Deciding to have three weddings in one day is a quick one. There are a few consequences attached to that decision that you never thought about and that makes you try to remember where you put those aspirins again. Unification does not go quite as planned and now the question is whether you have a new enemy or a new friend.
Samantha, Alexander, and the rest of the gang were back just in time for the full council meeting. Alex just had the opportunity to lose the tailored suit and jump into his usual jeans and T-shirt. He entered the throne room and saw that all members of the council were still in the hall instead of in their meeting room. He immediately noticed that the members had split into two groups. The men were looking at the women bewildered, and suddenly he also discovered Azi among that group who had surrounded his fiancée and Ella. That whole group seemed to be talking amply through each other. Alex continued to watch the event from a distance. Then he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he felt a severe headache coming on and muttered:
"For fuck's sake, why couldn't we have run to Vegas and opened that beach bar in Mexico?"
Suddenly, he heard Celine whisper in his ear:
"What's the matter, little prince? Do you feel a headache coming on? I have seen this a few times in a Hell loop. It is a very efficient and a real
painful way to torture a man beyond belief."
His eyes opened wide. Celine kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered:
"Good luck my little prince."
She stepped away from him while chuckling. Alex Face palmed himself and murmured again:
"Oh for fuck's sake..."
He walked toward the conference room and everyone followed him inside. Once the Goddess and the God had taken their seats the rest took their seats. He allowed himself some time before speaking:
"Okay, people the day after tomorrow I am going to bend Sam's universe and ours at exactly noon. At that time everyone must be out of the throne room, I can't stress it enough that no one re-enters until you see the new door appear."
Everyone hung on his every word, and he continued:
"Micky, Celine, and Mister Celine it is your job to make sure that no absent-minded Angel can accidentally walk into the throne room. Samael will do exactly the same thing on the other side. In the square two portals will appear and to please Miss Lopez, because she is the best student in this class, they will look exactly like those in one of her favorite nerd series on TV back on Earth namely Stargate. Through those portals, Angels can easily travel between universes. From then on, we will be able to remove the plural of universe because in fact from then on they will be two cities connected by a portal. These portals will not yet be active when they appear so travel will only be possible from the next day. They will also not be active during our working day, this is to avoid accidents due to nosy Angels who might end up in the middle of our chaos. Furthermore, every Angel who wants to visit the other city is going to have a host during their initial visit to give a tour. Ask your people if they would be willing to be hosts for Samantha's Angels who want to visit our part of town. Okay?"
Everyone at the table nodded. Alex continued:
"Jeremiel, Sam and I are going to need that map of the city after all. Haniel, Q's counterpart, is working on a project so that every Angel in the city and every Demon in Dis will be able to experience the ceremony. For that, we are going to have to choose some strategic places in the city where the Angels can gather and celebrate with us. Could you have that map ready by tomorrow afternoon?"
The architect replied:
"We already have a map, MyLord. Detailed and up to date."
"Thank you Jeremiel, that's damn efficient. Samantha love am I forgetting anything else or do you have anything to add before we continue with our clusterfuck?"
"No, not right away love."
"Okay, people let's get to work then because we only have sixteen more days."
Everyone stood up and followed Samantha or Alex to their offices for another day of Chaos to start.
Alex had worked an hour longer than the normal workday to sort out some logistical problems and to change the layout of the palace so that it would remain workable after unification. When he stepped into the suite, he immediately got a headache. Everywhere he looked he saw women and through their chatter, he could no longer hear himself think. Swiftly he closed the door behind him and more or less fled to his father's suite. He flew in without knocking and saw in Lucifer's eyes the schadenfreude when he saw his son fly in. Alex growled at him:
"Don't do that Dad! No joke because I swear to you, I'm going to make the wedding ceremony between Ella and you a nightmare... for you!"
Lucifer looked at him with a smirk, deciding not to make any of his jokes. But teasing him a little he certainly would do that. Accordingly, he asked:
"Trouble son?"
"For fuck's sake Dad, the suite is one circus. Everywhere I look I see women! I don't understand how such a group can chatter so much and still understand each other. And the center of that attention? Samantha and Ella!"
"Well, Alex, Ella you brought that on yourself. You shouldn't have said at that dinner that I should do something about our situation. Well, I followed the command of my new God and did something about it last night. Hence, there are now three in the full spotlight in your suite."
