Stranger Things Have Happened

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Darksiders, Darksiders ll or any of the characters. I do not own any lyrics either. These belong to Blackmore's Night-25 Years which happens to be a personal favorite of mine.

A/N: Please excuse the painful last few chapters. Things have been going on that has soured me slightly. Despite popular belief adults can have bouts of depression and angst just like teenagers.

Lorelei woke up and was surprised to find Death still sleeping soundly in the bed. She sat up slowly so that she didn't wake him up and looked down at herself; she didn't feel any different but something big had happened to her. She looked at the Horseman that had stolen her heart though she dare not tell him that for fear he would send her away again. Her heart stung with that familiar ache as she stood up and retrieved her clothing. She quickly got dressed and slipped from the room.

Death of course had been awake and surprised when she had looked at him so sadly before getting dressed and leaving the room. He quickly dressed and followed her from a distance. She made her way to the stables where all the other horses were kept, including her own horse. He scrambled up the side of the barn and worked his way out onto the rafters so that he could watch her from above. He wondered if she would reveal anything now that she was alone. Something was certainly bothering her still.

Lorelei entered the barn and headed straight for the stall that held her horse, Absolution. She leaned against the stall and petted the horse as it lowered its head to her as if sensing her distress. She scratched absently at the horse as she stared out into space for long moments. What was she really thinking about last night? Things would change irrevocably now that it had happened. She realized she was falling in love with someone she couldn't tell without risking being thrown away again. "What have I done Abby?" She asked the horse who nickered softly at her.

She hummed softly for several long minutes trying to get the right tune to the song in her head. It hurt to think of being rejected but it hurt worse not to tell him how she felt. What was she supposed to do? There was certainly her voice of reason yelling at her from the back of her mind. She finally got the melody to the song right and started singing softly unaware of Death in the rafters above her.

"25 years since I woke up trembling, 25 years since that terrible dream. I could see that the world was crumbling. Nothing is ever as it seems.

Tried to run but my feet were frozen, Tried to scream but there was no sound. In my head the voices echoing. Girl you should know better by now.

Long ago, Far away…In the mist of yesterday.

And you tried so hard to save me. How do you save someone from themselves? All those years, wasted wishes. Drowning in the wishing well…

Long ago, Far away…In the mist of yesterday.

25 years since I woke up trembling, 25 years since that terrible dream. I could see that the world was crumbling. Nothing is ever as it seems."

She gave a heavy sigh as she let her voice trail off into the silence. She didn't notice Death or the other Nephilim standing behind her. Strife moved from his horse's stall and propped up next to her. She jumped slightly as she saw him standing there with a grin on his face since he wasn't wearing his usual helm.

"Who knew you would end up being as much a lark as War's mate." She shrugged as she turned her head away from him to stare at her horse. "I didn't know Katie sang." She answered curtly and Strife raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity. Something was different about her other than she seemed really depressed and wasn't trying to kill everybody. "You know you are kind of scary when you're mad."

She shrugged and refused to look at him or to answer him. Finally he leaned in close to smell her and she swatted at him as she backed away. Her grinned widely. "Well it seems my arrogant brother has got a soft spot."

"What the hell are you talking about Strife?" She moved back away from the grinning Nephilim and turned to walk away. "You reek of him." She stopped as she whipped around to look at him before stalking over to him and pointing her finger into his chest. "You had better keep that information to yourself Strife or so help me I will roast you inside that armor." She finished the last on a growl.

She eeped as he leaned into her face with a now ugly sneer. "Is that so?" She backed away shaking her head. "Fine I will keep that a secret but I know another one. You're in love with the bastard." Death looked down at her in shock as she mirrored his look at Strife. "How did you know?" He shrugged before walking away and pointing up at the rafters. "I didn't but now I do and so does he."

She followed to where Strife had pointed and saw Death standing on the rafters above her. She did the only thing that she could think to do at that moment and that was fleeing from him. She hopped onto the top of the stall then threw herself over Absolution's back and then leaned forward to open the gate. She charged past Death before he could reach out to stop her.

