The blood moon quickly approaches.

It puts a shroud over the entire group. We all know that it might be our last day. We all agree that we should do anything that we want to do before the time comes. The air is filled with anxiety and an undeniable sense of finality.

Charlotte finds herself sitting on a wooden bench in the local park, tossing bread to the pigeons. She takes in the sight of the children playing. She wonders what could have been and what could be. Regret hits her like Mack truck and dread seeps into her skin like ink running through water.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Porter, who takes a seat beside her. She smiles over to him but looks out at the kids. Without looking at him, she slide the bag over to Porter. He laughs and takes the bag in his hands. He picks up a piece of bread and tosses it out to the birds.

"This is how you'd spend your last day?" Porter asks, "I never pictured you for much of contemplative person."

Charlotte laughs, "Because I'm a party girl? Did you think I'd be getting drunk and partying? Sorry, no parties this early and we might be dead later tonight." Her voice takes on a sadness that Porter isn't expecting.

Porter looks out onto the kids playing. He notices that parents are playing with the kids. He sits back on the bench, "Sucks, huh?" He asks.

"What?"

"Regret. Not knowing what could have been?" His eyes penetrate her.

Charlotte rolls her eyes and sighs, "You know? I love Perry, but he can't hold water with a bucket." She frowns, "So, did you come to yell at me like David? Come to judge the town slut?"

"Nope." He says simply.

Charlotte stares at him, "Nope? That's all you got for me?"

"Would you like me to?" Porter asks. She shakes her head. He smiles to her, "It doesn't make you a bad person."

"Oh no? It's crazy. I was so pro-life and when it was time for me to make a decision, I totally abandoned my beliefs for the convenience of making life easier." She puts her face in her hands, "God, I slept with my best friend's fiancée."

"When he was dead."

"Doesn't matter! I knew how he felt about David. I knew how David felt about him." Charlotte shakes her head in her hands, "I—I didn't know if the spell would work. It was such a long shot."

"Secret? Me either." Charlotte raises her head and stares at him. He sighs, "I didn't know what could happen. My Dad was so determined and I just...I didn't know if he'd be the same."

"He wasn't."

"He was sort of ripped out of the afterlife. We might have waited too long." Porter argues, "He's not the same but he's my brother and I missed every single thing about him."

"God, listen to me. I sound like I'm not grateful that he's back and that's he's more himself now."

"No, you don't." Porter frowns, "You don't understand how incredibly beautiful and smart and kind you actually are."

Charlotte sits back and stares at him, "Porter, are you...are you hitting on me?"

"Perry told me something. He says I have this kind of complex where I want to take care of everyone. He says that I have a fear of intimacy and I use it." Porter says thoughtfully, "He's right. The way I reacted to his announcement showed it. I should have patted him on the back and told him how proud I was."

"But you didn't." Charlotte puts an arm on his shoulder, "And don't change the question!"

"No, I didn't. Neither did Mom."

"Yeah, that really hurt him." Charlotte frowns, "Your Mom is always so cool. What happened?"

"I don't know. Maybe the same thing as me, but on a grander scale." Charlotte nods and he smiles at her, "You've always been my little brother's best friend. The sarcastic, blonde cheerleader with no actual cheerleader genes."

"What am I now?" She asks.

"Beautiful."

The two stare at each other for a few seconds before both of them lean into each other. Before they know what's happening, their lips meet. Charlotte's first reaction is to pull away but she doesn't. She lets the kiss happen.

It's something she's thought about a lot but never dared to say.

-

Parker is at the bar of Byars.

Parker is one of the only non-supernatural people in their little group. He's certainly not the strongest of them, even with his football background. He begins to wonder why he doesn't just leave town. His answer is more ambiguous than his actual thoughts.

His odds of making out of this catastrophe alive are very slim.

He's resigned himself to being collateral damage in a war that was never his to fight. He thinks back to Perry's speech and how he felt so sure to follow Perry. It waned. The danger of this situation is beyond real. It's beyond anything he can fathom.

As he finishes off his whiskey, he notices that someone with a familiar scent sits beside him. He knows the scent as belonging to Eva. Eva quickly orders another round. Parker leans on the bar, staring at her in the mirror.

"Vampires with reflections." He laughs, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

Eva chuckles, "We're dead, not soulless." She says as the bartender brings her a drink. She smiles and thanks him. They both take a drink of whiskey. She stares ahead, "Nervous?"

"About going up again the mega-witch? Nah, just another day." He finishes off his drink and sits it on the counter.

"Park...You're not going to die."

"You did." Parker says softly. The two of them go silent. Parker sighs and looks to her, "It's—it's not what I meant."

"It's fine. I understand."