"For fuck's sake, Azi was wandering around in there too?"
The Devil merely nodded with a broad smile.
"Dad, how can you sit here so quietly? What the fuck..."
"I think I gained some experience with this kind of situation during my stay in Los Angeles. Mainly bachelorette parties. I have to admit that sometimes they were wild parties that ended up in the penthouse."
Alex raised his hand and resolutely cut the Devil off:
"Dad I don't think I want to hear stories like that from you. From everyone else yes, but from my father absolutely not! Celine warned me this morning, with a lot of demonic pleasure I must add, that there seem to be Hell loops where poor souls are being tortured to pieces with this phenomenon!"
"I know, particularly pleasurable to watch them slowly go mad."
"Dad, you are not only the Devil but also a sadist!"
Before Lucifer could say anything to that, Robert, Samael and the two Michaels came flying in with their eyes wide open. Lucifer's gloating only intensified. Micky was the first to open his mouth:
"What the hell is that? What the hell is going on?"
To which Lucifer replied with a great deal of dastardly pleasure:
"That gentlemen is the first gathering of the ladies who came to help and support the brides-to-be."
Alex just about choked on the drink he had manifested and asked with a frightened look in his eyes:
"First?"
Lucifer nodded enthusiastically and said:
"Yes son, first. On Earth, people take their time preparing for a wedding. The bigger the event the more nervous brides-to-be become. On Earth, the largest weddings might have a few hundred guests. You barely have ten days and there are more than twenty thousand Angels who want to participate. The brides get more and more nervous as the big day gets closer and can sometimes turn into bridezillas because they want everything absolutely perfect for their big day. So..."
"For fuck's sake dad, how the hell do they manage that? There's no order at all, I didn't see any logic, everyone walking and talking through each other and all simultaneously, it's total chaos over there!"
Alex shook his head for a moment and looked at the four newcomers and asked:
"And why do you guys look so pale?"
Micky said:
"Muriel is in there."
Michael said:
"Celine is in there too. She wanted to see if she could figure out a good torture technique."
Robert said:
"I delivered Salome, Laila, Casiel, Molly, and a few more girls. They were only just inside and when I took a step inside it happened. The way all those women looked at us, it was like they wanted to wipe us out of existence. And that included Freya, Anna, Jasmine, Maila, Sarah and Beatrice equally. Is this something they inherited from their creation, something their mother passed along in their genes? I have had to face the evil eye of Salome before, but this is truly too frightening!"
Samael said:
" I was just along with the girls and mom and dad. Everything was perfectly fine until they stepped into that suite of yours. Believe me, before these three weddings are over, I'm not taking another step inside!"
The next morning Alex was awake before dawn and slipped out of bed. He stood on the balcony with his coffee and enjoying a cigarette. He sensed Samantha approaching and said with a smile:
"Are you dressed this time Red? I would hate for all of heaven to be able to see that divine body of yours naked."
She came up beside him and laid her head on his shoulder for a moment:
"So possessive then love?"
He playfully said:
"That's damned right Red, you are mine and mine alone! They can have everything from me, all my powers and all my goals but not my wife!"
After they enjoyed the silence and each other's presence for a moment, she asked:
"Nervous about tomorrow?"
He let his fag disappear into thin air and replied:
"Not really. I know everything is going to go well. I just feel it from my powers as the Crown Prince of the multiverse that things will be fine."
"Then what's keeping you awake?"
He smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before answering:
"I was thinking about an arrogant brat of barely thirteen. He dared to reprimand the God of all creation in this multiverse when he said that there were no two universes that have co-existence. The brat replied that this was because he did not exist in any other universe and had not yet done it."
She had to giggle because she remembered that conversation very well. Her Alex barely a few days on his feet, and still wobbly on those legs, who made the four Gods dizzy. Alex said:
"Technically, paps was right in hindsight."
"What do you mean Alex?"
"After tomorrow afternoon, the two universes will become one Sam. We're not just going to connect the two Heavens. Once the connection is established, Hell here and your Hell can also work together. Not to mention humanity."
"What do you mean by humanity?"
