Protect and Follow

By: MusketeerAdventure

Summary: The Final Chapter. As Morning Star grudgingly admits failure, his brothers make their way to Mallory. Alex contemplates the future without Noma; while Pete is eager to follow Alex out into the world on a new mission for mankind.

Chapter 30: Tomorrow

Morning Star sensed it right away. A churning in the pit of his stomach that signaled something was terribly wrong.

Taking a deep breath to stave off a wave of dizzying panic, he watched as the choir swayed side to side in rhythmic sync to the jubilantly boisterous gospel hymn. Hands clapping; feet tapping, and with tears of joy streaming down their obedient upturned faces – he felt the sting of defeat stab him right in the heart.

The pain of it was piercing; permeated through his very being, then formed in his mouth as oleander – so bitter was the taste, he found it hard to swallow.

Legs gone wobbly, he sat with a stunned thud in his pew and smiled cynically up at the altar; the symbol of the chosen one – hands lovingly embracing the earth – taunting him from its perch of prominence.

Laurel touched his shoulder gently and frowned down at him, her silent question of concern grating on his nerves. The urge to forcibly remove her hand and go screaming out into the street; to rage and stomp his feet like an irate child was strong; but he took a shuddered breath and squeezed her hand to show her he was okay.

"I'm alright", he choked out as the poisonous toxins of defeat caught in his throat.

The doors of the church opened at the back of the building, and then his messenger appeared, with gallon hat in hand; shoulders slumped – shaking his head back and forth – his countenance solemn and grim. His dejected demeanor was in complete contrast to the outpouring of love and joy displayed in the sanctuary.

Turning away from the man's silent, desolate state – he didn't need to be told that somehow Michael and Gabriel were reunited. That their tenuous bond – a never ending battle between love and hate; that their precarious balance had tipped back the scales toward brotherhood.

Swearing under his breath, he also knew that his ace in the hole – Noma, was lost. His bargaining chip to hold over the chosen one; now a mute hand he had to fold.

Looking within; down into his soul, he grasped without a shadow of doubt – that the chosen one had managed to secure the city of Vega; evict the lower angels back into the ether; and had begun a path to fulfill his destiny and the prophesy.

Father was probably laughing at him in this very moment; for he had lost this hand it seemed.

Squeezing his hands into tight fists, he knew what was to come next. Life as he knew it now would soon come to a crashing halt. This brief respite of peace and solitude would be a distant wistful memory.

No more apple pie; Sunday picnics; unconditional love from the citizens of Mallory. His Eden would be invaded, the flame no longer needed – his time here borrowed.

Rubbing his eyes, he sighed with resignation and let the hymn of praise wash over him.

Soon his brothers would be coming for him to complete the job they so spectacularly botched centuries ago. Michael with his soft heart; and Gabriel with his arrogant inherent sense of justice; and Father hero worship – would be on the war path ready to right their wrong.

Well – he sighed, the world as he knew it was changing once again; and he wouldn't run away from it. No more hiding for him. He would wait right here in this sanctuary; his personal Garden of Eden and see if his little brothers could wrest him away.

Maybe he still had a few tricks up his sleeve; maybe they would show him some mercy….. or maybe not.

But one thing was for sure, he hadn't endured eons in a watery grave only to be released unexpectedly at the beginning hours of the extermination wars – then to live among these humans for the past twenty-five years for it to end this way.

This certainly was not how he envisioned things going; how he wanted his legacy to be remembered. It was he who was the chosen one. Not Adam, Noah, David….not the Lamb, not any of the others so anointed; and certainly not Alex Lannon.

It was he – Morning Star; Lucifer….Father's first. This world, her creatures – all of it was meant for him.

After some moments, he let the reality of the situation settle in, massaged his aching shoulders and allowed the music to flow through his body and let him relax. Laurel smiled down at him sweetly without a clue, and he smiled back, then stood to hear the Pastor give his benediction, sending the congregation back to their homes to live a life of sin free integrity; so that they could continue in the blessings of the Lord.

So they believed.

Looking up to the ceiling – then beyond to the heavens, he repeated, "Amen" along with the rest and sent his own message to Father; that he wasn't going to give up so easily. If nothing else he was the tenacious one in his family.

After all, he chuckled inwardly – it would be good to see his brothers again; and laughed aloud at his own bravado.

When Alex was himself again; back on his feet and aware of his surroundings – he had no conscious memory of what had taken place in that devastatingly pivotal hour; the hour he lost the other half of himself. He only knew what he was told.

Noma – his beautiful; strong courageous Noma was gone. According to Michael she had died in his arms; that it was quick; and she hadn't suffered. He struggled with the images of Michael's retelling for he could recollect nothing…..bring to mind - nothing.

All of it – her blood on his hands; Lyrae's attempt to kill him; that she had saved his life – how he had screamed; wept and refused to let her go, was buried deep somewhere and lost to him. He only knew that his heart was broken; and he would never be the same.

When he was reasonable and able to speak, he asked about the details. Michael explained that Lyrae was dead; killed swiftly by Gabriel's hand. This revelation surprised him, and seemed unbelievable given their history. But try as he might he could not see it, feel it – remember any part of Lyrae impaled to the earth with Gabriel's sword.

