By Karen

Email: [email protected]
 

The new angel nervously smoothed her wings, and wished for a mirror so she could see if her halo was on straight. Then she pushed the button set in the pillar at the side of the gate. Instantly, a screen opened in the pillar. A blonde angel dressed entirely in indigo appeared. "Welcome to Angel Headquarters! My name is Blue, and I will be your escort for the tour. I will be at the gate in just a moment." The screen winked out, and the new angel took advantage of the brief wait to stare through the gates at the wide expanse of rolling lawn and the huge white building with the tall pillars in front. It looks like Tara, she thought. Just then, she heard the sound of pounding hooves. To her amazement, an angel in full riding habit raced by, mounted on a black stallion, brandishing a sword and yelling, "Lay on MacDuff!" The new angel still had her mouth open when Blue flew up to open the gate.

"Who, or what was that?" the new angel asked.

"Oh, you mean the angel and the horse?" asked Blue. "That was Denise, AJaxAngel. She's our equestrian angel. She's also rather theatrically inclined." Blue whipped out a clipboard, seemingly  ut of nowhere. "Now, let's see, you are Serafina, right?" Serafina nodded. "Rather an appropriate name for an angel. Now, we could just fly back to HQ, but since this is your first time, I think we'll take the scenic route and walk."

As they set off down the path, Serafina began to hear an insistent yapping. She looked all around her, and finally spotted a tiny rust-colored ball of fluff nipping at her heels. "How adorable!" she exclaimed as she knelt to pet the teacup poodle.

"That is Rusty. He belongs to Crystal, but we all baby him," Blue said. "Isn't that right, Rusty?" she cooed. Then she began to beep. Or rather, her pager did. She checked the number, and then dialed a cellular phone which somehow appeared in her hand. "Blue here. Yes, Kira. Okay, yes, I will make a  note of it.

Yes, you too. Bye!" She whisked out the clipboard, scribbled something on a post-it note and stuck it on the clipboard.

As they approached the wide veranda, Serafina heard peppy dance music coming from a boom box, and someone yelling, "Give me a J.... give me an A.... give me an X..." A young angel dressed in a sweater and short skirt jumped in the air enthusiastically and shook her pom-poms.

"Anu is our cheerleader angel, " Blue explained. "Anu!" she called loudly to make herself heard over the music. "Come and meet Serafina, a new angel."

Anu dropped her pom-poms and rushed over. "PLEASED TO MEET YOU! WELCOME TO THE ANGELS!" she exclaimed, before executing 3 perfect cartwheels down the length of the veranda..

As Blue and Serafina entered the front door, Blue explained, "The first and second floor are all Angel Offices. We'll just start at one end, and make our way around." They turned right, and stopped at a door with a sign reading "Jaxaholics Anonymous." "This is the office of Alene, BarrettJax," Blue announced.

"She's the Keeper of the Addict List." Blue nudged the door open, and Serafina peered inside at a poster of  The 12 Step Jax Program'.

"Step #1,"Serafina read, "Admit that you are a Jaxaholic and proud of it!" Then she noticed a large screen TV with the long version of the What Makes Jax tick?' commercial playing. A group of six or eight angels watched, mesmerized. Blue tapped the shoulder of the angel standing in the back.

"Alene, this is Serafina. She's a new angel. I'm giving her the tour."

"Welcome to the Angels, Serafina. Enjoy your tour! And remember, any time you feel you're addicted to Jax, come on by, and we'll convince you that's perfectly normal!"

The next stop on the tour was a door which was festooned with streamers and balloons. "Dore', IngoRadAct, works here," Blue explained. "She's the birthday angel." As they entered, the office, they were showered with sparkling confetti. Balloons of every color hung from the ceiling.

At the desk sat an angel wearing a birthday hat. "Hi Blue! What's new?" she cried. "And who is this? A new angel, unless my guess I miss!"

"Yes, her name is Serafina."

