Not while I'm around

By Kimbre and Deyse

Chapter 1

The little auburn haired angel shivered slightly as she appeared on the front steps of Colorado’s Pine Ember Lodge. The sun was just beginning to set, the sky a canvas of purple, orange and gold, which when combined with the brightness of the glistening snow, caused her to squint to shield her dark eyes. She knew she was not on assignment just yet, so that left her with one conclusion.

God must have led her to Andrew.

It had been two longs weeks since their last assignment with Carrie and her family had ended, and the two angels had been forced to part ways. Though her assignments kept her busy, there was never a moment when her gentle heart did not long to share a beat with the handsome Angel of Death. Ever since they had admitted their love for each other, their time together had been infinitely precious, and now long separations from Andrew only left Monica feeling a loneliness she had never before experienced.

But now her heartbeats accelerated, already able to sense that Andrew was nearby, and she pushed against the door, feeling the welcome swell of warm air greeting her as she walked inside the lodge. Her eyes looked around hopefully, taking in all the skiers, now at the end of the day, lounging in the Great Room, sharing experiences. Children played nearby while their parents sipped coffee and chatted with friends or new acquaintances.

Typically, the little angel would have reveled in an atmosphere that was so homey and comfortable, but after two weeks, her sights were centered on only one being, as she finally saw him, standing over near the windows, his arms locked as his hands rested on the sill. Monica approached him quietly, her knowing eyes taking in every detail from his tense posture to the little way his jaw tensed and then relaxed when he was feeling stressed. She worried what the cause may be, even as her breath caught in happy excitement to see him.

“Andrew…”

The words were scarcely a breath, but he heard them just the same, instantly recognizing the beautiful way that only his angel could speak his name. Turning away from the large picture window, the worry cleared from his bright green eyes and a smile broke out on his face, “Angel.”

A heartbeat later, she was in his arms and he was holding her tightly, breathing in the sweet smell of her hair and hearing her softly uttered, “Oh Andrew, I missed you so much.” Pulling away, his hands framed her delicate face before his lips met hers in a sweet, tender kiss.

“I missed you too, Angel. More than you could imagine.” He replied once their kiss had reluctantly ended. His eyes searched her face, but he saw nothing but happiness and peace reflected there and it brought great joy to his heart, “Your assignments? They’ve gone well?”

Monica nodded her head and smiled, “Yes.”

His own grin widened, relieved. After her encounters with Jim, he was more than happy to hear that her confidence had returned. Only a split second later, did he suddenly feel apprehensive, “Do you…do you have an assignment here?”

“No. I just have a wee bit of free time so the Father brought me to you and I’m so glad he did, Andrew,” Her hand reached up to touch his jaw, “Something’s bothering you; I can tell.”

“I’ve just been worried about you,” Andrew allowed himself to say, knowing that at least in part, it was the truth. There was no sense worrying or burdening her with his assignment, “How long can you stay?”

Monica immediately sensed that he was dodging her question, but decided to wait until later to try to get him to open up to her. The angel knew that at times Andrew tried to protect her from even his own emotions and she had an inkling that’s what he was doing now. She would allow it, but only temporarily, “Until morning,” She replied regretfully.

Andrew’s eyes widened, immediately wishing that the precious time together would be longer, but as it wasn’t, he didn’t want to waste a moment of it. Grabbing her hand in his, he began walking, “Then let’s go someplace more private, Angel. I’m off duty for the day.”

He led her to the elevator, and once inside, he pressed the button for the third floor, never releasing her hand. Without even looking, Andrew knew that she was watching his every moment, trying to gauge what he wasn’t telling her.

“Did you just get here?” Monica asked curiously, tilting her head in a way that he found especially endearing.

“No, baby. I’ve been on assignment here since I last saw you.” The elevator chimed, announcing their arrival on the floor, and he led her down the hall past several doors, finally stopping in front of the last one on the right. The key card that was attached to belt was then inserted into the door, and after the light flashed green, the door opened easily.

As they walked inside, Monica took in her surroundings. Andrew had been given a small apartment, complete with living area and a small kitchenette, “I suppose that having a long assignment does have a few perks,” she teased gently as he helped her out of her heavy hooded coat and then draped it over the back of a chair.

“If by perks you mean that I have a little privacy to kiss the angel I love more than any other, then yes, I suppose you’re right,” Andrew replied with a grin, watching as her dark eyes sparkled happily. Tugging her into his arms once more, he kissed her longingly, as one hand tangled in her auburn mane. Her lips parted easily and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, until they were both breathless and the kisses turned into smaller, but no less loving ones.

“Mmm,” Monica rested her head against his chest once they had parted, closing her eyes as a contented smile played on her face, “I love you too.” A moment later, her eyes opened and immediately came to rest on a small coffee maker on the counter, “Andrew?”

“Yes, Angel,” He kissed the top of her head, feeling more peaceful then he had in days now that he finally had her in his arms once again.

“Is there coffee to go with that machine?”

X

A short time later, the two angels were snuggled together on the sofa, two steaming cups of fresh coffee on the table in front of them. It was then that Monica decided to try once more to get a few answers from her angelic boyfriend.

“So, what is your assignment here exactly?”

“I’m part of the ski patrol team, Monica. You know, finding lost skiers, helping people with sprained ankles or broken bones,” He elected to leave out the part about him actually taking over for a patrolwoman who had perished while out searching for a lost skier. Colorado winters could be deadly, and the young woman found herself in the woods as darkness, along with two feet of snow had fallen. By the time they had found her the next morning, she had frozen to death.

Her eyebrows knitted together in thought, “So, you don’t have one human you’re assigned to?”

“No, angel. Not yet anyway.” Again, Andrew found himself unwilling to confess his fears to her. There had been several accidents on the slopes the past two weeks, and while nothing had been fatal, the Angel of Death had a nagging feeling in his heart that the worst was yet to come, “Have I mentioned just how happy I am to see you?” He deftly changed the subject with a real truth and watched the sweet smile appear on her face.

“I’ve missed you terribly. Being away from you, Andrew…it’s so difficult now.”

He tightened the hold around her small shoulders and kissed her temple. "The same goes to you, baby, but now that we're here let's enjoy the time we have together, ok?"

She nodded her head enthusiastically, "Yes!"

Removing a few strands of hair from her face and tucking them behind her ear, Andrew admired the beauty on her meek features as the conversation flowed, "So, where are you staying at? Is Tess with you?"

Monica bit her lower lip and looked at him with a shy smile, "Well... actually, I'm not staying anywhere, and Tess... She's not with me..."

Frowning a little, he straightened his body in the sofa, "What do you mean, Monica? You're in human form, I thought you were staying at a hotel or something..." he said, with visible concern.

With a pensive expression on her face, yet not really worried about it, she nodded, "I suppose you're right, you know. The problem is I don't have any money either."

The blond angel chuckled. His beloved Monica came to Earth specially to see him, having completely forgotten about her own self. Now it was up to him to watch over her for the next few hours - and he enjoyed the sensation of being her eternal protector. "So let's see if I get it right: there's an adorable, enchanting little angel girl walking around the mountains of Colorado with no place to stay nor a nickel to buy food?"

"Well, I suppose you're right about the food and the money issue..." She replied, with the same cheerful and timid smile that melted his heart, "And, to be honest with you, I'm starting to feel a wee bit hungry, you know?"

Overwhelmed with so much love and tenderness, he cupped her cheek and gently rubbed his thumb against her soft skin, "So it seems I got myself an extra assignment now!"

"An extra assignment?" she tilted her head and eyed him with curiosity.

"Yes... To protect and watch over this pretty little angel while she's around..." he bent his head and kissed the tip of her nose, "... and I have to confess that's my favorite kind of assignment!"

"Then I promise I'll do my best so that you can fulfil it!"

Their lips collided on the following second, in another loving and tender kiss.

Chapter 2

The ski station restaurant was crowded with tourists at that time of the day. From entire families who were spending the holidays together to couples enjoying their honeymoon trip, everybody was clearly having some good time in the resorts up in the mountain. The day was cold, yet beautiful, with no clouds up in the sky, and Andrew picked the table next to the window so that his Monica could enjoy the view. For him, however, there was no better picture than his beloved angel girl's face and her warm smile at him.

Lunch time was the best time in weeks for Andrew, and although his permanent concern still lingered in his heart, Monica's presence was like a breath of fresh air to him. Maybe a present from the Father to alleviate some of the pain the blond angel was feeling inside.

"The mountains are amazing! Look at them all covered with snow... So grand... so powerful..."

Andrew managed a short smile and covered her hand with his, "They're very beautiful, yes..." he said, with a low voice.

"Andrew?" she eyed him questioningly.

"Well... I... I think the mountains are beautiful but some of God's creations are... just so gorgeous that I'm unable to look at some place else..." he replied, looking deep inside her brown pools.

Monica enlaced her fingers with his own, aware that there was something else going on inside his heart. "I'm here for you... all the time, and whenever you feel like talking."

He took her hand to his lips. "I know, baby. Just the fact that you are here is enough to cheer my heart up."

Andrew knew that sooner or later he would tell her about what was troubling him: death was surrounding those mountains, making them less beautiful than she could ever imagine. But it had to be later, right now he planned to enjoy the rest of the day with the little Irish angel. They were soon engaged in a light conversation and before they realized it, Andrew was already asking for the bill.

Hand in hand, the couple of angels left the restaurant and strolled around up to an area with a frozen lake, where many children and teenagers were practicing ice skating. "We have to try it again, Andrew! Maybe when your assignment here is over?"

"I promise you that, angel!" He said, placing his hands on her both shoulders and kissing the top of her head. There was a coffee shop nearby and he knew that Monica had spotted it at the moment they'd arrived there. "I guess someone here would like a cup of coffee..."

Monica turned her head to look up at him, "Isn't it wonderful to have someone who knows exactly what we like?"

Chuckling, he kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back, sweetie."

Monica watched as he left the ice skating area with her eyes filled with tenderness. There was something bothering him deeply, and she would find out what it was. She would do anything for him, and when he was hurting inside, she could feel it too, as now their hearts were forever connected, beating in the same rhythm.

As she turned her eyes back to the ice skating rink, a slight smile broke on her face. Children were having a real fun with their parents and friends, and the little angel enjoyed to see those moments of happiness between humans. Yet, some moments later, Monica spotted a lonely little girl sitting a bit away from the other children. She was around seven, had curly blond hair and was wearing pink clothes.

Frowning with concern, Monica took a look at the coffee shop, trying to spot Andrew, but as she didn't see him, the angel decided to come closer to the child and check what was going on.

"Hullo?" She offered, looking at the little girl with curiosity. It didn't take her too long to realize she was crying.

"Hi..." came the whispered answer.

Monica kneeled in front of her, so that the two could be in the same level. "What happened, sweetie? Why are you crying?"

"I got lost..." she said.

"You got lost from your parents?"

The girl bit her lip and nodded her head.

Moved with the situation, the Irish angel reached out and caressed her hair, "But you don't need to cry, sweetie. You'll find your mom and dad, they're here at this resort, aren't they?"

"Yes... But I kinda moved away from them cuz I wanted to see the frozen lake."

"Oh, I understand... Well, where did you see your mom and dad for the last time?"

"Over there..." she pointed to the resorts, which were far from the ice skating rink. That's when Andrew came along towards them.

"Angel?" he spoke, with a questioning face.

"I'm afraid I found an unexpected wee assignment here, Andrew..." Monica quickly informed, and then turned to the girl, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Sarah..."

"That's a lovely name... I'm Monica, and this is my friend, Andrew..."

"Hey, Sarah! It's nice to meet you!"

"Will you help me to find my mom and dad?" she wanted to know, with hopeful eyes, and not missing the monogram of the ski patrollers on Andrew's coat.

"Of course we will, sweetie!" he replied, patting her head, and feeling sorry for her. "What about going back to the hotel?"

Monica thought for a few moments. "Well... I guess that her parents are looking for her right now, so if we move from here, maybe they'll take more time to find us." She said, "But maybe if you phone the resorts and inform that we found wee Sarah they can get here faster..."

"I'll do that right now, angel. You stay here, ok?"

"Okay..."

He pecked Monica's lips and left the ice skating rink in a hurry. The Irish angel, for herself, sat down next to Sarah and wrapped her arm around her little shoulders, "Shh... don't cry, wee one... We'll find your parents..."

X

It didn't take less than ten minutes for Andrew to get in touch with all the nearby resorts and inform what was going on. Yet, when he returned to the same spot where he'd left Monica, a happy image of a little girl playing with a beautiful Siberian husky was what he saw. Sarah's parents were watching closely as their daughter played with the animal, and so was his beloved Monica.

"I talked with three different resorts and managed to find Sarah's parents in the last one, and left a message with the hotel attendants, but now I'm glad to see things solved faster than we thought!" the blond angel said, joining the group.

With a cheerful smile, Monica reached for his hand and turned to the couple, "Mr and Mrs Cooper, this is my friend Andrew."

"It's very nice to meet you, Andrew," the little girl's father said, he and his wife shaking hands with him.

"We'll be eternally grateful for what you and Monica did for our Sarah." Mrs Cooper added.

"Please don't thank us. We're glad you both found her."

"Oh, actually, it was somebody else who did it, Andrew!" Monica spoke, with slight amusement. Then, watching the questioning expression on her face, she looked away, at the little girl and her dog, "Bailey brought Mr and Mrs Cooper to her!"

