Desolation Comes Upon the Sky

What's Up, Tiger Mommy?

September 26th, 2012

St. Paul, Minnesota

The thin curtains fluttered as a soft breeze drifted through the open window, through which the early morning light dappled the paisley carpet littered with brightly colored plastic toys and blankets. The motel room was quiet, with only the low whir of the refrigerator as any form of noise. Outside, two light sets of footsteps could be heard, and two seconds later they paused, their shadows darkening the crack under the door.

The wooden door clicked and swung open, and an angel stepped through, grace flicking on the incandescent lights. A child stood at her side, one hand tightly grasped in her own. The angel's face twisted into a deep frown as she surveyed the clutter, but a small tug had her looking away. "What is it?" Alex looked down at the child, and he pulled eagerly at her black shirt.

"Mama." The fledgling pointed upwards at her face, small grey wings flapping clumsily but with as much eagerness as they could hold.

Alex shook her head, knowing exactly what he meant. "You know we can't fly when we go to the store, Ashiel," she chastised gently, pulling herself free from his tiny grasp before she turned and shut the door.

Ashiel frowned at her words, but his sorrows were short-lived. He turned and tottered further into the room, and Alex watched as he settled down on the floor among his toy blocks.

They had been on their own for over a year now, just the two of them. Alex's wings twitched as her thoughts turned to the Winchesters. It had been a long time since she had thought about her friends, and she felt her heart twist in long-suffered grief. Over a year without Dean and Castiel, but at the same time she could have sworn it was only yesterday.

"Mama." Ashiel pulled himself to his feet, small, downy wings going out to steady himself. They were far too small for him to fly, and deep down inside Alex knew they would remain that way for a long time to come.

"Yeah?" she asked, curling her darker, sleeker wings towards the fledgling. "What is it?"

In response, Ashiel pointed to something behind her head, and Alex turned to see the kitchen cabinet. "Cacka," the child stated, and Alex heard the soft clasping of fingers as the fledgling made a grabbing motion with his hands.

"It is almost time for our morning cracker," the angel agreed. She turned around and pulled open the wooden cabinet doors, and she couldn't help but overhear the excited squeal the fledgling made as she set the box of crackers down on the countertop. "Okay, Ash. How many do you want?"

The fledgling was at her side in an instant, chubby fingers gripping the countertop as he peered up at the box. "Cacka," he insisted enthusiastically, wings beating in excitement.

"How many crackers do you want?" Alex repeated, opening the box and pulling out the plastic bag within. When there was no response, she looked down to see Ashiel holding up all ten fingers. "Ten?" she asked, voice lined with playful incredulity. "You think you can eat ten whole crackers?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't know. Let's start with three, okay?" Alex held out three square crackers, and the fledgling eagerly took them and stuffed one in his mouth. He turned away and walked back over to his toys, and Alex shook her head. She didn't know if fledglings were suppose to eat — it made sense, seeing as that was the only way for their bodies to get the nutrition it needed to grow, but either way, it didn't matter — Ashiel loved food. Were human children supposed to eat as much as him?

She handed another two crackers to the fledgling as he hurried back for more, shaking her head in disbelief. "Slow down, buddy. Don't eat so fast."