The Devil's son - 17. After the storm

“The massacre at Wall Street, by several media already christened “The Wall Street Slash”, left even larger wounds than already thought. 237 people are reported missing, among them 180 stock brokers. Police and FBI are busy trying to identify the remains, with help from the Medical Examiners from everywhere in the tri-state area and even personal from the Boston department is being deployed. Earlier today we tried to talk to dr. Jordan Cavanaugh from the Boston Medical Examiners office. Dr. Cavanaugh, as the viewer might remember, has been involved in solving quite a number of extraordinary cases. However, when we asked her what her view on this event was, she told us, and I quote: “No comment and get the hell out of my face”, end quote. Despite her good work and her talent to recover more evidence from a body than any other coroner dr. Cavanaugh still has trouble dealing with the press in a professional way.”

Wall Street saw red from all the blood spilled there although it almost faded against the amount of cables flowing from several news vans as well as the number of high heel shoes from the female news reporters. Special agent at the FBI Bill van Dorp didn’t like it but the orders from Washington were very clear. Let the press see everything they want to see and don’t stop them unless you find something indicating a terrorist attack. Well, Bill van Dorp didn’t expect to find that. He did expect to find marks pointing out to supernatural phenomena. Just let the civilians believe whatever they wanted, the FBI was very interested in things Chris Carter could not even imagine for his X-Files. Bill van Dorp, being of Dutch descent, knew what might be here at Wall Street. He could trace his ancestry back to the Dutch settlers who first came to Manhattan and he knew the true reason why the wall was built.

“Special Agent Van Dorp, what is your point of view of all this?” Bill was startled by the microphone the reporter shoved under his nose. God, he hated the press!

“As we already told you, yesterday afternoon a religious cult that believed they were serving demons initiated this massacre in order to please whatever they hold holy. Somehow it worked infectious because more and more people participated in the killing, as you were shown in the security video’s”. All night long the best technicians at the FBI headquarters, together with their colleagues from Langley, had been working to create these false video’s. If the public should ever see the true recordings …. Bill van Dorp shuddered at the idea. At the same time he had to suppress a smile. This had been the first, and probably last, time technicians from the FBI and CIA worked closely together at the same project in stead of against each other.

“Some witnesses claimed they saw creatures that could be best described as demons” the reporter said, hoping to get more from Bill van Dorp. He, however, hardly took the bait.

“We heard the same stories but I think we can safely assume that’s all they are: stories. Perhaps some of the cult members dressed like demons or maybe people were so scared they convinced themselves this could only be the work of demons in stead of human beings. As if humans aren’t demonic enough demonic. Now, if you’ll excuse me …” and Bill van Dorp walked away. He needed to make a phonecall. Apparently they missed some of the survivors.

When the captain had found out Vanessa was awake and George hadn’t been at the hospital to see her yet everyone was afraid the boss was going to have a coronary. The desk sergeant said she never had seen the captain so angry in all those years she worked with him at the same precinct. Of course George was sent to Bellevue immediately, excused for the search for both survivors and stuff to ID the bodies with.

George was having mixed feelings about it all. On the one hand he felt like he failed. When he had finally reached the Financial District it was all but over. But the things he saw he would remember the rest of his life for as long as he lived. Demons and angels, fighting each other. Demons trying to get away and angels slicing them in half. Human beings trying to get away while being eaten alive by demons. Angels whose wings were ripped off barehanded. But Angel’s Light never guided him to the demon he was looking for as the acolyte had said it would. And after he found the first survivor he found out why.

“He flew away, with it, in his arms. I expected him to kill it but he kissed it, scooped it up and flew away” the woman, who proved to be a cleaning lady on her way home from work, said. After asking her a few question George concluded one of the angels took one of the demons and flew off while the other angels were still doing their job. There was no doubt in George’s mind this was the duo he was looking for but they were already gone. A better prove of this angel’s betrayal George didn’t need either. An angel working with a demon to achieve a common goal he could understand, to some point. But an angel leaving the fight with a demon in his arms, taking him to safety was something completely different.

