[Story Start] .. and probably ending. ;)

(Random Picture - St. John's, Quincy, Ill.)

Desiree sat down heavily on the bench and looked up at the crystal clear blue sky. "You know, for a guy who gives second chances, you sure stack the deck." She let out a sigh.

"Well, he gives chances, not hand crafted answers on silver platters." A male voice said.

Desiree startled, turning to find herself a foot and a half from a priest, leaning on the back of the bench. She looked past his shoulder to the church beyond. She hadn't even realized where she was, but it made sense, she supposed.  "Oh don't quote that free will crap at me." She'd started to use profanity, but somehow she just couldn't bring herself to swear to or at a priest.

He grinned a friendly dog grin. Shaggy brown hair in desperate need of a cut, hazel eyes twinkling with mischief, and clothes that didn't quite fit right. Looked like a typical "good priest" to Desiree's experience. "I wouldn't dream of it." He looked over his shoulder to where she'd glanced, "You're one of the Fallen, aren't you?"

"Yeeup." She was supposed to look like a human. God's brilliant plan, she supposed. They'd all been offered a chance to prove they weren't evil - here you go, reborn as a human; give it a go. The problem was, they were brought back onto the material plane as adults with no job experience, no ID, no pieces of paper that said you knew how to spell your own name. Any surprise so many of them had already turned to crime? Their return was no secret, God had his ways of getting the message out to those who listened rather than just making shit up in his name, but it was hardly flashing in time square either.

"Had a feeling." The Priest said. "I'm Father Daniel."

She sighed. "Desiree."

"Well, I'd say by that envelope and those tired feet you've been out looking for a job. I'd also say by the rather tired expression and questioning His sanity and unfairness of it all, you're not having much luck."

She managed not to interject a 'Duh!'

"I can offer you a job. The pay's lousy, the coffee is worse. However, it will give you a piece of paper and we can work on getting you proper ID from the non-believers." He gave her a sympathetic look, "No one ever said being good was easy."

She stood up, "I'll take the job." Not like she had a lot of options. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't still keep looking, right? "Just don't give me that shpiel about 'The Earth owes you nothing, it was here first.'"

His grin widened into true amusement, "Wouldn't dream about doing that either."

She was starting to wonder what he DID dream of. He was one of THOSE priests, he probably dreamed of endless rosaries and feeding the poor.

"How about the bit about 'More things under heaven and earth?'" He asked with entirely too much feigned innocence. "Or better the demon you know than.."

She sighed. She was already starting to look forward to this 'die of old age' thing.