For the past three months, it had been work, day in and day out for Kristina Carter. She had learned to eat, sleep, and breath defense work. High profile cases had been piling up lately, and she didn't know why. The arson at Pauline's bakery 6 months ago came to her desk, and she proved her client not guilty, the homicide of the town's historian had also came to her desk, and she managed to cut a plea deal for her client who admitted to the murder, and now, she was working on the burglary of the local 7-11. She was sure this client was not guilty. The police station had once again just scrambled to get a conviction by using a halfway concocted witness description and untraceable evidence. That happened a lot in this cracker box of a town. Nevertheless, Kristina was hard at work as always. Just because this was a small time town didn't mean the justice system could be corrupt. And, by the time the jury's verdict rolled around, Kristina's work proved to be completely worthwhile.
"We find the defendant... not guilty." Said Juror Number 1.
It was unanimous.
The gavel pounded on the bench and a sly smile spread across Kristina's lips. Her third high-stakes case of the month was once again a win for her and her team. She shook hands with her client, repeating her usual spiel of how glad it was to represent them, and how wonderful it was that they would be free instead of spending the rest of their life in a jail cell, and she headed out of the courtroom. She was stopped by the plantiff's attorney at the doorway,
"You know, Ms. Carter..." he had started, and Kristina just shook her head.
"Save it, Cooper. I've rejected you for the past three months. No dinner, no coffee, no movie." The other attorney, Jason Cooper, opened his mouth to speak again and Kristina shook her head, "No. For the millionth time, not interested."
Kristina left the half-witted attorney standing in front of the doors to the courtroom, blushing and probably kicking himself for even trying again.
Kristina had managed to make it to her office building a few buildings over by taking odd paths and back alleys, and once she got everything together, she found herself taking her usual exit down the service elevator, and making a speedy retreat to her car.The drive home was always the worst part of her day. It's when she reflected. Now, for most people, reflection at the end of a hard day is good for the soul, but, for Kristina, it's more than awful. The drive home is when she listens to the only radio station she can handle nowadays- 102.9, The Cat- that plays hits of the 2000s and today, and she just thinks. Which, today- like every other day- includes her replaying her diagnosis in her mind. "Stage II Cervical Cancer." Only, now, it had progressed to Stage III, and according to her doctors, Stage IV was just around the corner. As Kristina thought, she gripped the steering wheel. She'd learned not to cry over it anymore. Crying was a sign of weakness. And Kristina was anything but weak. She sighed as she finally pulled up to her small, one bedroom home. It wasn't the greatest place in the world, and surely with her salary she could do better, but, in this small Texas town, Kristina had no desire to stand out anymore than she already did. She put her car in park and turned the key to shut down the ignition, her frail frame dragging it's way up the stairs and into the small house, where a light came on in the midst of darkness, just like every night for the past 4 years.

Comfortable seats come in all shapes and sizes. You have seats with luxury pillows, seats with arm rests, seats where you can put up the legs, leather seats, big bags that you can just dive in, seats with massage options and more. It was precisely for this reason that Jimmy was annoyed and pissed. For he had not been sitting on any seat of the described. Instead he had been seated on a wooden bench that seemed to be so old that the wood was probably derived from a tree that grew in the Biblical Paradise. He had been in the courtroom for hours following today's cases. You had to do something to fill the newspaper of the small town. As only one of two employees at the Texan Telegraph he had quite some pages to fill.

So every now and then he would get the stories at the courtroom. In a small town like this the court was not very far behind. If somebody committed a crime, it would probably already be ready for court within a month. As a newspaper it meant that the news was still fresh in everyone's memory. Not reporting on it would be frowned upon. While shifting from one to the other butt cheek once again he thought of his colleague. Norbert was an elderly man who must have lived a hectic life. At least it seems that way, since he is now trying to sleep during the day to catch up. Somehow he was still able to provide some stories for the newspaper, although Jimmy suspected that he was recycling old stories from 1908.

After the last case of the day, another victory for team Carter, Jimmy was getting up and was ready to leave. Kristina Carter walked past him without as much as a 'how do you do'. Before Jimmy could walk out of the same door he had to do the mandatory after-verdict-interviews. He moved towards the defendant and started asking him questions. He did not have to talk very loud or push himself forward in order to ask his questions. In this little hamlet there was only one person asking the questions, even more so than the police sometimes did. Just a few minutes later Jimmy walked out of the door as well and walked towards the office that was known as the Texan Telegraph head quarter. Coincidentally it was also the head quarter of the local travel agency and the one and only accountant of this place. In the other corner of the mostly desk filled space was an actual hair salon.

