The Call

Chapter 3

The Bar

For about 10 to 15 minutes, nothing was said. Not a single word spoken between Rose and Michael. Rose wasn't sure what to think of the whole thing, but she didn't kick him out. Rose merely went about cleaning up the mess that had been made, picking up the broken pieces of glass from the wooden floor. She winced though when she cut her finger, pulling it back and placing it in her mouth. That was when Michael spoke up.

"Why don't you take care of that and I'll clean this up?" he suggested, moving forward to pick up the pieces.

She looked at him for a moment, watching as he knelt down, gathering the pieces in his hand. It was such a simple gesture, yet it held something within it.

"Yeah, sure," she said quietly, turning and walking into the bathroom.

She left him in the living room as she ran the water in the sink, letting it run over her finger. It stung a bit, but she ignored it, watching as the blood slowly merged with the water and down the drain.

Once she was sure that she'd rinsed the cut out enough, she turned the water off, leaning down and grabbing the first aid kit out from underneath the sink. She then took it back into the living room, nearly dropping it when she saw how clean things looked now. There was nothing left of the glass or broken lamp, everything already in the trash, leaving Michael standing in middle of the room without his coat. This gave her a perfect view of his wings.

"How did you..." she started, letting herself drop onto the couch as she stared, looking around the room.

Michael merely grinned, coming forward and settling himself down on the edge of the coffee table. He then took hold of her hand, looking it over in his. It had already started bleeding again, the blood slowly trickling down her skin.

"What it's like to bleed," he said quietly, talking to himself.

Without further words, he took the first aid kit from her and opened it, searching it quickly for some gauze and wrap. He found it quickly, taking the gauze and pressing it firmly against her finger, taking the bandage in his other hand and wrapping it around her finger a few times.

"Um, thank you," she whispered, eyes never wavering from his.

His movements had seemed automatic, not even having to really look at what he was doing, something else that had surprised her.

"Um, would you...like something to drink?" Rose offered after a moment, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well, I saw a beer bottle earlier," he started, scratching his chin for a moment. "You got anymore?" he asked.

Rose raised an eyebrow at this, giving him a skeptical look.

"Beer?" she asked. "But you're an..."

"Angel. Yeah, I know. I get that a lot actually," he chuckled.

She just shook her head, standing up from the couch and headed into the kitchen.

"An angel that drinks beer," she said to herself, shaking her head as she opened the refrigerator, pulling a beer off of the shelf.

Personally, she didn't really drink. The beer that was in the refrigerator was actually Jake's, not hers. Granted, she had bought it for him, but that was beside the point. She really didn't see the point in drinking and yet, ironically, she worked at a bar serving drinks. It was merely a job for her though, working at the bar and grill. It got her money and paid her bills.

"Here," she said, holding it out to him by the neck of the bottle.

He took it from her hand immediately, twisting the cap off and taking a drink. A smile found its way onto his face after a moment as he down it, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Wow," Rose breathed out, watching him the entire time.

Then, she remembered something, her eyes widening slightly.

"Dang it, I'm gonna be late for work," she said, quickly running off to her room.

Michael just sat there, watching as she ran off. He didn't say anything though as he heard her rustling around in her room, quickly changing into clothes for work. He was actually surprised that she hadn't ended up sick from being in the rain last night. Regardless though, he waited for her to come back out, intent on going with her.

T

As Rose hurried around, she found her mind wandering back to Michael. She wasn't sure what he was planning to do after everything was said and done. Sure, she'd asked him up to her apartment, but still.

"Come on, where is it?" she muttered, going through her dresser.

Eventually, she found what she was looking for, pulling out a red strapless top. She quickly pulled it on, before grabbing her black vest. It was her normal attire for work, something that had been asked of her. She didn't mind too much though because it wasn't like she was showing anything off, it was just standard dress really.

Thinking about that, she changed out of her old pants and into a pair of clean white wash jeans, pulling a pair of black ankle socks onto her feet afterward. That only left her pulling her black shoes out from underneath the edge of her bed, slipping them on, and tying the laces up.

"Alright, I think that's it," she nodded, standing up straight and heading out of the bedroom.

Upon stepping out, she found Michael standing near the door, coat in his hands as he looked over the tear in the shoulder. It was obvious how much he liked the coat and wasn't about to get rid of it for a new one because of the tear. The coat itself holding a certain amount of sentimental value.

"Um, look, Michael, I have to get to work," Rose told him, biting her lip.

