Duncan lay in bed staring up at ceiling, as he often did these days. His fingers played softly with the feather that he cherished so took over a week to digest what Courtney had told him. It was a lot to process. He hadn't believed in angels and those had turned out to be real, so he had to believe that what Courtney said was true about them being soulmates. It didn't make sense and yet it was the perfect explanation for why he kept going back to her. They were supposed to be together, but if that was so then why weren't they? It wasn't fair.

There were so many more answers he needed to know: how did she die, why hadn't they met when she was alive, but most importantly, how was he supposed to go on living without her?

Everything felt...pointless.

Before Duncan had his first brush with death he hadn't really pictured himself settling down. He figured he would someday, but not anytime soon. Now he saw it all so clearly. The fights and the making up, getting married, having kids, growing old. All with Courtney.

It was a hope for a life they'd never have. He was hers and she was his but fate kept them apart.

Unless...

Duncan shot up from his bed and determinedly sought out his liquor cabinet. He found the full bottle of whiskey easily and unscrewed the cap. He held it up to his mouth to chug the whole bottle, then remembered.

He promised.

He promised her he wouldn't. Its what she wanted. She'd told him once that when it was time they would see each other again but he didn't want to wait that long. His future was bleak and meaningless.

This time was going to be different. This time he had no intention of returning. This time he was going to let the clock run out.

He tilted his hand back and downed the bottle.


When he arrived to the familiar place something about it felt off. It was too quiet. Usually the moment he got there Courtney would berate him, albeit flirtatiously. Like the first time, he saw a bright light coming toward him and was relieved. He was going to tease her for being late.

Except as the light got closer, it was clear that this angel was not Courtney.

"Who the hell are you?" Duncan asked, incredibly dissatisfied.

The angel looked indifferent, bored even.

"If you must know, I'm Noah." He answered. "Not the Noah with the ark, so don't ask."

"I wasn't going to. Where's Courtney?" Noah rolled his eyes as if he was already over this whole conversation.

"Courtney isn't here anymore. That's what happens when you break the rules."

"Who cares if she broke the rules?"

"We do." Duncan was quickly becoming enraged at this whole ordeal.

"She shouldn't have died in the first place!"

"It was a tragedy, but it was out of our hands." Noah answered his next question before Duncan could ask it.

"The day you were supposed to meet, she was murdered. We can't control everything." Duncan was taken aback, he never imagined that her death had been anything but an accident.

"That's bullshit!"

"Don't get angry at me! I'm just here because we knew you wouldn't keep your when people cheat death they don't try to repeat the situation. They're so happy that they're alive that they don't think twice about the "seeing an angel" thing," Noah looked Duncan up and down, "Not you apparently. Thanks to you we have to rework the whole system."

Duncan was at a loss for words, had his efforts to be reunited with Courtney been for nothing? Noah cut in again to rush the process along.

"Well, this has been fun, but I have been assigned the task of sending you back one final time."

"I'm not going back. Courtney and I belong together, so I'm staying."

"Not your choice. Now let's get this over with." He advanced on Duncan.

"Wait, you're gonna kiss me?"

"I thought that you knew how this worked?"

"You're not really my type." Noah crossed his arms, utterly fed up with having to put up with him. Duncan read his expression and gave in.

"Fine, but no tongue." Duncan winked.

Noah didn't dignify him with an answer. Instead he grabbed him by the shoulders and before Duncan knew it he was once again home and felt the burning sensation that came with vomiting up alcohol.

His forearm wiped across his mouth and he rolled onto his back. Duncan could already feel that he was going to have the worst hangover in the morning. Through the pounding in his head that repeated over and over again, came the reminder that he hadn't accomplished what he had sought out to. He wasn't with Courtney. She was gone and he didn't know how to reach her this time. He groaned and struggled to get to his feet.

He was defeated. Duncan usually found a way around the barriers that kept him from what he desired, but not this time, and he was out options. In such a short time he'd fallen so deeply and now he didn't know if he'd ever see Courtney again. His angel, his soulmate.


Courtney had been summoned. She didn't know what that entailed but was sure that it wasn't a good thing. Her entire human life she had never gotten in trouble with anyone in a position of authority. She'd never been sent to the principals office, or had gotten a detention. As a lawyer she was used to defending someone to a judge, not defending herself. Now as she stood waiting, her fate yet to be determined, she felt like someone on death row. Ready to be sent to her executioner at any moment.

