Devery wiped the tears from her face, her sobs quieting. Taking deep even breaths she slowly calmed herself, her hands trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself, her body shaking. Turning slowly she exhaled sharply when she saw the room was empty, Gabriel was gone, the only other person in the room was no longer a person, but a very small, tragic corpse.

Another soft sob wrenched from her chest at the sight of Jonas's body and fresh tears welled in her eyes. Falling to her knees beside his tiny body she gathered him into her arms, silent tears falling down her face as she stroked his soft hair.

"Oh God, what have I done?" she cried softly.

Her soul cried out at the terrible injustice done to Jonas and his mother, but a very large, unsettled part of her screamed that it was her fault. Standing, she lifted Jonas into her arms and walked unsteadily towards the front door, sniffling and struggling to reach a hand up to wipe away her tears.

Walking slowly down the streets she was barely aware of the attention she garnered, her entire body numb as she headed for the spire. A small crowd began to gather around her as she walked further down the street, their murmuring growing louder as she walked.

As she approached the large doors to the spire a fiery haired man stepped forward, blocking her path, his bushy brows knitting together as he lifted a hand to stop her, "Stop," he commanded her.

Devery stumbled to a halt, lifting her eyes from the dirt road to stare at him, her expression puzzled. The man extended his hand to touch Jonas but stopped when she flinched back, his mouth hardening. "What happened to Jonas?" he murmured, his tone softer than before.

Devery stared at him, her brain trying to process what he was saying. Nothing made sense. Her eyes searched his face as she puzzled and the man sighed, seeing the tears staining her cheeks, the vacancy in her eyes, the sorrow.

"Where is his mother?" he asked more softly, his face gentle as he watched her.

The dead face of Jonas's mother flashed in her mind and she flinched, clutching Jonas tighter. "G-gone…it's all gone," she breathed before stepping around him, pushing the door open and stepping into the silence within.

The elevator ride up to Michael's quarters was the quietest, most horrifying one she had ever been on. She was unable to tear her eyes away from Jonas's tiny, stiff face, guilt and shame eating her alive.

When the doors slid open she walked stiffly into Michael's home, blindly making her way until she found a chaise to sit in, barely looking up. The rooms were silent, it seemed that Michael wasn't home at the moment…she didn't mind, she would wait.

Darkness settled into the city quickly, the sounds of the city floating up to her through the open balcony window. Shouts and laughter echoed in the quiet of the room, barely reaching the chaos of Devery's mind.

The soft fluttering of wings never registered with Devery, her eyes glazed with a self loathing pain.

Michael had heard her heartbeat and soft breaths the moment he landed in his rooms, what he didn't understand was why she was sitting in the dark, silent as a grave. As he stepped closer, he saw she cradled a small body, and a flash of recognition went through him; Jonas.

Alarm shot through him and he took a large step forward, "Devery, what happened?" he murmured gently, moving to crouch near her, frowning when she barely looked up from the unmoving form of Jonas.

A horrible suspicion gripped him when her face finally lifted to his and he saw the devastation and sorrow there. He lifted a hand and gently placed it on Jonas's head, stroking the boy's hair softly, "What happened to Jonas, Devery?" he whispered, his eyes gentle, sorrowful.

Her eyes gained a faraway look and she spoke softly, her voice hoarse. "Noma killed them…as payment for the debt on Gabriel's life. She's been here in the city…the whole time…" her voice trailed off faintly and she shook her head, looking lost.

Michael reached up and cupped her cheek, his heart aching with sorrow. "Are you sure? How do you know?" he whispered.

Devery's eyes focused on him and for the first time he saw anger there, "Because she was there when Gabriel and I found them," she hissed. "She told us and they nearly killed each other." Her eyes shone as she continued, "She destroyed him, Michael. She did to him what your family did to David."

Michael's eyes slid shut at her words and he heaved a heavy sigh, his heart breaking at her wretched tone. "Where is he now?" he murmured.

Her shoulder lifted carelessly, "Gone. We…I said some things," she murmured, her brow furrowing.

