"Mom?" Willow whispered, cautiously looking through the door of the hospital room. Beside the bed, a woman with dark hair sat in a chair, tears streaming down her cheeks. Willow entered quietly and took a seat next to her mom. With a hesitant touch, Willow began to comfortingly rub her back, her gaze shifting to her little brother in the bed. Peter appeared so fragile, his head swathed in bandages, his small face pale and marked with bruises.
Willow wanted nothing more than for him to open his eyes and look at her with those big jade green eyes of his. But they were shut, and probably would never open again.
Just minutes earlier, had Willow been forcibly removed from the room as Peter experienced a seizure, that lasted more than seven minutes. Now, fifteen agonizing minutes later, the seizure had finally subsided, leaving her mother drained and feeble. Tears welled up in Willow's eyes, mingling with the intense hatred that surged within her heart.
He was responsible, her stepfather. He was the one who had beaten him up, leaving him with possible brain damage. Forcing them to put him in an induced coma when they got here, Peter had yet to wake up from. They had been told it could be a matter of time, if he's body didn't give up before that.
Staring at the intricate network of tubes and wires that came out of her twelve-year-old brother, she almost felt numb. The only sounds in the room were the beeping from the machines keeping her brother alive and his raspy breathing.
"Mom, can I get you something?"
Slowly, her mom raised her head, revealing smudged mascara beneath her weary jade green eyes. "Coffee sweetheart, get me some coffee." her mom replied, her voice hoarse, attempting a smile that more closely resembled a grimace. As if she had forgotten how to smile.
Nodding, Willow took one last look at her brother before walking out of the room. Once the door clicked shut, tears welled in her eyes, guilt gnawing at her insides. She made her way down the pristine white hallway toward the coffee machine, letting her emotions flow freely.
Peter had only tried to protect her.
Ten days had passed, but the police were no closer to finding John. Willow struggled to comprehend how, in the year 2022, locating someone could be this challenging. People shouldn't be this hard to find if you where actually looking for them.
She caught a glimpse in a window of her face, the usual soft features now bruised and unrecognizable.
Her bruises were shifting colors, transitioning from angry purples to faded yellows and greens. It was a relief, she supposed, especially for her mother, making it easier for her to look at Willow, due to the guilt of having let the man into their life who had done this. The dark circles under her jade-green and steel-blue eyes seemed darker against her otherwise fair skin. A bruise marred one side of her face, accentuating her high cheekbones, while the cut on her full plump lower lip was showing signs of healing. She flashed herself a weary smile, her tongue sliding over the right front tooth where a tiny piece had been broken off. Luckily so little you didn't notice it if you didn't stare, or at least Willow hoped. Running her fingers through her greasy champagne blonde thick hair, she wished she could take a proper bath. Dressed in a baggy, long-sleeved gray shirt that the hospital had provided, she felt like a mess. The shirt hung on her her petite, slightly curvy frame making her feel even more out of place than she already did. With a sigh, she uneasy twirled a lock of her usually defined wavy shoulder-length hair.
John had a temperament he never showed their mom, only when he was alone with them. Willow had gotten used to his screaming and throwing stuff around, blaming them when their mom realized something was broken and taking the brunt to keep Peter away from him. It had made her try to stay clear of his path when her mom wasn't around as she didn't know how to bring it up to her which she now wished she had. But over the last few days before it all went to Hell, his outburst had been locked on her specially, she couldn't even breathe to loud before he yelled, which she almost got desensitized to. Lately, he had begun grabbing her hand to stop her from leaving as he screamed at her so hard, she more than once wondered if he was trying to break it.
But again, they were left alone with John while their mom did some errands and he had actually smacked her. Peter had come running into her room upon hearing her screaming and tried to get John away from her. Infuriating John enough to beat the living shit out of both of them before fleeing the house.
Willow had blacked out halfway through after getting her head bashed into the closet, making Peter take the brunt. She didn't even remember her mom getting home or how they got to the hospital. All she remembered was waking up hours later in a hospital bed and Peter already put into an induced coma.
