I realized that I made a terrible mistake in the last chapter. When
Kathleen is mentioned, I really mean Monique, not Kathleen.
"Wake up Zoë, were here."
"Where?" Came her irritated reply.
"Dublin, Ireland."
Zoë looked out the window of the airplane. Her tired eyes scanned the city below
her. She sighed.
"I haven't been here in such a long time! Actually I haven't been to Europe in quite
a while either. This is so exciting."
"Are our assignments that family that you told me about?"
"Yes. I am anxious to see how they've been since I last saw them."
"Do you think they'll remember you?"
"I certainly hope so, I wouldn't see why they wouldn't though."
"What happens if they don't remember you?"
"Then maybe we will be more effective."
"They need an angel, they sound really, really confused."
"They are. Believe me they are."
"At least we know they won't know me!"
"That's true, I never thought of that. You know Zoë, alcohol does strange and
terrible things to people."
"Is that why Angels never drink it?"
"It most certainly is."
Tessa sat at the top of the stairs, in her angel form, and watched the guests who had
just arrived. There was something that she didn't like about one woman in particular. This
woman actually kind of scared her. She had short black hair, and wore a leopard shirt and
skirt with a long leather jacket, leather boots that went all the way to her thighs and fishnet
tights. Not to mention the small chain, hanging across her waist and a necklace that looked
more like a dog collar than anything else. There were so many reasons why this woman was
creepy. Tessa sensed that there was something not right about her before she even saw her,
may be this woman was their assignment. Tessa listened carefully to the conversation the
woman was having with Tess. Of course! Of course the woman's name was Monique! Of
course! Maybe this was just a coincidence. Maybe this wasn't really Monique, but just
in case, she quickly prayed for protection. The ultimate test would be if this woman
could see her in her Angel form. If she could, it had to be Monique. After all, this woman
was clearly no angel. As the woman walked upstairs, she looked directly at her. Their eyes
met but the woman did not seem to notice Tessa.
"Well, Zoë, this is it."
"So this is the same Ireland that I have been hearing about for all this time! It isn't at all like I imagined it would be!"
"That is because we are in the city. Where we are going will look much more like what you have heard of."
"Good, because I was beginning to wonder..."
"Gloria??" Someone called form behind them. Gloria turned around to find an old friend standing there.
"Mary!" She said as they hugged. "How have you been?"
"We are wonderful, what brings you to Ireland?"
"Your our assignment."
"Oh. I wasn't aware that we were in need of an Angel. Oh well, if something goes wrong it'll be great to have you around! Where's Monica, Andrew, Tess and Tessa? Oh, and who is this?" She asked referring to Zoë.
"Well, Andrew and Monica are having their vacation in California, and Tess and Tessa are on assignment somewhere in the western United States, The Napa Valley, I believe. And this is Monica and Andrew's daughter Zoë who was born about a year after we last saw you."
"Hi Zoë, it is nice to meet you."
"You too."
"Well, the two of you are welcome to stay with us. After all, we are old friends, and your assignments. Plus any Angel of God is always welcome at our house!"
"Thank you Mary!" Gloria accepted.
Tessa didn't have much to do, as their assignments had gone to town that night. Tess promised to do something with her after she finished her paperwork, but Tessa thought this might take quite a while. So Tessa passed the time by reading a book of Shakespearian Sonnets and stories. She was currently on Romeo and Juliet and she was perplexed by the fact that Shakespeare had written just about every line of the entire play in ten syllables. She was fascinated by the fact that each of these, such lines were crafted into such meticulously fine detail. She thought that maybe this detail she had just discovered was the thing that made Romeo and Juliet so popular, and not the age-old plot. It wasn't really an original plot, she'd seen it quite a few times in her casework, and she was only fourteen. May be it was that William Shakespeare had been this first or among the first to write a story with this plot. She did not know, all she knew was that she was sick of Shakespeare.
Suddenly Tess entered the room.
"What are you reading?"
"Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. Honestly I am kind of bored with all of it."
"I met Shakespeare."
"You did? I mean I knew you knew a lot of famous people, but Shakespeare! Was he really weird, because he seems really weird."
"He was not the most normal man I have ever met, no."
"I knew it, anyway, what do you want to do?"
"I think that I would just like to talk."
"What did you and your Mom used to do?"
"Talk. Sometimes we would draw. I like to design clothes."
"Really, can I see?"
"Sure, actually, I have some of them right here." She said as she handed Tess her collection of drawings.
"These are really, really great Angel Baby!"
"Thank you! You know, if I were a human, that's one of the things I might want to be."
"Well, you would certainly be good at it! Although, it certainly is a worldly profession for an Angel!"
