This chapter is PG.
Back inside the monastery, Father Matthew invited everyone to stay for the noon services and then lunch. At lunch, some of the priests asked the visitors where they had obtained the book. Elizabeth told them they had found the book in a library basement, and declined to say anything else.
After lunch, the Monkees, Elizabeth, Darlene and Margaret met with Fr. Matthew and Mother Angelica privately in the chapel, where the angel told them the full story up to the fight in the library's basement. The vicar's face was grave as he listened to the angel and the Mother Superior had tears in her eyes.
"God bless you all." Mother Angelica whispered when the angel finished her tale. "He preserved you all during that awful time. The Lord kept his eye on you too, Michael." She said, squeezing Mike's hand.
Mike looked at the floor. "I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for my friends."
"You know we'd do anything for you, Mike." Davy said, patting his shoulder.
Mike didn't reply, he just kept staring at the floor.
"I wanted to ask you, Elizabeth." Micky said in the silence that followed Davy's remark, "What was that awful screeching noise Satan made at me?"
"Satan was speaking to you in the Demon tongue." Elizabeth replied, "When angels speak to each other or to the Lord, it sounds like music to mortal ears, but Satan corrupted that language and made it sound harsh."
"What did he say to me?" Micky pressed. "Or shouldn't I ask?"
"He said, `Mortal, you channel what you don't understand.'" The angel replied.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Micky asked, confused.
Elizabeth then explained what had happened after they had returned to the pad last night. The angel told Micky the name Satan had called him.
"He called me a `conduit'?" Micky asked, now even more confused.
"I think this means you can channel holy power, Micky." Fr. Matthew said.
Micky sat back in his pew in disbelief. "Maybe that's how I knew there was more than one demon. But...I can't...I mean...I'm not worthy of anything. I'm just a ordinary man."
"Many times in the bible Micky," Elizabeth said, "The Lord chose ordinary people in this world and raised them up to do marvelous things."
"I suppose you're right, Elizabeth." Micky said, suddenly interested in his tie, "I can only do it when I'm with you anyway."
"The Lord will help you sort this out, Micky." The angel said. "Like I said before, the Lord will give you only what you can handle."
Micky just nodded and looked down at his hands.
++++
After the chapel meeting, the visitors quietly roamed the grounds, using the time for contemplation and prayer. Micky and Elizabeth went off together and so did Peter and Darlene. Davy stayed in the chapel to pray. Margaret stayed with Mike and the two found themselves in a small grotto with statues of Jesus and his twelve apostles. Mike stopped in front of the one marked St. Thomas.
"Doesn't even look like him." Mike said in Hebrew, shaking his head.
"What did you say?" Margaret asked.
"I'm sorry." Mike replied, "I was speaking in Hebrew. Elizabeth gave us that ability when we went back in time to ancient Judea."
"Back in time? Why did you do that?" Margaret asked again.
"Let's find a place to sit down." Mike smiled, "It's a long story."
The two walked a bit until they came to a duck pond. They found a stone bench and sat down. Mike took a deep breath and told Margaret the story of how the Monkees had met Elizabeth, how Mike had met his ancestor, Saint Thomas and how they had stopped Dr. Chronos from altering history.
Margaret stared open-mouthed at Mike as he related the story. When Mike was done, he reached over and gently closed Margaret's mouth.
"Unbelievable." Margaret said after several seconds, "He wanted to stop Jesus from being crucified?"
Mike nodded. "Yeah, but all along it was Satan who had manipulated him into doing that. He repented and last I heard he was thinking of becoming a priest."
"Good for him." Margaret said. "What about that lady Jynger that Synthea was trying to resurrect? I gather you guys and Elizabeth knew her from before."
"Jynger was no lady, Margaret." Mike said, frowning. "She was a record executive working for Satan who almost got the Monkees to sign their souls away in exchange for fame and fortune." He shook his head, "Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Proverbs, 15:16."
"You sure know your scripture." Margaret stated.
"Yeah, but quoting scripture and bragging about my holy ancestry got me into trouble." Mike replied. "I'll bet Keith told Synthea about me after Jynger had died. That made me a target, so I gotta watch what I say from now on."
The two said nothing for a long time, simply staring out over the pond, watching the ducks. Margaret glanced over at Mike every so often, trying to find the words to what she wanted to say. As it turned out however, Mike was the one who looked at Margaret.
"Margaret?" He asked.
"Yes, Mike?" Margaret replied.
"I just wanted to thank you for your help when I was a captive. It was very brave of you, fighting those witches." Mike said, taking her hand.
"You're welcome." She said, "I didn't want them to hurt you, after what you and your friends had done for me." She took a deep breath and decided to tell Mike what was on her mind.
