What Comes After A Fall

[Lucas]

His head didn't hurt, thank God. But so many thing churned in his mind. In the light of day, the thought of him drinking really bothered him. He knew Aria's father had a lot to do it, pushing him down into that hole. But he had chosen to cope with alcohol.

Somehow, though, God hadn't given up on him. Aria called him when she needed him most- and from what he knew, it could have been so much worse, for both of them- and he had gotten out of there. Her hair was wet. She must have taken another shower. He could understand why she would. He shook his head. Serial killers. Monsters. And Aria a hunter. It felt almost overwhelming.

The girl was gone, sneaking out while they slept, he guessed. He wanted to go looking for her. The victims of this guy were usually runaways. He knew that life, knew the places and shelters that kids went to. Six years was a lifetime, on the streets, he knew all too well.

He sat up. "We need to find her. Can you do that? With your abilities or whatever? You said you tracked this guy."
He frowned, realizing how stupid he was. He grabbed his phone. "I need to call the police. Jeez, I wasn't thinking last night. He's still out there."
God, he just wasn't thinking clearly.

Aria grabbed his hand. "Someone's already handling it. And yes, I can track her if you want me to."


He looked at her. "What do you mean someone's already handling it?"


Aria took a deep breath and sighed, "The only reason I got out was because someone followed me, and saved us. He said he was going to take care of it."


He frowned. It was so hard to think right now. "What does that mean? I mean, seriously, Aria, this guy tortured and killed a lot of girls. We have to call the police."


"Please, Lucas. Can we wait, if it's not on the news by the end of the weekend, you can call."
She pleaded.

He shook his head. "We can't take the chance, Aria. These girls he takes, some of them were street kids like I was. Kids no one would miss. We can't leave him out there."


She gave him a weak smile. "I don't think he'll be out there doing anymore harm Lucas. The man who followed me was tracking me, I stand out, swords kinda do that. He wasn't like you, he was different, more like me."
She took a deep breath and continued, "More vigilanti though, less about the law than the police. He'll get what he deserves, I'm sure. You'll see. And I really don't want my name strung up in all that. Would be very, very bad for me."


He put his hand in his head. What had he thought about no headache? Because suddenly he had a very powerful one. Aria. He was so confused. He rubbed at his head. This was so out of his area, this nebulous world that she lived in, with fathers who tried to kill daughters and young women out hunting serial killers, of vigilantis and monsters. It had its own rules, its own logic. He didn't get it.

He lifted his head and looked her in the eye, searching, wanting to trust her. If she was wrong...."What if you're wrong Aria?


"I'm not wrong Lucas. Trust me. He wasn't going to make it out alive when I left."
There was a darkness in her eyes. "He was afraid, he knew it. He saw his death coming, I could feel it."


He sat there for a long while, just looking at her. It was like he was standing on a cliff and couldn't see the bridge. He stood at the edge for a long time, trying to figure things out. In the end though, he knew that she lived in a larger world than he did. For the first time, it terrified him that he had to trust her on this.

He stepped off the cliff. Now it was a matter of seeing if there was a bridge or not. The thought of waiting gave him a terrible sense of dread. He needed to clear his head. So much had happened. "I need to go to my meeting."
He ran his fingers through his hair and checked the time. There was a session in an hour or so. He still felt guilty though. Confused. "I need to go to confession."
Maybe God would forgive him. Maybe he'd find peace. He prayed that she was right.

[Aria]

Aria wasn't exactly sure that was him letting it go or not, but she wasn't going to press matters. "I'll go with you."
Her thoughts in the shower pretty much mimicked the same train.

He looked at her and seemed to smile a bit. "Ok."
He didn't seem to want to say more.

She smiled and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt from her drawers and went to the bathroom to change. Not something she'd normally do, but under present company it was probably for the best, she smiled to herself. He always had a strange affect on her, those bright blue eyes of his watching her. She sighed.

She spoke through the door. "If you still want to find Mya afterwards we can. Though I don't think she wants our help."
Aria figured she'd go look for her again later, make sure she was okay. She didn't have any place to go, that Aria was sure of. But beyond that she didn't know anything else about the girl.

