Two hours later, everyone had left except Domino, Liz, Brandon, and David, who had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room after filling his stomach. Jophiel had sat there in silence the whole time. Eventually, the four adults sat outside on the patio while the kids had fun inside. So Jon could finally talk seriously to the Angel:
"What's wrong, Jo?"
Sadly, she said:
"I feel tired Jon, completely broken. It's a losing battle. The darkness is gaining ground. It is getting harder and harder for Angels like me. When I want to talk to the Elders in Heaven and ask for their advice, they don't give a damn. They're tired of humanity and say it's not worth it because they're going to die anyway."
Jon looked at Elise for a moment, who nodded, and then he said:
"Humanity is not going to die Jo. Never, not over my dead body. Besides, you're going about your consolation the wrong way. There are much better ways to do your job effectively and get satisfaction. To feel really good again, to give your blessings."
Elise had a broad smile on her face at his first sentence. It meant that he had not only initiated Project Eden with the Deflin House but that this was his first step in his response to the coup. A message that would be heard in heaven. The other things they had done at Deflin House. The things he had done with the help of Zelo, Argo, and Rae Rae had been preparatory. Jophiel would be his first real step and recruit. Liz watched everything intently. Jon had just saved two children she knew very well from certain death. Not to mention that he had saved Brandon and herself for a second time and placed her little brother Tim completely under his protection with the promise of taking him to heaven. There was nothing she wouldn't do for this man. Jo looked at Jon uncomprehendingly and asked:
"We've always done it this way, Jon. How else is it supposed to be done?"
"Let me ask you another question first, dear Jo. Suppose you quit now because it is no longer working. What will be your new job in heaven?"
"I have no other job in Heaven, Jon, and I will never get one. You know that very well because I am part of that small group that was created just to help humanity.
"Indeed, so you will hang around in Heaven for the rest of your immortal existence doing nothing because no one will bother to give you a new task. At least if you will survive this war that Michael wants so badly, and that chance is negligible because you don't have any experience. Therefore, since you have no new task in Heaven, everyone will ignore you forever and leave you to your fate. The elders are already completely ignoring you, and humanity still exists. How long will it take Jo before you collapse from absolute sadness and boredom? There are still more than enough places on Earth where you can perform real miracles with your powers!"
"But where? In a hospital like today, I should always succeed. I try and try, but I don't succeed anymore."
"That's true Jo, but it's not your fault, there's nothing you can do about it. The hospitals are getting too big. You are surrounded by sorrow and suffering on all sides. The blessings you give are pulled in all directions, so they lose their power and hardly reach their true purpose. That is why the satisfaction you normally get when you give a blessing does not bounce back. Every time you try, you feel emptier and emptier because you are sending energy out into the world, but nothing comes back that you need as an Angel. But there are smaller places where you can offer comfort and hope. Soup kitchens, homeless people, those very small clinics where the really poor have to go because they can't go anywhere else because they don't have insurance, homes for the elderly, but also schools and universities. Students, young and old, need comfort from time to time. Jo, if the Archangels and Elders in heaven don't give a shit about you, why should you give a shit about them in Heaven? Is Michael concerned about you being on Earth too long, or does he just not care? Does he notice when you are in Heaven or when you are not in Heaven?"
She thought for a moment, took a sip, and said quietly:
"He doesn't even notice. Michael is an Arch, a warrior. You know he has absolutely no interest in our kind, Jon."
"Well then stay and let us help you build a life and show you how to find fulfillment and joy in your powers."
"I'll have to think about that Jon."
She got up and left without another word. Jon cheerfully tried to say something, but Liz and Elise clearly understood that it wasn't entirely sincere. They sat there chatting pleasantly for a while when Brandon came out, followed by Samantha and Jules, who had each given David a hand. Jon asked politely:
"So, David, did you have a nice nap?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Son, now that the worst is over and everyone is safe and sound, you can call me Jon and this is Elise. We have already established that you are innocent and just as much a victim of your uncle. So drop the titles."
Samantha interrupted:
"David is very scared, Daddy."
He nodded and said:
"Come sit with me for a moment, son."
The boy did as he was asked and Jon put a protective arm around his shoulders and asked:
"What are you afraid of, Davy?"
The boy replied with difficulty:
"My uncle."
Elise had already guessed that there was something else and spoke quietly:
"David, your uncle can't hurt you anymore, Jon has it under control, he's going to fix this completely. But that's not the only thing you're afraid of, is it?"
He shook his head silently and Elise continued:
"The kids are running around in their swimsuits, jumping in and out of the pool, and running around the house. You want to do that too. You want to have fun with them, but you are too afraid to take off your robe because everyone will see what that animal did to you."
