Fallen

Chapter Sixteen

When I actually saw what I knew was coming I shook my head with a sigh. There was no denying it now, they were all falling close to where I was. Now it was only a matter of which one this is. I quickly turned and looked inside and saw Uriel and Azrael were still sleeping, best to let them sleep. They needed it. Anyway, I’m sure I could handle another one. It was really just a matter of where they would all fit. This was getting out of hand. They all need to get back to heaven and get control of this.

I started running towards where it looked, they would land before they landed. I was right though, they landed not far from me, the impact almost knocking me off my feet. I could feel the heat from the flame they endured as they fell and a tremor went through me at the thought of anyone burning in such a way. I knew it was hot, but I felt like I didn’t really have a choice. Whoever it was needed help, and the sooner the better. So, against my better judgement I lowered myself into the crater.

This crater was somehow bigger, deeper than the others and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of here with a seven foot plus tall angel on my back. Lifting Azrael from his was hard enough. How was I supposed to do this? Not that it mattered now, I was already down here trying to see through the smoke. It wasn’t until I heard the groaning, I found my barring. This angel was still awake. The agony he must be in. I rushed over to him without thinking, but still keeping my distance.

“Hey, you’re going to be okay, just try not to move.” I said as softly as I could trying and failing to keep my panic out of my voice.

“Who are you..to te..tell me what to do?”

I knew that voice. Ironic how the others were just talking about him. “Michael?” I questioned, squinting through the now clearing smoke. Sure enough it was Michael, and he looked like he just fought an army of giants and lost. “Michael, what happened to you?” I gasped, kneeling beside him.

He seemed to calm when he saw it was me, his eyes closing and sighing in relief. “I was ambushed.” He admitted, shame in his tone.

I went to where his head was and placed his head in my lap, moving his bloodied blonde hair from his face so I could look at the laceration on his head. It was deep and would need stitches. His hand flew up and grabbed my wrist, hesitance in his eyes. “I’m just checking the wound on your head, nothing else.” I assured him. “Though I do need to get you back to my RV to help you. You are badly wounded Michael, you need help. How are you wings? Were they damaged?”

Michael gave me an odd look, distrust wafting off of him. Why could I feel him more than the others? “Okay, I understand you don’t trust me but if it makes you feel any better you won’t be the only archangel I have helped and kept safe.”

“You? You helped my brothers? Uriel lives?” The hope I could feel and see from him made me smile.

“Yes, Uriel is alive. Hurt, healing, but alive. I was even able to save his wings. Which is why I asked how yours were.” I finally looked to where they should be and my breath caught in my throat. “Michael. Please tell me......they didn’t?” I felt a sob catch in my throat as I spoke, and it couldn’t be missed in my tone.

A deep sadness washed over him. “They did. You were right, I never should have believed anyone other than my brothers.” Michael shook his head sadly, turning from me. “It’s too late now. I have lost my brothers and my wings. I have nothing left.”

That, his words angered me. I turned his head so he was looking me dead in the eye so he couldn’t miss my anger or my sorrow. “No. I don’t want to hear you talk that way. Uriel and Azrael are safe and healing.” I looked him over carefully before deciding. “I want to try something, but I don’t know if it’ll work and I can only do so much. But I don’t ever want to hear you say that you have nothing left. You haven’t lost your brothers.”

I huffed, shaking my head before closing my eyes and placing both my hands over his heart. Michael’s heartrate was calmer than the others had been, and calming my own to his rhythm was hard, but I did it. With Michael though my thoughts were very different. I didn’t wish for him to be healed, I screamed, bellowed with everything I had for him to have his wings back. No angel deserved to have their wings severed. That was cruel beyond measure, and I found myself raging over the fact they did this to him. It wasn’t until hands grabbed mine did I shake myself back to the here and now.

I looked to the hands grabbing mine but I couldn’t focus on them, my vision was red with my anger. I knew I needed to calm down, but it was hard. After a few deep breaths my vision came into focus and I realized I was squeezing whosever hands were in mine. When I looked up I saw Michael, his face pained.

“Oh. Michael I’m sorry.” I jerked my hands back to myself and held them to my chest. “I didn’t know what I…I didn’t mean to hurt you further.” My words came out fast and hard to understand.

