They had decided to spend the last week before his departure in what they called their dimension. Samantha was still in bed when he had gently slipped out of it. Normally, he always stayed in bed until she woke up because it was still a magical moment for him to see her wake up. Not to mention what usually followed that awakening. As the days in the dimension passed and he got closer to leaving, he had become restless. With a cup of coffee, knee-deep in the water, and a cigarette, he looked out over the ocean. That it wasn't a real ocean didn't matter, the feeling he got from it was real enough. He thought about everything that had happened.
His training was over, he had progressed to the point where he could now handle Michael and Celine together with ease. He wiped the floor with both of them at the same time in less than a minute. The fatigue, the pain, and sometimes the doubt that he would make it had been almost too much to bear on some days. He was sure he would not have made it without his Red by his side. There was nothing left for him to learn or prepare for here. He would have to pick up the rest on the way. He had grown into his full powers as a Nefilim, and everyone had to admit that they were phenomenal, far stronger than anyone had thought possible. His powers as Crown Prince of the multiverse also seemed to increase daily. The powers he had inherited from both of his parents seemed to feed off of each other and strengthen each other incredibly. At certain times, they worked together to do things no one thought possible. Like the parting gift he had imagined for Dis. He had begun to wonder if his parents and he himself had made a mistake. That the few thousand years they had taken into account might not be too much. At this point, it no longer mattered. The plans had been made, the route mapped out, no turning back.
Rae Rae had visited them regularly over the past five years, and their relationship had gradually changed. Family ties between beings who are eternal can change. Their interactions can change according to their needs. She was no longer his Aunt Rae Rae. She had become his little sister, a role she was very happy to fill, she had missed her favorite big brothers for millennia and Alex was not just a substitute, he had truly become a big brother. His concern and unbridled love for her had made the transition from aunt to sister almost automatic. He and Sam had squeezed every bit of information that could be squeezed out of the Angel, and she had been happy to let it fall to her. The more information he could take with him thanks to the electronics Haniel had created for him, the better prepared he would be. One of the gold nuggets she had dropped was the existence of a Demon and an Angel on Earth. They had strangely formed a unity over the millennia. Judging from what Azrael told them about them, Alexander felt that the friendship the two had for each other was much more than friendship. Crowley the Demon and Aziraphael the Angel. The only two permanent representatives of Heaven and Hell on Earth. Who, thanks to this position, regularly got into trouble with other inhabitants of Heaven or Hell. Especially Crowley suffered from it. Something he planned to change very soon after his arrival because they would become his secret weapons. Nobody took them seriously. That no one cared what they did on Earth was a big bonus. It was perfect for his plans to have allies who stayed under the radar. The few nights of rest Rae Rae got from time to time during her visits were especially good for her. So much so that during her last visit she had declared that she could hold out for the next five years. He said goodbye to her and told her he would see her on Earth very soon. Well, very soon for her it would be a detour of six thousand years for him.
After they finished their week in their dimension, two celebrations were planned. On Friday night there was a big banquet in Dis, because Hell wanted to say goodbye to their Prince in style. He had a big surprise for them that made him smile. Of course, the Demons knew very little of what was in store for them. He would give them a simulation of a sun and a starry sky. The sun would be so effective that they could actually make things grow they never had before in Hell, healthy grass, flowers and vegetables like they had on Earth. All thanks to the powers he had inherited from his mother and father combined and could now be used for good. By their reckoning, he would be gone somewhere between fifty and a hundred years. Robert had spread the story that he had to undertake an epic journey, which was not far from the truth. And the King had made up a few details here and there to make the journey seem even more epic, with all the implications for his status in Dis. He hated the second party. Five years ago, about two weeks after he had arrived, he and Sam had agreed to celebrate their anniversary together, since their birthdays were the same. Sam had insisted on it because he had confessed shortly before that he had never had a birthday party. That the two who were supposed to be his parents didn't think he was worth celebrating his birthday. A decision he almost immediately regretted. For a moment it had escaped him that his girlfriend was the Crown Princess of the Universe. His mind drifted back to that first birthday.