"Serafina, welcome to you! Have a piece of cake, please do!"

Serafina sat down and took a bite of cake. It was angelfood, of course.

"Now tell me your birthday, so we can send wishes your way."

"September 14th," Serafina said, and then noticed Blue was making motions that it was time to be on their way. "It was nice to meet you. Thank you for the cake."

"Oh, it was my pleasure. Do come back at your leisure!"

Out in the hall, Serafina asked, "She's very nice, but does she always talk in rhyme?"

"Always," Blue affirmed. "She started by sending birthday wishes to everyone in verse, and now she can't stop!"

Serafina giggled. "Oh look!" she said, pointing to a drawbridge which appeared to cross a moat. Faint Greek music wafted across the water. "Where does that go?"

"That goes to the office of Freida, Greek Gypsy. She's the Keeper of the Fantasies."

The two crossed the bridge and found themselves in a medival style banquet hall. Suits of armor lined the walls, and banners hung from the rafters. An angel dressed like a princess came to greet them. "Hello Blue, welcome Serafina," she said.

"How did you know my name?" Serafina asked.

Freida laughed. "This is where fantasies come alive. Anything is possible here, anything can happen, and usually..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Serafina caught a glimpse of a tall blond, tanned man passing an open doorway. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. "That was... wasn't that..."

"My houseboy," Freida interrupted hurriedly. "Very handsome, isn't he? Well, I'm sure you still have lots

to see on your tour. It was so nice to meet you," she said as she ushered them back to the drawbridge.

Back in the hallway, Serafina looked perplexed. "I was so sure.... he looked exactly like..."

"Well, dear, there are all sorts of rumors about Freida and her houseboy, but no one has ever been able to catch him to find out for sure," Blue said.

Part 2

Angel Headquarters - Part Two
 

As they walked down the hallway, Serafina began to sniff the air. "I smell food," she said.

"Well, of course you do," Blue replied. We're coming up on the Angel Kitchen, which is where we will find Kristin, Mekasa."

They stepped inside a spacious kitchen, with state of the art equipment. Delicious smells wafted about the room. A pregnant angel wearing an apron smiled and came to meet them. "Hello, and welcome to the Angel Kitchen. My name is Kristin," she said.

"Kristin, this is Serafina, a new angel. What is that wonderful smell? Lunch for today?"

"Yes, bacon and potato chowder. You will stay for lunch with us, Serafina?"

"Oh yes! I wouldn't miss it!"

"We'll see you later, Kristin," Blue said as they stepped back out into the hall.

The next door was decorated with angel bunting. On the door was a poster with an angel pointing her finger at them. The caption read, "Jax Needs You!"

"This is the office of Jeannine and Kate, IluvIngo. They are in charge of polls and surveys and such,"

Blue announced. Inside the office, they found several voting booths and charts on the walls, tallying the results. Jeannine and Kate came from their desks to introduce themselves.

"Serafina, have you voted in the poll on Kira's web page? No? Then come right over here..." Jeannine said as she led her to a computer terminal.

Several minutes later, Serafina met Blue at the door. "I think I just voted in every survey and cyber poll in existence!"

Blue laughed. "I'm sure you did. Oh look, the light just turned green," she said, pointing to the light

above the next door. "We can go in now." They opened the door and stepped onto a sound stage.

Three very good looking guys dressed all in black were conversing on the set of a Mediterranean style terrace. Suddenly there was a flash and a boom, and they all hit the floor.

"And cut!" a female voiced called out. "That was great, guys, take five."

Serafina looked through the maze of cameras and lights to see an angel in the director's chair.

"Jen!" Blue called. "I have someone I'd like you to meet." Jen stepped over several cables and wires to reach them. "Jen, this is Serafina, a new angel. Serafina, this is Jen, BallerinaJ. She writes the Steal Your Heart series, and she's just started the movie production."

