Author note: Ugh why do illnesses seem to never go away? Seriously the only good thing about this is I get to stay in bed and clack away on various things… Anyway chapter 6!

Sweetmemories: I got amusement out of the slushy too. Good thing he isn't real because I think he'd have something to say about it too.

Jem: Oh I'm glad you liked it! See you in the forums!

Foxtailsrox: I should be thanking you for taking the time to read my story! Thank you, I hope it continues to be worthy of attention.

Moriah: Thank you for answering. Her memories aren't a past life like she was reincarnated. Something happened and she lost all the memories of her past from childhood up until the day she woke back up. Hope that helps! Also she isn't a vampire. She is fully human. The last name was recommended by Sweetmemories, I was not aware it was off another anime/manga. I simply liked the sound of it.

Disclaimer: Not mine…

Character bio: Locke

Age: 19-20

Looks: black hair, violet eyes. Slightly tanned, 5'8, slight muscle tone. He has "Raisha" carved into his left shoulder.

Clothing: He wears mostly expensive things. His preference is black or dark colors.

Personality: like Lucia different people and situations bring out different sides. He is mostly calm seeming and prefers observation to possible risky moves.

Background: He is sympathetic to the plight of Lucia and has a keen interest in her developments. Despite his young age he runs some kind of organization that Auntie is a part of. He seems to be in love with a woman named Raisha, or at the least connected to her.

Chapter 6

About two weeks passed with no real developments. Lucia spent most of her time avoiding Auntie who had developed an insane desire to meet Castiel. It didn't seem to matter how much Lucia yelled. Auntie was sticking to her guns. Lucia was slowly becoming exhausted. When auntie attacked her with meeting Castiel Lucia wanted to snap. She had caught herself more than once thinking of wrapping a hand around the slender neck.

At these times a wave of dizziness would strike her and she would clutch her necklace fiercely. She could here "him" clearly. Orders, orders… She wanted to follow them so badly.

Before she could figure out what orders she was recalling they vanished. She was left as always reaching out desperately. The nightmares were doubling. She woke often screaming from the pain of some forgotten torture. As she continued having them she began to realize the pain was centered mostly in her head. It was like something was being torn from her skull.

The result wasn't pretty. Her lack of sleep was taking its toll on not only her but also her teachers. She was becoming irritable. Her exhaustion was obvious. She snapped and rarely paid attention in class. If she bothered to show up to the class at all.

She was wandering around the park. Her foggy mind struggled to recall her past. She focused on the few things she knew and repeated them over, branding them and trying to make them come to the surface. She was frustrated when her mind let things slip away.

And then she reacted without thought to the next thing that happened. Amber had just "accidentally" tossed a bag of trash directly on Lucia. What curse did she have on her that the blond had to be here now?

She slammed Amber into a bench and proceeded to punch the blond repeatedly. Then she dragged her from the bench and straddled her with her mind in a fog.

"I've warned you. I think it's time to show you what I'm really capable of since you insist on this nonsense." She had whispered in her ear, delighted by the trembles and the small whimpers of pain.

Nathaniel had pulled her off after he witnessed it from across the park. He had never seen such a sight. It was as though a huge dark cloud circled the girl. Her porcelain skin had dulled and her eyes were exhausted. She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. Confusion was evident in the very curve of her shoulders. He didn't understand how she was even still standing.

He had done the one thing he knew to do. He took Amber home and dragged Lucia with him. His sister wasn't badly hurt. Her nose was bleeding and it looked like she had a black eye. He swallowed to think what Lucia could have done had he not seen it.

Lucia had sat in the backseat with utter blankness on her face. It was like the girl he'd come to know was slowly being edged out by someone else. He wondered if her memories were returning or something. He had read that the victim of memory loss could become unstable if the memories resurfaced, the new "self" going to war with who they'd been before the amnesia.

After he had safely seen Amber home he'd taken Lucia to a small café. She stared at him with that blank stare and he shuddered. It wasn't the normal dreamy look of indifference. It was like she didn't even see him.

"Lucia I want you to tell me what is going on." He said seriously after he had ordered two coffees.

"… Why should I? It's mine and mine alone." She muttered.

