She was still curled up in a fetal position, breathing heavily in her sleep. Lucas wiped some stray damp black hairs from her face which only earned him a soft groan in response. She dug her head almost entirely under her arm, curling up even more if that was even possible. Knowing she wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he covered her naked body again after giving a small kiss on her bare shoulder.

The headache was there but it was manageable. Last night had been crazy with the party. He smiled to himself as he thought back to all the events. It had been fun, genuine fun. Steffen had truly outdone himself by throwing that party, that was for sure. The guy had even managed to set Azura's mind to something else. Something he had not believed was possible. She was radiating that whole night, smiling, laughing, teasing him, and drinking like there was no tomorrow. He bet she was regretting that last part the moment she had thrown up the first time. Shame he had been on the receiving end and not the toilet bowl.

After he had cleaned himself, and changed the bed linens, he had placed a bucket on the floor next to her side. That had worked as he had cleaned it twice more that night. Though the second time, barely anything was in it. Dry heaving was the worst, he knew that from experience but she had herself to blame. One thing that still baffled him was her inability to deal with the alcohol in her system. She could heal extremely fast, was stronger than most people he knew, could shift into the most amazing animal alive, and yet a little alcohol could bring her down to her knees. Literally... in this case. Just he hadn't been on his feet but on his back on the bed, and she had been on her knees, straddling his legs while her lips were wrapped arou-...

He shook the thoughts from his head with a wide smile as he closed the bedroom door quietly.

It was half-past eleven when he finished his breakfast. Two eggs, sunny side up, with cheese, a strong coffee, and some bread. The sun peeked through the window next to the kitchen door and Lucas just enjoyed the simple quiet moment with his hands wrapped around the steaming mug. A knock on the door was followed by a cheerful face staring at him through the window. Lucas gave Jeff a wave and got up to open the door for his old friend.

"Steffen threw one heck of a party by the looks of it!" Jeff exclaimed as he slapped Lucas's shoulder and entered the house.

"He sure outdid himself. Azu is still sleeping off her hangover. Want some coffee by the way?" Even before Jeff answered, Lucas had gotten up and poured a mug for his friend.

"Any good stuff I've missed?" Jeff asked as he sat on one of the chairs at the dining table.

Lucas chuckled at the things he had seen at the party. "You know Travis? He got lucky with the two temptations. I bet he had a night he won't forget easily."

"Poor Travis! But... Didn't he have a girlfriend somewhere?" Jeff mused. "Those two girls, they are hilarious and always manage to find a victim. Be glad I rescued you that one time."

"Rescued? Dude! You totally cockblocked me from a threesome!" Lucas let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Let's just say that story about the STDs did come from a truth. I just twisted the truth around so they believed it was you..." Jeff gave him a wink and slowly sipped his coffee.

"Right... Thanks again. Took me a while to get away from that rumor." He rolled his eyes thinking back at that time. before continuing. "The party was good for the rest. Steffen somehow managed to hit on Azura and she actually allowed it. That was interesting to watch. I was kinda hoping for a show where she would kick him in the nuts but that never happened."

Jeff leaned over the table, squinting his eyes together. "Azura allowed it? Or did Rose allow it?"

"Good question..." Lucas murmured while going through his memories. "Shit.. you're absolutely right. She saw and did nothing! He was baiting me and Rose knew!" Jeff couldn't help but let out his signature laugh as Lucas realized what had been going on.

"We missed you and Sheila there though. I hope she's feeling better?"

"Sheila is doing a bit better but still not great. Being pregnant was not as easy as she thought it would be. The nausea comes and goes despite being way past her first trimester. She is being closely monitored though so that's a relief. I'm just concerned about the coming period. And that's why I came over."

Lucas took a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He knew exactly what Jeff was hinting at and it was the one thing they hadn't figured out yet. The promise he had made to Azura back in Greenwood still stood fresh in his mind. She would have to let the Phoenix fight, let the entity take over with a very high probability that she would lose her mind afterward. 'Kill me.' She had made him promise that.

