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Abel laughed at Talen's comment and he ran his hands across his cheeks for a minute as Talen moved towards him. "An artist?" He said and then grinned when Talen sat down next to him. He felt his eyes water and he held it back. It felt so unreal sitting there beside what he would consider his best friend. It had been years and he'd changed, but somehow was still the exact same.

"Hey. Don't curse." Abel said with a furrowed brow before taking in Talen completely. He gave another laugh and shook his head. "You...you look good." He said simply and heard Mei snort and take the seat on the other side of the angel. "What?" He looked at her with a questioning look.

"Oh nothing." She looked away to watch everyone walk by.

He turned back to Talen. Silence came over him as he just stared at him, eyes taking everything in. He didn't know what to say anymore. It was just fine for him to sit here in silence, knowing he was sitting beside Talen. He finally looked to his knees again and smiled. "I feel like it's been forever. You know? I used to have so much to tell you. I wrote it all down, every day I'd have something new to say or some new idea to talk about. And now it all seems so trivial when I actually have the chance to say it all." He gave an embarrassed laugh and looked back to his friend. His eyes moved to his shoulder and his eyes narrowed. He put out his hand and picked a leaf off and threw it aside.

"I really missed you." He finally said, smile fading slightly as he watched Talen. "I felt so, I don't even know! It was weird. It was too..." He stopped when he felt Mei's hand on his back and he looked away again. "I just missed you."

((What a cute puppy...))

Mei rolled her eyes at the comment. "Whatever, dude. I can make you red whenever I want. I just don't like red men. Call me racist." She said, breathing out, still watching people walk by.

Abel shook his head, looking at Talen all the while. "I really haven't. You should see my place. It's spotless." He smirked crookedly but was taken by surprise when Talen pulled him into a hug. He laughed louder and patted him back. Using the ball of his fist he rubbed his eyes and nodded. "I won't. I won't." He forced out.

Mei felt her phone vibrate, and then ring. As she picked up her phone, Abel looked at her, worry on his face. He seemed ready to run suddenly as Mei answered the phone.

"What do you want me to do? Want to talk to him? He surely won't listen to me." She answered Gabriel without a greeting.

"Yeah, let me talk to him." Gabriel said and Mei handed Abel the phone. Abel slowly put it to his ear and leaned forward, putting his hand in his face and breathing heavily. "Why?"

"Why?" Abel echoed, muffled by his hand. "What kind of question is that?"

"A rather obvious one I guess. Do you understand the consequences of what you're doing?"

"Yes. I wasn't planning on getting close though. But...it just...happened."

"I know. Tell me what you think I should do."

Abel let go of his face and stared wide eyed at the ground. "What? Are you asking me what you should do? That's kind of..." He stopped and then looked sideways at the feet of passerbys. "I feel better here. I can help here. I can't help anywhere by here. When I help...I feel...like myself. I felt different there. I felt kind of...empty."

Gabriel was quiet for a moment and Abel felt tense, waiting for the man to respond. "I know you did. I just hoped that somehow you'd see something that made you stay. I've done all I can to prepare you for things you're going to face. I've trained you the best I could." As he spoke Abel nearly choked on his own breath. "You're smart enough to know whatever happens is in your hands. Just...do your best to stay out of trouble."

Abel stood up and laughed loudly. He walked in front of a couple, almost colliding with them, but ignored them completely as he contained his overwhelming happiness. "Are you serious?!" He exclaimed and began to walk in a different direction.

Mei stood up and was about to go after the oblivious angel before he did a 180 and passed them again, walking in a circle.

"I will. I will. I promise!" His childish excitement made him wiggle a bit and he slammed the phone shut before turning around and running over to Mei, ignoring the pain in his leg. He grabbed her in a hug and picked her up, spinning her around. Mei squealed in suprise, not just at the fact she was being picked up, but that Abel was strong enough to do so,and spin her. "He said I could STAY!" He yelled and a few people stopped to stare at him. He gently put her down. A blush crossed his cheeks and he coughed, fixing his clothes and hair. He then moved back to Talen and put his hands on his shoulder, patting them a couple times, taking a step away, and then patting him again. "Will you let me stay?"

((Hahaha. What kind of crazy question is that? It felt nice making him happy. ;3

I also can't stand how much we posted...while I should have been studying. OH WELL.))

