Hey you awesome readers! So that last chapter from today? LOL I totally wrote it at work! I had this hit of inspiration on the metro and got it typed up, and then was like, well, better get this up! So here's some more for you lovely folks! Please review! xoxo
Michael rose early the next day and stood on the balcony of his tower, watching the sun rise until finally, it was time to meet Gabriella at the East Gate. He flew there quickly and was pleased to see the truck he had ordered was supplied and waiting. Very few people in Vega refused him when he gave an order. He leaned against the truck and waited for Gabriella to show up.
He didn't have to wait long.
Soon enough he saw her walking up to him, large sunglasses covering her eyes. She looked lovely in a lavender tank top and black leggings, grey and purple sneakers on her feet. Her long silky black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, bouncing as she walked. She came to a halt in front of him and crossed her arms, casting a glance over the truck.
Sighing, she pointed to the truck, "I take it this means we are going outside the walls?"
Michael nodded, "Indeed. Are you ready?"
She nodded and walked around the truck, climbing in and yelled, "You coming flyboy? We don't have all day for me to kick your ass!"
Michael surprised them both by snorting with laughter before climbing into the truck and starting it up. The gate in front of them opened and they were on their way. Michael drove at a steady pace, one hand on the wheel, the other resting out the open window.
Gabriella had placed her feet up on the dash and was humming softly watching as the desert scrub land passed by. They eventually turned down a side road and came to a stop in front of a worn white house with a tall fence surrounding the backyard. Gabriella exited the truck, glancing around at the abandoned play set, the worn fence and the sand covered windows. It was all so sad and lonely.
Hearing Michael opening the bed of the truck she walked back to investigate and was surprised to see him taking out guns, knives, targets, and what looked like…"Swords?" she exclaimed.
Michael looked up at her exclamation, "Yes, you need to know how to use any weapon that may be in reach."
She stared at him for a minute and then laughed, "Ok flyboy, whatever you say." She grabbed the bag of guns and asked, "Where are we practicing?"
Michael pointed, "The backyard." Nodding, she took off, entering the house cautiously, moving through it until she came to the backyard. She began unpacking the bag on the patio table; Michael had brought a 9mm, 12 gauge shotgun, AK47, and a number of other small handguns. Impressed, she handled the 9mm, checking to see if it was loaded; it was.
She stood in the stance her father had taught her and aimed at the knot of wood in one panel of the fence near the top. Taking a steady breath, she slowly pulled the trigger, her arm absorbing the kickback of the gun. She lowered the gun before walking to check her shot. She smiled when she approached the fence and saw that she had shot cleanly through the knot, creating a hole.
"Nice shooting Doc" she heard Michael say, his smooth voice carrying.
She turned and smiled at him, "Thanks. My dad taught me how to use most of those guns, so I probably won't need more than an hour of practice to feel comfortable with them again." She walked back up to him and held out the 9mm, "But you're the teacher here, so you tell me what we're going to do today boss."
Michael raised an eyebrow, "Very well. I would prefer to test your hand to hand skills, and then give you a weapon and have you attack me as you think best. You need to learn how to fight an angel. Guns won't always be available."
Gabriella nodded slowly, "Ok. Let's do it." She moved out into the open area of the yard and began stretching, watching Michael out of the corner of her eye as he stripped off his long jacket and threw it onto the patio table. Without it she could see he was wearing dark linen pants and a dark cotton tshirt that only served to emphasize his musculature. For a thin man, he was quite fit…and he's an angel, so he's probably a lot stronger than he looks- she thought to herself.
She turned to face him as he approached her. She waited just a moment, and then moved into action, flying a foot out to kick him in the knee, and when he spun away from her kick and came in close to attack, she threw her elbow, hard at his face, grinning when she felt it connect with his cheekbone. Her grin vanished as he pummeled her ribcage with rapid-fire punches, knocking the wind out of her, and throwing her off balance.
She used the push to whirl around and place a punch to his kidney, and a kick to the back of his knee, moving away rapidly as he rolled, his wings popping out. He lunged at her and they grappled until he had her in a headlock, and then she felt the earth drop away as he rose into the ground. She felt his breath coming rapidly against her neck as he spoke, "In this case, I would drop an opponent and break as many bones as possible."
He dropped till they were only five feet above the ground and released her, watching as she tucked and rolled. He alighted and stood in front of her, a few feet away. He nodded, "Again." Grinning, Gabriella circled slowly, this time she knew his skills better.
After another two rounds of hand to hand, Michael called for a break. Gabriella had bloodied his lip and opened a small cut on his right cheek, and had bruised his ribcage pretty well if he was being honest. She had a blackening left eye, a sore right knee and a split lip as well, but was smiling despite the pain.
