Redeeming Love

Summary: Twenty years ago, charming and experienced Arch Cupid was retired from the heavens to lead way for his Apprentice. The task isn't as easy as one would think as soon the young new cupid finds out. After two decades of shooting arrows carelessly, the amount of unhappy couples and divorces reaches the Oracles who decide to pass judgment on Cupid's ability to predict who belongs with who as well as his accuracy rate uniting predestined soul mates.

His indifferent attitude, lack of patience, and short-temper sparks the anger of the Oracles who decide that he should learn first hand what love is all about. Cupid has six months to mend the heart of the maiden whom he wronged, but what happens when she is reluctant to believe in the love that has always failed her?

xXx

(Note: This is entirely fictional and has no association with any religious groups. It is not meant to be about Christianity although the mention of God and Satan in used. I in no way mean that this story has any relevance to Christian beliefs and has relevancy to how religion sees heaven, hell and earth- for in religion things differ greatly from normal stereotyping of said 'realms.' It is also not based on the Cupid mythology, although some references can be made, just like some Christian references are made. Real heavenly beings in my opinion are faultless and cannot have any of the character traits represented herein. This is for pure entertainment purposes only.)

---

Chapter One:

From Heavenly Clouds

Whoever said that it was impossible to walk on clouds was surely an idiot. He had heard it from the angels who visited Earth that scientist believed such a task was an impossibility. If such a thing were true, then it would certainly not explain how he was sitting on a puffy cloud, which he had molded into a chair. With a bored expression, his cerulean blue eyes looked up at the Oracles. Not that he could see the five old beings. As far as anyone was concerned, he was just staring at five rays of light. His hair was fair, so much that it shone like silvery threads beneath the rays. It cascaded in beautiful curls that reached no further than his jawline- it was layered- so it was not like the hair blinded him. It had always been the same hair because immortal beings did not require to cut their hair or groom it; everything was just created perfectly and stayed that way perpetually. His lips were a rosy red color and were not too thin, not too full- just a tempting pout. His skin was like porcelain, but his cheeks had natural blush. In essence he was absolutely gorgeous. Of course he was- Cupid had to be beautiful and lovely. Humans had the wrong idea of a chubby baby firing little arrows.

Still, he had been summoned by the Oracles because they were displeased with his work. He knew this- he had known it for a very long time- but he merely let it slid. As long as they did not send him back into rigorous training, he could handle any consequence.

It was amazing how such meetings sounded so alike the human business world, but sadly, the celestial love industry was of absolute importance to the heavens. After all, love conquered evil and won over hate; love would one day triumph over everything. Love was the greatest emotion on the planet.

Blah, blah.

He had memorized the speech from the old man, Arch Cupid, otherwise known as Valentino. It was quite boring to have so many Cupid named individuals in the heavens, especially given how many of them there had been since the beginning of time. No one died up there, so each Cupid, or former Cupid took on an alias to be distinguished from other cupids. Arch Cupid was just a title for a really old, long-lasting, and successful shooter of love arrows; the requirements were five-hundred years of hits above ninety-percent with casualties of no more than forty percent. Oh yes, mathematics was important up there. After all, numbers ruled everything; destiny, date of births, date of deaths, soul mates- well, everything. Like how many people were bad or good or would go to hell or heaven, things like that. The field for number keepers, known as celestial accountants was very important and they always needed people in that department. So many numbers and things to keep track of.

Arch Cupid Valentino had been teaching him the ways of love since as long as he could remember, which was undoubtedly, a very long time. Though he looked no older than twenty years of age in mortal years, he surely was well over two hundred. Valentino was probably almost as old as time itself. Which was an even longer time and he had lost track of that, too many numbers in that record. Well, the record of time was part of another department, and that was strictly confidential- for God's eyes only.

Heaven forbid someone stumbled upon the time when the world would end, because that would be a major breach of confidentiality. Not to mention the rumor would get down to hell and then Satan would be very angry- letting lose all his evil on the world. It just wouldn't be pretty, total Apocalypse.

“Cupid Valentine.” a strong thundery voice said.

That was him- the new shooter. Most cupids of the new era- you know the cool ones- chose a name that was similar like that; Valentino, Valentine, Valentin, Valentintin, Valentini. The combinations were endless when one was bored. There had already been a Valentine- but he had failed the archery exam. And that is why I got the job. Yes sir.

