CHAPTER 4

The day was just beginning to fade into twilight and Raphael and Monica had been walking for a long time, but suddenly, the Hispanic angel knew they were no longer alone. Looking up sharply and almost protectively, a peaceful smile slipped into place as he saw Adam. Nodding his head, he reached for Monica's hand to stop her movement.

"Angelito, it is time for me to bid you goodbye for now, but remember what I said. Remember what the truth is and that tonight is only a beginning."

The younger angel looked startled at the announcement he was leaving and was even further distraught when he kissed her cheek and vanished. Tears welling up in her eyes, she whirled around, trying to see what had caused him to leave her so suddenly and what she saw caused a cry to escape her lips as her hands flew to her mouth.

The emotion on the blond angel's face was impossible to miss as he stood just at the entrance to the forest in a white shirt and khaki pants, making him appear boyishly handsome, but it was his eyes, his beautiful green eyes that nearly hypnotized her and a heartbeat later, his name had escaped her lips.

"Andrew…"

Monica was quickly caught up in his arms and nearly crushed against his body as his arms held her tightly, lifting her just off the ground, "Angel…my precious, precious angel…" Andrew's fingers entwined in her long tresses as he set her back on her feet, his eyes taking in every aspect of her tear-streaked face, "Oh baby, I've missed you so much. Monica, you have no idea…"

"I do," She choked out as her hands moved to touch him; his face, his hair, his arms, hardly able to fathom that he was truly here, "I've been so lonely for you…Andrew…" A sob cut off her words and then he was kissing her, his lips covering every inch of her face, brushing away her tears and stealing her breath. Then to fulfill a need within himself, Andrew just held her tightly up against his chest once more, cradling her close, cherishing the feeling of her heart beating against his own.

Monica wanted to stay in his embrace forever, yet they both knew that time was not on their side. Part of her didn't want to know, yet she knew she had to, "How long?"

"Morning," The single word was grieved as he kissed the top of head, feeling the miserable shudder that flowed through her as she held him tighter.

"And then what?" Her lilt caught in a sob, though she hated to mourn his absence when he was here with her for the first time in so long.

"I don't know, baby," His voice held barely constrained desperation, "I don't know, but I do know this," He pulled away enough to look into her liquid brown eyes, "I want every minute to count. I don't want to waste a second of it."

There was so much more to say, yet the little angel didn't want to lose a moment of their stolen time together commiserating about how they were treated or about Tess' words or about the way the older angel's relationship with her had been reduced to a mere supervisor-employee status. Such things would only grieve Andrew's heart in the morning when he would have to leave her so they were not the important words that needed to be exchanged.

"If they thought separating us would make me stop loving you, they were wrong," Eyes that held the honesty of the world gazed up into his as she spoke, "I've never stopped. It's grown stronger. Not being with you only causes me to want to be with you even more."

His hands framed her face as he struggled not to get lost in her brown pools, "I love you. You're my first thought every single day and my last waking thought at night. Monica, I've been so worried about you; I just wanted to find you and hold you and to make all of this go away."

"For tonight, let's pretend you can," She pleaded.

"Whatever you want, Angel. Whatever you want."

Then he was kissing her again as their bodies melded together, forgetting about their current plight and not thinking about the impending separation that would come as the sun rose in the morning. For now, it all fell away, dispersed by nothing more or nothing less, than true love.

Just before the dawn, the two angels walked hand in hand through the forest in silence. They walked slowly, only too aware of the sun's slow ascent behind them and Monica tightened the grip on his hand even as her other hand came around in front of her to grab his wrist.

She didn't want to cry and make this anymore difficult for Andrew than it needed to be, yet her heart felt as if it were being slowly ripped from her chest with every step they took closer to the edge of the woods. She felt his fingers curl more tightly around her own and Monica knew she wasn't kidding anyone; this was going to be the most difficult thing they had ever done.

Just before they would have emerged from the protection of the forest, Andrew stopped walking and turned to face her. His eyes were filled with great love and tenderness which transmitted to his fingers as they delicately traced the outline of her face, his gaze drinking in every aspect and feature. His heart ached as he watched the little angel of his heart blink rapidly to try to keep the tears at bay and when her chin trembled slightly he knew it would not be long before they were released, no matter how hard she was fighting not to cry.

"You know this is not the end," He whispered to her as he rested his warm palm against her cheek, watching as she closed her eyes at the touch, the first tiny bursts of sunlight over the mountain allowing him to make out the tears that clung to her long lashes.

"Raphael said it was the beginning," Monica replied just as softly, though there was no one but God within a hundred miles to hear, "But beginnings shouldn't be taken away as soon as they start."

"Are you sorry? I mean, are you sorry I came here last night?"

Her eyes sprang open and her tearful words were even more pained, "No! Andrew, never. I would go through the horrible moment of you leaving a million times to just spend an hour with you! Don't you know that?"

He drew her close, sheltering her, "I do; of course I do. I just hate to see you cry, Angel; to see this pain in your eyes."

"But last night I was whole for the first time in so long because you were with me…and it is those moments I will cling to until we are able to be together again, Andrew."

"I'll be existing for that moment, Monica and thinking of you the entire time," Pulling back, he kissed her possessively, stealing her breath and quickening her heartbeat, "I will find a way through this, Angel. You have my word."

A small hand moved to his chest, "And you have my heart."

The whisper to his own heart told him it was breaking…and that he had to leave before Sam came looking for him, "I love you, my beautiful angel. Stay strong, Monica."

"I love you too," She uttered even as the tears began to cascade down her face.

Andrew kissed her once more and then rested his forehead against hers for a moment, "Never forget how much I love you," He whispered, before giving her forehead a lingering a kiss and vanishing.

As if he had never been there to begin with.