Prologue

The break came as a welcome change from all the past paced assignments of the past year and a half and it seemed like centuries ago that Monica had last been at the little house in the woods. It was just as she remembered it to be, nestled within the woods and overlooking the lake to its rear. The hot summer day had turned into a cool, calm and peaceful night and the musical sound of the crickets down by the lake reminded her of a sweet violin concerto.

She had slipped silently from her bed, unable to sleep as her mind went over all the things she had been unable to think about in many months. The thoughts were more like wonderings really. Wondering about how long they would be able to stay here. Wondering about how things were working out for Kristin, David and their new baby. Wondering about Paul.

Monica missed him desperately and missed knowing if he was still on the right path with God. She had grown closer to him then she had ever grown to any human and other than Tess, Andrew and God, she still felt closest to him. She wondered if he ever thought about her and if he missed her. She wondered how many years it would take before she stopped wondering.

"Angel? Are you all right?"

The familiar sound of her best friend’s voice caused her to smile from where she sat on the edge of the dock. He had been sound asleep when she had gone for her late night walk, but somehow he had known that she had no longer been in her bed with Lucy, "Yes, Andrew, I’m all right. Just enjoying the quiet."

"I hope I’m not intruding," He stated softly as he approached her, wondering if she wanted to be alone.

"You’re never an intrusion," She smiled up at him, a welcome invitation for him to have a seat beside of her, which he immediately accepted, "It’s just so nice to be able to sit still and not have to be anywhere."

"But you know you wouldn’t be able to stand it for very long, angel," Andrew grinned as he wrapped an arm around her small shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Maybe not," Monica replied as she snuggled closer to him. It was very true that she loved the work that God’s angels did, but she also loved the quiet moments such as this, "Do you know why we’re here, Andrew?"

He shook his head, "Not yet, Angel Girl. I’m not even certain that Tess knows the reason yet. I believe we have just been told to wait."

Monica nodded her head and sighed as her eyes gazed out over the lake and at the reflection the moon made upon the water.

"Thinking about Paul?"

His question caught her off guard and she looked up at him in surprise as he smiled down at her, "I know that you think about him often, Monica. So do I."

"I just can’t help but to wonder if he is okay…and I really miss him," She confessed softly, "I thought it would get easier, but it really hasn’t. I got used to having him around."

"To be honest, so did I," Andrew admitted with a small smile, "It was nice to have backup in looking out for you."

"Hey," the little angel protested as she elbowed him the ribs playfully, "I’ll have you know that I haven’t needed any looking after in quite some time."

Andrew chuckled softly as he kissed the top of her head, "I know, but that doesn’t mean I stop doing it."

"No, I suppose it doesn’t."

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke up once more, "How have you been doing? I know that we see each other nearly every day but it has been awhile since we’ve really been able to talk, as we’ve all been so busy. So have you…are you…"

Monica laughed lightly, amused by his attempts to ask the question in a way that wouldn’t upset her, "I’m fine, Andrew, really. The last year has done wonders," She knew that much was true. Yes, there were still moments when a knock at the door startled her or if she was walking someplace alone that all her senses were on high alert and she would long to have Andrew or Paul by her side. But all in all, things were indeed better and she could only hope that the things she still struggled with would also get better with time.

"But it hasn’t cured everything," He stated knowingly, hearing the things she wasn’t speaking aloud.

"Not completely, but I’m getting there and I knew it would take time. But the good news is that I have that and I’m sure the other little things will get better eventually," She assured him, stifling a yawn. Though tired, the night was so beautiful and so peaceful that she hated to leave it to go back to bed.

"Yes, they will," Andrew replied as he gave her a little hug, "and who knows… maybe we will run into Paul again someday. You once told me that you had a feeling that we would."

"Mm-hmm. I still get that feeling sometimes."

"Well if there’s one thing I’ve learned during our many years together, it’s to trust those feelings of yours."

She smiled and let out a long contented sigh. "Well right now I’m getting the feeling that you want me to go back to bed but you aren’t sure how to make me."

Andrew chuckled and blushed slightly. "I guess I must be losing my touch. It’s a little chilly out here and I can tell you’re tired. You’d be more comfortable in your bed."

"You’re right… as usual. But if were still here tomorrow night, let’s set up sleeping bags and sleep out here under the stars."

He looked up to see what Monica was seeing and had to take a breath as he saw the wonders of the heavens spread over them all. "Yes," he said after a moment. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

*****

Monica woke the next morning to the smell of coffee in the air, which signaled one of two things: either Andrew had woken up first, or Tess was in a particularly good mood. She quickly slipped into a robe and hurried downstairs into the kitchen. If Tess was the one who had made the coffee she wanted to make sure she got a nice couple of cups before the good mood faded.

"Well good morning, baby," Tess called out. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well," Monica answered with a grin, as Tess handed her a mug already full, and with extra cream just the way she liked it.

"You seemed a little restless yesterday."

The older angel had woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of soft footsteps and had watched Monica walk out onto the dock. Now she just wanted to make sure that nothing was bothering the little angel. Over the past year their working relationship had stayed almost the same, but Tess had found herself becoming more sensitive and openly affectionate with her charge. Not that she had ever lacked in love for Monica, but the tough times that angel had been put through had made Tess reevaluate her own actions. She had recognized that sometimes she could come on a bit strong, and sometimes that was exactly what made Monica retreat into herself. The saying was that you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Tess was determined to prove that didn’t apply to angels.

Monica, for her part, was only a little surprised by Tess’ question. She knew that she had been pretty fidgety after dinner. One definite hold over from her two assignments with Paul was that she had a hard time settling down to actually rest and relax. An over-abundance of thoughts was usually the problem, at least some of them concerning the agent.

"No, everything is fine, Tess, really," she finally answered after taking a sip of coffee. "Just doing a lot of thinking."

Tess nodded in understanding. She had a feeling she knew exactly what those thoughts revolved around, and she had heard Andrew’s heavier footsteps follow Monica outside. As long as the little angel was talking to someone, Tess was happy.

"I guess you must have slept pretty well," Monica said with a wry grin as she took another sip and raised her eyes to peer at Tess over the rim of her cup.

The older angel quirked her lips into a smile and rolled her eyes. "Now don’t be thinking that I’ve gone all soft just because I’m making you coffee."

"No, never!"

"Hmph. Well, it just so happens that I got word from the Father this morning and he told me that our assignment is to stay put… and I guess a bit of a vacation for you two is reason to celebrate."

"Stay put? Us two? You mean Andrew and I? What about you? You’re not leaving are you?" A touch of separation anxiety was another little hold-over, but Tess was quick to allay her fear with a firm hand on her arm.

"No, nothing like that, baby. It just looks like whatever this assignment is, when it comes, the Father wants me to handle it. You two are unofficially, officially, on a much needed break."

Monica tilted her head and her eyebrows drew together. "But certainly you could use a break too."

"Oh, trust me, Monica, I’m fine. I’ve been doing a lot of supervising and not much actual "angeling" lately… I’ll be glad to have something to keep me busy."

"Well in that case, I hope you have a wonderful time. Andrew and I will promise to keep out of your way."

"You and Andrew are never in my way, baby," She replied firmly with a shake of her head, "But I do want you both to relax and enjoy your time off together as it has been awhile."

Though Monica was unsure of when was the last time she had truly relaxed, she nodded her head, "I’ll do my best," She moved to the counter where Tess had begun making breakfast, "Can I help?"

Tess raised her eyebrows in amusement, "You want me to let you help cook?" Her eyes clearly showed what she thought of the idea.

"Please?"

Monica’s expression was so hopeful that the older angel was completely unable to resist, though she knew enough to keep the little angel’s tasks simple, "You can break up those eggs in that bowl over there. Mind the shells and no coffee in my bowl."

"Yes, ma’am," She grinned triumphantly, pleased with having won what could have been a long battle of wills, as she set to work on the eggs that Tess had set aside.

Tess watched her momentarily, not missing the pleasure in her charge’s dark eyes. Monica had been finding great joy in even the smallest of victories the last year and little by little Tess had watched her come back into her own. Monica had changed due to her difficult assignments when Paul had been a part of their existence and Tess wasn’t sure if those changes would ever go away, but she was pleased with the progress Monica had made just the same.

"So what is left for me to do?"

The sound of Andrew’s voice caused them both to turn around and Monica smiled happily at him. It was an expression that warmed his heart.

"Just relax, Angel Boy. I tried to get your friend here to do that, but you know how stubborn she can be."

"We’re on vacation, Andrew," The little angel informed him as she went back to her egg cracking.

"Oh really?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise at this bit of information.

"Well, you and Monica are on vacation, baby. I’ll be flying solo on this one."

"Time to clear the cobwebs off your wings, huh?" Andrew grinned though he quickly hid his smile when the older angel glared at him.

"Look at it this way, Tess," Monica offered with a giggle, "Now you can be your own boss."

"Hmph," Her supervisor muttered, going back to chopping up potatoes in order to hide her own smile. Monica was laughing again, and if the joke was at her expense, then so be it.

"So, what can I do to help?" Andrew repeated, leaning up against the counter between his two friends.

"Make sure she keeps the eggshells and mocha out of my bowl," She instructed firmly.

"Tess." The little angel objected with a pout forming on her lips.

"Don’t you ‘Tess’ me, Angel Girl. You have managed to sneak coffee into many a recipe I’m working on. You’ve built your own reputation as a kitchen terrorist, so you have only yourself to blame over Andrew having to watch you like a hawk."

"But you all liked my coffee pizza the last time I made it," She pointed out, her pout changing to a grin as she added, "Paul had two pieces!"

