The Undertaker's Brides

The Undertaker sat in the darkened Parlor thinking about the conversation he had just had with Jean. She told him that Kaliegh wasn't really dead, but was visiting the Underworld and Lord Arawn. Jean also told him the reason why she wasn't dead was because Lord Arawn had stepped in to save her when The Undertaker didn't realize that her cries for help were real.

"But I found her body..she wasn't breathing." he thought to himself. He tried to convince himself that what Jean said was indeed the truth, but the fact that he HAD seen the body weighed heavy on his mind. With these thoughts playing over and over in his mind, he fell into a deep sleep.

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

The Lord of Darkness was walking outside of the Parlor. He was being pulled by some mysterious force towards the cemetery.....and to the grave that he and Kane had dug only a few days before. He tried to turn around and walk away...he didn't want to see it. The pain had finally eased up a bit today and seeing the grave...thinking of her laying in the cold ground.....It was no use, the pull on him was too strong. The wounds were ripped wide open as he stood in front of the small black headstone. The Undertaker looked at it and read the inscription one more time.

He thought back to the first time he had meet Kaliegh. She had been to sad. She truly had a hard life...more than what any of the Brides knew. Little by little, she had started to come around....and with the love and encouragement from the Brides, she had begun to smile on a regular basis. The Undertaker then thought about how she had reached out to Kane...and with Storm's help, they had been able to convince him of what his father really was.

"How could I have let this happen?" he roared into the silent night, getting only an echo in response. He buried his head in his hands as sobs wracked his body. He had been sitting that way for awhile when a gentle breeze blew through his hair. His eyes searched the night....he could sense her presence.....He felt invisible fingers run themselves through his hair and then a whisper in his ear, "Dark Lord...."

He turned around and saw her standing before him. Her eyes glowed like a cat's in the dark night....lit by some unnatural fire. Her long hair blew about in an unseen breeze. All the bruises and damage that Paul Bearer had caused were gone.

"Kaliegh..." he whispered softly. His heart began to pound at the sight of her....His body tingling as though she were giving off some sort of electrical charge. He was happy...and confused. His blood flowed warm through his veins, while a shiver traveled down his spine.

She smiled softly into his sad green eyes and said, "Why are you so sad? I haven't gone anywhere....well, not really."

The Undertaker looked at her, sorrow and remorse marring his handsome features. "I'm so sorry...I should have been there for you. You needed my help and I....I let you down."

She took his warm hand into hers and brushed the hair back from his face. While lightly tracing the tattoo on his neck she said, "Hush with that nonsense now. I knew perfectly well what I was getting into when I chose to come here with you. Remember when I said I would do anything to help you? I meant it..." She sat down beside him and continued. "I knew that night....I could have tried to stop it...maybe tried to stay awake all night long. But...why fight my destiny?"

The Undertaker laced his long fingers around her slim ones, still not able to believe that this was her...spirit...a ghost that he was talking to. She seemed so real....

"You could have tried to save me that night...and maybe you would have been successful. But it would have just happened some other time. The situation was out of your reach."

"I still miss you Kaliegh." he murmured. "Every time I close my eyes, I see you....and you're beautiful....and then the vision changes and you're hurt and in pain. It kills me a little bit more each time I see you that way."

"Come here." she said to the Lord of Darkness, motioning for him to put his head in her lap. "Whenever a bad dream used to haunt me, my mom was always right there....she used to rub my head until the nightmare was gone." Kaliegh gently rubbed his temples until she felt all of the tension leave his body. She slowly took her fingers away and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Now, close your eyes and tell me what you see."

With a small moan of protest, the Undertaker closed his eyes. "I see all the Brides...Kane and Storm are there too...We're all sitting around a big table....and everyone is laughing at something I did."

"It worked....No more bad illusions for you." she said to him.

The Undertaker looked at her with appreciation is his eyes and said, "Once again...you have helped me. I am grateful to you."

"Taker...." she murmured softly in his ear. He looked into her eyes...becoming lost in their unnatural brightness. A deep growl escaped his throat and before he knew what was happening, he had his arms wrapped around her....claiming her lips with his own.