Aria finished pulling her t-shirt on and running a brush through her hair before pulling it up into a high ponytail and walked out the door. Her boots were the last thing she pulled on. Aria saw the empty sheath sitting by the door and sighed. She was going to miss that sword. Dude better give it back. But she had to rely on faith he would. Faith he'd call her, and faith he'd give it back as it was left him. She had no idea if the sword would survive the power of a god being used upon it. He seemed to want to study it. Aria shrugged at the thought, whatever. She just wanted it back.

Aria took her coat off the hook and put it on waiting for Lucas to be ready, not that he had much to do, he was still as handsome as ever. She tried not to blush at the thought and pushed it away.

Aria let Lucas lead the way, it was his meeting. They got on the metro. The silence wasn't awkward, but it was there, an eiry strange feeling, a lot had happened to both of them. Aria wanted to ask about her father, what he'd said, what'd they'd done. Why Lucas was feeling guilty. She understood Giordano had affected his demons, one being drinking, and his clean life style blown all because he was friends with her. She sighed and sat back in her chair. She was weaponless for the first time in a very long time. She hadn't even taken her gun with her. She felt uncomfortable without a weapon, almost naked.

As soon as their destination neared Aria knew which church they were going to, it was the same one that they'd gone to Mass at. This was a big step for her, admitting to someone what she'd done. No one knew. Only her and Dane. She was glad he was not anywhere near, glad he'd disappeared to Mexico when threats of being charged with kidnapping and murder surfaced. His name still invoked certain darkness inside, he had created the darkness with a mere glance, the notion that her humanity was not worth the woman's life. That Aria was a monster.

Aria smiled to herself she was a monster in human clothing, she looked at Lucas who was walking in front of her through the turn stiles as they left. He should probably stay far away, but she was drawn to him as much as to Dane, if not more. Lucas cared, really cared what happened to her. He brought light to her life. And that was worth doing this alone.

Lucas started for a side door, to his meeting presumably. She touched his arm before he got to far ahead. "I'm going in there.
She pointed to the sanctuary. "When you are done, that's where I'll be."


Lucas nodded and then smiled at her. He still looked troubled by the way his jaw kept clenching but there was something else in his blue eyes. Encouragement. He touched her arm, looking at her for a moment and then started for the door he'd been heading too. Aria watched him until he was inside. Aria started for the big doors that lead to the sanctuary proper.

Aria stopped at the steps before the Church and stared up at the heights. Aria pushed herself, one step and then another until she was inside. Aria crossed her self before entering the sanctuary and took a seat in the back pew. Well not a seat, she knelt and prayed. She asked God for the strength to do what needed to be done. And thanked him for Lucas and for his gifts.

Minutes, Hours, passed, Aria didn't really know before she took a seat in the confessional booth behind the screen. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears.

Aria crossed herself again starting the words she knew by heart. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was 5 months, 3 weeks and 5 days ago."


The priest spoke softly and Aria barely heard the words. She was thinking too hard on the things she couldn't forget to say. He asked of her sins and Aria swallowed and took a deep breath. "I just found out that I took the life of a boy I knew when I was a child. It was truly an accident and I did not know what I was doing, but it weighs on my soul none-the-less."
It was an accident, she hadn't know what she was doing.

Aria continued. "Recently I've taken the souls of four innocents. Their deaths weigh more so on me. I do not wish to repeat such again, but it's a constant fight. The darkness is strong. I've also taken countless lives of other of God's creatures - things if I told you you wouldn't believe."


There was so much more to their deaths that she didn't share. Aria hung her head. "I've slept with two outside of marriage. And there are thoughts for another."
Aria added almost absently, "One was a woman."
Aria knew that thinking of Lucas in such a way was against God's will but it couldn't be helped. While she wasn't sorry for it, she would attempt to stay away her desires. It was almost as hard as keeping the darkness at bay.

"I've hurt friends because I could. I wanted to kill my father, and my bosses daughter."
Aria continued with the minor infractions now that the major ones were out of the way. She'd not been to mass since coming to Moscow, she'd avoided confession because she was afraid. She was not taking care of her own self, she confided about the thoughts of killing herself on occasions. Confided in the anger and jealously of her past sins. Drinking alcohol. Among many others.

