Fallen 1: Berlin

Chapter XI: The Guardian Awakens

"Right here is fine, Shel," Sage told the driver. She couldn't believe it when she got ready to go and see her mother in the hospital that Saturday morning and found the silver Benz parked outside her apartment building waiting to take her to her destination.

'But it's a Saturday, Shel. You should be having your day off." Sage told him and Shel shook his head.

'Berlin made sure that I took you to the hospital. He said that your breakup package did the trick yesterday.' Shel said in confusion and Sage chuckled.

She didn't want to dwell on what was really going on between Berlin and Miss Ferry but she kind of felt sorry for Miss Ferry. Though Berlin looked perfect on the outside, Sage felt the man had no idea what sincerity meant. Asking her to go for lunch with Miss Ferry and telling her that he longer wanted to see her was one of the red flags she caught. Maybe he was casual-dating. Sage didn't really care what he did in his life because everyone was entitled to do whatever they want but she felt like he was going to leave a lot of women heartbroken.

Sage got out of the car and straightened down the dress she got just for that occasion. It was a beautiful summer dress and Sage wanted her mother to see how good she looked so that she didn't have to worry about her while she recovered. Both Sage and her mother were still recovering from the dark past they had. No one could believe how her father could steal all that money and gamble it away. Sage knew that even after paying that debt, there were invisible scars that her father left behind that were going to take a long time to heal.

Sage was glad that when she got out of the Benz, Zoe had brought her mother upfront to see her coming out of the car. She talked to Zoe early that morning to assure her that she was not going to have any excuses not to see her mother that morning. Sage saw the way her mother's eyebrows slightly arched up on her forehead. Sage gladly accepted any form of reaction from her because it meant she was conscious and that she understood what was happening around her. This was a different case when she discovered what her beloved husband had done to their family and died afterward. She didn't talk nor look at anyone.

Sage knew her mother was overwhelmed because she understood the burden that her husband had left behind to his only daughter. Sage had to shoulder his debts and had to accept being constantly harassed at work because of him. Sage felt that her mother must have blamed herself for what was happening to her but never once had Sage ever put blame on her. She was a victim like her and Sage believed that they were going to make it through that storm together.

Things were looking well for her though she still couldn't contemplate what kind of employer Berlin truly was. She had never seen him angry yet so she didn't know how he reacted if she made a mistake. So far, he was very patient with her, allowing her to slowly open up but maybe it was because she was still under probation.

"Mom!" Sage smiled and dashed to where her mother and Zoe were. She crouched down and touched her mother's cool lightly. "Look what I got you? Your favorite roses. They are perfect aren't they?" She grinned as she placed the pink roses on her mother's lap and stood up before greeting Zoe. "I hope you two have been doing well."

Zoe grinned as she adjusted her glasses over her eyes and nodded her head, her blonde locks bouncing on her shoulders. "We have been doing amazing, isn't that right Amri?"

"S--Sage..." Amri, Sage's mother stuttered quietly and Sage's heart thumped hard in her chest.

She felt cold sweat run down her spine as she looked up at Zoe in shock. That was the first time she heard her mother utter a word ever since her father died. "She spoke! Zoe, mom spoke! Oh, sweet heavens! She spoke." Sage felt tears down her cheeks as she leaned down and pulled her mother into a tight embrace. "Mom!" She exclaimed, her voice strained with tears.

"For the past week, Amri has shown tremendous improvement in her motor skills as well. She is able to move her arms and legs as well as she has been practicing to say your name." Zoe placed her hands in the pockets of her white coat and took a deep breath. "You look good today."

Sage rubbed away her tears and nodded. "I wanted to surprise Mom with my new dress. I got a new job which could be more hectic but it had flexible hours. It means I will have more time to spend with mom and help her as well."

"Did you hear that Amri? Sage will be around a lot more for us now." Zoe said excitedly then added. "We were heading to the garden for some sun, want to join us?"

Sage grinned happily and nodded. "Yes!"

A FEW HOURS LATER...

Sage placed a kiss on her mother's forehead as she rested in content and tucked her in before exiting the room to where Zoe was.

"I must say, with this much attention you are giving Amri right now, within a few weeks she will be able to walk home on her own...which brings me to this." Zoe removed a brochure from her pockets and handed it to Sage.

