Christmas makes me happy!

Christmas makes me happy!

In those 4 words I smile, I laugh and I act like a big child at heart.

I love Christmas…… not because of the gifts, not for the religion, but for the simple fact that it is one time of the year that we get together with our families and those who are friends (or as I like to think, the family that I chose). Forget about the money, forget about the gifts, both are nice, but they are nothing without the people who you spend the day with.

I have friends who I don’t get to see one a regular basis, or live overseas who I may or may not have ever met. Christmas is the one time of the year that I stop and make sure that I touch base with them. I try to do this throughout the year, but don’t always find the time. We all leave busy lives and I am sure that I am not alone in forgetting to reply to an email here or there. At Christmas I make sure that my friends and family know that I am thinking of them, that I am wondering what they are up to and that we share a few laughs.

Each year I am thankful that I have my friends and family around me, that I am safe and happy and I enjoy the month of December. For the last few years I have decorated my office with an abundance of lights, tinsel and decorations that are only surpassed by my Christmas shirts, hats and bells. Ok so my office has more lights than most houses, but it is festive and it makes me smile and makes me happy.

So hug your family and remember your friends in this festive season. Share a smile, a laugh and above all be happy.

Life and Death part 12 - Final

If you missed the earlier parts check them out here Life and Death

Part 12

The sun was setting, sending orange bands of light through the room. They shone over Eve and bathed her in light. Her wings fluttered around her body and slowly started to retract back into what he assumed to be their normal resting position. Her eyes still remained close, but it was a start. It was the first movement of the day, the first movement since she had fallen. He hoped that it was a sign that she was going to be ok. He sat motionless just keeping a vigil at her bedside. As darkness set in outside, the room was thrown into darkness with only a slight amount of light from outside shining in. Fatigue began to set in again as he patiently waited for her to wake. Eventually he was not able to hold out any longer and he joined her again on the bed, bringing her close to him once more. Shutting his eyes he breathed in her scent and drifted off to sleep.

She woke in the early hours of the morning, groggy and nauseous. She could feel arms wrapped around her and the heat of another body pressed against hers. Looking over she saw Alex asleep on the bed beside her. Carefully she slipped out of his grip and slowly headed to the bathroom. Light headedness made it had for her to remain standing though. Her eyesight wavered as stars danced in front of her. Blackness was falling upon her again and as she lowered herself down to the ground in front of the toilet she tried to remain conscious. Grabbing the toilet seat, she rested her head on the edge of the bowl and then she gave in, the lights disappeared as she passed out.

The bed was cool beside him when he woke and opening his eyes with a start he realised that she was not next to him anymore. Frantically he got out of bed and started to look for her. Walking past the bathroom the door was open and he saw her. Leaning up against the wall with her head resting on the toilet bowl. Her eyes were closed and her face showed just how weak the body was. Scooping her up again into his arms he carried her once more to the bed and placed her back down. Her eyes fluttered at the movement, but remained closed. He was starting to worry, but had no idea what exactly he was meant to do to help her.

“Has she woken yet?” Mitchell’s words shattered the air, sometime later.

“Yes, she woke when I was sleeping in the earlier hours of the morning. I found her in the bathroom with her eyes closed though. I am not sure if she fell asleep there or passed out.”

“I see her wings have gone again. I am going to take that as a good sign for her. She will be fine.”

“I am still worried though. It has been too long.”

“Don’t worry. She will wake when she can.” Mitchell’s words comforted him slightly. “Father has requested your presence though when she is awake however. He just wants to talk to you both.”

“He is up and moving already?”

“Yes, the same night in fact.” Alex was slightly annoyed that his father had recovered so quickly while Eve was still suffering.

“Tell him that we will come when she is up and strong enough to make the trip.”

“I will. Make sure that you eat. I will talk to you tomorrow.” Alex watched as Mitchell disappeared from the room and went back to his own home.

Alex continued to sit by the bed just watching. It was tiring, but it was exactly where he knew that he needed to be. It was late afternoon before she moved again in the bed. He got up and stood beside the bed in the hopes that she would open her eyes and see him standing there, waiting for her.

Eve felt like she was not alone. Slowly stretching she felt every muscle ache in her body. Opening her eyes the room was getting dark. She looked up and there he was. Alex. She tried to get up. Her throat was dry and she needed a drink badly. Alex sat down on the bed beside her and stopped her from moving too far. “Say here. You are still weak.”

