Rebirth - The Beautiful Fallen (22 page)

             
"I was being hunted, wasn't I?" I guessed.

             
Chris shook his head.  "No.  They still didn't know you existed.  It was actually because of how I felt at that moment." he said.

             
I looked back up at him then.  "Really?" I said, feeling a little bit surprised now.

             
At that, Chris turned slightly so I could face him.  "You really don't get it?" he asked, a slight smile playing on his face.

             
"Get what?" I replied.  Seriously, I hated it when he did this.  But then again, I think a part of me was a little bit nervous now too.  I hadn't quite been expecting him to actually tell me the truth.  And a part of me was really anticipating hearing a certain three words.

             
Chris gave me a gentle kiss on my forehead.  "Guess I have to say it out loud, don't I?" he said, laughing a little.  "But it's okay.  I think I probably should, especially because it seems like you keep missing it.  Maybe that's my fault too.  I haven't exactly been that good with this.  But anyway, I had met other female Shadow Wings before.  But they had always been just like all of the rest.  You were different though.  I felt it from the moment I saw you.  And since I've gotten to know you and be around you, that feeling has only grown for me.  And now, I think I know why."

             
"You do?" I whispered, feeling a little bit more than captivated all at once.

             
Chris smiled.  "You really need me to say it?" he teased.  All at once, he'd seemed like he'd loosened up a lot.  It was actually nice to see.

             
But I also felt myself pout a little.  "Don't do that.  You know it's not fair." I complained.

             
Chris laughed softly.  "Yeah, I guess you're right." he said.  "But the truth is there.  Even though Jade still tells me that I've lost my mind, I know that this is true.  I know that I'm in love with you." he said.

             
I almost felt my heart stop with those words and that soft kiss.  But at the same time, it felt like my soul was suddenly lightened too.  Chris was in love with me.  He'd been in love with me from the very moment he'd seen me.  And I think I knew my truth too.  That I loved him .  I couldn't deny that anymore...

             
The sound of the clock chiming brought us out of this sweet moment.  "Looks like it's getting pretty late.  You should try to get some rest for now, or that arm isn't going to heal." Chris said as he pulled back.

             
"I guess.  It's been a really long day huh?" I reluctantly agreed.

             
"No kidding.  But at least something good came out of it." Chris said.

             
I felt myself smile back at him, cuddling up close to him again.  "Yeah.  And I love you too.  I want to stay with you forever." I told him.

             
"Well, I think we can do that.  After all, that's what they give us with these lives." Chris said, yawning slightly.  He gently touched my arm.  "Are you sure you're okay?"

             
"I'm fine.  It's still numb, so at least I can try to sleep.  Just promise you'll stay beside me." I said, glancing back up at him.  I was a little taken back by the content look he seemed to have.  It was just like I'd seen in that vision from long ago.

             
"All right." Chris agreed, starting to fall asleep.

             
Closing my eyes, I felt very comfortable in his embrace.  It was funny, but I always seemed to have this feeling whenever I was close to him.  Was it because I had always been in love with him?  I couldn’t help but wonder that as I drifted off to sleep.

             
It often seemed that when I slept next to Chris, I wouldn’t dream.  But this time, I found myself opening my eyes, and seeing that I was in a different place again.  Looking around, I realized that it was the same room I’d seen Saffron in weeks before, right before he’d awoke my powers.  The room itself was very quiet though, and I didn’t see any sign of him.  Walking over to the bed, I sat myself down and looked around me again, anticipating his arrival.  It felt so odd being there.  Even though this really was just a dream for me, it was also a reality too.  Somehow, a small piece of me had come there to see him.  Everything, at least in a sense, was real.  I could even feel the softness of the blanket I was sitting on as if I was awake and fully alert.

             
But as I sat there, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit puzzled.  Just how had I gotten there again?  Saffron must have summoned me there.  But I didn’t see a sign of him….

             
Suddenly, I felt someone sitting behind me.  I didn’t have to turn to know who it was.  “So you’ve managed to come and visit me again.  I must be getting stronger.” Saffron said as he hugged me from behind.

             
“So you are pulling me here.  Are you that anxious to visit with me now?” I had to ask.  I didn’t bother trying to move.  I just knew deep inside that he wasn't going to hurt me.

             
I could almost feel the smile cross his face at my words.  “Perhaps a little.  After all, I haven’t had the chance to even be close to you for a good five years now.” he replied.

             
“That was your own fault.  You were the one who kept having to go after that woman and ended up getting yourself trapped here.” I said.

             
“So they told you what they knew about that, did they?  I figured that at least one of them would know something more about it.” Saffron commented.

             
I made myself turn to face him then.  He really didn’t look that different from the last time I’d seen him.  Although he didn’t exactly look that human now either.  A large black tattoo laced up the side of his neck to the top of his left check in an intricate pattern, and his arms extended to large, black, claw like hands.  Bat like wings were curled around us from his back. Yes, this was a true form for a Fallen One. 

             
“By the way, your seal on my memories is wearing off now too.  I’m starting to remember you around more when I was a kid.” I told him.

             
“Yes.  Well, that’s fine.  You needed to remember now that you’ve woken up.” Saffron said.

