To Find a Way Out

[Elle Callahan]

Basements were creepy. It didn't matter if the basement had been dressed up to look like a family home. All of the floral wall paper and home furniture in the world couldn't hide the fact that the room had been a basement. It was still gloomy and musty smelling and there was that rumbling old water heater in the corner. It gurgled and muttered as if it were alive instead of inanimate. Elle Callahan had thought it a wild creature trapped in some metal can when she had first come out of her drugged out stupor. It had taken her what seemed like days to realize that it wasn't alive. Whatever it was it had to be muggle which gave Elle a bit of a clue as to where she was. Not somewhere magical.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in this room but it had been days. Maybe even 5. It was hard to tell with the only windows being a row of tiny slits at the ceiling along one wall. She had tried to climb out the windows that first day in the basement. It had taken hours to drag the dresser across the cement floor. She had to constantly take breaks with all the shaking and puking. Her head had hurt like a wild thing but she knew she had to get out. That she didn't want to be in that basement for ever long. She wasn't sure how she had gotten there but it had to have been her stalker. The last thing Elle had remembered had been her long interrogation about that stupid heart. It was all a jumbled mess. Nothing made any sense accept escaping. She had stamped her foot in frustration when she climbed on top of the low dresser and was still about three or four feet short of the windows. Even on her tip toes her fingers didn't even graze the window sill. Not that there was much of a sill. It looked like the windows didn't even open. So she would need to break them. Elle hadn't given up then. There wasn't much in the damn basement that was useful. The horrible place was taken up by a large bed. There was a little wall shelf with some books. Elle grabbed the books without looking at the titles. She had stacked them up into a precarious tower and stood on them. It wasn't very sturdy but the books added a foot. She was still too short but maybe if she jumped. She had been bracing her self to leap up when the tower of books fell apart and she fell onto the ground hitting her head.

When she woke up again someone was putting an ointment on her head. Peter. He had scolded her for hurting herself. She had some nasty bruises on her temple and scrapes on her knees and elbows. But she needn't have worried because he was taking care of her. Elle had tried to fight him but he had been too strong and as she struggled he gave her something that had made her go to sleep. The last thing she had remembered about that day was his anger that he had to drug her.

Now she was huddled on the bed in a lacy night gown her hands handcuffed together and her right ankle chained to the bottom of the bed. He'd had to chain her up after the second time she had woken up. She had smashed the photos of her he had on the walls and had used the glass as a weapon when he had entered the room. She had managed to cut him but not enough for her to escape. He had still grabbed her. She'd done more damage to herself, slicing open her palm. The ripped sheet hadn't been enough to protect her. Elle hadn't been sure what had happened after that. He'd given her a stronger dose of the drug and her mind was a tumble of swirling images. She couldn't be sure what had been real and what was a hallucination. She had been so terrified when she had woken up hands bound above her on the bed.

Elle shoved those thoughts away, fighting down the panic at what had happened. He'd be back soon. He always came back.Fighting him physically hadn't been working. Elle needed her wits to get him to trust her. To take her to the upper part of the house and that wouldn't happen if she kept fighting him. So she had started to play along. He had been skeptical about her sudden change of mind. Elle had told him she had started to realize that he was just trying to help her, save her from herself. That he had been right and Alex Kameren had her under a spell. Uttering those words had sucked so much. It had been painful to curse Alex's name. But she needed to convince Peter that Elle was getting better. That she was not in love with Alex.

Elle still couldn't believe that it had been Peter who had stalked her. She hadn't really known him. He'd been an olderly who helped her. He had been good at his job and had always been there when someone needed a gurney. He had been friendly but not creepy. How could he have gone months with stalking her and she hadn't a clue. How had she missed the gleam on insanity in his eyes?

A crashing sound startled Elle out of her thoughts and she looked up at the door in anticipation.

