Jephthah Samson's Story

It took three hours of the day, but Jephthah finally had enough carts where customers could get to them. He was sweating at the forehead, by then, since he had to hustle and get them in as quickly as possible, pushing ten at a time. It sure is busy, today. At least, it is mellowing down some. He suddenly heard one of the people at service desk, via speakers, mention his name and to dial the service desk number, 430. Walking over to the phone on the wall across from where he placed the carts, he dialed and heard this:

"Service Desk, this is Dan."

"This is Jephthah."

"Hey, Jeff! Can you help with a carry out at lane 12, buddy? The man and his daughter need three 40lb bags of water pellets placed in the back of the van. They said it is not too far to carry the bags by hand, which means you might or might not need to bring a cart with you to do it."

"Sure. I'm on it. What brand of salt are we talking about?"

"Store brand."

"Okay."

He adjusted his neon orange vest before heading over to that check-out lane. Jephthah just hoped the carts would not go too fast while he is not attending to them. Once there, he gave his usual closed-mouth grin and nod before realizing who exactly it was that needed his help. Nadia and her father? Nadia, I'm glad to see, but her father just scares me. I should be used to all the negative commentary on my birthmark, by now, and yet... He waved nervously while using an equally timid tone to greet them with, "Good... morning?"

----

Meanwhile, Abdas and his companion, Stella, were just beginning to head through the store's grocery door, when they passed lane 12 and spotted Jephthah and Nadia. Abdas could recognize their scents from a mile away, being a coyote angel and all. He whispered to Stella, "That's the couple we need to look after. Same scents and physical appearances. Jephthah's the man in the vest, while Nadia is the young woman at the same lane. We should proceed carefully. There is no telling where a demon may be lurking to try and ruin everything."

Nadia shifted on her feet slightly, looking her dad over a few times who was diligently looking over the things he had purchased. Her dad was a large, fit man who stood at exactly 6'2" and could intimidate anyone. His hair was a dark brown while his eyes matched his daughter's eye color. He stood with so much confidence, his eyes scanning everyone as they walked by until... he walked up to help them. The way he nervously waved to him and his daughter, what does his daughter possibly see in him. While Nadia's dad was looking over Jephthah, Nadia made herself busy with waving at him. She smiled a bright beautiful smile and stood slightly on her tippy-toes only to be pulled back slightly by her father.

Nadia's father was always trying to keep her in order so she didn't embarrass him in some way. He gently put his arm on his daughter's arm. "Nadia relax dear," He instructed her then stuffed his hands into his pockets. Nadia couldn't help, but to glare at her father a little. Ever since the first day she went to the Love Café she has been in total love with Jephthah, so she couldn't help it when she just wanted to run and give him a big hug. She did as her father asked though, leaning back slightly on her feet so that they were flat on the floor. "Good morning Jephthah." Nadia greeted him after he had said good morning to them. "It's good to see you," She said softly. Nadia took one quick glance over at her father who was looking at Jephthah's birthmark, he had always thought that birthmark was just a bruise from a fight that the boy had been in. Shaking his head once he signaled to the bags, "I'm guessing your here to help us out." The man said simply. With a roll of her eyes Nadia became still, looking from her dad to Jephthah and back at her father.

---

While all this was going on Stella was walking with Abdas into the grocery store. At the same time the two had notice the other couple, Jephthah and Nadia. "That's the couple we need to look after," Abdas has said. Oh gosh, here the two were at the place at the same time. Could demons possibly be around? Right now? Were they really planning to pull these two apart? Maybe Styx’s was still planning on how to break the couple apart. She listened as he rambled on about how the two looked and how their scents were the same as they were supposed to be. He really seemed to be stressing out or something because now he was talking about how they needed to proceed carefully because there was no telling where demons may be lurking. Of course she already knew that one. "Abdas," She paused to put her hand on his shoulder, "Relax dear. As long as we have our eye on them the demons shouldn't be trying anything. You don't think they will be trying anything out in public do you?" She looked at him, stopping as she grabbed his wrist to stop him in his tracks. She smiled reassuringly at him, as if telling him that it was going to be ok. Yeah they couldn't take things lightly, but still they couldn't blow things out of proportion.

((bags of water pellets (and other salt used in things besides food, are normally kept outside. People just purchase indoors then pick up the bags from outside to load onto the car or truck.))

