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*Lucy's POV*

My eyes fluttered open, only to be staring at the Plague Doctor. This time, I wasn't tied down. My hands were folded neatly in my lap.

"What now?" I murmured, looking at the masked Doctor.

"Am I not allowed to say hi?" The Plage Doctor asked, leaning forwards in the chair he was seated in.

The room was very dim, only lit by the candles surrounding us. I wasn't expecting to see Hunter this time, in fact, I doubt I ever would again. He outwore his welcome with the Plague Doctor I'm sure.

"You always have something in mind when I see you. What is it this time?" I sighed, crossing my right leg over my left.

The Plage Doctor sat straight up and nodded. "You're not wrong there, Luciana. I want you to try again with the magic. I can tap into your body and help you release the aura needed for it. Trust me on this one, you're going to want it for what lies in store for you."

Squinting my eyes and cocking my head to the side, I glared at the Plague Doctor. "What is in store for me?"

"I cannot say, Luce. What I can say is that," He pointed at my stomach, "that was my doing. Since Jack is technically dead, he can't reproduce. Yes, it's still his child, but my magic helped you with that. The night of the bonfire you made a wish of having a child. Whether you were literal at the time or not, I took what you said and made it happen."

"Wait, wait, wait..." I grabbed a strand of my hair and began twirling it, "So you did this?"

The Plague Doctor nodded.

"Horrible timing, don't you think?" I snarled.

"I understand that, but I also knew you wouldn't be seeing Jack again." He announced, reaching over and grabbing a book off of the table next to him.

"You knew that all along and you couldn't tell me?!" I shouted, standing up from my seat.

The Plague Doctor raised his hand open-palmed at me, then lowered his fingers. The lower his fingers got, the closer I got back to sitting in my chair. I was staring at him quizzically when he spoke up.

"Magic," He replied simply, "You could be doing the same thing too if you allow me to tap into your aura."

Biting on my bottom lip, I nodded my head. "I never said I wouldn't. I'm just hesitant on it."

"No need." He said, slamming his book shut. "I would greatly appreciate it if you only let Papagrande knew you were doing this. I don't want anybody else to know until the time is right."

Inching back in my chair, I raised my eyebrow. "I'm telling Jeff, too. You can't exactly stop me."

The Plague Doctor stood up and leaned towards me. The beak of his mask pointed down at my chest as he locked his eyes with mine. They seemed to be sunken far in his skull.

"You will only tell Jeff and Papagrande then, understood?" He asked.

I nodded my head slowly.

"What if Slender reads my mind?" I glared at the Plage Doctor.

"He won't be able to read any part of you after this. Jeff's and Papagrande's minds will be clouded when it comes to your magic, so Slender won't be able to hear it through them either. Just listen for me and look around for me. I'm going to talk you through all of this. This might hurt a bit." The Plague Doctor announced.

Before I could respond, his hands were on the sides of my head. He was barely touching me, but it hurt so bad. The feeling of something within me felt like it was tearing its way through my skin, one layer at a time.

******

A soft voice could be heard as I woke up. I flung myself into a sitting position and grabbed onto whoever it was.

By the feel of the hoodie that I grabbed, I knew it was Jeff. He was seated on the edge of my bed.

"You were whining for Jack," Jeff said.

"Doesn't surprise me," I stifled out a wry laugh as I pulled away from him. "The Plague Doctor paid yet another visit."

"Which would explain you constantly moving around. Should I go get Slender?" Jeff asked.

I shook my head. "This is something I can't tell him. Only you and Papagrande."

Jeff scoffed and looked around the room. "You act like he doesn't have ways of finding things out."

"The Plague Doctor won't allow it," I shook my head. "I'm going to take a bath right now. My mind is racing and I need to relax."

Jeff nodded and stood up from the bed. I got up and grabbed myself what I needed to from my dresser and made my way to the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, I threw the clothes on the ground and walked over to the mirror. Pulling down my shirt a little way, I looked at the mark on my chest that had appeared when the link was severed between Jack and I. The mark that appeared when he died...

I had both pendants around my neck and I don't plan on ever taking them off. His pendant around my neck made me feel connected to him, even though I know he isn't here anymore.

"I wish Jack wasn't gone..." I trailed off, running my fingers over his pendant.

"Are you even sure he is?"

