First Cut

This is my short little epilogue, just to show that all is well, so to speak. I have a few things to tinker with but you guys will see me again soon. Will and Annabelle too. :) And Abigail.

Chapter 23

It took some time for the Shinigami to accept that Bartholomew Daniels had been helping an angel. While trying to regain a sense of normalcy, the higher ups appointed Phillip Ashford to Bartholomew's former position.

Grell was enjoy the fact that he had "saved William's life" in his words. He would often remind William of this fact, but he received no form of thanks to his disappointment. Ronald was enjoying the praise he received from his female friends in the General Affairs department. William and Annabelle were trying their best to lay low, eager for everything to blow over.

Annabelle continued to work with William as her leg healed. She left the reaping to him and handled the paperwork herself.

One afternoon shortly after the fight with Alexander and Bartholomew, she found herself sitting atop a chimney as William stood next to her, searching for the person next listed on their death list. A question had been on her mind since she had begun to recover. Finally, the question managed to work itself out.

"Are you going back to working on your own?" she asked.

"Now why would I do that?" William asked, not taking his eyes from the street below.

"Because I'm doing much better. In fact I could probably do this by myself but somebody seems to want me to take things easy for a little while longer."

"Who would this someone be?" William was trying his best not to smile. Annabelle sighed behind him and pulled out the death list, ignoring his question.

"What time do you have?" Annabelle asked.

"A quarter after three," William replied, his tone casual.

Reviewing the list, she said, "Well he'll be along in a few minutes. I'm assuming from the east."

He thanked her and jumped down from the roof. Annabelle rose to her feet and stretched. It had been a shame that Bartholomew decided to abandon them for an angel, especially since he seemed tired of dealing with humans. But in a way Annabelle was sorry he had to die. He had, after all, been the one to decide to place her with William. She would not fault him for that.

Nearly allowing them to be killed by an angel, though, was something she could blame him for. How could anyone do such a thing? Annabelle could only shake her head. It was not her place to figure out what happened.

She looked up as William rejoined her on the roof. Without a word, she pulled out the list and marked the entry Completed. She skimmed down the list and said, "We need to be outside of London by four."

"Then let's go."

Annabelle smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders and allowed him to hold he as they jumped from the rooftop. "I can walk," she told him.

"I know."

Annabelle smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. While things had been hectic since she left her typewriter behind, she certainly would not complain. There would be no going back to it.