"Father, are you busy?"

Their Father looked over from where He was working on a new project and waved them further in from over His shoulder. Michael lead them in, the others flanking in behind him, and Gabriel shut the door behind him.

"What brings you here, My sons?"

"Father we've been talking about it for some time and we want to do something the little one who stays with us."

He turned fully from His project and rubbed His hands on a towel to remove the clay like goop that soaked them, motioning them closer with a wave of a freshly clean hand.

"Oh? And what did you four have in mind?"

Before angels were sorted into their first classes, they were placed into flock, Akeelah's flock had moved on without her, most of them having been split up during the war. And thus, while she belonged to the Choir now, she had no flock to call her own now.

Michael exchanged a look, huffing softly when they clearly indicated that they had gifted him with the responsibility of voicing their thoughts for them, as was one of the duties as being the oldest brother, if was a curse he willingly lived with.

"We want to give her a flock.", he gestured to his brothers behind him, "Our fledgling has the choir but has no flock to belong to."

"And you wish to have the fledgling join yours?"

He sat on His Throne, folding the cloth over the arm of the Throne, leaning forward with His hands on His knees. The Archangels exchanged a single look, and each nodded in kind, that was indeed what they wanted to do, she had stayed with them for nearly as long as Lucifer had brought her out of the Pantheon. She still ventured back of course but always returned to them in the end.

"It has been some time since you've last had a fledgling in your flock.", He gave them an inquisitive look, "Are you sure you can handle having another?"

They each nodded again, the others stepping up to stand at the oldest brother's side, as a united front to their Father's inquisitive gaze. The last fledgling, they had in their flock had been Gabriel himself, and that was some some time ago. They really weren't as young as they had been, and that wasn't to say they were old, but even still. Looking after a fledgling was usually a full-time job.

"She has been staying with us since she came from the Pantheon."

"That she has. I've seen the way you all care for her. You've been raising her well. To see that spark returning to her eyes again was something I had hopes for."

Lucifer smiled at the thought of his little fledgling, she really was a joy to have around, a bit sassy at the best of times, and most certainly a bit mischievous, but brought a light with her that was not seen in such a long time.

"I will grant you this request.", He leaned down in His throne and passed them a crest with their sigil carved into it, "I will give this to you to use when you see fit."

Michael took the crest and tucked it into his robes smiling up at his Father.

"Thank you, Father."

"You are most welcome My sons. She has changed you all. I never thought I'd see you so close again."

They smiled at each other again. Thanking their father in turn one by one as they left Him back to His project. He bid them farewell and a soft congratulations.

The four of them found little Akeelah scribbling on a piece of parchment on the steps of their villa. Gabriel ran to join her, moving just ahead of them, and took a seat next to her on the step. She was quick in hiding the page away, but Michael saw the name scribbled on it just before it was hidden from view and he hoped his Power knew what was coming for him.

"Little one, come here.", the oldest angel sat on the step next to her and lifted her up into his lap, she looked up at him inquisitively with wide eyes, "Whatever they said I did they don't have any proof." That minute admission brought them all to pause, "Did you do something we should know?" at the realization that she had possibly admitted to something they were not aware of, and she was quick in shaking her head, despite her oldest brothers narrowed eyes, "Nope. Nothin!" they would come back to that matter at hand later.

"Little one, what do you know of your flock?"

She looked up to the Healer with gloomy eyes and shrugged.

"I dunno. We were all separated, and I've haven't seen them since."

They all exchanged a look and urged the oldest one on.

"Little one, we want to ask you a question, it's a very important one, it that okay?"

Akeelah nodded, fingers curling around the chain necklace that hung around the oldest angel's neck, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"What's wrong big brother?"

"Little one we want to take you into our flock."

She tilted her head in confusion, "Why?"

"Why? Because we adore you little one. We want to give you somewhere to belong at the end of the day. Will you accept out invitation?"

She stared at him for a moment before breaking out into a bright smile.

"And I'll always be able to come back here?"

"Don't you already?", Gabriel quipped softly on her left side. And she giggled over at him from her place in Michael's lap. He smiled at the sound of it and reached out to rub at her cheek softly.

"Indeed. You will have a place with us until you're are older and even then."

"Yes!", she lurched forward and hugged herself to him tightly "Yes I do!"