10: it

~~Rose~~

I let my mind slip into the blankness while I hoped I could get through to Levi. White noise filled my ears as the silence continued. I wanted to see him again.

I needed to.

I tried pushing through to him, but something blocked my way to him. This was added onto the list of times he wasn't coming to me.

Did his freedom mean he stopped caring?

Did I not matter enough?

Was I broken enough that people won't help me anymore?

Tears fell and I openly sobbed for the first time since Mauraline was born.

I had never felt more alone than in this moment. At least when I felt it before, Levi was on my side.

"Mamaamaa.." I heard approaching me from my side. I opened my eyes to see Maura staring down at me. She had stood up and was holding onto the edge of the couch for support.

"Hi baby," I tried, my voice sounding raw and unused. Maura placed her small hand on my forehead and started babbling at me, her voice almost singing the "ma" syllable as she said it.

I sat up and pulled her into my arms, quickly wiping away any of the tears left clinging to my cheeks. "That's right, baby, I'm mama."

"Mamamama," Maura sang with a giggle. I repeated it back at her, feeling another tear slowly slide down my face.

Maura's giggle stopped when she saw it. She stared at the shimmery thing as it travelled down. She raised one fist and wiped it away from my cheek.

She placed her hand back and my eyes went to Maura's first memory of Week.

"Beautiful," he said with a tear similar to my own sliding down his cheek.

She puller her hand away and looked at me with question in her eyes, her blue and gold eyes watching me as more tears began to fall.

"That's right, baby, you're beautiful. Daddy cries too, beautiful, because he fell in love with you," I said, letting my tears fall and I lifted Maura's hand to my mouth and placed a light kiss there. "He didn't have to, and I don't think he realizes it, but he's in love with you, my little star."

Maura wiped my tears away and giggled, babbling "ma" and "da" on repeat.

"So what are you going to choose, Rose?" William asked startling me.

I looked over at him before returning my gaze to Mauraline. She continued to babble at he, pure joy written across her features. Suddenly, the answer was right in front of me.

I didn't want Maura's life to be running away from a destiny I had seen for her, one that rewrote itself.

I didn't want Maura's life to be in captivity, staring at the same walls, wondering what could have been.

"I know what I have to do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~Week~~

I had to run. I finally knew where they went, Levi had pieced together the answer for me.

I knew what she was going to do. I had to save her from herself, from shutting us all out for good.

I can't fail her again.

The town was just how I remembered it, in shambles.

Glass from broken windows littered the streets. Building pieces scattered along the sidewalk.

Every piece of this town was glamoured over. From far away, it looked inhabited by people, but once you got closer, it was all in disarray.

Lightning flashed into existence and Michael appeared from the light.

His wings were long and flapped periodically to keep him in the air. His clothes were plain, a normal pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt. There were red stains around the collar of the shirt.

For a moment, he was alone, before I saw Rose appear before him. Her wings were the pitch black I remembered with the silver running along the tips of her wings. Her hair was darker though. She wore the same baggy clothes I remembered her last in, but now they didn't cling as much. In her arms was a girl I would assume to be around a year old. The tiny girl had on a light blue dress that accented one eye that was blue. Her other eye was glowing a soft golden color. Her hair was a soft brown with some red within it.

"Hello, daughter. I assume you have made your decision," Michael finally spoke. His eyes locked on the small child in Rose's arms and he smiled softly as the baby cooed at him.

"Yes, I have," Rose replied, letting the baby in her arms wrap herself around her. "I will come with you as long as you can promise that Mauraline will be safe in the hands of the person I choose."

"Of course, Rosalina." he quickly replied, holding out his arms to take the small child in them. Rose tensed up before handing her over. The baby cooed and giggled at the man holding her. "This is baby Mauraline?"

"It is."

Michael made eye contact with Maura again and suddenly, she stopped babbling. She froze for about a second before she started crying.

Rose quickly took Mauraline back into her arms. I watched as the baby looked down at me and pointed. Her tiny hands making the universal "take me" sign.

"Week?" I heard from above. I watched Rose's eyes widen at my appearance before she landed to the ground. Her eyes held fear within them as she took me in. Maura practically jumped into my arms once I was close enough. She wrapped herself around me and whimpered slightly at me.

"Week..." Rose started, before looking up at Michael, who held out a hand for her. She ran into us and hugged the two of us as if she was never going to see us again. "Take care of my baby."

Just as quickly as I found her, she was gone again.

"Rose," I called into the cold air. Mauraline started babbling at me again and I turned to take her home, or what I called home.

I would do Rose this favor.

I would protect Mauraline with my life.

Forever.