 
### Earthbound Angels, The Prequel

#### By Sandra Ross

#### Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

The following story is for entertainment purposes only. This book contains sexually graphic scenes depicting consenting adults above the age of 18 engaging in passionate sexual acts. This story is intended only for persons over the legal adult age. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. Mature readers only. Reader discretion is advised.

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**~ ~ ~ ~**

### Dark Knight in Disguise, The Prequel
### Chapter One

HE OPENED HIS EYES carefully because there was something bright that hurt them, something he was unaccustomed to seeing. It took a few seconds for the blurriness to leave him and to allow his vision to clear. Even then, things didn't make a lot of sense. Where was he? What was this thing he was lying upon? Why was there only silence interspersed with loud displeasing noises? There should be the soothing and uplifting sounds of the most beautiful music ever made. What happened? His mind was still very hazy on that score.

"Are you awake, my son?"

A soft yet strong voice emanated from across the room. Lifting his head just enough to see who spoke to him, he could just make out the shape of a man sitting in the chair by the small table placed under a large window.

"Where am I?" the man asked. "Who are you?"

"Everything will become clear to you very shortly," the man chuckled. There seemed to be somewhat of a sad quality to the sound.

Laying his head back down, the man blinked several times and then realized that a rather odd light coming from the table beside the bed was causing the discomfort to his eyes. Yes, he had figured out that he was on a bed. That light must be a lamp, he decided. But he still didn't understand what was going on with all of those sporadic noises he kept hearing.

Forcing himself to relax and try to think back to what had happened, the man started to slowly regain his memory, but he still wasn't so sure as to why he was here in this rather uncomfortable and very unattractive place. Finally, he felt well enough to sit up, propping some nearly flat pillows behind him to give him a bit more balance.

Looking at the man sitting in the chair, he was starting to have a gradual realization as to this man's identity and, at the same time, a feeling of dread grew within him. Something else was also wrong. This wasn't his body. Even though he had not looked in a mirror, he could look down at himself and see that there was nothing familiar about this corporeal form in which he was currently encased. Suddenly, sitting upright, he frantically put his hands behind him trying to touch his upper back. There was nothing there. Crying out, he tried to stand up quickly and failed due to a sensation of severe imbalance and only managed to fall back down onto the bed.

Something else wasn't right, either. He had a sudden pain in his stomach that he couldn't identify as well as some weird rumbling noise that went along with the pain. Pressing his hand to his abdomen, he looked again to the man sitting across the room. Why hadn't he said anything else?

"Who are you? What's happened to me?" he finally addressed the man once more.

"Who I am isn't as important as who you are now," the man replied in that soft, almost melodious voice. "First of all, I'll answer the questions that are of primary importance to you. As we go along, you may ask more questions that may come to you."

The man sitting on the bed nodded in agreement although he still had his hand across his stomach. With an expectant look on his face, he waited.

"You will need to know your name," the man said. "From this moment on, you shall be called Erick Angell."

"Erick Angell." The man now known as Erick repeated. "But that doesn't feel right."

"That's because for an infinite amount of time, you carried another name. But that name is in the past now and you will be known by this new name."

"Alright," Erick replied rather slowly. "Who am I? Where did I come from?"

"We will get to the part of your origin in a moment. For now, you must keep in mind that you are Erick Angell. You have been provided with all of the appropriate documents that you will need for identification. Before I depart, you will also be possession with a set of memories that will help you to get by until you have learned it all. Do you understand so far?"

"I think so," Erick said. "I'm just not clear on where I came from and why I am in this room. Can you tell me?"

"Of course, I can, Son," the man replied. "The part of you that you feel is missing from your body is something that you've literally had forever. You are missing your wings."

### Chapter Two

"EXCUSE ME?" Erick choked out. "My what?"

"Your wings," the man replied patiently. "That is why you had such trouble with your balance when you tried to stand."

"Why did I have wings?" Erick fairly shouted.

"They generally go along with being an angel," the man replied. "Except in special cases where it becomes necessary to clip those wings. In fact, that's what has happened to you, Erick."

"Wait a minute," Erick said as he put his hand to his head and massaged his temples. "So far you've told me that my name is now Erick Angell and that I used to have wings because I was an angel."

"That's correct."

"This makes no sense! There are no such things as angels! Now tell me immediately who I really am!"

The man in the chair sighed deeply and looked down at his folded hands. Then he looked back at Erick.

"There are such things as angels and you used to be one. Do you not remember any of this?"

Erick was about to reply in the negative but, suddenly, a pain ripped through his head and there, an intensely clear vision took place. He was arguing with someone and being quite arrogant. The place where he stood was bright, almost blindingly so. There was the most amazing music coming from somewhere; voices that could not be more perfect in their harmony and beauty. As he looked around in the vision, he could see other beings standing at a safe distance from the disagreement in which he seemed to be embroiled. They were all indescribably beautiful and wearing pristine, pure white robes of some sort. On their backs were folded wings.

Even though this was impossible to take in, Erick knew that what he was seeing was true. He was an angel, or had been one. At this point, he assumed that the argument had something to do with why he was now in this ugly room in a different body with no wings.

"Ah, I see that you are starting to remember," said the man in the chair. "Do you also remember why you are here now?"

"Not exactly," Erick replied haltingly. "Something about an argument?"

"Yes," the man said in sad voice. "It was an argument; one that had been going on for a long time. I finally grew tired and weary of having the same argument with you all the time. So I made the very difficult decision to let you learn the answers for yourself."

As Erick let this new information sink in, something else suddenly occurred to him. It was something about humans. Humans? Oh no, he thought. No. Realization hit and he began making an anguished howl. This went on for a few minutes until he was hoarse from the efforts. Still, he continued to try to cry out in horror, but could no longer make any sound.

### Chapter Three

"I SEE THAT you have realized what took place," the man said. "In case you have any doubts about your current situation, Erick, let me assure you that you are now, indeed, a human male. You see, that was the argument that we had until I grew weary of it. Your massive ego left you no room for any compassion for those beings less fortunate than you. Constantly, you challenged me when I was busy listening to one of the millions of prayers sent up to me daily. Always asking me why I bothered with these 'pesky, inferior humans.' There was never a caring or loving thought for what any of them may have been experiencing. Sadly, Erick, you turned out to be such a disappointment to me. It is always so painful to me when one of my highest creations gives into the very real human flaw of ego."

"Father," Erick said in a desperate tone. "I'm begging you; please don't do this to me. I see now just how serious you are and I ask for your forgiveness. Please, let's just go back home to Heaven and put this all behind us. I completely understand why you are displeased with me. My behavior was reprehensible and it will never happen again. Now, please allow me to have my wings back and return to Heaven with you."

"I am truly sorry, Erick," the man said regretfully. "That's simply not possible."

"What do you mean it's not possible?" Erick bellowed. "You are GOD! With you, anything is possible! At least that's what you always taught us. You can do anything. So why is it not possible to simply return to Heaven and put this behind us?"

"Do not continue to argue with me, my son. This is not something you are going to win. Your attitude has been abysmal. What you just said about all things being possible with Me is something that humans say to themselves every day to keep going. They don't have all of the advantages that you had as an angel. All they have is their strength and their faith. Yet many of these humans are more worthy of angelic status than you will ever be. This breaks my heart, my son. But there are lessons that you must learn and this is the only way for you to learn them. Everything you need to become a part of the human society is in those two bags over there. You will find all the proof you need for your identity, some changes of clothes, shoes, and plenty of money to open a bank account. This money can be used to buy a new home as well as start a business or whatever you choose to do. So you see, I haven't totally abandoned you. Few humans have all of this handed to them at the beginning of their new lives."

Erick couldn't seem to find anything else to say due to being stunned into silence. Just at that moment, another of those pains sliced through the middle of his stomach. He grimaced as he clutched his body to help ease the pain. The man in the chair noticed this.

"That pain you are currently experiencing is called hunger. Humans deal with this several times a day, every day if they don't eat food on a regular basis. There's also some information on the best types of food that you need to eat in order to remain healthy in one of your bags. You will most likely want to eat something as soon as possible. Once you do, that pain will subside. Be sure to drink plenty of water. Humans also enjoy such liquids as juices made from fruits and vegetables, teas, coffee, soda, and other creations. These are things that you will need but your new body will let you know as you go along."

"I cannot believe this," Erick whispered. "How can you simply leave me here like this?"

"As I said, Erick, you have much to learn about compassion for those less fortunate than you. Your appalling opinion regarding the humans must change and the only way to do that is to live among them as one yourself. I could, of course, simply use this as a warning to you, but I already know that would not accomplish what is needed. You must completely understand how difficult it is to live as a human so that you may fully comprehend just how special and strong these creatures are. Now, I am not saying that they are perfect, not by any means. I am not even saying that all of them are good. Sadly, that is not the case, but there are many ways for them to change and find their way from the darkness into the light. I do not expect you to ever attain the level of love and caring that I have for my humans, but I do expect you to learn how to care about them to the extent that an angel would."

"I still do not understand," Erick said dejectedly.

That wasn't exactly true, though. He actually was starting to understand the seriousness of his situation and just how much trouble he was in. His Father was really going to leave him here in this terrible place, in this imperfect body. He was going to have to live in a house and mingle with the humans here on Earth. Another hunger pain attacked him and he realized that he was now going to have to put food into this body. Right on the heels of that thought, another realization hit him. Oh no! The food I eat is going to be required to find a way out of my body. Now he truly was sorry for every time he had argued with his Father over the humans.

Finally, the soft spoken man rose from the chair in which he had been sitting and approached Erick. Putting his hand on Erick's shoulder, he looked down at him with an expression of intense love tinged with sadness.

"I know that you feel very sad and frightened right now, my son. Please remember that I do love you and it is because I love you that I am doing this. Once you have sincerely adjusted your attitude and opinion regarding humans, we can revisit this situation and, most likely, bring you back into the fold. However, for now, this is how it must be. I will never be far away and anytime you need Me, you can simply pray to Me and I will hear you. At some point in the future, when you are more settled in as a human, I will contact you and let you know what your special calling will be."

"My what?" Erick said as he looked up at his Father.

"Your special calling. I will explain it all when the time comes. For now, adjust to living in your new body and to what it requires. Pay attention to your instincts and you will adjust much more quickly. I must leave you now, my son. Be sure to get something to eat and then rest. You may want to use that device there. It is called a telephone. You use it by looking up the places you wish to contact in that large book there. There is a list of restaurants there in the yellow section. Choose whatever food you want and have it delivered here to you. The address of your location is right here on this stationary. Your room number is 333. Don't worry. You will figure it out. I have faith in you."

"Wait," Erick cried out as he grabbed his Father's hand. "I have so many questions and no answers! Please don't leave me here yet."

"I am sorry, Erick, but I have stayed away far too long as it is. You have been given the tools to learn what you need to know. Use them and, in no time, you will feel at home with the humans just as if you were born as one. I love you, Erick."

Then, he was gone.

### Chapter Four

ERICK CLOSED HIS EYES and allowed the full horror of his situation wash over him. Why, oh why had he been so arrogant when it came to the humans? He knew they were his Father's pets and yet, he couldn't seem to leave them alone. If he truly thought about it, he would admit to being jealous of how much his Father cared for these creatures. The jealousy came from knowing he was, indeed, superior to these weaklings and that his Father simply refused to acknowledge that fact. In thinking back, the beginning of the end for him probably came when, during their last debate over this subject, he had called his Father an idiot.

Just then, a loud noise erupted from outside, startling Erick. He jumped violently, opening his eyes at the same time. What was going on out there anyway? Probably some stupid human activity. They were such loud, obnoxious creatures, after all. How was he ever going to get through this? He thought about simply lying back down and trying to sleep but the gnawing pain in his stomach was getting worse rather than going away. That had to be dealt with before he could even think of doing anything else.

Reaching for the book of numbers that his Father had pointed out, he flipped through the pages. It seemed that he had been granted the ability to read as part of his humanity. Hopefully, he would soon learn how to navigate this contraption that Father had called a telephone.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, Erick stood outside on the lawn of the enormous castle-like structure he had just decided to purchase as his home. His Father had not lied to him about leaving him with enough money to do as he needed. This 19th century castle had caught his attention while he was out practicing his driving in the countryside. He had wasted no time in contacting Velma Stockton, the real estate agent who handled the listing. Once he had met with Velma, she had all but curtsied before him when he told her the house he wanted to see. She had become a preening, quivering mass of submission when he asked her who he needed to make out the check to in order to purchase this home. It got even more interesting when he told her that he would be paying cash. He was actually a bit worried that she may faint from shock.

