The Metatronic Chronicles: A Minor Inconvenience
Chapter 22

As fast as Michael was, it seemed to take forever to get back home to be by Alice’s side. When he finally entered the house nearly thirty seconds after leaving Milwaukee, he was surprised to replace his parents seated at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking. Both gave him a surprised look. “Where’s Alice?” he asked quickly. “I thought you said her water broke!”

“It did, Michael,” James said. “But she’s all right. She’s not even in pain. Dres is with her and Doc Gannon is on his way. It could be hours! Or even days before she has the baby! You didn’t need to come home right away. I thought I mentioned that.”

“But she could have it soon!”

“Granted,” Mary answered. “But everyone is different, Michael. Where’s your brother?”

As if in answer, Daniel appeared between them, his wings already folded and disappearing as he became human again. “So, where’s the new baby?” he asked, looking around.

“She’s not even in labor yet!” Michael sighed. “I’m going up to see her.”

“Me too!” Daniel started after his brother but Mary nearly broke her arm stopping him as he passed. He realized that Michael and Alice needed some time together and reluctantly let her stop him. “Well…maybe in a little while.”

“Thanks.” Michael said, glancing at his mom. “I just want to see how she’s doing, that’s all.” He headed out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the grand staircase leading up to the next floor.

He found her sitting up in bed and Dres seated in a rocker across the room. She was laughing at something he had said but her eyes lit up when she saw Michael. “You’re home! I’m so glad!”

“How are you doing?” Michael rushed to her side and settled in next to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“I’m fine. We’re both fine, just playing a waiting game I guess. My water broke in the bathroom—convenient, huh?”

“Metatron never likes to be a bother,” Dres noted slyly as he rose from the chair. “I’m going to stretch my legs for a few minutes but you two behave yourselves, all right?”

“Thanks,” they chorused and as soon as he left, Michael gave Alice a sweet longing kiss.

“I missed you today,” he whispered into her ear. “I wish you could have come.”

“Maybe next time. I missed you too but I’m glad I stayed behind here at home.” Alice paused a moment, realizing what she had said. “How odd. I called your house home.”

“It is your home now. It’s possible to have two homes, you know. This is the home where you live now…and me…and the baby…and Daniel…and mom and dad…” Michael winced as the list seemed to go on. “I wish we had our own place. We will some day, I promise.”

“Some day,” Alice nodded, perfectly happy where she was. She winced a bit as the baby shifted around. “He’s getting ready. I can tell. But no labor pains yet.”

“Why not? Shouldn’t you be having labor now?”

“Just because my water broke doesn’t mean I’m going right into labor, Michael. It could be a while. I’m having little pains, but not so I would even notice as yet.”

“Maybe it will be a gentle labor like my mom had.”

“From your lips to God’s ears, Michael,” Alice nodded in agreement. “Doctor Gannon should be here soon. I guess if all goes well, I will have it here. But we can’t call my parents just yet—my mom will have a fit if I’m not going to the hospital.”

“You can’t go to the hospital. Whatever Doc Gannon can’t fix, Dres can so that’s why you’ll have the two of them. But since we don’t know if the baby is winged or not…” Michael didn’t like the sound of it either but it was just practicality. “We can’t run the risk of having you in a hospital. I guarantee that you will be getting the best of care he

There was a knock at the door. Doctor Gannon had arrived so Michael excused himself while the physician conducted an examination. The young angel settled down outside her door to wait but Dres presently came by and dragged him downstairs. “I want you to relax,” he said gently as he pushed Michael down into a large chair in the living room. “And stay alert.”

“How can I do both?” Michael growled back.

“Remember what I told you about this being a…vulnerable time…for Metatron?”

Michael did remember about the Fallen and their attempts to destroy Metatron and his projects but so far they had not heard a whimper from any of them. “Of course I do.”

“Good. Now, I don’t expect that there will be any problems but at this stage, I really need you, your brother and your friends to do your jobs as angels until Metatron has passed into this world. Once he is completely separated from Alice, the danger is past. But for now, the young squadron that is you and your friends must be vigilant. Do you understand?”

“Vigilant? You mean float around outside the house watching for a bunch of disgruntled angels and miss the birth of my child?”

“You won’t be alone. Leila will be joining you and I will be monitoring from in here. The hazardous time will not last long so if they do strike, they will only have time for a brief but very powerful attack. You must be alert!”