"Doesn't make what I said right." Parker frowns as he runs his fingers around the ring of his empty glass, "No offense, but if I die, let me die."

"You're not going to die."

"Please..."

"Fine."

"You know, Perry's a strong person. He came back from it, from dying, I mean." Parker laughs, "I don't regret being friends with him."

"You are just as strong. You were his friend when he needed a male friend. God knows once a month, we weren't too jolly." Eva frowns, "And then we met Finn and Lucas and the world collapsed around us. It wasn't necessarily bad."

"So, you don't regret dying?"

"Yes, most times. But I feel like it made me stronger. Death does that." She says with a prideful tone, "You know which talk we never had?"

Parker groans, "Can we not?" He asks.

"I didn't break up with you because you weren't good enough or I didn't love you." Eva smiles, "It's because, not matter how we tried, we aren't the ones for each other. We couldn't force it."

Parker nods and sulks a bit.

"It's kind of like when you know you don't like a certain food that your mother makes constantly." She looks to him, "You try to want the food but, in the end, it's just not right for you."

"So, I'm look food? That you don't love."

"No, you are like a beautiful, incredibly kind person that deserves to be with someone that loves him like he deserves. I'm not that girl."

Parker laughs, catching her attention. When he notices that Eva is staring at him, he clears his throat, "I just—I didn't realize until this moment that I'm pretty pathetic. I'm going to die and I'm sitting her with my dead friend, gabbing about our past relationship."

"Life sucks and you die...then you come back. At least in this town."

"Do you ever think about us?" He asks. Eva sighs and rolls her eyes. He laughs again, "I mean, not to sound like a pathetic pain in the ass, but we're at different places in life. We're not the same people we were then. Did you ever think that maybe the timing wasn't right?"

"Yeah, I think that a lot." Eva nods, "And then I always come to the same conclusion. I can't be the same person. I'm not really a person anymore. There's no future because there's an infinite future. I'm immortal now. I'll outlive all of you."

Parker stares at her before looking forward, "You're not okay with being a vampire." He says finally.

"I was turned against my will and my best friend stopped talking to me for a while because of it. My boyfriend was even against it." Eva sighs, "So, you could die tomorrow. You could die now. It doesn't matter when you die. It's what you're dying for."

"You're ready to die for Perry? To walk into certain danger?"

"Yeah. This can't be easy on him. He's dealing with depression and being ripped out of wherever the hell he was and he's the only person who can stop what's coming." Eva smiles, "I don't envy him. I feel for him."

Parker barks for another round, "To not dying...this time." He says hoisting his drink for a toast.

Eva clinks his glass, "God, I hope not." She smiles.

-

David and I spend most of the day together, trying to figure out what life will be like as a married couple.

It's a lot different than anything I've ever experienced. Him loving me is a bit of a shock. I don't wonder once how much he loves me or if he's bored. It's a very odd feeling for me. I keep expecting him to realize that he's not in love with me. I've come to expect a certain amount of bad luck, in my relationships and in life in general. I know that my life will never be easy, not as easy as loving him.

But he makes me feel like he's just as in love with me as I am with him.

I never knew with Lucas. I still don't know. Lucas was always particularly hard to read. I always knew he was nefarious and a total psychopath but he had this moment, just moments, where he was exactly what I needed in ways David wasn't.

As David is now.

David and I are cuddled on the couch, watching some vapid reality show with falsified reality. I lay on David's lap, watching intently. Every so often, I can feel David's hand pat my head or he'd squeeze my butt. I must admit that I'm glad he didn't change that part about himself.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're perfect?" He asks, "It's weird."

"Cuddling on the couch?"

"Yeah. Not just cuddling. I'm spending what could be the last moments of my life with you. I don't feel afraid or anxious." He sighs, "That sounds so gay."

"I hate to break it to you, Davey, but you're screwing and marrying another guy. Time to accept that you are gay."

"Fine, I am gay." He admits. He quickly adds, "Barely."

I sit up, swinging my legs over onto his lap, "This...I never really thought about marriage or anything long term. I've always wanted the thing I can't have because I really thought I didn't deserve it."

"You do."

"I know. Look, I have no clue how long this will last but I need to ride this out. Want to be happy just for a little longer."

He pushes my feet off him with such force that I spin so that I'm looking up at him, "Forever." He says before his lips crash into mine.

We only break the kiss when someone knocks on the door. We sigh as we part and I stand. I make my way over to the door, David watching my every move. I smile as I open the door. The smile quickly fade when my mother peers at me from the hall, Peyton in tow.

"Mom?" I ask.

David is at my side in an instant, "Mrs. Bennet." He sounds flustered at her presence.

