"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason, I guess," came the reply; but John suspected there actually was a reason behind the inquiry. "I was just wondering if there were rules regarding workplace relationships."

John studied her face for a second as he thought of how to respond. She was young enough to be the type to find infatuation with the mysterious, bad boy type. Although she had had limited interaction, John quickly came to the conclusion that Belinda Yaris may have developed a slight crush on Seamus Flannery. As John continued to ponder the right response, he noticed the newest member of the firm beginning to grow nervous with the wait.

"Well," John finally began, "I don't know that there's ever been a circ.u.mstance that warranted the creation of a policy regarding that that," he mused. "However, I would have to strongly suggest that, should it occur, that both parties involved maintain their priorities regarding the firm and their duties as a.s.signed. I should also hope, Miss Yaris, that you you will use your better judgment if an opportunity should present itself." will use your better judgment if an opportunity should present itself."

Belinda only nodded in response before exiting his office. He hoped she understood his warning without his having to be overly blunt. He remembered Brigit's prediction that Seamus Flannery would one day become a problem and even though he tried hard not to dwell on it, John knew eventually her prediction would come true. The recent chain of events revealed the beginnings of that particular worry. Considering the fascination Belinda had revealed without knowing it, John suddenly hoped Seamus wouldn't drag the young woman into the drama as well. She seemed like a good girl with a good heart. John abhorred the idea of having to mete out a dire punishment on her because of one bad choice.

Belinda returned to her desk and sighed. John had answered her question somewhat vaguely, but she had caught the warning at the end of it. She had the sense that John Blackwick suspected the object of her fascination, but Belinda was sure he was misjudging Seamus Flannery. The Irishman seemed sweet toward her during their few conversations, almost gentle, even though he pretended to be so very dangerous.

Belinda opened the fresh ledger and reached for the files Seamus had turned into her that morning. His quick recovery from his sickness had caused John to set Seamus back to work at reaping souls although they were relatively easy ones compared to what the Irish Reaper said he was used to. He had lamented his boredom with the a.s.signments during his brief visit to her office. Belinda had merely listened, hoping he would notice that he had her full attention.

As she began to record the pertinent information, Belinda decided they were wrong about the rugged, flame haired Irishman. They didn't see what she saw in him. They were wrong about Seamus Flannery and that was all there was to it.

29: Mama Dee, Part II

Brigit stood from Maggie's reading chair and went to the window. She was impatient, yet, she was not sure whether it was from the waiting for Maggie to return home or from the waiting to see what John would decide to do to her. Deep down, she hoped he would give her the position back. She was not willing to resign herself to the idea of being crossed over just yet. It would ultimately mean the breaking of her promise to Maggie the whole reason she had taken the offered position in the first place.

She had only been home for two days, but it felt like ages as she pondered the possibility that John would arrive with the purpose of crossing her over. Brigit hated the waiting, but at the moment, she had no other option. Today was the third day. Brigit hoped John would make his appearance soon and the wait would finally be over.

Yet, the street was empty. Looking up and down it from the bay window, Brigit caught no sight of her mentor. Sighing heavily, she turned and made her way back towards Maggie's chair. She would just have to sit and continue her wait.

As she began to lower herself into the cushion, Brigit paused.

An odd energy was emanating from the door. The chill that floated across the room caused her skin to tingle despite the warmth of her black coat. Curious, she crept to the door and listened. She had felt this before. As she listened for any tell-tale sign of the source, her mind raced to find the memory where she had experienced the feeling. Quickly, she pressed her eye against the peephole as the energy continued to grow stronger. A gasp escaped her when he stepped onto the landing and paused, looking first at the door that concealed her and then at the door across the hall. His black robes fluttered with an eerie breeze that blew from behind him. His pale skin seemed almost transparent in the dim light of the hall. Brigit could feel her heart thundering in her ears as she realized who she was peering at. It was the Bailey and he was on an a.s.signment. When he turned to enter the door across the hall, Brigit felt her fear explode. He was after Mama Dee...

Mama Dee closed her eyes and began to ma.s.sage her forehead. She had felt the migraine coming on as soon as she had awakened that morning. As a precaution, she had called the women's shelter and told her boss she wouldn't be in today because of the headache. After a compa.s.sionate plea to please go see a doctor, Winifred had excused Mama Dee for as long as she needed on the condition that she present a doctor's note upon her return to work. As she hung up the phone, Mama Dee had silently thought that today might actually be the day to finally make an appointment. The headaches were becoming too frequent and at her age, she couldn't financially afford to miss any more work.

A deep sigh escaped her as she ma.s.saged her head. There was more behind all this, she thought. She wished she could talk to Brigit. Maybe the young woman would have some more insight for her now that she walked on the unseen side of life.