She retrieved the coffee from the vending machine and made her way back down the sterile hallway, taking in deep sniffs of the fragrance in an attempt to mask the lingering scent of chemicals that had settled in her slender nose.
Abruptly, the all-too-familiar blare of alarms erupted from one of the rooms. Doctors and nurses sprang into action, racing down the hallway with urgency in their steps. Willow's heart raced with the frantic sounds. As the realization hit her, she realized that they were rushing towards her brother's room. Panic began surging through her veins.
In her haste, she didn't even register that she dropped the coffee and with wide eyes and a pounding heart, she sprinted down the corridor.
Just as she was about to rush into her brother's room, a firm grip closed around her arm, halting her in her tracks. A nurse had caught her, pulling her back and she struggled against his unyielding hold, her desperation evident in her eyes as she fought to break free.
"No, No! Let me go! It's my brother" She screamed, her voice laced with desperation as she thrashed in a frenzy to break free. The sound of her mother's anguished cries echoed from behind the closed door, intensifying her frantic struggle. Amidst the chaos, a nurse rushed over, with a heart monitor. As the door swung open, Willow managed to catch a glimpse of the scene inside, her heart clenching at the sight.
"You can't go in there! You need to let them do their jobs," The nurse groaned as Willow jammed an elbow into his side. "You will just be in the way."
Tears streaming down her face, she crumpled to the ground as the nurse finally relinquished his hold and ran into the room. Left behind, she could only sway back and forth on the corridor floor, arms wrapped tightly around herself, as the weight of the situation pressed down upon her.
This can't be happening, he can't die she thought sobbing, covering her mouth as devastation racked through her body. The corridor had fallen into an eerie silence, only broken by Willow's heart-wrenching sobs and faint echoes of raised voices emanating from behind the door. Amidst the stillness, the soft echo of footsteps approached, accompanied by a subtle blend of leather and pine in the air. Initially, the footsteps registered as mere background noise, until they halted right in front of her. Looking up she saw the back of a tall lean figure, cloaked in a long-hooded leather jacket and black military boots with the shoelaces tied around the boots. Frowning slightly by the weird sight, she wondered why he had stopped in front of her brother's room when he suddenly walked through the closed door.
With a gasp she staggered to her feet, staring at the door with wide eyes.
"What the hell?" She whispered, unable to comprehend how the hell he just did that. She stared at it, wondering what she should do or if she should tell anybody about the guy that just phased through a closed door.
Have John scrambled my brain more than they realized? She wondered when she heard it. The screams of grief from behind the door, sent ice through her veins.
Willow didn't even need to be told, she instantly knew why her mom had screamed.
Peter was dead.
Trembling she stood there, trying not to break apart when the hooded figure walked through the door once again, holding her brothers' hand.
Her eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before her. How could he stand there with no bruises when he was supposed to be dead? Peter's gaze locked with hers, and he waved with a smile, leaving Willow dumbstruck, struggling to comprehend how it was impossible.
The hooded figure remained impassive, continuing down the hall with her brother, seemingly unfazed by Willow's presence. Desperation surged through her, and she couldn't let them walk away.
"Hey, hey, wait! Peter!"The words burst from her throat in a scream as she sprinted after them. Willow grabbed her brother's arm, attempting to pull him away from the hooded person. "Let go of him! You, you-whatever you are!" She shouted, her fear boiling over. Without thinking, Willow slapped the hooded figure across the cheek as they turned towards her, knocking off their black sunglasses to reveal a pair of shocked baby-blue eyes beneath.
"Hold up... You can see me?" he asked with an American accent, taking a step back and pulling her brother behind the long leather jacket with a high collar.
Willow glared at him, as she tried to get past him to reach Peter, ignoring the stinging pain in her hand.
"Of course I can! I don't know how you did that with the door or how my brother is alive. But you're not going anywhere with him!" she snarled, reaching for her brother once again when the guy swiftly caught her wrist. In an instant, their surroundings transformed, whisking them away to a field stretching beside an ocean.