"Oh, I love that story!" Serafina squealed. "Wait a minute... those three guys... I bet they're playing Kieren, Todd and Jerry!"

"Right you are," Jen laughed. "I'd love to have you stick around, but this next scene coming up is one I haven't even posted on the boards yet, so...I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You understand, can't have anyone spilling the beans!"

The next office, Serafina discovered, was filled to bursting with fax machines and telephones.

Prominently displayed on one wall was a large poster of Jax and Brenda. On another wall, was a large poster of Sonny and Brenda, but as she looked more closely, Serafina saw that Sonny's face was pockmarked by dozens of little holes, and in fact, there was a dart sticking out of his nose. Following her gaze, Blue explained, "This is J & B Angel Headquarters. In fact, this is the office of JNBAngel, otherwise known as Caren." She motioned to a desk where an angel was talking on the telephone.

"I don't care if Wendy Riche is in the bathroom, I want to know what she thinks she's doing letting the hottest couple in daytime go down the drain like this!" Caren said. "Yes, I will hold." She motioned for Serafina and Blue to sit down, as she absently traced the features on a framed photo of Troy Aikman. Suddenly she sat straight up and slammed the phone down. "They hung up on me! I can't believe this!

Excuse me. I'll be back in a minute." She hurried out the French doors at the rear of the office onto a balcony. After a moment, Serafina saw a puff of smoke rise into the air outside. She turned to Blue.

"Don't stare, dear," Blue admonished, studiously admiring the Jax and Brenda poster.

"But she's ..."

"Yes, I know, but we don't talk about it."
 

Just then, Caren returned, obviously in a better mood. "Now then, I'm Caren, and you are?"

"Serafina."

"Serafina, welcome to the angels! Are you pro J&B?"

"Uhh, yes, I am."

"Great! Here you go," Caren said, handing her a Rolodex. "There you have all the names and addresses of TPTB, and all the mags. And phone numbers of course! And remember, Nobody Leaves'!"

"Thanks, Caren. We'll see you later," Blue said. She was back in the hallway before she realized Serafina was not with her. She returned to find her still sitting in front of Caren's desk. "What are you doing?"

"She said Nobody Leaves!" Serafina explained.

"Not you! She was quoting Jax! Now come on, we'll be late for lunch!"
Angel Headquarters - Part Three

By Karen

Email: [email protected]

The angel dining room was beautifully appointed, with snowy tablecloths and flowers. There was a spacious, airy feel to the room. "We angels like high ceilings," Blue explained to Serafina. "That way, when we are excited or happy, we can just fly up and perch on the rafters, or swing from the chandeliers."

"Does that happen often?" Serafina asked.

"Oh, now and then. Especially when one of the angels has had too much punch!"

After the excellent lunch of bacon and potato chowder, Serafina and Blue continued their tour. "Our next stop is the photo studio of Carolyn, ItsmeMama. It's time to get your angel picture taken!"

"Oh but I'm sure I look a mess and my hair is a wreck," Serafina exclaimed.

"Don't give that a second thought," Blue replied. "Carolyn is a hair stylist. She can fix you up in no time at all."

As they entered the next door, an angel looked up from her desk. Stacks of boxes surrounded her. "Blue!

I wasn't expecting to see you till tomorrow!"

"No, Serafina's appointment was for today."

Carolyn rummaged through the boxes for her appointment book, but finally threw up her hands in despair.

"I give up! I can't seem to find anything since we moved. Oh well, never mind, I'm not busy right now anyway. Welcome Serafina! Come with me and I'll get you all ready for the camera."

Several minutes later, hair freshly styled, Serafina was ready to pose for her picture. Afterward, she thumbed through the angel photo albums as Blue and Carolyn gave a running commentary.

At last Blue announced, "Well, we really must be moving along. Next stop is the infirmary!"

"But I'm not sick," Serafina said.

