Was it possible to be on cloud nine, when around you there was so much sorrow and danger? Rose seemed to think so. After leaving Credence behind in the abandoned warehouse, she had headed straight for the train station. With the last of her money she bought two tickets West on the earliest train that was leaving tomorrow. She was broke. Tomorrow was looking absolutely uncertain. But she had never felt any happier than she felt right now. There was somebody in this world that understood and loved her, and she him. Soon they would be together. She couldn't wait to tell him about her plans.

All she had to do now was make it through until tonight, and how hard could that be? Yes, Mary Lou was watching her like a hawk, but all she needed to do was pack her stuff, which wasn't much and be ready to leave when everyone was asleep. She checked herself before entering the church. Smiling this much would be a clear giveaway something was up. No one ever smiled in this place.

Rose felt jittery, her heart swinging from one extreme to the other, not just because of what she was about to do, but also who she was about to face, because It was quite likely that Mary Lou was going to be mad. After all, she had missed the rally and lost her flyers when that creep of a senator had attacked her. She had also lost her bonnet, which in all likelihood was still there. Oh well, maybe if she spun it into a story of how she was nearly mauled, whilst leaving Credence involvement in saving her out of it, she could use up the last of Mary Lou's sympathy for her. After tonight, she wasn't going to need it anymore, and it was more than likely that Mary would hate Rose for taking her son from her. Not because she loved him, but because she saw her as property.

Thinking about Mary Lou made her feel resentful. Hurting her could only hurt Credence though. Giving herself one last mental check, she prepared herself to play the role of New Salem devotee one more time.

'STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE. STAY AWAY ROSE.' As she approached the door of the church, this message shouted in her head… In Credence's voice.

The message was clear. She pulled her hand back just in time to duck into an alley behind the bins. It was still playing like a distress signal in her head. Credence, knowing her power was literally vibrating it from his body so loudly that she wondered how she had not heard it before. Knowing that there was something wrong was one thing though. But how was she going to let him know she had heard him and ask what was the matter.

She had never tried this, but she had to do something. Finding a corner where she was practically invisible for anyone walking by, she closed her eyes, and tried to make a connection with him.

'Credence, I'm here. I'm here.'

It didn't work.

Focusing even harder she tried again. 'Credence. I'm here.'

The running message in her mind stopped. She feared it just meant that his mother had caught him doing whatever he was doing to get his message across, and silently prayed he was alright.

'Credence?' she tried again.

'Rose! You can hear me! I can hear you! Were you always able to do that?' She could feel his relief, and it matched her own.

'It's my first attempt ever. Are you alright?' It was her main concern at this time, though she really needed to focus on what had happened.

'Yes I'm absolutely fine.' It was a lie, she could feel he had already been brutally beaten, there were welts on his back that hurt, she felt them as if she had been beaten herself. 'Mother found out I was trying to leave. Found me gathering my things, and directly decided you were all to blame. I tried to tell her otherwise but the more I protested, the more convinced she became you were behind everything. Not just for this, but for the explosions too. I want to tell them the truth...I tried telling them...'

'But you are going to stop doing that, do you hear me, Credence. I forbid it. She will burn you at the stake.' Rose immediately protested. She was safe for now. He was not.

'Or burn you.' he replied, 'In which case I'd much rather have they would hurt me.'

'They are not going to hurt anyone. You're coming with me. Now. We would just need to make it through the night, I have tickets for the train tomorrow. Just blast your way out of there.' She wasn't gonna leave him here. Not when they were so close to a new live.

Credence wasn't that easy to convince though. He was wavering. 'I can't. Not without leveling the church. I'm fine. She has locked me in a closet so I'm perfectly safe for now. Get away from here. Take that train tomorrow. I will follow you as soon as I can.'

'Tonight? I can come back for you. We wait until everyone is asleep and I will do the same trick as I did with the roof. It works wonders on locks as well, I promise.' She wanted to run in there and get him now.

'I'm afraid I can't let you do that. If you get caught…' There was pain in his heart. He was changing his mind

She couldn't let him, she couldn't leave him. 'Then we fight them. We're witches, remember? Not just me. Both of us. There is no way they can hurt us.'

'Mary Lou has more resources than you think. New Salem has chapters everywhere, and she is the head of the church. She won't come after you alone… But if we both leave now… Mary Lou loves nothing more than revenge. I can stand EVERYTHING knowing you are safe, do you hear me Rose. But to think she will hurt you...' This was Credence, this was why she loved him. Self-sacrificing to a fault. Literally.

She wanted to cry. Here he was, no more than twenty feet away at the most, but he could as well be on the moon. She knew he was right. But she couldn't just leave him. 'I'll find something on the other side of town. I will let you know where somehow. Maybe you can meet me and then we will find a way to be together. Do you hear me? I'm not taking no for an answer here.'

'You would be safer out west,' he tried to convince her.

