Fallen Angels

“Matt! Baby I’m home! Come help with the bags!”

I walked into the dark house, my arms full of groceries. It was late and I had needed to run to the store to grab something I’d forgotten for dinner that night. However the moment I’d gotten there I’d realized a whole list of things I’d needed to get and it had taken me about 45 minuets longer than I’d hoped I’d be gone. Tonight we’d just have to order in pizza.

“Matt?” I called when I got no response. Usually he was right at my side when I returned to the store.

Sighing I carried the armload of bags into the kitchen and sat them on the counter before setting off to see just where my husband and baby were.

“Matt? Are you awake?” I asked. He had been known to fall asleep with Eli in his lap playing Call Of Duty. In fact there was a framed picture next to our bed of Matt and Eli curled up asleep, Eli holding a XBOX controller like it was a teddy bear.

Stepping into our bedroom I gasped. Lying on the floor in a pool of blood was Matt. That was all I saw though because suddenly I was running down the hall to Eli’s room.

“Eli!” I screamed as I threw open the door.

That’s when my heart stopped.

“Hush little baby don’t say a word mama’s gonna bye you a mocking bird…and if the mocking bird don’t sing…mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…”

Sitting in the rocking chair, Eli cradled in her arms was Valary. She sang to him and he gazed up at her with his big hazel eyes. A moment later she realized that I was frozen stock still in the doorway.

“Hello Emma.” she smiled not looking up from Eli.

Finally I found my voice, “Put my son down!” I spat.

“Oh Emma….you don’t realize….this isn’t your child…Eli is my son…or at least he will be.” she said still not looking up from where she held Eli.

“Over my dead body!” I yelled and tried to push out my wings. However as hard as I tried they wouldn’t extend nor could I call my sword.

“Aww….poor little angel…lost your touch have you?” Val mocked.

Smiling she stood and carefully laid Eli in his crib before turning to me. A moment later she had her sword and I still couldn’t call on mine. The next thing I knew the sword had pierced my chest.

I collapsed onto the floor of the nursery, the sword sticking out of my chest. I looked over to the crib and saw Eli standing there looking at me, his eyes wide.

“Mommy loves you Eli.” I whispered as I felt the demon poison rush through my veins.

“Mommy’s already here!” Val yelled and ripped the sword from my chest, aimed it at my throat and raised it above her head.

“Say goodnight little Angel.” she laughed and swung down.

“NO!” I screamed and sat straight up in bed.

“Emma…what’s wrong?” Matt asked sitting up beside me.

“Val…Eli…sword…I couldn’t…you…blood…” I gasped as the images from my dream flashed though my mind.

Matt wrapped his arms around me, “Shh…it’s okay.” he whispered.

Suddenly I felt my throat burn and I ran to the bathroom just in time to spew the remains of that night’s dinner into the toilet. Once my stomach was empty I felt Matt pick me up and carry me over to the bed.

“Now tell me what happened. You were screaming and thrashing around. What happened?” he said.

However when I tried to tell him I just started crying again, the look on Eli’s face haunting my memory. Before I knew it I was hyperventilating and that was when Matt started freaking out.

He grabbed his cell from the nightstand and began to hit numbers. I was too busy trying to calm my breathing to pay attention to what he said and to whom he said it to. What seemed like seconds later all four of my sisters were rushing into the room.

“Emma! Look at me and breathe!” Clara said taking her face in her hands. Her hands were cool against my face and he eyes were looking straight into mine. A few moments later my breathing began to even out but I was still shaking like crazy.

“She’s shaking like crazy….we need to get her warmed up. Joey will you help me get her into the shower?” Clara asked.

Joey nodded and with their help I managed to stand up and walk to the bathroom. Clara turned on the shower and a few moments later I pulled off my pink pajama pants, VU shirt and socks and stepped into the shower. The water was warm and when I finally stopped shaking I climbed out and wrapped a towel around myself. Matt was waiting with a black satin slip type nightgown. When I walked out the guys were now in the room.

“What are all of you doing here?” I asked as I crawled back into bed.

“Matt called Aiden babbling about Val and she woke the girls up and we ended up getting woken up because they started freaking out.” Brian replied.

I nodded and pulled the blankets up around me, resting back against the headboard. My sisters joined me, settling themselves around me on the bed while the guys all took places somewhere in the room. That’s when I noticed that all my friends looked like they’d run over here in a hurry, which I reminded myself, they probably had.