“Water” her voice sounded soft and scratchy. Alex rose immediately and without a word left the room. She could hear him making his way around the kitchen before he found a glass. Carefully she sat up and rested against the bed and wall. Her vision wavered, but it was manageable. When Alex came back he sat beside her once more on the bed. She drank the water slowly and took the time to look around. The clock shone a time, but she still had no idea how long she had slept for. Her mind was fuzzy. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I am just glad that you are awake again.” As he said the words she felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. He looked shocking. Actually he looked like.... laughter bubbled up inside of her and escaped her mouth. It filled the air with noise and had him looking at her intently. “What is so funny?”

“You look like death.” She couldn’t stop the giggles of laughter.

Alex shrugged “You would look like death too if you had been watching over someone’s bedside for almost two days hoping that they would wake.” There was no malice in his words, only honesty and it stopped her laughing immediately.

“Two days?”

“Yes.”

The answer hung in the air between them, so did what he was not saying. There were so many questions floating through her mind.

“What happened to your father, is he alright?”

“He is fine, up and making demands already.”

“What does he want now? I hope that it is not my head on a platter still as that isn’t happening.”

“He wants to see us both when you are awake and up for it.”

“Let’s go now then.”

“Not now. Later. You are still weak and need to rest.”

“You need to get some sleep too then Alex.”

“Later, first you need to eat. Do you think that you can walk to the kitchen?”

“Only one way to find out. Can you help me up?” He held her hands as she got to her feet. She was surprisingly steady given that she had been in bed for so long and her vision was blurred when she first started to move. “You must be hungry too if you haven’t left my side.”

“I have eaten. My brother’s forced me to eat when they were here.”

“Your brother’s have been here?” She stopped in mind step and looked at him. Immediately Alex recognised his mistake.

“Yes. They came to check on us both. I am sorry. If you don’t want them to return, they won’t.” A fresh worry filtered into his voice.

“They are welcome any time that they like, provided that they are not trying to kill me. I have had enough of that this week. Anyway, it doesn’t surprise me that they would check on you. What little I saw of them, I can see that you are all close in one way or another.”

Relief flooded his face and he was left behind as she continued toward the kitchen. It was only something simple. Toast and water. She didn’t think that she would have been able to stomach more than that. She felt another wave of tiredness hit her and yawning, she watched Alex do the same.

“Let’s head back to bed.” She rose and left her dishes on the table. Slowly she headed back to her room. She sensed that Alex was following her. Climbing into bed she looked up as he stood in the doorway. “Are you coming to lay down or what?”

“You don’t want me there.”

“You have no idea what I want.”

“I still should go. Let you rest. Goodnight Eve. I will come over tomorrow and check on you again.” He turned to leave.

“Stay” The room was silent. Turning back toward her he looked at her face. “Stay and keep me safe.”

He stepped toward the bed and stood once more, seeking her face for an answer to the question he hadn’t asked. She regarded him with curiosity, unsure if he knew how much she wanted him there with her. He gently climbed into bed and lay beside her, giving up all pretence of leaving. The body heat between them and the electricity in the air was distracting, but as she moved closer and she felt his strong arms grip her in a hug, she felt nothing more than safety and warmth. It was those feelings that had both of them drifting off to sleep once more.

The sun was up when she woke, still safe and cocooned in Alex’s arms. All of a sudden it hit her and she was jumping out of bed looking for the phone. How could she have forgotten? “Oh my god. Oh my god” Alex stirred and watched her frantically looking for something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Work, I am supposed to be at work.”

He closed his eyes and put his head back on the pillow. “They think that you have a family emergency and have given you the week off. Don’t worry.” He was already back asleep as she looked at him, ready to ask him questions. Sighing at the fact that she was now fully awake she went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Sitting down in front of the TV she relaxed and caught up on the morning news.

The smell of coffee had him waking once more. Getting out of bed, he followed the scent to the kitchen, where a coffee pot was hot and ready for him to drink. Pouring a cup he could hear the TV on and went to investigate. Eve was sitting on the couch watching the news. He sat beside her and she leaned into him. It felt foreign to him, this whole domestic feel to things.

“I want to go and see your father today.” It was not a request but a demand.

“He can wait.”

“I want this over with. I want to be able to live my life. Are you going to take me there, or do I have to try and contact one of your brothers?”

“I will take you.” He didn’t like it one bit, but he wasn’t going to send her there alone.

“Fine I will go and get ready then.”

