Chapter Sixteen

Tess walked in through the door of the beach house later that day, taking a deep breath before calling Monica’s name. She’d had a talk with the Father about her earlier anger, and had been forgiven, but knew there was still a lot she would have to do to make things up with her young charge. But when she received no answer, and checked Monica’s room, it became clear to Tess that Monica wasn’t around.

Her next thought was to look out of the window, expecting to see the young angel sitting out on the beach, as she had been doing every day. But when she saw no one, Tess began to panic, and she glanced heavenward. “Dear Father, where is she? Is she okay?”

Shaking her head, Tess sat down in the armchair. “Did I really hurt her that badly that she’s run away? I did say some pretty terrible things, but...” Tess sighed. She knew that with Monica’s new fear of humans, the young angel wouldn’t have gone far from the beach house unless she had good reason- but what was that reason? And Monica certainly wouldn’t have gone back to her assignments- that was the last thing she wanted to do.

It wasn’t long before Tess got her answer. “Have patience, My child. You are not to go looking for Monica. She is safe, and I am watching over her always. The answers you seek will become clear in My time, but until then just remember that My plan is perfect.” And when He had finished speaking, Tess could only nod her head, having no choice but to agree with her Creator, but hoping that His time wouldn’t take too long.

Later that evening, a worried Tess went through to the kitchen to make herself something to eat as the night got colder. And she might have seen the plate that the stray dog had eaten from when Monica fed him, or the towel the young angel had used to dry his fur. But the Father had made sure that these things would not be visible to the older angel who now sat alone in the house, wondering where both of her Angel Babies were, and praying that they were okay.

***

A cold wind had begun to blow around the young angel who had been sitting on the ground for a long while, sobbing desperately while Rascal stayed loyally by her side, comforting her with his presence. She finally stopped crying and looked up, frightened by the wind that made her feel even more colder than she already was. And to make matters worse, the sun had set and it would be dark before long- and Monica hated the darkness.

“Oh, Rascal... what have I done? I could have been safe at the beach house, but instead I followed you and now here we are, lost and cold... and hungry, and with nowhere to go once it gets dark.” Rascal tilted his head and Monica sighed, stroking his soft fur. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blame you. It’s just... well, I always get a wee bit afraid of the dark, and now...” She looked up and saw another car in the distance, already with its headlights on, which seemed to make the vehicle seem even more threatening to her. And she hated the feeling of openness that surrounded her, the vast landscape around her that seemed big and threatening. “Oh, what are we going to do?”

Rascal got to his feet and barked, running off to Monica’s right before stopping and turning around, watching her once more. Knowing him well enough by now to know that he wanted her to follow, Monica reluctantly got to her feet, stretching out cramps she felt in her legs, before following the dog as he led her in a direction parallel to the highway, toward what Monica could make out to be the edge of a forest.

“A forest? Oh, wee fella, I don’t know...” Somehow being surrounded by trees didn’t fill Monica with much of a feeling of comfort. But as she neared the edge of the forest she realized that it felt a lot more secure than being out in the open. Taking a deep breath she followed Rascal into the trees, shocked by how much darker it was and feeling frightened once more. But then something nuzzled her leg and she realized it was her canine friend.

“Have you picked a spot for us to spend the night, Rascal?” The dog whined again, sitting down, and Monica sat down too, leaning against a tree as she looked up through the branches, absentmindedly stroking Rascal’s head and knowing that the silhouettes of branches against the dark blue sky would have seemed much more scary had she not had the dog with her for company. “You’re a good friend, you know that?” She felt the dog lick her hand and smiled, realizing that throughout this entire journey she’d never once felt truly alone, and she had Rascal to thank for that.

Monica began to feel weary and although slightly afraid, she had resigned herself to having to spend the night out here. Still looking upwards, she sent up a quiet prayer. “Father... I don’t know where this journey will lead me, and I can’t deny I’m not afraid because I am. But I want to thank You for my new friend Rascal, because I know that You must have sent him to me, and... oh, Father, I miss my friends so much. Please, keep Andrew and Tess safe, and please help Andrew to understand that I was only trying to protect him- I never meant to hurt him.”