[Alecsander]

It had taken too long. Far too long for Alex to find out she was missing. To dig deep and research, and to finally crack who the stalker must be by power of elimination. He'd dived into so many of his memories of Elle, watched and saw from an impartial observation point who was always there. Always watching. Not in all of them. But too many to be coincidence. A squib. He passed easily, because he did his job quietly, unobtrusively, always there if someone needed help, the other healers said. A good man, despite his, shortcomings. Another said. It had quickly become obvious to Alex that this was not the case. He was not a good man. And he hadn't come in for his last two shifts. There was no magical record of the guy's residence, but he'd persisted.

He was exhausted. He should have rested. But when he found the door unlocked, he rushed inside to take the stalker by surprise. And narrowly dodged as a vase was brought down swiftly towards his head. He ducked his head and turned his shoulder, grunting as the heavy object bounced off his shoulder and crashed the the floor. Alex quickly followed, throwing up a shield as a knife followed the vase, wielded by a screaming man, familiar face twisted in a scream. His shield parted like paper before the knife and Alex rolled away, throwing up an arm in protection.

[Alecsander]

She had hurt herself. Foolishly tried to escape, to run back to captivity with him. She needn't have worried, he would take care of her. Peter cursed his name, and the spell he had obviously put on his Angel. He hated having to use the syringe on her, but it would keep her from jumping from tops of dressers and hurting herself. He would take care of her. His Angel.

---

She was starting to come out of it. To realize he was here to help her, to keep her safe. They belonged together. He'd left her sleeping, bound just in case she regressed or was lying. He couldn't let her hurt herself. He was sitting in front of the window when he noticed the Demon. He stood out like a sore thumb in his enveloping cloak, hot breath leaving clouds in the air. Instantly anger returned. HOW? It had been airtight. He'd prepared so carefully. Why wasn't the Demon locked away in Azkaban for his crimes? How had he found his way here? For her. He was determined to drag the Angel down into the bowels of hell with him. Old. Crusty. Evil. He had so little time to prepare. He rushed to the door, grabbing a vase and drawing his knife. He couldn't be allowed to hurt Pete's Angel again.

[Elle Callahan]

At first Elle thought it had been Peter. He must have dropped something. It wasn't unusual for him to make noise. Perhaps he was having a temper tantrum. His moods swings were quite alarming. One minute he was sweet, gentle and even tempered. Like he had been at the hospital but then he would change and start calling her Angel.

Elle was mentally preparing herself for a visit. She had a welcoming smile on her face when she heard the blood curdling scream. Merlin's bloody pants. What was going on? Why was Peter screaming? Was he screaming at someone? Was someone here?

Feelings of over whelming relief and happiness assaulted her and she pulled at the chain on her feet. She rushed out of the bed, hands awkwardly in front of her for balance as she stretched the chain as far as it went. She was still to far from the door.

Was that noises of a fight she heard? Elle couldn't be sure but she couldn't stop herself from yelling.

"IN THE BASEMENT. I'M HERE" She yelled rattling the chain, making as much noise as she could. She didn't care that the metal bit into her ankle. She didn't notice the slow trickle of blood. She wanted out.

[Alecsander]

The blade bit into his arm as he rolled away, eliciting a cry of pain as it tore free of his flesh. Alex gathered his legs under him and tried another spell. The man kept coming, brushing aside the blasting spell as though it was nothing. Alex shoulder-rolled to the side, dodging the seeking of the extremely sharp knife as his knees protested. He really didn't do much actual, physical fighting anymore. Spells were usually enough, and honestly he was too worn down by the war and life as an auror to be rolling around on the floor trying to grapple with his opponents. What was he screaming? Demons and angels?

He sprung to his feet, backing away from the lunatic, eying the knife as he tried to formulate a plan. Spells weren't working. Suddenly beneath him there was a muffled noise. It was hard to tell, but it sounded like Elle. Pete was smaller than he was, but hardly seemed sane. Those were the worst kind of person to fight.

