Gonst

Hours pass around Copia though he stays standing still. He didn't know how long it was until he moved from his spot on the bed to lie down and happened to glance at the clock on his nightstand.

The silence that permeates through his apartment is oppressive. It pushes him down and keeps him from moving. Copia can still smell her in the pillows and rolls on his side to bury his face into one. Something breaks in his heart; maybe not literally but something isn't right.

For the first time in a very long time, Copia cries. It's an ugly one and he's happy to be alone for it.

"Please come back to me," he wails weakly. It's pitiful, he's aware, but it is what he deserves. Thoughts race in his mind; I should've warned her, I should've been gentle.

Copia stays curled in the fetal position for some time. He's not aware as time passes but it's long enough someone knocks on the door. He doesn't get up right away. A fleeting thought passes through him that it was a figment of his imagination.

But then there's another knock. Harder, insistent.

Copia flings himself out of bed. On one side of his head, his hair rides up, mussed from his wallowing on that side. Puffy and red eyes stare at the front door. Another knock starts up again.

"Sarah?" he whispers.

Don't be so hopeful, he chides himself.

To his discovery, Copia opens his door to see a ghoul. Their hands are clasped behind their back and they stand straight and still.

"Papa." They nod. "I'm here for some of Sarah's things."

And right there was the final blow to shatter his heart. He's sure the ghoul can hear it as he white-knuckles the doorknob. Copia attempts to pick up the pieces as the canvas bag is filled with clothes and her essentials. The ghoul works efficiently, silent and only asking questions to make sure he wasn't taking anything of Copia's.

"Take anything you want," he calls from the refrigerator. He probably needs some blood to center himself but nothing sounds good. In the door is the last bag of Sarah's blood she'd donated for him. Copia stares at it without a care about the cold getting out from the fridge.

Very carefully as if it were a live explosive, he picks it up. Copia's hand shakes; his lower lip wobbles. In an instant, the bag comes up to his lips and his fangs puncture through to the nectar within. He closes the door to the refrigerator with too much force and it jostles the bottles within. Their clinking goes unnoticed.

Copia drinks, ravenous and desperate. It's like she's there again. All is well with the taste of his love on his lips. Blood drips down in his haste and haphazard method. Normally he's drinking it with an air of reverence in a nice goblet. Now he growls, impatient and unsatisfied. Once the bag has been sucked clean, Copia leans against the counter. He dips his head back, groaning and heaving deep breaths. His mouth is covered in blood but he feels like he can breathe again.

The blood bag is tossed into the sink for later. He wets a paper towel and cleans his face and looks around to find the ghoul standing nearby with a stuffed bag.

"So," he clears his throat, "you're done, then?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"Papa Terzo's apartment."

Sarah isn't far away. She's only down the hall. Copia isn't sure if that's better or worse.

"Thank you."

With that, the ghoul bows a few degrees and leaves.

Alone again.

He's not proud as anger bubbles up in his stomach. Copia can't think; it's only red rage that sits with him through the first few days of her absence. The ghouls can feel it wafting off him in waves. Their tails flick in anticipation for any attacks.

Anger mutes all other thoughts and attempts of rationality.

First, it's at Sarah for leaving. He did everything he could to make her feel safe! He checked in and let her have her time to adjust. How could she say she still needs more time? And last night, he only wanted to feel close to her again and Sarah dismissed him!

In an instant, the thought of blaming Sarah for everything makes his stomach turn. The blood he drank earlier comes up and he narrowly avoids making a mess on the carpet on the run to the bathroom. Copia rushes to the tub and drains his stomach of what he thought would be dinner.

Retching feels like a punishment from below like Lucifer himself is saying he's being stupid. His shriveled old heart hoped that this whole fiasco could've been avoided. As Copia leans with is back against the tub now, empty and exhausted, he knows this would've happened anyway.

Head in his hands, the last shreds of his self pity wash down the drain along with dinner.

He mumbles, "I'm sorry," over and over again until he can't.

Sarah wakes up with a headache and a twinge in her back.

And a fluffy cat on her stomach, purring as it sleeps and flicks the tip of her tail.

