TW almost at the end of the chapter!

Jay stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her gaze focused on her graying hair. That was the reason why he had left her, he had found someone younger. He didn't want the pressure of having to raise five kids. She looked away when the tears stung her eyes and she closed them, trying to erase that image from her head. She picked up a bottle of pills and looked at the label. Sleeping pills. They worked for those restless nights when she couldn't sleep, and it made her wonder what it would be like to go in her sleep. To stop hurting once and for all.

The house was empty, she was aware of that when it was too quiet. She couldn't hear her daughters' laughter and their giggles. She couldn't hear her boy telling them stories, or making his sisters laugh. She let out a sob and put the pills back in the drawer. She wiped away her tears and started picking up the mess around the bathroom, unable to stop crying when she knew she was weak. But truth be told, she was the strongest woman out there.

"Now is not the time." She told herself as she tried to stop crying. Now it wasn't the time to go and leave her children behind on their own.

When she was done in the bathroom, she made her way to the bedroom to do the bed. That's when she heard the car pulling up into their driveway. She knew it was that man, the one that had been giving rides to her Louis. She narrowed her eyes and went to look out the window, seeing him and her children getting out of the car. They each had a bag of chips in their hands, and they followed Harry to the back. When he opened the trunk of the car and started taking out the many colorful flowers, her heart warmed up at the sight of them. They were beautiful, and seeing her children smiles brought a little bit of warmth and color into her dull and gray life.

She startled when Harry looked up and made eye contact with her. His green eyes, they were something she would never be able to get out of her head. She walked away and made her way downstairs to make grilled sandwiches, smiling when she saw they had enough for everybody, including Harry. She brightened up when she could hear her children having fun outside, and that was something she would never be able to pay back for to that man.

Outside, Louis listened to Harry telling his sisters how they were supposed to plant the flowers and where so they would stay pretty for a long time. He had on a smile on his face when his sisters already loved Harry and Harry seemed to like them. He looked away, feeling his cheeks heating up when he thought about what it would be like if Harry and himself could be something more. But that was out of the question when he remembered what had happened hours earlier. He took a deep breath and started helping Daisy when she was having trouble with getting the flowers out of the small temporary flower pot.

Looking at Harry, the man was everything Louis could ever want. But he was out of his reach, too good to be true, way superior to him. Louis felt bad when he told himself why would Harry want someone like him when he looked around him, when he thought about his situation. He would be lucky to even have Harry look at him that way, even after finding out the many things he had to deal with everyday. He willed himself to stop thinking about it that way. He didn't need a man, his main priority was his sisters and his mother and that was that.

"And now we water them." He told Daisy, making sure to let her do it on her own. When she was done, she gave him a bright happy smile and it was enough to make him smile.

"You girls did a great job." Harry told them when they were done.

"The house looks so much better." Lottie smiled. "Thank you, Harry."

She hesitated at first, but when Harry gave him a smile, one of those that had her feeling hope, she finally took a step forward and hugged him. Harry returned the hug right away, feeling her energy radiating off of her. Lottie was a good child, Harry learned. The type to leave everything to aid his siblings whenever they needed it. When Louis was gone, everything would sadly fall on her shoulders. It made Harry want to back off, go home and accept he had failed his mission. He didn't want to do it anymore, not when he had gotten to know them.

His brother, the one who lived in the shadows, was certainly right. Some humans were rotten beings, but others deserved a chance. Harry hadn't talked to him in many years, but his older brother had always been wise. It was his want for freedom, his want for equality and the way that he had rebelled that had been his end. Its what had made their Father ban him from home.

"My pleasure." Harry told her, letting go when the front door opened and Jay walked out.

The change in her was noticeable when she smiled at them. It made Louis smile when the twins ran to her and hugged her around her waist before pulling her with them to show them the new flowers. She smiled the whole time and when she made her way towards Harry, Louis started getting nervous. The girls were still working on the flowers, which gave Jay the perfect time to say what she had to say.

