Deep breaths guys, we can get through this chapter!

Chapter Six

No…..

I stood over her, frozen. A raindrop fell from my hair and onto her skin, and for a moment all I could focus on was its simple action. If I focused on the drop, I wouldn't focus on her words. Nora began to tremble, and I could tell that she'd spoken rashly.

"Take it back," I whispered. This wasn't just a breakup. If she meant it, it would mean that I couldn't protect her. I'd only be able to watch from the outside, unable to step in if she needed me. I'd be cut off. Completely. No way to win her back. No way to keep her safe. She tilted her head up, refusing to take back the words.

"Take it back, Nora." I repeated. I could already feel our connection breaking. Any instinct, anything put in place to protect her, all of them were vanishing. I sensed other presences; the Archangels. They were watching. And they were highly amused.

"I can't do the right thing with you in my life. This will be easier on everyone if we just—I want a clean break. I've thought this through," she said. Her jaw twitched; she was lying. She hasn't thought this through at all. "I want you out of my life. All the way."

You heard her, Guardian. Step away. The person you're meant to guard is inside the building.

I was being commanded to move, but I didn't want to. Breaking up with me was one thing, but firing me as her guardian? I didn't think that could be undone as easily. I didn't want this. She didn't want this. Why? Why does she keep pushing me away?

Step. Away. Guardian.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out some money, slipping it into her back pocket. I could do this last thing. For a moment my hand rested on the small of her back, not willing to move. I pulled back.

"Cash. You're going to need it." I muttered, defeated. She pulled the money out and threw it on my chest.

"I don't want your money." I held her hand there on my chest, almost as if she'd be able to feel exactly how painful this was for me.

"Take it." She didn't know just how dangerous a situation she was in, and there was nothing I could do about it. "Half the guys in there are carrying some form of weapon. If anything happens, throw the money on the table and run. Nobody's going to follow you with a pile of cash up for grabs."

Her eyes didn't comprehend. She didn't understand the depth of what she'd just done. And I couldn't tell her.

One more chance, Guardian.

Clearing my eyes of any emotion, I removed her hand from my chest and threw the back door open, walking inside.

Walking? No, hiding. Making my way to the back, I found a poker table and sat down. The chair faced away from the pool tables, but I could see out of my peripheral. I began to play, distractedly. But no amount of poker could take my mind off of what just happened. Because of Nora's pride, I no longer had her as a girlfriend, or as a human to protect. I'd have to leave her to her own devices, and those devices were looking downright masochistic. I should have just scooped her up into the Jeep. I should have just told her. I should have… Shaking my head, I decided to try to ignore it. I didn't want to acknowledge the pain.

Try as I did, I couldn't not watch her.

She stood next to the pool table, looking shocked. She tried for a confident face, but I knew it wasn't real. She tried to fit in when one of the clientele's hired goons approached Scott Parnell for some money he owed. If he tried anything I'd….not do a thing because I couldn't interfere protectively in her life. God, it stung. Scott must have explained him off because the guy walked away. When Nora walked up to him, he relaxed. The way they stood around each other, it wasn't easy, but I could tell that at least Scott was comfortable around her. He was childish, so he wouldn't be thinking about her safety. He'd be thinking about what he wanted. Naturally they would just fuel each other's immature fires. Why am I concerned? It wasn't my job anymore to be concerned about Nora or her decisions. I tried to be nonchalant and wipe it from my mind, until I saw his eyes flick towards the back. Somewhere that I couldn't watch her. Somewhere where stakes went from petty money to broken kneecaps.

Then she handed him the money that I'd given to her. All that money, to a gambling addict.

Ahhhhhhh….

It took everything in my control not to roll my eyes in exasperation. Scott returned to her, teasing her by waving his cue in her face. Pissed by his immaturity and by my inability to break his fingers and take Nora away, I turned back to the poker game, trying to focus on my turn when I had a vision. Glass breaking. Something…somebody was going to cause a scene. I lifted my head, trying to clear it and sense out where the culprit was.

