AN- I've been trying to write this story forever. And now, I think I've got it to the place where it works. Here's part one of four, some of you might recognize pieces but the scenario has changed drastically. Please leave a review!

(Added note, I've changed the beginning slightly)

Elaina

“You can’t be serious,” stated one man as he walked down the busy street.

“I am serious,” the second man insisted, his dark brown hair blowing in the breeze. “Why don’t you think that I’m serious?”

“Because even my wife who happens to be your sister believes in some sort of guiding force,” the man stated, his blonde hair blowing in the same breeze. “How is it that Jenny came away from that hell hole of a house with a belief in angels and yet you did not? Rob can you answer me that?”

Rob shook his head. “I can’t.” he stated honestly. “The only thing that I can think of is that my dear sister Jenny is more of an optimist than I am.”

The second man sighed. “What a cop out.”

The two men laughed and walked past the park unaware that high in the branches of a willow tree a figure in a gown of white silk was perched. She was watching the lives of the mortals passing by her and although her long golden hair blew in the summer breeze her bright blue eyes remained fixed on the many people who walked beneath her.

She watched as Rob and his sister’s husband passed by. She was struck by his appearance as though something about him was calling out to her. He was tall, muscular and looked like a prince in disguise. She caught a sound-byte of their conversation and watched with interest as the second man with blonde hair walked forward while Rob paused and looked up into her tree.

Their eyes locked and while she was sure that the man could not see her, she could feel his strength and confusion as waves that come out of the sea. And during those split seconds, she knew that a connection had formed between them if it hadn’t been there already.

“Elaina,” whispered a voice startling the figure whom was an angel and breaking the connection between her and the mortal man in turn. Elaina knew the speaker and she knew that she was about to be in serious trouble. Slowly, while the mortal walked away she turned to see the high-angel Gabriella, her friend, mentor and the liaison between the divine and the angels.

“Gabi,” whispered Elaina back, shocked to see her friend. “What are you doing here?”

Gabriella’s eyes narrowed. “I asked you first,” she stated sternly. “And do not use that tone on me. Answer my question. Why are you here?” Elaina sighed and looked down to the street, her shoulders slumping slightly as she saw that the man was gone. “Well?” asked Gabriella again. “Elaina?”

“I was watching the mortals,” she answered watching the displeased look that crossed her friend and mentor’s face. “I was curious.”

“You should do your mortal watching from a cloud,” Gabriella reprimanded darkly. “You know this.”

Elaina sighed. “I know, but I like it here in this willow tree. I am well hidden Gabriella and-”

“-and it is against everything that we stand for,” she interrupted. “Only the guardians of mortals may descend below the cloud line. You Elaina are not a guardian. Not yet. You must return home now.”

“But Gabi,” Elaina protested. “No one saw me.”

Gabriella could see through the lie the instant that it was uttered. “That man did,” she began pointing through the branches of the willow tree to the man who was across the street and walking away from them. “He saw you and in doing so you have broken one of our sacred laws. You must return to face judgement.”

“Against the divine?” asked Elaina fearfully.

Gabriella shook her head. “No,” she answered. “Against the high-council of angels; they will decide your fate.”

Elaina sighed knowing that her friend and mentor was right when it came to her current situation. In the realm of angels there were just some laws that one did not break. The three most sacred ones were the most vital and by breaking one of them, Elaina would have to face punishment. “Alright,” she agreed with a sigh. “I will come with you.”

Gabriella nodded in contentment and then disappeared in a shimmering light. Elaina was about to do the same, but in one final act of defiance she rose through the branches of the willow and burst through the canopy into the sky above. She was illuminated by the light of the sun as it reflected off the tall buildings around her. She took a single moment to peer down at the street and saw that the mortal man whom she had locked eyes with earlier, was looking at her now.

With a satisfied smile, she closed her eyes and disappeared from the sky in a shimmering light just like her mentor and friend, leaving the mortal man to stare at the spot in the sky where she had just been. He was frozen with shock and was both bewildered and amazed. He stood unblinking for several seconds, still feeling her gaze upon him and he could feel a part of his soul awakening within. He wasn’t sure he believed what he had just seen, but a part of him knew who she had been. An angel, he thought to himself as he brought his gaze back to earth. I just saw an angel.