She dressed and wondered what was really happening. She was falling for him and while she had trusted him with her life, she was scared about what it meant considering what he did for a living. For so long she had guarded her heart from people, in fear of what it would mean to her when they left. Now she was opening her heart up to the one person who at some point wanted to see her dead. Fear rippled through her blood as she considered that she was about to face his father for the second time. She tried not to judge him for the pain that he had caused her when they last met, but it was all that she could see and feel inside of her when she thought of him. Her heart beat faster as she tried to stay calm. Looking at herself in the mirror she still looked pale, but she also looked worse than she felt. Deep inside, no matter how scared she was, she still felt stronger. Whatever was about to happen, could happen. She was a big girl and could handle it. It would be better to deal with it now than later.

Alex was waiting for her in the lounge, exactly where she had left him. He stood when she walked into the room. “Are you sure about this?” She already knew Alex wasn’t sure himself, but hearing the uncertainty in his voice made her doubt her decision briefly.

“Not really, but I don’t have a choice. It needs to be done.” Understanding was visible in his eyes. He felt the same way.

“Do you remember how it works?”

She nodded and walked toward him holding out her hand. The moment that he grasped it, she shut her eyes and held on for the ride. When it felt like ground was beneath them again she opened them. They were outside the same building as before. A spark of terror flashed through her system, but then she looked at Alex and felt calm. She trusted him and trusted that he would keep her safe. They walked inside and feelings of déjà vu came upon her as she struggled to remain standing while walking down the stairs.

The room opened before her and once again Alex’s father was on the other side of the room. All the brothers were once again in attendance, flanking their father as he sat. She could feel the tension in the room and even Alex had slightly stiffened by her side at the sight before him.

“Father” he acknowledged with a nod of his head.

“I am glad that you both could make it.”

“You made the command, I am here.”

“In the last few days your brothers and I have done a lot of talking. We have disagreed on a lot of points, but we have agreed overall on one point.” His tone and demeanour scared Eve. She sensed an ambush coming and couldn’t help wondering if it was going to be a good or a bad thing. She just wanted it to be over. She wanted her life back.

“What did you work out in my absence?” Bitterness and betrayal was clear in Alex’s voice.

“Alex, you were always the one son that could have gone either way. You were the one who troubled me the most when it came to welcoming you into the family business. You were the one that I had to test the hardest.” He paused, letting Alex absorb the words and there meaning. It explained so much, especially since he was the only one that had to kill their mother. “You do a great job, but now you have fallen in love and you have me reconsidering your role within the business.”

“I don’t want you leave. I want to still work.”

“You don’t deny that you are in love with her?” Amusement lit up his father’s face momentarily.

“What is the point, you all know it. The only person in the room that probably doesn’t is Eve, but that is not her problem. We are talking about me here at the moment.” His words shocked her. He was in love with her? When did that happen?

“Your brother’s and I are at odds on what to do here. My thoughts are that you call it a day. I free you from your responsibilities here and you can go on to leave a normal life. Your brothers disagree with me.”

“I disagree with you too father. Nothing has changed for me in regards to my work. I can and still will do my job.” He was not going to give it up without a fight. His job was not only his career, but it was his life. It was all that he had ever known.

“This is where it will become complex then. Alex after the other day, I believe you. Eve is what you say she is. There is no other explanation. She is life.” His admission was not as joyous as Alex had hoped that it would be for he could hear a but lingering in the air. Eve stood there listening to what they were saying. Not all of it made sense to her, but she understood enough to understand the basics. “But how will that work if you are death?”

The question did more than hang in the air, it surrounded them and suffocated Alex as he thought beyond his heart and realised that his father was right. “You are right, it won’t work. I hadn’t thought that far.” His shoulders slumped as he resigned at the thought that his father was right once again. For once it would be nice to be right. The satisfaction that he was right about Eve was overshadowed now by his feelings for her and the pain that he knew that he would eventually cause her.

“Then my son you have a choice to make.”

“Wait, don’t I get any say here?” Eve’s voice reverberated around the room. No one had paid her any attention since she had walked into the room. It was time to make her voice heard. Staying quiet was no longer an option and she knew that she had to fight for what she wanted. She was no longer intimidated by the man before her.

“You have something that you want to add?” Alex’s father acknowledged her presence for the first time. He openly regarded her with a tone that invited her insight instead of distaste.