And when she was finally done. "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."


The priest had been quiet through all of it, letting Aria speak her sins. She could feel his shock and his concern at her confessions. He could feel his contempt but he quickly replaced it with pity and concern. It was human to feel angry at the loss of life. She also knew that he thought she was crazy. A person who had killed people, who claimed to kill other living things? That was crazy. Aria didn't blame him. But he spoke in a calm, collected way and his voice gave Aria peace of mind and hope, despite the way he felt. It was always difficult when you knew what someone felt and yet they tried to hide it.

The priest gave her penance, prayer, which was to be expected, recite the whole rosary, reflecting upon God's mercy, and ten hail marys, all things that were easy enough to do. But it wasn't all he had given her. He told her to help others, in the same amount that she had caused the pain. That would be a lot considering she'd taken the lives of five people and hurt others in the process. It was going to be a hard thing to complete given her line of work.

The last part he added, was not necessarily penance, he'd told her so, but he suggested she get professional help. God smiled upon her for her confessions, but it would be more to get the help of a professional, to help with the darkness as she'd called it.

At the end Aria recited, " O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."


It was done, her deeds forgiven. Outside in the sanctuary Aria knelt at the altar and prayed. She was thankful, her soul a little lighter, but her mood was brighter. She started her penance and waited for Lucas to come find her.

[Lucas]

Being in the Church, in that meeting helped calm him. Listening to his companions talk about their struggles- the failures and triumphs- helped center him. The routine brought about a sense of peace. He still was unsure about the not going to the police, but he did trust Aria. This was her world.

At one point, he felt compelled to share his own fall last night. He was slightly worried that he would see looks of disappointment in their eyes- condemnation as a failure- but that had been his own insecurity. They were accepting and encouraging. They even pointed out how he'd only had two drinks- and not even finished the last. They commended him on that.

A part of him accepted that as true- he hadn't gotten drunk, it was true. But would he have stopped? With Aria's father there, pushing him deeper into that whole, it was very likely. But in this case, he decided he was not completely to blame. He could forgive himself the slip.

The thought of getting caught again terrified him.

After the meeting, he went into the Church proper to genuflect and pray. The vastness of the house- the high vaulted walls and columns, the echoes- only served to emphasize to him how little he was. The statue of the Lord on the Cross looking down on him only served to reinforce to him the need to submit fully, to recognize that he was not in control of this. God was. But his power was infinite. The words of St. Paul came to him. "There is nothing I cannot do in the One who strengthens me." He felt strengthened.

Feeling better, he went to confession. He mentioned the drinking of course. But mostly, he confessed his repeated lustful thoughts. He thought about Aria a lot. And then....well, it didn't help he still remembered what she looked like naked. It had stayed with him through that whole night. In the end, he was glad he had been so out of it emotionally, otherwise he might have acted on it. He smiled. Thank you Lord, for the strength.

The priest gave his penance and absolved him. He felt much better than he had. Now he had work to do.

He found Aria outside waiting. He smiled at her. He did trust her. In stuff like that, she was the expert. It still bothered him to imagine how she had grown up. So lonely. Unloved. But the only thing he could do now was help her find a way to a better life.

And in the meantime, they had a girl to find. "I'm glad you came."
He took her hand and held it in both of his, looking down at her. "Will you help me find her? She needs help."

[Aria]

Lucas found Aria and she got up from her prayers and penance, it was not complete by any standards, but he was finished, he looked better, but more importantly he felt better. He took her hand in his and implored her to help him find Mya. Aria nodded. There was little else to say about it. She smiled at him, "We have to go back to my apartment."
Not only was that the last place Mya had been but there was no way she walking the streets with out her gun or her sword, it wasn't the unique sword, but it would do as it had done for years. She should replace the twin to it, but finding a blacksmith was difficult work.

