Chapter 1
She felt as if she had been walking for days on end when in reality it had only been about a week since she had departed on this lonely journey. The fact was, she had no idea of where she was going or how long it would take her to get there. She only knew who it was that she was looking for. She supposed it felt like she had been on her journey for so long because of all she had been through to get to this moment. She had literally been to hell and back and she had to smile a bittersweet smile as she reflected on all the people who used that expression when in reality they really had no idea of what it entailed. But she knew. She had been there. It had been an experience that had left those close to her wondering if she would ever recover, but with the help of two very special friends and by the grace of God, she had healed.
Monica was an angel; a special messenger from God who usually spent her days trying to help the humans that her Father in heaven loved so very much. This journey however, was quite different from the one God had originally planned for her. She had refused her last assignment in order to help a friend who was very near and dear to her heart. Andrew was the Angel of Death; one who generally bridged the gap between this world and the next as he escorted humans Home to their Father in heaven. Now it was Andrew who was in need of help and Monica had defied orders to be the one to bring him that help, if only she could find him.
Andrew had been essential to her healing after her encounter with Kathleen, a former angel who had turned to the dark side. Kathleen had been the one who had taken Monica to the darkest place an angel could ever know and the experience had left her deeply scarred and afraid. Andrew, though his tender heart had been deeply wounded by the pain his friend had been in, had never faltered. He had stayed by Monica’s side as she had gone through the ordeal of recovering. Eventually his love and the love of their friend and supervisor, Tess, had won out against the evil that had haunted Monica’s mind and soul and she had slowly recovered. Things would have then been back to normal if only Monica or Tess had known just how deeply affected Andrew had been by the whole experience.
Andrew was a kind and gentle soul who loved humans deeply and his friends with a love much greater than all human understanding. Angels loved with the purest of hearts and he had suffered greatly watching Monica go through the motions of healing. She had suffered terrible nightmares and Kathleen had continued to be involved in tormenting her. Tess had told Monica about the day Andrew had brought her to the beach house, on the edge of death. Tess said that his green eyes had held a sorrow far greater than any she had ever seen and looking back, she wasn’t sure if her “Angel Boy” as she called him, had ever really recovered from that moment when he had realized it was Monica he had been called away to be with. He had never uttered a word to either of his friends about how he felt, but had kept it all tucked away in his fragile heart.
It had been a week ago when Monica and Andrew had had the discussion on the beach when he had admitted to the deep, dark anger he held in his heart for Kathleen. He had insinuated that he could no longer just sit back and wait for the evil angel to surface to hurt Monica again. Monica had begged him to let go of that anger to no avail. She knew and so did Andrew that anger and hate drove them further away from God and left them vulnerable to all the dark forces of the world. Monica also knew that anger had been what had caused Kathleen to fall from the grace of God, and now that same anger threatened Andrew’s very existence and that thought was almost more than Monica could bear. She loved the Angel of Death with her whole heart and they had grown even closer over the last few weeks as she had recovered. Now, anger and hate had caused him to walk away from her nearly a week ago after they had argued on the beach, and that was why she was searching now.
Monica really had no idea of where she was going, as she had no idea where Andrew would have gone to try to find Kathleen. Not long after she had left, she had found herself in human form, which had not surprised her in the least. It actually had given her some hope that Andrew was also human now and traveling by foot thus increasing her chances of being able to find him. It also frightened her as being human meant being vulnerable to all of the things that could affect humans.
Monica looked up from the deserted road by which she had been traveling, relief flooding her gentle features when she saw a town looming up on the horizon. She was exhausted, hungry and would give almost anything for a cup of coffee, her one human addiction. Her next thought was that maybe someone in the town had perhaps seen Andrew and it seemed as good a place as any to begin her search. Her expression clouded then, realizing she had neither a picture of her friend nor a penny to her name. With little confidence, her hands dove into the pockets of her skirt, joy filling her heart when she pulled out a picture of she and Andrew together as well as a handful of bills. Even more important than the picture or the money was the knowledge that God was still with her, even though she had refused the assignment to look for Andrew.
“Thank you, Father,” She uttered aloud as she put the items back into her pocket, her face looking up towards the heavens as she smiled.
“Rest, my angel,” Monica heard the words from above floating down to her waiting heart,
“You will need your strength for what is ahead. Know that I am always with you, but that you have chosen a path that is very long and very painful. I understand your decision though it will be a difficult one. I know the great love you have for Andrew, as I love him as well and I can tell you that he is in grave danger. You will need to fight harder than you have ever had to before, My child, and you must find a way to hold on tightly to the truth which has been My gift to you. So, rest now your body and soul. In the town you will find a place to sleep and food to nourish your human form. Remember, angel of My heart, that I am always with you, no matter how lost you may feel or how hopeless the situation may seem.”
Monica listened to the words with tears in her eyes. Her deepest fears had just been confirmed. Andrew, her beloved friend, was in trouble.
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Chapter 2
Just as she had been told, Monica did find a small café in the town and looking across the street, she saw a hotel. The exhausted angel’s first impulse was sleep, but yet her human body was hungry, so she opted for the café.
Sliding into a booth, Monica looked at a menu and decided on a sandwich and the largest cup of coffee they could provide her with. She fished into her pocket as she waited for the waitress and pulled out the picture of she and Andrew. Her tired heart filled with sorrow as she gazed into the eyes of the Angel of Death, as if willing him to tell her where he was or where she should go next. She hoped that maybe if she listened hard enough, that there would be an answer, and she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.
“Hey, that’s the guy that was here this morning!”
Upon hearing the voice, Monica opened her eyes, startled and turned to see a young girl, who was apparently the waitress, looking at the picture over Monica’s shoulder. The girl was blond and pretty and chewing her bubble gum with a vengeance. Monica recovered from the shock of the intrusion and looked at the girl hopefully,
“You say he was here this morning?”
“Oh yeah. Came in here for breakfast. Cute, but kinda quiet—you know, he didn’t say a whole lot, but he was nice enough,” She watched as a tired smile spread over the customer’s face and she looked again at the picture,
“Are you his girlfriend or something? Did you two have a fight?”
Monica’s heart soared upon hearing that she wasn’t too far behind Andrew; only a matter of hours really,
“No,” She replied, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice,
“We’re just friends, good friends and it’s very important that I find him. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”
The girl thought for a moment as she slowly nodded her head,
“He said something about having a train to catch and there is a train station right around the corner from here.”
Monica slid out of the booth, putting the picture safely back into her pocket,
“You’ve been so much help. Thank you so much.”
“Sure,” the girl replied as Monica made her way to the door,
“I hope you find your friend and that you two work things out. You may just be friends now, but I’m real good with people. I can tell that you love him.”
Monica paused at the door and smiled as she looked back at the girl.
“Yes, I do. Very much.”
“Train station is that way,” She replied, obviously quite pleased with herself as she indicated to the right of the town,
“Just around that corner. Hurry!”
Monica walked as fast as her tired legs would carry her and eventually she forced herself into a run as the train station came into sight. She raced up to the window, pulling the picture from her pocket and laying it down in front of the man that approached the window,
“Hello. I was wondering if you could help me. Have you seen this man?” Monica struggled to catch her breath as she watched the man’s face hopefully.
He looked at the young woman for a moment and then pushed his glasses further up on his nose as he looked at the picture,
“Lemme see here. Yeah, he bought a ticket yesterday, headed for Colorado. Nice young fella.”
Monica was so relieved that she nearly burst into tears,
“The train left this morning?”
“Yeah, it did, but your friend, here, wasn’t on it. We didn’t have too many passengers today, so we even waited for him for awhile, but he never showed.” He watched as the woman’s face fell, looking as if she would cry at any moment,
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” He added, handing the picture back to her.
Unable to speak, Monica just nodded her head as she took the picture and started walking back towards the hotel. She knew now, beyond the shadow of a doubt that Andrew was in trouble otherwise he would have caught the train he had intended upon catching. She struggled to hold back tears as she shivered in the cool autumn evening as she resigned herself to having to get some sleep before she pursued her friend any further.
She checked into the hotel and the story there was much the same. Yes, they had seen Andrew, but he had checked out this morning. They gave her the same room he had had, and with that came at least a little comfort. As she closed the door to her room behind her, tears fell from her tired eyes as she searched for any clue that he may have left behind, but her search proved fruitless. She sat down on the edge of the bed and covered her face with her hands as she wept in hopeless exhaustion.
She had a feeling that Kathleen was involved in Andrew’s disappearance and the thought of Andrew, human, defenseless and alone, devastated her as she knew that feeling all too well. It had been hard enough for her to go through what Kathleen had put her through, but it was even harder for her to imagine the friend she loved so much to be in that position.
Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, Monica laid down on the bed, clutching the pillow tightly,
“Oh Andrew, where are you?” She uttered wearily, before falling into a restless and troubled sleep.
Chapter 3
When Monica awoke the next morning, she could hardly lift her head off the pillow it ached so badly. Her throat was incredibly sore and glancing over, she realized that she had fallen asleep with the window open; so all-night the chilly fall breeze had drifted across her already worn down human body.
She sat up and moaned softly, laying her hand across her feverish forehead. Generally, Monica enjoyed human form, but of late, she was beginning to find fewer reasons to be as delighted with it as she usually was, and a cold would definitely be one of those negative reasons for being human. She managed to get up and stumbled across the room to close the window, but before she could, something caught her eye. Shivering with cold, the angel picked up a gold ring from the window ledge. She recognized it instantly as the ring Andrew wore almost all the time. It had been given to him by an assignment who had been very special to him and he scarcely ever took it off. But what was it doing here?
Alarm filled her as she struggled to remember all she had learned yesterday, even though her mind still felt incredibly groggy. The desk manager had said that Andrew had checked out yesterday morning, but Monica had trouble believing he would have forgotten this ring, unless he did and never got a chance to come back for it.
“Oh Andrew, what has happened to you?” She whispered aloud, as tears filled her eyes. She then reached around her neck and unhooked the gold necklace that was there and slipped the ring onto the chain next to the golden cross she already wore. She then refastened it and slipped it back inside her blouse to be close to her heart, as Andrew already was.
She had hoped a shower would make her feel better, but it didn’t and looking in the mirror she now had a better understanding of the human phrase “Death warmed over”, but she knew she didn’t have the time to nurse this body back to health. She dressed as quickly as she could, saying a quick, though weak prayer of thanks for the warmer clothes that had appeared for her today. She then went downstairs and arranged to have the room for an indefinite amount of time. She could see no point in leaving this town until she had exhausted every avenue possible, but when she walked outside, she realized that she had no idea of which way to go or even where to begin. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for guidance before she started walking down the street.
The town was small and she soon found herself at the edge of it, with only mountains and trees ahead of her, but for some reason, she chose to plod on through the woods. Her head ached terribly and she had to stop to rest often, lest a fit of coughing should overtake her, but she kept going. It was as if she were being driven by something as she continued to walk deeper into the forest. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that something or someone was leading her somewhere. She also knew that it was not the gentle voice that usually floated down to her heart that she was following. No, this feeling was very dark and very cold, feelings Monica had felt before several weeks ago. She was terribly frightened, but she refused to stop going. It was Andrew’s existence that was at stake this time and to her, that meant more than her own.
Monica walked until she came to the base of a mountain and her instinct was telling her she needed to keep going, but her human body was exhausted from the fever that was raging through it. Wearily, she leaned up against a tree, and looked at where her heart was telling her to go. Her forehead bathed in feverish sweat and shivering from being so cold, tears began to fill her eyes and find their way down her cheeks,
“I can’t,” She wept, sliding down the base of the tree and burying her face in her hands,
“I can’t….I’m so tired,” She raised her reddened eyes to heaven,
“Please help me, Father…I’m so tired.”
She began to calm down slowly, now knowing that she was near Andrew by the gentle words that had drifted to her heart. She stood up shakily and began to climb up the mountain, relieved that it wasn’t as steep as she had feared. But even so, when she reached the opening to the cave that she had known would be there, she fell inside, struggling to catch her breath and once she did, she was overtaken with a fit of coughing that made her head feel it would surely explode. It was once the coughing subsided, that she heard his voice calling out,
“Hello?! Is someone there?”
“Andrew!” Monica called out, her voice hoarse. Somehow, she found the strength to get up and race deeper into the cave. What she found there, however, made her blood run cold. She came face to face with bars that seemed almost medieval that separated Andrew from her, and the only lighting came from a few fire torches that we scattered out inside of the cavern. Andrew was staring at her in disbelief, but hearing a sound, she whirled around to find that there were now bars that separated her from the entrance to the cave.
Turning back around, she shakily approached the bars where he was waiting,
“Andrew.” She whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Monica, what are you doing here? How did you find me?” Tears were in his eyes as he was so glad to see her. His joy turned to concern however, as he watched her slide down to the floor. He reached through the bars to take her face into his hands, his eyes filling with alarm at how hot she felt,
“Monica?”
“I’m alright,” She replied weakly, managing a smile,
“I think I’ve just got a wee bit of a cold.”
“You’re burning up,” He told her worriedly,
“You shouldn’t have come. I can’t believe you were even assigned to be here.”
“I wasn’t. I left. I had to find you, Andrew and I knew you were in trouble. I could feel it,” She reached up and took his hands from her face to hold them in her own,
“It’s so good to see you.”
