Chapter 4

Elvira Fitzherbert Whittington stared out across the heavens. She couldn't ever imagine seeing something so beautiful in all her years. Maybe that's why Mr. Starz had this beautiful window situated in his office. This was where he could keep an eye out for all those souls who hadn't yet made the journey up here. Heaven was truly a lovely place after all.

It wasn't the first time she had been here. It was more like the eighth or ninth now and it always involved the same thing; namely Eugene Fitzherbert, aka Flynn Rider, the wanted thief. Mr. Starz always gave her the same speech; simply that he needed a miracle. Her grandson was thieving again and it had to stop. After all, the Keeper of Heaven didn't send an orphan boy her way to end up like this, did he? She would need to go back down there and reform him; teach him the error of his ways. You know, sort of like a guardian angel.

Or maybe like in Cinderella, she corrected him. You know, like a fairy godmother? After all Cinderella had been her favorite fairy tale.

Mr. Starz had stared at her as if she was crazy. There were no fairy godmothers in Heaven he told her shaking his head. Angels, Elvira, guardian angels. She shrugged her shoulders. No matter what the position was called, she wouldn't do it. How would it work, was she really ready for all this responsibility? She told him no and walked out of the office every time he brought it up. Now she was starting to feel guilty. She thought she raised this boy differently. Didn't he remember about the bank? Didn't he remember his promise to her; that he could make something of himself; that he didn't have to rob and steal? Why she already felt guilty that she hadn't come forward to take care of the boy in the first place.

Was it her pride or had she'd been so ashamed because her husband had been a thief as well? She hadn't known anything about it, not until she read in the local papers that he had been killed running away from the authorities. It had been 10 years since Samuel walked out her. Her 14 year old son, William, left her 2 weeks later to join the Royal Guards. She'd never seen him again after that, learning from an article in the paper that the new Captain of the Guards, William Fitzherbert had married the Queen's Lady in Waiting, Elizabeth. She threw the paper down in disgust and cried herself to sleep. She saw the baby announcement in the paper so she knew they had a son. She had even been brave enough to ride to the castle so she could at least have a small peak at what her grandson looked like.

By this time, she had married again, this time to a local handyman named Thomas Whittington. The two lonely souls struck up a friendship and married two months later. He died of pneumonia 2 years later, leaving her alone again to take care of the farm. This time though, Tom left her enough money to live on. She was always afraid to tell Tom about her former life, much less about her children who never came to visit.

Elvira was lucky enough to see her son and daughter in law from a distance playing with 2 year old Eugene right on the castle lawn. Even then he was handsome and looked just like his father. She wanted so badly to rush over there and say hello, but she hadn't the heart to do it. She wasn't sure how long she was there when she saw William pick up his head and stared in her direction. The smile on his face turned to a frown as he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out just who it was staring his family.

Elvira should have looked away, but didn't, hoping against hope a miracle would happen. She wanted him to run over to him and show off his family, but it never happened. All he did was stand up and motion to his wife and son to stand up with him. With one last look at his mother, he ushered his family back to the safety of the castle walls.

With tears in her eyes, she made her way back to the farm and never went near the castle again. A year later she read that Captain William Fitzherbert and his wife, Elizabeth died of pneumonia. The son, Eugene had survived and that they were looking around for a relative to leave him with.

Elvira never came forward to claim him. It wasn't until she caught the 8 year old asleep in her barn that she even put two and two together. Even though he went by the name of Flynn Rider, there was no mistaking that face, the same sweet face as her son, William. She couldn't bear the thought of returning him to the orphanage, so she made up her mind. She would finally forgive her son and raise Eugene as her own, never letting on who she really was. He helped her out and even paid him for his services, although he'd put up a fuss. She made him take that money to the bank and put it in; making sure that he took care of his future. When he wouldn't do it, she did it herself.

She had known she wouldn't live forever and now here she was, waiting for Mr. Starz to show up and lecture her again. No, she said, shaking her head, not this time. This time she would accept his proposal and become Eugene's guardian angel or fairy godmother or whatever it was she was supposed to be.

It was then the door opened and Mr. Starz entered the room. He closed the door behind him and headed toward his desk. Elvira turned around and watched as he sat down. She leaned over his desk, placing her hands on the polished wood. She waited until the Keeper of Heaven picked up his head and looked her in the eye.

"Yes, I'll do it," Elvira said, before he could open his mouth. She smiled and straightened up, then turned and headed for the door. It wasn't until she closed it behind her that Mr. Starz stood up. He walked to the window and watched as she spread her newly formed wings and took off towards Earth.

"Good girl," he said, watching her disappear from his view. He would do what he promised though. He'd keep an eye on both of them. This time, he'd make sure everything would go smoothly this time around.