It was all just a D R E A M (Tinner)

[ROSE MERCER]

Bruja heard him enter, though she did not turn around, her haunting pale eyes watching the nightmare in progress. "I hear you requested my presence?"

Raising up her long, black painted, fingernail to him, The Witch shushed him. "We'll miss the best part." Her haughty voice informed, watching as the Jimmy-beast pounced upon the fleeing Rose, before proceeding to rake the screaming girl. "Aren't recurring nightmares fascinating?" She asked, enthralled. Deciding, after watching Rose's body go limp, to deal with the matter at hand, The Witch waved the blinds shut, turning to face her foe with a wide smile. "So... you're what all this fuss has been about?"

The Munchkin slave had had a point, he did rather look like a Quadling. Detestable creatures. Sitting down in her chair, she eyed him for a moment, her smile wide on her too narrow face, her thin lips reaching their maximum capacity of fullness. She wanted him to stew in the silence for a moment, wanted him to feel the tension. "Well, at least you're good looking. I'd hate to think my Hostess would have bad taste. But... you've always been popular with the ladies, haven't you Nick Chopper?" Pressing her fingertips together, The Witch watched Guillermo, sitting back comfortably in her seat.

"Well, I'm sure you're ready to get out of here. I do ever so apologize for the theatrics of it all... but I had hoped you would simply come to your senses and shoo." She spoke patronizingly at the man before her, though he couldn't touch her. In Rose's head, Bruja ruled all. "But, alas, we were not so lucky. Naughty naughty." Despite her casual tone, Bruja leaned forward, all business. "So... what do I have to do to make you vanish from Rose's life forever? Hrm? And before you go all noble, think hard. What do you want most in this entire world?"

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

The Witch held up a finger to him and he raised his own middle in response as she murmured.
"We'll miss the best part. Aren't recurring nightmares fascinating?"
Guillermo wanted to kill her on the spot. And a lot of good it would do him. He wouldn't be able to touch her here. He didn't exist here.
After watching the horror below, the Witch turned to him, a nasty grin on her face.
"So... you're what all this fuss has been about?"
"Damn right, Perra."
She sat, watching him closely and he glared back in defiance. "Well, at least you're good looking. I'd hate to think my Hostess would have bad taste. But... you've always been popular with the ladies, haven't you Nick Chopper?"
He didn't let his facial expression show his confusion. He merely poured every hate he had into the stare he gave the Witch.
"Well, I'm sure you're ready to get out of here. I do ever so apologize for the theatrics of it all... but I had hoped you would simply come to your senses and shoo. But, alas, we were not so lucky. Naughty naughty."
What a bitch.
If only she were real. He would snap her neck. He didn't even care if he went to prison. Good. Anything to make her leave.
"So... what do I have to do to make you vanish from Rose's life forever? Hrm? And before you go all noble, think hard. What do you want most in this entire world?"
He approached the desk, putting his palms down upon it, leaning down to get into the Witch's face. Her eyes creeped him out.
The gaze Guillermo gave her was one of pure loathing.
"I want you to get the fuck away from the person I love more than anything in the world."
His fingers dug into the wood, straining it slightly. He had to calm down. Letting his fury control him wasn't the way to figure things out. If this Witch was here, she could never leave by force. It would have to be by trickery.

[ROSE MERCER]

He leaned forward, all but growling as he flashed his pearly whites in her face, in attempts to intimidate. "I want you to get the fuck away from the person I love more than anything in the world." Well, he was a stubborn one, wasn't he.

"More than anyone you say?" Bruja inquired, pointing to her office door. "Why don't you see what I'm offering, before you decide to say no." It opened at the command, as a lullaby echoed into the room. It was sung like that of a man who could carry a tune, and was use to lulling his children to sleep when they were young. There was a tenderness, an eternal kindness in the voice.

"Quedate aqui
en mis brazos
quedate aqui
para mi,

y no me digas que me amas
no me digas que me adoras
dime solo que te quedas
una vida junto a mi."

