This site is giving me massive issues. It took FOREVER for it to even let me copy and paste (my formatting is the same as always and yet it won't load). I say this because if I "stop posting"...it's not me.

Chapter One

A/N I want to thank SierraGirlBZ (another fan fiction writer) for the helping me figure out a few things…since I'm not really into mythology. I have taken a few things from the Greek Goddess Aurora, and a few other things I've heard connected to mythology, and created this fantasy character. If by chance, anything I use is connected to a bad mythology deity-please-ignore that fact.

~oOo~

Music filled the Barkley living room from side one to the other. Nick, Jarrod and Heath all had dance partners, while Audra was busy talking with some of her friends. Victoria was also busy visiting some friends, which made it rather easy for Eugene to slip away from Nick's engagement party unnoticed. Soon he stood on the veranda feeling the cool breeze that was blowing against his face; it almost felt as if someone had a paintbrush in their hands and was trying to paint his face. If it wasn't for a feeling of great loneliness that seemed to surround him, it would have been a perfect setting.

"What's wrong with you?" Eunice Beecher, a childhood friend of Eugene's, stood outside the schoolhouse looking at him. "That engagement party of your brother's is the biggest talk of the town since Jarrod got married last year and," she shook her finger at him, "from the way you were talking last week, you were looking forward to it. Now, all you can do is wish there was a way for you to get out of attending? Did something happen?"

Eugene sighed as he leaned forward on the railing that surrounded the veranda and looked around. He had assured his friend nothing bad had happened which was true. He just hadn't admitted how out of place he'd begun to feel, and how he'd started feeling an urge to do something besides establishing a veterinarian practice in Stockton? Slowly he stood up straight, telling himself he needed to get back to the party even if he didn't want to be there. However, just as he began turning back towards the house, he thought he saw someone, or something, in the loft; the loft's door was wide open. Another thing that made his heart skip a beat. Forgetting the party, Eugene climbed over the railing and headed quickly, but carefully, towards the barn. The whole time he was wondering what he would find. Of course, not knowing exactly what was going on, made him pray like crazy he wasn't being stupid by exploring this thing on his own…since he didn't exactly have a gun on him.

As he drew near the barn, sure enough he heard someone, or something, moving in the loft. Opening the door to the barn as softly as he could, Eugene slipped inside. Immediately the noise in the loft stopped. Eugene was disappointed and became even more alert than before. Obviously, it was a person that was up in the loft and they had, in spite of his best efforts, heard him enter the barn. That being the case, he decided to take a chance and speak up. "Whoever's up there, I don't want to hurt you, nor do I want to make trouble for you! I just want to know who you are and what you're doing in our barn!"

When silence was the only reply he got, Eugene called out again. This time he heard movement in the loft, only it stopped after a moment. A good portion of him told him to step out of the barn and see if anyone was actually outside besides him. If there was, he could get their help. However, he felt an unexplainable pull towards the loft; it was enough to throw caution to the wind, as he headed for the ladder. It wasn't long before he was standing in the loft, wide eyed while his jaw felt like it hit the loft's wooden floor. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. A beautiful woman with long golden hair that hung loosely to her waist was crouched against the wall. The dress she wore, or was it simply a robe, was the whitest he'd ever seen, but it was the third thing he saw that had him in shock…had him wondering if he'd had too much to drink. Protruding from her back were two large golden wings.

"Help me, please." The woman spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

"What…who are you?" Eugene asked as he moved closer, still wide eyed and shocked.

"I am…" the woman paused, as if trying to decide what, if anything, she should say.

Eugene, sensing her fear, assured her he meant her no harm, telling her his name as he did so. "Who are you? What's wrong?"

"You can call me Dawn." The woman said after a moment and then glanced at her wings. "I…I hurt my wings. They won't work right. I… needed somewhere to hide until they heal. I…I'm not supposed to be seen by men."

Eugene couldn't say he was surprised to hear that last part. Still, he felt strongly there was something she wasn't saying, but he also felt the fear coming from her. She couldn't stay in the loft; he knew that much. And, he sure wasn't going to tell anyone about her. They'd treat her like a freak who belonged in a sideshow. "May I look at them?" He asked gesturing towards her wings.

Slowly Dawn nodded her head. What choice did she have? She was powerless to get away from this man. Then, she thought as she looked at Eugene again, and felt his kindness, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "Go ahead."

Eugene knelt down and examined her wings. As a veterinarian he'd looked at many animals, which included a few hawks. That being the case, he quickly saw the problem. "Have you been near a fire lately?"

The woman calling herself Dawn smiled for a split second and then, as her smile faded, she answered. "You could say that, but I didn't mean to get so close. It was an accident."

Eugene couldn't help but smile. "No one gets near enough to a fire to be hurt on purpose. Look, I need to get you out of here, but I need to get a few things. Just stay right here." he said as he stood up and then added, due to the frightened look that came upon her face, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're here and I'll come up with a believable reason to leave the house." Eugene then turned and headed for the ladder.

"Thank you," Dawn said as she watched Eugene disappear down the ladder. She then glanced at her wings and shook her head. "Well, girl, you best hope this Eugene Barkley is a good one." She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs and waited for Eugene's return.