Author's Notes: Also, I looked up the name Tess and my name book says that it's short for Theresa, so that's where Kazi gets her middle name. And for those of you who don't know Irish pronunciations, Siobhan is pronounced Shavonne.
Timeline: starts in 2001, but Monica is only 24. And her hair is auburn again.
Name meanings
Monica: "Noble" Monica sighed as she walked around the one bedroom apartment. It was serviceable, but hardly nice. "I guess this is what I get for what I did," she muttered to herself. "At least I have clothes and food, though. And coffee." Monica headed into the kitchen. "Speaking of, I think I need some right now." Monica groaned and rolled over, placing her pillow over her head. The ringing of the alarm clock still cut through. She sat up and shut off the clock, looking at the time as she did so. 7:00 a.m. "Why?" she called up at the ceiling, "Why do I have to get up so early?!" Monica sighed and looked around the room, noticing the note sitting on her desk. She got up and wandered over to read it. Monica entered the building dressed in a stylish pantsuit and walked across the lobby to the elevator. She was the only person in it and she pressed the button for the 15th floor and waited for the doors to close. Suddenly a voice rang out. "Hold the elevator!" Monica glanced up and saw a young man headed toward her and she immediately placed her hand over the elevator door to prevent it from closing. The man smiled as he entered and she let go of the door. "Thanks," he said, "I wouldn't want to be late again. Boss'll have my hide!" Monica glanced around the cafeteria and decided to head to one of the empty tables. Daniel picked up the phone right before the answering machine could. "Yeah?" Daniel banged on the door. "Monica?" he called, "Monica! Open up!" "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." (I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give
Daniel: "God is my Judge"
Justin: "Just, upright, righteous"
Catherine Andrea: "Pure"; feminine of Andrew, "Manly, brave"
Kazi Theresa: "Unheeded Prophetess"; uncertain, possibly a Greek place name.
Michael Jaden: "Who is like God?"; "Jehovah has heard"
Amanda Siobhan: "Worthy of being loved"; "Jehovah has been gracious, has shown favor"
Victoria Payton: "Conqueror"; "Patrician, noble"
Sean Aidan: "Jehovah has been gracious, has shown favor"; "fiery"
Untitled
By Nicole
Monica glanced over the job information and realized that she wouldn't be able to make sense of it before her morning coffee, so she left the note and headed into the kitchen.
Monica smiled and laughed slightly. "Well, I can understand not wanting to be late. I don't either, but for a different reason. It's my first day here."
"I can assure you, you'll have a good time here. Everybody's wonderful and really nice."
"That's good to know."
"Oh, hey, what's your name?"
"Monica. You?"
The man smiled. "Daniel. Daniel Jamison."
"Hey, Monica!" Monica smiled as she heard Daniel's voice and she turned to face his table. "Come eat with us!"
"Sure!" Monica wound her way through the crowd to Daniel's table and sat down, placing her tray in front of her.
Daniel smiled at her and started the introductions. "Everybody, this is Monica. Monica, this is Jasta," Daniel motioned to a heavily pierced and tattooed woman who waved her fork slightly in greeting. "This is Jasta's sister, Jenali," Daniel motioned to another woman, identical to what Jasta would be without the body art and ornaments.
"Hi!" Jenali greeted with a smile.
"Hello," Monica smiled back.
"And this is Matthew." Daniel concluded, pointing to the man sitting beside Monica.
"Hey."
Monica smiled at Matthew. "Hello."
There was slight sniffling on the other side.
"Daniel?" It was Monica.
"Monica, what's wrong?" Daniel asked, concerned for his friend and secret love.
"Daniel, could you come here?"
Daniel glanced at the clock. "Yeah, sure, Monica.
I'll be there in ten minutes, okay? Just hold on."
"Okay," Monica said quietly before hanging up the phone.
The door slowly opened to reveal Monica, red-eyed and tear-streaked. As soon as she saw Daniel, Monica's face crumpled and she started to cry again. "Oh, Daniel, it was awful!" she cried.
