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Dark Impulse Ch. 14

Knight Residence

April 1, 2001

The early morning sun gradually filled Gabriel's room with its light. He slept on, completely absorbed by the dream that was taking shape behind his closed lids.

* * *

The soft summer breeze gently stirred Gabriel's hair, waking him up. He opened his eyes and winced as the blinding light of the sun shone directly into them. Shutting his eyes, he swore in a low voice. As he waited for his eyes to clear themselves of the bright flash, he became aware of a subtle rocking sensation, as if he was back in the cradle. He cautiously opened his eyes again, and a long glance at his surroundings confirmed his suspicions. He was on a boat.

All of the earlier ice had melted away from the lake and was replaced by beautiful and clear water. Gabriel's small rowboat floated at the center, and he observed the trees which stood along the water, their leaves fresh and green. His gaze was drawn to the high buildings that seemed to play peek-a-boo with him from behind the trees, and he realized exactly where he was.

Central Park. I'm getting closer to Grace, I can feel it.

With a feeling of nervous anticipation in his belly, Gabriel grabbed the oars and began to row to shore. He drew closer to his destination, the muscles of his back and arms moving beneath the white linen shirt that he wore. Sweat gleamed on his forehead from the effort of rowing; he lifted a hand to wipe it away as he glanced at the shore behind him, and froze at what he saw.

Someone waited for him. He knew with every fiber of his being that it was Grace.

He pumped his arms faster, his eyes never leaving the figure in the distance. The boat reached the shore and Gabriel quickly climbed out of it, not caring that it drifted away as soon as he left. She waited patiently for him as he ran to her, his heart racing. She was wearing a sleeveless dress, its peach hue complimenting her creamy skin. He had longed to touch her for ages, hold her. She was finally within his reach.

Gabriel drew to a stop before her, breathing heavily from fatigue and desire. Grace watched him with a cool expression, but he saw the fire in her eyes when she looked at him, the yearning that she tried so hard to hide. He didn't want her to conceal it; he wanted to bask in its heat, roll around with her in the flames.

He started to raise his hand to touch her face, but the frightened look in her eyes gave him pause. In that moment she looked as if she was a wild animal confronted by a man offering it food and shelter, and she had to decide whether to trust the stranger or flee to the safety of the woods. He gave her the chance to retreat, and when several seconds had passed he finally made contact.

At the touch of Gabriel's hand on her cheek, Grace's eyes closed briefly before their eyes met and held. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She didn't pull away. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to hers. His voice was hoarse as he whispered the words he'd waited so long to say, and he felt her tremble against him.

"I love you."

A sob escaped her lips as she broke away from his embrace, and he felt as if he'd been stabbed in the heart. She whirled around, facing away from him. He watched helplessly as she cried, her shoulders shaking from the intensity of her emotions. He reached out to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him. He repeated the words over and over, determined to make her believe them. Tears escaped from her eyes, and he kissed them away.

Gabriel realized that she hadn't spoken a word the entire time, and he was anxious to know what she was thinking. "Gracie, please say something."

Grace's eyes opened, and she looked down at her hands. She opened them and he saw that they were full of some yellowish grain. It took a moment before Gabriel could figure out what it was; it was birdseed.

She looked into his eyes, and her face was curiously blank as she spoke.

"The birds are hungry, Gabriel. I must feed them."

She suddenly flung out her arms, and from out of nowhere a large black raven landed on her hand and fed delicately on the birdseed. Gabriel, having stepped back when the bird first appeared, stepped closer to watch it eat. His stomach churned, filled with a strange tension and fear. He reached out his hand to stroke the raven's wings, and the bird turned its head quickly away from the seed and stared straight at him. The sight of the bird's beady eyes made Gabriel feel cold inside, and before he could react the raven plunged its sharp beak into the soft flesh of Grace's arm.

Grace screamed from the bird's attack, and Gabriel leapt forward in an attempt to swat it away. The raven mercilessly pecked her fragile skin again and again, driven by some unknown desire to cause her agony. Gabriel roared in anger as he unsheathed his dagger, wanting to rip the offending animal apart. Upon seeing the dagger the bird flew away, its caws mocking the Shadow Hunter as its wings flapped against the wind.

