"You made it!" Meredith's gleeful shout struck John in the side almost as hard as she did. Before he could say anything, he was broadsided by the small girl. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.
"Y-yeah." He struggled to speak. His words came out with a morning rasp. He hugged her back as best he could and cleared his throat. "I made it."
"And you brought Aerin back too!" Meredith squealed in delight. She looked down at Aerin, who was sleeping softly beside them, and barely managed to contain her happiness before speaking again, only softer this time. "Thank you, John." She said with a smile before standing up and taking a step away from him.
"Don't thank me. There's no way I-"
Something was happening, though he wasn’t sure what. It was as if a new sense was opening up inside him; similar to when his instincts would activate in a time of need, but somehow different. Time around him seemed to slow down as his senses heightened. He could see Meredith just ahead of him; her movements appeared sluggish to John as she turned slightly, her index finger pointed in his direction. There was an odd look in her eye, one John had seen before. It was the same look he had seen on Irileth’s face as she attacked Lazarus. An orb of light glowed at the end of her fingertip for a moment before it fired in his direction. John threw his left hand up instinctively to protect himself. Suddenly he felt his stamina drain from him as his mind exploded with calculations and symbols he had only seen in his dreams. A bright blue Cypher burst forth from his palm, it spun round for a moment before a shield deployed from its edges all around. The small fireball Meredith had shot collided with the magical wall, dissipating into a puff of smoke that left John completely unharmed.
John sat there, dumbfounded. Everything had happened so fast and it had left him speechless. He raised his left hand slowly and gazed down at it. From his own hand, the same hand that was attached to his body, he had used magic. A feat that had been impossible for him before had come as natural as breathing.
"You did it!" Meredith cheered as she threw her arms into the air. The look on her face had been completely replaced by her normal childish demeanor once more.
"Magic?" John stated. "I just used magic.” He turned his hand over again and felt it to make sure it was real. “How?”
"You didn't think I forgot why you came here, did you?" Meredith smiled, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. "It just took a really long time to fix you all up." She said with a smile, proud of her work.
"I..." John stared down at his hands. "I'm..."
"That's right."
John followed the voice over to the corner where Samuel sat atop a broken office chair. His body was battered and bruised, his arm still up in a sling. He had burns up his right side ending at his neck, scorch marks from the Heaven’s Fury he had nearly taken head on earlier. Though he was beaten up, he wore a look of pride on his face as he gazed over to John. Samuel stood slowly, pulling himself up by the broken desk beside him before he made his way over. John gazed up at him, though he wasn’t much taller, John still felt as though he was. Samuel was definitely his elder, and he had great respect for him now.
“You’re a fully realized Slayer, John.” Samuel stated with a smile.
His words were as powerful as they always were, maybe even more this time. The phrase echoed around inside of John’s head, filling him with a deep sense of pride. He was a Slayer. He’d heard the name many times before, hundreds even, but this time was special. Hearing it from Samuel, after all he had been through; it was the encouragement he had been waiting for.
“Wow… I…” John couldn’t find the right words. There were so many things he wanted to say. He smiled bright, nearly at the verge of tears as he looked at the Angel and Slayer before him. “Thank you, Samuel, Meredith, both of you… I never could’ve done any of this without you.”
“Oh hush!” Meredith scolded. “We only showed you the way, you made it all happen!"
John stood up off of the floor and stretched long and hard. His body felt like it had been asleep for years, but he was filled with a new kind of energy. He looked down beside him; Aerin was motionless, save for the slow rise and fall of her chest with each breath. She looked good, much better than the last time John had seen her there. There was color in her cheeks again, and she looked to be at peace now, rather than in pain as she was before.
"Take her." Samuel instructed. "Take her and go home. There's nothing more we can do for you here." Meredith nodded in agreement.
"But… what about here?" John asked in confusion. He did miss home, but there was still so much that needed to be done in LA. "After all that's happened? What will you do?"
“Let us worry about that.” Meredith stated with her hands on her hips.
“This was our mess.” Samuel added. “We’ll clean it up.” Meredith nodded at his statement.
“Are you sure?” John questioned with a bit of hesitation.
“Yes!” Meredith urged him to go. “Take Aerin and go home! You two have been through enough already. You deserve a break.”
John didn't have any reason to argue with them. Though he did wish to stay and help, he had come to miss his home on his journey, and recent events had taught him that a home was an important place. He bent down next to Aerin's side and watched her as she slept for a moment before scooping her up into his arms. Samuel opened the passenger door to the Charger and John sat her down gently onto the leather seat, making sure to sit her down as comfortable as possible. Before he headed for the driver’s side, he turned towards Samuel and held out his hand. Samuel smiled, offering his good hand, and took hold of it. They shook, much like the first time they had met, though John’s grip was much tighter now.
"Thank you, both of you. Really, thank you for everything."
"Just do us a favor, okay?" Meredith asked as she came up beside Samuel.