Daniel wrapped his arms around her, quickly closed the door and led her over to the couch. Once there, he rocked her slightly. "Shhh, baby, it's okay. I'm here."
Five minutes later Monica had calmed down enough talk. "It was awful," she whimpered, "his hands were�all over� and he wouldn't stop�"
"Shhh, Monica. Calm down and start from the beginning. I thought you had a date with Matthew today."
Monica let out a sob. "I did!" Daniel got a bad feeling about what Monica was about to say. "He� he picked me up as usual, but he was looking at me funny. I didn't really pay attention, but it made me feel uncomfortable. He took me to this small restaurant and we ate, then he took me back here. We sat for a bit and watched TV, but then he turned it off and started to kiss me. I told him that I didn't want to go that far yet, but he didn't stop. He put his hands on me and I screamed when he put then under my shirt. My neighbor heard and she has the key to my apartment, so she came in. when Matthew saw her, he ran out. And then I called you."
Daniel hugged Monica tighter. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
Monica sniffed and pulled away a bit. "It's not your fault, Daniel. Besides, he didn't actually rape me."
"No, but he tried." Daniel gripped Monica's arms firmly and looked deeply into her eyes. "Monica, you never have to put up with anything like that, you hear me? Never."
"Daniel? Why do you care so much?"
Daniel frowned, confused. "You're my friend, Monica. I want to best for you."
Monica felt her heart beating erratically. "But�isn't there something more?" she asked hopefully.
"Um� I mean� well�" Daniel hated it that he was stuttering. "What I mean is� Yes, Monica, there is something more. I've loved you since I first met you, I'm sure of it. But I only just realized it about a month ago."
"Oh, Daniel. Why didn't you say something? I was only dating Matthew because I thought you didn't want me!"
"Monica, nobody on this earth is dumb enough not to want you," Daniel said sincerely, with a slight smile.
Monica glanced down, feeling her face heat up and an embarrassed smile come over her features. She looked
back up and lightly kissed Daniel. "I love you," she whispered.
Monica smiled up at Daniel, who grinned back, as he lowered his head to lightly kiss his new wife. The kiss was so simple, yet so full of passion and love that it brought tears to the eyes of every person in attendance.
"I love you, Mrs. Jamison," Daniel whispered as he pulled away.
"And I love you," Monica responded.
"And now," the DJ announced, "the song that the bride and groom have picked for the first dance." Daniel and Monica headed out into the dance floor as the first strains of the love song floated out.
anything and everything and I will always care.
Through sickness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
for better, for worse, I will love you with ever beat
of my heart.)
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to
start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on
You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on
From this moment on
As the last strains of the song faded away, Monica and Daniel shared a soft kiss among the applause of the reception guests. They slowly walked off the dance floor and sat down at their table as the other guests walked on the dance floor. Monica sighed. "I don't think I've ever been this happy," she said with a smile. Daniel grinned back. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Monica grinned as well, then sobered. "Daniel, I have never loved anyone like I love you."
"I know," Daniel said and kissed Monica. "I feel the same way."
"Monica? Love, I'm home," Daniel called as he entered the house. Silence greeted him and he started to get worried. Monica always called him at work if she wasn't going to be at home when he got back. "Monica? Monica! Darling, where are you?"
"In here." The voice was a faint monotone, but it definitely belonged to Daniel's wife. Daniel followed the voice until he came across Monica sitting on the bathroom floor.
"Love, what are you doing in here?"
Monica turned blank eyes to Daniel. "Daniel?" she whispered, "I think you should look at this." Monica held up a bright blue strip and Daniel gasped.
"You� you're pregnant?"
Monica nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you angry?" she asked in a small voice.
"Oh, baby, no!" Daniel exclaimed, sinking to his knees beside Monica and wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so happy! So happy! We're going to have a baby. Monica, we're going to have a baby!"
Monica nodded again, her face lighting up in a smile. "Yes, love, we're going to have a baby."
The nurse smiled and handed the blue bundle to Monica. "All right, Mrs. Jamison, here you go. Your son."