He held onto her hands tightly as he looked at her worriedly. She looked terrible and he was scared to death that she would pass out at any minute,
“I’m glad to see you too, sweetheart.”
Invisible to both angels, Kathleen smiled contentedly. Yes, things were going exactly as she had planned.
Chapter 4
“What do you mean by you “left”?” Andrew asked quizzically as he sat down opposite of Monica on the floor of the cavern.
Monica struggled to clear her head. She felt so groggy and so very tired, almost unable to really realize that they were both now trapped,
“Sam showed up and said that Tess and I were being reassigned, but I couldn’t take the assignment. I knew that you needed me more and I couldn’t just ignore that fact, especially after all that you’ve done for me. After talking to you that day on the beach, I knew you were headed for trouble.”
Andrew was quiet for a moment, remembering that day with a heavy heart. He knew he had been wrong and now he was the one, who had led Monica into even more danger,
“You shouldn’t have come, Monica. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to put you in danger again and now I’ve done just that.”
“You didn’t do anything, Andrew,” She replied tiredly, closing her eyes for a moment,
“This was my decision.”
“But it’s one you never should have made. We’re trapped in here, Monica and God only knows what Kathleen is up to. It was enough to have to worry about myself, but now I have to worry about getting you out of this too!” He knew his anger was at himself, even as he took it out on his friend. He regretted his words immediately as he saw her eyes glaze over with tears.
“I never asked you to take responsibility for me, Andrew,” She uttered, not having the strength to get angry. She felt tears streaking her face and she lowered her eyes,
“I only wanted to help you.”
Andrew’s anger faded as he reached through the bars to stroke her hair,
“I know, I know,” He soothed, his voice now soft and gentle,
“I’m sorry, honey. I’m angry with myself, not with you. Not long after I left you on the beach, I knew I was being a fool, and that I needed to go back, but by that time it was too late. Kathleen found me and brought me here. You were right about anger and hatred-it only causes more pain.” Tenderly, he placed his hand under her chin and raised her head so their eyes met before he wiped away her tears. He couldn’t keep the concern from his face as he watched her anxiously,
“You’re so hot, Monica. This doesn’t feel like a cold.”
“I don’t know how humans do it,” She muttered wearily,
“This getting sick. I’m afraid I’m not very good at it. I really don’t feel very well.”
Andrew got up and grabbed the single blanket that Kathleen had so “generously” given to him and wrapped it around her. The fact that he was an Angel of Death gave him certain knowledge about human illness, and that knowledge was causing a lot of fear in his heart. He knew that Monica needed rest and liquids and he wondered if she’d get much of either here. His eyes scanned the cavern frantically, coming to rest on a drip that was coming from the corner. Realizing that it had to be raining outside, he grabbed his jacket and tore a sleeve from it, soaking up the water that had run to the floor of the cavern. He returned to her then, balled up the jacket and laid it through the bars on the floor,
“Lay down for awhile and rest,” He encouraged, relieved when she gave him no argument. He waited until she had rested her head on his jacket before he laid the wet jacket sleeve across her forehead. He then moved his hand to stroke her hair back from her face,
“Better?”
“Yes, thank you,” She replied softly, managing a small smile as she looked up at him,
“But won’t you be cold?”
“Don’t worry about me,” He returned her smile, grateful for her gentle company,
“Close your eyes, Angel Girl, and try to get some sleep. We’ll figure out what to do later.” He settled down on the hard floor, as close to her as he could get as he continued stroking her hair, until she drifted off to sleep. He watched her with a fearful heart for a long time, before his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off.
Monica awoke with a start a few hours later, as she sat up and tried to focus her eyes. She moaned softly, feeling the throbbing of her head as she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she gasped, seeing Kathleen standing before her. Fear gripped her heart as she tried to remain calm. Glancing over, she realized that Andrew was still sound asleep, before she looked back at her enemy,
“What do you want, Kathleen?” She demanded, her voice hoarse and tinged with anger.
The dark one smiled as she crouched down to be at eye level with Monica,
“Not feeling well?” Kathleen asked, her voice filled with sarcastic pity.
“I asked what you wanted.” Monica stated again, her eyes narrowing with the anger she felt inside for her once best friend,
“You brought us here for a reason. Now what is it?”
Kathleen’s smile never faltered as she steadily met Monica’s gaze,
“You know what I want. I want you to come with me.”
“Never!” Monica spat out angrily,
“That will never happen, Kathleen!”
“I figured you’d say that, Angel Girl, so that is why we now have something to bargain with,” Her eyes moved to rest on Andrew for a moment before returning to Monica’s,
“Yes, I think he’ll make the perfect pawn, don’t you?”
Monica felt her blood run cold at Kathleen’s words as her fearful eyes turned to rest on the sleeping Angel of Death,
“Andrew has nothing to do with what you want from me,” She whispered.
“Oh, but he does,” Kathleen stood up to tower over the angel,
“You see, you wouldn’t make the choice to save your own life, but what about Andrew’s life? I know how much you love him, Angel Girl. It’s written all over your face, even now. I’ll give you time to decide of course, but the choice is really very simple,” Her smile turned to one of pure delight for a moment, before it faded and she looked at Monica menacingly,
“Either you chose to come with me,” She said quietly,
“Or Andrew dies.”
“Angels can’t die,” Monica uttered, tears filling her eyes at the threat Kathleen had just made.
“He’s human, Monica, I assure you, he can. So you think about it, baby. Oh and one other thing. The death I have planned for him, will be a slow one, so you’ll have plenty of time to make up your mind as you watch.” Kathleen laughed softly before she vanished from the cavern, her laughter and words leaving the ailing angel trembling and in tears.
Chapter 5
Monica watched the sleeping Angel of Death as silent tears fell from her eyes. She was trembling, both from cold as well as from fear and the confusion that Kathleen’s words had caused, making her head ache even more than it already was,
“Oh Father,” She whispered weakly,
“What do I do? Please tell me what to do.”
“Monica?” Andrew sat up sleepily and rubbed at his eyes before they focused on his friend. Alarm filled him instantly as he realized she was crying,
“Baby, what is it?” He moved to where she was leaning up against the bars and though it was awkward, he was able to put his arms through to wrap them around her.
“Oh Andrew,” She managed to say, before she began to cry openly. She was terribly confused over whether or not to even tell him what Kathleen had said, yet she was so exhausted and unwell that she didn’t think she could handle this alone.
Andrew could feel her trembling in his arms and he moved his hand to feel her forehead, which felt even hotter to him than it had earlier. One thing he did know was that whatever human illness Monica had caught, was getting worse,
“Shhh,” He soothed softly, his hand moving to stroke her hair,
“I need you to talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what this is all about.”
Monica struggled to stop the flow of tears, hearing the fear in Andrew’s voice. She raised her head wearily and looked at him through her reddened eyes,
“Kathleen was here,” She uttered, softly, her voice hoarse and no louder than a whisper,
“Andrew, we’re in so much trouble. She wants me to go with her….or she’s going to hurt you.” Her tears spilled over once again as she shook her head helplessly,
“I can’t let that happen, Andrew, I can’t!”
Andrew’s mind was racing as he listened to what she was saying. It all made perfect sense to him now-why he was here, how Monica had found him. It was all part of Kathleen’s twisted, evil plan to make Monica follow her. Guilt tore through him with the realization that his walking away on that beach days ago was the reason they were both in this situation,
“It’s okay, Monica. We’ll figure something out and we have God on our side too, right?” He tried to smile to reassure her.
“How can you say that, Andrew? It’s not okay, it’s not! I won’t allow her to hurt you. I love you too much to let that happen.” She covered her face with her hands as she wept.
Andrew’s heart went out to her. She had been through so much over the last few months and that made Kathleen’s threat very real to her. Her gentle heart had barely healed from her last battle with the dark angel and now she was faced with a new one and with the fever and illness raging through her, she was in no shape to take on this fight. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her start coughing. A deep, ragged cough that shook her entire body and left her gasping for air,
“Monica, you need to calm down,” He told her sternly, reaching his hand out to cup her cheek to soften the sharpness of his tone,
“I know you’re scared and so am I, but we’re going to get through this together. We’re not going to make any rash decisions right this minute, okay?” His green eyes gazed into hers, as he waited for an answer.
Monica looked into his eyes and saw the love he felt for her reflected there and she willed herself to stop crying. She nodded her head weakly as she reached for his hand and clasped it tightly in her own. She longed to be held by him, but the bars between them made it so difficult. He always made her feel so safe when he had his arms around her, as if nothing in the world could ever hurt her,
“I hate this,” she uttered miserably,
“She has us locked in here, so why does she have to have bars between us?”
No sooner had the words been said, did the bars that separated the two angels from each other seemingly disappeared. They sat in stunned silence for a moment before Andrew got up and moved to Monica, not wasting another moment in gathering her into his arms. He felt her body relax as her arms encircled him as she welcomed the protection that was Andrew.
“Better?” He asked softly, pressing his lips to her forehead.
“Yes, thank you,” Monica whispered, resting her head against his chest and sighing softly,
“What are we going to do, Andrew?”
Andrew reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her as he leaned back against the wall of the cave with her in his arms,
“Nothing tonight. I want you to get some rest right now. Then later we’ll try to make some sense out of all of this,” He tried to put some confidence into his tone of voice, though confident was the last thing he felt. He struggled to remind himself that God was always in control, even when it didn’t seem that way and right now was just one of those times when it didn’t seem that way.
“Are you sorry I came here?” She whispered, disrupting his thoughts.
Andrew tightened the hold he had on her as he thought about her question,
“I’m sorry you are in this situation, sweetie, but I’m never, ever sorry to see you. I’ll figure out a way to get you out of this mess, Monica. I promise you that.”
“As long as you get us both out of it, that’s fine, Andrew,” She replied wearily,
“But I’m not going anywhere without you. The Father told me I would have to fight very hard, Andrew, but I don’t think I can. I’m so tired. He told me to hang onto the truth…that it was His gift to me and that it would be…difficult…”
“Hush,” He whispered, his hand running through her hair,
“Sleep now, Monica.”
She nodded her head as she snuggled closer to him and exhaustedly closed her eyes. Andrew let out a deep breath as he struggled to think of how he was going to get them out of this. He absent-mindedly toyed with her hair as his eyes wandered through the cavern, wishing he knew what Kathleen had in store for them. As if reading his thoughts, he heard the words of his heart echoed in Monica’s voice,
“Andrew, I’m scared.”
“I’m right here, baby,” He replied softly, rubbing her back gently until he heard her even, though shallow breathing and knew she was asleep,
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise you that, Angel Girl,” He said aloud, though he knew she didn’t hear him. But for the first time since he had arrived here, he knew one thing for certain. He would give his soul in order to save hers.
Chapter 6
Andrew awoke, checked his pocket watch and saw that it was 9:30 the next morning. He sighed, knowing the watch was the only way they could possibly keep track of time as they were far enough into the cave to not be able to see any light. He turned his attention to Monica, who was still asleep and felt instant concern when he heard her raspy breathing and when he touched her cheek, he could still feel the intense warmth of her fever. He was beginning to get really worried now, knowing that this was more than a human cold. He wondered if it could even be pneumonia, with her deep cough and he knew he had to get her some help. The only problem with that was that there was only one person to ask for that help.
He got up carefully, lifting Monica off his chest and laying her back down. He tucked his jacket under her head and made sure he had covered her with the blanket before he walked over to the other side of the cavern,
“Kathleen?” He called out softly, his voice tinged with anger at the mere thought of having to ask her for anything,
“I need to talk to you.”
Kathleen transpired before him and crossed her arms in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips,
“Well, good morning, Angel Boy! What can I do for you?”
It was all he could do to hold back his anger at the mere sight of her, but he remembered Monica and knew that he had to,
“Monica is very sick and you know she is in human form right now. I need more blankets and something for her to eat and drink. Maybe even a basin of cold water and a cloth so I can try to bring down her fever.” He forced out the words, wishing he didn’t have to ask her for anything.
Kathleen glanced around Andrew to the sleeping angel in the corner,
“Aww, our Angel Girl isn’t feeling any better, huh? I can see how worried you are about her, Andrew,” Her voice was filled with mock concern.
“She was your friend once, Kathleen,” He growled, unable to hold back all of his hostility,
“Probably the best friend you ever had. It wouldn’t hurt you to help her out.”
Kathleen looked at him in silence for a moment,
“Are you willing to pay the price for these things you ask for?” She asked, her eyes narrowing darkly as they steadily met with his.
Andrew was quiet as he heard his heart racing. He knew that whatever she had planned would not be good, but he had to take that chance for Monica’s sake,
“I’ll do whatever I have to in order to help her.”
“Very well, then,” She replied with a smile, indicating for him to turn around.
When he did, he saw all that he had asked for behind him. Without another word, he turned away from her and went to grab the blankets and pillows first.
“What? Not even a thank you?” Kathleen asked, her voice filled with sarcastic hurt.
“Thanks for your hospitality,” He replied, meeting her sarcasm, though he didn’t bother to turn around.
“My payment will be collected shortly,” She laughed before she was gone from his view.
Monica stirred as she felt a pillow being placed under her head,
“Andrew…” She whispered weakly, trying to get her eyes to focus on him,
“Are we Home? Is it over?”
