A/N: See everyone? I got this chappy out real fast!
Angel Wings-Chapter 5
"So, you're a demon, huh?" I said, adjusting the collar of my turtleneck.
Jesse sighed, looking out the bay window, at the ocean. "Yes, for the thousandth time, that seems to be the case, Susannah."
"Well, I don't get it," I said with a smirk, pulling on my knee-high leather boots. "I mean, you just look so…not-demonish. Where's the dark aura and all that? Where's the power?"
Jesse said nothing, but he didn't turn to face me, and I saw a muscle in his jaw clench.
"Jesse, why don't you give it a try…?" I was really curious to see if Jesse really had power like Paul's.
"No, Susannah." He continued to stare gloomily out the window. The weather didn't seem to be helping his dark mood. It was dark and muggy out. A fine mist was hanging over Carmel-by-the-Sea, and it was humid as hell. Well, the weather wasn't doing much for my mood, either.
"Jesse," I said. He still wouldn't turn. He continued to stare out the window, and there was a low, distant rumble of thunder. "Jesse," I tried again. I took a step toward him. He seemed to be oblivious to my presence. "Jesse, look at me, dammit!" I finally yelled.
Jesse slowly turned to look at me, and it was like I was looking at a stranger.
"Jesse…?"
"This isn't right," he said solemnly. "It isn't safe for you Susannah…I can't lose you…"
"J-Jesse-please, you're scaring me…"
His eyes seemed distant and gray, and they looked at me without focusing. He slowly stood up from the bay window, wobbled, and took a deep breath.
"Jesse, what wrong with you?" I said, and I ran forward to put my arms around him…and he pushed me roughly away. I gasped and fell to the floor. Spike the cat (A/N: thought I forgot about him, didn't you!) was hissing at Jesse as though he were a different person. And I realized he might be.
Jesse took another deep, ragged breath, and looked at me again with those same, alien eyes. "This isn't right," he said again. "We…we should have been normal-teenagers…grow up together…fall in love, marriage…not this-this isn't right…"
Another one of those deep, ragged breaths.
"He's in me now," Jesse continued, now staring at some spot above my head. "He's in me now, and I'm fighting him…he's screaming…I can't keep him out…I can't keep the darkness out…I'm a demon now…I can feel the power-wants to be freeeee…"
I slowly stood up, slowly backed away towards the door. "Is that you, Jesse?"
He looked back at me and grinned. "Of course it's me, Susannah."
I kept backing up towards the door.
Jesse sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm leaving…" he said.
"What?" I stopped backing up.
"I'm leaving." Another deep ragged breath. "Leaving…I can never see you again…"
The tears came before I could stop them. I rushed forward again, tried to grab his hand, but he shoved me away again. I fell the floor, but this time, I stayed there, curled up in a ball, and I started sobbing.
"Jesse-what the hell is WRONG with you? Why do you want to leave me? Where will you GO?!"
There was silence. I opened my eyes. Where Jesse was a moment ago there was only a swirling cloud of dust.
"Away…" his voice said, and it seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"Jesse!" I screamed. "JESSE!"
"Yo, SUZE!" came Dopey's voice from outside the door. "Everything alright? Who's Jesse? Are you getting raped or something?"
I stood up, and wiped my tears away on the sleeve of my shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine." My voice was congested.
"We're leaving now, so come downstairs…are you sure you're alright?"
"Never been…better, Dop-Brad."
"Alrighty, then…um…hurry up or we'll leave without you."
I waited until I heard his footsteps clunking down the steps. Then I turned and looked out the window. The day was so gray…like Jesse's eyes…
"Suze, what's wrong?" Cee Cee whispered during Calculus.
"Nothing, everything's fine. Life is good," I said back, with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Well, ok…you seem kind of…I dunno…spaced out or something…"
I laughed. A little too loudly.
"May I help you, Susan?" Mr. Vercani said, looking at me with one perfectly plucked eyebrow arched quizzically.