The cushions definitely need to be re-stuffed, Sarah finds out that morning.

Then the reality of last night falls down in her and she curls in on herself. A headache starts up. Copia was trying to bring something familiar to their situation and she had to go and break out the safe word. That’s what it’s for, she argues back to herself. It wasn’t wrong to say it. He respected it and backed off. So why does she feel like shit? There's a pull somewhere deep in her gut to go back but Sarah can't get herself up from the couch.

Amelia walks out in her robe, still wearing pajamas. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

For once the question feels casual and not pointed at her situation with Copia.

She moves around the blankets on the couch and sits down, crossing her leg over the other knee. “We’re not working today, if you haven’t caught on yet.”

“Thanks. I feel… exhausted. Completely exhausted.”

“Is this couch that awful?” Amelia smirks. Purrzo jumps up into Amelia's lap and curls into her for pets and scritches.

Terzo comes through the doorway then, buttoning up his shirt. He faces the two women, holding out his arms. “Amore mio, this is my new shirt. Do you like it?”

He’s wearing a black pair of pants with a dark purple poet’s shirt tucked into his pants. Amelia bites her lip, giving Terzo a once-over that can only be described as hungry.

“You can’t wear that,” Amelia starts and his face falters. “at least not around others. I’ll be fighting off siblings with a stick and that's just not fair.”

The cat mrows as if to agree while Amelia absentmindedly pets her.

The worry in his eyes fades when her devilish smirk registers in his brain. “Oh, my apologies tesoro. I’ll only bring it out for private occasions.”

Sarah watches their flirting, the way they seem to focus only on each other despite having company. Terzo and Amelia swap clever barbs a few more times, absentmindedly fiddling with their matching rings before he turns to change into his regular garb. She marvels up to him from the couch, standing to kiss him goodbye.

“Be good.” Amelia kisses his cheek, trying hard not to ruin his paints.

“Am I ever not?” Terzo furrows his brows and smiles, leaning in to return a kiss to her cheek. He leans in to whisper something Sarah can’t hear and then looks back to Amelia with a concerned face.

She nods, taking his hand into hers and squeezes it. “I’ll let you know.”

Once he leaves, it’s just Amelia and Sarah as they scrounge around for breakfast. A ghoul shows up at her door at one point in the morning, holding up a travel bag.

Hers!

“Thanks!” Amelia says, grabbing the bag from him. The ghoul nods and turns to complete another task.

“Is that my stuff?” Sarah chimes in, standing from the couch.

Amelia gives the bag a wary glance. “Yes. It’s so you don’t have to risk meeting Copia when you’re not ready. You should have a few days’ worth of clothes in here.”

She nods, taking the bag. “Can I grab a shower, then? I really need to scrub yesterday off my body.”

“Of course! Let me show you the bathroom!”

Lucky for her, the Papal suites are very similar. It was easy to figure out the shower and after she turned the nobs, she waited for the water to get warm. In the mirror, her eyes look so bloodshot and tired and worn out; dark circles under her eyes reveal the restless nights she’s had in the past couple weeks. Sarah steps under the comforting spray of the shower and hopes the water and steam relax her tense muscles.

She can’t help but think of Copia, remembering what they’d be doing around this time of the morning. They’d spend all the time they can get before separating, lavishing each other with kisses and mumbled words of love. She wipes down her shoulder to her arm with the wash cloth, tracing the trail he might press with his lips and the tip of his nose, now less prominent.

The ghost of him cannot be exercised.

The Caedinal Copia in her head is fuzzy now. Her memories shift Copia back and forth from the old to the new. Sarah closes her eyes and shakes her head in an attempt to wipe the slate clean and start again. She tries to recall one of her memories of him, the one when he’d shown her his rats for the first time. The look on his face, oh, he was so nervous she’d be afraid or think they were creepy. The concerned look in his eye, the bit lip, Sarah had to lean forward to kiss the worry off his face.

It was the day they’d spent in his room after their first date. An entire day filled with soft cuddles and kisses. Tender touches were exchanged throughout and Sarah realized that was the moment she began to properly fall in love. Copia was so happy when she’d said she wanted to see him more. Then they’d kissed each other silly, giggles bubbling out between them as she sat in his lap, wanting to feel as close as she could.

