Title: Conversations with an Angel: Declan
Author: Marianne E.
Email: Medison@thezone.net
Rating: PG (Or G)
Keywords: Crossover, TBAA, Declan
Spoilers: I don't think there are any that I can remember.
Disclaimer: Mysterious Ways belongs to Lions Gate, PAX and NBC. It was
created and produced by Carl Binder and Peter O'Fallon.
Warning: There is an original character in this fic and this hasn't really
been beta-read
-------------
"So, who's this one then?" The redheaded woman, perched on a file cabinet,
asked as she looked over at her friends.
The slender woman with golden brown hair smiled as she leaned over the
oblivious man's shoulder to read his notes. "His name is Declan Dunn."
Looking back, her peaceful gaze held a hint of amusement. "He's the
anthropologist who likes to investigate miracles."
"Declan . . . I remember him . . . " The third woman noted, with a thoughtful
look, from where she sat in the chair across from Declan.
"So you do." The light-haired woman agreed with a nod. "Tess, you were the
angel who waited with him after the avalanche."
Understanding dawned in the other angel's eyes and a beaming smile shone
across her face. "Yeah . . . sang to him while we waited."
"When did this happen?" Monica, the redheaded angel, asked as she looked
from one friend to the other with a curious expression on her face.
"A few years ago Declan was buried in an avalanche and Tess was the angel
assigned to watch over him until we could arrange for his rescue." Angelica
explained as she eyed Declan's latest 'investigation' report with a practised
eye.
"Why didn't someone from Search and Rescue just pull him out?" Monica prompted,
sensing an interesting story behind the situation.
"We were told to sit with him," Tess interjected. "and to do no more, that there
were reasons it had to be handled that way."
"There were. The resulting events have set Declan on a very special path."
Angelica agreed with a smile.
The knowledge came to the Irish-sounding angel with sudden clarity and she
smiled as well. "He's been searching for God through miracles."
The archangel's golden curls bobbed with the movement of her head. "And, in
his searching, Declan's lead others down that same path."
"So why are we here now?"
"*I'm* here to have a little talk with Declan." Angelica's gaze sparkled
with mirth. "As it goes, he's sought and now it's time he found." Taking a
seat on the couch, she looked at her two coworkers. "As for you two . . . I
haven't been told that yet. I suspect you'll find out in due time."
A speculative look on her face, the archangel reclined on the couch as she
watched the mortal move around his office, talking to his dog. "Given those
he's surrounded himself with . . . I'm sure there's something important for
you two just around the corner."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
A knock on the door made Declan jump and nearly spill his coffee. Surprised,
the anthropologist looked up to see an unfamiliar woman standing in his office
doorway.
"Uh . . . hi!" He offered with a belated but, nevertheless, cheerful smile.
"Hello!" She responded with a warmth that was clearly genuine.
Closing his computer, Declan stood and moved to greet her, holding out a hand.
The mystery woman shook it with a firm grip and no hesitation.
After a moment of silence, strangely free of awkwardness, he gave the woman a curious
look. "Can I help you?"
"Well . . . actually," moving past him, with an air of familiarity, she seated herself
in the nearest chair. "I'm supposed to be the one helping you."
"Excuse me?" Confused, Declan closed his office door and leaned against it, arms folded
across his chest. "Who are you?"
"Angelica." She answered simply, brushing the wrinkles from her loose skirt.
"Angelica . . . " He prompted, fishing for a surname.
"Angelica." She answered with an air of finality, as if that were just it.
Smiling benignly, she gestured to his desk. "Please, sit down Declan. I find
it easier to have a conversation when both people are comfortable."
"Have a conversation about what?" Declan, curious now, walked over to sit on
the edge of his desk, looking at the woman sitting before him.
Not wasting any time, she asked, "Do you believe in angels, Declan?"
"Yeah, sure." It was an immediate response, one without any hesitation. "Why
do you ask?"