During the walk his stomach started cramping. He walked by the bakery and looked inside to see if there was anything nice to eat. He realised there actually was, but he felt full, stuffed and not at all hungry. And this even though he didn't ate anything that day. Jimmy sighed at the thought, and this symptom of his disease was not nearly as bad as the others. Almost unnoticeable he shook his head and walked on until he could close the office door behind him an sit at his desk. Directly he started concentrating on his work and started to type continuously. Aside from the headlines, he also organised the advertisements, the obit's and he put in a special for the hair salon, like he always did. Not everything needed to be news. If the elementary school is cleaning cars for charity it is not necessarily news, but the people would like to read about it.

Taking a break Jimmy leaned back in his chair and reached for his mug filled with what once was hot coffee. He took a small sip of the bitter drink that, due to his disease, he shouldn't be drinking at all. With the strange feeling that someone was looking at him, Jimmy looked up and saw a blond girl staring straight at him. Shocked at the sudden exchange of looks between them he lost his balance and fell backwards from his tipped over chair. "Oh shit!" was the only thing he could say before his left over coffee spilled into his lap. Confused and embarrassed Jimmy stood up as quick as he could and tried to wipe any left over coffee from his lap.

Standing again he looked back at the girl and stumbled: "Uhm, my apologies, is there anything I can help you with?" He had not seen the girl before and he was 100% sure she was not from this town, here everyone knew each other at least in some way or another.

Marmaroth’s eyes grew wide as James tipped over and spilled the drink she’d learned was called coffee all over himself. The expletive that came out of his mouth at that point was immediately excused from her mind and she gracefully stepped forward to offer a hand, but he’d already scrambled up from his position on the floor. She retracted the hand she’d offered and let them interlace behind her, as she stood straight and backed away from him a few feet.

"Uhm, my apologies, is there anything I can help you with?" James spilled the words out of his mouth and Marmaroth would have laughed if she didn’t feel so uncomfortable. “Hello James.” The two simple words, unlike the male’s, were smooth, and she tried to make them as soothing as possible, even though she was sure her voice was going to shake in nerves. Marmaroth really wasn’t cut out for this job. Not to mention the idea that the man, James, with such a lovely biblical, Godly name, called himself Jimmy. It almost made her eye twitch. She smiled softly, and would have rocked back and forth if she weren’t frozen in place. Despite the fact that she was an angel, she still got extremely frazzled in the company of others. She almost wanted to wave her hand and concentrate to just try to bend fate, but it would only make her look silly, and it wouldn’t work. He’d seen her now. There really wasn’t any going back now.

“My name is Marmaroth. I was sent to help you with your sickness and frustrations. To help you move on." Again the words were said calmingly, hoping to not freak the man in front of her out. She could already feel his frustration coming off of him in waves. There was so much negative emotion around him that it almost hurt her to look, how could one person carry so much? “Please don’t be alarmed. I’m an Angel of God.” I highly doubt I even want to know how silly that statement must sound.Marmaroth took a step closer now and smiled warmly, hoping to get this over with, that way she could go home. Of course the human was important and every life meant something. But that was the exact reason why the angel of fate shouldn’t even be here on Earth anyway. The balance was fragile. And disrupting it too much could end badly. Although it was very unlikely Marmaroth by herself could do that…

Despite the fact that she wanted to carry out The Lords will as best as she could. And since he placed her here, she was going to try, and try very hard. “Why do you do this to yourself?” She asked, motioning to the mess of the desk, the coffee, his state of dress, and obvious burdens he put on his soul. “I can feel it you know. All of the guilt. And inferiority. The anger.” Lets work this out, and we can all move on. You can stop the pain, and I can return to the heavens and get away from interactions that render my abilities.She wanted to get the show on the road. If he came to terms with the passing, then this would all be much much easier for the both of them. Marmaroth smoothed the cliché 'angel white outfit' that she never really took off. Looking too human made her uncomfortable. She was always more of a traditional angel in that way, if you disregruarded the fact that she was an introvert and could throw up in situations like these. No one could see her but James anyway, there wasn't a need for her to change. “…James? I’m only trying to help...”

Even though he was sure the girl was new to him, there seemed to be some sort of recognition. Like a child hood friend providing a sort of safety aura. His scepticism however, was far stronger than the feeling of safety. When she called out his name he started thinking of how she was aware of it. On his desk he saw a sign with his name, Jimmy, something he preferred over James. Still the link to James was an easy one, even logical. His mother always used to call him James, but ever since his father died, she only pronounced it with disgust. He had left his mother as well as his name behind, he simply did not have the will or energy to deal with family.

