Disclaimer: I do not own Dominion, its locations, characters, plot, etc. I do own this crazy idea and a love for angels, and a few characters thrown in...
Summary: Six weeks post 1x04 The Flood, AU. Ever since Michal returned to Vega after being stabbed, some of the Corps soldiers noticed he wasn't always the stoic, aloof archangel Vega's known for years. And Alex is about to find out why. Also...William Whele has a secret to tell about a night that went normally to everyone else but was actually something much bigger.
To Red Dragon 1818: Thank you for the faves and follows!
To Mina: Worried? I'm sorry! No, I was just having issues getting things to flow nicely and set up plot points later. I shall prevail! Even in light of the heart breaking news. Thank you so much!
To T: Now that is a unique idea! Thank you so much!
To broccoli: Thank you!
To Wiccawoman: You're welcome and thank you!
To Guest: First time reviewer! Yay marshmallows! Thank you! Thank you so much! Wow!
To DominionFan2778: Ok lol, you're definitely one of the few people who do so :D anywho it's Alex being dense, as I've hedged and had Rogers try to explain (David Whele almost being perverted) With the new internal organs to carry the baby, Michael has a birth canal, I can't outright say the technical terms without changing the rating on this fic and I just don't feel like it. Michael could deliver the baby like a woman does naturally, if it's safe health wise...will just have to see...Thank you!
To guest: so glad you loved it! Thank you!
To sophik: Ethan and the boots just keeps happening on accident, but it fits so well! That and Michael can't exactly "safely" whack his soldiers up the side of the head without possibly hurting them, so instead he throws things...stern and overprotective are definitely two words to describe Michael on a good day, let alone as a parent, and yes Charlotte (Charlie) is an awesome name, as are Daniel or Adam, very nice! Yes, Gabriel would be one heck of an uncle, as would Unit Six be way too overbearing when it came to not only the baby but Michael as well...ack that is awesome! Can I use that quote? please? Claire and Becca...most certainly...I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much!
Wow! 250+ reviews! Thank you all so much!
So I went ahead and posted a new story based off the votes I got...It's called The Book of Angels, so if you want, go check it out please!
Chapter Thirty Eight
Xxx
"It's so cold...why's it so cold...Make it stop…"
He shuddered, holding her tighter to his chest as her shaking started to die off despite his efforts and silent begging that the trembling would never end. Her next mumble was incoherent, throat gurgling as blood bubbled within it's depths from her lungs.
Oh Father...why couldn't he heal her? Where was that fire in his veins that had flowed from Heaven like a hurricane's wrath? The soothing power that would have stopped the fatal bleeding and saved her life…
It was gone, it had been gone for over two years now, no traces of it anywhere within him.
She was dying…bleeding to death in his arms…
And he could do nothing to stop it.
".c-cold...make it s-stop…please...jus'...wanna be warm ag'n…"
The tears wouldn't stop, from either of them, she was crying silently, anything more took too much strength she just didn't have. He was openly sobbing, barely keeping his actions from shaking his body and jarring hers. He didn't care if Jeep saw him, he was too occupied with the crying baby Alex anyway.
He should have kept one of the eight balls alive, maimed so it couldn't do anything, but he needed an outlet for his rage…
"...please...Michael...please…"
Michael's throat rasped as he sucked in a breath, not sure why in the blazes he was nodding but he knew it wasn't a lie. His wings trembled, feathers rattling as he curled the pair around them both, she didn't flinch, didn't gasp, did nothing but sigh in relief as her body sagged against his, the life draining out at last as she gave in to the peace…
"Thank you…"
Xxx
Michael jerked awake, cringing a little at his stiff neck and lifting a hand from his stomach to rub at the sore muscles. He really needed to stop falling asleep in the rocking chair...then again, using it was the only way he was falling asleep in the first place.
Charlie's death was fresh on his mind, and unlike other times when memories began to plague his sleep, he couldn't determine why...nor could he make it stop. Meaning when the rare times came he could actually get some sleep without being kicked endlessly, his mind wouldn't shut down enough for his body to do so. Hence sleeping in the rocking chair and waking up stiff.
