#mostly datura and ambrose

[fracturedmotivationwriting]

Datura had never felt more exhausted in her life. Even after she pulled that all-nighter after raising Mormo from Hell, she hadn't been this tired. It probably didn't help that she helped perform a banishing spell after being thrown into a tree and cut open hundreds of times by magic. While Ambrose had healed the deeper cuts, her back was still aching and she was almost certainly concussed.

As the adrenaline from the fight, banishing spell, and reanimating Grisha's body with Prometheus I's soul, Datura slumped into Ambrose. Thankfully, the demon was willing to wrap an arm around her and help her walk through the forest towards the cars.

The coven was silent as they walked through the forest. Prom kept glancing over her shoulder at her brother as if to remind herself that he was really there in Grisha's body. Pollux was walking beside her, his hand occasionally grazing hers. Datura didn't understand why he didn't just hold her hand. It was so obvious he wanted to comfort her at this time. Herself and the demon brung up the back. Their coven had been through a lot in one evening. Things were forever changed without Grisha. Even more so now that his body was being occupied by Prometheus' brother. Datura still couldn't get over it. Just as Prom kept looking at the boy, Datura couldn't help her gaze from lingering on him. It felt so weird that someone else was walking around in Grisha's body. As much as she may have hated the warlock, he hadn't deserved to die. And she wasn't sure how he'd feel knowing some other warlock was now walking around in his body.

"What do you say we all come back to our place for some pizza?" Pollux broke the silence, turning back to glance at the trio behind him and Prom. "We'll need to get Prometheus I situated in the apartment, and we could all use some food after the night we've had."

Datura didn't miss the shock on Prometheus II's face. Pollux was referring to her apartment as their apartment once again. While it was unlikely he'd completely move back in right away, it was a step in the right direction. Datura had a feeling that at least for the night, Pollux wasn't going to leave Prom's side. She would need comfort after the events that conspired in the woods. She would need someone to lean on as she worked through the emotions of her dead brother being alive again. The kind of support only Pollux could give her. And even if he wasn't ready to date again, he wouldn't abandon her during this. He loved her too much to let her go through this alone.

"Pizza sounds amazing," Datura moaned, closing her eyes as she pictured the cheesy goodness. She hadn't realized just how starving she was. When was the last time she ate?

"Sounds fantastic," Ambrose added with a chuckle. "Why don't you drive Prom's car, take the siblings with you, and I'll drive Datura and me?"

"I can drive," Datura and Prom both interjected, giving Ambrose offended looks. Their indignation was met with hard stares from both Ambrose and Pollux.

"Both of you suffered injuries," Pollux pointed out.

"Both of you are, rightfully, exhausted," Ambrose added.

"Therefore, neither of you are driving," Pollux finalized.

Prom and Datura both rolled their eyes, grumbling arguments under their breathes. But neither fought the issue. The boys had a point. It was probably much safer for them to drive.

"I can drive!" Prometheus I interjected. Everyone shook their heads no immediately.

"You were barely sixteen when you died. You are not driving," Prom argued with a sigh. "I don't care if you're in a twenty-one-year-old body now. You've been dead for twenty-two years, and therefore haven't driven in twenty-two years. You aren't driving."

Prometheus I opened his mouth to start to argue, but one look at his sister's face and he closed his mouth. He wasn't going to win this fight.

"Okay, so we'll all meet at your place," Datura told Prom and Pollux, following Ambrose towards her car as they broke out of the forest. The trio nodded, Pollux waving as he helped Prom into the passenger side of her car.

*********************

After devouring several large pizzas, the coven found themselves lounging throughout Prom's living room. Prom and Pollux were sitting on the couch. They weren't exactly cuddling, but they were sitting closer together than Datura had seen them in a while. Prometheus II had claimed an armchair on the other side of his sister, but he had looked mildly uncomfortable the entire night. Datura could hardly imagine what he was going through. She hoped that once he and Prom were left alone that maybe they could work things out together.

Datura had taken to sitting on the floor by the coffee table, and Ambrose had joined her. But now that she'd eaten more pizza than her stomach could handle, she was lying across the floor with her head in his lap. He had grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch for her a while ago, and now Datura was finding it increasingly difficult to stay awake. Between her full belly, the warmth of the blanket, and Ambrose's fingers running through her hair, Datura felt like she could fall asleep at any moment.

