Chapter: 8... The Process

LEO P.O.V

"Nicole!" I shouted walking into the forest. "Nicole! Where are you!?" I continue, every inch I walk deeper into the forest fills me with greater dread than the inch before.

"NICOLE!" I exclaimed finally catching up with them. Sam stepped away grabbing his blade.

"So you finally came to join the party." Sam hissed.

I stepped closer, rage shattering my insides. "L..." Nicole made a muffled sound caused by some piece of clothing lodged in her mouth. Nicole's head lolled to the side, a sign that she has lost consciousness.

"What did you do to her?" I hissed my blood singing with rage.

Sam laughed maniacally. "I just played with her a little bit, maybe ruined her innards. No biggie." He shrugged grinning from ear to ear.

"You have no right to touch her!!" I howled, rage basically boiling my insides. "I will make you suffer for what you did to her!!"

Sam laughed. "O, please like you could even get close to me." Before I could move Sam was next to me trying to stab me in my side. I circled away quickly and kicked him into the nearest tree, the crack that came from him told me he had broken something. I walked closer stepping on his leg. ~CRACK~ Was all I could hear, Sam screeched in pain. I grinned, grabbing the knife from his hand.

"Samuel Blade... Today you did something I will not forgive, today is the day you will pay." I pulled his head back and slowly slipped it across his throat. "Now suffer!"

I rushed over to Nicole, cutting the ropes loose, grabbing her as she fell helplessly. I drape my jacket over her and decide to call Alice.

"Hello?"

"A-Alice..." I answered, trying my best to keep it together.

"Leo? Is something wrong?"

Words fail me as I cuddle Nicole close to my chest. What will I say to Alice, how will I explain it? I can't lose Nicole. I promised Alice that Sam would never hurt her. Why did I do something so stupid, how could I let this happen to her?? Why did I say all those awful things to her... Things churned in my head driving me insane. I felt sick. Something… I need to tell Alice, something… Anything.

"Leo? Are you still there?"

I glared at Sam as he screamed in pain, gurgling in his own blood as he slowly, but surely suffocated.

"Alice... It's Nicole... Something happened... Please!" Despite my best efforts my voice cracked revealing all my unshed tears.

"Nicole!" I said softly, shaking her. "Nicole, please wake up!"

Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "L-Leo..." She whispered softly.

I hugged her close, stroking her hair. "I-I'm sorry Nicole." My voice broke as I held her even tighter.

She nuzzled into me. "L-Leo ..." It lightly started raining, gently pattering around us. I tried shielding her from the rain so she won't get wet.

"Nicole... Please don't leave me, I'm sorry, I never meant it..." She sshhh'ed me before I could say anything more, she smiled. "You came..." I kissed her tenderly. "I'm so happy you came." Nicole's eyes fell shut, her head lolled and her breathing swallowed. "NICOLE!" I screamed but to no avail. I picked her up bridal-style. Checking on Sam, who lay motionless. I hissed and smashed his head in with my foot. 'A measure, to prevent him from actually waking up again.' As I walked carrying Nicole the rain washed away any trace of being drenched in blood...

1 hour later.

We finally arrived at the hospital. I rushed in. "Someone, please help!!"I screamed panicked. A bunch of nurses rushed over and took her.

"What happened?" One nurse asked.

"She was repeatedly raped and bitten." I explained.

"Sir, please go fill in the forms, at the reception, we will take it from here." The nurse answered before they took Nicole away. I sauntered over to the receptionist, taking the forms she gave and filling them in. While I was busy, my phone rang. It was Alaric, I informed him of where we were before focusing on the forms again. I handed in the forms and was taken to a waiting room to wait for news on Nicole. It seemed like millions of hours passed before Alice and them got here. When Jayden and Alaric walked in, they both asked what happened, I explained slowly, as if not believing the words coming from my mouth. Later, Alice joined… Seeing her made my innards snap. 'I'm so so sorry Alice!'

Jayden came closer and hugged Alice, then stepped away so I could replace him. "What happened?" Alice asks gently, rubbing my back.

"A-Alice..." Alaric started. "You might wanna sit down."

I let go of her before sitting back in my chair, she took a spot on the chair closest to me and Jayden.

"Nicole... Nicole was..." Alaric fumbled taking a deep breath.

Jayden took over holding her hand supportively. "Nicole was raped repeatedly for hours, and before Leo could get to Nicole Sam had bitten her."

Tears slowly slipped down her cheeks. 'I'm so sorry Alice, I am really, really sorry.' "W-What? No, that can't be, maybe there was a mistake or something."

I stirred. "I'm sorry Alice... I am so sorry... I was wrong about Sam... I caused this... This is all my fault." I was completely shattered, my voice was shaking and I felt as if all blood had been drained from my body.

"Where is Sam?" Alice growled.

"I killed him..." I said boldly, despite myself. "But I was too late to save her... Why did this have to happen with the girl I wanted to give my life to..." I broke, tears freely rolling down my cheeks, burning caverns into my face.

"Leo, it's ok. It'll all be ok. Don't blame yourself, this is the dick who did it's fault, no one else's. I will not stand for you feeling sorry for yourself and making yourself look bad." Alice hissed.