"Yes, but I said if I were human."
"That is true." Suddenly they heard a flood of laughter pour into the lobby.
"I guess they are back. Oy Vey! I needed sometime before I began this!" She said as her head fell back on to the couch. Tess laughed.
So far Ireland was the strangest place that Zoë had ever been . Sure she was an angel and was bound to no country, but she spent most of her time in America. In fact, she liked to think of America as her earthly home. And now she was kind of getting homesick. But she didn't want anyone to ever find this out. There were so many things in this country that were different than in her own. The money was different, the people were defiantly different! It was a type of thing that she had never experienced before, ever.
"Zoë, Zoë, earth to Zoë, are you ok sweetie."
"Um, just jet lag I guess!"
"Ok. Well you can sleep soon."
Zoë and Gloria were going to Mary's house in the North of Ireland, which Zoë was relieved about because Northern Ireland, (as she heard), was part of the United Kingdom, and she thought that the United Kingdom would be a little more like the United States. Even so, Zoë was excited about spending the week on a goat farm and excited about her new assignment. It made her feel older, like she'd be helping, not just tagging along. She missed her parents though, in fact- she really, really missed Tessa!
Once again, Tessa sat in her angel form watching the creepy woman. She and her friends were incredibly drunk. To Tessa is was incredibly sick, in fact, she thought that it was going to make her sick, so she left the room as quickly as possible. However, the next morning, it was required that she brought tea to the creepy, drunk woman. She knocked.
"Come in came a voice." Tessa went in.
"Good morning, here's your tea." She said, sitting it down on the bedside table. She turned to leave.
"Oh, no,no,no..stay, for a while if you could!" Tessa agreed as she sat down next to the woman and they began a long conversation.
After some length of time, Tessa realized that an hour or so had passed. 'Oh, no,' she thought, 'Tess is going to kill me!'
"I better be going." She announced.
"I would be glad if you could join my friends and I on the lake later."
"I'll see if I can, I'd love to. Anyway, I really have to be going now!" She said as she ran out of the room and was about ready to slide down the banister when Tess caught her.
"Do you remember what I told you about banisters?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," she said as she ran down the stairs instead.
"Where have you been?"
"With Monique."
"Good."
"Anyway, she invited me to go on a boat with her and her friends, may I?"
"Why of course, she's your assignment, isn't she?"
"Oh, thank you!"
"Where is everybody?" Gloria asked Mary when they got to the farm.
"It's just me and Abby now. One of my brothers is in the British Royal Navy and the other is a Professor at Oxford. Abby is was just engaged last night, and I am getting married next month."
"Congratulations! What are you going to do with the farm?"
"Abby and her husband are going to stay here. I am moving to London. Anyway, would the two of you help me feed the goats?"
"Yes." Zoë answered proudly and excitedly.
"Ok, then come on."
Tessa was on her way to the lake to meet Monique and her friends. When she got there she found no one around and figured that they must be late. She sat down on the dock and stared into the water. Suddenly, she saw a few figures around her and she turned around. It was then tat she saw Monique and her friends. Their faces hardly bared kind looks.
"Uh, hi." She said, trying not to sound nervous, even though she really was.
"Hi Tessa, how's your Mother?"
Monique had changed into her true self-right before Tessa's very eyes. Or, that is, she now was Monica's twin again. Three of her friends also turned back into their true form, but one who stayed the same, looked somewhat alarmed.
"It's you, I knew it! I knew it!" Tessa tried to jump in the water, but someone had her hands, and she couldn't get a way.
"What the bloody hell is going on here!?" Exclaimed the girl who stayed the same.
"That's exactly right Maggie, what the hell? You see we are Demons, and..."
"And don't go with them because God Loves You, and he wants something better for you than this, he wants you to share everything with him, to have a relationship with him, to bless you! Please, go run now!" the girl turned and ran.
Despite the fact that Tessa had the whole angelic glow thing going on when she told this to the girl who she though was perhaps her true assignment, Monique and her friends would not let her go. Instead they tied up her hands, placed her in the boat and they laughed.
Tess was working at the hotel desk when she heard someone come in the front door. She was positively delighted to see Sam. She smiled at her long time friend, but he did not return her smile. Instead, his face wore a look of seriousness and sadness. Tess knew that something was wrong.
"Tess, something happened." Tess did not want to hear, but she listened anyway.
"What?"
"Tessa..." her eyes grew bigger and more afraid when he said this, "was kidnapped. By Monique."
"Oh no, oh, no it ... it's my fault! She thought it was Monique and I kept insisting that it wasn't. But it really was, it really was." She said as she started to cry.
