A 'Touched by an Angel' Story

And Sequel to 'The Witness'

By: Yvette Jessen

It was a quiet spring afternoon as Sharon Peters looked down at the gravestone. She was sitting on the ground at the local cemetery; her eyes were filled with sadness as she recalled the accident that took the life of her best friend. It had been less than a week ago that the accident had happened. Now the 18-year-old was staring at the large marble stone, her eyes filling with tears as she watched the rest of the mourners leaving the graveyard.

She looked down at her clothing, the black dress she wore made her feel depressed, but her sadness would not go away, and all the while she wondered almost constantly why it was instead of feeling shock, she felt anger building up inside of her. The driver who had caused the accident had been drinking, and as she brushed her hand along the smooth texture of the stone, she remembered how Teresa had been her best friend. She was one of the people who had helped her settle back after her parents had gotten divorced and she had moved back home with her father.

She remembered the prom she had attended, and in the back of her mind, she rationalized how it should have been her who had died, not Teresa. The guilt continued to eat away at her, and instead of speaking; she stared despondently at the ground all the while trying to make heads or tails of her wayward emotions.

In the distance, the Angel of Death named Andrew stood watching the young woman, who remained seated on the ground. Next to him, Tess stood, a look of contemplation on her face as she looked at her 'Angel Boy' and could see the pain that was etched in his handsome face.

"It's been four years since I was sent to her," Andrew said softly.

"I know, and since then, she's been through a great deal," Tess said gently.

Andrew nodded numbly his shoulders slumped as he regarded the young woman who was staring at the stone, her eyes filling with tears. He shook his head, all the while trying to block the images of the drama that seemed to be playing out in front of him. "It was Sharon's best friend, Tess." He shook his head all the while the sadness encompassing him. "I took her Home."

"I know, baby," Tess said as she wrapped her arms around his slumped shoulders, and ran a motherly hand through his short blonde hair. "Tell me what exactly happened, Andrew, maybe it will help you make heads or tails of this."

"There's not much to say, the driver of the car she was in was three sheets to the wind. When he suddenly lost control of the car, he crashed through a barricade and Teresa was crushed on impact," Andrew said softly as the tears spilled down over his cheeks from beneath his compassionate eyes. "I had been at the hotel for only a small part of the evening, and Sharon looked so pretty, she had her hair up and her eyes just sparkled with so much life and joy. It was something I had rarely seen in her, maybe because she was so shy back then, yet, now, I don't know what I would say to her." He shook his head as he felt Tess' hand on his shoulder.

"The Father wants you to go to her," Tess said gently. "He wants you to take care of her. She's really going to need an angel to help her heal, and you're the best one for the job."

"I can't," Andrew whispered, guilt and sadness shadowing his handsome face. "I took Teresa Home, Tess, and I know that death can be a beautiful thing, but Sharon, I just know that she's going to hate me for what I had to do."

"No, baby, Sharon doesn't know this yet, but you can tell her, you can let her know that is OK to feel what She feels about this." Tess looked at him, her eyes intent. "You trust the Father, do you not?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then go to your friend, Andrew, and be a friend," Tess said. "Sharon feels as though she doesn't have a friend left in the world, and now you're talking about walking away from her when she needs someone the most." The elder of the two angels sighed deeply as she looked at him all the while shaking her head. "I know that this is going to be hard for you, but stop and think how hard it is for her and shove the pride aside to be there for someone who needs you, and whether she admits it or not, her thoughts are of you and how you were there for her when she really needed divine help."

Andrew glanced over and could see that Sharon was still sitting on the ground her hair hanging down over her shoulders and the Angel of Death could feel his gentle heart going out to his young friend. He nodded in Tess' direction all the while seeing the truth in her words and with weighted steps, he started to walk over towards where she was sitting. Please Father; give me the right words to say to her when the time is right.

Don't worry, My angel, you will know what to say when you need to say it. The Father's loving reassurances emerged and he walked closer to where she was sitting. As he approached, he could hear her softly weeping as she tried without any success at brushing the tears from her eyes.

As he reached her, he crouched down next to her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder and without opening her eyes or looking at who it was now next to her, she began to mumble, her words filled with despondency. "I know, Daddy, I'm coming."

"Sharon?" Andrew spoke her name, and upon hearing the familiar voice of her angel, she looked up, her tear filled eyes meeting his own for the first time in nearly four years.

"A" her voice cracked and she shook her head in disbelief. He had come back, he was really there all she had to do was reach out and touch him. She could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes, but she somehow just wanted to be assured that this was real and not just another dream.

"Shhh," Andrew spoke gently as he sat down on the ground and took her in his embrace. "It's me, Sharon, I'm here," he said softly as he began to brush her hair out from in front of her eyes.

Instead of speaking she closed her eyes as the tears streamed from beneath the lids. "S-She was…"

"I know," he said softly. "Your best friend."

The young woman nodded and looked up at him, but after a few moments she managed to sit back up and stare at the unfilled grave. "I can't believe this is happening."

Andrew nodded. "Come on, let's go." As he released her, he helped her get to her feet and they left the cemetery, Sharon's head was down the entire time and the angel's gentle heart went out to her.

*****

Once they had reached the street and were walking in the direction of the beach, Sharon finally found the courage to look up, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Teresa was like a sister to me."

"I know, and I'm so sorry, Sharon," he offered weakly.

The young woman nodded numbly but said nothing, and she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Instead of speaking further, Andrew led her into a small café, his hand on her shoulder and once they had sat down, the waiter came over and they ordered some coffee. As he walked away, Sharon finally found the courage to look up. "Andrew?"

"Yes?"

"You were with her, weren't you?" Sharon finally found her voice.

"Yes, I was," he said gently, his voice cracking slightly as he tried to speak, his words filled with sadness. "I know how special she was to you, but Sharon…"

"I hate you," the young woman cried out softly, her voice barely above a whisper, but her eyes left no room for argument.

Andrew reached for her hand, but when she refused to surrender it, he spoke, his voice pleading with her. "Please, Sharon…"

"How could you come back to me now, after taking her away from me?" Sharon spoke, but her voice trailed off as she stood up with the intention to leave, but Andrew reached over and finally managed to capture her hand in his.

"Please, listen to me, Sharon," he implored her softly once he held her hand in his. "I didn't come here to hurt you."

"Let me go, I don't want to talk to you," She shouted, thus causing the other patrons in the café to look over at them, and Andrew, having little, if no choice in the matter, released her hand and watched as she fled from the diner.

Once he was alone, Andrew could feel the tears streaming from beneath his despondent green eyes. Oh Father, what do I do now?

As he watched her disappear through the doorway, he could see that Adam had appeared in the doorway and he went over to his fellow Angel of Death.

"What are you doing here?" Andrew asked.

"I guess you could say that I am here to provide you a little bit of backup," Adam said, and watched as Sharon disappeared around the corner. "Something tells me you could use it at the moment."

Andrew nodded, but the sadness that enveloped him seemed almost overwhelming.

*****

Once Sharon had come outside, she walked slowly away from the diner, her frustration and sadness evidently showing. Deep inside of herself, she knew that she really couldn't believe the horrible things she had said to Andrew. Furthermore, she knew that she didn't hate him at all, in fact, she loved him with her whole heart and it was only because she felt so lost that she had said these things to him in the first place. Please God, she thought to herself, Please tell him that I love him more than I do myself, and that I would give my life to save his if I had to.

Slowing her pace ever so slightly, she looked around where she was walking, on one side, she could see the high school where she was still a senior, and on the other, she could see the trees that separated the street from a large park.

As she walked between the trees and reached the large open space, she made her way through the nearly vacated park. After some time, she found a bench and sat down, her face coming to rest in her hands, and she rubbed the exhaustion out of her eyes.

"Oh God, please help me get through all of this," she eventually whispered under her breath, her words emerging filled with hopelessness.

"He will, Sharon," a voice emerged and she looked up and could see Adam was standing not too far away. The angel was dressed in a pristine beige suit and he was glowing, his eyes filled with empathy and understanding for the young woman who was now seated before him.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" She finally asked; her voice filled with uncertainty as she regarded the handsome middle-aged man who was now standing there. She tried with all her might to only remember who he was and where she had known him. After a few moments, she remembered him, and nodded as recognition enveloped her.

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't," Adam said as he came over and sat down next to her. With a gentle hand, he touched her shoulder. "Actually, I think you do, as I'm a friend of Andrew's, my name is Adam."

"D-did he send you after me?" She asked.

"No, actually, Andrew is still at the diner, and because of what you told him, he's in a great deal of pain right now," Adam said gently.

"Why? I thought he knew that I wasn't serious, I was just angry."