He did not remember Noma relaxing in his grasp as the light of her spirit left her body and ascended to heaven with languid beauty – as he reached to contain it; her essence slipping through his fingers. "Father brought her home." Michael stated in a matter of fact way that belied his wondrous belief that his Father had in some way returned; returned to grant Noma her most fervent wish – to be whole again, and return to heaven.

When he could not take hold of her light, he did not recall how he wailed – soaked in her blood – or how his very being shut down with grief; unable to hear, see or feel. From that moment until weeks later – he lived in a void of darkness; sensing nothing of the world around him.

Now that he was on the mend – when memories tried to resurface, they would only come to him in his dreams – a piecemeal of events that never made it to the end of the story. He would awaken in a cold sweat; just at the moment she moved to embrace him; her eyes warm with love, her heart beating fast against his chest. He would reach to touch her hair, and then there was….nothing.

All the time he sat steeped in his silent void of unimaginable grief; unable to move or breathe without immense pain in his heart; Michael and Pete took care of his every need. They fed him; bathed him; soothed him and nursed him back to the land of the living.

When it was time to gather the reborn, the survivors of Vega; it was they who regrouped the masses, organized and got Vega back on her feet. And slowly over time awoke him from his self-induced stupor back to life.

He had wanted to remain there in his void, where she sat by his side; held his hand and whispered her love. There he was safe with her – but Michael and Pete would have nothing of it and dragged him with force back into the world with them.

And now that his eyes and ears were open again, he saw that he was different. No longer the same person he was before she…..

Joy no longer fluttered in his heart; or reached his eyes – for that part of him was gone now with her…..forever.

At night, when he could find time to be alone; away from the praises; and awe he did not deserve – he would walk the Vega streets. Remember what it was like to grow up here; to fight for every morsel of food; a place to lay his head.

He would roam every alleyway and think on how Michael saved his life; how he had loved Claire and wanted nothing more than to leave here and be only with her. The idea of fatherhood – something he had cherished. And then finally meeting Noma, who had become his better half.

Inevitably he would end up, as he was now, atop the Stratosphere. He would look out and regard Vega in all her glory as she was then, and who she was now - a beacon of hope for the reborn, for displaced humans to come and find a home.

Looking down at the markings on his arms, as they moved, swirled and shifted beneath his jacket – he knew he could not stay here. God was trying to tell him something and he would listen. He would go out into the world, and leave this city to those who could take care of her. Vega was in solid hands.

Good people had stepped forward to form a new council; and could run this city better then he could ever attempt. Governing Vega was not for him. Besides, without Noma here, there was nothing to really stay for.

Just a few days ago, Michael and Gabriel had took flight and left Vega. Together they traveled to Mallory to bring some resolution to the problem of Lucifer. Even though he had killed the assassin Lyrae – the citizens of Vega hadn't wanted Gabriel here, had asked that he not stay.

Painful memories of his torment; abuses and relentless persecution of the human race could not be so easily dismissed; so without argument he had left; exclaiming to Alex that he would forever "try and atone for my many sins. I give my word." And he believed him, for if nothing else, Gabriel was not a man to give his word lightly.

And though it was painful to see Michael go – he understood the need for him to help his brother. Like himself, Gabriel had morphed into someone else. The eviction somehow altering his personae – for he was who he used to be before the darkness, but then again all together someone new. A blank slate – eagerly awaiting a new set of instructions.

So Michael, who loved Gabriel no matter what – left with him to seek out Lucifer in Mallory.

Holding tight the switchblade Michael had re-gifted him; he wondered about the two of them now and ghosted a smile. What was their journey like? What would they find in Mallory? Would Lucifer even still be there? When would he see him again?

Michael had promised "soon"; embraced him and spirited away with grace among the clouds. "Soon", he whispered into the night and stroked the blade with affection.

Placing his gift in a side pocket, he remembered the first time Michael had given him this; and caressed it fondly. He had been about ten years old – a tired, hungry little boy with need of love and guidance. Michael had given him that and much more. He had given him confidence, faith and a gift that would save them all.

And now it was his turn to leave Vega. He and Pete, side by side would travel out toward …..where he did not know. Help the small pockets of humanity between here and there – wherever there might be; and evict as many eight balls as he could along the way. It would be their mission to help heal this world and bind her back together.

Quietly Pete joined him on the balcony and stood shoulder to shoulder with him; his tire iron hanging loosely from the loop of his pants. Hair flying wildly about his face, eyes bright with anticipation – his enthusiasm so contagious that it had him smiling.

Looking to him now, Pete sported a grin as wide as an ocean; and knew the boy turned man before his very eyes over these many harrowing months, was chomping at the bit to head out on their journey; a journey that just might change the world. Tomorrow they would step away from Vega's borders to begin something new.

"Tomorrow", Pete murmured and set his sights out over the horizon.

Thank you so much for reading. This chapter concludes 'Protect and Follow'. This has been a long journey and I would like to say thank you to those of you who stuck with this story and with me! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this.