A group of Angels runs into a Psychological problem that makes Alex decide to call in reinforcements.
Reinforcement
Doctor Martin came home from another day at her practice. With a sigh, she opened a bottle of her favorite white wine and lingered at the kitchen island for a moment. As she poured a glass, she contemplated that her existence felt empty. Only recently had she met the new God. She had to admit that Alex had given her the fright of her existence at first. Those green eyes that bore into hers. Until she noticed that his only intention was shock treatment because he didn't have time to beat around the bush. Afterward, his warmth, light, and love had come flooding through, she had felt it in every fiber of her body. She had met Angels and Demons who were completely loyal to him. If both Archangels and Demons were loyal to the son of Lucifer, then this told everything about the new God that the doctor needed to know. That young man, well relatively young, would do great things for humanity.
Charlie might have been fully human his father had been an Archangel. Alex had saved her son, had saved the entire universe and she had not had the chance to thank him. All her intimate friends had more or less disappeared from her life. Lucifer and Ella she had seen briefly at Lux, but they were so busy. For once not partying but busy with laptops in his exclusive box. She had wondered what was going on. They may have been very friendly as usual but not particularly talkative about what they were doing. She had exchanged a few words with Gabriel but he in turn was far too busy partying and only had eyes for a very beautiful young Demon he had introduced as Anna. The two of them had made the dance floor unsafe and had been the center of attention. Since Crowley and Azi had brought her back to Los Angeles, her professional existence had lost all appeal. The everyday problems of her patients suddenly seemed mundane. Nothing compared to knowing that there existed beings who saved the universe. Who had suffered so much at the hands of a murderous bastard of a father not worthy of the name God. Decker had killed Dan and disappeared for a few days before reappearing. The story she had told had ensured she was now in a mental institution and would never get out. The record pace at which the trial had finished made it clear to her that Alexander was somehow behind it. Reading between the lines, she knew that both Dan and Beatrice were safe in Heaven. Something she was incredibly happy about. Maze, she didn't want anywhere near Charlie or herself now that she knew all that the latter had been up to. The constant betrayal of her favorite patient Lucifer. She knew Maze was keeping an eye on them from a distance as Alexander had ordered her to do. As long as she did not show herself Linda could not care less. Her human acquaintances no longer really interested her. She longed for her supernatural friends. She took the bottle from the kitchen and plopped down on her sofa. Charlie was with his new regular babysitter. Provided via via by Alexander and therefore completely reliable. He would spend the night there, so Linda could allow herself some time for herself. After a minute or two she saw an elegant sky-blue envelope on her coffee table. In beautiful handwriting it read:
"To Doctor Martin"
She got a wide smile because she already suspected who the letter might be from. She carefully opened the envelope and took out the letter:
"Doctor Martin,
We sincerely hope that you and little Charlie are doing well. I am sorry that I could not inform you personally of the changes in Heaven. Unfortunately, Lucifer and Ella also had little time to update you. My fault I'm afraid. We have a few problems that are time-consuming and unfortunately time-sensitive. I will get right to the point. For one of those problems, I immediately thought of you as the perfect solution. Therefore, I was hoping to have a word with you tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. If you are willing to do this shoot off a prayer to Gabriel along with your preference. Either we can talk at your place, or you and Charlie can come to Heaven and catch up with your friends Lucifer, Ella, Dan, and Beatrice. I think they have great news to share but that is for them to tell you.
Respectfully,
Alexander Dei and Samantha Dea
Linda's knowledge of Latin was enough to know that Dea meant Goddess and make her curiosity peak to unprecedented heights. She didn't need five seconds to decide and fired off a prayer to Gabriel that she and Charlie would be ready to visit Heaven and her friends at seven o'clock. Almost immediately she heard in her head:
"Thank you, doctor, I'll let the boss know you're coming by. I'm sure your arrival is going to Please a lot of people."
With a blissful smile, Linda slumped back on her sofa.
