I don't own Night World.

Significance

He first noticed her in the early days of the gang.

He'd seen her several times before; being a homeless vampire, they'd passed each other in the streets. All homeless vampires 'knew' each other.

She was younger than him, definitely smaller, though even most adults were smaller than him, but seemed so much more collected and mature. She smiled at him in greeting, but it was a distant smile. Like all the others, she dismissed him straight off as being stupid.

But he wasn't completely stupid. He'd managed to survive from a young age by himself, learning how to hunt, using what little telepathic power he had to control the humans he fed from. He learnt to tell by sight which ones would be easy to control and which would be more difficult to choose his prey. All this proved that he was clever, but she didn't believe him. And even in the early days, Jez and Morgead would exchange one of their 'looks' whenever he said something slightly gullible or strange.

Jez and Morgead were a strange couple. He thought, at first, even as young as they were, that they were a couple. They way they knew each other, inside out and understood exactly what the other was thinking certainly suggested it, but he soon realised that, close as they were, they certainly were not a couple. The first fight he witnessed, he was honestly scared that they would kill each other. It was genuine fighting, with fighting sticks, though they had no idea how to use them at that point. As the months progressed and they both got stronger and quicker, the injuries became more severe.

And she would always be there afterwards, to help them up and act like a messenger between them. She was the person who truly kept the gang together, which meant that she was his entire life. And, as all love stories must have heartbreak and desperation, she had no idea. As brilliant a reader she was as anyone he'd ever met, able to see right through Jez and Morgead's hard, protective walls to their true emotions, she couldn't read him.

But she started warming to him. Gently first, starting to defend him, but they soon became strong friends.

The others always found that strange. They were complete opposites in every way, but after a while, something about who she was changed him, to be able to understand situations which before, he had no idea about. And what he was changed her. When she was with him, curiously, she didn't need to be the mother figure. They could just be two friends, hanging out and having a bit of fun.

That relationship became so much more important when Jez left. Morgead would be a lot more volatile, and would have periods of time when he would throw them all out. It was compulsory for her to get him back to normal again, and afterwards she would come to him, just to be a normal teenage vampire again. And though it hurt him, and he felt like piece after piece of his heart was being ripped away from the whole every time she left, he let her.

They all owed a lot to Morgead, anyway.

And then, when Jez came back, he could see that she was truly happy for him. And just after they'd both thrown themselves off Morgead's building, and they left in each others' company, the first thing of significance happened.

They were walking beside each other, just in front of Pierce and Thistle, who were having an argument about the most painful way to kill a human who deserved it, and he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Every time he looked, her only visible eye was sparkling with a romantic's joy. "I wonder what they're doing right now."

It was a couple of hours after Jez and Morgead had left to drop off the girl. Everyone had seen the furtive glances they'd stolen at each other, rather like he'd noticed he did quite often to Raven, and she had a contented look in her eye.

"I'd really rather not know," he said, looking away and grimacing.

Raven spluttered with laughter. "Val! Get your mind out of the gutter. They're probably just talking. I'm sure that'll be good enough for both of them after all this time." She gave a happy smile.

At this point, they were standing on a small patch of grass a few hundred yards away from the Golden Gate Bridge. Thistle and Pierce had long since fallen behind.

Raven, still smiling contentedly, dropped gracefully to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest.

"I don't get girls," Val muttered before sitting down next to her.

"Huh?"

"I don't understand them."

"Well, I'm one of them, and you seem to understand me."

"Not now."

She pushed her hair behind her ears, both sides, and the rarely visible scar above her right eye pained him again. She'd never told him how she'd gotten the scar, and never even dropped any hints. "But you know me better than anyone, Val," she said softly.

Her midnight blue eyes captured him, and it took him a short while to be able to answer. "I don't get how girls can be so happy for other people. Especially when it comes to anything romantic." He shuddered dramatically.

She laughed at him and bumped her shoulder against his. "It's just because you haven't found anyone. Believe me, when you have, you'll be happy for them."

"So you have?" He asked nonchalantly, though his heart had started beating uncharacteristically fast. "I mean... found someone?"

