Tears of Madeira

There he stood, a familiar road in a familiar part of Italy. Every time he left he did not really want to, and yet every time he has returned he floats in the sky looking up the road and gathering his courage. Finally getting some strength Gawen flew up to a place he was soon getting comfortable enough to call a second home. Quietly moving to the balcony of his room he sets down the large duffle bag, he was carrying. Still feeling a little uneasy about this house he really would rather prefer his mom not seeing the bag full of weapons.

Flying around to the front door Gawen rings the bell and waits for an answer. The wait seems to take forever but after a little while there is a soft pad of little feet and Cassi, his little sister, opens up the door and a beaming smile appears on her face. “GAWEN!!!” The little one turns and calls back into the house. “Mommy, Mommy Gawen is back again!!!!!” Stepping aside the child lets Gawen walk inside and closes the door behind him.

Looking around Gawen inwardly rolls his eyes as the all to familiar Church of True Faith paraphernalia decorating the walls. Tugging on his sleeves a little nervously, even though they do completely cover his arms already. Having absently mindedly moved into the dining room he did not really notice his mom behind him. “Gawen!” She gives him a large hug as he turns around to greet her.

“Hey.” He speaks nervously. He can fight dozens of Angel soldiers, stay calm as things blow up around him and yet his mother is someone he is nervous around....silly.

His mother begin to speak fast as she guides him to the table, “I hope you are doing well.” She pinches his cheek as he sits, “and staying out of trouble.”

Catching only about ½ of what she said, “uhhh yea always mom.” Cringing a little as he sits down, a knife wound received from an soldier still not healed yet. His mother who didn’t notice the cringe begins to move off into the kitchen.

“Well that is good, I always told your father that you were a good.......” Her voice trails off as Gawen begins to loose what she is saying.

“So how long this time?” A familiar female voice speaks in French?

Turning and seeing Ava, Gawen smiles a little “A week maybe two.”

“No I was referring to the wound.”

“Oh...” Gawen has gotten used to his ½ sisters forwardness... “Umm about 5 days or so not much longer.”

Rolling her eyes she look at him and before another exchange could happen their mother walked in “.....and that is when I thought, she would be a good girl for you.” She smiles as she looks to Gawen, and sets a large plate of pasta left over from supper.

Still speaking in french, a language his mother still dose not know, Ava proceeds to chastize Gawen. “Why do you do it? Why do you keep on fighting? What do you have to prove?”

Shaking his head as he eats some of the food while his mother stays silent just watching her two children with a smile of admiration. “I have already told you and you rejected my reason. So why don’t we just play at being civil right now and not upset mom?” Despite the tense subject matter Gawen manages to keep a smile on his face and sound civil, more to not upset his mom than anything else.

Taking a mouthful of the pasta Gawen smiles and looks to his mother. Swallowing the food before speaking he holds up his hand and addresses her in broken angel. “Wonderful mom.”


The first week passed with very little incident. Ava and Gawen did their normal routine, playing nice in front of mom, sending barbs back at one another when she was not. Despite the seeming hostility and tension that exists when ever he came here, Gawen got comfortable once again. Maybe this time he could stay for more than a week....Staring out across the field from his balcony a genuine smile appears on his face. A smile that quickly disappears when an all to familiar shape crests the horizon.

Darting inside he proceeds to quickly pack up his things. The guns which he just finished cleaning, a sword he had “taken” from the same shipment as the guns, various types of ammunition a couple of grenades and some lightly armored clothing. All of the rest of his gear all of it gets tossed in, not wanting to be here when the military transport arrives in town. Dashing out to his balcony the transport has landed in the backyard and Gawen’s heart skipped a beat. They must have tracked him but how.

Closing the window doors behind him Gawen ducks low and presses his back to a solid wall. Grabbing the bag off the bed he holds it close as he prepares to dart and possibly pull the troops in the transport away from his family, away so that....”Gawen!” It was his mothers voice, and not one that sounded worried. “Your fathers home!”

Pressing his forehead to his knees Gawen swears to himself. Shit right now I would have preferred a transport full of soldiers. Quickly pushing the bag under the bed Gawen grabs his long coat and tosses it over his shoulders and just before he puts the shoulder snaps on to secure it around his wings an all to familiar set of foot steps come to the door. Cursing to himself again he moves to the balcony and opens the doors, as the door to his room flys open.

“Stop right there.” His fathers voice booms out which forces Gawen to spin around.

Out of reaction he smiles and looks his father straight in the eyes. “Hey dad.”

“Where the hell have you been?” His father seething as usual. Not even 30 seconds in the same house and already they were fighting.

Smiling to himself he keeps his eyes on his father. “Around, here there, where ever my wings take me.”

“Around, Around?” Shaking his head his father storms out of the room and after closing the door Gawen grabs the bag out from under the bed and opening up the balcony doors he jumps up onto the sturdy railing.

Just as he is about to leap off to fly away, a small hand grabs his food. “Where ya go’in?” It was Cassi,

Smiling down at his little sister and mussing her hair and before he can lie the Ava asks as well. “Yea where you go’in?” Her voice a mimicking their sister a little.

Switching over to french so his little sister dose not understand. “You do not need me around here pissing him off. I am leaving and you can enjoy his company.” Looking down at his little sister he smiles and speaks in angel. “I am going out for a little while, I will be back later.”

Before anything else could be said Gawen jumps from the balcony, falls a little and spreads his wings to take flight leaving his second home quietly and alone again.