"I like you, Mike." She said, almost tripping over the words, "But I heard your conversation with Julia so I won't get in the way. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what was said."
"There's nothing to get out of the way from." Mike replied. "I do love Julia, even though she's a witch, but she doesn't love me. Although, deep down, I feel there is good in her."
"She didn't really join in on the attack on your friends." Margaret confirmed. "She disappeared."
"True, but my child will no doubt be raised to be evil." Mike said, "That tears me up inside."
"If things don't come out right between you and her, I'd like for us to try and have a relationship." Margaret said quietly, looking in Mike's eyes.
Mike looked at Margaret and then said, "Yes, I would like try and have one too."
The two then held each other close and continued to stare out over the pond.
++++
It was soon late afternoon and time to go. Everyone met in the foyer of the building. Margaret was the only one missing. She had separated from Mike once they had gone inside and they were waiting for her to arrive. A few minutes later, Margaret came out to the foyer with Fr. Matthew and Mother Angelica.
"I would like to say something to you all." She said somberly, "I love you all for what you've done and how you've helped me, but a lot has happened to me over the last several days. I need time to sort it out and to find out more about our Lord. I've just had a talk with Fr. Matthew and Mother Angelica." She continued, "They said it would be ok for me to stay here for awhile, to pray, to think and to learn."
"A wise decision, Margaret." Elizabeth said, "This will be the best place for you to recover."
"I've talked this over with Elizabeth." Darlene said to Margaret, "And she said it would be okay to give you this." She pulled out her angel pin that Elizabeth had given her months before.
"I thought it was gone in the fight with Jynger and Magnolia," Darlene continued, "But then I found it sitting in a box in the secret library room."
"As near as I can figure, when Peter was forced to throw it out the window," Elizabeth said, "It must've landed near where Jynger's body later fell. The police must've thought it belonged to her."
"They were going to use that pin too?" Mike asked.
"It seems that way." Elizabeth replied, nodding her head.
"Thank you very much." Margaret replied and let Darlene pin it to her dress.
"The pin will protect you as you start on your journey with God, Margaret, descendent of St. Peter."
"What did you say?" Margaret asked, shocked.
"Like Mike, you too are a direct descendent of one of our Lord's twelve apostles." Elizabeth said, "Your ancestor was St. Peter. For your protection, I didn't say anything until now. Otherwise, Synthea and Keith might've used you for their unholy experiment."
"All that time I was in their power and they could've used me." Margaret breathed.
"Your ancestry helped you resist their evil." Elizabeth said, "Don't worry about the outside world for now. I'll close up your apartment and send your belongings here, Margaret."
"Thank you again, Elizabeth." Margaret said, "I'll be allowed to send and receive two letters a month. I'll send one to my parents and the other to you."
"That would be nice, Margaret." The angel said, "If you don't mind, I'll share your letter with the others."
"I won't mind at all." Margaret replied, looking over at Mike.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds then Margaret said, "Well...I guess this is goodbye for now."
"Goodbye, Margaret." Darlene said, giving her a hug, "Thank you for all you've done."
"Thank you for your help in rescuing Mike." Davy said, giving Margaret a hug as well.
Peter and Micky also gave Margaret a hug and wished her well.
"May the Lord bless you and keep you, Margaret." Elizabeth said, giving her a hug and a peck on her forehead.
Margaret came to Mike and gave him a big hug, which he returned. He then gave her a kiss on the head. Elizabeth alone saw a light shine around them briefly .
"Goodbye, Margaret." Mike smiled, "Take care of yourself."
"You do the same, Mike." Margaret said, tears forming in her eyes.
Mother Angelica walked over to Margaret. "Come child, I'll show you to your room."
Margaret nodded and let the Mother Superior lead her away. Mother Angelica looked back and smiled at the group before going through a side door. Margaret did the same and then followed the nun.
Father Matthew smiled at the group before him.
"Thank you once again for helping our order rid this world of that evil." He said.
"You're welcome father. If only that spell book was the last one." Elizabeth replied.
"That is true." Fr. Matthew responded, "While there are evil objects in the world, our job won't be over."
"Goodbye father." Elizabeth said, shaking his hand, "Never hesitate to call on me if you need help."
"The same here, Elizabeth." The vicar said, "You and your friends will always be in our prayers."
The Monkees and Darlene shook hands with Fr. Matthew and left the monastery. Micky got into the driver's seat of the Monkeemobile, and when everyone was seated he started the car and drove off down the lane.
When the car was out of sight of the monastery, Elizabeth made the car disappear.
Chapter 26
Chapter 28
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