Here is all of chapter 16!

*sigh* already a month into summer break and I still can still barely give room to write for FanFiction and original work. Well I make do as I always have and still miraculously get dozens of views almost every month. So grateful I still have an audience, thank you all so much for still reading!

I do not own Fallen!

Enjoy!

Sixteen: Amend

The next day began like any other, but still felt anew all together.

The clouds were more parted allowing larger crevices of sunlight to shine through and was the only day of the week where I didn't need a sweater.

I was sitting at our usual stone table in the courtyard leaning next to Jack and lost in thought when more familiar faces began to arrive. Lucie and Em came our ways with their matching long thick side braids and sat across from us. John came shortly afterwards sandwiching me closer to Jack as he took a seat beside me.

John and Jack began conversing with each other despite the gap between them while I kept my eyes alert around the courtyard for a golden haired boy. Once I caught a glimpse of that bright red scarf of his I gestured him to our table when our eyes had met.

His slow approach exposed his anxiety but kept a friendly smile as he made his way to the table catching the attention of Jack.

"Hey, Daniel," he sounded surprised.

"Hey," he gesture back with a wave of his hand. Lucie and Em turned back to face him.

"Guys, this is Daniel. Jack and I met him a few weeks ago at the juice bar, he's new here in town. I thought maybe he could hang with us now."

"Oh, well, hi there Daniel," Emily beamed with her bright smile and a short wave. "It's nice to meet you."

"Why don't you sit with us?" Lucie asked patting the empty space beside her and Em.

He filled the empty space between us and questions began to spur from the others.

"So where are you from?"

"Do you live around here?"

"How you liking Sword and Cross?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

He chuckled at their questions and tried to answer them as best he could. "Well, I'm originally from Northern California and I lived there till I was twelve years old and moved around the east coast. I live in the same apartment building as Luke. I live there by myself now, and things are pretty good here at Sword and Cross. Classes aren't too hard and the atmosphere here is really relaxing."

"And?" Emily asked with wide eyes.

"And what?" Daniels looked confused.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Em, you're all ready with Matt," Lucie elbowed her lightly.

"Ugh, like I'd ever forget that Luce! I meant for Char." She interjected fighting back with light slaps on her shoulder.

"You know how much she hates it when we try to set her up with somebody," Lucie exclaimed with a hushed voice keeping a watch out for a lone Charlotte.

"Oh, alright fine, so much for being a good friend. Sorry Daniel, Charlotte's another friend of ours. Oh gosh, we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Emily and this is Lucie," she slung her arm on Lucie's shoulder. "And that one over there is John. Don't be fooled, he may look scary but he's a really nice guy."

"Hey!" John whined. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Emily reassured. "Just that you could at least be a bit nicer to people other than your friends."

"I could be nice to people that aren't my friends," he said folding his arms over his chest.

"Really now? Well why don't you say something nice to Daniel and help him feel welcomed?"

He looked over at Daniel who was giving a matching nervous smile.

"Hey Danny, you uh... you have really nice eyes." His face shifted in a different direction from Daniel's.

"Oh, uh, thanks John," I could see Daniel's face turning a shade of red as he tried to suppress a laugh.

"There. See. I could be nice to other people," John interjected back at Emily.

"Well, it looks to me that you made Daniel feel more bashful than welcomed Johnny," she giggled.

He looked back at Daniel whose face was now drawn downward away from the others and obviously red.

"Wait, I uh, I didn't mean, well I mean you do have really nice-ugh! I'll see you guys after school." He threw up his hands rose from his seat and marched away to the building where his next class was.

"See Daniel. He seems cold-hearted at first but he's really a nice guy," Em reassured him.

"Yeah, he seems nice," Daniel looked back retracing John's steps.

"What was that all about?"

"Beat's me," Jack said as he walked beside me with an arm slung over my shoulder. "He never was really good around new people."

"He was pretty good with us."

"Yeah, mostly in part because he knew me already when I brought him into the group."

I laughed. "But gosh, I didn't really peg Daniel as the bashful type. Did you see how red his face got?"