“No, sweetheart,” He replied sadly, as he wrapped another blanket around her, seeing how badly she was shivering. He got up to grab the other things Kathleen had left for him and brought them over to her. Gently, he helped her to sit up and he placed a glass of juice in her hands,
“Drink this, Angel Girl,” He encouraged, moving to help her as her hands were shaking,
“I’ve got some soup here for you as well,” Surprisingly, the soup smelled wonderful to him and he realized how hungry he was, but Kathleen had only left one bowl and he knew he needed to get as much of it as he could into Monica.
She managed to eat a little bit, but she felt so exhausted that she soon pushed it away,
“I can’t eat anymore, Andrew,” She uttered, her face deathly white as she felt the room begin to spin,
“You finish it. You need to eat too.” She brought a trembling hand to her head and closed her eyes.
Andrew put the bowl down on the floor and helped her to lay back down, before he wrung out the cloth in the cool water and tenderly bathed her face and forehead with the cloth. If he could just get her fever to break, he knew she would be all right and he said a silent prayer for her healing.
“Thank you…for taking such good care of me,” Monica whispered, reaching out to take his hand into hers.
He squeezed her hand gently and managed a smile,
“I’ll always take care of you, baby,” He replied watching as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep once more. Getting up, he walked to the other side of the cavern, his eyes scanning for any means they might have for escape. He wrapped his hands around the bars, but they were completely stable and went clear to the ceiling of the cavern. He then walked over to the far corner and realized that there was a small opening, though he didn’t know nor could he tell where it led. He thought briefly about trying to get through, but then thought better of it. He wasn’t about to leave Monica alone in the event that he couldn’t return for some reason. He would have to wait until she was well enough to go with him.
It was at that moment that he heard the laughter and it made chills creep up his spine. Turning around, he could just make out the dark demons that surrounded him. The last thing he did was to make sure that none of them were near Monica, but he could tell she was sound asleep, and then the attack began. He felt blow after blow to his human body, the pain more intense than it had been when he had taken the blows for Monica weeks ago. He had been in angelic form then and much stronger. Now, he felt the intense pain that came with each punch to his more fragile human form. He struggled to keep from crying out, but a minute into the attack, he could no longer remain silent.
Monica awoke with a start; at first thinking she was having a nightmare. She heard the all too familiar laughter and bolted upright, remembering all too clearly the sounds she was hearing. It was then that she realized that mixed in with the laughter was the sound of cries…Andrew’s cries.
Chapter 7
Monica struggled to focus her eyes, hearing Andrew crying out in pain. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, the sounds of the laughter bringing back horrible, painful memories for her. She rose shakily to her feet, taking nearly every ounce of strength she could muster.
“Andrew!” She called out weakly, her voice hardly audible as she managed to walk closer to his cries. It was then that she saw the demons, and Andrew, curled into a tight ball on the ground, trying to protect himself against them,
“No!!” She screamed, quickly overcome by the deep cough that shook her to the core.
“Monica, stay back!” Andrew yelled, his words laced with pain as he felt yet another blow to his lower back.
“No! Get away from him! Get away!” She half screamed and half sobbed as she came closer. Just as she was inches from them, the demons laughed loudly and vanished before her eyes.
Crying uncontrollably, Monica dropped to her knees and pulled Andrew so that his head was resting in her lap. She stroked his hair back from his face with trembling hands,
“Andrew…Andrew, are you all right? Oh God, please let him be alright!” She lowered her head so her forehead rested against his as sobs convulsed through her.
Andrew moaned softly, aware of Monica closeness and the sound of her weeping. He reached up with a trembling hand to touch her hair,
“I’m okay, baby. Just…. just give me a minute,” He drew in a sharp breath as he attempted to sit up and felt pain engulf him for a moment before he forced himself to sit up the rest of the way.
Monica cupped his face in her hands, though she couldn’t stop crying,
“Are you okay? This is…this is my fault. I heard you..talking to Kathleen this morning. It’s my fault…I’m the one who is sick. Oh, Andrew, I’m sorry….I’m so sorry!”
Andrew’s heart broke at the sound of her words, as he forgot about his physical pain for the moment,
“No, Monica, no,” He uttered, close to tears himself as he folded her into his embrace,
“It isn’t your fault. It’s Kathleen’s fault. She is the one who did this, not you, sweetheart,” His mind was racing with fear. They had to get out of here, that much was suddenly all the more clearer to him now. He knew now what Kathleen had planned for him-more of the same and he knew his human body would not be able to take much more. If he was hurt, he would be of no good to Monica and she certainly wasn’t strong enough right now to be able to fight Kathleen and her demons. His thoughts were interrupted by words that put new terror in his heart.
“I can’t let this happen to you, Andrew! I can’t! This is what she wants…to hurt you until I make a decision…until she forces me to make a decision to come with her. I can’t let her keep hurting you, so I don’t have a choice!” She dissolved into fresh tears of grief as her head rested against his chest.
“No, Monica,” Andrew took her by the shoulders and pulled her away from him, so he could look into her eyes. His own deep, green eyes penetrated into hers as he spoke,
“You are not making that choice, do you hear me? I don’t care what happens, you are not to give into her! Promise me now, Monica! Promise me you will not agree to go with her.”
She looked into his eyes, her expression one of sheer fear and confusion,
“I can’t promise you that, Andrew. How can I promise you that?”
“Do it, Monica! Give me your word that you will not give up.” His voice was shaking with intensity as he gripped her shoulders tightly.
As Monica looked into his eyes, she somehow managed to get her tears under control. Her head was spinning and her chest ached with every breath she took,
“I can’t make that promise, Andrew. I’m sorry. I know you want me to, but I can’t sit here day after day and watch her hurt you. Don’t you see? I love you too much to let that happen! It’s me she wants and it has nothing to do with you. She is just using you because she knows how much I love you and how much I can’t stand the thought of you being in pain because of me. Please, Andrew, please try to understand! I love you so much…I just love you so much…” Tears began to streak her face once more as her dark eyes pleaded with him for understanding.
Tears filled Andrew’s eyes as well as he listened to her voice her feelings for him. He hugged her tightly to him once more as his tear-filled eyes looked up, searching for an answer that would leave them both safe,
“I love you too, Angel Girl,” He whispered softly. Though frightened beyond words, his heart was also deeply touched by what she had said and by the fact that she was willing to risk it all to help him. He knew he felt the exact same way, but as neither of them were willing to budge, there was only one other option,
“We have to get out of here, sweetheart. I wanted to wait till you were better, but we can’t now. We have to try to get out of here, today, right now,” He pulled away from her and tenderly wiped the tears from her eyes,
“I found an opening over in the corner. It’s small, but we can both get through. Monica, I don’t have any idea where it goes, or how far it may be, or if there is even a way out, but it’s the only option we have right now. Now, I know you feel terrible, but I have to know if this is what you want. I’ll be right there with you and will help you every step of the way, I promise you that. But I have to know if you feel like you can do this.”
Monica looked into his eyes and then gazed over at the corner of the cavern where he had indicated the opening was. She drew in a deep breath as she struggled to pull herself together. He was right, she did feel terrible and more exhausted than she had ever felt before, but what else could they do?
“Yes, Andrew,” She whispered, meeting his eyes once more as she tried her best to look convincing,
“I can do it, if you’ll help me.”
Andrew knew in his heart, she was trying to convince herself as well as him, but to stay here would only mean more trouble for them both. He didn’t know if crawling into that opening was going to bring them any less trouble, but he knew they had to try,
“Okay. Stay here for a moment,” He gently kissed her forehead, before going over to the other side of the cavern. He took his jacket and opened it up, before he folded the blankets up to as small of a size as he could and then tied them up in his jacket. If nothing else, he could at least keep her warm when they stopped to rest or sleep. He picked that up and what was left of the juice and soup and carried them over to her. She refused the soup, begging him to eat it, but she did drink the remainder of the juice.
Once Andrew had finished the soup, he looked at her, his expression one of tenderness and love,
“Are you ready?”
She nodded her head as he rose to his feet before helping her to hers. Her legs were trembling, though she tried to will them to stop. Seeing how weak she was, Andrew wrapped his arm around her waist to help support her as they walked over to the corner of the cave. He dropped down to his knees, carefully bringing her with him,
“I’ll go first, and you follow right behind me, alright?” Seeing her nod her head, he slowly and carefully crawled through the tight opening, the bundle of jacket and blankets clenched in his hands. He could hear Monica following behind him as he moved forward carefully, trying to feel his way ahead of him through the darkness.
“Andrew…” He heard her whimper softly and he realized he had forgotten one important thing---Monica’s overwhelming fear of the dark.
Chapter 8
Andrew turned around to face where he knew Monica was, though he couldn’t see her at that moment. He could hear her short, panicked breaths and his heart sank. There was no way they could do this. Darkness was a fear she could control no more than she could control her coffee addiction. His eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness and he could make out her trembling form, as he reached out to touch her face,
“We have to go back, Monica. We’ll have to find some other way--.”
“No,” She uttered, between breaths,
“Just give me a minute. There is no other way and we both know it. Just give me a minute, Andrew, and I’ll be alright.” She could now begin to see him as her eyes began to adjust.
Monica was unable to see the pride in his eyes that he held for her, as he heard her breathing begin to go back to normal. He knew she was still afraid, but he also knew that she was working very hard to overcome her fear for both of their sakes,
“Let me try to stand up and see if there is room,” He slowly rose to his feet and found that the cavern they were in was large enough that they didn’t have to crawl. He moved to help Monica to her feet and she wrapped her arm around his waist tightly,
“I’ve got you,” He assured her,
“Are you ready to keep going?”
“Yes,” she replied weakly, before they began to move forward.
Their progress was slow, due to the darkness and Andrew was careful that they stopped to rest often for Monica’s sake. He could tell her fever was still raging, though she uttered not one word of complaint. Andrew’s own bruised body was stiffening up from the attack by Kathleen’s demons earlier, so he used that as his excuse to stop often for her to rest. He knew if she thought she was holding things up, that she would press herself onward, and Andrew didn’t want that at all. He was concerned about bringing her into this new situation to begin with and if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Andrew knew that they had been walking off and on for at least 6 hours, when he made the decision to stop for a longer period of time. He knew that they both were tired and he was pleased with the progress they had made.
As Monica sunk to the damp floor, a fit of coughing overcame her, so severe, that Andrew was by her side in a second,
“I’m alright,” She assured him, as the coughs finally subsided and she drew in a ragged breath. She was so thirsty and her throat was so dry that she could hardly stand it. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes wearily.
Andrew was startled when he felt a weight on his shoulder, but reaching for it, he found a canteen filled with ice-cold water. His heart soared in thanks to the Father as He made His presence known to them with a gesture as simple as water.
“Monica,” Andrew sat down beside of her as he unscrewed the lid to the canteen and brought the water to her lips. He helped her to hold it as she drank thirstily and when she was finished, he found that it had been replenished for him. Once he had his fill, he placed the lid back on the canteen and reached for the blanket he had brought with them,
“C’mon sweetie,” He pulled Monica closer to him, so she could use him as a pillow, and covered her with the blanket,
“Get some sleep, alright?” He waited as she nestled her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms protectively around her and stroked the sweat-dampened hair back from her face.
“Where do you think this goes, Andrew?” She asked, her hoarse voice tinged with exhaustion.
“I don’t know, Angel Girl. I sure wish I did, but what I do know is that God is with us, so we’re going to be just fine.” He kissed the top of her head,
“How do you feel?”
“Better,” Monica replied, knowing it was a lie.
But Andrew knew it too. She was still burning up with fever and her voice was hardly audible,
“Monica..” He began, sternly.
“Okay, okay. Terrible. My head is pounding and I’m so tired, Andrew,” Her voice trembled as she spoke,
“But I don’t want to hold you back or have you stopping on the account of me--.”
“Hey,” Andrew placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up towards him. Even in the darkness, he could see the tears shimmering in her eyes,
“I’m not going anywhere without you and I need you to be honest with me. When you need to rest, I want to know. I don’t care if we have to stop every five minutes, okay? I know you don’t feel up to this, so we’re taking this at your speed. Do we have an understanding on that, Angel Girl?”
Monica nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak at that moment,
“Are you okay?” She asked, after a moment and once her emotions were once again in check.
“I’m a little sore, but I’ll be fine. Now, stop worrying and get some sleep,” Andrew pulled her closer to him, protectively.
“How long are we stopping for?” She asked, stifling a yawn as her eyes began to close in sheer exhaustion.
“For as long as it takes, sweetie,” He replied softly, as he continued to stroke her hair until he heard her even breathing. Once he knew she was asleep, he too, closed his eyes as he whispered a prayer to the Father,
“Please help us to get out of here, Lord.” He kept it simple, because he knew that God knew his heart and every fear that Andrew held there. As Monica shivered in her sleep, Andrew wondered what would happen if he couldn’t find her help soon. Her fever wasn’t breaking and her cough was getting worse. Andrew knew that God was with them, so he struggled to trust that they would get through this safely.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
Chapter 9
Tess walked out of the home of her last assignment; the one she should have been working with Monica. She sighed as she walked down the front steps and as she stepped onto the sidewalk she nearly collided with a woman whom was apparently power walking.
“Oh! I’m so sorry,” the young woman cried out, but she stopped abruptly when she realized whom it was she had run into,
“Tess!”