Jephthah, while only four inches shorter than Nadia's father and close to as fit (without some of the muscle), he was still scared of him for two reasons: one, Jephthah knew he was nowhere near as strong, and two, Ndai's father always glanced at him coldly whenever seeing him around her. He could not help but smile more genuinely on the inside at the sight of Nadia's smile. It was so sweet and beautiful.

He nodded as he was asked if he was there to help. From there, he loaded the bags that were there onto the cart and pushed. He could not help but glance in Nadia's direction and grin before looking in front, again. Once the bags in the cart were placed in the car, we went over to where the 40 lb bags of salt were placed -which was next to a wall- and picked up three of them prior to loading them in the back of the vehicle. "Well, there you go." Glancing over to Nadia, he said, "My shift ends at three, so if you want to do anything today, you can call me after that."

Jephthah wanted to hug and kiss her so badly, but he knew it would not be appropriate during work, so he made do with a wave while saying to both her and her father, "Have a good day!" With that, he went back inside to see the carts there were not going so speedily. Well, that makes things easier.

----

Abdas listened to what Stella said and nodded. That is partially true, though there are demons which are not seen by humans due to invisibility, which make up quite a bulk of their forces. That is part of the reason humans find it hard to resist the urge to sin. Bon Bon squeaked from inside his pocket, as if reassuring Abdas it will be all right.

Nadia nodded when Jephthah informed her when his job was over. She didn't have a job yet because she was about to go off to college to pursue her dream of becoming either an entrepreneur or a model. Either one was something she had been inspired to be since she was a child. Her smile weakened slightly as he waved good-bye and left. To her she was sad that he had just hurried off so fast, but knew that her father probably would be wondering why he was sticking around so long. She guessed that because her dad had been looking at his birthmark and at times he would look at his daughter. How could his daughter be interested in a boy that had a bruise on his eye from a fight? That was the problem though because he didn’t know that it was actually a birthmark. So when people tried to tell him that it was a birthmark his stubbornness would come out and he wouldn’t believe them.

After Jephthah had said good bye Nadia's father, Hank, waved at him. "Good to see you again!" Hank called out in his usual deep commanding tone before looking at his daughter whom of which he gave her a gentle smile. Inhaling and exhaling deeply he signaled for her to go first. "Well, shall we?" He asked her. With one more glance back in the direction that Jephthah had gone she finally nodded to him then went over to the truck and got into the passenger seat. With a roll of her eyes she turned the radio station as soon as her dad got in, buckled up and the truck had been turned on. She hummed to the song, gazing out the window as they started away from the store.

---

Stella moved her hands to the sides of her dress, tugging on them nervously as she watched while Jephthah and Nadia kept their sentences short to each other. One thing she also noted was that there was a taller man standing next to Nadia who she assumed was her father or some relative. Running a hand through her hair she finally sighed softly as Jephathah said his good-byes then went off. This was the time when she turned to Abdas whom of which she gave him a questioning look. "What now?" She asked then closed her eyes momentarily. She had no idea what they could do right now, but if something was supposed to happen they needed to act quickly before a demon got to Nadia or Jephthah. Finally after several moments of thinking she opened her eyes to look at Abdas in hope that he had a better idea then what she had in mind.

Abdas already had an idea in mind. "Most demons are invisible to humans, yet if they think a powerful angel is around, many will turn the other way and pick another target. That gives us the advantage." He glanced towards his pocket, where the love bug was. "Bon Bon? Do you still have that cat transformation bean I placed in there with you?" The bug squeaked in confirmation. "Great. Now, you will need to teleport quickly before you turn into a cat. Your destination will be Nadia's backyard."

Bon Bon squeaked again before eating the bean (which was actually sweet in taste) and teleporting. by the time he reached his destination, he was already turned into a cat. Thanks to Abdas, he emitted an aura which would deter demons away whenever he was around. Bon Bon next walked up to the driveway and pretended to sleep next to it. All that could be done now was wait.

.........

3:30 pm...

Jephthah made it back home after a hard day's work before resting a bit. He then remembered what he said about doing something that day. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed the number and waited for her to answer. Texting was not his thing. Once she answered, he asked how her day was, so far, and if he was up for something from the Love Café. Since they have met, it has become their favorite place to go to as a couple, and the couples' section was not a bad part of the place to be at.

