The Forbidden Fruit {Meadowe x malin}

A petite blonde slowly made her way through a crowd of college students. Her long wavy hair, that trickled to her mid back, flowed behind her like a beckoning hand. This was perhaps the only thing that would save her from being swallowed whole by the throng of young adults, for she stood a mere 5'2'' tall. Her ears were plugged with headphones, soothing her mind with the wounded voice of Nirvana. It was because of her eyes, large and a soft daisy-blue, that she seemed so much younger than she really was. Although she was nineteen, she had the appearance of a youthful fifteen year old. It must be noted however, that this youthfulness was only in her face. Her body was that of a mature woman and her soul was perhaps ancient. This girl's name was Anna Williams and she was a sophomore in college, going for a degree in English.

It was the beginning of the fall semester at Traverson University. Summer's heat was slowly fading and giving way to Autumns mellow beauty. Traverson was set in New York's bustling city of Rochester. In the present moment Anna was heading home after her first day of classes. It was rather boring, mostly stuffy professors going over syllabi that no one would truly read. Then again, it was easy-going so she did not have much to complain about.

The crowd thinned out a bit as she neared her apartment building. It was only two blocks away from the campus so walking was no hassle. Her small body was carefully decorated with an off-the-shoulder striped sweater, black leggings and charcoal combat boots. Her outfit exposed the milky skin of her small shoulders. The expression on her face was blank, almost cold and unapproachable. A few glances were cast her way by passing males, but she easily ignored them. Strangers only caused her trouble.

It was when she rounded a corner that her cold expression was suddenly racked with emotion. Her eyes went wide and her feet fumbled to a halt. In front of her walked a girl with hunched shoulders. Her hair was unkempt and a dark brown. Though Anna couldn't see her face she could almost see the grimace there. What had caused her to stop in her tracks was the black swirling color she saw around the girl. Anna could hear her own heart thumping in her ears.

Ever since she was little, Anna had special abilities. She could see the auras of people around her, feel the emotions of others and had a strong intuition. These powers of hers were not always on and they randomly popped in. However, when they did, they never ceased to frighten her.

A small shudder ran through her and she turned to duck into an alley. People with black aura's were no good. Even if it took her longer, she would take a different way home.

Not far from Anna, but far enough in the crowd that he was hoping she wouldn't see him, was a man who even when doing his best to fit in, tended to stick out among the crowed. His tall frame and standing height of 6'2" really didn't help him to find any clothing, and then there was the fact that his skin practically glowed in the sun even with his dark hair color he was just a little too pale, and that made standing in the sun as he was a little dangerous for him to do. His shirt was a light white, with purple along the sides, and sleeves, and he was wearing a pair of jeans. His body wasn't much older then hers, only 20 or so years, however the body was a bit of a loan.

His name was Lucas Taylor, at least that was what it said on the drivers license that he was issued a few weeks ago, he had never even learned how to drive a car but by the lords will he had one now. He was still getting used to signing his now mortal name having taken this form only a few months back when the situation had gotten rather unexpectedly complicated. His original name was Alciel, An Arch Angel to the orders of heaven.

As Lucas walked he kept both eyes and ears on Anna, watching her as she walked home. In truth he had moved in next door a few days after she had arrived, and oddly enough was taking all of the exact same classes as her at Traverson University. If she paid attention to her surroundings one might have thought that was odd, but luckily for the man Anna was a reclusive woman and he used that to his advantage, as long as he didn't directly interact with her he was pretty much invisible to her just like everyone else...

That was until she caught sight of the other group of people that have had there eyes on her. In truth he was a little surprised that so many people in this modern world were demons in hiding, but it was kind of understandable. Ever since he had come here from Heaven he had been completely enamored with all that the mortals had accomplished. It had been one of the reasons he had changed his original objective. Heaven didn't have nearly the kind of luxury earth afforded. Watching as Anna ducked into a back Alleyway Lucas bit his tongue for a moment. The last thing he wanted to do was expose himself, but with demons running around that might be a bigger problem.

As the woman Anna had seen moved to follow her he stepped up, and cut her off. The last thing he wanted to do was make a scene over this, after all he didn't have the kind of energy reserves in this world that he had in heaven, and magic tended to scare mortals, oh and there was also that ever present fact that he really didn't want to expose himself in front of millions, and part of him was really hoping that the demon felt the same way about her position. He had been dealing with these creatures for as long as he could remember, and some actually did listen to reason every now and then.

"She isn't the woman your looking for." As he spoke he made a slight hand motion, he wasn't casting a spell as he spoke he was just really hoping that the demon understood his intentions. In the worst case situation he had to end up fighting, and thus be exposed for who he really was, but there were still many an exploit he could pull before that happened, however the bigger worry was Anna, His eyes followed back to the alley way, sharpening slightly as he kept an eye on her with magic seeing where she was going, and if she was going to leave this place at all.

Anna held a delicate hand to her thrumming chest. She willed herself to calm down before glancing over her bare shoulder. The coast is clear, she thought to herself. Gripping the straps of her backpack tighter, she started her walk once more. Though she seemed calm she was still on alert after seeing that woman.