"Sure did. Almost as red as yours gets whenever you get nervous or embarrassed."

"Oh haha, very funny."

He grunted. "Daniel really seems like a nice guy. Never would have thought he was going through all of that stuff though."

Me and Daniel had talked about making up a story about him so the others wouldn't question too much why he was living on his own. He told them that his parents died in a car accident last year and that he was left with enough inheritance to live on his own for quite some time. He decided to finish High School, go to college and then see where things would go from there. It would be enough to show the others he was just like the rest of us, well, with only a few exceptions.

"Yeah. The more Daniel talked about his life the more he reminded me of a lot of us. We're broken, but all we can do is live each day one at a time and heal the best we can."

I looked up to see Jack smiling as we came to the last stop light that led back to my apartment. "Well it's a good thing he found us, especially you."

"Why me?"

"Cause' you're the kind of person who can reach people like him. I really don't know how you do it Luke, but it's a good thing you can do it." He bent down and his lips gently pecked mine.

"Thanks Jack." I smiled and leaned more closer in to him.

It was a short while and we were at the door to the front lobby when I paused and turned to face Jack and took his larger hands in mine. "You know Jack, Lucie's with Char and Em for the rest of the afternoon. No one else will be here but us for hours."

"Is that an invitation?" He muttered a laugh and smiled at me.

"That depends. Are you willing to accept it?"

The Friday of that week I asked Daniel if he could come over to my place sometime after school.

Daniel: Why? Is something wrong? he texted back.

No. Nothing at all. I just want to spend time with you.

Daniel: Oh, Okay. I just got back from the library, be there in a bit ;)

A smile broke my face at his response and it was only a couple of minutes before I heard the doorbell ring.

I was at the door in seconds to let Daniel inside. The navy blue long-sleeve shirt he wore brought out his eyes more and his golden hair was more tousled like he had just rolled out of bed.

"Hey," he said casually.

"Hey," I said back and brought him into a gentle hug.

He slowly brought his arms around me, returning the gesture. It was something I could feel he was still getting used to, but from the way he would keep holding on a while longer assured me that he appreciated them.

"So, what do you wanna do?" he asked as we both took a seat on the couch hardly taking notice of what was on the television.

"I don't know... I mean, I don't really know how to hang out with someone who's secretly a fallen angel that I have to keep secret from my friends and try to ignore the fact that you're thousands of years old."

"Yeah, that seems pretty hard to do." He nodded with a blank face but a grin slowly grew on it.

"Common, give me a break," I shoved his shoulder. "Well, where should I start? Uh, what kind of music do you like listening to? Ugh, geez that seems stupid to ask, you've probably heard everything."

"Well don't be so fooled Luke," he chuckled. "I've listened to a lot of things but there's some music I like more than others."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well, right now I really like alternative or early 2000s rock."

"Hey! That's mostly what we listen to now. Well Lucie and Em listen to country a little more, but yeah. You'll fit in just fine with us." I beamed.

"That sounds good to hear," he smiled back.

We then drew our attention to the television screen for a while. I kept a close eye on my phone for a text to be sure the plan was nearly complete but didn't want to show Daniel that I was hiding something.

"You sure everything's okay Luke?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Yeah. What makes you say that?"

He slowly shook his head throwing out something that seemed to have distracted him. "Nothing, guess I'm just being paranoid."

I thought I might buy them some more time. "Have you seen anything strange lately? I mean, fallen angel supernatural wise."

"Nope. Not one bit."

"That's a good sign then right?" I tried to reassure.

"Hopefully. I contacted a few of my old friends just to be sure. They haven't seen anything strange either."

"But, you're still worried?"

He exhaled a deep breath and closed the short distance between us, wrapping an arm around my smaller frame. I inhaled his scent leaning more into his touch that I never really expected him to do. "I'm mostly worried about you." He nestled his face in my hair. "I'm still scared that something bad might happen."

"Would you know when something bad comes our way?"

"Yes, I would."

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Nothing bad will happen that you won't see coming. Right?"

I felt his head nod against mine.

