Angel: Late, late night and the grounds are empty. Angel rises from where she sits amongst the shadows in the shrine and steps out, into the moonlight, moving no more then two feet or so from the building, facing nothing but open grounds. Sighing, she squashes her fear and turns her eyes up to the sky. "Ouestucati!"

Elijah Phillips: Hearing his name from angel's voice, Eli calls her cell phone. Again. Maybe she'll pick up this time.

Angel: She sighs and draws the phone from the pocket of her gown, flipping it open. "Eli." Her voice is soft and filled with heat.

Elijah Phillips: Eli gives a tiny sigh of releif before going into a panicked tone. She can hear street noises from the cell and the sound of a running car. "Angel! Where are you? What.. what happened? Fuck, morningstar.. I miss you.."

Angel: "I'm fine, no thanks to you," she murmurs. "You raped me, Eli."

Elijah Phillips: "I did what?!" His tone one of disbeleif "What are you talking about? I've been scouring the city for you.. I've had the infernal court racking their skills trying to find you.. For the love of Lucifer, angel.. I've been doing everything in my power to get you back. I love you."

Angel: She laughs softly and the sound is pained. "You raped me and used what you took to flood Spanish Harlem."

Elijah Phillips: Eli lets out a tiny sob, she can hear the car pulling over and the music turning down. "Angel.. I wanted to make sure you were still alive.. I couldn't get in contact with you.. I couldn't find you! That was the only method I had of knowing that you're still here. I.. never meant to hurt you.." He gives another deep sob "Things got out of hand.. I didn't know that I would flood the place.. You know how I like the water.. I just wanted to sit out in the rain, that's IT. I.. I didn't know there would be soo.. much of it. I've never created so much rain before.. Not since being on the surface.. Love.. you have to believe me.."

Angel: "You meant to hurt me. You very much meant to hurt me, Eli. Your love is selfish and cruel. Your love is all about your wants and needs, never mind my wants. Or Tansy's. So long as you were happy we had to make do." She snorts indelicately. "You were angry. You meant to do what you did. I am not stupid."

Elijah Phillips: "Angel.." He pleads with another stream of sobs. Catching his breath, he painfully squeezes out "I had to know that you were still alive.. That's it. I didn't take very much. Just.. Please.. Everything I've done lately has been for you and tansy.. I built a home for the three of us. I agreed to stop bringing people over.. Everything I did, I did for the two of you.. How can you SAY these things.." Another stream of sobs "And I've not been happy in the slightest. I've been miserable. The two loves in my life completely abandoned me.. My children will never know their father.."

Angel: "I have no sympathy for you Eli. What you did to me...If you've never had it done to you, if it can't be done to you, then you can't imagine what its like. I thought i was DYING! I was drowning!"

Elijah Phillips: 'Angel.. I'm sorry.." He sobs weakly. After a moment, he catches his breath and murmers into the phone "I'm not going to be around for much longer. I'm sure you know that by now.."

Angel: She giggles at that, just giggles. "I loved you Eli. I loved you without question...Even if I had issues with the physical intimacy...But I know now what real love is. Nathanael loves me."

Elijah Phillips: Eli cries weakly into his end of the phone for a long time, unable to deal with the sting of her words. He breaks the pact reverting her to the way she was when they'd met.

Angel: Oddly, she doesn't change. "You drove me away Eli, as much as I was taken. Your selfishness killed something inside me when all I wanted was to love you."

Elijah Phillips: "Angel.. I'm.. so sorry.." He sobs. "I can't hurt you anymore.. Not even if I wanted to.. I.." He continues to cry, his words a mumble.

Angel: "Learn from this Eli," she whispers. "Please. Don't make the same mistakes over and over again."

Elijah Phillips: "I don't have that chance, angel.." He manages to sob out "They're going to kill me.. everyone wants me dead.. Even tansy.." He chokes off another stram of sobs ".. I deserve it"

Angel: "Yes. You do," she says, though its almost gentle.

Elijah Phillips: "The only thing I have left to do.. is to say goodbye to Tansy.. I'm not leaving without telling her how much I love her. And the boys.." He sobs "After that, I'll do it myself if I have to. I'm not staying."

