The Mediator

Epilogue: September

I wasn't going to school this fall. I decided to take a semester off and start in the spring. Audrey was sick, really sick. Rob wouldn't let me visit there house ever since we returned from New York. He said I would be sad if I saw her in the condition she was in. She had also asked that I not see her in her condition. It had been months since I had seen her. I wanted to see her again. I didn't even know what was wrong. Rob never went into detail and I didn't press the subject because it upset him to talk about it.

He called me earlier and asked me to meet him here, in the forest. I don't know why. We had never come here before. As I waited for him I suddenly felt like I was having déjà vu. I walked over to a bridge that led over a small creek. I stood there and continued to wait.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon, a little chilly but bearable. The leaves covered the forest floor. As I took in my surroundings I felt someone's hand touch mine from behind. I turned around. "I didn't hear you." I said to Rob.

Then it all came back to me. I was having déjà vu. I had dreamt this before. Back before I met Rob, the day before to be exact, only my dream was dark and I didn't know who I was waiting for or who had reached out and took my hand. Now I knew it was Rob. Everything had come full circle.

As I looked at him he looked sad, almost depressed. I touched his face, "What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's Audrey." He said.

"What happened?" I asked caressing his cheek.

He pressed my palm against his cheek and held it there. His eyes searched mine and then tears fell silently from his eyes, "She passed away last night."

"What?" I gasped. This couldn't be happening.

"She was dying Cassie." He choked.

"Rob," I began crying, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He clutched me against his chest and rested his chin on my head, "She didn't want you to know."

"But..." I wasn't sure how I should feel about that. "How?"

"The soul reapers," he scowled.

I pulled myself away from him to look at his face, "What? They got her? When?"

"New York." He said.

"That long ago!" I slapped his arm. "You should have told me."

"Maybe," Rob contemplated. "But we didn't want you to blame yourself."

I was appalled. "And why would I do that?"

"She did it for us." he admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Long story, but when we knew you were in the warehouse and it was on fire there was an opportunity for one of us to escape. I wanted her to go, but she wouldn't budge. I didn't have time to argue so I went to get you." He paused, "By the time I got back to Audrey they had already gotten to her. It was three against one. I managed to kill them off." I was about to ask how but Rob pressed a finger to my lips, "I'm not explaining." Then he continued, "They had sucked so much of her life out of her. She's been dying Cassie. She didn't want you to see her that way."

I began sobbing, "She did that for me?"

"For you and for us, she believed in us."

"You shouldn't have gone. You should have let me die there." I cried.

"You don't mean that." He said hugging me again.

I nodded into his chest, "Yes, I do! This is all my fault."

"See there!" He said pointing out what I had just said. "All is fair in love and war."

I glared at him.

"I mean that in the most respectful way towards Audrey, you know that."

"Can I see her now?" I asked.

His gaze met mine. And I watched as more tears fell from his eyes. In that moment, I knew without a doubt that we were meant to be. I saw forever in his eyes. "I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He said pulling me close and burring his face in my hair.