“Stacey!” The angel smiled as she reached to hug the girl who had been Monica’s assignment weeks ago when this whole thing had started,
“Where are you going in such a hurry, baby?”
Stacey smiled broadly as she held up her Walkman,
“I’ve been working out, Tess. Monica helped me to see how I had been closing myself off to the rest of the world, so I decided not to let my weight be a deciding factor in my life anymore. I don’t care if I get skinny or not, but I just want to take better care of myself. That way I can do my part and God will take care of the rest.”
“Well, it sounds like you and Monica had a good talk a few weeks back then,” Tess replied, her eyes clouding over a bit with thoughts of Monica and Andrew.
“Where is Monica? I’d love to see her again.” Stacey smiled.
“Well, baby, that’s a real good question. Both she and Andrew are missing, so to speak,” Tess quickly explained to Stacey all that had transpired in the last few weeks,
“So, I’ve requested some time off so I can try to find them. I know the Father has been trying to tell me that they are in trouble, so I don’t have any time to lose.”
Stacey was quiet for a moment before looking hopefully at Tess,
“Let me come with you, please? Monica did so much for me, and if she or Andrew are in trouble because of me, I want to help.”
“Baby, none of this is because of you, but if you want to come along, I’d have to say that I’d enjoy the company. Even my car has been lonely without those two angel babies,” Tess said sadly as she opened the door to her car as Stacey got in the other side,
“We’ve got to find those two, Stacey, because I have a feeling they are in way over their heads.”
Andrew awoke with a start, thinking he heard something, but he soon realized it had only been a nightmare. He relaxed again as he gazed down at Monica, who was still sound asleep. He brought his hand to her forehead and shook his head in concern. Why wasn’t her fever coming down?
“Andrew?” Monica murmured sleepily as she opened her eyes.
“I’m here, sweetie,” He replied gently, feeling her shiver in his arms.
“I’m so cold,” She said softly, as she felt him pull the blanket more snugly around her.
Andrew’s mind raced frantically. He had to get her out of here today, that much he knew for a fact. The dampness in the cave wasn’t helping her any and she just seemed to be getting sicker each day. If he didn’t get her someplace warm and dry soon, there was no telling what could happen and he had already vowed to take care of her.
Andrew let her rest for a while longer, before he encouraged her to get up, so they could continue. Monica was much weaker now, and he had to help support her as they moved deeper into the cave as he searched for any sign of light that could signify a way out.
“Andrew, please, can we stop for a minute?” She pleaded after nearly an hour,
“I’m so tired…I don’t think I can go any further…”
“Just a little longer, sweetheart, okay? We’ll stop soon, I promise,” Andrew was fueled by his desperation to get her out of here as he tightened his grip on her and quickened his steps.
Monica struggled to keep up with his strides, but after a moment, her head began to spin, just as her vision began to blur,
“Andrew--,” She managed to say just before everything went black.
Andrew felt her go limp in his arm and he caught her before she fell and gently lowered her to the ground, his heart racing,
“Monica?” He gently patted her cheek to try to bring her around, but the ailing angel did not respond. Tears filled Andrew’s eyes as he gathered her up into his arms and rose to his feet once again,
“Please Father,” He begged as he began walking once more,
“Please show me the way out of here.”
Chapter 10
No sooner had the words escaped his mouth, did Andrew round the next corner of the cave and felt the cold fall air. Looking up, he realized it was another opening in the cave, and he nearly cried with relief. As he walked outside for the first time in days, he knelt and laid Monica’s still frame on the ground so he could rest for a moment. His hand moved to stroke the hair back from her forehead,
“We’re out, sweetie,” He whispered, though she did not respond. He looked up at the starlit sky,
“What now, Father?”
Looking out into the dark woods, he saw a light not too far from where they were. Saying a silent “Thank you,” he scooped Monica up in arms once more and walked towards the glowing light.
Already knowing that the log cabin was from his Father in Heaven, Andrew opened the door with Monica in his arms. The warmth of a fire in the fireplace greeted him and relief filled his weary heart as he stepped inside and kicked the door shut. He laid his friend on the bed and pulled the blankets up over her, before he looked around to see what else was here.
Andrew found canned goods and a refrigerator filled with food and juices as well as a working stove. He hurriedly put the kettle on to make some hot tea, though he smiled sadly, knowing his friend would probably prefer coffee, but the tea would soothe her throat. He found a washcloth and filled a small basin with cold water before he set it down next to the bed. Sitting down beside of her, he bathed her forehead with the cold water and in a few minutes, her eyelids fluttered and her eyes opened.
“Andrew?” Monica uttered, her expression on of confusion,
“Where are we?”
“Someplace safe, Monica,” He replied gently, as he wrung out the cloth again and laid it across her forehead,
“A place where you can get better and get your strength back,” He heard the kettle whistle and he got up to fix the tea. Bringing the mug over to her, he helped her to sit up and to hold the mug as she sipped the hot beverage,
“How do you feel?’ He asked as he set the mug down on the bedside table.
“Like death warmed over,” She replied before flinching at what she had just said to her best friend, the Angel of Death,
“Sorry. No offense.”
Andrew laughed, amused by the regretful look on her face,
“It’s okay, Angel Girl. No offense taken,” He watched as she returned his smile,
“Hungry?”
“No, Andrew, not really. I’m more tired than anything,” She gazed around the room for the first time,
“Do you really think we’re safe here?”
“I think so. If God provided it, then it’s safe,” Came the reply, which put Monica’s fears to rest,
“Now,” Andrew continued, taking her hand into his,
“I don’t want you worrying about anything more than getting better right now. You leave all other worrying to me. Do we have an understanding on that?” His green eyes were warm as he looked into her tired brown ones.
“Yes, sir,” She replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before she lay back down, too weary to stay awake much longer. It felt so good to be warm again, that she could barely keep her eyes open.
“Sleep, sweetie,” He said softly, as his hand moved to stroke her hair,
“Close your eyes,” As she obeyed, he began to sing softly to her as Tess had done for her so many times before when she was frightened,
“Nothings gonna harm you, not while I’m around. Nothings gonna harm you, no sir, not while I’m around. Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays. I’ll send them howling, I don’t care, I’ve got ways. No ones gonna hurt you, no ones gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle, I’ll be there…” He had scarcely finished the first verse before Monica was sound asleep, her fingers still curled around his hand.
Carefully, he removed his hand from her grip and stood up, leaning to softly kiss her forehead, before pulling the blankets more snugly around her. He then went into the other room to take a hot shower. Andrew felt better when he emerged, dressed in jeans and a black sweater, also provided by the Father.
He ran the towel through his still damp hair, as he gazed out the window of the cabin, surprised to see the snow falling outside. He wondered where this journey was going to take them, as he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were still in danger. He only hoped that whatever was going to happen, would wait until Monica was stronger. He too, felt exhausted from the last few days, and would welcome a bit of a rest.
He placed a few more logs on the fire, before checking on Monica once more, relieved when her face didn’t feel as hot as it had earlier. As he watched her sleep, he thought about what Kathleen wanted from the sweet, loving angel and it made his eyes cloud with anger. Kathleen had already caused his friend so much pain and Andrew had never been able to understand why the dark angel had it in for Monica. Monica had been a good friend to Kathleen before Kathleen had turned to the darkness. He thought about what the Father had told Monica before she had found him—that she would have to fight harder than she ever had before. Andrew sighed, worried for his gentle friend as his hand moved to stroke her cheek,
“I won’t let her harm you, Angel Girl. Not again.”
Chapter 11
“Do you have any idea of where we are, Tess?” Stacey asked, as she struggled to see the road ahead of them. The snow was falling so quickly that the large flakes coming at the windshield made her feel as if she were in space and shooting through the stars.
“Not a clue, baby,” Tess grumbled, trying to keep her attention on the winding road ahead,
“This is the way I was told to go, so this is the way I’m goin’. When the Father says ‘Jump’ baby, you don’t ask ‘how high?’, you just do it. It would, however, be nice if the weather would cooperate just a little.”
Stacey settled back in her seat and tried to relax, as she glanced at the darkness and snow outside of the car,
“So, what is the deal with this Kathleen person? “
“The deal with her?” Tess chuckled softly at the human’s curiosity,
“Kathleen is intent on destroying Monica, baby. A long time ago, those two were best friends, back when Kathleen listened to God. Those two angels were inseparable for a long time. They sang on the choir together…well, Kathleen sang, Monica tried,” She glanced sideways at Stacey, seeing her confusion,
“You ever heard Monica sing, baby?” Seeing her shake her head, Tess continued,
“Well, that would be a good thing, if you get my drift. Anyway, Kathleen was given a few tough assignments, and she started to get discouraged and she started questioning why God was setting her up to fail.”
“Why was He?” Stacey asked, her expression perplexed by the tale that was being told to her.
“Baby, God doesn’t set anyone up to fail. You humans have free will, as do angels. We try to help you do the right things, but it’s up to you if you listen or not. All we can do is to bring the truth that God gave us and hope that they listen. Monica tried to explain this to Kathleen, as they were both in Search and Rescue at the time, but Kathleen was too busy trying to find an easier way, which was also the darker way. My baby’s heart was broken when Kathleen decided to leave God’s light and follow the one of pure evil,” Tess grew quiet for a moment, remembering that time and Monica’s sadness and tears over the loss of her friend,
“I didn’t think Monica was ever gonna get over it, and about that time, the Father sent Andrew to work with us. She was none too happy about that at first, let me tell you. That was one jealous angel, or maybe it was the fact that she was unwilling to trust him. But over time, he worked his way into her heart and they’re closer actually then she and Kathleen were. “
“So, Kathleen wants to take Monica over to the other side then, to be with her? Maybe Kathleen misses her, Tess.”
“I don’t think so, Stacey. I think Kathleen is jealous of Monica’s faith, as Kathleen was unable to keep her own. Nothing would make that demon happier then to see Monica fall and it’s up to Andrew and I to see that it doesn’t happen.”
Stacey nodded her head in understanding as she reflected on what Tess had just told her. Her eyes looked back out the window and she squinted, seeing something in the snow-covered road ahead,
“Tess, look out! There’s something in the road!”
Andrew awoke from a sound sleep on the couch, and realized he was shivering with cold,
“What on earth-“ he muttered, sitting up. He immediately saw the front door wide open and his heart leapt to his throat as he realized Monica was gone. He was on his feet immediately as he grabbed the coat that hung by the door and was ready to barrel out into the snow when he was stopped by the sound of laughter,
“Kathleen,” He glowered, his eyes narrowing in anger,
“Where’s Monica? What have you done?”
“Your Angel Girl decided to take a little walk is all, Andrew,” Kathleen smiled,
“I couldn’t have her getting better and being able to think straight now, could I? She has an important decision to make and I’m worried that if she is thinking coherently, she may not make the right one.”
“She is never going with you, Kathleen!” He snapped, taking a threatening step closer to the angel of darkness.
“We’ll see, Andrew. We’ll see.” With her laughter echoing through the room, she was gone, as if she had never been there to begin with.
Andrew stepped outside, his eyes searching for any sign of his friend, through the snow and the darkness that she was so afraid of. Just as he was about to begin his search, he saw lights up ahead and a car, Tess’ car, pulled up to the cabin,
“Tess!” He called out, his heart filling with relief at the sight of his friend.
Tess and Stacey got out of the car quickly,
“Give us a hand, Angel Boy, quickly! We found Monica lying in the snow. She’s half frozen and burning up with fever.”
Andrew raced to the car, nearly slipping on the snow, as he reached in and lifted Monica out and into his arms,
“Lets get her inside,” He said, his heart pounding as he pressed his lips to her forehead,
“Hang on, Angel Girl,” he whispered,
“Please, hang on!”
Chapter 12
Andrew’s hands shook as he rummaged through the linen cupboard to find all the blankets that he could before he hurried back out to the main room. Tess and Stacey had by then gotten Monica out of her wet clothes and into a warm nightgown. He helped them wrap his friend snugly in the blankets, his green eyes taking in how pale she was and how her lips appeared to be nearly blue.
Stacey threw another log onto the fire as Tess bathed Monica’s face with a warm cloth,
“C’mon, baby,” Tess whispered softly as Andrew tried to warm Monica’s icy cold hands with his own,
“Come back to us, Angel Girl.”
The three worked feverishly trying to warm the nearly frozen angel and finally some time later, Monica’s eyes opened and she looked around her, confusion apparent in her eyes.
“I’m so…cold…” She uttered weakly, beginning to shake now that she was awake.
Andrew moved to the head of the bed to wrap his arms around her, furiously rubbing her arm to try to warm her,
“She’s burning up again,” He uttered, his hand moving to feel her forehead.
“Again?” Tess asked questionably, looking at him.
“She’s been sick the last few days, Tess. Ever since she found me in the cave, but she was getting better until Kathleen-“
“Hang on, baby,” Tess interrupted him,
“Start at the beginning for me, please?”
Tess and Stacey listened as Andrew relayed to them all that had transpired since he had left Monica on the beach a few weeks ago.
“So Kathleen is trying to make Monica go with her by threatening you.” Stacey said softly, watching as Monica slept in Andrew’s arms.
Andrew nodded his head, his eyes never leaving his Irish-tongued friend,
“She nearly agreed to it at one point. She really scared me, Tess.”
