Chapter 21 - And They All Lived…

The storm had begun to diminish but the skies retained their gray and foreboding visage. The ground was muddy and saturated. Jim knew that nothing was over yet. Sapher had almost succeeded in carrying out his plot. They had stopped him from destroying the entire world, but most of that world was gone. The threat was removed but the struggle remained present.

When he was finished contemplating the current state of the world, Jim noticed that Amaran was on the ground and wasn't moving. He joined Kyle and Rebekah in rushing toward their fallen partner.

"He'll be fine," laughed a very relieved Hujo. "The time for worrying is over. I was quite worried, myself, just then. But Sapher is back where he belongs, and I doubt he'll ever have the chance to escape Hell again."

"But what about the earth? About three fourths of the world is in some way, shape or form…destroyed," Jim added.

"A crew of angels will be dispatched to repair the earth. We'll have this place spotless in no time."

"So… what now… I guess…everyone go home?" Kyle asked.

"Home? Hell no! We just saved the earth. It's time for a little post-mission celebration," Jim shouted.

He then turned to the remaining USEF forces and Fallen Angel rebels. "Stop actin' so damn formal! Mission's over! Congratulations, you lucky bastards just saved the earth!" This announcement was met with a load roar from the remaining hundred soldiers.

Jim then answered his second call from USEF commanders. This time it was Colonel Rattox, not General McCullough.

"Jim. It stopped raining, did you-"

"Sure as hell did!" Jim laughed.

"God you are one tough son of a bitch Jim, what is it about you?"

"I'm a USEF soldier, that's what we do!"

"Save the world?"

"Damn straight!"

Rattox was a little more serious now, although maintaining the friendliness of the conversation.

"Does this mean that your back with us, Delaney?"

"Yes it does, sir."

"I've never seen you like this, Jim. What happened?"

"Well sir, I've never….been like this before. Not in a long time anyway. Finally, finally I feel free. I feel like it's finally over and in the past. I am able to move on with my life now."

Silence.

"I can't wait till I see you report back to base, soldier." Rattox didn't much know what else to say. The happiness he felt over Jim's new mental freedom seemed inexpressible.

"Can't wait to be home, sir. Can't wait to be home."

Kyle remembered the train ride. He had remembered the promise that he made to himself. It was time to go home. It was time to patch things up. He could only pray that his family was spared. Although happy that he was still alive, the next few weeks would be very stressful as he searched for his loved ones.

"So what are you gonna do now, Rebekah?" Kyle inquired.

"I'm not quite sure. Don't really have anywhere to go. Maybe I'll just, drift around for a while. I'm sure I'll find somewhere to go."

"Aww, Rebekah, no way! Why don't you come with me? We'll find some crappy little town and we'll just chill out. I'll help ya find an apartment or something."

"No that's okay. It may seem depressing, but I'm not lonely. I just wanna…. Wander around for a while, if ya know what I mean."

Kyle laughed a sad laugh. He put his arms on her shoulders. "Listen, you just come get me if you ever need anything. My door will always be open."

Rebekah didn't say anything. She just returned a grateful and sentimental smile.

"And you better stay in touch too, ya hear?! Otherwise, I'll have to come find you. And that will probably involve a certain level of stalking."

Rebekah laughed.

Now Hujo approached the group. "Listen kids, its time for us to go. We'll help you mortals clean this mess up. In the meantime, don't party too hard, ya hear?" He warned as he smiled at Jim.

Kyle looked at Amaran. "And by 'us'… you mean…"

"I've done my job," Amaran stated.

"Nate.." Rebekah whispered.

"I'm still the same person that I've always been Rebekah… I just… found out who Nate Calloway really is."

"I can't believe we're all splitting up now. We can't just leave. What about everything that's happened over the last few months. I can't believe this is it!"

Whether they wanted to admit or not, everyone felt the exact same way.

"This isn't it, Rebekah. This will never be it," Amaran touched Rebekah's face. "It's 'it' when we are together again in Tethelion. That is 'it.' I know it must seem like a long time to you now, but we'll all be together again before ya know it. Trust me, I'm on goin on like year six-thousand over here, another seventy or so shouldn't be too long."

