Saving Me, Saving You: Four
Rosemary drove like an old lady.
She stopped way too early, cautiously pressed the pedal to go, and practically made full-stops when turning one way or the other.
Finally, they made it to her apartment complex. The report was right; the area was sketchy, to say the least. There were women huddled near the front of the complex, scantily dressed – Levi couldn't think of too many reasons other than the obvious as to why. A man huddled near a dumpster, and as Rose exited the car, another man approached him and – as quickly as possible – slipped his hands onto the other's. Levi didn't miss the baggie that now rested in new man's hand. He hovered over Rosemary's car while she pulled her backpack from the passenger's side and then hurriedly locked the door and went through the throng of women and into the building.
He knew that she lived on the second floor, left side. He waited for the light to turn on before he felt he could fly off, Rosemary safe for the night.
Just as he'd gotten out of her neighborhood, a call came from his phone. Erwin.
"How was the first day?"
"Uneventful," Levi lied. Like he could divulge he'd admit to his charge that he was her guardian angel, that angels existed at all – and that creatures of the underworld also prowled over the planet.
"Did you take care of her friends?"
He landed just outside his assigned apartment and it took every ounce of strength and control not to bust the door down out of frustration. "Not yet. Working on it."
"Do you even know how she got involved with a witch and a demon?" Erwin asked, sounding truly curious by the prospect.
"And a fallen angel," Levi added, unlocking his front door and entering his scarcely furnished home.
The living room had a red couch and loveseat closest to the door, and on the opposite wall was the entertainment center with a simple television, a Blu-ray player, and some old movies and television series he had no intention of watching.
Just beyond that was a short hallway, the very end holding his bedroom with a single queen-sized bed, dresser, a desk with a chair, and a small closet. Just beside the bedroom was the bathroom, with only a stand-up shower, no bathtub. On the other side of him was the small kitchen – practically a kitchenette – with just a sink, a small counter top, a stovetop with two burners, and a skinny refrigerator.
He didn't need a lot, though. He barely stayed at the places he was assigned at, and when he did end up here it wasn't to sleep or eat or anything. It was simply to wait. Wait for morning. Wait for orders. Wait for the next big thing to happen.
Erwin seemed interested in that last detail. "Is that so? What's her name? I could maybe find out a little bit about her and pass along the information."
"What's the point?" Levi countered, plopping down on his loveseat and leaning forward. "Aren't I killing her?"
There was a pause. Then, "No. Let's not do that."
Now it was Levi's turn to be a little intrigued – but moreso confused. "What? Why?"
"Somehow, you have a charge that has friends of the underworld. But she doesn't know about them. They seem to be gravitating toward her somehow. So, once again, what's the fallen's name?"
"Lillian Simpson," Levi answered, his voice having softened a little bit. But mostly because he was lost in thought. What was Erwin planning with Rosemary? Being around these creatures was clearly going to cause her harm, in the end; why keep them alive or do research on them or anything?
"Right," Erwin breathed, "I'll look her up and get back to you." Without a good-bye, the commander hung up, leaving Levi more lost than ever.
The next few days, Rosemary didn't even bring up the guardian angel, underworld creatures, godly creatures thing at all. In fact, she acted like she'd forgotten about them altogether.
The first lunch after their initial discussion, they'd gotten together and waited – and waited, and waited for Rosemary to ask questions. Instead, she was working on Calculus she'd had to be tutored on earlier in the day. They didn't even have Calculus that day; what was she working on it so avidly for?
It was Friday afternoon – almost evening – when it seemed that Bunni – of all people – seemed fed up with Rosemary's silence.
Rosemary had just emerged from the Liberal Arts building, wearing her waitress uniform as she had work that night.
"What's your deal, Rosie?" Bunni asked.
They – Levi, his squad, Jake, Bunni, and Lily – all had gathered around Rosemary's car, watching the human carefully.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, moving around everyone to open her driver's side door and throw her backpack within.
"Most humans would be freaking out, asking a plethora of questions about – about everything," Bunni went on, arms crossed. "But you haven't said a word. Why not?"
"Because… you said you'd be the one to tell me," Rosemary reminded them, hand hovering atop her door. "When you all didn't say anything, I just thought… all bets were off, then." She shrugged. "I – I do have a lot of questions. Questions I can't ask now because I have to leave, but… I was just waiting on you guys."
"Are you dumb?" Bunni asked, sounding a little angry. "You sit next to angels and demons – you ask questions, stupid."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm agreeing with the witch," Levi said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Not knowing is probably an easier way to get yourself killed."
"Killed? By who?" Rosemary shook her head, getting into her car. "Look – I want to play Twenty Questions, I really do. But now that it's brought up – I don't have time."
"Then we'll make time," Jake suggested. "Let's go to The Pier tomorrow. Then we can talk openly but privately – and as a group." He looked to Lily then. "Want to come?"
The taller blond shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do."
Jake faced the angels now, seeming a little nervous now – at least, he did to Levi. As he should. His executioners were standing before him, after all. "And you guys?"
"Have a picnic at the beach with some underworlders?" Oluo said sarcastically. "Sure, why not?"
"Figured Rosie would like to hear about angels from the horse's mouth," Jake muttered. "Emphasis on horse."
"What was that –"
"Enough," Levi commanded, lifting a hand to Oluo to calm him down. "We'll go to this Pier. But we don't know where that is."
"Oh – we never exchanged contact information, did we?" Rosemary pulled out her phone, then bit her lower lip apprehensively. "You have to follow me, right? Just – get my number at the restaurant. I have to go." She shut the car door and turned on her ancient little Beetle, waving everyone away from her so she could back out and drive away.
As she was leaving the parking lot, Levi released his wings, not looking to the others or uttering a farewell as he leapt into the sky and followed after her car. At the rate she was going, she would be late for work, but that was none of his business.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Levi found an alley beside it and sheathed his wings again, then made his way toward Rosemary, waiting for her to exit her car and head toward the front door Shady's.
Quite the name.
"Give me your phone," she said, holding out her hand expectedly.
"I can't." But he pulled it out anyway, not to hand to her but to enter in the digits to her phone. "Confidential angel information and all that."
"Oh, how annoying," she groaned with an eye roll. After saying her number, she proceeded to say, "Now text me so I have your number, too. Or is that also confidential?"
"Don't get smart," he retorted, sending her a quick 'Hi' before placing his phone firmly back in his front pants pocket.
"Cool – now I can text you anytime," she said with a small smile, pressing buttons to undoubtedly save his name under his number. There was something about that smile that seemed different from others' he'd seen, but he tried not to focus on that.
He wanted to tell her not to do that. He wanted to tell her that he preferred the solace of being left alone. He wanted to tell her that he truly preferred if she didn't.
But then again… a couple of text messages from his charge every now and again wouldn't be horrible, now would it? Besides, in that neighborhood of hers, if she were to contact him every now and again – especially at night – he wouldn't have to physically go check on her all the time.
"Fine. Just don't go crazy." He turned on his heel back toward the alley. "Now get to work before you get fired or whatever." Once in the alley, he allowed his wings out and pushed himself against the ground, then up in the air he went.
Levi gave Rosemary one last glance, to check on her, to just see her again, he couldn't admit to himself which, but she was staring at him, blue eyes in awe.