CHAPTER 3

New beginnings

Monica woke up with a confused look in her eyes, and if Andrew were to see it he would probably be amused. The Irish angel remembered having gone to Andrew's room on the previous night, she remembered her anguish and fear and how her dearest friend had put her soul at ease with his soothing voice and typical tenderness. Then, she remembered falling asleep in his arms and the way he chased away the beginning of what could be a nightmare.

But now she was back at her room and judging by the position of the sun coming through her window, she had been there for a few hours. Monica sat up in bed and concluded that Andrew had carried her back in his loving arms. Sighing deeply, she looked around her and then through the window as a new sunny day started, and then she bowed her head and conjoined her hands to offer a prayer. Monica prayed for guidance. She prayed for Andrew and even for Tess, as in her heart there wasn't room for resentfulness because she loved the supervisor dearly.

Her prayers and Andrew's loving words on the previous night gave her the strength to rise to her feet and start living the life she had chosen. There was nothing to lose - she and Andrew didn't know what the future held for them.

She changed her clothes and was getting ready to go down and perhaps have some breakfast. Monica imagined Andrew could probably be asleep and elected not to disturb him for a while, as he was tired. But a slight knock on the door took her out of her reverie and she found her beloved angel of death standing at her doorway.

"Andrew... I thought you were sleeping..." she said, her eyes shining just because of his presence.

Smiling, he took her both hands and kissed each of them. "No, angel... I confess I left early for a few hours. But there's something to tell you."

"What is it?" her eyes grew wide with anticipation and apprehension. There had been a lot of tension going on already.

"I have a job. I'll be working as a fire-fighter, angel. I'll keep on doing the Father's work!"

If Andrew had been hoping for excitement he was sorely disappointed, but he had also anticipated her probable reaction.

"A fire-fighter?" Her voice was small and her brow furrowed with deep concern. Though she could see the excitement in his eyes, she couldn't find it in herself to meet it, even though that fact caused her heart to ache.

"I know what you're thinking..." He began, but didn't get a chance to continue.

"Do you? We're human now, Andrew and you will be placing yourself in danger every single time you go to work. Why this, Andrew?"

"I was just passing by the fire station and I started talking to one of the chiefs, Monica. I told him I had experience as a volunteer and he was interested, so we sat down to talk."

"But you have experience as lots of things, Andrew, but none quite so dangerous as this!" Hot tears filled her eyes and she turned away quickly to hide them from him.

"But Angel, this was the opportunity that presented itself," He replied softly, hoping his tone would calm her.

Still not facing him, the Irish angel now turned human, crossed her arms protectively in front of herself as she took a deep breath, "I know that, but..." despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep the tremble out of her voice, "I don't know what I'd do down here all alone if anything happened to you. I can't bear the thought of it!"

Steady hands on her shoulders turned her to him and guided her into his arms. Andrew could feel the fear coming off of her in waves as she held onto him tightly, her face buried against his chest. Their new situation was going to take time, he knew that, but trying to reassure his angel was going to be a fulltime job for at least awhile.

Moving toward the bed with her in his arms, Andrew sat down and tugged her down into his lap, his hand stroking her back soothingly. When he heard her finally begin to calm, only then did he start to speak softly to her.

"Angel, I know how scary all of this is. We're in a situation we never dreamed we would be in and it isn't one we have ever been in before. We've only been in this new life for less than twenty-four hours, but already we have a place to stay temporarily and clothing and an income. Something tells me, sweet angel, that it is not just dumb luck that these things have happened. God is still watching over us and I don't believe it is in his plan for a second to separate us, now or ever."

Monica pulled away enough to look up into his eyes as he wiped at the tears on her cheeks, "I'm sorry. It's just that the thought of you being hurt...it scares me so much, Andrew. I'm trying to trust the Father, I am but it's so hard when I can't stop thinking that we have done something wrong to end up down here like this in the first place."

"Do you know what I think?" His voice was a tender whisper which continued as she shook her head, "I think that the lesson is not ours to learn. What if the lesson that is being taught isn't for us, but for Tess and those who would judge us?" Andrew watched as her eyes widened slightly, "If we believe that these feelings came from the Father to begin with, we can't also believe that we are being punished for having them in the first place."

"I had never thought of it that way," she replied solemnly, knowing that what he was saying was making perfect sense.

Andrew laid his hand against her cheek, "Baby, I don't expect you to not be afraid, because in many ways, I'm afraid. But we have to keep trusting, because what happened yesterday? There was no trust in that conversation with Tess. Now, I love her every bit as much as you do, but I don't believe for a second that she was acting on anything of higher authority. I believe she was acting out of her own fear and her own ignorance and I don't want us doing the same thing. We need to trust Him, no matter what."

Monica laid her smaller hand over his that was against her cheek, "I will. I'll do my very best, Andrew and I'll trust you as well as I already do, with my entire heart. Yesterday, when we were given our ultimatum, there was no choice there for me. I had to be with you. I couldn't allow Tess to separate us. Imagining that was far worse than imaging being fully human. At least fully human, I can still do this."

Her dark eyes were shy as her other hand reached up to stroke his face, before she inched up to kiss him tenderly on the lips. Her eyes closed in complete bliss as Andrew pulled her closer and she could feel the trembling of his hands as he murmured "I love you" between each kiss as the mounting passion between the two of them continued to grow. There was no guilt now, no hiding what they were feeling for fear someone would see and it was as if they both realized at the same moment how close they could easily come to losing control.

Andrew broke away first, not missing how large Monica's pupils were nor how startled she suddenly looked over her own emotions. They were both breathing heavily and it took a moment for their racing hearts to slow.

"We need to be careful." Andrew finally spoke firmly, even as he caught up her hand in his and kissed it tenderly, "We're fully human now and so are our feelings for each other; our love for each other. I don't want us to do anything that isn't right in regards to our love."

"The things I feel for you, Andrew..." Her eyes were still wide as she continued to process the range of intense yet loving feelings that seemed to flow through her entire being, "But no, I don't want to do anything wrong either. What we've been given is a gift from the Father; it has to be and it has to be treated with respect."

"Exactly," He had already decided that he would never place them in a situation where they could potentially give in to their human feelings. He had always protected her and he would continue to do so in all things, even their love unless the day came when they could be...

He wondered if they would be here long and if they were, would marriage even be a possibility. There was nothing he wanted more. He loved the little angel with his entire heart; he always had. Now he just had to learn how to keep her safe in an all too human life in a very large city.