Author's note: Okay, so this has absolutely nothing to do with my other stories. This was just something that had been developing in the back of my mind. It's not a one-shot but I'm not sure how long it will be. The plot is based upon an old Jewish story called "The Rabbi and the Cow". The short versions is that there is a Rabbi who is visited by the prophet Elijah who takes him on a trip where they meet a very poor farm couple with only one cow to support their livelihood and a very mean rich man. While visiting the poor farm couple, the Angel of Death comes for the wife but Elijah convinces him to take the cow instead. The Rabbi is confused by this but is told not to question what he sees because there is more to things than what meets the eye. This is where the idea came from. I would suggest reading the story if you'd like but it still make sense without it. Okay, I'm not going to say anymore. On with the story!
When we were sleeping in the poor couple's hut I heard the rustling of big wings from the outside. It was the Angel of Death who had come to take the life of the farmer's wife. I pleaded with him to leave this couple alone, but as you know, the Angel of Death does not go away empty handed. It cost me a lot of trouble, but finally I was able to convince him to take the cow—The Rabbi and the Cow
Steve found it incredibly curious that Danny's guardian angel looked a hell of a lot like Rachel. Of course, in the rational part of his brain he understood that this exchange made absolutely no fucking sense because guardian angels didn't actually exist. But it had been over three days since he'd had anything that could reasonably be considered sleep and his brain was just too damn tired to fight the delusion.
"If you're supposed to be Danny's guardian angel, then where were you during the crash? Isn't it your job to keep him safe?"
"There were higher powers than me involved in this." The angel declared. "My hands were tied."
"Some guardian you are." Steve mumbled under his breath. "Why aren't you with Danny now? Why are you talking to me?"
"No more question, Steven." She commanded. "I need you to accept what I tell you and not seek any further explanation right now." Steve glared at the brunette. There was nothing about this situation that he was willing to just accept at face value. He had questions-the kind of questions that could only be answered by such a heavenly visitor-and now she was refusing to even let him ask them? Under normal circumstances, Steve would have completely disregarded the order but nothing about the last few days had been normal.
Danny had gone to pick up Grace from school just like he did every Friday afternoon. He had left the office promising to swing back in an hour to pick him up and then the three of them would go home to spend the weekend together. Steve had promised to engage Grace in a poker tournament if she had kept her grades up and report cards were supposed to be handed out that day. An hour had come and passed with no sign of the father-daughter duo returning. He had just reached for his phone to call and bitch his partner out for forgetting about him when the device rang in his hand.
It was Chin. There had been an accident. Some smug prick in an SUV had run the red light and had plowed into the Camaro. The driver's side had taken the brunt of the hit but the force of the impact had pushed the car across the intersection where it was t-boned by another car on the passenger side. Steve's knees had gone weak as the older detective had relayed the details to him. He was getting really tired of receiving bad news over the phone.
"I was with them, when the accident happened." The angel said, breaking him from his flashback. "I couldn't stop it from happening. I wanted to but like I said, there were things bigger than me involved in all of this."She repeated. It was beginning to get on Steve's nerves.
"So what? God wanted Danny to die?" Steve asked. The words left a bad taste in his mouth.
"What did I tell you about questions?" She chastised. "I couldn't protect them but I was there for a reason. The police and EMTs weren't the first responders. The Angel of Death was." Steve could only stare at her. She had said it with such a serious face that Steve almost hadn't questioned it. Danny's angel continued though before he could open his mouth again. "I saw him lurking around in the smoke and I knew-he was there for the little girl." Bile rose in the back of his throat at the thought. Why had he come for Grace? What kind of God would take a little girl who had barely even started to live her life? And why if he had come for her, was she still alive?
"I tried to convince him to leave them alone. That it wasn't time for them yet. But the Angel of Death won't leave empty handed…so I convinced him to take Danny instead." She admitted reluctantly. Steve clenched up in anger.
"How could you do that? You're supposed to protect him! You're not supposed to offer him up to die! If you're going to offer up anybody it should have been that asshole driving the SUV!" He yelled, rage swelling up inside of him.
"I know you're upset about the other driver walking away from the accident but you have to understand that things are not what they seem to be." She insisted, letting his question slide. Steve stared at her, breathing heavily as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "Remember what I said about not seeking further explanation right now. Everything will be revealed to you in time, Steven. You just have to accept not knowing for the time being." The angel placed a hand on his shoulder and his body suddenly felt very heavy. He sank down into a nearby chair and watched as she disappeared in a white haze as his body finally gave into the exhaustion it had been fighting.