(A/N: Here we go, another story. Again another AU Escaflowne. I don't own any of it, CLEARLY.)

It was after 8:00 as Hitomi drove home from her job in her new work car. She worked as a secretary for the big boss in one of the top companies in the country. At twenty-four, it was quite an accomplishment for someone to own their own house, their own car, and have such a high paying job. But Hitomi did.

She parked and walked up the brick path to her front door. "Rick? Honey, you home?" she called, as she entered the house. "Rick!" Bozo, her small, white poodle, skidded into the room on her hardwood floor, barking. "Hey darling, you hungry?" She walked into the kitchen, still looking for Rick.

After dumping some food into a bowl for her dog, Hitomi turned to the table to see a note.

Hitomi,

We've talked about this for a while and I guess I just thought it would be for the best if I finally left. I've taken all my things, so I won't be back for anything. I'm sorry to leave so abruptly but I think we're both moving in different directions. You're doing so well with your work, and the band is finally getting close to being signed. Good luck Hitomi, you deserve it.

- Rick

That was it.

Hitomi reached up to brush one tear off her cheek. Leaning against the cupboards and sliding down to the floor, she cradled her face in her hands. She couldn't have realistically thought that her relationship with Rick would last much longer; they'd been fighting viciously for the past several weeks about her spending too much time at work, and him doing nothing but playing his guitar all day.

She sat on the floor for a while, then finally pulled herself up, wiped her nose childishly on her expensive work jacket, and headed towards the stairs. Bozo bounded up the stairs behind her, wagging his tail and yipping. Still sniffling, she pulled on silk pyjamas and climbed into bed beside her small dog.

As Hitomi lie in her bed, a dark shadow lurked outside her window. It watched her wipe her eyes yet again. Shuffling sideways, it looked upwards to the sky and said, "You better be right about this one, Boss." A burst of air pushed the intruder's hair into his face suddenly. "Alright, alright, I believe You," he muttered. As he kept talking to himself, the sky got darker and threatened rain. "I just wish You'd tell me what needed to be done," he continued. "It would make my job a hell of a -" a flash of lightning shot across the sky "- FINE! A lot easier then." And he continued to grumble as he tried to get a better view of the now sleeping woman.

"So Hitomi," he whispered now, to the woman inside, "what are you missing in your life?"

Another draught of wind blew towards the stranger, and some tree branches that almost touched Hitomi's window slapped his bare back. A second gust and a bigger branch moved and hit him harder. He threw out his arms and waved them in an attempt to catch his balance.

Hitomi sat straight up a second later as a loud thud came from outside her window. Bozo rocketed off the bed, barking and running towards the back door of the house. Sliding out of her bed, Hitomi crept down the stairs after her spazz dog. She stopped briefly to grab a butcher knife from the kitchen. As she squeezed it in between her fingers, it reassured her that whoever was outside wouldn't get away unharmed.

"Who's there!" she cried as she threw open her back door and took half a step out. A white blur shot past her feet as her dog went running and shrieking into the bushes under her window. There were some grunts and growls before Bozo came sprinting back to her, carrying something in his mouth. Hitomi bent down, keeping half an eye on the bush, and removed several long, white feathers from the wet mouth of the dog.

"Hello?" she said stupidly. "Is someone there? Are you hurt?"

"Arrrunnnnhggh..." A noise came from the bushes before a figure stood up. It took several steps forward until Hitomi could see it was a young man, maybe two years her senior, with black hair, dark eyes, and he was, as far as she could tell, naked from the waist up. "Stupid dog, I ought to tell Him not to let you in. Oh no, I bet you'd regret ripping out my feathers then, wouldn't you?" he mumbled angrily, pulling sticks from his hair.

Turning his gaze to the gaping woman in front of him, he studied her. She looked happy enough. Tall-ish, slim, nice house, pretty. What was wrong with this broad? Yawning, he said quickly, "I'm Van, your new protector, saviour, friend, and basically your genie. I'm here to fix your life." His tone sounded bored.

Hitomi's head was cocked slightly to one side. "Are you drunk?" she questioned him.

"I wish!" he said under his breath. Then, "No, I was sent here to help you out. I know all about you. You're Hitomi Kanzaki, age twenty-four and three eighths, your birthday is August eleventh, your favorite colour is green, you have one brother who is younger than you, a nice company car, a nice job, a nice house, but a pretty stupid dog. You also just broke up with Rick, your boyfriend of almost eleven months, you finished high school a year early due to good grades, you don't smoke or do drugs, and you only drink in moderation. Is all that right?"

Green eyes stared widely at him from several feet away. After a moment, they closed and Hitomi keeled over backwards. "Jesu - I mean, oh darn!" Van said, as he moved forward, dodging Bozo. He kneeled beside the unconscious girl and waved his hands over her feebly. "Aw, c'mon Boss, gimme a break, will you?" he asked, skyward.

Leaning forwards, he put his weight onto his hand. With a cry, he brought it back up, seeing a small cut on it from the knife Hitomi had brought with her. A small drop of blood rolled down his hand before the cut closed itself up and left only a small pink line.

"Hitooooomi! Please wake up! I'm sorry I said your dog was stupid. I only said that 'cause he ripped out my feathers. You'd be surprised how much that hurt! A lot more than hair, I can tell you." He kept talking until Hitomi's eyes slid open. "Hey, that's my girl," he said, helping her into a sitting position.

"Who are you? Am I dreaming?" were the first things from her mouth.

"Naw," Van said, "but you might wish you were in a couple seconds." The muscles in his back rippled as he lifted large wings up from behind him. Bozo whined and ran into the house as Hitomi's eyes followed the white feathers out six feet in either direction. She took another look at his face, and then passed out again.

A cry came from Van. "God, why do you always give me the hard jobs?"

(A/N: So, Review guys. Theme song for this fic: Angels by Jessica Simpson or Robbie Williams.)

Sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate?
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old?
'Cause I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I'm lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel the love is dead
I'm loving angels instead
And through it all, he offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call

He won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead
When I'm feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know I'll always be blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
He breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I'm loving angels instead
And through it all, he offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call

He won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead
And through it all, he offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call

He won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead