"You are worthless, Stephanie! Do you hear me, girl? Worthless!" the man ranted, drawing his foot back as he towered above the trembling child who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. The toe of his boot caught Andrew squarely in the ribs and he drew in a sharp breath, wishing that the pain would pass much quicker than it was.

Stephanie continued to weep softly, not realizing that an angel of God was taking the bulk of this "punishment" for her. Her teary blue eyes gazed up at her father, her eyes holding nothing more than love and confusion in them,

"Please daddy, no more," She sobbed brokenly, her fingers making small fists as she tried to catch her breath from the blows she had felt earlier,

"Daddy, I love you so much! Please! I promise I’ll be good, I promise!"

Andrew closed his pain-filled green eyes, hearing the little girl’s words, and his heart broke for her. He knew he would never really understand why adult humans would ever raise a hand to hurt a child…their own child in this way. This little one was defenseless against this man, unable to take up for herself and not knowing enough about that fact that this was not "normal" to ask someone for help. The hardest part of knowing all of this, was knowing that once this attack was over, he would have to leave and pray that the next time himself or another angel would be there to spare little Stephanie’s life.

Unbeknownst to Andrew at that moment, his two dearest friends were in the room with him, watching the scene before them with tear-filled eyes. Monica wiped a tear from her cheek, as she tried to control the great sorrow she felt, both at this wee child’s life and at the fact that her best friend was taking the brutal beating for her. She knew how much Andrew loved children and knew that this had to be breaking his tender heart and she longed to wrap him up in the safety of her arms and stop the pain he had to be feeling.

"How could that man do this to daughter, Tess?" She asked, her Irish lilt thick from the emotions that were flowing through her at that moment.

"I wish I knew, baby," Tess replied gently, wincing as her Angel Boy took another hard blow that was meant for the little girl,

"Oh Father, please let this be over soon." She whispered softly.

A moment later, the attack stopped as quickly as it had begun, and Andrew, unseen by the father or Stephanie, rolled off of her, a small moan of pain escaping his lips.

"You are to stay in this room! You got that? No dinner for you tonight either!" The man snapped, before he turned and closed the door to her bedroom, locking it from the outside.

Stephanie stayed where she was on the floor, her grieving heart filled with anguish as she continued to cry,

"Daddy, I don’t understand…I love you…I love you…"

Finally regaining his composure, the gentle blond-haired angel moved to kneel beside of the child, his hand moving to stroke her silken blond hair. He watched with loving eyes as she looked up at him through red and swollen eyes, one of them already beginning to bruise from the first blow her father had inflicted. Andrew smiled gently, yet sadly as he moved to stroke her cheek,

"Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. I’m an angel and I was sent here to protect you while this happened to you."

"An angel?" She whispered, shakily rising to her knees as she peered up into his face, her eyes wide as she noticed the beautiful glow that surrounded him,

"Are you why I didn’t feel anything after awhile?"

"Yes, Stephanie, that’s exactly right, and I have a message for you, honey. It’s from your Father in heaven, who would never, ever hurt you. He wants you to know that he loves you, very much and that He’s sorry that this is happening to you."

"My daddy didn’t mean it," She whispered tearfully,

"Please tell God that he didn’t mean it. He loves me and he only does this for my own good."

Andrew felt tears fill his eyes at her words as he struggled to continue,

"This isn’t the way God intended your life to be, Stephanie, but He’s very proud of you and He wants you to trust in Him that one day, everything will all right. Can you do that for Him?"

She nodded her head as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, gently laying her down and covering her tired little body with a blanket, carefully tucking it around her.

"I don’t understand, Tess," Monica uttered, her dark eyes filled with anger at the one who had done this to this little one,

"How can she still love her father when he causes her so much pain? It’s all I can do to look at him and I’m an angel."

"It isn’t up to us to judge, Miss Wings," Tess began sternly, even though her own eyes held just a touch of anger at what Stephanie was going through.

"I can’t do that when it involved children, Tess! They are so defenseless!"

"But we have to, Monica," Andrew stated sadly as he walked over to his friends, Stephanie now sleeping soundly in her bed.

"Are you okay?" Monica asked, moving to hug him tightly, as Tess ran her fingers through his blond hair soothingly.

"I will be," He replied softly, returning her hug, before pulling away,

"She sure does love her father," his voice was thoughtful as he shook his head.

"I’ll never understand that," Monica sighed, her eyes and voice still holding a touch of anger,

"It doesn’t make any sense. How can she possibly love him?"

Tess was quiet for a moment, as if listening to something and a look of pain flashed in her eyes as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat and force back tears,

"Well, baby, it seems you’re going to find out the answers to those questions of yours."

No sooner had the words been said did Monica disappear from the room. Tess turned to Andrew, tears now streaking her mahogany cheeks.

"Tess!" Andrew cried out, looking more than a little alarmed,

"What is happening? Where is Monica?"

Staring at her "Angel Boy’s" shocked expression at Monica’s sudden disappearance, Tess let out a soft sigh as she closed her brown eyes, the tears making their way down her mahogany colored skin.

"Angel Boy…" The older angel softly whispered, opening her eyes again to look at Andrew’s puzzled face,

"Andrew…Monica’s been…"

"She’s been what, Tess?" Andrew demanded, looking around him to make sure he wasn’t imagining things, but soon finding he wasn’t and that he and his supervisor were still in little Stephanie’s bedroom and Monica was still nowhere to be seen, the young blonde angel turned back to his friend,

"What – what did God tell you?? I can see it in your eyes, Tess!"

Again closing her brown eyes, the other angel drew in a deep breath slowly and let it out, mentally preparing herself for the coming days, weeks and months. She knew that this was going to be hard, especially for her "Angel Babies". The two shared such a close bond that only best friends could and she knew that once Andrew knew the truth of where Monica was…it would slowly start to break her Babies’ heart.

"C’mon, Andrew," She spoke very softly, yet her voice was in control and she knew that the Father was in even more control of this situation, no matter how confusing it might be,

"I’ll tell you on the way, Baby."

Noting that her young friend didn’t respond, as his eyes were still wide and worried tears were starting to fill them, Tess reached an arm out and wrapped it tightly around his waist as the two angels suddenly disappeared from the little girl’s bedroom.

*****

"Uh…Tess? Why are we at a doctor’s office?? I thought – I thought we’d go see where Monica is!" Andrew cried out nervously as the two suddenly reappeared inside of a doctor’s examining room.

"Hang on to your halo, Angel Boy," Tess firmly replied as she led her Baby over to a nearby chair and told him to sit,

"You may want to sit down for this one, Andrew. I have this terrible feeling that you won’t take it easy…"

"Take WHAT easy, Tess? I’m worried about my best friend here! One minute she’s here and the next minute…she’s gone and you won’t tell me where!! Why can’t you tell me, Tess?" Andrew turned wild eyes towards his older friend, never blinking.

Placing a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down a bit, Tess looked back into his green eyes and spoke,

"She is here, Andrew…but not in the way that you might think. You’ll be getting your answer very, very soon, Angel Boy. Very soon indeed…You should know, though, that…it’s now tomorrow and you’ll be finding out where our Angel Girl is before you know it, Andrew."

As she spoke those words, however, the door to the room opened and a young doctor and a couple who both looked to be in their 30’s followed close behind and sat down in a chair the brown-haired female doctor suggested.

Listening closely to what the doctor started to say to the young couple before them, Andrew only grew more confused about Monica’s whereabouts by the minute. What did a doctor and young couples have to do with his best friend?? None of it made any sense to him…but he also knew that Tess had to have told him the truth and she would never lie. Period. And the Father knew what he was talking about when He had transported them to the next day and to this office…It just was very confusing right now for the younger angel.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hendrickson, I’ve got some good news for you," Doctor Phyllis Stephens’ voice broke into Andrew’s thoughts and he turned his attention back towards the humans in front of him and Tess,

"I know that this may suddenly be all too sudden for you; I can tell by the looks in your eyes. But Mrs. Hendrickson, you’re not sick. As a matter of fact, you’re pregnant."

Feeling Tess’ look at him, Andrew turned confused green eyes on his friend and frowned harder,

"Tess…This doesn’t make any sense to me! It doesn’t tell me where Monica is. Okay, so she’s pregnant. Where’s Monica, though??"

Once again feeling hot tears threaten her deep brown eyes, Tess placed loving hands on her "Angel Boy’s" shoulders and turned him all the way towards her until they were eye to eye,

"Andrew. Yes, she is pregnant. But do you know WHO she’s pregnant WITH, Baby?"

"No!" Andrew snapped, finally losing all of his patience with his supervisor. What did that question have to do with anything? Was she getting some kick out of watching him get more concerned by the minute? Didn’t she SEE that he was about to lose his mind with worry if he didn’t find his best friend or at least know where she was?

"Tess, why won’t you just tell me?!"

"Andrew, are you even listening to me?" Tess demanded, her eyes still locked on his,

"Baby, Carol Hendrickson is pregnant. And she’s pregnant with our Angel Girl."

Andrew felt as if the entire room was spinning as soon as Tess said those words. He felt his heart begin to pound loudly and he felt as though he had just had another good kick in the ribs from Stephanie’s father.

"What?" He uttered after a moment, his eyes flickering nervously between Tess and Carol Hendrickson,

"Did you just say-."

"Yes, baby, I did," Tess replied with a small sigh as she watched her Angel Boy worriedly.

"But why? I don’t understand-." He cried out, already having a sense of foreboding about this whole situation.

Sighing once more and trying to keep her own emotions in check, the older angel sat down beside of him and reached for his hand,

"Monica said she couldn’t understand how little Stephanie could love a father who hurt her as he did, baby, so now, or at least in a few years, she is going to gain that understanding. Sometimes the only way for an angel to understand human feelings is to experience them, Andrew."