"If my fears come true then we are not going to have to transfer eight billion people from my Earth to Terra Nova. Maybe a few hundred million, maybe even as little as a few million. Your Earth is in equally bad shape. I fear that if we go public the whole situation on both Earths is going to explode incredibly in our faces. However, we only have two choices. Either we let humanity go extinct or we save what can be saved on both planets. We plan to use spaceships to transfer as many people as possible to Terra Nova through giant portals in space. If we give your Earth such portals as well, then we can try to save as many people as possible there too. After tomorrow it will no longer be your universe and my universe. It will be our universe from then on Red."
"So your goals from ten years ago have been met, love?"
"Yep, Godfry expelled, a five-hundred-year detour that was not planned to save this universe which can't be done hence a brand-new universe. Our universes linked together which was my primary goal, a solution found for the thrones, a solution found for the innocent souls in Hell, and a solution for the at least eighty billion souls in this Heaven. I would say an all-in-all productive few days after six thousand years of preparation. Who knows love what we can accomplish when we have a few centuries."
He looked playfully into her eyes and asked:
"Please Red don't become a bridezilla because it was crazy enough here in the suite yesterday."
"No worries love. Ella, Azi, and I have it perfectly under control. The girls just needed to get rid of some of their energy. Their excitement for the big event made them tremble on their legs and especially Cas, you know how she is."
Both had big smiles on their faces thinking of young Casiel and Molly and the times they had spent together before his great journey began. She kissed him warmly and passionately on the mouth after which she playfully asked:
"Care to sleep in our old bed after unification?"
"I thought you would never ask Red but only if that room is soundproofed because I also want to attempt to fuck you through that shower wall as well."
Both got a sneaky laugh and a well-desired look.
Sam said:
"That won't be a problem, I claimed the magic pin from Celine. So, the whole room may very well be ruined..."
On the day of unification, Samantha and Alexander had stopped working at eleven-thirty. The giant double doors of the throne room were locked and from now on would serve as one large portal, divided into two sections, through which the Angels could enter. Just next to it would be four smaller portals through which the Angels could travel in and back to their own part of the city for normal day-to-day business. Next to the door that gave access to the stairs and thus their suite would appear the two new doors for the intimate circle. The only ones left behind were Celine, the two Michaels, Lucifer, Ella, Gabriel, Azrael, Raffa and Fuzzy. There was a tense atmosphere in the air. Quite normal because what Alexander was about to do was still completely baffling to most. The only ones as relaxed as Alex were Samantha and Celine. They had already seen him do other impossible things. He said:
"Okay listen. I know I've already said it, but this is extremely important! No one enters this room before 1 pm. Before you see a new door appear on your side of that wall."
Celine replied:
"We got it boss don't worry!"
Samantha had put an arm around his waist. She knew this helped him stay calm. They continued to stand in silence forehead to forehead for a while until he said:
"It's time, I'm going to connect our universes!"
Except for Samantha, everyone quickly left the throne room. With a soft smile on his face, he asked:
"Shall we dance darling?"
"Always my love."
"Then may I escort you to your throne, my divine wife?"
"With pleasure my Devilish husband."
They took their seats on their throne and almost immediately he was in a deep trance. As time crept on Samantha saw more and more sweat appear, his T-shirt was all but completely soaked already, and then suddenly it began to run off his face in thick drops. She began to worry a little about him but knew she could not intervene. A few minutes before 1 pm the portals appeared in the squares and in the throne room. Three in each square because he had changed his plans a bit at the last minute. Above the first portal was throne room, the second portal read city and the third read simply return. She knew he was almost done and felt a little better. Only then appeared the new doors in the throne room that had almost doubled in size. Samael and Celine were the first in the hall and suddenly saw Alexander slide off his throne and fall to the ground hard, headfirst. Samantha was with him in no time and screamed for Fuzzy. Everyone flew towards the thrones. Fuzzy fell to his knees beside Alex but he did not respond to what the healer was doing. Samantha was on her knees with his head on her lap with Celine beside her. The longer it took Alex to snap out of it the more obvious the panic in Fuzzy's eyes became. Alex's heartbeat was very irregular and barely noticeable. It looked as if it could stop beating at any moment. Salome had also come running and dropped to her knees. Samantha cried softly as Celine hugged her. Alex still had his eyes closed but they suddenly heard him say:
"I swear if any one of you four kissed me it better have been my Samantha otherwise, I'm going Old Testament! My mouth is Red's property and that's it!"
