~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty

   “Is she dead?” he asked Josephine and received an almost relieved nod, “well…who is she?”

   The relief fled and she dropped the pad to the bed before upending the Sera box and shuffled through the papers till she found another newspaper clipping. It was of a mysterious group’s actions that led to the discovery of sweat shop in Vancouver. There were no lives lost and only one injury. One of the workers had been grazed by an errand bullet when the guards shot at the intruder who had taken the photographs that had led the authorities there. A successful job on the group’s part, the article toted.

   Shaking her head Josephine tore the paper up in front of Gage and held her drawing back in front of him. With the end of the pencil she pointed to what the woman in the picture was clinging to…a camera.

   He snatched the picture from her hand and really looked at it now. That coat, he knew that gray and black pattern, its worn furry collar.

   Sera had been the photographer.

   Again he looked at Josephine in disbelief, “you changed this didn’t you? This used to be Sera’s future but you changed it by being born didn’t you?”

   She nodded her head quickly.

   “You knew she needed something to live for other than herself…” it was all coming together now, “you knew she didn’t care about her own life so you came to earth to give her just that.”

   Of all the impossible things he had seen in his immortal life, never had he known a guardian angel to come to earth in such a manner. No wonder God had punished her as he did, he knew her presence on earth would change the future so he made her invalid, made her body weak. He knew if Josephine’s mortal body died before that night then it would proceed as it should, with Sera’s death.

   Gage gripped at his face with his free hand in disbelief. That was a hell of a thing to do…only…

   “How did you know her future?” no one could see the future, not even God himself. He knew the patterns sure, or what was to come by his orders- oh.

   “He decided when she was going to die didn’t he?” this time Josephine’s nod was not so enthusiastic, “And when you learned of it you decided you’d come here to stop it, because you love her.”

   She sighed and bobbed her head slowly, her face suddenly showing all the stress not only this child’s body had known but the immortal creature inside it. She gave it all up, just like Mercy, gave up paradise for the mortal she loved. In essence she gave up her effortless existence for endless hardships. In heaven there was no pain, no sadness for those in God’s good graces, none of what she was forced to bare in her existence here. But even knowing how hard this life could be she didn’t give up, wouldn’t give up on the mortal she loved.

   Gage’s eyes opened wide realizing the similarities between himself and Josephine and he looked back to the picture in his hand. He became short of breath from the sensation burning through his chest. He wasn’t giving up on Sera either, would do anything to see her thrive. Would give his own life if it meant she would live.

   Because he loved her too, he loved Sera.

   Josephine looked up to him suddenly, her hand reaching out to his chest and shoving his hand aside for hers. A warmth radiated from her delicate hand and she began to smile, her eyes once again rimming in tears as she brought her hand back to cover her mouth.

   “It is, isn’t it?” he asked Josephine, “I love her don’t I?”

   She nodded her head enthusiastically.