Now, though, Erick had written his check, signed the necessary documents, and was handed the keys to this amazing place. Something about it reminded him of Heaven. He wasn't sure what it was, but this was the first place that he had felt completely comfortable in since he had become Earth Bound. Yes, he thought as he nodded. This will do nicely.

### Chapter Five

IN NO TIME, he had made negotiations on what furniture in the home that he would be keeping and what he would be selling. Next, he contacted an interior decorator who had come highly recommended to him. However, after speaking with this very snooty woman, he decided to look elsewhere for his decorator and he found one much more to his liking. A young man who was just getting his decorating business started seemed to have all the time in the world for Erick and actually listened to what sort of environment he preferred. After spending scarcely half an hour speaking to the young man, Erick hired him to redecorate his entire mansion. Leon's face lit up with absolute excitement when Erick informed that cost was no object.

The first part of the house that was completed was the master bedroom suite. In this way, Erick could move into the house quickly while ongoing work was being completed. It turned out that things weren't as noisy as he would have thought. He barely noticed the activity was going on in other parts of the house.

He was quite happy with the progress of things but there was one thing that he had decided he must have and he spoke to Leon about this. As it turned out, Leon knew just who to contact to insure that Erick got the one thing that he felt his house was missing. It would be a way for him to be able to reconnect with his Heavenly home even though he was currently cast out of it. He would have a special place built onto the upper part of the house that would make him feel as if he was still a part of Heaven.

By the time everything had been completed and the house was finally his, Erick had been Earth Bound for approximately six months. Time was something else that he had learned about since being banished from Heaven. It was another totally new concept to him. There was no time in Heaven, but it seemed to be quite important to the humans. Therefore, he learned how to use and manage it.

He wandered around his huge and now, very beautiful home, thinking that it was rather empty. Although he had taught himself how to cook, he preferred to eat out because he actually didn't like dining completely alone. At least when he ate in a restaurant or cafe, there were people around. They may not have been eating with him, but at least they were in the vicinity. What he needed was someone to help him take care of this place.

### Chapter Six

WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MIND, Erick drove into the city of Moon Bay, which is where his Father had dropped him when he kicked him out of Heaven. He had managed to find a favorite little cafe where he actually liked the food. It was a tastefully decorated establishment and served delectable home cooked meals. The only things that remained the same on their menu were the beverages, appetizers and salads. Main dishes, sides and desserts changed frequently. It was almost a family atmosphere.

At any rate, eating at the Moon Bay Cafe was one of the few things that Erick could actually say that he enjoyed. The digestive process was something that had been very difficult for him to adjust to. But once he had tasted certain foods, he had decided that one was definitely worth going through the other. Many of those food dishes were ones that he had discovered at this cafe.

Another thing he liked about the cafe was that he was greeted by name. He had been coming here so often that everyone who worked there knew who he was. There was a warmth here that came close to the way he had felt when he lived in Heaven.

"Hello, Mr. Angell," an older woman with at grandmotherly energy said as she sat down a cup of coffee and a glass of water on the table in front of him. "How are you tonight?"

"I am fine, Grace," Erick replied with a slight smile. "And what about yourself?"

"I can't complain," she started to say.

Then tears formed in her eyes and she tried to hide them by fussing over getting his coffee just right. But Erick wasn't fooled.

"Grace, what is it?" he asked.

"Oh, Eli and I have just had some very upsetting news today."

"What news?"

"Well, both of us had our hours cut during this year and we had fallen behind on our house payments. Today we got a notice of foreclosure from the bank. It seems as if we're going to lose our house. On top of that, Eli can't keep up any longer at work so he's going to have to leave soon."

By the time Grace was at the end of this little speech, she was practically sobbing. One of the things that Erick had learned along his journey as a human is that tears made him incredibly uncomfortable. But this was a very sweet lady who had treated him quite nicely and he hated to see her this upset. As he searched for something comforting to say, an idea occurred to him.

"Grace," he said softly. "Please don't cry. I may have an idea that will help us all. What time are you finished with your shift here tonight?"

"Oh, Mr. Angell, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to blubber on like this! Would you like your usual?"

"Yes, Grace, that will be fine. But I still want to know what time your shift is over tonight. I want to talk with you. Will you do that for me?"

"Of course, Mr. Angell," Grace said as she looked at him quizzically. "I get finished here at 10 tonight."

"That's excellent," Erick said. "If you are amenable to it, I will return here at 10 and follow you to your home. In that way, I can speak you with and Eli both."

Still rather puzzled, Grace agreed before bustling off to the kitchen with his food order.

### Chapter Seven

PROMPTLY AT 10 PM, Erick was back at The Moon Bay Cafe and followed Grace in his car to her home that she shared with her husband, Eli. Their home was a clean, well-tended cottage that suited the two of them perfectly. Grace invited Erick inside and led him to their family room where Eli was waiting for them. Then, she went into the kitchen to fix tea for them all.

Once they all had their tea in hand, Erick opened the conversation.

"You all probably know that I have recently completed redecorating a home on the outskirts of Moon Bay," he said.

"Oh yes," Grace chimed in. "Everyone knows about your castle, Mr. Angell. It's said to be quite the show place."

"I am very pleased with the way it turned out," he said smiling. "But my problem is that it's much too large for me to take care of by myself. I need someone who can manage the home for me as well as manage a crew of landscapers. From what I've seen of your work ethic, Grace, I feel that you are the perfect person to manage my home. Eli, I understand that you have quite a bit of experience in the landscaping business. If you were both to come to work for me, I would be most grateful."

Both of them sat and looked at Erick in what can only be described as a mild state of shock.

"Now, before you answer, let me explain further," Erick said. "First of all, this would be a live in position. Besides, it would be a bit of a drive for you twice each day. You may or may not know that I not only have a very large main house, but I've got some cottages on the grounds. Where you live would be totally up to you. But I would require that you live on the property. You both will be given free rein as far as what you need regarding staff. Hire as many people as you feel is necessary to keep things running smoothly and just submit the payment information to me. Now, Grace, may I ask you about how much money you make at the cafe?"

She told him how much she made. Erick reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pen and a small notebook. He wrote a figure down and tore out the sheet of paper. Then he slid it across the coffee table to Grace. She picked it up and gasped when she looked at it. Eyes still wide, she handed it to Eli who also looked a bit startled.

"Would that amount be suitable for the two of you to come and manage my home?" Erick asked.

"Oh Mr. Angell," Grace breathed. "I don't know what to say! This is quite generous!"

"Yes, Mr. Angell," Eli agreed. "Are you certain about this?"

"Very certain, Eli," Erick assured him. "Believe me, you and Grace will earn every dime of this money. It is more than worth it to me to have professionals on the scene to help me run my home as well as free my time to pursue my own business interests. Now, I understand that you will need some time to discuss this. Please contact me as soon as you have reached a decision."

Bidding them both a good night, Erick drove back to his castle and settled into his master suite. He had a feeling that he would hear back from Grace and Eli sooner rather than later but even he was a bit surprised when his cell phone rang. They had apparently not needed that much time to think over his offer. Rather, they were ready to move to his estate whenever he wanted them to be there.

### Chapter Eight

ERICK TOLD THEM that all they needed to do was pack what they didn't feel comfortable allowing others to pack and show up by the end of the week. As for the rest of their things, he would make arrangements to have them packed and brought to his home. He almost had to smile at the enthusiasm with which the couple accepted his offer.

Laying back against his pillows, he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Everything seemed to be coming together for him even though he wasn't in Heaven. Maybe it would work out after all and he could help enough humans to understand them better. The sooner he figured that out the sooner his Father would allow him to return home.

There was a little bit of something he couldn't identify at first but after thinking on it, he decided that it was anticipation. Yes, he was actually looking forward to Grace and Eli joining him in this beautiful cavernous home of his. It was good that they were going to be here to help steer him in the right way. They would most likely be the only humans who would ever be this close to him while he remained on Earth. That thought didn't really bother him, though. He was better off alone. Grace and Eli were only going to be here because he did need assistance with the upkeep of this estate. He didn't need anyone else in his life while he was Earth Bound.

At least that's what he thought until the day he met Hollianne Talbot.

### Angel at Law, The Prequel

### Chapter One

THUD!

Another jarring pain to the side of his head made Simon Draco understand the full scope of human pain. It was because of this very evilness that had made him hate the existence of humans in the first place. His Father, of course, would never hear anything critical about his precious creations and it was his opinion of these creatures voiced on one too many occasions that had landed him here in this Hell on Earth.

He had been doing pretty well on his own since being unceremoniously deposited in that fleabag motel. Oh sure, his Father had tried to explain things to him and make him see that he had brought this upon himself, but that didn't really make him feel any better about his situation.

So naturally, he had tried to show his superiority to these humans by walking into the worst part of the city in the dead of night. Strutting with the utmost of self-confidence, he never saw that first blow coming.

The next one went to his stomach and he doubled over in agony.

Finally, closing his eyes, he feigned unconsciousness, hoping against hope that these cretins would go away. He could hear them laughing, cackling above him, and then felt their hands roughly searching through the pockets of his clothes.

Yes, obviously, they were going to rob him. What else would they want? He still had hope of getting out of this alive as long as their favorite pastimes didn't include murder. Simon was under no illusion that they would care whether or not he survived their assault, but they may possibly just care enough not to kill him.

As the metallic taste of blood in his mouth nearly made him gag, the hands of his attackers suddenly pulled away.

Something was different. There was a loud scuffling noise above him and some actual howls of pain that weren't coming from him this time. He still didn't feel safe enough to open his eyes as he didn't want anyone to know that he was conscious, but he was also very curious about what was happening.

Finally, quietness settled over everything and the sounds were gone.

"Hey, buddy," a man's voice said at his ear. "You ok?"

Simon felt a hand on his shoulder and ventured a look by opening one eye. Peering upward, he saw the face of a young man who looked quite concerned. He tried to say something but only a groan escaped his mouth.

"Just hang in there, buddy," the young man said. "I've already called for help. You're going to be just fine."

"Put your hands up!" a sudden shout erupted. "Back away from the man real slow! Do it now!"

"Hey, wait a minute," the young man said. "I just got here and chased off the guys who did this."

"Sure you did," said the voice that Simon could now see belonged to a policeman. "Now get those hands up and back away from the man."

"You moron, I'm the one who called 911," Simon's savior grumbled.

But he put his hands up and backed away from Simon. On the heels of the arriving police, an ambulance screeched to a halt at the curb.

And before he realized what was going on, he had been given a cursory examination by the EMTs and loaded up in the vehicle.

He had never found out the name of his rescuer, he thought, just before everything faded completely to black.

### Chapter Two

SIMON AWOKE in a brightly lit room. A man and two women were standing around him. As he blinked into the harsh lights, the man leaned into him a bit and lifted his eyelids while shining a small penlight into his eyes.

"Hello there," the man said. "Glad to have you back with us. I'm Dr. Davidson. Can you tell me your name?"

"Simon," he croaked in a raspy voice. "Simon Draco."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Draco. You've had quite an ass kicking it would seem. You're going to have one hell of a headache from a concussion but, otherwise, everything else looks as if it's going to heal just fine. We'd like you to be our guest tonight and we'll see how things look tomorrow."

"Is that really necessary?" Simon practically whispered.

"Yes, Mr. Draco, I'm afraid it is. We need to keep an eye on you for a little while."

"I see," Simon replied.

He found that he was actually too out of it to argue. It would be nice to float away on haze of pain killers for a few hours. After he accepted that this would be his bed for the night, the doctor had another rather unpleasant surprise for him.

"Now, Mr. Draco, there are some policemen here who would like to have a word with you," Dr. Davidson advised him. "If you're not feeling up to dealing with them tonight, I can refuse to let them question you until sometime tomorrow."

"It's ok," Simon sighed. "Let's get it over with."

"As you wish," Dr. Davidson said and he left him with the two nurses who were performing various monitoring activities.