"Paul was being polite," Tess informed her, "You could have served him sardines over waffles with jam and mustard and as long as you cooked it, he would have eaten it."

"He said it was made in love," Monica argued, working on winning her second battle of the morning, her fingers poised to pick up another egg.

"No one is questioning that, angel," Andrew smiled as he laid his hand over hers, "And even if he hated it, which we don’t know, Paul is a ‘it’s the thought that counts’ kind of guy."

This response seemed to satisfy Monica as she smiled at him and went back to cracking the last of the eggs Tess had put aside.

"So, if we’re on vacation, what should we do today, Monica?" Andrew asked, moving to hoist himself up on the counter as the other two angels worked.

She appeared thoughtful for a moment before she looked up at him, her doe like brown eyes sparkling, "A walk in the woods complete with a picnic and tonight sleeping out under the stars. There isn’t a cloud in the sky."

"That sounds like a plan, Angel Girl. Care to join us, Tess?"

But the oldest angel declined the invitation graciously, "You two go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I plan on just relaxing a bit here until the Father shows me what He wants done."

"Aww, but we’ll miss you, Tess," Monica replied, finishing with the eggs and turning to face her.

"Thank you, baby," She smiled gratefully at her young charge as she prepared to fry up the potatoes on the stove, "Now step back. The actual cooking will be left up to me and me alone!"

Andrew smiled as Monica announced she was taking a shower in the interim as she cheerfully headed from the kitchen, leaving him missing her presence. Despite missing and worrying about Paul, along with a few other minor problems, she seemed much more like her old self again and for that he was eternally grateful.

Chapter 1

"You’re right. I should always let you do the cooking, or sandwich fixing as the case might be," Monica grinned that afternoon as she and Andrew finished up the picnic lunch he had prepared for their outing.

"Glad you enjoyed it, Angel," He returned her smile as he helped her to pack up what was left of their lunch. The afternoon was beautiful; not too hot with a gentle breeze flowing through the trees and the setting was making his friend appear as if she could easily curl up on the blanket and take a nap.

"It reminds me of that second day with Paul when we went on the picnic. That was a nice day too."

He watched her intently, clearly able to see the fact that she was missing their human friend but he elected to keep things light, "You mean the nice day when you were thrown off Scout?"

She giggled and nodded her head, "That would be the day. I don’t know who was more afraid. The rabbit, Scout or you and Paul."

He chuckled, "It may have been a four way tie," He rose to his feet and extended his hand to her, "C’mon. Let’s take a walk before you fall asleep. We can pick up the basket on the way back."

Monica accepted his hand and when she was standing, she felt him wrap his fingers around her own as they began to walk and she marveled at the way he could always make her feel at peace and safe. She never questioned it, but only accepted it as a gift from God.

They walked in amiable silence for awhile, before Monica stopped abruptly, her eyes focused on a small cabin in the middle of the woods and she felt a wave of trepidation hit her. It seemed out of place somehow as it was run down and very tiny and she felt Andrew squeeze her hand as he saw what was holding her attention.

"It’s probably just a hunter’s cabin, angel," He reassured her as he gently tugged her forward for a closer look. He put his free hand above his eyes in order to try to peer through the dirty window, chasing away cobwebs as he did so. He frowned. The cabin, which from what he could tell seemed to only consist of one room, showed signs of having recently been occupied. There was a moth eaten blanket balled up in the corner of the cot as well as a battered sweater lying on the floor and he was unable to help himself as he headed to the front door to knock.

"Anybody home?" He called out, getting the feeling that if someone were indeed inhabiting the cabin, that they needed help.

His knock was met with silence as he released Monica’s hand to try the door handle, thankful when it turned easily, despite the obvious nervousness that was emanating from his best friend.

Monica stepped back but as she did, she felt something brush up against her, startling her and she stifled a scream as she whirled around, just catching a glimpse of someone racing deeper into the woods. She was quickly able to assess that whoever it was was rather young, judging by height and without thinking, she broke into a run in an attempt to catch up to the person.

"Monica!" Andrew called out, realizing what had just happened and he felt his heart clench with fear.

They were in the middle of the woods and now Monica was off and out of his sight and he hadn’t even seen who or what she was chasing. He knew that he probably had nothing to worry about, but that didn’t stop him from taking off like a shot in the direction he’d seen her run.

"Monica! Monica? Where are you?"

There was no answer but he could hear leaves being crushed underfoot and branches snapping. He kept running.

"Monica! Answer me! Where are you?"

"Over here!" His heart began to slow even as his feet sped up. She was close by and he didn’t want her racing off again.

He found her leaning against a silver birch tree, head back, taking in deep breaths of air. "What happened? Who were you chasing? What were you chasing?"

"I’m not sure," she replied in between breaths. "I thought it was a wee child but I never got a close look."

"A child? Way out here?" Truthfully Andrew thought that a wild-eyed axe murderer was more likely.

She nodded. "That’s what I thought I saw. We should go back to the shack and wait."

Andrew shook his head. "No. There’s no telling when he or she will be back… and it sounds to me as if this is the assignment that Tess has been waiting for."

"But Andrew… a child…" Monica’s dark eyes opened wider and she stared up at him, fully aware of the effect that doe-eyed look had on him.

"Nice try, but no. Tess seemed pretty pleased to have a case all to herself and I don’t think we should interfere if we don’t have to." He still didn’t actually believe that what Monica had been chasing was a child. They were miles from the nearest road, miles more from the nearest town. How and why would any child be out living alone in a tiny ramshackle cabin?

Monica gave one last little pout. "Fine. Let’s get back to the cottage so we can tell Tess. Then she can come out here and get the wee little one and bring her back."

Andrew suppressed a snicker and an eye-roll as he followed after the Irish angel. Even when she was annoyed he found her adorable. He had to move fast to keep up with her as she hurried back towards the cottage.

"Ummm… Monica?" he ventured after a few minutes of walking.

"What?" she replied, a slight edge still in her voice. She stopped walking and turned back to face him. "I’m sorry. What is it?"

"I just thought you might want to know that the cottage is that way," he said as he pointed off to the right, through the trees. He was trying his hardest not to smile, but her narrowed eyes told him that he was unsuccessful.

"It’s not my fault I’m geographically challenged," she said. "It isn’t like there’s a Girl Scouts for angels, after all."

Andrew was about to mention that there wasn’t a Boy Scouts for angels either, but quickly thought the better of it. Monica didn’t make any more wrong turns and within ten minutes they were back at the cottage and the little angel was running through the clearing and up the back steps onto the deck. Tess was sitting there, large sunhat perched on her head, book in hand.

"Where’s the fire, Monica? Didn’t you two have a nice lunch? And where is that basket I packed for you?"

"We left it back in the woods, Tess, but we’ll get it later. We had to run back to tell you we found your assignment!"

"Whoa there… what do you mean you ‘found’ my assignment?" Tess glanced briefly over Monica’s shoulder to meet Andrew’s eyes, but the older angel just shook his head.

"We found a little cabin… and then there was a child running away from it. I tried to catch her, but she was too fast."

"There’s a little girl out there in the woods?" Tess said as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Well I didn’t actually see her… but I think it’s a girl… and I’m sure that’s who you’re supposed to help."

Andrew, who had been standing off to the side, waiting for Tess to tell Monica that it was probably just some little animal, was completely taken aback when the older angel started towards the steps.

"Now I don’t need you two to break off from your afternoon together, but if you can just tell me where this cabin is, I’ll go off and get the girl and get to the bottom of this."

"Tess?" Andrew raised his eyebrows.

Monica shot him a brief glare before turning back towards her supervisor. "Andrew doesn’t believe I saw anything."

"Monica…" Andrew draped his arm around the angel’s shoulders and pulled her closer despite her half-hearted attempt to keep her distance. "I’m sure you saw something, I’m just not sure it was a little girl… and how did it become a little girl anyway? I thought you never got a clear look."

"I didn’t. It’s just a feeling. It was a little girl, and right now she’s out there all by herself."

"Not for long, Angel Girl. If she’s the one I’m meant to help then the Father will lead me to her." She dropped her book off on the deck railing and walked down the steps and towards the edge of the woods. "I’ll be back before you know it."

Andrew and Monica watched her go, and the angel of death could feel the tension flowing through his friend. She wanted to go with Tess and help. It was an instinct that had never been completely buried and over the past year it had grown even stronger.

"Tess is right. If there is a child out there and Tess is supposed to help her then she’ll find her. She will." He gave her shoulder a squeeze and was a little surprised when Monica backed away.

She flopped down into Tess’ abandoned chair and looked up at him accusingly. "We could have helped. You just don’t trust me to know what I saw." Her eyes were staring up at him, but there was a softness around her mouth and he knew that she wasn’t really angry, just a little bit hurt. That was something he could remedy.

"Angel, I trust you more than anyone, on Earth or in Heaven. If you say you saw a girl, then I believe you."

"But you didn’t believe me a second ago."

He sat down on the arm of the chair and stared off into the woods. "To tell you the truth I wasn’t sure what to believe. I was just so relieved when I caught up with you, and maybe I didn’t want to think about it because I wanted to get you out of the woods and safe… just in case it wasn’t a little kid we were chasing."

She turned to face him and saw a look of sheepish remorse on his face. She didn’t hesitate another moment, scrunching herself into the corner of the chair and pulling him down to join her.

"Weren’t we just talking about how you haven’t had to protect me lately?" she said gently.

"Yes, but didn’t I say that doesn’t really stop me from trying?" Her slightly exasperated smile told him that he was fully forgiven and when she leaned her head against his shoulder he sighed with contentment.

"I guess that’s something we’ll have to work on," she murmured.

