She could feel it. She could feel the painful thirst of the decaying vampires, and the way their bodies withered away with every ticking second. She could taste the chaos that gleamed twistedly in their restless minds and could not resist the morbid curiosity that crept into her own.

How would it feel to have a wild mind trapt inside an immobile body?

Licking her dry lips, she closed her eyes as her limbs shivered with want. She, no, her soul craved it. It craved the feeling of true magic coursing through veins. It lusted over the high she received after playing with otherworldly energy.

The cold air nipped bitterly at Angel's exposed legs, while her gaze glared at the trembling stars. She shook off the desire and forced herself to avert back to the numbness she had become accustomed to. She had decided tonight was the night to open the tomb.

A cheerful whistle interrupted her thoughts.

"Why, aren't you a happy fellow."

"Of course," he scoffed, "I'm about to see my girl."

"How lovely," the blonde hummed. 

"How do we do this," he asked, smacking his hands together and looking at her with eager eyes.

"Well, I'm going to say a spell, and you're going to shut up."

"Fine," he huffed, but the joy was still obvious in his posture.

Angel's eyes were cold and bored, as she turned her body towards the door.

"Undo quies nocturna animalia muro tuetur. Undo quies nocturna animalia muro tuetur.." She repeated the spell in a clear, cool voice. The energy glided within every ounce of her, swishing about in her blood vessels, like water rushing through a turbulent stream. Her fingertips burned colder and colder as energy leaked out of every pore.

A ragged breath pushed from her lungs and smoked into the silent night.

Damon grinned, speeding into the cave to meet the tragic betrayal of love.  She followed after him in a leisurely pace, her heels crunching against the aged sand and cracking gravel.

"Pearl," she called out lowly. "Your daughter's looking for you."

Angel knew Anna was coming for her mother, and even though the blonde did not care much about anything, she still held respect. Pearl had been loyal to Angel and Katerina, and she had witnessed a vulnerable side to Angel without passing judgement. Pearl and Anna were good, and even though Angel did not care nor feel for the family, she still respected them.

"There you are," she mumbled, bending down to eye-level with the semi-conscious, semi-delirious vampire.

Dragging her nail across her wrist, she held the thin line of red to Pearl's chapped lips. Pearl's eyes snapped open, as she reached out to greedily gulp at the new source of food. The blonde moved her arm back to her side, before shoving the vampire harshly against the stone wall. "Listen closely," Angel whispered, "Anna's looking for you. She's staying at the New Seloria Hotel in North Carolina, room 285."

"Angel," Pearl wheezed, "you're alive."

"So I've heard," she dismissed.

The color began to return to the raven-haired woman's cheeks, while her body gained more strength.

Pulling a blood pouch out of her bag, Angel pushed it towards the recovering woman. Pearl quickly drained the ruby liquid, before gingerly wiping the corners of her mouth.

"Thank you," she breathed.

Angel nodded before yanking the woman to her feet. "Leave."

"What about them," Pearl asked warily.

"Their fate was sealed the moment they were thrown in this prison."

"You're going to murder them," Pearl stated. She was obviously not suprised by Angel's intentions. Pearl had actually witnessed the burning of the Petrova, while she was getting dragged to the barred carriages and had seen the way Angel's dimmed eyes turned to complete bleakness.

Angel shrugged, not caring enough to lie to the mother.

"You can't," Pearl pleaded. "Let them go."

Angel raised a brow. "Pearl, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want. I will, graciously, give you three seconds to leave."

Pearl hesitated, pursing her lips, while glancing around at her acquaintances. "I.." She didn't know what to say.

"Let's be logical," Angel drawled, "would you rather try, and fail, to save a group of vampires that mean almost nothing to you, or would you rather see your darling child again and run off into the sunset with eachother."

Pearl squared her shoulders and nodded to the blonde as a poised thanks; there was no choice to be made here. Pearl turned her back to walk out of the cave, but the frosty, stern voice of the Petrova stopped the woman in her tracks.

"Listen to my heartbeat, Zhu."

Pearl's ears concentrated on the hollow thumps in the bored girl's chest.

"If I see you or Anna back in this town, I will kill you both."

Her heartbeat was steady.

Without another word, Pearl sped away to reunite with her daughter.

After Pearl was long gone, Angel waited. And a few moments later, she heard it: the spine-chilling cry of hate and heartbreak. Yet, instead of shivering, she laughed. She laughed a dull and humorless laugh, while her head tilted back to hear the tragic sound better. It sounded different coming from someone who wasn't herself.

She listened to his heavy footsteps fade until she knew he was gone. After rolling her shoulders, she held her palm out. A small blue flame sizzled beneath the skin, before leaking out of the lines that marked her hand. She lazily walked to the exit, dragging her hand along the cool wall. The flame traveled downwards and spread, eventually consuming all the occupants in the crypt.

Angel yawned as she trudged back to her house; her thoughts going back to the day Pearl earned her respect.

Flashback 

Angel blinked her glassy eyes, while shaking her head. She hadn't cried once in this life time, and she wouldn't start now.

"How could you have been so gullible," she whispered to herself.

Running a hand through her tangled locks, she laughed sadly.

"Angel? Why are you hiding in the barn?"

Angel's posture turned stiff at the sound of Pearl's voice.

"I wouldn't call it hiding," the blonde mused, "more like visiting. I am quite good friends with the horses."

Pearl laughed, understanding glittered in her motherly eyes. "Where's Katherine," she asked knowingly.

"With him," Angel replied cooly.

"Which him?"

Angel didn't bother to respond, but the silence was the only response Pearl required.

"Oh," she hummed, "well, enjoy your time with the horses." Pearl smiled lightly at the Petrova, no pity present. "Angel," she called, waiting at the doorway.

"Hmm?"

"He's a fool."

Angel's face remained blank, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

End of Flashback

"Hello, Damon." Angel looked at the broken man who laid on her bed.

"Did she ever love me?"

Angel simply stared at him with a raised brow.

"I think you know the answer to that."

He looked away in pain. "You knew she wasn't there, didn't you."

Angel shrugged her jacket off and tossed it on the vanity chair.

"Why didn't you tell me," he demanded.

"You wouldn't of believed me if I did."

He knew she was right.

"Love makes you weak, Damon."

He looked at her once more before speeding away.

It was true. Love did make you weak. Angel would have known that better than anyone. She had been weak for so long, letting herself make the stupid mistake of falling in love.

But she had been weak for such an extensive amount of time, enduring the torment of rejection and heartbreak, that she had become strong.

Thank you all so much for the support! Stay your amazing, beautiful/handsome selves!