Not alone

Andrew apparated to the hotel back in London, seeing as how he already sold his apartment to be planning something later on in the future. He didn't have as much money as he did when he first bought his aparment, seeing as how he was still a student, yet he had enough money to stay at a nice hotel for a while until his plans were done. He appeared with Chase in the room, both of them standing still at the center of the bedroom. His hand was locked onto hers for a few moments, until he let go relucatantly.

Looking into her eyes again, he wiped away some of her tears with the back of his hand. "I'm gonna go change really quick..." he said in a whisper "just to something casual. One second." He gave her a quick hug then disappeared into the bathroom for a minute. Once he emerged, his thoughts began to die down, his mind only set on the present. And all he had at that moment was just Chase. Walking back towards where Chase was, he gave her a quick hug, wearing a white T-shirt that said something in a foreign language. It was a souvenier back when he had visited Africa with his friend Mari. "Are you alright Chassy?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

Chase stood quite still in the hotel room when he walked off to change. Her body seemed frozen, her eyes staring into the distance without any emotion. Her family had been torn apart again, and her body so wanted to break down, to express her love for her friends, friends like Jack who had left her alone again. When he came back and gave her a hug, she slowly drew herself out of her dead pan stare, and looked up at him, seeing he had changed without really seeing what he had changed into. "Let me change." She said weakly and walked into the bathroom.

Without really thinking about it, Chase took a shower. Her mind rushing in such a way that she wasn't really paying attention to the rhythmical way she took a shower, shampoo, wash out, shampoo, wash out, soap, wash off body. Get out, dry body, change into one of Andrew's t-shirts and some of her short shorts, brush hair. Her mind said all of the next actions like it needed to be forced of her. She walked out of the bathroom, her hair still wet and stringy, and sat down on the bed.

"She just left." She whispered pulling her knees to her chest and staring at the wall with the same dead pan stare. "Went with him.. I don't know.. I don't understand.." she felt tears start to drip down her face. Her body so wanted to just sob, but sometimes she felt odd crying in front of people, she was more comfortable in front of Andrew, but she hated making him worry. And he always worried when she cried. He might think she had gone insane if she let out the tears that were forcing themselves behind her eyes. It almost hurt in a way, and she could feel her chin bunching with the effort not to cry.

Andrew watched as Chase walked off into the bathroom, knowing well that she might have taken a while. He couldn't blame her, or even want to argue. He knew that he had just lost a battle that may have well changed the course of everything. It shouldn't have been as important, yet Jack was one of Andrew's first best friends. Besides Chase...it was hard to see the fact he had lost. Lost a very important person to the likes of Vito. He shuddered just thinking about him. Andrew walked over to the bed and sat down on the comfortable surface, grbbing the small black remote to the television. He clicked the 'power' button on the top right hand of the remote, the TV lighting up to life. The news was on, revealing reports of more sightings of how they put it 'masked cannibals that was terroising the city'. If the muggles only knew...

When Chase had emerged from the bathroom, he turned his head over towards her direction, noticing very much that she was upset over the ordeal. He sighed slightly, not wondering how he felt at that moment. He pressed the mute button on the remote, instantly killing the sound of the television. Dropping the remote next to him, he continued to look at Chase as she sat down next to him. "Chase," he said, his voice more stern to get her attention "you have to realize that Jack doesn't know what she's doing. She thinks that she is protecting us because of Vito. If we show that we can handle ourselves, everything will be back to normal. You just have to keep yourself strong though...I promise I'll be here for you."

To try and hold back Chase's tears, he quickly motioned himself towards Chase, pulling down on her legs that she had brought to her chest. He then moved his face quickly towards hers, pressing his lips on hers. Most of the time, he had managed to cheer her up in such a way, making him feel a little better in the process as well. He moved his head away from hers, his eyes filled with determination, something that had not showed itself in a while. "Trust me, I will make sure this all works out in the end."

Chase let herself be pulled against Andrew, but her eyes stayed just as blank. His kiss woke her up a bit and she looked at him like she just realized he was there. "Oh.. hi Andrew." She whispered and curled up against him. "I know we have to be strong.." she whispered. "But that's not why she's doing it.." She bit her lip and then resumed her stare at his chest. "She feels like she can fix him.." Chase shuddered and moved closer to him, as though his heat could fix all her problems, her body mentally told her she needed the comfort and she curled up against him, her legs intertwined with his.

