Elysium
© March 13, 2001...Rory V. Pascual

Part Two: 

---

         "Even here in Heaven?" Duncan mumbled in disbelief. He  leaned forward in his chair, laying his right arm over  his lap. His left elbow was propped on his left leg,  hand cupping his chin. 

         Methos was in a similar position at his lover's side.  Sighing, he muttered, "And I thought I had escaped  from such inane, idiotic..." 

         "Don't forget annoying," the Scot hastily reminded. 

         "Yes," the ancient agreed wholeheartedly. "*Annoying*  Earthly matters like..." 

         Inno, who had gone out of the celestial amphitheatre  to buy rainbow-colored cotton candy from St. Nicholas'  concessions stand, suddenly squealed in delight, "HEY!  THAT'S MY SCREENSAVER!" Before the little boy could  say more, Duncan clapped a hand over his mouth. 

         The Immortals were being treated to a special, but  very boring, private mini-gala in their honor. Joining  them were Raphael, who was munching on popcorn behind  them, and a very pleased Gabriel. 

         The first few acts were more to the Highlander's  liking -- classical music and opera arias courtesy of  Gabriel's choir. This was followed by more modern  fair. Methos certainly got a hoot when "The King"  himself, Elvis Presley, went on stage to sing the  angelic version of "Jailhouse Rock". The present act,  however, had caught their dubious attention -- twenty  or so dancing Cherubim. Clad only in white diapers,  they shook and shimmied their little tushies, bending  forward and back, arms waving up and down, as they  made quarter turns -- exactly like the infamous  "Dancing Baby" from that TV show about kooky lawyers.  Duncan and Methos absolutely hated that swinging  toddler the first time they saw it on "Ally McBeal".  The same could not be said for Inno, however. Still a  computer addict at that time, Inno somehow managed to  find several screensavers of that terpsichorean wonder  in Pampers and loaded the many versions of it in his  computer. It annoyed the Scot greatly to see that  Dancing Baby glowing in the dark on Inno's monitor  whenever he tucked the child in at night. 

         Cupping his chin on both hands, Methos remarked dryly,  "Why do I feel like my biological clock is ticking?" 

         Gabriel, who organized the performance, glowered at  the Immortals beside him. "Is something wrong?" he  asked coldly. 

         "Oh, no, nothing's wrong!" Duncan stammered guiltily,  waving his hands. 

         The Old Man, who was never known for his tact, stated  bluntly, "They look stupid, I can tell you that." 

         "Is that right?" The archangel glared at the  Highlander. "In case you've forgotten, Radhael, you  invented that little dance." 

         Duncan stared at Gabriel aghast. "Me? Now how could I  invent something as inane as that?" 

         God's faithful Messenger raised his hands, mist  forming on his palms. With a knowing smile, he said,  "Watch and observe." 

         Suddenly, the mist began to flicker, like a TV set  that was switched on. Right in the center of the mist,  a light started to glow brighter and brighter,  revealing a scene near a lake. 

         *"METHRIEL! METHRIEL!" 

         The archangel looked up to find the exuberant seraph  hurrying towards him. 

         "Oh, hello, Radha!" Methriel smiled, seeing the rosy  glow on the younger angel's cheeks. "Let me guess!  You've been up to some mischief today, haven't you?" 

         The smile immediately vanished from the angel's face.  Radha pouted. "Of course not, Methriel!" He gestured  to the halo that was affixed to the back of his head.  "You can see that my halo is stuck to my head just  fine." 

         "Then, why are you so happy?" 

         The seraph grinned. "I invented a new dance. Do you  want to see it?" 

         "Sorry, kiddo, but I've got a lot of chores to do  right now and..." 

         Radhael's lower lip jutted out miserably, tears  welling up in his pretty violet eyes. 

         "I was just teasing you!" Methriel laughed, pinching  that full lip between his fingers. Sitting down on a  rock, he urged the childlike angel, "Okay, Radha! Show  me!" 

         The archangel nearly gasped as Radhael quickly let his  robes fall to the ground, leaving only the white strip  of cloth wrapped around his private parts. He was  always caught speechless by the young angel's physical  beauty. 