My eyes widened as I looked around the room. Nobody was in here with me, but I knew that voice.

"Why don't we start out easy. I can help you see him. If you want."

The Plague Doctor. Great. So now I have a voice inside of my head.

"How long is this going to last?" I sighed and spoke quietly. I wasn't sure if Jeff was still in the room or not.

"Just until you have magic under control. And just like I told you Slender can't get into your head, I can't either. So you have to reply out loud. Your mind is completely blocked off from everyone."

Lucky me.

"Okay. So people will just think I'm crazy and talking to myself then." I scoffed.

Turning around, I started the water in the tub and plugged the drain.

"I guess so. You don't have much of an option. Unless you want to do this by yourself."

"No." I quickly replied. "I'm just moody. Sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now..."

The lights in the bathroom shut off and a single candle lit on the counter of the sink.

"Do you want to see where Jack is right now, or no?"

Every part of me wanted to see him, to touch him, to know where his body was. But I knew it was wrong. If I were to see him, I knew it would make moving on and being strong harder on me.

"No. I can't." I stood up and walked over to the light switch to turn the light on.

As the lights lit the room back up, the candle went out.

"Suit yourself. Just call for me when you need me. Until then, I'll just peek in here and there to help you out."

I nodded my head, not caring if he could see it or not. Right now I just wanted to be left alone in a nice warm bath.

******

Right. Right. Left. Duck.

Left. Right. Left. Left. Duck.

"You're slow," LJ chuckled, holding up his hands for me to punch at.

Three days ago was when the Plague Doctor had pressured my body into learning how to accept magic. I planned on telling Jeff and Papagrande at some point today, I just don't know when. I know this is definitely not something I can do no my own, but this could be such a big game changer in so many aspects. What am I truly capable of?

"Focus, Short Stack!" LJ chuckled as he swung his hand at me.

I ducked out of the way and flung my shoulder at him, tackling him to the ground. I began swinging at his face, and he dodged every punch. He reached under my armpits and lifted me up. Curse him and his long arms. Tossing me to the side, I rolled a few times and came to a halt next to Jeff.

"Hiya," Jeff leaned down over me.

I squinted my eyes at him and rolled to my stomach to push myself up.

"Don't try and distract me," I muttered, turning around to come face to face with LJ.

"Too late." LJ grinned and spun me around. He had one arm around my neck and the other in front of us, signaling with one finger for Jeff to come forward.

"What?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Save her." LJ laughed.

"I can save myself," I reassured LJ.

"Doubt it," LJ mumbled behind me.

Well, he asked for it.

Stomping on his foot, I threw an elbow back into LJ's stomach, making him release me as he crumpled down.

"Doubt me again and find out what I can do," I grinned as I turned around and held my hand out to LJ.

Jeff was behind me, laughing at what he just witnessed. Spinning back around to face Jeff, I then motioned for him to come forward, just like LJ did.

"Save him," I ordered Jeff.

Jeff tipped his chin down and back up, nodding at me.

"I don't need to be s-"

I turned around and kicked LJ with a bit too much force in the stomach.

"Shut up." I giggled.

A part of me wanted to feel bad, but I knew for a fact he's been through worse. So I wasn't too worried about it.

I heard Jeff clear his throat as I spun back around. His sweatshirt was off, leaving him in a white, blood-stained men's tank top.

"You should try to get to stains out." I laughed, preparing for him to make his move.

"It's like a memory I get to wear around with me," Jeff responded, readying himself.

I shook my head and took a step back.

Jeff was walking slowly in a diagonal line towards me, making me wonder what he had in mind. Before I knew it, he was at my side, staring down at LJ.

"You going to stop me from grabbing him, Luce?" Jeff asked, looking over at me.

I shrugged. "I might, I might not."

Jeff nodded.

I saw one of Jeff's muscles in his right arm tense up. As he went to tackle me from the side, I threw my body weight at him. The two of us clashed together. He raised his leg, kicking me back away from him. I grinned as I went to charge him. Jeff grabbed me by my arms and shoved me backward. Landing on my back, I went to roll to my side, but Jeff was now sitting on top of me.

"Give up?" Jeff asked, grabbing both of my wrists and pinning them down to the ground.

He was leaning over me, with his hair dangling straight in my face.