“And now I can’t be near him without feeling sad,” Sarah whispers to herself, now only standing under the water. She stays in the shower a few more minutes before forcing herself to turn off the water. Sarah wraps her towel around her hair and body, stepping out of the shower with a sigh. “I’m so sorry.”

There’s a knock on the door, a little before noon. Amelia opens it, revealing Alex with a stuffed duffle bag in his hand. He's still in his pajamas, curly mop of dark hair in complete disarray as if he rolled out of bed and immediately walked to Amelia's.

“Ok, I've got just about every baking show imaginable on my hard drive, the good snacks, a stuffie, and like three different craft projects to rotate through when one gets boring.” He nods his head forward to let a pair of sunglasses fall over his eyes. “Let's fuckin' party."

Sarah’s eyebrows raise and she looks towards Amelia. "Oh, were you and Alex going to hang out today? I can go.”

"Slow your roll there, Sarah. These are for you. Well not the craft projects, but..." He puts his hands up

“For me?” she asks, holding a hand up to her chest.

“Obviously.” He begins his trek into the bedroom. “Ames, can I set up on the TV in here?”

Amelia follows him in, worried sounds coming from her mouth. “I, uh... Terzo doesn’t want visitors in his bedroom. It's a boundary of his—”

Alex scoffs. “What’s the issue? Am I going to find his stash of weird sex toys in the dresser?” She doesn’t answer right away and he turns to look at her, mouth open and pointing. “Stop—which drawer?”

She grumbles, “Fine you can set up in here. But make sure not to have any crumbs on the bed from your snacks. Terzo will notice.”

He nods and gets to work plugging in the hard drive to his laptop and then plugging in the laptop to the TV. After popping some popcorn and grabbing drinks, the three settle in the bed. Amelia and Sarah rest against the headboard and Alex lounges across the foot of the bed on his stomach. Purrzo jumps up and lies like a loaf on his back. It's her time to nap in the bedroom and she won't have her routine changed because someone is in her way.

“I downloaded a new series where they bake Halloween themed cakes. I’ll queue that one up first.” Alex navigates with his wireless mouse, clicking the first episode.

The three settle into a comfortable silence as they watch the intro, remarking every now and then about design choices. They all agree, fondant sucks.

"That icing witch looks gnarly."

"I could do a much better cream puff."

"Red velvet? groundbreaking."

"Blown sugar with five minutes left? Are they mad?"

Amelia’s phone chimes and she picks it up.

—

Copia: How is she?

 —

Amelia slams her phone screen towards her chest, alerting the others with the slap it makes. Alex and Sarah look towards her, curious.

“What do you have there? Did Terzo send a racy photo?” Alex snorts.

Amelia scrambles. “Sure.”

He rolls his eyes and they return back to the show.

 —

Amelia: It’s touch and go. We’re trying to have a relaxing day so she can take her mind off things.

Copia: She’s in my thoughts constantly today. Please take care of her for me.

Amelia: No need to tell me twice! She's in good hands.

 —

She puts down her phone and gets back to watching the show. Sarah glances to the screen right as it lights up with a new message. It’s from Copia. The words hit her right in the heart.

 —

Copia:

If I can’t do it anymore, please make sure she’s loved.

The ache in his jaw should've been the first sign.

Then the wobble in his hands as tries to take hold of a pen to write or his game controller to play.

Finally, Copia sits straight up in bed. The plushie version of himself falls sideways out of his grip. He reaches for his phone and dials one of his ghouls.

"Copia? Do you know what time it is?"

"I need to hunt."

"Ok, we'll set something up for lat—"

"I need to hunt now, Aether. I feel—fuck." Copia groans and clutches his stomach.

The ghoul sighs on the other end. "I'll see who's up."

And that's how, half an hour later, Copia and a gaggle of pajama-clad ghouls and ghoulettes huddle deep into the woods waiting for their directions. Cumulus didn't even have time to take out her rollers. The plan is simple, really. His nerves have reached a fever pitch and he needs to do something about it. Good old fashioned hide and seek.