“Yes I do.” She looked around the room, starting with his father and moving towards each of the brothers in turn. “He loves me. I didn’t know that before today, but I know it now. I don’t know what exactly I feel right now, but I know that I trust Alex more than I thought that I could ever trust anyone, especially in such a short amount of time. I want the chance to work out how I feel. I want the chance to explore what might be between us.” Pausing she took a deep breath and continued. “This last week for me has been tumultuous to say the least and I want an opportunity to see how I feel when everything settles down again, when I don’t have people trying to kill me and when I don’t have to worry about anything but myself and what I want in my life.” She looked into Alex’s father’s eyes and hoped that he understood what that meant to her. “Why can’t we be together?”

“There is no precedence for it.”

“Until a few days ago you didn’t even believe that I my talents existed. Heck I didn’t even know.”

“And now I know what you are, I need to protect my family, my sons.”

“I am willing to have rules set in place.” Eve spoke quickly in an attempt to appease him. She hated having to plead, but it was not beneath her to try. Part of her already knew what her feelings would be when the dust settled.

“Rules? What kind of rules?” One of the brothers spoke up for the first time. He stepped forward and she had no idea which one it was. This one in the last meeting had stayed quiet the whole time.

“I can promise not to interfere with your work provided that you stop trying to kill me. Hell I won’t even bother if you want to come and visit Alex. It would also be nice if you maybe cut Alex’s workload a little so that we can spend time together.”

“When you say ‘your work’ do you mean all of us?” He asked in clarification.

“Yes. I can accept what you do, provided that you can accept me.”

“Do you think that it could work Alex? Are you willing to risk everything for her?” He turned his attention from Eve to Alex and stared at him trying to work out what he was hearing was the truth.

“Yes Heath I do think that it could. Like Eve, I want the option to at least try.” Alex turned to his father “If it doesn’t work we can try something else. I want the chance.”

His father turned to his brothers and they huddled in tight conversation leaving Alex and Eve wondering what was going to happen. Their fate was being left to the men before her, men she didn’t even know, and Eve didn’t know if that was going to work for or against them. Alex gripped her hand and gave it a squeeze. It reassured her slightly that he was still there beside her. When they turned back to look at them all the faces were passive and showed nothing of what their decision was. A few beats of silence filled the room before Alex’s father spoke, directing his comments to Alex.

“Alright, you can have your chance. Eve is not to interfere in your work and I will ease you back into your job in a few weeks. Take a break and work out if this is really what you want.” He disappeared from view right before. It was the end of discussion and his brothers moved forward towards them. They stopped a few paces from where Alex and Eve stood.

“Eve I would like you to meet my brother’s.” He motioned to each of them individually, “This is Heath, Eric, Levi and Jordon and you have already met Mitchell.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. I am sure that I will be seeing more of you in the future.” She smiled for the first time in a while and she meant it.

The end..... for now

Life and Death part 11

If you haven't started reading this short story, now is the time! Life and Death

Part 11

The silence was deafening and was only broken after Alex grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Do you trust me Eve?” His voice was whisper and while she had heard what he was saying, the rest of them leant closer as the found it hard to hear it themselves.

Deep inside she really wanted to, but it felt like a loaded question. What was her trust in him going to cost her? He seemed to trust the others in the room and while she hadn’t been formally introduced to them, she could feel the connections between them. Her words failed her as she thought about what he was asking. With a slight nod of her head she answered. If she was going to die, this was one regret she could do without.

“Father if you wish to kill her, you are going to have to do it yourself.” The brothers gasped at the proposal and stared at Alex first in shock then her in sympathy. The shortest brother stepped forward. Aside from the eyes, he looked nothing like Alex at all. Eve was stunned. When Alex had asked her about trust she had not anticipated this. She didn’t know what to do. Could she really put her life in these people’s hands?

“Alex, do you know what you are suggesting?”

“Yes Levi, I know what I am doing. If father succeeds, I will mourn for the rest of my life, but if he fails, I have the chance of being happy.”

“Mitchell was right wasn’t he?”

“Yes my brothers, he was.” Alex was looking at them all as he said the words and they were looking at him. She had no idea what they were talking about, but it wasn’t hard to work out they were talking about her. She was scared. She was taking her life in her own hands and placing it in the hands of someone who wanted to wipe out all traces of her future existence. She could hear the blood pounding between her ears as her heart began to increase in beats. She stared at the older man before her. He had not said a word since Alex had suggested the idea. Instead he listened intently to the discussion happening before him.

