Nex brushed Kat's hair off her forehead and pressed a kiss against her head. She'd taken to wearing his clothes to bed on the rare occasion any clothes were worn. She was currently bundled up in a black long sleeve shirt, the sleeves so long he could barely see her fingertips.

Katherine was the only living being that could make him subconsciously smile, even when she was asleep.

He gently ran his fingers over her freckled cheeks before securing the blankets around her. She stirred slightly, curling up and clinging to the blankets. He might've smiled again if not for the slight frown on her sleeping face, for the puffiness on her closed eyes.

Nex wasn't sure whether to be impressed or concerned at how easily she seemed to put a fake happy face on and get through the play as if nothing was wrong. Her performance went well, so well she was approached by several people afterwards to compliment her performance and while in front of others she seemed excited, it didn't seem to cheer her up. Not even flying her home made it better. It definitely lifted her spirits but he'd spent enough time around her, he knew her. He knew her and she was trying very hard to act like her cheerful self even though she didn't feel it.

He wanted to understand, to help her. He looked at her for only a moment longer before backing away. On his way out of the bedroom, he picked up the bracelet from her dresser, holding it tightly as he passed through the solid house walls until he emerged on the outside.

Lucian was able to track down Death and she wasn't too far. She never was. Death was everywhere.

He let out his wings and made himself invisible to mortals as he made his way to the city. He found her not too far from the food bank, in an abandoned building with cracked windows and an unpleasant stench around it. Inside the building, three people laid on the ground, overdosed. Nex glanced around the room, the walls stained, old and torn blankets and pillows thrown in a corner, needles scattered on the floor. Even without winter, the room would've felt cold.

Although he could feel her presence, he didn't see her right away, not until she spoke.

"Isn't it funny that we both deal in death and yet this is the first time I'm meeting you?" Death asked. "You always leave before I arrive. Were you avoiding me?"

Nex turned, finding her standing behind him dawned in a long black dress that flowed around her ankles. Her movements seemed surreal and light, airy almost. Despite the black heeled boots, every step she made was soundless as she walked with a grace that couldn't be matched by anyone, human or otherwise.

She had umber skin that appeared to be perfectly smooth, no scar or blemish to be found, just inhumanly flawless. Her hair was short, a kind of pale grey, like storm clouds after they'd calmed. Her eyes seemed somehow somewhere between white and black, a sort of milky grey whose tone changed depending on her actions.

"You can't really avoid me. You and I," she said, gesturing between them. "The angels and the other demons. We need each other. You occasionally take care of the physical form, I get the soul where it needs to go. You demons and the angels take care of the soul once its where it needs to be and wait for me to send you more," she said. "The system would collapse without our balance, Nex. It never goes well when a soul doesn't get taken care of properly." She walked towards him slowly, tilting her head to the side, surveying him curiously. "You know," she said, brushing back the bangs of her short hair as she crouched down next to the first body. "You are the first demon that has not asked me."

Nex didn't need to ask to know what she meant. Part of the reason he avoided her was because of this. Because he decided a long time ago he didn't want to know what he'd done in a past life that led to him becoming a demon. He didn't want to think how bad he must've been to earn this title. It wasn't a popular opinion; eventually most demons ended up getting curious enough to ask and everyone assumed Nex would be the same if he gave it a while longer.

Time didn't matter, he didn't want to know what kind of person he was in that life.

"Is that why you're here?" Death asked, her hand gliding over the body but never touching it. A small ball of white light emerged and floated up to her hand. She stared at a moment before humming and nodding, closing her eyes as her hands covered the light. "Do you want to know now?" She asked, opening her hand, the light now gone.

"I'm not here for me," Nex said, watching as she stood and moved to the next body, repeating the process. "There's something else I need."

"What's that?" Death asked, closing her hands around the next light with a sad frown and shake of her head, muttering 'poor soul' under her breath as she sent the soul off to its resting place.

"Do you remember every soul?" He asked.

"I do," she nodded. "Although it is not in the way you would think," she said, standing and making her way to the last body. "My memories are quite different than yours. Although it may not be fresh in my mind, it is never fully gone. If it wasn't in the last few weeks, I just need a reminder."

Nex's hands tightened on Katherine's mother's bracelet and he waited until the last soul was sent off. She turned to him, her eyes falling on the chain dangling in his hands before coming back to his own eyes.

"I see," she said leaning back against the wall and crossing her arms. "You don't want your own memory. You want someone else's."

"You can do that, can't you?" Nex asked.

"I can," she confirmed with a nod. "Although I rarely do. I need a good reason. It's not very fair to other souls, to have their memories repeated to someone else."

"I have reason," he said, holding out the bracelet. "She wants me to know, she just needs help."

"Show me," she said, holding out her hand but ignoring the bracelet. Nex frowned in confusion and she let out a breath laugh. "Just give me your hand, Nex. I can sort out your intentions without much effort. I mean you no harm. You'd know I never mean harm if you hadn't kept hiding from me. I carry such an unfortunate reputation. You know what that's like, don't you?"