[Elle Callahan]

Pure joy rushed through Peter as his knife slid into the soft flesh of the demon. Crimson blood painted the edge of his knife as he pulled it away. It was such a pretty color especially since it came from the demon. How he wished for more blood. Perhaps a fountain of it so he could dance under its warmth. He knew now that the only way to free the angel was to kill the demon. Until he was vanished from this earth he would lure the angel away and that could not happen.

Peter rushed the demon, "Be gong devil. You shall never take the angel away!" The demon waved the magic stick but it didn't stop Peter. The demon could not hurt him with silly spells. He swatted the spell away like an annoying fly. He held the knife over his head and thrust downward but the tricky bastard rolled away.

"You are making the angel angry," Peter growled as he launched himself at Alex trying to tackle him to the ground. The angel had been rattling her chains and making noise. The angel needed to be appeased.

[Alecsander]

"You are making the angel angry," Peter growled as he launched himself at Alex trying to tackle him to the ground. The angel had been rattling her chains and making noise. The angel needed to be appeased.

"Her name is Elle!" Alex growled, trying to circle behind the maniac, trying to find where the door might be. He groped for a weapon, hand falling on another heavy vase. He couldn't disapparate without knowing where he was going, though he desperately wanted to get to Elle faster. The drivel the other man was sprouting made him sick, talking about angels, demons. Talking about Elle as if she was property. He opened a door, throwing up an arm to protect his face, but not soon enough as the blade sliced his cheek. No, this was just a closet.

He kept searching, fending Peter off with the vase as he opened door after door. He was reaching for one last door when Peter lunged at him, screaming raising to a new pitch. Alex swung, this time aiming squarely for his head in the close confines of the hallway. He didn't stop to look behind him as Pete fell, yanking open the door and racing down the stairs. "Elle?"

"Elle!" The sight of her brought him up short, and he froze at the bottom of the stairs.

[Elle Callahan]

Merlin's bloody balls! It sounded like a wild beast was upstairs. Elle could hear Peter screaming. He hadn't made such ruckus before and there were thumps and crashes and perhaps another person's voice? Then there was the sound of a slamming door and Elle was certain there was someone else in the house. Okay, maybe not certain but really, really hopeful. If she was wrong and it was just Peter going off the deepend then she really needed to not be chained to the bed like a pig waiting for slaughter. With Peter in such a tizy maybe she could sneak up the stairs, break open the door and get the bloody hell out of there.

All she hand to do was break the cuffs off her hands and find something to pick the shackles off her ankle. She might have been able to pry open the shackles if she could move her hands. Or maybe do some wandless magic but she couldn't move her wrists in the proper movement to do a spell. The cuffs were just to bloody tight. That didn't stop Elle from trying to escape though. She was crying in frustration her wrists and ankle bloody from trying to break the restraints when she heard her name.

At first she thought it was a dream but then the door at the top of the stairs opened and she heard footsteps. Elle froze panic making her heart beat rapidly. Bloody hell what if it was Peter? He would be furious that she had hurt her self. He would punish her now. He would give her more medicine and "training" he had said that he knew how to make her forget about the devil. he would show her what real loving was. A shudder ran through Elle at the thought of Peter showing her "love". She was so afraid that it was Peter coming down the stairs that it had taken her several minutes to realize that it was Alex.

He was suddenly before her at the bottom of the stairs. For a second, Elle thought he was a dream but then she noticed the cut on his face. She wouldn't have conjured up an injured Alex, would she? Maybe this was a trick and it was Peter under polyjuice potion or something. Or maybe he had slipped some hallucinogenic in her drink or in the air and it was all a nightmare. Maybe it was actually a demon in Alex's skin.

No. Elle shook her head as if doing so would dispel the Alex vision. But it didn't and he wasn't a demon. He would never hurt her. It was Alex. She hoped.