"I think its because he's hurting just as much as you are right now. You just don’t realize that an angel can be hurt and feel emotional pain just as much as a human being can," Adam said gently as he sat down on the bench beside her. "You know, sometimes, an angel can hurt even more because God gave us the ability to feel, I mean; really feel the pain of what people experience during times like this."

"I really hurt him," Sharon looked down at her lap, and then after a few seconds, she looked back up at him.

"Yes, you did, but I think he knows and understands why. He knows that you're in so much pain right now, Sharon. Teresa's death is still so fresh to you, because it's such a recent event for you as well as a shocking one," He smiled gently at her.

"I can't face Andrew, Adam. I-I'm sorry." Sharon began as she stood up, but before she could leave him, he reached out and took her hand.

"Just try and tell Andrew this, Sharon. I know it's hard, but I also know that running away from struggles and misunderstandings is not a part of the girl that I met four years ago," Adam smiled, his eyes filled with understanding.

"I'm so ashamed, what if he hates me for what I said?"

"He won't hate you, Sharon, but try to remember how strong you always have been, and how caring you are. Four years ago, you spoke out about something that had happened because you tried to protect Andrew and now he's just as hurt and saddened as you once were, and his pain is very real and he is trying with everything that is inside of him to protect you. I just ask that you consider this in your decision. OK?"

Once he had spoken, she nodded mutely, and after a second had passed and she heard no further words, she looked up and could see that he was gone. Sharon stood up and started to walk back in the direction of the café where she had left Andrew. When she got there, she could see that he was still seated in the booth where she had left him, his head was down, and his shoulders were slumped.

I know I hurt him, she thought to herself, and after a few moments, she swallowed the ever-present lump that had lodged itself in the back of her throat. Slowly, she approached where he was sitting, and staring down at the floor. "Andrew?" She spoke his name as though it were a question, and stood there shamefaced as he raised his head slightly.

When his eyes met her own, she saw the tears that were streaming from beneath his sorrow-filled eyes and she rested her hand gently on the top of his head, her fingers feeling the soft texture of his hair.

"Please go away," he whispered, the tears still falling down his face, the hurt in his voice indescribable.

"No, I won't, not until I tell you that I'm sorry," she shook her head. "Andrew, please forgive me, I'm so sorry."

"Sharon, you said you hated me, and…" his voice trailed off and he stared down at his hands and shook his head sorrowfully, the pain almost too much for the gentle angel to bear.

"I don't hate you, I swear it," Sharon said softly. "Please, forgive me, Andrew."

The angel glanced up, and it was then, at that moment, that she could see the extreme pain that was on his face. Instead of speaking, she closed her eyes, if only for a few moments, but when he said nothing in response to her words, she opened her eyes once again, the tears now streaming from beneath the lids.

Instead of responding, he shook his head, and as Sharon made one last attempt to reach for his hand, her heart nearly shattering when he pulled it away, stood up and abruptly left the table. "Please," she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears as she stood up and tried to follow him.

Once he had disappeared outside, she found the courage to stand up and follow him with weighted steps outside, she watched as he rounded a corner, and she could no longer see him. "Oh God, please forgive me," she whispered softly to herself, but within seconds, she could hear the tires of a car squealing and breaking the silence at the other end of the street. Without thinking, she ran in the direction of where the sounds had originated.

When the tires squealing erupted the stillness for the second time, she turned around only to see it careening down the street in the direction she had seen Andrew going in. Once the vehicle had barreled past her, she watched as it swerved from one side of the street to the other, and she started to run in the direction it had gone in. As she rounded the next corner, she screamed out Andrew's name, and he turned around only to feel the impact of the car as it rammed itself against the human angel's unsuspecting body.

*****

Sharon stood in shock all the while rooted to the ground as she watched Andrew impact the car, his body ramming against the front hood of the car and then falling to the ground as the driver sped off. "Stop," she screamed with all that was inside of her, but her voice faded as she stepped closer to where Andrew was lying defenseless on the ground, a puddle of blood next to his unconscious body. "God, please no, please," she continued to cry out, her voice filled with agony.

Sharon watched as car, which had hit Andrew fled the scene and without thinking about anything else, she ran over to where Andrew lay, the angel's broken body on the pavement, unconscious, and blood everywhere.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she glanced skyward before tending to her friend. "Oh no God, please no!" Sharon screamed with all that was in her, and she looked up to see that Adam was standing on the other side of the road, his body bathed in white light and coming closer. Seeing him standing there frightened her and Sharon wrapped her arms securely around Andrew's fragile body, her eyes filled with dread as she regarded the Angel of Death who was now standing over them. "No, you can't have him, I won't let you take him away from me." As she held her friend, she brushed her hand through his blood-soaked hair.

Adam looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness as he regarded the heartbroken girl on the ground before him. "I'm sorry, but it's not up to me, Sharon."

The young woman appeared to not have heard his words because as if propelled by adrenaline alone, she pulled Andrew onto her lap, all the while forgetting that she should not move him. Once he was on her lap, she held him as tightly in her arms as she was able to without hurting him. "Andrew," she began to sob quietly. "Please don't die. Oh God, please don't let him die. I know it's all my fault."

She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead, then his cheeks. As she brushed her lips against the smooth contours of his face, she brushed her hand through his now sticky hair. "Please don't die," she pleaded with him. "I don't hate you, Andrew, I love you; you're all I have left. Please don't leave me alone, I know that this is all my fault, if only I had listened to you then everything would be OK."

"Sharon, it's not," another strange voice emerged and she looked up and could see that Monica was standing next to them, but within seconds, the female angel had gotten down on her knees next to where Andrew was lying.

"Yes, it is," Sharon said softly. "Just like Teresa, her death is also my fault. Being friends with me is just too dangerous."

"That's not true, sweetie," Monica said softly as the ambulance pulled up and the paramedics managed to get the distraught girl away from the angel's still body.

"Yes it is," Sharon said softly, her voice cracking. "You know how they have warnings on packages of cigarettes, they say, smoking is hazardous to your health, well they should staple one to my forehead, 'being friends with Sharon Peters may land you in the morgue."

She looked down at her hands all the while shaking her head, her eyes once again filling with tears as the blaring sounds of the ambulance was fading in the distance. Once it disappeared, she noticed that Adam and Monica were now gone, and she was completely alone.

"I don't even deserve the compassion of an angel," she whispered under her breath as the realization of Monica and Adam's absence overwhelmed her. Instead of continuing to speak, she got up off the street and walked in the direction of her father and stepmother's beach house. Once she reached the stretch of beach that was familiar to her, she plopped down on the dampened sand, the moisture seeping through her now dampened and blood soaked dress. It was here, she remembered when she had met Andrew for the first time, but the sadness seemed to overwhelm her as she recalled the events that brought her and the angel together as friends.

As she remembered this, she could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes. "Please God, forgive me for what I did. I just feel so lost," she whispered, but when she opened her eyes, she realized that she was still alone, there was no angel with her, and she was now completely convinced that God had left her alone as well.

Sharon's Flashback

It was now nine, and so she had an hour to reflect on the feelings she had about leaving behind this place she had grown to love. She looked out at the water and could see the stars reflecting on the still ocean. To her it was the most beautiful sight she could imagine, but the sadness she felt, seemed to override everything else.

She glanced up when she saw a man approaching where she was sitting. Obviously he didn't see or notice her, because he said no words as he passed by and continued slowly walking up the coast, an unbelievable sadness shadowing his handsome features.

This man stopped suddenly and turned around and faced in the direction of where she was sitting and when she glanced up, she could see that he was now standing some three feet away. She followed his gaze, and recognized that a couple was involved in a heated argument further down the beach.

Not wishing to intrude, Sharon stood up quietly and started putting her sandals back on her feet as she watched them, all the while, she somehow felt compelled to walk even closer to the third person. As she came closer, she could see that the man in the beige suit looked as though he was either absorbing or reflecting the light, which was cast down by the light of the full moon.

As she came even closer, she recognized Brad Hawkins as well as his younger, 18-year-old girlfriend, Tracy. An involuntary shudder cursed through her body as she heard his words, the slurring cadences of his voice, the anger so intense that Sharon, herself, felt an undeniable sensation of fear cursing through her body. In fact, just from watching them, she could not help but recall the rumors, which were going around the neighborhood about this couple. Brad was addicted to drugs and alcohol, he was aggressive, and was known to beat Tracy in broad daylight. Up to this point, the police had even been called countless times regarding domestic disturbances.

Sharon continued to stare at the couple, her eyes only watching the man in beige through her peripheral vision. Suddenly, without warning, the man turned around, and his gentle eyes met her own. For some reason, she could read the intense concern that was present in his eyes, they were telling her to leave, to get out of the area, but she was somehow rooted to the spot and she remained, even after he started walking towards the couple.

