Disclaimer: I don't own 'Dominion' or any of its characters (though I would dearly love to get control of Michael. Hubba, hubba.) The series is the property of Bold, Sony and Universal. So there is no copyright infringement intended, nor do I intend to tick anyone off – so please don't sue me, I'm poor enough already! But I do own the story itself and the non-'Dominion' characters….

This is my first 'Dominion' fanfic. It's based mostly around Michael, but also the rest of the 'Dominion' cast. It will be based around my own character and Michael. When I started writing this story there was no guarantee of a season 2, of course now we know it's about to begin in the next few weeks for many of us. However, a lot of the early chapters for my story (which set the basics of the plot) were already written before the announcement of a second season was made; so it's likely to be very different to the start of season 2 (based on the trailers I've seen at least).

I may well try to incorporate parts of the new season in later chapters, but certainly these early ones will remain as they are; to change them too much would completely destroy the plotline I have already (pretty much) mapped out. my story will start a very short while after the finale of season 1, as Michael left Vega to escape the guilt of what he'd done.

I do not intend to rip off any other writer, so if this premise has been done before I'm sorry; I just hope mine is different enough for it not to be too boring. But if I digress from the series too much don't shoot me as I'm old, and the brain (what little I have) is not what it used to be! LOL! I will also have a 'warning' if necessary at the start of each chapter and a reason for it, if it's necessary - such as for swearing. There does appear to be a few issues with uploading at the moment, so if there's any extra spaces near words in italics rest assured I have tried, and failed, to correct it - hopefully it won't detract too much from the flow of the story for readers.

If you've read any of my other stuff and liked it, hopefully you'll like this too.

WARNING: MIGHT BE SOME MILD SWEARING – SO BE WARNED. READ AT OWN RISK.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Ariella is the anglicised female version of the Hebrew name Ari'el; the name means 'lioness of God' and can also mean 'sprite'.

Summary: Ariella Drisko is a woman that is willing to give a rejected archangel a second chance; even the soul-battered and heart-broken Michael. MichaelxOFC

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An Archangel's Heart

Prologue

Michael finally realised he'd played into Gabriel's hands when he'd been lying on the floor of a dusty old ruin of a house for what he thought might've been three days; or it could've been three weeks or perhaps even longer. He was completely oblivious to the passage of time...since...since...he forced his mind away from that terrible night in Vega; the night when all he'd worked for, all he'd put his hope and, yes, even his faith, into had fallen to dust and ruin.

He glanced disinterestedly around and knew he was in what had once no doubt been a comfortable living room. A house that had probably been a much loved home for a family; close-knit and happy who, when they were here had no idea of the nightmare to come and so had lived, laughed and loved their lives away.

A family who were probably long dead now; either killed in the Extermination War, or the hell on the earth that followed. However, now nature and the elements had reclaimed most of the house – the front wall had partially collapsed along with some of the roof.

He was lying under the part that hadn't – not even caring if it did; he'd reached a point where he truly didn't think he wanted to survive anymore. This existence was becoming torture; loathed by his own kind, hounded by his brother and sister, abandoned by his Father and hated by the humans. There didn't seem anywhere to turn, no chance of redemption – so why fight the inevitable any longer?

He had, quite literally, crashed into the front wall of the dwelling when he landed – so blinded by grief and rage at what had been done to his own kind and the stupidity of his rage in retaliation. He'd not only killed Becca, but had nearly killed the Chosen; and worse, almost betrayed the trust of both Jeep and Charlie to keep Alex safe.

His powering into the wall was what had actually caused the collapse to happen he remembered now; but, being exhausted and truly not caring whether he lived or died anymore, he merely crawled under the covered section and elected to remain there. Let the humans, puny beings that they were, see if they could deal with his brother without his help; especially now that Uriel, his sly little sister, also seemed to be up to something.

