AN: A bit of filler and stuff before things begin to get heated! The next few chapters may be a bit delayed though, so I apologize in advance, things are sort of stuffed right now time management wise! After Christmas things will get back on track again! I'm at least trying to update once or twice a week!

Reviews:

Robin0203: Hahahaha he won't let them do anything dangerous, honestly, and when they inevitably do he's going to worry so much! Ava isn't necessarily unclaimed, but this chapter is about her story, or at least the important bits, its good! Don't worry! NIS IS HERE BRO! Nis is a true guy.

Cutecookielove: Hahahah yes, Haniel had twins, and they are exactly like him. He gets the saying 'what goes around comes around' to a whole new literal level now. We will get to see more of them, together too, later on! Had to establish our mains first, but the others do come into play! Hahahaha Michael wears every color man, even pink, he's cool like that! Making him curse is hilarious, because he tries to be all respectful and stuff in case any little eyes are watching him, but he curses when he's really angry! It is a different type of relationship, I don't want to give a whole lot away, but claiming a nephilim is the human equivalent of adopting a child, which is different then the guardian and fledgling relationship, primarily on the aging factor among a few other things. So it's like he would be adopting her as his own blood (though not blood). It's confusing. But yes. It's a different type of relationship lol. I don't wanna give too much away, but there is a way for Nephilim to get to Heaven without Him granting it, that's all I'm gonna say. They can't stay long, like, live there without His say so, but it is possible for them to come up.

And unto the chapterrr!

…

He took the matter of claiming a nephilim as seriously as the one made when taking on both Paul and Sasha, it was no easy decision to make, there was much to think on the matter. He thought as he walked, his feet taking on a mind of their own, in search for the one whom would know more about this then anyone else he would, would know more about the nephilim hierarchy then he surely would.

The one in question was polishing his sword when he found him, sitting on a bench in the armory, humming absently to himself as he worked on what needed working.

"Haniel, may I have a word with you?"

The Power looked up at the sound of his voice, eyes wide at being caught off guard, "Am I in trouble?"

That caused the Captain to narrow his eyes, "Did you do something?" and he heaved a sigh, shaking his head.

"I wanted to ask you about your twins."

The other Power went stiff so suddenly that it caught him off guard, they had all known of the two children, there was no secrets between them in their family, so his stiffening was absurd.

"What about them?"

"Do you regret them?"

He turned to meet his eyes, "Never." He set his sword aside, "They are the greatest things I have, Lola and Lacy, I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Nisroc nodded, sitting next to him on the bench "And you don't regret claiming them?"

"Not a single moment." He sat up, folding the cloth over his knee, "Claiming a nephilid gives them a place in their society, it gives them a voice," he leaned forward, "And it makes them know that they are wanted. Not just a union between us and their human parent. But something more then that." He tilted his head, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." The captain looked to his boots "If you were to claim one that was not yours, would you?"

"It would depend on them." He turned back to his polishing "Do they deserve it?"

"What do you know of one named Ava?"

Haniel chuckled, "She's a good girl. My twins are good friends with her. She has a bright heart." He turned a knowing glance on him "Why? Are you planning on claiming a nephilim?" he chuckled lowly "If anyone would deserve it, it would be that girl."

…

He returned to the Bunker alone, in his search for what he should do, in search for the nephilim in question. Ava was not there, and he found his commander's young niece in the library reading a book. She looked up at him curiously, setting her book down "Are you looking for Ava?"

"That obvious?" he hummed and sat next to her, she slid the book away and turned to look at him, she looked so much like her father did, it was almost uncanny. The way she tilted her head when asking questions in curiosity, the protectiveness of those she cared for.

"Um, yea, I saw the way you two were going on the other day."

He smiled, looking to his hands, "Tell me of her?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Well get comfortable," she pushed the book away completely and folded in on herself, preparing to tell her story.

