xover: Inner Fire and The Light (12/16)
Jeannie Ecklund Aug 17, 2000


After a time, the pains, thankfully, stopped.  They both breathed easier
and finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Nick allowed her to come downstairs, but made her stay
seated most of the day with her feet propped up.  The women gathered
around her and made plans for the wedding.

Since it was Grace's wedding and neither Nat nor Janette could cook,
Janette called a caterer. Then the ladies decided only the family at
"Saving Grace" and the minister's wife would be the guests.  They
directed the men, as they set up the tables, chairs and wedding
decorations.

Joe and Nick built an arch that would be set in the garden later for
roses.  For the day, though, they placed it in  front of the house. The
women decorated it with ivy and flowers.

Since there would only be the six of them plus the minister and his
wife, only a few chairs were needed.  Grace had commented, when she had
told them about finding a minister, that the minister?s wife seemed
frail.

Grace had no family to invite, and Joe had called his daughters and told
them.  Their reactions had been less than enthusiastic.  They had yet to
forgive him for the funeral he had planned for their mother.  He hoped
they would understand later.

About noon the next day, the minister arrived.  His wife was a small
pale woman with a glow of grace around her. The family was pleased to
find that the three angels had returned to share this day with Joe and
Grace.  It always surprised them to see the three appear out of no where
and often fade back into it.

At one o'clock, the eight people and three angels gathered around the
arch.  Grace wore a full length white dress with an over blouse of white
lace. It had lace sleeves to her wrists.  She had pearls running
though her hair.  Janette and Natalie had worked hard to make her hair
perfect.

Joe was dressed in his Captain's dress uniform.

Grace had a bouquet of garden flowers that Monica had brought to her
tied with a pure white ribbon.

The Minister, Patrick Coleman, looked around the group. They were
an interesting bunch.  He could tell there was a good fifteen year
difference between the bride and groom.  His skin was the color of ebony
and hers, a rich, dark honey brown.

The blond man and his pregnant wife seemed the most average, of the
group. The beautiful French woman and her companion, a strange tall man
with long silver hair, had a Roman look about his profile. When the
minister looked into the man's eyes, they seemed to hold the wisdom of
the ages .  He was thin and gaunt and must have been, or still was, ill.

The minister glanced at his own wife, Charity, and saw the illness in
her face.  He stuffed the pain down into his heart.  She suffered in
silence.  He was so proud of her and loved her so much. He prayed for
the ten thousandth time that God would see fit to heal his beloved wife.

Last, but certainly not least, there were the three friends. The
minister felt power emanating from them.  It seemed as if he could feel
a spirit of purity, and agelessness.

The strange group seemed to revere the three who did not live here.
He looked again at his wife and raised an eyebrow.  She knew where
his thoughts were and nodded, agreeing this was an interesting group.

There was no doubt that these people loved the Lord.  The spirit of God
surrounded them and emanated from their faces and eyes.  This was one of
the reasons he had agreed to marry these strangers.

Andrew discreetly snapped photos, and Monica monitored a video camera
Nick had set up on a tripod.  Joe had wanted to have something to show
his daughters.

After the minister read I Corinthians 13, they exchanged vows. Joe and
Grace pledged their love and devotion to each other and to their
friends.  Finally, the minister pronounced them husband and wife.

Joe pulled Grace close and kissed her gently.  She threw her arms around
him and  kissed him back ferociously, making all their guests laugh.
Her cheeks were wet with tears.

Nick helped Natalie up from her chair, and they both hugged the
newlyweds, pressing kisses to their cheeks.

Janette and LaCroix stood back a bit.  Joe came to them, surprising the
two former vampires by giving each a hug.  Joe whispered to LaCroix,
"You're next old man."  He indicated Janette with  a twist of his head.
"She's a prize to be cherished."

"Indeed she is,"  LaCroix said, turning a gentle look on his companion.
He whispered back, "She has already let me know that she is interested."

