Angel, part 9
Note: I don't mean to offend anyone's religious beliefs with this chapter. I enjoyed creating the concept of Abby's world, and whatever I say about other mentioned religions was written purely for fictional purposes.
Also, I lied when I said this would be the final chapter. It's gotten too long, so I split it into chapters 9 and 10.
Abby slowly walked up to Duff. She was careful as not to scare him, because he acted like a frightened little mouse about to run away. Her wings drew in, comfortably rested against her back and melted into her skin disguised as ink.
"Duff…" she spoke softly, calmly.
"Whut…te hell…are ye?" Duff mumbled. He had fear in his eyes and backed away the closer Abby got.
"Duff…"
"Eh said, whut te hell are ye?! Eh mutant?" Duff spat at that last word. He was disgusted. Of all the secrets to keep, mutation was not something he expected. "Eh've heard of tis bird-obsessed villain…are ye his freak experiment? Did DNAmy merge ye wit eh dove? Eh swan?" Duff expected that since she was keeping something from him, she wasn't perfect. "Eh always figured ye did sometin' wrong or it wus sometin' from yer past or…och eh never expected ye'd 'ave fuckin' wings!"
"I'm not a mutant." Abby shouted. She was offended by how disgusted Duff sounded.
"Then whut? An angel?" Duff joked, but when he saw Abby's expression, he had to laugh.
"Ha…an angel?" Duff laughed hysterically.
"I prefer the term guardian." Abby said lowly, yet sternly. Duff only laughed harder.
"Oh, eh mus' really be goin' insane now. Tha's it…yer nae really 'ere. Yer dead, an' ehm hallucinatin'. Or maybe ye really did grow wings an' now yer sayin' yer goodbyes before ye move on te the next world. No…maybe ehm dead, an' eh've gone te heaven! Hallelujah!" Duff continued to laugh. He seriously thought he had gone insane. That's what it felt like.
"Don't make fun of me."
Duff didn't seem to hear her. He just couldn't stop laughing. He felt like he lost control of his mind and was losing his hold on reality, and he was floating up into a void where he would be lost forever. Abby brought him down to Earth with a strong slap across his face.
Duff held his cheek and looked at her. Her cold expression showed him that she was offended and upset. She was serious. This was reality.
"Eh guardian angel? Eh fuckin' guardian angel!? Well whut are ye doin' 'ere? Shouldn' ye be upstairs hangin' out wit God an te rest of te crew?"
"I am here to save your ass. I've been doing it ever since I came to you last year. I never worked for you! I was sent to you, to protect Bessie and yourself from the stupid things you let yourself do. I was sent to help you be a good man, but sometimes that's as impossible as turning a demon into an angel! And I would know about that!" Abby spat at him, angry at his disrespectful and ungrateful manner. "And there is no god. Everything people are taught and preached to were nothing but stories that turned into strong beliefs. I can tell you the truth of the other worlds…but first you need to learn to believe in what's standing right in front of you! What am I to you now? A creature? A strange being?" Abby's wings flared up again as her emotions raged. Duff gazed at them.
"Eh don' know whut te think. It's nae every day te girl ye love says she's eh supernatural bein'!" Duff yelled back. "Gimme some fuckin' credit!"
Abby's wings came down when Duff said the word 'love'. It made Abby happy to hear that he still considered her that way.
"I'm still the same woman you knew before. I don't have any powers,"
"Except fer te power of flight…"
Abby looked down. "That…and a superior knowledge of spirituality. Nothing more. It makes me different, yes, but I'm still the same person. My body is human. Duff…I want to explain everything to you, I want to tell you so much. Please…let's get off this island. Let's go home."
"Aye…eh would like te go home te my castle." He put the emphasis on 'my' on purpose. He hurt Abby by saying that, successfully. "But eh need te get Kim an' Ron, an' bomb te rest o' te island." Duff turned from her and spoke in a morbid tone. Essentially, he was trying to block out everything he just saw. It was all too much for him, especially after he just killed off all of his prized creations, including a friend he couldn't save.
"I can help…" Abby offered.
"Tha's okay."
"No, really…I can spread the bombs over the island a lot quicker…"
"Eh said no…Abby, eh," Duff sighed. It took him a few minutes to figure out what to say. "Please, jus'…go back te the castle. Eh need…time…te think abou'…" he couldn't even finish his sentence. He felt strange and embarrassed.
"I understand. But…I can sense when you're in danger, so if I feel that, I'm going to come back."
"Mmm." Duff kept his back to her. He couldn't look at her.
"And…just so you know…the people I asked to watch over Bessie were guardians too. I…told her a couple days after you left for the island."
"How…did she take it?" Duff turned his head a little, interested that his daughter knows about Abby's secret too.
"She was…happy, I guess." Abby said, smiling. "She told me…'Abby, eh always knew ye were our guardian angel, but eh didn' take it literally!'" Abby imitated Bessie's sweet Scottish accent. It made Duff smile. It sounded like his daughter. He missed her.
Abby laughed a little, remembering the moment. "Yeah, well…take the time you need." Her voice changed to sadness again. She kept telling Duff she was afraid he wouldn't feel the same about her. He insisted that he wouldn't but she was right. She knew he would act this way, and she was afraid he would never treat her the same again. "I'll be at the castle when you get back…but please don't stay too long. Bessie needs you back in her life." Abby turned from him and started to walk away, towards the window. Duff heard her mumble to herself. "…and so do I."
Duff turned around to apologize, but she was already gone.
Over the next couple of days, Duff and Kim flew around the island in the drone hovercrafts. They took dozens of the strongest bombs from the arsenal in Base. They dropped the metal balls all over every region of the island…Base, Paranologia, the desert, the forests, the mountains, and the beaches. Duff took down the energy shield by shutting down the mainframe system in Base and cutting off all power. At the ports, Duff and Kim helped Ron settle in a large submarine, which they would use to travel home once they finished setting all the bombs. They also scanned the land to check for any surviving drones…there were none. Only the hybrids remained, and Duff rescued them and brought them to the submarine to be brought home from where they were taken. Kim offered to stay with the hybrids and talk to them while Duff booby-trapping the land. All the bombs were connected to one controller, and they would set them off once they've left the island and set course for home. When Duff got back after the end of the fourth day, Kim expressed the sadness she felt from all the stories she heard. The hybrids were kidnapped from their families all around the world, brought to this island and forced to live there after undergoing torturous surgery that still haunted and pained them to the present day.
Duff personally apologized to the hybrids. He was the one who created the drones many years ago, but he never thought they would become so ruthless. Half of the hybrids hated him for what he did, and the other half forgave him.
Duff sealed off all the exits in the submarine once everyone was packed inside with enough food and water for their journey. He started up the engines…the boat was powered by special, advanced drone technology. The boat was operated by automated power and solar energy, so the passengers didn't have to work. Duff typed in the coordinates of all the stops they had to make to bring everyone home, and the computers chose the best route possible. Kim sat down with Duff as he set the final controls.
"Thank you." She said. Duff looked over at her. Her expression was gentle and sincere.