Blue chuckled as she opened the door. "Shannon! Jessie! We're here!" Two angels in nurse's uniforms appeared. "Serafina, these are Shannon and Jessie, otherwise known as Jaxxy 1 and JesiMoore. They are our angel nurses. Whether it's a cold or flu, JWS, or AWS, they give new meaning to the term "Angels of Mercy!"

Everyone laughed at that. Suddenly a chime sounded throughout the building. A panel on one of the walls slid open to reveal a big screen TV. Blue, Jessie and Shannon all sat down, so Serafina followed suit as General Hospital came on. They all became wrapped up in the story, and when Jax promised to make all of Brenda's dreams come true, Serafina heard a collective sigh waft throughout Angel Headquarters. As Jax

and Brenda prepared to go dancing, Jax came downstairs in a tux. "Caren!" Blue yelled down the hall. "The tux!"

"Oh my gosh, the black tux!" they heard Caren yell, followed by a thud.

In a later scene, Jax and Brenda took a midnight swim. As Jax stripped off his shirt, Blue called out, "Carolyn ! Check out those pecs!"

"I see them!" Carolyn yelled from next door, and there was another thud.

As the show ended, the TV disappeared and Jessie and Shannon turned to another panel that was lit up with red lights. "Uh-oh!" Shanon said. " Lots of work for us now! We've got angels that have fainted, and several hot flashes being reported!"

Serafina and Blue wisely got out of the way and continued their tour. "This is a classroom, where Sharon, LSThorn works," Blue said, gesturing to the next door. Inside, Serafina saw about fifteen little girls, about age six. A dark haired angel who was obviously their teacher stood at the blackboard.

"What do they learn here?" Serafina asked.

"This is the "Angels-in-Training class, for future angels," Blue told her.

"All right girls, we're going to practice our alphabet now," Sharon announced. "Everyone repeat after me: A is for Angel, B is for Brenda, C is for Chemin de Fer, and D is for Doing the Jax Dance. E is for excellent, which describes everything Jax does, F is for flying lessons, G is for General Hospital and H is for Honeymoon on the yacht. I is for Ingo, J is for Jax, K is for Kira, and L is for Love. M is for Malibu, N is for New Orleans, O is for oysters from Ireland and P is for Pinball. Q is for Quartermaine mansion where Jax & Brenda almost got married again, R is for raiding, corporate style, S is for snail mailing TPTB, and T is for tuxedoes, black and white. U is for unbelievable chemistry, V is for Victoria, and W is for Web page.  X is the symbol for Jax's kisses, Y is for yogurt and bananas, and Z is for the Zeal we all have for Jax!"

Angel Headquarter Part 4
 
 

As Serafina and Blue stepped out of the "Angel-in-Training" classroom, they heard yapping again.  Serafina looked down the hall and saw an angel hurrying toward them, followed by Rusty, the teacup poodle.

"You must be Crystal," Serafina said. "I'm Serafina, a new angel, and I've already met your dog."

"Pleased to meet you, Serafina. Rusty is a sweetheart, isn't he? I'd love to chat with you, but another war has broken out on the S/B/J boards, and I must go do my part. Before you leave, though, do be sure to sign the PIC petition for J&B!"

"I will!" Serafina called, as Crystal rushed down the hall. "Okay, Blue, where do we go next?"

"Next we go to see Heather, Twocruise," Blue replied. "Some people call her Rudy, and sometimes she's just known as Cruise."

"My goodness! How will I ever know what to call her?"

"Try them all and see which you like the best," Blue suggested. They walked into a reception area and saw an angel sitting at a computer keyboard in front of a mural of the Colorado Rockies. Suspended in front of her were four rectangular two-dimensional boxes, each filled with words. The angel glanced up at the visitors, and typed furiously for a moment. Then she clicked the mouse decisively several times, and rose to greet them.

"So sorry. IM Hell, you know... Anyway, my name is Heather. What can I do for you today?"

"Heather, this is Serafina, a new angel," Blue said. "I'm giving her the tour."