 The room went quiet once more and everyone’s eyes turned to the older man as he spoke to Alex again. “You are willing to risk more than I gave you credit for.” He reached out and motioned for Eve to move closer to him. She felt compelled to listen to him and move towards him if nothing more than to prove a point. “This shouldn’t take too long my dear. I will try not to hurt you.” As she placed one foot in front of the other moving closer towards her she felt devoid of emotion. If this was the end she could accept it, but not without saying goodbye. She stopped a few feet away from the outstretched hand and turned back to Alex. His fear for what was happening was clearly visible on his face. Her stomach clenched as she unexpectedly wished that it had been him the night before and not Mitchell. “If this is my time, I understand, but first I want to say thank you for showing me how to have fun again and how to live. I don’t envy your job, but I no longer fear it either. I will miss you Alex for no other person could get away with half of what you have done recently and still have me like them like I think that I am beginning like you.” Turning to the brothers she continued to speak knowing that if she didn’t say it now, there may not be another chance. “I haven’t had the chance to know you all, but I can feel the connection between you all. Mitchell, will you take care of Alex for me if this is my end?”

“Of course Eve. We all will.” His voice sounded very sincere.

She couldn’t look back at Alex no matter how hard she wanted to. Tears were already threatening to fall, and one look would send her over the edge. Spinning back around Eve took the last few paces and gripped the outstretched hand with no further words spoken and no hesitation.

The grip was tight and sent a tingling trickle of fear through her system. There was no pain yet, but she suspected that it wouldn’t last. The look of concentration on the older man’s face was intense and scared her. The room was quiet and no one was game to say a word. Nothing but her and the man before her existed and even then she had trouble keeping her focus. She wanted to open her mouth to say something, but the power of speech was gone. Her mind, body and soul were being ripped from one another as she struggled to remain standing. This is what Alex had tried that first night and while she had survived that, this was more. Screaming inside she went from feeling nothing to feeling everything. Every tear, every ache and every stab of pain as she felt herself become drained of her energy. The tears that had earlier formed in her eyes fell unashamedly down her face. She suffered as she grew weaker, with his grip never once easing and the pain never once relenting.

Falling she lost the ability to hold herself up any further. He was totally in control and as he followed her descent to the floor she saw the look of triumph in his eyes. She didn’t want it to end like this. Not by his hands, where she had been annoyed when Alex tried to take her life, this man killing her felt wrong. Her body lay on the floor in a pool of sweat. It had been pushed to the limits and back and had suffered greatly under the stress. She felt like her mind and soul stood on the outside, as if they were watching from the sidelines. They called to one another, her body seeking the strength that it needed to withstand the last whispers of power that coated it from the inside. Joining once more in a last attempt to fight, they bypassed the licks of power and created a power of their own.

Her light against his dark. The triumph on his face was replaced with disbelief as they waged an inner war within her body. Her life or her death. Eve fought and struggled to rise to her feet once more she felt slightly stronger, but knew that it was not enough. She had to try and hold him off. Convince him that she was what Alex believed she was. It was the only way, but first she had to believe it herself. Sweat started to bead on his head as he tried to maintain control of the situation. Time was lost in the focus of what was happening in front of her. Seconds warped into minutes and hours without any warning. They stood in a room facing one another, neither willing to give in and accept what was right in front of them as the truth.

If she was life, this would never end, not unless she wanted it to. Looking deep inside her it was like a flash of light, the understanding of it all, the acceptance. It beat within her in ways that she could no longer deny. Her inner strength pushed her forward and pushed him away from her. Light beamed from her skin blinding her momentarily as her wings unfurled across her back for the first time and spanned outwards in a beauty never seen before by anyone in the room. The older man’s eyes shone in uncertainty, doubting everything that he knew and everything that he had ever been taught in the past. His grip finally loosened on her and she pulled free at last. Stepping back she struggled for breath. Eve already knew that he didn’t have to touch her to hurt her so she didn’t let her guard down. She was weak and as her wings came around her in comfort she lost the ability to stand again and slowly fell to the ground.

Watching Eve battle his father tore at Alex. Even as his brothers surrounded him in comfort he felt hollow inside. Together that had stood for hours just watching, silently wondering when it was going to end. None of them daring to speak throughout the exchange nor try and stop what was happening before them. He could feel his brother’s warmth as they tried to offer him support. What had he been thinking when he offered her to his father? Torn apart inside he tried to remain strong, tried to remember that this was the only way, but to see her there in front of him alone and vulnerable it scared him as he thought that he would lose her forever.