At five to seven, Lucifer stormed into Linda's home as he always had. As if nothing had changed. Instead of reprimanding him as usual, Linda flew toward him and into his arms. She was more than surprised when he did not stiffen but reciprocated the embrace with the same intensity.
"Dear doctor, I would like to ask you how you are doing but you will be asked that question many times. So, I suggest we postpone the exchange for a while until the whole gang is complete. Ready for your trip to Heaven doctor?"
Linda was quite nervous, it's not every day you can go to Heaven without being dead. Apparently, Alex had taken that into account by sending a familiar face. She took Charlie in her arms and Lucifer grabbed the travel bag with the baby gear without hesitation. He put his free arm around her waist and the next moment they were standing in front of the palace. Linda drew big eyes and asked:
"And Alexander lives here?"
Lucifer laughed:
"Doctor, almost the entire immediate family lives here. Alex likes to have the people he cares about very close to him. Not only because it is convenient for work but mostly because he can immerse himself in the feeling that family brings. He hates it to be stuck in the palace but with all that is going on he does not have the time to rearrange his living conditions."
That sentence that Alexander immerses himself in the feeling of being surrounded by family told Linda that something must have happened to Alexander at some point that explained his need to be surrounded by family. Lucifer, meanwhile, continued:
"Come I'll take you to the suite. Everyone is anxiously awaiting your arrival."
If Linda thought she would be met by Alex, Ella, Dan, and Beatrice she was sorely mistaken. The living room of the suite was more than lively. Alexander and a beautiful red-haired young woman stepped up to her:
"Doc Martin, welcome to Heaven. May I introduce you to my beautiful wife Samantha Morningstar. Without her I wouldn't have gotten any of this done."
The mischievous look in the young woman's eyes told Linda that the love between the two was complete and that they were in love with each other up to their ears. Her next words betrayed Linda that the two loved playing word games with each other as well:
"I can agree doctor that without me Alexander would have ended up as a drug-addicted homeless person."
Which earned her a tap on her buttocks as punishment after which she giggled. Alex continued:
"Sam is my strength and also happens to be my Goddess, literally my Goddess. Lucifer Morningstar you know of course as your crackpot patient. I fear however that Ella could also very desperately use you as a therapist and I advise you to take her on as a patient because she must be as crazy as Lucifer. Her name, meanwhile, is Mrs. Ella Morningstar because in a fit of utter insanity, she married that half-witted Devil who is my father."
Suddenly Linda caught sight of Ella and Lucifer's rings. Tears shot into her eyes. Jasmine, Maila, Beatrice, and Sarah gladly took Charlie from her, and the baby was immediately showered with the loving attention of the four girls. Linda flew into Lucifer and Ella's arms and said emotionally:
"God..."
Alex really couldn't resist and said full of mischievous delight:
"Yes, my child..."
Linda burst out laughing:
"Okay, I'll have to be careful what I say. Ella, Lucifer what I wanted to say is that since Casa Diablo I have been so hoping you two would get together."
Which earned her a loving kiss from both of them on her cheeks. Alex wanted to make something Clear for a moment:
"Linda, I don't give a shit if someone says O God, God damn or whatever. I'm not a sissy like the previous jerk. So please don't bother. You should never adjust the least of your personality for me."
After which he proceeded to introduce the rest of the attendees:
"I'm told you met these two party animals in Lux. That, however, they were too busy turning the heads of the other guests. Gabriel, you know. This beautiful girl is my little sister Anna."
He pointed to Dan:
"Dan you know, of course. Decker may have killed him but that had a very pleasant effect in his afterlife. Dan is now together with that beautiful Angel beside him. Laila is so incredibly smarter than Dan that even I as God cannot figure out why she chose this Bozo."
Beatrice came to stand between the two of them and gave them each a hand. Alex said:
"Of course, you know our little Miss Beatrice too. Only she has shaken off her previous nickname now that she is an Angel, she has embraced a new one. Beatrice is now the Sunflower of the family. She proved so much smarter than her father by choosing Laila as her mom. She couldn't have made a better choice if you ask me because Laila is the perfect mom for her and mother and daughter are both Angels of science. What these two want with a flatfoot like Dan is a mystery."
