So this was requested a whiles back on the inception kink meme on LiveJournal. I finally found it again while browsing through some of my documents and I thought I'd post it here :) Sorry to anyone who was waiting on an update from New Reality. I've been swamped with school this semester, I promise I'll get around to it over break though!
There is something both fulfilling and sickening about performing an exorcism. There's the feeling of victory of finally being able to drive out the badass mother fucker that's been a royal pain in his ass, but the elation is usually short lived when Eames realizes that the empty vessel won't survive after wards.
When the smoke finally clears, Mallorie is coughing and gasping. It's a sickening sound, one he's heard far too much in the past couple of weeks. Eames moves to untie the bonds he'd placed on her while she was still possessed but Dominic is much faster than him, and he watches as her pale and broken body tumbles too easily out of the chair and into her husband's arms.
"You need to get her to a hospital Dom," Eames says as he pulls out the phone to dial 911. Dom can only nod as tears stream down his face. Eames feels a sickening twist in his stomach. Dom knows as well as he does that the ambulance isn't going to make it on time. Mal was dead the moment the demon entered her body.
Eames is also close on the brink of tears. God damn it, he knew he couldn't save everyone, and the demon infestation was getting worse and worse, but why Mal? Mal was practically family to him. She had been the first friend he had made way back when in his high school days when demons didn't exist to him, and his mother and father had still been alive. Mal had been there at the funeral when they died. Mal was the only one who knew he was leaving, but he never told her why. He wanted to protect her from this fucked up life he'd been living. And now she was dying because of it.
It takes all the effort he has in him for Eames to kneel down next to the couple and look into his old friend's eyes. She smiles weakly at him and tries to lift a very weak arm to his cheek. It's only when he takes her hand and places it against his that he realizes he can't stop the tears from pouring.
"This…" she says and coughs violently from the single syllable. "This…it killed your parents, didn't it Eames?"
He can only nod to her in response. It's not the exact demon that possessed his mother and made her kill his father and then tried to get him next. But it's a demon nonetheless, and just like it destroyed his loving family, it's destroying his best friend's so it's all the same to him.
"I'm so sorry Mal," he sobs in to her hand. "I'm so sorry."
"Why are you sorry Eames?" she smiles sadly at him, the coughing subsiding, but her breathing is getting much more heavy. "You brought me back…to my husband. And took that evil away from me."
But I couldn't save you he thinks, but he can't utter the words because even to her last breaths he refuses to accept it. He can hear the sirens faraway in the distance and he knows it's soon going to be his time to go. There's a very slight flutter of wings, one that Eames has learned to recognize, and when he looks up, he sees that Arthur is standing over him.
"We need to go, Eames." He says in such an emotionless and matter-of-fact tone that the demon hunter wants to punch him to for being so insensitive. He knows they have to go, but there are more important things right now than pulling a smooth escape.
Dom nearly jumps out of his skin when the unfamiliar presence makes itself known in the house. He looks to Eames in confusion.
"Don't worry about Arthur," the demon hunter says. "He's harmless for the most part. Just a gigantic prat is all he is."
The other man glares at him, as if willing him to leave the house, but Eames refuses to leave his spot from the floor. The police can catch him here for all he cares, but he's not leaving Mal.
"What is he?" she asks when he focuses back his attention on her. "He's so…bright." Dom looks back and forth between the man in the suit and his wife, confused by what she's apparently seeing that he's not.
"I am angel of the Lord Mallorie," Arthur answers before Eames can. Dom looks as if his brain is exploding. First demons, now angels? Eames pities the poor man for finding out about this otherworld so violently and cruelly. It's the same type of fate he suffered. He'd never wish it on any one.
Mal just smiles. "An angel, huh?" she answers weakly, her voice now barely audible. "Have you been watching over Eames this whole time?"
Eames wouldn't really call it watching, more like harassing and bitching and yelling at him. All in the name of protection from the good Lord above of course. But Arthur has saved his ass on more than one occasion, so he'll give the angel that much.
Arthur nods to her quietly, and she tries to chuckle but instead coughs violently and focuses her attention back on her husband. She starts whispering to him in French, and he sobs back to her. The only thing Eames can make out is how broken Dom sounds when he whispers "I love you" to her over and over.
"Eames, we need to go now," Arthur insists grabbing the demon hunter's arms and pulling him violently to the floor. Eames doesn't want to leave and shoves Arthur away from him.
