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]