"What are you talking about?" He snapped. He struggled to remain calm.

Suddenly she fractured horribly at the edges. She collapsed utterly and seemed to cave in on herself. Her hands supported her head weakly and she whimpered. Nathaniel came around to her side of the booth and put an arm around her. She instinctively tried to jerk away despite the spike it sent through her head.

"Lucia what is it?" Nathaniel asked again, gently this time.

"This is an order do you understand?"

The voice echoed in her head. It was her phantom lover, the one she cared for so much. His voice was at its most familiar. This was the truth of him.

"This thing is to be my partner? What decided that? It's so scrawny. I'd do better alone."

Another spike crashed through her head like a bullet and she gripped at Nathaniel suddenly. She needed the support even if she didn't realize who was giving it.

"Lucia!" He put his arms on her shoulders and tried to rouse her. She was suddenly covered in sweat and feverish to the touch.

"This hair, this face, this body… It's all useless. You are nothing to me."

"Make it stop!" She whispered in desperation.

"Lucia just come on! It'll be okay, just tell me what is wrong."

Lucia couldn't hear anything. She was caught up in the middle of a storm of her own making. Her own body had turned on her, her mind tearing open and bleeding random sentences and fragmented shards of memories she couldn't piece together. It was like someone had control of all the pain sensors in her body and flipped them on. She couldn't help the whimpers and desperate pleas to stop. It hurt so bad she couldn't even cry.

As for Nathaniel he had dragged her from the café and back into his car. He felt like Lucia wouldn't want the eyes of the other patrons as she had… whatever she was having. He held her close and ignored the dampening of his shirt with her sweat. He called to her frequently but she either couldn't or wouldn't respond or acknowledge she was even aware he was near her.

"You belong to me. Every breath you take and every step you take, think only of me. Whether I'm here or not think only of me. You're mine, my tool."

"Lucia!"

Grow stronger. As you are now you're nothing but nuisance. Become useful to me."

"Useful to… you…" She muttered through the pain.

"Lucia are you calming down? Lucia come on, you can do this. Just focus on my voice."

Lucia looked up at Nathaniel. Her eyes were glassy and he was struck again by how exhausted she was. Her skin was feverish now and she was sweating.

As for Lucia it wasn't Nathaniel holding her. She saw the blurry outline of her phantom lover instead. The pain still throbbed terribly. She saw clearly the dark nothing that his dark eyes had. The twisted smirk that sat on a full mouth that could evoke either terror or deep pleasure from her. From him she desired pain. For him she desired to be the perfect tool.

"Have you heard everything I've said Lucia?" He mocked with his cruel eyes and smirk.

"I'll be useful to you." She murmured through the pain.

"What?" Nathaniel asked her in confusion.

"Show me how."

Lucia hurried to obey him. Her lips pressed with all the experience he'd taught. His hands tightened painfully on her arms and she pressed again and again. Suddenly the pain faded away completely besides a bearable throb and she closed her eyes exhausted and sagged.

Nathaniel blushed scarlet as Lucia collapsed in his arms. Her breath was hot on his sensitive neck and he shifted a bit. His heart was pounding. She kissed him! Him of all people…

He sighed a bit and touched his lips. It had been his first kiss and he was certain that she hadn't been in her right mind. He could just forget that part of the incident. What he could not forget was the fact she had become so unstable. He assumed it was because of her exhaustion. He had been aware of her growing animosity in school and Melody had commented often on how sickly Lucia was beginning to look.

She didn't show up in lunch and she had even drawn away from Castiel.

Nathaniel sighed and moved to let her lay on the backseat. He then got into the front and started his car. He knew where to take her. He didn't have her address but he knew a place that would be just as good to her…

Nathaniel pulled into the parking lot and sighed. He REALLY didn't want to go knock on that door. Since the Deborah incident he had been less than cordial to Nathaniel. Hell, forget cordial. Castiel had been hostile.

He glanced back to Lucia. The whole ride she had whimpered and seemed to be in the throes of some terrible nightmare. He had tried calling to her but it hadn't worked. Whatever she was going through wasn't something he could breech. A part of him was very aware he was just pushing his problem off to Castiel. Nathaniel could have driven her to a hospital or text Melody for the girls address.

