Status: Complete as it stands but still a bit of a work in progress :-)
Redemption
III.
III.
“Hey Kitty, wait up!” yelled Sierra, shouldering her messenger bag and breaking into a run.
Katherine stopped and turned, grinning at her best friend, “Hey girl! It’s about time. Do you know how long I waited for you?”
“I know, I’m sorry. Ted was waiting for me outside of Mythology and I got a little sidetracked,” apologized the redhead, biting her lip and flushing.
“Perfectly understandable. You, my dear, have a total dish for a boyfriend,” said Kitty, pretending to faint. “C’mon, let’s grab some coffee.”
“Sure, I could use a little caffeine jolt. Let’s get our java on,” smiled Sierra, adopting a British accent and following closely behind her friend.
“You are so weird sometimes,” laughed Kitty, entering the coffee shop and taking a deep breath. “Ahh, I’m thinking this is what heaven smells like.”
“Mm, I’m right with you on that,” agreed Sierra. “Grab a seat, I’ve got this round.”
“Only if you’re sure.” Kitty pushed her dark brown hair behind her ears and looked around the shop. She spied a small table with a single chair and frowned. Her face lit up however when her eyes landed on another empty chair at an occupied table.
“Excuse me, can I borrow this chair?” she asked, addressing the man hidden behind his newspaper.
“Sorry, I’m expecting someone,” he replied without lowering the paper.
“Oh.” The brunette chewed on her lip and turned away.
“But…you might try that empty booth over there.”
“Over wh- Oh I see, thank you. Now why didn’t I notice that before?” she muttered, rushing to secure the booth.
* * * *
“Nicely done,” smiled Gabriel, taking the seat opposite the newspaper shielded individual.
Seth lowered the paper, “She’s a child. You have me looking after a child.”
“She’s twenty.”
“As I said, she’s a child,” he repeated, watching her giggling with her friend about something.
“And how old are you?”
“Physically I’m about thirty but you know better than that my friend.”
“She’s in danger, Seth.”
“I realize that, but from what exactly? You still haven’t told me.” The man stared hard at the woman who was now in his charge.
“Lucifer wants her and whatever he wants, we fight,” nodded Gabriel. “That’s reason enough to protect her.”
“She’s going to be in the middle of a war zone,” Seth scowled fiercely. “She will lose everything. No human woman should ever-”
He broke off suddenly, “And so it starts…”
Gabriel watched him run outside, too fast for the mortal eye to track, and jump a demon who’d been peering into the coffee shop windows.
“I hope You know what You’re doing,” he murmured, casting his eyes heavenward. The angel cocked his head as if listening to something. He smiled and laughed as he faded out, “I know, I know.”
* * * *
Kitty looked around, rubbing her arms, “Hey, did you feel that?”
“What, it was just a draft. Anyway, like I was saying…we need to find you a boyfriend. I mean, c’mon kiddo! You’ve got to get back on the horse sometime,” said Sierra, pulling a pouty face.
“I’m not ready yet.”
“It’s been two years, Katherine.”
“And I’m still not ready,” replied the young student, draining her coffee. “I’m gonna go back to the apartment early. I have a paper I need to work on and an urge to torture my guitar.”
“Hey, you’re not mad at me, right? You’re my best friend, Kitty. I just want you to be happy.” Sierra looked down, tracing the rim of her cup.
“I know. I’ll see you later, okay? Is Ted coming over for dinner?” asked Kitty, hugging her friend.
“Yeah, he’s bringing Chinese,” nodded the redhead.
“Oh yeah,” she grinned. “I’d better finish that homework so I can veg later. Bye mon aimee!”
Kitty exited the warmth of the coffee house and hugged her coat close against the slight chill in the air. The large black and red messenger bag she carried for class banged comfortingly on her hip with a steady rhythm and she hummed tunelessly along to the beat. Without breaking stride she bent and snagged a couple of long black feathers as they blew past her on the sidewalk.
“Pretty,” she murmured, turning them in the afternoon light. The black color gave away to shimmering highlights of purple. Kitty started whistling a hymn as she tucked the feathers in her bag and continued on her way.
