Forbidden: Afterglow

Chapter 7

-DAKOTA'S P.O.V-

    I don't know what to do. I'm terrified. And it's not cause I can die, I can't. And neither can she. But still.
"She comes with me or I leave altogether. Up to you."
    The raw anger in his eyes. It's mixed with something but I can't tell what. He lowers his gun and leads Charley. She drags me inside with them.
"Why were you looking for me?"
"Your mother. She passed away last night. I was trying to get to you before she bit the dust."
    I really hate her dad. He doesn't even sound sad. Or not that sad. Sounds like he's happy fucking for it.
"How did she pass?" Charley asks in a off tone.
    I can tell she's sad but I know she knows that she could visit her in heaven. Go to her room and say her goodbyes that way. So death isn't necessarily something to be majorally hurt over with the human now thing. Now she knows everything.
"Cancer. She had been fighting it for a while but didn't want to worry you until it was too late. I couldn't find you."
"I didn't know."
"I didn't either. I honestly thought you were dead too, with the report I found."
    Fear takes me. If she tells her father... he will tell all. He will. I know he will because he hates me. For some reason I don't know.
"I'll outlive you, old man. Don't worry about me."
"I'm always going to worry about you, princess."
"I. Am. Not. A. Princess."
"Yes you are. And you deserve a king not a.. whatever type of peasant she is."
    I almost want to laugh. In all technicalities, I am a princess. Or if you want to go that far, a goddess. But I don't want to go that into it. And I'd never be so vain to it.
"Don't talk about her that way. She's given me a hell of a lot more than you have. With her, I feel home. I never felt home here."
"She's just got in your head, Charley."
    I.. I hate ...I hate him. I hate him so much.
     He makes me feel so useless. On top of how I already feel, which is pretty shitty because the coma and then passing out during sex. I feel like a worthless piece of shit that even Charley should treat me like he treats me.
"Sit down." Charley demands him.
     He follows here instructions. The look between Charley and I is one of pure horror for me. He actually is hoping she's staying... ..is she?
"Are.. are you leaving me?"
    I don't know if she can answer me through our minds yet but she shakes her head for me to see. I'm happy that it's a no.
"How do I do this?"
"Huh?" He questions Charley speaking to me indirectly.
"However you want. Easier to remove human memories. All you really have to do is physically touch them in some way."
    She takes a deep breath and hugs her dad from the side. It looks like a real hug for a long moment and I'm sure in a way it is. He looks lost for a minute before getting up and leaving.
"What did you do?"
    She takes my hand and blinks us back to heaven. "I told him I died. Well, showed him that I did."
"I..I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"No. I'm sorry. I don't get why he has to be that way towards you. I'm sorry. I tried to stand up for you. But this way he won't look into you or I because he thinks I'm dead."
"I didn't want to speak out of turn so I didn't say anything."
    She kisses my cheek. "I know. Thank you for staying with me. I know he made you feel bad."
"Terrible. He made me feel terrible. Really terrible. I've never felt so worthless..." I correct her word 'bad'...but end up going into more detail than I hoped.
"Hey, D. You're my reason for living, that's worth a lot more than you could ever think. You're worth more to me than you could ever imagine. You're my beautiful wife, no matter how you look at it."
    I sigh. Her arms wrap around me. Hovering just so she can stay at my height.
"I love you, Dakota. You know?"
"I love you too."
     I hide myself in her arms for a few minutes. I've never felt so much negativity in a long time. I'm already covered in doubt but he pushed me into negative quicksand.
    Like I just need a few minutes to breathe. To be held. To know she's here and didn't actually stay like I feared she might have.
"I..I thought you were going to l..leave me. To s..stay with him."
"I will never leave you, Dakota. Never. You're my everything. He.. He means nothing if I can't have you too."
    To.. To pick her lover over family. The option is heavily taken for everyone and their love life's.. But she gave no effort, it's me or nothing.
    I'm honored, feel like I don't deserve it but am happy she loves me enough to do that. I can't say I would do the same, honestly, I would try to work everything out so I could have my family and her but I know my family would never make me pick. They're not like hers. But they are her family too.
"I just want to say my goodbyes. Then we can go home. You've been shaking ever since you woke, it got worse after you helped your ma and now.. I'll try to be quick."
"N..No. You can take all the time you need to. She's your mother. She did try to understand what she couldn't."
"I know. But I was never made for that world, Dakota. You can see that, can't you? I wasn't made to be human. I love my life, our friends and family. I love this life. I was never happy in my old one. Only when I had you."
"You were a true angel at heart before a literal angel."
    She laughs and kisses my forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Come in with me. You happen to be the only reason I haven't had a panic attack today."
"O..Okay."
    She takes my hand and we enter into the paradise room created for her mother. And Charley's mother sits on the couch, aged back to 25-30 and completely healthy. She's living the afterlife to the fullest.
"Charley?"
"Hey mom." Charley says and hugs her mother.
"Hello Dakota." She says and I instantly feel more shaken. Her parents scare me so much and I don't even know why. I'm not afraid of death but her parents scare me worse than what death should.
"H..Hi Mrs. Cazt."
"How are you here, Charley? Please tell me you're not dead too."
"Long story." Charley looks over to me. I nod for her to tell her. She can't go anywhere to tell anyone and no one could summon her to get the answers, so, she's listening ears for the taking.
"I got time."
"This is Dakota. My wife. Who is the daughter of God and Satan. Who turned me angel to save my life. And is my hero."
   I find myself covering my face quickly. "Asshole."
   She takes my hands down from my face. Turning back to her mother with my hand locked tightly in hers, showing our rings for her to see.
