Everything has a price

Baal furrowed his brows and shook his head, "They said..." - "They said, they said, blah blah blah. Just admit you never cared," Eaden was quick to stop Baal from talking as he got an angry expression on his face, Baal just stopped himself as Eaden would stop him from saying anything if he tried. If he let their father explain, he could end up saying something that she shouldnt hear and Eaden didnt want that. He wanted her to keep believing that their father hadnt ever cared for them. Baal moved in front of Buffy, but it wasnt that he thought it would stop them. But he knew that Eaden could only target things that he saw, he wasnt so sure about Dinah, but it was worth the try. Eaden stared at their father as Dinah pulled his head down, listening to her whisper as a smile spread on his lips and he looked at her. He nodded and turned his eyes back to the couple.
Baal was pushed away and gritted his teeth at the darkness that surrounded him. The artifact was already reacting to the darkness, a faint feeling of burning up inside spread in him and he gritted his teeth at it. But he moved his eyes to his daughter and listened to her words, turning his head away as he sighed. He wasnt sure what he could tell her that would soothe the feeling of being replaced that both of his children may have felt in the moment they saw Buffy. Because some part of it was true, but he had had the belief that he would never see his daughter again. Had the fact that she was here changed something in him? He closed his eyes and felt the darkness fuel him and for once, he didnt struggle much against it. He felt his insides spin as the marks started glowing faintly, hidden under his clothes not to be seen.
Eaden smiled as Dinah returned and placed his arm around her to take a whiff of her hair, smiling at the warmth her scent gave him. "Fine. We'll wait," he said as he turned his eyes back to Buffy. He really just wanted to tear her apart just to see his father crumble, but if Dinah knew something he didnt, it wouldnt be worth risking that plan to go down the drain. He followed her as they were going to make their leave.
Baal opened his eyes as they went off, quickly turning his head to his hound that had stayed hidden under the whole ordeal. He gnarled deep demonic words and the hound complied with a ghastly growl as it lunged for Eaden. He felt the presence of the hellish creature before his eyes widened and he turned around to push Dinah away. The beast's jaws locked around the demon's arm, pulling him to the ground and flinging him around. Eaden screamed at the immense pain, the unholy energy that rested in the beast was moving past his pain barrier, and he knew that this would leave an infested wound on him. Without hesitation, he planted his hand on the beast's face, pushing his finger deep into it's eye that made it whimper and let go. He rolled away and groaned in a deep pain as he clutched to his arm. He turned his eyes back to Baal and Buffy and gritted his teeth. "Fuck you!" he yelled with anger as he then looked at the beast ready to lunge at him again. For once, his eyes had a tint of fear in them as he crawled back, but before the beast could attack again, Baal made it disappear. He didnt look at them as he walked over to Buffy and crouched down to her, picking her up into his arms. "I'm sorry," he mumbled but it wasnt aimed at Buffy. Not that Eaden would understand that anyway.

Dinah sighed at Eaden and Baal bickering, wishing they could quiet down for second. She knew how to keep Eaden quiet, but that would involve something in private, and that they were not in now. ”It’s nice pure darkness, right father dear,” she said in a sweet tone as she could see her father surrounded by her darkness. ”It’s the darkness straight from hell, full of every bit of pained being down there,” she said calmly. Moving away seemed like the smart thing to do, but she soon heard the demonic words and she knew something was off. Eaden pushed her away and she stumbled to the side as she regained her balance. Seeing Eaden in pain, struggling made her feel the same pain and she moved her hand to reach for Buffy as her father lifted the hybrid to her feet.

Buffy started shaking as Dinah used the darkness to infiltrate the hybrids body. Buffy screamed in pain again, but this time it was like her insides were burning. Dinah looked to her father, cold eyes. ”Touch Eaden again, and I won’t spare her,” she snared, letting go of the pain to focus on Eaden. She took his arm and looked at it with worried eyes. She would know how to heal it, but it would be painful. ”You are right,” she mumbled under her breath. Everything Eaden had told about their father she knew to be true now. He didn’t care. He didn’t love her or her brother. Her lower lip quivered slightly at the realization but shook her head. They had to get this wound looked at before it would spread more pain.