But on the other hand George was relieved it was over, even though he didn’t get his revenge. Now he could go to Vanessa and enjoy the first years of their son Julian. He deserved some time with his family before he had to go out on the street and catch the bad guys again. He would keep Angel’s Light, just in case, but deep inside he hoped he would never see or here from a demon working with an angel again. Still, he felt apprehensive, which was why he was still in his car, over two hours since he arrived at Bellevue. He had been a terrible husband and he wasn’t sure if Vanessa would ever forgive him. Knowing Vanessa she would make him pay for it. But if he had to undergo that to be a part of her life again and to watch their son grow up he would gladly take everything she could throw at him. George got out of the car and walked in Bellevue Hospital, straight to the ward where Vanessa was. Vanessa was standing there, taking care of baby Julian. George just kept standing there, watching his wife and son. Vanessa turned her head and saw here husband standing there.

“George?” Vanessa asked. She couldn’t believe George was actually standing there. “George, promise me that’s really you?”

“It is, my darling. Please forgive me for putting you through this all alone” George said.

Vanessa walked up to him, stood before him and slapped him with all the strength she had. George took it and didn’t say a thing. On his cheek Vanessa’s hand slowly glowed red.

“That’s for running off without telling me whereto” Vanessa cried. “And now get in there on the double to meet our son, you big Italian idiot!” Vanessa kissed him on the same cheek she just slapped and hugged him. George hugged Vanessa back and together they went to look at their son. Both were happy and sad at the same time. Happy they still had Julian and each other, sad because of a son and daughter lost. In that moment detective George Russo was convinced they would make one hell of a family.

“Brother Jerome, you’re standing here in front of the Council of Elders to be debriefed and, if the Council finds it warranted, to be punished for your failure. You will only speak when the Council tells you to. Do not try this Council by infringing these rules. The Council is now in session. Elder Barthos, please begin”.

“Thank you, Father”. Brother Jerome had to suppress a smile. No one called the eldest brother, the chairman of the Council of Elders, by his name or even referred to him as “Elder”. He was their Father and most brothers didn’t even know his true name. Jerome did but that would do him little good.

“Brother Jerome, the task the Council of Elders send you out to perform a set and, in my opinion, simple task. You were to assist in our Lord and Master’s regained freedom but in this you did not succeed. Please explain what happened”.

“Honored Elder, this holy task proved less simple than expected, even by me” brother Jerome said. “It was unknown which Demon Lord would emerge first. This proved to be Oni. As this Council undoubtedly knows Oni was a powerful but hard-headed demon who hated the Demon Prince with a passion. It proved unable to stop Oni from going after Jayden, which ultimately got him killed. Jayden was now needed to complete the five Demon Lords to activate and perform the spell”.

“We knew this possibility existed and might be necessary. Oni was replaceable. What we want to know is why the spell failed” Elder Barthos continued. “Especially with the help we got you”.

“We never took into account Jayden is half human” brother Jerome continued. “Our sister performed the ritual to transport the boy to Hell in the flesh almost 19 years ago but we never thought him being half human would matter. In the end, it did. Jayden fell in love and deeply in love at that”.

“That’s preposterous! Demons can’t love!” one of the other Elders interjected. Brother Jerome didn’t respond to the outburst. He knew better since the Elder who was meant to debrief him was Elder Barthos. Answering the outburst of one of the other Elders would be a violation of protocol and as such would be severely punished.

“Elder Franz raises a valid point, brother Jerome” Elder Barthos said. “Demons have no soul and, as such, cannot love”.

“That is correct, honored Elder. However, Jayden is not fully demonic. He is a half breed, giving him a soul” brother Jerome stated. “How come he doesn’t know that?” brother Jerome thought.

“And this mistake was not corrected by spending 18 years in Hell?” Elder Barthos asked.

“It would seem it was not, honored Elder”.

“Why did this love defeat Jayden’s demonic nature?” Elder Barthos asked.

“The one he fell in love with is an angel, honored Elder”. This led to another round of interruptions before the Father intervened.

“We are here to find out what happened, how improbable it might seem. Further interruptions of the debriefing will not be accepted” the Father said.

“And why would the Demon Prince fall in love with an angel, brother Jerome? They are mortal enemies” Elder Barthos asked, clearly not believing brother Jerome’s answer.

“That I do not know, honored Elder” brother Jerome said, clearly indicating there’s more to say about the subject but he was only allowed to answer the questions asked. However, Elder Barthos was not born yesterday so he understood there was more the Council needed to know.

“What else is there to tell the Council about this angel, brother Jerome?”

“The angel in question is Ar’Thurian, subcommander of the Armies of Heaven and right-hand to the Archangel Michael” brother Jerome said, causing the Council to fall silent. After a few moments Elder Barthos continued.