Before she could back away, she watched as Brad pulled, what appeared to be a knife from his jacket and lunged towards the woman who was still standing next to him. Seconds passed and a bloodcurdling scream emerged from the woman as Sharon stood, shock enveloping her, and she witnessed the woman's body crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Unsure of what to do, Sharon could feel a wave of dizziness overcome her and she backed away hoping all the while that the man would not see her, but before she could conceal herself in the shadows, Brad had turned around and his steel gray eyes met hers.

"Oh my God," Sharon whispered under her breath as the man started to come closer to her, the knife still in his hand as he approached.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Brad sneered, once he had reached her, his free hand reaching out and gripping her shoulder, her eyes filled with fear as she saw the moist stickiness of the blood of his girlfriend still on it.

Sharon attempted to back away, her body jerking out of Brad's grasp but as she did, the distant sirens caused him to back away from her, thus retracing his steps and disappearing in the distance leaving Sharon staring at the body of the woman. She could feel the nausea now overwhelming her and she allowed her body to sink to the ground, as shocked tears streamed from beneath her eyes.

By this time, the man in beige was slowly approaching the woman's body, and kneeling down as though he wanted to speak to her. The teenager glanced up and watched as a nimbus of white light enveloped the woman, and within seconds, it had disappeared along with the man.

The seconds slowly ticked by and Sharon rested her spinning head in her hands all the while not noticing that the man in beige had appeared from out of nowhere and was now standing directly in front of her.

"Don't be afraid," he offered gently, thus causing her to look up suddenly. He came over to where she was on the ground, his eyes meeting her own, and the light that had once encompassed him was now gone and she could only see that he was still dressed in beige, and regarding her with concern.

She nodded numbly, but stared at him in profound disbelief, all the while shaking her head unsure of what to say or do next. She could see him much better now, he was still dressed in the beige suit, he had shoulder-length blonde hair, and his green eyes sought her brown ones.

Sharon backed up away from him, hoping to put as much distance between them as she could. In her haste to get away, she stumbled and fell backwards onto the sand, all the while her eyes regarded him as though she was terrified of what he would do to her in having witnessed what had just happened.

She looked up and could see that he was now coming towards her.

After a few seconds passed, he reached her side, and placed his hand on her shoulder. His voice could be heard above her hammering heart. "Are you OK?"

Sharon forgot her initial fear of him once her eyes met his. Looking at him, she saw sympathy and compassion, but there was something else in his eyes a sadness that went beyond description. Seeing this in him somehow reminded her of the isolation that she often felt when she would consider her own life. Eventually, she looked away, but glanced back over at him when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

The tears continued to stream down her cheeks, her earlier thoughts completely forgotten as she clamped her eyes shut all the while regarding him as though she was an animal trapped in a corner. "Please don't hurt me, Mister. I swear I won't tell anyone what I saw…" Her words came out rushed as though speaking caused difficulties.

After a few seconds, she began to feel her energy giving out, and his face became a blur as she realized that she was starting to go into shock. She could feel the cool breeze as the stranger sat down in the sand next to her and she finally collapsed, her head resting against his chest. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder in an effort to hold her up as well as to calm her.

With his free hand, he brushed it gently through her hair. "Don't be afraid, Sharon, I won't hurt you." She was still leaning against him, but her eyes were wide with terror when she heard him speak her name.

"H-How do you know my name?" Sharon cried hysterically when she felt his gentle arms holding her and instead of trusting him, she clamped her eyes shut and hoped that whatever he intended, he would do quickly, because she was frightened. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Shhh," he spoke softly, his voice leaving a calming effect on her. "I'm not going to do anything to you."

"W-who?" She stammered unsure if she would be able to speak.

"I'm an angel and I was sent from God to take Tracy Home," he smiled down at her, but when he saw her trembling, he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, and offered her a serene look. "I would never hurt you, sweetheart, but unfortunately, because of what you witnessed tonight, you could be in danger," he said softly.

She nodded, unable to utter a sound. After a few seconds, she sat up.

"Do you feel OK?" He asked, concern in his voice. "Perhaps we should call someone to come and pick you up, maybe take you to the hospital or to the police."

"No, I'm OK, I don't live too far away and I just want to go home," she answered, making an attempt to stand. However, she was still feeling a trace of dizziness from the shock and eventually, she fell back onto the soft sand. "Maybe I should sit here a little longer." She whispered more to herself than to him. She scooped up a handful of sand and allowed it to trickle through her fingers.

The man nodded, knowing all the while that she really should not be alone, but when he made eye contact with her again, he smiled gently as he helped her to her feet. "You take good care of yourself, OK? If you need someone, you call the police, OK?"

She nodded numbly once she was on her feet and after she was standing without any of his assistance, she ran away as fast as she could, all the while ignoring the sounds of the approaching police cars. She glanced back to make sure the angel wasn't following her, and when she noticed that he had disappeared, she shook her head rapidly, disbelief and complete fear was written all over her face.

Sharon's Flashback End

As her thoughts returned to the present, she could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes as she remembered the first night when she had met Andrew and how kind and loving he was towards her even when she was petrified with fear. He had done everything he could to help her, and she could not stop remembering how kind he had been towards her and how he had spent the evening with her, looking after her and holding her when she had needed his comfort and understanding the most.

She shook her head sadly as she remembered how as unexplainable as it seemed, but that now he was in human form, unconscious and lying in a hospital bed. The more she contemplated this, the more she realized that the guilt of not being there for him overshadowed everything else that was happening to her. Even Teresa's death seemed to be overridden by the fact that there was an angel in a San Diego hospital, and he needed a friend now more than ever.

Seconds later, she stood up and began to dust herself off. "I have to find him," she whispered. "No matter what happens to him, I have to help him, even if it costs me my life."

She made her way in the direction of the house of her father, unlocked the sliding glass door that separated the living room from the beach. Once she had closed and locked the door, she immediately went down the hall to her room, the only intention she had was to get her diary. She did not even stop to consider changing clothes, all she wanted to do was find Andrew and give him the little white book, thus sharing with his all the innermost feelings that were contained on the pages of it.

The truth was, she had only written in it once since Andrew and his friends had left and that was after Teresa had died. Yet, now she realized that more than anything, she needed to share with him what was in the pages of that book. She needed him to know that he had not only saved her life in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual one.

She packed the small diary in her purse and grabbed her jacket before leaving the house. Please God, let me get there in time, she pleaded with the stillness, her heart practically breaking from the pain she endured as a result of her own stubborn pride.

Outside on the street, she walked towards the bus stop. At that moment, she knew that there was no point in driving, she was not in the frame of mind to drive anything and at that moment, she feared that there would be no angel by her side if something did happen to her. In her heart, she knew that Andrew had given Teresa a way home, but now, she could not help but ponder whether or not the same courtesy would be bestowed on her.

*****

Twenty minutes later, she got off the bus and ran as fast as she could towards the glass doors leading into the hospital that she was almost certain they had taken Andrew to. She could not stop wondering if he was even here, but she did not stop hoping that she would be able to find Andrew. Please God, let him be here, let me find him. She ran through the white corridors until she reached the admitting desk. As she addressed the man seated before the computer, she spoke, her voice emerging in gasps. "I need help?"

The man at the desk looked up. "What can I do to help you?"

"M-My name is Sharon Peters, and I'm trying to find a friend of mine who may have been brought to this hospital. Please, can you check to see if he's here?"

"Try to calm down and tell me what his name is."

"H-his n-name is Andrew," Sharon said, and at that moment she realized that as well as she knew Andrew, she didn't know his last name, much less if he even had one. "I'm afraid I don't know his last name, though."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you," the man said. "All of the patients are registered here under their last name and first initial."

"Please, you have to help me, check 'Andrew' or 'Andrews' as a last name," Sharon pleaded with him, her voice cracking. "I know this sounds really stupid, but I'm desperate to find him, he's my best friend."

Once the man had checked the system, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing listed."

Sharon nodded and left the desk, her eyes filling with tears as she tried to get her emotions in check. Backing away from the desk, she returned to the large peach colored waiting room. As she allowed her body to sink down into a chair, she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, and after a few moments, she glanced up to see that Monica was coming down the hall in her direction.

"Oh, Thank God," she whispered under her breath as she tried to stand up, but as she did, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. "Monica," she called out, her voice breaking the stillness of the hospital.

The pretty angel looked up and could see that Sharon was on the floor looking up at her, the young woman's lips trembling as the angel walked over to her. "Sharon?"

"Please don't hate me," Sharon began to plead with her as she came closer and tried to help the young woman get to her feet.

"I don't hate you, but Andrew's in intensive care, he's in a coma, Sharon," Monica said. "Adam said that he doesn't know if Andrew is going to come out."

"No," Sharon began to weep bitterly as she reached out and wrapped her arms around Monica. It was at that moment, that it became clear to her, Monica's best friend was Andrew, and her own best friend was gone. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as the angel held her comfortingly in her arms. "I'm sorry, Monica, I didn't know that I would hurt him like I did."