A small laughter escaped him, "Bailey?"

"I'd say he'd make a very good ski patroller!"

"Bailey always finds me, since he was a puppy!" Sarah intervened, "He's my best friend!"

Giggling, Monica reached out and petted the animals head, who immediately wagged his tail, "He is such a good boy!"

The animal barked friendly, as if agreeing with the Irish angel's words, and causing them to laugh. Some time later, the couple of angels bid the Coopers farewell and, always holding hands, went back to the resort where Andrew was staying at.

The rest of the day flowed easily and with no other incidents. They chatted for hours or merely stared at each other's eyes, exchanging some loving kisses when nobody was looking. In a loving embrace, Monica and Andrew watched the sunset behind those impressive mountains, with their tops permanently covered with a white layer of snow.

When the night fell, the angelic couple ordered a romantic dinner, but this time they stayed in his own room, and together with the food came a beautiful red rose.

"To my beautiful angel. I love you," said the small card that came along with the flower.

The way she looked at him once he gave her the rose made his heart ache with so much love. But the little Irish angel had this unique ability to speak volumes to his heart with that simple gesture. "I love you so much, Andrew..." she spoke, gently caressing his handsome face after the hotel service had left, "... that sometimes I'm scared, you know..."

"Scared?" he covered her hand with his and kissed her palm.

"Yes... this love is so part of me right now that... if someday I lose it, I'm afraid I won't have the strength to exist..."

Deeply moved, he pulled her in his arms and held her tightly, "Angel... My beautiful Monica... You'll never ever lose me, baby. This is what we were meant to be since our Father created us: together. And nothing can put us away because what brought us together was the most noble and beautiful feeling... I love you, Monica. And this love is forever."

"I know..." she let out a small sob, while a lonely tear rolled down her cheek, "... but I'm always happy that you're here to tell me that."

Smiling, he pulled away and gently framed her face with both hands, "I have no intention to leave for the next thousand years... And for the ones after these!"

Andrew bent his head and his lips brushed on hers very lightly at first, and then a soulful kiss sealed those loving promises.

X

"... what time do you have to start work tomorrow, Andrew?" Monica asked, clearly almost falling asleep, lulled by the soft caressed Andrew was performing in her long auburn hair. She was comfortably lying in his arms, with just the bedside lamp on, creating a cozy atmosphere for both angels.

Never ceasing the soft movement, he kissed her temple, "At seven."

"Any special mission early in the morning?"

"I don't think so, angel..." he spoke, not really wanting to talk about that issue, "But you should sleep right now, okay? You're off to a new assignment tomorrow too, and need to rest as much as you can."

"I'll carry you in my heart, Andrew..." came the sleepy reply, and it caused him to chuckle: she was certainly asleep already, but it didn't stop her from thinking about him.

"Me too, angel... Always..."

He brushed a loving kiss on her forehead, and spent long hours just contemplating her pretty face resting on his chest. "Thank you, Father, for this day. Whenever I feel tired and sadness starts to take my heart, You send me my best blessing to remind me of what love is... and that my assignment is a labor of love..."

Chapter 3

When Monica awoke the following morning, she rolled over to where Andrew was supposed to be lying, only to find the bed empty. Blinking sleepily, the little angel frowned before glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

8:30

Andrew had said he had to be at work at 7:00 so that explained why she was alone. Now she was just left to wonder about her own assignment. Her heart ached slightly at already missing Andrew’s reassuring presence next to her, but she knew that they both had work to do. She could only hope that God would see it fit to bring them together again soon.

“About time you got your little angel butt out of bed.”

“Tess!” Monica grinned sheepishly as she sat up, “I was just wondering what it was I was meant to be doing!”

“Well, lucky for you that being late today is not that big a deal, baby, as your assignment is literally right around the corner.” The older angel crossed her arms over her chest and would have looked rather intimidating had her dark eyes not been sparkling with love for the little angel who was still blinking a little sleepily at her.

“What? Tess, my assignment is here? At the resort?” A little smile started to form on Monica’s face, clearly delighted at being able to work so close to Andrew.

“You met her last night as a matter of fact. Sarah is going to need an angel in the near future.” Tess sat down on the edge of the bed next to her young charge.

“Sarah? Oh Tess, she won’t be in any trouble, will she? She’s such a sweet wee girl!”

Seeing the distress in Monica’s eyes, Tess patted her knee reassuringly, “Only the Father knows what could happen, Angel Girl. All I know is that you are being asked to be her angel, so I hope you like snow.”

A second later, Monica glanced down at herself and her rumpled clothing from yesterday had been transformed into warm trousers and a heavy cabled Aran sweater with matching cap. Her feet were now covered with warm fleece lined boots and she saw on the edge of the bed a pair of fleece lined mittens as well as a heavy parka.

“I take it I’ll be skiing?” Monica looked a little bit doubtful, which caused Tess to laugh.

“No, baby. Sarah isn’t much of a skier, but she does love to do some snow exploring and as her parents are here to ski, you’ll be taking care of Sarah for the day.”

Looking a little bit relieved, the Irish angel nodded her head, “When do I start?”

“Half an hour, baby.” An amused grin played on the older angel’s face, “So, you have that long to go and say good morning to your Angel Boy. Then you’ll be meeting the Cooper’s in the main lodge.”

X

Andrew’s face was grief stricken as he knelt beside the body of a teenage boy. As soon as he had reported for duty that morning, word had hit that Austin Taylor was missing. The teen had apparently slipped out during the night for some not permissible after hours skiing and had gotten lost. Temperatures had dropped to below zero last night and with not having enough visibility, Austin had hit a tree during his skiing venture. He had fallen into unconsciousness and had never woken.

Two fatalities since he had been assigned here, and what bothered Andrew the most was that he had not had word that his assignment was over yet. He had taken Austin Home and though the boy’s face had lit up with joy at seeing the Father, Andrew was now left with the difficult task of calling in that he had found the body. The parents would be devastated.

x

The morning had been difficult and now the Angel of Death elected to stop in the lodge for a cup of hot coffee. Austin’s body had been recovered and someone else had volunteered to speak to his parents. He wondered if Monica had gotten off to her assignment safely and he suddenly desperately wished he had been able to leave with her, especially as this nagging feeling of something worse yet to come refused to leave his heart.

“Andrew!”

He stopped walking and whirled around, surprised to see Monica hurrying towards him. Despite his confusion, the sight of her off white cabled sweater and cap, with her dark hair lying softly against her shoulders nearly took his breath away.

“Angel? What…what are you doing here?” He immediately took her hands in his own and held them tightly.

The little angel smiled happily, “Tess was here this morning, Andrew. Sarah is my assignment!”

The blond angel’s mind raced, suddenly feeling excessively worried, “Sarah? She’s your assignment?”

Oblivious to his worries as she was so happy to be working close to him again, Monica nodded, “Yes! I’m meeting with her in a few minutes. Her parents have hired me to take care of her for the day, which apparently includes exploring a wee bit away from the skiing area with Bailey-.”

“No,” Andrew’s voice was stern and Monica blinked in surprise, “I don’t want you taking her outside, Monica. Just stay in here with her, all right?”

The angel’s brow knitted together in confusion, “Andrew, she wants to be outside. She loves the snow!”

“But if something happens, Angel, you may not be qualified to help her! It’s dangerous out there and the temperatures are barely above freezing.”

“I may not be qualified to help her?” Monica repeated the words slowly as if trying to understand them, “I’m an angel, Andrew and I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”

“You weren’t ‘just fine’ when an assignment led you to Jim now, were you?” His words came with little thought, but he instantly regretted them when he saw the hurt that filled his beloved angel’s eyes.

“So, is that the standard that you measure me to now?” She asked quietly, blinking back the tears that were stinging her eyes, “That was not an official assignment, Andrew, and you know it.”

As she pulled her hands away, his heart raced, “No, Monica, I didn’t mean it like that-.”

“There was no other way for you to mean it, Andrew,” She replied softly, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her parka, her eyes downcast and refusing to meet his. She was doing her best not to cry. She had been so excited about being close to him and his reaction was not what she had expected and that hurt terribly, “You kept telling me that what happened with Jim was not my fault, but now you’re turning that around completely and telling me that I can’t handle this assignment because I couldn’t handle him. You can’t have it both ways, Andrew…you either trust me or you don’t, now which is it?”

“No, baby, listen to me,” He had never meant to hurt her like this and his heart was breaking over the fact that he had, “I just….I worry about you being outside with Sarah…a lot of things could happen-.”

“You don’t trust me to take care of her,” Monica’s voice had dropped to a whisper, “I guess you just answered my question.”

The single tear that trickled down her cheek was nearly enough to make Andrew fall to his knees and beg her forgiveness, or at the very least explain to her what was at the source of his concern. He would have done just that, had the little angel’s hurt not suddenly turned to quiet anger.

“It seems that you only trust me now with assignments as long as you’re around, but you seem to forget that I don’t always need your help. After all, I did just fine doing the Father’s work for six months when you were nowhere to be found.”

She was referring to that horrible time when he had not been honest about his feelings for her, and though he now flinched at the mention of it, he also knew he deserved it, “Angel, I know that-.”

“I don’t always need you to protect me or my assignments, Andrew. I’m very capable of handling it alone, and I don’t need your consent to take Sarah outside or any place else for that matter. God is watching over us, even when you can’t.” Monica drew in a trembling breath, and managed to keep herself from bursting into helpless tears. She didn’t want to argue with him! Just minutes ago, she had been overjoyed to have been assigned so close to him and now this! Why was he acting this way?

“I have to go,” She murmured sadly.

“Monica, wait. Please?” He reached out to touch her shoulder, but at that moment the phone resting against his hip sounded and demanded his attention. With a frustrated sigh, he grabbed it, “Andrew.”

His heart sank as he simultaneously watched his beloved Monica walk away from him while he listened to Cory, one of the other ski patrollers, inform him of a missing skier. Though he longed to run after Monica and make her understand, he knew it would have to wait until later.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Disconnecting the call, he looked back in the direction Monica had gone, but she was nowhere to be seen. Running a weary hand through his short, blonde hair, Andrew started walking through the lodge to the door.

He should have been honest with her last night. Monica had given him more than one opportunity to pour out to her just how troubling this assignment had been, but he had not wanted to waste the precious time with her talking about anything sad. But now, the things he had kept safely in his heart had come between them…again. He really needed to stop doing that; stop trying to protect her from things he felt. Now she was feeling hurt and disappointed, not to mention confused and he was powerless for the moment to do anything to remedy the situation.

They’d talk tonight, he promised himself. He would explain everything to her and then ask for her forgiveness for his callus words, but right now, his assignment was calling him. He only prayed that this lost skier would be found alive.

X

Monica darted into a restroom before going to meet Sarah and her family, thankful to find the outer room with a vanity deserted. Sinking into a chair, she covered her face with her hands and allowed the hot tears to fall.

There had been many times in her existence that she had doubted her abilities as an angel; when an assignment had gone differently than she would have liked or when her own fears had gotten in her way. But those times in no way came close to how it made her feel to have someone she loved with all her heart doubt her. Every fiber in her being now ached with the emotional pain of not understanding what would have caused Andrew to even think that she may not be able to take care of Sarah. Did he really believe that what had happened with Jim back when she had first met him was her fault? He couldn’t possibly think that, could he? She had been in human form and not even on assignment when it had happened, so how could she have been at fault?

Sniffling, the little angel wiped at her eyes and drew in a trembling breath. She couldn’t think about this now. She had to go meet up with Sarah.

X

“Monica,” Mrs. Cooper smiled happily as she watched the young Irish woman approaching them, “I’d had no idea last night when you found Sarah that you were a personal assistant here at the lodge! You’re a real answer to prayer!”

The angel blushed slightly, but smiled, “Well, I had no idea last night that you needed a personal assistant! Or rather, that wee Sarah here did!”

“Well, now you know!” Sarah grinned up at the angel, as Bailey laid quietly at her feet, “Bailey and I were hoping you could take us out snow shoeing for a while!”

“I would love to, providing your mom says that it’s okay,” Monica knelt down to be at eye level with the little girl and she smiled as Bailey’s tail thumped in greeting.

“Of course,” Mrs. Cooper agreed, “Sarah has been out on snow shoes many times with us and she loves it though she has never developed a fondness for skiing.”

“What time would you like her to be back?” Monica moved to stroke the dog’s head, not missing the excitement in Sarah’s eyes nor the way the child was tugging on her hand, anxious to get going.

The woman laughed, clearly seeing her daughter’s impatience, “We’ll be out skiing for most of the afternoon, Monica, so an hour or so before dinnertime would be fine. In fact, if you don’t have dinner plans, we’d love to have you.”

The angel managed a faint smile, wondering if she had dinner plans. Hard to say with the way she and Andrew had left things, “I’ll let you know this evening. Would that be all right?”

Mrs. Copper nodded her head approvingly, before she hugged her daughter close, “You listen to Monica today, Sarah. She knows the area and I don’t want you getting lost because you decided to go your own way for awhile. Do we have a deal?”

Sarah rolled her eyes in a typical seven-year-old fashion, “Yes, mom. We have a deal. Can we go now, please?”

Chuckling, she kissed the child’s head, “Yes, go. Thank you, Monica.”