"I'll come with you then," he said simply, lifting his head, eyes falling upon her.

"Look, Michael, I work at a bar. I'm sure you don't want to sit there all night long," she told him.

Honestly, she didn't mind the idea of him sticking around or wanting to keep an eye on her, but she was sure that he didn't want to sit around doing nothing for the next eight hours or so.

"I think I'd like to stick around for a bit," he told her, turning around her whole way of thinking in her head.

"Michael, you do realize that I'll be working for like the next eight hour, right?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I don't mind," he assured her, a smile on his face.

This made her sigh, raking a hand through her hair.

"Alright, fine, but I need to head down to the office real quick," she told him, stuffing her key into her pocket along with her wallet.

She'd never really seen the purpose of using a purse, a messenger bag maybe, but never a purse. In fact, her messenger bag was in case she was too lazy to carry her jacket in her arms at times.

"Are you done with that?" she asked pointing to the beer bottle sitting on the coffee table.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head as he grabbed it up in the palm of his hand.

"Um, Michael?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to put your coat back on?" she asked, giving him a curious look.

"Why?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"You know what, never mind," she sighed, grabbing her bag from near the door and walking outside.

Michael followed right behind her, closing the door behind him. There was a slightly humorous look on his face as he threw his coat on, eyeing the tear in the shoulder once more. He'd have to find some way of fixing. After all, it was originally a friend's and he didn't want to disgrace them by walking around with it torn up. Quinlan had never been an overly proud man, but he had taken care of his coat. Upon thinking of Quinlan, a smile formed on his face.

"Michael, you coming?" Rose called from the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he replied, following her down the steps at a steady pace, following her right to the office.

From there, he leaned over her and opened the door, allowing her first entrance into the office.

Inside the office was rather small. Although, it held a small TV and desk, along with a few filling cabinets. There still wasn't that much room though. Behind the desk though was an older man with graying hair and dark spots beneath his eyes.

"Mr. Rodgers?" Rose pipped up, knocking lightly against the wall beside her.

The man's head flew up as a result, looking as though he'd just been dozing off.

"Ah, Miss Meenal, how may I help you?" he greeted, running a hand through his slightly greasy hair in an attempt to make himself look more presentable.

"Actually, I came to ask you if I could get the lock on my apartment door changed?"

"May I ask why?" he inquired, watching as she rubbed her arm, not noticing the blaring bruise on her skin.

He didn't have his glasses on, so his vision was rather blurry, even though he still knew that it was Rose in front of him.

"Um, I had a rather scary disagreement with my boyfriend," she started, glancing over at Michael for a second. "Jake has the only other key," she told him, watching his face carefully.

Henry sat there for a moment, squinting his eyes as he thought things over. He picked his glasses up a moment later and placed them on his head, eyes furrowing a moment later. That was also when he caught sight of Michael, tilting his head to the side.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Henry asked, giving him a curious look.

"Possibly in the church," Michael offered, the answer being double ended in Rose's mind.

The way that Henry saw it was someone that he saw in church all the time, a person sitting in a seat near him. Michael's words insinuated the murals and stained glass windows that adorned the church, something that Rose hadn't quite processed. She knew he was an angel, but hadn't put together that he was that angel yet, an archangel. At the same time, she still knew that it was double ended.

"Rose, shouldn't be be going now?" Michael asked, pretending to look down at a watch that wasn't there.

"Huh?"

"The time," he reminded her, tapping his wrist.

"Oh crap!" she cried. "I'm sorry Mr. Rodgers, but I have to go," she told him, running out of the room.

"It was nice meeting you," Michael said, inclining his head politely, before walking out of the room.

That left Henry Rodgers sitting there scratching the back of his head, wondering about the two youngsters that had just left.

T

"Alright, Michael, take a seat," Rose said, walking around the back of the bar to start her shift, tossing her bag down underneath the counter.

As Michael sat down at the bar, she made quick work in pulling out glasses and rinsing out what had been left behind. It was like her body was on auto pilot almost, but she was still alert to everything around her.

"Hey, Rose, can I get another beer?" one of the regulars ask, coming to standing by Michael ask the bar.

"Sure Hal," she said, walking over to one of the coolers and pulling out a bottle of beer.

"Hey man," Hal greeted, turning toward Michael.

"Hey," he nodded, raising his hand slightly in acknowledgement.

"Here ya Hal, one cold beer," Rose announced, placing the bottle down on the counter.

