"The Kindness of Strangers"

Chapter 3

"Make A Wish"

When Gabriel came out of the bathroom, he found Lucifer gleefully tormenting the cruise director.

"Come on, Terry," Lucifer crooned. "Come sit on my lap, you pretty little thing." His eyebrows went up. "You know you want to."

"I'm afraid that would be inappropriate, sir," Terry said in the smooth but firm tone of one who was accustomed to dealing with sometimes difficult guests.

"Inappropriate?" Lucifer echoed, grinning lasciviously. "Of course it is! I'm all about inappropriate!"

"Leave him alone, Lucifer," Gabriel said, grabbing an apple danish from the breakfast cart.

"Oh, but just look at him, Gabriel – he's beautiful!" His pale blue eyes flicked in Doctor Langford's direction. "Isn't he, Roger?"

The doctor didn't reply, and Lucifer laughed.

"I wish they alllll could beeee California boyyyys…" Lucifer sang, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at the doctor. The human gave Lucifer a look but otherwise didn't respond.

"Don't you have stuff to do?" an exasperated Gabriel asked.

Lucifer grinned. "Ah, there's that subtlety again," he said, rising to his feet. Suddenly, faster than any human eye could follow, he was right in front of Gabriel. "Are you sure you really want me to leave?"

"You know the answer to that."

Lucifer chuckled. He reached out and wiped a bit of apple filling off of Gabriel's lower lip.

"Sweet," he murmured, licking his finger.

Gabriel stared at him for a long moment. "Come home with me," he finally blurted out.

Lucifer's eyebrows went up. "Why, Gabriel… are you propositioning me?" he asked coyly, batting his eyelashes.

Gabriel was astounded that his meaning had been so misunderstood. "What are you, insane?" he asked, and then held up a hand. "Wait. Don't answer that."

"Ah… you still haven't given up hope, have you?" Lucifer asked sadly, and Gabriel realized that the other angel hadn't misunderstood after all. "But I'm a hopeless cause, and you do love those. How could I have forgotten that?"

"You forgot a lot of other stuff," Gabriel said with a shrug. "So why not that too?"

"Oh, but you're wrong, Gabriel," Lucifer said softly, moving even closer so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. He reached out and gently smoothed down a feather that was out of place on Gabriel's right wing. "I remember all of the important things," he assured him, preening another imperfect feather with nimble, practiced fingers.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed and he twitched his wing away from Lucifer's reach. "Stop that."

"I remember what it was like to sit at His left hand," Lucifer continued. "And who's sitting there now? Let me think." He put a hand on his chin as though deep in thought. Suddenly he brightened like a person remembering something important, but his voice turned bitter. "Oh yes, that would be you, wouldn't it? So I guess you got what you wanted when you helped Michael kick me out."

"You know that's not how it happened." Gabriel said in a low voice.

He suddenly realized that he and Lucifer had a rapt audience of four humans who were hanging on their every word. In fact, Father Xavier was actually scribbling furiously on a piece of Carnival stationery, taking notes.

"You know… Lucifer… maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now," Gabriel said meaningfully.

It took a moment, but finally Lucifer's eyes lit with comprehension. "You could be right," he mused. "What is it these monkeys say? Oh yes… little pitchers have big ears."

"Something like that," Gabriel agreed, meeting Lucifer's eye. "But I want you to know one thing: I may be the most exalted of all angels now, but I've always been second best, second choice."

Lucifer looked surprised, but said nothing.

Gabriel looked at Maureen. "Parents aren't supposed to have favorites, are they?" he asked suddenly.

She blinked. "No, of course not!"

"But they do… don't they?" he pressed.

She blushed. "Sometimes… things can be… difficult. You know?"

"No, I don't," Gabriel said. "But The Boss does." He turned his attention back to Lucifer. "You've always been the favorite. Even now, it's – " His voice broke off and he turned away. "You could come home, Lucifer. All would be forgiven."

Lucifer sighed. "Too much water has gone under too many bridges, Gabriel. Even if I wanted to, well…" He shrugged and left the rest unsaid. "Besides, I like my life," he said lightly. "No one tells me to clean my room or make my bed. No one tells me to eat my vegetables. And no one – "

"No one loves you," Gabriel finished bluntly.

"Price you pay for freedom," Lucifer said with a shrug.

"I don't want that kind of freedom."

"All right, Gabriel," Lucifer agreed softly. He grasped Gabriel's shoulder and pulled him around to face him. "I'll be on my way."

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah." He kissed the side of his hand and pressed it to Lucifer's cheek. "See you around, brother."

Lucifer put his hand over Gabriel's, turned his head and kissed it before releasing it. Finally he moved away and shook his head. "No you won't." He turned his attention to the cruise director. "Terry," he said, his voice changing, brightening. "How about giving me a tour of this fine sailing vessel?"