Just then the doctor came in. "Guys... I am so, so sorry." I took a deep breath trying to calm down. "Nicole passed on..." He finally completed. I froze staring at the doctor in disbelief. 'No... NO, NO, NO, NO, PLEASE NO! PLEASE NOT NICOLE! PLEASE ANYONE, BUT HER!!! WHY WASN'T IT ME!! THIS IS BULLSHIT!!' My heartache made it feel like all the air had left my lungs. A burning gaping hole is all that remained. A dark void sucked me in and trapped me in a prison of pain and cold...

Jayden held Alice when sob after ripping sob tore through her petite body. The doctor gave his apologies before walking out and leaving us alone.

"How..." Was all I could manage, I was lost, more tears flowed down my cheeks, but I couldn't bother less, every part of me seemed to be on fire, not in rage, but in pain.

Alaric was stark white, he tried to comfort me, but to no avail.

"Leo..." Alice approached me gently.

I slowly looked up at Alice, my eyes burning from all the tears. "A-A-Alice... She's gone... She's really gone." She pulled me into a standing position and hugged me. It hurt as if a thousand red, hot needles were being shoved into my skin, but I didn't care, I was just glad she was here.

"I was so cruel to her, I really liked her... Alice... I lost her... Now what?" A sob rattled my body, as all the realizations started to hit me one after the other. 'She's gone, she's really and truly gone, and I'll never get her back again. Never hear her laugh, or shout. I'll never be able to kiss her again or hug her.' The void was swallowing me. The darkness blinding me, leaving me dull and numb to everything around me.

ALICE P.O.V

20 September 2034, Wednesday.

The following day school was closed in memory of Nicole and Sam, who's body had later been found. The Lab made sure no one found out who killed him, but made sure everyone knew what he had done to Nicole. Alaric and Jayden had closed ranks, they were so overprotective, I wasn't even allowed to sleep in my own room anymore and when I had to go to the bathroom, I literally had to sneak away. Leo has been completely lost, he was an empty shell. Me on the other hand... I had no clue how to handle it all, my heart was shattered. Every second I was alone I started crying all over again. But I had to be strong, who was gonna look after Leo in this situation? The nightmare he had, last night, scared me half to death. He started screaming during the night, we all rushed to try and get him to wake up and calm him down, he refused to sleep ever after that, till now he hasn't even tried to sleep.

I went outside with a small salad and juice on a tray, Leo was sitting staring into nothingness. "Leo, I brought lunch, you need to eat something, ok?" I cooed softly.

Leo nodded and began to eat, this is the first time he has eaten since he was out with Nicole. Leo finished and handed me the empty plate. "Do you want some more?" I asked hoping I could trick him into eating some more. Leo simply shook his head before finishing his juice.

I took the dishes and headed inside so I could wash up and dry them off. Alaric and Jayden had to go get stuff in town so I had a minute or two to myself. My heart ached more than I could describe, every time I think it has gotten better, it comes back with a revenge, twice as bad as the first time. I hated this, I wished I could turn back time...

"Alice we're home." Alaric and Jayden announced.

I sighed. "Welcome home boys."

Jayden kissed my forehead softly before he started packing away the groceries he was carrying. Alaric grabbed his tutoring stuff and came and sat at the table.

"Care for a distraction?" I smiled and went to sit with him.

"Sure, what do you want to start with today?" I asked looking at him.

"Biology." I nodded. 'Thank you, Alaric.′ Biology was the one subject he knew more about than even me. So tutoring him was not necessary at all. This was all just to help me cope, by keeping me busy...

The house seemed cold without Nicole, like it had completely lost its character. Now it was just cold, hard, sadness and bitterness that hung in the air. It seemed like even the house itself was mourning for Nicole. The darkness at night seemed even darker than it did when Nicole was still here. Healing this family would take much longer than all of us could ever imagine. Nicole was only 16, she did not have to die, not the youngest, she was the little bit of innocence we still had left in the house.

Leo paced in, heading to his room. I hoped for his sake that he was going to take a nap, he seriously needed sleep.

Alaric and Jayden decided they wanted to order in tonight as none of us had the desire to cook, honestly I am glad the two of them didn't decide they wanted to cook. Last time they nearly killed us, hence is why I volunteered, even though Leo is also a great cook, as well now, and Alaric's baking is amazing, I enjoy cooking, it soothes me in a way only cooking can...

Honestly, I wish we had all prepared for what was lying ahead of us all, we thought Nicole's death would be the last of it... Boy, were we wrong... In all honesty, I regret ever getting into the mentality of ~It'll all be ok now.~ Because ever since the night Nicole died, nothing was ever 'ok' again. None of us were the same. We were all broken beyond repair and no matter how hard we tried to wish it to be "Fixed", it never got "Fixed". In the long run, though it definitely made us much stronger than we could've ever imagined, it created an almost unbreakable bond between us all.

So in a way even though we wished those things never happened, my guess is, we'd all still be a bunch of weaklings who depended on others to help us, instead of standing up for what is right, standing our ground no matter what, and never ever breaking under the pressure...