Chapter 4
Chloe shook her head as she stepped up beside Trixie and Remi. "That's not possible. Both Jess and Dan are mortal just like I am."
"Were either of them a gift from my Father?" Remi glanced down at Trixie while she giggled and clapped her small hands together.
"What? No, I don't think so, but there's no way for me to know for sure. Jess died during childbirth, and Dan's parents never told any stories of having any difficulty getting pregnant unlike my Mom. Mom's always called me her miracle baby." Chloe smiled at the memory.
"That is because you are a miracle, and a gift for my brother."
"What are you talking about, Remi"
"Your mother is Penelope Decker is she not," Remi said, running her fingers down Trixie's back furling away her small wings.
"Yes, she is."
Remi nodded her beard then glanced over at her. "Many years ago, Amenadiel was tasked by our Father to come to Earth to bless a couple who had been struggling to conceive."
"How do you know that?"
"I was with Amenadiel when our Father gave him the task. He returned days later saying he had completed his task."
Chloe carried Rory over to the door, shutting it before walking over to the couch and sat down heavily on the cushions. "What does that even mean? How did he bless my mom? Is he my dad?"
Remi chuckled as she carried Trixie to the couch and sat down beside her. "No, Amenadiel is not your dad, Chloe. Being tasked with delivering a blessing is the easiest of our tasks. It requires nothing more than a simple handshake for the blessing to be passed from us to the intended recipient."
"Okay, that's a relief, but you also called me a gift for your brother."
"Yes, that is because you are."
Chloe waited a moment for her to continue. When she didn't Chloe raised her eyebrows slightly. "And…what does that mean, Remi? I wasn't around when this all went down."
"It means that when Father tasked Amenadiel with blessing your mother He was apologizing to Samael…Lucifer."
"I still don't understand, Remi. You need to start at the beginning and tell me what happened."
"Very well," Remi said, nodding her head. "When Samael was born he was tasked with helping our Father by bringing light to his new Universe that Father and Mother had just created in the same way you humans create these little ones," Remi said, smiling down at Trixie.
"Okay, so you're saying that your parents sexual encounter created the Big Bang which in turn created the Milky Way?" At her nod, Chloe bit her lip and leaned back against the couch cushions. "And you said before that Lucifer is the Lightbringer, so that means he created the sun." She glanced over at Remi before dropping her eyes to Trixie then to Rory. Her dark brown eyes sparkled as she smiled up at her. "He also created the stars in our night sky didn't he?"
"Yes, he did," Remi confirmed.
"Wow, that's amazing, but why was he thrown out of the Silver City? And how does any of this involve me?"
"Father gave His new creations free will, but for us angels we had very little choice in how we lived. Father had plans for each of us, and we could not choose to do anything else with our existence. Samael did not like being manipulated in such a way. He felt that if humans had free will then angels should also be allowed to choose how we lived our existence."
"And clearly God didn't agree with that opinion."
"No, He did not. He and Samael argued for millenia. In the end, Samael led a rebellion with several other of our siblings who agreed that all of Father's children deserved free will, and to not be manipulated by our Father. In Samael's opinion, free will should be bestowed on all of us, not just on you humans," Remi said, smiling over at her.
"What happened after Lucifer was defeated?"
"His twin brother Michael was tasked with banishing Samael from the Silver City. He bound his white wings, and threw him from the only home Samael had ever known. Without the use of his wings, Samael could not slow his descent or choose where he landed when he reached Hell. He fell into the darkest section of Hell landing in the lake of fire. Samael's wings were saved from being destroyed in the lake because of the strong binding Michael had done."
"Oh, my God, how did he survive that?"
"He was able to survive with our Father's help, although Samael has no memory of His help. Father was angry with Michael for throwing Samael into that section of Hell. But even with our Father's help, Samael was left permanently scarred. He is able to hide those scars now, and he calls them his Devil face."
"And that's why his eyes blaze with Hell fire when he's angry."
"Yes," Remi replied. "With the demons given to him by Lilith, Samael became the Lord of Hell. They soon learned the purpose of Hell when Abel arrived and demanded to be tortured."