Then he opened his eyes after which everyone breathed a sigh of relief. He slowly sat up straight and Celine quickly manifested a glass of his mix and Samantha a cigarette. Sam almost sat on his lap and said:
"Alex I was so scared!"
"Calm down Red, it's okay honey. It's just pure fatigue because this took just a little more energy than I anticipated."
She still hadn't recovered and even trembled a little as she hid her head against his chest. Alex looked over her head for a moment at Celine who was also still kneeling beside him. The smile on his face suddenly didn't reach his eyes anymore. After so many years, the two could communicate just about wordlessly. Almost imperceptibly Celine nodded. Almost because the two Michaels had picked up on it, they weren't formidable generals for nothing. Alex was helped to his feet by Fuzzy and Celine but was teetering on his feet with Fuzzy who remained very close to him and held onto his arm. Alex said:
"Mom, Robert it's time. Power must be transferred now before I fall flat on my face again."
He tried to turn around toward the thrones, but it didn't work very well. He just about wanted to scream out in frustration because his body was not cooperating. He forfeited it and said:
"Gabe and Gabriel, all angels present! General meeting an hour after the handover, I will need some time to get back on my feet."
He heard from two mouths:
"Yes, MyLord."
"Fuzzy, Celine please help me to the throne, I am still too unstable to walk on my own."
Supported by both of them, Alex sat back on his throne and Samantha on hers. Robert came to stand next to him and Salome next to Sam. The Gods who would transfer power placed a hand on the forehead of the Gods who would take over. Sam and Alex lit up all Gold, and the light seemed to disappear into their bodies overtime. Samantha's eyes had lit bright gold and Alex's had taken on the darkness of space in which entire galaxies seemed visible. To everyone's surprise, the thrones changed as the transfer of power continued. The marble thrones turned into majestic crystal thrones. Alex's with a blue glow, and Samantha's had a green glow. How could it be any different? A few minutes later, the transfer of power was complete. Robert and Salome were no longer Gods. Samantha and Alexander were now the Gods of two universes made one. No more secondary thrones just primary ones. Those present in the throne room knelt before the Goddess and God of the universe made one. It was Samantha who spoke:
"Please stand up, this is not a ceremony, and you know how much Alex and I hate it when someone kneels before us."
Everyone stood up again and Alex spoke:
"I need to sit quietly for a while to get into my stride. I need to drink because I lost a lot of fluids just now. Will someone please alert us if all the Angels are present? Celine, please help me to my office."
"Yes, MyLord!"
The two Michaels looked at each other for a moment and then quickly stepped toward Alex, Micky said:
"Allow us to help you, brother."
The use of the word brother instead of the title in the throne room told Alex that the two had an inkling that something was wrong.
"Of course, gladly even Mr. Celine and Micky."
Said Alex in an attempt to keep it lighthearted for the rest of the attendees. Those fortunately didn't seem to have gotten anything. In his office, he was seated in his chair at the head of the small conference table and the rest joined in very quickly. Celine again manifested his favorite drink which he downed in one go and she immediately made a new one appear. Samantha meanwhile had made a pack of cigarettes appear and Alex his favorite lighter. Then she immediately manifested a towel and a new T-shirt. Which he gratefully accepted. Just about yanked off his T-shirt and dried himself off as best he could. Everyone sat in silence for a moment waiting until Celine said:
"The ten years are over Alex..."
All Alex said was:
"Yep!"
Micky asked:
"What's up, brother? Or are you going to shut us out?"
Alex got an irritated look in his eyes and those present suddenly felt his short fuse. In a bitter tone, Alex replied:
"In those five years I've been gone, have you forgotten who I am brother? I am still the same as the boy you met ten years ago that you took under your wing. If I had wanted to shut you two out I would have made that known before you could plant your ass in that chair dammit!"
Samantha took his hand and his fuse extinguished almost immediately. Micky said:
"You're right Alex, I'm sorry. The shock of seeing you fall so hard to the ground and the panic in Fuzzy's eyes, I confess that it scared me for a moment."
Alex waved his hand, took another big gulp or two and said:
"Forget it Micky. You've been my mentor since the first day I could talk to you. Celine has been my left hand since we met, and Michael has been my right hand. Red is my soulmate, the love of my existence. Who else should be here but the four of you? It was always my intention to catch you two up. I thought, no I fucking hoped that I would have a little more time. Fucking Godfry has drawn a line through that nicely. That bastard isn't even in this universe anymore and I'm still running after him to clean up his fucking mess!"
