Believe

It was the pain that brought him back. Karma's pain - well, it hadn't lessened, but it was more bearable. He could deal with the pain. At least, that was what Julian kept telling himself as he slowly came to.

He could hear his name. Hearing was the second sense to come flooding back. Was he dead? Was that it? Was it an angel calling him to - but why would he be in heaven? He wasn't necessarily a bad person, but heaven? Really?

Blinking his eyes open blearily, he stared up at the blonde, his vision still hazy. She had a halo. He really was dead. "You're an angel," he croaked out, awestruck. "So I'm dead? Is this -" Glancing around him, he half expected to find himself on a cloud. But from what his slowly returning vision could tell, he was somewhere grassy. That was fine with him. It was still a nice place.

Returning his blue eyes to Destini, he gave her a lazy smile, "It's nice here. In heaven." Nodding slowly, he sat up, rubbing at his eyes weakly. His arms felt better, but he just attributed it to being dead.

So he was woefully unprepared for the next wave of pain.

Destini cried harder when she saw Julian was awake. "Oh my god Julian, don't you ever-" But she stopped, when she heard what Julian was saying. "A-angel?" She stammered, blushing. "I'm not an angel Julian. You are not in heaven. You are not dead. In fact, you are far from it." Wiping away her tears, she wondered how long this was going to last.

She helped him sit up, as she looked at him worriedly. Great, first he collapses on her, and now he's delusional?

But that thought was forgotten when the next wave of pain hit Julian, making her freak out again. "Do you know what is causing this?" Dest asked, frantically. "Should I take you to the hospital?"

"Oh," was all Julian said, frowning into his lap. So he was alive. He couldn't tell if that was good or not. Giving her a welcome smile as she helped him up, somehow managing not to flinch until her hands were off of him, he grimaced slightly, both from the pain and being touched.

But he felt - his frown deepening, his fingers made their way up to his bruising cheek. "Did you slap me?" he asked, turning his downcast gaze up to her.

As the next wave of pain hit, Julian screamed. He felt like someone had just torn his heart out from the inside. The sudden increase of pain turning his vision fuzzy all over again, and his breathing hitched again as he clutched at his heart, fully expecting to see blood welling up underneath his shirt.

"It's nothing," he choked out as the pain decreased and all he felt was a dull ache. "No, no. No hospital. They - they won't be able to do anything. It's just - I have this friend and I can sort of feel her - her emotions, pain and I think -" he frowned, trailing off to rub at his shoulder. "I think she just got shot."

He was concerned of course, but he'd know if she was dead. And he knew, she was very much alive. He could feel it. And right now, he had a few choice words for her.

"You know, that is a good thing," Dust grumbled, wiping her eyes. Seeing his flinch, she grimaced. "Sorry." Pausing, Dust stared at him for a few moments, concerned. "Try to make sure that doesn't happen again. You made me cry. And I hate crying." Forcing a small laugh, she stared at him again, to look for any evidence to why that happened.

Looking everywhere but his eyes, Dust shrugged guilty. "You weren't waking up. And... well... I was panicking. Not that you won't tell anyone of course." Giving him a small glare, Dust shook her head. "What the heck Julian? I rarely panick. I am a very calm person in situations like this. How do you do that?"

"You have a bond with your friend?" Dust asked, shocked. Blinking at him as if to make sure he wasn't kidding, the girl had a hard time believing it. But, it made since. Why Julian was in pain, but no damage was being inflicted onto his body.

"And shot? Dang it Julian. You have a danger magnet for a friend."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Just - gimmie a few minutes to come back to earth," he grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. He felt - well he could really explain it. Yes, he was happy to be alive, but there was still that nagging part of him that was dissapointed to be alive. "Don't be," he blinked back up at her, pulling his fingers away from his face. "I'll try my best," Julian said softly, giving her a tiny little smile. But he couldn't do anything, not unless he forced Karma into living in a rubber ball. And she'd probably rip him to shreds for just suggesting that. "And I'm sorry. For the whole tears thing."

Blinking up at her, he frowned. "Why would I tell people? I wouldn't get anything out of it other than sympathy, and I'm already sick of that." It was one of the reasons he avoided telling his Angels about his parents. They'd feel sorry for him and he'd hate that. "How do I scare people like that? I have not the slightest idea. It just sorta happens."

Nodding slowly, he rubbed at his arms as the pain began to ebb away. "Yeah, it can be pretty helpful. I'd be dead if it wasn't for her. But then, there are moments like this." Raising both his eyebrows, he frowned down at himself before giving himself a quick hug.