"I want to apologize for my behavior earlier today." She said. "It wasn't my intention to make you feel unwelcome, much less when you've helped us so much."

"I understand your wariness towards me." Harry said. "There's nothing to forgive. I haven't introduced myself, my name's Harry Styles." He lifted his hand up to shake hands with her.

"Harry." Jay smiled, her blue eyes shining. "Like the angel Harry."

Harry cleared his throat and tried to keep smiling. "My parents were big devotes." He said.

"That's our favorite angel." Phoebe said when she walked up to them. "Louis reads us stories about him."

"Did you know," Daisy started, making Louis and his family smile. "That Lucifer is Harry's twin. It hurt Lucifer a lot when Harry didn't go with him, but he was evil. Harry was good, that's why he couldn't go with him."

"I'm sure Lucifer understood." Harry's voice trembled.

"He's evil." Daisy said. "He didn't understand and now he does bad things."

"Daisy!" Jay scolded her.

"You're a very smart girl." Harry chuckled.

"See, mama!" Daisy beamed.

"A very beautiful smart girl." Jay kissed her cheek then stood up straight. "I made grilled cheese sandwiches for everybody. Come on, I won't take no for an answer." She told Harry as soon as he saw he was about to protest.

They walked inside, leaving Louis behind who was nothing but happy with how happy his mom was. After all, she deserved a little bit of happiness. The girls sat around their small table while Louis, Jay and Harry decided to eat standing up. Louis tried his best to make conversation, and found it easier when his mother was already feeling comfortable around Harry.

"So where are you from?" Jay asked him as she washed the dishes, having refused Harry to help her when he was the guest. Louis was upstairs with the girls, trying to help them with their homeworks.

"New York." Harry answered right away, having figured out things before he showed up.

"New York!? Wow, you're far away from home, child." She told him, "Don't you miss your family?"

Harry wanted to tell her that he did, he missed them all. He missed his brother. He wanted to tell her many things, but he bit his tongue and sipped from his glass of water. Jay was a very motherly person. Harry wasn't supposed to feel a thing yet there he was. His chest tingled and for once he felt what it was like to have a mother.

It was a strange feeling to him when he had always been the one to protect, change the patterns and the future. It was a warm feeling, the kind where you didn't have to worry about anything when you knew a mom was there to make everything okay. Harry had never had a mother.

"I don't miss my parents that much, they left too soon." Harry shrugged, the lie easily slipping out.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Jay finished what she was doing and dried her hands.

"It's okay." Harry gave her a sweet smile. "I wasn't even a year old yet."

"I think it doesn't matter." Jay sighed. "We still need a mother and a...a father no matter what. A child shouldn't have to lose their parents, and parents shouldn't have to lose their children. My mother always used to tell me that parents, especially a mother, shouldn't have to bury their own child. You leave everything behind when you're old and die, but a child takes everything with them. She used to say there was nothing we could do, that it was the Lord's will and we must accept it."

"It is the Lord's will." Harry told her, swallowing thickly when she shook her head.

Had Father put her through more than enough? Had she had enough?

"That's what I was taught." She looked down, then back at Harry with wet eyes. "And now I'm left wondering why He's cruel to His children."

"I'm sorry if I'm crossing the line, but what happened to Louis' father?" Harry asked, watching her whole demeanor changing.

"That's none of your business." She took a step back, taking a deep breath before facing Harry again. "You're a good man, I can see it. If you're going to stick around I only have one request."

"What is it?" Harry asked again, watching the way her eyes filled with tears, seeing just how hurt her soul was. There was nothing left but emptiness, no hope and faith left whatsoever.

"Please don't hurt my Louis. That's all I ask." She answered.

Harry felt a lump in his throat, an ache on his chest at a mother's request. He couldn't promise her anything, he couldn't do it when he was going to have to break it in just a few days. He wanted to tell her that he would never do it, but he wasn't one to give false hope. It wasn't who he was.