He chuckled deep in his throat. "Do you really want me to stop?"

There was a slight pause and he looked down to see a thoughtful expression on her face. He smiled even wider when she looked up again and replied, "No, you’re right. I think you’re perfect just the way you are."

He kissed the top of her head, knowing that the gesture would let her know that the feeling was mutual, "So, aside from going back and collecting our picnic basket, what do you want to do for the rest of the afternoon?" He didn’t want to give her much time to dwell on what Tess was doing and whether or not she had uncovered her assignment. The best way to keep Monica from worrying was to keep her distracted.

"Hmm," She appeared thoughtful for a moment as an idea began to form in her mind. The picnic basket was not far from the cabin and the little girl might be hungry. It wasn’t that she still thought that Andrew doubted her, but some proof certainly wouldn’t hurt. Bottom line was that a serial killer would not be interested in her uneaten half a sandwich and some left over potato salad, but a hungry little girl would be. Besides, maybe there were some clues in town as to who the mysterious girl in the woods was.

"You know, there was a lovely little town at the base of the mountain. Do you suppose Tess would mind if we borrowed her car?"

Andrew’s eyes widened at the mere suggestion, "I’m not so sure that is the wisest idea, angel…"

"She told us to enjoy our afternoon," Monica pointed out, "And we can get the basket when we come back."

He continued to look at her as if she had just grown wings, though he had a feeling that there was more to this than was meeting the eye, "You know how Tess is about her car…"

"But we’ve borrowed it before and nothing has happened. I’ll take full responsibility, I promise."

He let out an accepting sigh, knowing he was not only going to give in to her request, but also that he would not allow her to take the fall with Tess alone, "Let me leave her a note to let her know where we are heading." He stood up and gave her a mock stern look, "Even though this is against my better judgment."

She grinned up at him, "Point taken. Hurry and write the note."

Ten minutes later, they were on their way, with Andrew driving and Monica keeping up a lively chatter from where she sat next to him and he couldn’t help but to smile. It seemed the little angel had a comment about everything from the trees, to the stream that ran beside of the road, to the squirrel that jutted across their path before scurrying up a redwood tree. She was happy and it was worth any reprimand Tess may decide to give.

The town was bustling with tourists which only added to Monica’s excitement as Andrew parked the car and they began walking down the busy street hand in hand, which was a good thing as he was convinced his friend would either stumble or run into someone as her eyes were on everything other than where they were heading.

He was reminded of the one and only shopping excursion when she had been in the Witness Protection Program as she darted in and out of shops, often stopping to look at some little trinket, sometimes for longer than he felt was necessary, but he couldn’t deny her anything.

Monica turned around inside of one of the gift shops and noticed that Andrew had lingered at a display, so she walked on ahead, stopping when she came to card display, her eyes immediately settling on a card with a small angel on the front cover, complete with wings and golden shimmery halo. On the inside, the brief message simply read "Halo!" Holding it in her hand, she entertained the idea of mailing it off to Paul at the farm, knowing that the next time he returned there, he would find it. Though it would be impossible for him to respond back to her and sending a card wouldn’t answer any of her questions, she still liked the thought of him reading it and knowing that she was thinking about him.

She was certain that it was highly irregular for an angel to send a past assignment a card, but then again, she wasn’t just any angel anymore than Paul was just any assignment and with that the decision was made. She shot a glance down the aisle at Andrew and indicated that she was heading to the register. She was grateful that he had not questioned her lingering in the shops as she tried to listen to any bits and pieces of conversation that had come up among employees and customers, but so far she had heard nothing about a lost little girl. At least with having found the card, it wasn’t proving to be a fruitless venture.

She waited in line patiently, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to see if Andrew was in sight, but as of yet he had not returned from his browsing. She was just turning around once more to see how many more customers until it was her turn when a gruff voice caused her to look over abruptly.

"I’m looking for my little girl," The man was saying and Monica felt an immediate sense of dislike for him. His clothing was grubby and a bit worn and his face unshaven, but she knew better than to judge someone on those attributes alone. What did bother her was the coldness of his eyes. He didn’t look like a man who had been worrying about his missing daughter, but more like someone who was annoyed with her disappearance.

He was holding a picture out to the woman he was addressing and the little angel strained for a better look as the woman responded, "Such a dear little thing," She said sadly with a shake of her head, "How long has she been missing?"

"Since April," He responded, tucking the picture back into his pocket and Monica could see that the edges of it were well worn, "Name’s Faith."

"Are the police looking for her?" Monica heard herself say the words before she realized they were out of her mouth and she felt completely unsettled as the cold eyes came to rest on her.

"Course they are. Snatched right out of my front yard, she was. Police been all over my property and the woods, but no one can find her."

"May I see the picture?" She ventured, glancing up and seeing there were still two people ahead of her in line. As he handed it to her, she studied the little girl’s face carefully. Blonde hair was hanging limply around her face, which looked rather gaunt to the angel, and Faith’s big green eyes looked a little haunted. It wasn’t hard to see that the little girl in the picture did not appear happy.

"You seen her?" His demanding voice caused her head to shoot up as she debated her answer. She didn’t know for a fact that she had seen Faith, though the odds were that she had, but something in her heart was telling her not to admit that to this man. It wasn’t really a lie, she told herself. There was no proof that the child she had been chasing in the woods today was the same sad little girl in the picture.

She shook her head as she handed the photograph back to him, "No. I’m sorry, but I haven’t, though I will be keeping an eye out for her. I’m sure you and your wife must be very worried."

"Wife’s dead," He stated flatly, avoiding all reference to his being worried over his missing daughter, which only made the angel more uncomfortable and she was suddenly anxious to be as far away from him as she could get.

Looking up, she realized that the cashier was impatiently waiting for her to lay down her purchase and she did so thankfully, watching out of the corner of her eye as the child’s father moved out of her line of vision.

Chapter 2

She didn’t notice Andrew move up behind her as she was paying for the card, and she nearly jumped over the counter when he placed his hand against her back to guide her out of the store. He instantly pulled his hand back and moved it to her arm.

"Monica, it’s just me," he wanted to kick himself for sneaking up behind her.

He watched as she forced a smile and took hold of his hand. "Sorry about that. Just a little jumpy I guess."

"Any particular reason?" he asked, hoping that he wasn’t forcing her into another trip down memory lane.

She scanned the area as they walked out of the store, looking for the man who had showed her Faith’s picture. He seemed to have disappeared. "Actually, yes… there was a man…"

Andrew’s protective instincts kicked into overdrive. "Man? Where? What did he do to you?" The edge in his voice was unmistakable and Monica smiled, remembering again all the reasons why he was her dearest friend.

"Inside the store, but he didn’t do anything except show me a picture." Andrew led her to a bench as he waited for her to continue. "It was a picture of a little girl, Andrew. Her name’s Faith and he said that she was kidnapped months ago."

The blond angel found some of his earlier doubt beginning to fade, but it was replaced with questions. "You think she’s the little girl you saw."

Monica noticed that he didn’t say ‘the little girl you think you saw’, and she knew that he was starting to come around to her way of thinking. "I don’t know for sure, but don’t you think it’s a very big coincidence?"

"But if she was kidnapped, what is she doing out in the middle of the woods all by herself."

She shook her head, unable to think of a reasonable explanation. "I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. I just hope that Tess is able to find her. Maybe then we’ll get some answers."

"If it is her, maybe that’s Tess’ assignment… to reunite her with her family." He caught the troubled look that passed over Monica’s face as soon as those words left his mouth. "What is it?"

"I…" she sighed, knowing that her next words would sound horrible. "I don’t think I want them reunited."

Andrew looked at her with surprise. "Why not?" Usually she was the first one to want to see a happy ending with everyone together.

"He just didn’t seem… right."

"Right?"

Monica shrugged. "I wish I had a better word for it. He made me uncomfortable."

She didn’t have to say another word. Andrew could count on one hand the number of people who had made Monica uncomfortable in the past. She had ended up being right about every one of them. Suddenly Tess’ little refresher assignment didn’t seem quite so little anymore.

*****

Andrew expected Monica to be quiet on the ride back to the cottage, but instead she filled the air with chatter, asking him if he had noticed this or that in the town, and telling him about the other places she wanted to visit. They had only managed to work their way down the main street, and she wanted to venture onto nearly every side street. Apparently her eyes had picked up interesting shop signs and points of interest that his male eyes had skimmed right over.

As they approached the cottage, however, she grew more and more silent, and Andrew glanced over to see her looking out into the woods as if she thought that the little girl would run into view. He wasn’t sure whether to hope that Tess had found her, for now he was sure that Monica had been right about seeing her, or to hope that she hadn’t. Tess was a very straightforward sort of angel. If she knew that Faith had a father looking for her there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she would consider it her duty to bring the two of them together. After seeing the look on Monica’s face when she spoke about him, Andrew was inclined to think that maybe things weren’t so simple.

The road curved and twisted as it climbed upwards towards the top of the mountain, cutting a narrow path through trees that grew so close they formed an archway overhead. It was beautiful country, filled with the wonders of God’s creation, but it was clear that Monica wasn’t seeing any of them.

"Monica?"

"Mmm-hmm?" She wasn’t really paying attention and he settled a hand on her knee and waited for her to turn towards him.

"You’re thinking too much, Angel."

She smirked at him and gave him a little punch on the arm. "Am not."

"Are too, and don’t make me tickle you to keep you from saying ‘am not’." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her press her lips together. "I know the way you are. You’re worrying. You’re thinking three steps ahead and we don’t even know for certain that what you saw was a little girl, never mind a little girl named Faith."

