Chapters 4-6 of the first version.


4. Apartment on the 13th Floor
"DAMIT DAMIEN!"

Alex bolted up from bed, scared and not remembering why exactly she was in a strangers bedroom.

Oh. yeah. Dillon.

And Julie. Dillon’s dead because of Julie.

Alex shook her head, trying to push back any memories or angry thoughts that were trying to get through, finding success in focusing in on what was going on. Things had always hurt less if Alex ignored them.

Glancing at the light streaming through the room, Alex guessed it must have been about ten in the morning. It wasn't like they'd really gone over the whole "Getting Alex Home" thing last night, but she'd been pretty sure that it involved her leaving sometime before dawn.

"YOU BETTER TELL ME WHY MY ALARM CLOCK WAS RESET OR I'M GONNA OPEN THOSE FRIKIN CURTAINS!"

The sound of something crashing and two people running ensued. Alex nervously walked to the door, curious to see what exactly was going on between the two, when Damien burst through the door and slammed it shut, putting his back against it. He was breathing hard, but the was no particular emotion showing on his face or in his eyes. Skye slammed against the door, but Damien didn't budge. Alex gave him a curious look. He ignored her.

"Damien!" Skye called from the other side. It didn't sound angry, more like a high pitched whine.

"Why can't she come in?" Damien looked at Alex like she was crazy and shook his head.

"Well why not?" He ignored her again and Alex sighed, annoyed. She was going to sit down on the bed, when something flashed silver through the door, and Damien's head was slammed against it, dazing him enough for Skye to burst through.

"Jesus, Skye!." He moaned, clutching his head. Skye looked pissed, but then something seemed to register and her look became one of surprise.

"You…just…but…Damien!" She said kneeling down to him. Damien looked surprised as well. It took a moment for Alex to register that it was his speaking out loud was the cause the sudden change in mood.

"I thought something was different this morning.." Damien rasped.

"But...what...I mean they were gone..."

"must have regrown when she stabbed me..."

"Oh, god this is great Dame!" Skye hugged Damien, ignoring his stiff reaction.

"So...does this mean your not going to fry me with an open window?" He asked darkly. Skye jerked back and glared at him.

"Oh no, your not off the hook for that one." She growled.

Damien sighed and shrugged. "I already told you that I had nothing to do with your stupid alarm clock."

"You are such a bad liar."

"Doesn't matter if I’m lying or not, you'd still blame this on me."

"Damn straight....I mean..."

"Excuse me" Alex interrupted. She wasn't following exactly what they were talking about, and was more than a little confused. "But what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, well, you stabbed Damien through the adam's apple last night, and now he can talk. Oh, and the jackass reset my alarm for some god forsaken reason that he refuses to tell me, so now we have to wait until after dark before we take you home" Skye stated bluntly. It didn't make sense any better than before. Damien looked amused with his sister as if her reaction was childish.

"Not my fault that you can't pick up and fly a little human home on your own."

"I can too! It's daytime though Dame, I'm trying not to be seen"

"That's your problem" He said nonchalantly.

"Guys!! I'm still really confused, and you two arguing isn't helping.” Alex pleaded.

"Get over it human." He growled.

"Would you please stop calling me that. I have a name that..." She paused and looked at him " I have a name that for some reason you know. what...the hell."

"Telepathy, read your dead boyfriends mind. You and some Julie girl we're the last things on his mind....Didn't take much brain power to figure out who you where."

"How nice of Dillon to spare a thought for me before killing himself for her." She replied rawly. Damien picked up on the pang of sorrow in her voice and for once didn't contribute to the pain. Staying still he whispered "I'm....sorry" it was more of a question than a statement.

"yeah, well fuck it." She looked thoughtful for a second. Damien probed her mind for anything, but felt a forceful push back on his own conscience. He managed a low “what the fu…” before Alex ran out of the room. The sound of the front door to the apartment slamming soon followed.

The twins looked at each other for a moment before Skye stretched and sat back against the wall. The excitement of Damien’s voice being back was shot to pieces, but the mood wouldn’t have lasted long anyways.

"I promise not to open all the windows in the house if you go get her...." Skye said, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Why me?" Damien asked in a mock exasperated tone. Skye giggled and helped him up.

"Your faster than me, now get going." He glared but obeyed. Keeping the girl around had, after all, been his idea.

O.O.O.O

Alex slumped against the wall in the elevator, having hit the 1 button and watching the doors close without seeing any sign of Damien or Skye.

Damien.

Man he creeped her out. Telepathy, wings, no voice-voice, and the whole calling her "human" thing. Last night he'd been ok, but now something was erking her. Skye had startled her with the shouting and attacking Damien, and Alex wasn't quite clear on what to make of it, but as the floors counted down Alex sighed with relief. If she was lucky, she'd be able to make it back home without getting caught. which direction home was exactly, Alex wasn't sure, but by judging by all the floors marked on the elevator buttons, she had a general idea of were she was. The biggest building in town, well more of the outskirts, kids avoided it because....the demons.

Shit. She knew exactly where she was, and if she had been anyone else she would have begun hyperventilating. Instead she concentrating on the fact that someone had just called the elevator from the second floor. Standing back up, she straightened up and smoothed her hair, preparing to meet whomever she was about to meet.

Whomever was a guy. No a man. No wait....possibly the hottest man had ever seen. He had golden hair that fell in his face, framing incredible bone structure and eyes that put her one the verge of swooning. Blue-green dark eyes. His smile raised whatever temperature it was in the elevator by at least ten degrees. "Well, who are you..." He said slowly. Alex shivered slightly upon seeing his teeth. They were white and straight, but oh so very slightly pointed, his gaze more of hunger than anything else. Putting aside her nervousness she boldly smiled. "Alex."

