Remants
by Miss Ang
(Thanks to J.E Zison of Disneywriter.com)
(My Sacrifice © Creed)

Gabriel Noonan smiled slightly. She'd never thought that she could see stars if she looked down at her feet - yet as she sat on the edge of the Audobon Bay Bridge, swinging her feet back and forth in the evening air, the moon on the water sparkled, reflecting the stars back to her and dancing diamonds on the waves. As she sat, she thought back to the last person she'd seen sitting in this spot, on this bridge.

She'd stood the last time, actually. Arms outstretched, like a bird about to fly. Fly away from the city, from FOWL, from all its cruelty. At the time, Gabriel had thought her lucky. Then she'd been caught in her flight by a hero - a true hero, not the kind of hero Gabriel had held in her mind for all those years. And in that moment, Gabriel had thought her even luckier. And when he'd taken her away from them ... Damn. Why does she have all the luck? Gabriel sighed. I think they even got married. I think Steelbeak told me something to that effect. But I wasn't listening. I didn't care. She felt a cold droplet slide down her cheek and plummet towards the bay, then straightened her posture, letting the place where the drop had been turn to a cold, hard glimmer. I don't care. I can't care. She folded her arms as a chill wind blew across the water, ruffling her feathers and the few loose strands of hair from her bun.

But still, a small voice in the back of her head whispered, what would you say if you could?

Hello my friend we meet again
It’s been a while, where should we begin…
feels like forever
Within my heart are memories
Of perfect love that you gave to me
I remember ...

Gabe pursed her beak, thinking. Then ...

"Gabe?"

She jumped, startled, catching herself on one of the bridge's support wires before making her way shakily to her feet. ".............."

"I understand if you don't want to talk to me."

Swallowing back the thick coat at the back of her throat, Gabriel turned, quivering. ".....Tegwen?"

She smiled, nodding shyly. "Been a while.... hasn't it?" She shifted one toe around carefully on the pavement, then lifted her eyes toward her old best-friend. "How have you been?"

Gabe swallowed once more, reaching down to fidget with the edge of her suitcoat, only to find the weathered cotton edges of a maroon sweatshirt between her fingertips. Is this her magic? "I..." She racked her brain for something to say that would put her friend at ease, something simple. Steelbeak and I quit FOWL. We're running a little place ... no. No, we're ... damn. "Not that well."

"I had a feeling," Tegwen sighed. "You ... you left without saying goodbye."

Gabe shuddered, feeling her breath catch in the back of her throat. "I didn't get the chance. Or the option."

Tegwen blinked. "High Command?"

She nodded silently, picking at a frayed thread in the shirt's hem. "It was either go home or have someone come and get us." She sighed. "I didn't want to cause you any more pain. And neither did James." She paused, bewildered by her use of her cohort's real name. "...Steelbeak, I mean..."

"..... Gabe," Tegwen said quietly. "I don't know what to say."

Gabe looked up at her friend, tears forming in her eyes. "Say you'll forgive me?"

When you are with me
I’m free ... I’m careless ... I believe
Above all the others we’ll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice ...

Tegwen frowned. "I don't know," she said at last. "I really don't know what to tell you, Gabe. You left me behind. You didn't even come to my wedding. I would have liked to had you by my side while I was choosing my dress, getting my hair done .... and I would have wanted you there at the reception. I didn't have a Maid of Honour without you there. And you didn't paint my fingernails. Remember, you said you would?"

Gabe bowed her head, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks, soaking her feathers and matting them together. "I'm sorry, Tegwen," she choked. "I'm so sorry... but I couldn't. ..."

"I can't forgive you, Gabe," Tegwen said sadly. "Not until you forgive yourself. ... And I don't think that you'll ever be able to do that. Not like this."

Gabe sniffled, running a hand over her beak to find herself staring at the sleeve of her iron-gray suit jacket once more. As she blinked back her tears, the blurred image of Tegwen's reluctant face quickly disappeared, and she found herself alone on the bridge once more, the wind still, the water on the bay as cold and smooth as a mirror.

"Tegwen?" She whispered. "..... Tegwen?"

Shivering, Gabriel pulled her jacket tighter around her body and bowed her head against the cold, slowly making her way across the bridge, back to St. Canard, and back to headquarters.

"Gabriel...."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, rolling her head to one side and stretching out an arm across her folder-littered desk.

"Gabriel."

"I didn't have a choice...."

"Gabriel!"

She jolted awake, snapping her head up off the desk and reflexively shoving Steelbeak's hand away from her shoulder. "GAH!"

He knelt at her side, frowning. "You okay?"

She looked up at him. I was dreaming about ... um ... Mitch? Yes, Mitch. Or Christina. Or....

"Tegwen." He said simply, with an understanding nod.

Wordlessly, Gabriel threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

When you are with me
I’m free ... I’m careless ... I believe
Above all the others we’ll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice ...
I just want to say hello, again ...