Mei watched the pair with a less than excited face. Her eyes moved to the phone in her hands and she quirked her brows in question. This seemed a bit reckless. She wasn't going to question Gabriel, he was technically higher up than she was and what he said reigned over what she did. Somehow though she had a bad feeling about all of this. She was glad that everyone was happy, but there was something that told her to try to talk everyone out of it. Of course, she wasn't going to listen to her gut, again.

Abel took a step back when Talen leaped up. He laughed as the man danced and he rubbed his hair, glancing to the people staring at them. His cheeks were red and he looked to his feet, trying to avoid the stares. When Talen pulled at him he gasped, pain shooting up his leg. He tugged his arm away and winced, still smiling.

"Ho-hold on." He muttered and looked to Mei who was already grabbing the crutch. "Thanks." He said, chuckling a bit and tucking it under his arm. After Mei moved to his side he moved after Talen. "Not sure where I should stay though...I haven't gotten a place here."

"You'll stay with me." Mei jumped in before Talen could offer. She didn't want Abel endangering the others by staying there. She didn't mind being around with Abel as he visited, but if he was staying with anyone, it would be her. "I have a spare room, for visitors. You'll like it, it's completely bare."

Abel smiled thankfully at Mei. "Yeah. I would like that." He said in agreement. His blue eyes watched her for a moment and she looked away. He decided not to press anything with her and caught up with Talen, breathing deeply, his head starting to feel a little light. It was one thing to heal external injuries, scrapes and bruises, it was another to heal illness and broken bones.

"I'm kind of nervous to be honest...like seeing someone for the first time..." He admitted to Talen, smirked sideways. "Silly, isn't it?"

((Hahaha yeah. Tons of reading. I'd rather do something else than read to be honest. I love reading things I want to read...not things I don't want to.))

Mei rolled her eyes and looked away from Talen. "If I let you stay at my place you'd be on me so fast. With Abel, I don't have to worry about someone coming onto me." She smirked deviously at Talen and pursed her lips as she followed the two men.

Abel's eyes widened at the mention of a nephew and he slowed a bit before continuing on. "Alice had a baby? Oh my goodness..." He put a hand to his mouth and looked ahead. "Wow...I missed a lot huh?" His voice was sad but soon enough they were at the house he had so longed to be in for years. He stood in the walkway to the front door and stared at it.

Mei came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. She looked up to him with soft eyes. He looked down to her briefly and back up again. "I can't even count the times I imagined myself standing in this spot." He said to Mei after Talen went inside. Mei sighed and rubbed his shoulder before stepping up to the door and walking in.

Abel breathed in deeply, his hands felt unsteady and he swallowed. As he tried to collect himself Talen opened the door again and waved him in. "Yeah...yeah." He muttered and moved up the steps and inside. As he limped into the house he felt overwhelmed. He leaned the crutch against the wall, not wanting to skuff the floor, for his own sake. Then he leaned against the door as well and rubbed his forehead for a moment.

"You alright?" Mei asked him and Abel nodded slowly. "Take your time." She watched him and walked up next to the angel. "You want to lean on me?" Without answering, Abel draped an arm around her shoulders and then began to limp slightly towards the kitchen. As he moved closer, the anticipation built into his stomach like a brick. "Don't faint on me." Mei grunted as she felt more weight on her shoulders. "I'm a short woman, careful." She joked.

Finally Abel moved into the doorway and stopped, Mei stopped with him. He instantly looked to both Alice and Saul. His heart thudded and he smiled. Then he noticed David and James. He felt like he was intruding on this perfect family. There was doubt in his chest and he felt Mei put a hand against his back, as if supporting him. "Lost your voice?" She said simply and laughed a bit.

((WOW me too! Haha.))

Abel wasn't sure what to expect, but as everyone stared at him he felt his face get warm and he looked to the side. Beside him Mei gave a laugh and moved away from him and into the kitchen.

Abel tugged at his ear as there was still silence. That was until Alice jumped to her feet and almost knocked him over. He laughed breathlessly, taken back a bit. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and smiled. As she scolded Talen he shook his head a bit. "I'm sorry..." He said softly to her, looking down at her. "I never did get to say good bye, did I? But hopefully, I won't have to, right?" He smiled calmly at her before looking over to James, then to David who seemed rather anxious.

"He must be your nephew?" He asked Talen. Quietly he withdrew his arms from Alice and looked at Saul, noticing the way his smile was actually reaching his eyes. Abel remembered the time when he thought that wasn't possible. His blue eyes softened some more and he nodded. "It has been a long time."