He resheathed the dagger and knelt down to tend to Grace where she had fallen. She clutched her arm, her entire body quaking with shock. He tore off his shirt and wrapped it tightly around her arm to try and stop the bleeding. He stroked her hair as he pulled her to him, whispering that it was over. She wrapped her good arm about his waist as he helped her up, and they both froze when they heard the sounds in the distance. They looked into the sky and saw a multitude of black shapes approaching fast, so many that they blocked out the sun.

Gabriel grabbed Grace's good arm, bringing her with him as they began to run. After a few steps, she let go of his hand and extended her mangled arm towards some point among the trees. She softly whispered something that he couldn't hear, her bleeding arm beckoning to no one.

His heart pounded with fear, and his voice was rough with concern.

"Gracie, what are you doing? We have to go now!"

She was staring at something that he couldn't see, and he knew that they would be overcome by the raven flock if they delayed much longer. He tried to grab her, but she fought him with all her might.

"Please, we have to wait!"

He glanced at the sky, which was rapidly turning black from the sheer mass of the swarm. She also saw the danger but she remained where she stood, her bad arm waiting to be taken. The furious caws grew louder, and Gabriel had to scream to be heard over the noise.

"Wait for what, Gracie? What are you waiting for?"

* * *

The alarm clock went off and Gabriel jerked awake with a sharp gasp, his arms automatically rising to fight off the imaginary black birds. Even when he looked around and realized that he was safe in his old room, he didn't relax.

Something is going on in New York where Grace is concerned, and she's seriously at risk of being hurt. Or worse. I need to find out what's going on with her.

He rose from the bed and began to dress, his thoughts centered on locating Grace. He decided that as soon as he was settled in the city, he would try and see her at the address that Mosely gave him on Friday night. If for some reason she wasn't there, he would try her office at Columbia on Monday morning.

He left the room and climbed the stairs to the attic, wanting to see his portrait again. Stepping closer, he stared at the likeness that Grace had so lovingly created. He lightly touched the wooden frame, clearing his mind to receive whatever information the painting had to give him. He closed his eyes, his senses taking over.

* * *

Gabriel saw a large room, obviously an artist's studio. Sunshine streamed in through the many windows. Perhaps one of them was left open; the air was crisp and refreshing. He breathed it in, and detected a hint of linseed oil along with the familiar smell of fresh paint. He looked at the canvas and saw a rough outline of his face, his hair streaked with shades of vermilion and his emerald eyes flashing back at him.

Grace was sitting in a chair, a gin and tonic in her hand. She sipped her drink as she contemplated the painting. She wore a white artist's smock over a black cocktail dress and high heels, her hair piled on top of her head. She looked as if she was dressed for a night on the town. Gabriel missed how she used to look when she was with him, back when she was more casual and natural. He continued to watch her with his mind's eye, trying to reconcile the old Grace with the new.

She leaned forward and with a bitter smile, lifted her glass to the portrait.

"Knight, you heartless bastard. Here's to you! With this painting, may I finally be free of you! My heart was yours from the very beginning, but you never wanted it. Even now, it still belongs to you despite my not wanting it to. Hopefully this project will get you out of my system for good, and then I can finally move on with the rest of my life! Damn you, and damn me for still loving you after all this time!"

She drained her drink in one gulp, and Gabriel wished that he could speak with her. Just then, there was the sound of a buzzer going off. Grace rose from the chair and walked towards the intercom, pressing the button.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, love. Let me in."

Gabriel recognized Liam's voice, and he felt a sharp pang of jealousy. He heard Grace sigh briefly before she pressed the button again to reply.

"Liam, I'm working on something important right now. Can't I just come down?"

"What's the big secret, Grace? You can't show me this thing that's taking up almost all your time now? We don't see you anymore these days, mate."

After a moment, she let Liam in. Gabriel watched them greet each other in the European way, kissing each other on both cheeks. Seeing this, he felt relieved that their relationship was more platonic in nature.

Before Liam arrived in the studio, Grace had covered the portrait with a cloth. The Irishman kept peeking at the shielded canvas with unveiled curiosity. Flustered, she tried to distract him by making small talk, pouring a drink for him.

"Would you like a drink? How long do we have before the party begins?"

Liam waited until Grace's back was turned before he pulled away the cloth.

"I'd say we have about twenty minutes before we have to hit the road. The traffic is bound to be crazy at this hour... oh, my. Who is this, lovely? He's quite tasty."