"Anything you ask." John replied, without hesitation this time.
"Take good care of her." She said with a slight smile.
“I will.” John stated as he made his way around the Charger. He opened the door but stopped before climbing in. “I promise.”
“Good! Cause if you don't!" Meredith shouted as the Charger's engine roared to life. "I'll kill you John! I will hunt you down if you let anything happen to her! I swear I'll kill you!"
John held in the clutch and shifted into gear with a smile on his face. The car lurched forward before it slowly began to pull out of its resting place. It scraped against the walls of the lobby, peeling even more paint off than before. Finally it found a sweet spot and broke free, and John pulled it out onto the street. He took one look at Aerin before looking back to Samuel and Meredith, who stood on the broken sidewalk watching him. He waved goodbye to them one last time before he pushed the pedal to the floor. The Charger let out a powerful roar as it raced down the street out of sight.
"I think they'll do just fine." Samuel stated with a smile on his face. He was happy, and his words were filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
"Yeah." Meredith wrapped her arms around Samuel's hip and closed her eyes. "They remind me a lot of us when we were younger." She said with a nostalgic tone. "They make a cute couple, don't they?" She looked up at him and winked.
“I wouldn’t know anything about that.” Samuel smiled down to the small Angel as he ruffled her black hair with his good hand.
The roads out of Los Angeles were long and broken. Nothing resembled the city as it had before. Everything was different now, and in a way, the same applied to John. The GPS that Meredith had so graciously installed into the car led him out of town, far away from the destruction that lay behind him. Station was a long way away, and the drive was sure to be lonely. But John had many things to look forward to. He glanced over at Aerin and smiled before he gripped the steering wheel tighter as the engine growled in agreement.
Chapter Twenty Four
Station was empty. A frigid wind blew through the deserted streets. It meandered around cold
steel beams and dark concrete buildings, whistling eerily as it slowly found its way to John, sending shivers up his spine. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to warm them as his cold breaths hung in front of his mouth. The sidewalk was dimly lit, and occasionally the lights overhead flickered as the bulbs neared the end of their life. The street was dark, cast in long shadows from the buildings that towered overhead. Not a single soul was around for as far as he could see. No cars passed by, no people pushed and shoved their way down the busy sidewalks, not even a sound could be heard. Where had everyone gone? Station was normally busy at this time of the day. Then again, what time was it? John couldn’t see the sky above to tell. He stopped for a moment as he gazed at the steel girders holding up the overpass above his head. How did he get here? And most importantly, where was Aerin?
A terrible sound echoed out down the street behind him. John spun around and listened as it echoed out again, originating somewhere near the center of the city. Something was out there, he couldn’t quite make out what, but he knew something was coming; he could feel it. In the distance he saw movement, but the street was too dark to make out exactly what it was. From where he stood all he could tell was that it was as black as night. It grew closer slowly, moving unnaturally down the street toward him, allowing him to see more of its features - its horrible features. It was a terrible black mass of writhing… something. Flesh was the closest relatable word that came to mind. John turned to run, but he couldn’t move. His legs wouldn’t respond, in fact he could barely feel them.
He threw his hand behind him to draw his sword, but nothing happened. The power that had normally swelled around him in a bright inferno was nowhere to be found. John tried to look inside of himself to examine his soul, but there was nothing there, only emptiness. He turned his focus outward just in time to see the horrible thing raise a massive limb high into the air. John raised his hands in order to protect himself before his body suddenly convulsed.
He awoke to an unfamiliar room. Sweat rolled down his neck as he slowly took in his surroundings. His nightmare had been nothing more than that, just a dream. He was sitting in the same chair he had passed out on the night before. He wasn’t in Station, not yet, but was inside a small motel room that he had found late at night. Too tired to continue on, he had stopped and given Aerin a proper bed to sleep on before taking up residence in the plaid colored chair beside her. While everything from his dream had been a figment of his imagination, the numbness of his legs had been real. He glanced down to see Aerin crammed into the chair beside him. She had moved from the bed and had curled up next to him sometime in the middle of the night and her legs had found their way onto his, cutting off much needed blood. He gazed down at her and watched her sleep for a moment. As if on cue, she nudged around and yawned before sitting upright.
“You finally… woke up.”
Aerin sat up slowly and stretched out, yawning sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. She was bundled up in a sheet that she had pulled from the bed. Her orange hoodie and blue jeans were folded neatly on a table off to the side, and so as she stretched her arms out, she did her best to keep herself covered.
“That’s supposed to be my line.” John responded as he tried his best not to stare. “How are you feeling?”
“Don’t you worry about me now.” Aerin assured as she bundled herself tighter. She gave a slightly proud smile and gazed up at him. “Meredith knows how to put me back together.”
“Looks like she knows how to fix me up too.” John stated with a pat on his belly. His white sleeveless undershirt he was wearing still had dark red blood stains on it, but underneath them his flesh was whole. He sat there for a moment as he thought about what best to say next. “It’s good to have you back.”