"Andrew, you already told me that you think I’m right about the little girl and about her being Faith. It’s a little late to back out now."

"All right. Fine… but that doesn’t mean that you need to be worrying already. This is Tess’ assignment, remember? I think we need to let her handle it. The Father gave us this break for a reason. We’ve been working really hard… you’ve been working really hard. You need to relax and get your bearings again."

"Yes, but I can’t just forget about Faith. What if Tess doesn’t find her?"

"Then she’ll look again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, until God tells her to do otherwise. He’ll take care of it, Angel."

She sighed. "I know, but it’s awfully hard to just drop everything and go on vacation."

Andrew laughed. "I think we’ve had assignments who thought the same way until you taught them differently. If we’re needed, Tess will let us know."

She turned in her seat to face him and smile. "You’re right. She will. So… now that we’re on vacation, I guess we’ll be spending a lot more time in town. Did you know there’s a place where you can paint your own pottery, and another place that rents bicycles? We could ride all around the country."

Andrew quickly turned a slightly overwhelmed expression into a smile. If Monica was an angel with an itinerary then he would be the one to follow it to the letter. "Sounds like a plan, Monica. You can work on a list of things to do and tomorrow we’ll start checking them off."

The Irish angel leaned back into her seat, satisfied and happy. "And then tomorrow night I’ll work on a new list!"

*****

"Hello? Is anyone out here? C’mon out… I’m not going to hurt you…" Tess was tromping through the woods and calling out much the way a person would call out to their wayward dog. Unfortunately it was having about as much effect.

She got more and more annoyed and frustrated the further into the woods she walked. "You know, Father, I know I’m supposed to be working on my own here, but a little guidance right now would be great," she muttered under her breath.

Tess hadn’t ended up getting directions to the ramshackle cabin from Andrew so she was both surprised and relieved when she stumbled onto it just five minutes later. "Thank you Father," she said with a grin.

She walked up to the front door and knocked loudly. "Hello? Anyone home?"

She ended up abandoning the door and peering through the same window Andrew had looked through, and seeing the same scene. It made her knock harder. When she still got no answer she turned the doorknob slowly and gave it a gently shove. A shiver ran up her spine at the sound of rusty hinges and creaking wood.

"Hello?" she called again as she stepped inside.

She walked over to the sagging cot and gave it a pat, then stepped back as a puff of dust rose into the already stuffy air. None of the windows were open, and even in the relative cool of the forest, the hot sun had managed to heat the cabin to an uncomfortable temperature. She bent down and picked up the thin pink cotton sweater that lay next to the cot. Without even thinking about it she held it up to gauge the age of the girl it belonged to and then folded it neatly and placed it at the foot of the cot.

"Where are you?" she whispered, "and what in the world are you doing out here all alone?"

*****

Andrew didn’t miss the look of delight that appeared on Monica’s face when she realized that Tess had not yet returned to the cottage. He knew she was anxious to hear about the little girl, but not so anxious for any scolding that could occur over the use of her car without her begrudging consent.

"You didn’t seem nervous about what Tess would think before we left, angel," He teased gently as they walked in the front door.

"I feel like we’ve gotten away with something," She grinned impishly, looking like a naughty five-year-old who had gotten away with sneaking forbidden cookies from the cookie jar.

"Don’t be so sure of yourself, Miss Wings."

Andrew had to stifle a laugh as Tess walked in behind them, holding the flat bag that Monica had forgotten to bring in from the car. The little angel’s expression had gone from smug to something that resembled absolute guilt. Her jaw had dropped slightly and her eyes had widened as she stared at the tell tale bag in her supervisor’s hand and the blond angel could plainly see that it was all Tess could do to contain a smile at the youngest angel’s "deer in the headlights" expression.

"I think you forgot to cover your trail, baby," She continued, managing to keep a straight face, "The friend I believe this card is for should have taught you better."

Monica’s face flushed bright red, which Andrew found endearing and Tess found amusing, "Tess…We…I… it was my idea. I just wanted to pop into town for a wee bit for something to do, you know, as Andrew and I are on vacation and we didn’t so much as put a speck of dirt on it. I’m sorry, I should have waited to ask, and please don’t blame Andrew, he only went along as I begged him to and I promise to ask next time…"

Tess could hold it in no longer as a deep laugh emerged from her throat, causing Andrew to soon join in with his own laughter at Monica’s sheepish expression, "Oh Angel Girl, your face was a picture."

Monica tried to look indignant at their laughter at her expense, but a tiny grin soon formed, "So, you aren’t upset?"

"No, baby. I should know by now that I can trust you and Andrew with my baby," She didn’t miss the triumphant look on her charge’s face before she added, "Providing Andrew does the driving." Watching amusedly at the small pout that formed, she continued, "You enjoy watching the scenery more than the road, baby and your mouth sometimes moves quicker than your foot could ever get to the brake."

"Well, I suppose there is some truth to that," She admitted with a grin, "And as Andrew is quite content to watch the road and listen to me talk, it all works out quite well."

"That’s why the Father put you two together, Monica, so you didn’t bang up some poor unsuspecting angel with your driving, talking and gawking."

"Very poetic, Tess," Andrew remarked with a smile as he sat down next to Monica on the couch.

"Thank you, Andrew. So, yes, you two can use my car as you’d like while we are here as I won’t be needing it to tromp through God’s wild country that is full of creepy crawly things."

As if reminded that there was indeed an assignment involved, Monica sat up straight on the couch, "Did you find her?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I did not, but it does seem that it is a little girl. She left a pink sweater in the cabin, but after searching for her all afternoon, I couldn’t find a sign of her. I just hope she knows the woods well and hasn’t managed to get herself lost after a certain angel chased her." She raised her eyebrows in Monica’s direction, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"I only wanted to help her," There was a slight defensive edge to her voice and she felt Andrew rest his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Tess knows that, angel."

Andrew’s words along with Tess’ gentle smile, caused her to relax once more, "I think I heard and saw something in town related to your assignment."

"I’m listening," Tess took a seat in the chair across from the other two angels and waited patiently.

"There was a man; the girl’s father and he was asking people if they had seen his daughter who was kidnapped in April. He had a picture of her and he said her name is Faith." She stated slowly and Andrew glanced over at her, wondering why she seemed to be measuring her words.

"Seems a bit too strong for coincidence," Tess remarked thoughtfully, "The poor man must be worried sick."

He waited for Monica to continue and was stunned when she simply nodded her head as if agreeing, which contradicted everything she had told him earlier about this man. It wasn’t at all like her to withhold her feelings or hunches, and he was struck by the thought that she was doubting what she had felt when speaking with Faith’s father. That wasn’t like her and he didn’t like it.

"So what happens now?" Monica’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts, though he placed his observations on a mental shelf until he could later confront her.

"I suppose I’ll need to search again in the morning," She grumbled softly as she rose to her feet, "But for right now, I’m forgetting about ticks and bugs and am going to start on dinner."

As Tess departed, Monica rose to her feet as well, "I’ll be back."

Andrew looked completely startled by her announcement, furthering his concern, "What? Where are you going?"

"Just for a walk. I won’t be long."

"Do you want company?" He didn’t want her going alone and he wanted to find out why she had withheld information about the man in town, but she shook her head with a slight smile.

"I’ll be fine."

As she hurried out the door and down the dock, he sighed heavily as he walked over to the window to watch until she vanished from sight. The little angel was a complex creature and one he wasn’t entirely sure he would ever completely figure out. But he was willing to spend the rest of eternity trying.

Chapter 3

Monica walked slowly through the woods, retracing her steps taken earlier with Andrew to their picnic spot. The sun was just beginning its descent and the air was a bit cooler and she shivered slightly in the sleeveless sweater and skirt she wore, her bare feet crunching slightly over the leaves and brush on the ground.

She knew Andrew was going to question why she hadn’t told Tess about her dislike of Faith’s father and she wasn’t entirely sure of how she would answer. She was now certain that she had been wrong about him. The man had lost his wife and now his daughter was missing and she must have mistaken the look in his eyes that had chilled her. He had spent months searching for Faith, and that had to be taking a toll on him. Her mistrust just had to be residual baggage from her assignments over a year ago.

She neared the picnic area and she froze, standing stark still. The remainder of their lunch was being finished off hungrily by the sad little girl in the picture. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that the little creature answered to the name of Faith. She watched, mesmerized for a moment, before she could no longer help herself, "Faith." She called out softly, watching as big green eyes turned to her, wide with fear.

Faith was on her feet and racing away before Monica had a chance to say anything more and once again, the little angel found herself sprinting after her. Night would soon fall and she was not about to allow the little girl to face it alone. The trees and bushes rushed by her as her bare feet pounded on the ground, occasionally catching a glimpse of the child ahead of her, who was quickly putting distance between them. The angel’s heart pounded in her chest as she drew in air, forcing herself to keep running as the minutes ticked by.

"Faith!" she called out breathlessly, before her foot got caught in a fallen branch and she stumbled and fell, wincing as her palms connected with the dirt and rocks beneath her. Looking up, she saw that Faith was now out of sight and she could no longer even hear the sound of her running.

"Ow," She muttered softly as she sat up and rubbed at her foot with a stinging hand before brushing a stray piece of hair from her eyes. Monica sighed softly, feeling discouraged as she stood up shakily still trying to catch her breath as she limped a few more steps forward, looking in every direction for any sign of Faith, but there was none to be found.

Turning around, she hesitated, suddenly unsure of which way she had come from and which was the way back to the cottage. She had nearly gotten lost earlier today before Andrew had corrected her, but this time he was not present to steer her in the right direction. A chill passed through her as she looked at the sky and saw that the sun was quickly vanishing. It would be dark soon.

