Just a little girl's obsession. At least, that's how he always saw it. He called her
his niece and she called him Uncle Paul, but it was just comfortable, familial terms of endearment. He'd been close to Sera since she was a wriggling, wailing little thing. He saw her potential even then and she was such an entertaining creature to watch. At first it was sweet, seeing her with her little nose pressed against the glass, watching that little boy, day after day, year after year.

Just a little boy. Like all little boys, the sort of kid who got himself into all manner of messes. Schoolyard tussles with his mates, bloody noses and skinned knees. It made Paul chuckle, seeing her watch that boy as he slept under a tree or sat in the corner for doing something unacceptable to his schoolmaster. But like Sera, he was more than just a little boy. He too had potential and even then it was obvious that he was built a bit different than the rest. If he was in the corner, it was because he refused to rat on a mate and took the punishment onto his own shoulders. This would become a lifelong burden for this rather nice and special little boy.

Sera grew into a young girl, average in most ways but still watching the boy from afar. Watching as he excelled in his schooling and sports. Watched as he became someone most blokes wanted to not only be friends with, but to be like. He was an extraordinary soul, this young boy. A true leader in the making.

As Sera reached womanhood, Paul thought that her obsession with the boy had begun to pass. She had become focused on her own choices for her life, and true to his imaginings, Sera shouldered her way into an excellent job. And the boy, now grown into a young man? He was off to the military and isn't that when most obsessions die? When one or both have gone off for their own adventures?

Sera had become a true beauty and in a world where there was already so much beauty, she stood out. Not a tall young woman, she could have been a ravishing angel, but Sera chose to appear otherwise. Instead of wearing long, flowing gowns as was befitting her station, Sera preferred to dress in drab slacks and loose fitting tunics, hiding her lovely attributes. She kept her golden tresses short, wild with soft curls that flirted and fell unattended around her face. Sera was not looking to meet her goals through illusion, her choice was to gain them with brute force and this made Paul smile.

When she had accepted a coveted position with the mostly male dominated Santa Angela Traffic Observance Department as a surveillance specialist, there was talk that she might try to use her long standing closeness with Paul to bulldog her way into his division. It was just talk and of course knowing this girl as he did, he was sure she would never attempt such a manipulative thing.

Her first official application to Paul's division was unanimously declined by the Committee. Sera had potential, yes. But she was still fresh and new, still untried. Far too young for the rigors of the life she was seeking. Of course Paul, along with the Committee already knew . . . it was only a matter of time.

Her second application was again denied, but Sera did not fret over such delays. She worked hard and proved herself worthy for all to see. With her third application, Paul's eyes were forced to see. Sera had indeed matured into a perfect candidate and she was accepted into Basic Training. He didn't expect anything less than her full commitment and was not surprised when it blazed bright as the North Star.

***

Sera had no intention of letting anyone, even Uncle Paul, know how thrilled she was. She did the crazy happy dance of success alone in her quarters and reveled in the fact that finally she would be able to do the work she was always meant to do!

Her feet floated and her voice rose to the rafters as she twirled and trotted with jubilance. Then after taking a deep breath, her eye drifted to the window. Just as she had every day of her young life, she sat on the soft pillowed window seat and leaned longingly against the glass. She waited.

There he was. Such a beautiful man. A beautiful being who held her heart tight in his hands but didn't even know it. He was also dancing, his arms around a pretty brunette woman, swaying her across the crowded dance floor. He was dressed in his most formal military uniform and smiling that grin that tightened everything in Sera's chest. Oh how she wanted to share her joy with him.

"I'm going to make it," she whispered a foggy mist onto the glass. "I will not fail. How hard can Basic Training be?" She groaned and leaned her forehead on the cool window. "Oh, how I wish you could hear me."

But of course he could not. He was so far away. Distance that could never be spanned. He was deep into his own life and oblivious to the celestial soul mate watching him, the angel who'd been loving him since the moment she was aware of his existence. Sera shrugged and left the window, unwilling to observe him kissing the pretty human girl. Her own lips burned and tingled, wishing, wanting. But after all, he should be kissing a human girl. He was human. But so much more than human. Her eyes stole one more look at the embracing couple and she wondered. Did he know that about himself?