"A few years?" He repeated, hardly able to fathom what had happened here, but slowly, the truth began to sink in and his green eyes moved back to the couple that was sitting in the doctor’s office. He immediately noticed that the man looked anything but happy at the news of his wife’s pregnancy.

"That’s Patrick, baby and he’s had a hard life. He hasn’t been in the states very long, having come over here from Ireland and with all the fighting that is going on in his home country, he has lost most of his family and it has left him with a lot of anger. He doesn’t feel that this world is a good place to bring children into, so he and Carol had an agreement that they would remain childless and as you can see, that has all changed now." Tess explained sadly.

"So…he’s going to be Monica’s…father?" He managed to choke out, his anguished eyes turning back to his former supervisor and friend. Seeing Tess nod her head, he rose shakily to his feet, completely unwilling to accept what had happened to his dearest friend,

"He’s going to be her father and he doesn’t even want her, Tess?" Against his will, he felt tears filling his eyes,

"No, Tess, there has to be another way!"

"We don’t make those decisions, baby and you know that," Tess replied patiently,

"Now I’m as worried about our Angel Girl as you are, but the Father is still in control of this situation and while you’re not taking this well, there are a few other things you should know." She watched as his panicked eyes continued to meet hers,

"Monica is going to have no recollection of who she was previously, nor is she going to remember you or I. She is going to be human in the truest sense of the word, baby."

Great pain filled the younger angel’s eyes at the thought of Monica not knowing him, as well as for the journey that had been set before her…before all of them,

"So I’m just supposed to stand by and watch all of this happen to her, Tess?"

"I know you’re first instinct is to protect her, baby and in part, you’ll be able to do this when the Father tells you to intervene. You’re going to become very important to our Angel Girl all over again, Andrew, in a few years as you once more become her best friend." Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she continued,

"You’re going to be her angel, baby."

Andrew sank wearily back down into the chair, and rested his head in his hands, trying to absorbed everything Tess had told him and it was almost more than his troubled mind could handle right now. Raising his head slowly, he gazed through tear-filled eyes at Patrick Henderickson once more,

"So, he’s going to hurt her, Tess?" He whispered brokenly.

"One day, baby, yes. He’s a man who is going to expect a lot from his child, Andrew, more than a five or six year old little girl can possibly give." Tess said softly, her own eyes tear-filled at knowing that little girl would be one that both she and Andrew loved with their whole hearts,

"And that’s why she is going to need you to be there for her. She’s going to be the same sweet, trusting soul that we’ve always known, baby and that is what is going to make this so very hard. But we have to remember to trust in God, Andrew, as His plan is always perfect and He knows that sometimes what it takes is the wisdom of a child to make someone like Patrick see the truth."

Andrew tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he continued to gaze at the young couple, who were now arguing quietly over how Carol had managed to get pregnant in the first place, now that the doctor had gone. Oh, how he wished his best friend had never questioned Stephanie’s love for her father, then Monica might not have to go through this. And a few YEARS, he thought miserably, feeling more than a little sorry for himself as well. It broke his heart to ever see a child hurt, and now, knowing that child was going to be a very human Monica, was almost more than he could bear.

"But at what cost, Tess?" He whispered, not looking into her eyes,

"At what cost?"

"Angel Boy, you know as well as I do that the Father has a plan and He knows what He’s doing, although we don’t yet," Tess tried to calm her friend down as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, although she was still trying to keep her own emotions in check,

"He’s taking care of Monica right now – "

"Well, right now I don’t believe that, Tess," Andrew whispered hoarsely, slowly disentangling his left hand from his supervisor’s gentle grip,

"Now if you’ll excuse me…"

Her mouth opening to say something else, the older angel’s jaw dropped instead as Andrew rose to his feet and headed for the door.

"Andrew! Where are you going?" She demanded, concern etched on her face,

"You can’t just leave right now when the assignment’s about to start – "

"I don’t know how I can be a part of this assignment, Tess," Andrew turned briefly to face his dear friend, eyes tear-filled,

"The Father will have to choose some other angel to take my place because I won’t be able to stand watching that man hurt Monica in the coming years…"

His voice cracking at the word "years", the angel turned away from Tess and before the other angel had a chance to object to his actions, he disappeared from her sight and out of the doctor’s office.

*****

Legs shaking as he walked towards the center of the grassy clearing, which was known as God’s Country, far from where he had left Tess alone in the doctor’s office, Andrew couldn’t take it anymore and fell to his knees on the green grass and lowered his head to the ground, tears filling his red-rimmed eyes all over again.

"Father…WHY?" He choked out miserably as he slowly raised his eyes to the heavens, anger starting to shine in them that God would allow Monica to go through this Hell and not stop it from happening. What would be the point of it??

"God…why must You do this to her? You know better than I do that that angel is my best friend in the world and…" His voice getting choked up, Andrew lowered his eyes to the ground once more and folded his hands in his lap, trying to keep his anger in check,

"And I can’t stand the thought of her going through this! Please…please take me off of this case. I know it’s just beginning, but – I don’t know how I’ll be able to handle this!! I’m going to have to witness my best friend being BORN as a human BABY and then will have to endure the suffering of an abusive father! God, WHY?!"

"That’s not for you to know why yet, Andrew."

Snapping his head up at the sound of the familiar voice he hadn’t heard since he was able to work with Tess and Monica again, the Search and Rescue angel turned wide eyes towards the soft voice of Rose. His former Search and Rescue supervisor.

"Rose? What are you – I mean…what – " Andrew stuttered, not moving from where he knelt on the grassy ground.

"I know what you’re trying to say, honey," Rose warmly said as she knelt down in front of her own former charge and took his hands into her own and rubbed his fingers with hers,

"You’re wondering why I’m here, correct?"

Watching as the younger angel nodded wearily, surprise at her sudden appearance still evident in his eyes, Rose gave her own head a little nod before continuing.

"I didn’t think that when I’d see you again, you’d be questioning the Creator’s plan, Andrew. Especially you, Angel Boy – "

"But look what He’s going to have happen to her! Rose – Monica…she’s my best friend and I can’t STAND this!" Andrew burst out, turning his head away to avoid meeting Rose’s soft eyes.

"I know how much you love her, Andrew, but you have to remember this: It’s not time for you to know what God has planned for Monica yet and the people who will be her parents. And also remember that every human being and angel have free will and Patrick will use that free will. That’s why you’re being sent there to be with your Angel Girl."

"But she won’t remember me, Rose…She won’t know who I am or who Tess is or – even that she is an ANGEL!" Andrew cried out, tears spilling over his eyes and down his pale cheeks,

"And will she even remember…I don’t know…"

"Oh she will, sweetheart," Rose soothed, releasing his hands and gently gathering her former charge into her strong arms, rocking him on the ground,

"The Father wouldn’t allow His little Irish angel to go the rest of her existence as a young child and be under the guidance of two human beings. You should know that, Angel Boy. And also, remember, Andrew: The Father wants you to be her angel when that time comes because He knows better than anyone how close you two are and this will only draw you two closer. Although He doesn’t want to see this happen to Monica – He never likes to see His children in pain, any of them, angels included – this has to happen for a reason that you’ll find out in the next few years as our Angel Girl grows up. You two will rebuild that beautiful friendship you have and it will only grow even more lovely, like a flower in a garden."

Silence followed the words of the older angel as she continued to hold him for a few more minutes. After still not receiving any response, except for soft sobs, from Andrew, Rose gently pulled back from the embrace and laid her elderly looking hands on his shoulders instead,

"You have to regain that trust in the Father, Andrew. You just have to. It’s the only way…and Monica IS going to need you. You, Andrew. Not me. But you – her best friend. Will you be able to do this for God and for her, Angel Boy?"

Watching as he slowly sucked in a deep breath and let it out just as slowly, Rose saw her young friend give his tangled, blonde head a weak nod as he closed his tear-filled green eyes. Nodding herself, the older Search and Rescue angel helped her former charge to his shaky feet and wrapped an arm gently around his waist, smiling supportively at him.

"Now, let’s get you back to that doctor’s office where Tess is, okay, honey? She’s been worried sick about you since you left…"

No more words spoken between the two old friends, Rose lovingly ushered Andrew along the grassy path, giving him an encouraging squeeze as she did, and the two angels disappeared from God’s Country.

And back towards Earth where the most difficult of all assignments was about to take place.

10 months later…

Tess hummed softly to herself as she worked on tidying up the nursery in the Hendrickson home, her eyes occasionally glancing into the crib to check on the infant that she knew was her Angel Girl. Knowing that feeding time was drawing near, she headed out of the room to go and warm the bottle that Carol had left for her in the refrigerator. Removing one of the bottles, Tess ran it under the tap, waiting for the hot water to warm the formula, before she headed back to the nursery, but she stopped short as she reached the door.

Andrew now stood in the room about a foot away from the crib, trying to peer inside without going any closer and Tess had to stifle a chuckle. She knew that the last several months had been hard for him, as he had diligently tried to accept what the Father had planned. On top of that, she only had to look into his green eyes to be able to see just how much he was missing his best friend, for even though they had been separated for the better part of 25 years awhile back; he hadn’t planned on ever facing another time like that.

Now though, even though he had not yet been called upon, it seemed his curiosity had gotten the better of him, even though it was obvious that he was more than a little nervous.

"She doesn’t bite, baby," Tess remarked softly as she entered the room, setting the bottle down on the small table beside of the rocking chair.

Andrew jumped, startled as he turned around to face her. Seeing Tess, he smiled sheepishly, though his eyes still held uncertainty,

"What are you doing here, Tess?" He asked curiously.