He drained his glass and as he lit a cigarette, Celine refilled it. He shook his head and said:
"For fuck's sake! One problem hasn't been solved and the next one is already rearing its head. We're just running behind all the time, and we simply cannot get ahead of the curve!"
Samantha asked:
"What happened Alex?"
"Remember our first conversation with Rae Rae ten years ago where I said someone was playing us like a two-dollar banjo?"
Samantha's eyes went wide:
"Already?"
He merely nodded and rubbed his face wearily. Looked at his watch and said:
"We have forty-five minutes left. By then I should be able to walk again without support. Micky, Michael, this stays among us until we are complete. So, the intimate circle but now completed with Robert, Mom and Samael because now they have no problem being away from the throne. Okay?"
"Okay, boss!"
He heard from both their mouths. Alex nodded and said:
"Well, something or someone is playing me and that started even before I was conceived. In the wake of that, two universes were played and so without exception all of us. Michael is not as knowledgeable as the four of us as far as Aisha is concerned so I am going to briefly summarize first. Agreed?"
As he was already lighting another cigarette, he saw them nodding in agreement.
"Michael everything started before my mother and Lucifer met. Like Lucifer, Aisha takes a vacation from time to time on a Earth in this multiverse. She does so by looking for a baby who would normally be stillborn. The moment her essence resides in that baby, it is suddenly a baby born alive. She has no memory of being the Goddess of the multiverse from that moment on. After death, she immediately goes back to Franklin and takes all the memories with her. This is how they find out in which state a universe is and if that universe is ready or could be ready soon so that they can make themselves known. The baby she chooses must meet two conditions. As mentioned before, it must be stillborn, so a body without a soul but that baby must also grow up to be a woman who must be infertile. Are you so far with me Michael?"
He nodded silently, and Alex continued:
"Here begins the piece that Samantha, Celine and I discussed ten years ago and decided to keep this under our hats for a while. Because it would be at least another ten years before we had to deal with it. I already had my plate more than full at that point and really couldn't use throwing in another problem. My mom, the Goddess of the multiverse, who has been taking that kind of vacation for a few thousand years would have made a mistake in this case for the first time in her existence. Coincidentally her powers that she uses to scan a baby would not have worked as it should. She ends up with a baby who grows up to be a woman who is fertile and on top of that coincidentally comes from the bloodline of Sarah the daughter of The Magdala. Coincidentally now I have three children in my suite named Sarah and David as were the children of The Magdala and Jesus and Elise the name Aisha had on Earth during her last vacation, the mother who gave birth to me. Lucifer takes a vacation in 1998 and goes to the south of France and Aisha coincidentally goes to the south of France and coincidentally runs into Dad at exactly the right time."
He paused for a moment to take a few big gulps and light another cigarette.
"I made sure I was in Hell around that time to see if Lucifer was somehow manipulated to go on vacation and move to the south of France at that exact time. I couldn't notice anything that would indicate that. All I know is that he had visited a soul in his cell and what he witnessed in that cell pleased him extremely and we can already guess what that might have been. Anyway, he couldn't stop talking about that cell and that he would like to see it for himself for a while. That is why I intend to have a talk with Jasmine along with Samantha. She is Lot so she may have directed Lucifer somehow. However, she could never have manipulated Aisha because she was not even aware of the existence of the multiverse. Aisha as the Goddess would also have noticed such an attempt immediately. I see only two possibilities here. First, it is indeed dumb luck that Aisha chose the wrong body and ran into Lucifer on his vacation. Second, someone is powerful enough to manipulate both Jasmine and Aisha. I have my doubts about the first possibility even if Aisha had made a mistake in her choice and ended up in the South of France at exactly the right time. Lucifer is an Angel and Angels cannot reproduce with humans. On top of all these coincidences, my father should suddenly be able to get a human pregnant. When for thousands of years he had sex with one woman after another and no pregnancy ever resulted. I just can't believe in coincidence in this case because there are just too many of them piling up one after another. Rae Rae just happens to have to go to a hospital to pick up a soul. Coincidentally, it is the same hospital where my mother has an appointment with a doctor who will tell her she is pregnant. Rae Rae feels the essence of the Lightbringer and raises the alarm with Michael. Rae Rae, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael put their heads together. Raffa goes to Earth to scan my mother at her next consultation and notices that she is going to die in childbirth. They want to save part of the Lightbringer and come up with an off-the-cuff idea that paradoxically could be exactly the solution to their problems with Godfry. During our first conversation, Rae Rae told me that this was never the intention. That they never expected me to contact my universe and come back to