In her minds eye, she flashed back to a time when she was only ten years old. Anna had been playing in the park not far from her house. She was building a castle in the sand but it more resembled a mound. The small girl was alone, any children in the neighborhood avoided her because their parents had told them to stay away. They said she was a bad girl.

Little Anna was about to put a stick atop her creation when a shadow extinguished the sun. She looked up with a curious expression only to see a middle-aged man before her. He had a black swirling aura around him and a sickening smile on his face. "I've found you," he cooed maliciously. Anna screamed and scrambled up from the sand. Her little legs went as fast as they could but a large hand grabbed her long hair and yanked her onto her back. "You're mine now peach," he snarled.

It was then that a police officer intervened and Anna was escorted home safely. The man was sent to jail but she never heard much about what happened after.
----

The brunette grinned up at the tall man before her. "Oh really?" she asked. Her face was contorted with an evil joy that would send shivers down a priest's spine. Her eyes were an amber, almost red color. She wore all black and dared to take a step closer to her. "I can smell her from here. It's her alright. The fruit." She paused and inhaled deeply through her nostrils. The demon licked her lips. "How delicious," she said. With an expression of annoyance she looked the man over before her. "But I suppose, a man of your stature would prevent me from eating her." The woman clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. She slipped a hand beside her mouth and whispered. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm a decoy." Her crazed expression churned with unchecked delight.

----

Anna shook off the shadows of her memories and walked down the alleyway. Her pace was quicker than her previous one. She felt a great urge to get to the safety of her one-bedroom apartment. The alleyway took a sharp turn to the right, opening up to another street. It was a narrow back street, devoid of people. Anna entered this street and took the headphones out of her ears. The voice of Kurt Cobain still surged out of the small ear pieces. Before her widened eyes was a man. He was leaning up against the far wall, facing the alleyway exit Anna had just emerged from. His face was hidden by a hood. He looked up at her now, exposing eyes devoid of life. The man straightened up and took a step forward, letting the hood fall from his face. His eyes were completely black, even the whites of his eyes were not safe from the darkness. Anna heard herself inhale sharply.

Of course she was. Lucas let out a long sigh as she admitted it. Shaking his head he almost cursed out his own luck. He had hoped that he could get around this with out too much of a problem, but in the end demons of course there were complications. Growling under his breath he turned his back to the lesser demon, suddenly understanding the ploy that was happening here. He was not about to waist his time on a distraction. "Oh well then if you will excuse me."

Turning his back to the lesser demon, Alciel charged into the Alleyway, at least down this way there were less humans to worry about. Jumping up he was quick to manafest his wings, allowing himself to glide but more then that, as his wings sprouted from his back they burst forth twisting out several black feathers, which were picked up on the wind and floated towards the lesser demon, if he was going to be exposed then he would at least use this as an opportunity to take out the trash. Gliding through the air backwards he gave the demon a wink, and as his feathers got in range of the demon girl they expelled bright holy energy, like a dozen tiny flash bangs going off in the demons face. If she survived the holy light then she would likely be blind for the rest of her life.

Speeding off towards the girl he twisted around landing on a fire escape above the situation, his wings at full span as he over looked the situation. "Hey! Leave the girl alone." This was exactly the situation he wanted to avoid, but considering that he had already pulled one stunt, he could at least put on a strong face and show that he wasn't playing around. He was hesitant to evoke the gods of chance or luck... he owed them money after all, but with a bit of positive thinking he could at least intimidate this one into going back and telling the people he was with not too go any further. Either that or he could use the demon to just outright send a message, but frankly that wasn't how he liked to do business.

Taking a small breath he jump down and glided softly between Anna and her would be attacker. "You don't want to go through me. So just go home." He said talking to the demon, turning his head slightly his wing span made a soft wall between her attacker and him, however he was still slightly worried about the off chance that all of this would scare Anna into running away.

"Hey, uhm, I don't think we have formerlly met, but I'm your neighbor." He scratched his head, wondering just how many questions all of this was going to raise for Anna. "Oh and uh...*clears throat* come with me if you want to live."

The demon woman let out a sharp laugh as he turned around. For her, it was victory enough to trick an angel of his caliber. She turned around to make her way back to her little den. Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation on her back, like the sun, speeding toward her. She whipped around to see the feathers coming at her like arrows. Her amber eyes widened. Beyond the feathers she saw the angel wink at her as he took to the skies. "No!" she screamed just before the feathers embedded themselves in her body. It was the one that struck her right between the eyes that exploded first. That set off the others. The light that poured from them was invisible to the human eye and all onlookers saw was a girl who suddenly collapsed and died.

----

The black-eyed man neared Anna with another step. His face was blank as he looked at her. It seemed as though emotions were something foreign to him. The gruff voice from her headphones sang, "everyone is hollow." An involuntary shiver rolled down her spine. Her hands, loosely holding the headphones, began to quiver. His hand reached into his leather jacket and he pulled something from its inner pocket. The sun reflected off the surface of it before it became clear to her. A dagger. Her breath caught in her throat and she took a step back. What the hell is going on?she thought. The man mimicked her step and neared her once more. He gripped the blade loosely in his hand and began to raise it up.