However, that didn't take away what he'd done; he couldn't believe how he'd acted; how foolish he'd been. But when he'd seen the butchery done to another angel – the sudden knowledge that Becca, one of the few he'd foolishly allowed himself to trust so much, possibly had even begun to love – that she had betrayed him so deeply...well, he'd lost all sense of reason in that moment. He'd always had a bad temper; their Father had always told them it was his main failing – it certainly was that night.

He knew that Alex would react badly and probably do something supremely stupid; but he wasn't really sure he could care any longer. He wasn't even sure he truly gave a damn about humanity as a whole anymore, let alone one little human – Chosen or not. He hadn't hurt Alex, he had kept him safe to adulthood; he was not there now – so he had not broken his promise to Charlie and Jeep; not really. So he could just stay here; stay here and merely...cease to exist - blissful oblivion. He let his fractured mind wander into unconsciousness...

However it seemed that whatever powers that be, who controlled all their destinies in God's absence, had decided they had other ideas as to his fate.

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Ariella Drisko had wandered into the area scavenging for supplies. Over the ensuing years since the Extermination War the pickings had grown ever slimmer; however, her little settlement had been able to be fairly self sufficient - with luck, a fair wind and more than a little ingenuity of the brand McGyver had once enjoyed.

Considering their power capabilities were laughingly poor compared to that of, say, Vega, they did alright. Of course it was time consuming to try and make medicines and other such items last because it was unclear when or, more likely, if they'd ever be able to get more; but it was a small price to pay for freedom.

Obviously living in Vega would've been the smart choice; but the ramshackle group of survivors she belonged to were too far 'out there' to be able to cope with the totalitarian dictatorship of the likes Vega had to offer.

They'd have chafed at the shackles that the so-called 'safe city' would've draped them in; grated at the huge disparity of circumstances between the likes of House Whele and House Reisen and the rest of the V designations – most notably the V1s; let alone those poor condemned souls considered so worthless they didn't get that lowly designation.

They wouldn't have lasted a day without trying to start a revolution, of that she was sure. She, certainly, would have been at the front of any populace uprising – yelling for a fair division of labour and supplies...and, no doubt, the hypocritical David Whele and Edward Reisen's heads on very large, pointy sticks.

So, it was that her and one other were here; on one of their few supply runs these days - few because they were growing their own food and hunting the few animals that hadn't been killed during the war, and doing okay overall.

As they stayed out of Vega's 'assistance check' zone – where the military arm of the city harassed any new settlements into going to the 'safety' beyond their walls - and they fended for themselves, they therefore stayed off Vega's radar. So, for now, they were doing fairly okay.

Whilst those who were at the bottom of Vega's totem pole spent all and every day scavenging just to survive, those at the top – the so-called 'senators' - lived lives of spoilt luxury, in the top class hotels that were part of Las Vegas back in the day; merely meandering around pretending to 'work'. She depised those power mad idiots for subjugating the few that were left to virtual slavery; where did this give Gabriel the idea that mankind had learned their lesson and were now worth saving?

Whilst mulling the insanity of those who thought they ran the world now, she noticed one of the houses had collapsed at the front. Damn it – she was hoping to use the houses, which had been intact, for the winter if they could; looked like they'd be staying in the caves now. If one house had fallen, the others could be in a dangerous state too; she couldn't risk their people's safety by chancing it, not just for a bit of old style 'homely' comfort.

She sighed; still, the older folks amongst them preferred the caves anyway – they remembered how the houses got taken apart like they were matchsticks, even the brick ones, so the angels and their angelic 'dogs', what they called 'eight balls' now, could get at them. They viewed the caves as safe; with a mountain on top of them, she had to admit they had a point. She shook her head; is that what humanity had finally come full circle to? They started out in caves and now they were ending up back in them?

It was as she was pondering this depressing thought, she saw the figure under part of the collapsed roof. What the hell was a person doing there? They hadn't seen any people in weeks, perhaps even months; she was about to turn to Tegan, when the form moved...and she realised who it was...