She sensed them as they drew closer to her - many different spirits, their energy buzzing on varying frequencies.

"One at a time, guys. Please." she said. But they didn’t listen. These were the spirits of the mentally ill, after all. Taking turns wasn’t their concern, and they all rushed her. She felt their presence closing in on her like an avalanche, and she was consumed. Every mental illness imaginable was thrown into her psyche as she tightened her grip on Gage’s hand and slumped down in her chair.

"Allison! Allison, are you okay?" Gage’s voice was a distant echo as she fought to hold on to herself. She was slipping. Sliding into the depths of despair and the spirits were pulling her down.

"It’s . . .No . . .There’s a light . . .You need to . . .You need to go to it." She tried to help the spirits cross over, but they wouldn’t listen. There were too many. Twenty at least, and they were so consumed by their own illnesses they thought of nothing else. Paranoia, depression, anxiety. Allison felt it all, and it was going to kill her. The pressure. So hard to breath. Her hands cradled her head as the migraine overtook her. Sharp, pounding pain had her crumpled on the floor as she drew her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth.

"Make it stop. Please, just make it stop." She was paralyzed. Frozen by the anguish of the tortured souls that forced themselves upon her. Hot tears streamed down her face and blood trickled from her nose. She gasped for air as she heard a faint voice call, "Get her out of here!"

She put her hand on his and glanced down to notice the iridescent, aqua-colored swirling pattern that started on her fingers and extended up the length of her arm. She held out her other arm, and it was there, spiraling up to her shoulder.

"What’s wrong with my skin?" She rubbed at the pattern, but it wouldn’t budge. "What the hell is this?" She rubbed more frantically, until Andre took both her hands in his.

"I’m sorry, Miranda. I didn’t know that would happen. You were so far gone… You needed blood, so I gave you mine. That’s why I brought you back here. I gave you a transfusion, and I knew it would change you. I just didn’t know how much. That pattern on your skin? It’s mine. It’s what I look like unless I hide it. I can teach you to hide it, too. I think."

"You think?, You… you turned me into a demon?"

"You’re not a demon. You just have some of my power. Some of my life force."

Miranda shook her head. "Why, Andre? What made you think I’d want this? Why didn’t you just let me die?"

He raised one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. "Because I’m in love with you."

She sensed them as they drew closer to her - many different spirits, their energy buzzing on varying frequencies.

"One at a time, guys. Please." she said. But they didn’t listen. These were the spirits of the mentally ill, after all. Taking turns wasn’t their concern, and they all rushed her. She felt their presence closing in on her like an avalanche, and she was consumed. Every mental illness imaginable was thrown into her psyche as she tightened her grip on Gage’s hand and slumped down in her chair.

"Allison! Allison, are you okay?" Gage’s voice was a distant echo as she fought to hold on to herself. She was slipping. Sliding into the depths of despair and the spirits were pulling her down.

"It’s . . .No . . .There’s a light . . .You need to . . .You need to go to it." She tried to help the spirits cross over, but they wouldn’t listen. There were too many. Twenty at least, and they were so consumed by their own illnesses they thought of nothing else. Paranoia, depression, anxiety. Allison felt it all, and it was going to kill her. The pressure. So hard to breath. Her hands cradled her head as the migraine overtook her. Sharp, pounding pain had her crumpled on the floor as she drew her knees into her chest and rocked back and forth.

"Make it stop. Please, just make it stop." She was paralyzed. Frozen by the anguish of the tortured souls that forced themselves upon her. Hot tears streamed down her face and blood trickled from her nose. She gasped for air as she heard a faint voice call, "Get her out of here!"
 

She turned back to Damian, but the moment was gone. The overwhelming need to lay it all out for him gave way to her practical side. He'd have to let go of his past before he could make a future with her. Besides, she wanted to hear him say it first.
 
Sitting across the table from the most beautiful Angel in Heaven was like a dream. He knew about her desire to travel, and bringing her here was the perfect setting for their first official date.
 
Her smile brightened the entire room, and her eyes sparkled as she admired the architecture. "When was this place built? It's incredible."
 
"Around the twelfth century. It's beautiful, isn't it? And it really hasn't changed much since then."
 
"You were here when this was built?"
 
He shrugged. "Sure. I told you, I'm as old as dirt."
 
She giggled until she was gasping for air. Her laugh was like beautiful melody in his ears.
 
"Wow. I'm on a date with a geezer. How gross."
 
"Well, maybe I shouldn't be robbing the cradle. Isn't there a law about that?" He winked, and they both laughed.
 
"I am not a child, mister. I'm more woman than you could handle."
 
"Mmm...We'll see about that. You ready to get out of here? See the sights?"
 
"I'd love to."
 
He savored one last bite of his meal, and then led her out into the street. They ambled, hand-in-hand, through a courtyard and down three blocks of cobblestone. The Leaning Tower of Pisa stood just across the street, and he paused to watch her reaction.
 
But she wasn't looking at the tower; she was gazing up at him. Her eyes were more beautiful than the Italian countryside, and he forgot all about the sights of the city. He forgot about everything else in the world when he leaned down to kiss her.
 
Her lips were so soft, her taste so sweet, his head spun. He shouldn't have been kissing her. He needed to take it slowly, but he didn't care. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was having April in his arms.
 
She slid her hands over his shoulders and pulled him closer. He could have drowned in her essence right there on the sidewalk. The need to be with her surged through his body, and he had to pull away before he took her to his bedroom and made love to her all day.
 
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and tried to find his voice. But what could he say?
 
Her expression was one of anticipation. Longing. She looked at him like she wanted him. "That was...nice."
 
"Yeah, it was."
 
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "We should do it more often."
 
"Sounds good to me."
 
"Oh my gosh! It's the Leaning Tower of Pisa."
 
He chuckled. "Yeah. That's what I brought you here to see. Want to get a closer look?"
 
"Uh, yeah."
 
They darted across the busy street and walked up the path to the tower. She put her hand over her heart as she admired the structure.
 
"It's amazing that the foundation shifted so much for it to lean like that. But it still stands. They just don't make 'em like that anymore." She grinned and tousled his hair. "But I bet you remember when it stood straight."
 
He felt the heat rush to his cheeks, though he didn't know why he was embarrassed. He shrugged and kicked at the dirt with his foot. "Yeah. I guess I remember. But it's no big deal. A thousand years from now, we'll be looking at present day skyscrapers and saying, 'Remember when'."
 
"True. But I bet skyscrapers won't be around a thousand years from now."
 
"Wanna put money on it?"
 
She flashed a mischievous grin. "Okay. I'll give you a trillion dollars if they're still standing in a thousand years."
 
"You're on."
 
"But that means you'll still have to be speaking to me. No more games."
 
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "You don't have to worry about that."
 
They spent the rest of the afternoon lazily roaming the city. They strolled along the river bank and settled on a patch of grass in a secluded spot to watch the sunset. If only Angels had the ability to freeze time; he could have lived in that moment forever.
 
With his arms wrapped around her, she snuggled into his side and sighed. "Thank you for this. The whole day, you, everything. It was perfect."
 
He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent. The day really was perfect. She was perfect, and he didn't want it to end.