“It was not your grasp which hurt me.” He assured me, opening his eyes carefully. I was surprised to see there wasn’t as much pain in his eyes even though he was still clearly very hurt.

“Then what?” I asked, looking him over. But I didn’t need him to tell me. I gasped, my hands flying to cover my mouth. “It worked.” I breathed, a smiled forming on my face. “It actually worked.” I wanted to squeal, to jump up and down clapping my hands.

“What is it that has you so cheerful, all of the sudden?”

“You mean you don’t know? You can’t feel it?” I asked.

“I feel immense pain, though I am not sure why the feeling of loss has gone.” He finished on a low whisper.

“Michael, your wings. Look.” I smiled, beaming over at him.

“I have no wi…” he stopped midsentence when they kind of shivered on his back. He looked at me for a moment before careful, almost unwillingly curling his wings in. The sheer joy, that crossed his features all but stopped my heart. I wasn’t sure how I was able to do what I am, or what my soul has to do with it.

“Don’t ask.” I laughed when he looked back up at me his mouth open and ready to ask. “I have no idea. And you’re the first I’ve actually tried to grow wings back onto. Though they still look the same. Silver tipped in black.” I shrugged. “Now come on. We need to get you back and stitched up. If the past is anything to go by another one of you will be next.”

A snarl ripped from Michael’s mouth making me flinch away from him for a moment before shaking my head. I pulled his arm over my shoulder and did my best to help him to his feet. Michael laughed at me and I scowled “Okay for one, I know I am majorly smaller than you, but I did carry at least one of your unconscious brothers thorugh the forest and back to my RV so give me some credit. You may be larger than them, but I can still help, even if it isn’t a lot." Michael just chuckled, wincing here and there when a pain that he couldn’t hide hit him. Thing is he didn’t have to hide it, I could feel it. Some of it at least. I could only imagine the amount he was suppressing without even realizing it. Or maybe he did and that’s why he was doing it.

When we finally made it to the top of the crater, we both collapsed onto the ground. I tried to angle him where it would hurt him the least, but there really wasn’t anywhere he wasn’t hurt. While Uriel’s were more life threatening, Michael’s were more wide spread. I don’t think there was an inch of him that hadn’t been harmed in some way. The only way I could think that anyone could hurt him like this, was they had to take his wings first. But who would be able to get the jump on him that way? No one was as strong or as feared as he was. The longer I thought on it the clearer things became. I turned to Michael with a sadness he felt.

“It was Raphael wasn’t it?” I murmured, casting my eyes to the ground between us.

“How could you have guessed that?” Michael turned to me expectantly.

“I don’t know. It’s like I knew Uriel was the peace keeper, you were the leader and strongest warrior, with Azrael being right under you. And Gabriel, well he doesn’t care one way or the other. His biggest thing is to get things over and done with, no matter how it’s done.” This time I looked up at Michael, I saw the guards in his eyes building themselves back up. “Why do you keep yourself closed off to others Michael?”

“I do no such thing.” He denied, turning his eyes from me. I sighed, wondering if I should say anything or not.

“You know, I can feel you.” I whispered to him. “Not like Azrael and Uriel. I can feel what you feel. For example, right now you are confused, angry, and shameful. Though I can’t imagine why. I can also feel the pain you’re in, though probably not with as much intensity as you. Speaking of, we need to get you back.”

“No. Hold on a minute.” Michael sat up, wincing in pain, his blue eyes boring into mine. “How could you possibly feel me? Feel anything from any of us?”

“Well, Azrael and I accepted each other. He called me his beloved.” I smiled at the thought. “It’s nice. To have someone after being alone so long. That’s besides the point. In honesty I don’t know how I am able to feel you.” I shook my head with a furrowed brow. "With Azrael and Uriel, it’s more that I sense their emotions, their moods. I can see it in their eyes and how they hold themselves. With you, I can actually feel you. Right here.” I placed my fist over my chest. "Only when you’re close though.”

