A/N- for those who are wondering, the demon WILL be killed off…eventually. I'm still deciding on HOW. But for now, I'll just have fun with him. You have to admit, even though he's a b-otch, he IS a funny chara.

Warning: this chapter contains fluff. Lots and lots of fluff. If you're a fluff-hater, do not read this chapter.

"Here we are, Gabriel. Home sweet home, for the next long six hours."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he looked around. The room was he size of the first one, without much room to move around, but at least he could stand comfortably. The walls looked as if they were made of polished black stone. He could see his reflection. "Is this all you can manage? A shiny room? You're losing your touch."

"We'll see what you'll be saying six hours from now." The demon left, leaving Gabriel alone to wonder what he was planning.

"It can't be worse that what he's already done," he said to himself as he looked at his face in the smooth rock.

The demon's voice rang in the small room. "Please, Gabriel, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable."

"You are a twisted individual." He sat down on the floor and leaned his head against the wall. "You're not going to do anything to Elizabeth while I'm In here, are you?" he asked as the thought struck him. What if the only reason he was in this room was to leave her alone and un protected?

"Perhaps I might, now that you've mentioned it. Very good idea, Gabriel. But I would hat to leave you all alone. What am I saying? You'll always be alone! Elizabeth won't stay with you forever, you know. She has a father and a lover at home."

"Liar. That pathetic fop of a man cares for nobody but himself."

"Maybe he does…but he does treasure his possessions. Has it ever occurred to you that he might come back for Elizabeth?"

Gabriel didn't answer. The demon was just trying to get to him. He wouldn't let that happen. Elizabeth would stay with him.

"Very well, Gabriel. I will leave now. I have other matters to attend to. Have a nice time!" The demon laughed and then the room was silent.

Gabriel sighed and looked at the ceiling. Not long ago they were in the library, reading…how could he have gotten her into this mess? He shook his head. That demon would pay.

Elizabeth…he hoped she hadn't broken her ankle. She landed on it painfully, and he'd noticed she couldn't stand on it. If she met up with something, she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

Yes, that's right. And it will be all your fault.

He sat up straight. The voice seemed t come from inside his head. "Who are you?"

It's all your fault that she is left alone and crippled to defend herself.

"Whoever you are, shut up."

She'll hate you for this, you know. After this, she'll go back home, to her NORMAL family.

"Just shut up. I have better things to do than listen to some specter whisper in my head."

All alone-

"Shut up!"

-you'll never break the curse. Elizabeth doesn't love you, you know. Nobody does. Who could? You'd be better off with killing yourself. Or killing her. Yes, kill her, the little blonde trollop. She's just playing with your feelings. Kill her!

"Whoever you are, I'm not listening to you. If you're one of the demon's servants, you're making a very sad attempt at torture." Gabriel focused on his hand, trying to take his mind off of the voice. It was just another spell. Mental torture… I would never thought the demon would stoop so low. It doesn't matter. I won't let my mind be broken by some inferior spirit.

The spirit appeared in front of him.

"Elizabeth?" It looked exactly like her…the same dress, same hair, same eyes…it knelt down in front of him, staring with Elizabeth's blue eyes. Gabriel's face hardened. It showed no sign of an injured ankle.

"What, Gabriel? Aren't you happy to see me?" It put a hurt expression in it's face. His resolve wavered slightly.

"You aren't Elizabeth."

"Gabriel, how could you say that!" Tears formed in its eyes. "I thought you could tell the difference between me and an imposter!"

"If you are Elizabeth, then what do I call you?"

It reached out a pale hand and put in on Gabriel's cheek. "Lizzy, of course." He recoiled swiftly.

"You aren't her. Go away, pitiful servant of demons." If this is supposed to be torture, the demon is dumber than I thought. I'm certainly not feeling tortured. A little disturbed, yes.

Then you can rot!" it shrieked, Elizabeth's beautiful face melting into something black and decaying, rotting fangs replacing teeth. It said a word in a language Gabriel didn't recognize and melted away.

Gabriel covered his ears with his hands. The voice was back, but there were other voices at well, each whispering at the same time in his head. Each word felt like a shard of glass in his brain.

All alone, Gabriel-

Never going to leave this place alive-

Elizabeth doesn't love you-

You'll die, and then-

-Elizabeth will belong to us-

All ours!

Live in this cursed body-

-and then die in it-!

- All alone!

God, they're trying to drive me insane! He closed his eyes tight and forced himself to try and ignore the voices. Get out of my head!

Elizabeth woke up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. How long have I been asleep? She wondered. Is Gabriel back yet? Her eyes scanned the bloody room but found no sign of life, except for herself. She was sitting against the wall, right leg out in front of her. Her ankle hurt, but she didn't think it was broken, only sprained. She would have been in much worse shape, had Gabriel not saved her…

And good work on that! Because you were being so careless, you landed him in God-knows-where!