"David." She nods to him before staring at me, "Perry, I need to speak with both of you. May I come in?"

I eye her skeptically and almost ask her exactly why she's here but David welcomes her. We exchange puzzled expressions as she moves into the apartment. She takes a seat in the grey chair adjacent to the couch. She waits for us to sit down. I sit further away from her on the couch and David sits beside me, beside her.

The air is filled with tension. I feel like I'm back in school. I feel as much angst as I did then. The angry feelings invade my mind again. I snap out of my reverie as David clears his throat.

"I think the last time we got together, there was a little—disagreement." David says looking between us.

"I was rash." Mother confesses, "I was shocked and my reaction didn't fit the news."

"Ya think?" I mumble.

David jabs me, "She's apologizing." He frowns.

"She's always apologizing. What's different now?" I ask before looking to her, "Let me guess, you're sorry for overreacting but you still feel the same?"

"I have reservations." She looks to David, "I believe you love my son. That's not the issue but have either of you thought about your future? About a few years from now?"

"We know how completely insane it must seem to you, but it's not something we just hopped into." David says. I find his words quite eloquent. He's trying to impress her. He continues, "We know love isn't enough to sustain a marriage. There has to be respect and we need to know each other. We have to know we're soulmates."

"And you know that?" Mother asks, "You know all that?"

"I—I don't know how to explain this to you." He fumbles his words. I grab his hand. His nervousness only intensifies as he says, "I marked him. Even before I was technically a werewolf, something about him felt so familiar. It's only after immersing myself in werewolf culture that I know what it was."

"You Marked him? Are you sure?" Mother asks.

I stare at her with a bewildered expression, "You know what that means?" I ask.

"Of course! I wasn't always just your Mother." She engages with a stare-off with David. She squints her eyes and sits back, "Oh." She says simply.

"You believe me?" David asks, stunned.

"Is there something I'm missing? What did you see?" I ask.

"Doesn't matter." Mother says, "I—I can't say that I'm thrilled that the two of you are getting married so soon but I can see it."

"This is weird." I say quickly.

David's phone vibrates on the table. He grabs it and reads the name before excusing himself from us, leaving Mother and I to stare at each other. I want to know what she saw. It'll bother me forever if I don't ask.

"No, I won't tell you." She says as Peyton starts to fuss. She shushes Peyton and hands her a teething ring. I marvel at her being a parent. She stares up at me, "I thought we were past anger."

"We were until you overreacted to my engagement."

"You still don't understand that I'm only looking out for you. I never go at it the right way. I probably never will by your lofty standards. I just know that I have to protect you." She says angrily, "Your father is always thought you'd be strong. We couldn't deny your power but I've always seen how powerful you are, not just in power."

My eyes narrow at her, "Did you know I was the...what the hell am I?" I ask.

"Language!" She says looking from me to Peyton. Her eyes fall on me, "I knew of the prophecy. I know a lot of things. I watched you grow up and I watched you grow into this magnificent person. Watching you become this person, even with the anger and frankly insolence, I knew it. It's why I tried to protect you. It's why I agreed with your father."

I look at her and I should be angry. I should be seething mad but I can relate to trying to keep someone safe. I stare over the sofa at David. My eyes slowly return to her, "I don't know what to do." I say softly.

"What?" She asks, "To do about what?"

"A lot of things. I don't know if I'll be a good husband. I don't think I'm made to be it. He makes me think I can be." I say as my mother takes my hands in her, "I feel like I'm leading all of my friends into dangerous. I don't think I can—I think you're all wrong. I can't do this."

"I love you, so it's with that love that I have to tell you," She leans in, "Suck it up!"

"What?" I'm shocked, "I think you're developing Tourette's syndrome."

"No, I'm not. You've always liked things perfect. You've always been the idealist. It's your greatest strength and greatest weakness." She says thoughtfully, "It was idiotic and selfish and selfless of you to exchange places with your Father."

"Mom, is this your thoughts or are you going to get to a point?"

"My point," She smiles, "Is that when you believe something, you fully believe it. You make it work and happen. I need you to trust me, as hard as that is for you. I need you to see the things you inspire."

"Death? Destruction?"

"Hope, son." Mother looks to David, "Love."

"What did you see when you looked into his eyes?" I ask again.

Her eyes fall on me, "You. You're inside him, just as I suspect he's inside you. This is going to sound heartless but he's your weakness now. You're willing to die for any of us as it is and people and things will use that against you."

"Things?" I ask.

"There are things far worse than witches or vampires or werewolves. I cannot promise you that you won't lose things. Your Father proves that. I just want you to see the power in someone with a good, pure heart."