"Shhh, it's OK, and no matter what happens, Sharon, Andrew is in the Father's hands, and God will take good care of him," Monica said, but Sharon could see that the faith of the angel was slowly wavering, simply because of the uncertainty of the moment.

"Forgive me," Sharon said softly.

"What for?"

"For…" Sharon's voice drifted off as she shook her head. More tears escaped from beneath her eyes and Monica looked into the eyes of the young human who was holding her.

"There's no reason," Monica said.

"Yes, there is, if it weren't for me, Teresa would still be alive, and Andrew would not have been hit by that crazy drunk," Sharon whispered softly, her voice filled with sadness and she buried her face against Monica's shoulder.

Monica continued to hold the sobbing girl in her arms, but when she looked up, she could see Tess was standing in the waiting room, the angel carried a grave look on her face, her dark eyes filled with worry.

"How are you two holding up?" Tess finally found her voice and asked. It was obvious that Andrew's state was a concern for the young human as well as the two angels.

Sharon looked up at Tess, her eyes shadowed with guilt. "T-Tess?"

"You're not alone, baby," the wise angel said, her hand brushing through Sharon's tangled locks.

"I should be," Sharon whimpered. "Then at least my friends won't die."

"You're not at fault for what happened, it was an accident, honey. Besides, Andrew's a fighter, Sharon, he's going to be OK," Tess said, her voice unconvincing, but she seemed to be wanting to convince herself of this as much as she wanted to convince the young woman.

Sharon looked at them. "C-can I see him?"

"They said it's family only, but I think they can make an exception for you," Tess said. "Come on, honey, we'll see about that right now."

Sharon nodded as Tess helped her and Monica off the floor.

*****

"I'm sorry," the doctor said five minutes later after Tess had made the request. "But, it's family only."

Sharon slid down into a chair, but the young woman was not expecting Tess to intercede and begin giving the doctor a piece of her mind. "Look at this little girl, Doctor Thornton. She has been through a great deal today, and now she just wants to see her friend, and so I think you can curb it with your procedures and arrogance about it."

The doctor took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" Tess looked at him, her eyes demanding an explanation. "I think you know that Andrew doesn't have a family, but his friends are like his family, and if I'm not mistaken, the assistance of friends does help coma victims. So why don't you stow it with procedure and rules and give this little girl a chance to see him?"

After a few moments had passed, the doctor finally nodded as he shrugged his shoulders. "OK, five minutes."

"T-thank you," Sharon stammered as the doctor went down the hall to get the paperwork needed to allow Sharon access to Andrew's room.

When he returned, the doctor handed a slip of paper to Sharon, and bade her to follow him. She hesitated a few moments before she turned back around half expecting Monica and Tess to follow her, but the two angels remained stationary.

"Aren't you coming?" She asked weakly.

"No, baby, this is going to be up to you," Tess said softly.

"Tess, I'm so scared," Sharon said weakly.

The wise angel approached her, and seconds later, Sharon could feel that Tess was patting her head gently, her words emerging, the love she carried for Sharon encompassing the frightened girl. "God knows that you had a similar experience last week when you said 'good-bye' to Teresa, but now you are offering a friend support, so go and try, no one will be angry with you for that. But, Sharon, honey, please don't believe for a second that you are the reason Teresa passed away."

After some time, the doctor looked at the young woman when he realized that she wasn't following. "Are you coming?" His words were filled with a strange mixture of sympathy and impatience, but his face softened somewhat when he saw how frightened she appeared to be.

Sharon nodded, but at that moment, she could feel her head starting to spin, and she sank to the floor, but with the help of the two angels, she managed to get to her feet and followed the doctor down the hall in the direction of Andrew's room.

"Is he going to survive, Doctor?" She finally found her voice and spoke, her words emerging filled with agony and pain.

"I don't know," the doctor said honestly.

Sharon said nothing; instead, she followed him down the hall and into a small room. Once she had gone inside, he told her she would only have five minutes and he closed the door. As she sat down next to the bed, she could see that Andrew's head was wrapped in gauze and she looked down at the still figure on the bed. When she saw the plastic band that wound around his wrist, she could see that the name printed on it was 'A. Halo'.

She took a deep and staggering breath as she looked down at his still body. "Andrew, I…" her voice trailed off. "Oh God, please help me, I don't want to loose Andrew too, not in the same way I lost Teresa."

Sharon's Flashback

She had come into the room, her eyes filled with tears, the peach taffeta dress she wore wrinkled from the long night at the hospital. In the back of her mind, she wanted to feel that she could single-handedly save the life of her friend, but in the back of her mind, she knew that Teresa had been crushed in the accident, and this was no joke, her best friend was on the brink of death, her pale face bruised, but Sharon couldn't get over the peacefulness of the expression that shadowed the face of her friend.

"God, please send her an angel," Sharon began to plead with the stillness. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of her eighteen-year-old heart she believed that God would send an angel to her best friend, but the pain in knowing was bittersweet. After a few moments had passed and her prayer had been spoken, she looked down at her friend, her heart aching as she spoke.

"I shouldn't have let you get into the car with Justin, I knew that he had been drinking," Sharon could feel the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she regarded her best friend's motionless body. As she continued to speak, her voice cracked. "I'm sorry Teresa, I should have told you, it's all my fault. The prom was supposed to have been the greatest night of our lives, but look at what happened."

"You were always there for me, Teresa, you helped me when my parents got divorced, and after Tracy was murdered. You never judged me, and yet, you falsely judged Justin. You believed that he was a good guy, and a conscientious date, but he wasn't, he was drunk, he shouldn’t have been driving."

She covered her face with her hand and continued to cry, but she reached for the hand of her friend and held it tightly in her own. Seconds later, her best friend flat-lined and the doctors rushed into the room to futilely try to revive her friend. When they didn't, Sharon could feel her heart breaking as she contemplated that her best friend had died while she was there to visit, and her visit had turned into a 'good-bye' and in her spirit, Sharon began to believe that she had caused her friend's death, not the choices of a drunk young man.

Sharon's Flashback End

As her thoughts returned to the present, Sharon could not stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks, the heartache practically engulfing her. "Andrew, please wake up," she pleaded with him.

"You brought something to share with him, try, Sharon," a voice filled her conscious and she nodded as she reached for the small white book she carried in her bag. As she pulled the object out of her bag, she looked down at the angel on the bed.

"I brought my journal," she said meekly. "I thought maybe you would like to know how much you mean to me, and what your friendship did for me. Please, Andrew, forgive me; I couldn't keep living without your friendship. Ironically, I wrote this last night, before I saw you again at the cemetery." She wiped the tears from her face, and began to read.

There was someone absolutely beautiful with me four years ago, someone who had given me so much strength and endurance. I wish that he would come back so badly it hurts. I wish he would hold me in his arms and tell me that I'm going to be OK and that God loves me, even though I don't think I deserve that.

I thought for so long that Andrew was just a dream, a figment of my imagination and I hoped with everything inside of me that I would see him again after he left. I mean; he was so handsome, and if he hadn't have been an angel from God; I would have fallen in love with him. It sounds silly, I know, to daydream about an angel who is more like a knight in shining armor than an Angel of Death, but that is what Andrew means to me. I was fourteen when Tracy was murdered, my parents were not completely understanding about my feelings about it, but yet in the midst of everything that had happened, my emotions and feelings had been literally reeling.

I have never known anyone like Andrew before in my life; he helped me through the most difficult time in my life. He held me when I cried, and he brushed my tears away with such a gentle touch. His hands were like the smoothest silk, his eyes a deep green, his kindness overwhelming, as though I was the only person in the world that mattered to him.

And now…Now that Teresa is gone, I don't know if I deserve the friendship of an angel anymore. I'm so scared, I'm afraid of pushing people away that I love because I don't know if I can get over the emptiness that I feel right now. I prayed last night that God would send Andrew back to me, to hold me, to help me, to not be afraid…because right now, I'm so afraid. What if my prayers went unanswered? What if Andrew is too busy to come back? Worse still, what if he thinks I'm as guilty for what happened to Teresa as I feel?

I haven't written in here since Andrew was here before, and it hurts me so much to look back. The pain is so intense and now I think I am bad person for not having kept Teresa out of danger. How can God look upon me with grace and love when I can't even look in the mirror without being sickened by what I see? How can I feel as though I deserve friends, when every friend I have ever had left me behind to cope with the loss one faces when someone dies? How can I even remember high school in a favorable light when all that I remember is losing someone who has changed my life?

As she finished reading the writing on the page, she closed the book, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the tears from streaming from beneath her eyes. When she looked down at Andrew's body, she wiped her hand over her face and could feel the tears streaming down her face. The last sentence she had read was now firmly engraved on her mind and she began to weep bitterly, her body shaking with each emotional release.