Grace blushed hard at Liam's words, and Gabriel felt a similar flush creeping on his face and neck with the realization of his new acquaintance's personal tastes. But whatever discomfort he felt was quickly forgotten when Grace spoke.

"This, my good friend, is the man who broke my heart once. It took me a very long time to recover. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?"

Liam raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Not even a name for me, darling?"

She took a deep breath. "It's not worth mentioning, believe me."

Liam regarded the painting again, wondering at the man behind the image.

"Since he's so unworthy of discussion, why bother to paint him?"

Frowning at his question, Grace sipped at the fresh drink that she'd fixed.

"Because I want to say goodbye to the past, and this is as good a way as any."

Liam placed an arm about her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"Well, my dear, good luck. I think that we should leave now for the party."

Grace pulled off her artist's smock and draped it over the chair as Liam picked up her coat from the rack by the door, holding it out for her to slip into. As they left the studio, Gabriel released his hold on the picture frame and returned to the present, his mind whirling from all that he saw and heard.

* * *

Gran said that Grace gave her the finished portrait sometime last year, so the things that I just saw happened at least a year ago! Jesus, this ability to pick up echoes of past events still scares the shit out of me at times, and it gives me a headache. God!

He heard the sound of footsteps on the attic stairs as he stepped away from the portrait, and a minute later Gran touched his shoulder. He turned to her, speechless from the shock of what he'd just experienced. Rebecca didn't need an explanation; she knew that he'd be able to pick up something. They embraced, and she spoke to him as Gabriel looked at the portrait for the last time.

"Good luck with everything, my sweet boy. Give Grace my love, as well as yours. Help her in any way that you can, and watch your back."

He hugged her tightly. "I will, Gran. You know I will."

A few minutes later, Gabriel left the house and hurried towards the taxi that was waiting for him. Rebecca watched him from her front porch. He waved to her and shouted over his shoulder as he climbed into the cab.

He gave her a wink. "Love you, Gran! Take care of my bike, will ya? Other than you and Grace, she's my best girl!"

Gran chuckled as the taxi drove off, and she watched it until it was gone.

It was 10am sharp when Gabriel arrived at the Ritz-Carlton. As soon as he entered the elegant lobby, he was escorted to Liam's suite on the top floor. Inside, there was a flurry of activity; Gabriel observed several bellhops entering and leaving the room, preparing Liam's belongings for his departure from the hotel.

Liam's voice called out to him from the balcony. "Gabriel, I'm out here."

Gabriel stepped out onto the balcony, which had a wonderful view of the French Quarter a mere block away from the hotel. Since it was Sunday, Liam was dressed casually in jeans with a long-sleeved white shirt and a dark blue sweater that brought out his enigmatic eyes. His shoulder-length blond hair was still damp from his morning bath, and its texture made Gabriel think of a lion's mane.

Liam nodded his head to Gabriel in greeting, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Good morning, Gabriel. I trust that you slept well?"

Gabriel forced a neutral expression. "Well enough for the circumstances."

Liam smiled as he poured coffee for the both of them.

"Today is the big day. I must say, as charming as I find New Orleans, I am quite relieved to be returning to New York and back to work."

Sitting down across from Liam, Gabriel took his cup and sipped the potent brew.

"What are you going to do with the business while Anami's away? You did say that he's returning on Wednesday, right? You'll be holding the fort for two whole days."

Liam reached for a croissant and took a hearty bite, deep in thought.

"I suppose that I'll be handling things the way I always do when David is off on business. That means that I'll sign the papers that require a signature, make the deals that need to be made and brief David on all new developments via conference calls."

Gabriel bit into a blueberry muffin as he listened to Liam speak. More than anything, he wanted to talk about the vision that he saw of Grace and Liam in the studio, but he knew that it would be wise to keep it to himself for the time being.

Finishing his breakfast, he cleared his throat.

"Well Liam, it seems that you and Anami are running a tight ship. The two of you must be very proud to have such a successful company. I want to change the subject now, and ask you something that's been on my mind since last night."

Liam smiled, his teeth flashing in the sun.

"Does that something concern Grace, by any chance?"

Gabriel leaned forward, his green eyes scrutinizing Liam's dark blue ones.

"How did you find out about me and Grace exactly?"

Liam stood up from the small table and looked down at the street below. Gabriel watched him, secure in the knowledge of his vision. He'd been wondering for some time if Liam could be trusted, and Gabriel knew that he'd be able to catch him in a lie if his answer deviated from what he had seen himself using his second sight.

