~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 3: Out of the Mouths of Babes
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Amazing," Wesley whispered, so as not to wake the small child sleeping in Angel's bed. Angel, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth at such a rate that Wesley was surprised he hadn't worn a hole clear through the carpet.
The fact was, Angel shouldn't have been able to walk at all. Wesley had seen the dagger with which the vampire had been stabbed, the large rent in his shirt, the pools of blood mixing with motor oil in the alleyway. Angel healed fast ... but not this fast. His shirt hung in tattered red shreds around smooth, unmarred skin.
And the story he had told was unbelievable.
"So what you are saying is that ..."
"She's a healer," Angel said without looking up. "A strong one. I met a few in my day, but never with a gift like this." His face softened as he looked toward the frail figure shrouded in blankets. "Never one so young."
Cordelia entered the room carrying a basin and washcloth. With tender care she began to clean the child's face. "God," the woman said softly as the angelic face was exposed. "She can't be more than twelve o rthirteen." The girl was pale, deathly so. And the dark brown hair framing her face in shoulder length waves emphasized the deep yellow circles under her eyes. "Shouldn't we be taking her to a hospital or something?"
Wesley shook his head. "I don't believe so. If this young girl is ... that is if she does possess the power to heal, then it is more than likely that her body is just ... rejuvenating itself. To mend flesh is taxing on the healer's body, from what I have read."
"When she tried to heal my wounds her power went overboard," Angel theorized. "It wanted to make me breathe, start my heart ..."
Cordelia looked up. "Bring you back from the dead?"
"Precisely." Wesley finished. "But there is no force that can do that. When a person is brought back from the other side, it can never be in their original form. Something is always changed, or wrong. Trying to do what she did ... it's like trying to jump start a car that doesn't have an engine. It just doesn't work." He sighed and fidgeted in his chair, his healing wounds making it difficult to be comfortable. "She's lucky she isn't dead. When a person tries to push their power too far, or when that power takes control of them, the results are often disastrous."
"Wesley," Cordelia hissed, grabbing his attention.
The child was awake. Her body curled up into the fetal position, blankets pulled over her face so that only her eyes were visible.
Wesley smiled and leaned forward in his chair, so that his elbows rested on the bed. "Hello. Don't be afraid. We brought you here to help you."
At the sound of a friendly voice, the panic in the girl's eyes began to dissipate. She pulled the covers down to her chin, allowing her to turn her head and more closely examine the three adults hovering over her. After a moment, her eyes settled back on Wesley. Brow furrowed with concern, one hand snaked out from underneath the heavy blanket to touch his.
It was over in an instant. A warm sensation, a flash of light, and it was over. Wesley blinked in surprise, realizing that the pain he had been living with for the past month was completely gone. He had no doubt that a close examination of his abdomen would not show signs of even a faint scar. "Thank you," he said quietly, still somewhat stunned. "But ... why?"
She tilted her head, as if the answer was obvious. "Because I can."
He shook his head, amazed. "My name is Wesley. This is Cordelia. And I suppose you've already met Angel."
"I'm Marie," the child responded.
As Marie turned to look at him, Angel straightened slightly. He had the feeling that he was being examined by eyes much wiser than their age would suggest.
"You aren't human." It was a statement rather than a question.
Angel bowed his head. "Not technically."
Marie smiled reassuringly, her eyes sparkling as her strength began to return. "It's ok. I've been around. I know not all of you are bad."
Shocked by this revelation, Angel could only stare. It was Wesley who asked the obvious follow-up question. "Been around where?"
"On my own. On the street. It's been about two years now, I guess."
"Two years?" Cordelia's amazement was obvious. "But you ... how old are you?"
"Ten." When everyone just continued staring, Marie continued. "Almost eleven, actually. It was just me and my mom for a long time. And when she found out what I could do ..." she looked away, "Well she didn't take it very well."
Something about that didn't ring true for Angel, and the look Wesley shot him signified that he agreed.
"Are you hungry, or anything?" Cordelia asked, tactfully changing the subject. "We don't have that much around here, but I think I can scrounge up some peanut butter and jelly or something."
Marie shook her head. "Actually, I kinda just wanna go back to sleep, if that's ok."
"Of course." Wesley stood and stretched, reveling in the pain-free motion.
Angel moved to the bedside. "If you need anything, we'll be right downstairs."
She snuggled deeper under the covers. Angel was almost out the door when he heard her call his name. "Yes?"
