Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 20:38:02 +0000
From: Jason Parker <archangelmatthew72@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Angel: Part 8

Authors Note: Ok, I lied. I was naughty and spent most of Sat
and Sun writing this when I was supposed to be working. This
one's longer, and we meet a few new characters and a few old
ones too. I think you'll find it was better that Part 7 was
shorter, cause now Part 8 is longer!

Blah, blah-blah. Blah-di blah blah. Disclaimer: Blah blah
blah. Blah-do blahg blaaaaaaaaaah.
Sorry, just wanted to see if anyone actually reads these
things.

* * *
Lonesome Tears aka `Revelations'


	"Where has he gone?" Miriam demanded.
	Matt was sitting in a high-backed chair in the middle
of
the semi-circle of council seats. The council was in an
uproar over Jason's awakening and his subsequent
disappearance.
	"Tell us where he has gone, Matthew." Tobias insisted,
more sympathetically.
	Matt shook his head. "I'm telling you, I don't know
where he went." He told them for at least the fifth time.
"And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
	Tobias pursed his lips disapprovingly. "Why are you
doing this? What are you trying to protect him form?" He
shook his head in confusion, "I don't understand you. Even
after he attacked you, you are still trying to help him."
	Matt raised his head, "What do you mean? Jason never
attacked me." Matt glared at Miriam, "It was--"
	Miriam quickly stepped into the conversation, cutting
him short. "Where is he Matthew?" she snapped. "Where did he
go? You saw him just as I did, he used the pattern. Where
would he go?"
	Tobias looked at her curiously, but said nothing. Matt
pleaded him with his eyes to let him go as he spoke. "I'm
telling the truth, I honestly don't know where he would have
gone. He didn't even know the pattern had the ability to
transport people. But rather than wasting time here, we
should be out looking for him."
	Tobias nodded sagely. "I believe you in this matter,
Matthew. There would be nothing gained by lying. You will be
released, but you must focus on finding Mr. Parker, before
anything else happens to him. His mind will be very
impressionable so soon after his awakenment."

* * *

	Matt strode up the white gravel path to the front door
of a large, suburban house. Well, it was more of a mansion
actually, complete with walled garden and private driveway.
He
rang the doorbell and waited patiently. After a few seconds
of
waiting, the door opened. A tall, thin woman with a thick
mane
of golden hair stood in the hall, holding the door half-
closed.
	"Are you Miss Fiona Sutherland?" Matt asked.
	She nodded curtly, but made no move to welcome him in.
	"Is Jason here?" he inquired.
	She frowned. "You must be Matt."
	"Yes..." he said uncertainly.
	"He's had a lot to say about you." She paused, "Not all
of it good."
	"Look, can I come in? I really need to talk to him."
	She narrowed her eyes, "No, I don't think you can.
Whatever you did to him, you really fucked him up." She
snarled at him.
	"Look, I really need to talk to him." He insisted.
	She shook her head coldly and began to close the door.
	He jammed his foot in the door. "You don't know what
you're doing." He warned. "I--"
	Her eyes blazed with sudden intensity. Matt was so
surprised, he pulled his foot out of the way before he knew
what he was doing.
	"Don't you DARE threaten me! Now get lost."
	And with that she slammed the door in his face.

	Fiona slammed the door in his face and turned the bolt,
locking him out.
	"The nerve!" She said to herself as she made her way up
the large oak staircase from the hall. The doorbell rang,
but she ignored it and continued her ascent. The
doorbell rang again and the housemaid bustled round the
corner at the top of the stairs and started down. They met
halfway. Fiona stopped her.
	"Don't open that door, Rosy."
	Rosy looked at her perturbed, and Fiona repeated.
	"What ever happens, do not let that man in."
	Rosy nodded, "Yes, Miss. May I enquire why?"
	"Because he's responsible for whatever happened to
Jason." She said. And now, Rosy nodded grimly. Fiona
continued her climb. When she reached the top of the stairs,
Rosy called after her.
	"Is there anything else you need?"
	Fiona turned and smiled warmly, "No thank you, Rosy.
You've done more than enough already. Feel free to take the
afternoon off. I think Jason just needs to talk to someone
for a while."
	She walked down the hall and entered the guest room
opposite hers. Jason was sitting, huddled up on the bed
dressed in a bathrobe. He sat with his knees clasped to his
chest. He was facing the far wall when she came and he had
his eyes clenched tightly shut. A CD was playing softly in
the stereo, it sounded like 'Lonesome Tears' by Beck.

