This is the lullaby Aria sings in this chapter...you can listen now, or wait for when the part comes.

Alastor's POV

Where am I.

Looking around, I feel like this place should be familiar.

Forest surrounded me, but I couldn't see anything other than trees.

Slowly I started to walk, my steps taking me towards an unknown destination.

Suddenly the trees cleared, and my eyes widened.

My old house...

I thought I burned that down...

My pace stayed steady, approaching cautiously but quickly. Then the house seemed to change, morphing into a bigger mansion.

Wait...the king's vacation home...

That's right...I was out hunting.

Finally I reached the front door, reaching to open it. However, when the door was already cracked, leisurely drifting open as my hand neared it, a heavy feeling weighed in my chest.

I shoved the door open and stumbled in, worry setting in.

I left her here alone.

All alone.

"Aria!" I called out, my voice echoing through the large house.

My steps clicked as I walked, and I was frantically searching for her. Calling her name.

"My love! Where are you, answer me, please!" I called out, on the verge of tearing the house apart.

I just need to find her.

Finally, after looking through the entire house, I made it to our bedroom.

The door was cracked.

My throat felt tight.

I took slow steps towards it, my hands beginning to shake.

"Aria..." my voice quivered and I slowly reached forward and touched the knob.

I pushed the door open, stepping in the room.

But waiting for me on the other side wasn't the bedroom at all...my eyes widened, the worried grin on my face completely dropping as the tightness in my throat increased suffocatingly.

My attic.

It wasn't empty...standing near the middle was a...child.

I stepped in, and the door closed behind me, making me jump and turn.

It was just a wall now.

Turning back towards the child, I approached him.

"Hey, kid...what're you doing up here, where's your mama?" I said, crouching slightly so I didn't hit my head on the ceiling.

The child seemed to be crying, and I reached out to touch him. When my fingers made contact with his shoulder, he didn't react.

Gently, I turned him to face me, and immediately I gasped and my hand went over my mouth.

He was covered in cuts and bruises, tears streaking his face. His black hair was unruly and stuck to his forehead.

My brows knit together as I looked down at him.

One blue eye was visible to me. The other eye was badly injured.

What was the most unsettling about this image in front of me was the severity of the injured left eye...it looked like he'd been beaten badly.

I felt pity for the child...I don't know why, I don't even know who this kid is...

But I feel like I'm looking in a mirror.

I reached forward, gently touching his cheek near his injured eye. He pulled away from me, letting his head drop so his hair covered his eyes.

Grabbing his chin gently I made him look back up at me.

"Did your daddy do this to you...?" I asked him quietly, and his tear filled eye just stared at me, a terrified and hurt expression on his face.

He nodded, and I grit my teeth.

Grabbing him gently I pulled him forward, situating us so that he could curl up in my lap.

"You're alright..." I said quietly, "what's your name, son?" I asked him.

Then there was a chuckle behind me.

I turned, keeping the child close to my chest, my eyes narrowing as another person came into focus.

Xander.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face to me," I growled at him, cradling the boy in my arms.

He glanced at the child, the gem in his eye glittering softly.

He tsk'd, "look what you've done..." he said with a sick smile, and then looked back to me.

I scoffed, "I didn't do this."

He raised his eyebrows, lifting his hand and pointing his claw towards me.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Confused, I looked down, and immediately my heart dropped.

"Aria?" I uttered quietly, staring down at her laying limply in my arms.

Then immediately I felt angry, watching blood slowly leak from her nose, tears staining her face.

"You did this...you killed her!" I yelled, tears burning my eyes as I cradle her and looked up at him.

He had his arms behind his back, and shook his head.

My lip quivered and I grit my teeth.

"You killed her." He said plainly, "her blood is on your hands."

A sob shook my body and I shook my head.

"I didn't want to!" I shouted, closing my eyes as I hugged her close to me, "I didn't want to!"

"But you did." He said, and then laughed, "but you did!"

He started cackling, the noise surrounding me. I opened my eyes and looked down at Aria, feeling the weight of her limp body in my arms.

Tears dripped from my eyes.

"Alastor..."

A hazy voice called to me, drowned by the crazed laughter all around me.

"Alastor..."

It's getting louder...who's calling me...

"Alastor!"

I gasped sharply, shooting forward in bed.

Sweat was covering my entire body, my hair clinging to my forehead and neck.

My breaths came ragged, and I immediately clutched my chest. Low growls rolled through my throat, and at the feeling of something touching my shoulder I snarled, yanking away as I faced whatever it was.

Then my expression dropped and my ears lowered at the sight of Aria's startled and saddened expression.

Her eyes glowed softly in the darkness of the room, and I immediately shook my head, taking her frozen outstretched hand into mine.

"M-my love I—I didn't...I'm..."

She squeezed my hand softly, her other one reaching up to caress my face. Her thumb swiped over my cheek, wiping something away.

It was then I realized my face felt wet.

"Alastor...did you have a bad dream...?" She asked me, her voice soft.

A moment longer I stared forward at her, the question pulling the dream back to the forefront of my mind.

Unexpectedly, my lip quivered and quickly I hid my face from her just out of habit, my ears pinning back.

I shook my head, sucking in a sob before I covered my mouth and felt tears spill down my face.

"I'll take that as a yes..." she mumbled, and then I felt her gentle fingers turn my head back towards her.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing her safe.

Seeing her alive.

I finally snapped out of the paralyzed fright, taking her into my arms in a tight hug. She gasped softly, freezing for a moment.

Then she laid her arms over my back, carefully running her nails across my skin.

"You're ok..." she whispered into my neck, placing a soft kiss against it, "I'm right here..."

Squeezing her, I pulled her nearly into my lap.

I took a deep breath, just inhaling her comforting scent. The only scent besides my mother's that I will ever associate with safety.

Pulling away from the hug, she looked up at me, smiling softly.

"Do you remember what I told you my mom would do whenever I was sad...?" She asked me, and the beginning of a smile quirked at the corners of my mouth.

I nodded, and she took my face in her hands, pulling me down to her.

Her lips met my cheek, and then the other one. Little kisses peppered my face, and slowly my smile got wider.

She kissed my nose, my forehead, and basically any inch of skin she could.

Then the corners of my eyes.

And finally she planted a soft, slow kiss against my lips.

When she pulled away, she tilted her head, "all better?" She asked quietly.

I chuckled weakly, nodding.

She shifted, gently pulling me back and against her. She laid my head against her chest, running her fingers through my hair.

Not even caring that I was covered with sweat, she carefully unstuck my hair from my neck. Then, she pushed my hair away from my forehead, brushing her fingers over my scalp.

Then, her voice filled my head. She was singing, the tune very slow and soft.

She's singing me a lullaby...

Her fingers kept running through my hair, and I took in another deep breath, relaxing against her.

Eventually I started to drift off again, the feeling of her body against mine warm and familiar.

Reminding me that she's right here...

It was only a dream.