Sage frowned as she looked down at the brochure. "Garrington Home?" She asked and Zoe nodded.

"Yes. Amri is not recovering fast here because she is constantly surrounded by the sick and dying. This is a hospital, Sage. Whenever she comes out of her room, she is bound to meet with someone who is far worse than her. She loves the outdoors and it is the place that gives her most of the energy. I was looking up places that had the best environment for her and Garrington Home is the best. It has large gardens and many other activities that help people recover faster. Their programs are perfect for Amri."

Sage hesitated a little. "Isn't it a little more expensive than here?"

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "It is but I assure you that the care there is holistically designed for someone like her. Their packages can be paid in installments. They do a full analysis of her condition before admitting her to their programs. Believe me when I say that this is what your mother needs right now. Plus, it is just thirty minutes from the city."

"You must have commission here, Zoe. You are way too good at pitching this idea to me." Sage teased as she looked down at the brochure again. They had an orchard of apples and the house looked like a castle! It was very appealing and Sage knew her mother would love such a place.

Zoe chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "The place happens to be where my fiance's grandmother is recovering. He told me about it and I thought it would be the best place for Amri. There's only so much I can do for her here but I know if she is there, she will get extra attention."

Sage's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Does that mean she will need to get used to a new helper? It took a while to get used to you. Remember when she would throw tantrums every time you got close to her in the past?"

Sage saw sadness in Zoe's eyes and knew that she too would miss her mother. "I know but you know what would make me happy? Having her invite me for tea at her place once she gets better...and talking about better, you look great. Did Robert get hit by a car and died like the miserable dog that he was?"

Sage laughed and shook her head. "Your imagination is amazing, Zoe. You should become an author or something. Nah, Robert is alive and breathing. I just started a new job somewhere else."

Zoe's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious? And he just let you go...just like that?"

"Apparently my new employer gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. You should have seen his wicked smirk when he realized that I was no longer going to be that little pest in his life." Sage explained and Zoe tsked.

"Men like him have a very special place in hell, I tell you. I am glad you got away from him and I just hope that you love the place you are now." Zoe patted Sage on her shoulder.

Sage could say that Zoe was a friend that she never expected. She was a nurse at the hospital where her mother had been getting her treatment. When she realized that Amri needed close attention, she took it to herself to take care of her. Sage made secret payments for her dedication to her mother because when she mentioned to Zoe that she would pay for the extra attention, Zoe refused by saying that she was just doing her job. That didn't settle well with Sage so she made a deal with the doctor in charge of her mother and made the extra payment for Zoe. It was not easy back then because her income was not sufficient but now with that new job, she was going to be able to even afford to send her mother to the Garrington Home.

She recalled her startled expression when she saw the starting salary. She thought it was a joke but she remembered Lucian assuring her that the amount was just a starting salary and once her probation time was over there were more allowances that she was going to receive because she was working directly with Berlin.

"It is too early to say but so far my new boss is quite considerate..." She thought of Berlin who always made gentle commands towards her but she found herself unable to refuse them. There was something about him that made him carry authority like he was some god. His chuckle echoed in her mind, melting her insides and she quickly pushed the thoughts away.

"With the flashy car you came with, I bet he is very considerate--is he single? When was the last time you went for a date, Sage?"

"Ahhh!" Sage shook the thoughts that Zoe was planting in her head away. "We are not going there, Zoe! We are not going to talk about my love life." She quickly slipped her hand on Zoe's crook and said. "However, we are going to talk about your upcoming wedding! Have you selected a dress already?"

"Hahaha! You sure know how to run away from your love life. Fine, I'll bite this once. Yes, I have selected a dress and the final fitting is in two weeks' time." The two of them started walking down the hallways towards the cafeteria.

"Oh wow, I can't believe you actually fell for the wedding-bells scam. I thought you were the live-hard-or-die-young kinda girl."

"Have you seen how hot Dr. Howie is? He changed me and all I can think about right now is settling down and having his kids." Zoe sighed tiredly. "Can you believe it?"

Sage chuckled. "The next thing we know, you'd be one very spoiled wife with her own TV program."

Zoe laughed then asked. "You will come for the wedding, right?"