Linda grabbed the three in a group hug and practically buried Trixie under the kisses. Beatrice said proudly:
"My name is now Beatrice Espinoza Morningstar because I wanted two mommies and two daddies. I have the best, sweetest moms in the universe, mom and mom Samantha. And I have the two best daddies, my daddy and daddy Alex. They love me, I am important to them and they are always there for me and for my sisters and brother."
With tears in her eyes, Linda said:
"Beatrice girl, I couldn't be happier for you, for all of you."
With absolute pride in which her maternal instinct clearly shone through, Samantha said:
"And these are Alex and my children who in turn claimed Dan and Laila. Kiddo's come here and introduce yourselves to Doctor Linda a very good friend of Grandma Ella, Grandpa Lu, and Daddy Dan."
With wide smiles, they joined the rest and Maila began:
"I am Maila Morningstar. I also have two moms and a dad. My mom Freya and I were treated very badly in Dis, the city in Hell. Alex and Sam saved us and took us to Heaven. At first, I was their baby sister, as they always called me. When they got married, I asked to be their daughter too. Jasmine is my girlfriend!"
Linda couldn't resist. She took the teenager in her arms, kissed her on the cheek and said:
"It is a true pleasure to get to know you, Maila."
Next up was Jasmine:
"Maila is my girlfriend. I was locked in the throne by Godfry for a very long time. Until Daddy made a body for me and Mama brought me into this body. That is why I am Jasmine Morningstar and proud to be their daughter. But I am also so grateful that Trix's daddy and mommy want to be our daddy and mommy too."
Jasmine was also taken in a firm embrace and kissed by Linda who said:
"And what a cute little couple you guys are!"
Sarah moved very close to Samantha who put an arm around her shoulder. Linda immediately understood that this girl was very timid. She said:
"Daddy saved us when very bad Angels wanted to do something very bad to us. He and Mommy immediately gave us a home and became our mom and dad. When I grow up, I want to be like Mommy because as a Goddess she is kind of a Mom to everyone in Heaven and Dis. Everyone in Heaven and Hell loves Mama but Daddy too though."
The way the timid girl blossomed when talking about her mom told Linda that this was definitely a mama's girl. The resemblance between mother and daughter was astounding. Alexander had taken the youngest on his arm and said with pride:
"This beautiful young girl is Elise, better known as our Honeybee. Care must be taken doctor, or she will wrap you around her little finger in no time."
This sentence elicited a heartfelt laugh from Samantha and Laila. Sam said:
"Love, the only one that honeybee wraps around her little finger is you. Our almighty God being played by a three-year-old while she knows very well what to do to get her way like showing a little pout."
For a moment he got a dubious look in his eyes as if he had been told something completely new. Shrugged his shoulders. In his little book, his honeybee couldn't do anything wrong. Neither could the other children, and they knew that all too well. Samantha introduced David:
"This handsome, tough, sweet young man is David Morningstar. He wants to be just like his dad. Just, respectful and loving to all. My, our beautiful son, wants to be the next Prince of Hell once his dad becomes the King tomorrow. There is no doubt that he is going to do just as well as Alex."
The remarkable resemblance between father and son had immediately struck Linda. She looked at the Godly family for a moment and finally said:
"You fit together perfectly. Children, you have the perfect parents. Parents you have the perfect children."
Alex nodded in agreement and then said:
"Unfortunately, we have to cut the introduction short. The kids have an excursion scheduled. Kids, your guides are waiting for you downstairs. Jasmine, take Elise with you, please. Dan, Laila, and Beatrice, the same for you. No monkey business and I want lots of damn pictures!"
The gang made their way out laughing but just before they were out of the suite Alexander said in a serious tone:
"Beatrice, I want to see the pictures and the message you are going to write on the back of them first before you engage Gabriel. From now on this will go through me, understood?"
