It's been a while since I've updated but my summer reading was a lot longer than I had originally expected, SO SORRY! T^T. Highly recommend reading the Rot and Ruin series if you like zombies or the Tiger's Curse series if you want a really good paranormal romance.

I know that I've never really included Daniel in the story that much so far, sowwy .

But now I know it's the right time to dive more in to his character cause I only gave ya a small cameo before the previous chapter. It's been a couple years since I've read the books so I hope that my descriptions and interpretations of his character will satisfy some of you... hopefully :(

ANYWAYS, I DO NOT OWN FALLEN!

Enjoy!

Eight: Unbroken

"Daniel?" I said, shocked at me finding him here in Forsyth park of all places. When I had first met him he had given off more of an introverted aura and didn't seem to enjoy the company of others. But now I could see why. No one ever came here during this time of day, so it was perfect for him to be alone for a while until after noon.

Daniel's gaze had shifted from the vast distance of the Spanish moss and weeping willows right towards my own eyes.

The rays of sunlight piercing through the thick cotton white clouds added more tone to his tanned skin and brightened the violet color of his eyes. His face appeared clean shaved and there was not a blemish in sight. His jaw had a nice square set and was held high with thick muscles in his lower neck and chest.

When I looked back at him I saw a truth in his eyes that they desperately tried to hide, but couldn't keep caged. The beautiful but heartbreaking song he had sung so deeply described what I could see that those lonely violet eyes had held.

"You?" He responded back. His voice sounded so different when he spoke as opposed to how he sung. The tone in his voice was slightly monotone and calm, but the voice he sung with was richly filled with emotion and depth, and the slightest trace of sorrow. "You're that kid I met at the Juice Bar yesterday, Luke right?" He sounded a bit more casual now, not showing any signs of defense at the moment.

"Yeah, uh, I'm sorry I.. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just really liked what you were playing, and, wanted to keep listening. You have a really nice voice." I gave him a small but shy smile.

"Oh uh, thanks," his eyes drifted down to the almost yellow green grass, the sadness slowly returning inside of them. Then I began to regret overhearing him, clearly he had been in a private moment and I had no place in intruding his own world.

"I'm really sorry Daniel, I could see that you-"

"No," his deep voice assured me, "don't worry about it. It's... nice to have someone listen, every now and then."

"Who were you, playing?" I asked hesitantly, still not trying to pry him of anything he didn't want to share.

"Well uh... it's mine." he said softly.

Woah. I thought. That was something that came from him, and no one else. They defined emotions that he felt. It was about someone who broke his heart. As all the more beautiful it made the song, it also made it more sad. What could have happened that made him feel emotions such as those? Did the person he love not love him back? Or was maybe their heart meant for someone else?

"Wow, that's.."

"Yeah," he grunted, "I know."

"Did, something happen?" I asked.

He paused for a moment, then his eyes looked back at mine, "I keep losing the person I love."

"What, do you mean 'keep losing'?"

"It's not easy to explain," he said looking off into the distance, I could sense the hurt within his hoarse voice, " I guess, maybe, I'm just not worth loving."

His last words made my chest heave, and I felt that my heart had millions of micro-fractures in both it external and internal areas. I don't exactly know why, but I couldn't let Daniel think that way, "How could you say that?" The tone in my raised voice startling him as he looked back at me with a shocked look in his violet eyes, "Anyone would be so fortunate to be loved by someone like you." It felt somewhat ominous that I had to tell Daniel that. The beauty within his whole being was just so apparent not just within his voice or alluring good looks but with the softness of his strong deep voice and the way he seemed to look at the world.

"What makes you think I'm worth loving?" He asked.

"What makes you think you're not?"

"Because, every time I love them they end up getting hurt and there's nothing I can do to fix it." He looked back to me with unshielded eyes looking as if he were on the brink of tears, "Being alone is the only way I keep myself and them from being hurt."

