Grim and Bear It

Rule #100: A reaper may not barter, promise, compromise, or offer a choice to a soul they've come to collect.

- The Reaper Code of Ethics, official handbook.

Poppy

It was wild staring down at my own body. "Can I be a reaper without a body?" I asked.

Sylvia put her arm around my shoulders. "I'd reunite you, and we would pull the metal out. Your body would transition as soon as we crossed back over."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I can't believe I got to be human again for a little while."

"Was it worth it?" she asked.

I pressed my fingers to my lips. "It was worth everything."

She pulled back and examined my face. "You and Jake totally had sex, didn't you?"

My mouth fell open. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Means yes," she said. "Was it great?"

I just smiled.

"Good. You deserve it."

I frowned. "Wait, how are you here? And can I even go back?"

"I'm here because your name popped up on Daniel's manifest, and he raised hell that I should be the one to come get you since we're partners." She turned to me and took my hands in hers. "And you're not automatically banished upon reentry. Our parents were able to appeal to the Counsel and"-she straightened her shoulders-"I'm going to apply to Counsel and see if we can change a few things."

My eyes widened. "You? Sylvia Bethany Grim? Running for Counsel?"

She shook my arms. "Yes, you dork. I don't think that people younger than twenty-five should become reapers. I think we should have visitation rights with people in the afterlife, although I'll admit I'm not sure how that'd work. And I believe we should reconsider Isle of Exile."

I released her hands and threw my arms around her. "I love you."

She grumbled but hugged me back begrudgingly. "Love you, too." She pulled back and put her hands on my shoulders. "I'd love you by my side."

I nodded. "Of course." Neither of us missed how my voice cracked. I hadn't been ready to leave the human world again, but if I could help no other reaper experience what I did, then it would have to be enough.

"I think, though, that I can wait a few decades before that happens. Change takes time, you know."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She nodded back to my still body. "If I put you back in your body and they give you that pill, you'll turn into a hybrid vampire. You'll have a really long life and I'll be waiting for you on the other side, okay?" "And if I don't want that?" I asked.

"Then I take your soul and your body before they put that pill in your mouth. But you can never come back. They'll remove you permanently from traveler duty. You'll never see any of them again, including Jake. It's your choice." My choice. I finally got to make a choice. "Will our family be mad if I stayed?" Will you?

She smiled a sad smile. "Mad? No. But we'll miss you. Terribly. You're my best friend, you know."

"You're mine, too." My voice was full of tears I couldn't shed.

"I knew you'd want to stay." She winked at me.

I startled. "How'd you know they'd be able to save me?"

She smirked and shook her head. "Because Jake would do anything to save you, and this couldn't be the end of your story." She bobbed her head. "And I may have had a few ghost friends keeping me updated about where the closest Vixen was. There was some in the gas station if we needed, although I didn't expect Fletcher to blow it up."

"The guy in there!" I looked around for him. "Is he still alive?"

Sylvia waved her hand. "A shapeshifter friend doing me a favor. He's fine."

I looked back at her wide-eyed. "You're not allowed to interfere like this."

"You're not the only person who would do anything for the people they loved. I'll be okay. But you must go back right now if you're staying. Go before it's too late."

I wrapped her in one last hug. "Thank you. Love you."

"Yeah, yeah." She hugged me back. "See you in like seventy or so years. It'll go by in a blink." She kissed my forehead. "Bye, Poppy." She shoved me backward.

I opened my eyes, already screaming as I resettled into my body. The pain was so white hot, it was cold. I held out a shaking hand and Romi dropped a capsule into it. I tossed it into my mouth and tried to swallow but nearly choked. I closed my eyes and with the last of my energy, I chewed on it, the powder spilling into my mouth and burning my tongue. I kept trying to swallow it down when a bottle of water was gently pushed against my lips. I gargled and choked, but finally swallowed.

My body jolted as something warm spread over me. Please don't let me die again. I heard Romi say something about removing the metal, and then I felt them tugging at my middle. It was like being stabbed repeatedly with a knife, but suddenly, it was gone.

I opened my eyes to find Jake kneeling next to me, blood dripping down his face, holding my hand against his heartbeat. "Poppy," he whispered.

"I chose you," I admitted with a smile, my voice stronger than I anticipated.

He kissed the back of my hand. "Thank god."

I reached up and touched the wound on his forehead. "Just a scratch," he promised. "Romi, Paris, and Loren have perfect aim, although I have no idea how they simultaneously killed the wolves and Fletcher."

Paris let out a single laugh. "We were assigned to take out hybrid vampires. I carried the bullets that would kill them. Don't know how Romi did it."

Romi blew the hair out of her face. "Fenton and I may be pacifists in general, but we've literally been to hell and back. I always carry magic bullets that will kill almost every supernatural creature."

Jake's eyes widened. "I'm going to need some of those."

"After you stop bleeding," she promised.

We all looked up as the ambulance, human police, and firefighters arrived at the same time. Jake helped me sit up and I looked down at my blood-soaked clothes. I lifted my shirt away from my torso, revealing only a shallow cut. "We get another chance," I whispered.

"We do," Jake said back, kissing me softly.

Something appeared on the ground next to him and I was startled to find my violin and a stack of letters weaved through the strings. The top one read TO POPPY, LOVE DAD. And for the second time in twelve years, I burst into tears.