And hurting, just sitting there another few minutes he counted twice that the fetus rolled over completely, and he only figured that because the pair of feet had a tendency to use his lungs and kidneys as leverage.
Speaking of leverage, he sighed irritably as someone knocked on the door, he really didn't want to get up to open it, hopefully Mitch on duty would just let them in, or walk in himself as it was possible it was just one of Unit Six anyway.
If only, Michael was hard pressed to bite back the sigh in his throat as Rebecca Thorn stalked through the open doors as Mitch let her in, glancing to Michael for permission. He simply nodded, letting the soldier go back to standing in the hallway.
Becca wasn't much better than two days ago, still covered in heavy makeup and her hand was still wrapped in bandages, but only halfway to her elbow instead of up to her shoulder, the exposed skin was bright pink but no longer at risk for further damage. And in her short dress, Michael could see the jagged scar stretching across her knee that was causing the limping.
She stopped at his bed, leaning against the headboard and crossing her arms over her chest as they stared at one another silently, Michael had absolutely no intention of breaking the quiet first. The Consul huffed through her nose after another minute, jaw tightening in irritation before she schooled her features back to professional and forced calm.
They both knew it was fake.
"You're still going through with this?"
Besides her snide tone and mocking attitude, Michael was really starting hate how Rebecca acted as if 'this' was some switch he could turn on and off at whim. Pretty damn hard to do considering he was seven months pregnant.
"I would think at this point that was plainly obvious Consul-"
"My name is Becca, Michael, and I would appreciate if you would actually use it considering we're no longer in the senate chamber."
"Thank god…" Michael muttered, rubbing at the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache he just knew would come from this conversation.
"What did you say?"
He glared at her, refusing to answer that, instead he asked one of his own, struggling to keep his tone formal and non accusatory, "What do you want Rebecca?"
She sighed, a bit of her formal mask slipping with the action as she let out some frustration with that huff, resigning herself to Michael still maintaining a barrier, "Will you at least allow me to assist Dr. Rogers with your care?"
"Like you 'assisted' with the blood pressure medication?" Michael shot back, this time not biting back his sharp tone.
"I thought we moved past that." Becca grumbled, ignoring Michael's snort as the archangel leaned down to one side and picked up the water bottle that hadn't been there when he'd fallen asleep.
Becca continued on as he drank, "Michael...let me help, please," That was obviously an after thought, her weak attempt at keeping things calm. "At least grant me permission to look through your file and make suggestions, some ways to possibly help. It's pretty obvious, at least in the senate sessions you're not comfortable being there."
Michael outright barked a laugh, the noise strangely harsh and grating to his ears, nothing like his laugh when with his Unit...wow, they'd really changed him…
"Even you have to admit Rebecca those chairs are not the most suitable to sit in, especially-" Michael grunted deep in his throat, having to take a moment and push himself slowly to his feet, careful to find his footing before moving, beginning to pace as he spoke, "Especially when at seven months pregnant, there is very little that is comfortable anymore."
The senator watched him silently for a minute, the archangel making slow tracks back and forth in front of her as if just moving casually, to her it was nothing ,to Michael it was an attempt to stop his ribs from being used a punching bag. It did little to help and Michael moved his hands to the arch of his back, careful to keep his actions steady even though without doing so he would have likely lost his balance.
"You're not going to grant me access are you?"
Michael glared, actually pausing in his pacing to stare at her, losing some of the effect as he had to bend over a little to combat a sharp jab to his kidneys, grimacing a little as he snapped at her, "What do you think Consul?"
Her jaw tightened as he started moving again, needing to pace to keep calm, both him and the now anxious fetus because of his own tension.
"It won't make a difference…"
"What?" Again he had to pause, not fully understanding her meaning at the soft words.
Becca shrugged a bit, as if brushing off his confusion. "It won't make a difference Michael, this...this won't matter in the war, in humanity trying to get back on top where we belong-"
"Don't you dare-"
She ignored him, "What do you think Michael? Really? You're going to just deliver and things will go back to the way they were twenty-six years ago? Where people didn't have to fear for their lives everyday? This isn't some fix-all Michael. It's a mistake."