But he would make sure this didn't extend further than today. He was sure Amber was causing a ruckus at home and playing the wounded victim very well. He had seen her provoke Lucia again however. In fact Melody herself had commented on the small pranks Amber tried to pull on a normally amused Lucia. He was curious why today she snapped so utterly.

He sighed again and got out. Lucia weighed nothing so it was easy to carry her into the apartment building. Castiel lived on the third floor. He let her legs drop to the ground so he could knock on the door. As he re-lifted her he heard that monster dog go berserk. The noise seemed to jar her harshly as she uttered a small cry and turned as though trying to escape. Nathaniel tightened his grip slightly.

The door was thrown open to reveal a sleep rumpled Castiel. His eyes widened into annoyance when he saw Nathaniel. Then when he took in Lucia they narrowed again. Before he could comment Nathaniel dumped the girl into his arms. He took notice of the way Castiel automatically cradled her and shifted so her head rested against him. Interesting…

"What the hell Golden boy? What's up with Shooter?"

"She had some kind of break. I can only guess that maybe her memories are coming back. She has been exhausted lately."

Castiel glared. "What the hell does exhaustion have to do with memories?!"

Nathaniel rubbed his temples in annoyance. "I don't have the time or patience to explain things to an idiot. Just get her home somehow or call her Aunt. I'm sure you have the number or something."

He left Castiel with a final glance to Lucia.

Castiel glared at him down the hall. When Lucia suddenly whined he turned his attention to her and closed the door. Demon seemed to know that this wasn't a play time and simply followed after his owner. Castiel gently laid her on the couch and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. She was boiling. He gently brushed sweaty strands of her hair away from her face.

Demon whined and licked at her hand. Castiel went first to his kitchen and got a cold cloth. He returned and bathed the sweat from her face and neck. She sighed and seemed to calm when he caressed her cheek.

He didn't want to do the next part. He felt like a huge pervert seeing as she was unconscious. But he actually didn't have her Aunt's phone number. So he reached hesitantly to her chest. He cursed the fact she considered her breasts an extra pocket. With a breath he reached between her mounds and pulled out her cell phone but not before he felt the scar tissue.

Curiosity got the better of him at that point. He pulled her shirt up to reveal her gold lace bra. And wished he hadn't. How he hadn't seen this before he didn't know. But thinking back he realized that her shirts, though risqué, hadn't crossed the border of public indecency. But deliberately carved into the bit of breasts he could see was a pattern very much like a vine riddled with thorns. And between the mounds, surrounded by the thorny vine was the word "Fang."

'What the hell happened to you back then Shooter?" He muttered and pulled her shirt back down.

His heart was jacked. A scar like that was a very deliberate thing. It had no tearing to suggest she'd struggled and no uneven edges. He couldn't believe she would stay still for such a torture. She couldn't have done it herself though. He knew her writing and this had a distinct manly draw to it.

He pulled her shirt down and then sat there for a moment in silence. His other hand clasped her phone tightly. It didn't make sense. He couldn't make any sense of Lucia.

Finally he called her Aunt. The woman had sounded so cheerful on the first moment. Then her voice had changed to be sharp and to the point. She demanded that he tell her the symptoms Lucia was showing. Then she demanded his address and promised to be there soon.

Castiel hung up and ran a hand through his hair. Lucia continued to whimper and occasionally thrash. It didn't seem to matter how many times he shook her or called her name she wouldn't respond.

Lucia ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She was exhausted, her body protesting every movement. Blood congealed around her fingers as she ran. She detested the stickiness of it but she ignored it.

"COME BACK HERE!" A voice yelled angrily at her.

The sound of pursuit was all around her. She paused a moment to lean against a tree and reach into her pocket. She inhaled the sweet scent a moment. Then she deliberately hurled it to the ground with all her strength. The glass shattered and she smirked a bit. They couldn't follow her now.

She stumbled a bit when she pushed from the tree. He would scold her. He had told her to flee and she had deliberately ignored him.

Her feet found the path easily and she ran through the trees. She stumbled into a familiar break between the trees and froze a moment. The door to the cabin was ajar, so careless. More careless than he'd ever been. But more important was the blood that was suddenly so clear to her on the green grass.

