What Could Have Been - Sting ft Ray Chen

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Alexis stepped outside of the cave and inhaled deeply. Everything in her being had changed. Her body felt as if it had been reborn again. She hadn't expected the change to be so enthralling, so captivating. 

She was unaware of the amount of attention she was gaining just from stepping out of the cave. She wasn't aware that the Elders were growing wary of her frame of mind. She wasn't aware of the audience watching both above and below. The Worlds were silent with anticipation. The forest had grown awfully still. The animals unmoving. The trees unmoving. The air charged with her power.

As the reddish moon overhead shone light onto the forest, the clouds that were covering the sky disappeared. Noise and movement of any kind had died when she stepped out of that cave.

Elijah and Grigori stared at her new appearance. To a human she would look no different. But to the eyes of an immortal she was a statue of pure perfection. A statue of power. Her eyes were an illuminating grey; her Mark had gotten a tad darker. Her sharp features were even sharper than before. Her eyes ready to kill any who got in her way. Her body vibrating, shaking with determination; her lips in a straight emotionless line. And her black wavy hair now reached beneath her waist.

She stared ahead as if the world wasn't in front of her. As if she were in an empty world and nothing mattered.

"Look at her Grigori." Eli said breaking the ear splitting silence. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Grigori sat up from his spot on a large rock. "She's intimidating." He replied stiffly. 

She'd heard him and purposefully directed her empty gaze to him.

He started to stand up slowly but couldn't bring himself to turn away from her. "What is she doing?"

Elijah laughed. "She's very persuasive."

"So, I see." Grigori started walking toward her like she'd wrapped a lasso around him and pulled. 
But then she turned away and he stopped. 

She observed the area briefly before turning her eyes onto Elijah.

Her words had resorted back to her first language: Enochian.

"What day is it?"

"31st of December." Elijah answered in the same language.

Her black brow rose almost to her hairline. "Year?"

"2010." 

"Time?"

"Almost quarter past eleven." 

"Perfect." She shrugged off her black shirt and dropped it to the floor leaving her in the white tank top. "And who are you?" She looked between Grigori and Eli.

"We are here to serve." Elijah bowed but Grigori scowled at him. "And we're expecting a few more... Friends to watch this historic event."

Alexis didn't miss a beat. Her glare turned to Grigori and he whimpered back a few steps. 
"I do not need you to serve. I know what I'm doing." She started to walk away.

Inside of Alexis, there were voices in her head that she didn't know what to do with. There were two sides to everything, even in her mind. 

A battle was brewing... She could feel it.

Elijah grabbed her arm and she immediately burnt him right off. 

He stumbled back in shock and said, "Lonny, you're making a mistake. There are Demons and Fallen Angels coming. And so are the Angels and Guards. They know you're close. Everyone knows."

"They are not my concern. They can do what they wish. I have things to do."

"If you don't take control of them--"

She turned on him. As she walked forward he started backing away. "As I have said, insignificant demon, this does not concern me. If I am the cause of this battle then so be it. But I am not getting involved. Fight your own battles."

"This is not my battle. It's yours." He insisted. "This has everything to do with you. This has to do with the Decision you are about to make." He stopped backing up and now they were nose to nose. "You know what to choose... Right?"

A very evil, very taunting smile planted on her lips. 

"Of course." She said. 

And with that, she started running. 

Eli and Grigori watched her leave.

Elijah burst into a fit of laughter. 

"We did it."



**




Gabriel's mind and soul was directed toward the one woman he loved. His hand unconsciously touched the gift she got for him for Christmas. He wanted to find her and shield her away from everything around her. He wanted to shake her for being stupid enough to run away to save Jayden.

When she had spoken earlier today and he'd turned and saw her, he'd thought he was dreaming. She looked unharmed, she looked safe. But the empty, emotionless look on her face had said otherwise. 

At first when she said she didn't love him, his heart had dropped out of his ass. 
She'd said she'd kill him.

He didn't believe her but her face, being as blank and heartless as it was, was very convincing.

"Gabriel,"

He turned toward Cameron and held back the scowl.

Cameron had alerted everyone of the message Alexis had told him. Why she told him instead of Gabriel made him angry.