         Then, Radhael began to sing a bouncy little tune that  would on Earth be known eventually as "Hooked On A  Feeling." To Methriel's delight, the seraph started to  shake his shapely bottom, bending forward and back,  arms flapping up and down, as he spun around and  around. 

         "That's really nice, Radha!" the archangel exclaimed,  clapping his hands. 

         "I could do it real fast too," Radha declared eagerly. 

         The seraph quickened his pace, his butt shaking  temptingly before Methriel's appreciative gaze. That  faster dance would in time be popular in Hawaii and  Tahiti. 

         However, neither angel realized that Radha's vigorous  shimmy was loosening the wrap around his waist. Just  as the seraph turned to face the archangel, in the  blink of an eye, the cloth fell to the ground.* 

         "That's enough!" Duncan exclaimed as he waved the mist  away with his hands, his cheeks crimson with  embarrassment. 

         Methos was grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, I forgot  all about that!" 

         "What did you see, Papa?" asked Inno in all eagerness.  "Was Mama as beautiful then as he is now?" 

         "I think that's none of your business, son," said the  Highlander menacingly. 

         There was a dreamy expression on the Old Man's face.  "Your Mama was MAGNIFICENT! And I owe it all to that  delightful striptease." 

         Duncan quickly retorted, "It wasn't deliberate, and  you know it!" 

         "Excuse me," Raphael interrupted behind them, nearly  spilling his popcorn on the floor. "You seem to have  forgotten that although Radha may have invented the  dance, you, my dear Methriel, PERFECTED it." 

         "Yeah, right, Raphael!" Methos declared in sarcasm. 

         Raphael summoned the mist once more. As the picture  began to appear, he said, "Let's see, shall we?" 

         *Methriel was sitting on the banks of the lake with a  bawling Radhael at his side. "Oh, Radha! Stop crying!  I swear I didn't see anything!" 

         "Yes, you did!" the seraph accused the elder angel,  tears streaming down his cheeks. He sniffled  pitifully. "You saw my secret body parts!" 

         "It's not as if I haven't seen you naked before." 

         That remark brought on a louder crying fit. "You're a  BAD angel, Methriel!" Radha hiccuped miserably.  "You've been peeking at me when I don't know it! To  think, I believed you were so nice and proper because  you wouldn't look straight at me when I don't have any  clothes on, and all that time, you've been peeking.  Methriel, you're a dirty old angel!" 

         "If I had been bad," Methriel countered, "my halo  would be lying on the ground by now." 

         "Oh, yeah? So why are you leaning against the tree  with your neck so straight?" 

         Carefully, the archangel eased away from the flame  tree. He had squashed one of its fruits behind his  head, the sticky sap preventing his halo from falling  off. 

         "Listen, Radha! It was an accident. Besides, you  shouldn't have wiggled your butt around like that."  Methriel got to his feet. "Here! Let me show you a  better technique." 

         The archangel peeled off his robes. Singing the same  tune Radha had earlier, Methriel demonstrated. His  sprite, choppy butt shakes and arm movements made the  dance more bouncy. 

         As he slowly spun around, he declared, "Now, this is  the RIGHT way to do it." 

         But Radhael's attention was not on the dance. The  mischievous seraph had a slender tree branch in his  hand, slowly reaching for the elder angel's loin wrap.  The moment the archangel turned to face him, with a  quick flick of his wrist, he snagged Methriel's wrap  at the end of the stick. 

         Realizing that he was stark naked, Methriel blushed  from the tips of his toes to the crown of his head. 

         Radha's pretty violet eyes were as wide as platters as  he exclaimed in absolute delight, "Oh, Methriel! You  are oh so BIIIIIG!" 

         Before the archangel could grab the seraph, Radha  swiftly flew away with Methriel's robes and loin wrap. 

         Hurling the angel's fallen halo after his laughing  form, Methriel roared, "RADHA, COME BACK HERE WITH MY  CLOTHES!"* 

         "Turnabout is fair play, don't you think, Old Man?"  said Duncan smugly. 

         "Perhaps," Methos remarked casually. Crossing his arms  over his chest, he declared proudly, "But I STILL  ended up getting the BEST ass in Heaven, and I never  heard a single complaint from a certain prudish seraph  I know." 

