A Fire For The Truth/Page 2
By WebAngel Hazel
Scene Six
"You don't look like the angel of death to me," Dana said, casually. It was hard to believe that this was the man she had so viciously accused earlier. Now, it felt as if she had known him all her life.
Andrew smiled. "And what does the angel of death look like?"
Dana hesitated. How could she put this delicately? "I.. I expected you to be... well... grimmer."
The statement didn't surprise Andrew at all. He was fully aware of the bad rep that his office had among humans. If only they knew that he looked like a poster boy for milk ads. "Would you like me to be grim?" he joked.
"No!" Dana said, laughing out loud. "This is... this is terrific. I mean, who knew that death could be so... pleasant."
Andrew's face grew serious. "It isn't pleasant for everyone. I wish it were. I will never understand how humans can reject such a wonderful Creator. He's kind. He's warm. He's funny. Oh Dana, wait til you meet Him."
"You make Him sound so... touchable. I was always afraid of... oh, I don't know.... failing Him. Not meeting His expectations. At first, I went to confession all the time. Then, I stopped going. But, I still believed He was there. I never stopped believing that."
"He knows that," Andrew assured her. "He has spoken to you many times, though you didn't always recognize it."
Suddenly, the clarity of Scully's mind revealed it all to her. She could see examples of situations, where over and over again, God had spoken to her in ways that she thought were just coincidence, or gut feelings. It flooded her being with a significance that only knowing your value in God's eyes can give.
For a split second, Mulder's face flashed across her thoughts. "You'll be all right, Mulder," she thought. "You have to understand. My journey is over. This is my place now."
Andrew recognized the expression on Scully's face. She was having a moment of doubt. He didn't interfere. That would be manipulation and God gives humans free will. He was here to help her on the journey, no matter what her decision.
"Do you want to stop and rest?" Andrew offered.
Scully hesitated. This was the first time she had been accosted by a memory. Was she making the right decision? She looked around. Behind her were fields. Before her were fields. What should she do? "God is waiting," she thought. "I'm going to see God. I don't think I can pass that up."
"No," she finally replied. "I want to go on."
And so they continued, angel and agent, traveling towards the gate to Heaven.
Scene 7
Monica's reflection stared back at her from the mirror of the ladies room.
"Dear God," she prayed softly. "It's me, Monica. I trust you. Really, I do, but now I really need some encouragement."
"For You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." It was so comforting to hear Tess's familiar voice.
Monica smiled through teary eyes. "Psalm 3 verse 3," she replied. "It's one of my favourite verses. When I read those words, written by our wonderful Creator, it makes me feel so... oh, I don't know... loved? Strong? Valuable?"
Tess smiled. "And you are all of those things, Baby. You know that. Why are you so disheartened?"
Monica looked at the floor. She felt vulnerable. "I... I'm not afraid," she said. "But, I don't want to face... him. Oh Tess, it's so uncomfortable. And he's done so much damage already. I feel like an ant trying to tackle a mountain."
Tess put her arm around Monica. "Right now, you're giving him more credit than he's due. He's a bug standing behind a magnifying glass, Angelgirl! He looks big, but take away that magnifying glass and all you've got is an itty bitty cockroach. He's been getting away with far too much in these people's lives and it's time to put an end to it."
Monica leaned on her mentor, soaking in her strength and her confidence. "I know. You're absolutely right. I just don't want to make any costly mistakes that might give him an upper hand. I've always had more backup on these cases."
Tess nodded. "I know that, and it's hard for me to just let you go ahead and do this on your own, but God wants you to learn and grow and he wants Mr. Mulder to face the truth that he has been so desperately seeking. You'll be all right. When you pass through the fire and the flood, God will be with you. He will never leave you. You're not in this alone."
Monica smiled. "Thank you, Tess. I'm so thankful for you."
Tess felt herself getting misty. "Well... I love you too, Baby. But, we've got work to do. You better go find Agent Mulder before he runs off and gets himself into mischief."
"Yes, Sir. Special Angel Monica reporting for duty!"
Tess rolled her eyes. "Special Angel.... mmm hmmm... Well, we'll see about that."
Scene 8
"Nothing!" Mulder spat, slamming the desk with his fist.
"You seem a little frustrated," Monica said, returning from her meeting with Tess.
"I can't find a match for this print anywhere in the database," he said, with more than a hint of angst in his voice. "Maybe this guy is just a random lunatic and he's gone back into the woodwork...like a rat."
