He knew there was something wrong the moment he stepped into his Aerie and silence rang loudly against his ears, he looked to the other messengers in question and they shook their heads, shying away from his inquisitive gaze and turned to one another instead.
"What happened?"
None stepped forward to answer though, they all whispered and clung to each other, looking in the direction of his office as though to answer his inquiry with a silent gesture. The Messenger gave them all odd looks and moved forward, heading in the direction of his office, and came to a stand still at the sound that managed to echo to his ear. The sound of something crashing, something shattering, and he quickened his pace.
Throwing the door to his office open, Gabriel saw the throwing of the vase before he saw anything else, ducking quickly as it whooshed passed his head and shattered on the stone wall behind him.
The scream that followed was so gut wrenching, so heart broken, that he couldn't do much more then just stare for the longest of moments. Seeing his bright hearted second bent over on himself sobbing was not something he would have come to expect to find, and yet here he was.
"Hey, hey, hey. " he stepped into his office, grabbing at the arm that was raised to throw another object, pulling it free from his fingers, "Hey. What's wrong? What happened? Is everyone okay?"
Zaveriel struggled against his hold, tugging uselessly at his arms, tears splashing down from his eyes before the struggle left him and he slumped forward. The Messenger seemed awed at the turn of events, but still he wrapped him in his arms, tightening his hold when he felt the body pressed against his shake with a sob.
"He gets worried."
One had broken the silence, a brave soul stepping forward in an ocean of whispers, and golden eyes turned to look at the fearless young woman, who looked so so sad.
"Worried?"
"That you won't come back."
He stared at her, at them all, and then to the one curled in his arms. His poor little second, the one that his brother had been so fond of, the one who had once been so happy to be accepted in the Messengers ranks, had barely graduated from his trainings, barely been his second for an eon, before he'd up and left him on his own with no warning and a flock to run.
Gabriel took in the damage done to his office, curling tighter around the quivering angel in his arms, and made a vow to them all.
"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Never again."
"But those are just words."
Another brave soul stepped forward and he turned to look at their defiant eyes. The Messenger nodded in agreement.
"If I am to abandon you all again, then, let it be, Father take the very star that stands in my core."