"Babysitting." She replied with a smile as she walked to Andrew to give him a reassuring hug,

"Carol and Patrick have gone out for the evening and as their new next door neighbor, I offered my services." Releasing her hold on him, she walked over to the crib and smiled, seeing that Monica was awake. Noticing that Andrew still hadn’t moved, she gestured with her hand for him to come closer,

"Come on, baby. It isn’t often that you get to see your best friend, who is really several hundred years old as a three month old baby."

Though he knew Tess was trying to put him at ease, Andrew now felt even more uncertain, but he ventured a few steps nearer and peered into the crib.

Baby Monica’s eyes lit up as she saw the newcomer and a smile spread over her face as she kicked excitedly, and he couldn’t help but to smile. Already, she had wispy locks of auburn hair and though he knew most babies had blue eyes for some time before they changed, Monica’s were still the same deep brown and he was relieved to know that at least some things hadn’t changed.

"I think she likes you, Angel Boy," Tess grinned widely, noticing that although he was still tense, he seemed to be relaxing a little. Leaning over, she gathered the baby into her arms, all the while speaking softly to her, before she offered her to Andrew. He looked as though he would decline the offer, but then he reached for her and with all the love in the world, took her into his arms.

Holding her closely to him, his finger moved to hesitantly touch her cheek and his eyes filled with wonder as she reached up and wrapped her tiny fingers around one of his. He glanced at Tess, his voice coming out in a whisper,

"It’s like she knows, Tess."

"I know, baby. I’ve noticed that too, but I’ve heard a lot of mothers say that they think their babies can see angels, so maybe somewhere in the back of her mind, she does know." She suppressed another smile as Andrew walked over to the chair and sat down.

Andrew rocked gently in the chair as he leaned down and gently kissed Monica’s forehead,

"I know this makes no sense to you, Angel Girl, but I sure have missed you." He uttered softly, before he picked up the bottle and offered it to her. As she latched onto the bottle, he turned his eyes back to Tess,

"So how have things been going here?"

"Well, good and bad," Tess remarked carefully,

"Carol is a wonderful mother and takes very good care of our girl. Patrick however, is another story."

Andrew’s eyes flashed anger momentarily, as his protective instincts kicked in immediately,

"Has he hurt her?"

"No, baby," Tess sighed softly as she sat down in the other chair opposite of Andrew,

"But only because she isn’t old enough to understand, but one day she will. He ignores her, Andrew. Patrick has yet to hold his daughter or speak to her and he refuses to do so, despite Carol’s attempts. She firmly believes that if would just take the time to get to know Monica, he’ll love her, but this path isn’t going to be that easy, I’m afraid."

Andrew shook his head sadly as his eyes returned to the infant in his arms,

"How could he NOT want to know her?" He remarked softly as he looked up at Tess once more,

"I wish I could say that I feel differently about this assignment than I did, Tess, but that would be a lie. I trust the Father, but I hate this. Maybe even more so now."

"What do you mean, Angel Boy?" Tess asked carefully.

He sighed softly, trying to arrange his thoughts about this whole confusing situation enough to be able to put them into words,

"I mean, I can look into her eyes, Tess and see that she is Monica. I wasn’t expecting that, I don’t think."

"Eyes are the mirror to the soul, baby and that baby’s soul belongs to our Angel Girl," She remarked.

"But she is defenseless, Tess. She can’t run and hide from this and…I can’t stop it from happening, no matter how much I want to. But I’m not sure if I’ll be able to control myself the first time her ‘father’ raises a hand to hurt her." Almost feeling ashamed of his anger at the human, he looked away once more.

"You’re going to have to remember, Andrew, that Monica isn’t going to need your anger, she’s going to need your love and if you are carrying that much anger around at Patrick, then baby, you are going to be no good for our Angel Girl, and then what? She is going to grow to trust you all over again, but this time with a child’s innocence and she will learn what she sees from you. If you answer anger with anger, baby and she learns that from you, things could get worse, much worse. Patrick is carrying around enough anger for everyone, and if his daughter responds to his anger with anger of her own…" Tess’ voice trailed off unable to fathom the repercussions if that were to happen,

"Do you get my drift, Angel Boy?"

Unable to answer his friend, Andrew gazed back down at baby Monica, who was beginning to drop off to sleep, her fingers toying with one of the buttons on his shirt, and he wondered once more how the three of them were ever going to get through this assignment…and what kind of shape they would be in once they did.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Monica! Happy birthday to you!"

The voices of Andrew, Tess and Carol rang out in the decorative kitchen as they gathered around 4-year old Monica. Patrick stood off to the side of the table, arms folded and a scowl on his face as he watched his wife and two neighbors singing to his daughter.

Four years had passed and late that July afternoon, the two angels were invited over by Carol Hendrickson to celebrate a very human Monica’s birthday party with her. Just a few days after Andrew had first seen Monica as a 3-month-old baby for the first time and held her tiny body in his arms, Tess had introduced her younger angelic friend to the Hendrickson’s…although it seemed as though Patrick didn’t want anything to do with either of them. As a matter of fact, every time Tess or Andrew came around, he either called his wife to tell them about their arrival or just flat out lied and told the two angels that he was just leaving. There was something about his neighbor and her friend that he just didn’t like…something that reminded him of his now 4-year old daughter.

Just several days earlier as Carol had invited those two over to their house to celebrate Monica’s birthday with them, the angry man had tried to pick a fight with his wife and order her that it should be just her and himself and no one else. He had seen the look of confusion on his wife’s tanned face, along with a look of hurt. It was so obvious that she liked the two angels, while Patrick just didn’t. Finally, after hours of arguing, the human gave in and told her to "do whatever she darned well pleased", but warned to not go all out for it.

But she went against his orders and "went all out" anyhow. All around the house, streamers, balloons, piles of presents for their daughter, along with vanilla cake and strawberry ice cream were set around just for this pathetic little inkling.

Well, she better appreciate it, he grumbled silently to himself as he glared harshly at young Monica. Because if she doesn’t…

"Very good, sweetheart!" Carol’s voice interrupted his thoughts as he turned back towards what was at hand. His wife and two neighbors were applauding after the young girl had just successfully blown out her four candles on her vanilla cake.

"I did it!" Monica’s high Irish voice rang out over the cheers around her as she looked over at Andrew, who was standing by her side, a smile spread across his face,

"Look, Andwew! I bwew out the candles!"

Placing his hands gently on his best friend’s fragile, small shoulders and patting them, Andrew fought back a few tears of both happiness and also concern as he was suddenly given a warning from the Father to look out for their "Angel Girl" in the upcoming minutes…Her need for him was coming nearer.

Gulping, the young, blonde angel never removed his hands from her shoulders as he watched Patrick unfold his arms and spoke up loudly, his voice snappy and angry,

"Okay, she blew out the candles. Let’s get this cake thing over with, shall we, Carol?"

"Patrick, please…" Carol pleaded as she held up a hand, blue eyes desperate,

"It’s her 4th birthday and blowing out her candles is something big for her. Remember, she wasn’t able to do them all last year – "

"So what? I just want to get it over with! Is that too much to ask for?" The angry husband demanded as he pulled the now blown out candles from the small cake and placed them on a napkin. Grabbing the cutting knife off of the kitchen table, he angrily started cutting into the vanilla cake that read, "Happy Birthday, Monica" and nonchalantly slapped a piece onto a plastic plate. Practically tossing it at his daughter at his side, he never turned to her as he continued cutting.

"Sweetheart, are you going to eat?" Andrew gently asked as he gently squeezed her shoulder, kneeling down beside her chair. Noticing that she never touched her cake, a look of sickness displayed on her fragile face, Andrew frowned worriedly,

"Monica, what’s wrong?"

"I don’t wike vanilla. Mommy, I don’t wike vanilla. Is there chocolate cake?" Monica asked in a worried voice, as if her question would just get everyone angry at her. Andrew heard her question and as he was just about to speak up, Patrick interrupted and his next action caught the angel totally off guard and it took everything in him to not punch this man straight in the jaw and knock him to the ground.

"Oh! You don’t like vanilla, huh, little Monica?! Well, why didn’t you TELL us that before we wasted our MONEY on you and got you a vanilla CAKE?!" Patrick shouted as he grabbed the plate of untouched vanilla cake out of Monica’s small hands, picked up the plastic fork and jabbed a piece of cake onto it. Shoving Andrew off to the side, the angry human, grabbed hold of Monica’s neck and jerked it backwards until her mouth was open.

"You’re going to EAT this cake, young lady! You hear me?" Patrick roared as he jammed the cake down her throat until his daughter started coughing and gagging,

"And don’t start coughing on me! You said you wanted cake and this is what you’re getting, Monica!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Andrew shoved himself in between a sobbing Monica and furious Patrick and placed a hand against the human’s buff chest, giving him a shove in return,

"Get your hands off of her!"

"You telling me how to handle my daughter, Andrew?" Patrick demanded as he glared at the angel furiously, who now turned towards Monica and was gathering her tightly into his arms as she sobbed quietly,

"As a matter of fact, you telling me what to do is none of your business – "

"Actually, it IS his business, buster!" Carol shouted loudly as she stormed over to her husband, Tess right behind her, a look on both of their faces that clearly read, "you don’t want to mess with me now".

"How DARE you do that to her? She’s my daughter, too, Patrick, and I’m not about to allow you to hurt her…even if it’s with cake! You could have choked our daughter and you didn’t even CARE!"

"Oh, chill out, Carol," Patrick snorted as he glared back at his wife with a challenging look in his eyes,

"She wouldn’t eat her cake, so I’m giving her what she deserves! Andrew has no business telling me how to handle my child and you should know that, too!"

Without bothering to wait for a response from either Carol or Andrew, who had gently taken Monica out of her chair and sat down with her in his lap, still holding tightly to her trembling form, Patrick stormed down the hallway and out the front door.

