Missing in action - by Gaby

If you don’t have this very present in your minds, it’s the one where Monica gets old temporarily and an old man falls in love with her.

“Hello, you must be new here!” Andrew told the old woman that had come to him. “My name’s Andrew and I think you look very, very nice today. What’s your name?”

The old woman rolled her eyes and looked mischievously at him. “Andrew! It’s me!”

“MONICA!” the blond angel exclaimed, eyes wide open, not really believing what he was seeing. “W-what happened to you?”

“Nothing! I’m the same angel I always was, just a few more wrinkles and a few more aches and pains,” she joked, but her old legs grew weak and she almost fell hadn’t George appeared nearby. “Here, take the dog,” the colonel told the angel of death handling Tess’ dog to him.

Andrew couldn’t help but feel a little upset at what he was witnessing. Not only Monica, his Monica, was now an old and fragile woman ―the long dark hair he so loved to comb was now gray and white, her soft skin was wrinkled and her body didn’t seem to allow her to be the playful angel he was used to―, but also there was someone else looking after her!

He was carrying a tray with canapés when he had first saw Monica, and all of a sudden she had felt bad. Now, the angel was seeing George helping her to take a seat on a couch and he felt like a complete fool just standing where he was, the tray in one hand and Mr. Dog in the other.

“Take it easy, angelboy,” Tess’ voice made him react immediately.

“Tess! He…! She…!”

“I know, I know,” the older angel interrupted him. “He’s developing feelings for her that he should not, and Monica hasn’t realized…”

“She hasn’t realized something else either…” he grumbled in a low voice, almost ignoring the supervisor was there with him, “… and it’s been more than a year now…”

But Tess did hear what he had said and turned to see him, the brief second their eyes met was enough for her to know the truth at once. She then saw how Andrew shot a last look at Monica and George before heading back to his kitchen and to the secret he was keeping on his heart.

xxx

As soon as Lorraine started to play the piano, Andrew’s avid eyes searched for Monica and they found George making his way to her. He hadn’t wanted to confess it but it was so painful to see someone getting all of Monica’s attention while it seemed he couldn’t get more than a kind smile from her lately.

He sighed in frustration when he saw George taking Monica to dance, circling her tiny waist and pulling her closer to him even if it was obvious she was trying to keep her distance. The angel walked to leave the room but a sudden exclamation of pain made him turn and see Monica collapsing on a near chair. “Monica!” he shouted and ran to her, crouching at her side and taking her shaking hand between his.

“Andrew!” the little angel exclaimed with clear fear written on her face. “My heart! It hurts!”

“Take it easy, sweetie!” he said taking her hand, not paying attention to George that was around too. “Breath.”

“Can you take care of her, angelboy?” Tess asked the blond angel before she followed Mrs. Hancock, who has requested to talk to her.

“Of course, Tess! I’ll take her to her room!” he then helped Monica to stand.

“Yes, yes, I’ll take you to your room!” George said too, not noticing Andrew’s upset face.

Seeing Monica couldn’t walk, the angel took her in his arms carefully and carried her to her room, George following them as a faithful dog. “You know, George? I think I can take care of her…” Andrew said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, placing the little angel on the bed and kissing her temple.

“Will you be ok?” the old man asked Monica, not really trusting a guy with long hair with something so precious.

“Yes, George, I will…” she replied weakly, the way the man was looking at her and the way Andrew was looking at the man only confirming her what Tess and Lorraine had told her: George was having feelings about her.

“I-I will come back later…” he warned, trying to find a way to stay.

There was a moment of silence between Monica and Andrew after the man was gone and while he helped her to lay on the bed. She then raised her head to meet his green eyes and if she was already shocked by George’s feelings, she was twice surprised by what she was seeing in her friend’s eyes. Unable to resist it, she turned her face away and started to cry.

“Shh… Monica, it’s ok,” the blond angel said taking a seat by her side on the bed and holding her tightly as he always did.

“No, no, it’s not!” she sobbed. “I didn’t know it hurt so bad to break someone’s heart! It feels so strange to be loved this way! Human love is so complicated!”

