Chapter Four: Ripples
1201 자
Human Plane
At College
Younger versions of Phoebie and R
“No, I swear to you, there was this guy down there, and he sprouted horns, and wings, and.. then I blacked out. I don't know what he did to me! I think he might have roofied me or something. I swear it! I woke up and my whole body ached and I was drained! And I had these weird.. dreams..” The male student was ranting inside the security office as Phoebie and R entered. They were here to supposedly 'check the lost and found', but really, they had been hearing rumors about attacks on campus.
“Uh huh, and I suppose just like those other kids, you were having a few drinks, maybe doing a little more partying if you get my drift?” The security officer, a rather large man that didn't look like he could in any way catch an offender if he wanted to, waved two fingers on each hand at the boy in air quotes around the word 'partying'.
“I wasn't drunk!” The student exploded, a blush creeping up his face. “I'm telling you, the guy was like drop-dead gorgeous and then transformed into this.. this.. monster! This DEMON!” The student was waving his arms wildly now, in a panic. The security officer heaved a sigh.
“Was there anyone else with you to verify this?” He asked. The kid gripped his hair, a look of exasperated rage on his face.
“I already told you, they were already there! And they were all unconscious!” The boy practically screamed.
“Hey! That's enough of that. If you can't calm down, you can leave my office now son!” The security officer pointed a wide finger at the door. The boy did scream this time, an outraged cry, and made his way to the door, slamming it open and not bothering to close it on his way out. Phoebie looked at R quickly and he nodded, they both ran after the student.
“Wait, please wait! We believe you! Can you tell us what happened? Our friend was attacked too, and nobody will take her seriously!” Phoebie called.
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“How many attacks is that now?” Phoebie asked as they sat in their room after talking with the student. His name was Brandon. “Poor guy,” Phoebie muttered.
“That's about eight, I think. Twelve students, plus or minus, that were willing to admit it anyway.” R responded, looking at a page of notes they had taken. “Ok, I really hate to bring this up, maybe I'm just seeing things here, but does this Demon seem, kind of.. familiar to you?” R looked at Phoebie whose expression looked carefully controlled. She was trying to hide the stricken look.
“We're certain it's a Demon?” She asked in a plaintive voice, as if trying to deny it.
“Pretty certain. Its feeding pattern is relatively.. Look, I think it's an Incubus.” R winced.
“Aunty Em was having trouble with Uncle Bel..” Phoebie's voice shrank from the confident college student she'd become into a scared child. R gritted his teeth.
“There's just no way. He wouldn't. He couldn't! I thought he had a Pact with your family..” R ran his hands through his hair. “This is just bizarre!” He stood up to pace. “I mean, why would he?” He looked at Phoebie who seemed even more distressed, then moved quickly to her side. He knelt in front of her, gripping her upper arms. “Hey, Bee, we don't know for sure it's him. It could be any Incubus, ok sweetheart? It might not be him at all!”
“Then why would he be here, R? Don't you think it's strange that he's here? This close to our room? I think he was trying to find us!” Phoebie jerked free of him and stood to do her own pacing. “I don't like this R. This is too.. freakin' suspicious! That's what it is! What if it's because we messed with time? What if we screwed everything up somehow? What if we broke my Aunt and Uncle up? What if it's all my fault? What if he's here to get revenge? What if he's mad at me?” She chewed her nail in between shouted statements until R caught her and pulled her against his chest.
“Bee, you know all that's silly. You didn't do anything to change the now. The future, maybe.” R murmured softly.
“You can't say that! They may have messed with the timeline teaching me the stuff I know now, early! What if I wasn't supposed to learn everything I know yet! What if, ohmygod, I just discovered your True Name! What if that wasn't supposed to happen yet?” Phoebie sobbed against his chest until he pushed her back slightly.
“What do you mean you discovered my Name?” He asked quietly.
“I, I was digging around in my memories and it just popped in there!” Phoebie cried. “It's Rafe! Your name is Rafe!” He stiffened, a bolt of recognition running through him. He scooped Phoebie up and swung her around in a circle, kissing her face all over.
“Wow.” She panted. “If I knew that was going to be your reaction, I would have tried to find it earlier.” Rafe growled softly in the back of his throat and walked her backwards towards their bed.
“My reaction is going to be a little stronger than that even.” He answered her, tossing her lightly onto the mattress. She gasped and struggled up onto her elbows.
“But the Demon, our research-” Phoebie objected. Rafe made a soft, disgruntled noise in the back of his throat.
“Your significant other is trying to seduce you, and you're talking about research?” Rafe crawled onto the bed to hover over her. She gasped again and let herself fall back to the mattress, clutching his shirt.
“Ok, maybe I'll stop.” She mumbled. He grinned a cocky grin and let his lips travel over her neck as he unbuttoned her shirt.
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Older Phoebie and Rafe
Bel and Emma's Home
Alternative Plane.
Phoebie's breath escaped her in a whoosh and she nearly fell down the stairs. The ripples of time were reaching her now, the little changes messing with her memory and body. She gripped her stomach in fear.
“Rafe!” She called desperately. Her memories roiled. Was Rafe still around? He had to be. Why was there suddenly a blank spot in her memory? “RAFE!” She yelled, sinking down to sit on the step above her before she fell. Where was he?
“Bee? What's wrong Bee?” Marian came running to her side.
“Please go get Rafe.” Phoebie panted, on the verge of panicking. Marian tilted her head.
“Bee, you know I can't do that.” Marian crinkled her nose. Phoebie's panic bloomed fully.
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