Friday. The day Nicola had been waiting for and it was getting close to 7:30. She hadn't heard a word from Ben and tried to tell herself that he was still coming. She had heard sirens on her walk home from the cafe and had been worried ever since. She left like it was ahppening again but somewhere inside was telling her to be ready and that it was fine.

Nicola stood infront of the mirro looking at her reflection. She didn't know where they would be going and she tried to dress to suit the movies as well as the club. Her raven locks had been hung around her face and flowed down her back, she had only straightened it a little but it still held its natural wavey effect. Her make up almost looked natural, except for the darker shades she had used around her eyes to make her brown ords stand out a little. She pulled her rim of her dress down trying to get some extra length out of it. The dark blue dress came an inch or two above her knees and she felt as though the small straps that hung over her shoulders would brake. A few bits of jewelary sat around her neck and wrists, nothing to over do it.

As far as she could see she looked fine, a small wrap to place over her shoulders if she grew cold would come in handy but she couldn't find any. She needed something to calm her nerves and had gone out to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. Once with the mug in her hand she made her way to the balcony. She loved the scene before her, the lights of cars and builds gave the city a new look at night. Leaning against the railing she sipped on her coffee as she waited for Ben to show, if he was still going to show.

It had been an interesting day for Ben Hunter. He had woken up, and due to the demonic injury to his hand, he had gone straight to the local cathedral to soak his hand in holy water. It felt fine now. All there was left on his hand was a small scar. One of many in Ben's impressive collection of scars and bruises that he had accumulated throughout his life.

After doing that, he had worked out. Just a light workout though. He wanted to save his energy, in case something happened during his date with Nicola. He had thinking about it all day.

After showering, brushing his teeth and putting on a light layer of cologne, Ben headed out to Nicola's apartment. He had wanted to go to see her right after the fight, but the police had wanted to talk for a while, and by the time they were done, it was really late. Ben didn't want to disturb Nicola if she was sleeping. He would have called, but Nicola hadn't given him her number.

Ben was dressed in a black button up shirt, with the top button unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up. He also wore a pair of dark blue jeans and black casual shoes. The shoes were more than they appeared, as they were actually steel toed, just in case.

Ben got on his motorcycle and drove to the address on the paper Nicola had given him. She lived in pretty nice neighborhood, he had to give her that.

Going up the stairs, Ben counted the apartment numbers until he came to the right apartment. He took a deep breath and cleared his head. Game on. he thought.

Ben knocked on the door, trying not to appear nervous or overconfident.

Nicola stared down into the cup of coffee, her mind was full of questions and she couldn't find any answers. She had to shake these thoughts from her mind, Ben was going to show she had to believe that. Sipping on her coffee she could hear a motorbike approaching, she mused to think that it could be Ben's. She didn't know what he drove or if he drove at all. She hadn't gotten to know him all too well the day before, she was hoping that over a coffee she would learn more. However, that hadn't been the case, he had asked her to leave and with the sirens she heard on the way home she was glad to have left.

Nicola had only gotten half way through her coffee when she heard the knock on the door. It snapped her out of her thoughts and her head turned sharply around, her eyes just staring at the door. It was Ben, it had to be as she wasn't expecting anyone else tonight.

"Just a minute." Nicola called out in English as she came back inside and locked the door to the balcony. Moving to the kitchen she tipped the rest of her coffee out and turned around to have one last look at her apartment. She had replaced most of the pictures in the lounge room, taking down the ones she had of Damian. This was a fresh start and she didn't want to be asked about him, not on the date. Heading towards the door her bare feet hardly made any noise as she came to the door. All she had to do was put her shoes on and she was ready to go, reaching out her hand wavered at the door knob. No she shouldn't get nervous now, grapsing the handle she opened it to fine Ben standing at the door.

Ben had made an impression and she was thinking perhaps she was a little under dress for the occassion. Before she opened the door wider for him to come in she reached out and poked him in his stomach.

"Just making sure your alive and not a ghost. Come in I just got to get my shoes." Opening the door wider for him to enter.

Nicola opened the door. She looked amazing. Ben's breath caught in his chest. Had Ben been a normal man, he would've made a comment about how she looked like an angel, but considering that he had seen angels that weren't as good looking, the complement would be insincere.

"Wow. Nicola. You look great!" Ben said, letting the tone of his voice convey how much of an understatement that was.

She went to poke him in the stomach, he found himself flexing his abs. Every guy did it when a girl touched their stomach. It was a human disease. Ben couldn't help himself.

He chuckled as Nicola said she wanted to check to see if he was a ghost. That was a very tactful way of bringing up the fight. Ben had resolved to talk to her about it, to make sure everything was clear. The last thing he wanted was for Nicola to think he was a troublemaker, or a brawler.

"Don't worry. I'm still flesh and blood. Are you doing okay? I meant to come by afterwards..." Ben trailed off. He wanted to set a positive mood for the date, and yet still make sure the issue got addressed.

He stepped into the apartment, letting his eyes wander about the room. "You sure have a nice place here Nicola." Ben said. He noticed a room in the back seemed to be empty. A guest room, perhaps?

"Hey Nicola..." Ben started, switching into Italian "About yesterday. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't know things were going to go down the way they did. I'm really sorry you had to be there for that. Are you okay?"

Ben's voice was filled with genuine concern. He was starting to care about this woman. HE wanted to know how she felt, and what she meant when she had said that she had already lost someone who had told her to run.

Ben's compliment made her cheeks flush, yes she had wanted to impress him and was hoping for a compliment. It meant that she hadn't gone over the top and nor had she under dressed. It had been a long time since she had been on a date and felt as though she had lost her touch, but Ben's reaction had told her otherwise.

Once he was inside Nicola closed the door and moved down the hallway, ducking into her room she left the door open so she could still hear Ben while she was looking for her shoes. But hearing that he was concerned was very touching, he had wanted to come by and in a way she was glad he didn't. She was cleaning by the time she got home and was removing Damian's pictures as well as cleaning up the mess she had made from her oil pastels. Finally finding her strap up black shoes she grabbed them and her bag and came back to where Ben was.

"Thank you, I don't get many guests over so I had to tidy up before you got 'ere." Motioning to Ben to follow her she headed out to the lounge room, the only one she hadn't put away was the canvas she was still working on. The same sketch she had shown Ben only this one was in colour and only half done. Sitting down on the couch so she could put her shoes on.

"I'm fine really, I'm not 'urt I was worried when I 'eard the sirens. But your here and by the looks of things unharmed, its not my place to know why he wanted to fight you. It just...bad things happen when people tell me to run..." Nicola stared down at the ground, why did she have to remember that of now of all times. She shouldn't have said anything yesterday, the wound was healing with time and Ben would be filled with questions as to who she was talking about. It wasn't like she could tell him the other had been a vampire, he wouldn't believe her no one would. Shaking her head she got rid of her previous thoughts, she had to stop living in the past the moment was now. Once her shoes were done up she rose from her seat grabbing her small black bag to match her out fit.

"So where are we going?"

Ben smiled. Nicola made him feel comfortable. He still wondered about her past. What had happened to her to make her not want to run? Who had she lost? Ben supposed that he had his secrets, she was allowed to have hers.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I didn't pick the fight. Some people are just...little devils sometimes..." Ben said, silently amused at the irony of his statement. Oh, if only he could just level with Nicola. He wanted more than anything to just tell her who he was. He had the feeling that she would understand. Hiding his scarred hand, Ben moved closer as Nicola asked where they were going.

Ben grinned mischievously as Nicola asked where they were going."Oh. That's a surprise. You'll just have to wait and see." he said. He hoped she would like what he had planned.

Ben offered her his arm as they made their way out the door, and down to where Ben's motorcycle was parked. As they made their way down, Ben asked genuinely "So, how's your day been? What have you been up to?"

Ben admired the grace of her movements, his eyes wandering, admiring the smooth milky quality of her skin, the soft glow of her eyes and the flowing curls of her hair. She really was beautiful.

They walked up to Ben's motorbike. Sleek and black, the bike had been a gift from a fallen angel he had helped. Ben could've never afforded something like this normally.

Ben pulled out two helmets and asked "Have you ever ridden one of these before?"

Nicola watched Ben's expression change she couldn't help but riase an eyebrow wondering why he wouldn't tell her. But hearing it was a surprise her warm smile appeared on her lips and she nodded, if it was going to be a surprise she wouldn't question it.

Ben was being a real gentleman, his old fashioned ways were beginning to win her over but she wouldn't say it out loud. Taking hold of his arm she followed him out of the apartment, taking her keys she locked her door before following him down the stairs.
"A little nerve racking." Nicola said truthfully, she had been worried that she would dress up and he wouldn't show. She wasn't one to lie unless it was something she had promised to keep secret, those were the only times she did lie. "But I'm starting to get over that. Classes in the morning then explained to my uncle I couldn't 'elp him tonight. 'e was a little taken back that I had a date..."

Marios, her uncle, had been surprised that she was going out but he was the one to push her out of his office. He had been happy for her, finally getting out. However, on Monday she would be bombarded with questions, he would want to know everything but Nicola wasn't one to kiss and tell.

"What about you? 'ow was your day?"

As they got closer to the motorbike Nicola remembered hearing one approaching just before Ben arrived. So this was his ride, she could only just remember the last time she was on a motorbike. It was one of the rare days her father had off from work and he owned one, not as slick or classy as Ben's.

"Years ago, back in Italy but that was when I was much smaller. Taking one helmet from Ben, she carefully put it on her head, not wanting to mess up her hair that she had spent some time doing.

"Nerve racking?" Ben queried. "Wow, don't get why your uncle was surprised. I was sure you'd have plans when I asked you out. But I'm glad everything worked out." Ben said, his mind replaying how things had gone down in the cafe.

For a brief moment, he let his mind wander. In the seconds between sentences, Ben daydreamed about telling Nicola who he was, about holding her in his arms, about taking her flying. Those things could potentially never happen, or they could happen in the next five minutes. It always seemed to be that way with Ben, and it probably always would. And that was how Ben's human half liked it.