The ghouls hide, he seeks. The first one he can find and get his hands on, loses. Their blood will be his meal.

"Even though your blood tastes disgusting—no offense."

Dew rolls his glowing, amber eyes. "No, obviously, how could we ever take that the wrong way."

Aether elbows him.

Then Copia covers his eyes, counts to give the ghouls time to hide, and then begins his hunt when the count ends at zero.

He starts tracking Dew first. The smoke scent lingers in the air leaving an obvious trail. Then another, more grassy scent vies for his attention. Copia struggles at a fork in the path and then both scents disappear altogether. He grumbles, growls, and continues deeper into the dense lush of the forest.

Antlers cross in the perifreal of his vision. Mountain? Are there even deer on the grounds? A joyous giggle echoes in the back of his skull just then and his mind feels foggy the next. Copia breathes heavy feeling the ache of his fangs. He winces and closes his eyes, scrunching up his face to distract from the pain.

It goes away and he can't believe it.

"Do you really need this, Copia?" Aether stands a few yards in front of him. He holds his hands out, no sign he intends to run or attack. "I don't think you can keep yourself in check right now."

Copia growls, "Care to test that theory out?" He winces again and nearly kneels on one knee from the pain returning in full force. His fangs are bared, sharp and long and ready to bite.

Aether takes one step forward.

Copia throws himself in reaction. They both crash to the ground. Small, dry leaves and twigs snap and crunch beneath their bodies. Aether groans at the feeling of being manhandled and thrashes as much as he can to get Copia off but the more ravenous vampire latches on with no intent to leave. He hisses at the ghoul, glowing red eyes staring him down.

"Shit!" Aether yells once Copia sinks his fangs into his upper arm. It was the first spot he found not covered in fabric. "Copia, wait—!"

More ghouls make their way out of the woodwork. Aether's legs kick for purchase and leverage to lift himself up and away but when Copia lifts himself up from the bite to hiss and growl a feral warning with his own blood dripping from Copia's mouth, Aether decides to stop. Copia descends back again, ripping his t-shirt first to bite over Aether's heart.

"Please!" Aether whines out into the dark. "Can you guys fucking do something?"

The pack springs into action grabbing around Copia. Mountain takes one for the team and reaches around the front of Copia's face to pull him back and have his mouth unlatch from Aether's body. It works for barely a second and then Copia is groaning deep in the back of his throat, looking around with wild eyes at who dared to interrupt him.

Cumulus and Dew kneel down to asses Aether. Swiss, Mountain, and Cirrus work together to restrain Copia.

"Break his neck!"

"What the fuck?"

"It'll just knock him out for a bit, trust me."

Copia flinches and looks around in a manic attempt to catch up to what's going on. He's defenceless to the strong hands that hold around his head and he starts to plead and whine.

"I'm sorry, Copia."

"Wait—!"

Darkness. Silence. Peace.

He's floating in a dream, he thinks. That can only be the explanation because he hears Sarah's soothing voice before she appears in front of him. She smiling, laughing. It feels far away even if she's standing right in front of him. It's like smoke, she sifts through his fingers when he reaches out. Then she looks up and horror melts her face. She starts to turn away and run. Copia calls out, begging—

"Sarah!"

He jolts up in bed, skin hot as the sun. Was the hunt all a dream?

"Good morning," Dew chirps.

It was real. Copia falls back to the bed with a thud. "Shit." His neck hurts like hell.

"You owe Aether a massive apology." Dew slouches in his chair and crosses his arms. "All of us, really. What the fuck was that, man?"

"I lost control."

"Duh."

He rolls to his side to face Dew. "I thought for once I could…" The words die on his tongue. He could what? Feel better? Fix himself?

Dew sighs and stands. "You really should've given us more time to make a plan."

"Wh-where are you going?"

He's halfway through the doorway. Dew looks back over his shoulder. "I'm getting some blood—ghoul blood—for you to drink. Take your medicine, Papa."

Sarah is late for work and rushes to the studio. She'd heard Amelia puttering around in the morning but Amelia goes in early.

Her alarm didn't go off and she woke up two hours into the workday.