"Ava loves everybody. You could be good or bad." She set her chin on her palm, "Even her dad. Despite the huge scum bag that he is, she loves him, it's just her nature." She smiled, "She's crazy too, takes any dare passed along, and let me tell you that there have been some questionable dares that's come along. Loves dying her hair, she says it's self-expression, she loves her art too. Carries around a sketch pad everywhere she goes. She likes girls, had a girlfriend once, ended on bad terms." She looked to him on the last admission, wondering his thoughts on that matter, and he seemed unphased as though he could care less about where her heart took her. She smiled at the thought that it was one less person who would judge her based on who she loved, in regards to loving someone, Thaddeus had most certainly had opinions on the matter. It was one of the reasons he'd disowned her.

"What of her relationship with her father?" it broke his heart just a bit to know that she had love in her heart for an angel that would never reciprocate the feeling, "Is there one?"

"Nah, don't worry," Iaso looked to her lap, "He disowned her. They met once, some time ago, and she disappeared for some time. There is speculation, none of it proved mind you, that he attempted to take back the part of him that's twined in her soul but was unsuccessful, so he disowned her instead. The second worst thing that a parent could do." She narrowed her eyes, "Second of three."

"What are the first and third?"

She raised her eyebrow, "Well, the first being that they are successful in taking their part away from the twined soul, and that kills them." She scratched at her ear lightly, "The third is being unclaimed. Either the parent doesn't know that their child exists, such was my case, of they do and don't care, which is horrible. But I guess its better then being claimed by someone who won't love you right."

Nisroc nodded, absorbing all the information he was gathering on the matter at hand, there was no one else who knew the workings of the nephilim society then one of their own, he hated asking all these questions about his inquiry to what appeared to be one of her closest friends, but there was no one else he could think of.

"And disowning?"

The Healer's child frowned, "Disowning is the worst thing to happen to you. If you're dead then you know your place. Being unclaimed means that your unknown, you have little say in the society that we live in, but your word does count in certain matters." She looked down at the table, a wave of sympathy washing over her for her friend, Ava didn't deserve her fate, "But, being disowned, that means that you were recognized and rejected. Your word means nothing, you mean nothing, lowest of the low in our hierarchy. Even the unclaimed have more say then the disowned do. Ava was given her place as my partner because I refused to do it without her there."

Their eyes met again, and he nodded, "Can one who's been disowned be reclaimed by another?"

"Why?", Iaso gave a side smile, and nodded to his question, "Yes, you can be reclaimed if you've been disowned." She met his gaze, her eyes sparkling in the lighting of the library, a certain amount of threat portrayed in the stare, "Don't lead her on. She's gone through so much already. If you don't want anything to do with her then let it go. She barely made it when she was disowned the first time, being made to think that someone wants her only to be mistaken would kill her." She reached for her book back, opening it back to the page that had been marked when he'd arrived, and he knew his time with her and his questions was coming to an end. "She just needs someone to show her the same love that she shows everyone else."

He nodded, thanking her for her time, letting her return to her book that she'd been given to read from her father and left her there in a quick flurry of silver feathers.

…

He greeted Titus on the training field, having already gathered Sashael from his own squadrons barrack, and the other Power gave him a knowing smile and greeted him in turn, "Titus, may I borrow Paul for a short time?"

The young many looked up at the sound of his name, bright eyes meeting his when he was spotted, and Titus nodded, motioning for his third year cadet to dismiss himself. The two brothers, both united by being the charge of the one leading them to his office, exchanged looks behind him. Nisroc held his office door open for them, gesturing for them both to enter, and they ducked under his arm to do just that. Sasha stepped around the desk to sit in the Power's seat, and Paul stood behind one of the two on the other side ringing his hands together.

"Am I in trouble?"

That caught the boy's guardian, though grown as he was, the Captain would always be his guardian "Should you be?"

The boy took on a peculiar look, "No?"

At the response being in the form of a question, the Power pointed a finger at him, "We will come back to that discussion later." The boy deflated and sat next to the Power when the other didn't make any motion to kick the younger of his two charges from his own seat.

"I called you both in here for your opinions."

"Is it about you claiming a nephilim?"

