The Plot Bunny (15 page)

"I'm not," Simon answered. "Yes, he's legal."

"He doesn't have a job, per se," Luc continued. "He's the son of a pastor, and he mostly helps out at the church with various activities. Organizing events, charities, or simply helping with day to day stuff."

Dury was surprised at Luc's swift answer. He wondered if his human had already known what to tell Susanne, or if he'd come up with it on the spot. "That's how we met, actually," he continued. "I felt terrible and randomly went to the church. He approached me and, somehow, I found myself relying on him."

Susanne looked doubtful. "Seriously? Which church?"

"The one next to the publishing house," Luc replied. "I forget the name."

"Although I think the pastor was only visiting and he might leave in the near future," Simon offered. Wow, they really had thought about everything.

Susanne looked puzzled. "But Dury will stay if his family leaves?"

Luc nodded. "We've discussed it with him. He also wants to be with us."

Before Susanne could say anything else, the door burst open and four children bounced inside. "Uncle Simon! Uncle Luc!" they said in unison. A dark-haired man entered the house after them. "Hey, guys," he greeted.

Dury smiled as he watched Susanne's family engulf his humans in a flurry of embraces and affection. Susanne's husband, Karl, was actually her high school sweetheart. They'd married shortly after graduation, since Susanne had already been carrying the twins. Karl had loved the idea, though. He'd been planning to marry Susanne anyway, and the children were a bonus.

Simon and Susanne's parents hadn't been so thrilled. Her marriage had been the last straw and it made them push her away as well, like they'd done with Simon.

But Dury knew it had been worth it. The twins, Mitchell and William, were amazing and talented boys. Their only daughter, Eliza, was their princess, so sweet she could give even a dentist cavities. The youngest child, Karl Jr, was quieter, but took most after his father.

Dury felt both happy and sad to know that they'd all accepted Luc and Simon as a member of their family. It was another thing Simon would have to leave behind upon his death. He'd started to accept it, but in moments such as these, the guilt often overwhelmed him.

Luc and Simon ended up staying for dinner. The twins showed them their latest paintings and Eliza played a few songs on their small piano. It was a beautiful evening, and when Luc and Simon said goodbye, Dury felt just a bit warmer inside.

Finally, his lovers got into the car and drove off. "It went well," Luc told Simon.

"Yeah," Simon answered. "She's great, and her family wonderful."

And then, a flash of light came from the back seat, somewhat dimmed, and not as powerful as in the church. "I assume that means you're ready for your passing," Michael said.

Dury cried out as realization struck. He had not expected this, not today, not so soon. Simon and Luc still had so much to give to the world. It would be a sin to take that away.

But he could do nothing to stop it and he powerlessly watched as the events unfolded on the mortal realm.

Part Four:

The Guardians

Chapter Ten

Simon swallowed nervously as the archangel's words penetrated his consciousness. Sure, he'd in a way accepted his impending death. They'd been preparing for it for months now, seeking closure with their families, ensuring all the legal and financial matters had been dealt with. Simon left everything to Susie's children, in equal parts, whereas in Luc's case, Taylor would inherit most of the fortune. His new books had been selling particularly well and Simon's sculptures were also more and more popular. Perhaps due to the knowledge of their demise, they'd put more effort into their work, to compensate in a way, for what they would not be able to do. But now that they'd actually reached the moment, he felt fearful and uncertain.

A small cry sounded in his mind, and Simon instantly recognized it as Dury
'
s voice.
"
No!
"
his lover said.
"
Don
'
t die.
"

For the past few weeks, Simon had been able to hear Dury in his head. If not for the fact that Luc could hear the angel too, Simon would've thought it his imagination. Then again, why should he even be surprised? After all, he had an archangel sitting in the backseat of his car.

His hands started to tremble, and his breathing became labored. Suddenly, driving didn't seem like a very good idea. He pulled over and stopped the engine. In the darkness, the archangel's eyes burned him.

"Now?" Luc asked, voice slightly unstable.

