HAHA its all good Robin0203! I gotchu! It's a bit separated but I gotchu!

"What happened?"

Little Akeela knew there was something wrong with her best friend the moment she found him. He was curled in on himself, and sitting in one of the farthest corners of the grand Garden outside of Father's Throne Room, almost as if he were trying to hide away from the world. When it had gone through the first two hours and she hadn't found him she knew immediately to come here to find him. Her older friend always came here when something was wrong; he'd hidden here when Gabriel had abandoned them, when his flock was torn apart, when Gabriel had been declared a dead traitor, when all the shit had finally hit the fan.

The little fledgling sat on the grass in front of him, tucking her legs under herself as she settled down quietly, the young messenger didn't respond at first but she was patient. They told each other everything; he was the first to know that she had started staying with the Archangels regularly and she had been the first to know that his friend Gadreel's case was being reevaluated by the Archangels. He tugged on his robe, hissing as the sash curling around his left shoulder tightened, reaching up to curl his fingers around it as though trying to stave off the pain under them.

"You have to promise not to tell."

She looked up from plucking the little pieces of green grace, and nodded immediately, their friendship was built on trust and secrets that they shared, she knew better then to break a promise, it just wasn't in her nature.

"I swear."

Zaveriel smiled at her through the ache and tugged on the sleeve of his robe, it slid down and she gasped at the sight of the purple and blue bruise that painted his shoulder brightly. Quickly climbing to her feet the little fledgling made to touch it, freezing as though unsure for one of the rare moments of her lifetime, looking down to meet the pained gaze of her friend. Zaveriel was well like among the other choirs, but there was still some who thought the energetic young messenger was a bit too pampered and needed to be brought down a few pegs.

"You have to tell!"

"No! And you can't either! You swore!", he tugged the shoulder of his robe back up to hide the darkened wound, looking her in the eye as she sat back down in front of him, "Or I'll tell that you were the one who broke Castiel's wing!"

"You swore!"

"Then we reach a bridge, I'll keep your secret and you keep mine."

She bit her lip, surely she would be sent to the corner for nearly half her lifetime if the others ever found out that she knew and never said anything, but then her friendship with the messenger had been formed long before she had started practically living with the four oldest brothers.

And so against her better judgement she reached out with her pinky finger, "Deal.", they're pinkies locked and the matter was dropped. No one outside the two of them would ever be made aware.

"Who did it?"

Zaveriel sighed and brushed a hand through his shaggy hair, "You know Paul?"

"He's a jerk!"

The messenger nodded in agreement, "He seems to be under the impression that others have to bow to his will because he's a warrior in training."

Michael had not been pleased to hear of the threes attempt to harm the little fledgling he was so fond of, and seated her on his left arm as he reprimanded the three of them, it was a dressing down that they would remember for some time to come. From there they were released to their master, the Commander being Paul's handed him off the be dealt with by Nisroc. Rumor has it that Titus was quick in volunteering to spare with the young trainee at the mere assumption that he was high enough to try and attack their honorary Power unprovoked and unarmed. It was cowardly and they had no place among them for cowards. From that point on the young warrior trainee was moved from the advanced class he had worked his way into back to the first stages and his real sword was replaced with the worn wooden ones that the newest recruits used (just out of fedglinghood themselves it was on no ones mind to give them actual weapons untrained). Nisroc had made an example of them.

The same could be said about Nathanael and Brachiel, the Messenger hadn't been happy with their actions, and Zaveriel had told her once that he had gone unnaturally serious and dragged them into his office. The door had been shut for almost two hours before it was opened again. They had been quick in finding her in the Heart Hall to apologize. She never questioned what had made them have such a quick change of heart, it wasn't like she really cared, but Zaves had given rumors on what the Messenger was known to do when one of his flock members acted out like they had.

Zaveriel had only been pulled into his office once and made it a point to never return.

"Michael let Nisroc handle him. He was demoted back to the beginners level."

The messenger choked on a snort, "I can imagine that he wasn't happy about it."

"He glared at me for an entire week before Raguel caught him."

"It's safe to say that his demotion changed nothing. Those damned wooden swords are just as harmful as the real things. I'll attest to that."