Lower lip trembling at the scenario that just occurred, Carol brought her hands up to her face, wiping away the tears that formed in her blue eyes. Turning towards Tess who was behind her, the human stuttered in a frightened voice,

"I’m sorry, Tess…I can’t stay down here. I’ll be upstairs if you or Andrew need my help with Monica…Again, I’m sorry…"

Her own eyes filling with tears as the woman made her way down the hall and up the stairs to the second floor, and then turning towards where her "Angel Boy" sat with Monica crying in his embrace, all the while speaking soothing words to her, the older angel walked over to him slowly,

"I’ll be right back, Baby. Mr. Hendrickson and I need to have a little chat. And don’t worry, sweet Monica, you’re going to be all right and your mother, Andrew and I will be right here if you need us. I’m just going to have a word with your father right now, okay?"

Slowly nodding her head against Andrew’s strong chest, Monica only tightened her small arms around the angel as she continued to sob.

Sighing quietly, Tess planted a gentle kiss on both of her "Angel Babies" heads, ruffled Monica’s shoulder-length, auburn hair and headed in the direction where Patrick had taken off to, a lecture right on her lips as she angrily walked out the door.

It didn’t take Tess long to catch up to Patrick and once she did, she could tell that he was none too glad to see her. She didn’t care though, she had been fuming ever since the whole cake incident and this man was going to get a piece of her mind and she was just hoping she could keep it somewhat angelic.

"Tess, I’m telling you, leave me alone," Patrick barked in his angry Irish brogue as he noticed her presence.

"You know what is amazing to me, Mr. Hendrickson?" She could tell by the look in his eyes, that he could really care less, but that was not going to deter Tess,

"It amazes me that your daughter has picked up the Irish accent of a man who basically refuses to speak to her, instead of the American accent of her mother, who dotes on her. Why do you think that is?"

"I don’t care why it is, Tess!" He snapped, as he stopped walking and turned to face her.

"You may not care, but I’m going to tell you anyway. It’s because that baby is starving for some attention from you. You are her father, Patrick!" Tess replied, her own voice tinged with a little anger.

"I didn’t ask for a child, Tess and I never wanted one!" Turning away from her, he prepared to keep walking.

"It doesn’t matter what you wanted, what matters is what you’ve got, baby, and what you’ve got is a sweet, adorable little angel back there who only wants you to love her. She is a gift from God, Patrick and God doesn’t like seeing His gifts hurt the way you hurt Monica a few minutes ago."

"God didn’t give me a gift! He gave me a curse! This God you speak so freely of, took my family in Ireland away from me, Tess! Were they a gift too? Because if so, they certainly were hurt! That child back there had no right being born! She was an accident and nothing would make me happier than if she would disappear altogether!" He saw the shocked look on Tess’ mahogany face and knew he had shut her up for now at least,

"Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s my daughter’s birthday and I’ll be doing a bit of celebrating down at the pub!" He started to walk away, but then turned back to her once more,

"Oh and one other thing-when I am in my house, your friend, Andrew, is not to be there! I don’t care if Carol has you over when I’m workin’, but if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away from me!"

Hot tears filled the angel’s eyes as she watched him storm away and for the first time, Tess was having her own doubts about the Father’s plan. The past four years had been uneventful more or less, but after what had happened today, fear was settling into her heart for the child who had Monica’s soul.

"Father, I think it’s time you and I had a little talk," She said sadly as she resumed walking and offered up all the fears and doubts that were in her heart.

****

Andrew sighed as he gazed at the clock as he was beginning to worry about what was taking Tess so long. Darkness was settling in and still neither she nor Patrick had returned, nor had Carol come out of her room. He had sent Monica upstairs a few minutes ago to get ready for bed, promising her he would be up soon, but he needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts.

He was furious over what had taken place today and it had taken him the better part of an hour to calm Monica down enough to where she would even speak to him, and even then, she had said very little, which was not like her. True to Tess’ and Rose’s words, a special bond had formed between the two of them, and though he had a heart filled with worry for his gentle friend, there had been moments over the last four years that he treasured dearly.

Monica as a human child was enchanting. Once she had started talking, there had been no stopping her, unless her father was around, and she would often chatter incessantly to him as well as to Tess and Carol. There had been many days when he and Tess had been watching over her when she would make some observation that would set both angels off laughing, and the little girl would grin knowingly as if she knew something that they didn’t. She adored the smell of coffee, which came as no surprise to Andrew or Tess and there were countless other things that were just typically Monica, regardless of whether she was an angel or a four-year-old. His friend had never liked vanilla, unless it was involved with coffee and the one time as an angel she had attempted vanilla cake, her human stomach had not felt well from it. Thus the cake incident today was just one more reminder that his best friend was very much present.

He sighed as he gazed around the dining room. He had cleaned up most of the birthday things and his eyes saddened as he looked at the gifts that had yet to be opened. He had tried to encourage her to open them, in order to cheer her up, but she had refused. Thoughtfully, he picked up the gift he had brought for her and turned and started upstairs to her room.

Peering into the room, he saw that she had changed into pajamas and she was now sitting on the edge of her bed, head bowed and hands crossed in her lap. Tears burned in Andrew’s eyes as he saw one slide down her cheek and he struggled to keep his anger at Patrick under control. Today should have been special and the man she called father had ruined it for her.

He knocked softly, so as not to startle her and then went in as she looked up at him, her dark eyes filled with great sorrow. He approached her carefully and sat down beside of her on the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders,

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked softly, gazing into her doll-like features as he awaited an answer. He could tell that she was struggling not to cry, but the tremble in her lower lip gave her away.

"I’m sowry I was so much twrouble…" She whispered, the tears spilling over despite her valiant efforts to stop them.

Andrew felt tears fill his own eyes once again as he pulled her once more into his lap,

"No, honey, no. You weren’t any trouble at all."

"Daddy says I am…all the time, Andwew and he’s mad at me now," She whimpered softly, burying her face against his shirt.

He resisted the urge to say what he really felt, remembering Tess’ warning a few years back and he held her only tighter, wondering what on earth he could say to soothe her. Patrick had wounded her deeply today and he wasn’t sure that there was anything he could say to make that go away,

"You weren’t any trouble, little one, I promise you that," He said finally, deciding upon the simple truth. He rubbed her back gently as a tear escaped his eye,

"C’mon, Angel Girl, stop crying…"

Monica struggled to stop the flow of tears as her adoring eyes looked up at him curiously,

"Why do you call me that?" She asked softly.

Andrew smiled, relieved at a much simpler question,

"Because that is what you are…you are Tess’ and my little Angel Girl," Seeing her smile weakly for the first time in a few hours, he reached behind him and picked up the present he had brought in with him,

"I know you didn’t want to open any of them, but this one is from me and I’d really like it a lot if you would open just this one tonight." He watched as she nodded her head and slowly began to rip the paper from the box. He helped her to open the box and smiled at the quiet "Ohhhh" that escaped her lips as she lifted out the stuffed bear he had given her.

"He’s an angel," She whispered, immediately noticing the wings on the soft toy’s back,

"Thank you, Andwew."

"You’re welcome," He replied with a smile, as he watched her cuddle the bear in her small arms,

"That is just for you to remember that there are always angels, all around you."

"I know," She replied, looking right into his eyes and nearly taking his breath away at how matter-of-fact she sounded. But before he could question her, she had thrown her arms around his neck,

"I love you, Andwew."

Andrew closed his eyes as he held her as tightly as he dared,

"I love you too, sweetie," He whispered, managing to keep his emotions under control,

"Now, come on, it’s time you were in bed."

"Will you stay while I say my pwrayers?" Monica asked hopefully as he set her back on her feet.

"You bet," He told her, moving to brush a strand of hair from her eyes.

As he knelt beside her at her bed, offering up pleading prayers of his own, he heard her child-like Irish lilt lifting up prayers to the Father, first for her family and then for Tess and "my Andwew." He suppressed a smile, though his own heart was heavy, knowing that this assignment was about to take off at full speed before very much longer and he added his prayers to hers when he heard her say,

"And please, God, let my daddy like me…just a little bit."

3 years later…

"…I just don’t get it, Andrew. Mr. Phillips puts it on the board and it sorta makes sense, but as soon as I get it home, I don’t understand it at all," Monica looked up from her 1st Grade math notebook at Andrew and her pretty face showed a totally confused frown.

"Well, let’s see what we can do here then, shall we?" Andrew smiled reassuringly at his dear friend, took the notebook out of her hands and gestured for him to sit by his side on the made bed. Scooting close to the angel, Monica leaned over his shoulder and frowned at the adding and subtracting problems in front of her. Just looking at the gibberish made her queasy…

"Okay. Problem number 1 – " Andrew began, but stopped in mid-sentence as he heard the screeching tires of a car right outside the house and right underneath the window of Monica’s bedroom. His heart jumping into his throat at the sound, the blonde-haired angel gently gave the notebook back to his best friend and slid off the bed, muttering to himself,

"What in the world was THAT?"

Leaning towards the window right above the dresser and peaking his head through the open window, Andrew gulped as he saw a very drunk Mr. Hendrickson stepping out of his old, 1970 Chevy van and started swerving back and forth on his feet. An open bottle of beer was still clenched tightly in his hand and Andrew watched as he tilted his head back and gulped down some more of it before tossing it over his shoulder and onto the un-mown lawn.

"Oh, God please, no…" He whispered fearfully to himself as tears threatened his eyes at the sight below him.

"Andrew? What is it?" Monica’s soft, Irish voice spoke up almost fearfully as she lay her math notebook back onto her bed and joined her friend at the window, but not tall enough to look out and see her drunk father,

"What was that noise?"

Letting out a soft sigh, Andrew closed his green eyes and turned back towards a very human child-like Monica and knelt down in front of her to meet her brown eyes,

"Sweetheart…It’s your dad. It look like he just came home from the bar and he’s very drunk right now. I – I can tell when people have had way too much whisky and this is one of this times, Monica…"

Staring up into the angel’s ever-gentle eyes and seeing her own fear mirrored with his, Monica whispered, now really frightened,

"Is daddy gonna hurt me, Andrew?"

