Today's the day I find them. I can feel it, I just…know. Maybe it's just blind desperate hope. But, God…please…if you're really listening…if you care at all

Let me find them. Let them be okay.

Please.

Michael eyed Michelle warily as she bounced along ahead of him. God knew he was grateful that she had finally started listening to him and was taking (barely) reasonable care of herself. But in the last few days something had seemed to come over her. She slept fitfully. Her voice, when she spoke, was almost manic in its speed and intensity. Michelle seemed to buzz with a fevered energy, more and more each day.

And, most shocking of all, she had started praying.

Every time she bent her head and closed her eyes, her lips moving in silent supplication, Michael felt a black knot in his gust twist and tighten. He wished her faith was real. He wished that he could gift her with the unwavering trust and love that he had once felt, the immovable foundation that had given him the strength to survive Judgment Day. But her desperate pleas were only a shaky structure that would once again crumble when she realized that God had failed her. A last resort of equal parts hope and despair.

"It's today, Michael."

He barely heard her murmured words. He frowned at her.

"What did you say?"

"It's today. We're going to find them today." Michelle's voice rose and she started walking faster, almost running now. "I can feel it. We're so close!" She stumbled and he caught her. Michelle grabbed his hand and pulled him after her, her pulse racing. It was like her blood was boiling, her every molecule vibrating with the need to answer a cry for help heard only by her. Michelle's breath came faster, her eyes wild and animal. She clutched Michael's hand, holding on with all her strength as she moved faster and faster until-

She stopped.

"What-"

She stepped close to him and put a hand on his chest to silence him. She looked ahead and gripped his arm tightly.

"Listen," she breathed. "Listen."

There was silence.

And then a scream.

Michelle was gone in a flash, Michael already drawing his sword as he chased after her. He felt a flash of hope burn through his heart. If she found them, if they found them together, then maybe she would start to put her trust in someone other than herself. Maybe she could put her trust in him.

"Please," he prayed, "don't let her down again."

Michelle burst out between two buildings and launched herself at the closest monster she could reach. There were two still standing that she could see, another stretched out dead on the dirt. Hers had been picking over the remains of the fallen demon. He didn't even see Michelle until her boot slammed into his back, throwing him down over the body. Michelle rolled off his back and aimed her gun at its head. It recovered faster than she expected and swung at her weapon. Michelle was forced to let go before it dislocated her fingers and the gun clattered to the ground.

"Down!" Michael shouted, and she threw herself forward in a roll that carried her underneath the creature as it tried to launch itself away from Michael's sword. Her breath slammed out of her chest as she slid to a jarring halt against Michael's shins. She yanked a thin knife from the sheath strapped to his leg and hurled it at the demon. The dagger lodged deep in his eye socket and the demon shrieked in agony as he clawed wildly at his own face. Michael used his disorientation to swing his silver blade cleanly down onto the thing's head, splitting him neatly in two.

Michael pulled Michelle to her feet and she ran at the remaining demon as it circled its prey, hissing. So far it had ignored the fight going on behind it. The monster would regret that. It had no chance on its own now.

Michael called out to Michelle, tossing a pistol her way. She turned, still running forward, and caught it midair. Michelle spun and fired. The demon froze. Michael blinked bewilderedly. Had she missed? No, that wasn't possible. She couldn't have missed, but…

The demon slowly fell forward onto its face a red puddle growing around his head.

Michelle panted heavily, her arm still extended. Her muscles slowly loosened and she managed to take a shaky step forward. Her arm fell.

"You…wha-…R-Rachel?"

"Michelle?"

The gun slipped out of her hand and she stumbled forward, throwing her arms around the slight figure crouched in front of her.

"You're alive. I knew it. I knew it. Oh, God, you're alive," Michelle babbled, barely intelligible through her wrenching sobs. Rachel held herself stiffly in her embrace. "Where's Kayla?"

Rachel didn't answer. Michelle stopped breathing. She slowly drew back.

"Rachel…where is she? Where's Kayla?"

"Kayla's dead," Rachel said bluntly. A high, keening noise slipped out through Michelle's throat. "We made it through the tunnels after you left. Tried to head for the base, like you told us to. We were about three miles out before one of them dropped on us. Landed on Kayla first. She…didn't move after that." She looked down at her lap. "I found Lillian the next day. Her parents are dead, but she doesn't want to go back to the base."

Michelle looked down, noticing for the first time the small child she had unconsciously leaned over to get to Rachel. The girl's eyes were closed, but she was breathing. Thankfully there was only a small cut on her forehead. She had probably fainted.

"Lillian…"

"She's fine," Rachel said curtly. "Just a small cut."

"We have bandages," Michelle said, reaching out to touch the child's face.

"I said she's fine," Rachel snapped. "Don't touch her!"

Michelle reeled back as though she'd been slapped. Michael walked to her side and knelt next to her. Rachel's eyes cut to him, taking in the way his eyes clung to Michelle, the way his hand hovered over her arm, afraid to touch her but desperately wanting to. She snorted.

"And who's this?" she asked bitingly. "You get a boyfriend while you were gone?"

While I was watching Kayla die?

"N-no," Michelle stammered. "He's my…my…" Her eyes cut to Michael's face, begging for help.

"I protect her," he said simply.

Rachel howled with laughter. "He's your protector? Oh, I see. Mm-hmm." She eyed Michael's body mockingly. "Very nice choice for a bodyguard, Michelle. Just be careful, yeah? Don't trust him too much. Protectors are nice for a while, but don't you dare trust him, because…because when you need them most…you'll…he'll leave you!"

Michelle cried, "Rachel, I-"

"But I won't," Rachel hissed. "I won't leave Lillian. I'll protect her." She laughed. "You can't save anyone. And he can't save you."

Michael swung Michelle behind him and stretched his wings to their full span. Rachel fell back in the dirt, Lillian tumbling off her lap. She gaped up at Michael as he towered over her. He dropped a duffel bag next to her and she flinched at the heavy thud.

"Ammunition and medical supplies. Enough to get you to a base." His eyes flicked towards Lillian. "Take the child there. You are not enough." His eyes met Rachel's and held her gaze. "She needs a safe place."

He turned and gathered Michelle in his arms. For once she didn't protest as he swept them both into the skies.