3

It's odd how nicknames just happen to fit.

I've often mused on this as I look back at that life. It didn't take long for both Jade and Saffron to have nicknames for me, yet they were completely different between the two of them. By the time the nicknames really stuck, I was beginning to realize that maybe there was a bit of competition going on behind my back. At least, that was the impression that the two were beginning to give.

This all started within days of my arrival at the house. I was trying to finish up the dishes that evening, though it was taking some effort to keep myself steady at the sink. I'd been quite bored with just sitting around, so I'd insisted that they let me do some things on my own. Thankfully I had gotten the hang of crutches by then, so it allowed me to get around the house on my own.

It was only Saffron there with me at that time. Jade had gone out shortly after dinner, saying he had an errand to run, and he'd asked Saffron to make sure I was taken care of. I personally felt like he'd didn't need to. Saffron seemed to enjoy my company and it was easy for me to talk to him. Of course, I was also finding that I had to remind myself of what he was every time I began getting too close. It was almost as bad as when I was with Jade.

"You don't have to worry about that. I could get them done." Saffron reminded me from his spot across the counter.

"And I told you I could do it. I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing." I responded.

Saffron became quiet again. I noticed from the corner of my eye that he appeared to be studying me.

"You're pretty strong willed, aren't you?" he stated after a few minutes of silence.

I smiled, "I gotten that quite a bit in my life."

"I've been meaning to ask you something, but I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

"Not at all. What would you like to know?"

Far be it for him to worry about offending me. Maybe he feared Jade for it. That was the best I could reason for that one.

Saffron smiled, "It's nothing too bad. I just found your name a little ironic, and wondered what you thought of it."

I stood still, letting his words sink in. He did have a point. My name, Faith, was a little odd for a girl who had made a deal with demons.

"Well, I've never really thought about it, but you do have a point." I agreed as I turned back to my dishes.

"Perhaps it isn't as ironic as I make it sound. After all, it was a bit of faith that allowed Jade to hear you. You must believe in something, whether it is good or evil." Saffron suggested.

"I guess I always have. My mother did at one time too I think. But I didn't really know her, so I can't say. My grandmother raised me." I told him.

To my dismay, I realized that I'd finished the last of the dishes. So much for keeping myself occupied.

Saffron got up and walked over beside me, helping me with my crutches.

"You're probably right, but most humans want to believe in something, even if it's nothingness. I suppose that one could say that it's a foundation for them."

"Foundation huh?"

I'd never considered myself well grounded, no matter what was going on in my life. Leo was probably part of the reason, considering the awful things he'd done to me.

The feeling of someone holding my cheeks brought me back to reality. Saffron looked down at me as if he was studying me.

"You know, you don't really look like a Faith to me. Maybe more of a dove." he commented.

"A dove?" I whispered.

"Yes. A small dove." Saffron confirmed. He guided us over to the sliding glass doors, "Come. Let us get out of this house for a bit."

I'll admit that Saffron could be a little odd at times. He certainly did not act like a demon. In fact, he usually acted like a very kind young man. Maybe even kinder then most human men of the age he looked to be. Saffron was always smiling, but it was always kind smiles. I likened his to kindness where Jade's were often more sarcastic or cunning. Not that Jade wasn't as kind to me most of the time, but he didn't carry Saffron's aura of that.

I followed him out and he helped me down off of the porch. We headed up to the small dock by the river. The evening was quiet, with only the occasional sounds of birds and crickets. Saffron helped me stand so that I didn't have to lean so much on those crutches. After a while, they really could make your upper body hurt.

"This is such a beautiful place." I commented.

"The human world certainly is lovely. I'm glad I've had the chance to be here for so long." Saffron admitted.

"How long will you be able to stay?"

"As long as I'm needed, although I do not foresee going back anytime soon." Saffron assured me. He smiled at me, "Besides, I feel very lucky right now that I get to be around you. I certainly couldn't let Jade have you all to himself."

"You really do enjoy pushing him at times, don't you?"

"It's a bad habit of mine. Jade and I have been like a ying and yang since we met. It's only natural that I'd rile him a little on his plans here."