"If you want to," Michael replied, "we could postpone things. Or we could cancel the entire thing, if you'd rather. Your choice."

He sounded cool and composed, and Simon wondered what the archangel really thought about the entire situation. Were family relationships the same in the angel realm or was Michael's bond with Dury of a more symbolic level? Truth be told, they did look alike, to a certain extent. Perhaps some people couldn't tell, but Simon could see it in the shape of their faces, their lips, the high cheekbones. For all he knew, though, these were distinctive features of all angels.

"I have a question, if you don't mind," he said, turning toward Michael.

"Of course," the archangel replied. "If I can help in any way."

"Are you really Dury's dad?"

Michael looked somewhat surprised. "Why is that important?" he asked. He didn't seem upset, but Simon thought he could detect a trace of unnamed emotion.

"Don't answer a question with a question," Simon shot back. He didn't have a particular reason and curiosity sounded a bit too trivial to delve into something like this.

Michael smirked at him. "And isn't that exactly what you're doing? Ah, humans…" Sighing, he finally said, "Very well. Yes, Duriel is my son. I have a bonded mate, Duriel's mother, Jezebel."

"Wow," Luc answered. "Angels have family structures?"

Michael nodded silently.

"You must really hate our guts," Luc continued.

Simon hid a smile at the thought that his lover had been thinking the same thing as he. Truth be told, the entire situation was somewhat disturbing. They were sitting in his car, in the dark, with their sort-of-father-in-law who in a few minutes intended to end their lives.

Michael made an "ah" sound, as if he could now see where they were going with their line of inquiry. "I am beyond petty acts such as vengeance," he said. "On a personal level, I admit I don't like you very much. You've caused Duriel a great deal of pain. However, I do acknowledge his bond with you both, and the fact that you love him."

It hadn't really occurred to Simon that Michael might want to punish them. Perhaps the entire thing was a ruse and they wouldn't be taken to Dury. After all, how could they be so important as to be allowed into the heavens?

Michael's gaze pierced him, although he didn't comment on the silence in any way. "I'll leave you alone for a while," he said. "Just call my name if you wish to go through with it."

Simon nodded, and in a flash of bright light, the archangel vanished. Simon shielded his eyes, and turned away from the back seat, uncertainty swirling in his heart.

"What do you think?" Luc asked as the light faded.

"I'm not sure," Simon admitted. "I feel uneasy about the whole thing."

Luc nodded. "It seemed a bit easier when we actually had a purpose in the short term. But now…"

Now all those tasks were pretty much completed. They could very well leave with Michael with the knowledge that they'd said their goodbyes. At the same time, they could wait to watch Susie's children grow, and live their lives here on Earth. Simon wasn't sure he wanted that.

"Well, we have three choices," he said, taking a deep breath. "First, we can delay this, perhaps a few more years until things are more stable with our families. Second, we can give up on it, and Dury. And third, we can do this now. Thoughts?"

"I don't want to give up," Luc immediately said.

"Me neither," Simon agreed. Secretly, he thought that if they didn't do it tonight, they would lose their nerve altogether. Everything seemed so surreal still, but he knew that once morning came, they would fall into habit once again. Luc would start another book, and Simon would work on a new sculpture. They'd have barbecues with Susie and her kids, and visit Luc's brothers on weekends. Before they knew it, the years would fly, and the decision would be taken out of their hands. He doubted that in that moment, they'd be given the same opportunity as now. Perhaps they should ask.

As if guessing Simon's thoughts, Luc inquired, "Do you think if we live until our intended time, we could meet Dury then?"

Just through that, Simon could see his lover had doubts, and he didn't blame Luc. He didn't blame himself, either, for feeling the same way. If they did this, they would be essentially giving up everything they knew for an illusion. They would jump with both feet into the unknown, and they'd never have a chance to come back. There was another question that bothered Simon. The whole thing sounded too much like suicide. Simon may not be a church going person, but he did know God didn't look well upon taking one's own life. "I don't know," he said. "I wonder if this would count as suicide."