Michael was just about to tell him where to stick it when Doctor Gannon appeared the top of the stairs. “She’s started her labor. Can you both come up here?”

Instantly, the two angels were at Alice’s side. The laughing girl was gone now and in her place was a sweating, puffing young woman propped up on the headboard with some pillows bunched up under her legs and a plastic sheet under her. She glanced at Michael, the pain showing in her eyes and kept her gaze on him until the spasm passed. “Wow…” was all she said.

“Hang in there!” Michael smiled and kissed her. Then he gently kissed her tummy and took a quick listen to the baby. He was gurgling as usual, but the sound was coming from a lower spot in her abdomen—he was already turned. A little shock of energy emanated from him into Michael, causing his father to laugh. “He’s feisty! How is it going, Doc?”

“She’s doing beautifully,” Doctor Gannon answered. “But it’s early yet. We need to keep a close watch on her vital signs and I need Dresler to stay close just in case we need him. But so far, she is following your mom’s and Angela’s pattern exactly. The baby could come any time and so fast we won’t even have time to catch him. That’s why I have her on the plastic.”

“So comfortable, too,” Alice said before another wave of pain overtook her and she began sweating and puffing again. She reached out for Michael’s hand and grabbed it, clenching her fist around it until the next wave passed and she relaxed. “That was intense…” she breathed.

“I’ll stay with you as long as I can,” Michael whispered to her. He took her hand and held it for the next six hours as she alternately slept and awakened with more labor pains. By the time the sun rose the next morning, the spasms were less than three minutes apart and Alice was exhausted. Only Michael’s energy transferring from him through their hands was keeping her going.

Doctor Gannon was napping on a recliner in the corner while Dres had monitored her through the night. He knew the time had come when the pains started coming every two minutes.

“I hate to tear you two apart,” he finally said gently. “But Michael needs to be with the rest of his group protecting the house. I will have him back the instant the baby is born but they need his strength.”

“I understand,” Alice nodded, tears filling her exhausted eyes. She didn’t want Michael to be away from her and the baby during this special time but knew that if danger was approaching he needed to be out where he could protect the baby.

“Good girl! Now if need be, Michael can whisk you and the baby off to his personal dimension for safety’s sake, but we would prefer that you both stay here. As soon as the danger is past, we will all breathe easily again!” Dres motioned for Michael to leave. After another sweet kiss to Alice’s lips, Michael sadly waved and left the room.

“Come on!” he ordered Daniel as he ascended the stairs. “Where are Rick and Dave?”

“They’re not here yet.” Daniel turned to follow his brother. “Where are we going?”

“Outside!”

Michael headed toward the back door, Daniel following and in doing so passed his father who was now seated alone at the kitchen table. He too had waited up all night. James rose to greet him. “How is she doing?”

“So far, so good but we have to go keep watch. Keep an eye on things here, please?”

“Of course!” James reached out to give his son a hug but as soon as he touched his oldest son, the shock of energy that the baby had given Michael passed onto James. This time, it was not as little---it sent his father to his knees on the floor.

“Dad!” Michael cried out and both boys were at his side instantly. “What happened?”

As if in answer, the magic suddenly washed completely over James and in his stead appeared a huge golden-haired angel. Jariel had returned.

“Oh shit…” Daniel breathed as Jariel slowly got to his feet. “Every day life just gets weirder and weirder.”

“What happened?” Jariel asked, looking around the room. “I was just going to hug you when…” His eyes fell on Michael. “It was you. You brought me back into my wings. How…?”

“It wasn’t me! It had to have been the baby,” Michael answered quickly, still in shock himself. “I got a little power spike from him upstairs---he must have meant it to be passed onto you.”

A thump was heard from the kitchen doorway. Mary had been sleeping on the sofa and upon hearing them, had gotten up to see how things were going with Alice. When she saw her husband in full feather, she fainted dead away, bringing all three angels to her side.

“Mary!” Jariel gently picked her up and cradled her. “Come on, honey, it’s just me. Wake up.” His gentle touch stimulated her slowly back to consciousness and seeing his smiling face framed by thick long locks of golden hair nearly caused her to start laughing but she was still too weak. “Good morning!” he smiled.

“Okay, okay, good morning,” she finally said, the haze lifting. “Put me down. I’m all right.”

Jariel gently put her on her feet and she shook the cobwebs out of her head, and then looked around. “I wasn’t seeing things then?” she finally said, looking her husband over from head to toe. “How did this happen?”