"So until something like that happens just try to relax and enjoy moments like this."

He sighed and leaned more into me. It was just a moment later that I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I shifted slightly and to read the text.

Jack: Just got everything ready. Be there in 10.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, no. It's nothing, just Jack." I placed my phone on the arm of the couch and leaned back into him.

"He really loves you."

"Could you tell me more about him. I know that he was a part of that past life you showed me."

"His soul's been following you since the mid nineteenth century when that life took place. This is the first time he's found you before I did. And there's not much to really tell you about. He hasn't changed a bit." I heard him mutter a laugh.

It was weird hearing about Jack in a past life, but it was still comforting in some way.

"What about any of my friends now? Have I known them in a past life?"

"Well, Luke," he hesitated. "You're not really suppose to know a lot of things about your past, and it has nothing to do with the situation we're in. But, there's certain things you're not suppose to know in detail."

"Oh," I felt slight disappointment.

"But, yeah," he said. "Everyone at the table this afternoon you have had past connections with."

I nestled my head into his chest, smelling the scent of mint on his shirt. "Well, that's good enough to know."

It wasn't long until the door bell rang and a song-like knock was on the door.

"You expecting company?" He asked with a worried look in his eye.

"We are," I corrected making my way for the door. "And don't worry, you're more than welcome to stay and join us if you want."

"Who's we? And join you for what?" he asked with an arched brow?"

"Hey Daniel!" Jack greeted him at the open door with a warm smile. He carried a box of sodas in one arm and a bag of assorted chips in the other. He set the snacks down by the kitchen island and his sleeping bag and night clothes by the foot of the couch.

"Hey, uh, what's going on? You guys having a sleep over or something?"

"Guess you could say that," John said walking in the living room behind Daniel with another bag of snacks and his own sleeping bag and night wear. "We used to do this a lot over the summer our freshman and sophomore year. But me and Jack were busy this summer and had to leave this little cutie all by himself." He came up behind me wrapping me tightly in his warm arms.

"It wasn't either of your faults. Jack was due for a visit to his family and you had a sold out tour to go on." I elbowed him lightly on the side.

"Well, we're all here together now and that's all that matters, right Danny?" he cheered with a thumbs up.

"Uh, yeah," he smiled back.

"Alright! Jack, get the grub ready and I'll set up the PS3," he said rubbing his hands together.

"You got it!"

"Every play Resident Evil or Turok before Danny?"

"Umm..."

Daniel's thumbs had trouble pushing the buttons to control Sheva as he began running away from the zombies rather than shooting them.

"C'mon Danny, I know you're better than that," John cheered as he began exterminating masses of them with a shotgun.

"Sorry," Daniel apologized still with a very entertained look on his face. "Don't really play video games that much."

"Well you'll get the hang of it soon enough now that you're with us," John look over at Daniel with a warm smile as their eyes had met.

I rose from my seat beside Daniel and went over to the kitchen where Jack was preparing some of the snacks.

"Did you guys get the same thing?" I asked looking at what he was pouring into separate bowls.

"Yup," he smiled and stepped over towards me to press his lips on mine briefly. He looked back to John and Daniel with a worried glance in his eyes. "How can he still be alright after all that?" I began thinking back to his real situation to support my answer.

"I know," I nodded seeing John nudge Daniel's shoulder when he started to improve on fighting off the horde of zombies and laughing brightly at his success. "I asked him the same thing. He told me once that he used to distance himself from his old friends a lot," I said trying to reword the one encounter we had. "Losing his parents was so devastating for him that he never wanted people to not know how much he cares about them."

A smile slowly appeared on Jack's face.

"So... now he really just wants to be closer to the people he befriends. He sees that as the only way he can amend for what he didn't do in the past."

I felt his warm arm fold over my shoulder and pull me close as he kissed the side of my temple. "Well, let's be sure we give him all the love he deserves."

"Yeah," I nodded and helped him take the bowls of snacks to the table.

John quickly snatched a couple of red vines and stuck them between his teeth as he played. "Oh shit!" he mumbled holding onto the red vines. "Here comes the Axe Man! Get ready Danny, things are about to get ugly."