Taking Sarah’s hand, the angel smiled, “We’ll see you later.”

Chapter 4

"... when did you learn to ice skate, Monica?"

Holding the Irish angel's hand and walking excitedly across the resort's area, Sarah tilted her head and eyed her new friend with the curiosity typical of a seven-year-old. Bailey followed the two silently, like loyal guardian.

Despite the previous argument with Andrew and the immense sadness it had caused her, Monica managed a small smile, grateful that at least she was given that specific assignment. Like her beloved angel of death, she too loved children and taking care of them would always bring her much joy.

"Well... It was a while ago..."

"Did you find it difficult?"

"Not really... I... kind of had some help..."

"Did you ever ice skated with Andrew?"

The smile on her face turned into a bittersweet one, as a joyful memory came to her mind: some years before, she and Andrew had shared some pleasant moments ice skating together, and even though at that time they were not aware of the loving feelings lying in their hearts, she remembered how happy she was then.

But all the moments spent by Andrew's side were happy ones. At least most of them were.

"Yes..." she replied, trying hard to ignore the presence of tears forming in her doe-like eyes. "Yes, I did..."

"I never told my mom but I'm kinda afraid of skiing..." she confessed, shyly.

"Afraid?"

"Yes... of falling down and getting hurt badly... I once fell from the bike and got my arm broken... it hurt a lot..."

"Well, if you want I can teach you to ice skate... If you really want to try it, the most important is that you have someone older near you, so that you don't get hurt."

"Okay... maybe some day..." she replied, and then continued the usual avalanche of questions, "Why didn't I see Andrew with you today? You're missing him, aren't you?"

"Andrew is working too, sweetie..."

Sarah shrugged her tiny shoulders, visibly wishing to see the couple who saved her together again. "Bet he's missing you too..."

Monica was going to say something else but the little girl's attention got caught up on something else, and she tugged the angel's hand excitedly, "Monica, look! Can we have some hot chocolate, please?"

She was pointing to a café not far from where they were, and her excitement pulled Monica's sadness away at least for some moments, "You're definitely a persuasive wee one!"

X

Andrew turned the phone off and sighed with some worry. Contrary to what he'd heard first, it was two skiers, and not just one, who had climbed an area that wasn't frequently visited and hadn't returned yet. The blond angel lifted a silent prayer, asking for their safety, and at the same time thanking that at least Monica would be around the resort area.

"What are these guys thinking? That they cannot die just because they've been practicing the sport for a while?" One of his colleagues spoke, with slight irritation.

"Guess it's the will to defy God..." the other one replied.

Andrew nodded his head in agreement, "Yes... and little do they know He's the one protecting them..."

Promising he would talk to her at the first opportunity he had, and fix things between him and Monica, Andrew joined the other two ski patrollers in a search for the lost skiers.

X

"... he needs a woolen hat, Monica! Otherwise he'll get cold!" Sarah spoke, as she and Monica built up a snowman. As Bailey couldn't stay inside the café, Monica ordered a double chocolate with milk for the little girl and a double mocha for herself, and they were drinking while strolling around the ski area.

Soon, Sarah had the idea of playing in the soft white snow, and somewhat foreseeing this, Monica had bought the snowman's eyes, nose and mouth in the same coffee shop. The two spent some good time building it up and engaged in a nice conversation, and all that movement, combined with the hot sunrays that shone at that time of the day, made them feel tired.

"I guess he won't be that cold, Sarah! You see, I'm starting to feel hot already!"

"Me too! Oh, I got an idea: we can leave him here and later on, mommy and daddy can come here to see him and get a picture!"

"I think they'll love to, Sarah!" the Irish angel replied, and then, with a pensive and amused expression on her face, she eyed the snowman from head to toe, "Hum... I guess we've finished! Now we need to find a name for him! what do you think?"

Also with a rather thoughtful look, the girl considered that question for some moments. Then, she finally smiled. "Peter Pepper!"

Giggling, the angel reached for her tiny hand and nodded, "Peter Pepper sounds perfect!"

At that very moment, a noise coming from the nearby forest called their attention, and made Bailey stand up and bark at the ever green pine trees.

"Did you hear that, Monica?"

"Yes... It... sounded like another bark..." she said, trying to make out any other animal in between the bushes and trees. Moments later, the noise could be heard once again, and now they were certain that it was a little dog.

"It's a little puppy, Monica! Maybe he got lost from his mom! Can we go and see it?" the little girl suggested, all excited about the totally unexpected adventure.

Feeling sorry for the little creature herself, Monica nodded in agreement, "Yes, come with me, Sarah."

Followed by Bailey, the two entered the forest and started whistling and calling for the lost animal, and it didn't take them too long to find it - the little Saint Bernard puppy walked clumsy towards them as soon as it saw the group.

"Hey, look at you, wee one!" Monica spoke, as she and Sarah stroked his soft fur.

"He's so cute, Monica!" the girl smiled as the animal greeted them with lots of wet kisses. "Where did he come from? Do you think he got lost from his parents?"

She examined the Saint Bernard baby and saw there was a leach around his neck with a pendant and a number carved on it. "It's from one of the resorts... The one where Andrew is also staying..." Her eyes grew sadder at the memory of her beloved one.

"Really?"

"Yes, he told me one of the Saint Bernards of the rescuers had babies and this one might have escaped..." She turned the pendant around, "... and you won't believe it but this wee boy's name is actually Pepper!"

Giggling, Sarah tapped her forehead, "He heard me calling the snowman and thought I was talking to him!"

"Probably!"

"Can we take it back then? I mean, we saved his life, didn't we?"

The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement, and Monica couldn't help smiling again, "Oh, yes. I guess you've just taken part of your first rescue mission, Sarah!"

They stood up and Monica looked around, and up to the small rocky steep where the white of the snow and the green of the pinecones mixed forming one beautiful scenario. There was no one there except them. "C'mon, then. Let's go back..."

The sun was warm, and there was no wind in the gully. But it was then that a movement above her caught the angel's eyes. She looked up, and then whispered, suddenly alarmed. “Oh, Father... Sarah... we have to get out of here!”

She pulled the little girl to her feet and practically dragged her along the way. "What is it, Monica?"

Bailey's barks and the noise that started to increase only made them twice nervous. Sarah realized that some rocks came rolling down the hill and, finally, that the patch of snow not far above them was moving! Like a stream it poured over the rock step and against the trees on its way, and then a whole section of snow began to move.

Quickly, Monica dragged Sarah with her and both ran through the woods, in a desperate search for a shelter to protect them from the avalanche that was roaring down the hill. As they ran, rocks and logs, some of them big enough to kill a person, also came down, announcing the huge mass of snow that was coming closer every second, and some of them hit Monica in full force. The angel fell on the ground and let go of Sarah's hand for a second.

"Go on, Sarah, keep on running!"

"Monica!"

The little girl stopped for a moment, reluctant in keeping on running and leaving her friend behind. Bailey and the little Saint Bernard they had just found were barking nervously, foreseeing the tragedy that was about to happen.

"Go, Sarah! I'll be right behind you!"

Having no other option, the girl obeyed to Monica's orders and kept on running. It all seemed an eternity for her, yet, it lasted for only a few seconds. With some effort, the angel managed to stand on her feet again and continued to run, raising an arm to protect herself from being hit by some of the stones and the trash that came down the hill. When the snow appeared, she pulled the little girl close to her and both kneeled behind a huge rock, half hidden in between the trees. Monica held Sarah tightly against her, and they closed their eyes as the avalanche passed, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind.

The minutes they stayed there seemed endless hours. They thought about their beloved ones and the feeling of never seeing them again made their hearts ache with anguish and pain. If on one side, Monica was grateful to be there and save that little girl's life, on the other, she feared for her own existence, and lifted a silent prayer, asking for the courage to fulfil that assignment, and secretly for a chance to be back in Andrew's arms once again.

When the chaos and the dust subsided, they opened their eyes again and looked around: they were both half buried in the snow, which came up to their waist. The dogs had disappeared too, and a sensation of sheer panic crept over them as they realized they were lost.

"Monica?" Sarah's crying voice finally broke the heavy silence, and the angel looked down at her. The expression on the girl's face was one of panic, and it broke her heart to realize she couldn't do much for her at that very moment, as Monica herself was fighting against her own fear.

"It's over now, Sarah... it's over..." she spoke, with trembling voice, caressing the girl's face.

"You're hurt..." Sarah replied, the nasty cut on Monica's forehead scaring her even more. The Irish angel raised a hand up to touch her forehead and saw fresh blood on her fingertips. A stone had hit her when she fell, and caused the injury. Even though she herself was scared, Monica tried to show calm in order not to alarm the little girl more than she already was.

"It's just a cut... I'll take care of it later... Are you alright yourself? Did you get hurt?" she immediately worried.

"I... I guess I didn't..." Sarah sniffled as her tears fell down, "Monica, I'm scared... Bailey and Pepper disappeared! I want them here! I want mommy and daddy with me!"

"Shh... Calm down, sweetie... calm down..." she held the little girl gently, and caressed her blond hair, praying for guidance.

"What are we going to do?"

"We have to find the way back to the resort... Come with me, let's shout out for Bailey..."

As she pulled the snow away and stood on her feet, Monica felt a sharp pain in her ankle and bit her lip not to moan.

"What is it?"

"I... I guess I have a sprained ankle, Sarah, that's all..." taking a deep breath, the injured angel gave the first steps over the snow, which was fluffy and difficult to walk on. Both she and Sarah started to cry for the two missing dogs, and terrifying thought crossed Monica's mind: what if the avalanche had caught them? The dogs, especially Bailey, could guide them back to the resort, and without them, it would be much more difficult to do so. If the night fell and they didn't find the way back, what would become of them?

X

Andrew and his colleagues were looking for the lost skiers on another hill, not far from where the resort and the ski station were. And he saw, at the distance, that the snow was giving in and falling down on an area that was a bit far from the resort. Yet, the vision was a troubling one.

"Jeff, Paul!" the blond angel called, frowning with concern as he realized there was an avalanche.

His colleagues followed his gaze, and the fear that something more serious had happened soon stroke their hearts. Paul grabbed the walkie-talkie and started to communicate with the rest of the rescue team. Even though it wasn't an area usually visited by tourists and skiers, Andrew felt like he had been stabbed in the heart all of a sudden. It was an unexplainable mix of anguish, panic and fear, and he immediately thought about Monica. How he wanted to go after her! And now, not only to apologize for what he'd said earlier, but also to certify she was safe.

"Please, Father, let her be alright... I love her so much... it's my heart that she's carrying with her..."

Chapter 5

Monica looked around, wishing she saw something that looked even vaguely familiar to her. She had no idea which direction they had run when the snow had started roaring down the mountain, and any footprints they would have left had been erased by the snow. The angel’s head was pounding and her ankle aching with every struggled step, but Sarah was having great difficulty too with her much shorter legs. Her little cheeks were red with the cold and with the effort it was taking and Monica was already beginning to feel tired as well.

But what concerned her even more was the fact that the sky was growing darker as ominous clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun and she was sure that the clouds contained snow and lots of it. Andrew had said that the temperatures were barely above freezing and the little angel knew that if it started to snow, she and Sarah would be in much greater trouble. They had to find shelter and fast.

“Monica, where could they be?” Sarah whimpered, as she managed to sniff back her tears, “Bailey and Pepper aren’t answering us!”

“I know, sweetie, but I’m sure they’re close by. The snow probably frightened them is all and soon they will know it is safe enough for them to come out.” She hoped she was speaking the truth, but only time would tell. Her head was throbbing mercilessly and it had yet to stop bleeding completely and all she wanted was Andrew’s arms around her, and to hear his voice telling her that she was safe and that he was here.

Was this why he had warned her about not taking Sarah outside? Did he know something like this could happen? If so, then he was just trying to protect her, but still…he had insinuated that she may not be able to take care of Sarah if anything happened. That’s what had hurt so much. But she would take care of Sarah; she would take care of Sarah with everything she had to give.

“Monica…” Sarah’s voice disturbed the angel from her troubled thoughts. Looking at the little girl, Monica noticed she was looking up at the sky…and at the snowflakes that were starting to fall.

Blinking back tears at her own feeling of helplessness, Monica struggled to keep her voice light, “Hmm…it seems wee Sarah that we are in for a little snowstorm, so we’d better find someplace to camp!” But where?

The sound of a bark, caused both of them to look up, and a second later, Bailey came tromping through the snow, his tail wagging furiously, and right behind him, being a bit slower and more clumsy, was Pepper.

“Bailey!” The little girl squealed with relief as she threw her arms around the dog, “Where have you been? We were so worried and now it is starting to snow.”

Bailey broke away from his young master and gave a short bark, before he ran a few steps ahead of them. Turning around expectantly, he cocked his head to the side and gave another bark, as if to say, “What are you waiting for? Come with me!”

“I think he wants us to follow him, Monica.”

The angel looked concerned. She was sure that the way Bailey seemed to want them to go was not the way back to the lodge, but the snow was starting to fall harder and Monica wasn’t sure they had much choice but to see what the dog was offering, “Well, then, I suppose we’d better follow him!”