The young face smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
Chapter 3: Out of the Mouths of Babes
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Amazing," Wesley whispered, so as not to wake the small child sleeping in Angel's bed. Angel, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth at such a rate that Wesley was surprised he hadn't worn a hole clear through the carpet.
The fact was, Angel shouldn't have been able to walk at all. Wesley had seen the dagger with which the vampire had been stabbed, the large rent in his shirt, the pools of blood mixing with motor oil in the alleyway. Angel healed fast ... but not this fast. His shirt hung in tattered red shreds around smooth, unmarred skin.
And the story he had told was unbelievable.
"So what you are saying is that ..."
"She's a healer," Angel said without looking up. "A strong one. I met a few in my day, but never with a gift like this." His face softened as he looked toward the frail figure shrouded in blankets. "Never one so young."
Cordelia entered the room carrying a basin and washcloth. With tender care she began to clean the child's face. "God," the woman said softly as the angelic face was exposed. "She can't be more than twelve o rthirteen." The girl was pale, deathly so. And the dark brown hair framing her face in shoulder length waves emphasized the deep yellow circles under her eyes. "Shouldn't we be taking her to a hospital or something?"
Wesley shook his head. "I don't believe so. If this young girl is ... that is if she does possess the power to heal, then it is more than likely that her body is just ... rejuvenating itself. To mend flesh is taxing on the healer's body, from what I have read."
"When she tried to heal my wounds her power went overboard," Angel theorized. "It wanted to make me breathe, start my heart ..."
Cordelia looked up. "Bring you back from the dead?"
"Precisely." Wesley finished. "But there is no force that can do that. When a person is brought back from the other side, it can never be in their original form. Something is always changed, or wrong. Trying to do what she did ... it's like trying to jump start a car that doesn't have an engine. It just doesn't work." He sighed and fidgeted in his chair, his healing wounds making it difficult to be comfortable. "She's lucky she isn't dead. When a person tries to push their power too far, or when that power takes control of them, the results are often disastrous."
"Wesley," Cordelia hissed, grabbing his attention.
The child was awake. Her body curled up into the fetal position, blankets pulled over her face so that only her eyes were visible.
Wesley smiled and leaned forward in his chair, so that his elbows rested on the bed. "Hello. Don't be afraid. We brought you here to help you."
At the sound of a friendly voice, the panic in the girl's eyes began to dissipate. She pulled the covers down to her chin, allowing her to turn her head and more closely examine the three adults hovering over her. After a moment, her eyes settled back on Wesley. Brow furrowed with concern, one hand snaked out from underneath the heavy blanket to touch his.
It was over in an instant. A warm sensation, a flash of light, and it was over. Wesley blinked in surprise, realizing that the pain he had been living with for the past month was completely gone. He had no doubt that a close examination of his abdomen would not show signs of even a faint scar. "Thank you," he said quietly, still somewhat stunned. "But ... why?"
She tilted her head, as if the answer was obvious. "Because I can."
He shook his head, amazed. "My name is Wesley. This is Cordelia. And I suppose you've already met Angel."
"I'm Marie," the child responded.
As Marie turned to look at him, Angel straightened slightly. He had the feeling that he was being examined by eyes much wiser than their age would suggest.
"You aren't human." It was a statement rather than a question.
Angel bowed his head. "Not technically."
Marie smiled reassuringly, her eyes sparkling as her strength began to return. "It's ok. I've been around. I know not all of you are bad."
Shocked by this revelation, Angel could only stare. It was Wesley who asked the obvious follow-up question. "Been around where?"
"On my own. On the street. It's been about two years now, I guess."
"Two years?" Cordelia's amazement was obvious. "But you ... how old are you?"
"Ten." When everyone just continued staring, Marie continued. "Almost eleven, actually. It was just me and my mom for a long time. And when she found out what I could do ..." she looked away, "Well she didn't take it very well."
Something about that didn't ring true for Angel, and the look Wesley shot him signified that he agreed.
"Are you hungry, or anything?" Cordelia asked, tactfully changing the subject. "We don't have that much around here, but I think I can scrounge up some peanut butter and jelly or something."
Marie shook her head. "Actually, I kinda just wanna go back to sleep, if that's ok."
"Of course." Wesley stood and stretched, reveling in the pain-free motion.
Angel moved to the bedside. "If you need anything, we'll be right downstairs."
She snuggled deeper under the covers. Angel was almost out the door when he heard her call his name. "Yes?"
The young face smiled gratefully. "Thank you."