A/N: This was originally a songfic, written to fit in with Echo's Children's very beautiful song "Wings." Check that out if you get the chance! Now to fit in with the rules of this site, the lyrics have been removed (except for a little taste at the beginning), but they can be found if Googled. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Annie Dalton owns Brice and Mel. Catherine Farber wrote the song "Wings" which inspired this. The song Mel is humming is "Intuition" by Jewel. That should cover it, I think.

Wings

Small in the plaza a lone figure stares
Young in her yearnings and old in her cares.
She doesn't have jewels, diamonds and rings
But under her coat she has wings.

Do what you have to do. That's the rule. Remember the rule and stick to it, and it will make things so much easier. Don't feel sorry for them, don't think, just do what you have to do and laugh because humans are so stupid, and don't think that they are people because then you'll have doubts. And doubts are bad. Doubts won't help Dom. Do what you have to do.

Brice is on a mission. Actually, no, he isn't. His only mission is to take care of Dom, but to be able to do that he has these... tasks that he has to do. He does not allow himself to reflect much on these tasks. He focuses on Dom, and the de Winters, and then there are no doubts whatsoever that what he's doing is the only thing he can do.

He is invisible right now. Like a shadow he travels the streets, and where he walks he spreads vibes of despair, of hopelessness, of pain. Dark beings follow in his footsteps, making scratching sounds of insects as they speak to each other in their clicking language that he doesn't want to understand but does anyway.

This is Park Hall.

It's not the first time he's here.

His bosses like this place. It's filled with uncertainty and doubt, and the humans all feel like they don't belong here. There are only grey houses, all looming over his head, and neon lights blare out their adverts above shop windows. Tattoo parlour. A Turkish café. Something that might have been an ice cream place once, but is now barred up and covered with graffiti.

It's humanity at its finest, Brice thinks grimly and shoves his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. At least these people don't try to hide the fact they're miserable criminals.

He looks up at a grey and depressing sky. At least it isn't raining yet. He's also somewhat thankful for the warmth in the air, though perhaps that isn't so strange considering that it's July.

Park Hall stinks of car fumes and sweaty humans. The sounds here are of people arguing, car-horns honking, stereos playing rap loudly... and a girl walking down the street on the other side of the road from Brice, humming on a song.

"You got something that you wantin' me to sell, sell you sin, just cash in. You got something that you wantin' me to tell, you'll love me, wait and see..."

Brice stops and turns his head, frowning at that voice. It's hardly a good voice, out of tune and everything, but that's not why he's looking. The owner of it is a young girl, very early teens, with black hair. She seems to be in a good mood, there is a bounce in her steps, and her head is filled with happy little thoughts about happy little things...

And, Brice realises after just one quick glance at her, she is going to die very soon. There is a golden shimmer in the air around her. Her soul is getting ready to let go. She doesn't know it or feel it, but the knowledge hits Brice like a battering ram.

She's an angel.

The dark creatures scream and snarl, wanting to attack while at the same time keeping away from her, and they look at him furiously.

"Shut up," he growls and snaps his fingers.

They go quiet, withdrawing a little, but still glaring at the girl. Brice looks at her. He knows he shouldn't. He can feel death surrounding her, a calm, sweet vibe of 'I'm ready, I'm all done here, let's see what else the Universe has to offer,' and he wonders absentmindedly if he had that feel around him too, during those last few minutes on Earth, before things got so complicated.

There is something about her vibes that he recognises, somehow. He can't really put his finger on it, but it's there, sure enough. He reaches out carefully for her mind, avoiding her gentle angelic vibes as best as he can, and he scans her thoughts without a word.

"Melanie," he mutters and frowns, pulling back. "Melanie Beeby..."

Thirteen years old today. Little sister named Jade. A family. Friends. Head filled with sparkles and grand fantasies about the future, and no idea what's going to happen...

She continues to hum, and then gets ready to cross the street. Brice stays put, not taking his eyes off her. He knows that no-one dies alone. Angels will show up at any moment to bring little Melanie Beeby away, but for now he is the only supernatural being around. So he stays and looks. In the corner of his eye he can see a car coming closer, it moves fast. The driver is just a kid, he notices, and he groans inwardly. Park Hall. Kids grow up fast here.

Melanie doesn't see more than a brief flash of a deathly pale face, and then it's all over. There is thud of a soft body hitting a hard car, and then, too late, someone frantically hitting the brakes. The car screeches, skids to a halt, jolts a few times, and then continues as the driver in a panic accelerates and disappears down the street. Brice hears a distant crash, and then a sob as the kid fumbles for the handle of the car-door, and he feels the horror as if it was his own, like a heavy lump of bile in his throat.

