FF: Changes

[DreamDangerously]

For Thelma it felt like everything spun to a halt, almost as if time stood still for a second. She remembered Sariel's last words to her, she was the one who would have to make the sacrifice, again. Her love for Cassie would bring everything full circle.

She couldn't let this fight between Cassie and Azazeal go on, either way Cassie would lose. Even if she managed to stab Azazeal it wouldn't finish things, he wouldn't be gone, he'd just lie dormant again for the next time and Cassie would never be rid of him.

She suddenly had a moment of clarity. It was time to end it. From the very beginning to the very end she had been there for Cassie and she wasn't going to let her lose this last chance at a real life. Even if that real life didn't include Thelma.

Pushing up from the floor where she had crouched she slipped in between Cassie and Azazeal, shoving him backwards. At the same moment Cassie lunged forward with the knife, too far through the swing to halt it.

The shock hit Cassie like a sledgehammer as instead of passing through the ghost, the knife slammed in to her back. The jolt from the impact ran up Cassie's arm. She could hear someone screaming and dimly realised it was herself.

As Thelma collapsed to the ground, so did Azazeal clutching at his chest and writhing, his monsterous visage now appearing.

"Daddy dearest!" Michael's clear cold voice rang through the room which suddenly became eerily quiet. Michael held the Canare above his head in both hands. Azazeal snarled in fury. "I'm afraid I've had an accident." He released his hands and the canare crashed to the floor, shattering in to a thousand pieces.

Azazeal let out a bone chilling howl, it was joined by keening and screaming that echoed through the tunnels from the other Nephilim. Dark smoke whipped in to the room and around it, flowing in to Azazeal's nostrils and mouth, turning his eyes black. His skin began to spilt and glowed like embers and then with a last dreadful scream he errupted in to a bright flame that blinded Cassies eyes.

When the spots cleared he was gone.

Cassie sat in disbelief. It was over. Then she remembered. "Thelma!"

[Fassbender Fan]

Dropping the knife as though it were poison she fell to her knees crawling to the crumpled mess that was Thelma. The rise and fall of her chest erratic and disjointed, Cassie could see her struggle for breath.

Reaching her after what seemed like a lifetime she clung to her friend, her skin like ice beneath Cassie's bloodstained fingers.

"Thelma, it's me, come on we have to get out of here, get you to a-" blood sweat and tears stained her now aged face as she pulled at Thelma's clothes desperate for a reaction.

Thelma's eyelids fluttered and she raised her head a centimetre before it fell to the ground with a discomforting thud. Cassie shuffled quickly moving her friend's head onto her lap, stroking her hair absent mindedly she began to rock with Thelma in her arms.

"Cassie.." Thelma's voice was barely audible above Cassie's racing heart and muffled sobs.

"Thelma!" hope returned to Cassie as she awaited a reply

"I..I'm.." Thelma's voiced trailed off as her eyelids flickered once more. Her lips shook as she strained to speak, a bluish tinge coming to them as the blood continued to drain from her wound.

"Thelma. You can't leave me. I love yo-" before Cassie could finish her profession, the ground beneath them began to shake. Cassie's eyes darted around the cave as the walls began to vibrate with menace, the stalactites overhead shaking vehemently.

"Thelma, we have to-" Cassie throat closed as she stared at her friend..

"Thelma. Thelma!" She shook her friend as though she were asleep, desperation pulsing through her body she took Thelma's now limp body into her arms rocking as though she were mother and child.

Michael staggered over to the scene, a deep cut on the back of his head, blood staining his blonde hair. His eyes were tired as he surveyed the moment..

"Cassie. Cassie, I'm sorry I know-"

"You don't know anything!" Cassie snapped at the boy, clinging to Thelma's body as the cave began to crumble around them. The walls were shaking violently now and rocks had begun to fall around them..

[DreamDangerously]

"Cassie!" Michael said urgently, "Mother! Mum....please!" The note of pleading and affection made Cassie look up. "We need to leave now, we need to get out of here."

"Help me lift Thelma!" Cassie demanded.

Sorrow crept in to Michael's eyes, perhaps the first real emotion Cassie had ever seen on this boy's face. "We can't. It's this place. It's between reality and....whatever comes next. It's why you can touch her now. If we carry her out she'll...." He opened his clenched hand. Cassie got the message.

She hadn't even realised that she was holding Thelma for the first time in what felt like years. It felt so normal and natural. Just over a year ago it had been.

"It's time to say goodbye." Said Michael softly.

Cassie clutched Thelma tightly as if it would stop everything. She looked down. Thelma was so pale and so cold.

Thelma's eyelids fluttered open again. She smiled up at Cassie. In a voice that was barely above a whisper she spoke. "So this is what I have to do to be the center of your world, die. Twice!"

Cassie smiled through her tears.

"You'd have thought that would at least earn me kiss!" Thelma smiled back up at Cassie. Cassie bit back a little cry of anguish. All Thelma had ever done was give. Give everything, so that Cassie would be okay. Cassie felt a painful stab of remorse.

"Cass, don't!" whispered Thelma. "This was meant to happen. Sariel told me...I was part of the grand plan. Not bad for a dead dyke."

"Thelma..." Cassie sobbed, "what am I going to do without you?"

"Have a good, long life and grow old disgracefully. You do that for me. Cass?" Thelma shuddered. Cassie could feel her slipping away. She hugged the girl to her even tighter, trying to keep her close as long as possible. "Please Thelma, don't go!" she moaned.

"I love you Cassie, every second of every day, always have always will."

Cassie bent down to her friend and kissed her, gently on the lips. "I love you too."

Thelma's eyes slid closed. Cassie felt the weight of her friend in her arms begin to fade, as if she held little more than air. Cassie closed her eyes tightly against the inevitable. Even before she opened them she knew Thelma had gone.

A strangled sob of grief forced itself up from Cassies chest. She felt as if the bottom had dropped out of her world. The joy that she'd felt at being released by Azazeal was tainted by the pain of loosing the person who had loved her the most. Who would look after her now?

She didn't notice the small hand working its way in to her own, or that she was slowly raised to her feet.

Michael led his mother through the tunnels towards daylight.

The End.