'Lonesome tears
I can't cry them anymore
I can't think of what they're for'

	She sat down behind him and hugged him around the neck
and rested her head on his shoulders. She could feel how
tensed up he was.
	"Let him in." he said quietly.
	She lifted her head off of him, and then very quietly
she said, "I don't think that's really a good idea right
now,
Jase."
	She felt his shoulders slump in resignation and then he
said in a stronger voice this time, "It's OK, Fi. You can
let him in."
	She nodded and smiled sadly before getting up and
heading back down to the door.

	She turned the lock and opened the door again. Matt was
still standing on the porch. Now that she looked at him
actually, she saw why Jason liked him. He was gorgeous!
	"Jason says he wants to see you." She said, coldly,
showing she clearly disapproved. His face lit up and he
slipped past her in the hall as she held open the door for
him.

	"Al lot of people are looking for you, you know?"
	Matt leaned against the doorframe. Jason was still
sitting on the bed, hugging his knees and starring fiercely
at the far wall. He ignored Matt.
	"Hey, buddy?" Matt asked, his concern showing in his
voice. "Are you all right?" He took a step into the room.
Jason never even looked at him.
	"I know what you are."
	Matt felt his heart plummet.
	"You lied to me!" Jason accused bitterly.
	Matt leaned heavily against the wall. "I never told you
I was human." He said, "You've seen enough weird things
lately, I sort of guessed you'd figured it out."
	But Jason wasn't listening, at this point, he was
beyond reasoning. "I know what you are. I know who the
Council members are. I know where you took me. The pattern
showed me everything."
	Matt stepped forwards toward Jason, with his hand
outreached, "Look, Jason, I can explain. I--"
	Jason's head whipped around and he glared at him with
white, fiery eyes. "You betrayed my trust!"
	Matt found himself frozen in place, his muscles
refusing to move. Jason rose to his feet, quaking with rage.
Matt could see small fracture-like lines spreading out from
his eyes, like tiny bolts of electricity.
	"But what's even worse, is what you've done to
humanity." Jason walked forwards and placed his palm on
Matt's chest. If Matt hadn't been held in placed by his
immobile muscles, he would have collapsed from the pain.
Jason's hand was like a searing flame. Matt gasped.
	"And I know I should hate you," Jason continued. "After
all you've done, all you've put me through..."
	This close, Matt could hear a faint sizzling sound. He
realized Jason was crying, but his tears were being boiled
away by the energy in his eyes.
	"Jase." He whimpered.
	"And God knows I've tried... but I can't help the way I
feel."
	The CD in the background reached its crescendo:

'How could this love ever-turning
Never turn its eye on me?
How could this love ever-changing
Never change the way I feel?'

	And as it did, Jason leaned into Matt and their lips
touched. The pain fled Matt's body, exorcised by Jason's
soft lips and his muscles regained movement. He put his arms
up around Jason and they embraced as they tasted one
another. Their lips parted and their tongues danced together
in their mouths.

* * *

	Jason broke away, and the kiss ended. "Mmm... you taste
like vanilla," he sighed. His eyes had returned to their
normal, deep blue, but they were filled with sadness. "I'm
sorry." He said suddenly and backed away.
	"I-- We-- can't" Matt stuttered.
	Jason hung his head, "I know. You're not. And it's
supposed to be a sin or something, isn't it?"
	Matt took Jason's hand in his own. "Don't be stupid; of
course it's not a sin. Well, I mean we don't actually know
what is and isn't wrong. But trust me, if it feels this
good, it can't be bad."
	Jason perked up as he said this. "Then what did you
mean?" Realization dawned on Jason, "Oh God, you don't love
me do you?" A single tear rolled down his cheek.
	Matt reached up and brushed away the tear. "Of course I
love you. I love you more than anything else in this world.
I always have. But it's forbidden, between mortals and...us,
I mean. And there are good reasons too."
	"I don't care, Matt!" Jason wrapped his arms around
Matt and pressed his face into his chest. Matt placed his
hands on his waist and drew him against his body. Jason's
voice was muffled by his chest, "I'm scared Matt. What's
happening to me?"
	"I don't know Jase, I've never seen the pattern do this
to anyone before."

