Malach helped me into the bath once I'd calmed enough, sitting on the edge of the tub while I relaxed in the warm water. My legs were up against my chest, arms wrapped around them as I stared at the wall. "That was me." I whispered, arms tightening around my legs.
"Yes." he relied, staring at the bathroom floor.
"How do you know?" I looked up at him finally, finally feeling the fog over my mind start to lift a little.
"Because I saw it when I collected you." he said with a small frown.
"Oh. Right."I shifted a little, leaning back against the tub as I looked down at the water. "I thought I wasn't supposed to remember anything. I shouldn't know what happened until my trial." Malach was silent long enough that I looked up at him again, finding him staring at the far wall. "Malach?"
He was silent a moment longer before turning his gaze on me again. "Your memories came back because you're ready for your trail." he finally said, causing me to cringe a little, eyes closing as I looked away. So soon? I thought I'd have more time with him. More time to figure out a way to stay.
"I'm not ready Malach. I don't want to leave." I whispered.
"It doesn't matter if you wish to leave or stay Celeste. They believe you're ready to face your trail."
"I won't leave." I said as I looked back at him. "I'm supposed to stay with you remember?"
Malach let out a small sigh, reaching out to touch the top of my head lightly. "You can't stay here Celeste. The dreams will only continue until you go. You'll have it over and over again every time you close your eyes. Repeat every second of your death. You can't stay." he said with a small frown.
"Why now?" I snapped out. "Only this morning I still felt like I had more time. Like I wasn't even close to meeting my quota. So why now?" I snapped out.
"Someone believes you're ready. That something you did made up for your failure in your trail."
"I won't go."
"And I told you, you must." he said with a small frown. "There is no negotiating this, Celeste. You have no reason to stay now."
"I do though. There's you." I took his hand in mine, linking our fingers as I sat up so I could face him. "How could I leave when you're stuck here?" I whispered as I watched him.
Malach sat watching me silently, sighing as he leaned down so his forehead touched against mine. "Even if you go I'll still watch over you. I have no doubts you'll pass this time Celeste and when you do I'll watch over you." he whispered as he reached up to touch my cheek, fingers stroking over my skin.
"It's not good enough."
"You won't remember me after the trail. There'll be nothing to remember or miss."
"I don't want to forget." I whispered, knowing I sounded like a child, but unable to stop myself.
"You will." he whispered, lips brushing over mine lightly. "Dress. There's somewhere I want to take you." he smiled as he started to help me stand and step from the tub. I followed, letting him help me dress and doing the same for him before we left his apartment. The elevator stopped on another floor, Malach leading me from it and down the long hall toward a door. I opened my mouth, ready to ask what we were going to do when the door opened and Malach pulled me inside. I stumbled forward when he let go of my hand, catching my balance a couple steps into the room. I let out a gasp when I realized where he'd brought me, turning quickly toward him.
"Good luck, Celeste McKay." Malach whispered, stepping from the room and slamming the door as I rushed toward him.
"Malach! How could you!" I slammed my fists against the door, biting back a sob as I leaned into it. "How could you do this." I breathed out before the room started to grow brighter. I turned, eyes squinting as I leaned back against the door, arm raising as I tried to block out the light. The one thing I'd learned through the months of being a Reaper was that your trial started at the beginning of the day of your death if you failed and became a Reaper. Mostly because that day is the day that defined why you became a Reaper in the first place. So what I had to look forward to was another beating that would result in my death. But this time, this time I couldn't kill my father even if it was in self defense it was still murder. No, this time I'd have to let him kill me, no matter how much I wanted to fight back. I was dead already anyway and would be again.
When my eyes opened I lay not on the bed I should have, but in a field of vivid color. The grass, knee high, swayed around me in the breeze. Wild flowers swayed as if to music. The sun over head was warm, but not overly so. I sat stunned for a moment before pushing to my feet. A white dress replaced the clothes I'd worn in Limbo, my feet bare against the cool of the Earth. "Where..." I turned in a slow circle, trying to make sense of what was happening because I knew this wasn't right.
"Hello Celeste," I turned at the voice, coming face to face with a woman so beautiful my breath seemed to leave me. Her eyes, as blue as the sky above held laugher in them. So much Joy I felt tears start to form. Her midnight hair had been braided away from her face, almost creating a halo around her head. She wore the same white gown as me, though the pure white wings against her back told me just where I was and what I was faced with. "I'm sure you're wondering why." the woman said as she moved toward me, holding out her hand.
"I....yes," I whispered, not even hesitating as I took the offered hand and stepped forward. "I....This isn't right." I whispered as I looked around, starting to walk forward with her when she took a step away.
"No, it isn't. But...sometimes things change." she said as she stopped next to a natural bench formed in stone. She motioned for me to sit before settling next to me, leaning over to start picking at some of the flowers around us. "Nothing is set in stone Celeste. There are many paths one can take that always lead them somewhere new. Sometimes, somewhere exciting and unexpected," she smiled as she started to braid the flowers and long strands of grass into the start of a flower crown. One I remember making when I was a small child before everything had turned bad. "Our choices during life and sometimes in death can change the circumstances in where we end our days or where we begin anew." she smiled as she lifted the crown, examining her work before resting it on my head.
We both turned when laughter filled the air, watching as a group of children rushed by not far from where we sat followed more slowly by adults, all of whom sported wings. I turned my attention back to her. "So...Because of how I lived in Limbo I came to heaven without even facing another trial?"