"How do I miss such an opportunity to meet the eligible bachelors of the city?" Sage teased.

"Then I will make sure you sit at the right table at the reception. "Zoe winked at her and the two laughed as they went to eat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Berlin walked beside Lucian that evening as they made their way to the venue where the stakeholder's meeting was being held. It was more of a dinner than a meeting but it was something they did twice a year to make sure all the actors in his company were on the same page.

"I can't believe you suspected me to work for War. I am a f*****g human and I don't want to die, why would I work for him?" Lucian grumbled beside Berlin who rolled his eyes tiredly. He dreaded the moment he opened his mouth and told Lucian that he thought he was the traitor. Berlin didn't find any evidence that connected Lucian to the cargo and he thought he was giving the boy a measure of assurance by telling him the truth. Boy was he wrong.

"Shut up about it before I vaporize you." The judgment fires crackled underneath Berlin's suit and Lucian quickly pursed his lips. "There is someone working with Seoul and War and he or she is someone within my circle. I need to find out who it is and why they stole Mrs. Sinclair's cargo tonight."

"You should have asked me first before you went around and made assumptions about my betraying you," Lucian stated tersely and frowned up at Berlin. "I thought you and I were friends, you old bag of bones."

Berlin gritted his teeth and turned to Lucian. "You and I are not friends. I can't be friends with a whiny little boy like you. Now, before I send you back to your maker, drop the subject and tell me if Elise ever contacted you yesterday."

Lucian sighed and shook his head. "She didn't but I heard you went to lunch with her. Your secretaries were eager to know if you are officially off the market or not."

Berlin smirked recalling what Sage did for him. "It seems like Sage should take your position and office. She did a much better job than you ever could."

"What do you mean?" Lucian asked in surprise.

"She is the reason why Elise does not want to see me anymore," Berlin stated.

"You are dating your P.A.?" Lucian exclaimed. "Dude, it hasn't even been a week and you are already making waves with your P.A. I should have known you had ulterior motives with her."

"What the f**k are you talking about? She set the lunch for me and even added a breakup package. It was perfect because Elise couldn't refuse it." Berlin said smugly.

"Did she slap you when she left?" Lucian eyed Berlin pensively.

"Of course, she did. She was very upset." Berlin answered.

Lucian chuckled and sighed softly. "Then it seems Sage is not as competent as you think. Elise will be back--trust me. You can't give her a gift that she never refused and expect her to walk away just like that. You just invited her to move in for all I know."

"What?"

Lucian patted Berlin on his shoulder and said. "Elise is the kind of woman who goes for the hardest target. The harder you fight her, the harder she will work to claim you. You are the most eligible bachelor right now so she will fight tooth and nail to get you. Ah, there is Sage."

Lucian walked towards Sage and when Berlin turned, he was rendered speechless as he watched Lucian greet Sage who beamed up at him with a contagious grin. Berlin had to gulp down his drink to calm himself because the fires that were raging within him were peculiar. There were several things that he did that he thought would appease the guardian in him but it seemed like he was only angering the beast. With all the attention he had been giving Sage, the beast inside him felt like he wasn't doing enough.

Berlin was momentarily mesmerized by her sight. She looked like a fairy surrounded by fireflies because the rose pink evening gown she wore had crystals on the bodice down to her flared hips like tendrils of magic glowing with her enchantment. The dress hugged her hips but flowed down to the ground with a long slit on one side to allow her easy movement as well giving a hint of her golden skin. Her black locks fell on her back and simple jewelry glimmered around her long neck and her wrist. Berlin felt his throat drying again and turned to one of the loitering waiters before he got himself another glass of gin.

"That is ridiculous! I didn't say that!" She laughed at something that Lucian said and suddenly they both turned his way.

Berlin felt paralyzed as his legs carried him to where she was. Her cheeks turned pink and she cleared her throat nervously before tucking her hair behind her ear. The shiny locks bounced about her and Berlin had to curb the need to run his hands through them to feel if they were as silky soft as they appeared.

"Lucian tells me that I'm about to dethrone him from his position as your second hand." She chuckled lightly looking quickly at Lucian who nodded in mock seriousness then turned her alluring eyes back to Berlin. "Does he know just how incompetent I am being your P.A.? Not to mention I just got here?"