Within a couple of minutes, two men walked into his room. They were dressed in suits and ties, which led Simon to believe that these men were detectives rather than just police officers. It turned out that he was right.

"Mr. Draco, I'm Detective Allen and this is my partner, Detective Stevens. We're glad to see you awake, you look a lot healthier than you did when they first brought you in. We just have a few questions for you and then we'll get out of here and let you get some rest, alright?"

"Sure, that's fine," Simon said weakly.

"Ok, first of all, why were you walking in that part of town?"

"I was taking a walk to get some air and got turned around," Simon lied effortlessly.

"So you're saying that you didn't mean to be where you were?"

"Yes, Detective, that's what I'm saying."

"Ok, then. We're still doing a bit of investigating, but you'll feel comfortable in knowing that we're confident we have at least one of your attackers in custody," Detective Allen informed him with no small amount of pomposity.

"Seriously?" Simon replied. "That was quite fast. Did you catch him as he was running away?"

"Um no," the detective said. "He wasn't running away. In fact, he was right there with you when we arrived. He was making no effort to run anywhere."

"Nooo," Simon moaned. "That wasn't one of the men that attacked me! He was the one who drove them away and kept me from being murdered!"

"I respectfully disagree, Mr. Draco," the detective said. "He was the only one at the scene and he was leaning over you."

"Oh my god! What's wrong with you people? Why do you refuse to listen?! That man was the one who chased away my attackers and was talking to me to keep me alert and conscious until help arrived! What is this man's name?"

"The name of the suspect is Dennis Harmon," Detective Stevens said.

Apparently, this detective had finally found something to contribute to the conversation. He was carefully scrutinizing his notes as he read off the name.

"So let me get this straight," Simon said. "You found this Dennis Harmon leaning over me on the sidewalk when you arrived and you just assumed that he was my attacker."

"It was pretty cut and dried, Mr. Draco."

"Didn't you see his cell phone in his hand?" Simon asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, of course, he would come up with an excuse for being there," Detective Stevens piped up.

"With all due respect, Detectives, Mr. Harmon did not 'come up' with an excuse for being there," Simon said. "He actually was there to help me. Please don't tell me you've arrested this man!"

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Harmon will be spending some time as the guest of the county," Detective Allen responded.

"Oh for the love of god!" Simon said as loudly as he could manage. "I've got to get out of here. That poor man is being railroaded."

### Chapter Three

AS SIMON WAS TRYING to extricate himself from the IV running into his hand, a nurse appeared in the doorway. After surveying the scene, she walked briskly into the room and gently pushed Simon back onto his bed.

Then she turned to the police detectives.

"I'm sorry but you both need to leave now. Mr. Draco needs his rest. If you still have questions, you can speak with him tomorrow," she said as she very efficiently prodded them along toward the door.

The men weren't happy at being interrupted, but they left all the same. Once that was taken care of, the nurse pushed the door closed and returned to Simon's bedside.

After she had checked the IV and plumped up his pillows, she looked at him in a rather sternly.

"Now, Mr. Draco, you're going to have to stay put, at least for tonight," she said. "That headache you have is a symptom of your concussion. We're also monitoring you for any internal bleeding. Please just rest for now. You should be allowed to have something for the pain and to help you sleep in a few hours once we're sure your concussion isn't causing more serious problems. For now, lie still and focus on staying awake."

"You don't understand," Simon started to protest. "What's your name?"

"I'm Michelle," she replied.

"Ok, Michelle, those policemen have arrested the man who was actually helping me tonight. He drove away my attackers and called the police. Then he stayed with me until help came. That thoughtfulness saved my life. Now he's locked up because those fools believe that he's the one who hurt me. Surely you can understand why I must get out of here and help him?"

"I do understand, Mr. Draco," Michelle replied. "However, you really must rest for now. As soon as you're able, the doctor will allow you to do whatever you need to do. Forcing yourself out of bed before your body is ready can be quite harmful to you. Someone will be in soon to check on you. I expect you to be here in this bed when they do."

In spite of his worry over his rescuer, Simon knew Michelle was right. He was in no condition to go anywhere. In fact, he could barely stand to keep his eyes open because of the pain in his head.

He certainly wasn't going to be of help to anyone like this. There was no choice but to rest and allow his body to heal.

### Chapter Four

TWO DAYS LATER, Dr. Davidson was satisfied that Simon was ready to leave the hospital, but only under the condition that he had someone to stay with him for a few days.

A home health nurse could be hired if he had no one else, and he had considered hiring one when a man appeared in the doorway of his room. He was easily over six feet tall with jet black hair and neon blue eyes. There was an air of aloofness about him but, at the same time, he seemed a bit intense.

"Hello, Simon," the man said in way that sounded as if he knew Simon. "I'm Erick Angell and I'm here to take you home."

"Well, Erick, I appreciate that, but I don't know you," Simon replied.

But even as he said the words, he knew that they weren't exactly true. No, he had never met this man, yet he did feel as if they had a connection.

"You may not know me now, Simon," Erick replied. "But we're not exactly strangers."

Simon continued to stare at Erick until he made his decision.

"Ok, thank you, Erick," he finally replied. "I actually can use a little help for a few days. You would be doing me a tremendous favor."

"Wonderful! So are you ready to get out of here?"

"More than ready!" Simon agreed.

"I'll be right back, then," Erick said and exited the room.

Within minutes, an orderly appeared with a wheel chair as well as some paperwork that Simon had to sign before he was officially released. He balked a bit at being made to get into the wheel chair but found that he actually needed the help.

There was a shiny black BMW waiting just outside the double doors of the hospital. Erick directed the orderly to wheel Simon to the car. He opened the back door and helped Simon enter the back seat. Then he thanked the orderly and went around to get into the back seat from the other side.

Once they were both settled, he spoke to the man behind the wheel in the front seat.

"We're ready to go now, Eli."

"Very good, sir," the driver replied.

"Are you comfortable enough, Simon?" Erick asked.

"Yes, thank you. This is a phenomenal car," Simon said as he sank back into the buttery softness of the leather seat.

"Thank you," Erick replied. "It's one of my favorites."

"I take it you own more than one vehicle," Simon said as he made an attempt at humor.

"You could say that," Erick agreed with a smile in his voice. "I'll be happy to show you my collection as soon as you're recovered."

"I look forward to it," Simon said as he closed his eyes.

The ride was so smooth that he actually dozed off for the duration of the trip. Suddenly, he was being shaken gently and was shocked to find that he had fallen asleep.

"Simon, you need to wake up now," Erick's voice came through to his fuzzy awareness. "We're here."

Simon blinked in the sudden light. Looking up out of the window, he saw a huge castle looming before him.

"Where exactly is 'here'?" he asked.

"This is my home," Erick replied with a slight smile.

He went around and helped Simon from the car while Eli went ahead of them to open the huge doors that apparently led into the house.

All Simon could do was stare at the structure. He found himself to be really quite mesmerized by it.

"I'm going out on a limb here and assuming you have plenty of money," Simon remarked.

"I do alright," Erick laughed. "Come inside, Simon. Let me show you to your suite."

"My suite?" Simon asked.

"Yes, my staff has prepared a suite for you to use while you're here recovering," Erick said. "That's where we're going now. You can get the full tour later."

Erick helped Simon slowly climb the stairs to the second floor of the house. They entered one of the first rooms as they turned to the left where they were greeted by a rather large, muscular young man dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

He came forward to them immediately.

"Hi, my name is Karl," he said. "I'll be helping you with your recovery while you're here."

Simon took the hand that Karl offered and shook it. In that moment, he simply knew that Karl was a very good person and effective at helping others to heal.

Now, where did that come from, he wondered.

### Chapter Five

"IT'S GREAT TO MEET YOU, Karl," Simon said sincerely. "I'm sure that, with your help, I'm going to be just fine."

"Karl here is not only a registered nurse, but he's also a trained chef and masseuse," Erick said. "So I know that you're going to be in very capable hands. Your bedroom is through there and you'll find an adjoining bathroom. Karl will be staying in the other bedroom over there. In that way, he'll be near if you need anything."

Karl instantly took over in getting Simon comfortably settled into his bed and went to the kitchenette to prepare a light lunch for him. Erick entered the room once Simon was in bed.

"Simon, I hope you'll consider this your home while you're here. If you need anything at all, please just let me know," Erick told Simon.

"Erick, I cannot believe how kind you've been to me. I'm quite sure we've never met, but there's a familiarity about you. We're brothers of a sort, aren't we?" Simon asked tentatively.

"You could say that," Erick replied. "We'll talk later, Simon. I don't like how pale you look just now and I feel you may be over tired. Get some rest and let Karl take care of you. When you feel stronger, we can talk."

Simon wanted to argue with him, but found that he really was tired, so he just nodded.

Erick took his leave just as Karl returned bearing a tray of hot tea, slices of freshly baked bread, and a bowl of fragrant chicken soup. Even though he hadn't been hungry in the hospital, he found that these tantalizing aromas were kicking in his taste buds. In the end, he finished every last bite of food.

Then Karl gave him some medication ordered by Dr. Davidson, and he was asleep within minutes.

For the next 24 hours, Karl was the only person Simon saw, but he had no complaints. This man was definitely well-trained. During those 24 hours, Simon had been served meals that were perfect even if they were on the light side as well as assisted with soothing soaks in the jet tub. All of this was topped off with a massage that eased all of his aching and sore muscles.

In fact, in just a day, Simon was feeling almost human again, and he owed it all to Karl.

The next afternoon, Karl asked him if he felt like getting some fresh air on the accompanying balcony of their suite.

Simon couldn't think of anything he would like better. Even though his progress was still a bit slow, he managed to walk out onto the balcony with no assistance from Karl.

A very comfortable chaise lounge was already set up and waiting for him to settle into.

The view from this balcony was quite amazing. A combination of rolling hills and water in the distance as well as the courtyard in the center of the house met his eyes.

It was a very calming scene as well as an ever-changing one due to nature. This serenity offered a way to help him think about everything that had happened to him not only in the past few days, but also since he had found himself on Earth.

He really needed to talk with Erick as he had a feeling that many of the answers lay there.

Almost as if he had heard Simon's thoughts, Erick appeared at the French doors leading to the balcony.

"Simon! It's so wonderful to see you up and about!" Erick said. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Are you psychic or something? I was just thinking about how much I want to talk with you and suddenly, here you are," Simon laughed. "Yes, please sit down. Karl is inside making some of his fabulous mint iced tea. If you haven't had the pleasure of tasting that particularly flavorful brew, then you absolutely must join me in having a glass."

"I'd love to," Erick said as he chose a chair to sit in. "It sounds wonderful."

"I promise you that you won't be disappointed," Simon told him with a bit of enthusiasm in his voice.

At that moment, Karl appeared with a tray holding a pitcher of iced tea, glasses, and a plate of freshly made lobster salad sandwiches.

### Chapter Six

"THANK YOU SO MUCH, Karl," Simon said. "This looks wonderful."

"You're very welcome, Sir," Karl replied. "I hope you enjoy it. If there's anything you need, I'll be right inside."

For a few minutes after Karl had departed, the two men simply sat and reveled in the delicious sandwiches and iced tea. Finally, Erick broke the silence.

"Have you bought a home yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Simon replied.

"Do you mean to tell me that you're still at that atrocious little motel?"

"Oh no," Simon said without missing a beat. "I've moved up to a nicer residence hotel."

"Let me know when you're ready to start home shopping. My realtor is rather competent. Although, I have to admit that I found this place on my own, but it was her listing and she took charge as soon as she realized that I wanted to buy it. I think you'll find her to be exactly what you need."

"Thank you," Simon replied. "Something else for which I'll be indebted to you."

"Nonsense," Erick said as he waved his hand through the air. "We must help each other. I take it that you've figured out who I am."

"Yes, that feeling of familiarity was there from the moment I saw you at the hospital. But it's taken me the last several hours to completely understand."

The men spent the next few hours talking about their former home and how they had despised the humans so much that their Father had finally banished them from Heaven. Erick had been the first one to become Earth Bound. Apparently, Simon had been one of many others banished to Earth and had been sulking ever since. Even though he had been given the same advantages as Erick, he had chosen to hole up in his hotel room. Erick explained to Simon why this had to change.

