A/N: riukslovlydreams: Mission accomplished. ;)
midnightrider.009: I actually know Latin! You made my day! I never get to use it! EVER!
And so we bring the Church Girl arc (if you can call it that) to an end with this piece.
After the movie, Grell pushed Mason out of the room. He followed, saying, "We're going to let you two be alone for a while. Come down when you feel like it, Lou." A wink ensued. The door shut.
"He thinks we're going to..." "It appears so." I shook my head. "Not going to happen." "And I'm perfectly fine with this," replied William.
I slid off the counter and walked to a cabinet opposite from us. After failing to find the right cabinet multiple times, I finally landed upon it and pulled out a bottle of wine and glasses. "I don't drink when I'm alone and who knows when I'll get a guest again," I told Will.
That night, Will drank just as much as I did, but I was the tipsy one. Shinigami powers, I'm guessing. Thankfully, I wasn't tipsy enough to fall into the basement and I actually used the ladder. It had become second nature and I'm thoroughly glad it had.
Mason was sacked out on the couch once more. I quietly tiptoed into my bedroom where Grell was wide awake, reading some gossip rag.
"Hey, Lou, did you kiss?" "Yes," I replied. "Did he bang you?" "No, I'm a bit drunk now so please leave for a moment so I can change. Just a moment," I told.
He left while I slipped into pyjamas and laid down on the bed. I fell asleep instantly.
The next day I had a headache, but I had things to do.
After having them for two days, I couldn't imagine life without the shinigami. They had really grown on me, but then I realized that they had influenced me more than I had imagined. I lied, got drunk, and eavesdropped. For once... I didn't mind asking to be forgiven.
I drank some water and prayed to God for forgiveness. William walked in.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm praying Will," I replied, turning to look at him, "I sinned a number of times in a number of ways yesterday and I'd like to be forgiven."
"You were the tiniest bit intoxicated. I don't count that as being drunk," Will said. "I know you don't, but I have a headache today so I do count it. The real question is why weren't you?" I asked. "Alcohol doesn't affect shinigami like humans. It would have taken me a few more glasses to begin to feel the effects of alcohol poisoning and I'm one who doesn't hold his alcohol well," he replied.
"How's the battle wound?" "Fairly well. I should be leaving if not tomorrow, then the next day." I smiled and said, "Well, that's good. I'm glad I was able to help you recover." He nodded and said, "Take a rest. I'll make breakfast."
I truly enjoyed my rest. I finally felt as if I really needed one. How long had I been taking care of Will, Grell, and Mason? It felt like a week even though it was only two or three days.
The day passed quickly as Will and I avoided each other for the most part. Morning came again...
"Lou, I thank you so much. This church saved me." William hugged me tightly. If I had never felt bittersweet before, I was sure hit with it now. I was so short, I couldn't see over his shoulder, but I heard a firm slap planted on Mason's head. The poor kid must have said something or another to Grell.
After saying goodbye to Mason and Grell, the three left. Never had I ever wanted that to happen. I went back to my melancholy chores like everyday.
I prayed every moment I thought about it that they would burst through that door again. Grell would strut in with a click of his bright red heels, Mason would follow and hope to not be hit, and William and I would kiss just one last time. If we had only done that one more time before he left...
A month after my life became boring once more, a man burst through my doors. I swung around, hoping with all my might that it was William, Grell, and Mason.
Unfortunately, I was met with the sight of a new guest. My hope diminished thoroughly. I turned back around and continued to sweep.
With an emotionless and monotone voice I said, "This church doesn't have services anymore, sir. I'm sorry, I have to ask you to leave."
He laughed. "Oh, you have got to be her. I have good news, Church Girl! You're little boyfriend is coming to visit soon!" he said mockingly. I turned back around to face him.
He had diminished the space between us in a millisecond for his face was now a centimetre from mine.
"How do you know about William?" I asked. His maniacal grin grew wider, "I'm his worst enemy. And that brings me to the bad news. You won't be alive to see him."
A sudden darkness came.
I fell to the ground.
"Hey, Church Girl, wake up!"
My head whipped to the side as a stinging sensation grew in my cheek. Then pain came from every place I could feel. The places I couldn't, I didn't have. One of my eyes was swollen shut and the taste of blood permeated my mouth.
I was tied to the podium and completely immobilized. I couldn't do anything to fight back.
I opened my one eye to look at my abuser.
His dark hair was messily arranged around his face and his eyes were a deep brown. As he snickered, I noticed a fang in his smile. Every article of clothing on his person was as black as his hair. In contrast to the dark, his skin was terribly pale.