The celebration of their birthday would, of course, take place in the vast throne room, with thousands of angels in attendance. Shortly after arriving at Fuzzie's infirmary, it became apparent that love had struck at first sight between the two. A story that Fuzzie and Michael had gone to no small lengths to spread to the entire angelic host. The optimism that their universe might one day have a Goddess and a God in love with each other, instead of a lonely Goddess, had set Heaven on fire. When it took barely two days for them to become a real couple with the blessing of the Goddess and the God, the news spread like wildfire, again thanks to Micky and Fuzzie's interference. Every Angel wanted to see them together. So his dream of finally celebrating a real birthday in a home environment with people who loved him and whom he loved, seemed to fall apart. For this party, he was dressed in a perfect tuxedo with the help of Samantha's father. He had never seen a tuxedo up close, let alone worn one. He had wanted to change in the bathroom, but Robert had insisted that he take off his long-sleeved shirt and jeans. The god already suspected that Alex's wounds would be visible again. Every time he wore a long-sleeved shirt instead of his usual t-shirt, they knew something was up. Robert's suspicions were confirmed and the wounds were visible again. For the time being, he left it alone, the right time to deal with it would come soon enough. When Samantha appeared in the living room in a beautiful evening gown, pale green with a subtle blue touch, they looked at each other. He gasped at her beauty, she gasped at the fact that he looked damn good in a perfectly fitting tuxedo, something like a young Greek god. When he regained his breath, he pulled out a box and asked her to turn around, lift her hair, and close her eyes. From the box, he took out the necklace he had Eloch make for Samantha. It looked like a spider's web of delicate, thin, white woven gold encrusted with white, blue, and green diamonds, with the absolute centerpiece being a small heart-shaped pink diamond. When she saw the absolute work of art, not only did it take her breath away, but her mother, Aisha and Celine had to take a deep breath as well. The big thing for him was that he had to sit on the dais, the place of honor, next to Samantha, flanked by her parents and his parents, and he didn't like it one bit. He gritted his teeth and kept a warm smile on his lips. Back in the suite, however, he sprinted to his bathroom to throw up, and, shuddering with fear, he lowered himself to the floor. As always, it was his Sam who brought him back to his feet.
The next day, however, he broke down emotionally several times, but for very different reasons. Sam had arranged for her parents, his parents, Fuzzie, Samael, Celine, Casiel, Molly, and Michael to be present for breakfast to give him his first intimate birthday party according to Earth tradition. She had engaged Molly and spent a few hours with her. During their amusing conversation, Molly had explained to her what an intimate birthday was like on Earth. During her story, she also got a sad look. She knew that Alex had never had a birthday party, so she'd taken him out for ice cream. A small thing, but he had always reacted as if it was priceless. Samantha noticed that she especially liked the girl and enjoyed being in the company of someone her own age. The only ones in Heaven who came close to her in age were Alexander and Casiel. Molly was like a breath of fresh air. That's why she suddenly did something she never would have done before she knew Alexander. At least not without discussing it with Samael and her parents. She followed the example of her boyfriend. He was a prince, a future leader, a future god. But he lived, acted, thought, and made decisions as if he was already that leader. The more Sam saw him do it, the more she adopted that attitude, and the clearer her picture became of what was expected of her as a future goddess. That was why she invited Molly into the city and the palace, against her parents' policy of keeping the city and the human fields and souls strictly separate. She had come to the conclusion that Alexander was absolutely right in his quest for complete equality. An interesting byproduct of this decision seemed to be that Casiel and Molly were drawn to each other like ducks to water. Something that did not escape the Goddess and the God to their own amusement. Several tears of happiness ran down his cheeks, for this was his first birthday and his first real presents. Everyone could see that he was once again the thirteen-year-old boy who had suffered so much hardship, who had missed so much in his young life, and who had been denied so much. The first to give him a gift were Molly and Casiel. It was a small square package. Cas nodded to Molly that the honor was hers. She handed him the package and he removed the wrapping paper. Out came a CD by Yo Yo Mas with the Bach Suites in G. His eyes were shining just at the sight of the CD, but Molly said:
"You have to open it, little brother."
That was what they had called each other on Earth in those moments when they had leaned on each other, little brother and little sister. He opened the CD cover and was surprised to see a handwritten message:
"Someone told me that there was a boy of ten who was so moved by the first suite that he always cried. I thought this must be a special boy and tears from an angel. Congratulations and enjoy, Alexander."
The message was signed by none other than Yo Yo Mas himself. Alex hugged both girls at the same time and gave them a big kiss on the cheek. To Molly, he said:
"Thank you, sis."
Celine handed him a thin, elegant dagger. He looked at her without understanding. She said he was getting more and more fan mail from the kids in Dis every day and needed a good letter opener because he had stubbornly decided to answer every card and letter. An initiative, he explained, because if the kids made so much effort for him, he could at least make the effort to write a sentence or two to thank them. This earned him a kiss from the three women present and his Samantha, Casiel, and Molly. From Michael, he received the complete works of William Shakespeare and a personal letter from the Bard, which he had managed to arrange through Cam's people with little persuasion since by now every angel in heaven was aware of Alexander's big heart. It seemed that he could make the sun rise in a room just by being there. He was especially a personal favorite of Haniel, who had amassed an impressive collection of electronics for him. Rumor had it that the two of them were working in deep secrecy on some sort of drive-in movie theater, and the Angels could hardly wait to see what it might be and what else the two of them had up their sleeves. He clung to the gift as if it were his greatest treasure and shed tears of joy. Samael pulled out a rolled-up piece of thick parchment. Alex unrolled it and read:
"This is the beginning of the new constitution for Humans, Angels and Demons. Compiled and written by your God, Alexander Marcus Morningstar Dei! No more separation between races and species. Dr. King's dream has come true on a level he himself could not have imagined."