She sighed angrily and clenched her hands. He'd better come back alive. If that demon kills him…her train of thought trailed off, because she couldn't think of what she'd do if the demon killed him. Probably go insane.

She looked up sharply as the door to the room opened, ready to snap at the person coming it, should it be the demon. To her relief, Gabriel quietly closed the door behind him.

"Gabriel! Are you alright?" She would have gotten up, but her ankle wouldn't support her weight.

"A little tired, but otherwise fine." He sat next to her, red-and-black eyes scanning her face. "And you? You look tired."

"I fell asleep…I just woke up. You were gone for so long. What did he do to you?"

"It's not important." He paused, and averted his gaze. "Really."

She sensed he'd rather not talk about it. "As long as you're okay." She fingered his shirt, trying to lighten his mood. "So much for nice clothing, huh?" The whip used against him had reduced it to shreds.

He smiled and lifted his gaze from the floor, where they had been very occupied in staring at a small pebble. "I guess so." She returned his smile and leaned against his shoulder. "Elizabeth, what do I call you?" he suddenly asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"Huh? Do you mean 'angel'?"

She felt him relax. "Yes." He exhaled gratefully. "You should go back to sleep. You'll need your rest for tomorrow."

"I don't think I can. You know, with everything that's happened today…it'll probably take me hours."

"Poor angel. I didn't mean for this to happen." He waited a beat. "Would it help if I sang to you? That song I taught you to play?"

"Yes, please." She giggled. "I feel like such a baby!"

"Don't." He scanned his mind, trying to remember the lyrics from dozens of others. After a brief pause, he sang as best he could, with his somewhat animal-like voice.

The sun and the birds have long since slept

The moon and stars are in the sky

Sleep peacefully, dear angel

Close your eyes and try

The owls and crickets are singing night's song

The light of day has gone

And whether tomorrow brings peace or pain

Promise me some rest you'll gain

I hope that you'll never know death and strife

Nor hunger, nor loneliness or fear

I wish that you could know joy forever

But that's not life, my dear

So close your mind, close your eyes,

Drift off to the world of dreams

Surrender to the shadows of night

And I'll be here when dawn takes flight

Gabriel wasn't exactly sure all the lyrics were right, but the song worked. Elizabeth's breathing had slowed, and her eyes were closed.

The song, he remembered, was once sang to him by a nurse he'd had as a child. How he could still remember it was a mystery to him. The nurse had died suddenly of a heart attack, when he was around six years old. Or so his parents told him. The image of her body lying broken and bloody in the dungeons told him otherwise. His eldest sister, Michelle, had caught him and whipped him until his back bled. He still had the scars, though they wereno longer visible since his transformation.

The first time I realized the truth about my family: that they were all heartless murderers.

After that, he became more and more aware of the disappearances of the servants. A few cooks here, a gardener there, a few nurses…all he later found in the torture chamber of the dungeon. And despite what his parents told him, they did not dies of heart attacks. They may have had them, but illness was not the cause. Well used and stained instruments were scattered over a wooden table- thumbscrews, knives, iron spikes, handsaws, iron slippers that could be filled with hot oil, metal brands… his parents and sisters were great lovers of torture. He recalled being woken so many times in the middle of the night by horrible, pained screams coming form below the castle.

Being around so much pain and death caused him to grow up faster than he should. He was more careful, better mannered, and cautious around his family. Soon, his only companions were his art, then his music. His old room was crammed with oil paintings, sketches, water colors, and sheets of music. In a way, his own seclusion from everybody else saved him from becoming like the other Noirmorts. He grew up to be gentle and soft-spoken.

Until the demon cursed him, that is.

Shortly after, all the servants fled the castle, bringing to the village rumors of a horrible monster that had appeared in the castle. Luckily, this drove everyone to avoid the castle, not hunt the "monster" down. And, within time, the Noirmorts were all forgotten.

Gabriel, living as a hermit, turned bitter and short-tempered, living only for his music. He abandoned painting entirely; after his curse, his drawings reflected his spirit: dark, gloomy, devoid of any happiness or hope. There were still oil paintings of dark , decaying gardens, black roses, blood red moons. After a year, when he was becoming accustomed to his new body and life, gathered up all the pain the could find and designed the rose and thorns that could guide one through the castle. He wasn't sure why, because he was pretty sure no-one would ever come, but at least it gave him something to do. That took him roughly six years or so. His habit of working for days straight, eating little, and the animal urge to just run for hours at a time removed any excess fat he might have had. His body turned hard…and so did his heart. He didn't even realize how much he'd changed, not only physically but mentally, until Elizabeth came. And before then, he fully considered himself o be what the demon had called him: a monster.

And then the person whom he first taken to be as an angel came. Not willingly and out of fear, but she still came.

And now 'she has found her way into my heart'.

He looked down at Elizabeth, coming back to the present. Don't worry, ange. I promise I'll get us out of this mess.

What ever it takes.