             
Indeed, I did remember him very well.  The unsealed memories were coming more and more every day.  Now, I understood that I had known him for a good deal of my life.  Saffron had a habit of just popping up to visit me since I was a young child.  However, he never told me that he was my father.  He’d simply acted like an old friend who loved me very much, and had even brought me gifts from time to time.  But the last time he was able to visit me, when I was fourteen, he’d apologized to me, then put a hand over my eyes.  I blacked out immediately afterwards.  I was guessing that that was when he’d sealed my memories of him.  I hadn't had any since that time.

             
“So anyways, why was it so important to continue going after her?  You had me.  You came to see me a lot, so you must have had some kind of feelings for me.” I reasoned.

             
Saffron gave me a knowing smile.  “Are you really that jealous?  I wouldn't imagine so, especially considering that I'm letting you have that boy now.” he told me.

             
“It’s not jealousy.  It’s the fact that you just left me like that when you knew that I could be hunted down by those things, and by angels.  You knew that I would get these wings eventually too.” I argued.  I decided that it might be better not to get into the subject of Chris then.  No telling where that one might have led to.

             
Saffron laughed slightly, and I could hear it echo off of the walls of the cavernous room.  “Darling, do you really think that I’d just leave you stranded?  I always have a contingency plan for everything I do.  That is the difference between myself and many of the others who are like me.” he said.

             
“A contingency plan?” I repeated, not quite following him.

             
Saffron pulled me close again, pushing my hair back.  “Of course.  I always knew that boy would find you.  I told Jade a long time ago that we would always have a connection, and it has continued through our children.  I knew that Christoff would wait for the one that he felt that he was born for.  And you are that one.  The connection was formed from the moment you came into this world, even if the two of you were thousands of miles and hundreds of years apart.  And it will always be there.” he explained.

             
“You really think that we’re destined to be together?” I asked.  I found that one a little bit hard to believe.  It just seemed too strange to me that two people could be destined for true love from the moment they were born.

             
“There are a lot of things that you cannot understand yet.  But trust me, I know just what I am talking about with this.  And I know that he understands it now as well.  If you trust anyone in anything, you will trust him.  He is the one who will protect you when I cannot.  Although I may still consider breaking his arm for the damage that was done to yours in his carelessness.” Saffron replied.

             
"You're not going to hurt Chris.  Besides, he feels bad enough about what happened." I told him.

             
"I'll consider it, if that would make you happy." Saffron replied.  "However, I know what I'm talking about with that boy too.  You have him wrapped around your little finger now.  He'd do anything and everything for you.  So you need to make sure to use that to your advantage, and trust him no matter what."

             
I looked down, considering his words.  I knew that I trusted Chris.  I had been trusting him from the moment I’d met him.  I couldn’t really explain why that was either.  I hadn’t really trusted anyone in my life before.  Yet, I trusted Chris with my life from the start.  Had that been because I fell in love with him from the moment I first saw him?

             
Forcing my mind off that subject, I turned back to face Saffron again.  “So, are you coming back?” I asked him.

             
“I plan to, once I can get myself out of here.  I’m already working hard on that one.  He won’t keep me locked away forever.  And I can feel the punishment coming to an end.  He’s probably got some other souls to torture, and will grow bored with mine eventually.” Saffron admitted.

             
“I know that you’re asking me to trust Chris.  But I’m still scared too.  Jade
is
still there.” I admitted.

             
“You have no need to worry about Jade.  He has no intentions of harming you.  I know that much.  I think he’s more fascinated with you than anything else.  He probably had begun to think that this would not happen.  And besides, he always did say that he wouldn't mind having a girl as well for a child.” Saffron assured me.

             
At that time, we heard a strange sound enter the room.  It sounded like a low whistling wind.  “What is that?” I asked, looking around and trying to detect where it was coming from.

             
“Well, it seems my time is up for now.  He’s coming back, so I’ll send you back to your love, my dear.  But don’t worry.  I promise you, I will be with you soon enough.” Saffron promised.

             
Within seconds, I found myself waking back up in the bed beside Chris.  Blinking my eyes, I tried to register where I was now.  Every time Saffron did that, it threw me off from where I was.  But looking over at Chris, who was still sleeping soundly, everything came back to me.  That was right.  Saffron was still trapped, but he’d managed to somehow pull me back to visit with him again.  I couldn’t help but think that Saffron really went to extremes to get what he wanted anymore.  But then again, I had to wonder if he was used to getting his way…

I jumped a little when I tried moving my arm, closing my eyes tightly.  The pain was definitely back now, and so was I.  I carefully readjusted it, lying still and watching Chris as I allowed my mind to wander.  After seeing Saffron these two times, and recalling back from when I was a child, I had to wonder about the other fallen ones who had created children like us.  Saffron and Jade were the only two that I knew personally as of that moment.  But I had learned also through my dreams that Jade had saved Chris’s life when he was a child.  He protected him then, and perhaps still did to an extent.  And when I thought about it, Saffron had done a lot to protect me in my life so far too.  Could this have meant that some of them loved us as parents should?  It seemed so strange to even think that fallen angels could love.  And yet, now, it almost seemed possible.

              Feeling Chris move slightly beside me, I looked back at him as he slowly open his eyes.  “Waking up?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.  It felt wrong to break the wonderful silence in the room.

             
“Yeah.  Don’t really want to, but I don’t really have a choice I guess.  Besides, you probably need some medicine again for that arm.  How’s it doing?” He said, sitting himself up a little bit.