"Why would anyone want to be tortured?"
"Guilt," Remi answered.
"I don't understand."
"It is your guilt that condemns your souls to Hell. And because of this overwhelming guilt the souls trapped there continue to relive those events that caused their guilt for all eternity."
"So, if I murdered someone and didn't feel guilty about it I'd go to Heaven? That's not right."
"No, the vile souls who commit such atrocities are condemned to Hell whether they feel guilty or not."
"And that's what Lucifer has been doing for all these years?" Chloe shook her head and sighed seeing Remi's sad expression. "He must have felt so alone and abandoned." Chloe's eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. "God felt guilty over what he'd done, so he had Amenadiel bless my parents in order for me to what…be his girlfriend in Hell?"
"No, your soul is pure, Chloe. When my sister takes you to be judged I have no doubt you will be welcomed in the Silver City."
"But Lucifer is banished from the Silver City, Remi. I'm nothing more than just another manipulation. Why is he being so cruel to his own son? I mean my life isn't my own. I was created for someone else."
"That is where you are wrong, Chloe. You may have been created to cross Lucifer's path, but your life is your own. Any and all choices you make have been your own. You have free will."
"So, we're going to eventually meet?"
"It seems you already have met, Chloe."
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. Is that why he heard my prayer to God when I was eight?"
"I do not know. Father is omnipotent and all knowing. Perhaps, he has seen what would happen if you and Lucifer met under different circumstances?"
"You mean like instead of meeting him when I was eight, even though I never saw his face, I meet him for the first time years from now?
"Yes, Father can see how different choices humans make change their future."
"So, in the original history I wasn't kidnapped or nearly died in a car crash, or anything that's happened to me?"
"Perhaps, but I have no way of knowing that, Chloe. Only my Father knows the answer to that question. Maybe he put someone in your path earlier than in the original history to change your ultimate fate."
"But doesn't that manipulate free will? He's changing something in order to get the desired outcome he wants."
"Yes, it manipulates free will, but your choices are still your own. All He has ultimately done is throw in a new obstacle for you to get around. How you do that is completely up to you."
Chloe's mind was spinning. "Okay, I'll think about all of that later. I have a more pressing issue right now. I've got to get to the bottom of how Trixie is a half angel."
"How do you do that?"
"I have to do an investigation into her past."
"But did you not say her mother and father are human?"
"Yes, I did," Chloe agreed. "It's time for a DNA test."
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why the hell do you want a cheek swab sample, Chloe?"
"I need it for the new daycare center," Chloe said, sighing.
"I'm not on either girl's birth certificate. Why do they need it?"
"Because I'm not Trixie's biological mother, Dan. If she needs a blood transfusion or something along those lines, they need to have a record of her biological parents. Jess is gone, but you are still very much alive."
Dan glared up at her from his desk. "The hospital would just type match her blood, Chloe. She's your daughter not mine. I'm not about to allow you to trick me into paying child support."
"Dan, Mrs. Bergstrom quit, and I have to work in order to support Trixie and Rory. This is the only daycare in the city that has room to take them both. Here's the contract. I'm not making this up," Chloe said, shoving the daycare contract in Dan's face.
After Remi left promising to return, Chloe had immediately begun researching daycare centers. She knew she'd need a legitimate story to convince Dan to agree to the mouth swab. She crossed her arms tapping out a rhythm as he read the contract in his hands. Five minutes later, he held out the contract toward her and sighed.
"Fine, I'll give you the swab. I still don't understand why you just can't put my name down on the contract as Trixie's father," Dan grumbled.
"Well, I asked them the same thing, Dan. They told me since you aren't listed as Trixie's father on her birth certificate, they needed biological proof. I think it has something to do with their funding. I don't know how it all works, but thank you for agreeing to do this, Dan. I really do appreciate it," Chloe said, taking the contract and handing him the swab.
"Yeah, whatever," Dan said, uncapping the swab. He swabbed his cheek then replaced the protective cap. He handed the swab back to her and dropped his eyes back to the case file on his desk.
