The Angel Within

“Are you going to answer that?” Karen asked with curiosity. Runa thought she heard a little annoyance in there somewhere, but the vacant, glassy look in Karen’s eyes made her think different.
She frowned at her phone. The thing had been ringing non-stop since this morning. She never got calls on Saturday unless Karen had found a new club or Les had a day off and wanted to take the boys somewhere or Karen on a date. But Les was at work and she was babysitting his brothers. Karen had just happened to shown up an hour ago, thinking Les had the day off. That meant that whoever was calling was someone unknown - especially since Linda was under “Queen Bitch” in her contacts.
“I don’t know who it is,” Runa said stiffly, taking a sip of her drink. “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. Otherwise, I really don’t give a shit.”
Karen frowned at her. “You know, you’ve been in a bad mood since yesterday. You okay?”
Runa pressed her mouth shut. She wasn’t about to tell Karen what had happened with Uniteare. The fact that she was in love with Les and Uniteare was blackmailing her with said information would not go over well. It would more than likely turn into an all-out brawl, and Les’s tiny, run-down house couldn’t take the damage. Hell, it could barely handle the small breezes that came through. Runa wished Les would let her do something about that, but he wasn’t one for charity.
So she took the roundabout way and snuck money into his bank account.
“Nothing,” Runa told Karen. “Saw my folks again.”
Karen still didn’t know much about Runa’s family or past, and she’d like to keep it that way. The most she knew was that Runa was rich, and she didn’t get along with her parents. That was all and that was going to stay all. No sense in letting her in on the not-so-secret of her life when no one else but Les had stuck around.
Karen frowned, looking like she wanted to ask something else, but one of the twins came in, carrying a crying Kenny.
“Sean?” Runa asked, setting the cloth aside from where she’d been cleaning the kitchen. The twins were about fourteen and they were as thin as beanpoles. It worried her, especially because their blackish-hair and bright eyes made them look like underweight movie-stars. They’d definitely gotten their looks from their mom; She was a knockout, though her hair and eye-color were the same as Les’s.
“What happened?” She rounded the counter as Karen backed away from the kids, wrinkling her nose in derision. She never did try to hide the fact that she hated anyone younger. That didn’t really fit with her personality, but Runa shoved it aside to deal with the crisis at hand.
“I-I didn’t do anything, Runa,” Sean said tearfully. He looked just as upset as Kenny. “Shane and I were wrestling-- We moved the furniture just like you said, but Kenny got in our way. He’s bleeding.”
Just then, Shane - the taller twin - came stumbling out of the living room, his shoulder cut.
Runa sighed and closed her eyes as she gathered her wits. Damn it. They’d broken something again.
She opened her eyes and gave them a soft smile. “It’s all right, Sean. Don’t worry. Show me what you broke, and where Kenny’s bleeding.”
Sean handed over Kenny, who was still wailing, and lifted up the boy’s curls to reveal a bleeding cut on his hairline. Shane made his way to the sink and calmly began to take care of his own injury. He was always the clear-headed one of the twins. It definitely made things easier on Runa.
“It’s okay, Sean,” Runa assured him. “Head cuts always bleed more than anything else. Don’t worry. It’s not as bad as it looks. Why don’t you go to the bathroom and get me a cold washcloth?”
He nodded his head and rushed off, leaving Runa with Kenny and Shane. It seemed Karen had snuck out when the trouble started once again.
Setting the baby on the counter, Runa asked Shane for the things she needed, as she softly spoke to Kenny, quieting him as she worked on his cut. He sniffled and told her all about the little stumble he’d taken trying to be Superman and come to Sean’s rescue. It wasn’t until fifteen minutes later, when Runa had cleaned up the broken vase - worthless by her mother’s standards - put Kenny down for a nap with a bandage he was proudly sporting on his forehead, that she finally grabbed her phone and plopped on Les’s couch. The twin’s were in their room, reflecting on their actions, so Runa figured it would be okay to check her messages. Whoever had been calling her had left nearly five.
Frowning, she flipped open the phone -nothing fancy, just something that would dial and text - and called her voicemail. Static crackled before she finally heard something substantial.
“Runa-a-a,” a singsong voice called through the speaker. All the color drained from her face. How in the hell had Uniteare gotten her number? It wasn’t registered, she’d made sure of that.