"My day?" Ben repeated. "It went pretty well. Just sort of...worked out, went to visit a friend. Stuff like that. Pretty chill." Ben finished. In reality, he had spent half the day in grueling physical conditioning and martial arts training, and the other half trying to get settled in. In between, he had organized his date with Nicola. He hoped she liked it.

Ben got on the motorcycle. Ben was sure that, apart from fuel efficiency, the main reason motorcycles were invented was so men would have an excuse to have women hold them as tightly as they could. Ben was about to capitalize on that fact.

"It's not a problem if you haven't ridden for awhile. Just put your arm around my waist and hold on tight." Ben said, smiling as he put on his helmet.

Putting his visor down, he revved the motor after he had gotten on. He was going to drive responsibly, he wouldn't dare put Nicola's life at risk....more than he did by simply being around her, that is.

"Here we go!" Ben said through his helmet. They drove out into the world, the light of the setting sun shining behind them.

Nicola would have liked to tell him everything as well, what she had witnessed when she first found out about vampires and what she had to endure at the end. But she kept telling herself that he would think she was a crazy person and being this was her first date she didn't want to give that impression away.

Once Ben was on his motorbike Nicola followed suit. Placing her bag on her shoulder she also had to pull her dress up a little so it wouldn't rip. Once on her arms snaked arouns his torse, hugging him. Lifting her feet up as he revved the engine Nicola couldn't help but bring her body a little closer to Ben's. She could feel his muscle through his shirt, he wasn't lying when he said he worked out. She was glad that her visor was down otherwise he would notice just how red her face had turned.

Nicola gave him a nod when spoke and as the motorbike began to move she found herself hugging him a little bit tighter, afraid she was going to fall off. Turning her head to one side she watched as the buildings went passed quickly and after she got use to it her grip lessoned a little. She was feeling more relaxed and Ben seemed to be handling it well, she could see he was being cautious, not wanting to put either of them in danger.

Nicola recognised some of the buildings as they rode passed them, wondering even more where they were going. As long as it wasn't a park she would be okay with it, they brought back to many hurtful memories and this night was about having fun. She kept telling herself that, to have fun and let go a little. Yes she had opened up more seeing as she could speak to him in Italian, she felt more comfortable that way.

As they kept riding Nicola rested her head lightly on his back and closed her eyes for a moment, this was indeed going to be an interesting and fun night. And for the first time in a long time Nicola felt happy and wished Ben had come along a lot sooner.

Ben drove through the city. Nicola's arm tightened around his waist, sending a small thrill through his body. The lights of the city blurred by as they drove.

Nicola was something else, Ben had to admit. Her mystery and natural kindness meshed perfectly with Ben's outspoken, somewhat roguish nature. How that worked was a mystery. Ben just knew he had only known this girl two days, and was already daydreaming about her. Usually with girls, it took longer than that. Weird.

The motorcycle rolled to a stop in front of an old building. The soft glow of a restaurant's lights beamed out of the bottom floor. A sign outside read "Il Postino--Authentic Italian cuisine, by real Italians. 'It's a Family Affair'".

Ben dismounted the bike, took off his helmet and reached a hand over to help Nicola dismount.
"Hope ya like the place. I was jogging in this neighborhood a little while ago, and I remembered it earlier today. Ben said, wondering what she'd think. "A local Italian family runs the place. I figured...yeah..."

Ben looked at Nicola's face for a moment longer than he normally would. He had to fight the sudden impulse to throw his arm around her waist, pull her in close and kiss her. How could this be going so fast? Ben had had his share of flings and they had gone fast too, but they had been nothing like this. It was strange, Ben was always a flirtatious kind of guy, and had been in a few relationships, but always his "job" had gotten in the way. If Ben stayed true to his record, he'd end up fighting a werewolf by the end of the night. Hopefully he disappointed himself.

He chuckled to himself. After the Italian food, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to liplock, especially on the first date. Besides, that was usually Ben's rule. No action on the first date. Time would tell how well he followed his own rule.

"Shall we?" Ben said as he offered her his arm again, barely restraining himself from kissing Nicola.

As the motorcycle began to slow down Nicola opened her eyes, she knew this part of the city, only well enough to be able to seel a few of her paintings here. She could now see the sign of a restaurant, she had only been here once before the owner had bought a painting off her, where he had put it she didn't know she had only come to drop it off.

As Ben dismounted Nicola removed her arms from around him and part of her didn't want to. She had enjoyed the ride here, at first she had felt a little uneasy as she hadn't been on one for a long time but now she didn't mind it at all. Removing her helmet she sat it on her lap and patted down her hair incase it was sticking out. Taking Ben's hand she went to dismount but had to lift up the rim of her dress a little more, she hadn't meant to show off her legs she just didn't want the dress to rip.

"Thank you." She said to Ben, even though the night was young Ben was still being a complete gentleman. Once her feet were on the ground she pulled her dress back down to its normal length she turned to look back up at Ben.

"I tink its wonderful, thank you." Her voice was full of life as she spoke, it was a wonderful suprise and she was glad he hadn't told her about it back at the apartment. Once again Ben offered his arm to her and she happierly took it, her hand slid down his arm and her hand brushed against his for a moment before she laced her fingers with his. This had been a bold move for Nicola but she wanted him to she was interested in him and without saying anything this was the best thing she could think of for moment.

"Of course." Heading inside Nicola followed Ben's lead, as far as Nicola was concerned there wasn't anything that could spoil this night.

Ben's heartrate picked up as Nicola interlaced fingers with his. Oh boy! This was getting interesting.
Ben accepted her hand, and squeezed it subtly, as if to say "I like this."

Ben lead Nicola into the restaurant. They were seated and served. The minutes went by as Ben and Nicola talked. They laughed, they talked, all the while Ben kept his hand intertwined with hers under the table. He knew this was something special. As they talked, Ben realized that this was a girl he couldn't keep secrets from. It would destroy the relationship they were just starting to create. Would tonight be the night? Or perhaps later?

Ben paid, and the two left the restaurant. It had been charming, the waiter had recognized Nicola's work, they had all spoken Italian together. It had been a blast.

"Nicola." Ben said as the exited the restaurant. "I...uh..." Ben stammered. He wanted to kiss her again.

Ben's angelic half warned him about propriety. He could almost hear his father's voice in his head, warning him about chivalry and most of all, about sin. If he got in too deep with this girl physically, his powers would wane and vanish. Adultery was still a sin.

Ben's human half only had one thing to say: Screw it.

Ben's arm slowly wrapped around Nicola's waist, drawing her in closely. His other hand caressed her face softly. The adrenaline was coursing through his veins, his heart rate picked up.

He kissed Nicola tenderly, with an undertone of passion. He broke the kiss after a moment, and said, smirking mischievously "Sorry. I forgot to mention there was a dessert."

As Ben squeezed her hand the colour of her cheeks changed again, she hadn't blushed this much in her life. Her eyes had darted down towards the ground for a moment, why was she always so shy? She couldn't answer it herself but being around Ben brought out a side to Nicola had that been locked away. She felt drawn to him, he had lured her in and she was caught and her better half was telling her not to back away.

Dinner had been blistful, Ben still held her hand through dinner and she was glad he didn't let go. As for the meal itself it was better then what she could do, Italian dishes were easy for Nicola to cook but they were nothing compared to the restaurants could cook up. Where they had been seated Nicola could see her painting and pointed it out to Ben and when the waiter recognised Nicola she couldn't help but talk to him. Though she wished the waiter had left them alone, it wasn't like Nicola to think so selfishly but the thoughts came to mind and she couldn't get rid of them.

As they left Nicola still held onto Ben's hand and began to wonder where they would go next. She was about to ask him when he spoke and Nicola turned to face him wanting to hear what he had to say. But the words didn't seem to form a sentence, her head tilted to one side as she tried to make out what he was trying to say and she turned to face him.

She could feel his arm around her waist and as she looked up at Ben he was moving in closer. As his hand cupped her cheek she knew all to well what he was going to do and she could feel her heart beating fast. As Ben leaned in Nicola could feel his lips on her own and even though she had seen it coming her body was in shock. Earlier in the day she knew she was ready for the date but she had not expected this, maybe after a few dates yes but on the first it blew Nicola's mind away.

His lips were warm and soft, the kiss was gentle and tender. She did not know how strong his feeling has been for her up until now. Her eyes began to close just as Ben broke away from her lips, half dazed all she could do was look up at him. This had moved along fast and still she knew very little about him but here he was holding her, caressing her and still being the gentleman he was.

The taste of his lips lingered on her own and she found herself lightly bitting her bottom lip. There were definate butterflies in her stomach and she knew her cheeks were on fire, how could he make her blush so much in just two days? Nicola tried to think of witty remark to say back to him but she was lost for words, what on earth could she say to him? Instead Nicola leaned in and rose to the tips of her toes, this time her lips meeting his. For all she could think about was tasting his lips again.

((ooc: Sorry I decided to change it, I re-read it and I didn't like the old one))

ooc: No prob.

IC:

Ben was as close to heaven as he was ever going to be. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the restaurant staff pointing towards them, cheering silently. They were giving them quite the eyeful.

But Ben didn't care about that. The kiss broke, and Ben watched Nicola intently. He had gone too fast. He knew it, and he was sure Nicola knew it. Dang it! Immediately, Ben wanted to apologize. He wanted to think of some excuse, or some eloquent way to explain what was going on inside him, he wanted to...

Everything faded away as Nicola kissed him back. All the worries were gone, and Ben simply enjoyed the moment.

This is what he fought for. Sacred moments like this. Ben's heart was soaring as he realized that all the injuries he had sustained in his life, all the training, the effort, the risk, was all worth it if he could help others have moments like this without fearing the night.

As they kissed, Ben let his hand gently trace the contours of Nicola's back, his fingers softly brushing her smooth skin. His other hand was placed behind her neck, massaging it gently.
Dang, this felt good.

Ben broke the kiss and just held Nicola in his arms for awhile, letting her delicate frame press against his chest.

Breaking the silence, he said "So, uh, I guess this means you're up for a second date?"
Ben could never be serious for more than 10 minutes, and it showed.

