I Kidnapped My Mommy (ON HIATUS)

8 - Fallen Angel

"Mia, are you okay?" The gentle voice of the man sitting next to her in the group's table asked softly as he leaned closer to her and looked at her pale face with eyes full of genuine concern.

She forced a smile as she turned to her godbrother. "I'm okay, Gabe. I just woke up with a little headache. I barely slept last night."

"Aw, poor thing. You must be jet lagged." Dean Rosa who was sitting on her left side said.

"Yeah." Mia weakly agreed and rubbed her temples.

Gabriel's frown deepened as he watched her then moved closer to gently stroke her back. "Maybe we should go to the doctor to have you checked."

Mia shook her head. "There's no need. Who goes to the doctor for jet lag?"

"You." He said firmly. "Mia, you know you're not like most of us. Since we were little, your body wasn't exactly the healthiest and it only got worse after the accident." 

In Mia's memory, she did grow up with a boy who was slightly older than her by three years and that boy was Gabriel. He was tall, strong and handsome. Gabriel was warm and gentle. He took care of her tenderly but also protected her fiercely. He was always beside her and watched over her like her very own guardian angel. Because his mother died when he was an infant and his father abandoned him after he remarried, Gabriel was left in her parents' care and became Mia's caring and sometimes overly protective big brother. She was never afraid when he was around because she knew he would always stand by her to protect her from the wind and the rain. 

Mia didn't know it yet as she let Gabriel caress her hair with complete trust that her memories were altered and that her guardian angel was, like her beloved parents, although with the best intentions, were still the devil's accomplice. She never doubted her memories because she remembered the feeling of being cared for and protected by a boy she grew up with but they changed the person from Rien Fernandez to Gabriel Madrid. They knew that Milena's feelings for Rien were too strong and that the memories they shared were too special to erase completely so they just changed it instead.

Mia smiled weakly and sighed. "I know but I'll be fine, Gabe. You have to believe me this time. I'll probably be fine after breakfast."

Gabriel sighed and touched her cheek. "Alright. I'll believe you but if you're not okay after breakfast, we're seeing a doctor right away. Sit here and wait for me. I'll go get you some food." 

"Yes, Sir." Mia grinned as she gave him a sharp salute. 

He could only chuckle and shake his head as he stopped himself from pulling her into her arms and kissing her cheek. He knew it wasn't his place. Although he loved her very much, he could never be with her in that way. He could only be with her like big brother. That was the deal with the devil who ran the show. 

In fact, Gabriel Madrid had a genuinely kind heart. He was an orphan who lived a simple life in a fishing village. He was getting ready to go fishing that fateful day three years ago when he saw Milena's body along the shore, he thought she was dead until he got closer and found out that she was still breathing. The moment he saw her face, he was captivated. She looked weak and her body was badly injured but her face was still beautiful. He had never seen a beauty like hers. 

When he looked closely at her condition, he was shocked. Her situation was so delicate that he didn't know how he could help her. In that remote fishing island, there might be no other way. He picked her up and carried her to his boat. There was a better hospital on the next island. She might have a chance there. She just needed to hang on a little longer. 

Before he could set off to the next island, a helicopter roared above them and then landed on the beach. He held her fragile body close to him and protected her from the strong wind and sand storm created by the helicopter rotor blades. That was when Gabriel met the man. He said he knew Milena and that he was there to help. Although he was apprehensive, the simple man who saw the opulent man in black coat and tie who descended from the sky like a god believed that he was the only one who could help them at that point. Desperate to save her, Gabriel carried Milena and got in the helicopter with the man. When they got there, two men in medic uniforms checked her condition and gave her first-aid treatment as they flew to the hospital.