Angel on a Mission

Chapter 4

Gabrielle's POV

"Elle, are you single?" Bella suddenly asked during our conversation, catching me off guard. I chuckled lightly, feeling the warmth of the moment envelop me.

I'm taken by God.

My presence here is both a mission and my vocation. It is my top priority.

“I’m not really into relationships,” I told her candidly, noticing her eyes widen in disbelief.

“So you are single?” she inquired, still looking stunned by my admission.

“Well, you could put it that way,” I replied with a hint of amusement.

Angels are not meant to have boyfriends.

We are not meant to engage in romantic pursuits, especially not with humans.

Our true calling is to serve God.

That is our purpose.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“Oh my God! You absolutely have to meet our eldest brother, then! Mika must know her since she’s been in your school for quite a while,” Bella suggested, glancing at Mika with enthusiasm.

Mika looked at me with her eyes wide open in surprise.

Of course, I already knew exactly who Bella was referring to.

“Elle already knows her, Bella. Alex was there when he found us after Elle saved me,” Brooke chimed in, bringing clarity to the situation.

“Oh really? That’s fantastic then! You’ve met before!” Bella exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

Then, a realization dawned upon her.

“Excuse me, what? You saved Brooke? When did this happen?” Bella asked, her expression twisting into confusion.

“In the lake,” Brooke answered simply.

Bella gasped in astonishment.

“It was you? The mysterious girl who came out of nowhere and saved my sister!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder.

I looked at her and nodded, feeling a mixture of pride and humility.

“Wait, but how did you even do that?” Bella pressed, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“Uhm, I was at another property in the area. It belongs to my father, and while wandering through the woods, I heard Brooke's cries, so I rushed to her aid,” I explained, hoping to clarify the situation to Bella’s satisfaction.

Bella nodded slowly, processing my explanation.

“So that’s the story behind it all. Here my brother thought you were some kind of creep,” she continued, shaking her head in disbelief.

I chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“A creep? Really?”

He thinks that so lowly of me?

That’s quite unfortunate.

“Still, that means you’ve met Alex. That’s great news! What do you think about him?” Bella asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I really don’t—” I started to protest before she interrupted.

“Bella! Brooke!” a familiar grumpy voice shouted as a figure approached us. He glared at me as he made his way in our direction.

What did I do this time?

Bella quickly stood up and rushed to meet him before he could come any closer to us.

“Don’t be such a grumpy pants, Alex. I’m trying to find you your future girlfriend,” she whispered conspiratorially to him, but thanks to my enhanced hearing as an angel, I caught every word.

“What?!” he spat back at her incredulously.

“Chill, Alex. Gosh! Don’t you see the girl Brooke and I have been talking to? She’s absolutely beautiful and really nice too. I bet she’s your type. Plus, you’ve met her before,” she teased him eagerly.

“No, she’s not! What do you even know about my type?!” he shot back defensively.

“Oh please! If your type is Emily, I definitely won’t acknowledge that she-devil. Besides, she’s made of plastic. Just look at Elle! She’s a natural beauty and a true angel,” Bella countered passionately.

“How can you even tell when you’ve just met her today?! For all you know, she’s a stalker!” he hissed, his eyes narrowing.

The audacity he had was infuriating.

I am not a stalker.

Most certainly not his stalker or anyone else’s.

“A stalker? Whose stalker?” Bella demanded, her voice rising slightly as she pressed him for an answer. He averted his gaze, avoiding her eyes.

“Yours? You’ve got to be kidding!” she laughed incredulously.

“Stop it, Bella. I don’t want you or Brooke talking to her again,” he warned firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

“Hell no, Alex! I’m friends with Elle now, and Brooke definitely looks up to her even more than the both of us combined. If you have a problem with her, that’s your issue. Don’t drag us into it because I trust her,” Bella declared boldly, turning her back on him and flipping her hair dramatically.

“Elle! Mikaela!” she squealed excitedly as she returned to us, leaving her brother behind. I couldn’t contain the chuckle that escaped my lips.

Just then, I realized my phone, which I had forgotten I even had, was ringing.

I pulled it out and noticed that instead of a name or number, there was just a location displayed on the screen.

“I think I need to go. There’s an emergency,” I said, sensing the concern radiating from the group.

“Is everything okay, Elle?” Mika asked, her voice laced with worry. I offered her a small smile and a nod.

“I really need to go. I’ll see you all in school,” I said, waving them goodbye as I sprinted back toward Mika’s house and hopped into my car, speeding off.

