Hello! If anyone is out there as you can see I finally, FINALLY finished this long, often quiet but never forgotten story. Believe me, it was always there in the back of my mind nagging and nagging at me to finish. This is my final chapter, forgive me for any typos as I couldn't bear to wait a moment longer before putting it up. This was a really long chapter so I've decided to split it into two (chapter 24 & 25). For those who were reading this story from the start, thank you so very much for your support. Just knowing there were people out there waiting for me to upload so they could interact with Elle, Patch and Luke was amazing! And to those who have just started reading, we'll lucky you, you don't have to wait a year for me to upload again! I would love, love, LOVE for you to review and just tell me what you think, I don't want to disappoint anyone with how this ended!

Anyway, that's enough from me. If you're reading this, thank you for reading this and not just skimming over the list of stories to the next one. Heheh

Chapter Twenty-Five

I continued to fall, watching as his figure grew farther and farther away. I couldn't scream; the sound was torn from my lips with the whistling wind as it twisted me like a rag-doll falling through the sky. My skin began to burn, a dull ache spreading out from my ribs to my fingers and toes. All of a sudden my back hit the ground hard, knocking all the air from my body. My eyes shot open as I drew a long, gasping breath, my chest aching dully with the effort. I had to blink several times for the interior of the haunted house to swim into focus, revealing the dank, damp air, the dusty floor and ruined ceiling. Looking down at myself I saw the blood, the cuts and bruises that were already turning a mottled purple. Something moved in my peripheral.

Snapping my neck to the left, I flinched away from the source of movement. A pair of obsidian eyes met mine, the darkness hollow, the whites reddened. A moment passed before I watched them widen in astonishment. A low "Elle?" rasping from his raw throat was all I needed to stagger to my knees and crawl to him, collapsing against his hard chest when I felt the weight of his arms wrap around my torso.

"Patch," I sobbed, tears falling thick and fast as I clung to him, fingers knotted in his midnight hair. His arms crushed my ribs, his lips were shaking against my neck.

"I thought you were gone forever," his voice was hushed, catching on the last word.

"I thought I'd never see you face again," my voice was weak.

"Elle, oh god," he held me tighter to him so that I could feel his body trembling ever so slightly. His hands shifted so that he held me away from him, our limbs still entwined as his eyes appraised me. "I thought...I thought you were..." a line formed between his brows, a visible mark of his distress.

My fingertips itched to smooth the indentation that creased his glorious face, however a thought suddenly echoed throughout my mind, raising inner alarm bells. "Rixon, Luke, where are they?"

His large hands tenderly swept my hair from my face and cupped my cheeks, his dark eyes burning mine. "Rixon will never hurt you again. He'll never get near enough to touch you, to touch anyone."

"This was all a huge set up," I blurted out, knowing that the archangels wouldn't punish me with the wrath of God for telling Patch. "They were after him all along, even Luke was manipulated and twisted to play their game." He gathered me up against his chest, tucking my head under his chin as he shuffled his feet to stand. I felt the ground disappear beneath me, but the strength of his arms under my knees and around my back allowed me to feel safe, sheltered.

Patch carried me towards the exit, towards daylight and clean air and away from the desecrate Haunted House that I hoped I'd never have to see ever again. I was freezing, sore and exhausted, my stomach, although empty, was churning and my face felt stiff with grime. I squinted as we stepped out into the light, the briny air off the coast tickling my face.

Sitting just outside the entrance with his elbows braced on his knees, sapphire eyes gazing faraway into the distance, an air of sadness surrounding him like a cloud of perfume, was Luke. I squirmed until Patch set my feet gently on the ground, his hands resting underneath my elbows in case my legs gave way. My knees shook, causing my mind to conjure up an image of a baby giraffe taking its first steps. I called his name softly, watching as he took a long moment to turn his head.

"Hey there, little warrior." The corner of his mouth pulled up into a half smile. He heaved himself up and came to a stop directly in front of me, tucking his fingers under my chin and raising my head. "How are you feeling?"

His eyes searched my face, no trace of malevolence that originally had lurked in the shadows. I swallowed, leaning into Patch's chest for support. "A little sore, and weird. Very weird."

"Yes, well," Patch's chest vibrated with his voice, "dying would do that to a person."

Luke glanced up at Patch and took a breath. Stepping back, he stood eye to eye with him, his face looking more drawn and worn that I'd ever seen. "Patch, I... I don't even know what to say. I don't understand how this all happened."

Winding an arm around my waist, Patch raised his other palm to Luke to stop him. "No, it's ok. I know now that this whole time it wasn't you, but the arch angels. You couldn't control it, no one could."

Luke's face was twisting, his hands clenching in frustration. "I should have fought it. No matter what feuds we've had in the past, I would never try to torture you the way I did. Or you, Elle," his hand raked through his hair. "I can't believe how I hurt you, physically and mentally , and terrified you. You didn't deserve any of that, I'm so sorry— "

"Luke, stop." I commanded, swaying slightly on my feet in exhaustion. "It wasn't you. I don't blame you. Please, please stop blaming yourself," I just wanted to fold myself under and blanket for the rest of my life and cry, selfishly I couldn't take Luke's anguish, I just wanted to forget.

