Chapter 10

1 hour later…

"…But I was finally able to move on, although it took me a while to get used to you two not being there with me," Andrew finished as he leaned back against the couch cushions and tightened his strong arm around Monica's shoulders and drawing her closer to him. Feeling her head rest against his chest and her arms circle his waist, the angel kissed the top of her auburn head and met Tess' eyes once more.

"Although I got used to Search and Rescue after a couple of months, there was never a day that I didn't think of you two…" he softly spoke as a few tears welled up in his green eyes again.

Listening to her friend speak as he sat beside her on the couch, Monica stifled a tired yawn and slightly closed her brown eyes. A feeling of tiredness began to consume her human body as she allowed her eyes to close all the way and her head to droop farther against Andrew's strong chest. The words of her friends suddenly drowning out, the Irish angel all of a sudden was sound asleep in Andrew's arms.

Noticing their friend's sudden tiredness, as she lay motionless against Andrew, Tess caught her "Angel Boy's" eyes and nodded her head, speaking softly.

"You go put her to bed, Baby," she gently and quietly instructed.

"I'll put everything away. It is getting late after all…"

Nodding at his friend's request, Andrew ever-so-gently removed his arm from around his friend's shoulders, but kept a gentle hold on her to remove her injured ankle foot from the coffee table. Carefully removing the hot water bottle and handing it over to Tess, the blonde angel carefully gathered his younger friend up in his arms and slowly stood to his feet, putting a great deal of effort to not wake her up or injure her any further.

Holding Monica lovingly against his chest, the Search and Rescue angel quietly walked over to Tess, who stood beside the coffee table, gathering up the dirty dishes and cups to take into the kitchen.  Turning her curly head to face her young friend, who stood beside her with their "Angel Girl" in his arms, Tess allowed a tearful smile to play on her lips.

Switching the cups she held in her hand to other one, the choir supervisor gently reached out with her free hand and softly stroked Monica's auburn hair before planting a tiny kiss on her forehead, making sure to avoid the nasty scar that she had received earlier that day.

"Sleep well, Angel Girl," she quietly whispered, smiling up at the sight in front of her,

 "And don't worry, Baby; everything will be okay…"

Stroking the hair of her former charge one final time, Tess turned to her "Angel Boy" and lovingly ruffled his blonde locks, just like the old days, and planted a goodnight kiss on his cheek.

"I'll see you in the morning, Baby," she softly whispered, giving a small smile in his direction,

"Tomorrow, maybe we can figure some of what is going on here…"

Grinning back at his older friend and former supervisor, Andrew gave a small nod of his head and whispered a quiet "Goodnight" before heading down the hallway towards Monica's temporary bedroom. As the angel neared and noticed that the door was halfway open, Andrew softly nudged the door with his foot and walked over to the soft bed.  The lamp beside the bed on the end table was turned on low, much to Andrew's relief, as he came closer to the bed.

Gently laying his best friend down and fluffing the pillows before laying her head down on them, the angel pulled the covers back and gently tucked her feet, one sporting an ace bandage, underneath the warm sheets and comforter. Tucking the covers up around the young angel before him, Andrew lovingly reached his hand out stroked her hair away from her sealed eyelids before leaning over and kissing her cheek gently.

"I love you, sweetheart," the angel compassionately whispered as he took in his friend, sleeping soundly in front of him. Although he knew that she couldn't hear him, considering she wasn't awake, Andrew softly continued.

"Tess and I are right down the hall if you need us, Angel Girl and we'll be here in a second, okay, sweetie?"

Stroking her hair once more, Andrew removed his hand and slowly backed away from the bed and headed towards the wooden door. His eyes still on his best friend, the angel gently opened the door once again and slowly backed out, quietly shutting it behind him.

*****

"Echhh…That was way too sweet…" Kathleen made a look of disgust as she watched Andrew kiss Monica's cheek and lovingly tuck her in.

"It makes me want to gag, I tell you, Denise…"

"Humph…" Denise angrily replied, not meeting Kathleen's gaze.

"Do you have a bucket I can throw up in, Kath?" Glaring down at her sleeping "supervisor" in front of her, the angry caseworker felt a sizzling urge to do something…

Something…

"Oh, I don't have a bucket, hon," Kathleen replied disgustedly as she quickly turned her eyes to Denise.

"But trust me: You won't need one once this night is completely over with. I have a plan and a good one at that. The best is yet to come…"

*****

After an hour had passed, the apartment was dead quiet as all three angels slept soundly in their own separate rooms. All lights were turned off and doors shut tightly and the front door locked. The midnight sky had turned black as the minutes passed with no stars twinkling at all…

For some reason or another, Tess suddenly jerked out of a deep sleep.  Beads of sweat formed on the dark-skinned angel's forehead and her nightclothes clung to her human form. Her dark brown and gray hair tangled, Tess quickly turned to the door in front of her and looked wildly around the small bedroom she occupied. Her breathing heavy and her hands shaking, the angel turned back to the closed door and all of a sudden noticed that the lights had suddenly turned on beneath her door.

What's Angel Boy doing up at this hour?? She silently thought, concern etched on her features. And WHY did I wake up just now…I had no nightmares…Or did I??

But, suddenly before she could think any further, a piercing scream— Andrew's scream—sounded through her door from the front hallway.  Nearly jumping out of her skin at her friend's loud scream, the nearly terrified angel shoved the covers back from her legs and let her bare feet hit the carpeted floor.

Just as she faced the door, though, it suddenly swung open, a figure appearing before her. A beam of light caught Tess' dark, brown eyes and she squinted to get rid of the glare to make out the face in front of her.

"Andrew? Baby…What…"

Himself breathing hard and his whole body shaking as he stood in Tess' doorway, dressed in only shorts and a white T-shirt, Andrew raised his voice and looked directly into Tess' frightened eyes.

"Monica…Monica's gone! She's GONE!!"