Hey everyone! I admit, I do feel a little bad about how long it took me to put this chapter up, and I know it's a bit short, but I'm trying to hurry the beginning along. The storyline gets more exciting as it goes on, and I keep wanting to start in on the middle right away, so I apologize if this is short. Chapter 3 is on the way! :) Thanks for the reveiws. If everyone left one, I would be eternally grateful.

Thanks!

~Sarah

Jack had left early that morning, having made her promise to rest. She gave in easily, being incredibly tired and weak. The second she saw his blond head duck out the door and into the bustling city, Schuyler had fallen asleep.

This time when she awoke on the coach, something was different. Schuyler sat up quickly, her head rushing, and took a few seconds to breath before looking around.
Nothing had changed. She was in the Perry Street apartment lying before the familiar hearth. The air was warm and the windows emitted a soft, afternoon light. The room was blissfully quiet.

Schuyler stood up, shaking off the blankets and walking around the room. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there, why she was so alone. It was as though she had no memory of the last few weeks.

She was utterly alone.

Her head spun, and she quickly grabbed the counter in the small kitchenette to keep herself from falling. She didn't understand what was happening, where she was...

Schuyler's eyes watered as her body rejected a breath of air. She gasped as she sank to the floor. What is wrong with me? She tried to quiet her chattering teeth, to slow her shaking by pulling her arms tightly around herself. Dark shadows skittered across the edges of her vision, and Schuyler pulled her head to the floor against the cool linoleum. She tried to calm herself, but she couldn't shake the sensation that something was very, very wrong.

A tremor ripped through her body, and she felt her mind screaming through the bond. It was as though someone was there, pulling her along like a puppet. She tried to push it back, tried to fight it, but bonds held her back to tight. There was a voice in the darkness of the glom, but all that could be made out were curses. Schuyler saw a dark shape, bright as a star, moving towards her through the darkness. A Gate loomed up before her that was surrounded by thick walls of stone. The shape came into focus, and Schuyler saw the Morningstar for what he was: a beautiful, powerful creature. Every part of her body yearned to bow, while the remnants of her mind fought against him.

Lucifer smiled at her, gleaming white teeth reflecting against the darkness in his eyes. Then suddenly she saw herself, chained against a different Gate, a long time ago. Abaddon was there fighting for her life, fighting the man with the glorious light. Then she remembered his words, "The daughters of the light are not for the likes of you Abbadon." And the creature tore after him, a fury of horns and black wings. Distress consumed her.

They were taunting her, using her memories against her through the Glom. She felt through the darkness with all the energy she had left. At first nothing changed, all she could see was Mimi's anguished face, watching as the Venator Kingsley sacrificed himself for his race. But something wasn't right in the picture….It almost looked like Azrael, an Angel of the Apocalpse, was crying…

Then Schuyler smelled the sweet scent of French rolls, a favorite of hers, and it all came rushing back. The darkness faded slowly from around her, the deep voiced stopped murmuring in her ears. She was suddenly back in the apartment, back in a place where she was safe.

She remembered her loneliness; the silver blood attack; Jack's arrival. She remembered their brief but blissful morning. She couldn't believe she had almost forgotten. It had to be a side effect of the Silver Blood venom fighting her body, trying to seize control. Yet even knowing the cause, Schuyler couldn't help but be terrified. For those few brief moments, Schuyler had forgotten part of her life. She had forgotten a part that included Jack, who was her life now. She had been forced into the glom against her will, and had watched a memory as though she were just a spectator. Losing control like that terrified her. She pushed the incident from her mind, only to discover that she was still shaking. She took a few deep breaths and sat up.

Crawling into a seat at the table, Schuyler straightened her clothes and stared at her reflection in the shining metal of the stove. She had changed since she'd last had the chance to glimpse her reflection. Her skin seemed tauter, thinner somehow. It was as though her body was fighting against her, trying to force her out

She ran her fingers through her tangled black hair, pinched her cheeks in a vain attempt to bring color to her ceaselessly pale skin. The gray sweater she wore hung from her, black leggings becoming loose. No matter what she did, it was as though she were ill. It had only gotten worse in the 3 days it took her to make it to New York.

At first, it had only been weakness that followed her though the airport and unto the plane. But soon after, Schuyler had lost the desire to eat. When she forced herself to, it often didn't stay in her for very long. Now her "illness" was getting to the point where she could only stand for very limited periods of time without falling. It was becoming more and more difficult for Schuyler to convince herself that things were going to be ok.

Schuyler reached for the bag of fresh rolls on the table, smiling when she saw Jack's handwriting etched across a scrap of paper taped to the fork sitting next to them. She reached for it immediately, glad to have anything from Jack to distract her. It made her feel a little better to know he was still caring for her, even when he had his own life to worry about. Opening the note, Schuyler read:

For a sleeping angel.

Schuyler couldn't help but grin at the note. He was more an angel than she. By now he would be continuing his quest to free them of Mimi. He hadn't had the chance to give her any details, but he had told her not to worry; he would be back in the evening. He had said that she should remain hidden for the time being, and Schuyler had no intention of doing anything to expose them, but she felt she had to help. She had to do something to save herself from the darkness she could feel pressing down on her.

When she had finished eating the incredibly wonderful rolls (he had even managed to get them from the bakery Schuyler had always been fond of), Schuyler went into the bedroom to open her unpacked suitcase. Inside was a cute black jacket that Schuyler had gotten in Paris, and she quickly buttoned it up and headed for the door. She tried not to feel guilty as she turned the key to lock the apartment behind her. She had promised Jack she would rest, and she had. She hadn't said anything about staying in until his return…but she worried that he would be angry with her.

She shook her head as she walked into the early spring sunlight. She would deal with Jack later. Right now, she had a conduit to find.