Then came what many had already sensed was coming. The first brotherly embrace between the two. Fuzzie retrieved a rather large package from behind a couch. Before handing it to Alex, he said:
"I have never seen anyone, especially at your age, who is always looking for mercy, who has such a big heart and looks for forgiveness and the drive for justice. Whose only motivation is to give. Giving friendship, love, support, comfort, advice. A boy of thirteen who knows how to appreciate art so much. So it took very little effort to convince Ariel to make this perfect copy once she knew it was meant for you. In my defense, I must immediately add that I did not persuade our little sister to commit a crime."
Fuzzie added with a sly smile:
"You'll see..."
Alex opened the package and his breath stopped completely. A perfect copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi appeared. But then the last words of his healer entered his consciousness. His eyes widened and it seemed as if the painting suddenly became red-hot in his hands. He whispered:
"This is not a copy, is it? She did make a copy, but it is on Earth now, and this is the real deal!"
Fuzzie just nodded with a big smile. He disappeared into Fuzzie's arms and stayed there for a few minutes, hanging more than standing. Aisha and Franklin were next. Franklin nodded at her, and Aisha said:
"Alex, we know you said you needed a dimension between universes for what you need to do. We have created that for you but with two advantages. First, the dimension is attached to both you and Samantha and you can give a marker to anyone you choose to enter the dimension. The Dimension answers to both of you and only to both of you. Not even to us, because we wanted it to be yours and only yours. The first time Franklin or I will have to pull the person in, but after that, after you give the marker, you won't need us. Second, we have made it possible for the two of you to shape the entire dimension as you wish. To be molded much further than is normally possible."
Franklin added:
"A word of advice Alexander and Samantha. The next few years are going to be tremendously difficult. Create an environment where you can relax but also have fun because you are so young and you can use it, okay? So to help you along the way, we took a trip to Earth and picked up some fun ideas and toys to make the dimension more fun. What those are, well, you will have to wait now, will you?"
He could only nod, so overly emotional he was at that moment.
But it was Samantha's mother and father who shocked them both. Her mother poked her father in the ribs. He began to speak in a voice that was somewhere between his playful and serious voice, but you could see in his eyes that he was worried and there was a hint of sadness:
"Sam and Alex, your mother and I would like to ask you some questions, and we want completely honest answers. We are asking them here and now because everyone is present. This is your immediate family, Alexander, and you know that we have no secrets from each other."
They both didn't understand, they were sure they hadn't done anything wrong, so they just nodded.
"Sam, how many times have you had to sleep in Alex's bed now?"
"I don't know exactly Daddy, maybe ten times since he's been living here in the suite. Every two or three days."
"Alex, how often do you have nightmares?"
He looked down at the floor, unable to look up, trying hard not to look anyone in the face, the tears in his eyes audible in his voice:
"Often...almost every night...they started after that one night. I thought that night would end the misery. But it made me unable to stop the nightmares, unable to fight them."
Samantha wanted to tell her father to stop hurting Alex at what was supposed to be his first birthday party. A gesture from her mother made her realize there was a good reason for the questions.
"When you have a nightmare, Alex and you wake up alone, how often do you panic? How often do you not know where you are or who you are?"
"Every time... it takes quite a while for reality to come back."
"How often are there marks on your body that you try to hide from us?"
Now soft tears ran down his cheeks:
"Not every time... but a lot. I did not want to hide them on purpose. It's just that I'm ashamed. That I'm too weak because I can't handle it yet. That the fear of those two and what they did is still too deep in me. I can't shake it off. No matter how much I force myself to think logically and try to stick to that logic. Once a nightmare starts, I lose control. I know I am a Nefilim and they are nothing compared to me. In my dreams it doesn't matter, they are always stronger, faster, and can do to me what they have always done. I'm sorry if I disappointed you..."
No one in the room remained unmoved by these words. Tears streamed down the cheeks of Aisha, Salome, Molly, Casiel, and Samantha. Celine's, Michael's, and Franklin's eyes just glowed with murderous intent. Samael was simply too shocked to react; he knew certain things but by no means everything. Now he understood why Alex had sent those five to hell. Something he had reservations about back then. Now this venture had his full support. He was a bullhead who could be harsh and strict. Now there was something growing in his heart that looked suspiciously like hate. His start with Alexander might not have been the best, but as he got to know the boy, his good nature, and the light in his heart, he came to love the boy like a little brother. The next time he had to be in Hell, he would take a moment to look all five of them in the eye and a little more than that. Time ran differently in Hell, so he had all the time he needed and would take time to plan his visit. For Fuzzie, it seemed as if his heart had just been torn to pieces. Robert was the only one who tried hard to keep a straight face because he wasn't finished yet.