She got a guilty look in her eyes for a moment and then said:
"Okay, Daddy Alex."
"Thank you Sunflower."
The use of her nickname conjured a smile back on her face and the gang disappeared.
Alex offered Linda a seat who said:
"I assume this will be the business part of my visit?"
"Yes, doctor. We need reinforcement and you seemed like the ideal solution to that problem."
"How could I help? How can I help God and his Goddess, I'm only human?"
Samantha replied:
"Linda, you will be surprised how equal Angels, some Demons, and humans are. Especially when it comes to psychological problems. We would like to invite you to attend a small meeting. There we would like to outline our problem. After which Grandpa Lu and Grandma Ella can update you."
Linda looked at the two with a broad smile:
"From Ella, I expected nothing less than that one day she would become Grandma Ella. Maybe not so soon but still. But you Lucifer? You panicked almost every time Trixie hugged you. When I pressed Charlie into your hands after he was born you didn't know how fast to pass him on. Today you took his travel bag without complaining or hesitating as if you had been doing such a thing for years. What has changed Lucifer?"
A wide smile appeared on his face but an even wider one on Ella's face something that definitely did not escape Linda's notice. The Devil said:
"Brief explanation doctor, we have time later to catch up. The boss and the lady boss unfortunately not so much. At least for Sam this morning. When Michael and I were going to rescue Beatrice from a crazed Decker, she needed Raffa afterward. He wanted to cheer her up with a story about Angel magic and that a feather from my wings could completely cure her. Raphael did not need a feather to heal her at all. Feathers are only needed for critical wounds. It was just meant to distract her. She had seen how Decker had killed Dan and was in shock. Beatrice touched my feathers and something indescribable happened to my mind, heart, and emotions. That same night Honeybee made the connection that if I was Alex's father, I had to be her grandfather. What I simply confirmed after a few seconds of hesitation. The other children adopted Grandpa Lu and so I am the grandfather of six wonderful children. I am proud of them, but fair is fair I still have a lot to learn."
Linda smiled broadly, shook her head for a moment and said:
"I am proud of you Lucifer. You have made such a huge leap forward. I suspect that not only Ella is responsible for that, yes for the biggest part absolutely. Finally, you have true love and that does wonders. You are after thousands of years finally surrounded again by a very large family that loves you. The Lightbringer is finally home again."
She looked at Alex and Samantha:
"When do we start and what about Charlie?"
" Leave Charlie, with Grandpa Lu and Grandma Ella. If dad can handle six rioters, then he and Grandma Ella can handle a baby too."
Laughed Samantha which made Linda giggle. Alex said:
"In my office, four people, three medical colleagues of yours doctor, and a department head will be waiting to explain why and how we can use your help."
"Okay, then let's get started."
Everyone stood up. Before they left the suite, Alex said to Gabriel, clearly back in his role as boss:
"Gabe, go see Patrick and ask him if he's up for our trip and I want Minotti's file."
Gabe merely nodded and with that, all was said.
Arriving in Alex's office, four Angels were waiting in the more informal sitting area. They stood up as their Goddess and God entered with their guest. Samantha immediately said:
"Let's keep this as informal as possible, okay? This is an introductory meeting."
The four nodded and took their seats again after which Alex and Sam also took their regular places and Linda sought a seat. Freya came in with coffee and tea for everyone. Alex said:
"Why don't, you introduce yourselves with a brief description of your problem."
Raphael began:
"I am Raphael..."
He was briefly interrupted by Linda:
"The same Raphael who, we on Earth more commonly refer to as Saint-Raphael, patron saint of doctors and medical personnel?"
"Guilty, unfortunately, because of that old lunatic I have not been on Earth for millennia except in the greatest secrecy. My problem is that I have two and a half billion innocent souls in Hell. All of those have be taken to Heaven and we don't even know approximately how many of those souls will need psychiatric help. Hell is no fun and especially not if you are innocently imprisoned there."