It was almost unreal at seeing Daniel like this. At the juice bar he had given off the impression that he could care less about anyone else and that he had no idea what 'emotions' were, but the hurt in his voice and sorrow in his eyes had given off a different aura to him.

Jack had always told me that I could see good things in people no matter how many terrible things they had done. When I was attacked in the ally I told Jack that those boys must have had something terrible done to them to cause them to do what they did to me.

I didn't want to think about the things that Daniel might have faced in the short span of his life to make him hurt so much. But one thing I couldn't understand is how his defenses came down when I was here talking to him. It was something that happened with a lot of people that crossed paths with me. They would start talking with me as if I were a friend or someone that they could go to for comfort.

"But why put yourself through all that pain and loneliness? Why isolate yourself from others?"

"No one really understands what it's like to have nothing. No one to love, hold, or even cherish."

The fractures in my heart became cracks at his words. I was completely surrounded by so many people that loved me, and Daniel was surrounded by an empty void of loss. What did I ever do to deserve what I have now, and what could Daniel have possibly done to be so alone?

"I don't know what it's like to be alone," I said to him, "but I know what it's like to lose someone you love and feel like you're alone. But if you look all around you and see people more clearly, you'll notice they might feel the same things that you do. All of my friends have dealt with their own experience of loss and pain, and they understand what I've been through. And seeing that helped me realize that I wasn't alone in anything. People suffer different pain, but we all know what pain feels like. So why can't we all hold onto each other until the storm ends?"

Just like that, the look in his eyes had changed. The emptiness in them looked more full of life and meaning. He looked down to his fingers just inches from the strings on his guitar and played three long chords. They sounded full of warmth and love, and had no trace of the sorrow the previous song held and for once, Daniel looked the slightest of bit happy.

I smiled back to him, glad that I could change just one moment in his life.

"Thank you, Luke." he said. "I never really gave any of that much thought before."

"You're welcome." I said back to him.

"No one ever really understood the things that have happened to me or the things that I've felt before, it is really comforting knowing that I'm not truly alone."

"Well, I'm glad that I've given you some ounce of comfort." I said back shyly, and he gave me the most warm and real smile I could have ever imagined being on his face.

A loud grumbling sound had broke the silence between us and I immediately covered my stomach with my hands. I could feel heat rising in my face as Daniel was holding back laughter. "Sounds like someone's hungry," he grunted.

"Yeah, kinda slept through breakfast and lunch," I said.

"There's a café just down the park, let me treat to lunch, it's the least I could do for someone who helped me feel happy once for a change. Sound good?" he asked, still smiling back at me.

"Yeah," I said, "I think that would be really nice."

Forsyth café didn't really have your five star quality meals or the same amount of varieties in food, but they sure baked a real good muffin sandwich with bacon and eggs. I ordered that while Daniel had sat with me at one of the small tables outside eating three large pancakes and a side of bacon on another plate with his guitar in it's case perched right beside him.

As the day grew older it began to warm up slightly with my shivering easing down as I ate.

It seemed a little awkward between the two of us at first but we made one glance at each other and began laughing at each other as if we were old friends. When were almost done with our brunch I decided now was a good time to try and get to know Daniel a little more.

"So, uh, what brings you here to a town like Savannah?"

"Oh, well, this was one of my favorite places to go to when I was, younger, there always seemed to be somewhat of an ominous aura here that I couldn't help but always return to."

"Huh, you feel that too?" I asked a bit shock. I thought only me and Lucie had felt that way about this place.

"Yeah, it felt more like this place was pulling me back instead of me just wanting to come here, almost like something's waiting for me here that I can't quite explain."

"Wow, that's seems a bit strange."

"What about you?" he asks. "Have you always lived here?"

"Yeah, me and my family used to live in a big house not too far from here, but we decided to move for a change of space after my dad passed away."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." he said apologetically.

"Thank you."

We looked at each other for another moment before I decided to try and talk about something different.