Sera, dressed casually as usual, strolled toward her first class, oblivious to the gawking eyes of the many male angels watching her. What were they? They weren't him, and in her heart, not one of them were worthy of a second glance. She sat calmly at the assigned desk, far to the back of the classroom and fingered the thick manual. Shivers ran down her spine. It had her name on it. She was officially training for the Elite Guardians of the Earthbound Saints! And even better, Uncle Paul would be her trainer, her mentor and her direct superior. Could things get any better? Even the scowls of her fellow trainees couldn't dampen her joy.

But she soon discovered that there would be little to no time for joy in Basic Training. Paul charged into the room and glared at each and every one of them, not even a softening of his glower when he looked at her.

"Listen up and listen good, trainees." He walked along the aisles of desks and tossed a sheet of paper in front of each angel. "This is an average scenario. Average. Need I emphasize the word average?" He hissed as he dropped the paper on her desk.

"Average. That means usual or ordinary. Mediocre." His grimace intensified. "In other words, should even one of your sorry behinds manage to reach my office as a Guardian, this particular kind of scenario will never appear on your screen. The Elite Guardians are assigned human souls far above the average. This particular task, trainees, is your first hurdle. I'll tell you right now that this may well be your last.

"You are expected to use every one of your senses to approach this test. Every bit of political and physical awareness that you have must be tapped and called upon. And you must remember; failure is not an option. Failure is never an option.

"You have two minutes to solve this problem and protect the Charge in your care. Not two and a half minutes, not two minutes and fifteen seconds. Two minutes, and that would be a luxury in a real situation. Start," he looked at his stop watch, "now."

Sera's first sense was to clear her mind. With a prayer and a subtle relaxation of her muscles she slowly reached for the paper and turned it over. The others had rushed in, paper rustling and pencils scratching before she even read the first words, but she knew that being able to clearly decipher the danger was worth the first of her two minutes. Her eyes quickly scanned the words. Cryptic. Precise. Ominous.

Midnight. South African plains. Silence. A poisonous snake. The sound of a nearing vehicle. Sudden dousing of the fire. The distant growl of a tigress. Clicking of metal. Tight clasping black hand around your Charge's neck. Thunder.

She did a quick re-read then lifted her pencil and carefully scrawled.

My Charge is searching for the answers to an ancient riddle. His guide has turned on him. I bring the storm closer, sweeping water over the terrified Charge and have lightening immediately strike upon the clicking weapon. Explosion tosses my Charge clear. The guide is dead and my Charge is safe.

Her pencil set down and she raised her eyes to Paul. Trainees scrapped carbon on paper and the shushing of erasers hissed through the room as Paul shouted, "Time!"

She listened, horrified as each trainee read their evaluation of the immediate needs required. The first six were asked to leave the room and eminently Basic Training. The next was reprimanded for his nervousness but permitted to stay. The next was simply laughed at. It was Sera's turn and she stood, squared her shoulders and not even reading from the paper, carefully recited her solution.

Paul sat on the empty desk in front of her. "Seraphima, what is the ancient riddle?"

"It doesn't matter, sir."

"How do you know it was a riddle?"

"Instinct."

"What of the poisonous snake?" Paul asked, his eyes sharp as arrows. By this point, the remaining three trainees had turned, their eyes locked on her.

"The snake is seeking refuge from the coming storm; it offers no real danger, sir." Sweat gathered on her upper lip but she remained still, stood strong and at attention.

"The tigress?"

"Too far away."

"A tigress can be very fast, trainee. Don't you think you're assuming a lot?"

"No sir, the immediate issue was the attacker."

"And what makes you think there was a guide?"

Her eyes shot to Paul. "A black hand. The Charge is not black or it would not have been noted. And sir, a white man in the African plains would have a guide."

"The vehicle?"