Michael sighed and shook his head, "My brother can be infuriating, but having you yell at him wouldn't make him run. He left because of what happened with Jonas. I assure you, it's not your fault," he reassured her.

Devery looked down at the still form of Jonas and stroked his cheek gently, "We need to bury him, he needs to be with his mother," she whispered.

Michael nodded, "We don't you let me take him? I'll make sure they're together," he murmured.

Devery shook her head furiously, "No, no, I have to do it….I have to," she whispered urgently, clutching Jonas tighter.

Michael sighed sadly and nodded slowly, "I know." He set his hand on her arm gently, "I'll go get his mother and we'll take them to the cemetery together, okay?" he urged softly. When Devery nodded he stood and walked away slowly, looking over his shoulder at her uncertainly.

Silence permeated the room once more and Devery sank deeper into the troubled waters of her thoughts.

IT'S ALL GONE!

"No," she whispered desperately, shaking her head.

Because of you and fucking Heaven!

"Why?" she groaned, rocking the still form of Jonas.

FUCKING ANGELS!

"I'm sorry Jonas, I'm so sorry," she whispered, rocking him.

"Devery?"

Michael's soft, concerned voice penetrated her sorrow, forcing her to look up, a soft gasp escaping her when she saw he was carrying the shrouded figure of Jonas's mother. She stood quickly and swayed, her legs unsteady after sitting for so long.

Michael watched her with eyes full of pity as she approached, his heart breaking. "We'll take them to the cemetery and bury them now, while everyone is abed. There's less chance of panic that way," he murmured, leading her slowly to the elevator.

Devery nodded numbly and the trip to the cemetery passed in a haze, her nerves raw and her mind a swirling morass of guilt, anger, shame and what-if contemplations. Michael gently guided her to stand aside as he set the body in his arms to the ground and began digging, his purloined shovel making quick work of the sandy dirt.

The only sound that permeated the air was the sound of the shovel slicing into dirt, a sound that made Devery flinch each time, somehow reminding her of the moment when she had first seen the scene in Jonas's house.

"Devery? Do you want to hand me Jonas?"

It was only at the sound of Michael's voice that she realized he had stopped digging, and she looked up in mild surprise. He had carefully laid Jonas's mother into the grave and was standing in the hole, staring up at her in concern.

She shook her head firmly and stepped forward, crouching down to step down into the grave. Gently she laid Jonas on top of his mother's body, a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes. "Rest well little one," she whispered, stroking his hair for a moment.

After a moment she nodded and turned away, climbing out of the grave, tears streaming down her face. Wiping her cheeks she watched as Michael clambered out and reached for the shovel, intent on filling in the grave. Reaching a hand out she shook her head, stopping him.

He frowned at her questioningly, and she cleared her throat, "Let me," she whispered. He nodded and a moment later Devery reached for her power, feeling it roar for release. The irony of this situation was not lost on her, and she swallowed hard, knowing that there would be no chance for Jonas or his mother to escape their grave as she had.

A moment later a soft light filled the grave and when it had faded the figures were encased in amber, forever preserved. Devery nodded, satisfied and a moment later the dirt from beside the grave slid into the hole and packed down neatly, all without a sound.

She turned and walked slowly away, ignoring Michael's repeated calls of her name. A moment later he landed in front of her, blocking her path, his brow furrowed, "Where are you going?" he demanded.

She lifted her gaze to him and shook her head, "Away Michael. I can't stay here anymore. I can't be around you, or any other angel. I can't stand the sight of this city anymore," she whispered, agony on her face.

She had thought that her destiny lay in this city, but it seemed that all she found was agony, loss, and death. Her heart and body could no longer take it, and she turned away from Michael, unable to look at him any longer.

"You can't leave. We need you here; I need you here to help stop Noma and Lucifer. Alex needs you!" he called, striding after her, catching up to her quickly. He grabbed her arm and yanked on it, whirling her around to face him, "Humanity needs you, it's your calling," he murmured intensely.