"So are enrolled in school yet."

"Yeah," he said and pushed away his empty plate of pancakes and went straight for the bacon. "I'll be attending Sword and Cross on Monday."

"Hey! I go to that school, maybe we'll have a class together or two."

"Yeah, it'd be nice to see a familiar face every other day." He looked a lot more at ease as we began talking more. It still always amazed me how people just seemed so comfortable around me and not afraid to open up. But there was one thing about Daniel that I just needed to know.

"Hey, Daniel. Have we ever met before? Or well, uh, when was the last time you came here?"

"Oh um, it's been almost three years, why ask?" he sounded a bit concerned.

"It's just, you look so familiar and your named does too, I just thought maybe I saw you from somewhere or maybe we've met before in the past or something."

"I think I'd remember a face like yours," he said with a sly smirk. His comment let a slight blush cross over my face.

"So, where are you living at right now?"

He swallowed a whole strip of bacon before he spoke. "Well, I'm going to be here for a while so I'm currently living in an apartment complex just around the corner from here, it's actually a really nice place."

"Wait, the apartment complex just down the street by the Juice Bar?" I exclaimed a bit.

"Yeah, that place." Daniel said while chewing his last slice of bacon.

"I live there too! What floor are you on?"

"Floor three room eight."

"Your just three doors down from me!" I said. Something had shifted in his eyes, he looked almost scared at what I had just said to him. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

He looked down at his empty plates and spoke. "Did you hear that screaming last night?"

My heart skipped a beat at forgetting about Lucie. "Yeah um," my eyes followed his to the finished plates. "that was my sister."

I Looked back up to him and say those violet orbs fixed on me again. "What happened?" he murmured.

"She's been having really bad night terrors for the past couple of months, she usually just wakes up crying for me in her sleep but it never happened that bad. Last night she hit her head on the living room table because she must have sleep walked through the night terror she had."

"Is she alright?" he asked, sounding more concerned.

"Yeah, she's fine. A little shaken up but once she was with me everything got better." I assured him.

"Okay, I hope she feels better."

"Thank you. Well, I uh really should be getting back home now." I said looking at my phone, seeing it was already past noon.

"Yeah, I was just going to go back home too after this," Daniel said. "I'll walk you back."

"Okay."

Daniel reached into his wallet and left three five dollar bills on the table. We left the café out the glass paneled doors and walked back towards the park under the Spanish Moss trees over the main path, back to road that would take us both home.

I walked casually down the hall of the apartment with Daniel by my side. Although he hardly spoke within silence his presence was still one that seemed to bring peace to anyone. When I reached my door with the bronze rusted five on the door, Daniel paused next to me as I fiddle with my pocket for the key.

"Luke. Thanks again for what you said to me at the park." I looked back to him and saw a different light in his eyes. One that was not flickering with dimness, but one that burned with new life.

"I'm glad I could help." I said back to him.

"No Luke, I mean it. No one else's words have had as much of an impact on me as yours. You must be a very good friend."

"Well, now you know what it's like to have a good friend." I assured him.

With that he gave me one last smile. I don't know if I would ever get used to seeing him sad again, because when he did smile it looked real, as if it was never gone. "I hope to see you again Luke. Maybe we'll bump into each other at Sword and Cross on Monday." He turned away and began walking down to his door.

He set his guitar case down by the door as he reached for his key. I felt like I needed to comfort him more, to assure him that he was not alone and that he had a friend who would be there for him. I hesitated but spoke up before the key was placed into the lock. "Daniel." He looked back at me with a lost expression.

"What's wrong Luke?" he asked in a kind voice. I walked down the three doors between us and stood right in front of him, my eyes looking into his. I notice now how much taller he was than me at this distance and how broad his shoulders were, but I still wrapped my arms around his chest and felt the tenseness in his muscles and found that he was surprisingly warm in body heat.

