Nora's POV
The doorbell rang through the house as I finished making dinner. It couldn't be my mom, she was out of town for work, Patch would've come in through the garage, and Matt just flat out walked in without knocking anymore. I dried my hands off with a towel as I walked toward the front door; Noel was napping on the couch after volleyball practice and finishing her homework. She stirred at my footsteps, but otherwise didn't wake up. I opened the door to find a face I hadn't seen in two decades, Detective Basso.
"What are you . . ." I never thought I'd see him again after the gift of Patch being able to feel as a fallen angel. I assumed he returned to Heaven or had another assignment waiting, now he was here, on my front door step.
"May I come in? It is snowing outside after all," He said with the same emotionless, flat tone he'd used with me so many years ago. All I could do was nod and move out of the way as he stepped inside the foyer.
"Mom?" I heard Noel's sleepy voice and her footsteps approach before she stopped at the sight of the detective. She looked between us, judging the air, and then smiled as if she'd known him all of her life.
"I'm Noel Cipriano, who are you?"
"Your mother knows me as Detective Basso, so we'll just go with that," He responded clearly surprised at Noel's warm greeting.
"Oh, I know who you are, the reason my dad can feel it when I punch him," She laughed at her own little joke and then gestured into the living room, "Come and sit." We both kind of glanced at each other as Noel shuffled her finished homework in her backpack and then moved into the kitchen.
"I'm assuming she's aware," Basso said, nodding toward the still swinging door she'd passed through.
"Yes, she knows everything that's happening, Patch and I decided it will do more harm than good if we try to keep her on a need to know basis," We'd argued about it for two hours straight until Patch pointed out that Noel had taken down Dabria and other fallen angels all on her own. She wasn't a baby anymore. Eventually, I'd agreed to be open about the situation with Noel as Patch wanted, and I had to say it was kind of nice to not watch my words around her. Noel returned with two coffees and hot chocolate for herself.
"I hope you're not this friendly to all strangers," The detective said sarcastically as he took a sip of his coffee and Noel curled up in the corner of the couch that she loved the best.
"I hope you don't just appear to people from the past making them as white as ghosts," Noel shot back easily, trained by the banter between her and Patch. I realized she was referring to me and I gave her a warning look which she quickly returned with a smile.
"An archangel is out to kill you, as I'm sure you're aware. We have three suspects, but there isn't enough activity to figure out which one is truly after you. I can't release names at the risk of someone going after the wrong archangel, but I am allowed to tell you that the situation is being monitored for obvious reasons," Someone snorted and the front door shut as Matt walked in to the living room. Noel's face lit up, though she saw him every single day of the week. There never seemed to be enough time to sate her craving to be around him and I couldn't deny that I felt the exact same way about Patch. Speaking of Patch, he walked soundlessly through the kitchen door, and I realized I must have missed the opening and closing of the garage door. Matt flopped down next to Noel and they easily held to each other, Noel's legs draped across his lap, her tucked under one of his arms, and he curled his other hand around her calf. They shared a brief kiss before returning their attention to the detective. Patch sat beside me, draped an arm around my shoulders, and I filled him in on everything Basso had said so far.
"So we're supposed to wait around like sitting ducks while someone plans to kill my daughter? I don't think so. You better have some better information that that or you wouldn't have come here to waste our time," I elbowed Patch in the ribs, but I knew he was only speaking out of frustration. He wasn't used to not being able to gather every ounce of information he needed.
"I'm going to be in Coldwater, to watch for an increase in activity, and see if any of our three suspects seem to be overly interested in the area. That's what I have to tell you," With that, he stood up after downing the little bit of coffee he had left, and showed himself to the door. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, taking in the fact that nothing had changed about what we knew. Noel looked up at Matt and smiled reassuringly at something he must've said to her in mind speak.
"I hope you didn't burn dinner," Noel teased at me as she and Matt moved into the kitchen and I suddenly remembered the meal I had been preparing. Patch and I quietly waited for something to change, fall into place, just a little sign. We were still stuck though, nowhere to turn, and it was driving us just a little bit insane.
"How does Noel act as if this in no big deal?" I finally asked, looking at Patch.
"She doesn't block the ball and it's crushed down her librero's throat, does that drag her down for the rest of the game?" He asked gently and I shook my head no, already understanding what he was saying. Noel was a here and now type person. Especially with Matt, nothing really fazed her.
