Angel's Return

The night felt cool a mist covering the small mountain town. Morgan walked along casually hands in his pockets. Despite the fog and the darkness he still felt safe. Few people or things would think to disturb or harm him. He did notice a few figures ahead of him in the fog. As he got closer he saw a few rough looking young men standing there. One of them pushed off from the nearby fence he was leaning on.

"Out for a stroll buddy?" he said.

"Just heading back home," Morgan said, "It's nice to meet you." He started around him but the guy placed a hand on his chest pushing him back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Morgan said.

"What you think you can take us punk," the guy said.

"No," Morgan said, "but please let me pass or you will regret it."

"Fuck you," the guy said and he swung his fist back, only for another hand to grab it. The guy looked back and his eyes widened in terror. Angel stood there, eyes narrowed in a death glare. Though she stood shorter than him, and her slim frame looked far from intimidating the guy stood petrified with fear.

"You heard him Jason," she said. Jason fell back, mouth open eyes fixed on her. The other guys had turned and ran away through the fog. Jason stood there for a moment before turning tail and racing through the mist. Angel stood there still glaring in his direction before sighing.

"How did you know I would come?" she said.

"Since when have I ever left the convent and you didn't follow me," Morgan said. Even in the mist her blush clearly showed. He smiled and reaching out took her hand. Leaning in he kissed her forehead softly.

"Thanks Angel," he said. Her blush deepened and she looked away.

"Just be careful Morgan. I can't always be there to protect you..." she said.

"I know," he said. He squeezed her hand and they started down the street together. Angel walked along with him in flustered silence. Even after all this time she still got all nervous around him whenever he did something affectionate. And each time he only felt himself loving this woman more and more.

He had shocked the men at the seminary when he told them he was leaving and not going to continue his studies. They asked him why and he said God had called him to different vocation. No need to tell them everything, especially since by all Church records and doctrine Angel should not even exist.

Soon the convent came into view and they made their way inside. Most of the sisters had already gone to bed. Many of them had not been active members of The Order of Judas though they had been aware of its existence. As such they had not been present in Vatican City when Gwyneth had slaughtered the entire Order. Mother Claire had also disappeared though the sisters seemed to have been prepared for that, with Sister Ruth having taken over leadership of the convent.

Angel still held his hand as they made their way to his room. Despite their relationship with each other now, Morgan still asked for them to sleep in separate rooms, as they were not married yet, or even engaged. Angel had agreed, though he wondered if she had done so for him or not. They stopped outside his door and he turned towards her, her cheeks still pink.

"Good night Angel," he said and leaning in kissed her lips softly, "I love you."

"I-I love you too," she said, "night Morgan." She turned and started down the hallway, hi-tops echoing faintly as she walked. Morgan sighed as he opened his door to his room. Even though things had changed, there still existed this distance between them. He had hoped the distance would fade with time, Angel getting more comfortable with someone actually loving her, and loving them back. Then again, most people did not fall in love or date people like Angel. Nor did she ever expect to fall in love with anyone. But the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Angel sat on her bed, not feeling tired at all. Even if she did feel tired, she did not want to sleep. The nightmares never left her. Even months afterwards she still saw the deaths in her mind vividly. Bishop Hanson, Tyson, all the other members she had known. The square around St. Peter's Basilica littered with their corpses, the ground soaked in blood. And her...the rage that had filled her scared her worst of all. All she had seen was red, her focus solely on Gwyneth having been transformed into a hideous, grotesque beast by The Heart of Yggdrasil. Her thoughts had only been to utterly destroy the one responsible for so much pain in her life, so much death. She had killed Gwyneth, had finally gotten her long sought-after revenge. And she felt so wrong and broken because of it.

"What am I..." she whispered. She pulled her bare legs up to her chest hugging them close burying her face in her arms. Without The Order...what would she do? She could pretend to be normal. She could try to ignore the simple fact that guys ran away from her in pure terror. She could ignore the fact that the sisters were still wary of her. She could try to bury everything deep inside her, try to live a normal life. Just be a normal woman, with a wonderful boyfriend, a quiet life. But she could not escape what she truly was, what she would always be...a monster.

She looked up staring down at her socks, feeling everything in her twisting. She wished Mother Claire was still here...or even her mother. Someone she could actually go to for comfort. Sure she had Morgan and Juliet, but they did not need for her to unload everything on them. Even now she still felt so alone.