Monica smiled, tears streaming down her face as she held her first born for the first time. "Oh, Daniel, he's beautiful!"
"Just like his mother." Daniel placed a hand on the baby's small head and another on his wife's smoothing back her sweat-soaked hair. "Welcome to our family, Justin Daniel Jamison. You are loved very much."
"Monica, love, I'm home!"
Monica flew down the stairs, Justin in her arms, and ran into Daniel's embrace. "I missed you," she said excitedly. "Justin and I had some exciting news today."
Daniel smiled and led his family over to the couch.
"Really?"
"Uh-huh."
"And what was that?"
Monica grinned. "We're going to have another baby."
Daniel's jaw dropped, not expecting the news to be that. "Wh� what?" he croaked.
Monica laughed. "I'm pregnant again. We're going to have another baby."
"H� how did that happen?"
Monica raised an eyebrow, then sobered. "Don't you want another baby?"
That snapped Daniel out of it. "Oh, love, of course I do! I just didn't expect it to be this quickly!"
Monica laughed and tilted her head. "That's what happens when you-" Daniel cut her off with a passionate kiss.
April 4, 2006
"Time of birth?" one of the nurses asked.
The other nurse answered. "11:56 p.m."
The doctor handed the pink bundle to Daniel. "Okay, Monica, we're not done yet."
"Time of birth?" the first nurse asked again.
"12:03 a.m."
The doctor handed the other pink bundle to Monica.
"Here's your daughter, Monica. Seven minutes younger than the first."
"Do you have names picked out, yet?" the first nurse asked eagerly.
Monica smiled and looked at Daniel, who nodded. "The older one is Catherine Andrea Jamison and the younger one is Kazi Theresa Jamison."
As Monica panted through another contraction, she saw what she wished she didn't. "Andrew," she implored the Angel of Death, "please, no. Don't take my baby."
Andrew stood at the foot of Monica's bed, a sad look on his face as he watched his friend clutch the hand of her husband and grit her teeth at another contraction. "I'm sorry, Monica," was all he said.
Monica gave a cry as she delivered her baby into the world. She distantly heard the doctor's soft voice. "It was a boy."
Tears of frustration seeped down Monica's face from tightly closed eyelids. When she opened her eyes, the doctor was holding out the still body of her baby boy and Andrew was walking slowly away with the squirming form of her son. Monica held out shaking arms for the body and lightly ran her hand over his head, fingering the delicate skin. She saw the baby Andrew held calm, as if he knew that him mother was touching him. Monica dissolved into sobs and held the body of her baby close. She felt the bed dip and Daniel's arms around
her, his face buried in her neck and his tears against her skin.
Daniel opened at door to the scared, hopeful eyes of his wife. "Monica? What's wrong?"
Monica heaved a shuttering breath before answering. "I'm so scared, Daniel. I'm so scared it's going to happen again."
"Honey? Are you� are you pregnant again?"
Monica nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm so scared, Daniel. I'm so afraid I'm going to lose my baby again."
Daniel hugged Monica. "Shhh. It's okay, love. Remember what you always say? Everything happens according to God's perfect plan, right? I don't know yet why, but God had a reason for taking our baby."
Monica nodded, her tears wetting Daniel's shirt. "I know," she whispered, "but that doesn't make it hurt less."
"Daddy, Daddy!" Kazi cried as she ran into the living room. "You're home!" the five-year-old ran to her parents and hugged them around the legs. Catherine entered the room at a slower pace and also hugged her parents around the legs. Monica and Daniel sank to the floor, gathering their daughters to them and holding them for all they were worth.
"Daddy? Momma?" Justin asked, sitting beside his family and joining in on the hug.
"Oh, my babies," Monica breathed, "I love you all so much."
"We love you, too, Momma," Kazi said for all of them, we love you, too."
Monica looked up from nursing as her three older children burst through the door, followed by Daniel.
"Momma, when can we see Michael?" Catherine asked with barely contained excitement.
Monica smiled. "In just a minute, Cat. Michael just has to finished eating, okay?"
