Capturing Destiny

Chapter Twelve

What's In A Name?

The theft itself was uneventful but exciting, neither of the men in the van were badly injured and I quickly made my way to the largest city on my radar, Helena. Unfortunately I still had no idea what to do with the money, I could not keep it anywhere, it was too much of a risk but I could think of no alternative. Eventually, after searching all the options I ended up deciding to deposit in a variety of banks. I made sure they would all remain financially stable for the viewable future.

This created more problems though, although they would not ask me for any kind of identification to open the account I would have to come up with a name. I could not believe I had gone three years without ever having to introduce myself, without ever having to actually speak to someone. I spent hours writing down girls names, trying to find something that felt vaguely familiar before eventually ending up in a library for inspiration. I browsed numerous books, considering Emily (Bronte), Lousia (May Alcott), Emily (Dickinson) before moving on to characters, Helen (of Troy), Jane (Eyre), even Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) before I stumbled across Alice Through The Looking Glass. Alice; that felt right, it felt familiar.

My last name was not as important, there were so many I would not be able to find something I recognised so in tribute to my pale skin I went with White – nice and simple, besides it made me laugh.

Charming the back managers was not hard, they had been suspicious when I came in alone but the sheer volume of money I was bringing in along with my charm quickly solved all their worries.

It didn't take me long to rent a small apartment in the city. I had barely thought about my bloodlust since I arrived, the only time it being an issue was when I had pushed my usual hunting schedule to weekly but I soon adjusted. I also discovered that for my nocturnal wanderings it was far better to dress as a boy. I did allow myself to buy a couple of fancy dresses though and on occasion I would slip into the Opera, my power and the quality of my clothes preventing ushers or anyone else becoming suspicious. I even had a couple of admirers who had attempted to ask me out or request to meet my parents to begin courting but I always managed to put them off.

My nights soon began to feel empty though. When I had been in the forest I had been able to sit, simply watching as nature happened around me, I did not find humans at night at satisfying. Instead I decided to go shopping and one grey day I travelled to a market and picked up and incredible amount of fabric followed by patterns and needlework books. And then my nights were filled with clothes, I made them for myself first but my small apartment was soon filled beyond comprehension with clothes so I began to make them for others – I made gowns for babies and left them at the orphanage, I made a gown for the girl down the street who never had anything nice to wear and left it on her doorstep and eventually I even sold a couple to a small shop down the street.

My life was busy and full, I shopped, I sat in the library for hours reading everything I could get my hands on but time moves quickly when it is not broken by sleep or work and soon my lease was running out. I only had days to decide whether to renew my lease, when I had another vision.

It was the angel again, he was walking alone along an empty road, I could not discern anything about it so I allowed myself to concentrate on him. His eyes were dark with thirst, nearly back in their intensity and the skin under his eyes looked bruised, as though he were a human who had not slept properly in months. I wanted to run my hands across his face, hold him close and take the pain from him but it was impossible. His lips were thin, his mouth clamped shut and when a cool breeze came he trembled slightly.

When I came back I knew what I had to do, I had allowed myself to grow complacent, I had not continued my search for him as I had promised myself. I immediately put the majority of my clothes into storage, got a banker's cheque and jumped on the first train moving east.

I didn't stay still again for a long time, I would move by train between states and then spend my time running to every town, and every city I could find and checked them for the diner.

Clothing styles changed, I got rid of some of the stuff I had made and had to buy new things, I often had to buy entirely new outfits after hunting when they became damaged beyond repair. It became how I measured time, nothing existed beyond the search and the next seasons sales.

I did not see the angel again but I did not worry, I was on the right path, I did not need my gift to reassure me, my shock at seeing him in so much pain had reminded me of the promise I had made when I first came into this life.

I did see something that disappointed me though, I had rented a hotel room due to the fact the sun would be out for several hours during the day in Chicago when it came, I was entirely unprepared. At first all I saw was the disappointed faces of the Doctor and his wife, the red-haired boy talking to them gravely, then there were images of him, travelling from city to city, his eyes crimson from the blood of those he fed on and then finally his desire to return home, his desperate search for his parents, their emotional reunion.

I came to with venom filling my eyes, I had seen years of the boy's life all in moments, I had seen his betrayal of his family and his return and none of it had happened yet. How was it I could know so much of people I had never even met? And more importantly, did they know about me?

A/N: Two chapters in one day! Aren't I awesome? Send me some love, you know you want to! Next chapter up tomorrow ^_^