Vincent sat beside the young man for hour after hour. While sleeping, the young man mumbled in his sleep quite a bit about someone named Chester, but most often his voice took on an intense, fearful tone and he spoke of someone named Lucifer. Vincent spoke calmly to him in those moments, not sure as to what he should do to alleviate the young man's obvious suffering. He took to reading Great Expectations aloud, also enjoyed by Catherine, who had stayed Below at Vincent's request. He did not want her to leave until he could walk her home himself. He had not liked the idea of a strange man with unknown intentions following her to her house. It just couldn't end well.

Sometimes, Vincent read from memory, allowing his eyes to stray from the written page to gaze at his soulmate. She sat on a blanket by the door, her back against the wall, watching the sleeping patient. Her hair was tumbling into her face, and he could not see a clear view of her features, but their special bond allowed him to sense the concern she felt for their visitor, and also to feel the gentle comfort she was drawing from the peaceful solitude of the familiar tunnels. This Lucifer fellow had scared her pretty badly. He could tell that the moment she ran into the chamber. He had not seen such fear in her dark eyes for a long, long time. He could also sense that she didn't buy a word of the devilish stranger's story. Vincent paused in his recitation and reflection as Father entered the chamber quietly, moving to check on the unconscious young man, laying a hand on Catherine's head as he passed.

He spoke in almost a whisper. "Catherine, my child, how do you feel?"

She glanced up at him, confusion crossing her face, then she recalled her wild charge into the tunnels and smiled wanly. "Much better now, thank you Father. You have been very kind."

He smiled and nodded, checking the stranger's forehead for a fever. "Mary is bringing up a bit of dinner in a few minutes, child. Why don't you join Vincent and I?"

She returned the smile, thinking of how not long ago he did not approve of her entrance to their world, but now he acted as if she was his very own flesh. She nodded in return. "That would be lovely, Father. Thank you for the invitation. Afterwards, Vincent, I really need to go Above. We have a hearing on a case tomorrow and I have to be there."

Vincent frowned, his pensive gaze fixed on a place in the corner. "Catherine, why don't you stay here tonight. I feel uneasy about you going Above."

Catherine turned to look at him, and although she appeared as if she would argue, she really couldn't deny that she did not especially want to go back Above tonight. So she nodded once, and leaned back against the wall. Father saw this and turned from his examination. "No, no, both of you, go eat. I hear Mary with the food now."

"Father! Vincent! Tea is here!" Came Mary's kind voice. Father chuckled and called back.

"We will be right down, Mary!"

Father held out a hand to Catherine and helped her stand, passing her hand to Vincent, as he had come to stand next to them. "Take the lady down and get a good dinner, the both of you. I will be down shortly."

Vincent fixed keen eyes on the older man, laying his hand on the firm shoulder and spoke in a hushed tone. "Will you be okay, Father?"

Jacob studied his son's face for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Yes. Take her down and rest a little."

Once alone in the white chamber, Jacob sat down next to the young man. He was surprised to see the dark eyes were open and looking straight at him.

"Hi."

Father hesitated. "Hi -?"

"Jason." The young man gazed calmly at the older man with a gentle smile. "And you are Jacob Wells."

Father frowned, the hair on his spine standing on end. "How do you know that?"

Jason turned his face away and sighed. "You won't believe me."

"I still want you to tell me."

The young man slowly turned his face back to Father and smiled again. "Really?"

"Really."

"Help me sit up first, I am getting a terrible cramp in my neck craning to see you like this."

Father moved quickly to help, chagrined that his internal doctor mode always overrode any common sense he had. Before he realized it, he had helped the young man into a sitting position, propped up with various pillows and blankets. He did not miss the pain that flitted across the bruised features and was quickly masked by another bright smile. "Much better."

"Go ahead," Father replied, getting back to the task at hand. He had a feeling he was about to be in for the craziest story he had ever heard, and he was not disappointed.