I was about to give in when Jeff was hoisted up by LJ and thrown to the side.

"My turn." LJ grinned.

I quickly rolled backward and climbed to my feet.

"It was my turn!" Jeff hissed as he charged LJ.

Crossing my arms, I watched as LJ and Jeff fought over whose turn it was to train me. Just a few months ago, they would've refused to train me, knowing they couldn't be as rough with me as they wanted to. Now, all cares are thrown out the window. We don't exactly have a choice. I won't be ready for Zalgo if I keep getting poorly trained. Though my agility and strength have greatly improved.

"Two on one," I said quickly.

Jeff and LJ stopped mid punch and turn their head towards me.

I shrugged. "Just don't kill me."

"Pretty sure that's the least of my intentions." Jeff chuckled before lowering his fists.

I let out a deep breath in preparation for the training fight. It's not real, but I wanted it to feel like it was.

"Maybe you should get Ben down here to chop him up to pieces with your katana. It's not like elfy is going to die from it." LJ laughed.

"Are you trying to avoid fighting me?" I raised my eyebrow at LJ and tilted my head to the side.

"Nope."

LJ was the first one to make his move. His claws were out at his side as he charged me.

"LJ, it's break time."

Papagrande's voice sang out through the arena. I had to admit, I was partially disappointed. I wanted to go two on one so I knew what to do in a tight situation. Next time, I guess.

"Head on out. I have to talk to Jeff and Luciana." Papagrande nodded at the doorway, signaling for LJ to leave.

All LJ did was cross his arms and disappear in a cloud of smoke.

Jeff walked over to me and sat down on the ground. Leaning back on his hands, he glanced over at Papagrande.

"What do you need?" Jeff asked the magician.

"I need Lucy to come clean about her magic," Papagrande said, making his way over to us.

My heart jumped to my throat and I glanced down at Jeff. He was staring up at me now.

I shook my head and sat down next to Jeff.

"Did the Plague Doctor tell you?" I groaned, wrapping an arm around my stomach.

Papagrande nodded at me.

"My apologies, Luciana. You were taking too long."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I scoffed in response to the Plague Doctor's voice in my head.

"Pardon?" Papagrande said, giving me a confused look.

I pointed at my head. "He talks to me and I can only reply out loud for him to hear me."

Papagrande knelt down and placed his hand on the side of my head. I was glancing around, trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. Hell, I don't even know what he is doing, to begin with.

Papagrande nodded and stood back up. "Slender doesn't, and can't, know about this. The Plague Doctor isn't on our side. He's not exactly on Zalgo's either. He's on whoever's side benefits him the most."

I nodded. "I can tell. What did he tell you though? How did you know?"

"He came to me in a dream, like he does with you. He told me that I had some magic to discuss with you; that he tapped into your aura and you're ready." Papagrande announced as he began walking to the back of the arena.

Papagrande held his hand up and motioned for Jeff and me to follow him. Jeff stood up and held his hand out for me to grab. After I was helped to my feet, Jeff began speaking.

"Why was LJ told to leave but not me?"

"I told the Plague Doctor I wanted you to know everything. Jack isn't around and I don't exactly have a strong trust in anyone else." I admitted, glancing over at Jeff.

"You... you trust me? Why?" He asked, slowly turning his head to me.

"You're Jack's best friend and you haven't done me any wrong since I've been here. In other words, unlike almost everyone else, you haven't given me a reason not to trust you." I shot Jeff a cheesy grin as we followed Papagrande down the hallway.

"If Jack was here, it would be a different story though. Wouldn't it be? He'd be the one helping you out with the magic." Jeff asked, glancing behind us.

"Jack's not here. So I'm not even going to answer that, because I don't know."

******

Our old training arena had the same magic room tucked in the back down a long hall. The last time I was in a magic training room, I spent hours upon hours attempting to learn some sort of magic.

"Your magic isn't going to include learning spells and reciting them, so you're lucky on that part. This kind of magic is more of believing you can do it and controlling it. Of course, there's going to be quite a few things you won't be able to do, like raising the dead, but you can heal as long as they're not too injured. You just have to believe you can do it." Papagrande stated as he walked towards a table with beakers and glass containers.

Papagrande lifted a thick book up and walked over to Jeff and me, thumbing his way through the pages.

