FicWad

I can fly
but I want his wings
I can shine even in the darkness
but I crave the light that he brings
Revel in the songs that he sings
My angel Gabriel

Lamb- Gabriel

"No matter who you are if God is watching over you then you will survive." The priest said as Tru's steel blue eyes opened gently to the sound of music. He recognised the old hyms. He went to jump up and look for Charlie but the priest put a hand to his shoulder. "She is resting as well." He explained. "You need rest too."

"I'm okay now thank you." He said and slowly sat up. "I'm sorry to have been a burden."

"There is no burden here." The priest said and stood back up. "When did you last take confession?"

"When I was last in Rome." He said honestly. "The little girl, I need her to be safe."

The priest nodded and left Tru to his thoughts. He rose slowly and already felt an oppressive burden of guilt that always came with the Church providing anything for him. They had raised him; it had been so much already. He slipped out of bed and checked his arm. It was sewn and looked quite neat. He stretched a few times and wondered why the priests had not questioned him about his extra appendage.

"You are awake." A voice echoed as he walked out past the chapel of rest. The voice was familiar and the shadows inside the church were long. Tru had always been scared of churches. Living in the Vatican had done little to ease that fear or that feeling that he was condemned.

"Why did you help us? Why are these Iteration people following?" He said the heavy footsteps falling over the cold and lifeless stones. The breeze and echo followed him. He passed a pillar and he watched the figure near the pulpit.

"Because they seek answers to what is truly a miracle." He said flipping through the 'Good Book'. He shut it with a heavy resounding finality. "I know what you are. You know what you are. Child of a saint."

"From what I understand," he said still walking around the pillars the other end of the church, "Fielding and you are in the same organisation. Why do they believe in science if you do not?" The shadows clung to him and he embraced their cold arms.

"She is naïve." He stated and turned. He arrived at Tru's side. Both of them had their hands at each other's throat. Shanemah looked into the soul-filled eyes of the man in front of him. "You are older that her by how many years? You've been reincarnated on paperwork how many centuries? How many sighting have there been of men that can perform acts considered impossible?"

"Tabloid rags should not be listened too." He said the shadows being to fill the air around them. They were both dragged to the dark cloying atmosphere together. Shanemah seemed unfettered by it. "How many times must you appear when I know little of you?"

"Questions followed by questions." He said relaxing his grip. "Ancient civilisations were able to make constructions and perform surgery beyond their time. We question this every day, how did they know where the stars aligned? How could they have been so very sure that the sun would rise at a certain point each day of the month and cast a shadow across their temples? How did they create those Nazca lines to be seen above when man could not fly?"

"Those things are musings and things that we cannot answer. There are clues but ultimately it is likely that they were part of rituals and we only assume they could not fly because there has so far been no evidence of it. I see that you are not going to help me with answers." Tru said the shadows falling about them, undoing the cold feeling as he stepped to the centre of the aisle and ran his hand around the stone.

"Hellion," He paused, "that's the answer. What if she proves things like you and I are real? I am able to move at lightning speeds amongst other things. I am not as complex as you but the upshot is this- if she gets to work on you and cannot find any reason for it then you are what might be described as a miracle and one the Church and your Guardians have tried to keep safe since they found you."

"I'm not that old." He said his lips showing feint movement from behind his hair and the turned up collar. "I will continue to be protected if they have any sense but I walked away from them, so just what are you?"

"Should I really answer such a theological question? You believe in faith and one true God, I am not of your faith. It would be best to keep such things out of this. You are believed to be the child of Saint Teresa I think and I... well they would say I was born perhaps of the dragon souls or of older guardians." He straightened his jacket. "Charlie is a very special young lady too. Fielding will be more interested in her because she might be able to get her like they got me. They think they control me but I have learnt better lately."

"She is a child. She will be one for some years." Tru said pacing up and down. "She's a little girl that's all."

"That's the problem Hellion." Shanemah sat beside him. "You think that you passed that night and it was coincidence. I say she called you."

As the two sat there they heard a child's footsteps and Tru stood up. Shanemah was gone when he turned to say his thanks for his help and it confused him. The stranger never stuck around and yet he had brought them back together. Charlie ran down the aisle and into his arms. She Eskimo kissed the man and her little hands grabbed at the shirt and settled with him as though it was the only thing in the world that matter. And truly that was the case.

Charlie's confidence that she would be safe with him meant that she did not think anything of the weaker grip from the bullet injured arm. He wrapped his big arms around her, protected her from the world. He gave her safety and love and it was unconditional. She adored him and he in turn had learned to love her.

"I missed you." He said to her adjusting his arms to carry her better. The priest appeared and smiled at them both. "Thank you for everything."

"There is no better thanks than a happy child." He said to him honestly and they headed out again.

"Tru it's raining!" Charlie giggled and he wrapped her in his arms.

He kept to the shadows, his tail a giveaway of his unnatural life. She danced in the puddles as they headed towards home. When he got there he grabbed a case, packed her things and some for himself. His car was loaded and he looked around one last time before finding one of her teddy bears and they left.

He didn't really know where to take her or whether leaving was the best plan but he knew he could not be caught again. Fielding wasn't likely to give up that easily and the pattern had to change to keep her away whilst he did a little investigating of his own. He found his mobile phone and dialled a number he thought he'd never need again.

The phone connected and Tru's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't sure what to say. He'd walked out and never thought he'd speak to the Guardians directly again. He had prayed that he could make it alone but he had realised that he was no longer alone.

"Thomas?"

"Tru?" The voice was amazed. "Tru are you okay?"

"I'm fine now but I need your help. I wish I could have done this differently but I have a young girl with me. There is an organisation chasing us. They are hiding under the FBI flag. Thomas... I need to meet with you."

"Where?" He asked as he motioned to the secretary near him.

"I'm going to get the first flight to Frankfurt. Let's meet at the Marco Polo it's a tavern."

"Tavern, you mean pub?" He laughed and made a note of it. "Let's say two days from now. Twelve and I'll make sure it's just me. Shall I alert the others?"

"No not yet. You might already know enough. I might need you to hide the child though as they are targeting her." He said and flipped his phone shut. He took the drive towards the airport. A cancelled flight and he should be able to go unnoticed. Charlie watched the window wipers scrape the glass to make it visible. The rubber removing the water in streaks. Charlie smiled at the drops of rain formed patterns.

"It's always right when it rains." She said and gripped the bear in her hands.

"Why?" Tru asked her and changed gears as they drove through the city. "Why is it right?"

"It puts out the fires of our hell." She said and gripped her bear to her chest. "It washes away the sins we create."