Lucas and Nora stand in front of Frederick and a woman named Melisandra.

Melisandra, like Frederick, is a scholar. Her specialty is magic, vampires specifically.

She moved to New Orleans from England, where her twin sister Melody lives currently. The two are helping Nora and Lucas find a way to bring Finn back. Nora, Melisandra and Frederick are against the idea but Lucas won't take no for an answer.

Shocker, he says to himself.

The four of them are at the end of their conversation when Blythe, the butler, comes into the room.

"What is it?" Lucas says with a frown.

"You have a visitor."

"If it's a witch, particularly black with an annoying demeanor, please tell him we've moved." Lucas says with frustration.

They watch as David walks into the room.

"Not a witch." David frowns.

Nora laughs, "Thank God."

Lucas eyes him suspiciously, "What's he gotten himself into this time?" He asks.

"It's not him, it's me." David says with pause. He wonders if he should even tell Lucas. It would be a prime opportunity to swoop in and tell Perry what he wants to hear. He takes a deep breath, "I need your help."

"Get the fuck out!" Nora chortles, "You need his help? You must be desperate."

"Very." David nods.

"Let's get this party started then." Lucas says with resignation.

                                                                                     -

I never thought I'd be moving back into my old bedroom.

Not alone, at least.

Even though furniture hasn't changed a bit, the feeling I get when I'm inside is wholly different. There's this unbelievable disconnect and feeling of not belonging that I can't shake. It tears me in two directions. I feel like I'm foreign in a way but not so much.

It's home but it's not home anymore.

My Mother and Micah have been insistent that I figure out my next move. They also think I should speak to David, which is harder than it sounds. After the first eighteen voicemails, all of which were made in a matter of six hours, I turned my phone off.

That didn't stop him from calling my Mother. She politely suggested that he give me time and he said that he will call back later. It's been two days since I moved out, six hours since I've heard from him. I really miss him but I need space.

I sit on the sofa now, watching my wedding tape over and over while eating caramel crunch gelato. I can almost rest it on my belly. The only real problem is that the cold makes the babies kick the crap out of me.

I keep rewinding it at the vows. Vows that I'm threatening to break. I keep thinking I'm the one who's messing everything up, like I always do.

But it's not true this time.

I didn't turn my back on David. I've been trying to help him since we got back, hiding just how wrong he is. I've been trying to help him find a cure and help myself. I can't help him if he doesn't want to be helped and I'm starting to think his dark side is far greater than mine. I begin to wonder exactly what happened to him in the darkness.

I begin to wonder if I'd only thought I knew the darkness.

It's with these thoughts that I find myself rewinding the DVD over and over, trying to come up with a logical explanation of how I got to this place. Penny has been hovering for a while, even tried to get Micah to get me out of the house and I'm just not ready.

My version of rewind theater is interrupted by arguing. I sit up on the couch and turn to the door where Penny, Charlotte and Eva are arguing.

My first reaction is one of relief and then anger. It quickly turns to annoyance. That quickly turns to indifference. I quickly lay back down, rewinding until I see myself arrive at the altar, beside David. There's nothing I want more than to forget all this, to just be in that day.

To not be here.

But I can't let the plan fall through.

"Perry?" Eva's voice comes as she, my Mother and Charlotte take a step in front of me. I literally roll my eyes before sitting up. Eva nervously looks to Charlotte who nods. She clears her throat, "We've been worried about you. I know we've all drifted."

I laugh, "Drifted?" I ask.

"You have to understand..." Charlotte begins.

I shake my head, "When I agreed to do this again, you told me you were with me." I say angrily.

"That was before you sacrificed us to save your husband. I get it, I do, but we thought we meant more to you." Eva says sadly.

I feel some powerful sense of rage. I can almost taste the bile in my throat. I sit up again, albeit roughly. I look to them, "I didn't sacrifice anything! I marched into Hell to bring him back not because he's more important than you, but because he doesn't get to leave. I thought none of you did."

"What happened in that bathroom?" Charlotte asks.

I stare at her, as do the other two women.

"You went into the bathroom, talked to yourself and came out. Something happened." Charlotte frowns, "I'd like to know what."

"I do, too." Eva nods.

"No."

"No?" Penny asks, "I think we all deserve to know what happened, what caused such a stark change?"

"He used David as a bargaining chip. He took my husband's soul as some common token to get out of Hell." I say angrily, "Sit down and listen."

They all exchange nervous glances before taking a seat beside and in front of me.

They do deserve to know.

                                                                                       -  

The vampires are secretive.