And then... a whispering melodic sound of angels gathering. Brice takes a step back as he sees them, keeping to the shadows. Perhaps they notice him there, for they seem wary, but they don't look his way. He winces at their vibes. They are too bright, too loving, too forgiving, and he can't handle that. It hurts, but he can't take his eyes off Melanie.

The angels gather her up, and for a moment her broken body is completely covered in golden sparks. She does not seem aware of it, disoriented and confused she looks around for something she recognises. She doesn't see the angels, but her gaze falls on Brice in the darkness, and their eyes meet.

Her eyes are a vivid green, and they look at him with childish, innocent curiosity, as if she's trying to place him in her memory. Brice feels a zing in his chest. Something jumps from him to her, and from her to him, in that very second. It is as if they know each other. As if they've met before, many times, and will meet again very soon.

She won't remember that look afterwards. He can see that she's too bewildered about what's happening to her; her eyes leave his after just a second, darting around at the shining beings by her side. One angel smiles warmly, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead.

Brice hears the words: "Time to go now," in a soft whisper.

He closes his eyes at the very last second, not really knowing why. Perhaps he doesn't want to see Melanie leaving Earth and know that the next time he sees her, they'll be enemies. Or perhaps it's just that the light from when she and the angels fade hurts to look at, when you're working for the Opposition.

When he looks again she is gone, and people have begun crowding around her lifeless body. Someone is dialling for an ambulance. A few are gasping and turning away, but a woman with a motherly expression checks for Melanie's pulse and frowns with worry.

The dark creatures start howling and hissing again. They are hungry. They want humans. And now that the angels are gone, they see no reason to wait before they attack.

Do what you have to do. Right.

Brice takes a deep breath and walks closer to the crowd, and when he's near their faces close up and become hard. He can sense their thoughts.

Where's the car... we should find whoever did this... make them pay... we've had enough...

"Sorry diddums," he says to Melanie, but he's not looking at her. "I do my job, you do yours now. You'll like the Academy, I'm sure."

Yeah, she probably will. She's the kind of person who'd welcome an eternity of ethereal lullabies and the scent of lilacs. He can picture how her features'll light up when she sees the gates. Perhaps she'll even feel like she belongs there. Like it's her place in the Universe and she's always belonged there, and was just on Earth for a short holiday.

Brice never belonged in Heaven. That's at least what he's telling himself. He wouldn't allow himself to like it, because his worry about Dominic overshadowed everything he did there, and he felt guilty that his little brother wasn't there to enjoy it. Dom deserved it more. The food didn't taste as good to Brice as to the other trainees. The music that always hovered in the air didn't speak to his soul, didn't soothe him at all.

But Melanie will like it. Absolutely. No doubt about that.

The dark creatures howl. Brice nods at them.

"I know, we're nearly done here." He smirks evilly at Melanie, looking down at her for the first time. "No damn respect for the dead."

Then he shuts up, for though she is pale and there is blood in her hair and her every bone seems broken, Melanie is smiling vaguely. As if all this is a big cosmic joke and she just got why it's so funny. She is in no pain at all, her eyes are closed, and yes, she does seem peaceful.

In a distance he hears the sirens of an ambulance. They are too late. Anyone can see that. Melanie is dead and gone, snuffed out of existence, and she leaves behind a mother and a stepfather and a little sister.

At least she'll be able to enjoy her stay in Heaven, thinks Brice, almost with jealousy. Jade will be taken care of properly. Dominic wouldn't be.

He looks as the paramedics hurry up to Melanie lying sprawled on the pavement, and with a slightly amused expression he watches them check for life-signs. There are none. The paramedics sigh sadly, shaking their heads at the crowd, and then Melanie is placed on a stretcher, wrapped up in a bag. The paramedics ask around. Does anyone know her? Who are her parents? Who should be notified?

One or two speak up, offering assistance. The paramedics take notes, writing up names, and the two with answers are offered a ride in the ambulance back to the hospital for further questioning.

Brice has lost interest already. He just leans against the ambulance, nonchalantly, his arms crossed. As the dark creatures bounce around like overexcited puppies at so much shock and human hopelessness, he looks at the slim figure in the body bag, and is deep in thought.

When she's finally put in the ambulance and the crowd starts to scatter, Brice blows her a kiss and waves lazily.

"Later, sweetheart. Next time I see you I'll be ready."

Then he turns and starts walking away.

It begins to rain.

Tomorrow it will have washed away Melanie's blood from the street.

End.