Sasha couldn't help it, he blurted it out before his guardian could get to the matter he wished to discuss, Nisroc stared at him with wide eyes and Paul's mouth dropped open in surprise that the younger had known something before he had, and for it to be something as dramatic as claiming a nephilim, this was news he hadn't heard yet.

The elder charge turned to his guardian, "Are you really?"

"I am…considering it."

"Who is it?"

"Ava, right?" Sasha resisted the flinch that tried to creep up on him at the look he got from his guardian, Nisroc was dumbfounded that the boy knew before he ever spoke word of it to the two of them "Sasha, how do you even know this?"

Sasha took a deep breath as though this was going to be a long winded answer, "Well, you know how Akeelah is best friends with Zaveriel?" the Power nodded, "Well Zaveriel is good friends with Lola and Lacy." The Power was dumbfounded, "Who Haniel tells everything to when it regards nephilim." He felt a headache coming on, "So they told Zaves, who told Akeelah, who told me." He shot a smug look over to his older brother charge at the fact of the matter that he knew before the other did and Paul glowered playfully in return, "I for one think you should do it."

He looked to Paul for his opinion, and he nodded in time with his younger brother charge, "I don't want to make it sound like I disagree, because I don't disagree, but are you sure you can do it?", he tugged at his sleeve, "I mean, that's like adopting a human child, is that something you're okay doing?"

"I've met her only once, and she already holds a place in my heart, she deserves nothing less."

"She?" Paul shared a look with the other behind the desk, Sasha raised an eyebrow, "We're going to have a little sister!"

"But you would be okay?", he looked between them, "With me taking in another?"

His charges exchanged looks, "We're not exactly young anymore, we know you'd neve replace us." They shared a nod, "We think you should do it. You clearly want to."

…

He knocked on his Captains office door with a single knuckled, looking down to his boot as he waited for the voice from within to offer him entrance, it had been a week since the matter had been brought to his attention, and in that week he'd learned more from others on the matter, spent more time with the nephilim in question, and had come to his decision after that long week that had been lived through.

The soft voice granted him entrance and he turned the handle of the door softly, granting himself entrance in the room, Michael met his gaze solidly and set aside the paperwork he'd been working at his entrance into the office.

"You've had a very long week, my Captain."

"That I have, sir." He rubbed at his ear and sat in the chair on the opposing side of the table "I have done plenty of research and learned much in this week."

"I see," the Viceroy nodded along, folding his hands together in front of him, giving his Captain the entirety of his attention "And is this on the matter that we discussed a week previous?"

Nisroc nodded, "It is.", he sighed and nodded, "I would be willing to claim the nephilim."

"Are you sure?" his commander tilted his head to the side, "It is not something that is taken lightly to their kind. It is not something to be made lightly. I will not have another break this one's heart."

He nodded, "I've thought long and hard on the matter, it was not a decision made lightly." He cleared his throat, "If I may speak freely?" his commander nodded, "Always, my friend." He looked him solely in the eyes, "I have gotten to know her rather well in this last week and have grown quite attached. I would like to claim the Nephilim, Ava Browne, as my own."

Michael smiled, "Well, then, shall we make it official?"

The Power took a deep breath, himself fearful that she would reject him, it was a possible though unlikely outcome to this entire thing, but he stood with his Commander. Michael stepped around his desk, calling out into the empty space for his brothers, he knew they would hear his call no matter where they may be.

He turned, as they wait for their arrival, "Have you crafted her a seal?"

The Power nodded, holding up a pendant that dangled from a silver chain, it was his personal seal, something that all claimed nephilim bore. Iaso's necklace was the Healer's seal, one that had been gifted to his lover long ago, and had been passed to their daughter upon her birth, the Healer had claimed her before knowing of her existence with the seal being given to her at birth.

The Morningstar and Messenger arrived first, sharing the message that the Healer was already on Earth with his daughter, and Michael nodded in understanding, he himself didn't have children, but was rather fond of his niece and liked to spend at much time as he could with her as well, that was most certainly doubly so for the Healer.

"Nisroc wishes to claim a nephilim."

They turned to look at him in surprise and he nodded.

