I stand in front of the newly restructured gateway, my hand outstretched. The gateway swirls in a menacing manner and I can hear Finn and Eva shuffle behind me. I feel the power surge through me, a portion of my power exploding into the portal. Just when I can't feel anymore, I pull my hand down and the energy stabilizes itself.

I move closer, staring into the vortex. I am in awe that my magic is so strong. I finally feel as if everyone is wrong. I'm meant to—

A large red hand reaches out and grabs me by the throat.

-

Four hours earlier...

I stalk through the cemetery. I wonder to myself why magical creatures are drawn to cemeteries...and me.

I've never noticed exactly how much I rely on my powers. Since my foray into the future, I've been more obsessed than usual in finding and eliminating whatever and whoever else came through the portal. My main focus needs to be Hecate.

I've also been trying to reignite my powers. Losing them was fun at first, when I thought a normal life was in my grasp. I'm no longer laboring under that thought. It doesn't really matter anymore. There's no use in prolonging the inevitable.

I hear a rustling in the distance and stop. I can feel eyes on me. I can still feel supernatural creatures. It's the one part of my powers that hasn't left me. I pull my batons out and stand perfectly still.

The presence moves behind me.

I turn in time to use the giant demon's momentum to toss him a few feet away. I see the monster in the moonlight. The demon is pale white with red irises and a long, gaunt body. As it growls at me, I see it's long jagged teeth, none of which are the same size. It's talons grow long and sharp.

It's actually frightening.

It rushes towards me with lightning speed and sharp accuracy. I dodge the first attack, only for the demon to knock me down. I move quickly as he lashes his claws down, missing me and penetrating the earth. I use the moment of weakness to land a roundhouse and begin smashing the baton against her skull. The demon uses his other claw to lash out and he clips my shoulder and I stumble back.

I ready my batons and move towards him only to see his head rip off and fly a few feet away. I put my batons down and stare at Eva.

"Dude, you're missing your bachelor...ette party. Is that it? Is that right?" Eva asks, "Doesn't matter. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and back to your party."

I roll my eyes and walk to Eva. She puts her arm around my shoulder and we start walking out of the cemetery.

-

Two hours earlier...

I have to admit that Eva and Charlotte know how to throw a great baby shower.

The partying goes on for two hours and I realize that I have more friends than I think. Most of them are from high school, a few from my time at Melody's. Even Melody showed and stayed, explaining that she'll be at the wedding. She and my mother went home, stating that at their age, they've partied enough.

After two hours of drinking and watching strippers strip, and also watching my friends and mother dancing and flirting with said strippers, I feel the need to rest. Charlotte and Eva say goodbye to the strippers and pay them and they come to rest on either side of me.

"Did you have fun?" Charlotte smirks, "Rhetorical question."

"You do realize that I can't tell David about the strippers, right? He'd have your heads."

"He can try." Eva smiles, "It's so weird that as a vampire I can get drunk. I mean, it took three bottles of vodka, two packs of very strong long island ice teas and half a keg of beer. That only lasted a while."

"Oh, shut up!" Charlotte slurs as she leans into me, her eyes closed. She mumbles something I can barely hear before I hear her start to snore.

"Fairies are light-weights." Eva chuckles. She stares over at me, "I miss fun you."

I chortle, "Thanks."

"I just mean...the angst and the turmoil. This magic invaded our lives and tore us apart and stomped on us. It's easy to forget that we had some good times." Eva's voice is low and filled with sadness, "I just miss how we were. I knew things would change. I just didn't know they'd change so much."

"This might seem very odd but I wouldn't change anything."

"No?"

"Maybe I would have saved you. Protected you more."

Eva sighs, "I chose to be with a vampire. I chose to stay by your side."

"Did you choose to be a vampire?"

"Look, this is a great night! You're getting married in the morning. You're walking into the future with a man who loves you. He loves everything about you. Do you know how awesome that is?" She nudges my shoulder.

"You're right. No supernatural crap, no life or death. Just us and a normal start."

As if my words are triggers, someone knocks on my front door. I sigh and roll my eyes. I look to Eva, who agrees to go to the door. I lay my head back on the couch, trying to prepare myself for what's to come. I hear Eva arguing with someone.

I sit up at the voice of Finn.

I stand and walk to them, "Finn? Where have you been? What are you doing here? Why are you here?" I ask in rapid succession.

"Doesn't matter. We're not dealing with any supernatural business tonight." Eva warns, "Unless you're bringing more strippers, of the male variety, or alcohol, we're not even speaking of anything." She hisses.

"I need your help." Finn says cautiously.

Eva chuckles, "Did my words go unnoticed?" She asks as she closes the door.

Finn puts his hand on the door, stopping it, "It's Lucas." He frowns, "He's not dead."

"According to who?" Eva asks.

"Astrid."

"You know, if I ever meet Astrid, I'm going to rip her tongue out." Eva says looking to me. She rolls her eyes, "Please tell me we're not going to entertain this."