Chloe secured the swab and returned to her post at the front reception desk. She'd already gotten Trixie's sample that morning before she fed her and Rory. Now, she'd simply have to wait until she got off to have them tested at another location. She trusted the lab techs at the station, but she didn't trust most of the other cops working beside her. She especially didn't like Malcolm Graham. He was a hot head and a dirty cop in her book.
"Hey, Decker, now that you're free of Dano back there how about I take you out one night?"
Chloe forced a smile glancing up from the report in front of her. "That's a sweet offer Malcolm, but I'm not ready to start dating anyone just yet. I'm focusing on my girls right now."
"Oh, yeah, I get it, Decker. Family is a very precious thing. Hold'em tight while you can cause in the blink of an eye they'll be gone just like that," Malcolm said, snapping his fingers.
Chloe's heart hammered in her chest. "Yes, I agree. They grow up so fast. Listen, I'm not trying to be rude, but I have several more reports to go over before I can leave for the day."
"Yeah, no, I get it. I'll leave you alone so you can get back to work."
"Thank you," Chloe said, watching him walk away.
What the hell kind of sick game was he playing at? She knew Malcolm wasn't talking about the girls growing up fast. No, he was insinuating something much more dark and sinister. Would he and his band of corrupt cops, which included Dan, actually try to kidnap the girls? If so, why would they do it? They all know she had no money, and her Mom wasn't as famous as she claimed to be."
Her gut was telling her the girls were in danger. Maybe not from the corrupt cops that surrounded her, but Malcolm had reawakened her innermost fear. Her Dad never caught the one or ones responsible for her kidnapping twenty years ago. He always believed there was a mastermind involved, but they were good at covering their tracks. He never believed the two babbling idiots they found in the forest were the ones behind it all.
She'd been gone for over twelve hours when her Mom discovered her bed empty the next morning. She never heard her kidnappers enter her room through her open window. They'd held her for two days when she was able to escape from them. But in all that time, they never said anything about a ransom for her until the night she ran. She learned once she was safely back home that her parents never received a ransom demand for her.
The one behind her kidnapping clearly had no intention of ever letting her go. But why was the biggest question currently on her mind? Why would they go to all the trouble of kidnapping an eight year old nobody? According to Remi, she was a gift from God, but the mastermind wouldn't know that…right? Well, her two girls were definitely not nobodies. If the mastermind never stopped watching her, then they knew about her girls.
She needed to get home…now. The rest of her reports could wait until tomorrow. Chloe signed off on the report in front of her, and filed it before slipping the rest of the reports into a file folder she dropped the folder into a drawer in her desk then headed for the time clock. She punched out before she passed by Malcolm, Dan, and Paolucci on her way out of the precinct. Their laughter followed her all through the building until she stepped into the elevator then outside.
Chloe jumped into her car and raced for the lab. She gave them both Trixie and Dan's samples, and even though she knew Trixie wasn't her biological daughter she included her own sample for processing. Mrs. Bergstrom had been shocked when she called her that morning, and told her she was letting her go. She'd told the girls they couldn't show their wings to anyone, but they were two years old. Accidents would happen. Mrs. Bergstrom had been very understanding and offered to babysit the girls whenever she needed her to.
She reached the beach house in record time. She threw the car in park and ran to the front door. Unlocking the door, she rushed inside to find Remi nowhere in sight. She checked the nursery and sighed in relief seeing both of her girls sleeping peacefully in their cribs. She stepped out of their room, shut the door, then turned around. She bit her lip to contain her scream as Remi's spear appeared at her throat.
"Oh, my Dad, Chloe, I am so sorry. I was not expecting you home this soon," Remi said, lowering her spear.
"I know you weren't. I got spooked at work, and I had to check on the girls. Have they been any trouble for you today?"
"No, I had no trouble once I called for Barachiel's help."
Chloe frowned and shook her head. "Who's that?"
"Barachiel is one of my many brothers, but he is a guardian over children. I could not bring any mothers from the Silver City, so I called on my brother's help."