Michael carried on, "I know Raphael would agree, but as the remaining half of the council, do you grant this union?"

It was a special circumstance, the claiming of ones own child could come naturally, whether approved or not, but the claiming of one that was not their own birthed child took the approval of the council, it was a precaution to ensure that an angel who would do more harm then good would be able to claim a nephilim child.

"Of course."

"Duh."

There was no hesitance, honestly, they had all been hoping that the Power Captain would take the Nephilim in question as his own, the more they got to know her through their niece, they more they knew she deserved to have someone love her as she loved everyone else, even her bastard biological father, completely and unconditionally, and they knew that the Captain would do so with all of his heart and grace.

Michael turned to smile at him, the other two watching silently, "It has been approved, my friend, shall we go make her aware?"

…

Iaso listened to her friend gush in amusement and elation, Ava hadn't been this excited about just anyone in a long time, and to have found someone that made her this happy, made her, as her friend, just as happy. Her father was silently reading a book some ways away, at another table, and she knew despite his not acknowledging it, that he was amused by the other nephilim's excitement.

She told her about how he taught her some new moves, to use in battle when the need arose, how he gave her a dagger to keep with her when she was on her own scouting out a village or what not, how he had given her permission to call on him if she ever had need of him. She wore the old leather jacket he'd given her with such pride, everywhere she could manage, when they'd returned to the nephilim capital in an ancient city there had been many who'd asked where she'd gotten it, and though they didn't believe her when she told them, she knew where it had come from and that was enough for her.

The usual jeers at her disowned status hadn't even phased the elation that she had felt when someone cared enough about her to give her a new belonging.

"Iaso, I really like him, like, more then I like my dad, I think…" she seemed to taper off for a moment, "I think I love him, Ia."

She laughed at her friends statement, "Ava, he's been here to see you every day this last week." She pat her friend on the shoulder playfully, "I think he really likes you too.", the other nephilim jumped in her seat excitedly, "You really think so?"

"I really think so."

The nephilim leaned in closer to her friend, "I'm not supposed to say anything—" she was interrupted "Iaso." She turned, meeting the gaze of her father over the book he was reading, and huffed when he shook his head. She wanted so dearly to tell her friend what the plans were, but knew that with her father in hearing range she would never get a word out about it, and fell silent.

But too much had already been spoken, Ava looked between the two of them, eyes wide and alarmed, "Not supposed to say what?" a horrified look came over her, she'd been rejected once, and she knew that this was about to be the second time, her fingers gripped the sleeves of her hoodie as she prepared herself for it the second time around, "He hates me doesn't he."

"What?", Iaso looked back at her friend in surprise, at the sudden shift in mood, even her father seemed startled and she wasn't even looking in his direction to be sure, "He clearly doesn't hate you!"

"Then what can't you say?" Ava looked put out, knowing that her friend knew something and wasn't telling her, they shared everything, well, it seemed, almost everything.

"Nothing."

"I'm too hyper. Too excitable. Oh my grandfather!" She smacked a hand to her forehead, "I let myself be led on!"

Her face flushed and Iaso watched her quickly avert her eyes when they suddenly appeared in the library, she watched the Power grow concerned at the spark's sudden dimness and when he looked in her direction, she merely shrugged and look back to her father.

Raphael shared a glance with her uncle, and smiled, setting his book aside, "I give my consent."

Her uncle nodded, and she turned to watch as he squeezed the Power's shoulder, "I give mine, obviously, my friend."

A smile overcame her features, she knew this would be the outcome that day, one week ago exactly, he had come to her with inquiries about her friend. She was like her father, in the way she was inquisitive and thoughtful, often seeing the bigger picture before anyone else knew what the bigger picture was.

Ava still refused to look up at him though, and a frown marred his features, Iaso spotted the small box in his large left hand, fingers curled around it as he nodded his thanks to the archangels around the room, and he stepped forward, pulling the other chair away and kneeling next to her friend's side.