David isn't so naïve to think that they're bringing back Finn. They had to sense him from a mile away and that makes their plan all the more insidious. The vampires are up to something big and without knowing exactly what's going on, he can't stop them.

He's been here for hours, waiting for Lucas.

"You don't want to know." Lucas says appearing at the door. He saunters in and stand in front of David, whom stands to meet him, "So, you're filled with darkness? Join the club."

"That's why I'm here. I need to manage it." David says with a frown, "I can feel it in me."

"Yeah, well, he reached into Hell and brought you back. Returned the favor. How does it feel?" Lucas asks.

"Like Hell all over again." David frowns, "What do I do? I think—I think he's inside me."

"Who's inside of you?" Lucas asks.

"The Devil."

Lucas studies his face before a look of fear hits his face. David can see the fear in his eyes and it terrifies. The two of them stare at each other, neither one able to form sentences. When David isn't able to take it, he asks, "What is it?"

"Your eyes blacked over." Lucas says quickly, "But it wasn't normal, even by those standards. There's someone there."

"He is in me."

"Yeah, he is." Lucas says turning from him, "Let me guess, he tried to help you and you, being the dumbass you are, declined because 'there's nothing wrong with you'."

David goes quiet again.

"You want to know what we're doing? What we're really doing?" Lucas asks. David nods to him and Lucas explains, "A group of witches, mixed with other supernaturals, have taken over our territory. They are obsessed with a man called the 'Nowhere Man'. They say he's rising. They're performing ritual sacrifice on the other poor, unsuspecting idiots in their little cult."

"You do know the 'Nowhere Man' is just another name for the Devil, right?"

Lucas stares at him, "Oh balls." He frowns.

                                                                                         -    

After subtly telling them to 'Fuck Off', I'm left alone again.

Eva and Charlotte scurried out as quickly as they came, stating that if I was going to mope, I wouldn't do it alone. They went out to get comfort food. I thought about casting a spell to prevent them from entering the house. The jury is still out on that.

Penny disappeared, too. That worries me.

An hour and a half passes before I hear anything else. To be honest, I've blocked out any noise that isn't my wedding. David looked so happy. We all did. I feel as if I played the game and lost. I did what I could and still lost. My plan hinged on David and having him with me.

But, as always, they're right.

I didn't do it specifically with the intention of sacrificing them. I trusted them, like they always wanted. I let them help me.

And we all failed.

The door opens and Penny, who finally rears her head, runs to it. I can hear her squeal and slowly rise to my feet, almost waddling towards the door. Before I can make it, she and Porter appear at the door.

"Well...fuck."

                                                                                           -      

David wonders how he got enlisted into this fight.

Nora, Frederick, Melissandre, Lucas and he head into one of the several cemeteries in NOLA. A fog has descended onto the cemetery. Of course the vampires lead, having extrasensory powers that he no longer have.

He's having trouble keeping up.

"Weren't you a quarterback?" Lucas asks slowing to walk with me, "Then again, that was before that freshman twenty."

"Are you going to help me?" David asks.

"You'll help yourself, dick." Lucas frowns. David stops in his tracks. Lucas sighs and turns to him, "You know why you're even alive?"

"Because you're a bastard who likes to see me squirm?"

Lucas smirks, "You know, in another life we might have been friends. So, in that spirit, I'll just shoot straight with you." He says with a smile.

"Please do, your opinion means a lot." David says with rabid sarcasm.

"Most times I want to murder you. Decapitation mostly."

"Classy." David scoffs.

"But he genuinely loves you. You give him something I never can. And if it means he's happy, I'll help you."

"That's really mature. What's the catch?"

"You hurt him again, I mean one little toe out of line, and I'll rethink the decapitation." Lucas says angrily, "You want help? Remember him. Remember that he reached into Hell, like he did with any of his other annoying, boring friends, and ripped you back into the world. Be grateful."

David nods.

"Give this to him, will ya?" Lucas says handing him an envelope, "Let's get the Hell out there." Lucas says turning and walking ahead.

David follows him into the fog and he stops when the two come up on the rest of the group. It's now that David realizes that they're not alone. There must be twenty or so other vampires, six witches and what looks to be a conclave of wolves.

The same can be said about the other side, which is just as menacing. A long woman stands in front of them. She's younger than David himself. She must be twenty, maybe younger. She has long chestnut brown hair and piercing emerald eyes.

Stunning, really.

She's standing beside a man who is just as young, or so he looks. His pale skin alerts David to the fact that he's a vampire. Following in the theme of his skin, his blonde hair and grey eyes are paler still. He towers over her, much as David does Perry.