Aria held Lucas hand as they walked back to the metro, it was comforting, and it kept her thoughts away from the darkness she was about to follow. Aria wondered if Lucas knew what he was asking of her. Probably not, she'd not explained it. But after this night, Aria would be able to find this girl anywhere. Much like Dane, and even Michael, though their thoughts and emotions clouded over with the power, and it made it more difficult to find them. But she could, such was the connection she'd made with them.

The train ride was as quiet as it had been when they started. She prayed Mya would not get on the metro, it was hard to track a person from public transportation, sometimes her handlers would scoff at the idea, say it was impossible. But it wasn't, just time consuming. It required you to get off in all possible locations and scout for the feeling again, and if not then get back on the train and start all over again. There were infinite possibilities in most cases, trains were by far the easiest mode of mass transportation to track this way. Aria had never had to on an airplane before, that was an impossible task in terms of the amount of time you'd have to spend searching all possibilities.

Once to her apartment Aria unlocked her door and strapped on her weapon belt and attached the sword on the wall and removed the empty scarab. She sighed at the potential loss. Aria checked the gun at her back.

Aria sighed and took the gloves from her pocket and put them on, she didn't want to, not with Lucas, but with what she was about to do, he could easily overwhelm her senses and her shields weren't that great after the lack luster and restless sleep she'd had prior. "Ready to go for a walk?"


Aria sat on the bed and opened her senses to their extremes. She felt the couple upstairs sound asleep and their dreams mixed with emotions that were too indistinct to interpret with the mass of sleeping people she was picking up right now. Aria focused on Mya, on her fear, on the pain and suffering that was her current state of mind. It made Aria shiver visibly once she found it. Aria held it close, memorized it. It was hers now.

Aria stood up and took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's go."
She walked out the door, down the steps and out to the street, she followed Mya's emotions like a bloodhound might track a lost child. Except that it wasn't nearly so accurate, sometimes the trail would fade and dim, and Aria would have to backtrack but she hoped that it would remain clear till they found her. She didn't look to Lucas, but she asked, she knew he'd spent time on the streets, he'd know where kids hung out. She hated acknowledging that, but she had to have more direction sometimes. "If we get near any place that could be her destination, let me know, we could be here a while looking. Moscow is big, and there are places that even I can get lost in."

[Lucas]

He felt relieved that Aria was willing to help. Finding the girl was going to be tough even with his knowledge places a street kid might go. Bottom line was, if she didn't want to be found, very likely she wouldn't- at least not any time soon.

They stopped by her place and she weaponed up. He smiled. He guessed she couldn't have gone to church like that, after all, sword and gun in hand. Especially not into the confessional.

The next few hours saw him following her take a winding path through the streets and alleys and back ways. Sometimes they had to backtrack. She tried to explain what she was following but in the end, it wasn't something he really got. All that mattered was that, as he expected, she was honing in on a area that was familiar to him.

Soup kitchens, shelters, missions and outreach programs scattered around run down parks and run down apartment buildings, off ramps, tunnels, and liquor stores. The streets weren't full but enough people milled about, especially in the afternoon sun, a mixture of ages and races. Some were leaned over, speaking to those in stopped cars, others huddled with their old-style wallets texting or listening to music or surfing, while others skateboarded, smoked, or talked. A handful of scores were visible during their walk, for the legal knock-off stuff to the much more experimental and deadly kind.

It was cold and people well bundled up well, but despite that and wet and slush, the smell of garbage and decay was in the air. He remembered the frigid Moscow winters all too well, his heavy coat and socks and boots saving him from the worst of it, as he'd huddle under an overpass or, if the group was friendly, standing and warming his hands next to an oil-can fire. Maybe in an alley on a piece of cardboard against a wall, always aching, jonesing for his next fix. They passed an alley and he saw a few huddled people- tweakheads mostly, coming down, it looked like, from their twitching.

The smells brought it all back, the cold, the fear, the uncertainty. It was a jungle and you had to survive. That was the stone cold truth. 20 minutes in the car with a john was worth it for the warmth of the heater. Sometimes they even gave you fast food, or at least their fries. After days without more than scraps- the soup kitchens and shelters were always maxed out and it was a lottery to see who had a warm meal and bed that night- the salty greasy taste of the food on your lips and tongue, the feel of warmth in your stomach, nostrils filled with the aroma...well, there were highs and there were highs. And that was one that was worth the time- at least it had been.

