Setting: Heaven, January 29th, 1982.

Adam's POV

Miracle approached me calmly with fluent movements, as she usually did, her wings gliding behind her. But this time, her eyes were only half open, making it appear as if she were tired. This only happened when she either wanted something of someone, or had to tell someone something they might not want to hear. I took in her young frame, the structure of her face, her long eyelashes. Her Glow was white, unlike all the other angels, and she carried it in a bigger cloud around herself than most, so that everyone would recognize her importance. Right; as if the angel with the white Glow isn't important; it's the one gifted characteristic given only to the Royal Angel.

Glows were something we used frequently to illuminate our inner instinctual emotions, even though we never felt these emotions in our hearts. We were told that these "seeds" of emotion were there only for when we had finished our Mission and became human, then these seeds would "grow" and become real emotion, but until then, somewhere deep in our hearts we knew what emotions we should feel, and it instinctually effected our Glow. We could control our Glow some of the time, which hung around our bodies like a mist. This was a blessing for us.

I kept my light blue-grey Glow loose and occasionally flowing, and no less than a few inches from my body, and extremely full of glitter, to show that I was feeling relaxed (indicated by the loose, close Glow) and that I was very much my own individual (indicated by the large amount of glitter inside my Glow. We're supposed to call it "shimmer", but I like Man's version of the word better.

I was told by everyone that I had more shimmer in my Glow than any angel they'd seen in a long time, but it never bothered me; it only made me more proud that I was noticed for being different. It felt liberating - like I was a million miles away from the order and structure of the Angel Guild... like I was down on Earth.

People down there were highlighted for being different; in good ways and in bad, but it always seemed to be so wonderful to be free like that. Like no one would ever replace you or forget you. Here, as an angel, you are pretty much forgotten when you were sent down to earth. Sad?—yes. But this was a result of the fact that it usually took a long time before the angel would become human, and the pass away to return here.

Some told me that my individuality, while not a problem in society here in Heaven, could turn out to be a problem when I was sent down to Earth, since humans had cruel emotions that could affect us negatively, but this wasn't news to us – I'd tough it out.

Still, we were definitely the lucky angels – we were the only Placement that got to go down to Earth, and were allowed to show all emotions, even though we couldn't feel them. A lot of the other angel Placements weren't allowed to show emotion aside from joy, since their only purpose was to serve Him here in Heaven.

Some were in the Gate Keeper Placement, others were in the Choir Placement, and some still were in the Light Tunnel Placement, welcoming the new souls into Heaven, and restoring their spirit-made body images to their preferred age, but yet were not allowed to show any emotion aside from joy.

The angels of my Placement were required to be able to show every emotion know to Man, as it was part of our training to go down to Earth. We were told the emotions would feel real only after our Mission was completed, and we were reformed into a human where we could stay on earth and continue our lives there until it ended, when we could return to Heaven.

I never understood what anyone meant by that – that we couldn't feel emotions - not until I realized that I was one of a few rare angels that could really feel human emotion as an angel. Of course, this made me want even more to be my own person, not the freak "special" angel most of the other angels in my Placement were expecting. I never wanted to do what was expected of me.

This was why I got a nasty feeling in my gut as Miracle approached me that our upcoming conversation wouldn't be a pleasant one – I never appreciated Miracle's higher-than-you commanding tone when she asked something of you – as if she was sure you could do it and that it would be done, even before she knew if you could. It made me want to rebel against her, and I knew Miracle could sense my discomfort. The smallest smirk would appear on her lips, as if resisting the urge not to pinpoint the emotions swirling in my brain, and enjoying the show as I silently seethed at her gentle pushiness.

She was one of five other angels besides me who could feel human emotion. She was required to – she taught every angel in our Placement how to show these emotions appropriately during their time as a masked angel.

At least she was gentle. She was almost always right about things, and had a way of making you see things in a lighter spectrum, so that things didn't appear so dismal, and she never held grudges. After all, she was the only angel to ever speak with Him, I suppose that was where she got her personality from. But there was always a small part of her that loved being above every other angel in Heaven, just for the mere fact of getting to watch every angel grow into what their Destiny meant for them.

As the Royal Angel, she got to personally read each and every angel's Destiny for herself, but was strictly forbidden to utter a single word of it to any other angel, which always bothered me slightly, knowing that she knew all the answers and all the secrets, the tales of all things that would happen to us, she had the power to warn us of such, yet she was obedient to Him, and never let on.

Anyways, I tried to look casual and unaffected as she gracefully glided up to me, her huge Glow nearly touching mine. "Greetings," she cooed gently, with a soft smile, her wings fluttering together, resting against her back, sending a slight breeze across my face. Her half-shut eyes were beginning to bother me. I wished she would open them so I could read her emotions.

"Greetings, Miracle," I said back with a pleasant smile, fluffing my wings in angst. "Is there something you need?"

"Mhm." She nodded gently. "You are acquainted with Farland, am I correct?"

