Kain plastered a smile on his face for Cordielia,"Could have been better, my band mates decided they wanted to fight the entire time about what songs to play tonight. Their complete idiots. Good luck at your rehearsal though, hope it goes better then mine did. I have to be going now, but I will see you later tonight for that late dinner." He continued down the street, still fumming but trying to be less oviouse about it then he was when Cordielia had walked up.

He was too angry to notice the angelic presence as he walked past an overcrowded little cafe, swarming with his recent corrupted souls.

Dawn was overwhelm, ever since Akiyama had fled to the back, the cafe had gotten out ragiously busy. People where swarming in like angry bees, most where goths and punks getting a caffine buzz going for the shows tonight, others where just innocent bystanders that looked terribly out of place along majority.

Taking a deep breath she throw herself into her work, trying to keep up with the enormous amount of orders that kept flowing in like a mad flood. Most of the goths and punks where extremely rude or hitting on her valgerly, being extremely nasty and perverted.

Cordielia smiled as she watched Kain leave, 'Hmm.. Looks like they all need to quit being a democracy and just choose a manager to decide for them.' Letting out a sigh, she prepared herself as she cracked her knuckles and walked into the building. Giving a smile and a nod to the rest of the Devil's Angels who had begun to file off the stage, she walked past them and set her things down on top of the Piano. Sighing, she placed her hands on the piano and played a soft, distant melody. Believing she was alone, she began to sing to her music,

"The last page of a fairy tale
has been re-written and changed into tragedy.
Even for one person's heart who believed in it, its been lost.
Love and dreams are nothing more but a sandcastle
that's short-lived, and breakable, even if you didn"t wish it so.
But even now, I can't forget
of that song you always used to sing.
It echoes in my chest, and I feel as if I might return to that day
Definitely I can return to it, but right now all it's been is a chain surrounding me that I will shake off.
Our two worlds are linked together by the blue sea. . ."

Sighing, she closed the piano key-lid, rested her arms on it, and placed her forehead upon her top arm.

Dawn was estatic as soon as the mob left, but she looked around and noticed the gigantic mess there was to clean up. Sighing she went and knocked on Akiyama's office door.

"Hey Akiyama, I really need a hand out here with something, and you won't believe how much is in the cash register, you might want to empty it just a little!"

She walked away from the door and began the process of cleaning up the mess, humming her lullably as she worked.

Kain sat down on a park bench, looking around him at the happy couples, wonder what it would be like to be human again. Would I have married Marieah. Yes I would have done the honorable thing and married her, I was planning on it. But her father found out about our actions and just had to kill me. He growled under his breath, banishing the thoughts of times long past. The past was the past, and he would soon have his revenge.

Sighing, Akiyama unwillingly stood from his desk where he had been sulking and unlocked the safe-box from a nearby cabinet. He stood in silent sulking as he removed the excess cash and checks from the cash register and placed them into the safe-box. Locking it back up in the cabinet, he grabbed his things from the office and placed them on the counter, locking his office behind him. Grabbing a towel, he dampened it and went about helping Dawn clean up the Cafe.

"Planning to sing tonight?" asked the manager of the club, startling Cordielia in the process.

Catching her bearings, she laughed, "Me? Sing? Non-sense. I'm terrible."

"Not at all Lia! You sounded beautiful just then, what little you sang that is. Please, I'm asking as a friend, sing it tonight. It will be a refreshing sound within all the ruckous of today's music."

Sighing, Cordielia reluctantly accepted the request, "Very well Marshall, I'll do it. But just this once you hear?"

Dawn looked at Akiyama, noticing he looked pretty rattled about something,"Hey, is something wrong, you've been hiding all day, and its nearly time to close. Whats up?"

She continued cleaning waiting for Akiyama to respond to her question, and found another flyer for the band Devils Angels siting on the table she was cleaning,"This is the fifth one I found so far today," she groaned," I wonder whats up with this band?"

Kain finally left the park and headed back towards the club. His band mates where waiting near by, looking less irrataited then they all had earlier. They began walking in silance, each knowing what was about to happen. It was feeding time.

"Cordy . . . She's . . . well, she's going on a date tonight . . . how am I supposed to feel?" said Akiyama helplessly as he sat down in the booth he was cleaning and threw the towel onto the table. Looking at the flyer, he smiled, "I hear the punks who come in here raving about the band. I hear they're playing tonight, just after . . ." trailing off, his thoughts again filled with Cordielia.

Backstage in her room, she put on a touch of make up and fixed her hair before putting on her usual autumn dress. Looking at the clock, she noticed it was time to perform. Soon, a knock was at her door, which signaled time to go. Giving one last check in the mirror, she made her way out of her room and onto the stage. Sitting down to the piano she smiled at the audiance.

"I know some of you are new to the club, but a lot of you are regulars who've been wanting to hear me sing for quite some time. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I'm giving you that chance." With a soft laugh she turned back to the piano and began to play.