Her footsteps tap heavily on the marble floor. She speed-walks and isn't paying attention to her surroundings. Next thing Sarah knows, she's colliding with a firm body dressed in Papal robes.

"I'm so sorry, Papa, I—"

It's Copia.

She stumbles back and holds her hands nervously. They haven't seen each other in a few days; Copia can hear the rabid pump of blood in her heart as she stares up to him. Instinct tells him to reach out and brush the stray lock of Sarah's hair back behind her ear. Reality crashes in, unsubtle and abrupt at the sight of her.

Dark circles under the eyes, missing warmth from her cheeks, and no light behind her eyes. A small part of him scolds the other that wants to feel comfortable knowing he's not the only one in complete misery.

"I had a bad night. I woke up late… Papa."

He raises an eyebrow, taken aback. "Papa?" She's not sleeping well.

"That's what you are, right? In the daytime…"

"Well. Yes, I suppose..."

Sarah slips away when the silence gets to be too painful and he's lost in thought about her response. He starts up to say something only to realize he's alone in the hallway and talking to himself now.

Don't think about him, you were doing so well, she says to herself. Even if she hasn't figured out how to sleep through the night.

And definitely don't think about how his eyes looked bloodshot. It's her only clue to see if he's affected by her absence just as much as she is. When Sarah gets to the studio, she's barreling through the door and goes straight to her table. It's a ministry mending day and she gets started on her pile to keep her thoughts at bay.

A month of progress starts to crack and crumble.

Sarah's phone chimes.

—

Jack: yeah i'm free to talk. What's up?

Sarah: i'm not sure how to say it.. Copia and I had a fight.

Jack: do you want me to make a visit? I can come kick his ass for making my little sister upset

Sarah: it's not his fault. There was… magic involved

—

Sarah feels herself wanting to shrink the longer the little bubbles float on screen.

—

Jack: oh, right. Your vampire boyfriend got promoted and had to use some fancy magic? I have no idea how you're going to explain all of this to mom and dad

Sarah: I got through to you!

Jack: only because of the bite mark you showed me and a video of Copia's fangs growing. I was about to book tickets for the loony bin

Jack: so what happened?

Sarah: his face changed. It was right after coming home and we couldn't go to his apartment. they moved us immediately into a new place.

Jack: yeah that… that'll do it.

Jack: you weren't able to get used to it and he got mad?

Sarah: yes. But no?

Jack: tell me. I still kinda want to kick his ass

—

She snorts.

—

Sarah: he forgot to tell me the ascension ritual could change him. it doesnt always show up physically. We were BOTH ambushed by the apartment, though.

Sarah: so his face changed slightly and it was enough to terrify me the next morning. we both found out… at the same time. EVERYONE seemed fine with it.

Jack: everyone but you.

Sarah: yup. I'd see flirty hellos to Copia from clergy that never gave him the time of day before it happened.

Jack: those hussies!

Sarah: Copia gave me space and did his best to be there but it all got… foggy. 2 weeks after it happened he came home after a fancy dinner and tried to get flirty. I just. I couldn't do it.

Sarah: and dont call them that

Jack: … he didn't try anything did he…?

Sarah: NO. God, jack, no never. He backed off when I needed him to. But then I left and things are… awkward.

Jack: how?

Sarah: I see him in the halls and call him his title. We haven't actually talked or texted or really anything. and do you want to know what's so strange?

Jack: I know you're gonna tell me

Sarah: smartass

Jack: what are brothers for?

Sarah: I miss him. Every day.

—

It's silent again for a moment. There are no bubbles, no attempts to call. Then miraculously, the typing bubbles appear.

—

Jack: talk to him. I dunno how but I know it'll make you feel better.

Sarah: I was hoping you wouldn't say that. :(

Jack: maybe not *right now* but soon. I doubt you feel ready to go back to "normal" but this long away is eating at you.

Sarah: I haven't slept well since I left.

Jack: do you have your sleeping meds?

Sarah: yes.

Jack: maybe actually take them.

Sarah: you suck

Jack: love you too, Sarah

--

The next time the fates decide to play a cruel joke on her, Sarah has chosen the short straw to ask Copia something. Amelia is in the process of designing a new jacket for the next tour and she wants some input on a very early mockup.