Strife grinned as he caught sight of her fleeing past him and then past a surprised War and Fury who were making their way to the stables. They jogged over to him at about the same time Death got ahold of him and flung him into the nearest tree. He reached down to haul him up by the collar of his breast plate. "Strife I don't care why you did that to her after what she has been through but if you do anything like that again I will drop our number to three." He snarled before giving a mental call for Despair who materialized next to him.

He flung himself into the saddle and gave chase after the elemental. Damn his brother and damn that girl for being so thin skinned. Did she really think that she was in love with him? What if she was then what was he going to do? He didn't have a clue what the feeling was nor was he in the mood to ask anyone but he knew he had to retrieve the girl before she got lost in the realm or Lilith found her again.

Lorelei didn't care where her horse was taking her as long as it was far away from all the Nephilim. She had embarrassed herself because now Death knew she was falling in love with him. Strife hadn't even known for sure but she had taken the bait. She didn't cry but instead anger burned in her; anger at herself for being such a fool and for thinking that Death could have even the slightest feelings for her even after last night. She never glanced back to see Despair quickly closing the gap between Death and her.

Suddenly Death reached out and yanked her off her horse and onto his. He pulled Despair to such a fast stop that he whinnied in protest because the little idiot had squirmed from his arms while the horse was running at full speed. She stumbled and rolled before coming to a rest on her ass in the grass. He dismounted and approached her so that he could pull her up by her shoulders and shake her. "You little idiot you could have gotten yourself killed."

She didn't know what to say since there was concern written clearly on his face. "I just needed to get away." She mumbled with her head dropped so that she was staring at his chest. He humphed as he sat her back down on her feet not realizing that he had lifted her off them in the first place. "You needed to get away? Why did you need to get away?" He already knew the answer to that but wanted to hear it from her and she knew that so she clamped down. "I would rather bite my tongue off than to make that mistake."

He chuckled before his gaze softened and he cupped her chin so that she was forced to look up at him. "I do not know what this thing is that everyone is calling love but I know that I care about what happens to you. Last night should have proved that." She felt the blush that was heating her cheeks as she held his orange eyes with her golden ones. He bent down to press his lips to hers in a tender kiss, the gentlest that he had ever kissed her and she melted into his arms.

They both jerked back at the sound of applause and cat calls. The other three Horsemen had followed them, even Strife and they were watching from a little ways back. She looked up at Death and blushed even brighter as he chuckled softly before calling out to the others. "The next one still standing there when I look up again is going to lose an arm." She laughed at the looks shared amongst the other three before they departed and Death laughed along with her. Maybe he didn't know what love was, he thought as he gazed down at her and she returned it with laughter sparkling in her eyes, but he knew she was special.

A/N: On a happier note I finally got my two tattoos done and they are awesome although only my best friend knows Latin and Italian well enough to translate without having to ask me. I am as giddy as a teenager over them and the looks I get from certain people when I translate it for them. On my right arm I have the symbol that is on War's forehead tattooed and above it is the Latin word Bellum and below it Ascensorem de Equum Rufum Equo. All together it means War, Rider of the Red Horse which when I posted it to my Facebook my best friend translated it like (snaps fingers) which for a woman over 40 that I ride with all the time was a surprise for me. She also added a verse to it, I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. I added my own little phrase to it that comes from the bible I believe but I may have heard at one of the gatherings (excuse me I am a Druid so), I beheld a rider on a red horse, given unto him was a great sword and with it power to take peace from the Earth. On my left arm I have an old clan tattoo and I had the Italian phrase Le Porte della Morte tattooed. Of course it sounds familiar because it means The Gates of Death…ironic yes? Also ironically my less than stellar teenage years were spent at a 'place' called that by the locals in Arkansas, spent many a weekend there and occasionally school nights as well that sent my poor mother and grandparents into hysterics. Glad I got out of that when I did, however my 7 foot plus 300lb ex didn't appreciate it as evidenced by a scar best left unseen. Did you guys know a 150lb broad sword can actually stab clean through a hip bone? I didn't until then. Oh by and by Valraer in my story The Way Things Are is based on Lance (the ex) Sorry for the rambling but I like my readers to know what's going on and a little back story on this author.