Nex hesitated a moment but then set his hand in hers. He felt nothing but her eyes shut, a smile spreading over her face. Her eyes opened and she pulled her hand back, looking at him sadly.

"You have to know this can't end well," she said, frowning. "It's beautiful, what you have. But it cannot last."

"That's not necessarily true," Nex said. "I have reason to be here. I was summoned. They can't claim I'm here needlessly and I haven't manipulated her."

Death sighed and shook her head. "Just proceed with caution, young demon. You cannot be too careful. I think it is unwise to assume no one will ever intervene."

He'd thought about it. Of course he had. But he also knew they let things slide in the past and if they were to come, they would come to him first. That's how he'd seen it done in the past.

"I understand, the angels have let things slide in the past," Death said, seeming to read his mind. "But you have to consider that you aren't like other demons. You've moved up in the ranks so high in such little time, you're only a few ranks below Lilith. Not many can say that. That status places pressure on you, Nex. You're considered a role model, it means your actions are judged harsher," she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "It is not always a blessing, to have a higher rank. I would be careful if I were you."

"Will you do it?" Nex sighed, crossing his arms.

"I do not mean to frustrate you, Nex," Death said, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm only concerned for you and the human. I only mean to advise you. I've been around a long time, you see," she sighed, staring off as if lost in a memory. "I've seen lots of things happen," she murmured, blinking a couple times before returning her gaze to Nex. "Things that I could not change but rather had to let them take their course. Assumptions are dangerous. Assuming you and Katherine are safe just because your circumstances are a little different is dangerous. I would urge you to keep a close eye on her, you may find you are not the only one keeping an eye on her."

"You know something," Nex frowned.

"No," Death said with a humorless laugh and shake of her head. "No, I'm afraid not. The only communication I have with both angels and demons is in those brief moments when I come to send the souls home before they get lost. It is unwise, to get too involved in the affairs of anyone, be it human, demon or angel. I only warn you because I've been around a long time," she said, her lips turning up into a small smile that showed less amusement but more sadness from centuries of sending souls away from their loved ones. "Some of the worst things have happened when people assume that their particular situation is different and that makes them an exception. Few true exceptions exist in the world. Very few. I would not assume that you are one of those exceptions when the odds are stacked against you."

Nex's frown deepened. He wasn't sure what to say but time was passing and he wanted to get back in case the nightmares came to haunt Katherine. He didn't want her to wake up alone.

"I'll be careful," he nodded. "Will you show me?"

"I will show you," she nodded. "I sense no ill intentions from you but there's something you must understand," she said, pushing off the wall and approaching, pausing right in front of him. "There are rules I haven't made but must follow, just like the rules you have. It may seem I hold much power and perhaps I do but no powers are unlimited. You can only request one memory. One," she emphasized, holding up a single finger. "If you ask this of me and later wish to know about your mortal life, I cannot give you an answer. If you do this, that's it. You'll never know. Is that something you can accept?"

Nex was surprised at his own hesitation. He decided he didn't want to know. It wouldn't do any good, it wouldn't change the fact he was a demon. It wouldn't fix anything. It would only make him hate himself more. More importantly, this memory held more importance than his past, he wanted to understand so he could help Katherine.

"I can accept that," he nodded, holding out the bracelet. "Will this be enough? She was wearing it when it happened."

Katherine told him she was wearing the bracelet the night of the accident but he knew before she said it. Objects, like the earth, carried memories with them, especially if the memory was tragic like this was. He knew where to find the bracelet the moment he set foot in her parent's room, the death surrounding it called to him.

"This will work just fine," Death interrupted, taking the bracelet and closing her eyes. "I don't need something from the souls that moved on, only something from that day. Just something small," she murmured. Her eyes remained shut for a moment, a deep frown forming on her face. "Oh my," she breathed, her eyes fluttering open. "This... This is an unpleasant one. Are you sure you want to see it?" She asked, furrowing her brows in concern. "It's not easy to watch."

"I'm sure," Nex nodded. "I've seen plenty of things."

"This is different," Death said, shaking her head. "Don't pretend like you don't know this is different. The deaths you deliver are for those souls that are truly evil. You've never had to be a part of spilling innocent blood, that was a path you always avoided in your responsibilities."

"I can handle it," Nex insisted. "I want to see it."

"You want to see the death or the aftereffects of it?" She asked.

"Both."

"Very well," she said, holding out her hand. "If you're sure."

Nex placed his hand in hers and nearly had the air knocked out of him. It was a similar feeling to being summoned, a movement out of your control that happens so fast there's no time to even try to see the in-between before arriving at the destination, close to a year ago...

Kat smiled as her mother turned up the radio, and sang the words louder.

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree have a happy holiday," she sang. "Everyone dancin' merrily in the new old-fashioned way."

