- Miracles Happen -

*Chapter One*

Whatever It Takes

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Rafe stormed into Ed's office, the man whom he would report to when a job needed to be done.. a man whom Rafe had grown to love like a father. Rafe had died at the hands of a vampire, and only at the young age of twenty. Rafe was a vampire slayer, whose main point in life was to protect the good, and take down the evil.. never had he worried about falling in love, or even indulging in his own selfish needs.. until now, he had never felt such an overwhelming need to be loved, ..to love.

Rafe was sent to earth on a mission, to help his cousin, Lucy Coe in defeating the evil, Caleb, and getting ALL the "meant to be" couples back together; as they should be.. once that mission was completed, he was to be sent back to heaven in his role as a guardian angel.. but only half of that mission went as planned, of course.. he fell in love. He met Alison Barrington, and everything changed. She brought out a side to him that he never thought was possible, she made him feel such emotions that he thought only exsisted in fairy tales.. she gave him the best kind of friendship he could of ever asked for, and in return.. he gave her his heart.

Storming into Ed's office and banging both fists violently on his desk, Rafe shot Ed a look that could kill before saying anything at all, "I need to go back!" he stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" Ed questioned. Clearly shocked. "Rafe," he began in a disappointing tone. "You know that's not possible.. you had your time on earth, you accomplished your task, and now your back where you belong.. believe it or not, your not going anywhere."

"Damn it, do you think I don't know that? But you see, the thing is.." his voice trailed off as he took a seat in the empty chair before him. "Look boss, I know, we both thought I had accomplished all that needed to be done down there, but.. just look at her! Alison, she's in so much pain.. if anyone down there deserves to be in the situation she has so quicly been admitted to, it's not her.. it's that bastard 'true love' of hers, Jamal!"

"Rafe, you know just as well as I, that we cannot fix everything. As good of a person that Alison Barrington is, there was no way we could've prevented this.. sometimes, we fall for the wrong people, and usually.. it ends in heartbreak. She's going through a difficult time right now, yes.. but she'll live through this. That girl is a very strong woman.. and getting through this ordeal on her own is the only way."

Rafe stood up quickly, waving his hands in a frustrated manner, "No.. no, no! Look, I don't know how much you know about Alison.. um, let me correct myself, since you probably know everything.. but the one thing you probably don't know about her is that she's one of the most compassionate, loving people down there. When you sent me back to earth as a mortal, I got to experience first-hand just how compassionate that woman is. She changed me, Ed.. she gave me the one thing that I never thought was possible-- she gave me love."

Ed sighed heavily, he knew there was absolutely no way Rafe was going to give up on this, "Look Rafe, I completely understand what your feeling, but.."

Rafe cut Ed off before he could get another word in edge-wise.. cutting off the boss when he was in the middle of saying something, that was rarely ever done-- and most angels knew not to do that, but with Rafe... it was different. Rafe was like a son to Ed, ..and more often than not, Rafe was able to get away with it. "No, you don't understand. You couldn't." he stated. "I know you Ed.. probably better than anyone else up here. Your main and only concern is getting the afterlife to cross over, or making sure that the people YOU think belong together, stay together. Like; Kevin and Lucy, Ian and Eve, Frank and Karen.. Jack and Livvie. Don't get me wrong here, of course I believe their good people, but no matter how good they are, none of them are as good as Alison."

Feeling beaten, while taking in everything that Rafe had just stated.. Ed knew exactly what he had to do. "Rafe, your right." he answered, as a look of shock appeared across Rafe's face. "Alison Barrington is one hell of a woman, in fact, I've never seen anyone like her. Especially since she's one to come from a family of wealth and power, it's suprising that she turned out to be such a wonderful, compassionate woman. But.. that still doesn't change a thing."

"No Ed, that's where your wrong.. it changes everything." Rafe replied dramatically. "Listen to me, my main and only concern at this point is Alison. During my time down there, well.. let's just say that Alison not only taught, but shown me things that I never thought were possible. Things that didn't include magic, you know? Anyway, what I'm really trying to say is, I care for Alison alot.. probably more than I do myself, and I'm going to be damned if I'm going to let her go through this on her own." he replied with such compassion.. putting his entire heart into his words.

Examining Rafe's facial expressions as he listened closely to his words, he knew that there was no other logical explanation for Rafe's actions, nor his words.. and of course, he knew there was no other way out of this mess, whether he liked it or not, he knew Rafe would eventually find a way to Alison.. with or without his concent. "Alright, so what your really trying to say is that you love this girl, am I right?"