They sat at the small patio table, sipping on water, sweating in the mid morning heat. Gabriella leaned over and poured some water on her face, wiping it off with the bottom of her shirt. Michael tried to look away from her bare stomach, and was that a tattoo?...but he failed…miserably.
Gabriella stood and swallowed down more water before looking over the weapons and asking, "So we going to practice fighting with these now? I kinda want to practice with a sword!"
Michael stared at her for minute and then shook his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Let's go then." He stood and grabbed the sword he preferred and let her choose her own. They moved out onto the dying grass and he stood next to her, showing her how to parry and thrust properly. They walked through the movements for awhile and then finally Michael moved to stand across from her and they began to slowly work through the steps of fighting.
After awhile Michael called a halt and suggested they do one more session this time hand to hand with knives. Gabriella nodded her assent and they each chose a small knife, though Gabriella could see that Michael had brought practice knives, dulled to prevent harm.
Michael lunged first, and was surprised when Gabriella grabbed his arm, turned her back into his chest and wrenched his arm down, and twisted his wrist to a painful angle, forcing him to drop the knife. At the same time she whipped her head back, connecting with his, and swept her foot low, wiping his feet out from under him. In a second she was on top of him, her knife at his throat. She grinned down at him, "Nice try Michael, but mom taught me that move when I was 10."
He stared up at her; frankly amazed she had gotten the drop on him, but remembered she had told him her mom had taught her krav maga. Shame on him for not paying more attention. "Very good Gabriella. But to kill an angel with a knife, you need to stab here," he took the knife from his throat and placed it at his heart, "Not the throat."
She stared down at him for a long moment and then nodded, solemn. She sat back, still on top of him, and removed the knife, "So is that it for today? Or did you want to do some gun practice?"
Michael was trying to focus on her words, but it was hard when she continued to sit on top of him, her muscular body pressed so delightfully against his….right, weapons training! "Well, if you continue to sit on me, then we can't do anything. But I do believe we should get back to Vega. We can leave the weapons for another day."
He took delight in watching her become embarrassed as she realized she was indeed still sitting on him. She stood up so fast he thought she would fall over. "Sorry! Need a hand?" she offered her hand out to him, and though he didn't need it, he took it anyway, allowing himself the small pleasure of touching her. Not that they hadn't been touching before, but it hadn't exactly been…pleasurable?
He stood with her assistance and quickly dropped her hand, brushing himself off. They gathered up the various weapons and loaded the truck back up. Michael handed her an apple and a sandwich he had packed for her, and pulled out his own, sitting on the tailgate of the truck, eating in companionable silence.
Gabriella looked out at the abandoned yard and then over to Michael, "So, do you miss the way the world used to be?"
He tilted his head and thought, "I don't think so. Humanity was constantly at war with itself, my Father was disappointed and ready to destroy you, and I never was able to be close to humanity." He looked at her as he said the last part, and then continued, "Your kind was the recipient of all of God's love, and so I love you. But humanity trampled on that gift, questioned it, and wished it away. Now that things have changed, He is gone, and unable to see that humanity is trying to be what he hoped it could be." He sighed deeply, and Gabriella could see sadness in his face.
Moved, she laid a hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry we disappointed Him. But He disappointed us, as parents tend to do. That doesn't mean that you destroy your children. You show them a better path to walk, show them love, and let them know you are always there to help. He didn't just leave you, He left us."
Michael stared at her, incredulous. Every time he thought he knew every facet of the human heart and mind, she said something or did something that blew it all away. Unconsciously, his hand rose and came to rest on her cheek, "Father did great work on your heart. It is a blessing to know you." He watched as her eyes widened and shock, fear, and happiness moved over her face. He removed his hand and tucked it back into his lap.
She ducked her head and cleared her throat, "Uh, well…thank you. I didn't really believe in God, or Heaven, even growing up with angels being the enemy. It was all too much. After my parents died, I had to have at least the tiniest sliver of hope that there was some place for them to go, that I could go someday. Otherwise, fighting for this world? It's fucking pointless." She shook her head and climbed down from the tailgate, "Come on, we need to get back, I'll drive this time."
Michael raised a brow, "You know how to drive?"
She grinned, "Oh come now Michael, surely you aren't afraid?"
He actually laughed at that and tossed her the keys, slamming the tailgate shut. She climbed into the truck, slid on her sunglasses, and tugged her hair down out of her ponytail.
As they raced away from the house, Michael covered his mouth with a hand, covering a smile. She was leaning half out the window as she drove, her long black hair whipping around her face, and God above, she was gorgeous.