Every step caused pain in Monica’s ankle and all she wanted to do was to lie down to try to stop the thrumming pain in her head, but she pushed on, following Sarah, who was following the dogs. Twenty minutes later, the snow was nearly blinding them and the winds had picked up. Monica had hold of Sarah’s hand and the child was holding on tightly to Bailey’s collar. Their teeth were both nearly chattering with the dropping temperatures, when Bailey finally stopped and led them up a small hill and into the mouth of a small cave.

There wasn’t much room, but there was enough and it got them out of the snow and the winds. Monica knew it still wouldn’t be enough and that they would still freeze to death without some kind of heat, but as she took in her surroundings, she noticed a large stack of branches and logs.

“Sarah, someone must have used this as a shelter before! Help me, quickly.” Together, they laid a few of the larger logs on the ground near the entrance to the cave, stacking them carefully and then placing smaller sticks as kindling on the top. Despite the pain she was in, Monica dug around just outside the cave to find rocks to place around their makeshift fire pit and then, saying tiny prayer for help, she dug into the pocket of her parka and pulled out a pack of matches.

“Thank you, Father,” She murmured, before striking one and lighting one of the sticks, which she then used to light the rest of the fire. In a matter of minutes, the fire was blazing, and it wasn’t until that point that the angel realized just how cold she had been. She was still shivering, though the heat was starting to help.

Glancing over at Sarah, she saw that the exhausted little girl had laid her head against Bailey and was already down for a little nap. Pepper was nestled against her side, providing her with additional warmth and for that the angel was grateful, which was a good thing as she could find little else to be grateful about. She longed to sleep, but didn’t dare. If she fell asleep and the fire went out, they would never survive, so she would simply have to stay awake in order to ensure the fire provided them with the warmth their human bodies required.

Taking inventory, Monica reached into her pockets, thankful that she had purchased a few other things along with their hot drinks earlier. She had picked up two sandwiches, a box of cookies and two small apples. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to keep Sarah alive for a few days if it took that long for them to find help.

Gazing past the fire, to the heavy snow that was falling, the little angel felt her eyes fill with tears and she wasn’t even sure of the exact reason for them. Maybe it was the pain in her ankle and head, or her fear over their current situation, or maybe it was because despite how hurt she had been earlier, there was nothing she wanted more than to see a certain pair of green eyes appear, followed by strong arms that would shelter her from anything that could ever hurt her.

x

“Wow, can’t believe this weather we’re having!” Cory sighed as he and Andrew trudged through the snow to the lodge, “They’re saying this storm may not even let up until tomorrow night!”

“Well, at least we think everyone is accounted for and we don’t have any wayward skiers missing this time,” The angel remarked, though his mind was more on one little angel and how desperately he wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry he was for his earlier behavior.

Cory opened the door to the lodge and let Andrew walk in ahead of him, “I’ll let you know if I hear anything, man, but hopefully it will be an uneventful storm.”

Andrew nodded as Cory headed off towards a group of other ski patrollers, before he looked around the lodge for the auburn haired angel. He frowned, not seeing any sign of her and as it was snowing as well as getting dark outside, he knew that she and Sarah had to be nearby, unless Sarah was already back with her parents and Monica had gone up to his room to wait for him.

He was just considering heading upstairs to look for her, when he heard his name being called frantically. Whirling around, he saw the Coopers running in his direction.

“Andrew!” Janet Cooper grabbed his arm, her eyes holding great concern, “Have you seen Monica and Sarah? They went out back early this afternoon and we haven’t seen them since. That avalanche…and now this storm…” Her eyes filled with tears and her husband’s arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Andrew felt his heart plummet to the floor as his mind raced. Monica was missing. They had gone out back, away from the skiers. They hadn’t been seen since the avalanche.

“I haven’t seen them, Mrs. Cooper, but we’ll find them! Monica…she’s amazing…so resourceful…” He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. Yes, Monica was those things, but he was saying them more to convince himself that she was fine. Fact was, he felt nearly sick at the thought of her being out there in this storm, especially after what had transpired between them that morning, “I need to go alert the rest of the rescue team and we’ll check out the other lodges to make sure they aren’t there. Try not to panic and I’ll be in touch.”

Mark Conner met Andrew’s eyes, “You have to find her, Andrew. Sarah…she’s everything to us.”

The angel gave a short nod of his head, “I understand, sir. Monica is everything to me.”

Leaving them, Andrew broke into a jog across the lobby, where the other members of the rescue team who were on duty were still gathered, “Cory! We’ve got two people missing. A little girl, and Monica, one of the personal assistants. They haven’t been seen since this afternoon. We have to get out there and find them!”

“Whoa, Andrew. Slow down, buddy,” Cory’s eyes were alert but solemn, “We can’t search for them in this storm. You can’t see your hand in front of your face out there. We have to wait until it lets up.”

“I’ll get the word out to the other lodges,” Jeff piped up, before he walked away from them, his walkie Talkie in his hand as he radioed the information.

“Cory,” Andrew’s eyes were frantic, “You said this storm may not let up until tomorrow night! They could easily freeze to death by then! I have to go look for them now.”

“Andrew, you can’t.” The man’s eyes were firm and not allowing for any argument, “I can’t risk you being out there because when this storm is over, we’re going to need you to help search. We just have to hope for the best until then.”

Paul didn’t miss the anguished expression in Andrew’s eyes, “Andrew?”

The angel stared out the window at the raging snowstorm, “My girl’s out there.”

“Monica?”

The angel nodded his head sadly, “I’m going to go and see if Jeff has found out anything.”

The two men watched him walk away and Cory turned to his friend, “Paul, keep an eye on him. We’ll do everything we can to find them, but we can’t have him going out there now. Not at night and not in this storm.”

x

“Monica, it’s so cold,” Sarah shivered and she inched closer to the fire, “And it’s so dark outside.”

Monica emitted a small sigh and then forced a smile, “I think Bailey and Pepper were keeping you quite warm while you slept.”

The little girl smiled at the two dogs, “Yes, they were. Bailey always takes care of me,” She fell silent for another moment before speaking up again, much more softly, “Monica, are we going to die out here?”

The angel’s eyes widened with the question, “No, Sarah, of course not!” She immediately felt slightly guilty about her words. She had no idea what God had planned, but she didn’t want to believe for a moment that part of His plan included taking a child away from her parents, “You know how Bailey takes care of you?” Seeing Sarah nod, she continued, “Well, there is someone else taking care of all of us: God.”

Sarah scrunched her face up in thought, “My friend, Heather, has told me a little bit about God. She goes to church every Sunday with her parents.”

“Your parents don’t take you?”

“No. Well, we went once for my Aunt Sheila’s wedding but that’s the only time I can remember,” A worried look came over her face, “Monica, if I don’t know who God is, why would he take care of me?”

“Because he knows who you are, wee Sarah,” Monica wrapped her arm around the girl’s small shoulders, “And he knows where we are right now and I’m guessing that as soon as this storm is over, he’ll make sure someone finds us.”

Sarah thought this over and was then interrupted by a little yawn, “Do you s’pose you could tell me more about God tomorrow?”

The little angel smiled, “I’m sure I can, wee Sarah. Are you hungry?”

“No, just sleepy,” The girl replied as she curled up on the ground in front of the fire. Bailey immediately moved closer to her and laid down as well, his body pressed firmly up against his master as if sensing she needed his warmth, “G’night, Monica.”

“Good night, Sarah.”

The Irish angel gazed at the fire as she said a silent prayer that she would be able to stay awake to keep the fire going. She was tired and her head was pounding badly, but Monica also knew that she should stay awake in the event she had a concussion. Falling asleep was simply not an option.

She wondered what Andrew was doing and if he knew she was missing by now. She had a feeling he did and she worried he would try to search for her in this storm. Monica hoped that wasn’t the case because as tired and hurting as she felt, she didn’t want Andrew placed in any danger.

She was in enough for both of them.

Chapter 6

Andrew paced heavily from one side to another in the lodge's hall, his green eyes fixed on the windows, watching the snow storm that was falling down outside. It was possible to tell how anguished and nervous he was feeling judging by the way he clenched his fists together. He breathed heavily, praying in silence for the little girl's life and begging God not to let Monica suffer as much as she did a while ago, when he was forced to take her Home.

The blond angel finally stopped in front of the window and sighed deeply, staring at the mountains. They stood a bit distant from the resort and right at that very moment, he loathed to imagine what the temperature in them could be. Besides, an extra thought made his heart race with panic: the avalanche on that same afternoon had been somewhere around them. What if Monica and Sarah were close to it? What if the snow had hit them in full force, not allowing them to move from where they were?

"Angel... please, hang on in there, will you? I need you here with me..." he murmured, remembering his last words to her - harsh words spoken without thinking, and which he would regret for as long as he existed.

“But if something happens, Angel, you may not be qualified to help her!"

They kept on echoing in his mind, along with all the worry caused by her disappearance.

"I'm so sorry, baby... I'll make it up for you, I promise... I'll find you and Sarah... I'll give up my own existence if I have to..."

Suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine as if his very soul had been taken by a deep cold. And he knew the cause for that: somewhere over those high mountains, his soul mate was suffering, which was enough to make him suffer twice. "Monica... Oh, Father, please, forgive me but I don't know what else to do... I have to go to her... Please help me..." Raising his eyes up to the dark clouded sky, the angel offered his prayers and then left the hall.

X

Inside his apartment, Andrew prepared a backpack containing a kit with first aid material, water, food and a warm blanket. On his face, a tense, anguished expression: somewhere out there, his Monica and a seven-year-old little girl needed help, and they needed to be found before it was too late.

The chief of the ski patrollers had ordered them to remain in the lodge, as a rescue mission at that very moment would only put the whole team at risk, and they might die trying to save Monica and Sarah. The blond angel knew he couldn't count on them to help him now. Besides, Andrew hadn't received any word from his loving Father, and these facts only offered him one only choice: go after them by himself, as remaining in the lodge was driving him crazy every second.

He zipped the backpack and placed it over his shoulders. Wearing heavy clothes to protect him from the cold and the snow, Andrew left his bedroom and took the elevator. It was past 10 in the night, and at that time, due to the snow storm, most of the guests were already in their rooms. Nobody would notice his absence until the following morning.

The elevator finally stopped on the ground floor and Andrew crossed the empty hall with quick steps. But, before he could reach the front doors, a voice broke the silence.

"I knew you'd end up doing something stupid, Andrew!"

The blond angel turned around and saw Edward, the chief of the ski patrollers. Cory and Jeff were together with him, and they were ready to do anything in order to stop him from going outside.

X

Monica rubbed her hands and straightened her coat around her body, in an attempt to at least have the illusion that she was feeling warmer. She spent the night alternating between watching over little Sarah, who slept warmed up by Bailey and Pepper, and praying. Her human form was feeling the effects of the exposition to that kind of weather. Sometimes, it was difficult to stay awake, but she couldn't afford not even a slight nap - that would be fatal to all of them. She was hungry too. A package of cookies, along with two sandwiches and two apples, were the only food they had, and they had to go to Sarah. To the Irish angel, all that was left was to wait for help to come.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, Monica watched as, little by little, the day got clearer outside the small cave, even though the storm and the howling wind kept on in playing a dramatic melody, increasing her anguish. She sighed deeply, as a lonely tear rolled down her cheek. Imagining what Andrew could be doing at that very moment, she frowned with concern and felt terrible. He certainly was angry at her. He had advised her not to go outside the lodge, he had warned her that an emergency situation could happen and she wouldn't be prepared to face it. Andrew was right.

At least in part.

Even though she hadn't been able to avoid the accident that had trapped both her and Sarah, the Irish angel would be the little girl's guardian angel, protecting her from the cold and standing by her side until they were found. That was her assignment in the first place, and that was what she would do, no matter what. She was a servant of God before anything else, and would honor her nature.

"Monica?"

Sarah's voice took her out of her reverie, and the angel managed a short smile, "Hullo, wee Sarah. Good morning..."

"G'morning..." she replied, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's past seven already, and you should have your breakfast." She informed, taking the package of cookies and offering her its content. The little girl moved to sit closer to her and grabbed three cookies. Eating one of them, she eyed her protector with curiosity.

"Aren't you eating too?"

"Oh, no... I... I'll wait for the rescue team to come, they will certainly bring more food..."

"But mommy says if we don't eat we get weak..."

"Oh, and she's right, sweetheart. That's why I want you to keep these cookies. I guess it'll take some more time than I thought for the ski patrollers to come to us, you know, because of the storm. So you need to be strong until they get here."

The little girl sighed with some disappointment. Even though she was still a child, she knew their situation was serious, and that if help didn't come soon, she, Monica and the dogs wouldn't manage to survive there for a long time.

"Is Andrew coming to save you?"

Once again, Monica forced a slight smile and caressed her curly blond hair, "I don't know. Maybe he has to be some place else other than here... maybe that's what God wanted."

"But... if God is as good as you say, he would want you and Andrew together... I know he's very worried about you... like my mom and dad are about me."

"Sometimes things are more complicated that what they seem, Sarah... Maybe God's plan was to make me stay here with you because you need me more than Andrew does..." the slight smile on her face faded away, and she looked outside in an attempt to hide the tears that were lingering in the corner of her sad eyes.

"You told me you'd tell me more about God... Could you, please?"

X

Andrew watched as the snow kept on falling outside through the window of his apartment. His superior had forbidden to go outside, and took away his bag and all the equipment he was carrying with him. Besides, he had been warned that if he tried that again he'd be permanently out of the rescue team that would look for Monica and Sarah once the storm was over.