"Andrew.. it was like I lost my sister, my family all over again, to that man.." Chase suddenly felt anger burn through her system and she pulled herself off the bed, pacing the room like a caged tiger, her wet hair still dripping lightly. "What else can he take away from me?!" She cried out, her hands going to her hair and pulling on it. "My family, my best friend!" She suddenly rounded on Andrew. "Please don't let him take you too! Please, you're all I have left, I love you, please.." She begged and moved back to the bed, curling up against him, her head tucked under his chin. "I don't want to lose any more to him, I can't.. I don't.." She felt tears start to fall, and she knew she was lost.

Once the tears started, there was no holding them back now. She curled against him and cried, cried like she had only once cried before, and that was after her family had died. Even when she had broke down in front of Andrew when she had first met him, was nothing compared to these body shaking sobs that seemed to control Chase. "Why won't he just go away?" She sobbed her hands clutching Andrew's chest like it was her life line. The only thing that kept her mind still in the room, still kept her alive next to him. He was her guardian, and she needed him more then ever right then.

Andrew listened to what she had to say, feeling himself sink a little lower in his mood. It wasn't making him angry, yet made him feel a little melancholy to say the least. He held Chase in his arms, keeping her close to him as she began to let out her feelings. He only remained silent for the time being, until she began to cry heavily onto him. He realized that nothing at that point could try and cheer her up, yet being the person he was, he would have to try. "Chassy..." he said softly, his eyes looking dull and sad, almost matching her mood "please don't cry...I realize that a lot has happened, yet we need to stay strong. I will always be here with you, I will die for you if I have to. But I promise that I won't let you down."

Andrew continued to console her, his eyes feeling rather heavy at that point. He just wanted to sleep and get all of the past events out of his head, yet he wouldn't leave Chase in the condition she was in. He gently moved his hand up to her head, mostly to keep her from tearing her hairs out. He rested his head on the top of hers, trying to enjoy being so close to Chase again. The beginning of school would most likely stop all of that for the moment, yet he realized it was probably the best thing for her as well. It would get her away from Vito, away from the monster that he was. "Chassy," he said again softly "I promise...I promise that whatever happens, I will be there..." He felt like he had kept saying the same thing over and over again, yet he wanted Chase to be sure that he meant it.

Chase curled up next to him, hearing him whisper that they had to be strong, had to stay strong, always being strong, how could he stand to be strong for so long? Chase had grown up in a household, where she was basically pampered, she wasn't used to having to rough it, she was a model, an actress, she wasn't used to having friends come and go, and Jack, she had accepted her into her heart as a sort of replacement for her family. Her best friend, something that helped fill that hole that felt so wide and gaping now that she had lost a part of it again.

Chase lay against him, feeling her sobs overtake her brain in exhaustion. It was just to much to handle in one day. She had been having so much fun, teaching Andrew how to dance and all that, but suddenly, she was exhausted. Her mind over blown with all of the emotions and colors. She curled up against him for a long moment and then cried herself to sleep.

Andrew continued to hold Chase, feeling like his heart would just stop. At one point, he almost felt like it had fell from it's supports and landed in his stomach. Yet, he realized that he was still alive, holding Chase in his arms as he tried to console her. He couldn't handle hearing nor seeing her cry, it felt like it was tearing him up inside. He felt his body begin to shiver, feeling scared about what would happen to her. Would she begin to feel depressed again? Would he be able to help her?

When he felt her breathing begin to slow down, he felt a little relieved that she was able to fall asleep again. He felt his eyes begin to grow heavier, realizing that he would need sleep as well...yet he didn't feel like he should. Carefully, he positioned Chase underneath the blankets, setting her head on the pillow. He sat down on the chair next to her, watching the TV begin to scroll through silently. After a couple of minutes, Andrew fell asleep, his head drooping downwards.

Andrew felt his rage surge back up again. He turned around away from the guy and Sophia. He wished this guy was the guy. Yet if Sophia said he was alright, he would believe her. He thought this was going to be easy, but now realized these guys knew they were trying to hunt them-oh no. "Sophia get this guy to!-" he said but was cut off. He felt as if his shoulder had been ripped off from the socket and was moving on its own. The force from what hit him made him fall to his back and pass out. He had been shot in the shoulder.