“You need to understand something, Angel Boy,” Tess remarked, her gaze meeting his,
“This angel will go to the ends of the earth to protect you. She lost Kathleen’s friendship and she isn’t about to lose yours, and Kathleen knows that. That’s why she is making this a choice, but all the while knowing, that for Monica, it isn’t a choice at all.”
“I don’t quite understand, Tess. Monica never really talked to me about her friendship with Kathleen and I didn’t want to force the issue.” Andrew replied, his eyes filled with questions for what had happened.
Tess explained what she had explained to Stacey earlier about the friendship between Monica and Kathleen,
“I don’t think our Angel Girl has ever really forgiven herself for Kathleen’s decision, Andrew. She, in some way, feels responsible; that she could have done more. Monica grieved for a long time the loss of that friendship and the hurt only lessened once a special Angel of Death, who shall remain nameless, entered into the picture,” Tess smiled as she winked at Andrew,
“She will go to great lengths to protect you, Angel Boy. I can almost guarantee that she would not try to save herself at the risk of losing you, and Kathleen knowing that makes this all very dangerous.”
“Maybe Kathleen is jealous of Monica’s friendship with Andrew,” Stacey wondered aloud, exchanging looks with both of them.
Tess nodded her head slowly,
“Could be, baby. Could be.”
Andrew turned his attention back to Monica as she began to murmur in her sleep, her expression one of panic,
“Andrew!”
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” He soothed, his fingers brushing through her still slightly dampened hair.
“Don’t hurt him…don’t hurt him…please…I’ll do anything…anything…” She thrashed briefly for a moment, before falling back into Andrew’s arms in exhaustion.
“Yes,” Tess said softly, as she watched her Angel Boy soothe his friend,
“This is very dangerous right now and we’re going to have to be very careful.”
Kathleen stood in the corner of the room, unseen to the others, a contented smile playing on her lips,
“Ahh, Tess, you have no idea.”
Chapter 13
The darkness formed a veil around her to which there was no end and she felt rooted to the spot in which she stood, fear making it impossible for her to move. The sound of her own heart pounding loudly in her ears deafened her as she looked around, searching for some light, but there was none to be found.
“I’m afraid!” She called out, her voice echoing all around her through the void as her breath began to come in short gasps of fear, the panic rising up within her. She had been here before in this darkness to which there was no end.
Hesitantly, she took a step forward, but then froze as she heard a voice from far off in the distance calling to her. The voice was laced with pain and tears filled her eyes as she recognized it instantly. Andrew!
“Andrew! I’m here! I’m here!” She cried out, venturing another few steps in the direction from which his voice had come.
“Monica! Help me! Please, help me!”
She spun around as his voice now seemed to be somewhere behind her,
“Where are you? I can’t see you!” She heard him cry out in pain, and she ran through the blackness towards him, but the further she went; the further away the cries seemed to move,
“Andrew! Where are you? I want to help you! Please, tell me where you are!”
“You can’t help him!”
The voice in her ear, caused her to whirl around,
“Kathleen, what have you done to him? Where is he?”
The dark angel laughed, her laughter echoing through the darkness,
“You can’t help him anymore than you could have helped me! It was your fault I chose the darkness and it is your fault you are going to lose Andrew to the darkness, because you wouldn’t make the choice!”
“No!” She cried out, Kathleen’s words piercing her heart,
“I won’t allow that to happen! Andrew is of the Light and he would never make that choice!”
“He made it because you wouldn’t. He belongs with me now, Monica. It’s too late for you to help him as the decision has already been made. See for yourself.”
The angel looked as Andrew, her beloved friend appeared beside of Kathleen, both of whom she could now see. His eyes were vacant and sad and he shook his head,
“I’m sorry, Monica. I had to go. I had to protect you.”
“Andrew, no. Please no. You weren’t supposed to protect me! I can’t lose you, I can’t!” Tears spilled from her eyes as they pleaded with him,
“Please don’t leave me! You’re my best friend!” She reached out for him, but he backed away.
“I’m sorry, Angel Girl,” He whispered before he disappeared from her sight.
“Andrew!!” She screamed, falling to her knees as the sobs tore through her. How could she lose again?
“Because that is what you do, Monica,” Kathleen taunted her,
“You lose because you don’t try hard enough. You don’t care enough! You were a mistake and because of you now both Andrew and I are in the darkness for all eternity. How does that feel, Angel Girl? Knowing you caused your two best friends to suffer so? Is Tess next, Monica? See what you’ve done? See what you’ve done?”
“NO!” Monica cried out, bolting upright in bed, her forehead bathed in feverish sweat as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Andrew uttered softly, seeing the wild panic in her eyes. He sat down on the bed, feeling alarmed by her short raspy breathes.
“What happened, baby?” Tess asked, coming out of the other room where she and Stacey had been sleeping.
“A nightmare, I think,” Andrew replied quietly, not wanting to frighten his friend who wasn’t showing any sign of being totally awake yet. Carefully, he took Monica’s face into his hands,
“It’s okay, Angel Girl,” He said softly, trying to meet her eyes,
“Calm down. You’re fine,” He spoke soothingly to her until her breathing returned to normal as she began to come out of the dark recesses of her mind. He watched as her eyes immediately clouded with tears as they met with his.
“You’re still here,” She whispered, tears sliding down her pale cheeks.
A gentle smile crossed Andrew’s face as he brushed a stray stand of hair from her eyes,
“Of course I am, sweetie. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise me,” Monica’s voice trembled as she grasped his hands tightly in her own,
“Promise me you won’t ever go with her, no matter what. I can’t lose you too…I can’t.” Without another word, she laid her head against his shoulder and wept.
Chapter 14
Andrew held the sobbing angel tightly in his arms as he exchanged a look with Tess, both of them now knowing what the nightmare had been about,
“You’re not going to lose me, Angel Girl,” He replied softly, his voice husky with emotion at her words that had touched him deeply. He rested his chin on top of her head as he looked at Tess helplessly, not knowing what else to tell her to calm her fears.
Tess got up and got Monica a glass of juice,
“C’mon baby, drink some of this and calm down. You need to rest, Monica and these tears aren’t doing you any good at all, baby.”
Tess helped Monica bring the glass to her lips and the younger angel drank thirstily as she tried to stop crying. The dream was still so vivid in her mind and as she finished the juice and lay back, she reached out for Andrew’s hand.
Andrew took her hand into both of his and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently,
“I’m right here, sweetie. Try to sleep, okay? “ He watched as she nodded her head, and he reached down to stroke her hair until she drifted back off to sleep.
Andrew drew in a deep breath as he looked at Tess,
“I’m starting to feel angry again, Tess. I’m trying not to, but it isn’t working.”
“Anger at Kathleen,” Tess replied knowingly, as she nodded her head in understanding,
“I know it’s hard, baby, but remember that anger is what got you both into this mess.”
“I know, Tess, but when will Kathleen stop? She almost destroyed Monica the last time and she has barely had time to recover from that. Now Kathleen is back at it again and it’s really starting to get to me.”
“I know how protective you are of our Angel Girl, baby, but something is telling me that this is her fight. We can’t fight it for her.” Tess reached down to feel Monica’s forehead with her hand, shaking her head when she still felt the fever raging.
“Then Kathleen needs to play fair. I know that this isn’t a game, but she always does this kind of thing to Monica when she is the most vulnerable.” Andrew frowned, thinking about the dark angel and trying to get a grip on his emotions.
“Because she knows she cannot win any other way, Andrew,” She pointed out,
“Monica is a very strong angel, even when she doesn’t feel she is. But this time, Kathleen is playing with her emotions and that has me worried. Monica won’t gamble with your life, Angel Boy. There is no doubt in my mind, and if Kathleen puts her between a rock and a hard place, I’m worried about what our girl will chose.”
“She has to chose God, Tess. That is the only answer,” He replied softly, gazing tenderly at the sleeping angel.
“Friendship is a powerful thing, Andrew, and she loves you with her whole heart, and she remembers all too well, her friendship with Kathleen and what happened to it. Yes, God is the issue here, but then again, there is something more at stake. You. Kathleen knows better than to ask Monica to chose herself or God, so what she is going to ask is for Monica to chose herself over you.”
“I cannot allow her to do that, Tess. I have to make her understand that I can fight my own fight with Kathleen, I don’t want her making that choice.” Andrew replied, sighing softly. This would be so much easier if they were not in human form, but he knew that if they were, then there was a reason for it.
“That’s all well and good, baby, but the fight isn’t about you at all, for Kathleen. For Monica, yes. That’s where we have to be very careful. Kathleen is confusing the issue for her, through her words and through Monica’s dreams,” Tess looked at her Angel Boy, wanting to make sure he was understanding what it was she was saying,
“Kathleen is in Monica’s head right now, baby, trying to push her as hard as she can so that when the time comes, Monica will feel desperate enough to make the decision that Kathleen wants. That is why the Father told her she would have to fight harder than she ever has before—she has to hang onto her faith, Andrew, because if she doesn’t…”
Andrew wondered if God had told Tess all of this. He had a feeling that He had, and he was beginning to feel more alarmed. He watched Monica as she slept, unable to help smiling at little at the innocence that was on her face in sleep,
“Maybe I shouldn’t be here, Tess,” He remarked sadly,
“Maybe I’m confusing things for her.”
No, baby,” Tess shook her head firmly,
“What happens when she wakes up and you aren’t here? You need to look at things like maybe you are doing exactly the opposite for her. You are keeping things clear. She has to do this, Andrew, but it isn’t going to work if you aren’t here for her. I have that on the highest authority, baby. You are to stay close to Monica, as the Father says she needs you now more than she ever has before. I can’t explain it, but you need to trust God.”
Andrew nodded his head, feeling that what Tess was saying was true. But now he felt more confused than ever. What was going to happen and why was Monica going to have to fight so hard? What did Kathleen have up her sleeve for the gentle Irish-tongued angel, who slept soundly next to him? Would he even be allowed to protect her if it came to that? He had so many questions, but he knew he would not get answers to them tonight.
Once Tess had gone back to bed, Andrew bowed his head, as he sat next to the sleeping angel,
“Oh Father, please, please keep her safe…
Chapter 15
The darkness surrounded Monica once more as she fell into a deep sleep. Once again, she was in the darkness that felt of pure evil; evil so great, it would have frightened a much more seasoned angel than Monica. It wasn’t long before she found herself face to face with Kathleen once more.
“You’ve lost again, Angel Girl,” The demon of darkness smirked, her eyes dancing with glee,
“Now that Andrew is here with me, maybe you will feel differently about joining us.”
Monica felt a deep panic welling up inside of her even as she struggled to remain calm,
“Andrew is not truly with you, Kathleen. Andrew is of God, just as I am and nothing you can say or do can change that. You’ve tried before when you dragged me to hell with you, but you didn’t win, Kathleen, and you won’t win this time. God always wins in the battle of good and evil.”
Kathleen looked truly hurt for a moment before she laughed,
“So, did my friendship mean so little to you that you don’t even care that I’m here now?”
“Your friendship meant a lot to me, Kathleen. I’m only sorry that it didn’t mean more to you. I tried to help you, but you were unwilling to listen to me or to the Father. I’ve carried guilt with me for years over your decision, but I’m not going to do that anymore, Kathleen. You made your choice, but you cannot make mine for me, or Andrew’s for him. Our love of God will sustain us, just as it always does. He is always in control, even when our existence seems to be dark.” Monica replied, gaining strength from her words,
“God still loves you, Kathleen, even after all the terrible things that you have done to hurt others, and deep in inside, so do I. Even after all of the terrible things you have done to try to hurt me and my friends.”
Kathleen rolled her eyes as she shook her head,
“You know all that ‘love’ talk does nothing for me, Monica. You cannot change what will happen. Either you will be coming with me, or Andrew will be-the choice is up to you. You can give your soul to spare your friend, or you can lose him to the darkness, just as you lost me.”
Monica looked Kathleen squarely in the eyes, her heart filling with solid resolve,
“No, Kathleen, you’re wrong. I will not go with you, and I will fight to save Andrew from the evil that surrounds you. You will not win this battle, Kathleen. Friendship is stronger than all evil and God is stronger than even friendship. With both God and friendship on our sides, neither Andrew nor I will lose.”
“You’ll have to chose!” Kathleen glowered, her patience growing thin.
“As always, Kathleen,” Monica said softly, gaining strength from her words,
“We chose God.”
“Sorry about your luck,” The demon smirked, getting ready to make her exit for now.
“There’s nothing lucky about it, Kathleen,” Came the soft reply. A gentle smile graced the angel’s face as Kathleen vanished from her sight in a huff.
Monica now understood the words that her Father had given her when this all began. Andrew’s anger and hatred of Kathleen had been just the opportunity for Kathleen to begin a battle for his soul, all the while knowing that Monica would do everything in her power to help the Angel of Death. This was the fight that she had to fight….
…Andrew awoke from a sound sleep and gave a small groan. He had drifted off in the chair beside of Monica’s bed, his head resting on the bed itself and now his human body ached in places it had never ached before. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked up at his friend, and fear gripped his heart.