After a few minutes he finally moved into the kitchen, keeping as much weight as he could off his leg, which was now healing rapidly. Mei was opening up her box of pastries, her eyes glancing up to Abel as he moved towards James, extending out a hand. Mei smirked and took out one of the most delicious looking pastries, and handed it to David. "You get the best one, handsome."

Abel smiled at James, offering his hand to shake. "I'm Abel." He said politely.

((Phsh, we KNOW. Gosh. No need for pleasantries!))

Abel laughed a bit as David pretty much yelled out his greeting and he nodded. "Very nice to meet you too, David." He said, just as if talking to an adult. There was the way about how he spoke to children that no one ever seemed to do. It was entirely respectful and on the same level as everyone else.

When James took his hand he shook it and then blushed at his comment. "Sorry." He rubbed his neck a bit and glanced at Alice. "I missed everyone too. I never knew you could miss someone that much." He noticed Mei coming at him and he took a step back at the angry look in her face. When she thrust a donut at him he looked down at it and back to her with confusion.

"Sit down." He did as he was told, sitting next to Saul. "Eat this." She demanded of him, he slowly took the donut and put it to his mouth, taking a rather small bite and putting it away. "Eat it. When you don't eat, you make me feel fat." She said, taking a large bite of her own puff pastry and sliding into her seat. Abel eyed the donut, not hungry in the least bit.

"I'm really not that hungry, Yanmei..."

She simply stared at him, and instead of protesting, began to eat, swallowing it down forcefully and making a face as he did. "So..." He was only an 1/8 done when he put it down and again and looked to David with a smile. "How old are you? Silly question I know, but you look like you could be seven." He said, sliding in the over estimation as a compliment to the kid. Then he leaned in a bit and whispered to him, "you can have my donut."

((Hahahaha. Abel's a freak...I WANT A DONUT SOOOO BADLY!!!))

((OH MAN. Before I got home, I ran by my Kroger and bought two boxes of them. hahaha. And a bouquet of flowers. And then I ran by my friend's house and dropped one of the boxes and the bouquet at her front porch and ran away. Then I texted her to tell her to check her front porch. hahaha.

IT WAS SO FUN. And the donut was surprisingly delicious, considering it was Kroger...but you know. I was CRAVING ONE SO BAD.))

Abel chuckled and nodded. "So we'll say you're six. It's close enough." He then looked down at the donut when he refused it and he frowned a bit "You're right." He sighed softly and rubbed at his mouth, staring at the doughy loop, stomach churning. "I wouldn't eat it if someone offered it to me either. Who knows what is lurking inside someone's mouth. Dozens of bacteria and viruses. That's how people die."

Mei cleared her throat and Abel looked up. "Pardon?"

"Don't scare people. You're such a freak." Mei muttered over her pastry and rubbed some powder from her lips. "The kid may get nightmares from your stories about germs, bacteria, and risks of mortal injury." She licked her lips and finished her dessert. Afterwards she stood up and dusted her skirt off. "Well. I have some business to do. But I'll be back at my place later tonight, so Abel, when you need some sleep, just drop by. You'll know where it is." She gave him a wink and head towards the hall.

"Buy guys! Don't let Abel alone with David. He'll start telling him stories...and you know where that goes." She shook her head and disappeared.

Abel meanwhile was still staring at his donut. It was bothering him now. It was hardly eaten, it was unevenly round now, and it was lying on the table. "Oh man...I can't eat this. It's too sweet." He furrowed his brows and looked to Talen, pointing at it. "You can have it. I usually just don't eat sweet stuff...you get cavities, lose your teeth, and it clogs your arteries...gives you a heart attack." He swallowed at the thought. Of course it didn't matter, seeing as how he was already part of the after-life, but he'd probably never get over his abnormal behaviors.

"Saul." He suddenly said and looked at the man next to him with a smile. "You look really good. I mean...better. That's really nice to see." He wasn't going to mention anything else. But he knew Saul probably had it the hardest, and to see him looking better than ever made Abel feel really good. He had always had a special feeling of concern for Saul, more than the others, something more of a guardian angel feeling. After all, it was Saul he had run to and spilled his guts out too the first time he thought he'd be leaving. "Did you know? I met this little girl, she had this scrawny little kitten. And when I asked what it's name was, she said she called it Saul." He gave the man a smirk and looked away.

"It kind of looked like you, actually. It was really eerie..."

((What the...hahaha.))