It was then that a figure called out. "Hey! Leave the girl alone." Anna's eyes flashed to the source of the noise. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her. Perched on a fire escape was a winged man. He leaped from his platform and landed between the two below. His words to the demon were drowned out by the sound of her blood surging in her ears. Confusion, anxiety and befuddlement was eating away at her sanity. Anna realized she could no longer see the auras of those around her. She frantically watched the man before her. His wing span was large. It was the color that struck her. Black.

Though confused, she made out the part about him being her neighbor and the comment taken directly from a movie. Anna's eyebrow pricked up in disbelief and she shuddered. She was only a half block away from her apartment. If she ran, she could make it there safely. Her body buzzed as her flight or fight instincts kicked in. Anna let out a haggard breath before she backpedaled and booked it back down the alleyway. She ignored those that gave her judgmental looks as she ran. All that mattered was getting to safety. Her small body slammed into the glass front door of her apartment building. Swiftly she ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. Her hand was in her back pocket where she kept her key.

Though she fumbled with the key and dropped it once, maybe twice, she entered her apartment within seconds. There was no rest for her once she was inside however. Immediately she bolted and locked the front door. She then went around her small apartment, locking the windows and closing the blinds. Once her security measures were complete she let the strength flow out of her body. Her knees hit the wooden floor with a dull thump. Breathing quickly she clutched either side of her head and tried to piece together what she just saw.