	Fiona was about to check on Jason when she saw them
from the doorway. She smiled as she turned around and headed
back downstairs.

	Matt just stood and held Jason as he sobbed into his
chest. Eventually, Jason's sobs ceased and he began to
breath more evenly. He'd fallen asleep in his arms. Matt
carried him to the bed and gently laid him down. He tucked
him under the covers and turned out the light before quietly
closing the door.

	Matt found Fiona in the large kitchen. She was just
heating up a pan of soup. Matt came in and sat down at the
table.
	"How is he?" she asked as she stirred the soup.
	"He's asleep." He said and smiled as he remembered
their first kiss.
	She set a bowl of the soup down in front of him and
another for herself, on opposite sides of the table. She
sipped her soup.
	"What happened to him?"
	"I can't tell you that." He said with some remorse.
	She pursed her lips. "Jason appeared naked on my
doorstep, and I mean appeared, as in out of thin air. Then
while we were bathing the soot off of him, he kept
mumbling... interesting things." She looked at him
meaningfully. "I'm a bit old to be believing in magic, I
think you know what happened, and I think you had better
tell me what."
	"Honestly, I don't know what happened. He went through
a..." he searched for words. "A procedure, and then he
disappeared. I don't know how it happened, or where he went
before he came here, but I do know there are a lot of people
looking for him. I'm just glad you found him first."
	"Well, actually he sort of found me..."
	"None the less," Matt insisted. "You took good care of
him. I can see you're a really good friend for him."
	Fiona laughed. "We grew up together. I was the first
person he came out to. I guess I was more of an 'older
sister' figure for him, since Sara was never around."
	Matt stiffened at the mention of Jason's sister. Fiona
noticed.
	"You know more than you're letting on," She accused.
"What do you know about Sara?"
	Matt's eyes hardened. "We have a 'history.' Not exactly
a good one either."
	Fiona snorted. "Not many people do. She's not exactly
the social type her brother is. But what'd she do to earn
your disdain? Huh?"
	Matt frowned, "She tried to kill me."
	"Well! I guess that could do it. Are you serious
though? Does Jason know?"
	"No! Jason can't know!" Matt said, suddenly very
agitated. "I don't want them coming into conflict. Besides,
it's not like she hurt me or anything."
	"Calm down. I won't tell Jason if you don't want me to.
But I do think you need to tell him at some point."
	Matt shrugged his shoulders, clearly wanting to change
the subject. She took the hint.
	"So exactly how did you and Jason meet? Do you go to
Uni together? He never mentioned you, and usually he tells
me everything."
	"Ah- No, we don't go to university together. I've known
him since before he was born. But we only met recently. He
wasn't supposed to ever meet me, but I'm glad we di-" He
drew a sharp breath and cocked his head to the side.
	"What?" she asked anxiously.
	He didn't reply. He just stared at the far wall.
Eventually he nodded once and let out a long breath. He
looked out the kitchen window as he addressed Fiona.
	"How secure is this place?"
	Taken aback by the question, she took some time to
answer, "I- I don't know. I mean we've never had any
security problems..."
	"How much mistletoe do you have?"
	"Wha- What?"
	"Mistletoe, it's nearly Christmas, I assume you have
some?"
	"Well yes, but-"
	"Hang a sprig of it over every window and door in
Jason's
room. If anything out of the ordinary happens, or you feel
at all unsafe, then get inside his room and shut the door.
The Mistletoe should hold them back." He said hurriedly as
he rose to his feet, leaving his soup untouched.
	"Why? What's going on? And where are you going?" She
asked, also standing.
	He shook his head, "Just do it OK? I won't go far, but
I need to be out there." He gestured out the window into the
extensive garden.
	Fiona nodded and he dashed out the front door. She
locked it behind him and ran off to find some mistletoe.