I laughed again. I couldn't help it.
"Yeah, you can help me…get some rogaine, your hairline's receding, and I can't see the board because of the glare from you forehead."
There were a few chuckles. But I didn't really give a *fuck.
"Susan," Mr. Vercani said, sounding annoyed, "How would you like to join me for detention?"
"I'd love to," I said, and I stood up and walked out of the class, ignoring the whispers that followed me out.
This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. Is was like…a dream…no, a nightmare…everywhere I went, I saw him…like a fleeting shadow, only I couldn't catch him…
It was when my hand touched the door to Father Dom's office that the tears came again. As I pushed the door open and stepped in, Father Dom looked up. The surprise at once transformed his worried face into something almost comical.
"Susannah…what's wrong?" He stood. "Why are you crying?"
"He's gone," I muttered.
Father Dom came around and stood in front of me. "Who's gone? Are you hurt?"
"I looked up and Father Dom's face, and the tears finally spilled out of my eyes. "Oh, Father D-JESSE'S GONE!!!!!"
I threw my arms around him, and sobbed into his robes. He tentatively started patting my back, saying things like, "There, there now," clearly not knowing what the hell he was doing. But nothing could make me feel better. Nothing could make the pain go away.
Jesse was gone.
The thought brought fresh tears. I just sobbed my heart out (and my snot) on Father Dom. It was embarrassing, but…it felt so much better than just letting it sit inside of me.
When I finally pulled away, I gazed down at the floor, sniffed loudly, and said, "Sorry."
"It's quite alright," Father Dom said, handing me a box of tissues. I blew my nose loudly. "So…what happened that led up to this…event?"
"Well-" *sniff* "-remember how Jesse was possessed by Paul?"
"Yes…"
"Yeah, and he tried to rape me-"
"Rape you?!"
"Yeah, but I fought him, me and Jesse fought him-"
"You fought Paul?!"
"Yeah, and then-" I looked up and stopped talking. Father Dom looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
"And…then…what?" he said, his voice shaky.
"And then," I said slowly, "when I woke up this morning Jesse was all weird…kinda sad, too…he would let me touch him…said he had to go away…"
I could feel fresh tears threatening, but I held them back.
Father Dom sat back down at his desk, holding onto the arms of his chair to keep steady. "And…could he be…possessed…again, perhaps…?"
"That's what I was thinking…except now that he's a demon…"
"JESSE'S A DEMON?!?!?!?!"
I'm pretty sure the whole school heard that one.
Father Dom was now a light shade of green. "…yeah…" I said carefully.
"How-d-did that hap-p-pen?" Father Dom said, twitching oddly.
I eyed him for a moment. Should I tell him? He might just pass out…but that might be doing him a mercy…
"Well," I said, "when Paul possessed Jesse, he kinda…well, he kinda left a part of himself with Jesse. So, now, they're…bonded, I guess you could say."
"Bonded?" Father Dom said, more curious than shocked. "Bonded," he said in tones of wonder. "Bonded!" he said happily. "They're bonded! They're bonded! The world is saved!"
Father D had finally cracked.
"It's not something to be happy about, you know," I mumbled.
"Of course it is, Susannah!" He got up and began pacing the room. "Don't you see, Susannah? Jesse can stand up to Paul! He won't let Paul take over the universe! And he won't let Paul take you!"
"You're forgetting one thing, Father D," I said glumly.
"What's that?" he said, no longer pacing.
"Jesse hightailed it. He's gone."
"We're doomed," Father Dom said, sitting back at his desk. "Unless we exorcise Paul…"
"No!" I stood up. "No more exorcisms!"
"It was just a thought…"
"I've had bad experiences with exorcisms! No more exorcisms!"
"Alright, alright, no exorcism then. Sit down, and 'chill'," he said with a smile. Modern lingo doesn't work with him, I noted.
"So there's only one other alternative," Father Dom said.
I sat back down and sighed.
"We must find Jesse!"