Stella gave a surprised look to Abdas and looked over at the cute little pastry. As soon as the tiny Bon Bon was gone and was now a cat some where in Nadia's backyard she shook her head. A soft giggle escaping her lips, "You really were a step ahead of me weren't you? Now what are we going to do about Jephthah though? I mean you know when he is off of work. Are we just going to follow him home or something?" She was obviously joking by the way a closed mouth grin came to her face. "We could go all super angel detectives." She posed, holding out her hand which was half closed like she was holding out a badge. She laughed again and slowly straightened back up in an attempt to try to be at least a little professional. This was a little bit of her weakness though because some times she had a hard time being professional or -for easier words- serious.

---

Nadia was sitting on a leather L-shaped couch in her living room, petting her cat Mr. Whiskers when Jephthah called her. As soon as she heard her phone ring she shoved her cat off her lap who looked both confused but was now flicking his fluffy black tail angrily. She shook her head at her cat, waving a hand dismissively at him while finally answering her cell phone and pacing around the room as she talked to him. "It was alright I guess, because I mean it was pretty boring just sitting around my house." She told him, biting on her nail a little. Her biting her nails was just a habit she had when she was talking on the phone to someone. When he had mentioned the Love Café though she everything, and even stopped biting her nails. "Of course, I'd love to." She said with a hint of excitement in her tone. A small smile came to her face, the Love Café was the place that the couple loved going to here lately after they had became a couple. "Meet you there?" She asked, "Good." She giggled, not giving him the time to respond. She grinned, making a cute little 'Mwah' into the phone before hanging up. The only reason she really ended the phone quickly was because her dad was walking down the stairs and was giving her a weird look.

"I am going out," She told him as she started to collect her stuff. She pushed things into her pure, sighing softly as he dad just shook his head at her before walking into the kitchen. Nadia lifted her head when she heard Mr. Whiskers meow which he rarely did unless he wanted to go outside or if he was mad. She looked at him and his face was practically pressed against on of the windows as he looked out a the drive way where he madly flicked his tail. Nadia once she had all of her things together slowly walked over to the window to see the other cat. "Oh great chill out Mr. Whiskers its just another cat." She told him as she rolled her eyes. As soon as she opened the door to step outside though Mr. Whiskers was one step ahead of her and was darting out the door towards the cat on the driveway. He was meowing and hissing furiously as he skidded across the pavement and darted towards the other cat. Nadia of course reacted fast and put down her purse before running after her cat. "No! Mr. Whiskers! Stop!" She cried out, shoving her arms out in front of her as she tried to cat that fat cat who was actually unbelievably fast for his weight. "Leave that cat alone!" She yelled, trying to grab her cat before it got to the other cat on her driveway but every time she thought she could get him he would move from her path and she would just grab the air. "Stop!" She cried, grabbing for her cat furiously as they ran around the car and Mr. Whiskers was still focusing on staying away from Nadia, but was also trying to get that other cat.

Abdas laughed a bit at Stella's joke. "Well, I don't think a coyote is docile enough for a safe sentry. One look at me in my coyote form, and someone is bound to call in a group of men to have me captured. However, a rabbit would work because all one would have to do is run as a way of faking being startled when someone gets up close. That's where you come in." He pulled out two potions, which looked like regular sparkling water in sports bottles. "Drinking one of these, though not right now, will grant us telepathic communication with each other whenever we will it. That way, should anything go wrong, we can contact each other. I'll be nearby, my house is not far from where Jephthah lives, which is a plus. whenever we have to work at the Café, or neither of us can be near Jephthah I've got some additional help ready. My brother's pals have been itching for a chance to bring down demons, and their animals forms are that of a squirrel. I'll call my brother and let him know we need them."

later....

Abdas was hard at work in the bakery of the Love Café, baking everything so customers would have fresh breads and treats. It was not a job where he remained idle.

-----

Bon Bon just pretended to sleep a bit more before he sprung up and ran circles around Mr. Whiskers. This eventually made the real cat dizzy, as Mr. Whiskers had difficulty walking back to Nadia. The fake cat stretched for a moment, then got off the driveway and ran all the way to the Love Café, where he simply lay in the grass in front of the building and actually slept, this time.