"Dora, it's such a displeasure to see you." Lucas says with his signature sarcasm, "It's about time that we get to kill you."

"You can't stop it, you know." Dora says with a frown.

Lucas frowns at her, "You want the Devil to rise, so you're not an authority on reality." He scoffs.

"He's not the devil."

"He lived in the Underworld, commanded evil things and fell from the Heavens." Nora says with a dry tone, "He's the devil."

"He's misunderstood." Dora says angrily, "It doesn't really matter. He wants one person and we'll help him get it."

"Perry." David says softly.

Everyone turns their attention to him and he realizes he's made a mistake. The issue is driven home when her gaze turns to him. She scrutinizes him before her eyes widen.

"Who is he?" She asks.

"An enemy...or friend, depending on the day." Nora says with a smirk, "No one of consequence."

"He's been touched by the Nowhere Man. He resides there." Dora says, "Wynn, you see it, too, right?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." David lies, "And when you say 'the one he wants'..."

"I think you know." Wynn says with a smile, "It's all over you."

"Yeah, David run." Lucas orders.

David turns to run and the fight begins. As he's running through the fog, he can hear things behind him. He can hear the sounds of fighting. David can't really see where he's going and he tries to swat the fog away but he is taken off his feet by someone or something.

Wynn's face appears in front of him. Wynn's eyes roam around his face and land on his eyes. Wynn's face is studious, as if trying to work something out in his mind. He walks closer and leans down.

"It's so odd. Fate loves mortals. Why choose you?"

David growls and pushes his head forward. It hurts more than he'd like to admit but he rolls past Wynn but stops at the appearance of Dora. Dora waves her hand at him, causing him to fly backwards.

David weaves in and out of consciousness.

                                                                                             -        

Porter's appearance causes me to retreat to my room.

It's funny how you forget the order of things, the simple mechanics of a family and then it falls back into place and you wonder if anything changed. This is one of those moments. Porter is my older brother. A fact that I've tried to make myself forget.

I'm my own man.

But in reality, I'm his kid brother.

He also hates me. Hate is too strong. He disagrees with my decisions, as do most people. He doesn't understand. The person who may have been the only person who understands me doesn't understand why I did what I did. He blames me.

They all do.

A knock at the door alerts me to his presence. I look over my shoulder, as I'm lying on the bed, looking out the window. I lie back down, away from him.

"Hey." He says simply.

I don't speak. I'm not sure what to say.

As mad as my friends are at me, as furious as they are, I'm just as furious. I watched each of them turn and walk away from me. It's the way we have to rationalize it. They think I get what I want. They think I got what I wanted. They see how terrible their lives are around me.

They never understood how much I never wanted any of this.

He scoffs, "You're mad at me?" He asks.

"No. Disappointed."

I can hear his footsteps coming closer and he grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me into a seating position. He apologizes once he sees my belly. I sneer at him and he glares back at me.

"Listen to me, baby brother, I need you to get your ass out of this bed." Porter says angrily, "This isn't you."

"Why?"

"Why?" He asks, "What do you mean why?"

"Everyone else gets to walk away from me, right? Eva, Charlotte, Parker, Lucas, David...you." I say sadly. The sadness it quickly replaced by anger, "You all get to walk away from this, from me, then why do I have to be stuck here."

"That's what you think?"

"What would you call it?" I ask.

"Self-pity."

"Bite me, Porter."

He places his hand on my stomach, "This. This is why. They need their Father, both of them."

"Sorry but neither Father is here." I say laying back, "We're not—we're not here."

"What about David?" He asks.

"Screw David."

"Screw David?" He asks.

"Screw...David." I say angrily, "I gave him every chance to fight this, fight this with me. He chose to lose this. I wanted to fix him. I wanted him to understand that I picked him, I traveled into Hell for him."

"He needs to save himself. You can't fix him."

"Noted."

"Mom tells me Eva and Charlotte—"

"Don't," I say with a chuckle, "Do not treat me like you give a shit! You turned away from me, just like they did."

"I'm your brother."

"No. Porter was my brother. You...I don't know who you are." I say angrily.

"Ditto."

The two of us go quiet as Porter stands and walks toward the door. He stops short of it and looks back towards me.

"You know what the shittiest part of all this is? Had you asked, had you sought my actual opinion, I'd have told you the truth. I'd have found a way to help you." Porter says angrily, "I've been with you through every single failure and success and you didn't trust me with this. You never do. You trust Lucas or David or even Eva and Charlotte but you never trust me to have your back. So, yes, I left."

"That's not entirely my fault, is it?" I ask.

