Moment of Clarity

I figured out why I like this girl...and the way I did it was through something that was a bit of a last resort...something I haven't really done since my brother died. I prayed.

I asked God to give me the strength to tell her all this...this stuff that even in my head made little sense. And then he instead gave me something better...he gave me some sensible words to say.

He put the words right into my head...when I'm around her at work, she makes me happy. Like I truly feel like being there. I feel something I haven't felt in a long time.

I don't want to lean on a person to make myself better, that never works. But she gives me a feeling to aim for, something that I stopped trying to get because I forgot how good it felt.

I think they call it a moment of clarity.

Someone Please Help *facepalm*

Already this week is looking a lot better than the last. I guess things are darkest just before it brightens back up. But how luminous will the brightness get this time? It might sound bad that I am talking about things being better and already here I am worrying at the same time about the darkness coming back.

Well I had to come to a realization the other day after talking to Heather the other day...the darkness will always be there. Whether its right in your face or crept back into the deepest, most remote corners of your mind. We've got to live with it and combat it as best as we're allowed.

Right now the little bit of darkness that's creeping up is my fear that me liking this girl is going to bring me back down. I really can tell I like her and we're okay friends, I know some stuff about her. But I don't know how to progress this. She posted on her myspace saying that if someone likes her "they should just ask her out". Okay does that mean I should take her advice. In my understanding and past knowledge I know girls don't always know what they want and don't always advertise what they really mean they want.

That could be a defense mechanism to weed out guys...or any number of things. I once told Rickey that the problem with guys like me and him who are preceptive and sort of smart is that we know how to read into things. We have some understanding of Human Psychology and it hurts us in the long run because we know all of the different things that the little things can mean.

At the same time it helps us alot, we're able to take precautions and things like that and know what people mean and understand some of the things they do better. But this girl is complex, she's hard to read. I don't know what it is about her but I can't tell if I should take that step and ask her out...or if I should do my usual cower away and bitch about it to you guys later.

To make matters worse her eyes have this power, they're so deep and entrancing that its like getting caught in Itachi's Tsukyomi (I know I'm a nerd...look it up). I either freeze up, or say something very random and stupid, for example, "Jeeze you have pretty eyes." That's not smooth, that's the opposite of smooth.

Someone...ladies advice please.

Size 16 Girl Scoops Second Place in Miss England Competition.

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:11 AM on 21st July 2008

Size 16 girl scoops second place in Miss England competition as 'Combat Barbie' wins 'Eco Girl' award

A 17-year-old girl today became the first size 16 girl to come second in the Miss England beauty contest.

Chloe Marshall, who is a trainee opera singer from Cranleigh, was crowned Miss Surrey.

Chloe said earlier: "I wanted to enter Miss England to show everyone that you can be beautiful no matter what size you are and that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes."

People are outraged about this and I really don't see the big deal. The girl is a little overweight, but she's still pretty and I find her attractive. I think people are just kind of dumb and bigoted. But what do you think this says about things? And do you think that this is a good or bad thing that she won?

News Story Here

Return of the Regulars

Something happened today, I guess it was just a crisis for me personally, or a crisis coming to a head. For the most part there have been plenty of things going on with me. I think I have really taken a step backwards. But all of that doesn't matter actually...

What's important is that I have decided to give something a go again. Namely the comic book that Prentiss and I were working on. I might need to rework some things, might even need to scrap everything that I have and have to start over. But I want to at least make and attempt at this comic again. I think there are some jokes out there that we have to tell the world and I also think its been far too long since I drew anything really.

X-Files Review

I think it was Roper who made the comment, "X-Files: I Want to Believe plays out the way thrillers used to, back when audiences had to think and the villain wasn't larger than life." I am writing this for two ladies who asked me how it was, let me tell you. I have watched every episode of the X-Files at least three times, I own eight seasons of the television show and still consider it one of my favorite shows.

About twenty minutes in I realized how old Dacovhony and Anderson looked, then I realized, its been about sixteen years since the show started. These are characters we have watched in one form or another for sixteen years. Video games, books, two feature films, one spin-off show later, the chemistry is still there for the characters. This movie is all about characters. There are questions of self worth, of faith, or the world in general and of love all rolled up in this two hour movie.

Of course there are testaments to the fans of the show all over the place, some of the old cases are mentioned briefly, some old characters pop up. But this movie truly was made to stand alone. More than that it was made to make the audience think. Don't go in expecting shooting and gun fights and car chases, this isn't even on the scale of the first X-flies movie which was great...if you watched the show.

