Mikey rushed away from Gerard as fast as he dared, desperate to escape while he still could. Mikey knew if he let Gerard talk to him for a second longer, he would end up telling him everything, and he couldn't let that happen, he had already broken enough rules today as it was.

Glancing around furtively, Mikey breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't sense anyone else in the nearby area, which meant no one had witnessed his wings, except for Gerard that is, but that was already one person too many.

Mikey had disregarded one of Heaven's few directives by revealing his angel nature to a human, and even though Gerard used to be a demon, he didn't remember anything about the supernatural world, and if he told anyone about this, it could be a disaster.

Only guardian angels were supposed to interact with humans, and even though Mikey happened to be one, they weren't supposed to let anyone but their charges know of their existence, but Mikey didn't have a choice. Gerard would have died if he hadn't done something, and he couldn't just stand idly by when Gerard was in danger, not when it was in his power to do something about it.

Hopefully, with all the strange tidings brought on by the rapidly approaching seventh prophecy, the sighting of a man with wings wouldn't cause too much chaos, and Mikey didn't think Gerard would go to the press with his story, at least, he hoped he wouldn't.

He might tell Frank though, and that could be ruinous. Frank's memories of being an angel were already beginning to bleed through into his dreams, and Mikey was worried about what might happen if he began to remember on his own - his mind could literally break under the strain if the wall blocking his memories wasn't brought down properly.

That meant that Brendon would have to go to Frank soon - very soon, or else they might lose the only hope they had of recruiting Frank back into their ranks. At least this might be the push Brendon needed to finally get this over with, fuck knows he had waited long enough.

Mikey understood why Brendon was hesitant to approach Frank though, and before today, he hadn't minded his reluctance. Frank was Brendon's best friend - or he used to be, and Brendon just wanted Frank to be happy and carefree for as long as possible. Mikey wanted that same thing for both him and Gerard as well, but it was obvious that time was running out much faster than they had anticipated.

Everyone had been telling Brendon that he was putting this off for far too long, but he hadn't listened, and because of that, Gerard had almost died. The prophecy would be broken if that had happened, and it was sheer luck that Mikey had managed to rescue Gerard this time.

Well not exactly luck; Mikey had made it a habit to watch Gerard with the seeing pool in his spare time, because that was the only way he could pretend that he was still a part of his life, and even if Gerard didn't remember him anymore, Mikey would always consider him his older brother.

Mikey missed Gerard terribly, but the fact that he had received a second chance at a life with Frank helped heal the hole his death had left in Mikey's heart. It wasn't sealed entirely though, and he was beginning to think it might never be.

To Mikey, it still felt like just yesterday that he had been on that desert battlefield, and he would never forget the sight of his brother's lifeless body in Frank's arms. Even though fifteen years had passed since then, Mikey didn't feel them, and he still woke up in cold sweats with that horrible image swirling around in his brain.

Mikey had tried to move on - he really had, but his life was tainted without Gerard in it. The things that had once brought him joy only reminded him of his lost brother instead, and Mikey found himself pulling away from everyone to hide the hurt he was still suffering through, even Ray. They were together now, sort of, Mikey didn't like to put a label on it, and he knew he didn't treat Ray as well as he should, but it was impossible for him to give his heart to someone when it was no longer intact.

But Gerard was alive, and he was with Frank, and even though Mikey wanted to be with his brother more than anything, it warmed his heart to know that Gerard had someone who loved him as much as Frank did.

Still, it had hurt more than Mikey expected to see no hint of recognition in Gerard's eyes, but he shouldn't have anticipated anything different. Deep down, Mikey had been hoping that Gerard would know who he was, even though God had assured him that wasn't possible, but that didn't ease the sting of having his own brother view him as a stranger.

Mikey ached to speak with him again, to stay up all night discussing everything and nothing with his brother, to feel his familiar arms pull him into a hug when he needed it most, but watching from afar was all he could do now, and that was definitely better than nothing.

Mikey had been doing just that when he saw the earthquake hit, and he had rushed down to Belleville before he could rethink his actions, terrified for Gerard's safety. He had been right to come, even if God disagreed with him, and Mikey didn't regret his rash decision, no matter what consequences he received because of it.

Turning a corner down a narrow side street, Mikey glanced around to make sure he was alone before turning himself invisible to the human eye so he could release his wings once again and take to the air, intent on returning to Heaven as soon as possible so he could convince Brendon to go to Frank before any other calamity befell his brother.

