Title: Never More
Author: Night Of The Land
Disclaimers: I own none of the characters you recognize, the ones you don't either belong to me or a friend. Alex is mine. All others belong to the fabulous Sherrilyn Kenyon. I will attempt to describe her Hunters but I honestly can not do them justice. If you wish to learn more about the Dark-Hunter go to Mrs. Kenyon's web site. Read the profiles.
Rating: T
Summary: For nearly 11 thousand years Alexandra has lived in the shadows, much like her mysteriously missing bond mate, Acheron. On a very strange night in New Orleans the two are reunited, but Alex does not realize that the mysterious man who saves her life is her bond mate. She and Acheron must reunite before Stryker rips the world asunder.
A/N: Okay folks, here's ch. 6. But it's hard for me to live up to all my other chapters, especially when some one tells me that I am their new Sherrilyn Kenyon. I'm not saying that I'm not flattered but I really puts me in a weird position. I never like what I write but to hear someone say that to me, really makes me wonder "Wow, am I really that good?". I love Sherri's work, she is like my idol, and to compare me to her, even put me on the same page as her is a concept that is hard for me to grasp. But I think I finally wrapped my mind around it, so here's the new chapter… (Sorry for the long intro and thanks to all those who review, keep it up!!)
Chapter 6: Another Strange Meeting
The noise level in the bar was abnormally low. Alex was sitting behind the bar, doodling on a napkin, while absently mindedly listening to Aimee who was sitting, leaning against the bar watching some of the regulars mill about.
"Alex?... Alex? You in there?" Aimee tapped her on the top of her head causing her to look up at her.
"Huh? Wa'did I miss?" Alex asked blinking as she frowned at her friend.
"I've been calling your name for the past 3 minutes. You okay?" she asked her blue eyes troubled.
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." She told her looking down at her doodles. She had drawn the Atlantean symbol for godhood with out realizing it. She sighed and grabbed the napkin, balled it up and tossed it in the trash bin.
As she drummed her finger on the scared top of the bar, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama started to play. The majority of the people in the bar headed for the door as fast as their legs could carry them some even faster, and Aimee sighed.
"What's that all about?" Alex asked, frowning at Aimee.
Aimee sighed again, "It's a warning to our clients that the Dark-Hunter Acheron is on his way. It's not often that he comes here, but when he does it always causes a ruckus." She told her.
Alex felt her heart stop at the mention of Acheron's name. Damn him. Why was it that he always seemed to be there no matter where she went? She rested her head on the table as she tried to be inconspicuous.
She looked up as she felt a strong presence in the room, a presence she could identify even if she were blind deaf and dumb. It was Acheron, and he seemed to be looking for some one. She couldn't help but look up at him and smile. His hair, which had been black earlier, was now a bright orange. She snickered slightly at the sight of it. He really did look quite frightening with orange hair.
He looked at her directly when she let out a quiet laugh, a small almost nonexistent smile gracing his lips, and headed her way.
"Mind if I cut in?" he asked Aimee when he reached the bar. Aimee just shrugged, gave Alex a confused look, and went about her business.
"Can I help you with something?" Alex asked more harshly than she had intended to.
The angry tone in her voice did not faze Acheron, as he leaned against the bar a smirk quirking his lips up slightly. He loved her when she was angry. Her checks turned red and her eyes spat fire. She was still the same after all these years.
"I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was uncalled for my abrupt departure, and I am sorry for that, Alexandra." He told her hiding his sigh.
She felt her anger melt away at the sincere tone in his voice, and found herself smiling slightly. "Everyone calls me Alex now, Acheron." She told him, trying not to reach out and touch his face. After all this time was he really here.
He started to say something, but she placed a finger to his lips, "Just as many people call you Ash." She finished her smile turning into a full fledge grin. He smiled at her, his lips curving up under her finger. It wasn't a toothy smile, no fangs, but it made her heart soar all the same.
"What time do you get off?" Ash asked, pulling her hand from his face to play with her fingers gently massaging them.
"It depends." She whispered, too caught up in the sensation of his hand on hers to think properly.
"Depends on what, Alex?" Ash asked looking at her over the tops of his ever present sunglasses.
"On why you want to know." She replied, frowning slightly as she battled her hand away from his.
Ash sighed and shifted as if uncomfortable. Of course he would never admit to being uncomfortable to anyone, least of all her. "There's a new movie that opened today, and…" he trailed off.
Alex nodded as she finished his sentence, "You want to know if I want to go with you to see it."
He gave a small half smile at her, "Yeah, something like that." He muttered, scratching the back of his neck looking away from her.
She pulled another napkin out from a box under the bar, took the pen she had been writing with before, and scribbled something on it. She handed it to him with a smirk. "Call me, I'm off on Tuesdays and Thursday." She told him before she frowned, "I though you had a problem with one of your Dark-Hunters and had to evacuate him from the area." She gave him a confused look.
He sighed and passed a hand through his hair. "There's only so much I can do. The Squires managed to get him out of there and away. But the cops are still looking for him, so he'll have to get moved to a different state."
Alex gave a sympathetic nod. She knew the feeling, really she did. Having to move for one place to another because people would notice you never aged. It was frustrating but a necessary evil. She might look like she was 20 something, but she was as old and as wise as any Greek God. Not that she cared for the Greek Gods, but it was a good comparison she thought. But than again, she thought to herself angrily, you would not have had to go through all this had you not been so dumb as to bond with him.
Ash watched Alex as he heard the thoughts going through her head. He knew that the past years had been extremely hard on her, and he braced himself when he felt all the pent up anger boiling to the top as her face started to turn redder than what was usual.
"You know, Ash, I wanted for you." She said softly enough for him to lean forward slightly to be able to hear her, "I wanted for almost 3 years. You weren't there when I needed you the most. And when I did finally decide to remarry after thinking you very gone forever, you show up unannounced, a servant to that bitch of a goddess Artemis."
Ash bowed his head slightly to her, "I know, Alex, I know, but the course of events did nor play out as I had planed for them. And I had to see you. I knew we could never be together again, I wanted you happy." He told her.
"But I wasn't Ash!!" she snarled form between clenched teeth, "I was only ever happy with you. Do you think I enjoyed see all those around me die while I stayed the way I am? To go through eternity alone, knowing that somewhere out there is the man I loved, but also knowing we could never be together? I was Hell, Acheron, pure Hell."
"I know, Alex, but you had your life, did you not? A life that was worth living. You helped so many people in the time." Ash reminded her gently, before his cell phone started ringing, "Damn phone." He snarled as he dug for it in his ever present back pack.
Alex nodded grimly to herself, "Go to your Dark-Hunter business, Ash. We'll talk later." She told him, before she left him sitting there to try to prevent another crisis.
A/N: Sorry for the shortness, it's been slightly hectic here this week. Family coming and stuff so I'll update as soon as I can. Love you all.