Disclaimer: I don't own Rebirth, blah, blah, but wish I did...you know the standard stuff, blah, blah, blah...

Fallen Angel

Chapter 20

She curled up inside the carriage, trying to avoid the hail of arrows that was assaulting the caravan. She heard Captain Maybus cry out in pain. After it had stopped there were shouts from the soldiers; they were under attack. She looked cautiously out the window and saw two men, Maybus and...someone else, someone familiar.

Just then, the carriage jerked, throwing her against the seat. She screamed. One of the bandits had taken control and she was helpless to stop him. The carriage jerked again, and she heard footsteps on the roof and the sounds of a struggle. The roof caved in, dropping the bandit and the familiar man from before right in front of her. She grabbed one of the suitcases and swung it with all her strength, hitting the bandit in the face, and gouging his eye. The man disposed of him, but not quick enough.

The carriage went over the cliff and...

Remi screamed as she woke up. She began to panic when she realized she couldn't move because someone was holding her. Then, she heard a soothing voice in her eyes. It kept telling her, "Shhh, its ok. It was only a dream. Shhh."

Remi opened her eyes completely and looked up. Desh was holding her, arm around her shoulders. The voice belonged to him. "It's ok. I've got you. There's no need to worry." She looked down and relaxed slightly. She started slightly, however, when Desh brought his other hand up and wiped a tear off her cheek. This caused her to look upwards again.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was crying," she said as she wiped the rest of the tears away.

"You had another bad dream? About Lilith?"

"Yes... You saved me, I mean, her," she said, still recovering.

"I figured. I heard you mumbling a couple of things in your sleep," Desh said as he leaned back against the cliff, pulling her with him. "That was the day I bound the Swamp brothers to my will as a summon."

"It was also the day that Lilith first saw you grown up. The day she fell in love," she whispered quietly. She hadn't really meant for him to hear her, but he did anyway.

"Yeah..."

They sat there for a couple of minutes in silence. Remi noticed that it was still dark out. 'I must not have slept for very long,' she thought to herself. She looked at the quiet vampire next to her out of the corner of her eye. His own eyes were closed so she had the chance to study him. The moon was shining on his face, casting shadows and bringing out the purple highlights in his hair. He was smiling slightly. 'He looks happy...'

Seeming to sense her gaze, he opened his eyes and looked at her. Their eyes met for a few seconds before Remi averted her gaze, blushing furiously. "Sorry," she murmured, "I didn't mean to stare."

"No harm done." He was laughing.

"What's so funny!" she asked in mock anger, smiling. She realized that she liked to hear him laugh. It made her want to laugh too, just because he was happy.

"I was just thinking about how earlier you were about to rip my throat out, and now we're both just sitting here."

Remi giggled a bit. "Well, I was tired of those idiot suitors coming up to me and asking me to dance. You're lucky I found out it was you before I went postal."

"If that was you before you go 'postal', then I never want to see you when you are. And plus, what do you mean 'lucky'?" Desh grinned as he continued, "I didn't feel very lucky. Do you even remember what you said?"

"Yes," she laughed. "I just wanted to get the point across, that's all."

"I think it did that." They both continued to laugh. Then Desh stopped, looked at her, and said, "You know, I like it when you laugh."

"Um...really? Thanks..." She mumbled, blushing, again. 'Why can't I stop blushing? In fact, why can't I say anything remotely intelligent when he says stuff like that?' She met his eyes as he watched her. He smiled softly. "What?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, just thinking." He tilted his head back and looked skyward. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

She looked up as well, answering, "Yeah." She wasn't sure if she meant the night, or him.

He sighed. "I remember nights like this from when I was little. A clear sky, no tall buildings blocking out the stars," he paused, "I miss it."

"What were they like?" Remi inquired, meaning his parents. She immediately realized that it was a mistake. Desh had a pained look on his face and she said quickly, "I sorry. It is none of my business."

He gave her a forced looking smile. "It's alright. It's ok for you to be curious." He went silent.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Remi thought as she mentally beat herself to a pulp. Her self-chastising session was put on hold, though.

"I was...I don't know...eight? Maybe, when they died. They killed them right in front of me. My father...my mother...her only crime was loving my father." He stopped and closed his eyes.

Remi, deciding to be daring, said, "That's why you didn't want to love Lilith, because she was human. You didn't want her to share the same fate as your mother."

He nodded, and then smiled slightly. "Lilith was a stubborn one. She wouldn't give up for anything. Like..." He looked at her and finished, "you."