“Alex…“ He seemed to be tasting the word. "I'm Samael, what brings a girl like you to the Angels Arms?"

"Come again?"

"Angel's Arms Apartments. You know, the place your currently in." She shook her head. "I'm not....sure"

"Well, maybe I should take you back up to my apartment and we could find you a reason..." His hand touched her arm and he leaned close, way to close for a strangers comfort.

The doors opened and there was Damien waiting in the shadows. Alex‘s heart skipped a beat in relief, and broke away, standing very close to Damien..

Creepy or no, Damien hadn't just tried and....somethinged her. He glanced at her, "You alright?" He whispered. She nodded, and Damien turned back to Samael. Some sort of conversation was had between them, an argument by the looks of it, until Samael went off to the front doors and Damien led Alex back into the Elevator. Once the doors where closed, Damien leaned against the wall and grumbled "Pedophile." Alex looked at him wide eyed, but didn't receive a an answer.

“So this place, It’s called…the Angel’s Arms?”

Damien nodded, picking at a splinter in the old elevators wood panels

“Why? I thought only Demons lived here.” Damien laughed

“Demons? Maybe a handful around here actually live in houses. Our dear friend Karikus’ living situation shows you what the majority of Demons do. No, mostly Angel’s around here.”

“But, wait, Angels? I…oh, never mind.”

“Just spit it out human.”

“Alex.”

“Whatever! What where you going to ask Alex, ‘cause I’m dying to know.”

“Nothing.”

She crossed her arms and looked down at her socks, looking puzzled as to why she wasn’t wearing shoes.

The door chimed on the thirteenth floor and Damien gently escorted her to the door marked 26. Opening the door, Damien dropped to his knees as soon as the living rooms light hit him, Skye was laughing.

"Damn it Skye!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must of somehow forgot how much that hurts." She shut the blinds and Alex walked carefully over Damien’s slumped form. He picked himself up, and glared at Skye, but she didn't mind. She was beaming.

"It's so good to hear you say my name."

Damien rolled his eyes, and Alex sighed. Little trails of smoke were coming from the back of Damien's neck, but she decided not to ask. Instead she walked over to the couch, layed down, and closed her eyes. Damn these two were confusing. If not for Dillon committing suicide.....Her eyes burned, and it took a lot of will power not to cry, but once it passed she thought to herself I really hate you Dillon.

5. Mix Breeds Unite!
After thoroughly cursing Skye out for opening the window to burn him, everyone had gone on their separate pursuits. Currently Damien was occupied with making pancakes. He was a pretty darn good cook; he had been the only person cooking in the apartment for the last five years. Skye hated cooking and usually avoided it; using the excuse that mom had never really done it either.

Whatever, right now he was just glad for the oven facing the living room. Skye had gone off to take a shower judging by the sound of running water, and Alex was lying on the couch exactly how she had been twenty minutes before when he'd brought her back to the apartment. He watched her silently as he studied her and cooked at the same time.

Her dark brown hair was shining in the sunlight streaming through the poorly shut living room window. Her eyes where shut, and he could see the slight twinge of red rimming them. It was faint, but he had exceptional eyesight. Right now he was going against his own code of conduct as he caught her stray thoughts.

She was thinking about Dillon. Mostly about when he had taken her up to the train station roof for the first time. She was trying to picture what he had looked like that evening, his exact features changing now and then. She gave up and began imagining the silver haired girl. The one from her dream, her violet eyes shining from the light of a fire a long haired Asian girl had given her. A wicked smile played on their lips and the began torching everything around them. Then suddenly, she blocked her thoughts again. Damien had to wonder if she had done that on purpose, had she actually sensed him reading her thoughts? But the way that she could slip into it told him no. She hadn't. Though, it was strange for her to be picturing the silver haired girl like that. And the arson was an interesting affect. Passing that from his mind, Damien continued to study her.

After a moment she smiled and opened her eyes, turning to look at what he was doing. Damien smiled back thinking to himself that he knew that smile, but was still struggling with placing it. She frowned again when she noticed he was watching her, quickly looking back up to the ceiling. Grimacing Damien went a little red from being caught looking, still not taking his eyes off her. It took the smell of burning pancake to make him realize that he was staring.

"Shit!" He flipped the ruined pancake into the garbage, watching the totally blackened side flip over and over. Pouring more batter onto the skillet he looked up, but Alex wasn't on the couch anymore. Where’d that girl go, my back was only turned for a second.... He felt her presence pop up behind him. She was less than an inch away from him, watching him now, cooking. Alex must have realized how close she’d gotten to him. Muttering something to herself, she climbed onto the counter next to the stove and tilted her head. He looked at her, and her eyes flashed purple for a second before she looked away.

There was an odd tension between the two of them. It certainly wasn’t pleasant either. Possibly from Damien’s aversion to physical contact, or maybe that a girl hadn't hovered this close to him in how long...

“So what’s up with you not talking…well talking but not really, and suddenly its hooray, Damien can speak?”

“Just like Skye told you, last night I couldn’t speak, then you stabbed me in my throat and now I can.”

“I barely scratched you, getting a knife shoved through your neck like that would kill you, but you don’t even have a mark from it.”

Damien looked at her strangely. “You do remember the whole “getting hit by a train and having limbs severed off” bit I mentioned right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, if I were a pathetic human like you, that would have killed me. No, a little scratch like you gave me defiantly couldn’t kill me.”

Alex looked thoughtful for a moment. “Ok, so…you got hit by a train, had limbs chopped off, and lived, but I slit Kari’s throat and he died? How does that work?”

