So ALIVE!

[_shox_]

I come out of the ether into our bedroom. I am panting, my uniform soiled with dirt, sweat and blood. My chest exposed and a cut from the demons nails bleeds matting my chest hair. Smiling, my eyes wide with excitement I lick my lips.

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[d3v0n_w]

The smell of his blood fills my nose and I'm gagging as he's kissing me and I have my hands up on his chest trying to push him away but I don't think he even notices.

Finally he pulls back and says he loves me but I'm filled with this irrational fear that has been eating away inside me the whole time he has been gone. I snap at him. "Not now Shox!"

I need to find the source of the blood and my hands shift on his chest and they are covered in it and I feel ill, really ill as I heal the cut I find there. I look up at him. "Do you have any more?!"

[_shox_]

Damn, he is upset. Fuck I should have known better. I calm down - fast, and look over my arms, the shredded sleeves but only a few cuts. Looking at my legs just a few scrapes. I shake my head, "No babe, just the one."

I feel bad now. I take his hand, "I shouldn't have sprung this on you, I'm sorry. I just was so... alive! Dev they came out of no where and we just took action! I knew how to defeat them! Different swords with different potions - I knew it all! This," I look down at my now healed chest, "was a double attack, but I got them!"

Smiling I take his hands, "I haven't felt like this since the first time we made love and the first time I saw you hold Strider!! So... just so much belonging!"

[d3v0n_w]

I don't know how he can be smiling. In my mind he reeks of death and I know I have smelt blood before and never thought that but this is his blood and that's all my mind focuses on. The images of his death that have been teasing me all night.

I pull my hands out of his and look down at his blood on them and I need to wash it off, need to make it go away. I turn and head for the bathroom holding my hands out away from me and my stomach turns and I feel a little light headed. "How you equate any of this to love I don't know..."

[_shox_]

I sigh and feel a bit hurt. I thought he might be proud of me. He is so scared.... I don't know how to make this better. I take off what is left of my uniform and grab a towel off the back of the desk chair and wrap it around my hips.

Slowly I walk into the bathroom and his reflection lets me know he is feeling ill again - the connection is breaking. That scares me more than anything. I move quickly up behind him and place my hands on his hips, "I'll take a shower ok? I - I'm sorry Dev. I was just caught up in the moment... I didn't mean to upset you."

He looks up into the mirror and into my reflection's eyes. "I guess the danger and coming through it just made me - appreciate my life more maybe? Appreciate your love."

[d3v0n_w]

Looking into his eyes like this I see the hurt and disappointment. I hate seeing that look and knowing I caused it.

I feel so torn up inside as I break eye contact with him and look down into the basin. That fluey feeling seems to seep through my bones. The sight of the water swirling down the drain red with his blood from my hands does not help. Nor does knowing even though his hands usually are warm and most certainly welcome on my hips they too have his blood on them and that makes my stomach turn.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I shift uncomfortably fighting myself internally. "It's just the blood. You sure you're not injured anywhere else."

[_shox_]

I feel him shift as if he is cringing at my touch and my heart clenches and I step back feeling my body go cold. Closing my eyes I shake my head, "Yeah, I'm - just a few scratches. I'll just wash up."

Turning away from him I step into the large shower and close the glass door. I turn the water on keeping my back to the glass and feel tears fall from my eyes. I feel like I made a choice that I wasn't aware of the consequences. I chose my father and his ways over Devon. I would never have... but somehow...

I lean an arm against the tiles and lay my head on it letting the water wash all the grime away. What have I done?

[d3v0n_w]

I wait till he gets in the shower to open my eyes. I look up at myself in the mirror and hate what I see. Behind me through the glass I see his back to me and my stomach rises to my throat. I stand there gripping the side of the basin not sure if I am going to hurl

[_shox_]

I turn and see him faint but he is in form! Pushing the door open I've got him in my arms and grabbing the towel I've got it pressed to his head. Who is trying to come through him??

"What do you want?! Devon is hurt you bastard!"

[d3v0n_w]

I see my view of the room shift then Shox's worried face comes into view. I see his hand move, the towel in it, and I guess he presses it to my head, I can't feel it.

Whoever is in me is watching I can feel that. Watching Shox's mouth move, I don't know whether they understand what he is saying. Some of it I do, I recognise the shapes of the words as his mouth moves. This isn't how it normally is.

I feel more than hear words go through me.

I have many names.

Then laughter and it makes me choke and that same blackness now seems to fill my lungs as I snap back into myself. I can't breath and I claw at my throat and cough and vomit all over myself.

[_shox_]

I turn Devon over and send a message to Anderson, Dan and Elijah to get the fuck here NOW! I'm cussing a blue streak telling whoever this prick is to have some balls and show himself!

"Come on show yourself asshole! Hiding behind Devon shows your weakness!"

[det_anderson]

As soon as I step out into a darkened room I feel it. Hincks is on the floor holding Devon. I smell sulphur in the air and the lack of light tells me this one has come directly from below. Then the room is lit up as Wood and Dan arrive.

I bark orders telling Wood to do something about the lights and Dan to go check the place out. The lights come on and I see Devon. I kneel down being careful not to step on his wing.

He has thrown up and is still choking on something I recognise. It reeks of sulfur and is dark, almost black but with a green tinge to it, copper. It's usually involved in possession but I've never heard of it being in a vessel before.

I see the scratch marks on his neck and the blue colour of his skin and how limply he hangs in Shox's arms. I know he is going to pass out from lack of oxygen soon.

I glance up at Shox. "He's going to pass out, just let him, once his body gives up it should leave."

[_shox_]

I look down at Devon and nod, "Come on Dev, I'm here. Let us fight, just stay calm for me."

I feel another presence and see Dad. He looks at me then Dev then to Anderson and scowls. "Detective."

[det_anderson]

I ignore the derision in the way he says my title and greet him by his. "Sir Pierce..." I put my hand out and press it to the side of the vessels neck and feel no pulse. Another typical sign of possession as well as the cold clammy feel of his skin. Almost like wax.

"All the signs of possession." I furrow my brow. "In a vessel?" No sooner have I spoken the gagging and movement from Devon ceases. He's passed out.

I look up at Brosnan. "You ever heard of it before?"

[pierce_h]

I look at my son and see his heart break. He did so well today, now this...

Clenching my jaw I shake my head, "Not in a vessel, no. But for his to be taken over he would have had to be in a weakened state."

I raise my eyes to Shox, "Was he ill?"

Again the heartache in my son's eyes as he softly nods his head,"He - he was upset that I was hurt earlier... the blood," he hangs his head, "our connection was weak."

He said Devon had agreed to him joining us! Agreed but not happy about it. Damn it! "Once he was taken over, did he say anything?"

Shox nods and tells me. I look at Anderson, "Beelzebub I would think. This new Satan is no Lucifer. He usually played by the rules."

[det_anderson]

I feel a flash of anger go through me that Lucifer is at the centre of all this trouble. Not even Satan anymore and still he manages to cause us trouble somehow.

I clench my jaw and wait for Devon's pulse to pick back up. My fingertips detect a thready thump. I let out a small sigh of relief. "Elijah help Shox clean him up and get him into bed. He will be out for a while."

I cut my eyes to Brosnan. "I think it's time your lot dragged Lucifer in for questioning, Andrew be damned."

[pierce_h]

Shox picks Devon up but states he wants to help bring in Lucifer. I tell him he needs to be here with Devon, first and foremost he is Devon's protector - and perhaps put on some pants.

I look at Anderson, "Lucifer is a mere human now - I'll bring him in. The other might end up killing him."