He just had a go at her. He really just tried to kill her again. Azura pushed the tears building on her eyes away as she leaned against the side of the house. The cold air crystallized every exhale and as she started counting the goosebumps on her arm, she realized she was still only dressed in a red tank top and a pair of dark gray skinny jeans. The goosebumps didn't come from the cold though. As she stared up at the clouded dark sky a loud sigh escaped her lips. Time and perception of time had been severely messed with.

How long she had been out there, her back against the cool brick, she really couldn't tell. She just simply couldn't make herself move away. She couldn't go back inside but moving away also felt wrong. She had done what she had set out to do, get Lucas back to normal but it felt like she had failed. That gaping hole in her heart had been filled but not with the right substance. It irked, pulled, and just completely felt wrong in all aspects.

"Azura! You're okay! What are you doing out here dressed like that!" She didn't even have to look up as she recognized Sheila's voice straight away.

The sturdy pregnant woman came up to her and engulfed her in a motherly soothing hug. It wasn't Lucas, but it sure was the next best thing.

"Are you both alright? Jeff had spoken to Nicolai and he filled him in but why are you out here?"

Azura just shrugged and avoided looking Sheila in the eye. How could she explain what was going on if she could not even explain it to herself? Emotions of herself and the Phoenix bled into each other and it caused a hurricane within herself which she could barely navigate.

"Come on, let's get you inside." Sheila took her arm bringing the black-haired woman out of her thoughts.

"Not a good idea," She whispered as she turned her head to the door. "Not alone anyway. I don't trust him or myself right now."

Azura closed her eyes as her head rolled back in the previous position. "We're so fucked up. Both of us." A sigh escaped her lips as she mumbled. "Am I stupid for believing everything would be perfect once I would find a way to get him back? I was an idiot... Thinking he we would fall in each other's arms as lovers long lost, that he would fix me and that together we would stride and save the world. Just like in the movies and books."

A chuckle left her mouth, her lips pulling upwards in a weird kind of smile. "Lucas once before burst that bubble of my childish hopes and dreams. After realizing he was more to me than just a friend, I had this belief that my nightmares would be gone just like that. I couldn't have been more wrong and he just had a good laugh about my hopes. In a good way of course. Guess I have to tell him they have stopped though... From the moment he squeezed the life out of me."

When Sheila wanted to speak up, Azura opened her eyes and just shook her head. There was nothing to be said, no words that could tell her more than just the gesture of the red-headed woman being with her. Sheila seemed to understand and gave her a small smile and a nod as she gently squeezed Azura's shoulder. The two women stayed like that outside for a bit, in silence, giving and accepting comfort from just being there, together. It calmed her and even the Phoenix seemed to calm inside her.

With their feeling now more in tune than ever, there barely was any reason for it to speak to her as its emotions and feelings coneyed everything she needed to know. Azura recalled devouring very crappy werewolf books when she was a teen and they had always spoken about a second entity within a person. Two souls, one body. That idea had seemed ludacris at the time as she was a were-animal herself. The whole idea of the animal side being a separate soul with its own thoughts, behavior and name was so far fetched and yet she loved reading the books as a guilty pleasure. And now, here she was, completely in-tune with this separate being inside her. Two souls, one body, three forms. Well, four if she counted the combined state of being in snowleopard shape with the flames and wings. Azura was just happy that the Phoenix wasn't as chatty as most of the wolves were in those books. To have a voice that would never shut up in your head; she couldn't imagine how that would not drive her even more insane that she already was.

"Sheila?" Azura broke the silence while she pushed herself away from the wall. "Do you mind asking Jeff to come with me as I need to go back inside and gather some of my belongings. I can't stay here tonight as things would just escalate here between us so I want to go to Rose for the night. That way, he can get his rest and same goes for me. We both need to heal, physically and mentally. I just don't want you in there with me right now since I don't know what will happen. It could potentially be dangerous."

"You could stay with us. I would actually prefer it if you did." Sheila gestured to the house behind her.

"No," She replied, a knowing sad smile on her face, "too close. The risk is too big. He attacked me just now, you know. He came back to his senses fast enough to not do any real damage but that's not saying anything. Next time, I might have to defend myself, or worse, the Phoenix might decide to defend us. I don't want to take that risk. Nicolai said it's probably just mental fall backs and that should lessen over time. I want to believe that."

Green eyes examined the pale woman closely. "Alright. If that's wat you want. Nothing I can do that can change your mind." Sheila wanted to turn around, but hesistated. She opened her mouth but closed it again before opening it again to speak. "You know, Azu. You have changed, blossomed from a broken young lady to a wonderful and headstrong woman."

Azura snorted in response, emitting a soft laugh. Sheila winked at her and turned around for real this time. "I'll be back with Jeff!"