She ran into the cabin with her heart pounding. They had to have been lying! He wasn't so careless; he never would have been hurt so badly!

The cabin was torn apart, as though in a fight. Blood was splattered against the walls and floor, so much. The smell of it was overwhelming and made her gag. She had always hated the smell of blood, taking her cue from him. He liked to spill it but he hated the smell as well.

And in the far corner of the small cabin against the wall at an odd angle… Her eyes widened in disbelief as he came sharply to view. He was covered in the sticky red, his eyes closed as he lay in a growing pool of it. She couldn't believe it. Not him…

She went and knelt by him. She shook him. She even dared to draw her hand back and smack him. The action caused the body to shift and fall against her. She felt tears fall swiftly down her cheeks as she sat there. Her arms wrapped around him, registering the coldness of him even as her mind rejected it. He just needed her body heat… That was all.

She longed for his hands to wrap around her again. She needed him to tell her what to do. But he remained silent. As he continued to grow cold she had to face reality. He wasn't ever going to tell her anything again.

It wasn't fair! He was everything she cared about! She loved him! It wasn't fair that he died!

She buried her face against his head and screamed.

Castiel jerked up from his position on a kitchen chair when Lucia started to scream. The chair fell with a clatter as he lunged over to her. He yanked her up into his arms and held her tightly.

"Shooter! Come on and wake up! Listen to me!"

Tata was exactly one floor below Castiel's apartment when the screams began. They were blood curdling and chilling and she would recognize the voice of it anywhere. She had heard that scream before.

As others opened their doors curiously she took the stairs two at a time. She got to the door and turned the knob. When it didn't open she cursed and pounded on the door.

"Lucia!" She yelled through.

It was a great cacophony of sound. A man was yelling and a dog was barking loudly as Lucia continued to scream. Tata cursed as more people gathered in the hall. Finally she did what she never thought she'd do again. She reared back and kicked with all her strength.

"OW! SON OF A TWINKLE!" She snapped as pain lacerated up her leg. "MOTHER SUGAR AND SHITAKE SHROOMS!"

She hopped a moment as she continued cursing in her own way. The tenants were very confused. They didn't know whether to listen to the screams or watch the childish woman who now pounded on the door with both small fists.

"TIME FOR PUNISHMENT!" She screamed in anger.

Finally a fellow student of Lucia and Castiel stepped forward and tapped her on the shoulder hesitantly.

"WHAT!" She rounded on him. "This had better be REAL EARTH ENDING GOOD!"

The teen winced and gave her a look like he was questioning her sanity. Finally he just reached past her and grabbed the knob. Tata glared and crossed her arms at his stupidity. Then she gasped as he pulled the door out into the hallway. She had been trying to push it open.

"It's an old building…" He muttered.

Tata didn't bother thanking him. She disappeared inside and froze at what she saw. Lucia was in a red heads arms as he yelled at her to wake up. Tears leaked from behind the closed lids.

Tata glared at the dog as it growled at her menacingly. She knew better than to take a step to her Niece though. The dog had a very clear message in its stance. Do not move an inch.

"You have to order her!" Tata yelled.

Castiel turned a bit to take in the oddest sight. A fairy stood in his apartment. He supposed she was the famous Auntie Tata Lucia mentioned in passing. He hadn't really believed Lucia when she said the adult ran around town merrily in a costume though.

He turned back to the girl in his arms and couldn't help but wince as she choked on her own scream.

"Lucia wake up now! It's-an order!" He yelled desperately.

He was shocked when her eyes immediately opened. She took him in with the same shock. But he saw more than shock in her eyes. There was terror and fear. She suddenly threw her arms around him tightly and sobbed bitterly.

"There's so much blood! They killed him!" She shouted hoarsely.

Tata stiffened as the words penetrated her skull. "Lucia." She said the name sharper than she intended.

Lucia pulled away from Castiel and looked at her Aunt. Hatred and bile rose in her a moment. She wanted to claw at her Aunt. More than that she wanted to make her Aunt pour the crimson liquid like he had.

