[Quick word of warning, you might want to read the tags/description if you haven't already- There's a MAJOR tonal shift from part one]
 
It was early in the morning when James opened his eyes. He stretched, and felt something move strangely in his stomach. Who did he eat last ni-
 
 
“Nat?” he squeaked.
 
 
“So, you’re finally awake big guy.” Her voice was weak. “I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t feel so good.”
 
 
James was to his feet instantly, bouncing to regain his balance. “I’ll puke you up right now, just wait a second.”
 
 
“No, love. No. No.” She sounded progressively sadder and slower as she spoke.
 
 
James slowed and leaned against a wall. “How long has it been?” he asked, understanding in his voice. She’d been too far gone for a while now, it was just a matter of time.
 
 
“Hard to tell, but I woke up like this a while ago. Maybe an hour or two? I couldn’t feel my feet at all, and I was tingling or numb all over...”
 
 
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Panic and anger edged his voice as he interrupted.
 
 
“I tried, but I couldn’t make enough of a fuss to get your attention. You were up super late worrying I’m sure. I tried shouting but my throat is sore from the air here. I tried kicking but… my leg just kinda… mushed. I’m sorry, love.”
 
 
“I… I should have…” Natalie could hear that he was trying not to cry and losing.
 
 
“Shhhh. It’s ok. It’s ok. This all was my idea. I’ve been… thinking. Those tablets have a drug in them that stops your stomach from making more acids and enzymes, but I think all that never cluster stimulating I did must have had the opposite effect. All that playing was flooding your stomach with enzymes. I’m so s-sorry love.” She was near tears.
 
 
“Don’t be sorry, Nat. I knew what kind of risk I was taking letting you stay. I’m not the one suffering because of it.”
 
 
“Of course you are. I’m sorry to let you down. On the bright side, this doesn’t hurt at all. It’s kinda nice, in a morbid sort of way. All the tension in my body is just gone. And in a few hours, this won’t be my problem anymore,” she gave a slight ‘huh’ as the humor of the situation struck her. “You’re the one who’s going to be putting up with this at the end of the day. So please, please, promise me. Don’t beat yourself up about this. You know, it barely even feels like dying. It’s like I said before. It’s like the space between us is getting so small we’re basically already one and the same.”
 
 
She could feel James jerk slightly. Then again and again, almost rhythmically. He sniffed.
 
 
“James?”
 
 
“Please don’t go.” He sobbed.
 
 
“I’m not going anywhere.”
 
 
James hugged his stomach bulge, noticing how much smaller it was from last night. It made an unpleasant mushing sound.
 
 
“Nat?! Oh my god I didn’t even think are you-”
 
 
“Fine! Fine! I’m fine. I think. I haven’t been able to feel much lately, but I’m still talking, right?”
 
 
“I’m so sorry Nat.” He couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.
 
 
Nat didn’t know what to do. She knew she didn’t have much time left. She’d lost her legs and arms what must have been hours ago. Frankly it was amazing she was still alive, her heart and lungs just barely cushioned from the worst of the digestive juices by a pool of… well, the rest of her. It was something of a medical mystery as to why prey didn’t bleed to death long before this point, but Natalie was thankful for whatever the answer was.
 
 
“Hey, look big guy. I know you don’t really go in for all that mushy supernatural stuff about becoming one with your prey, but you’ve gotta take something from this. Please. Even if I’m not part of you in some supernatural spiritual whatever way, just let me stay a part of you. Let me be that little part of your head that tells you to take care of yourself. I’ve spent basically our whole time together trying to be that for you, and if I’m not going to be here then I need you to do that for yourself. Think what I would tell you to do. Please, eat when you’re hungry. Get help from other people when you need it. Love yourself like I love you.”
 
 
The cadence of the huge, racking sobs barely changed.
 
 
“Promise me, Jamie.”
 
 
Natalie felt a gentle pressure from outside. “I-I-I-i… I promise, Nat.”
 
 
She could feel her head getting fuzzy. She couldn’t really feel herself breathing, which had been happening on automatic due to her body’s stubborn refusal to die, but she wagered her breath must be getting shallower. It wouldn’t be long now.
 
 
“Good boy, Jamie.” Her voice was noticeably different, wheezy and off pitch. “Be good to yourself. I hope I was a good meal.”
 
 
Something about the finality of what Natalie said got at James, causing him to stop crying with only a few short sobs.
 
 
“Natalie please don’t go…” His voice was soft and pleading. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, but some deep part of him had to try pleading with reality.
 
 
“I love you…” Her voice was weak, almost inaudible over the soft bubbling of digestion. It had a bubbling, liquidity property of its own, ‘ you’ being gargled more than said. It was clear that those would be her final words.
 
 
James could feel a few last twitches inside his stomach, and then stillness. For a few moments he felt nothing. He was perfectly still. There was only one thought in his head. “She’s gone.”
 
 
And then the floodgates broke. He roared in anguish. He hit the floor in fetal position, clutching his stomach and stroking the still-solid skull of his lover through the now-thicker flesh, murmuring “ please no” and “Natalie” before it all dissolved into plain uggly sobbing, and eventually into unconsciousness. Mercifully, it was a dreamless sleep.
 
 
James came around late in the afternoon, feeling oddly calm. His stomach was much smaller now, and he was a little bigger all over. His face was sticky with just about every fluid that could come out of it, and he was greasy all over from his ‘playtime’ with Nat last night. He knew he had to get himself clean, so he did. He disposed of the parts of what used to be Natalie that didn’t stay behind, showered, shaved, and got dressed. Something felt right about wearing something a little more formal. He put on a black suit. Something about getting so clean and dressed up seemed to help balance out how filthy he felt inside in a small way. What would Nat have him do now? He couldn’t honestly say. At this time on a sunday they wouldn’t be doing anything, and that wasn’t an option for James. If he stopped moving now he probably wouldn’t ever start again. And the words rang in his head. “Get help from other people when you need it.” He went to go find his phone and pondered his contacts list. He had friends who could help him. He was afraid; most people he knew he knew through Nat. Nobody that would be happy about what happened today. But some things needed to get worse before they got better. There were things that needed doing.