Fireflies were dancing around the Receiving Angels head as he closed
his books for the night. It was late, and even the moon was tucked away
in a cloudy bed. His helper Skye was asleep in his mound, and except
for the Snowy Owl, calling out the hour, not a sound could be heard.

Skye has just rolled over in his hammy when he thought he heard a knock
on his door. There is was again, ever so softly, then a voice said,
"Hey Skye, you awake?"

Skye rolled out of his hammy, and trotted to the door. "Wicked, that
you," Skye said. "It's past 2, what you doing here this late?"

"Hi Skye," Wicked said. "Reagan is asleep, and I just thought I'd come
over to see you. I've been missing our home on earth, and wondered how
everyone was doing. Can we sit and talk awhile?"

Skye and Wicked sat down on the grass and began to think about their
earthly home. The Snowy Owl hooted out the early morning hour. Skye
decided they might as well have breakfast. He had Gate Duty at the
Bridge as the Receiving Angel had to go get more tickets this morning.

After a breakfast of oatmeal and honey, the two brothers left to go up
to the gate. There was a note for Skye from the Receiving Angel saying
another ferret had passed and he had gone early to get the tickets.

Skye and Wicked were just sitting down when a lone ferret came walking
up the path to the gate.

"Hello there," Skye said. "Step up here and give me your name. I don't
have any tickets yet, but you identify your self and I'll see what I
can do."

Cole trotted over to Skye and Skye called several fireflies over to the
desk.

"I be Cole, ferret child of Momma Maren," he said. "I was toasty and
warm on her lap, and I just went to sleep. I woke up at the edge of a
field and followed the path to this gate. Where am I and how did I get
here?"

"Ahem, ahem, this is the Rainbow Bridge and when you cross over, you
wait here for your earthly Momma to come and get you," Skye explained.
"I give you a ticket, and one of the Bridge Greeters, will take you by
the paw and find out if you have any other family here. We will wait
for the Receiving Angel to open his book and see if there is anyone
here for you."

Even though it was just getting light, Cole was looking hard at Wicked.
That ferret looked very familiar. The three ferrets sat down to wait
for the Receiving Angel, and Cole kept looking at Wicked and finally
asked if he could look at his ear.

"My ear," Wicked said. "My ears are fine, 'cept this one that my
brudder chewed when we was kits."

There was a rustle and the Receiving Angel swooped down with a box of
tickets in his hand.

"Thank you Skye, for coming out while I was gone" he said. "Now what
have we here?"

The Receiving Angel sat down and opened his book. "Okay," he said.
"You are Cole, and you have family here. Wait a minute; bring those
fireflies over here closer, it says you have brothers here, Skye,
Wicked and Reagan. Wait a minute -- are you boys related?"

"I thought I knew you," Wicked said. "Here, look at my ear. I thought
you were the one that chewed my ear when we were kits? How you doin'
buddy? Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge."

Cole blushed -- he had chewed Wicked's ear.

"Oh yes, I remember you Wicked," the Receiving Angel said. "You are
the one who petitioned The Boss not to fix your chewed ear when you
arrived. You wanted to keep it as a reminder of your brother on earth.
Well, this was a different greeting, but as long as you are all
together again, and there is room in Wicked and Reagan's mound for you,
would you stop by No. 421's cabin on your way to your new home and tell
him he does not need to come to the Bridge? The Boss told me another
ferret was crossing tonight, so I stopped by and got him up on my way
back here."

The three ferrets dooked and trotted off down the path. No. 421 was
just leaving his cabin when the three arrived.

"The Receiving Angel said you don't have to come over to the Bridge
now," Skye said. "I was a there and this is my brudder so we has it
all under de paw."

And with that the three skipped down the path to get Reagan.

No. 421 blinked his eyes and went back into his cabin. Oliver was still
asleep so he wrote in his logbook, Mission complete, didn't have to do
a thing. And with that, he decided he would go off to Bakin' Berthas
for a morning cup of ferretone tea and some of Honey's paw-print
cookies, served by that cute waitress Fang. He might even have her
fix Oliver a "ferret" bag to go.

[Posted in FML 6523]