Agent finds a Warrior (7 page)

Maria watched as delighted pleasure beamed
from off of Elon’s face as he in turn watched the little boys look
of shocked awe with the unveiling of each new unique metallic
creation of art. It was readily apparent that Elon loved
children.

A man who loved children like he did should
have some of his own to shower affection upon, as there was a
shortage in the world of loving fathers. Maria suddenly didn’t mind
at all that she would be the one to give him children to spoil. In
fact it seemed like a rare privilege had been extended out to
her.

The pocket of treasure empty the little boy
turned tail and ran screaming across the grand foyer, “Mom!!!
Look!”

Maria stooped down and picked up a metallic
warrior the little boy’s overburdened arms had dropped even as Elon
continued to chuckle at the sight of the little boy’s glee over his
newfound treasure.

Maria held the toy warrior the boy had
dropped out to Elon, who straightened back up to his feet even as
she asked, “Did you make these?”

He shrugged and nodded his head as if to say
it was no big deal.

“You’ll have to make these for our sons one
day Elon.”

A look of such yearning passed across Elon’s
face at her words as she had never before seen equaled by another
human being, but all he said was, “I will.”

They both broke eye contact as Lisa finally
waddled up to the door looking winded and tired out. Her belly was
huge and Maria was astounded that she hadn’t given birth yet.

Lisa gave her a curious look before her eyes
tracked over to Elon, whom she gave a radiant but tired smile to,
“It’s so good to see you again Elon!”

“It’s good to be here your Highness.”

“Oh stop it!” Lisa said rolling her eyes at
Elon.

She stepped closer and surprised Maria by
enfolding her in a somewhat awkward sideways hug. The taller woman
held Maria for a long moment before pulling back.

Her eyes were genuine with emotion as she
gazed into Maria’s and said, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it to
the funeral Maria.”

“You have yourself and the baby to think of
Lisa! No need to apologize!” Maria said as an involuntary shiver of
emotion coursed through her as for a brief moment the grief of days
past came back to make itself freely known within her consciousness
that had temporarily forgotten it.

“I know, but I wish I could’ve been there
for you, James, and Tyre.”

Maria’s gaze flickered over to Elon and she
simply said in reply, “It worked out anyway.”

Lisa didn’t miss anything. Her gaze switched
from one to the other of them before she asked, “So what’s up with
you two being together and on my doorstep so unexpectedly?”

Before Maria could stammer out something
Elon smoothly said, “Maria and I have partnered up and your
legendary hospitality is reason enough to come unexpectedly.”

Lisa’s eyebrows arched northward at the
mentioning of ‘partnering up’. She didn’t look convinced about the
last part of what Elon had said though, Maria thought to
herself.

“Where’s Flint?” Elon asked casually.

“He’s out fishing with our oldest daughter.
He’ll be back in an hour or two. In the meantime let’s see to
getting lunch for you two not to mention the babies, who are
stealing all my energy.” Lisa turned and linked arms with both Elon
and Maria and started back into the depths of the villa at the pace
that she could manage.

Passing a side room all three adults heard
the thematic sounds of war and they chuckled at the sight of the
little boy marshaling his forces on a coffee table within the
room.

Lisa glanced to Elon gratefully, “Thank you
so much Elon! You know he’ll treasure those forever.”

Elon nodded grinning and calling out Brian’s
name he tossed the piece that the boy had dropped, which Brian
eagerly caught and added to the battle line of his marshaled
forces. The battle began in earnest then and still chuckling the
three adults continued on leaving the boy to his make-believe
war.

Maria was completely puzzled by Elon’s
behavior. Never once did he bring up why they had come here. For
all intents and purposes it looked as if their visit was nothing
but a social call. Elon gave no warning of any darker import and
Maria was beginning to believe that nothing was going to
happen.

Dinner passed by and the evening with it,
until it was time to retire.

Maria knew no end of embarrassment when Elon
ushered her into a guest bedroom and followed in after her closing
the door after him on a very surprised Lisa.