Seconds later, the doctor entered the room. "Miss Peters, you need to go now," he said and she got reluctantly to her feet all the while staring down at Andrew's body.

"It didn't help, did it?" She whispered.

"Maybe, but leave your phone number at the admittance desk and I'll call you if there's a change in his condition," he said as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

She nodded, her eyes still on the angel in the hospital bed. "I just want to say good-bye," she whispered.

The doctor stepped through the door and she leaned over and kissed the bandage that covered Andrew's cheek. When he didn't move, she could feel the tears still streaming down her cheeks and without saying a word; she left the room.

*****

The days that followed were the same, Sharon came to the hospital every afternoon for the following week. There she would read passages of her diary aloud to Andrew with the hopes that he would grasp onto something that was in her writing that would draw him back to them. Monica and Tess stayed with him almost constantly, but Sharon was becoming more and more fixated with the idea that she could possibly wake him up.

Everything was crazy, and the young woman felt lost in all the things that were going on in her life. She was in so much pain, and no matter what anyone said, she felt at fault for Andrew getting hurt. She would never forgive herself for what she had done to him. She questioned constantly if she was capable of being a good friend to him, if she was even a good person, or if Andrew would forgive her if he woke up.

On that afternoon, the police came into the room while she was talking to Andrew, thus interrupting her as she spoke with her friend.

"Miss Peters?" The voice of the policeman emerged and she turned away from the bed to look into the eyes of the middle-aged policeman. "My name is Officer Harold Woodward and I wanted to tell you that the responsible party for this man's accident has been apprehended, his name is Justin Friedman, and he said he knows you."

"He went to my school," Sharon whispered. "He was the driver of the car after the prom that killed my friend Teresa."

"Would you be willing to file a report of what you had seen?" The officer pressed and reluctantly, Sharon nodded. Once she had affirmed that she would talk to him, he and his partner left the room, and she was still alone.

"I don't know why it is that I should file a report, I don't see how that's going to change what has happened," she muttered under her breath, her eyes staring towards the window to the small hospital room. "Oh, God, it's all my fault, and nothing I say or do will change the fact that Andrew is here, and that it's because of me."

"It's not your fault, Sharon," Andrew's voice emerged and she abruptly turned around to see that he was not only awake, but that he was standing in the room, glowing, the light of God's love filling the room and she was left staring up at him in absolute astonishment. Moments later she slid to the ground, her head shaking in profound disbelief.

"N-no, it can't be," Sharon whispered all the while shaking her head, but all the while the tears were streaming down her cheeks. Still on her knees, she looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and fright.

Andrew came over to her and stooped down in order to take her hands. Once he held them, he pulled her to her feet, but once she was off the ground, he could tell that she was not going to be able to remain on her feet, the shock was too evident, her eyes were wide, her disbelief completely overwhelming. Instead of leaving her standing there and running the risk of having her fall over, he guided her to the far corner of the room and helped lower her, now trembling, body into the plush chair.

After a few moments, she found the courage to speak, her voice shaking. "A-A-Andrew…" Her voice failed her, but she watched as he got down on his knees in front of her.

"Shhh, it's OK," he said gently, his voice filled with the same love and compassion she remembered hearing when she was fourteen.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," she managed to speak, her voice still trembling.

Instead of speaking, the angel took his friend in his arms and enfolded her in his embrace. After a few moments had passed, she wound her arms around his neck and she buried her tearstained face against him, all the while, she held tightly to him her fists grasping the back of his jacket as she continued to cry bitterly in his arms. "It's OK, Sharon, everything is going to be fine, sweetheart," he soothed her gently.

"No it's not," she wept, all the while her face was buried against his chest, her fists never releasing his jacket, her body trembling like a leaf. "Its all my fault."

"Shhh," he soothed her once again his voice filled with love and compassion, all the while he hoped that he could keep her from losing it and going into hysterics.

At that moment, he glanced up and could see that Monica and Tess were standing in the doorway, and both of them were smiling at him. He nodded but continued to hold the weeping young woman in his arms, his hand gently stroking her hair.

"Take her out of here, Angel Boy," Tess said gently.

Andrew nodded and he helped Sharon get to her feet. Once he led her from the room, Tess and Monica remained. "I don't understand what just happened, Tess."

"I'm not sure I fully understand either, Angel Girl, but I think the Father wants Sharon to know that what happened to Teresa and then to Andrew was not her fault. All we can do is be there for both of them as they go through all of this."

Monica nodded as she picked up the white book that was lying on the bed. "Something tells me that the key to it will be the words contained in Sharon's diary."

Tess nodded and the two angels disappeared, and within seconds, the room looked as though no one had occupied it for the past week.

*****

Once they stepped outside into the bright sunshine, Andrew still had his arm around Sharon's slumped and trembling shoulders. "Are you OK?" He asked. "I know that what happened in there was kind of scary for you."

The young woman shrugged her shoulders but managed to nod mutely, her eyes all the while staring despondently at the ground. The last thing she wanted to do was to show him just how frightened she was.

When she did not speak, Andrew looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. "Sharon, I know you're still afraid of what happened back there, but I also realize that we need to talk, and deep inside, you know it, too."

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" She asked feebly.

"No I'm not mad at you, but I was a little hurt," he said gently, his voice filled with sadness.

Sharon nodded mutely, but no words emerged and no matter how hard she tried, she could not bring herself to tell him how guilty she felt for everything that had happened.

"Sharon, look at me," Andrew said softly after a few moments of awkward silence literally engulfed the pair. Once they had stopped walking, he reached over and touched her shoulder, thus causing her to turn around.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed to say once she was looking at him. "I came back to ask you to forgive me, but you didn't want to talk to me. I know I totally goofed up, but I really wanted to make things right with you, and now, I guess I don't blame you for not wanting to talk to me, I mean; I wouldn't have wanted to either." With that, she looked shamefully away, the tears still tumbling down her face.

"Wait a second, OK, I think for the past week, you have spoken, now it's my turn, but I think we should go and talk in a comfortable place. How about where we met the first time? I think it might help both of us get through all of this if we really talk about this," Andrew said softly as he touched her face with the side of his hand.

Sharon nodded mutely, but her head was constantly down, and the angel could tell that she was not about to stop blaming herself for what had happened to him.

They walked in silence until they reached the beach and Sharon sat down on the soft sand and waited silently as Andrew sat down next to her. Once they were both comfortable, he reached over and rested a hand on her shoulder, his touch causing her to turn and look at him. After a few seconds, her attention was diverted and she was left looking down at the ground in front of her, her shyness preventing her from speaking. At the same time, she knew that Andrew was going to do the talking, and she was convinced that it was to tell her that she was a terrible person, and that she had done everything wrong.

"Sharon," Andrew spoke her name at that moment and she glanced over in his direction, all the while hoping that she would be able to hold his steady gaze. "Sweetheart, you know that I care very deeply for you, and you know that when I speak; only the truth emerges in my words."

The young woman nodded numbly as he continued. "I want you to listen to what I have to tell you, I want you to accept that these words are the truth, not just in part, but entirely."

"It's my fault…" she cried out, thus interrupting him.

"No, what happened to me was not your fault, and what happened to Teresa was also not your fault," Andrew said gently, as she could feel the tears that were streaming from beneath her sorrow-filled eyes. He reached over and began to brush the moisture from beneath them, but after a few moments, he began to speak again, his voice filled with kindness and compassion. "Look at me, Sharon, it's OK, I am not angry with you, I was hurt, but I know that sometimes people say things that aren't always the truth because they are hurting inside. I know now that you said that because you were afraid, and I suppose you needed the reassurances that you are not as bad as you perceive yourself to be."

He took a deep breath as he continued speaking. "I know that Teresa didn't blame you for what happened to her, she made a choice, Sharon, she is the one who called the shots, and that decision is what led to what happened. Please believe me, this horrible tragedy didn't happen because of you, it happened because of the choices two people made that night. I know you tried to warn her about Justin, I was there and I know that before she left with him, she got angry with you and chose not to listen. She told me this when I took her Home."

"S-she said that I was jealous because Justin was paying attention to her and not to me, but I never liked him and I didn't even know why," Sharon whispered.

"This is by no means a fallacy on your part, sweetheart, and the same thing happened when you came to talk to me a week ago," Andrew said regretfully.

"It was all my fault," Sharon sniffed.

"No, you reacted towards me through pain, you are experiencing so much agony right now," Andrew said softly as he shook his head. "I should have recognized it, but I didn't, instead I reacted in the exact same manner a lot of human beings react in, but Sharon, I am an angel, and I shouldn't have left you alone, it was a mistake that I made, and like Teresa, I used my free will to walk away, and the results were catastrophic," he paused as he reached over and touched her face, his fingertips feeling the tears that were trekking their way down her cheeks. "An angel is created to assist, guide, and love people as the Father loves them. What I did when I walked away from you was I allowed my own pain to prevent me from seeing yours and for that, I am so sorry."

