Chapter 9

Song: "Heaven's All Around" – Paul Sorvino (The Devil's Carnival)

Lyrics used: "All my little troubles
Haven't got a prayer
Heaven's all around you
When you haven't got a care"

Sarah Levinson stepped out of the church with a deep sigh, a wide smile crossing her plump features. Today had been a rather successful day, if she did say so herself. The church's pamphlets were handed out without an incident, which was a nice change of pace. She wasn't very well known for being an easy person to get on with…not outside of the church's congregation, anyway. She hobbled to her blue run down DaeWoo and winced as she climbed in; her knee was acting up a storm today. While she knew that prayer would do the trick, she also knew that sometimes it needed a bit of a push. Sarah popped a fair amount of Ibuprofen into her mouth and swallowed it.

After a few moments of peaceful bliss, her cell phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey," came the sound of her husband's voice. Sarah smiled. Brandon always had a habit of calling at just the right moments.

"Hi. What's going on?"

"Well, I figured that after our successful afternoon, you and I could have a picnic in the field by my old man's old farm. The Lord has made a rather glorious day today. Whaddya say?"

Sarah's smile widened. Even at 49 years old, this man could make her feel as though she was in high school again. "That sounds lovely."

"Great. I'll meet you there. I love you!"

"I love you too. God bless!" With that, she hung up the phone.

Sarah drove through the small town in New Jersey, listening to her favorite Country station. Tapping her fingers along to the beat, she pulled into a local grocery store. She glanced up to see a teenage couple making out just outside the doors. Sarah narrowed her already squinty eyes and charged out of her car (as best as she could.)

"Excuse me," she snapped, her hands on her exceedingly wide hips. She tapped her small foot impatiently as the couple stopped their activities to look at her.

"Yeah?" the boy asked, his voice full of annoyance.

"Do you want to be seen as a whore?" Sarah asked, her question directed at the girl, who looked affronted.

"What?" the girl demanded.

"You heard me. Any of this…activity before marriage is a disgrace!"

"Look, lady," the boy said in a calm tone, "Just leave it, wouldja? This isn't any of your business."

"Heathens!" Sarah spat. Without another word, she stormed into the grocery store. She needn't have worried for those two…sinners. They would have their just reward in the end. Going through the aisles, she picked out a few 'side dishes;' A bag of chips here, a large bottle of soda there.

After making her purchases, she was pleased to see that the sinning teenagers were no longer outside the sliding doors. She checked the time. It was 7:45 pm. Sarah grinned as she tossed her groceries in the back seat and hurried to the deserted farm.

The farm was where Brandon had proposed to her, and where they sat on each of their 32 anniversaries. It was where they sat after church services and prayed for a child. Sarah had been diagnosed as infertile at the age of 20, but that meant nothing. The couple knew that if they prayed hard enough, they would receive a bundle of joy sometime. Tonight was one of the praying nights.

Sarah staggered out of the car and over to the usual spot, where Brandon sat waiting. When he saw his wife, he smiled. "There you are," he said, meeting her half way and pecking her lips. "I was starting to get worried."

Sarah waved his comment off. "As if I'd miss this." The couple walked to the laid out blanket and sat with a sigh. "Before we eat," Brandon said, "shall we pray?"

Sarah nodded. "Of course! It is because of Him that we're here!"

Brandon grinned. "Too true."

They bowed their heads.

"Dear Lord," Sarah started, "Please bless this food we are about to receive. Thank you for another beautiful day that you have created for your children. We also thank you for the blessing of life. Lord, we ask you to bestow upon us a child for whom we can nurture. We have waited so long, and have done so many deeds according to your word. In your name we pray. Amen."

After sharing their days' highlights, and feasting on turkey sandwiches, Sarah and Brandon now sat back, looking up at the skies.

"Sarah," Brandon said hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"We've been praying for such a long time," he continued, "Do you think we will ever receive a child?"

Sarah glared at him. "Do you doubt His plan?"

"Of course not! I'm…just unsure of—"

Before he could continue, there was a loud boom. They both looked up to see a strange funnel cloud forming in the distance. "Tornado?" Sarah asked, looking at her husband warily. Brandon shrugged as he stared on.

Suddenly, a small something fell from the funnel cloud. Instantaneously, the funnel cloud vanished, revealing the dark starry sky that had been their previously. Sarah and Brandon shared uneasy glances.

"What…do you think that was?" Sarah gasped.

Brandon shrugged again.

"D…do you think we should go see?"

Without answering, Brandon stood, holding out his hand for his wife. Sarah grasped it graciously as they trekked across the field to where they'd seen the whatever-it-was fall.

As they edged closer, they were intrigued to note the strange pattern that had manifested onto the ground. Stepping a bit closer, Sarah gasped.

"Brandon, look!" She pointed at a heap on the earth. Brandon squinted, and then let out a long breath. There, lying on her side was a girl. She was severely bruised and had a few cuts.

"Is it an angel?" Sarah breathed. Brandon cautiously bent down to push the girl's shoulders, revealing her face. "Oh," Sarah sounded disappointed, "She can't be an angel. She's far too plain."

Brandon bit his lip, holding back his disagreement. He didn't think that the girl was that plain. Her medium auburn hair was matted against her pale oval face. Overall, it looked as though she just needed a shower.

Suddenly, his wife gasped. "Brandon! Do you know what this is?"

Brandon blinked. "Uh…"

"This is the answer to our prayers!" Sarah answered, not bothering to hear her husband's answer. "God has sent us a child!" She fell to her knees and gazed upwards. "Thank you, Heavenly Father!"

