Moving from one room to the next the man seemed intend on finding something or more likely someone. Throwing open a random door his eyes searched around a moment before moving on. He held a cigarette between his lips but didn’t concern himself to much with smoking it. He had other thoughts on his mind. Narrowing his eyes a moment, he shook his head and threw up a hand in frustration as he turned back the way he had come.

At the end of a hall was a descending staircase, giving one last look backwards the dark hallway seemed both cold and empty. In fact it’s over all impression was one of an eerie silence. If one had been, there with him one could see that it was the very presence of this male that was the cause of a feeling of such misery.

He allowed a hard smile to dance over his lips as rough laugh escaped him. Turning to head further down the steps, he disappeared from sight before his foot had even landed.

~

The sun was high in the sky by the time Joshua had seen fit to end the conversation between himself and Justin that morning. The blond seemed much more open with Joshua then he was with most of the others and the brunet found himself rather honored and confused by such a fact. Many of the angels sought advice from one another and many of the younger seemed to remain close to those whose charge they were in. Justin normally shied away from Christopher, least that’s what Joshua tended to see. He didn’t much understand it either, the two were very different yes but that meant nothing where they came from.

As the two set to part Joshua could tell that Justin was both disappointed and a bit put off when suggested it was time to head to home but held his tongue this time around. Unknown to the pair though, a third had joined in on their time together. Not far off a young looking man, appearing to be much older then a common teenage had his eyes set on him. The male was blond and he held a look of both softness and sadness. He didn’t seem at all happy that he found himself here.

He could just overhear the two as they spoke to one another. The younger seemed to do more talking and questioning then the older but the older seemed to pay no mind to answering all that he was asked.

He seemed to be assuring the blond in one way or another. James, the one who now spied on him remembered moments such as this. He had been created around the time Joshua was, he even knew the angel well as they had been first trained near the same time. Their lives had taken very different courses however, courses that, at the time were appealing to James but now he longed to change his decisions. Sadly enough though, it was impossible.

As the two had gone on to speak of Christopher, James had been unable to really pay much attention. Seeing Joshua was enough f a reminder then hearing of the one in which he was once assigned to. Joshua spoke of Christopher being one who fought against failure. How he simply did not want to see Justin hurt or destroyed like those in their past, in Christopher’s past. However, he went no further, it Justin who spoke of the ones that fell and it was then that James’ attention was brought back for they spoke of kind much like himself.

Once, years ago, the male had been among the angels, his purpose laid out before him only, by the time all was said and done, he had joined the ranks of the fallen, the forgotten and the unwanted. To be born an angel did not mean one’s heart was pure, though looking at James one had to wonder where the change had taken place.

Soon enough the two spread wings and parted towards their home. James cocked his head to the side as his very blue eyes watched them. After only a few second they were gone from sight and he sighed some to himself rubbing the back of his neck before leaning against a near by tree. Biting his bottom him he bowed his head for a second, it seemed almost in prayer but before a single thought or word could be uttered he no longer alone.

“Useless?” He heard from a male’s voice and he flinched. Opening his eyes, he looked over at the man that was now his Master; the man had in fact taken his charge so many years ago. “I apologize Master. Joshua returned home just moment ago, I could not follow.” Joseph merely rolled his eyes. “What have you found if anything I may ask?” He started but before James could open his mouth, the other was silencing with a wave of the hand.

“Save it for later.” He ordered. “I’m sure it’s nothing, much like yourself. Home.” He gave the second order before turning again. James followed close behind, the male before him was in a mood, and James knew well enough that when one thing or another went wrong life could go much worse then normal. He’d do anything, at anytime, to avoid angering Joseph, overall his life wasn’t to bad, as long as he did what he was told but everyone, including Joseph had those moments where his hands and fists did more of the talking then his lips.

As of lately, he seemed to be having them a lot.

By the end of the night, Joseph would bed James, as he did every night. The only question that remained at this point would be just how pain James was in the following morning. As James watched his Master walk away and heard the mumbles under his breath, he realized he’d already gotten his answer. Before he disappeared, he offered one more, nearly despite look towards the sky.

~

“I just don’t get it.” Christopher stated. His voice held a tone of both annoyance and disappointment. “I mean where is it that you go?”

His eyes were locked on Justin, as the young angel just looked down and shrugged his shoulders. Joshua stood just behind looking very much as if he’d just like to leave the to before to him to their privacy. Without giving Justin a chance to answer and of his questions Christopher looked to him, as if he Joshua trusted more. “Where did you find him?”

Joshua had a ran a nervous hand through his hair and rubbed at the back of his neck as Christopher’s eyes fell on him. I know I was going to get dragged into this. He thought to himself with a silent sigh, he loved both Christopher and Justin dearly but sometimes the two seemed very misplaced. He knew the creature set forth a reason for everything but sometimes he found himself unable to see it. This being one of those situations.

He found.” Joshua finally offered. “On the ocean side.”

“I was just bored I wanted to go hang out.” The boy sounded more like a child then a guardian to humanity sometimes. Christopher just sighed. “That answer doesn’t tell me as to where. As for being bored you a watcher not rogue what in the heavens … Why do you … You do realize that you have responsibilities correct? And you want to be on your own …” OK, the male was frustrated and he threw up his hands a and turned around to leave. Justin wasn’t a bad kid or anything but, he just didn’t pay attention, he didn’t listen and sometimes he just didn’t act as if he belonged.

Christopher would never tell him such but it was a thought that would some creep into his mind, one he found it hard to get rid of. The truth was, the two didn’t understand each other well at all, one was very serious, the other playful, one older and one very young and finally, one of wisdom and one of curiosity and sometimes rather naive.

He’d been told to do a job, a simple one at that but instead he grew bored and left. Christopher did understand that the younger was impatient but what he didn’t understand that for everything there was a reason and behind every task a test. He could not be trusted with the smallest of God’s creature how could he be with the most important?

The last statement had stung, more then that the fact that Christopher seemed unwilling or unable to deal with him any longer. Lowering his head again, he didn’t move for he as unsure where to go. As Joshua took in the scene, he moved behind Justin. “Go take up your charge and a apologize to Michel, Christopher had to send him what you took off.” Justin turned to say something but a shake of Joshua’s head silenced him as he tuned to leave.