| Chapter Two |
| Sophie stood outside Michael's door with her head hung. She didn't know if any angel had done it before, but she felt she had no other choice. "Come in, Sophie" Michael called. He already knew why she was here. It was his business to know everything about all the other angels- he made their assignments based on their gifts, and knew their fates. Sophie shuffled in and stood before Michael's golden desk, her face mirroring the disappointment she felt in herself. "What did you come to see me about, Sophie?" Michael asked. She was silent for a moment, before whispering shakily, "I'm so sorry." "Sorry for what?" Michael knew her feelings but wanted clarification from her. "I failed!!" she sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "It's been two months and he's not doing any better! I can't stand to see him in so much pain.. I... I just can't do this anymore.. I need to be re-assigned." "Sophie, calm down. It's alright." "How can it be alright? I FAILED!!" "No, you didn't fail. You have a very difficult situation and you've tried your best- that is in no way a failure. You'll be given a new charge and I'll assign someone else to watch over Nickolas." Sophie sniffled, completely shocked. She'd expected to have been punished or even banished from the celestial realm- not just given a new assignment. "What will my new job be? And who will guard Nickolas?" "There's a little girl, Serena, who'll be born soon- you'll be her guardian." Michael said, smiling at the pleased look beginning to spread across Sophie's face. "And Nickolas' new guardian will be Avalon. She has the gift of mercy... she's one of our 'grief specialists', if you will. She usually works with other guardians, but she'll work as his guardian now. I"ll tell her of her new assignment and I'd like you to meet with her soon. Fill her in on his history, personality, loss- the things she's going to need to know in order to guard him well." "Yes, of course. Thank you Michael." Sophie disappeared, going to see Nickolas one last time. She hovered silently, invisibly in the corner of his bedroom, watching him weep as he had done every day since Jamie had died. ~~~~~ Avalon swung slowly back and and forth on the limb of a mimosa tree, causing the pink puffs of flowers to scatter down over the two small children and their father standing in a cemetary. "Mommy loved pink" the little girl said, placing two of the fallen flowers at the base of her mother's headstone. She sure did, babydoll" her father replied, tears welling up in his eyes. He was thankful she still remembered the little things about her mother, and silently thanked the breeze he hadn't felt for the cascading shower of pink. Avalon waved at the family's trio of guardians and left them to their charges, heading off to meet with Michael. Avalon appeared in Michael's office, anxious to recieve her new task. She enjoyed being able to bring a smile to someone's face, ease the burden on their hearts. Even though she usually dealt with minor incidents of grief - kids whose pets died, girls with broken hearts, she's seen her fair share of real trauma, too. No matter what job she was given, she took to it immediately and worked diligently until her mission was accomplished. "Hello Avalon. I called you in to tell you about your new assignment.." Michael began. Avalon cut in, "Another teenage mating ritual gone wrong? Someone run over a squirrel?" Michael laughed, "No..." "Okay.. just please don't tell me someone's hamster died. I HATE those things and I have such a hard time feeling sympathy for those who love them." Michael chuckled again, "No, no hamsters either." Avalon sighed with mock relief, "So then what is it?" "You're becoming a guardian." Michael replied. Avalon's mouth opened but no sound came out. "Stop heaven! Avalon is speechless!" Michael said, his deep, booming laugh ringing out loud enough to make the other angels wonder what had him so amused. Avalon couldn't even manage a smiled, she was so surprised. "Me? A guardian? How?" Michael stopped laughing and became serious again. "You have the gift of mercy, Avalon, and superior knowledge or how to handle grief. We have a situation in which the guardian has tried everything within her power with no success, so I'm assigning your expertise to the case." "Will I stay a guardian after this? Or just til the person improves?" Michael paused, "You'll remain a guardian... " He looked as though he was going to say something else, but stopped himself. "Sophie, the former guardian, will fill you in- details, all the information you need. She's waiting for you now." ~~~ Avalon found herself sitting in an orchard surrounded by fruit trees near a pond, when an angel with long white-blonde hair appeared beside her. "Hello Avalon, I'm Sophie. I hope you don't mind this place- it's my favorite spot to relax." "Hi Sophie. This is fine.. it's beautiful, I've never been here before. I usually go to the coast- to just sit and think.. or to the mountains. But that's not really what we're supposed to be talking about her.. who were you guarding? And why do I get him or her now?" Sophie sighed softly, "His name is Nickolas.. and I.. I just can't handle it.. I can't stand his pain." "What caused it?" "His fiancee was murdered.. they were both attacked.. he survived, she didn't" Sophie said, her sympathetic feelings for him evident on her face. "Oh.. whoa.." Avalon stunned. She wasn't sure why she, who knew nothing about this man, was being brought in now to help him deal with such tragedy. "So, um, what else.. do I need to know? I mean, what's he like?" Sophie smiled, "He's about as close to perfect as humans ever get. He's very caring, compassionate, loves to have fun, many child-like qualities.. a very pleasant personality in general. He has his darker side like all humans do, but rarely indulges it- his lifestyle doesn't allow it. He has a very fragile heart- he feels everything very deeply- both joy and pain.." Avalon wasn't sure what she should be doing with the information she was being given. It told her about Nick, but little about what he was really like. "What about his life though? Like.. major events or something?" "Oh, sure.." Sophie paused to think. "As a child he was always into mischief with his sisters and brother... he was very determined from the beginning to succeed with what he wanted to do.. but that's still not telling you much. Um... when he was learning to drive... Oh.. I have never been busier! I'm not sure how I survived that one.." Avalon cracked up at the expression on Sophie's face. "That bad, huh?" "He's not exactly reckless.. he's just easily distracted. He's got the shortest attention span.. he can't pay attention to the road, the scenery and the radio all at the same time and it drives him crazy." Avalon giggled again. She'd been reprimanded more than once for her lack of ability to pay attention to things. She was beginning to think Nick was going to be the perfect assignment for her first charge to guard. "Oh what else? When he lost his virginity.. that was.. adorable. He was absolutely terrified. He wanted everything to go so well... He's just like that, always concerned with other people..." Avalon smiled, "He sounds sweet." "Oh he is.. when he asked Jamie to marry him, he found out from her sister what she'd said about how she dreamed of being proposed to- and he took that and added some of his own special touches... I was jealous of her for how amazing it turned out.. she'd have to have been crazy not to say yes!" "Sometimes I envy humans," Avalon said quietly. "For all the things they can experience that we can't." Sophie nodded. "I envy their ability to feel. I have a fondness for Nickolas, but I know that I don't feel it in the same way one of his fans would.. not just the protective aspect.. but the depth of the emotion." "Yeah.. the emotions.. and just... living.." Avalon stood up.. "Can I see him?" "I'll take you to him." Sophie lead Avalon to Nick's refuge- the Bay. He was in his boat, the wind tousling his blonde hair, blue eyes glinting in the sunlight, the white wifebeater showing his tan, muscular form. Avalon gasped, "He's beautiful..." "Yes, very." Avalon studied him for a moment and said softly, "He could have been an angel." "He almost was. But there were other plans for him." "Such as?" Avalon asked. Sophie shrugged. "I don't know. I could only take him this far, I guess. So, as his guardian now, it's your job to help him find his fate." Avalon bit her lip, 'Ooohhh boy. No pressure there...' |