Hal gave her a smile as he picked it up, twisting the cap off, before taking a swig. He let out a sigh of satisfaction a moment later, before handing over the money, tossing a few bills in the tip jar as well.

"Thanks sweetheart," he smiled, walking off a moment later.

Rose merely shook her head, picking up the discarded cap from the counter and tossing it in the trash a few feet away.

"Nice shot," Michael commented, leaning forward against the countertop.

"Thanks. You want one?" she asked, gesturing toward the stocked coolers behind her.

"I'd love one."

T

Before too long, things started picking up, leaving Rose running left and right all over the place. Either someone was wanting a beer or other drink or they were asking for food. This left her rather frazzled as Michael looked on, staying planted in his seat. Given how hectic things were, Rose hadn't even noticed the number of women keeping their eyes on Michael or the small smile that had risen on his face.

"Rose, can I get another beer?" Michael asked, leaning against the counter a bit more.

"Yeah, sure," she said automatically, grabbing one and handing it off to him before going into the kitchen to check on the cook.

While she was doing that, Michael stood and walked over to the wall, looking over the music selection. His eyes skimmed over everything, some things newer than others. They didn't have the same music here as they had during his last trip. Although, they did have a few older songs that were fairly nice, a few songs from the Beatles and Elvis catching his eye. Michael grinned at this as he stood there, pressing a couple buttons in until he had his song. In the end, he ended up picking a song an interesting song from the J. Geils Band called Centerfold. He didn't exactly care about the words, merely the beat that came out of the box as it played, giving him something to dance to.

"Got a dance for me honey?" a woman asked, walking up to him.

"Of course," he grinned, taking her hand and dancing around with her, various eyes following them around the room.

T

Once Rose got back from the kitchen, she found herself surprised. Before her, Michael stood out on the floor, dancing around with a dark haired woman. Even from where she stood, she could tell that there was something strange about it.

"What in the world?" she breathed, eyes glued to Michael's fluidly moving form.

The only problem was, he was dancing with the wife of a rather jealous man. That man in particular had his eyes glued to Michael, a scowl on his face.

"Michael," Rose groaned, walking forward from behind the bar to meet him.

Upon hearing his name, Michael turned around, a grin on his face.

"Ah, Rose, dance with me," he said, taking her by the hands and pulling her to him.

She felt her face heat up as he did this, her chest pressed up against his as he moved around, going back to the music player to choose another song.

"Michael, what are you doing?" she hissed, her embarrassment slowly catching up to her as she watch him punch in his selection.

A moment later, Close My Eyes Forever by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne started playing, Michael pulling her back onto the floor.

"I'm dancing," he finally answered, gently gliding her around the room, her face heating up as a result.

"Michael, I'm supposed to be working," she said quietly, her hand on his shoulder.

He leaned down a second later, his breath on her ear.

"I know," he said, hearing her draw in a breath. "Although it won't kill you to dance with me," he chuckled, swinging her away for a moment, before pulling her back to him.

"Michael, I don't think..."

"Relax," he told her, lips pulling into a smile.

He could tell that she was embarrassed, but she need to learn to loosen up a bit. Otherwise, she'd get nowhere fast. He put that out of his mind though as she finally allowed herself to relax, her muscles loosening up a bit as she rested her head against his chest. This made him even happier, knowing that he'd actually accomplished something.

T

In the corner, Jake sat with a friend, eyeing the two dancing out on the floor. He'd come down to the bar and grill as soon as he'd gotten kicked out, feeling as though he needed a few drinks in his system to dull his emotions. It only made things worse though when she'd shown up with that man, Michael. There was no denying his handsome look and charisma, the way that he held himself. He held an obvious appeal to the ladies. Jake found himself despising the man though, a quiet growl emitting from his throat. He couldn't stand the thought of Rose being with someone else, another man at any rate.

"Hey, Jake, man, you okay?" his friend asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, just fine," he said, acting as though nothing were wrong.

"Hey, isn't that Rose?" John asked, pointing to the woman in the middle of the room.

"I hadn't even noticed," Jake supplied, standing from his seat and walking up toward the bar, the song slowly coming to an end, clapping echoing around them.

T

"Alright, I've danced with. Can I get back to work now?" Rose asked shyly, looking elsewhere.

"Of course," Michael nodded, letting her go as he leaned down into a small bow, watching her face heat up again.