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

The Undertaker sat up with a jolt. He turned his head from side to side, finally realizing he was in the cemetery. "What the.." he thought to himself. "Have I been out here all night long?" Then he remembered talking to Kaliegh...."But she's dead." He looked down at where he had been sitting, "What the Hell happened here last night?" As the wind began to stir, he thought he could hear her voice whispering lightly in the trees and he swore he could feel his hand being softly caressed by the breeze. Then she appeared before him again. "Undertaker...It's like Jean said....it's only a dream....you just have to let yourself believe...." She was gone as quickly as she had appeared.

The Undertaker was more confused now than ever by what had really taken place last night while he slept...."Or was I awake?" he thought to himself. He walked slowly back to the Parlor....he was exhausted...that he knew for sure.

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

The Undertaker woke up from his restless sleep. He looked around the Parlor...Something seemed different...the gloom that had hung in the air for the last day or so was gone, the first rays of sunlight were shining through the open windows. He then remembered his strange dream last night....Kaliegh telling him that she wasn't really dead...but instead, her belief that she had died was so strong that it caused her and everyone else that was linked to her, to believe that she had indeed been killed by Paul Bearer. It was exactly what Jean had told him. "It was only a dream." he thought to himself, still not quite sure he believed it or not.

Wanting to make sure that is was really true, he climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway until he came to Kaliegh's room. He slowly opened the door...not wanting to wake her if she really was in there sleeping. There she was...curled up in a tight ball...sleeping. The Undertaker let out a sigh of relief and walked over to the side of the bed. As he gently brushed her hair out of her face, she opened her eyes.

"Taker....is something wrong?" she asked him in a sleepy voice.

"No." he said with a hint of a smile. "Everything is fine...it really is."

The entire night after the "incident" with Paul Bearer was spent in Kane's arms. He held her close and cradled her like a baby, whispering soothingly in her ear. She felt so protected and safe when he was with her. The thought of losing him again to that evil Bearer caused her chest to tighten in panic and her breathing to become shallow. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard Kane tell her everything would be okay, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her no matter what..

When Storm had finally fallen into a somewhat peacefull sleep, Kane gently disentangled himself from her limp body and quietly moved to the large window in the front of the room. He stared out into the clear nighttime sky and wondered what kind of heinous plan his father had for them all. He knew one thing. There was no way he would let him hurt any of his brothers' Brides or his own Bride Storm. He vowed to make sure his father would never, ever bother them all again. Even if he had to make the ultimate sacrifice. Kane sighed, and turned back to the bed, crawling in next to his lady and wrapping his massive arms around her before falling into a fitful sleep of his own.

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

The next morning Storm awoke to find the sun shining brightly in the room. The warm rays of sunlight seemed almost unbearable in their intensity. She thought she also heard the sounds of birds chirping away outside the window and the muffled sounds of voices downstairs. ~~Odd..~~she thought. It almost seems like things are..different..now than they were before, but that couldn't be..could it? Besides, she really wasn't sure exactly what *had* happened. She had a vague idea that it was something bad, but the details were very fuzzy.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching and yawning while she strode to the closet to pick out something to wear. Kane awoke just as she crossed to his side of the bed and looked up at her with concern. He sat upright in bed. "Storm, are you okay?" She looked at him curiously. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" Kane frowned. Had she forgotten everything that had happened? He hoped she didn't have amnesia or something. "Last night.." He began, then shook his head. "Never mind. Are you going down to breakfast?" "Mmmm-hmmm" She rummaged through the closet and finally pulled out a long black skirt with slits up both sides and a turquoise sweater.. "Hold on, I'll go with you."

**********

The two of them made their way down the hall and downstairs to join the others, who were already gathered around the table. Some were also standing about and talking. Cyn and Kiri were talking animatedly. Nikki was kicked back in her chair and reading something. Judy, Jean and Kiowa were eating slowly as they discussed something in hushed tones.. Taker was deep in conversation with Kaliegh as they entered. Kaleigh? Storm got the strangest feeling as her eyes met Kaleighs. There was that weird feeling of everything being fuzzy again and she frowned once more. She said good morning to everyone present and sat down in a chair next to Elentari while Kane stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"How are you feeling, Storm?" Taker asked. His eyes were full of concern and sincerity..and..guilt? She didn't quite understand what was going on, and it was really beginning to bug her. "Fine, Taker. Thanks for asking." She was puzzled, and as she glanced at Elentari, she could see that she wore the same expression as herself. Taker looked as if he wanted to say something else. He and Kane exchanged glances, but said nothing. At least, nothing that they could all hear.