"Erick!" Simon said suddenly and sat straight up. "I completely forgot about that poor man who saved my life! The police arrested him for attacking me even though he's the one who chased away the ones who assaulted me. I tried to explain, but they wouldn't believe me. I must get down to the police station and insist that they release him!"

"Whoa," Erick said. "Hold on there, Simon. You're in no condition to go anywhere yet."

"But I can't just leave him down there in jail because he stopped to help me! Surely you can see that."

"Of course I understand, Simon, which is why I'm going to go there myself and straighten this out, or at the very least get the man released to my custody. What's his name?"

"Dennis Harmon," Simon replied. "He's been in jail since the night of my attack as far as I know."

"Alright, Simon. You stay here and rest. I'm sure that all of this has probably tired you out. I'll leave right now and go see what's happening with Mr. Harmon."

Without even being summoned, Karl suddenly was at Simon's side, assisting him in getting up from the chaise lounge.

"It's time for your medication, Sir," he said as he walked with Simon back inside.

"Simon, I'm leaving now," Erick said as he headed toward the suite door. "I'll get word to you as soon as I have something to tell you."

"I can't thank you enough, Erick," Simon said as Karl escorted him back to his bedroom.

### Chapter Seven

THREE HOURS LATER, Simon was feeling quite well rested and hopefully checked with Karl to see if he had heard anything from Erick.

He was quite disappointed to find that there had been no word just yet. Even so, he decided to kill time by having another of those relaxing baths and getting dressed. He even managed to do this without Karl's help.

When Simon emerged from his bedroom, Karl had a cozy fire going in the sitting room. He made his way over to the sofa placed in front of the fireplace and gently seated himself.

No sooner had Karl brought him a cup of tea than there was a slight knock at the door. Karl quickly went to answer it.

"Ah Simon, you're looking quite a bit better!" Erick said as he entered the room. "I'm so happy to see you recovering. Also, I've got a bit of a surprise for you."

Before Simon could reply, Erick turned back to the still open door and beckoned to someone in the hallway.

A man entered the room.

"Simon," Erick said with a smile. "I'd like for you to meet Dennis Harmon."

"Dennis!" Simon cried as he clasped the young man's outstretched hand. "Oh, it's such a relief to see you out of jail! I'm so sorry that you've had to stay there all this time. As you can see, I've been unable to come there myself, but I did tell those two detectives that came to see me in the hospital that you weren't my attacker."

"I know that you weren't responsible for me getting arrested. Mr. Angell here was able to make the police see that it was in their best interests to release me. He told me you were staying here until you were fully recovered. I'm really glad that I was there."

"That makes two of us, Dennis," Simon replied. "Please have a seat."

Dennis sat down in one of the chairs at the side of the sofa. Karl asked if he would like anything and he actually requested something cold to drink. Erick asked him if there were any of the lobster salad sandwiches left, and Karl smiled as he nodded before going into the kitchenette.

Erick took the other available chair and the three men got better acquainted. Simon was intensely curious about what Dennis had seen as he stumbled onto the attack.

It turned out that Dennis had a black belt in martial arts. So when he had seen four men in the process of beating and robbing Simon, he had dispatched them in short order and they had taken off before the police had arrived.

"What I don't understand, Dennis," Simon said, "is why were the police so certain that you were my attacker?"

"Well, Mr. Draco, that's kind of my fault, I guess," Dennis replied as he sort of hung his head. "I used to be pretty wild when I was a teenager. I was in trouble with the cops all the time. In fact, most of the local cops knew me on sight and called me by my first name. Then, one day, I met this guy who was teaching a class in martial arts. For whatever reason, he took an interest in me and let my take his class for free. I seemed to take to it like a fish to water. It gave me something to look forward to and be proud of. I'm really good, Mr. Draco. That's how I was able to get rid of all four of those men so fast. Unfortunately, because of my past, the cops instantly figured I was the one who attacked you."

"That's quite a story, Dennis," Simon said. "But just because you had a less than stellar past gives the police no reason to assume things about you now. Even I told them that you didn't attack me and that you tried only to help me."

"Yeah, well, I've gotten used to it," Dennis sighed.

"But you shouldn't have had had to get used to it," Simon protested.

At that moment, Karl returned from the kitchen with more of his amazing iced tea, glasses and lobster salad sandwiches.

### Chapter Eight

DENNIS'S EYES LIT UP at the sight. For the next few minutes, Simon and Erick simply watched the young man devour the sandwiches like a starving man and drink down the tea as if he had just crossed a desert.

"I suppose the food at the jail isn't exactly of the gourmet variety," Erick remarked dryly as he took in the sight of Dennis inhaling his food.

"Oh Mr. Angell, what they served us at the jail makes school cafeteria food seem like a five-star restaurant," Dennis said between bites.

Simon arched an eyebrow at this and exchanged looks with Erick. They both decided by tacit agreement that they would let the poor man eat in peace before they started discussing the next step with him. Even though Dennis was now out of jail, this was only a reprieve for him. There would most certainly be formal charges filed against him and possibly even a trial.

Dennis eventually finished eating and sat back with the look of a man well-satisfied on his face. Gradually, he realized that Simon and Erick were both staring at him and became a bit self-conscious.

He gave them a rather embarrassed grin.

"Hey, I'm sorry for shoveling in the food like that," he said. "But it really was awesome! If you knew what I had been eating the last few days, you would totally understand."

"Oh, think nothing of it," Erick replied. "Simon and I are both grateful to you for everything you have done for him and now we're going to see what we can do about helping you out of this unfortunate mess."

"They assigned me a public defender," Dennis said. "He's more like a public pretender, though. He didn't even listen to my side of the story. All he wanted to do was get me to take a deal where I admit that I attacked Mr. Draco."

"Please, call me Simon."

"Sure, Simon," Dennis replied. "Anyway, they all think I did this to you and are determined to lock me up for it."

"Well, not if we have anything to do with it," Erick said. "In fact, I've already got something underway that is almost guaranteed to have you cleared of all charges."

"Are you some sort of miracle worker, Mr. Angell?"

"Not exactly a miracle worker, Dennis," Erick laughed. "But I must admit to having some friends in high places."

At that remark, Erick and Simon exchanged amused glances. As they continued to chat about what was coming up for Dennis, there was a knock at the door.

Karl quickly opened the door to the presence of a rather imposing man standing on the other side of it. He stood aside so that the man could enter the room.

Erick instantly stood up and went to greet him.

"Brendan!" he exclaimed as he and the man embraced. "It's so wonderful to see you again! Let me introduce around. This is Simon Draco and Dennis Harmon. Gentlemen, this is Brendan Steele, the absolute best attorney on the planet."

"Now, Erick," Brendan admonished with a slight smile. "You know you only say that because it's true."

The two men laughed as if they had a private joke. Dennis looked as if he was a drowning man who had just been thrown a lifeline. Simon was observing the man with a rather pensive look on his face. He shook hands with Brendan and knew instantly who, and what, he was. Later,

Erick would confirm his suspicions.

Now, however, they had work to do if they were going to get Dennis out of his very serious trouble. Brendan shook hands with Dennis and looked him in the eyes intently.

"Dennis, my boy," he said. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm going to talk some sense into these people and you'll be just fine."

### Chapter Nine

BRENDAN WAS QUITE TALL and well-built so he seemed a bit intimidating at first glance. His burnished auburn hair and green eyes gave him the look of a true Scotsman.

As it turned out, Scotland was a place he had only visited once since he had been on Earth but a Scottish heritage was a part of his cover story. He resided on the west coast in the city of Seattle, Washington and had a very thriving business there.

Brendan was nothing if not loyal, and when Erick had called him with the details of a young man's dilemma, he had instructed his pilot to prepare his private jet for a trip to the east.

By the end of the evening, Brendan had spoken at length with Dennis and was ready to defend him. After Dennis had been shown to a guest suite and had retired for the night, Simon, Erick and Brendan remained in Simon's sitting room talking over the day's events.

"Simon," Brendan said. "This may confuse you a bit just now, but you need to pay very close attention to what I do regarding Dennis's case. I'm very sure that you're meant to follow in my footsteps for your special calling. You knew that Dennis was innocent just by shaking his hand, didn't you?"

"Well, I kind of knew it already because he was the one who actually saved me from my attackers. But, yes, I felt only a sense of goodness and peace coming from him when I shook his hand. What do you mean by my 'special calling'?"

"I mean that you better start selecting the law school you want to attend. The sooner you start the better and I would suggest taking classes year round so that you can graduate much more quickly. You'll find that the bar exam will be a cake walk for you, though. Once you have the knowledge, you'll never forget it and you'll instinctively know how to use it. There's only one rule with our kind of law practice. You will only defend innocent people. As soon as you shake hands with someone, you're going to know if that person is guilty or innocent. If you pick up the guilty vibe, you must not defend that person. Is that clear?"

"I span suppose so," Simon said. "To be honest, though, I'm still kind of adjusting to being stuck on Earth. It's been quite an eye-opening experience to learn that I've got brothers here, too. But yes, I'll follow along with what you've said. Maybe having a purpose will help me to settle in better. All I want is to return to Heaven and I'll do whatever I need to do for that to happen."

Dennis was, indeed, put on trial. Simon followed Brendan throughout the entire affair and paid close attention. In the end, Dennis was found not guilty and sent on his way with an apology from the court.

While Brendan was a remarkable attorney, it certainly hadn't hurt his case when the four men who had attacked Simon suddenly showed up at the police station to turn themselves in. They had been bruised and bloody with looks of stunned fear on their faces, but had been insistent on confessing.

By way of a thank you, Simon bought a small building that he presented to Dennis to use as a martial arts school. Dennis was more than shocked but also very grateful. In fact, his effusiveness made Simon uncomfortable because, as far as he was concerned, he was in debt to Dennis for saving his life.

Simon had plenty of money and this seemed to be a good way to repay Dennis. Not to mention that Simon received some martial arts lessons from one of the most capable fighters in the country.

### Chapter Ten

THE NEXT FEW YEARS passed by as Simon attended Harvard for his law degree.

Brendan had been right. Once he was exposed to the knowledge, he never forgot it. Perhaps it was this retention ability that allowed him to graduate at the top of his class.

Erick, Brendan, Dennis and Karl all attended his graduation.

He had kept in touch with Erick and Brendan because he knew they were his brothers. Dennis had become a friend over the years. As for Karl, Simon had decided to retain him full time. He purchased a small house near the Harvard campus where the two of them lived while he was going to school. Karl's duties had increased to cleaning as well as quizzing Simon when he had an exam coming up. So these men stood in for his family.

Life on a college campus had allowed him to get acquainted with other humans and interact with them. He even went so far as to go on a few dates with some of the women that he met. It was all a front, though, for how he really felt. Plus, he needed to be accepted as a human if he was ever going to complete his penance for being so disrespectful to his Father.

Now that graduation was over, he and Karl closed up the house near Harvard and headed back to the city of Moon Bay. As promised, Erick had put Simon in touch with Velma Stockton, the realtor he had used when he purchased his castle-like home. Velma was apparently giving Simon some special attention since he was a friend of Erick's. She paid close attention to his preferences and set about taking him to see quite a few that fit the bill.

None of the houses seemed to resonate with him until they arrived at a house that seemed to be of Victorian origin. It rose three stories into the air surrounded by acres of green, lush grounds. There was something about this house that, finally, spoke to him.

It only got better when they entered the house. A huge foyer greeted them and a dual staircase led to the upper floors as a hallway led toward the back of the house. There were many doors off of this hallway that dead ended into the kitchen. All of the rooms in this house were glorious. That was the only word he could think of to describe it.

Yes, he was home.

Simon wrote the astounded and ecstatic Velma a check on the spot. His only condition on buying this amazing house was that he and Karl could move in immediately. Whatever paperwork was necessary could be brought to him for signing. This was his new home and he knew it. He also knew, from the look on Velma's face, that she would do whatever was needed to facilitate this deal even if it meant moving Heaven and Earth.

Eventually, he would need to add to the household staff, but for now, Karl could manage. In fact, Karl seemed just as thrilled with the house as Simon was. He could always count on Karl to make everything perfect. While Karl wasn't an Earth Bound, he was certainly the most capable human that Simon had met.

