Feathers (26 page)

             
“I don’t think I’d take it that way.  You would be right.  But I’m still kind of puzzled too.” I said as I looked back over at him.

             
I saw the curiosity come into his eyes then.  “What about?” he asked.

             
Well, no time like the present to admit to my dad what I was coming to figure out.  If anything, I was kind of hoping he might be able to help me make heads or tails of this angel thing.  “When I was trapped there with Raziel, I told you that I heard this voice telling me to break Mom.  I didn’t realize it at first, but I’ve heard that voice before.  Actually, I’ve heard it twice before.” I explained.

             
“Really?” Michael said, actually looking a little thoughtful.  “Where did you hear it?  I’m going to assume at least once may have been with Sean himself.”

             
I nodded.  “Yeah.  When I somehow broke Sean when he tried to attack me, I heard it.  But it was so quick that I didn’t even realize I’d heard it at first.  I actually forgot about it until then.  But the weird part was where I first heard it.  It was back at the airport when I came here.” I admitted.

             
That definitely caught Michael’s attention.  “You heard it then?” he repeated.

             
“Yeah.  Actually, I saw the man who was with it.  He just showed up and sat with me until I fell asleep waiting for you.  I thought he seemed kind of weird, but I didn’t really put it together until today.  And he looked a lot like one of our family, with the same hair and eyes.” I explained.

             
I saw Michael nod slowly.  “Blond hair and light blue eyes, just like most of us.  Maybe looked to be in his late teens or early twenties.” He said quietly.

             
“You saw him too?” I asked, quickly realizing that he’d described the same man I’d seen at the airport.

             
“Yes.  He was the one who pointed out where the entrance to Flint’s den was.  Raphael and I would have missed it if we hadn’t seen him, and followed where he pointed to before he disappeared.” Michael explained.

             
“Was he really an angel?” I had to ask.

             
“I believe so.  At least, that was the immediate feeling we both got from him.  But he disappeared so quickly that we didn’t have much time for anything with him.  Instead, we just decided to follow the lead he’d given us.  It seems like he’d been pretty busy though.  Apparently, he appeared to Musket as well.” Michael admitted.

             
So Musket had seen him too.  That was what Sean and Manake had meant by him getting some extra help.  “I wonder what he said to Musket.  He did say something about high forces being against Flint now.” I mused.

             
“Perhaps he did say something about helping us.  But I didn’t get the chance to ask Musket myself before he disappeared back into the realms.  I’m sure Raphael will be looking for him eventually though to find out.” Michael said.

             
“So what do you think?  Could he have been the one who made us?” I asked him.

             
“I honestly don’t know.” Michael admitted.  “It seems very possible, given the resembalence.  But for as long as Raphael, Gabrielle, and I can remember, he’s never interacted like that.  I wonder if he knew that we just couldn’t handle this situation alone.  Or perhaps he even knew back then with you that you couldn’t do it alone.  I’ve always wanted to think that perhaps he’s still watching over us in his own way.  Maybe this is the answer we’ve all been needing.”

             
To this day, I believe that my father was more right then he knew.  And sitting there, I was certain that one day, we would all come face to face with that angel again.  Maybe he’d even tell us then just what our purpose was.  Until then, we’d just have to wait and hope that he continued watching over us and guiding us in his own way, just as it felt like he’d always been.

             
“By the way Mia, I did want to speak to you about something else while I was in here and it was just the two of us.” Michael suddenly added.

             
I quickly looked back over at him.  “Sure.  What is it?” I asked, suddenly not feeling too sure of myself.  It wasn’t like Michael to want to speak to me in private like this.

             
“Don’t worry.  It’s nothing too bad.  Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your relationship with Sean Morrison now.  I thought this might be a better time just to clear the air about the whole thing.” Michael went on.

             
A part of me wondered if he knew about what had happened between us just a few days before, but I decided not to even allude to it.  Instead, I just played along.  “Okay.  What about it?” I asked.

             
Michael sighed.  “To be completely honest with you, I haven’t been too sure about things with him and you since you two met.  It actually amazed me a little when I began to realize the hidden feelings mixed in there.  I can’t really say I trusted him for a long time after what happened at the school either.  I knew he’d been broken, but it seemed too convenient that he’d suddenly come out and admit that he had feelings towards you.” He explained.

             
“You’re not the only one who thought that.” I admitted.  I could clearly remember Raziel talking about it after I’d agreed to go to the Prom with Sean.  He was certain the world had lost its sanity.

             
“I’m well aware.” Michael said, smiling slightly.  “I heard the same thing from the two others in this family as well.  But when Sean approached me with all of this, I decided that perhaps I could pose a challenge to see if he was serious.  I told him that if he was so serious about his feelings, that he’d better be willing to protect you at any cost, even his own life.”             

             
I felt myself smile at that one.  “Basically, you said he’d better protect me or you’d kill him yourself.” I guessed.