Something about tassels.

Swatches in hand, Sarah walks with every step to his office as if she's walking to her death. She takes slow steps as much as she can to allow time to psych herself up. She can do this! She's already starting to feel some control of her anxieties, to let it ebb and flow on and off of her. A small part of her even wants to see him. Maybe they can talk.

Sarah knocks on his office door and waits. There isn't any call out to her to come in, it's silent for the most part other than a mumble. Curious, she opens his office door.

A gasp pulls out of her chest when she gets a look of the inside.

Copia is at his desk and a ghoul is standing next to him with their arm out. He's bitten into their exposed wrist and drinks with an insatiable thirst. Loud gulps and hums filter out but he stops on a dime, freezing to see who the intruder is.

In a flash, he goes from annoyed to guilty. Thick, black blood from the ghoul is smeared on his face, making a mess of his paints. Copia wasn't neat at all, diving in without a care to feed. Sarah knows he prefers fresh blood in an emergency and she recalls his eyes the other day.

Has he been starving himself? Is this the only way he can feed?

"I'll come back later," rushes out and Sarah turns to leave them with their privacy.

Copia doesn't run after her, too embarrassed to have been caught this way. The feeling of betrayal makes his nerves run cold. He can easily explain what was going on!

The ghoul next to him starts cleaning up their wrist with some of the tissues on Copia's desk.

"I don't think she's that upset," Dew murmurs while he's occupied with himself.

Copia turns his head slowly to glare.

Sarah rushes back to the studio after that, on the verge of tears even though she can't even understand why. He needs to feed, more when he's stressed, Sarah knows that. She wants to be there for him like she always did when he needed blood. Copia always made sure she was so comfortable when he bit her. It was intimate and special, begun with a sweet kiss. The feeding she walked in on in his office was cold, impersonal.

Desperate.

There's light coming out from the window of the sewing studio. Copia, on his way home and curious as ever, walks up to see if anyone just left a light on before they all left for the day. He stops and peers in.

Sarah is hunched over her machine, flickering between sleep to being awake as she jolts up, blinks rapidly, and reorients herself. She yawns and reaches for her water bottle before getting back to the project under the needle.

Copia feels an odd sense of deja-vu settle over him. Memories of when they'd first met, catching her working late and how he would walk Sarah to her dorm. It feels so long ago when they were sharing soft glances and timid kisses to the cheek. The nostalgia makes Copia sigh.

The small sound in the quiet wing caries further than it normally would. Sarah perks her head up and comes face-to-face with Copia watching her. He's nothing but sweet and sorry for making her feel like she's been watched while he waves his hands in some apologetic way.

"Copia?" she mouths. Sarah rolls back and starts to stand but he vanishes from sight by the time she makes it to the door.

Did I hallucinate that? she wonders.

After her brief haunt, she notices how late it is and rushes to clean her table. Maybe Amelia will have something she can eat before she goes to bed. Sarah gets back to her temporary refuge, eternally grateful for them both. She opens their door quiet as possible but yet again, luck is not on her side.

Amelia has Terzo backed into the kitchen counter. Though she's shorter than him by several inches, she manages to keep him pinned in place. An empty pint of ice cream with two spoons sits on the kitchen table nearby.

Terzo leans back an inch for breath. "I always knew redheads were feisty."

"What on Earth do you mean?" she jests. "I only wanted one kiss."

He smirks. "Like you weren't just—Sathanas!" Terzo yelps and jumps where he stands. For some reason his hands fly up to cover his chest despite being fully covered.

Amelia turns to find Sarah with her hands over her face and sitting on the couch. "I'm sorry!" she cries out in a panic. "I can put in headphones if you'd like?"

Terzo's face melts into a deadpan but before he can say anything, Amelia covers his mouth with her palm.

"We were actually just about to go to bed, Sarah. Did you get your work done?"

"Most of it... I think I saw Copia in the window at one point, though?"

"Oh!"

Terzo pulls Amelia towards their room and calls back quickly, "How strange—goodnight, sorella!"