Joe stood back a bit, but kept his voice low, "You are a blessed man,
Lucus."

"I agree,"  LaCroix replied.

Grace came to join them and kissed LaCroix on the cheek.

He seemed warmed by her show of affection. LaCroix still had problems
believing he could be forgiven and accepted by these people.  He was
touched each time they showed him love or affection, by touch or deed.

"Congratulations, my dear,"  he said to Grace.

"Thank you, Lucus,"  she said, using the unfamiliar name.

Nick was talking to the minister off to the side.  "Yes, sir, there is
something different about us and this place.  What you are sensing,
Pastor, is a renewal of faith so profound that you can have no
conception of the changes in myself, my Father and Janette.  Sir, do you
believe in angels?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Do you believe that they come among us and physically minister to
humans... even take on the appearance of, and be physically
indistinguishable from humans?"

"I've heard many stories of miracles from people, Nick.  Some talk of
ordinary looking humans who are like angels and others speak of glowing
beings.  It's obvious something exists."

Nick glanced at Tess, who was close by listening to their conversation.
She nodded now to him. "Go ahead, Baby, tell him.  He has great favor in
the eyes of the Lord."  Nick saw Monica and Andrew come to stand next to
Tess.

The rest of the group noticed the angels gather, stopped their chatter
and turned to listen and watch.

Nick waved his hand toward the angels.  "Pastor Patrick, these wonderful
beings you see before you are angels.  They were sent by God to deliver
the three of us; Janette, my father, and myself, from hundreds of years
of demon possession."

"What?"  the startled minister exclaimed incredulously. His face paled.

His wife,Charity, came closer.  "What's going on, Patrick?"  She could
sense the power in the air.

Suddenly the three angels started to glow.  The minister and his wife
fell to their knees.  Andrew came forward.  "Please," he said, "do not
bow to us.  Bow only to the Lord, your God."   He helped them to their
feet.

"The Lord charges you with the job of overseeing  these new Christians.
They need your wisdom and guidance.  They need you to
instruct them in the Word."

Monica came forward and took the ill woman's hand. "Charity is a name
fitting for one who gives so much of herself.  Your body is being
ravaged by cancer.  You know it wouldn't be long without a miracle. The
Lord wants to bless you and heal you so that you can be a witness to the
people of your church and to these people, and a teacher to the women."

She drew Charity into her arms and a glow grew around the woman and
filled her with gentle warmth.  Charity gasped as the warmth engulfed
her.  Immediately all her pain was gone, and she became
strong and healthy before their eyes.

Patrick, weak at the knees, realized Tess and Andrew were holding him
up.  The love that flowed through him was like the brilliance of a sun.
"The Son," he thought to himself.

In a few seconds, he found his strength and rushed to engulf his sobbing
wife.  They both cried, while the rest of the group thanked God. After a
while, Patrick looked to Tess for answers and details.

Nick was surprised that she was forthcoming with all the facts about
vampirism and the demons that caused it.  Most surprising of all, was
that he didn't seemed surprised... more like relieved.

Nick finally realized... "You've seen a vampire before?"
"Yes,"  the Man of God agreed, "in New York.  I had just become a
minister.  I went on a mission to New York City to pass out blankets to
the homeless.  It was late and I had gotten a bit lost.  I heard
something in an alley, and slipped carefully into the shadows to take a
look."

"A dark figure was bent over a man he was holding to his chest.  Just
then, a cat ran from the trash can I was hiding near and knocked over
another can that rolled away.  It created such a clatter,  I think my
heart  almost stopped.  The thing raised it's head.  It's eyes were
glowing, and I saw the glint of teeth from the light of a passing car."

"A second later, and it had vanished as if it had never been there...
except for the body.  The man crumpled onto the ground. It was too late
for him, but I summoned help anyway.  The police thought I was a bit
crazy. They said it must have been a cult blood-draining, and I just saw
some psycho drop the body."