Despite his angelic nature, he felt angry. At his co-workers, at all the events that had led to that very moment, even at the weather. But most importantly, Andrew felt angry at himself, both for hurting Monica's feelings, and for not being able to go to her when she most needed him. If the worst happened, he would blame himself for the rest of the eternity.

He spent the night awake, looking through the hotel window and watching as the snow storm didn't show any sign to be ceasing. Much on the contrary: judging by the intense wind that bent the pine trees almost to the point of breaking, he was under the impression that it was getting worse every minute.

"Angel... if I lose you... then I lose everything..." he murmured, placing the palm of his hand against the window glass and feeling tears in the corner of his eyes.

Hearing a knock at the door, Andrew felt his heart seize in panic. Who could be at his door so early and would that person be the one bearing terrible news about Monica and Sarah? He wasn’t sure he could bear it. Opening the door to come face to face with Paul didn’t do much to alleviate his fears either.

“Andrew, it’s okay, buddy,” The man could easily read the fear in his co-worker’s eyes, “I don’t have any news. I just wanted to see how you’re holding up.”

Andrew’s shoulders sagged with a tiny bit of relief. At least the worst was not about to happen, “I dunno, Paul. It looks so bad out there and I can’t help but wonder…” He shook his head, unable to say the words.

The man placed a hand on the angel’s shoulder, “I know, but we just keep thinking good thoughts. Let’s not borrow trouble.”

“I should be out there looking for her, Paul. I should be out there looking for both of them.”

“No, Andrew, not yet. You go out there now and you’re going to wind up in every bit as much trouble as Monica and Sarah are in right now and the last thing I want to have to do is to find this special girl of yours and tell her that you are missing,” He gave Andrew a pointed look and raised an eyebrow.

The angel ran a hand over his face tiredly, “I know, it’s just so difficult to just sit here and it seems to be getting worse outside! When I think of them being out there in this storm, in these temperatures, it nearly kills me, Paul!”

“I know,” Paul walked over the coffee maker on the counter and filled the pot up with water, “There’s good news and bad news, Andrew. The good news is that this storm is supposed to taper off sometime tonight,” Measuring out the coffee grounds, he poured them into the filter and then started the machine. It didn’t take long for the smell of the rich, warm liquid to start filling the room, “The bad news is that the temperatures out there are dropping.”

Andrew listened to the words as the smell of the brewing coffee invaded his senses. The temperatures outside were dropping and he could only think about how desperately his beloved angel would love a cup of her favorite drink right about now.

The sound of his fist banging against the wall startled both of them and Paul immediately approached the angel and laid firm hands on his shoulders, clearly seeing the torment in Andrew’s green eyes, “Listen to me. I’ve been doing this job for a couple of years now and I have seen many people survive situations exactly like this one. It’s happened, so don’t you dare give up.”

“We won’t be able to look for them for another twenty-four hours,
Paul! How are they supposed to survive out there in this?”

“That’s where believing in someone higher than ourselves comes in, Andrew.”

The words felt like a slap in the face. Of course, Paul was right; God was taking care of Monica and Sarah and he knew that. But still, human bodies could fall prey to human conditions, such as cold or pain and it was that piece of it he was having so much trouble with at the moment, “I know…it’s just that…yesterday, Monica and I had an argument. The last words I said to her, hurt her feelings, though I never intended them to. I just…I don’t know what she’s thinking right now and there is nothing I can do right now to make things right.”

“Maybe not, but there are things you can do for her in general. What you’re going to do is have a cup of coffee and then you and I are going to grab breakfast and check for any updates on the storm or on Monica and Sarah. Then you are going to get some sleep. You look like hell, buddy and you need to be alert and in good condition tomorrow morning so we can go and find them.” Paul had only known Andrew for a few short weeks, but he already knew that the guy had a compassion for helping people. The two of them had been on several rescue missions together and Paul had found Andrew to be thorough and safety oriented; both with the rest of the rescuers as well as with those he was rescuing.

Andrew nodded his head, knowing Paul’s words made sense. He couldn’t be food and sleep deprived and still help his angel, especially as he had no idea what kind of condition he’d find her in when he did find her. Right now, he just had to trust that God would keep her alive.

Chapter 7

The day passed with agonizing slowness for the Irish angel as she and Sarah huddled close together in front of the fire. The storm continued to rage as freezing cold winds picked up, occasionally blowing some of the falling snow into their small shelter. Bailey had been particularly restless during the afternoon, as if torn as to whether he should stay with his young master or race out to find help. Monica was glad he stayed as he provided Sarah with both additional warmth and with the comfort of knowing her best buddy was by her side.

The angel wished the same was true for her.

Sarah had eaten half a sandwich and an apple for lunch and though she had been sure the girl would have liked to have eaten more, Monica had a feeling that Sarah understood how dire their situation was and that food needed to be rationed. So to alleviate her hunger, the child slept often, curling her small body close to the dogs, who remained with her like loyal guardians.

Though she was grateful that Sarah was resting, it also left Monica alone with her thoughts and her deep worries. She knew her ankle was swollen as she could feel the uncomfortable tightness in her boot and though she longed to alleviate the pressure, she knew better than to remove her boot. The swelling could very well prohibit her from getting the shoe on again and that would leave her susceptible to frostbite. The pain in her head had at least subdued somewhat; either that her or exhaustion was keeping her from feeling much of the pain.

She had never felt so tired in her existence and it was getting more and more difficult to remain awake and the fact that her human body didn’t have any fuel was not helping that situation. She figured it had been just over twenty-four hours since she’d had anything to eat or drink and she was beginning to feel the effects of it. There were moments that she felt light headed and almost dizzy, but she did her best to shake off the feeling. Besides, now she had a new concern.

Their supply of firewood was dwindling and Monica was praying that there would at least be enough left to make it through the night. The strong winds caused the fire to burn quicker as the flames ate up the wood at an almost alarming rate.

Staring at the small pile of wood that was left, the little angel’s vision blurred with frightened tears. Maybe Andrew had been right all along; maybe she couldn’t take care of Sarah. The storm didn’t show any sign of stopping and if they ran out of food and wood, there wouldn’t be anything more she could do to protect the little girl.

“Father, please, keep her safe,” Monica whispered as tears made their way down her cold cheeks, “I can’t do this without your help.”

x

By morning’s light, Monica felt worse than she had ever felt in her entire existence. Sarah was still sleeping, unaware of the angel’s struggles, or the fact that she had somehow managed to stay awake a second night in order to feed the fire.

But none of that mattered now.

She watched the last two logs burn on the fire, with tears in her eyes. Monica had already tried to walk to go outside in the now deep snow to try to find more wood, but her ankle and her exhausted, food deprived body would not stand for it. The snow was too deep and her ankle too painful and her strength was waning. Besides, even if her body would cooperate, the snow covered any loose branches or logs and branches on trees were high and wet, with no guarantee to burn if they could even reach them.

There was simply nothing left to do but pray, and even that was becoming more difficult as she was having trouble making sense of her own thoughts as her body struggled to grow accustomed to going without things it was not used to going without, such as food, sleep and warmth. She kept blinking to try to clear her mind, but it was working less and less frequently.

Looking over at Sarah, a new fear seized her as she realized Bailey was gone. When had the dog left and why hadn’t she noticed? He was part of Sarah’s insurance of warmth and comfort and now he was nowhere to be seen. Their supply of resources was getting lower by the minute.

All that was left in her coat pocket was a frozen half sandwich, which would be Sarah’s breakfast, and as the angel watched the last bits of wood burning to their completion, she lowered her head to her hands and softly cried.

x

Andrew awoke with a start, a terrible pain tearing through his chest that caused him to sit up from where he had fallen into a troubled sleep on the couch. At first, he was unsure of what was wrong with his human body, but then he realized the pain was not physical at all. No, it was coming from his heart…it was coming from Monica.

He pressed the palm of his hand against his heart, desperately trying to feel exactly what was happening, but it was more confusing than it had ever been before. A mixture of physical and emotional anguish was washing over him so quickly it was difficult for him to breathe. The emotions were wrapped up tightly, spinning incoherently like a tornado; fear, pain, exhaustion, hopelessness, confusion and others he couldn’t quite work out as they were coming at him rapid fire. But the sum of the pain brought him to his knees.

“Hold on, Angel,” Andrew uttered, blinking back tears, “Hold on, baby. I’m coming…I promise I am. Oh Father, keep her safe; keep them both safe.”

A heartbeat later, he was on his feet, throwing on warm clothing and grabbing the blankets and first aid pack he had assembled when he had first realized the little angel was missing. Bolting from his room, he ran two doors down and pounded loudly on the door. Amazingly, Paul opened the door before Andrew could knock again.

“It’s stopped snowing.” Andrew stated urgently.

“I know. I’m ready.”

The angel had not even noticed until now that his friend was already dressed and ready despite the fact that it was not yet even six thirty in the morning and a wave of thanks and appreciation flowed through him. God had placed a good man in his path.

X

Andrew's grief only increased once he and Paul crossed the lodge doors and were exposed to the temperature outside. It was freezing and a thick lay of snow covered the ground until the horizon. His thoughts were all in Monica and Sarah: how could have they survived to such conditions? As a ski patroller for the last few weeks, and most importantly, as an angel of death for so many centuries, he knew that the chances of finding a human being alive after such a terrible storm were remote.

He clenched his jaw with anguish, and it was Paul's voice who drew his attention back to where they were. "Do you have any idea of where they might started their walk?"

Frowning with permanent concern, the blond angel pointed out to the ski station. "There. Monica told me she would take Sarah to the ski station..." A deep sigh escaped him as he remembered her last words to him in the lodge corridor, two days earlier.

“I don’t always need you to protect me or my assignments, Andrew. I’m very capable of handling it alone, and I don’t need your consent to take Sarah outside or any place else for that matter. God is watching over us, even when you can’t.”

"... this was the last time we spoke..." he concluded, with pain and woe written all over his face.

"Then let's not waste time, buddy!" Paul started their walk, followed by a desolated angel of God, who was striving to recover his faith, buried under the heavy snow; shattered by the possibility of being torn apart from his soul mate.

X

Striving to keep her eyes open, Monica watched as the daylight shone inside the small cave where she and Sarah had found a shelter. Two days had passed since they were caught by a terrible snow storm and now that it was finally over, the little angel kept on asking herself how long until the ski patrollers found them. Wee Sarah was hungry, and ended up eating the remains of the only food they'd saved. The little girl was her priority now and she had promised herself that no matter what happened, she would keep the innocent child alive.

Sighing deeply, she felt her eyelids growing heavier every minute, and wondered what time it was. Being trapped in that small place, with no food or water, made her feel confused and lost. The angel turned into human felt her organism wouldn't resist for long.

"Monica? You're awake?" Sarah's voice seemed to bring her to her senses once again and she looked at the little girl with compassion, secretly begging God not to take her away from her parents.

"Yes, sweetheart..." she replied, gently caressing the girl's blond hair.

Sarah frowned with deep concern noticing how terribly pale her friend was, and tears soon threatened to fall from her sad blue eyes. "You're not leaving me, are you?"

Monica let out another tired sigh and searched for her little hand, "Oh, wee Sarah... What could have happened if I hadn't found you at the ski station some days ago?"

"I dunno... Maybe my mom and dad would still be out looking for me..." she replied, a crying voice that would break anyone's heart.

"Probably... But then I found you and we became friends and I was the one chosen to be by your side at this difficult moment... This is my mission, Sarah..."

"But you told me about God... You said He's good and that He's taking care of us! God cannot let you die, Monica!"

"Sweetie, God brought me to you so that you stay alive... That's why I'm here, and I promise I'll..." Monica's voice trailed off as she suddenly felt she was losing her conscience.

"Monica?" the panic in the little girl's voice was heartbreaking.

Gathering her last forces, Monica looked at her assignment's eyes. "Sarah... I want you to wait for help, okay? It'll come... I know that the ski patrollers will be here soon... and... I want you to use my coat to protect you from the cold... now that Bailey is gone, you'll need it..."

"But..."

"Shh... just do as I tell you, sweetie..." she gently admonished, and then her beautiful doe-like eyes closed. Monica had lost her senses, leaving a desperate little girl crying for her. Carefully, Sarah placed Monica's head on her lap and removed the strands of hair from her face. "Please, Monica, please, don't die..."

With tears rolling down her face, the little girl closed her eyes and put in practice the precious teachings the Irish angel had taught her during the time they were there. "Please, God, bring Monica back... She's my friend... She took care of me..."

X

"An avalanche, Andrew... It happened exactly here and that's probably what made them go farther away from the ski station..." Paul concluded, once he and Andrew arrived at the exact spot where Monica and Sarah were caught by the snow, two days earlier. The blond angel's heart was beating erratically in his chest: the snow lay was thick and he dreaded to imagine what happened to them at that very moment.

"Who can someone survive something like this, Paul?" he asked, frowning and running his hand over his blond hair. The more he walked along those white fields, the more his anguish increased - his own soul was frozen inside.

"Look!" Paul was pointing at something not far from them: a snow man, which was now partially destroyed.

They rushed towards the sculpture and Andrew had no doubt of who had built it up.

"They have been here, Paul!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, it was Monica who made it..." now desperately scanning the surroundings with his alert green eyes, he started to shout for his beloved angel, as if she would come out from behind some tree and call his name back, in the way no one else pronounced. "Monica!!! Monica!!! Please, answer to me!!!"

