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Chapter 2: Be Still My Heart
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The streets of Los Angeles throb with life during the day. Vendors and street performers on every corner, couriers on bikes weaving their way through the throng of pedestrians and cars, people talking about anything and everything as they walk, sometimes on cell phones, less often to the real live people walking next to them.
But at twilight, everything changes. The hawkers pack up their wares, the business people go home to their families, and the night life begins. Young people cover themselves with less cloth than it takes to make a handkerchief and take to the streets in droves. The lights come on and the music begins, and for many it doesn't stop again until the rising of the sun.
On the surface, it seems a blissful assistance. But what happened beyond the lights of the clubs and the smoke filled bars was another matter all together. Angel realized this all too well as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the quickest way he knew to reach the location from which Wesley had called him.
"What do we know?"
The Englishman jumped, then grimaced as the movement pulled at his wound. "Good gracious. Must you always sneak up on people like that?"
Angel smiled slightly. "Part of my job description."
"Well the good news is we think we've discovered the correct alley."
"And the bad?"
"Well, it's an extremely long alley," Wesley sighed. "There are several spots that might be the place Cordelia saw in her vision. Gunn and Cordelia have found a vantage point from which they can cover almost half the area. The plan is for us to do the same, and for whomever spots the girl first to call the others for backup. Hopefully we can all assemble before the attack begins."
~And if we don't there's a good possibility someone will wing up dead.~ But Angel kept his doubts to himself. Once he had made all the decisions around the office, but those days were over. It was Wesley's operation now. ~At least they kept my name on the door.~
Angel waited patiently as Wesley gingerly exited the car, and took a moderate pace as they started to walk through the dark alleyway. Although Wesley never complained, it was obvious that the man was still in a great deal of pain, and would be for quite some time.
The vampire wracked his brain for something, anything he could say to his friend. He wished he could turn back the clock, go back to the days when things had been easier. Before Darla, before the darkness. Angel opened his mouth to speak, unsure of exactly what he would say but knowing he couldn't stay silent any longer. "Wesley, I ..."
The silence was shattered by an ear-piercing cry of a child.
"Oh my god," Wesley said, but Angel was already off and running. "Angel! Angel!" Unable to keep up, Wesley quickly used his cell phone to call Cordelia and Gunn.
Meanwhile, Angel was within sight of the attack. The hooded creature was easily three times the size of the girl cowering before him, possibly more. As the shadowed shaped of the child squirmed in a desperate attempt to free herself the monster raised it's right hand, the twelve inch blade it contained winking in the yellow glow of the street lamps.
With a primal growl and a final burst of speed, Angel threw himself at the girl's attacker. For the split second in which the creature was taken off guard, the vampire had the upper hand. The attacker collapsed to the ground under the force of Angel's blow.
"Run!" In just the short time which it took Angel to shout the command to the girl, the beast was on its feet again. What had appeared to Cordelia to be some sort of hooded article of clothing was actually a cloaking spell of some kind. The creature had wrapped a small area of blackest night around itself, masking all his movements. A hand shot out and gripped Angel by the throat, lifting him off the ground before he had the chance to retaliate in any way. With its free hand, it used the dagger to tear through the flesh of Angel's stomach.
Angel howled in pain.
"Angel!" the vampire foggily heard Gunn call his name. With his last ounce of strength, he kicked the area where he supposed the hand with the dagger must be, grunting in satisfaction when the piece of metal clanked to the pavement. Unarmed and soon to be outnumbered, the creature dropped Angel as well. Before running off into the night, it retrieved the dagger and plunged it into Angel's side a second time.
The pain was immense. No matter how many times Angel was stabbed or shot, he never ceased to be amazed by the burning, throbbing, strength-robbing power of pain. Eyes closed, Angel felt for the hilt of the dagger and attempted to pull it out. But the handle was slick with his blood, and he lacked the strength to complete the task.
Soft, warm flesh caressed Angel's forehead. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Cordelia kneeling beside him. Instead it was the child. Her sea green eyes welled with tears still unshed; the ones which had already fallen exposing trails of pale freckled skin beneath dirt-coated cheeks. The fire in Angel's belly flared angrily as the girl wrenched the dagger from the wound, and Angel cried out.
"Shh," she whispered softly as she placed one tiny hand over Angel's eyes, the other on the hole in his abdomen. Immediately a sense of calm filled Angel's soul, and a warmth spread throughout his limbs, as if the frozen blood in his veins had suddenly begun to thaw.
*Thud*
Was the girl pounding on his chest? Why?
*Thud*
No, the sensation was from the inside, so strong it threatened to split open his rib cage.
*Thud*
Angel's heart was beating!
As soon as the realization was made, the muscle suddenly returned to its frozen state. All the warmth which had filled his body dissipated. Angel had been so pre-occupied with the movement of his heart that he hadn't even noticed his lungs filling with oxygen until they were sucked empty again, almost as if a vacuum hose had been inserted into his throat. The air crackled with electricity.
Suddenly, Angel found himself sitting upright. The small girl lay across his lap, pale and seemingly lifeless. He gingerly felt her neck, sighing with relief when he realized that the girl had not passed away.
"Angel? What happened?"
Angel was too stunned to answer Cordelia's question. There would be time for answers later. Instead he stood, wrapped the girl in his coat for warmth, and carried her to back to his car.