Linda sat looking at him with eyes wide open. The number of patients he expected was unimaginable. It was comparable to more than a third of the current world population. The next to speak was Fuzzie:
"I am the Raphael of Lady Samantha's universe. Don't worry about the different universes. That's not important right now, Lucifer and Ella will explain. I prefer to be called Fuzzie, which is the nickname Alex gave me years ago. Raffa and I have decided to split up the medical department given the huge influx of patients he expects and to relieve his workload. Raffa and his people will do the adults with the bulk of the Healers and Evi and I will set up a new department, pediatrics. Me the physical side like pregnancy counseling. The latter may sound strange, but the boss has arranged for babies to be born in Heaven in the near future. Believe me, that is certainly not the strangest thing Alex and Sam have managed to do in Heaven and Hell."
"I'm Evi and I'm going to be in charge of child and adolescent psychiatry."
Linda interrupted them briefly:
"Therapy for adults that's what I'm qualified for. Pediatrics is a completely different field, that's definitely not my specialty."
Alex said:
"Pediatrics, including psychiatry for children and adolescents is not so much the problem. Our problem where we could use your help is twofold. It is a problem that Rae Rae has bumped into and in Samantha's and my opinion is most pressing."
He looked at Azrael and asked:
"Rae Rae, will you please outline to Linda what your people's biggest problem is?"
She nodded and said:
"Outlining the whole operation takes too much time. We can do that later at your leisure in the suite with Lucifer, Ella, and Sam's parents. Let me say in advance that you will be blown out of your socks. Sam and I can join you by noon after her final meeting with the department heads. Alex, unfortunately, will be stuck in another meeting until sometime in the afternoon. Briefly, we have created two mini-dimensions. Compare it to containers. In one container we have the souls of adolescents from Hell who had ended up there because of Godfry's rigid rules, and the souls of young children who cannot be placed with their loved ones in Heaven because of the current chaos or who are unwanted by their families. Time in those containers stands completely still so they don't notice anything about their stay. Many of those souls will need therapy but as mentioned, that is Evi's department. My problem is that my five Angels and myself too, if I am honest, are struggling emotionally and psychologically. We would prefer to get all those kids out at once. Something that is not possible and so we are walking around quite frustrated. Therefore, my group could very well use a therapist. You have experience with the supernatural and then of course we mainly think of Lucifer. However, there are others who are equally in need of the same."
Linda thought for a moment and asked:
"How many Angels are we talking about?"
Alex replied:
"From our universe after everything that happened and what they went through with Godfry, we have a potential of 8,500 patients and a few hundred Demons."
One heard Linda swallow clearly as her eyes got very big:
"Such a patient mass I cannot possibly handle Alex."
Samantha replied:
"We are well aware of that Linda. This is where the second container, as Azrael called it, comes into play. In that container are several thousand psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists. From that pool, we can start selecting volunteers for all the departments. They all volunteered for our trip. But to varying degrees, they will need help themselves first. But we would have volunteers proportionate to the number of Angels, Demons, and souls who need help. We need your help in a double role. On the one hand as a therapist for a very small group of Angels and Demons like the people of Azrael. On the other hand, as chef de clinic to lead the other professionals who will help our people."
Linda sat staring at them in open-mouthed silence. Samantha spoke:
"We realize that this must sound huge. Therefore, we suggest you go to the suite and talk further with Lucifer, Ella, my parents, and Evi. Together they can create a picture of what will happen from the day after tomorrow. I will join you around noon. Think about it afterward on Earth or here in Heaven because you are more than welcome to stay."
Linda nodded and said softly:
"Yes, that seems like a good plan."
"Perfect, Evi will you please bring the good doctor back to the suite?"
After Evi took Linda to the suite, it was time for his meeting with BAM. The six entered his office and took a seat at the conference table. Mercury immediately said:
"I invited Ariel and Nariel to join us. They have done a Hell of a job. Something that will benefit us a lot more than we initially thought. They should be here any minute."