Damien shook his head. “Crystals, As a demon, Karikus was pretty weak, and then you took his crystal away. Simple as that.”

“So your saying all I have to do is take a demons crystal and I can kill them?”

“Only if their as weak a demon as Karikus, which most aren‘t. Actually I‘m surprised a human hasn‘t killed him before, you mortals aren‘t bound by the stupid council like we are.”

“So what, are you immortal? And what’s with this pain in the ass council?”

“Pretty damn close and you don’t need to know anything more about the council.”

“What? Why?”

“You’re a little human. What do you need to know about Demons other than you should avoid them.”

“And what about Angels?” Damien paused for a moment.

“They can be worse than the Demons Alex.” He gave her a fierce look that made her bite her tongue, stemming the other questions she had about them. After about two minutes Alex started up again.

"Where’s my boots?" Her question caught him slightly off guard. Angels and Demons to shoes. He had completely forgotten that he and Skye had taken them from her the night before.

"Ask Skye, she was the one ogling them last night going on about how she'd like a pair like them."

"Your girlfriend wouldn't steal them would she?" Damien looked up at Alex like she was crazy. "I never said..."

"Oh good, so I'll get them before I go home."

"Yes...but"

"Thanks, that’s all I wanted to know." She slipped off the counter and walked back to his room and left him speechless.

She thinks Skye and me are boyfriend and girlfriend!?

O.O.O.O

"No way!"

"I think she might have gotten the wrong impression, I mean

we never really mentioned what our relationship was."

"I know, but Boyfriend and Girlfriend? I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Thank you so much Skye, my confidence just shot through the roof."

"No...It’s not you, Its the thought of....it.”

"You should probably stop before I go lock myself in the closet to save the world the agony of my being."

Skye hugged Damien, ignoring for the millionth time how fridged he became when someone made physical contact.

“You know I love you Dame.”

"Yeah, I know." He became silent and walked to the fridge grabbing some milk, and reaching to a neighboring cabinet for syrup. When Alex popped up again. She took her spot at the table, Skye chatting her ear off, and Damien taking a seat next to her. Alex didn't reply to any of what Skye was saying, but his sister seemed on fire, not even waiting for a response before jumping onto the next topic. I need to let her hang out with her friends more often. Alex stared at her pancakes before digging in, eating them faster than was probably comfortable Damien smiled at the slight worry in Alex's eyes. Reaching out to her mind he heard God, I'm stuck in a house with a pair of boyfriend and girlfriend lunatics.

" Yeah, well just be glad we‘ve had our shots and don‘t bite."

Alex looked to him, the comment he had made shocking her more than the fact that his lips hadn‘t moved. Last night she could have not noticed it, but he'd just replied to a personal thought that she had definitely had not just said out loud through a mouthful of pancake. A smile played on her lips, but she suppressed it, jumping into a telepathic conversation with him as if it were nothing unusual, her eyes studying his neck.

"So, If I really cut that deep, how come there’s no scar?

"From what? You trying to go 'demon slayer' last night? Maybe I'm just so white that there are no scars"

But you've got that one on the left side...." Alex struggled against the urge to reach out and touch it.

"Maybe cause the girl who gave it to me wanted it seen..."

"And...why?"

"It's none of your business"

Alex paused, so Damien took over with asking questions.

"So, how exactly did you get to be so comfortable with telepathic conversations...I mean, your just a human."

"Screw you. It's none of your business." They glared at each other. Turning back to their pancakes, Damien felt Alex look back up at him and smiled, but he refused to meet her gaze. She looked back down dejectedly and slowly went back to picking at the pancakes. "Sorry.... That wasn't nice of me."

"It may have come off as a joke, but you meant it, so no apologizing for what you purposely did." Alex was staring at him, and he almost shook his head.

Replacing the slight look of shock on his face, Damien smirked and returned her stare.

Her eyes flashed purple again. His mind did a back flip, as if he knew that look. Damn her. Ignoring anything that he felt he refused to return her gaze the rest of breakfast.

Skye pretended not to have noticed anything, just kept on talking, ignoring that Alex wasn't actually listening.

O.O.O.O

Damien was standing in the doorway of his bedroom, silently staring at Alex. She was staring back, forcefully, daring him to come in.

The day had gone by smoothly, Damien sleeping most of it and only having woken up a few moments ago. It was almost nine at night and Skye was gone, lord knows why, Damien guessed she wouldn't be back until much later. This would leave him to take the human back...by himself.

He came in and glanced at the window, satisfied by the darkness outside he offered her a hand. She looked at him strangely and he grumbled "I gotta take you home. You know, now." Alex accepted, and kept her physical contact low. Damien was glad, because he really didn't like much of it. He was still having troubles with the embrace they'd shared the night before. He made a side trip to Skye's room where Alex's boots where sitting on the bed, clean and ready for Alex to have them back. Taking them away in case of Alex going on an emotional rampage seemed rather pointless now because well, Alex wasn't too upset. In fact, Damien half wondered why she was being so unemotional. She was acting as if her boyfriend hadn‘t committed suicide the night before.

Oh well, Saves me the trouble of dealing with an emotional female.

Chauvinist Ah, Alex. He'd forgotten to screen any thoughts, but hell. She was smiling again.

Walking to and opening the door, they were interrupted by a very energized Samael at the door. What Alex hadn't known before was that she'd caught him before he'd fed for the day. His eyes took in Alex's figure before looking curiously at Damien. "Well, she's almost as pretty as you Dame."