"Hey, maybe we should talk. Should we head back to your apartment?" Ben offered. He knew they had to define their relationship at least. That was important. On top of that, Ben had to figure out the whole "Hey, guess what? I'm the half-breed son of an avenging angel, and at night I fly around the city thrashing bad guys and nearly get myself killed relatively often." thing. Combine that with the fact that he had to set bounds on how physical their relationship could be, seeing as how Ben's powers depended on his personal righteousness. Ben suddenly realized it might end up being a very long, albeit a very enjoyable, night.

Nicola could feel the goose bumps rising on her skin from the cold night air as well as his gentle touches to her skin. This was to good to be true, living a normal life and doing things normally and not having to worry about the supernatural. Nicola only realised then this was what she had wanted for a long time, being in someone's arms again and sharing the same feelings.

She was beginning to get addicted to the taste of his lips, they were sweet and she could not get enough of them. And at the same time she had to be weary, getting attached like thi so quickly was bound to have some sort of consiquence but at the moment it did not matter.

As Ben broke the kiss again she rested her head on his chest, she could smell his colone. She couldn't figure out which one it was but it suited him. Her hand rested on his chest and she lightly clentched his shirt, being held like this was exciting and yet had a calming effect.

"Yes it does..." Nicola replied to Ben's question, he had not need to have said it, it was obvious to how she felt. When he mentioned about going back to her apartment her eyes widened, she knew from her small circle of friends what 'talk' meant but Ben didn't seem like that. There was something different about him, he was old fashioned so she believed him when he said he wanted to talk. Also it wasn't like they could go to his, he was sharing a room with other people it would be less private.

"Sure I don't mind..." Pulling back to create some space between them Nicola looked back up at Ben, was he planning on telling her something important? If that was the case then she would have to share a part of her past with him as well. It would only seem fair but she would let Ben tell her first that way she would know just how much she could tell him.

Ben smiled softly. Now they were getting somewhere. Talking had to happen. What Ben still hadn't planned yet was how much he was going to tell her. He was still reeling from the speed at which this whole thing was going. He usually liked to take things slow, but he and Nicola just seemed to click.

Looking down at her in his arms, he realized that it felt so right, that Ben was almost sure something had to come up. It couldn't work out this perfectly. It never had before. It was for this reason that Ben wanted to maybe hold off on telling Nicola everything. But then again, he didn't want to keep things from her. That wasn't cool.

"Okay. Let's head back then. There are some things I should probably tell you..." Ben said, leading her to the motorcycle. As they came to the motorcycle, Ben pecked her gently as she put her helmet on.

Ben mused silently that this girl made him act differently. The roguish side of him seemed to be placated, and only the half-angelic gentleman came out. It made Ben happy to know that Nicola did seem willing to talk, although he was very much aware that his request could be very easily misconstrued as an attempt to get Nicola into bed. Ben wouldn't try something like that, his powers would fail. Then again, there had been a few close calls in the past...

Ben put his hands on Nicola's hips and helped her onto the motorbike. He then got on, put on his helmet, and drove back to Nicola's apartment. The whole way back, Ben's mind was racing. Werewolves, vampires, demons, these things he had experience with. But with girls that made him lose his cool, that was something different.

They pulled up to the apartment. Ben pulled his helmet off, and helped Nicola off.
Ben was uneasy. What would he do?
His put his arm around Nicola's waist as they made their way back into the apartment. Ben silently prayed that everything went okay.

His words slightly frightened Nicola, for all she knew he could have been some manica and wanted by the police. She shook that though from her mind, she had to think positively and even if the former was right at least she had a nice time. Picking up the helmet she went to put it on but was graced with another kiss from Ben. Her previous thoughts had to be wrong he was a perfect gentleman she didn't even think he could hurt someone unless he really had too.

Putting the visor down she bit her bottom lip again as she felt his hands on her hips and helping her onto the motorbike. Once Ben was on her arms snaked around his torso again, hugging him from behind. The ride back seemed to go a lot faster then the ride there, had Ben been speeding? Nicola wasn't sure but the time did go by quickly.

As they walked up to the apartment Nicola leaned in towards Ben, he made her feel safe. Yesterday had shown her one thing, if things got rough Ben knew how to handle himself, that was what made her feel safe. As they walked up the stairs Nicola looked through her bag for her keys and once they were at the door she unlocked it and opened the door for Ben to come in.

"Would you like something to drink?" Nicola asked as she closed the door after Ben came in. Making her way down the hall she turned to the left to head into the kitchen. Her lips were still tingling from their kiss and she felt like opening the bottle of red wine she had stored away a few weeks ago.

"Please make yourself at 'ome." Finally deciding she was going to have a glass of the wine Nicola opened the cupboard and pulled it out along with two glasses. Now all she had to do was find the cork screw.

Ben came back into the apartment with Nicola, mind wandering over various scenarios that could take place. He kept thinking of how he wanted to say what he needed to say, and of course the whole angel issue kept bouncing around in his head.

Logically speaking, it made less than no sense to tell Nicola about that. His secrecy was one of his greatest weapons. As soon as she knew, she would be a part of his world. She would get the crash course. The fighting, the pain, all those things. Ben wasn't sure he wanted to pull Nicola into that world. Ben had chosen that path. Or rather, his nature had driven him down that road. But Nicola wasn't a warrior, she was an artist. How would she deal with a boyfriend that could potentially never come home one night.

Oh man. He'd done it. He'd thought the word "boyfriend".

"Uh, sure!" Ben said to Nicola. Man, heaven help them if alcohol came into the mix. This situation was crazy enough. Besides, Ben tended to get really loose-lipped when he was intoxicated. Things could get bad. The best case scenario would that Ben would say some funny stuff, and fall asleep. Worst-case scenario....Ben didn't want to think about it, and yet, he did.

"Thanks!" Ben replied as Nicola told him to make himself at home. His mind was still racing. What would he say? He was tempted to just shoot out his wings, say he was a freak and be done with it.
Then at least it would be out there.

"So, I gotta admit. It's been a crazy last couple of days. Crazy as in awesome. I really think we might have something going here" Ben said.

Tactfully, Ben waited for Nicola's response. Let's see what she did...

Nicola dug around in the second top draw, it was here somewhere she knew it. She had opened up a bottle only a week or so ago and had placed it back in the draw. While she was trying to find it her mind was racing with ideas, what if this really worked? With that thought it mind it began to make her feel a little light headed, if it did work she would have to burn some of her art work. The ones she had done od Damian were in the spare room and to top it off her personal sketch book. She would have to tear pages upon pages out, for if she was going to start anew she couldn't have anything reminding her of the past...nothing.

Nicola knew what it was like to feel pain, countless times she had gone to see Damian and wondered if anything had happened to him during the day where he was most vulnerable. That was a pain she knew how to bare, it was familiar but what she couldn't contend with was actually losing someone again.

Nicola smiled as she found the cork screw, taking it from the draw she began to twist it into the cork. A few seconds later there was a small pop, the cork had come out clean. Smiling wider she poured a glass for herself and then one for Ben, holding both glasses in one hand and the bottle in the other. She knew how to wait on people, she had done it at a few art shows and was rather pleased with those skills.

" 'ere." She said as she came out into the lounge room, handing Ben a glass of the red wine she placed the bottle down on the coffee table before tabling a seat on the couch.

"I tink you are right we do 'ave something 'ere. Who would 'ave thought it would 'ave turned out like this? I really 'ave enjoyed our date and I 'ope it won't be our last one." Nicola was speaking honestly, she had enjoyed the dinner and at least this time when they went to get something to eat no one tried to start a fight with Ben. She actually got to talk to him, laugh with him and the best part of the night was she got to kiss him. However, her eyes for detail was always on the look out and she noticed he wasn't at ease any more. As though he was trying to tell her something but was afraid of her reaction.

"If your trying to tell me someting then please take your time. If your worried about keeping your mysterious vibe at uni then you 'ave nothing to worry about. Keeping secrets is what I do best."

Ben gratefully accepted the wine. It looked like it was waaay richer than what his blood was used to. In fact, he hardly ever drank alcohol at all, which explained why he was somewhat more susceptible to it's effects. Ben would never admit this, though. He claimed he could hold his liquor.

Ben sipped his wine and smiled at Nicola as she affirmed that there was indeed something between them. He was glad the feeling was mutual.

"Yeah. There really is something there. I feel like we should run with it. Y'know, just see where this goes." Ben offered, hoping to set up some sort of relationship. If there was any way this was going to work, they had to talk about this.

Nicola, ever-perceptive, noticed Ben was nervous. Ben had thought he had put his poker face on. Alas, Nicola knew something was up, and, as always, was kind and sensitive about it. Ben didn't know what to do. How do you tell someone something that will shatter their entire world? He was half-angel, for goodness sakes.

Ben took another long sip of his wine. With the taste of wine on his lips, he leaned over and kissed Nicola on the lips gently, then planted a kiss on her graceful neck. It was even more amazing this time round. "Um...there's something I want to tell you, but I don't know how." Ben started. Immediately his angelic half began freaking out. What was he THINKING!?!? How did he know this was a good idea. In fact, it wasn't a good idea! It was a terrible idea!

Oh well, he'd said it. Now Nicola definitely knew something was up. Ben began trying to put himself in her shoes. How would he react if he were in this situation?

Nicola sipped on the wine as he spoke again about there being something between them. Was he making sure she felt something before he could tell her? If that were the case he had nothing to worry about, she felt something there and had been drawn to him. Meeting him at the uni wasn't just luck it was meant to be and Nicola had thought about getting the admin staff member something to thank her for asking her to go meet with Ben.

As Ben took a sip of the wine Nicola did the same, as she moved the glass away from her lips she was greet with Ben's once more. Her heart was rapidly beating in her chest and as his lips moved from her's to her neck she was sure she her heart had skipped a beat. He was gentle and kind and he also had the same luring effect Damian once had.

