I'm Like A Bird

The red, white, and blue lights that flashed in front of the church caused Nani’s heart to clench as she made her way towards the building. Looking at the way police were keeping the bystanders at a distance, she couldn’t help but grab out her phone to read the text Chase had sent. Why would he want her here when obviously something bad was going down? Something that even the police weren’t able to completely handle except to stand around like idiots. “Two people died just stepping out of there,” Nani overheard as she pushed her way to the front of the roped off perimeter. Died? Chase? She couldn’t see anything except the glare of the lights flashing and uniformed men walking around to make sure no one got past. 

They weren’t doing anything. “Is this a hostage situation?” Nani heard someone call out. “In a church?” “Who would stoop so low?” The questions were thrumming in and out of her ears as people continued to pierce the night with their questions. Meanwhile, all Nani could do was stare at the doors to the old church. Chase’s church. Selecting his name and putting the phone up to her ear, her heart dropped. All that was on the other line was static. 

Stepping underneath the rope, Nani moved swiftly--so much so that it took until she hit the first step before someone grabbed her arm. “Ma’am you’re not allowed to go in there,” the officer said--his voice gruff as he pulled her backwards. “You-you don’t understand..,” she returned, trying with all her might to break his hold. “I need to get in there. My...” At that she broke off. Something inside her clenched as she tried to figure out what to call Chase. Were they even on that level? “My boyfriend’s in there.” She let her had swing--blindly connecting with his nose and breaking it. She was going to feel bad for it late but she took the advantage of his distracted hands to run up to the doors. 

The silence that fell between them had Chase regretting answering the door. It was never easy for him to talk about this, mainly due to the reactions of others. Some laughed in his face, some smiled, nodded, and he lost touch with them over time. Some feared him. He never knew what to expect, but this moment seemed so much more crucial. Nani was something special to him, from the moment he stumbled upon her on the dark streets of L.A., she had a light around her that drew him like a moth. He hated the idea of losing that light. “You have to believe you’re in control,” Chase replied after a beat, glancing up. “Know that good will prevail over evil… have faith. The moment you start losing faith is the moment you give in.”

There was a familiarity that had hit him suddenly, the simple fact that she was at least somewhat aware of what it meant to be in his line of work had him feeling at ease. “Guerreros de Dios,” Chase repeated in a mumble under his breath, his attention then falling to his arm. “…you are,” he replied after a beat. “And to answer that… it can be hard, but to know that someone is once again at peace, with God, on this Earth or not, brings out the light of the process… the serenity.” 

He had seen a lot of horrors in his days, his father even more so, and he couldn’t imagine following directly in his steps. While he knew he wanted to serve under this title for the rest of his life; he didn’t want to become the harsh, detached man his father had become. He knew part of the reason his father was like that was because of the cruel passing of his mother, her abandonment had effected the both of them… nearly in similar ways. His despondent gaze fell to the table. “It’s sort of a technique, not letting that darkness in…”

Nani’s reaction had Chase feeling a little tense. What was she thinking? About him – about the situation? Her robotic behavior worried him, as the idea crashed into his mind that what he’d said would drive her away after this meeting. That he’d never hear from her again, and it caused something in him to ache. “…in the drawer, next to the sink…” he replied, his tone mellow. With subtle movements, he looked to her out of the corner of his eye, his soft gaze unsure of what she was thinking. Aside from the obvious fact that she wanted to clean up his wound. “What are you thinking…?” He ventured, the hesitance in his tone clear as he pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Focus immediately turning to the cabinet that held the washcloths, Nani took the time to think. It wasn't that the scar had her sick or anything--all of the girls came to her with all kinds of injuries, knowing she would be able to take care of them. It was what she knew of exorcism and the dangers it brought to everyone involved. She didn't want any of that to happen to Chase. Pulling out a washcloth she soaked in some warm water from the sink, her thoughts still dark until he asked his question.

mother-reckless:

Exhaling, Chase lifted his hand and set it on her upper back to guide her to the kitchen. “Right this way,” he commented briefly, though hoped he wasn’t making her uncomfortable with his reclusive behavior. “I’m glad you came over…” he remarked, attempting to reassure her just in case she was feeling the need to turn around and head back out the door.

The kitchen was brighter, thanks to the little window above his sink that didn’t have any curtains to it – the sun seemed to shine in and create a decent amount of light that sprawled out across the tiles on the ground. Taking a seat at the kitchen table upon entering the room, a troubled look came about Chase’s features. “Please, sit.” He managed after a moment, still keeping his eyes down as he clasped his hands together before his lips.

His hand caused a small shiver to race down her spine. It was strange for her to be feeling this unsure of something, like her body was screaming for her to get out of his house before something bad happened. Nothing had ever made her feel that way before. His reassurance calmed her somewhat, but the nagging pull still lingered.

mother-reckless:

Brows lifting when she mentioned she was worried about him, the reality of how much of a hermit he was being really hit Chase. Though, regardless of the unexpected visit under the somewhat dark circumstances, he was happy to see a familiar face – and happy to be in the presence of someone who offered a bit of light in his life. “I’ve been–” he began, though the look on her face as she noticed his arm had him cutting off his sentence to swallow hard. Using his injury free arm to nudge the door to close, the gesture knocked out a majority of the natural light that was filling his living room. The closed curtains didn’t help either.

“Mind if we talk in the kitchen?” The exorcist requested as he brought his hand up to adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes set down and away from her – much like one of his dogs when they’d been scolded or caught doing something they shouldn’t have been. He was ashamed of his wound, deep down, and hated the fact that she had to see it or even know about it.

It was as if the only thing that existed to Nani was the cut--her eyes not leaving it even as he began to speak. Even after the door closed and the dim took over, her eyes never wavered. How could something like this have happened to Chase? It didn't seem like any cut she'd seen on people coming out of a mugging. The butterflies seemed to flee from her stomach only to be replaced by rocks.