July Thirty-First, 2014

10:00 PM

Caleb was sitting in a small bar, a glass of scotch held tightly in his hands. Several months ago, he had taken to leaving his life behind. His once short, blonde hair had been dyed a shiny black color and had grown past his shoulders. Today, he had it pushed behind his ears, letting it rest nicely against the blue button-up shirt he was wearing. 

The blue of his eyes was gone. He had replaced them with jade contact lenses. He had spent his time blending in with people. He didn't let anyone know that he was a fallen angel. He couldn't. His cover would be blown as soon as the people around him found out what -- or who -- he really was.

A thin woman slid onto the bar stool next to him. He kept his head bowed, hoping she wouldn't speak to him. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Tomorrow would be his and Laura's anniversary. That's why he was drinking away his sorrow, even though he'd regret in the morning. 

"Hey, handsome," she purred. Her voice was low, normal. He ignored her. "Playing hard to get?" she asked. 

He gave her a quick glance. She had the darkest brown hair he'd ever seen. Her hair was short, stopping near the base of her neck. She had side bangs that swooped over the left side of her face. Her eyes were a whole other story. They were beautiful -- sterling gray. He had never seen anything quite like them before. But they still didn't beat the color of Laura's eyes, not for him.

Her right nostril was pierced with a tiny silver stud. Her eyelids were dusted with a light pink, the edges done in black winged eyeliner. Her lips were done in a deep red color. Her skirt was short, resting somewhere above her knees. It was pink with a slight black frill on the bottom edge. Her shirt was tight against her flat stomach, dark pink with a design that he couldn't quite figure out. The sleeves were black and off the shoulder, stopping just above her elbows.

"Satisfied?" she asked, catching the ball of her tongue ring between her teeth. 

"I'm not interested," Caleb said. Truly, he wasn't. He was sure that the other men in the bar would jump at the opportunity to even speak to the woman. But not him. He wanted Laura.

"Aww, shucks." Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. Caleb noticed she had fangs. They hung over her bottom lip just a few centimeters. "What kind of lady are you waiting for?" she asked. 

"My wife," he said, holding up his left hand as he looked away from her. 

"Funny. I'm waiting for my husband," she said. She delicately turned Caleb's hand over before placing her hand on his, interlocking their fingers. He swallowed. "It doesn't matter what color you dye your hair or what contacts you wear; I'll always know it's you, Caleb," she whispered, her lips by his ear. 

A shiver coursed through his body as he turned towards her. Her eyes locked with his as he pushed her bangs behind her ear. For the first time in a long time, a smile crossed his face. 

Right there on her cheek was Laura Rainshot's birthmark.

He stared at her, waiting. He didn't know what his next move was supposed to be.

"Kiss me," she whispered. He certainly didn't have to be told twice. With a hand still on her cheek, he leaned forwards and kissed her. He groaned as the cold metal of her tongue ring touched his mouth. He felt her smile as her hands moved to his chest. Several seconds later, she pulled back. "You want to get out of here?" she asked.  

He drew in a deep breath. "My place is about five minutes from here." She nodded.

11:00 PM

Caleb was on his back, holding Laura against him. She was on her stomach on top of him. Bare chest to bare chest, he was satisfied with how their night had turned out. His nose was buried in her hair as he inhaled deeply. She was sleeping in his arms, but he couldn't help but smell the lilac shampoo he had missed so much. He ran his hand down her bare back, smiling as she let out a soft sigh. 

Earlier, when they had been going at it like rabbits, he had noticed the scar just above where her underwear typically rested. He had wanted to ask her about it, but he had been pretty preoccupied. He wanted to know about Kaylee, too. But again, he had been preoccupied. 

Laura's eyes opened. She had taken out her contacts earlier, revealing her usual violet eyes. A lazy smile formed on her face. "Hey," she whispered. 

"Hey." He pushed his fingers into her brown hair and smiled. "I've missed you," he said. 

"I missed you, too."

He swallowed. "But you left me."

The corner of her mouth twitched as her smile fell. "Not because I wanted to," she said. She looked away from him as she sat up, her legs straddling his waist. Her hands were pressed against his chest as she shook her head. Caleb had every opportunity to stare at her in her naked glory, but he kept his focus on her face, waiting for her to talk again. "Your boss told me to get out of your life."

"Lucas?"

"Rusty," she said. "He said I was holding you back from the dangerous work. That you were refusing to do anything worthy of risk."

"B--but..."

"He said he'd kill you and Kaylee if I didn't leave and take her with me," she said. "Once the news announced that we were probably dead, I knew I had to find you and explain everything. I colored my hair, got the piercings, got the contacts... Hell, I even trained myself to talk in a lower pitched voice."

"I had no idea it was you," he whispered. 

She smiled faintly. "I know." She pushed her fingers into his black hair. "I have something to show you. It's a long drive, but it'll be worth it."