“Brother Jerome, do you think the being he fell in love with is the cause Jayden could withstand his demonic nature?”

“Honored Elder, that I do not know. I speculate it might but I would need to research that subject in order to give you a more argued answer”.

“How did the spell fail?” Elder Barthos asked.

“Jayden managed to tap into his own demonic powers, adding this to the power that created the Gates of Hell in the first place. By doing this he disturbed the energy flow and the direction of the flow. This, however, was not what made the spell fail. Only minutes before the spell would have been completed Jayden managed to reverse the flow of energy, causing Rahab and Ereshkigal to receive more energy than they could handle. I need to speculate once more but I think, in their panic, both Demon Lords tapped into their powers as well, so they received energy from three, or maybe four, sources. They overloaded, causing them to burn up and the pentagram to collapse. Because the pentagram collapsed before the spell was completed the spell failed”.

“What is the current status?”

“Oni, Rahab and Ereshkigal are dead. Beelzebub managed to escape but I don’t know what happened to Abaddon or Jayden. I’m sure even if Jayden survived the power flow through his body or the stress of the spell collapsing I assume he’s drained for now. Right now it hardly matters. The Gates of Hell are closed and it will take time to reopen them. And even if the Gates weren’t closed we are at least two Demon Lords short to retry activating the spell” brother Jerome stated. He knew the debrief was almost over and then the Council would decide if he personally failed and what would become of him.

“Do you have anything to add to your story, brother Jerome?” Elder Barthos asked.

“I told you everything there is to tell, honored Elder” brother Jerome stated. Elder Barthos nodded towards the Father.

“Brother Jerome, the Council of Elders has heard your testimony and will now discuss the repercussions, both for the Brethren and yourself. You may leave the Council chambers” the Father said.

Brother Jerome walked out, never noticing the dark skinned stunningly beautiful young man in the corner of the Council chambers. As soon as brother Jerome was in the antechamber his dark and shadowy appearance shimmered into existence again. As a brother he was allowed to wear the Darkness everywhere but in the Council chambers. Brother Jerome was pretty confident he managed to convince the Council the failure wasn’t his fault. For a while he had considered to blame Belial but somehow he decided against that. Belial was not an angel you want to piss off. What Jerome didn’t know was Belial was already pretty pissed at him and was sharing his version of the events with the Council at that moment.

“Did he lie intentionally or did he think this other information is of no importance?” the Father asked.

“I don’t know, Father” Belial answered. “I’m pretty sure he knows Abaddon is dead and Jayden is alive. What bothers me most is he didn’t mention Angel’s Light. I can imagine he decided to put that safety measure in place in case everything went wrong and he did not have the time to clear that with you. But now I’m not sure. If that were the case why didn’t he tell you now?”

“Do you think brother Jerome is a danger to either the Brethren or our cause?”

“Doubtful, Father. However, I’m not sure Jerome’s loyalty is still with either the Brethren or the cause” Belial said. He had done everything brother Jerome had told him, including allowing the human to think he was more than an angel. When it became clear his efforts weren’t going to be rewarded Belial had contacted the Father immediately, briefing him on what had happened.

“For this he must be sentenced to death” the Father stated and all of the Elders hung their heads. The Father was right, betrayal of the either the Brethren or the cause would be enough for a death sentence.

“If you do that, Father, you might never find out if Jerome indeed has a hidden agenda and, if so, whether or not he worked alone or what he might have done to advance it” Belial said. “It would be wiser to keep him here, at the complex, to find out what Jerome is up to. That way you can always execute him later. Just be sure to contact me before you do”.

“Call him back in” the Father said. Brother Jerome got back into the Council chambers, once again losing his dark, shadowy exterior.

“Brother Jerome, you appear in front of the Council of Elders of the Dark Brethren to hear our decision” the Father said. “We, the Council of Elders, believe you are, in part, to blame for the failure of our cause: releasing our Lord and Master from his prison. Normally this would be punishable by death. However, since we also believe there were factors unknown to the Brethren you are not fully to be blamed so the Council of Elders withdrew the death sentence. We cannot allow you to leave these chambers unpunished, though”.

“Stand, Brother Jerome” Elder Barthos said. Brother Jerome rose, stunned he had been unable to convince the Council.