"Yes, and no." she said as she smiled at me, reaching out and touching my cheek lightly. "How you lived in Limbo did change your fate. Where you were destined to end up. You showed that you didn't belong anywhere but here," her hand lowered to my lap where my hands rested, covering one of mine and gave a light squeeze. "Limbo was your trail Celeste. Because of your life on earth the trial you faced wasn't right for determining where you belonged. Limbo was supposed to be your second trial which you passed with flying colors."
"I...don't understand how it could be a trial." I whispered as I looked down at our hands.
"No, I don't suppose you would. And really there's no need to try when you've already reached the place you belong," she was quiet a moment, smiling as she placed a finger under my chin and forced my gaze to hers. "But it's not where you want to be is it?"
"No." I answered without hesitation.
"Love is a wonderful thing, don't you agree?" she said as she sat back. "Powerful beyond all measure and more beautiful than anything life has to offer. Once someone finds it who is anyone to rip it away," I straightened a little at her words, wondering if I was about to hear something I wanted more than anything to hear. The look the woman gave me quickly deflated that balloon though. "I can't make you a Reaper again Celeste. You've already passed that stage of your existence. There is no going back once you move forward. Malach sacrificed his own heart to see that you'd move forward."
I'd looked down when she started to speak, knowing it was too good to be true only to snap my head back up when she spoke Malach's name. "Did you ..."
The woman smiled a little. "I know what you're thinking. And yes. Most angels didn't wish to give him a name, didn't want to call him anything. Death should have no name, but he was my friend for so long I could not do that to him. I was the only person who ever called him by the name he was given."
"I thought... He said your memories had been erased."
Avery looked down, shaking her head a little. "No. I only wished him to believe that so he'd stop hurting himself over what had happened to me. Malach blamed himself. He believed that if he'd not befriended me I wouldn't have visited him so much and would have never met Mammon. After...I didn't want to see his pain anymore. I wanted him to think that I'd healed by forgetting so that he'd move on. I was wrong though. It didn't help anymore than telling him I remembered. He still blamed himself and still sought out Mammon every time he was on Earth. I'd wished I could go back, that I'd listened to him when he'd warned me, but I believe what I'd done set in motion something that I knew needed to happen." she smiled as she looked at me. "Death was meant to walk alone Celeste. There's no room for Love in it. But Malach isn't Death, he's only the hand that collects what Death deals. He deserves more than walking alone in the darkness. I always believed that. I just had to find the right person for him."
"What?" I breathed out, not knowing if I wanted to believe what she was saying or if I was even hearing right.
"I've waited a long time for you Celeste. Someone who could walk with Malach and not fear him for what he is. He was the first Reaper. He always will be, but he shouldn't have to do it alone."
"But you said....you said I couldn't be a Reaper again. How am I supposed to stay with him if I can't go back?"
"I never said you couldn't go back Celeste. Just that you could never be a Reaper again." she smiled as she stood, holding out her hand for me. I reached out, taking her hand. " I was never banned from Limbo. No one was. We choose not to go because we have other business to tend to. But it's in my power to assign you to a job." I gasped as a warm tingle started from our joined hands, moving like lightning to my back. It was far from painful. If anything it felt like a warm hug. One minute I was sitting holding Avery's hand and the next I stood, wings draped forward over my shoulders stroking the downy soft feathers that made them. "Celeste, from this moment forth you shall reside in Limbo acting as an ambassador between Reapers and Angels. The Reaper known as Malach will report directly to you any worries or concerns he has on Earth. Do you accept?"
I stood stunned as I stared at Avery, mouth opening and closing before I threw my arms around her in a hug. Avery caught me with a laugh, returning my hug. "Watch over him Celeste. He's not as invincible as he likes to think he is." Avery whispered to me before pulling away.
"I know." I whispered, smiling as I stepped back from her.
"I'll come for a visit when you've settled a little more. Maybe give him a little warning for me?"
"I will Avery. He'll be happy to have you back. You were a close friend to him. I could hear it in his voice when he spoke of you. I will admit I did get a little jealous." A flush formed as I spoke, looking down a little.
Avery laughed, forcing me to look back up again. "You have nothing to worry about Celeste. I've never felt more for Malach than that of a brother and I'm sure he's thought of me as nothing more than a sister. Now go. I'm not sure he could handle much more time away from you."
I let out a laugh, nodding as I stepped back from her. I knew I had a lot to learn and I knew Avery would be there to teach me, but for right now I had somewhere to be and with Avery's help I was there in an instant. There was a moment of dizziness before I found myself in Malach's apartment. His living room faced away from where I stood and it didn't take long to find him, seated on his couch staring at the wall as if in a daze. I had to admit it was good to see he'd missed me as much as I had him. I took silent steps forward, hands moving over the back of the couch to wrap around him. Malach jumped, all but dragging me over the back of the couch as he started to stand. His arms went around me a moment later, stunned as he stared at me.
"C-Celeste?" he breathed out, almost as if he didn't believe in what he was seeing.
"We need to have a talk. You seriously need to stop making up your damn mind without talking to me first. In fact, you're not allowed to think without talking to me first." I said, trying to sound stern as I stared down the first Grim Reaper. "You can breathe now." I whispered, smiling as I touched his chest lightly. Malach sucked in a breath before pulling me into a crushing hug. My arms slipped around him to return the hug, face pressing into his neck. "I love you Malach." I whispered, looking up at him when he pulled back.
"And I love you Celeste." he breathed out, capturing my lips in a kiss that left us both breathless.