Think of this as a large scale piece of what the show represented. Think of this as what the X-Files used to be. A show that made us question coincidence. A show about characters searching. To be truthful the characters in the movie, besides looking older, resemble Mulder and Scully from the beginning of the show more than they do the Mulder and Scully from the end. Yet the writers didn't forget all that they've been through. They didn't over look the fact that Mulder is wanted at the end of show on charges of treason, espionage, perjury and other heinous and trumped up charges. They didn't forget how the FBI offices in the old show looked or the fact that Mulder and Scully had a son, who would be about seven by now.

But for the most part, they've reintroduced the characters. They push all of the info that's needed into the movie and go from there. Even if you've never seen an episode of the show, you can enjoy this as long as you're willing to think and to well...dare I say Believe.

I want to believe

I think that anyone who really knows me well, will know one thing. I have been an X-Files fan since the show first premiered. I was a little kid then watching it at my brother's house on that Sunday night. I think that something about that show just made me love it. Regardless I am happy to say that today the movie came out, and while the many of the reviews say "its for the fans only" I could care less. I am a fan right?

I am going to go over to the theater later today and watch that, mostly because I have been on this "I have to see all the movies I want to kick" and so far I have missed like one movie I wanted to watch: Get Smart. Other than that I have seen everything that I wanted to see.

I've also got it on my mind to possible ask this girl if she wants to hang out this weekend. Not sure what else I can say or do to get her attention, if I don't already have it. It's scary to have to walk up to someone and take that step, maybe it would be easier if I just had something I could pawn it off on, like if we had to hang out for a reason and get to know each other. But I wonder: Do girls really ever think that guys innocently ask to go to dinner or movies?

I guess that even if things don't go swimmingly, I've got X-Files...something I've looked forward to for what--six years now. It'll be good to see Mulder and Scully back in action.

Currents

Looks like Hurricane season is in full swing. Today marked the first attempt by mother nature to drown and murder scores of people in the south Texas area. Needless to say, for the size of the storm, the freak out was unwarranted. It rained a little here, it wasn't like a repeat of Allison or Katrina.

I think that with the memory of what happened with Katrina, all of the damage it caused, that people still have this fear fresh in their minds. For some people that was their first large destructive storm, some people didn't live through Andrew or the ones that preceded that. Even I vaguely remember it.

What I want to say about all of this, what's on my mind even in this storm and this bad weather, is just how much I wish I had someone to talk to, not that I can talk right now. I need to be out of the apartment and away for a while, I need to see someone who I can just sit and chat with, have some fun without having to worry about work and the like. Work has recently been one of my bigger worries.

There have been a lot of changes made and the like, and some other people seem unable to adjust to the changes and shape up. I have been trying to sell things more often like I was told to do but there is resistance from the salesmen. I don't really blame them, but they should petitioning someone higher up instead of messing with me. I don't really feel the need to let someone walk on me and back down, you know?

There's a lot going on that I don't want to think about. There's a lot going on that is beyond my control and some of which should be beyond my caring. Looks like it won't be a good week after all.

Proposal I

Its really hard for me to gather myself and actually go up to some girl and ask her out. It usually takes me a long time to admit to myself that I actually like them and that its not just some passing fad. I've never really been the kind of guy who could just stroll up to some random woman and ask her out with some suave move, that's not me. In fact I don't like that guy.

That guy never got the chance to know the girl or even talk to her, he's just going off what he sees. And I know that the first attraction we usually have, what usually draws us to a person is their looks because its the first thing we get to experience for the most part. We know little about them at this point and that's alright.

I know now that its okay to have to learn some things, its okay to get to know a person and talk to them and get comfortable. I don't want to be that guy who goes into the date blind with no clue about what the girl likes or doesn't like...what kind of person she is and all of that.

Even with all of this in place and all of this knowledge I will still be nervous when I have to go up to her and ask. And if she happens to say yes then I will be even more nervous on the date. I don't handle these things well. All those years in high school and years being told different things led me to believe that no girls that I want would want me. It's a mentality that is pretty much stuck in my head.

I think that one thing in all of this is for sure; once I get to this point its pretty much for certain that I will ask the girl out unless she's not single (which she is single) or unless she's gone to where I can't talk to her. I guess just wish me luck.