"Welcome to the angels, Serafina. And welcome to my photo gallery. Please follow me," Heather said as she crossed to a set of double doors."

The gallery had polished hardwood floors, and was pleasantly lit. Every few feet there were padded benches. Then Serafina looked at the walls and gasped. The walls, which were painted a soft ocean blue, boasted hundreds of strategically hung pictures of Jax and Ingo in various poses, each carefully spotlighted for the best viewing. There were formal portraits and candid shots, magazine spreads and personal pictures.

Heather described each one, and as they came to the end of a corridor she said, "And this last one is my favorite, I think."

Serafina turned the corner. "Ohhh!" she said, and promptly collapsed onto a padded bench. There before her was a lifesize reproduction of Jax from the Have you ever been awake for a dream come true?' magazine spread.

Blue looked at her charge in dismay. "Heather can you run down the hall and get some ice from the infirmary? She's in no condition to continue the tour without cooling down first!"

When Serafina had sufficiently recovered, she and Blue bid farewell to Heather and left the photo gallery.

"Next stop is the office of Karen, KCPUPPET," Blue said.

The first thing Serafina noticed was that this office was very pink, except for one wall which was made of plexiglass, and displayed a huge, floor-to-ceiling map of the United States and Canada.

"Hi Blue! Hello, you must be a new angel," Karen said as she came to greet them.

"Hi Karen. Yes, this is Serafina." Gesturing to the map, Blue said to Serafina, "Karen is the Keeper of the Angel Map. Show her how it works, Karen."

Karen touched a button, and thirty-seven states and four Candian provinces lit up on the map. "We have angels in all these areas," she explained. "Would you like to be on the Angel Map?"

"Yes please," Serafina replied. "I'm from Idaho."

"That's great!" Karen declared. "We've never had an angel from Idaho."

As Serafina moved about the office, she noticed a chaise longue upholstered in deep rose and a matching wingback chair positioned near the head. "That's odd," she commented. "It makes me think of a ..."

"It is, dear," Blue interrupted. "It's a counseling couch. Karen is does counseling also, mostly for Kira, but the rest of us take advantage of it now and then too."

"That's right. Anytime you want to talk, just let me know," Karen chimed in.

The telephone rang. Karen answered it, listened for a moment, then exclaimed, "Oh! I'll be right there!"

She hung up and looked apologetically at her visitors. " That was Denise, AJaxAngel, and she was reminding me I'm late for auditions."

Serafina looked puzzled. "Auditions?"

"For the next Angel production. I direct. You really should have seen our Christmas production of A Christmas Carol. Denise was Tiny Tim and everyone thought Sonny should be Scrooge, but he wouldn't cooperate. I'm so sorry, but I must run! Goodbye!"

"This is the office of Kris, KRuggi," Blue said.
Angel Headquarters - Part Five

by Karen

Email: KCPuppet

"This is the office of Kris, KRuggi," Blue announced as they approached the next door in the hallway.

As Serafina opened the door, she heard the Jax theme music playing. "Kris is the Keeper of the Songs for Jax and Brenda," Blue explained.

Inside, Serafina found several free-standing panels with buttons on the right side. Each bore a title. She approached the one called "Malibu" and pressed the top button. The panel came to life with the footage of

Jax and Brenda driving around Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and the music of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" began to play.

An angel appeared to greet them. "Kris, this is Serafina, a new angel," Blue said.

"Hi Serafina, welcome to the Angels. I'm Kris. I see you've already figured out how these panels work.

Try the second button," she suggested as the song ended and the panel went dark.

Serafina pressed the next button, and the Malibu Kiss and accompanying music appeared. Kris quickly

shoved a chair behind Serafina just as her knees went weak. "Thanks," Serafina said breathlessly as the scene ended.

"No problem. It happens a lot."

Serafina also tried out the panel labeled "Rescued from the Rain" which played "Nobody Lives Without Love" and showed the first time Jax and Brenda made love.