Brandon held back a skeptical look.

"Come, we must take her home!" Sarah said bossily, rising to her feet with great struggle.

"Sarah, perhaps we should take her to the hospital."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I suppose so. Fine."

Brandon lifted the girl with ease and headed back to the farm.

"What did you say her name was?" the nurse at the front desk of the hospital asked. Brandon and Sarah had brought the girl here, and were now stuck in the waiting room while the doctors examined her.

"We don't know her name," Sarah said rudely, "We've told you this one thousand times over!"

"Ma'am, if you don't calm yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the nurse said briskly, not looking up from her paperwork.

"Darling, why don't you go sit down," Brandon said calmly, "I'll be over in just a moment."

Sarah glared at the nurse, and with a huff doddered to an empty seat.

"We didn't get a name," Brandon answered the nurse's question, "We found her in a field about an hour or so ago."

The nurse sighed. "Fair enough. Would you and your wife like to be in the room with her?"

Brandon hesitated. "I suppose so. Would that be wise?"

The nurse shrugged. "It'd be up to the doctor, but I'm sure that girl would like to know who helped her out."

"Maybe we'll just wait for the doctor to say so, then."

"Sounds good. I'll letcha know what's going on."

She awoke with a start, taking in her surroundings warily. The walls, floor, even the beds were blindingly white. The Girl sat upright, her brow furrowed in confusion. Where was she?

"Well, hello!" a kind voice exclaimed.

She looked toward the doorway to see a middle aged man. She noted that his coat was the exact same shade of white that surrounded her. He must have seen the guarded look she gave him, for he held up his hands in defense. "No need to worry, I'm not here to hurt you."

After observing him a bit more, she relaxed a bit. "Where am I?" she asked.

"You're at the hospital. A very nice couple found you in a field just outside of town."

She nodded as the doctor sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her with great curiosity. "Now, can you tell me anything about, maybe, how you got there?"

Her eyes shot upward as she tried desperately to recall any kind of memory at all.

"No," she answered slowly, "I cannot say I remember anything."

The doctor jotted this down on a clipboard. "Can you tell me your name?"

She once again tried searching her memory for something; anything. But she came up blank, something she noticed with a start. She couldn't remember anything about herself. "N-no…I-I do not remember."

The doctor looked perplexed. "You don't?"

She shook her head. The doctor rose from the bed.

"We'll run some tests, to see if you've gotten concussed." He went to exit the room, but she stopped him. "Wait," she called, "Could you send the couple in that helped me? I would very much like to thank them." The doctor gave a small smile and nodded, continuing his route down the hall.

As the Girl waited, she fiddled with the baggy gown that they had put on her at some point. She didn't like it. She then glanced back at the clothes that hung on the chair. Was that what she'd been found in? She ventured out of the bed and to the chair. Taking the fabric in her hands, she hoped that it may stir some memory as to who she was. She continued to fold the fabric over in her hands. Nothing.

"Knock, knock," the doctor's voice once again filled the room. The Girl looked up to see two people behind the doctor, looking at her curiously. The man was rather tall and gawky. His graying hair fell over his forehead and rectangular-rimmed eyeglasses surrounded his dark eyes. The woman was in great contrast to her husband. She was short and stout and had rather mousy hair that fell to her large shoulders. Her face was contorted into an expression of distaste, as though she smelled something particularly putrid.

"This is Mr. and Mrs. Levinson," the doctor explained, "They're the ones who found you."

"Thank you for finding them," the Girl said with a small smile. She turned her attention to the Levinsons. "Please come in."

They entered cautiously, as if afraid that a sudden movement would set her off. They stood awkwardly a few feet from the door.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you have done," The Girl said, walking back to the bed, still fidgeting with the fabric.

"Oh, it wasn't anything any self-respecting Christian wouldn't do," Mr. Levinson chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. The Girl looked to the woman, who was studying her with a critical eye.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Levinson demanded.

This took the Girl aback. "I…I'm afraid I do not know," she answered, "I'm rather curious to find that out myself."

"How did you end up in that field?" Mrs. Levinson asked sharply.

The Girl shrugged. "I know as much as you do. Maybe less, in fact."

Mrs. Levinson's eyes narrowed even more, if it was possible. The Girl got the feeling that Mrs. Levinson didn't like her very much at all.

The doctor checked his watch. "It looks like visiting hours are nearly over," he said, "If you'd like, you can come visit her tomorrow to see how she's doing."

Mr. Levinson looked at his wife, who furrowed her brow.

"We may come back in a few days," she said coolly, "If we have the time."

The Girl was a bit put out, but gave a bright smile anyway. "Thank you again for what you've done," she said, hoping she appeared to be friendly and outgoing, rather than revealing how nervous she was.

"It's really no problem," Mr. Levinson said, smiling.

Mrs. Levinson nodded. "You're welcome," was her short reply. Without another word, she walked out of the room. Mr. Levinson followed her, calling, "Sarah! Wait!"

The Girl and the doctor exchanged a look. "Well," he said after a moment, "I'll go see about getting those tests ready."

Just like that, the Girl was once again left on her own.

Author's note: Hey, guys! I just wanted to give a huge "thank you" to everyone reading this. It seems like a bunch of you are liking it so far, which is awesome!

Another quick thing: I know that this is a Loki/OC fic. However, you guys are gonna have to be a little more patient, as Loki won't be showing up for a few more chapters. Until then, there are going to be a fair amount of familiar characters to hold you over.

Anyway, again, thank you guys so, so, SO much for reading!