Mikey didn't know what punishment he would receive if word got out that angels were real, but he just couldn't let Gerard die, he refused to lose his brother all because of a stupid rule, and he would take whatever was given to him once he returned home.

~~~

Gerard could only watch as his winged savior disappeared down a narrow alley, his legs shaking too much to chase after him, even though he was desperate for answers to all of the questions the man's presence had stirred up.

The stranger's parting words were what really threw Gerard's brain into a flurry of confusion - "don't let Frank know I was here". Why would this man care if Frank knew about him or not, and even more importantly, how did he even know Frank's name in the first place?

This was just too much craziness for Gerard to deal with right now; his head was spinning, and he didn't even know what to think. Had this creature been watching them - it made sense in a confusing sort of way, and it would explain how he had known that Gerard was in trouble, but why would he be interested in them?

He was saved from pondering it any longer though when the sound of approaching feet became louder, and Gerard glimpsed a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Turning back the other way, Gerard almost started crying when he saw Frank barreling toward him, all thoughts of winged beings temporarily pushed to the back of his mind at the sight of his husband, who was sweating and out of breath, but unharmed - thank fuck.

"Gee!" Frank exclaimed happily before throwing himself into Gerard's arms, nearly knocking the taller man down in the process.

"Hey sugar," Gerard smiled against the top of Frank's head as he clutched him close to his chest, finally allowing his body to relax now that he had been reunited with Frank. Even though they had only been separated for about fifteen minutes, it still felt like years to Gerard.

"I was so worried about you! Did you make it off the balcony in time?" Frank pulled back from Gerard's arms so he could meet his eyes as he spoke.

"I didn't...it fell in on me, but someone saved me. He was just here, but he took off before I could thank him," Gerard looked around one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stranger who possessed wings, but he didn't see anyone in the nearby vicinity.

Gerard wanted to tell Frank about what he had seen, but now that his adrenaline rush was wearing off, he was beginning to doubt himself, and Frank wasn't really listening anyway, he was too occupied with checking Gerard for any serious injuries. Also, that stranger had been adamant about not letting Frank know that he was here, and even though Gerard didn't have any reason to trust him, he wouldn't have said that if he didn't have a logical basis for it.

"These are bleeding pretty badly baby," Frank winced when he caught sight of Gerard's ankles, and the fact that he didn't press Gerard on who had helped him proved that he hadn't truly heard what Gerard had said. He would tell Frank about the winged man later - if at all, but right now, his husband was too worked up, and Gerard didn't want to add to his distress.

"They look worse than they feel, and they aren't deep," Gerard assured Frank, but now that his husband had brought his attention back to his wounds, they were beginning to sting, and he wasn't looking forward to walking home on them.

"We need to get you checked out though. Come on - I can hear police sirens down this way, hopefully there will be an ambulance with them." Frank began tugging Gerard along without waiting for an answer, and Gerard followed behind him, wincing subtlety at every step.

They only had to walk two streets over before the flashing lights of a police car appeared, and thankfully, an ambulance was parked nearby as well. The officers were currently blocking off the street, preventing anyone from entering the area that had been severely damaged by the earthquake, but when they caught sight of Frank and Gerard, they instantly rushed over.

Gerard let himself be swept over to the ambulance where they forced him to sit on the lip of the bumper while they cleaned and bandaged his cuts and scrapes. Frank talked with one of the officers for a bit; they asked him a few questions, including if they had seen anyone else trapped in the rubble, but Frank answered no, and Gerard shook his head as well when they turned to him.

The only person he had seen had been his strange rescuer, and he was probably long gone by now. Gerard ached to talk with him, I mean - it wasn't every day that a winged being swooped out of the sky, and Gerard had so many questions that would probably forever remain answered.

He hated not knowing things, but he had never seen that man before, and he would have no idea how to even attempt to find him again, so Gerard was left pondering what he was, and why someone like him had bothered saving Gerard when there was probably hundreds of other people out there in similar situations to his at this very moment, not to mention the fact that he apparently knew Frank.

Gerard was snapped out of his thought process by one of the EMTs telling him that he was free to go home unless he wanted to be taken to the hospital for extra testing, which Gerard declined, even though Frank kept shooting him worried looks which Gerard pointedly ignored.

Finally, Gerard managed to convince both Frank and the EMTs that he was fine after promising about a thousand times to take himself to the emergency room if he started feeling worse. Gerard was all right though, just a little banged up, and all he wanted was his bed with Frank wrapped up in his arms - nothing else.

One of the policemen offered to give them a ride to their place, and this time Gerard accepted. He may have been adamantly declaring that he was one hundred percent okay, but that didn't mean he wanted to walk all the way home. The officer was worried that their house might have been affected by the quakes, but luckily, the building had emerged unscathed.

After thanking the officer for the lift, Frank and Gerard headed inside, double checking the walls for any structural damage, but nothing seemed obviously wrong, and the sidewalk outside hadn't shown any cracks or faults like the roads downtown.

Frank hadn't let go of Gerard's hand the entire way home, not even when they had arrived safely to find their house in one piece, but it would be a lie if Gerard said he minded. Actually, Gerard needed the physical contact right now, because for a few minutes back there, he thought he might never see Frank again.