He sucked in a breath and froze not knowing what to do but I still held on, tightening my hold. I knew how much he needed to be comforted with human contact. My mother always told me that a simple wave hello or a hug could save someone, because it might be the only comfort they've ever gotten and could mean the world to them. He let out his trembling breath and slowly wrapped his own arms around me. I was scared at first that he might push me away, but I thought this was something that he really needed and was glad to feel that I was right.

"Daniel, I just want you to know that you're never alone. Although I've never experience the things that you have I still understand your pain, and I'm here for you if you ever need me." He gripped my shirt in his fists and his hold on my became so tight I could barely breath. He buried his face in my neck, and I felt a warm and cooling dampness on my shoulder. When he spoke I was surprised at how calm and unbroken his voice was.

"Thank you Luke. Thank you, so much."

I gently closed the door behind me. I inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly to process just what happened in a short afternoon. I met Daniel at the town park and ended up forming a friendship with him. I found out that he lost someone very important to him and that's why he acts so distant and half alive, but underneath all of it is a really nice person who just needs a friend right now.

I could still feel the imprints of his warm tears on my shoulder. When he finally let go of me he had wiped the rest off with the back of his hand an apologized to me. I told him that it was alright, that it was okay for him to cry and feel the things that he suppressed. He gave me a simple nod and I went back over to my door and unlocked it. We both shared one more glance at each other and entered our own home.

The light from the curtained door of the balcony of the living room was a dull grey showing that it was more cloudy outside. I walked down the short hall and saw that Lucie's door was still closed. With a knock that was a little too soft I didn't hear a response so I turned the door knob and pushed it open slowly.

Lucie was tucked in her bed with the white comforter to her shoulders and her cape of black wavy hair spread out behind her. I walked over to the side of the bed behind her and quietly slipped in tucking her hair closer to her not wanting to lie on it. I scooted closer to her and wrapped my arm over her small form. She stirred slightly and turned over showing me that she was awake.

Her hazel eyes look more rested and the smile she had when seeing me with her made all the worries I had this morning vanish. I didn't even notice the bandage still covering the wound over her forehead.

"Hey Lucie, how was the nap?"

"Really nice." She said with a short yawn and stretched her arms outside the comforter. "I feel a lot more rested now. How long were you gone?"

"Just a little over an hour. I bumped into a kid me and Jack met at the juice bar and I kind of ended up having lunch with him."

"Really?" she said looking back at me. "Who is he?"

"Daniel." I said, feeling myself smile at his name. "Well to be honest, at first he gave off an impression that he wasn't really the friendly type but, we ended up striking a good conversation and I guess we became friends."

"Aw, that's nice." she said, the light in her eyes coming back. "It's that kindness that many people see in you that makes them feel comfortable to open up. Why do you think you have so many nice friends?"

"Thanks Lucie," I said in return and tucked small wisps of hair behind her ear. Then I remembered what we were going to talk about this morning. "Lucie? About what happened this morning, did you still want to talk about that?"

"Yeah," She hesitated. "It was a very pleasant dream. Do you remember that wooden swing that dad tied with rope to the tree in our front yard?"

"Yeah."

"Well, in my dream I was swinging on it and felt hands push on my back that helped me swing higher." She paused and took my free hand in hers. "When I looked over my shoulder, I saw that it was dad. He was smiling and laughing while pushing me." Her eyes became glassy. "But then I looked more closely and I noticed that it wasn't really him." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked a bit shocked.

"It wasn't dad. It was you." She finally allowed herself to smile. "I'll be honest with you Luke, I still miss him so much, and sometimes I feel the longer he's gone the more of him I lose. But that dream I had helped me realize that not all of him is gone, because I still have you." My heart quivered at her words. She noticed my reaction and cuddled closer to my chest. "I'm just so glad that I still have you in my life."

"Me too Lucie. Thank you." I kissed her forehead gently and brought her closer towards me, too afraid of when in the far away future one of us would have to leave the other alone in this material world.