Cameron's thoughts were ravage, like they were shouting at Gabriel when he was explaining to everyone what Alexis had told him. 

He'd kissed her. 

She'd responded. 

That's all he saw and wanted to see.

"Look at the sky," Cameron said as he stood beside Gabriel. 

He didn't like how close he was to him. Gabriel wanted nothing more to be away from him or to hurt him.

Gabriel looked up anyway and saw how the night sky had turned slightly orange. 

"She's preparing. And we haven't left yet. We've gathered everyone, why--"

"I'd prefer if you were not here with me." He ground his teeth together and his hands clenched into fists. 

"Gabriel--"

He turned to Cameron with narrowed eyes. "I know we agreed to work together until we found Alexis but that agreement had expired when you planted your lips on her." Every possessive bone in his body tensed ready to fight him... For the fiftieth time in one hundred years.

Cameron's lips pursed. "Look Gabriel, I'm not here to fight you. And I only kissed her because--"

"Here we go. Another excuse--" 

"Stop interrupting me," He snapped. "It was an impulse. I didn't think, I just did."

Gabriel moved a step forward to kick the shit out of him when a man came out of the house. Thankfully, Cameron was strong enough to keep the fire from going anywhere near the house earlier. But everything around it had burnt to a crisp.

"Enough you two." The male said.

They both turned their heads toward Axel and stepped away from each other. Leo emerged from the house with a frown. "Now, now boys."

In the backyard a gust of wind whipped across their faces. Some angels walked around the house to meet Axel and Leo and some landed on the roof or in an empty space in the snow. There were at least eighty angels gathering in the forest or landing close by. All of them dressed in either human clothes or in the White rips of the Angelic World.

Three Archangels dressed in White drabs came last. Their almost golden wings flapped and came to an abrupt stop as they landed in the middle of everyone.

Brooke, Ezekiel and Aira. Their red hair making them stand out among the crowd of blondes and white hairs.

Gabriel, Maryanne and Joseph being the only dark haired angels there.

The family came out of the house and greeted them warmly.

But Gabriel was still following Alexis' large amount of power. Any angel or demon around this world would be able to locate her power. 

Cameron was following it too. Gabriel could see it in his mind.

"Cameron and Gabriel," Brooke called. 

They both turned from their spot and walked to her. Gabriel bowed briefly while Cameron took her hand and squeezed.

"It's been a while," He said.

"Too long it seems. And the wrong circumstances have brought us together. It's a shame really."

"It is." Cam agreed. 

Brooke turned her heavy gaze onto Gabriel and he just knew something was wrong. He just knew.

"The Elders--"

"Are not happy with me. When are they ever?" He said. "What did they say?"

"Don't interfere. Now that Lonny's mind has gone blank, she wouldn't care if she killed you or anyone that tries to stop her. She'd kill her own mother if she crossed her path."

"What if she makes the wrong choice?" He pleaded. "I can reason with her."

"Not in this form." Brooke said as she took his hands. "If she chooses wrong, we'll deal with the consequences."

Joseph stepped forward. "The consequences would result to hell on earth. She'll destroy what keeps our world and their world separate. She'll kill every human in existence. I cannot see beyond this point and I haven't been getting anything since yesterday. I'm as blind as everyone else."

Brooke and Aira looked at each other. "We can not do anything about that." Aira spoke. She pushed off the ground to hover above everyone. "The only thing we can do is take things as we go." Her voice came out thick and strong. "Demons are gathering not far from here. They sense Lonny like we do and are waiting. They could get in her way for all we know. But what we do know is we have to destroy them..."

Gabriel wasn't listening. He couldn't not try to speak to her. He knew she wouldn't remember a thing about him but he had to try. He had to try change her mind.

"We have to leave now." Joseph yelled. "Look at the sky."

Every angel looked above and sighed. The stars shone brighter than before, the moon closer, the colour of the sky was now a light purple, pink and orange. 
She was readying herself.

The Archangel's flew off first. Everyone flew off or started running through the burnt down forest. 

However Cameron and Gabriel stayed behind.

Gabriel watched Cameron as he did the same.

"You understand I will be doing whatever I can to stop this," Gabriel said.