“Brother Jerome of the Dark Brethren” the Father started, “for the failure of freeing our Lord and Master from his prison you are hereby stripped or your rank and titles. From now on you are once more Jerome, Keeper of the Books of the Dark Brethren. Hand over your amulet!”

Jerome was startled. He expected some form of penalty but to be stripped and degraded to being a librarian was far more than he thought was fair. He’d rather have the death penalty. But being forced to remain in the complex, guarding the books the Dark Brethren had collected over the centuries, was nothing compared with losing his Darkness. Still, he knew he had no choice. He had to hand over the amulet so he removed the necklace and started pulling on the amulet. Jerome needed to pull really hard before the amulet ripped loose from his skin, leaving a burned and bleeding wound. He handed the amulet, complete with quite a portion of his skin, to Elder Barthos who stood next to him.

“Leave these chambers and do not come back. Have that wound taken care of and report to the library. You will remain there under supervision of the Curator” the Father said. Jerome got up and left.

As soon as Jerome left the Council Chambers he expected his Darkness to conceal him but it didn’t. At least, the Darkness he got from the Dark Brethren didn’t. The ring he wore on his right hand, however, tried to fill in for what was lost. The ring the Elders missed. The ring Abaddon had blessed for him in return for certain favours. He needed to control that Darkness, though. It would not do for the Elders to know he had served a different master this time and they would certainly find out if the Darkness would conceal him now. No, he needed to cool down and act like he was taking his punishment like a man. After all, his plan fell to pieces just like the Brethren’s did. All of his plans included Abaddon being alive to be his Lord and Master and, more important, his protector. Now Abaddon was dead he needed to keep a low profile for a while. But not too long.

“One day soon that couple of relics will be gone and I will rule the Brethren. That I vow”.

Michael was busy at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He was sealing his private chambers, which were pretty well hidden for humans anyway, with a series of spells so no other angelic or demonic creatures could get in. He was leaving New York City. Earlier today he had had a long talk with Ar’Thurian who had mentioned Him saying Michael was allowed in the Garden of Eden but just not in the Kingdom of Heaven. Well, Eden was a huge improvement over New York City although Michael would miss Ar’Thurian. He would never say such a thing to any of the warrior angels but if Michael was allowed a favourite it would have been Ar’Thurian. And Michael really didn’t want to train a new subcommander.

“So what is you new assignment, Ar’Thurian?” Michael had asked earlier.

“He appointed me earth’s first line of defense against the powers of Darkness, although I have no idea why “darkness” is spelled with a capitol “D””.

“I don’t know either but I’ll try to figure it out and let you know” Michael said.

“You know, you’re not so bad when you’re not trying to boss people around, trying to set events the way you want them to be or trying to kill people’s boyfriend” Ar’Thurian joked.

“I can interact with you an a different level now, as an equal” Michael explained.

“An equal? But I’m no Archangel!”

“He didn’t give you the title but he did give you both the task and the privileges” Michael said. “Only Archangels get such precise described tasks and assignments and only Archangels deal with Him directly”. Ar’Thurian sat down. This was something he neither expected nor wanted.

“So, why did you decide to come back? You could have stayed, either in Eden or in the Kingdom of Heaven” Michael asked.

“Jayden” Ar’Thurian answered immediately. “I can pretend I did it because you needed me or for the greater good but it would all be a lie. The reason was Jayden”.

“Pretty big responsibility for our Demon Prince”.

“Our Demon Prince? Now all of a sudden he’s ours?” Ar’Thurian stated.

“Well, he certainly was true to his word. He singlehandedly stopped his father from being released from his prison so I had to re-evaluate my views on Jayden. You were right about him and I was not. Still, are you sure a demon will be enough to make up for leaving Eden?”

“A demon would not be enough but Jayden will be. I know you find it foolish but to me it all makes sense. Eternity without Jayden, even in Eden, is what I imagine Hell must be like”. Both Ar’Thurian and Michael started laughing at that remark. There was more than enough healing to do, especially among the humans who were affected in all of this. But to be able to laugh again made it clear once more they won and because of that humankind would at least have a chance to heal.

“So what are you going to do next?” Michael asked.

“Jayden needs to get stronger and than we’ll probably go visit my parents for a while. They need to meet the wonderful man I found. It will also be my coming out to my parents and that scares me more than I can tell you”.

“Ar’Thurian, you are a warrior angel who just survived a second war with the Armies of Hell. So why are two normal human beings, in their midlives none the less, scaring you?”

