CHAPTER 11

It was right before dinner that the word came that her lawyer wanted to see her and hope immediately sprang up in Monica's heart that made her feel extremely guilty. As an angel she should not want to abandon her assignment of helping Abby, yet all she could think about was getting out of here and far away from people who wanted to hurt her.

As she hurriedly followed the guard to the small room, she berated herself for not trusting in God enough, but everything she had ever known now felt different. People kept trying to hurt her and she didn't understand why these things kept happening. First it had been Jim, who had kidnapped her, then Phil and now Sheila and whoever she was working for. The little angel bit her lip worriedly; did she somehow draw these kinds of humans to herself? Was something in her defective that it allowed such violence to seek her out? Surely this couldn't be what the Father wanted for her! Yes, she had been in trouble before, but never like this with one assignment after another. Jim had found her because she had walked away from Andrew and she had wound up being in Phil's clutches because she had not wanted to listen to Andrew's words of warning, so maybe the problem did lie within her.

As they arrived at the door, Monica shook her head, not liking the places her thoughts were going. What was it about this horrible place that made her feel so lost and hopeless?

Andrew looked up as Monica came into the room and he was immediately struck by the storm in her dark eyes. He couldn't even put his finger on any one emotion he saw there, but he knew that it frightened him so much that all he wanted was to pull her into his arms and hold onto her so tightly.

"Did you find out anything?" Her voice sounded small and childlike even to her and she knew that Andrew could sense her helplessness. It was suddenly all she could do to not burst into tears. She wanted to be in Andrew's arms. She wanted to be Home or even at their cabin. Anywhere but here.

He was on his feet immediately, and ushering her into a chair, alarmed with how pale and fragile she appeared. Kneeling beside her chair, he struggled to meet her eyes, "Angel? What is it? What's wrong?"

Monica closed her eyes to force back the tears, knowing she couldn't tell him all she had been thinking when she was still processing it herself, yet she hated the words that escaped her lips even more, "You have to get me out of here. Please Andrew. Please."

His anxiety shot through the roof at the plea that was so unlike Monica. Yes, she had been doubting her abilities lately because of all she had gone through, but this out and out desperation to be removed from her assignment was so out of character for her that he no longer knew what to think.

"Baby, what happened?" Andrew feared that Sheila was back out and amongst the general public again, even though he felt certain that was impossible.

Shame consumed her as she struggled to rein in her emotions, "I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have said that. I know you're doing all you can and that I'm supposed to be here. I just..."

"Sweetheart, what?" His green eyes were pleading with her and he could barely keep up with the wide range of emotions that she had been going through the last few days.

Her helpless expression nearly undid him, "I don't know," Monica uttered as a lone tear made its way down her cheek, "I didn't expect this to be so hard..."

"Listen to me. This is hard and baby, if I could trade places with you, I would in a heartbeat-."

"I'd never ask that of you," She insisted brokenly as he rested his hands on her knees.

"I know that, and that's part of the reason why I would do it without you even asking." Andrew swallowed hard as he watched her eyes brim with tears that threatened to break free at any moment and he knew he had to center her again. Usually, this wasn't anything she needed, but here in this place, she was like a delicate bird in a cage who had forgotten how to sing. Her captivity was threatening her free spirit and knowing that lies had piled up against her was making her lose faith in the very race she was trying to help.

"Sweet angel, please listen to what I have to say. Whatever you are thinking about yourself is not true-."

"I miss you!" The words burst from her lips as tears escaped her eyes, "I want more than stolen moments at night when I'm so tired I can barely stay awake, Andrew! I'm so lonely for you, all the time and it's all because these people keep wanting to do things to keep us apart! The only time anything makes sense is when you are here! You're my light in the darkness of this place and when you aren't here, it is so dark, Andrew! It's just so dark!"

Suddenly he no longer cared that there was a guard right outside the door. Andrew tugged her into his arms and held her as tightly as he dared up against his chest as he blinked back his own tears. His fingers clutched her back and the back of her head as she cried up against him. No, he didn't understand all she had told him, but he had understood enough, "Shh, Angel Girl. It's going to be okay. I promise it will be."

"What if it isn't?" Monica sobbed, as she buried her face against the nape of his neck, "What if I never get out of here? This wasn't supposed to happen, but it has to be this way just the same...and what if there never is a way to prove I didn't kill that man? Remember that angel in the mental institution? She had been there for years, Andrew!"

Pulling away, he took her face into his hands, "That is not going to happen!"

"But it already feels like years! And if I never get out of here, I'll never be able to marry you and I want that more than anything!"

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as Andrew held her gaze and Monica struggled to control her tears. Their hearts shared a beat and slowly the rhythms began to slow back to normal. He further calmed himself by taking tender time wiping away her tears with his fingers. Only once her sobs had diminished, did he speak.

