Fugitive Angel

Chapter Fifteen

I felt the hard pavement of the highway hit me as I landed back on earth. I panted for air as I hit the road hard on my back and I had the wind knocked out of me. I looked to the right and saw my small car parked in the same place it was before Michael and I left for Hell. I stood myself up slowly and carefully and held onto the car for help. When I stood up straight enough I opened the driver door and dragged myself in. I started the engine, half closed my eyes due to how tired I was, and then I drove off. I would need a coffee soon or I would fall asleep at the wheel. Maybe I'll stop in Switzerland again for a night and then drive back to Rome tomorrow. That's probably a better idea.

When I got to Geneva, I checked into a cheaper hotel then the one before. I was running a little low on money right now. After this and the burger I had to eat, I would barely have enough for the nine hour drive back to Rome. If I needed money wired, I would call my father who would gladly lend me some more. Until then, I would go at it alone. I was fine right now. I needed to get used to doing things alone now that I would be a single mother. As soon as I checked into the room I had to throw up again. I did so for about fifteen more minutes. This was going to suck if it lasted nine whole months. How did my mother do this twice?

I eventually made my way to bed. It was only about eight at night, but I was exhausted from being taken back to earth and then driving five hours to Geneva. During that long night, I was either sleeping or throwing up in the bathroom. I thought of Gabriel a few times, wondering what he might be doing. Maybe he was watching me right this second, or maybe he was talking to Raphael or Michael, or any of his other brothers. What did he think when he saw me sleeping, and then running into the bathroom a couple of hours later to expell the contents of my stomach? Did he miss me as much as I missed him? It is such an agonizing thing to think about the one you love and what they may be doing when they are away from you. I constantly find myself wondering if he was still safe in Heaven, and still an Archangel. I was always thinking and hoping that he didn't already forget about me. It was both romantic and harrowing, and was the most emotional thought I could have. All the most emotional thoughts involved Gabriel.

When the morning came along I woke up rather late. It was the longest I had slept that night, and I must have slept until ten thirty in the morning. I did vomit shortly after I woke up, but it wasn't as bad as last night. I dressed myself and bought a bagel from the hotel breakfast bar before I checked out and left for Rome. Everyone that passed me by when I walked stared at my horrendous condtion. I wasn't clean, my clothes were wrinkled and slightly dirty, and my hair was a complete mess. Such a tedious human characteristic; to stare at the unhinged. I will even admit that I have done this before. Every human on this wide earth has stared at someone in a decrepit condition.

A few hours into driving, my phone rang and Delfina's number popped up onto the screen. I didn't have the concentration to drive and talk at the same time, so I pulled over to answer. When I said 'hello' she gasped happlily and I could basically hear her smiling on the other line.

"Auralia! Thank God you are alright! Where are you? Is Gabriel okay? Why did we have to go to New York?" She asked frantically. I listened to her rant and ran my fingers through my messy hair. I sighed and waited for her to finish asking questions before I answered.

"I'm a couple hours away from Rome. There's a lot to tell, Delfina. Are you back in Italy yet?" I asked. She sighed through the phone and whispered something to someone else in the background. The voice that replied sounded like my mother.

"Yeah, we got here a few hours ago. Is everything alright? You sound sick," Delfina asked. I took a drink of the coffee I bought. I looked at it and realized that now that I was pregnant I should not be drinking this. I quickly threw the coffee out of the window.