He was awed when he saw her wings break free of her clothes and expand. It was something that in all his time of killing the angels in the past, he had never seen them their wings used as a weapon. They seemed to make Eve stronger and the simple beauty of them dumbfounded his brothers just as much as him. Watching her break free of his father Alex felt his heart soar. She had won. She had done what no one before her had managed to do. She had beaten his father. He took a step toward her to let her know that he was there only to have to watch as she wrapped herself in her wings and fell to the ground.

Running now towards her never wanting to let her go, he managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. Her eyes were closed and the pain on her face was visible. Placing her gently on the ground he focused solely on her. Her breathing was shallow and even as he was looking for the rise and fall of her chest he was frantic at the fact that she might be dead after all. The brothers watched the exchange between Alex and Eve before turning their attention to their father who too was also on the ground. Torn between who to go to they split their force and as Mitchell and Levi went to Alex, Heath, Eric and Jordon knelt beside their father.

“Alex, take her home. Be with her and help her heal. We can deal with this all later.” Mitchell’s words broke through his subconscious. He felt Levi’s hand on his shoulder, supporting him, guiding him to rise to his feet.

“Are you strong enough to take her yourself or do you want my help?” Genuine concern flowed through his brother’s voice.

“I will be fine Levi. Thank you all for today. Will you tell the others?”

“They know already, but I will pass on your words.”

Nodding his head he reached down and picked up Eve. She was lighter than he had imagined and lay lifeless in his arms as he focused his energy and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in her room. It was dark outside which served to remind him how long they had been with his father. She still had not stirred. He placed her gently down on the bed, covering her with a blanket before her scrubbed his hands over his face and fought back tears of emotion. A thin layer of sweat still covered her skin. Grabbing a damp towel from the bathroom next to her room Alex wiped away the sweat and excess makeup from her skin before throwing the towel back through the open doorway to the bathroom. He was tired, but didn’t want to leave her alone. Warring with himself at what to do, he did the one thing that came unnaturally to him. He lay down in the bed with her, comforting her as she slept, holding her tight against his body to keep her warm and safe. Eventually his eyes closed and he succumbed to sleep.

He woke still holding her. It had been a long night and even though he had closed his eyes and slept, he still was exhausted. Eve’s wings were still wrapped around her, cocooning her with warmth and protection. Her face was pale and even with her eyes closed she still dark circles around them. Easing away from her Alex got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to wash his face. He hoped that the task would make him feel more awake than he currently was. The cold water on his face was refreshing, but didn’t stop him from stifling a yawn. Eve had yet to move and it concerned him. He needed to know that she was alright. He needed to see that things were going to be okay. Stepping back into the bedroom he took a seat beside her bed. Until she woke, he wasn’t going to leave her side.

“Has she woken at all yet?” Mitchell’s words startled Alex as he had been drifting asleep again and hadn’t heard him enter the room.

“No” he softly replied.

Mitchell sat down beside him and didn’t say a word. Together they waited, not once talking about what had happened. Slowly through the day each of Alex’s brothers came and went, each staying for a while to support him. Still she didn’t move. A few times he had gone over to her to make sure that she was still breathing. She still looked so fragile and broken. He would move around the room, but wouldn’t leave it.

Life and Death part 10

If you haven't started reading this short story, now is the time! Life and Death

Part 10

The sun was high in the sky when she woke from her sleep. Slowly she stretched out and felt her muscles protest at the movement. Her throat was parched and her head was pounding, but it was a good feeling as the memories of the night before filtered into her consciousness. It had been a great night. With her eyes still closed she reached out and realised that he was gone. A wave of disappointment crossed her, but disappeared quickly as she realised that it was probably for the better. Now was not a good time for her to be getting involved in a relationship. He had been good in bed though. The memory of it made her smile. How could she have denied herself of the pleasure of a man for so long? Opening her eyes she took a deep breath and got out of bed ready to face the day.

Washing away the night before, she felt revived. All the stress had left her body and she was filled with positivity once more. No matter what the day was going to bring, she looked forward to it. Not bothering with makeup on the weekend she dressed and made herself a cup of coffee. She turned on her computer and sat down in front of it to catch up on the week’s news. She felt like she was being watched and when she turned she saw him, standing in the doorway with a grim look on his face.

“Where did you disappear to yesterday?”

“I was around. Have a nice night?” His voice was tight.