Had Elon had to embarrass her in front of
Lisa like that?

Couldn’t he have just bent his one room
policy for one night instead of making it look like she and Elon
were living in sin?

She knew they weren’t living in sin even
when things did become intimate, but still to the world it would
appear otherwise, unless they explained and Elon gave no indication
of doing that. Maria just stood there staring at the door imagining
what was going on in Lisa’s mind right now.

Her face red she turned away from the door
and looked for Elon, only to find him sitting in a chair. She did a
double take. All of the jovial carefree atmosphere that Elon had
manifested all evening, when in the company of their hosts was gone
and in its place was a stark soberness.

He was looking at her, “I’m sorry you feel
embarrassed, but I don’t feel like broadcasting the God ordained
nature of our relationship together just yet.”

His apology was sincere and it completely
took her embarrassment away. Well at least most of it anyway.

“Why didn’t you warn them?” Maria asked
softly.

“I saw no reason to allow darkness to cloud
the joy that I receive when visiting good friends. I don’t know for
sure when the event I saw is coming either. So I thought it best to
keep an almost full term mother to be from fear’s grip and let her
get as much rest as possible before things do begin to go
wrong.”

Maria stared at Elon, as it dawned on her
the wisdom of his confusing charade of jovialness today.

“You are very wise and thoughtful. I was
wrong to complain against you in my mind all day like I have.”
Maria said offering up a rare apology.

Elon nodded with a grimace, “Apology
accepted, but please don’t do that again!”

Maria stared at him shocked, “You felt my
thoughts against you all evening?”

“Very clearly.” He responded with
tiredly.

He looked tired. It had taken a lot out of
him to hold back from warning his friends. He was watching her and
Maria knew he had read her thoughts again. How long had he been
doing that?

He spoke softly into the stillness of the
room, “I feel like the friend who didn’t warn his friend about the
snake coiled up in the path ahead of him.”

Maria grimaced at the grim analogy and then
something prompted her to say, “I’m sure you’ll cut the snake’s
head off in time to save your friends life.”

He gave her such an open look of pure
gratitude that she found herself stuttering out in question in
response to it, “What?”

He spoke slowly, “It’s nice to feel for the
first time what it feels like to be a man, whose woman has
confidence in him to slay monsters. Thank you for the confidence
that you’ve placed in me. You’ve actually made me feel stronger
than I was before, how fascinating is that! God sure does work in
mysterious ways. You are a mystery Maria and I look forward to
discovering all there is to know about you.”

Blushing Maria glanced away and then back.
In an effort to change the conversation she asked, “Shouldn’t we
get some sleep?”

Elon shook his head, “Now is not the time to
sleep. Now is the time to prepare for war and we do that by
praying.”

“What do I pray?” Maria asked feeling
helpless in regards to the coming spiritual struggle that Elon
talked of.

“Don’t worry about what to pray Maria. Just
focus on talking to God. Talk about anything you want to. Just
relax and be personable, but above all be genuine. Don’t forget to
listen and see whether or not God may be saying something back to
you. This time we spend in prayer is very important, because it
brings you nearer in relationship with God. Even Jesus when He
walked on Earth was constantly in prayer to the Father so by His
example we should pray and do likewise when faced with any
challenge.”

Without any further ado Elon’s head dipped
forward and even though he was silent Maria knew he was in deep
conversation with his Creator. Maria looked around and found her
own chair and sat down. For a moment her mind was blank. She didn’t
know what to say.

“
I’m here Maria. Just talk. I want to
hear what you have to say.”

Maria swallowed, as the inward pressing of
thought lit her up inside, “I love how you talk to me!” And that
was how she started her conversation with God that went on for
hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa laid on her side of the bed
uncomfortable, but at least not overly painful in her position. She
grimaced and clutched at her belly at the sudden kick to one of her
organs. Now that was painful!