"This again," I sighed, sitting down on the couch in the middle of the room.

"No, not exactly. I was pulling it for references to see what you think you're capable of." Papagrande stated. "I want to start out simple, like moving objects around or lighting candles. But the second I see you're becoming distressed because of it, then we're done training for the day. You can tell the Plague Doctor that one." Papagrande chuckled, nodding at me.

"I'm sure he can hear you. I choose not to talk to him. He's not exactly my number one most favorite person right now." I scoffed, reaching my hand out to grab the book from Papagrande.

Papagrande had a strong grip on the book as if he didn't want to let it go. Locking my eyes on his, I gave it a swift tug as he loosened his grip.

"Is there a problem?" I asked Papagrande, glancing down at the book and opening it up.

He just shook his head and sat down on the chair in front of me. Jeff was seated next to me, leaning over my shoulder as I looked through the book of spells. Jeff began laughing and he placed his hand on the page we were on.

"How can you even read this?" Jeff laughed, running one of his fingers along the words.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's gibberish," Jeff admitted, glancing up at Papagrande.

"To you and I, yes. To Lucy, no. The Plague Doctor ordered that I gave her that book. I've had it stashed away for years. Only one person can read it and once a page is read, it completely disappears." Papagrande said, leaning forward and placing his hand on my arm. "Once you read something from in there, you'll have it memorized. All you do from there is believe you can perform the spell and it'll happen."

I pulled my arm out from under his hand and closed the book.

"Why are do you seem so excited about this?" I questioned Papagrande.

Papagrande smirked. "I'm usually following Slender's orders and reporting back to him about everything. This is something that I'm doing to benefit me, and you of course, and I don't have to tell him about it."

"Wait, what's in it for you?"

"Someone to do magic with." Papagrande's smirk turned into a genuine smile.

Smiling back at him, I opened the book back up and began reading every word left to right, top to bottom. I was happy I finally had answers to what I am capable of, well, at least I sort of have an answer. The answer was whatever I put my mind to and believe I can do.

******

Later on that evening, Jeff and I were sitting in my room in the dark. I tried a few simple spells, but nothing too strenuous, in fear of Papagrande calling the training off.

Jeff had set unlit candles up in the room all around us. Earlier, I had lit a candle easily. But when Papagrande wanted me to light more than one at a time, I was hesitant. Instead of pushing me to do it, we just moved on to moving objects around.

"You're basically a witch." Jeff laughed as he sat down on the ground in front of me.

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes, punching his arm playfully. "I take it not many other proxies before have mastered their magic fully?"

Jeff shook his head. "No. They caught on quickly, but none of them were sworn to secret like this. It honestly makes me wonder what the Plague Doctor is up to."

"Why do I have to be up to something when I'm helping someone?" The Plague Doctors voice rang through my head.

"I don't think he meant it that way, Plague." I sighed, not wanting to hear the arguing.

"Right," Jeff scoffed, "I forgot he can hear me."

I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, trying to clear my mind. Closing my eyes and focusing on the placement of all the candles, I focused my mind on imagining they were lit. The fire dancing around as the wic attempted to burn through the wax, only to melt a small puddle on the top that would eventually drip down the side.

"Uh, Luce?" Jeff's voice interrupted me.

"Hmm?" I hummed out.

"You should open your eyes," Jeff whispered.

Irritated at him for interrupting me, I opened my eyes to see the candles around the room were all lit up. A rush of relief washed over me knowing that I can trust in myself enough to do magic.

"Can we just be done for the day? You've been at this for hours and there's no way you're not tired." Jeff said as he stood up.

He began walking over to a candle to blow it out, but before he could, I made it go out on its own. Jeff turned around and shook his head at me.

"You're obsessed." He said, crossing his arms.

"I mean, a little bit. But do you blame me?" I grinned, making the rest of the candles blow out.

Standing up, I crawled on my bed and pulled the blankets up to my chin. I could see a faint outline of Jeff sitting on the chair in the corner of the room near me.

My eyes were beginning to shut when Papagrande stormed into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. I shot up in my bed and stared at him wide-eyed.

"Literally every candle in the living room lit then went out. What are you doing?" Papagrande asked, out of breath from his run up here.

"Oh. Oops." I giggled. "What did you tell them?"