Alex's hand instinctively found Damien’s and she stepped closer and leaned her head against his arm. What the hell is she doing? Damien silently wondered to himself, never letting the surprise show on his face. Turning back to Samael he smiled crookedly. " Good of you to have noticed that she's mine" He said pointedly. Marking the territory and being possessive, but it was necessary for Sam to back off, even if it was just slightly. He walked past Samael, but Sam's hand snaked out, gripping Alex's. "Tell me sweetheart, does he treat you like he should? Such a cold and distant boy, can‘t imagine him keeping anyone else warm at night. I on the other hand, don‘t mind in the least” His smile sent down shivers down Alex's spine, but she fought the urge to shrink away from his grasp. "Well if I ever feel like whoring myself out for a night, I know who to call now."

Don't say anything else. Damien instructed her. Samael was getting a look in his eye that made him uneasy. They needed to leave quickly.

Damien pushed the down on the elevator and turned around to face Sam until the elevator came.

Samael meanwhile was pretending to be stung by Alex's remark. "Oh honey, that’s harsh. Speaking of whores though..."

Thankfully, the elevator had been on the floor, the doors opened and Damien rushed Alex through. "Leave her be or I‘ll kick your ass Sam." Damien stepped through the old elevator doors right before they shut, forcing Sam to use the stairs if he wanted to catch up with them. He turned instead to the apartment. Walking in he laughed to himself, relishing the fact that Damien had been caught off guard enough to leave the door open “kick my ass? That boy can‘t even

remember to shut a door…”

O.O.O.O

"So...how do you know, him."

"Who, Sam?"

"Yeah."

The elevator was going unbearably slow, floor-by-floor and Damien had begun to wonder if the stairs would have been faster. Alex had let go of his hand, and taken the corner opposite him as soon as the elevator doors had closed. Now she was staring blankly at him.

"He's....Well you remember the conversation about the inhabitants of this place earlier...."

"So he‘s an Angel? No wait, he‘s a Demon isn‘t he!"

"No, just as bad though. He’s a half human, half immortal jackass.”

She began drifting into a thought about Karikus, wondering if he was full or half a Demon. “Karikus…“ Damien said quietly. She flinched at the mention of his name. Her hand made its way to her boots, and she idly played with the spot where she kept her knife.

Absentmindedly, Damien reached up and massaged his throat. They caught the other doing this and stopped immediately. Alex sighed and closed her eyes.

"This building, I always wondered what it looked like." Damien cocked his head to the side.

"You know that we spread those rumors about Demons living here for the safety of humans. "

"Oh." An awkward silence crept up, and they were left staring at the floor.

"What happened to the red crystal?"

"Huh? Oh you mean the necklace? I put it in my pocket, why?"

He glanced toward the numbers as they slowly counted down to one. "You should put it on." Alex looked annoyed, her hand siding to the left pocket where she was hiding it.

"No."

Damien glared at her. "Why the hell not?"

"No!" He took a step towards her and made a reach for the pocket, but she dropped to the floor, trying to slide herself out between his legs, almost succeeding. Acting quickly, Damien caught her arms with his feet, then dropping to the floor, he pinned her arms with his knees.

"Why are you being difficult?" He asked, reaching back into her pocket and catching the end of the string with his finger. Lifting it out he dangled it above her smiling. "It's just a stupid necklace."

She grew still, and Damien realized the position he had currently rested himself at.... If the doors where to open before he got up....

"People will think your raping me, so get off!" Damien jumped up, and pulled Alex along, fighting the urge to blush. That had been embarrassing. The number two lit up and faded, and Alex looked up. Damien took the chance and caught her wrist, looping the string around three times and then double knotting it. Alex jerked her hand away and fumbled with the knots trying to undo them, but Damien grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"Leave it on, anyone in the entry way will leave you alone if they see you wearing it." She jerked her hand away, and shoved it into her pocket. When she didn't go for the knots again, Damien was satisfied and leaned back against the wall, the door sliding open, revealing a very busy entry room.

Damien stepped out first, and Alex followed, keeping her hand stuck in her pocket, not letting on the fact that the necklace was burning her wrist....

O.O.O.O

Alex looked at the back of Damien’s head, and wondered why he had to be the one to take her home. She was in a resentful mood, currently hating just about everyone in her life. Dillon, for jumping and nearly dragging her down with him. Damien for saving her life, and now keeping her in the stupid apartment, probably making her family believe that she was dead. Julie, for breaking up with Dillon and making him jump which made Damien save her. Hazel for ever taking her here and introducing her to Julie. Hazel for leaving her behind with her brother so that she would grow up, fall in love with Dillon, and have her heart broken twice. Dillon. Damien. Julie. Hazel. It was circling around finally picking up Skye in the mix until it was somehow all Skye's fault for everything. By now Alex had realized she was being stupid, but for some reason this felt even better than ignoring the situation. She was getting pretty pissed until a sharp pain came from her wrist. Looking down she noticed a small line of blood coming from underneath the string the red crystal was hanging from. She wasn't going to let on to Damien the little problem she was having, instead opting to flicking her wrist a few times until the line of blood was behind the crystal, hidden until it could soak into her pants pocket.

Now she was pissed at her parents. But hell, she didn't know them very well, so what could she be pissed about. Them dying hadn't exacting been their intention. Still though...Alex shook her head. No more. I can’t think like this. There was a pain in her chest that while she’d been angry had gotten worse and worse. Fighting it was Alex’s way of getting through tough times. Finding something else to think about, she settled with being happy that Damien hadn't decided to put the necklace around her neck. He'd have been in for one hell of a surprise if he had....

