CHAPTER 1

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

God must have led her to Andrew.

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

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

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

"Andrew…"

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

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

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

Monica nodded her head and smiled, "Yes."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Is there coffee to go with that machine?"

X

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

"So, what is your assignment here exactly?"

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

Her eyebrows knitted together in thought, "So, you don't have one human you're assigned to?"

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

"I've missed you terribly. Being away from you, Andrew…it's so difficult now."

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

She nodded her head enthusiastically, "Yes!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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