Catherine nodded, but Kazi had other ideas. "He can eat later, I wanna see him now!"
Monica shook her head in amusement. "Patience, Little One."
Kazi pouted, but kept silent until Monica was finished nursing Justin and had burped him. Monica then allowed the twins and Justin to climb up onto her hospital bed to have a look at Michael. Kazi frowned, wrinkling her little nose when she saw Michael. "He's funny looking, take him back and get a cute one," she commanded.
Monica felt a grin taking over her whole face. "Darling, it doesn't work that way. When a momma has a baby, it's hers forever."
"Oh," Kazi said quietly, disappointment coloring her words. Then she perked up. "Then can I quit piano lessons? Since we're stuck with him?"
Monica was caught between frowning in disapproval at Kazi's statement and laughing at her logic. She settled for a neutral answer. "We'll see, okay? Daddy and I will talk about it."
Catherine looked up hopefully. "If Kazi quits piano, can I start painting?"
Daniel sat down on the edge of the bed, sharing an amused look with Monica. "One wants to quit lessons, the other wants to take more lessons."
"Dad, I'm nine!" Justin exclaimed, "You don't have to leave me with a babysitter!"
"Justin, this is no time to argue! Your mother's in labour! Just stay with Taylor and be good!" Daniel guided Monica out the door, leaving their four children with their neighbor's daughter.
Tess watched from the nurses' station as Daniel walked Monica through the ER doors. She headed over to her friend in concern. "Baby, are you okay?"
Monica, in the middle of a contraction, was unable to answer. "She will be," Daniel put in, "when we can get her into a bed. She has short labors."
Tess nodded and led the couple down the hallway to a room. "You just stay here, I'll get the doctor."
Tess met Andrew in the field. He looked up anxiously.
"Well?" he asked.
Tess laughed. "Patience, Angel Boy! They had another daughter. Amanda Siobhan Jamison."
Andrew just smiled.
Daniel groaned as he walked in the door. "I'm home," he called.
"I'm in the bedroom, honey," Monica called back. Daniel walked through the house to their bedroom, marveling at the silence. "Love, where are the kids?" he asked as he entered the room.
Monica smiled. "Justin is at Devon's house, Catherine is at Natalie's house, Kazi is at Lexi's and Michael is at Jonathan's."
Daniel smiled. "The house all to ourselves?"
"Uh-huh. Just you and me�"
"We haven't been alone for over a year."
"I know." Daniel came forward to kiss Monica, but she preempted his movement. "Darling, I have something to
tell you."
Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "What is it, love?"
Monica wrung her hands and glanced down before meeting Daniel's eyes, which made him more concerned at the sudden change in attitude. "I� I know that we decided to stop at four. Children, I mean. But�"
Daniel smiled. "You want another?"
"Well, I didn't think I did� until today."
"Why today?"
"Because today I found out that I'm pregnant."
Monica smiled as she walked through the door holding her new baby girl. "This is your new home," she said softly to the baby, "Welcome home, Victoria Payton Jamison."
"So, Mom," Justin asked as he gave Monica a kiss on the cheek, "why did they let you and Tori out of the hospital so soon?"
Daniel answered his son's question. "They were there for five hours and there was nothing wrong with either of them. They were both in perfect health, so the doctor saw no reason to keep them there longer."
Justin nodded. "Well, it's good to have you back, Mom. And it's great to see my baby-est sister."
Tess knocked on the door and waited, glancing at Andrew right before the door opened. The young girl was about 15 with long auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Yes?" she asked, a hint of an Irish lilt in her
voice.
"Hello, my name is Tess. Is Monica here?"
The girl smiled. "Yeah, just a minute." She turned and yelled into the house, "Mom! Door for you!"
A familiar voice called back, "I'll be right there!"
The girl turned back to Tess and Andrew. "She just has to finish up with Tori." Tess nodded and the girl invited them in, leading them to the livingroom. Monica came out a moment later, obviously pregnant
and holding an 18 month old girl. "Catherine, can you take Victoria, please?" she asked of the girl once she
saw who was waiting.