Monica disagreed. "I've seen your work. You're a better profiler than that. This man knew too many details about you.. It couldn't be just a random thing."
Mulder's new cell phone interrupted the conversation. He didn't want to answer it. He didn't want to hear the words that the doctor was inevitably going to say. Dana Scully is dead. The two of you have made it to hell and back and now she has been killed by the stupidest thing in the world... a nutcase with a hammer. He hesitated, then spoke into the receiver: "Mulder."
Mulder's expression turned even more somber. He mouthed the words, "It's him," to Monica. "Where are you, Weaver? My partner's lying in a coma because of you!"
Monica watched her assignment explode into the receiver. She prayed silently for help. Agent Mulder didn't know who.. or what he was talking to, but she did. He needed to be prepared to face his enemy eye to eye, but ignorance could be disastrous.
"What do you mean?" Mulder said, his voice becoming louder and more agitated. "How...how do you know these things? Weaver! Weaver!! Damn!"
He slipped the phone back into his pocket. "He's playing with me!"
"What did he say?" Monica asked, calmly. "Did he give you any idea what he wants?"
"He repeated his claims about abducting my sister and killing my father. And he made a few other ludicrous claims too. This guy thinks he's responsible for every traumatic incident in my life! He wants to mess with my head!"
Mulder grabbed his suit jacket. "Come on," he said.
Monica followed. "Where are we going?"
They took the elevator to the parking garage. "Over the phone I heard a familiar sound."
"What sound?" Monica asked curiously.
Mulder pulled the car keys from his pocket. "Construction."
Scene 9
"It feels like we've been walking forever," Scully commented, not complaining, but noting that she had no way of telling when this journey had begun. It all seemed so long ago, as if all her life were a movie and she was the spectator. She remembered everything vaguely, but there was a strange detachment.
"It's the absence of time," Andrew said. "It can be disorienting at first. Humans are so accustomed to living in the limited parameters of minutes, hours, days, months, years. Here there is nothing but eternity to explore, with no constraints, no rush hour traffic. Forever is a line that has no beginning and no end. Along that line you will get to know God. And believe me, it will take eternity to get to know Him. He is so multi-faceted."
Dana smiled. Anticipation washed over her like a rain shower. She laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" Andrew asked. In this place he could read her thoughts easily enough. They could communicate completely via thought, but he perceived she wasn't prepared for that. And he respected her enough to let her give away only the thoughts she wanted to share.
"Well, you're going to think this is silly," she began. "But, for the longest time, Mulder has been so bent on having an extraterrestrial experience...." She laughed and laughed. It was almost childlike.
"And here you are," Andrew completed the thought. "You are having the extraterrestrial experience of a lifetime."
Dana nodded. It was so ironic. Science couldn't explain this, and even in her times of great faith she had never imagined such a wonderful place. It was beyond dreams, beyond joy, beyond life...true freedom.
Andrew enjoyed Dana's revelry. He had watched so many people walk this path, finding the most beautiful surprise at the end of their lives. He wished that all humans could know God, but of course, in his experience, he knew all too well that many chose the wrong path. It caused him grief because it caused his creator grief.
But, this one, this one had a chance. She would make it all because of her decision as a little girl to believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. To be sure, her faith had wavered at times along the way, but that happens to everyone. She believed in her heart and that was enough.
"Are we almost there?" Dana asked. She felt like a kid in the back seat of the family car.
"It depends," Andrew answered. "The length of the journey varies with each person."
"I don't understand."
Andrew smiled. "That's okay. You will. Everyone is at a different place in their journey to God. Some are just beginning. Some are half way. Some are very close to Him when they come to the end of their lives. And some..." His voice trailed off.
Scully looked at him. She had never seen an angel frown. Well, she had never seen an angel period, but Andrew was so full of joy, so full of peace and love. But now, his face was... sad. She stopped walking. "Some... what?" she asked.
"Some are walking away from God towards... towards another place."
Silence. Then, Scully spoke. "You mean, there really is a hell?"
Andrew didn't like to speak about that subject in these circumstances, but his higher orders demanded it. It was part of this truth encounter. He didn't answer directly, but responded with a question. "After all the things that you have seen and experienced, how can you not think there is a hell?"
Scene 10
Monica felt a familiar discomfort in her gut. She knew what it meant. She was as ready as she could be in the situation.