As Sheila walked away at, what Azura assumed, the fastest pace a pregnant woman with a showing belly could, she leaned back against the side of the house. With open handpalms pressed firmly against the cool stones she closed her eyes again focusing on her own breathing. Now that Sheila was gone all doubts immediatly rushed back. The woman was a beacon in the midst of a heavy storm, a calmness that pulled you away from the destructive thoughts. A mother, a soother, warmth. If Sheila was a mother, Jeff was a rock. Something reliable, always there when needed and strong.

"You can kick his ass with ease. Why did you ask me to come with you?" The deep voice of Jeff reached through her inner core.

"To make sure we don't kill each other." She replied, a wicked grin on her face as she stood upright.

"And here I was thinking we were done with that part." Jeff crossed his bulging strong arms in front of his chest as he eyed her warily.

"Time..." She whispered as she made her way to the door she had escaped from only an half an hour ago. "It needs time."

Jeff narrowed his eyes at her but kept his mouth shut as she opened the backdoor leading to the kitchen.

"Lucas?" She slowly walked in, finding the kitchen to be empty. In the background, the tv could be heard indicating he was in the living area. There was no response to her calling out for him.

Jeff made his way past her and stepped into the living room first, closely followed by Azura. He was there, watching the tv, remote in hand. Lucas did not even turn back to them as his eyes were glued to the tv. She followed his gaze and noticed Jeff did the same.

The news was on. Images flashed by of a field with black trails running through them. Some leading up to one area which had completely blackened. As the drone flew up higher, it followed more trails back to what seemed to be the source of the trail of death. Azura's breath hitched in her throat as she recognized the carnage. As her heartbeat sped up she braced herself on the back of the couch as she watched the destruction that she had been part of. The Phoenix stirred inside her once again, trying to calm her as she knew it had been the only way. When the images on the screen changed to what once had been the village she heard the gasps of Jeff and Lucas. Azura pursed her lips together and took a step back. The sound of the tv muted in her eyes, the voice of the reporter fading in the distance as she could only see and feel what had been going on.

There had been no other choice. Her blue eyes flashed red as she let the Phoenix partly take over. She knew what was to come. Every sound had tuned out in her ears as she just watched the scene in front of her evolve. Jeff and Lucas staring at the tv, looking at each other all the while she had taken another wo steps back.

Flames licked on the inside of her skin, heated her up. They had to understand. There was no other way. The strain on her heart was released as the Phoenix had taken over. This was its destiny and it would oblige no matter what. Just as Professor Sloan had said, a battle between giants and whatever would be in their way would be obliterated. Collateral damage as he had named it. The village had been just that. She could see that now. All sound came rushing back to her as reality set back in. Azura stared at the two men, a determined look on her face as her pupils had gone fromblue to blood red.

"It would have been destroyed either way." As she spoke, her voice was not her own. Infused with the Phoenix, she could see the gooseumbs rising on the arms of the two shocked guys. "I saved them from a fate much worse."

"You killed them." Lucas seemed right back to his old self as he spoke. Surprise latched his voice, but fear was not there.

"They were doomed. It was the first awakening of the Creature. It needed to feed. I prevented that."

"By obliterating an entire village?!"

"In this case yes. I weighed all options, it was the best one. It needs to stay weak. If strengthened enough, it will only come sooner." The Phoenix spoke calmly. "The smaller Creatures are created from itself. Black as the night, seemingly build from smoke. They kill and destroy with just a touch. The life-force sucked out of everything and everyone in just a second. Whatever they feed on, is directed to the big one. I can't allow it to grow."

Silence fell upon the three as they stared at each other. The Phoenix looked from one to the other, power radiating off Azura's body as tiny flames were licking her fingers. Lucas stared her over from head to toe. Disbelief, anger, understanding and remorse all flashed across his face as he tried to figure it out. Without realizing what he was doing, he had grabbed hold of the arm where the feather mark was sitting on his skin. The Phoenix cocked her head to the side at the motion, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"You understand now don't you."

He merely gave her a nod. "That's how your shoulder happened?"

"I managed to limit the damage done to her body."

Lucas's head violently twitched to the side, his eyes flacing over for a mere second before returning to themselves. Jeff, who had silently watched the whole scene noticed the subtle change. He turned to the black haired woman whose arms now had flames crawling all over them.

"Bring Azura back now. Please." The Phoenix bowed its head. When she looked back up again, blue had settled in her eyes, flames no longer visible on her skin.

Lucas's head twitched again, more violently as he gripped the back of the couch so hard his knuckles turned white. He shook it off before meeting her eyes in a direct stare. His lip trembled as he spoke up, voice unsteady.

"Get your things... We need a break."