Chapter 18

Faithful Friend looked on Keiichi with joy and unconditional love as Belldandy told him his name. He smiled and continued to caress Keiichi's cheek as he swore eternal allegiance to Keiichi. After he bound himself to his still surprised master, Faithful Friend kissed Keiichi on his forehead. He turned to Belldandy and bowed deeply in respect to the Goddess.

Belldandy looked upon the angel with glee and excitement. She was looking forward to teaching Kei about the care and feeding of his new little buddy.

As expected, upon the manifestation of an angel, Holy Bell appeared in a blizzard of feathers and angel dust. Keiichi and Belldandy braced themselves for another angel fight, but were very shocked to witness that Faithful Friend did not fly into a rage and go after Holy Bell. Instead he flew over to the angel, bowed slightly, grabbed Holy Bell's tiny hands and held them closely. Holy Bell was also entranced by this new addition. She quietly giggled and chittered while looking Faithful Friend over from top to bottom. The two angels locked eyes on each other and drew close, reaching out for each other to embrace. Holy Bell looked over Faithful's shoulders to the God and Goddess and with a broad smile, give them a wink and a thumbs up.

But apparently Faithful wasn't satisfied with merely a close embrace. He pulled Holy Bell even closer to him, tried to kiss her fully and attempted to pull the gossamer gown off the angel as if to pick up where Keiichi and Belldandy had left off with their lovemaking. Holy Bell registered a look of shock and surprise as she gently but firmly pushed him away, shook her finger at Faithful, and turned her back to him, a not entirely disapproving frown on her face. Faithful Friend drew back in rejection, a look of despair on his face as the rejection of his advances hit him. He shook his head slowly. Holy Bell turned around, saw the dejected angel. She pointed at him, shook her head, drew near to him and embraced Faithful again, but made it clear to him that he was to keep his hands to himself. Faithful Friend nodded solemnly.

Keiichi and Belldandy gazed upon the play of the angels. "Horny little devil, isn't he?" he said to Belldandy. Bell responded. "Yes, Keiichi. Just like his master. But unlike Holy Bell, I'll never tell you to keep your hands to yourself. I want your hands all over me!" Bell then gave him the come hither look once again, and Keiichi didn't have to be told twice.

As the couple got back to getting frisky once again. Faithful Friend and Holy Bell watched them. Arms around each other nuzzling cheek to cheek.

The next morning at breakfast, Keiichi and Belldandy sat in the dining room with the kids, eating another of Bell's perfect breakfast meals. Both deities had their angels out. Faithful Friend and Holy Bell looking over their master's shoulders, curious about this strange ritual called breakfast. Holy Bell was very used to the concept having seen it thousands of times at the Temple back on Earth. But this was Faithful's first time witnessing it. And Holy Bell was clearly enjoying the experience of witnessing the breakfast meal through his eyes.

Midori looked at Faithful Friend as if she had seen him a thousand times. The twins: Keima and Takano gazed on the angel in wide wonder, pointing at him and chattering between mouthfuls of eggs and pancakes. "Mommy, Daddy. Daddy's angel is SO cool." Takano gleefully shouted. "Yeah!" shouted Keima. "I've never seen a God with an angel before. Will you get me an angel egg one day, Daddy?"

"When you get old enough, Keima, I'll get you an angel's egg." Keiichi promised.

"Dad, really?" Midori said with a bored seen-it-all expression on her face. "You with an angel? How dorky."

Keiichi said to Belldandy. "Are you sure this is our kid, Bell? She sounds more the product of me and Urd instead of you and me."

Bell said. "Yes, for better or worse, she's ours. Midori, why are you giving your father such a hard time about Faithful Friend?"

"Faithful Friend?" Midori snorted. "Who came up with that stupid name?"

"Your mother did, young lady." Keiichi said with some edge in his voice. "Why are you being so difficult, Midori? Aren't you happy to see me with an angel?"

"Not really, Dad." Midori said.

Bell said. "What's wrong, Midori?"

"Nothing, Mom."

"I don't believe that, Midori."

"There's nothing wrong, MOM!" Midori shot back, extra anger on the word 'Mom.'

"Midori Chihiro Morisato! You apologize to your mother, right now, young lady, or you can leave the table and go to your room! Keiichi rumbled.

"Fine, Dad!" Midori snarled as she got up and left the room.

Takano and Keima couldn't stop chortling about Midori being born to Keiichi and 'Aunty Urd.'

Bell said. "Kids, finish your breakfast and get ready for school. You have a long day ahead."

"Right, Mom." The twins said as they wolfed down the rest of their meal and left the table.