"I think maybe it's time to get Datura back to her own apartment," Ambrose murmured, glancing down at the sleepy witch. "Unless you want all of us crashing on your floor tonight, Prom."

"No, you should drive her home," Prom chuckled. "We could all use some sleep, and my floor probably isn't the most comfortable."

Datura chuckled, slowly lifting herself from the floor. Ambrose offered her his hand for help, but Datura brushed it off. She couldn't help but feel a little weird about how kind the demon was being to her. It had to be the guilt eating at him. And while Datura was thoroughly grateful he'd saved her life and done the right thing in the end, she wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to forgive him.

Stretching as she stood, Datura offered her friends a small smile. She tucked the blanket she'd been using around Prom's shoulders before following Ambrose towards the door.

"Prom, I'm really glad you came when you did," she spoke up softly, stopping at the doorway to turn to the witch. "And I'm glad you've got your brother back. If you need anything, just call me."

Prom simply offered Datura a small smile. Prom didn't smile much, but Datura knew that this was a sincere one.

"Goodnight, everyone," she called out before closing the door behind her.

As Datura and Ambrose left, Prom shrugged the blanket off her shoulders. Pollux immediately wrapped it back around her, however, earning a confused look from the witch.

"Why do people keep trying to put this blanket around me?"

"Because you're in shock," Pollux deadpanned. "It's meant to comfort you."

"That doesn't mean I need a blanket. It means I need booze," Prom argued, earning a small smile from her ex-boyfriend. He didn't even try to argue as he stood to grab the vodka.

"Do I get some?" Prometheus II spoke up, a hopeful look on his face.

"No!"

**************

Datura sighed as she and Ambrose climbed the steps of her apartment building. She couldn't help but stop in front of her door. She glanced back across the hall at Fiona's apartment door. Well, Fiona's old apartment door. Datura guessed that she wouldn't be living there anytime soon.

Ambrose placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts.

"You okay?"

Datura forced a smile onto her face as she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, opening the door and making her way into her apartment. She scooped down to gather Hecate into her arms. She nuzzled the kitten as she made her way through the apartment towards her kitchen.

"Liar," Ambrose called out, closing and locking the door behind him.

Datura sighed, placing the cat onto the counter. She got to work fixing herself a cup of bedtime tea, refusing to look up at Ambrose as he followed her into the kitchen. Of course, the demon knew when she was lying. She'd just hoped he wouldn't call her out on it. She didn't exactly want to talk about what happened tonight.

"It's okay to not be okay, you know?" Ambrose said softly, placing a hand over hers. He took the kettle and herbs from her. He worked on fixing the tea, motioning for Datura to take a seat at the counter. He rustled through her cabinets, looking for some ingredients to add to help with her healing and the pain she was likely feeling.

"No one would expect you to be okay after what happened tonight," he added.

"I don't want to talk about it," Datura spoke up, wrapping her arms around herself.

"That's okay too," Ambrose assured her, warming up her tea instantly with some magic instead of waiting for the water to boil. He placed the cup down in front of her.

"I'm just saying, you don't have to process this alone. I know I haven't earned your trust or forgiveness yet, and I know it's going to take some time, but I'm here for you, Datura."

"You're right," she whispered, lowering her gaze from his. "I'm not ready to forgive you yet. But... Thank you. For everything tonight. And for being here for me. You're most definitely not a monster."

Ambrose felt his heart clench at her words. He wasn't sure if she was right about that. He'd done some pretty terrible things to her. He had deserved her calling him a monster. He wasn't sure he deserved that insult being taken back. Not yet.

Datura nodded, offering the demon a small, grateful smile. She stood up, her cup of tea in her hands, and started making her way towards her bedroom.

"You're welcome to take Pollux's room or the couch for the night," she spoke up. "I may not be ready to forgive you, but I'm not cruel enough to kick you out after what we've been through."

Ambrose chuckled. It may not have been much, but the fact that Datura was letting him stay (and even teasing him) made him feel a bit better. She was going to give him a chance to make it up to her. She'd forgive him someday. Ambrose just needed to earn it. He could do that.

"Goodnight, Tura."

"Goodnight, Mormo."