It was gone as swift as it came and she was left again with nothing but fear and a sense of deep loss.

"Auntie please… What the hell is going on!? Why do I keep dreaming about blood? Why can't I remember his name!?"

Tata looked away a moment. "I don't know baby girl. All I know is what I was told. And that was that you were in an accident."

"That wasn't an accident! It was a memory!" Lucia snapped. "I wish it was just a nightmare." She moaned against Castiel, burying her face against his neck.

She felt a bit more grounded with him there. Calmness returned to her a bit with his arms around her. Tata stood there and looked over the boy who held Lucia.

With a sigh she went to go disperse the crowd outside.

Castiel held the calmer Lucia gently. He didn't understand any of this. Lucia was regaining her memories…? And they were bad. Or at least something was bad in them.

As for Lucia she was being haunted by his face. She could recall it in full detail now even without the blood decorating it. The handsome face of the one who had meant the most to her. The face with a cold smirk that put Castiel's to shame. The colder eyes that sliced her as easily as his words did. Yet those same eyes sometimes looked at her tenderly. Sometimes he had caressed her and held her close every night.

Tata came back in after a moment and swallowed. She had no idea what to say. She had to call Locke. He had to be reported of this immediately. He already knew about Lucia having nightmares. He had cautioned Tata to keep a close watch on her and try to stop Lucia from becoming too exhausted. It would seem she had failed terribly.

Finally she cleared her throat and Castiel called Demon away. Once the dog stopped eyeing her she crossed over to kneel in front of Lucia. Lucia didn't flinch when Tata drew her fingers through the blue silver hair.

"Alright sweetie. What all do you remember? I don't mean just today, I mean since you woke up." She needed to know.

Lucia sighed and described "him" in detail. When she tried to explain her feeling toward him the corner of Auntie's lip tightened and she seemed suddenly unapproachable. Lucia trailed off and clutched the sapphire necklace weakly. When she looked back Tata seemed to be different again, back to the sugary woman she normally was.

"It's possible you knew a guy that looked like that… But this-murder… it didn't happen." Tata said slowly.

"It feels too real! I'm not going to forget again." Lucia protested.

"Listen Sweetie. I know that the accident you were in was nothing so bloody. And if something so terrible had happened to you don't you think I would know? I am your blood Aunt after all." Tata said in a soothing tone.

Lucia narrowed her eyes and shook her head, unable to deny it. And she didn't want to deny it either. It was such a terrible thing to imagine that "he" was dead. It was more pleasant to believe her body had just been pushed too far and turned on her with hateful lies.

"You've been trying to make yourself recall it haven't you?" Tata asked softly.

"Yes… I need to know who I really am." Lucia answered back just as soft.

Castiel couldn't help but shiver. The real Lucia… He held the real Lucia in his arms didn't he? Or was there another Lucia that lurked in the shadow of her mind, waiting to reclaim her body? It made him sick to think about it.

"Lucia…" Tata murmured. She looked to the ground as she took Lucia's hand and absently stroked it. "The "you" that you are now is the real you. The present is who you are. Nothing in your past will change the basics of what makes you."

Lucia seemed about to protest but Tata rose suddenly with determination. "Please stop chasing these memories. You'll remember when you need to. Right now your body is blocking them because it knows you don't need them. When you do they'll be there."

She turned to Castiel who still held Lucia cradled in his lap. He glared at her when she studied him. He faltered a bit when she smiled and turned into all that sugar again.

"Well I have to be off! Lucia if you stay here the night I want a call. And no funny business!" She reached down and yanked Lucia off of Castiel and onto the seat beside him. "And you keep those grabby hands to yourself! As cute as I think little mini-you and Lucia's would be I'm not ready to be a great Auntie just yet!" She smiled.

"Whatever!" Castiel snapped as Lucia groaned in annoyance.

"Hmm, what an attitude! Careful or I'll have to teach you a lesson."

She giggled and practically skipped from the apartment. The smile left her face as she went down the steps. Her cell was in her hands as she slid down the banister. He answered right when she stepped through the front door and moved to her car.

"We need to get together and talk."