"I am going to marry you, Angel," Andrew's voice was so soft it seemed to touch her very soul, "There isn't anything in this universe strong enough to keep that from happening, I promise you. Do you hear me? I promise you."

Monica managed a shaky nod of her head, "I trust you. I do. I just get so scared in here. It's not like anyplace else I've ever been before. No one cares about anyone else and sometimes the apathy here...it makes me feel like I can't breathe, Andrew." She lowered her eyes shyly, "I'm sorry I said all those things. You didn't need to hear them."

"Yes, I did," He replied gently as he laid a hand over her heart, "I knew there were things you were keeping in here and I always want to know what they are, Monica."

She nodded slowly, "I don't want to feel this way, you know."

"I know that, and I want you to know how much I miss you too. If I could be here every moment, Angel, I would be, but the next most important thing to being with you is getting you out of here and I'm working on that."

"I know and I'm so thankful to have you as my lawyer," Monica managed a tearful smile, "I'd like to think you have a vested interest in your client."

Her attempt at lightening the mood warmed his heart, even though he could still tell she was barely hanging onto her emotions, "I'd say that is the understatement of the year. But of course, we have not yet discussed the matter of payment for my services."

A shaky laugh escaped her, "Did you have something in particular in mind?"

Andrew appeared thoughtful for a moment, "Well, maybe a few million...of these," His lips captured hers in a soulful kiss that nearly stole away her breath.

As their lips parted, the little angel rested her head against his shoulder and breathed in the scent of him, "I love you so much," She whispered.

"I love you too, baby, with all my heart," He hugged her close to him for a few more moments. He was sure that the emotions of the last several minutes had not only helped her but exhausted her as well. He also had a feeling that once he was able to get her out of here, he would be spending some time helping the little angel to get back to herself. This experience had been more than difficult for her and it wasn't over yet. He only hoped he could help keep her focused until it was.

Still in his arms, Monica closed her eyes, only wishing to stay here in this moment forever, but knowing she couldn't, "So, my lawyer wanted to see me?"

"Mmm hmm," His fingers brushed through her hair, in no hurry to let her go as they were apparently getting some Divine Intervention as the guard outside the door was nowhere to be seen, "I finally have a place to start, Angel. Edward Nowels worked for one of the largest banks in New York City; The First National Bank of Manhattan. I talked to his wife today and when I told her about this witness stating that her husband was having an affair, she insisted there was no way that was possible. Tina said that if Edward was having a relationship with anything else, it was with the bank."

Keeping her eyes closed, Monica swallowed hard, "But that isn't proof, Andrew. No woman would want to believe her husband was cheating on her."

Kissing her forehead in an attempt to soothe her once more, he continued, "Tina also said that the week before he died, her husband was visibly upset by something going on at work. He told her that he had a feeling someone was cheating the company out of millions of dollars, but he had to prove it. Angel, he never got the chance to prove it that Tina knows of. He died before it could happen."

The little angel's eyes sprang open at those words, "So the person who was stealing the money could be the one who killed him." She raised her head and for the first time today there was a faint spark of hope in her eyes.

Reaching up, Andrew stroked her cheek lovingly, "Yes. That's what I'm working on finding out."

"But what about this witness? The one who says I was having an affair with him? What she says is going to mean so much if you can't find out who Edward was worried about."

"But that is why I am going to find out who Edward was worried about," He replied with determination.

"I just wish I knew why this witness is lying about me," Monica murmured sadly.

"Some people, baby, just want their thirty seconds of fame. Maybe lying about knowing something gets her name into a newspaper and makes her feel better about herself; makes her feel like she is important."

"But at the expense of someone else."

He nodded his head, feeling the heaviness of her heart within his own. A light rap at the door signalled that they needed to wrap up their conversation and Andrew noticed the brave face Monica was trying to summon.

Forcing a watery smile, she managed to speak, "I promise I'm not going to cry and make leaving any harder for you."

"I'll be back in just a few hours. You know that," He watched as she nodded her head though he could tell she was biting the inside of her lip to hold back the tears. Glancing up at the door, he then turned his attention back to her, "I know that Tess has your ring and though that is a sign of my commitment to you, sweetheart, the real proof lies here," Taking her hand, he guided it to his heart, "My heart beats only for you, sweet angel and it is so full of love for you that grows every single day, even when it seems so full that there could not possibly be room for anymore love, it's there. You hold onto that when nothing else makes sense and you are feeling all alone. Promise me."

"I promise," Monica whispered and against her will, a tear fell upon her cheek, which he kissed away.

Helping her to her feet, Andrew met his gaze with hers and held it for a long moment, trying to transmit all his love for her while not showing her any of his worry for her emotional state of being.

Their gaze was only broken when the door opened and they were forced to go their separate ways once more; one to her own private hell and the other to try to rescue her from it.