I stare at her.

She opens the door, "Crap."

Fin walks in and his eyes fall on Charlotte. He shakes his head, "I don't want to know."

"Finn, I will literally rip your heart out if you don't get to the point." Eva growls.

Finn stares at her before his eyes fall on me again, "When Lucas went into the portal, he didn't die. He was transported to many dimensions." His eyes fall on Eva again. I suspect her expressions are changing behind me. He continues, "He came to Astrid in a vision. He explained what happened and where he's been. And what he's had to do to survive. I know you're not going to believe me."

"It's not the problem."

"You believe me?" He asks.

"Finn, this is the night before my wedding." I take a deep breath, "But we both know I'm going to fall back into this because that's who I am."

"So, Lucas wants us to open the gateway? The same gateway that let a myriad of demons into our worlds?" Eva asks, "Sounds like him."

"We need to focus on him." Finn commands, "You can control the portal."

"I hate to break it to you, but I don't have any powers."

Finn's frustration comes out, "I hate to break it to you, but you'll never be powerless. Did you ever stop to think that your loss of power is psych symptomatic? You want them to be gone so they are." His voices takes an edge that I don't like.

But maybe he's right.

"Get your coat." Finn says as he moves to the door and leaves.

Eva and I stare at each other.

"I know you're hating him for the demise of your relationship," I smile, "But you have to admit that that was hot."

"No denying it."

We both move over and grab our jackets, heading out.

If Lucas is alive, or undead, he deserves my help.

-

Fifteen minutes earlier...

The trudge through the woods is particularly exhilarating. Eva's resistance is well noticed by both Finn and I. I've never realized just how bitter Eva was about their break-up. It's blaringly obvious listening to their arguments.

As we're coming upon the cave, their argument becomes particularly vile. The two run down each other's inadequacies. It grates on me. They used to be so in love with each other. It's hard to see that.

My part in it hasn't escaped me. Finn and I realized a long time ago that we're better as friends, just as Eva and Lucas have. It's confusing to think about how things got so screwed up. It seems like a life ago. If I'm being honest, it was.

My mouth drops as I reach the cave. The rubble has been cleared and the cave is as it was before us. I can feel the Gateway calling. I walk blindly into the darkness, taking in the familiar darkness. Eva suggests we get some light for me, as her and Finn have built-in night vision. I don't answer her.

I know where I'm going.

As I come upon the gateway, my skin tingles. The hair stands up on the back of my neck and I can hear Finn and Eva's voices but their words are jumbled. My vision doesn't leave the gateway.

"Perry? Perry!" Eva asks as she grabs my shoulder.

"I'm fine."

"This is a horrible idea." Eva says angrily, "This thing has a hold over you. What if you can't stop, like last time? And didn't you need a life?"

"I won't need one this time."

"That doesn't comfort me." Eva snipes.

"Stand back."

As the two vampires stand back, the gateway casts a mysterious cerulean glow. I gesture towards it, letting my hand stay in place. The cavern begins to rumble with power as the power circulates. I feel the energy, like electricity, well inside of me. The power explode out and encases me. I can feel it for the first time in months.

My power is back.

The gateway swirls with a menacing cerulean energy and I can hear Finn and Eva shuffle behind me. I feel the power surge through me, a portion of my power exploding into the portal. Just when I can't feel anymore, I pull my hand down to my side and the energy stabilizes itself.

I move closer, staring into the vortex. I am in awe that my magic is so strong. I finally feel as if everyone is wrong. I'm meant to—

A large red hand reaches out and grabs me by the throat.

I choke and gasp the giant red demon attached to the hand falls out of the gateway. With cloved hooves, long claws and horns pushing out of his forehead, he's what I imagine the devil to be. It frightens me beyond belief.

As it lifts me in the air and prepares to run the claws through me, a hand pushes through it's chest and another through it's face. The demon's grip falls and I land on the dirt ground. The lumbering demon falls to the side and a bloody, feral Lucas stares down at me.

Finn rushes forward and Lucas growls at him. Finn stops and Eva pulls his arm. Lucas growls one more time and disappears from the cave in a blur. Eva rushes to me, pulling me up.

"I have to go and get him." Finn says anxiously.

I wave my hand at the portal. It closes in a flash. I glare over at him, "No! I'm familiar with this. You aren't." I stare at them, "And I think I know where he'll go."

"That isn't a good idea. You're like cat-nip for supernaturals, remember?"

"It's fine, Eva." I say as I leave the cavern.

-

After one hell of a hike, I find myself at the Domus.

The Domus, to my stark surprise, is still standing. I flashback to the night I came back from the dead. I flash back to all the anger and anguish I felt and what a monster I was. I also remember who it was that brought me back from the brink.

He deserves no less from me.