[sexyrasputin]

She hadn’t expected to see Datura at the park. Probably because Prom rarely went to the park, but with Ambrose and Greg running around the apartment going crazy (mostly Greg; Ambrose had already learned how to function like a human being), she was losing her mind.

So she came to the park next to campus.

Prom didn’t know where she was going or why she was walking around. With no dog to walk and no music playing, she felt awkward. She never felt awkward, or at least never used to, but with Pollux gone from her life, Prom had lost some of her confidence and carelessness. She didn’t have his support anymore, and it changed her.

While walking, Prom was surprised to find Datura painting on a bench. The painting part wasn’t surprising, but the park part was.

Crap. How did Prom approach her? She said hi, right? It’d be horrible to walk by without saying anything, and she was making an effort to be not-horrible.

Luckily, Datura day her first as Prom walked closer.

“Prom, hey,” she greeted, an awkward smile on her face. Maybe Prom wasn’t the only one feeling weird about life now.

“Hey, Datura. What are you painting?” It felt weird for her to start a conversation, but the abstract figure on Datura’s canvas was beautiful. Prom didn’t know how to describe the mess of lines, but they fit together well.

Datura shrugged. “Not quite sure yet. I think it might be Hecate, though.”

“How’s she doing?” Prom asked. She’d only met the kitten once, and it had been hissing at her during the Fiona showdown.

A brilliant grin shined on the witch’s face. “Hecate is doing lovely. She’s gotten so big and so energetic!”

“Do you have pictures?”

Datura’s grin grew a little more, and she pulled out her phone. A few photos passed before Prom paused on one. Pollux sat in the background in her favorite red armchair, glaring down Datura for taking a photo of him. A wistful smile grew on Prom’s face.

“At least some things never change,” she chuckled, glancing at Hecate stretching in the sunshine in the photo.

“Yeah, he’s a grump still.”

Prom forced a smile to her face to stop the tears in her eyes. She hadn’t even seen Pollux’s face in a week, ever since the night of the sacrifice. There’d been no contact, either.

“I owe you an apology, Datura,” Prom whispered, looking up from the cat photos. The fake smile fell from her face.

“You do.” At least Datura was honest.

“I should never have sided with Fiona for any reason. I let her blind me, and I made the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made.”

“You did,” Datura agreed.

Prom chuckled again, barely audible. “I’m really sorry for betraying you, for lying to you all those times, for lying to myself, for hurting you. It’s not excusable.”

A beat passed between them, Prom staring at her feet and Datura staring Prom down.

“Prom, I can’t say I forgive you yet, but making sure Pollux and I were safe? Warning us and trying to stop Fiona? That went a long ways towards redemption.”

Prom looked up to see a smile on Datura’s face. Maybe it wasn’t everything she hoped for, but it was a step in a good direction. A hopeful direction.

“Thank you, Datura. That means a lot.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t forgive lightly.”

“I would hope not.”

Vibrations in Prom’s pocket distracted her, and she pulled her phone out. Upon reading, she groaned.

“What’s up?” Datura asked.

“Greg—sorry, Prometheus I, who I named Greg, is trying to use magic again and is whining at Ambrose for not letting him.” The witch raised an eyebrow, not sure where to start in on Prom’s statement.

“So, Greg? And why is he not allowed to use magic?”

Prom chuckled. “I couldn’t think of a name, all I could think of was Grisha, so I named my brother after him. We couldn’t exactly have the same name. And as far as magic, he used to be more powerful than I am when he was alive the first time. Probably why my mom was so sad when he died. Anyways, now that he’s in Grisha’s body, his magic is weak, even compared to a normal witch or warlock.”

“So,” Datura said slowly, “you named him after the guy who’s body he was placed in?”

“I mean, I was named after him. It’s annoying, but I couldn’t think of anything else. He wasn’t in favor of any Greek names, either.”

“You’re an interesting one.” Prom shrugged.

“I never claimed to be anything else.”

“You’ve claimed a lot of other things.”

She winced. “Okay, you’re right, I’ve lied like crazy in the past, mostly for fun, and it was horrible, but I’m working to be honest with my friends now.”

Another smile graced Datura’s face. “Good. I mean, you should have been honest to begin with, but better late than never.”

“You’re right. Anyways, I should get going if Greg is getting out of hand. He’s my problem, and Ambrose is happy to babysit sometimes, but he’s still my problem. I’d love to talk to you again soon, if that’s okay. We could even do another seance without Greg popping up.”