"Fer whut?" Duff grunted. He always felt embarrassed when someone thanked or complimented him.
"For saving Ron. For helping me."
"But eh couldn't save 'em."
"He's alive. That's what matters most. He is in pain, and it will take time for the both of us to recover from this mission, but we'll get through it."
"Yer welcome te stay ah te castle fer however long ye like. Eh have special medicines in meh lab tha' he may find helpful."
"Thank you, I think we'll visit to stock up on that, but I don't think my presence brings a lot of happiness to your family. Which reminds me…why isn't Abby here? You said you sent her back to the castle. Is everything okay between you two?"
"Nae exactly."
"What happened?"
"Let's jus' say eh learned somethin' abou' her an' eh don' know how te take it."
Kim paused for a minute to take that in, but mostly to wait if Duff said anything else. He didn't.
"Do you want advice?" she asked.
Duff looked over at her. He didn't want to say yes, but it was obvious that he was desperate for it.
"If it's something terrible that she's done, think back to how you used to be. Everyone makes mistakes in their life. For so many different reasons, too. You just have to figure out if the reason justifies her actions, or if you can live the rest of your life comfortably knowing the truth."
Duff waved her off. "Nae, its' nuthin' like tha'. She didn't do anythin'. She's jus…she didn' tell meh….ugh." Duff rubbed his head. How could he even phrase this? "It's nae somethin' she did, it's somethin' she…is."
"Is, as in a football fan or is as in…"
"Is as in somethin'…different."
Kim paused, trying to think. "Different as in…quirky different? Or different as in…Lowardian different?"
"Say whut?" Duff gave her a questioning look.
"Lowardian. Remember? The aliens that attacked Earth all those years ago?"
"Oh…righ'. How can eh forget…" Duff grumbled at the memory of waking up to a perfectly ruined lawn. "Aye…Lowardian different."
"She's an alien?"
"No."
"A vampire?"
Duff growled, getting annoyed at her pestering. "No."
"Then what?"
"Look, it's nae eh fuckin' guessin' game, aight?"
"Sorry…geez." Kim sighed. She waited for Duff to calm down before speaking again. "Well…think of it this way. If she was…different all along, then how are things really different? The only thing that's changed is the fact that you know the truth about her. To be honest, I was always suspicious about Abigail. She didn't seem normal to me."
"Why? Whut made it obvious?" Duff asked her.
"Um…hello…did you see how perfect her body was? And her skin and hair? Totally not normal. Celebrities aren't even that perfect. And her voice was always so soft and angelic…"
Duff cringed at hearing that word, and Kim noticed. "What did I say? All I said was her voice….oh." Kim blinked. "Seriously?"
Duff covered his face, trying to block the confusion. "Seriously." He mumbled.
Most of the hybrids were from North America and Europe, and a couple from South America, Asia, and a few from Africa. Their route took them around the west coast of North America, then through Central America, up the east coast of North America again, then across the Atlantic over to northern Europe, dropping off the hybrids as close as possible to where their homes were. Duff supplied each of them with the necessary funds for transportation, food, and whatever else they may need for their journeys.
Kim offered to stop at Duff's island and drop him off next after they reached northern Europe. Duff claimed he should stay to oversee everyone got home safely with enough money and supplies. Kim insisted that she would take care of everything, but Duff was too afraid to go back home so soon, even though it's been weeks since he last saw Abby.
"You're always going to be afraid until you actually man up and face her. I know it's scary after seeing the impossible. But remember nothing is impossible…that word isn't in my dictionary and it shouldn't be in yours either. Your daughter probably misses you a lot. Think of her, and how scared she must be for you."
It was difficult, but Kim eventually was able to convince Duff to pack his things and return home. "You give me the money and I'll distribute it to the rest of the hybrids. I'll make sure everyone gets home safe…I told them that if they wanted to reach me, they could just call or beep me, you know, on my Kimmunicator, and I'll help them with whatever they need." Kim laughed. "Trust me…I have a bit more experience helping people then you have, Mr. Deadliest Golfer."
Duff chuckled. "Whut an idiot…" he mumbled, thinking back to his old evil cheesy self. He looked at Kim. "Err, ehm nae very good ah this but…thanks fer yer help. Ye know…talkin' an' everythin'."
"No big." She smiled. "If you need anything…you know who to call. It's nice to see you…you know…after everything….normal. Despite how you used to be, you're not too bad of a guy. I wish I could say that for everyone else."
Duff chuckled again. "Eh wouldn' be so quick as te say tha', now…talk te someone who really knows meh."
"Like Abby?"
Duff stopped smiling. He paused to think about Abby again. He tried to forget her these past few weeks. He tried to clear his mind of everything, but now all his loving memories of her came flooding back and he couldn't help but smile bigger and brighter than he did before. "Aye…like Abby."
"I don't think she has any negative thoughts about you."
Duff didn't reply. He was too busy remembering all the times she made him laugh and the times they tried so hard not to flirt with each other. He remembered how she used to tease him, and yell at him, but it was all with love. He remembered the taste of her lips and how soft her skin always felt, how her body molded perfectly to his….Kim was right. He would never be more ready than he was now to face her. He was scared, but at the same time he missed her. Kim was right…Abby had always been the same person. Nothing has changed, just the fact that he knows her secret, however strange it is.
Duff decided to leave the rest of the hero work to Kim. She called up Wade and Duff gave permission to hack into his bank account and take out whatever the hybrids needed.
As the submarine got closer to Duff's island, alarms started to go off and the submarine shook, and everyone was thrown to the side of the room due to a strong hit. The ship rumbled and all the passengers were afraid they would sink and drown, but Duff told Kim to surface the ship.
"What is it?" she yelled over the beeping controls.
"Charlie." Duff yelled back.
"Who?"
"Meh sea monster!"
Kim rolled her eyes. "Oh…right. Him."
"He doesn' recognize te ship. He doesn' know ehm in it."
With struggle, Kim brought the ship above sea level so Duff could step out and show his monstrous pet that the ship was okay to pass the Killigan barriers. Charlie continues to bang against the sides of the ship, and Kim told him to hurry before they tumbled over.
They surfaced just enough for Duff to open the hatch and face the sunlight. He stepped out and stood on the slippery wet metal. The water was still for a minute. The ship didn't move or shake. Duff thought maybe Charlie had given up.
Then, Duff heard a sound. He heard the sound of water moving. He slowly turned around, and faced Charlie's long, skinny neck. It stretched hundreds of feet in the air, and Charlie's large, scaly head hovered over him like Duff was a prey. The monster flared his mane of gills and flashed his sharp, pearly teeth.
"Charlie! It's meh!" Duff shouted up at the monster. He waved with his hands, and after a few moments Charlie's eyes transformed from hostility to playfulness. He reached his head down, and with his teeth he grabbed Duff's back, threw him into the air, and he landed on top of Charlie's head. The beast roared with happiness.
Duff chuckled. "Aigh't, eh missed ye too. Grab meh bags, an' let's head back te the castle."
