Nora

When Lisa came, I was asleep in Patch's arms as we lay on the cement flooring -keeping me warm and feeling safe. But as soon as we felt the presence of the nephilim there, my eyes were wide open.

Patch pressed me against him, holding on tightly. He wasn't going to let me go or say goodbye. I knew as much and I knew that if I had to choose between dying or never seeing Patch again -death was preferable.

I loved him and I was never going to say goodbye.

"What do you want Lisa?" I demanded. My voice was frailer than usual. I could see the satisfaction rolling off of her in waves.

My finger gripped Patch's tightly and he held me there with the same unyielding intensity.

"I've become curious about the two of you. I want to test on a fallen angel and the depth of their emotions. I want to see what makes them tick and Nora...I want to see what you can withstand so that we can make your boyfriend cooperate."

There was something altogether, just plain frightening about what she was saying. She wanted to use me to torture Patch. She hated him beyond a depth that I could understand and she was completely insane.

Shaking his head, Patch stepped in front of me, still gripping my hand and shielding me from my enemies. "You touch her, you die. Do you understand me? I will kill you. I will destroy you. I will kill you and you will rot in-" He was threatening her. I knew that he could and probably would follow through with all of these threats. He was dead serious.

But Lisa only laughed. "You're not going to kill me. We'll be back for her in the morning but we can't be sure that you will be-"

"You-" Patch began.

I could hardly comprehend what had just happened.

I saw thee nephilim in the corner of my eye with the iron rod in his hands and when I came to realize what was happening -I was too late.

Patch let out a gasping sound as the rod was plunged into his wing scars.

I screamed in horror as he fell against me and I caught him before he fell.

"Patch! Patch!" I cried out his name but he had gone completely still and his skin was feverishly hot.

"He won't wake up for a couple of hours," Lisa said grimly. "I hope you don't mind."

As soon as Lisa left, I began the laborious task of pulling the iron rod from his wing scars. I prayed that he couldn't feel the pain. I wasn't sure, now that he could feel me. My hands were clammy as I pulled the rod from the bade of his skin.

When the rod was finally out, his shirt was ripped beyond repair and he was lying there shirtless.

The next couple hours were spent brushing butterfly kisses over up the side of his face and tangling my fingers in his curls.

Patch stirred and I whispered softly, "Patch?"

Angel?

He reached for my hand and gripped it and I let out an appreciative sob. He was going to be okay.

Patch's head was cradled in my arms and I was holding him, leaning up against me.

Angel? He whispered the word to my mind again.

I love you Patch. I love you so much.

His fingers tightened on mine. "Nora-" he began, forcing himself awake and I pressed my fingers to his mouth. "Shh...It's okay." And then his hands were on me. Checking my head and my arms and everywhere -making sure that I was okay. "Did they hurt you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Patch-"

"I'll kill her," he said softly, his voice was predatory and more than a little bit frightening. "I'll kill them."

I was about to tell him not to worry but then I noticed we weren't alone.

Lisa Martin was coming toward us.

"The girl," Lisa ordered.

Patch rose. "You're not touching her." There was something of a threat behind the words.

"That's where you're wrong, angel," she said with a growl in her voice and a vengeance in her eyes.

He shouted my name over and over again, as I shouted his.

They were mangled and strewn by the time they managed to pull me away from him.

We fought...

and we lost.

I heard the sound of a door knob turning and too soon had hope that it was Patch, who had come to rescue me.

It was not.

"Lisa," I said the one word coldly, as if she were the dirt on my cashmere sweater. Hated her for keeping me away from Patch and I hated her for drowning me in that tank. But she held only amusement in her eyes when she saw me.

"We're moving you, Nora. You're causing problems with that boy of yours right now." I hate her. I hate her. I hate her... "Oh, don't look so glum, you do have forever, you know. I might be kinder in a year from now and let the two of you chat on the phone. Who knows."

"No," I said. "You can't do this!" In truth the words were only a whisper. I was too broken to care about sounding weak.

Lisa flicked her eyes at me. "I can do whatever I want."