Amelia tries to get a word in but it's too late. Once they're in their room with the door closed, the conversation is over. It didn't look like Sarah was upset, more shocked at the way it all happened so fast. She's too tired to be offended.

—

Amelia: Sorry about him. He gets cranky when he's tired.

Sarah: No problem. Goodnight, Amelia.

—

"Want to pick up where we left off, eh?" Terzo leers as he kisses from the end of Amelia's shoulder up to the curve of her neck.

"Not really, caro."

"Okay." He shrugs and drops it. Terzo turns forward to sink into his pillows. Amelia is curiously silent for a while; he looks over and all she's doing is staring forward with her brows furrowed. "Amore?"

She hums. "It's nothing. Just thinking."

"About what? I'd like to know."

"What else? Sarah and her… situation."

"And how we can speed up the reunion process?"

She shakes her head side to side. "Not exactly."

"I worry that we'll be stuck in limbo with those two. And not just because I want privacy again." Terzo leans in and lowers his voice. "It's been almost two months."

"This is a bump in the road. The kind of bump that makes you think your car is broken but all it did was knock some things loose. It's still drivable at the end of the day." Amelia shifts and rolls on her side towards Terzo. He welcomes her immediately and she gets comfortable with her head on his chest.

He brushes his fingers through her silky copper hair. "When was the last time you had your car serviced?"

"That's not the point right now, Terzo."

"What is?"

Amelia ponders that. "She's getting better, I think. Time away is doing Sarah some good but I worry she'll get too complacent like this. I don't want to push her more than she can handle, though."

"I saw Copia today."

Amelia turns to look up at him, eyes wide. "What did he say? How is he?"

"He is not well, Amelia. The loneliness and silence tortures him, tesoro; he feels like a crucial piece of him, his humanity, is missing. I said I could relate."

She hugs tight around Terzo. They know all to well what it feels like.

And it took them two years to find their way back due to Amelia's own stubbornness.

Terzo sneaks into the living room after Amelia has left for work. Sarah is gathering the last things she needs and putting on her shoes to leave. He slinks over and drops to the couch, startling her.

"Have you ever been to confession, Sarah?"

She's frozen at her shoe and narrows her eyes. "A couple times."

"No need to worry. We don't require you to do it. But I hear it can be, eh, cathartic." He crosses his leg over the other.

He's not done, she realizes. He's settling in.

Terzo starts up again, "Very often we have things we're keeping inside and rarely do we talk about it. As a leader of this church, I am tasked with being the receiver of such things."

"Is this about Copia?"

"It it, yes." He nods solemnly.

Sarah sighs, deep and weary, like she knew this was coming. "I've been stalling."

"You have. Amelia tells me your anxiety is getting easier to manage? How are you with the face thing?"

"I think…" Sarah trails off. The words feel crammed in her head, unable to be properly sorted to come out. Her next breaths come out shaky. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

Terzo turns to her and he's stunned. Sarah's heavy tears spill from her eyes, streaking down her cheeks. She's blubbering and can't take a breath long enough to even her breathing. Her arms cross over her stomach and she curls inward.

"Oh, per favore ti prego, come here, Sarah. It's okay, hm?" Terzo scoots and wraps an arm around her. Sarah follows and hides in his shoulder, soaking the fabric of his shirt with tears and snot.

"I'm sorry," she replies weakly. "Your shirt…"

"It's no problem."

He holds Sarah close, rubbing her back and letting her know it's fine to cry, to let out everything she's bottled up inside. Terzo waits until she's quieted and hears her breathing even out. He dips his head down.

Sarah manages to find her voice and says, "I want to go back but I don't know if I'm ready."

"Do you still love him?"

Immediately, "Yes," she breathes in a deep breath. "Even if I couldn't look at him. I think that's why it hurt so much."

"You say you want to go back?"

Sarah nods. "Every time I think about it I feel paralyzed. And then my thoughts spiral. What if he actually hates me? What if he sees me and—and—a-and I—" She loses control and breathes in and out rapidly, chasing her breath.

Terzo ushers her back into him and she clings around his waist.