“My name is Marmaroth. I was sent to help you with your sickness and frustrations. To help you move on.” Okay, at least we can confirm that she is coocoo and that she does give me the heebiejeebies. Where could she be from? He had been in the hospital enough to know most people there, patients and doctors alike. He did not recognize her from the mentally handicapped department. Still it sounded as if that was where she belonged. What could she know about his sickness, aside from him and his doctor no one else knew. He hadn't told any one, he did't have any one to tell to be honest.

When she started about being an Angel of God, Jimmy actually got upset. Although brought up with religious beliefs, it had started to fade when his father passed away. God did not exist in a world where Peter Coltrane died of cancer. Jimmy himself, okay, but not his father. The strange clothes of the girl did nothing to lighten his mood. "…James? I’m only trying to help...” Believing her or not, his first impression of the girl was not a very good one. He wanted her to leave him in peace, he wanted to get back to work and not be questioned on his beliefs or his disease.

"My apologies ma'am, but I do believe you have got the wrong person. Is there any one you would like me to call for you in order to pick you up, or maybe even a taxi?" He hoped for a simple answer to his question. It would make his day an easier one. If his life was going to be a short one, than at least let him live it like he wanted to.

"My apologies ma'am, but I do believe you have got the wrong person. Is there any one you would like me to call for you in order to pick you up, or maybe even a taxi?" Marmaroth almost scrunched up her nose, the wrong person? How could that be? She took a step back and her arms fell to her sides once more. The statement almost made her want to pull out the envelope, that was now tattered from being read so many times, and double check it. But the photo and words were inscribed in her mind. This was the right place. This was James Coltrane, according to the way he responded to her speaking. And the fact that he was the man in the photo. How odd it is for him to assume that I have the wrong person… She shook the thought off, she was told the humans would ask silly things, and as an Angel she’d feel compelled to consider and entertain the thoughts.

“A taxi? That’s one of those cars that pick you up places and take you somewhere else, correct? I’ve seen you use them.” The words slipped out of her mouth without second thought, even though they implied that she’d been watching him live his life. “No I don’t think I’ll be requiring the use of such a thing. Not unless you’d like me to come with you.” She supplied to him, holding up her hands in what she recognized as a human gesture for nonchalance. I think it best it we could get this over with! Marmaroth wanted to fold her arms over her chest and glare at the man, and make it known who she really was.

She could see that James was upset about what she’d said to him, “Have I said something to offend you?” Innocence seeped from her words, that and concern. However angry and frustrating their situation was, she still seemed to care for him. She’d done nothing, but eat, sleep, and breathe this human being for the past week. It seemed natural to her to have sympathetic feelings toward him. It never crossed her mind that he didn’t have a clue who she was, he couldn’t, he’d never seen her before. Oh no I’ve done this the worst way in the world. Why don’t these jobs come with instructions?

Though there were conflicting feelings running through her mind, Marmaroth continued to keep her face placid, not wanting to freak James out anymore that she already had. The regretful feeling that consumed her was a bit foreign, and it being so new, she didn’t know what to do with it, or herself. “I think I might have revealed myself to you in an offensive like manner. For that I extend my apologies…God works in mysterious ways.”

Looking down at the envelope he had received from Gabriel a week ago, William sat down on his couch, surely he had gotten used to his life in this small Texan town as Billy Johnson , but it's still pretty difficult for him to begin every single assignment he gets. There is always the process of planning in order to have a well rounded plan to make the meeting less awkward as you can't just barge in and simply introduce yourself as the guardian angel, or can you? To be honest Billy himself is not new to this job at all but it has always seemed to him as very bizarre. Now this new human of his, Kristina Carter from what he was able to found out about her, she is tough, in fact very tough and independent. This character of hers will probably give William some difficulties in his guidance, as she will not listen to what he says at all, but at least her toughness and independence will avoid a lot of the tears that he has seen in the past from other girls.

To be honest William hates it when girls cry, it frightens him, several year ago a girl named, Jessica mistakenly decided it was a good idea to ask him, but then according to him duties he isn't suppose to be in love with humans, so he rejected her, and that didn't end well as she spend a whole 4 hours cry her eyes out on his couch.

Anyways first things first, William has gotten himself a job with Kristina(amazingly) and from what he was able to learn during the past 718 years that he has been alive for, he does have a decent knowledge about law. He'll be working with Kristina, starting tomorrow and they'll be partners. Hopefully, everything will go as planned this time.....