         The Highlander was about to utter a vile retort when a  panicky, tiny, white figure clambered on stage.  Everyone gaped in shock as the running form barreled  right into the dancing angels. Like a bowling ball  scoring a strike, the impact caused the Cherubim to be  thrown off the stage. 

         "JESSE!" Gabriel exclaimed in exasperation. 

         Standing in the middle of the stage was a delightfully  cute little boy, no more than three years old. There  was a startled expression on his face, his round, deep  brown eyes wide, as he scratched the top of his head.  The thumb of his right hand was pressed between his  lips. Around his wrists were white strips of bandages.  Unlike the other cherubs who wore white diapers, this  little angel had on a white shift that only reached to  his mid-thigh. Truly bewildered, his left hand went  down to scratch his butt as he stared guiltily at the  elder angels sitting at the foot of the stage. 

         "Jesse..." Gabriel growled in warning. 

         Thinking that the archangel was angry that he missed  his place in the Cherubim chorus line, Jesse started  to dance the "Ooga Chaka Shimmy" all by his lonesome,  his left and right thumbs alternately popping in and  out of his mouth. 

         Seeing the furious cherubs climbing back on stage,  murderous baby eyes focused on the dancing angel,  Duncan hastily whispered in Inno's ear, "Son, why  don't you get Jesse out of here?" 

         Inno simply shrugged, saying, "Okay!" Running up on  stage, he tugged on the cherub's arm. "Come on, Jesse!  They're going to kill you for ruining the show!" 

         Still dancing, Jesse allowed himself to be led away.  But then, as an afterthought, he broke free for a  moment. Heading back to centerstage, the little angel  bowed several times to Duncan and Methos. As the two  Immortals tried to hold back their laughter at this  comical sight, Gabriel slapped his hand to his  forehead, exasperated. 

         Inno hurried back to the bowing figure. Wrapping his  arms around the cherub's waist, he exclaimed, "We  gotta go, you little stage piglet!", and made a quick   getaway, angry Cherubim in hot pursuit. 

         When they were gone, Methos asked curiously, "Who is  that child?" 

         "To be honest," admitted Raphael with reluctance, "we  don't really know. We just assumed he was one of the  innocent souls who came from Earth. Sweet little boy,  our Jesse. Rather shy. But a bit strange." 

         The ancient frowned at that last description. "Why do  you say that?" 

         "Jesse has a way of disappearing without a trace. He  usually pops up during daytime. Before night falls,  he's gone. No one knows where he goes. I asked one of  the Thrones to tail him once, but he lost Jesse inside  Eden's Garden." 

         "He could just be hiding inside the Garden," Methos  suggested. 

         But Gabriel shook his head. "No. Michael actually  suspected him to be a demon and he had ordered  Sammael, the Chief of the Powers, to investigate. You  know how easily the Powers could sniff out demons.  However, when they searched the Garden, there was no  sign of Jesse anywhere. The child didn't show up for a  week. When he finally appeared, Sammael himself  confronted Jesse, but he could sense no evil in him.  However, there was...something...he could not define.  It made Sammael uneasy to stand in the child's  presence." 

         "This...weird feeling," continued Raphael, "it has  raised some enmity among the angels towards him,  especially the Cherubim. It's so unfortunate. In  truth, Jesse is a gentle little boy..." The Chief of  the Guardian Angels chuckled. "...Despite the fact  that he has a penchant of getting into all sorts of  trouble." 

         "Jesse is not a demon," Duncan finally spoke up, his  voice soft in contemplation. "He's not evil." 

         Gabriel gave the Highlander a questioning look. "How  do you know this?" 

         There was an enigmatic smile on Duncan's face as he  stood up. Without saying a word, the Scot walked away. 

         "What was that all about?" Raphael asked curiously. 

         "It's quite simple," Methos explained. "Jesse is not a  demon, because he is exactly like Duncan when he was  still the seraph Radhael. They're kindred spirits."  The ancient gave the two angels a wink. "You can say  it takes one to know one." 

---

         The two children somehow managed to elude their  pursuers when they dashed inside Eden's Garden.  Exhausted, Inno and Jesse finally reached the quaint  gazebo in the center of the Garden, plopping down on  the marble bench. 

         "Whew!" exclaimed Inno in relief. "I thought we'd  never lose them." He stole a quick glance at the child  beside him. 