"The last page of a fairy tale
has been re-written and changed into tragedy.
Even for one person's heart who believed in it, it's been lost.
Love and dreams are nothing more but a sandcastle
that's short-lived, and breakable, even if you didn"t wish it so.
But even now, I can"t forget
of that song you always used to sing.
It echoes in my chest, and I feel as if I might return to that day
Definitely I can return to it, but right now all it"s been is a chain surrounding me that I will shake off.
Our two worlds are linked together by the blue sea.

'Definitely...'
'Love will conquer all, '
'The constellations that decide fate can be changed.'
should completely vanish. All it is, is a cowardly lie.
Like a jewel, the sea which shines bright as it"s nursed
Engulfs everything with kindness and love, and gives seven lives birth and dreams to gaze at.
So I've come back here.
I won"t lie to myself any longer.
I have my people to protect, and a world to protect.

Definitely...
The invisible distrust between another is a weakness
to a love with no shape that I want to believe in
Until I can finally feel the love within my grasp.
On a bed of ripples, on the morning you woke up
Everything ended and began again.
Engulfed in the warm, quiet light
my hopes matured, and returned to the sea.
The bell of happiness rings out as the seven seas shine forth.
A miracle of love that it causes is what I love most, and as we want to gaze at each other
we gently kiss."

Dawn looked helplessly at Akiyama,"I don't know what to say. But I can say this there's always hope. Lets go close up and watch her perform ok."

Kain barely listened to Cordielia's song, not really caring to hear it. All he wanted was to get up there and corrupt some more souls and get the count a little higher.

When the Devils Angels time came up to perform, Kain put his guitar strap over his shoulder, and walked out on stage with the rest of the band. The crowd roared with excitement, and he saw many new faces in the crowd.

The drummer started playing, then Kain, then the bassiest, the back up guitarist, then the singer began the song.

"Here in the darkness I feel you near,
haunting my every movement,
with your endless screams,

Your tormenting me,
damning me to Hell,

I can feel you baby
weaving your spell
of lust and destruction
all around me,

Here in the darkness,
where everyone bleeds
I know no other
but you my deadly lover

Take me with you,
down to hell
where I can be everything
you wanted from me

I can feel you baby
weaving your spell
of lust and destruction
all around me,

I jump right in,
feeling no need
for the dreary light
its only you tonight

Akiyama sighed as he and Dawn listened to Cordielia, "Think it means anything?" he asked dismally.

Cordielia couldn't help but chuckle at Kain's song. It was so dark, dreary and dismal. Very heartfelt, she could tell, but not by the singer, from the writer. She wondered to whom the song was meant as she quickly changed into the silk autumn dress she had been wearing earlier and awaited Kain by the back door.

Dawn looked at Akiyama,"Yeah I do, I think it means you still have a chance with her. Get off your lazy ass and do something about it now," she siad and stuck out her tongue at him.

When the Devil's Angels came on stage Dawn couldn't help but stare at the red head on stage, he looked rather familier, but it was so hard to tell becuase they where in the back of the crowd. The music was interesting, rather to dark for Dawn's taste, but thats what more and more people seemed to be getting into lately.

After the song was over Kain met Cordielia around back,"ARe you ready for dinner?" He asked, and started leading the way to the restuarant. "You sang beautifully be the way, it moved me."

Akiyama laughed, "Ya really think so? Maybe.. maybe she was just singing it for the heck of it and didn't really mean anything by it." Even though he said this, in his heart he knew her song meant more, he just refused to take down the wall that keeps him from getting hurt again.

Following him, Cordielia chuckled, "Thanks, even though I'm sure you don't mean that, but thank you none-the-less. As I said, your songs are too dark for my taste, but the singing and music was quite enchanting - a lot of the crowd was getting into it." Holding her stomach as it let out a small growl, she laughed and looked up at Kain, "So, where's this restaurant of yours? I'm starving!"

Dawn just shook her head at Akiyama,"You're such a pessimist! I'm a woman, I would probably know better then you man whats going through her mind." She hit him upside the head.

Kain turned and smiled at her, "Right around this corner," They turned the corner and there was as small family owed chinise restuarant. He lead her inside and sat down at a red leather booth seat, and started looking over the menu.

Rubbing the spot where she hit him, he whined, "Ooww, that hurt Dawn! If you're such a woman, you wouldn't have hit me!" added Akiyama with a laugh.

Smiling at the waitress while handing her the menu, Cordielia ordered the Sesame Chicken with extra broccoli, brown rice, and a medium Sprite.

Dawn just laughed at Akiyama, "Well if you where a real man, you wouldn't be such a chicken about getting back the woman you love, now would you? Come on the shows over and we work tommarow mister," Dawn started to lead the way out of the jam packed club.

Kain ended up ordering some beef chow mein, and an unsweetened tea. "So what inspires you to create the music you write?" He smiled over the table at her, always playing it up just a little.

Rolling his eyes, he dragged himself after Dawn, "Yeah, but it's not my fault if Cordy's found a new man. I don't want to ruin her happiness. Wouldn't it be wrong of me to do so?"

Little did they know, they were headed right past the Chinese Restraunt where Cordielia and Kain were on their date.