The boy got tears in his eyes and spoke quietly:
"When I went to take a shower just now, I saw how bad it is..."
Jon replied:
"My sweet boy, I promise you that tomorrow this will all be gone as if it never happened. There will be nothing left to see. My little brother will come and heal everything perfectly. Perhaps you have heard of him, Saint Raphael. Just don't call him a saint or it might go to his head."
The boy had to chuckle a little at these words and nodded quietly.
"I also notice that you are incredibly tired Davy and desperately need to sleep. Sam Jules, please show David to the guest room next to your room."
He looked deep into the boy's eyes and said in a soft, warm voice:
"Go to bed, Davy. I promise you that tomorrow is the beginning of a new life for you. No one will ever hurt you again. From today you are under my personal protection, you are living under our roof and you are now part of our family. Starting tomorrow, everything will be different for you."
Smiling, he turned to the adults in the sitting area:
"Luckily, he is still too young, otherwise I could have bought another beamer."
This statement provoked laughter in the lounge. Elise had noticed that the boy had blushed when Jon had counted him among the other children. The girls practically pulled him in. The last they heard was Sam's voice:
"Davy, you are going to love your new room and..."
The last part was lost because they were already inside. Before anyone could react to Jon's statement, Azrael reappeared in the garden. Jon had a soft smile and said:
"Rae Rae, sit down and have a drink."
The Angel let her wings disappear, flopped down on a seat, and took the bottle of Chardonnay that was in an ice bucket on the table to pour herself a glass. She took a sip and said:
"If Jo wasn't broken already, Michael has now, Jon."
He downed his glass of vodka in one gulp and Elise took his hand. She knew it would cool his temper. He took a few deep breaths and asked:
"What did that winged idiot do now?"
"Jo went straight to him. She asked him if it would be okay if she stayed on Earth for a while. Jon, he barked at Jo so much and you know how sensitive she is. He said that the Archangels and Elders don't care if she stays on Earth until humanity ceases to exist and much longer. That there was no room in Heaven for Angels like us to help humanity because Father's favorite toy was broken and would soon end up in the trash with the rest of us. That for all he cared, she should stay and never come back."
His eyes flashed again for a moment, but no one was impressed, they already knew him. It was an automatic reaction when someone hurt his family. So everyone was silent for a moment as he shakily tried to refill his glass, but it didn't work very well, so Elise did it for him, and under his breath, he said:
"That bastard! He goes after the little ones, he shits his pants in front of me, I should burn him down...NOW!"
It was Brandon who asked a question that made his anger immediately disappear and he blushed. The address title Brandon used was also new, which delayed his reaction even more.
"Uncle Jon, is Jo your little sister? Like Mom is Aunt Elise's little sister?"
For a moment he did not know how to answer, and when that answer took too long for Azrael's liking, she said with a mischievous smile:
"Yes, Uncle Jon, tell Brandon, the triplets, Domino, and Liz what you think of Jophiel, me, and the rest of us younger Angels and Demons like Zelo and Argo and what we think of you. Your lovely wife and the little ones already know, but due to the hustle and bustle, the rest of your ever-growing family hasn't been fully informed yet."
This made him even redder and for a moment he was unable to say anything. Rae Rae decided to give the answer herself:
"Most of the younger Angels are completely ignored in Heaven. As if we were a mistake of Father and Mother to create us after the fall of Lucifer and give us powers to serve and help humanity. The Archangels and the Elders avoid us like the plague because they have written off humanity and we have nothing to contribute to the army ready to take on hell. Not only have they written off humanity, but they have also written off us. They have never seen man as anything but a mammal with a brain that is incapable of anything. Besides Grandma and Grandpa, it was Jon here who was the only one who always had a good word for us. Who treated us with warmth and love. Who was always there for us. Who was always there when we needed someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. Without exception, one after another, they see him as the older brother who was always there for his younger sisters and brothers. And from what I've heard through B, it's not fun for the younger Demons in Hell either. Hell is not a summer camp. In the lower levels weakness is immediately exploited or punished. There is a limit to what B&B and Lucifer can do to protect the young. That is, until Jon arrived on the scene. He didn't have to claim the small group, they were drawn to each other like ducks to water. Jon's temperament made sure that they were quickly left largely alone by the truly monstrous Demons of the lower circles. No one wanted to share the chunks when our little Antichrist was pissed off because one of his friends had been harassed. Where Lucifer has rules and laws and a court of some sort to deal with certain situations. The Crown Prince of Hell has none of that and strikes brutally without warning. The worst Demons live in the Ninth Circle, and even they tremble in their boots at the mere mention of Jon's name."