Devery glared at him, anger bubbling up in her once again, "Fuck my calling." She ripped her arm out of his grip and stepped back, "And fuck you too," she hissed. Turning away once again, she strode angrily towards the spire and didn't look back, her feet rising small puffs of dust as she stomped away.

Michael sighed heavily and shook his head, watching her go. He knew that whatever had happened in Jonas's house hadn't just been about the boy's death, something had happened between his brother and Devery.

When would Heaven stop hurting humanity?

Devery lifted her bags from the back of the truck and slung them over her back, tilting her head back to stare up at the enormous pines swaying, filling the air with their fresh scent.

"If you watch the sky long enough, you can see the meteors. They're called the Perseids."

Devery looked up at the night sky, her eyes wide, impatiently waiting to see a meteor. She snuggled into Miles's side and fought a yawn, it was long past her bedtime, but he had told her it was important she see this natural phenomena.

Her eyes drifted closed for a moment and popped open when Miles squeezed her shoulder, "Did you see that? That was a bright one!" he exclaimed softly.

She quickly searched the sky and a moment later more meteors began streaking by, their fiery tails blurring across the sky. Devery gasped softly in awe, "Wow," she whispered, stunned by the amazing sight.

They lay for hours on the blanket, watching the stars streak overhead, until Devery finally fell asleep, amazed joy in her heart.

Shaking her head softly, she turned and unlocked the bunker, wrinkling her nose at the smell of dusty disuse coming from inside. Walking slowly through she gripped her gun tightly in one hand, warily gazing into the shadows.

As she approached the kitchen she heard a scuttling noise and paused, setting her bags down gently before lifting her gun and focusing her power, listening.

The sound of heavy breathing invaded her ears and she took a soft step towards the corner, taking a soft breath before whirling around and firing at the source of the breathing, once again focusing.

A shriek of pain shrilled through the air and she grinned grimly, stepping forward as a figure stumbled out of the shadows toward her. The man lifted his face and Devery could see his black eyes glaring at her hatefully.

She stared down the barrel of her gun at him and sighed tiredly, "This isn't your house." With a gentle squeeze of the trigger she turned away without waiting to watch the body fall.

"You need to leave," she whispered, waving a hand, and a second later the body began dragging down the hall to the front doors until it rested outside.

Reaching a hand out she shut the doors and tucked her gun away, walking slowly back to her bags, carrying them to her old room. Kicking her boots off she lifted her gun from the small of her back and set it on the nightstand before lying down the bed, exhaustion overwhelming her.

She was home.

The next morning she rose from bed and pulled on a pair of leggings, tank top, and sneakers before walking to the training room that Miles had kicked her ass in so many times. Examining her old training harness she smiled faintly, she had outgrown it years ago, but the one Miles had worn would fit perfectly.

Grabbing it off the wall she slid the leather harness off the wall and onto her shoulders, fastening the straps across her chest and stomach. Carefully she slid the weights from the wall into the slots on the harness, adjusting them until they were secure.

Her swords hung on her hips and her guns rested on her thighs so her body was evenly weighted, and when she stepped outside into the sunlight she breathed in the fresh air, staring up at the mountain that she and Miles had trained on for years.

Thunderclouds were rolling in from the distance; her journey was going to be a rainy one it seemed. Taking off at a brisk walk she began to climb the rises, the added weight quickly making her breath heavier, her legs burning.

The higher she climbed the trees grew denser and she began to jog, her heart thumping. It had been years since she had trained like this, and she knew that this would be an exercise in punishment, but she desperately needed it.

She needed it like she needed the air filling her lungs. Everything within her cried out for a release from the pain within her soul, and the only way she knew how to do that was to train, push herself harder, faster, higher, until there was nothing left to distract her but her physical pain.

As she climbed her mind raced, questioning everything she knew. From the moment she had been born her life had been chaos, violence, and death. Silently she started berating God, fury flowing through her.

Why was I given these powers? Was it to save humanity? Why God? Was it so your angels could fuck everything up and I could come along and fix it?

Targets swung down from the trees at odd angles and she quickly pulled her guns, firing at the bull's-eyes. Each bullet found the targets hitting either center mass or the head, fury flowing through her veins.