Nisroc took a deep breath, as though to build up the courage, "Ava?" when she ignored him, staring down at her hands, he sighed lightly, "Little one?" that had always gained a response, and thus it still held true, she turned to look at him with sad eyes, he wanted to question them, but he knew if he didn't ask now, he may never have the courage to do so now, "I have a gift for you."

"A gift?"

As it would with any teenager, the aspect of a gift captivated her attention, and she uncurled slightly to look at him more fully. Iaso looked about her uncles and father, her lip quirking in amusement at the widening smiles they wore at the sight they beheld. If there was any nephilim that she knew deserved this, it was her best friend, Ava had been through so much since her rejection from her biological father, had faced so much ridicule from so many for his disownment, and to have this happen, it was a blessing being bestowed by Grandfather Himself.

He held the little box up to her, and she looked between him and the box at least twice, taking in the nerves that rolled within his gaze, and took the box in hands that were so much smaller then hers were, and she spared him a look before staring down at the little box in her hand.

This was such a private moment that they were witnessing, and she felt slightly wrong for intruding on it, but none of them seemed to be able to turn away from it.

He nudged her thigh softy, "Open it." She bit her lip, praying that it was what she had hoped it would be, but preparing herself for the worst fallout she could ever face, and slowly she lifted the top off of the small box. It was not much, a small obsidian stone, attached to a silver chain, and she pulled it from the box with silence. He watched her set the box aside, pulling the stone up to hold in her palm, rub her thumb over the rune engraved on the fine smooth stone.

"Is this…?"

"My seal?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, wide eyes that were watering with tears that never should be seen in them, "Your…Your seal?" she sniffed when he nodded, "Like….Like the one that Iaso got from her dad?" at the mention of her pendant, she instinctively twirled it between her fingers, her eyes meeting those of her fathers and they shared a small loving smile between them, and perhaps the other members to the archangels flock, but mainly between them.

Nisroc nodded "The very same."

"But..But…" she couldn't understand, her father said that she was an abomination among abominations, that no one could love a foul creature such as herself, "I..You should know…I like girls…" she held the stone, his seal, back to him, and he pushed it back "I don't care much who you decide you love. I care that you are loved. That you are happy. I don't very much care who that might be for nor from."

"But…But I'm an abomination among abominations, that's what he said…. That's what he said when he disowned me….Why would anyone want an abomination?"

He curled his fingers around the arms of the chair she was sitting in and turned it to face him, her head cast down, staring at the seal in her hand, and then to his hands curled around her knees.

"The only abomination I see is he. You are a lover. A dreamer. You are the farthest thing from an abomination." His hands, so much larger then hers, curled around the one holding the seal, "Would you let me claim you?"

Finally, her watering eyes turned up to meet his, and he reached a tentative hand up to rub a tear away with his thumb, caressing her cheek tenderly, when the tear managed to escape from her eyes.

"You…you want me?"

"Always."

She sniffed once, smiling at him silently, and nodding to his question. He smiled at her, taking the necklace from her hand, and leaned forward to reach around her neck to clasp it securely for her to wear, for all to see, that she was claimed by someone. She was claimed by a Power. She was claimed by the Power Captain. The next best thing to being claimed by an Archangel was being claimed by one of their elite legions. And she had been.

She was no longer merely a disowned.

She belonged somewhere.

Iaso stood from her seat, to give them some space, skirted around the table and between her uncles, to meet her father at the other end. The Healer hadn't stood from his seat, though his book had been set aside to witness the proceedings, and she sat against his side in the curve of the chair, smiling when she felt her arm curl around her in return, pulling her in close to him until she was practically on top of him.

Ava sniffed again, laughing a watery laugh, and leaned forward to wrap around the Power kneeling in front of her. He was surprised at first, at the sudden action of the hug, but recovered quickly and wrapped her with in his own embrace. He stood, pulling her to stand with him, folded around the small nephilim as if he were to protect her from all harm in the world.

Her cries were faint against him, though they could see her shoulders shaking, her fingers clutching at the dark green long sleeve shirt he wore, and he curled around her as much as he could, pressing his face into her hair.

Her parent had rejected her, because she did not fit the picture of what a child like his was meant to fulfill, because of whom she had chosen to love, and another had come. Another wanted her. Another couldn't care less whom she chose to love as hers.