0.0.0.0

Damien smiled casually at all his neighbors, mostly older Demons that only knew him because of who his parents had been. But they were staring at him a little more than usual. One of them, Damien‘s friend Ser, smiled and congratulated him. Smiling, Damien remembered that he'd completed the assignment of taking out Karikus, and the fact that the council had allowed Karikus to live for this long had pissed quite a few people off. "There are rumors going around that it wasn't actually you or Skye though that killed him." Ser asked, walking towards the door next to Damien, who raised his eyebrow. "And who told you this." Ser looked slightly taken back by the verbal reply.

"When'd you get that back?"

"I'll tell you how once you tell me who let slip that it wasn't us that killed him."

"Skye might have mentioned it, I heard it from one of her friends." Damien smiled. So Skye had gone off to see her friends, leaving Damien to take Alex back on a moonlit flight alone. Her perfect idea of matchmaking while she got to go play. They'd have to talk about this when he got back.

"Really, and did they mention who really killed him?"

Ser looked around and projected to Damien. "Heard it was a human. No offense though, It's just, and this came from another source, but they said they took his crystal. What Demon in their right mind would take another’s crystal? What exactly would they do with it? Watch as it burns a whole in their hand? Just sounds like a human thing to do."

Damien glanced at Alex. " What sounds like a human thing to do?"

"To steal a necklace."

"Or perhaps, take the damn thing back." Alex was glaring at them, and the two of them jumped. Ser looked at her wide-eyed. She casually flipped her hair with her right hand, forgetting that it was bleeding pretty badly. Thankfully for her, Damien had just stepped forward to open the door, blocking Ser's view of the bloody wrist. Still, the second she stepped out the door, she took off running.

"Damien, who is that?"

"The girl who killed Karikus." He said as he took off running after her. Ser stood still for a while before following.

"ooof!" Damien had to tackle Alex to get her to stop. Ser caught up, breathing hard and laughing. "You know for a human she's pretty damn fast." Damien smiled as he helped Alex up, taking notice of her bleeding wrist. "Yeah, she is, but.... What?" Alex took back her hand and tore at the knots and yanked it off, separating the string and the crystal. Depositing the Crystal into her left pocket again, she blew on her bleeding wrist watching as it gradually started to heal itself. Ser stared and Damien took a step closer to her.

"What...are you?" Damien asked quietly. Alex laughed and brushed herself off. "You know, that‘s pretty rude." Damien looked at her strangely, but Ser quickly filled the silence with questions.

"So how did you get to know Damien and Skye the Half breeds?" Alex said nothing, just shrugged, as if this where just normal chat about the weather. Ser didn’t stop smiling though. "So what’s this about "taking the Damn thing back"? Karikus has had that for as long as I can remember." Damien asked.

She shook her head. "I'm going home and probably will never see either of you again so what does it matter?"

"The council has a policy about collecting all Demon's crystals. They know that his is missing, they'll track you down unless you give me a good reason for you taking it."

Alex started walking, and Ser caught up to her first. "Please" His hand gently touched her shoulder. "Damien needs to know so that they won't hurt you or your family." She seemed thoughtful, but Damien burned. She was going to open up to Ser who didn't even know her name, and he was confused as to why he felt so possessive over her. He'd known her what? A day? Already the fact that she was talking to someone who treated her a hell of a lot kinder and gentler than himself was making him feel like she was cheating on him or something. "You like her" Skye, damn her. There was going to be an excruciatingly long talk when he got home.

Alex glanced at Damien, who looked pretty damn pissed about something, but Alex wasn't sure what. Looking at Ser she could see nothing in his eyes to suggest anything, but still. She turned and faced Damien and said. "I'll tell him once he takes me home." Damien blinked, but understood. Wings unfolded themselves effortlessly and he reached out his hand to her. She took it and he picked her up nodding to Ser "I'll see you when I get back, k?"

"Yeah, see yah man." Ser didn't look any less happy about her leaving than when she had been about to tell him why she took the necklace. This seemed a bit strange to Damien, but he let it go. But he knew that Ser was a decent person, so nothing to worry about.

Alex was silent most of the way, pointing now and then to an area where her house was, it wasn't until Damien had landed nearby that she spoke up again.

"Where there ever any other half angel half demons?" Damien took a moment to think and then nodded. "Yeah, one. My parents knew the person, but I was to little to really remember anything."

"What happened to them?" Damien shook his head.

"I don't know, my parents died not to long after I met the other one."

"You don't remember if it was a man or a woman?"

"No, a boy and girl and their daughter came, I was never really told who was what."

"But can't you.... Sense if someone is human or.... Demon or angel?"

"No, only by the extent of the power they show, their appearances, or the crystals."

"Then how did Samael know I was human?"

"Well, He hunts them I guess you could call it."

Alex shivered and stepped closer to Damien.

"Hunts them...how."

"For blood, sex and money. Typical vampire, been caught up fulfilling his lusts for so long that he doesn't remember what he was like before."

"So is that how you know him? From before?"

"No, but my grandparents did. That’s why I call him a pedophile for trying to do whatever he wanted to you."

"Oh." She was silent for a moment

"So, that crystal..." Damien paused for a moment remembering her dream. There had been a red stone then too. "When did he get it?” Alex looked at him strangely.

"I thought you said he'd had it forever."

"I lied, the fact that he had a crystal wasn't known until just about two and a half years ago."

"Well then, that's when I lost it."

"Lost it or threw it away?" She looked at him again. So it hadn't just been a dream. Well, this was interesting...

"The only way for another Demon to take another’s crystal is for them to not want it anymore."

"Yes. I gave it up a couple years ago, and now I'm taking it back. Happy?"

"But if it’s yours and you’re just a human, why was the crystal burning you like that?"