Amaran's meager attempt at humor was enough for a small smile on Rebekah's face.

Amaran turned to face Kyle.

"Nate, Amaran, whoever you are," Kyle laughed sarcastically. "You're a damn good guy and I'm gonna miss ya' real bad. C'mere ya crazy bastard, you!" Kyle then pulled Amaran into a strong hug.

Jim was the last person that Amaran needed to wish farewell.

"Well, Nate. I guess there's just one more guy."

"One more guy?"

"One more family member that I have to lose. One more person that has to leave me. But ya' know what? I think that I can deal with this one. I think I can let this one go. Cuz although I love ya and I'm gonna miss ya like hell, It's better this way. It's time for you to be getting back to paradise… where you deserve to be."

Amaran grinned at Jim. Jim knew that Amaran wasn't much different from Nate. Amaran cared about Jim as much as Nate did. Amaran said only one thing. It was all that he needed to say.

"I'll see ya around, kid. Whether ya wanna believe it or not…." Amaran paused, "I'll see ya' around."

Jim had told Bruce to lead the USEF forces back home. The Tethelion Army had disappeared long ago. Now Amaran, Hujo, Kyle, Rebekah and Jim were the only ones still in the desert.

"It's time to go," Hujo said. "Thanks for all of your help. There's a special place in The Palace for each of you."

Hujo and Amaran began to emit a great white light. Soon, the light was so bright that it hid their ethereal bodies. The light quickly disappeared, and the two angels with it.

The remaining three made their way back to the city for one last celebration.

The room was dark and cold. A bad combination.

"Well, well, well. Look who's back. My faithful servant."

He suddenly had a splitting migraine. His head was spinning. He felt as though he would throw up. He noticed that he had begun to sweat profusely. His body felt as if it were under great physical pressure.

"Leader of the armies of Golthum. Yet here he is cowering in front of me. Naked and alone. Is this the thing that threatened the Earth? Was this the great destroyer?"

The stall tactics and the anticipation seemed almost as bad now as the punishment would be, although Sapher knew that it would be unimaginable, even to him who had lived here for so long.

"Why did you leave me, Sapher? Did I not treat you right? This is the second master that you have rebelled against. I think someone has a real obedience problem."

"Whatever you're going to do just do it! Stop being such a smart ass about it!"

"Oh temper, temper. And as if you are in a position to yell at anyone right now. But I guess you didn't like it as an angel."

"Not like it as an angel?" What was Lucifer hinting toward?

"Maybe you'll be better suited as a mortal."

Sapher realized. He had died as an angel. There would be no resurrection like Amaran's. No one would bring him back. He was now a mortal soul, rotting in Hell.

"Oh God, no…" Sapher gasped in horror.

"God? Who? Me? Oh no. Crying out for mercy won't save you Sapher. It's too late for that. I'm hurt, I thought we were buddies."

Lucifer looked down on Sapher who was now gaping up at him. Sapher did not speak, he couldn't find any words. He just stared forward, as if off in his own world. He could only sit and wait for the horrors that he was about to face.

"Anyway, I've had enough of this. Leave my presence, its time for my revenge."

Suddenly with an immense wave of heat and an inhuman scream, Sapher was taken from the throne room and began his eternal torture.

The old house seemed much smaller now. There was nothing special about the house. In fact, ironically, the only thing that was unique about it was it's total lack of uniqueness. The "lawn" was a meager patch of brown and yellow. The ugly brick layout didn't help either.

Most of the damage done by the storms and floods of Apocalypse was fixed although still very visible.

"Concentrated Nothingness." That's what Kyle used to call this place. "Nothingness" coming from an inside joke involving the movie, The Neverending Story. Kyle made a joke about how his home town was the result of "Stagnant Nothing."

For a moment, Kyle began to have second thoughts. He considered not entering at all. Somehow, he had lost the courage that he once had. Finally, after a few moments of hesitation, he gathered the strength to go inside.

"Kyle? Oh my God, is it really you? You're home?"

"Mom, I love you so much. I want to start over."

"Shawn! Shawn come in here!"

"What is it, honey?"