She started fiddling with her hair. "I don't know. It all depends."

His throat constricted. So, this was it. She was going to fall in love with some blonde haired hunk and never talk to him again. He'd missed his chance. "On what?"

"What that person thinks about me."

And at those words, her face was so miserable that he put an arm around her shoulders. He'd known, for years, that he didn't deserve this beautiful girl who had already given him so much. As long as she was happy, for him, the world would be in its rightful place. "I'm sure he'll come round, Raven," he said. "He'd be crazy not to. You're the best person I know."

She gazed at him, smiling again. "And you always know exactly what to say." She kissed his cheek before leaning her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Val."

He savoured those words, more than any other feeling in the world, and when he responded with, "I love you too, Raven," his voice was steady and unwavering.

...nw...nw...nw...

"So... that considered... you probably should all join Circle Daybreak."

The rest of the gang (by that, it was him, Raven and Thistle) didn't look away from him, in complete and utter shock.

"Okay, you and Jez thought this up, didn't you? It's some kind of test to see how good we are at dealing," Thistle said. "So what, Jez is just outside, right?"

Oh. Of course that must be it! He gave a smile and looked at Raven. She didn't seem as convinced.

"No. It's the complete truth. You don't see Pierce here, do you?" His face twisted slightly, as if it physically hurt him to say Pierce's name.

"That could easily be arranged," Thistle countered with. "Jez wasn't really staked. We'd know if she had been." She turned to Raven and Val, crossing her arms petulantly.

Morgead took a deep breath. "If you really think that, Thistle, then stay here in San Francisco. But I can't guarantee your safety." He stared her down steadily. Thistle blushed and looked away.

"Okay."

The voice didn't register with Val for a moment, but when it did, he couldn't speak for shock.

Raven. Raven. She was agreeing to go with those hippies? He watched her incredulously as Morgead gave a small sigh and shot an expectant look at Val.

"What?" he was finally able to say.

Raven turned to him. "I think he's right, Val. Are you telling me that you never felt the tiniest bit remorseful? Ever?"

"No, Raven. Because we don't just torture for fun, do we? We're already like superheroes for human kind. We only get the bottom feeders, the one that the human authorities should have taken care of themselves, but didn't. All because of glitches in their own system." He glared at Morgead. "That's what you always said."

He had the same expression on his face that he'd had when he was staring down Thistle. "But it was wrong. We were wrong. It was never our decision to pass judgement, and certainly not the way we did." He looked outside quickly. "Listen, I've got to get to Jez. You just talk about it amongst yourselves. And, Raven..." he touched her hand quickly, and Val felt a sudden fury course through him. "Thank you."

She smiled at him, and Val was suddenly seeing red. He clenched his fists. "It's alright. And Jez will be fine. You know what she's like."

Morgead's eyes were suddenly distant, and he gave a swift nod before almost running out the door.

Val turned to Raven, noticing that Thistle was doing the same. Raven crossed her arms and refused to look at either of them.

"What was that about?" Thistle demanded. "Seriously, Raven? Give up the position, the power we have, to join the loosing side? Well, I won't!" She stamped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum, and stormed out of the apartment.

Raven was quiet, and moved over to the window. "Are you going to leave to?"

He considered that. Leaving with Thistle, maybe starting up a gang together.

Without Raven.

His entire mind protested against that cold world vehemently. He couldn't imagine not seeing her, never being able to talk to her, for good. He couldn't visualise how empty everything would seem without her. He couldn't consider never having a chance to be with her.

"Not without you," he vowed.

She finally turned around, and he was rewarded with a beautific smile. The tightness in his stomach eased a bit. "Thank you."

"But," he added, holding up his hand. "I'm not sure about joining Circle Daybreak."

Raven bit her lip and crossed her arms across her chest. "I know it's a big change, Val, but I feel like it's necessary. I think I need to try it." She stepped closer to him. "We need to try it."

Val kept his eyes on hers, watching the contentment on her face. Her expression said that she felt she... belonged. He'd never seen her so serene in his life.

And at the same time, he could almost feel her slipping away from him, going to the other side, leaving him. And because of that, next time they met, they could be enemies.