Sofiel: Partitions 2/2

They finished up, the sun was completely set by the time they got back to the car and by the time they were on the freeway most of the traffic had cleared away. Madeleine almost dozed off in the car and by the time that they dropped her back off at her car and she drove home she was ready to fall asleep on the road.

She had to wonder, was she getting weaker?

Did something happen to her.

Brian followed her back to the hotel and walked her to her room, which was only on the floor right below his. She lingered in the door way of the room as Brian stood holding her around the waist, “I guess that I'll see you in the morning,” he said as he leaned in.

She pressed up onto her toes and they're lips met, but soon he was holding her on the side of the neck. She fought to open her door, but couldn't get the key in right and didn't care. Her hands went up under his chin and her back flattened against the dull monotone door. Something she'd been holding back all day erupted in a torrent.

One of his hands found the back of her thigh and she made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a moan. Behind her the door shuttered loudly as her head came back into it. She giggled lightly, “Sorry....” she muttered.

Brian began kissing her down the side of the neck and she tilted her head up while trying to find the key again and get the door open. Suddenly there was a sound the elevator arriving and the doors sliding open. In an instant Brian was off her but it was too late.

“What's going on up here?” asked a woman coming off the elevator. Her tone sounded as if she knew exactly what was going on and was offended.

Madeleine spun, rubbing her hair down in her face to try and hide the redness, “Um, so yeah see you in the morning,” she worked the key into the door quickly and then opened it.

Brian gave her a hardy good night and let her door shut as he walked off. The room was dark and she fought to find the light on the wall with only the illumination from the window coming in. Off by the side of the king sized bed she spotted the tall free standing lamp and made her way to it.

The lamp flicked to life with a click and no sooner than she did that, she was pounded in the face. She stumbled backwards in shock. Her footing was a little lost and she caught herself on the bed. Even then she managed to fall to one knee on the green padded hotel carpet.

When she finally looked up her assailant stood over her, the only thing was the girl who had done this looked almost exactly identical to her. Her hair was straight, combed down and jet black. Her lips were a vast contrast from her face, drenched in red lipstick.

“Who the Hell are you?” asked Madeleine getting back to her feet.

“Ugh,” said the woman, “When they told me I had a doppleganger here, I didn't think she would look this...prudish.”

“Doppleganger?” Madeleine was holding her nose, “Who are you?”

“Can't you tell bitch? I'm you,” she said walking down the side of the bed. “Well more or less, I'm like the improved version of you—had it been me outside that door, I'd have fucked that man's brains out...”

Madeleine strafed around to the side, “Wait...like one of those alternate dimension things...”

She shrugged, “Whatever,” she said, “when it comes to being here, I'm more like you're shadow.”

In comparison to Madeleine she was dressed in complete contrast, a tight tank top and a skirt that stopped well above her knees.

“So you stole in here to give me that bunt to the face?” Madeleine asked.

The Shadow shook her head, “Of course not,” she advanced quickly and kicked Madeleine in the stomaching knocking her back, “I came to see how rough the other me likes it...” she flung two knives down but Madeleine dodged getting to her feet.

This time when the Shadow stepped in to kick, Madeleine caught her by the leg and drug her to the ground, “Bitch.”

The clone thought to catch Madeleine off guard with a second kick, but she in the face with the face. Forced to let go, she dropped back and almost slammed into the side of the bed. Her Doppleganger got to her feet before Madeleine could, “Its not like in the movies, is it?”

Madeleine was holding her forehead as she rose, “What?”

“The gallant heroine and the copy duke it out, only to find they match each other move for move...” she said.

“You're insane,” Madeleine responded.

She produced a blade from the side of her skirt, “Maybe so,” she started, “But it appears I might be stuck here—and I'd like to know I'm more than your copy...” the two of them rushed together, Madeleine kicked the knife from her hand up into the air and spun to continue with a more forceful second kick. The copy was caught off balance but still managed to grab Madeleine by the shirt and pull her closer.

It all happened in a flash, the shadow grappled at her neck and turned her around. With a fleeting motion the clone caught the knife from the air. Madeleine was pulled down to the floor, with the clone behind her holding her around the neck with the knife poised.

“If you erase the original does the copy by default because the original?” asked the clone.

Madeleine vanished in a blinding flash of white and feathers; there was a pop sound and then she reappeared on the other side of the room near her suitcase and dug her hand down into the tightly packed clothes. The copy sprung back to her feet, and Madeleine whipped her pistol up and fired.