"B-but it wasn't your fault, I said something untruthful and absolutely horrible. I don't know how you could forgive me." Sharon stammered all the while shaking her head.

Andrew nodded. "I should have known better, but there is one thing that is clear to me now, and that is, experiences happen sometimes for very strange reasons, but you need to understand that Teresa went Home because she was in pain, and she had been through so much. Don't ever forget that God loves you, Sharon, that He will see you through all of these things."

"He has," Sharon could feel the tears that were now streaming from beneath her eyes. "Andrew, He has really…" As she spoke, she could feel the emotions starting to get the better of her and she literally collapsed against him.

Andrew wrapped her in his embrace and could feel her head against his shoulder. He reached over and began to brush the hair out from in front of her face. "You know something?" He asked after a few moments had passed.

"What?"

"I think I'm going to have to stay here a little bit longer, so what's say you and I spend some time catching up on these past four years, and maybe we can find something nice about your graduation to remember?" He smiled gently at her, his hand still stroking her hair gently.

"You actually want to spend time with me?" She asked weakly. "Maybe you should check and make sure you have a good life insurance policy."

"Hey, don't forget who you are talking to," Andrew smiled gently at her, but his face grew serious after a few moments. "I want you to remember that being your friend is not dangerous, Sharon, it's an honor, and something that is more priceless than anything you can imagine."

"You're a real confidence booster, you know?" She asked weakly. "I guess it's all part and parcel of the angel beat, huh?"

Andrew chuckled but nodded. "Do you feel any better?"

"A little," she said honestly. "I just can't forget."

"No one expects you to," he said gently.

The young woman nodded as they stood up and made their way towards the water. As they watched the waves crash against the shoreline, Sharon looked at him. "Sometimes I come here after dark and stare at the moon. I remember that it was full the night we met, and I started writing poetry after you and your friends left. My favorite was called 'Moon Whispers'. I memorized it, and I realized that if I could have had any wish in the world, that I would hear you whisper my name like you did that night. It's strange, I know, but you don't know how much of a difference you have made in my life, you made me see the beauty in things and you reminded me of God. Sometimes, like right now, I realize how much I had forgotten and right now, I just feel so lost…"

Andrew smiled gently at his young friend. "You know, what's lost can always be found, and Sharon, maybe in all of this, your prayer has been answered, the Father sent me back to find you and to help you find the strength to get through all the loss you've had in your life lately. Maybe what happened to me showed you that God wouldn't take away everything and everyone you care about. He loves you and even though you feel lost, the Father has always known where you are, and He will always find you as long as you keep your faith that He will get you through and bring you back into that special place where you will always belong."

She stared down at the ground, all the while shaking her head.

"I know that this seems rather hard to believe, but that is simply because you have been caught up in the pain of it all. I can promise you that when you get through all of that, you will know that that is the truth and that you need to let go of the pain and the guilt. God doesn't want you to spend the rest of your life living in guilt about one instant when life didn't work out as it probably should have."

Sharon nodded numbly, but when her eyes sought his, she realized that every word he had said had been the truth. She swallowed the golf-ball sized lump that had lodged itself in her throat as she looked up at him.

When he saw fresh tears beginning to stream from beneath her eyes, he stepped closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. "Let it out now, Sharon. It will help you more than you realize at the moment if you cope with your emotions rather than blocking them."

Upon hearing his gentle words, she nodded but managed to wrap her arms around him. She could feel the tears as they washed down over her face as she continued to weep bitterly in his arms. As she cried, she lost her footing and sank to the ground, her knees now in the sand, her face now in her hands, and the compassionate Angel of Death could detect that her energy was quickly giving out. Right now, her pain was so intense that there was probably much more that she needed to tell him, but simply did not have the energy to do so.

By this time, Andrew managed to get down on his knees in the sand as well and he continued to hold her as her bitter tears dampened his shirt.

As her cries softened, Andrew took her face in his gentle hands and using his thumbs, he rubbed the tears from her face. "You're not alone, my friend, you're never alone."

"After what I've done," Sharon's voice was soft and she shook her head.

"Sharon, you're not at fault for what happened. How many ways can I tell you, or convince you that what happened was out of your control?"

"You don't understand!" Sharon began to shout, and Andrew knew that it was not at him, but at the situation she faced. "I was driving…" As her voice broke, he could feel her body literally collapsing in his arms.

Instead of pressing her for more information, Andrew held tightly to her as she meshed her tearstained face against his chest and continued to sob uncontrollably.

*****

About an hour later, Andrew was able to convince his young friend to come with him to the police department and finish leaving her statement about what happened the night Teresa had died.

Sharon was initially reluctant about going, as she had remembered what had happened four years before when she had gone to the police about the murder she had witnessed. Today, she always seemed to buckle at the mere mention of going into a precinct house. As they walked into the interior of the station, she started to back up, and had Andrew not been standing next to her with his hand gently, but firmly, against her lower back, she probably would have backed all the way out of the station and not have gone back.

Approaching the counter, she was literally overcome with memories of what had happened when she had gone to the Franklin Police Department in order to offer a statement against Brad Hawkins. Sighing deeply, she looked up at Andrew, who was still beside her, his eyes filled with silent gentility.

"I don't know if I can do this, Andrew, I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know, sweetheart, and I realize how hard this is for you," he said gently as they came through the large and busy lobby. He rested a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. "If you're going to face what has happened, you have to be strong, not just for the idea of justice, but also for the idea that you will find peace in the truth. Now, some of that truth may be a bit hard to take, but it will help if you understand that the truth will always set you free."

"That sounds like an overused cliché," she whispered as she tried to wipe the tears from beneath her eyes.

"Maybe it is, but sometimes an 'overused cliché' bears repeating," Andrew smiled gently at her. "You're not alone, Sharon, and together, we will get you through all of this."

The young woman nodded and once they approached the desk and she swallowed the ever-present lump that had lodged itself in her throat and tried to find her voice to begin speaking. After a few seconds had passed the attendant, sensing that someone was there, looked up.

"Yes, may I help you?" He asked, his voice soft, and he could tell that she was scared, her hands were trembling slightly, but he could see that the man standing next to her was somehow managing to offer her his reassurances. "It's OK, Miss, we don't bite here."

She nodded mutely as she managed to look up and into the deep blue eyes of the man behind the counter. "My name is Sharon Peters," she spoke, her voice eventually emerging and she took a deep breath as the sounds of commotion erupted through the inner sanctions of the station and self-consciously she turned around.

At the other end of the station, she could see that Justin was being led through the room, his eyes widening when he saw her, the anger unmistakable as his voice emerged, thus literally breaking the sound barrier, the sounds of it filtering across the room as he began to shout obscenities in her direction.

"Sharon Peters, you're nothing but a murderous wench," the young man shouted at her as he tried to break free from the officers holding his arms. "You were the one who blocked the street, it was you that caused us to go into the gully, not me. You're the one who killed Teresa!"

Sharon looked briefly back over in the direction of the attendant and finally her gaze came to rest on Andrew. All the while she wondered if the angel believed the accusations that were being directed at her. When she saw a look of shock registering on Andrew's handsome face, she could feel the shame literally swallowing her alive.

"Can you guys get him out of here?" The attendant eventually asked upon seeing Sharon's pale features.

"We're sorry, Paul, we didn't know that this would happen," a deep masculine voice emerged and had Sharon not been feeling an emotional collapse, she would have recognized it as belonging to Adam. Andrew, of course, recognized the voice immediately and he glanced over to see that his fellow Angel of Death did not look at all pleased with this situation.

For his part, Adam was dressed in a police uniform and he had his hand firmly on Justin's arm, his eyes a depiction of annoyance, but at the same time, they were also filled with indescribable sadness.

As Justin continued to shout at her, Sharon covered her face with her hands and fled from the room, stumbled outside as her tears were falling freely. Andrew could only stand and watch, but he could not help but notice that once Sharon had gone, Justin had suddenly stopped shouting, as Adam's blue gray eyes bore down into his own. "You going to tell us what really happened, Justin?" The angel demanded.

Justin looked defiantly at Adam. "Why should I tell you anything, you're probably on that little wench's side?"

"If I were you, I'd hold my tongue," another voice emerged and the youth quickly looked to the other side to see that Tess was glowering at him, the angel was dressed in a similar police uniform as Adam and on her face, she carried almost the mirror image look that Adam carried.

Tess walked over as Adam managed to escort Justin out of the room and when she reached him, Andrew looked at her, a question looming. "Do you know where Sharon went?" He finally managed to ask.

