-- Thanks to Darkness Takes Over for reviewing the last chapter, and sorry about the little bit of a gap in between . I promise, this story won't fall through the crack. I swear it'll be updated until the end in a clean and orderly fashion, no brakes longer then a week or two... ANYWHO, basic message; I know nothin' 'cept what I own. Enjoy!

P.S... Anyone know where Isabel is from? C'mon, guess! --

Satan sighed as she approached the portal to the gates of Heaven.

God, that misogynistic son of a bitch, granted it to her to use in cases of dire emergency... of course, she couldn't pass the threshold into Heaven. She had to relay messages through angels, before he finally let one of them take her to him... pitiful... and all this, just because she tried to overthrow him, jeeze... hold a grudge, much?

She sighed, now, standing at the gates. She spotted the doorbell, a red button so large one had to press it with both hands, and did so. An angel, breathing heavily and with his clothes torn, appeared behind the gates.

Satan smirked. "Michael... you're looking good... been working out?"

"Holy war," he sighed. "What's your purpose here, Lucifer?"

"I go by Satan this century," she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, state your business."

"I need to have a discussion with my brother..."

"That's not enough and you know it!"

"It involves returning a favor..."

"A favor," Michael questioned. "Is this about that social worker?"

"Yes and no," Satan was growing grumpy. "Now would you relay the freaking message to God so I can get in there, or what?"

Michael shook his head, not trusting Satan at all, but spread his wings and flew to the ends of Heaven where God kept his layer. Satan waited patiently, the whole ordeal taking about a half an hour, before Michael finally came back, agreed, and gave her a lift.

The layer of God, the very pit of Heaven, shined so brightly it was blinding. God's layer was made entirely of marble and gold, and seemed as if it had been carved up from the very earth in build. It was huge and spacious and littered with angels and servants of God. Real flowers and plants grew all around like miniature jungles scattered in the room, and a humongous painting one would have titled "Ode to the Lord" was the very ceiling.

Satan grimaced and snapped a pair of sun glasses on over her eyes, before crossing the room to her brother, her heels making slow, sexy clicks against the marble floors, when she was not passing over the lush, cream-colored carpets.

God was a jolly-looking fellow. A big boy around the stomach (he'd always been that way) in a robe made entirely from spun gold, with medallions and other necklaces and bracelets and rings cloaking all his limbs. His hair was as long as Satan's, through a pure white, and he had a long gray beard. His eyes were warm and brown and seemed very wise, generous, and kind.

Satan thought he looked like a damned gardener or baby sitter, or maybe friggin' Santa Clause... it was a gag! Couldn't the guy have any style, any zest? Whatever, that wasn't what she was here for...

She stopped just before the steps to his throne, setting her hands on her hips and eyeing her brother wickedly. "So... long time no see, ah?"

"That is not why you came, my sister," God replied, all-knowing like and stuff.

"No shit, Sherlock," Satan scoffed.

God rolled his eyes, thumping the end of his staff against the ground a couple of times. "Get to the point!"

"You remember that social worker, Annie Brown, which got sent to me on accident?"

"All too well..."

"Yeah, well, I need you to return the favor."

God was silent for a long moment, pondering, and studying Satan's face. Of course, he knew he couldn't trust her... filthy demon! Trying to overthrow him, then creating Hell and sin... obviously, they weren't very close siblings.

"I must admit I do not trust you," God told her, and she replied the same reference to Sherlock. He shook his head. "But I do owe you... What is it you want?"

"Gabrielle Jenks," Satan replied, nodding. "I want her soul."

God narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"None of your fucking business!"

"I can't give her to you unless you tell me why you need her..."

"You owe me!" Satan shot back, glaring at her brother. "I could have kept that sniveling do-gooder and made her suffer for all eternity but no! I returned her to her rightful place... not exactly sure why, maybe I was feeling generous that day, maybe I had a nail appointment and didn't want to deal with, whatever! The point is, you owe me, and I want you to pay up... pay up, and you'll never have to hear from me again. You get that, bro?"

God, again, paused to think. Finally, he came to a conclusion. "Annie Brown was meant to go to Heaven. Gabrielle Jenks is not meant to go to Hell."

"Yeah, well, I think she is..."

"Explain yourself!"

"Gabrielle Jenks was a close friend with one of my demons," Satan informed, giving up her secrecy. "He wants her back... and if he's not happy, I'm not happy. No, he doesn't want to torture her! He's demented, you know? He thinks the bitch is his daughter..."

God blinked several times. "Is this the truth?"

"You're damn straight it is!"

Again, God paused to think. "... Do you believe the girl would be willing to go back to Hell with you, to be with you demon?"

Satan shrugged. "I don't know... probably, given the option. She's kinda demented, too; so she kinda thought he was her dad, too..."

One last time, God paused to think. "... Alright, I will strike a deal with you."

"Go on..."

"I will give this child, Gabrielle Jenks, the opportunity to choose. I will call the angel that's with her and tell him to bring her here. You can tell her your side and I can tell her my side, and then we'll see what she wants, and that's what she'll have..."

"Fine," Satan agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Bring the bitch in."

God nodded, and a phone appeared. He picked up the received, and dialed a number, before waiting for Gabriel to pick up... and with that, the final act of faith in Ginny's life was set into motion.

xXx

Meanwhile, on Earth; the funeral had finished three hours ago. Kris was home, safe in the warmth of his house bringing a little color back to his cheeks. The misery of the rainy day, coinciding with his friend's burial and morbid plans for vengeance against a decades-old dead guy, had put him in a bit of a slum...