"Daddy! Mom! Can we order pizza? This lasagna is more closely related to a slab of concrete than food and I'm starving now," Noel yelled from the kitchen and I rolled my eyes. Patch and I both stood up and he kissed my forehead before ordering the pizza.
Matt's POV
"Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt," Noel had pretty much said my name in four different tones and was proceeding to ridiculous voices as I focused on the last detail of our science project. Josh hovered on the other side of the domino set, eyes scanning for all the right angles, and we finally made our way back over to a waiting Taylor and Noel. It was an energy conversion, so there had to be at least ten energy transfers, but we had fifteen for extra credit. We'd already done all the math for a portion of the lab write up that proved the energy transfers and Noel and Taylor had agreed to write the response and review since Josh and I had done most of the work for the set up of our project.
"Mmmmmmaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttt," Noel said with exaggerated slowness, clearly bored. I chuckled at her and she grinned suggestively at me just to make Taylor say, "Oh God, get a room you two."
"Ready when you are," We'd taken over Noel's four car garage for today to make the project as large as possible. The most exciting part was that through one of the energy transfers, a volleyball would roll off an overhead board to a waiting Taylor who would set the ball to Noel, who would then proceed to hit into a bucket filled with water, some of the water would spill out into a small Dixie cup, and then the last five energy transfers would occur, turning the light back on, after the very first one turned it off. Josh pulled out the video camera and I saw the little red recording light come on. Noel's parents had silently entered to watch our hard work take place and Noel gave her dad a triumphant smile.
"Energy Transfer Project by Matt, Josh, Noel, and Taylor," I said trying to sound all official.
"Hey, why does your name get to come first, and mine comes last?" Taylor demanded and Josh held a finger to his lips for her to shush as I flicked the marble that would start the chain transaction. When it came time for their part, Noel hit the ball spot on into the bucket, and the rest was a success. Josh stopped the camera, but it still caught some of our excited cheers.
"Very impressive," Mr. Cipriano said to Noel and she faked a curtsey and then looked a little more sheepish as she approached her parents.
"Impressive enough to go to dinner and a movie with Matt?" We hadn't been on a date for four months since Basso's news on the crooked archangel. I was okay with hanging out at Noel's house all the time, I did anyway, but it would be nice to not feel her parents' eyes boring a hole in the back of my head every time we touched. Josh and Taylor were starting to clean up the project, clearly ignoring the rest of us.
"And go get dessert while you're at it," Her mom said after a moment and Noel leaped at them in a hug before throwing herself into my arms.
Why'd they say yes?
Let's just say, don't be surprised when I soak the whole house in sanitizer when we get back. I laughed against her temple before kissing it and releasing her to help with the clean up as well. It wasn't long before Taylor and Josh left and Noel had gone upstairs to put something more "date worthy" on, as she had put it. I was surprised that I wasn't given any reminders by her dad about protecting her, actually, both her parents had disappeared. Noel came down in jeans, a pair of black just below the knee Ugg boots I'd bought her as a present for her state win freshmen year, a grey, sparkly tube top that gripped her curves, and her lettermen on over it. She could've come downstairs in sweat pants and a tank top and she would've looked just as gorgeous, but I did enjoy that little extra glow she had when she knew she'd make an effort in her wardrobe. We got in my truck and Noel busied herself with looking up movie times before deciding on one and saying we should go eat dinner first. We chose a pizza place and Noel got a calzone while I got a whole pizza that would provide leftovers for later, hopefully, but between two athletes though, it was in the air.
"Things are actually starting to feel normal again," Noel said with a smile, looking up at me. We were that couple who felt it necessary to sit by one another at a restaurant, though the booth could've seated her on the other side.
"As normal as we ever get," I teased and her smile only broadened as she played with my fingers, my other arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"This is good though . . . really good," She said soberly with a grin stretching her lips. I looked around, scanning, making sure nothing seemed too suspicious, but Noel's relaxed demeanor was slowly affecting me until I couldn't help but enjoy the fact that we were alone.
"I love you," I told her once I met her gaze again and she pressed her face into my shoulder.
"I love you too," She replied before the waitress walked up with our food. I felt sauce go down my right cheek as I ate my pizza and Noel quickly wiped it away. I laughed, though there was nothing humorous about it, and she giggled in return.
"Matt," Noel suddenly whispered and I sensed the archangel as he walked in. It wasn't Detective Basso, to my surprise, I didn't feel threatened by his appearance, and Noel didn't seem to be on edge.
