Fate and the Defiant Angel (COMPLETED)

Chapter 13- Coming up for air

It had been a long road. Of course, five years had passed so it wasn't exactly going to be short in anyway.

After Zara killed Irk it had been difficult. She'd panicked, screamed and hit her head up against a wall. She hadn't known what to do. Lucky Cassie slept for hours, and that gave her enough time to gather her thoughts.

It had to be done. There was no doubt about that. Zara couldn't let Cassie continue that path. She couldn't comprehend letting Cassie become that person, and she was willing to kill because of it.

Zara instead urged her human charge to leave the house, whispering encouragement to keep the exhausted girl marching forward. Zara had let Cassie do the rest, and she'd down amazingly.

Zara had then stepped aside and stopped being a controlling influence. Instead she left her human charge make the decisions, actually control her life. It was like the girl had slowly been drowned under water, fate itself pulling her down in the depths. Cassie had been helpless, at the mercy of her angel and the demon. All Zara did was cut the strings. Just like that Cassie was able to swim to the surface, faster and with more ease than Zara could have hoped.

Cassie's father came and picked her up in mere hours. Cassie had run into his arms sobbing, apologising for everything and begging forgiveness. Zara had watched in absolute amazement as the man collapsed hugging his daughter, the both of them crying together. She had even felt a slight burn in her eyes, but she of course couldn't cry because she was an angel . . . it shouldn't have been possible. She continued to tell herself as she wiped away the liquid escaping from her eye.

Zara had access to Cassie's file, but she ignored it. Instead she let Cassie have control. Cassie wasn't inherently bad, she was instead a sweet, smart girl full of potential. Zara watched as Cassie through her old life away and became something better and truly wondered if she should be called a Guardian Angel.

Angels were supposed to support and guide, but what if it only lead to heir humans being hurt? Zara would watch Cassie sleep and wonder how it could ever been seen as right to strip these creatures of their free will. The longer she thought about it, the more she was sure that she was right, and the system was wrong.

The angel realm was not helping humans, or any creature for a matter of fact. Fate certainly wasn't helping.

As she watched Cassie grow, her confidence in her actions only grew.

Over the past five years Cassie was almost unrecognisable for the husk of a girl she'd been before. Cassie dumped horrible boyfriend, and never looked back. She had a short stint in rehab, which she managed to work through. She got everything out of her system, even cigarettes and alcohol, and made a connection with one of the psychologists there. She attended sessions every week by herself and eventually with her father to work through their own issues and grief together.

The two packed away the belongings of those who had past, with many tears and many days spent. There were treasured mementos but the abundance of decade old toys, children's clothes and the other odd pieces were donated. Cassie went through her mothers' wardrobe and removed everything. It wasn't until then she realised her father had never been able to put away his clothes there, he was living out of baskets, too afraid to walk in and see the evidence of her mothers life.

In no way was it an easy process. It was filled with sobbing nights. It was filled with cravings and shivers. There were days when she couldn't get out of bed. There nights when she woke up screaming from nightmares. Yet, those horrible days passed as they tended to.

Cassie thrived. She was truly an amazing person, and everyday Zara grew more and more proud. Cassie worked hard every day of her life. School was a major issue. Cassie had skipped to much that they wouldn't let her pass onto the next year. Her grades were so low she would have failed everything anyway. Yet Cassie argued. She sat down with them and she talked. She was honest and upfront. She begged for the chance to continue her education, to be a better person.

They let her. Summer school was difficult, she was so behind she barely understood anything, but she studied. Her days were filled with tutoring and libraries. She managed to do it, clawing her way back into the level of her peers. By the time the next school year started she walked in eager and prepared.

Cassie had a few odd friends, who were mean and snarky. They were horrified with Cassie's change and then Cassie had no friends. That wasn't for long. Cassie tried to be cheerful and sweet and kind, which paid off. It didn't surprise Zara in the slightest when Cassie joined a new group. Through support and friends Cassie mental health only improved, and so did her studies.

Zara watched her human charge graduate high school, getting accepted into university for law. She strived to be able to support younger children like her in court, to give them a voice and options. Each time Cassie pulled herself up and marched through life Zara was there, watching with a beaming smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Cassandra Sung soared through her life, all on her own. Zara watched from the sidelines, offering moments of consoling and inspiring. Cassie barely needed her, and Zara was so very proud of her for that.

However, there was an issue.

The years had passed uneventful. Zara expected at any second for an angel to report that something was amiss with her human, but it hadn't happened yet. Instead Zara sat through and skimmed through Cassie's file, writing her own notes to it as it went. Instead of prison, Cassie graduated. Instead of addiction to drugs, Cassie saved her money for a trip to Europe. Instead of contributing nothing to society, Cassie attended university and volunteered at a destressed youth organisation.

But no matter what Zara did the end of Cassie's file ended the same. Her charge was destined to die the same way and at the same time. It wouldn't have been too hard to ensure that Cassie died at the same point. All Zara would need to do was whisper in Cassie's ear to cross the road at that time. The bus would hit her and it would all be over.

It shouldn't have been an issue. Zara had given Cassie the gift of a better life than the one she was destined for. Cassie had lived happily for the past few years, and surely that would make up for her young death.

Yet, Zara had a slight issue with it. It wasn't fair that Cassie had to die. In fact, it was downright wrong in her opinion.

So, Zara wasn't going to let her.