*************
CHAPTER SEVENIt didn't take long for Jasmine to find the weapons, or to gather them and bring them all downstairs. She had found a couple of bags that were perfect for carrying weapons and brought most of them down in two trips. While she was getting all of the weapons out of the cabinet against the wall, she noticed a wooden box sitting at the bottom of it. She picked it up, took it over to the couch and opened it. Inside, and wrapped in cloth, was a dagger. It had a red and black handle with a picture of a jasmine flower on it and the blade, still sharp, had an inscription written on it in Gaelic. Jasmine picked it up and held it in her hand. She couldn't believe it. Angel had given it to her decades ago as a present. She thought that she had lost it long ago. Jasmine was staring at the dagger so intently that she hadn't even noticed that Angel was now standing behind her until he spoke.
"I remember when I gave you that dagger. You had just killed the master of another vampire clan. I was so proud of you." Angel said coming around the couch and sitting down.
"I remember when you gave it to me. Darla was pissed." Jasmine said looking up at him and laughing a bit.
Angel looked at the dagger and read aloud just as it was written, in Gaelic, then again in English, "Princess Jasmine, killer of Masters."
"I was never really a princess you know. Although you always called me one. Why?" Jasmine asked.
"Because you were to me."
"You know, I think about all that time we spent together in Ireland as humans. Our families would have never approved. Mine because they thought you were below me, and yours because they didn't want you to ruin my name, even if I did have a lot of money. But you were changing Angel, changing for me. Well, that is until my father had me marry that awful man. You know, I said 'No' while I was standing on that alter, and my father yelled that I did. The priest looked at my father, looked at me, and then said 'I know pronounce you man and wife.' The priest didn't even care that I didn't want to marry him." Jasmine said looking away from Angel.
"You know I would have done anything for you."
"I know you would have."
**FLASHBACK/HISTORY—IRELAND, 1700's**
Jasmine and Angel, known back then as Allison and Liam, were ridding their horses along a stretch of woods that surrounded Allison's home. It was very late at night and everyone was asleep. They were not supposed to be seeing each other, but they didn't care. Their families hated each other and did not want them to be anywhere near each other. But, of course, they didn't care. They had been sneaking out to see each other for over 5 months and no one even knew. Liam, who used to be a habitual drinker, had not been drunk in a long time. He still played the part every morning so that his father wouldn't suspect a thing. He figured it was the best way to keep his father out of his way. Allison had always been one to sneak out so, on rare occasions, she let herself get caught sneaking back into her home. Even though it got her into a lot of trouble, her father and mother had never found a way of keeping her locked in. She did this so that her parents, too, would not find out. They tried to keep things business as usual.
Allison slowed down her horse to a walk and Liam followed suit with his.
"Where are we going?" Liam asked Allison.
"To my favorite place in all of Ireland. It's my own, personal bit of Earth. My parents allowed me to have a small place to plant a garden anywhere I wanted on our land. So, I picked the corner furthest away from the house. I have looked through every window and you can not see this place in any single one of them because of the trees and the hills. It is like my own little bit of heaven. And I want to show it to you."
"You brought me all this way because you wanted to show me your garden?"
"No! Well, yes I guess. But it is an interesting garden."
"And why is that?" Angel said as they neared the greenhouse and dismounted.
"Because, there is only one type of flower growing in here." Allison said pushing open the doors and stepping in. "Only Jasmine grows here. This type of flower isn't native to this part of Ireland did you know? These are imported."
"They are beautiful." Liam said putting his arms around her and kissing her on her neck. "But not as beautiful as you."
Allison smiled and turned to face him. The door had shut behind them and it seemed as if it was just the two of them in the entire world. Allison stood on her tip-toes and kissed Liam passionately. Liam kissed her back and pulled her in tight to him. When the kiss was over, Liam led Allison over to where a small marble bench was placed and sat her down on it.
"Allison," Angel said, "I have a question to ask you."
"What is it?" Allison replied curiously.
Angel pulled out a ring from his pocket and held it up to her. "Will you be mine forever?"
Allison didn't know what to say at first. She was absolutely shocked. But she loved Liam more than anything in the world, and she threw her arms around him and practically screamed her acceptance. That night, they made love in Allison's greenhouse until the sun rose and they both had to return home. Liam gave Allison a chain on which to hold the ring until the time came that they were going to leave their little town and get married and never look back. They would only take a few possessions and ask Katelyn, Allison's sister, to join them.
Things of course did not turn out that way. Allison was caught sneaking back into the house, this time by complete accident, and was informed that she would be marrying the man that her father had chosen for her, that night. Allison hadn't had a chance to get word to Liam about the event, nor did she have time to run away because she was always in the company of either her mother or her father. The wedding had gone on just as her parents had planned. The day after the wedding, Liam had gone to the pub, gotten completely drunk and ran into Darla. Liam became Angelus that night. Nine months later, Allison had given birth to a healthy son. No one noticed that he looked nothing like her husband, and everything like her lover, Liam. Nor did any one notice that she had named her son Jason, Liam's middle name. 3 ½ years later, Angelus went back to his old town, with Penn in tow, and had run into Allison one late night. She of course thought it was a miracle that he was there and told him all about his son; and that her husband had killed him because he had found out that the boy was not his. So, Angelus had turned Allison that night because she was practically begging him to take her with him, and she became Jasmine. The rest, was history.
**END OF FLASHBACK/HISTORY**
Jasmine and Angel sat in complete silence for a few moments. Then Angel stood up and grabbed Jasmine's hand and pulled her up as well.
"Where are we going? Shouldn't we be looking for Penn and calling to check in on Kate?" Jasmine asked as he led her to a set of glass doors.
"We will get back to that in a second. First I want to show you something." Angel opened the doors, and this time it was Jasmine's turn to let her jaw drop. On the other side of the doors was a garden full of all kinds of flowers, but mostly jasmine.
"They're imported." Angel said to Jasmine.
Jasmine just started laughing. It was the only thing she could do. Then she turned around and kissed him. Angel kissed her back and they continued for a few moments. When the kissing finally ended, they both decided they would talk more later on and that it was time to get back to work. Angel had had no luck getting into W&H's mainframe so Jasmine decided that she would give it a try. An hour later Kate came back with a triumphant smile on her face and told them both that she had got the local PD off of the case. Jasmine turned from her spot at the computer and informed them that they must be having a lucky day because she had found a way to reach Penn. All were very happy that their plan was going well so far. Angel and Jasmine stared at each other for a moment, and then all went into the lobby to continue on with their plan.
* ************
PLEASE REVIEW! I live for reviews!!!!