Remi smiled too and they sat there for a little while without talking. Then Remi, again being daring, leaned on Desh, not sure if it was ok. To her surprise however, he didn't stop her. In fact, he twisted so that she was resting against his chest. She could hear his heart beating, feel it under his skin. She found that her heart was beating at the same pace, so that both of their pulses beat in time with each other. Desh slipped an arm around her shoulders. Warmth seeped through her body, whether from his touch or body heat, she wasn't sure. His breaths were deep. She matched her breathing to his, so that, like their hearts, they were in time with each other.

He began to rub her back in slow, small circles. Remi sighed, content, and looked up at him. As they made eye contact, her heart skipped and beat faster. 'I hope he doesn't hear that, but if he does, he's not saying anything.' He leaned a little closer to her so that Remi could feel his warm breath on her face. Desh touched his lips to hers, lightly, sending a wave of excitement through her body.

He suddenly pulled back, much to her disappointment, and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He fell silent.

Her head was spinning. She shook herself a bit, trying to clear it. Remi turned to him, making sure she caught his eyes and held them with her own. "Don't be." She leaned forward and, shocked by her own audacity, kissed him. Remi knew she had taken him by surprise, but that didn't seem to last very long as he responded. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, as close as she could be, and deepened the kiss.

Desh's P.O.V...

He didn't want to let her go. Ever.

He could feel her pulse, taste it. It was going a mile a minute. He couldn't help a small chuckle. Remi pulled back some, frowning. "What's so funny?" she asked, looking a little hurt.

"Your heart is going crazy."

She laughed too as she replied, "Mine? What about yours?" She tapped him on the chest lightly. 'She's right...' he thought, finding that his was indeed beating quickly, maybe faster than Remi's. He laughed harder, still holder her close. She curled up against his chest, breathing hard. They stayed like that for a while.

Remi's P.O.V...

'Why do I feel like this? I can't. His love still belongs to Lilith,' Remi thought as she leaned on him. 'What am I doing? This just can't happen...' She started to cry.

Desh's P.O.V...

He could sense that something was wrong. He looked down at Remi and slipped a finger under her chin, lifting her head upwards. When he saw her tears, he panicked slightly. "What's wrong?" She didn't answer. "Did I do something wrong?" He was terrified she would say 'yes'.

Instead, her eyes widened and she said, "Oh, Darkness, no. You didn't do anything I didn't want you to do. It's just that...that..." She seemed to choke on her words. She didn't have to say it though. He had a feeling deep down that he knew what was wrong, now.

"You're worried about my feelings for Lilith." She nodded and he sighed. He hugged her tightly, smiling, and kissed her forehead gently. "I admit that I still care for her, but I love you too," he whispered, trying to reassure her. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, can change that." He lifted her head again, making her look at him. "Understand?" She nodded and he brought his hands up to her face, wiping her wet cheeks. He kept them there. Desh leaned forward again and kissed her, once. Remi smiled at him and he kissed her a second time, but this one wasn't nearly as quick.

Remi's P.O.V...

'I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing right now,' Remi thought dazedly as they kissed. Desh's hands had fallen from her face to her shoulders. She copied him. He moved his hands so that they rested on either side of her waist. He pulled away from her lips and kissed her cheek, beginning a trail of kisses that ended at her neck. She sighed in pleasure. She felt his fangs graze the skin over her pulse. She groaned, tilting her head to the side. 'Wait a minute...'

"AHH!" she yelped. He jerked back.

"What?"

"Your not going to bite me are you?" she asked tentativly. He didn't seem to get it.

"What do you...OH!" He started to laugh really hard. "Don't worry, I never bit Lilith."

She sniffed, "Oh, and that makes me—" He cut her off with another kiss.

"Makes you what?" he whispered in her ear.

"Never mind..." She turned towards him and melded her body to his. He looked down at her and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She reached up and drew him down to her lips, embracing him. Suddenly, her uncertainness from before disappeared and she curled one hand in his hair, the other around his neck. They found a rhythm. His touch left trails of fire all over her body. Remi moaned softly.

He paused, pulling away slightly. "Remi, are you sure you want to do this?"

She looked up at him. 'Sure?' she wondered. 'Am I? When did it get this far? When did our feelings change?' She gazed at the vampire a moment, making her decision. "I'm sure Desh. With you, I'm sure." Assure with her answer he lowered her onto the ground and they passed the night in each others arms.