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

Taker rose from the table and walked around to where she sat, leaning down to whisper into her left ear. "Storm, a word with you, please." He raised back up to his full height and stared down at her with those mesmerizing green eyes. She found herself staring up at him, lost and entranced. A wave of dizziness washed over her body then and she covered her face in her hands. "Storm?" Kane sounded almost panicked as he touched her arm. "Kane, pick her up and bring her into the next room. I need to speak with you both." Taker glanced back at the two of them once more before heading out the door and closing it behind him. All the other Brides exchanged looks, and there were murmers of conversation started again. Storm could hear them all speaking, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Her brain felt as if it were mush, and things were just getting weirder and weirder in her head.

Kane picked her up gently in his arms. She slumped against him, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Kane glanced down at her face as he walked. Her eyes were closed and she had an expression on her face that almost appeared to be..pain? He wasn't quite sure, but he was quickly becoming alarmed at her behaviour. He rushed into the room where his brother was waiting and gently placed her on the sofa. The Undertaker and Kane stood over her for a moment, Taker bending over to touch her forehead with the back of his hand. He said nothing but took Kane by the arm and led him away into the corner.

"Kane, she has a fever." Kane's eyes widened as he looked at his beloved in shock. "I need to know, and this is very important. Has she been acting strangely since last night?" Kane's head snapped back to face his brother. "Yes, this morning. She seemed..different. It was almost as if she couldn't remember the attack from.." Kane's voiced trailed off, and his face became a grim mask of determination. "He's done something to her.." Taker nodded sadly. "It appears that way, brother." Kane turned to the wall and slammed his gloved fist against it again and again, grunting with the force of each blow. "He will be taken care of, Kane. That I will promise you." Taker tried to calm his brother down, but Kane would have none of it. "He hurt her!" He roared. "And I was not there to stop it! I will handle this myself...." Kane whirled around and began stalking towards the door.

The darkened room was cool as the nights breeze gently blew through the open window. The woman tossed and turned, tearing up the sheets on the bed. Her uneasy sleep filled with visions of horrible images. Kane, her Kane, had been hurt. What had that awful Paul Bearer done to him? What had he done to her Kane? Thoughts of her Kane brought her comfort. His big warm body next to hers brought her peace. If Bearer has hurt Kane... this thought brought her fully awake, sitting straight up in bed.

Slowly her breathing and heartbeat returned to normal. The beads of perspiration drying even as she remembered what had awakened her. Looking over a Kane's side of the bed, she was suddenly gripped with a fear that his life was in danger. He wasn't there. Alarmed for no reason she could name, Storm swung her legs over the side of the bed, slipping he feet into her slippers, and left the room.

She found the Brides, and Taker in the parlor, but not Kane. No one would meet her eyes. Something WAS wrong! She walked over to Taker, and grabbed his arm,forcing his green-eyed gaze to meet hers.

"Where's Kane? I need to know." Her intense look bore into his, searching for the truth, for reassurance.

Taker had a hard time meeting her eyes. "How do you feel?" He reached out a long fingered hand and touched her cool forehead. He wanted to avoid answering if he could, but knew this extraordinary woman would not be put off.

"Taker, please, answer me!" Anxiety began to creep in. Something was wrong!

"Now Storm, calm yourself. Kane has gone to take care of something!"

"ALONE! You let him go ALONE! How could you?" Anger at this man filled her to bursting.

"I wasn't given the choice!" Anger brought a frown to his handsome features.He grabbed hold of her forearm. He didn't like what she was implying.

Snatching free of his loose hold, she left the parlor and returned to the privacy of hers and Kane's bedroom. Breathing deeply to calm herself, Storm locked the door, and prepared to go to Kane. Smoothing out the bed, Storm lay down and concentrated on Kane, reaching out to him with her mind. Soon her world turned red, and Kane was before her. So was Paul Bearer. They were arguing violently.

"Son, I told you I didn't do anything to your precious Storm." Bearer yelled back at this tall red-clad figure. All three chins jiggling with his anger. His voice bordering on hysteria.

"Don't make me ask again,Father. She means more to me than life itself. I won't have her harmed. Not by you or anyone. Now, one more time! What did you do to Storm." Kane's husky voice was tight with anger.

