Silent Shadow is proud to present

THE FINAL CHAPTER OF ANGEL'S FLIGHT

Redemption

A/N: OK this has what you all have been waiting for. Sorry it took so long but here it is, and the winner is… ROWEN! For full details check out the thanks page. Now I now you are thinking, "WHAT ABOUT ALL THE MIA AND RYO VOTES!" Well, all these answers and proof that is not rigged is in the "thanx page. All I have to say is that a fan out there cheated. Well, enough of this. More of the story.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mia come out!" Rowen said banging on the solid door of Mia's room rapidly. He was greeted by silence.

"Mia you can't stay there forever!"

More silence.

"Rowen man give it up," Ryo said glumly looking at the closed and locked door, "She isn't coming out."

"Then I'll break down the door," Rowen said stubbornly.

"Really," Ryo said shaking his head, "I think she wants to be alone now. You need to give her time."

Rowen opened his mouth to say something but shut it quickly and strutted out of the house.

'Give her time?' he thought as he climbed on the tree he had placed her on a few days ago, 'I'm not sure time can heal her wounds.'

He glanced at her balcony. She had left the large window open as usual; it was a bad habit he had often scolded her about. It would be so easy just to flip up there and comfort her.

'Time…'

Rowen desperately wanted to help her but when he was around her he just didn't know what to say. He would have long and meaningful speeches planned out but when he tried to say them his words came out as strange rambles. He was helpless.

Helpless to save her from her own torture, he felt so small.

"I know her better then anyone else," he said to no one in particular, "Why can't I help her?"

"That's a good question," he heard someone say. Rowen almost fell out of the tree in surprise.

"Sage?"

Sage nodded, his one piercing eye staring a him intently, "Why aren't you helping her?"

"Because I…" Rowen said thinking hard… even he didn't know. "Because I… can't"

"That's a lie," Sage said frowning, "Like you said, you know her better then anyone. Whenever she has a secret she tells you, whenever she needs comfort your shoulder is always there. What makes now so different?"

"Because I…"

'Love her,' he silently finished biting his lip. "Because it's just different now."

Sage didn't say anything but a look of sadness crossed over his violet eyes. Rowen looked away guiltily, he knew Sage also loved Mia, and he knew now Sage knew what he felt about her, too.

There was a long uncomfortable silence between them as Sage avoided his eyes.

"She feels the same you know…"

"What?"

"She feels the same. I know it. I just never really wanted to accept it, but right now she doesn't need any jealousy, just comfort."

"Sage…"

"You have to go to her and help her," he said stubbornly but still somehow avoiding Rowen's surprised eyes.

"Why… you love her too. Why are you helping me?" he asked confused.

"Because she loves you," he said, "No matter how I want it the other way, it will never be the same as you and her. It's best for her… and you."

"…Thank you Sage," Rowen said slowly. He began to make his way to the balcony.

"… No need to thank," Sage said but Rowen wasn't in listening range, "really…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mia," he said as he stumbled blindly into the pitch back room. She must have turned of the lights, making it almost impossible to see.

"Mia…" he repeated but there was no reply. The silence was deafening and it scared him.

Then he heard it, a slight breathing, a sad sniffle.

"Rowen?" he heard a soft voice call, almost like a breath. His eyes began to make out a small figure on the bed positioned in a tight ball, with their eyes shut firmly. Her mouth was slightly open and small strands of her auburn hair fell over her face. Her arms cradled her head and her knees where drawn up to her chest.

"It's me," he said and pacing over to Mia and sat down on the lumpy bed beside her, "I'm here."

He drew her up for a hug but she pushed away and began to shed tears onto the already wet covers.

"Please just go away," she said in between her sobs. Rowen felt a pang of hurt but he wasn't leaving.

"Mia let us help you."

"I don't want help," she said brushing him off.

"But you need it," he said.

"What if I said to you that I don't feel like putting up with your 'help'."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's all the same. It's all pity; they just pat me on the back and look sad. Others just want to know what's going on and make me tell them exactly what I feel and some do everything to avoid it and bring up a nice conversation about the weather."

She shook her head in the dark her hair tumbling down, "I don't need that. All I want to be is left alone." She broke down again on her bed unable to speak. Rowen tried again to pull her in an embrace and this time he succeeded. He held her body in his arms and she began to sob on him.

"I won't pity you Mia. I know you better then that, but you can never make me stop trying to help you," he whispered.

"Rowen…"

"Please don't say anything," he said hushing her, "You don't need to say anything."

He began to rock her gently as if she was a child.

"Thank you Rowen," she said spontaneously.

"For what?"

"For everything. When no one else was there you were. You always could make me feel better if I was sad. It was like you were the person I was waiting for."

"…?"

Mia looked away from him and Rowen could almost make out a blush, "I mean. I never really had a good relationship with anyone. My mother was insane, my father experimented with me, grandfather was always so distant… and Angel One was never there to talk to me. So I guess I started to try and live on my own, I pretended I didn't need anyone or anyone's help. That's why I never told you what was happening to me." She paused as if she was trying to say something really hard

"I understand. You don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to," he said soothingly.

"But I do want to tell you Rowen. Because I know you can understand. Angel One, he was like my hope. He was my brother, my father, my past, he was the last of me. It's kind of hard to explain, but when he was there I wasn't alone anymore. But now he's gone like everyone else, and I have no one."

"You have me."

"I know that now," she said suddenly smiling, "Even if everyone else I love is dead; I will happy to know that you are there but…"

"But what?"

"But even you can't take all this away from me. Every time I close my eyes, I see my family dying. Every time I sleep, it's dreams of fire. Every time I see a happy family, it brings back memories of what I never had."

"You've got to get through this," he said trying to encourage her, "This is not like you. You're stronger then this."