After Kristina got situated in her home, the night passed by as usual. She turned on the TV, watched the news- which, thankfully, for once, was less depressing than it normally is- and fixed a cup of herbal tea, which she always drank before bed. It was the only drink that could curb the nausea symptom of her illness. As she sat down at her worn kitchen table, she checked her schedule,
"Great." She murmured to herself.
Tomorrow was not only a preparation day for the Grand Jury, it was the day a new person started at the firm. Kristina always despised when new people started. Not that she had anything against them, she just hated going through the painstaking process of teaching them the processes of being at the firm, how to work the computer software... all the basic things an IT guy could teach- if the firm only had one. She shut the front of her planner, causing a slight thud to rumble through the kitchen table. She managed to drag herself to the shower, wash her hair and clean up, before putting on a pair of flannel pajamas- which made no sense in the sweltering Texas heat, but, Kristina was always cold- and, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

---

Kristina's alarm sounded at precisely 6:30 a.m. She didn't have to be at the firm until eight, but, she'd always preferred to get an early start. She rose out of bed to go to the kitchen, where she made yet another cup of herbal tea. She got the newspaper from her porch, and read the headlines. Jimmy Coltrane, and the old man he worked with, managed to keep the uneventful newspaper afloat- along with reporting on Kristina's cases.
Too bad she was never around for the after case interviews.
At around 7, she got dressed in her usual business attire. Grey blazer, grey slack, and a t-shirt underneath. Today she chose purple. She didn't know why, but the color seemed to fit.
Kristina got in her car, not eating breakfast, because, well, she never did, and she drove to work in complete silence.

---

Busy is how Kristina described the office today. People were swarming around, waiting for documents to be signed and conversations to be had; but, luckily for Kristina, her office was only filled with the radio playing, and the muffled sounds of the commotion going on in the main part of the building.
Then the phone on her desk rang; at precisely 12:05 p.m.
According to the secretary, there had been a mix up. The guy coming in wasn't just another intern or assistant attorney- he was her new partner. Kristina hung up the phone and sighed,
"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful," she proclaimed to the empty room around her.
Then, at a little past 12:30 p.m, a knock was made on her door.
"Come in, come in." Kristina said in a monotone voice.
She didn't know what to expect. Her last partner had quit about a year and a half ago.
He'd gotten a job in Saint Louis. The big leagues.
Since then, Kristina had been solo. It was "Team Carter's Turf" as the local newspaper referred to it.
Now, it was going to be Carter-Someone Else. And Kristina didn't like the sound of that at all.

The girls answer was both confusing and frightening. Not the fact she didn't realize exactly what a taxi was, but the fact that she had 'seen him use them'. It would have been perfectly fine if he had just arrived in a taxi, but the last taxi he had taken was exactly 4 days ago. He had been to the next town over to collect a story, and he didn't enjoy driving himself. Does this mean she followed me from that town? Could it be that this girl had followed him for the past few days, or had he just stood out in some way while she was in town. Honestly, he was quite surprised if she had been here for several days. If ever there was a new person around, he was usually notified by the other people of the town. That happens automatically in a town like theirs.

"o I don’t think I’ll be requiring the use of such a thing. Not unless you’d like me to come with you.” She sounded as if she wanted to comfort him, as if she would be on board for whatever Jimmy would decide. "I'm not taking a taxi. I wasn't really planning on going anywhere, you know a taxi is only used if you want to go from one place to the other and don't have your own transport." Oh great, now he was explaining what a taxi exactly does. Hadn't today been too long and too tiresome to deal with a person like this.

Before he could speak again the girl that named herself Marmaroth, spoke again. This time she asked him if she had offended her. To be fully fair he could not say yes, how could she have known that he no longer believed in God as he had done when he was young. How could she have known that he had felt abandoned for a very long time. He stopped feeling sorry for himself when he realized that the thought of a God, giving diseases and alike, was strange and unrealistic. If his father would have heard his son say this he would have started preaching. Maybe that's why I don't believe any more. There is no one left in my life that can talk which such passion and conviction about religion.

Jimmy cleared his throat and wanted to apologize if he had been rude. That was not really his style. "I'm sorry..." But before he could continue the girl spoke again. She apologized for being offensive and closed with the words that usually angered Jimmy. "God works in mysterious ways.” A weird saying to say the least. If killing his father and himself was a mysterious way, then Jimmy rather have God cut out his so-called mysterious ways. However, the way she said it was with such innocence that it was impossible to really get upset with her. Still he did not believe a word that she said, but maybe he could help her to wherever she needed to be.

"I'm not offended, I'm just not a very big fan of all the holy references. So, if we can keep that part to a minimum, we'll be fine." It still left the question as to what he was supposed to do now. He wasn't particularly looking for friends. It would just make it all the sadder for the friend when he eventually did die, which his doctor had told him was a fact, not a mere possibility. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am not looking for someone to help me out, or to move on. I'm pissed of about dying at age 23, but if you can't cure me, you can't help me. Nothing personally though..."