Lucian chuckled. "Berlin tells me you sent Elise a breakup package. I bet she will be back with a vengeance."

"Oh really? Not every woman in this world loves expensive parting gifts. I bet she felt insulted when Berlin sent her that package and it is the reason why she slapped him--she slapped you, right?"

Berlin looked down at Sage's half-empty glass and wondered how much she already drank. This was the second time she had let loose because of her drink. The first time was when she met War. Berlin liked this teasing, smiling, and carefree Sage that he was seeing.

"The two of you are talking about me as if I am not here." Berlin swallowed down his gin.

Sage chuckled and sipped her wine. "Oh, he got slapped alright."

"And that is the reason why Elise will be back. She will use it as an excuse to come and apologize and try to mend the relationship with him." Lucian said.

"Miss Ferry is a woman with class and she will not allow someone to look down on her...holy shit." Sage's face paled and she quickly turned away before swallowing down the rest of her drink.

Berlin frowned at her expression and turned around. He sighed in defeat when he saw Elise making her way towards him. Everyone was watching her intensely because most people believed that she was his girlfriend.

"Seems like you lost, Sage," Lucian said smugly as he gulped down his drink and took another one.

"Seems so..." Sage said and Berlin could have sworn he heard a ring of disappointment in her voice.

"Berlin..." Elise acknowledged him lightly and leaned in, allowing him to place a kiss on her cheek.

Berlin didn't want to act an asshole and embarrass her in front of all those people so he complied. The hall was full of potential clients and investors so he had to behave himself. He just never thought that he would be in such a sticky situation. It had happened several times during his existence where women refused to leave him alone. Sometimes he had to wait out until they grew old and died but at that moment in time, it was different because his guardian snarled in his head and made him have headaches. He didn't know why it was happening but his guardian didn't want Elise anymore.

This was the first time his beast side was reacting to one of his female companions. In the past, he remained in the deepest part of his mind as a silent observer because he knew Berlin needed the bodily connection to stop him from losing his mind.

"Elise, I didn't expect to see you here," Berlin said.

She shrugged lightly and said. "I am a business partner before anything else, right?" She turned to where Sage and Lucian stood quietly and nodded their way. "We haven't been properly introduced, I am Elise Ferry and I am Berlin's woman."

Berlin felt violence saturate in his veins. Elise was crossing the line with his guardian and he didn't like that very much. Sage's eyebrows snapped up on her forehead and she nodded vigorously.

"I know that now and I am sorry if I came out as someone in your way. I'm Sage Hilary and I am Berlin's P.A."

"I'm afraid I have to steal him away from you two for a moment..." She turned to Berlin and he could see how upset she was with him but she had no idea how enraged the beast side of him was. Berlin wasn't sure how he was able to control himself in front of her.

There was a point in time where he accidentally injured his female companion in one of his rages. Berlin was sure his guardian wanted to eradicate Elise from the face of the earth, intentionally.

"Lucian..." Berlin called out, trying with his might to keep his beast side down. If he lost control in that room, everyone was going to be in danger.

Lucian quickly moved between Berlin and Elise. "Uh--Berlin hasn't been feeling well and I think I should take him up for some rest."

"But--" Elise started but another body clad in a white tux showed up between Elise and Berlin.

Berlin watched in dread as Cairo intercepted the female who stubbornly clung onto his arm. Cairo touched Elise's hand and eased it from Berlin's crook.

"Believe my brother when he says that he is not feeling well." Cairo turned to Lucian and gave him a nod. "Take him up to rest..."

Berlin no longer wanted to leave because when Cairo turned towards Sage, fiery veins crackled underneath his tux and Berlin wanted to arch back and roar in retaliation but he couldn't do any of that sort in front of the humans.

"Is it me or is this place getting warmer?"--"I think the air conditions are broken. It is warmer than usual." people speculated about the change in temperature but it had nothing to do with the air-conditioning. It had everything to do with Cairo and Berlin's guardians.

"Let's go, Berlin." Lucian took Berlin away but not after he saw Cairo smiling intently at Sage.

"You must be Berlin's P.A. I'm Cairo, Berlin's brother." Berlin heard before the room began to spin and everything went black...

What the f**k was happening?