Andrew woke up at a start, feeling his body begin to sweat at a dangerous rate. Another nightmare from the manhunt back in Africa. He rubbed his forehead, wiping off the sweat that had emerged and his head felt very clammy. His shoulder began to sting badly, the place where he had been shot. It was just another nightmare...that was it, just another nightmare. He turned his head back towards Chase to find her sleeping soundly. He sighed again, this time one of relief. He turned his body even further to examine the LCD alarm clock stationed beside him. The time was 3:02 A.M..

“Now, I ask you not to hold this against me, but my job is to punish the rule breakers one way or another, and I think a simple scream from you would work nicely- after all, it would be much easier for me to bear than using the unforgivable curses- which the Minister himself told me to use if there were any signs of resistance…” and as soon as he finished speaking, he put his plan into action.

Vito grabbed two fistfuls of the girl’s beautiful red hair and pulled her down towards the floor. He figured there would be struggle from her, and prepared himself for whatever she would do in order to attempt to free herself from his grasp.

Chase whimpered in her sleep, curling up into a tighter ball under the covers, as though protecting herself from something.

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing, rocking backward and forward on the floor. The pale bodies lay in an almost perfect circle around her, and she sat in the middle of them all. The rain poured outside, water still collected around the people who had once been her only family left. But Chase realized now, that she had no family, she was alone now. Looking up she felt her hair fall into her face, red streaks that fell down from her head like blood.

Small choking sobs came from Chase in her sleep, another loud whimper, and she rolled over, a frown on her face.

She felt her heart beating in her chest and yet she kept her face unreadable and her demeanor calm. She looked at Chase and Andrew and addressed them. "I have always said that I cared about you... All of you. And I still do... And to do that, I have to protect you. Watch out for you. And now...now is no different. No matter what I may think, how I may feel... I will always protect you. And there is only one choice that will protect you and it is choosing my friends..."

Chase awoke with a start, sat straight up and burst into tears again. Her body numbed and in shock from the nightmares that had raged through her body. She pulled at her hair and rocked back and forth, tears falling down her face in long streaks. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm such a fool! Jack I'm sorry.. Max.. Clara.. why did I let him in? Why did I let him into my life? I'm so sorry, Mom.. Dad.." She sobbed, pulling at her still damp hair.

Andrew immediatly stood up once he heard Chase begin to sob softly in her sleep. He turned on the lights, and noticed that she was blinking at an abnormal rate. A sign of intense dreaming, mostly nightmares. He hovered over her, placing his hand on her forehead gently. When she rolled over, he kept a close eye on her, pondering if he should have woken her up. Yet, he deicided that she needed her sleep and that she would be able to overcome the obstacle before her.

WHen he was about to sit back down however, Chase had woken up as well, caushing Andrew to quickly sit next to her on the bed, throwing his arms around her. "Chase!" he said tugging her hands away from her head and placed them down at her legs "calm down! It's alright, you're awake now! I'm here!" He tried to keep her from rocking back and forth, trying to help her calm down from the nightmares. "Chase, please!" he called out again, as if trying to break through the saddened side of her.

Chase barely heard Andrew when he came to her. Pulling her hands away from her head, holding her as she rocked back and forth. And that was when the pain exploded. More intense and horrible then she had ever felt. She cried out and fell limp against him, her body twitching oddly at the fire in her back. She cried out again and tried to move, but only managed an odd wiggle as slowly the pain burned down and she lay there numb against Andrew, her face covered in tears.

"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.." She whispered over and over again, clinging to Andrew, her lifeline, her love, the second half of her soul. "I'm sorry, So sorry, I'm such an idiot, I'm so stupid, I didn't mean.. he made me.. I'm sorry!" She said over and over again, as though saying it once wasn't enough. "I inflict pain on myself and others, I'm sorry.. I don't deserve, I should go.. I'm sorry." But Chase didn't move, she stayed there rocking in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "It's all my fault! If I just hadn't of opened that door, they'd still be alive! It's all my fault.. If only I would have listened to you.. why did she have to attack me?" She sat there, her body going numb, and the tears slowly stopping, her sentences faded out to a few mumbled words every now and then and she stared straight ahead, her hands on his arm, her head tucked against his chest.