"I'm not leaving!" Eames nearly roars at the angel. Arthur doesn't even flinch, which pisses him off even more. Fucking angels and their inability to feel human emotions. Eames wants to punch Arthur over and over until he can't feel anything anymore, but he knows that's not going to fix the situation one bit.
"Go," Mal whispers from the floor. Eames turns to her in surprise. "You...need...to." It's all the direction Arthur needs to grab him and teleport out of the house just as the ambulances pulled into the driveway.
Eames is struggling hard against Arthur's tight grip the whole way back to the motel room. He's so incredibly angry that all he can feel, all he can see is a hot white light in front of him. When Arthur finally does release him, the hunter doesn't even hesitate before throwing punches.
Arthur can read Eames like a book and knows what's coming to him, but the first punch still catches him off guard. It hits him square in the jaw, and though he cannot feel pain, he knows that his vessel can. He moves quickly away from the raging man in front of him, but although he can leave the room, he never does. Arthur knows that Eames will eventually become tired and collapse on the bed, leaving Arthur available to reason with him.
When this finally happens, Eames is out of breath and cursing God under his breath. He doesn't feel like getting into an argument with Arthur about taking the Lord's name in vain. Arthur can hear his profanities, but he chooses not to comment on them. There's an awkward silence between them when Eames finally runs out of breath and can't curse anymore.
"I am sorry for your loss," is the first thing out of Arthur's mouth. He's surprised he says it; it wasn't what he was planning on talking about to the demon hunter at all. In fact, he wanted to chastise him for taking so long to complete the job, but once his eyes fell on Eames, he'd suddenly felt an unfamiliar wave of emotion wash over him, and a whole different sentence and thought came to his lips immediately.
"Fuck you," is all Eames replies to him. Arthur purses his lips. It's not the first time Eames has said that phrase to him, but it's the first time he's heard it filled with so much venom and distaste. He's unsure of how to continue the conversation, and is surprised when Eames does it for him.
"You should've left me with Mall and Dom," he says bitterly. "I didn't even get to say goodbye for fuck's sake Arthur."
"You would've been caught if I had," Arthur replies quickly, and both of them are surprised at his defensiveness. "I cannot allow you to be harmed Eames, I was assigned to protect you under any circumsta–"
"–stances possible, yeah yeah fuck that Arthur. Fuck you and your stupid angel rules given to you by your stupid God, fuck demons, fuck it ALL Arthur! Everyone I care about is gone now Arthur. Don't you get it? I'm fucking alone now." Eames is shaking now, and it's not longer a simple rage. He has to fight to keep himself together and not break down at the realization he's just voiced to the angel. Eames would rather go through Hell and back first before he'd have a breakdown in front of ihim/i.
Arthur doesn't say anything, just stares at him silently before focusing his eyes on anywhere in the room but Eames. The demon hunter takes this opportunity to quickly gather all of his things in one giant scoop and haul them and himself out the door. Arthur makes no move to stop him, just stands there and watches silently. He doesn't even follow Eames when he pulls the door shut behind him.
The funeral is three days later. Eames hasn't seen Arthur since the exorcism.
There are very few people at the funeral. Eames prefers it this way. The fewer that see his face and remember it the better.
Dom is standing solemnly over Mal's casket. His eyes never leave it as it is lowered into the ground. Eames is surprised at the man that was completely torn to pieces not so long ago is now cool and composed. His eyes rise for just a second and meet his, and Eames almost falls backwards at the other man's expression.
Eames had worn that very same face at his parent's funeral. It was one of determination. It was one of a need for revenge. Eames is strangely heartbroken. He's sure Mal would've never wanted this for her husband. Eames is sure his parents never wanted this life he's living now for him. But where Eames had no one to knock his head clear of rage that day, Dom would have someone today.
When the funeral workers start placing the dirt into the hole in the ground, Eames walks over and stands next to Dom. He tosses in a single red rose and says his final goodbyes to his childhood friend. He then turns to Dom, whose eyes have softened at the kind gesture.
"Mal told me about what happened to you back when you guys were still in school," he whispers to him quietly. Eames nods and places his hand on Dom's shoulder.
"I wouldn't have wished a fate like that on anyone. And I'm not going to let you live the same way." Dom's eyes widen at him. Eames gives a little chuckle. "Come on now mate, I know you know I know what you're feeling. But she wouldn't want you to do this. It's a pretty damn lonely profession and you've still got some beautiful kids there. I'm all alone so it's okay for me."
"But you're not alone."
Eames and Dom nearly fall into the grave.
