Five years later

A man walked down the street. The full moon shone brightly overhead, lighting the road like a spotlight.

On the corner stood a girl. She was small in frame but big enough to know that she was a teenager. Her hair was curled delicately down to her waist. Her face was ivory shaded with dark, innocent eyes that peered out.

The man saw her and added a strut to his stride. She gave a small smile and walked up.

"Um…I can't find my Father. Have you seen him?" She asked, her Romanian hinted with an English accent. She took the man's hand. "Could you help me find him?"

The man grinned. "Yes, dearie. I'll help you."

The pair continued down the street hand in hand as she lead him down an alley way. The man suddenly felt slightly nervous at the idea of where she was leading him.

"Kid, is this where your father was the last time you saw him?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. He's very inconspicuous sir. "

"Yes very." The man was yanked away into the shadows. She could hear the very familiar suction sound of what could be mistaken for a boot being pulled out of mud. After five years, she was quite used to it and no longer felt remorse for people she helped kill.

"Happy birthday, father."

Angelus walked from the shadows, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Thanks for the birthday present." He commented, walking away. "Come on. Darla said she had something for me to see."

Judy followed at his heels, completely used to his demeanor. She had given up trying to please him nor did she try to run away. The two, Angelus and Darla, had broken her down completely and she knew it. It was only a matter of time before they either grew tired of her and changed her.

"Darla? Love?" Angelus called into the house. He looked down at the teen behind him. "Go to your room. We'll call for you later when we're hungry again."

Judy nodded and walked past him to go up the stairs. She looked to the living room to see on the floor was a girl about her age, tied up and gagged. She knew it was a matter of time before it was her turn too. Sadly, she also knew that she would live afterwards….in a way.

From her room, she could hear muffled screams and Darla laughing. She cracked open her book of Shakespeare's sonnets and read, ignoring it all. The sounds weren't unusual at all in their so called household.

She fell asleep an hour after the noises stop. One could only assume that they were out celebrating his birthday or going to eat more. They came and went when they felt like it once they knew that she wasn't going to run off anymore. She stopped trying after the third year with them.

She woke up the next sundown. She could hear yelling downstairs but didn't want to interrupt. She knew better than that. The last time she did, she broke her arm by being thrown into a wall. It healed perfectly well, of course, but one does come to realize that it is best at times to leave well enough alone.

The door was opened slowly, something was severely unusual.

"I'm coming downstairs." She called, standing up to leave.

The door opened all the way. Angelus stood in the doorway. His usually pristine suit was torn and dirty, his hair a mess and in his face. For the first time in years, Judy was afraid.

"Angelus, I'm not sure…"

He stepped into her room. "Judy….I'm so sorry."

"Angelus, if this is an act, you're scaring me. Is that what you want to hear?" She said this slowly, his hands braced in case she needed to run.

He sighed and ran his hands through hair. "You always say that to keep me calm. I'm afraid. You're scaring me, Angelus. …I always found it incredible that you saw me kill all your family and your pet horse, but you still were not afraid of me. But now that I'm like this," He gestured to his heart. "You're afraid."

She felt herself start shaking. Angelus's voice broke as he said, "I've done so many things to you and you're still just a child." Tears slipped down his face. "I am so sor- "

"Angelus, stop! This is cruel, even by your standards!" She snapped. "Is Darla behind this too? Is it a new ploy to make me more like you two?"

"Darla doesn't want me anymore. I've…changed." He swallowed audibly. "Would you believe that I could see everyone? All the people I've killed? Your sisters?"

Anger flaired.

"Do not talk about them like you knew them!" She growled. "Stop this game right now or I'll break a chair and stake you!"

He opened his arms wide and whispered. "Be my guest, child. I know you want to."

"There's the Angelus I know!" She launched herself at him, snatching a pencil off her nightstand. He didn't move, didn't even try to block her. She paused, looking at him for a minute. His grabbed her arms, the pencil clattering to the floor.

"See? You trust me? A filthy monster that I am! You trust the demon. How on earth can I change all the damage the two us have done to you?" His voice was remorseful but she knew he was lying. She knew that the Scourge of Europe didn't feel remorse.

"Don't even try!" She tried to jerk out his grip. His hands gripped her shoulders a lot more gently than what he normally did. She slipped from his grasp and stepped back.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise. Judy, you have to leave with me." He pleaded. "Grab your things and we'll get away from here. I promise I won't hurt you again."

She scoffed but withdrew a knapsack from under her bed. In her heart of hearts, she knew he was lying. She was used to it and had come to expect it from him. She knew better than to tell him no as well. She wasn't in the mood to witness yet another killing. His latest trick he was currently pulling was frightening her to no end as it was.

He took her hand and took the knapsack to carry it for her. The two ran down the stairs and out the door into the night, leaving the house abandoned behind them.

"Angelus, where's Darla?" Judy asked, her voice quiet with fear. He didn't answer, still in his brooding. "Angelus, where is she?"

He lead her through the night streets until they reached a large stone building.

"Child, sit here." He gestured to the stoop. She did as she was told only for him to retrieve a blanket from her bag and wrap it around her shoulders. He squatted down to her level and looked her in the eyes.

"There's people here who are going to look after you now. I'm going to leave you to them."

At first Judy sat there, stunned. She had often dreamed of this but never actually thought it would happen. Angelus was letting her go? She had only been with him and Darla for five years, she was going to be turned!

"Angelus, I want to stay with you!" She whispered, looking up at him as he stood.

"No you don't. You want things to stay the way they were. These people here will take good care of you; they'll give you real food, find you a family. You'll be fine, Judy. I can't take care of you anymore. I barely did it before."

He reached down and touched her hair. "Take care of yourself, Judy."

With that he disappeared into the night, leaving her sitting on the front stoop of an orphanage for the headmistress to find the next morning. Angelus never saw her again.

But Angel did.