As he spoke about needing to tell her something, something screamed out in her mind. Was he even human? An ever so slight frown appeared on her face as she thought about it, he did have an angelic apperance and he was old fashioned, he was trying to tell her something and yet had to make sure she really truely felt for him. She thought about it for a moment if she was in his shoes and really wanted someone to know, especially after a date wouldn't she want to make sure that person wouldn't be detered from something she was? It seemed to Nicola that the supernatural would continue to follow her and ir seemed a normal life was something she wasn't ever going to get.

A sigh left her lip and her frown disappeared, reaching out she took hold of Ben's hand. Looking up at him her eyes were full of concern and yet still held a warmth, she would have to say something to help him. If she was wrong then she would only sound like a crazy person but if she was right this would help Ben make the decision to tell her.

"Ben...Your not all human are you?" Nicola asked as though she had somewhat been expecting it. She offered him a smile and squeezed his hand letting him know that if that were the case she was alright with it. That also meant she could tell him the truth about the one she had spoke about the day before.

Ben's shock was visible on his face as his eyebrows shot up. How the heck did she figure that out?!

Ben's mind went through possiblities. Maybe Nicola wasn't human either. Or maybe she was from ORDER. Or maybe she was simply aware of the Supernatural. Ben didn't know what to think, but he did know how he felt. And that was all he knew right now.

After a pause, Ben took Nicola's hand with both hands and said "Let me show you something."

Standing up, Ben took a step into the center of the room. Might as well show her... Ben thought.

Turning to face Nicola, he unbuttoned his shirt slowly, facing her and looking into those enchanting eyes the whole time. He tossed the shirt to the side. He took off his undershirt, and threw it to the side as well.

Ben closed his eyes. He flexed his back muscles. His grey wings shot out of his back with a whoosh . He stretched them, as they had been hidden for awhile now. It always felt so good to spread his wings after keeping them concealed for a while.

"To answer your question, yes, I am human, but only half. My mom was human, but my dad...was an angel." Ben said. It felt weird to finally say those words out loud.

"The way my mom tells the story, my dad was a Cherubim, a dispenser of God's Wrath and an agent of divine justice. An avenging angel. And apparently he was one the very best. But the other angels saw in him a lack of empathy for humanity. He was becoming too engrossed in his pursuit of justice. So, they made him my mom's guardian angel." Ben said, remembering his mother's face as he told the story, the same way she had told it to him.

Ben smiled briefly as he kept going. "My mom was quite the party girl back in the day. I don't think my big bad soldier dad expected it to be so much work. But, apparently, he learned his lesson on human empathy a little too well, and well....here I am."

Ben took a step toward Nicola "I understand that this is alot to take in, and I'm sorry I wasn't up front with you. It's just...most people don't want to acknowledge....people like me. We cause problems. We're troublemakers."

Ben took a deep breath, and continued. "The reason that guy wanted to fight me in the cafe was because he was a demon. Normally that would only be cause for some dirty looks, but you see...because I'm half soldier angel...I feel obligated to protect people. I feel like it's my calling. So at night, I go out and stop werewolves, vampires, demons and any other creepy crawlies from hurting innocent people. That demon and I have fought before."

Ben was suddenly aware of the various scars and bruises covering his body. They were proof enough of Ben's statement. He hoped Nicola didn't find them TOO disgusting.

"I live in a crazy world, and I didn't want to pull you into it. You're too...pure....too...." Ben trailed off.

Well, she knew. The whole she-bang in a nutshell. Ben braced himself for her reaction.

The shock on his face only proved one thing, her gut feeling had been right. He wasn't normal as Nicola had once thought, it amused her in a way. She really wasn't meant to have a normal life and being with Ben proved that. She knew too much about vampires and for that part she was in rather deep, it only made her wonder what he could be.

As Ben stood up Nicola took another sip of the wine, part of her thought she would need it to prepare herself for what he was going to show her and she was right. As Ben stripped off Nicola averted her eyes for a moment, she wasn't expecting him to remove his shirt. But her eyes wandered back up and looked over his torso, there were scars which meant he fought alot.

Sitting her glass down she leaned back intot he couch as he began to stretch his muscles. Then his wings came out and Nicola was in complete shock, so there were other things out there besides vampires. It was a good thing she had set her glass down, otherwise she would have dropped it on the floor and stained the carpet.

Once the shock was over she was in awe, he was a real angel, maybe only half a one but an angel none the less. As he told his story Nicola listened to every word and he spoke about others that were out there. Demons, werewolves and of course vampires.

Finally Nicola was able to move, she stood up and made her way over towards Ben. Her hand reached out and traced one of the scars he had, her touch light and slightly afraid she might hurt him.

"This crazy world you speak of..." Nicola began, looking up at him her hand rested on his chest and she moved in closer to him. This could never deter her away from him, it now explained why she had been drawn to him. "...I've known a bit about it for a while, three years to be exact. So you haven't pulled me into anything but thank you for trusting me with this knowledge." Slowly she moved her hand up his chest, it stopped when it reached his neck. Leaning up she kissed him softly on his lips, he had been worried that she would leave but that wasn't going to happen. Definately not now.

"Your not the first supernatural being I have been with, I guess I'm not meant to 'ave a normal life. So don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Her arms snaked around him and she hugged him, careful not to bump his wings. For what she could remember an angel's wings were sensitive to pain and pain wasn't something she wanted to give him, the complete opposite actually.

Ben closed his eyes as Nicola ran her hand along one of his scars. A werewolf had given him that particular one. Quite a nasty slash that one had been. Now, all it did was tingle slightly at Nicola's touch.

Ben had listened as Nicola explained that she was no stranger to the supernatural. That explained alot. Ben deduced that the "one" she had mentioned in the cafe was the same guy that she meant now when she said had been with another "supernatural being". Ben had a million questions. What was he? Werewolf? Vampire? Hybrid? Demon? Fallen Angel? Where did he come from? If possible, had Nicola been turned into something supernatural? How long ago had it been?

Ben put his concerns to rest. It wasn't his place to know if Nicola didn't want to tell him.

As Nicola moved her hand up Ben's chest, Ben inhaled softly, enjoying the sensation. They kissed. Ben returned the kiss, experiencing the gentle euphoria of her touch. His kiss exuded a soft passion that was made clear by the subtle movement of Ben's hand from Nicola's neck along her back.

"Good to know." Ben replied, breaking the kiss to reply to Nicola's reassuring words.

A nephilim's wings may have been sensitive to pain, but for Ben, his wings were just like normal limbs, like arms or legs. Chalk it up to his soldier heritage or perhaps to the fact that his wings had been hardened through a few beatings. They moved elegantly in a wide circle around Nicola and Ben, encasing the two in their strong embrace and gently pressing Nicola against Ben's warm body. The world around them faded away in Ben's wings.

Ben kissed Nicola, this time with more vigor and passion. He ran his hand through her raven locks, tussling them slightly. His kisses progressed down Nicola's neck to her collarbone, and from her collarbone back to her neck, just below her ear. He bit her earlobe gently as his free hand found its way to Nicola's thigh, stroking it softly.

Thoughts of literally sweeping Nicola off her feet and taking her to the bedroom coursed through Ben's mind, but his angelic half protested. In fact, he felt a surge of guilt of even being here. What about the people on the street? Who was protecting them? No avenging angel should slack off like he was doing. The two halves of Ben's nature clashed, as they were so prone to do. His human half becoming intoxicated with Nicola's entire being (and a few sips of wine), while his angelic side spurred Ben to seek for justice.

Nicola knew he would have questions and she would have been happy to answer any of them but nothing came from him. It would be something she would talk about but right now that didn't matter, now that she had shown she accepted him he seemed more at ease. Even though his secret was out in the open it wasn't much of a big deal for Nicola. So he was a supernatural being, half an Angel to be more exact but part of him was still human. So part of their relationship would be part normal, he could take her out in the day time and at night she would simply paint and wait to hear from him.

She couldn't stop him from going out and helping those who needed it. It would be like him telling her she would never be aloud to pick up a paint brush again, she wouldn't be able to bare it.

As his wings encircled her, she could feel the softness of his feathers on her shoulders. The light touch from them caused a shiver to run down her spine and goosebumps rising on her skin as it had tickled her.

Her thoughts began to wander, wondering how his powers worked. She might have had some experience with dealing with vampires but angels were completely new.

" How-" Nicola didn't get a chance to ask her question as Ben's lips came back. This time wasn't like the first one she had gotten from him, this one had more passion behind it and as his lips moved back down her neck she breathed in sharply. If Ben hadn't been holding her she was sure her knees would give way any moment now. A warmth began to grow in her stomache, something she hadn't felt for a long time and she swallowed hard trying to calm herself down. As Nicola tried to fight it she could feel his hands stroking her thigh, no this was going a little fast. As much as she enjoyed it, this was still classed as their first date.

"Ben..." She whispered softly hoping to distract him enough that he would stop. Even though she didn't want she didn't want him to think she was easy, that was the last thing she wanted others to think of her as.

Ben heard the soft sound of Nicola whispering his name. Ben was about to respond, when he heard an all-too familiar sound.

Sirens. Police sirens. Alot of them. Typical. The sound of multiple police cars driving past filled Ben's ears. They were in a hurry. Sounded like it was pretty bad.

Ben opened his wings, releasing Nicola from his embrace. He looked into her eyes and said "Nicola. I have to go. Duty calls."

Ben's human side chafed as he put his shirt back on. He'd probably end up ripping it anyway, but it was necessary.

Why now? It was never at a convenient time. Ever. Ben could feel his angelic drive kicking in. It was time to go.

"Look...um...." Ben said, looking out the window, Nicola's reflection still visible in the window.

"This isn't going to be easy. I mean, there's alot we don't know about each other. I could go out one night on patrol and never come back. It's a dangerous game I play. Not to mention the fact that I'm trying to live a 'normal' life on top of that...." Ben said.

"I know there's alot to take in. Trust me. I know. But...can I come back to see you? Maybe later?" Ben asked.

Ben walked over to her window and opened it. Darkness had engulfed the city. The sounds of the supernatural filled his angelic ears.

Ben hopped onto the window sill, wings outstretched. "Take care of yourself." Ben said.