"Irrelevant in this case, sir. It may have been of assistance, but it was too far to be effective."

Paul glared hard. "How do you know the clicking metal is a weapon?"

"Logic, sir. A weapon would be nearby for protection against animal attacks."

"Is your Charge injured?"

"Probably, sir. But the coming vehicle will serve to assist him."

A chuckle escaped Paul's chest. "And why wet your terrified Charge?"

Sera grinned, shrugged. "I thought it would be cooling. And . . . I thought it would be fun."

Paul shook his head and walked toward the front of the room, then turned a look over his shoulder. Sera was still standing at attention.

"And, in what year does this even occur?"

Sera closed her eyes, felt the eons drift through her brain. "1948, sir," she said with conviction.

"Wrong."

The trainees gasped, their eyes bouncing from Paul to Sera.

Finally Paul smiled. "1949. Sit."

***

And so it went, day after day, week after week, the scenarios presented exceedingly more difficult. The class was trimmed down to Sera and Ansilon, an older angel as ambitious and creative as Sera. But Ansi was a fallen angel, having failed once before as an Elite Guardian trainee and only in the program because of his tenacity and willingness to wait more than two hundred years for another chance. He was short, rather hot headed and sometimes arrogant but Sera liked him all the same. What did these personality quarks have to do with the job? He knew very well where and how he'd failed, and she respected him for his eagerness to take another run at it all. Ansi had another quality she admired. He was once human. This, she felt, gave him a distinct advantage over any Guardian in the department.

She and Ansi were standing in the Simulation Chamber awaiting their next challenge. She worried. He had far more experience at manipulating natural events than she and he was excellent at it. The test was to outdo each other. Sera smiled through her concerns.

"Let the games begin," she said wryly.

"Sera," he whispered. "This isn't what you think it is. It isn't about which of us is stronger or more able to pull Mother Nature to our commands. It's about counteraction."

She blinked then nodded a thank you just as Paul's voice boomed to them over hidden speakers.

"As you know, trainees, there is a constant battle between good and evil that will inevitably try to thwart your every effort. This isn't to say that one of you is good and one of you is evil -- "

"I'll be evil," hissed Ansi, teasing from the corner of his mouth.

"You're far more suited for it," Sera counter hissed with a grin.

The disembodied Paul continued. "But pitting your strengths and weaknesses against each other is a positive means of sharpening your awareness. Be careful in there, kidos. What you will experience is as real as your human Charges would experience."

"I can attest to that," grunted Ansi, turning his collar up and tipping his first hand. Sera prepared for cold and the moment Paul shouted "Start", a blinding blizzard did in fact thunder over them.

Sera prayed searing heat from the Arabian Desert, but was displeased to see the blowing ice pellets simply become pounding rain.

Ansi stepped back and so did Sera, sensing the lightening bolts as they shot and reverberated in the chamber.

She begged the sunshine and received instead a brilliant rainbow that danced to Ansi's laughter in the downpour.

Sera turned and squeezed her eyes tight. Silence and deep darkness followed. Her hand stretched out and met Ansi's protective grasp. Stars twinkled and shot across the blackness and for a moment Sera was bedazzled . . . until one slammed near her foot with a resounding boom.

"So," she shouted, waving smoke from her face. "You wanna fight mean?" With a loud howl, she called the wind and it did answer, pushing and forcing Ansi against the far wall. He slammed hard and dropped with a thud. Sera panicked, charging toward him only to find herself wading in a rising flood. Ansi laughed and swam from her as she bobbed, her curls plastered to her face.

Sera thought hard. Counteraction. Rather than reaction, she needed to turn the tables and force Ansi to defend himself. With a shake of her head, the room rumbled, the water drained into a deep crevice and Anso stood, grinning and holding her hands to support them both against the quake.

"Touché, Seraphima!" Soft breezes blew circles around them as the quaking ground settled and Sera felt the wisps of crisp, air-light things brush against her flesh.

"What is this?" Delight laced her voice and she watched the gentle tornado of brilliant golds and yellows.