Well it wasn't exactly his intention but she was out of harms way now at least. Turning back to the matter at hand he looked at the knife which was now poised to swing at him. Side stepping the blade he plucked one of his own feathers and slapped it onto the back of the demons head before walking away. If anyone examined the bodies of the girl or the man they would probably find that they died of an aneurism or something like that. He didn't know he wasn't a mortician and hence it wasn't his job to know what they died from, just that they weren't going to bother him or Anna anymore.

~~~

Letting his wings fold back into his body as he exited the alley way, he turned and walked back to his home. Getting back into his apartment he had to make a pit stop taking off the shirt which now had two rather large wholes in the back of them, and change into a new plane T-shirt. He bought them in packs of three at wall mart less expensive then spending actual money on clothing. Sure the company may be evil, but he was living off minimum wage at his job and as a student, he could hardly afford anything more then bulk.

Closing the door he walked over to the apartment next to his, where Anna lived and tapped on the door. "So I know your probably traumatized right now after that, but I could probably help you out with a few of those answers you need." He said through the door. He knew Anna would be home, but he also wasn't about to break the door down to get at her. That would only scare her more.

Taking in a deep breath he stretched slightly, His body hadn't had to move like that in a long time, not to mention having to dispatch two lesser demons in one day, he was about ready to lay down and sleep it off. His stomach let out a low growl showing he wasn't just tired and for a moment he gazed down at his stomach in disgust. That was still something he was getting used too the need to eat sustenance and deal with food. Not only was it a constant expense he couldn't afford on his budget it was something that always succeed in shifting his mood.

Hunger was a near constant downer and sometimes even when he did eat it wasn't actually enough and he still felt tired or sick. Apparently humans not only needed to eat, but they also needed to partake in a form of a balanced diet. It didn't matter how good the food eventually tasted it was hell trying to survive on just udon, and kraft dinner until pay day.

Anna had been slumped in the middle of her living room when the knocks came to her door. She stood with fright and let her shaking hands fall from her head. The voice was undoubtedly that of the winged man's. Anna found it odd that she could recognize his voice only after one encounter with him. Nevertheless, she walked quietly to the door, now barefoot. Delicately placing her hands on the door she peaked out of the peephole.

He was there, standing before her door, looking tired and a bit annoyed. She had not got a good look at his face earlier but now it was clear he was handsome. The large black wings were no longer stretched out from his shoulder blades and it looked like his shirt was different. Without her abilities, she had no idea if he was good or not. But the color of his wings made her believe he was bad.

Anna of course had no idea that the people who had harassed her all of her life were demons. All she knew was that if they had a black aura, they were bad and they would most likely come after her. Black was the color of evil and darkness. She had seen people with black eyes, red eyes, even yellow eyes. It certainly wasn't normal, but she never had the guts to investigate the matter further. To her they were just the bad guys. Never had she seen one with wings, however.

Anna furrowed her brows in thought for a moment before she swallowed and put on a brave face. "I'm not letting you in," she said. "Answer my questions but don't try to come in here. I have the police on speed dial." She now stood a step away from the door, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her large sweater. "Who are you?" she asked with an icy tone. "Why did you defend me earlier?" She paused and wondered for a moment if anyone could hear their conversation. "Why do you have wings?"

Lucas had to check over his shoulder for a moment making sure that no one was going to hear him answer her questions. It was a little tricky to come up with a full explination on the spot without seeming like a crazy person, and so standing in front of the door he took a long breath as he considered his options. "Well okay then I will explain, but It's gonna sound a little crazy so please try and keep an open mind."

"First off I wasn't lying when I said I am your neighbor, I live in the apartment to the left of yours my name is Lucas Taylor." As proof of that he reached into his wallet and produced his drivers liscence holding it up to the door so that she could see the name and address if she was even checking the door, he honestly couldn't tell through the door what she was doing. As he thought about it his stomach let out another growl to remind him that he was hungry.

"The man and woman you saw earlier today were lesser demons. Dealing with them is a bit of a part time job, and well you attract them for one reason or another." Lucas said dancing around all the issues of the stuff of the forbidden fruit, and the real reason they were after her. Not wanting to send the mortal girl into a full on panic and also keep the situation calm and under control. Of course the biggest and hardest question to answer was why he had wings in the first place.

"The reason I have wings is well... I'm kind of an Archangel, my old name is Alciel. Like I said dealing with demons is kind of my part time job, as is protecting people who get targeted by them. So I guess that's why I have wings... just kinda born with them really." As he spoke Lucas scratched the back of his head, he was in full disclosure of about everything he could say to this girl, and it was actually kind of scary in that regard. He had never intended to tell anyone who he was, and certainly didn't like the idea of sharing that information with the girl he was protecting as well.

Anna listen to him ask her to keep an open mind. She perked a brow up at that. It was obvious that strange things always happened around her. Add to the fact that she had psychic abilities, one could say she was rather open minded. Or so she thought.

Anna was too busy pondering what his explanation would be to look through the peephole at his license. And what an explanation it was. After all was said and done Anna suddenly let out a harsh laugh. The small blonde clasped a hand to her mouth but several more giggles came out. It was the kind of laughter that came out of one's own befuddlement. She stopped suddenly and turned away from the door. Her hand still pressed to her mouth she slid down the door to a seated position.

"Demons?" she finally said her tone less icier than before. She wanted to say 'How is that possible, there's no way,' but what other explanation could there be for everything that happened? Anna swallowed and closed her eyes. From some stories she read, angels were not always good guys. They could be ruthless or hate human beings for the favoritism they received from God.

Anna wasn't religious, never was. She found the man-made institution to be a sorry excuse for wars and denying other humans rights. The little girl shook her head and forced her guard back up. She stood and faced the door once more, peeking into the peephole. "Prove to me that you are what you say you are."

It was stupid, but it was all she could think of. I mean who was she to say a being was an angel or not? It's not like she was an angel expert. It would be nice if her powers kicked in. Empathy, even intuition she would take. Something to give her reassurance that the man living next door to her posed no threat to her.

"Seriously? I just changed this shirt, and money doesn't grow on trees you know." Lucas grimaced slightly as she asked him to prove it, he knew that it was a fair question, but at the same time it was a little difficult to just prove it without showing off his wings and she had already seen those. Still if she wanted more prof there was only one form that was going to prove what he claimed as a fact, and he had enough energy to manifest it for a little while.

He stood silently glaring at the door for a moment, but decided against it, stripping off his shirt so that he didn't have to break it as he did with the last one he folded it, and placed it onto the ground. Taking a deep breath he worked on removing the glamor that made him appear as a mortal creature. Taking a step back from the door and checking both ways before he fully undid it.

It was more then just wings that burst from his back with this change, his body was surrounded in a bright energy for a moment as his ethereal robes and his weapon both manifested. His long black crow like wings extended as he leaned on a staff that was half pole handle and half curved blade Letting out a long sigh, he even gestured to the golen crest that floated above his head following him no matter which way he leaned.

The full manifestation didn't last much longer then a couple of minutes before it died out and left him leaning against the wall starving and exhausted. "I've had to deal with two demons, flying, and now that all on an empty stomach." He said muttering slightly. "Being mortal sucks." His stomach gave a much more audible growl as he leaned against the wall opisate her door. "So... does that buy any faith in my words? or should I just go next door, and make some kraft dinner."