“We don’t have time to explain now,” Michael answered. “We need to get up into the sky and watch for any attacks by the fallen.”

“The fallen…” Jariel echoed, rubbing his head. “This shock filled in some holes, I think. But I can go with you---we can talk about it later.”

“Do you have your sword?” Michael asked as he drew his father along after him.

“I think so.” Jariel held up his hand and a six-foot long gem-encrusted silver broadsword appeared in it. “Will this do?”

“Shit…” Michael breathed. The blade was obviously ancient, well honed and nearly a foot longer than his own blade. It was not only a head-remover but also possibly even a torso-splitter. “That thing looks evil!”

“In my hands, it is.” Jariel swung it around experimentally, replaceing it still well balanced and deadly. “Where are we going?”

“Just above the house. I have a feeling that if they do attack, it will be only on the house itself, nothing surrounding it. The town…the state…I guess, the planet…is safe” Michael led the way as they cautiously went through the back door and up into the sky.

Leila was already waiting for them in the rising sun’s glow at five thousand feet and her eyes widened in delight as she saw Jariel coming up with them. “Well it’s about time!” she shouted gleefully as she collided with him in a mid-air hug. “I knew there was an angel in there somewhere!”

“Present and accounted for,” Jariel answered as he gently disengaged her. “For now anyway. Old James is still in here and in control.”

“Really?” Daniel asked, the wind swirling around him as he hovered close to his father. “It’s not two of you?”

“No, Dan, I’m completely one being!” Jariel spun around as he hovered, letting the high winds caress every inch of his body. “It’s been so long since I’ve been up here! It feels wonderful!”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other this way,” Leila said. “Long before all this angel/human blending stuff. We fought some battles together, made love a few times, had a wonderful time!”

The words ‘made love’ got Daniel’s attention. “You and our dad? Made love?”

“This was long ago, Daniel,” Leila teased. “Now that I’ve met you, you’re the one who sets my heart aflutter!”

Daniel ignored the teasing tone of her voice. “Don’t say things you don’t mean,” he answered quietly and then perked up again. “So, where are these fallen angels?”

“They’re just called the Fallen. They’re not fallen angels in the biblical sense,” Leila answered, ignoring his earlier response. “I’ve been noticing some kind of energy disturbances from above. Maybe it’s from that.” She pointed her sword upward toward an unusual looking high altitude cloud forming in the upper atmosphere. It seemed to have a dark grainy texture that swirled and ebbed from within.

“They wouldn’t try to decoy us with something like that, would they?” Michael asked Jariel. “Do you remember anything about them, dad?”

“Please, up here it’s just Jariel and I’m one of your squadron, Michael,” Jariel responded quickly. “In answer to your question, I do remember a lot now.” His face grew dark in anger. “There aren’t many of them, comparatively speaking, perhaps just a few hundred. For Metatron, their feelings on his projects made no difference but for their leader Belial, being ignored was a terrible blow to his pride. They would never use anything as deceptive as a decoy, Michael. If they strike, it will be head on.”

Michael kept a wary eye on the cloud above and kept magically scanning the area for hundreds of miles around including above and below. The only disturbance was coming from that cloud but he wanted to be sure. “So you said down below that some holes had been filled. What did you mean?”

Jariel watched the cloud too but was unable to keep his eyes off his two mighty sons floating in midair so closely. “I meant that holes in my memory are being filled, Michael. Things I could not recall before are coming back to me. Some are wonderful…and some of them very ugly.”

“Why don’t we just go up there and have it out with them?” Daniel was growing impatient already. “If that cloud is them, why don’t they attack?”

“They’re waiting for the right moment,” Michael reminded him. “They aren’t going to attack us. They are going to attack the baby.”

“Can we make an ugly cloud too?” Daniel wanted to do something to occupy the time, not just hover and watch.

“Like what, a horsey or a duckie?” Michael shot back. “We do nothing until they do something. Until then we wait.” He turned back to his father. “What ugly memories? The death of your parents?”

“Among other things.” He had both boys’ attention now while Leila kept wisely out of the family discussion. “I remember how they died. And how I lost my memory.” His eyes went up to the dark ugly mass above. “They did it. They killed them and tried to kill me too.”

“Why?” Daniel asked. “I thought they were only interested in Metatron.”