Charlie obeyed by grabbing Duff's bags with his mouth, and they sailed towards the shore. Duff looked back and saw Kim waving to him through the opening, and he waved back. She then closed the hatch and the submarine descended under the water again.
When they reached the shore, Charlie gently lowered his head and Duff slid off his neck. The monster dropped the bags from his mouth…much to Duff's disgust, they were covered with saliva, but he thought ahead to pack in water-proof duffle bags. Duff picked his bags up and was about to head for the castle, but Charlie jumped up on shore and rolled on his belly. He wagged his long, spiky tail. Duff didn't like it when Charlie got on shore, because he was so heavy he ruined his landscaping. But, Duff let it go this time. He was gone for a while and he missed his family, and that included his pets. Duff smiled, went over to Charlie and rubbed his slimy stomach. The monster's tail was so long, it stretched past the shore and lay in the water, and when he wagged it fast, sea water splashed all over the two of them. Duff yelled and ran away playfully, but Charlie chased after him, wanting more attention. The monster caught up with him and licked his body with its split tongue. Duff shuddered.
"No offense Charlie, but tis is why eh leave te playin' te Bessie."
Charlie growled a little, as if to say, 'but I want to play with you every once in a while, too!'
"Charlie, ehm tired. Let meh go inside te castle. Eh promise eh'll come see ye later. Eh did miss ye boy." He pat the monster's ear. Charlie bowed his head in understanding and escaped back into the water. Duff took off his coat, covered in slime and water, took his other things, and headed towards the castle.
He felt really good. He was happy to be home again.
Duff opened the doors with ease. They weren't locked. He set his bags and coat down. He would wash them later. He wanted to see his family.
The first one to greet him was Seamus. The little dog jumped up, digging his paws into Duff's thighs. Duff picked him up and Seamus wouldn't stop licking his face. Duff couldn't remember the last time his dog greeted him so lovingly. He felt bad for having left.
"Where's Bess, eh? Go show meh where Bess is." Duff set the dog down on the floor, and the terrier ran up the steps and scratched on Bessie's bedroom door. He barked and barked and wagged his tail until Bessie slowly open the door.
"Whut is it, Seamus?" Duff could overhear her mumble her words with such a morbid tone. She sounded depressed. Seamus barked and ran back down the stairs. Bessie opened the door just a bit wider, enough to peer out, look downstairs and see her father standing by the door with a smile on his face and open arms.
"DADDY!" Bessie screamed. She jolted down the stairs so fast she nearly slipped and fell. Within two seconds she was in Duff's arms, sobbing, and squeezing him tight.
Duff leaned down and kissed her head. He held her so tight, and was overcome by such emotion that he started to cry too. He didn't know that he could cause such sadness by leaving his little girl. Though he knew she loved him, Duff didn't think Bessie would have this kind of reaction when he came home.
"Ehm sorry….ehm so sorry fer leavin', Bess. But ehm back now." He talked to her in a soothing voice. He stroked and kissed her hair again.
"Don' ever leave again! Ever!" Bessie continued to bury her head in his chest and cry. "Eh love ye, daddy! Don' ever go!"
"Oh, eh missed ye, meh bonny girl."
Bessie only hugged him tighter and cried harder. They stayed like that for another minute, then Duff offered to make her a cup of tea as she sat on the couch. Bessie agreed, though she was still shaken from such happiness and just wanted to hug her father forever and never let him go. After making her a cup of chamomile tea and honey, Duff sat down with her and wrapped her in a cozy wool blanket.
"Are ye okay? Ye were safe while eh wus gone?"
Bessie looked at him, her eyes still red and wet. "Aye. Abby's friend stayed wit meh an' kept meh safe."
"Her…friend?" Duff leaned back on the couch.
"Aye, one o' te elders. She's really nice." Bess blew on her hot tea, and took a small sip.
"The…elders?" Duff embraced the worst. He knew he had to face the truth about things, now. Abby told him that Bessie knew about her secret; but how much?
"Aye…an' elder guardian. Her name is Cathy. She says ye become an' elder when yer eh guardian fer eh long time, an' if yer smart enough. She's still around, she said she wanted te meet ye."
"Where's Abby?" Duff asked. He could worry about this 'Cathy' person later…he wanted to know where his guardian was.
"On te roof."
Duff blinked. He wasn't sure what Bessie meant. "Te…roof?"
"Aye. She should still be up ther."
"As in…te roof of te castle?"
Bessie nod her head. Duff widened his eyes a little bit, and jolted off the couch. He ran upstairs, then up another few flights of stairs, down a few hallways until he found the staircase to one of the castle's towers, where he would be high enough to see some of the roof. He was out of breath but he ran as fast as he could anyway, and when he reached the top, he opened the door and leaned over the balcony, looking up.
He could barely see Abby's legs at the angle he was looking. If he tried to look any further up, he would fall over the balcony. Another piece of roof blocked his view of Abby's face.
"Are ye crazy?" Duff shouted. He saw Abby stand up, and she jumped down and landed perfectly on the thin stone railing of the balcony. Duff pulled her onto the solid ground and looked at her angrily.
"Duff…you're home." Abby smiled. She wanted to embrace him, but the expression on Duff's face told her it wasn't a good idea.
"Whut te hell were ye doin' up ther?" Duff shouted.
"Looking at the horizon…"
"Ye could've gotten killed! Whut if ye fell? Don' ever do tha' ehgain, ye hear meh?"
Abby looked at him strangely. "If I fell, I could have just—"
"No, eh don' care! Yer…wings might nae of…eh dunno…came out in time. Besides, yer wearin' eh shirt, how are they goin' te come out if yer wearin' clothin'?"
"Duff…I would have been fine. Are you okay?"
He huffed and turned from her. "Okay…do eh look okay? Maybe if yer weren't such eh daredevil then eh wouldn' worry so much!"
"Stop it! Sitting on top of the roof isn't dangerous for me, I wouldn't put myself in danger like that. What's wrong with you? You're treating me like a child!"
"Well, whut ehm eh supposed te do? All o' tis shit is new te meh, eh dunno whut te do! Eh don' know how te treat ye anymore!"
Abby stared at him. She wanted to figure out why he was being so uncomfortable around her. Her eyes filled with tears, she couldn't help it. She was the same woman Duff knew, she tried to think what changed. Why was it so hard for him to accept the truth about her? It was a lot to sink in, sure, but she was the same person. Duff noticed she had tears in her eyes, and his expression softened.
"Welcome home." Abby mumbled lowly as she escaped through the door and ran down the stairs. Duff felt terrible and ran after her.
Eventually he caught up with her on the stairs. He grabbed her so she couldn't get away. Abby tried to push him off but he wouldn't let her go.
"Abby ehm sorry…tha' came out wrong." She continued to grunt and tried to push him off. Tears streamed from her eyes. "Eh didn' mean whut eh said!"
"Yes you did! I'm just a freak to you, aren't I? You know, I was surprised you sent me back to the castle. I didn't think you'd want me in your home anymore."