As they passsed a desk, an intercom buzzed. "Kris, international phone call for you" a teasing voice announced. Kris blushed. "I have to take this," she said. "My boyfriend is traveling around Russia somewhere. Feel free to go in the Surround-Sound Studio."

Serafina and Blue entered the studio and sat down in the comfortable theater-style seats. Blue pressed a button, and a floor-to-ceiling screen was revealed. Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" began to play

and Serafina and Blue were treated to a montage of Jax and Brenda scenes starting from the day they met.

When it was over, Blue said, "We should really be moving on, but there's one more panel I think you should see." She pressed the button on the panel marked "New Orleans". "Can You Stop the Rain" began to play, and video footage of Jax and Brenda dancing on the balcony at the Hotel for Lovers lit up the panel. Just when Serafina began to feel quite flushed, twin fans above the panel purred to life.

Kris reappeared just as the song ended.

"Love the fans, Kris," Blue said. "When did you install those?"

Kris laughed. "Just a few days ago. Jessie and Shannon started complaining because I was sending them too many people who had passed out from watching that panel!"

Safely back out in the air-conditoned hall, Serafina asked, "What's next, Blue?"

"Next we visit our legal eagle angels," Blue replied. She stopped in front of a door with a plaque reading

"Catchoe and Archer97, Attorneys at Law". They walked into an office with plush burgundy carpeting and

heavy mahogany furniture. An angel with a Texas accent was speaking on the phone at the desk on the left.

"Yes, would you please tell Mr. Bondeff he can expect to hear from us very soon regarding that slander suit?" She was silent for a moment, then she said very sweetly, "Thank you so much," and hung up the phone. "Hello Blue! Another new angel?"

"Yes, this is Serafina. Serafina, this is Catherine. And that," she motioned to the angel at the other desk, "is Kenya."

Kenya was also on the phone. "Yes, Congressman," she was saying. " I can assure you that this piece of legislation will be a breeze to draw up. In fact," she said, fingering a neatly typed report, "our office can have it to you almost immediately. Yes, as I said before, a law requiring Jax to be on TV a minimum of four days a week will make you a shoo-in for the next election. Thank you, sir. Goodbye." She replaced thereceiver and shouted, Yes!! We've been trying to get this law passed for ages, and we're finally on our way!" She came out from behind the desk to shake Serafina's hand. "Welcome Serafina1 You couldn't have come at a better time! This will be just the thing for the Angel Morale Police Department!"
Angel Headquarters - Part Six

Author: Karen

Email: [email protected]
 

As they left the law offices, Blue turned to Serafina and said, "We are nearing the end of the first floor tour. The second floor will be a surprise."

"Okay. Who do we visit next?" Serafina asked.

"We're going to see Alanea now," Blue responded.

Even before they opened the door, Serafina could hear music with a Latin rhythm coming from Alanea's office. They walked in to find an angel wearing a very short red dress. She had a phone to each ear, and was gently swaying in time to the music.

"Uh-oh," Blue said.

"What?" Serafina asked.

"The music, the red dress. It can only mean one thing...Jose."

"Who is...?" Serafina started to ask, but just then Alanea hung up both phones and flashed them a brilliant smile.

"You Have Mail," the computer announced.

"Don't I always?" Alanea muttered as she glanced briefly at the screen before turning back to her visitors.

"Blue, thanks so much for doing the tour thing. We've just added our 650th angel, and I don't have as much

time for that as I used to. Serafina, welcome to the angels. We are glad to have you."

"Thank you. I'm so glad to meet you, and to come here and take the tour. This place is just amazing..."

Serafina's voice trailed off as she noticed Alanea was surreptitiously glancing at the clock. "I'm sorry, do you have an appointment?"

Alanea shook her head. "What? Oh yes. I mean no. Well, Jose is coming."