“I carried the Metatronic line in the family. If it had been Jamie…my uncle’s son…who had carried it, they would have gone after his family, but they didn’t. I was born first and with me came the family line that leads to this moment. I’m sure their reasoning at the time was that killing me and my family, would kill the line.” His eyes continued to trace the activity of the dark cloud above. “But it didn’t work—they managed to kill my parents where they sat all right, because they were fully human, but I was not. I survived the attack all the stronger but with my memory of earlier times and the attack itself destroyed.”

Jariel took a quick look at his sons, whose mouths were gaping open. “The energy that is Metatron was transferred out of me and into Asmodeus, who is powerful enough to destroy a dozen clouds of fallen angels like that one above. That is why he was trapped in the church, Michael. He couldn’t be too close to us or the energy would be drawn back to you, who have the strongest of his blood. But he also couldn’t be too far or you might not replace each other in time. So the church was chosen because you were there once or twice a week, every week, for just an hour or two. It was just the right amount of time to keep you in its sights, so to speak.”

“No wonder Asmodeus was so cranky when we released him,” Daniel said quietly. “Did anyone ask him to do this thing first?”

“No, he was volunteered and arbitrarily so, I might add. It surprises me that he was so friendly when he first came back to the house with you, but I think he was just happy to be out and be rid of it.”

Some movement below caught their attention---it was two more angels ascending from the house below, Asmodeus and Gabriel. Jariel grinned as he saw his old friends and met them in a flying hug. “Now we have an army!” Gabriel pronounced as he gave Jariel a hug back. “Michael and Daniel, Jariel is one of the fiercest fighters of all. There will be no standing against us now!”

He pulled back a bit to take a long look at his old friend. “I thought that might be you in there but the youth kept getting in my way! Please, don’t tell me you’ll go back to that life?”

“Hey!” Daniel started toward Gabriel but Michael held him back, shaking his head against any further movement.

“I will gladly go back, Gabe. You’re not giving it a chance—Richard is a great kid! I have known him all his life!” Jariel admonished Gabriel good-naturedly. “You’ll be good for him and he’ll be good for you, I guarantee it.”

“But the music, the slacking off, the attitude!” Gabriel sighed, still glad to see Jariel. “How do you stand it with these two? I mean, their human sides.” He nodded at Michael. “My apologies, my prince.”

“Apology accepted, I guess.” Michael still wasn’t’ sure what to make of Gabriel. His own angelic memories were still being sorted out and though Gabriel was there, it wasn’t as a friend but more of a business colleague…or rival. But there was no animosity, simply conflict. “But we don’t have time for any more trips down memory lane or discussion of who is a brat or not. I think…” He looked upward. “They’re coming.”

“Good!” Jariel flexed his sword arm. “Do you trust me, Michael?”

What did that mean? Michael just gave him a strange look. “Of course I do…Jariel.”

“I know their plan precisely. I’ve seen this before but they are so arrogant that they haven’t bothered to see whom they are up against. By the time they realize it, it will be too late.”

“Okay,” Michael nodded somewhat numbly. “What’s the plan?”

“The cloud is a focus of energy they are drawing down from the atmosphere. They would draw it from the sun itself but their reduction in power has diminished their capacity and they cannot reach so far, not even hundreds of angels together.” Jariel grinned at his son. “But we can.”

“Who can?” Daniel echoed.

“We can.” Gabriel confirmed it. “That is Michael, Asmodeus and I can. With you, Jariel and Leila joining in, there will be no stopping us. We can destroy them if we wish.”

“Hold it!” Michael quickly brought the discussion to a halt. “We don’t destroy anyone, not even a fallen. If Metatron spared them, there must be a reason so we aren’t going to go against that! If we can overcome them, fine, but no destroying!”

“Spoken like a son of Metatron,” Jariel said proudly. “You are right. There is always a reason to spare them, however bothersome they might be.”

“Right, then!” Michael was still getting used to being in command. “No destroying!” He looked up at the cloud and saw that it had changed shape. “What are they doing? It’s forming some kind of funnel.”

“My prince,” Gabriel said. “May I make a recommendation?”

“I’m listening!”

Gabriel tenderly reached out to touch Jariel’s amazing silver broadsword. “When an angel isn’t so empowered as his fellows, sometimes he can even the odds a bit by acquiring equipment that boosts his power. Jariel’s sword here is the envy of many angels because it is a power source unto itself.”