A startled cry escaped Willow's lips as she jerked her hand free, her footing unsteady on the icy ground, a stark contrast to the weather she left behind.
"Willow!" Peter yelled, running towards her.
In an embrace filled with relief, she held him close, taking a shaky breath as a chill gnawed at her awareness as she sensed his unusual coldness.
Urgently, she shielded him behind her, her gaze piercing the shadows beneath the hood, her fingers brushing her hair from her face. Through the darkness of the hood, their eyes locked, his gaze fixed upon hers.
She could hardly see his face, but that was solved seconds later when he pulled the hood back. He slid his sand-colored fingers through his messy raven hair. The guy was beautiful, and he had a scar going through his left eyebrow he raised under her stare. Willow tried not to ogle, but it was probably obvious as her eyes kept drifting back to his face.
With a smug smile he lifted his head slightly, showing of his defined jawline and the dimple in his right cheek. His high cheekbones stood in contrast to his otherwise manly face giving him a feminine touch.
"I don't know how you did that but send us back! Immediately!" Willow screamed, pointing at him with a shaking finger. It was clear to her, he wasn't some ordinary mouthwatering specimen of a guy. He was something else, something she should be afraid of. But right now, she only felt anger.
"Or what, Willow? You gonna slap me too dead?" He tilted his head with a smirk, a teasing edge in his voice. The familiarity with which he addressed her left Willow both confused and irate.
How did he even know her name?
Her anger intensified, but a gentle tug on her sleeve drew her attention downward. Peter, spoke with a tone of blame, "Willow, you can't hurt him! He's my reaper, he's gonna take me to Heaven," Peter exclaimed.
With wide eyes she turned to the guy.
"He's right, it was the plan before you decided to assault me. Now the job just got a lot more complicated," The so-called reaper that couldn't be much older than her sighed. "You weren't supposed to be able to see me."
Willow furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? See you?"
"What I said. You're one of those that can see reapers, because you died when you were born and in that car crash when you were four," he explained, making her once again wonder how he knew. "Humans that was resurrected can see through the veil and therefore see reapers even when we don't want them too. I had been told you weren't able to do so anymore but guess that is not the case. This was supposed to be a quick job, getting Peter Weber to Heaven and its angels dealing with newcomers."
Willow couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "There are no such things as Heaven or Hell," She rolled her eyes. "Supernatural things are from movies and books. It's not real."
"Then what would you call me? An illusion? An imaginary friend? Heaven, Hell, werewolves, ghosts, witches and of course reapers, all that crap is real."
Willows mouth snapped shut.
He had a point, how should she logically explain this but, she had been an atheist all her life, so maybe she could believe in reapers, but Heaven and Hell was pushing it.
"I don't care if you're a reaper or God himself. You're not taking my brother." She laid her arm protectively around Peters shoulder, pushing him into her chest while staring down the blue-eyed guy. He raised a brow and gave her a smile.
"And how do you think you will stop me? I can kill you with one touch. You can't interfere with a reapers work, you know. When it's your time, it's your time. Nothing changes that, and those that can change it aren't keen on doing it."
"I don't care! Change it! He's too young!" Her words echoed through the air, her eyes fixed on her brother as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I can't change it. Or I can, but I won't. It isn't my place to decide whose time it is. I'm just here to bring souls to their resting place. It's the natural order Willow, fate if you will call it that. I'm just the middleman here, I don't make the rules I just follow them and keep the natural order and balance of life and death. I'm completely neutral, I don't work for Heaven or Hell, only for my boss meaning trying to bargain with me won't get you far." He sighed scratching the back of his neck. "It's his time, I'm sorry. So let's get you back to the hospital and erase your memory before somebody hears of this, and let's get on with your life. Even though I'm death is this not the only thing I use my time on you know." He groaned walking towards them.
"Then take me!" Her words halted him, his gaze shifting to her, shocked. "Let me take his place, you said it yourself! You can change it, let him live!" But that surprise quickly twisted into anger, causing his head to shake furiously.