I need to stop a terrible event from occurring.

In an instant, I arrived at my destination and parked the car before stepping out.

As I entered the convenience store, I observed a few people milling about.

Then I spotted my target.

I watched diligently as he approached the counter. Once his items were scanned by the cashier, I stepped in and handed over money to pay for his selections.

He looked at me with confusion, but I offered him a small, reassuring smile.

“Hi. Are you Dennis? I’m a friend of your daughter. May I please talk to you for a moment?” I asked, lightly touching his arm as he stared at me in surprise. He nodded, dazed by the unexpected encounter. I smiled back at him with warmth.

I guided him out of the store, but it still wasn’t safe to speak freely.

“I’m Elle,” I introduced myself, keeping my tone gentle.

“What do you want?” he replied grumpily, defensive and on edge. I maintained my smile.

“You shouldn’t,” I stated firmly, leaving him more confused than ever.

“If you go through with your intentions, you will find yourself in a difficult situation, and...your daughter will completely lose her father,” I warned him, watching as he froze in place. Once he regained his composure, he gripped my wrist tightly, squeezing it painfully, but I didn’t flinch.

“Who are you?!” he shouted, his voice raw with anger. I took his hand, which was holding my wrist.

“There are other ways. Good ways. You can still make it. I believe in you. Your daughter believes in you. We can still fix this. It’s not too late,” I told him earnestly, seeing the conflict of emotions play across his face as his eyes misted with tears.

“My daughter hates me,” he whimpered, despair evident in every word. I shook my head emphatically.

“She loves you. She just expects you to try harder—for yourself and for her. Prove to her that you can be a worthy father,” I said, my heart breaking for him as he began to cry and released my wrist.

“I don’t know how,” he sobbed, visibly defeated. I rubbed his back gently to help him relax.

“I’ll help you. Come with me,” I insisted, and he nodded hesitantly, allowing me to guide him toward my car.

“Get in and wait for me here, okay?” I instructed him. He complied reluctantly but did as I asked.

I went into a clothing store and selected a presentable outfit for Dennis, then returned to the convenience store to purchase a razor.

When I got back to my car where Dennis was waiting, I hopped in and handed him the paper bag.

“What’s this?” he asked, curiosity piqued.

“The first step to starting a new life,” I replied, and then I drove off to a nearby public bathroom.

“Change and shave,” I instructed him as we arrived. He nodded and exited the car.

“Leave your gun, Dennis,” I told him firmly, and he looked at me in shock.

“I trust you. I know you won’t use it again. I’m only asking you to leave it because I don’t want anyone else to see it on you and jump to conclusions,” I explained softly. He swallowed hard but eventually acquiesced, solemnly removing the gun and handing it over to me. I placed it safely in the compartment.

After a few moments, he went inside, and I waited for him patiently.

About half an hour later, he returned, wearing fresh clothing and sporting a clean-shaven face.

“Looking sharp!” I encouraged him, and he grinned shyly as he climbed back into the car.

We drove off again.

We pulled up to a small building, and Dennis looked over at me, his expression a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

“His name is Roberto. He used to be a convict like you. A drug addict. But he’s been clean for ten years now. He goes to church every day. He started a business to help ex-convicts, including yourself, start anew. He can help you, Dennis. That’s if you want to be helped,” I explained earnestly. He stared at me, his eyes wide with astonishment.

“Can he really help me?” he asked, hope beginning to shine through his despair. I nodded, affirming his budding belief.

“Yes, he can,” I reassured him with a warm smile. He responded with a grateful smile of his own and exited the car, heading inside.

I took a moment to observe their interaction from a distance, trusting in the process.

Although I might appear ordinary to the naked eye, I knew the significance of the moment unfolding before me.

Finally, after confirming everything was proceeding positively, I turned to leave.

I had just potentially saved countless lives.

Dennis was on the verge of committing a crime.

In that crime, if left unchecked, he would have killed thirteen people in his attempt to escape from authorities and everything else.

If I hadn’t intervened, he would have surely gone through with it.

But I did intervene.

I stopped him and offered him a lifeline.

I showed him an entirely different path, one that didn’t require bloodshed.

A path he wouldn’t have to live with, burdening his conscience every day.

What I accomplished today made a genuine difference in the world and the lives within it.

It was a small change but one that mattered most.

Because today, thirteen families were spared from grief and anguish.

I had fulfilled my mission for the day.

I'm happy with that.