Ansi shrugged. "Thought you'd like the experience. Autumn leaves, little trainee. A gift from me, to you."

"Show me more," she begged.

"Your turn, counter that."

She gasped at the vision then pulled into light a remarkable sunrise, glowing pink and fuscha on the horizon."

"Red ski in the morning," Ansi chuckled and the storm returned.

At the close of the session, Ansi received a pat on the back. Sera however, was given a document requiring her to attend additional mandatory Air Practice in order to sharpen her abilities with the earth's natural elements and hone her skills. Ansi promised to also take the practice and help her all he could.

***

That evening, as Sera rubbed a thick towel over her wet hair; she sat at the window and watched her human love. He too was soaking wet, standing deep in a lake and holding a woman in his arms. His lips were lovingly caressing hers and Sera wondered about those sensations. About the swirling autumn leaves Ansi had given her, about her inability to feel what a human feels.

She squinted and watched the lovers closely. The woman had soft, pale summer sun bleached hair that was dark and wet at the tips and the beautiful man was reaching beneath the shadowy water to gather her legs around him. Were they naked below the water? Was he making love to her? His mouth sucked at the woman's neck and she leaned back to offer him more. With a jerk they were suddenly connected and Sera felt a twinge of voyeurism. She had watched him before. Watched him alone at nights when his hand took his member and worked it into a frenzy. She had witnessed him licking and kissing a lover between her legs. She'd seen the look on his face when a woman did the same to him. But never before had she felt so wrong for watching.

Her heart sank and she turned away, biting her lip to keep from crying out with the agony of her discovery. For at that moment, Sera knew with her deepest sense that the man she loved had helped the woman to conceive a child. A boy. The human she loved more than anything would marry the woman he had just seeded.

She lay on her bed and settled her hand upon her own infertile belly. What must this be like? To bear the fruit of such deep love and commitment? But in Sera's heart, she knew that the deep commitment she was imagining was not in the man's soul. Not for the woman he would stand before God and vow to have and hold till death.

And Sera cried for the man. She cried for herself as well, sensing that it was time for her to end her love for him. But how was such a thing possible? She prayed that by the time her rest had ended, she would have the answer to that all encompassing question.

***

Sera's eyes continued to be drawn to the window and the man who blessed her imagination. His life seemed to flow with hers and as he moved through his military training, she plowed through challenge after challenge. When he labored over the volumes of critical information designed to strengthen his leadership skills, Sera struggled with earth politics, traditions, cultures and morality. As he dealt with the confusion of his precarious new marriage and pending fatherhood, she wondered at her lack of understanding of such things.

Sera, never one to socialize or cultivate deep friendships, found herself drawn to Ansi and his unique first hand knowledge of human existence. Together they studied and explored their tasks, but also traversed the political influences of relationships; international, interracial, inter-spiritual and interpersonal. They debated the ramifications of such relationships within the human interactive dynamic.

"Within the current political arena, one can do nothing but speculate," Ansi stressed as they strolled the brilliant halls seeking a quiet place to study. "It's a world gone mad, little one. A world gone mad. Why else would they choose to offer me another chance at such a post?"

His brows rose comically but Sera was not amused. They settled on the cool marble steps far from interruption and leaned close to talk.

"Human beings have run amuck, Sera," Ansi continued. "This is the most difficult time in all of earth's history. Agendas are skewed and distorted; solutions are unclear and fraught with deceit. So few true, quality human souls to protect so many blind ones from those so corrupt . . . they can hardly be recognized as human at all. That's why the Guardians require reinforcement. I understand that a new class will begin before we are even promoted. If we make it, that is."

"I heard about that too," she leaned back comfortably, showing no concern for his words but secretly shuddering with fright for all of earth's occupants. "I thought it was because you and I were the only ones to get this far. Is that normal?"

Ansi mimicked her relaxed position. "Hell if I know. I was eliminated the first round last time."

Her glittering blue eyes turned to him. "Ansi, why did you try again?"