"No, I'm not letting you do that. It isn't your time, I won't allow it." He growled, his tone resolute.
"I won't let you take him either! If you take him, I will follow." Her voice cracked with hysteria as she screamed the words. So many had already left her, she couldn't bear to lose her brother too.
"So you're gonna leave your mom? Hasn't she lost enough people already? First your dad, then your brother and then you because I won't let you take his place?" he snapped, his arms crossing in an agitated stance as he looked at her with a frustrated glare. "It's not gonna happen, Willow. I won't do it."
"I don't know how you know about my dad, but since you do, then try and put yourself in my shoes. I would rather die saving my brother than live without him. I'm tired of losing people." She looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I'm a reaper, we know everything, cosmic awareness and all that. I know every person's name that has died, as well as I know every person on Earth's birthday and death day. So I know it isn't your time, Willow. I won't let you die." His eyes narrowed, his thin lips curling into a frustrated snarl.
"If you have cosmic awareness, you know I'm not joking." They engaged in a prolonged stare-down until he eventually released a heavy sigh, his fingers absently scratching his neck.
"There is one way to save him," Her face lit up, and she looked at him hopefully. "You will become my pet. I can make you my pet since you have had a near death experience. And that way you won't die yet. You will end in Hell either way, if you do decide to follow through, so might as well do this."
Her face dropped, not believing what she just heard.
"Your pet... you want me to become your pet? Are you joking!?"
He shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping him.
"No I'm quite serious. I don't like this anymore than you do, but before you throw yourself at me, maybe you need to know what it means to be a pet," She didn't want to become anybody's pet, but he was right. She would do it to save her brother. "We can get pets, which is a fancy word for blood bags. We need blood to survive, to be exact, human blood."
She frowned, her confusion apparent.
"Didn't you say you where a reaper? Not a vampire?"
"Excuse me, did I burst into flames? No, I'm not a fucking vampire. My boss isn't keen on us drinking more than we need, so we make deals with humans like you about being our pets so we can drink whenever we want." He sighed, looking like he didn't like the idea.
"Pet." Willow repeated slowly, her mind grappling with the concept.
"Yes, pet, human pet. You feed them, give them a place to stay, occasionally play with them, and when they die you bury them in your backyard and get another." Jack snarled, his arms crossed, frustration etched across his features. "We will make a soul deal, siring you to me. That means I own you, you can't go off tossing yourself of a cliff or something. But you will end in Hell after your death, because of me corrupting you, and the fact you have to put your brothers dead on someone else. You will see the worlds as you will travel with me around the universes to pick up souls, so will say that's a plus. And you will live on Reaper Island in the mansion so you will be protected. And yo-"
"Do it," she interjected, determination ringing in her voice as she cut him off. She had heard enough, and she didn't care about the details. All she wanted was for Peter to be alive. "I don't care, tell me later. Do it, if it means saving my brother I will become your blood bag" she declared firmly. Her gaze shifted downward, meeting her brother's wide-eyed stare as he subtly shook his head, softly saying she shouldn't do it, before she walked towards the black haired reaper.
"Are you sure? Willow it isn't something to take lightly, not many agree to this because of the consequences of leaving their lives behind and ending in Hell afterwards. But I will say I like that idea far more than your threat, so I'm offering it" he warned, his tone serious.
"How do you make this soul deal?"
With a casual motion, he swept aside his jacket, revealing a holster containing a bone dagger secured around his right leg. Willow felt a sting of worry in her heart but didn't move as he held it in his hand looking at her. Gesturing for her to give him her hand, he flipped it, so her wrist was upwards.
"Willow, don't! Please." Peter sobbed but stood where she had left him, his pleas echoing through the air.
She offered a tender smile to her brother, then nodded at the reaper. Gritting her teeth, she watched as he gently pressed the bone dagger against her palm, eliciting a small amount of blood. He mirrored the action on his own hand before quietly uttering some incantations under his breath. With a solemn yet determined expression, he shook her hand. A radiant blue light emanated from their joined palms, causing Willow's eyes to brim with tears as the deal got sealed.