“Because I want to keep their love and approval. They are important to me and I want them to love me for me” Ar’Thurian said.

“So are you also going to tell them about your and Jayden’s supernatural inheritance?” Michael asked.

“I think I’ll settle for coming out as gay to them. I don’t want to push my luck and their hearts anymore than I need to” and once more the two angels cracked up.

“Take care, Ar’Thurian” Michael said. “And remember, I’m only flight away if you need me” and with that Michael hugged Ar’Thurian, surprising Ar’Thurian more than he thought was possible.

The smile Michael smiled when he thought back to the afternoon faded quickly when he heard a familiar southern accent.

“So, it’s true? You’re leaving us?” Belial said.

“I’m heading for Eden, yes, if that’s what you mean”.

“Damn right that’s what I meant” Belial said and Michael noticed the former angel was angry about something. “Aren’t you forgetting a certain deal we made?” Belial asked.

“The deal was I would try to convince Him to let you come back to Eden. Let me tell you now not to hold your breath. According to Him you changed a human using angelic magic. That is forbidden and He will neither forgive nor forget”.

“He always forgives” Belial said. “That’s exactly why the humans are so carefree. They know He will forgive them”.

“But not you, Belial. He told Ar’Thurian you would never be welcomed into Eden or the Kingdom of Heaven again. He promised Ar’Thurian he would take your wings if he ever saw you again. If you saw Him now, you would Fall”.

“Than I wonder what would happen to his once favourite Archangel, don’t you?” Belial said with a clear threat in his voice.

“You know, Belial, I’m getting tired of this. I’m getting tired of your threats and I’m getting tired of you. If you think you can stall Him long enough when he takes your wings to tell him I was in this with you, please try. I doubt he will even listen” Michael turned around.

“Don’t turn your back on me, Archangel” Belial said and it enraged Michael. He turned around, willed his sword into existence and pushed it against Belial’s throat.

“I know I’m not allowed to use this sword against angels, Fallen or not, but I’m really tempted to make an exception in your case, Lord of Lies” Michael growled. “So, please, give me a reason”.

“Killing me will only increase your problems, Archangel. Ever heard of the Dark Brethren?”

“A cult who worships Satan as their Lord and who try to break open the Gates of Hell. It is said they have magical abilities but those are just rumours”.

“Well, in this case the rumours are true. Satan has granted them amulets with certain abilities to prepare for his coming to earth. In this last crisis they played a small but important role and were working closely with Abaddon”.

“And you know this how?” Michael asked.

“Do you really need to ask, Michael? I was working with them as well, making sure a certain instrument would be theirs” Belial said.

“Angel’s Light” Michael whispered.

“Angel’s Light. We, or should I say I, managed to convince a young detective from the NYPD Jayden was responsible for all the children who died recently, including his son and daughter. We also convinced hem an angel was working with the demon. And then we managed to convince you to remove Angel’s Light from it’s shrine so the order who was supposed to protect the dagger would pass it onto someone in need of the weapon ”.

“And what is this detective planning to do with it?” Michael asked.

“He was planning on killing Jayden and, if the opportunity exists, kill Ar’Thurian after that. It won’t be any time soon since he’s with his wife and their other son but in time Angel’s Light will point him towards Jayden and Ar’Thurian again and he might not be able to control is” Belial ended

“Well, I’ll leave you to pack up the rest of your stuff. And you never know. Maybe I’ll be back to either visit you or to destroy you” and with a loud bang Belial was gone, leaving Michael standing there, in the middle of his crypts, thinking about nothing but how to protect his two boys.

“So all damage done to you since this whole thing started is now undone” Arthur said to Samuel as they were sitting on Samuel’s couch. “Heaven’s Law was revoked the moment I died and I repaired the damage Belial did to you. You’re back to your old self, whatever good that will do to you”. Both young doctors smiled.

“So Belial didn’t create those feelings? He just amplified feelings and emotions that were already here?” Samuel asked, not liking the implications.

“Afraid so. You were always bisexual to begin with. You just didn’t realize it”.

“Can’t you remove those feelings completely? Making me 100% straight?”

“I was forbidden to do so, Samuel. I was ordered to undo what Belial did but not more than that. We angels are not supposed to interfere in the essentials that make a human being unique” Arthur explained. “I told you this right after Belial did his work on you, remember?”

