there was one thing we could always agree on. Keeping both Bella and you safe was and still is our top priority. Anyhow, you didn't answer my question. How is my dear Brother?"

"He breathed in the insanity gas just like you planned. I hope your happy."

"So it did work after all. I knew that he was insane all he needed was shove in the right direction. He hasn't hurt you or Bella has he?" Jerome asked with a frown.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Obviously that's not true or I wouldn't be here. What's the harm in telling little old me? I mean, come on, who am I going to tell?"

"What's the point in telling you. If what you say is true, and this is my dream then your only going to tell me what I want to hear. Or you'll or you'll say what I'm afraid you might say. Or you'll say want I think you would say. It wouldn't be really you. Your just a figment of my imagination."

"True, but I can tell that your hurting. We could always tell each other everything. Where's that high spirited young woman that I know and loved? What has Jeremiah done to you?"

At this I curled up into a ball and began to cry. "I don't know who to believe or trust any more. My sister me own flesh and blood betrayed me. I just want to keep on sleeping. That's all I can do now anyway."

"Listen to me Quinn, you cant solve your problems by starving yourself and spending all your time in bed. People will beat you and curse you and cheat you and yes some will even betray you. It's just in our nature. Now tell me what's gotten you so depressed?"

"Fine. I couldn't protect Bella ok?. Now you know why I'm upset so just leave me alone.." I reply tiredly as tears streamed down my face.

"What do you mean you couldn't protect Bella? What has Jeremiah done?" Jerome demanded his eyes flashing in anger.

"Will you just leave me alone! Right now I feel sick as if I want to throw up."

Instantly Jerome's gaze turned to one of concern. "Quinn, long has this been occurring?It sounds to me as if your PTSD has returned. Have you been taking the medication the doctor prescribed for it or did you stop taking it after I died?"

"I don't know where it is."

"Quinn this is serious if not properly treated you PTSD could cause you to become suicidal. You need to tell Jeremiah what's going on. This depression that your in has to end. What would Bella think if she were to see you like this? Or perhaps Bella is the cause of your PTSD?"

"Bella hates me Jerome!" I reply miserably.

"What would make you think that? Bella could never hate you Quinn."

"Yes she does. Molly locked Mom up in Arkham Asylum. When we tried to rescue her Strange wanted one of us in exchange. I offered myself but he refused. Then when your brother called he told me to offer Bella in exchange for my mother's freedom."

"I didn't want to leave Bella there and the choice was tearing me up inside. But Jeremiah knew that I couldn't leave my mother in that place. He said that if I told Bella the truth that he'd kill both Molly and my mother. Back then I thought that Molly wanted to make amends but it was all a lies. He told me to say some awful things to Bella and that if I refused he'd hurt her."

At this Jerome's gaze grew dark and he snarled "I'm going to kill him! But his anger only lasted momentarily before curiosity got the best of him. "What kind of awful things did he force you to say to her? And Why exactly was he making you do this? He must have had a reason...."

"He told me to tell her that I wasn't her mama. That I've never been, nor would I ever be, her mama. He made me tell her that she is a brat and that neither you, nor your mother or him cares about her or loves her. And to tell her goodbye."

"Why would telling her goodbye upset her?"

"Because it means forever."

"I don't understand why would saying goodbye mean for forever?"

"Because, when she's in her toddler mindset she doesn't understand the concept of death. Remember? So we told her that when someone goes bye bye it's forever. They don't come back. Needless to say, what I said to her really hurt her." I reply sadly as the tears steam down my face. I could feel the contents of my stomach rising in my throat. "Now Please leave me alone. I really do feel as if I'm going to be sick."

"Sorry kiddo, there's is no way that I'm going to leave you when you are as sick as you are. Go right ahead and throw up if you need too. Consider me your personal nurse." Jerome said with a smirk.

Right before I threw up, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder. I groaned as I saw Jeremiah siting on the bed next to me. "Sleep well I hope?"

"Not really. He won't leave me alone Jeremiah not even after his death. He insists on haunting my dreams."

Even without saying his name I knew Jeremiah knew who I was talking about. "Shhh. It was just a dream my love. Now, how about we get something to eat? I'll have Echo bring us up a nice warm up of baked potato soup."

At this I frown glancing down at the bowl suspiciously. "On second thought can I just have a cream soda?"

"No. Echo went through a lot of trouble to make this soup for you the least you can do is eat it. It's not her fault that you have trust issues. I'm tired of playing games Quinn. Eat the dam soup!" Jeremiah replies the irritation in his voice evident.

Again I shook my head no. Jeremiah growls in frustration, "Your going to eat this soup even if I have to pour it down your throat Quinn. Like I said, I'm done playing games. Now are you going to cooperate or not?"

"Did you watch her make it?" I replied refusing to open my mouth.

"Well no, but I fail to see what the problem is Echo is a great cook."

"The how do you know that she didn't poison it?"

At this, Jeremiah laughed "you can't be serious." When I frowned Jeremiah looked at me in surprise. "You are serious aren't you. Your really afraid that Echo would try and poison you."

"I am not eating that." I reply pushing the bowl away from me. "Look at things from my perspective for once. Echo has been out to get me from the moment I came back into your life."

"Even when she knew that I loved Jerome she still treated both Bella and I unkindly and as if We were some sort of threat to your relationship. She wants to rid herself of the competition so yeah, forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical about eating something that she's prepared."

At this, Jeremiah laughs in amusement. "Echo is fully aware that all she is to me is the hired help. It may seem like we were a couple but trust me, we never were. She would not be stupid enough to poison you. She knows that your my girl."

"She is also fully aware that if she ever does anything to harm either you or Bella that I would kill her without a moments hesitation. I wouldn't even bat an eye. Besides, if it's true and she is jealous of you, believe me she will find a more subtle way to rid herself of you."

"Oh. In that case I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's understandable that with everything that's happened lately that you would have issues with trusting people. Especially Echo. I know the two of you have almost never seen eye to eye. But that is no excuse not to eat. So eat the soup damm it!" Again I shake my head no and Jeremiah sighs in frustration running his fingers through his hair.

"You've left me with no choice Quinn." With that he pinches my nose so that I have no choice but to open my mouth if I want to breath. As soon as it's open he pours some soup down my throat. "Now That wasn't so bad was it?"

I glare at him refusing to respond. No sooner had the soup reached my intestines I could feel it rising back up in my throat. I was barely able to make it to the bathroom before I vomit the contents of my stomach. "D*m!!" Jeremiah swears hitting his hand on the desk in frustration. "Alright, let's try this again shall we?"

I shake my head no but he ignores it and spoons another spoonful into my mouth. "Swallow." I reluctantly do as he instructs and he smiles in satisfaction. "That's a good girl. This time make sure it stays down."

"I won't make any promises. It's not like I can control when my body feels nauseated or not."

"It's all in your head Quinn."