             
“Exactly.  And though I wanted to believe him when he agreed, I’ll be the first to admit that I had my doubts.  But then, I came into those woods that day and saw the dead Mantis and him with you.  That was the day when my mind began changing about him.  I started thinking that maybe I’d been wrong to judge so quickly.  Just like normal humans, things from the other side aren’t always what we take them for.  And far be it for me to be blunt, but a fox against a mantis is highly outmatched nine times out of ten.  Seeing that Sean was willing to protect you in spite of knowing that he’d probably end up being killed, well, that put a lot into perspective.  And seeing what I saw today only deepened that.  Sean’s very serious about what he’s been saying.” Michael explained.

             
“I know.  I think I knew a long time ago that he was.  But is it really that strange for a fox to love an angel? It doesn’t really seem like it.” I said.

             
“Well, not really to me.  And I doubt anything more can be said against it.  Sean’s proven himself, and he’d also gained a status of sorts as the only living heir to one of the most powerful foxes ever to live.  Perhaps a little bit of destiny did work in somewhere.  Either way, I have no complaints.  As long as he takes good care of you, I can live with having a fox for a potential son in law.” Michael replied.

             
“So you’re saying your finally willing to be okay with him?” I guessed, feeling myself smile slightly.

             
“I am.  I don’t think we have anything to worry about anymore.  Besides, I’m kind of looking forward to the coming years.  Having a fox as part of the family may prove very interesting.” Michael said, sounding a little amused now.

             
I will be the first to admit that I was glad to hear my father saying these things.  For the first time since we met, everything seemed okay between Sean and I.  And I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I thought of Michael’s words about the years to come.  I was certain that eventually Sean would become part of our family.  And that one day, we would definitely have our own.

             
One day in time.

Epilouge:  Six Months Later

             
Time seems to go slowly when you’re actually enjoying your life.  I’ll be the first to admit to that one.  In the months after the encounter with Flint, things seemed to be returning to a normal pace in our lives.  The town slowly began returning to normal as things died down about the incidents with Ben Smith and the murder of my mother.  Anna and her mother moved into a new home, and things calmed down tremendously.  As for my own family, we seemed to return to how we always had been.  Well, at least, how we’d been since I’d come there a little over a year before.  I suppose the only big difference really was that now Sean and Sara were completely in our lives.

             
I honestly couldn’t complain too much about anything though.  I actually did feel somewhat normal, even with all the things I’d come to know and somewhat understand.  I still went to high school, and was preparing for graduation with my friends and Raziel.  And, on top of that, I felt like I’d grown much closer to my fox.  Sean was definitely around a lot more since everything that had happened with Flint.  And he was much more open with me about things between us.  In a way, the whole fiasco had brought us much closer.  Maybe that was the one really good thing to come out of it when I thought about it. 

             
That particular afternoon, it happened to be just the two of us walking down by the marina.  School was out for Spring Break, and Sean and I had decided to enjoy a day out since the weather was so nice.  We’d already been in town and done a little bit of window shopping, but this seemed much more enjoyable to walk out there.

             
“I can’t believe we’re going to be graduating in a little over a month.” I was saying as we walked.

             
“It does seem pretty amazing.  I have to admit to how time seems to fly anymore.  It seems like it was only yesterday that you first came here, yet it’s been over a year now.” Sean commented.

             
I nodded.  “No kidding.  Although this was the last thing I was ever expecting that Christmas.” I admitted.

             
“I’d imagine.  It was rather quick.  But I’d say it was probably for the best.” Sean replied.

             
I knew that he was right.  I had always tried to believe that everything happened for a reason.  And when I really sat back and thought about everything, it really felt like a little bit of destiny had intervened for me from the moment my grandmother had kicked me out.  “You know, I’ve always wondered about that.  Sometimes I really do think that I was meant to come here.” I admitted.

             
Sean stopped, looking out at the water for a moment.  “I’ve often wondered that myself.  Honestly, when I think about this myself, I look at it all that way.  My mother and I really never intended to come to Madison like we did.  It was only a chance thing that we were passing through and happened to like the area.” he said.

             
“Really?  So you weren’t planning on staying here?” I asked, feeling a bit surprised.

             
“No.” Sean replied, shaking his head.  “We had none, and we didn’t even know when we first came here that your family was here.  When we learned of it, we did consider leaving.  But I decided to stick it out.  And in doing so, I even ended up seeing you come to Madison late that night.”

             
Well, that answered something that had bugged me before.  The night that I’d ridden home with Michael from the airport, I had seen something large run into the woods.  But it had been so quick that I only caught the flash of white.  Apparently, it had been Sean.  “So, is that why you started stalking me like you did?” I asked, stopping myself to face him.