The sound was muffled by the silencer, the bullet tore through the air narrowly missing the target's neck. It sunk into the base of the wall just underneath of the air conditioner unit. As the copy moved to the side she flung a knife at the gun, knocking it off balance.

In those few seconds of lost concentration the Doppleganger rushed in for the attack. She forced the gun off to the side, “I see you won't go down with out something of a fight.”

Madeleine was an even match for the mysterious copy, her own strength seem equal and not over come. She struggled to hold back thoughts of what was going on until later. In another flash Madeleine moved up behind the clone now, teleporting instantly.

She went to strike out and before she could the clone teleported too. Instinct kicked in and Madeleine ducked down narrowly being missed by the forceful blow from the copy. And before the leg could be recovered, Madeleine, with herself just in range, swept the clone's leg out from under her. The assailant came tumbling to the ground and Madeleine pounced up to pin her.

With the copy plastered to the ground and her weight on her Madeleine drew her arms back, the rock like armor that she could call fourth in an instant encased her arms and she brought her arm down to pound her enemy into the carpet.

As her hit connected she was met with the resistance of the same rock armor covering the clone's face. Madeleine gasped and before she could take any other measure the clone was gone, teleporting out from under her. With a kick to the back of the head Madeleine careened off the dresser and into the wall.

She set up holding her head and quickly got to her feet, “Impossible...you've got the same powers...”

“Exact copy,” the leather clad woman strutted towards her, “we're going to have access to the same exact amount of power...”

“No one is an exact copy—none of this makes sense,” Madeleine searched the room for something, anything she could use.

“Love, we are No One's,” she spoke with her arms folded over her chest, “We're not people like your new boy toy, or even your mother...we're just forms—examples of perfection, not like the distorted trash that's Humanity...” she had stopped just feet away from Madeleine.

“I was right,” Madeleine started, “You might look like me and have my moves—but its clear you're nothing like me.”

“You're right,” said the clone, “I drink, I smoke, I fuck, I couldn't give a rat's ass about 'the human condition' and after I'm done with you I'm not going to squander my time away on this miserable existence you call a life...” the clone darted for her.

Madeleine straightened her hand out behind her like like a blade and encased it in hardened carbon, diamond. Just as the clone reached her she jabbed her diamond arm right through the heart. The sound of bone and flesh being torn into, sliced perfectly by the precious stone was the last sound for several moments.

“How did you...” the Doppleganger rasped. Her fingers grasped Madeleine's arm where it plunged into her chest, “...how did you do that?”

“Because only I know what I can do,” Madeleine said with her arm still jutting out the back of her clone's body. It was obvious she'd hit the fatal mark. She was kneeling with her arm struck out and up, the clone leaning down into the wound with its blood leaking down Madeleine's arm.

Madeleine transported herself and the clone out of the building. When she reappeared she stood at the edge of a murky river with the clone's body out over the edge of the water. The liquid was dark and still below. For hiding this body, something told her the River Walk would suffice.

“Things would have been different...” she gasped, “...in my dimension.” the clone expired as the last words left her lips.

Madeleine knelt on the side of the water and lowered the body down into the water and pushed the body off into the dark muck, “As if...” she rinsed as much of the blood as she could off in the water. She hated to even get the blood on herself at all. But this was business—this was her life.

After she warped herself back to the hotel room, she rushed around and picked up anything that didn't belong. Dropping to a squat and collecting up weapons, the shell casing from the gun and anything else she couldn't let be seen.

These things she deposited in the side pouch of her suitcase where no one would usually care to look. She took the time to wash up, her arm was a mess and she would have to scrub real had to get the blood completely cleaned. She came back out and dried off and then she was on the room phone, “This is Madeleine in number seven forty-five,” she sighed, “I'm going to need you to bring up a bottle of wine.”

The voice on the other end was male, very polite and all around well mannered, “Yes, ma'am, do you have any preference?”

Madeleine thought for a second, “Wait scratch that,” she paused, “bring me up a bottle of Patron Green Label and two small glasses.”

“Yes ma'am, right away.”

The moment she hung up the phone she was on the cell calling Dee, the phone only rang once and Dee answered. Cutting off anything Dee might say, Madeleine spoke, “Someone just came after me.”

“Jeeze Maddie,” Dee said, “I could have had male company over.”

“I'm serious, some kind of clone just attacked me,” Madeleine said.

“Clone of you?” asked Dee.

With a sigh Madeleine said, “Yes, try to keep up.”