Lucie and I stayed together for a little while longer in her room, and then decided we should go to the living room and watch some TV until Jack got back from lunch with his mom and Mike.

We were on the lifetime channel because they usually showed a few Jodi Picoult adaptations every once and a while that we still enjoyed watching together.

"Me and Em are going to try and get Charlotte in a dress this year." Lucie said in between a commercial break.

"Good luck with that." I joked. "The only thing close to a dress that girl will wear is a mini skirt and anything that's black with lace."

"Well she always dresses up for the Halloween dance at Sword and Cross, and since she lost a bet with Em last year we get to choose her outfit. We were thinking of a gothic Cinderella sort of costume."

"Hmm, I'd like to see how that works out."

"She'll love it, trust me." She winked. "So... you and Jack have any plans today?" She teased.

"Not really, but I made plans with John later today. Going to head to his house once everything's good down at the bakery."

Lucie sighed and inhaled deeply. "It's been forever since we've been there. I've nearly forgotten what Sue's apple spice cake tastes like."

"Well I asked her to save me some, you could come with me and say hello."

"Aw, I wish I could but me and Em made planes to go to Borders and see if they had any new books yet, we also heard that Gayle Forman was signing books there later this afternoon and don't want to miss it."

"Okay." I said with a laugh.

"But please tell her I said hi and don't worry I'll get your copy of If I stay signed too."

"I will and thanks Lucie." Just then there was a knock at the door. I shot up from the couch almost involuntarily with my heart beat quickening at the thought of seeing Jack behind the door. Once I was at the door I stopped and took a deep breathe before opening it.

I was welcomed with warm body heat and that same pleasant scent of spice and light cologne. Jack stood tall and broad as ever with a small grin on his stubble face. He wore a plain black t-shirt under a thin denim Jacket and charcoal jeans.

"Hey." He said casually.

"Hey." I said back. Then he stepped inside and took me in his strong arms, engulfing me in his warmth and spicy aroma. He had to slouch slightly because how much taller he was than me so I stood on the tips of my toes to try and reach my chin to his shoulders.

Once we broke apart he brought his lips to mine in soft kiss. His lips were a bit more dry than usual and I could feel the stubble on his face as it scratch tickle my cheeks and bottom lip.

"Missed you." he looked at me with kind eyes when he pulled away.

"I missed you too. It feels like its been forever since I last saw you." I stood higher and kissed him again.

"What do you say we take this to another room... alone?" he gestured to my door down the hall with a nod.

"Yeah, why not."

"Hey Jack, I missed you too." Lucie said casually but you could still hear the hurt in her voice.

Suddenly Jack was out of grasp and made his way over to the couch. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at Jack giving other people love and affection, but I guess that's just a side affect of intimate relationships.

"Aw, I'm sorry little Snow White, you know I love you too." he said as she stood up to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her small form and picked her up several inches off the ground in doing so. The jealousy I felt seconds ago disappeared at the sight of him hugging my sister. I really loved how Jack loved cared about many other people other than me. It also began to make me wonder what I ever did to deserve someone like him in my life.

"How's the little booboo doing?" he said gently running his thumb over the bandage on her forehead and moving some lose black hair from the side of her temples.

"It doesn't hurt that much," she assured him bringing a small pale hand to the wound.

"Okay, that's good to hear. You scared me there for a moment little Snow White."

"I'm sorry," she said with sad eyes. "Next time I'll have Luke tape me to the bed." she joked.

"Seriously Lucie, please be more careful." Jack said sternly.

"I will." she responded, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead which brought a small smile to her face.

"Well, I guess I'll leave the two of you alone for now." she said with raised eyebrows.

"Okay Lucie," I said trying to ignore the look on her face and walked over to jack and reached for his hand and walked over to my door. Once I grasped it I felt that it wasn't his hand but something else. I stopped a couple steps from the living room and looked back down to see that I gripped the front part of Jack's pants.