Clouds were gathering at the horizon and it looked like they would soon blanket the sky. Monica knew that God was with her, even in the dark, but that didn’t make her feel any better about the idea of wandering through the woods without even the light from the stars to guide her. She needed to find her way back to the picnic site.

Her eyes had grown wide and her heart beat faster as she searched the trees for something familiar looking. Finally she was forced to give up and begin walking in what she hoped was the right direction. There weren’t any clear paths, and each time she thought she saw a familiar tree or rock, she glanced around and saw another one leading off in a completely different direction. An assignment years earlier had told her the tale of Hansel and Gretel and she was beginning to think that she knew exactly how they had felt.

"I really think Angel Scouts is an idea whose time has come," she murmured as she moved slowly between the trees.

The words were said aloud in an attempt to ward off anxiety, but with the grey evening light quickly closing in around her, it became more and more difficult to keep calm. What she really wanted to do was just bolt on ahead but her foot was aching and she was afraid she would only end up even more lost. She clenched her hands into fists, wincing at the pain and blinking rapidly to keep her tears in check. She already knew that it wasn’t the darkness that bothered her, it was being alone. She couldn’t imagine how little Faith was managing all by herself.

"Please Father," she whispered, "stay close to me. I know I shouldn’t be afraid, but I am."

*****

The aroma of baked ham and mashed potatoes was beginning to fill the living room of the little cottage and still there was no sign of Monica. Andrew had tried to be low-key about it, not venturing into the kitchen to tell Tess, and only pacing to the window once every five minutes. However, as the waning light began to limit his vision he became increasingly worried.

"Everything’s just about ready. I hope you two still have some appetites after that picnic of yours," Tess said as she walked out of the kitchen, still wiping her hands on the front of her apron.

She looked around and spotted Andrew standing stiffly beside the window, Monica nowhere in sight.

"Monica upstairs taking a little nap?" she asked. "That angel does know how to overdo things," she continued, a motherly grin curling up the corners of her mouth.

"She went for a walk."

Tess’ eyebrows drew together and she joined Andrew at the window and looked outside. "When did she leave? It’s getting dark fast. What’s she doing walking around by herself anyway?"

"She just said she wanted to go for a little walk…"

"You do remember that this is the angel who managed to land in Florida instead of Illinois, right?"

Andrew shoved his hands in his pockets. "She wanted to be alone."

"And you’ve been pacing the floor ever since, not wanting to run off after her." Tess knew that the blond angel had been working on his overprotective streak, and she rested a hand lightly on his arm.

"Something like that."

"Well I am officially giving you permission to run off after her. Dinner’s almost ready and it isn’t getting any lighter out there."

Andrew was moving before she had even finished her sentence. He grabbed a flashlight from the bench in the hall and headed out. He looked back over his shoulder as his hand closed around the doorknob. "Thanks Tess," he said warmly.

"Just go get that Angel Girl and bring her on back in time for dinner."

"That’s just what I plan to do," he replied.

He quickly made his way back to their picnic site, figuring that Monica had probably planned on going there and picking up their basket and blanket. The blanket was considerably more rumpled than he remembered it being, and the basket was thrown wide open. He glanced inside and saw only the wrappings from their lunch.

"Monica? Are you here?" he called out, beginning to wonder who or what had made short work of the rest of their food.

He quickly closed the basket and did a haphazard job of folding the blanket. The only sounds that met his ears were the droning sounds of nighttime insects and the last songs from the birds as they settled down for the night. He heard nothing that sounded like a certain Irish lilt.

"Where are you?" he spoke under his breath as he placed basket and blanket beneath a tree and surveyed the clearing, trying to decide which way to look first.

It was a big mountain and she had been gone for nearly an hour. Even her short legs could get her plenty lost in that amount of time. As he stood there the last light faded until he could scarcely see from one side of the clearing to the other. The forest was even darker and he had a feeling that finding Monica was going to be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. He wouldn’t be able to do it alone.

"Father, I’m trusting you to guide me to her," he said, and then he clicked the flashlight on and headed through the tree-line.

*****

Monica felt as if she had been walking all day. The light had grown so faint that she had trouble seeing more than ten feet in front of her, and she had taken to moving from tree to tree just to make sure that she didn’t tumble over one of the steep hills that dropped down unexpectedly. She had fallen again, and now both feet were marked with scratches and her hands looked even worse. Andrew and Tess were going to go into mothering fits when they saw her. Thinking about that caused an unexpected tear to escape from beneath her dark lashes. She was actually looking forward to their attention, even if it was going to be peppered with scolding.

"Just a little further," she repeated to herself. "I must be nearly there…"

She had been telling herself that for at least the past half hour. Two more steps and she nearly stumbled over a large boulder. Her hip struck it hard and she let out a little cry as she pressed her hand against what was sure to be a very colorful bruise. She bit her lip and steadied herself before moving around the rock, but then as she went to step forward her foot caught on yet another root and she fell down to her knees in a heap.

Everything in her heart was crying out and she had to fight to keep tears from falling. She was not going to cry. She was strong and perfectly capable of spending the night in the woods if she had to. Maybe that was the plan all along. Maybe she would find Faith if she stayed out long enough. Maybe this was a good lesson in self-reliance.

Unfortunately the words rang hollow, even in her mind, and she pulled her knees to her chest and stared out into the near darkness, wondering how she was going to find her way out of the woods when she couldn’t even find her way around a stupid rock. She wiped at her eyes with grimy hands and sniffled. Maybe this was her lesson in not interfering with other angels’ assignments.

A flickering light in the distance suddenly caught her attention and she stood up, peering through the trees and trying to see what it was. A firefly? Or something else?

She took a few hesitant steps towards it. "Hello?"

"Monica?" the relief in Andrew’s voice was almost tangible. It was followed by sounds of him crashing through the underbrush.

"Andrew!"

"Don’t move. I’ll come to you," he called out, and a minute later he was standing in front of her, slightly sweaty and dirty but one of the most beautiful things Monica could remember seeing in recent memory.

"I got lost," she said, in a very small voice.

"But now you’re found." He wrapped her up in his arms and held her close. The feeling was like a balm to all her little aches and she allowed herself to close her eyes and just concentrate on the wonderful feeling of peace and security.

"I was beginning to think that the Father wanted me to stay out here all night," she mumbled. "I kept walking and walking and then this rock…"

Andrew shone his flashlight over the boulder she had stumbled into. "Monica, take a look," he said as he gently turned her around.

She followed the beam of light and swallowed a lump in her throat as she took in the sheer drop that was less than three feet past the rock.

"He kept me from falling."

"Yes He did," Andrew said gratefully as he kissed the top of her head. "Now let’s get you back to the house and fixed up. Tess is holding dinner for us, and then I think we need to talk."

She nodded her head as he took her hand and gently began leading her with the flashlight and God guiding him. He instantly noticed her limp, "You’re hurt."

A tiny grin formed on her lips, "He only kept me from falling this last time, but that fall would have gained me more than a slightly sprained ankle."

He elected not to comment on what would have happened if the Father had not stopped that fall. He could feel a roughness in her palm as she held tightly to his hand and he was certain she had some gravel embedded in her hands and would not enjoy the process of it being removed, "Where did you go?"

"Just back to get the picnic basket," She replied with a weary sigh. She was hoping that they weren’t far from the cottage as she felt exhausted after her little ordeal.

"And you didn’t even get that far?"

"No, I found it."

She was being elusive and he fought back impatience. He could sense that she was tired and even a little more shaken up than she was admitting. She hated the dark and to be lost in it was not something she would take lightly. Wordlessly, he released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist to provide her more support, "I hope you’re still hungry after your snack on our leftover picnic."

She bit her lip, but chose not to comment. She felt guilty about not telling him in the first place and she couldn’t very well go into the fact that it had been eaten by Faith without telling him why she had gone out to begin with. She was getting tangled in her own self made web and it was completely uncomfortable.

"Ouch," She muttered as she stumbled over something she could no longer see and she would have fallen had Andrew not been there to steady her. But he held her tightly and a moment later had swept her up in his strong arms.

"We’re not far," He assured her, sensing that she was about to argue, but with his words, she relented as she rested her head against his shoulder, thankful he couldn’t see the tears that had formed in her eyes.

Though it was a minor thing, she had not been honest and she needed to admit that and hope that her admission would not hurt the feelings of the dearest friend she had.

*****

"What on earth happened to you?" Tess exclaimed as she opened the front door to let the two angels into house, having seen Andrew carrying the younger angel up the walk.

Monica managed a slight smile as Andrew gently deposited her on the couch, "I took a bit of a wrong turn."

"A bit?" The older angel replied, giving the little angel the once over with her eyes, seeing every little scratch and bruise from her little adventure or rather misadventure, "Dinner is warming in the oven, so lets get you cleaned up and then into a hot bath. We can eat a little later."

Andrew was already returning from the bathroom with tweezers and an antiseptic wash and he saw her grimace as he took a seat next to her on the couch, "Let’s see those hands, angel." He noted how quiet she was as he worked on picking the tiny pieces of gravel from her palms with the tweezers, before he inspected her ankle, relieved that it was only slightly swollen, "That should be better by morning," He assured her, looking up and surprised to see tears in her eyes, "Monica? What is it? Does something else hurt?"

She shook her head, deciding against replying that the only other thing hurting right now was her heart, as she wasn’t sure yet if she wanted Tess to know that she had run her assignment off once again and that was how she had managed to get lost in the first place.

"Go and get a bath, baby, while we get dinner on the table," Tess advised gently, "That should make you feel better and then maybe it is best that you get to bed shortly thereafter. You look exhausted."

