I've got ten days left of school. Ten days before summer and getting to work on some great stories and chapters (airgo, Leap of Faith, which I'm working on with Authoress In Training - I'm almost done with that chapter!). But, for your almost-summer enjoyment, here's a little something. And, just to clarify, this is in no way related to A Roommate's Tale. I know some people might think that because I use the name Adision again, so just a little clarification.

Summary: Six years after leaving Alfea, Bloom's life seems pretty dull. But when her daughter gets a new imaginary friend, its becomes more than expected. And when Adision's 'friend' starts stating things from a forgotten past, it brings back memories and feelings from a past encounter that was meant to stay forgotten.

Shattered Memories

emberfire411

"You ever worry about her?"

I looked across the gardens at Adision, who was laughing as she raced around the swing attached to a large tree branch. I shrugged and stirred some more sugar into my tea. "It's just an imaginary friend. Everyone has those, don't they?"

Flora shrugged in agreement, flipping her braided hair behind her shoulder. "I don't know. She just thinks he's so real. It is a he, isn't it?"

"I think so, yeah."

"What if it's more?"

"Flora, have you been reading those voodoo stories again?" When she didn't reply, I burst out laughing. "A ghost? You think my daughter's imaginary friend is a ghost, Flo?"

"Oh come on, you've heard those stories before about little kids. They –"

"Flora," I repeated in a more serious tone, "You're not even halfway through with your first trimester of your pregnancy, and your hormones are already jacked."

She sighed. "I'm sure your right. I have no idea how Helia will put up with me."

"Sky put up with me, and Brandon's put up with Stell twice. I think you're golden."

"I hope so."

Adision suddenly laughed again. We both looked over at her as she dangled her feet off the edge of the swing. "She did not!" A pause. "Did not! You're lying!"

Flora and I exchanged a smile. "Adision sweetie," I called across the perfectly trimmed garden in Eraklyon's south wing, "Are you ok?"

She turned and looked at me, and then rushed over to my side. "Tell him he's wrong, Mommy!" she said with an overdramatic pout.

"What's he wrong about?" I asked, leaning down in the chair to look in her eyes.

"Is it wrong to break into places?"

I raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was going. "Yes honey. It's very wrong; you need permission first."

"See!" Adision cried, turning to the empty air behind her. "I told you!" There was a three second pause, and then she turned back around to me. "He says you've done it."

"Oh he did, did he?" I asked, going back to my tea.

"Uh-huh. And stolen things."

"When did your Mommy do that?" Flora asked playfully.

"Hang on," she turned around again, "When? Oh, okay," she spun again, "He says six years ago."

"Hmm…what were we up to six years ago, Flo?"

"Our last year at Alfea." She replied, giving me a look silently asking what was going on with my daughter.

I shrugged in response as I replied, "Addy, I can promise you if at all, I wasn't the one doing that."

"Oh I know that," she replied, blowing her red bangs out of her eyes, "He says compared to you, he was much worse back then. But he says it would've been better if you and Mirta had minded your own business…who's Mirta, Mom?"

I was a little startled. I turned to focus my attention on Adision again. "She was…well, a friend of mine. How does your friend know about her?"

"He met her. He says he met you, too."

Flora's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

She waited a second, her head leaned to the side almost like she was listening to a response. "He says if you can't remember, you've gotten slower than the Winx Club he used to know."

Flora and I almost spat out our drinks. "Ad-Adision," I managed to say, "What's your friend's name?"

"He won't tell me." She replied, looking sad, "Even though he knows mine and yours and Daddy's and Aunt Flora's and –"

"Slow down honey," I said, placing a finger on my lips to indicate she needed to calm down. "What can he tell us?"

She turned around again. "Bookends," she finally said, "He said something about being a bookend to you."

My heart almost stopped. Flora looked at me quizzically as I turned pale, and Adision continued, "And a hallway, Mommy. A hallway in Solaria."