He leapt out of the window, and flew into the night with a soft whoosh. The faint sound of flapping wings could be heard in the distance.

It seemed that her plea had been heard as Ben released her but the words that came out of him moth told her it wasn't because she had said his name, something else was happening and he needed to be there. Nicola couldn't say anything as he moved aside to get his shirt, she stood in her spot, her skin still tingling from where he had touched her.

He was right, it would be hard trying to have a normal life when he went out every night but what part of life was easy. Finally she moved over towards Ben, he was at the window and yet he must not have seen the door to the balcony. Her hand reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt, part of her didn't want him to go but she knew he had too.

"I'll leave the balcony door unlocked for you..." In case she fell asleep while she waited for him to return at least he would have a way in. Slowly her grip on his shirt loosened and her hand fell down to her side, he was going to leave but there was an upside to all of this, it had been an interesting and fun date.

"I'll be fine, your the one who needs to take care of yourself." She said just as he was leaving, then few seconds later he was gone and all she could hear was the sound of his wings flapping and heading out into the night. She stayed at the window for a few more minutes before she closed it and walked over towards the balcony door, unlocking it opened it a little in case Ben came back that night.

Nicola wasn't feeling tired, she was wide awake. Getting changed into her pj's which consisted of violet slacks and a singlet top she went into the spare room and grabbed hold of a black canvas. She had am image in her mind she needed to paint and it would help pass the time. Setting everything she needed in the lounge room she closed her eyes, it was her way of getting the image burnt into her mind. That image had been the pose Ben had used when he revealed his wings, a smile appeared and she opened her eyes. Taking a sip of the wine she had yet to finish she picked up the paint brush and began to outline of Ben's figure. This would be one picture she would hand in the lounge room once it was done.

It had been a long night. Some crazed arsonist had set fire to a very large hotel. Ben had frantically rescued as many people as he could find, but there were some even he couldn't save. Eventually the fire had been put out, the hotel was left a shadow of its former self. The numerous escapees of the hotel kept telling stories that baffled firemen. An angel had swooped in and saved them. While many were disinclined to believe such tall tales, many couldn't explain that multiple people told the same story, and that far too many had escaped, considering the circumstances.

While the humans were left to contemplate their fate, Ben, dressed now in his hooded overcoat, and now ripped shirt (thanks to his wings), stood atop a rooftop. Covered in ash from the fire, he had stopped to clean himself off a bit. He had never played fireman before. IT was a new experience, but he had learned from it.

Ben looked at the time. 3:32 am. It was late. And yet early. Part of him wanted to go back to Nicola's apartment, but part of him wanted to finish his patrol. And yet another part of him didn't want to wake Nicola.

I have to fly back there anyway. I left the bike there...besides, that'll give me an excuse to check up on Nicola...just to see if she's okay. Ben reasoned with himself.

Cruising the muggy night skies of New Orleans, Ben saw that everything seemed quiet. That was good. Ben was tired. Really tired. The fire had only been the last of several conflicts Ben had experienced that evening. It was an effort to keep flying.

Making sure nobody saw him, Ben landed on the roof, folded his wings and slid down the rain gutter to Nicola's balcony. If she was asleep, he would lock the balcony door and leave a note...even though crashing on her couch sounded alot better.

Cracking the door, Ben looked around. Hopefully he wouldn't startle Nicola.

It was 2 am when Nicola had finished her painting, the bottle of wine now empty as she had been taking sips while she painted. She had managed to remember the scars that were on his torse and the shape of his wings, it was almost like looking at a photo with amount of detail and time she had put into it. She was tired now, everytime she painted she felt stretched out and exhausted but Ben wasn't back yet.

Nicola wanted to stay awake she wanted to see that he got back fine, even if he had only left a note it wouldn't have been enough. She had no way to contact him and she didn't know where he was staying, it would kill her just to wait around and not know how to contact him.

Leaving the painting in the lounge room she left the light on as she cleaned up, placing the glasses and empty bottle of wine in the kitchen she began to clean up her paints. That didn't take as long as she thought and so she ventured into the spare room turning on the light she moved towards the canvases that had Damian's portaite. At first she only stared at them for a moment, remembering him was painful still but there was one thing she needed to do while Ben wasn't here.

Going back to the kitchen she took out a knife and headed back to the room, taking a canvas she used the knife to cut it away from the frame. Once it was free Nicola held it in front of her and took a deep breath.

"No more living in the past..." She told herself and she ripped the image, one down several more to go. An hour had passed and she had managed to get rid of the canvases with Damian's face on them, it felt good. She didn't know she would enjoy it so much, getting rid of a part of her past. But even though the canvases were done there was still her personal sketch book. Cleaning up the mess she placed the ripped pictures into a garbage bag, she would head down to the bins when it was sunlight, now wouldn't be a good time.

Nicola made herself comfy on the lounge, another glass of wine sat in front of her and torn pages, crumpled up were on the floor. She went to tear out another page, the one she had drawn to remember the scene of Damian's death when her eyes began to close, her body slid down a little and her head rested on the arm of the couch. If only she had known he was only a few minutes away she wouldn't have worried about the sketch book but she was a little intoxicated and felt it needed to be done now. The book rested in her lap with her hand covering the image.

Ben poked his head around the corner to see Nicola sleeping on the couch. It looked like she had been busy.

Smiling to himself, Ben picked Nicola up gently and took her towards the bedroom. Ben had no intention of doing anything except tucking Nicola in, and maybe crashing on the couch.

Reaching the bed, he set Nicola down gently, pulling the blanket over her delicate frame. He tried not to wake her as he tried to wipe the ash stains off of Nicola. He had left some soot on her that had been left on him from the fire.

Kissing her softly, he made his way back to the balcony door. Locking it in order to keep the cold air out, among other things, he made his way back to the living room. Taking his now ripped and dirty shirt off and setting it to the side, he opted to crash on the couch. Hopefully Nicola wouldn't mind.

Before falling asleep, Ben made his way back to Nicola's room. Staring at Nicola for a moment, he turned the light off, closed the door and headed back to the couch. He locked all the doors and windows, turned the lights off and laid down on the couch. Using his overcoat as a blanket, Ben made himself comfortable on the couch. The morning would bring its share of surprises. Good thing it was Saturday. Ben silently hoped everything had gone okay for Nicola.

Ben noticed a sketch pad on the couch. Moving it carefully so that he wouldn't crush it while he slept, he noticed the image of a man. Who was that?

Ben was too tired to pay much attention. Setting the pad to the side, he laid back down on the couch.

Nicola didn't stir as Ben moved her to her room, if only she had stayed awake a few more minutes she would have been able to see him. If she had known Ben was going to stay she would have told him to use the spare room, it wasn't like it had ever been used.

As he placed her in bed she curled up within the blankets, the soft fabric offering her warmth and comfort, much more then what the couch could do. Her dreams were more like images, images she had seen and others her mind had made up on it own.

By the time that Nicola's eyes opened it was nearing nine in the morning, wiping the sleep from her eyes she rolled over in the bed. Wait! Nicola quickly sat up, the last thing she remembered was that she was on the couch sipping mroe wine and ripping pages out of a sketch book. She frowned for a moment as she how she got in her own room...Ben! It had to be Ben, who else would do such a gentleman thing?

Nicola hopped out of bed, combing her hair with her hair with her fingers to get rid of the bed hair. Quietly she opened her bedroom door her head peering out to see if she could see Ben. As she walked down the hall she saw that the door to the balcony had been locked, that door could only be locked from the inside which meant Ben was here.

Tip toeing out to the lounge room there he was and still asleep, a smile broke out on her lips. He was here but he looked tired and warn out, other then that he looked fine, a sigh of relief left her lips as she headed towards the kitchen. He probably didn't get a chance to eat anything when he was out and she didn't want him to starve. Deciding to make a breakfast for them both Nicola grabbed the eggs and bacon, this was one breakfast she had come to like while being in America.

She tried to stay quiet as she cooked but the bacon kepts sizzling loud and popped once in a while. The eggs were nearly ready and the bread was in the toaster, all that was left was coffee. Nicola began to smile, wondering what Ben's expression would be. She was sure he hadn't expected her to cook the moment she woke up but she had figured he had been out all night and he needed something to eat.

Ben was stirred from his slumber by the smell of bacon and eggs on the grill. Mmm. He hadn't had a real breakfast like that in a long, long while.

Shifting slightly on the couch, Ben lay there for awhile, enjoying his half-asleep reverie on the couch. He could get used to this.

Rolling off the couch, Ben set his overcoat to the side. Standing up, his pulled his wings into his back. The sun was up, and he didn't want anybody to see that there was a winged man hanging out in Nicola's apartment.

Still bare-chested, Ben slowly made his way to the kitchen. This was turning out to be quite the long date.

Ben paused for a moment, watching Nicola. Ben was amazed how happy he felt, just standing there.

He came up quietly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"G'morning beautiful." Ben said, taking her in. The smell of her hair was still amazing, Ben was pleased to note.

"Hey, sorry I had to ditch you last night..." Ben said, somewhat groggily. He realized he was still filthy, and probably smelled awful. He should probably take a shower. "I wish I could say that it won't happen again, but...." Ben trailed off.

Enough. Less talk about that.

"So, how was your night? It looks like you burned the candle at both ends. What were you up to?" Ben asked, curious as to what she had been doing, while Ben had been almost getting himself killed...again.

Nicola nearly had breakfast done but she beginning to feel guilty about waking him up. She wasn't sure what time she had gone to sleep but he had come in after that which meant he hadn't got much sleep. Taking the bacon and eggs out of the pan she placed them on the plates when Ben sneaked up behind her.

Nicola jumped, startled when he hugged her and a small yelp left her lips. Her body became tense but when Ben spoke she relaxed, and leaned back so she was resting in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder and she turned it slightly so she could see him, a smile broke out on her lips as she could now smell the ash on him.

"Morning, I 'ope your 'ungery." She said, grabbing the toast that had just popped up from the toaster, flicking the switch on the kettle all was left now was the coffee.

