A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews you guys! It's really encouraging. Please continue to feel free to give any constructive criticism and such. Enjoy!

Chapter II: Incubo

Chas took the steps up to his floor two at a time, cursing Chen under his breath. His boss always managed to get in a snit at the worst possible times. Now he was going to be late –again- and he'd sworn up and down to Mahina that he'd e on time.

"Freakin' moron. He'll probably make my check be mysteriously late, too." Chase mumbled as he jiggled his key in the lock.

He pushed the door open and nearly fell over the cat, who mewed at him and actually sounded bored.

"Don't have time, Kid." Chas apologized.

He ran into the bedroom, throwing his shirt somewhere to the left as he did so. He hoped Mahina wouldn't mind him being late again, but had to shower and get rid of that mid-day heat and pancake smell. Chas shook his head to himself as Kid mewed petulantly behind him.

The cat had been Mahina's idea. He'd brushed it off because he rally didn't want to spend the money and he didn't want to take care of one. Chase told her he didn't need companionship, responsibility, or a cat to protect him. He'd actually thought she'd been stretching a little far for suggesting a cat…for protection. Whoever heard of a watch cat?

Chas had dismissed it completely from his mind. However, as things were tending to go in his life, it wasn't over that simply. Two weeks after Mahina had made her suggestion, he was walking home from work in the pouring rain when he came across a very soggy cardboard box. He was just going to walk by it when the box meowed at him. Chas had gone back to the box and in it found a small calico with brilliant green eyes. He'd felt bad for it, and wasn't about to admit he felt a connection with it. But what else could he do? He knew he couldn't leave it there. So, rather begrudgingly, he took it home, bathed it, fed it, and named her Kid.

Mahina had laughed when he told her, and said something about getting closer. He had no idea what she had meant, and he seriously doubted Kid could protect him from anything. But sometimes…sometimes he thought that cat was up to something.

Chas showered, changed, grabbed his necklace and ran out the door. Thirty seconds later he was back to pour Kid a bowl of food and grab his wallet. He said goodbye to Kid and locked the door behind him.

The library was only a ten minute walk from his place, so Chas set out at an easy pace. He couldn't drive, and couldn't afford a car, so he figured he'd just learn later. Chas liked walking through the city, especially near dusk. Sometimes he thought he could sense things like whispers of who he used to be. He knew it was ridiculous, and no one was looking for him or coming for him.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Mahina saw him from at least thirty feet away, trying not to draw attention to himself. She had to give credit where credit was due, people didn't seem to notice him despite his outfit which was conspicuous in its own right. Who in their right mind would wear black pants and a black trench coat in Los Angeles in the middle of August? But none of the other people who were wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals seemed to notice.

Maybe he just has one of those faces. All though, it's a very nice face, she thought. However, she knew perfectly well it was probably his aura that kept most people away from him.

She smoothed her pink skirt and ran a hand through her hair to push her bangs back. As she came closer to him, he pulled a cigarette out of his coat pocket and lit it.

John Constantine glanced up at the girl he'd been trailing for the last couple of weeks and was mildly surprised to find her looking right at him. He inhaled deeply off his cigarette and let it out slowly. She was the only link he had to getting Chas back. He'd seen Chas, heard people address him as Chas, but whenever he tried to follow the teen away from the place he worked he lost him.

The only time John had gotten near him was the first time he'd seen him. It was late at night and John had been drunk. He hadn't been sure how far away from home he was, so he kept struggling forward, hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. He had looked up and to this day swore his heart had stopped when he saw the kid walking in the opposite direction. John had stood there and watched him go by until he disappeared around the corner.

Two days later he had decided anything was possible and spent every spare second looking. All his looking had finally paid off, and if he couldn't find where Chas lived, this girl could.

All of a sudden she was standing practically under his nose, just inches away from his face. Her perfume radiated off her neck and shoulders in the late afternoon heat, and he found himself staring into slate-grey eyes that seemed infinitely deep.

Like cats, half in and half out all ready.

His eyes widened in realization and her pink tainted lips quirked in amusement. She reached up and plucked the cigarette from his lips.

"You shouldn't be doing this. It's bad for your health." She said softly. She took a drag and exhaled.

"Some things you just can't leave behind." He replied.

Mahina shrugged. The smoke mingled between them, heavy with humidity.

"Today's not a good day, Constantine. You still don't have all the pieces." She said.

She dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it underneath her heel. She could see the library steps across and down the street over his shoulder. Chas would be there soon, and she couldn't risk Constantine being around. Mahina pushed passed him and started walking away.

John reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Tell me why he can't see me." He growled.

"I can't." Mahina said, pulling away from him. "I can't tell you anything. If I do, the rules are broken and you'll loose, Constantine."

"Loose what?" he demanded, struggling to keep his hold on her.

"Damn you, let go of me." She hissed. People were starting to look.

"Loose what?" he repeated, fingers digging into her skin.

Finally, she wrenched away from him. "Everything, Constantine. You'll loose everything."

They both jerked in surprise as the street light above them flickered. She backed away from him; he let her go.

"I'm not giving up." John said.

"You shouldn't." She told him, before turning around and quickly heading for the library.

John watched her and looked beyond her. His gaze softened as he caught sight of Chas staring back at him from a distance. As he stood there, he knew Chas still didn't see him, not really. The distance between them was mere yards; the space between them was endless.

And there were others who planned to keep it that way.