             
“Not at all.  Actually, it really didn’t dawn on me with anything that night.  All I knew was that I saw your father’s car out very late on Christmas Eve with a passenger that I didn’t recognize.  I took an assumption that you may have been his daughter that I’d heard a little bit about, but I didn’t think anymore of it at the time.  But when I saw you at the high school a week later, it all connected.  And unfortunately, it raised that bad part in me once again.  I am grateful for your breaking me then, beings that nature made my feelings so dangerous.  Although I probably should be saying that now to the other who’s been taking care of your family as well.” Sean said, smiling slightly.

             
“I’m sure they probably already know.” I said.  I looked out at the water with him for a moment.  “Anyways, once we graduate, I guess we’ll need to decide what we want to do next.” I continued.

             
“Any plans?” Sean asked.

             
I shook my head.  “No.  I really don’t think I’m somebody who would be good for college.  So I think maybe I’ll just stay here and help my dad with some of the family business.” I told him.

             
“Sounds like a plan.  I’m not really thinking that I’m one for the college life either, although I might take a few online classes just to help myself out.  I’ve already been offered a book keeping position for Jameson, and possibly for some of your uncle’s investments.” Sean admitted.

             
“Really?  That sounds pretty good.” I noted.

             
“I think it will work fine.  Like I said, it’s right up my alley, and it’s not a very demanding job, so it will give me the time I want for other things.” Sean said.

             
“Sounds nice.” I said.  “At least it will let you take care of Sara now.”

             
Sean nodded.  “Well, you could say that.  But honestly, I’m not worried at all about my mother now.  She’s always been able to take good care of herself, and now she’s made some very good friends in your family.  But my concern with working is on other things in particular.” he said.

             
This is interesting, I thought.  He usually doesn’t talk like this.  “What are you so concerned about?” I asked.

             
“Well, there are priorities that I want to take care of.  But aside from that, I was meaning to ask you if you had heard about Raziel and Anna.” Sean said, effectively changing the subject.

             
“Of course I did.  But I knew that was coming.  Raziel told me back when I first came here that he was planning on eventually marrying her.” I replied.

             
“I can’t say I was that surprised either.  The two of them practically seem made for one another.” Sean commented.

             
I couldn’t help but smile.  “I think they are.  They’re a good couple.” I agreed.

             
“Either way, I suppose with school ending, things will eventually move forward in all of our lives.” Sean said.

             
“It always does.  But it’s okay.  As long as I can at least see you I’m happy.” I said, holding his hands.

             
Sean smiled back at me.  “You don’t have to worry.  I have no plans on ever leaving you.  My home is wherever you are.” he promised.

             
“I’m glad.  Although I guess we’ll eventually have to find a place of our own one day if we stay together like this.” I said.  I really wasn’t counting on anything like with Raziel and Anna.  Sean always seemed just a little too much of the wild type to settle into a full marriage.

             
“That’s true.  But I can take care of it.  Although there is one thing first.” Sean said, letting me go.

             
“Is something wrong?” I asked.  Now I was a little concerned.  Was there something with the ones like him that I’d missed?  Even after all of this time, there were still parts of the fox world that I felt like I didn’t quite understand yet.

             
“Not at all.  Actually, I’ve kind of been missing something for a while now.  I almost feel like I was beaten to it.” Sean admitted.

             
“Okay, now you’re seriously not making sense.” I told him flatly.

             
Sean smiled.  “I suppose not.  So I guess I’ll just have to be blunt.” he said, pulling something out of his pocket.  I felt my eyes widen as I realized that it was a small box.  You had to be kidding me.  “I suppose that it’s a rivalry thing in the end, but Raziel did beat me on this one.  But I’ll also blame my own nerves.  I did bring you out here for a specific reason.  I just had to wait for the right timing.  And, beings it seems like I’ve found it, I’d rather skip all the pretty words and cut to the chase.  Will you marry me?”

             
I could almost feel my heart beating out of my chest looking at that ring.  I honestly didn’t think in a million years that this one could happen.  Though I didn’t doubt that Sean loved me, I just didn’t think he’d want something like this.  Still, it had just happened.  And I had to force out my answer.  And it came out stupid, as usual.  “You’re serious?  You’d really want to marry me?”

             
Sean just laughed slightly at me.  “I figured that might be the first thing you’d say.  And I’m very serious.” he replied.

             
I felt myself smile back at him.  “Yes.  I’ll marry you.  But you’d better not do anymore disappearing acts on me now.” I said.

             
“Not at all.” Sean agreed, holding me close and slipping the ring onto my finger.  “I’ve found the one person I never thought I’d be able to find, so I plan on keeping you close for as long as we live.”

             
“Yes.” I agreed.  “I’ll love you forever.”

             
I’ll admit that I never imagined what was waiting for me when I returned to my father’s family.  But standing there close to the amazing person I’d come to dearly love, it all felt okay.  This was where I belonged, where I would always belong.   And that would always be the most important thing of all.  In the end, Sean and I never were that different.  We were meant to be together.

             
And love was all we needed.