Moving into the house was a snap mainly because he decided to keep the existing furniture for now. He could always re-decorate later. Once the move was completed, Simon set about finding office space in downtown Moon Bay. He was going to need a good location from which to practice law.

Everything came together in an amazing fashion. Not only did he find the perfect office space, but he also managed to hire the most efficient of office managers. Her name was Rosalyn and she was everything he needed to run his office.

At the end of the day, Simon sat back in his high backed leather office chair and gazed out of the large window. As he took in the stunning scene before him, he felt something much like contentment. Moon Bay was a beautiful city and the humans here didn't seem to be so bad. He had a few friends and a career that promised to thrive beyond his expectations.

Now, it was time to figure out everything else.

Everything else came in the form of the very gorgeous Dreama Addison...

### Angel Private Eye, The Prequel

### Chapter One

THE RAIN WAS coming down hard. Thunder and lightning accompanied the deluge as the water gathered on the ground, nearly flooding the parking lot of the motel.

A man stood at the window of one of the motel rooms, watching the storm as it raged on outside. The violent weather nearly matching the fury of the thoughts that raced through his mind.

What the hell am I going to do now, he thought. All that I've ever known has just been ripped from me. I'm an angel! That's what I was created to be and what I've always been. But that's all been taken away from me now.

It started with an argument-this endless debate regarding his Father's seemingly preferential treatment with these humans.

He took it for granted, his Father's unending well of patience. His Father's easy forgiveness. What he had forgotten was that his Father was also and will always be a teacher.

And so it had come to pass, Graeme was sent to Earth to learn his lesson.

And oh, what a learning experience it has been so far.

I should have just kept quiet about my true feelings for humans-or lack thereof. Why did I have to keep arguing with Father over his preferential treatment and tolerance of them? Now look at me. Now... I'm one of them. One minute I'm amongst the most revered of beings and the next I'm nearly a the bottom of the food chain. How utterly humiliating.

In his frustration, Graeme stalked from the window and to the bed. His bedside clock winked out at him, announcing in its red digital glow that it was Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.

He never had to bother with the concept of time. But since his exile, he had learned to measure his life in days, hours, seconds.

It's been three days. Three days since he last saw Paradise. Three days since he basked in the bliss of heaven.

Three days of absolute-dare he say it?

This must be what hell feels like-a place where time is excruciatingly slow and drawn-out.

He shook his head. The words of his last conversation with his Father still ringing in his head.

Graeme was to learn compassion. Compassion?! Towards these foolish creatures? With their arrogance, their self-entitlement and hypocrisies?

His Father ignored his diatribe, telling him in his gentle way just how dramatically different his life was about to become.

As a human. A man. As Graeme St. Paul.

Well, at least I still got to keep something angelic about me. Though, I was never a saint. I just didn't think I was so awful that I needed to be thrown out of Heaven.

Briefly, he wondered if any of the other angels would notice that he was gone. Probably not. He hadn't actually noticed any of the others' absence until his Father had mentioned that they were also cast out of Heaven.

Glancing away from the window, his gaze fell upon the items left on the floor by the bed. There was a duffle bag filled with items that he was told he would need as a human. Some clothes, a comb, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, a razor, shaving cream, and other things that he had yet to figure out how to use as he went along. He had seen human use them, so it should be easy enough to learn. It was just that he had to use them now that irritated the hell out of him.

There was also money in something that his Father had called a briefcase. Now Graeme was no expert when it came to money, but it did seem as if there was a whole awful lot of it in there. Then again, Father had assured him that it would be more than enough to get him settled on Earth, and that someone would be here to guide him on how to use his money wisely.

Besides the money, there were documents that would verify his identity. All fabricated, naturally. Among them were a birth certificate, social security card, passport and a drivers' license.

Of course he would actually need to learn how to drive... but that could come later. For now, he had everything he needed to leave this terrible room and find a real place to live.

So what was holding him back? What was keeping him here?

Perhaps it was the lack of motivation. Somehow he just couldn't bring himself to join this society of humans with all of their flaws and degenerate attitudes. He felt he was so superior to them that it wasn't even a contest. Yet, he was instructed to learn as much as he could about these creatures that were so precious to his Father. That he may grow compassionate towards them. Be more understanding of them.

Right. Like that was ever going to happen.

### Chapter Two

JUST AS THAT THOUGHT crossed Graeme's mind, a lightning bolt shot straight from the sky and struck the earth right in his line of vision. The terrible spectacle momentarily blinded him.

Ok, ok, he thought as he blinked rapidly, trying to rid himself of the effects of the sudden burst of light flashing in his eyes. I get it. I'm not happy about it, but I get it.

He started to make some plans. As soon as the rain died down a bit, he would get out of this nasty excuse of a room and walk around the city for a while. Maybe if he could explore this new world he was currently in, things would make more sense.

He certainly wasn't going to get anywhere by sitting in this room sulking. It seems that Father had pretty much made up his mind and it was clear that there would be no reprieves. He was stuck here now... for probably the unforeseeable future so he might as well make the most out of it.

He was honestly tired of sitting in this room being depressed for long enough.

Looking out the window again, Graeme decided that the rain had slowed down enough for him to take his walk. Grabbing his leather jacket from the nearby chair, he collected his room key, threw open the door and headed out into the night.

According to his Father, he was in a place named Moon Bay-apparently it was a city that was famous for being located near an extraordinary beach. There was so much for him to learn but from the looks of it, it was a nice enough place for him to be exiled to. Many restaurants were open until all hours as well as a few other businesses around the city. Maybe he would stop in one of those diners for something to eat. He was really starting to develop a taste for food, which was something he never had to worry about when he lived in Heaven. Even the concept of "eating" was foreign to him.

The rain was a mere drizzle now that he didn't seem to mind it at all. To be honest, he actually kind of liked the way the raindrops felt as they lightly peppered his head. He ducked into a little diner that had quickly become a favorite of his not only because of its proximity to the motel, but that the food was very satisfying. As You Like It also happened to be one of those handy eateries that remained open until rather late.

Coming in out of the rain, he took a seat in a booth at the back of the cafe. This time of night, customers seated themselves, which was fine with him.

Graeme had eaten there enough times that he didn't need to see the menu. Tonight, he had a hankering for one of their large cheeseburgers with a side of crunchy sweet potato fries. Jocelyn approached his booth with a big smile.

"Hi there," she said brightly. "Are you going to need a menu tonight or do you know what you want?"

"No thanks, Jocelyn," he replied. "I'll take one of those cheeseburger plates with a side of sweet potato fries. And may I have some sweet tea with lemon to go with that? Thanks."

"Sure thing, handsome," she said smiling and she bustled away to put in his order.

Handsome. Hmm.

I wonder why she calls me that, he thought, because it happened a few times now for him not to notice. He guessed by human standards, he would look handsome. Angels were nothing but beautiful creations. But Jocelyn's "handsome" felt like a compliment of the human kind. Thinking that, he suddenly felt he did not want to know.

Moments later, Jocelyn returned with his tea and the day's edition of the newspaper for him to look through while he waited for his food to arrive. When he unfolded it, the photo of a fairly attractive young woman jumped out at him. The headlines screamed in big, bold, black letters:

### LOCAL WOMAN STILL MISSING!

Intrigued, Graeme scanned the story of a Moon Bay woman who had been missing for about five days now. According to reports, it had looked like she had returned home after working the late shift at the local hospital where she worked as a nurse. Her purse, keys and car were all found at her home. Evidence suggested she may still have been wearing her nurse's uniform when she went missing. Police had determined that while she may have been taken at her residence, there was no sign of a struggle. This led to the suspicion that the suspect may have been someone that she knew or that her abductor was skilled enough to cover his tracks.

Jocelyn brought Graeme his food as he was reading the news story for a second time. He wanted to make sure he hadn't missed anything from his first scan of the article.

"Here ya go, Handsome," she said smiling, placing the plates of food on the table in front of him. "Anything else you need?"

"No, Jocelyn," he replied. "This looks perfect, as always. Thank you."

"You're most welcome," Jocelyn beamed. "I'll check in on you later, then."

As she walked away, Graeme picked up one of his fries and nibbled on it as he continued to read the article. Her name was Marci Hayes. She was 26. She was described as attractive at 5'4" tall and 120 pounds. From her photo, he could see that she had shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. He observed Marci's image a bit more. Yes, he thought to himself, by human standards, she would look quite lovely.

Would that be why she was taken? From what he knew of humans, they could be desirous of beautiful things.

### Chapter Three

HE WENT TO READ the rest of the newspaper as he was going through his food. But he found that he couldn't help but come back to the story of Marci Hayes. It felt as if he was inexplicably drawn to it. Something akin to a buzz or a hum that started somewhere in the back of his head was growing increasingly apparent as he scanned the news item once more.

With growing unease, he found that he could not take another bite. He stood up and reached for his wallet. Jocelyn arrived at his table as he was leaving her a generous tip.

"Mind if I take the paper with me?" he asked as she started to clear his plates.

She laughed in response. "For you honey, anything." She straightened up, plates in hand, "It's late and in a couple of hours I'll have the new ones, anyway. Have a good evening!" She winked at him and turned to walk towards the kitchens.

Graeme stared at her back for a moment, frowning a little. Not all humans were as exuberant, he observed. Could it be because he was, as she'd said, handsome, and she liked that? What else do human women liked in human men? Was her lively spirit the reason why he felt he could tolerate her, even like her as a friend?

A human friend. For some reason, as he watched Jocelyn made an elderly couple laugh at another table on the other end of the diner, it didn't seem such a bad idea.

With a grunt, he tucked the newspaper under his arm, exited the diner, and walked back to his motel room.

After he locked his door, he moved to close the drapes, blocking the view into his room from the outside. He then took the newspaper to the bed, shook it open and laid it out, its front cover facing up on the bedspread.

The picture of Marci Hayes stared up at him unblinking from the front page.

The longer he looked at the photo, the more he felt as if it was trying to tell him something. Almost as if she was trying to tell him something. The humming in his head that started back in the diner when he first laid eyes on Marci's picture just kept getting stronger.

What was this sudden and strong attraction to this particular woman? Why her? And all these feelings from a mere picture. What was going on? What was happening to him?

Suddenly, a breakthrough. A flash of insight. Like a light bulb just went off in his brain.

And in that moment he just knew.

He knew where Marci Hayes could be found.

No sooner than he let that knowledge sink in, another vision came through. It was as if the floodgates were thrown wide open and information just kept barraging his unprepared brain. In the next second he not only knew that she was locked up in an old building somewhere, but that she was also lying prostrate on the floor, bound in what looked like an old blanket. He could almost make out shapes of boxes in the darkness of where she lay-maybe it was a warehouse? A storage facility? He couldn't tell for sure. And he couldn't be certain if she was in pain or was even breathing.

She looked motionless. And this bothered him.

He may know nothing about this woman, but he knew for certain that he didn't want her to be dead.

Graeme was telling himself that he had no true liking for humans. Besides Jocelyn from the diner, he could barely tolerate humankind in general. He was put off by their lack of conscience, their pervading sense of entitlement, their prejudices, their habits, their hate.

But Marci Hayes was one of the good ones-the better ones. As a nurse she spent most of her time tending to the sick and helpless. She would be on her feet for hours, running back and forth to care for patients, attending to their needs. Many of them, upon recovering for their ailment, would walk away without a backward glance or a kind word in appreciation for her hard work. Some did not live long enough to thank her for her efforts. Yet, day in and day out, she did it willingly-this thankless and exhausting job. She studied diligently and worked hard her way to get herself through nursing school so that she could help others in the best way that she knew how.

So yes, Marci Hayes was a good human; one of the worthy ones. She didn't deserve to be treated this way.

### Chapter Four

ARMED WITH THIS INSIGHT, Graeme knew it was his duty to rescue her. He suddenly felt like the angel that he used to be. He just knew a mission when he saw one. He might still have this physical body, and he felt the constriction, the heaviness, of having to work out a human brain. But his instincts were sounder in ways that were inhuman. Sharper than a steel blade, it was impossible to ignore. But there was something else that was new about being human-when before he could not disobey, he has the will to do so now.

But it did not even cross his mind to follow the course of disobedience. It only occurred to him because he felt this will of man as a heavy load, but no cell in his body wanted to disobey that his brain did not even give it a second thought.