After that she made it a personal mission to watch out for her friend, helping him carry his full satchel or tie the sash that wrapped around his shoulder, making sure that no one noticed anything off about him. He was noticeably a bit subdued and the moment the Messenger noticed she was quick in drawing his attentions away from him again.

They made a good team and it was soon a little over two weeks since their meeting in the garden hidey hole, in that time it became more apparent that whatever was wrong with his shoulder was starting to get stronger, Zaveriel had dropped his messages more then once and had almost been reprimanded in front of everyone when he dropped an entire stack of papers that quickly scattered around the main hall of the aerie. Akeela had been quick in taking the blame, and had later been sternly scolded for trying to play in the aerie while they worked, it had hurt to be scolded but if it meant her friend was safe then she'd take one every night if it meant helping him stay off the radar.

But she knew things were getting worse and it was becoming harder not to tell someone. She didn't want to break her friends trust but she didn't like seeing him hurt either. Zaveriel had helped her through so much hurt in her young life and she wanted to help him in turn.

And so she finally did.

"Titus, what would you do if you had a secret that you promised to keep but knew that it was bad to keep it a secret?"

The tall Power looked up from his plans for the early beginners and graduating classes to peer into the fledglings eyes. Despite his hardened appearance, the Power had a kind heart, and had taken to their honorary member almost immediately. "It depends on what the secret is."

"What if you knew someone was hurt and you promised to not tell anyone?"

The Power set his pencil down, sitting up fully, and gave his undivided attention to the fledgling. Akeela had been sitting across from him on the same table, legs kicking back and forth over the edge, until she had fallen still. He leaned on his crossed arms and turned away from his work for the moment.

"Is someone hurt?"

"I can't say."

"I see.", he held out his hand for her and her little fingers curled around his as he tugged her around to sit in front of him instead, her little feet curling over his thighs and he braced his arms on either side of her. "Well it would depend on how hurt they were. Say, if it were a Knick or a small cut then no I would keep it a secret, but, if it were something I knew they needed help with then I would say something to help them. That is what friends do, is it not?"

She bit her lip and nodded, falling silent again, he rubbed his thumbs over her lower back and waited patiently for her to conclude her inner debate. The fledgling surely knew more then even Michael did, and most of it was witnessed or told, she was good at keeping her secrets and this one was most certainly eating her up.

The fledgling looked down at him again and their eyes met one another quickly, "Titus I have a secret that I promised not to tell but I want to be a good friend too."

"They will surely understand in time that you choose to share this secret with their wellbeing in mind."

Akeela bit her lip again and nodded, keeping her silence about her for another couple moments, "Titus I'm really scared for my friend. He's hurt badly and he won't tell anyone cause he doesn't want to get someone else in even more trouble because they are already being so mean to everyone for getting in trouble before." She took a deep breath, "And I promised not to tell anyone but I'm scared for him too."

"What is happening, baby Power?"

A moment longer and she told him everything, tears springing to her eyes at the knowledge that she was breaking her best friends trust, but her fear for him overrode any need to keep the secret to herself anymore despite having sworn to. Titus listened quietly, not interrupting her fast paced admission, and nodded to nearly everything she said. He didn't yell at her for keeping the secret she had. He didn't get mad at her for inadvertently keeping the one responsible undisclosed for their transgressions. He listened attentively and rubbed away the tears that slipped free with surprisingly gentle fingers.

"I think we should tell our brother."

"We can't tell Michael! He'll be so mad! We can't Titus!"

"He will not be angered at you baby Power but very well. We at least have to tell his Master then."

"No Titus! We can't tell any one of them!"

"How about we tell Nisroc then and see what he thinks we should do? We Powers the others opinions greatly after all."

It took a moment of thinking but she nodded after another small moment, curling her arms around the tall Power's shoulders when he hooked his hands under her arms and pulled her up with him as he stood.

Nisroc had been furious at the confession, not at their little warrior, but at the happenings and the failure to see ones wrongdoings. He swore he'd take care of it himself and left them alone in the filling training field. Michael looked oddly at the Power as he stepped passed him at the entrance, taking the steps quickly, and disappeared from sight a moment later. He turned his confused gaze to the other Power and fledgling, but little Akeela buried her face into Titus's shoulder and the Power shook his head once.

He had sworn not to tell Michael of course.