"It wasn't your fault! It is fine, this is her assignment."
"Wake up Zoë, were here."
"Where?" Came her irritated reply.
"Dublin, Ireland."
Zoë looked out the window of the airplane. Her tired eyes scanned the city below
her. She sighed.
"I haven't been here in such a long time! Actually I haven't been to Europe in quite
a while either. This is so exciting."
"Are our assignments that family that you told me about?"
"Yes. I am anxious to see how they've been since I last saw them."
"Do you think they'll remember you?"
"I certainly hope so, I wouldn't see why they wouldn't though."
"What happens if they don't remember you?"
"Then maybe we will be more effective."
"They need an angel, they sound really, really confused."
"They are. Believe me they are."
"At least we know they won't know me!"
"That's true, I never thought of that. You know Zoë, alcohol does strange and
terrible things to people."
"Is that why Angels never drink it?"
"It most certainly is."
Tessa sat at the top of the stairs, in her angel form, and watched the guests who had
just arrived. There was something that she didn't like about one woman in particular. This
woman actually kind of scared her. She had short black hair, and wore a leopard shirt and
skirt with a long leather jacket, leather boots that went all the way to her thighs and fishnet
tights. Not to mention the small chain, hanging across her waist and a necklace that looked
more like a dog collar than anything else. There were so many reasons why this woman was
creepy. Tessa sensed that there was something not right about her before she even saw her,
may be this woman was their assignment. Tessa listened carefully to the conversation the
woman was having with Tess. Of course! Of course the woman's name was Monique! Of
course! Maybe this was just a coincidence. Maybe this wasn't really Monique, but just
in case, she quickly prayed for protection. The ultimate test would be if this woman
could see her in her Angel form. If she could, it had to be Monique. After all, this woman
was clearly no angel. As the woman walked upstairs, she looked directly at her. Their eyes
met but the woman did not seem to notice Tessa.
"Well, Zoë, this is it."
"So this is the same Ireland that I have been hearing about for all this time! It isn't at all like I imagined it would be!"
"That is because we are in the city. Where we are going will look much more like what you have heard of."
"Good, because I was beginning to wonder..."
"Gloria??" Someone called form behind them. Gloria turned around to find an old friend standing there.
"Mary!" She said as they hugged. "How have you been?"
"We are wonderful, what brings you to Ireland?"
"Your our assignment."
"Oh. I wasn't aware that we were in need of an Angel. Oh well, if something goes wrong it'll be great to have you around! Where's Monica, Andrew, Tess and Tessa? Oh, and who is this?" She asked referring to Zoë.
"Well, Andrew and Monica are having their vacation in California, and Tess and Tessa are on assignment somewhere in the western United States, The Napa Valley, I believe. And this is Monica and Andrew's daughter Zoë who was born about a year after we last saw you."
"Hi Zoë, it is nice to meet you."
"You too."
"Well, the two of you are welcome to stay with us. After all, we are old friends, and your assignments. Plus any Angel of God is always welcome at our house!"
"Thank you Mary!" Gloria accepted.
Tessa didn't have much to do, as their assignments had gone to town that night. Tess promised to do something with her after she finished her paperwork, but Tessa thought this might take quite a while. So Tessa passed the time by reading a book of Shakespearian Sonnets and stories. She was currently on Romeo and Juliet and she was perplexed by the fact that Shakespeare had written just about every line of the entire play in ten syllables. She was fascinated by the fact that each of these, such lines were crafted into such meticulously fine detail. She thought that maybe this detail she had just discovered was the thing that made Romeo and Juliet so popular, and not the age-old plot. It wasn't really an original plot, she'd seen it quite a few times in her casework, and she was only fourteen. May be it was that William Shakespeare had been this first or among the first to write a story with this plot. She did not know, all she knew was that she was sick of Shakespeare.
Suddenly Tess entered the room.
"What are you reading?"
"Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. Honestly I am kind of bored with all of it."
"I met Shakespeare."
"You did? I mean I knew you knew a lot of famous people, but Shakespeare! Was he really weird, because he seems really weird."
"He was not the most normal man I have ever met, no."
"I knew it, anyway, what do you want to do?"
"I think that I would just like to talk."
"What did you and your Mom used to do?"
"Talk. Sometimes we would draw. I like to design clothes."
"Really, can I see?"
"Sure, actually, I have some of them right here." She said as she handed Tess her collection of drawings.
"These are really, really great Angel Baby!"
"Thank you! You know, if I were a human, that's one of the things I might want to be."
"Well, you would certainly be good at it! Although, it certainly is a worldly profession for an Angel!"
"Yes, but I said if I were human."
