AN: I don't own cool things, just Tzipora and my story.

ChApTeR 3

Bartleby and Tzipora finally touched down a few hours later. It was about eight o'clock at night.
Bartleby ached. He had never flown that far through Earth's atmosphere carrying another person.
She had somehow fallen asleep in his arms. She knew she was safe and secure there. He wouldn't
let her plummet through the night sky to the ground. He gently woke her up as he folded back and
hid his white wings. Tzipora yawned, stretched, and for a moment, forgot who Bartleby was and
where they were. "We're in California?"

"No, Nevada. Sorry, we couldn't make it tonight. I'm too tired. You hungry?" Tzipora nodded. "There's
a little diner about a mile that way. Hope you don't mind walking." As the two walked, they talked.
"I...I have to admit I had no idea what I was doing back there at that church. I never meant to kill
Loki. I love him. Just...something came over me. Oh, God." He fell to his knees, sobbing. Tzipora didn't
have the words to console him, so she knelt down next to him and let him cry on her shoulder. He
wasn't bad, no matter what Metatron said. He knew regret. "Tzipora, I'll never be able to forgive my-
self. Loki'll never forgive me. How can you even stand me right now?" A new wave of tears began.
She gently rubbed her hand up and down his back, quietly shushing him.

"It'll be okay, Bartleby. Sshh. Loki knows you didn't mean it. It seemed like you guys were very close.
Everything'll be all right." Bartleby pulled his head up from her shoulder, his eyes red. It hurt her to see
him so hurt. She placed a light kiss on his lips, then hugged him.

"Well isn't this sweet?" Azrael mocked. He had appeared out of nowhere, much like the Metatron.
Tzipora gasped. This man didn't have wings. He had horns. "Hi, Bartleby. What's up? Why aren't you
and Loki home yet?" Bartleby began to answer, but the demon interrupted him. "Oh, I know why. You
let your emotions get the best of you. You do realize that Bethany and the rest of the gang are on their
way here at this very moment, right? The Metatron tells them where you are at all times. Well, he can
as long as you're an angel. I suggest you lose the wings."

"Who are you?" Tzipora whispered.

"Me? Oh, I'm just a simple demon. Azrael's the name. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand as if to
shake hers, but then pulled it back. "Why didn't you kill those guys when you had the chance, B? Jay
and Silent Bob? They just killed me a few hours ago in the bar, and it was a tad painful. Lousy instrument
of God," he mumbled under his breath. "Anyway, Bartleby, you can go back any time you want through
that arch. Well, after you transubstantiate. Listen, I gotta go. Be careful."

"Yeah, later, Azrael," Bartleby sighed. With a small burst of flame, Azrael disappeared. "God, Tzipora, I'm
not sure I even want to go back to Heaven now. I don't know if Loki's even gonna be there. My life is so
fucked up right now..."

"Let's just go get something to eat, and worry about everything else later, okay?" Tzipora stood and pulled
Bartleby up with her. They finished their walk to the diner and had a nice dinner of hamburgers and
french fries.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, the pair had to deal with the problem of where they were going to stay for the night.
Bartleby suggested a motel, but the waitress at the diner said the nearest one was over ten miles away. It
was very dark out and they were practically in the middle of nowhere. They walked for a little while in
silence. Both were contemplating what had happened earlier. Both of their lives had gone from relatively
simple to horribly complex in a few minutes. And even though Tzipora didn't know Bethany and the
others, she coudn't help but feel she was betraying them. Finally, Bartleby spoke. He had quiet all through
supper. "I think we can make it sooner if I fly with you," he suggested.

"I don't wanna wear you out anymore. You've had a rough day," Tzipora said, wrapping an arm around
his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "But if you feel you're up to it..."

"I can do it. Ten miles isn't that far." So, once again, Bartleby cradled Tzipora's body in his arms and they
took to the air.

Glancing down, watching the darkened scenery flash by her, Tzipora remarked, "I can't believe you want
me to cut your wings off. Give up this to become human? Being human isn't that wonderful, y'know."

"I wanna be human so I can...well, you know."

"No, I don't know."

Bartleby sighed. "Angels don't have certain, um, organs. I wanna be able to show someone that I truly
love them by sharing a certain experience with them."

"Oh." Tzipora pondered over this for a moment. "Am I that someone you're talking about?"

"Maybe," Bartleby teased, leaning down to kiss her. His kisses were nothing like Tzipora had ever felt
before. They were so soft, but so full of passion. She absolutely fell in love with him, then and there.
Bartleby was her beautiful stranger, her mysterious angel.