Michael sighed, laying back down and covered his eyes with his arm. It wouldn’t help, I could still feel his reluctance. He didn’t want to tell me and I understood. It was his past. He would tell me on his own time, if he ever even did. That choice was completely his own. “Michael, you don’t have to tell me. It’s your past, your business, not mine. Anyway, we need to get you back, I think we’ve rested enough.”

I stood, barely holding the groan as my muscles protested the movement. Michael was trying to stand, his body not able to hold all of his weight. I knelt down beside him and placed his arm over my shoulder and helped him stand. I couldn’t help the groan that left me when his weight was added to mine. My muscles and body didn’t like it. Not at all.

“I am hurting you.” Michael said, trying to pull away.

“No.” I gripped his arm tighter, holding it around my shoulder. We both knew he could move it, but he didn’t. “I will be fine. My body is sore. Within the past two weeks I have carried one, and healed two archangels, you are my third. I’m tired, that’s all.”

“I do not wish to harm you further.” Michael grumbled.

“I’ll be fine.” I said, chuckling at his childish behavior.

Michael didn’t try to move again, he just let me help him the best I could. And I did, all the way up until the point we came within eye sight of the RV. Then I was two very large, very pissed off and concerned archangels. I stalled in place, a little worried what their reaction would be. After what I heard they didn’t seem to be on the best of terms with Michael. Speaking of, he noticed my change. My sudden stop and rigidness. His eyes fell to the other two, just as their eyes landed on us.

“Well, this won’t be good.” I murmured under my breath. I felt Michael’s body straighten, and I felt the pain that washed through him in the process.

“They will not harm you.” Michael assured me, vowed to me.

“Michael, they won’t hurt me. Please, stop pushing your body so much. You’re going to hurt yourself further.” Michael growled but once again used me to help prop himself up. I never expected for him to be so complacent. With they spoke of him, he seemed harsh, cruel. He wasn’t, he was lost.

“Belle!” Azrael shouted, the relief in his voice making my chest tighten.

“I’m sorry Azrael, I wanted to let the two of you to sleep, and I just had a feeling it would happen again. I’m not going anywhere this time though. If anyone comes asking, I’ll just tell them I don’t know anything.”

“You should have woken us.” Uriel surprised me by saying, as he hugged me to his side. My body stiffened under his touch and my eyes widened as I looked into Azrael’s questioningly. He and Michael both could see and feel my confusion, both of them looking at Uriel like they could bite his head off. I did relax into him after a few seconds and rested my head on his shoulder briefly.

“Again, I’m sorry. You both needed to sleep, to heal. You NEEDED rest. Now, can one of you please help me here? I am like five foot three, Michael is probably eight feet. He’s kind of heavy.” I complained.

Azrael laughed as he gently took Michael’s weight onto himself. Were it not for Uriel I would have completely collapsed to the ground. Damn was I tired. My muscles were screaming at me. Even with Uriel holding most of my weight I didn’t think I could walk. Not right now. “I think I’m just going to sit down right here.” I mused. “I don’t think my muscles are capable of moving anymore.”

“So selfless. You are fine when you are helping others. I am positive you would have made it all the way back without help if you had needed to. And yet when it comes to moving yourself, you can not.” Uriel laughed, picking me up into his arms bridal style.

“That’s different.” I tried to defend. "He needed help, and I was the only one there."

“My brother or I would have accompanied you.” Uriel told me gently.

“I know, that was the problem. You both are healing. You shouldn’t have to help me with anything. I should be the one taking care of you.” I hadn’t realized I had started to trail off, my voice going faint.

“You are only human Belle. There is only so much you can do before you body gives out. Let us care for you as you do us.”

“I’ve never had people who depended on me, who needed me.” I looked from my hands up into Uriel’s eyes. “No one was ever around, no one ever needed me. I liked feeling like I was needed, not being a burden.”

“We are intruders in your home, and you think yourself the burden?” Uriel asked chuckling.

“None of you are a burden to me.” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I don’t know I feel this draw to all of you. Each in a different way than the other. It’s weird, feeling like this. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Sometimes Belle, with angels, no matter the ranking can attract one female. Azrael told you one can be with many correct?”

“Well, that’s a kind of crude way to put it but yeah. He told me a woman, angel or human alike could have more than one beloved.”

