Language/Violence Disclaimer: There is violence here. There is also some heavy language here. If this bothers you I suggest you don't read this.
Love/Sex Disclaimer: There is same sex relationship here between two consenting adult women. If this offends you or if you are under age please don't read this.
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Part 5
Casey stopped at the nearest restaurant she found. For all she cared it could have been a fast food place even though it probably wouldn't be a hit with her passenger. So fortunately for her, it just so happened she stopped at Portia's, a relatively nice establishment that served Cajun food.
The ride to the restaurant consisted of just listening to the radio. Although, neither of the women in the car could remember what station it was tuned to. Casey was too busy worrying about Angel asking her a question and Angel was just busy thinking about her day. The most words they spoke to each other was when Casey asked if stopping at the Cajun restaurant was ok.
The pair walked into the Portia's and was immediately seated. Their drink orders were taken immediately then the waitress disappeared. The place wasn't that crowded, actually Angel and Casey were one of the few patrons of the restaurant. There seemed to be a small party happening in a closed in section of the restaurant, but other then them, the place was empty.
It would usually be called a comfortable setting, but Casey was far from comfortable. The lighting was low and the candle that was lit in the middle of their table gave them much of their light. Soft music could be heard playing from above. Yet, with all these amenities that aided in the escape from the outside world for a nice pleasant dinner, did nothing for either the dark haired woman or the shorthaired blonde.
"Are you going to remain silent the entire meal?" Angel asked her dinner companion as she perused the menu.
Casey lifted her eyes from her own menu and took a quick glance at the blonde. She wasn't sure how she should respond, because if things were to go her way she wouldn't have to say a thing during dinner or any time following it.
"Is there something you wish to talk about?" She decided to just ask a question instead and quickly learned her mistake when Angel answered.
"Let's talk about you." Angel's emerald green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Is there something you want to talk about besides me?" Casey clarified.
"No." Angel responded. "I only wish to talk about you and I always get to choose the topic of conversation."
"Is that so?" Casey looked back to her menu even though she was far from able to focus on the text.
"Let's start by me telling you what I know about you and then you can fill me in on all I don't know." Angel said ignoring Casey's question completely.
Their waitress walked up to the table and deposited their respective drinks in front of them. "Here's your Sprite Angel, and a Dr. Pepper for you." She said as she placed the soft drink in front of Casey. "Can I take your orders now?"
Casey looked over at Angel surprised Angel hadn't mentioned she knew their server. Angel just shrugged her shoulders at the taller woman. She had never been to this place before and certainly didn't know any-- Angel leaned over to read their waitress's nametag-- Tiffany who worked as a waitress in a restaurant named Portia's.
Tiffany, the waitress, shifted her stance beginning to get a little impatient with the two women sitting at the table who did nothing but stare at each other. "Do you need more time?" She asked trying to prompt the women into answering.
"I'd like the Jambalaya." Angel answered not looking back at the waitress and instead just keeping her eyes fixated on those sapphire blues of Casey's.
"I'll take the same." Casey responded not missing a beat.
Tiffany looked from one woman to the next and decided to just take the order and leave. She tentatively reached out to take the menu's which were readily given to her then she walked away, hoping it took Jim, the cook, a long time to cook their meal.
"You freaked out the waitress." Angel told Casey casually.
"I think you mean we freaked out the waitress."
"No I said what I meant. You're the one who started the staring contest." The blonde challenged.
"I didn't know you knew our server." Casey said as way of explanation.
"It shouldn't matter if I did. It's none of your business." Angel defended. "And besides, I don't know her she just happened to call me Angel when she handed me my drink. It happens."
Casey narrowed her eyes at the woman across from her. She couldn't believe she was letting Angel get on her nerves so easily. "You don't have to be so defensive."
Angel laughed but with little humor. "This coming from a woman who just punched my best friend the other night."
"She deserved it." The dark haired woman shot back. "She told you as much this morning." 'Was it only this morning' Casey fleetingly thought to herself.
"You still punched her." The blonde stated as a matter of fact.
"You would have done the exact same thing." Casey defended herself. "She's lucky I didn't try to shoot her."