He went straight to planning.

He knew that he couldn't just go wandering around Moon Bay searching for this woman. Someone was bound to ask him questions that he couldn't answer, or worse, draw unwanted attention to himself. So he needed to figure out how to do this as discreetly as possible.

First things first, he thought as he tore out the article from the paper, folded it, and tucked it away in his jacket pocket. He needed to find the place he kept seeing in his head. He had to get Marci out of there before something horrible happens to her.

He would just have to figure out the rest as he went along. The woman's safety was the most important thing right now. If someone asked the wrong questions, he would just have to play it by ear.

He started walking down the empty streets, past storefronts and shops that were closed for the night, not knowing where he was headed exactly. He just kept walking; his footsteps careful and measured. He continued to walk down paths and sidewalks that lead away from the downtown area and into the suburbs. In no time, he found himself in a more affluent part of the city.

Now he knew why he was so bent out of shape earlier over people being suspicious of his presence and of them possibly asking questions. After all, people don't take kindly to strangers wandering around rich neighborhoods in the dead of night. Keeping that in mind, Graeme made it a point to keep his stride even and purposeful, to keep him from looking so out of place.

As he went deeper into the neighborhood, he couldn't help but wonder if this was just a shortcut to where Marci was being detained, or, if his hunches were wrong and that he was actually lost. However, it became increasingly clear the latter wasn't the case when he began getting a very strong pull towards one of the side streets.

Still letting his feet take the lead, he turned into what appeared to be a superbly maintained, tree-lined, long driveway. As he continued to walk down the drive, the pull kept getting stronger, the hum in his head seemed to get louder.

Yes, she's around here someplace, Graeme thought. I can feel it. I know she's close by.

He had walked about halfway down the path when he could make out the profile of a rather large building. Upon closer inspection he found himself staring at a mansion. The stately building was maybe a half a mile from the main road and was surrounded by a high wrought-iron fence that ended with a closed double gate.

Seeing those closed gates must have stirred something in him. His mind kept insisting that he just had to find a way in, that this was where Marci is. This sense of urgency rose to a level of alarm that was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. All he knew is that he must get those gates open.

But before he could even figure out a plan, his thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the sound of a motorcycle.

A motorcycle, he thought frantically, looking for a place to hide. At this time of night? Maybe somebody called the cops on me. Or maybe it's a patrol?

He thought he could fling himself behind the nearest tree, but the motorcycle was faster, roaring its way to where he stood, skidding to a precise stop right in front of him.

The rider was dressed completely in black from his black helmet all the way to his black riding gloves.

Graeme wasn't sure what was going on and whether or not he should be concerned for his safety. But before he could even think of what to do next, the driver removed his helmet.

Graeme found himself staring back at a man with jet black hair and bright, almost electric blue eyes that seemed as if they were glowing... as if they were lit from within. The rider was quite tall and fit, yet Graeme didn't feel intimidated or that he was in any danger. They studied each other in silence, each of them waiting for the other to move.

Finally the man spoke, "Do you know where she is?"

### Chapter Five

THE STRANGER'S QUESTION threw him off but Graeme recovered quickly, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The stranger let out an impatient sound. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Are you police or something?"

"No."

Graeme studied the man once more. Yes, he wasn't a cop, Graeme thought. Otherwise I'd be cuffed by now. Finally he said, "If you are referring to Marci Hayes, the missing nurse, then yes I think know where she is," he paused. "Or at least I'm about to find out."

"Good." The relief in the stranger's reply put Graeme at ease.

"I feel that she's here somewhere, maybe in the back. Please don't ask me to explain-I've never seen this place in my life before tonight." Graeme paused. "But I have a hunch that there's a small building in the back of the property." He closed his eyes, trying to recall the vision he had earlier. "I could see boxes. Some of them covered in cloth or something," he described.

The man nodded. "Could be an old storage shed," he said. He moved to put his helmet back on. "Let's get her out of there," the rider said, turning on his bike.

Graeme looked skeptical. He looked over the man's shoulder to the tall iron fence. "And just how do you propose that we do that? That gate looks rather solid," Graeme asked. If he was still an angel, it would be very easy to scale that gate.

Except if he was still an angel, he wouldn't be here doing human business in the first place.

"This is your first time out, isn't it? Never mind. Stay here," the rider turned on the ignition, bringing the motorcycle back to life. It's roar seemed so loud this time of night, Graeme thought everyone could hear it.

"I'll be back," the stranger said. With that, the man made a sharp turn on his bike and disappeared into the night.

Graeme thought of taking the opportunity to make a quick escape. But again, before he could act, the man reappeared on the other side of the gate. Graeme couldn't see much of what the man was doing but a few seconds later, the gate creaked open... the gap wide enough for him to slip through.

"How did you..." Graeme's asked, his question trailing off.

"Ask your questions later!" the man barked, "Look, pal, we're running out of time! If you want to save this lady," the stranger motioned for Graeme to hop on the bike. "Get on!"

Graeme's feelings of urgency trumped his wariness of the man and he climbed on the motorcycle.

"Ok, which way are we going?" the man asked.

Graeme focused for a moment, then he pointed to the direction he felt drawn to. "That way," he said.

The man sped towards the direction that Graeme instructed him to do, the trees, the side of the mansion all seem to whiz past in a blur. In a few seconds they were at the back of the house. They spotted a storage shed at the very edge of the estate. This building was located well away from the main house and was practically hidden under some low hanging trees.

The man brought the motorcycle to a stop at the door of the shed. Graeme quickly dismounted the bike and looked for the entrance. Graeme checked the door but wasn't surprised to find it held closed by a heavy lock.

All at once, his frustration, his raw determination to get the woman filled him. His mind screamed: I just need to get through this door!

And without warning, the lock suddenly snapped and fell to the ground.

For a brief second, Graeme stared at the broken lock, astounded. First the visions, and now I'm breaking locks with my thoughts? Graeme shook his head. Looks like I'm developing more useful little abilities, but no time to think about that now. I've got to find Marci, he thought as he reached for the door handle.

Graeme opened the door carefully. He didn't know who or what was in there waiting for him or possibly guarding Marci. As he opened the door wider, he squinted into the darkness.

"Here, you might need this," said a voice behind him. "There's no one else in there except the lady nurse-yet. I'll stand guard here."

He turned to find the man holding out a flashlight to him. He took the item and nodded his thanks. Graeme carefully entered the shed, pointing the beam of light towards the floor ahead.

The woman looked just like she did in his vision on the same blanket he had seen in his mind.

He rushed to the woman's side. Her eyes were still closed. He checked for a pulse. At his touch the woman stirred slightly. "She's here!" he called out to the man outside. "She's unconscious," he told the man when he appeared and knelt right next to them to take a closer look.

"She's breathing but unresponsive," the man said. "And she barely has a pulse." The man looked at Graeme.

"We've got to get her out of here," Graeme paused. "But I don't know where to take her."

"I'll take care of that," the man said. "Let's get her as far away from here as we can before her kidnappers show up." The man saw the worry on Graeme's face. "Don't worry, she's not going to remember us because she isn't awake. Watch her until you see the ambulance coming, then get the hell out of there. Don't let anyone see you. Alright?"

"Of course," Graeme replied, a bit stiff because he had to ask.

The man stood up, holding Graeme's steady gaze. "I've got something to deal with here," he continued. "But we'll talk later."

"And I suppose that means you'll find me again?" he asked, by now guessing what the man was.

The stranger, who did not feel a stranger anymore, nodded. "I'll find you."

With that, the mystery rider was gone.

### Chapter Six

WHATEVER MISGIVINGS Graeme may have had with the seemingly gargantuan task of getting himself out of there while carrying the unconscious Marci was quickly replaced by his resolve to keep her safe.

Hoping that she wasn't injured in any way, Graeme gently lifted her. He found her to be lighter than expected. He carefully hoisted her over his shoulder and quickly exited the shed.

Graeme with his unconscious charge slinked through the trees as fast as he could manage. As soon as he got as far away enough from the mansion and back on the main road, he looked for a good patch of grass to lay her on. He found a grassy spot in between the houses that didn't look like a driveway and laid her down there.

It didn't take long for him to hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance. Ah, so motorcycle man delivered. With a last look to check on the woman, Graeme stood up and looked for a place to hide while the paramedics picked her up.

Once the ambulance reached Marci, Graeme swiftly made his way away from the scene, hoping he would be far away when those people thought of searching for the person who would have brought her there and called them.

Following his feet once more, Graeme crept behind large, carefully manicured shrubs and trees, making his way back to the side roads that brought him to the neighborhood. As soon as got to a more populated area, he relaxed. And then walked down the familiar street that led to his motel.

Graeme's mind was racing-full of unanswered questions about Marci, the man on the motorcycle, his special "abilities," and more.

Could he be right about the man on the motorcycle? He seemed to know a lot about Graeme without ever having met him. He had a hunch, but the Father had never said a word about him. But the man certainly know about Graeme. The more he thought of that, the surer he was that the man knew he was a fallen angel.

Yes, he would certainly love to have the chance to talk with this man at length. He seemed to have answers; answers that Graeme desperately needed.

It was no surprise for Graeme to find the man sitting astride his motorcycle, parked in front of his motel room, when he got there.

"Sorry that I had to leave you to handle all that," the man said, gesturing to his bike. "But we won't be able to fit on my bike."

Graeme just kept staring at him, not knowing where to begin.

The man smiled and held out his hand. "My name is Erik Angell," he said.

Graeme stared at the offered hand for a second and suddenly burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, man. No offense but," Graeme paused for air between laughs. "Erick Angell? Are you kidding me?"

Erick grinned. "I suppose, the irony of my name will not be lost on angels." Then he winced. "I had been... vocally expressive about my opinions about humans. I think the name's more of a punishment than an attempt to give me an honorable name among men. A blatant show of heaven's sometimes twisted sense of humor."

Forked lightning showed in the night sky for a moment, and they both looked at it before looking at each other again.

"So you're a fallen angel, too."

"Here, we call ourselves Earthbounds. Why don't we take this conversation inside? We don't want anyone to think we're crazy," Erick suggested, smiling.

Like hell I cared, Graeme thought, but nodded in agreement. He wasn't known to be difficult in heaven, and he did not plan to be one as human, even if he felt he had more than enough reason to vent. He walked past Erick and unlocked the door, motioning for the other man to follow him.

Once inside, Graeme walked over to the mini fridge and retrieved two bottles of ice-cold beer. He handed one to Erick and then twisted off the top of his own.

Erick raised his bottle in salute. "Welcome to Earth," he said as took a swig of his beer.

Graeme chuckled, "Thank you, I guess. I'm given the name Graeme. Graeme St. Paul. I'm sure you know that I've got a hell of a lot of questions."

Erick nodded. "I'm sure you do. Ask away."

Graeme looked around, not knowing where or how to begin. His eyes landed on the beer in his hand.

"This stuff, for example," Graeme started, even if it's a mundane topic. He had so much to ask that he didn't know where to start. But he had to start with something. "They call it beer. It does not even taste good-it is bitter, and not even smooth, though tolerable when icy cold. But from what I've observed, humans seem to like it. Some of them love it so much they drink enough to get themselves crazy drunk." And drunk was something he could not understand why anyone would want to be.

Erick laughed. "Oh man. Wait till you get a taste of wine. Now THAT's going to give you something to write home about!"

Graeme smiles, relaxed at Erick's laughter, and started a conversation that would take them into the morning.

### Chapter Seven

BY THE TIME the sun was coming up, Graeme understood a lot more about his surroundings, material things and how to use them, food, wine, an inkling of what he was meant to do with what he possessed, and how to think and act like a human.

Angels who were banished to Earth were gifted with certain abilities. These abilities would allow them to help humans in certain ways, in the hope that the more they interact with humans, the more they could get to a better understanding of their species. It was clear to both Graeme and Erick that Graeme's calling had something to do with finding missing people.

Erick didn't exactly warm up to the idea of telling Graeme what his calling was. What he did share was that he had a mission that was closely related to Graeme's, and that he had fashioned his lifestyle in a way that he could be on call most of the time. Graeme didn't push. He figured he would eventually know-and sooner than he thinks.