“You know who this is, so I’m not going to bother telling you,” Jareth said. ”You should save my number. And pick up next time.”
Runa deleted the message and went on to the next one.
”What are you doing? You can’t ignore me forever. Not if you don’t want your little secret to get out. Call me back.”
Runa frowned an deleted that message too.
”Don’t you ever pick up your damn phone?! What do you think you have one f-”
Delete.
”You know, this is really pissing me off.” He sighed. ”If you’re not going to pick up, I’ll tell you this: Meet me tomorrow at London Walk, 10am. Don’t make me wait, Runa.” He paused, seeming to think something over, then growled in a low, threatening voice. ”I mean it. Ten, Runa. Sharp.”
Click and delete.
No more messages, but Runa was seething. How dare he? How dare he order her around like that? It set her teeth on edge and made her want to punch something. That, or hammer back a beer again. Fuck, what had she gotten herself into? She’d been in some pretty bad scrapes before, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle - or nothing her father’s money couldn’t get rid of lest it “shame the family”. This was a whole different kettle of poop. And it was pissing her off because she knew she couldn’t do anything but obey the bastard.
“You okay, Runa?” a voice said.
Runa jumped, wheeling to see Les closing the door behind him. He was worn out again. Looked like he’d overworked himself at another job. Dummy.
“Uh, no, no. Nothing.” Runa gave him a smile that felt a little too forced to even her and straightened quickly, going over to help him out of his jacket and work-vest. The poor guy was busting his ass. “I should be asking you that.” She led him to the couch, sitting him down and shoving her drink at him - iced tea, his fave. She didn’t much care for the stuff, but he liked it. “You look like you were hit by a Mack Truck.”
He snorted at her and took a long swig of the tea, smiling in a flash of bliss. “You make the best tea,” he muttered, leaning forward to place his arms on his knees. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Work was hell today. Nothing I can’t handle, though.”
Runa wormed her way behind him, planting her butt on the back of the couch and replacing his hand with two of her own, kneading the muscles there. Slowly, he relaxed under her touch. She loved this part of her day, when she could touch him freely and without concern. Karen wouldn’t ever do this, she was sure, but Runa loved it. Not because it was Les, really (though that fact made it infinitely better), but because it made her feel good to know that her hands could do something other than destroy.
“Oh, I’m sure,” she mocked, moving her hands lower. “Mr. I-Couldn’t-Tie-My-Shoes-Until-The-Fourth-Grade can do everything.”
Again, he snorted, turning his head to the side as if to look back at her. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Not on your life,” Runa smiled. “It’s the only thing I’ve got on you.”
He gave a small laugh and pulled his shirt over his head to give Runa easier access to his muscles. His back wasn’t exactly pretty. Marred with scars from his runaway father, the skin was puckered here or there and was white where the golden tan wouldn’t settle. She loved his back, scarred or not, and loved that she was the only one who could see it this way, knowing that Karen found it on the gross side. But Runa had been there when Les had gotten each and every imperfection, had nursed him through them when his mom couldn’t afford the hospital bills, and had even given him a few of them herself while playing as a child. Not that she hadn’t received her fair share from him, but still, it was nice to know that somewhere at least, she would remain a permanent part of him and vice versa.
She smoothed her hands up and down his skin, falling quiet as he relaxed more and more, relaxing her as well.
“Runa,” he said with a husky voice. “You’re too good to me.”
She blinked in surprise, but smiled. “Yeah, right. I should be saying that. You’re the one has to put up with all my shit.”
“No,” he said, his voice firm. “I’m serious. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re my best friend. You’re family.”
Runa’s hands had stilled and she forced them to move again, blinking back frustrated tears. Family, he’d said. Friends. Yeah, she knew that more than anyone. It ate at her heart every day.
“I know,” she said quietly, trying to knead away her pain as she worked away his. “Ditto.”

******************************************************

“She’s late,” Jareth muttered, looking at his watch for the twentieth time in the past five minutes. It was already ten-ten, what could Runa be doing? It wasn’t like she had somewhere else to be. . . Unless she did, then that would just totally screw up his day.
He was just pulling out his phone to see if she would pick up this time when he heard the roar of a motorcycle.