“Did you think maybe, we could all be that to you?” The sound in his voice, the hope, the fear, it again surprised me.

“I thought you didn’t like me very much?” I questioned.

“It is not that I do not like you, Belle.” Uriel whispered, sitting on a tree stump me still in his arms, sitting me on his lap. His fingers gently traced across my jaw and pushed my hair behind my ear. “I was scared and wary of you. I do not like admitting weakness, or showing it. And I could see in your eyes that you knew, you could see straight through me and into my soul.”

“I could see.” I admitted, reaching up and running my hand through the pony tail of his snow-colored hair. “I could see the pain you were in, the betrayal you were feeling. I could see your distrust and reluctance. I understood it, I really did. It was and is totally acceptable. I know it didn’t take long for me, but when it continued, I just couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt and I didn’t know why, and that made me angry.” I shook my head to clear it. “I just didn’t think you liked me, or wanted to be around me.”

“Belle, I would not be able to go a second without wanting to be with you. You are something I have never encountered before. You are kind, gentle, and you care so deeply. I would say it was a shame none of your fellow humans got you, but in truth I am happy they did not. I want you here, with us.”

Uriel’s confession made my heart swell. I couldn’t believe he actually wanted me too. I know the thought of being with more than one man isn’t commonly accepted but I didn’t care. I wanted Azrael and Uriel, and even now Michael. I wanted all of them. But what of Gabriel and Raphael? Gabriel was still in heaven unaware of what’s happening, Raphael is part of the uprising. And it made me so mad to think about. How could he do this? What sense does it make to try and kill his brothers? If he wanted to take over, he would just need to get rid of Michael. But he wanted them all gone, he wanted to be the only one left.

“Uriel, if this is true then wouldn’t I also be drawn to Gabriel and Raphael?”

“Yes, that would be the most likely outcome.”

“Gabriel is still up there, he doesn’t know what’s coming, he doesn’t know what's going to happen to him. And Raphael, he’s part of it. He had Michael ambushed. They tore his wings from his back. I don’t know how I grew them back but I did. Even so, Gabriel is going to be hurt...” I was raving by this point, my fears getting the better of me.

“Calm Belle. Everything will be alright. We will care for Gabriel just as you have all of us.”

“All of you? Michael!” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet just to crumple to the ground and to be caught by Uriel again. “Dang wobbly muscles.” I huffed.

“There is no rush anymore Belle. Azrael is all but completely healed; his power has returned to him. He can heal the rest of Michael’s wounds.”

“Oh, okay.” I relented, curling myself further into Uriel. Just like with Azrael, I never wanted to leave the embrace of Uriel’s arms. He was cool where Azrael was warm, and still Uriel kept me warm. Apparently, Uriel felt the same because his arms encircled me, pulling me tighter into him. He was still shirtless, his pale chest seeming to light up in the evening sun. I traced the scars on Uriel’s chest committing each of them to memory. I then moved up and lightly traced my finger along the side of his face, down hid jaw bone and over his chin, just to go back up on the other side of his face. I wanted to commit every piece of him to memory.

“What are you doing?” He asked his eyes closed and his face relaxed for the first time.

“I am committing you to memory, every part of you I can see, feel, touch. I am scared for you and the others.” I admitted.

Uriel reached up and caught my hand intertwining our fingers, though his were so much larger. He kissed my knuckle lightly before moving hid ice blue eyes to mine. They weren’t frozen over anymore, no longer cold. And I was totally lost in the swirling sea I found there. “What is it you are scared for us over?” he asked, pulling me from my daze.

“This fight.” I admitted, reaching up and cupping the side of his face with my free hand. “I know you are all capable warriors, but I am still scared. Scared of you all getting hurt, of one or all of you not coming back to me.” I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. “I just don’t know how I will handle that. I feel so helpless with all of this.”

“Belle, I can assure you each of us should the others accept you, will do everything they can to come back to you. I know I will, as will Azrael. And I’ve never seen Michael give in to anyone the way he did you earlier, so I am positive you have him now as well.” Uriel smiled. “Maybe now Michael will calm down.”

It was then “Do not touch me!” from the RV, making me look up to Uriel and sigh. So much fro a break.