"Samantha, those times you slept in Alex's bed, how did you help him?"
"I didn't do anything special Daddy. I was just there and when he woke up, he immediately noticed that I was there, which calmed him down."
"Even in the middle of the night, in the middle of a nightmare, a reliving?"
"Yes, Daddy, the reliving is the worst. He wakes up and...uh..."
She got a little red in the face and Robert said:
"We agreed on the whole truth, Sam."
"Yes Daddy, when he wakes up and he knows where he is again he pulls me to him, buries his head in my arms while he holds on to me like he never wants to let go of me while he cries until he falls asleep again."
"Is it true, Sam, that sometimes you can feel from your own room that Alex is having a nightmare or is about to have one, even before there is a single sound in his room?"
"I think so, Dad. Sometimes I just wake up feeling restless and go in to check on Alex, then it's often the case that he just starts tossing and turning."
"Does he startle himself awake? And if so, what do you see on his face and in his eyes?"
Now there were tears in her eyes again:
"It's so bad to see. I think it is raw panic because I have never seen panic before Alex. It's like the moment when he woke up after arriving here, with Fuzzie. That moment was so, so bad, Daddy. I can see in his eyes that he doesn't know where he is or what's happening and then a second later he sees me. Then he relaxes completely, things come back to him and he smiles that real smile of his and you can see the warmth come back into his eyes."
Salome took over the conversation from Robert:
"Sam, Alex, look at us, please."
Both did as they were asked, Alexander with much more difficulty than Samantha.
"We did not have this conversation with you to ruin your birthday, Alexander. Celine, Michael and Fuzzie insisted that we have this conversation with both of you. Alexander hides his wounds so no one will worry about him, and then tries to be himself, his cheerfulness so contagious, being the optimist himself. As always, he puts everyone else first and himself last. As if he considers himself an afterthought. The pain he feels during combat training with Celine and Michael must be on the edge of what an adult can tolerate, according to Fuzzie, let alone a boy of thirteen. He refuses to go to Fuzzie because Fuzzie would see how bad it is and alert us. What he doesn't realize is that we would notice that on certain nights he doesn't want to do anything intense, like go flying, which you guys love to do. Or going to the baths to swim, which he usually likes to do after a day of intense exercise because it relaxes his muscles. That he would rather be in his or your room in a relaxed position talking about anything and everything, like his passion for books."
Samantha slapped her hand in front of her mouth, surprised at herself for not making the connection. Her mother, however, was not finished:
"Dear children, you are adolescents. Even though we live here in Heaven, surrounded by Angels, we created humans, and we know very well what adolescents are like. So your father and I know very well that you, let's say, play a little bit like all teenagers do. But you will have noticed that on some nights Alex didn't feel like playing at all, and depending on the level of pain he was in, he probably couldn't even be found to cuddle on the bed, because the pressure of your body or your head against his body would have been almost too much to bear."
Her father said:
"Samantha, you are my little girl and you always will be. Laila, Muriel, Ariel, Casiel, all my girls are my little girls without exception, even though some are older than certain stars. I know they sometimes take vacations on Earth, and I don't even want to know about those, let alone hear what they're doing there. It is not at all that I am a prude. It's just that I'm your daddy. I can't and do not want to get rid of the idea that you are my babies. Your mother has the same thing with all your brothers."
He tried a lighthearted tone:
"Even with that grump, as Alex calls him, with that cranky healer who got himself renamed Fuzzie, and that tough general. They're all her babies."
Aisha said with a smile:
"But two you are different. Oh, don't get me wrong, you are our babies too, the babies of all four of us, but you are so connected. You two are through Divine Twins. In a way that your father and I have only experienced twice before. The first time was us."
Salome said:
"As your father and I have experienced it only once, and I mean with each other, and we are the second time Aisha talked about. And now we are experiencing it again with both of you."
Robert said:
"So your mother and I have decided that from now on you can share a room, a bed. Because you both need more, you need each other to be complete. From the moment Alexander arrived here, it was clear what you were. You are the perfect representation of yin and yang. So incredibly powerful and capable of great things together. So incredibly lost without each other that it causes you physical pain and suffering. Mind you on one condition, and NO, not the one you are thinking of now. What you have is different. Yes, as we said, we know that you have some fiddling like all adolescents, but you are special. In this regard, we trust you not to do things you are too young and not ready for! The conditioning is for both of you. You Sam continue to help Alex as you have been doing, but now you don't have to sneak around secretly moving rooms to help him. But you, Alex, don't hide anymore, you go to Fuzzie if it's bad and you don't blame Sam if she raises the alarm instead of you! And most of all, you are not an afterthought! You are Alexander, the future Dei that not one but two universes so desperately need, that Samantha so desperately needs. Work on that, my boy..."
He pointed at everyone in the room:
"Everyone here is family; everyone is here to help you.