"I should call her, see how she's doing." Pulling out the cell phone Karm had given him, he flipped it around his fingers before asking, "You don't mind, right?"

Waving a hand, Dust took in a shaky breath. "Its... It's o.k. I am just... I don't like crying. Makes me feel weak." Shrugging as if it meant nothing, she frowned at him. "I meant, by telling no one that I broke down. I am a reputation to keep, back at school."

"I guess it means, people care," Dust whispered softly, not looking at him. This incident showed her, that Dust wasn't heartless towards strangers. But, Julian didn't feel like a stranger to her. Just... a person she knew?

"I guess it comes with a cost. But if I were you, I would take the pain, instead of being dead." Laughing quietly, she started tearing apart dead leaves. "No- not at all. If you went through that pain, she has to be in bad shape right now..." Trailing off, she sent her blue eyes fixed at a nearby tree.

"I can't blame you," he shrugged. To him, there wasn't a point to crying. It wasn't going to change your problems or make them better. It just made you feel sorry for yourself. "Ah yes, the reputation." Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. He had one. Of course he did. But really, it didn't matter to him what they thought about him. When they got back to school, he was going to be talked about whether he liked it or not. "But it'll be our little secret."

Rubbing his shoulder, he glanced up at her for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does." Did his family care? He knew Dilly did, but did Corin? Madeline? His parents sure as hell didn't care. He had the memories to prove it.

"I plan on it." He nodded, giving her a little smile. "Thanks." he said softly. Taking a deep breath, he fiddled with the phone for a moment before pulling himself to absentmindedly pace while he waited for Karma to pick up.

As soon as she did, he was off, snapping at her in French. Sure, he was annoyed that he'd had to experience her pain, but he was more worried about her, and that made his voice rise. "What is wrong with you? Do you think it's fun feeling like you got shot? Because I swear, I thought my heart was going to burst open." Scowling, he rubbed his head with his free hand. His head - well hers, but it was one in the same now - it hurt. And he was suddenly dizzy.

"And would you drink someone before you pass out again?!?!" He said, this time in English to get the point across as the dizziness intensified and the pain came back.

His grip on the phone slacking, he glanced back at Destini for a moment, about to say something, but whatever it was that he was going to say died in his throat as the world went black again and he fell to the ground.

Shaking her head at him, Destini gave him a relieved smile. "Thanks. And I won't tell anyone what happened here."

Destini resisted the urge to laugh as Julian went off at the girl in French, then English. The girl deserved it, but she still thought it was hilarious. She hadn't seen something that funny in days.

"Wait.. DRINK SOMEONE?" Destini suddenly almost yelled, when he hanged up. Forget about her nearly laughing. "YOU ARE IN A BOND, WITH A VAMPIRE!?"

Then seeing him pass out again, Dust groaned, this time not panicking. "God, maybe I should slap him again." Looking at his bruised cheek, she decided not too though.

Kneeling beside him, Dust decided to keep on poking him in the stomach. "I'm poking you... wake up... wake up... GODDAMMIT JULIAN WAKE UP!"

"Good," he nodded, "people might think that I'm dying if they here about me passing out. And we don't want mass panic." Julian shook his head, amused at the idea of people actually running around screaming because of him.

He slowly came back to the world of the waking, thanks to Destini's incessant poking. Groaning, he swatted her hand away, frowning up at her as his vision adjusted, "Stop yelling," Julian scowled, rubbing his ears. "You were saying things," he said, rubbing his head, "before I passed out. What - what was it?"

"Mass panic from seeing your dead body somewhere in the school, or because they might catch what you have?" Dust teased lightly, messing with a strand of hair that was annoying her.

Tempted to laugh a bit, Dest huffed a little. "I said, you are in a bond with a vampire? Why why why why why Julian?" Destini asked, exasperated. She gave him another poke, just to annoy him, then gave him a questioning look.

"We'll never know what exactly it is that freaks out the masses, will we?" Julian shrugged, humming softly.

"Well," he elongated, flinching from her poke and shuffling a few inches back to frown at her. "She's actually a half-vampire. And we sorta did just go over the fact she saved my life, so I mean, it's a good thing I have a bond with her." He accentuated his words with a few nods.

"Well.... half vampire is better I guess," Dust muttered, still a bit shocked. "I'm glad that she saved your life, Julian." Looking at sharply, Dust gave him a firm stare. "Don't die anytime soon, promise?"

Sighing softly, Dust stood up. "Feel free to owl me, about anything. I got to go home, I had told my parents I would be back in time to help with the shop."

Walking off, Dust placed her hands in her pockets. A slight breeze was picking up now, it looked like it was going to rain.