Monica was so still. He had been accustomed to her tossing and thrashing as she had dreamt in her feverish sleep, but now, she looked so peaceful. Andrew had seen humans look that way many times before and it usually meant…He shook the thought from his mind. Angels couldn’t die, he was sure of it. His hand trembling, he reached up to lay it across her forehead and that was when he realized that her fever had broken.
A smile spread across his face as relief filled his heart. She was finally resting peacefully, her body now healing from the illness that had held her in its grasp. He reached to stroke her tangled hair, and softly kissed the top of her head. Concern filled him then as he heard the words she murmured in her sleep.
“I know what I need to do now…”
Chapter 16
The sun shone brightly on the snow the following morning as the storm had finally passed. The woods surrounding the cabin were quiet and peaceful, other than the sound of the tree branches crackling under the weight of the snow.
Andrew leaned up against the front wall of the cabin, a cup of hot coffee in his hand, watching as his breath formed the little clouds like smoke in front of him. His thoughts were miles away and had been for the last 20 minutes that he had stood out here. He was torn over what to do from here, especially now that he knew deep in his heart that this battle with Kathleen was not over.
Monica had awoken this morning, and though still rather weak from her illness, she was definitely feeling better. She had been delighted to see Stacey and Tess, her memory of them from the other night clouded, and she had been chatting incessantly with them all morning. Though relieved that his friend was recovering, Andrew had not been able to shake the feeling of deep concern he felt over her words last night.
“I know what I need to do now…”
What did they mean and what did she need to do? He knew it had to do with Kathleen-it all had to do with Kathleen. He had come outside, hoping the quiet would allow his Father to speak to his heart, but there had only been silence. Tess had said that this was Monica’s fight, but Andrew was unwilling to allow his gentle friend to fight the demon alone. There was too much at stake and he knew that from past experience. Kathleen was not one to give up and from what Tess had told him, Monica would be unwilling to budge on this whole thing.
“Andrew?”
He jumped, startled, as he turned to see Monica. He hadn’t even heard her come out the door as he had been so consumed in his own thoughts. Recovering, he smiled gently at her. She had showered and dressed, and had an afghan wrapped around her as well. The color was beginning to return to her face and the dark circles of illness that had been under her eyes seemed less obtrusive.
“You probably shouldn’t be out here,” He said softly, his eyes flickering with his concern for her.
“I know, but I was worried about you. What are you doing out here all by yourself?” The Irish lilt was soft as her brown eyes looked up at him curiously.
“I was just thinking,” Andrew replied, setting his cup down on the railing of the porch and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. There was silence between the two friends for a moment before he continued,
“Can I ask you something?”
“You know the answer to that,” She replied, moving nearer to him when he didn’t turn to face her.
He nodded his head, his eyes still focused on the snow-covered trees,
“How do you feel about Kathleen?”
Monica drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to sum up in her mind what this was all about,
“I don’t hate her, if that is what you are asking, Andrew. She was my best friend once, so we have a history together.”
“Even after all she has done to you, Monica?” He turned to face her then, his expression that of one who was trying desperately to understand.
“Yes, especially after all of that. I feel sorry for her, knowing where she is and whom it is she is following and I cannot believe in my heart that she can possibly be happy,” She sighed softly,
“Regardless of what she has done in the past, the fact that at one time we were friends, serving God together is so much stronger than all the wrong she has done. A part of me will always love her, Andrew.”
“You said something last night about knowing what it was you needed to do. What did you mean by that?” His green eyes searched hers, hoping she would give him the answers he needed.
Monica looked surprised as she didn’t remember saying anything aloud, but apparently she had. She remembered the dream, if that’s what it was, and more importantly, the understanding that had come with it,
“Andrew, I…” Her voice trailed off, not knowing what to say or how much she should reveal to him yet.
“What is it, sweetie? Please tell me.”
“It’s just a feeling I had, is all. This isn’t over and what is yet to come is going to be hard, for both of us. I don’t know that for sure-I haven’t been told, but it’s just a feeling I have; a strong feeling,” She swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the lump that had formed in her throat so he wouldn’t know just how frightened she was,
“We just need to remember that next to God’s love, nothing on this earth is stronger than friendship, Andrew.”
Andrew watched her worriedly, knowing her well enough to know that she was battling her emotions right now,
“Our friendship, or your friendship with Kathleen?” He asked softly, moving to place his hands reassuringly on her shoulders.
“I’m not sure-both maybe.” She looked away for a moment, her eyes brimming with tears, which she blinked back, knowing she would have to stay strong in the days to come. When she looked back to him, her eyes were dry, though her voice trembled with emotion,
“I do know this-I am not going to lose you.”
Andrew pulled her into his arms for a moment, his heart racing. There was still so much he didn’t understand, but he wasn’t sure Monica had all the answers either,
“You won’t,” He whispered softly to her, holding her as tightly as he dared, as if afraid to let her go.
Chapter 17
The next two days passed slowly in the cabin. Tess had been informed that they were to “stay put”, so the three angels and one human decided to try and make the best of it. They all enjoyed each other’s company, but the cabin was small and Monica and Andrew already felt like they were waiting for a bomb to explode.
Monica knew in her heart that she was waiting for Kathleen to make the first move in this battle, but the waiting was starting to wear on her, and just the fact that it had been days since the dark angel had made her presence known, was enough to unnerve her. She felt as if she were on pins and needles waiting for something to happen, and it was to the point now that if Tess or Andrew so much as touched her, she would tense up immediately, before relaxing once more.
Andrew, Tess and Stacey regarded her in silence that afternoon, watching as their friend sat in a chair, gazing out the window, her expression miles away. Tess shook her head sadly,
“This is really starting to get to her,” She remarked knowingly.
Andrew nodded his head in agreement. He had told Tess nothing about the conversation he had on the porch with Monica two days ago, and Monica had not brought it up either,
“So, I take it that since we are all still here, that this isn’t over yet?”
“The Father says ‘Stay’, so we’re staying, baby. There is apparently still work to be done.”
“I feel so sorry for her,” Stacey remarked sadly, her eyes resting on Monica,
“She looks so sad and at times it almost seems like there is a battle going on inside of her.”
“There very well could be, Stacey,” Tess replied, giving the girl’s hand a gentle squeeze,
“A lot of things could happen in this fight between good and evil and the fact that Kathleen and Monica were once friends, might only confuse the truth. Plus, I’m sure she is worried about our Angel Boy here.” She reached for his hand as well, and then looked up at him in surprise,
“What happened to your ring, baby?”
“I lost it somewhere,” Andrew sighed as he explained,
“Not even sure of where..”
Monica snapped back to reality then and jumped up,
“Your ring, Andrew! I nearly forgot, I have it.” As she reached for her necklace, she froze and her heart began to race as she realized it was gone,
“My necklace! Did one of you take it off of me while I was sick?” Her eyes were pleading, hoping that they had, but seeing them all shake their heads, her heart sank. She quickly walked over to the bed and began tearing it apart,
“It has to be here somewhere,” She uttered, her voice trembling beyond the control that she tried to put into it.
“Monica, sweetie, it’s not a big deal,” Andrew said softly, confused by her obvious panic over the ring.
“Yes, it is,” Came the quick reply, as she looked under the bed,
“I found it in the hotel, in the same room you had stayed in and I put it on my necklace so I wouldn’t lose it. It has to be here somewhere! Please, help me look!”
Tess, Andrew and Stacey joined Monica in the search, but after half an hour, they came up empty handed and Monica’s distress had intensified.
“Tess, how far back the road did you find me that night?” She asked, as she put on a heavy sweater over her shirt and reached for a coat.
“Angel Girl, you are not going out there,” Tess said softly, trying to reason with her and to understand exactly what was going on here.
“How far, Tess?” Monica repeated, her voice rising sharply.
“About a quarter of a mile,” Stacey replied, beginning to feel like maybe she understood, though she decided against saying anything right now.
“Monica!” Andrew called out, but she had already shut the door behind her. He reached and grabbed his coat,
“What is going on?” He asked his expression perplexed.
“I think you need to talk to Monica,” Stacey replied softly, her remark causing both Andrew and Tess to look at her curiously. Stacey felt a blush rising to her cheeks as she felt their eyes upon her,
“I may be wrong. I just think I understand. Talk to Monica, Andrew.”
Andrew nodded his head, before he headed out the door. He was surprised that his friend was already out of sight and he quickened his pace to catch up with her, his mind racing as he walked. He followed her footprints in the snow and came to a dead halt when he saw her.
She was kneeling, her bare hands frantically working through the snow as she searched, and the sound of the soft sobs coming from her tore at his heart.
He approached her carefully and knelt down across from her,
“Monica.” He whispered softly. When she didn’t respond, he reached for her hands, already reddened from the cold snow and ice she had been filtering through,
“This is not a big deal, okay? It’s lost, but it isn’t the end of the world.” He smiled softly, hoping to soothe her.
Her look of anger surprised him when she turned her eyes to him,
“Maybe not to you, but it is to me! It’s just like Kathleen-it wasn’t a big deal to her, but it was to me, Andrew! This time is no different, only it’s you and not her!”
“But sweetheart, we’re talking about a ring here. What do these two things even have in common?” He was still struggling to understand what it was she meant by all of this and though he was trying, he just wasn’t seeing the picture clearly.
The tone of her voice and the haunted look in her eyes as she uttered her answer though, sent chills through him,
“Everything.”
Chapter 18
Andrew could hear his heart pounding as his eyes met and held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity. She was visibly shaking as she was so upset and he stood up finally and pulled her to her feet,
“Tell me,” He said simply, moving to rest his hands on her shoulders.
Monica looked away for a moment, trying to bring her emotions back under control,
“I found your ring in the hotel room, on the windowsill. I had accidentally left the window open all night and that was why I got sick, so when I went to close it the next morning, the ring caught my eye. I knew it was yours and that scared me, because I didn’t know what would have happened to you to cause you to forget it. I still don’t know what happened to cause you to forget it.”
Seeing the questions in her eyes, he nodded his head,
“As soon as I had taken the ring off, Kathleen showed up,” As soon as he said the words, he watched his friend’s eyes well up with tears once more,
“What? Monica, please.”
“When I found the ring, I wanted to put it someplace safe, so I took off my necklace and hung it there with the cross and then refastened it,” Her voice dropped to a whisper as a single tear fell from her eye,
“I remember thinking when I did it, that your ring would hang close to my heart until I found you and knew that you were safe again, only it didn’t turn out that way, because now it’s gone.”
“Honey, it’s okay-“.
“Andrew, you’re missing the point,” She cried out, blindly wiping at her eyes,
“Kathleen appears just as you take the ring off, I find it, and now it’s gone? Don’t you see what she is trying to tell me? I’m going to lose you, Andrew! Just like I did Kathleen!” She pulled away from him and turned away, burying her face in her hands as silent sobs shook through her.
Andrew drew in a sharp breath, his head spinning from what she had just told him. Was it true? Had Kathleen done this as a warning to his friend of what would transpire? Slowly, he approached her and laid his hands on her arms, rubbing them soothingly,
“Monica, I think it’s time I heard this story. I want to understand and I need to understand.”
“I can’t talk about it,” She wept miserably,
“It hurts too much. Oh Father, I don’t know how to do this again! Please, tell me how to do this again!”
“Hey, hey,” Andrew uttered, forcing her to turn around so he could pull her close to him, tears in his own eyes as he felt her arms encircle his waist as she buried her face against his chest. He looked up to the sky, asking for the right words that would help her right now, and would maybe help him as well.
“I don’t want to lose you,” Monica sobbed, tearing at his heart, as his hands worked into her long auburn hair.
“I want you to listen to me, Monica, okay? God is still in control here and you know that. It seems to me like you are putting an awful lot of faith in Kathleen here, and none in yourself or me, or God,” His voice was soft and tender as he spoke to her and listening as her sobs began to quiet, he continued,
“I’ll tell you what this is all about. This is about her trying to get into your mind and she has succeeded in doing that. She’s had you ready to jump out of your skin for days now, while you wait for her to resurface, and she knows, Monica, she knows that is causing all sorts of horrible thoughts to go through your mind. Am I right about that?”
Monica nodded her head as she fought to get control over her emotions once more, as she rested her cheek against his chest, grateful for his calming presence over all of her fears.
“You know where to put your trust, Angel Girl, and it isn’t in Kathleen. Now, she may very well have laid things out with that ring, but she did it to frighten you. The fact that you two were friends, means that she knows a lot about you and what scares you and she uses that to her advantage.” He pulled away enough to be able to look into her eyes,
“I don’t plan on going anywhere, sweetheart. I’m afraid you and Tess are just going to have to be stuck with me.”
“That won’t be so hard to take,” She whispered, with a shaky smile as the remainder of her tears slipped to her cheeks.
He smiled as he reached to wipe the tears from her face,
“And one day, I hope you can trust me enough to tell me what happened between you and Kathleen and not because I’m being nosy, but because I think it is a big part of who you are and I would like to understand.”
“Oh, Andrew, it has nothing to do with trust. If it had to do with that, I would have told you a long time ago, so please, don’t think that,” Her dark eyes pleaded with him, not wanting to have hurt his feelings by being unwilling to discuss this right now,
“It’s just very…personal, I think and right now it feels very near to the surface, because of all that has happened and it hurts. I hope that makes sense, but I’m not even sure it does to me.”
Andrew softly kissed her on the forehead,
“It makes perfect sense and I won’t pry. Just know that I’m here, when and if you are ever ready to talk about it.”