-----

Jephthah walked all the way to the Café and went to the couples section, where he waited for Nadia. He always went to the same spot of the Café to wait on her, so she would always know where to sit. Until she came, he would not order anything, just wait. To keep busy, though, he began sketching some plants on a hill with pencil and paper. It was a hobby of his when there was nothing else to do.

Stella later on in the day was walking around, taking orders and searching for possible compatible people. It wasn't until a couple in the couple's section start to argue that she had to take herself away from her customer after he finished ordering and she walked over them, "May I ask what's wrong?" She asked in a hushed tone. The couple looked a little angry with each other so she had to act quickly. While listening to them talk she saw a man walk in with a birthmark. Surprise came to her face which was soon replaced with a smile. Her attention turned back to the couple whom she put her hands on their shoulder, calming both of them and giving them this sort of happiness so they would at least stop arguing, but wouldn't completely stop being mad at each other. She straightened up, "If you need anything else just tell me." She said before strolling over towards the kitchen where she slowly slipped in. "Abdas," She said then hesitated when she saw him hard at work. "Okay you know never mind." With that she walked out and towards Jephthah a smile on her face that was as welcoming as ever.

---

Nadia after the other cat had made Mr. Whiskers dizzy had scooped him up into her arms. "Crazy cat," She mumbled a little angrily as she carried her cat back into the house and tossed him down onto the couch. She stood there for a moment, glaring at her cat. "Don't even thinking about moving." She told him firmly, as if he could actually respond to her. Before leaving she decided just to take her dad's extra car that he used just for big loads if they ever moved or something for his business. She hesitated then went over to the hook next to the door where her dad's car keys were. "I'm taking your truck by the way dad!" She called out before taking the keys and sighing softly as she waited for him to respond. "Alright be careful though that's a big car which mean it’s harder to drive than your mother's car." She rolled her eyes, "Okay whatever." She mumbled before skipping out of the house and closing the door behind her before her cat could run out the door again.

Now she was practically jogging over to her dad's truck before he could change his mind because she did that some times and she really did not want to walk to the Café today. She slid into the truck and started the large truck up. There was such a short girl driving such a large truck, but did she care? No not really she loved this truck mostly because it was cool looking and she felt tall. The truck rumbled beneath her as she slowly pulled out of the driveway and started towards the Café where she was supposed to meet Jephthah.

Finally she was there at the Love Café where Jephthah was, so she pulled in and parked the car before pretty much throwing herself out of the truck. Snatching her purse up, she stuffed the keys into her purse, closed the door and then locked the doors to her dad's black GMC Sierra 1500 truck. She let out a slow breath, trying to fight down the butterflies in her stomach that she still got almost every time she would see or meet Jephathah somewhere. Gently she bit her lip as she entered the Café, walking over to where they usually sat she slipped into the booth in front of him and smiled gently, releasing her bottom lip. "Hey I'm sorry I took so long my cat decided to chase this cat who was on our lawn." She explained quickly.

Jephthah saw Nadia and smiled. "Don't worry about it." Laughing, he added, "Mr. Whiskers must be one crazy cat." Glancing over at Stella, he ordered his usual pecan pie and mango pineapple smoothie. Once Nadia ordered what she wanted, Jephthah made some small chatter on a possible camping trip for the two of them and their families. He has already been looking reserving a spot in the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. He mentioned that the nearby Ocoee River at the camp he had in mind was where an Olympic Whitewater Rafting event took place, once. there was plenty more stuff to do there, also. He asked if Nadia was up for something like that.

---

Abdas heard the orders and got right onto making them. While he made everything else and worked on the smoothie, he left a plate of pound cake and a glass of apple juice for Stella, a note to go with it. It read:

I had this ready for you, Stella. Not one for words, so... here you go.

Nadia smiled brightly at him, sighing contently as she nodded in a single response to him. Mr. Whiskers must be one crazy cat she had heard him say. "You don't even know," She breath out with a soft giggle. "A camping trip? Yeah that would be really great and I am sure we could find something to do." It was also then that he had mentioned the Whitewater Rafting event that took place. Suddenly an excited Nadia nodded. "I've always wanted to go Whitewater Rafting, but my parents never wanted to take me. They always told me that it was a waste of time." She told him, running a hand through her medium length blonde hair. "Have you ever been Whitewater Rafting or camping down there?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side slightly as a questioning look came to her face.