"Am I? If I was so strong, how come Angel One is dead?"

Rowen frowned, "It's not your fault he died-"

"Oh but it is Rowen," she said, she could feel her own heart breaking, "He died for me, died to protect me. His blood is on my hands."

There was a silence in the room and Mia began again, "If I could change…"

"If… if? There are no ifs in the world. You've got to stop saying if to really change life. You can't change the past no matter how hard it is."

"Rowen you've never felt the pain I have," she said clutching her heart as if it hurt, "You can't comprehend… what's it like… to die on the inside."

"That's what you think," he said looking meaningfully in her emerald eyes, "But have I ever told you my story?"

"…"

"My father was abusive and my mother neglected me. No one could ever please my father, he was a scientist just like yours. When he was angry he would vent by punching me around. Mother didn't care, she was always off working on her hot new article."

"Oh Rowen…"

He silenced her with a hand wave, "I guess that's why I always tried to be so good at everything, to be respected. It never worked and never will and when I finally realized that… I died on the inside."

"…"

"And then I met this girl, this one really nice, smart, beautiful girl. She was special. When she smiled it made me feel warm inside. And when she laughed it made my heart leap. She was always kind and willing to help. I love the way she smiled, the way she looks, I love her eyes, the way she talks, I love… her."

"She sounds really... amazing"

"She is, but one day things started to go wrong and she no longer smiled, no longer laughed, all she did was mourn over her lost ones."

Mia was quiet for awhile, "I'm sorry Rowen… I guess you don't love 'her' anymore because of it."

"You're wrong," he said tightening their hug, "I will love her forever, I just wish that… she would smile for me."

"It's hard to just smile if there is no reason to smile for," Mia said looking down into the darkness.

He places his hand below her chin and raised her head to eye level, "Then let me give you a reason…"

He brushed his lips against hers and she felt her body tingle. Their lips stayed connected and he slowly deepened it. Even if it was only a few minutes it seemed like forever, they pulled away from each other out of breath.

"…Rowen…" she murmured in shock her hands brushing over lips.

"I'm sorry," Rowen turning red, "I shouldn't have done that with all that is going on…"

She placed her other hand over Rowen's mouth and smiled.

"Thank you…" she leaned over and kissed him again much to his surprise. This time it was deeper and more lively.

When they broke apart he swept her off her feet and carried her out of the bed.

"Where are we going?" she asked him as he fell down to the ground outside.

"Nowhere in particular," he said as he shifted her so they he was giving her a piggyback ride, "Just a romantic stroll."

She smiled and leaned against him feeling comforted by the warmth from his body, "I'm so happy I have you…"

"So am I."

Mia felt her eyes droop, "It's strange… after you cry a lot it makes you feel so sleepy."

"It's OK if you do."

"I don't want to miss a minute with you," she protest sleepily, "I'll feel bad if I do. I don't want you to get lonely."

"Mia, just thinking of you makes me happiness."

"How poetic." She giggled as she closed her eyes.

"I do my best."

"Night night, sweet dreams, hopeful wishes that I will see you tomorrow." She muttered half asleep.

"Night night, sweet dreams, hopeful wishes that I will see you tomorrow," he repeated and then added his own phrase to it, "I love you more then forever."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sage watched as Rowen carried Mia into the forest. He smiled a strange smile; it looked like relief, happiness, and at the same time sadness.

"I knew he could do it," he said sighing.

"You say it almost as if you regret helping them," he heard a voice call from below him.

"Ryo?"

"Yeah," he said smiling and he climbed the tree, 'The one and only."

"You were watching them too?"

Ryo nodded, "I've been watching all of you."

"You are OK with it?"

"You mean Mia and Rowen?"

"Yes that. You don't care?"

"Of course I care! I really love Mia, I wish I could be with her, like you want to."

"Then why did you let of all this happen?"

"The same reason you did. Mia loves Rowen, only Rowen can heal her. I guess I haven't really been fair to her really. Kissing Faith…"

"You kissed Faith?" Sage said incredulously.

"Yeah yeah, rub it in won't you," he said bitterly, "Besides I'm too messed up for a real relationship, you know? The whole lover really an enemy and dying can mess a guy up."

"I guess, never really had it happen to me. Although I did have my love of my life fall in-love with my best friend."

"Don't worry there are plenty of fish in the sea," Ryo said patting him on the back.

"Easy for you to say."

"Oh yeah, the whole blushing and stuttering every time someone of the opposite gender comes alone problem huh?"

"Not that, it's just most girls that flock around me are bubble heads."

"Eh, rabid fangirls. I know how that feels," Ryo joked and he saw distantly in the woods Rowen lying Mia on the ground and kissing her forehead watching her sleep.

"They're perfect for each other," Sage said.

"I know. Wonder why it took then so long to realize."

"Probably to scared."

"Maybe…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~

Rowen stared Mia's sleeping figure and brushed a strand of hair off her face.

"So beautiful. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my love. I just needed consent from my friend first."

He cupped her left hand in his own, and then plucked a wild flower. He twisted it around her ring finger like a wedding band.

"Mia, I know it's soon, but nothing would make me happier to know that you would say yes to being mine for eternity."

He didn't expect a reaction because she was asleep but after he said those words, she murmured in her sleep.

~*~*~*~"I love you more then forever."~*~*~

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A/N: I'm sop sorry if the last chapter sucked. I began it with my lowest point of non-creativeness, but I know how evil it would be it I just left the last chapter, and then I got my act together. I might redo the whole chapter later, but right now I'm so behind. Oh my gpd I just realized how cheesy this whole thing is. I'm so not good w/ romance.

PLEASE HEAD ON TO THE NEXT "CHAPTER" FOR THE Thank you's! An important note in there~ …well not really but I want you to go there… pwease!