The idea of what was coming, a big fight between two entities no one could really grasp was terrifying. A battle that could destroy Pleyvale with ease. It was something you only read about in stories. In the ideal world, they would know exactly when it would happen, would be able to get the whole town evacuated, and the strong would all attack the Nightmare and beat it to pulp.

"I can't tell you when I'm afraid. Azura doesn't know either. She feels it but by then, it'll be too late to pack and leave. I've told Rose and Steffen the same but they refuse to leave. She did manage to get her parents out for a while. All I know is that it won't be long. If you have a place to stay, please take Sheila and go there."

"You sure you don't need me to stay to help?" The big man asked, his eyes scanning over Lucas to make sure he wasn't lying.

"No. You need to take care of Sheila. You can do more for her than you can do here." Lucas finished his coffee and leaned back into his chair. "It's just fucked up. With a night like yesterday, for once the world seems normal. Not a care in the world. I don't think I've seen Azura so relaxed and alive since I've first met her. But knowing what is to come, it just bulldozes right over you the moment you relax."

"You getting all emotional with me now?" Jeff laughed as he got up from his chair and smacked Lucas on his shoulder. "I already got a hormonal wife sitting at home, don't dare to do the same to me!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Lucas laughed.

A short silence fell between the two men after. Jeff was leaning against the countertop while Lucas had shifted his gaze back to the window again. It felt so long ago that they had spoken in the climbing hall where he had explained everything to Jeff but it was just the day before. Jeff had picked everything up without question, believed him, and apparently already had made arrangements to leave. All that while taking care of his sick wife.

"More coffee?" Lucas finally asked, breaking the silence.

"You mean this black crap that you think is actual coffee? Nah, thanks, man. I just took the first one because you had already poured it." Jeff pushed himself upright and made his way to the door. "Thanks. And..."

Jeff did not finish his sentence but Lucas knew exactly what he implied. This was a goodbye. Both men had no idea if they would see each other again.

Lucas gave Jeff an understanding nod and a smile. "I'll do my best to keep the city in one piece, and most of all the climbing hall. You can count on me."

A nod was given in return before the big giant made his way outside again, leaving Lucas by himself again. He poured himself another cup of coffee which by now was lukewarm. Jeff had a point, it was shitty coffee, especially now but it was better than nothing. There still was no sign of life from Azura. Normally, she would at least be shuffling around some. Frowning at the lack of life coming from upstairs, he got up and made his way back to the bedroom.

At first, relief washed over him. She was standing facing the window, her back towards him. Still stark naked but it was nothing he hadn't seen before. When he looked closer, he knew something was wrong. Her skin glistened with sweat, and she stood a little hunched forward. Her hand slipped from the windowsill and trembled next to her side. Her fingers twitched randomly, and that's when he noticed the little flames that seemed to flicker across her body. Tiny outbursts of red and yellow lasted just mere moments before they disappeared.

"Azu?"

He stood nailed to the ground watching her. She heard him though, as she slowly turned around. The moves weren't fluid at all. Her limbs were jerking and her head sometimes violently snapped to the side. She kept her gaze at the floor at first but eventually managed to lift her head up so he could look her in the eyes. They flashed from blue to red, a little blood trickled down her mouth from where she had bitten her lip. Her knees buckled but before she could fall down, she managed to catch herself again.

Wasting no time, Lucas spurred towards her and as she stretched her arms towards him, he grabbed them, steadying her stance. She kept him at bay though, for how frail she seemed, she did not allow him to come closer. The grip she had on his arms intensified so he could no longer let go. The heat radiating from her skin was immense. and he knew he would see the marks of her hands on his forearms tomorrow.

Despite all that, it felt like his blood had been frozen. Closing his eyes on instinct, he did not notice his own lip trembling but his fastened heartbeat was so loud in his ears he had a hard time pushing past it to focus on her. He knew what it meant and that this time, they wouldn't be able to fight it. Opening his eyes again, he found her staring right at him. Blue eyes still rapidly flashed to red as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Shh. Hey, calm down. it's okay. It's okay." He felt her arms tremble as he gently spoke to her.

