THE VOICE WITHIN (2/4)

Al walked out the front door of Ultra Violet and looked at the young woman who was pacing back and fourth. "You know, you've been given a second chance – no! A second and third chance and you're screwing it up!"

Staring at the girl, he couldn't for the life of him think of who she was. "Do I know you?"

"Oh geez, and now I know where I get my stubborn streak from, Dad!" She stopped pacing and placed her hands on her hips.

"Gabrielle?" Al stepped forward to get a better look at the girl standing in front of him. "Is that you?" He looked into her eyes and found familiar green orbs greeting him.

"It's me alright." She confirmed.

"Wait, when I met you before you were a little girl." He was confused. How did this spirit and soul thing work anyhow?

"I can take on many forms. When we first met it was better that I was a young child." Gabrielle explained. "But now, Luna finagled me a pass and I'm trying to help you, so I need to be older. Don't give up, Dad. The day isn't over yet."

Al sighed heavily. He admitted to himself that a feeling of defeat had come over him a few days ago. "I don't know what else to do. Marcie doesn't love Michael."

"Don't you want me to be born?" Gabrielle stared at her father, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.

Cupping her face with his hands, he wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead. "Of course I do, more than anything." Feeling helpless, he wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her tightly. Her arms slid around his back, completing the hug. "But I don't know what else to do."

Gazing upwards, Gabrielle spoke to her father. "You have to listen to me when I tell you to do something."

"Not even born and you're bossing one of your parents around?"

Stepping away from him, she wiped at her cheek and sniffed. "If that's what it takes to get me born!"

"Why is your hair blonde?" He asked, remembering it had been red like Marcie's the first time they had met.

Gabrielle touched a piece of hair and grinned. "Dye job. Just one of the many things I'll end up doing that makes your hair slowly turn gray. You're going to have a field day with me."

"Oh, dear Lord." Al exclaimed. "You're going to a convent for school, complete with nuns in habits."

"No, no, no." She waved her finger at her father. "I am not! You need to remember the help I'm giving you here when I fail my first history exam."

"Don't tell me you already need a tutor!"

"Hey, don't knock it, you were the one that almost failed out of college until Mom saved your rear."

"How did you know that?" He searched her face for answers but found none. "That just happened this spring."

"I know. What do you think we do all day up there? Sit around playing video games?" Exasperated, she rolled her eyes at him. "We watch the living souls, duh."

With his arms folded across his chest, he spoke to her, his voice full of authority. "Just because you're helping me doesn't mean you can be a smart ass – I am your father, after all."

"Sorry, Dad!" Batting her eyelashes, Al realized he was already wrapped around her little finger.

"Wait, you said you knew about me almost failing out of college and that happened in the spring." Al scratched his head. He had more questions since his death and was never given any straight answers. "Why were you floating around up there or whatever it is you do since the spring?"

Gabrielle laughed at Al's question. "Oh, I've been around longer than the spring. I've been around since last fall. See, you and Mom were destiny – you were meant to be together. I was meant to be. All the pieces just had to fit into place."

Al looked down at the ground and smiled to himself. He had told Marcie that their souls were married and always had been. He just didn't realize how true that had been. "What about the part with me dying? Was that all part of the plan too?"

"Oh, no!" Walking over to him, she gripped his hand in hers. "That's where everything went all wrong. You and Mom were meant to be, that much I know. The stuff with you dying earlier – way, way earlier – then you should have, that confuses me along with this loaner body thing. Luna has tried to explain it to me but it's too confusing. If I was able to have a headache, I would have had a pounding one every time she started."

Thinking back to how Luna explained his situation to him, Al couldn't agree more. No straight answers were ever given and the information changed along the way it seemed. "Trust me, I know what you mean. I can't imagine what type of trouble you'll be going and getting yourself into." Al ran a hand through his hair. "I bet your teen age years are going to kill me."

"Like when I almost burn down the kitchen? Or the first time you catch me coming in late from curfew?" She chuckled at his sour expression. "My first boyfriend? Any boyfriend? You won't like any of them because they won't be good enough for me – or so you will claim."

"Of course not, no one will be good enough for my princess!"

"We're going to be butting heads, I know it." She shook her head in an affirming motion. "Just remember you owe me, got it, Dad?"

"Sure, princess." Shaking his head, he smiled and looked at his daughter. "So little missy, what do I have to do?"

"I have to go back in the club." Gabrielle giggled. Al had to just wait and Marcie had to open her heart and listen. Then everything would be right on track. "Just wait for my cue, Dad."

"Hey, you weren't drinking alcohol inside, were you?"

"Not allowed!" She pointed upwards to the clouds. "They're not that loose with the rules up there." Stopping next to the door, Gabrielle turned back to Al and smiled at him.

"I think my hair is already starting to turn gray and you're not even conceived yet."

"Remember, just wait for my cue. If everything works out the way I think it will, you'll be seeing me sooner than you think." She winked at her father, turned and then entered the club.

Walking back inside, she paused just inside the door and looked towards the ceiling. "Luna, Grandma, I could use a little of your magic right now." She whispered before heading off to do what needed to be done.

Waiting a few seconds before going in, Al thought about Gabrielle's last words and laughed out loud. What a little spitfire. She gets that from her mother. Smiling to himself, he headed back into to Ultra Violet to see what his daughter had up her sleeve. He hoped it didn't involve burning down Ultra Violet's kitchen.