Cameron shrugged a shoulder as if that statement didn't matter. "I understand."

"You won't get in my way." Gabriel stated. "Or I'll kill you."

"I'm sure Lonny wouldn't appreciate that."

"Alexis," Gabriel said with emphasis. 

"They're the same person."

Gabriel stared at him with narrowed eyes a moment then came to realization. "You're the man that said Alexis and Lonny are the same person."

Cam frowned. "They are."

"Yes, they are. But what name would you rather say? What feels right?"

Cameron looked at the sky and said, "Although I said they are the same person, I didn't know Alexis. I may say that name out of courtesy but only because I knew it was right at that time. Now that she's in her true form doesn't it feel right to call her Lonny?"

Gabriel stared at Cameron. And for the first time he really saw him. He saw the love in his eyes for the same woman. Gabriel saw the way he longed for her the same way he did. 

Gabriel sighed. "I'm not sure."

Cam glanced at him and back at the sky. "We should go. We haven't much time. The air is charged and I don't like it." Cameron kept his white t-shirt on as he unfurled his wings from his back and pushed off the ground.

Gabriel followed him, his thoughts filled with what he'd do when he got there. He was worried about what he'd see. What she'll look like. What'd she'd be like. 

He hoped she wasn't gone. He hoped she was still inside that new form of hers.



**



"What are we doing?" Jayden asked Bonnie. "Alexis told me to stay away."

She turned her excited blue eyes to Jayden and squeezed his hand. "We're following her. How else are we to see what happens? This is a special event Jayden! We can't miss this." She smiled revealing a small dimple on her right cheek.

Jay's eyes widened at the woman he'd only met a few hours ago. 

His first thought when he saw her change was, what the effing hell. But her face.. Her innocent beautiful face had made him soften. He felt safe with her. He liked her. And with the bright eyed looks she gave him, he could see she liked him too.

He pulled on her hand. "Bonnie, come on."

She suddenly ducked down behind a boulder pulling him down with her and watched an army of maybe one hundred Demons walk past them. Jayden had discovered that Bonnie is a very strong Angel. She could do that same thing Eli could do. Shield them. 

The demons paid them no mind. They walked on as if they weren't there.

"You're mad." He said with a smile.

She winked. "Only with you." She moved a lock of her light hair behind her ear and surveyed the huge clearing in front of us. Her eyes searched and stopped. "There she is."

Jay's eyes followed hers and widened. "Oh, Alex." He whispered.


**


It was time. 

Her body vibrated as she hovered off the ground. 

Her skin burning hot. Her heart pounding against her chest.

She let out a sigh as her wings ripped from her back and spread out behind her. They were very large beautiful wings although they were as black as the night. Feathers ruffled and fell to the ground. They quivered with her as she shook.

She felt as if it were a relief for them to be out. To have them moving, stretching.

She hovered further off the ground and ignited a flame on both of her hands. 

"The shadows of the night will rein the human world with terror," She chuckled and launched a flame into the sky. She manipulated into a spot and left it to hover. "Demons will fall," She moved it toward a demon flying across the sky and watched him drop. "Angels will fall," She caught sight of a speeding angel, moved the growing flame toward them and listened to their shout of pain. "Light in this world will cease to exist and the Fallen shall rise again..."

She rose higher into the sky and listened to the war below. Angels and Demons fighting. "Typical sight," She scoffed. 

It was almost 11.58...

"The world will stand still at exactly eleven fifty-nine as I make my decision." She mumbled. She rose higher and watched the Angels and Demons fight. 

An odd feeling passed through her as pure liquid fire soared through her veins; her clothes slowly singeing away leaving her in drabs of clothing, almost naked.

Her body shook from head to toe as she readied herself for the climax.

**

Gabriel landed in the middle of the fight, grabbed a demon and ripped its head of its body. Cameron landed next to him and took someone out before they could touch Gabriel.

"Where is she?!" He yelled into the slaughter.

Gabriel's mind searched for her but he couldn't locate her. He could feel her power nearby but couldn't see her. Gabriel pulled out a pure platinum knife.