"It was the string with his blood on it that was burning me jackass."

Damien smiled and stepped in front of her. Her looked into her eyes noting how they flashed. "And why the hell should demon blood burn you? It only happens to...."

"To what exactly?" Alex spat.

“But I mean, if the crystal is yours that would make you…”

"Damien spit it out!" He clenched his jaw and then looked at her hard "You already knew about Angel's and Demon's didn't you."

Alex glared at him "Well, I...yes."

"Your part of both and human.... A bit like me and Skye."

"Wow, Mix breeds unite!" She said sarcastically "Is that why you guys are together and she's so excited about me, cause I'm like you?"

"Alex.." Her groaned uncomfortable with her referring to him and Skye as a couple again.

"Well, is that why your girlfriend likes me?"

"Skye's not my girlfriend"

"Suuure, and that’s why you two share the apartment."

"Oh sick." He coughed "That's Incest, actually, technically Twincest, but yeah."

Alex looked a little pale, and her eye twitched. "Oh..."

"Yeah...."

They walked up to a house and Alex paused "I'm not going to be seeing you, or her again am I?" It was a little weird, the tone she used. She sounded sad, but excited by the prospect.

"Probably not, but your parents...are they home."

"My..what?"

"Your parents. I didn't know that there where any Demons or Angels living in the city....and, uh..." Damien wasn't sure exactly why he was asking but. Alex glared at him. "Your part Angel, Demon, and Human. That’s extremely rare. There's only one other girl like you, but they say she was killed. I mentioned her parents earlier...." He stopped when she looked at him sadly She turned and started up the stairs, pausing with her hand on the door.

“Goodnight. I really hope I never see you again Damien."

She opened the door, and slammed it shut, stunning Damien. He stood still for a moment, blinking once, twice, and three times before deciding he never wanted to see her again either, no matter how badly he wanted to meet another half-breed, Alex was a pain in the ass. Just like the council. No, Damien wanted nothing to do with her all of a sudden. But even as he made that resolution to himself, he had the sinking feeling he’d been seeing her again, and soon.


6. Flash
The crowds cheers where deafening as the brunette girl walked gracefully up to a platform where a scarred up bulky young man was standing looking overly confident. She looked so small compared to him, yet her fans only cried "Emayla!" louder. He smiled, rotten gold plated teeth showing. "Your gonna get crushed little girl"

"We'll see" She said quietly. He took a fighters stance, but she remained standing straight not looking the least worried. Quiet swept the stadium, a ring sweeping thru from the sudden silence, broken instantly by Emayla’s opponent roaring as he came running. Platform shaking and the whole crowd calling, Emayla held still, still and calm until the last second. Her opponent leapt, and she slid sideways rising up as he came down, landing forcefully on the center of his back with her foot. It cracked, nearly broke, but instead just kicked the air out of him. She bounced back and waited for him to stand again before attacking. Her opponent attempted to strike her a second time but she quickly hit him in the throat. His knee caught her off her balance, Emayla catching herself and launching up on her hands and kicking him in the temple, knocking him out.

The roar returned and Emayla bowed her head in response, giving the announcer time to declare her the winner. A brute of a man, tattooed with a shaved head, kindly gave the money to her, smiling and bowing, returned immediately by herself before he walked away. Turning to the stands she smiled and walked over, a small silver haired girl running towards her, swinging her around in her arms as she asked softly. "How did you like the fight Aneirin?"


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Alex woke up clutching the crystal. It was glowing but slowly dimmed. Funny how she'd been trying to rid herself of it for the past few days, and yet it kept coming back to her. The stupid thing had a mind of its own, something she'd always known, and it was determined not to be lost ever again. Her father had once told her to never give it up, because once it found you again, it would never leave you. Alex supposed that was a little too true.
Sighing Alex thought about the dream she'd had, the dreams she'd had since she got her crystal back. They'd been memories, not dreams, though, only events she'd experienced when she'd worn it. Mostly they'd been about her parents...about Emayla and Dante...but also she'd dreamt of the people who'd raised her. So many memories of Shadow, her god fearing guardian she'd thought of at Karikus' ruins, and the fires. Shadows fire, the flames destroying Anderran fortress', the tainted towns, the places devoid of Gaian life. That’s not saying Anderran life hadn't been lost, but...it had been a while since Alex had thought to dwell on that.

So many memories of these fires, she wondered if she was going to wake up and find herself midst ashes. Looking down at the crystal again she sighed moving it back in forth in the new morning light flashes of red light going everywhere. It was the third morning since Dillon had died. Too bad he wasn't Christ, 'cause then she'd be seeing him again today. Or tomorrow. Specifics where a lost cause at the moment. Today was the third since she'd killed Karikus, met the far too confusing twins. She was pretty embarrassed about not having remembered Karikus referring to them as such, instead concluding that they where boyfriend and girlfriend. Boy, that had weirded Damien out. Alex almost laughed, until she remembered the last few things they'd said to each other.

He'd sounded so excited when he'd found out about...her not so pure lineage. Her father, Dante...how hard it was to have the words on her tongue, Dante was dead. How Damien may have missed that, always trying to see into her thoughts, she didn't know. Maybe the fact that she lived with guardians, not parents, had not been stressed in her mind enough. That, or he hadn't been the only one trying to get into her head. Alex shivered, wondering if a neighbor or someone might have been...she passed that from her mind.