"Because I am an angel." The declaration was quietly made, no fanfare or
lightshow to accompany it. No display of glory or power or whatever one
would expect or associate with a messenger from God. Just a woman sitting in
a chair. A beautiful, by earthly standards, woman but nothing more.
Staring at her, Declan didn't know whether to laugh, question her further,
or simply believe her.
He shook his head after a moment, looking up at the ceiling briefly as if
expecting an answer but really trying to give her an opportunity to laugh
off the declaration. To say "psych" or "joke" or "It's just a prank, Peggy
and put me up to it." or whatever . . .
She said nothing of the sort. Just sat there and waited.
So, of his initial possible reactions, Declan settled for questioning further
while intermingling a confused chuckle. It wasn't that he didn't believe her,
she seemed quite sincere, but he was cautious to accept it as fact.
"A....an . . . angel?" At her nod, he continued. "I'm sorry if I seem . . . a
little incredulous. It's not every day someone walks into my office and
proclaims herself to be a messenger of the Big Kahuna."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, it's not every day I walk into someone's
office and announce I'm a messenger of the Big Kahuna . . . " Angelica crooked
a smile. "Kind of hard to operate when everyone knows the truth."
"Angelic duties require you to be incognito huh?" Though doubting, Declan was
very intrigued. Either she was telling the truth or she was one Grade A Large
Nutbar. If that were so...maybe he should call Peggy. The psych ward could be
missing a patient or something...either way she'd need help.
"It is necessary for the work, yes."
"Okay...so you're an angel." he put forward, going on a leap of faith that
she was what she said she was. "W...why are you here?" Is something going to
happen? Are you here to..." he trailed off remembering her earlier statement.
"Am I gonna die?"
Angelica chuckled. "No. If you were, another angel would have been sent. Not
me. Andrew most likely."
"Andrew? Who's Andrew?"
"Angel of death...you'll meet him some day - probably."
"Probably?" Declan prompted, moving to sit down on the couch. "Some people
don't get angels of death when they die?"
"No. No one dies alone," Angelica responded calmly. "whether we're active
participants or observers - angels are always present. Anyway you're not
going to die today."
"Next week then?" he joked with a quick smile.
"I don't think so. It's not really my department." The angelic visitor dead
panned.
"Angels have departments? Like the government?"
"Not like the government. We get our work done." The golden-haired woman
teased. "The divisions aren't like the human idea of the word. It's more
like we each have our different duties to perform."
"Like?"
"Hmm....well, like search & rescue work, caseworks..." Angelica waved a
casual hand. "many other duties."
"Would those include dropping in on unsuspecting anthropologists." Declan
joked with a smile.
"You'd be surprised what they include." She countered with a chuckle. "There's
an angel for every person on earth and our duties can be just as varied. This,
actually, is rather tame than compared to some."
"So, getting back to my question, why are you here?" It was blunt but his eyes
were gleaming with curiosity. This was big, he could feel it. "I mean..."
"Why you?" She finished for him.
"Yeah, why me?"
An amused glimmer dawned in Angelica's eyes and she pressed her lips
together, her shoulders shaking slightly with suppressed laughter.
"What?" Confused by her laughter, the anthropologist leaned forward,
clasping his hands together, his forearms resting on his knees. "What are you
laughing about?"
The angel shook her head. "I'm sorry, Declan, I really shouldn't be laughing
but it's just funny to me that you, the one always searching for miracles,
can't understand why an *angel* would walk in the door and want to talk to
you."
Declan had to admit, he could see the humor in the situation. Flashing a
smile at her, he shrugged. "Usually I have to go searching for the miracles.
They don't come to me."
"Sure they do." Angelica pushed out of her chair to crouch before him. "There
are many kinds of miracles Declan and most of them have very little to do with
resurrections, crying statutes, or voices from beyond the grave. Some miracles
can go by completely unnoticed as miracles. Humans have come to expect miracles
to instantaneous and unmistakable. In some cases that is so. They are true
miracles but so are the quiet ones. The ones that take *years* to come to
pass. The ones slow in the making. The woman diagnosed with cancer who fight
for years to rid herself of the disease and does, the boy who leaves home
while his mother prays for his return and after years pass - he does. They
aren't as dramatic but they are miracles nonetheless. Just like simple things
like marriage or a birth of a child are miracles."