Alex nodded and said:
"Fine, in the meantime why don't you guys grab a mug of coffee or tea, and we'll wait a while for our artists. I must say I am curious about their work."
Less than two minutes later, the two knocked on the door and entered after which they took a seat with the rest at Alex's invitation. He said:
"I heard from Mercury that you guys completely surprised BAM by doing a fabulous job. Do tell because I am extremely curious."
Ariel had gotten a blush and said:
"After you said what needed to be done MyLord I immediately sat down with Nariel. We immediately paired up our people. That way we not only have a drawn aerial view of the various residential communities as you asked but also a model of that community."
Alex looked at Mercury and Fred and asked:
"I take this simplifies your work?"
Fred replied:
"Hugely MyLord!"
"Okay before we go any further can we just agree that as usual, we will keep this informal, so no title, names only will be used?"
Around the table, people nodded and Alex asked:"
"Okay, in what way is this going to make our job easier?"
Mercury said with a smile:
"The headaches we had about how we would place the departmental buildings around the palace have been resolved, we think. The second issue we had problems with was accommodating the Angels who were going along in regular housing. The numbers we have right now are 18,000 Angels and about half a million souls. Ariel and Nariel's work is perfect for our first city close to the palace. The first island with the hundred thousand temporary flats has already been worked out. Our two friends here have found the ideal solution to house the various departments in the immediate vicinity of the palace. They took a trip to Versailles!"
Alex thought for a moment and then said:
"I know Versailles, I've visited it. Even a few times when Luis XIV was on the throne. What I remember about it is that there was a big boulevard that went straight to the palace. In the time of the Sun King, Versailles was the political heart of France and the King himself was rarely in Paris. Hence the various ministers and other people in power had a sort of miniature palace on that boulevard. However, I don't see how that can work for the huge amount of people who will have to work there. The archives and admin alone will probably have to accommodate a few hundred thousand volunteers once we get back and start the evacuation."
"Alex, in the original Versailles those buildings are close to the boulevard but if we build them more towards the back and fill up not one but three boulevards, we will have enough space. In front of each building, we can have a kind of garden created by Crowley like at the back of the palace in Versailles itself. In that garden, we can put two big portals, back and forth towards an underground hub. The buildings themselves we will make bigger. Admin can be spread over several of those buildings. For example, the department could be divided as follows. A building where souls can apply for what kind of housing they want and what community they want to live in. This will keep the brand-new BAM building from being overrun. The plan anyway is to connect all of Heaven wireless. So, the department that gets the applications in and processes them sends those applications electronically to BAM, we will have our own volunteers for administrative support and those volunteers will make sure the application gets to the right department. The beauty of it is that not every building has to be uniform because there is plenty of greenery between buildings. Not every administrative service has to be housed in that area either. Raffa and Fuzzie prefer that their center would be built on their island. For Zadkiel, for example, we would build a copy of the Supreme Court in Washington. Metaron's archives can also be housed in different buildings, for example, by time period."
Alex thought about it for a moment before saying:
"Okay, that should be able to work in practice. There will be a lot of refinement involved but we have time for that. But what about Michaels and Celine's departments? As I said, I want those as close to the palace as possible."
Fred replied:
"We don't see a problem there either. We thought of a pleasant park to the left and right of the palace. Immediately next to those parks, we can erect buildings that don't have to meet the aesthetics of the rest. We spoke to Dan, Celine, and Michael. Once they are at full strength after the move they want to start working with sub-departments. Something they compare to what they call field offices of what they call the FBI. Each island has its own sub-department which in turn will have sub-divisions. They estimate that for their actual headquarters, they will need space for at least 20,000 people. I asked Nariel and Ariel to find a building that is not a high-rise so that it cannot be seen from miles away and does not disturb the aesthetics of the rest of the administrative section. And they came up with the perfect solution."
With a broad smile, Alex said:
"Okay, surprise me."
Ariel took out a drawing from a large folder and slid it to Alex. Who's eyebrows went up and said:
"You want to recreate the Pentagon?"