"I'm okay with it really, so stop saying sorry." She just needed to know he was fine and he was, Ben could take care of himself, he had probably seen a lot of fights and had the experience under his belt. With that thought in mind Nicola felt more at ease with the fact he went out every night.

Her night? Nicola remembered the mess she had made clearing out everything that had Damian in it. She turned her head over to the couch she had fallen asleep on, she could still see the papers ont he ground, she was hoping to get rid of it before Ben returned but she wasn't so lucky. But leaning against the wall was the painting she had done of Ben. She pointed towards the painting wondering what he would think of it.

"Painting, I had it finished by 2 am as well as the bottle of wine. Then cleaned out the spare room, I needed to get rid of a few paintings." A few had been an understatement, there were close to ten paintings she had torn up and there were still images in her sketch book she had to get rid of.

"I 'ad to get rid of them, otherwise I'd still be living in the past. There all of 'im." She admitted, she couldn't lie to Ben about that, he would figure it out soon and if he had seen any of them he would more then likely have questions, questions she didn't mind answering.

Him. Who was he? Apparently he still played a big part in her life, whoever he was. His death must have affected Nicola in a way he couldn't understand yet. He wanted Nicola to open up naturally. Forcing her would only make matters worse. He already felt somewhat guilty that he had brought her into his world, but it sure as heck didn't outweigh his relief that he didn't have to keep anything from her. Hopefully, he could do the same thing for her.

"Him?" Ben said. "You know, you never have to share any part of your past that you don't want to...but...who was he?" Ben asked, trying to be sensitive to Nicola's pain. This could clearly get rough.

Ben hugged Nicola tighter, as if to say "I'm here. I've got you. I'll protect you."

Ben whispered in Nicola's ear "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm willing to wait."
Ben planted a soft kiss on Nicola's neck, letting his lips linger there.

Ben was naturally curious, and had concocted a million possible stories of how everything had gone down. Nicola was actually the daughter of a vampire slayer, and had gotten in too deep with one of her dad's targets. That didn't add up, her parents had passed away.

Maybe she had had a childhood friend, who had become turned, and she stuck by him, and their feelings had deepened through the struggle.

Or perhaps Ben would simply listen to Nicola, and let the smooth alluring sound of her accented voice tell the tale of the man who had brought her into his life, and had given his own life to do so.
That sounded like a good plan.

How was Nicola suppose to explain this to Ben, either way it was a story that needed to be told. Nicola closed her eyes thinking back to when this all happened, five years ago it had started and three years ago she had been introduced to the world of the night.

"I met him when I was in 'igh school, I 'ad a fight with my uncle and went out. It was late and I got lost then he showed up, it wasn't until later I found out he had been planing to kill me that night but he didn't he just walked me home. He warned me about how dangerous it was at night but I didn't listen and for a couple of years I would go out just to meet him."

Nicola remembered how her uncle had no idea at the time, some nights she knuck out while others she just stormed out. She was being rebelous, her uncle hadn't paid any attention to her and in the end just wanted to be around someone who might have a chance to relate to what she was going through.

"I only met 'im at night, he told me he worked all day and couldn't see me until he finished work. I believed that up until one night I was to meet 'im at the park, I arrived early but I wasn't prepared to see what I did. Damian lured a woman over to 'im and I watched as he feed from her, I froze, I was terrorfied of what he was. He wasn't human and all I could think about doing was running but instead I tripped and he found me."

Nicola absent mindedly brought a hand up to her neck, placing her hand over the place where Damian was going to bite her and make her like him. Since the day she found out about him her neck had always been a weak spot, yes she didn't want to tempt him but she also enjoyed it. Like she was now, Ben's lips were gentle on her neck, they were warm and soft and she could feel the goosebumps rising on her skin.

"Thats when he told me, 'ow old he was, what he was and what he needed to do to survive. He cried in front of me, he broke down and I saw that part of 'im was still 'uman. So our relationship grew and we moved into this apartment. But after six months that all ended, he had asked me if he could turn me and I said yes. We decided the place this should take was in the park where his secret was revealed to me. But something or someone must not 'ave liked that idea, for Damian 'id me in the bush while he confronted that thing...."

Nicola's voice began to get shaky, this was the part she hated to remember. She had wished it so many time to be out of her mind, she wished she could just forget so she could move on with her life.

"...I still remember 'im telling me to run when he 'ad been struck down, I could see 'im bleeding and I could see 'im dying and yet I couldn't move to 'elp 'im. But I 'eard people yelling and heavey footsteps coming towards the park, thats when I ran. That was three years ago now, I didn't tell anyone, no one would believe me even if I did."

Nicola turned herself around and looked up at Ben, there was still so much she wanted to say. She wanted him to know she wasn't going anywhere and that she wasn't planning on living in the past any more. She had someone, she had Ben and she could now turn a blind eye to what happened years ago. After she had told him she did feel relief but no tears came to her eyes, she had done enough crying in her life, she didn't want to cry anymore.

"The only ting I am afraid of is that whatever it was that killed 'im is still out there. I 'ave sketches on what it looked like but I couldn't find anyting to tell me what it was."

Ben listened with both interest and sympathy to Nicola's story. Ben could only imagine the pain that Nicola had gone through. It must have torn her to shreds inside. Ben was often amazed at the resiliency of the human spirit.

In some ways, Nicola was stronger than Ben was. Ben drew his strength from the satisfaction of seeking justice, and finding perfection in the martial arts. Nicola didn't need to lash out like Ben did. She bore it serenely. Even though Ben was half-angel, and physically stronger and more durable than Nicola, it was she who had bore a pain that Ben had yet to experience. He had been with various women throughout his life, but none of them had ever been taken from him the way Damian had been taken from Nicola.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Really, I am. That sounds like hell. I know it must have hurt to remember that, but thank you for sharing with me....heh...I guess both of us have lost our mystery." Ben said, remembering the previous night, when he had showed Nicola his secret. Speaking of which....he needed a new shirt, Ben noted.

Ben moved away from Nicola slightly as he said "You said the thing that got him is still out there? Can I see the sketch of it? I want to make sure this thing doesn't hurt anybody else." Ben's angelic half seethed at the thought of some beast lurking the night, tossing powerful vampires aside like they were nothing.

What interested Ben more was that he had been in town about the time Nicola said that this all had happened. It was just a visit to chase down a rogue magician, but Ben had stuck around for a few days, and had done the whole hero thing while he was in town. Why hadn't he caught the thing that had gotten Damian?

It was rather presumptious to assume he could catch it and kill it, but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty. He could have stopped it...but that would've meant that he couldn't have been with Nicola, reasoned Ben's human half.

"Nicola...." Ben began. He wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. He had had a sudden epiphany.

Nicola never saw herself as a strong person, she had reasoned with herself if she was strong she would have let go of the past a lot sooner then she had. Damian's death had left her feeling empty, she had no one to tell and no one to help her through it. But the one thing she did know was time did heal all wounds, her's had been healing since she spoke to Evie.

Now Nicola had something going right for once, moving on, her art selling and making new friends. Just being around Ben made her feel more confident, she could speak Italian and not have to worry about English or correcting herself.

When Ben apologised Nicola shook her head, there was nothing he had to be sorry about. It wasn't like he was there at the time and if he was he would have been hurt as well. But a smile broke out on her lips, yes she had lost her mystery but there was one other secret she was keeping and that was not revealing to anyone who Evie was. Nicola found a new friend in Evie, would Ben fight Evie?

"You don't need to apologise, it wasn't like you were standing there and doing anything. You probably weren't in town then...."

Ben wanted to see the thing that killed Damian? With a heavey sigh Nicola moved from the kitchen and over to the couch, there on the floor were the papers she had ripped out. She had made a mess and she needed to clean it up after breakfast, picking up her sketch book she flicked through what pages were left. She stared down at the page for a moment, seeing her sketch was like seeing it all over again.

Damian was on the ground reaching out in her direction, that was when he had yelled out for her to run. The creature stood over him, hunched over and mouth open ready to bite. Its claws were huge and its fur was black except for the white patch on its underbelly. Making her way over to Ben she held it out for him to take and the moment he took it she went to finish getting breakfast ready.

"It had red eyes, because its a sketch I only used different shades of grey. I 'ope you wanted to see this to know what not to fight, that ting...that ting is dangerous Ben. Don't go after it....please..." Nicola's voice became soft, she knew she couldn't stop him from going out every night to do what he felt needed to be done. However, she wanted him to be able to come back and see her the next day, she didn't want to lose two people to the same creature.

Ben's eyes glanced over the sketch. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. He had thought, for a few dread moments, that he had perhaps killed Damian, and not known it. Ben didn't know how he would live with himself if that were true. Granted, he tried his best not to kill when he patrolled the streets, but...you never knew.

Red eyes. Large claws. Black fur with a white underpatch. Had it been a werewolf? That sounded like quite the werewolf...maybe....maybe it was something else.....

"Thank you for showing me this. It's good to know what's out there..." Ben said softly. "Do you remember what day this happened on? Was there a full moon that day?"

Ben was letting his curiousity get the better of him, but he also wanted to ascertain what he was dealing with. What had killed Nicola's former lover and why? Was it still out there?

"Nicola...I was in town that day. I was here chasing a rogue magician. I busted him, but...something tells me there's more going on here than we think. I need to know everything. I might be involved in this somehow, and I need to know what's going on. Did your boyfriend have any enemies? Any rivals? Anybody who would want to seek his death? " Ben said, trying to be sensitive, but at the same time focused.
This could be big. It seemed like there were a few too many coincidences floating around in this story.



Nicola asked Ben not to go after the monster. He understood her concern, but he also understood that he had a duty. If he didn't go get this monster, who would? There were innocent people who could get hurt. What if it came for Nicola? Or somebody else Ben loved?
Ben realized, however, that this was a sensitive topic. Maybe later, they could discuss it in detail. For now, Ben just wanted to be with Nicola.

"I'm sorry. This is probably isn't a pleasant topic of discussion. We can talk about this later." Ben said, reaching for Nicola's hand.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. He realized that this had to be hard.

"Tell you what, how about I take a shower, since I'm all sweaty and disgusting, and then afterwards, we can hang out some more." Ben offered. He was still dirty from last night.