The light in Daniel's eyes assured me that he was truly enjoying himself.

Shortly after nine o' clock we had decided to end the night with a movie.

Knowing John's taste I was assured we'd have a good selection to choose from until we'd settled on one that I was nervous might be close to home for Daniel. Fly Away Home.

I kept glancing over at Daniel whenever I felt uneasy about how he'd react to certain events in the movie but was always met with an alert look in his eyes as he continued to watch, almost never wanting his eyes to leave the television screen as the light radiated his skin in the unlit room.

At last when the movie rolled with the end credits I saw a lustrous line briefly streak across his face in the dim light from the screen but was quickly wiped away with a brush of his wrist.

"Pretty good movie, huh?" John asked as he lit the small lamp beside the couch filling the room with a small amount of light.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded.

"Really hits home for some us. Jack, Luke and me. We all come from a pretty broken family, so, we kind of found everything we didn't have in each other."

Daniel turned slightly to face John.

"But, just know that now that you're with us we'll think of you more than just a friend. You're family to us now. Okay?"

His eye began filling with more moisture and lowered his face away from us with his eyes now shut tight.

John shifted closer to his side placing an arm over his shoulder to comfort him. I followed suit and Jack was right beside me reaching over me to place his arm over mine on Daniel's free shoulder.

"It's okay now Daniel," I assured him. "We're family now. And we love you."

He shifted slightly so he could return the gesture to all of us. "Thank you."

We all stayed like that for a while until John yawned pulling away and rose to stretch out his arms. "Well, it's getting late now. We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah," Jack agreed as he made his way over to where the sleeping bags were rolled up. "You brought all the sleeping bags, right?"

"Huh?" Daniel asked.

"Yup," John said. "We only have two bigger ones so we'll all have to share with someone this time."

"Oh, okay," Daniel said with a lively smile as he quickly placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'll share with Luke then."

My eyes slowly fluttered open when I felt Daniel shift in his sleep, pulling me in closer into his warmth from behind me. It was then in the dim light from the moon shining through the curtains that I could faintly see Jack was also awake.

"Trouble sleeping?" I whispered placing a hand on his abrasive face.

"No," I could feel his face form a smile. "Got a hundred and eighty pound teddy bear to cuddle with." As if on cue John made an audible yawn as a heavy arm draped over him atop where mine rested and nestling his head on Jack's chest. "And maybe cutting off circulation to half my body," he chuckled lightly.

"You got yours I got mine," I grunted I gestured patting Daniel's soft hand hovering over mine.

He leaned over as much as he could with the extra weight to lightly press his lips on mine. "You did it again."

"Did what?"

"Reached out to someone."

I moved more into Daniel's warmth. "It's not a big deal," I muttered feeling his chest lightly heave as he would inhale at a steady pace.

"You kidding Luke? You clearly didn't see how this guy was before he met you." he reached over and lightly tousled a head of unruly spikey hair. "I couldn't even get him to crack a smile, but guess who got him to do that and more?"

I ran my hand through his soft hair as he lightly snored against his chest and smiled thinking back to how distant he used to be.

"I really don't know how I do it..."

"It's like I told you before, Luke. You're a really good person, kind, and caring, and you show that side of you to people very well even when you don't notice it, but people like us can see it. And we're grateful to have someone like you in our lives."

"I'm grateful I have people like you in my life too," I smiled and leaned in closer to kiss him back.

The next time my eyes opened the weight of weariness lifted off my eyelids as sunlight crept through the curtains.

I must have shifted sides in my sleep as I was now nestled close to someone who had a sweet pleasant smell to him. I first took notice to the warm beige skin above the hem of his navy blue shirt, reaching up to lightly graze my fingers over it. They trailed down his neck over the small bit of hairs peeking just above his chest. I could even see the faint outline of his pulse.

Everything that I could see and touch told me that this being holding me close was entirely human and not something far beyond what anyone could believe to exist.