"Alex?" Elle said unaware that Alex had paused because she must have looked a fright with unbrushed hair matted with sweat, in a dirty night gown with blood coating both her arms from wrist to elbows and chained to a bed.


"Are you okay? Did her hurt you? Did he drug you? He uses drugs and poisons and shit."

[Alecsander]

"Alex?"

"Elle?"

"Are you okay? Did her hurt you? Did he drug you? He uses drugs and poisons and shit."

He had only taken one step towards her when he heard a crashing behind him. He turned just in time to catch the hand that swung a knife down at him. There was a brief struggle at the foot of the stairs before Alex gained control of the knife, stabbing upwards just under Pete's ribs, straight for his heart. He stumbled to his feet, looking around for Elle, panting. He took a step towards her, arms partially extended, hesitant. Would she want him to touch her? All he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

"Hey..." He drew close, ignoring his own wounds as he surveyed hers. "Ok?" He cast alohomora with a slight wave of his hand, relieved to see the cuffs and chain fall away from her. Glad they didn't share the same odd immunity to magic the stalker had had. Wordlessly he opened his arms to her, eyes full of concern.

[Elle Callahan]

Relief made Elle's knees almost give way and she stumbled a bit as she waited for Alex to confirm he was okay. He was bleeding and her fingers itched to heal him and hold him and love him. She wanted him to free her and taken her away and make it all go away like a bad dream. But then the nightmare continued and Elle screamed.

Peter was on the stairs and lunging at Alex, knife positioned perfectly to plunge into his back. Alex was going to die saving her. It would be so easy for that knife to slide into Alex's back, into his heart. He would bleed out and Elle wouldn't be able to do anything. She was useless. Tears streamed down Elle's face blurring her vision. Sobs shook her thin frame and a restless energy took hold and she began to pull at the chains again. She needed to get to Alex. But then it was Peter slumping to the floor with the knife in his chest. Blood bubbled out of his mouth as he whispered angel before he died. Elle shuddered as she stopped pulling on the chains and just stared blankly at the man who had been a colleague and then tormentor.

Hey..." He drew close, ignoring his own wounds as he surveyed hers. "Ok?" He cast alohomora with a slight wave of his hand, relieved to see the cuffs and chain fall away from her. Glad they didn't share the same odd immunity to magic the stalker had had. Wordlessly he opened his arms to her, eyes full of concern.

Elle was so entranced by the still form of Peter that it took her a moment to realize that Alex had freed her. It felt so good to not be chained like a dog. Elle stared at Alex as he held his arms open for her. Elle launched herself into Alex's arms hugging him tightly as she buried her head into his chest.

"Dying. I ---he would---kill you," Elle sobbed, not that her words were clear otherwise. Her tongue was thick from the last dosage of drugs.

[Alecsander]

Suddenly she was in his arms and he found he was clinging to her almost as much as she was to him. He squeezed his eyes closed, breathing deeply as he tried to stabilize the raging current of emotions racing through his mind. Relief. Anger. Disgust. Worry. So many more he wasn't sure he could name. He buried his face in her hair, one hand resting at the base of her neck, the other curling around her back, cradling her.

"Dying. I ---he would---kill you," Elle sobbed, not that her words were clear otherwise. Her tongue was thick from the last dosage of drugs.

"Its fine, I'm fine," Alex murmured, running his thumb instinctively in circles across her back. He pulled back, gently taking one of Elle's hands and inspecting it. "You need to go to Mungo's, Elle." The blood was coming from where she must had pulled too hard against the cuffs. He cast a spell to stop the bleeding, but didn't have the skill to heal her. "Oh love, what happened to you," He smoothed tears from her cheeks with his thumb, unaware of the ones falling from his own eyes. Suddenly he pulled her to him again, "I'm so sorry, so sorry Elle. I should have done something, should have protected you!"

Some time later Alex pulled himself together enough to call for a cleanup crew, and stopped only long enough to tell them where they could find him, before taking himself and Elle to St Mungo's with a quiet pop.