"That I was practicing!" Papagrande slapped his forehead and sat down on the edge of my bed. "Me. Practicing the only thing I'm actually good at! I never 'practice'."

"You sound like you're freaking out and it's freaking me out." I clenched my jaw and glanced over at Jeff, hoping he had something intelligent to add.

"If she keeps practicing, she can't stay here," Papagrande said, jolting up from the bed. "I-I-I can hide you! We can find you a place and keep you there. Jeff can go with, train you, keep an eye on you. We can ward the corrupted off... if I can remember how to recreate the spell... but you'll be safe. If anyone here finds out about your magic, we're doomed."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nobody's going anywhere." Jeff shot up from the chair.

I noticed he had his knife in his hand. He must've been as confused and freaked out as I was about this. This was far off of Papagrande's character.

"Jeff, put the knife down," I whispered, tugging at his sleeve.

"Jeff you know that she can't stay here. The Plague Doctor wants nobody to know. Lucy is about to become one of the deadliest weapons any of us have created." Papagrande nodded at me.

"What?" I choked down the lump that formed in my throat.

"The Plague Doctor knows what Zalgo's next move is, so he's countering it to keep you alive because, obviously, he wants something from you. You're basically a weapon of mass destruction, in the making, of course. I knew what the Plague Doctor was signing you up for- all of us up for. If this is the only way to keep it a secret, then it needs to happen." Papagrande glared down at me.

Just by staring at Papagrande, you could sense he was on edge. Something wasn't right, and I knew it had basically everything to do with me.

"Why can't anyone know?" Jeff asked, his hand still tight in the handle of his knife.

"If Slender finds out, he'll want to use her for everything. Basically draining her dry of what she is capable of. Slender may seem like he's easy going, but look at what I've become. I'm in his study twenty-four-seven because I know magic and can solve some of his problems. But Lucy... Lucy's going to be able to solve all of his problems, and then more." Papagrande rambled on.

"You don't want me to turn into you. A slave with magic." I spoke softly, not breaking my eye contact with Papagrande.

Papagrande nodded. "Though slave is a harsh term, you're not wrong. Being in my place is the last place I'd want any of you guys to end up."

The room filled with silence as my mind started racing. Leaving the Hideaway was the last thing I ever planned. I didn't want to leave everyone behind and start over, again. 

"Wouldn't separating right now be the worst idea?" Jeff asked.

Papagrande shrugged. "For us, yes. For Lucy, no. I'll keep an eye on her and you'll be with her at all times. And if needed, I can get Smiley there too."

"When would we do this?" I asked, trying to sort my thoughts out. 

"The sooner the better. You just give me the ok and I'll get the both of you on your way." Papagrande said as he turned to leave my bedroom. 

Before he could open the door all the way, he stopped in his tracks and turned back to me. 

"Nobody can find out, Luce. I don't care how close you get to them. If Slender finds out by reading someone else's mind, the outcome is not going to be the best. Just, please, trust me on this one."  And with that, he left the room 

Jeff was still standing in the same place, with his knife still firmly gripped. His gaze was down on the ground. I kept glancing around, trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. 

"I think it's time for you to get some shut-eye, Luce," Jeff mumbled before shutting the light off and slumping down in the chair in the corner.

I scoffed. "Not sure how I'm supposed to sleep after that, but okay." 

My hand was tracing the scar that was left on me from when Jack died. A part of me was glad the link completely severed all of my weak emotions because I don't think I could handle not only the death of my parents but also Jack's death and Lucas being one of Zalgo's followers now.

"Don't take this wrong, but how am I supposed to leave a place that took me in in my darkest times?" Jeff whispered. 

I laid back on the bed and rested on my side, staring straight at Jeff.

"You don't. Nobody's leaving." I tried reassuring Jeff, knowing that was the least possible outcome. 

If Slender finds out what Papagrande thinks I'm capable of, who knows what he'd want to use it for. But still, the way Papagrande was acting he made it seem like there was more to it than he was letting on.

"To me, it sounded like you didn't have much of a choice. And what kind of a friend would I be if I made you do that alone?" Jeff asked, messing around with his knife in his hand.

"How about we just worry about it when Papagrande says the time is ready? Until then, only physical training." I yawned as I rolled onto my back. "What would Jack do if he was here?"