Franklin said:
"I already told you, boy, what happened to you is not your fault. If anyone is to blame it is the four of us, we should have known better and if not we should have let our hearts speak and not our damned brains! You never deserved what happened to you. You need not fear our reaction, we will never judge you or think less of you. You need not be ashamed that you cannot shake off the past. It'll take time, Alexander, let us help you get over it."
Alex had to swallow a few times to get rid of the lump in his throat and said:
"I promise no more hiding, nothing and never."
He looked at Salome and Robert:
"Thank you for trusting us. As I said the first time in the infirmary, that trust will never be violated!"
Robert got a sly smile on his face and said:
"Alex, Sam, your mom and I didn't say NOTHING should be hidden, Heaven help me..."
Which earned him a big pat on the shoulder from the Goddess, who had an equally sneaky twinkle in her eye. He continued:
"Well, now that we got the damper on your party out of the way, I suggest you take Alexander's things from room to room for a while and then come back without hanky-panky because your mother and I haven't given you our present yet. Believe me, you will love it."
Alexander and Samantha didn't know how fast they could move his things into her room with big smiles on their faces. She noticed that he was holding a small package close to him, so she couldn't touch it. Once everything was moved, which was not much considering his preference for keeping his room Spartan, he took her in his arms and whispered:
"Well Red, this went a little faster than I thought. Not that I'm complaining, who wouldn't want to wake up every morning to the most beautiful sunrise in history."
That one sentence earned him a deep, passionate kiss that made his toes curl. Playfully she said:
"Keep saying things like that, love, and that promise we just made might be short-lived."
Which elicited a roaring laugh from him and made her happy that the negative emotions of a moment ago seemed to have been washed away. A little red in the face to the amusement of the adults present, they stepped back into the living room. Alexander was still clutching his little package. Robert and Salome were waiting with a large envelope in their hands. Before he could say anything, Alex said:
"I know it's bad etiquette to interrupt God, and I want to apologize for that, but I have something important to do first."
The god just nodded and stood there with the others, waiting excitedly to see what the boy would pull out of his hat next. Alex pulled out the package and said:
"The necklace I gave you yesterday is perfect for your status as Crown Princess of Heaven. Everyone who saw you last night in your beautiful gown with that necklace around your neck knew just by looking at you that you would one day become their goddess, and one by one they were impressed. Not as impressed as I was, of course, but I am biased because you are my girlfriend."
Samantha's ears flushed and Salome and Aisha smiled softly, while Molly and Casiel giggled, he continued softly:
"When I had my signet ring made at Eloch's and saw what a master he was, I asked him to make something special for me to give to you."
He handed her the box, and when she opened it, her breath stopped. A delicate white gold ring with the Yin and Yang symbol in the center, but made of sapphire and emerald, surrounded by six green diamonds, six blue diamonds, and a beautiful red ruby. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she could not utter a word, let alone take the ring out of the box and slip it on her finger. He did it for her, whispering softly in her ear:
"Some would say it's way too soon for me to say I love you. I would say fuck them so I can tell you I love you every day."
With that, she fell around his neck. She did not care that they were in the presence of her parents and his parents, the kiss she gave him was not exactly the chaste kiss they usually reserved for when they were in company. Her father coughed playfully and said:
"Okay, enough of that, I'm sure I don't want to send you two to your room for a time-out."
Which brought a laugh from everyone in the room. Before he could continue with the unveiling of his gift, the women of course had to see the ring Alexander had made for Samantha. The Demon said:
"I knew you had good taste, boy, but damn, this is good taste.
When everyone had calmed down a bit, Robert said:
"Alexander, you have accomplished so much in such a short time, and Sam, you have given so much to support him. So your mother and I thought a week's vacation was in order. Your guide can tell you more about that."
Michael, proud as pie himself, said eagerly:
"Well, we're going to Paris. We're staying at the Hilton right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The night of our arrival we will go up to see the City of Lights to see why it is called the City of Lights, and of course, we will eat at Le Jules Verne, the resto at the top of the tower. What's the point of being the God and Goddess if you can't flex your powers a little bit to take care of little things like that ridiculously long waiting list they normally have."
He said with a very broad smile:
"Of course also Montmartre, the Louvre, Versailles, Dom des Invalides, for the ladies shopping on the Champs Elyse and Galerie Lafayette and of course Avenue Montaigne, then Pere-Lachaise and a few more surprises like a pleasant walk along the Seine where we might find a book or two..."
Alexander and Samantha were salivating for several reasons, not all the same ones.
The atmosphere in the suite had returned to what it had been before the misery with his nightmares had come up. Everyone was socializing with everyone else. Alex had immediately given his gifts from Samael and Fuzzie a place of honor in what would now be his study in the suite. Samael's parchment next to his copy of the Constitution, which he was already tinkering with, and the Salvator Mundi on an easel where his bed had been, now that it was no longer needed. He looked at the painting with Sam and said quietly:
"I know it's a gift from Fuzzie, but I really have to thank Ariel for making it possible. Wow, how impressive it is. And powerful! I can't describe it. There is something magical about it. I knew it was something special when I saw pictures of it, but to see it in person? I just can't describe it."