---

Right before Stella was going to tell Abdas the orders she noticed the pound cake and apple juice. A smile came to her face this was the time that she noticed how Abdas was already making the food. Taking a seat near the Pound cake and apple juice she lifted the note, reading over the words. A small smile came to her face a soft giggle as she stood up, leaving the plate there as she rushed into the kitchen where she practically tackled Abdas with a hug. "Thannnkkk yyyyyoooouuuuu!" She said with a giggled as she released him then cleared her throat. "For the Pound cake and Apple juice. I needed those right about now." She told him before fleeing from the kitchen and sitting down again. Taking a couple bites of the pound cake she spun around in her chair, making sure no one new walked in.

Jephthah smiled a bit at Nadia's enthusiasm at the idea. When asked whether he has done anything like that in the area before, he nodded with, "Yep, but only once, with my friends from church." Looking sideways, he added, "Before I mostly isolated myself from them to keep them from being easy targets for militants." Looking back in Nadia's eyes, he shrugged, then said, "I know, avoiding the problem does not really work a lot of times, but... everyone that has been close to me has been targets of militants' accusations and other senseless things. At first, I thought that would go away if I remained largely isolated, so that the pressure would not be on others." He held her hand, now. "But now, I'm not so afraid of them, anymore. I realize now I can't just run away from every situation involving those guys. It only leaves things unresolved if that approach is taken. If I can prove through my actions that I am not what they say I am, then that would be a stepping stone towards everyone around me breathing a sigh of relief." His other hand gently touched her cheek. "Nadia, seeing you confront the problems you face, I... I drew inspiration from that." Thinking of nothing else to say he leaned forward to kiss her other cheek, then sat back down, his hand that was on her cheek now on her other hand.

----

Abdas had just finished making the smoothie when he was tackled into a hug. Thankfully, nothing spilled. His cheeks went neon red as the realization Stella was holding onto him. He literally went wide-eyed, even as she was all enthusiastic like the bunny she was. His mouth did not utter a word, he merely blinked and glanced in her direction. She didn't even notice the blush? It is probably for the better. Clearing his throat when she went out of the kitchen, he made the finishing touches on the pecan pie and the chocolate cake. He decided that he would be the one to serve it this time. Of course, he waited until they finished talking before coming out and presented everything. "There you go, love birds."

After setting everything where it should be, he walked over to sit next to Stella. It was not as if anything else was going on. Seeing her spin around in her chair made him chuckle a little. He was about to say something when he heard a mischievous meow which came from the kitchen. Bon Bon... He never misses a chance to tease me, does he? In a way, it is adorable of him, but still annoying, sometimes. Oh, well, he was always a playful and mischievous lovebug. A soft grin on his face, he gently placed his hands on the bunny's shoulders to stop the spinning. "You're always energetic, aren't you?" His hands now on his lap, he stated, "I overheard them talking about a camp trip towards the Ocoee River. I've got comrades from during my time slaying demons who moved to the United States with me, and they are well connected with various humans and fellow angels. They can arrange a spot for the two of us to be nearby the couple so we can help deter a possible demon attack. Of course, Bon Bon will come with us. You think he'd miss out on this?"

Nadia listened to what he had to say and smiled more as she felt his lips on her cheek just before he sat down, and placed his hand that was once on her cheek onto her other hand. She just smiled at him for a moment before entwining their fingers and sighing softly. She didn't say anything because she noticed a male placing their orders down on their table next to them. "Thank you," She murmured softly and momentarily glanced over at the plate that had her chocolate cake on it. A smile continued to stay on her face as she looked over at Jephthah again. There was a light blush on her face as she said, "That was really nice of you to say. Did I really inspire you to want to confront things and not avoid problems?" She asked curiously, not wanting to really believe it. How on Earth was she the one inspiring him. If anything he was the cause of her calming down and thinking things through with her brain instead of her fists. Nibbling on her bottom lip a bit she finally release it and her smile became only slightly smaller. "Can I really be honest? I mean I don't entirely believe I was inspiration for you, you have made me a better person. I actually think before I do things. I mean before I used to just punch someone first and think later but after the past few months I haven't really been doing that, I have actually been thinking things through." She said honestly, hoping he wouldn't get offended or anything like that. Nadia's smile got only slightly bigger again as she gave his hands a gentle squeeze. Her eyes went to the chocolate cake next to her, but she resisted the urge to go for it since she was talking to Jephthah right now. Her eyes went back to his as she began to think of a couple things.