"
No, it wouldn
'
t count as suicide,
"
the archangel
'
s voice answered in their minds.
"
You wouldn
'
t be doing anything. I would be
the one to engineer the whole thing.
"

Simon couldn't help but feel apprehensive at that. A part of him wasn't ready to leave his life, his career, everything he knew and loved behind.

And then Simon remembered Dury's sweet smile, his sad eyes, his kindness. He recalled their heartbreaking goodbye. He mentally berated himself for thinking, even for a moment, that all the people he loved were here, in the mortal realm. As much as he ached to leave his twin behind, he needed to make a choice. If they did this, he'd be with the two men he loved most in both worlds. What more could he ask?

"Luc?" he asked, conscious that in many ways, this depended on his human lover as well.

Luc nodded silently. "I'm fine. I'm willing to go through with it if you are."

"All right," Simon said. He took a deep breath and called out the archangel's name. "Michael?"

Michael materialized yet again in the backseat and gave them a quizzical look.

"Go ahead," Simon urged. "Take us to Dury."

"You are ready, then?" Michael asked.

Luc and Simon nodded at the same time. "So, what now? Do you just take our souls or what?"

Michael didn't reply. His form blurred until he vanished yet again. Simon stared at Luc in confusion. "What the fuck is—?"

Before he could finish his phrase, the revving of the engine cut him off. "What in the world?"

He was certain he'd stopped the car when they'd started the conversation with the archangel. "Simon, what's going on?" Luc asked.

"I have no clue," Simon replied. He tried to pull the keys out of the ignition, but they wouldn't budge. The lights turned on once again and the acceleration seemed to start all by itself.

All of a sudden, the car lurched forward. Simon heard the wheels screech on the tarmac and then they were off. The car drove itself through the suburban neighborhood. Simon desperately tried to control it, but the steering wheel was unresponsive. Hands trembling, he fastened his seatbelt and braced himself for what he knew would be the ride of his life—or death.

* * * *

Dury watched in horror as the car sped through the streets with insane velocity. It was evening in the mortal realm, and there were still other vehicles around, mostly cars and bicycles. Because of the area Simon's sister lived in, there were also a lot of children around, some on roller skates or skateboards, other playing jump-rope or hide-and-seek.

It was only by miracle that Simon's car missed them all. It swerved on the road, narrowly missing a small boy who'd been standing right in the middle of the street. Screams started sounding as the car passed, and at one point, a police car began trailing the vehicle.

But nothing could stop the speeding car. The officials urged the drivers to pull over, but there was no response. After all, what could Simon and Luc do? Dury knew that they'd lost control of the vehicle, and no power on Earth could help them now.

No power on Earth, no, Dury thought. But he himself wasn't a creature of the mortal realm. He could still save his lovers. It wasn't too late.

Dury didn't have much time, though. The car headed toward a steep, dangerous curve that had been the scene of many deadly accidents. At the speed it was going, Dury had no doubt it would crash right through the barrier and into the gulf.

Pushing his mother aside, Dury jumped off his bed, shuddering when the motion jostled his weak body. The crystal bowl rolled to the ground, abandoned.

"What do you think you are doing, Duriel?" Jezebel asked in a startled tone. "Please, get back to bed."

Dury shook his head. "No. You know I have to do this. I have to save them."

Alas, before he could try to come to Luc and Simon's rescue, he fell to his knees, the panic effectively sapping his strength. As he tried to recover, he caught sight of the image in the bowl once more. Tears filled his eyes as he saw the car speed over the edge and fall from the cliff.

Just like that, Dury found the power to ignore his own pain. Taking a deep breath, he shot to his feet and rushed outside. The sight of the city hit him with the strength of a thousand men, but Dury didn't let a little thing like that intimidate him. Bypassing all the angels in his way, he plunged straight through the clouds, forcing his spirit to materialize.

Pain and weakness hit him as he fell out of the heavens and into the mortal realm. His mother had been right about one thing. He was definitely risking his life by leaving their home, but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't allow Luc and Simon to die alone and scared. He should have done this earlier, prevented his humans from ever going through with their mad plan.