She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek:
"Just like you. You are looking at yourself, Alexander, but instead of saving a world, you are going to save a universe, two for that matter."
The comparison made him swallow hard for a moment, but he was saved by her mother's voice:
"Samantha, Alexander, we have guests to see you!"
Wondering who they could be, they stepped back into the living room. To their delight, they saw Freya and little Maila waiting for them. The little girl immediately ran up to them, Alex grabbed her out of the air, for it had become her habit to jump right up to him.
"Alex, look, I made this for you and Sam!"
Full of enthusiasm she handed him a piece of parchment with a drawing on it in different colors, which was supposed to represent Samantha and himself. The girl received a big kiss on the cheek from both of them as a thank you and Alex said:
"You know what Maila, this is so beautiful, it definitely deserves a place of honor in my study. Come on, let's hang it up so I can look at it every day when I'm at work."
As he disappeared into his study with the girl, they heard him say through the open doors:
"That Maila is the Salvator Mundi, many people on Earth think it is the greatest work of art ever created by a human being. I'm one of those who believe so. I think your artwork is perfectly in its place next to this painting."
No matter how many times it had happened, no matter how many times they had seen how much kindness, how much goodness there was in Alex, and how he could seemingly light up someone's whole day with one little thing, with a few words, it never got old and it never ceased to amaze. When they returned to the living room, all the adults, Casiel, Molly and Samantha stood together like a bunch of conspirators, hiding the dining table from view. Alex squeezed his eyes into slits and looked at Freya:
"Freya, why are those ten behaving so strangely? I know they are strange every day of the week and twice as much on Sundays, but now even more so than usual."
The Demon, who had demanded to be in Alex and Sam's service but was still not quite used to living in Heaven, let alone having a small suite in the palace itself and being in the presence of the Goddess, the God, the Crown Princess, and the Prince every day, replied quietly, knowing that her first word would not please him at all, but in her opinion that was his problem:
"Master, I took the liberty of asking Molly for something very typical for a birthday on Earth, and then I made it."
The ten stepped aside so he could see what was on the table. A simple cake, divided into two halves, half blue and half green, with thirteen blue candles on the green half and thirteen green candles on the blue half. To Alex, it was the most beautiful cake he had ever seen. With tears in his eyes, he took Freya in his arms and gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek:
"Thank you for this Freya, this is really the most beautiful cake I have ever seen. Thank you!"
The Demon lit up completely. She had been nervous that her master, as she called him against his will, wouldn't like her cake. She was too new at baking cakes, it was something that was never done in Dis. Fuzzie said:
"I think the tradition is that we light the candles and then the two party animals have to blow them out and make a wish, but they have to keep the wish a secret or it won't come true"
Salome waved her hand for a moment and the candles had a flame. Samantha blew out her thirteen green candles while Alexander stood by, looked thoughtful for a moment, and then picked Maila back up from the floor:
"Maila, I have a very important task for you. I want you to take a deep breath as soon as I tell you and then blow out all the blue candles and make a wish. Be careful not to say what your wish is or it won't come true. Understood?"
The girl nodded and he said:
"Okay, three, two, one, now..."
Maila did what she was asked with verve and his thirteen candles were blown out in one go. Little did he know that this little gesture would come back to haunt him years into the distance, several thousand years for him. No one asked Alex what it meant that he hadn't done it himself, it would come out on its own. Everyone had gotten a piece of cake and was back in the sitting area. Freya had to be somewhat forced to sit down and enjoy the cake with them. Sam was almost on Alex's lap and Maila was in her usual place in the suite on the floor between Alex's legs, the place where she felt safest. The powers of observation had always been strong on Alex's side. As he watched the small couch where Casiel and Molly sat chatting close together, he got a knowing twinkle in his eye. An idea popped into his head. He decided to do something for Molly and Casiel and have some fun at the same time. He looked at God and said:
"Robert, I was wondering."
God saw the sparkle in the boy's eyes and could hardly wait to see what would happen. He decided to play his little game and asked:
"What then, son?"
"Whether you and Mom will be offended if I refuse your birthday present?"
There was a dead silence in the room and all attention went to the conversation between the two of them.
"Then why do you want to refuse our present, Alexander?"
"Honestly, because I think it's too little, that I deserve more."
"Oh, and what do you think you deserve more and why?"
"Well, as you said yourself, because I am so incredibly important to your universe, so this gift could very well be a little bigger. And to be honest, our first trip to Florence with Celine and Michael was fun, but something was missing."
Both Robert and Salome knew immediately what Alexander was getting at with his so-called complaint that his gift was too small and were immensely proud of him. Salome asked:
"So what else would you like to have Alexander that you think you have earned?"