“What did she say?”

“She said a bunch of shit about erasing me and then something about another dimension...” Madeleine said.

“War told me once that there were other dimensions to help keep this one in balance—you didn't kill her did you?” asked Dee.

“Yeah, I just dumped the body,” Madeleine said.

“Dammit Madeleine!”

Madeleine took a seat on the corner of the bed, “What is it?”

“If you killed her it might have broken that balance some...it could make you and any other Madeleine in other dimensions just a little bit more ...” Dee was cut off by Madeleine.

“...bad?”

Dee sighed, “If that's what she was, look you need to promise me something.”

“What's that?”

“Just make sure that there were no adverse effects,” Dee said.

“I assure you I'm you're same chipper little Madeleine!” she said.

Dee scoffed, “You saying that kind of shit already worries me.”

“Good by Dee,” she said.

“Bye.”

When the phone was hung up Madeleine decided to cut the television on and try to calm her nerves, it was only about five minutes before there was a knock at the door. Madeleine walked over to the door and opened it to find the waiter standing with a small round tray, the bottle of Patron encased in ice and two glasses upside down on the side of the tray.

She took the tray with a smile, “Thank you so much,” she started, “Sorry for calling so late.”

“It's not a problem ma'am,” he said as he nodded at her and turned away.

Madeleine shut the door behind herself with her foot and placed the tray on the corner of the bed. She decided to change clothes before doing anything more, there was this little night gown she had that she loved to wear, a light brown silk thing that she slept in most of the time. It wasn't something she would have been used to a guy seeing her in though.

A thought crossed her mind that she normally would have dismissed, but something made her stop on it and entertain it. Entertaining turned into thinking and thinking soon turned into action. She moved back to the closet and dug out a pair of little shorts and a t-shirt that she'd packed mainly to wear under other clothes.

She changed in a hurry, brushing her hair and teeth too. She headed out of the room with the tray of Patron in hand and boarded the lift bound for the floor just below hers. The wait going down seemed like it lasted forever. From there it was just one hall over to get to Brian's room. She reached his door and gave a little light rap.

There was no answer at first.

She knocked again “It's me.”

The door opened to a room lit by the cool glow of the television and nothing else. Brian peered out through the crack, “Is everything alright?”

“I couldn't sleep,” Madeleine said as she held the tray in the door, “Wondering if you needed some company.”

Brian's eyes widened as a jolt of realization rippled through his body. Madeleine's shirt not quite reaching the top of her shorts, the way she half leaned in the door. He'd always seen her as beautiful, gorgeous, even unassumingly sexy. But something was different there now. Her little half cocked smile postured beneath her button nose. He'd not seen her like this before, “Are things okay?” he asked, “You seem like somethings up?” he let her into the room.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the glasses clinked together on the tray as it was placed on his dresser. As he turned to head to the bed, she grasped his collar and guided him back towards her, “Now come here for a second...”

Now she backed into the dresser, her hand out behind her in a clumsy effort to direct the tray away. She slid her butt halfway up onto the wooden surface. The slippers slid from her feet as she let her feet hang just barely scrapping the ground.

She was holding him under the chin as he stepped in closer until he was standing between her legs. He grasped her hands in his, massaging them with his thumbs before forcing them down to her sides. His mouth covered hers hungrily, “Madeleine, I hope you didn't come down here to do anything you're going to regret because you think it'll make me happy.”

Madeleine had to wonder if Dee was right, if maybe the double had some adverse effect on her.

“Who said anything about doing something I'll regret,” her legs tightened and tensed around his body some. “I'm doing exactly what I want to,” her lips were drawn to his in a series of short shivery kisses, “You're not getting any further than...what's it called...second base,” with her body still connected to his, she turned back to open the bottle.

His breath flattened again her the curve of her shoulder as he spoke between each kiss that brought him closer and closer to the nape of her neck, “That's fine...by me...a guy could...get used to...this.”

Just as his lips brushed the curve of her neck, she tilted her head away and reached up caressing the side of her neck. Exploratory fingers etched lines down the small of her back. She remembered just then that something was concealed just below her waist line.

Her hand found its way to where she'd hidden a short flat throwing knife, tucked in the elastic waistband and before his hands could move too far down, she plucked it out and dropped down behind the dresser. Back there it was safe, no one would find it until it didn't matter.