The reaper sighed deeply as the wound in his hand closed, leaving no trace of its existence.
"I'm totally gonna regret this," he groaned, pulling his hand back and looking at her with a defeated expression. "I'm gonna be in so much trouble. 'Jack, you are far too young to have a companion. Jack, why did you choose her of all people? Jack, Dauði gonna lose his mind. Jack, I told you to stay awa-'fuck me!" He mimicked a whiny female voice while scratching his neck.
Attempting to pull her hand back to wipe the blood off on her hoodie, she wished she possessed the ability to heal rapidly. But he intercepted her motion, using his jacket to gently rub her hand clean.
Peter bolted towards them, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want you to die, Willow," he sniffled, rubbing his eyes in his sleeve. She crouched down and enveloped him in a tight hug, pressing a kiss onto his hair.
"This is what big sisters do, Peter. Protect their irritating brothers." she said, mustering a soft grin while trying to hold back her own tears.
"This is touching and all, but I had a deadline. I should have delivered a soul to Heaven by now and picked up the Smith guy. Luckily someone will take care of him, but I seriously need to get this back to the natural order again and we kind of need to get back to Earth too, so as I said I need to put his dead over on someone else. That's how it works, transferring a dead or injury over on someone else, if we use our power to heal a disease or injury like this in these cases. Or in this case stop someone from dying." He explained looking down at Peter before turning his gaze to Willow who tried to ignore the fact he said get back to Earth. "So who is the unlucky fella that's gonna die before his time? We need to do that before I can put Peter back in his body. And I kind of need to re-start time soon because it isn't really a thing we should do for long. So let's get going and find that asshole."
The way he said it made Willow wonder if he already knew, but she still mumbled the name of the person she wanted dead. And the reaper whose name must be Jack took a hold of their arms.
Suddenly, they found themselves on a bustling road in an unfamiliar city, where people remained frozen in their positions. Even the birds hung motionless in midair.
Well he wasn't kidding when he said he could stop time Willow thought, her gaze scanning for the face she recognized. Not far ahead, she spotted the bald head she was seeking. Guiding Peter, they approached the towering figure locked in suspended animation, walking down the street.
"So this is John Brinson. By Death this guy is heading straight to Hell. Your mom really knows how to pick them," Jack whistled softly as he glared at John with utter hatred. He softly touched Peter's forehead before touching Johns. "Done."
"That's it?" Willow asked surprised.
Jack raised an eyebrow, amusement in his eyes.
"What did you expect? Firework? A sky of dead flowing over into Johnny boy?" Willow wasn't sure what she had expected, but it sure as hell wasn't this. "When I start time, Johnny will get Peters heart attack and worst injuries. I will set time back a couple of seconds, mess with some heads and Peter will wake up badly bruised to not leave any suspicions, but he will survive." Jack took hold of their arms once more, and in an instant, they stood within her brother's hospital room.
Her mom was frozen mid-scream while doctors tried to resurrect Peter's body on the bed.
Peter vanished from her side, after Jack once again touched his forehead.
"What now?" Willow's gaze wandered over the surreal scene, still hardly believing this was really happening. Jack took her by the hand, guiding her out of the room and pointing to the floor.
"Now I will also alter your memories of all of this so you won't remember for now. When times start Peters heart will start beating again," She sat down as he gestured, letting go of his hand and saw the wound on hers had vanished. "We can't have you not play your part and do something stupid. I will come and pick you up later. Don't go and die on me before I come back." He smiled, smearing his now bloodied right hand on his dark jeans, revealing a thin wound similar to the one she had, before gently touching her forehead.
Willow blinked rapidly while screams of grief came from behind the closed door, sending ice through her veins. Willow didn't even need to be told, she instantly knew why her mom had screamed. Peter was dead.
Shivering she sat there trying not to break apart when it suddenly became silent on the other side of the door. Confused, she got up and reached for the doorknob when the door burst open.
She looked right into her moms glowing face, before she stepped aside to show her brother sitting up in the bed.
"Willow, why are you crying?"