A fair distance away Maryanne effortlessly sliced, pulled and danced through the battle with a smile on her face. Tristan ventured through everyone, ripping apart whoever got in his path like the animal he was. Elizabeth being the good natured woman had swapped personalities and killed what ever was there. And Joseph's moves were flawless. He was invisible.

Eli ran at Gabriel but he caught him by the neck. "Hello Elijah." Gabriel said.

He laughed and tried struggling. "I did it. She's chose the right way instead--"

"Goodbye Elijah." Gabriel said as he pressed the knife to his throat and slashed twice. His body dropped to the ground with a thump.

Grigori saw the exchange and ran without looking back. Gabriel went to follow but something stopped him.

A screech only a Call would make sounded through everybody's ears but the sound was no longer a soft bell. It was like their own dog whistle. Everybody could hear it. Even Jayden who was standing close by with Bonnie.

Everybody fighting or moving covered their ears. Some dropped to the ground in pain, some still standing strong.

Gabriel locked his knees together to stop himself from dropping like a fly. He was stronger than that.

The Call stopped abruptly and every angel and Demon exchanged a long look. 

Jayden and Bonnie emerged from behind the huge boulder.

Gabriel's eyes widened at the two. Jay's hand in Bonnie's hadn't been much of a surprise for him. Humans weren't supposed to meet their guardians for a reason. It's impossible to protect and watch and not end up falling in love with them or end up treating them as if they were a shrine. It's against the law, yes, and only a fair few have ever broken it. Breaking that law is like attempting to murder an Elder. For Bonnie to do this, it's a risk.

Bonnie grinned at Gabe then at Cameron. "I couldn't help myself. And plus, Lonny helped him find me." Her hand squeezed Jay's and he smiled at her.

Gabriel went to speak but a sound that resembled sharp thunder sounded up above.

"Gabriel,"

He turned his attention to Bonnie. All fun had disappeared from her face. "She's in there." She pointed toward the clearing. "I assume you've been told to stay away?"

He nodded.

Then she smiled. "You're not going to listen?"

"Hell, no." He said as he started into the clearing. 

The Archangel's and Joseph called him back. They followed him along with Liz, Mary, Tristan, Bonnie and Jayden.

What they saw as they all entered the clearing was shocking.

Almost all of her whole body was on fire as she sent wave after wave into the sky. Her Mark was even more prominent on her hand than before. Her clothes were in drabs now. Her jeans were barely classed as shorts, her sneakers melted to the ground, her tank top barely covering the necessary. 

Gabriel stared at her long thick wings. Everybody was speechless. Joseph's face had paled as he stared at her. "She's choosing..."

Elizabeth couldn't hold back the tears. Maryanne and Tristan enveloped her into a tight hug. Maryanne was even trying to hold back the tears.

Ezekiel and Aira hugged each other only in a way a brother and sister would. Brooke took Cam's hand in hers and squeezed as they watched.

Gabriel looked at his family again and then at Bonnie and Jay. They wrapped their arms around each other and shut their eyes. Jay's hand stroked Bonnie's hair as if he were the one that was supposed to protect her.

It couldn't end like this. She couldn't just do this. 

The sky started turning blood red... From high above he could hear the shouts of the angels Falling and below, the ground shook.

"No." Gabriel said. "This isn't how it's going to end."

His wings ripped from his back.

"Gabriel!" Joseph yelled.

He didn't listen as he flew high to meet Alexis or now, Lonsa. She was mumbling in Enochian. Mumbling and smiling. 

"Lonny,"

She stopped mumbling and turned to him. Her face blank. 

"Look at me. Who am I?" He asked a fair distance away.

"You should leave, this doesn't concern you." She looked back at the sky and sent another wave. Her mumbling resumed but Gabriel moved forward.

"Lonny stop," He spoke in his first language. "You know me. I know you do. Deep down its there-"

Her eyes snapped toward him. "I said leave."

"I'm not leaving without you."

She growled and her burning hand reached out to hit him. He dodged it but then she used her other hand. His face burnt slightly but he worked hard to heal it. 

"Go." She shouted at him.

His temper snapped. "You have less than two minutes to make the right choice. Look at me, Lonny. I've known you for over five hundred years. My name is Gabriel!"