She asked it as if she didn't know it, so I just nodded in return. He was a rather clumsy angel who took a lot of extra time learning emotions. I'd helped him out a few times – he just couldn't wrap his head around Empathy.

"Today was his scheduled Departure day. He is having some last minute troubles expressing emotions on the spot; I'm afraid he won't be able to Depart until he's retaken his training," Miracle soothed.

She was speaking much more softly than usual. I felt my eyes widen in their sockets. Retake Training? I could be human and back before he finished a second run. I felt a pang of Pity for Farland, but tried to shove it away so I could focus on what Miracle was saying.

"We will need you to fill his place. His family is expecting their first child today, and someone needs to be there." She smiled knowingly, "And I know you're just the one to such."

Of course she did. Miss High-and-Mighty over there knew everyone's Destiny. So I had to go, whether I liked it or not. But that wasn't entirely fair, I thought, as I began to panic.

I'd received my orientation files weeks ago on my family, Mr. and Mrs. Fayle. I was going to be their 5th child, their fourth boy, and be born in northeast Kentucky. I'd spent hours studying the entire 587 page orientation file, to make sure I knew just what I should expect.

My Departure was four days from now, and now I was being thrown into a completely different family within a few hours, and I'd have almost no time to read up on them and figure out what my actual life might be like. I was expecting a quiet country life on a tiny farm with a big, loving family of 7. I had no clue about these people I was going to be sent to.

They could be 40 year old meth addicts.

It could be a teenage girl living on the streets as a hooker.

I was suddenly very itchy to get the file and start reading. Miracle's gentle smile was starting to irritate me. I couldn't argue with her; whatever she says goes, but I still just wanted to read the orientation paper, since I wasn't going to have a choice.

"Why me?" I asked, just to have something to say to show I wasn't entirely in agreement with what she was asking of me. You can't even say it was "asking" – she wasn't going to give me a choice. I felt my Glow tighten around my body, and struggled to keep from flapping my wings in frustration.

"You are displeased by this," Miracle said, ignoring my question.

I didn't know what I was supposed to say back to her; she was right. Her Glow wavered around her body for a moment – she was trying to appear unthreatening, since she knew I wouldn't be happy. But why point out the obvious?

"Yes," I said, keeping my eyes locked with hers, "I am. This doesn't seem at all fair to me, I'm wondering why it is that I am to go." I tried to force my Glow to appear loose, as if I were calm, but it remained a more solid shade of royal blue, tight around my body. I didn't want her to see the silent screams of rebellion I was trying to hide my eyes, but it was no use – she saw everything.

"You are to go because it is you who is meant to, not anyone else. If anyone else were to go, it would not align with Destiny." I had known she would say that. But I wanted more than that, I wanted her to explain to me how exactly it wouldn't align with Destiny, even though I knew she couldn't. I looked away to avoid giving her a stare of annoyance that I knew she wouldn't appreciate.

When I looked back up, there was something new in her eyes, something that I'd never seen before. It was something that was not allowed in an angel's eyes, yet still it was there, is if not by choice but by uncontrolled emotion. She tilted her head in a caring way, looking aside for a moment. This was something I'd never seen her do before – she never showed any break in her confidence and wise attitude.

I felt my face crinkle with curiosity and concentration as I tried to read the emotion in her eyes. My red hair hung in my face a bit, blocking some of her face, and I wanted to move it by shaking my head, but I was afraid any sudden movement might cause her to put her walls back up so that I could no longer see what she had in her eyes.

Then, it hit me.

Vulnerable.

Sadness.

Two things angels should never express. Her Glow seemed to fade a bit, and it appeared almost fragmented, and I started to worry. I was careful choosing my words.

"If everything must align with Destiny, what is to become of my previously planned family?"

Instantly, the look in Miracle's eyes vanished, and she stood tall once again when she replied, "Their child will not survive. It has to be this way. It must go as He planned."

She stared into me. I didn't like the feeling of her being so close to my emotions – it didn't feel right. Oddly enough, I noticed that her white Glow had not changed since when I'd noticed the Vulnerable and Sadness in her. Perhaps it was something she chose not to control, for my sake, trying to make it seem like she really wanted for me not to be upset with her.

I looked to the ground, the white brick path I'd sat upon since the previous night. I felt Pity in my heart for the family, and longed to sit with them and mourn in silence with them. It would hurt to lose the one they were expecting to receive. I realized: they were in the same boat as I was. I was supposed to be their child, and now I was being thrown into something totally different and unexpected – literally – and they weren't expecting to lose the child they thought they'd watch grow up and become a Man. It was a sad surprise for the both of us.

"May I at least receive my orientation file then?" I asked as softly as I dared.

"There is not time," Miracle said with a slight head shake and a flick of her eyelashes. I felt light hitting me as I turned away to stand up; it was her hand on my shoulder.

"Come," she whispered to me, "Destiny wouldn't want you to miss your Departure." .