save everyone. The four decide to perform the great switch trick. They would take my soul from the baby and place it in another universe. In this universe, a dead mother would have a dead baby and in the other universe, a living mother would have a living baby. Gabriel says that something strange happened when he transferred my soul. He was pulled into a universe but not the one he envisioned. My soul is pulled into the body of a baby that was supposed to be stillborn but since Gabriel is in the wrong universe, I'm also pulled in absolutely the wrong baby. Immediately after my soul is pulled into that baby, Gabriel is pushed back to his universe. I checked with Aisha and Franklin after we got this information. They made themselves known to very few universes and the universe Gabriel had in mind was one that was absolutely not yet ready for them. So again, a coincidence that he was pulled into exactly the right universe. Coincidentally, I end up in the body of a boy who dies at 13. My soul arrives in Sam's Heaven quite damaged. Coincidentally, the first thing I see when I regain consciousness are Samantha's beautiful eyes, love at first sight. Micky takes one look at us and says we were created for each other. Coincidentally Sam and I are born on the same day. I could not live with myself if I had turned my back on my universe. If I succeeded in my mission, then my universe would have a God without a Goddess and coincidentally Red's universe would then have a Goddess without a God. Since I cannot and will not be without Samantha there is nothing left for me but to find a way to link our two universes with each other so we can be together. Something I did just now. As I was bending the universes toward each other I felt a backlash as if someone was pushing back and wanted to prevent me from making the connection."
As Alex lit a cigarette and then emptied his glass, Celine spoke as she did in that first conversation with only one word:
"Conclusion?"
He inhaled deeply a few times before answering:
"I think we can all agree that none of this can be a coincidence anymore. There are simply too many coincidences popping up in this story. The chances of all this happening one by one at exactly the right time and place without someone manipulating the events is simply so astronomical that it cannot be calculated. Until I was making the link, I thought there was one entity responsible for this whole situation. Should that be the case I will thank that entity on my bare knees because not only did I meet my Samantha, but we also now have our beautiful family and I was able to save a universe from a raving maniac. However, I think I am going to have to revise my opinion. Now I suspect that two entities are diametrically opposed for whatever reason. One wanted what happened. The other tried to prevent it. Two questions I cannot answer. One, the purpose that both entities could have. Two, why I was powerful enough to push my will through and therefore why my powers are stronger because otherwise, I could never have made the connection between the two universes."
The other four at the table looked at Alex in silence until Samantha said:
"Everything we have accomplished so far would not have been possible if you had not shown up in our universe and ended up in that very body. In the course of the first conversation in Fuzzy's garden, you were already yelling at my parents that their hands of policies could have caused your universe to be destroyed. If you had ended up in another body that would not have died until much later, it would indeed have happened. Even if you had come up with the same plan you could never have had Azrael pulled into our little dimension to have that first conversation because she would no longer have existed. This would have precluded time travel because you had no information about anything. You could never have found Michael on your own because you wouldn't have known where he was and at exactly what times he was on Earth. Could this be all to save your universe?"
Alexander nodded:
"Could absolutely be love but then we would have to be the coincidence."
Celine said:
"I think you are."
"What do you mean Celine?"
Asked Samantha.
"I mean love, love at first sight. There is no logic in falling in love. Either it happens or it doesn't. How many of your siblings have you seen Sam who came back to Heaven after a long vacation and were in bad shape? They had fallen in love with a human during their vacation. But humans and Angels are not compatible. Angels are immortal, humans are not. If an Angel sticks around in one place too long people start to notice that they don't age. I have known Micky for ages, but we never became more than friends. In fact, his personality and much of his physicality match Michael perfectly. What about you Alex? You are an extraordinarily attractive man, your personality is light, and your heart is warmth. We have been lovers for thousands of years on our trip. Yet I have not been in love with you for a moment and you didn't deviate for a second from your Samantha as you keep calling her. Yes, I follow you always and everywhere and would have stayed by your side in this universe even if it meant sacrificing my existence in my universe. But during the very first conversation we had with Michael, and I looked into his eyes I was lost. The other way around Michael just as much as I, it took him a while to admit to his feelings because he was living in duality. Angels and Demons were mortal enemies until recently. Six thousand years ago an Angel and a Demon in a relationship, impossible, and yet Michael and I did the impossible because we were in love."