“Thank you.” Aerin glanced down and blushed.
"Thank you?" John echoed her words quizzically.
“For coming back for me.” She looked back up and said. “You didn’t have to, but you did.” She glanced down again before looking back up. “Thank you.”
“Hey.” John patted her shoulder. “We’re partners right? Besides, you’re my friend. There’s no way I’d leave you behind.” He assured much to Aerin’s delight.
“So…” Aerin spoke up as she fidgeted around. “Did you mean it?”
“Did I…?” John stopped himself mid-sentence as he realized what she was asking. Without another word, he swallowed hard and pulled Aerin against him in a hug. She yelped slightly at the sudden movement, but offered no resistance. They sat there for a moment, before John spoke again. “I meant every word I said. You’re my reason now. For fighting, and for living.”
“You…” Aerin paused after trying to speak. “It’s not going to be easy…”
“I know.”
“There are lots of hardships we’re going to face.” Aerin added.
“I know.” John repeated.
“And you’re absolutely okay with that?” She questioned, still held to John’s chest.
“There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with than you.” He said with a smile. “I can’t promise you anything, but, I want to stay by your side. I hope that’s enough…”
“A-Alright…” Aerin spoke, her face buried in John’s chest. “It is…” She said with a long sigh. They sat there together in a quiet embrace for the next few minute as their soft breathing was the only sound that filled the room. Finally, Aerin pulled herself up from John’s chest and sat upright. Her gaze shifted from John to the nightstand beside her. “What’s with the gun?” She asked, confused.
A pistol sat atop the table to John’s left. It was mostly black, with silver trim and a handle made of polished wood. The gun had been disassembled the night before as John familiarized himself with it. He had passed out in the chair before he could reassemble it though, so it lay apart still beside him. Next to the pistol was a magazine with seven bullets still inside, remnants of a fight that would much rather be forgotten.
“That was…” John paused as he recounted a less than pleasant memory. “That’s was Lazarus’ gun. He gave it to me.”
“I’m sorry.” Aerin spoke as she gripped the sheets around her tightly.
“It’s not your fault, Aerin.”
“But I’ve put you through a lot…” She said with regret in her voice.
“Hold on.” John stopped her as he put his hands on her shoulders. “You did not. I told you this was my choice. Don’t try and shoulder this all on your own.” His sudden outburst had taken her by surprise, but understanding slowly filled her as she stared up at him. “I said it before, we’re in this together. You and me.”
“I know.” Aerin nodded, her demeanor lightening again. “We’re in this together.” She released her grip on the sheets and looked up at John with a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
“Any time.”
"I'm gonna take a shower." Aerin turned and hopped off of John's leg and feeling returned to them again as his blood flowed normally. "I feel like I haven't bathed in weeks." She smiled, turning towards the bathroom, still covered in the bed sheet.
John leaned forward in the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. His body felt lighter, and not just because Aerin wasn’t sitting on him anymore. Something inside him felt right. As he began to assemble the pistol by his side, he couldn’t help but smile. Aerin was back again. The same goofy little Angel she always was. Once the gun was reassembled, John slid the magazine back inside and tucked the weapon into his belt before covering it with his shirt.
He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the mid-morning desert air as he stepped outside. The sun was already high in the sky and the air was hot and dry. John slowly made his way over to the Charger, finding it in the same spot he had double parked it in the night before. He paced around the vehicle inspecting every inch of it. This was the first time he’d gotten a good look at it since everything had happened. He ran his hand over the body slowly, feeling all the rough bumps and chips where it used to be smooth as glass. The sides were scratc
hed to all hell and back, the mirrors had been torn off, and the rear bumper was somewhere between Utah and California. He raised the hood to check underneath, but found most of the damage to be mainly cosmetic. He sighed as he shut the hood, giving it a soft pat as if to assure the car that it would be okay.
John turned around in time to see Aerin standing in the threshold of the door watching him. She was only wearing a pair of tattered blue jeans and a thin undershirt as she toweled off her long blond hair. John had witnessed this scene before, in his own home even, but never did it feel quite like this. He averted his gaze quickly as he tried his best not to stare.
"How's the car?" Aerin asked as she finished drying her hair as much as she could. She draped the towel over her shoulder and began to tie her hair into a neat ponytail.
"Well." John breathed heavily as he turned to face the Charger again. “It needs buffed and painted, it could use some… new mirrors, and, well a new bumper. We lost it a ways back…” John crossed his arms and surveyed the car once more as he spoke. “It’s gonna need some work, but I think it’ll be alright.”
"So it still drives good?" Aerin tilted her head slightly with the question.
“Yeah, actually.” John shrugged. “It got us here alright.”
"Good!" Aerin turned to head back inside before spinning around to face John once more. "Let me get dressed and we can go!"
"That eager to head back home, huh?" John mused as he leaned against the hood of the Charger.
Slayer: A Demon Hunter's Tale Page 45
