***
"I think we should have Joey join," said Justin the next day. "You guys said he has a good voice."
"Yeah," agreed JC. "And let's face it, trios don't go very far..."
"Some do," Chris said.
"Yeah, but whatever, dude, it's your group," JC said.
"You're not Wipeout anymore, dude," Justin informed him with a grin.
"Shut up!"
"It's not MY group, it's OUR group," Chris said, interuppting the banter. JC and Justin smiled. "And I think you guys are right. I'll call him."
*****
"We've already got a gig?" JC asked increduously.
"Yeah," Chris said. "It's at a nursing home, we're gonna do like, two songs, we don't have to dance. Lou said he was short a group cause his other group...the Back something or other, I can't remember the name, they pulled out and went to Europe or something..."
"Oh...okay," Justin said. "Saturday, then?"
"Yeah," Chris said. "But there's one other thing," he said cautiously.
"What?" JC asked.
"Well...there's this guy, his name is Jason...Lou wants us to sing with him for it, cause he's got a lower voice than Joey. He might end up permenantly in the group."
"Don't we get a say?" Joey wondered.
"Apparently not."
******
Lance sighed as he watched the four guys and Jason singing. This wasn't right. Lou was moving too fast, and he'd already upset the other four by sticking Jason in there. They didn't get along at all. Their voices went together all right, but the personalities didn't mesh at all. They were singing pretty well, and most of the people in the nursing home seemed to enjoy it. Though, Lance noted with amusement, some were asleep and a few more couldn't hear but clapped very loudly anyway.
"Hey, you, young man, you friends with them?" he heard a voice behind him ask. He spun around in surprise. "I asked you a question," the old lady the voice belonged to said.
He looked over his shoulder, in shocked that she could see him. "Me?"
"Yes you. The one in the white."
Lance blinked. "Sorry, yeah I know who they are...I'm just not used to...wait, you can see me?"
"Course I can see you," she said. "Victoria," she said, beginning to turn to the woman next to her.
"No! Don't do that...she...can't see me," Lance said.
"Why can't she see you?" she asked.
"Uh...well..."
"You're not real, are you? You're a ghost or something!"
"Or something," Lance said uneasily. "No one can see me...except people who..." he stopped suddenly, realizing.
"Am I going to die now? I want to go home. Will you take me home? I want to see Alexandar again."
Lance was a bit shocked, but he felt sympathetic. That was one of the sweetest things he'd heard in a long time. "Um...I don't know...I'll see..." he let out his wings and flew upwards.
"James, what are you doing?" Nikolas asked. "
She could see me!" he said. "She could...see..."
"Who, Violet?" Nikolas looked down. "Yes, it's her time now," he said. "It makes sense."
"She said she wanted to go home..."
"Did she?"
"She also said..." Lance stopped. Nikolas gestured for him to continue. "She also said that she wanted to see Alexander again...and she wanted me to take her home."
"That's not your duty, James," Nikolas said gently. "You're a guardian, not an angel of death."
"I know, but..."
Suddenly they were interuppted by a small messenger angel. He whispered something in Nikolas' ear. "You have permission," Nikolas said, eyes wide. "Just this once."
"Really? Great! Thanks! Wait...permission from who?" Nikolas raised his eyebrows and glanced upwards. Lance's eyes widened. "Oh! I get it...um...right...just this once...where do I bring her?"
"Just up. Alexandar will be waiting, they're soulmates," Nikolas said with a grin.
Lance smiled softly. Then he flew down. "You're an angel, aren't you?" Violet accused as soon as he was back down.
"That I am," he replied softly. "I'm here to take you home."
"Really?" she asked, eyes wide.
He smiled. "Yup," he replied. He gave a look back to the guys still singing. "This isn't my normal thing, but it's an exception, since you asked."
"What do you normally do?" she asked.
"I'm a guardian."
"For who?" "See him?" he asked, pointing at Joey. She nodded. "I'm his guardian. And the three on the end as well. In a way."
"What about the fifth one?" Lance frowned. "I don't take care of him. By the way, my name is Lance."
"My name is Violet." She looked around the room. "I'm ready to go now," she said.
He gave her a soft smile. "Take my hand," he said, extending it. She gripped it, her grip surprisingly firm. Lance let out his wings and began to fly upwards above the clouds. Violet gasped in shock as she looked around and left her body behind. He smiled. They arrived, and he looked over, and in the frail old woman's place was a beautiful young woman not much older than he looked.
She looked at herself and smiled. Then she looked up and saw a young man waiting. She smiled broadly. "Alexander!" she called out. Lance smiled. She turned to him. "Thank you," she said. He bowed. Then he waved goodbye and flew back to earth. He frowned, noticing the amount of people that surrounded Violet's now lifeless body. He'd forgotten about this part. But he knew she was happy, and that was enough.