CHAPTER1
" Rachel!Rachel? Where are you?", father called as he opened the door to her bedroom. When he saw her, he dropped down onto her bed and started shaking her.
" Rachel,wake up!", he whispered urgently.
Granny walked in and shook her head, sighing, " Peter, the poor child needs her rest. You can tell her when she gets up. It's so early in the morning besides".
Rachel stirred and yawned.
" I told you!", Granny hissed.
" Rachel! Come on, wake up, sweetheart", father pushed her. Rachel moaned slightly but managed to push herself up onto her elbows, rubbing her eyes with one hand.
" Dad?", she asked.
Father grinned brightly and said, " Yes! It's me! Rachel, today at 2:32am, we received a new member into our family!"
Rachel stopped rubbing her eyes. New member? Slowly, and than quicker, her mind raced to remember and concentrate on the present at the same time. I Family…Mom!
Mom was still in the hospital…her baby brother!...Baby!
" Dad! Mom gave birth?", Rachel asked, her eyes shining brightly.
" Yes! It's a boy! And remember what you suggested? Timothy? Mom and I decided we liked that name a lot too. And we named his middle name Michael after the church. How do you like it Rachel? Timothy Michael! That's his name! Timothy Michael is the healthiest baby the doctor has seen in his lifetime! And mom is doing very well", father rushed.
Rachel grinned widely and hugged her father tightly.
" Oh Dad! It's perfectly splendid! When can we see him and mother?", Rachel asked.
" In the afternoon, we'll go to the hospital", Dad told her.
" Dad? What time is it?", Rachel asked, feeling suddenly awake.
Dad raised his eyebrows as he glanced at his watch," A little bit after four, why?"
" I want to go to church and say a prayer", Rachel replied, getting up from the bed.
" Church? Now? Why can't we pray here?", Dad asked her, standing up.
" I want to pray at church", Rachel repeated firmly.
Dad scratched his head, thinking, " After the fire it would be a bit dangerous...but that was several months ago. And I suppose just this once would be alright, since I have the keys anyway".
Rachel smiled and grabbed a jacket out of her closet.
" Let's go", Dad reached out and wrapped an arm around her as they walked down the stairs. From the living room, a voice called, " Don't be long. It isn't safe there Mr. Vicar".
" Granny!", Rachel laughed and pulled the front door open. The winter wind blew into the house, bringing some snow in at the same time. They stepped out and Dad managed to slam the door close.
" Come on, Dad!", Rachel called from the front gate. Dad could only nod his head as he headed up to her. Together, they pushed the gate open and made their way across the street to St. Michael and All Angels Church. The wind was blowing hard that morning, and just to get across the street was harder than standing still for five hours. With father beside her, she felt rather safe. But even he was having a hard time.
Finally, they reached the large front doors of the church. Dad fiddled with his keys and had to slot in each of his keys in one at a time as he couldn't see in the dark. Rachel shivered in the cold as she waited. The real reason she wanted to come to the church, was because she wanted to tell her St. Michael's mice about Timothy Michael, her new brother.
" I have it", Dad said, twisting a key and pushing the door open. He quickly ushered Rachel in first and came after her, shutting the door.
Rachel walked past her dad and headed to the altar. Finny's angels stood at their places at the sides of the altar. Rachel had found it near the end of the tunnel together with a small pocket chalice. The angels looked so wonderful beside the altar, Rachel thought. She placed her hands together and knelt on the floor to pray. Silently, she thanked God for her new baby brother, Timothy Michael. She then thanked God over and over again for letting mother be as healthy as Timothy Michael. Finally, she finished with an, ' Amen'.
Rachel stood up, and father followed her.
" Dad? Shouldn't you go and check the upstairs while you're here. Make sure everything is alright?", she asked.
Dad paused and nodded, " Yes, I probably should go and have a look. Do you want to follow?"
" No, I'll stay here and wait for you", Rachel said.
As soon as Dad was out of sight, Rachel hurried over to the corner of the church where the radiator was. Above it was the stained glass window showing Jesus raising Jarius's daughter from her bed. She placed one hand on the radiator, whispering at the same time.
" Timothy and Titus! Candlemas! Septugesima! It's Rachel!"
A tiny head poked out from behind the radiator.
" Timothy and Titus!", Rachel exclaimed and let the St. Michael mouse scamper up her arm.
" What are you doing here so early in the morning?", Timothy and Titus asked.
" I have wonderful news!", Rachel replied, " Where are the others?"
Timothy and Titus ran back down her arm and towards the radiator, calling Candlemas and Septugesima.
" Rachel's here!", Timothy and Titus hissed.
Rachel grinned as she saw two more heads peep out and come towards her.
" Is it good news?", Candlemas asked.
" Oh yes!", Rachel smiled, than reached inside her pocket for a leftover peanut. Instead, she found a spare Jaffa Cake. She pulled it out and gave it to the church mice.
" Thank you!", Septugesima said," I love those Jaffa Cakes!".
Candlemas nodded in agreement, " Thank you so much, Rachel!"
Timothy and Titus hopped up and down in excitement, " Yes, It's a feast which you gave us, Rachel. Now, tell us your news. I can tell that its going to be good, by your face!"
" My mother finally gave birth! And now, I have a new baby brother!", Rachel grinned widely.
" Congratulations, Rachel", Septugesima said in her wisdom filled voice. Timothy and Titus jumped onto her arm, " What is his name?"
" I suggested Timothy to them, and turns out that they both liked it alot. They named him Timothy Michael, with the Michael after our church. It's wonderful! The doctor says Timothy Michael is the healthiest baby he has ever seen in his entire life! Mother is alright too", Rachel told them.
" Timothy!", Timothy and Titus exclaimed after she finished, " Splendid! Do you know what, Rachel? You have become a story".
" A story?", Rachel asked, questioningly.
Candlemas nodded and smiled at Rachel.
" Yes, a story", Septugesima repeated, " And that is a great honor among us, St. Michael's mice. Yes, Rachel, you deserve this honor".
" Remember Nicky? Anna? And Finny?", Timothy and Titus asked. And at Rachel's nod, he continued, " They don't just appear in our minds. They actually happened. One day, we'll be telling the story of you to another child. You'll be told, among the stories of Nicky, Anna, and Finny. That is a great honor, Rachel".
Rachel stared at Timothy and Titus in shock.
" Rachel? What are you doing there? Are you cold?", a voice called from somewhere. Rachel's eyes widened at the sound of her father coming towards her. Without a single sound, the three mice whisked away, back to behind the radiator. Rachel gasped when she noticed the Jaffa Cake left behind. She pushed it with her fingertips nearer the hole and out of sight of Dad.
" Dad!", Rachel cried as she whirled around and hugged him.
" Are you alright?", Dad asked, hugging her back.
" I'm just a little cold", Rachel replied and gently turned her father from the radiator so he wouldn't see the Jaffa Cake.
" We had better get back before Granny gets worried", Rachel added quickly.
" I did take a little too long", Dad agreed as they walked out of St. Michael and All Angels Church, hand in hand, into the blasting wind howling outside.