“And God’s love is so simple…” he added combing her gray hair and kissing her head. “But when human love is meant to be, baby, it is simple too. You just feel it…”

Feeling safe and protected on Andrew’s arms, Monica closed her eyes thinking on what he was saying… and she knew he was right. When love was meant to be, you just felt it… as she was feeling it in that very moment.

xxx

After George had told everyone the truth about his time in the army and Lorraine had requested Andrew to go get a wooden box from her bedside table, the blond angel got into the room the old woman and Monica had briefly shared.

“I guess you’re coming for this,” the Irish angel, now back to her young form, told him offering him the box.

“Yes,” he offered softly, his concern evidently in his eyes as he saw she was about to cry. “Aren’t you coming?”

“In a minute…” she said meeting his eyes.

“You ok?” Andrew asked taking a seat by her side on the bed and reaching for her hand.

It amazed her to see him so worried about her and she barely could drown a sob. Yet, a tear made its way down her cheek and Andrew reached to swipe it tenderly. Monica felt a bolt of electricity when he touched her cheek and almost unconsciously, she closed her eyes and leaned over his touch, covering his hand with one of hers.

Andrew’s heart melted at the vision of Monica. How he longed to hold her tightly and let her know how he felt for her. But he felt it wasn’t the moment, so he leaned and kissed her forehead long and lovingly before leaving.

He was by the door already when he heard Monica calling him. “Andrew? C-can you meet me later? A-after I talk to George…”

He smiled at her, the same sweet smile that always warmed her heart. “Of course, angel, I’ll see you later.”

xxx

Sitting on the swings where Monica had started her assignment, Andrew was watching his friend talk to the old man that had fallen in love with her. He saw George taking Monica’s hand and kissing it reverently before she just disappeared from the man’s sight.

“You all right?” the angel of death asked her when he saw her coming to meet him, both now invisible to humans around.

Monica nodded and cleaned her tears away. “I will be…” she said honestly, “… as soon as I finish fixing all the mess I did.”

“Haven’t you finished?” he asked not understanding what she meant.

“Not yet.” She offered him her hand and when he took it, she said, “Can we take a walk?”

Andrew stood up and followed her, soon changing her hand for her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Monica’s heart started to beat faster with their closeness, yet she had never felt that good: she could feel Andrew’s concern for her surrounding her, covering her as a soft, warm blanket.

“Andrew?” she finally broke the silence slowing her pace. “I’m sorry I made you suffer.”

The blond angel was completely taken off guard, so he stopped and faced her. “What, Monica?”

Monica’s stomach clenched at his surprise but she knew she had to talk. She took a deep sigh before turning to face him. “I know I made George suffer, but I also hurt you. I know it bothered you to see George being in love with me… and I want to say I’m sorry, Andrew…”

“There’s nothing to…” he tried to speak but she stopped him. “No, please, let me finish. I was so blind…” she said meeting his green eyes and reaching to touch his cheek, “… so blind I never read what was in your eyes.”

Andrew took a sharp breath at what she was saying, his eyes reflecting the same expectation that his heart. “Monica…” he covered her small hand and moved to kiss its palm.

“I guess I took you for granted and never thought I could lose you until… until I saw the pain I was causing you… Please, forgive me…” Her eyes were bright with tears just as Andrew’s and he blinked several times before he could speak.

“I knew it wasn’t on purpose…” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. He then reached to cup her face with infinite care. “But it did hurt. It hurt so much to see you being taken away from me… I wouldn’t bare, Monica…” he tenderly brushed the tear that had escaped her eye. “I love you so much, sweetie, you know that, don’t you?”

Monica nodded. “I do now…”

“I never knew when it happened. All I know is that I believe I started loving you the minute I saw you back in that forest, in that wedding party… Don’t ask why, I only know this love is here in my heart and it grows each and every day.”

“That’s why you told me human love can be as simple as God’s?” the little angel asked, her eyes so bright with trust and love.

“Yes…” Andrew whispered. “I know what I feel for you and it’s a natural thing. It’s necessary for me now. You are my life, Monica…”

Feeling overwhelmed by his sweet words, Monica slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her eyes with his for a long second, the dialogue between their eyes letting them know what was in each other’s heart. “I love you,” she finally murmured.

Andrew tightened his hold on her tiny waist and slowly leaned down, meeting her eyes for a second, before he finally kissed her on the lips, showing her how good human love could be and how incredibly much he loved her.