The Pearly Gates   

Standard Disclaimer. They're not mine now, but when I win the lottery,
they're coming home with me. Please send comments, questions, compliments,
and otters to sdelcul@mail.com or visit
http://www.members.xoom.com/dueSou. 

Inspired by Shannon (One Stormy Night), dedicated to Rocky. This story
would not have been any good without the help of my lovely beta Catherine
(Acer canadensis), Kathleen, Lucky 13, the.other.gm, Ruthless, and Lisa.
The Pearly Gates 

Startled by a loud rendering of Ode to Joy, Ray opened his eyes to see an
empty alley. Standing in front of him was a woman with a strange glow
around her head. She smiled at him, and appeared to expect something from
him. 

"All right. Where the fuck am I? And will someone please stop the
trumpets? I've got a headache you wouldn't believe . . . " 

She waved a hand and the noise stopped. 

"Thanks. Who are you? What's going on? What are you doing here?" Taking a
closer look, he saw that she was hideous. She bore a strange resemblance
to Lieutenant Welsh. In drag. It must be the head injury. 

She replied, ticking off each answer as she went on a little checklist.
"My name is Shannon. I'm an angel. You're dead. God sent me to take you to
heaven." 

"What! Dead? Me? Uh uh, no way, send me back today, Jose. I can't be here.
I can't die; I've got too many people waiting on me down there." 

"It is your time. We all must go when called." 

"You gotta make an exception then. Just take me back-" 

"I can't. There's no going back." 

"No takebacks? Are you kidding? " 

"No. I'm sorry, but we must be going. If you'll just follow me-" 

"No you listen. See that man right there?" 

Shannon sighed. Obviously, this would be a long trip. She was supposed to
help the Jazz in half an hour. Without her 'support,' they didn't have a
prayer of a chance. She turned as requested and they could see several
people gathered around Ray's body. "The man attempting CPR?" 

"No, the one in the red." With every other weird thing happening in his
life culminating right now, it didn't even phase him that he could see CPR
being performed on himself. 

"Yes, I see him. He's very upset; you must have been good friends." Nobody
else would have noticed but Ray was shocked at the intensity of Ben's
response, until he remembered how all of Ben's previous relationships had
worked out.  

"That's Benny, and I'm not leaving him." 

"Don't think about it like that. You're going to heaven. He's a good man,
you should see him there when it's his turn." 

"I can't go to heaven. You gotta send me back." A surefire idea occurred
to him. "I know; he's my, you know, my lover. That oughta get me sent out
of heaven at the least." 

Sure that this was just part of his whining, she asked the most important
question, thinking that she would catch him in a lie. "Do you love him?" 

"Yeah, I love him." Ray sighed wistfully, now I just wish I had told him. 

Seeing the truth behind those words, she began to feel for what he was
going through. She'd been at this for almost forty years, but love was
still rare. 

"That's why I can't leave him. Everyone he's ever loved has left him." The
thought of what Ben was going through was making him panic, and his mid
jumped from idea to idea, desperate to find a convincing argument. "Come
on, I can't go to heaven, I'm gay!" 

"Gender is not important to God, love is. You're feelings for Ben and his
feelings for you bring you both closer to God, not farther away." 

"I remember when I was in school, there was a teacher named Sister
Henrietta. We called her Sister Rocky behind her back 'cause she looked
like Sylvester Stallone. She said the same thing about the sacrament of
marriage." Ray grinned at the memory. "I always thought she was getting it
on with Father James." He added casually. 

"I can't answer that." Shannon said awkwardly. "And it's time for us to
go." 

Slowly his situation was beginning to sink in. He had to find a way back.
"Hey, I bet you've got his father up here. Look, talk to him. He'll tell
you to send me back. Robert Fraser." 

Shannon shivered at the name. "Yes, he's here occasionally. Spends a lot
of time down there with his son." 

Ray blinked but a more pressing issue was at hand. "Ask him. Get him over
here-" He broke off.  

"Hello yank. Nice to finally meet you." 

"Likewise. Listen, I need you to tell this woman that she's gotta let me
go back. For Benny." His eyes pleaded for sympathy from the older man. 

"I would if I could, but that's the rule. When the BigGuyUpstairs calls,
you go. I'm afraid I can't help." Fraser Senior pulled him closer and out
of Shannon's hearing range, or at least what Ray assumed her hearing range
would be. "I'm pulling for you, yank. I had a similar experience once. Not
here, of course, it was near Yellowknife, in 1973. I was tracking this
fellow by the name of Randall. Adam Randall. He'd stolen this shipment of
chickens. Seems that they make excellent dance partners or something. I
don't know, I didn't ask. Anyway . . . " 

Frustrated at the lack of help, he turned back to Shannon. "All right now,
Shannon. Man to uh-whatever, what's it gonna take to let me go? Money?
Confession? Selling my soul? I'll do it. Whatever it takes, I'm going back
and you can't stop me." 

Fighting the urge to scream, she repeated, "I told you it doesn't work
like that. I've seen people trying to buy their way into heaven but you're
the first one to try and bribe your way out." 

"I warn you, I won't go quietly. Think I'm annoying now? I tell you, I'm a
champion complainer. Imagine day after day listening to me, seeing me
everywhere you go. I've learned from some of the most annoying people,
man. I can make heaven your own personal hell." By now, he sounded like a
petulant child and Shannon could easily picture in excruciating detail
exactly how horrible it would be.  

I can't kill him. He's already dead. I can't kill him. I'm an angel. She
heaved a frustrated sigh. "All right already. I'll see what I can do. Wait
here." 

To Ray, it seemed like only a heartbeat passed before Shannon was back. 

"Close your eyes." 

 "Can I open them now?" His mouth was moving, but his throat was too dry
to speak clearly. Even he couldn't figure out what he was saying, and he
knew. 

"Hold on a second, Ray." 

He smiled at the voice. Benny! Opening his eyes took a bit of effort but
the sight in front of him was well worth it. Ray sipped on the offered
straw until he could speak again. "What happened?" 

"You were shot. The doctors," Ben squeezed his hand tightly, "got the
bullet out and said it was wait and see. I didn't know if you were going
to be all right." 

"I'm fine, Benny. I'm going to be just fine. I guess they changed their
minds." He murmured to himself. 

"Who changed their minds about what, Ray?" 

Ray smiled. "No one, Benny. No one at all."