Paul turned the walkie talkie on and informed the other ski patrollers where they were and what they had found. There was a group looking for two skiers who had disappeared a while before the avalanche stroke, and when Paul turned the radio off he looked at his friend with concern written all over his face.

"What?" Andrew wanted to know, on the verge of despair.

"They... they found a body..."

Andrew's head was suddenly spinning and he prayed for that to be a part of a terrible nightmare.

Feeling his trembling legs, the blond angel repeated his co-worker's words. "A body?"

"Calm down, Andrew, they don't know if it's a woman, they've just located it..."

"Monica..." he whispered, his heart aching with the sadness he once knew, not accepting that it was happening all over again.

Paul placed his hands firmly over Andrew's shoulders, "Calm down, Andrew! I'll... I'll keep permanent contact with Jeff and the guys, they're far from here, it can't be Monica..."

But a sudden noise interrupted him and both turned their faces to see Bailey barking loudly and incessantly, trying to call their attention no matter what.

"Bailey..." the blond angel spoke, his hopes renewed in the blink of an eye, "... it's Sarah's dog!"

The two ski patrollers started a desperate run following the animal, who kept on barking and guiding them to the small cave partially hidden in the snow. There they found a crying little girl and an unconscious angel, who had remained firmly by her assignment's side, watching over her until she no longer could stand it.

"Monica... angel..." Andrew quickly knelt on the cold stone ground and carefully gathered his beloved Monica in his arms; emotion written all over his face. "... it's okay now, angel... you'll be alright... I'll take you away from here, sweetie... I'll... I'll take care of you, I promise... I'll make it up to you, angel..." he spoke, caressing her hair and kissing her forehead repeatedly.

"Her pulse is weak..." Paul said, checking her wrist.

"Monica didn't eat anything... she told me I'd eat all the food to be strong..." the little girl informed, rubbing her eyes and trying to wipe the sad tears that never ceased. Andrew and Paul looked at each other with great worry: she needed urgent care and the two started to work immediately.

Paul reached inside their bags for the blankets and first aid pack they had brought. Andrew quickly involved Monica's small form with a heavy quilt, and that's when he noticed another scary detail.

"She's hurt, Paul..." Monica's ankle was extremely swollen, and they feared it might be broken.

"I'll take care of you, angel... I promise you'll be alright..." the blond angel whispered in her ear, while Paul prepared the first aid material.

Chapter 8

The trip back to the lodge was slow but steady. Monica’s ankle had been stabilized and she was buckled into a rescue sled, which Andrew pulled, while Paul carried Sarah on his shoulders. Bailey and Pepper led the way and soon they had arrived at the lodge.

“Sarah!” Janet Connor’s voice cried out as she looked up and saw her little girl alive and being carried into the warmth.

“Mommy!” As Paul put the little girl down, she scampered into her mother’s waiting arms.

“Thank goodness you’re all right!” The woman’s tears were falling unashamedly as she held her daughter close. Only then did she see Andrew carrying Monica inside in his arms, “Andrew…”

“She’s alive,” Paul informed her quickly, “We have a doctor on staff here as the roads are not yet passable. Once he sees Monica, I’ll make sure he stops by to check Sarah over, but other than being hungry and cold, I think she is just fine, Mrs. Connor.”

“Where’s daddy?” Sarah asked worriedly.

“In our room, baby. He’s going to be so excited to know you are all right.” Janet hugged her daughter close once more.

“I am okay, mommy. Monica prayed to God and he made sure we were okay…but I think Bailey and Pepper are hungry.”

Though puzzled by what her daughter had said about God, Janet nodded her head, “Then let’s go to our room so we can feed them and so you can see daddy, then you can let us know all about Pepper.”

“And God, mom…I need to tell you about him too.”

x

Andrew held tightly to the little angel’s cold hand as he waited for Paul and Dr. Flannigan to arrive. Monica’s pale face terrified him as he knelt beside the bed, rubbing her arm and kissing her palm, willing her beautiful brown eyes to open.

“How’s she doing, buddy?”

Paul’s voice caused the angel’s head to jerk up and relief flooded him when he saw his friend and the doctor entering the room, “No change. She won’t wake up!”

“Be calm, Andrew,” The older doctor replied gently, “This young lady is cold, hungry and by the looks of her, exhausted.” He pushed a cart into the room that was laden with supplies, including several heated blankets, “Let’s get her warmed up.”

With the help of both Andrew and Paul, they soon had Monica’s body swaddled in the warm blankets. Though she still didn’t open her eyes, even knowing she was warm helped to calm Andrew somewhat. His guarded eyes watched as Dr. Flannigan checked her pulse and listened to her heart.

“I’m not seeing signs of hypothermia,” The doctor looked surprised.

“There was evidence of a fire, but it seems they may have run out of wood.” Paul offered and by the confused look on Andrew’s face, he knew his friend had never even noticed the pile of ashes inside the cave.

“I’d venture to say that they recently ran out of that wood,” He replied, as he moved down to remove the angel’s boots. He could sense Andrew’s nervousness as he felt Monica’s ankle and gently moved it, “I don’t think it’s broken, Andrew but she should still have an x-ray to make certain, once we can get her to a hospital. But I’ll wrap it and if she soon starts feeling better, I have crutches to keep her off of it until we make sure there is no fracture.”

As the doctor wrapped Monica’s ankle, Andrew sat down next to her on the bed, his hand moving to tenderly stroke her cheek, “Please wake up, baby.”

“Andrew, clean off that gash on her head,” Dr. Flannigan requested as he handed the angel a medicated wipe, “I need to see how deep it is.”

“Gash?” Andrew gently brushed her bangs aside and for the first time saw the cut on her head. Having not known it was there before now served to only make him feel worse than he already did. Steeling himself, he delicately wiped at the dried blood on her forehead.

In response to his actions, Monica left out a soft moan that caused the blonde angel’s heart to leap to his throat.

“Angel? Wake up, sweetie. C’mon, baby, you can do it. Open those eyes for me,” He was desperate to see them, desperate to see the level of her pain instead of just guessing.

The moments seemed like hours before her eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened briefly, allowing Andrew to plainly see her confusion and exhaustion. Her eyes were the kind of red and glassy that could only be caused by sleep deprivation, but it didn’t matter in the moment. His Monica was awake.

“Baby?” His hand was back to resting against her cheek, “Are you warm enough, Angel? Does anything hurt?” He was desperate to say how sorry he was, but it would have to wait; caring for her body was his first priority, then he could tend to her gentle heart.

“Tired…” Monica whispered hoarsely as her eyes began to slide shut once again.

“I know, Monica, but I need to know if you’re hurt anywhere else other than your ankle and your head.”

Dr. Flannigan finished dressing her ankle and then bandaged her head, surmising that it didn’t need sutures, “I sent Paul down to order her some warm liquids, Andrew. She needs fluids in her before she sleeps and dry clothes wouldn’t be a bad idea either. I’m going to check on my other patient and will be back later. Call if you need me.” He turned his attention back to Monica, “Are you having any other pain, Monica?”

She gave her head a tiny shake and then winced at the pain it caused her head. As she watched the doctor exchange another few words with Andrew and then leave, panic filled her, “Sarah? Sarah, please!”

Andrew was at her side again a moment later, gently calming her, “She’s fine, baby and with her parents. She was awake and chattering away as soon as she saw them. You kept her so safe, Angel…just so safe.”

At his words, foggy memories came back to her of hurtful words and she tried to make sense of them, but in her current state it was nearly impossible, “I’m so tired, Andrew…please…”

The tears that slid down her cheeks went straight to his heart. She looked exhausted, the dark circles beneath her eyes the only color on her otherwise pale face, “I know, sweetheart. But you need to eat something first and we need to get you out of these wet clothes. I’ll help you, baby.”

Monica looked absolutely helpless as Andrew wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders and being careful of her ankle, got her to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. As the blankets fell away, she immediately began to shiver, then due to feeling so weak and so tired, she leaned up against him and began to cry.

Andrew’s heart was pounding loudly as he tenderly gathered her into his arms, warming her with his body as he kissed the top of her head repeatedly. He could sense her weariness and her confusion and he hoped the soup arrived soon so he could allow her to sleep.

“I love you so much, Angel and I’m so glad you’re safe. If anything had happened to you, I don’t know what I’d of done.” He continued to whisper soothing words to comfort and calm her until her tears began to cease, “That’s my girl,” He whispered, kissing her forehead, “We need to get you out of these wet things, baby.”

Her hands trembled as she struggled to unzip her coat, but she was too weak to carry out the simplest of tasks. Her expression nearly undid him.

Andrew had no one to help him and he was loath to make her uncomfortable in any way. Touching her cheek once more, he looked into her bleary eyes, “Baby, do you trust me?”

Another tiny sob escaped her as Monica nodded her head. As quickly as he could and allowing her every bit of her modesty, Andrew helped her out of her wet clothing and into a warm flannel nightgown, before he wrapped a blanket around her once more and held her close.

Chapter 9

Andrew remained holding the little angel close to him, arms protectively wrapped around her small form like a loyal guardian. Caressing her hair, he kept on whispering loving words in her ear, in an attempt to keep her awake and to soothe her troubled soul. She was in pain and confused, and his fear was that she could pass out at any moment. The blond angel was about to grab a phone and order food himself, but before that he heard a soft knock on the door.

Paul returned with a hot soup and a bottle with hot chocolate, and sensing his co-worker wouldn't get away from his beloved girlfriend, the ski patroller placed the food in a tray and deposited it on the bedside table.

"Is there anything else you two need?" he asked, watching as Andrew gently made her lean against a pillow. Monica's eyes were closed and her pale face typical of someone who hadn't eaten for two entire days.

"Thanks, Paul... I'll see if she eats something, she must be starving..." Andrew spoke, and in his eyes it was possible to see all his worry and deep sadness.

"Dr. Flannigan will be back here later. And I'll be next door, buddy. If there's anything you need, you just have to call."

Andrew nodded his head, grateful for the friend that had appeared when he and Monica most needed. As Paul closed the door behind him, the blond angel cupped her face gently. "Angel... look at me..."

"Andrew..." Her sweet brown pools didn't have the usual sparkle that would always catch his gaze and transmit loving feelings straight to his heart. The little angel was so defenceless, so fragile that it made his heart ache with sadness. Andrew wished he could trade places with her so that she didn't have to suffer so much. He wished to gather her in his arms and take her Home, where no harm would ever touch her.

"Do you think you could eat a little? Please?"

Monica didn't have the strength to speak. Slowly, she let out a sigh and nodded her head.

He held a spoonful with food and took it to her lips, and was broken hearted when he noticed how hungry she was. Even though her movements were slow and she seemed to be about to faint at any moment, Monica gladly accepted the hot soup that, little by little, her dearest friend offered her.

"Thank you..." she managed to whisper, once she had finished. Andrew placed the almost empty dish on the bedside table and wiped her lips with a napkin.

"Is there anything else you want? Paul brought hot chocolate but I could phone the room service and ask them to bring you something else, I-"

"No... thank you, Andrew..."

With sadness all over his face, he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, "You have absolutely nothing to thank me for, angel..."

She looked deep inside his sad green pools and saw all his regret and sorrow. Slowly, he traced a line along her jaw and then tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Do you know how I felt when I found out you were missing?” he spoke, with his voice hoarse with emotion, "I felt like my whole world had gone, Monica. I was so afraid that you might get hurt, or-or...” He frowned. “I prayed so hard to find you, and God answered my prayer. He led me to you, and I was so relieved to find you.”

"Andrew, I-"

"No... shh..." he gently pressed his index finger against her lips, "I know we have many things to discuss, but nothing is more important now than your recovering, baby. And in order to recover, you need to rest as much as you can. Everything else can wait."

Monica gazed at him for a long moment as a tear rolled down her cheek. Tenderly, Andrew reached up and wiped it away with his thumb. "I love you..." he finally whispered, and then moved to lay a tender kiss on her forehead.

The blond angel helped her to lie down in bed and then moved to lie next to her. With infinite care, he held her close to him and quietly and slowly, the little Irish angel inched closer, abandoning her pillow and resting her head over his strong chest.

"Rest now, my little angel... I'll be here all the time, I promise, baby. I'll take care of you." He kissed the top of her head. "You're my everything."

Monica could still hear his loving words whispered into her ear, and moments later, fell into a deep sleep. The blond angel, on the other hand, remained awake, watching over her like the eternal protector that would always be by her side, ready to give up his own existence for her.

X

Monica remained asleep for nearly the entire day. The angel in human form only awoke with Andrew's gentle voice whispering in her ear that it was time for another meal, but she was so exhausted that he doubted she would ever remember what she ate. Dr. Flannigan visited her two more times: during the afternoon and at night. He checked the gash on her forehead, her swollen ankle and other minor injuries, and verified her temperature.

Without any changes in her condition, he just explained Andrew the right time for her to take the medicines, and left, promising to come back during the morning.

"But if you need, just call me, okay son? That young lady requires full attention as it's risky to treat her here and not in a hospital."

"She'll have all my attention, doctor, I won't take my eyes away from her for a second..." the blond angel spoke, permanently holding her hand. With fierce protectiveness, he looked down at her asleep form and caressed her hair, "... she's my life..."

