Writing Prompt: Child of the Fallen

Writing Prompt:

       1. "Kill the child, it's the right thing to do."

       2. "Does he know about the baby?"

       3. "Will you love my child?"

   "Does he know about the baby?" 

Gabriel looked up at the black night his bright amber eyes full of distress. Not a star in sight. It had just started raining. It rained so hard it were as if the heavens were weeping with sadness. Gabriel turned to his second in command, Castiel, and said, "Michael has no idea..." Gabriel's voice hardened, "And it will stay that way." 

Castiel knew better than to argue with an Archangel but in this matter he couldn't stop himself. 
 
 "But doesn't he at the very least deserve to know?" Castiel asked. Just then a sharp cry of a newborn cut through the air. Gabriel brushed passed Castiel. The newborn child still fresh in afterbirth and her mother's blood was wriggling in her crib, face wrinkled with distress. Gabriel picked up the crying child who soon grew calm within the Archangel's arms. 
 
  "Have no fear," Gabriel whispered looking over to where Astrid lay dead. "You are safe, little one." The bleeding didn't stop and Gabriel couldn't heal her. Unfortunately he was no Raphael. Castiel looked on at the mighty Archangel Gabriel. He had never seen the great Gabriel he had admired look so sad and broken. It were as if someone had stabbed Gabriel in the chest straight through to the heart. This was one of the reasons Castiel had no love for the woman Astrid. He found her duplicitous and careless for coming between the two Archangel brothers. And yet she chose Michael, the most war-like and mercurial of the 4 Archangels. Which made this next conversation difficult...
  
   "Kill the child," Castiel spoke gravely, "it's the right thing to do."
   
    Gabriel's eyes never left Astrid, "You think I would be so cruel as to murder this child when she has barely taken her first breath?"
    
     "You're an Archangel. You've done worse."
     
     Gabriel rounded on his second and with eyes like fire bellowed, "Aye, and I may do worse to you if you so much as make a move towards this child!" 
     
      Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked like a whip as it flashed in the sky. Castiel stood silent. Suddenly a groan came from the bed and Astrid stirred. She was not dead yet after all. Gabriel returned to Astrid and sat at her bedside. He heard her heart beat but it was faint.
      
      "Gabriel...," Astrid whispered. 
      
      "I'm here," Gabriel leaned in closer. Astrid's eyes fluttered open. When she saw the baby she smiled. She touched the baby's still wet cheek. 
      
      "A girl," Gabriel beamed. "Healthy."
      
      "She's so beautiful...," Astrid's eyes filled with tears both joyful and melancholy. "I wish I could stay and see her grow up. To keep her safe..." Gabriel wiped Astrid's maple syrup strands of hair away from her sweat stained forehead. Even close to death she glowed with light. 
      
      "Gabriel, will you love my child?" Astrid pleaded the Archangel. "Will you protect her for me?"
      
      "No harm will come to her," Gabriel swore. Astrid stroked Gabriel's cheek. She loved it's smoothness. In her eyes Gabriel saw some hint of regret; so many things she wanted to say. Wishing that things were different. If they had met in another life. Another time. But they could not change time. Gabriel caressed her hand and kissed it firmly. He knew. Astrid had loved him too. Then Astrid slipped away into darkness and the child cried again. This time she wouldn't stop for a long time. 

        *     *     *     *     *

   Gabriel hid the child with those he could trust. He named her Davina. 

        
        It was then Castiel could hold his silence no more.
        
        "My lord, you can't just hide the child like this!"
        
        "It was Astrid's wishes and I intend to honor them."
        
        "The child is nephilim. You know how dangerous they are," Castiel tried to reason with his general. "She could end the world!"
        
        "Not if Davina's raised properly," Gabriel believed in nurture over nature. A flaw that everyone admired in him. 
        
        "It doesn't matter," Castiel said. "She's the daughter of an Archangel. Of the Archangel Michael, the mightiest of warriors in the Host! She could end and build empires! No one should have that much power."
        
        Gabriel turned to Castiel, eyes of steely resolve and a tone that sent chills down the angel's spine, "Are you challenging me?"
        
        Castiel held his ground, "I'm trying to save you. What would Father say?"
        