---

Stella hummed softly, placing a couple of bites of pound cake into her mouth while spinning around in her chair. She did notice when Abdas had taken a seat next to her but she didn't really want to stop spinning just yet. Hearing the meow from Bon Bon just made her smile even more until Abdas put his hands on her shoulder's to make her stop spinning and the smile cracked only for a split second. She rolled her eyes playfully at him before playing the serious part. Her hands folded in her lap, suddenly acting as serious as possible. Listening to what Abdas had to say about the couple they were supposed to look after was going on a camping trip she used both of her hands to make two thumbs up. Swallowing the food in her mouth she cleared her throat. "Awesome, and of course Bon Bon wouldn't miss out on this! He is an important little pastry, and we couldn't just leave him here anyways." She said, "speaking of which where is that little pastry." Glancing around momentarily she finally flicked a hand, not looking too hard for the little pastry. She smiled and shook her head. "Do you have a plan other than just kind of following them around?" She asked in a hush tone as she leaned towards him ever so slightly. Quickly leaning back she quirked an eyebrow at him. "Plus we aren't just going to go there to protect them right? We can do some other things too right? Like cook marshmallows, or go for a walk. Something along those lines so that we can temporarily take a small break." She mentioned with a single shrug. "It doesn't have to be a long walk just maybe on the first day we can slack off a bit since I doubt your Styx is going to be lurking that soon." Considering she was a new Waitress at the Café she had no idea about Styx's and Abdas's previous relationship.

---

---

OOC: I'm really sorry for this being short or not that great or something along those lines but I like had complete writer's block this time.

Jephthah kept smiling as he shrugged. "I guess it went both ways." He recalled, a couple months ago, where Nadia was being picked on and he stepped in since he did not want things to escalate. He gave the boys a calm, thought out rebuke on what they were doing. It was that moment, he reasoned to himself, that was the stepping stone to coming out of his little shell and actually confront the problem. Gently, he pulled one of Nadia's hands up and kissed it before letting go of both. He may not have been one for words, yet his actions more than made up for them. As they ate, he thought of something else to discuss, or tired to, anyway.

---

Abdas laughed a little when Stella mentioned Bon Bon as a little pastry. "You do realize he's not a pastry, right? It's just one of his disguises. He's actually a Love Bug." The mention of Styx brought back memories he wanted to stay suppressed. The moment he saw the traitor as a demon replayed over and over in his head, from her sinister laugh, to the battle that ensued in his grieved anger, ending with him badly wounded on the battlefield, barely alive. Styx sustained some major injuries, herself, but was able to get away, not that she had a choice at the time. Now that the demon slayer thought about it, those same injuries could possibly still be there, whereas Abdas was now in top fighting shape due to a faster recovery rate, such as how God designed him. Before the betrayal, he was going to confess to her, the dreams of it happening being shattered at the realization of her fall.

Once he recovered from the state of mind he was in, he said. "Sorry, I was dazed. Anyway, with the injuries she may still have to this day, yet not show, we could possibly afford a small break once we're there. Plus, If I know one thing, it's that with backup around the corner in the forest, we stand a better chance in case she makes a surprise visit. Two angels would make a challenge for her, but three or four and she would not stand a chance. She's not as up front and personal as the demons I fought in ancient times, which would give us a slight advantage in a fight. For the sake of subtlety, she'd have to hold back, lest she attracts too much attention from fellow angels like in our last confrontation." Another moment of thought, and he added, "We'll take turns with watching; with help from fellow angels in disguise as squirrels and whatnot, the task will be made easier."

Nadia nodded, smiling lightly until he released her hand. She hesitated then reached for the chocolate cake placed near the edge of the table. Taking a tiny bite of her food she sighed happily, closing her eyes for a moment until the bite of cake was no longer there. "So, how has your day been so far?" She asked with a soft smile. Setting down her fork she ran a hand through her hair. "I know I saw you earlier but maybe something happened after I left. Anything interesting?" She raised an eyebrow slightly at him before looking down and taking yet another bite of the cake in front of her. She wasn't about to practically just let this delicious cake go to waste. Of course she wasn't just going to sit there the entire time without even touching the cake. She looked at him, tapping the end of the fork gently against her lip.

