Pain is a reminder of humanity. If it's wasn't for it, how would we known what hurts us. Surely not being shot point blank, but the depreciation and intolerance to witnessing a gun being fired with a malicious intent on killing me.

I never once had that irrational urge to fear for my life, safety, but in that space of three seconds after the bullet entered my shoulder I experienced nothing like I had imagined it would go down.

Mom's scream, Lucifer sheer force of rage and anger nothing short from terrifying. His words crept in the corners of my mind referring to my biological parents. How does he know about them? What did he mean 'your mum and dad can wait, just a little longer?' All these questions I want to salvage an answer for.

This is all incredibly frustrating. Muscles in my face twist in a mild grimace, every pain receptors tensing and spasming collectively on my shoulder.

'Jimmy really did a good job of being certain I would feel terrible.' My doctor's prescription medication he gave, for me to take every two hours, helped tremendously. I walk out towards the dining room, placing an ice filled water glass down little patterned ripples shimmer on the surface. 'Now I just have to wait for these painkillers to take their effects.'

I sat my self down finding serenity in darkness, the silence is a good source of comfort. Not long before the habituating sound I knew as wing rippling, enters my senses. His warm, confiding and euphonious eyes examining my incapacitated limb. " your interference caused you affliction. I see. That wasn't entirely smart, Elisabetta." Amenadiel condemned, though his voice sounds solicitous; comforting. I count the water particles, mildew from condensation. He lowers his body down on an empty, free seat. I don't say a word, bringing a frown on my face on taking notice he is rolling his arm.

" I'm sorry. I don't.. I don't know why or the reason for reacting like that so quickly. Wait, how did you... oh. Right."

The bond. He could feel every injury i would sustain, sadness and emotion. Funny how i was the one that would forget I am physiologically connected to an Angel. I have known amenadiel my entire life, he's seen the worst and best that made my mortal life.

'He knows basically every detail when it comes to my personal existence. But what I know of him still is unambiguously a secret.'

Amenadiel chest deflated then sighs. " I cannot say I am all surprised though." He does not elaborate on his words, standing which made a groan and squeak from the chair.

" the doctor predicts my shoulder should heal in six weeks. That would give enough time before graduation. Which means I don't have to.. well, wear this. No more."

I refer to the medical arm carrier, it held my arm elevated and Velcro straps were below the centre of my breasts.

I feel amenadiel take a stance behind the injured arm, which I throw a questioning gaze at wanting to know why he is revealing my bare shoulder. Bloodied taped gauze held stitches underneath, the bullet hadn't left an exit would. I flinch as he casually detaches what is saving my shoulder from a lethal infection. " A-Amenadiel. What are you.. do." I manage to stutter completely confused now.

In his fingers a vibrant, translucent, cloud white feather glints through beams of moonlight that shone on full display.

" This can heal you. An angels feather, from one of their wings, has healing properties. But I must warn, now, Betty. this could be dangerous as it's never known how a human can react to such divine power."

He left zero doubt for second guessing delicate to place the mystical feather on my injury. A blinding light engulfs what ever corner and crevice it could find, it searingly torches my shoulder. Having to hold in a pained squeal. Amenadiel held my hand which brought me a sense of reality that the pain had vanished.

'That woke trixie up for sure.' I am expecting her to awaken. He inspects it, thoroughly, showing an accomplished and impressive expression.

" it's healed. What do you feel? No pain? Stronger?" He begins to ask questions watching as I trace a narrowing margin and delineation of a feather marking painted on my shoulder. 'Mom's blood pressure will be high tomorrow when she sees this.'

" I feel.. healthy. Better. No more pain. Thank you, amenadiel. Whatever that feather did, i hope it stays like this. I got a cool tattoo out of it!" I then remember. How I was going to give an explanation for the miraculous recovery as he undoes each clasping on my immobiliser. I look towards where he stands, wordlessly.

" how will I tell mom, that, my shoulder magically healed on its own. The feather? She will see it eventually." I feel my blood pumping to where my heart beats, it starts pounding going through excuses I could make. She will have her confusion not shy of obvious.

" Stop the worrying, Elisabetta. There nothing to concern yourself with and about such. Your mother will have her memory modified but not too much where it digresses the original. As for James, well Jimmy, he is going through his own process of torture for what he did. Locked in a mental institution."

Amendiel, fondness in how he touches my chin, tentatively leaves behind a light as a feather kiss on my head.

" Your sister is waking up." He evaporates out of the air, wings fluttering at his departure.

" Ellie. Why are you sitting in the dark? There could be mon..sters waiting for y..you." Trixie says using both of her hands kneading her thumb in her eyes, groggily. Her speech gave away how tired she is but still chose to come out. I hide the fact I am not wearing a prescriptive arm holder, no more, pretending to do arm relaxing exercises.

" Hey. You should be in bed. mommy won't be happy to know you are walking around at three o'clock in the morning. Come here." I made certain nothing would wake mom, not even a screech out of my chair, shuffling to trixie. automatically she attaches her hand, following close to my side.