"I can tell you why I tried this time, but the other hundred applications?" A chuckle escaped his throat and he ran a palm over his bald head.

"A hundred denied applications?" Sera sat straight, her expression accusing him of exaggerating again, although he never actually did.

"Yes. Well, in truth, a hundred and fifteen denied applications. I had no clue how serious this all is the first time I applied and was accepted. I lasted four minutes and no more. Paul took one look at me and I was out." He flipped his thumb with a whistle. "So I was on a mission to get back in. At first it was an obsession, all an effort to prove him wrong. I really thought I had something this department needed. Insight." He laughed and sat up to square himself to his young classmate. "What I had, my dear Sera was ego. Very human. Very flawed. And very, very wasteful. It has taken me a long time to overcome the most deadly of human diseases, but I finally stand before you an angel without ego. Well . . . at least not a human ego."

"And why do you want this so bad?"

Ansi's eyes looked far off and became sad. "It's so hard down there, Sera. So hard. I want to help them." He shrugged and opened a book, preparing to move ahead with their planned review for the day, but Sera's delicate hand settled over his and he focused on her confused face. "What is it?"

"Can you tell me? Tell me more about being human? How it feels, how it . . . works?"

"How it works?" He set aside the book with a grin. "Little Sera, are you asking me about sex?"

"Well, yes. Sex and conception. Family. Life within human emotional boundaries. What challenges do these things present?"

"Why?"

Sera shrugged. "It seems to me that understanding these things may help in protecting a Charge, don't you think?"

"Could help or hinder. But," he glanced around. "I don't suppose there's any harm in telling you what I know. Not like you're the first to ask me such things. Where would you like to start?"

"Sex."

"Of course. Sex. But sex in what context? For procreation or sex for pleasure or sex for money or sex for entertainment or -- "

"All of it." After he stopped laughing she huffed. "Start with procreation."

"The first thing about human sex that you must understand is that nothing is predictable. Yes, yes. There are physiological responses that can be accurately assumed, but there is more to sex in any context than most realize. It affects everything a human does. How he or she feels about it will determine almost every reaction to almost every event, I guarantee you."

"Love?" Sera whispered the word.

"Ahh, love. Sometimes it has a lot to do with sex and procreation but unfortunately, most times it is either a byproduct of conception, or a manipulation toward a chosen goal. If a woman wishes to marry a man who is not exactly in the market for nuptial bliss, she might manage to become pregnant and extract the marriage contract from him in the name of love or responsibility. If a man wishes to gain fatherhood and all the marital benefits, he may use love or sex to create the perfect stage to plot his play."

"So love and sex are not interchangeable but both may be used as a weapon?" Sera blinked back her disbelief.

"Well, you can look at it that way. But let's start at a simpler place; with an example that you can easily apply to your own experiences. Your parents, for example," he sighed as her brows curled in confusion. "All right, let's get even more basic. The forces that brought you to life, those we shall call your parents. We all know the story of these two angelic beings. Here in our place, love prevails and can never be used or misused. There is a very good reason that so few new angelic beings are born here -- "

"Born? Can you truly use that word in my case, Ansi?"

"Sure, why not. For the sake of explanation we will use the words parents and born. Your parents, Celia and Constantine crossed paths only once as I understand it. They saw each other from a distance and fell madly, hopelessly in love. They remained in cerebral contact even though that was very difficult, your father relegated to a distant galaxy and your lovely mother teaching near the second moon of Mars. But love prevailed and so you were conceived."

"That's simply ridiculous. Conception is a human capability and requires physical intimacy," Sera groaned, sure the coming explanation would be of no assistance to her.

"Here, we require no physical intimacy. We only require complete and pure love. You were conceived Sera, as surly as I was in my human existence."

"But you were raised by parents who influenced your mind and values."

"And when you became, you were raised by Paul, were you not? Rational, logical. Practical. My guess is that it was evident that you came into existence for a reason, and that reason is to be a Guardian."