Terry glanced at Gabriel, looking very apprehensive. "Oh…gosh… I don't know if that's such a good idea – "

"Go ahead, take him," Gabriel said with a wave of his hand. "It'll keep him out of trouble."

"That's right," Lucifer agreed. He looked down at the priest. "I came here under a white flag. That means while I'm on this ship, my people are leaving your people alone. No whispering temptation in their ears, no blighting crops, no spreading disease and despair… none of those kind of things."

"You're lying," Father Xavier said automatically.

"No – he's not," Gabriel said. "That's what a white flag means: cease fire."

The priest looked flabbergasted. "So right now, there's no evil in the world?"

"Only the evil that your kind make all on their own," Lucifer said. "And there's plenty of that, isn't there?"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with you," Father Xavier said grudgingly.

"Excellent!" Lucifer exclaimed happily, clapping his hands. "We agree about something!" He leaned over and grasped the priest's arm, pulling him unwillingly to his feet. "You can come too," he decided, and glanced slyly at Gabriel. "Help keep me out of trouble."

"Why am I starting to think this is a really bad idea?" Gabriel asked no one in particular.

"Come on," Lucifer was saying, taking the priest's arm and steering him towards the door. "Let's go to the pool and look at all the pretty girls!" He hooked his other arm through Terry's, still moving, still talking. "And the pretty boys!" And with that, they were out the door.

"Thought they'd never leave," Gabriel muttered as the door closed.

Maureen exhaled explosively and crossed herself. She tried to pray, but couldn't; instead, she put her head in her hands.

Gabriel took a mug from the dessert cart and poured out some coffee from the carafe. "Here," he said, offering it to her. "You look like you could use some."

She looked up at him, surprised. "That's very kind, thank you."

"Have a doughnut, too," he continued, pressing one into her free hand. "They sent enough to feed a whole choir of seraphim."

"Gabriel," Doctor Langford said quietly.

"Yeah, you have some too," Gabriel agreed, pouring out another cup of coffee. "Here."

"That's not…" The doctor sighed and took the coffee. "I want you to know that I don't… ah… lust after you. You're my patient, and it would be entirely inappropriate for me to – "

"Aaaah, who listens to him?" Gabriel asked dismissively. "You think I believe half the stuff Lucifer says? I don't think even he believes half the stuff he says!"

Doctor Langford looked relieved.

Gabriel sipped his coffee and finished off his danish. "And besides, I know your heart just as well as he does. Better, probably – because I'm not always looking for the worst in everyone… or for some kind of weakness to exploit."

"What did he offer you, Doctor Langford?" Maureen asked suddenly, looking up at him. "In exchange for your soul?"

"I don't think I want to answer that," he said rather stiffly.

"Must've been a doozy, then," she said, sipping her coffee.

"Yes," the doctor agreed quietly, looking down at the coffee cup in his hand. "It was."

"So," Maureen said, setting her cup down on the table. Her voice took on a bitter edge. "I guess we've discovered something else the priests are wrong about."

Gabriel took another danish, grabbed his coffee mug and hopped up to perch on the back of the armchair across from the sofa. "What's that?" he asked.

For a moment she was so astounded to see him perched there like a giant bird that his question didn't register. "Oh," she finally said. "About the homosexuals… that they're all going to Hell." She looked up at the doctor and smiled. "If it were true, he'd not have bothered with tryin' to bargain for your soul; he'd already have it, wouldn't he?"

Doctor Langford blinked. "Yes…" he said slowly. "I suppose you're right."

"So," she said, sounding satisfied. "They're wrong."

"And that makes you happy," the doctor observed. "Why is that?"

Gabriel watched this exchange with interest, not interfering. It was almost as though they'd forgotten he was there.

"My oldest child… you've not met her. She's… well, she's sick, and the priest told me I was bein' punished – for marryin' a Jew… and for havin' a child that wasn't my husband's."

"My goodness," Doctor Langford murmured. "You're full of surprises, Maureen."

"I was already pregnant when I met Ben," she said. "So it's not what you're thinkin'. I was seventeen and unmarried, and my parents shipped me off to New York to live with my aunt and uncle, so no one would know. I was to have the child and give it up – but instead, I met and married Ben." She sighed. "They've never forgiven me."

"Their loss," Doctor Langford said quietly.

"And that's how I became Maureen O'Connor Finkelstein," she said, holding up her left hand to show her gold ring. "And you'll never find an odder name than that!"

Gabriel smiled. "I think it's a good name," he said – partly because he truly thought so, and partly just to see her blush. "And you lost your faith in the church…"

"Please forgive me, Saint Gabriel," she whispered, crossing herself.

He cocked his head at her. "For what?" he asked curiously.

"For losing faith – "

"What? In the church? The church isn't God… no matter what some of the people in charge might think. In fact, I was on my way to the Vatican when I got whacked on the head. You got a new guy in there and The Boss wants me to set him straight on some stuff."

