Title: Façades
Fandom: Angel Sanctuary
Characters: Gabriel/Uriel
Genre: Romance, angst.
Rating: G
Summary: It is hard to see beyond the play, hard to understand the meaning behind someone's actions. She didn't try, walked her path without wavering. He couldn't understand why.

…

A badly performed theatre. A horribly well performed play, ugly in its perfection. It was one of both choices though she couldn't really make up her mind as to which. Around her form, countless characters played their part, smiled, laughed, perfect in their perfect roles. She despised them, how could she not?

The fake feelings, bluntly displayed for all to see. The façades, the hidden meanings, happiness built on others' shoulders. And she despised herself, each time she was called to play her part, becoming one among so many of the Lord's failures.

"Gabriel." A hand reached out to touch her shoulder, the voice in her mind as familiar as it was comforting.

She didn't need to turn to see who was touching her so freely. Only few would be allowed to do such a thing, would dare to come near her without fear of retribution. Elements protected themselves and their kind, everyone knew that.

"Uriel" He returned from his self-imposed exile…but why? Gabriel didn't bother to try to answer that question. Or the one beating around in her mind even though she didn't allow it to be said. Why had he reached out for her after so long, after being so painfully obvious she couldn't help him in his misery?

For an angel, she was such a perfect disappointment.

"Good evening." Her words were gentle as she moved, dress dancing in the air as she faced her…brother? Father, cousin, twin, soul mate. He was all of that. He was Earth and she was Water, one couldn't exist without the other. What would Water be without the Earth to nurture? What had she become after he had closed himself?

Don't think. There's no need to think or feel.

"Why are you here?" Uriel was the perfect image of the perfect angel. The one she would never be. Bound by duty like all of them, he thrived, walked through harsh roads without help, no matter how many times he stumbled and bled from his wounds. No matter how much of himself was stolen in those roads.

Brown eyes searched for hers uselessly, fingers tightening on her shoulder almost viciously. Neither action would make her face him. Gabriel couldn't bear to see what Alexiel's actions had brought upon him. Not again.

"Raphael told me," Uriel whispered cautiously. It was almost amusing, the care he took to not be heard. Especially considering his voice was no longer intact. A part of her wished she could listen to it again, instead of that resonating inside her mind, a parody of his low and gentle tone.

Almost on a whim, – an accident of chance - Raphael chose that moment to look at her from across the room, arm holding his assistant's almost gently. Gabriel couldn't even remember her name. A strong woman, indeed, to be able to deal with the Angel of Virtues. He didn't even seem to realize how much he supported himself on her actions. The man was smiling to her now…trying to read her thoughts, maybe?

Gabriel's only answer was the smallest nod, a silent acknowledgement of his silent interest.

Such a child, he was. Living his life with all the calm in the world, as if tomorrow was his and his alone, obeying him in the second he spoke a word. She liked that in him.

She was also a child, gambling with her life like the world was nothing short of her playground, how could she say anything against it?

"Is it true?" Her eyes closed for a moment. It wasn't like her to be caught unaware, especially while daydreaming. Was it Uriel's fault her thoughts seemed to be taking their own path that day? "Gabriel, by the Lord, answer me!"

Around them, the party continued, the play moved on its own with its second plot forgotten, meaningless to the greater purpose. It didn't really bother her.

"You should leave," Gabriel murmured, one frail hand reaching out to take his from her body. It was larger, so much stronger…it reassured her, somehow. Where she failed, he would persevere.

His hand refused to let go, even when her fingers released his. It was too dangerous, couldn't he see? The play she performed was real. Around her a spider weaved its thread slowly. If he came closer, he would be caught, just like the willing fly she was.

Earth can live without Water.

For a long moment, he stared at her. His hand never left hers, while the other pulled her chin upwards, forcing her to look at him. Uriel was so…

Alexiel, what have you done?

…composed, at ease, even though he hated those events as much as she did. That place was suffocating all of them, just as Etenamenki was slowly killing the immortal beings within its walls. That was why. Why couldn't he understand?

"Come." There was no request as he dragged her to the outside world. It was like freedom…to meet the fresh air of Heaven, to raise her head towards the starlit sky and see the true perfection, the one the play performed inside hadn't achieved.

It felt right to be guided, for once, pulled away by his strong hand without having to think about their destiny or the consequences it might bring. Oh, she knew they would exist. The play would halt for a mere moment when their absences were finally noticed. Sevotharte would notice and his words and threats would follow. Gabriel couldn't bring herself to care.

"You are one of us." Her Gardens. He had brought her to her Gardens, the one place she called home in Aziluth. Why? "Without one, the elements are nothing. We've known that ever since we've met." Uriel was staring at her now, his eyes now nothing more than a shadow in the cold light of the stars. It felt as if nothing could be hid in that place. "Why do you walk away from us?" Why did she hate that feeling?

"Listen." There was only silence around them, broken by the soft whisper of her lakes, water dancing from place to place. But she could hear so much more. They were shouting, screaming for help. Their own kin, used as slaves for others' amusement.

You can't listen, can you?

"If I do not speak, no one will. If I don't step forward, nothing will change. If I…"

…don't make myself a target, he will come after you.

"If I act, I'll do something worthwhile. Isn't that what our task is supposed to achieve?" Her voice ended in a whisper. During her whole tirade, Gabriel hadn't bothered to look at him, choosing to face the skies. She knew they were there, listening to her words even though they couldn't understand them. Later, she would join them, cry with them, cry for what had happened and would happen in the future.