To get her mind off her pain she cleared her
throat and asked, “What do you suppose is up with those two?”

James glanced to her from where he was
undressing and asked, “Why what do you mean?”

Lisa gave him a look and James chuckled,
“You mean them being in the same room and together in general?”

She nodded and he shrugged as he said,
“Maybe Elon got lonely and decided he needed a sidekick to liven
things up a bit.”

Lisa tried to kick him, but he was out of
range.

He slipped into bed behind her and she
asked, “You don’t think there……”

“A mated pair?” James finished for her.

“Yes.” Lisa affirmed.

“So what if they are. They make a rather
stunning pair if you ask me.”

“James! I’m not against them being together
as a couple, but they shouldn’t be doing each other in our house if
there not married!”

James sighed and rose up to rest his chin
over his wife’s shoulder, “First off my hormonally out of her mind
wifie, I don’t think even you would seriously think that Elon would
dishonor our hospitality in such a way. Secondly, I do not think
Elon would ever be intimate with any woman that he was not
intending on being with for life and to that end I think Maria is
absolutely the best candidate for mate status for him, especially
because of how they share the same stretched out existence of never
aging. While, I’m sure, as you so delicately put it that they are
most likely thinking of, ‘doing it’ I am just as sure that they are
not at present in our house. So dear wife at the conclusion of all
this I think it’s time for you to remove your two cents from the
equation and be at peace for the sanctity of our home this
night.”

Lisa sighed into her pillow knowing that he
was right.

She felt him press a kiss to the sensitive
skin behind her ear. Lovingly, but somewhat exasperated sounding
Lisa replied in response to the kiss, “Honey, I’m not up to that
right now.”

“Up to what?” James responded with
innocently.

Lisa smirked, “Not up to what your kisses
generally end up in us doing.”

“Why honey you have such an earthy tinged
impression of me.” James said mockingly into her ear.

Lisa’s hands rubbed out over her stretched
belly, “Trust me darling I have living proof of what an earthy stud
you are!”

James chuckled, “Well how about I massage
your back and then move down to your feet and ankles?”

Lisa purred into the pillow, as James’s
hands had already started working on her sore back, “Now you’re
talking sexy.”

James chuckled in response and continued
with the rhythmic pressure of his fingers on her lower spine.

Lisa had a hard contraction and clutched at
her belly for a long moment.

“Oh I want my body back!” Lisa groaned out
in frustration.

“Me too.” James said with humor and yearning
tingeing his tone.

“Ha ha ha funny man. Get in line.”

A few moments passed before Lisa softly
said, “After you massage my feet maybe we can try something
then.”

“Your sacrifice is appreciated poor
suffering wifie.”

“Maybe it’ll get the babies coming
sooner.”

“Now I just feel used.” James quipped.

Lisa snickered into the pillows and said, “I
can’t make any promises bucko. I’m about to fall asleep.”

“Not a problem. That’s what the glass of
cold water beside the bed is for.” James said unable to keep his
tone serious.

“You do that and you will have one angry
mama to deal with Buster!”

“I always said that you were hot and when
you’re angry it’s like dynamite.”

Lisa turned her smiling face into the pillow
and mumbled out, “You’re incorrigible not to mention
insatiable.”

She looked back at her husband, “But I
wouldn’t have you be any other way.” She said with her voice husky
with desire for the love of her life.

The night had been long and Maria’s prayers
had sort of drifted to a stop. It had been a wonderful time, but
she was tired and would have nodded off to sleep if it wasn’t for
the continued tension of deep prayer that Elon still
manifested.

In regard to prayer Elon reminded her of her
father. Her father had been a man of prayer too.

Suddenly everything in the atmosphere around
them changed and Maria was instantly fully awake and looking around
in search of what had caused the change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched Maria’s reaction to the dark waves
of thought that pervaded the atmosphere around us. Her eyes found
mine and I said, “More than a conqueror……”

“Through Jesus Christ strengthening me.”
Maria said finishing my thought.