Datura nodded with a smile. “Text me your availability and we’ll make it happen. Good luck with your brother.”

Prom stepped backwards and started walking away. “Thank you, I think I’ll need it.”

[fracturedmotivationwriting]

When Prometheus mentioned she was getting coffee with Pollux, Ambrose was a bit shocked -- thrilled, but shocked. Ambrose had been fully prepared to have to concoct an elaborate plan with Datura to trick the two into getting back together. But maybe the couple wasn't as hopeless as he had thought.

Still, he couldn't trust them not to mess this up.

So while Prom and Pollux sat two tables away, Ambrose was hiding in plain sight, carefully spying on their coffee date. Thankfully, disguises were pretty easy for him, being a shapeshifting demon and all. Rather than coming up with an entirely new look, however, Ambrose opted for his go-to female form, Amber.

Amber had only dawned this appearance twice in front of the witches, and both had been early in their relationship, so she was hoping the couple wouldn't recognize her immediately. Her plan seemed to be working. The two were completely oblivious that the blonde beauty two tables down from them was their roommate, carefully watching them over the top of Pride and Prejudice. But with the amount the two refused to look at each other in the eye for more than three seconds, Amber was a little surprised they hadn't noticed her. Their conversation wasn't faring much better than the eye contact.

"So how's the book so far?" Prom spoke up finally after a few beats of awkward silence. Pollux fiddled with the coffee cup in his hands.

"Haven't gotten much time to read it," Pollux chuckled. "You only gave it to me yesterday, and I was busy helping Datura test some new recipes last night."

"Oh," Prom replied, deflating a bit at the response. Clearly, she had been hoping they could throw themselves into talk about the book to start the conversation. This was not going how she had planned. It was almost painful for Amber to watch.

"What recipes?" She asked, her eyes shining brightly again like a lightbulb went off in her head. It was sad, really, how these two latched on so hopefully to the small questions. They so desperately wanted to communicate, to get past their 'rough patch,' that they were grasping at straws to continue conversation.

Pollux looked around a bit suspiciously, before leaning just a bit closer to Prometheus. Amber could see the hopeful look in the witch's eyes, the happiness that crossed her features at having Pollux just a little bit closer. But it wasn't for any of the reasons the girl probably thought. Pollux was just making it easier for him to whisper so the surrounding humans couldn't hear. Thankfully, Amber was pretty good at reading lips so this didn't hinder her spying in the slightest.

"We're still working on turning some of those potions in her grimoire into joints, so we were trying to test some replacement ingredients last night," he whispered (at least, Amber was 98% sure that was what he was whispering). "It was a little hard to test some though, cause we were trying to use mice as test subjects instead of ourselves. Obviously, we didn't want to create any unseemly side effects on ourselves."

"But mice can be tricky to translate into human reactions to magic," Prometheus concluded for him.

Pollux nodded, leaning back again. Amber noticed the slight sag of Prometheus' shoulders at the action. She felt bad for her. To have the love of her life so close, but still so far away.

"Yeah, just like in science, experimental reactions in the mice can only translate so far into humans," Pollux agreed. "But some of them looked hopeful. We're going to try and get some monkeys to test them on next."

Prom let a small smile grace her features. It was weak, still hesitant around him, but it was a start. Amber could see in Pollux's eyes that even that small smile was giving him hope too. The couple still had a ways to go in their renewed relationship, but at least they both were holding onto hope. Even if they were blind to each other's love and hope still.

"Sounds great, Pol," she assured him, her hand moving to grab his on the table.

Halfway there, though she stopped. Her hand hung briefly in the air before she brought it back to push a strand of hair out of her face. Amber noted the sad look that crossed Pollux's face before determination set into his eyes. The warlock reached across the table as Prometheus brought her hand back to her cup. He had to lean forward a bit, but he grabbed her hand and held it steady on the table top. The two stared at each other in the eyes for a few heartbeats. Amber could practically feel the tension between them from her table. It was just holding hands, but that was way more than the two had done in a very long time. And judging from the timid smiles on both of their faces, it was a big step forward for them.

"So how is it having your brother back?" Pollux changed the subject, still holding onto her hand but settling back into his seat casually. "And having to live with both him and Ambrose?"