"Lucian," Patch adjusted his arms so they held most of my weight. "Now is probably not the best time to say this, as Killer here is about to drop, but I need to tell you. Even if that wasn't the arch angels manipulating you, I would understand why you'd hate me so severely. I betrayed you, I tore your heart to pieces and fed it to that beast. If I could, I would go back and stop myself. You don't understand the regret I've felt ever since I had to do what I did. I don't expect that to somehow excuse what I did, I just want you to know that I didn't do it to hurt you. I did it save her."

Luke swallowed, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath. Finally, voice catching, he murmured, "I guess either way it wouldn't have mattered, I was forbidden to love her anyway."

"That makes no difference to me," Patch shook his head, "I still betrayed you, you were like a brother."

"No, Patch. In a way, you saved me. I would have fallen if I acted on my lust." He scuffed his shoe on the gravel, kicking up dust. My eyes were drooping. I shook my head to rouse myself, widening my eyes in an attempt to relieve them of the heavy sensation.

"I need to go back," Luke announced abruptly, eyes squeezed shut. "If I stay down here any longer they might not let me back in." He opened his eyes, the bright azure of his irises glimmering as they settled on me. "Elle, you're a brave girl. I truly am sorry for how we met, but glad in a way we did."

Despite how he terrified me, turned my life upside down, caused me to question my sanity, I found myself falling into his arms. It wasn't him, I thought to myself fiercely, tightening my arms around his torso. His arms wound around me, stroking my back, murmuring soothing words into my hair. The real Luke isn't capable of that.

Thank you, I felt him whisper into my mind.

Stepping back and wiping my eyes, I turned around to give the two a moment to say goodbye. "It was good to see you again, it was nice to fight on the same side one more time," Patch said.

Luke laughed slightly, "Yeah, it was. I have to admit, anger can't live long when there is nothing to fuel it. I've missed this. You're not like you were when you first fell, you know?"

I turned to peek at the two boys. Patch smiled his pirate smile. "I wouldn't be too sure."

Luke smiled in response. "Seriously, I reckon if you kept on like this you might get offered a guardian position."

"While that does sound tempting, Lucian, I wouldn't accept it even if the arch angels were gracious enough to offer." He extended his long arm to wrap around my waist, pulling to his side. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere other than right here."

I felt the first touch of warmth rush to my cheeks in delight. "Really?"

He turned his head to look down at me, his expression tender. "Really."

Luke was grinning by now, yet the curve of his lips didn't fully reach his eyes. "You take care of him, Elle. He's a good guy."

"I will, Luke."

"Good girl." Luke began to walk away, before turning back on his heel. "Although, you might reconsider once you discover one of his deepest, darkest secrets. It truly is frightening."

I felt Patch stiffen beside me. My neck prickled with apprehension. "What do you mean?"

"Lucian, don't." Patch warned.

Luke held up his hands, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Ok, ok! Whatever you say, Jev."

Patch's growl was lost under Luke's buoyant laughter. Waving one last time, he began to jog toward the park's gates, building his speed until he was flat out sprinting. Patch and I watched solemnly as Luke passed the wrought iron gate, his figure suddenly flickering. Between one blink and the next, he was gone.

Silence. Patch and I looked at each other, our gazes unwavering. My eyes greedily drank him in, his mussed dark hair caused my fingers to itch with longing. His eyes had no end, they were dark pools that wrapped around me, devoured me. His jaw was sharp, slight stubble dotted his chin. My eyes settled on his smooth lips, his devilish mouth. My tongue flicked out to lick my lips involuntarily. Patch suddenly jerked forward, his breath leaving him in a sharp exhalation. His arms snapped shut around me, pressing me into his hard body and lifting my feet off the ground. His mouth met mine, his lips warm and soft, pressing against mine, biting at my bottom lip gently. I wound my arms around his neck, braiding my fingers into his hair, pulling at the silken strands. My yearning for him was a thirst I couldn't satiate, the more we kissed the more I wanted him. I stroked the rough surface of his jaw, clutching him tighter as I felt his fingers brush against the bare skin beneath the hem of my shirt.

Finally we broke apart, eyes wide as we panted for breath. Our foreheads were pressed together, fingers linked. I was trembling, whether with fatigue or excitement I couldn't be sure. Patch detangled his fingers from mine and cupped my face, tilting my head so that his eyes could reach mine. "Come on, Killer," he said quietly, "time to go home."

I nodded in relief. He scooped me into his arms, allowing me to wriggle around until I fit into his body like a missing puzzle piece. "Elle," he murmured, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Mmm?" I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck.

"You mean everything to me, you know that right?"

I swallowed a smile, tilting my head back to blink up at me. "You mean more to me," I said simply.

His mouth hitched up into a smile. "Not possible, Killer."

"I think it is, Jev."

"At a time like this you still manage to be cheeky," Patch shook his head in disbelief. "You know, now that you know this, I'm going to have to kill you."

I glared at him, a grin teasing at my mouth. "You know, that would be funny— in other circumstances."

Patch chuckled, planting a swift kiss on my lips. "Alright, fine. How about this: I won't revert to such extremities, if you forget you learnt the finer details of my given name."

I pretended to think for a moment, struggling to rise above the waves of sleep. "Deal."

His fingers caressed my arm, tracing circles on my bare skin. "Good. Now close your eyes, and sleep. You'll be safe here in my arms, safe as long as you'll have them around you."

I smirked, "so forever then?"

Patch stopped walking and gazed down at me, his eyes liquid black. A smile traced his lips as he leant forward to sweep a kiss to the corner of my mouth, his hands holding me tighter, his heat sinking into my skin and sending warmth shooting through my veins.

"Forever."