It was the song of an undying romantic, though heart break quivered in the notes. The smell of chipotle chicken wafted into the room, as Bruja lead the way to the source. The Waiting room was no more, and instead the living room that was of Guillermo's yesteryear. Pictures of he and his little sister lined close to every inch, all their achievements put on display. His sister sat in the living room, doing her homework, humming along with the tune that came from the kitchen, still echoing through the house. Raising her head, she called out: "¿Papá? When will dinner be done?"

Out from the kitchen, came a woman, wrapped in a sundress. She was beautiful, with silky brown hair and a statuesque form. "Mija, sea paciente." But this was not Lorena, no. No, this was Guillermo's mother.

"llevame por alli
llevame en tus anzias a un lugar
donde ya no tenga que jurar
donde ya no tenga que mentir
donde solo exista para ti.

y no me preguntes si te quiero
que no te preocupe lo que pienso
que yo soy completamente tuya
a mi manera."

Looking up to see her sons face, Florencia gave him an amused smile. "¿Te encuentras bien, Mijo? Parece que te has visto un fantasma." Florencia let out a tinkling laugh, and Jeny joined in, also noticing his expression. Approaching her son, she laid her hand gently on his cheek, kissing the other with tender maternal affection. "Carino, will you go see if your Papá needs any help?" She pointed to the kitchen, walking back down the hall from which he came.

"Pero a cambio quiero ser tu sueno
yo no me conformo con tus besos
quiero darte todo lo que siento y mas que eso."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"More than anyone you say? Why don't you see what I'm offering, before you decide to say no."
Her finger stretched to the door, which opened and Guillermo had to remind himself to breathe.

"Quedate aqui
en mis brazos
quedate aqui
para mi,

y no me digas que me amas
no me digas que me adoras
dime solo que te quedas
una vida junto a mi."

He walked through the door, staring around in a daze. He was back in El Paso? This was his home. Jenyfer sat in the living room, doing her homework, humming along with the tune that came from the kitchen, still echoing through the house.
"¿Papá? When will dinner be done?" Jenyfer called out and Guillermo couldn't help straining to hear an answer.
To hear his father's voice again..
In shock, he stared at the woman who came in, addressing his sister.
"Mija, sea paciente."

"llevame por alli
llevame en tus anzias a un lugar
donde ya no tenga que jurar
donde ya no tenga que mentir
donde solo exista para ti.

y no me preguntes si te quiero
que no te preocupe lo que pienso
que yo soy completamente tuya
a mi manera."

The woman stopped in front of him and smiled. He watched her, unable to speak.
"¿Te encuentras bien, Mijo? Parece que te has visto un fantasma."
Florencia let out a tinkling laugh, and Jeny joined in.
Mijo.
Son.
She was his mother.
Approaching him, she laid her hand gently on his cheek, kissing the other with tender maternal affection. He stared into his mother's eyes, knives tearing at his chest.
"Carino, will you go see if your Papá needs any help?"
She walked away down the hall and he turned away, to keep himself from going after her. Guillermo stepped into the kitchen and instantly his eyes welled with tears. His father was there. Alive, happy, loved.
Shaking, Guillermo reached out a hand and touched his father's shoulder.
"Papá?"
His voice was unsure. He didn't dare believe it. He was dreaming still, right?

"Pero a cambio quiero ser tu sueno
yo no me conformo con tus besos
quiero darte todo lo que siento y mas que eso."

[ROSE MERCER]

Bruja watched, as fantasy Enrique turned to face his son. His face was lined, but he had aged more gracefully than the real Enrique, heartbreak not gripping him as time went on. He looked happy, with little crinkles in the corners of his eyes when he smiled. "Mijo! ¿Tu mamá te envían aquí para ver cómo estaba?" Enrique chuckled, turning back to the food, shaking his head in good humor. "You would think I burned down the kitchen every day, with how she acts. ¿No es cierto?" Turning back to see his son, Enrique's smile faltered a little. "¿Estás bien, Mijo?"