"There's still time." He was still holding her hand. The female angel hadn't noticed that, lost as she was in her own thoughts. Callused, so strong against hers, almost gentle in its hold… "Come with me to Hades. He will not hunt you down to that place."

You can live without Water. I cannot.

"Don't." The light of the stars was reflecting in her lakes, gently lighting the Garden with an eerily light. That was enough for her to watch his face, read the thoughts displayed in his mind. He hadn't been able to save her. So, to redeem himself, he wished to save another.

Gabriel raised her hand, her fingers ghosting on his face ever so gently. "You cannot save me, Uriel." A small smile. To push him away was so easy, it should be easy. She had done it before, correct? Had done it so well to all of them, and now she was alone. No one would miss her. "And you cannot save her through me."

Pull back was easy. Too easy.

It doesn't hurt, see? It's so easy.

His hand released hers easily, the surprise caused by her words obviously hitting too close, too deep. Until that moment, Uriel hadn't realised that same truth, the one she was now speaking clearly for all that empty space. She wasn't Alexiel. She would never be the Organic Angel he held above so many. Gabriel was herself, the archangel of Water, water itself, nothing more, nothing less.

And he couldn't see the woman beyond it, not without comparing her to the one he had never owned.

"Leave, Uriel." The female angel's voice held nothing but certainty. "There is nothing for you in this place."

See? So very easy…easy as not looking back. Ignore his hurtful gaze, ignore this pain. It is over…

Her companion didn't seem inclined to look her. Surely, she had been brash when confronting him with her thoughts over Alexiel and his actions…shouldn't he know a woman would never be a replacement for another?

It is over.

"Leave and don't return." Skirts fluttered in the night as Gabriel turned away, walked away silently as the winds around her. There was no one for her to turn to now…no one to hurt or love.

You may come, Sevotharte.

---xXx---

The Gardens hadn't changed since his last visit. Dominated by the ever-present sound of water – almost overpowered by its gentle scent – they seemed to welcome him in their mist, comforting him with their constancy. Someone should have been looking after the plants and lakes for their usual caretaker, probably sisters…their task had been taken without warning, after all.

Or maybe they had been warned, who knew? None would bother to ask them and their mistress wouldn't speak.

The stone paths lead him to the one he had been searching for, the same woman that had expelled him from her sanctuary, merely months before. Watching him behind vacant blue eyes, a dignified doll on a meaningless throne, Gabriel looked nothing less than a queen of old, as lovely as she had always seemed. Frail clothing, more jewellery than she had ever thought it to be necessary…all of that underlined the fact that something wasn't right with the Water Archangel.

If one missed the fact the woman wasn't moving.

Flowers had been placed on her lap, on her head, decorating the light blue hair, in an attempt to install life into an empty object. It hadn't worked, despite the effort. Poor Metatron…the poor boy probably thought his 'mother' was merely asleep.

A part of him knew he should check the state of his Great Seraphim, now probably disgruntled, being comforted and meld into a puppet by Sevotharte.

A larger part of him didn't care about such. Selfish, indeed…but where was the one to comfort him? His companions walked strange roads, no longer close to him. Gabriel had done a good job, pushing all away from her. With her actions, she had planted the seeds of doubt against their leader. With her sacrifice, she had watered them, allowing them to take roots and grow.

The fact none was there to mourn her, seemed of less consequence.

There was no one left. Just him and an empty doll, as beautiful as cold. Where was his counterpart, the Water to his Earth?

His knees met the ground harshly as he lowered himself, like a mere human in front of a goddess, taking one of her hands into his larger one. He had done that same gesture that night, guided her almost like a lover would. But he was not her lover. He had loved another, the burning love which had turned his heart to ashes and taken his voice away.

Then why did his heart seem to be breaking once more, ashes that shouldn't be able to break?

"Gabriel?" He hadn't called her back that night, afraid of the words she would say. Truths tended to leave her lips often, caring little to whom they would hurt. But who was left to say them, now that her place among her kin remained empty?

"You cannot save her through me…" Even in that moment, those words hit him hard. Uriel had been little more than useless in her crusade, abandoned her in the moment she needed the most, whether she recognized that fact or not. What if he told her he truly had wished to save her?

"You cannot save me." It was almost as if she had spoken out loud, laughed at him through her honesty. Who could save someone that didn't wish to be saved?

Earth cannot live without Water.

She was still alive. He could feel her soft aura, the strength of water in the place she had called home. She was still alive, no matter what Sevotharte had done to imprison her. Because it had been the prime-minister, no doubt about it. Even revenge had been taken out of his hands.

Uriel tightened his hold, yelling with his mind for some answer. She wouldn't speak and he couldn't call her. He had allowed that drift between them to be born…

With barely a sound, the Death angel stood, pulling away from the cold grasp. There was no reason to stay, or to disobey her command. "I will visit you soon." He wouldn't but she couldn't listen, could she?

A moment was all it took to turn away, another to walk away as she had done, another to wait for her return. Because she would.

Earth cannot live without Water. And I'm still living.

Words were unsaid between them, things he had to make sure to understand. He just had to wait.

Behind him, unnoticed by one unused to such details, the song of the water had changed, now almost joyful and hopeful.

It would wait as well.

…

AN – Reviews and well constructed criticism are welcome.