Mercury nodded:
"It can easily hold 20,000 to 25,000 people. In its present state, it even has a subway station and commercial activities underground. If we go a few more levels deeper ourselves, we can build a generous space for an archive."
Alex looked at the picture carefully and then asked:
"Can we change the facades of all five rings? At least the color, anyway."
"What would you like then?"
"For starters, a different color because this looks like someone who is color blind chose the color on a day when he really didn't feel like working. I don't know, something more tasteful and calming anyway. Why not go a little bold and go with the blue-green color of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg with the same white and gold accents to break up that basic color a bit?"
"That's not a problem. Maybe a day or two extra work because of the size of the building but certainly no problem."
Alexander nodded his agreement:
"Okay, that's the basis of our administrative services then. What about our Angels? Have they chosen homes and where are we going to put them?"
Kate replied:
"Yes, everyone chose, and we thought of the following."
She put a drawing on the table:
"As you can see it is actually a city built against the ocean, quite close to the palace. By building it there we can have all types of housing. Beachfront and connecting beach communities, a town center, suburbs, and some pleasant condominiums. We were thinking of using Lux 2.0 as the absolute center of the new city."
Alex laughed out loud:
"O, Yeah, that definitely won't grow his ego in no way. Being the Devil at the absolute center!"
Everyone at the table laughed. Alex continued:
"Okay, those were the broad strokes. Let's see what we get when we go into a little more detail."
His meeting with BAM was over by four o'clock and he was still taking some notes when Linda came in with Samantha. He joined them in the sitting area and asked:
"Well doctor, blown out of your socks?"
She shook her head:
"You could say that yes. Alex everything about this project is so gigantic and the numbers are so unimaginable that I can't picture myself doing it."
He laughed:
"Well, welcome to the world of Samantha and myself."
Sam said:
"If you have any further questions you've come to the right place because Alexander is the one who thought of all of this."
She nodded seriously:
"So this universe is doomed, in ten years there will be nothing left of it."
He nodded and sighed:
"Indeed, think of it as a time bomb left by Godfry but one that we cannot defuse. The only chance there is is to simply move everything and everyone to a brand-new universe."
"I have heard the whole story in brief, what you have done and what you plan to do. The pressure on your shoulders must be enormous."
He got his famous smirk on his face and said:
"Doc, I feel like I've just been pulled into a game of poker."
"Why would you say that, Alex?"
He manifested a glass of his favorite mix, rubbed through his curls for a moment then said:
"To keep it in poker terms Linda. You have at least two aces in your hand but there are three cards on the table with which I could beat your aces depending on what I have in my hand. Either you are very sure of yourself, or you are bluffing and going all-in. I can then think two things and do three things."
"And what does that mean in human language?"
"You have long decided to help Azrael and her people, those are your aces. You are convinced that I absolutely need you, that you are thinking that I have a weaker hand. You are sure I have a stronger hand, but you are going all-in. Going all-in means, you're going to tell me you're not going to help Azrael unless I join you on your couch. I can think you have a stronger hand and I'm going to lose, discard my cards, and get on the couch because we need you. My second thought is that I think I definitely have a stronger hand and call your bluff after which you lose, and I say have a nice end of the world. The third possibility is that I know I have a stronger hand but intentionally throw it away and get on the couch at your practice."
He looked at her with his piercing green eyes:
"Me on the couch was the intention when you stepped into my office with Sam."
"Before you jump to the wrong conclusion Alex, Samantha had nothing to do with this so there is no reason to blame her."
Alex smiled and said:
"Doctor you've misjudged our relationship if you think you have to say something like that. Even if Sam was behind this, I wouldn't blame her. When Samantha does something it is for my good, my good is always the first thing on her mind."
He smiled at Linda and said:
"Doctor, I know very well that I have a much stronger hand and am more than willing to throw it away on one condition and that cannot be debated."
"What is that condition, Alex?"
