With special thanks to my wonderful editor, muse, and good friend, Quiet2885, and my beta and sister, Heir de Erik, without who this story would not have been possible.

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An Offering of Love
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Christine wasn't quite sure how she had gotten into the situation she found herself in right now.

She only knew that she had disappointed her Angel. She had to make things right - at any cost. And what better day to do it on than her Angel's birthday?

So why did she have this vague feeling of unease, as if she was doing something wrong?

There was a voice. A desperate, disbelieving voice.

"No Christine... No!"

It was a man's voice. It sounded vaguely familiar... almost like the voice of someone close to her. Should she heed the voice and stop what she was doing?

No! She couldn't. She had to continue... or her Angel would be displeased. She couldn't risk her Angel's fury - or worse still, his disappointment.

"No! Not like this!"

Eyes screwed tightly shut, Christine gritted her teeth and swung once, twice, a third time. Finally there was a series of strange sounds, and something popped off and rolled a short distance.

"Christine?!"

It was the voice of her Angel. Why did he sound so... stunned, so bewildered? Maybe he hadn't known she would do the right thing. She bowed her head, shamed that her past actions had caused his lack of faith. It would all change now though - it had to, once her Angel saw what she had done for him - only for him.

She would do anything to prove her devotion.

Christine quickly grabbed the thing that had popped free and stuffed it into a gift box she had prepared specially for the occasion. There was so much liquid dripping out of the object, though... it had dripped all over the box and all over the patterns decorating the box. She had done her best though in preparing her offering... surely her Angel would understand that and excuse the mess she had made? Besides, the color of the liquid was a dark red... sensual, vibrant, just the sort of color her Angel would appreciate.

Meekly, hopefully, Christine crawled toward her Angel - who was still standing there, motionless, with a look of profound shock etched on his divine countenance.

Her offering squarely in front of her, Christine prostrated herself and made her plea.

"I love you, Angel... only you. I love you ever so much! Please... forgive your little Christine for failing you?"

No reaction.

Nervously, Christine began to babble... a bad habit she still had.

"I'm so sorry! I know. I can't ever make it up to you. Your Christine was so foolish... please... forgive her? Please, don't leave me ...!"

She was cut off by a finger against her lips, her Angel pulling her up against his form.

"My beloved Christine," he rumbled soothingly, stroking her hair, "Know that I shall always love you and shall never, never leave you!"

"Happy birthday, Angel," she murmured as they returned to his underground demesne. Her offering, blank blue eyes staring upwards, lay forgotten on the floor of her dressing room.