Buffy opened her eyes, looking a Baal with scared eyes, then she passed out, her body exhausted from the pain of what had gone through it.

Baal had his eyes closed, seeming like he barely heard his daughter's words but he was listening. He already knew, he could recognize the darkness anywhere, and the amulet had craved this in a while. His choice to make the hound attack Eaden wasnt what he wanted, but rather what the amulet demanded. He looked at Dinah at her threat and leaned his head a bit back as a few cracks appeared around his lips, "The same goes for Eaden if you harm her," he warned her in a tone colder than he intended before he turned his eyes back to Buffy. He wanted to react to the pain she was going through but the darkness was numbing him, calling for him to do more than what he had already done.
Eaden looked at Dinah and sighed at her words. "Am I ever wrong?" he asked in a pained tone but managed to make a smile. This was perfect. He didnt mind the wound, as much as it hurt, there was also a gratification to be found in it. He had her, and now it would be almost impossible for their father to change that. He placed his hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes, "I'm gonna be fine, as always" he said through gritted teeth and turned his eyes back to Baal with a slight tint of victory. Baal stared at his son before he felt Buffy go limp in his arms. He gritted his teeth and started walking in the other direction, away from his children. Trying anything now would be risky with the artifact acting up and Dinah's anger. He went to his own home where he placed Buffy on the couch, before he went to get a chair for himself. He stopped at the table, feeling the anger bubble up in him, before he clenched his fist and jammed it onto the table, biting down on his tongue to squelch the angry scream that just wanted to be free.

Dinah gritted her teeth, but she knew she had the upperhand in this ordeal. If Baal were simply to kill her beloved, she could bring him back, but if Buffy died, she would make sure to get a hold of her soul. She looked at her brother, a hint of fear behind her eyes and she sighed at his worlds, chuckling slightly. How could he take this so lightly? She gave him a hand to get to his feet and they moved away. She would make sure that Eaden would heal without a trace of that hellish dog’s mark on his beautiful skin.

Buffy felt weak and she opened her eyes slowly. She was a bit disoriented, feeling a bit scared at first as she didn’t recognize the place. She turned her head, grunting at the pain in her body, but seeing Baal made her relax more. ”Baal,” she begged, reaching out for his hand. She just wanted him close, because she could see he was hurting. She wanted to take away his pain, comfort him even though she knew he was angry. She sat up slightly, feeling her bones hurting still, but it would go away eventually. At least that’s what she told herself. ”Are you alright?” she whispered carefully, not really sure if she even dared to know the answer.

Eaden noticed the fear and shook his head as an assurance that it would be fine. Even if he got a grimly scar, it would just be a reminder of the hatred he felt for his father - He didnt mind that. He took her hand and wanted to put his arm around her, but he had to close his free hand around the wound to keep the blood from flowing. These wounds were such a pain in the ass to heal and his father had known that. Eaden was surprised to see that Baal had lost control, but he was also worried what that meant if they were to mess with him when he had more to lose. Not that he feared death, he didnt, but he didnt want Dinah to get hurt. He followed her and sighed quietly, gritting his teeth to hold back a whimper.

After he had hit the table, he felt frozen with his fist on the table that had made a few cracks in the wood. He stood in his own thoughts, thinking about his daughter. A part of him could understand why she hated him if she thought that he never cared for them, but it wasnt the truth. Eaden and him had never been close, but that didnt mean he didnt care about the bratty young man. Yet he had always been close with his daughter and seeing her hate him in this way was making him angry. How could it had come this far? He heard Buffy and turned his head back to her as he saw her hand reaching for him. He lifted his hand off the table, feeling small splinters of wood under his skin that he didnt really feel compared to the other stronger feelings that he felt at the moment.
He walked over to her and placed his healthy hand in hers as he crouched down in front of her. He looked away as she sat up and asked if he was alright. It would be a lie to tell her that he was fine, so he wasnt going to. He exhaled deeply and shook his head. "I messed up," he said as he looked at her with sad eyes. He gasped quietly at the darkness but closed his eyes and focused on the hand around his. "I had no idea that she was still here. I looked everywhere for her, but she wasnt anywhere to be found," he then said as he opened his eyes and looked up at Buffy. He sighed and ran his other hand through his hair. "If I knew they were together in their ploy for revenge I wouldnt have..." he stopped himself and gulped before he looked at Buffy with sorrowful eyes. "Being with me will only bring you pain," he then said as he squeezed her hand and let it go. He rose to his feet and walked over to the window as he looked out on the street, not that he thought they would be there, but he couldnt look at Buffy with the words he were about to say.