Before Serafina could respond, Blue said, "Ahh. I thought as much. Come on, Serafina, we'd better be going now."

"Thanks, Blue. Nice to meet you, Serafina," Alanea called as they headed for the door.

"But I want to know who Jose is," Serafina said as Blue took her firmly by the elbow and ushered out.

"Jose is a bartender at the Tune-In Lounge at Walt Disney World."

"But what is he doing coming to see Alanea?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, my dear."

Serafina sighed.

"This is Denise's office," Blue announced as they arrived at the next door. The first thing that Serafina noticed was a collection of wedding pictures on the wall. She thought they looked very romantic.

"Hello, my name is Denise, and yes, those are my wedding pictures," an angel said as she walked over to greet them. "You must be Serafina."

"Yes, I am. Your husband is very handsome," Serafina commented.

"Thank you," Denise beamed. "I think Eddie's pretty wonderful too."

"Well, I think you both are very lucky. Are you still newlyweds?" Serafina asked.

"Yes, we've only been married a few months."

The phone rang. "Excuse me just a moment," Denise said, hurrying to her desk. "Hello? Oh hi! Yes, yes we are." She rummaged through several calendars and to-do lists before finally marking one. " Ten-thirty okay for you? All right. See you later. Bye!" She looked up at Serafina and Blue. "I'm sorry. That was Emily, Emmzodi. She wanted to know if we were still on to go shopping for clothes to wear to the Angel Luncheon."

"Oh my goodness! I haven't even thought about what to wear yet!" Serafina exclaimed.

"I have lots of ideas, but no firm decisions yet. I'll just keep shopping till I find the perfect oufit. You're welcome to come with Emily and me tomorrow if you like."

"I would love that!"

Suddenly the door burst open and all the little girls Serafina had seen in the Angels-in-Training class came rushing in. "Denise! Denise!" One of the girls said excitedly. "Angel Sharon said we could ask you if you would come and play Pin the Halo on the Angel' with us during recess. Will you play with us, please?" All the other girls joined in the chorus, saying, "Please, please come play with us!"

Denise laughed and ruffled the hair of the first little girl affectionately. "Yes, I will come play with you.

Tell Sharon I will be there in just a minute. Now go on while I say goodbye to my guests."

The girls ran off, laughing and chattering happily. Denise turned back to Serafina and Blue with a smile.

"Well, it seems I am in demand. It was so nice to meet you, Serafina. Thanks for bringing her by, Blue. I will see you both later. Don't forget our shopping trip, Serafina!"
Angel Headquarters - Part Seven

By: Karen

Down at the end of the hall, Serafina saw a large sign which read, "Kira's Corner." Serafina stopped in her tracks and turned to Blue with barely suppressed excitement. "You mean I get to meet Kira?"

"You didn't think you would tour all of Angel Headquarters and not meet her, did you? Of course you get to meet Kira," Blue said.

"Well, she's awfully busy, isn't she? I mean, she doesn't just meet with anyone."

"One of Kira's very most favorite things to do is meet and talk to angels," Blue assured her.

Serafina nervously smoothed her hair and patted her wings. "Do I look all right?"

Blue laughed. "You look just fine, dear. Let's go in."

Kira's office was a cheery place, with walls painted a pale yellow. There were bouquets and flower arrangements everywhere, and wreaths hung on the walls. To the right of the door was an assortment of comfortable looking chairs and sofas, and the biggest punch bowl Serafina had ever seen. There were two computer stations besides the one at the desk where Kira was on the phone. A brass nameplate at the edge of the desk proclaimed, "Kira, Guardian of Jax, the Whole Jax, and Nothing but the Jax". The first computer displayed a partially constructed portion of the Ingo Web Page. The monitor of the second computer contained the current installment of the Jax and Victoria saga. Serafina leaned in for a closer look, but Blue nudged her forward. At that moment Kira turned her chair toward them. She waved excitedly, and Serafina returned the wave, failing to notice that Blue was sneaking a peek at the online romance novel for herself.