“But now I know those feelings are there and I might act on them” Samuel said. “So I’m still not the same man”.

“Growth means change, is all I can say about that. In time you would have realized you had these feelings although now you are more aware of them, yes”.

“Do you think Claudia still wants to be with me? The last time we were together was nothing short of disastrous”.

“Remember how I came to see you that day? Claudia called me to tell me she was worried about you. She was afraid you might hurt yourself. I think Claudia has a lot more feelings for you than she admits”.

“Good, because I feel the same. I know in the past I used women as toys, hopping from one to the next but I think Claudia and I could work, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, my friend. I have very little experience with women. Still, she might be ok with you being bisexual and stuff. Who knows?”

“We need to talk about Bellevue, Arthur. I will step down for the resident position if you want it. We worked on it together but in the end you cracked it so it’s not fair if you would suffer from Dr. Wall’s wrath” Samuel said. “A wrath I caused”.

“If I learned anything the last few months it is life just isn’t fair. Only 24 hours after I found my soulmate I almost lost him and he did lose me. After that a job is not that important anymore. Besides, I don’t even know if I still have time for a career in medicine, me being appointed earth’s first line of defense and stuff” Arthur said. “So you take the job and be a very good doctor. Don’t treat interns the way they treated us and make me proud. You do owe me that much. Besides, being asked to leave Bellevue will help me create a cover story”.

“So what are you and Jayden going to do now?” Samuel asked.

“Jayden is packing up his stuff, putting most of it in storage. When he’s done we’re going to pack up my stuff and store most of it as well” Arthur said. “Then we’re going to Kansas to visit my parents for a while and after that only He knows”.

“So you’re leaving New York for good” Samuel stated, tears forming in his eyes.

“For good is a very long time, even for angels and demons but I doubt we’ll come back during your lifetime” Arthur said, making clear to Samuel they will probably won’t see each other anymore. “Jayden needs to be away from the Gates of Hell or it might start all over again as soon as the Demon Lords are up to their full number again”.

“Won’t that happen anyway as soon as there are 5 Demon Lords again?”

“No, not as long as Jayden is alive. They can’t select a fifth Demon Lord as long as the Demon Prince is there as the first of the Demon Lords. So they need Jayden and that’s why we need to leave New York”.

“Shouldn’t you stay since you are meant to be earth’s defender?” Samuel tried one more time while Arthur understood what was happening. Samuel didn’t want Arthur to go.

“Michael left 2 angels to guard the Gates of Hell. They have taken up residency at Trinity Church and will report to both Michael and me if something happens. So there is no reason for me to stay in New York. At least, not professionally. Of all the things I need to leave in New York I’m going to miss you most. But I have to chose for the safety of my boyfriend”.

“So where will you go in the end? I really want to stay in touch, Arthur” Samuel sobbed.

“I think in the end we’ll end up in Los Angeles, where else?” Arthur smiled. “I brought you a goodbye gift” Arthur gave Samuel a package which clearly contained a CD. However, Samuel didn’t unwrap it. He felt as soon as he did that Arthur would truly leave.

“You can’t just leave, Arthur. People expect things of you” Samuel gave it one more try.

“I can’t live my life hoping to live up to other people’s expectations, my friend. I need to live my life for me. And Jayden. I’m going to defy gravity” Arthur said.

“Going to defy gravity?” Samuel didn’t understand.

“Open your present and you will understand” Arthur got up and walked to the door. “Don’t forget I love you, Samuel. I consider you one of my brothers, not just a friend. I’ll be in touch” and with that Arthur walked out the door without looking back. If he had, Samuel would have seen Arthur has tears in his eyes.

Samuel sat there, on the couch, for God knows how long with Arthur’s gift in his lap. Finally, when the sun set, he unwrapped it and started to laugh. In his lap was the soundtrack from the musical Wicked, the first clue Arthur gave him he was gay. When Arthur had gone tired of visiting churches with him Arthur suggested to do something his heart was into. So when Samuel agreed he found himself the next evening at Broadway, watching Wicked. He liked it but he never enjoyed it like Arthur did. Arthur understood the character of Elphaba in a way someone who wasn’t hiding a part of him- or herself never could. That, in combination with other small hints, led Samuel to the conclusion Arthur was gay.

Samuel got up and put the CD into the CD player. He skipped directly to “Defying Gravity”.

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you won't bring me down!
bring me down!
ohh ohhh ohhhh!