"This way," Mulder said, as if he could smell his quarry.
Monica didn't question. She followed. She knew that it didn't matter anyway. They could go right. They could go left. They could go in circles. It didn't matter. Weaver would show himself if he felt like it.
A light rain was falling. The afternoon was dull and dismal, like Mulder's soul, devoid of hope. Only a thirst for vengeance, and perhaps a reason, remained. He had to get to the bottom of this. He had to make this man pay for what he did to Scully. And maybe Weaver was a lunatic. And maybe he only thought he was responsible for all the tragedies in Mulder's life, but right now, that seemed like a good enough reason to lash out at him.
They passed by a section of scaffolding that stood against the empty shell of a newborn building. "The place is deserted," Monica said. At least, it seemed that way.
A lone crow answered her, mocking her with a raspy caw. She looked at it sitting on top of the scaffolding. It was one of God's creatures. She had a sudden pang of sadness, realizing that not all of God's creatures were pleasant. It gnawed away at her innocence.
"He's here," Mulder insisted. "He has to be!" Desperation dripped from his words like oil.
Mulder continued, drawing his weapon as a precaution. He depended on it like a child depends on a pacifier. It gave him comfort knowing that his enemy wouldn't find him completely vulnerable.
Then, it happened. Mulder saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was only for a split second. At first, he questioned whether he had seen anything at all, but his gut burned hot and he knew to follow his instinct.
"There!" he said. "By those bushes."
Monica knew. She could feel the presence of this adversary, his being pulsing with an unquenchable desire to steal, kill and destroy.
The attack came suddenly, without warning. Weaver appeared in plain sight, evil emanating from his leering eyes. "Agent Mulder. I've been waiting for you."
"Wait," Monica thought. "Was that? Yes, it was." Weaver started for just a second at the sight of her. Apparently, the discomfort went both ways.
"Federal Agent," Mulder said firmly. "Don't move. I'm armed and I'm prepared to use force if I have to."
Weaver laughed. He folded his arms across his chest. "Do you really think that scares me? Don't you get it yet?"
"Give it up, Weaver!" Mulder said boldly. "I'm taking you in!"
Mulder approached to apprehend his suspect.
"Agent Mulder..." Monica broke in.
Mulder was single-minded. He barely heard Monica call his name.
As Mulder approached, Weaver lunged towards him like a cobra striking at its prey. Mulder instinctively fired his weapon. Once.. twice.. three times. Weaver never flinched. Mulder's eyes grew wide as his suspect changed form from that of a man to a twisted, distorted, lizard-like creature with dagger-like teeth and blood-red eyes. "What? What are you?"
Mulder stumbled backwards in a futile attempt to escape the confrontation. He could smell the vileness of the creature's breath. Fear crawled all over his skin like a thousand insects. He tripped. He fell onto the grass, adrenalin pumping, limps flailing, trying to crawl like a crab on his back, anything to get out of the clutches of this monster.
Mulder pushed at the thing with all his strength. What strength? His strength seemed to drain away like water from a leaky bucket. He was heaving, almost whimpering. He had faced every
bizarre creature unknown to man, but this thing, this thing really scared him.
Suddenly, the creature slashed at Mulder's face with his... talons. The claws should have ripped through his flesh like razors, but they.. missed? No. They didn't miss. The slash was a direct hit, but Mulder felt no pain. He wasn't bleeding.
The creature struck out again, aiming for Mulder's face. Again, a perfect hit. Again, no pain, no bleeding. "#&*#%&*!" the creature swore, his words as assaulting as his evil presence. "Get out of the way, little angel!" it snarled. "This one's mine. I own him! He's not one of yours!!"
Monica shielded Mulder's body. Every blow, every slash ripped through her, sending searing pain through her body like she had never experienced in all her angelic existence. This was a being that could wound her. This kind of warfare was done by the warrior angels. She had no sword to fight back with nor any desire to get into an all-out skirmish. But, one thing rose up within her, causing her to hold her position with tenacity. "I will protect this human," she resolved. Her genuine love would not let her do otherwise. It was a painful sacrifice, but really the only choice possible.
The monster kept hitting at Mulder, but the invisible shield that was Monica held up. As the tears ran down her face, Monica still smiled. She saw Mulder's lack of wounds and it gave her courage and joy in the face of unspeakable evil.
"Aaaaaargh!" Weaver screamed in pain, as a flash of light interrupted the attack. Almost instantly, he was thrown, no, catapulted across the construction site, smacking head first into the scaffolding.