"Oh so you're short tempered and violent. You must be a very lovely person." Angel said sarcastically.
"It's a little disconcerting when a person who you don't know knows everything about you." Casey pointed her finger at the woman sitting across from her. "You would have done the same thing."
"I don't go around punching people and I certainly don't go around shooting them."
Casey couldn't help but laugh at Angel's words. "This coming from a mobster."
"I don't need to go around punching people or shooting them. There are people who usually do that for me." The blonde responded seriously.
The dark haired woman's face dropped and she looked at Angel carefully thinking of a response. "At least I do my own dirty work."
Angel grinned. "Oh I do my own dirty work Victoria." The blonde sounded out every syllable of the name. "But it's hard to cover every single little nuisance that rears its ugly little head." She paused for a moment and looked deep into Casey's eyes. "But you'd surely know about that Victoria, since you run your own drug cartel and everything."
Casey looked around the restaurant hoping to spot their waitress with their food. She wanted nothing more then a small interruption to have time to gather her thoughts. The little game she had begun to play with Angel had taken an ill turn in her favor.
"What are you looking for Victoria?" The blonde asked having noticed Casey's shifting eyes. "You don't like talking with me?"
"You are not a thing like I expected you to be." Casey didn't want to say that aloud but what was done was done and she just decided to continue on. "For some reason people have the ill gotten impression that you have some redeeming qualities. It will be a sad day when they all find out they have been so grossly mislead."
"What can I say Victoria? You bring out the best in me."
The way Angel said her name annoyed Casey to no end. She insisted on pronouncing every single syllable in the name separately. Casey knew Angel could say her name properly, she had heard her do it before.
"If this is your best, I would certainly hate to see your worst." As an after thought Casey added. "What the hell happened to the woman I first met in the kitchen this morning?"
Angel lowered her head. "You must be pretty good a keeping secrets, considering you're supposed to be a dead woman." She brought her head up and focused her attention on a spot on the wall just behind Casey. "I'm thinking you're going out to get revenge on the Santiago family. It's the only thing that makes any sense." Angel said under breath. Casey wasn't even sure if she was still talking to her.
"Revenge. That's all you want." Angel brought her eyes back to face Casey's. "What you want makes sense. What you're going to do makes none."
"What are you talking about?" The dark haired woman asked confused.
Before Angel could answer Tiffany returned with their orders. She quickly set the plates down giving them each a warning that the plate was hot then quickly walked away telling them if they needed anything they should just holler.
Angel looked down at her plate then she looked back at Casey. "You're going to murder an entire family because one man who happens to carry their name did wrong by you."
The blonde woman picked up her fork and took a bite from her food. Casey just sat and watched her waiting for Angel to continue speaking.
"Have you even wondered why Alexia is so willing to let you destroy one of her business associates?"
"It did cross my mind." Casey responded. evenly.
"Nothing gets done that Alexia doesn't want to get done. Especially when it concerns her own business dealings."
"I'm sure you have a point somewhere." The dark haired woman tried to sound bored even though she was anxious for Angel to answer.
Angel continued to eat her food and ignored Casey until she was almost through. As soon as the dark haired woman noticed Angel wasn't going to immediately respond she began eating her own plate of food. It was obvious that Angel was in control of the conversation and if Casey wanted to find anything out she would have to just to be patient with the green eyed woman.
The waitress returned with the bill a good time later. Casey pulled out her wallet but wasn't able to beat Angel in handing her credit card to Tiffany. Casey would have actually preferred to be pay because she didn't want to be indebted to Angel in anyway, but fighting with Angel over the issue wouldn't get her any of the answers she wanted.
Angel sat back in her chair and tapped her fingers on the table to the beat of the music that played overhead. Her eyes closed briefly and her face turned into the woman Casey had met earlier that day, if only for a brief moment. When Angel opened her eyes again it was as if she suddenly remembered she was sitting with someone else at the table.
"I don't know why Alexia wants the Santiago's to fall." She stated simply. "But when you are completely honest with her she will be completely honest with you."
"And you would know this from experience?" Casey snapped, sorely disappointed Casey didn't know what Alexia's agenda was.