Anna felt herself blush when he took off his shirt even though there was a door separating them. Her eyes widened before the peephole as his clothing and form changed into something that was undoubtedly angelic. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight. It was... beautiful.

Once it had faded and he grumbled about his hunger she was still in a bit of a daze. Anna leaned away from the door and shook her head vigorously to regain her sanity. "Okay, I believe you," she said in her usual tone of indifference. For a moment she thought about inviting him in for dinner. They could talk more about the situation and perhaps she could feel more at ease. Anna grimaced. Just because he's proven that he is what he says he is, doesn't mean she trusts him.

"Go," she said curtly. Abruptly she turned from the door and walked into her bedroom. She stood there for a moment with her hands clutched into fists at her side. There was no one she could trust. Everyone ended up hating her even if she let them in. It would be the same with this Lucas character.

Later that night Anna was doing her homework on her plush double bed with the White Stripes blaring in her ears. Her head bobbed slightly to the music as she wrote her paper. It was her dream to be an author and to live off of royalties while pursuing whatever tickled her fancy.

What makes a good story? Imagery, life lessons, relatable content, originality, mystery, surprise and symbolism.

Anna's delicate fingers stopped and hovered above the keyboard. She felt her muse begin to fade away from her and her motivation dwindle. Sighing, she got up from her bed and padded into the kitchen. Maybe some tea would stir her creative juices once more. With the music blaring in her ears she was totally unaware of the jarring noises of her bedroom window being opened. Nor did she hear the sounds of boots clomping along the wooden floor, down the hallway.

A sudden shiver rolled down her spine and her large eyes flicked up to the arched entrance of the kitchen. There, stood a figure in all black, shadowed by the lack of light in the place. Her grasp on the mug slipped. It shattered before her bare feet as she felt the ear buds slip out of ears. Suddenly, a piercing scream resounded throughout the apartment. It took Anna a few moments to realize it was her who was screaming. She began to back away, stumbling over her own feet.

Lucas smiled as she told him that she believed him. "Great well then-" He was about to say unlock the door and lets sit down and have a talk over a meal, but instead was told to go. Giving a loud sigh he turned shrugging. "I'll be next door if you need me then i guess." He said unsure why he was suddenly disapointed by this development if anything he should have known this was going to happen.

Lucas leaned over and picked up his T-shirt, walking back to his apartment he gave one final look to make sure no one else had seen that. Opening the door to his appartment he tossed his keys into a bowl and took of his shoes and socks so that he could walk around bare foot and relax. He didn't bother putting his shirt back on since the oven made his house hot.

Turning on the stove he went through the instructions and started to make a meal for himself, sitting down in front of his television. Putting on an old sci fi movie channel he leaned back waiting for the meal to cook watching something called 'Mars Attacks'. Leaning back into his sofa he thought about everything that happened today. Closing his eyes he tried to stave off his hunger and tiredness with the sounds of the movie, but found himself laying down any way ready to sleep.

After having to kill two demons it was safe to assume that his job was done, and so he took a much needed rest only waking when the egg timer on his KD was done making himself a large bowl he sat down in front of the T.V. watching it as he munched on his food happily. He wasn't sure what was going on in the movie but knew that he was enjoying it. He could feel his powers and energy growing after the much needed rest, aside from the full manifestation earlier he honestly hadn't used too much magic.

When he heard the scream next door he jumped up, his bowl of food splattering onto the carpet. "Really right now!? Can I get one night where i don't have to deal with this stuff?! And now... i'm gonna need to clean that." He paused for a moment forgetting the immediate problem and looking down at the loss of his food like a child after being told he can't have his favorite toy. "God damn it."

A moment later he was at the hallway pounding on the door. "Anna!? what's wrong. Open the door Anna... I can't help you if I'm locked out."

Anna had been backing away from the shadowed figure, her hands gliding along the counter as she did so. Once he stepped into the kitchen a small amount of light illuminated his face. His eyes were a bright, sickening yellow. It was the sort of color that made one think of illness and disease. She felt herself inhale sharply. Once more her heart beat a merciless rhythm in her ears. It nearly blocked out the pounding at her door. Still, Anna heard it. She heard the cries too. How could she get to the door, take out the bolt, unlock it and open it without being caught? No, it was impossible.

Her fear was more surmounting than ever before. Perhaps it was because she knew that this thing before her was no human at all, but a demon. The unholy being took several steps to near himself to her, a light grin playing at the corners of his mouth. She wanted to call for help but her voice was hiding within her throat, to terrified to come out.

The demon suddenly lunged with great speed. A snarl ripped through his teeth as he reached his arms out to grab Anna. The petite blonde screamed once more and lurched backwards. Her hand that was gliding along the counter suddenly found an obstacle. With a snap of her head she saw a knife. It was perhaps 5 inches long and gleamed to her like a gift sent from above. Swiftly, she grasped it by the handle. By this time the demon was already closing in on her and she placed it before her body just in time. A sickening sound of the blade sinking into his belly rang out in her ears as the two fell to the kitchen floor. She felt the handle bluntly dig into her stomach.

Her hands were frozen on the handle of the blade, eyes glued to the face above her in horror. The demon's yellow eyes were wide and he opened his mouth as if to say something. Instead, a spatter of blood left his mouth and placed itself on her left cheekbone. His menacing eyes fluttered closed.

Anna felt her breathing quicken as the reality of what had just occurred hit her. She made a sort of whimper. The small blonde gripped the handle and used all of her strength to flip the dead body off of her. Once it was off she sat up.

Swallowing slowly and closing her eyes she tried to get a grip on herself. A numbness fell over her body. Slowly, she stood and shuffled over to the door. Her trembling hand took off the bolt, then unlocked it. After a moments hesitation she turned the nob and opened the entrance.

The small blonde looked up at him with large, blank eyes. On her face was a splatter of blood and her torso was drenched in the thick liquid. Her hands, which were smeared as well, held the door frame. She blinked and the blood caused her palms to slip from the frame. Anna sank to her knees before the archangel as if she were saying, "I give up."

The screams definatly didn't help the situation. Lucas was being driven by panic as he pounded the door fear making him think about how best to break down a door, and when everything went silent he was dreading what had happened. He could just imagine how everything would go seeing as he had both neglected his first mission, and completely failed in his own objective of keeping the girl alive. Fear froze him for a moment, until he heard the sound of movement coming closer to the door.

When the deadbolt finally unlocked it felt like it had taken forever, and then finally the door was opened, and what was on the other side made him feel a little sick on the inside. Walking into the apartment he closed the door. Looking around he could see the body of the demon, and the blood that covered the room feeling more then a little sick about everything the worst part was the smell. However considering that he had done this all before he took it in a kind of graceful stride.

"Uh.. Well first let's get rid of that." He said pointing towards the body, a bolt of energy striking it and setting the body on fire, the body glowed burning away but leaving no marks where it had fallen. even the demons blood burned away. Staggering for a moment his stomach let out a growl instantly empty as he hadn't been able to finish his meal.

Taking in a deep breath he looked at her for a moment. Still very deeply concerned about her. She had done well putting off an attacker all on her own, but that said she seemed about as drained as he was. "Secondly you should probably take a shower... and I will use your kitchen to make us both something to eat while you go get... better."

His voice made it clear that this wasn't an offer, rather it was a kind of command. She didn't have a choice at this point. "After that... we can talk about why all of this has happened tonight." He let out a long sigh, that was the thing that was most puzzling to him, the fact that it was all happening tonight.