"Yeah, sure, Mom. She needs to be burped?"
Monica nodded and handed over the baby and Catherine left the room. Monica sat down on the chair across from the couch were Tess and Andrew were seated.
"Tess, Andrew, what are you doing here?"
Tess ignored the question for the moment. "How are you, Monica?"
Monica smiled and her whole face lit up. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Daniel is just perfect, and so are the kids."
At that moment, Catherine's twin sister entered the room. "Mom, I'm going to a movie, see you later!"
Suddenly Monica was all mom. "Hold it right there, Kazi!"
Kazi froze and slowly turned around. Relaxing and sighing, she asked, "What?"
"With who, what movie, rating, what are you doing after, when will you be home?"
Kazi sighed again, then smirked. "Lexi, her brother David and his friends, Stone and Knuckles; 'Sex Boat'; X; wild party; 3 am unless I get drunk and sleep around, then sometime tomorrow."
Tess and Andrew gaped at the teenager and Monica just stared at her. "All right, all right!" Kazi exclaimed.
"Calli, Lexi and Jessi; 'The Next Sunrise'; PG; pizza at Calli's; 7 tonight."
Monica nodded. "Okay, you can go."
Kazi rolled her eyes. "Thank you!" and headed out the door.
Monica shook her head and muttered something to herself before focusing on Tess and Andrew again. "So, where were we?"
"I was just about to ask how you met your husband," Andrew interjected.
Monica smiled again. "We worked together. We became friends and after a really bad date with someone else, Daniel told me that I didn't have to put up with anything like that and that he loved me. We got married a year later and two years after that, our oldest, Justin was born." As two heavy hands landed on her shoulders, Monica jumped and let out a slight scream. She looked up at see Daniel smiling down at her. Monica smiled back and got up to give Daniel a kiss. "Daniel, these are my friends, Tess and Andrew. Tess, Andrew, this is my husband, Daniel."
Daniel held out a hand to the two angels. "Hello," he greeted pleasantly.
Andrew and Tess stood, each shaking Daniel's hand in turn. "Hello," they both replied.
Daniel turned to Monica. "Don't forget, love, Michael's game and Catherine's lessons are in half an hour."
"Oh!" Monica exclaimed. "I did forget. Thanks, honey." Monica and Daniel kissed one more time before Daniel left to go get Michael ready for his soccer game.
Monica sat back down and saw Tess and Andrew's raised eyebrows. "What?!" she demanded.
"Angel Girl, you weren't supposed to get married!" Tess exclaimed.
"Tess, I've been here for 20 years! What did you expect? Being human is so much different than being an angel. You have feelings that can't be explained, you feel lonely, like you need someone in your life. I mean, I know that God is and was always with me, but I felt like I needed someone physical. You cannot even hope to understand how I felt unless you become human also."
"Do you love him?" Andrew asked quietly.
Monica felt tears forming in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I love Daniel. I cannot imagine life without him."
Tess sighed. "Angel Girl, not only were you not supposed to get married, but you definitely were not supposed to fall in love!" she exclaimed.
Monica felt herself getting angry. "Well what do you want me to do? Forsake my family? I can't do that. Even if I could, I'm six months pregnant! I have my baby to think about!"
The mood was broken by the joyous cries of the seven-year-old girl that came bounding into the room.
"Momma, Momma! Daddy says I can come see Michael play! He's not going to get Taylor to look after me!"
Monica smiled and pulled Amanda onto her lap. "That's great, Baby."
Tess and Andrew exchanged looks, then looked back to Monica. "Monica?" Andrew asked, "We'll see you later, okay? We gotta go now."
Monica nodded. "All right. Be safe."
Andrew smiled. "Always."
Tess smiled as well and gave Monica a hug. "You take care of yourself, Angel Girl."
Monica forced tears from her eyes. "I will, Tess."
Tess and Andrew waited for the door to open. Hopefully Monica would have some time to talk today. The door opened and a young man with dark brown hair and bright green eyes answered. "Yeah?"
