I’d love to hear any constructive criticism or suggestions, at : adarkbow@yahoo.com so please send them on! Hope you like the story. Windstar

Gwyn clung to the body, tears flowing unchecked down her face. Behind her lay three demons, and what was left of Gabriel. The Archangel lay unmoving, his face turned up towards the starry sky above.

"Sarah, no…"

Her shoulders heaved as her small frame was wracked with sobs. Eric’s pace was slow and pained as he approached, both fearing and knowing what he would find. With Gabriel’s death the leash on the undead had broken and those that had remained were fleeing.

Silently he crouched down, he’d seen enough death in his time to know that his niece’s soul no longer inhabited the body clutched by the naked woman. He bowed his head, feeling the sting of tears.

"It’s not her time."

Gwyn’s voice startled him, there was pain and loss in her voice, but there was a strength to it that was unyielding.

"I’ll bring her back, Eric. I swear."

Then, before he even had time to understand what she meant to do, white light lit up the park.

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She couldn’t remember ever seeing such a beautiful day. The sun was warm on her skin, and the grass upon which she sat was green and lush. A willow tree swayed gently in the breeze on the bank of the nearby pond. Bird songs filled the air.

It was the most peace that the Magister had ever felt.

The dark haired woman closed her eyes, lay back on the grass and smiled. It was so nice to not have to worry about…

Her thoughts strayed, and she wasn’t quite certain what it was that she should have been worrying about. Certainly there was something, no, someone she had been trying to help.

Her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to figure it out, then smoothed out as a name came to mind.

It was a struggle to remember why, and when she did the pain and desperateness of those last few moments seemed so far removed from the peaceful park. The sadness she had expected muted and her memories only touched on the more pleasant memories.

The answer came slowly, a vague memory of what had happened to her father and mother. The shadow lord who had used him to draw out her mother, had killed him before her eyes. Her mother hadn’t died then, indeed she’d killed the monster.

Until one day the Magister had not returned from her hunt, and Eric had come to complete her training.

Sighing she sat up, idly picking at blades of grass.

A terrible feeling of loss welled up inside of the dark haired woman that not even the peaceful surroundings could quite quell.

"It’s very nice here."

The scowl disappeared and she opened her eyes to the vision sitting next to her on that soft grass.

The smaller woman seemed to glow from within, and the smile she received in return was brilliant.

"Yes it is. I’m glad you’re here. I was worried I might not get to see you again."

Smaller fingers laced with hers, and a warm body snuggled alongside hers. Gentle lips pressed to her skin and Sarah groaned. Gwyn whispered into her ear as her fingers loosened clothing.

"I’m glad I found you, Sarah Mordicai."

Then there was no more time for words, as lips pressed against hers and clothes were quickly tossed aside. Fingers stroked warm flesh, and tongues tasted one another. Smooth legs tangled together and they arched towards one another, each trying to get closer to the other.

It seemed to Sarah that wings folded about them both, but she was never sure.

They made love for an eternity there, learning and tracing one another’s bodies. Each worshiping the other, and taking pleasure in just being together.

When the summer afternoon started into the beginnings of twilight they lay together. Naked bodies curled around one another, and Gwyn sighed in contentment, her head resting on Sarah’s chest. Long fingers stroked her hair, and Sarah grinned at the feel of her breath whispering across her skin.

"You’ll have to go soon, love."

Gwyn’s words jerked her out of the doze she’d been slipping into and she looked down towards the angel she held in her arms in confusion.

"Go where?"

"Home."

"I am home, Gwyn."

The smaller woman shook her head and raised herself just enough to kiss Sarah on the lips slowly, taking her time to remember the feel of their lips together.

"No, Sarah, you’re not. It isn’t your time."

"What? What do you mean not my time?"

Gwyn traced her lips gently with her fingertips and smiled.

"Not your time, love."

Sarah glowered, raising both of them up until they were sitting facing one another.

"I’m not leaving just because you say it’s not my time."

Gwyn smiled sadly.

"I’d keep you here, Sarah, if that didn’t doom so many to an early death."

Dark eyes sharpened and the taller woman leaned forward.

"What do you mean, doom people to an early death?"