"I'll...get you something to eat," she said quietly, going back over toward the kitchen and calling in an order.

After that, she went back to the bar, running a hand through her hair tiredly.

"Can I get a couple of shots over here?" a man called, catching her attention.

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, grabbing a bottle of liquor from the shelf beside her.

It was another regular, so she was used to his order, easily pouring the liquid into the glasses.

"There ya go," she said, turning back around and shelving the bottle.

Upon turning back around to the bar, she found Jake standing in front of her, an irritated look on his face.

"What are you doing here Jake?" she asked, hands curling at her sides.

"I just wanted to see you. After all, you are my girlfriend," he reminded her, watching as she scowled.

"Not anymore I'm not," she said firmly, trying to move to the other end of the bar to help a customer.

Jake followed her though, pushing through the crowd of people.

"We need to talk Rose," he said, shoving someone out of the way.

"There's nothing to talk about, now leave," she told him, trying her best to ignore him. "How can I help you hun?" Rose asked, addressing the customer before her.

"Just a soda," he said, giving her a nod.

"Alright."

"Rose, we need to talk!" Jake yelled, taking the bottle in his hand and throwing it at the wall in front of her face.

A scream escaped her lips as it shattered in front of her, sending her backwards, the glass littering the floor. At the sound of her scream, everyone went silent, save for Jake.

"I said was need to talk!" he yelled, grabbing another bottle from the counter. "You can't just keep ignoring me!"

Again, he threw the at her, causing her to duck and fall in the process. She could feel the sharp pain as glass entered her palms, cutting the delicate skin. She barely even managed to bite back a cry as she pushed herself off of the floor, tears slipping down her face.

"Jake, stop it, you're drunk!" she yelled.

At this point, everyone had backed up, save for Michael. Michael stood right were he was, watching as things unfolded, mouth twitching slightly.

"No, I won't stop it!" Jake yelled. "Do you really think I'm going to put up with you hanging around on another man?" he cried out in a drunken rage.

"Look, man, I think you need to calm down," one man said warily, attempting to take a step forward.

"Stay back!" he yelled, breaking the bottom of another bottle and lashing out.

The man that had attempted to help jumped back, not wanting to get cut up. Michael didn't seem to get the hint thought, muttering something under his breath as he stepped forward.

"Stay back!" Jake yelled, quickly turning on Michael, jagged bottle in hand.

"Don't!" Rose cried out, causing Jake to whirl back around, an angry look on his face.

Michael took this chance to leap forward, gasps coming from the people around him. That gave Jake the heads up, quickly turning back around and for the first time ever, Michael found himself injured. A total of 6,034 battles and he'd never been injured. Now, it comes down to a broken bottle against his palm, a look of surprise dawning his features.

Michael didn't even move after being cut, merely standing there staring at the wound on his hand, the warm blood trickling down his wrist.

"Michael?" Rose whispered, slowly coming out from behind the bar, steps hesitant and slowly.

Her eyes landed on the blood staining his hand, a lump catching in her throat. It was obvious to her how shocked he was, same with everyone else.

"Michael?" she tried again, taking side steps in an attempt to keep her distance from Jake.

That only lasted though until Jake snapped out of it, glaring at her as he tried to grab at her. Before he could get his hand on her though, Michael reached out, grabbing his hold of his wrist tightly. There was a sour look on Michael's face, something different all together.

"Don't touch her," he said firmly, slowly twisting Jake's arm until he fell onto the floor. "Someone, get him out of here," Michael said, shoving him onto the floor.

Within seconds, Jake was hauled up onto his feet, quickly heading toward the door. The guys through him out without a second thought, all eyes now on Rose and Michael.

"Michael?" Rose squeaked, hand shaking.

Upon hearing his name, he turned toward her, giving her his full attention. He hadn't even noticed the amount of attention that had been given to him.

"Y-you're hurt," she whispered, looking down at his hand.

"So are you," he pointed out, reaching forward with his uninjured hand to take hold of hers.

"Alright people, nothing to see here, go back to your business!" the cook called out, waving his hands around the place.

Chapter 3! Yay! Anyway, PLEASE let me know what you think? I'd love to hear feedback. Please, REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and feelings on his chapter/story? I need feedback to know that I'm doing a good job. Anyway thanks for reading. I've also got stories for the OUTSIDERS, X-MEN, FINAL FANTASY 7, OF MICE AND MEN, KNIGHT HUNTERS WEISS KREUZ, and MORE!