My hand had lightly rested on his cheek as he inhaled deeply and slowly fluttered his eyes open, the light blond lashes adding a oddly beautiful contrast to the color in his eyes.

I was welcomed with a friendly smile as he sat up to stretch out his arms filling the space we held more with his comforting scent.

"Good morning," he said with a light yawn.

"Morning," I smiled and rose slightly to wrap my arms over his warm frame. His own arms instinctively took me in tightening his hold as he gently nestled his temple against mine. "I honestly can't remember the last time I first saw you on a pleasant morning like this."

My fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt as I deeply inhaled him. "Well, here I am now and here I'll always be."

He grunted as his hand rubbed my back before we pulled apart.

I leaned in closer to him still and placed my head against his chest. Even that soothing melody in here felt completely human. "I love you, Daniel."

A warm hand gently laced through my hair. "I love you too, Luke."

I stayed close to him, as long as he would let me.

"Oh," he said sounding as if he barely noticed something. "Jack's gone."

I quickly pulled back and turned to see a pleasantly slumbered John sprawled all along the sleeping bag he had shared with Jack and noticed a small piece of torn paper underneath his arm. I lifted the heavy limb and took off the paper stuck to it, letting it fall against the thick material knowing it would take more than that to wake him in such a deep sleep.

Just decided to take an early morning run. I'll come back with brunch after I shower at home. Shouldn't take too long after you're all awake... well most of you. See you soon- Jack. The note said.

"Great. Looks like we won't have to wait long for food," Daniel said over my shoulder.

"Yeah," I nodded looking back at him.

He rubbed an eye with a clench fist still trying to gain fully awake. "Don't really feel like getting up just yet," he said followed by another yawn.

"Same here," I grunted.

He sank back bellow the fold and gestured with an outstretched arm to the empty space between us with a weary grin.

I pulled up the fold of the sleeping bag holding John up to his rising and falling chest before taking shelter with him. I let my hand grasp his has firm arm and trail up further until it rested along his shoulder blade, massaging the area where I had last felt them.

"Hey, Daniel?"

"Mm," he mumbled with a short nod.

"Could I ever see them again?"

The weight on his eyes had completely lifted and he looked into mine with concern. "My wings?"

I nodded.

"Sure," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Now?" I asked.

"Luke, that's a little risky. Especially with him being here."

"Don't worry," I assured. "He slept through his home fire alarm when his mom burned a loaf of bread she was making. He could sleep through anything."

"But... Jack."

"Will ring the door bell and need someone to let him in and you can just hide them when you hear it."

He laughed at my persuasions. "Why are you so fascinated by them?"

"Because they're beautiful."

Some of the joy had been drained from his face and replaced by a look of reminiscing. His smile quickly returned as his hand lightly brushed against my cheek. "Alright," he said as he pushed the fold off of us enough so he could sit up again.

He raised both arms over his head as he gripped neck line of his shirt and gently pulled it over his head. His hair was more tousled by the action and he gave a short chuckle. "I always ruin my shirts whenever I do it with them on."

"Sure you're not just trying to show off too?"

He grunted. "Compared to that behemoth of a boyfriend of yours and that sleeping bear, I've got nothing better to show," he shrugged shaking his head as laid back down next to me.

"Hey, you still look really nice," I said taking in his very lean frame as I placed my hand against his warm chest feeling that same rhythm as I had heard before against a dense wall of muscle while circling my fingers against the fine array of coarse golden hairs covering it.

"Thanks," he laughed again nestling closer to me. His body heat and scent far more prominent now that a barrier had been removed from between us.

My heart nearly skipped a beat as I felt a familiar quick gust of air as a large shape shadowed the rays of light from the curtains. The wing outstretch a bit farther and nearly blanketed my entire body with such warmth I shivered as it came in contact. I felt the ivory texture again with the back of my hand comforted again with sense of security they brought with them.

"Beautiful," I said as my forehead rested against the warm skin of his chest.

"Happy now?" he asked with a sincere smile.

I nodded looking up to see all of him. "As long as you're here with me."

So sorry again for the very late update. Hope some of you still stick around for the rest.

Until next time!