Prayer finished, Monica was pleased to see that as the sky turned properly dark, a full moon came out, illuminating the forest with a pale white light that was just enough to keep the little Irish angel from being surrounded by the darkness she so feared. She whispered a grateful “thank you” as she curled up on the ground, pulling her woolen hat down over her ears and resting her head on Rascal’s body as the dog lay beside her. And despite the cold, and the fear, exhaustion won over and soon both angel and dog were sound asleep.

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Chapter Seventeen

Andrew stood alone on the darkened street, stopped in his tracks by a feeling that gripped his heart- another feeling that he somehow knew had come from Monica. It was a feeling of sadness, of regret, so strong that he almost felt like crying. “Oh, Monica... what are these feelings I keep having? I know it must be my imagination, but yet- it feels so real... and I miss you so much.”

Still saddened that the Father was not allowing him to go back to the beach house to see his friend, Andrew had been somewhat distracted for the rest of the day, although he completed his assignments with love and professionalism as always. But it was during the times in between the assignments, when he had nothing but his thoughts for company, that he started to think more and more about Monica, wondering how she was coping since he’d left and hoping, praying, that she was making some progress.

“Monica, I can’t think of never seeing you again, or working with you... and I know that deep down, you must want to go back to casework- you always loved it so much. And I only wish that I hadn’t left, that I’d stayed and fought harder for you, that I’d understood just why you were acting the way you were. But I was too busy comparing your reaction to your captivity to how I’d handled it- and of course it would be different, because you have such a sensitive heart.”

Looking up at the sky, at the full moon that now illuminated the street, Andrew sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “I wish I could talk to you, Monica... I wish that I were with you right now. Please be safe, little Angel Girl, and have faith.”

Hearing the call to go to his next assignment, Andrew nodded and disappeared from sight.

***

Monica awoke early the next morning to find Rascal licking her face, and she couldn’t help but giggle at the rude awakening. “Rascal, you wee terror you!” She sat up, stretching, and cried out at the stiffness and pain in her limbs caused by sleeping on the hard ground all night. The morning was clear and bright, and it was cold, making the young angel shiver violently.

“And I’m so hungry, Rascal... I bet you are, too. But I’m afraid I don’t have any food with me... and no money, either.” She looked at the dog carefully, tilting her head slightly to one side. “Are you sure this trip was a good idea? It’s turned into an awfully long walk, and I just don’t know where we go from here.”

Sadness clouded Monica’s features for a moment as she assessed her situation, still having a hard time getting used to the fact that she was wandering around with a stray dog, not having any idea of where she was or where she was going- she’d never had much of a sense of direction. She didn’t even know what part of the country she was in.

But apparently Rascal knew exactly where he was going, for he ran back toward the edge of the forest, waiting at the tree line until Monica finally got her legs un-cramped enough to be able to walk. When she got to the edge of the forest she looked out and saw that the landscape was glistening with a thin covering of frost, giving it an almost magical appearance. “How beautiful...” For a moment she stared in awe at the landscape, until Rascal ran off and Monica, of course, had to follow.

It was only when she heard the loudness of the traffic that Monica realized she’d followed Rascal toward the highway- and they were so close, in fact, that Monica could quite clearly see the people in the few cars that drove past. Fear once more gripped her heart, but then suddenly she heard the gentle voice of the Father floating down to her heart. “Don’t be afraid, My child. Know that I am always with you.”

Somewhat unsure, Monica nodded and followed Rascal even closer to the road, still feeling the Father’s words reassuring her, comforting her. And then, when she was only a few meters away from the highway, she stopped in her tracks and called Rascal to her, not wanting to risk him getting hit by a car. He dutifully came back to her side and the two of them stood, waiting, but Monica didn’t actually know what she was waiting for. Until suddenly, a truck appeared from up ahead, slowing down as it approached, until it pulled in to the side of the road. At once Rascal ran toward it, ignoring Monica’s calls for him to come back.

With no other choice, Monica ran toward the dog, slipping on the frosty ground in her haste to keep the dog safe, when the door of the truck opened and a man leaned out, smiling warmly at her. “Hey. You need a lift someplace?”

Now suddenly faced with the prospect of having to talk to a human being, something she’d dreaded ever since the assignment in Whisper had ended, Monica fumbled as she tried to grab hold of Rascal’s collar, praying to the Father for help, but she could no longer hear His voice. “Um... no, I-I’m fine...” Hoping that would be enough, Monica was by now shaking with fear, and before she could manage to touch the dog’s collar he suddenly darted off ahead, jumping up into the truck, shocking the driver who started laughing heartily. “Well, I think your friend has other ideas.”