Angel's face turned melancholy. "Alexia knows all my secrets."
"I'm sure she does with the exception of whatever your business with Michael Lopez is." The dark haired woman said snidely.
The emerald eyes narrowed. "Like I said, Alexia knows all my secrets. She just doesn't know all my business."
"Then it would appear you two aren't as close as you claim to be." Casey remarked. "She only knows most of your secrets while you know almost none of hers."
"I don't need to know her secrets to know her." Angel said indignantly. "I don't need to know all her secrets to love her."
'Then she is very lucky' Casey thought to herself, but aloud she said nothing.
"I don't think this dinner went very well." Angel smiled trying to lighten the mood. "I haven't been that nice to you this evening and I apologize."
Casey looked at Angel curiously. The sudden change in the woman's attitude baffled the dark woman. Angel proved to be a person you couldn't judge upon the first meeting. Actually, she couldn't probably be properly judged after the second, third, fourth, or thousandth meeting. Casey pegged Angel as a person you had to expect the unexpected from.
"Apology accepted."
Mike was a six and a half-foot African American male who boxed for a living. He did the professional circuit for a few years as a champion heavy weight, but had to drop out when he was caught doing drugs. He'd been out of fighting professionally for a few years and was trying very hard to get back in.
The profits in fighting amateur weren't even close to what he made professionally. Mike had many debts that had to get paid. What he was making now just wasn't enough. He hoped with the help of his new manager he could get back to fighting professionally soon.
Currently Mike was preparing for a fight scheduled for later that night. He was down in the ring just taking in the atmosphere like he usually did before a fight. The ring was dark except for a small light that shone right on the center of the ring. He couldn't see all the seats in the house, but if he closed his eyes he could picture them all perfectly.
Mike had his eyes closed and was thinking of match he had had when he fought professionally when Alexia came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. On instinct, Mike threw a quick punch behind him without even seeing who was standing there. It was something he had learned to do when he was very young growing up in the streets. Hit them before they get a chance to hit you.
The idea of catching this man's fist didn't even cross Alexia's mind. She immediately ducked the punch and stepped out of the man's range.
"You throw another punch at me and I'll make sure you loose your entire hand." She said when she was far enough away from the burly man.
"Jesus Alexia!" Mike yelled. "Why did you come up behind me like that? You know better than that. I could have seriously hurt you."
Alexia put her hand over her heart. "Your worry truly touches me." She couldn't have sounded any more sarcastic if she tried.
Mike growled at the dark woman then rushed her and engulfed her in a hug and lifted her off the ground. "I've missed you Alexia. Why have you been away so long? How's Angel?" He asked as soon as he put her back down.
"Angel's doing fine." Alexia chuckled lightly. "I think she's a little pissed at me, but that really can't be helped."
"What have you done to her?" Mike crossed his muscled arms and looked gravely down into Alexia's mahogany eyes.
"Nothing I won't make up for." Alexia pushed a loose braid back behind her ear and walked around the boxing ring. The emptiness of the huge arena and low lighting made her feel like she was in an abyss, instead of center stage.
The dark woman could remember the times she actually enjoyed the boxing arena. Angel of course hated it when she competed, but it was one of the few things Alexia would do no matter if she had Angel's approval or not. Actually, Alexia wouldn't ask even for Angel's support. Alexia just told her friend one day she was going to take up kickboxing professionally, and that was the end of it. Alexia's only explanation had been that it was something she had to do in order to find out how far she was really willing to go.
Angel considered the explanation to be lacking while Alexia thought it to almost be too revealing. Still, Angel did end up going to one fight, the last fight Alexia ever fought.
"Alexia I'm never going to understand you." Angel was pacing the locker room trying hard not to focus on the coming event, but failing miserably. "I can not condone you going off and intently getting in a ring with someone with the pure intent to cause them severe bodily harm."
Alexia only pulled her black tank top over her head. Her locker was open and she reached inside pulled out her black cotton pants and finished dressing. She never once looked over at Angel.
"How can you just stand there and prepare to do this?" The blond shouted angrily.
Still there was no response from Alexia. She only picked up her things and shut her locker.