Paul smiled. Everything was going according to plan. It was time to move into phase two…
"Your highness, great Unholy One!" one of the guards called.
Paul sighed and sat down on his huge, ebony throne. "What is it?" he said in a bored tone.
"The informant has arrived," the guard said, eyeing the ball of black energy Paul was playing with warily.
Paul smiled and squeezed the energy in his fist. "Excellent. Bring her in immediately."
"Yes, great Unholy One!"
The guard rushed out of the throne room. A moment later, the informant stepped in.
"Ah, Bianca, so good of you to see me!" Paul said. "What news do you have for me?"
Bianca bowed her head. "Suze is still under the impression that she has some kind of demon army protecting her. She has full trust in me. She has no idea that I will lead her directly to you."
Paul's smile widened. "What about Jesse?"
Bianca smiled. "He's run away in a lame attempt to protect Suze. Don't worry, though-if all goes according to plan, you'll have back the power that Jesse stole from you in no time."
"Yes," Paul said, seething. "That's the only reason they were able to defeat me the way they did…he took my POWER!"
The last word echoed through the cold throne room. Paul looked down at Bianca, who was kneeling before him respectfully. "You've done excellent. When I own the universe, and Suze at last is mine…" his eyes glazed over as he thought about it, then then he looked back down at Bianca, "I promise you will have a position of power."
"Your kindness is much appreciated," Bianca said, and walked out of the throne room, muttering under her breath, "Idiot."
Paul watched her as she left the throne room. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.
He leaned back lazily, and threw one boot-clad foot over the arm of his throne. He chuckled.
"Soon, Susannah. Soon."
A/N: Oh, no! What are those gosh-darn demons plotting?! For once, I have no writer's block, so I actually know what they're plotting! Rejoice! The next chapter will be out as soon as I get...oh, say...six reviews, atleast. Is that so much to ask? So, REVIEW. Now.
P.S.--As a tribute to my dear friend Amanda, Strutting Rogaine was in this chappy ^_^
TTFN (I just looove Tigger!)
Angel Wings-Chapter 5
"So, you're a demon, huh?" I said, adjusting the collar of my turtleneck.
Jesse sighed, looking out the bay window, at the ocean. "Yes, for the thousandth time, that seems to be the case, Susannah."
"Well, I don't get it," I said with a smirk, pulling on my knee-high leather boots. "I mean, you just look so…not-demonish. Where's the dark aura and all that? Where's the power?"
Jesse said nothing, but he didn't turn to face me, and I saw a muscle in his jaw clench.
"Jesse, why don't you give it a try…?" I was really curious to see if Jesse really had power like Paul's.
"No, Susannah." He continued to stare gloomily out the window. The weather didn't seem to be helping his dark mood. It was dark and muggy out. A fine mist was hanging over Carmel-by-the-Sea, and it was humid as hell. Well, the weather wasn't doing much for my mood, either.
"Jesse," I said. He still wouldn't turn. He continued to stare out the window, and there was a low, distant rumble of thunder. "Jesse," I tried again. I took a step toward him. He seemed to be oblivious to my presence. "Jesse, look at me, dammit!" I finally yelled.
Jesse slowly turned to look at me, and it was like I was looking at a stranger.
"Jesse…?"
"This isn't right," he said solemnly. "It isn't safe for you Susannah…I can't lose you…"
"J-Jesse-please, you're scaring me…"
His eyes seemed distant and gray, and they looked at me without focusing. He slowly stood up from the bay window, wobbled, and took a deep breath.
"Jesse, what wrong with you?" I said, and I ran forward to put my arms around him…and he pushed me roughly away. I gasped and fell to the floor. Spike the cat (A/N: thought I forgot about him, didn't you!) was hissing at Jesse as though he were a different person. And I realized he might be.
Jesse took another deep, ragged breath, and looked at me again with those same, alien eyes. "This isn't right," he said again. "We…we should have been normal-teenagers…grow up together…fall in love, marriage…not this-this isn't right…"
Another one of those deep, ragged breaths.