"Think about where Sharon could find peace, Angel Boy, and remember it will be up to you to talk to her about what happened that night. Justin was right, Sharon did use the other car to act as a barricade, but the reason she did this was because she was trying to stop Justin, and failed."

"I don't understand, Tess," Andrew said. "I mean; I was there when Teresa died, but I don't remember seeing another car, nor do I have any idea as to what Sharon has to do with anything that happened that night."

"Andrew, you were sent to Teresa after Sharon had tried to stop them, and when you arrived, Justin and Teresa had already been in the accident."

"So in other words, Sharon was there, and she is now overcome with guilt," Andrew said nodding.

"Yes, she was there, and now you'd better go find her, because she may not believe it, but at this precise moment, she's going to need you more than anything else in the world. You are going to be the one who will help her find her peace." Tess reached over and squeezed the shoulder of her fellow angel. "I know this is hard for you, but you need to think about the pain that is in that little girl's heart at the moment."

Andrew nodded and without another word, he walked outside of the station, his thoughts literally racing. Father, please tell me where Sharon is.

Seconds later, he knew and once he got into Tess' Cadillac convertible, he raced off in the direction of Hollows Cove. He had seen this place a number of times when he had visited the city, mostly through picture postcards, but he had a strong understanding that Sharon's heart was in the seaside, so when she needed peace, as Tess had said, this was the most likely place where she would find it.

At the same time, this troubled him because he knew deep inside that Sharon had gone there because she was now at the end of her rope. He remembered the cliff that overlooked the cove and he nodded as though he understood. This young woman was looking for a way out, and he understood that this was the only way she knew to end the guilt and the pain that seemed to encompass her.

*****

Sharon reached the cove some fifteen minutes after leaving the police station. She did not know why it was that Andrew had convinced her to even go and make a statement, the truth would have come out, it was her own fault the events that took place on the night of the prom had happened. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "I know I didn't tell Andrew everything," she whispered under her breath.

Looking down, she could see the waves as they crashed along the shoreline, the sounds of their motion lulling her into her memories of what had happened to her during the time that Andrew had been with her. She had been the reason that Teresa and Justin had gone over the cliff in the first place, and now she knew beyond any doubt that she was the cause of her best friend's death.

Stepping closer to the railing, Sharon looked down at the rocky cavern below, her eyes filled with tears as she stared down at them. I should have died, not Teresa, she thought sadly to herself; it would have been better. Closing her eyes, she remembered how the car had crashed through the nearby barricade, in fact, from where she could still see the crushed metal remains of it. It was here where she had seen her best friends intoxicated boyfriend drive the car into the metal railing, thus causing this railing to give way, and sending the car careening down into the rock-filled gully below.

"No, God, please," she began to weep bitterly as she shook her head desperately trying to block the memory. As she tried, the tears were still streaming from beneath her eyes as she recalled the night.

Shaking her head, she climbed up onto the barricade, her legs dangling over the edge, and she looked down at the rocks below, her thoughts a jumble. She remembered how she had blamed Andrew for what had happened, but the truth was; she didn't blame an angel for what had happened, she merely blamed herself.

"Justin was right," she whispered sorrowfully. "It was all my fault."

"No, Sharon, it wasn't," Andrew's voice emerged and she turned around and could see that he was approaching, this time, he was dressed in a beige suit and glowing.

Sharon looked down at her lap once she had seen that he was approaching. Seconds later, she spoke, her voice filled with despondency. "You don't know what happened, Andrew. You weren't even there, you didn't see what I did."

"Then, it will be up to you to tell me," he said as he sat down on the stone barricade next to her. "Sharon, whatever you decide to do, you have to find peace with it. Now, tell me what happened that night. Tell me why you think that you were at fault for it."

"You'd hate me if I told you," she whispered. "Probably as much as I hate myself."

Andrew looked at her. "I would never ever hate you, Sharon, but the truth is, you shouldn't be hating yourself."

The young woman stared down at her hands. "Justin was right, Andrew, it was all my fault, the accident happened because of me."

"Tell me then, Sharon, tell me what happened, and why it is that you feel so overwhelmed with guilt," Andrew's words were gentle, and he reached over and placed a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder.

After a few moments, she could do nothing further, so she nodded and began to speak, her words bringing her back to that night.

Sharon's Flashback

The prom was in full swing, the night having been a wonderful success, and Sharon stood watching the couples dancing from one corner of the room, her eyes filled with joy until she saw Justin and Teresa coming in. It was after nine when they had suddenly arrived, and she could see that her friend's face was shadowed with radiance and joy.

Oddly enough, Sharon remembered that Teresa had called it quits with Justin only the week before. At least that is what she had told Sharon, but now the couple was at the prom together, and Sharon's worries began to get the better of her. It was not necessarily because she liked Justin, in fact; she could not stand him. He was everything she did not like, it wasn't that he was from a very wealthy family that bugged her, it was that he thought the world revolved around him, and he was arrogant and over confidant. The worst thing was that his parents seemed to let him get away with everything, and she remembered more occasions when he would show up at school stoned or drunk. In this state, he would become abusive towards his girlfriend, or towards the teachers. Sharon did not like this boy at all; in fact, she was always scared of what would happen when he would be around Teresa.

As the music continued, Justin was steering Teresa around the dance-floor, his arms flailing aimlessly, his eyes bloodshot, and even from ten feet away, Sharon could see that he was completely intoxicated. Something was simply not right, yet she knew that she could not do anything about it without it seeming too obvious. If only a teacher were to notice what was happening, then they would intervene and probably make Justin leave the prom, yet in the back of her mind, she wondered if Teresa would leave with him.

At that moment, the other girl had spotted her in the corner and was walking in Sharon's direction. "Hey," she called out, thus causing her to look up.

"Hi," Sharon offered. "That's a great gown, Teresa."

"Thanks, my mom helped me pick it out, she said that I should wear blue tonight, because it brings out the highlights in my hair," Teresa smirked. "I didn't much care, but I did like the idea that she didn't complain that the dress was expensive. You know how my folks are about money, but the senior prom only happens once in your life, so why not live it up?"

Sharon looked down at her dark peach colored dress. Her stepmother, Penny had made it for her, so it wasn't as fancy as Teresa's, but she felt comfortable in it and so it was no big deal how fancy her friend's gown was.

"Justin couldn't keep his eyes off me, but he came and got me tonight, and we reconciled that argument from last week," Teresa giggled, but her smile suddenly disappeared when she saw the look Sharon had on her face. "What's wrong?"

Sharon shook her head. "He's drunk as a skunk, that's what's wrong. Did you guys drive here?"

"Yeah, his dad loaned him his black BMW, it's a great car, purrs like a kitten," Teresa said, but when she saw the look of concern that was on Sharon's face, she shrugged it off when she turned around and could see that Justin was now staggering back over towards them.

"Hey baby, let's dance," he slurred, and Sharon was left wondering if Justin was even capable of dancing when he could not even stay firmly on his feet in order to walk. He offered Sharon a toothy grin, but when he saw that she was alone, he spoke, his voice still slurring, his words loud, almost to the extent that he was speaking over the music. "Only losers come to the prom alone."

Sharon looked at Teresa, but without thinking, she looked pointedly at him. "It's just as much my prom as yours, you moron."

Justin grabbed his date's hand. "Come on, let's leave the wallflower alone and go have some fun."

Once they were gone, Sharon sighed deeply and instead of standing next to the wall, she glanced around and could see that one of her favorite teachers was making his way across the room, and with more determination than she thought she was capable of, she walked over to him. "Mr. Gordon?" She forced a smile at him once she reached where he was standing. Next to him, a gray-headed woman stood, and she carried a warm smile on her aged face.

"Maggie, this is Sharon Peters," her teacher spoke, thus introducing them. "This is my wife, Sharon, she helps chaperone these events with me."

"No, I come for the food and the dancing," Maggie smiled.

Sharon nodded. "It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Gordon."

The woman nodded and excused herself leaving Sharon and her favorite teacher standing on the edge of the dance-floor.

"Sharon, you look really lovely tonight," Richard Gordon said as the wrinkles around his eyes bunched up as he smiled at her.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly. "My stepmother made the dress. Anyway, I didn't want to bother you, but…" her voice trailed off and instead of speaking of her real worries, she decided to divert the focus somehow. "I was just wondering if you got my essay graded."

"You are the only student I know of who would ask about a government essay at their prom," he smiled. "Actually, I did, but you'll get it back on Monday, you passed with flying colors." He looked at her, the expression on his aged face changing as his wise eyes followed her own and could see that in the middle of the room Justin was staggering around the floor with Teresa in tow.

He looked at his student and could see the intense worry that was on her face. "Sharon, did you talk to Justin and Teresa earlier?" He asked; his voice filled with irritation of seeing one of the students showing up inebriated.