I turned my head and stared at Jeff. Now, he was just staring down at his knife, probably lost in thought on Jack. I guess it really wasn't right for me to pry like that. Jack's not here, so why bother with the 'what ifs'?

Jeff cleared his throat. "He'd probably tell Papagrande he was crazy and would've kicked him out of the room before he could convince you of any other bullshit." Jeff then leaned forward and continued speaking. "Or he would listen to him and actually go with you to wherever Papagrande is going to put you."

I was rubbing my eyes with my hands, trying to rid myself of the sleep that was crashing over me. 

"Where do you think they took Jack?" I whispered, glancing over at Jeff.

I know this was a harsh subject for Jeff, as he was the one who witnessed Jack's death, but I was so curious.

Jeff sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I don't know. I watched them carry his body out of the room and that was the last thing I saw of them. Something about bringing him to Zalgo was mentioned but I was so thrown off by what was happening I couldn't pay attention."

"Understandable," I whispered.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Uh, anyway. Get some rest, Luce. You can ask me anything you want tomorrow."

I nodded my head, knowing he probably didn't see it as I began to drift off. My exhaustion has finally caught up to me, and it felt good not fighting it. I heard a low chuckle, but I was nearly sleeping, to the point of me not fighting it.

That was when the Plague Doctor's voice rang in my head.

"Wait until you see what I have in store for you tonight."

******

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a dimly lit area. The Plague Doctor was standing directly next to me, and when I looked up at him, he just nodded forward. Turning my head to follow his nod, I noticed we were in a tunnel, but where?

The Plague Doctor began walking down the long corridor, so I, hesitantly, began to follow him. Every few feet, there seemed to be barred cells, like a dungeon. 

"Where are we?" I quietly asked him.

"Shh. You're basically a spirit right now, but anybody can still hear you." The Plague Doctor whispered back. "Just stay quiet and you'll understand."

I had no idea what he had up his sleeve, but I was partially terrified. This wasn't a normal place and it was also probably a place I shouldn't be in. 

"Where is he?" 

The sound of that voice made my blood run cold and body heat up. Fear. Aggression. Anger. My body was filling up with tons of emotions to the point of me wanting to act out. One of the torches flames grew higher.

"Control." The Plague Doctor whispered back to me as we continued walking.

I was trying to control my breathing and emotions as the voice continued talking.

"There he is! Long time no see buddy! How's the chest?"

Finally, the owner of the voice was just a few feet in front of us. His red hair was unwashed and shaggier than ever. But what scared me the most was the amount of veins that have crept over his skin. Lucas. My brother.

"Where did you take me?" I choked out quietly.

"Zalgo's mansion. Shh." The Plague Doctor replied quickly and quietly.

Lucas had one of his hands on the bars of one of the cells, staring straight into it. I crept up to him and looked directly into his face, nearly losing my mind. His eyes were black and red and his skin was beyond ashey.

"Come on, Jack. I know you're in there. Come out from the shadows." Luke snarled.

My heart nearly jumped up to my mouth and I glanced over at the Plague Doctor. All he did was a nod in return. Slowly turning around, I gazed into the cell that Luke was talking into. I couldn't see much, actually anything at all. The cell was so dark.

Footsteps began approaching Luke and me quickly. The next thing I knew, Jack was slamming his body against the bars of the cell, making me jump and fall backward.

"Son of a--"

The Plague Doctor ran over and covered my mouth with his hand. My eyes widened as Luke slowly turned around.

"I can hear you, Lucy," He grinned, glancing around the halls.

He can hear me, but can't see me. I crawled over to the side and stood up. Looking at the Plague Doctor, I pointed over to the cell.

"No. Don't even think about it." He responded to me in my head.

Shrugging, I charged my way through the bars of the cell and looked around the dark room. 

I wasn't sure how big the cell was and not knowing where Jack was had me on high guard. I highly doubt he could hurt me in this form, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Jack," I whispered, glancing around the room.

"I brought you here so you knew what was going on. Not to try and save him," The Plague Doctor snarled. "It's time to go."

"Lucy, I know you're in there," Lucas sang out from the hallway.

The Plague Doctor grabbed my wrist and began speaking in a different language. Footsteps slowly approached us and I could faintly see the outline of Jack. His claws were completely outgrown.

