As the war with the angels began to end and as Vega began to grow into a city Michael found himself needing to get away. Some days he would fly outside the wall surrounding the city and scavenge for the humans that so desperately needed supplies or fight off any rogue angels, which the humans had begun calling 8 balls, that threatened the city. More often than not though he found himself visiting the human family he had saved at the beginning of the war.
They lived in a small house miles away from Vega. This is where he always felt at peace. This is where he always felt accepted. Most visits were far too short but on occasion Michael would spend days at their home. This was one of those special occasions. It was the child's first birthday and while Michael didn't understand the absurd celebration he had promised to come. Jeep had told him that it was human custom to bring gifts and so Michael had spent months looking for something that would be suitable.
"Michael!" yells Charlie, coming through the door the moment he lands. She runs forward and happily embraces him. Michael wraps his arms around her, having long since gotten used to how humans used this to show affection, mostly due to Charlie.
"I'm glad to be here." he says letting go of her.
"I'm glad you could make it. Wouldn't be the same without you here considering you gave my little boy a chance at life." she says happily
"I said I would come. Did you doubt me?"
"No. No of course not." says Charlie, scared she has offended the angel.
"Shall we go in? I would like to see this thing you call a birthday party." replies Michael, detecting her unease and begins walking to the small home.
"Oh right. Of course. Jeep! Michael's here! Bring Alex out!" calls Charlie as she walks into the kitchen.
The home seems small with only two bedrooms, a small living room and a kitchen but underground it is quite spacious. There is a storm cellar beneath the couch that leads down into a large room where the family sleeps and other small rooms storing supplies. This is where Charlie and Alex wait out angel attacks. When they first moved in Charlie had convinced Jeep to put a large bed in that room so that he would have a place to sleep when he stayed for long periods of time. This small house was more of a home to him than the tower he occupied back in Vega. They are the closest thing he has had to a family since betraying his true family almost a year ago and so he had made sure to make the home as resistant to angel attacks as possible. When they had first moved here he had spent days working on the home and stocking it with supplies.
"Michael! So glad you could make it. Let your wings out; relax for once." says Jeep as he enters the room, carrying a small crying blanket wrapped form.
"Jeep. Good to see you as always." says Michael finally letting his wings out and sighing with relief. He finds hiding his true form to be tiring and because Jeep and Charlie have always been accepting of him, he finds the time he spends with them to be truly relaxing.
"Would you mind holding Alex for a minute? I have to help Charlie with the cake and I can't do that while holding him." asks Jeep. When Michael nods he hands still crying Alex to him. Michael then beings to rock the child who after a few moments stops crying.
"You're the only one who can calm him that quickly. It's amazing. How are things in Vega?" asks Charlie who is now setting plates on the small table.
"Things are going well. They are beginning to form a rations system which, with luck, will stop the riots. The ruling families seem to be handling things quite well so I plan to allow them to work without much of my guidance. There are more pressing matters that require my attention" says Michael looking down at the child. It stairs up at him with wide eyes and reaches out as though to touch one of his wings. Michael pulls them closer and the baby gently grabs an obsidian feather with its small hands. He begins giggling and Michael smiles down at him.
"He likes you, you know. Whenever your around he smiles and laughs more, its like he knows he's safer with you around." says Jeep, looking over at his laughing son and the smiling arch angle.
"You seem happier too. I can always tell by the way you smile and let your wings out around us. I wish you would stay here, we have plenty of room. Let Vega sort things out for themselves. We could use your help and you obviously like it here." says Charlie, again trying to convince him to stay though she knows the answer.
"I fought my brethren to protect humanity. All of humanity and while I'd like to stay I cannot. Perhaps when Vega can better sustain itself." says Michael, not even looking up from the child. What a fascinating little boy he thinks to himself. So small now but eventually he will grow to be the savior of all.
"Cake!" calls Jeep carrying a small white cake reading "Happy Birthday, Alex" in blue frosting. Michael smiles remembering how happy both Charlie and Jeep were when they saw the box of mix and sugar in a bag of food he had brought them weeks before. At the time he didn't understand it but now he was finally starting to figure it out.
"Do we sing now?" he asks Jeep who had taught him the silly song humans sing before blowing out candles on a cake.
"After I light the candle and you move in front of the cake with Alex." replies his friend who uses a match to light a candle.
"Shouldn't one of you hold the boy?"
"No. You should. You're the reason he's even having a birthday. Now on three. One, two, three." says Charlie and they all begin to sing.
Together the three bend down to blow out Alex's one small candle and then Jeep cuts the cake. They sit down at the table and when Michael goes to hand the child to his mother, he begins to cry so he holds the child in his arms again. After the baby stops crying they begin to eat and Alex smashes his cake into mush. When he reaches up and smears a glob of cake across Michael's cheek his parents gasp but the angel only laughs and puts a dab of frosting onto the baby's nose who begins laughing too.
After eating they move into the living room and talk before opening presents. They talk about everything from Vega and other new cities to human culture and traditions. Michael always finds talks like these helpful and enjoys them because they give him a sense of belonging that he misses when he is not with these people.
An hour later they begin opening presents. They sit Alex on the floor and surround him with the small packages. He doesn't move, just stares at the adults around him and so they begin to unwrap the gifts for him. Slowly they unwrap the gifts one by one. Charlie had sewn Alex some new clothes. Jeep had found him a rattle and a few toy cars. When they get to Michael's gift Jeep and Charlie gasp. There is a basketball wrapped in paper and secured with a bow but a separately wrapped box holds a Polaroid camera with film. Charlie and Jeep look at the angel with wide eyes.
"I found it when I was scavenging one day. It's some form of camera and I made sure it works. I thought the child may like to have things to remember people by." he says finding the way the two humans are looking at him to be odd.
"It's amazing, Michael. Oh my goodness. Thank you so much! It's a camera, Jeep!" exclaims Charlie, reaching out to hug him again.
"It's no problem. Really. I thought it would be a good gift for you all."
"We should take a picture now. All of us. Could we do that, Jeep? Would you show up on camera, Michael?" asks Charlie who picks up the camera and begins getting it ready to take a picture.
"Yes. I will show up on film." says Michael laughing. The child reaches out his arms to him as though knowing that it is time for a picture so he pics him up. Charlie and Jeep place themselves on either side of Alex and him. With his giant wings as the back drop Jeep takes two pictures of them and hands one to Michael.
"What's this?" he asks
"A copy for you. Even angels should have something to remember family by and now that your part of ours you should have a picture of us all together." says Jeep as if he finds the question odd.
"Thank you." replies Michael, feeling happy that while he lost one family in a way he gained another.
Then they get up, clean dishes and Jeeps starts to teach Michael the basics of Basketball. Later when it is time to sleep and Michael puts Alex down the child again begins the cry so he picks him up and lies on his own bed. Soon they both fall asleep, Alex laying on the feathers of one of the angels soft wings and Michael holding the picture of his new family.