As she released the tight hold she had on him, he carefully freed himself and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her head rested against his chest as he softly stroked her hair. She was still one giant furnace but he didn't mind. If there was one thing he had learned since she walked back into his life, was that she, or the Phoenix, would not hurt him. He took a deep breath, hoping to calm his heartbeat a little and to gather the courage to face what was happening.

"It's okay, Azu. I love you, no matter what. You can let go, stop struggling. It needs to happen. It's okay." He kissed the top of her head right as she let out a big sob.

"I... I'm scared" She managed to croak out between her sobs. "Last night was-"

All her muscles contracted at the same time, making her knees buckle. Before she could crumble to the floor, Lucas held on tight and lifted her to the bed, cradling her into his arms. Her arms flailed around before they wrapped around his neck, fingers digging deep into his t-shirt and skin. He could see the painful grimace on her face briefly, the blue eyes flashing to red once again as a sudden burst of heat erupted from her body.

"Stop fighting it, Azu!" He could hit his own head for raising his voice against her in this state. Correcting himself quickly, he lowered his voice to a soothing tone. "You're not shifting, you won't lose yourself. You can come back from this, I believe in it. And no matter what, I love you."

He wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not about her coming back. There was a big chance there wasn't. Again that nagging feeling came over him which he had earlier with Jeff. That promise he had made to her. To kill her if she lost her mind as her predecessor had. It never sat right with him. How was he supposed to do that? He took another deep breath, abolishing the thoughts from his mind. Right now he had other things to worry about.

"I-I'm sorry.." Her voice was so soft and weak that Lucas almost didn't hear it.

"Don't be." He planted another kiss on her forehead. "No need to be sorry. We're okay. You need to stop worrying." As he said that, he could swear he could feel her chuckle for a bit. He had to admit it was a bit controversial but it was also a fact. "Last time I asked the Phoenix to trust you, which it did. Now you need to trust it, Azu."

He could feel the nod she was giving him as he stroked her hair again. As his thumb brushed past her cheek, he could feel the wetness there. Despite that, she was calming down. Her muscles started relaxing and the tremors died down too. There was still a tremendous amount of heat radiating from her body but the pulses were gone. Their breathing synchronized as they kept locked in their embrace for a while. He knew what was coming and he relished having her in his arms for now. She would break free eventually, he knew, and it wouldn't be her anymore. Things were about to change.

Just as suspected, she eventually pushed herself away from him and looked up into his eyes. The blue was gone, red irises stared at him before she inclined her head and got up from his lap. Both didn't speak as she moved around the bedroom, picking up and putting on her clothes. When she was done she finally turned to face him, her head cocking to the side in the birdlike manner he had seen her do more often.

"Yesterday night I let her forget and kept in the background." Lucas could hear the subtle change in her voice as she spoke. It wasn't Azura standing before him right now but the Phoenix in her body. "Thank you for convincing her to let go. It needs to happen."

Lucas nodded and tried his best to keep himself composed. 'I know. Just... Can you promise me one thing?" The Phoenix blinked at him in confusion but waited for him to speak. "I know it might be impossible... But if... everything is done and you're successful please try to keep her alive?"

"I can't promise. I can't say what will happen. But she's not entirely gone right now. I'm just taking control to get things sorted." As it spoke, Lucas noticed her eyes changing color again. The blue returned but as he got up and looked closed he noticed the red was still present.

It was odd to see her change. From the woman he loved to the Phoenix, and now her mannerisms again shifted. Her stance was different, the way she moved, the looks she gave him. In just a short time he witnessed three versions of the same person. Right now he was looking at something in between. The smile she flashed him was one typical Azura but that was followed by a movement that just seemed odd with her. It was hard to describe; confusing and tore his heart in two.

A strange invisible force tugged at his stomach, made it hard to breathe while he tried to act normal. This was reality now. He had to accept that no matter how hard it was. He clenched his teeth together and cleared his head. He could not look back, could not dwell on how he wanted things to be, or how they had been at times.

"Can I help in any way? Assist you?" He finally asked just as she was about to leave the bedroom.

The Phoenix turned around, cocked its head to the side again, and raised an eyebrow. "Help? You will help. You and I will set a world on fire, remember?"