“Rascal! Come back here!” Monica glanced up at the driver pleadingly. “I’m sorry...” She looked at the dog, who was sitting in the truck, watching her and wagging his tail, with no intention of moving.

“Hey, no problem. I love dogs, in fact.” The truck driver watched the young, dark haired woman carefully, seeing her fear and wondering what she was running away from. “Look... I’m going to Seattle, I can drop you there, it’s only a couple hours’ journey, and then at least you can find somewhere to stay- its far too cold for a young lady like you to be out here on your own. What do you say?”

As Monica listened to the man’s words, she suddenly felt that no matter how afraid she was, this was what she was meant to do. And so, taking a deep breath, the young Irish angel nodded and climbed up into the truck, sitting beside Rascal, who kept himself between her and the truck driver, in an almost protective manner, as if to tell her not to be afraid.

As the truck sped down the highway, Monica kept her thoughts on Andrew, trying to think of her dear friend as she stroked Rascal’s fur, focusing on the angel who meant more to her than anyone else, and wishing that she could see him again. She didn’t know where this journey would lead her, but despite her fear of the human sitting just feet away from her, she took comfort from the fact that the Father was watching over her, and knew that whatever happened, He would not leave her.

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Chapter Eighteen

Monica stayed silent during the drive to Seattle, and the truck driver, sensing her nervousness, chose not to speak, feeling that the young woman would be easily frightened. It worried him to know where she’d come from and what, or who, she was running away from with only a funny little dog for company. But being a dog lover himself, he knew how much comfort they could give, and seeing the young woman absentmindedly stroking the dog’s fur he sensed a bond between the two of them.

It was just over two hours after the driver picked up Monica that he arrived at the outskirts of Seattle, and it wasn’t much longer until he’d arrived at the warehouse which was his destination. He turned to the young woman, intending to tell her that they’d arrived in Seattle, but she was looking out of the passenger side window so lost in thought that he knew if he spoke she’d jump right out of her skin, as her nervousness was all too apparent.

So, the truck driver got out of the cab without a word, intending to go and sort out his delivery and then perhaps see if the young woman could be persuaded to eat something, as she certainly looked hungry.

Monica was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the cab door slamming and she turned to see that the truck driver was no longer there. She now realized they had stopped, but had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed where they were. So now, as she looked around her, she saw buildings, cars, people- the bustle of city life that had once fascinated her but now only made her feel threatened and terrified. As she wondered where the truck driver had gone, Monica suddenly felt compelled to get out of the truck, and get away from all these people that she could now see.

“Come on, Rascal.” Monica opened the passenger side door and climbed down out of the truck, Rascal jumping out after her. She looked around her, feeling panicky, and began running down the street, trying not to look at the people she passed, feeling nothing but a need to get away from them all. And for the first time since their journey had began, Rascal was following the young angel instead of the other way around.

Hearing a car horn, Monica stopped in her tracks realizing she’d ran out onto a road and she cried out in fear, looking down to see that Rascal was safely by her side. Keeping her head down she held Rascal’s collar until the car had gone past, not seeing the angry glare the driver gave her as he drove off. Heart thumping in her chest, Monica turned and pulled Rascal back onto the pavement and they continued at a slightly slower pace along another street, until finally the frightened little angel came to a quiet alley that was empty of all humans. She stopped to rest, breathing heavily as Rascal stood beside her, panting.

When she’d got her breath back, Monica looked around her, at the tall buildings surrounding the alley, suddenly longing for the openness and solitude of the beach, where there were no sounds of cars or people to scare her. Fear gripping her heart, she looked down at her canine companion and fought back tears. “I don’t know what I’m doing, wee Rascal. And I don’t know where to go from here.” Once again her thoughts drifted to Andrew, knowing that if he was with her right now, he’d keep her safe and he’d know what to do.

***

Andrew wasn’t sure what his next assignment would be, only that he’d been told to head to Albany, Oregon, and await further instructions. So, while he waited, his mind drifted to Tess, missing her badly, regretting his decision not to continue working with her, and hoping that she was okay, whatever she was doing. And then, like so many times recently, the blond angel’s thoughts turned to Monica as he once more felt her emotions tugging at his heart. She was frightened again, and now realizing that whatever this was, it was definitely not his imagination, he began to worry.