"If you die now, Eric will have to take over while a new Magister is trained, as you have no heirs. He’ll try his best but he isn’t your equal, and soon he’ll fail. Then, while the Legacy puts another team together to send out, undead will rule the city, and hundreds if not thousands will die."

They faced each other, Magister and angel, both knowing the grim truth and what duty demanded from both of them.

Sarah understood, a part of her did anyway, and she swallowed against the sudden understanding.

"You’ll come back with me?"

She’d tried to phrase it as a statement, but it had come out as a question instead.

"I don’t know."

"Promise me you’ll try, Gwyn?"

The golden haired woman smiled, hugging Sarah as tightly as she could, and nodded.

"I promise. But if I can’t…"

This time it was Sarah’s fingers that touched her lips, stopping her from going on.

"Don’t. I will see you," she whispered.

Watery blue eyes peered up at her as she spoke.

"Shhh, little one." Caressing her cheek, pressing her lips to Gwyn’s.

"G’bye, Sarah." Gwyn closed her eyes, the tears that had threatened falling over as she desperately deepened the kiss, trying to hold on to the rapidly fading woman even as she knew it was pointless.

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Sarah raised the cup of coffee and took a small sip. She was watching the sunrise from the living room windows, and trying not to think of a small woman who had haunted her thoughts for three months now.

"Sarah, I’m going to the store."

She grunted noncommittally, not turning from the view. She didn’t miss the concerned look he sent her, but like every other time since she’d come back to herself in the park, she refused to talk about it. The door closed behind him and Sarah closed her eyes against a flash of pain.

Despite her time in, wherever that was, with the smaller woman and Gwyn’s promise to try to follow her, there had been no sign of her. For the first few days Sarah had hoped that she would come at any moment. Then as the weeks passed, she’d started to doubt, and fear, that she would never see her again while she was alive. The nights were hard now, harder than she’d ever realized they could be.

There were bright spots of course. Eric’s rotting disease had been completely cured it seemed. The incidence of undead had returned to more normal levels, and her nights had been fairly routine.

Not busy enough to keep her from thinking and remembering though.

The sound of the doorbell drew her towards the front door, and she sighed.

"Yeah, I’m coming, Eric. Did you forget your keys again?"

The person standing hesitantly in the doorway was not Eric though. Sarah froze, watching her, hoping she wasn’t dreaming again.

"Gwyn?"

The blonde nodded, grinning.

"Gwyn!"

Sarah wasn’t sure who moved first but suddenly she was holding the smaller woman, kissing her until she thought that she’d pass out from sheer pleasure or lack of oxygen. Somehow she managed to get them both to the couch before they collapsed on the floor.

"You’re here."

Gwyn smiled, resting her head on the shoulder of the taller woman, nodding.

"I’m here."

Sarah swallowed, desperately wanting to know the answer to her next question, but scared of what the answer might be.

"Can you stay?"

It came out as a whisper.

"As long as you want me."

"What happened?"

Gwyn shifted and once more they were both lost in a kiss that stretched over several minutes before she answered.

"I had to meet with a few of the higher ups. Things had to be discussed."

Sarah licked her lips, not sure if she liked the sound of that.

"Like what?"

"You mostly."

Mischievous blue eyes sparkled at her, then Gwyn yelped as Sarah tickled her side.

"Ok! Ok! I give!"

Laughing herself, Sarah hugged the smaller woman tight, her happiness a sudden counterpart to the gloom that had weighed down on her mind for the past few weeks.

"Talk then, Gwyn."

Snuggling back down, the angel continued.

"I’m being assigned as the city’s permanent angel…"

"And?" Sarah looked bewildered.

Gwyn took a deep breath, loving the smell of the woman she was pressed up against.

"… I’m replacing the Professor. I’ll get to help you sometimes, but, love, I won’t be able to help you all the time. Sometimes I may be ordered to do nothing, like the Professor was. You think we can work it out?"

Sarah was certain that would cause them problems in the future, but for now she didn’t care.

"I think we can figure something out, my love."

Gwyn stilled, and for a second Sarah had the horrible feeling she’d said something wrong.

"Say that again."

"What?"

"Say you love me."

"I’ll do even better."

"Oh really?"

"I’ll show you."

Which she proceeded to do.

The End.

* Bonus points for anyone who knows where some of the quotes came from. I’ll give you a hint, the movie had Christopher Walken in it.