XIOIX

Back above the clouds, in the realm of the angels known to them as Empyrea, Gabriella was reprimanding Elaina for her behaviour, her lack of respect and for the fact that she had broken two of the three most sacred rules of the universe. “You disobeyed me!” she yelled as she led Elaina into a clear white room. “You should have known better. You should not have done that.”

And indeed Elaina did know better. But she did not believe in the sacred laws. “The orders that we are forced to live under are harsh Gabi,” she argued. “They give you no room to breathe.”

“That may be,” Gabriella began sternly. “But you are still getting a grip on your new powers Elaina and you could have jeopardized everything?”

Elaina shook her head. “But I didn’t did I?” she asked. “Nothing went wrong- and I don’t understand how I could have jeopardized everything.”

“You have jeopardized everything because you were seen young one,” came a melodic voice. Elaina turned and saw that before her and Gabriella were the three high-angels, the council that decided the fate of angels who disobeyed orders.

“Yes,” agreed the second angel, her golden hair shining like all the rest. “You were seen.”

“And because you were seen everything is in jeopardy,” confirmed the third angel, his short blonde hair blowing in an unseen and unfelt breeze. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Elaina looked at the high-angels before her. “I have only this to say,” she began, trying to be more confident then she felt. “I was seen by one mortal, and from my understanding he is an atheist who will not tell anyone about me.”

The first angel shook her head. “We do not want to take that chance.”

“You will have to erase his memory,” he stated with a nod of his head.

“It is the only way,” agreed the second angel.

“What?” Elaina exclaimed. “Why?”

The first angel who had spoken sighed. “Elaina-”

“With all due respect Mary,” she interrupted. “I do not think,”

“That is just the problem,” interrupted the third angel, his voice holding a tone of anger to it. “You never think Elaina. That is why you always get in trouble.”

Elaina sighed. “Peter,” she began. “Please-”

The second angel shook her head. “You will not get out of this one.”

“Sarah-?” asked Elaina tears in her eyes.

“You will do as we command,” Mary, the first high-angel stated sternly. “You will erase his memories. That is our decree.”

“You broke our laws and therefore you must pay,” agreed Sarah the second high-angel. “There is nothing that you can do now.”

“If you follow our orders,” continued Peter the third high-angel and the only male on the council of three. “Then we will over look this transgression.”

“But if you disobey the divine order again then you will be sent below the pool,” stated Mary, her voice devoid of any sort of sympathy. “Do you understand?”

Shaking, Elaina nodded. “Yes. I understand.”

XIOIX

“Neil,” began Robert breathless as he caught up with his sister’s brother just as he was entering his Anglican church. “Neil!”

“Rob?” asked Neil as he turned around. “What brings you to church on this fine Sunday?”

“Yesterday,” Robert stated as he tried to catch his breath. “Yesterday after you had left I saw the most amazing thing.”

“And what was that?” asked Neil as he led his brother in-law into the church. “What did you see? The most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Yes,” Robert confirmed. “Only I don’t think that she was of this world.”

Neil laughed. “Are you telling me that you saw an alien?”

Robert shook his head. “No.”

“Then what are you saying?” he asked, his voice echoing in his empty church. “Robert?”

“I am saying that I saw an…” Robert shook his head, not believing that he was about to say this. “Neil I saw an angel.”

There was dead silence.

“Well?” asked Robert. “Say something.”

Neil said nothing. He merely laughed. “An angel?” he asked eventually as he sat down on a pew to calm himself. “You saw an angel?”

Robert nodded. “Yes.”

“No,” Neil assured shaking his head. “I’m sure you didn’t.”

“But I did.”

“I think not-”

“You think too much,” stated a third voice, feminine and melodic, causing the two men who were sitting at the back of the church to look towards the altar where a shining white being was floating. “Minister Bradbury you think and presume too much.”

“By god…” whispered Neil in utter amazement.