"Well," Sera stood and they strolled into the gardens. "At least you had parents and discipline and guidelines and birthday parties and -- "

Ansi reached out a hand to stop her. "Sera, do not seek to compare these things. They are incomparable. It is foolishness. Besides, there is a way to learn first hand."

"What?"

"Of course. If you can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that your Charge is not only important enough but in enough danger, you can petition to do some 'Human Time'."

Sera gasped. "Has anyone ever done that?"

"No one has been able to convince Paul yet, but there's always a first time. But I warn you, little girly. This isn't something you simply do out of curiosity. Do you understand?"

"Of course I understand." And Sera relegated the information to a place deep in her soul for a time when she would need it . . . if the time ever arose.

***

That very evening Sera cried loving tears for the human man. Watching him through the window, he held his tiny infant son tight in his arms and sobbed with such joy she could feel his elation over the distance. The boy would hold immense importance for the man, but the wife, ignored on the hospital bed? Sera's heart prepared for more tears ahead. Tears for the wife, for the boy and most especially tears for the human man she loved in spite of the flaws even he wasn't aware he had.

Eyeing his form closely, she noted his huge hand as it soothed the tiny howling infant. How the baby's hand wrapped tight around the man's finger. How the man's eyes sparkled, taking in every wriggling inch of the boy. She read his thoughts, all the grandiose images of a future with his growing son, of committed time that would never be found, promises that would never be fulfilled. And she pitied him. He knew nothing of what lay ahead, of what he would need to do to accomplish his purpose on earth. And Sera realized for the first time the vast similarities between the man she loved and Ansi . . . and even herself. The creator has goals and we all must work to attain them. What, pray tell were the responsibilities of the man she'd been watching all her life? Her senses were becoming astute with the training and she wondered if love worked the same way on earth as it did in the heavens. If it transcended all distance and challenges. If she would ever know.

***

It was finally the day of her graduation. Both she and Ansi would be promoted and placed among the most elite Guardians of heaven. She dressed differently, wearing soft fabrics that reminded her of the swirling autumn leaves and sighed, turning a look over her shoulder at the man she continued to love. Through the glass, it appeared that he too had been promoted.

The ceremony for induction into the Elite Guardians of the Earthbound Saints was minimal. Fifteen minutes after receiving her pin, a silver single wing encrusted with one tiny diamond, she was introduced to her coworkers who casually nodded a welcome before returning their full attention to the screens on their desks. She couldn't help but observe the deep thoughts flowing thick and heavy through the room, the energy of Guardians protecting and preserving the remarkable human souls in their care.

"Well rookies," Paul grunted to Ansi and Sera. "Much as you two like working together, I fear it's simply not to be. We have too few staff to team up. So Ansi, you're posted at the eastern quarter, third desk from the door."

"Thank you, sir." Ansi winked at Sera and left for his assigned position, a distinct spring in his step.

"And you, niece," Paul's eye glittered for the first time since Basic Training began. "You are over here."

He led her to a desk, turned on her screen and explained her tasks. "This menu is the list of the Charges you are assigned. There are fifteen and -- "

"Fifteen?" Sera gasped.

"Seraphima. This isn't like doing traffic observance. Angelic Surveillance Service is for the average bear. You're in the big leagues now. Did you think this would be easy?"

"No, no. Of course not." She returned her focus to the screen.

"Each Charge has a full dossier, background and interface with deeper detail. To watch over them all at once, you press this button and the split screen will display activity at any given moment."

Paul talked on and on but Sera was stunned. Her heart skipped several beats. There, in frame number eight of her split screen was the man. Her man. She nodded as though she was listening but couldn't take her eyes from the man, jovial and laughing, accepting congratulations from several other soldiers.

"Um, what?" She said when she noticed that Paul had fallen silent.

"I asked if you understood everything, Sera."

"Yes, yes sir. I understand."

When he walked away, she quickly returned to the menu screen, scanning the names there. Number eight. Number eight. With a shaking finger, Sera clicked the curser on the name of one Terrence Thorne, newly assigned S.A.S. Commander. The man she loved and one of her primary Charges.

"Hello, Terry," she whispered.