Closing his eyes and sighing in annoyance, he turned to see Runa, pulling up along the cobble-stone street in all her glory, tires squealing on the stones. She cut the engine and shoved the keys in her pocket, making Jareth frown. The least she could have done was dress for the date. Her worn combat boots, tight jeans with the normal suspenders hanging low and leather jacket weren’t exactly the greatest outfit. But, he supposed, it wouldn’t be Runa if she’d shown up in a frilly dress of some kind. And damn, she made them look good.
He watched her take her helmet off, shaking out her dark hair as she replaced her sunglasses and hung the bulky thing on the handle. No one would dare touch her bike. Not with her full name scrawled across the side of both the helmet and the engine haul of the cycle. It was a warning and a dare. Everyone knew that they were signing their death wish if they even sighed in that bike’s direction.
Runa stalked to him, all fire and spit, and Jareth couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. She was pissed - again. But that wasn’t anything new, really.
“Why the hell did you make me meet you way out here?” she demanded, stopping in front of him to place her hands on her hips and glaring up at him.
He grabbed her hand, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away. “Where else will we be able to have a date without anyone getting suspicious?”
He watched her mouth drop in disgust, but he didn’t wait to see what she’d say, turning instead on his heel and dragging her behind him and towards the zoo.
“Ever been here?” he asked over his shoulder as he paid for tickets.
Runa stood stonily behind him, her arms crossed and her expression grim. He couldn’t see her eyes behind the glasses, but he was betting they were glaring daggers. “No,” she said shortly.
His brows raised as he turned with the tickets. “Really?” Surprised, he led her through the gate. “That’s. . . Kind of sad.”
“So-o-r-ry for being different,” she drawled out.
He flashed her a smile that normally worked on all the girls. With Runa, however, it just seemed to piss her off. “Different is good. I like different.”
“Then I’m normal,” she said quickly.
He shrugged, grabbing her hand. “Normal’s not so bad, either. Come on.”
Runa followed behind him, unable to tell what his motive was for bringing her here. People were staring at them, and not all of the stares were nice. Whatever he planned on doing, she hoped he got it over with soon.
“So,” he said, looking at the paper map he’d gotten from a stand. “Where do you want to go first?”
Runa frowned at him. What was he planning? “What do you mean? Go where?”
He looked at her with wide eyes and something akin to awe. “Wow. You really haven’t been here. I thought you were kidding.” He smiled then. “Well, hell. Come on. We’ll see everything.”
He grabbed her hand before she could protest and turned towards something that said “Reptile House” across the top, dragging her into the dim coolness. Glass and brick. That’s what it was. That and people.
Jareth pulled her up to the glass and through the people, pushing through the throng. He pointed at the glass, his hands on her shoulders as he looked over her head.
“Do you see him?” he asked.
“See what?” Runa looked at the large enclosure with a large log, a small waterhole and tons of foliage. She squinted. “What exactly am I lookin- Holy hell! Is that a snake?!” She pressed against the glass, her body smashing against the cool surface in an effort to see better.
Inside was a large, nearly five-foot long yellow and white snake wrapped around the outside lining of the enclosure, tucked halfway under a bush.
“Yup,” Jareth said. “There’s a lot more to see than just this guy.”
She grinned, something she hadn’t expected to do. “This guy’s pretty awesome as it is.”
He smiled. Somehow, he’d just known she’d love snakes. “Sweetheart, we’re just getting started.”
Blushing at the endearment, she frowned, but let him lead her down the rows of glass.
After the snakes, he dragged her to see the bird cages, then the wild cats, the hyenas, the marsupials, and, finally, the aquatics. They were just finishing a show that starred a killer whale as the main attraction when the sun was setting. They waited for the crowd to disperse, obviously tired and sipping from the too-expensive souvenir cups they’d bought.
The date had been fun, Runa had to admit. Not exactly what she’d been expecting, to say the least. She hadn’t expected Jareth to be so. . charming, witty or sarcastic. But then, she hadn’t exactly thought that he’d go gaga over the pandas either. He had a serious problem when it came to them. He was now sporting panda ears, a stuffed replica of one and had even bought a hoodie with built-in ears. . He needed some serious psychological help.