A full moon? Nicola let a small laugh leave her lips, even when it was all happening she still picked up on the details. Sometimes she hated it, she would spot things before others, her uncle kept telling her it was the eye of the artist. It was also something her mother told her, one of the few memories she had left when she was in Italy.

"There was no full moon, it was on the night of a new moon....

As the kettle boiled she poured the hot water into the coffee cups, her hands a little shaky from the conversation. It was a sensitive subject but one Nicola was dealing with, it felt great to be able to finally tell someone what had happened. It had been killing her but to top it all off it had been to an angel. Having an angel in the city would more then likely stur things up, but life would be interesting that was for sure.

So he was in town that night? But his business had been with something else. Nicola didn't know if she felt angry that he hadn't helped or happy that he didn't because of what was happening now. It was confusing not knowing what to feel, how to act. It was just a jumble in her head and she needed to sort it out.

Ben had told her the truth, in less then two days she found out about him. He had not lied to her once, he was telling it as it was. For that she was thankful, it wasn't everyday you got to meet someone who would open up like he did. Damian on the other hand had lied to her for years before he finally told her and that was only because she had seen him feed. He never spoke to her about his life, he only told her what he needed to do to survive.

"I don't know...He never spoke about 'is friends or family. I don't know if someone objected to 'im turning me or if he did 'ave enemies, all I knew about 'im was that he was a vampire that could 'ave killed me but he didn't. I guess...I guess I didn't know 'im as well as I thought."

Nicola closed her eyes as Ben kissed her forehead, even now he was being gentle and kind. Maybe he wanted to see what it was so he could do some research, find out what it was so he could find a way to prevent it from hurting others. As long as he didn't go in head first Nicola could live with it if he did go after her. But she had tried and found nothing on its discription.

"Eat while its fresh and hot, then you can 'ave a shower." Nicola picked up both plates and placed one in Ben's hands, a smile across her lips. She hadn't cooked it just so he could let it go cold.

New moon huh? Okay, that ruled out werewolf. But if it wasn't a werewolf, what was it? What had killed Damian? Ben's keen mind was going over possibilities. He would check in the parks around the city. He had already almost gotten in a scuffle over at Jackson Park a few days ago with a vampire and a werewolf. Ironically, the vampire had been a punk, and the werewolf had been cool. He would start there.

In the meantime, he had opened up enough old wounds for one day.

"I'm sure you knew him well enough. Sometimes people have to keep secrets to protect the people they care about. It sucks, but I'm sure that he did it because he didn't want to drag you into...our world. It can be a scary place sometimes...I should know. I'm out there in the thick of it every night. The one thing that makes it worth it to venture into that kind of darkness, is that there is a light in this world worth fighting for. That light is made up of people like you. You are that light." Ben said, letting his hand caress her arm softly.

Ben took the plate of food gratefully, and pulled out a chair at the table for Nicola before sitting down himself.

Ben ate the food gratefully. He was indeed hungry. It seemed like he was always hungry.
"Wow. Darlin', this is delicious. Thank you for doing this for me. I appreciate it alot. You're an artist in kitchen as much as on a canvas." Ben said, sincerely.

"So, what are your plans today?" Ben asked. He often wondered what normal people did on a Saturday.

Something worth fighting for? Ben had been doing this a long time and for how long she didn't know. Maybe in time he would tell her more, she was interested in this ither world, she had been apart of it for a period in time. Then it all stopped fir three years she wasn't apart of it and now she was back. She knew just how dangerous vampires were and could only guess that the others were just as dangerous if not even worse. But if she was going to keep seeing Ben she knew she had to learn more, this was a big part of his life and she wanted to be apart of it.

Sitting down in the chair that he had pulled out for her, she began to eat the breakfast she cooked. She hadn't been as hungry as he was, she had only guessed he hadn't eaten and she was correct when he ate everything. A warm smile appeared on her lips as he complimented her, saying thanks she began to clear the table.

"I 'ave to take some canvases to town, a couple of buyers from the art show that the uni held a few weeks back. Check at the museum when I am working next and then I would either head to the Uni to 'elp my uncle or find a place to paint."

Placing the dishes int he sink she leaned against the bench thinking what she could do instead. She really needed to hand those paintings over, the money would help with the rent and help restock her supplies.

"But you said something before about a shower? I'll get you a clean towel and I there is a shirt you can 'ave." Moving from the kitchen Nicola walked down the hall towards the cupboard that had all the linen. Grabbing a clean towel she headed back towards Ben, handing him the towel.

"I'll show you where the bathroom is." Nicola lead him down the same hall she had just come, the bathroom was across from her own bedroom. It made things easier when living on her own, didn't have to walk as far when the nights were cold.

"Wow. Sounds lie you have quite the to-do list. Don't be too productive, baby. It's bad for you." Ben teased affectionately. Nicola probably would end up being quite productive, and create some beautiful art during the day.

Ben, however, had different plans. After his shower, he planned to sleep sometime soon after that. After that, he would work out, and train his martial arts moves some more. And after that...maybe he'd swing by and see Nicola...or maybe he'd start figuring out what that thing was that killed Damian. Or both.

Ben took his dish to the sink and washed it off when he was done. "Thanks again, baby. That hit the spot." Ben said.

Upon hearing of the shower, Ben said "Yeah, sure, that'd be great. Although, I'm not sure how'd I'd look in one of your shirts. Don't get me wrong, you pull them off amazingly..." Ben teased again.

Once they had arrived at the bathroom, Ben smiled and placed his hand behind Nicola's neck, meaning to pull her into a kiss that was both tender and gentle, yet with undertones of a deeper passion, waiting to be awakened. Ben's free hand took Nicola's hand and guided it along the hard lines of his torso, sweaty and dirty though it was.

Upon breaking the kiss, Ben said "Thanks. I'll be out in a jiffy."

Closing the door, Ben turned on the hot water. This was going to feel great.

A lop sided grin appeared on her lips from his teasing, she might have found it amusing to see him try to get into one of her tops. Her shoulders were no where near as board as his and her arms were half the size of his.

Ben still seemed to be able to surprise her, she didn't think he would have kissed her the way he did. His kiss the night before had been gentle, he held her as though she were a fragile doll but this one held a deeper desire to it. As he moved her hand along his chest she couldn't help the change of colour in her cheeks. He was tornmenting her with his actions, his words and gestures. Nicola didn't want him to break the kiss let alone leave, as he moved into the bathroom and closed the door Nicola stood there for a moment.

As she heard the hot water she thought it would be best to get changed and find him a shirt. Heading into her room she figure she would be dressed before Ben would get out. Leaving the door half open she moved over to her wardrobe, grabbing a pair of jeans and a plain fitted button up top, she began to strip down.

Her thoughts were all over the place, she didn't know what was up and what was down. Everything just seemed to melt in together and the only thing that was making sense was Ben. It seemed right but how long would she be able to stand him going out and coming home at all hours of the night. It would be something she would have to wait and see.

With her back to the door she began putting on her undergarments, once Ben was out of the bathroom she would duck in so she could brush her teeth and do her hair.

Ben let the warm water cascade over his body, washing the sweat and filth and blood off him. Running his hands through his hair, he let the warm water relax him. All the tension in his muscles left slowly, promptly a soft sigh from Ben's lips.


After a while, Ben turned the water off, toweled off slightly, and put his pants back on. After running his hands through his wet hair, he opened the door to see Nicola.

Ben caught himself staring for a moment. She was truly beautiful. How had Ben gotten so lucky? Stuff like that didn't happen to him. Ben found himself expecting to hear sirens, or suddenly be attacked or something like that. Moments like this usually didn't last long without something like that happening.

Ben relaxed as he realized nothing would happen. There simply wasn't enough disaster this time of day.

Ben quickly realized that it might be somewhat awkward, as Nicola wasn't fully dressed. His angelic half throbbed with guilt as he turned his head away and said "Sorry. I probably should have told you I was getting out."

Ben's angelic side was all too quick to remind Ben that he needed to keep the big picture in mind. Even if decency and propriety weren't factors in their relationship, he couldn't afford to commit big sins. His powers would diminish, depending on the sin in question. Ben had chalked up enough sins simply by being part-human, he couldn't afford to add lust or fornication to the list.

But Ben's human side was ever-restless, and was as stubborn as his angelic side. What was wrong with what they were doing? What was wrong with something they might do? What was wrong with imagining?

"You, uh....I'm done with the bathroom, if you want it." Ben said, piercing through the wave of emotion he experienced. It seemed to be a battle between duty and love in Ben's own heart. All that aside though, Nicola was truly amazing. That much Ben knew.

Nicola's mind was still sorting everything out, in two short days so much had happened. Ben had asked her out and she had accepted, then coming back to her apartment she found out he wasn't human, there wasn't just vampires out there. Ben risked his life every night and to top it off she had shown a bit of her past.

When she thought about this it made her pause in what she was doing, she wasn't use to having someone else in the apartment and it was only out of habit she hadn't closed the door properly. With her thoughts coming and going she had only her unddergarments on and her jeans, her shirt was in her hands ready to put on when more questions began to come to mind.

What powers did Ben have? Did he have to do something special every week to keep his powers? Could he read her mind? Her emotions? How much of him was human? She was getting curious and it was only when Ben came out and spoke Nicola jumped out of her skin. Her heart was racing and she had let a yelp escape her lips, he had indeed started her, but there had been other things that had scared her more.

Her back was still to him and so she turned her head to one side, he was back in his pants but his shirt was still missing.

"No, I should have shut the door, not use to having someone 'ere." Quickly she put on the fitted button up shirt but only did a couple of buttons in the front up. Heading back over to her wardrobe she looked up at the shelf above her clothes hanging up. It was mainly where she placed the clothes she only wore in winter or clothes she hardly wore anymore, however here there was a shirt for Ben to wear. It might have belonged to Damian but he wasn't coming back for it. She jumped up to see where the shirt might be, she wasn't exactly tall but when her eyes caught glimps of it she jumped up again and quickly grabbed it. It was only a plain black shirt but at least it would be something he could wear for the ride home.