Jeny came in, grabbing a fork out of the drawer and trying to steal some rice, as Enrique blocked her way playfully. She pouted, her innocent features exaggerating greatly. "¡Papá! ¡Tengo hambre!" Jeny whined, though a giggle still tinkled out. She was very much the same as real Jeny was, though there was a certain weight lifted off from her, as she did not have to carry around watching her Father die in front of her.

"Es casi hecho. Ir a poner la mesa, Princesa." Enrique shooed gently, kissing her forehead. Sighing, she rolled her eyes happily at Guillermo, grinning widely as she fetched the plates. Enrique returned to the food, waiting for Jeny to leave the kitchen before he scooped out a spoonful for Guillermo. "Try it quickly, before she comes back. Tell me how it tastes."

Bruja knew how it would taste. It would taste just as Guillermo remembered. Because that's all this was... an illusion based on memories. Some, like the ones of his Mother, were repressed and buried with time and pain. But they were there. They were there.

The Mother entered the kitchen, smiling widely at Guillermo and Enrique. "Well, look at my boys. Solving the worlds problems?"

"Ah, estábamos, mi amor." Enrique grinned, winking at Guillermo. "But then you came in and distracted me. Ahora tenemos que empezar de nuevo." He plated the food, his voice mocking a grave tone lightly, smile widening.

Florencia giggled, eyes filled with love for her husband. "I can go away if you like, Darling."

At this threat, Enrique pulled his wife into an embrace, kissing her lightly on the mouth, though there was an air that this was to not embarrass Guillermo. There eyes locked in a gaze of intense love and passion, even after years of marriage.

"Is it done yet!? I'm starving!" Jeny cried form the next room, prompting a belly laugh from Enrique. Kissing his wife a final time, he took a couple of the plates of food, bringing them into the dining room.

Florencia, smiling at Guillermo, frowned ever so slightly. "Oh, bebé, your collar is up." She leaned forward, straightening it out for him. Satisfied, her smile reformed it's former width. "There you go, Carino. How did you turn into such a handsome man, hmm?" She teased, hugging him, a lingering smell of honey and laundry clinging to her. "Te amo, mi Guillermo." She whispered, pushing his hair out of his eyes and releasing him. With a final smile, she went to the dining room, the rest of the food in her arms.

"C'mon Guillermo!" Jeny said, her parents laughing at her impatience.

Bruja whispered encouragingly. "Go on, Guillermo. You can have dinner for free, and then make your choice. Unless.. you already made it of course."

"Mijo, it's going to get cold..."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

A soothing, deep voice filled his ears.
"Mijo! ¿Tu mamá te envían aquí para ver cómo estaba? You would think I burned down the kitchen every day, with how she acts. ¿No es cierto?"
Guillermo could only gaze hungrily at his father. It was a happier Enrique. One without a burdened heart. Turning back to see his son, Enrique's smile faltered a little.
"¿Estás bien, Mijo?"
"Lo siento, Papá." Guillermo knew he wouldn't know what for. But he had apologized. He needed to be made right with his father.
Jeny came in, grabbing a fork, but his father blocked her before she could get to the food.
"¡Papá! ¡Tengo hambre!" Jeny whined, yet she gave a tiny giggle. She hadn't been that lighthearted in a long time.
"Es casi hecho. Ir a poner la mesa, Princesa."
Enrique shooed gently, kissing her forehead. Sighing, she rolled her eyes happily at Guillermo, grinning widely as she fetched the plates.
As soon as she left, Enrique turned back to him, holding out a spoonful of food, grinning.
"Try it quickly, before she comes back. Tell me how it tastes."
Guillermo tried it despite his subconscious screaming in protest. He smiled at his father, the food bringing him right back to his childhood. There was nothing like his father's food.
"Well, look at my boys. Solving the worlds problems?"
Guillermo looked up and saw the woman that was his mother. After all the years of wondering, he could finally look into her face. She was beautiful. It was no wonder that Enrique had fallen for her.
"Ah, estábamos, mi amor." Enrique grinned, winking at Guillermo. "But then you came in and distracted me. Ahora tenemos que empezar de nuevo."
His mother's eyes sparkled.
"I can go away if you like, Darling."
At this threat, Enrique pulled his wife into an embrace, kissing her lightly on the mouth. Her tone was teasing, however and the two gazed lovingly at one another.
There was nothing funny about the teasing threat to Guillermo. It surfaced him, having been overwhelmed by false memories.
"Is it done yet!? I'm starving!"
Jeny was complaining in the other room.
Guillermo watched his father, tears in his eyes.
Florencia, smiling at Guillermo, frowned ever so slightly.
"Oh, bebé, your collar is up."
She straightened it out for him and he stood like stone as she did. Satisfied, her smile reformed it's former width.
A few tears spilled over the edge of his brown eyes.
"There you go, Carino. How did you turn into such a handsome man, hmm? Te amo, mi Guillermo."
She whispered, embracing him and pushing his hair out of his eyes and releasing him. He drew in shuddering breaths as she walked away.
"C'mon Guillermo!" Jeny said, her parents laughing at her impatience.
He wiped furiously at his cheeks, but it didn't help to quell the liquid.
Bruja whispered to him, her eyes shining with devilish delight.
"Go on, Guillermo. You can have dinner for free, and then make your choice. Unless.. you already made it of course."
"Mijo, it's going to get cold..."
Guillermo threw the Witch a look of deepest hatred, before burying his face in his hands, hurt overcoming his restraint.
It's not real.
It isn't really there.
She can't bring them back.
They're gone.
He looked back up, his face one of heart-stopping fury.
"Go to hell. Get me the fuck out. Now."