Mama Dee felt herself smile at the thought of Brigit. The young woman's energy had been a little stronger in the apartment across the hall for the past two days, but Mama Dee had not managed to have a moment to openly acknowledge it. Maggie must have noticed it as well, Mama Dee thought. The woman had not made her usual request for the old woman to join her for dinner. Maggie was keeping it all to herself a notion Mama Dee couldn't really blame her for.

The tea kettle began its lonesome cry in the kitchen and Mama Dee opened her weary eyes. The throbbing was mounting. She hoped a big cup of chamomile and mint would reduce the pressure long enough to allow her to call the doctor's office and set an appointment. After that, Mama Dee decided, she would let the banging explode while she hid in the darkness of her bedroom.

Mama Dee lifted the kettle from the stove to cease its cry. As she poured the boiling water into the waiting mug, she felt the chill creep through the air behind her. Slowly, she set the kettle on the counter, uncaring that it would scorch the counter top beneath it. Every hair on her body began to stand on end as she braced herself for what she would face when she turned around. Although she would not see it, she could feel it. The cold energy that reached out to embrace her caused her heart to thunder in her ears, suddenly drowning out the explosion of the migraine that had finally began its ma.s.sive a.s.sault of pain and fireworks...

Brigit entered Mama Dee's apartment silently. The Bailey had been too focused on his prey to hear her as she exited her own apartment. She only hoped she was not too late to stop him in his mission. It wasn't Mama's time to go. It couldn't be...

As she crept down the narrow hall that led to Mama Dee's kitchen, she could see the Bailey standing in the doorway frozen as if he were suddenly afraid to move. The string of curse words she heard in Mama Dee's voice alarmed her. Mama Dee had never uttered a swear word in Brigit's presence before and to hear the old black woman do so now caused Brigit to increase her speed. With a sudden flying leap, Brigit propelled herself the remaining length of the hall and tackled the Bailey from behind. A cry of sudden surprise escaped him before they both fell crashing to the kitchen floor.

As they grappled on the floor, Brigit felt the occasional hard kick to her ribs as Mama Dee joined in the fray. The frightened commands to get out of her house, to return to the depths of h.e.l.l from whence they had came reached through to Brigit's brain as she desperately fought to maintain the Bailey in her grasp. He was slippery, though, like a fish fresh from slimy waters. His robes were oily in her hands as she grasped at them. Twice, he slithered out of her reach but Brigit would manage one way or another to regain her hold before feeling another kick from the frightened Mama Dee. Finally, Brigit managed to still the chaos in her mind for half a second.

"John, I need you quickly," she cried out in her mind.

Whether or not her mentor heard or answered, Brigit was not aware, The Bailey had slipped out of her hold once more and began a frightened scramble for the hall. Brigit rose to her feet once more and lunged to tackle him again. In mid-air, she had heard Mama Dee gasp. Either the old woman had finally seen her mortal body or she had recognized Brigit or maybe even both. Brigit had no moment to spare thought as she and the Bailey crashed to the floor in the narrow hall and continued their frantic writhing for escape and control. Somehow, Brigit managed to wrap her legs around the death bringer's waist and lock her feet at the ankles. She was instinctively intent on squeezing any life out of him as she held his bald head in a firm head lock under one arm. At her head, she could feel Mama Dee's cautious approach. With a quick glance back, Brigit saw her friend creeping down the hall, a frying pan held over her shoulder like a baseball bat.

"Mama, no, it's okay now. I have him," Brigit gushed as the Bailey wiggled in an attempt to escape.

"Brigit?" There was a note of disbelief in Mama Dee's voice.

"Brigit, what are are you doing?" you doing?"

Brigit's attention snapped to the other end of the hall to find John standing there. There was a surprised look on his face as he viewed his a.s.sistant on the floor with the elusive Bailey in possibly the most complicated death hold John Blackwick had ever seen.

"Would you like the long or short version?" Brigit gasped. The Bailey wiggled again and she tightened her hold one more notch. The Bailey began to wheeze as he gasped for air.

"Well, I can see that you've found the Bailey," John mused. "You may release him now."

"He'll run," Brigit pointed out.

"Will you?" John addressed the frightened Bailey. As well as he could manage, the Bailey shook his head. "Release the Bailey, Brigit."

Slowly, Brigit let go but remained on the floor in the attempt to catch her breath. It had been more of a struggle than she had realized. Had she been alive, she thought, her adrenaline would have hit maximum over drive. Although she wasn't alive, Brigit recognized the effects the momentum of the confrontation had had on her.

"Brigit, did I hurt you?"