His eyes flicker with some unknown fire and he stares at me, "You want the truth? You're not you. This you is pathetic. Get your ass out of that bed and fight for it. You want your friends back? Your husband? To win all of this? Help yourself." He says as he leaves, slamming the door.

I sit on the bed.

He's right.

He always fucking is.

                                                                                               -          

Lucas follows David's scent.

The Dumbass got himself captured after Lucas specifically told him to run. Had he been a werewolf, maybe he wouldn't have been such a liability. Even Perry isn't this much of a liability. Ever since David showed up, he's been this sad-sack.

It's no secret that Perry is the love of Lucas' life. Lucas moved here, intent on forging his own life. He did, of course. He distanced himself from Perry, with the help of his brother and sister. He made a life here.

But Perry always seemed to find him.

Perry.

Of course he does.

Lucas will always be in love with Perry. There's just so much that Lucas can't offer Perry and he knows it. They both do. Lucas meant what he said. He wants happiness for Perry and if that means marrying an idiot and having kids, which is the oddest thing by the way, then that's what he'd ensure he had.

Living many lifetimes gave Lucas clarity Perry wasn't able to have.

Now, Lucas is pulled from the battle of the century to save this moron. David had, atone time, never been any competition to Lucas. His own actions had sealed the fate of his relationship with Perry, or so Lucas thought.

After seeing Perry come back to life the way he did, he was convinced that he had to give Perry what he needed: a tether.

The 'Nowhere Man' seems to be the last big battle. He'd thought to spare Perry this fight but it's more evident that the fight has found him. Of course it has. Lucas knows one thing, Perry will make a way.

It's what he does.

Lucas tracks David to a nearby crypt. Lucas can hear the chants even before he enters. Without much resistance, he kicks the doors in. The large concrete door crumbles as the doors slide against the ground.

He quickly spots Wynn and Dora standing over David. There is a pentagram etched on his head and candles around them. Dora's palm is slit and blood drips down on David. Wynn moves at him, faster than the natural eye can see but he swats him away.

As he reaches Dora, she invades his mind and he sinks to his knees, screaming out in pain. The little witch has, apparently, graduated to the big leagues. She smirks at him, smug as always.

"You're too late, asshole." She says quickly, "He's here."

As she finishes the sentence, a mess of swirling black orbs give form to a man. The man's face becomes clearer. Lucas is shocked to see who it forms.

"Alan?" He asks.

"Not quite." The man says advancing towards him. Lucas makes to move but the man grabs him by the throat. Lucas can feel his body decaying and the man tilts his head, "It's nice to meet you. Perry has such a high opinion of you. Glad I could be the one to kill you."

David sits up in time to see a man that looks startlingly like Alan rip Lucas' head off his shoulders. He yells at for the man and the man turns to him. Before anything else could be done or said, a blur speeds through the room and a stake jabs through Wynn's chest.

The blur stops long enough to show itself to be Nora. Her eyes fall on her brother's decapitated head.

"This will be fun." The Man says gesturing wildly into the air.

The Man and Dora disappear, leaving Nora to move to her brother. She breaks down into a sob as she reaches her brother's remains.

This is real.

                                                                                                 -            

Porter's words jar me back into reality.

He's not wrong. I hate to say it but my self-pity has gone on two months too long. They need me. I mean they in every iteration of the word. None of us was ready for this but now we can't go back.

I just wasn't prepared to lose David.

It harkens back to the first time we made love. I was so sure about us and then we hit a wall. That action caused so many bad decisions and heartache. I used to be so angry and naïve. I guess I've grown to realize that you take whatever happiness you can and fight for the rest.

I have to get out of the house. Micah and Porter are playing chess while Penny and Peyton watch. I find myself on the porch, looking out onto the street. I've been here so many times but it looks different now.

So different.

I sit up when I see David's truck pull up.

Déjà vu.

I watch as the door opens and he begins walking up the walkway. I stand as I realize he's bloody and beat up. I meet him at the steps and I look him over.

"Dav—"

He bypasses formalities and pulls me into a kiss. I admit that I melted in his arms. When I realize this is a diversion tactic, I pull away.

"I—I have bad news." David says softly.

I look past him to see Nora push herself out of the truck. She's sobbing. I look to him. I wonder what can make her cry. She's a stone-cold bitch. And then I realize that she's here with him. Shouldn't Lucas...

"No." I say as I come to the realization that Lucas isn't with them. He's not undead. Just dead. I take a step back and David pulls me into him.

"It's okay. It'll all be okay." David says running his hand over my head, "I love you."

It's real.