[ROSE MERCER]

Bruja watched as he wiped away his tears, rage filling his face. "Go to hell. Get me the fuck out. Now." Well, wasn't he pushy. The Witch stared at him like was an insect."How dare you. Do you have any idea what I am offering you here?" She snapped, her haughty voice pulled in indignation. "I am offering the chance of a lifetime. The family you have always dreamed of." She was brimming with rage, waving her hand over the happy El Paso home, as if wiping it away. It left only a strange, ethereal darkness, though it did not hinder the sight. "I tried being nice about this, Guillermo! I tried being the nice guy. You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. I'll be the bad guy." The darkness enveloped her, much like ink in water.

Florencia's voice could be heard, echoing around, though the space had no visible walls. "Guillermo? Guillermo? Where are you, Carino?" She called in the distance, finally finding his form. She embraced him, looking around wildly. "What's happened?" Her face finally settled on his, maternal concern forming in it. "Why were you crying?" But the concern melted away, almost into a snarl on Florencia's pretty features. "I should have pegged you for a crier. Pathetic. Just like him.... That's why I left, baby. I couldn't stand it. Don't you remember? Me telling your Father that I could not just be a nothing with him forever?" She clutched Guillermo's face, eyes turning feral, with an unbreakable grasp. "It was so easy, Guillermo. I left, and I haven't thought about you a moment since. You were a mistake." She hissed cruelly. But then she vanished. Like smoke. Gone. Poof.

"How many more deep, dark, secrets is that heart holding on to Guillermo. Don't think I won't exploit them. Each and everyone. Which do you want next? That you couldn't even be bothered to pick up the phone when your baby sister was calling out to you frantically as your Father laid dying?" Enrique and Jenyfer came into view, their pretty faces formed into deep scowls of rage at Guillermo. "Or that you stole your best friends truest love, only to make her miserable?" Next Seth, shaking with anger, looking murderous. "Or your childhood friend, who you knew was in love with you. And you slept with her, despite knowing that she was fragile and vulnerable, and that you could never love her..." Naomi, looking beaten, broken, strung out. "All I ask is for you to submit! Say you will stay away from Rose, Guillermo, and I will take these pains away!" The people that made up Guillermo's life vanished, as his Mother had, with Bruja taking their place.