         Jesse was suckling quietly on his thumb, his pudgy  legs swinging to and fro. Seeing the sweat on the  cherub's brow, Inno pulled out his handkerchief and  wiped Jesse's face. 

         "What does that taste like?" Inno queried, gesturing  to the thumb with his pursed lips. 

         Jesse pulled out his thumb and stared at it for a  moment. He then leaned over to Inno, offering his wet  finger. 

         "YUCK!" grimaced Inno. "Thanks but no thanks!" 

         Shrugging, Jesse popped his thumb back inside his  mouth, scratching his bum at the same time. 

         Inno began, "So you're Jesse, huh? Hi, I'm Sean  Richard Innocence MacLeod Pierson, but my parents call  me 'Inno'. I think you saw them earlier. They were  seated right before the stage -- you know, those two  handsome guys. My Mama's a man. Don't ask me to  explain. It's a long story. Besides, I don't  understand it all myself. But I won't exchange my Mama  for anyone else in the whole wide world. Do you know  that, even if he's a man, my Mama has real sweet milk?  Tastes a hell of a lot better, I think, than your  dirty little old thumb." Peering at the little angel,  he commented, "Why do you like sucking on your thumb?  It's icky! As that noted shrink Dr. Freud said, you're  stuck in the oral phase. But you're a kid like me, so  I guess it's all right. I NEVER suck on my thumb." A  blush rose on Inno's cheeks. "Maybe because I'm still  feeding on my Mama. But I just can't stop myself. It's  so nice to be cuddled on Mama's lap while I feed on  him. What about you, Jesse? Doesn't your Mama feed  you? Where is she anyway? Is she here in Heaven with  you? What about your Papa? My Papa's great!"  Whispering confidentially in the child's ear, Inno  giggled, "He gets a bit loopy in the head whenever he  sees my Mama naked. My Mama calls him a pervert, but I  can tell how much they love each other." 

         Inno stopped at once, realizing that he was the only  one talking. Cocking his head sideways, he remarked,  "You don't talk much, do you. Are you dumb? Maybe you  don't have a tongue?" 

         In reply, Jesse stuck out his tongue playfully at  Inno, wiggling it from side to side. 

         "Now, that's not very nice!" Inno declared. "You look  like a lizard!" 

         Saying this, he started making faces at his fellow  cherub. Jesse answered with ugly faces of his own. The  two boys went at it for a few minutes. When they  finally tired of the game, they burst into gales of  laughter. 

         "Now, what do we have here?" a voice suddenly  declared. "Two little angels chattering like magpies!" 

         Whirling around, Inno saw a distinguished old angel  coming towards them. He was wearing dazzling white  robes and gold sandals on his feet. His hair and beard  were tinged with gray. In his right hand, he held a  long staff. To Inno's surprise, unlike the other  angels he had met so far, this angel has ten wings --  five overlapping wings on each side of his back --  instead of just two. There was a warm smile on his  face. Somehow, this angel reminded him so much of his  Uncle Joe back on Earth. 

         "Hello, sir!" Inno greeted cheerfully. "I'm Sean  Richard Innocence MacLeod Pierson, but my parents call  me 'Inno'." 

         "That's certainly quite a mouthful!" the angel  laughed. "Couldn't your parents give you a shorter  name?" 

         "It's a long story," said the child, nodding. Gazing  at the angel in awe, he asked, "Are you Moses?" 

         The angel laughed even louder at that query. "Do you  see me carrying stone tablets in my arms? No, I'm not  Moses. I'm afraid parting oceans was never a specialty  of mine." Sitting down beside Inno, he offered a hand  to the child. "I'm Enoch, and it's a great pleasure to  meet you, my boy. I've heard so much about you." Enoch  cocked his head at the suckling cherub, winking. "Hi,  Jesse! You seem to be enjoying yourself there!" 

         There was a trace of irritation on Jesse's face. But  he waved his fingers at the angel anyway, not once  pulling his thumb out of his mouth. 

         Enoch laid his fingers on Inno's chin, willing the boy  to raise his head. "Let's have a look at you, child!"  The Old Angel grinned. "You're the spitting image of  your mother!" 

         Inno's eyes widened in surprise. "You know my Mama?" 