Castiel and Lucia were looking at each other. They were both a little weary. Castiel had just seen the girl have a nightmare from hell and cry. Lucia had no clue how she had even gotten here or if Castiel was angry with her.

"How did I get here?" She asked suddenly.

"Golden boy brought you. Is your Aunt always so charming?" He asked sarcastically.

"What you see is what you get with her. Can't you tell that she is where I got my sunny disposition?"

Castiel smiled a bit and released a breath. Lucia relaxed a fraction.

"You can stay or go." He said suddenly. "I don't care either way."

"Thanks…" She blinked. "You know I think I beat Amber up again…"

"What?"

"You heard me. I think I really hurt her… I really snapped… Wanted to make her suffer so badly."

Castiel ignored the chill her words had when coupled with the lifelessness in her eyes. He wanted his Shooter back.

"Well I'm not surprised. I mean she does try and push you around. It was a matter of time before you went at her again." He leaned back against the couch tiredly.

"Yeah but… I wanted her to bleed, Castiel. I wanted to see it. I feel so dirty now. I can't remember anything after I grabbed her except this fog and then all this pain…"

"Hey… Lucia?" Castiel reached out hesitantly as a strange look crossed her face.

She sighed and leaned against him. He automatically wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm going crazy aren't I?" She whispered.

"What the hell kind of question is that Shooter? You're just tired. I should be cussing you out for getting so exhausted like this."

The thought made her smile. A scolding from Castiel seemed amusing to her. Like the thought of Ken coming back a man amused her. But… what Ken said then and what Castiel said now meant they cared about her right?

She was getting better at her ability to identify her own emotions and others. Ken really was affectionate and very kind. She cared about him like she cared for Iris and Violette. Like a friend. Or maybe a baby brother… Castiel was a different thing entirely.

He made her hot like her phantom lover. That she could put down to lust. But the way he made her feel safe and at ease… She didn't want to place that in the category she feared. She suspected she had maybe loved her phantom. So how could she love anyone else like that?

How did he feel?

He seemed to want her. She knew he did even if she wasn't sure of the rest. He wanted her body at the very least. He seemed to like having her around. His sarcasm hadn't dulled but she recognized that it didn't have that sharp edge with her like it did with others. And his anger over her letting her body become so ragged was another thing that indicated he cared at least.

"Hey Shooter… Do you have any really bad scars on you? Like, do you remember how you got them?" He asked suddenly.

Scars…? She did have some. One in particular was worse than the others. She had an intricate scar pattern on her chest and a word carved into her flesh. She looked at them with both pride and sorrow. She couldn't explain the mixture of emotion. It was just another piece of her she needed to know about. She supposed she could wait to try and pull out anymore memories for awhile. At least she'd regain her strength. And she wouldn't open herself so completely.

"… I can't remember how I got them but I have some here." She took his hand and without thought put it against her chest. "They're real deliberate. Like I wanted them there."

"Is that so?" He asked with some small distraction.

Under his hand Castiel could hear the calm pulse of her heartbeat. She didn't protest when his hand shifted a bit to stroke her. As she became aware of it her head fell on his shoulder and her heart jolted a bit faster. Her breath was hot on his neck and encouraging as he heard the moan mixed in. It was a small, breathy thing that made him swallow.

His palm left her breast and traveled up the long throat and then to her chin. He turned her to look directly in her eyes. Under that tired look was desire. What was it about her that was so damned tempting? He really needed to stop. She was tired and exhausted. She wasn't in her right mind.

All the arguments flew the coop when she sighed and asked, "Can you make me feel good again?"

"Lucia…"

He pressed his lips to her forehead. Then he kissed her closed lids and both her cheeks. He kissed her ears, nibbling gently on the shell of first one than the other and dragging another soft sigh from her. The softness of her cheeks was too great a temptation so he kissed them again and again, nipping her jaw line in between kisses.

She offered no protest to the ardent kisses. It seemed suddenly to be the perfect thing to smash her with his passion and absorb hers. The moment was rife with both their desires, the need to stake a claim on her clouding him. And yet…

He pulled back after a final nip and sighed. "Shooter this isn't the right time for this. If you were fully yourself and more aware…"

All Lucia could really focus on was the fact he hadn't really kissed her yet. He had left her very aware of her lips while he explored her face and ears.