"What the hell Arthur?" Eames nearly yells, but then remembers he's at a funeral. He looks around frantically to see if anyone noticed Arthur's sudden appearance.
"Don't worry Eames, I didn't just appear out of nowhere. You and Dominic just didn't hear me." He's talking in that same matter of fact voice that drives Eames insane, but he just can't be angry at the angel right now. There are more pressing matters at hand.
"Where the hell have you been?" Though Eames won't show it even on his death bed, he's grown dependent on the angel's company. Arthur's been with him so long, constantly breathing down his neck. He'd never gone more than 24 hours without the angel consistently near him. Even though the demon hunter hadn't noticed Arthur's absence for the first day or so due to his anger, the third day without contact began to wear on him a little bit. Arthur was his only company, the closest thing he'd had to a friend or relative, though Eames would rather die before admitting that out loud.
"Around heaven," Arthur replies nonchalantly. He then turns his attention to Dom. "I have a message for you. From Mallorie." Both Dom and Eames are stunned at this revelation.
"Wh-wha? I don't understand. Is she…?" Dom's afraid to answer the question.
"In heaven yes," Arthur says. "She has quite a peculiar personal heaven though. She said only you would understand it when you join her. She told me to tell you to wait for a train. A train that'll take you–"
"Far away…because then we'll be together," Dom finishes for the angel. The calm and cool man Eames had seen earlier is now gone. There are fresh tears in his eyes but he wipes them away with his sleeve. "Thank you," he says quietly. Arthur nods back at him and begins to walk away. Eames follows him without a second thought.
"Was that all you were doing the past couple of days Arthur? Looking for Mal?"Eames can't seem to wrap his head around the fact that an angel would get off his high horse just to deliver some closure to a random human being.
Arthur stops and lets the demon hunter catch up to him. He shrugs. "It wasn't that hard to find her. But she had a lot she wanted to talk about and say to Dom and you. So I stayed a little longer than I should've. But it wasn't like I was exactly welcome with you anyways."
Eames knows he deserves that jab that Arthur has taken at him. He feels slightly guilty for all of two milliseconds before he realizes what the angel just told him.
"Mal had something to say to me?"
Only someone who had spent a lot of time with Arthur would've noticed the slight flinch and tensing of the angel's shoulders. Eames knew right away Arthur was trying to hide something from him. This was confirmed by the long silence that passed between them.
"Oh come on now Arthur, what the heck did Mal have to…?"
Before he realizes what's going on, Arthur is next to him and Eames feels a gentle brush of lips against his cheek. The only coherent thought that runs through his mind is how warm and soft Arthur's lips feel. By the time he snaps out of his daze, the angel has somehow glided back about 20 feet away from him. Eames is about to yell at Arthur, but then the angel closes his eyes and begins to sing.
"No…nothing at all…I do not regret anything at all…anything at all. Either the good that has been done to me…or the evil…everything is equal to me."
Eames wonders if all angels are gifted with heavenly vocals. He's sure he'll never be able to ever listen to another human singing voice again after that performance. There was just something so different about the way an angel sang. It shook Eames to his very core, like an arrow had pierced his soul. He doesn't even feel the tears streaming down his face, he can only concentrate on the beautiful notes his ears had just heard.
When Arthur opens his eyes again, he doesn't seem surprised at the demon hunter's reaction. When Eames's knees buckle beneath him, he silently rushes to his side and catches him without any change in expression. What really surprises him however, is when Eames begins to laugh uncontrollably.
"I do not understand what is so funny Mr. Eames," Arthur says with a straight face, but his voice gives away his confusion. Eames continues to laugh, a different set of tears now spilling from his eyes. Arthur tries not to cringe when the man dampens his suit by gripping tightly on to him.
"I was wrong about you, Arthur," Eames finally says when he's recovered himself. "You've actually got a heart underneath that meat suit. You're not emotionless at all."Arthur isn't sure how to respond to this statement, but the smile Eames gives him when he says it causes an uncomfortable lurch in his gut, like another supernatural being had just punched him unexpectedly.
Eames smirks at the angel and tries hard not to start laughing again. He wonders if Arthur knows he's got the most embarrassed expression on his face. The demon hunter finds it endearing though, and he makes a mental note to try and make that face come out again. Looking human suited Arthur a lot more than just being an emotionless statue, though the demon hunter knew the angel would probably disagree with him.
"Let's go Arthur," Eames says after an awkward silence. He gets up easily, as if he hadn't been crying his eyes out moments before. "We've got some demons to gank."