"He's in me now," Jesse continued, now staring at some spot above my head. "He's in me now, and I'm fighting him…he's screaming…I can't keep him out…I can't keep the darkness out…I'm a demon now…I can feel the power-wants to be freeeee…"
I slowly stood up, slowly backed away towards the door. "Is that you, Jesse?"
He looked back at me and grinned. "Of course it's me, Susannah."
I kept backing up towards the door.
Jesse sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm leaving…" he said.
"What?" I stopped backing up.
"I'm leaving." Another deep ragged breath. "Leaving…I can never see you again…"
The tears came before I could stop them. I rushed forward again, tried to grab his hand, but he shoved me away again. I fell the floor, but this time, I stayed there, curled up in a ball, and I started sobbing.
"Jesse-what the hell is WRONG with you? Why do you want to leave me? Where will you GO?!"
There was silence. I opened my eyes. Where Jesse was a moment ago there was only a swirling cloud of dust.
"Away…" his voice said, and it seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"Jesse!" I screamed. "JESSE!"
"Yo, SUZE!" came Dopey's voice from outside the door. "Everything alright? Who's Jesse? Are you getting raped or something?"
I stood up, and wiped my tears away on the sleeve of my shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine." My voice was congested.
"We're leaving now, so come downstairs…are you sure you're alright?"
"Never been…better, Dop-Brad."
"Alrighty, then…um…hurry up or we'll leave without you."
I waited until I heard his footsteps clunking down the steps. Then I turned and looked out the window. The day was so gray…like Jesse's eyes…
"Suze, what's wrong?" Cee Cee whispered during Calculus.
"Nothing, everything's fine. Life is good," I said back, with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Well, ok…you seem kind of…I dunno…spaced out or something…"
I laughed. A little too loudly.
"May I help you, Susan?" Mr. Vercani said, looking at me with one perfectly plucked eyebrow arched quizzically.
I laughed again. I couldn't help it.
"Yeah, you can help me…get some rogaine, your hairline's receding, and I can't see the board because of the glare from you forehead."
There were a few chuckles. But I didn't really give a *fuck.
"Susan," Mr. Vercani said, sounding annoyed, "How would you like to join me for detention?"
"I'd love to," I said, and I stood up and walked out of the class, ignoring the whispers that followed me out.
This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. Is was like…a dream…no, a nightmare…everywhere I went, I saw him…like a fleeting shadow, only I couldn't catch him…
It was when my hand touched the door to Father Dom's office that the tears came again. As I pushed the door open and stepped in, Father Dom looked up. The surprise at once transformed his worried face into something almost comical.
"Susannah…what's wrong?" He stood. "Why are you crying?"
"He's gone," I muttered.
Father Dom came around and stood in front of me. "Who's gone? Are you hurt?"
"I looked up and Father Dom's face, and the tears finally spilled out of my eyes. "Oh, Father D-JESSE'S GONE!!!!!"
I threw my arms around him, and sobbed into his robes. He tentatively started patting my back, saying things like, "There, there now," clearly not knowing what the hell he was doing. But nothing could make me feel better. Nothing could make the pain go away.
Jesse was gone.
The thought brought fresh tears. I just sobbed my heart out (and my snot) on Father Dom. It was embarrassing, but…it felt so much better than just letting it sit inside of me.
When I finally pulled away, I gazed down at the floor, sniffed loudly, and said, "Sorry."
"It's quite alright," Father Dom said, handing me a box of tissues. I blew my nose loudly. "So…what happened that led up to this…event?"
"Well-" *sniff* "-remember how Jesse was possessed by Paul?"
"Yes…"
"Yeah, and he tried to rape me-"
"Rape you?!"
"Yeah, but I fought him, me and Jesse fought him-"
"You fought Paul?!"
"Yeah, and then-" I looked up and stopped talking. Father Dom looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
"And…then…what?" he said, his voice shaky.