"I wish I could have come. Or known. I know I didn't do right by you, Charley. I wanted to understand you more but it all confused me."
    ...She passed over the whole super being thingy? And angel thingy? Okay.
"You did what you could do. I understand. And it's okay. I got out and now I have the time of my life with my wife and her crazy family."
"I'm glad you got somewhere better."
"Yeah. My family is big and growing. They're loving and accepting. They understand me like dad couldn't. Like you tried but couldn't."
"It's just nice to see you happy."
"It took me a while. I was dying of cancer by the time Dakota came into my life. Her and her mother helped me. They gave me angel grace and I became an angel. I heal things now, I teach in a magical school, I probably play video games a little more prolike now."
    I can't help but laugh lightly to the last part. It's cute. But angels have a really accurate gaming simulation when it comes to video games. Even through the laughs, my shakes and trembles haven't stopped.
"You've got everything worked out, don't you? What about your father?"
"We just dealt with him."
"Does he know?"
"No. He doesn't know I'm an angel. He also now thinks I died of my cancer."
    My heart aches. I hated seeing her that way. And I can never get the image out of my mind. She was on literal death bed when she took the grace. I can never get that image out of my mind.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do right by you with the time we did have." Her mom hugs her again. "But I love to know you're happy."
"I am."
"You should go. Don't want to keep you too long. Thank you for visiting me."
"Of course." Charley says and pulls from the hug. "Bye, mom."
    She takes my hand and we leave. Once we are home, we are immediately called into a family meeting.
"I want to apologize, Charley. I had no idea. If I did, I would have warned you ahead of time." Mom says to her.
"No, it's alright. Honestly, I feel really relieved to know my father thinks I'm dead. It feels nice to not have to worry about him anymore. And my mom, well, death isn't so permanent for angels, is it? While she's mortally dead, I can still visit her in heaven if I wished to."
"Indeed. But I'm sorry. Ninfa and I know all too well the feeling of a lost mother."
"And fathers." Ma adds to mom's words.
"I don't feel a loss though. I'm sorry, I know that you guys really lost your parents and I'm sorry but I don't feel that way. You guys are my family far more than they were."
    Something in my mothers eyes.. both mothers.. It's nice to see because I know they love Charley like family. They see her as a daughter, well daughter-in-law, family.
"I'm thankful that you see us that way." Ma says.
"We love you all the same." Mom says.
"This is my home. But as much as I'd love to talk, I really think Dakota needs to rest."
    The attention turns to me. I can't hide my major trembling. And it doesn't help to feel targeted.
"Are you feeling okay, babygirl?" Mom takes my chin and moves my head to look into my eyes. Her hand checks for a fever which I find sort of funny.
"I'm fine. I just had some scares today."
"Why? What happened?"
     I search through my memory of the day and send her images of what happened with her dad. Along with my feelings for it all. It ends with mom kissing my forehead.
"You'll be okay. Just rest. You'll be okay." She says and I feel a small amount of magic run through me. She's just making sure my shields of protection stand solid and I think she added another layer. My mom is awesome but I don't know how the fuck she comes up with protection spells so easily.
"Go rest." Ma says.
    Charley takes my hand and we head upstairs. The strange thing is I grow a tail. Misty follows me closely.
"I cuddle and protect."
     I laugh lightly. "Sure."
    We all climb into bed. I'm cuddled between a giant white tiger and my wife. And she has no problem sharing me with the cat.
"Ow. Ow. Hey. Ow." She says. I look down to Leo trying to climb over Charley.
"Can't I get one second without you, Leo?" Misty growls.
"Not a chance."
     I roll my eyes. "Guys. No bickering."
"Yeah, pest. Lay down and shut the fuck up so she can rest. Can't you tell she needs it?" Misty growls to Leo again.
"She obviously needs ke. I'm small enough. I keep her belly warm. You just squash her."
    I try not to laugh. Laugh at Charley trying not to laugh. We find their bickering to be funny.
"Ow. You little mother fu.. ow." Misty growls loudly.
"I shall conquer this mountain." Mustachio says then jumps between Leo and I. "Excuse me. This is my spot."
"This is bull. She was mine way before she was yours."
"No. What's bull is she was mine long before she was any of yours. I was there the second they brought her home from the hospital."
     I end up laughing loudly. "You guys need to chill. I don't plan on kicking you guys out of bed, it's Charley you have to worry on that point of view."
"They're fine. Bitching at each other is funny."
     They all settle down and fall asleep. I'm still shaking but I have never felt more loved. Charley brushes the hair from my face, careful not to numb anyone in the process.
"How come I can't speak through our minds but you can?" She whispers.
"Because you're not focusing enough on it." I speak to her in our minds.
"I try though. I just can't."
"Think of the most powerfullest thing you can. Mine was my love for you, how I wished to talk to you when I could not. A strong need to get something to you. The connection is open for you to talk back, Charley. You just have to find the way."
"What of I can't? Would you still love me?"
"Forever. I'll just make you look like you're talking to yourself a lot. Make you look crazy."
    She laughs lightly. "Only you'd be that much of an ass."
"It's working right now."
     Her hand lightly caresses my cheek. It feel nice. Even though my shaking hasn't stopped, it has dimmed from her touch. She's my everything.
"I love you." I hear her voice ring in my mind. It makes me smile.
"I love you too, CC."
"And fuck you."
"What? Hey. I didn't do anything."
"You totally did. Making me feel even more insane than I already am. That's like mission impossible but you did it."
"I'm magical. I was kidding. But. It worked out."
    She leans in and lightly kisses my lips. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Forever."
"Yeah. Forever."
     With little time, I fall asleep. To all my animals keeping me warm. And my wife and her perfection keeping me happy. I fall asleep.