* * *

	Matt prowled along the high garden wall, slipping from
shadow to shadow. He found them at the back gate. There was
five of them, all dressed in black. Four were wearing SWAT
gear, but the fifth was bedecked in long, ceremonial robes
with a hood that hid his face.
	The four busied themselves trying to break through a
chain that held the gate closed. One brought a pair of bolt-
cutters to the chain and attempted to cut through.
	From behind a nearby tree, Matt waved his hand at the
fence. The bolt cutters bit and then the blade snapped. The
man looked surprised, but was quickly shouldered out of the
way by a second, this one with a crowbar. He set the bar
against the lock and heaved.
	Again, Matt extended his fingers and waved at the
chain.
The bar snapped in half, jarring the man. The third shoved
him aside and brought an electric spinning saw to bear on
the chain. Once more, Matt stretched his fingers and with a
gesture, the saw slid off the chain and jerked into the iron
bars of the gate with a loud clang.
	The fifth man, who until that time had been examining
one of the gargoyles on either side of the gate whirled at
glared at the foursome from the depth of his hood.
	"Impotent fools!" He grabbed them by their arms and
hauled them backwards. "Do you want to alert the whole of
heaven to our presence?" he snarled.
	He knocked them to the ground and strode back to the
gate. He reached out with his hand and tensed his fingers.
He curled them into a claw and red light flooded between his
digits. The gate groaned as it bent and contorted. Metal
whined as it was twisted, before with a particularly loud
crunch of metal, the gate was torn free. As if by an
invisible hand, it was flung into the air and crashed into
some bushes not far from Matt's hiding place.
	The other four men dashed to the gateway, but were
stopped at the last moment by the raised hand of the cloaked
man. He raised his other hand and pointed each at a
different gargoyle. The statues hissed and popped as the
plaster melted.
	"You have to love these plaster moulds, they hold none
of the magic of those blasted stone gargoyles," the cloaked
man laughed. He pulled back his hood and gestured for the
four men to follow him.

	As he was about to step inside the grounds, Matt
slipped from behind the tree.
	"Damian. I though I smelt something rotten." He said,
loud enough to be heard by them.
	Damian froze in place as his hollow black eyes fell on
Matt. "Matthew, what a coincidence!" He grinned nastily,
displaying a row of serrated teeth.
	"You have no place here, Damian. Leave, before I make
you."
	"Oh, I think not. You see, I know Jason's in there and
I intend to get him this time." He took a step forwards.
"Besides, there's nothing here to stop me from having my
way." He took another step forwards until he stood directly
under the gateway.
	Matt whipped a knife from his belt and held it tightly
in his hand as he faced Damian.
	"Oh, for Satan's sake, Matt. You don't actually intend
to face me with that do you?" Damian practically laughed.
	Matt smiled and shook his head. Before Damian could
react, Matt brought the knife to his other wrist and slashed
it across his skin. Ruby blood splashed from the cut onto
the ground. Where it touched the earth, grass and small
blossoms sprouted from the soil.
	Matt smiled sincerely back at Damian, "Angel's blood
has been spilled here. This is hallowed ground."
	Damian visibly quaked with rage at being bared access.
"You don't know what you've done here. You can't hope to
stop us, but I assure you, Miriam will hear of this!"
	And with that, flames billowed out from under his feet
and enveloped him and the four men. The conflagration blazed
and then in a matter of seconds died. Not a mark remained of
them.
	Matt sighed heavily, and clutching his wrist, staggered
back towards the house. The confrontation had taken more out
of him then he'd expected. His wound was paltry, but
somehow, just being near Damian had left him feeling drained
and spent. He would need time to regenerate, but that could
wait until Jason was safe. But now something else was
troubling him. What had he meant about Miriam?

* * *

	God damnit! Miriam is such a two sided, conniving,
arrogant, little, *****Censored for your sake*****. On a
happier note however, Jason and Matt finally got to kiss in
this chapter. And what a kiss it was! Man, I thought they'd
never get down to it. Fiona's gonna be a pretty crucial
character, but she'll probably stay on the sidelines so keep
an eye out for her. Once again, Damian is causing trouble,
but what's this about him and Miriam? Are they working
together? And if so, to what end? Damn, I might as well call
this chapter 'Revelations' or something. It's out now.
Matt's an angel. Jason knows, but doesn't care. Yay!
	The song used in this chapter was 'Lonesome Tears' by
Beck.
	Ok, enough reminiscing. Comments and support are always
welcome at ArchangelMatthew72@Hotmail.com. See you soon in
Part 9. And just remember kids, Mistletoe isn't just for
snogging (kissing if you're not familiar with British
terminology) now you can even keep nasty demons at bay as
well!