That hurt more than he wanted to admit, the one thing he knew internally but never dared voice out loud. What the hell was he doing...she was right...all this...just one big mistake…
Yet even as Michael slowed to a stop at the windows, staring down at Vega as his jaw clenched tight, Becca Thorn wasn't done, "Whatever you're looking or hoping to get out of this, will mean nothing. David was right, it will never belong to you."
Michael turned around at that, making to reply but was beaten to the punch.
"You don't care do you? About Vega, about this war-"
"That's not-"
Becca didn't let him finish, nor was Michael sure he was capable of doing so with the emotions clogging his throat.
"You asked me once how did I know if you were capable of love? You've proved yourself right...you're not...love isn't holding onto something that has no value, it isn't holding onto a threat because it's something new...this is madness...You? Ever capable of love? You don't know the first thing about it…"
With that, Becca turned on her heels, stalking from the room as if the very air had slighted her. Michael moved on autopilot, no where in control of his actions as he paused at his open doorway, staring at the Consul waiting for the elevator.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mitch struggling to hold Alex back, the chosen one's eyes blazing in the hallway light, guess the door had remained open during the conversation, at least it saved him from repeating what was already ripping him apart inside, the turmoil was enough as it is.
Becca turned around just as the elevator arrived, voice sharp and growling as Caroline and Blake exited the soldiers' suite, both with their shirts covered in flour, guess food was ready.
"Tell me Michael, what are you going to do in two months huh? When this part is over and you have that spawn in your arms...think that's going to solve everything? Even after this, you will still have what you started with, nothing...and no one…good luck living with that thing and going back to work, apparently the only thing you're good for..."
The elevator doors shut behind her, the click loud in the dead silent hallway. Michael didn't move, didn't speak, hell he almost didn't breathe, staring hopelessly at the closed doors. Caroline moved suddenly, catching his attention by breaking the silence, even if it was only her footsteps as she stepped closer.
She must have seen whatever it was in his eyes, reading more from the silver look than anything Michael could ever tell her. It only took the honey blonde woman lifting her arms for the archangel to take the one stop closer, letting her strong frame keep him standing as he ducked his head to her shoulder, holding on tight once it was obvious he needed her more than he wanted to admit.
Michael just let her solid body keep him upright, her strength making up for the fact that he was too weak to cry like he so desperately wanted to, and not because of the hormones plaguing his worn out body.
Noma was at the blonde's back a moment later, waving off the boys and their hovering as Michael finally looked up.
"Come on, you need to rest and Blake will keep the food hot until later."
For someone who had literally woken up twenty minutes ago, Michael was exhausted, keeping his head down as he followed the two women to the master suite of the soldiers' penthouse living arrangements. The rest of the unit took the hint and remained scarce, though Max and Eric may have gone downstairs to ensure Consul Thorn left.
Caroline let Noma take over with walking with Michael once the archangel agreed to move, the black haired sergeant wrapping an arm casually behind him to balance as he kept one on her shoulder.
Xxx
"Tada!"
Michael bit back the snort trying to slip out, settling instead for a weak grin as he saw what Caroline was apparently proud about, her "creation" was nothing more than probably all the pillows in the suite on the girls' master bed or the floor. The archangel welcomed it, sighing in relief to be off his aching feet, tucking a couple pillows between his legs as he stretched out on his side. Somehow, Caroline got him just about surrounded by them, appropriately keeping all jokes about feathers and nest to herself as Michael laid out on a couple pillows before scrunching one under his head.
"Like sleeping on a downy cloud...ha! Archangel...clouds...get it?"
Her unit chief sighed, eyes closing as he slowly relaxed, Noma retaliated for him, whacking Caroline with a pillow. Showed how relaxed his unit was, Caroline lost her balance and fell backwards off the bed onto another mountain of pillows, and Michael knew as her commanding officer it took practically a higher angel (or Rodriguez being an asshole) to get the soldier off her feet.
Caroline's sharp squeal was enough for the bathroom door to fly open, Carla calling out with a griping tone, "What the hell are you two bitches doing? And why has the pillow monster thrown up on our bed?"