"Noel Cipriano and Matthew Anderson, may I have a seat?" He asked and we both nodded. His blond hair was slicked back and his eyes looked emotionless. I squeezed Noel's knee under the table and she briefly leaned her cheek against my shoulder.
"I am Henry, one of Basso's suspects, but I'm here to say that I am not a threat to you. There is a crooked archangel, but I don't know who it is. I've risked much to see you tonight and take my name off that list. You are in danger from someone even closer than you think. Not only will they kill you, but they'll take your soul down to hell for the fallen angels to have. Be safe," He slid away from the booth without a backwards glance.
"Did that just happen?" Noel grumbled, resting her head in her hands as she braced her elbows on the table. I just slowly took another bite of my pizza slice. What was so wrong with having one good, normal date? Was that so much to ask for? His ridiculously ominous words buzzed around in my head. Someone closer than you think? Who the hell could that be? I just kept eating pizza as I mulled over the new turn, what did any of this mean? Did it mean anything at all? What did this mean for Noel? I finally snapped out of it, five slices of pizza gone, to find Noel hadn't touched her calzone once. Stress shut down her appetite, she'd been like that since I could remember.
"Babe, you need to eat. You only had a half a sandwich at lunch," I rubbed her back and she slowly brought her head back up to look at me with big, worried eyes. Would there ever be a day when something wasn't weighing her down?
"I'm not hungry anymore," She pushed the plate away. Her eyes were black pools, soft enough to drown in, and hard enough to be made of onyx. I couldn't make her eat, but I wished she would.
"You're not in the mood for a movie, are you?" She bit her lip and turned more toward me.
"You don't deserve this Matt. You deserve someone who doesn't complicate your life with archangels and death and fighting. I don't want to be the reason that you're not happy. I don't want to drag you down," I clenched my fists under the table. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. She's just upset and she feels cornered. She's not saying these things because she wants to break up with you. She's just trying to release her guilt. I blew out a heavy breath.
"Ma'am, could we get a box and the bill?" I asked the waitress as she passed and within a few moments I'd paid with a twenty and Noel was following me outside with the food. We didn't speak, didn't touch, and I told myself my plan would work. It would bring her back to me.
"Close your eyes," I told her once we were on the main road and she looked at me skeptically, but obeyed. I pulled up in the parking lot, cut the engine, got out, picked up Noel, and carried her to the exact spot I wanted her. Once her feet were safely planted on the ground, I stood behind her, and gently drew her hands away from her face.
"Why are we at the elementary school?" She asked, scanning the dark and empty playground before turning to me.
"Because this is where I fell in love with you," I stated simply. She rolled her eyes, half smiling upward at me, and I felt a little bit of hope returned.
"Matt. . ."
"It's cheesy but true. I know it's hard to hold on to who we are when all of this is happening. I love you, that will never change, not ever. I loved you before I even knew I had a responsibility for your safety. That responsibility has only made me love you more and more. I'll face anything with you, for you, whatever. Don't start doubting that," She grinned and stepped into my arms, burying her face against my neck and lettermen.
I love you too. I pressed my lips to her forehead. We were whole again.
Unknown POV
I watched the young couple as they held each other, kissed, smiled, and kissed again. They were so oblivious to my presence. They were idiots to think that they were safe just because they were together. Anyone associated with Noel Cipriano was a target, no matter how much Heaven objected to having her killed. She needed to die. The world would not be balanced until the impossible fallen angel and Nephilim hybrid was finally taken down to hell. I wouldn't strike now. She'd proven herself to be a worthy adversary against the strongest fallen angels that I'd released from Hell. So the plan was to break her down, chip away at her false feelings of safety and contentment, until finally she'd be so broken that the kill would be easy, no struggle. I already had my first target. She'd be home from out of town work in a couple of days, until then, I hoped Noel would reach her happiest peak, because the fall to depression would be that much more painful.
The young couple eventually broke from each other, the guardian angel known as Matt chasing after his love, both them laughing hysterically as if they were small children. Naive, stupid, insignificant children who needed to be shown why things had been the way they were. The world had been on a thin edge when the fallen angels disappeared, but still surviving, and then her birth threw it all up in the air. It wasn't necessarily her fault, her parents should have known better than to have a hybrid child, and they would pay dearly for their mistake as well.
AN: I know it's been forever but it's kind of hard to find time to write in between work and chores and family in general. I'll see what I can do about preparing chapters in advance when I have free time, and then adding them as time goes on to try to update on a regular schedule again. Please review and tell me what you think of the new situation.