Smiling at the evident love and protection he could see in his eyes, Dr Flannigan took his briefcase and rose to his feet. "I'm under the impression that Monica is in very good hands. Have a good night, Andrew."

"Good night, sir." The blond angel shook hands with the doctor and then closed the bedroom door. He had managed to eat a little in between Monica's naps, even though he wasn't hungry. Having his beloved angel so weak and fragile was devastating, and he couldn't wait for the time when those soft brown eyes would open and a meek smile would form on her face.

x

Like he had promised, Andrew didn't take his eyes away from Monica's asleep form. The soft light coming from the bedside table was the only source of light in the bedroom, and the silence inside it was absolute, but heavy. He wondered how long before he could take Monica to a hospital, and how she would react until then. He sighed deeply and checked his pocket watch, left on the bedside table: it was almost 1 AM.

A sudden moan broke the silence and the blond angel turned to look at Monica, frowning with concern at the expression of fear and pain on her meek face.

"Andrew... please... it's cold... Sarah... save Sarah... I mustn't sleep..."

The nightmare that was playing on her mind was terrifying, as she stirred in bed trying to reach an invisible point. Aware that every move caused her a terrible pain and only served to worsen her condition, Andrew gently squeezed the hold around her small form, and cupped her cheek. "Shh... angel, you're having a bad dream, baby... just a bad dream..."

"Wee Sarah is my assignment... I can't fail... Where is she? Father, please, forgive me... I failed... Andrew was right... I failed..."

Her words were like a punch right in his stomach and hurt terribly deep down his very soul. He had been the one to inflict all that guilt and fear, and all that distress he could see written on her face was a consequence of his harsh words to her three days before.

Andrew felt terrible. He could imagine the conflict in her mind during the time she stayed in the cave with Sarah. He knew how hard she was always trying to prove him, Tess and God that she was capable of doing her work as an angel. Saying that she might not be qualified to help her assignment in a dangerous situation not only broke her heart but also put her confidence in herself in check.

And he had been the one to do so.

"Angel... baby, please, wake up, honey... I'm here... you're safe here and Sarah is with her parents... you saved her, Monica! You saved her life, angel..." he spoke, watching as little by little, his beloved angel started to come to her senses. "You gave up your own self to keep that little girl alive, and I'm not surprised with that fact, as this is how you are... The wonderful, loving angel who I love so much... Sarah is alive because of you, baby..."

His soothing words slowly put her troubled heart at ease, and her voice turned into whispers, that ceased a while later. Brushing tiny loving kisses on her forehead, the blond angel noticed that she was sleeping again.

"Angel... I'm so sorry... So terribly sorry... But I promise I'll make it up to you... You have my word, baby."

A small murmur was a reply to his whispered voice.

"Andrew..."

"I'm here, angel... I'm here..." he was both surprised with the fact that she was speaking again, and certain that she was partially asleep.

"Stay with me... please..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, he tightened the hold on her a bit more and brushed his lips softly against hers. "I will always stay with you, baby."

Chapter 10

When Monica awoke much later that morning, she opened her eyes slightly, squinting against the soft sunlight that filtered in through the small parts in the mini-blind. Taking her own physical inventory, she decided she was still a wee bit tired, and her ankle still a wee bit sore, but other than that, she didn’t feel too badly.

Raising her dark eyes, they came to rest on Andrew’s sleeping face and emotion welled up inside of her so strongly, she had to look away for a moment. She loved him so desperately and he had hurt her so deeply. It was a lot for her to contend with.

Sensing the tiniest of movements in his arms, the blonde angel’s eyes opened and a tiny smile appeared on his lips at seeing her awake, “Good morning, angel.”

“G’morning,” She whispered in return, still feeling terribly emotional and not wanting him to see it just yet.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Andrew stroked the hair away from her face tenderly, “Are you feeling more rested? You slept for a long time.”

“I was very tired,” Monica offered meekly, “These human forms…they aren’t accustomed to going without rest…”

“No, they’re not,” He agreed, his heart aching at the way she avoided his gaze. She had been so terribly hurt by his thoughtless words and he didn’t want to waste another minute before making things right between them again.

“Angel, listen to me, please. What I said to you a few days ago, I didn’t mean it, baby. I just-.”

“Andrew, please,” Her doe like eyes finally met with his, “I…I can’t talk about this yet,” She hurriedly sat up, ignoring the protests of her still weary body. As he sat up to face her once more, she struggled to find the words, “I just can’t…I still feel too…raw.”

Miserably, Andrew watched the way her lower lip quivered and how she was blinking back tears, “Oh Monica,” He touched her cheek gently with his fingers, “I’m so sorry, baby.”

“I know,” Her voice trembled and the tears threatened to not be contained, “I know you are, but sorry doesn’t take away how afraid I was. I was trying so hard to keep Sarah alive and fed and warm and that was hard enough, but in the back of my mind…I kept hearing your words and I doubted I’d be able to keep her from dying,” There was no harshness nor bitterness to her words, only honest, painful truth, “I know I’m not as wise as you are and I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past, but, I just…it matters so much to me what you think and I just always thought you had faith in me…in my abilities, even though I fail sometimes…”

When she faltered and the tears pushed forward, Andrew felt as if he could no longer breathe. He could not have imagined the depth of her pain because of what he had said but here she was showing it to him. He had never felt so angry with himself. Her confidence had been so fragile since Jim and though she had taken three steps forward since that time, he had been the one to push her back two of them. Realizing she was speaking again, his own eyes clouded at her words.

“I just…I guess I wanted you to be proud of me and somehow…somehow, I messed that up--.”

“No,” Andrew was already shaking his head as he took her face firmly in his hands, “Baby, you didn’t. Listen to me, please. This was my fault and I’ll tell you why,” Seeing her start to protest, he swiped at her rapidly falling tears, “Yes, it was. Angel, that first night you came here, the night you met Sarah, remember you kept asking me what was wrong? Remember? Sweetheart, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to ruin our time together, but the fact was that there had been several accidents since I’ve been up here. People have died and I’d just had this feeling, this horrible feeling that something terrible was going to happen again. Had I just told you that, everything would have been different, but instead when you told me you were assigned to Sarah, I panicked. I didn’t want anything to happen to you and there just wasn’t time to explain it all then.”

A tiny sob escaped her, “You should have made time,” Monica cried out softly, even has her hands moved up to rest over his that were still on her face, “Andrew, I needed to understand, don’t you see? Do you realize how I felt being out there, thinking that you…” She was unable to continue and a heartbeat later, Andrew had tugged her into his arms where she wept bitter tears against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered over and over against her hair as he rocked her gently in his arms, “My sweet little angel, I’m so sorry.”

She cried until she was exhausted and then she just remained nestled in his arms. Despite the pain he had caused, this was still the safest place she knew other than Home, but her dark eyes still held much sadness over all that had transpired.

They remained in silence for several long moments before Andrew cleared his throat, “We have to see if the roads are clear, Angel. We need to get you to a hospital.”

“No, Andrew, I’m fine,” She murmured, tightening her hold on him, unable to bear being anyplace where she couldn’t remain in his arms and she so didn’t want to go back outside in the cold so soon after her ordeal.

“Baby, we need to have you checked out and we need to have your ankle x-rayed to make sure it isn’t broken.” He kissed the top of her head to reassure her, though he could still sense some tension between them.

“But I don’t think it is. I was walking on it after it happened-.”

Cupping her chin, he forced her gaze, “Monica, please. I have to know that you are okay.”

The pleading in his green eyes was impossible to ignore and with a small sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that she needed to go to the hospital, “Okay. If you want me to go, I’ll go.” Her eyes hardened slightly as they met squarely with his, “But we aren’t finished talking. I have more to say, but I think I need a little bit of time first.”

His thumb grazed over her chin as he nodded his head, “You take all the time you need, baby and when you’re ready I’m ready to listen. Just please know how sorry I am.”

“Ah Andrew, you know I know that,” She replied softly, the love she felt for him breaking through the sorrow in her eyes. No matter how upset she was, or how let down she felt, she could never allow him to think that she didn’t love him; not when she loved him more than she could ever have imagined possible.

“Thank you for knowing that, Monica, because it’s the truth,” Reaching out, he took her hands as his eyes looked her up and down as if making certain she was all right, “Do you think you can eat before we get ready to leave?”

“Yes. I’m a wee bit hungry actually.”

That was all it took for him to pick up the telephone beside the bed to order her something hot for breakfast and at her silent urging, something for himself as well. While they waited for the food to arrive, Andrew made sure Monica rested quietly in bed and once breakfast did arrive, they ate together, making small conversation as Monica inquired as to how Sarah was doing and Andrew told her what he knew, but always assuring her that the child was safe and well.

Once Andrew had cleared away the breakfast dishes, he sighed softly, knowing she didn’t want to go the hospital, but he had already checked and the roads were indeed passable now.

Seeing him looking at her, Monica bit the inside of her lip thoughtfully as she looked up at him and then down at her bandaged ankle, “I know we have to go, but I’d really like to get a shower first.”

Chapter 11

Andrew started to make their bags so that they left to hospital as soon as possible. He had noticed that one of his drawers, previously empty, had been filled with some lady's clothes. The blond angel smiled and sent a silent prayer of thanks, grateful for the divine intervention. As he finished his task, Andrew frowned, noticing that Monica was taking too long in the shower. He knew her movements were even slower due to the crutches she had to use, and her ankle and entire body ached terribly, but he couldn't help knocking on the door.

"Monica? Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes... I'm just finishing, Andrew..." she replied, and sighing deeply, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood by the bathroom door, like a guardian, waiting for her to get out.

As soon as the door flung open and she appeared, wrapped up in a comfortable warm robe and with her hair wet, he relaxed. With the help of the crutches, and keeping her foot away from the floor, she eyed him with curiosity and he offered a slight smile. "I... I was waiting for you..." He spoke, immediately wrapping a supportive arm around her waist so that she could walk over up to the bed.

For a moment, Monica returned to her usual cheerful behavior and smiled too - more to herself than to him, as she was secretly finding his embarrassment extremely adorable.

"I've just packed our bags, angel. When you're ready, please let me know, okay? I'll be standing right here on the corridor."

He bent his head and kissed the top of her head tenderly. Even though things were a little bit shaken up between them, he had the need to show her how deep his love was, and promised to erase the sadness he'd inflicted in her little heart.

Monica watched him leave and sighed, feeling the great sensation of guilt in his very soul.

The trip to the city hospital was a quiet one for both angels. Due to the medication Dr Flannigan had prescribed her, Monica spent most part of the trip dozing into a light sleep. Sometimes she would open her eyes and look through the window a bit confusedly, but once she knew where she was, the little angel returned to her place in Andrew's arms. Almost unconsciously, she was leaning on his loving embrace, and resting her head on his shoulder. No words were spoken but he kept on with his arms protectively wrapped around her, praying that the weakness he could feel flowing from her body and soul were healed soon, as it ached right in his heart as well.

They arrived at the hospital by 4 PM and Monica was immediately placed in a wheelchair and taken to do some exams. As the doctors suspected, she had broken her ankle and her condition required permanent care. She was admitted and taken to the forth floor. When Andrew was finally allowed to go to her, she was fast asleep already, and the blond angel approached the bed very carefully not to wake her up.

Sighing deeply, Andrew gently stroked her pale face, still feeling terribly guilty for what had happened. He bent down and lay a feather light kiss on her forehead. Then he pulled a chair and sat down beside the bed, holding Monica's hand, praying for her recovery and wishing that someday she would forgive him for one more silly mistake. He'd hurt her feelings so many times already that he wondered if he was really deserving of her love.

X

Andrew remained by Monica's side for the entire night, never moving his eyes away from her sleeping form, like the loyal guardian of a precious treasure. The morning sunrays were already shining through the window when a soft moan made him rise to his feet and he studied the Irish angel's face carefully.

"Angel? Are you in any pain?" he wanted to know, as she moved her head. Her eyes flickered open slowly and she eyed him.

"I'm... thirsty..."

He helped her to sit up in bed and placed a pillow against her back to make her more comfortable. Then, he quickly grabbed a cup and filled it with water. "Here..."

"Thank you." She replied, and once he placed the empty cup back on the bedside table, the blond angel sat down at the edge of her bed and reached out to cup her face.

"Are you feeling any pain? Are you hungry?" He wanted to know, worry so visible on his face that she felt sorry for him. Andrew might have made a mistake, but she knew how much he suffered during the time she was missing. And he was still suffering right now.

"I'm just a bit sore..." she covered his hand with her much smaller one and tilted her head, "But I'm so grateful you're here..."

His smile was a bittersweet one, and he frowned at the multitude of feelings inside his heart. He took her hand to his lips. "So am I, angel."

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Andrew opened it a second later and a smile finally appeared on Monica's face once she saw Tess, Sarah and Mr and Mrs Cooper.

"Sarah! Tess!"

"Monica!" the little girl yelled, as she rushed to the bed holding a small bouquet of delicate flowers. Once she wrapped her little arms around Monica's neck, the angel felt tears of happiness in the corner of her eyes. "Oh, wee Sarah... I'm so happy to see you again, sweetie!"

"I missed you, Monica!" the little girl replied, eyeing her very closely, and frowning a little despite her smile, "Will you be alright?" she wanted to know, observing Monica's injuries.

