Title: Requiem (Part 2/?)
Author: Erilo
Email: Vgrrl_gunsmoke@netzero.com
Rating: 15
Based on: NW
Spoilers: NW
Disclaimers: The Night World and any other concepts from the books belong to L.
J. Smith. The characters in the story however do.
Summary: Rae wants peace, the only way she can find it, but a knock on her door
changes all of that...
A.N.: So, sorry it took so long to get this part out. My computer hates me.
It's been on the frits for a while now. Well, anyway hope you all enjoy part 2!
Also thanks for all the great reviews!
Feedback: I Love feedback. how else will I grow as a writer if I don't get
feedback! :)


Requiem (Part 2/?)

Rae moaned and shifted slightly but other wise stayed still.

/Was she dead? Was she finally at peace? This couldn't be hell could it? No, it
couldn't be, she was still in her room. /

She was distantly aware that she was lying in her room on her bed. She could
feel the soft rays of light against her eyes and see the red behind her closed
eyelids flicker before her. One minute cool, the next hot. This succeeded in
telling her two things one, it was morning, and two someone was in the house
with her, in her room hovering over her.

Maybe the pills were taking longer to work then she though they would. Maybe
Alex coming to her was a figment of her languid imagination. But if that were
so who was in her room with her.

Rae slowly opened her eyes. She squinted against the sun painfully dragging her
arm up and across her eyes, to block out the morning sunrays. Her head was
pounding and with each passing second she became more aware the pain increased
tenfold.

She moaned for a second time, nausea rising from the bowels of her belly.

"Rae?" Breathed a soft voice close to her ear.

With a gasp, that cause pain to explode in her brain, Rae bolted up right, head
whipping around towards the voice.

Rae sucked in a breath a scream bubbling up to the surface. In that same instant
Alex reached over with lightning fast reflexes grabbed both her wrists and
clamped his hand over her mouth.

Rae was still disorientated, but she knew enough to be terrified. She struggled
against him, kicking screams muffled by his hand. She stilled when Alex gave her
a good shaking.

"If you promise not to scream, I'll let you go." He spoke briefly, threatening.
"Do you promise?"

Rae nodded vigorously scooting away from him when he freed her. She jumped off
the bed and grabbed the glass she had drunken from earlier, holding it
defensively in the air.

This Alex that stood before her was not her Alex. Something was off, the way he
stood, and the way he spoke to her. He would never act that way. And besides now
that she was aware of her faculties, she knew that he was dead and he wasn't
coming back, that was why she had downed a full bottle of painkillers. So that
she could be with him.

"No way," she shouted but stopped when he turned a pointed glance her way.
"You're suppose to be dead! Why aren't you dead?" She finished in a harsh
whisper.

Alex shook his head, "Why were you trying to kill yourself?" He demanded,
ignoring her question.

This wasn't right, he sounded *angry*. If anything *she* should be the one
pissed off. He made her believe that he was dead.

Rae expression was one of disbelief, "Because I thought *you* were dead. You're
supposed to be dead!"

"Will you stop saying that!" He hissed the sound oddly reptilian in nature. It
was disturbing.

"When you tell me why you're not dead! Why I spent hours crying over you. Why I
went to the morgue to identified your body. All for nothing. When you tell me
that *then* I'll stop saying that." She shrieked, ignoring the death glared Alex
was throwing her.

She almost killed herself over him.

Wait...as far as she knew she was still going to die.

/Oh, mother of God what have I done./

Rae paled, dropping the glass that she held. Alex gave another display of
quicksilver reflexes retrieving the glass in mid fall and replacing it on the
nightstand. The action brought him within inches of her. If she moved just a
fraction of an inch she would be in him arms.

"You're not going to die Rae." He began pulling her down to sit on the bed. He
sat beside her. "I gave you enough of my blood to purged the pills from your
body." Oh so that was why her head hurt and she felt as if she'd vomit any
moment her body was trying to get rid of the pills.

"What are you?" She whispered fear flickering in her gray colored eyes.

"I'm a vampire, " he drawled, voice taking on a peculiar weariness that made him
seem older then he appeared.

She swallowed thickly, "but I saw you go out in the sunlight, Alex. Vampires
can't do that."

Alex turned to Rae, "That is a myth. I can walk around during the day; I just
have to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from extreme light."

This was all so confusing; it was making the pounding in her head intensify. It
would explain a lot, like why he never left home without those damn sunglasses
of his and why he went on midnight excursion every-so-often.

She opened her mouth another question forming on the tip of her tongue. But Alex
abruptly quieted her.

"Before you ask anymore questions I need you to listen to what I'm about to tell
you." A Pause. "It's very important that you listen to me. Do you understand?"

Rae nodded mutely giving him the go ahead to continue. She had question, bucket
loads, but she could wait until he finished to ask.

"I belong to the Night World." He began, "A secret society of vampires, witches,
shapeshifters and werewolves. We have lived undetected by humans for millennia.
And in order to keep humans in the dark about what we are there are certain
rules that we must live by. Rules, that if broken are punishable by death."

Alex paused, then flashed a smile that would have put the Mad Hatter to shame,
"You see, in my world, humans are just...toys to be played with--vermin. But
when we forget that; when we start to see them as more then that..." He trailed
off, searching for the right words.

Rae wasn't liking where this conversation was going. /All I was to him was a
child's plaything? Well, damn, can't you just feel the love?/

"That's when the trouble starts and other night worlders are called in to 'fix'
the problem. That's why I had to fake my own death. " he finished somberly, eyes
unfocused. Rae noticed that Alex had avoided telling her what rules he was
breaking. She didn't want to ask but she had to know.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"What rules did you break?" She asked in an almost inaudible whisper.

"I feel in love with you." He stated matter-of-factly falling back on her bed.

Hmmm, he doesn't seem too happy about that, she mused bitterly.

Alex turned hazel eyes towards her, locks of black hair falling into his face,
"And the council found out that we where soulmates."

/The council? Soulmates?/

"What?"

"We're meant to be together for all time; I'm your other half, your my other
half." he droned dispassionately.

/What I wouldn't give to have the old Alex back./

"Just so you know, I can here what you're thinking."

"You can what?!"

He spoke slowly, as if to a small child, "I. can. hear. what. you're. thinking."

"How much did you hear?"

"Everything."

"That's it!" Rae screamed climbing on to the bed, and standing up. She made a
move to walk across it to the door but Alex caught her foot and pulled her back
down. He sat on her stomach and held her hands by her side.

Rae started thrashing on the bed, "You know this is starting to get
aggravating!"

"If you would stop getting all dramatic I wouldn't have to restrain you." He
huffed.

"If I had a stake right now..." She stopped struggling, took a deep breathe,
"okay, I'm fine, get off me."

Alex moved and Rae sat up crossing her legs under her.

"How did you know faking your death worked?" She asked out of nowhere.

"I didn't. That's why I stayed away so long."

"Well, how do you know, they don't suspect something?"

"I don't, alright?" Alex snapped, eyes shooting daggers towards her.

"Okay, okay." Rae muttered, hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I just want to
know, in case they don't believe you're dead and come looking for me to get to
you."

He shook his head, "There's no way in hell that plan didn't--" Alex was cut off
as the muffled sound of her front door being kicked in was heard.

"You were saying..." Rae whispered harshly, ignoring the look Alex was giving
her.

She just had all the luck....