"ALLRIGHT! ALLLL RIGHTT!! I would do anything to bring you back where you belong. Back home!" Bearer stared back at his son in defiance.

"You dare! How could you dare! You spawn of satan! If you come anywhere near my Storm, or any of the others, I'll send you back to your maker. Take it to heart, cause I mean every word." Kane had grabbed Bearer by the lapel. Now he shoved Bearer away from him in distaste.

Kane turned away from his father intent only on getting back to the parlor and his Storm. He never saw Bearer raise his arm high over his head or the brass lamp in his hands or its down-ward swing. Nor did he see Storm start forward to warn him.

Before her very eyes, she watched as he crumpled in a heap. A look of pure satisfaction, of gloating covered the fat mans face. he never saw the woman comming at him with a vengence. She had paused long enough in her charge to pick up a weapon. With all her strength, born of hatred, anger, and fear for Kane, Storm struck him about the head and shoulders with a fireplace scoop she'd found in her hands.

Bearer squeeled like the pig that he was. In his haste to escape the creature before him, he tripped over his own feet, falling and hitting his head on the brass door stop. Bearer was rendered unconscious. A trickle of blood flowed from where he hit his head.

Storm watched him, breathing hard in her fury.Finally turning back to kane, she ran to him just as he was sitting up, holding his head. A huge lump already forming.

"Kane, darlin', are you ok?" Storm's hands ran all over the back of his head, til she found the goose-egg sized lump.

"How did you get here?" He asked, pain and love both evident in his eyes.

"By the method of transportation you taught me." Love for this big man made her eyes and voice soft and tender.

He gazed with wonder at this woman. "Let's go home." He said quietly, suddenly just wanting to be alone with his Storm. Just wanting to feel her loving embrace away from this vile place, he used to call home. Storm, his Storm. She made everything feel clean and good.

Storm and Kane lay safely in each other¢s arm having returned to the Parlor and their private room. No words were said about the *visit* to Paul Bearer, but the Brides had seen the rather nasty bump on Kane's head when Storm stopped to grab a tea towel and filled it with ice. The women sat in the Parlor talking, laughing and plotting ... except for the Mistress who stood in silence staring out of the large window into her cemetery. She knew where every tombstone and marker was. Not a single weed grew in this place. The grounds were perfectly tended, yet you never saw the groundskeepers. She sighed and admitted to herself the cruel twist ... it really was a dream ... and they were the dreamers. They .. the Brides ... her friends ... were the dreamers.

She slipped from the window and spoke to Kaliegh briefly claiming to have a headache. In truth, the pinched look was not from that sort of pain. The lie was clearly obvious in the blue-gray eyes of the woman, but Kaliegh allowed it to pass and Kiri left the ladies sitting in her parlor. The cool eyes of her *brother* watched as she left. He still didn't know if she could be trusted, so he stayed and guarded his Brides as they chatted.

In the hallway, she stood and calmed her racing thoughts and began to concentrate. The unfamiliar setting of the place her half-brother had called home surrounded her like a cold heavy blanket waited down by the tears this ...man had caused ... She shook her head and opened her eyes. The familiar comfort of her parlor was gone. She stood in her father's lair. She sighed and went deeper into his home. The bloody object Storm had beaten her father with still lay where the angry woman had dropped it. The floor was stained by her father's and her brother's blood. The house stood empty. She closed her eyes again and a chair of cool stone appeared from thin air. Jean's words, repeated to her by the others, played in her mind. To test the theory again ... to confirm her fears and to damn her if it worked a third and tell-tale final time ... she concentrated and ... she was petting a black cat which materialized from nothing onto her lap purring contently. She sighed and continued to stroke the beast's soft velvet fur as tears rolled over her cheeks. "She's right. Damn her, why'd she have to be right?"

*****

The women had settled down to play poker ... there had been some talk of dragging Taker over and making him pull off a piece of clothing as the *ante* for each hand. As they glanced back at him to judge his thoughts about the idea, the rolled up whites of his eyes encouraged them to play for another ante. He allowed his eyes to roll back down and smiled to himself. Best that they didn't try to have him be their *ante* for the game. The ... problems that would ... arise as a result were too confusing.