---

"Pastry, Love Bug..." Stella rolled her eyes, grinning. "Same thing right?" A soft giggle escaped her lips as she once again took a bite out of her pound cake and spun around in her seat. She had only noticed for a short amount of time about how he seemed to be dazing off. What was he thinking about? Was he angry with her for mentioning Styx. Anything was possible... Gosh this cake was good. Stella shook her head, tearing her mind away from the cake that her thoughts had drifted to so quickly. She nodded to most things that Abdas had to say that is until he mentioned fellow angels disguising as squirrels. She laughed out loud, quickly covering her mouth. "Squirrels," She squeaked out happily. "Will they be as smart as Squirrels?" She asked, suddenly. Was she taking all of this serious? Probably not, but you never really could tell with Stella. "Have I mentioned how cute Squirrels are? Are you a squirrel? Like can you shift into one? Bunnies are cute too I can disguise as a bunny so I must be cute. Do you think if you disguised as your coyote form that people might mistake you for a house dog or something else and bring you to a pet shop or maybe even a zoo?" Now she was laughing really hard. "That would be sooooo cool! Don't you think?" Okay now she was just getting way off topic. She inhaled deeply several times before shaking her head and resting her arms on her knees. "Sorry, I got a little carried away." She breathed out then straightened up in her seat. Clearing her throat she smiled, holding back laughs that seriously threatened to escape. "Anyways, everything will be just fine. Everything will go smoothly. I'm sure of it." She told him confidently. "Don't you think?" She asked, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly.

Jephthah took a sip of his smoothe, then answered. "Eh, same old, same old at work. Crazy customers, keeping up with carts, and all that stuff." He then felt something at his legs and looked down, chuckling. "Well, looks like this café has a mascot." He picked up the cat, which was actually BonBon, and held him like a teddy bear. The disguised love bug enjoyed the attention, which showed on the grin. Jephthah looked at Nadia and noticed her expression. "Did you see this cat before, Nadia?"

--

Abdas could not help but smile as Stella went on in her hyper little way. "Angelic squirrels think more along the lines of fellow angels. Except, they do act like squirrels to blend in." The mention of his coyote form made him feel awkward. After all, coyotes do not exactly make the best of pets, which is in direct contrast to a bunny like Stella. Zoos are okay, but he preferred the freedom of the wild, whenever he can reach it. Mention of things running smoothly brought him back into gear, so he said, "It's never that simple with Styx. However, in her condition, it would take a bit of time for her to reach the place once we are there."

Turning his head to the side, he said, "But, that's enough about the topic." His face turned pink slightly. "Oh, and uh... Stella? Have you... ever had feelings for anyone?"

---

---

Jephthah tiled his head sideways in confusion, even as Nadia explained the whole ordeal. BonBon honestly enjoyed listening to what the girl said, because it made what went on all the funnier. It was a guilty pleasure of the love bug's to cause mischief. Jephthah, on the other hand, just gave a confused look for a moment. "Okay, then. Why don't we change the subject?" letting go of BonBon, whom walked away purring, the boy asked, "By the way, how is your gymnastics coming?" He has seen her perform it at least once, and despite her mediocrity, he found her quite beautiful in a leotard. Certainly, he figured she would have improved, by now.

---

Abdas nodded in apprehension as Stella spoke about not having any romantic feelings for anyone. His face went redder still upon being touched by her. Her query and further explanation, as well as her expressions, made him wonder if she had some sort of secret. Finally, he said, "Well, yes, I have had romantic feelings for someone, before. Once, while in my coyote form, I started a family with a female mortal coyote that I was in the company of during the time of Noah. I don't think the man found out I was an angel, otherwise he most likely would have spoken o me in a different manner. But, anyway, the female coyote... when she died of old age, I, as you notice, still retained my youth, which was a depressing thought. You could say all mortal coyotes you see today are descended from me." His face turned even redder before he continued. " Anyway, long after that, I met both Cupid and Styx, the latter I fell in love with instantly. She just seemed so innocent, so playful, so beautiful, she reminded me of the peaceful life I never had due to slaying demons for the whole of my existence. It was not to be, however: she was in love with Cupid, before she betrayed us all and became a demon, herself. I never had the chance to confess my feelings to her." His face turned sideways, his face now neon red. "And now, I have romantic feelings for another angel whom is seemingly innocent, not to mention, energetic. I do not know how she feels, though. After all, an angelic man with a violent past, whom only knows how to destroy, is hardly a candidate for an angelic woman's heart."