"Your son is home."

Kyle heard the sound of someone jumping out of a chair.

The next few moments were spent talking about the past. What went wrong. Who was sorry and for what events. They didn't talk about the past as much as they did the future. Kyle promised to come back. They were gonna be a family again. All of the transgressions were behind them now and Kyle's parents were willing to forgive.

A few hours later, Kyle was casually talking to his mother.

"I think I'm gonna stick around for a while. I'm gonna find an apartment out here."

"That's great, Kyle. It will be really good to have you around again. Everyone here misses you."

"I'm gonna go back to college. Night school maybe, but I'll finish and get my degree in Computer Engineering."

"That sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe you can find a nice girl and settle down."

Kyle softly repeated the words. "Settle down. Yeah. It's time to settle down."

The dry leaves crunched over the firm bottoms of her boots. It was a chilly day. The sun glared in her eyes as she approached the spot. The sight seemed bittersweet. She had never been here before. Now, she was finally here. She was reunited with her mother. Rebekah felt a twinge of sadness that this would be the only way that she would be able to know her mother.

"Samantha Talsen," the tombstone read.

"Hello mom." Samantha had raised Rebekah on her own. She had no job when her husband left. She had to take a job in a local cafeteria. She tried her best to support Rebekah, but she couldn't give up doing drugs. It was an escape from her stressful life. She never asked to get pregnant anyway. She continued to drink as if nothing had changed.

Rebekah began to whisper in exasperated sobs. She was talking more to her mother than she was to herself. "Why did you leave me? Why did you destroy yourself like that? I needed you. Didn't you realize that? Didn't you think about me?" Rebekah began to weep. She crumbled down on the soft earth in front of the stone.

She sat there for a few minutes before she heard another voice.

"She was a great woman, your mother, before she began to pollute herself, that is."

Rebekah sniffed and looked up.

"Who are you."

"Me? My name is Robert Talsen."

Rebekah stared at the man for a few moments.

Suddenly, she jumped up and charged the man, screaming wildly.

"You left us! You killed her! How could you! You horrible, soulless human being! How could you!" She collapsed again before she ever reached him, arms swinging.

"No, Rebekah that's not what happened. Is that what those horrible people told you? Rebekah, no! You have to believe me."

Rebekah simply stared at him, allowing him the chance to explain himself.

"I tried to get you back so badly. I fought for years. However, every time we got a court case, she won custody of you.

I knew that your mother liked to drink, but what young woman doesn't? She was young and she liked to party. Shortly after we got married, she became pregnant. Although I told her that she needed to change, she refused to listen. She wanted to party just as much as she ever did. I kept her at home as much as I could, occasionally catching her trying to sneak alcohol.

It wasn't long after you were born that I found out about the drugs. That was the last straw. I couldn't be around that situation anymore and I certainly didn't want to raise you in it. I had to divorce her. She won the battle for full custody. Because she had never been caught doing drugs, there was no legal record of her having a drug problem. I couldn't use that as a way to get you back. When she died, the court ruled that the mother's parents be the legal guardian. They told you all those lies about me to cover up their own name. Those prideful people would never tell you the truth about their embarrassing daughter. Rebekah you have to believe me. I have been searching for you for years. I love you so much, Rebekah."

"Why would she fight so hard to keep me if she just cared about doing drugs?"

"Because you were a paycheck to her. Rebekah, your mother wasn't this hard working, struggling victim. She was fine. She had plenty of money. But having a child meant getting more from the government and it meant more tax breaks."

"So a woman with a drug problem won custody of a kid that she didn't care about."

"The courts ruled that she, as the mother, deserved full control over the kids. Like I said, there was no legal record of her ever doing drugs. I won't lie to you, my record wasn't squeaky clean. I got in trouble as a young kid. Nothing big, just typical teenage issues like drinking, trespassing etc. However, I got arrested for stealing as a teenager. Needless to say, Samantha and her attourney exploited this to the fullest extent. But unlike your mother, I was able to change. I grew up. I matured, it was just a phase that ended."

Rebekah was hesitant at first, how could she believe this man? How could she trust a total stranger claiming to be her own father?