Prom let out a small chuckled, glancing down at their intertwined hands with a small smile. Amber could almost puke from how sweet they were being. What happened to the hardcore witches that had summoned her out of hell? Besides having a demon seduce and lure their human friend into magic, almost to the point where she sacrificed a human life to become a demon, only to have them have to banish her to hell and force the soul of a dead brother into the sacrificed body of warlock in their makeshift coven... Okay, Amber understood why they were a little less hardcore now. At least, with each other. She was also feeling a little less hardcore.

"It's interesting," Prom shrugged. "It's not like Greg and I have to get to know each other, since he's been following me for years, but it's different now that he's here."

"How's he adjusting?"

"Not very well. He's not used to be so weak. He keeps trying to do things that used to be so easy, but now..."

"He's having some trouble," Pollux finished, a small frown on his face. "I can't imagine what that must be like."

Prom nodded, a similar sad look crossing her face. The two seemed to be deep in thoughts for a moment, worried over Greg. Amber couldn't believe that they had let this conversation into their second first-date. It was totally ruining the mood.

"He'll grow stronger," Pollux reassured her after a moment, giving her hand a small squeeze. The action brought Prom's eyes back to his.

"It'll take some time and some practice, and maybe some magical intervention, but he'll get stronger. Maybe Datura and I can look into some remedies to help. We'll stick with drinking potions though. No reason to give your brother the idea that we allow all kinds of smoking."

Prom let out a small chuckle, the mood between the couple lightening once again. Amber let out a small sigh of relief. She was worried that detour in conversation would ruin the whole date.

"Of course, just the magic kind," she conceded. "And only after Datura's made and tested the joints. And only under my supervision."

"We should get him out of the house," Pollux suggested. "He's going to have to see the world outside your living room. Get comfortable with college life. Learn how to act like he's not still sixteen."

Prom nodded, giving the suggestion some thought.

"As much as I don't like the idea of taking him to a party, Datura did mention that there's one going on this weekend. Might be a good place to start," she murmured. Pollux nodded, giving her hand another reassuring squeeze.

"We'll keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. But it'll be good for him to get out."

The two continued to talk, conversation flowing much more easier now that they had broken through the ice. It was almost like old times, Amber thought. Sure, there was still some tension and hesitation coming from them, but they were starting to talk and behave much like they did when they would eat dinner at the table in their apartment. It was sweet. They didn't let go of each other's hand until Prom excused herself to the bathroom. Amber felt herself panic for a moment as Prom walked straight towards her. The witch, however, walked right past. Amber almost let out a sigh of relief.

It would have been too soon.

Prom took a few steps back. She looked confused, then shocked, then angry as she stared Amber in the eye.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, trapping Amber in her spot with a hand on the table and the grip on her chair. Amber let out an airy chuckle.

"Oh, just getting some coffee," she shrugged innocently. "Reading Wuthering Heights for class."

"That's Pride and Prejudice," Prom deadpanned, grabbing the book from the demon's hands.

"Okay, so I was using the book to hide my face so I could spy on your date," Amber admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Obviously," Prom sighed. She opened her mouth to say more -- presumably to scold Amber for invading her privacy and to tell her to get lost -- but that's when Pollux stepped in. He had seen Prom do a double take before stopping to talk to some girl. Because she had been blocking his view at first, it had taken Pollux a moment before realizing that it wasn't just some girl, but his least favorite demon.

"What do you think you're doing here, Ambro- Amber?" Pollux questioned, arms crossed as he stood behind Prom.

"I just went over this with your girlfriend, I was obviously spying on you two," Amber sighed dramatically. Both witches ignored the term 'girlfriend' as their glares become more intense.

"Get out of here before I make a scene punching a woman," he instructed. "Or I will tell Datura that you at her last banana muffin this morning when you came to study."

Amber grumbled something incoherently under her breath (mostly insults about the warlock and how she hadn't known she'd been saving that muffin as a treat for after her test). But she stood up, sliding the book into her bag and looking disappointedly at the couple before her.

"Y'know, I was only spying for your own good," she argued as she walked away. "Someone needed to keep an eye on your first date to make sure you didn't mess it up."

"This is hardly our first date," Pollux snorted.

"And we don't need a babysitter!" Prom exclaimed indignantly.