Nadia shrugged at his question, glad that he had changed the subject due to the fact that well it was just making her sound absolutely crazy. Sighing softly she ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Not wearing the leotard any more honestly." She answered with a small smile. "I can wear shorts and a tanktop now. I think its better for all of us there since well I'm a little old for those things." She told him then thought for a moment. "Other than that it's going good. I'm not so much as doing gymnastics as I am helping little kids learn how to do gymnastics and tumbling to be honest. I think I might be able to work there. It would be a good place to start any ways since well I haven't ever really had a job before, but you probably already knew that." She shrugged, her eyes staying on the cat for a moment. Maybe this cat made her a little paranoid, or maybe it was just something about this cat... Snapping her eyes away she looked at Jephthah then at his birthmark. The birthmark was something that she hadn't ever really acknowledged. Mostly because she didn't find it necessary but also because she was sure that's all people ever really looked at. "So uh how is your family?" She questioned, only partially trying to avoid the conversation about Gymnastics. She loved it, but she wasn't always the most comfortable when talking about it to anyone.

---

Stella hummed softly, looking at him uneasily. "Hm?" She mentioned, listening to his story. Styx! That's why it was a tender subject for him. She hadn't realized it until now and well she hadn't thought about it until now. She tilted her head to the side slightly, smiling lightly. "A girl, innocent, energetic?" She tapped a finger on her chin, thinking. "I wonder who that could be." She paced around, swishing around on her tip toes. "I wonder, I wonder, I wonder." She glanced back at him, her eyes flashing a gold color for a moment. "Couldn't be her, couldn't be her either, and most likely couldn't be me." Pointing at each girl she shrugged, turning to look at him as she flattened her heels onto the ground. "It could be me, but if you knew me a while ago I wasn't innocent, never really have been but what ever." She looked at him, throwing her long arms into the air. "I don't know honestly. I really, really, don't know." Striding forward she took his hand, holding it tightly in hers as she smiled at him gently as if reveling that she knew who he was talking about, that she was trying to return the feelings. Her fingers laced through his for a moment and she gave it a light squeeze, leaning forward ever so slightly she dropped his hand, twirling around away from him. "I think someone needs me. Probably should get back to work silly boy. There isn't too much time for falling in love with who ever it is your talking about. Even if it would be cute to see you in a relationship with someone. You need to stop being so tense, coyote angel." She rolled her eyes in joking way even if he couldn't see her before walking away. Fleeing to the table where a couple had just entered. This was also the place that she took their order and had a small conversation, trying to decide if this couple was really actually meant to be.

((Sorry for the long wait.))

Jephthah nodded in comprehension. The leotard Nadia wore before switching gear did seem a bit childish, not that he ever made a comment on it. Upon hearing she may be able to work there, he said, "Well, that's good to hear." His response to her query on how his family was doing, he said, "Everything is decent. My brother is as mischievous as ever, as is my Boston terrier. That little guy just loves attention. We wrestle a lot, and when I pin that doggy down, I rub his belly. He looks so goofy upside down." Jephthah laughed at that.

---

Abdas smiled when Stella went into deep thought on who his crush could be. He almost let out a laugh at her energetic movements and speech. He was disappointed, however, when the bunny girl said it could not be her. When she said that she never actually was innocent, he wanted to comment that such a thing would be why he said that she was seemingly so. The moment she placed her hand in his and leaned closer to him was the moment he blushed wildly and held his breath, wide-eyed. Not only was Stella beautiful with that gentle smile, yet it also seemed Stella knew who he was talking about, all along. What seemed like an attempt to return the feelings abruptly ended as the girl turned around and suddenly got back into waitress mode. Her teasing made him feel slightly better, however, despite the disappointment.

As he went back to the kitchen, he made a mental note to be more straightforward, next time. Waiting for the order, he then proceeded to make everything mentioned in it, from the coffee to the desserts. BonBon made it to the kitchen and began smiling mischievously for a cat (well, for a love bug disguised as a cat, anyway).