Liam turned to face Gabriel, leaning against the balcony. His smile was gone.

"About a year ago, Grace and I were due to appear at some charity dinner or other for the museum and I went to pick her up at the studio..."

Gabriel couldn't stop himself from interrupting. "What studio? Whose is it?"

Liam sighed heavily, his eyes darkening.

"I own a studio apartment in Hell's Kitchen, and I rent it to Grace for her personal use. She paints there, and she also uses the apartment when she needs to be alone."

Gabriel sat back in his chair, regarding Liam. "Go on."

The Irishman gripped the balcony railing behind him.

"I was curious about what she was working on, so I went up and looked. I saw your face, and I asked her about you. She wouldn't tell me, but as she looked at the canvas her eyes were full of such anguish, such longing. It both worried me greatly and piqued my interest. Since Grace was so obviously upset over you, I couldn't rest until I knew who you were."

Gabriel stood and walked up to Liam. "Why?"

Liam's eyes were somber as he replied, his voice rough and low.

"Because Grace has been a wonderful friend to me, and I respect and love her. I can't bear to see her unhappy, and I would do anything to bring her life out of the shadows and back into the light. She is in so much pain, and despite her claims that she doesn't need any help with her problems, I believe that there's one thing that can turn everything around. You. The best thing for her now is you."

Gabriel's heart lurched in his chest at Liam's words.

"But how did you make the connection between me and Grace?"

Liam shrugged, the corners of his mouth turning upwards in a smile.

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Sometime after the episode in the studio, your last novel was released. 'Sacred Blood,' was it? Anyway, Grace and I were taking a walk one day and we passed a bookshop which had a large promotional display in the window, complete with your picture. Grace looked at me and realized that I had matched the name with the face, and she told me that she used to work for you. Of course, it had to have been more than that."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. He was still unsure of Liam, so he decided to bait him.

"What makes you so sure that Grace's dismissal of me wasn't deserved? How do you know that I'm not a complete bastard, the type of person who destroys everyone and everything that he touches? What makes you think that I won't hurt her any more than I have already?"

Liam placed his hands on Gabriel's shoulders, staring into his eyes.

"You know, they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul."

The breath stopped in Gabriel's throat. "Yes?"

"You're so open, Gabriel. Right now I can see the very heart of you, and somehow I know that you are deeply regretful of the past and that you want so much to be forgiven for what you've done, whatever it was. Now you have your chance. In a few minutes we're going to leave for New York and Grace. Will you take it, or will you spend another several years in isolation and despair?"

Gabriel stared at Liam, at a loss for words. A soft knock distracted the two men.

Liam turned toward the closed French doors. "Yes?"

A bellhop stepped onto the balcony. "The limo is ready, Sir."

"Excellent. Thank you."

The bellhop left, and Liam faced Gabriel again. "Shall we go?"

Gabriel gave a terse nod, his emotions in an uproar. He followed Liam out of the suite and out of the hotel, his mind otherwise engaged. He remained silent throughout the ride to the airport, his thoughts on Grace and how he would approach her in the city. He hoped to God that she would respond to him, or else his heart would break into so many pieces that it would never be whole again.

The limo stopped near a small airstrip close to the airport, and Gabriel looked out of the window and saw an impressive looking private jet with the initials "AE" emblazoned on the tail. He let out a low whistle as he and Liam stepped out.

They boarded the plane, and Gabriel's jaw dropped as he took in every detail of the interior. They sat down, facing each other across a table which was apparently used for in-flight board meetings. Liam motioned for the stewardess to bring a leather briefcase to the table. She set down the case in front of Gabriel, and he looked at Liam with a curious expression.
"Go ahead, open it. Consider this an advance payment for your services."

Gabriel opened the case to find a brand-new laptop computer. He'd been planning to buy one himself since his last one conked out on him a few years back.

He smiled at Liam with genuine appreciation. "Thanks a lot. This definitely saves me the trouble of searching the electronic stores for a new one. I'm useless when it comes to shopping for technical gadgets."

Liam smiled back, relaxing in his seat. "You're very welcome. The jet has ready Internet access if you wish to do some research during the flight."

Gabriel was amazed at Liam's thoughtfulness. In his constant worry over Grace, he had completely forgotten about researching the case.