"Will you please just tell me why you're doing this?" Angel was now desperate. She just needed to understand so badly. "I know you don't need the money."
Still there was no response from Alexia. She walked right out of the locker room letting the door swing shut behind her not concerned with whether Angel followed her or not.
Angel watched her lover go. She wasn't sure if following Alexia would be the best thing to do. Alexia had made no effort to speak to her about fighting since the day she had told Angel of her plans, no matter what Angel tried to get the dark woman to talk. Yelling hadn't worked. Begging hadn't worked. Not one thing could be done to make Alexia let the woman, who loved her most in the world, know what was going through her mind. Not one thing.
Angel leaned heavily against the locker bank and cried, not for the first time, over Alexia's refusal to speak to her. She was frustrated and angry, but most of all she was hurt. In the back of her mind Angel had believed that since her physical relationship with Alexia had changed the dark woman would tell her all her secrets. The woman couldn't have been more wrong. Alexia hadn't opened up to Angel anymore then before, and that was silently killing the green-eyed woman.
Expectations of what a life with Alexia meant were quickly made clear to the blond, and Angel wasn't quite sure she could live with them. The future foretold pain and heartache. The future foretold the possibility of loosing the person who was her lover, her hero, her confidant, and her friend... her best friend.
With a quick swipe with the back of her hand to her face Angel dried her tears. She refused to shed one more tear for Alexia. It wasn't worth crying for someone who had no interest in making the tears go away.
Angel straightened herself up and pulled down on white leather jacket. With a different mindset than she had before, Angel walked out of the locker room and headed in the direction she guessed Alexia would have taken... straight to the ring.
The arena was filled to capacity and plus some. When Angel reached the floor of the ring her ears were pulsing with the scream of the crowd. They were all screaming the same name, actually it was more of a chant.
"Midnight! Midnight! Midnight!" They chanted over and over again it becoming the arena wall's mantra.
Angel continued on to the ring. The fight had not yet started and the fighters not yet announced, but the crowd new Midnight was going to show up to fight.
Neon lights filtered from above. Flashing and roaming from one end of the arena to another. This only fed the crowds already abundant enthusiasm. Angel's heart began to beat faster with expectation.
"Welcome to the Caesar's Arena the only place that you can see MIDNIGHT!" A man's voice yelled over the speakers. He continued to speak, but the great crowd drowned out his words with their shouting, their cheering, their raw excitement.
The first fighter was introduced, but this man was not Midnight. No, this man was Armageddon and when he walked to the ring not one person could be heard cheering in his favor. Armageddon didn't appear to be fazed by the crowd. He had confidence that he could beat the awesome Midnight. He was after all a man and Midnight was a mere woman, surely this fight would go in his favor.
Angel watched the man walk to the ring. He was surrounded with security but his stature could not be hidden. Armageddon appeared to be a massive Caucasian man who at least had to be six and a half feet tall. He carried himself with pride and confidence and that scared Angel because if this crowd could not make the man worry about the upcoming fight he might actually have a chance of winning.
Then suddenly the music began playing loudly.
"And now ladies and gentlemen," The announcer shouted into his microphone to be heard over the music and roaring crowd. "The Caesar Arena and Associates proudly brings you MIIIIDDDNNNIIIGHTTT!"
I am the voice inside your headI am the lover in your bed
I am the sex that you provide
I am the hate you try to hide
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down I use you up
Mr. self-destruct
The lyrics of the song made Angel cringe, but the crowd continued to scream. They had just gotten their first glance at their favorite Midnight. Alexia was making her way down the walkway towards the ring. She was walking straight for Angel.
I speak religion's message clearI am denial guilt and fear
I am the prayers of the naive
I am the lie that you believe
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down I use you up
Mr. self-destruct
Emerald green eyes fixated on the so-called "Midnight". There was fire in those eyes and someone was sure to get burnt.
I am the needle in your veinI am the high you can't sustain
I am the pusher I'm a whore
I am the need you have for more
I am the bullet in the gun
I am the truth from which you run
I am the silencing machine
I am the end to all your dreams
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down I use you up
Mr. Self Destruct
The last of the heavy guitar music continued to fill the arena. Alexia reached her destination and stopped right in front of Angel. The blond was prepared to start yelling again, but soon realized it would be of no use. The yelling had no purpose. Instead, of doing anything Angel just stood in front of Alexia and waited to either be moved aside or faced head on.
