Part 4:

A couple weeks later Damon still hadn't shown up and Raven was
slipping into a depression. What Damon had done to Mary's ankle
healed but what he had done to Raven's heart wouldn't heal that
fast.

And it didn't help that Raven kept having dreams about Damon.
Sometimes they were his memories and sometimes they were hers.
Others were just full of wishful thinking.

"Are you ok?" was the question every body was asking Raven
nowadays. Her signature bird never looked happy anymore. The regal
bird was okay if a bit tired looking. The evil bird was the only
bird that looked normal.

It made her grin every time she drew it as she imagined it
pecking out Damon's eyes. Raven's eyes had turned cold and she
didn't go near Circle Daybreak anymore. She was ruthless when she
took to the streets looking for food. She didn't care if she killed
anyone. She just didn't care about anything.

Mary wanted to find Damon and kill him or something. Make him
come back to Raven. Raven had this certain quality about her that
pulled people into her moods so nearly every one Mary came across
was acting sour. Mary was snappier then normal too.

Damon was staying in a motel a couple states away. His mind
was plagued by images of Raven. At night he filled his dreams. All
during the day what Raven's sister had said came back to haunt him.

"Fine!" Damon yelled at nothing. "I'll go back and see what
she's up to." With his mind made up he stowed his duffel in the
car. He realized with a laugh that he hadn't unpacked since he
left, just waiting for when he finally came around and went back.

He broke speed limits almost the whole way. He ran quite a few
stop signs and red lights while he was at it. By the time Damon had
reached the Raven's outer city limits he had been pulled over three
times. He just brushed the policemen by influencing them.

He found Raven's house by remembering her parents names and
looking it up in the phone book. He rang the doorbell, impatiently
shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"What do you want?" Mary snapped when she opened the door.

"Is Raven home?" he asked noticing she had lost the cast and
crutches. Mary seemed to weigh whether to tell him the truth or
not.

"She's been out all day but she should be back soon, if you
want to wait," Mary told him moving to the side to give him room to
enter. He swept by her with a soft 'thank you'.

Mary lead Damon to Raven's room with instructions to wait and
not touch anything. She glared at him as he sat on the bed and
smiled innocently. Mary turned and flounced out of the room.

Damon waited for about half an hour before Raven got home. He
heard Raven snarl something after her sister told her he was
waiting for her. He couldn't make out what it was supposed to be
though. Raven stormed up the stairs and into her room.

"You have some nerve, showing up like this. Why'd you come
back, Damon?" she snapped at him.

"Your sister said some things that finally got their way
through my skull."

"Mary talked to you? When?"

"Right before I skipped town. She found out where I was by
reading your diary or something like that," he said standing to
look her in the eye. "I don't want to lose you before I have you,"
he said quietly.

Raven softened immediately. "Took you long enough," she said
with a grin.

"Raven, I want to make this work. I don't even know you yet
and already being away from you is torture."

"I know how you feel," Raven whispered stepping closer to him
as she held one of his hands in both of hers. Damon leaned forward
so their lips brushed.

"I don't want to feel that ever again," he told her. "Just
tell me you'll not let it happen." Raven didn't answer. Instead she
kissed him. Their arms wrapped around each other and they were lost
in their own little world.

The End