"Love?" Rafe questioned strangely. "As in a best friend, yes. But as far as love as in wanting to spend the rest of my life with her.. I wouldn't be so sure about that. Remember Ed, I'm an angel. That kind of love is not possible in my case. But, all in all.. I do love her."

Ed remained silent for moments on, while making his choice. Sighing heavily once again, he answered, "I know I'm going to regret this, and as much as this goes against all that heaven is about.. I'm going to let you go back..." a huge smile formed at the corner of Rafe's lips, "but as life has, your time on earth has a time limit. You have exactly thirteen weeks on earth as a human. Meaning everything and anything you do will have a huge impact on people in Port Charles.. and this time Rafe, make sure you don't mess up!"



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With a bright smile formed at her lips, Alison's dream was clearly filled with such happiness.. but as the alarm clock rang out in an annoying uproar, she was once again hit with the harsh reality that her dream would stay as it was.. only a dream. She shot up in her bed, covering her ears with a pillow, while reaching for the "snooze" button. Throwing the covers over herself, and to the side, Alison stepped out of bed and approached her vanity... she wondered to herself continusly how she was even able to make herself look good in the morning, and the answer was simply the same everytime... a nice, hot shower; beauty products.. and designer clothes. Putting on a mendacious smile, ...Alison proceeded to pull out an outfit, while heading towards the bathroom for her usual, refreshing morning shower.

No more than twenty minutes later, Alison exited through the bathroom and back into her bedroom with a huge, white bathrobe wrapped around her naked body and a white towel firmly wrapped around her wet, blonde hair. Approaching between her bed and vanity, she released the towel from her head, proceeding with the bathrobe.. she slipped into a matching pair of black underwear, followed by her favorite pair of light blue, "Mudd Stretch Jeans". Pulling the jeans up to her waist, she bent down towards her bed and grabbed her "Glitter Rainbow & Butterflies" Muscle Tee. Pulling the tank top over her head, she followed to place her favorite white, double zip hooded sweater over herself. Approaching her vanity, she grabbed her brush; brushing through her blonde strands, before pulling her hair atop her head, and wrapping a tight rubber band around her ponytail. She applied hardly any make-up at all.. Alison had the kind of skin, where all she really needed was a small amount of liquid concelar and lip gloss.. and that was usually all she used. Finally, pulling on a pair of two inch high, leather boots.. Alison was ready, and out the door faster than anyone would be able to stop her and say hello.

Not realizing, nor caring where she was heading.. Alison soon found herself in the place of the "Port Charles Park". A place that she never cared to go, until she met Rafe. The park was the one, if only, place she and Rafe would spend most of their time together. Everything that Alison did with Rafe included only the two of them, since Jack and Livvie were good friends with Jamal.. they didn't feel right about hanging with Rafe. Not that Alison cared in the least, because at this point.. she had begun to realize that Jamal wasn't really worth the effort anymore. He wasn't worth giving up her friends.. her ambitions... her dreams... or even, her.. life. Of all the memories she held deep within her mind, the ones in the park.. with Rafe, were the ones dearest to her. Rafe was her best friend; he taught her what life was really about. He showed her things that would forever burn with passion to her soul. As confused as Alison was at this point about her feelings concerning Rafe, only one fact remained known to her.. as much as she missed Rafe and wished he with her.. she wished nothing but happiness for him, wherever he was.

Taken in by the view before her; Alison examined the once-white snow, which was now dying and becoming one with the earth's soil.. the dead trees and naked ground, which would soon come into full bloom; covered with beautiful green leaves and grass, not to mention beautiful flowers. She looked up to the stunning blue sky with tears in her eyes and a bright smile on her face. "I know, right now your probably having a hell of a time in heaven with your family and friends," she let out an inelegant chuckle before continuing. "but hey, I know your looking down on me, wanting to be here with me just as much as I do you, and as much as I wish that was possible.. a huge part of me knows that is never going to happen. It's just, I don't know.. since you left me, and well... Jamal left too, I've had alot of time to think about my life, and what has become of it, and, well... without you Rafe, I see nothing!" tears streamed rapidly down Alison's face as she shared her true feelings with Rafe, whom she believed to be up in heaven at that point. Smiling to the sky, she silently looked down and proceeded to leave the park.

Only moments later, as Alison wasn't paying any attention to where she was going, she collided head on with another person. Looking up, and meeting a pair of amazing, blue eyes.. her eyes sparkled with such happiness, and her smile revealed such a bliss. "Oh my god! It's you... you came back!" she wrapped her arms tightly around his tall figure, crying in his arms. "Dreams really do come true..." she whispered so quitely, that the man she was embraced to couldn't hear her heart-felt words. This had been the start of a realization that Alison would soon come to know as that 'Once in a Lifetime' kind of love.

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