Maureen was so astonished by this news that she couldn't even begin to address it.

"Sometimes people need a little reminder of who's really in charge," Gabriel continued.

"Yes," Doctor Langford said thoughtfully. "One doesn't see many burning bushes or pillars of fire nowadays… I suppose it's easy for some of the higher-ups to forget that the church isn't all about them."

"Exactly," Gabriel agreed. "The Boss looked down and saw some stuff going on that He didn't like and decided a wake-up call was in order."

As if on cue, the phone rang. Doctor Langford went to the desk to answer it.

"And you're the wake-up call," Maureen said, smiling. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah. But don't get me wrong – I'm not gonna show up raining down fire and destruction. I'm just supposed to talk to the guy."

Maureen nodded. "Oh, that'll be enough!"

Doctor Langford concluded his brief conversation and hung up the phone. "That was your husband, Maureen."

"Oh?"

"He wanted to know how things were, and if it was all right to stop by – your daughter Brigid is quite worried about Gabriel and wants to see him." He smiled at his unlikely patient. "I told him that I think you're up to having visitors."

"Yeah, that's fine," Gabriel agreed. "I really do have to take off soon, though. When'll I get my clothes back… and my trumpet?"

Doctor Langford looked at his watch and shrugged. "Any time now, I'd imagine. We sail in a few hours." He thought for a moment. "We're headed for Rome, you know. You could just stay on board."

"How long?"

"We'll arrive early Sunday morning."

Gabriel frowned. "And today's…?"

"Tuesday," Maureen supplied.

"Are you kidding? I can't hang around – on a cruise ship! – for five days when I'm supposed to be delivering an important Message! The Boss'd have my head on a plate!"

The doctor shrugged. "Well, it was only a thought."

"I doubt it," Maureen said suddenly. "The bit about your head on a plate, that is. If He didn't have Lucifer's head on a plate, He'll have no one's!"

"You got a point," Gabriel admitted. "Anyway… you know… it's just an expression."

She smiled at him. "I know." There was a knock at the door. "Probably Ben," she mused, rising to answer it.

A moment later, Brigid came skipping into the room. When she saw Gabriel perched on the chair like a bird, she came to a sudden halt, her mouth making a silent "O" of surprise.

"Hi," Gabriel said, smiling down at her. "Did you have fun at Camp Carnival this morning?"

She frowned. "How did you know I was at Camp Carnival?"

"I know everything," he told her, and she nodded solemnly.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," she said earnestly.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Me too."

She was quiet for a moment. "Going on a cruise makes people better."

Before Gabriel could ask what she meant, the dark-haired man from the night before was there.

"Hello again," he said. "I'm Ben… Maureen's husband."

"Yeah, I remember," Gabriel said. He surprised the other man by extending his hand as a human would have done. "Nice to see you again."

"Sure," Ben said faintly. He had never thought he'd shake hands with the angel Gabriel. "I brought your towel," he finally said, holding out the neatly folded bloodstained beach towel.

"Oh… thanks. Just put it down somewhere, I guess."

"I'm going down to the Purser's Desk to check on your things," Doctor Langford told Gabriel. "All right?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, Roger – thanks!"

"Where's Margaret?" Maureen asked as she sat down on the sofa with Ben.

"Asleep," he replied. "She was out all night with some kids she met."

Maureen frowned. "Doing what?"

Ben shrugged. "Dancing, I think." He smiled sadly. "She said she had fun, and that's what counts. Right?"

Maureen nodded silently.

Brigid got herself a pastry from the breakfast cart and sat down in the armchair near Gabriel's. "You look like a bird," she suddenly announced.

"Brigid!" Maureen scolded, mortified.

"Well, he does!" Brigid protested.

Gabriel shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I do. It's the wings, right?"

"Uh huh. And how do you sit like that without falling?" the child wanted to know.

"Dunno… I never thought about it."

"Well, I couldn't sit like that," she told him. "I'd fall over!"

"I have good balance," he said with a smile.

"You sure do," Ben agreed, eyeing Gabriel. "I've never seen anyone sit like that!"

"Are you sure she was all right?" Maureen asked, obviously picking up a previous conversation.

"Yeah, Honey, she was fine," Ben said, sounding a bit exasperated. "She's sleeping, OK?"

"So she was tired," Maureen worried.

Ben rolled his eyes. "You'd be tired too if you'd been out dancing all night!"

Brigid caught Gabriel's eye. "When we get to Rome, Margaret will be all better. That's why we came on this trip."

Gabriel frowned, for he knew that nothing on Earth would make Margaret better. "Did they tell you that?" he asked, gesturing at her parents, who were still discussing the other child.

"No. I figured it out all by myself. She got to make a wish, so I made one too. I wished that she'll be better… so she will. She got her wish, and I'll get mine."