“Thank you, for everything,” She whispered, reaching up to kiss his cheek.
It was at that moment that the two angels realized that they were not alone at the same moment that the sky began to darken.
“Such a touching moment,” Kathleen laughed, delighting in the panicked looks that crossed their faces,
“Why, I almost hate to interrupt.”
“What do you want, Kathleen?” Andrew growled, tightening his hold on Monica protectively.
“It’s time, angel babies,” She replied, and no sooner were the words out of her mouth, did the three of them vanish from the woods. Nothing was left behind other than the scream that escaped Monica’s lips as they were caught up in the evil that surrounded them.
Tess and Stacey both jumped when they heard what sounded like a cry of pain echo throughout the cabin and Tess was on her feet instantly,
“That was Monica, baby,” She uttered as she and Stacey wasted no time in grabbing their coats and racing out the door.
They followed the footprints to the place where Andrew and Monica had been only moments before, and the footprints stopped completely.
“What happened?” Stacey cried out, her blue eyes searching through the woods for any sign of the two angels,
“What has happened to them?”
Tess was quiet for a moment, as if listening to something. When she finally spoke, her voice was filled with fear and apprehension,
“It’s started, Stacey.”
Chapter 19
“What has started?” Stacey questioned, her voice tinged with panic over the disappearance of the two angels she had come to call friends,
“Kathleen?”
Tess nodded her head slowly, as she laid a comforting hand on the human’s shoulder,
“There is nothing for us to do now, but pray, baby. Pray that they both make the right decisions.”
“We can’t do anything else?” She cried out, tears filling her eyes,
“I can’t just sit back at that cabin and pray! Where was God when Kathleen showed up here and took them away?”
“He was right there with them, Stacey. He never leaves any of his children alone, whether they are humans or angels, and He is with them now. Andrew and Monica just need to remember that.” Tess’ dark eyes looked up at the heavens and she sighed softly, her heart filled with worry for the two she loved deeply,
“Please Father, let them remember that.”…
…The first thing Monica was aware of was the darkness. Her dreams had not done it justice, for it was even deeper and blacker, a darkness so dark, her eyes would not become accustomed to it in order for her to even make out images. Her heart was pounding loudly and her breaths came in short, panicky gasps, even as she struggled to remain calm,
“Andrew?” She called out, her mind pleading for an answer. She didn’t want to be here alone. She couldn’t be here alone,
“Andrew!?”
“I’m here, sweetheart,” She heard the reply and she nearly sobbed with relief.
“Where? I can’t see you! Andrew, where are you?”
“Keep talking to me, Monica,” He replied, his own voice filled with the panic he felt over needing to find her,
“Let me come to you. Stay where you are, okay?”
“Yes,” She answered, her hands working nervously. Where were they?
“I’m scared, Andrew, I’m so scared.” She felt hands on her arm and she screamed, fighting to get away.
“It’s me, Angel Girl, it’s me,” Andrew said quickly, his voice trembling with the strong emotions he felt over finding her. He felt her stop struggling and she flung herself into his arms as they held onto each other tightly.
“Andrew, where are we? What is happening?” Monica uttered, fighting back frightened tears and wishing she could see his face and the look in his eyes that always seemed to reassure her.
“I don’t know, sweetie, I don’t know,” He replied, pulling away and taking her hand tightly into his own,
“Do not let go of my hand, alright?” He felt her grip tighten and her other hand grip his wrist, before he began to move forward slowly. He had no idea of what he was doing or where he was going, but his adrenaline was flowing through his veins too quickly for him to remain still.
“Where are we going?” She asked, her voice laced with fear, and the silence that was all around them was almost unbearable.
“I don’t know!” Andrew snapped, his fear fueling his temper,
“I don’t know what else to do other than walk! I can’t just stay in one spot and wait for something to happen, Monica!”
He felt her pull back and he exhaled slowly, trying to regain control over the emotions that were running wild through him as they continued walking slowly. After a moment, he stopped, feeling terrible over what he had just done,
“I’m sorry,” He whispered, turning to face her. His free hand found her cheek and could feel the wetness of her tears,
“I know you’re afraid, but so am I and I just don’t know what else to do,” He rested his forehead against hers for a moment, giving them both a moment to try and calm down,
“I’m sorry,” he repeated after a moment,
“Are we okay?”
“Yes,” Came the soft reply, before she drew in a trembling breath. She had never been more afraid in her existence, not even when Kathleen had dragged her down to the depths of hell. At least then it had only been her, but this time, Andrew was at stake as well.
“I just want to keep you safe,” He whispered, before he felt her pull away.
“Don’t think like that, Andrew,” She pleaded desperately,
“You can’t think like that, not about me. You have to remember-“
Monica gave out a frightened cry as she felt hands digging into her shoulders, pulling her away from Andrew. She struggled to hold onto his hand, but she soon realized that he was being pulled away from her as well. She screamed out his name before her body was engulfed in pain and through her own cries, she could hear those of her best friend. She tried to fight, but soon knew she was outnumbered and it wasn’t long before she lost consciousness.
Chapter 20
Monica awoke some time later, her entire body aching from a pain that was all too familiar. Through her pain-ridden mind, she remembered the last time she had been a victim to Kathleen’s extreme methods to try and get her to turn from God. But it hadn’t worked then and it wasn’t going to work now.
“I know You’re with me, Father,” She whispered weakly,
“Please give me the strength to continue on this path and to remember the truth that You have given me. “
Her head started to spin as she moaned softly, wanting nothing more than to sleep, but just as she closed her eyes, they opened in alarm. Andrew! Where was he? Was he all right?
“Andrew!” She called out, her voice stronger with the fear that flowed through her,
“Andrew! Answer me!”
Monica listened and heard a low moan coming from a few feet away from her. She struggled to her feet, every movement causing her pain, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
“Andrew!” She called out again, needing to know how far she was from him.
“Monica?” He answered, his voice weak and pain-filled.
“Keep talking to me, my friend,” She replied, her concern for him, fueling her to make each painful step. Her head was pounding and she reached to brush her hair from her eyes and felt the wet stickiness of blood, from a cut on her forehead, but she pressed onward.
“Are you alright?” Andrew’s voice, though barely audible was like music to her ears and she was soon next to him.
She dropped carefully to the ground, stifling a cry as she did so, but Andrew was her main concern right now. Her hands felt for him and she found his cheek,
“How badly are you hurt? Are you alright?”
“I…I’m not sure,” He replied, his hand reaching for hers,
“And you, how are you?”
“I’m alright, I think,” She answered, squeezing his hand tightly, as her mind began to spin with what was happening to them. She had a pretty good idea of Kathleen’s plan and she realized in that moment, that even though Kathleen knew her pretty well, the reverse was also true. Monica knew her old friend, and knew her well. For years, she had thought she knew her too well, but right now that knowledge allowed her to see the situation clearly, even though what she saw frightened her.
“You should be frightened,” Kathleen replied, her voice coming from the right of the two angels,
“Because there will be more of the same until a decision has been made. One of you will be coming with me before the other leaves this place. What do you think, Andrew? Are you ready to make a choice to spare your friend?”
Andrew drew in a sharp breath, now fully understanding all of Monica’s fears. How could he sit by and allow his gentle, Irish tongued friend to endure more of what they had just gone through? His love for her was great, but he also remembered her words about him wanting to keep her safe.
“You can’t think that way, not about me-.”
He understood now, but did he have the strength to allow this to happen?
“I’ve told you before, Kathleen, and I’ll tell you again. I chose God!”
Andrew heard a sob escape Monica’s throat, one that combined joy with intense fear, before he felt her being pulled away from him once again, as the sounds of the hissing demons filled his ears. He listened as his beloved friend tried to stifle her cries of pain, and he bowed his head and wept.
“Are you sure, Andrew?” Kathleen chuckled, feeling no sorrow for either angel. When he didn’t respond, she continued,
“Of course, I’ll give you more time to think it over.”
Though he couldn’t see her, Andrew knew Kathleen and her demons had vanished once more and he rose to his feet as he heard Monica’s whimpers of pain. Somehow, he found her and sitting down, pulled her into his arms,
“I’m sorry,” He sobbed,
“I’m so sorry.”
“Father, please help us,” Monica’s scarcely audible voice floated up to his ears as he rocked her in his arms,
“Help us to stay strong in Your Name,” Her voice trailed off for a moment, as she listened to words that only her heart could hear,
“I know,” She whispered,
“I know.”
In silence, Monica clung to Andrew, trying to calm her human body through the shock it had just endured. Tears fell from her eyes as well as she released the physical pain and then tried to focus on the task before her.
“Don’t be sorry, Andrew,” She whispered softly, allowing herself to relax in his arms,
“You did the right thing and there is nothing for you to be sorry for.”
“I’m sorry you are enduring this, sweetheart,” He uttered, his hand stroking her hair,
“And I’m sorry I dragged you into this the day I walked off that beach in anger. That’s what has brought us to this point.”
Monica sighed softly, before she gathered the strength to sit up. She reached for his hands and found them instantly. Giving them a gentle squeeze, she drew in a deep breath,
“Andrew, it’s time you knew what happened. It’s time you know what happened between Kathleen and I.”
Chapter 21
Andrew gripped her hand tightly in his, hardly believing what she had just said,
“Honey, that isn’t necessary,” He let go of her hand long enough to wipe at his eyes, before lacing his fingers through hers once more,
“You don’t have to do this…”
“Andrew, I want to do this. I want to tell you and even more importantly, I need to tell you. I probably should have told you a long time ago, so maybe you would understand more then you do,” Monica drew in a tired breath, so wanting this whole battle to be over,
“You know that Kathleen and I worked in Search and Rescue together. We were best friends, Andrew. We worked together so well, that our assignments were often for groups of people who needed help-like the rafting accident we worked once. We knew each other so well, that we knew exactly what the other would do, so our rescues went like clockwork,” Despite everything, Monica had to smile at the memories of much happier times with Kathleen,
“We used to spend our days off together, just walking or talking. There was nothing that I couldn’t tell Kathleen back then. What I didn’t know is that after a few years, she was being petitioned by one of Satan’s demons. I mean, that I knew we all were from time to time, but never in a million years, Andrew, would I have thought that Kathleen would really consider turning from God,” She closed her eyes against the tears as she continued…
“Monica, I have to talk to you. It’s important.”
The auburn-haired angel stopped what she was doing, hearing the seriousness in Kathleen’s voice. Turning to face her, the young, Irish-tongued angel frowned slightly,
“What’s the matter, Kathleen?”
Kathleen looked strangely uncomfortable as she avoided her best friend’s knowing gaze,
“I just want you to hear me out, okay? Don’t go off the deep end at me or anything, but I know you aren’t going to like this.”
Monica was now really starting to worry. Kathleen was generally not this serious and she could tell by her friend’s tone that this was not something she was going to want to hear,
“Kathleen, what is it?”
“I’m leaving.” She stated, not knowing of any way to break it to Monica gently,
“I’ve been spending some time with Killian and he said-.”
“Killian??” Monica’s eyes grew wide as she heard that name escape Kathleen’s lips,
“The demon, Killian? Kathleen, what are you doing?”
“Just hear me out, okay? This isn’t for me, Monica. I’ve tried for years now and other than working with you, there just isn’t enough in it for me. I want to be a leader instead of the follower for a change, and on the other side, I can be that!” Kathleen’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, her excitement obvious.
“Would you listen to yourself?” Monica cried out, unable to even fathom what it was she was hearing,
“Kathleen, you are one of God’s angels and my best friend and you cannot just decide to do this!”
Kathleen was quiet for several moments, before she finally spoke,
“I’ve already decided. I’m going with Killian tonight.”
Monica starred at her friend, as tears filled her dark, brown eyes,
I..I don’t understand. You made this decision without even talking to me about it first? Kathleen, this is wrong and I can give you a hundred reasons why it is wrong!”
Kathleen felt tears threatening her own eyes at the sight of the ones now sliding down Monica’s cheeks,
“Oh Monica, please don’t do this. Please don’t cry-you know I hate to see you cry,” Partly to comfort her friend, but mostly to fill a need within herself, the angel pulled Monica to her and hugged her tightly,
“I’m sorry, but this just isn’t for me,” She pulled away for a moment, looking at Monica hopefully,
“Come with me! We could still be together and we make such a great team! Think of all the fun we could have, Monica-.”
“No!” Monica cried out, pulling away from Kathleen as sobs began to tear through her,
“How can you even ask that of me, Kathleen? I do the Father’s work and I love it and I thought you did too.”
Kathleen looked at her friend through eyes filled with sorrow,
“I’m sorry, Mon’, but I don’t. Maybe I’m selfish, I don’t know, but it just isn’t for me. I wish it were. Please, at least think about it. I don’t want to lose the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Monica, who had covered her face with her hands while Kathleen spoke, now looked up at her with eyes full of pain and tears,
“Kath, don’t take this the wrong way, because I do love you, but you just did. I can’t be friends with a demon and serve God too, and I chose God. Have you even thought about this? Do you really want to hurt people instead of helping them? All the good you and I have done for the Father-you just want to undo it all?”