Buffy could recognize that look in his eyes and she felt herself in pain because of it. As he let go of her hand she was certain her world would collapse, and she got to her feet, trying to stumble over to him, as if she was a hurt prey. She grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her and she shook her head. ”Don’t you dare say you’ll leave me – Don’t you dare,” she said, anger and hurt in her broken voice. Why would he even try this? Had he not just suggested they should get married and have a life together? Had they not overcome all of their obsticles up until now? ”Being with you has only brought me happiness, my love,” she whispered, feeling her eyes betray her as tears started rolling. Her green eyes searching his grey as if she could force an answer out of him. She sighed, letting go of his face. Her lower lip quivering as she felt more tears coming. She couldn’t live without him and she wouldn’t. ”Your daughter still loves you,” she whispered, knowing it might not change anything. She hadn’t told Baal about her ability after her merge with his soul, mostly because she had needed time to understand it. She looked up at him, taking his good hand between hers as she tried finding a way to explain. She was not as amazing at explaining things as Baal was, but she knew how to get a point across.

”I saw her aura flicker when she saw you,” she explained. Maybe explained was not the best term to used, here, but did it matter in the end. ”Normally aura’s change when you are around something that changes your emotions, how your relationship is with someone,” she said silently, moving her fingers to entangle with his. She let out a sigh. ”Around her brother she showed the bright pink; love,” she explained. ”Then when she turned her head to you, it was like her body was conflicted, first a muddy red for anger, but the bright pink loomed around her, as if she was trying to hide her love behind her anger,” she said, biting her lip. She took a deep breath, trying to focus on what she had seen. ”Your son showed anger as well, but as soon as you tried to engage with her, his aura flared up to be a muddy forest green of jealousy,” she said. She took a step back, letting go of his hand, hoping he would take her hand again, begging that he would not leave her.

”I know you don’t want to see me in pain, but if you leave me, my body will shut down,” she whispered, moving her arms around herself, as if she was already alone. She felt herself cold to the bone, and maybe it was the darkness that still lingered in her aching bones. ”When you died,” she whispered, her voice cracking, because she knew he hadn’t just died. She had killed him. ”I couldn’t feel, I couldn’t breathe – every day was pain, and even in my dreams I had no rest,” she said feeling so open and raw right now that it hurt her.