"Oh, well, one little thing, really. You are the God and the Goddess, just something within your power. I would like you to give Molly a physical form that will allow her to come with us to Earth on our excursions. To be honest, I have no desire to spend all of our time on Earth with two adults who are older than the dinosaurs..."
Molly had listened to the last part with her mouth wide open, while Casiel smiled broadly. The gods looked at each other for a moment and as if it was no big deal, Salome said:
"You know, honey, Alex is actually right. Young people should be able to spend time with other young people and have fun."
She looked at Molly and said earnestly:
"Molly, dear child, if you want to, come with me to the throne room later and I'll make sure that you can go on these trips to Earth with Alexander, Samantha and... Casiel."
The girl did not know how fast and hard to nod. Fuzzie feared for a moment that he would have to take her to the infirmary to heal a neck injury.
At one point Sam whispered something in Maila's ear, who nodded vigorously, reached under the seat, and emerged with a small package that she handed to Alex. He looked at the package, wrapped in bright green paper with a blue ribbon. He took it as if it were extremely fragile and the most precious thing he had ever received. When he hesitated to open it, Samantha said with a smile:
"Love, if you don't open it, you'll never know what's inside."
He carefully removed the ribbon and wrapping paper from the box, and when he opened it, he stopped breathing. There was a blue fountain pen inside, but not just any fountain pen. It was a Montblanc, a limited edition in honor of Emperor Joseph II, who reigned from 1765 to 1790 and was a patron of the arts. The pen itself was a work of art. His hands trembled and tears streamed down his face. Happiness in his heart that he finally had a family that cared about him, love for his Samantha who took little things like his love for fountain pens and made something special out of them. After a few minutes, when he had regained his composure, a curious Aisha asked:
"Alex, I have a question, but you don't have to answer it, only if you really want to."
He nodded.
"Why didn't you follow the Earth tradition with the cake?"
He smiled broadly and said:
"What more could I wish for Mom? I have the four of you who are my parents. The only reason I don't call Robert Dad is because he plays four roles in my life at once: mentor, advisor, and father. But most importantly, from time to time, he's the one friend you just want to get in trouble with for the sheer fun of it and believe me, it's freaking fun!"
The latter made Salome groan and brought a very broad smile to Robert's face because it was also an absolute pleasure for him to get into some mischief with Alex. At some point, after Alex had read a history book, he left Heaven for Hell in a flash. He stormed into the throne room and practically dragged Robert with him. He needed the King of Hell because his power of manifestation was not yet strong enough for what he was planning. In the ninth circle of Hell, Alex hastily asked Robert if he could manifest a new cell with an infinite maze in it. The rest he could do himself, he said. Robert did as he was asked, while Alex trembled with impatience. Once the cell was ready, Alexander manifested cats, both large and small, to be found throughout the maze. A simple tangible hologram. Each cat wore a collar with a Star of David on it. He then asked a Demon to take Hitler's soul from his cell and throw it into his new hell. When Robert amusedly asked what that was all about, Alex replied that he had found out that Hitler had a severe phobia of cats. So spending his eternity being chased by cats wearing the humiliating badge that Jews were forced to wear during World War II seemed just right to him. With this explanation, Robert burst into a fit of laughter that literally hurt him. Meanwhile, Alex continued to speak:
"I have Michael, Celine, Samael, and Fuzzie, who have become not only my closest friends, but the big sister and brother I look up to. Also, all the other Angels by now see me as a brother and treat me the same way. And Sam and I have Casiel and now Molly. Not just as peers and friends, but as family that we love. But most of all, I have Samantha, who thinks I am worthy of being her boyfriend, and I am doing my best to prove her right. Tell me, what else should I wish for? So instead of letting this wish go to waste, I gave it to our little Maila."
While he was daydreaming about the past, Sam had come to stand beside him in the water with her cup of tea. He put an arm around her waist, she laid her head on his shoulder and asked:
"What do you think about love?"
"The past. The last five years. All that has happened, all that has changed, all that we have achieved."
"So important that you remember things?"
He thought for a moment, only now noticing that she was completely naked, not even wearing one of those very, very short sleeping shirts she usually wore in bed, which always made his engine rev. So, before answering her question, he said:
"Red, on most beaches this is forbidden, you know, could get us in big trouble."
She giggled and said with a playful tone in her voice:
"Then you just have to imagine that we are on a nude beach, but yes, then you would not comply in those shorts of yours."
Which made him smile brightly. She waited a moment, knowing that his answer to her question would come.