"Despite all of this, Sarah, Copia is still absolutely besotted. He dreams of your return every night."

Fresh, heavy tears begin to fall again. Sarah feels wrung out and spent. Terzo urges her to grab comfier clothes and relax at home today. He sends a quick text to Amelia and fills a glass of water for the table. Sarah pulls a blanket up as Terzo sits on the edge of the couch.

"Come to confession later, Sarah? Think all of this over and if you're comfortable, we can talk about it. I promise, it can set you free, in a way."

Sarah blows her nose into a tissue. "Okay."

Terzo leaves the apartment and makes his way to the music studio. There's a lovesick vampire that needs something. Or someone. The next album isn't due for a bit but without anywhere else to be, and with a new home that is devoid of the warmth Sarah gifts wherever she goes, Copia holes up in the studio. Sometimes he naps on the couch and hopes sleep will have him waking up closer to the end of his nightmare.

Creaking, old hinges of the door alert Copia of a visitor. Any lingering feeling of hope dissipates when Terzo comes into view.

A tired grumble leaves Copia. "What are you here for?" He can smell Sarah's shampoo on him and it's bittersweet. "Stay however long you want."

"Copia, something important came up and I need you to cover my confessional duty tonight."

He wants to turn it down but what else does he have to do? Copia sighs, "Fine. I'll cover for you."

Terzo grins far too wide for a simple favor. "Excellent."

"Do you always ask me because I don't need to sleep?"

"Yes."

And then Terzo spins and leaves the studio, a squeaky hinge following after. When the confessional hour rises upon him, Copia trudges down to the chapel. It's the middle of the week and he bargains there won't be as many siblings once word gets around that it isn't Terzo tonight. He brings his notebook and pen and jots down the odd lyric inspiration that comes when he isn't playing games on his phone.

Over the evening, he manages to have a few visitors. Most of them assume it's Terzo until Copia speaks, only to hear and sense their overall disappointment. They follow up anyway with pleasant conversation and he helps with any worries or celebrates achievements. It's getting near midnight and he starts to adjust side to side in his seat. Confession is almost over and then he has to—what?—go home and sit in more silence?

Copia's head shoots up, then, at the sound of the doors opening and closing. And that same shampoo. Terzo? Confession is almost over.

The door on the other side opens, clicks closed, and the late night visitor takes a deep breath before rambling without any sign she wants to be interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Terzo, for coming so late. I kept going back and forth and back and forth and finally made myself walk over. I was just in the garden hoping fresh air would help clear my mind but then I walked past our bench and I—" Sarah takes another breath.

"Hm?" Copia tries to sound like Terzo. He's not sure if he has the voice down right.

She lets out a dry chuckle, "I thought again about going to see Copia."

Again?

Hope starts to bloom anew in his chest. Oh, he could survive the separation just with this knowledge alone.

"What did you conclude?" he murmurs like Terzo.

"I sat down on the bench and so many memories flashed by. I can't—I don't want to just throw away everything. But I—"

"Do you… love him—still—I mean?" Copia winces. He clings to the silence on the other side with a vice grip. There's a chuckle muttered softly through the wood.

"I haven't changed my answer since this morning."

Shit.

Sarah adjusts in her spot and the old wood creaks. "I'm worried that even if I go back, things will be different. Bad different. I constantly wonder if leaving was the wrong option and that it makes me look selfish and we can't go back to how things once were. I worry he loves me less and then not at all, that he resents me and would rather I stay away forever."

"I—uh," his clothes rustle and he makes a fuss to get up. "Hold on for one moment."

That voice. Those little mumbles, Sarah realizes. She sits up straight and braces herself for what's to come.

Deep breath in, long sigh out.

The act is slow when the door to her side opens. In front of her now is Copia, back-lit by the warm candlelight of the chapel. They're both frozen where they are, about a foot of space between them before Copia drops to his knees with a weary thud.

"Copia," she whispers from shock.

He shakes his head and reaches out for her. Sarah rests her shaky hands in his gloved palms and he squeezes them tight. Copia bows and presses his forehead to her hands before sitting back up.

His breaths come out, shuddered like he can't believe this is happening. "I would never resent you."