I stare at her quietly. It's not the first time my Mother has complimented me. It's just the first time she's been so honest with me. It's the first time I've been touched and afraid of what she's said. David moves around for us.

"I have to go." He says looking between us, "Are we all okay?"

"Yeah," I nod, "Go."

"You're not going to ask me why?" David asks.

"No, I'm not." I smile, "I'm not worried. Unless I should be worried."

"It's all okay. I'll be back as soon as I can." He says as he moves to the door and leaves.

"I guess Peyton and I should be going." She says standing.

I grab her hand, "No. I think there's something I need to do and I'm not strong enough to do it on myself." I smile at her. I move to the bedside table and withdraw my Father's letter. I move back to the couch and sit close to my Mother, "Read me a story."

-

Penny: There's so many things I want to say. I think first I want to tell you how incredibly proud I am of you. I want to say that you're more than I ever could have hoped for. You never stop surprising me.

Porter and Charlotte are in Porter's room, kissing. They move to the bed and toss aside their clothes as they both fall on the bed. Charlotte giggles as Porter's mouth finds her again. Porter is surprised when Charlotte rolls over on top of him.

Passion.

Penny: I know you were so angry for so long. I took away your options. I took away everything that was yours to decide. I thought I was protecting you. I wasn't able to comprehend that my son, my little boy, can and will protect himself. I wasn't ready to let go.

Eva and Jason sit on the couch, watching television with a bowl of popcorn. The two laugh and pass the popcorn around. The two smile at each other before Eva tosses the popcorn at each other. They laugh as their eyes turn back to the television.

Love

Penny: I guess now I have to. I spent time. I spent time thinking of the notes I wanted to leave and how you'd feel reading the note, especially I succeed. I told your Mother I never stopped. I never stopped loving her, not even in the end. I told Porter that he's the man of the house and how there's nothing in this world stronger than this family. I left your little sister an apology and a promise. I leave you with all of these. You're going to be in danger, Perry. You always will be. But you can handle it.

David enters the Domus. He looks around and moves through the house before finally coming upon Kai, standing in the dark by the fire. Kai turns to him. David is about to ask what's going on when a force knocks him off his feet. Tituba walking into the room, standing beside Kai.

"It had to be done." Tituba says softly.

Penny: Remember what I said in the Void. Remember all the wonderful, insightful things I said. You will fight to the end because it's who you are. But you're not alone, Perry. You'll never be alone. I'll always be right by your side. Be brave, son. You've never ordinary. Use that. Be the extraordinary person you were born to be. The loss, the pain and the anger can drive you but don't get lost in it. Never let it rule you.

Live. Love. And know that wherever you go, you're not alone.

I feel a swelling in my chest as I stand and walk away from Mother. I feel as if I'm about to throw up but when I bend over to throw up, I begin sobbing uncontrollably. I feel arms around my stomach.

My knees go wobbly.

-

I can hear all of them in my living room. I can the chattering and the clamoring. I stare in the mirror of my bathroom. I can't get my Father's words out of my head. I thought the last words I could hear from my Father would be in the Void. I thought I'd never feel this way again.

The loss.

He's right. I have to channel all these emotions into something good. The sick feeling in my stomach hasn't gone away. The feeling hasn't subsided in any way. It's only grown.

I'm ready.

I turn and push the door open, walking into the living room. At my entrance, all their eyes turn to me. I quickly notice that David's still not back.

"We're here, ready to go to our deaths." Parker says with a smile.

I stare at him and he quiets himself. I look around at all of them, "It's reality. It just is. There's a chance that all of us won't make it. I will. Someone once told me that I was the Angel of Death and they're not wrong. I've decided that I'm not going to be scared. For the first time in a long time, I do not want to die!" I take a breath, "I'm the Angel of Death and it's time that I rain some death down on the person who's been manipulating us for years now. I'm not dying today. And if you think you're dying tonight, there's the door." I gesture to it.

The group looks at me. I feel the anger and sadness in my words, but there's also a fight that I've been missing for some time now.

"Where is David? He should have been back by now." I say as I search the room, "And Kai?"

Porter shrugs, "You don't know?" He asks.

I stop as my phone beeps. I look at the caller id and see that it's David. I eagerly answer the phone, asking where he is.

"It's not David." Kai's voice comes through the phone, "I'm sorry."

"Kai? Why are you sorry?" I ask. I search my memory. His relationship with David never made any sense, not after all that David did to him. I take a deep breath, "Where is he?"

"I think you know." Kai says through the phone.

"Kai, if he dies, if anything happens to him...I will end you." I say through gritted teeth.

The line clicks and my phone falls from my hands. The group stares at me, Finn's eyes are full of something close to concern.

"We're going tonight. Get your asses in gear." I say angrily.

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