"Are you sure that was a good idea, Remi?"
"Why would it not be, Chloe? He is a protector of children. He would never harm Rory or Trixie."
"And I'm very thankful for that Remi, but can he be trusted to keep the girls a secret? When you offered to be their protector I assumed you would be protecting them from more than just humans."
Remi sighed nodding her head. "You assumed correctly, Chloe. I do have several brothers and sisters who would want to do harm to the girls simply because they are Nephilims. Barachiel knows this, and I do not think he would mention the girls to any of the others. What is troubling you, Chloe?"
"I don't know. One of the other cops at my station didn't actually threaten me or the girls, but it sure as hell felt like a threat. And the person or persons behind my own kidnapping were never caught."
"And that fear for your girls is what brought you home?"
"Yeah," Chloe agreed. "Remi, is there anywhere you can take the girls so they'll be safe from both your siblings and from whatever bad vibes I'm getting here on Earth?"
"You are willing to be separated from your girls, Chloe?"
"Yes, if it will keep them safe from Malcolm. I can't be home with them during the day. And you weren't here when I walked in. I could have been anyone."
"I did not realize they would need to be watched so closely while they slept. I am sorry, Chloe."
"Remi, they're two. They could wake up from their nap at any time and get into all sorts of trouble without any adult supervision around to stop them. Toddlers are stealthy like that. If I allow you to take them into hiding, can you promise me you'll keep them safe?"
"Yes, Chloe, I promise I will keep these two Nephilims safe from all harm. Let us put this conversation of you being separated from these little angels on hold for now. Were you able to obtain your sample from the human male?"
Chloe couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her at Remi's word choice. "Yes, I was able to get a sample of Dan's DNA. I've already turned them all in to the lab. They promised to get me the results tonight."
"Do these lab techs not have a home they wish to return to?"
"Yeah, she does, but she owes me a favor, so I cashed it in." Chloe smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
"You sound so much like my brother in regards to his favors and deals."
Chloe frowned at Remi then snapped her fingers. "Oh, I get it now. A deal with the Devil right?"
"Yes," Remi said, nodding her head. "Trixie and Rory should wake up soon from their naps. I have dinner for them and you," she said, holding up a bag Chloe never saw her holding since walking into the house.
"That's very kind of you, Remi. Thank you," Chloe said, taking the bag and glancing inside. At the sight and smell of the wrapped sandwiches, Chloe's head snapped up and she gasped in shock. "Are these egg sandwiches?"
"They are, and according to your father they're a family tradition."
"They are," Chloe said, nodding her head. Tears filled her eyes before spilling down her cheeks seconds later. She didn't know how Remi was able to bring the sandwiches from the Silver City to Earth, and she didn't care as she carried them to the kitchen. She set them down on the bar, and pulled out a knife from the silverware drawer. She quickly grabbed her phone when it started ringing. "Decker," she said, setting the knife down on the bar.
"Hey, Chloe, it's Janet. Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"No, I'm just thinking about my Dad is all. Did you finish the tests already?
"Yeah, I ran the damn thing three times, and got the same results."
"What do you mean, Janet?"
"You were right about Daniel not being Trixie's father."
"Okay, thanks for running the test for me, Janet. I really do appreciate it."
"Chloe, don't hang up. I haven't told you yet what else I found."
"Okay, what else did you find?"
"The test came back with 100% certainty that Dan isn't the father, but it also came back with 100% certainty that you are Trixie's mother."
"What? That's not possible, Janet. I didn't carry her. Jess did."
"Like I said, I ran the test three times, and the result was the same each time. You are Trxie's biological mother. I gotta get going, Chlo. Have a great evening."
Chloe hung up the phone and stared into space for a moment. "This simply isn't possible…"
"What did you learn, Chloe?"
Chloe focused her blue eyes on Remi, and cleared her throat. "Dan isn't Trixie's father, but according to the test I'm Trixie's mother."
"Yes, you are."
"No, Remi…okay, yes I'm Trixie's mother, but according to the DNA test I'm Trixie's biological mother. Not Jess."
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