"Adision sweetie," I said, choosing my words carefully as I tucked her in that night, "Let's talk about your friend."

Her blue eyes looked a little sad. "I know Mommy. He talked to me already. He says he's sorry for making you upset."

I gave a small sigh, running a hand through my hair. I wished Sky was here right now, and not busy being a delegate in Magix for Eraklyon. Times like this I wouldn't mind an extra hand with a four year old who might be talking to a dead enemy. "Ok…honey, how old is your friend?"

"He says your age, now."

"What does he look like?"

"He's hard to see sometimes," she insisted, sitting up straight in her bed, "Sometime's he's just smoke that looks like a man. But I can see a jacket. A burgundy jacket."

Great. Just great. "And what does he tell you?"

"Stories. He plays with me; he talks about you and Daddy. He plays jokes with me when I'm bored. He's my friend."

"Addy, you have a lot of other friends, remember?"

"I know. But he knows about Sparx."

"I'm sure he does," I muttered, a little annoyed, "Adision, what has he told you about himself? What has he done?"

"He says he did some bad things. But he says he learned too late he could've changed it. He says he wished he could've seen sooner he was changed," She paused for a second, as if she were unsure she should continue, "He says you changed him."

I closed my eyes tightly, "Where is he, Adision?"

"Sitting in the bay window, watching us." She paused for a second, then giggled, "He says you haven't looked that green since Tides."

My eyes snapped open as I turned to the window Adision was talking about. I found it empty, just a portal into the night sky. I stood swiftly and walked over to the window, swiping my hand through the air near it. I felt nothing. "Adision, there's nothing here."

"Yes he is. You just missed him, Mommy. Here, touch her hand," she said, turning her head to the side as though looking past me.

Almost instantly, the air around my hand became icy cold. I heard a whisper, and I stepped back in shock. I felt tears stinging in my eyes, just like when I used to watch Ghost Hunters with Mitzi when we were in the second grade. "Did he just…"

"Say your name," Adision confirmed, nodding her head. "He says you shouldn't be scared, Mommy. He can't hurt you."

I took a shaky breath. "Adision," I said, my voice firm, "I don't know what you're talking to, but stay away from it."

"It's a him, Mommy."

"No," I said, glancing to the empty bay window as though something was really there, "It's not. Don't talk to him. He's dangerous Adision."

"You changed him, though. He said so."

"He lies, Addy," I said, walking back over to the bed and tucking the covers up around her. I gave her a quick kiss and stalked to the door. "Goodnight."

"Don't blame me for what happened to your life."

I turned in surprise to look at my daughter. "What?"

She looked back, unafraid. "He says your lonely, Mommy. That's all."

I tried to keep myself from crying. "Well he's wrong, sweetie. No more talking to him."

"One more thing?" she asked hopefully.

I sighed shakily. "What?"

She stopped for a second, her face set in concentration. She then repeated whatever she was hearing, stopping here and there as she said; "You and I are the same. I know what you're feeling. Don't run from this. I need you."

I turned from her as I felt a tear escape my right eye. "I needed him, Adision. And he left. Tell him that." With that, I turned and reached for the doorknob.

It swung open before I could touch it.

I hit the library after that. The private one Sky has just next to our room, with only about two hundred books, a large wood desk, and half of a wall in a mirror. After a forty minute search through internet servers and multiple paranormal sites, all I had to show for it was a lot of useless information. So much for Bing. I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What in the world is going on around here?" I muttered to myself.

I heard a hushed whisper. My head snapped up, my eyes darting around the room, only to find it empty. I took a shaky breath. "Adision? Is that you?"

I heard my laptop keys clack. When I turned back to it, I found typed into the search bar were two characters; N-o.

I jumped back and backed up from the computer. "Okay. I have no idea what you are, but I want you out of here now."

Pages rustled. I turned to look at the books in the shelf behind me, finding nothing out of place. When I turned back to the computer, I found a new phrase typed into the search bar; You know who I am.