Michael grinned as he lifted the arm he wasn't using to hold the under his head, waving slightly since apparently the pillows against his back and shoulders that felt amazing also blocked the short blonde's view.
"Oh! Hi Michael."
The bathroom door shut again as Caroline cackled from the floor, finally getting back up onto the bed as Carla came out, dressed in her uniform pants and a tank top, but no socks or gun belt, regular belt meant casual wear, gun belt meant going on duty.
This time Michael's sigh was at his own fault, grumbling a little as he shifted to remain comfortable, "I have absolutely no idea what the duty roster is anymore…"
Noma chuckled, "That's ok as long as we are 'punctual and respectful with our duties, maintaining a sense of decorum and balance with every shift change that ensures the integrity of your Unit and the Archangel Corps, the minor discrepancies in the reports and the roster schedule will be overlooked.' you just need to sign off on the reports and act like you know what's going should anyone ask."
Michael chuckled, "And which captain said that at the last check in?"
All three answered promptly, "Finch."
The archangel snorted, showed how high up his Unit was if they could get away with blatantly ignoring their schedules and basically performing their duties as they pleased, doing a fantastic job, but still ignoring most rules.
"Com'ere Carla, you're gonna screw it up."
That made Michael open his eyes finally, watching Noma run her fingers through Carla's hair to fix the last of the tangles before beginning to braid the blonde strands.
"I suck at this one…" Carla grumbled, sitting still as Noma wove her hair into a pair of neat French braids tracking down her head, Noma then wove the hair that was left starting from the base of Carla's neck, back into the existing braids, looping it back so the hair clung in a neat circle against her skull, neat, professional, would tuck into a helmet without pins or hair ties, and to Michael was not only gorgeous but all too familiar as Carla flopped out face down next to him, wilting into her own lay out of pillows as Caroline moved over for Noma to weave up her hair as well.
Michael reached a hand out and gently brushed the simple yet elegant braid, biting the inside of his cheek to keep calm as the tears pooled in his eyes again, this time from memories.
"You ok Michael?"
"Mhm...my..." He sighed, clearing his throat when it tried to close up, "My...sisters...used to do the same thing, weave their braids back into each other to keep their hair neat, they could..." Michael smiled unintentionally, oblivious to the tears on his cheeks as the memories took over, "They...could make these...patterns in their hair, with the tiniest braids, no thicker than a feather quill, woven back and forth, drove...drove my brothers and I crazy trying to figure out how they did it...Gabe-Gabriel would get so...so mad when they attacked him and braided his, he finally just cut it short and kept it that way so they couldn't surprise him anymore...for some reason I was never a target, nor Raphael, but Gabriel...they drove him to distraction...I think he enjoyed the attention more than anything else, even if the younger ones couldn't braid as well and would make things worse."
The gentle laugh in his tone made the girls go quiet, Noma tucking the last strands of Caroline's hair into the braided loops before pulling her own braid apart to redo.
"What were they like? Besides artists with hair?"
Michael didn't look up, voice soft and tired, "Wonderful...and terribly brilliant, could move mountains if they wished...literally."
Soft laughter came from the girls as they settled down, Caroline stretching out along the far side, stretching an arm out for Michael to rest his head on as Noma laid down on the end, shoving a pillow against Michael's legs to lay on.
They let the silence take over for a few moments, Michael on the edge of forgiving sleep with the girls content to rest in the lull next to him.
"Oh shit…"
"What Nomes?"
"Eric took my shift this morning…"
"So?"
She growled, rolling to press her face into the pillow, "I gotta go to morning training tomorrow!"
Michael chuckled softly, shuddering a little until Carla leaned up long enough to toss a blanket over him, "Would you three believe me if I said I know how you feel?"
"What? Not wanting to go to training?"
"Mhm."
Caroline snorted softly, snuggling down into the pillows comfortably, "Not gonna be fun going back to work after so much time off huh?"
"No...I've never had it easy recovering from something traumatic or long term, especially trying to get back to fighting shape…It's definitely going to take longer this time..."
"So the last time you were in the hospital? After you got stabbed? You came into the gym every night for two weeks straight."
"Longest two weeks I'd had in awhile, I couldn't get the muscle strength back as fast as I'd wanted."
