𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝙻𝚂 & 𝙳𝙴𝙼𝙾𝙽𝚂 | 𝙺𝚘𝚕 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚘𝚗

→ ｔｗｅｎｔｙ

Angel couldn't stop smiling as James spun her around again. The married couple had been dancing all evening and as happy as Angel was, her feet were beginning to hurt. As the song ended, the pair finally retreated from the dance floor, worn out from all the celebration.

"Let's get out of here," James whispered into Angel's ear as she released a small giggle and nodded, allowing her new husband to grab her hand and lead her towards the exit. 

James led Angel to the library, which was perfect as it was secluded from the rest of the manor and allowed them the privacy to do whatever they wanted. Angel didn't have time to wonder how James knew his way so well around the house as they slipped through the library doors. 

Angel barely let the doors close before she was on top of James, kissing him passionately as he returned the favor. She swore she could almost feel James' smile through the kiss as the two backed up further into the library before pulling apart for a breath of hair.

Angel leaned forward for another kiss but was shocked when James pulled away from her.

"Is something wrong?" Angel asked in confusion, feeling a shift in the mood as she stared back at James.

"Of course not," James smiled, but there was hesitation behind his eyes that confused Angel.

James held Angel's hands tightly, sighing as if he didn't want to go through with whatever he was going to say before finally biting the bullet.

"I haven't been entirely honest about while I'm here," James admitted as he look back at Angel, observing her reaction.

"What are you talking about," Angel asked as she tilted her head sideways with an awkward laugh. "You're here to get married, silly."

"No, my reason for being here, in this town," James corrected. "My work."

"Oh," Angel wasn't sure how to respond. James didn't talk about his work much, only that it required a lot of travel. He had told her stories of the places he visited but never his work. Angel never cared much to pry and she enjoyed his stories of adventures anyways. She was confused as to why he was bringing it up now.

"I'm a vampire hunter," James' words caused Angel's heart to drop, her body freezing at his words as she felt the world around her shatter. Angel didn't say anything, too shocked to come up with a response.

"I know it sounds crazy," James tried to convince the girl. "It's hard to believe but it's true, I swear."

Angel opened her mouth again only to close it again.

"Listen, I can prove it," James continued, knowing how crazy he must've sounded but was trying his best to prove himself to his newly wedded wife. "You've been living with vampires for the past seventeen years."

Angel's eyes widened at his words, wondering how he knew her family were vampires. The question was ridiculous of course. Any vampire hunter with two brain cells who came to their village could find out the Mikaelsons were vampires. It's not like the family kept it a secret. The most they did was compel the problem away. It was much harder to compel the problem away if it was a vampire hunter on vervain.

"You dad, the rest of them, they're all vampires," James continued explaining to the girl as if she was a clueless damsel in distress that needed help. 

Angel shook her head at his words, for entirely different reasons than James believed. While thinking she was just shocked at the revelation of vampires and the possibility of her family being one, Angel was trying to process how James knew everything. Her life was falling apart in front of her very eyes.

"Think about it, Angel," James pushed as the girl remained frozen "They haven't aged a day over the years, have they? You're aging while they stay the same because they're immortal. Think about it, please."

There were a few moments of silence as James stared at the brunette pleadingly, hoping she hadn't been compelled to forget over the years. He needed her to understand him, to understand what he did.

"No..." Angel slowly nodded before trailing off, not knowing what to say. James wasn't supposed to know about vampires. She was supposed to live a normal life, raising kids and loving her husband. Vampires were supposed to disappear the minute she got married. This wasn't supposed to happen.

James took her response quite differently, however, as he thought she had finally realized.

"Listen to me," James used his hand to gently tilt Angel's head up so they were looking at each other. "I just have this one job and then we can leave, okay?"

He waited a few moments, waiting for a response that Angel wasn't able to provide him before he let his hand drop back down to his side. Angel felt the room spin around her as James dropped her hands, stepping over to a bookcase nearby and pulling out wrapped items that he must've hidden earlier.

"What's that?" Angel finally found the words to speak, however, she found herself dreading the answer to her question as she watched James unravel the wrapped items to reveal several wooden stakes.

"White oak stakes," Angel paled at his words as he laid three stakes on the table beside them. "It's the only thing that can kill a vampire as old as them."

Angel wasn't sure what to say, the dread growing in her bones as she took several steps backward until she hit the bookcase. Wincing at the sudden impact, Angel pulled away from the shelf as she stared back at her husband with wide eyes, watching the way he laid out all the weapons in front of him used to kill vampires and monsters alike.

Angel ignored the shaking of her hands as she slowly lifted her skirt up, revealing the familiar silver knife used to dagger the Mikaelson's over the centuries. Grabbing the knife from its holster, Angel held the knife up so she was staring at her reflection. A single tear fell down her cheek as she struggled to keep her composure, realizing the reality of her situation.

Angel had a choice to make, another impossible choice that had no happy outcome. She wasn't sure she could live with either option but there was only one thing she understood deep down she had to do.

"I'm sorry, my love," Angel whispered at her husband's turned back to her. It was the mistake that would be his downfall and would forever send Angel on a downward spiral.

Without a second thought, Angel stabbed the knife into his throat before she watched in horror as his body collapsed to the ground like a rag doll.