"Oh, I'm am alright already, Sarah. Just seeing you here and knowing that you're fine makes me feel wonderful." She said, stroking the girl's pink cheek.

"And yesterday she wouldn't stop asking her mom and dad to bring her to you!" the oldest angel spoke, also approaching the bed.

Monica turned to face her dear friend as some tears finally made her way down on her face. "Tess! It's so good to see you again..." she said, holding her hand as Tess bent down to kiss the top of her head, doing her best not to let anyone see how moved she was for finally meeting her angel girl again.

"God knows how much I prayed for this to happen, baby..."

"And He was listening all the time, right Monica?" the girl added, with her sparkling blue eyes filled with faith.

"Oh, yes, He was, sweetie."

Mr and Mrs Cooper exchanged a moving look and approached the bed as well. "There was a time when we wouldn't believe it could be possible... that a miracle could save someone's life, you know, Monica." Sarah's mother spoke, also with tears in her eyes, "But then... Thinking about how you stood by our daughter's side and how you sacrificed yourself for her, I cannot deny that God was with you all the time."

Mr Cooper lay his hand over his wife's shoulder. "When we heard about the snow storm and you and our Sarah were reported missing, we were so desperate that we didn't know what to do... Praying seemed... useless. But now, Monica, now we'll pray to God thanking for sending you to stay with our daughter."

Andrew stood away from the group that surrounded Monica's bed. Watching how much happiness their visit brought to the little angel's heart cheered him up as well. She was indeed a wonderful, amazing creature; the most noble and courageous soul he'd ever met and he felt so proud and so lost in admiration for her!

Yet, at the same time, Andrew felt so undeserving and so terribly bad about the pain he had unintentionally inflicted on her that the best thing at that very moment was to leave the bedroom. Those people had only met her a few days before but were already able to see how wonderful she was. Shame on him he wasn't.

X

"Very good, Pepper! You're so smart!" Sarah clapped her hands as the Saint Bernard puppy brought her a colourful rubber ball she had thrown not far from him. She had been playing outside the lodge with Bailey and Pepper for the last half hour, aware that soon she would have to say goodbye to the little dog, who would certainly grow to save people's life exactly the same way he had saved hers. It was her last weekend at the ski station. The events on those vacations had certainly changed her and her parents, who learned a lesson of hope, faith and trust in the God that they had ignored for years.

Like a "grown up boy", Bailey had been lazily lying on the ground, watching as his master played with their new little friend, but suddenly, something - or in that case, someone approaching the group made the dog rise to his feet and wag his tail as a welcoming sign.

The dog's movement called Sarah's attention and when she looked over her shoulder, her smile grew wider.

"Monica!"

"Hullo, wee Sarah!" the angel greeted. She was wearing warm white clothes and a white hat, and didn't look like the ill and injured lady whom she had visited a few days before.

The little girl rushed towards her, followed by the two dogs, and Monica knelt on the ground so to stay on their same level. "You healed!" she exclaimed, marvelled at Monica's glowing image, still unaware of her friend's true nature.

"Yes, I did. And I can see you, Bailey and Pepper look just fine yourselves, huh?" The angel smiled, ruffling the dogs' soft fur and happy to see the little girl playing around and with perfect health.

"Yeah, mom and dad are leaving tomorrow so we're enjoying the best we can here. But the other kids are kinda lazy, they didn't have breakfast yet so we decided we'd play here until somebody came along..." Sarah explained, and then an idea crossed her mind, "Oh, are you gonna stay with us too? We could go up to that cafeteria to buy chocolate and build up another snowman!"

Frowning a little, even though her smile remained, Monica reached up and stroked the girl's cheek, "Oh, wee Sarah, I'm afraid that won't be possible, you see. I'm leaving too. In fact I came here to say goodbye to you." She looked at the two dogs and added, "And to Bailey and Pepper as well!"

Sarah's little face fell at hearing that sad piece of news. "Really?"

"Yes..."

The little girl didn't think twice before wrapping her arms around the angel's neck in a tight embrace. "I'm gonna miss you, Monica!"

"I'm gonna miss you too, sweetheart..." she replied, equally moved, and returning that warm embrace.

When she pulled away, the girl had some tears in the corner of her eyes. "I'm a kid but I know you saved my life... I know that God sent you to me."

Monica let out a small laughter which was also a half sob. She tucked a curl of blond hair behind her ear and tried to smile. "You are a very intelligent little girl, you know, wee one." Watching as Sarah smiled pleased to hear that comment, she kept on talking. "Yes, God did send me to you, wee Sarah, because I'm His angel."

Her glow was intensified and Sarah's blue eyes were wide open with amazement, even though her smile remained. She was never afraid of the one angel that had been by her side, protecting her from the cold and the snow.

"An angel of God! So everything you told me when we were stuck in the cave, it was all true!"

"Oh, yes. I was especially sent to protect you during your stay here in this ski station. But now that my assignment here is done, God will continue to watch over you and guide your steps, wee one, so that no harm happens to you, and you have a life filled with much joy."

Smiling with emotion, the little girl held her tightly once again, "I'm so happy that God chose you to be my angel, Monica!"

Those words, spoken with the utmost sincerity and innocence typical of children, went straight to the Irish angel's heart, and for a multitude of different reasons.

"And I'm so honoured He sent me to you."

"If I pray to God, will I be able to see you again?" Sarah asked, once they pulled away.

"Oh, honey, when you pray God is always listening. He listens to all His children." Monica replied. "But I myself can answer to this one little prayer: from time to time I'll pay you a visit. Sometimes you won't see me, but I'll be watching over you from a distance. And some other times, we can build up a snowman together or you can tell me about your day at school."

"You promise?" Sarah's eyes were sparkling with hope.

"I do promise!" She held Sarah's little hand, "And I want you to know that you have a very special place in my heart, wee Sarah."

"You have a special place in my heart too, Monica!"

At that very moment, a white dove cooed and very close to them, drawing the little girl's attention. When she turned her eyes to Monica again, the angel was gone.

Chapter 12

When Monica reappeared, she was standing in a beautiful field at Home. Her dark eyes took in the rainbow of wild flowers that were growing all around her and as she inhaled deeply, their scent filled her senses and brought a little bit of peace to her heart. Turning around, she already knew who she would see.

Andrew looked more miserable than the little angel had ever remembered seeing him; hands stuffed into his pockets, and his head lowered sadly. It made her heart ache but yet they had to talk and they both knew it. That was why they were here.

“Walk with me?” Monica asked softly, as she held out her hand to him, squeezing gently as the Angel of Death slipped his hand into hers.

They walked in silence for a long time, each one able to feel the sadness that emulated from each other’s heart. Andrew wanted to throw himself down on the ground and beg her forgiveness, but he knew that was not what she wanted or needed.

Raising his eyes, he drank in the sight of her, long dress flowing around her legs, the sun glinting off her auburn hair as it blew gently against her lovely face, and the love he felt flowing from his heart was enough to make his breath catch in his throat. How could he love her so deeply and hurt her so thoughtlessly?

As they approached a beautiful, blue, crystalline stream, the two angels stopped walking and Monica pulled him to sit down with her on the wooden bench beneath the tallest oak tree. Shifting slightly to turn to face him, the little Irish angel took both of his hands into her own and looked up into his green eyes.

His shameful expression was once again in place, “Angel, please, I am so-.”

Her fingertips placed tenderly against his lips silenced him as Monica gathered her thoughts. She didn’t want to hurt him in any way, yet there were still things that needed to be said...things that had to be resolved before their relationship could go even a tiny step forward.

“Andrew,” Monica began softly, taking his other hand once more, “You know how deeply I love you and that will never, ever change. I need you the way I need air on earth and you are so much a part of me that sometimes I’m not even sure of where I end and you begin. This gift we have been given is so incredibly special and I don’t ever want anything to ruin it.”

“But I have, haven’t I?” Andrew asked sadly, seeing his own pain radiating from her doe like eyes.

“No, you haven’t ruined it and it isn’t just you,” She looked down at their joined hands and summoned all her courage, “With loving you so much, I’ve also realized that no one can hurt me so deeply or make me doubt myself so much,” Feeling a tremor go through him, her gaze quickly met with his once more, “I know it isn’t intentional, Andrew. I know that. I do. You only want to protect me but...when you do that, it is you I need to be protected from,” Tears sparkled in her eyes, seeing the great pain in his but she forced herself to continue, “When I told you how I felt about you, and you told me it was wrong instead of telling me that you felt the same way, I know you were just afraid and trying to protect both of us, but I spent the next six months not only thinking that I was never going to see you again, because I couldn’t change how I felt, but also doubting what kind of angel I was to have such feelings. Andrew, those six months, I felt like I had lost everything!”

“Monica, I’m so sorry. I hurt you so deeply,” His own sorrow momentarily forgotten, he reached up to touch her cheek reverently, “I never want to hurt you either.”

She closed her eyes and the tears that had been clinging to her dark lashes escaped, “But you do. In your need to protect me from certain truths, you hurt me. You make me doubt myself and all that I am, but you aren’t the only one at fault. Both times, I’ve walked away from you. On the beach that day, and in the lodge when you said those things and asked me to wait while you were on the phone, I walked away. I also have to wonder if there isn’t something inside of me that makes you feel the need to protect me. I don’t mean to come across as fragile and if I’m doing that--.”

“No, Angel, none of this is your fault. You walk away because you are hurt and you need to retreat. And as for the rest, that’s who you are and no one, especially me, should ever hurt you in the first place,” The words were spoken in earnest, as he knew how true they were. The little angel who had stolen his heart so long ago would never think of hurting someone, yet he had done it to her on more than one occasion. What else could she be expected to do when she was being caused pain, but to try to escape? Her heart was too tender to be expected to endure such harm.

The depth of that harm was shown to him now as her voice trembled, “I was so happy that morning to find out that I was going to be working with you. I had missed you so much...”

As a tiny sob escaped her, Andrew pulled her fiercely into his arms, blinking back his own tears at the agony he had caused her. There were not enough apologies in the universe to make this up to her, “Baby, I know. I know. I was so wrong to not be honest with you.”

Monica only cried softly for a moment before raising her head once more as he tenderly swiped at her tears, “I don’t know how to make you be honest with me, all the time, but I know that I can’t let this happen again either. It hurts too much, Andrew. I love you so much, I do, but...”

The color drained from his face as he cupped her cheek in his hand, “But what, Monica?”

She closed her eyes once more, savouring the tenderness of his touch, “But I think we need to spend a little bit of time apart. We need time to work this out; time to think.”

His hand abruptly dropped from her face and his expression hardened, “I understand.”

Monica shook her head adamantly, “No, you don’t. Listen to me, please,” She grabbed his hand in both of hers and held on tightly as her expression pleaded with him, “Don’t you see? When you say these things to me, I believe you, Andrew, because I trust you so much, all the time. Other than the Father, there is no one I trust more, but when you say these things to me and then take them back later, and say you didn’t mean them, it feels like...it feels like you lied to me in the worst possible way. In a way that has me doubting myself and my abilities. In a way that has me doubting my worth to you. I know it isn’t intentional, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less!”

Her liquid brown eyes held such desperation, but he could hardly bear what she was suggesting even if he could understand it. But yet, he supposed it was no more than he deserved for what he had put her through and he forced his expression to soften, “I understand, Angel and you are right to suggest this. I’m deeply ashamed of how I’ve treated the most precious thing in my existence. Monica, I’m not even sure if I deserve you.”

“Don’t say that. Please? Don’t even think it.”

“How can I not? I’ve hurt your trust in me...I’ve hurt your trust in yourself.” He wanted her to deny it, but her silence told him it was the truth.

“I always want to trust you,” she whispered.

“But right now, you can’t.” He finished for her miserably.

“Right now, I don’t completely trust me, Andrew and if I can’t do that, how can I trust myself about you?”

“I never meant to make you doubt yourself or me, Angel. Please know that.”

“I want to, but I need a little time. Please, can you give me that?” She could feel her heart breaking for even asking him, but she knew there was no other way. Her relationship with him had been damaged temporarily and a tiny part of her was still angry at the blow he had caused to her self confidence and that was something only she and God could work through right now.

Andrew swallowed against the tightness in his throat, “My little angel, you know there is nothing you could ever ask me for that I would not give you if it was within my power. Monica, just know how sorry I am and I will never stop praying for your trust in me to return.”

Not feeling as if he could hold himself together another moment, Andrew rose to his feet and managed a small smile, “Maybe this new relationship between us is something we just weren’t yet ready for, Monica, but I’ll be praying that one day soon I’ll be an angel who is worthy of your love.”

Her stomach twisted into a painful knot as Monica watched him walk away from her and for a moment she felt as if she could scarcely breathe. She was trembling all over and before he could get out of earshot, a small cry that contained his name escaped her lips. As the Angel of Death turned around, the Irish angel bolted from the bench and through the field to be caught up in his strong arms.

“I love you...don’t ever forget or think it isn’t true! Promise me!”

Andrew closed his eyes against the tears that threatened as he held her as tightly as he dared, “Never, Angel. I love you too, with all that I am and that will always be so.”

A moment later, he pulled away and looked down into her teary eyes, that were both conflicted and frightened, before their lips met in a tender kiss. A heartbeat later, the field was empty as if the two heavenly beings had never been there to begin with and all that remained were two white doves, who flew gracefully into the air together and then went their separate ways.

To be continued