Valentine just liked archery really. He wasn't interested in all that love stuff. Frankly, the way he saw the world, why even bother? Everyone just wanted sex without emotional attachment. That was a big no-no up here. Supposedly, a good cupid shot his arrow and got the couple so madly in love that they would be married before they consummated their love. That was as it should be: love, marriage, sex, and more people created to shoot at! See, it was a business. The population kept growing, there would be more people available to fall in love, and the world could continue to function more or less on heavenly standards. There were still a few humans who lived by heaven standards.

But I already shot them all.

“Yes, mighty Oracles?” Valentine finally said, realizing he had been spoken to, five minutes after the fact.

“You have been failing.”

“So I was informed.”

“Do you not care to know why you have been failing?”

Valentine shrugged, “Something about not doing my homework.”

“And what is your homework?”

Valentine sighed and recited in monotone, “To observe the people and determine who is best paired with each, to scout out soul mates and bring them together, and to properly shoot at the precise time when said person is there.”

“Your casualty rate is fifty-five percent.”

Wow, fifteen points higher. How terrible. Sense my sarcasm.

“Yes, it is.” Valentine admitted.

“And have you taken the time to try and understand why this has happened?”

“No.”

Thunder cracked through the skies. The Oracles had a habit of intimidating those on trial with those funky special effects, but Valentine wasn't impressed. He propped his elbow on his lap and rested his chin on his palm, he was so very bored.

“So do you not care? Do you not care for those poor people whose hearts have been broken by your carelessness?”

“They will fall in love again.”

“It is your duty to make people fall in love.” the voice roared, “If you leave it to them the entire world would collapse!”

“It is not like they are not already doing it.”

“And what good has come of it, Valentine?” the voice continued, “Your last arrow was a catastrophe. The woman is angry, and doing hateful things. You have stripped her from her belief in love! When the underworld beings meddle, you are not responsible, but when you cause the problem, it is your problem too. Do you remember her, Valentine?”

He cringed and stiffened, he did remember her. The girl was a junior in that thing called college and she had been alone for so long that it made him angry. Many arrows had been fired at men that could match with her, but she had turned down every single one of them, purposefully avoiding destiny. The woman had no soul mate, so it was a matter of choosing the best man for her. He thought he would show her a lesson and so he fired an arrow at her instead of a potential partner. Without thinking really, because the woman had set her eyes on a jerk. It had not ended well.

The young cupid was silent for a long time. “Would you just punish me already?”

The rays of bright light shone brighter, blinding his blue eyes which he shielded with his hand. There was thunder, wind, and a loud crashing sound. Valentine felt the clouds evaporate from beneath him and his body plummeted down in a hectic spiral. Eyes shut and mouth opened in a scream. He was falling and falling from heaven down to... Earth! His eyes opened not understanding why or what was happening. He had never been to Earth, merely observed from his pretty clouds. He could no longer see the rays, but below him the intense navy blue of the ocean and maroon-green of the planet became more detailed. He was certainly going to crash into the planet!

“Valentine. Your sentence is six months in Earth. You must amend this mistake. You must acquire redemption through the last heart you broke with your carelessness. You are now a mortal.”

---

Elaine's day could not possibly get any worse. She had been late for her early morning exam, she had been late for work, and when she was leaving said work place her car had broken down. It was simply not her day. Well, her days had long been gone since she had met that detestable man known as William Parker. It was like, her luck went with him. What had ever possessed her to fall in love with him, she would never understand. He was the very type of man she had always despised. A social butterfly, with lecherous flirty habits, and a vice for way too much party alcohol. The only thing she could give him was physical beauty- the man was hot. But he had cheated on her. How typical of him. When she dumped him, William had proceeded to stalking her to try and get her back. He wouldn't hurt her, of course, but he would show up at every single place she was. It was annoying.

William would never change; he was the type of man who was born to be a womanizer until he died and a party-goer until his liver gave out. There was just no point in giving him a second chance. Elaine knew she was better off alone than in bad company. Perhaps she should do the same; use men and discard them like tissue paper.

The sand was cool beneath her feet and the waves of the ocean were gentle this evening. The sun was slowly setting and she inched closer to the shore kicking the seashells away. One tired sigh escaped her.

William's car had been parked in her house's driveway, so she had walked to the beach, which was about ten blocks away from her home. It was Valentine's Day, so he was probably ready to beg for forgiveness and use the holiday as an excuse. What a moron, she would never forgive him! She just wanted him to leave her house so she could go to sleep. Of course, there was no way she could afford the rent alone, so she had three roommates with her. It was a sweet arrangement. The four of them were friends, and they got a beautiful house if they shared it in return- it was that simple. Plus, Elaine loved the ocean so much and needed it on especially long days such as these. Days were she just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and die.