Aiden was in a pair of sweatpants the looked like they belonged to Brian, a Nirvana tank top and Ninja turtle slippers, her hair in a messy bun. Next to her was Tori who was in a purple ‘Like A Boss’ t-shirt, basketball shorts and a pair of Zacky’s flip flops. Clara sat in a pair of bat print shorts, a Batman shirt and her favorite Vans. Finally there was Joey in a pajama set and a red silk robe with Nightmare Before Christmas slippers. As for the guys they were in various states of undress ranging from boxers and a t-shirt (Brian) to fully dressed (Johnny).

“Okay can you tell us what’s going on now?” Aiden asked.

I nodded and took a shuddering breath. I told them about what had happened in my dream. When I got to the fact that Val was in Eli’s room everyone reacted different. All the girls’ faces contorted in anger, the guy’s eyes bulged and Johnny began to babble incoherently about what I vaguely made out to be him asking about the chances that Val would really do that.

“Johnny…it was just a dream. A scary one but a dream none the less.” I replied.

He nodded obviously relieved.

“So are you okay now?” Joey asked.

“Yeah I’m still shaken up but I’m better than I was. Still don’t think imma get any sleep though.” I replied.

“What if the girls stayed with you?” Matt asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked looking up at him.

“Emma I know that you love me but your sisters comfort you ten times more than I ever can. Do you think you’ll be able to sleep better if you’ve got them?” he asked.

It was true. When I freaked out over something it was always the girls who could calm me down, that’s why Matt had called them in the first place. I loved Matt to the ends of the earth but when I really was in need of calming down I wanted them. Matt understood and was more than happy to step aside when needed.

“I really would but I doubt that they’d wanna stay here.” I replied.

“Are you kidding? If you need us we’re here Emma.” Clara said and without a word crawled to the top of the bed and crawled under the covers.

“Seriously stop worrying.” Joey replied sliding in between Clara and I.

“Besides we really don’t feel like walking all the way back to our house.” Aiden replied as she climbed off the bed and walked to the linen closet next to Matt and I’s bathroom. She removed three pillows, threw two to Joey and Tori and climbed into bed, her head at the foot.

“And what if we object to this?” Brian asked.

“Well then you’re screwed Gates. We’re staying here.” Tori smiled as she joined Aiden at the foot of the bed.

“And we’re supposed to sleep where?” Zacky asked.

“We’re bunking in the guest rooms Vengeance.” Matt said and began to lead the guys out of the room however first I jumped up and ran over to him.

I reached up and pulled him down, kissing his lips gently, “Thank you. You didn’t have to give up your bed to us but you did. I love you so much right now.”

“No problem Angel. Now go back to bed and get some sleep. And don’t worry about Eli…I’ll take care of him in the morning.” he replied.

“Thanks.” I replied.

“No problem. Goodnight.” he said and kissed me again before shoving the guys out of the room.

“I think I need a shot of insulin.” Aiden said as I crawled back into bed.

“I’ll have what she’s having.” Tori agreed.

“Why?” I asked.

“You and Matt are so sweet! It’s a little much.” Aiden laughed.

“Oh shut up.” I laughed as I grabbed a hair elastic from the bedside table and pulled my damp curls into a pony tail.

“Hey…what’s that?” Tori asked looking at me.

“What’s what?” I asked.

“That mark….there’s a mark on your chest.” she replied.

I looked down and saw a bright red mark on my chest that my hair had been covering.

“I-I don’t know.” I replied.

It was about three inches wide and bright red and positioned in the center of my chest.

The same place Val had stabbed me in my dream.

My eyes went wide and I looked at my friends who it suddenly dawned on too.

“You don’t think…?” Joey asked.

“No. No way! It was a dream. There’s no way it’s from that. Matt said I was thrashing around in my sleep so I probably hit myself or something.” I replied.

“Right. I mean that and you don’t exactly sleep still either. Remember when you tossed and turned so bad that you ended up on the other side and completely the wrong way in bed a few months ago?” Tori said.

“Well I was also less than sober but that’s not the point. I probably hit myself or knocked into the nightstand.” I nodded.

“Right. Now let’s go to sleep. I’m tired as hell.” Clara said.

We agreed and flipped off the lights. I curled up under the covers and tried to relax. After a few minuets of listening to my friends breathing become slow and even I drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.