She pointed a finger at Samantha and Alexander and continued speaking:
"Who could have foreseen that you two would instantly fall in love from the moment you first saw each other?"
Now it was Michael who asked:
"Conclusion?"
"If my theory were correct I think we are back to our starting point from the first conversation with Rae Rae. A single entity that wanted Alex's universe to be saved but now wanted to prevent the two universes from coming together as one. The only thing that entity did not consider was the love between Sam and Alex."
Alex sat contemplating all this and finally said:
"Your theory could be correct Celine. However, I have problems with one point. That one point is my mother. Let us assume for a moment that this is one big manipulation of all involved. Starting with Aisha and Lucifer, then the four idiots as I have called them for a time, and finally myself. Then that one entity would have made a tremendous mistake in his or her plan. By choosing Aisha as the mother and then putting me in a universe where Mom and Dad have already made themselves known that entity opened the door to exactly what that entity wants to prevent. By selecting Aisha and Lucifer I became not only the Crown Prince of Hell but also the Crown Prince of the multiverse. It is precisely for that reason that I have the power to bend universes toward each other."
Samantha asked:
"What's going to happen now love?"
He shook his head and stood up for a moment. Snapped his fingers and had a tailored suit on again:
"What is going to happen now darling is that you are going to put on a beautiful dress with your divine necklace and then we are going to greet our collective Angelic Host as the new Goddess and God. Everything else is going to have to wait a while. I suggest we call our intimate circle together tonight plus your parents and Samael and put our heads together. It has become inevitable that we tackle this. At least make a start and find answers where possible."
There was a knock on the door of his office. Gabe, Gabriel, and Samael entered. Sammy said:
"MyLady, MyLord everyone is present and eagerly awaiting your arrival."
Alex nodded to him and asked Sam:
"Ready to initiate phase two darling?"
"With you always and everywhere love."
Everyone left the office with Alexander and Samantha last. It was quiet in the throne room, and they noticed that a lot of Angels were nervous. He escorted his Goddess to her throne and then took his seat on his throne. Everyone in the throne room got down on one knee and Robert's voice echoed in the great hall:
"MyLady, MyLord our loyalty belongs to you and only you!"
Alex manifested a new large screen behind the thrones so that twenty thousand Angels could follow everything closely while Samantha spoke:
"No, loyalty must be earned, and we have every intention of doing so. So please all stand. Alex and I hate it when you kneel before us."
All present stood up and Alexander spoke:
"This is the start of a new future. Two universes made one. Two Celestial cities made one. Samantha and I spent years thinking about this, dreaming about this. Our goal was to make a paradise for Man, Angel, and Demon, to live together in peace as equals. That's why we decided to change the name of both cities. One city, one name, Paradise City."
It seemed as if the mood grew more cheerful with every sentence, every word. With a warm smile, Samantha continued:
"To some of you present here, I am the little sister of the family or even the baby of the family, please don't change that because that's the place in my heart where I love to be, that's where I feel best, safest. Well yes if you don't count Alex's arms."
A statement that was followed by soft laughter."
"The other part only just knows me. I can promise you all that Alexander and I are going to treat you just like my mom and dad have treated us. With respect, with kindness, and with love. Side by side with Alex there is nothing we cannot achieve. I know that all this is still strange for everyone, and you may be quite nervous. That is not a bad thing at all but give it some time, give it a chance and you will see that this is something wonderful for everyone."
Suddenly giggles could be heard from a young Angel standing near Salome and Robert. With a broad smile on his face, Alex asked:
"May we join you in the fun Casiel?"
"Excuse me MyLady, MyLord for interrupting you. It just occurred to me that most of my siblings are not that nervous about the fact that we are now one universe, one city and you two are our new Gods. Most may be nervous because you two and Celine are reunited with Dad and now that he is retired, he only has free time, he is a full-time grandfather now. We all know that if you four put your heads together a lot of Angels are going to get headaches. Let alone that dad takes the little ones under his wings. There were two of you back then, now he has six!"