Two mornings since she'd gotten home. Strange, that time had gone by so quickly she hardly had registered time passing. Just that there had been the crystal lying her hand after trying to hide it twice now. Hearing her name being called, Alex crawled out of bed and stood up looking in the mirror briefly she ignored the reflection far too similar to Emayla's for comfort. Her heart beat slowly, fighting off any strange stirrings of emotion that thinking about the past brought about, what thoughts of the last few days tried bringing on. Pausing in the doorway, she thought briefly about what she would wear to Dillon’s funeral today, let it go and began to walk down the stairs.


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"Damie! Oh good! Morning sweetie!"
"Leave me alone Sara"
"You know, Skye's right you do have a nice voice."
"I asked you nicely, now LEAVE"
"You know I can't until you get up Damie."
"At least stop calling me that and I will."
"Calling you what? Damie? Damie! Damie! Damie!"
"SHUT UP SARA!"
"DAMIE DAMIE DAMIE!!!" Damien nearly launched himself out of bed trying to get away from his sisters messenger from hell, an Angel girl named Sara. She had planted herself at the foot of his bed and had been attempting to wake him up for the last half hour.
Today, Man he was hating it already. Skye and himself had been summoned to come before the counsel, a group comprised of the people Damien hated most. The execution of Karikus would have to be reported upon, Skye and him had already expected a hand slap for that. Annoying considering the counsel had wanted him dead anyways, but they had not gone through the proper "procedure" of disposal. That deal didn't bother Damien much. That wasn't the only thing they'd be discussing at the meeting though. There was the small matter of the missing crystal. Damien was a little worried about explaining it, but how big of a deal could a missing crystal be?

He grabbed a shirt off the floor and turned on some music and glanced back at a still chanting Sara. Thick disgust roiled in his stomach, as she was wearing his clothes, hers currently dirty and well...who knows why she was wearing his. "Go get changed into something of Skye's, you look like I just slept with you or something." He snapped crankily at her. She just smirked and followed him out of his room. He kept his mouth shut as she trailed him to the kitchen where Tass, a mutual friend of him and Skye’s, was cooking breakfast. "Morning Tass!" Sara chirped, a hot pancake in the face Tass' reply. "Take off Damien’s clothes, you look like dirt wearing them around" Damien smiled as Sara sulked off and leaned over the counter towards Tass. She was smoking as usual a hot pile of pancakes sitting beside the stove, was quickly growing. "You better not get ash in my food" Damien said quietly. Tass smiled, "Don't start running your mouth or I'll rip those vocal cords out a second time." Damien’s countenance didn't change. "I'll just have to pay you back like I did her"

The mood immediately got cold and uncomfortable. Helping himself to half the stack, Damien felt a little bad about the silence Tass had gone into. "Tass...you know that I didn't..."
"Damien, Its not like you to be apologetic, so don't start."
"Whatever, you brought it up" He grumbled. Giggling sounded from the hall, announcing the arrival of Skye and all the other friends she was having stay over. Kunigunde Dion- Kuni, Chandrakanta Kesh- Draka and Seraphim Kesh, or Sara the messenger from Hell. Tass was short Veritaserim Lance. The Dion's and Kesh's had gone a little overboard when naming their kids, obviously having to much fun finding the strangest Gaian names they could. Sara had been named for the Anderran semi-hero Seraphim Porter, Hazel. Tass however...Her parents had liked the Harry Potter series, but hadn't really gotten the idea that you name your kids after the characters, not the objects. She had two younger brothers name Firebolt and Erised...you get the Idea.

Skye was in a light blue dress. Knee length and strapped as always, Skye looked like it was mid summer instead of Mid-October. Of course, it had bee a long time since Skye had cared what the weather was outside, cold didn’t especially bother her. Sara stole the seat closest to Damien, and casually nudged his feet under the table, smiling brightly while resting her chin on her hands. "Damie..." She cooed. He dropped his fork and stood up, trying to leave the room. Skye caught his arm. "Damien, be nice to my friends"

"I'll be ready to leave in a minute" Was all he said before returning to his room. Skye just sighed. "I think he misses her..."
"Misses who?" Sara asked with a rather jealous tone. "Her..."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex wore white. It was all she could think to do. Dillon had hated when she'd worn white, so somehow...it felt right. All day had been spent in the kitchen next to Denver Rae. She had been being funny about speaking to her, avoiding most things like death, funerals, Dillon, the last three days in general. Which was difficult considering they where in the kitchen cooking for the dinner after the funeral, Dillon’s. Close casket.
His family must care a lot about him to have an actual funeral for the bits and pieces of a suicidal teen. Alex bit her tongue, even though she hadn't said it. Denver was in the other room, and if she wasn't careful, those words would come out as soon and she returned. Looking out the window she saw the four o'clock sun in the west and sighed looking down at her hands soaking in the dishwater. They'd be wrinkly soon if she didn't hurry, not like it mattered, just...she really didn't like having wrinkly hands, it made her feel old. Closing her hands and looked out the window.


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Damien stared out the window of the car as it took them to where the counsel was having the meeting. Usually, it was in the Angels Arms, up in the Landlords apartment. Thedevsis liked it that way. But today one of the counsel members demanded it be in the city center. A giant building with several large rooms for get-togethers within the community. Room 2-E. Skye secretly watched her twin from the corner of her eye studying the depressed look on his face. So unlike him to have any expression at all. Alex had really done something to him. but how, its not like she even talked to him all that much.
"Skye..." He paused looking down at his feet " Alex...Alex knows someone like us. Do you suppose..."
"Damien, they won't know anything. Anyone who would should be dead by now."
"Yeah, I know." A long pause followed as the car slowly pulled up to an overhang at the entrance of City Center. Pulling the edge of his hat down, Damien helped Skye out of the car and looked over at a gloomy party of people. A weepy woman watched him and his sister walk into the building, wiping away tears she could not hold back.