Mulder struggled to his feet, feeling tired, woozy and dumbfounded. He had a sudden thought. "Agent Wings?" he called. "Agent Wings, where are you?"
"Caw! Caw!" came the crow's reply. Weaver had vanished as quickly as he came.
"She ran away!" Mulder said. Well, how could he blame the rookie for running at the sight of such a hideous creature? What Mulder couldn't see was Monica's crumpled form lying on the grass at his feet. He couldn't see the 8 foot tall blonde warrior angel picking up her wounded body so gently and carrying her to her Father's waiting arms to be healed.
"Scully," Mulder whispered out loud. He had to get to her bedside. He couldn't let her leave this world without saying goodbye. He made his way slowly to the car, limping on an injured ankle, the one injury he had sustained in the ordeal.
Meanwhile, in Dana Scully's hospital room, during the whole incident, Mrs. Scully knelt by the bedside of her dying daughter. She clutched at the cross around her neck. She spoke from her heart.
"Dear God, my daughter's life is in your hands. I trust you. I give her to you. And please, God,
be with Agent Mulder now. His faith is weak. He's in so much grief and he's blaming himself. I just know it. Please, protect him now. Send your angels to watch over him. Thank you so much for hearing my prayers. I know you do. You are a faithful and loving God who cares about your children."
Mrs. Scully's tears flowed down her cheeks, splashing on her daughter's hand. Above her, smiling with more compassion than is humanly imaginable, the angel named Tess caressed her hair. "Thank you, Dear Father, for this faithful little prayer warrior. Let your comfort fill her heart and, if it's your will, give her back her precious child."
The aura of glory around Tess increased as comfort and peace directly from the throne of God himself, poured through her body into the body of Mrs. Scully.
Scene 11
Monica bathed in the healing light. It was as warm and soothing as a tub of bath water, but it was pure light emanating from her loving Creator. She had been carried here for this very purpose and all the pain and sorrow and even the responsibilities of her office as an angel faded into the background in this place of quiet rest.
"How did you feel?" the sweetest voice in the universe asked.
"Well," Monica said, thinking carefully before answering. "So many times when I see the way those humans disregard you and their fellow humans, I have wondered, what do you see in them? I have wondered, why did you go to such great lengths to save them?"
A laugh. Monica wondered why that caused laughter, but who was she to say when He could laugh? "Do you understand yet?"
Monica nodded. "Yes. Today, for the first time, I really understood. I mean, I have loved every assignment, every person you have sent me to. It's instinctive. I can do no less, but today... with my own understanding, and not just because I was obeying orders, I understood a truth so completely. I saw the frailty and the desperate need of that man. And... I saw the ruthless assault of the darkness on his being. My heart cried out for his release. My entire being was compelled to save him...."
"At any cost," the voice added.
Monica smiled. "At any cost," she repeated. "That's why you did it, isn't it?"
"Yes. It was the only thing I could do to satisfy my love. I long to gather them all like a hen gathers her chicks."
"So you've said before," Monica added. "I have never known such joyful pain in all my existence...and I thought those words were opposites."
Electricity shot through Monica's body. It wasn't painful, but exhilaration, vibrance, the ebb and flow of a holy, raging current. She was pleasantly overwhelmed. Suddenly, she realized that where her wounds were only faint scars remained. She wondered about that, but He answered her thoughts.
"The scars will fade in time when they are no longer of any use to you. For now, they are reminders, trophies of your triumph."
"My triumph?" Monica began to protest, but she was interrupted.
"It's time."
She understood. It was time to return to her assignment, healed, and she hoped a little wiser.
The blonde warrior angel appeared. He was a daunting figure, blonde hair to his shoulders, a long white tunic with a gold, braided cord wrapped round his waist and a sword sheathed at his side. His fierce countenance was tempered with the same compassion as the other angels Monica knew, but he was a seasoned veteran of battle.
"Ariel will escort you back. He will be close by should you need assistance again."
Monica hoped she wouldn't have to go through that again. Still, she wasn't afraid. She felt refreshed and ready to face whatever was to come. "I'm ready," she said, half to herself and half to Ariel.
They began their journey earthward.
"I never had a chance to thank you for rescuing us," she said.
Ariel's expression never changed. "It's not necessary," he said. "I was just doing my job."
Monica smiled. "Well.. Thank you anyway."
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