Disclaimer: Sob, sniff, waaa! I do not own any Night World characters or anything by L. J. Smith. I only own all the characters that are not in her series, including Alex Blackthorn, Lea Stotler, Maria Shiw, John, Rebecca, Rowana, and others.
Oh, and this story's dedicated to… drum roll please! (Drum rolls) This story's dedicated to… Kalika Scott for being my first reviewer! (Sorry, I lied about the guess, but I WILL dedicate a chapter to whoever guesses closest to what an Angel Source is!)
Chapter 3: Smiles and Promises
Alex stared at the girl for a while, observing every part of her, memorizing her features.
His soulmate. "Angel Source…" He muttered, then laughed bitterly, remembering his promise.
---Flashback---
"Alex… before I go, you must promise me one thing… pro… mise…" Lilliana Blackthorn lay on her bed, a stake producing from her heart. She held some papers in her hands.
"I… promise… mother…" Alex slowly replied.
"Pro… mise… kill… Angel… Source… kill…" His mother struggled to continue, "Kill… for the sake… of … " She closed her eyes, blood flowing freely from her wound.
"I… promise." He simply said, taking the papers out of his hands and reading them.
"Lea Stotler, seventeen, wealthy, Angel Source, I've gotta kill her." He muttered.
---End of Flashback---
"I've gotta kill her. Guess I'll play with her first, then kill her…" He muttered, picking her up again bridal style.
Bad choice. He felt a shock and his head was up in pink clouds. He saw memories that was not her own. He was in his soulmate's thoughts… her head… her mind.
"Mommy… please don't go! Mommy…" Five-year-old Lea sobbed into the arms of a frail woman, who was her mother.
"Honey… I have to go… but I promise that I'll watch over you from above… my daughter… my only daughter… my love… my dearest… Marisa's a good girl… she'll help you… Daddy's going to take care of you… I… love you… Lea… my treasure… my jewel… one day… when you get older… you'll find the perfect… man… for… you… and I'll… be… h-happy… f-f-for… y-you…" Her mother said weakly, smiling and stroking her daughter's angelic frame.
"No, don't talk, Mommy! It'll hurt more!" Lea cried.
"Yes, Mrs. Stotler, don't talk! It'll hurt!" Marisa cried.
"Good-bye… Marisa… you be a good girl… watch Lea…" Mrs. Stotler closed her eyes.
Lea screamed and fainted. Marisa's eyes narrowed in concern and tended to Lea.
He felt shocked. No wonder… what about her father… the clouds under him swirled again and he saw another memory…
"Daddy, not you too!" Ten-year old Lea sobbed, as Marisa hugged her.
"Sorry, darling…" Mr. Stotler whispered.
He reached under his pillow and pulled out a small box.
"This is my and your mother's will. You can live alone when you are sixteen, but until then, you stay with Marisa's family. They will watch you. They're good people, sweetheart. Love ya… your mother and I will watch over you from above…" Her father closed her eyes.
"Daddy! Mommy…" Lea sobbed. Marisa also cried, but kept strong for Lea.
"So… she's alone, huh?" He asked himself. The clouds swirled again…
"Why do you always smile, Lea? I mean, aren't you sad? Shouldn't you be sad?" Marisa asked the twelve-year-old Lea as they sat on swings at the park.
"Well, I smile for my parents, who promised to watch me from above. After all, if I'm not happy, they won't be happy.
And besides, my dad used to tell me to keep smiling when he wasn't able to any longer.
And if I'm happy, everyone else around me is happy!
There's lots of reasons to keep on smiling and being happy. I smile because I don't want my past to haunt me.
I smile because you're my best friend, and you're always there for me.
I smile because one day, we'll both find our 'prince charming' and live happily ever after!
You see, there's lots of reasons to smile and be happy! I smile for everyone and everything!" Lea smiled.
"I see…" Marisa said slowly, and her face broke into a silly grin, which made Lea laugh and giggle.
"There's lots of reasons to smile and be happy…" Alex muttered. He quickly got out of Lea's head and carried her upstairs and put her on a bed in a guest room.
---Lea---
She stirred and blinked sleepy eyes.
Feeling a sudden pain, she clutched her head, mumbling "Headache…"
Alex appeared with a glass of water and some aspirin. "Here…" He said slowly.
Grateful, she smiled and accepted the glass and pills.
"Why do you always smile?" He suddenly asked.
"…I smile… for my dead parents, who are watching me from above, for my best friend Marisa, who has always been there for me. I smile because I don't want my past to haunt me… I smile for everyone and everybody. I smile because one day, I know I'll find the perfect one for me. I smile and be happy because then everyone else will be happy!" Lea replied.
"I see…" Alex then left.
"Here…" He returned shortly with a handful of clothes, handed them to her, and left.
Lea laid out the clothes on the bed.
It was a red long sleeve with a white, green, and pink striped t-shirt with a pair of jeans and a black belt. (I wore that style a few times, and it doesn't look that bad. It actually looks pretty good.)
---Alex---
"Her answer was the same…" He pondered, lost in thought.
"Um… how does it look?" A soft voice behind him asked.
He stiffened up. It was Lea. How? He hadn't even heard her footsteps! Was it because she was the Angel Source?
"Wonderful." He said, without even turning around.
---Lea---
She just stood there, looking around her, observing the mansion.
The mansion was bigger than her, far more luxurious and breathtaking. She could get lost if she explored.
"Why don't you go with Lisa and go shopping?" Alex suggested, without turning around.
"Miss Lea, I'm Lisa. May I be of your service?" A young woman appeared at her side.
"Um… could you show me where the… uh… uh… oh yeah, could you show me where the courts are?" She asked.
"The courts?" Lisa questioned, confusion evident on her face.
"She means the recreation area." Alex said, again, without turning around.
"Of course, right this way, miss," Lisa turned right.
Author's Corner: Thanx, again, for reviewing, Kalika Scott!