The women went into the kitchen and found a unopened bag of red beans and split them amongst themselves and the beans began to pile up as the games continued. The Brides were catty, calling each other *bitch* or *whore.* It was a game ...they knew it ... And they relaxed in each other's company as they tried to push the thoughts about Paul Bearer ... out of their minds.

*****

Kane sat on the edge of the bed with his face pointing towards the floor as Storm held the homemade icepack on the nasty lump on his head. The pain was fading and he smiled under his mask as he noticed that she was trembling slightly. When they'd returned to their room, she¢d left him only long enough to peel off the clothes she¢d been wearing with a muttered growl as to their *contamination.* He'd joined her and had taken off his customary outfit and settled for a loose gray pair of sweat shorts. Actually, calling them loose was an understandment. He wondered briefly when he'd lost weight and brushed the thought aside when she stepped back into the room. She growled at him for having moved. She walked to him and began her best efforts to ease the dull throbbing that expanded and shrank the whole of the back of his head... or at least it felt like it did.

She was in shorts and a T-shirt without socks or shoes. A mischievious smile crossed his lips and he asked on the thought that had carried it in with it. His bare hand slipped out and grabbed her thigh right below her short's ragged edge. The startled yelp got him laughing and her retaliation caused his to yelp himself as the contents of the icepack spilled down his head and over bare skin straight into his lap. He jumped up with a start and they smacked into each other, groaned and fell backwards onto the bed in a cold, wet heap of tangled skin.

They laid there unmoving for many minutes until the deep throated rumble of laughter slipped from his massive chest. Storm glanced up at him and gave him a look that couldn't be misread ... "Are you insane?" He laughed harder and untangled himself enough to pull her smaller body over his and then trap her by resting his hands on her rump and keeping her where he wanted.

"Yes ... about you ..." He smiled. Taken a bit aback by his words, she was unprepared for the next thing her gentle giant said. "Let's get married."

Her gasp was swallowed by the sound of the hounds wailing mournfully ...

*****

He returned and lumbered into the study where the Mistress sat, cat purring contently on her lap, waiting for him.

"Hello ... daddie." her words were said with venom and acid dripping from them. The cat vanished to nothing with only a ghostly hiss. As she stood, the throne she had been sitting in melted into the floor to nothing and she stood there ... hair drifting in a breeze that wasn't there ... He blinked and his fat jowls jiggled as he tried to find the words to stop this woman ... this child of the dark ... his child ... He didn't try to deny it ... she looked like her mother ... except for her eyes ... they were filled with hate ... rage ...anger ... and pain ... He swallowed the lump in his throat and slipped his most pleading face on ...

"My angel ... come to comfort your father in his time of need ... So loyal ...So sweet ..."

"So wrong." She said as the floor behind him buckled and he was forced to his knees. She walked over to him as he rested on sore knees and glared down at him.

This is bad. I need into her mind. I need ... her mother ... "No, please ... sweet Donna ... tell me that you haven¢t filled our child with hatred for her father ... Please, no lies ... The truth ... Tell me you didn¢t turn her against me with sweetly coated lies..." He sobbed and looked to the heavens as if he expected her mother to appear. The floor did more then buckle, it vanished and Paul dropped to the basement below. The woman followed ... but Jean had given her a weapon ... a weapon Paul didn't have ... the dream ... control of the dream ... A breeze lowered her to the basement unharmed. Her father suffered more from the fall ... his ankle was broken ... his hands scraped by the hard floor ... a thin jagged cut dripped blood into his eyes. He wondered if maybe... she wasn't more than he could handle.

Then she stopped. He looked up at her and saw the twin trails of tears down her cheeks. She looked at him and said sadly but her voice found it's strength as she spoke and her final word echoed loudly through the cool stony basement.

"Never again, Father. Never again. Never touch, never hurt, never come near the Brides of the Undertaker again ... or His wrath ... or Kane's wrath ... will seem like a gentle embrace compared to the HELL I WILL UNLEASE ON YOU! NO MORE! NO MORE!" She stopped and the word echoed and then was absorbed into nothing. Then she whispered. "Or your daughter will send you to hell ... even if I have to accompany you there myself."

Her eyes glowed white like moonlight and he shielded his eyes as the glow spread and enveloped her and then vanished taking her with it ...

Book Ten of The Undertaker's Brides

© 1998 by The Brides of Darkness

This story cannot be used in any way without written permission