"Ah," Gabriel said, not really understanding her logic.

"There's a group called Make-A-Wish," Ben explained. "They grant wishes to… ah, kids in need." His eyebrows went up significantly. "You know. Special kids."

"Yeah," Gabriel said, understanding. Clearly, Maureen and Ben didn't want Brigid to know the whole situation.

"Margaret wanted to go on a big boat," Brigid put in, gesturing expansively. "And this is her wish."

Gabriel suddenly realized that Maureen was watching him, her green eyes bright with tears. "Saint Gabriel, would you do something for me?"

He thought he knew what she was going to ask, but she surprised him.

"Would you pray for Margaret? Would you ask God to heal her?"

"Yeah, I will," he promised, and she smiled and wiped her eyes. There was a knock on the door and she rose to answer it.

"I've got your things, Gabriel," Doctor Langford announced. He had a bundle of clothing covered with plastic draped over one arm and was carrying a shiny trumpet in his other hand.

"That's great!" Gabriel said, standing and jumping down from his perch. "Now I can go see that guy – thanks a lot!"

The doctor smiled. "Any time."

"Did you see Lucifer and his new pals?" Gabriel wondered, taking the laundry from the doctor and setting his trumpet on the coffee table.

"Yes, actually I did," he replied, smiling. "They're in Piano Man, having the time of their lives. Did you know Lucifer plays the piano?"

"Yeah, I did," Gabriel said with a little laugh.

"And he seems to know every song ever written – he's got quite a crowd in there, and he's taking requests!"

Gabriel just shook his head, smiling.

"You love him, don't you?" Maureen said quietly.

Gabriel was shocked. "What? Lucifer?"

"Yeah, Lucifer."

He began to protest, but she just gave him a look. "Yeah, OK, I love him," he finally admitted. "He's my brother."

She nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Look, I'm gonna go change," he said. "And then I gotta take off."

"We'll be sad to see you go," Maureen said.

"Thanks, Maureen."

He went into the bathroom to change.

When he came out, he was gratified to see the humans staring at him in awe; clearly he once again looked the part of Messenger of God.

"Wow, you look like a real angel now," Brigid said, as though reading his mind. "Like you'd see in a painting."

"Thanks, Kiddo," he said, patting her head.

He went to the nightstand and began gathering up his belongings; a little bottle of blessed oil, an ornately calligraphied Bible, and a small dagger. He quickly secreted these items in interior pockets of his long dark blue brocaded cloak. His silver chain link belt was sitting there too, and he picked it up and looped it around his waist, then glanced up at the mirror over the bed.

"Perfect," he decided, smoothing down his cloak. "Now I just need my trumpet – "

"Here," Brigid said, appearing by his side and offering the instrument.

"Great," he said, taking it and attaching it to his belt. "How's that?"

She nodded her approval. "Yeah, just like a painting of an angel!"

"I have to agree," Doctor Langford put in, shaking his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes!"

There was a knock at the door and the doctor went to see who it was.

"So you're leaving now." Maureen said, standing. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, gotta go. You know how it is." He reached out and grasped her hand. "Thanks for everything, Maureen. You were a great nurse!"

She blushed deeply. "I was honored to help you!"

Doctor Langford walked over with a teenage girl following shyly behind. "Gabriel, this is Margaret," he said.

Margaret's green eyes widened and she crossed herself. "Saint Gabriel," she murmured under her breath.

She looked much as her mother had at that same age, Gabriel mused. Except that her mother hadn't been almost translucently pale… and her mother had had a thick head of coppery red hair. Margaret, on the other hand, wore a multicolored scarf tied around her head, left bald by futile medical treatments.

"It's good to meet you, Margaret," Gabriel said, smiling. "You almost missed me… I was about to take off."

"You're God's Messenger," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yeah, that's me," he agreed.

"Will you give Him a message from me?"

Gabriel cocked his head, studying her. "Sure," he finally said. He was as curious as everyone else present what this message might be.

"Tell Him I'm not afraid," she said. "Not anymore… not since I saw you."

Gabriel nodded once. "Yeah, I'll tell Him." He opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside into the bright Mediterranean sunlight. He stood there for a moment, letting The Word fill him… and he suddenly knew why Jones had knocked him on the head.

He turned back. "Maureen," he said.

She came forward, looking puzzled. "Yes?"

"Make a wish," he said softly.

"I don't – " she began.

"Ben will dance at her wedding," Gabriel told her. "I promise." He kissed two fingers and waved his hand at Margaret. "Shhh."

The sunlight became bright, overpowering. The humans squinted, looking away from the brilliance.

When they could see again, Gabriel was gone.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The song "California Girls" belongs to the Beach Boys.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a real charitable organization dedicated to granting the wishes of terminally ill children. Do a Google search for their website – it will make you cry.