        "Don't know," Gabriel shrugged. "Why don't you find Him and ask Him, little brother? I haven't seen him since the beginning of the 21st century. Have you?"
        
        "How do you intend to even keep this secret? I don't want to see you fall for an abomination like her!"
        
        Gabriel grew contemplative. He placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder, "You were a good soldier, Castiel. Faithful and loyal..."
        
        Before Castiel could even blink Gabriel drew his sword and skewered his second in command. Castiel looked on in shock unable to even speak. Gabriel whispered, "But I made a promise and I intend to keep it. As you've said, I've done worse."

*     *     *     *     *

     When Davina was safely hidden away and Castiel's body disposed of the Archangel flew off to a remote mountain area in a cave somewhere at the top of the world to mourn. He had the best wine to drown his sorrows in and yet the storm seemed to follow him no matter how far or fast his large dark wings carried him. He was not to have peace of solitude for long. Michael soon found him. Gabriel may have brought the rain but Michael brought the thunder. When Michael landed the earth shook. Lightning cracked and whipped in the dark sky. His dark wings unfurled as if poised to attack waiting outside the cave.

        
         "Brother," Gabriel addressed Michael formally. 
         
         "Where is she?" Michael thundered as he entered the solitude of the cave.
         
         "Astrid is dead," Gabriel spoke simply taking a swig of wine.
         Michael lunged at his brother, grasping the drunk Archangel by the collar and growling, "What did you do to her?"
         
         "I buried her in a plot next to her mother like she wanted," Gabriel shrugged. "She's finally at peace."
         
         Eyes full of shock and despair Michael's strength seemed to disappear. He fell to his knees, wings wilted from sorrow. Gabriel had only seen Michael cry once before and that was when they had to destroy their brother Lucifer at God's command. Through the hatred and resentment Gabriel's heart softened. He touched Michael's shoulder that trembled with grief. They embraced breifly sharing in their grief but then Michael's anger returned. Michael shoved Gabriel away pointing an accusing finger at him, "You killed her didn't you?"
         
         Gabriel denied it. 
         
         "You were always jealous, Brother," Michael fumed. "No one else believed it but I always knew there was a darkness inside you that lurked. Gabriel the angel who could do no wrong in Father's eyes was a false heart just like Lucifer."
         
         "You're angry, Brother, you know not what you say."
         
         "I am right!" Thunder drummed, reverberating through the Archangels and their invincible bodies. They glared each other down with their amber eyes like two wolves ready to rip each other a part. 
         
         "Astrid died in childbirth along with the child," Gabriel finally spoke. Michael's eyes widened in shock.
         
         "She... she was pregnant?" Michael's spoke softly in disbelief.
         
         "Given our gift of heightened senses I'm surprised you didn't know," Gabriel cruelly spat. 
         
         Michael frowned, "And she came to you instead of me? How am I supposed to believe that?"
         
         "I don't care what you believe," Gabriel emptied the wine bottle then turned his back on his brother. 
         
         "You blame me for her death?" Michael asked incredulously. "If she had told me I would have--"
         
         "Made her kill it," Gabriel rounded back on Michael. "When Astrid told me that she was pregnant she was so full of joy and then fear. She was afraid of you, Michael! She may have been able to love you despite your long list of bloody sins but not enough to trust you it seems. So she came to me! Not you!" Gabriel couldn't hide his dark satisfaction that the woman he desired came to him even though she loved another. Michael struck Gabriel so hard that Gabriel dropped the wine bottle. The bottle smashed and the brothers fought, hitting each other for hours until they were breathless.   
         
         When it was over the brothers glowered at the other still panting but still standing. Angels, especially Archangels could endure much physical agony; having the stamina to fight for days on end. Now they were emotionally spent. 
         
         "No more, brother," Gabriel sighed. "I will fight no more."
         
         "Giving up," Michael jeered. "You never were much of a warrior. No stomach for blood shed." 
         
         "I will not fight with you or for you ever again," Gabriel brought himself to full height. "I'm done with you."
         
         The storm lightened but rain still poured and the wind still howled weakly. Gabriel unfurled his dark wings then took off leaving his brother alone in darkness.