Declan smiled when she paused. "Or a conversation with an angel?"
At that, the angel nodded then, as she stood to her feet, gave an enigmatic
smile. "Or waiting for a snowmobile to stall out after avalanche has buried
you."
Surprise on his face, Declan looked up at her. "You were..." His voice died
away at the sight of her.
She was glowing. Honestly glowing.
Gone was the flowery skirt and cardigan sweater set - in it's place was a
simple white dress.
"I wasn't there Declan," The angel said quietly. "but another angel was.
Tess. We've been watching you all your life, protecting you, but since the
avalanche, things have been especially busy. You're quite right when you say
your rescue was no coincidence. God wanted to get your attention."
"Yeah, well He did that in spades." Declan muttered with a wry smile.
Angelica laughed softly. "He knows and He sent me here to tell you He's
proud of you and of the work you've done."
That earned her another surprised look. "But...I've been able to explain
most of the 'miracles' I've investigated."
"Just because you can explain it doesn't mean God wasn't the one behind it.
You've done great work for Him Declan - through you people have found truth
and faith." Angelica's calm voice seemed to flow around him, relaxing him
and soothing him, as she spoke and Declan suddenly wished Miranda or Peggy
- or even Mole - was there to see her. "But He does want to remind you to
savour the everyday miracles as much as you chase after the extraordinary
ones. Take time to enjoy your life and those you share it with."
The knowing smile on her face made him wonder but, before he could question
her on it, a noise caught his attention and he glanced to check.
Turning back, he was already starting to speak but found he had no one to
speak to.
He was alone.
Sitting on the couch, Declan stared off into the air for a moment before
speaking.
"Totally cool..."
finis
Author: Marianne E.
Email: Medison@thezone.net
Rating: PG (Or G)
Keywords: Crossover, TBAA, Declan
Spoilers: I don't think there are any that I can remember.
Disclaimer: Mysterious Ways belongs to Lions Gate, PAX and NBC. It was
created and produced by Carl Binder and Peter O'Fallon.
Warning: There is an original character in this fic and this hasn't really
been beta-read
-------------
"So, who's this one then?" The redheaded woman, perched on a file cabinet,
asked as she looked over at her friends.
The slender woman with golden brown hair smiled as she leaned over the
oblivious man's shoulder to read his notes. "His name is Declan Dunn."
Looking back, her peaceful gaze held a hint of amusement. "He's the
anthropologist who likes to investigate miracles."
"Declan . . . I remember him . . . " The third woman noted, with a thoughtful
look, from where she sat in the chair across from Declan.
"So you do." The light-haired woman agreed with a nod. "Tess, you were the
angel who waited with him after the avalanche."
Understanding dawned in the other angel's eyes and a beaming smile shone
across her face. "Yeah . . . sang to him while we waited."
"When did this happen?" Monica, the redheaded angel, asked as she looked
from one friend to the other with a curious expression on her face.
"A few years ago Declan was buried in an avalanche and Tess was the angel
assigned to watch over him until we could arrange for his rescue." Angelica
explained as she eyed Declan's latest 'investigation' report with a practised
eye.
"Why didn't someone from Search and Rescue just pull him out?" Monica prompted,
sensing an interesting story behind the situation.
"We were told to sit with him," Tess interjected. "and to do no more, that there
were reasons it had to be handled that way."
"There were. The resulting events have set Declan on a very special path."
Angelica agreed with a smile.
The knowledge came to the Irish-sounding angel with sudden clarity and she
smiled as well. "He's been searching for God through miracles."
The archangel's golden curls bobbed with the movement of her head. "And, in
his searching, Declan's lead others down that same path."