"Is everything okay?" Louis interrupted them, watching his mother wiping at her eyes. "Did something happen?"

No, of course not, baby." Jay forced a smile. "I was just thanking Harry again for what he did for the girls.She lied.

"It was my pleasure. It– It was an honor to make them happy." Harry went along with her lie.

"And I can promise you they will take good care of them." Louis smiled.

"I'm sure they will." Harry said before looking at the clock. "I have to go, but I'll pick you up tomorrow morning." He told him.

"I'll be ready." Louis said.

"It was a pleasure to meet you ma'am." Harry told her.

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for what you did for the girls, I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Jay said.

Harry hesitated before he answered, when he knew she was going to have to do it. "Just be strong, okay? For them."

His request took Jay by surprise whose eyes widened, but she nodded nonetheless. She grabbed a rag and continued wiping the counters while Louis walked Harry to the door. When Louis got back, she was already sitting in front of her sewing machine, trying to fix the many clothes so they didn't have to buy new ones. Louis walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head as he thanked her. She held Louis' hand and gave him a smile, finally a genuine one.

"I don't know what is it about that man." Jay said as she rubbed the top of Louis' hand with her thumb. His hands used to be soft and now they weren't anymore.

"He's too good for this world, ma." Louis said.

"People like him give me hope, at least for a little while." She smiled, but it was gone too soon.

"We'll be okay. We're a family and no matter what we stay together. As long as we're together then we'll be fine." Louis told her.

Jay nodded and felt Louis kissing the side of her head again before he left. She continued working, suddenly looking up when she remembered the one place where she might be able to get a job. That night she went to bed with a little bit of hope. A few miles away he prayed for her, kneeling down on the side of the bed with his hands clasped together.

~*~

Harry wasn't one to keep many personal items. In fact, he had never owned that many clothes, but according to his brothers, clothes were absolutely necessary. His temporary home was a studio apartment with just the necessary things to survive. He didn't need luxuries when they weren't what they needed. He didn't even own a phone, but a car was necessary. All he needed was a bed to rest when on earth rest was necessary to keep his body healthy. He had a small bathroom to keep himself clean and a kitchen to cook the little food he ate.

He found himself sitting on the couch doing nothing but staring straight ahead hours after he had dropped Louis off. That's how he spent most of his days, cooped up in that small apartment pretending to be someone he wasn't. He closed his eyes and laid down trying to fall asleep, but he found it impossible when he kept feeling that pull. He hadn't changed patterns that morning when he had dropped Louis off, yet something felt wrong. Time slowed down around him and when he lifted his head up to look around, he found him standing in the small space of a kitchen he had.

"I would have looked for something bigger, brother. I almost feel claustrophobic here." He spoke up.

"This is all I need." Harry answered as he got up.

He watched his brother drop a red apple. The fruit looked as if it was floating as it fell when time had been slowed down for them. But outside, time kept going as if it was supposed to.

"Tempting, huh?" His hazel eyes looked into Harry's green ones. "Temptation is everywhere, brother. So is lust...carnal attraction."

"What are you doing here, Gabriel?" Harry asked him, thoughts of Louis filling his head. He closed his eyes and willed them away, and when he opened them he found Gabriel staring at him.

"Your time is running out. Father wants to know what's taking you so long." Gabriel walked around the small apartment. "You didn't change your mind, did you? Let Michael convince you."

"I've seen it with my own eyes." Harry's eyes filled with tears. "Michael is right, they just need help."

"What we need is to start over and you're not helping." Gabriel's gaze hardened with anger. "It is what Father wants and that's what you're going to give him. You've already disobeyed Him enough times, changed the patterns when you weren't supposed to."

"I couldn't do–"

"The many times you've driven him home!" Gabriel interrupted him. "That lamp. You should've been back home days ago with him."

"He has a family and they depend on him." Harry hurried up to explain. "We can't make Johanna suffer more...if we take Louis she'll never recover."