I shook my head, feeling tears start again. "Oh no. No no no, this is so a dream." I stalked from the desk over to the mirror, letting my forehead rest against the cool glass. "This is all a dream…I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming…" I took another deep breath, and opened my eyes.

There was someone in the reflection, looking at me.

I screamed and spun around. The space behind me was empty as could be, but when I looked back, the same person still stood in the reflection. I did it about three more times to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and found it true every time.

From the mirror, Baltor chuckled at me. "Am I that scary?"

I was shaking my head again. "No. You can't be…I mean, that's…impossible."

"You'd be surprised what an apparition can do," he replied, taking a step closer to me in the reflection. "The afterlife turns out to be quite the entertainment." He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Not happy to see me?"

Somehow, I managed to get my emotions in order. And the one that I let take over was anger. "You need to turn around, and leave. Materialize, pass on to the other side, oh whatever it is you do, I don't care, but just go."

"Oh come on Bloom –"

"You've been talking with Adision." I said, my voice ice. "You've been telling her ridiculous stories, lying to her. She's a child, Baltor. I thought you were better than that."

"I'm aware of Adision," he said absently, "Cute kid; shame about the father being a cheating bastard."

My jaw set. "He has official functions."

"Oh please. That's basically telling you what he's doing. And you know it."

I laughed. "You're dead. What do you know?"

He sighed, taking another step and reaching his hand out. The way the mirror image looked, he should have been touching my shoulder. However, I felt nothing but a slight cool breeze on the spot. "I've never lied to Adision, Bloom. Never told her anything horrible about you or me or given her nightmares or stolen extra sweets for her." He smiled a little – actually smiled. "I'd never do that. I just sit and watch the two of you; the simplest things you do for her she loves, you know that?"

"You've gotten soft," I said, in a matter of fact tone, ignoring the question.

"Don't remind me," Baltor said, sounding disgusted with himself. "But you have no idea how she'll talk about you. It's like her entire world would fall apart if you weren't there."

I nodded slowly, trying to keep my emotions in check as best I could. Baltor leaned down and whispered in my ear, "She's beautiful."

My eyes closed. "I know. She's everything I have."

"I've seen. You're never going to let her grow up, are you?"

"Oh don't start. It seemed like I've only blinked and now she's four. What's next? Fourteen?"

There was a chuckle. "Grow up fast."

I was silent for a moment. "You had kids, didn't you? Before all of this, you breaking the law and going to the dark side; you were a father. That's why you watch Adision; she changed you. Your first daughter couldn't do that, but she did. And that's why you don't leave."

I was met with silence. It settled around me like a sheet, making any movement sound like glass breaking. "You still there?" I asked quietly.

"I'm still here."

I opened my eyes again. Baltor was no longer smiling. "It's weird, watching you and her when Sky's around. It's like…I don't know, he doesn't belong there. That he's just...an extra painted into a picture. An extra that doesn't belong."

My breath was uneven. "Yeah."

There was another pause. "I wish she was mine."

I chocked back a sob, letting a few tears escape. My eyes looked through the reflection into his. "Don't. Don't you dare make me feel guilty. You think I don't regret it? Every day, looking and knowing she doesn't have a father who loves her? Who loves me? It hurts, Baltor, it really does. And the only person who acts like one to her isn't living. Because when I tried to talk him out of dying during our last battle, when I said I loved him, he told me it would never work and killed himself in a fire attack. And then he disappeared from my life, making me think that maybe I was worthless, and I should be grateful to Sky because he's the only one who'll have me."

"Don't you dare think –"

"Well I did," I snapped, still looking him in the eyes. "I did for a long time. And I tried to deny the idea I loved you, but eventually I realized; when you killed yourself that day, you took part of me with you. And you knew it. But I can't kill myself to get that piece back, because I have Adision. And she has so much to live for, and I refuse to not be there for it or take it away from her. When you look at me and see me broken like this; you did it. And it's painful to know you can sit here and look, but you can't touch me; you can't fix this by wrapping your arms around me and tell me everything's going to be okay. Because you can't…" I finally gave up speaking.

