Michael's POV

I don't get it. Why my Father would ask for human sacrifice? He never done it, who would need a human's blood as sacred sacrifice? It can't be our Father, he wouldn't be that cruel.

Ok, I have an offer for you, Michael. If you replace this woman, I'll give the light your sister needs.

Cruel deal, but it worth it. I can save two lives, although I won't see the result of my death. What insures me that Laurel and Ayelet will be alive? The answer is nothing, but I have to do something for them, I can't let them down. I love this woman, who accepted me, and haven't judged not all the beauty and good died with the end of the world, she showed me, and there are still goods out here.

Yes, there are goods, but it's not your death, brother!

Ayelet's voice in my head tried to stop me from my plan. All the day I had struggles in my soul, my heart fought with my mind, and of course, someone from the ether sphere had to constantly argue with me, even between life and death.

Can you shut up for at least once in your existence? Father said it's my only chance to save you. I've fallen, the deal is a deal, and you can't stop me.

Oh, you idiot! If you dare to commit to this awful promise, I'll never forgive you!

Hm, I was conscious about my decision, I'll stab myself to death, and maybe my sister will hate me for her entire existence in the eternal life, but does it worth it? Yes. She'll live, that matters.

From that on I never listened fully to her soul's screaming in my head, and I followed my intuitions, as I always done. Gabriel was more of a strategic person, I mostly followed my heart, what it told me to do, and this is how I'd define myself.

At night before the liturgy started I broke into the church. Wes, Laurel's co-leader of course, had to start fighting with me. I don't care; I'll replace Laurel at any cost. As I told my oath, I led the dagger into my heart, until it stopped beating, and my last bit of air was gone. The last I saw was Laurel holding my collapsing body, and her tears washing the sadness away from my soul I kept inside.

Somehow I know this was the right thing to do...

~Meanwhile in Vega's hospital~

"Do something, not just stand there!" Shawn Hale was on the verge of freaking out. The hand he was holding moved, and the machine to which the woman was tied began to beep frantically, indicating that he had returned back.

"I cannot do anything more for her, from now on, it's up to Sergeant Trynnes, how long her healing processes will take." said the doctor.

Shawn's mind was in chaos. A lot of questions swirled viciously, and remained answerless, but he didn't care at that time, the only thing mattered for him his beloved angel's life. Ayelet came back. How? She used all of her tiny little power to save someone dear to her.

"Hey, do you hear me, Ayelet?" he whispered. She didn't respond; she was too weak yet to communicate any further. Only the tears flowing down from her closed eyes were signing that she was truly alive, not just the beeping medical machines. "Consul Thorn will be well, she'll survive. You're idea helped."

And he talked and talked until he fell asleep on the chair in the single-person-room where she was placed after he reported the case.

Being close to his guardian angel give a kind of peace to him, and the fact she was back relaxed his exhausted soul. He had too much loss in his life, since the angels appeared and attacked humanity. He remembered how Ayelet and he met for the first time, on the battlefield, and after in the AAC Academy where she was trying to find the best suitable weapon for herself, and he helped Ayelet. She certainly was untalented with guns, she always used them as a very last resort, and was attached to that blade she always had by her side. It was made in Heaven, only for her. The love he felt for this celestial lady, is unsure, when it started, but they spent more and more time in each other's company, and he was proud to himself that he could control his own desires to keep Ayelet's boundaries in respect. He didn't want the lady to fall from Heaven.

It was enough for him to love her from a proper distance. And he gave another opportunity to the woman to laugh at his snoring habits later if she truly hears him. Once he awakened him at her laughter in the office, and when he asked what she found so funny, Ayelet answered if he had any clue he was snoring in sleep.

Ayelet wasn't any better; she tended to talk in her sleeping state, once he caught her dreaming about food. And she also was terrible at cooking or baking, he still remembered the meant-to-be-cake birthday present. Well, the surprising factor worked, but it was funny to see her messy, covered in flour and mixture of sugar and egg yolk... he wished if the celestial things would never happened. If they just were ordinary people in an ordinary day, making mistakes and laughing at themselves, enjoying life.

The next morning he had to go, and he hardly let Ayelet's hand. In the office his lieutenant waited for him with the news.

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine, don't worry. She just over exhausted herself. Damn it, I should have taken more care of my people. Now Lannon and Banks are also missing too..." he let his frustration out on the nearest chair by kicking it. "Ouch!"

"And Michael also left Vega, he betrayed us."

"Ouch number two." what will he tell to the poor angel, who just started to step out from her fears of Michael?

"Why?"

"Hm, let's see, the chief leader of AAC is gone, the General is gone, what kind of shit will happen to us next? Cruel to say, but maybe it is the best if Annie quits the army."

"Whoa-ho, calm down, boss! It's not the end of the world, ok, maybe our situation is not the best, and I've been very modest with my language, but hey, will do what we can."

"Can I trust you, Lieutenant?"

"Why not?"

"Can you keep secrets?"

"Cool, sure. Tell me."

"Ok, but if you dare to share this with anyone, I'll have to kill you."

"I can take the risk. So, what's going on?"

"Annie is an angel in disguise. She belongs to the Archangel family, she is the universal guardian, but left Heaven at the end of the first angelic war. If this makes some sense for you."

"Wait... so... you mean that she is ancient?" his chin dropped in surprise. The captain nodded.

"Ok, what about wings? Have you seen them?"

"She doesn't have any." he laughed.

"Angel without wings... good one. She could have one pair in the past, or how she's planning to go home?"

"You took it better than I expected."

"I like her, with or without angels. Actually, I was supporting you two to come together, but now it is a bit problematic, huh? How big is the age gap?"

"Stop it! Don't laugh at me!"

"Hm, maybe you're into ladies older from you. I remember Meredith was also two years elder than you, Captain."

"Don't bring her up, don't you dare!"

"Ok, sorry, I shut up. But seriously, what's so bad in angels like her? She is almost like other humans, I don't get it."

"As you see, the folk in Vega is not into angels. If they'd know... they might kill her."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch. That's why I told you to shut up about this."

"I can totally get you it is too risky to have such kind of secret. So, what will you do?"

"Nothing. This is the best, she has rules, if she'd start anything with me, she might fall from grace, and I can't afford it. I can't be so selfish to claim her mine and I do not want to turn the true Boss of bosses against me." he said, leaning on his desk, almost panicking to see how much paperwork waited him.