" 'ere it might be a bit tight though, your shoulders are broader." Nicola stood in front of Ben her hand extended witht he shirt in her hand. She hadn't meant to show herself off in front of him as she truely thought he would have been dressed before him. Speaking of which, once the shirt was taken from her, she went back to do the rest of hte buttons up, covering the rest of her body.

"I've been wondering, just what type of powers do you 'ave Ben?"

Ben gratefully accepted the shirt. It was nice not to feel like he was showing off all the time. He tucked his grey wings into his back, and put the shirt on. The shirt was indeed a bit tight, but Ben would live.

"Yeah, the shirt's a bit tight. That's fine though. I'm not planning on any adventures between now and the ride home." Ben said. Doesn't mean they don't happen, though. thought Ben.

Ben stepped into the room as Nicola asked him about his powers. Ben let the question sink in. Essentially, she was asking what made them different. But Ben just smiled. It was natural to wonder what he could do. It was a question Ben constantly had to ask himself, but in a slightly different way.

His powers were constantly developing. Puberty had indeed been rough for Ben.

"My powers, huh? It's kinda complicated. I guess the answer starts with my dad. He wasn't a normal angel. He was a guardian angel. A Soldier. Because of that, my powers are a bit...different." Ben said.

Ben wondered to start. He didn't want to overwhelm her.

"Well, I have super-speed and reflexes, for starters. I'm not sure what my top speed is, but I've kept pace with vampires, so that's something. I can also fly really fast, but...that works differently." Ben said.

"Then comes the super strength and durability. I'm pretty strong, but there's a catch. My strength is primarily concussive, or fast-twitch. That means I can hit stuff inhumanly hard when I focus, but the whole lifting thing is different." Ben had often wondered if his martial arts training had contributed to this power, but as he didn't know any "angel doctors", he

Ben continued. "I have enhanced senses. I can see for miles and hear pretty far as well. My night vision is also perfect. I also have the Gift of Tongues. It lets me speak any language like a native. That's why I can speak Italian so well."

Had Ben missed anything? He didn't posess the empathy, nor the healing abilities of other angels. But what he had instead was much more useful to a half-angel vigilante.

"I can also do this." Ben said. He lifted his hand, and it began to glow with a soft, but amazingly pure white light. Evil's bane. Divine Wrath. The Light of Judgement.

"It's divine light. This is what really hurts the bad guys. Vampires, werewolves and demons all hate this stuff. It can kill them. I can bring it into myself..."
Ben clenched his hand into a glowing fist, and punched the air, emitting a soft thrumming noise.

"...and use it to amplify my powers. Or I can shoot it in a beam. Or use it as a shield."

The light faded. A silence filled the room. Nicola knew everything now. Well, almost everything.

"There's a big catch to all this. I'm half-human. Humans sin. It's what we do. The more I sin, the weaker my powers become. The more righteous I am, the more power I can throw around. I can repent of my sins, but that's not always easy, and I can't just tell the monsters that I fight to wait a second while I speak with a priest, or say my prayers, or read the Bible."

Ben had had essentially summarized his powers, but had only touched the surface of the burden he bore because of them. He had not mentioned the constant conflict that plagued him as his angelic and human natures clashed. He not mentioned how often and how close he had come to dying in his short life. He was silent on how his father had left him and his mother, supposedly to return to heaven. He didn't say how he was addicted to adrenaline, and loved it just as much as he craved justice. There was still so much about him she didn't know.

As Ben started Nicola listened intently, she was afterall highly curious. With vampires she already knew what they could do, they were strong and fast and she guessed they had to be, when they had to hunt.

So he was able to keep up with a vampire, Nicola was rather impressed and surprised but that wouldn't be the end of the surprises. He had only just started telling her about them and she hung onto every word.

What caught her attention the most was the gift of tongues, that explained how he knew Italian so well because she hadn't asked how he knew it or where he learnt it. She had just been surprised that he could speak it, at the time she wasn't worried as to how he knew it.

Then the light, it was...there were no words for it. Nicola couldn't tear her eyes away from it, she had lifted her hand up to touch it but was hesitant. Even though he explained that it hurt the other creatures of the night he hadn't mentioned humans. But she had been with a vampire so did that mean it would hurt her? Lowering her hand as he showed her he could absorb it her eyes looked back up at Ben.

Before she could say something Ben spoke again, so there was a catch to having these gifts. The more he sinned the weaker he became, in other words his Angelic side was controlling his human side. Ben wasn't just fighting evil he was fighting with himself constantly, torn between what he wanted and the right thing to do. Nicola couldn't imange the inner tornment he was going through, Ben probably couldn't even discribe it or put it into words.

"I guess in life there is always a catch..." Nicola reached out and took hold of Ben's hand, bringing it to her lips she lightly kissed the back of his hand before bringing his hand up higher to her cheek. Her hand still holding onto his she moved closer to him.

"...But I'm not going anywhere. I've got all the time in the world, I know life is going to get interesting from here on out. When you 'ead out at night I 'ave my art to keep me occupied but there is one thing I must ask...."

Nicola had been right when she said that it was going to get interesting. She knew if Ben got into a fight and what ever it was got away, it wouldn't be long until that something found out Ben was attached to someone, that someone being her.

"...If you 'ave the time, show me 'ow to defend myself. Tell me what you know about these creatures."

Ben let his hand linger on Nicola's face, stroking it softly with his thumb.

"Yeah, babe. There is always a catch. I'm sorry that I come with alot of baggage. You didn't sign up for this, so I want to apologize in advance for all the craziness that comes with being with me. It won't be easy...but for you, I'm willing to work to make this come together." Ben said, seriously.

As Nicola asked to learn how to defend herself, Ben answered quickly "Of course! If you weren't going to ask, I was going to at least suggest getting a gun with silver bullets and crucifixes and a UV flashlight. But you're right. I'll help you."

Ben's mind immediately raced with ideas on how to train Nicola. They would have to work on conditioning and technique above everything else. They would start on monday, if Nicola had time, Ben decided.

"Babe. I..." Ben started, not voicing what he wanted to say.

"...I should go. You've got stuff to do." Ben said, planting a long, gentle kiss just below her left collarbone.

Ben had let a dark, yet pragmatic thought grow in his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
The thought had grown like a cancer since he had gone out the previous night, and rescued the fire victims. The worst part was that Ben knew his angelic side agreed with it.

Ignoring the thought, Ben let his hand trace the contour of Nicola's spine, gently massaging her neck once his hand arrived there.

A smile broke out on her lips, Ben sounded excited about her learning how to defend herself. It also gave her an excuse to see him and something to do when they were together. Nicola wasn't the outgoing type a long time ago she had been but her life had gone quite but she did want to get back to her old self. The one who could make jokes and have a good time, being with Ben and just being around him in general was bringing that back out in her.

"Just let me know when, I can always shift work around to make the time."

But the next words that came from his lips made her slightly depressed, he was going to leave and this was the part she had been dreading. However, they both had things they needed to do.

Again Ben kissed her and she felt on top of the world, nothing else mattered when he did this. The hand on her back made goosebumps rise on her arms, it was these feelings she loved. To be touched like Ben was doing and to be cared for, his feelings were genuine that much was clear. Nicola's own feelings were clear to her, her last relationship had only been a test for her, if she hadn't known about vampires things between her and Ben might not have gone so smoothly.

Finally Nicola broke the kiss and just stared up at Ben, it was time to leave the buyers would be annoyed if she was late. Placing her hands around his waist she moved in closer, leaving no space between them.

"Are you at least going to let me know a way to contact you? A phone number would be good." A grin braking out onto her lips, a light joke on her behalf.

Ben smiled. It felt good to be this close to Nicola, but Ben regretted that he to leave.

Smirking, he said "Y'know, I'm pretty sure this was my longest, and best, first date ever."
Breaking away from Nicola slowly, he went over to the couch and grabbed his overcoat, putting it on.

Pulling out a pen, he wrote his number down on a piece of paper, and handed it to Nicola.

"Could I get your number?" Ben asked, smiling. He would probably end up calling alot earlier than she expected. "I'll figure out when we can work on the self-defense thing."
Ben had thought of a few items he could give her to make defending herself easier.

Drawing Nicola back in, he kissed her passionately, almost as if he'd never see her again. After kissing her mouth, he planted a trail of kisses to her ear, where he nibbled her earlobe very gently. Holding her in his strong embrace, everything was perfect right now. He didn't want to leave.

Whispering in her ear, he said "Thanks. For everything. For listening. For accepting that I'm...different. I'm not the real angel here. You are."

Drawing Nicola into one last embrace, Ben finally broke free and turned towards the window to leave. Realizing he'd brought his bike, he turned back around. "Oops." Ben said, grinning.

Opening the front door, he turned once more to look into Nicola's enrapturing eyes. "I'll see you later." he said.

This had been a longest date either of them had been on and there was not one moment that didn't end up being interesting. Even though she had found out his secret there was still a lot she would have to find out and Nicola had nothing but time to spare.

As she took the piece of paper that his number on it, she grabbed the sketch book and turned to a blank page. Writting down her mobile number she tore the section from the page and handed it to Ben.

Every time Ben held onto her like he was doing now it only made her want him to stay a bit longer. Just another minute or maybe five, but they both knew they had to leave they had things to do and today for Nicola was payday. Selling her paintings was always pay day.

"No thank you, I 'aven't smiled or 'ad this much fun in a long time."

Nicola stood still when Ben embraced her for the last time and she watched as he went to the window. Didn't he come here on his bike? But when he doubled back Nicola laughed softly.

"Take care..." She called out as he had stopped at the door then only moments later he was gone. The door closed behind him and she left standing there with a huge smile on her lips. She would organise the paintings in just a few moments but at the moment her eyes were still glued to the door.

Ben had a an extra spring in his step as he went down the stairs to his bike. Clearly, he was excited.
Nicola was nothing like any of the other girls he had been with.

Bursting through the doors, Ben literally jumped onto his motorbike, and sped off, a smile on his face.
All he could think about was when he'd see Nicola again...