"Just what is he planning by doing this? He didn't even tell me the part of the contract about loving me before I came here. What good did that do?"

Saffron shrugged, "Let's just say that Jade guards his secrets well and he always gets what he wants."

There was a sadness in Saffron's eyes as he said that. It was like he had a well-guarded secret of his own.

After a few more minutes, we decided to go back and sit on the porch swing. The cool evening breeze was still blowing and it made for an enjoyable evening. Still, looking at Saffron, I couldn't help but wonder about him. He just seemed so different from Jade. I just couldn't quite see where he could be a demon. He was too sweet, too kind. At least, in my eyes he was. So I dared to take my chance with what may have been a forbidden question.

"Saffron, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

Saffron regarded me with soft eyes. I hesitated, but forced myself to speak.

"I know it's probably none of my business, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Why were you cast out?"

Saffron gave me a soft smile, but I could see the sadness in his eyes. I think that it was then that I realized that perhaps not all fallen angels truly had evil intentions. Perhaps there was something more to it than just evil deeds.

"Let's just say that I loved the wrong person." he answered.

"The wrong person?" I repeated.

That was an odd thing to say. Weren't angels supposed to love unconditionally? I was quite confused.

Saffron just shrugged, "You shouldn't worry about it Dove. There's nothing for you to be concerned about." he promised.

It was that evening when I first earned the nickname Dove from Saffron. His logic to it was quite simple. He said that when he looked at me, he saw a little white dove that had broken a wing and needed to be healed.

As for Jade, he didn't see where the name really fit. He told us that a few days later when he heard Saffron call me by it.

"I'd say that she's more like a kitten." he'd interjected.

"Yes, you have been calling her that, but I really don't see it." Saffron stated as he finished putting things away in the kitchen.

"Really? I thought that it was rather obvious."

"You would have some twisted logic to it, wouldn't you?" Saffron commented.

I looked over at Jade, who was sitting beside me at the bar.

"Twisted logic?" I noted.

"That's what he would say." Jade huffed, "Saffron tends to look at things from one objective, where I take in many in factors."

"As I said, twisted logic." Saffron reiterated.

Jade smiled, leaning over the counter, "Not at all. Just give it a little bit of thought and you will understand. Or do I need to spell out the specifics of my reasoning, as always?" he taunted.

"Why not? You're looking to anyway." Saffron responded, turning and crossing his arms.

I would suppose that he did know Jade best on these kinds of things. It was rather obvious that they'd been together for a long time. I often wondered about this partnership. It just seemed odd to me that two demons would pair up like this.

But far be it for me to question providence. I enjoyed Saffron being there and I hoped that he continued to stay as long as Jade did.

"Just think about it for a moment. Faith is a lot like a kitten. She's quite gentle but can have her claws. We're the obvious answer to the claws." Jade explained, a smug look on his face.

When one considered his words, he did have a point. I normally was a very gentle person. However, I'd shown my claws in calling on him to kill Leo. Okay, so maybe I hadn't expected those prayers to be answered, but there they were and Leo was now six feet under. Claws are claws I suppose.

"Still a dove to me." Saffron told him.

Jade wasn't put off, "Another wager brewing here?" he suggested.

Saffron shot him a look that I'd almost say was hateful. I hadn't seen him do that before and it startled me. I honestly didn't think that he'd had it in him.

"No more wagers. I told you that long ago." he practically hissed before disappearing.

As usual, Jade seemed unfazed. He just sat there and shrugged.

"Que sera, sera." he said nonchalantly.

"I think you really upset him this time." I spoke up.

"I wouldn't worry too much. He'll get over it."

"Sometimes I think that you worry too little."

He looked over at me. "If you truly wish it, I could apologize, but I can't promise that I'll mean it. I rather enjoy ruffling his feathers here and there."

"Does he really mean anything to you at all? You certainly don't act like it." I responded.

Jade smiled as he stood up, "Of course he does. He means as much to me as you do." he answered. Then, he added in the words that gave me my first inkling to the truth between the two.

"After all, I was the reason that he fell."