“Hey Kitty, wait up!” yelled Sierra, shouldering her messenger bag and breaking into a run.
Katherine stopped and turned, grinning at her best friend, “Hey girl! It’s about time. Do you know how long I waited for you?”
“I know, I’m sorry. Ted was waiting for me outside of Mythology and I got a little sidetracked,” apologized the redhead, biting her lip and flushing.
“Perfectly understandable. You, my dear, have a total dish for a boyfriend,” said Kitty, pretending to faint. “C’mon, let’s grab some coffee.”
“Sure, I could use a little caffeine jolt. Let’s get our java on,” smiled Sierra, adopting a British accent and following closely behind her friend.
“You are so weird sometimes,” laughed Kitty, entering the coffee shop and taking a deep breath. “Ahh, I’m thinking this is what heaven smells like.”
“Mm, I’m right with you on that,” agreed Sierra. “Grab a seat, I’ve got this round.”
“Only if you’re sure.” Kitty pushed her dark brown hair behind her ears and looked around the shop. She spied a small table with a single chair and frowned. Her face lit up however when her eyes landed on another empty chair at an occupied table.
“Excuse me, can I borrow this chair?” she asked, addressing the man hidden behind his newspaper.
“Sorry, I’m expecting someone,” he replied without lowering the paper.
“Oh.” The brunette chewed on her lip and turned away.
“But…you might try that empty booth over there.”
“Over wh- Oh I see, thank you. Now why didn’t I notice that before?” she muttered, rushing to secure the booth.
* * * *
“Nicely done,” smiled Gabriel, taking the seat opposite the newspaper shielded individual.
Seth lowered the paper, “She’s a child. You have me looking after a child.”
“She’s twenty.”
“As I said, she’s a child,” he repeated, watching her giggling with her friend about something.
“And how old are you?”
“Physically I’m about thirty but you know better than that my friend.”
“She’s in danger, Seth.”
“I realize that, but from what exactly? You still haven’t told me.” The man stared hard at the woman who was now in his charge.
“Lucifer wants her and whatever he wants, we fight,” nodded Gabriel. “That’s reason enough to protect her.”
“She’s going to be in the middle of a war zone,” Seth scowled fiercely. “She will lose everything. No human woman should ever-”
He broke off suddenly, “And so it starts…”
Gabriel watched him run outside, too fast for the mortal eye to track, and jump a demon who’d been peering into the coffee shop windows.
“I hope You know what You’re doing,” he murmured, casting his eyes heavenward. The angel cocked his head as if listening to something. He smiled and laughed as he faded out, “I know, I know.”
* * * *
Kitty looked around, rubbing her arms, “Hey, did you feel that?”
“What, it was just a draft. Anyway, like I was saying…we need to find you a boyfriend. I mean, c’mon kiddo! You’ve got to get back on the horse sometime,” said Sierra, pulling a pouty face.
“I’m not ready yet.”
“It’s been two years, Katherine.”
“And I’m still not ready,” replied the young student, draining her coffee. “I’m gonna go back to the apartment early. I have a paper I need to work on and an urge to torture my guitar.”
“Hey, you’re not mad at me, right? You’re my best friend, Kitty. I just want you to be happy.” Sierra looked down, tracing the rim of her cup.
“I know. I’ll see you later, okay? Is Ted coming over for dinner?” asked Kitty, hugging her friend.
“Yeah, he’s bringing Chinese,” nodded the redhead.
“Oh yeah,” she grinned. “I’d better finish that homework so I can veg later. Bye mon aimee!”
Kitty exited the warmth of the coffee house and hugged her coat close against the slight chill in the air. The large black and red messenger bag she carried for class banged comfortingly on her hip with a steady rhythm and she hummed tunelessly along to the beat. Without breaking stride she bent and snagged a couple of long black feathers as they blew past her on the sidewalk.
“Pretty,” she murmured, turning them in the afternoon light. The black color gave away to shimmering highlights of purple. Kitty started whistling a hymn as she tucked the feathers in her bag and continued on her way.
♠ ♠ ♠
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