The way her lips parted in an uncontrollable exhale brought her attentions back to him. Finally she could enjoy this, all the while knowing she'd have to hide portions of herself away. This was going to be part of her secret life, the part of her partitioned away from him. Brian didn't need to worry himself with matters of doubles, dopplegangers and Angels.

Sofiel: Partitions 1/2

December never stayed this warm where she came from but it wasn't worth complaining. Despite the change in climate, the overcast drizzly day reminded her too much of her home. The gray sky over the San Antonio Medical Center clashed and contrasted with the intense green of the swaying trees. It reminded her too much of Britain. She lifted her cup from the table and took a sip.

Madeleine pressed back against the mesh backing of the chair. Her chestnut hair was half-heartedly styled in a wind-whipped ponytail with a group of tendrils hanging in her face. She swept it back, only for the wind to blow it back in the way.

Madeleine spent very little time out of town apart from when she was working. Lounging at Starbucks, like this, was a rare commodity. Things had gained new complexity recently. The world seemed torn asunder, the center couldn't hold.

Horns from cars honked down in the street in front of the hospital, all in rows like shiny metal crops. With her eyes half closed she blew out pushing the hair back out of her face. The engine sounds, the aroma of steamed rain spewed up into the air, Madeleine wasn't much of a city girl, but it all fed into this soothing urban rhythm.

Her cellphone broke the cadence, she rolled her eyes and then plucked the phone from her purse and dropped it face up on the table. From the small square outside screen she could tell the call was coming from her apartment phone, obviously it was her roommate, Dee.

She slipped the blue-tooth device over her ear and then answered the phone, “Is everything okay?”

Dee was still recovering from being badly injured only a week and a half ago.

“Yeah,” came the high pitched voice on the other side of the phone. There was the sound of someone exhaling a long breath, as if they were smoking, “I was just calling to see where you were?”

“Over here in...” she looked down at the newly placed key chain ring, “...the Alamo City—that's what this little fucking key thing says.”

Dee snickered, “San Antonio, nice—well if you get the chance run downtown to Sam's Burger Joint and bring me one back.”

“We'll see.”

“Sofiel,” Dee spoke slowly.

There was a moment of silence, Madeleine's lips parted slowly as she searched for the words,“Let's forget you called me that, Azrael,” Madeleine's words dripped with sarcasm.

“I needed to get your attention to tell you something important,” Dee said, her voice slightly garbled over the static of the phone.

“What?”

“What would you think if I stopped...” Dee said.

There was a short burst of confused laughter, “Stopped? Stopped what, what do you mean?”

For a moment Dee was silent on the other end, “I want to stop being the Angel of Death?”

Madeleine's eyes darted around as she searched for an answer in anxiety, “I didn't know you could just stop being the Angel of Death,” her accent was especially apparent now.

“You can stop being anything,” Dee said.

“Stopping is easy, but it'll never get you anywhere, don't you want to learn from your mistakes and try to come back stronger?” Madeleine asked.

With a sigh Dee said, “I'm going to have to let you go, Maddie.”

“Just think about what I said.”

“I'll talk to you later,” that was when Dee hung the phone up. She was notorious for hanging up before the other person could respond, it was just what she did.

Madeleine glared down at her called ended screen, “Bye, Dee.”

She closed her phone and place it back on the table before taking another sip of the coffee. The sound of an approaching ambulance drowned out most of the other traffic and noises in the area. She clasped her hands over the table and waited for her mind to sink back into solace.

Before she could take her mind of anything, the phone rang again, she hissed under her breath, “Damn her, she's just too bored for her own good...keeps bloody calling me.” This time when she looked at the screen on the phone the call wasn't from Dee, it was from Brian. She answered it in a hurry, “Hello.”

“Hey, are you busy right now?” Brian's voice sent a little wave of excitement into her.

“Not really, just over here at a Starbucks in the Medical Center,” Madeleine calmed herself some, “Did your lecture let out early?”

“Yeah,” he responded, “Do you want to meet up somewhere and get some food?”

Madeleine stood up from the table gathering her stuff and glancing around the parking lot, “Um yeah, sure.”

“Alright, where should we go?” he asked.

“I saw some place off to the side of the freeway over near the hotel, I think it was called Olive Patch or something...” Madeleine said.

Brian chuckled, “You mean Olive Garden?” he paused to laugh again, “You've never been?”

“That was it?” she started as she reached the car and opened the door, “is it some kind of popular place?”

“Yeah its very popular and pretty good, you want to try it?” he asked.

“Sure.”