--

"Here it is, 2-E, its a quarter to noon, so we're here when they requested us."
"How much do you want to bet their going to make us wait until after all their prescheduled cases."
"But of course, its not like they'd ever be courteous to us."
"To Half-breeds, never."
"Never..."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was starting to rain, a Dillon’s mother was crying harder than ever. This is why mass funerals where better. All this emotion became less personal with more strangers. Alex had wandered off and was looking at old graves. Ones she knew. A smile crept up on her lips when she saw a Porter grave. Kneeling down she pulled out a permanent marker "I'm afraid they got her last name wrong."
"Not at the time that grave was placed. My mother cried even more than Dillon’s when we decided to do this for my little sister." Alex jumped at the sound of Malich’s voice behind her. "M-Malich!"
"You know, its considered rude to walk off in the middle of funeral services. Even ruder to be defacing a tombstone."
"C'mon, we both know your sister isn't dead. And we also know that she's definitely not a Porter anymore."
"Haze...you're right about her I guess. Still, come back. Dillon’s mom would be devastated if she knew you'd taken off"
"Yeah I know." Standing up slowly, Alex hesitantly got under the shelter of a black umbrella, outstretched towards her by Malich. They slipped back into the crowd unnoticed.

A black feather fluttered down in front of her and Alex caught in her hand, looking down at it as the rain intensified. "Damien..." She couldn't help whispering it, his name. He'd held the chance to save the boy whose remains where being lowered into the ground. He'd held that life in his hands. And yet, that bastard had only caught me...

Alex jumped as a man snapped his bible shut. It woke her up to reality, reminding her that the sun was down, it was raining, and she was extremely cold. Relaxing, she realized that she clutched her umbrella handle to hard, bending the metal and cutting into her hand. blood trickled down the palm of her hand, but the cuts healed momentarily, leaving little more than crescent marks. Joining the procession to City Center, Alex felt a cold shiver run down her spine.


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Skye counted the ticks of the clock, careful to count the seconds and keep track of time. 33...34...35...36
"Are you sure that’s all?"
"Oh, yes ma'am, that’s all that I knew"
49...50...51
"Your clear"
"Oh thank you! Thank you!"
"Very well, that’s the last case of the day" The lead counsel member shuffled his papers and stood up, careful not to look up into Damien’s burning gaze. Clearing his throat Damien closed his eyes "Aren't you perhaps...forgetting something?"
"Oh yes, the Half-breeds. We'll have a short break and then get back to that matter of business." Disgust in his voice was easily heard.
5...6...7 "This isn't going to be a short break is it.”
11...12... "Nope" ...13...14

"
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The Funeral potluck was quiet, just like the graveyard had been. A casual hum interrupted the almost peaceful feeling, people who barely knew each other suddenly bonded and philosophical. Life and Death, what would lead someone to suicide. The parents, where dumbfounded, Alex ground her teeth holding back. Julie had shown up, suddenly crying for him as if she hadn't broken up with him the night he'd died. Alex couldn't stand listen to Julie comforting Dillon’s mother, it just pissed her off inside. She was strongly tempted to go and discuss things with her when a loud crash sounded from up above. A girls shout could be heard, followed by sounds of struggling. The funeral attendees hardly reacted, the sound just faint enough that Alex half questioned if the noise wasn't in her head.
Denver sidled up, a glass of whine and a rosy color accompanying her. "Sweetie, I know this isn't the time but..."
"Denver, ask me where I was after he died when your not drunk."
"G-Gotchya Hun!" Denver tried walking off but Alex caught her arm. "And on second thought, no more wine." Alex took it away and walked off, Denver giggling behind her. "Annie, Annie, Annie, c'mon give it back!" Alex just sighed and dumped out the cup into a potted plant. "Aneirin, not Annie." Alex shut her eyes, only to be knocked into by someone running through the doorway. She slammed into the wall, as the guy fell onto the floor. Looking down Alex gasped as she noted all the blood.

He picked himself up, only to fall back down. The hair was familiar, as was the deathly pale skin. "S-Sorry" He groaned finally standing back up, Alex's eye growing slightly wider as she recognized him. The entire group was staring, and even Julie had pulled out her dramatic mourning to watch the bloodied stranger as Alex caught him from falling again. "I gotta get out of here" He coughed. Malich pushed his way through the stunned group attempting to reach a very injured Damien. But even he stopped when he caught sight of a looming figure above Damien and Alex in the doorway.

It is not often that a Human sees a counsel member. Even more rare for an entire room of them to see one. But to see a counsel member attack another being. That, has only ever happened once. Before Alex could react Damien was on the ground, a metal staff through the shoulder held him pinned to the ground. "Everybody leave!" was all some poor bystander could think to say, and for the first time in that sad little mans life, everyone who heard him, obeyed. Those who didn't, simply followed suit, rushing hysterically out of the room, leaving only Alex, Damien, The counsel member, Malich, and a very drunk Denver Rae behind. "Wh-whered ev-veryone g-g-go?" She slurred between hiccups. "Malich, get her outa here."
"Al..."
"I'll be fine, just leave" She shouted. Malich took a lingering glance before throwing Denver over his shoulder and leaving the room. "What, your not going to run away too little girl?" the Counsel member smiled and stroked the underside of her chin and came within an inch from her face before speaking. "Run before I have to hurt you too."
"You couldn't hurt me if you wanted to." Her hand snaked out and struck him hard in the stomach knocking him away. Pulling the metal staff from his shoulder, Alex tossed a battered Damien away and brandished the metal staff at the Councilman. "Go ahead, see if you can beat me."
"Very well then."


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