~~~

Out in the darkness a pair of red eyes blinked, three of his shades had failed today, but there were other times to take what he needed. Patience was a virtue, and he had at least exposed the fact that the girl had aligned herself with an even bigger threat. Nothing as good as a this girl was ever earned in a night, and as soon as the eyes had appeared, they closed and were gone.

Anna's eyes didn't follow Lucas as he came into the apartment. The only clue that she was still conscious was the slight shiver she made as the body burned. Her hands, limp in her lap, still shook lightly. Though she wasn't listening carefully to the angel, she nodded her head and got up, shuffling into the bathroom down the hall.

The sound of water sprinkling on tile came a few moments later. Anna stood in front of the mirror for a moment, looking at herself. After a blink or two, she stripped off her clothes. The blood on her torso had soaked through her sweater and onto her stomach, making it look as though someone sponged blood onto her skin.

The small blonde welcomed the warm water and huddled under it. She watched the drain as the water ran red. Once it was finally clear, she felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She had just had her apartment broken into, her life threatened and she murdered someone. Yes, it was a demon, but it looked like a human being. All of this plus the events of earlier had emotionally shaken her.

After 15 minutes, the water stopped and Anna began to pat her body dry. At her tummy, she winced and looked down. Where the handle of the blade had dug in was an angry looking bruise the size of a baseball. She only grimaced before wrapping herself in a towel, tossing the bloody clothes into a hamper and exiting the bathroom.

Thankfully she didn't have to pass the kitchen to get to her bedroom. Five minutes later, she emerged in an over-sized grey wool sweater. It was long enough, in her opinion, that she didn't need anything underneath. Her hair was wet, but combed back, revealing her clean, natural face. Anna padded into the kitchen and stood in the archway. She felt reluctant to enter the space. "What did you make?" she asked in monotone, not hint of actual interest in her voice.

Sure enough Anna's fridge had way more food then Lucas's. He was half tempted to steel some of the stuff and take it back to his own apartment to hide it away and have better meals. However considering all that had happened with this one girl it seemed like a very bad idea to actually steel from her. That said he was still cooking as much of this as he could he was almost certain she wouldn't object to him taking leftovers home.

He found two rather large pots, and a couple minutes later he was making a large amount of spaghetti, with a rather large side of salad to go with it. Everything was going to a smooth boil, and he was happily humming as he cooked, and moved about the kitchen. He didn't mind playing the role of a house keeper once and a while, and when dealing with a traumatized woman really this was the least he could do, especially when he felt slightly responcible for letting down his guard. Soon the room was full of the smell of food.

Turning around when he heard Anna's voice Lucas took one long look at her in the large wool sweater and while it wasn't exactly form fitting he could immediately tell that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. He blinked for a moment looking over her legs which were actually rather attractive, and for the first real time was able to actually look at Anna, and tell that she was a really attractive woman. He smiled and turned to the pots. "The pasta is pretty much done, and the salad is a light garden variety. I found some vinnigret dressing in your fridge that looked rather expensive so i used that. The meat sauce is a chunky mix, with several spices. I'm no five star chief but." He gave the pot another stir and blew on the wooden spoon watching the steam rise for a moment. "I'm pretty good."

"Not bad for an immortal who just learned how to eat six months ago if I do say so myself." His time spent watching all those mouth wattering cooking shows had really paid off with this feast of food. And he got to work serving it onto a plate. He could tell that Anna seemed drained, and understood why she was like that. It must have been hard to actually kill someone like that, even though he had done so a lot, for him it was easy, this was her first time. Walking out to the table he set the plates and gestured for her to join him.