Alexia looked into Angel's green eyes for a very long time, deciding what she should do. Unexpectantly she reached down and pulled Angel's mouth to her own. The action was swift, but the touch tender. Suddenly, the crowd disappeared and the music could no longer be heard. A perfect space of serenity had been boxed out for the two women.
Slowly, Alexia pulled herself away from Angel and once again looked into the eyes of the woman she cared the most about.
"This is the last one Angel. I promise you this will be the last one." The dark woman gently caressed Angel's face as if to store it in her memory forever. "We'll talk later." With that Alexia continued up to the ring and didn't look back.
The noise of the crowd suddenly rushed back into Angel's consciousness. She realized Alexia had just given her the gentlest caress in a place the woman was considered a savage killer. The irony of the moment could have only been outdone by the fact that Angel's words had had an effect on the tall dark woman. Alexia was going to quit fighting with only two more fights until she was the first woman to win the men's championship.
Alexia had won the fight that night. Armageddon had only lasted fifteen minutes before he had to be rushed to the hospital. Alexia was given the prize money but didn't keep any of it. She never kept any of her prize money. She would always give it away to some charity or another. The only explanation she gave when asked why was, "I want to make sure no kid ends up having to fight to make a living."
Mike watched his friend stare out into the empty seats. He had watched Alexia when she was kickboxing and knew he would never want to be in the ring with her. Boxing was his sport of choice and after seeing Alexia fight, he had decided boxing would always be his sport of choice.
"Do you miss it?"
Alexia immediately knew to what the man was referring. She took one last look around the surrounding arena and shook off the last of her memories. "No."
"You mean to tell me you don't miss it jut a little?" Mike walked up to Alexia and spread his arms wide indicating the empty arena. "You don't miss the crowds chanting your name? You don't miss that feeling you get before a fight when all the adrenaline is coursing through your veins and you feel like you could take on a mountain?" The burly man asked indignantly. "You don't miss anything?"
"The funny thing about mountains Mike is that they'll always win." Alexia responded her voice taking on a reverent tone, "and trust me when I tell you that you will always at some point meet a mountain."
"What are you talking about?" The man's voice was incredulous. "You were undefeated."
"I never wanted to be a fighter Mike, but it seems being a fighter is part of my destiny."
"Why did you even start to fight Alexia?" Mike asked knowing why she stopped but never why she started.
"When Angel asked me that question three years ago I told her it was because I had to find out how far I was really willing to go." The dark woman responded. "And while that is true, I guess I really began fighting because my soul got restless. I was getting too comfortable being with Angel and I was forgetting my place. I couldn't let all my anger go, and Angel's good at making me want to do that."
"Tell me if I'm wrong Alexia, but isn't that a good thing?" Mike's forehead was scrunched up in consternation. His mind couldn't completely keep up with what Alexia was talking about.
The dark woman leaned her head toward the ceiling and closed her eyes. She said something in a language the man didn't understand then lowered her head and turned her attention back to him. "Loosing my anger would be a great thing, but it's too soon."
"Letting go is hard my friend, but sometimes it's necessary." Mike said hoping to offer his friend sage advice.
"I am letting go." Alexia whispered almost to her herself.
Mike knew she wasn't talking about letting ago of her anger. Something was wrong with her, that was painfully obvious, but breaking through that wall she had up would be impossible for the man to accomplish, no matter how hard he wished to. Mike even wasn't sure if Angel had been able to penetrate that damnable wall. It was a roadblock that separated Alexia from the rest of the world.
"When you said you started fighting to see how far you were willing to go, what did you mean by that?" The man asked hoping to get a glimpse at what his friend was so melancholy about.
"I can't tell you that Mike. I can't even bring myself to think it. It's a thing only to be revealed in my nightmares."
He knew she was serious. He believed she would only allow herself to face that demon in her dreams. There, maybe she could be punished and tortured for what she had done. Mike thought her dreams were probably the only place that Alexia could face all her secrets.