I tuck the bed spreading and duvet cover, sure she would be comforted. Her little eyes are heavy with jaded sleep that should be closed and dreaming of infinite pieces of chocolate cake. " Can you stay, Betsy. please. Tell me your story 'bout the Angel and the princesses. I love when you tell me stories."

it amazes me how remarkably good her memory is. So smart. I get comfortable tugging on those thin sheets.

" Once upon a time, there was a girl. Everyone called her Belinda. She lives in a wonderland full of sunshine that spread over her city, filled with those like her. One day, when she was your age, her mommy and daddy had vanished. She became sad, because there was no one else in the world she remembered loving more than her mom and daddy."

Trixie nestles close to under my arm listening. I place the top of my chin on her hair. " No matter how little she knew about them, or the limited memories of her mommy and daddy she had, Belinda knew how much irrevocable love they felt, ha- had."

I reluctantly smile hearing her steady breathing, but was still fighting to be awake. My hand cups her head. " One day a beautiful, brave man, that had humongous wings, saved Belinda from her ultimate fate of falling off a fearsome ferocious grey dragon. That breathed flames of scary, boiling fire, to fend for himself. But the man, this Angel that left his name unknown, swooped down in time to save her. He was no ordinary Angel, no. He feared nothing, nor no body." I hear the final relaxed breath come out of trixie. Finally succumbing to her bodies plead to sleep. My smile lightens. I decide on finishing the story, realising I wouldn't be moving any time in the hour.

" His eyes were the most ineffaceable detail her little mind could remember. Angelic could be one word, to describe them. a distinct Devilish glisten.. sparkle. Like fairy godmothers wand. Belinda would always remember those eyes. Even in her dreams." Her snores indicate she is deeply sleeping, which I was hoping to achieve. I can attest to feeling tired. my own brain is practically pushing its sleep agenda on me. I could feel the wind gust coming inside, nipping at my hair. My voice goes quiet as I let the last particle of consciousness leave.

" after being saved Belinda never saw the Angel ever again. Though she prayed every night after she would meet her saviour."

~•~

School. There was nothing I dislike more. Breeding ground for relentless bullying partaking in humiliation, and verbal abuse, I have had to subject myself to the suffering of those girls that have nothing else better than self-project their insecurities.

'I will be content to know I will no longer have to tolerate being a punching bag for those bitches.' I don't use obscene language often, definitely not a term to describe a female dog. But it's the definite right definition of what each are. I adjust each text book that I carry for every hour, subject, re-evaluating notes I wrote for research.

" Oh I am an idiot.. I apologise. I didn't look where I was walking. I'm so sorry. Here let me help pick up.. these.. books."

Came a low-pitched, deep, melodic voice which could easily comfort me if I was not already embarrassed. I kneel on the waxed white school floor, paper pages came out of my scrapbook I etch on. I see a tattoo on the boys hand, a birthday in runes. Specifically it was the exact day I was born.

'What a coincidence. My initials are there.' He stood tall to his full height, quite high around six foot and one inch higher in contrast of Lucifer. What is striking is how his eyes are flamboyantly, sapphire, blue and hair a charcoal brown.

" I forgot to tell you my name! How idiotic of me. I'm Aidan. You are...?" I was staring like a moron, which I snap out of, coming back to reality.

" I go by Betty. It's my shorten, abbreviated, name for Elisabetta. You can call me betty or Ellie."

He smiles, his incredibly white teeth, taking my hand.

" It's nice to have finally found you. M- Ellie." I peculiarly look at Aidan, hearing the first letter. Wanting to now know what his original word he was going to use.

'It definitely did sound to me he said Mom. Could be my hearing. I don't understand what he is meaning by Finally found you.'

" Would you like to.. I don't know, have lunch? I hear the school serves abysmal hotdogs. but aren't too bad if you add relish and ketchup on it. I got this information, actually, from my mom. She actually graduated from here." His mom, from how he stares to the cafeteria hall in memory, reminds me of myself actually. That is how I could tolerate eating those.

" I.. would enjoy actually having someone else eat. With me. Pathetic how it sounds, I have no friends." Way to go Elisabetta. Tell the new kid how pathetic you are and how you have no one to call friend.

" Well. Now, I am here. Your S- special, designated, new guy friend who just gave himself a title even when he just met you. Oh dear, I sound weird. I am sorry you have to hear me talk. Like.. well, this." I let a genuine laugh go out of my lips. That is the first ever sound of laughter I've done in these four dreaded years that made high school. He grins.

" Okay. Being serious here. Let's go eat."

-

JASMINE SPEAKS:

I manage to finally give my favourite girl an update. I am sorry at how little I have actually updated betty and Lucifer's story. I know I have previously mentioned in the past I would update but ti be honest, sadly I don't want to admit, I did lose interest for a while there. I hope I can maintain actual updates for this story. I will try. I'm sorry. What are your thoughts on Aidan? Who do you think he is?

( New sign off gif made by me )