"There isn't anything wrong with wanting to touch another human body." She frowned at him with some reproach. "We don't need to keep denying this. Why should we?"

The words sounded familiar to her and she sighed again. Her phantom had said something similar to her once.

But she didn't see him for once. She saw only Castiel and his hesitation.

"This is what we both want. That won't change in the morning." She murmured.

Suddenly he grinned dangerously. "Then we can both wait until the morning, after you've slept."

Lucia berated herself viciously as she realized the trap she'd stepped right into. But now that she had he wasn't going to let her wiggle from it.

"Of all the times to imitate Lysander and his gentleman attitude you pick now." She huffed.

"I guess he rubbed off more than I thought. Think I've rubbed off any on him?" He asked with his usual smirk.

"Yeah. I bet if he had a girl basically offering herself up with a ribbon and they'd both wanted it from practically day one he'd say "Yippee" and take the plunge."

Castiel couldn't help the chuckle. "That might be taking it too far."

Lucia relaxed a bit when he kissed her forehead again lingeringly. At least she had this level of intimacy.

Castiel informed her it was about six. She called Auntie and left a message saying she was staying at Castiel's. He gave her another shirt and some boxers. They were clean. As a bit of punishment she started stripping in front of him. As soon as she pulled her shirt off Castiel turned her around.

He looked at the pattern he could see. He looked at her and traced the top of her breasts, following the vines.

"Want to see the rest?" She taunted.

"Stop trying to tempt me. I'm sticking by my decision Shooter. Not yet." He narrowed his eyes a bit, hating being pushed even by her. "Do they hurt at all?"

"… No they don't."

"You're right these were deliberate. It's like someone pulled the scabs off repeatedly to keep them from being bulky and torn."

"I wouldn't know. I do like the idea of pain though when I think about it so it's possible I asked for it or didn't mind."

"Huh. Well anyway finish up and go to sleep. You need sleep."

Her jaw clenched reflexively in fear. The nightmares waited…

She grabbed his arm when he would have left. He turned and raised a brow at her.

"Even if you won't be intimate with me tonight… I don't want to sleep alone… I can't, not after all that blood and…"

"Alright, it's okay. Shooter calm down I'm here."

She realized she was trembling. Her eyes widened and she jerked away. Sudden disgust for her weakness flared inside. She changed quickly, leaving her necklace on. Castiel had removed his shirt and stripped to his boxers. He slipped between the sheets first and waited patiently while she hesitated.

When she finally did get in the familiar bed she curled against him and they both assumed the familiar position of cuddling. She sighed and closed her eyes with a flicker of fear. She didn't want to see anything. No dreams… No fears…

Castiel waited until her breathing evened before he turned on the TV he had set up in his room. Demon leaped up and curled against her legs. Castiel and the dog watched over the first few hours of her sleep. At about ten Castiel was tired as well and drifted with a final kiss against her hair.

Lucia slept peacefully and dreamed only of a warm and gentle sun that bathed her in warmth and affection.

End chapter 6

Author note: Ah well see I developed their intimacy level. The kiss will come I promise. But don't you think the longer I draw it out the better it'll be? No? Let me know because I can work it and more in at any time really. Now then I leave you with the promise of chapter seven.

Just what is Tata keeping from Lucia?

Is that cheer and energy nothing but a cover for Auntie Tata?

Was that really just a nightmare brought on by her exhaustion? Or was that a part of a bone chilling past Lucia may be better off never remembering?

Who the hell is Locke and what the heck does he have to do with any of this?

And lastly will I ever stop being cruel to Castiel and let him kiss Lucia?

Castiel: It's just a kiss you know. I mean I don't care either way but it gets frustrating for you to dangle it and then yank it away.

Me: Well consider this revenge for all those times you were a sarcastic jerk to me in the game.

Castiel: I don't force you to come see me!

Me: Yes, you do. That red hair of yours catches my eye and I have no choice. Now shush so I can close this chapter.

Castiel: Who the hell said you can boss-"

Me: SILENCE I SAID! *throws an acorn at Castiel*

….. O_O….. *run for my life* Review please!