"Why are you here Alexia?" Mike asked with the small hope he would get an answer that he didn't have to decode to understand.
"Just saying good-bye." The dark woman hugged the man fiercely for a brief moment. "I'll miss you Mike," she whispered into his ear then released him.
Mike looked down at Alexia for a moment clearly confused but before he could speak she placed her hand over his mouth and shook her head. "Don't ask because I won't answer."
With that Alexia jumped out of the ring and walked towards the exit of the arena. When she reached the doorway she turned around and looked back and began to sing, "I take you where you want to go. I give you all you need to know. I drag you down I use you up. MR. SELF-DESTRUCT!"
The big man laughed heartily having heard Alexia's theme song many times before. "And she sings!" He yelled out through his laughter. "She sings and she sings well!"
Alexia began to play an air guitar and continued to sing the song until she was completely through. Her braids were flying every which way and her body gyrated almost violently. This Alexia seemed to not have a care in the world.
Mike applauded loudly and threw in a few whistles for good measure. He continued to laugh heavily and only laughed harder when Alexia began to bow to her imaginary audience. She raised her hands in the air to die down the imaginary applause and made shushing noises to the crowd.
Suddenly Mike could see the empty arena filled to the brink with the imaginary people cheering on their Midnight. He could see the lights dancing wildly around the dark woman only heightening her beauty and the music playing loudly over the sound system. . Alexia was even getting a standing ovation. It was a great farewell to their beloved.
"I'm sorry folks." Alexia apologized to her crowd. "Midnight is going home." Then, the dark woman bowed one last time, kicked open the doors and just walked out. Mike was still cheering as she left.
"Let's get out of this place and go to Glenview Park." Angel rested her arms on the tabletop. "I think we actually do need to talk, but not here." She looked around the restaurant and took a deep breath. "I feel like I need some fresh air."
Casey nodded her head and stood from her seat. Glenview Park was just a short walk down the street. It was a calm place where people could be found just relaxing and the kids playing happily. Casey often frequented the park it having become her sanctuary. The serenity of the place made her feel like she was a kid again playing with her brother in their yard and her father was still her hero.
The two women exited the restaurant and took a leisure walk to the park. Neither of them spoke, each needing to gather their thoughts. Each was still wary of the other's presence unsure of what could be said without fear of severe repercussions.
Casey couldn't help but think of her meeting with Alexia had been so different. When they met it was about nothing but raw power. With Angel however, it was different. The only thing they had in common was illegal business strategies and usually that wasn't considered, by either woman, riveting conversation. "I'm right about Santiago, aren't I?" Angel was the first to break the prolonged silence.
The dark haired woman considered wither or not she should tell Angel anything. Alexia hadn't been too forthcoming about what she should tell Angel. Alexia hadn't even told her what roll Casey was going to play in her taking out the Santiago family. As of this moment, the blonde woman didn't seem like she was too willing to jump on the killing Santiago bandwagon.
"Did Alexia tell you anything about me?"
Angel stopped walking and waited until she had Casey looking directly into her eyes. "She only told me your name, and your name told me your story."
"So you've heard of me?" Casey raised her left eyebrow a little surprised.
The shorter woman smirked then continued her trek into the park. "My family tried to get me to go into business with you a countless amount of times." The woman's step paused for a moment with her thoughts. "That is until you allegedly died. Then they gave up."
Casey fell into step with Angel's set pace and let silence fall over them once again, this time not so strained. The tall woman took a deep breath of the fresh air happy for the reprieve from the decidedly hectic day. This was the first time in a long time she wasn't responsible for looking out for some person's life she didn't even care about or had to run some stupid errand like picking up laundry.
Angel led them to a picnic table and sat down on top of the tabletop that afforded her the perfect view of the playground. Casey sat beside her and they both watched the children play.
"Do you ever want any of your own?" The blonde woman asked after a moment. She turned to look at Casey for her answer and couldn't help but laugh. Casey was currently doing a great imitation of a deer caught in the headlights look. "I'll take that as a no." Angel managed through her chuckles.