Courtney was engulfed in darkness. She'd never seen such darkness, save for that moment right after she had died. She remembered dying so clearly. Courtney had won a court case against someone who had been embezzling money from their company. The man hadn't been happy with his prison sentence and loss of assets. When she was leaving the courtroom he shot her and everything faded to black. The same black she was now stuck in.

As far as she knew there was no floor beneath or walls around her. As soon as she was summoned she was transported to this place of nothingness. A silent nothingness. Her ears and sanity begged for some sort of noise. Something to cling to.

She was startled when a booming voice suddenly rang out. So startled that she didn't catch what the voice had said.

"Excuse me?" She inquired softly.

"Do you know why you're here?" The voice asked.

"I think I do..." Their charade could only go on for so long before they were found out. Courtney thought her and Duncan would have been caught long before now. The only question left was: what were they going to do with her?"

"You have broken the rules. The time has come for your punishment." Courtney's heart leapt up into her throat. She had never been punished save for when she was a small child. She never meant to break the rules, they had to know, they had to see. Pleading her case was what she was good at, so she did.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." Courtney paused. "My whole life I always did everything I was told and followed every rule and I had every intention of doing that as a guardian angel...but he kept coming back and I couldn't stop it. And then I didn't want to stop it because I felt more alive with Duncan than I ever did on earth. Even if it was just for the briefest of moments...we were happy. For once I was truly happy..." Tears were prickling her eyes but she continued.

"So, whatever it is you're going to do with me, it's okay, because it was worth it." She finished but was met with silence again. Courtney could faintly hear whispers but couldn't decipher what they were saying.

"Your fate has been decided."


The streets were empty as Duncan pulled up to the apartment. After turning off the vehicle he sat, staring out into space ahead of him. He had been a recluse, only venturing out of his home for work. Ever since his last visit to heaven, he had fallen down a hole. Nothing felt like it mattered anymore. He couldn't move on. He couldn't ignore that he didn't know if he would ever see Courtney again, and worried what happened to her.

He was stuck in his own pit of despair that started soon after the last time he saw her. Two months later and he hadn't found a way to crawl out of that pit.

Tonight he'd forced himself to make an effort. It was his best friend Geoff's birthday party and as much as he was in no mood to celebrate, he knew he couldn't be a hermit forever.

Duncan half smiled when Geoff's long time girlfriend Bridgette opened the door.

"Hey! We were staring to think you ditched town, we haven't seen you in so long." Duncan shrugged, not wanting to get into it, not that anyone would believe him.

"Sorry, I've been busy." Bridgette shook her head with a smile.

"Come on in, Geoff is going to be stoked that you made it." He crossed the threshold, already not in the mood for the party that was in full swing.

Bridgette rose up on her toes to look around the room.

"He's around here somewhere..." Then she appeared to have spotted him because she got excited when she spoke next.

"Wait! You have to meet my best friend from college, she never comes to these things," she paused then leaned in close to whisper even though Duncan's doubted anyone could hear her. "she had this near death experience and suddenly is trying to live it up more."

Duncan looked away as Bridgette grabbed someone among the crowd of people. The last thing he wanted was to be set up right now.

Duncan looked up out of manners. He didn't want to be rude when Bridgette was obviously so excited to introduce them.

"Duncan this is-" Duncan couldn't stop himself when blurted out.

"Courtney?" Unless she had a twin sister that she had never mentioned, that was Courtney, his Courtney. The same beautiful hair and face and he had to do everything to restrain himself from throwing his arms around her.

"Have we met?" Courtney asked. She had the same voice too. Duncan frowned, if she was Courtney then wouldn't she remember him? Duncan covered quickly.

"Uh...no, but Bridgette's mentioned you before." The excuse seemed to work on both girls.

"You two should get to know each other!" Bridgette budded in suddenly and then left them alone. Courtney rolled her eyes like she had suspected that Bridgette would do something like this.

"Guess we should do what she says?" Courtney offered. She really must not have remembered him, surely she would have said something by now, but Duncan didn't care if she did or didn't. He didn't care if they had to get to know each other all over again, because maybe she didn't know it yet, but they were soulmates. They had the rest of their lives to spend together. That alone had him beaming.

"Guess we should."


The end! Was this my best work? Absolutley not, but it was fun to write at the time. Hope you guys enjoyed it!