She stared at him with the same blank expression. "You're wasting your time--"

He flew forward so he was close to her. She didn't move but she said, "Move back if you don't want to get hurt."

"You won't hurt me." He stated. "I love you. You love me. Remember me before you do something you'll regret."

Her head tilted to the side curiously.

A scream above brought both of their attention upwards. From across the forest, angels started falling. 

She went to return her attention to the decision but Gabriel bravely took her face in his hands and yelled,

"Alexis! For goodness sake, stop this! Look at me! Feel my touch!" His eyes strayed to the necklace she was still wearing and he smiled. The ring was red hot probably burning her. It hadn't melted because Gabriel regretted to tell her it was Platinum.

He ripped the cross off his neck, took her hot arm and placed it in her open hand. "You gave this to me."

The fire that enveloped most of her body started sizzling away as she stared at it. Her fingers flipped it over and she squinted to read the back. "Angel." She mumbled.

"You said it was cliché." He forced a chuckle and stroked her warm cheek. "You got it engraved as a joke."

She continued to stare at it and finally, finally, Gabriel saw a flicker of something in her eyes. "Angel." She whispered in English.

His eyes widened and he flew forward but more so now she was closer. "Then you gave me a snow globe. I saved it when we were younger. It was--"

"In the 5th Grade." She finished. 

Yes.

"What else happened that night?" He asked. He glanced around. Angels were falling quickly. He had to finish this fast.

"I said..." She was starting to speak English now. "I said... I..."

"Say it!"

"I love you." She whispered. "And... I wouldn't... I..." She shook her head in Gabriel's hand. "I wouldn't forget you and then we... we..." She blinked and a tear rolled down her hot cheek. "We made love."

"Remember, Alexis. Remember me?"

She looked down at the ground and then brought her glasses grey eyes back to him. "I'm...scared, Gabriel. It burns..."

"You can do this. You can stay strong for me can't you? I believe you can do this."

She nodded and then Gabriel pressed his lips to hers. She stared at him for a few seconds before slipping her hands over his shoulder and squeezing. 

She remembers, he thought.

She suddenly jolted back with a scream. He watched as her entire body lit like a match. She flew higher and higher until she was above the clouds and out of sight.

In her mind the decision was set. But as she flew higher and small shards of ice hit her face her mind was changing fast. It was filled with Gabriel. Filled with his touch, his memories... Our memories, she thought.

She stopped abruptly. She was so high. Earth was barely visible. The sky above her was a dark red. She shut her eyes and did what she needed to do... 
But first:

"Gabriel." She said. "I remember the loop hole. In my final form, I can release you from your bound." She looked up. "I release him. He is no longer bound to me."

Hot fire shot from her fingers. He body exploded with fire and her eyes shot open. Falling Angels were killed on contact. The wave of fire she created was so huge it destroyed any angel falling to earth. It didn't matter where the angel fell; the wave consumed a layer of earth that angels in Australia or England could see it. She shut the gate allowing the Demons to escape and closed the crack in the Angelic World.

She'd Decided. 

Gabriel smiled at the fire covered sky as he landed next to Joseph.

And she chose right, he thought.

The fire across the sky made a deafening blow and all at once it gathered to one spot in the sky only to disappear. The color of the sky returned to its original black, the stars shone brighter than before and the moon's color was returning to its misty white.

Despite the fire a moment ago, it started raining. Snow started to disappear from the ground as the rain washed it away.

"Gabriel,"

He turned in time to see Axel and Leo staring at him. Behind them were three other guards.

"What's going on?" Joseph asked.

Axel and Leo glanced at each other. "Gabriel is no longer bound to Lonny."

Gabriel blinked. "What? How?"

"She released you." Leo mumbled.

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh no."

Two of the guards came forward and grabbed his arms.

Just as he turned something caught Gabriel's eye in the sky...

Cameron saw it too and he bolted into the sky to find it.

It was a Falling Angel...

But both Cameron and Gabriel knew it was the woman they loved plummeting to earth in a cocoon of black feathers.

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REAAD MEE ;)

Let me just say, I loved writing this chapter :D
*smiley face*

(edited 2023)