"I don't want traditional sessions with questions like; What do you think about that yourself, what do you think what your emotions mean? I want real conversations with real answers and Sam can attend any session at any time."
"That's not the normal way I give therapy Alex."
"That may very well be doctor. However, I am not a normal patient, I am God."
This last answer made Linda laugh.
"True, okay I can accept your condition. But how does it work? I know this is going to be a five-hundred-year trip and I'm only human so..."
"Doc, I will make you immortal with an open invitation to become an Angel. Same for Charlie. Becoming an Angel for him will only be around age twelve since he too was born human, even though his father was an Archangel."
Linda was silent for a few seconds and then said softly:
"Speaking of Archangels what became of Amenadiel? I asked Lucifer and he said I should ask you."
Alexander took a deep breath, stood up, and took off his T-shirt. Linda sat looking at this, not understanding but knew an explanation would come soon. He replied:
"Did he tell you in what situation we found the children, Sarah, David, and Elise?"
"No, not really. He said it was a terrible situation and clammed up like an oyster."
Alex looked at Samantha who nodded and then Alex looked deeply into Linda's eyes:
"I hate to talk about it doctor but if you are going to be my therapist then it is fair for me to tell you that I have PTSD. This came about because of the way I grew up on the Earth of Sam's universe. This makes itself known at times of intense stress. When that stress is caused because I am confronted with children who are physically or mentally abused in one way or another, the effects are most intense. I'm not going to go into detail at this time about how we found the children, which can be done later. The day after tomorrow we make the jump and I have to be one hundred percent."
The expression on Sam's face did not bode well, pain and sadness could be read in them.
"When we arrived in Heaven, I sat on the throne as the new God, and I sat on the throne for exactly one second. The throne showed me that in a building zealots were killing children. We neutralized them and we were able to save exactly three of the fourteen children, the rest had already been killed."
As he said this, Linda saw scars appear everywhere on the part of his body that she could see and burn marks from cigarettes. Alex said:
"What you see Linda is the physical manifestation of my PTSD. Recently Elise had a very intense nightmare about what was done to her. My body reacted tremendously to that."
She thought for a moment and asked:
"And Amenadiel knew about this?"
"He was perfectly aware of this latest experiment by Godfry to create a new kind of Angel. Godfry had concluded that he had killed too many of the original Angels to begin his new purpose. Without the Goddess, he was unable to create new Angels, so he tried to create a new kind. Stronger, faster, smarter but completely loyal to him. The sole purpose of this new kind of Angel would be to form a new army to conquer other universes. His experiment did not succeed because the Angels he received were one by one gentle souls who could serve humanity. His solution was to erase the children who failed to meet his goal from existence and create a new group to continue his experiment. Elise, Sarah, and David are the last survivors of that experiment. In the garden, there is a monument to the eleven children who were killed on the day we arrived. One hundred and thirty children who went before them just completely disappeared."
Linda had gotten tears in her eyes not only for the children but also for Alex. The more he told the more obvious his wounds became to the point that certain ones began to bleed. Still, she asked:
"And what about Amenadiel and the others?"
"I first tried to punish them in a way that no blood would flow. I made them fall as humans. Direction Earth without any power or grace. Amenadiel to the poorest part of Africa. None of the twelve I had banned from entering Heaven so they had the chance to enter Heaven at the end of their human lives if they could completely turn their lives around. Elise's nightmare caused me to revise that decision and send all twelve of them to Hell in a not-so-pleasant way. Simply put I killed them."
He took a big sip of his mix and finished with:
"I have been walking around with the physical manifestation of my PTSD doctor for six thousand years and it keeps coming back stubbornly from time to time."
She remained silent for a time and then said:
"Then it's time for us to get to work in the new universe Alexander but it's not going to be a quick or easy process."
He laughed out loud:
"Doc, in my life there has been exactly one thing that has been easy and quick."
"And what was that?"
He got a wide smile:
"Falling in love with Samantha. Looking into her eyes was enough!"
She smiled at the two:
" Yes, that is obvious from you two."