"Why is Midori so angry, Bell. I know she has a wide independent streak. She's a handful, but she was so angry this morning."

"Keiichi, Midori thinks that the kids in school are going to make fun of her because you have an angel."

"Why?"

"Because of the unwritten rule that Gods aren't supposed to have angels. She'll stick out in school and the other kids will go after her."

"But how are the other kids supposed to know?"

"They'll know, Keiichi. They'll know."

"Well, I'm not having Faithful sealed away. He's my angel and he's staying with me. Midori is just going to have to deal with it."

"But what if she can't deal with it."

"Belldandy, Midori is a strong child. She has your determination. She'll get over it."

"For your sake, Keiichi. I hope so."

"Belldandy, there are lots of things we can protect Midori from, but there are also lots of things she has to learn on her own. We can't always be there to coddle her. I'm off to work."

Keiichi and Bell kissed and went their separate ways.

Chapter 19

While Keiichi and Belldandy lived only a few short blocks away from the Palace where the Heavenly Council met, and could have teleported to work via message cube in a matter of seconds, Keiichi usually preferred to walk. It gave him a chance to breathe the crisp clean Heaven air, as well as think about the business at hand awaiting the Council. There were meetings with members of Karlja's administration, sometimes meetings with the Kami-sama herself. Deliberations about various legislative matters. A lot of horse-trading and deal-making. Politics were politics whether on Earth or in Heaven. Everybody had their pet causes, and they wanted theirs to take front and center on the council's agenda.

Keiichi walked down the main street of the business district. Among Faithful Friends many quirks, unlike other angels that appeared when summoned, Faithful always wanted to stay out. He wanted to experience the sights, sounds and smells of Heaven first hand. He had only manifested for two days and he was not satisfied in experiencing the world through Keiichi's eyes. He wanted to see and experience them first hand. And Keiichi allowed him to come out in public.

Of course, the crowds had never seen a God toting an angel before, and being that it was Keiichi that yet again shattered one of the unwritten rules on Heaven's long list made the populace of Heaven even that much more curious. Even though Keiichi's becoming a God, marrying Belldandy, coming to Heaven for good and running for Heavenly council, conferred upon Kei the status of a celebrity of sorts, bearing an angel polarized the citizens of Heaven that much more. Ever since Keiichi made that famous appearance in Heaven to testify at a hearing against Belldandy long ago, people had various opinions about the one time human who took Heaven by storm. Some thought Keiichi a breath of fresh air and supported him in all things. More than a few Keiichi and Belldandy fan clubs popped up in Heaven following every move the couple made. The news outlets dedicated feeds and reporters to a special beat putting out stories and reports of varying legitimacy regarding the latest news, whether real or contrived about Kei and Bell.

But for every fawning gossip column, every breathy report about the latest robe of Authority Belldandy wore, or every vote that Keiichi cast in council, there were just as many people and organizations that didn't care for Keiichi and Belldandy. In fact there were many that downright hated them. More than a few times, either Keiichi or Belldandy had to deal with stalkers sneaking around in the shadows trying to find some dirt on the couple. Belldandy had undergone a certain amount of harassment from jealous Goddesses who thought that she didn't deserve Keiichi and vice versa. Fake nude pictures of the Goddess circulated in the dark and unsavory corners of Heaven. More than a few sleazy characters circulated nasty rumors that Keiichi and Belldandy were cheating on each other, naming themselves as the other God or Goddess.

But overall, the majority of Gods and Goddesses in Heaven thought positively of Kei and Bell.

Today was no exception. One Goddess saw Keiichi with Faithful Friend in tow and called her friends. Her friends called their friends, who called their friends. One God alerted the news outlets who sent reporters and crews out to report on the once in a lifetime sight of a God with an angel. In minutes, thousands of Gods and Goddesses were following Keiichi as he made the short walk from his home to the Palace. They were o-o-o-hing and a-a-ahing as he walked along. Faithful Friend was enjoying the spotlight. He posed for pictures, mugging it up for the cameras. Reporters blocked Keiichi's path, sticking microphones in his face, asking him for comments about the angel. He refused to comment knowing that the news feeds would twist his words to satisfy their agenda. But one burly God blocked his path and wouldn't let him pass. He was tall, heavily muscled, wearing green and yellow robes of Authority and he dwarfed Keiichi by at least a foot and a half. Anger was in the God eyes as he sized Keiichi up and down. Keiichi knew that there was no chance he could best this lout in a fair fight. But despite his size, the God didn't look all that strong magically. His name was Laurus. He looked down at Keiichi and said gruffly.