"It's not that." Casey responded her face finally returning to normal. "It's just that no one has ever even thought to ask me that."
"Well then," Angel prompted and bumped her shoulder. "Did you or do you want any children?"
Casey gave a lop-sided grin and turned her attention back out to the playing children. "I've never allowed myself to think about it before. I don't think I'm really mother material." She turned her eyes back to Angel. "How 'bout you? You want any kids?"
Angel sat back on her hands and allowed the wind to blow back her hair. Casey watched fascinated. Suddenly she understood as to why the woman was named Angel.
"I can't have children."
Angel's answer ripped Casey from her thoughts. "Why?" She asked immediately then thought to add, "That is if you don't mind me asking."
Green eyes smiled up to Casey and once again Casey lost herself. "It was just something that wasn't meant to be." The blonde answered flippantly. "Plus, I don't think the way I live my life would be the type of environment conducive to raising a child."
"But you're changing your life style." Casey blunted responded. "You've been trying to get your family to go legal for a long time."
Angel raised her head and looked up into the sky. The sun was taking its rest in the western skies and colored the heavens with it's orange like tint. The wind was blowing softly cooling off Angel's skin from the heat of the day. The green-eyed woman couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.
"Have you ever worked for something so hard and for so long, that when you finally get close to it you can't really remember why you're doing it anymore?" The blonde woman asked not taking her eyes from the sky.
Casey thought about the question for a moment. "No. I haven't. But I have worked for something so hard and for so long that when I got it I found out I didn't want it anymore." She answered. "Are you having doubts about your business?"
"I am a writer. My father always supported that." Casey noticed Angel was seeing something else besides the evening sky. "Besides Alexia, he was my number one fan and supporter and he never asked me to follow his footsteps in the family business. As he got older he got tired of the bullshit that goes on in our
type of business, and he sat me down and asked me to make things right. So, when he died I took his place and decided to get rid of all the bullshit he couldn't stand." Angel turned and looked at the dark haired woman. Tears that she would not allow to fall pooled in the corner of her eyes. "That was four years ago."
Casey remained silent. She had no clue what she could say or should say to ease the pain that revealed itself in Angel's eyes. The dark haired woman was soon saved from having to answer because Angel began to speak again, carrying on with her story."Today I am closer then ever to getting rid of all the bullshit, but now I see you in my path and I can't figure out yet if you're going to help me or hurt me."
Serious blue eyes met green. "It is not my intent to take away anything you have accomplished with your family."
"Alexia is the one who brought you here. She now is the one who dictates your intent." The blonde revealed.
"That woman has no control over me." Casey didn't even believe the words as they left her mouth.
Angel began to chuckle but the chuckle soon turned into a laugh. "Tell me Casey, did you go to her or did she come to you?" She managed to ask in between gasps of air.
The dark haired woman narrowed her eyes. "I don't see why that's important." She snapped.
"Then you went to her." The blonde guessed. "And that means she has all the control."
Casey thought about Angel's statement and realized it to be true. She didn't want it to be true, but after a quick evaluation of her day she realized it was true. Every time Alexia had told her to jump, Casey had asked how high.
"It is both a blessing and a curse Casey." Angel explained. "She probably sees you as something more than you are now, but what you are when she's done with you, that could be the curse."
"And what have you become under her tutelage?" Casey's tone was meant to be condescending, but really only revealed genuine curiosity.
Angel's laughter stopped immediately and her face was once again serious. Casey almost felt bad from taking the joy away from Angel, but the possibility of the blonde woman answering her outweighed any guilt.
"I have become much more then I thought myself capable of being." Angel hopped down from atop the picnic table and held out her hand. "Come on it's getting late. Take me home."
The dark haired woman didn't want the conversation to end, but she was sure she could get all the answers she wanted later. Besides, she had to find Alexia and give her Michael's package. Casey reached out and let Angel help her from her seat, even though it wasn't much needed.
They began walking back to Portia's parking lot where Casey's car was parked. The trip was in silence with both women deciding to just save any further discussions for later. Time didn't seem like it was a big factor yet.
The song used in this part is by Nine Inch Nails and is © 1994 tvt/interscope records. I mean no harm by using it.