Frank must have noticed the way Gerard tightened his grip on his hand, or maybe it was just the expression on Gerard's face, but he instantly realized that his husband was upset. Encircling Gerard in his arms, Frank tugged him down onto the couch where Gerard curled up in Frank's lap with a heavy sigh.

"Ssh...it's okay love," Frank whispered soothingly, running his hand through Gerard's hair softly as he spoke.

"I thought I was going to die...and I was so afraid, but only because I wouldn't be with you anymore," Gerard whimpered, burrowing even deeper into Frank's side. He didn't want any distance between them right now.

"I know baby, I was scared too...terrified actually, but you are safe now, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I think an angel saved me..." Gerard murmured quietly, deciding to ignore the strange man's warning entirely, because he didn't make a habit of keeping secrets from Frank, and he knew this would continue to bother him until he got it off his chest. Peering up at Frank to try and gauge his reaction, Gerard did his best to regulate his breathing, unsure of how Frank was going to take this unexpected news.

"Like a real angel, or just a good samaritan?" Frank asked curiously.

"No - he had wings Frank, and I know it sounds crazy, but he literally caught me when I was falling and pulled me out of that pit. We were flying - really flying, but when we landed, he just took off, like he was scared of something, and I didn't get a chance to ask him if he was an angel or not. I sound insane, but I know what I saw..." Gerard trailed off, waiting for Frank to laugh at him and his ridiculous story.

"With all the crazy shit that has been happening lately, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that angels are real too, and I like to think that there is more to this world than just humans trying to fumble our way through life. God knows I was praying hard enough to bring down a horde of angels when I saw the balcony collapse on you." Frank smiled down at Gerard who sighed in relief when Frank didn't freak out on him, although he should have known he wouldn't.

"I don't even believe in God though..." Gerard laced his fingers with the hand Frank wasn't combing through his hair, taking comfort from his firm grip. Frank was raised Catholic, and even though he didn't go to church anymore, he had told Gerard that he thought God was real in one way or another, but Gerard just couldn't see it. It seemed silly to imagine a big bearded man dictating their lives from the clouds, but after today, he was starting to rethink things.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't exist, and if you say you saw a man with wings, then I believe you. I just wish I got to thank him for rescuing you."

"He told me not to tell you that he was there...he knew your name Frank," Gerard admitted, still unsure why the stranger had felt the need to say that, but maybe Frank would understand.

"He did? That's weird...what did he look like?" Frank cocked his head to the side, looking adorably confused.

"Um...he had straight brown hair, shorter than mine but longer than yours, and light brown eyes I think...he was thin too. I can't remember anything else, I was sort of distracted by his fucking wings," Gerard chuckled, trying to bring to mind more details about the stranger, but he was coming up blank. He couldn't even recall what color clothes he had been wearing, much less any distinguishing features.

"He doesn't sound familiar...but maybe he really was an angel. I sort of like the idea that there is someone looking out for you up above."

"But how can that even be possible?" Gerard groaned in frustration, trying to come up with some other logical explanation that would account for this.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I have always believed there is a higher power out there - well - actually, not always, it was only once I met you that I truly started to think that," Frank admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?" Gerard pressed when Frank remained silent for a minute.

"My entire life, I had been told by my parents and the church that God was real, but I never saw anything to back that up, so I sort of just went along with it, but then...well, then you came into my world, and everything changed. I can't even explain the way I felt when I first laid eyes on you; it wasn't simple attraction, or interest - no - it was this intense rush of relief, like I had finally found what I had been looking for, except I hadn't even been aware that I was searching for it. It was almost as if I had known you before, and I wasn't whole without you, but now I am, and if that isn't a miracle, then I don't know what is." Frank smiled to himself as he spoke, and Gerard felt himself tearing up as Frank gazed at him lovingly.

"Frank..." Gerard whispered softly, too choked up to properly respond.

"So it doesn't seem too insane to me to that an angel saved you, or that he knows me or you somehow - in fact, I want to believe that he does, and he is guarding you whenever I can't be there." Frank leaned down to press a soft kiss to Gerard's forehead, but Gerard leaned up so he hit his lips instead.

Gerard kissed Frank was as much tenderness as he could muster, wanting to express the words he couldn't get past his tightening throat through the pressure of his lips against Frank's.

And in that moment, Gerard managed to forget about everything that had happened today, including mysterious winged strangers that didn't want Frank to know about their presence. Frank's touch erased everything, and Gerard let himself melt against his body languidly.

All the burning questions that had been buzzing around in Gerard's head finally quieted, because Frank was right; maybe there was another world out there, but it really wasn't important. Frank was his own personal miracle, and even if he never understood what had truly transpired tonight, that would be something he could live with. He was alive, and safe in Frank arms, and that was all he needed to know.

Tomorrow, he could worry about all the odd events that had plagued him, but right now, Frank was the only thing that mattered, and he blocked out everything else for the time being.

Another update in less than 24hrs ^_^ I told you I would have this posted quickly.

I'm super tired, and I have to take my pack of dogs to the vet in the morning, so I need to get some sleep, but I wanted to upload this before I headed to bed.

This chapter is dedicated to XXfishyfishfishXX because you said if the angel was Mikey that you would break a table over your head, and I will be waiting for video proof of this ;)

((((updating vibes))))

<3 starr