Samantha and Alexander looked at each other for a moment and got a rather sneaky smile. Alex said:
"My dear Goddess, I feel that this young Angel is totally disrespectful to her new Goddess and God. I truly believe that punishment is appropriate here."
"My beautiful God, I think you are right and I leave the honor of pronouncing the first Divine punishment in Paradise City entirely to you."
He looked mischievously at Casiel, pointed at her, and said sternly:
"You Casiel are going to serve as an example. Treat your Goddess disrespectfully and the consequences will be gruesome!"
Two opposing reactions were noticeable in the room. Sam's Angels knew the two and were eagerly awaiting Alex's punishment and did not even try to hide their amusement. His Angels had gained some anxiety. The memory of their father was still too fresh in their minds. When they heard what punishment Alex pronounced, that fear vanished in a flash and gave way to as much enjoyment as the other Angels experienced. It may have been something small, but it would have major implications for their confidence in Samantha and Alex for the future. Confirmation that they were absolutely nothing like Godfry.
"You Casiel are hereby condemned to chair the celebration committee. You are going to make sure that all twenty-thousand Angels here can enjoy the great ceremony that is coming. But not only the Angels but also both cities in Hell. Food, drinks, and festive decorations at the provided places where everyone can gather and celebrate with us! And that little human who is peeking from behind your father is not much better so she can help you and share in your punishment."
With that, there was a sudden hearty laughter that echoed throughout the throne room. Samantha raised a hand and calm returned:
"Everyone will know by now that we are unfortunately obliged to take a trip in time to save Alex's universe. Not so much the universe itself but every soul in that universe. For those of us who stay here, it will seem as if we will only be gone for a few hours. Once back, a few more nightmare projects await us. We must transport at least eighty billion souls from one Heaven to the new Heaven, liberate two and a half billion innocent souls from Hell, a medical project of monstrous proportions, and evacuate as many people as possible from both Earths to Terra Nova. If any volunteers are willing to help Alex and me with that once we get back we would be more than delighted."
Samael suddenly stepped forward:
"MyLady, MyLord each of your siblings demanded from Mom and Dad that you would be addressed now that unification has succeeded, and power has been transferred for exactly the reason you just mentioned. Their little sister who with her screwball boyfriend is once again going to do the impossible. Just try to stop us from being part of that impossible thing this time. We all want to be part of this. Not only with what's ahead after you come back but also during this trip. Our new friends have carried the heavy burden alone for far too long. Our new friends have suffered for far too long and now they should bear all the weight of these immense projects alone? We think not! We want to help them, and you, carry that burden with immediate effect. Because if from now on we are one new universe, one new Hell, and one new Heaven. Then we not only feel it our duty to participate but it will be our honor to be a part of this."
Both Sam and Alex had gotten watery eyes from Samael's words. Alexander said:
"Thank you for your generosity it will significantly lighten the workload for all who come along. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Samantha took his hand and said:
"Unfortunately, we are under time constraints and must move forward. But be assured that Alex and I want to meet you all in person. That is why we plan to invite a small group on our workdays at each lunch to spend some time with us and the kids and get to know each other."
That announcement put a smile on every Angel's face. Alexander concluded:
"Ladies and gentlemen it is an honor to be of service to you. We wish you a pleasant afternoon. Starting tomorrow, the portals will be activated so that you can visit the other part of the city. Gabe and Gabriel will inform you further about that. All the heads of all the departments would you please follow us. Mom, Robert you too please."
Sam and Alex stepped off the thrones and toward a door over which Alpha stood. It was a spacious room with enough seats at the table for all the department heads of both Heavens. Bravo and Charlie were meant to be individual meeting rooms where Alex and Samantha could meet with their department heads. He and Sam walked quickly to the head of the table, he could no longer stand on his feet and plopped down hard in his seat, tired and painful. As earlier that afternoon, Celine immediately manifested a large glass for him and Samantha his cigarettes. Many of those present were extremely concerned for their God. He saw it and said with a smile:
"No reason to be worried people. It's just fatigue. Bending two universes together is proving to be a little more difficult than tying two strings together. Please sit down so we can begin."