"Eh can't…send ye away. Yer still eh part o' tis family. Eh jus' need…time te get used te yer…"
"What, my body? Or my job to watch over you?"
Duff opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know what to say.
"Well you might not have a lot of time." Abby successfully escaped from his grasp and ran down the spiral stairs. Duff took a moment to think of what she said, and ran after her.
"Wait, whut dye mean eh don' have eh lot o' time?"
Duff reached the end of the stairs. He looked to his left and saw Abby leaning against the wall, tears falling down her beautiful cheeks.
"Whut dye mean?" Duff said again. He took Abby's hand. She looked away from him, but he gently gripped her chin and pulled her face towards him.
"Why don' eh have time?" he asked again.
"Nothing."
"No, it's nae nuthin'. Yer keepin' somethin' from meh. Whut is it?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. Whut's wrong? Are ye leavin'?"
"I don't know."
"Whut?" A wave of realization washed across Duff's face. The thought of Abby leaving him and Bessie was not an option.
Abby looked away again, but Duff forced her to look at him. He gripped her face a little more forcefully.
"Abby…tell meh! Are ye leavin'? How am eh supposed te get used te this if eh don' know anythin'!"
"Stop! I'll…tell you later."
"Why nae now?"
"Because I'm not up to telling you right now! You insulted me, and frankly, you've been doing that a lot lately, and I don't want to talk to you if you're going to keep looking at me like you are now! Like I'm some museum sculpture!"
Duff took his hand away from her face. He looked at her in the eye. "Ehm sorry, Abby. Ehm jus' confused."
"Yeah, well figure things out yourself. I'm not going to stick around and let you abuse me anymore."
Abby turned to leave, but Duff grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
"Ehm sorry. Ehm sorry fer everythin' eh said jus' now an' back at te island. Ehm tryin' te understand. Please…jus'…"
"No! I've been waiting and waiting for you to come home, and after weeks you come back and start insulting me again."
"Abby, eh don' know whut te say? Whut dye say te an angel? Eh never even believed in God!"
Abby sighed. She wiped tears from her eyes. "No…there is no God. And I prefer the term guardian. Angel is a Catholic term." She looked up at Duff. "There is so much to tell you."
Duff took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers. "Ehm sorry fer insultin' ye. Ye know how hot-headed eh can be." He looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes and continued to kiss her hand. "Eh'd like it if ye could forgive meh."
Abby looked at him sternly, but with his doe-eyed, out of character expression, she couldn't hold back a smile. She had to giggle a little bit when he batted his eyelashes.
"Eh want ye te tell me everythin'. Eh want us te sit down on our couch…te same place where eh used te tell ye all meh secrets late at night when neither of us could sleep…an' eh want ye te tell meh yer secrets now. Yer past due. An' eh promise nae te judge or insult ye or hurt yer feelin's in any way. Eh'll listen an' try meh best te understand, te think before sayin' anythin' stupid, and te remember tha' yer still te same Abby eh love an' cherish. Okay?"
Abby smiled a little bit. She felt herself blush. Duff was being romantic with her. "Okay." She said.
They went downstairs to the living area. Duff lit the fireplace and went into the kitchen to make two cups of herbal tea. Abby sat down on the couch and got comfortable. She felt strange…this was going to be the first time Abby talked to Duff about her life and all her secrets. She felt happy to finally relieve herself of all the internal emotions that she could never share. She felt warm from the fire, and sank into the plush couch like she'd been forever in a stone-cold world. In a way she almost felt giddy. She felt like a young girl telling her best friend her deepest secrets at a sleepover party. When Duff came back into the room with two mugs of tea, she took her mug and put it to the side. She wasn't ready to relax.
Duff leaned on his side to face Abby. He took a sip of his tea and put it on his side table as well.
"So…how did…tis happen? How does one become an…eh, guardian?" he leaned his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his face in his palm. The side of his face got all squished from the pressure of his hand.
Abby inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "To become a guardian you have to have full spiritual connection."
"Whut dye mean by spiritual connection?" Duff interrupted.
"I mean it by a couple different things. There are who-knows-how-many religions out there. Most people believe in God, and the Devil, heaven and hell, angels and demons…other religions believe in polytheism or spiritual guidelines…there are countless beliefs. People that are very devoted to their beliefs will claim that their religion is the correct one and will preach it to others, some will shame non-believers. Other people who have more of an open, carefree mind will say that it's okay for everyone to have their own beliefs."
"Right…" Duff knew this was true. Some people shoved their religions down others' throats, while some people were okay with so many different cultures and beliefs in the same world.
"Well…okay. Let me start off by saying this. The religions that are most accurate are Hinduism, Buddhism, and those similar to the eastern beliefs. Every living creature on this Earth has a soul. In eastern religions, there is the belief of dharma, karma, and reincarnation. When a person dies, their soul is judged by a guardian, usually an elder. They then determine whether the soul had lived a pure life and discovered moral transformation. You may know this as dharma. If the soul passes the test, they are reincarnated to a higher form of life. If not, they fall to a lower life form. So if the soul lived a human life and did not reach a higher state of mind, their next life may be an animal, and lower on the scale can be an insect or even plant-life."
Duff raised his hand like he was a little boy in school again. "Question…whut dye mean by 'pure life an' moral transformation'?"
Abby sighed. "There's really no right or wrong answer to it. Every situation is different. When I died,"
"Whut?" Duff interrupted. He looked at her with googly-eyes.
Abby sighed again. "Okay…in my recently passed life, I was married, had two children, and I was very happy. I was a successful writer, actress, model, director…I was a well-known artist. My childhood was harsh, I hated my mother and I didn't have many friends growing up. During that life I believed in the idea of dharma, karma, reincarnation of the soul, guardians, and the spirit of life itself. I prayed and made sacrifices and performed rituals…not with animals or anything like that. Later in life my husband died before I was fifty, and it left me scarred for practically the rest of my life, because we were so in love with each other and so happy. I died of old age and when my soul was reincarnated, I was reborn as a guardian. Now, when a guardian is born, they are born not as a child but in the young body of their past life, usually around twenties or early thirties, and you stay in that youthful body forever. You don't age or grow."
"Everyone has past lives, including you, but as mortal beings we don't remember them. We don't have enough of a spiritual connection with the world to experience the memories of our soul. Sometimes we may have subconscious thoughts, feelings, or dreams that are really memories of our past lives only we don't realize it. When I became a guardian I remembered my last passed life, and because it was so recent I still retain some attached feelings from that life, like how I sometimes miss my husband and my children."
"Are they still alive? Yer children?" Duff asked.
"Yes, but they have almost reached the end. I have been watching over their lives since I became a guardian thirty seven years ago."
Duff squinted his eyes and nod his head. He was trying so hard to understand and soak all the information in without getting too confused. Abby noticed and appreciated his effort.
"Alrigh', continue. So ye remember yer past life."
"Well, the soul can live hundreds or even thousands of lives before it reaches salvation. As a guardian, I remember all of my past lives, since the beginning of time. I remember being a bat, a snake, a mountain goat, I remember living in ancient Egypt…I even remember being a mermaid."