In the reflection – slightly blurred from the tears in my eyes – I saw Baltor shut his eyes tightly. He looked like I'd managed to slap him. As I sunk to my knees, he fell down with me, as though he could catch me and really hold me to him. The reflection looked like it, but all I felt was a chill around my body. "I'm sorry," I heard him whisper, "I'm so sorry."

"It's too late to hear about sorry." I choked out, "You passed that a long time ago. I –"

"Mommy?" a tentative voice spoke from the doorway.

I looked over in surprise as I saw a little girl with red hair, looking nervous in the doorway. "Adision," I said, shocked.

"Can you see him?" she asked.

I bit my lip, smiling. "Yes, sweetie. I can see him."

She nodded, and then said quietly, "Mommy, is it my fault your crying?"

I gave a small sound similar to shock. "What? No – come here, sweetie." I was surprised when she ran right into my arms, clinging to me tightly. "Now listen," I said quietly, stroking her hair, "None of this is your fault. So much of it happened before you were even born, and there is nothing you could've done to change it. If anything it's my fault for doing what I did when I was younger. I'm sorry for snapping at you for talking to Baltor." At this I looked behind me, hoping to see him. The space was empty, so I was forced to settle with the refection. "I should never have done that. He…he loves you. Just like I do."

"Addy," something about the way Baltor said her nickname made me smile a little, "Your mother's right. This isn't your fault, and I want you to know I'm not going anywhere. And I never, never, want you to feel like you caused this."

"Right." I added, "You should not feel guilty in any way. Okay?"

She nodded against my chest. "I wish, too." She finally said.

I looked down at her, trying to wipe away my tears. "You wish what, honey?"

"I wish Baltor was my Daddy. I love him more than Daddy, and he's here more, even if he isn't completely real."

I opened my mouth in surprise, and turned to the reflection to look at him. He met my gaze for a second, then dropped it as his eyes shut again. I saw him shudder, and to my utter shock, I saw a single tear roll down the left side of his face. In a million years, I'd never thought Baltor would ever cry. The sight was enough to make me start again. "Adision, darling," he said shakily, reaching out, trying to touch her, "You have no idea how much I want it to be true, too."

There was more silence. "What was her name?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Adision?"

"Your daughter's name. What was it?"

He took another breath. "Isabel. Her name was Isabel. And she was nothing compared to you."

I saw her smile a little. "Really? You aren't lying?"

"I swear. You have no idea how beautiful you are compared to her," I shifted my gaze from Adision to the mirror, and found Baltor looking at me. "Compared to either of you."

Against all odds, I found myself smiling, still chocking a little on a sob. "You are so just saying that."

He looked over at Adision, and when she wasn't looking, her merely shrugged. I let a small laugh escape my lips. "I miss you," I found myself saying, as I cradled Adision, "You have no idea how much I do, how much I want you here to be like a father to her. A real father."

He reached out again in the mirror, and unlike the last attempts, I felt fingers brush my cheek, wiping my tears away. For a split second, I could feel him holding me, his breath on my neck, and feel the heat from his body as I recognized the slight scent of oranges and spices. For a moment, it was just the three of us, nothing else in the world; my daughter and the person I loved.

"You have no idea," Baltor whispered.

So whatcha think? I hope you guys like it, I wasn't sure about posting it. This was originally a one-shot, but what do you think; should I add more? So please review and let me know - it doesn't take long. Next update will probably be for Leap of Faith, so if you haven't go subscribe! Happy almost summer, everyone!

ember

1/1/11 – Hey guys! A little update here for the author's note. Shattered Memories has a sequel up now (and the sequel is part of a trilogy! I'm so excited!). It's called Scattered Melodies, so go and check it out!