It was late morning, and so Monica was unlikely to be having a nightmare, and Andrew knew that the beach house and surrounding area was not visited by humans, so what had frightened his dear young friend so badly?

“Father... I don’t understand what is happening here, but I know if Monica is this badly afraid, then something must be wrong. Please, won’t You let me go to her?” But he closed his eyes briefly, sadly, when the answer came back the same as before- he was not to go to her. Dutifully the Angel of Death nodded, accepting what the Father was telling him, but deep inside of him the fear he still felt from Monica was almost too much to bear and he prayed desperately to the Father to keep her safe from whatever was troubling her.

***

Tess stood alone in the beach house, tired after not getting much sleep the night before, as she was far too worried about Monica. She’d hoped that her young charge would have returned the previous night, but there was still no sign of her and this worried Tess more because now she knew that the young angel had spent the night out there somewhere, and Tess had no way of knowing whether Monica was okay or not.

The house was lonely without Andrew or Monica there, and Tess found the silence too much to bear as she thought back to how it had been before she and Andrew had returned to casework after the Whisper assignment- of course things had been difficult, and Monica was hurting badly from what had occurred on that assignment, but the three of them had enjoyed their time at the house, going for walks on the beach or just sitting and talking, sometimes with laughter but more often than not, tears.

But they had been together, and that was the main thing. But now, this angelic ‘family’ had been torn apart somewhat unexpectedly, and Tess felt at a loss as to know how to bring the three of them back together, especially since she had no idea where either of her dear friends were.

Sighing, Tess wiped back a tear as she thought of both of her ‘Angel Babies’ and prayed once more that they were both safe. And then she heard the Father’s voice telling her that she had another assignment, and even though she was reluctant to leave the beach house in case Monica came back, she had no choice but to obey her orders, and so minutes later, the house was empty once more as Tess disappeared from view.

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Chapter Nineteen

Standing on a street corner in a suburban area of town, Andrew looked up as he sensed another angel approaching, but was shocked when he saw who it was. “Tess?!” The older angel too was shocked, and as she approached she eyed the blond angel carefully for a moment before her emotions got the better of her and she found herself hugging him, while he returned the gesture just as strongly. After a moment they both pulled back, looking at each other as if unsure what to say. But finally Andrew spoke. “I’ve missed you, Tess...”

“And I’ve missed you too, Angel Boy. I didn‘t think I‘d be seeing you again any time soon, but I guess the Father has a serious plan if He’s putting us two Angels back together.” Tess smiled, obviously overjoyed to see him again, but her eyes still held a trace of sadness.

“I’m... I’m sorry, Tess.” Andrew sighed heavily. “For leaving like that... I thought I was doing the right thing by getting as far away from you and Monica as I could, but... I’ve had time to realize that it was the wrong thing to do. I’ve missed you both so badly.”

“Me too, baby. But, I forgive you- all of us have been under so much pressure these past few weeks, it’s no wonder we’ve acted like we did.” Andrew nodded, then his face showed concern. “How is Monica? Is she okay?” Andrew remembered the fear he’d felt from his younger friend, fear that had subsided some time before, but which still worried him as he didn’t know what had caused it. But he saw Tess’ face cloud over at his question. “Tess? What is it?”

Realizing that of course Andrew didn’t know that Monica was missing, she sighed heavily, taking his hand. “Angel Boy... Monica is gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?” His voice sounded almost hysterical.

“We had an argument, and... when I got back from my assignment, she wasn’t at the house, or the beach, anywhere.”

Andrew frowned. “When was this?”

“Yesterday...” Tess hesitated as Andrew’s eyebrows shot up worriedly. “She’s been gone all night, baby, and she still wasn’t back when I left a few minutes ago.”

Andrew looked around him, unsure what to say, what to think... and now even more afraid for his dear young friend. “She’s been out all night?” He was talking to himself as much as he was talking to Tess, his mind whirring. “Then something’s happened... that’s why she was so afraid...”

“Angel Boy? What did you just say?”

Lifting anguished eyes to the older angel, Andrew sighed. “What?”