"Eh mermaid? They exist?"
"Not anymore. They used to during the Devonian period."
"Te whut period?"
"It was before the evolution of dinosaurs."
"Ah…"
"So…when I was reborn as a guardian I reached salvation, and complete connection to my eternal soul and all the wisdom I've learned from all my lives. It's a reward for reaching full spiritual realization and moral understanding. But I remember my recently passed life the most…that's why I've been so…distant with you. Because I still miss my husband."
"Te husband from yer past life."
"Yes. I know it's silly, but it doesn't feel like an entirely different lifetime. It feels recent."
"Why are ye punished te feel grief when ye've reached salvation?"
"It's not punishment. My last life was a happy and blessed one, but with happiness there is always pain and struggle. It's the natural order of things. There are always two sides to everything…white and black, good and evil, happiness and sadness. Chinese philosophy correctly established the concept of yin and yang."
"Did yer husband become eh guardian, too?"
"No."
"Oh, err…sorry." Duff wasn't even sure if that was something to be sorry about.
"It's okay."
"Ye said he wus yer soul-mate? Whut does that mean spiritually?"
"Well…I could be wrong, but I believed he was. Spiritually it means that every soul is paired with another soul, and in every lifetime there is the possibility of meeting with that other soul, and most form the relationship with this person either as a friendship or a marriage, and even though the relationship will provide the blessing of undying happiness, forming a relationship with your soul-mate is also an important experience used to try and reach a higher spiritual connection." Duff looked a little confused, so Abby tried to explain it using eastern terms. "Basically, if your past lives had good dharma, fate rewards you with good karma. You are unknowingly introduced to someone whose soul is mated to your own, and you get the chance to take advantage of that relationship. It is a happy union, but life is not just about finding happiness. Life isn't just about your life, it involves you, others, and the spirits that guide you. A life with a soul mate gives you the opportunity to connect deeper into your soul and find the wisdom you need to achieve a higher understanding. A soul mate helps you find enlightenment. The only problem is, there is no way to tell if someone is your soul-mate or not. You can't tell by compatibility tests or anything like that. The personality has nothing to do with the soul. Am I making sense?"
"Eh'll be honest ehm getting' eh wee confused." Duff took another sip of his tea, but it was cold now.
"A soul mate doesn't have to be an opposite gender, but in most cases it is because of the 'yin-yang' theory. A soul mate can even be as easy as a mother and daughter. The two bring out spiritual enlightenment in each other over time and as their relationship grows."
"Okay…but as eh guardian don' ye have te ability te tell who yer soul-mate is? Does it matter if yer eh guardian an' yer soul-mate isn't?"
"No, I don't have any special ability to see that. I am fully connected to my own soul, but not my mated soul, until they become a guardian themselves. There is somewhat of a separation, though, because my mated soul is still living a mortal life on Earth and has less of a chance meeting me, because I live on another plane. I only come down to Earth if I am assigned a job."
"Yer job wus te…whut? Make sure eh didn' become eh pure-evil jerk?"
"Actually, my original assignment was to watch over Bessie. The way she was growing up was starting to corrupt her. She needed a mother figure. You were…how do I say this lightly…an issue in her life that I needed to fix. You exposed her to many negative aspects such as sex and drugs, and you did not give her the love and support that she needed on a daily basis to grow into a peaceful young woman. But I requested to the elders if they would allow me to assist you in reaching a higher understanding as well."
"Why didn' they want ye te help meh in te first place?"
"They thought you were beyond help. Your past lives did not have a good history of enlightenment. When souls have a low understanding, they are 'cursed' to face many obstacles at the beginning of their new lives. In each life you are expected to rise from these obstacles, and you did for a while, but when your sister died you lost your strength and sank lower than ever, as you well know. They thought you weren't at a high enough level of spiritual connection to receive help from a guardian, but I sympathized with you."
Duff continued to look a little lost. "Och, eh feel like ehm in school ehgain an' ye te math teacher tryin' te throw all yer lessons on meh at once." He chuckled a little bit, remembering school. "Eh used te be terrible at math. Eh used te ask meh Pa fer help but he'd always say it wus useless te teach meh…Carol would always try te help meh, but she didn' know anythin' either but she didn' give up on me. We'd stay up all night jus' tryin' te understand one equation."
Abby smiled.
"Whut is yer job then, exactly, as eh guardian? Te help someone achieve tis spiritual connection?"
"I am assigned an individual. I disguise as a mortal and enter their lives in whatever relationship I can possibly form. Yes, my goal is to lead the individual to enlightenment, but sometimes, like in Bessie's case, my goal is to…be a physical blessing and bring support and happiness, so enlightenment comes easier. Usually guardians are assigned to those very close to enlightenment as a reward."
"Is enlightenment te same thing as salvation?"
"Not necessarily. Salvation is the highest plane you reach. Guardians are in the plane of salvation, but you can reach salvation without being a guardian. Souls are chosen to be guardians if they have a natural power to nurture and heal."
"So whut dye do if yer nae eh guardian but yer in salvation?"
"That's…a little hard to explain right now. I think you should soak some of this in first before I say any more."
"Ehm…interested, surprisingly. Eh've never been religious or spiritual but all o' this is so…eh don' even know how te put it. Other-worldly, maybe?"
"You are gaining knowledge that no mortal has been told before."
"So yer immortal?"
"Yes, immortal, but my physical body is an evolved form of the human body."
"Why wings, though? Dye 'ave tall castles an' towers in te clouds tha' ye fly around te?"
Abby smirked. "No, nothing like that. The wings were a part of the guardian body since the beginning of time. It was nature's way of symbolizing the separation guardians have from mortals. We are free from that which bounds mortals to Earth."
"Which is whut? Emotions?"
"No. Emotions are not a curse. Guardians have emotions too, as well as animals and other life forms. That which bounds mortals to the Earthly plane include earthly attachments and selfishness, unfulfilled desires, feelings of revenge, a stronger connection with the body rather than the soul, and mainly the gravity humans feel from not being able to overcome the obstacles of the physical world. To obtain freedom from Earth is to simply acknowledge the existence of spirituality."
"Och…" Duff rubbed his temples. "Tis is eh lot eh information….ehm gonna heat meh tea up…ye want meh te take yers too?"
"Yes, thank you." Abby handed Duff her mug. He got up from the couch and took the two mugs into the kitchen. He put Abby's mug into the microwave first, and set it for forty seconds. Abby got up to stretch and came into the kitchen with him. She leaned against the counter. Duff and Abby gazed at each other as they waited.
Forty seconds passed and Duff was woken from his trance. He took Abby's mug out of the microwave, slid it over the counter to her, and put in his own mug, setting it for another forty seconds. Duff immediately went back to being hypnotized by Abby's ocean-blue eyes. She sipped her tea and stared back at him. When the microwave beeped, Duff ignored it. He remained gazing at her for a few silent minutes.
"You have a habit of forgetting about your tea, you know." Abby said with a coy smile as she took another sip from her mug.