Putting her hand over the receiver, Kira said, "Hi sweetie! Have some punch, sit down and relax!"

Serafina poured herself a glass of punch, and started to sit down, but then noticed that hanging on one wall was a large framed print of a sunrise reflected in a pink and purple ocean and golden sand. She rose and went over to it. On closer inspection she saw the title was "Kirra Beach, Gold Coast, Australia."

She turned back to Kira, who was leaning back in her chair and absently twirling a blonde curl around her finger as she murmured, "Uh-huh. Mmm-hmm." Suddenly she sat up and scribbled furiously on a calendar.

"Okay. You're sure now? All right. Bye." She looked up and said, "Blue, write this down." Blue whipped out her clipboard. "September 20th and 21st for the East Coast Angel Luncheon."

Blue looked up, startled. "You're kidding. He actually made a decision?"

Serafina whispered, "Who made a decision? Ingo? She was talking to Ingo?"

"Yes dear," Blue whispered back.

Kira laughed, a melodious, sultry sound. "Yes, he made a decision, but who knows how long it will be before he changes his mind again?" She rose, and gave Serafina a big hug. "Welcome to the angels, love.

What's your name?"

"Serafina."

Kira gestured to the seating area. "Let's sit down and chat for a while. Blue dear, you are so shallow.

Stop gawking at that new picture of Ingo and come sit with us."

As they sat down, Serafina heard muffled laughter coming from beneath her and she jumped up with a squeak and glared at a red furry object on the sofa.

"Oh, that's just Tickle Me Elmo," Kira explained. "Elmo, the chat host at Rosie's Place sent him to me.

Would you like some Jax?"

Serafina stared at her and blinked in confusion until she focused on the dish of Jax snacks Kira was holding out to her. "Oh, um, yes thank you."

Kira's intercom buzzed and she went to pick it up. "Hi Kenya! Yes. Really?? That is *great*! Good job! Thanks!" She hung up the phone and pressed the loudspeaker button. "Hoo-Yah, Angels! It's party time in five minutes in the Angel Ballroom! Wear your dancing shoes!" Switching off the PA system, she grabbed Blue with one hand and Serafina in the other and hurried down the hall. Next to the dining room they turned down a hall which Serafina and Blue had not yet explored. In a moment they came out into a two story atrium with a grand sweeping staircase. As they climbed up the stairs, an angel came whizzing down the banister. "Giz!" Kira exclaimed. "Where are you going? Party time!"

"I know!" Giz called back. "I've got to go get my shoes!"

They reached the Angel Ballroom, which had a highly polished hardwood floor, mirrored walls and a dozen crystal chandeliers. Angels seemed to be walking, running and flying in from every doorway.

When the room was filled with anticipation and fluttering wings, Kira stepped up to the microphone on the stage at one end of the room. "Angels, I know how all of us, including me, love to celebrate, so much that we don't even really need a reason." Giggles rippled across the room. "But tonight we have three reasons to celebrate! First, we have a new angel visiting us tonight. Everyone welcome Serafina!" As Kira gestured in Serafina's direction, everyone applauded and called out welcomes. "Second, I spoke with Ingo a few minutes ago, and he gave me dates for the East Coast Angel Luncheon." More applause and shouts of "Woo-hoo!" broke out. "And finally..." Kira paused to make sure she had everyone's attention. "Kenya just informed me that Congress made the resolution. Four days of Jax a week will now be a law! Come on, angels, it's time to Do The Jax Dance!" She pressed a button, and for the next few hours music and laughter filled the room, as the angels danced and flew about. The party came to a close with Kira leading dozens of angels in the Macarena. As Blue escorted Serafina down to the gate, she turned back toward Angel Headquarters, now gleaming with light in the darkness. Angels filled the veranda, all waving and calling out, "Good night, Serafina! Come back and visit us again sometime!"