"So why are we here now?"
"*I'm* here to have a little talk with Declan." Angelica's gaze sparkled
with mirth. "As it goes, he's sought and now it's time he found." Taking a
seat on the couch, she looked at her two coworkers. "As for you two . . . I
haven't been told that yet. I suspect you'll find out in due time."
A speculative look on her face, the archangel reclined on the couch as she
watched the mortal move around his office, talking to his dog. "Given those
he's surrounded himself with . . . I'm sure there's something important for
you two just around the corner."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
A knock on the door made Declan jump and nearly spill his coffee. Surprised,
the anthropologist looked up to see an unfamiliar woman standing in his office
doorway.
"Uh . . . hi!" He offered with a belated but, nevertheless, cheerful smile.
"Hello!" She responded with a warmth that was clearly genuine.
Closing his computer, Declan stood and moved to greet her, holding out a hand.
The mystery woman shook it with a firm grip and no hesitation.
After a moment of silence, strangely free of awkwardness, he gave the woman a curious
look. "Can I help you?"
"Well . . . actually," moving past him, with an air of familiarity, she seated herself
in the nearest chair. "I'm supposed to be the one helping you."
"Excuse me?" Confused, Declan closed his office door and leaned against it, arms folded
across his chest. "Who are you?"
"Angelica." She answered simply, brushing the wrinkles from her loose skirt.
"Angelica . . . " He prompted, fishing for a surname.
"Angelica." She answered with an air of finality, as if that were just it.
Smiling benignly, she gestured to his desk. "Please, sit down Declan. I find
it easier to have a conversation when both people are comfortable."
"Have a conversation about what?" Declan, curious now, walked over to sit on
the edge of his desk, looking at the woman sitting before him.
Not wasting any time, she asked, "Do you believe in angels, Declan?"
"Yeah, sure." It was an immediate response, one without any hesitation. "Why
do you ask?"
"Because I am an angel." The declaration was quietly made, no fanfare or
lightshow to accompany it. No display of glory or power or whatever one
would expect or associate with a messenger from God. Just a woman sitting in
a chair. A beautiful, by earthly standards, woman but nothing more.
Staring at her, Declan didn't know whether to laugh, question her further,
or simply believe her.
He shook his head after a moment, looking up at the ceiling briefly as if
expecting an answer but really trying to give her an opportunity to laugh
off the declaration. To say "psych" or "joke" or "It's just a prank, Peggy
and put me up to it." or whatever . . .
She said nothing of the sort. Just sat there and waited.
So, of his initial possible reactions, Declan settled for questioning further
while intermingling a confused chuckle. It wasn't that he didn't believe her,
she seemed quite sincere, but he was cautious to accept it as fact.
"A....an . . . angel?" At her nod, he continued. "I'm sorry if I seem . . . a
little incredulous. It's not every day someone walks into my office and
proclaims herself to be a messenger of the Big Kahuna."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, it's not every day I walk into someone's
office and announce I'm a messenger of the Big Kahuna . . . " Angelica crooked
a smile. "Kind of hard to operate when everyone knows the truth."
"Angelic duties require you to be incognito huh?" Though doubting, Declan was
very intrigued. Either she was telling the truth or she was one Grade A Large
Nutbar. If that were so...maybe he should call Peggy. The psych ward could be
missing a patient or something...either way she'd need help.
"It is necessary for the work, yes."
"Okay...so you're an angel." he put forward, going on a leap of faith that
she was what she said she was. "W...why are you here?" Is something going to
happen? Are you here to..." he trailed off remembering her earlier statement.
"Am I gonna die?"
Angelica chuckled. "No. If you were, another angel would have been sent. Not
me. Andrew most likely."
"Andrew? Who's Andrew?"
"Angel of death...you'll meet him some day - probably."
"Probably?" Declan prompted, moving to sit down on the couch. "Some people
don't get angels of death when they die?"