Five miles from Vega Michael sat up, alert, there was a figure in the sky. "Shit" he muttered.
Gabriella craned her head and saw the figure descending rapidly. "Yup" she said, pressing harder on the accelerator, coaxing the truck towards 95mph. Michael grabbed hold of the "oh shit" handle and leaned out the window, tracking the figure. It was gaining on them, fast.
He leaned back in, "Can you get us there any faster?"
She grinned, "Yes sir" and pushed the truck harder, reaching nearly 110mph. The wheel began to shudder in her hands and there was a faint whining noise coming from under the hood, but they were coming rapidly on the walls of Vega. The guns on the turrets focused on the figure and began to fire. As they approached the East gate Michael radioed and the gate swung open, and then slammed shut behind them.
They heard the guns firing again, and saw the figure fall from the sky in the distance. Michael hopped from the truck, "Wait here, I need to make sure it's been taken care of."
Gabriella nodded and sat in the truck, listening to the ticking and thrumming noises as it calmed down. Nearly ten minutes later Michael landed beside the truck and climbed partly back in, "It's taken care of. You can turn it off." Gabriella did as she was told and exited the truck. She and Michael gathered up the weapons and left the truck at the gate; Gabriella assumed Michael had made arrangements for it.
She followed Michael back to his tower and up to his quarters where she gratefully dropped the heavy bag. She noticed that Michael had winced when he leaned down, and she knew she had injured his ribs more than he had let on. She walked up to him and waved a hand at his shirt, "Take it off, I need to look at your ribs, and I need to clean up your face."
He gave her a disgruntled look, shaking his head no, but she had already turned and walked into his bathroom; he heard the water running, and then a moment later she was back, wet washcloth in hand. She gave him an exasperated look, "Take it off, or I will pin you down and take it off for you!"
He let out a strangled noise and whipped off his shirt, tossing it on the floor, "Happy?"
She smiled at him sweetly, "Yes! Thank you." She bent to examine his ribs, her hands cool and damp and a shiver ran over his skin. "Sorry" she murmured, "Did that hurt?"
He cleared his throat before speaking, "Uh no, nope."
Nodding, she continued her perusal, poking and pressing, assessing when he hissed between his teeth. Straightening, she smiled, "Ok, no broken bones! Just some bruising. So take some painkillers, ice it for 30 minutes, and then heat for 30 minutes."
Michael nodded, "Thank you" he started to turn and walk away, but was stopped by her hand on his arm, pushing him to sit on the chaise lounge chair. Surprised, he let himself be pushed down. She knelt in front of him, and raised the wet washcloth to his face, gently brushing off the dried blood and dirt.
She inspected his cut lip and the cut on his eyebrow, "They shouldn't need stitches, but if they keep opening and bleeding I can do it for you." She smiled up at him and wiped off his cheek where there was another cut, whispering, "Sorry!" when he inadvertently flinched.
Standing, she went back to the bathroom and rinsed the cloth, leaving it on the counter. She saw the antibiotic cream she had left for Alex and grabbed the tube, heading back out to Michael. She smiled at him, "Almost done, I promise. Thank you for being a good patient."
Michael leaned back on his arms, and some part of Gabriella noted what a fine physique he had, before she told that part to shut up and moved closer to apply the cream, leaning down to smudge it onto his face.
"No problem Doc. You already kicked my ass once today; I don't wish to make your job harder than it has to be."
She smirked at him, "Oh pinning you down wouldn't be hard on me." They both went still at her words, Gabriella realizing the implication of them. "I-uh…never mind. You're all good." She muttered. She made a hasty exit and stood waiting for the elevator, praying that Michael wouldn't pursue her, but apparently no one was listening.
He appeared behind her, "I will have Alex come here tomorrow and you can check his wounds then?"
She nodded and smiled, "Sure sounds good, what time?"
He tilted his head, thinking, "Why don't you come around dinner time, say 5:30pm and we can dine together, the three of us?"
Gabriella agreed, "Ok, I'll be here." The doors slid open and she entered the elevator, giving a small wave goodbye to Michael before they shut.
Michael went back to his room and stood on the balcony, enjoying the breezes. Her comment about pinning him down had clearly just slipped out, but eventually her brain had caught up and he had taken delight in the blush that had spread across her cheeks. To say he hadn't begun to think of her, blushing for other reasons, long limbs spread across his bed….damn…it would be a lie.
Sighing, he hung his head. He was weak. Undeserving of his Father's love. Undeserving of Gabriella. He could tell she was an amazing woman, capable of great things, and his destiny was to help Alex save humanity. To die for them if necessary. He would never be able to give her the love she deserved. It was not his fate to love her. Better to forget it.