Green Eyes

Memories Chapter 11

With that Belle moved abruptly to the bathroom door and slammed it huffing heavily as she fought the tears trying to escape her eyes. Stupid unfeeling Angels, stupid God and stupid Dad for leaving... for dying. 

She watched herself in the mirror, her skin had paled and cheekbones sharpened with the lack of care she'd given herself. Yet everything she saw, every detail of her face, from the green shimmer of her eyes to the pout of rose lips, it all reflected her fathers. The man who gave up everything for her uncle. The echo of his agonized screams presented themselves as dark bruises underneath her eyelids. The mirror showed a broken version of him. Not her... him.

Anger ripped through her body like a wildfire, sharp tingles stung the palms of her hands as she twisted it into a fist, throwing it through the glass and shattering it. Humming in both pain and content her gaze stayed frozen on the spiderweb of cracks and missing pieces until the warmth of blood slipping down her knuckles brought her back to reality. 

Belle wiggled her fingers before shrugging her clothes off and starting up the shower leaving the mess behind. There she sat under heated water staring into nothing. The only sound she could hear was the wails of her fallen father and the sobs of her Uncle and Bobby. 

*Today, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, With Belle*

Shooting up in her bed Belle glanced around the white room, the only glow was the machines signifying she'd not stopped breathing. Rolling her orbs slightly she sat up, grabbing the IV stand and slowly got up, ignoring the screams of her bones. Padding over on her bare feet she went to a chair that was placed by an opened window. Placing herself carefully in the uncomfortable felt. 

The stars glew like fireflies in the pools of midnight, flickering like a conversation. Stretching out beyond their planets skies. A smile tickled the corners of her mouth as she sat and waited, as if someone would appear there, in the unconscious empty space she'd left beside her. 

"Do you remember when you saw stars? God, you were taken away... I think that was the first time you'd looked up. Then again you were always so focused on flying you were to busy to look up... right Bluebird?" Belle's wistful voice filled the otherwise silent room. No one answered, of course, no one had been there to answer. Yet the teen carried on anyway, even with the lack of audience. "I think that was when I realized you had emotions, how could I not? The way you looked at the universe. I don't know how to explain it." Belle's hand had moved it's way up while she talked tracing the scar on her chest.

"If only I could pray to you... one last time." Her voice broke with her demeanor, liquid slipping down her cheeks, voice truly broken. "Please... come back." She whispered, curling in on herself and falling into her memories. 

*A year and a half ago, Littletown New Hampshire, With Belle and Jaibrian*

Night had now fallen upon Littletown and Jaibran hadn't been anywhere in sight after their squabble. Belle sighed doing what she always did when she had an argument with someone, went to go stargazing. 

Driving on her motorcycle to a lone field she'd passed beforehand she slipped off, grabbing her oversized blanket and laying down, getting lost in the beauty of the universe above her. That was until a flutter brought her out of her engrossment. 

"Belle? What are you doing out here?" With a tilt of her head, the angel watched her carefully and curiously. 

"None of your business." Belle hissed sitting up into a cross-legged position. Scrunching up her delicate nose the being sat with the hunter.

"You're hurt," she accused, reaching for the human's injured hand to get a closer look in the darkened atmosphere. 

"Yeah, shit happens." She yanked her hand back towards her body sending a warning look to Jaibrian, who in turn played with tightly wound hair that fell on her shoulder. 

"I understand you're angry with me-"

"Damn right."

"-But I would like to apologize." 

Surprised Belle paused nodding for her to continue. 

"What I did was rude, you aren't just my charge or a duty. You've been accepting of my presence and I did not realize how hard this was for you... letting me into your life I mean." Head and shoulders drooped the warrior awaited the teen's response. 

"Heh, you know what? I may be crazy but, I forgive you. I mean you're just tryina look out for me." To this, the celestial nodded her head almost frantically. "Which is refreshing. I'm not the easiest person to keep safe." 

The girls shared a laugh and Belle gestured for her angel to sit on the blanket with her. Inquisitively Jaibrian sat on her legs in a kneeling position through her eyes fixated on the hunter's scabbed hand. 

"Yeah go ahead, can't handle you starin' at it all night." Belle placed her pale hand into the cinnamon one, awaiting the angel mojo to do its work. Soon relief flooded through her whole body. Happily, Jabrian brushed her thumb over the newly healed knuckles and slowly returned Belle's hand back to her lap letting go reluctantly. What she hadn't noticed was the red glow that consumed her charge's cheeks. 

"So what are you doing out in a field?" Belle hummed before turning to answer the question. 

"When Dad and John used to fight I'd leave and go find an empty spot and think, cause my mom. She always told me that if life ever got to hard look up. That If I could not see beauty around me It was always above me. When John died and Dad and Sam fought I just kept doing it y'know?" Belle smiled at the thought before turning to look to her friend next to her. Jabrian watched her in awe. 

"You're mother sounds like a smart woman." With a nod, Belle looked down. 

"Yeah, she was." A comfortable silence fell between them the hunter watched the sky whilst the angel looked at the woods. 

When Belle noticed this she furrowed her brows and nudged the girl next to her. "What are you doing?" 

"I thought we were sitting in silence and staring at different things." The green-eyed teen snorted in laughter before lying back and motioned for her to follow. 

"Look up," she whispered watching the expressions on the angel's face go from confusion to astonishment. 

"Woah!" Her navy orbs reflected the bursts of light in the darkened sky, skin shining with the glow of a full moon.

"Have you never seen the night sky before?" Belle asked shocked by the staggered reaction even more so when the answer was no. 

"I wasn't really allowed to go on earth missions for a while... no angels were. When the apocalypse happened rules against meddling with humanity...It went out the metaphorical window. Then your life was almost lost and that wouldn't have been ideal. So I was sent here to keep after you. I guess I was to busy looking at you." 

The hunter blushed harder but nodded along to the explanation. "Well remember to now... I'm not much to look at."

"I beg to differ, I think you represent the beauty of humanity..."

"You're not to bad yourself Bluebird." 

With that, they layed there in utter harmony and comfort. Stolen glances and quiet thoughts were shared as the stars gleamed above them. The taste of dew ingrossed their scenes, causing a heavy calming aura around them. With the exhaustion of the hunt and emotions, Belle fell asleep turning over to lay in the arms of Jaibrian who hugged just a bit harder and watched closer. The beauty of the teen next to her overpowering the stars. There she lay whilst Belle dreamed of her, she watched over her. Unknown feelings filling her. 

"Ξαπλώστε καλά κυνηγός, όταν ξυπνάτε θα είμαι εδώ. Κανείς δεν θα σας βλάψει, ενώ σας κρατώ. Τι είναι αυτό; Αυτό το συναίσθημα. Είναι αγάπη?"

"I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend..."

Neil Gaiman