“We'll meet there,” he said, “Oh and I just wanted to thank you for coming along on this trip, I know its kind of quick for this sort of thing.”

“It's not a big deal really...” Madeleine answered, “But um thanks for honoring my request, I know it might have sounded a little strange and whatnot.”

“The separate rooms thing?” Brian said, “You already said this, and I told you it doesn't bother me...it would have just been a lot cheaper the other way...” he added in a joking manner.

She giggled lightly, “Sorry about that.”

“So where exactly was this Olive Garden?” he asked.

“1604 West just before the Mall,” Madeleine said, “I can't believe I remembered that.”

“I know, when we first hung out you couldn't even remember how to get home from where we were,” he quipped.

That's because I can pretty much teleport anywhere I need to go, Madeleine thought to herself. Being an Angel did afford her some advantages in travel as well as in other areas. She couldn't teleport now, she was in the middle of the city. Too many people and too much risk of being found out, plus there was the rental car to worry about.

Madeleine hunched down inside of the open door of the car with her arms stretched out over the top of the car and door. A small tap alerted her to something, she glanced up to see a small dome of water atop the maroon car.

With an upward burst of air from her lips she removed a tendril of hair from in front of her face, “Just like home.”

As she stepped into the car and sat down the rain came down harder. The pitter-patter of rain drops against the metal was something that she found somewhat soothing. The door to the car was closed and only the sound of rain was clear.

Madeleine glanced up to meet her own eyes in the review mirror. A coy smile plastered on her face, for some reason her own glance made her turn red. Suddenly she was nervous at the thought of seeing Brian. Which didn't even make sense, she'd been there with him for more than a day now.

She pulled the car out of the space to thoughts of his broad tan arms wrapped snug around her body, his lips moving down the side of her neck. The dull sound of a car horn cut through her daydream. Behind her a sedan was blocked from moving any further into the lot. With a sigh she pulled back into the space to let the person pass. As she pulled out int the street the deluge increased around her. Water splashed under her car and she turned and drove off down the road.

This was the afternoon's twilight time, there wouldn't be other drivers on the road in high numbers and she would have a pretty much clear shot back down Wurzbach and out to Interstate Ten, from there it was just a matter of miles to her destination.

Most of the drive there it was like the conscious part of her mind operated on auto-pilot. She drove without the radio, but that doesn't mean it was silent. On her mind's stage the events between herself and Brian were acted out in perfect clarity. Something about him puzzled her, he was able to get so close to her so fast. It was as if her defenses just wanted to let him in.

She parked the car around to the back of the restaurant and got out in a hurry, worried that he would already be waiting for her, possibly mad. Deep down she knew that he wouldn't be mad—she always thought that someone was going to react more violently than they ever did. It never failed to be anything but a vast exaggeration.

Her trot through the parking lot turned out to be a wet one, the rain hadn't completely abated. Yet it was just a cold mist falling from the sky and sometimes moving up and whipping with the wind. The drops hit her in the face, even on the eyes but were too small to bother her. She rounded the corner turning her attention to finding him now.

Madeleine spotted Brian standing off to the side of the front door of the restaurant. His tan muscular figure stood out against the lush foliage that decorated the exterior of the eatery. He stood taller than her, but not by much. His body was naturally toned, not like those waxy body builders.

Even then Madeleine had never envisioned herself with this kind of man. He was overtly charming and charismatic, but still well read and intelligent. It might have been a little biased of her, but she still hardly believed that a guy like this wanted to be a Marine Biologist.

He was well dressed, which he always seemed to be. He wore a maroon polo shirt that fit him slightly loosely and it was tucked into his black slacks. At least she wasn't under dressed, she let her hair down in the car and and was wearing her light suede jacket that only reached to about her waist. Below that she wore a white button up with a black vest over it and a velvety black skirt that reached to about her knees.

As she approached him through the misting rain a Cheshire smile spread across his face, “Maddie, Honey, I didn't expect you to be here so fast,” his stout arm was tucked behind his back.

She pointed, “What have you got behind your back there?”

His smile turned into a sheepish grin, “Looks like you caught me,” he produced a cornucopia of assorted flowers.

Her eyes grew wide and she ran up to meet him. Just when she stepped within arms reach he pulled her in closer, the small droplets of rain hung in her hair and made it twinkle slightly. The smile on her face grew as the shock subsided, “You got me flowers!” she tilted her head to one side as he embraced her, “Aww bless.”