"Hey, you're boyfriend will be here in a minute," he said. "What... do you... know about... Will..." I managed to say those words, but it was difficult with my crushed chest and ripped lip. "Oh, Will? That's sweet," he replied with a chuckle, "He'll just have to say goodbye though."
The evil creature bent to my level. He lifted my chin up to inspect me. "Hmm... I might as well." I closed my eye once more as a pain flooded through me.
I was being ripped from my skin. Not only my spirit being taken, but my body was being destroyed. I could feel it.
Every regret I held. Everything I always dreamt about doing. Everything I wanted to tell William. It was taken.
A single tear slid down my cheek and dissolved in the many cuts I now had as I knew it was over. The point of no return had come.
For just a moment, everything came back. I couldn't see at all, but I heard. I heard the demon fall to the ground. I heard William.
"Damn you."
Then William fell beside me. Carefully, he unbound me and held me in his arms. I felt so small in his grasp, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Oh Louisiana, I never wanted you to be a part of this," he told me. "It's... alright..." I told him. "You're alive? We can fix you! I can heal you, Lou!" he said. I smiled, "No, Will..." A short paused ensued.
Knowing my time was running out, I said, "I'll... miss you..." "No, don't go. Don't go!" shouted Will. "I thought... about you... every minute... of every day... I loved you..." I told him as my strength left and my breathing slowed. "I loved you too..."
My senses began to fade. One by one, I lost them. I remember just barely smiling as much as I possibly could if I was smiling at all.
The last thing I heard was William beginning to cry.
Ronald stared at his senpai.
Nothing could have prepared him for that. Nothing.
"I hate to ask, but what happened next?" asked Ron. William's solemn face turned to him.
"As it turns out, that's when that boy's mother stumbled in. The one from the human world," Will told Ron. "Devon?" he asked. "Yes, that one. I'd just killed the boy's father. We have come to a mutual understanding since then, but I will never forgive for that," said William, "That's why I don't want you getting attached to any human. They die and they take you with them."
The cold mentor left the scene. Ronald sat on the steps of the Cinematic Record Library and stared at his feet.
"Wait, senpai!" shouted Ronald, "You said you were showing me something! You just told a story!" "It's sitting next to you," replied William.
"Huh?" Ronald checked both sides before finding a small box on his left. Inside was a ring. It was no engagement ring, but rather, a promise ring.
"Oh God, senpai... You weren't..."
"He was. It was surprisingly quick and out of the ordinary for him, but he was," said a common, but unexpected voice.
Grell sat down next to Ronald. "I was putting away some records I had out. I heard the last three minutes. He finally told you about her?" asked Grell. Ronald nodded.
"William blames himself for her death you know," Grell added, "For six months, he would mutter to himself, 'If I had stayed. If I had been there just a minute earlier. If I had brought her with me.' He would list off all the ways he could have saved her, but just didn't. He was cold before, but he was a real wretch for quite some time afterwards. He wanted to make sure that never happened to anyone else, but none of us could prevent you and Phe. It's funny how similar Louisiana and Ophelia are."
Grell stood up, brushed his hair behind his shoulders, then sauntered away, leaving Ronald alone.
That night was rather difficult to sleep through. Thousands of thoughts raced through the young shinigami's head.
A final decision was made.
"Boss, I'm visiting Phe tomorrow and I want to bring Ophelia to the shinigami realm over winter break."
William's eyebrow rose. The young boy was in his office again and this turn of events was truly unexpected.
"No." "But, senpai-" "No," scolded William, looking back down at his work, "I will not have a human here, nor a female staying with you." "Well, she doesn't have to stay with me," said Ronald, "I just want to make sure that she'll be safe. I need to make sure that she's alright. It's only two weeks away and then she'll stay a few days here. That's not much!"
"Ronald, won't she want to be with her mother for Christmas?" asked William. "Well, of course," replied Ron, "That's when I'll give her back. We can even go there for Christmas! The office parties are so lame."
William glanced up once more before another stern, "No." "Oh come on!" "Look," said Will, "If you can find a suitable place for Ophelia to stay and if she's recovered, then I'll consider thinking about the possibility."
"I can do that!" said Ronald with absolute joy, "She can stay with Sutcliffe senpai!" "I said suitable, Knox," chided William, "Sutcliffe is not only male, but rather unorthodox and I'd prefer it if he didn't corrupt a young human. That's just not worth the trouble and I'm sure her mother would not appreciate that either." "Uh... What about one of the girls from General Affairs?" he asked. "Not one that you have previously been with in any manner," answered William.