She wasn't having it. He wasn't the only stubborn one. 'Maybe, but I am not risking losing you. You protected me time and again. Let me be here for you.'

'I… You need to keep yourself safe though… It can't be too close. They can't find you.' He was relieved she was staying, she could feel it. There had to be a solution.

'I will, I promise. And otherwise you can come and rescue me again, my brave knight.' She wanted to touch him, wrap her arms around him.

'In December Mother starts to suffer from depression, and she drinks. It's two months from now, she won't be so obsessed with you anymore. We could flee to Europe, she has no connections there,' he suggested.

It sounded like the perfect solution. 'If Veelas indeed come from France I would love to go there. I can make money easily if I want to. Get myself into a few card games. We would have the money together in no time. I can wait for as long as it takes. Just promise you will come with me. You're not safe where you are now. Mary Lou will punish you again.'

'I promise, if you promise you will go now and keep yourself safe. Mary Lou can't hurt me anymore. Her blows stopped hurting me a long time ago. But I need you to be safe as well. If she hurts you..' He would topple the church if he thought her in danger. But he was right. It was safer though for all of them if he didn't. 'I will meet you by the subway station Tuesday evening around seven. We will figure this out,' he promised. 'Some day soon we will be together.'

His promise made her worry about his safety. 'If you can't get away then I will come back the next week. And the next. And the next. I'll be there every Tuesday until you can leave here for good. You don't come if you think it is gonna earn you a beating.'

'The beating would be worth it.' he replied wryly.

'No it isn't. I want you in one piece.' Though she would still take him if he was in a thousand. She would piece back together again one bit at a time if she needed to.

'I'll do my best. I love you, Rose Karma LaMage.'

'I love you too, Credence Barebone. Don't you ever forget that.' She wanted to hold him, kiss him, touch him. None of that possible right now though. She clung onto the hope they would soon be together.

'You have to leave now. Mother has convinced other people that you are to blame, and they are almost ready to set out. There are lots of men in the house, men that leered at you in church. They are planning to capture you, and hurt you. Run. Now, and get away as far from here as you can.'

'I hate leaving you.' She wanted to cry, but to what use would it be.

'And I hate you having to leave. But I will be fine. I will see you Tuesday. I promise.' he tried to reassure her.

'Only if you can get away. Stay safe. The darkness you have in you… Use it if you need to. Don't let anyone hurt you. Especially Mary Lou.' Knowing how stubborn he was, she feared for his safety more than her own.

'I promise. Now please, run. They can get out there any minute now. I can't let them hurt you. Go east… I'll distract them for now.'

He loved her, and she… She had never felt like this for anyone. He was her soulmate, his presence steadied her, made her feel an inner peace and strength… And now she was leaving him. It was tearing her up, but right now she had no other choice. Getting up she heard his voice in her head 'I love you Rose.' Then the connection disappeared and there was a light explosion two blocks away.

She did as he asked. She ran for as long as she could, until she was in a completely different part of town. There she build a temporary new life for herself. Even if t was only going to be for a couple of months, she needed money to survive and make sure they had enough to get away. In the weeks to come she found herself a new place to stay, which wasn't easy having nothing left but the clothes on her back. But she found somewhere good, with a blind older lady, who gave her a chance to practice her magic unseen. Rose had never practiced, had never seen her skills as something that could be honed, and used a state of emergency. Yes, her main power was reading minds, but she had always known instinctively she could do more. In meeting Credence… and Graves, she had gotten a better scope on her powers, and strangely it had driven her to explore them rather than shy away from them. When reports started to come in of strange sightings and inexplicable explosions around Pike Street, she knew Credence was doing the same.

He would try to meet her every Tuesday, but Mary Lou was keeping a stricter eye on him, meaning he had a harder time getting away, especially at night. Meeting during the day, whilst they were leafleting as a group was out of the question. The other kids were put on high alert, in case she was to return. He told her how Graves had contacted him to find whoever was responsible for these collapses. "But I make sure no one gets harmed in them," he added.

She had made him promise not to tell Graves it was him, no matter what. The man frightened her still, and she was worried what he wanted to from Credence if he was ever to discover his true nature. Everyone, including his mother thought Credence was weak. Rose knew the opposite was true. He possessed a strength that would get him through anything, of only he would believe more in himself. But she would help him with that.

Rose missed Credence every day, his warm arms, his gentle touch, and the way he looked at her, not with lust, but with love. It was something she had never experienced. They belonged together Soon they would be together. She could wait forever if she had to, as long as she could hold him again. For now she just had to wait..

The End.. For now

Sorry for the wait, I wasn't feeling too well last week. I planned to stop the story here, but well… I can't quite leave it like this. So I will add a sequel that takes us into the station. Just a bit slower than I have written this. Thanks for reading this.

Guest - Well I have plans for something…

LoveFiction2018 - Glad you liked it… Well ehm… I update when it's finished?

GreenMoonHuntress- Not all hope is lost yet… Have faith. They are magic, you know