Michael glanced at his father, who smiled and nodded back. “It’s a humdinger, Michael,” Jariel confirmed as he held up the amazing blade. “This thing is a real equalizer.” As if in agreement, the sword itself began to glow.

“When the attack begins, we don’t fly up to meet it-it will be too fast,” Gabriel continued. “This particular maneuver they are attempting will result in a knife-like beam of energy, very hard to stop. If we don’t stop it, it can jab through the house and directly into the heart of the baby as it is being born, killing it. However, if we counter at the right time, we can turn the beam back onto itself and back into the cloud, dispersing it.”

“Ok, so give me a clue!” Michael hated all the explaining and just wanted the facts.

“We should all have our swords drawn and ready to fight…but when I give the word, touch your blade to Jariel’s. This will focus our energy through the swords and send out a sort of tractor beam to the sun. It will not affect the sun itself but will draw down a super powered solar flare, much more energy than they can muster. We can direct the energy of the flare away from the planet and into the cloud, which will force it to disperse.”

“Will anyone be hurt?” Michael shot back instantly. The idea of such a large solar flare enveloping the planet was frightening.

“No, no one will be hurt. We will be shielding the planet from the flare and actually bouncing it back to the sun when it hits the cloud.”

“What do you think?” Michael asked Jariel.

“It can be done.

“Daniel?”

Daniel just shook his head. “I don’t like the sound of it but what else can we do?”

“And of course…” Michael nodded toward the silent Asmodeus. “You have an opinion?”

“My prince,” Asmodeus bowed his head. “I say we fry the bastards with a solar flare. Or go cut their heads off one by one, that’s good too.”

“I think we’ve run out of options,” Leila said suddenly. “They’re moving! The baby is being born!” Up above, the roiling cloud had suddenly formed into a long beam of blackness and it was moving downward.

“Touch the swords!” Gabriel called out and instantly all five blades were touching Jariel’s silver broadsword, which was pointed toward the sun.

It happened so fast that Michael had to recount it over and over for days afterward. The cloud dispersed instantly and the threat was gone. It was as if nothing had ever happened. He didn’t even see the flare approaching or see the blade of light emanating from the cloud. All he knew was that one second the cloud was coming down toward them at amazing speed and the next it was gone. There hadn’t even been any heads lopped off, not one drop of blood shed. The cloud disappeared, the sky had become bright blue with the sun fully over the horizon and all seemed normal.

“The baby!” Michael suddenly said. He shot downward and a second later was in the bedroom where Alice lay quietly sleeping. In her arms was an equally exhausted, but healthy baby boy. Dres was seated by her side and Doctor Gannon was making some notes in Alice’s medical chart, brought from his office.

“Congratulations,” They both chorused. “It’s a boy.”

Michael stood and stared for a moment as the rest of the family and friends peeked in from the doorway. Then like a man hypnotized, he slowly sank down onto his knees next to the bed and took a closer look at the baby. “Dennis?” he asked.

The baby’s eyes flew open to reveal themselves as deep green. There would be no waiting to see what color this child’s eyes were. But all he got in response was a direct piercing look and a happy gurgle.

“Did you expect him to say hi papa?” Dres asked.

“Um…I didn’t unexpect it!” Michael said, his eyes taking in the sight of his new son. “Can I hold him?”

Alice came out of her light sleep. “Michael…” she smiled as she reached out for him. “Of course you can hold him, my love.”

“Alice came through it very well,” Dres said. “I gave her a few extra ounces of strength when she needed it here and there but overall it was an easy birth.”

“Easy for you to say…” Alice joked weakly back. “But it was amazing. When he came…he just came. One minute he wasn’t here, the next minute, he was.”

“I practically had to catch him on the fly,” Dres said.

“He didn’t really fly out!” Michael asked with some alarm as he cuddled the baby. He was truly enamored of the child.

“No, sweetie,” Alice wanted to laugh but was too sore. “He’s all human, at least for now. He’s not winged.”

“Thank the stars!” Michael heard Mary say from behind him, making him laugh.

“Everyone, come in,” Alice said, growing stronger by the minute. Having Michael so near was energizing her. “Come see the newest little Wilder.”

The entire group came piling in and surrounded the newest member of the clan. Even James had reverted back to his normal human self and was bringing up the rear, anxious to see what the future of the family looked like. When Michael kissed him gently and then held him up for the family to see, all seemed right with the world. This moment started something new for everyone and he knew that somehow, life would be all right from now on.

Well, at least it would be for a while.