"Yes, some things are very important to remember. I want to keep them imprinted in my mind for all eternity. The day I first saw your eyes, that terrible day in Fuzzie's infirmary, and they were the only thing that kept me from going into a full-blown panic. That they calmed me down completely. The day you gave me my pen, which I always carry with me because it is the most important and precious thing I own. Not because of the value of the pen, but because you gave it to me from your heart. The day we freed Maila and Freya from Dis. The three days we needed for the flaming sword, but not just the sword, but what we turned Dis into. So much so that from what I hear, they want to give us a big banquet with all the bells and whistles. Things like that, yes. We, more you than me, can be especially proud of that.
"Why me more than you love, we did it together."
He turned to her and took her in both his arms.
"Samantha, none of this would have been possible without you."
She looked at him seriously and said:
"Alex, you are always the one who says nothing is impossible, nothing."
"Have you ever asked yourself why I say that, Sam?"
She had to admit that she had never asked that question before. That she had always assumed it was something typical of Alex. He manifested a new cigarette:
"When I arrived here, I was nothing, an anomaly. Samael was extremely nervous that I might cause trouble for his Princess, and Michael was looking for weaknesses to take me out if I was. I couldn't blame them for that, because they were doing it for your sake, for your safety. I know I gave you bad dreams, as you later confessed, by exploding at that table during the first meeting when I told Michael to end it."
She started to say something, but he cut her off with a kiss on the lips.
"Apparently Michael knew me better than I knew myself at that first meeting and that started the ball rolling for five years."
He pulled her into an embrace:
"I have stubbornly resigned myself to the fact that nothing is impossible. If I put my mind and heart into it, I will achieve the impossible, because I cannot possibly exist without you. Everything that followed Samantha was for you. For you and only for you. All the tears, all the blood, all the sweat that has been shed during this time is now coming to a climax. In a few days, Celine and I will set out to save a universe from a tyrant, to save what is left of the Angels, to give humanity a chance to survive, and to make their Hell as much like our Dis as possible. Later maybe even take both to the next big step who knows."
He made his cigarette disappear and looked out over the water again for a moment:
"I may not be thirteen anymore, but I am still basically an eighteen-year-old boy. Somewhere between an adolescent and an adult. Sometimes if I'm with you and definitely if I'm with your dad my brain still works like that of a kid."
His eyes sparkled for a moment with mischievousness clear to see when he said:
"Sometimes with Robert, it can be said that our brains work like those of younger kids when we're plotting or making something up that we know we're going to get in trouble with Mom."
However, his gaze quickly became serious again as he continued speaking:
"Sometimes my brain works on a whole different level, beyond adulthood when I'm working. Sometimes the pressure on my shoulder feels so immense that I would prefer to stay here in this dimension and never want to come out. When I think of all the things that could go wrong, even the smallest mistakes could be fatal, I literally get nauseous and vomit. Why me, Sam, why does this have to fall on my shoulders? Couldn't this cup pass me by? Now that I am no longer in that universe, I am sure another Nefilim will rise. Why can't he or she do it?"
She had become more than accustomed to this, so she manifested a cigarette and handed it to him, then asked with a gentle smile:
"Tell me Alex, we have the party in Dis on Friday. Even if it takes twenty hours there, which wouldn't surprise me at all, we'll only be gone two hours and we can crawl into bed at home until Saturday afternoon. Saturday night we will have an elaborate but modest banquet in the throne room. Where this time you, not I, will be the absolute center of attention. Sunday will be spent with our small circle of intimate family and friends. And that Monday morning when Aisha and Franklin will be ready to transfer you and Celine with your luggage. Then suddenly you say, you know what, thanks but no thanks anyway. I will stay with Samantha and take the secondary throne after we get married. What's that going to do to you next week, next month, next year? What's it going to do to you when Aisha and Franklin show up one day and say, Your whole universe is gone?"
"I could have Rae Rae, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Lucifer move in here?"
"Same question, Alexander, what about the eighty billion souls that would be left behind and destroyed?"
He sighed deeply:
"I know, Red, that decision was made for me the day they smuggled me into your universe. That doesn't change the fact that I'm shaking in my boots."
"Come on, let's get some breakfast, we both need calories, we still have over a day and a half before we have to leave."
He said playfully:
"Something that is again your fault, this time you wanted the time here to be the same pace as the time in Heaven. Otherwise, we could have spent a few more decades here in peace, enjoying each other."
"Oh, and what is the other thing I am to blame for?"
"You know that very well, girl! That I've long felt guilty for breaking our promise to your parents not to do anything we were too young for!"
She said laughing:
"Mom and Dad have known about that forever. Mom was a little worried at first and Dad did a perfect imitation of an ostrich. Mom and I talked about it, Alex and the worries melted away like snow in the sun. Dad would have preferred that I'd been well-behaved for the next few centuries. However, I seem to recall a second part of that condition, and it read, 'for which we were not yet ready.' You know damn well we were ready, mister!"
"Oh, yeah? Hmmmm, I think we need to test that second part a few more times just to be sure."
He scooped her into his arms and they disappeared towards the beach house. The kisses they exchanged on the way promised great things...