"Hi there. Patch, isn't it? My hero?" Marcie Millar had turned up and wrapped her arms around my neck. Ugh. She remembered me from Bo's, then. I turned towards Nora's direction, wondering if she was the one going to cause a scene after seeing this. She'd seen, because her entire face was red and her hands were clenched, but she was turned another way. Looking at someone. I needed Marcie to move; someone else was in the room and she was blocking my sight. When I finally moved her hair, I saw a Nephil in a red tee chuck a white ball into a mirror on the other side of the room.

I watched as he tried to threaten the man who held all of the bet money. I slowly rose from the table, removing Marcie's hands from my neck. Scott (the idiot!) pushed his way towards Red Tee, protesting. Glancing into Red Tee's mind, I could tell he was Nephilim, and he recognized Scott as one. His brand wasn't hard to miss, and he was looking for Scott's. Both a part of that underground society then. Did he have anyone else with him? I sensed out, but I couldn't sense anyone. They might be hiding...

Then Red Tee turned on Scott with the gun.

"Get on the table." He commanded.

Scott smirked at him. "Get lost."

Stupid child!

"Get on the table!"

I didn't care about Scott; I knew he could get up and walk away from this. While all of the people looked on in shock, I slowly moved around the room and towards the door, waiting to see if I could catch another one of them outside. If they weren't there, I could get Nor-Marcie- out through this way. Outside, I quickly ran the perimeter. Unless my senses were failing me-which they weren't- no one was outside. It was safe. When I got back inside I saw Red Tee force a pool stick through the table next to Scott's head, causing a collective gasp in the room. Right. I needed to get Marcie out, but I wanted to get Nora out. And there was no way either of them would leave without stopping this guy.

Lifting a bar stool, with hope that it would hit Scott as well, I threw it at Red Tee. Because he was Nephilim, it didn't hurt him, but it did knock him sideways. Finally the men in the room snapped out of it and with a loud cry, began to grab stools and throw them. Some gun shots rang through the room, and I knew it was going to get bad. I looked around for Marcie, and I couldn't see her. But I wasn't concerned; I had no instinctual feeling that she was in any danger. She had quickly assessed the situation and ran for the front door. I quickly scanned the room for Nora and Scott, and I saw Scott join wholeheartedly into the brawl. What a fuckboy. I raced towards the back, seeing a flash of red hair slip out of it. She was going to be safe. Maybe if I wasn't 'keeping her safe' per se, I could still see her? Without thinking too much on my new theory, I caught up with her and yanked her off of the ground.

"Take the Jeep." I said, quickly handing her the keys. She didn't move. "What are you waiting for?"

Snapping to, she blinked back some tears. "Quit acting like I'm a huge inconvenience! I never asked for your help!"

In my haste to reach her, I'd forgotten about her stubborn attitude from earlier.

"I told you not to come tonight. You wouldn't be an inconvenience if you'd listened. This isn't your world- it's mine. You're so bent on proving you can handle it that you're going to do something stupid and get yourself killed." And I won't be able to do anything to stop you. I didn't like this side of Nora, both for her sake and mine. I knew she wouldn't stop until she'd felt she'd proven herself, and because I couldn't physically stop her all I could do was try to warn her in any way possible.

Nora's eyes thinned in insult, and she opened her mouth but I cut her off.

"The guy in the red shirt is Nephilim." Maybe now she'd understand why she needed to stay away from Scott. "The branding mark means he's in deep with the blood society I told you about earlier. He's sworn allegiance to them."

"Branding mark?"

"Near his collarbone."

Her face widened with shock, then she frowned. She'd noticed. The window exploded behind us, and I quickly pulled Nora down. I started to feel weird; if Marcie lingered any longer, she'd be in danger. I had to get back inside and quickly.

"Get out of here." I said, pushing Nora toward the street.

"Where are you going?"

"Marcie's still inside. I'll get a ride with her."

Nora looked like I'd punched her. "What about me? You're my guardian angel."

She truly didn't understand.

All I could do was look at her, hiding my own sadness.

"Not anymore, Angel."

I raced back inside to retrieve Marcie.

Sucks to suck, don't it Nora? Nah, that's mean of me. The part of me that's been in relationships (when I was 16-17) understands why she acts like this- especially when it's her enemy. But the mature part of me is like all of this was never that deep, at least on her end. If she'd just sat down and had a conversation with him, this would have never happened. Just saying. And as for Patch, he had the Archangels humiliating him and stuff and...man. Anyway, read and review!