"Eh know." Duff replied. A few more moments of tension passed before Duff spoke again.
"Can eh see em?"
Abby paused drinking and looked at him strangely. "See what?"
"Ye know…te wings."
"You mean the tattoo or…"
"No, eh want te see yer wings." Duff stepped closer. "Actually, eh want te watch yer tattoo transform inte yer wings."
"Oh, well…" Abby set her mug down and looked at him, unsure. He only stepped closer and she blushed. Duff placed a warm hand on her hip, gliding up under her shirt a bit to feel her skin. He generously felt the curves of her waist. It made Abby fill with heat and a little bit of desire.
"So can I?" he mumbled seductively. Abby only blushed more.
She wasn't afraid to show him her wings, but was embarrassed to have to undress. Abby turned around and took off her shirt. She wore a white and black lacy bra. Duff followed up the base of her spine with his fingertip until he reached her bra strap.
"May I?" he whispered. Abby felt extraordinary chills run through her body, but she looked back and nodded her head.
Duff unhooked the straps. Abby covered herself in the front with one arm and pulled the bra off. Duff ran his hand over her shoulders, and gazed at the tattoo and how detailed it looked. It was strange to feel Abby's skin, because the tattoo looked like it had a realistic feathery texture, but her skin was so soft and flawless. Duff ran his fingertip up and down her spine, in between both wings.
"Show me…" he whispered. Abby sighed and slowly, the tattoo on her back started to move. The outlines of her wings started to raise like scars. Slowly the scars started to open, like Abby's skin was being cut, but instead of blood pouring out, Duff saw the white feathers emerge from inside her body. Duff felt her skin raising and raising and the scars kept opening and her skin retreated and disappeared, and feathers started lifting out from inside her body. The wing bones folded out like they were stretching after taking a long nap, and feathers puffed out as they retracted from the skin and contacted the air, ready for flight. Duff couldn't help but touch her feathers. Not only were they dry, but they were the softest material he's ever felt. He stroked them as if Abby was his little pet, and he continued to fluff her wings and feel the bone that went through them as the entire wing protruded from the skin.
Abby's wings circled around Duff and formed a barrier. He stroked the soft feathers with his fingertips like he was afraid of hurting them if he touched with too much pressure. It was the most perfect and amazing thing he had ever seen. The feathers stroked against his face and his body, and he felt like he was being blessed. He was, in fact, touching a 'guardian' angel. Duff thought of how he never even considered this being possible. His mother believed in guardian angels. She always told him that he was watched by people that care about him, and even when he was older and she would be gone, they would continue to watch over him and her spirit would join with theirs. Duff never really understood the concept of spirits. He was never religious and didn't believe in any kind of god. And now, he was being brushed by fluttering feathers from an angel's winged body. It was mind-blowing.
"How did ye get yer wings te come out so quickly when they…ye know…pushed ye out of te window?" Duff mumbled. He didn't want to have to bring that up again, but he was so curious.
"They can come out as quickly as I need them." Abby was still blushing from being bare chested, even though she covered herself as much as possible. Her wings contracted and lay against her back, the wing bones folded comfortably.
"Nae, but wit yer bra an' yer shirt, ye obviously don' 'ave time te take them off before ye hit te ground." Duff reached for his mug and took a long gulp of semi-warm tea.
"Well…usually I wear backless bras, and the bones can rip through my shirt if I don't have time to take it off. But…if need be I can undress pretty quickly."
Duff nearly choked. Tea dribbled from his mouth as he tried not to spit it all over Abby's shirt. Her response was so sexy and unexpected that Duff didn't know what to say. He was googly-eyed as Abby's wings melted back into ink within seconds, and she refastened her bra. She put her shirt back on, turned around, and grabbed her tea mug.
"Wait…how fast?" Duff asked as he coughed and dried his mouth with a napkin.
Abby just looked at him with a blank expression. She didn't mean to say what she did in a flirty way. She had to be able to undress quickly in case her clothes were too thick or she wasn't wearing the right bra.
"I don't know…waist up I can probably undress in four seconds."
Duff's mouth stayed agape for a good full minute. Abby had to hold his chin and close it.
"Don't get any ideas…drink your tea." She mumbled.
"Four seconds?" Duff's mouth dropped again. Abby didn't bother closing it again. "Show me.."
"No!" Abby gasped at him like he was a bad-mannered little boy. She playfully slapped his arm. "You're vulgar, you know that?"
"So? Show me…eh want te see ye undress as fast as ye say ye can…" Duff grinned mischievously and pulled at the bottom of her shirt.
"Not happening." Abby pushed away his hand.
"Why nae?" Duff attempted to tug at her V-neck to expose her bra. Abby stopped him from succeeding.
"Not a chance."
"Why nae? Yer jus' showin' meh eh very refined skill o' yers…" Duff chuckled as he playfully grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. Abby rebelled and tried to get away, but he trapped her by pushing her against the counter and hovering over her, and gripping the counter with his strong-as-steel arms, like forming a locked cage around her body. Abby couldn't help but giggle and tried pushing him off, but he was too strong.
"Not…fair…" she yelled as she banged against his chest. "Let me go!"
"Nae until ye show me…"
"Something tells me you wouldn't be satisfied if I did it with my back to you."
Duff leaned in and his lips just lightly touched her ear. "Define satisfied." He whispered. Abby could feel his hot breath bursting inside her ear and it shot a tingling feeling all throughout her body. Duff's lips glazed all over the skin of her ear. He came down to her earlobe, bit it gently, and pulled a little. Abby gasped and grabbed his arms. Duff recognized this as a signal.
"Whut satisfies ye?" he whispered again. Duff said it so slowly, and his breath warmed Abby's neck. Duff moved his hand up and under her shirt again to feel her skin. He grabbed her curves every once in a while as the heat of his breath continued to dance with her nerves. Abby grabbed his arms tighter and tried to rebel, but her words only came out as sighs and small moans.
"Why don' ye show me…" Duff smiled and kissed her shoulder, then planted soft kisses in a trail up her neck and back to her ear again. Abby tried harder to push him away.
"This isn't fair…you're doing this on purpose…" her voice came out in heavy breaths, like she just ran twenty miles.
"Doing whut?" Abby could hear the grin beneath his voice.
"You know…what." She gasped as she felt her heart race faster.
"Mmm…ehm nae sure whut yer talkin' abou'…" Duff could help but chuckle as he moaned, on purpose, as he kissed her collarbone deeply like it was her lips.
"Duff I'm not…I don't…can't…" Her breathing was slightly quicker. Abby pushed and grabbed and clawed at his arms all at once. The feeling of her nails digging into his skin only made Duff feel hotter.
"Can't whut?" he panted like a dog on a blazing summer day.
"I don't know…" Abby mumbled so low, he barely heard her, and Duff thought she was only talking to herself.
Duff was filled with passion from fingertip to core. He felt like he just stepped out of a sauna. His breathing was as if he performed a marathon. He was losing the connection from his mind and body and felt faint, but at the same time more energetic than ever.
"Let's get in te bedroom…" Duff purred.