As I enter, I see the carcasses of a host of animals, including a deer, a small bear and a hiker. I follow the blood trail and come to a back room. I see a figure huddled in the dark, devouring something. In the moonlight, I can make out the blood smears on his face.

He notices me immediately.

Before I can say anything, he's in front of me with wild eyes and fangs ready to do the same to me as he did to the hiker. He grabs my throat before I can move and pushes me against the wall, holding me in the air. He's ready to strike, to devour me, starting with my neck.

His eyes flash and he drops me, stumbling back. I fall to the floor, massaging my neck.

"I'm sorry." He says softly.

I stand and stare at him, "Me too."

His eyes find me again, "You're sorry?"

"Sorry I didn't get to you sooner."

"This your self-pity. Suck it up, Bennet."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." I smile, "Not so much the strangling."

"At least you to strangled by someone hotter than a demon."

"Got me there." I smile, "I missed you. I thought—"

"Funny thing about that...I don't want to talk about it." He begins to wipe blood from his face, "Not attractive. Though, knowing you, it might be a turn-on."

"Where were you?"

"That would fall under the funny thing."

I nod, "Right. Right. Sorry, I just—I didn't think I'd see you again."

"So, you're happy. What I'm getting is that you're happy and you missed me. Nothing changes."

"You've been gone a few months."

"It was longer there."

"So I remember."

His eyes narrow on me, "This wasn't heaven. It was—I have no clue what the fuck it was." He notices the look of sympathy, "Are you going to cry?"

"You are still a dick."

"Last I heard, that's the part of me that you were most attracted to."

"You never got me." I smile, "We should go into the living room."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" He says passing me. I catch his sent and it's odd that he still smells like him.

We both move to the living room and I start to tell him about how everyone is. I go through every single detail, except one. I think about if I even want to tell him about David and me. It's a big thing but it might be too much.

I reacted badly to his news.

Lucas eyes my ring and I curse his night vision. He sighs, "Guess I can't be too surprised you're still going along with it."

"So, you're okay with it?"

"No. No, I am decidedly not okay with it. I thought you'd have changed your mind."

"I didn't."

"Clearly," His voice grows strained, "It's what you want?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

He breathes in, "Mazel tov."

I stare at him.

"This is awkward. It's the only thing I can think of."

"Clearly."

Lucas laughs, "What do we do now? Unless you're going to change your mind about marrying the mutt..."

"Not going to happen." I smirk, "Before you—You wanted to go somewhere and help people. I say we stick to that. I think Finn suggested New Orleans."

"I hate New Orleans. It's full of voodoo and zombies."

"Zombies are real? Nice." I nod, "It's the noble thing to do."

"Hey! I just into a portal to Hell. I've done enough 'noble' for this century."

"No, you haven't. Suck it up, Lucah. Face it, you're not the monster you want us to believe. You have a heart." I smile.

"You're loving this, aren't you?"

"A little. I'm surprised you're not more feral."

Lucas looks to the carcasses.

I nod, "Right. Dead animals and a human. You should really cut back."

Lucas looks to the door, "We're not alone."

"I love you, you know."

"Ditto."

I scoff, "Ditto? Two years, or more, of love, sex and break-ups and all I get is a ditto? And even after you ditched me after I literally came back from the grave."

"What, do I even have to say it?"

"Yes!"

"Thank you. And—" He groans loudly, "I love you."

"Yup, still a dick."

-

The feeling of being hungover begins to hit me.

It's that rare moment when you're drunk and you don't sleep. Add to that the fact that I effectively opened and closed the portal without so much as a bleeding finger, and that makes for a very tired super witch.

Eva and Charlotte showed up shortly after with Finn. Finn and Lucas share one of the only hugs I've seen from them. It's easy to distinguish them from one another now, as if it hadn't been before. Eva and Charlotte voice their concerns about me opening the portal and I assure them that I don't plan on doing it anymore.

The two offer to help clean up my apartment but I tell them it can wait. I just want to go home and sleep. As I enter the apartment, I see David putting food in the trashcans. He smiles over to me as I enter. I close the door, confused.

"Hey." I smile, "What're you doing here?"

"Cleaning." He smirks. I raise an eyebrow at him, "Well, I got drunk. Had a bachelor party. Now I'm here."

"Why?"

"Because it's the night before our wedding and I don't want to spend it with anyone else." David's voice is so vulnerable and sweet. I can't help but smirk, "Don't ever tell anyone I said that or I swear I'll divorce you."

"You know I'm going to tell everybody."

"I know."

"Put the trash bag down." I smile, "Can you just...can we just be together? I kind of need it."

"What's wrong? Where were you?"

"Bringing my ex-boyfriend back into the world."

David stares at me.

"Long story. Cuddle?"

"Cool, but you're telling me everything."

"Deal." I say taking his hand and leading him to the bed. I lay down and he moves in behind me, spooning me. I feel his heat against my back and I know this is right. I feel sure of him. I take a deep breath, "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too."

I smile to myself.

I know he does.