K, so don't own, don't sue. I had an idea after reading "Spanning December" the other day. So I combined that idea with two others and got this one. Hope you enjoy. No flames, just helpful criticism.

No slash/yaoi in this one, sorry. It's kind of short. –Vix.

Tetheus pulled over to the side of the road, glad he found a town finally. He had been driving all night, nonstop almost, and had had enough. It was Sunday morning, almost six, and he didn't seem to be getting any closer to his parent's home than when he started out at noon yesterday. He had another week until Christmas, so why he was determined to be there in time for the normal Sunday service he had no idea.

He had gotten lost last night, in his attempt to find non-existent road signs in the middle of the night. So finding a town, where he could ask for directions and go to church was most welcome. He made it a point to go every Sunday, no matter what church it was. Lutheran, Catholic… didn't matter, so long as he sat through a service of some sort.

The gas station was a small one, only two pumps with a small price board that looked like the price hadn't been changed in years… still said $2.15 a gallon for premium. Right, like that was ever going to happen again. Stepping out, he stretched, and made his way over to the small food store. He reached for the handle, and found that it was locked. Huh, odd. He never remembered gas stations being closed, ever. Looking through the window, he found everything clean, and stocked, and dusted. But no people. Shrugging, he turned back to his car, and attempted to start it.

It didn't start. It wouldn't even turn over. Great… he knew he had gas, about half a tank left… there should be no reason. O-well. Just had to wait until he could talk to the station owner. Getting out again, he locked the car, and started to walk down the road. These little towns always had a dinner. Might as well find it and ask for the church and directions and a phone.

He found it. And saw it closed. Wow, they really didn't believe in having anything open here, did they? He looked around. There were little houses, and little cars, and little shops… but there were no people. What, had everyone died or something? That's when he heard the singing. Hymnals. Following it, he found a little rickety church, white washed boards and everything. Looks like something out of a text book during the segregation.

He walked carefully up the stairs, opening the door with barely a creek, and sat in the last pew. There was very little room, but everyone was packed shoulder to shoulder. His was in the only empty one. He sat just as the song ended, and everyone sat, the preacher in his black garb stepped up to the podium, smiling.

"Thank you, brother and sisters, for joining us today. And thank you; Mary, for playing that wonderful hymn." A little old lady at the piano nodded, and moved back to her seat with polite applause. "Please, turn you bibles to Isaiah 40:29…$" Tetheus opened his bible, but his mind wandered, not really listening. He wasn't sure why he went to these, he never paid attention. His mother had always ground in the importance of going to church… so he went.

Another thing bugged him… called his mind from the service. It looked like the whole town was here. The old, the young, the middle. Even the infants were here… it was six thirty in the morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen so many in a church, let alone that early.

But what really caught his eye was the pastor himself. Strange man, bright sea foam hair, even brighter copper/gold eyes. He looked a little pale, though it could just be the brightness of his hair. But after watching him, Tetheus realized what it was that drew his attention. The man never looked at his bible or notes. Actually, the podium looked empty…

In fact, if Tetheus didn't know better, he'd say that the man didn't even seem to blink during the entire sermon. Of course, that couldn't happen. Not that he knew of, anyway. But he was more interested in watching this man and the other people in the church than actually listening to what was being said. Before he knew it, the people around him were getting up and joining hands in prayer. Having no one around him, he stood, bowed his head in respect, and closed his eyes, replaying parts of the sermon without the background buzz of the words. Soon, there was a unanimous "amen" and he nodded, muttering the word himself, and stood back as the mass migrated out of the door.

With interest, Tetheus watched as two men went to the pastor at the podium; one had his hand out for a handshake, the other brought out a white cane… wait, a cane? Long stick, white, red tip… HOLY COW! The preacher was blind?!

$ Isaiah 40:29 - Bible in Basic English
He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.