Though she usually would, Anna did not notice his stare. Her attention was more on the floor below her feet. She looked up in time to see his gesture however. The small blonde hesitated before crossing the threshold into the kitchen. Her large eyes avoided the scene of the crime as she made her way over to the seat. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of food and for the first time her mind was broken from it's loop of the murder.

Carelessly, she kept walking as she looked at the food on the counter and the stove. It was this carelessness that lead her to bump into the table. It hit right onto her fresh bruise. Not wanting to alert Lucas, she bowed her head slightly and gripped the table as the pain washed over her body. After letting out a shaky breath she sat down in the chair and looked at the plate of food before her. Though she did not feel like it, she knew talking would make the dinner easier.

"It looks good," she commented. Anna picked up her fork and swirled some noodles around the metal instrument. "Six months, huh. I've never seen you before." As a habit, she criss-crossed her legs under the table. She didn't really mind, though she wasn't wearing anything, her lower half was hidden under the table. Plus her only company was an angel. Sure, he was a male and handsome, but Anna imagined angels to be like Ken dolls in the package department.

She took a bite of the spaghetti and swallowed. Her concentration was not on it's taste so no compliments came to her mind. It was edible, so who cares?

Still focused on her legs, and the fact that she wasn't wearing anything underneath Lucas completely missed the fact that she was in pain. Though he had to shift slightly to make sure that his pants covered what was going on in his brain. Any Renaissance artest would tell you exactly what an angel was packing between their legs, the big problem was that they had a prominently male populace. That's probably why more Nephilim were born rather then full true angels. He did his best to shrug off the thoughts of the rather tantalizing mortal breeding facts, and tried to focus on something other then Anna's legs though that was certainly a hard thing to do.

"In all fairness you don't really look around much. Had you been paying attention at all during that time to the people around you i'm sure you would have noticed me." He said waving off her comment that she never noticed him. He was in every single class she was in, and he lived right next door to her. In truth even when he tried to avoid her he had almost ran into her several times. While it was by design that he followed her he was honestly surprised to find out the complete truth that she had really never noticed him before.

As he spoke he took bites of his own salad enjoying the meal. As he sampled the pasta he knew he had made the right choice on spices, this was all really good, and it was clear that there was still a lot more in the pots. Lucas gave a soft approving purr of his own food as he leaned back into his chair.

"You isolate yourself to your own detroment, and shut everything out. If anything that kind of mind set helps open the door for stalkers." He said rather confidently, after all he had stalked her for six months and she had never even noticed him apparently. If that proved nothing else it showed that she needed to take her surroundings a little more seriously.

Anna ate slowly as he spoke to her. Her eyes slowly slid up from her plate to his face. "There's no need to notice people around me." Her tone was cold and her face only spoke of the slight pique of annoyance she felt. At his last comment she put her fork down and struck him with a gaze that could freeze water. "I had no idea it was also your job to lecture people."

Though Anna knew he was right and that he was most likely saying this out of concern, this was how she acted toward people. After many years of being betrayed, hurt and left by others, she simply closed herself off and did her best to not let anyone get close to her. It was better that way, she thought.

Anna let her gaze fall back to her plate and she began eating again as if she hadn't just snapped at him. "So, go ahead. Tell me what you need to tell me." To be frank, if Anna hadn't just stuck a knife into a demon's belly, she would've been anxious to hear what he had to say. In fact, she probably would've been a bit flustered by his handsome face and naked torso. He was totally her type: tall, dark-haired, handsome, though she would never admit it. However, she only felt eager to go to bed and shut her mind off.

"My job is whatever the hell I want it to be." He said rather offended by her comment. He wasn't trying to lecture her though he understood why she would say that. Even as he ate his food he took the glare and didn't back down. Though his insides did shiver slightly the last thing he really wanted to do was start a fight with this woman, but it seemed that she was determined to be as cold to him as humanly possible.

When she asked him for full disclosure he sighed and took more of the salad. This was the part that he knew he was going to have trouble explaining, both because it would be difficult for her to hear, and because it also implied a lot of information about himself. "The demons are attracted to you because your somewhat of an oddity in this world."

Lucas paused to let the dramatic atmosphere sink in. "If you were a damphire, or a nephilim or a half breed I would understand your situation a little better, but in truth your something else entirely. Fully human, and yet something more. The demons want you because some kind of prophecy, who ever drinks your blood, among other things is supposed to gain enough power to shape the cosmos." He decided to leave out the part where having sex with her would make them even stronger then that, murder was one thing, but she hardly needed to worry about someone jumping on top of her in addition to that. "So I was assigned to your case, and decided that the best way to prevent any real harm from coming to you was to take up the apartment next door. That's the full situation as I understand it any way."