“I want to be able to call my own shots, Monica; to do things of my own free will and not have to answer for it. Yes, I’ve thought about it-it’s all I’ve thought about since Killian first came to me,” Kathleen’s dark eyes turned desperate as she clutched Monica’s arm,
“Oh please, please come with me? This is the only part of leaving that I’m not sure if I can bear.”
“Then don’t go. If I mean so much to you, then you’ll stay and try to work this out with God!” Monica’s tears flowed freely as she pleaded with her best friend.
“I can’t, Monica. Please understand and please don’t hate me for this-.”
“I could never hate you. You know that, but I won’t come with you. This is where I belong and so do you! I’ll help you, Kath, I’ll help you to want to stay!”
“I’m sorry, Monica, but my decision has already been made,” Kathleen wiped tears from her eyes as she prepared to go,
“I’ll never give up on working with you again. I’ll keep hoping that one day, I can make you change your mind.”
But Monica shook her head sadly,
“That will never happen, Kathleen. My place is with the Father. He loves me and He loves you too and I wish that were enough for you.”
“Me too.” Kathleen whispered, before hugging Monica tightly once more,
“I’ll never give up on you. You can’t blame a girl for trying, you know.”
“You’ll be wasting your time,” The angel replied softly, as she watched her beloved friend turn and walk away from her. Her tears falling like raindrops, Monica turned away and began walking, her heart heavier than she could ever remember it. Her head jerked up as she heard Kathleen shout from the distance,
“I’ll never give up, Monica! Not ever!”
Chapter 22
Andrew held his friend tightly as she wept softly in his arms once the tale had been told. As she had been talking, he could clearly feel the raw pain that was still in her heart over what had transpired with Kathleen so long ago, and he knew now that it was a wound that had never truly healed. Maybe all of Kathleen’s attempts to pull Monica over to the side of darkness is what had caused her heart to not mend.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard her softly begin to speak once more.
“So, you see, Andrew, it started out in love. Kathleen didn’t want to lose my friendship, so she kept trying to find ways to get me to abandon God. But as time went by, her plans became more and more severe,” Monica sighed as she rested her head wearily on his shoulder.
“So, what happened once she left?” He coaxed gently, his fingers running soothingly through her hair.
“I spent the next few days walking alone. Well, never really alone, but that was how I felt. It was Tess who finally found me, to tell me that I had been promoted to Caseworker.”…
“C’mon, baby, it’s time to go,” The older, dark-skinned angel looked at the young, auburn-haired angel who sat on the log, looking more than a little forlorn.
Monica looked away, her heart still grieving for the loss of her friend. It had only been three days since Kathleen had gone away with Killian, and Monica felt more alone than she had ever felt in her existence,
“Why would the Father promote me now?” She asked the angel, who was a stranger to her. Tess’ eyes were kind and Monica could see understanding in them, which made it difficult for her to look into them for very long.
“The Father always knows what we need, baby, and right now, you need a bit of change,” Tess sat down on the log beside of her new charge and lovingly put her arm around Monica’s frail shoulders,
“I know what happened with your friend, Kathleen and I know you are hurting right now and God knows it too. But baby, you tried to get her to change her mind. Unfortunately, angels have free will, just like humans do, and Kathleen used that will to go with that demon.” Tess watched painfully as Monica’s eyes welled up with tears.
“But she was my friend,” The Irish brogue was scarcely a whisper,
“How could she do that to me?” She said, her brown eyes imploring her new supervisor,
“Friends aren’t supposed to do that, are they Tess? I don’t understand…I don’t understand…”
Tess pulled the now sobbing angel into her arms and rocked her gently, shaking her head in wonder at the way this little Irish-tongued angel had worked her way into her heart so quickly,
“That’s it, baby,” She crooned soothingly,
“Cry out all that grief that is in your heart, and let the Father heal it for you. No, friends shouldn’t hurt each other, but sometimes it happens, even to the best of friends. What you don’t want to do though, is to harden your heart to the point that you can’t let anyone else in. God gave you that heart of yours to love with, baby, and you have. But sometimes in love, we lose, and it does hurt, Monica. So, we cry a little and then we pick up the pieces of our hearts and we move on, maybe a little bit wiser for the next time,” Tess smiled, hearing Monica’s sobs beginning to diminish,
“Just think, baby, humans get their hearts broken everyday, but it helps them to become stronger and it often brings them closer to God.” She pulled away to look into the angel’s glassy, brown eyes,
“Better, Angel Girl?”
Monica smiled at the name ‘Angel Girl’ and she had a feeling that she was going to like working with Tess,
“Yes, thank you, Tess. I’m sorry-you must think I’m a real mess-.”
“Nonsense, baby. That gentle heart of yours is what is going to make you a wonderful Caseworker and the Father knows that.”….
Andrew smiled at the rest of the story, despite the situation that they were in,
“So God sent you Tess.” He remarked softly.
“Yes, and later, you and both of you are such precious gifts to me, Andrew. I don’t think my heart mended until both of you were in my life.” Monica felt him kiss the top of her head and she sighed softly, feeling surprisingly content and at peace.
“Thank you, for telling me,” He said softly,
“I do understand more now, about Kathleen and about you.”
Unbeknownst to the two angels, Kathleen stood near them, having listened as Monica had told the tale of what had transpired between the two of them and had they been able to see the look on the dark angel’s face, they would have found it unreadable.
Chapter 23
“I never stopped caring about her, or loving her,” Monica uttered softly,
“But maybe she got so angry because I didn’t care enough to go with her. I can only guess, really. “
“You may be right at that,” Andrew remarked, his fingers continuing to brush through her hair thoughtfully,
“I’m sorry she hurt you so deeply the day she decided to follow Killian. The closest I can come to imagining how that would feel, is by the thought of losing you.”
Monica smiled softly, despite everything as she wrapped her arms tightly around him,
“Thank you,” She whispered.
“For what, sweetheart?” He asked softly.
“For being here. For listening. For understanding and most of all, for being my friend.” Came the gentle reply,
“You and Tess taught me to trust again when it came to friendships and there was a time when I would have thought that to be impossible. Kathleen broke my heart when she walked away, but it was you and Tess who mended it. Now, if only I could convince myself that Kathleen’s going was not in some way my fault. I keep thinking that maybe if I had tried harder, then maybe-.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
The sound of Kathleen’s voice caused both angels to jump. Andrew immediately tightened his hold on Monica protectively as their eyes turned to look at the dark angel, whom they could suddenly see, as a soft light had filled the dark cavern when she had spoken.
“Kathleen.” Monica uttered softly, her eyes meeting those of her once dearest friend.
“It wasn’t your fault, Monica,” Kathleen repeated, her voice heavy with a sadness that was uncharacteristic of her,
“I heard everything you just told Andrew and…it wasn’t your fault.”
Monica’s heart began to race, as she weakly pulled away from Andrew and shakily rose to her feet to face Kathleen,
“I always wondered if there was more I could have done to stop you from going,” She said softly,
“I’ve wondered that for a long time.”
“Well, you can put your mind at rest now, Monica. The decision was mine and mine alone, even if leaving your friendship behind was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I guess I never gave up on hoping that maybe one day you would change your mind and come with me.”
Andrew’s eyes moved from Monica to Kathleen and back again, trying to remain calm. This was a side of Kathleen he had never seen before, and he couldn’t help but wonder if somehow it was all a trick.
Monica was quiet for a moment, her eyes never leaving Kathleen’s,
“Your friendship meant so much to me, Kath, and I still care about you so much, but I’ll never come with you. Don’t you see?”
“How can you still care about me after all I’ve done to you?” The dark angel questioned, her eyes full of disbelief,
“I’ve hurt you time and time again, and you never once so much as raised your voice to me in anger. Why?”
Tears filled Monica’s eyes as a small smile graced her lips,
“Because I would never to do that to someone I called ‘friend’.”
Andrew watched as tears filled Kathleen’s eyes as well as relief flooded through his exhausted human body. Something in Monica’s retelling of the story to him, had perhaps caused healing in Kathleen, or at least so he hoped.
“But I haven’t been a friend to you in a very long time, Monica.” She replied sadly.
“Kathleen, we are who we are, and maybe it’s time to stop trying to change that. Maybe it’s time to put the past where it belongs. You made your choice and I’ve made mine and maybe all we can do is meet in the middle somewhere with an understanding.” The angel reached out a trembling hand towards the one she had once called “friend”, and tears coursed down her face as Kathleen tentatively reached out and grasped her proffered hand tightly.
“I’m sorry…for all the pain I’ve caused you, as well as Andrew and Tess,” Kathleen’s eyes shimmered with tears,
“They are true friends to you, Monica; something I never was.”
“Yes, you were, Kathleen. Don’t be so hard on yourself. For a long time, you were a very, very good friend and a gift from God.” Moving a step closer, Monica wrapped her arms around Kathleen one last time and hugged her tightly,
“Are we free to go?” She whispered.
Kathleen nodded her head, not trusting herself enough to speak as she returned the hug from her old friend, who she now knew had a heart of pure gold,
“How can you ever forgive me?”
“Because I am of God, Kathleen, and God is love and forgiveness. Surely you remember that much.” Monica said softly.
“Yeah, I guess I do,” She replied, pulling away,
“Till we meet again?”
Monica smiled and nodded her auburn head,
“Take care of yourself, Kathleen.”
“I will, and you do the same. Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll come back, if He’d have me.”
“You know the answer to that,” Monica replied gently as Kathleen vanished before her eyes.
Andrew rose slowly to his feet and walked up behind his friend. As he wrapped his arms around her, she let out a sigh that was half a sob, and she turned around to bury her face against him.
“It’s over, Andrew,” She wept softly,
“I think it is finally over.”
He held her tightly as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were both seated at the base of the mountain that Monica had climbed days before in her search for Andrew. A gentle fall rain fell softly around them as Monica pulled away from her friend and smiled through her tears. She watched as the raindrops clung to the tree branches for a moment before they dripped down onto the ground and she listened to the gentle, soothing sound as the rain fell softly all around them.
Andrew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, still filled with wonderment for the scene he had just watched between Monica and Kathleen. He gazed down lovingly at his friend, curiosity filling his eyes as she lifted her closed hand in front of her. When she opened it, her necklace, with the cross and Andrew’s ring still attached was lying in her palm.
She reached for the ring and gently took Andrew’s hand in her own as she placed it back on her friend’s finger, before she smiled up at him. The look of utter peace on her face brought tears to Andrew’s eyes. His best friend had finally found her peace and it was as soothing and beautiful as the soft rain that fell all around them.
Epilogue
The auburn-haired angel walked alone along the long stretch of deserted beach, thinking over all that had transpired over the last several weeks. Her heart was finally at peace over her battle with Kathleen, and it was a peace the angel had not known for a very long time. Though she always carried the peace of God with her, there had long been restlessness in her heart regarding her former best friend and Andrew.
But her fear over losing him was now gone and her battle with herself over the loss of Kathleen to darkness was finally resolved. She knew now that there was nothing more she could have done to have prevented Kathleen from making the choice that she had. She still felt sadness over the fact that she had chosen the darkness, and seeing that brief glimpse of her old friend made that point a little more painful. There would never be a time when she would not miss her and the friendship that had once been.
But God had a way of healing hearts, even in angels and she had to smile when she thought of Andrew, remembering the first time she had ever met him, and how insanely jealous she had been of Tess’ relationship with him. She would have tossed him off that train given half a chance! But in that moment when the train had passed him by once his part of the assignment was over, she had caught a glimpse of a deep kindness in his eyes and she had immediately known that she had been too hasty in her judgment of him. Little had she known at that moment just how terribly important he would become in her existence.
She stopped walking and gazed out over the ocean, the straw hat she wore shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight. She marveled for a moment at the power of the ocean, so much like the power of friendship. It was so beautiful and so inviting, yet it had to be treated with care and respect, lest it pull you under in its strong hold. Kathleen could have easily pulled her under, had Andrew not been there to pull her back.
She sighed softly, her dark eyes gazing up the lovely blue sky above her,
“Thank you, Father.” She whispered softly.
“Monica!”
She turned her head to see Andrew walking down the beach towards her and she smiled at the way the sun caught his blond hair as it blew lazily in the ocean breeze. She turned towards him as he grew closer and in a moment of impulsiveness, she broke into a run, her bare feet pounding into the wet sand.
Once the space between them closed, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a moment. She felt his arms encircle her waist and she relaxed in his warm embrace.
“Are you okay?” He asked, after a moment, his voice tinged with concern for her.
Monica smiled as she pulled away a little and nodded her head,
“Andrew, remember the first time we met, on the train?” Seeing him nod his head, she continued,
“I don’t think I ever apologized to you for being so terribly rude to you and I wanted to do that, right here, right now.”
Andrew laughed as he shook his head,
“Angel Girl, that was years ago!”
“I know it, but I wanted to tell you I was sorry anyway. Can you ever forgive me?” She gazed up at him, her expression completely serious.
“Since when do you even have to ask?” He responded softly, seeing that this was important to her.
She smiled happily, feeling truly blessed in so many ways,
“I want to thank you too.”
His eyes twinkling warmly, he grinned back at her,
“For what, sweetie?”
“For pulling me back,” Came the simple response as she reached for his hand.
Andrew gazed out at the ocean for a moment, finally understanding what she was saying. He squeezed her hand tightly as he gave her a gentle tug as they resumed walking down the beach.
There were no words between them. At that moment, none were needed.
