Disclaimer: If, in a perfect world, I owned Dark Angel, I would be writing episodes for cash, not fanfic for fun…So no, if you're still wondering, I don't own Dark Angel, but I do own Justin, Dalianna, her family and all her X-siblings, but I'm more than willing to share. If you'd like to use them, please just ask. Thank you.
Timeframe: After "Freak Nation", end of Season 2
PROLOGUE
June 2020
Dalianna sat staring out the dark hotel room window into the pounding rain beyond. She figured maybe if she stared long enough or hard enough, that her mind would settle into bliss, and she would be able to forget it all. She would be able to forget all of her troubles, her past and all the problems it entailed. She stared until her eyes glossed over, and she started to loose feeling in the palm of the hand she was leaning on. She stared so hard, she didn't even hear Justin come up behind her.
"Dali?" hearing his voice startled her from her thoughts, but she continued staring out the window.
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you come to bed?"
It was a simple question. I wonder if he's asking rhetorically…she asked herself. If he were anyone else, she might have snapped at them. But he wasn't just anyone, he was her best friend. The one person she could count on, that had stood by her through thick and thin.
"Silly Justin," she said finally glancing back at him with a tiny smile, "you know I don't sleep…" She turned back to the window. "Much."
"Yeah, but we've been through so much lately…I thought maybe you might want to catch up." He was coming closer, and then she could feel his hand on her shoulder, then sweeping her braids aside to expose the barcode on the back of her neck. She shuddered.
"You know, you really shouldn't stare."
"Why not?" he countered. "I think it's kinda cool."
"It's not cool," she answered whirling around on him. "It's the mark of Cain."
"It's special...you know, like a birthmark."
She knew he was only trying to appease her, but it didn't make it any easier. She was sensitive when it came to dealing with Manticore issues. She still had mixed feelings about the place. She turned back toward the window.
"Only people who are born have birthmarks."
"But you were born."
"I was made. There's a difference." She knew she should try not to be angry with him. He had stayed with her through everything. After the initial shock wore off when she had told him who she really was and where she had come from, he had hugged her tight and told her that God himself couldn't keep him from protecting her. She knew then what real love was. They sat for a few moments in silence, staring together out into the stormy night. "Sunshine City" she had sarcastically nicknamed Seattle after the first week she'd spent there. Not only did it reflect the weather, but the people's demeanor as well.
Justin's voice broke the silence. "What does it mean?"
"Huh?" she'd gotten lost in her thoughts again.
"The barcode," he repeated, "What does it say?"
"3357818570927…it's my designation."
"You're identity is a number?" he asked gently.
"Yeah, just like a prison inmate. Ironic isn't it?" she scoffed.
"You remember when your parents took us to that football game."
She smiled. "How could I forget? Eagles vs. the 49ers, Superbowl XLIV…That was the first time I had ever even seen a football game. Afterwards, we went out to the park and had our own game. We played till the stars came out. That was the best day of my life."
"Really? Mine was when I met you." She didn't say anything, but continued gazing into the rain.
"What made you think of that?" she finally asked.
"Struggling to find a happy thought," he answered. She nodded slowly.
"How long is it going to be like this?"
He didn't answer, but instead lied back on the bed. She stared out into the night for a few minutes longer, cogitating on the hell that her life had become, and then she joined him. He was half-asleep, but involuntarily put his arm around her when he felt her head on his shoulder. A bittersweet smile crossed her face as she stared up at him in the night. He's all I have left… she thought to herself. And if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have even made it this far.
"Good night Justin," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. Then she realized how exhausted she really was, as the weight that was her eyelids became too heavy to bear, and she drifted into a dark swirling abyss.
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Dali found herself walking in a forest. It very much reminded her of the one they had near her old home. She came to a clearing. Justin stood in the middle, and reached out for her.
"Justin," she asked looking around, "what's going on?" Her voice sounded weird, kind of silvery, like she was listening to it under water. She walked nearer to him, and he took her into his arms in a warm embrace.
"I'll always be with you Dali," he whispered. "Never forget…" his voice echoed in her ear. Suddenly, a shot rang out, and his body went limp in her arms. He fell to the ground, as she raised her hands to her face only to see them covered in his warm blood.
"You'll never get away…" came a cold calculating voice from behind her. She turned to see Lydecker looking at her lovingly. Then he raised his gun, the petrifying fear keeping her rooted where she stood, and the gun went off…
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She awoke suddenly, as if someone had shouted in her ear. Something's wrong. Panicked, she sat up looking around. Justin lay sleeping peacefully next to her. She sighed with relief. Smiling a little, she climbed carefully out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, and switched on the light. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust, then she turned on the water in the sink. It was just a dream, she thought sleepily as she splashed her face with the cold liquid. Justin's always going to be with me…he promised. And if I have no one else in my life, at least I have him…the rest of the world should be so lucky. She smiled at herself in the mirror. Then, out of the blue, she heard it. The breaking of glass, and the loud boom that could only be the sound of a gun being fired. Her eyes widened. Please God NO! Don't let it be…she prayed, but she knew, even as she turned to run out of the room, that for the second time in less than a year, her world was crashing down.
Hey everyone!
Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but this is my first fanfic, so please be gentle. There's definitely more to come. Thanks for reading, hope you come back for later chapters!
Angie731