A slammed door revealed a redheaded reaper. "I couldn't help to hear your little conversation, but I have a girl friend who might be a fun person for Ophelia to stay with," said Grell. "What did I tell you about eavesdropping on the conversations in my office? And shut the door," reprimanded William.
Grell rolled his eyes and closed the door. "Maribel Ester," he said with confidence. "Maribel?" asked Ron, "You managed to make friends with Maribel?" Grell nodded confidently. "She's quite sweet, but she's so shy. I have a feeling that she and Ophelia will get along quite well," he said.
"She doesn't talk, senpai," added Ron with an annoyed tone, "All she does is get up, go to work, scribble things down, and go back home. She hasn't spoken to anyone in months. She's barely audible as it is. Why would she talk to you and why would she do this favour for us?" "Well, it happened a little like this..."
A month ago...
Grell rushed through the hallways of the building. He'd ticked off William once more and was not ready to face the consequences. He swore that flames billowed out of William's mouth as he shouted, "Sutcliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffe!"
Gotta run, gotta run, gotta run!
In the meanwhile, a short brunette cautiously ambled through one of the lesser used hallways of the building. No one was there and that's how she liked it. She hummed a little tune to herself as she organized the papers in her grasp. A rare smile appeared on her face.
Click click click.
The girl looked down the darkened pathway just in time to see a well-known red reaper collide into her.
The two ended up with sore arses on the floor. The girl's first instinct to run and hide was instantly diminished as her paperwork fell to the ground gradually. She grabbed every piece she could.
"Get back here, Sutcliffe!"
The red man slipped a hand over the girl's mouth. "Shh! Will is soooo pissed at me right now! Don't let him know we're here!" The girl nearly screamed, but kept her quiet as the man clutched her wrist and dragged her into a storage closet that even she didn't know was there.
After five minutes of hearing malicious talk come from their superior, the two were forced to make conversation.
At first, it was rather slow and boring, but then Grell told a funny story and the girl laughed. As it turned out, they had more than a few things in common.
"Undertaker is such a hottie underneath the bangs! I swear!" said Grell. The girl giggled. "You've got to be joking," she said quietly. It was little more than a whisper, but it suited her well. "Fine, don't believe me! But I guarantee you, that I'm telling the truth!"
"Whatever. What about that Ronald Knox? I've heard rumours about a little human that he's taken liking to. Do you know him?" asked the girl. "Do I know him? Sweetie, I was there when he met Ophelia! The girl is so precious and they're the most adorable couple!" cooed Grell.
"Wait wait... Do you hear that?" asked the dainty brunette. Silence ensued. "Hear what?" asked Grell. "Exactly!" said the girl, "It looks like you're home free."
The two got up and began to leave the closet.
"Wait," said Grell, turning back to the brunette a last time, "What was your name again?" "Maribel. Maribel Ester. And thanks, Grell. That's the first conversation I've had with anyone in a long time. I owe you one," she replied with a wave.
"So anyway, we did a few things here and there and I gained a friend! It's a wonder what an hour in a broom cupboard will do to a shy person!" said Grell confidently.
Ronald and William just stared at him. "Why is this place so strange?" asked Ronald. "What was I angry with you about again?" asked William. Grell put a finger to his chin. "Hm... I don't quite rememb- Wait. Yes, I do and I'm not repeating it."
"Just tell me," said William. "Absolutely not!" squealed Grell, "You'll just punish me or something! I can't have that!" He skipped out of the room, but not before whispering his previous antic in Ronald's ear.
"Oh, I remember that. Yeah, I'm not saying anything," said Ronald as Grell shut the door once more. William sighed, "I supposed that Miss Ester is suitable enough. I'll consider." "Yes! Knox wins again!"
"I'm considering, you buffoon. That doesn't mean that I'm saying yes," replied William. Ronald got up with a shrug, "Doesn't matter. Consideration is basically a yes when it comes from you. See ya, Boss!"
After William was once again alone in the room, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
A/N: New character! Yay! Sometimes I feel like I'm fitting the shinigami into my own world instead of making a story based on them, but I like it this way and new characters are a lot of fun! I think I'll try to draw chibi versions of my OCs soon. I just really want to do that. There's... *counts on fingers* More than can be counted on two hands for sure! Hm... I've never really had such a huge amount of characters that I've made up. I'm just counting the ones that have talked at some point also! Flashback or not. That's still a flipping lot. They're all quite different too... Some are a lot alike, like Ophelia and her mum, and some are quite different, like Sam and George (nearly forgot about him didn't ya? Well, don't yet. He's got more to show.). I should really thank you guys. I have as much fun writing this story as you do in reading it, so thanks a bunch. It means a lot. I'll see you next week.