Angel: "If you hurt her, in any way, Eli and I find out...I will make you wish you'd died."

Elijah Phillips: "I would never hurt her!" He screams, angrily "Angel.. why do you think I would do something like that?"

Angel: "Because you did it to me!" A sob breaks from her throat as she sinks to the damp ground. "Because of you I found Tansy. And because of you I lost her!"

Elijah Phillips: "How did you lose her? She loves you far more than she ever loved me.." He sobs bitterly. "It's not fair.. I was always there for the two of you.. But I could never have what you two shared. You took her from me.. then abandoned the both of us." Eli takes a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to stop crying "I have never.. and will never hurt tansy. Babies or not. She's my wife. I love her. More than you.. Hell, more than lucifer. More than all the mortals put together. I just.. I want to see her one more time. To tell her goodbye. That's it."

Angel: "I didn't leave you Eli. I was taken from you. I didn't go voluntarily. Hell, i think part of me still hoped that I could find a way to make it work...right up until you ripped my fucking soul apart!"

Elijah Phillips: "Then why couldn't have you just.. called me.. All you had to do was say my name.. Just one little word to let me know you were fucking alive?! How can you say you loved me.. and not even think about how much that was tearing me apart. I had no idea what they'd done to you.. where you were.. What you were going through. I was in the fucking dark.. I was scared. This was the only way I had to know that you were still around.. I didn't.. I didn't want to do it, Angel.. If I could take it back I would, but I can't."

Angel: "I..." She frowns softly. "I didn't call you because..." She pauses, frowning, tongue flicking over her lips. "Because Nathanael was always there...Always with me. Because I didn't need anything but him."

Nathanael -> Elijah Phillips: ((You can roll Int+Legacy on Nathanael, by the way...))

Elijah Phillips: d10: : 8,5,10,4,4,

Nathanael -> Elijah Phillips: ((Nathanael, The Rose Lord of the Silver Legion. He was a Nereid; during the war, he was one of the Governors in Genhinnom, and took up a sword during the last battle there. While not a warrior, he fought with fervor, and in the front lines for that battle.))

Elijah Phillips: "Angel.." He speaks softly "I remember him. He's a deceiver. Think about it, love.. he held you against your will.. took you captive without your permission. Why would he do those things.. if he truely loved you?"

Angel: "To save me from being continuously hurt by you," she murmurs. "He loves me, Eli. He talks to me. He holds me. I take care of his house and I make him smile..."

Elijah Phillips: "How were you hurting before.. I.. don't understand.. Was it that time with Tom that drove you to hate me so much? Angel.. I misunderstood.. After our talk, I agreed to stop doing what I was doing. I can't know that things bother you until you bring them to my attention.."

Angel: She makes a soft, distressed sound. "Nathanael," she whispers, voice desperate. "Eli I...He loves me," she repeates brokenly.

Elijah Phillips: "Angel.. I only ever wanted you to be happy. I took you in when you had no one. Took care of you.. Loved you.. Gave you everything you asked for and then some. I don't see how you can sit here and tell me I didn't love you.. or that I acted selfishly.."

Angel: "I needed more," she whispers, voice breaking. 'I needed you. Not just what you made me. Not what you gave me...I needed you."

Elijah Phillips: "You had me.. you both did. If you would have told me to stop seeing other people I would have. I told Tansy that, but she said that I deserved my freedom. I would have done anything for the two of you. You were the only family I had.."

Angel: "When we told you it upset us you got mad! Eli. You were angry with us for daring to question you..." She swallows a soft, ragged sob.

Elijah Phillips: "I was angry at the lack of consistency. One minute the two of you were fine with me seeing other people.. the next it tore you apart. If you would have told me one way or the other, I would have stuck to it."

Nathanael: He's quiet, standing there, arms folded over his chest a ways out of visual range of an invocation. A small frown, a look of concern at Angel's expression, and he comes up to her, arms encircling the woman.

Angel: "Its one thing to know someone is doing something. Its another to have it flaunted in front of your face."

Angel: She curls into Nathanael, clinging to him.

Elijah Phillips: "And when you were kissing up on tom.. That was alright?"