At her question, Andrew suddenly felt another feeling of intense hatred towards Patrick and forced himself to not run down the stairs and knock the drunk to the ground and order him to not lay a hand on dear, sweet Monica. Grasping the 7-year olds’ hands into his own soft ones, Andrew moved his eyes until he was able to meet hers squarely.

"Not if I can help it, Monica," Andrew said in a quiet, yet dead serious tone, although his heart pounded nonstop and wishing that he knew what was going to happen,

"He won’t lay a hand on you if I have anything to do with it, honey. I promise he won’t hurt you…"

"Cross your heart, Andrew?" Monica whispered back, brown eyes never moving from his,

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

Releasing her hands and gathering her tightly into his strong arms for a warm embrace, Andrew whispered back into her ear,

"Cross my heart, little one."

*****

Holding Monica’s small, delicate hand tightly in his own as the two descended the staircase and quietly and slowly made their way to the first floor, not at all ready to face Patrick. After the human had stormed through the house just a few seconds ago and screamed for Monica to come downstairs that instant, Andrew had grabbed his best friend’s small hand in his own and the two bravely made their way out of the bedroom, their peace and quiet finally shattered.

Walking into the front hallway with the tall, blonde angel right beside her as he promised he would be, Monica gulped as she realized that her father really was drunk…and he sure looked it, too. Watching as he turned around, stumbling, face her and Andrew, Monica forced herself to not cry as her father glared furiously at them both.

"WHAT in the name of God are you doing here, Mr. Andrew?" Patrick demanded in rage as he took a step towards his unwelcome neighbor and frightened, yet strong, daughter,

"I thought I told you NOT to step foot in my house while I’m here!! And what are you doing with this monster, Monica Hendrickson?! You should know better, young lady!"

"He’s not a monster, daddy," Monica whimpered, trembling, as she clung tightly to Andrew’s hand. Looking up at the angel, she cringed as she saw the glare in his eyes towards her father,

"Please, daddy…Why are you drunk? Maybe Andrew can help you – "

"Like hell he can, Monica!!" Patrick shouted, stumbling towards the two, dark eyes shining with rage,

"Come over here, you! I’m going to teach you a lesson on what happens to bad girls who disobey their fathers and then you’ll know that you won’t get away with it, brat!"

Not able to hold back the tears any longer, Monica felt the wetness on her cheeks and her father grabbed her small wrist and dragged her away from Andrew’s hold. Crying out at the pain her dad was inflicting on her even now, Monica turned desperate eyes towards the angel who was glaring furiously at Patrick and was giving him a look that the young human angel was so sure she had never seen before…

"THIS will teach you a lesson, stupid brat!" Patrick roared as he started to raise his fist towards the helpless little girl. But just as he was about to strike, Monica felt Andrew’s arms grab her from behind and felt herself being turned around in the other direction, away from her father.

Feeling his strong, yet shaky, arms wrap around her in protection and suddenly hearing the cries coming from the angel, Monica opened her eyes a tad and gasped as she suddenly realized what was happening and was now fully aware of it all.

Having now been tackled to the ground gently by Andrew, as to not hurt her already fragile form, her friend now covered her body with his arms and was now taking the blows of her drunken father for her. It was obvious to Monica that Patrick was able to see Andrew all too clearly, but at the same time was so drunk that he didn’t even realize that he was hurting the human angel and not Monica herself.

Raising her small hand shakily and grabbing Andrew’s free hand with her own, Monica held on for dear life as she rode it out: Hearing the cries escaping Andrew’s lips; hearing the rage coming from her beloved father as he struck as hard as he could; feeling Andrew’s arms protecting her from the blows and realizing that he was now keeping his promise and really would do anything to save her young life…

"God, please help us…and help my daddy," Monica silently prayed as she continued to hold onto Andrew’s trembling hand,

"I love my dad and Andrew…please help us. Thank you, God. I love You."

*****

Carol Hendrickson pulled her silver Taurus up to the front of her house and now seeing that her husband’s car was parked crookedly at the end of the driveway, the woman let out a sigh as she realized that this must be one of those days where Patrick took a trip to the bar and came back drunk as a skunk.

"If you lay one hand on Monica, Patrick…" She murmured threateningly to Patrick in the car as she turned the engine off. Although she knew that Andrew was babysitting her daughter right now, fear tore through her at the realization that Patrick might be so drunk that he had kicked her kind neighbor out of the house and was punishing Monica for it. More specifically, punishing her because Andrew was in the house when he had come home and it was "his" house…

"God…If you’re up there…Protect all of them from his rage," Carol silently prayed as she stepped out of the car and grabbed her purse. Taking a deep breath, she bravely stepped up the front walk of the split level house and just as she was about to stick the house key into the lock and open up the front door, it suddenly swung open at full force and Patrick stormed out onto the walk, stumbling and his breath smelling of alcohol. Feeling her husband shove her to the side, all the while muttering under his breath about how much Monica deserved whatever she got and that she was disobeying his rules, Carol gasped inwardly as she watched her drunken husband stumble back over to his Chevy van and tore out of the driveway once again.

Fear suddenly tearing through her at what Patrick had been talking about, Carol ran as fast as she could towards the front door and into the hallway…which suddenly caused her to stop in her tracks and tears spill over from her frightened eyes. The sight in front of her took her breath away and it took a while before she was able to scream.

Andrew lay unconscious half on top of her dear daughter, who was trembling from head to toe, squeezing the angel’s hand for dear life. Tears spilled out from under Monica’s brown eyes and were rolling down her cheeks as she seemed to be in shock over what Patrick had obviously done to them.

Finally finding her voice, Carol ran towards her hurt neighbor and young daughter, shouting in fear and with tears,

"Andrew! Monica!!"

Somehow Carol was able to lift Andrew off of her daughter, with a strength she never knew she had, and got him over to the couch. Gently, she patted his cheek, trying to revive him, as she gazed over her shoulder to her daughter, who had shakily risen to her feet.

"Baby, are you okay?" She asked, tears spilling from her own eyes, seeing Monica’s deathly white face. Seeing her daughter barely nod her head, though her dark eyes seemed fixated on Andrew, Carol turned her attention back to the angel. He was still not coming around and Carol got up from the edge of the couch,

"I need to get a washcloth and some water. Stay with him, sweetheart, I’ll be right back."

The little girl trembled from head to foot, unable to take her eyes off of Andrew, who she knew had just saved her life. She was terrified that her father had somehow managed to kill her friend, and these thoughts along with the look she had seen in Andrew’s eyes as they had faced her father were overwhelming her. Before she could think of what she was doing, she had turned on her heel and bolted back upstairs.

Carol returned to the living room in time to hear the door close upstairs, and though worried about her daughter, she returned her attention to her neighbor. There was no doubt in her mind that this man had saved Monica from her husband’s drunken rage and she was eternally grateful,

"Come on, Andrew, wake up, please," She pleaded, as she bathed his face with the wet washcloth, beginning to wonder if she should call for an ambulance, but no sooner did she think that, than she heard a soft moan escape his lips.

Andrew opened his eyes slowly, wincing at an incredible pain in his head, as well as in his jaw and numerous other parts of his body. He started to sit up, but stopped short as the room started to spin a little.

"Not so fast, Andrew," Carol admonished gently, helping him to lay back down,

"Give yourself a few minutes to catch your breath."

Weakly nodding his head, he glanced around the room, trying to remember everything that had happened up until he had lost consciousness,

"Monica, is she all right?"

Carol sighed softly,

"Physically, she seems to be, thanks to you. Other than that, I’m not sure. She was pretty shaken up and…" Her voice began to tremble as tears found their way down her cheeks,

"Oh Andrew, I’m so sorry he did this to you, but yet I’m not sorry that you were here to protect my baby. I…I just don’t know what to do anymore. I keep hoping he’ll come around and accept her, but it just doesn’t happen, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why! A sweeter child has never been placed on this earth, but he won’t even look at her most of the time, and she wants so much to please him and goes to such great lengths to do so, but he just breaks her little heart over and over again," She buried her face in her hands as she shook her head,

"If you hadn’t been here today…"

"Lets not think about that," Andrew interrupted softly, reaching for Carol’s hand, and completely unwilling to think about that himself.

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have fallen apart like that-this isn’t your problem," Shakily, she wiped at her eyes with her hand.

"I care about you, Carol and about Monica, very much. I mean, I’ve known her ever since she was a baby," ‘and longer than you can ever imagine,’ he added silently in his mind,

"So, because I care about you and love your daughter, it is my problem when her father wants to hurt her."

Carol nodded her head, and managed a small smile,

"She adores you, you know. You’re probably the closest thing she has had to a real father, Andrew. But speaking of her father, I need to make a phone call. I may regret this later, but Patrick is not coming home tonight. He can sober up in a jail cell as far as I’m concerned and Andrew, if you want to press charges…"

"No," He replied softly, knowing that as an angel, he could not interfere in that way, though he would like to. He managed to sit up, wincing a bit at the pain in his head.

"After I call the police, I’m taking you to the hospital to be checked out," Carol continued, watching him with concern etched on her face.

"That really isn’t necessary. I’m all right, but it wouldn’t hurt for Monica to be looked at. I don’t think he hurt her, but it’s better to be safe." Still a little shaky, he rose to his feet,

"You make that call and I’m going to check on your daughter."

*****

Andrew made his way up the stairs and knocked softly on the closed bedroom door. Not getting any response, he became worried and quietly opened it, the sight before him, breaking his heart.