"Keiichi Morisato. Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to work, what's it to you?" Keiichi snapped.

"Is that an angel coming out of your back?"

"Yeah. Do you have a problem with him?"

"Yeah, God's aren't supposed to have angels."

Keiichi just happened to have a book of Heavenly Law on him. He shoved it into Laurus' face. "Show me where in this book it says that God's aren't supposed to have angels. I've read this book hundreds of times for my job, and I've never seen rule one that said that God's aren't supposed to have angels." He tried to move to one side to pass but Laurus continued to block his way.

Laurus slapped the book away and said. "I don't care what the law or that stupid book says. "The rules say that angels are for Goddesses only. A God having an angel just isn't done here."

Keiichi looked Laurus in the eye, not backing down. "I don't care about unwritten rules. They don't matter. I only care about what the law says, and if the law says that Gods can have an angel, then I'm keeping my angel."
Laurus growled. "I don't like you, Morisato. My friends don't like you." He pointed a finger at several in the crowd. "A lot of these people don't like you." A few in the crowd voiced agreement.

Keiichi said. "Why don't you like me? You don't even know me. What did I do to you?"

Laurus bent down to Keiichi's level. "You married Belldandy."

"So? What's it to you?"

"I had a chance at snagging Belldandy, but she shot me down."
"Belldandy's never mentioned your name."

"She knew me. A long time ago, before she met you. We broke up."

"So, what does that have to do with me, I don't care who she was with before I met her. I'm with her now, and she's not leaving me."

"You think?"

"I know."

"We don't want any human messing with our Goddesses."

"A little too late for that, pal."

"Belldandy is way too good for you, Morisato."

"Something we can agree on. But she married me anyways."

A third voice entered the fray. A curt, brusque no-nonsense voice.

"Hey, who's blocking the sidewalk?"

Laurus snapped. "You mind your own business,"

"I'm making this my business."

"Who the hell is talking?"

The crowd parted to see a very angry Lind, wearing bright red robes of Authority, a snarl on her face and a six foot class 16 battleaxe at the ready.

She confidently walked up to Laurus, stuck the business end of the battle blade under his nose and said. "Lind. Heavenly Council liaison to the Valkyries. Do we have a problem here?"

Laurus looked nervously at the lethal blade just millimeters from his nose. The blade of a class 16 battleaxe had 48 cutting edges and Lind knew how to use every one of them to maximum effectiveness. Laurus backed down slightly. "Lind? THE Lind?"

"Yes, THE Lind. Now Heavenly Law also says that Gods and Goddesses aren't supposed to carry weapons openly in public. But Valkyries are the exception. And I still have my Valkyrie commission. So. What's your name, big boy?"

"L-l-l-l-aurus."

"Okay, L-l-l-laurus. How about you leave my friend alone and crawl back under whatever hole you crawled out from."

Laurus slowly backed up. But before leaving he said ominously. "Morisato, you better watch your back. WE have unfinished business. You won't always have Lind watching over you." He and his friends slumped away slowly.

Lind then turned around and addressed the rest of the crowd. "Don't you people have places to go and people to see?" She put her battleaxe at port arms and glared at the crowd. Everyone suddenly were reminded that they had appointments to get their license renewed, or to go the Heavenly mall. The newsies suddenly remembered that they had other assignments to fill. In just a few minutes, the street was empty except for Keiichi and Lind. Lind winked at Keiichi and said. "Aren't you glad I happened by?"

Keiichi didn't want to admit that Laurus and his ilk succeeded in scaring the crap out of him. While he could have handled the bully with a few strong spells, to be honest, Keiichi didn't use his powers much since he and Belldandy arrived in Heaven for good. He never felt that he needed to use his powers for self defense. Heaven was blissfully free of crime, but that didn't mean that there weren't bad God and Goddesses. Not every God or Goddess was as they appeared, amd he had just found out the hard way that he wasn't as universally loved as he thought he was.

Kei said to Lind. "I could have handled him."

Lind laughed. "Kei, I know you. You haven't used your powers since you've been here. You're way out of practice. Blockheads like Laurus may not have much in the magic department, but they can still beat you up. You and I are going to walk to work together from now on. You never know when he'll strike again."

Kei asked. "Were you telling the truth when you said you still had your Valkyrie commission? I thought you had to give it up when you left the Valks."

"I did. But Laurus didn't need to know that. Being a liaison to the Valkyries still allows me to train with them and assist them, as well as lobby for them in council. It's always good to keep my hand in. C'mon, Kei, we're late for work."

Keiichi winked at Lind as they picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way to the Palace.