"No…Duff…." Abby cried. Duff relaxed against her body. He tried to control his breathing and cool down. He knew she really meant it. Abby held him and their foreheads touched. She stroked the back of his head and ran her fingertips over the outline of his beard. "…no. I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
Abby sighed. Duff grabbed his mug and turned from her. He sat down at the kitchen table and drank the rest of his tea, slightly wishing there was some whiskey in it.
"Duff I want to but I'm not…ready for that. I know we've kissed and it was nice but…"
"It wus nice?" Duff interrupted. "Is tha' the best word in yer vocabulary? Well te meh, kissin' ye is extraordinary, spectacular, it's happiness."
Abby turned from him and headed for the kitchen door. She wasn't going to fight him. She knew he was upset that she always kept pushing him away or ending great moments.
"Stop fightin' it! If ye want meh, ehm right 'ere fer takin'! Is there some 'guardians can't date mortals' rule eh don' know about?"
"No." Abby looked away from him.
"Then eh dunno whut's holdin' ye back, Abby! If ye didn' want te hurt yer soulmate, ye wouldn' 'ave let meh pant all over ye jus' now!"
His words were too harsh. Abby felt tears well in her eyes and she left the room. Immediately Duff felt bad. He got up to go after her, but then he soon realized he wasn't sure what he was going to say once he got hold of her. He wanted to apologize, but at the same time he was frustrated and upset. He didn't want her, he needed her. But after promising that he would be there for her, patiently waiting until her mind was clear, Duff's endless habits pushed for a sensual moment that was too much, too soon. He was a disaster when it came to patiently waiting for a woman he so sexually desired.
Duff moped in the kitchen for an hour, brewing and drinking more tea. He had to argue with himself whether or not to drink a little whiskey, but he was able to stop himself by debating that Abby wouldn't like it. Plus, he knew that if he started drinking, he would have a hard time stopping.
He felt like he should have banged his head on the table. Maybe it would help him feel better. Instead, he just rested it on the rough wood surface. He didn't need alcohol, he already felt drunk.
Duff heard light footsteps, and he could feel that someone was standing in the kitchen doorway. He figured it was Abby, since he knew he sent Bessie outside to play with Charlie and Seamus for a while, and she usually didn't linger in doorways.
"Ehm sorry fer pressurin' ye an' puttin' ye in these situations…" Duff mumbled. He moaned a little from the headache that slowly started to pound in his head. Why was he always such a screw up?
"Don' be sorry." Said an unfamiliar Scottish accent.
Duff immediately looked up and gazed at an unfamiliar, beautiful young woman. She had thick dark hair braided into an artistic up-do. She wore an all-white robe, and stood gracefully with her hands folded in front. He felt more curiosity than alarm, which was an abnormal reaction from him. Somehow he felt like he knew this woman, and that he trusted her.
"Who are ye?" he asked.
The woman said nothing. She simply smiled and gazed at his face, his body, and Duff could even feel her gazing at his aura, or something past his physicality. Her stare wasn't creepy, it was compassionately.
Duff didn't ask again. The woman walked into the kitchen and glided over to him like she was a ghost with no feet to balance on.
"You've grown so much." She said with excitement in her voice.
"Ye know me er somethin'?"
"It's amazin' how in yer mind ye always picture eh wee boy, and you cannae picture whut they'll look like in years te come, but when ye finally do te resemblance is almost obvious."
Duff was silent. Has she been a guardian, watching over him since he was little? The guardian that looked over his life before Abby came along?
Duff looked into her eyes. They were a coal black, just like his father's, just like his. Her features were soft, but she had a sharp nose, a full lip, and a sharp pointed jaw. Slowly Duff felt like memories he should have never forgotten came flooding back into his head, extraordinarily refreshing memories. He knew this woman.
"G-gram…?" Duff mumbled.
Cathella smiled softly. "Not who ye expected te see, eh? Abby said she put yer daughter in trustworthy hands."
Duff was agape. His dead grandmother was standing in front of him. Before he could speak any words, he hugged her with all his strength.
"Yer eh guardian too?"
"Aye. Eh closed meh eyes, an' when eh open them again ehm eh young woman wit eh fresh new life of immortality." Cathella chuckled. Her laugh was very similar to Duff's. "Eh learned of who eh became an' whut meh responsibilities were. Te other elders at te time assigned meh te watch o'er an' help chosen individuals an' families, but all eh could think about wus ye an' Carol, Will, an' yer Ma and Pa. Eh didn't get te watch ye grow an' help meh own fam. It wusn't fair. They told meh tha' ye weren't meh fam anymore. All meh memories were from eh past life. But eh didn' believe tha'. Whenever eh got te chance eh tried te visit ye in spirit." Cathella took Duff by the shoulders and guilt washed over her. "Oh, Duffaile…how eh wish eh wus there te comfort ye when yer Ma passed…an' Carol. Ye were inseparable. Ye were so alone after she left, an' eh pleaded fer te elders te assign ye eh guardian but they didn't approve. They said it wusn' yer time. Eh couldn' stand te see ye grow with such pain an' no love an' support or fam te help ye get through life. Eh know ye were never close wit Pa or Will…"
"Eh hated them." Duff said flatly.
"Eh know ye do. An' then ye were left te take care of eh baby on yer own…" tears welled in her eyes. "She's grown inte such eh wee miracle, an' so 'ave ye. Ye've grown so much with such strength, all by yerself. Dye understand how strong ye are te 'ave survived? Duffaile eh worried about ye, when ye were young. Will an' Pa always picked on ye an' Carol bein' yer only friend…eh jus' can't believe…"
Cathella hugged Duff again, tightly. She cried and told him how blessed she was to have such an intelligent, courageous grandson, as she still considered him so.
"Eh wus so happy when they assigned Abigail te ye. Eh knew she would bring ye te happiness ye deserved fer so long."
Duff looked down. "Aye…life hasn't been fair te meh. Abby told meh it's because meh soul wus bein' punished fer nae learnin' te right life lessons or somethin' like tha'."
Cathella nodded her head. "It's a natural cycle the soul experiences after each physical lifetime. But don' think of it tha' way…don' think tha' it wus yer fault tha' everythin happened te ye. This is all part of eh bigger picture, but eh'll tell ye eh wee secret…yer nae supposed te look ah te big picture. Te point is te focus on te details of yer own life an' find whut ye think has meanin' te ye. Don' get confused an' feel like ye 'ave te listen te all tis divinity. It exists, but ye don' need te be obsessed with it. Eh know eh wus…eh felt like eh wus consumed tryin' te pray an' bless ye an' te fam."
Duff looked up at her. It was still so strange to see his grandmother as a young, beautiful woman.
"How did ye become an elder?" he asked.
"Ye become an elder after years of experience of bein' eh guardian an' ye reach eh certain point where ye fully understand how te universe works. So after twenty-five years, eh started te finally realize everythin'. It's nae somethin' eh can tell ye in words. Ye form eh sixth sense, in eh way, where ye become fully connected te the rest of te physical world an' all te other worlds, an' in eh way, ye become like God. Yer wise enough te make difficult decisions tha' would have te right impact on te world. It's hard te explain."