But he knew, everyone knew, humans would lose. They and everyone who stood with them would be subjugated and killed. How could he willingly do that to himself?

And one phrase from Raven changed everything. "For me?"

He nodded.

For her, he'd try anything.

...nw...nw...nw...

Life at Circle Daybreak was strangely similar to life with the gang. He and Raven kept up the training routine they'd had for years, and though they were now hunting werewolves and were alone with each other a lot more, the hunts were surprisingly similar. They saw Jez and Morgead often, and they grew closer to each other as Jez grew stronger, though Jez had told them that once she was back to her full strength, she'd be moved to several different safe houses and would rarely see them. Obviously Morgead would be going with her; after their months apart, they seemed to have no desire to be out of each others company for more than a few minutes.

The ease at which Jez and Morgead had changed from purely platonic friends to such an intimacy as they had, had Val thinking about his own relationship with Raven. If it had worked for them so beautifully, why not him and Raven?

And, before he had time to catch his breath and make a decision, Jez was better, and they were leaving to go to another safe house. Raven, he could see, was upset about that. They'd become closer than they had been before, and there was no telling when they would see each other again.

...nw...nw...nw...

"What are you thinking about?"

They were sitting close to each other, watching the sun set past the Rocky Mountains. Jez and Morgead had left an hour before. Raven and Val had decided to stay where they were, where it was calm, before they decided where to go next.

Raven gave a little jerk of surprise. His voice, soft as it was, had broken the previous silence. She took a deep breath, and sighed before responding. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She shifted to face him. "I suppose we should be thinking where we're going to live." She paused. "Should we ask Circle Daybreak to fix us up somewhere?"

"They owe us after what we gave up."

She gave a light laugh and flashed a beautiful smile at him. "That's true." She started to get up.

"Not yet," Val said, reaching out and grabbing her arm to stop her.

"What?"

"Let's just stay here for a while longer."

She settled back again, a slight smirk quirking up the corners of her lips. "Didn't know you were the type of man to just sit back and watch the sun go down."

Val sighed over-dramatically. "We're a dying breed."

She laughed and batted at his arm. "That much is true." They were quiet for a moment. "Don't change that. It's a good quality to have."

"Being able to watch the sun for longer than other people?" he asked, confused.

She shook her head. "'Though that is a much sought out quality..." she rolled her eyes. "I meant being able to sit back and see the beauty. There isn't a thing I would change about you."

Val couldn't ignore the tightening of his stomach at her words, the quickening of his heartbeat when she leaned her head on his shoulder. Surely she could feel the pulse drumming through his neck, surely she could she his heart trying to leap out of his chest?

But no. She didn't notice, and quite quickly he heard her breathing slow and deepen, and she fell asleep.

"I love you, Raven," he whispered, kissing the top of her head before drifting off to sleep himself.

...nw...nw...nw...

He woke what seemed like an eon afterwards. The sun had now risen and the world looked completely different. The grass was now a pale green, and the mountains were no longer just giant black masses.

He tried to roll over, but couldn't. That was when he realised that Raven was sleeping with her head on his chest.

He stopped breathing, watching the sun dapples passing through the leaves play and dance on her body, feeling her heartbeat against his chest, and listening to her quiet breathing.

After a quiet moment which finished much too quickly, she stirred, and turned around before sitting up and running a hand through her hair. Yawning, Val sat up too. "You've got some grass in your hair," she murmured, and brushed her hand through his hair. He almost trembled at her touch, but managed to control himself. The tremble came instead when their eyes caught, and they were just staring at each other. The sun was still dancing on her skin, and the wind was gently ruffling her hair. Her midnight blue eyes were wider than usual, and seemed to have a calmness in them which he never had in his own mindset.

Gently, experimentally, he reached up a hand to caress her cheek, and she subconsciously leaned her cheek into his hand, still gazing at him.

Was this it? Would this be the time that he could finally admit to her what he'd felt all these years?

"Raven..." he started, but she shook her head and placed her hand on his lips, effectively killing any chance he had of stringing two words together.

And that was when she leaned forwards and kissed him.

A kiss was worth a thousand words anyway.