"I would do anything for him," Michael said quietly, staring off into space. What he saw at the moment was Raphael's face, clear and so very beautiful in his mind's eye. "Anything at all. I would die for him, if need be. I -- I think I would even Fall for him, if that could save him from Falling."

Uriel looked stunned and opened his mouth to reply, but Michael hurried to explain, raising a hand to silence the other archangel. "It's not that I don't love Him, not at all. I love Him above anything or anybody else. However... I know that Raphael loves Him above everything else as well, like he has told me several times rather clearly. I'm strong, Uriel, you know that. I could survive it -- perhaps even be redeemed one day. But that pain... I don't want Raphael to ever have to feel it."