He narrowed his eyes dangerously and asked icily:
"Why are you talking in the past tense, Rae Rae? What have Michael and his two weasels done now?"
"Michael, Uriel and Sandalphon had nothing to do with it this time, Jon."
"Grandpa? But why would he do that? Grandpa doesn't hurt anyone on purpose, he never hurts me on purpose, and certainly not you. With him, everything always has a damned reason. If he worked a little less in mysterious ways, a lot of Angels would feel less hurt."
Azrael sighed:
"Jonathan Drago, sometimes I wonder why we look up to you. The big brother who can save us from our seemingly inevitable fate of becoming useless or worse. No, idiot! You hurt them yourself! Do you remember the words that no one is welcome without exception, under penalty of being burned?"
The color drained from his face. Yes, he remembered those words, shouted in anger. Not thinking of the consequences, the effect they would have on the youngest. He looked guiltily at Azrael and said:
"I'm sorry Rae Rae, I didn't mean it. I really didn't mean it. My temper. I really need to get it under control. Oh, dear Grandma, that's why Zelo was so damn scared when I asked him to come after that crappy meeting. That's why Jo was so scared at the hospital. Oh man, what an idiot I am!"
He went pale and it was obvious that he was ashamed.
"I invited Jo to stay here for a while and help her get back on her feet. Can you please see what you can do to get her here?"
She got a warm smile and said:
"Everything you need is right here, Jon."
She pointed to each person in the seating area.
"Elise, the love of your life, the mother of your children, the woman who will keep you balanced. Liz, who you see as one of us. A younger sister who will initiate great things with you. Domino, you two are just beginning to see it, you are beginning to feel it as you brainstorm. It's the two of you who will begin to strategize what to do in Eden and later when the last human has disappeared from the Earth. Brandon, Pamela, Jules, Samantha, Fay, Hope, and now David. You love them one by one, and you treat each of them like your own children, without exception. That's how big your heart is, Jon. They are the fuel your engine needs to save humanity and change the world. You don't quite realize it yet, Jon, but you are going to do God's work without being God… not yet. You are already more powerful than grandfather ever was because your love and light are so much more powerful than grandfather's. Because you work among humanity instead of above it."
Azrael stood up straight and said with a warm smile:
"Don't worry about Jo Jon. Grandma and I straightened out the situation and made it clear that your anger was directed at Michael and your father because they wanted you to destroy humanity. That you refused to do that and that you were going to save humanity instead. Jo's admiration for you has only grown. She is going to Grandma's and will be staying there tonight. I'll bring her by in the morning."
"See you later, brother."
Laughing, she disappeared. Liz broke the silence and said without thinking about the children present:
"I don't know if Angels have sex, but this one, I definitely want to learn how!"
The sip Jon had just taken came out through his nose and he burst into a deep, heartfelt laugh. The others were not far behind, and the mood soon returned to the happy and playful one before Azrael had appeared.
A few hours later, Elise and Jon decided to go to bed after an evening of lounging in the garden surrounded by their family. A family that seemed to be growing rapidly, as Rae Rae had said. For Jon, who had always been cut off from a family. At least a family that didn't nag him to destroy the world, it was as if he was immersed in bliss. Elise knew exactly how important that feeling was to him, and if she was honest with herself, and she was, she too could not be happier in her new role. Not only would she soon be the new Mother Nature, but she was already the matriarch of this new family. With a smile, she thought there was always room for more. She led him to their suite, knowing he would want to check on the children first to make sure everything was okay. Just like last time with the girls, he saw three little heads above the blankets and Jules was again protected in the middle with Brandon holding her like a big spoon. He got a big smile on his face when he looked at the triplets, who were all tangled up in the big bed. He poked his head into David's room and instead of seeing the boy sleeping peacefully, his blood almost immediately froze in his veins. The boy was lying on the floor next to the bed, visibly shaking. The bed was not slept in, as if he did not dare to lie in it. As if he was somehow supposed to sleep on the floor or had been forced to sleep on the floor for years. He controlled himself so that his eyes would not flare up again. At the same time, he decided that once he found the uncle, he would make his suffering absolutely terrible. Gently, he picked Davy up from the floor and carried him to their suite. Elise looked at him questioningly. He motioned for the covers to be pulled back and placed the boy in the middle. Gently, he unfastened his robe and lay down beside him to warm the boy. Elise lay on the other side and he whispered how he had found the boy. She got teary-eyed and embraced the boy and Jon enjoyed playing the big spoon that night for someone other than Elise. This boy would need very, very much help.