         "But of course! Why shouldn't I know your Mama? The  fondest memories I have was of your mother when he was  still living here in Heaven." 

         "What was he like?" 

         "Loving, playful, very mischievous, a bit of a  troublemaker actually..." Enoch gave Inno a  conspiratorial wink. "But I think you know that." 

         A smile formed on the little boy's lips. How could he  ever forget that wonderful seraph who was the Divine  Aspect of his mother! "Yes, I do. Was he really that  naughty, Grandpa Enoch?" 

         "Grandpa..." muttered the angel thoughtfully. "It's  been a long, long, long, long time since someone  called me that!" With a quick shake of his head, he  continued, "You were asking about your mother, child?" 

         "Was he really that naughty?" Inno repeated patiently,  knowing how old people's minds tend to wander off. 

         "He was just like any little boy or girl, though he  was created with the body of an adult. Your Mama  didn't mean any harm. It was in his nature to be  playful. He was also so gentle and kind. He never  wanted to see anyone unhappy. Your Mama was always  there with a smile, a dance and those strange little  songs of his. There's another thing I should tell you  about your mother. He was so damned inquisitive." 

         Jesse scowled at the elder angel, hearing that word. 

         "Sorry about that," Enoch quickly apologized to the  cherub, who simply ignored him as he hummed a little  tune, his whole body swaying to his music. 

         He mumbled in Inno's ear. "Jesse kinda reminds me of  your mother sometimes. Oh, well! Going back to your  question, it was that inquisitiveness of his that  always got him into trouble. Ever since he met your  Papa, he never stopped asking questions.  Pesky...that's what your Mama was. I must admit that I  sometimes lost my patience with him, but..." 

         Unknown to Enoch, Inno's mind had already trailed off.  There was something suspiciously familiar about what  the angel had been telling him. Pesky...And Enoch...  Why did that word and that name sound so familiar?  Where and when had he heard it? 

         The Old Angel had stood up as he continued with his  discourse, pacing around the gazebo, unmindful of the  fact that the child was eyeing him with suspicion. 

         When the angel's back was turned to him, Inno slid  down from the bench. Seeing what he was doing, Jesse  followed close behind. Quietly, he padded towards  Enoch. When the angel stopped all of a sudden, Inno  paused as well, almost jumping when Jesse bumped into  him. Waving a hushing finger at the cherub, Inno  cautiously looked up. Thankfully, Enoch was still too  busy talking. 

         Carefully, Inno raised the hem of the angel's robes,  examining closely those thin, pale legs, going up to  the thighs and to those small buttocks. 

         Suddenly, on the mounds of Enoch's ass, two slits  slowly opened. Shocked, Inno found himself staring at  a pair of golden eyes. As his jaw dropped, more eyes  began to open at the angel's legs and thighs. To his  horror, flames were flickering from those golden orbs. 

         Dropping the hem of Enoch's robes, Inno screeched in  terror, "AAAAHHHHH! IT'S THE BURNING PINEAPPLE!", and  ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. In his  haste to escape, he left Jesse behind. 

         Enoch, who was also known as the Lord's High Angel  Metatron, stared down at the innocent cherub at his  feet. "What happened to him?" he asked in confusion. 

         Jesse blinked once then twice, before shrugging his  shoulders. He then lifted Enoch's robes. At once, the  gold eyes on the High Angel's butt threw tiny  lightning bolts at the cherub, missing his cheeks by a  mere inch. 

         The little angel's eyes were as wide as saucers.  Instead of running, however, Jesse plopped down on the  marble floor and started to wail miserably. 

         At that moment, having remembered his young charge, a  breathless Inno reappeared. Grabbing Jesse by the  waist, he scolded, "Stupid little angel! Didn't anyone  ever tell you to run from trouble?" 

         Hauling the weeping cherub in his arms, Inno fled into  the forest, screaming at the top of his lungs, "MAMA!  MAMA! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY THE BURNING PINEAPPLE!  HELP, MAMA!" 

         Enoch shook his head, clapping an exasperated hand to  his forehead. He didn't know whether to get angry or  laugh. 

         Clucking his tongue, he sighed, "Like mother, like  son!" 

        CONTINUED IN PART THREE...click on next, below