Peter quietly walked down the hurricane stairs in the pad and settled on the living room couch. He was alone in the pad right now. Micky was on the beach with his girlfriend Elizabeth, while Mike and Davy were doing some errands and would be away for awhile. He picked up his bible sitting on the coffee table. Randomly opening it, he quietly read a passage from John, chapter three, to himself.
`And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.'
When Peter was done, he gently shut his bible and closed his eyes, thinking about what he had just read. He spent a lot of time reading the bible now, and was always amazed at how peaceful it made him feel. These last several months had been very life-changing, not just for him, but for his friends and band mates as well. Ever since they found the angel Elizabeth on the beach, unconscious from a fight with Satan's demons, their lives had been changed forever. They had stopped a mad scientist from preventing the crucifixion of Jesus, then they had nearly sold their souls to Satan. Peter still shook his head at how close he had come to losing his immortal soul for eternity.
The bible he had was second-hand, recently purchased from a used-book store. Peter had sold almost all his eastern-religious books to pay for the distressed-leather bible. To the bassist it was a good deal and not only that it cleaned up the bookshelf in his room.
After a minute or so, Peter heard the front doorbell ring. Opening his eyes, he looked at his watch and smiled. She was right on time.
Setting the bible down on the coffee table, Peter got up, walked over to the door and opened it. Standing there was his girlfriend Darlene, wearing a blue sundress and sandals. Her light brown hair, now finally shed of its black dye, was hanging loosely at her shoulders. In her hand was a black purse.
"Hello, Darlene." Peter said, "Come on in."
"Thank you, Peter." Darlene smiled as she walked inside.
Peter shut the door and then he and Darlene kissed, then shyly moved away. The two of them were still a little awkward around each other, but in the last few months, they began to relax more. Peter led Darlene into the living room.
"Would you like something to drink?" Peter asked.
"Do you have any iced tea?" Darlene asked, then put her fingers to her lips. "I'm sorry, I forgot you don't drink tea anymore." The Monkees no longer liked to drink tea ever since the evil witch Jynger spiked their tea with an influence potion to make them more susceptible to her evil.
"That's ok, hun." Peter said, "Would you like some coffee instead?"
"Yes, thank you." Darlene replied.
Peter put a kettle of water on the stove while Darlene sat down on the couch. She was joined by Peter a few seconds later. Darlene opened up her purse and pulled out a small bible.
"Ready for our reading?" She asked.
"I look forward to this every week." Peter said truthfully.
Darlene smiled and opened up her bible-only to have the front cover fall off and on to the floor.
"Oh no!" Darlene exclaimed, dismayed.
Peter reached down, picked up the cover and handed back to Darlene.
"That bible has seen better days, hasn't it?" He asked gently.
"It belonged to my grandmother." Darlene said, setting the cover back on the bible. "It sat in a drawer in a basement for many years, now I guess age has gotten to it. I'd get another one, but money's tight since I just started my new job."
"I forgot to ask, how is your new job?" Peter asked.
"A lot quieter than working at the Blazin' Hot Music Store." Darlene smiled, "You're not allowed to play music in a library."
The two laughed at that and from the kitchen, Peter and Darlene could hear the teakettle whistle. Peter got up to shut off the gas. He came back a minute later with two hot cups of coffee.
"Thank you, Peter." Darlene said.
They sipped their coffees for a minute, then Darlene opened up her bible once again.
"Let's turn to the sixth chapter of Luke." She said and Peter followed suit.
"Blessed are you who are poor," She read, "for the kingdom of God is yours."
"Blessed are you who are now hungry," Peter continued, "for you will be satisfied..."
+ + + +
"Ready...aim..."
"Micky..." Elizabeth said with a sigh.
"Fire!" Micky shouted.
He was standing behind Elizabeth, both hands on her shoulders, while the angel took aim at a rock. She pointed at a rock about the size of a baseball. A blue light came from her fingers and the rock blew to bits. Micky and Elizabeth were in a secluded cove on the beach and had spent the last hour blasting rocks to bits.
"Yeah!" Micky exclaimed, turning Elizabeth toward him. "Did you feel anything that time?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I felt no rush of power...nothing at all." She said.
"It only seemed to happen when you were fighting someone." Micky commented. "Like Estella, Jynger and Maggie."
"True." Elizabeth agreed, "Whatever gift you have only works when there is danger around."
A few months ago, Elizabeth, an angel of God, had been in a fight with Estella the witch. When Micky had touched Elizabeth's shoulders, the angel's powers had been greatly magnified and Estella had been quickly defeated. Now, Micky and Elizabeth were trying to imitate what had occurred. They held hands, Micky held Elizabeth's arms and now her shoulders, but they had had no luck so far.
"You don't know how I'm doing it?" Micky asked.
"No, all I know is that it is a good power." Elizabeth replied. "The Lord has chosen to bless you with this ability."
"I hope I'm up to the task." Micky replied.
"The Lord only gives you what you can handle." The angel replied, brushing his cheek.
"But does this mean we're going to be in more fights?" Micky asked, "Why would God give me this ability to help you otherwise?"
"It could mean that, Micky." The angel replied, nodded her head, "It was God's will that brought you, Peter, Davy and Mike to me. He has plans for us, and he'll reveal what they are in time."
"I have plans for us too." Micky smiled, pulling her toward him.
Elizabeth put her head on his shoulder. "I know, Micky. But I can't marry you, as much as I want to."
"No fair reading my mind." Micky frowned.
"I didn't read your mind, honey." The angel replied with a sad smile, "I just know you too well."
Micky just chuckled and held Elizabeth in his arms.
+ + + +
Back at the pad, Peter and Darlene were finishing up their bible readings.
"That was very nice, Peter." Darlene said, closing up her bible, "The beatitudes could teach people a lot if they would just listen."
"True, Darlene." Peter replied, closing up his bible as well, then kissing it. "It's your turn to have the readings now. What day would be good for you?"
"Do you have a calendar?" Darlene asked, getting up.
"Yeah, there's several actually, hanging all over the place." Peter chuckled. He led her over to the nearest one with a hummingbird picture showing for that month. "We use this one to mark down when we have our gigs."
Darlene noted the Monkees had a few days marked off, then looked at the upcoming week.
"Hmmm...I'm working every day starting tomorrow." She said, "I don't know exactly when I'll be free again."
"Busy time at the library?" Peter asked.
"Yes, we're expecting a new shipment of books in and guess who has to help catalog them?" She smiled.
"How about the beginning of the following week?" Peter asked again, pointing at the calendar.
"Yeah, that's my birthday." Darlene replied.
"Oh no, I forgot!" Peter exclaimed, putting his hand to his head, "I didn't get you a birthday gift yet!"
"You don't have to get me anything, Peter." Darlene replied caressing his cheek, "Let's just go out for a quiet dinner."
"No, I have to get you something." Peter insisted, "Don't worry, it'll be nice."
"Coming from you, I know it will be." Darlene replied.
Peter and Darlene kissed their goodbyes and Darlene went back to her apartment. As he rinsed out the cups they had used, Peter thought about what to get Darlene for her birthday. Suddenly, he had an idea. Smiling, he put the cups away and raced over to his bedroom.
Chapter 2
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