"My name is Jason. I am an angel in the Kingdom of the Almighty. I am a guardian Angel. When people on Earth are sick, in danger, or distressed, it is the job of the Guardian Angel to fulfill the wishes of the Almighty. Sometimes He orders us to stand in the gap for them between Life and death and protect them from harm. Sometimes when they are sick and very weak, He requests that we escort them across that gap and bring them to Paradise. That is a special place He has reserved for the weary to recover a little and one day all be united together into one big happy family. The Almighty wishes no ill will on anyone on Earth, and He is aware that their parting will cause those remaining much sorrow, but ultimately He wants everyone to join Him and knows that their arrival is more joyous than any other event we have in the Kingdom. He does allow those that have passed over the gap to walk among their loved ones. They are invisible, which doesn't help matters much, but sometimes their presence is felt. Some clever ones are able to become visible to their loved ones as a bird or butterfly. I love to watch those interactions. I am still learning all about the job of the Guardian, and thus, I did not have my wings. My teacher, Chester, was a well studied Guardian, and he was teaching me how to cross the Gap safely and gently when I am returning with one the Almighty has called home in my arms. The first time that I went, I was sent to a troubled elderly man that had lived a life of terrible suffering. He struggled with a heart condition all of his life, and something those on earth call diabetes? Anyway, I came for him, and he was so ready to go to peace. His wife was terribly broken up about it, and was begging him not to go. It was quite sad. But life had tormented him enough, and we knew she would soon follow him, and her sorrow would be forgotten. I stepped through the gap with Chester, and we met Lucifer there. He stood by the bedside, tormenting the poor wife with worries and fears, although she couldn't see him. See, he is an angel of darkness. His kingdom is full of hate and fear and cruel desires. Lucifer saw us and snarled at us, and I knew we only had a moment. The man could sense death was there, and he was struggling against it. Chester stood between Lucifer and myself, and I spoke to the man, and calmed his fears, and told him that the Almighty was calling him, and he turned and spoke to his sorrowful wife, and said "Helen, the angels are here now, I have to go." Those words calmed her own fears, and I picked up his spirit and we took him. Lucifer followed us the whole way, angry and petulant that we had been sent to retrieve him. He knew that he could not go against the words of the Almighty. But he is the enemy of those the Almighty loves. I know he is after me. I heard Catherine speak of him a while ago. See, he can try to win me to his side, as I am now mortal with a free will. I must resist him and he will flee from me. But if I get weak, and lose that vision of where I belong, then he can snatch me away and there will be very little hope of my ever coming back to my job. If only I had stayed away from the cloud fringe, I would be on a mission right now. There is an old lady in Times Square that will be called tonight. I heard Chester speak of it before I fell. He will have to come for her alone. Lucifer will be there too, for she will be robbed and killed. He will attempt to snatch her away. I must go to her!"

He threw back the covers as if to leap to his feet, but in his dazed state at the story he had just heard, Father managed to grab his shoulders. "Jason, no. You couldn't possibly! Your knee is crushed and you can not walk on it!"

The look of despair in the young man's face caused Father to amend his phrasing quickly. "By yourself. I will have Vincent accompany you."

Jason frowned. "He can come, but he can not alter the future."

Father swallowed hard. He knew that meant that Vincent could not 'rescue' the woman. "Try telling him that."

Jason gazed calmly at the elderly physician. "I mean it, Jacob. The Almighty has spoken. This lady will be diagnosed with leukemia next week if we do not bring her home tonight, and she will become devastated and sorrowful and become easy prey for Lucifer. Better to take her now."

Father rubbed his face. What on earth had he gotten himself into? He pinched his arm, watching as the skin reddened beneath his fingers, and stinging tendrils of nerves yelled at him to release them. He looked up into the kind young man's face and sighed. It wasn't a dream. He really was talking to a man who claimed to be an angel.

Thank you all for the views! Thunderhoof, you are such a gem! Thank you for your support. Will be shooting you an email tomorrow, got a ton of Christmas party stuff to do today...hugs to all!