Andrew watched as his friend rose slowly to her feet and made her way up the steps, his mouth set in a frown. He already knew that she had withheld her feelings about Faith’s father to Tess, but something had driven her from the cottage tonight in the first place and he couldn’t help but to feel slightly hurt by the fact that she had insisted on going on alone. He should have been adamant about tagging along, especially with knowing how directionally challenged she was and he was more than thankful that God had led him to her before complete darkness had fallen. Despite her brave front, he knew her well. Darkness itself was one thing, being in it alone was completely another and he knew that the two things combined earlier had not been comforting thoughts to her.

But something more was troubling her, that much was obvious and he had every intention of finding out what it was before the night was over.

Chapter 4

Dinner had been a relatively silent affair as Monica had been rather quiet and quite absorbed in pushing the food around on her plate, though thankfully Tess had decided not to comment on the fact. Nor did she say anything when the little angel excused herself and headed upstairs to her room as soon as the meal was over.

"Well, are you going up or am I?" Tess stated bluntly when it was just she and Andrew left at the table.

He had to smile at the pointed look she was giving him as he pushed back his chair, "Let me help you clean up first…"

"I am quite capable of cleaning up, Angel Boy, but thank you for the offer. I’m more concerned about Monica right now as she is carrying some burden on that little heart of hers that needs to be unloaded. Now go. Shoo," She waved her napkin at him affectionately as he got up with a chuckle and headed up the stairs.

Monica’s door was cracked open but he still knocked softly before he opened it and slipped inside to find her sitting up in bed with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her expression bordered on pitiful and under other circumstances Andrew might have smiled at the cuteness of it, but not now. She was hurting.

"How’s the ankle?" He asked softly, sitting down beside of her and trying to meet her gaze.

"It will be fine," She whispered, his concern making her feel worse than she already did.

"You didn’t eat very much. Are you feeling all right?" He had already figured out that he was dealing with some kind of guilt and he knew exactly how to drive it from her without having to come right out and ask.

Monica nodded her head, then shook it and though he knew his questions had paid off, he was dismayed by her tears when she finally looked up at him, "I got lost chasing Faith. I wanted to leave the basket there on purpose today to see if I could find her later as I knew she must be hungry. I should have told you and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to interfere with Tess’ assignment, and it seemed easier to convince you to take her car than to talk you into trying to find Faith, but either way I was being deceitful. I know that now…"

He forced back a small chuckle as he wrapped her up in his arms. He was sure she thought that her confession would hurt him, but instead he found himself loving her even more for being so upset at the thought that he might get upset by her little experiment in assignment meddling.

"I’m so sorry, Andrew…" Her tear-laced words pulled him away from his thoughts as he smiled.

"Angel, it’s all right," He soothed, feeling her begin to relax in his arms at his words. He was anxious to find out what she had discovered about the little girl, but reassuring her came first, "I’m not angry with you. If anything I’m concerned by why you felt you couldn’t tell me and touched that you’re this worked up about it."

She slowly raised her head from his chest and meekly met his eyes at last, "I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to talk me out of it, but if I had just told you and taken you with me, I never would have gotten lost."

"It’s that stubborn streak of yours, Monica," He winked at her, relieved when she smiled through her tears, "It gets you into trouble every time."

"So you’re not mad at me?"

She asked so pathetically, that he tugged her back into his arms and hugged her tightly, "Even if I was, you should know by now that I can’t stay angry with you for long, angel."

"Must be part of my charm," She giggled as he pulled away and then settled back against her pillows with her in his arms.

"Now, tell me what happened in the woods." He requested as he felt the last of the tension leave her small body.

"Faith was finishing up our lunch and it is her, Andrew. She is the girl in the picture; the same sad expression and when I called out to her, she ran away. I tried to follow her, but when I tripped, I lost her…as well as my sense of direction."

He wanted to ask "what sense of direction?" but he refrained, deciding that she had been through enough today and teasing her could wait until morning, "And why didn’t you tell Tess about your reaction to her father?"

She was quiet for a moment as she debated her answer, "Because I was wrong about him."

Andrew opened his mouth to express his surprise but quickly shut it and remained silent, leaving their soft breathing the only sounds in the room. "Why do you say that, Monica?" he said at last. "You were so certain this afternoon."

Monica shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes even angels make mistakes," she countered.

"I know that, but Angel…" he took a breath. "You were frightened of him. I could see it in your eyes."

Silence filled the room again until Monica carefully pulled herself out of Andrew’s embrace. "People still scare me sometimes, Andrew. That’s my problem, not theirs." She pulled her nightgown from its hook on the back of the door and tossed it onto the bed. "Tess was right. I should probably get some sleep." She met his eyes and the meaning of her words and actions was clear. She wanted to be alone.

"Monica…"

"Please? I’m just tired. Can’t we talk in the morning?"

"Of course. We’ve got plenty of time."

Andrew pushed himself up off the bed, the bedsprings creaking as he did so. He so did not want to leave her like this. It had been a long time since she had carried a look of defeat on her face and he had hoped never to see it again. Maybe she really was just tired, and things would be better in the morning. He was hesitant to push her. She hated that and it usually only made her more determined to pull back. He walked to the door and paused before leaving.

"Sleep well and sweet dreams, Angel Girl."

Monica was sitting on her bed again, with the nightgown pulled across her lap. She looked into his face and gave him a lopsided smile. "Goodnight, Andrew. Sleep well."

The door clicked shut and Monica listened to his footsteps echo down the hallway and then down the stairs. A shuddering sigh escaped from her chest. Sending him away had been hard, but having him stay would have been harder. He already knew all of the reasons behind her sometimes irrational fears. He didn’t need to hear them again. He didn’t need to dredge up things that were better left buried.

A year had done a lot to bring peace and hope back into her soul, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten. She was a different angel now, but she wasn’t about to let her past affect the future, and she certainly wasn’t going to let it bias her against someone they were supposed to be helping. Tess would find Faith and bring her back to her father and she wouldn’t interfere again.

*****

"How’d it go, baby? She all better now?"

"I wish I knew."

Tess put down the pan she was scrubbing and turned her full attention to the angel leaning against the counter. "What do you mean, you wish you knew? Didn’t she talk to you?"

"Yes and no. She probably doesn’t want you to know, but I feel like I need to talk to someone just to sort things out in my own mind…"

"What doesn’t she want me to know?" One eyebrow rose to Tess’ hairline.

"She saw Faith out in the woods again. The girl was finishing up what was left of our picnic."

Tess chuckled. "Well that little sprite must run like the wind to have escaped from Monica twice in one day, but if she told you about it then why are you still troubled?"

"Because that isn’t all of it." Andrew idly picked up a dishtowel and started drying the plates that Tess had already washed.

Hands on hips, Tess took a step back from the sink. "Well, out with it, Mr. Halo. What is it that you’re trying so hard to pretend that you don’t want to tell me? Don’t worry, I’ll tell little Miss Wings that I forced it out of you."

Andrew looked at her with a wry smile. "Have I told you lately that I don’t know what I’d do without you?"

Tess smiled briefly and then let the stern mask fall back over her face. "Oh I know it, you don’t need to remind me. Now tell me what else is bothering her."

"That’s just it, Tess. She says it isn’t bothering her anymore."

Tess let out an exasperated breath. "What?"

"Faith’s father. She told you she saw him in the town, but she didn’t tell you everything. I met up with her right after he left, and Tess… she was scared. She told me she didn’t like him. She said she thought something was wrong, and she didn’t think Faith should go back to him."

"Well why didn’t she tell me that? She can be a little impulsive sometimes, but she has good instincts."

"She told me she thinks she was wrong about him." Andrew’s tone made it clear what he thought about that. "Tess, you know how hard she worked to convince herself that most people are good and loving. She’s spent a year rebuilding that trust between herself and all of humankind. Now she’s afraid to trust her own judgment."

"You think she’s right about Faith’s father." It was a statement not a question.

Andrew finished drying the last plate and threw the towel down onto the counter. "I think that I trust her feelings more than she does."

Tess nodded her head thoughtfully, "You didn’t see Faith’s father at all?"

"No. He was gone when I caught up to her," he fell silent for a moment before meeting her eyes once again, "Do you know what I really think is strange about this assignment? The fact that it belongs to you, but yet Monica is the only one who has seen Faith twice and has also met her father."

"I was thinking about that too, Andrew. It seems that Monica is involved, no matter how we look at it and if she is involved then it is because God wants her to be involved."

"The only problem is that I’m getting the distinct feeling that she no longer wants to be a part of it," He advised softly.

"She’ll come back around. She can’t deny the fact that there is a little girl living out in those woods anymore than she can deny her feelings about the girl’s father. She hasn’t been afraid of anyone in over a year and she has worked with dozens of assignments during that time. If she thinks she feels this way because of things that happened when you two were working with Paul, then she needs to look at it more objectively."

"Maybe she doesn’t want to be right," Andrew ventured, "She doesn’t want to think that the father of a lost little girl feels anything more than fear and loss. She’s trying to force herself to see goodness that might not even be there, because her mind is telling her that is how it should be," It was like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle, but he enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the little angel’s thought process.

"That is how it should be, but that doesn’t mean that is the way it is. Let’s face it, Angel Boy, if things with this man had been on the up and up, Monica would have already recruited him as part of search party or at the very least, would have invited him for dinner. Her actions speak louder than her voice ever could."

He smiled, feeling like he had a much better grasp of the situation now and he was already determined to take the little angel into town again tomorrow in the hope that he could get a look at the man that had frightened her. If he got the same impression, he would have a basis to discuss it further with her.