But that wasn’t the point! The point was, Runa was hoping to hate this guy and, here she was, almost enjoying his company. Almost. He was still a perverted, old lecher with a mischievous grin that she wanted to smack off his face. She didn’t much care for the way he tried to stick close or hold her hand whenever he got the chance, either. It bothered the hell of her, so she avoided it whenever possible. Besides, the giant gap that a car could pass through that she kept between them helped her keep a grip on the situation and her emotions.
Runa did not like getting close to anyone. Not emotionally and not physically. Either way, it all ended up with her in pain in some fashion. She wasn’t about to let herself get put in that position again. Les was the only one she would allow in; the only one she would ever allow in. The sooner the scheming Jareth got the hint, the better off they both would be.
Jareth watched Runa stand in the setting sun, stretching her arms above her head as she sighed. He braced himself. Looked like the fun was over. Which sucked, because he had a feeling that she’d really been enjoying herself.
“It’s late, Uniteare,” she told him. He hated that she called him by his last name almost as much as he loved the fact that she wasn’t like every other girl that called him “Uni”. She turned to give him an odd smirk. “It’s been fun, but I’m going home.”
He blinked. What the hell?
She had already made it out of the arena by the time he caught up to her, fighting the crowds that wanted to leave with their kids before the sun set. “Hey! Just wait a second!”
He pushed through the throng of people, seeing her toss her cup in the trash. He frowned. There was a reason they were called “souvenir” cups. Didn’t she get that? More people separated them and he barely caught up to her as she exited the park five minutes later.
“I said wait,” he gritted, grabbing her arm and spinning her.
She glared at him. “What?” She didn’t try to pull out of his grip, but neither did he think that she wouldn’t deck him if she felt like it. And wouldn’t that be interesting? “I went on your stupid date with you. Now, let me go home.”
Runa really wanted a drink. A stiff, hard one. That and she had to check in with Mommy Dearest to get the month’s rent since she wasn’t allowed to get a job. Since she was underage and legal consent had to be given by a parent or guardian, she didn’t even bother to bring it up. If it was anything she wanted, Linda had a way of refusing and using it in some way to throw it back in her face.
She watched Jareth sigh, his expression turning angered. His fingers on her arm tightened and she tasted a lick of old, familiar fear go through her. “Didn’t you have any fun at all.”
Her face flushed in embarrassment, but anger quickly followed on its heels. Damn it, she didn’t want to feel guilty for rejecting his advances or his efforts to make this even a little bit enjoyable, but she didn’t want to give him any hope, either. If he had any hope to begin with, anyway. It was, after all, first and foremost a business deal. She didn’t expect anything out of it and she expected that he expected nothing as well other than the thrill of a secret.
“I did,” she finally said, bringing her eyes up to meet his. “But I don’t want to do it again.” Not with you.
She watched a muscle in his jaw tick as he tightened it, his green eyes filling with angry disappointment. “Fine,” he said harshly, digging into his pocket as he switched his grip from her bicep to her forearm. Something sparkled and jingled as her pulled his hand from his pocket, and he flipped her wrist up, fiddling with it, before dropping her arm altogether. “This is for you. To commemorate the hellish date you had to put up with.”
Runa’s eyes were wide with shock. What the fuck? She’d said she’d had fun, hadn’t she? Had she missed the sign that said “Turn Left To Bitch Street”? But she guessed she hadn’t exactly been the best date, either, though they had had fun in their own way. She’d smiled a little and had even laughed once or twice. The zoo was nice; she had liked it a lot. So why was he walking away so angry?
She looked down, her shock turning to a frown as his silhouette faded into the crowd and she noticed that her wrist was encircled in a shiny, silver charm bracelet. She nearly laughed, but wonder had filled her so close to the brim that she just couldn’t. The blocky chain was filled with little figures of animals and inanimate shapes; a tiger, an elephant, a few stars, a zebra, and - for the center piece that connected through the star-shaped clasp - a large panda holding a cub.
She couldn’t help it, she smiled. At first. She smile at first. And then she frowned, looking up to scowl in the direction he had left in, then spun to head towards her bike; her one and only comfort. She swung a leg over it, jammed on her helmet, and turned the key, revving the engine hard.
Whatever he was up to, Jareth Uniteare was not getting under her skin. Not to irritate her, not to make her nervous, and definitely not to make her stomach flutter unnecessarily. She repeated this little promise to herself as she flew down the streets, trying all the way home to ignore the jingling of the new shackle around her wrist.