Duff sat silently for a few moments. He continued to drink tea and tried not to think too much about all of this. His head was pounding. He felt pain after Cathella brought up all these emotions and memories back on the table. He remembered all the pain again that took years to forget.
"Gram…can eh ask something?"
"Of course ye can."
Duff took a while before words could come out. "Dye know whut happened te Ma an' Carol…ye know…in te afterlife?"
"Eh couldn't tell ye. As far as eh know, they didn' become guardians. They're probably livin' happy new lives now."
"There's no way te know who they are? Whut bodies they're in?"
Cathella felt sympathy for him. She could see the pain he was in. He wanted to see them again, even if they were babies with different faces and names, he wanted to be able to take care of them and be there for them when they grew up.
"Duffaile, ehm sorry but guardians don' have tha' kind of insight. No one knows whut life yer goin' te live next. An' even if eh did know, eh wouldn't be able te tell ye. Eh wouldn't even be able te be their guardian. It's like goin' back in time te fix yer past…ye jus' cannae do it."
"Eh understand." Duff looked down, he looked away, and he fought as much as he could not to cry. He missed his mother and his sister deeply. He never really moved on, Duff felt like he only suppressed it. Cathella hugged him, and Duff quickly felt like a little boy again. He sniffed and tears clouded his vision. He wished Abby was there to hug and comfort him, too. He suddenly remembered how sorry he felt for seducing her earlier. Abby was his savior. She brought him out of depression. He needed her right now. He needed to apologize.
Duff leaned out of the hug and wiped his eyes. "Eh have te find Abby. Gram…she wus te reason eh wus able te get past all te grief an' eh still miss 'em both, but she helped meh accept it. Eh love her, an eh haven't been makin' it easy fer her by constantly pushin' her te be wit meh but she's still grievin' over her own past life. Eh understand tha' eh need te be there fer her just as eh friend righ' now…"
"Duff." Cathella interrupted him. "There's somethin' ye should know."
"Whut?" he looked at her with suspicion. He could feel the tension coming.
"Guardians usually don'….stay…after they complete eh mission. Plus, ye found out about Abby's true identity an' she told ye a lot o' stuff ye weren't supposed te know."
"Abby is leavin'?" Duff ran towards the kitchen door, but Cathella stopped him.
"Duff, listen te meh. Ye weren't supposed te find out about guardians. Tha's like breakin' eh rule. Abby wusn't supposed te fly back inte the window where ye could see her wings. She wus supposed te make ye believe she wus dead, but she didn't believe she wus finished with her mission. She thinks she still needs more time with ye."
"More time with meh? Eh don' think so. Ehm nae lettin' her leave."
"Tha's nae up te her. The other elders have spoken te her…"
"No offense, but eh don' give eh fuck who these elders think they are. Abby is nae leavin'."
Cathella sighed. "Duff…please try te understand."
Duff headed for the door and didn't let Cathella stop him. "No, ehm nae goin' te understand. Where's Abby?"
"She's nae here."
"Whut dye mean she's nae here?" Duff closed in on her and expressed rage through his eyes. He didn't care at this point that he was talking to his grandmother.
"She went te go speak wit te elders. They're goin' te decide whut te do."
"Whut are te options?"
"Either she leaves, or eh court is goin' te be held."
"Eh court? Like eh court of law?"
"Aye. Ye'll get one if yer lucky, an' they'll decide whether or nae ye an' yer daughter Elspeth can be trusted te keep te secret of te guardians safe from te rest of te world, which eh already know ye can."
"How can ye do this? How can ye take her from meh an' Bess?" Duff knew it wasn't her fault, but he couldn't help but express his pain and anger at her. She was an elder. Couldn't she just tell them that he could be trusted and that Abby would do more good than harm by staying with him?
"Ehm sorry, Duff. It's eh matter of security."
Duff turned his back from her and ran outside. He found Bessie by the shore running around with Seamus and playing with him and their pet sea monster, Charlie.
"Bess…" Duff stopped to catch his breath. Bessie dropped the ball she was throwing to Seamus and ran over to him.
"Are ye okay, daddy?" she put her hand on his back and pat it, watching him huff and puff.
"Bess…did ye see Abby leave?"
"Aye, she said she had eh business meeting an' flew inte the horizon. It wus pretty te watch, she wus like eh bird!"
"Did she say goodbye te ye?"
"Why?" The giddy expression on Bessie's face dropped.
"Did she say goodbye?" Duff asked again. He needed to know. If she did say goodbye, then Abby would have been worried that she wasn't coming back.
"Aye, she gave meh eh hug an' eh kiss."
Duff stood up and rubbed his head, panicking. "Did she say when she wus goin' te be back?"
"No, she said she didn' know. Whut's goin' on, daddy?" Bessie started te look upset. She just almost lost her father. Was she going to lose Abby now, too? Duff could see her eyes start to water.
"Nuthin'. Go back inside, it's gettin' dark. Eh jus' need te tell Abby somethin'. Go inside an' talk wit Cathella."
"Ye mean Cathy?"
"Aye." Duff never called her that name before. No one in his family did, not even 'Cat'. It made him smile that Bessie came up with her own nickname for her.
Bessie and Seamus ran back into the house. Duff pet Charlie on the head, and the monster sunk back underwater.
Duff looked out towards the horizon. The sun was setting and the sky was a mixture of pink and orange. He sat down on the grass and hugged his knees. It was getting chilly out. He closed his eyes and pictured Abby next to him. They would spread out a blanket and lay on it together, and talk until the sun set and the stars came out. They would cuddle to keep each other warm under soft, warm blankets. Duff smiled as he imagined holding Abby, under a blanket and laying on the cool grass, and kissing her lips gently. When he opened his eyes, the sky was still the same, and Abby wasn't in the sky flying back home. Duff didn't know where she even was. Was she in the sky, at some secret place in the clouds? Or was she even on Earth? Was she even on this 'plane' as she called it?
Duff watched the sky. Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty, eventually it was an hour. Cathella came out and told him to stay inside for the rest of the night, or he would catch a cold.
"No." Duff refused. "Ehm goin' te wait fer her te return, whether it takes te whole night, eh day, eh week, or if she don't come back at all…ehm nae movin' from tis spot. If te elders think her mission is over, they couldn' be more wrong. Her mission is over te day eh die."
"Duffaile, please. Ye can wait fer her te come home, but do so from te window in te castle. Yer goin' te get sick. An' ye 'ave te eat an' sleep…Duff she'll come home, eh promise ye. Knowin' Abby, she would never leave ye without sayin' goodbye first. C'mon."
Cathella took Duff by the arm and tried to hoist him up, but he wouldn't budge. She tried to get him to stand up a few more times, but he just stood as still and sturdy as if he was turned to stone. Eventually, Cathella had given up, and went back to the castle to retire for the night. She wanted to keep Bessie company, and try to hold off from telling her about Abby until they knew for sure.