“As a matter of fact I did.” She wanted to tell somebody and she blurted the words out before she could stop herself. She knew that it was none of his business and that she didn’t have to justify her actions to anyone, least of all, but she did it anyway.

“My brother thought that you were nice too. He was sorry to leave this morning, but muttered something about having fun.” He responded bitterly.

It didn’t take long for his words to sink in and her heart dropped at the implication. “Brother….?”

“Yes brother.” He stayed where he was for fear that if he got to close she would lash out physically. He could only imagine what she was feeling. She stared at him blankly as he words sunk in. He watched her. Her face was scaringly calm and he had no idea how she was going to react next.

“Is he…..” Her voice tapered off. Her good mood was crashing down around her.

“Like me? Yes, Mitchell is an agent of death like me.” Taking his cues from her, he matched her tone and fought not to make it any worse for her.

“So last night was what exactly?” He could see the pain on her face even before he spoke.

“Mitchell was sent by our boss as a test.”

“A test! Is that all I am? A god damn puzzle for you all to keep playing with?” Her voice was reverberated in anger.

“This is bigger than you realise. It needed to be done. We needed to know for sure.” Knowing that each word he spoke and every action that he tried to justify, he was only making it worse, he wished for nothing more than to stop her pain.

“Needed to be done? I suppose that you were powerless to stop it?” She didn’t know what to be more hurt by, the fact that she had been so used, or the fact that he knew what was going to happen and didn’t warn her. Sarcasm and hurt flowed through her voice now.

“I was given a direct order to stay out of it. We brothers tend not to work together very often, but you…..”

“Brothers? You mean that there are more than just the two of you?” It occurred to her then that she had never asked his name.

“Yes. There are five others plus me. Levi, Heath, Jordon, Eric and you have met Mitchell last night.” There was no point lying to her anymore. He cared more than he should about her and wished that the night with Mitchell had not happened.

“Since you have told me there names, what is yours?”

“I am Alex.”

“Well then Alex, I want answers, and I want them now.”

“I can’t tell them to you. It is not my place to say. Last night…..”

“Last night happened, I wish that it hadn’t and regret it in the light off day, but at least now I can say that I have faced death twice and lived.” She snapped out the words so fast that he stood in shock for a moment.

“If only you knew.” The words tumbled out of his mouth faster than he could stop them.

Silence filled the room as Eve continued to take in everything. Alex still stood on the other side of the room.

“I want to know the answers.” She pulled herself together and continued “take me to him.” She was staring at him now. The pain was hidden from her face and if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he would have never known that it had existed.

“Take you to who?”

“Your boss, whoever it is that calls the shots. I want answers.” Eve’s tone was strong and demanding.

“Eve you can’t possibly go there.” Alex was worried and scared for her. She had no idea what she was asking of him.

“Will you just take me? It is not like you have another option.”

“I do have an option. I didn’t realise it before, but I have a choice. I want to keep you safe.” She was left speechless by his comment. This coming from death, the person who had been trying for days to kill her? Moments passed as she tried to think of what to say.

“Safe? Why?”

Could he really say the words that she wanted to hear? He thought about what such an admission could do to him. Was he willing to risk everything that he knew for her?

“I think that I care about you.”

Her heart stopped as she stared as he stood before her, not entirely comfortable with his admission. “It still doesn’t change my request. I can’t live with death hanging over my head like this. Please can you just take me?” She spoke like what he had said meant nothing to her.

“You really have no idea what you are asking of me. You are talking about going to see the Godfather of death. What do you think that you are going to say to him? Leave me alone? It won’t work.” He was becoming agitated at the thought that she so willingly wanting to risk everything to end this.

“I will work it out when I get there.” She was so headstrong. Alex didn’t doubt for one minute that she would go behind his back if he didn’t help her. No matter how much he wanted to keep her safe, it was just not going to be an option. If he didn’t take her, she would only look for another way to get there. At least if she was with him, he could try and keep her safe.

“Fine. I was going home today anyway. Get organised, I have to be there in an hour.” He disappeared from her sight, leave her with her thoughts. Alex cared about her and wanted to keep her safe? Getting up she contemplated what she was going to say while getting ready. Maybe today was a makeup worthy day after all. She needed to make some kind of impression.

What had he done? He left her there alone and sought out Mitchell.

“I am in trouble Mitch, bigger trouble than I know what to do with.” They were sitting on top of a high rise tower looking out at the city around and below them.

“What kind of trouble?”

“I think that I am falling for her.” Mitchell showed no surprise at his announcement.