Aria paused and he looked around, a couple of apartment buildings next to a gas station and a vet office. She told him to tell her if he had an idea about her destination.

"She was hurt pretty bad. More than likely, if she came to this place, it was to hit up the vet."
At her look he explained. "Hospitals need money and papers. Free clinics are always full up. And their's the trail which some of these kids try to avoid. So for a small price, a vet- more usually his assistant- will work off hours, under the table, and patch up these kids. It's not the cleanest and safest place, but for kids like us, they were a lifeline."
The gash in his arm from that fight with a coked up junkie for a piece of bread had required eight stitches. Had cleaned out his stash, too, since he'd already spent his money. "If she's hurt, she'll be around here, waiting for night."


"Lead the way, Aria."



Edited by Lucas, Dec 4 2014, 12:22 PM.

[Aria]

They walked and walked, and Aria could feel the world eating away at her, as the hours drew on and the world was alive and well. They got farther and farther into neighborhoods that Aria was glad for the gun at her back and the sword at her hip. She could feel the hatred, the longing, the loss of hope as she followed Mya's trail. She was still in pain, was still afraid, and now she was cold. Everyone around was cold.

But that wasn't the worst of it, Lucas' memories invoked feelings, and since he was so close it was almost like she was touching him, it hurt to know he'd had a shit lot in life. He was a good man, and probably just as good a kid. She wanted to hold his hand and let him know life was better now, but the thought of touching him made Aria stay away.

She could feel the druggies coming down from their highs, the withdrawal symptoms at varying stages. She wanted to stop and just let their pain take her away from the world, to let it all go. But she kept walking, kept focusing on Mya.

Lucas indicated a vet's office, where Mya could have gone, Aria narrowed her senses and found something she'd not expected, a girl whom she knew by the sense of her symptoms, the pain, the fear, the withdrawal symptoms shook her body, but she was helping her friend. They weren't in the office, but that direction. Aria stopped in her tracks, she stood and stared at the building. "I can't go there. Mya's there but I can't go."


She didn't have time to explain, she closed herself off pulled her self back in, Aria crouched down on the sidewalk and huddled to herself trying to find the calm of the bubble but it eluded her, it slipped away, too much was there. Aria leaned against the wall and pulled out a candle and the zippo lighter. She looked up at Lucas and saw the concern on his face. She smiled weakly at him. "Go help Mya I'll be fine."
Lucas looked at her for a moment then nodded. He left and Aria looked back down and took off a glove so she could light the candle.

Aria put the zippo back in her pocket with her removed glove and started at the single flame. It took the basic training to get herself in check to pull herself into the emotionless bubble that helped keep her safe. It was the only solution she could do right now, she'd prefer to drown in a cold tub of water at this particular moment, but you did what you had to do.

Aria pushed all her emotions into the flame that was before her, she imagined they were wisps of paper that burnt away, leaving nothing but ash and then finally nothingness. Aria blew out the candle and leaned her head against the wall and sighed. It wasn't gone, but it was better, she could still feel Mya and Lucas, and Father' Stone's daughter coming down from her latest high, but it didn't hurt as bad anymore.

Aria leaned against the way taking deep breaths and keeping things in check. She could feel Lucas walking towards them, his emotions where unique to him, as were everyone else's, she could find him anywhere too. All she had to do is know where to start looking first, someplace his emotions were strongest. His shop would be a good place to start, but there was a lot of other peoples emotions there too, though Lucas' she was connected to. She could find him. She sighed and focused only on him.

The phone rang, and Aria nearly jumped out of her skin. It was rare her phone actually rang. She fumbled for it and quickly answered it on the fourth ring. "Yeah, Nox? I'm kinda busy."


"Aria, favor to ask. Got a friend, she needs a place to stay for a little while. Her car got stolen. Figure since you aren't home at nights, she could crash there."


Aria looked up to the cloudy sky and mumbled to herself. "Seriously, two in a row?"
Aria was cold and distant, the void of emotions keeping her annoyance at bay. "Sure, why not. Bring her to my place. I'm not home. There is a key under the mat if I'm not there. Put it back. And make yourselves at home. I'll be there when I can."