Chapter 2: Be Still My Heart
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The streets of Los Angeles throb with life during the day. Vendors and street performers on every corner, couriers on bikes weaving their way through the throng of pedestrians and cars, people talking about anything and everything as they walk, sometimes on cell phones, less often to the real live people walking next to them.
But at twilight, everything changes. The hawkers pack up their wares, the business people go home to their families, and the night life begins. Young people cover themselves with less cloth than it takes to make a handkerchief and take to the streets in droves. The lights come on and the music begins, and for many it doesn't stop again until the rising of the sun.
On the surface, it seems a blissful assistance. But what happened beyond the lights of the clubs and the smoke filled bars was another matter all together. Angel realized this all too well as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the quickest way he knew to reach the location from which Wesley had called him.
"What do we know?"
The Englishman jumped, then grimaced as the movement pulled at his wound. "Good gracious. Must you always sneak up on people like that?"
Angel smiled slightly. "Part of my job description."
"Well the good news is we think we've discovered the correct alley."
"And the bad?"
"Well, it's an extremely long alley," Wesley sighed. "There are several spots that might be the place Cordelia saw in her vision. Gunn and Cordelia have found a vantage point from which they can cover almost half the area. The plan is for us to do the same, and for whomever spots the girl first to call the others for backup. Hopefully we can all assemble before the attack begins."
~And if we don't there's a good possibility someone will wing up dead.~ But Angel kept his doubts to himself. Once he had made all the decisions around the office, but those days were over. It was Wesley's operation now. ~At least they kept my name on the door.~
Angel waited patiently as Wesley gingerly exited the car, and took a moderate pace as they started to walk through the dark alleyway. Although Wesley never complained, it was obvious that the man was still in a great deal of pain, and would be for quite some time.
The vampire wracked his brain for something, anything he could say to his friend. He wished he could turn back the clock, go back to the days when things had been easier. Before Darla, before the darkness. Angel opened his mouth to speak, unsure of exactly what he would say but knowing he couldn't stay silent any longer. "Wesley, I ..."
The silence was shattered by an ear-piercing cry of a child.
"Oh my god," Wesley said, but Angel was already off and running. "Angel! Angel!" Unable to keep up, Wesley quickly used his cell phone to call Cordelia and Gunn.
Meanwhile, Angel was within sight of the attack. The hooded creature was easily three times the size of the girl cowering before him, possibly more. As the shadowed shaped of the child squirmed in a desperate attempt to free herself the monster raised it's right hand, the twelve inch blade it contained winking in the yellow glow of the street lamps.
With a primal growl and a final burst of speed, Angel threw himself at the girl's attacker. For the split second in which the creature was taken off guard, the vampire had the upper hand. The attacker collapsed to the ground under the force of Angel's blow.
"Run!" In just the short time which it took Angel to shout the command to the girl, the beast was on its feet again. What had appeared to Cordelia to be some sort of hooded article of clothing was actually a cloaking spell of some kind. The creature had wrapped a small area of blackest night around itself, masking all his movements. A hand shot out and gripped Angel by the throat, lifting him off the ground before he had the chance to retaliate in any way. With its free hand, it used the dagger to tear through the flesh of Angel's stomach.
Angel howled in pain.
"Angel!" the vampire foggily heard Gunn call his name. With his last ounce of strength, he kicked the area where he supposed the hand with the dagger must be, grunting in satisfaction when the piece of metal clanked to the pavement. Unarmed and soon to be outnumbered, the creature dropped Angel as well. Before running off into the night, it retrieved the dagger and plunged it into Angel's side a second time.
The pain was immense. No matter how many times Angel was stabbed or shot, he never ceased to be amazed by the burning, throbbing, strength-robbing power of pain. Eyes closed, Angel felt for the hilt of the dagger and attempted to pull it out. But the handle was slick with his blood, and he lacked the strength to complete the task.
Soft, warm flesh caressed Angel's forehead. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Cordelia kneeling beside him. Instead it was the child. Her sea green eyes welled with tears still unshed; the ones which had already fallen exposing trails of pale freckled skin beneath dirt-coated cheeks. The fire in Angel's belly flared angrily as the girl wrenched the dagger from the wound, and Angel cried out.
"Shh," she whispered softly as she placed one tiny hand over Angel's eyes, the other on the hole in his abdomen. Immediately a sense of calm filled Angel's soul, and a warmth spread throughout his limbs, as if the frozen blood in his veins had suddenly begun to thaw.
*Thud*
Was the girl pounding on his chest? Why?
*Thud*
No, the sensation was from the inside, so strong it threatened to split open his rib cage.
*Thud*
Angel's heart was beating!
As soon as the realization was made, the muscle suddenly returned to its frozen state. All the warmth which had filled his body dissipated. Angel had been so pre-occupied with the movement of his heart that he hadn't even noticed his lungs filling with oxygen until they were sucked empty again, almost as if a vacuum hose had been inserted into his throat. The air crackled with electricity.
Suddenly, Angel found himself sitting upright. The small girl lay across his lap, pale and seemingly lifeless. He gingerly felt her neck, sighing with relief when he realized that the girl had not passed away.
"Angel? What happened?"
Angel was too stunned to answer Cordelia's question. There would be time for answers later. Instead he stood, wrapped the girl in his coat for warmth, and carried her to back to his car.