Anna listened as she poked at her food with her fork. A few of the terms he used went straight over her head. Still, she did not interrupt and let him say what needed to be said. Her brows furrowed. So, I'm not a normal human? Finally she looked up at Lucas and placed her fork on the plate. "Do we know if this prophecy is true or not? It could just be some fake tale someone spewed." She looked down in thought. "But even fairy tales have a some truth to them and it would be to dangerous to test it out." At this point she was more talking to herself. Anna was a fairly analytical young woman and this was a normal reaction for her. She lifted her arms up and looked at the blue veins that were easy to see under her milky skin. "What's so different about my blood?" Her eyes suddenly brightened with a spark of emotion.
"Perhaps it's not connected, by I have certain abilities. I'm an empath along with being able to see auras around beings. Plus my intuition is very strong. They come and go as they please but, maybe it is a result of this prophecy."

Her eyes lifted back up and rested on Lucas' face. "So you were assigned to protect me from the demons pursuing me? What other measures have you taken?"

Anna slouched a bit but immediately winced as a pain burst in her stomach. She made a slight hissing sound and drew her brows together. Perhaps this bruise was more than skin deep. The handle had come down upon her with the weight of a full-grown man.

"In truth I have no idea if it's true or false. It doesn't take a lot to make a prophicy just someone to say something crazy, and another person to believe it and pass it on." Lucas said waving off the fact that he knew damn well this was a real problem but again he felt it was better for her if she knew less then he did. "Chances are in a few years the demons will get bored and move on to the next target this kind of thing happens all the time really." He said waving it off.

Hearing about her abilities he was actually surprised that there wasn't more to them then that. It sounded like there was room for expansion maybe she just needed some training to refine them but if she could really sense and see things like aura's it sounded more like a natural defense mechinizim for scouting out the demons that would want to hurt her. Then there was the point where she said that he was assigned to protect her, at which point his eyes visibly shrank away from her, but then quickly returned.

"In truth I haven't done much more then follow you. Today was an exceptionally busy day, before that I was actually starting to worry if I was chasing after the wrong woman. Now that I know for sure that it is you I should be able to be more aware of the situations as they occure. Honestly aside from being your body guard and following you around every now and then my job has been pretty boring."

When she winced in pain that time he blinked for a moment his eyes sharpening as he looked at her with a curious expression on his face. "Are you hurt? Would you mind if I took a look at it, I might be able to help."

Anna had her eyes lowered to the table as he answered her questions. A sudden kick of her her intuition told her something was off. She raised her head. "Tell me, can angels lie?" Unlike before, the pain still resided in her abdomen and it now felt like it came in sharp waves. After her question left her lips she felt a rush of pain again hit her. Her delicate fingers clutched at the table and she gave a pained inhale.

Inside her body, she had more than just a bruise. The impact had so much force to it that Anna was actually suffering from some internal bleeding. The result did not kick in until now because she had agitated the would with movement just enough to let it worsen further.

"Ah...I'm fine, it's just a bruise. I-," she paused as another wave of agony hit her, "It happened when the demon attacked me. I was holding the blade in... it and it fell over on me. The handle dug into my torso." She let out a shaky exhale and tried to wipe the pain from her face. When others worried over her it made her feel uncomfortable. "It just really...smarts."

Through her pain Anna totally forgot that she was literally not wearing a thing besides the sweater.

Standing up as he saw just how much pain Anna was in, Lucas walked over to the girl and shook his head, it wasn't so much about her question of if angels could lie, but rather that she was in intense pain. Either way he refused to give her an answer to the question for obvious reasons.

"Your clearly in pain, i doubt it's just a bruise, take off the sweater and show me." Lucas's voice was rather calm but his eyes were more then a little worried, it would have been a little disturbing to him if she died like this. Sure a lot of problems would be avoided but at the same time he had come her to stop that exact thing that seemed to be happening. He could tell by the way her face was slowly becoming more and more pale that she had probably punctured something.

Lucas was expecting her to be wearing some kind of underwear under her sweater considering that she had a house guest, and while he could fixate on her legs as much as he wanted he honestly doubted that she was naked under that baggy sweater, and at this point he hardly gave it much thought this was about an expanding problem and the fact that the person he was supposed to be protecting was in pain.

"I think it's a lot more then just a bruise, considering the way it was inflicted the handle might have punctured an organ... god damn it your gonna make me use even more magic. You majorly owe me for this."

"N-No I'm fine," Anna stuttered. It was getting harder for her to hide her pain. The waves were melding into one long string of immense discomfort. As he stood next to her she got up shakily, knowing that this pain was too intense for her to endure. Her breathing was very curt, as even the movement of breathing caused her pain.

"O-Okay I'll-" she began, gripping the hem of the sweater. Suddenly, she stopped and a blush slapped itself across her face. "Actually, I need to..." she couldn't bring herself to say 'put on panties' so she just motioned toward her bedroom.

Stubbornly, Anna began to hobble to her bedroom. Surely she could make it there and slip something suitable on right? She found that halfway down the hall the edges of her vision were beginning to blur. Gritting her teeth she continued down her path. Without warning, her knees gave and she collapsed in the hallway onto her belly. The impact caused her to let out a cry of pain. It was no use. "L-Lucas," she called.