Chapter One
Lucinda Price died this morning. She shouldn't have, they hadn't even been looking for her. To Cam's count it was barely 15 years since she died, not the 17 that was the curse. Daniel had finally started to heal from the violence of her last death, he had started to be the angel he always used to be. He hadn't spoken of Luce in years, even the far off look in his eyes when he thought of her. He looked free from his pain, or at least freer.
It had just been a normal day, nothing special about it. Daniel had met him at the mall, talking about finding something for Arri's birthday. If they were trapped together for all eternity, they might as well try to get along. Not like they had anyone else they could talk to about all of this, only each other. Grudgingly they were becoming a family, even if certain of the group were not entirely happy with that idea. Then she had appeared, a young girl on the other side of the road heading towards the mall with her friends. He had felt Daniel slump next to him as soon as he saw her. "Its not time." He muttered, "15 days, 4 months, 11 days, 14 hours and 16 seconds. She's early."
Cam had sighed, not again. He didn't know how many more times any of them could deal with this. Daniel was already walking towards her, he probably didn't even notice. Cam had slunk back to the shadows, it wasn't his place to stop this from happening. And then that car had come round the corner, skidding it was going to hit her. "Daniel!" he shouted in warning, yup that was a rule breaker, but hey. Who cared about rules right?
Daniel grabbed her just before the car hit her, folding her tightly in his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked desperately. She didn't say a word, just stared up into his eyes. "Luce, tell me you are okay please?" she reached up, stroking his face pulling him into a kiss that he couldn't avoid. Recognition in her face as she did so, for those few brief seconds before she died they were together as they should be. Then she was gone, and Daniel was stood there holding nothing. The world around them not even noticing that she was gone, like she had never existed at all.
Daniel looked broken, even more so then usual as he hadn't been prepared for this attack. Not nearly 18 months too soon, he always spent the last year focusing himself ready to see her dying again. Turning into the grouchiest man you could ever meet, as he accepted slowly that nothing could change their fate. That she would just die yet again, and he would be left trying to deal with the pain alone. Which was why they were both now sat in a sleazy dark bar somewhere nearly at the end of a bottle of whisky. Clue a few months of Daniel trying to self destruct even though he knew as an angel he could never die.
Cam did his best to ignore the fact Daniel had been researching, looking for a way an angel could die forever. He had made sure that all the star shots were no where Daniel could get to them. He had no idea what it would do to the curse if one of them died permanently, he didn't really want to find out either. They were crossing enough lines already trying to resolve this issue. He wound his way to the bar to get another bottle, knowing they would be here a while. Hell, Daniel hadn't even spoken a word to him yet. It had been hours.
Maybe some tequila would loosen that immortal tongue, or at least get him drunk enough he couldn't do anything too stupid for a little while. He poured them both extra large shots, watching absently the band setting up in the back ground. He missed being in one, the little part of a mortal life he had once allowed himself. He pushed the glass towards Daniel, settling in to listen to the band. At least that would be a small distraction for them both. "D, she wouldn't want you to be like this. It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah, just like its never my fault when we both know differently." Daniel said quietly, downing the offered drink.
"D, she shouldn't have been there. Things are changing, maybe this could be a fresh start?" he offered.
"If she comes sooner each life, I won't survive. I miss her too much."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."
"Oh like you have any idea?!" Daniel exclaimed, okay yes. The drink was starting to settle on him. "You have never been in love."
Cam refilled the glasses with a sigh, "You would be surprised."
"You aren't the type to fall head over your heels in love. You have no idea how much it hurts."
Cam glared at him, "You would be bloody surprised how much I can love and how much I gave up helping you with damned Lucinda!" He slammed the bottle back on the table just as a haunting female voice came across the speakers introducing her band 'Revenge.' He knew that voice, but she couldn't be here. She had died, hundreds of years ago. He had never seen her be reborn, not once. He had looked for years, waiting for her. Hoping he would get a second chance.
Bitter sweet memories
Of a love we had before
Blinded by sanity
What's behind the crimson door?
What happened to my eyes
Incapable of seeing signs
There's just one miracle
That's left of this love
After the rain
I still see heaven crying
After the rain
I still feel no relief
Cause everything we used to be
And used to feel
It all becomes so frightening real
After the rain
It was her, his Lilith. Stood there on stage looking more beautiful than she ever had, or maybe he just hadn't seen her in so long that her beauty stuck him all over again. Red hair curling around her face, blue eyes staring into his soul as she sang. Leather trousers, tighter than he would like when other men could see her, a black corset, leather jacket with a blood red lining. Topped off with a pair of knee high boots laced all the way up making her look fierce. Not that she had ever needed a costume to do that, she was fierce always. The one woman who gave him a run for his money in bad boy status, the one girl who actually put the fear of any God into him.
Cam took in every inch of her, even down to the chipped black nail varnish as she strummed that battered old guitar as she sang. Did she remember him? Did she have any idea who he was? She looked like she was tired, old, pained from existing in this world. All he wanted to do was grab her off that stage and kiss her.
So he would.
"Wait here." He growled to Daniel, striding across the room.
Song: After the rain by Cinema Bizarre.