*****

Monica awoke with a start, her heart racing as she bolted upright in bed. The dream still felt all too fresh in her mind and she had almost felt the dead leaves and pebbles beneath her feet in the woods. She had been running after Faith only to find out that her father had been chasing her, but when she had felt his hand close on her arm, she had turned to find herself looking into the face of Douglas McArthur. She had been terrified.

The initial fear was now fading and in its place was anger over her old fears resurfacing. She hadn’t thought about the man who had held her at gunpoint in the better part of a year and suddenly he was once again invading her dreams and it infuriated her as she was not about to be held hostage by him again, even if it was in her mind.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she got up, relieved that her ankle was already feeling a good bit stronger. As she walked slowly downstairs, she was surprised to see a light still on in the living room and she almost considered retreating back to her room, but before she could, Tess sensed her presence and looked up at her.

"What are you still doing up, baby?" She asked, patting the seat next to her on the sofa, smiling gently when Monica accepted the offer.

"I was asleep. I had a bad dream," She mumbled with a slight shake of her head which spoke of annoyance with herself.

"I see. What would this dream have been about?"

She hesitated, giving a small shrug of her shoulders before she felt Tess reach for her hand.

"Angel Girl, sometimes, whether we like it or not, our old demons can come back to haunt us, especially when we are trying way too hard to push them away."

The little angel’s eyes widened in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Andrew told me about Faith’s father and about your reaction to him and it made sense that you would have a bad dream after all that. Especially if you are denying what it is you felt in the first place," She remarked, releasing her hand and wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer.

"I have to be wrong about him, Tess," She murmured as she closed her eyes tiredly for a moment.

"Since when have your instincts ever been wrong, Monica?"

"Since now."

The older angel ran a soothing hand over her charge’s arm as she spoke slowly, "Do you want to be wrong because you cannot fathom how any man who has a missing daughter could somehow be anything other then upset and afraid, or do you want to be wrong, because being right means that you are once again being faced with a man you fear?"

The little angel closed her eyes once more and managed not to cry, "Maybe a little bit of both, which is why I’m not leaving this house until your assignment is over. Finding out if I’m right isn’t up to me, it’s up to you."

"Something tells me, baby that you are already involved…"

"No. I’m not. I’m on vacation and tomorrow I am finding a good book and staying in all day to read it."

Tess knew that this was not the way her young charge would generally act, which was telling her that this man and her nightmare had rattled her more than she had realized, "It seems that this man upset you and is upsetting you more than just a little, Angel Girl…"

"No, because I was wrong," She stated flatly as she pulled away and rose to her feet, "He’s just a man who is buried in grief. That’s all."

Tess frowned as she stood up to face the little angel, "What was it about this man that scared you so much, Monica?"

"Nothing. I’m not afraid. He was perfectly fine, Tess…" Her voice wavered slightly, "I just want to go back to sleep." She wondered if she would even be able to, but right now, she only wanted to escape Tess’ line of questioning.

"Angel Girl…"

"Good night."

The older angel watched as her charge all but fled from the room and retreated back up the stairs as she shook her head. Monica was running. She only wished she knew what from.

Chapter 5

Monica’s bed didn’t look any more inviting to her now than it had when she left the room. The room felt empty, even with Lucy lying patiently curled beside her pillow. The little kitten had grown into a not quite so little cat and Monica was still extremely grateful that she had been allowed to keep her. As if sensing that her mistress was undecided about what to do, Lucy lifted her head and let out a meow. The meaning was clear: ‘come to bed and pat me while you’re at it.’ Monica decided to follow the order.

"Sorry I was distracted earlier," she whispered as she curled up on the bed and briefly buried her face in Lucy’s soft fur before settling her head on the pillow.

She kept one hand gently stroking the cat’s head as she tried to relax and make herself fall back to sleep. Her thoughts were too jumbled to allow that. Tess’ comments had only made her more unsure of what she was feeling. Was Faith’s father part of the problem after all? She sighed. She didn’t want to think about any of it any more. She just wanted to sleep and then relax for the day and then compliment Tess on an assignment well done.

The sheets covering her suddenly felt too confining and Monica threw them back, shifting restlessly and dragging another more disgruntled mew from Lucy. The angel knew of only one sure way to get back to sleep but she was not going to bother Andrew in the middle of the night just because she’d had a bit of a bad dream. Instead she gave her pillow a hard smack and fell back to it again.

The clouds that had made the forest so dark were beginning to move on, and she could see a few stars peeking out. The sight of them comforted her as it always did. There was just something about the beauty of the night-sky. It was so perfect and so overwhelming, like an enormous banner proclaiming God’s love for his children on earth. She slowly felt her eyelids getting heavier and she welcomed the feeling and prayed that the daylight would bring her some of the answers she needed.

Less than an hour later her face was once again twisted into an expression of fear and confusion as her dreams held her tight in their grasp. Andrew stood over her, his own face filled with concern. He had heard her get up and go downstairs. He had been waiting for the knock on his door that never came. He hadn’t wanted to make her feel he was hovering, and he had reluctantly stayed in his bed. It was only their strong connection that forced him from his bed. Still, he didn’t want to wake her. Judging from the way she had been acting earlier, she would just be embarrassed about the whole thing and send him on his way.

"I wish I could take all your doubts and fears away, Monica," he whispered as he reached out and dared to brush the hair from her face. "You’re a wonderful angel, and even if you think you’ve changed, the best parts of you are exactly the same."

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek, and then stepped back, relieved to see that his presence still had the same affect on her that it had those many months ago. Her features relaxed and her legs stopped their constant movement. She would sleep peacefully for the rest of the night, and in the morning he would start making sure that she believed everything he had just said.

*****

When Monica woke up she was surprised at how well-rested she felt, but her nightmares were still lingering at the corners of her mind. More than anything she wanted to rip them from her head and hurl them away. Why did she have to be plagued with memories that affected the very angel that she was?

There had been a time when she trusted and believed and that openness felt like a gift. Seeing Faith’s father had reminded her of how far she had come from the naïve angel she had been. She had thought she was fixed. She had told Andrew as much. But she would never be fixed. She was flawed now, and she wondered how long God would allow her to remain where that flaw could affect His children. Her gut reaction would have had her keeping a father and daughter apart.

She swung her legs out of bed, noticing that her ankle was no longer swollen, and there was hardly a sign that she had ever been hurt. Walking to the window she breathed deeply.

"Father," she said as she leaned against the sill, "I’m having a hard time right now knowing what I should be feeling… knowing what’s right and what’s my imagination. I thought that I had put everything behind me, but I guess I haven’t… and I guess I never will. Please, just help me to follow Your will, and not my fears."

A comforting warmth that spread from inside out was His reply. A slow smile brightened her features. She couldn’t trust herself right now, but she knew she could always trust Him.

Sudden clattering from downstairs made her turn towards her door and let out a chuckle. It sounded like Andrew had beaten Tess to the kitchen again. She picked Lucy up off the bed and headed out of the room.

"C’mon… I think I smell bacon, and you know that Andrew always makes a little extra just for you."

She knew she was right about the angel of death being the first one in the kitchen, because as she reached to top of the stairs Tess’ door opened and the older angel emerged. It was all Monica could do not to giggle.

Tess looked like she was ready for a weeklong camping trip, not search for a little girl in the woods. She had khaki pants with numerous pockets which all appeared to be full, and a plaid shirt, neatly tucked in to reveal a thick belt with several contraptions hanging from it that Monica had never seen before. To complete the outfit, a bright red backpack was draped over one shoulder, and Monica was surprised Tess wasn’t tipping over backwards.

"You look very… prepared," Monica said, stifling her laugh.

Tess’ eyes narrowed to slits as she gauged her charge’s amusement. "It pays to be prepared, Angel Girl," she said. "You never know when you might get lost out there." She cocked one eyebrow and then couldn’t hold in her amusement at Monica’s obvious struggle to remain straight-faced. "Oh, fine, maybe I don’t need everything, but you know, the Lord helps those who help themselves."

"I’m sorry, Tess," Monica said as she finally let herself laugh. "I just never took you for the outdoorsy type."

"Well neither did I, but apparently the Father has other thoughts on the matter. Today I am going out there and I am going to bring that little child back here if I have to comb every inch of this mountain."

"In that case, I guess it’s a good thing Andrew’s downstairs making breakfast. You’ll need your strength."

"I’ll probably need a lot more than that, Monica, but I don’t have time for eating. You and Andrew are on your own, so make the most of it."

*****

Monica was thinking about Tess’ words as she put the breakfast dishes into the sink. She had a feeling that her plan to remain inside and out of the way was not exactly what the older angel had in mind.

"Let me help with that," Andrew’s voice over her shoulder brought her back to the present.

"No, I’m fine, Andrew. You made the meal, you shouldn’t have to clean up after it too."

He smiled and playfully scooped up a handful of suds from the sink and blew them off into the air. "I know that, but I don’t mind."

She gave him a wry grin. "I can see that. Now scoot before there’s more soap on the floor than in the sink."

He chuckled at that, but tilted his head in a mock bow and left her to her dishes and her thoughts. A few minutes later he watched from the hallway as she made her way out of the kitchen and over to the bookshelf in the living room. She ran one slender finger over the books, feeling the age of the cracked leather spines. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Yes, that would certainly take quite a while to get through. She pulled it from the shelf and was soon curled in the oversized chair next to the fireplace.

Andrew rolled his eyes and stepped into the room. "What are you up to, Monica?" he said lightly, although he had a feeling that a light and breezy tone was not going to get the job done.

She barely glanced up from the book. "I’m doing what I said I was going to do… curling up with a book and waiting for Tess to finish her assignment."