Brigit looked up at the woman the Bailey had come for. Mama Dee looked different, Brigit thought as she lay there looking up at her old friend; but from upside down and through dim light, Brigit wasn't sure what could be different on this side of living.

"I'm okay, Mama," Brigit replied, smiling so that her friend could see that was indeed all right. "Though, I think you should have been a soccer player, not a social worker."

"You," John pointed a long, thin finger at the Bailey. The Bailey stiffened under the sight of it. "Sit over there and do not move. I will address you in a moment." Obediently, the pale figure nodded and sat on Mama Dee's sofa, glancing nervously over his shoulder as the Grim Reaper turned to face the two women still congregating in the hall.

"What's happened, Brigit? How come I can finally see you?" Mama Dee asked as her fear from the commotion suddenly disappeared and a new awareness took its place.

"Mama, your time came," Brigit answered apologetically.

"You mean... I'm..." Mama Dee made to turn and run to the kitchen, as if to confirm that she really was dead by seeing her body; but Brigit caught her friend by the shoulders and steered her in the opposite direction.

"You are, Mama," Brigit said quietly. "Trust me. Here, have a seat," she suggested.

"I ain't sitting by that that," Mama spat defiantly as she cast an angry glare at the Bailey. Instead, she plopped herself on the coffee table and looked from Brigit to John and back to Brigit.

In the brighter light of the front room, Brigit could finally determine the differences in Mama Dee. Gone from her face were the wrinkles of age and the grey hair of so many years of witnessed sadness.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be the one to come for me when my time came," Mama Dee reminded Brigit.

"You've had a conversation regarding the rules with a mortal?" John interrupted.

"And who are you?" Mama Dee demanded of the man that had the gall to stick his nose into the conversation.

"Mama Dee, this is John Blackwick my boss," Brigit introduced.

"Oh," Mama Dee gulped with the significance of the introduction. "Well, let me just say that I'm grateful you allowed my Brigit to be here. I might have made the sin of kicking the s.h.i.t out of your boy over there if she hadn't been," Mama Dee chuckled nervously.

"Instead, you kicked the s.h.i.t out of me," Brigit laughed. "Mama, I was suspended from work. Mr. Blackwick didn't know this was going to happen," she explained.

"Oh, I see," Mama Dee's amus.e.m.e.nt seemed to dim as she thought about what Brigit had said.

Brigit saw the look pa.s.s through her friend's dark eyes that told her that she had the thought to inquire further, and possibly even scold Brigit for getting herself into trouble. Eventually, Mama Dee thought better of it and simply shook her head.

"Speaking of such, we need to have a conversation," John cut in. Brigit nodded and indicated that they step out of the room. John followed her across the hall and into her apartment. If I'm going to cross If I'm going to cross, Brigit thought, I'm going to do it in my own home I'm going to do it in my own home.

"I'm ready," Brigit said once John had closed the door.

"Good, because we have some serious catching up to do at the office. Seamus has resumed reaping, but the workload has began to mount again. I've decided to keep Miss Yaris at the office to maintain records. That will free up the Reapers to continue their a.s.signments. You pick up, you drop off and pick up some more. In the meantime, should you find any more recruits, I request that you bring them in for an interview before just simply taking them on," John instructed.

Brigit looked at him in surprise. She had expected a harsh scolding at the least. Instead, she had received the instructions for a more streamlined operation.

"I think I know of a potential recruit," she finally managed to say.

"Your Miss Dee?" John asked. Brigit nodded. "For what department?"

"Children," Brigit replied as she remembered the Bobby Hooper a.s.signment. Though she had had some fun with that one, she knew children were not her forte. Mama Dee would be perfect for the position if John gave her the chance.

"Very well," John said. "I'll interview her at the office. In the mean time, Brigit, bear in mind that should you find yourself in such a predicament again, I'll have no choice but to cross you. You are to set an example within the firm, am I clear?"

"Yes," Brigit answered.

"I have one more thing," John said as Brigit turned to return to Mama Dee's apartment.

"Yes?"

"There was something in your story the other day that you decided not to tell me. What was it?"

Brigit stared hard at the floor as she thought of how to respond. Of course John would have noticed the pause. She had hoped he would not have asked.

"A threat was leveled against me," she finally said. "There will come a day when he'll try to make good on it," she predicted. John suddenly understood that her omission was deeply personal but he was glad she had told him all the same. Two sets of eyes were always better than one.

"I see," the Grim Reaper sighed. "We'll deal with it when the time comes," he promised. Brigit nodded and opened the door. Together, they crossed the hall again and found Mama Dee casting the stink eye at the progressively nervous Bailey sitting across from her.

"Mama," Brigit interrupted casually, trying to hide her amus.e.m.e.nt at the scene they had entered. "Mr. Blackwick would like to have a conversation with you. I want you to go back to his office with him and listen carefully," Brigit instructed.