Amber didn't dignify them with another response as she left the small cafe, waving goodbye while simultaneously flicking off the soon-to-be-happy-again couple. They wouldn't be mad at her once they were back together. They just needed someone to make sure they actually got that far. Maybe Amber would keep that backup plan of scheming with Datura just in case.

[fracturedmotivationwriting]

Pollux needs a friend

Pollux wasn't sure where to go after he stormed out of the apartment. He didn't exactly have a lot of friends. He mostly kept to himself, only allowing Prometheus in. The only other people he had were Datura and Grisha, and that was because Prometheus had brought them into their coven. Considering he didn't like Grisha (and let's be honest, Grisha was a prick), that left Datura as Pollux's only friend at the moment. 

Which is why Pollux was knocking on her door, looking curiously down at her doormat (Pollux wasn't certain, but he thought the designs on the border were ancient runes). Unsurprisingly, Datura looked confused to find him alone on her doorstep. 

"We need to talk," Pollux said as a greeting. Datura's eyebrows only furrowed more at his seriousness. But she did step aside to usher him into her apartment. 

"What's wrong? Is Prometheus alright?" 

Of course her immediate assumption was that Prom was hurt in some way. Why else would Pollux show up at her apartment so worried? 

"Other than being blinded by her friendship with Fiona?" Pollux asked sarcastically, stomping into her apartment and immediately pacing the floor. 

Datura felt her heartbeat quicken. So this was about the human. Which meant this was really about the human and her growing fascination with magic and powers. Which meant this was likely about her tarot reading. Datura sat down on shaky legs. 

"Pollux," Datura began gently before being interrupted. 

"She's going to become dangerous," Pollux spoke with conviction. He had the kind of determined look in his eyes that his girlfriend got when the coven was about to do something huge. The kind of look that Prometheus had they summoned Mormo and seemingly sealed their fate. 

"You don't know that," Datura argued, shaking her head. 

"Yes, I do," Pollux insisted. "I know that because you saw that. Your readings are never wrong, Datura." 

"There's a first time for everything," Datura joked wryly, standing up to stop Pollux's pacing. "Pollux, tarot readings aren't perfect. Even the most skilled witches get it wrong sometimes. Magic isn't a science, you know this." 

Pollux studied Datura's face. The witch didn't seem to believe that her reading was wrong. At least, not truly. She was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince him. 

It then dawned on Pollux that Datura didn't realize the extent of her abilities. She hadn't realized she wasn't just another witch, but a seer. Pollux didn't have the energy to help her through this revelation. That would be a propblem for another day. 

"Datura, even if their is a chance that your reading was wrong, there's still a chance that it wasn't," Pollux tried to rationalize. "Do you really want to risk it? Do you want to be blind to the situation like Prometheus and Ambrose just so you can you avoid confronting Fiona? You want to put the lives of others at risk for that?" 

Datura felt her stomach clench. Pollux always had been the most rational of their coven. The most logical. The most objective. Even Prometheus, their high priestess and the most powerful, sometimes let emotion sway her choices. Pollux rarely let his feelings get in the way. It's why he made such a good second in command. It's why Grisha would never be second in command, despite whatever he thought. 

"She hasn't done anything yet to indicate that she's a danger," Datura reasoned. "We can't be convicting her of a crime she hasn't committed." 

"I'm not suggesting that we do," Pollux assured the witch, finally relaxing enough to sit down. Datura lowered herself onto the couch next to him, still weary about this conversation. 

"I just think that if Prometheus and Ambrose are going to be willfully ignorant, then we need to be more diligent." 

"How?" 

"Just keep a closer eye on her and Ambrose. He's teaching her, but I'm not sure how long it'll be before he even loses control of her education. Try to make sure she doesn't go too far. And be prepared to stop her if the need arises." 

Datura couldn't help the sick feeling in her stomach. She met Pollux's determined gaze with a frightened one of her own. 

"And what if she goes too far before we can stop her?" She asked softly. "Pollux, you and I are strong, but if she truly goes too far... We won't be able to stop her ourselves. And if Prom and Ambrose are really being this stubborn, we won't be able to count on them to help us."  

"We cross that bridge if we come to it." 

The two stared at each other. Both praying that the readings were wrong. Both knowing that they weren't. Both frightened about what was to come.