"We'll there as soon as we get things situated here."


Aria nodded not that he could see it. She hung up the phone and stood up. Her knees were starting to tire from the position she was in. At least God made it easy to fulfill her penance. First Mya and now Nox's friend. Aria wondered how much more emotional crap she could take.

Aria leaned against the wall her eyes closed while she waited for Lucas.

[Lucas]

Aria just stood there. He looked at her and saw strain on her face. Pain. He frowned, not understanding.

"I can't go there. Mya's there but I can't go."
She crouched down against the wall and seemed to huddle in on herself. He was torn. He didn't want to leave her like this. As always, she knew his feelings. "Go help Mya I'll be fine."


He didn't like to see her like this. But the girl was inside. She needed help. He nodded to her. She hunted monsters- he smiled at that thought- and went his way.

The clinic was still open so the girl's wouldn't actually been inside. That kind of stuff went on after hours. That meant they were hiding out very likely. The building was next to an overpass and a contractor storage site behind it. Large concrete conduits half as tall as he was were laid out, stacked on their sides, the snow and icy slush draping them and the ground like a blanket. A few empty drums in front of the conduits, right near the entrance. Everywhere, he could see old papers and wrappers and rags.

This would be a place he might go to escape the wind, though it would still be freezing. He walked closer to the conduits and began looking inside them. They were filled with more garbage and rags and cardboard and even some old blankets. One had a pile of old wood and other burnable materials, to burn in the drums for warmth in the night.

That all this was here surprised him. Usually, the lot owners ran people off about once a week and got rid of this stuff. Instead, it looked like at least a month had gone buy since that'd happened. Idly he wondered why.

No matter. He checked the conduits and while the first two had people in them, he didn't find Mya until the fourth bottom one. She was there with another girl.

They both jumped at him. "Hey, it's ok. I'm here to help you. Mya, I was the man that picked you up in the cab last night and took you to a safe place."
The terror in her eyes was palpable. Given that she had been held by that killer and shown the horrors Aria described, he didn't blame her.

"Listen, my friend Aria is over there"
pointing to the other side of the clinic. "We just want to help you. We can get you help."


"No. No. No." she said repeatedly, shaking her head, the terror in her voice clear, the way she huddled up against her friend. She was bundled up but he was sure she was hurt pretty bad.

Her friend, another young girl with dirty brown hair and covered in black layers and smudged dark eyeliner spat at him . "We don't need your help. Get out of here!"

He knew it was a lost cause. These kids were terrified of trusting adults. They had been betrayed and abused too many times. He'd only gone with Valentin in order to rob him blind. And even then, that was because he was an old man. Lucas would've had a better chance. But if a younger man had asked him, no way. It wasn't worth the risk. The memory of those hands around his neck had given him vivid nightmares, one more reason to get wasted.

He sighed and grimaced. "Do you have money, at least for the doctor."
They didn't answer, but the looks on their faces did it for them. No money. The girl must really be a good friend to Mya to be willing to do that for her. He shook his head and pulled some CCD bills out of his pocket. "Here,"
he said as he counted out a few, then looked at both of them, huddled together in a conduit, fear in their eyes. He stopped counting and just carefully laid what he had out. It wasn't much, really. But to them, it was a fortune. He did ok with his shop, enough for this anyway He couldn't save everyone. The people on the streets were a problem much too big for him. He couldn't even save these two girls. But he could help them at least.

He looked at Mya's friend. "Get her fixed up. And then get yourselves something to eat. Some warmer clothes."
He looked at Mya's friend. "What's your name?"


"Sonja"

"You take care of her Sonja, ok? She's been through more than you or I can imagine."
He smiled at Mya and then at her. "You're a good friend. I have a friend who runs a shelter down the street. I'll tell him to save a bed for you both. It'll be just one bed, but I'll see if I can get it for a couple days. She'll need rest."


It was all he could do, really. They wouldn't trust him with anymore. But maybe Valentin could help them.

Kids could escape. He did. Anything was possible.