Monica was sitting against the far corner of her bed, leaning back against the wall. In her arms she clutched the angel bear he had given her three years ago as she sobbed uncontrollably, her face buried in the soft fur. Even now, her little body shook violently as she rocked back and forth as if lost in her own world.

Fighting back tears, Andrew entered the room and softly closed the door behind him, noticing that she didn’t even realize he was there.

"Angel Girl." He whispered softly as he crossed the room to her bed, his eyes filled with love and compassion.

Monica looked up at him, tears of relief now flooding her dark eyes,

"Are…are you okay?" She managed to say, before another sob escaped her.

"I’m a little sore, but I’m okay, sweetie," He replied, trying to convince her and to alleviate some of the torment he saw in her eyes.

"I’m sorry…I’m so sorry that he did that to you…it was supposed to be me, Andrew…it was supposed to be me!" Overcome with grief once more, she lowered her head.

Andrew didn’t waste another second in getting to her and drawing her up into his arms, his heart pounding loudly in his chest,

"No, listen to me, Monica. It should not have been anyone, do you understand me? No one and I mean NO ONE has any right to so that to another human being, especially not to a little girl. This is not your fault!"

"I was afraid he’d killed you! You wouldn’t wake up, Andrew…you wouldn’t wake up!" She cried, holding onto him desperately, afraid to let him go,

"Why is he like that? Why does he hate me so much? He says I’m a mistake…that I never should have been born!"

Though he struggled to hold back the tears, they soon found their way down his cheeks as he rocked her gently in his arms,

"Don’t you believe him, little one…don’t you dare believe him. God doesn’t make mistakes, Monica and He certainly didn’t make one with you. You are His precious child, sweetheart and He loves you, more than you can ever imagine."

Slowly, the little girl began to quiet, her cheek resting against his chest and his hands tenderly stroking her hair,

"I wish you were my dad, Andrew." She whispered, finally breaking the silence between them.

Andrew gazed upward as more tears welled up in his eyes at her words and not sure at all of how to respond to her. Gently, he kissed the top of her head,

"Oh sweetie…everything will be okay, even though it doesn’t look that way right now."

"But you do everything a dad is supposed to do, Andrew," She continued, wishing with all her heart that speaking it could make it so,

"You help me with my homework and listen to my prayers when you are watching me. You don’t yell at me when I ask a question and you hug me when I’m scared…" Her voice trailed off as her lower lip began to tremble as she managed to finish her thought tearfully,

"and I know that you love me."

As Andrew tightened his arms around her, trying to think of something to say to soothe her, the door opened and Carol walked into the room, her eyes concerned over her daughter’s reddened eyes and the fact that she was still fighting tears and she was even more convinced that they both needed to be seen by the doctor at the emergency room.

"Okay you two, lets go and Andrew, no arguments. The doctor is checking you both out and I’m not taking no for an answer."

Sighing softly, Andrew helped his young friend up, watching as she swiped at the tears with the back of her hand. Getting up from the bed, he moved to follow them downstairs, thinking over all she had told him in her child-like honesty and for a brief moment, he wished he could make the wish come true for his very human and very young friend.

"So then what happened, baby?" Tess asked worriedly as she sat with her Angel Boy at the kitchen table in the house next door to the Hendrickson home. She had been shocked when Andrew had shown up at the door, his face bruised and one eyes beginning to blacken, holding a sleeping Monica in his arms. She hadn’t asked any questions until they had gotten the little girl settled in the spare room, then they had retreated to the kitchen for some coffee and so that he could fill his friend in on what had transpired late that afternoon.

"It was quite a mess, Tess," Andrew sighed softly, shaking his head wearily, his body now beginning to ache a bit more from his encounter with Patrick from earlier,

"Carol told Monica on the way to the hospital, not to tell anyone that her father had wanted to hurt her. Only that he came home, had had too much to drink, and decided to pick a fight with the neighbor, who he doesn’t like very much. Monica was further instructed to just tell anyone who asked, that she had tried to break up the fight, and that was the reason her mother wanted her checked."

"And what did you tell them, baby?" Tess asked worriedly, knowing that he would never lie, but that he also couldn’t interfere drastically with this assignment. His assignment was his best friend, not putting Patrick Hendrickson in prison for child abuse.

"I told them I had been concerned for Monica’s safety as her father had too much to drink. Seems the police picked up Patrick and he is sobering up in the city jail till morning. Hopefully, they will recommend that he get some help for the alcohol abuse," He sighed again, resting his head in his hands,

"The only problem is that the alcohol, though it aggravates the situation, is not the core problem. He seems to hate his daughter sober as well."

Tess reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze,

"Are you okay, Angel Boy?" She asked gently, her concern for him mirrored in her dark eyes.

"I’ll be all right, Tess…nothing more than a few bruises really, though I’m sure I’ll feel it in the morning…"

"That isn’t what I mean, baby," She interrupted him softly, meeting his eyes steadily,

"This assignment has been tough on you, I know, and even though I am worried about our little Angel Girl, I’m worried about you as well, Andrew. This has been hard on you-I can see it in your eyes each and every day."

Andrew fell silent for moment, gazing down at the table as his finger ran along the rim of his coffee cup, his mind on that afternoon. When he looked back up to Tess, there were tears shimmering in his green eyes,

"She said she wished I was her dad, Tess," He whispered, his voice trembling slightly,

"How was I supposed to respond to that, huh? My best friend is suddenly wishing I was her father."

Tess’ expression was sympathetic as she watched his face closely,

"But your best friend is looking at you through a 7-year-old’s eyes, baby. She doesn’t remember any of the other stuff from before, but what is important is that she trusts you now. This will all bring the two of you even closer once it is all said and done, but you have to hang in there with her, even when the road gets rough." She paused, wondering if she was getting through to him,

"I know you feel lost, Angel Boy, but the Father is watching over both of you. Yes, there are hard lessons to be learned here, but He is in control."

"I know that, Tess, I do. And I’ve always looked out for Monica, but this time it is harder. Yes, she belongs to the Father, but this time she also belongs to Carol and Patrick and I feel like there is only so much I can do." His eyes were filled with helpless confusion as he tried to make sense of his feelings,

"I’m especially worried now. Once Patrick gets out of jail, he is going to be furious and he’s going to take it out on her, Tess."

"But that’s why she is with us tonight, Andrew. That’s why she is not going to school tomorrow. Maybe Carol and Patrick can resolve their differences at least for now and while they are doing that, Monica is safe with us," Her eyes held a glint of anger, thinking about the Irishman,

"And he knows better than to come over here and mess with me, especially after today."

Despite the situation, Andrew managed a weak smile at his friend’s words,

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Tess."

"Not a chance of that ever happening, baby," Tess replied warmly, giving his hand a final squeeze,

"C’mon, lets go check on our Angel Girl."

****

It was well after 2:00 in the morning, when Andrew was awakened by a feeling that he was not in the room alone. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he slowly opened his eyes; half expecting to see Patrick standing beside his bed, ready to have another go at him.

"Andrew?"

The child-like whisper caused him to breath a sigh of relief as he sat up, struggling to shake the sleep from his groggy mind. He was immediately aware that his body ached from the struggle earlier, but he ignored it as he turned worried eyes to Monica, as he turned on the bedside lamp,

"Sweetie, you should be in bed."

"I had a bad dream," She whispered, her lower lip beginning to tremble as she clutched her bear in her arms as she approached him and sat down on the edge of the bed, scooting close to him. Feeling his arm wrap tightly around her shoulders, she sighed with relief, feeling safe once more.

"What was your dream about, little one?" He asked softly.

"My daddy…he was trying to hurt me," As she gazed up at him, a tear made a shiny path down her pale cheek,

"I’m afraid God is mad at me now, Andrew, because mom made me lie and say that daddy wasn’t trying to hurt me. I didn’t want to get daddy in trouble, but I didn’t want to lie either. I’ve never lied before, Andrew, never!"

Andrew closed his eyes sorrowfully, as he hugged her tightly,

"God isn’t mad at you, Angel Girl. He loves you and He always will and He knows what your mom asked you to do."

"But it was still a lie," She whispered tearfully.

Andrew smiled sadly, once again reminded of the fact that his best friend, the Angel of Truth, was within this little girl,

"Well, yes it was, but sometimes, people tell little white lies to protect other people, and that is what this was."

She was quiet for a moment, before looking up at him once more,

"Can I stay with you? I’m afraid I’ll have another bad dream."

"Of course you can, sweetheart," He replied, getting up, so he could get her settled into bed. Tucking the covers snugly around her tiny form, he kissed her gently on the forehead,

"And if any more of those dreams come, I promise to chase them away, ok?"

Nestling down with her bear still in her arms, she nodded her head, her eyes already beginning to close in exhaustion,

"Cross your heart?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Cross my heart, Angel Girl, always."

Six years later on the sunny Monday morning, Carol hurried up the stairs to 13-year old Monica’s closed bedroom door and rapped gently on the wood with her knuckles. It was a quarter after 7 and the human and her daughter had accidentally slept through their alarm clocks and now Carol knew she and Monica had to hurry and get ready or else they both would be late for school and work. She had awaken just now to see that Patrick was long gone to work, or…maybe not…

"If he ends up back at that bar again…"Carol grumbled to herself, shaking her tangled head as she lowered her hand from Monica’s door.

"I swear, if he’s back at that place, he will not be returning home to us ever again."

"Monica? Sweetheart, you need to get up!" She called loudly through the door, after receiving no answer,

"Monica, baby, it’s time to get up."

Opening the door slowly, greeted by the darkness of the bedroom, Carol turned her eyes to her daughter, who had a hand lying across her forehead and her face contorted in pain. Hurrying over, the woman sat down on the edge of Monica’s bed and gently laid a hand on her arm,

"Honey, are you okay? We’re running late this morning – "

"Mom, I’ve got a migraine headache," Monica mumbled, her Irish voice low and sick-sounding,

"…and my stomach hurts. Mom – I think I’m coming down with the flu…"

"Remove your hand, baby," Carol ordered gently, concern on her pretty face,

"Let me check your forehead."