Nisroc pulled her away, when he felt her tears lessen, and held both of her cheeks in his hands, pressing their foreheads together, "You have brothers too."

"I have brothers?"

"Older brothers," he smiled at his new claim, his new child, his new charge, "They want to meet you and fight at your side." She seemed a bit overwhelmed but stared into his eyes none the less, "Would you let them?" she seemed to think on it for a moment, and then nodded, as best as she could given her position, "Yes."

Iaso looked down at her own father in confusion, "I don't have any siblings," he turned to look up at her, "Do I?"

"If he is including his old charges in his family," he nodded, seeming to think on the matter, "Then yes, you would have quite a few."

"Oh, my Grandfather!" she turned to look at him more fully, "I do!"

"Yes, though not in the sense of another nephilim, but full-blooded angels." The Healer smiled at her excitement, "I've had a few charges who I'm sure would consider you a sister of theirs; Constantine, Zaveriel, Oren, Joshua, Akeelah, to name a few."

"I know Zaveriel and Akeelah."

That caused him to look up at her this time, both eyebrows raised, "How do you know him?" she smiled at his interest and the way it offset him, "He's helped me send messages back to the capital in the ancient city." He stared at her still though, "How do you know Akeelah?" she laughed softly, "She comes with him. Don't tell Nisroc though, that's where she sneaks off to during the night, and he doesn't know where she goes."

"Do they know that you are my daughter?"

"No."

He dug the fingers he held around her side inwards, and she choked and jolted further into him, only trapping herself against him, "Ashamed of me?"

"Noho! They just hahaven't been around ihin a while!"

The Healer smiled, letting up on her side, and she squirmed to find a comfortable position, her legs ended up dangling over his right thigh as she settled in the crook of the chair he sat on, leaning against his side. He merely raised his chin to press it to her braids, curling his arm around her waist instead, and they watched the Power and nephilim whisper to each other. The other Archangels waved to them in farewell, having to return to their duties in Heaven, leaving the new pair alone together and the Healer with his child in the chair on the other side of the room.

Iaso turned slightly, pressing her ear to his chest lightly, "Did you ever regret finding out that you had a child?"

"I was shocked at first, I still am in a way," he kissed her ear, "But I was never ashamed of it." He curled her in to him tighter for a moment in the semblance of a hug, "Regret was never an emotion I felt, and is still an emotion I don't feel to this day, I have known my daughter for a little over a month and cherish ever moment I get to spend with her." His grip loosened and she turned to straighten out into her previous position again.

"Did you know about him wanting to ask to claim her?"

He chuckled softly, it was a rumbling sound from deep in the chest she pressed her ear against, it sounded like thunder on a stormy summer's day, "I was the one who asked him." She pat his chest with her free hand, "You did good, dad." He chuckled again, "I'm happy you approve."

"Do you really think they'll want to meet me?" he hummed under her, "Who?" she picked lightly at his olive green shirt, "The ones who said would consider my a sister, do you think they'd really want to meet me?" he brushed his fingers over her hand tangled in his shirt as he reached for his book once more, "I know they will. Prepare yourself." He opened the book to where he had marked the page, "You are about to have a legion at your beck and call. They will adore you as one of their own. My Virtues are rather protective of fledglings."

"What's a fledgling?"

"A fledgling is a child."

"I'm not a child!" he laughed softly at her adamant statement, finding his place on the page of the novel he had been reading, "Of course not. Would you like me to read to you?" he knew his argument had been proven when she nodded against his chest and he began to read aloud.

They would enjoy the peace while it lasted, because it wouldn't for much longer, the excitement of the claiming had taken their attention away from a battle raging around them, and it would be soon that their attention was redirected. Perhaps with new allies though. So, they'd be prepared.

Because it was just around the corner.

…

AN: Yay! We have a new family! And, Yay! For the fluff! We got our fill now right? Cause it's gonna get juicy here? We got a war to fight doods! Got new faces to meet, more relationships to build, and asses to kick!