Hi all. This is just a short, one shot of Eric's thoughts of Shelley. I have only seen the movie once (so far!) and absolutely love it. I was thinking about how Eric must have felt, what his thoughts must have been after their deaths, and came up with this. R & R, please! Thanks!

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Cold, heavy rain was pouring down from a dark, leaden sky. The low grumble of thunder sounded in the distance and a moment later a bolt of lightning pierced the black night sky. The sudden flash illuminated a dark figure, standing with head bowed, before two cold, grey headstones. A coal black crow stood silently atop one of the headstones, still as a statue, yet sharply aware.

The figure, as well as the crow, seemed unaffected by the chilling rain that was pouring down. The man was dressed all in black, with a long black coat which flapped slightly against his legs as the wind blew. The rain poured off his long hair, which was long since soaked.

Eric Draven was standing in front of his own headstone. This would be disconcerting to most people, but Eric had grown used to the fact that he was dead.

What he hadn't grown used to was the fact that his love, Shelley, was also dead. That she had died and he had been unable to do anything to save her.

"I'm sorry, Shelley," he said softly, looking up at her name, carved into the cold, unfeeling stone. The headstone was an inadequate memorial of woman buried beneath it. She had been warm, loving and kind, and there was no way a headstone, no matter what was written on it, could describe her.

Eric was lost in memories. It was something he tried not to do, dwelling on the past that is. But he had been drawn to the cemetery for some reason, and even just reading Shelley's name brought forth a wave of memories.

Shelley, holding Gabriel, burying her face in his fur and laughing when he started to purr. Shelley, in black lace, her beautiful face lit by candlelight. The curve of her lips as she smiled at him and the passion in her beautiful eyes. The feel of her body next to his as they lay in bed together, her soft brown hair falling across his chest.

Eric felt a sharp pain in the center of his chest as the memories flooded him.

Shelley, eyes wide with surprise when he asked her to marry him, and the delighted grin as she threw her arms around him and said yes. Shelley and Sarah, giggling together as they planned the wedding. Shelley, holding out her wedding dress, her eyes sparkling with love and excitement.

And then the memories were coming faster and darker, like flashes of lightning.

Opening the door and seeing Shelley and what they were doing to her. Trying to go to her, trying to save her, and the helpless feeling when he couldn't. He remembered facing their killers and he remembered how it felt to die.

Eric took a deep breath and lifted his head as the cold rain poured down.

He thought that it was ironic that the most important life lessons he had learned in death.

How he wished, now, that he had cherished every moment he had had with her. How he wished that he had told her that he loved her every chance he had, rather than just assume that she knew. He wished he had taken every moment with her, every kiss, every touch, and cherished them the way he should have, instead of always thinking that it would always be there, that she would always be there.

Because you never knew how much time you had, and Eric understood that now.

Too late, of course.

The pain of losing Shelley and the fury towards her killers consumed him and he clenched his fists. He hadn't been able to save her. He would have given anything, even his own soul, to have kept her alive.

But he hadn't. He had died, she had died, and now here he was, not dead, not alive….waiting for the chance to avenge her death. He hoped that once it was done his soul would be free and he would be able to finally be at peace.

The crow tilted its head and looked at him knowingly. The crow, Eric's link between the land of the dead and the world of the living. The crow, who was there to guide him as he avenged his and Shelley's deaths.

With a final glance at the headstone that marked Shelley's final resting place, Eric bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Shelley. I'm so sorry. But I will avenge you. I swear to you, I will avenge your death," Eric whispered harshly. The crow cawed once, then spread its wings and took flight. Eric ran his fingers one last time over the cold grey marble headstone and followed the crow into the night.