Feeling that Monica’s forehead was burning up as were her entire face, Carol nodded her head as she lowered her hand,

"Well, looks like we know who’s staying home from school today, Monica," She softly replied,

"I’ll go get you some medicine from downstairs for that headache, sweetie, and also a bucket in case you need to throw up. Will you be okay by yourself, Monica? ‘Cause if not, I can take a day off from work, baby – "

Weakly nodding her head, Monica whispered hoarsely,

"I’ll live, mom…Andrew and Tess are next door if I need anything…"

"Well, I’m also worried about your father, Monica. Now, I’m not sure if he’s at work or what, but I’m concerned about how he’ll take you being home from school today; you know how he’s been lately, honey. If you need me to take care of you or stay home, I will –"

"I’ll be fine, mom," Monica interrupted hoarsely, squeezing her mother’s right hand,

"I can handle daddy. He hasn’t laid a hand on me to hit me since I was 7 and although you and he still go at it…I think jail time taught him something, mom."

*****

Later that afternoon, Monica laid on the couch in the living room watching television with the volume turned on low. A quilt was draped over her chilly legs as she lay against her pillows, her tired brown eyes trying to watch the show that was on.

As she stifled a yawn, the young looking, very human Irish angel’s eyes widened suddenly as the familiar sound of her father’s car pulled to a screech in the driveway.

He was not at work, Monica fearfully realized as she recognized that sound from several years ago: Her dad’s large, Chevy van screeching to a halt in front of the house and Patrick storming into the house, beating Andrew almost senseless all the while trying to hurt HER.

"Daddy, please…please don’t be drunk," Monica silently pleaded as she reached for the television remote and quickly shut the TV off.

"That’s all I ask for, daddy. Please don’t be drunk…"

But, unfortunately, her pleas seemed useless as she heard her father’s footsteps on the front porch and then heard him stumble into the front door. Watching as she door opened wide and a very drunk Patrick walking in, stumbling, Monica tightened the quilt around her legs, her headache growing worse. Finally meeting the eyes of those of her dad, Monica gulped and forced herself to not cry as he glared angrily at her.

"And what in God’s name are you doing here, you little tramp?? Huh? Are you playing hooky from school again, Monica? Does you mom know ‘bout this? Answer me, dammit!"

Finding herself trembling, not only from her sickness, but also from fear of her drunk father, she watched until Patrick was standing right over her, whisky evident in the smell of his breath,

"Daddy…please…I – I got the flu this morning and mom agreed to let me stay home. Are – are you drunk again, daddy?"

"Don’t you DARE judge me, you little stupid b****!!" Her father roared, grabbing a fistful of tangled, auburn hair and pulling until Monica was off the couch and on the carpeted floor. Letting out a cry, the 13-year old closed her eyes as her father practically tossed her onto the floor and struck her face. Hard.

"Sick my butt, you little tramp! You’re not SICK! You’re never sick!! You’re playing hooky and this is your punishment, Monica! And this time I’m going to finish off what I started without your Andrew pal getting in the way! He’s not here right now because he doesn’t CARE, tramp! You hear me?? Huh?? You HEAR me??"

Andrew…

The name of her dear friend echoed in her head as her father continued beating her and kicking her in the ribs and stomach.

"Andrew does care about me, daddy," She gasped out as she received another kick in her sensitive stomach,

"H – he loves me…I love him, daddy. He’s my best friend, and…Daddy, please stop! Dad, please!!"

But her cries were useless. Useless and powerless against her father’s kicks, screams and beatings.

*****

Having decided to go next-door and check to see how Carol was doing or if she was home from work yet, Andrew, still in complete human form, raised his hand and was about to knock on the front door when he stopped. Seeing it open part- way, the angel turned around and found the large Chevy van parked crookedly on the driveway.

Frowning, Andrew’s heart started pounding as he turned back to the open door and pushed it open. Stepping inside, screams greeted him and the angel turned to his left, letting out horrified gasp at the sight.

"Oh God!!" He cried, tears filling his green eyes as he found himself unable to move.

Upon hearing the cry from behind him and the familiar voice, Patrick tossed a now unconscious, 13-year old Monica onto the floor and straightened up, stumbling as he did so. Spotting who it was behind him, the drunken father let out a snort as he tore past the angel and, like he had done 6 years ago after Andrew’s beating, ran out of the house.

*****

"Monica!! Baby, answer me! Sweetie, please!" Andrew sobbed heartbrokenly as he flew towards his best friend’s unconscious body and gathered her into his shaky arms, cradling her gently,

"Monica, I’m so sorry! Oh, Angel Girl, I had no idea…baby, I’m so terribly sorry…please wake up…please…"

After several moments of not receiving any response from the unconscious human angel, Andrew slowly lowered Monica back to the floor and inched away as he continued staring at her battered body. The realization of what he had done to his very best friend hit him like a ton of bricks and the memory of Monica’s voice asking him if he would "cross his heart" to be there for her and his response to it…

"Cross my heart."

"And I didn’t keep that promise," Andrew choked out to himself, shakily rising to his feet,

"I didn’t keep that promise…Oh, Father, what have I done!!"

Shaking his head in disbelief and self-disgust, Andrew knew that there was only one thing left to do…and Monica would never have to see his face ever again,

"After all," he thought,

"it would only make her think of what a LIAR I am!"

Turning on his heel, the angel was about to bolt out the door when a firm grip on his arm stopped him for the moment,

"Where are you GOING, Baby? Can’t you see she needs you now more than ever, Andrew?"

Meeting Tess’ sad, brown eyes, Andrew once again shook his blonde head,

"Oh, she doesn’t need ME, Tess. Not me…After all, if it wasn’t for ME…Patrick wouldn’t have beaten her like he had!!"

"Angel Boy, it’s NOT your fault!" Tess cried, refusing to release her hurting friend’s arm and let him walk away,

"It’s not, Andrew! And she does need you – "

"Just leave me alone, Tess!!" Andrew shouted in the most pain-filled voice Tess had ever heard from him,

"Leave me alone!"

Wrenching his arm out of his supervisor’s grasp, Andrew turned around and ran towards the door, Tess right behind him, and out of the house,

"Andrew! Baby, don’t! Come back!!"

But her friend was already gone from her sight.

Closing the front door, Tess turned back to her lifeless Angel Girl and managed to carefully lift her up and get her to the sofa. Tears stung her eyes as she touched her bruised face tenderly,

"C’mon baby, wake up for Tess, please?"

"Oh sweet Jesus, what happened?" Carol’s voice cried out as she came through the door, dropping her purse and briefcase to the floor as she raced over to her daughter, dropping to her knees beside of the sofa.

"Your husband happened," Tess snapped angrily, her concern over Monica overtaking her senses for a moment, not to mention her worry over where Andrew had gone,

"You need to call 911, Carol. This baby is hurt badly!" Noticing that Carol had not moved, Tess repeated her request,

"Did you hear what I said, Carol? We need to get her to a hospital, now!"

Carol swallowed hard as she moved to stroke her daughter’s tangled hair,

"If I take her to the hospital, Tess, they’ll arrest Patrick and I can’t let that happen…"

"What kind of mother are you?!" Tess all but roared, turning her attention to the young mother before her,

"Your daughter has been seriously hurt, Carol! She won’t wake up! You don’t know the extent of her injuries and you’re worried about them putting the man who did this to her in jail?"

"I love my daughter, Tess! God knows, I do, but I love my husband too and somewhere inside is the sweet, gentle man that I married. I can’t find that man again if he is in prison!" Carol tried to explain as frightened tears flooded her eyes. Unable to meet the steely gaze of her neighbor, she turned her attention back to her daughter,

"Baby, wake up, please? It’s mom, sweetheart."

Saying a silent prayer for strength and patience, Tess said softly,

"I need some water and a wash cloth. He busted up her lip pretty badly. Can you get that for me, please as you are determined that she not be under a doctor’s care?"

Nodding her head numbly, Carol got up and hurried from the room, trying to control the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

"It’s all right, baby," Tess whispered softly to her Angel Girl,

"Better an angel’s care than a doctors anyway. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do with that mother of yours though…" Her words trailed off as Monica let out a soft moan and struggled to open her eyes, though one was so swollen, she couldn’t open it.

"Tess?" She whispered, her voice strained with pain that seemed to come from everywhere all at once and for a moment all she wanted to do was go back to sleep where it didn’t hurt so much.

"Yes, baby, it’s Tess," She replied tenderly, moving to smooth back the auburn hair from her face.

Gathering her thoughts and remembering what had happened, she began to tremble,

"Dad…Is he here? Is he-."

"Hush, sweetheart. No, he’s not here and he can’t hurt you now," Tess whispered, tears in her eyes. Her heart ached over the fact that what she and Andrew had tried so hard to avoid happening to Monica had finally happened.

Struggling to sit up, the young human angel, gave out a weak sob of pain as she wrapped her arm around her midriff,

"Oh Tess, I don’t feel so well…I feel like I’m going to be sick…" Her ashen face was contorted with more pain than she had ever felt in her young life.

Calling for Carol to bring her a bucket and to hurry up, Tess then turned her attention back to her gentle friend,

"Easy, baby. Your little body has been through a lot today."

Carol returned with the bucket just in time and she watched helplessly as her daughter was sick, each wave of nausea sending shudders of pain through her battered body. She knew in her heart she should get her to a hospital, but to do that would certainly mean an investigation by Social Services and she just couldn’t do that. Through worried eyes, she watched as her daughter leaned back once more, trying to catch her breath as tears streamed down her pale face.