"That is true." Suddenly they heard a flood of laughter pour into the lobby.
"I guess they are back. Oy Vey! I needed sometime before I began this!" She said as her head fell back on to the couch. Tess laughed.
So far Ireland was the strangest place that Zoë had ever been . Sure she was an angel and was bound to no country, but she spent most of her time in America. In fact, she liked to think of America as her earthly home. And now she was kind of getting homesick. But she didn't want anyone to ever find this out. There were so many things in this country that were different than in her own. The money was different, the people were defiantly different! It was a type of thing that she had never experienced before, ever.
"Zoë, Zoë, earth to Zoë, are you ok sweetie."
"Um, just jet lag I guess!"
"Ok. Well you can sleep soon."
Zoë and Gloria were going to Mary's house in the North of Ireland, which Zoë was relieved about because Northern Ireland, (as she heard), was part of the United Kingdom, and she thought that the United Kingdom would be a little more like the United States. Even so, Zoë was excited about spending the week on a goat farm and excited about her new assignment. It made her feel older, like she'd be helping, not just tagging along. She missed her parents though, in fact- she really, really missed Tessa!
Once again, Tessa sat in her angel form watching the creepy woman. She and her friends were incredibly drunk. To Tessa is was incredibly sick, in fact, she thought that it was going to make her sick, so she left the room as quickly as possible. However, the next morning, it was required that she brought tea to the creepy, drunk woman. She knocked.
"Come in came a voice." Tessa went in.
"Good morning, here's your tea." She said, sitting it down on the bedside table. She turned to leave.
"Oh, no,no,no..stay, for a while if you could!" Tessa agreed as she sat down next to the woman and they began a long conversation.
After some length of time, Tessa realized that an hour or so had passed. 'Oh, no,' she thought, 'Tess is going to kill me!'
"I better be going." She announced.
"I would be glad if you could join my friends and I on the lake later."
"I'll see if I can, I'd love to. Anyway, I really have to be going now!" She said as she ran out of the room and was about ready to slide down the banister when Tess caught her.
"Do you remember what I told you about banisters?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," she said as she ran down the stairs instead.
"Where have you been?"
"With Monique."
"Good."
"Anyway, she invited me to go on a boat with her and her friends, may I?"
"Why of course, she's your assignment, isn't she?"
"Oh, thank you!"
"Where is everybody?" Gloria asked Mary when they got to the farm.
"It's just me and Abby now. One of my brothers is in the British Royal Navy and the other is a Professor at Oxford. Abby is was just engaged last night, and I am getting married next month."
"Congratulations! What are you going to do with the farm?"
"Abby and her husband are going to stay here. I am moving to London. Anyway, would the two of you help me feed the goats?"
"Yes." Zoë answered proudly and excitedly.
"Ok, then come on."
Tessa was on her way to the lake to meet Monique and her friends. When she got there she found no one around and figured that they must be late. She sat down on the dock and stared into the water. Suddenly, she saw a few figures around her and she turned around. It was then tat she saw Monique and her friends. Their faces hardly bared kind looks.
"Uh, hi." She said, trying not to sound nervous, even though she really was.
"Hi Tessa, how's your Mother?"
Monique had changed into her true self-right before Tessa's very eyes. Or, that is, she now was Monica's twin again. Three of her friends also turned back into their true form, but one who stayed the same, looked somewhat alarmed.
"It's you, I knew it! I knew it!" Tessa tried to jump in the water, but someone had her hands, and she couldn't get a way.
"What the bloody hell is going on here!?" Exclaimed the girl who stayed the same.
"That's exactly right Maggie, what the hell? You see we are Demons, and..."
"And don't go with them because God Loves You, and he wants something better for you than this, he wants you to share everything with him, to have a relationship with him, to bless you! Please, go run now!" the girl turned and ran.
Despite the fact that Tessa had the whole angelic glow thing going on when she told this to the girl who she though was perhaps her true assignment, Monique and her friends would not let her go. Instead they tied up her hands, placed her in the boat and they laughed.
Tess was working at the hotel desk when she heard someone come in the front door. She was positively delighted to see Sam. She smiled at her long time friend, but he did not return her smile. Instead, his face wore a look of seriousness and sadness. Tess knew that something was wrong.
"Tess, something happened." Tess did not want to hear, but she listened anyway.
"What?"
"Tessa..." her eyes grew bigger and more afraid when he said this, "was kidnapped. By Monique."
"Oh no, oh, no it ... it's my fault! She thought it was Monique and I kept insisting that it wasn't. But it really was, it really was." She said as she started to cry.
"It wasn't your fault! It is fine, this is her assignment."