“That doesn’t surprise me. I could feel your pain and tension last night when I was with her. I knew then that there was more to the situation than I had been briefed on. Does father know?”

“Not yet, but he will soon. She managed to convince me to take her with me today to see him.”

“Have you lost your mind? He will kill her himself if he has the chance.” Mitchell’s words were exactly the same as the ones that he had left unspoken.

“There was nothing that I could do. I want to keep her safe, but she is going to make it hard for me if I don’t take her there. I don’t want to risk her getting hurt or worse dying by his hand.”

“What do you need?”

“I need my brothers there today, all of you. Can you get everyone there for me? I am hoping that safety in numbers will help her.”

“Of course I can do that.”

“Thank you.” He went to walk away when Mitchell called to him one last time.

“She is amazing, if you think that you love her, don’t let her go. We all need some form of happiness in our lives.”

Alex wasn’t going to do that ever. He would end his life before he ever tried to end Eve’s again.

Eve was waiting for him to return. Watching the clock there were several times she got up and checked that it was still working. She didn’t know where Alex had gone, but she was as ready as she was ever going to be. He appeared in the room just before the hour was up and surprised her.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She replied nervously.

“This is how it works. You grip my hand and close your eyes. I transport us to where we need to go. You change your mind once we get there and all that you have to do is say the word and I will bring you straight back here, no questions asked. Understand?” She nodded her head and held out her hand shakily. He gripped it and instantly sparks flew as the connection was made. Moments later they were standing outside what looked to be an abandoned building. His eyes sought out her face and asked the unspoken question.

“Let’s go.” Were the only words that she spoke.

They walked inside and down the same dark stairs that he had walked down many times before. He held her had tightly to steady her as she struggled to remain upright on the wonky steps. At the bottom he let her hand go and together they walked into an open room where his father sat. Mitchell had kept his promise and his brothers were line up on either side of the room.

“Alex” His father acknowledged him as he walked into the room. “Who is this that you have brought with you today?”

Before he could respond a voice rang out in the room. “My name is Eve.”

She assessed her surroundings, looking from one person to another. When her eyes met Mitchell he at least had the decency to look embarrassed. At the end of the room an older man sat looking very commanding. His gaze was intimidating and he gave off distinct waves of authority. He nodded “that makes sense. You have caused a bit of a stir these last few days. It isn’t every day that all of my sons come to see me at the same time. Well that is when it is not task allocation day I mean.”

She didn’t react to hearing that this was Alex’s father. Part of her had suspected it the moment that she walked into the room. There was a similarity in looks between the older man and Alex. “I wasn’t aware of that. I hope that my presence is not going to get Alex into any further trouble.” Alex stood next to her silent. He wanted to open his mouth, but he still had no idea what to say, so he opted to stay quiet in the hopes that when the words did come to him, that they would be enough.

“Well that is still to be decided. It guess it depends on what my sons are about to tell me.” He turned to Mitchell, “I see that Alex is not the only failure amongst us. Care to tell me what happened?”

“Father, it wasn’t possible. I can’t explain it. I did everything that I have always done, but still she breaths.” Eve’s thoughts floated back to the night before and once more she was filled with regret.

“Why are the rest of you here then?” She watched the brothers squirm when asked the question by the older man.

“I asked for them to be here father. It was my request.” Alex finally broke his silence and left Eve with more questions than answers.

“You are aware that by bringing her here you are risking a lot. Is she worth it?”

“I think that she is. So much so that I am willing to risk a lot more than you realise.” Eve watched at Alex stared at the imposing man in front of her. “Brothers, I have asked you here for many reasons, but the main one is that I believe that Eve here is life and can resist death. Our father thinks that it is a crazy suggestion.” He paused and looked at Mitchell. “I am not the only one that has tried to kill her this week and every time that someone has tried, they have failed.” Alex and Mitchell seemed to speak to one another without words.

“What Alex says is true. I was with Eve last night, and other than an enjoyable time, it is clear that nothing more happened.” Mitchell turned his attention to his remaining brothers. Their faces were blank and showed nothing as to what they may have been thinking.

“Enough of this nonsense. There is no such thing as life.” The voice boomed so loudly that there was no doubt left in Eve’s mind that coming here was a mistake. How could they be so sure of what she was when she didn’t even know herself?  More to the point, what had she been thinking when she has said that she wanted to come here? It was like feeding time at a loin’s cage and she was the food. She suddenly didn’t feel safe here anymore.