"Thank you very much, Liam. I think I will."

The plane took to the sky, and as soon as they were airborne Liam lowered his window shade and settled down for a nap. Gabriel turned on the laptop and opened his duffel bag as the operating system loaded up. He retrieved a CD-ROM from an inside pocket, its label completely black except for a small image of the Ritter talisman on it.

The disc contained all of the files of the Shattenjäger database, and was programmed to automatically install the Sidney program. He inserted the disc into the laptop and patiently waited until the setup was complete.

Gabriel stared at the "Search" function, considering how to proceed. He suspected that it would take all day for him to sort through the results of such a general term as "Possession," so he changed tactics and chose to literally follow his dreams to see where they would lead. He typed "Raven" into the search engine.

The stewardess served him coffee, and he sipped the dark brew as he viewed the search results. A link on the screen caught his eye: "Cultural Symbolism of the Raven."

Intrigued, he clicked on it and began to read.

The raven, like its close relative the crow, is a bird which is highly associated with death, loss and war in Western Europe but widely venerated elsewhere. Its sinister reputation was largely influenced by its association with the Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of War as well as the war god Odin of the Viking culture. In the Old Testament, the raven was the astute bird which Noah released from the Ark before the Dove. In Ancient Greece, the raven was the messenger bird for Apollo (god of light, intellect, healing, prophecy, the arts and music) and of Athena (goddess of wisdom). In both Chinese and Japanese cultures, the raven is the emblem of family love. In African and Native American cultures, the raven is a spirit guide who warns of impending danger...

Gabriel closed his eyes as an image came to him of a woman and child.

In his mind, the faceless woman clutched the child tightly to her, guarding it from dangers unseen. Suddenly, a gigantic pair of midnight wings materialized from thin air and enveloped the two figures from behind before everything went black.

He opened his eyes and stared at the clouds outside the window, confused. Was the bird protecting them or attacking them?

Family love. What the hell am I missing? There is something that I must know, something that lies just beyond my reach. Damn, damn, damn!

He took a shuddering breath and turned back to the laptop screen. He mentally reviewed the small details that Liam had given him about David Anami during their conversation at dinner the night before.

They had grown up together in a small Irish village by the sea, Crosshaven. Anami had moved there with his family at the tender age of five, while anti-Japanese sentiments were still running high in the years after WWII. It had been tough for the family to start over in such conditions, and the father had to go off to England to find work since all the jobs in the area of Crosshaven were curiously closed to him. Even though the elder Anami sent money to the family whenever he could, the mother and child still suffered greatly in his absence. Then one day, the news came that the father would never return; there was an accident at the factory in which David's father slipped and fell from a great height, and he was torn apart by the machinery on which he landed.

He shook his head, trying to dismiss the gruesome mental image. It was a horrible way to die. Having lost his own parents tragically, Gabriel felt a powerful wave of empathy for the man whom he had yet to meet in person.

He clicked on the link to read about the role of ravens in Celtic lore.

In Neolithic times (Between 6000 B.C. and 2000 B.C.), the raven was considered to be a conductor of souls by the Celts. They believed in excarnation, which was the removal of the flesh of the dead in order to liberate the soul. When a person died, the body would be suspended on an erected wooden platform and left outside until birds have picked the deceased's bones clean, thus allowing the soul to leave for the next world.

The Bird Goddess, the Morrigan, was the collector of these souls. She (although she is also known to appear as a trio of goddesses) was honored as the goddess of death and rebirth; since the early Celts called upon her to give new life to the souls that she took from the dead, the legend of the Stork bringing newborn babies in its beak to expectant couples was born
.

Gabriel smiled briefly at the thought before he continued reading.

After the region was invaded and ravaged by the Kurgans, an early Indo-European race which originated from what is now known as Russia, the Celts were introduced to war, bronze weapons and social stratification (class division). The burial rituals of old were abandoned as a result of the Kurgans' influence, and the once benevolent Morrigan, the Great Queen who led the souls of the dead to the other side, became the Battle Raven whose flock fed on the corpses of those who died on the battlefield.

The Celts believed that, as they engaged in warfare, the Morrigan flew shrieking overhead in the form of a raven or carrion crow. When the battle had ended, the warriors would leave the field until dawn so that the Morrigan could claim the trophies of heads, euphemistically known as "the Morrigan's acorn crop."