"Angel, you aren’t really going to do that, are you? You’re supposed to at least be enjoying yourself."

She pursed her lips together and held up the book. "I’m sure that Mister Shakespeare would love to know that you think reading his words isn’t enjoyable," she said, and finished with a pout.

"I am not going to let you spend a beautiful day inside this house. You don’t even like being inside," he said, the exasperation clear.

"Well maybe I like it now," Monica was giving it one more shot of stubbornness.

Andrew narrowed his eyes and plucked the book from her hands. "I don’t think so. Now get up and put your shoes on. You said yesterday that you wanted to go back to town, and there’s no time like the present."

Monica looked like she was about to argue but one look at Andrew’s face told her that it wouldn’t be worth her effort. "Fine. Just let me make sure Lucy has enough food."

"I just fed her myself. She’s fine." Years of experience had taught him exactly what her stalling tactics were, he just wasn’t expecting her to use all of them at the same time.

She pressed her lips together and unfolded her legs to reluctantly stand. She couldn’t even explain to herself why she didn’t want to go. She had been so eager yesterday, but now some of that joy had been drained. She had started out wanting to be involved in Tess’ assignment, and now… She didn’t want to run away, she just wanted to stand a bit apart, and staying in the cottage seemed like a good way to do that.

Andrew was standing by the door waiting for her. His face held the openness and compassion she had come to depend on. As much as she tried, she had never been able to hold back with him. This time would be no different.

"All set?" he asked as she slipped into the strappy sandals she preferred.

She looked out from beneath her bangs and smiled crookedly. "I’m ready."

*****

The town was almost thirty minutes away and for most of the trip Monica could sense the tension in the air. Andrew was waiting for an opening, and her silence certainly wasn’t providing him with one. Finally she looked at him and caught him sneaking a glance for the tenth time.

"You must get awfully tired of trying to help me," she said.

The statement was completely unexpected but Andrew didn’t even pause for breath before answering. "Never."

"I’m sorry I was stubborn about leaving."

"You had your reasons… and I think I know what some of them were, but I’m ready to listen if you’re ready to talk."

She leaned back into her seat and turned to look out the window as the sound of the air rushing by filled her senses. "I think I’m afraid of making a mistake," she said at last.

"We all make mistakes, Monica. That’s not something you should be afraid of," he countered gently.

"Yes, but those are little mistakes. What if I make a mistake and it hurts someone?"

"So you’ve decided that shutting yourself up is the best solution? Because if you never come in contact with any human then you can’t be responsible for ruining their lives? Something like that?"

She nodded.

"Monica, I know you’re doubting yourself right now. There isn’t anything I can do to stop you from doing that, but I can tell you that there is no one I trust more than you. God is working through you all the time, and He isn’t about to steer you in the wrong direction."

She was quiet for a moment, considering his words, "I don’t want to be right, Andrew."

He glanced over at her once more, noting the way she was staring straight ahead, her body rigid with tension, "We never want to be right in thinking something negative about someone, angel, but sometimes it is just so. But denying how you feel is certainly not the answer."

"It is this time," She stated stubbornly, her mind flashing back to her nightmares as a trace of anger filled her eyes. She hated that she was having them again and all because she had run into Faith’s father yesterday. A two minute conversation had turned into a night of restless sleep because of it.

Andrew elected to drop the conversation, sensing her reluctance to discuss it further, and hoping he could come around to it again later. He wasn’t giving up by any means, but he knew her well enough to know when it was time to back away and later try a different approach.

After arriving in town and parking the car, he walked around to open Monica’s door, noticing that she was still fiddling with the little purse she had brought along. She looked up at him reluctantly and then took his proffered hand as she got out of the car. Andrew could still feel the tension between them, but he was content to ignore it. Though he was not accustomed to feeling any slight chill between them, he knew she wasn’t angry with him and he was getting the distinct feeling she was more upset with herself.

"So, where to, Angel Girl?"

She gave a small shrug of her shoulders as they began walking across the lot to the sidewalk, "It doesn’t matter to me."

"Now hold on a minute. Yesterday you had a list of things to do that was a mile long. What about that place where you can paint your own pottery?"

The smallest of smiles touched her lips as she nodded her head, loving the way he always remembered, "Yes. That would be fine with me."

He nodded his head as he smiled and offered her his arm, which she took, much to his relief, as he led her towards the little shop. It was busy today and the tight quarters were filled with tourists as the two angels browsed. Andrew wasn’t concerned with painting pottery and was content to just wait for Monica to participate. Ironically, she selected a rather large coffee mug as her subject, and after purchasing it she looked over at the busy painting area and then turned her eyes to him questionably.

"You go ahead, angel," He urged, seeing that he would only be in the way of the overzealous tourists who were slapping paint on various plates, vases and fruit bowls, "I’ll wait for you right outside. Take your time and have fun," He watched as she smiled and he planted a kiss on her forehead, before she headed to the table to choose her colors and design.

The little angel actually enjoyed the experience very much and the freedom that went along with it, as there was no right or wrong involved in painting the mug. She simply used the colors she liked the best, choosing splashes of blue, purple, orange and yellow and when she was finished nearly an hour later, she had a mug that brought to mind a sunrise, at least in her mind. Tess may disagree, but she was fine with that possibility. Her interpretation of a sunrise was much better than any interpretation of any song she might chose to sing and she would just remind her supervisor of that if need be. The thought made her smile as she waited patiently for the instructor to dry to her mug in an oven and it wasn’t long before her purchase was wrapped and bagged and she headed out of the shop to track down Andrew.

Her dark eyes scanned the busy street, expecting him to be nearby but not seeing a sign of him and she frowned. The painting had taken longer than he had probably expected and perhaps he had gotten bored and had decided to take a little walk around town. Noticing a bench across the street, she made her way over to it and sat down; thankful she could clearly see the shop and watch for her friend.

She felt a bit ashamed about her tone with him in the car when he had only been trying to help her and she knew she had been short tempered since yesterday. The fact that Andrew was always so patient with her made her feel a bit worse for shutting him out. What she needed to do was to confess everything, including her nightmares to him. Right now, he was shooting blindly, trying to figure out what was going on inside of her mind and she wasn’t giving him very much to go on at the moment. Though she had always confided in him before without hesitation, this time it just felt more difficult to do.

She had worked diligently the last year to put the past behind her as best she could, at times flat out ignoring it if need be. The last thing she wanted to do was to admit that all her work had been in vain and that old ghosts were coming back to haunt her. She knew in her heart that they couldn’t hurt her, but that didn’t stop her from feeling disappointed with their return.

Monica waited a few more minutes and still seeing no sign of him, she began to get fidgety. Patience was not always her strongest virtue and where she had once enjoyed people watching, now she chose not to for fear she would try to read more into them than was necessary. Remembering that the card she had written out for Paul this morning was in her purse, she glanced around for a post office and noticed one at the end of the street. If Andrew returned in her absence, he would simply think she was still painting and wait and besides, she could even find him on the way to mail the card.

The little angel walked purposefully down the street and quickly deposited some change into the vending machine for a stamp before hurrying to the mailbox. She ran her finger lightly over Paul’s name, sending out loving thoughts to him, before she opened the box and put the card inside. She closed it and then opened it again; peeking inside to make sure it had vanished before she turned around.

She came face to face with Faith’s father and she bit back a startled cry.

"I saw you in the woods last night."

His words were spoken softly and deliberately and she felt a chill go through her as she glanced over his shoulder for any sign of Andrew, but unfortunately, there was none, "I-I’m sorry?" She stammered, trying to control the fear that his eyes and expression were causing to well up within her breast.

"You were lost. I followed you. You were looking for her, weren’t you?" His eyes captured hers, and she felt unable to look away, though everything inside of her wanted to do just that.

"Looking for who? Faith?" Her voice trembled and she tried to swallow back her panic.

"Couldn’t catch her, could you? No one can."

"I need to go…" She tried to get around him, but he grabbed her arm. His grip wasn’t rough, but it was enough to stop her from leaving.

"Your mug is pretty. A sunrise…the one you thought you were gonna see this morning before someone found you."

The little angel wanted to burst into frightened tears, but she held her own somehow, "What do you want from me?"

"I’m watchin’ you, angel. Just know that I’m watchin’ you. Next time you get lost looking for Faith, I’ll find you," He smiled and it caused a shudder to go through her, though there was no maliciousness behind the words.

He released her arm and walked away, never once turning back and the angel let out a gasp that was half sob, as if she had been holding her breath. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she found herself leaning back against the mailbox and sinking to the ground.

*****

Andrew was frantic. He had just gone for something to drink and had been surprised when he had returned and found that Monica still hadn’t finished with her mug. He had only wanted to make sure he hadn’t missed her somehow, so he had ventured back inside the little pottery shop to look for her and after questioning the owner, he had discovered that she had left nearly twenty minutes ago.

His worried eyes searched the street, but there were so many people shopping and chatting along the sidewalk, that it was nearly impossible to try to spot one auburn head among all of them. He had tried waiting on a bench, hoping she would come into view, but he had found himself unable to sit still for very long.

When he stood up, he felt something grip his heart that he had not felt in a very long time. Not since that horrible night when David had shot his dearest friend had he felt her fear wrap itself around his heart with a force that nearly took his breath away.

She was in trouble. He couldn’t begin to fathom how or why, but he knew all he needed to know as he broke into a run, his panic-stricken eyes searching for her though the mob of tourists even as he tired to be careful to not plow anyone over in his haste to find her. Shouting would do little good as the streets were noisy with people and cars, as well as music from several of the pubs that lined the street.

"Father please," He whispered in his heart, "I know I’ve been asking this a lot lately, but help me find her."