"How can you come here after years of absence and tell me that you love me? What do you expect from me? Do you expect me to just run up and embrace you? Do you expect me to be your little girl now?"

"Just come with me, get a DNA test. Talk with me for a few weeks, let me prove to you that I am telling the truth."

Robert Talsen did just that over the next week. The DNA test affirmed that he was indeed her father. After that, his actions proved his story true. He really did love Rebekah.

Finally. Rebekah was home. Finally. She had a family. She had someone who cared about her.

"I have a home."

"Wha'd you say?"

"Nothing."

"I love you, Rebekah."

"I know, daddy."

Jim went back to the USEF. He had been promoted to a Colonel. He had his own team to command. However, he wasn't above assigning himself to missions every now and then. After saving the world, none of his superiors had much of a problem with that. He stayed with the USEF for another ten years before retiring. He settled down in a home along the secluded Appalachian Mountains in New England. After the Sapher incident, they were very secluded.

Although he lived alone, except for his dog, Amaran, Jim never again did he feel truly lonely.

"Am I dreaming? I'm actually here. I'm home! TETHELION!"

Amaran ran forward to enter the gates of Tethelion.

Hujo followed behind, laughing nonchalantly.

The gates were pure white. Inside, the city seemed to stretch forever in all directions. The city itself seemed to have a bright aura as the shiny white material of the buildings reflected the surrounding light. This reflection seemed to cause the city itself to "glow" among the plains. The Palace was was in the center of the city. A tower rose from above the top, it stood high over the city

After a brief period of remembering old sights and old friends, Amaran wanted to see Celeste.

Celeste was Amaran's wife before he died. With a wry smile, Hujo pointed Amaran in her direction.

Celeste was the most beautiful creature that Amaran had ever laid eyes upon, mortal and angel alike.

She stood in the doorway of their old house, her pure white wings hanging behind her. She wore a long flowing dress that spread at the bottom so that much of it rested on the floor. The dress rose to just below her shoulders which beheld a golden necklace. Her shiny black hair fell to the middle of her back. Her deep blue eyes were fixed on Amaran.

"I forgot how beautiful you are," Amaran uttered.

"I hope you haven't forgotten how much you love me," Celeste playfully whispered.

"I'll never forget."

Amaran drew her in and the two shared a long passionate kiss. After a few well spent hours with his wife, Amaran proceeded to the Throne.

Hujo led the way through the labyrinthine palace. Amaran was very excited to see the Creator. The trek seemed to take forever. Amaran would sprint if it didn't mean knocking down innocent angels.

Finally, Amaran's excitement grew. They were getting close. He could feel it.

He saw the doorway. After taking a deep breath, he walked through.

Immediately, he fell to his knees. It had been a long time since Amaran had been here. He was hit with the shock of the Creator's glory. He didn't know what to do in the presence of the Father. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move.

Finally he found words. He was still far from being able to gaze up at the Creator. However, he forced himself to utter "Father…" He stopped. He couldn't go on with the myriad of praises that had been prepared in his mind. All that he could weakly sputter was "I'm back…"

A/N:

…Sooooo guess what?

THAT WAS MY FIRST STORY EVER!

(I know, I'm acting like a little kid but, hey….what are ya gonna do? Hehe)

To everyone who stuck with me and gave me reviews: I can't express how awesome you guys are, thank you so much!

The Beckums: Thank you so much for inspiring my writing in the first place!

Ivy Majors: Well T.P. This is it…my first completed story. Thanx a lot for makin me post even when I was lazy hehe.

His Mercies Waiting: Thank you soooooo much for your encouragement, you don't even know how much it kept me goin, hehe.

Ca2longoria: All your tips helped me improve so much, I love intelligent concrit and thanx so much for all your compliments and stickin with God's Weapon.

Josh: Good job with all the "behind-the scenes" con-crit and reviews…hehe. Seriously though, thanx a lot for continually holdin my story to that higher standard.

Finally! One last note! Yes that is the last chapter, but I can't help but feel like theres always room for improvement, on the finale especially, so if ya see something, stylistic, grammar, with the plotline or whatever, don't be afraid to be honest like always.