"The Bible depicts Azriel as the angel of death."

Ben and Michaela were typically the ones to receive the stranger callings. And often, they received them together. With a few weeks of silence, they were hit with this one.

But as soon as they came out of their calling, Olive was ready to give them answers.

"Ok, well what would the angel of death want with my wife?" Zeke asked, his voice panicked and his emotions high.

Ben put a hand on Zeke's shoulder "He said it was what we wanted with him…" he paused, trying to search his brain for a specific memory that wasn't there. "but I don't ever recall bargaining with the angel of death."

Olive kept her gaze at the books she had hoarded at the table. You know, she lived for this sort of thing. Solving these problems and looking towards the writings and research of many for answers. She really was her fathers daughter. "That's the thing." She spoke, her hands skimming the spine of one of the books. "Other mythological stories depict him as a wraith. Giving a mark to his victims and taking their souls when they die."

Ben pulled off his glasses, holding them tightly in his hand. "Well I can only hope the latter is true. What would we want with a soul sucker?"

Olive's face turned white, a sick feeling building in her stomach. Ben saw the change in her body language. "Olive?" He asked, attempting to get her to come back to reality. But she was lost in the moment and the severity of her findings. Her mouth could not find the right words to express what she had discovered.

"It says here that when Azriel comes, he takes the soul of a person… and brings them to Sheol."

Silence fell between the lot of them. Questions burning within them like a flame tapping against a splash of gasoline for the first time.

"Holy shit." Mick whispered under her breath. "Cal?"

Cal's head lifted, his eyes tired and bloodshot. He closed them, the fragmented memories of what he had done came flooding back to him.

"The waiting place of the dead… where Cal went." Ben uttered. The shock in his dad's eyes made Cal's stomach turn. He didn't mean for this to happen. He barely remembered the deal until now. It felt unimportant, miniscule. But now it was more important than ever.

Ben exhaled. "Did you make a bargain with Azriel?"

Everyone turned over to Cal, his expression full of confusion. "I-I spoke to him." He stuttered. "It felt like a dream."

They watched as the pieces came together, whatever he had forgotten coming back to him in a rush. Dizziness overcame him as he explained the situation.

"I thought you spoke to Gabriel?" Mick asked. Cal turned to her, his face long with guilt. She tilted her head, examining his face. Why did Cal look like he was guilty…? and what was he guilty for?

"I spoke to both of them. Azriel came and took me back to Sheol while mom was dying… before you guys came home." He pointed out.

Grace felt a jab at her heart. The memories of that night were blurry, and though she hated the word, triggering. She remembers slipping away into black, holding Cal's face in her hands. A sweet release and surrender enveloped her body. The pain of the wound slipped away, and the nothingness held her in its arms. The next minute she was in the hospital, most of her family with her, but her baby girl gone.

"He told me there was a soul on earth who was owed to him. Who was supposed to die and be given to him." Cal added.

Mick laughed. Of course this was more complicated than what they thought. That's just life lately. "Technically every one of us was… is.. supposed to die."

Olive's face lit up for a moment, a lightbulb lighting in her mind. "But none of you are marked by Azriel."

The room fell silent once more. Cal rubbed his head, pressing at his temple to try to get the incoming headache to stay at bay. Guilt and regret filled his entire body.

"You don't think…" Ben began, his eyes locking with his wife. His beautiful wife, who was on the brink of death… and survived not that long ago.

Grace's eyes went wide, the attention on her. It made her crawl in her skin.

"Cal. What did you do?" Asked Olive. She walked into the dining room, looking for something in particular. Suddenly, she slammed a book onto the table, turning everyone's attention. "Look!" She exclaimed. They made their way to the dining room after her, crowding around it like investigators at a crime scene.

"This story explains that the wraith exchanges souls."

They looked around at each other, Zeke taking Mick's hand as he turned to Ben. Ben didn't know what to say, and instead took off his glasses once more, trying to understand what that meant.

"What do you mean by 'exchange souls'?" Grace asked.

Olive slid her finger over the open page. "'If someone desires the victim's soul to not be taken, they can offer up the soul of another as a trade for the victim's life'."

"That's what you had to do?" Grace asked. "Trade another soul for mine?" She let her words go limp at the end of her sentence. She got sick just saying it out loud.

Cal didn't know how to respond. The weight of his actions just now pulled him down. It was so foggy before, like a complete out of body experience. And here he was, the memories crashing down on him.

He watched his mother's face contort from confusion, into a look of pain. A pain similar to what he saw when she was slipping away. He broke eye contact with her, looking at his uncle instead. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't face his mom.

"Cal?" Grace eventually asked. "Whose soul did you trade for mine?"

He looked down at the floor. Visions of seeing Azriel in front of him causing him to feel panicked. He remembered looking into that god forsaken mirror. The same one Gabriel placed in front his father and aunt. Azriel waved his hand, showing him what was happening and he was given a choice. A choice he should've never had to make.

"You can either let her die, or your mother. Choose wisely."

Cal stuttered, trying to answer his mom's question while the whole room stared at him. Their eyes burning holes in his body.

"Cal. Whose soul did you trade for mine?!" Grace sternly asked again.

Cal swallowed hard, the breath practically leaving his lungs. How could he tell them? How could they ever forgive him?

He looked around the table, locking eyes with Mick and Zeke.

Mick felt a chill run up her spine as she tried to read her nephew. He was riddled with guilt, and she didn't know why.

"Cal?!" Grace exclaimed one more time. Her eyes never left her son, anger bubbling up inside her at his hesitation. She wanted him to answer her now.

He looked over at his mom, then back to his aunt and uncle.

"I'm sorry." He uttered, tears running down his face.

"It was Drea." He said. "I traded Drea's soul for mom's."


WHOAAA! What did Cal do? Did you expect that? Haha. Well, there was chapter 21! I hope you all liked it!

I figured I would do a fun life recap at the end of every chapter, just to see what's been going on for me every month! So here we goooo: For starters my cousins came and visited (yay!), I dyed my hair again (Surprise surprise lol) thennnn I got the stomach bug and then the flu/a head cold directly after I recovered. Needless to say it's been eventful haha.

As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter here or via my twitter!

ALSO! I have a new mulit-chapter OUAT fic coming to A03 soon called "Angel with a Shotgun." I hope those of you OUAT fans will give that one a read as well!

Anyways, thanks for supporting me as a writer and reading my works, along with this one every month. I appreciate each and every one of you for sticking around.

Love you all and see you next month!

-The Color Gray