The Christmas Babe
By ABs and Donna

Tess wiped her brow as she trudged down the main street of Edan. She was an angel on a mission. Opening the door of the little Protestant church, she cleared her throat. "Miss Wings! Front and center! I know you are in here!"

Monica peeped out from behind the altar vestments. "Is anyone with you?" she asked.

"No," sighed Tess heavily. "He is at the Mission where he belongs, and you know it. Come, we have to go drag Andrew out of that cottage of his. We have a mission."

“A mission? Has . . ,” she paused, as if leaving a name out, “. . . called on us again? Are we going
back to work?”

"We are. Vacation is over!" She reached out and took hold of Monica's hand. There was a flash of light, and the sound of wings fluttering as the two angels disappeared.

They appeared again outside the cottage where Andrew was living with Shannon and Gideon. Monica did not question this, of course; she knew that they needed to collect the other angel before they did whatever it was God wanted of them. She did wonder if Michael would be joining them, though.

Andrew came out from the cottage, a look of concern on his face. "What about Michael?" he asked, voicing Monica’s thoughts as he joined the others. "Is he coming? He should be there if it is what they think."

“*What* do they think?” asked Monica, a mixture of annoyance at not being let in on the secret and
excitement because there WAS a secret in her voice as she spoke.

"There is a young Hebrew girl staying at the Monastery," came a voice from the woods. The Archangel Michael stepped out, a look of amusement on his face. "Her name just happens to be Mary. And she is about to have a baby."

“Tonight? Really! How Blessed!”

"Yes," Tess chuckled. "Let us go. After all, we have to know if what they are praying for is coming to pass or not!"

“They?” asked Monica. Then she listened, and smiled. “They are praying, aren’t they!” And all of the
angels disappeared, a few of Michael’s feathers remaining to drift in the wintry breeze when they were gone.

They reappeared, dressed in warm robes, just outside of the walls of the monastery. The snow-covered hills were reverberating with the sound of Latin chants being sung. Hurrying in, they went toward the chants, to see what was happening. Half expecting to see her in a stable, the angels were a little surprised that she was being housed in the finest cell the humble dwelling could provide!

The rationale for that, of course, was the old saying, "Who knows what angels man hath entertained unawares?" Little did they know that four of the creatures had just walked into their midst!

Cadfael and the fae were watching young Mary closely, as she paced her cell. They knew it would be soon. Sabina and Ngai did not seem too alarmed or even surprised when the Angels walked in, but Cadfael was curious about the newcomers, and so was Mary.

When Tess, who the young Hebrew woman took to be an Ethiopian, greeted her in her native Armenian, a look of relief crossed her face. She had told her that she was there to be her midwife!

Cadfael understood some of what was said, and of course had no objection to an experienced midwife taking over from him. The fae were handy to have around, being women; although Cadfael did try to overlook the difference in gender, it did get in the way a little bit that he was not a virginal monk!

"Poor child," Andrew said softly as Monica wrapped her arms around the laboring woman, comforting her. "She is very frightened. Not of you, but of all that has happened to her."

“It is not easy, being somewhere strange,” agreed the young female angel. “Especially if you do not speak the language. I wonder why that is so?” She looked curiously at Tess. After all, in most cases there was an instantaneous translation!

Tess shook her head. "I do not know why that is so. Perhaps she will after the child is born. Till then, a certain mystery needed to be maintained. Perhaps to test of the faith of those here in this place."

Monica nodded. She was starting to get the idea, though like the rest of the monks she was beginning to wonder if this really could be who they thought it as, and if so, who the baby would be!

Cadfael frowned. "Perhaps it is not their faith but mine being tested. I am the only one who does not
think we have the Holy Mother here with us."

“Really!” said Tess. “And why not?”

Cadfael looked at Mary, who was leaning against Monica as she nervously paced the room, her sweet face contorted in pain. "I want to believe," he whispered. "But my faith is weakened by the practicality of improbability."

“How improbable is this, then?” asked Tess, and the angels all began to glow softly.

Cadfael's jaw dropped and a look of wonder crossed his face. "Are you angels?" he asked, his voice full of awe. If angels had come to be there for the birth of Mary's baby, than perhaps the impossible could be possible!

They told him that they were. Other than the fae, he was the only one witnessing this, as the others were outside the cell, chanting and praying. Of course, this seemed to mean the baby WAS who they thought it was!

Michael stepped up and put his hand on the monk's shoulder, leaving behind him a trail of feathers.
"Even angels need their faith boosted from time to time. Perhaps it is us as well who need to be willing
to believe."

“Be that as it may,” said Cadfael suddenly, catching sight of the mother to be, “but eventually we will
have to be told the truth of the matter, and I think it will be sooner, rather than later!”

She was now in hard labor. The fae women had brought up the birthing stool that one of the brothers had lovingly carved for her, and as Tess and Monica supported her, they lowered her gently onto the stool. Kneeling before her, Tess raised Mary's robe, instructing her to push.

The young girl was too busy now to be frightened. Nature was taking its course, and rather quickly!

As Cadfael watched in amazement, a dark haired boy child was delivered into the world, accompanied not only by the singing of the monks, but of the angels themselves! Mary may not have understood what was going on, but even she seemed to be in awe of it all. Taking her newborn into her arms, she cradled him against her breasts. "His name is Jehosua," she said in her own language.

Gasping at the name, Cadfael said, “Now I believe.”