"Is Monica in?" Andrew asked politely.
"Yeah." The teenager wandered away from the door a bit. "Mom!" he hollered, "Door!"
Monica hurried to the door, more to shut her son up than to answer. "Justin! What did I tell you about yelling? I just got Tori down for her nap!"
Justin looked properly chastened. "Sorry, Mom," he muttered.
Tess and Andrew had almost wiped the smirks off their faces when Monica turned to them.
"What?" Monica asked before inviting them in.
Andrew shook his head as he sat down on the couch.
"You've gone domestic, Monica." Monica smiled and shrugged. "I had to to put up with the kids."
"Do you have time to talk, Monica?" Tess asked, getting right down to it.
Monica shook her head. "Not really. Daniel and I are planning our New Year's. The four oldest and going to friends' houses, and the neighbor's daughter baby-sits cheap, so we're going to do something special."
Tess and Andrew exchanged a look and Andrew asked, "Monica, when can we sit down and talk?"
Monica thought for a moment. "Well, I'm busy the first couple days of January, but on the 5th I'm free. We could go out for lunch or something?"
"Or coffee?" Andrew asked mischievously.
Monica shook her head with a slight smile. "I don't drink coffee anymore."
"What?!" Andrew and Tess asked in astonished unison. "You're not supposed to have very much caffeine when you're pregnant and nursing, and out of the twenty years and nine months I've been here, I've been pregnant or nursing for nine years and eight months. That's enough time with no coffee to kill anybody's
addiction."
Monica entered the small restaurant and glanced around, looking for her angelic friends. She saw them in a corner booth and headed over. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" she asked with a grin as she sat down.
"It's a private party, but you have an engraved invitation, Angel Girl," Tess said with a smile and a hug.
Andrew smiled at his friend. "It's good to have you back, Monica."
Monica frowned. "I'm not back, Andrew."
"Yes, you are. You came with us, you're back."
"No!" Monica exclaimed. "I don't want to be an angel again! At least not now! I have a wonderful family and a wonderful life. I'm not going to give that up!"
Monica placed a hand on her belly and noted with horror that she was no longer pregnant. "What did you do to my baby?" she demanded angrily.
"Monica," Tess explained with patience, "angels can't have babies, you know that."
"I don't want to be an angel!" Monica said through clenched teeth, her anger burning brightly in her eyes.
Tess sighed. "We will come again when it is your time to go to the Father and give you the choice again. Until then, Angel Girl." With that, the two angels vanished. Monica placed her hand back on her belly and was relieve to feel the swell of baby under her palm.
Daniel opened his eyes, wondering what woke him up in the middle of the night. Monica also woke up and the couple saw that their bedroom was bathed in light.
Tess, Andrew and Adam appeared at the foot of the bed.
"Daniel," Adam said, "it's you time."
"Time for what?" Daniel asked.
"Time to go to God. Time for me to take you to Heaven."
"But� what about�" Daniel trailed off and looked at Monica.
Monica smiled reassuringly. "It's my time as well, Daniel." Daniel nodded and kissed Monica lightly before getting up to go with Adam. Once Daniel was gone, Monica looked at Tess and Andrew with tears in her eyes.
"You have a choice," Andrew said, "you can die as a human and go to God like that, or you can become an angel again."
"If I become an angel again, will I be able to see Daniel?"
Tess nodded. "Yes, baby, you can see Daniel and talk with him in Heaven."
"What about the kids?"
"When it is their time," Andrew said.
"And my baby boy?"
Andrew nodded. "Yes. He's waiting for you in Heaven."
Monica thought for a moment then nodded. "All right," she whispered, tears running down her face. "All right. I want to be an angel again."
Andrew and Tess smiled as Monica rose from the bed, her wrinkled face transforming into that of her youth.
The three hugged for a long moment before disappearing.
A perfect white dove landed on the windowsill of the bedroom and cooed as it watched over the bodies of Monica and Daniel as they slept the sleep of the dead.