He'd stayed in his room since he'd gotten home, lying on his bed staring off into space with the music blaring. His mind was far away, too far away to come back when his mother came in and tried to cheer him up with sweet home made food(s) before leaving and saying something to his dad – he heard muffled through the door – about 'a shrink if this kept up', and obsessed with dark affairs of how and when and where...

He only vaguely heard the doorbell ring, as if it was from some place far away. He, honestly, didn't give a flying fuck... he heard his mom's voice yell up to him, but ignored it. It didn't matter... what could she say that could possibly help, anyway?

She persisted, but he only even vaguely heard her the first time. She stopped, and there was a very long pause, before he distantly acknowledged the soft sound of a woman's footsteps coming up the stairs. He, naturally, assumed it was his mother, and gave it no thought.

The steps ended at his door, and were followed by an even set of knocks. Again, he paid them no mind; thinking he may have weakly muttered, "Go away..."

His mother, or whoever it was, obviously either ignored his wishes or did not hear him. One was just as likely as the other... the knob turned – slowly, hesitantly – and the door came open with a low, drawn out squeak like a crushed scream.

"Kris?"

Wait... that wasn't his mother's voice! He looked up, and was greeted with the most pleasant surprise since Ginny dropped the bombshell that she'd known Freddy all along.

"Riley?" he gasped, sitting up and looking.

Yes! Yes, indeed, it was his old friend Riley! She stood there, her long auburn hair held up in the messiest bun ever known to man with the bangs brushed aside but still trickling for her make-up smeared green eyes. She was dressed in a light blue ribbed tank top, jeans, and a studded belt.

Kris met Riley in third grade, back in the town he'd come from. The other kids picked on her because her mother was a nut in an asylum. Kris felt bad for her, so he became her friend... in the years to come, they'd learn that they had a lot in common, and become very close friends... until he moved, and he hadn't seen her since.

Now she stood before him, a god damn vision in the pit of darkness! He jumped to his feet and embraced her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, through shaking voice, nestling his head into the crook between her shoulder and neck.

"I heard about Donny," she answered, cautiously. "I came as fast as I could. I... I thought, maybe, you needed me."

"How long are you staying?"

"Until I'm sure you don't need me anymore... your mom already said I could stay in your guest room."

Kris nodded, against her tender flesh. "Thank you... thank you..."

xXx

Back up in Heaven, they'd passed the relatives section, and were moving slowly on through the halls of all things Ginny, of her very existence.

Things she'd lost as a child were stored in rooms to be seen again. Pets that she had loved and lost or that had passed on were in another room, waiting for her to play with them and feed them and pet them once again. She spent quite some time rolling around on the floor in that room...

They were walking down the hall, then; heading to another one of the halls various rooms, when Ginny stopped and turned to a window. The shades were rolled up just a bit, and it was emanating a soft blue light.

Gabriel realized she wasn't walking with him anymore, and turned to see her pull up the shade completely. Her eyes scanned the room, slowly... there were dozens of people within, and it all seemed as if they were under water, through getting by well enough. Most of the faces, she didn't recognize... until she spotted one.

"Hey, that's my cousin Isabel!" she gasped, pressing her hands against the glass. She looked back at Gabriel. "I didn't know she was dead. Can I go in and see her?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my dear..."

"Why?" Ginny asked, pressing her face up against the glass... she didn't notice Mei in the far corner, having a civil conversation with Kristen Parker.

"Because they're out of out reach," Gabriel said gravely.

"Why? Are they in Hell? I mean, certainly not Isabel..."

The Goth girl, dressed all in black with black hair and skin as white as snow, stared back at her blankly. It occurred, vaguely, to Ginny that Isabel couldn't see her, then... but why? What was going on here?

"No, that's not it. They're beyond Heaven and Hell... they've been taken by demons."

"Demons?" Ginny looked up, her eyes very worried, and suddenly appear sick. "Oh no... like Freddy, you mean. Freddy killed them all, didn't he? That's why they're in my hall!"

Gabriel nodded, solemnly, eyeing his shoes. Ginny shook her head and turned back to the window, touching it more gingerly now, sorrow aching in her heart again... he fault... all her fault... part of Freddy, part of the kill.

But as they were both having their moment of silence, a phone appeared against the wall. Gabriel looked up at it as it began to ring, causing Ginny to jump half way out of her skin. Gabriel picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he paused for a very long moment, and his eyes went through various changes in emotion and appearance, and he nodded every few moment. Finally, he nodded one last time. "Yes, my Lord; right away."

He hung up the phone and turned to Ginny. "We've got to cut this tour short, I'm afraid. God himself bids me to bring you to his quarters immediately."

"Why?" Ginny asked, her grey eyes as wide and round as dinner plates.

"I mustn't say," Gabriel answered. "I dare not... but come with now. The sooner you do, the sooner you will discover the nature of this business..."

Ginny sighed and walked over to him, grumbling something about how stupid the damn mythical creatures are because they always have to speak in damned riddles and such. She took his hand, but he embraced her.

"Hey! Hey! Personal space violations! Get out of my comfort zone!"

But the archangel ignored her. His bright, powerful wings spread out, and began to beat, lifting them off the ground. Ginny was silenced by the magnificence of this display. He raised them through a hole that appeared in the roof just before they passed through it and closed just after they had.

She was greeted with the true appearance of Heaven. Angels with every stage of wings galloped merrily through the tops of clouds in garments of crisp white silk and spun gold. Some played instruments, some ate tremendous feasts, others played childish games, and some danced. In the distance, she saw a great castle made entirely of glittery gold and marble... God's layer, and their destination.