"Just concede Guillermo. You CANNOT win this. It is impossible." Bruja finished, speaking in a soft, almost soothing voice.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"How dare you. Do you have any idea what I am offering you here? I am offering the chance of a lifetime. The family you have always dreamed of." Guillermo sneered at her. She wasn't in a position to offer it. It wasn't real.
"I tried being nice about this, Guillermo! I tried being the nice guy. You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. I'll be the bad guy."
The darkness enveloped her, much like ink in water.
He stared around, his senses alert.
Suddenly, he heard Florencia's voice. She ran up and embraced him.
"Guillermo? Guillermo? Where are you, Carino? What's happened? Why were you crying?"
Her worried gaze morphed into the cold monster that Guillermo remembered. Her voice whipped at him like icy wind.
"I should have pegged you for a crier. Pathetic. Just like him.... That's why I left, baby. I couldn't stand it. Don't you remember? Me telling your Father that I could not just be a nothing with him forever?"
She clutched Guillermo's face, eyes turning feral, with an unbreakable grasp.
"It was so easy, Guillermo. I left, and I haven't thought about you a moment since. You were a mistake."
He screwed his eyes shut, attempting to hold the tears back.
"I know."
She disappeared like smoke.
He barely had time to breathe before Bruja's voice assaulted him again.
"How many more deep, dark, secrets is that heart holding on to Guillermo. Don't think I won't exploit them. Each and everyone. Which do you want next? That you couldn't even be bothered to pick up the phone when your baby sister was calling out to you frantically as your Father laid dying?"
Enrique and Jenyfer materialized, their pretty faces formed into deep scowls of rage at Guillermo. He swallowed, gasping for breath as he wept.
"Or that you stole your best friends truest love, only to make her miserable?"
Next Seth, shaking with rage, looking murderous.
"Or your childhood friend, who you knew was in love with you. And you slept with her, despite knowing that she was fragile and vulnerable, and that you could never love her..."
Naomi, looking beaten, broken, strung out.
"All I ask is for you to submit! Say you will stay away from Rose, Guillermo, and I will take these pains away!"
With her last words, they vanished and Guillermo was left sobbing at the Witch's feet.
"Just concede Guillermo. You CANNOT win this. It is impossible."
"I won't leave her. I promised. I will always love her. I won't ever let her feel unloved. I need her. And she needs me too."
His voice wavered and broke from crying, but his tone was certain.

[ROSE MERCER]

He wept at her feet, a crumpled mess of nothing. She had broken him. "I won't leave her. I promised. I will always love her. I won't ever let her feel unloved. I need her. And she needs me too." Or... not.

Bruja waved away the scene once more, once again in her office, her green face contorted in shock. Still no. After all that. Pulling a hanky out of her pocket, she dropped it on the floor where he lay, a disgusted offer for him to clean himself up. Moving to her chair, she tried to sort this all out.

Giving him his greatest desire, sans Rose, didn't work. The chance to have his Father back, his Mother for the first time... To be apart of a normal family. Something Guillermo desired desperately from his youth...

Being cruel didn't work. Bruja had made him into human porridge, and still he attested his love for Rose. Damn.

Wait.

His love for Rose.

His love for Rose was the key.

"Fine. I know when I'm beaten." She sighed, as if admitting defeat. "Though... you wanting me to vacate Rose is... a bit of a problem." Bruja said, crafty as a fox. "You see, I'm free to leave whenever I wish too. It's quite the pleasure of being an Ozian in your strange world." Her voice sounded sympathetic, and she played the part to a tee, minus her pale brown eyes staring at him unblinkingly. "Rose however, cannot survive me leaving her body. My soul has bonded with her. Being a Witch, I can repair mine easily. Her being a whatever she is..." Bruja stood, looking out the window again, watching as Rose dreamed of laying in a hammock, a small bit of peace in her tempest of nightmares.

Good for her.

The Witch hoped she enjoyed it.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

The darkness disappeared, replacing the scenery of the office. With a look of utter digust, the Witch dropped a handkerchief to him. He ignored it. Let her see his tears. He hurt, but he had been hurt before.
She sat at her desk and became lost in thought.
"Fine. I know when I'm beaten."
She sighed, and he felt a twinge of confusion.
"Though... you wanting me to vacate Rose is... a bit of a problem. You see, I'm free to leave whenever I wish too. It's quite the pleasure of being an Ozian in your strange world."
Her voice was smooth and almost understanding.
"Rose however, cannot survive me leaving her body. My soul has bonded with her. Being a Witch, I can repair mine easily. Her being a whatever she is..."
Guillermo's breath caught, his dark eyes widening.
"W-what?She would die!? But there has to be some way to not have you in her."
His voice was in a panic.
She would do it, too. She could let go at any time and by doing so, end Rose's life.
Guillermo glared at her, the drying tears making his face feel raw.
Why was she even here? Who asked her to be in their life? No one.