Carla hummed, "You were also sick at that time too, you came in a couple really early mornings, worked in the weight room for a bit before running for the nearest trashcan or restroom. Michael...the whole barracks knew you were in there trying to get back in shape, and most of us knew you were sick long before you were finally in the hospital."
The archangel sighed softly, shifting a little as he glanced at each of them. "Captain Carter is working to assign more people to Unit Six, isn't she?"
"Yep," Carla chirped, "Blake and Caroline have been working through candidates, and then Alex and Noma test them at trainings. Carter wants at least one more girl so we're on six hour shifts instead of eight, and a couple more guys so there's a full guard rotation that overlaps us. Trying to find suitable people by late June to get them into the routine."
Michael nodded, mulling over the information silently, with him out of active duty, it wouldn't fall to him for awhile about new assignments, not until his unit made their own choices, giving him a condensed list of new soldiers for their Elite Unit.
"I...I can't stay out of this war…"
None of them spoke, but even with his eyes closed Michael knew they each nodded in agreement.
"I…" Michael swallowed roughly, forcing himself to look at them, especially when the growing fetus stirred and made his hand drop to his stomach, "I'm asking...I need the three of you to consider…"
His trailing off made Carla sit up to look directly at him, head tipped a little in concern, "Consider what?"
Michael sighed, "Guardianship."
That made them each tense, looking to each other then sit up to look at Michael directly, "You're asking us to be guardians?"
"Yes."
The three girls shared another look, before nodding.
"Ok...we will, on one condition…"
"And what's that Caroline?"
She was firm as she looked to him directly, Noma and Carla just as serious, "You take Senator Romero up on her proposal, I'm not saying the full twelve to eighteen months listed, but at least the minimum four. Boss...you need the time to recover and get used to everything. This has been rough...on all of us, gotta take things easy."
The archangel nodded, agreeing with them wholeheartedly as he sat up enough for Caroline to stretch out next to him again, pulling a book off the headboard while Michael rested his head on her shoulder. "Fine...I will speak with the captains tomorrow morning."
"Good, now go to sleep, half the guys are going in for weapon's check, the other half have reports to finish and rooms to clean, supper can wait until you wake up, I know you didn't sleep good earlier."
With that Michael chuckled, letting his mind settle as he started to fall asleep while Noma and Carla headed out to do whatever.
"Thank you…"
"Hmm?" Caroline shifted as Michael spoke, reaching instinctively to tug the blanket up higher so he didn't have to, "You're welcome...I guess...what for?"
"For being here...for doing what's right, none of you had to agree to the unit assignment."
Caroline snorted, flipping through her book casually, "Orders are orders, I'm a crazy smart ass Boss, not stupid."
"You know what I mean, you don't have to do this, none of you do."
"Yeah well, protecting you isn't just a gun at your door or window, it's keeping you safe from yourself too. As stubborn as you are…"
"Caroline…"
She chuckled, trying to sound apologetic and failing, "Sorry…"
"No you're not."
"You're right, I'm not."
Michael chuckled, yawning behind a hand, "I mean it though."
"I know you do."
"Going to be different...strange even...not having you all around like this…"
"You mean when you go back to active duty?"
"Mhm."
"Says who?" Caroline said with a laugh, "We're not going anywhere Michael, at least I'm not. We're Unit Six, meant to be under you for the long run until the entire Corps is no longer needed, seeing though as in most of human history armies just don't fade away, I doubt we'll be going anywhere anytime soon. Now go to sleep will you?"
The archangel hummed softly, already on the brink of unconsciousness when Caroline murmured something that eased his mind, and his heart as she let her hand entwine with his so he knew she was there while he slept.
"Go to sleep Boss, we'll be here when you wake up, we always will, not like any of us will be dead in two days or something."
Review Please!
Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay...life caught up with me...
So I went ahead and posted a new story based off the votes I got...It's called The Book of Angels, so if you want, go check it out please!
To all my readers, here's a note for you, DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ. And if you insist on reading and decide this fic isn't for you and decide to tell me, SIGN UP OR SHUT UP. I am done...thank you for your time.