She stumbled and fell flat on her face, swallowing a gulp of sand. She spat it out and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes went wide when she noted she had tripped over someone.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I didn't see you there, damn, I'm such a klutz!”

The man lied face down, wearing a white tuxedo. Just what the hell was he doing sleeping there? Crouching down, Elaine touched him and noted his clothes were soaking wet. Was he dead? Panicked, Elaine flipped him over and checked for a pulse. The man was still alive and luckily still breathing. Tucking her hair behind her ears she hovered over him and slapped his face gingerly.

“Sir, wake up, sir.”

He was beautiful. Far too beautiful to be real. Elaine shook her head, this wasn't the time to be admiring a man's appearance- a sleeping or half lifeless man at that. She shook him this time. “Sir!”

His brows twitched together and his lips parted. They were red lips, red luscious lips. Elaine shook him again. The man groaned and turned to his side, eyes opening very slowly. His lashes were so thick and dark and contrasted magically against his light blue eyes. Elaine gaped at him, when his eyes settled on hers, his wet curls jerking with the movement. His skin almost glowed and was warm, despite his wet state.

The man's eyes went wide and he scrambled away from her. Instinctively, Elaine's hands flew up in a sign, like when a cop asks a suspect to freeze and she said, “I'm harmless, I swear.”

The man looked around with incredulous eyes and a deranged expression. Was he high on drugs, or something?

“Where am I?”

His voice was velvety and deep, yet at the same time had this strangely soft quality, almost innocent. His hand touched his curls and then his clothes as if he didn't remember ever getting dressed in a tuxedo. My goodness he was like a mirage!

“You mean to tell me you don't know where you are?” She raised an eyebrow, “Are you hurt.”

He just stared at her, studied her, and then he said, “California right?”

Elaine nodded very slowly, “Yeah. What part of California?”

He studied her again, which made her shiver. “Santa Cruz?”

“Exactly.” she said, “I'm Elaine.”

“I know who you are.” he whispered.

“I beg your pardon?”

He shook his head, “Nothing.”

Elaine shrugged, “I found you sleeping here.”

“I was not sleeping.”

“Your eyes were closed, you wouldn't answer me, yet you weren't dead, I think that counts as sleeping.”

He frowned, “I was not.”

Elaine just shook her head deciding to let it drop. She wasn't about to have a senseless argument with the stranger. “Who are you? What's your name?”

“Me?”

“No one else here.”

“Valentine.”

Elaine stared at him. You have got to be kidding me. Standing up, she dusted the sand from her white Hollister shorts and smiled a little. She meets a Valentine on Valentine's, how soap opera-like. Not that she and the gorgeous man would be anything; it wasn't like she had found her soul mate on this fateful day.

He got up as well. Valentine was tall, not extraordinarily tall, but he was perhaps five feet, ten inches tall. His build was average it seemed, more to the slender type, but it was impossible to tell under the tuxedo.

“So what were you doing here?” she asked casually.

He looked thoughtful but his eyes were always over her. She wasn't too comfortable having him stare at her all the time, so she turned around to look at the water. Instead of letting him answer, Elaine began to say, “I come here every evening almost and I have never seen you around. Are you new?”

Elaine was met with silence. She didn't think too much of it, until perhaps a minute had passed and she turned around, only to find no one there. Blinking, she glanced around the beach and noted that Valentine was not around. And after she had been so nice to him too. Strangely angered by this, she ran up the beach and back to the parking lot above and looked around; nothing. It was like he had vanished into thin air. Elaine sighed. How typical, just when something bizarre and exciting happened in her life, it had to vanish as quickly as it had come.

Maybe it didn't even happen at all.

---

A/N:

This is a very old idea that has been swirling in my head and today I decided to write something for it. Originally, I wrote five chapters for it which details more about Valentine's heaven time. Like how he chose to fire the arrow at Elaine and how he felt when the man she chose broke her heart, but the chapters are so very long and I want shorter chapters for this story, so it doesn't interfere with the others I'm writing. Therefore, I started here. I have a good idea of where I want to take this, but I rather keep it to myself. Oh, and it is late, so if there are errors I shall correct them tomorrow when I am actually awake.

Do let me know what you think.