[ROSE MERCER]

"W-what? She would die!? But there has to be some way to not have you in her." Oh good, he had bought the bluff. Truth be told, The Witch had no idea what would happen if she left Rose Mercer's body. And she had no wish to find out, as the risk was far to great. No, she would deal with Rose's impertinence steadily. Mold the girl into the perfect host Bruja wish she had gotten in the first place.

"Don't you think that if I could, after all this, I would have left by now if I could." Bruja asked in a near sympathetic, reasonable, voice. "Rose Mercer is stuck with me for the rest of her life..." Sighing, she pressed her finger tips together, as if lost in thought. "And I have a very important prerogative. One that I require my hosts full attention. I do not wish to kill Rose Mercer, but really, at this point, I have already wasted so much time trying to get her to comply." No, Bruja was not so insane that she would think that Guillermo would have a scratch of sympathy for Bruja's plight.

She didn't need his sympathy.

She needed him to promise.

"Guillermo, I am not inherently cruel. When provoked, I can unleash personal hells few can even dream up. But I am not cruel by nature." He would not believe that, though Bruja believed it to be true herself. "Break her heart one last time. Give her the anger and strength to help me. And, when all is said and done, I give you my word that she will be happy in the end." Well... more or less. Honestly, how much weight could he put on her word? "But if you stay, if you continue to make her useless for what I need. She. Will. Die."

All other words aside, these were the most important. Her pale brown eyes watch him, with an intense and unblinking stare, as if daring him to test her. Honestly, she really hoped he wouldn't.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Don't you think that if I could, after all this, I would have left by now if I could." Her voice was sympathetic, but Guillermo scowled. Like hell she would have."Rose Mercer is stuck with me for the rest of her life... And I have a very important prerogative. One that I require my hosts full attention. I do not wish to kill Rose Mercer, but really, at this point, I have already wasted so much time trying to get her to comply."
No. No fucking way in hell.
Guillermo positively boiled with fury. His eyes burned through Bruja with an enraged disgust.
She was threatening his Rose.
He wanted to jump at her and kill her on the spot. Hate radiated from him as she spoke.
"Guillermo, I am not inherently cruel. When provoked, I can unleash personal hells few can even dream up. But I am not cruel by nature."
He gave a brief, disbelieving scoff.
"Break her heart one last time. Give her the anger and strength to help me. And, when all is said and done, I give you my word that she will be happy in the end. But if you stay, if you continue to make her useless for what I need. She. Will. Die."
There was a silence in which Bruja's words seemed to echo. His heartbeat stopped for a few moments, before continuing on an irregular pattern.
He let loose on a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Breaking her heart meant breaking his own, ten times over.
He was the one Rose could depend on, the one who was her rock through the turmoil of her life. Hell, her grandmother had just died!
She was.. He just needed her. Nothing mattered but her.
He loved her, damnit.
Guillermo hung his head, his heart ripping inside his chest.
He had to protect her.
"Don't hurt her! Please!"
He felt sick to his stomach as he begged Bruja.
"I...I'll leave her alone. I'll.....break her heart. J-just don't hurt her."
Guillermo looked at the Witch, making certain to show absolutely all of his love for Rose.
"It will be a lie. I love Rose. I would die for her. And I will love her forever, until the day I die."

[ROSE MERCER]

"Don't hurt her! Please!" Bruja tried not to look victorious as he begged. It really was a shame that he hadn't taken her up on the offer. It was too easy to crush this creatures world when it was so involved with just one thing. She nearly felt bad. "I...I'll leave her alone. I'll.....break her heart. J-just don't hurt her." Bruja knew he meant every word he spoke, but looked at him skeptically. And though he was complying with her will, he couldn't help the rebellion from escaping. "It will be a lie. I love Rose. I would die for her. And I will love her forever, until the day I die."

