Invisible

"I get to deal, eh?"

"Yup, I won't even touch the cards." Morty holds his hands up by his shoulders well away from the cards, outwardly showing his intent.

"Okay, you're on." Baxter leans in and puts his elbows on the table. "This may be the stupidest thing I've ever done, but I'll take that bet. Be warned though, I've studied this game for a good long time, and I'm pretty good at it."

"So you watched a bit of poker on TV in your day. That's supposed to impress me?" Morty grins as he starts talking smack. "Let me ask... do you want to suck that dick as soon as you lose, or should I bring Karen here first so she can watch?"

Morty's bravado barely phases Baxter. Being the dealer was exactly the advantage he was looking for. When he was in college he learned a slight of hand so devious that the devil himself would miss it. Morty was playing right into Baxter's hands. If this worked out the way he thought it would, Karen and Joe were all but guaranteed a long and happy life.

Baxter shuffles the cards, cuts the deck and merges it together with one hand, showing his opponent he possesses a little more skill than someone who watches a lot of TV.

Baxter shuffles again. This time at blinding speed. Then weaves the cards between his fingers doing a three way cut. As he sets the cards down, he symbolically taps the top of the deck. Then he begins the game. Slowly dealing out the cards. Taking his time. Explaining the possible hands with every card turned. It was as if he were announcing the game on TV. Slowly explaining what is happening as if Morty were a complete novice.

When the last card was finally flipped, Morty's grin widens. He drops his cards with glee to show his winning hand. Then, it seems, he just can't help but gloat. "Read 'em and weep Baxter boy. See right there. I've got a full house. Eights over twos."

"A full house? Eights and twos? That's what you have?" Baxter chided. "Very interesting. What are the odds? I've got the fourth eight right here in my hand."

Then Baxter flips the next card in the deck before Morty can respond. "And would you look at that... The next card up is another eight. Now how can that be Morty? By my count that's a total of five. Why would it be that all of the sudden there are five eights in this deck instead of four. You cheated! You changed the your cards after I dealt."

"Of course I changed the cards, but it wasn't me who cheated. You don't think I saw your slight of hand. You don't think I see everything?"

"Okay, so I did a little something to bend the odds in my favor. But I didn't do it for me. I did it to save the lives of two people I dearly love. What I did was a dirty shuffle at best. What you did was an out and out cheat. You've been saying all of your deals are on the up and up. Fair and square, you said. So much for your supposed angel's code. This game is over, and I want out of the deal. You leave Karen alone."

"No can do kiddo. Around here once a deal is made it's as good as done. Our agreement is irreversible. Those are the rules."

"Okay, I see how things are done here. I know we have a deal, but we also have a bet. A bet that isn't settled I might add. Now I'm man enough to admit I cheated, but so did you. So technically you could say I lost, but technically you didn't really win either."

"Oh, I won alright." Morty unbuttons his pants and pulls out a wet glistening cock already dripping with cum. "Do you like it?" He grins. "I don't really have a use for one of these things, so I had to borrow one. I got this one from Joe right after he was done fucking your wife. Isn't that a hoot. In a way you'll be sucking off your best friend."

"Hey that gives me an idea." Morty's grin turns exceptionally fiendish. "How about if I put you into Karen's body for a day. That way you can suck good old Joe off for real. Now wouldn't that be fun."

"Not gonna happen. Karen would never do that. She hates the taste of cum."

"I know, I know." Morty is almost giddy over his idea. "The beauty of it all is it won't actually be her sucking him off. It will be you. How perfect is that? You'll be alive the whole time, and you'll actually be able taste it. On top of that, Joe's last memory of Karen will be the night she finally let him cum in her mouth. A win-win if you ask me."

"Well I have to admit that's a twist I didn't see coming. But wait, don't go killing Karen off just yet. There's still the fact that you cheated. We still have to come to terms with that."

"Okay I'll admit I didn't quite play fair, but what I did was no worse than your dirty shuffle. I think what I did evened the odds. That made it a fair game, and you lost. Now do you want to suck this thing before or after Karen gets here?"

"No wait... How about this? We play another hand. Sort of a double or nothing kind of thing. No cheating this time. If I win, not only do you let Karen live, but I get my own life back too. You send me back, alive and well. I get to be the love of Karen's life again, and my best friend is once more my best friend. No tricks and no gimmicks."

"Hmm, a double or nothing deal. I can live with that, pun intended. Get it? Do you get it?

"Yeah I get it. Very funny." Baxter sarcastically gives in.

"Okay. Agreed... if you win I'll send you back, and I guarantee Karen will love you more than she ever has. But if you lose, you will be sucking dirty cocks for eternity, and around here spitting isn't an option."

"Sucking cocks forever huh? Okay, you got yourself a deal mister death. Fair and square. Angels code and all that. No cheating."

Baxter takes the deck and once again slowly deals out the game, calling out the possible hands with every turn of a card. Taking as much time as he can. Buying as much time for Karen as he possibly can.

As the hand plays out things aren't looking good for Baxter, and Morty can't seem to stop laughing at Baxter's misfortune. But when the final card is flipped, Morty starts swearing up a blue streak. "What the fuck! That can't fucking be. How the shit did that happen?"

He had lost. Morty had actually lost. He never loses.

What Morty didn't know was that first hand, where Baxter obviously cheated, was just the setup. He knew he would get caught cheating. He was certain that Morty would change his cards. Baxter knew he was going to lose that hand, but was counting on the fact that Morty couldn't resist going for double or nothing. The deck had already been stacked in Baxter's favor before he ever made that second bet, and Morty never saw it coming.

Baxter can still hear Morty swearing about losing as he feels himself being pulled head first back to join the living. The next thing he knows a doctor is slapping his ass and he starts to cry. He is back. Reincarnated as the child of his former wife and his best friend. The name they have chosen is for their brand new son is Baxter. Given in honor of the husband and friend they so tragically lost.

Of course Baxter doesn't know who he was in his former life, or who his parents really are. All he knows is that his parents are the two most important people in his life. His mother loves him unconditionally, and he is his dad's new best friend. It's all on the up and up. Fair and square, just like Morty had promised.

*****

Back in the afterlife Morty is sitting at the table staring at the cards laid out before him. Hank is nearby cleaning glasses and swabbing down the bar.

"Well Hank," Marty looks up from the game he had just lost. "I looked the other way while he cheated, and it worked out just like you thought it would. You know I had to change the deck on both hands. He screwed up his slight. It's kind of a shame. He was only off by one card."

"You're a good man Morty, and that was a nice way to set things right. He was taken way too soon, you know. And sending him back as Karen and Joe's baby was such a nice touch. Ticked all the boxes on your promises. Angels code and all, you know. Job well done."

"Thanks Hank. With ten-thousand years of practice I think I've learned a thing or two."

"About that. I think it's time we make a change around here. Thaddeus has been your understudy long enough. He will be taking your place as the angel of death full time from here on. Maybe with ten-thousand years of practice he will learn the difference between Dexter and Baxter when he writes a name in the book."

"And for you Morty... I know a nice young family with a brand new little boy that doesn't have a guardian angel yet. Congratulations on the promotion. You deserve it."

"Thanks Hank. You know I really liked that young man."

"Yeah, I know. Of course I know."

Morty gets up, ready to start his new assignment, looking forward to protecting Baxter and his family. Just before he leaves he looks back over his shoulder. "One more thing before I go Hank... Now that I'm one of the guardians what should I call you?"

"You can call me God. After all, that is my name."