Pondering while she removed her light jacket and placed it on top of her purse, she nibbled on her lower lip, "Hmm.. what inspires me.. Well, past experiences I guess. There was this . . . guy . . . We were pretty serious for awhile, but it ended kind of suddenly. We all thought he was going to purpose, but something happened the day before he had planned the surprise engagement and it kinda just fell to pieces . . . I suppose that's where a lot of it comes from." Absent mindedly, she tucked a strand of hair that had falllen into her face behind her ear, revealing it's small point. Realizing what she had done, she quickly placed the hair back in front of her ear again and smiled at Kain as if nothing happened.

Dawn looked over her shoulder at Akiyama," It was just a date right, he's new to her, your not. I really think you need to go talk to her, let her know how you feel. The best thing you can do is quit hiding it. You just might feel better after you do it. Plus I don't think its wrong of you at all to do it, you need to do it for you, and maybe her to. She probably needs to know the answer too."

Smiling at Cordielia, he took a sip of his tea. "Well I guess that explains why your music is so heartfelt. You must have been really broken when he did that."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I'll think about it," Akiyama said as he passed by the restraunt and caught up to Dawn, "Maybe I'll see if she'll sit and talk the next time she comes into the shop for a coffee."

Cordielia nodded, "Yes, I was, for a time. I won't lie, it still hurts to see him and think about what he did to me, but I've gotten over it. The past is the past, and there's no way for you to change it no matter how hard you try. Besides, it's partly my fault anyway.. I should have been up front with him and told him what he was getting into when we started getting serious in the beginning. Therefore, I've forgiven him and have moved on."

With these words, Cordielia truly felt that she had moved on for the first time and felt she could truly be happy for Akiyama if he ever did move on and find someone else.

"Thats a good idea Akiya" Dawn smile at him and patted him on the back,"Your moving in the right direction."

"Thats good to hear you've moved on since your on a date," he smiled and winked at her, trying to be flirtatious. Kain brushed a lock of hair from his face and thought to himself how he had just for a second sensed an angelic presence..maybe even his angel...his damned angel.

"Let's hope so.. I don't want to ruin anything for her.. If I do, I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself," Akiyama said softly as he followed Dawn, a solemn look on his face.

Cordielia laughed, "Kain, honestly. I wouldn't use you so wretchedly. Besides, I'm having fun! I haven't dated in quite awhile, it's nice to be out again. But enough about me and my story, what about you? What's your story?"

Dawn looked back at Akiyama,"cheer up I don't think you'll ruin anything for her, I have a good feeling about it ok." She smiled at him, grabbed his arm and dragged him into a late night cafe," I'm hungry come on," She couldn't help but let a laugh bubble out of her.

Kain sighed..now he had to make up a story to tell her, he didn't want to tell the truth he didn't feel like quite scaring her just yet,"I'm from a small town down south, I had very uptight parents, so I took of when I turned seventeen, joined the band, and here I am, eating dinner with an extremely lovely and charming lady."

Smiling as he followed her, "Sure thing. Since you've had to put up with my wallowing today, it'll be my treat so order whatever you wish."

"A true charmer," Cordielia laughed, "However, I feel as if there's something you're not quite telling me. I'll just have to weasel it out of you somehow if you put up with me long enough!" she added with a wink before taking a sip of her Sprite.

Smiling at Akiyama,"Okay then I'm gonna get myself a nice fluffy pancake, doesn't that just sound wonderful at this time of night." She laughed at herself and shook her head of long red hair. "I abosolutely love breakfest foods!" SItting at a booth away from the other costumers she glance over the menu.

(don't know what to put for Kain yet lol)

Sitting across from her, Akiyama smiled as he laughed and looked over the menu, "Breakfast at this time of night; quite unusual, but I think I'll join you. Though I believe I'll have waffles instead of pancakes; with perhaps an order of bacon to go along with my coffee."

Dawn laughed "Coming to the dark side now aren't you! Maybe I'm a bad influence on you." Raising an eyebrow at him she smiled. She hadn't felt so comfortable with someone for a long time, not since maybe she was in heaven. She closed her eyes and tried not to think of what her life used to be like..it was hard most days to get by with out thinking about the past

*Kain's side to lazy to change colors lol* Kain smiled wickedly at Cordielia, "I'm a mystery best left mysterious." He took a drink from his tea, and sighed over its relaxing effects."Tea is always such a joy to drink, it seems to bring me to another plane of life." He smiled over the irony of his statement...he was in another plane of life above all the rest of these weak little humans.

"Mm, I know what you mean. I'm like that with cappuccinos. They're relaxing, despite it being entirely made of caffeine," Cordielia said with a laugh, "But a mystery you shall be until you decide to tell me more about yourself. So tell me about your band. How did you all meet?"

"Oh yes, an absolutely dreadful influence," teased Akiyama with a laugh as he motioned over a waitress and repeated his order to the waitress.

*Kain* "I held some try outs and found the sound that fit my songs...and we've been together ever since, through thick and thin. We're all good mates now, but in the being not so much." He chuckled at the memory of them trying to kill each other in the beginning.

*Dawn* After Akiyama ordered she did the same and repeated her order to the waitress. Once the waitress was gone she turned and looked him in the eye,"So what did you think of the music tonight, quite diverse wasn't it." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get the thoughts of what used to be called home out of her mind.