"Good, than it's settled then. But by all means, take those last precious moments with her. But remember, by morning she's mine. OH! And be a doll and keep my name out of it. If she knows it's me pulling the strings, she'll fight it. It's got to all come from you Sweetie pie." The Witch spoke as if they had just finished a business meeting, not as if she had just crushed the poor boys soul. She looked at Guillermo, her olive lips pulled into a gentle smile, despite her pale eyes being cold and ferocious. "I suppose this is goodbye then, Guillermo. I must say, it has been an absolute dream." Twiddling her fingers at him, Bruja thrusted Guillermo from the dream.


A few hours had past since the pair had fallen asleep. Rose, who never really slept for long periods of time as it was, was starting to lift out of her heavy sleep, instead taking on a light, half aware doze. Feeling Guillermo's warmth so near her, she snuggled around him tightly. His smell, that was what stuck out the most in her fog. That sweet citrusy smell he had. But it wasn't like perfume, no, there was some definite sweat mixed in the odor. But it wasn't unpleasant. Not at all, to Rose, in fact.

Sighing, comfortable for the first time in ages, she rested in Guillermo's arms, for once not completely hating the outcomes that had become her life.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Good, than it's settled then. But by all means, take those last precious moments with her. But remember, by morning she's mine. OH! And be a doll and keep my name out of it. If she knows it's me pulling the strings, she'll fight it. It's got to all come from you Sweetie pie."
Every sick, twisted murder that had ever even been thought of ran through Guillermo's mind.
He had never hated anyone so much in his whole life.
Not even his mother.
"I suppose this is goodbye then, Guillermo. I must say, it has been an absolute dream."
And he woke suddenly, his eyes snapping open to see his apartment. He stared around, breathing hard.
Had that really just happened?
It wasn't possible.
But he had seen what Rose saw.
Her memories, her hallucination.
Unless..
Maybe the memories weren't real. Perhaps it was just something his mind created to illustrate her pain.
Rose's grip on him tightened and he felt his eyes well up with tears.
What was he supposed to say to her?
Guillermo didn't want to hurt her. He loved her more than anything.
Morning, don't come. Let the sky be filled with clouds and I can just tell Bruja it was a mistake.
He stared out the window with mounting dread as the sky turned purple, pink, red, orange, white, then finally blue.
"Rose.. You.." He sighed, hating himself.
"You need to get up. Why don't you back to your apartment."
God, just take me now. Don't let me break her again.

[ROSE MERCER]

Though some might be displeased to hover between sleep and wake, Rose found it comforting. She could feel Guillermo's presence, but wouldn't be thrusted into a siege of nightmares. As the hours went on, her body would take her away to dreamland, but she would return, and she would be recomforted with Guillermo there.

It was not until she heard the hateful birds of morning chirping outside Guillermo's window, that she concentrated on keeping her eyes closed. No, she wasn't ready to throw it away, to go back to being alone and bitter. At this rate, she'd truly become the crazy cat lady.

Old.

Alone.

Mad.

As she nuzzled into him, Rose heard Guillermo's voice attempt to rouse her. "Rose.. You.. You need to get up. Why don't you back to your apartment." His voice sounded so heavy, like the weight of the world was resting in his throat.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut stubbornly, trying to burrow deeper into the bed. "No, not yet." She said, muttering into his chest. "Five more minutes." It was strange that Guillermo was even asking her to leave. Truly, this was new. Her mind began to panic at this, though she kept her eyes shut. Had she done something wrong? Perhaps the sleeping arrangement...

Guiltily, she sat up, looking around sleepily. "Wh-what time is it?" She asked, frumping her hair a little, a little yawn escaping her. "I didn't mean to kidnap your bed, Man. My bad." Offering him a sheepish smile, Rose finally examined his face, the strange expression causing a twist of horror in her gut for reasons unknown to her.

Something told her it was trouble though.

"You okay?"