Angel: "Oh fuck you Eli. You love him...I was willing to do anything I had to to keep MY family together. and it seemed like the easiest way to keep you from seeking others was to have one that you wanted right there with us. It worked with michael, why wouldn't it have worked with you? I kissed girl's I didn't necessarily like for him...I could handle seducing a guy who was kind and caring and i could like for you."

Elijah Phillips: "I do love him, Angel. How can you be angry at me for that.. If you would have told me not to be with him.. I would have done it. You never spoke up. I don't see how you're blaming me for this.."

Angel: "You're right, Eli. Its all my fault. Its always my fault."

Elijah Phillips: Eli lets out a helpless sob. Can't do anything right.. danmit.. "Angel.. I love you.. I would have done anything you asked me to.."

Nathanael: He pets her hair, softly, and makes a quiet, soothing shush sound, to calm her.

Angel: "It doesn't matter," she murmurs, voice tired and soft. "Its over and its done."

Elijah Phillips: "I hope you're happy, angel." He murmers softly, with a bitter undertone "I'm going back. To suffer the worst of atrocities.. Because of you. You think that what I did to you was bad? You know nothing about what its like to be in the abyss. It's far worse than anything you could ever imagine. And you're sending me there. If you would have just.. said my name.. Just once.. this all could have been avoided.."

Angel: "Then we're both damned," she whispers, throat closing as tears spill down her pale cheeks. "Nathanael...I'm yours. Make me forget."

Elijah Phillips: Eli sobs openly in to the phone, not even trying to hold back anymore. It just.. hurts too much. He manages to get out the soft words "How could you.."

Angel: "Because if I don't forget Eli...I'll die," she whispers softly.

Nathanael: "Shhh, my love," he answers, in his deep, rich baritone. He gently takes the phone from Angel, kissing her temple before moving to place the phone to his ear. "Good day, Ouestucati."

Elijah Phillips: Eli tries to catch his breath, hearing the man's voice "Nathanael.. Why would you do this to her? You coward.."

Angel: She keens and slides down Nathanael to pool at his feet, clinging to his thighs.

Nathanael: "Take responsibility for your actions." His voice is civil, but there's a hardness in his voice. "I did nothing but show her the truth."

Elijah Phillips: "Bullshit." He manages, weakly "You're a snake. You could have had any other girl in town. Why Angel? I never did anything but love the girl. I showed her how beautiful she could be and you took her away." He pauses "It's the lord of chains isn't it. He sent you to fuck with me."

Nathanael: "Yes, Ouestucati. I brought Angel onto holy ground, to protect her from you, and I'm the Tormented monster." Sarcasm much? Yep.

Angel: The soft, pitiful keening dies away slowly to leave Angel empty and quiet at Nathanael's feet.

Elijah Phillips: "I never did anything but love her! I was there for her when no one else was!"

Nathanael: "Yes. You were there for her when she was vulnerable, when she had no one else. And you enthralled her, siphoning her Faith for yourself. I rest my case." He crouches, a hand running over Angel's hair.

Angel: She tips her face up, gazing into Nathanael's eyes, hre own bleak.

Nathanael: He looks at Angel with an adoring, supportive smile. One that promises it will all be okay.

Angel: Fresh tears sliding down her cheeks she presses her face against Nathanael's leg,eyes closing.

Elijah Phillips: "I didn't deceive her.. I told her about the pact. She agreed. She wanted to believe in me. And I wanted to make her see how beautiful she was."

Nathanael: "And did you tell her about what you could do to her, once the pact was formed, at any time? Did you tell her how you felt, that she was less then you? Your servant, your property? And that you could enforce that so...forecfully?"

Elijah Phillips: "I would never.. I would NEVER have done what I did.. if I hadn't been sure she was DEAD. I had no way of knowing that she was still alive.. She wouldn't so much as say my name.. I had to know if she was still around. I didn't tell her these things because I had no intentions of treating her that way. She wasn't property.. she was a part of my family."

Nathanael: "Your actions speak otherwise, Ouestucati. But the time is past for all of that."

Elijah Phillips: A painful pause, as he reflects. "I'll see you in the abyss, Nathanael. You can't hide behind the Lord of Chains forever."

Nathanael: "Whatever you say, my love. Good day."

Elijah Phillips: *hangs up*

Nathanael: ((*hugs* Thanks for the scene))