Seeing Carol standing there as if in shock, Tess took the water and cloth from her and handed her the bucket. Carol nodded her head mutely and walked back out of the room. Not understanding the human mother’s actions in the least, Tess sighed softly as she wrung out the cloth and gently brought it to Monica lip,

"Lets get you cleaned up, baby. This might hurt a bit…"

Monica winced at first, then looked at Tess with tear-filled eyes,

"Andrew…where is he, Tess? I remember him being here…"

Tess looked at the frightened, beaten young girl as she looked up at her from where her head rested against her pillows and for one moment was completely unsure of what to say, but she knew she had to say something,

"Andrew loves you so much, baby and you know he has always tried to protect you from your father," She began, her voice filled with uncertainty, and that was not missed by Monica. Tess looked a little startled as Monica reached out and laid a hand on her arm.

"Where is he, Tess?" She whispered weakly, her voice trembling and laced with tears.

"Well, baby, Andrew feels that he let you down by not being here to stop your father this time. He feels responsible for what happened to you…"

"No, Tess, no," Monica half sobbed, hearing the truth and her fragile heart breaking,

"It’s not his fault…he didn’t know I was home today. I need him, Tess…I need him so much right now! Where did he go?"

"I don’t know, Angel Girl," Tess whispered, her own heart breaking over the grief she was seeing,

"If I knew baby, I’d bring him to you, because I know you need him and he needs you too right now."

Monica bowed her head as she wept bitterly, though each sob brought a fresh wave of pain through her body,

"He’s my friend, Tess…my best friend…and he’s been more like my dad then my own dad has been…he’s always been there for me…always…its like he’s been my…my angel…"

Tears streaming from her own eyes, Tess gathered the sobbing girl carefully into her arms, not wanting to hurt her. ‘Oh Father, where did my Angel Boy go?’ She thought desperately as she held onto Monica.

‘I’m so worried about him and this baby needs him right now. She’s frightened and now is afraid she has lost him. Keep him safe, Father, please and help him to see Your truth.’

Turning her attention back to the trembling girl in her arms, she thought with a little amazement about what she had just said and she smiled a sad smile through her tears,

"Yes, baby, just like an angel."

Late that evening, Tess sat down in the recliner in the living room at her temporary house and let out a deep sigh. Lowering her weary head into her hands, the angel’s heart started to break all over again with the realization that Andrew really was gone…and no one knew where he was, except for the Father. And is surely didn’t help that Monica was still in so much pain after that day’s events. After being beaten up by her father – if you wanted to even call him that – and then having her own mother not even call the ambulance to help her…and on top of that, having heard the news that her best friend was gone and out of her life for now was enough to take a toll on anyone’s heart. Angels in human form included.

"Oh, dear Lord…what am I to do now?" Tess whispered painfully to herself as she felt a few tears well up in her sad, brown eyes again,

"My Angel Boy is gone and only You know where’s he’s at. And my Angel Girl…she misses him so very much, Father. Please…whatever happens in the coming days or weeks with us, take care of my Babies. I know I don’t have to ask you that, Lord, but I love them so very much and without Andrew here to be with Monica…it’s making things worse. Please, God, look after them both for me like only You can."

*****

Head lowered and eyes riveted to the rocky ground below him, Andrew continued walking, not really knowing where he was going. He had been going like this for the past two days now and the angel’s tender heart couldn’t really take it anymore, to put it mildly…and on top of that, the weather had turned nasty in just one night and Andrew was shivering from the cold.

Letting out a loud sneeze and then a heavy cough afterwards, the angel started to feel weaker as he slowly lowered himself to his knees on the hard ground, all the while thoughts running through his brain: Yes, he still was incredibly angry at himself for what he had done, but maybe running away from it wasn’t the answer…and then again, maybe it was. Tess had said that it wasn’t his fault, but his heart told him otherwise and ordered him to keep going. But this wasn’t the Voice of the Father; he knew that for certain…

Another cough tearing through him, the young, blonde human angel hunched forward and covered his mouth with his hand, his throat starting to burn up. Surely, he knew he was getting sick, but did it have to be NOW??

The last thoughts that ran through his brain before he passed out on the hard, unforgiving rocky ground were thoughts of his best friend, Monica, and his betrayal that could never be forgiven…

But, unknown to the very human Search and Rescue angel, a medium-height, and old-looking woman with gray hair towered over him. She was thin and her hands were wrinkly from age. Without a second thought, the strange woman leaned down and scooped Andrew up in her arms and carried him towards her truck, shoes crunching on the gravel.

*****

Several hours later as afternoon turned to a dark night and rain started to fall once again in the unknown little town that the woman had found Andrew at, the human angel slowly let out a groan and squirmed slightly…but found that he wasn’t able to move that much. His arms wouldn’t move and neither would his legs. Wrenching his green eyes open, all the while his throat hurting, and finding himself in a dark bedroom, all lights turned off and a strange looking, tall, old-looking woman standing beside him. Squinting, Andrew wasn’t even able to make out her face or the color of her eyes; the room was so incredibly dark. All he saw was her shadow.

Trying to sit up once again or at least to try to move, Andrew found it impossible. Turning his head to the side instead, the angel in human form let out a confused, inward gasp at the sight of his hands handcuffed to either side of the bed and as he looked in front of him at his feet, a knot of fear surged through him at the sight that his ankles were also handcuffed to the bed, too!

"What…" Andrew moaned, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, trying to figure out what in the world was going on. From what he remembered…Wait. What DID he remember?? All of his memories of the past few weeks and days were gone…and he had no idea how he ended up here in this small, dark house with this woman.

What was her name, anyhow??

"What’s happening to me…?" Andrew moaned as loudly as he could, feeling tears starting to well up in his eyes. Someone he had never met before or from what he knew, that is, was holding him captive right at this moment,

"Who – who are you? Why – "

"It’s going to be okay, Andrew," the woman softly responded, the darkness still clouding her face and her features still unseen to Andrew,

"I found you on the side of the road this afternoon; you were trying to hurt yourself, dear, so I decided to bring you here. You appeared to be not want to come with me and you kept fighting even after we arrived here, so I had to do this– "

"What – how do you know my name?? Who are you??" Andrew slowly demanded, his voice growing weaker,

"And what is your name?"

"Now, that doesn’t matter how I know who you are, does it?" She winked and walked closer to the bed where Andrew lay, sitting down beside him,

"And my name is Denise Patterson."

*******************************************************************************************

Four days later, Monica gingerly pulled her backpack out of her closet and set it on her bed, drawing in a deep breath that caused her ribs to ache once again. Over the last few days, she had felt as if she had been caught up in some horrible nightmare as she had watched her life seemingly fall apart around her.

Now that her father had finally crossed the line from just being angry with her to flat out beating her within an inch of her life, there was no stopping him. Anytime he came home from the bar drunk, he used his fists to take out all of the anger that life had instilled upon him. Though it had been nothing like the initial beating at the beginning of the week, the 13-year-old girl had sustained several new bruises since then upon her already battered body. There was no reasoning with him, no amount of pleading seemed to do any good and he struck out at her in blind fury and Monica was left sobbing and wondering just what she had done in her short life to allow her father to hate her so much.

To make matters even worse, her mother had delved into some kind of depression and rarely ever left her bedroom, not even when Monica’s screams echoed through the house and this left the young teenager completely defenseless, seemingly without a friend in the world, now that Andrew was gone.

Blindly, she brushed tears from her eyes at the thought of her dearest friend. Her heart ached with the knowledge that he blamed himself for what had happened to her, when all she really wanted was to have him near to her once again. She missed his gentle comfort and the feeling that all would one day be all right that he always gave to her. She had never felt more alone in her young life.

Quietly, she opened her dresser drawer, pulled out a few articles of clothing and crammed them into the backpack, all the while trying to keep from crying. She had already cried an ocean of tears this week, and she told herself that she was done with crying. Something deep inside of her told her that if she didn’t escape now, she wouldn’t escape alive.

No, it was time for her to just move on, both in the hopes of escaping her father’s brutality as well as hopefully finding Andrew. He had always been the father she never had anyway, so it only seemed right that she find him, though she had no idea of where to begin to look. The important thing now was to get out of this house while she still could.

She packed a few more things into the backpack and then gazed around her room, her sorrowful, brown eyes coming to rest on the angel bear that had been Andrew’s gift to her on her 4^th birthday. Tenderly, she picked it up, nuzzling his soft fur against her bruised face, before somehow managing to cram the bear into the already overloaded backpack. Zipping it was a struggle, but she finally managed to, then she turned to gaze at the three sealed envelopes that lay on her bed-one addressed to her mom, one to Tess and the last to her father. Each explained why she was leaving and professed her love for each of the three recipients.

Sighing softly, she carefully pulled on her jacket, wincing at the pain this simple action caused her, before slipping her arms through the shoulder straps of her backpack. She had already thrown her hair back in a ponytail, the long auburn hair now helping to hold the baseball cap in place. Lastly, she opened her jewelry box and took out several large bills that she had been able to steal from her father on the nights when he had fallen into a drunken sleep, and shoved them deeply into the pocket of her jeans.

Monica gazed at the clock and saw that it was well after 1:00 in the morning. She knew her mom was asleep and that her father wouldn’t be home for at least another hour, so she knew her hour was at hand. She glanced around her room once more, tears burning in her eyes, before she turned off the light and slipped out of her room. She ascended the stairs silently and within moments was out the front door.

An hour later, she was seated aboard the bus, her one-way ticket to a better life purchased. She sat in the back, alone, her teary, frightened eyes looking out the window at the miles of highway that stretched out before her. Only one other person was on the bus at this hour of the night and he sat up front, so she had the place more or less to herself and the feeling of loneliness and abandonment once more crept into her gentle heart. Her lower lip quivering, she pulled her knees up to her chin and allowed the tears to finally come.