"Where are you going to be?" Mama Dee demanded.

"Maggie will be home soon. She shouldn't be alone tonight," Brigit said quietly. Mama Dee suddenly looked sad. Tears welled up in her black eyes, yet, they refused to fall. "I'll be in as soon as I can."

"You keep an eye on your girl," Mama Dee instructed once again as she stood. "You let her know that I loved her like a daughter."

"We both know that, Mama," Brigit a.s.sured her friend.

Brigit received an agreeable nod from John before the three of them exited the apartment.

She sighed heavily with the thought of Maggie's return. This was going to be too much for Maggie; but Brigit was determined not to let it be the straw to break the camel's back...

30: Maggie

The next few days were spent in quiet observation. Maggie had taken Mama Dee's pa.s.sing hard. Brigit had guessed that she would. It had been a hard year for Maggie. First, she had lost her lover of ten years minus one day, and then, she had lost her dearest friend. To top it all off, Maggie was left to deal with the aftermath of it all seemingly on her own.

The memorial service was held the next Sat.u.r.day. The church Maggie had reserved for the occasion was huge, but she soon found that it had not been big enough. The number of lives Mama Dee had touched over the years had been unimaginable. Not only were the current residents of the women's shelter present, but past residents were in attendance as well. They all spoke through tears of grat.i.tude for the various acts of love Mama Dee had shown them. Beyond that, Mama Dee's peers and colleagues were present to pay homage to the small woman for the giant example they all desperately wanted to follow. Then there was the spectacle of the gay community to add to it all. The drag queens were present, decked out in their finest attire to honor the little old black lady that had treated them as though they were one of her own never judging, never harsh. She had loved them all no matter what, and now, they all mingled together in the biggest show of love for one small woman.

Brigit had turned to Mama Dee where they stood at the back of the hall and found the little old woman wiping her eyes. The tears weren't really falling, but Brigit knew it would be some time before Mama Dee no longer felt the same physical sensations she had felt as a mortal.

"I guess I best get back to work," Mama Dee sniffed when then pastor of the church had finally ended the last prayer and thanked everyone for coming.

"How's that going for you?" Brigit asked quietly. Mama Dee had jumped at John's proposal once she heard there were children involved. Even in death, Mama had been quick to recognize that her love for them could still be shared.

"I'm getting there," Mama a.s.sured her. "I met Mary yesterday. She's a wonderful one. I really enjoyed talking with her."

Brigit nodded and smiled. Had Mama Dee told her of the meeting when Brigit had first started, she would have been shocked that a conversation could have taken place between the two women given Mary's use of an ancient language. Now, however, Brigit found herself accepting the statement without further thought. Mama Dee had always had an open mind. She would be able to grasp the spirit world's nuances a lot quicker than Brigit had.

"How's our girl getting on?" Mama Dee asked as they turned and followed the crowd from the church.

"Her sadness is overwhelming right now. She hasn't been sleeping well, either," Brigit related. Mama Dee shook her head and sighed heavily.

"The poor baby probably thinks she's all alone in this world now," she said. "You go on home and take care of her. I'll let John know it'll be a couple more days."

"Thank you, Mama," Brigit said before watching her friend turn and walk away from the church. Brigit continued to watch until she felt Maggie behind her.

Slowly, Brigit turned and found Maggie arm and arm with Tom Bennett. Brigit felt herself begin to smile at the sight of their long time friend at Maggie's side. Tom had always been a good friend, sharing in the many good and happy times the two women had. She was glad to see him present today, just as he had been present at her own funeral. His usually happy demeanor was somber at the moment, but his presence was providing a slight measure of comfort to Maggie as far as Brigit could tell.

"I'll walk you home. The book store can stay closed for a few more hours for all I care," Tom said as Brigit fell in beside them. She noted that Maggie made no protest as they began to walk back to their apartment. Usually, Maggie would have insisted that Tom not delay in maintaining the everyday business of the small book store he owned downtown.

"I just can't believe it all," Maggie sighed. "First, Brigit now Mama Dee. Who's next?"

"You shouldn't think like that, Maggie," Tom chided his companion as they strolled along.

"He's right," Brigit agreed out loud.

"Everything happens for a reason, darling. You know that," Tom continued. "Who are we to question the universe?"

"You've been hanging out with Sola DuLach again, haven't you?" Maggie laughingly accused. Brigit felt herself smile at the jab and the fact that Maggie was laughing if only half-heartedly. Sola DuLach was Tom's best friend, a strange woman in her and Maggie's opinions. Tom often rose to the defense of Sola's oddity, but now, he only shrugged.