The Black Rose

Chapter ten- Exhaustion

*Edited*

As Jabe quietly walks into Voldemort's room she smiles seeing the photo she had left for him had been moved. Jabe kneels down beside Voldemort and gently grasps his hand. His eyes shift to her. It surprised Jabe that he was awake, when he should have been asleep. "I didn't know you still had this." Voldemort whispers. 

Jabe smiles and sits beside him, gently resting her head in his lap. "I never got rid of anything tom. I just couldn't bare too." Jabe whispers with pain in her heart. Voldemort sighs and shushes her gently. "I'm sorry. For everything." He whispers casting his eyes away.

 "It wasn't your fault Tom. It never was. You should know by now, I never blamed you." Jabe responds meeting Voldemorts white eyes. While it was true that Jabe never blamed Voldemort for leaving her, that didn't mean she missed him any less. 

"It was. I should have foreseen it. It was a stupid mistake that cost me my life and body. I was foolish and I should have-" Voldemorts sad tone stops mid sentence when Jabe gently presses her lips to his. "It was never your fault Tom." Jabe whispers once more. 

Voldemort smiles and gently caress jabes cheek as he hungrily takes in her lips. Voldemort never realize just how much he had missed his soul mate. The small things about he he missed the most. Things like the softness of her lips, or beautiful shade of grey in her eyes. 

He had missed everything about Jabe. Every night hearing her broken hearted cries to him through their bond, Voldemort swore he was never going to leave her again. Willingly or unwillingly. He would never leave her again.

His heart just couldn't take it. Voldemort would always blame himself for the pain Jabe had been in for the past thirteen years. That pain would never die. It was his fault that he had been killed and his body destroyed. 

And Jabe had been the one to suffer because of it. "Please. Don't blame yourself Tom, when we both know who is really to blame." Jabe whispers gently pulling back. "I promise you my queen. He will pay. For taking me from you. For everything." Voldemort growls with fire in his white eyes. 

And for a moment Jabe watches as his eyes flash red. "I know he will Tom." Jabe smiles before returning her head to Voldemorts lap. 

"How long have you been up?" Jabe finally asks after a brief comfortable silence. Voldemort lets out an exhausted sigh. "Longer then I should have been." Voldemort reluctantly sighs. Jabes heart clenches at this as she realizes he had been waiting for her. 

"Tom you can't do this. You have to rest. Your body just can't function if you don't." Jabe says with a few tears in her stormy grey eyes. Voldemort gently wipes away some of her tears. "I know my queen. I know." 

Voldemort sighs and he knew Jabe was right. Voldemort could already feel the strain of exhaustion washing over him. Voldemort hated this body. He hated being this weak. He hated that Jabe had to see him like this. 

And he knew how much seeing him like this hurt her. Voldemort never wanted to be weak. Especially in the eyes of the one he truely loved. But he had no choice. This was the only body Voldemort had and he wasn't going to be getting his true body back anytime soon. So for now. Voldemort was stuck like this. And he hated it. More then anything. 

"Listen to me Tom. I know you hate this. And I do too. But you have to rest." Jabe says gently resting her head against his. Jabe knew how stubborn her soul mate was. And before he had been killed, Voldemort was used to going long periods of time without sleep. 

But right now, he just couldn't do that. The strain on his body would kill him. And Jabe would lose him all over again. Slowly meeting jabes eyes, Voldemort sighs. "Please tom." Those two words broke any resolve Voldemort had left. 

Voldemort nods and Jabe gives a teary smile before retrieving his pillow. Jabe gently eases Voldemort back onto the expanded chair and lays the spelled blanket over him. "Just close your eyes Tom." Jabe orders gently. 

Voldemort gives a small smile and reaches over. Jabe rests her cheek in Voldemorts hand. "Will you be here?" He asks and Jabe knew that she couldn't just say yes. If Bellatrix woke up and saw Jabe was gone. She would become suspicious. Jabe hesitates. Voldemort notices and sighs. Jabe could feel the hurt he felt through their bond and lets a few tears slip. 

"I'll come back Tom. I promise. I'm not going to lose you again. Not now. Not like this." Those words make Voldemort smile. Even though he hated it when Jabe had to leave to take care of her sister, he knew it was for the best. But he couldn't help but be selfish and want her all to himself. "I'll be alright in time my queen. You know that." Voldemorts soft and tired tone let Jabe know just how badly he needed to rest. 

"I know tom. But I still hate this." Jabe sighs. Voldemort gives a weak smile before his eyes flutter. He was fighting now just to stay awake. And Jabe saw this. 

"Close your eyes Tom. Now." Jabe orders gently. Voldemort chuckles weakly before leaning his head back and slowly letting his eyes close. Jabe sighs and gently presses a kiss to Voldemorts forehead before looking at her watch. "I'll be back soon. I promise." Jabe whispers softly and Voldemort sighs giving a small nod. He was teetering on the edge of sleep when he hears Jabe whisper. And before he can protest Jabe slowly rises to her feet and walks out the door, apperating away.