"No. No one dies alone," Angelica responded calmly. "whether we're active
participants or observers - angels are always present. Anyway you're not
going to die today."
"Next week then?" he joked with a quick smile.
"I don't think so. It's not really my department." The angelic visitor dead
panned.
"Angels have departments? Like the government?"
"Not like the government. We get our work done." The golden-haired woman
teased. "The divisions aren't like the human idea of the word. It's more
like we each have our different duties to perform."
"Like?"
"Hmm....well, like search & rescue work, caseworks..." Angelica waved a
casual hand. "many other duties."
"Would those include dropping in on unsuspecting anthropologists." Declan
joked with a smile.
"You'd be surprised what they include." She countered with a chuckle. "There's
an angel for every person on earth and our duties can be just as varied. This,
actually, is rather tame than compared to some."
"So, getting back to my question, why are you here?" It was blunt but his eyes
were gleaming with curiosity. This was big, he could feel it. "I mean..."
"Why you?" She finished for him.
"Yeah, why me?"
An amused glimmer dawned in Angelica's eyes and she pressed her lips
together, her shoulders shaking slightly with suppressed laughter.
"What?" Confused by her laughter, the anthropologist leaned forward,
clasping his hands together, his forearms resting on his knees. "What are you
laughing about?"
The angel shook her head. "I'm sorry, Declan, I really shouldn't be laughing
but it's just funny to me that you, the one always searching for miracles,
can't understand why an *angel* would walk in the door and want to talk to
you."
Declan had to admit, he could see the humor in the situation. Flashing a
smile at her, he shrugged. "Usually I have to go searching for the miracles.
They don't come to me."
"Sure they do." Angelica pushed out of her chair to crouch before him. "There
are many kinds of miracles Declan and most of them have very little to do with
resurrections, crying statutes, or voices from beyond the grave. Some miracles
can go by completely unnoticed as miracles. Humans have come to expect miracles
to instantaneous and unmistakable. In some cases that is so. They are true
miracles but so are the quiet ones. The ones that take *years* to come to
pass. The ones slow in the making. The woman diagnosed with cancer who fight
for years to rid herself of the disease and does, the boy who leaves home
while his mother prays for his return and after years pass - he does. They
aren't as dramatic but they are miracles nonetheless. Just like simple things
like marriage or a birth of a child are miracles."
Declan smiled when she paused. "Or a conversation with an angel?"
At that, the angel nodded then, as she stood to her feet, gave an enigmatic
smile. "Or waiting for a snowmobile to stall out after avalanche has buried
you."
Surprise on his face, Declan looked up at her. "You were..." His voice died
away at the sight of her.
She was glowing. Honestly glowing.
Gone was the flowery skirt and cardigan sweater set - in it's place was a
simple white dress.
"I wasn't there Declan," The angel said quietly. "but another angel was.
Tess. We've been watching you all your life, protecting you, but since the
avalanche, things have been especially busy. You're quite right when you say
your rescue was no coincidence. God wanted to get your attention."
"Yeah, well He did that in spades." Declan muttered with a wry smile.
Angelica laughed softly. "He knows and He sent me here to tell you He's
proud of you and of the work you've done."
That earned her another surprised look. "But...I've been able to explain
most of the 'miracles' I've investigated."
"Just because you can explain it doesn't mean God wasn't the one behind it.
You've done great work for Him Declan - through you people have found truth
and faith." Angelica's calm voice seemed to flow around him, relaxing him
and soothing him, as she spoke and Declan suddenly wished Miranda or Peggy
- or even Mole - was there to see her. "But He does want to remind you to
savour the everyday miracles as much as you chase after the extraordinary
ones. Take time to enjoy your life and those you share it with."
The knowing smile on her face made him wonder but, before he could question
her on it, a noise caught his attention and he glanced to check.
Turning back, he was already starting to speak but found he had no one to
speak to.
He was alone.
Sitting on the couch, Declan stared off into the air for a moment before
speaking.
"Totally cool..."
finis