Irredeemably Me

"And I shall be there."

Her cravings came back tenfold and there was no one to help her stifle them. 

Lucy tried but nothing she said was bringing Lauren back and so when the younger vampire went out to hunt, the older couldn't stop her. They were back to being on unstable ground wherein Lauren had the upper hand and Lucy could offer nothing but unsolicited advice. 

Lauren knew the rules, however. She knew she couldn't kill her victims and in knowing so, she drained them to an extent and then warped their minds to forget her. She let them walk away feeling more than a little unsatisfied. She knew she couldn't kill them because she'd made a new promise, one she hated to keep. 

But she also knew that denying herself her cravings would weaken her and when she met Camila once more, she would need every ounce of her strength. It would be the only way she would be able to face the angel woman. 

She was on her third victim of the night when he approached her. He was still the looming figure she knew him as and when he sidled up beside her, it was like his feet were gliding across the ground he walked. Like his wings were carrying him but without revealing themselves. 

Lauren remembered the last time she encountered Camila's father and how he'd been adamant on harming her but they were in public and she was certain he wouldn't risk human life. 

"We spoke of you staying with her." He spoke matter-of-factly. 

"You put her on this earth to do as she now intends." Lauren wiped at the small droplet of blood that she felt matted the corner of her mouth. "I would not allow her to do so in my presence."

"She will succumb to the creature I saved from damnation."

"You are of such little faith with her. She is by far stronger than you nor I offer her credit." She tucked her hands into her pockets and sighed. "Is it not strange that you and I find ourselves in agreement? The hellish being and the heavenly?"

"You have the sway to stop her."

"And then we continue to run until the earth meets its end? Lilith is granted free reign of the world like she so wishes?" Lauren's eyes looked out ahead of her as people carelessly wondered the streets, so unaware of their own fragility. "Gabriel, she is doing as you wished. She is tipping the scales on light and darkness in your favour."

"At the expense of her."

"Indeed," Lauren stopped for a moment, allowing their eyes to finally meet. "But I was under the assumption that the life of this world was of more importance to you than the singular life of your daughter."

The arch angel fell silent for a moment and the longer Lauren examined him, the more realisation touched her mind. 

"You care for her." She stated softly. "You truly care for her."

"She is of me. I have watched her grow from the moment she took her first humanly breath. I wished more for her than this."

"And yet you set her on this path."

"It is my duty."

"As a warrior or a father?" Lauren scoffed dismissively before she began walking again. "You set her on this path and she is following it, I will not stand between her and what she needs to do. But when the time comes, I will do what needs to be done to fulfill her wishes."

When Lauren turned around to add more to her statement, the angel was gone and she wished for nothing more than to never see him again, though she was sure she would not be that lucky. 

She came to a stop before her building and looked up in the very same way Camila's eyes were looking up at the building she knew Dinah to reside in.

Camila figured that if she was going to go down the road she'd chosen, she had one more goodbye she needed to address. Because she'd promised Dinah they'd see one another again but she knew she couldn't hold herself to that promise with what she intended to do.