"Jack," I whispered, clenching my jaw.

"Get out of here, Luce. I don't want you here." Jack snarled.

I knew he couldn't see me, but he could just follow my voice if I kept speaking. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

As the Plague Doctor said his last words and we began to fade away, the last thing I saw was Jack charging us as he started swinging his claws through our bodies.

******

I woke up in a cold sweat, not knowing what I had just witnessed. 

"Jeff?" I whispered into the darkness. 

I could faintly hear Jeff's snores in the chair near me.

I clutched my chest and laid back down on the bed.

"It was just a dream." I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"Not quite. By now I'm pretty sure Luke told Zalgo what just happened."

My eyes widened as I realized the Plague Doctor was talking to me.

"I used your aura to get you down in Zalgo's dungeon. That's the only way to do a spirit transfer to a different realm. Zalgo is going to know you have magic. It's not safe for you here if Slender finds out. And it's not safe for you out there if Zalgo knows where you are."

******
*Jeff's POV*

Lucy's been talking to herself for a couple minutes now. I was startled awake when she began talking, so I decided to listen in. 

"No."

A moment passed and she began speaking again.

"I'm not listening to Papagrande. If I leave, Jeff does. I'm not doing that to him."

Another long moment went by.

"I guess we could do that. But how do I get out of here without someone noticing?"

I scoffed. "For starters, you could start by talking quieter. Or maybe even in a room where nobody else is."

"Jeff." Lucy gasped. I saw her sit up in her bed and look over at me. "How much did you hear?"

Stretching out, I repositioned myself in the chair. "All of it. I'm not letting you leave without me. You know that, right?"

Lucy spoke quietly, almost too quiet. But it was loud enough for me to hear. 

"I saw Jack." 

"What?" I sprang up from the chair and sat on the bed in front of her. "What do you mean?" 

Lucy didn't speak. She only glanced up at me, then back down at the bed. 

"Lucy! What are you talking about?" I growled, grabbing her arms.

"He's not dead. The Plague Doctor showed him to me, Jeff! He's completely gone. He tried to attack both the Plague Doctor and me." Lucy tried to wiggle out of my grasp, but I wasn't letting go.

"Where is he?" I demanded. 

"You're not going after him. You can't!" Lucy continued trying to wiggle free.

I stood up from the bed, letting my anger get the best of me. Picking up the nightstand, I hurled it across the room and turned back to Luciana. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at me in fear.

"I'm not telling you."  She said blankly, glancing around the room.

"Then I'll just have to make you." I snarled.

Before I could make another move, my entire body froze up. It was like every muscle I had in my body was tense, trying to become more and more tense by the second. My breath was caught short, and for a few moments, I couldn't breathe in.

"Plague Doctor stop!" Lucy cried out, jumping off the bed. 

She quickly grabbed me as I began to collapse to the ground, gasping for air.

"You can't just be hurting the ones around me," she scolded the Plague Doctor, helping me to the bed.

"No! He wouldn't have hurt me! He was trying to scare me. Jeff just tell him you were trying to scare me." She pleaded, sitting on the bed next to me.

"Fuck you, Plague Doctor." I snarled, trying to regulate my breathing. 

The bond that the Plague Doctor and Luciana share was concerning to me. For one, he just tried to kill me. Granted, yeah I was getting out of hand. But what else is he filling her thoughts with? What other kinds of bullshit?

"Lucy, is the Plague Doctor ever not there?" I asked, glancing over at her.

She just shrugged. "I never know when he is and isn't. I'm sorry that happened. I want to save Jack too, believe me, I do. But I can't. Jack is so far gone right now and I'd be putting me and the baby in danger. And by telling you where he is and you going after him, I might as well sign your death certificate before you leave. Jack can't come back here, Jeff..." Lucy's voice quivered. "I lost him and I'm not ready to lose you too."

I shifted around then stood up. 

"Something needs to get done. I'm going to Papagrande now." I stated as I started to leave the room.

Lucy jumped off the bed behind me and grabbed my arm. "I'm coming with. Just wait."

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Hello, dolls <3 Only ten or so more chapters left for this book! How freaking crazy is that? IF I am continuing this and make it to the end, I'm going to get the second started right away (already have the cover made). Guess it's all on you readers to see how far Shade of Blue will go ;) 
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