Thunder rumbled loudly and she glanced up, glaring at the sky as it started to rain. Pellets of rain splattered against her skin as she ran through the forest, quickly soaking her.

As she continued upwards other objects swung out; some were mannequins she had to whirl and hack at with her swords, other were logs designed to trip her up, and even more were spears designed to rip and tear her flesh if she didn't move quickly enough.

Was it worth it? Huh? Did letting your sons fuck up earth and all of humanity feed into some "greater plan"?

As she climbed higher sweat poured down her face and her body, her breaths coming in gasps, her body desperate for rest. Eventually her internal conversation with God spilled out into gasped whispers.

"What about humanity huh? Are our lives worth nothing? Why abandon us? Was it to teach us a lesson?" she gasped; sweat stinging her eyes as she swung her sword at a target. The rain poured down harder as she broke out of the trees, stumbling to a halt at the side of a small cliff and stared at the landing fifty feet above her head.

Gritting her teeth she stumbled forward and grabbed a handhold, pulling herself upwards slowly, a groan of pain escaping her. "What kind…" she panted, "Of selfish…father…destroys his sons…happiness by allowing…a child to be…murdered?" she growled.

Thunder rumbled so loudly it seemed to make her bones shake in her body and the sky had turned pitch black, despite it being the middle of the day. Lightning flashed and her foot slipped, her cheek scrapped against the cliffside as she struggled for a handhold, slipping nearly a foot downwards. Gasping, she pressed her face against the rock, feeling hot blood course down her cheek.

Her hair had slipped out of its braid and was plastered to her face as she tilted her face up towards the sky, eyes blazing with rage. "Fuck!" she shouted, her heart pounding. "Is this you? Is this all you have? Is this the best answer you have?!"

She tilted her chin up and saw the edge of the cliff approaching and heaved a breath, "Fuck you," she grunted. Finally, desperately, she ascended the cliffside, her hands being cut to shreds by the rocks as she climbed.

Lightning flashed as she pulled herself over the edge and she saw in the shadows the form of a person, tall and craggy, and alarm shot through her. Rolling to her knees she drew her gun, trying to peer through rain.

"Who the fuck are you?" she shouted, anger and unease shooting through her.

A low chuckle echoed through the rumble of thunder and the figure stepped forward, shedding rain in its wake. Devery suspiciously watched the large figure approach, her grip on her gun tightening.

"I am, perhaps, not who you were hoping for." A flash of lightning revealed a tall, dark, and handsome man, his bright green eyes dancing as he gazed down at her. Devery rose smoothly to her feet, keeping her gun trained on him, her gaze steady.

"And who was I hoping for?" she called, backing away a step.

"My father," he said with a soft derisive laugh.

Swearing internally, she stepped slowly to the side until she was under the trees, the rain slackening so she could wipe her face and blink the water out of her eyes. She was so tired of angels.

"What do you want?" she demanded, watching as he stepped carefully under the trees toward her.

"To help you," he replied amiably, smiling widely at her.

"Mmmhmm," she hummed skeptically, lifting her brow. She was certain that his offer of help absolutely came with strings. "And what do you want for that help?" she called.

His smile widened, becoming dangerous, "Smart woman, Noma was right about you."

Devery's spine straightened as though she had been electrocuted. "Excuse you?" she snarled, stepping forward and raising her gun dangerously.

The man lifted a hand in a gesture of peace, "Hear me out," he cautioned.

"Why the fuck should I do that?" she hissed. Her grip tightened on her gun, "The only thing I've ever gotten from listening to angels is pain. What makes you so goddamned special?" she demanded between gritted teeth.

To her surprise the man laughed, throwing his head back. His raucous laughter grated on her and she breathed heavily through her nose, "What is so funny?" she demanded.

He shook his head and ran a hand over his mouth, "Goddamned…how appropriate," he chuckled. Devery frowned deeply and suspicion crawled through her.

"You're…"

"Not exactly," the man cut her off with a wry grin. "But I speak for him. He's very interested in you."

"Lucifer, you mean," Devery spat.