He was too busy being in his thoughts as he stared out on the street with empty eyes to notice her getting up. When she grabbed his face and forced him to look at her, he sighed with a tremble as her words struck him where it hurt. He opened his mouth to then grit his teeth as his eyes wandered away from hers. Had his intentions been that obvious? But couldnt she understand that he just wanted to keep her safe, and that wouldnt happen as long as all this chaos reigned in his presence? Her whisper made him close his eyes for a bit as he gulped, because to him, her being happy now didnt mean it would always stay so. And who knew what his children were planning for them.
When she mentioned his daughter, he looked at her with eyes that were begging her not to speak of her. He really couldnt bear to hear it, not after seeing her face filled with betrayal as the hound had hurt Eaden. It was an image that the demon wouldnt ever forget. But Buffy continued to explain what she had seen and it took all in him to keep standing here with their hands entangled. He wanted to be angry that she kept going despite his begging eyes and he felt his jaw tremble as she spoke. He looked away from her, staring into the room with furrowed brows but he kept listening in silence. It was a relief to hear that she still in some way loved him, but he wasnt sure that it was true anymore.
When she stepped away he moved his eyes back to hers as he then shook his head. What was he supposed to do with this information? Getting to Dinah with Eaden being there was impossible, the boy wouldnt let him speak and if he did anything to him, Dinah would just get even more angry. He felt at a loss and this was just adding to the sting of it. He exhaled deeply as she placed her arms around herself, he hated doing this to her, but he couldnt see any other way. If he stayed with her, he might as well put a mark on her back and wait for his kids to shoot their worst at her. Why would he want that?
He was dragged out of his thoughts as she spoke of his death. He closed his eyes to hide the wetness that had started, opening them to look at her with blurry eyes as she continued. He gritted his teeth and felt a need to ruin something. He was so angry with everything, but mostly angry at himself for hurting her like this. Without thinking he grabbed the small table seated at the window and flung it across the room as it crashed into a cabinet, glass splintering to all sides as wood and interior fell apart at the force. He exhaled his anger and grabbed her arms as he looked at her with sad eyes, "What do you want me to do?" he asked in frustration as he searched in her eyes for an answer that he probably couldnt get. He stepped closer and tightened his grip on her arms. "If I stay, you'll be in much more danger than you could imagine. I would be your ruin," he said with his voice slightly raised which was unlike him. He never really lost his calm, but this time there wasnt any calm to lose, it was all gone.
"Tell me Boadicea, what would be better?" he gritted his teeth and felt the impulse to break something again, yet he held it back. "I love you with all my heart, I want to marry you. But I cant risk your life in this way" he felt his jaw tremble as he could barely muster speaking from the anger. He let go of her as he clenched his fist and jammed it against the wall next to them, the splinters in his hand digging further in, making him groan as his hands started shaking. But he felt that he deserved the pain, after all that he had done, he never seemed to be doing the right thing. Was he really as good as he thought he was? It was doubtful. "You would fall apart if I leave you, but I would fall apart if I stayed, knowing that whatever that awaits us, would fall upon you because I couldnt let you go," he said through gritted teeth as he looked at her.  

Things were never easy, and she had known that from her childhood. Getting taken to be trained to kill, seeing her mother die at a young age and having a brother that felt like the only thing that at times had kept her afloat. That was when Baal had entered her life, brightening it and giving her a glimpse of hope. A hope for a family and a place of belonging. Was he going to take it away from her as soon as he had given it to her? She felt her anger rise in her, but unlike Baal right now, she was better at hiding it. She knew she overspoke talking about his family like this, but he needed to know. There would be hope. As he grabbed her arms, her gaze flew up to greet his, her eyes stern as he spoke, tears still running down her cheeks. His demand to know what was better had her body shaking. He let go of her to hit the wall and she jumped a bit as it was so close to her. ”Would you rather I died in your arms or me pressing my stake into my heart alone on a cold floor?” she demanded to know. She wasn’t often verbal about the thoughts she had when it came to the time she lived without him. Her mind still a mess after that month apart. Had he not been there that day she would have greeted death one way or another. She shook her head. How could he understand it? How could she explain that without him she could barely function?

”Would you stop thinking that you can save me all the damn time?” she whispered, sobbing slightly. She knew he meant well, but he kept doing this. Hurting her when he tried to heal her. She swallowed, moving her hand over to his hurting one and looking at the splinters with a sigh. ”I’ll get a pincet,” she mumbled and moved over to his bathroom. She felt sick in her stomach as she looked at herself in the mirror but shook her head and soon returned to him. ”Sit,” she ordered, gesturing to the couch. She didn’t feel like yelling. It would solve nothing. Instead she focussed on removing the splinters, silently sobbing and careful with her movements. As she had gotten them out, she lifted his hand, placing a gentle kiss against the area she had just worked on. She sat for a while, trying to calm down and hoping he was taking the time to do the same.

”I want to hit you for every time you thought that leaving me would save me,” she confessed, looking at him with tender eyes. Her fingers running over the back of his hand as she looked him in the eyes. ”But I can’t hurt you, Belial, I could never hurt you in any way, because to me the solution to all of this is simple,” she whispered, sniffling silently and trying to get her breath under control once more. ”Either, you stay with me, make my life whole and fulfil both of our dreams, however short our happiness might be,” she said before looking down. ”Or you leave me, letting me wander around until I get the courage to greet death by my own hands,” she said with a weak voice.