"Life is full of tests, brother!" Gabriel shouted. "She's weak if she can't get through them."

"This is not who we are, Gabriel. We're supposed to guide them through the right path, not destroy them." Harry pleaded.

"They're destroying themselves, Harry. They're greedy, they're thirsty for blood, they love wars, they love to shed blood. They can't even love one another for something as stupid as race. They're all God's children in our eyes, but what does it matter now when all they do is hate and kill each other." Gabriel's eyes filled with tears.

"That's why they need our help! They need Louis' –"

"The prophecy won't fully happen, brother." Gabriel interrupted him again. "Patterns were set long ago, and it's started. You can't do anything about it anymore. Good luck trying to change them now." Gabriel sighed and walked to the door to leave.

"What are you talking about?" Harry followed him.

"You underestimate me." Gabriel turned around to look at him. "It hasn't been long here, but out there, time never stopped."

And Harry understood. The blood rushed through his head making his vision blurry. The apple finally fell to the floor and by then, Gabriel was gone and many hours had already passed. He was supposed to have picked Louis up almost an hour ago. He took a few steps back, hitting his hip against the counter. His eyes filled with tears and that's when he took off.

He slammed the door closed without bothering to lock it and ran downstairs past his car. He didn't need it when he had something that could get him there faster. He had missed the rush of air on his face, but now was not the time to enjoy it. It didn't take long for him to hear his screams and for his vision to adjust to the darkness just enough to see it. His blood boil when he saw Louis running in the darkness and into an alley, and Chris behind him as he laughed.

It all happened so fast and he couldn't move fast enough when by the time he got there Louis was already on the dirty ground. Harry walked faster when he saw Chris on top of him, but a hand wrapping around his arm is what stopped Harry. He turned around and looked into Michael's blue and sad eyes.

"It'll be over soon, brother." His voice trembled.

"No." Harry tried to push him away, but Michael was stronger.

"You can't mess with the pattern and change the future anymore, Harry. Let what has to happen happen." He insisted as he used all of his force to hold Harry back.

Harry's eyes filled with tears and his heart ached when Louis kept screaming for help. He didn't want this to happen, he didn't want Louis to have to go through that. He should have ended everything when he had the chance, now Louis was paying the price. Harry kept fighting Michael, screaming when the older man wrapped his wings around him and held him in place.

"Not like this! Not this way!" Harry screamed.

"It'll be over soon." Michael insisted.

Harry didn't want to watch but he had to. He fought with all his being to get his brother off of off him at the same time Louis struggled to get Chris off of him. He gave up the moment Louis pushed Chris off and scooted away from his as fast as he could. He looked up and watched the window AC unit fall from a third floor apartment window and land on top of Chris' head. The sound it made was enough to make Harry cringe, but that didn't deter him from continuing to watch.

A pool of bright red blood quickly formed around Chris' head while Louis stared with wide and terrified eyes full of tears. His old shirt was ripped and his jeans were missing the button, having being pulled down halfway down his bum. He started shaking and let out a loud sob as he brought his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He rocked himself back and forth as Harry and Michael watched.

Harry couldn't hear what Michael was trying to tell him when all he could see was the dark figure standing next to Chris' body, looming over his body and Louis. His eerie green eyes watched in amusement how Chris' rotten soul struggled to stay attached to its vessel. Harry saw the darkness on his face, a face identical to his as a smirk slowly formed on his red plump lips. He watched the way he clawed at the soul before he grabbed it and took off into the darkness.

"Harry!" Michael shouted, finally catching Harry's attention. "Take him to your place until he calms down. Things have changed."

"It was you." Harry mumbled.

"We're running out of time, they'll be here soon." Michael let go of him, "I'll look for you later." He said before he was gone.