He nodded and smiled, "He would like to offer you something he thinks you will be very interested in."

Devery laughed bitterly, "You have nothing I want. Nothing," she declared loudly over a rumble of thunder.

Lightning flashed and in a sharp inhalation of breath, the man was suddenly inches in front of her, his eyes blazing into her. Her gun pressed into his chest, but he seemed not to care, baring his teeth at her, his lips pulled back in a sharp smile.

"I have everything you want," he whispered. Moving faster than she thought was possible, he grabbed her chin, forcing her face to turn and look into the rain. Lightning flashed and she let out a gasp, struggling in his grip, her gun falling away from his chest.

"Miles," she breathed, shock making her numb as he stepped under the trees and smiled at her sadly.

"Hello kid," he murmured reaching out to stroke her cheek.

She struggled to lean forward and gasped as the man released her, sending her stumbling forward towards Miles, but as she looked up, he was gone.

"No!" she cried desperately, whirling around heart pounding, searching for Miles. "No…"she moaned, realizing he was gone, once again.

Turning angrily on the man she glared, lifting her gun and training it on his forehead, "What the hell was that?" she demanded.

He smirked and lifted an appeasing hand, "That, is what Lucifer can give you if you decide to help us."

Devery shook her head, "Get off my mountain, and don't you ever come back," she hissed angrily.

The man smirked and nodded, "Don't you want to know what's happening in your beloved Vega without you?" he asked.

"I don't give a shit about Vega. I don't give a shit about you. I don't give a shit about Lucifer. You can all go rot in hell for all I care, just leave me alone!" she shouted.

He stepped towards her and the rage, sorrow and agony within her washed over her in a heady rush, nearly blinding her. The taste of bile rose in her throat and she bit the side of her cheek, the grip of her gun burning into her hand.

A loud clap of thunder rolled through the valley, rumbling in the rocks and trees, and when it quieted, the man was lying on the ground, a bullet hole in his head and a pool of blood quickly spilling around him.

Devery turned and vomited, rain streaming through the trees, soaking her once more and washing away the sick. Wiping a hand on her face she stood straight and stared out into the pouring rain where Miles had appeared from, a deep yearning filling her.

"The devil, he'll give you what you want, but he'll make you pay for it," Miles murmured, running a hand over his face, wiping away the sweat that had built up there on their training run up the mountain.

Devery laughed softly, "You really think the devil is going to try and give me something?" she remarked skeptically.

Miles turned to look at his young protégée, his expression serious, "You have to be prepared for everything, I can't tell you that enough. Lucifer exists and he will tempt you. Humans have fallen to temptation before, and I won't let you make those same mistakes."

Devery nodded, her face solemn now, "What does he look like?" she asked softly.

Miles shook his head, "No one knows, except the higher angels. And you should avoid them, they're dangerous."There was a hint of anger in his tone as he spoke, but when Devery looked closer, his face looked sad.

"I promise I'll be careful. I'll save people and I'll fight for humanity. I won't ever stop doing what you've taught me," Devery insisted, her young face lit with a heartfelt fervor.

Her heart burned with a desire to be set free, to use the skills that Miles had taught her. She wanted to meet people, to see the world.

"I'm so sorry Miles," she whispered, shaking her head. She might have resisted Lucifer, but she had fucked everything else up royally. Sinking to the ground, she tucked her legs under her bonelessly, her gun limp in her hand.

Staring out at the valley as the storm rolled through, thunder rumbling through her bones, lightning illuminating her raw scraped face, she tilted her face up to the rain and closed her eyes, begging the storm to wash away the blood from her soul.

Wash me clean…make me new…set me free…

A brilliant bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, bright enough to startle her eyes open, and as her lips parted in surprise, it forked down out of the sky.

Whiteness…..

AN: Hi guys, thank you all for reading, and for reviewing, I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not as long as the last one, but I really enjoyed writing it. Songs for this chapter are, "Hope in the Air" Laura Marling, "Make it Rain" Ed Sheeran. Please review and let me know what you think, it really means a lot to me! Thank you all so much for reading.