Her words made him frown, "I dont want you to die at all," he said with the same frustration from before. If she died, his heart would die with her. He just couldnt let it happen. Her whisper made him groan with agony. Was she even grasping the seriousness of the situation? It was a dumb thought of him to have, but he wasnt sure if she knew of the consequences her death at the hands of his children would do to him. Knowing that it happened all because he stayed with her when he should have left. If leaving her meant that he could shield her from the pain, why was she so against it?
When she grabbed his hand he just looked at the splinters and closed his eyes as she said she would get a pincet. Was she stalling the invevitable? Trying to change his mind about this by reminding him of their love? It was hurting him. He watched her go into the bathroom and just stood there with his hand up in the air where she left it. He was reluctant to go as she ordered him to sit but complied after a while, sitting on the couch with her as she moved her attention to the splinters.
He watched her as she picked out the pieces of wood, sharp inhales followed as she got to the bigger pieces that lied deeper under his skin. He looked at her for a while before he moved his eyes away and clenched his jaw. His hands were still shaking a bit from the lack of calm, but sitting here put a hood over the pot that seemed to be boiling over with emotion. If that meant another outburst, wasnt clear. He felt her kiss and sighed quietly as he returned his eyes to hers. Her confession made him look down as he listened to her. She brought out two solutions to their problems and he gritted his teeth at both of them - The first seemed so simple when it came out of her mouth but it really wasnt. The second just made him angry again.
He turned his eyes to hers as he cupped her face and shifted between her eyes. "Because you'd keep holding on. If you let go you'd find happiness again in another," the words stung and he frowned with sorrow as he looked away from her, exhaling in a deep tremble that couldnt calm his hurting heart. "I want you to be happy. If not with me, then someone else who wont put you in danger like I am," he stopped himself as his lip quivered and he felt a tear run down his cheek. He finally turned his eyes back to her. "I just cant do this to you," he then said in a tone that said that he had made his decision. He let go of her face and covered his face for a bit as he rubbed his eyes. "It hurts too much. Our love is more than I could ask for, but it's tearing me apart," he confessed as he looked back at her with a face of defeat.

”Well then you shouldn’t have fallen for a human – It’s what we do best!” she said in a raised tone, breahting out and closing her eyes. She shook her head. No more fighting. She couldn’t take it. She wouldn’t take it. As she had removed the splinters she felt his hands on her cheek but his word brought her no comfort. She moved out of his hands, getting to her feet and still a bit unsure about her balance. He spoke again, but it was like he was pressing in daggers that twisted at her organs. Pain like this was what she felt when she doubted their love, but this was him trying to push her away. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to stay, and she found it frustrating that he wouldn’t just stay if that was what he truly wanted. His confession made her swallow, but her eyes produced no more tears. ”So … My love for you is killing you?” she whispered. That was what she had gathered from his outbursts. If he didn’t want to be with her she would have accepted it, but he did want to be with her. How could she deny the look in his eyes when he was hurting himself saying things like this. ”I could never love anyone but you,” she said in a firm voice. She went over, picking up the pieces of the small broken table he had flung across the room. Her shoulders were shaking as if she was sobbing, but no tears were to see.

If he wanted to leave then he would have done it by now, but she knew something was keeping him back. She tossed the broken pieces in the trashcan, walking over to him and looking him in the eyes. Her green eyes full of sorrow, but something burning behind the green. She wanted to beg him to stay, but that wouldn’t work, because he seemed so far gone in his worries. She took his hand, moving it up to her waist, she placing her hand on his shoulder. Her other hand took his, as she started moving slowly. She knew he would ask, but she needed to do this, even if he didn’t understand. The steps were easy; one-two-three, one-two-three, and if he was smart he knew that she was dancing a small waltz, one she had hoped they could dance after their vows. But if this was her last chance to feel him and see him before her life fell apart, she would want this to be her last memory. Not fighting and yelling, but moving with him. No music needed, as she started humming the well known tones. Maybe she had already lost her mind, but she would do it with style.

”My first, my last,” she whispered in a tender tone, sadness behind her eyes as she moved with him, not caring if he didn’t want to dance. She would force him to it. She needed to do this. ”Please stay with me and become my husband; Please stay and have a family with me; Please … Just … Stay,” she whispered, but not in a begging manner. Her words were full of emotion, but no sign of anger left in her. She loved him and could not stay mad at her love for long, before she started feeling her heart beat to their syncronized heart bearts.