"I've never told anyone except Charity.  We have prayed for my peace of
mind for years .  As fantastic as this may seem, it's a huge relief to
finally know there really are vampires."

"Baby, nothing happens that God can't use in some way for good if we
give it to him... even what others would use for evil..." Tess remarked.

The relieved pastor looked around. "I"m sure we'll speak more of this
later.  For now, there is much to celebrate."  He hugged Charity to him
again, and cried with relief for her, himself and his new friends.

"Come on, my friends,  let's turn our attention to the bride and groom."

Everyone took seats at the table in the garden.  They sat and talked,
enjoying each others company. They took pictures. Since everyone now
knew the 'BIG secret,' as Grace called it, the former vampires told
funny stories of previous weddings they attended through the years.

There was a beautiful, two-tiered cake, Janette had made. It was covered
with white, delicate flowers and tiny, amazing white doves.

Everyone stared in amazement at it.  Janette had just shrugged. "You
don't live over thousand  years and not learn a few handy trades." She
smiled, pleased with their compliments.

As the sun set, a long, white limo pulled into the drive.

Nick turned to his newlywed friends and said, "Gentle Lady and Sir, your
coach awaits to take you on a special night stay at a fabulous hotel in
the city.  I know you don't want to leave Natalie at this time, Grace,
but Nat and I agreed that she should be alright for a couple of nights.
After the babies are born, I promise to send you both for a month to
anywhere in the world you want to go."

Tess and Andrew brought out the couple's bags.  After hugs and
kisses, the bride and groom where driven off into the night.

Nick asked Patrick and Charity to stay the night since it was so late.
Tess assured them that the guest room was already prepared for them.

Finally everyone was settled in,  and Nick and Natalie crawled into bed.

"It was a wonderful day, Nick," his tired wife said.   "I think Grace
and Joe are happy.  They received a huge blessing by having that
wonderful miracle on the day of their wedding."

Nick nodded. "Yes, it was a blessing. Pop said the Lord led them to
this minister's door.  He had given up trying to find someone who would
come up here on such short notice.  He saw their little church and
decided to make one final request.  Obviously he was guided by our
Lord."

Nick turned to his wife and realized she was already asleep.  He smiled
and kissed her face gently. She snuggled in toward him, and he gathered
her close and slept.

In the limo, Joe held Grace close.  The driver was concealed behind the
tinted glass of the luxurious limo.  There was a TV, telephone, fully
stocked refrigerator and bar, soft gentle music and champagne that had
been chilled on ice.

He opened a bottle of Champagne with  a pop and poured his bride a
drink.  She took the glass with a smile.  Joe leaned  to kiss her, his
desire mirrored in her eyes. "To my wife!" he toasted, lifting his
glass.  "You are aptly named, being filled with grace and love.  You are
truly a blessing to me."

Grace toasted him back with, "To my husband... a gorgeous hunk of a man.
You are a very welcome and unexpected blessing in my life."

The glasses clinked together, and they drank, laughing as the bubbles
tickled their noses.  The emptied glasses were set aside, and Joe drew
his wife into his arms.  Their lips met in a gentle kiss, but soon they
were raining kisses all over each others faces.

Eventually the car stopped, and they reluctantly drew apart. The driver
opened the door for Joe who got out, then reached back taking Grace's
hand to help her out.

They found themselves standing before a huge Ritz-Carleton.  A footman
came forward  to take their bags, as an assistant manager appeared to
guide them to their room.

Joe and Grace looked at each other in surprise when  they were
taken to the penthouse.

When Joe tried to give the  man a tip, he waved it away. "No, Sir, it's
all been generously  taken care of.  Please enjoy your stay."

Joe assured him, "Oh, we have no doubt that we will."

The manager closed the door to the suite behind him, and the newlyweds
turned to look at their home for the next two nights.

end part 12  

*****  Jeannie Ecklund  *****  gersknightlady @ cs.com