He looked at me with astonished eyes but then slowly turned into a wide grin. "Geez Luke, I didn't know you missed me that much."

I felt heat flood into my cheeks from accidentally grabbing his pants instead of his hand. "I didn't mean to do that!" I exclaimed.

"I'll say," Jack said back, "day after first date and you're already trying to get in my pants." He gave me a quick wink. I looked behind him to see that Lucie was turned around with what I could see her hands covering her mouth preventing any laughter from escaping. I couldn't stand being here like this anymore and took hold of Jack's hand looking back at it to make sure and stormed into my room with his warm body by my side.

Jack was still laughing even after I closed my room door behind us. "I swear I didn't mean to do that." I pouted in front of him.

"Don't worry about it Luke," he said, "Although, try something like that after our second date and you might get something back." His eyebrows bounced. My heart skipped quite a few beats at his remark. It felt like a snake had coiled through my ribcage and constricted its body around the entire organ.

He stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms dangerously around my lower back pressing me to him as he drew me into a deep kiss. The taste of his tongue and lips were still the same but had more fire in them than yesterday. He was more drawn into the kiss this time. He teased my bottom lip by biting it with his and the top row of his teeth. His hands slithered bellow back and slightly gripped me.

My arms were tightly bound to his shoulders and my hands woven in his hair. His sent was more potent and his taste more prominent. I felt the outlines of the hard and warm muscles in his back. The bulge of his biceps as they held me to his contracted pectoral muscles. More of his body heat radiated into me making me yearn for more of everything I could take from him; scent, taste, warmth, touch. Jesus, when did Jack get so... hot?

I'd seen Jack shirtless quite a few times and how often he worked out in a tightly compressed muscle shirt, but I never really thought to look again or stare at his working muscles a few minutes longer but now regretted that more than ever.

My breathing increased rapidly almost at a matched tempo with his. He broke away once to inhale a few deep breaths before diving right back in, grazing his teeth against mine as the crashing of our lips and tongues continued like the waves of the oceans against rock. Saliva coated our lips as our passionate rapture continued in a cosmic affair.

I was in desperate need for air and I forced my hands on Jack's chest to push myself free from his nearly erotic grasp. I devoured each breath of air my lungs ripped from the air that surrounded both of us. When both of our breaths matched in tempo I rested head against his chest with my arms loosely around his waist.

"Damn it Luke," he muttered as he held me close to his warm body, "I just can't get enough of you."

I nestled my head closer to his chest and could feel the beating of his heart as it thrashed against the inside of his ribcage. "Then maybe we shouldn't stop just yet." I whispered in his ear as I stood taller to kiss his stubble cheek.

He placed his hands over my shoulders and gripped them. "If we keep this up Luke you'll cause the same issue we had last night." He looked away from me trying to hide the redness in his face.

Tracing the outline of his fly I reached more farther than his cheek and kissed the lobe of his ear. "I wouldn't consider it an issue, If you truly enjoyed me causing it."

Jack made a low groan in his throat. "Luke I swear it's taking me all of my control not to throw you on the bed right now and rip these annoying clothes of the both of us. Damn it! I never thought I would be this attracted to you."

"Well what's stopping you?" I asked. He pulled me away from him more forcefully and looked at me with sad but honest eyes.

"Because Luke, all I want right now is to be with you." I immediately began to feel appalled with myself for the sensual mundane feelings I was fueled by. "Of course I really enjoy a make out session or three with you, I also want to be with you like how we were before this." He brought me into his arms again with not as much force as before, as if he were holding a long lost friend in which case he actually was. "I spent the entire summer sleeping alone at night with no one to keep warm from the cold, and they never contacted me to tell me if they felt the same." His words were like daggers in my chest.

"I'm really sorry Jack, I was just so scared if things wouldn't work out like this."