Gabriel shuddered hard at what he just read, his voice low and hoarse.

"Sweet Jesus, what am I getting myself into?"

He forced himself to finish reading, apprehensive over what he may find.

In spite of the bloodthirstiness described above, the Morrigan is known to be the protector of women and children, and is also the goddess of fertility and sexuality. She is the appropriate deity for those who are strong and independent in nature, particularly those on a warrior path in their lives. Ritualistically speaking, followers of the Morrigan honor and invoke her by using a number of items in their rituals which include (but are not limited to) a raven or crow feather and blood.

It has been rumored that a number of the Great Queen's devotees have taken their worship a step further and actually offered themselves to the Morrigan to be used as instruments to carry out her will. However, such claims have yet to be confirmed.


Gabriel snapped out of the spell that the article created, and he glanced briefly at Liam's sleeping face before turning his eyes back to the window. He watched the clouds outside, allowing his mind to drift for a while before his thoughts returned to the last paragraph that he'd read.

Is there such a thing as voluntary possession? Is that the "step further" that the Sidney article mentioned? Looks like I'm about to find out.

He brought up the search engine and typed "Possession." After a few seconds, he saw that the program had divided the results into two categories: demonic and spiritual. Gabriel knew that demonic possession dealt exclusively with the Devil and his demons, but he knew next to nothing about the other kind.

He clicked on "Spiritual Possession" and read the article provided.

Unlike demonic possession, where the person is thought to be taken over by the Devil or his demons for harm, spirit possession is a voluntary, culturally sanctioned displacement of the personality. The spirits, whether they are deities, angels, demons, advanced entities, or the dead, are invited to enter a human person to educate and communicate with the living or just because they do not realize they are dead and need help in passing to their next realm...

The article went on to discuss the Holy Spirit and the Apostles; Gabriel skipped ahead, searching for something that was more fitting to the case.

Spirit possession is not restricted to Christians but has been and is practiced by many groups and cultures throughout the world. The Greek civilization had their oracles that prophesized future events...

Gabriel continued to scroll down the page, anxious to read more.

The concept of spirit possession by various deities plays a major role in religious worship in the Caribbean, the Middle East, India, and Africa. In the Caribbean and especially Africa, a variety of Voudoun (also Voodoo) religions are found. This possession is often sought after, and is considered to be received by only a worthy person. The possession usually occurs during religious ceremonies and only lasts during the event. Becoming possessed is known as "mounting the horse." The horse is the person or victim who "manifests" the spirit, and the spirit is the one who "rides" him or her...

A chill ripped through him as he remembered the Voodoo Murders and the way Tetelo "rode" Malia so many years before, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He turned his attention back to the article.

In Neo-paganism there are two rituals which involve spirit possession. They are the "Drawing the Moon" which is the invoking of the Goddess (Moon) into the high priestess, and is more prevalently celebrated; and the "Drawing the Sun" which invokes the God (Sun) into the high priest. According to the beliefs in Neo-pagan witchcraft, during the ritual of "Drawing the Moon" the priest invokes the Goddess or Triple Goddess, symbolized by the phases of the moon, into the priestess. Others believed the priestess invokes the Goddess into herself. The ritual usually occurs within what is known as the magic circle. Depending on the priestess' attitude she often experiences the spirit possession of the Goddess, during which time many believe the Goddess speaks and works blessings through the priestess. The priestess' elated feeling can linger for days afterwards. There can be a similar experience for the priest who has been possessed by the God.

Gabriel clicked his tongue as he finished reading, feeling doubtful that the information that he just read had any relevance concerning what was going on. He shut down the Sidney program and closed the laptop. He stretched in his seat and resumed his cloud watching, wondering what Anami would ask of him.

He watched the soft white clouds as he let his mind wander. He thought of Grace, and he hoped that he'd be able to see her before the day was out. He considered what he would say to her, wondered how she would react to his presence. His thoughts were consumed by her for the remainder of the flight, until he looked up and realized that he could see Manhattan in the distance as the plane approached JFK.

He stared at the World Trade Center, the twin towers serving as a beacon of hope to Gabriel as the plane drew closer to the city. He watched the water surrounding the island sparkle in the sunlight, and he wished with everything that he had that when he finally saw Grace and made it clear that he would do anything for her, she wouldn't turn him away.

I'm coming for you, Gracie. You are not alone in this, I swear it.
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