Kat slowed the car to a stop at the stoplight and glanced over, watching her mother dance in her seat. Looking back, she found her father playing an air saxophone in the backseat, behind her mom. She giggled and sunk back in her seat, watching the light turn green. She focused on the road ahead and pulled out into the intersection slowly, trying to be careful. The roads were icy and the snow was starting to come down hard. The roads were practically empty in the questionable weather and between focusing on the road and the lack of headlights on the swerving truck approaching from the right, neither she or her parents saw the speeding truck coming. They almost crossed out of the intersection when the truck slammed into the passenger side of the car.

Their car jerked to the side so intensely and quickly, Kat barely had time to register they were hit before the airbag deployed, smacking her in the face. The car rotated under the force until it faced the offending truck, eventually skidding to a halt. Kat was frozen in shock, unable to see anything through the airbag. Once it deflated she stared straight ahead, her ears ringing so loudly at first she couldn't hear anything. She breathed out shakily and brought her hand to her head, feeling a strange fuzziness, watching as smoke started emerging from the hood of the car.

"Mom," she breathed, blinking a couple times. "Are you ok-" she stopped speaking when she turned her head, finding the passenger side of the car completely smashed.

The sight in front of her didn't register right away. She stared with wide eyes at her mother's lifeless, contorted body. At first she thought it couldn't be, this person next to her didn't even look like her mother anymore, not really. Except it was. It was and the car was hit so hard the passenger side seemed to cave in and the unrecognizable body was now so close it was almost touching Kat, the blood running down and dripping onto Kat's seat.

"Dad," she whispered, slowly turning her head, her eyes drifting to the back seat without her permission. Another unrecognizable body except half of her father's face, eyes open and seeming to stare right at her. Both their bodies rested in unnatural positions, so much it was overwhelming. She couldn't take it, she couldn't process.

Kat reached for her seatbelt, desperate to get out of that car but it wouldn't come loose. She pressed the button but the seatbelt wouldn't release.

"Come on," she whimpered, pushing the button over and over, jerking the seatbelt to try to get it out but it wouldn't budge and every attempt had the seatbelt locking up more, pushing her tighter against the seat, making her feel even more like she couldn't breathe.

Her desperation had her jerking against the seatbelt so hard, her mother's bloodied arm slid closer, hitting Kat's hand as she tried to get out. Kat screamed and pulled her hand back and her mother's hand slid down, resting against Kat's leg.

It wasn't until then she realized the blood wasn't just on them. She stared down at her hand, covered in blood, her coat, her pants, all covered in blood. "Come on," she whispered, frantically pushing on the button to release her seatbelt but it wouldn't move. She jerked against the seatbelt, desperate to get out of there, but it wouldn't come loose, only grew tighter until she was locked against the seat, even more unable to move away from her mother's limp arm.

It was over an hour before anyone made it to the scene of the accident. The snow-packed roads and general lack of other cars out and about on Christmas Eve meant it didn't get reported until someone happened to drive by. With the icy roads and snow coming down, no one could get there quickly. And so Kat sat, trapped in the car with her parents bodies for over an hour, struggling against the seatbelt so hard it started to dig into her skin, leaving burns and bruises from the repeated friction of attempted escape.

It felt much longer than an hour for her. It felt like no one would ever hear her screaming or come help her get out. Then finally someone came in and cut the seatbelt and by then she'd been screaming and crying so much she barely had a voice. Kat sat on the curb, staring straight ahead and not responding to the questions coming her way. She was hardly aware of their presence, hardly able to notice or do anything except stare at her father's smashed car, unable to stop seeing her mother and father's lifeless and bloodied faces.

Two hours she sat there alone. The officers struggled to find someone to call with Kat so unresponsive and her emergency contacts being the very people in the car with her and so she sat there with a shock blanket draped over her shoulders that did nothing to make her snap out of her frozen state.

They tried a few recent numbers but no one was answering their phone on Christmas Eve and the only ones that did were family that lived hours away and were now looking for flights so they could get there as soon as possible. The officers weren't sure what to do until Kat's phone rang, alerting that Kat's contact 'Myra Brighton' was calling. They informed Myra of the accident and moved to Kat to the hospital where Myra told them her husband would meet them.

Kat barely registered the ride over to the hospital or the fact she was placed in a room. She stared wide-eyed at the white walls, trying to erase the image of red stuck in her head. She tried to comprehend what the doctor was telling her. The words 'accident', 'only survivor' stuck out to her while she barely heard that she was hurt and needed to be checked. It wasn't until she was alone and looked down and saw the blood on her hands that she was able to muster up a response at all.

Blood, blood that wasn't just hers. The image of her mother's bloodied hand flashed din her mine and she hopped off the bed and ran to the sink in her small room, turning on the faucet and desperately trying to clean the blood off her hands. She glanced up in the mirror, seeing her lip split, blood spattered across her face, sticking her hair to her skin.

It felt as if all the air in her lungs left at once and she gasped for breath, her chest tightening up. She ripped out several paper towels from the dispenser and placed them under the water before scrubbing her face. She barely felt the pain as she put pressure on her bruised face, she just needed the blood off.