It was a blur. He remembered walking home with his brother, holding hands. Parting at the front door, because Xigbar and Mother didn't get along, but he wanted to say hello before going upstairs. He'd told Xigbar to go up and he'd be there in a minute. Gabriel really had only meant to say hello and go upstairs, hadn't meant to stay long. But his mother had that look, that 'things are not in your favor so don't try resisting.'

He hadnt been able to answer her questions. She had gotten a call at midday, saying he hadn't shown up for classes. And under that evil eye, he had broke. He spilled about his time with Xigbar, and apologized for the worry he had caused her.

Serenity Rayne was a model citizen. She did volunteer work around the community. She worked as a physical therapist for children with cancer. She went to church every Sunday. She was respected, well-liked, and revered as a model citizen. To add on to these shining achievements, her quiet, but intelligent child was on the Honor Roll every semester, and had already been invited to several universities on full ride scholarships, though he was only a junior.

But then, the two of them bothe had secret sides, didn't they?

Gabriel was pinned up against the pantry doors as the tiny woman beat him with her shaking fists. The hits were weak, compared to the blows he received on the training fields, but they were repetative, unblocked, and thrown with rage. With hate. With a silent pain and sense of injustice that was in no way his fault, but his sin to bear nonetheless. Her rings were sharp, and made, at first, little indentations, then small cuts ringed with slight bruises, and finally bleeding gashes. Not once did he try to stop her, not once did he cry out, speak a word, or whimper. He just stood, unflinching, letting her take the pain in her heart out on him. He had to bear the punishment for her life, because who else was there to take it?

By the time she had worn herself out, the diamonds on her little fingers looked like rubies, and she was breathing hard. With a look of harsh realization in her eyes, she ruched over to the sink to wash away the evidence.

"Tell Xigbar dinner will be ready shortly. I'll bring the plates up to you boys. Your homework is on your desk, a classmate dropped it off."

He didn't answer. He didn't want to. He simply made his way over to the stairs, and headed up.


Xigbar could hear the blows. He could hear each strike of skin on skin, and knew what was going on without even looking. It angered him, lit a fire deep within him. That witch was supposed to keep his twin safe, not beat him.

But he couldnt do anything. Not yet. If he were to step in now, it would only make it worse on Gabriel when he left again. All he could do was be here when he came up, treat his wounds, and be ready to comfort him. No doubt the other would refuse, and would say he was fine, and probably try to protect the wretch from blame, but Xigbar would have none of it. She wanted him to be perfect. And if there was one thing on this earth he could not stand, it was perfection.

"You know, Xiggy, I think you need to learn how to let go."

He spun around at the voice, knowing the sound. It was the voice that haunted his forever darkness. Braig. His so called "loving brother."

"What are you doing here, Braig?"

"It's my house too, Xiggy. But back to my point, please? You're an animal. Gabe there is quite human. Maybe if you had grown up together, you'd be alright. But since you seperated him, you guys might as well be different species. If he ever decides to be with you in the way you want him, it will be damning him in so many ways."

Though he could not see through them, his eyes darkened. Braig had always had a way of taking Xigbar's deepest fears and putting them into the nastiest of words.

"I can take care of him. I can save his soul."

"Incest. Homosexuality. Beastiality. Just to start off."

"What are you saying about yourself then, Braig?"

"That we've bothe grown up in it. He was supposed to, but you saved him. If you count that as saving." he added, gesturing to the noise downstairs.

"But," he continued, "You could just let him live his life, and slip into the shadows. He'll grow up strong, find a nice girl, get married. Buy a white-pickett-fence kinda house and raise his kids in minimum-wage suburbia, with no knowledge of who or what he is. The curse will never activate, he'll never transform, and the terror of our generation will stop right there. If it doesn't awaken in him, it won't pass on to his young. He'll be happy."

It sounded like something Gabriel would despise. But how can you know that? the voice in his head challenged. You aren't ever here. Maybe the hard outer shell is a mask. Maybe he wants to be normal. And maybe, just maybe, you ARE preventing that in him.

"No. He would hate that. And plus, it's not fair to him. He's a god, Braig, just like us. And he deserves to know. Even if... even if it doesn't look like a great life now, it's bound to get better."

He waited for an answer, but when he never got one, he knew the brother had left. Listening carefully to make sure, he heard the sound of Gabriel's soft footfalls on the stairs.

What if it was true? What if Gabriel wanted a wife and kids, and a white pickett fence? Maybe a backyard, with a dog? A swingset that he could push the babies on every night after coming home from his job at the office. He could make management anywhere, for sure.

What if Gabriel could be human, and be happy?


Halfway up the staircase, his mind was teeming.

No, Xigbar, it's fine. It doesn't happen often. I can take it. She's just hurting. I wasn't good enough, I deserve it. I should have known better. I like the pain, really.

His breath caught in his throat as he scanned the room. Xigbar was gone. No where to be seen. And his entire room was untouched, save for the papers the wind had blown around the room.

From his bed, something sparkled barely from the pillow. Gabriel made his way cautiously across the room, seeing then that it was a black dog's collar. The sparkle had been the silver buckle and matching tag that hung from it, name side down. Touching it gently, he got chills, and drew his hand back against his body. It was honestly one of the oddest feelings he'd ever experienced, as if he were missing something, and this collar was the key. But at the same time, if he picked it up, he felt as though life as he knew it would be over.

The question was, was the life he knew right now something he would be willing to get rid of?

Absolutely. He was suicidal for a reason, true?

With a grin that had no trace of happiness in it, he reached to flip over the name tag, anf pick the artifact up from it's place. There, he saw his name engraved in a clinical brand of cursive, and wasn't so much surprised, as fascinated. The leather was old, though it had obviously never been used by the way it creaked under his touch. He had no clue why, but some kind of instinct flared in him, telling him to throw the thing, while another told him to put it to use. He recognized the first as common sense, the second was foreign. Foreign and possibly dangerous, but intriguing all the same. Which was to trust?

Why don't you ever think, Gabriel? I named you after one of the greatest Archangels, so that the Lord may save you, but it will all be for naught if you aren't perfect!

His mother's words rang through him, and he raised a hand to his lip, still dripping blood. Perfection. It was a terrible thing. And if his Mother wanted him to be with her faith and her God, she would be dissappointed. He was done being her angel. He would now turn himself around, and be what he had a feeling he was born to be. A False Archangel. Not a demon, not a divine, but a dark, impressive, undaunting force of nature. And with that thought, he wrapped the collar around his throat, and secured it into place.

And for the first time in his whole miserable life, Gabriel felt the fates smiling down on him.