With her face in his hands he kissed her, “I love when you say that,” his voice was low and smooth.

Her face warmed with embarrassment, “I...I know it...”

“And you still get so nervous when I kiss you,” Brian said, “its kind of, sexy,” he brushed her hair back.

She stifled a giggle as she pulled off to the side, still situated within his arms, “You Americans are weird.”

They're embrace continued as they moved through the door, “Yeah we might be,” he paused, “But admit that its part of the attraction.”

Madeleine rolled her eyes, “Mm, perhaps.”

Inside of the restaurant they were seated promptly, the gentle sounds Italian music playing soft in the background. The place was empty mostly, down in that crater-like-lull between lunch and dinner. The whole place was styled like a small farm house, with bundles of grapes and other fruits sitting in shutter covered windows and farmhouse pictures hung all around.

Madeleine was actually kind of impressed, she was expecting something far more gaudy. But even having been to small villages in Tuscany, she could see that this place was pretty authentic. The meal progressed without out incident, since they were the only ones there.

The food was actually much to Madeleine's liking, as she enjoyed anything Italian. But more than anything the salad struck her as being especially delicious. With the food was done and the check paid they stayed behind conversing even until some of the dinner crowd started to leak in. Madeleine kept pulling her slender fingers through her bistre locks.

Brian's eyes never wavered from hers. All of the things that passed by them, all of the other women, all of the sounds that filled the place couldn't pull him away from those emerald colored orbs. He reached out grasping her around the pale wrist gently, “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“What if I am?” she said shyly.

He chuckled, “You've got this sarcastic self defense mechanism...”

“Mmm, is that what that is?” She was doing it again.

“How do you think you got it?” he asked.

“It might just be something cultural,” she said through a yawn.

Brian started to gather up his things off the table, “Hey you want to get out of here.”

“Um sure, anything else I absolutely have to try?” Madeleine asked.

“Have you ever heard of the River Walk?”

Before it seemed that she had even asked what the River Walk was, they were already there. They'd taken his car and from where they were it just a matter of getting down town to Saint Mary's Street. The up close parking was expensive, but he opted to take it instead of making her walk all the way down there.

They circled back around under the freeway so that they could park the car in the shadow of the convention center. The River Walk was actually sunken down below the city streets in a cement canyon of sorts. The original river that it was built around had been walled off at either end and corralled to fit the city's needs.

On one end the river was peaceful, with wide sidewalks on either side and a bridge ever so often marking where a street ran above. At the other end the end there were businesses everywhere, some of the finest restaurants and tourist attractions in the city. At the river's end was a boisterous mall with all of the normal shops and things found in a mall.

They started near the end where the restaurants had just began and walked along the side of the murky waters, Madeleine on the inside and Brian against the water's edge with his arm thrown around her waist. People swarmed past them and Madeleine had to admit that it was a little more crowded than she would have liked.

Still she turned to him and smiled upwards, “It's so beautiful.”

He kissed her forehead, “I'm glad you like it.”

Her face warmed as her cheeks reddened again, “Indeed,” she quipped. This was becoming a constant symptom of being around him. They moved past the multitude of businesses and different types of shops.

Brian pointed with his free hand over to an ice cream shop wedged between two other eating places, its large sign hung part way out over the water, 'Cold Stone' it read. “Have you ever been there?” he asked.

Madeleine shook her head, “An ice cream parlor?”

With a sly smirk he glanced down at her pale face, “You people have so many ways of expressing things...”

“Oh what did I say now?” she asked.

He chuckled as he led her off towards a small bridge that transversed the river, “It was nothing Mads,” he reassured her.

It must have been too cold for most people to even entertain the idea of getting ice cream because there was no one else inside of the place except for them. They took their time eating and there was far less conversation at this junction. Madeleine hadn't yet admitted to herself that she was beginning to get tired. She hadn't used her powers today so she really couldn't tell why.

But Brian must have noticed her eyelids sinking, “You getting tired?” he asked reaching out to touch the side of her face as she took a spoon full of ice cream into her mouth. She nodded slightly, “Well we can finish up here and head back, we've got three more days here—there's no need to rush and do things.”

Madeleine nodded in agreement, “I've been seeing adverts for this theme park on the television, Fest of Texas I think its called?

“Feista Texas?” Brian asked.

“Whatever, I'm not reading the screen—but I want to try that out tomorrow if we have time,” she said.

Brian nodded, “Then that's just what we'll have to do.”