"And then," I said slowly, "when I woke up this morning Jesse was all weird…kinda sad, too…he would let me touch him…said he had to go away…"
I could feel fresh tears threatening, but I held them back.
Father Dom sat back down at his desk, holding onto the arms of his chair to keep steady. "And…could he be…possessed…again, perhaps…?"
"That's what I was thinking…except now that he's a demon…"
"JESSE'S A DEMON?!?!?!?!"
I'm pretty sure the whole school heard that one.
Father Dom was now a light shade of green. "…yeah…" I said carefully.
"How-d-did that hap-p-pen?" Father Dom said, twitching oddly.
I eyed him for a moment. Should I tell him? He might just pass out…but that might be doing him a mercy…
"Well," I said, "when Paul possessed Jesse, he kinda…well, he kinda left a part of himself with Jesse. So, now, they're…bonded, I guess you could say."
"Bonded?" Father Dom said, more curious than shocked. "Bonded," he said in tones of wonder. "Bonded!" he said happily. "They're bonded! They're bonded! The world is saved!"
Father D had finally cracked.
"It's not something to be happy about, you know," I mumbled.
"Of course it is, Susannah!" He got up and began pacing the room. "Don't you see, Susannah? Jesse can stand up to Paul! He won't let Paul take over the universe! And he won't let Paul take you!"
"You're forgetting one thing, Father D," I said glumly.
"What's that?" he said, no longer pacing.
"Jesse hightailed it. He's gone."
"We're doomed," Father Dom said, sitting back at his desk. "Unless we exorcise Paul…"
"No!" I stood up. "No more exorcisms!"
"It was just a thought…"
"I've had bad experiences with exorcisms! No more exorcisms!"
"Alright, alright, no exorcism then. Sit down, and 'chill'," he said with a smile. Modern lingo doesn't work with him, I noted.
"So there's only one other alternative," Father Dom said.
I sat back down and sighed.
"We must find Jesse!"
Paul smiled. Everything was going according to plan. It was time to move into phase two…
"Your highness, great Unholy One!" one of the guards called.
Paul sighed and sat down on his huge, ebony throne. "What is it?" he said in a bored tone.
"The informant has arrived," the guard said, eyeing the ball of black energy Paul was playing with warily.
Paul smiled and squeezed the energy in his fist. "Excellent. Bring her in immediately."
"Yes, great Unholy One!"
The guard rushed out of the throne room. A moment later, the informant stepped in.
"Ah, Bianca, so good of you to see me!" Paul said. "What news do you have for me?"
Bianca bowed her head. "Suze is still under the impression that she has some kind of demon army protecting her. She has full trust in me. She has no idea that I will lead her directly to you."
Paul's smile widened. "What about Jesse?"
Bianca smiled. "He's run away in a lame attempt to protect Suze. Don't worry, though-if all goes according to plan, you'll have back the power that Jesse stole from you in no time."
"Yes," Paul said, seething. "That's the only reason they were able to defeat me the way they did…he took my POWER!"
The last word echoed through the cold throne room. Paul looked down at Bianca, who was kneeling before him respectfully. "You've done excellent. When I own the universe, and Suze at last is mine…" his eyes glazed over as he thought about it, then then he looked back down at Bianca, "I promise you will have a position of power."
"Your kindness is much appreciated," Bianca said, and walked out of the throne room, muttering under her breath, "Idiot."
Paul watched her as she left the throne room. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath.
He leaned back lazily, and threw one boot-clad foot over the arm of his throne. He chuckled.
"Soon, Susannah. Soon."
A/N: Oh, no! What are those gosh-darn demons plotting?! For once, I have no writer's block, so I actually know what they're plotting! Rejoice! The next chapter will be out as soon as I get...oh, say...six reviews, atleast. Is that so much to ask? So, REVIEW. Now.
P.S.--As a tribute to my dear friend Amanda, Strutting Rogaine was in this chappy ^_^
TTFN (I just looove Tigger!)