Now, Graeme knew without a doubt that he had to move out of the motel and find himself a better place to live in, not to mention make arrangements for his finances. Erick mentioned something about putting his money in a "bank account." Graeme knew about banks-he'd certainly heard about depositories of human wealth that they give much worth into here on Earth. But he has to think like human now, and he certainly knew banks would be safer to keep his money than the briefcase he kept near his bed. What he owned now was given by the Father. He was not about to waste them in whims.

He would also need to set himself up in a job of some sort. And since he had a knack for "finding" missing people, Erick suggested a career in "private investigative work". They discussed this in length until he understood that this would indeed make the most sense. Saving worthy humans was an important purpose, and he acknowledged that this would be a worthy purpose for his life on Earth.

Besides, Erick further explained that humans had this nasty little habit of disappearing all the time. Whether they ran away, got lost somewhere, or were taken by someone against their will, it would be up to Graeme to figure out how and where to find them and bring them safely back to their loved ones. Erick assured Graeme he would have enough clients to keep him busy, while Graeme thought about lost little human beings who would be too young to find their way home, and he was sold. They could be pretty cute, and even he could not fight their charming innocence.

By the time Erick left at noon, Graeme had a lot to ponder over. Looking at the business card that Erick had left him, he made a mental note to contact this Real Estate Specialist named Velma Stockton as soon as possible. Erick had purchase his home through Velma and thought she could help Graeme find a house.

Well, while I'm still not thrilled with my situation, mused Graeme, at least it doesn't look as bleak as it did yesterday before I met Erick.

He bought today's paper from a newsstand that stood a block away from the motel. He waited till he was safely back inside his room to open the paper and read the day's headlines.

### MISSING MOON BAY WOMAN FOUND SAFE:

### Local Businessman Arrested in Suspected Kidnapping

And there she was.

### Chapter Eight

HER PICTURE ONCE AGAIN made the front page. Only this time, Marci was sitting up in a hospital bed, looking pale and weak and haunted. She looked exhausted, but has on a grateful smile on her face.

Graeme couldn't help but feel something, an emotion that made the inside of his chest feel painful and constricted. He and Erick might have rescued her that night, but they were late on some counts. They could not save her from her memories.

Marci had agreed to be interviewed about her ordeal.

According to the article, while Marci didn't remember much after she was abducted, she did remember who took her. The man in question was Darren Chesterfield. He was 34, single, an only child of a family who was not only well-known in Moon Bay but pretty much in most of the East Coast. Their money came from antiques, and Darren the only heir to their quite abundant fortune.

Looking at Darren's picture, Graeme didn't think that the man needed to go around kidnapping women to get their attention.. Darren looked like a fairly attractive man with brown hair and brown eyes. He may not have been the best looking man in the room, but his money would have added to his allure. It didn't have to take Erick's word for Graeme to know how a powerful tool money to drive humans to do either constructive or despicable things. Enough stories had reached even the farthest extents of heaven about this.

The story goes on to say that Marci went out with Darren a few times but she just didn't feel that particular "spark" with him. So after a few months, she had told him that their relationship didn't seem to be going anywhere and that they needed to part ways.

Apparently, Darren didn't take the news too well.

After the break-up he had continued to badger her with calls, texts, and emails. He would show up at her home unannounced, he'd keep on sending her gifts-each more extravagant than the last. Darren had become, by all accounts, a stalker.

Marci was annoyed at first at his persistence. But his incessant invasion of her privacy and unwanted attention started to scare her. She had contacted the local police to file a restraining order, but was met with a response that because he had not laid a finger on her or had verbally abused her in any way, there were no charges to file. Marci also got the impression that his family may have something to do with the police being hesitant with charging Darren, being who they were and all.

On the night she was taken, Marci just came from working a double shift at the hospital. She found Darren waiting for her in the bedroom. She tried to get away to call for help but Darren was faster. He lunged at her, covering her mouth with a cloth soaked in chloroform. Marci lost consciousness.

She woke up, hands and feet bound on the floor of what looked like a storage area. She had no recollection of how she got there. Over the next five days, Darren had visited her and had sexually assaulted her repeatedly. When was done, he'd cover her face with a blanket so that she might not be able to see her surroundings or where he was headed.

When asked to identify the person and the circumstances surrounding her rescue, she came up with nothing. She said she faintly remembered two male voices, the touch of cold night air as she was carried out of the shed for the first time, and finally being laid down on the grass where she was later found by paramedics. Other than that, she knew nothing.

Graeme hoped that the police wouldn't focus too much in finding her savior and instead just put all their attention to bringing Darren to justice.

"I should hope that all my suffering would be enough evidence to charge him," Marci told the reporter. "That they should put him behind bars so that other women won't have to go through what I have."

Darren Chesterfield had been taken into custody shortly after Marci's rescue and was currently being held without bail. Naturally, his parents had retained the best attorney that money could buy, but even the priciest attorney could not sway the judge into granting bail especially since he had been so careless-fingerprints, not to mention bodily fluids, were found on Marci's body and at the shed were she was held.

Still, you never know with these humans, Graeme thought, making a mental note to keep a close eye on this case as it develops.

Clearly, Darren was a sick bastard. He couldn't stay away from women who had rejected him. The probability of him inflicting the same pain to someone else would be fairly high.

And the Chesterfields were no saints either, defending their son by maintaining that he was innocent and the evidence faked so he could be set up. They clearly had turned a blind eye to their son's mental state, ignoring his psychotic tendencies completely.

Well, Graeme would certainly not be ignoring him. He was not one to feign ignorance when attention was most certainly needed.

He might be human now, but he would be one human psychotic beings would have to contend with while he stayed here on Earth.

### Chapter Nine

GRAEME MADE AN appointment to meet with Velma Stockton later that afternoon to check out a few houses in the hope to find one that was right for him.

Erick had been right about this woman jumping at the chance to assist him. As soon as Graeme told her that he was a friend of Erick's, she sounded as if she couldn't seem to contain her excitement. Already, she had several "amazing" houses in mind that she could show him very soon.

Velma had, immediately, cleared her calendar for the next three days. She wanted to devote all of her time to him, hoping that this Mr. St. Paul was just as loaded as her star client.

As it turned out, he was quite taken with the very first house that they viewed. His specifications were simply that he wanted a large, private house and that money was no object. Velma had practically almost broke out dancing in a jig on the spot upon hearing that last part, but she held herself in check, lest he got turned off by her exuberance and she loose the sale. The dancing, she thought, could come later-as soon as he signed the dotted line and she had the big, fat check on her purse.

Graeme didn't know what to make of Velma's jubilation, but he understood the feeling of belonging-not as he did in heaven, but enough-to the large property with the white spacious house. He liked it on sight, and for the first time since he landed and became Graeme St. Paul, he felt excited about something.

He would make this house his home away from home. He would be at peace in this house from the turbulence of human life outside. He could protect his silence here.

It wasn't a bad place to stay in between finding missing person missions.

But really, what Graeme termed as just large and spacious-and white-was a luxury not all humans could afford. But he was going to learn about this much later. The five-bedroom house was located in the middle of a 10-acre stretch of land. It came with a swimming pool, a pool house, a tennis court, and several guest cottages on the grounds. As he explored the interiors, he felt that he would have more space than he would actually need. But it didn't bother him in the slightest as he felt more and more at home as they toured the property.

He could already picture a house with useful staff-some people has to clean this place and cook food for everyone-as well as have overnight guests once he met more Earthbounds.

There was also plenty of room to put a home office in. He figured this would be a good idea since he wouldn't have to go into town every day. Especially since he had yet to learn how to drive and get a vehicle. Clients could come to him.

Thinking about the last 48 hours, he thought of having a gate and fence installed as well. Perhaps the gate could be controlled remotely? He could ask Velma about that later.

After he had seen the entire house, he turned to Velma.

"This is it, Ms. Stockton," he said. "This is the one. This feels like it could be a good home for me."

"Are you absolutely sure Mr. St. Paul? We've got more houses to look at," she said.

"Yes, Ms. Stockton," he said. "I'm quite sure this is the house for me. And I'm not going to haggle over price. Whatever the seller is asking, I'm willing to pay. How soon can you prepare the paperwork?"

She was beaming. "Why, I'll get them ready right away! Will you be prepared to sign them in the morning?" Velma asked.

"The sooner the better," Graeme said, smiling at her because clearly, he had made her happy.

### Chapter Ten

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Graeme signed papers and became a homeowner.

After collecting the keys from Velma, he went on a shopping expedition for furniture. He found that while it was exhausting, he enjoyed being able to choose exactly what he wanted for his house. He had bought enough furniture and accessories to fill his home completely.

Then he checked out of his motel room and brought all of his belongings to the new house.

Since his furniture was arriving the following day, the house was completely empty. He did, however, buy bedding and pillows earlier that afternoon and had set that up on the floor near the fireplace in the den. He also had food bought already cooked from the As You Like It diner and, remembering Erick, asked Jocelyn's help in what best wine to drink with the food he'd bought to go.

Jocelyn had been very helpful. He just could not understand her reference about a companion that night. Why would she think he would be with someone? He didn't even have a single chair in the house. Where would he ask a guest to sit?

As he lay down in front of the fireplace that night, he was smiling. Okay, so he was giddy because of the wine. Maybe a companion wouldn't be too bad an idea. He would have to ask Erick about that, and meeting other Earthbounds, and maybe a few human beings, too.

Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all. The wine made it look like he was off to a pretty good start.

And in that moment, Graeme felt that he had everything he could ever need to spend his time here on earth. He has this house, money for whatever he would ever need, other Earthbounds as friends, and a purpose in his life. He couldn't feel that miserable. There were a lot of things he could explore. He would not be bored. If this was what Father wanted him to do, he would obey. He's still an angel inside. Nothing could take that away from him if he would not let that happen.

Yes, he thought as he drifted off into a blissful sleep, I have everything I need. There is nothing or no one that I could ever want in this life.

Little did he know that his contentment would be reduced to a mere memory a few days later...

When he met her.

**~ ~ ~ ~**

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**Wrong Number**

Devon wakes up to the news that her husband was involved in an accident that left his wrecked car at the bottom of the river, with no body to be found. Followed by a series of mysterious phone calls asking for Dan that send chills down Devon's spine, she knows something just isn't right. But the worst is yet to come...

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#### Wrong Number

Finally! Devon thought as she sat down on the couch in her new apartment.

Moving was never easy, but she had done it so many times now that it was becoming somewhat of a routine. However, this time it was different. She wasn't going to be moving again in the near future, if ever. It had taken a while to save the money she needed, but now she had her very own book shop. Even better, her spacious apartment was right over the shop, which meant that she had everything she needed conveniently within reach.

The first order of business had been to get her belongings moved into the apartment. Tomorrow, Devon would begin unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves of her shop with the help of Janina, the girl she had hired to help her. Together, she hoped that they would be able to get most of it all done within a couple of days. She really wanted to have her grand opening by the end of the week. Saturdays were usually excellent days to hold them because people would be looking for something to do on the weekends.

Devon had planned it all out beautifully. She did her research and found that this tiny coastal town on the east coast would be the perfect location for her book shop. Crystal Cove was small enough to be quaint, but large enough that tourists visiting nearby beach resorts would be able to find it easily enough. In fact, tourism was a large part of the town's income. When she found Crystal Cove, it boasted one casual dining restaurant, one fine dining restaurant, a Victorian bed and breakfast as well as a small but elegant inn. There were other necessary businesses in town but there was no book shop. That's where Devon came in.

She was going to be selling all sorts of books. There would be sections for romances, mysteries, occult, research materials, and even a children's section. That was going to be set up as a story time area. Her favorite part, though, was in the back of the shop. That's where Devon would be offering Tarot readings in a private and specially decorated area. No one had to know that her information came from sources that had nothing to do with the Tarot. She had been playing that off for years so that people didn't become afraid of her and her abilities.

Well, Devon thought. I can't just sit here daydreaming. I've got to get busy. Her electricity, water, and landline phone were all turned on and she could now stay here. The movers were due to arrive in a few hours to bring in her furniture. One thing at a time, she thought. She got up and started to do some cleaning and measuring so that she would know where she could put what.