With another sad smile, he walked back to where Aria was, torn up about the whole situation. The world was such a cruel place. There were times he just prayed to God, asking him why it was like this, why so much suffering. He'd never really gotten any answer.

As he rounded the corner, he saw Aria, still crouched, head down, as if in prayer. He thought about her struggles to hold onto goodness. He thought about Sonja willing to do anything to help her friend. He thought of Sergei taking care of his invalid mother until she had died.

Maybe there was no meaning. But the connections they all made, the loyalty and sacrifices and trust and hope that they showed and refused to let die, well, it didn't explain anything. But it made it more bearable.


Edited by Lucas, Dec 5 2014, 12:51 PM.

[Aria]

Aria felt Lucas coming but didn't look around for him, she knew he was standing beside her before he spoke, "You okay?"


Aria nodded, and then looked up at him. His bright blue eyes watching her, she smiled up at him and stood up, she still had to look up at him, but that was usual. "I'll be better once we are away from Sonja."


He frowned and tilted his head. "How'd...how do you know Sonja?"


Aria frowned, she'd said too much, "If you are done here, I can tell you on the way back to my apartment. Nox called, apparently someone else needs my help today."
She looked up to the heavens and frowned, "Seems God wants me to complete my penance quickly, or He thinks I won't do it myself."


Lucas' frown remained and he didn't move. "How do you know Sonja?"
he asked again. It seemed important to him.

Aria sighed and closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "Sonja is the 'bastard' daughter of Father Stone, my direct superior. I've been tracking her for some time. She's a junkie, I follow her around for the emotions she gives off."
Aria didn't want to tell Lucas the full depravity of her actions, or the fact that the first time she'd come looking for the girl she had every intention of killing her. She didn't want to tell Lucas of her specialness either, the fact that she was a Father's daughter was reason enough for her to be a street kid.

He frowned and she felt the momentary turmoil in his emotion. But he sighed and it seemed he relaxed a bit. "Yeah, I'll go with you."


Aria was relieved and started towards the metro station closest to them. She sighed, she was afraid if she said more he'd walk away from her. He had no understanding of what her issue was, why she needed this help. She grateful for it, but she was a bit angry at the fact it was a constant judgement, worry over what he'd do. The walk to the metro was done in silence, Aria was lost in her thoughts, she tried to avoid people the best she could, her sense were raw, and she really didn't want to help Nox's friend right now, she wanted to lay down in the claw footed bath tub and drown away the world for a few hours.

Once they got to the station she spoke again. "Father Stone doesn't like me. He's a rather archaic mind when it comes to disciplining me. I was angry the first time I went after Sonja. She's intoxicating, I can't do that right now I'll lose myself."
It was a half truth.

She felt compassion coming from him and turned and saw it in his eyes. She smiled at him. She took a deep breath. "I have no idea what to expect from Nox's friend, other than that she needs a place to crash."
Crashing at her place was going to be difficult, but she'd see how it went, and how long the woman needed to stay with her. Why did Nox call, but she was glad he did, she needed to talk to him. There was one thing that she realized from the whole thing, she needed someone with her, backup, a friend, someone to help pull her out, and keep her out of the dark places of her head. He had one secret, she held his, maybe it could work. He was the best candidate, and he was a good hunter.

The train arrived and they got on. It was a straight shot to the Enlightened District. Aria wondered if Nox eta al were at her place yet. She still had the journals open on the coffee table. That would not be a good thing for anyone to find.

[Lucas]

Lucas listened to Aria's words. She was an enigma to him, a mystery. He'd never known people like her. He could not fathom the world she lived in. He shook his head. He could not comprehend her struggle. He'd never felt attracted to the suffering of others.

But the thing was, she was trying. Penanace. Helping others. Calling for help. Trying so very hard. He felt proud of her. She was fighting. As long as she kept fighting, he would be by her side. He would encourage her. What if she falls? He wasn't sure how to answer that question. He wanted to say that he'd stay, that he was strong enough. He hoped he would be. As long as she keeps trying, he thought to himself. It helped. He wouldn't give up on her.

They got on the train and went to her apartment.

[Aria]

Continued in Helping Hands