He watched her as she got up with empty eyes. He didnt really know what to say to her words, so instead he looked away and clenched his jaw. It wasnt that her love was killing him, it was the worries of what might happen to her that was tearing him apart. Her life being so mortally fragile that it was unbearable to think of. Her words made him close his eyes for a bit as he swallowed his own words instead of speaking them. It would be too hard for him to say, but he felt that she could move on eventually if he really were to leave her. He opened his eyes again and moved them to see her clean up his mess. He dragged his fingers through his hair and just gloomed in his own thoughts, letting the silence fall over the room like a hurtful nothingness.
He was confused when she moved his hands and made him stand but he quickly realized what her intentions were. He moved with her in slow movements as he felt the regrets roll in over him with full force. This was what they were supposed to do when they got married, why was she reminding him of it now? He sighed deeply and leaned closer to her as they danced in the tunes of her humming. He closed his eyes and felt a tear sneak out. Her whisper made him gulp and his heart felt like it could burst at any moment, yet it was beating calmly by the guidance of hers. So there they danced in a way that they may never again if he left her.
He opened his eyes at her words and looked down at her, his blurry eyes frantically shifting between hers before he stopped their dance. He let go of her hand as he moved his arm around her and pulled her closer, a soft whimper betraying him as it left his mouth. He felt his shoulders shake as he clutched onto her. "I'll stay," he then said in a reassurance but it sounded more like a plea. All the anger he felt had turned sour, and all he was left with was the sadness and shame. He didnt want to leave her, he never wanted to. He wasnt thinking with his right mind, he had been objective in his thinking up to this point.
He moved his hand from her waist up her back and let it slide under her hair as he held her as close as he could. "Being your husband is all I ever want. To make you happy, protect you... love you," he paused for a bit as he lifted his other hand to cup her face looking into her eyes, "With that said. If anything does happen to you, I never think I'd forgive myself," he then said in a sadder tone before he kissed her lips gently, resting them against her as he broke off the kiss. "You may not be my first. But you are my last," he whispered against her lips as he then moved his head back and lifted his hand to run his thumb along her cheekbone. "You're the light that pulls me away from the darkness in me," he said in a soft low tone as he leaned forward to carefully steal another kiss, not knowing if it was the right thing to do after he had just hurt her with his words.

It was like she didn’t hear his plea at first. She wanted to believe it was just her hearing things, but as she looked into Baal’s eyes she knew he had said it. His hand moving up her body made her smile and soon she felt his fingers intertwine with her hair, pulling her closer as he spoke. She let him finish, say everythin on his mind before wanting to say anything in return. She looked into his grey eyes, watching the wonderful specs of green play in the grey fields. His sad tone made her want to look away, because she couldn’t promise her safety in any regards. Everything was still so new for her in this hybrid excistence and figuring everything out seemed to take a while. Feeling his lips made her body sing as she wanted to be with him even more now. His whisper against her lips made her sigh, because she loved him so dearly. He described her as his light, but why did it feel like he had been the one to light up her world? Put some meaning into her life that before him seemed so dull and full of sorrow. His next kiss was more gentle, but she pulled him closer returning the kiss gently before pulling back.

”Now, you are going to need some sleep and in the meantime I’ll clean up this mess,” she said in a gentle voice. She felt herself exhausted, but she could feel the restlessness in her body. Maybe cleaning for a bit would help her calm her nerves. She had been so close to losing him today, and she didn’t feel like thinking about it more than she needed to. ”So go sleep this off and we’ll speak when you are rested,” she said in a silent voice, trying not to cry anymore. Her tears wanted to betray her, but she held them back. Leaning up she placed a sweet kiss against his lips and sighed against them as their lips seperated once more. She wanted just to have their lips locked for longer, but Baal needed rest, if not sleep then at least so have some time with his thoughts as she seemed to need time with her own. Before moving out of his embrace she cupped his face, looking at the eyes she always felt were so filled with love, and smiled at him.

//Out<33//