That's when Harry reacted and ran to Louis, dropping to his knees right next to him. It broke his heart to see the way he was crying, unaware of his surroundings when he seemed to be in a trance as he cried. He didn't say anything and picked Louis up to take him back to his place. He walked and carried Louis all the way up until he made it back. He gently placed Louis on his bed and walked to the sink to wet a towel so he could clean his face. He knew it was coming as soon as the towel made contact with Louis' face.

His sobs were the loudest Harry had ever heard and his body spasmed as he cried. For the first time, Harry held him and tried to comfort him. He looked outside at the dark skies through the window, wondering what was it that his Father had planned. Why tell him and his brothers to love them, when now He wanted to end them. When he wanted to end the life of someone as good as Louis'. He held Louis tighter when he remembered the brother he had lost eons ago had taken Chris' soul, when it had been Chris' soul the one the one he wanted all along. Now Harry was starting to understand him, his reason to do what he did.

The alley was dark and wet due to the rain that had fallen earlier that day, not a single person to be seen in the area unless you wanted to get robbed, and in extreme cases, die. A chained dog viciously barked in the distance, rattling the chain link fence whenever it would get too close to it. The night air was chilly, bringing with it the smells of foods from different countries being sold by a few restaurants nearby.

It was noisy, too noisy for anyone to notice the whoosh of air caused by something, a body falling from the dark skies above. He landed with grace on his feet, with knees bent to soften the fall, and a hand on the dirty wet ground. It wasn't necessary when he already had something to soften the fall, and it was more efficient. His wings. His bones were dense so there was no risk of damaging them, yet the habit of bending his knees was always there.

He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring at the new smells and his green eyes widening at the new scenery around him. It was nothing like his home. It was true what the rest said, the world was now dirty and too violent. Humans had no salvation no matter how many times Michael had tried to convince them. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes as he nodded until the sudden noise of a fence rattling startled him.

He rushed to take cover against a wall, then quickly walked towards the exit. The dog barking made him nervous even though he knew the dog was just as nervous as he was and wouldn't hurt him. He didn't have much time left to find him and complete his mission so he could go back home. His Father had promised it would be quick and painless, and that the poor soul had a well deserved spot in heaven.

He folded his wings against his back, and with a little concentration, he created the illusion of them not being there at all. He walked the dark dirty streets, shaking his head at the many vile acts happening in front of him. He couldn't do anything, that wasn't his mission. That wasn't why he was allowed to descend. He ignored the people staring at him, not quite understanding why he was freely walking in the cold rain. His long hair was wet and sticking to his skin. He would have to cut it soon.

He walked until he arrived at his destination. An empty parking lot surrounded by nothing but abandoned buildings ready to be demolished. He spotted the new car in front of him and the dark figure standing next to it, waiting for him.

"You're late. My time is very valuable and I've been waiting for hours." He spoke, cockiness slipping out in every word, "Ex father should be thankful you were once my favorite."

"Lucifer. Always the dramatic one. Seems like Hell couldn't fix that." He rolled his eyes, "I've missed you, brother."

"Cut that shit out, Harry." Lucifer snapped, his eyes glowing red before they went back to that eerie green, a green that once used to be kind like Harry's still were. "Here are the keys, and everything else you're going to need is in the car. Tell your Father I don't owe him anything else." He threw the keys at him and started walking away as he ran his fingers through his long brown hair.

"Believe it or not, I never agreed with him when he cast you out!" Harry shouted, knowing he had hit a nerve when Lucifer stopped and turned around to look at him. His features similar as Harry's hardening in an instant. "You're my brother, we were cut from the same cloth."

"Whatever. I don't need your pity. Do me a favor, when you kill that kid, make sure you make it fast. Ex Father knows he's been through enough and doesn't deserve more pain." Lucifer looked down at the floor before turning around and walking away as fast as he could.

Harry's wings itched to unfold and take him back to heaven as soon as he heard Lucifer's request, but he ignored it in favor of completing his mission. He would not fail his Father like his twin brother had done.

Thoughts? :)

I added a new tag at the very beginning of this book!