“That’s her,” Robert whispered as he helped Neil to his feet. “That’s the-”

“Oh blessed angel!” exclaimed Neil as he strode down the aisle. “What message from our Lord and God do you bring to me today?”

Elaina shook her head and strode right past the Minister.

“But my angel-”

Elaina whirled around and faced Neil head on. “I am not your angel!” she stated harshly, the light around her growing brighter and causing Neil to recoil back in fear. “So do not address me again…” Elaina paused held out her hand and let a little orb of white light go into Neil’s forehead, rendering him unconscious.

“Hey!” exclaimed Robert as he rushed down the aisle. “What did you go and do that for? He’s done nothing to you and-”

Elaina turned and looked at Robert right in the eyes, the intensity of her gaze stopping him in his tracks. “Speak not,” she ordered, placing a finger to his lips. “I have not harmed your brother-in-law. I have just erased his memories-”

“Erased his memory?” asked Robert. “Why?”

“Because for a mortal to see an angel is against our highest laws,” she explained quietly, her hands gently cupping his face. “He saw me and he must not know it.”

“And me?” asked Robert, a sense of loss growing within him.

Elaina sighed. “You must not remember either,” she stated sadly. “It is why I am here. You saw me both within the branches of the willow and above them. I have been ordered to erase your memories….I am sorry.”

Robert shook his head and stepped back. “Do not be sorry angel,” he whispered as he started to panic. “Just don’t do it.”

“I must.”

“No,” he argued. “You have to leave me with this knowledge.”

“Why?”

Robert sighed. “All my life I have been an atheist, not believing in anything but myself….and now-”

“Now that you have seen an angel you believe.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“I am sorry,” Elaina stated with a sigh. “I have no choice.”

“Wait,”

“Goodbye,” she said, her voice breaking.

And before Robert could do anything else his vision was encompassed in a great white light and he then fell into darkness. He awoke moments later, dizzy and unsure of what had just happened. And yet he was left with the feeling that he had lost something… that feeling however was faint and it was replaced with worry as he saw his brother-in-law coming to as well. “Neil,” he stated. “Are you alright?”

“Ugh-” Neil moaned as he struggled to his feet. “What was that?”

Robert shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“You were saying something,” Neil stated as Robert helped him to his feet. “What were you saying?”

“I was saying…I was saying…..”

Neil sighed. “You’ve forgotten, haven’t you.”

It was more of a statement then a question and Robert had to agree. “Yes,” he stated. “I have.”

XIOIX

Elaina sighed and discretely followed the two men out of the church. She had done as she had been commanded to do. She had erased the memories of the man whom she had felt an instant connection with, but she wasn’t about to remove herself from his life completely. Knowing that it was totally against the rules of Empyrea, Elaina transformed herself into an ordinary mortal woman. She wore a simple white summer dress with her golden-blonde hair up in a simple ponytail and she followed the two men all day. They eventually stopped at a local club that served more drinks than food and encouraged more dancing then conversation, but she felt that it was the best place to fit in.

She was completely overwhelmed at first and allowed the first semi-descent guy who approached her to take her to the dance floor where for the first time, Elaina let her self go. Little did she know however that the man whom she had been tracking all day, was staring intently at her.

“Robert?” asked his sister following his gaze and was amazed at the beauty of the girl. “You know, if you want to dance with her then go ahead.”

Robert shook his head as if coming out of a daze. “No. Violet’s in the washroom and it would be rude just to ditch her.”

Jenny sighed. “Oh come on. I only invited her here cause I didn’t want you to be the third wheel. She’ll understand. It was a blind date after all.”

But Robert wouldn’t hear any of it, and therefore he just resigned himself to watch the beautiful woman from a far, trying to understand the feelings of jealousy and possessiveness that he was experiencing. Violet, his date for the evening eventually came back from the washroom and Neil came back from the bar with drinks for all of them. And while the three of them chatted amicably, he was still watching the woman, trying to work up the courage to ask her for a dance.

“Robert?” asked Violet as she draped her arms around her date for the evening. “Why are you staring at that girl? She looks like a slut to me.”