“You said she was afraid... how did you know that if you haven’t seen her?” Tess placed a hand on his arm. “Andrew?” Shaking his head, Andrew wasn’t sure where to begin. “You’re gonna think this is crazy, Tess, but... I’ve been aware of Monica’s feelings... in-in my heart... for a few days now, ever since I came back to the beach house.”

“You can feel what she’s thinking?” Tess frowned, trying to follow what Andrew was saying, as he shook his head. “No... not what she’s thinking, exactly, more like... it’s like I can just sense her emotions- if she’s sad, or afraid... and not long before you arrived, I was feeling it again- she was frightened, Tess, so frightened... and I can’t go to her.” His voice changed from worry to sadness. “The Father won’t let me go to her, Tess.”

Tess nodded. “He won’t let me go to her either, Angel Boy. But He has told me that He is watching over our Angel Baby, and we shouldn’t forget that.” She hesitated, remembering something then. “Baby... I don’t think what you’ve said is crazy- in fact, it makes perfect sense.”

“It does?”

“Yes, it does. Do you remember back in Whisper, while Monica was gone... do you remember your dreams, Angel Boy?”

“My dreams?” Tess nodded and Andrew‘s eyes widened. “The beach... she was there, with me, even though... even though she was with them.” His face clouded over with a look of sorrow as he thought of the terrible torture Monica had suffered.

“You were able to communicate with her, even though physically you were separated. And do you know what?” Andrew shook his head. “Sam told me something- that day we were all together, after you’d rescued Monica...”

“There’s something else...” Sam hesitated, once again watching the two young angels who were now walking hand in hand along the beach. “I don’t know if Andrew told you, but while Monica was held captive, he dreamed that he’d met her... on a beach.” Raphael turned to look at his two friends, suddenly realizing how badly Monica had wanted to come to the seaside. He turned wide eyes to Sam. “Did Monica..?”

Sam nodded. “Monica had the same dreams, yes. If you can call them dreams. In many ways, they were real. Just because those two couldn’t connect physically, didn’t mean they couldn’t connect spiritually.”

“But how can that be, Sam?”

“Well, Tess, you know that with the Father, anything is possible. This type of connection between two Angels is rare, but it’s not unheard of. I believe that the Father bestowed this gift upon them to keep them close while they were apart, but without the closeness that they shared anyway, this gift wouldn’t have been possible.”

Raphael frowned. “But... now that Monica’s back with us, I mean... there’ll be no need for them to dream of each other?” Sam smiled. “I have it on the Highest Authority that their gift is here to stay... in whatever form that may take. Their connection is strong, and just like their friendship, I believe it would take an awful lot to break it.”

“Do they know about this? I can’t wait to tell them...” But Sam shook his head. “There’s no need to tell them.. they will find out for themselves, when the time is right.”

Andrew listened carefully to what Tess had told him as it suddenly all began to make sense. “It’s a gift from the Father?” The older angel nodded. “He knew how close the two of you are and He wanted you to stay connected, even when you’re miles apart. That is why you can now feel what Monica is feeling.”

“What about Monica? Do you think she can tell what I’m feeling?”

“Well, I would imagine so. If you can sense her emotions, I think it would work the other way around as well.” Tess thought for a moment. “Have you tried it?” Andrew shook his head. “No... I-I didn’t think of that, I was too busy wondering how I could feel her emotions... not to mention worrying about her when I felt that she was afraid. Something frightened her, Tess- and I don’t know what it was.”

Tess lifted her head, listening to words from the Father, and then gave Andrew a reassuring smile. “He says that Monica is safe, and that He’s still watching over her... and I know it’s hard, baby- I worry about her too, but we have to trust the Father.” Andrew nodded and sighed lightly. “I know that, Tess. It’s just... so hard sometimes. And now, with these feelings...”

“You should try sending out your thoughts to her, Angel Boy. You can sense what she’s feeling, and maybe if she can sense you then it will bring her some comfort, wherever she is.” Andrew was hesitant at first, unsure of what Tess was telling him but figuring that it wouldn’t do any harm to try. And he was so desperate to see Monica again, and to let her know he was there for her, that he was willing to try anything. So the Angel of Death closed his eyes, concentrating hard, and tried to communicate with Monica.

Miles away in a quiet alleyway in Seattle, a young angel looked up suddenly, feeling inside her heart that an angel who loved her very much was missing her.

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