"I know Luke. Just please," he begged in pain. "don't ever do that to me again." He pulled away and brushed a few stray strands of black hair from the side of my face. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed me softly one last time and took my hand in his leading us both outside to my room balcony.

It was a few hours past noon and the skies were filled with a fractured grey. Light would peak through the incisions made between the dark clouds and the air had smelled of cool moisture.

Jack spent the last few hours with me alone and in peace, with only small kisses in between the minutes that flew by. Lucie ad already left with Emily to Borders and we were left alone. It was a very calm and peaceful time just being near him. I never knew how much I had actually missed him until I began spending more time with him now.

"Looks like it might rain soon," Jack said with his hands on the metal railing. "Any chance you can cancel your plans with John?" He asked with a smirk.

"You know Jack," I said back to him and leaned on his shoulder. "As much as I love you, you're not the only one who missed me over break. And I'm pretty sure when Matt gets back he'll want an afternoon with me too."

"Ugh," He groaned, "Why do you have to be such a magnet for love?" He rested his head against mine.

"You tell me." I remarked.

"I'm sure you already know that." He said turning to kiss my forehead. Although I wasn't really sure why people loved me. I just treated them the way any other human being would. Why would they show me the love that they did? What did I ever do to deserve them. I wonder what Daniel would see in me...

Just as that thought passed, I heard the text tone from my phone.

John: Hey cutie bakery just closed now. We're all sold out but I managed to save the things you asked for. Hope you didn't forget our date, I'll be there in 10.

Jack stared down at the screen as I read. "What's he mean by 'our date'." His eyes bore into mine with jealousy.

"Its just a joke Jack, stop being so jealous, it looks too cute on you." I chuckled.

"Excuse me?" he groaned. "I think the word cute should only be applied to you." he said and attacked my side with his fingers as he began tickling me. My side contracted at his touch and I began laughing too hard to even breathe.

"Jack... Jack..." I moaned, and then he finally ceased his assault. He spun me around to lock our lips in one final kiss. I glided my tongue on his bottom lip to savor his taste before we would be parted once again. "I'll miss you." I said.

"I'll miss you too." He said back wiping my saliva off his lip with his own tongue. "Well I should get going now. My shift at the guitar store starts in half an hour." He fully embrace me, locking just enough of his warmth in me to last another day and walked out towards the front door. I stayed where I stood so that way I could see him walking off from the balcony outside.

Once he left the building from the front door I could still see him from where I stood. He waved his long hand at me and I waved back as he walked in the opposite direction of the park to the shops over down town.

As he turned a corner on a different street I lost sight of him and drew my attention back to the thick grey clouds above. Just as my gaze was fixed I felt a cold wet drop peck my cheek. I wiped it off with my index finger and then felt a few more hit the back of my hand. It was beginning to rain.

After long hot endless days of summer the rain had finally come back. I opened the large umbrella that stood supported in the middle of the small table with two chairs on the balcony and sat right underneath it to enjoy the full view of the rain. The pavement became darker from the rain drops and had given off a stronger scent of rock and concrete.

As I looked out into Forsyth park I saw a figure walking along the main pathway. At first I almost didn't recognize them but the bright red scarf and golden blond hair were dead giveaways. As I looked more closely at Daniel walking alone on the path of the still empty park I notice something odd that was right behind him.

There was a small faint cloud like form attached to his back. As I looked more closely I could see it was the rain bouncing off of something. Its form stretched a bit wider than his shoulders and stood just above his head and fell all the way to the floor.

Are those... wings?

I'd like to thank anyone out there who is still reading this story despite how long I have been away.

Things as of late have been very busy. My classes require a lot of attention now and I'm currently applying for college and all kinds of things school related as well as my reading.

I deeply apologize for being away for so long and appreciate anyone who is still reading THANK YOU! ^_^

It will be a while until I can write more in the meantime and get the next chapter up but please stayed tuned in case things happen to come up.