Robert turned to look at his ‘date’ for the evening and couldn’t disagree more. Violet with her short-cropped black hair and intense brown eyes that were framed with layers of makeup looked like the slut; especially when he took into consideration the plunging V-top and micro-mini skirt that she was wearing. On the other hand, the woman who fascinated him so had the softest golden curls that framed her head like a halo, and the simple white knee-length dress that she wore was flattering, hugging her curves in all the right places and not revealing to much- therefore leaving much to the imagination. She was a mystery and Robert couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Robert?” Violet asked again, hating how he wasn’t paying attention.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he stood up. “If you three will excuse me…”

Then, with wide eyes and half-smiles Jenny, Neil and Violet watched as Robert descended down onto the floor and cut into one of the dances. Jenny in particular noticed the look of glee on the woman’s face realizing that it was almost as though she had wanted her brother to ask for a dance. Meanwhile, Violet looked at the scene with barely controlled jealousy, and Neil looked on just as perplexed at Robert had been. There was something about her, he realized. Something familiar, but Neil couldn’t place it and so ignored it.

Meanwhile, on the dance-floor the dancers were shocked as for the first time all night a slowish song came over the speakers allowing Robert and his beautiful stranger to dance.

Just a day,
Just an ordinary day.
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.

“Who are you?” he asked, curious beyond belief. “Tell me.”

And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize
That everyday he finds
Just what he's looking for,
Like a shooting star he shines.

“Just a girl,” Elaina assured with a smile as they continued to dance.

He said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand

“No,” Robert argued. “You’re more than a girl.”

And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not fee

“You’re an angel…” Robert whispered.

“What?” asked Elaina in fear. “I’m a what?”

For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words could heal.
And as I looked up into those eyes

“I only said…you’re so beautiful,” Robert whispered holding her closer, feeling as she relaxed. “I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.”

His vision borrows mine.
And I know he's no stranger,
For I feel I've held him for all of time.

“Oh,” she stated with a sigh of relief. “Is that all.”

“Yes,” Robert assured. “That is all…”

And he said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand.

“No,” he stated as they danced.

“Pardon?” she asked looking up at him.

“I feel as though I know you.”

Elaina smiled. “That’s impossible.”

“I know that we just met….” Robert began, trailing off.

“Well maybe we met in another life.” Elaina suggested.

“You believe in such things?” he asked, surprised.

“Don’t you?” she asked right back, curious as to why he didn’t.

He shook his head and said nothing.

“You should.” Elaina stated with an affirmed nod.

“Why?”

“Because life is so much beautiful when you believe in something…” she stated, her eyes locking with his.

“I believe in you,” he whispered lovingly, causing her to blush.

Please come with me,
See what I see.
Touch the stars for time will not flee.
Time will not flee.
Can you see?

“I can’t shake this feeling…” he continued as he held her hand.
“What feeling?” Elaina asked as they continued to dance.

Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy
Or was it all in my head?

Did he asked if I would come along
It all seemed so real

“The feeling that I know you…” Robert stated with a heavy sigh.

But as I looked to the door,
I saw that boy standing there with a deal.
And he said take my hand,
Live while you can,

“Maybe you do know me,” Elaina stated slowly, not believing what she was about to do.

Don't you see all your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand
In the palm of your hand,
In the palm of your hand.

“But you said….”

“I know what I said,” she interrupted, putting a finger to his lips to silence him. “I want to show you something…”

She led him out back, the music filtering out to the back patio where there was no one. Slowly, with a deep breath Elaina stepped back from Robert- whose name she had known when he had introduced herself.

“What are you…?” he asked, but his question was cut off when Elaina suddenly became surrounded by a bright white light. Robert had to shield his eyes but when they cleared he was confronted by a sight that he did not expect to see.

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.

“Good god,” he whispered as he stared upon her. “You’re a-”

“Angel,” she stated, finishing his sentence. “I know.”

“What- why are you here?” Robert asked taking a halting step forward.

“I’m falling in love with you…” she whispered being terribly honest with him. “…and I just wanted you to know.”