This is going to be amazing, Devon thought. Dan would have loved it. No, I'm not going to think about him right now. It's only going to make me sad and I can't afford to get depressed right now. She went into her sunny kitchen and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. Stocking the refrigerator had been something she had had the foresight to do. She would get her bed set up and at least be able to eat something in her own home tonight.

Just as she popped the top on the soda, her phone rang. Startled, she nearly spit out her swallow of diet coke. It had to be a wrong number, she thought as she went back into the living room to answer the phone. Picking up the phone, she said a cautious but cheery "Hello." At first, no one said anything.

"Hi, is anyone there?" Devon said.

"Hi," a deep male voice said. "I guess I must have the wrong number. I was trying to get in touch with Dan, but you're obviously not him."

"Dan?" A little unpleasant shock ran through Devon's body. "How do you know Dan?" "Hey, I'm really sorry for bothering you."

Before she could say anything else, her caller had hung up. She checked the caller ID and saw Unknown Number registered there. How odd, she thought. There wasn't enough time left to dwell on it, though, because at that moment, the movers pulled up. She was distracted for the next couple of hours with supervising the unloading of her furniture and boxes of things.

As she had promised herself, Devon got her bed set up and a path cleared so that she could eat a simple dinner in her very own kitchen. She nibbled on a salad and an avocado and bacon sandwich when she remembered the odd phone call from earlier. That really had to be a coincidence, she thought. It did make her miss Dan even more than ever. That feeling was especially bad at night. She tended to remember the way he used to make her body absolutely sing with pleasure. No man had ever been able to do that for her before or since. In fact, Devon was pretty much afraid that she would never meet another man that would do that to her.

Suddenly, she realized just how tired she was. She got up and changed into her pajama pants and spaghetti strap t-shirt. Washing her face and brushing her teeth completed the bedtime ritual for tonight. She slipped into her bed and turned out the lamp on her nightstand. Just as she was dozing off, her telephone started to ring. Fortunately, she had an extension sitting on her nightstand so all she had to do was reach over and pick it up.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, is Dan there?" came the same male voice from earlier.

"It's you again," Devon said accusatorially. "Who is this and what do you want?" "Oops, I've got a wrong number again! So sorry!" And with that, the connection was broken.

Dammit! Now, Devon would never be able to get to sleep. What the hell was going on? Was someone trying to play some sort of joke on her? If so, it was a very cruel one and she didn't appreciate it. Dan was gone and he wasn't ever going to come back. She had only recently begun to accept that and now, some asshole was trying to rattle her cage. Of course, she could be crazy. It could just be that it was an honest mistake. Dan was a pretty common name, after all.

Common, however, was the last word that would ever have described her Dan. Laying back onto her pillow, she could see his tousled black hair, high cheekbones, blue green eyes and sexy sideways smile. God, how she missed him! No one was ever going to take his place and she knew it. Her body still missed him every night. Even right now, when she was tired and hot, her body wanted Dan to be touching her, kissing her, and making love to her. Finally, she turned over on her side and went to sleep with a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Wake up, sweetheart. Devon, open your eyes and look at me."

"Mmm but it's so wonderful to lay here like this with you, Dan. Do we really have to get up now?"

"Yes, darling. I would love nothing more than to hold you in my arms all day, but now isn't the time. There's something I must tell you and it's important that you pay attention."

"Of course, Dan, I'm listening. What is it?"

"You need to be careful. I can't protect you from where I am but you need to know that you're in danger."

"Danger? Who on earth wants to hurt me?"

"Shhh, don't speak. I'll tell you everything."

There was a ringing sound in Devon's ears suddenly. She was trying so hard to hold Dan's face in her mind but he was fading very quickly. The ringing became louder and more insistent. Devon's eyes flew open. She realized that the telephone was ringing on her nightstand. The sun was shining brightly and streaming through the partially opened curtains. Her bedside clock read 8:35 AM. Who the hell could be calling her at this hour? Reaching over, she lifted the phone and mumbled into it.

"Good morning, is Dan there, please?"

This again! She didn't even bother trying to carry on a conversation. Simply disconnecting the call would have to do. Devon didn't have the time, patience or energy for this. However, she was awake now and had a full day ahead of her. A shower sounded great to her at that moment so she got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she was stripped and standing under the refreshing spray of water. Picking up the tube of shower gel, she squirted some into her hand and started to move her soapy hands over her body. As she passed over her full breasts, the unexpected stimulation caused her to emit a gasp. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had experienced any sort of sexual pleasure. Her toys had even been neglected because she just hadn't felt the need for them. Now, however, as she absently lightly pinched her nipples, she felt a jolt of sexual electricity move through her body.

Closing her eyes, she continued to tease her nipples until the ache had moved directly to her clit. Without seeming to be aware of her actions, Devon slid one hand down over her stomach to her nether region. With a single minded motion, she parted the folds that revealed her clit that stood out like a tiny erect cock. Stroking it only brought her a more exquisite and torturous need for release. As she continued, that special sensation started to creep over her before slamming into her violently. Devon cried out as she rode her hand, moving the other one down so that she could slip two fingers deep inside of her soaking and spasming pussy. Just as she was coming down from that orgasm, she felt it rising inside her again. Before she returned to herself, Devon had reached a total of four intense orgasms. Now, she was weak and her legs were barely holding her up. Giving into the afterglow of the moment, she slid down the shower walls and sat under the cascading water.

Well, she thought. I suppose that was inevitable. After all, I'm still young and healthy, and it has been quite a while since I allowed myself to have any physical pleasure. Dan wouldn't want me to deny myself. This is probably good for me and will help me clear my mind because I really need to think about that very odd dream I was having before the phone rang.

Devon finished showering and dressed in faded jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top. It was going to be rather warm today while she and Janina worked in the shop. That reminded her that she needed to be sure that the air conditioning was turned on. Otherwise, they were going to be sweating all over the books. After putting a on a pot of French Vanilla coffee, she toasted a bagel and covered it in cream cheese. This was, sometimes, her favorite part of the day. It had always been so very special for Dan and her.

Thinking of Dan brought the memory of her dream back to her. There was something that he had wanted to tell her. That part of the dream she remembered very clearly. It was something about her being in danger and he wasn't going to be able to protect her. Dreams can be very strange events. She did remember how real it felt, though. She could still see Dan's beautiful blue green eyes gazing into her big brown ones. I really didn't want to wake up, she thought. Maybe I should read on it later.

Of course, now it was time to get to work. She had a new life here in Crystal Cove and she wanted to be sure that it got off to a great start. Carrying her coffee downstairs, she entered the box filled shop. Just as she walked into the main part of the shop, Janina knocked on the window at the door and waved at her. Hiring her is one the best decisions I've made, Devon thought, smiling and waving back. She went over and unlocked the door to let Janina inside.

"Hi there, you're right on time!" exclaimed Devon. "Would you like some coffee? I made some just before coming downstairs." "Oh that sounds great! But don't worry; I'll go up and get a cup myself."

"Ok, but be careful. Everything is still sort of a disaster area." Janina's long, toned legs quickly jogged up the stairs that led to Devon's apartment. She was back in no time holding a large mug of coffee. The two women discussed where they needed to focus first and got started with the unpacking and arranging. Time flew by and they didn't stop until it was nearly 2:30 PM. They had started making quite a dent in the work that needed to be done.

"Ok, let's take a break," Devon announced. "I'm actually hungry and pretty thirsty. I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"Not me," laughed Janina. "I didn't even notice how much time went by."

"Let's go upstairs and dig around in my fridge for lunch. Then, we'll work a little longer."

As they got to the stop of the stairs, they could hear Devon's landline ringing. She opened the door quickly and ran inside, grabbing the phone in mid-ring. With a breathless "Hello," Devon listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. Repeating herself, she listened intently to see if there was really anyone on the other end of the line.

"Yes, hello, is Dan available?"

"You again. Look, how many times do you need to call this number to understand that it's a wrong number? There is no Dan here, as I've told you every other time you have called here!"

"Oh, so sorry to have troubled you."

Devon slammed the phone back on the table with a curse. Janina looked at her quizzically. She supposed she should give Janina an explanation. So she told her about this man that kept calling and asking for Dan.

"Dan? But isn't that the name of..?" "Yes, it is." Devon answered curtly.

"Ah, well I can see why you would be so upset. But, you know, it's probably just a really awful coincidence. Try not to let it get to you. It's a new number so give it a little time. You're probably going to have a few other wrong numbers before it levels off."

"Yes, I know, you're probably right. Come on, let's raid the fridge. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some food and something to drink!"
That night, Devon decided to go out for dinner and just relax. She asked Janina to go with her to Bon Appetit, a great little restaurant just down the street from the book shop. It was quiet and the food was excellent. She felt it was just the place to unwind after her busy day. Besides, they had accomplished quite a lot that day.

As Devon and Janina chatted over two plates of shrimp pasta, salad, fresh baked bread and some great wine, Devon felt herself starting to relax for the first time in weeks. They were chatting about the shop and what they planned to accomplish the next day. At the end of the meal, they decided they wanted some of the restaurant's bread pudding for dessert.

Devon stretched back in her chair as she surveyed the ruins of their meal. Patting her stomach, she groaned.

"I'm so full I can barely move," she said.

Janina was laughing at her, but she was also moving pretty slowly.

"Hey, I doubt that you've eaten a decent meal during this entire move. It's good for you!"

"Yeah, good for me but not my budget when I have to replace my entire wardrobe with larger clothes!"

"Oh stop! You can stand to gain a pound or two."

The women were still laughing together when Devon suddenly looked over to the window of the restaurant. She saw a man standing there just in the shadows and out of the street light. It seemed as if he was looking in at them. As she watched, he moved from the shadows into the light just long enough for her to see his face.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. Leaping up from her chair, she took off for the door of the restaurant. By the time she had yanked the door open, the man was gone. She went outside and looked up and down the street but there was no sign of the man. Janina appeared at the door as Devon stood on the street corner.

"Hey, what's going on?" Janina called.

"Nothing," Devon said. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She went back inside the restaurant to find the manager eyeing her warily. Oh my god, she thought. He probably thought she was skipping out on the bill. To put his mind at ease, she quickly paid for both meals plus a generous tip and they left.

"Ok, now tell me the truth," Janina demanded. "What did you really see?" "I did tell you the truth," Devon replied. "There was a man standing outside the window and he was watching us. I'm sure of it. Then, he stepped briefly into the light and I saw his face. Janina, it was Dan!"

Janina watched her for a several minutes before replying. She wanted to be very careful of the next words she chose.

"Dev, you've been through more than anyone should have to. I understand that and I know that you've been trying your best to move past it. It's no wonder that you see guys sometimes that remind you of Dan." "This man did not remind me of Dan! He looked exactly like Dan! I did not imagine it! I saw him!"

"Ok, ok, sweetie, calm down. But you know that there's no way you could have seen Dan standing outside of that window or any other window. You need to accept that you're not going to see him again. Look, I'm coming home with you and we're going to spend some time unpacking some boxes. Then, I'm spending the night with you. It's obvious that you're overly tired and I'm here to help."

At first, Devon started to argue, but then realized that not only was she grateful to have the help in getting her apartment in order so she could start feeling at home, but she was also more than a little shaken by what she had seen. So she just nodded and they both walked back to her apartment. It was a short walk and the night was pleasant, so they were able to enjoy the rest of the stroll.

After Devon let herself and Janina into the apartment, they broke out a pitcher of sangria that Devon had made the day before. It was nice and chilled and ready to be enjoyed, and enjoy it they did! Within a few hours, they had unpacked nearly all of the boxes and had the apartment looking almost like someone lived there. The sangria was also gone and the ladies seemed to be feeling no pain.

They were sprawled on the sofa and laughing at some joke one of them had told when Devon decided that she really needed a shower before she was ready to retire for the night. She told Janina to make herself at home while she had a quick shower. As she moved through her bedroom, Devon started stripping off her clothes and leaving a little trail of them as she made her way into the master bathroom. Stepping under the warm water spray, she couldn't help but remember what had occurred in that very shower not so long ago. It's probably because of all the sangria, and then the wine before that at the restaurant.

She started to soap up her body with the lavender and vanilla scented shower gel. Leaning her head back under the shower spray, she closed her eyes and let her hair get really wet. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a wet, naked body pressed against hers.

Screaming from fright, she tried to turn around but was held in place by those strong arms...

* * *

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