"Yeah, as usual, he's about as cordial as an ant at a picnic," Sharon said softly, her voice filled with anger. "He shows up here drunk and has the nerve to call me a loser."

Richard nodded and looked at her. "Don't worry, Sharon, this kind of thing happens every year." He patted her hand gently.

"Yeah, but Teresa's my best friend, Mr. Gordon," Sharon said softly, the worry evident on her face as the teacher quietly excused himself and went over to where Justin was still stumbling around on the dance-floor, the other students trying their best to avoid him.

Sharon watched for a few moments, but eventually decided to make her way back over in the direction of the punchbowl and get herself something to drink. From there she could see that her teacher had confronted Justin, and Teresa was walking over in her direction, the teenager's eyes literally blazing with aggravation.

"What kind of friend are you?" Teresa hissed when she reached where Sharon was standing.

Sharon shook her head not knowing what to say, her eyes were filled with pain, but her frustration was beginning to show.

"You've got that right, you're jealous of me and Justin and so you do everything you can to sabotage that, even get old man Gordon on our backs. Justin has just been thrown out of here, so we're going to find another place to party," she said assuredly and was about to turn around when Sharon managed to find her voice.

"I didn't say anything, but he made the choice to show up here drunk, and if you think for a second that I am jealous of you and him, then I've got news for you, because I'm not," Sharon said assuredly. "Just do me one favor and please don't go anywhere with him. Don't you remember what Coach Wilkins taught us in Driver's Ed back when we were sophomores? He would show us those gory films about what happens when people drive drunk."

"Justin is not drunk, Sharon," Teresa hissed. "I just hope you're happy because you went and ruined my prom. I thought you were my best friend, but a best friend would never knife me in the back like you have done." Before Sharon could offer any sort of response, Teresa had turned on her heels and stalked away.

Not having any choice, Sharon placed the half-full glass of punch on the table and followed Teresa literally stumbling over the edges of her dress, trying to reach the entrance to the large hotel before Teresa had disappeared outside.

Once she had reached the doors and had come outside, Sharon could see that across the parking lot Teresa had gotten into the passenger side of the car, and Justin was still fumbling with his keys.

Without even thinking about the possible consequences, Sharon ran over to her father's truck, got in, and started the motor, all the while thinking that maybe this was a good way to stop them from leaving.

She regarded the hotel parking lot entrance, the narrow street along the side of a cliff, a wounding road leading in both directions down into Hollows Cove, as well as another stretch of road that would lead away from the city and into the mountains. Sighing deeply, she realized that it was not just the fact that this was a tricky road for someone who had all his or her wits about them, but now it was dark, and the lighting was hard to make out. For this reason, the school had made arrangements with the hotel to rent out the entire block of rooms to the prom attendees, thus separating these rooms by floor, the second and third floors were designated for boys, and the forth and fifth floors were for the girls.

At any rate, Sharon could not even begin to comprehend how Justin and Teresa had even managed to get here when he had been drinking, but now that he was drunk, she knew that there was no way that they could have gotten out of there without getting into an accident.

Without even contemplating what could happen to her, or her father's truck, she parked the truck so that it would block the exit completely. Turning off the motor, she pocketed the keys and got out, all the while watching as the black BMW came barreling out of the parking lot, the car swerving towards the entrance where Sharon was now parked. As she stood quietly in front of the truck, she hoped against hope that Justin would stop and not do something stupid.

"Get out of the way, you brainless broad," Justin shouted as he maneuvered the car somewhat closer to where she was.

When Sharon refused to move, she watched as Justin backed away all the while the realization enveloping her that somehow he was going to try and maneuver the car around the truck. Glancing over, she realized that there was barely enough room for a bicycle, much less a car, to fit through the space she had provided. As the tires squealed, erupting the stillness of the parking lot, Sharon's eyes widened and she whispered under her breath. "Oh God no."

In front of her, she could see that the small BMW was lurching once again towards where she was parked, the speed getting faster, and she closed her eyes when the small black car hit the back of her father's truck, thus causing it to be pushed along the side of the cliff, thus giving only about half the width of the narrow road open access.

With her car somewhat out of the way, Sharon watched in shock and disbelief as Justin put his car in reverse and backed it away from hers once again and made another attempt to go around Sharon's truck, the speed reaching a dangerous level.

Sharon stood rooted to the ground as Justin got halfway around where she was standing and he suddenly lost control of the car, it striking the metal barricade with resounding force, thus the impact causing it to give way, and Sharon watched in horror as the car crashed down into the gully, the collision crushing Teresa's body, but leaving Justin uninjured.

Sharon screamed when she heard the crash, but after a few seconds passed, she could see that Justin crawled out of the car. "Teresa," she shouted the name of her best friend, but when she heard the sirens blaring in the distance, she slid to the ground, and lost consciousness.

Sharon's Flashback End

As she spoke about the events leading to Teresa's death, Sharon could feel the tears as they fell from beneath her sorrow-filled eyes.

For his part, Andrew listened attentively to her as she spoke, her story laced with so much lost hope that he wondered what it was that made her keep going, in the wake of all the events that followed Teresa's tragic death. His sadness that he had hurt her returned and he put his arm around her shoulder as she finished telling him about what had happened that night.

The pain that was in her eyes was indescribable and once he held her in his arms, he could feel that she was weeping softly. "This was the first time you've ever told anyone about what really happened that night, wasn't it?"

Sharon nodded. "I'm so scared, Andrew."

The angel brushed the hair out from in front of her eyes and the young human could do nothing but stare out at the ocean as the water crashed against the rocks below. "I know you are, sweetheart."

"I think sometimes that death would be preferable to what I have to live with here especially with all of this," Sharon said miserably.

"No, you don't mean that, Sharon, and you know that now is not your time," Andrew said softly.

"I want to jump, you know," she whispered more to herself than to him. "I can't go on like this, I feel like, like I'm so lost and I don't know what to do next."

"Sharon," Andrew spoke her name and waited for a moment for her to look at him. "You know that now is not the time for you to go Home."

"Would you try and stop me if I did go through with this?"

"I couldn't, and I think you know the reasons."

"Why?"

"Because you have something called free-will," Andrew said softly. "I would certainly hope that I could stop you with my words, but deep down inside, I know that I cannot pull you away from this ledge." He paused before he was able to continue. "You know, as an angel, I cannot take away anyone's free will any more than you were capable of stopping Teresa from getting into the car with Justin."

Sharon stared down at her hands and shook her head. "It was supposed to have been the greatest night of my life. Then when Justin said that only losers go to the prom alone, I wanted to hit him, I wanted to hurt him…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Maybe if I did, then I could have stopped them from leaving. I just wanted to stop them, and I didn't do enough…Andrew, I should have done more than what I did."

"What would you have done, thrown yourself in front of the car to keep them from leaving?" Andrew asked, his voice stronger than she had ever heard it before, yet all the while, he was shaking his head in negation. "Would you have sacrificed your own life for the lives of two people who did not have any intention of listening to you?"

"I had to stop them," she whispered.

"No, you didn't have to and the truth is, you couldn't have. No matter what Justin may have said, you did make a difference that night," Andrew pointed across the street and Sharon turned around to see that a second Angel of Death was walking towards them. As he came closer she recognized that the angel was Adam, his gray blue eyes meeting Sharon's and after a second he sat down on the other side of where she was seated.

"I don't understand…" Sharon whispered.

"Sharon," Adam spoke once he was comfortable, his voice emerged filled with gentility. "You made a difference that night, you just don't know it right now, because Justin has been filling your heart and soul with guilt and this is a result of his own brand of self-pity. He doesn't want to admit that he made a mistake, but sweetheart, he did."

"I don't know how I could have even made a difference, Adam, I mean…I mean…Teresa still died," Sharon said regretfully.

"Sharon, please don't forget that there were two people in that car and if you hadn't have intervened as you did, then the other one would not have survived. The point here is, yes, Teresa died, but Sharon, Justin is still alive, and without your influence, then they would have both died that night," Adam said gently. "I saw everything that happened that night, I saw you trying to help your friend, and how she responded, but I also saw a very courageous young lady standing in front of a truck, all the while trying to stop them from making a tragic mistake."

"Y-you were there?" She asked weakly.

"Yes, I was there, and I had been sent to lead Justin Home, and for a while there, I thought for certain that he was going to die, but he didn't, and that was because of you. Sharon, you saved his life," Adam said, his eyes never faltering.

"Me, b-but that can't be true, I ruined everything, Adam, I was the one who got them kicked out," she objected softly, her voice filled with sadness.

The Angel of Death shook his head solemnly. "Do you know how many angels the Father had sent to handle this case, Sharon?"

"I have no idea?" She whispered.

"Between what happened with Andrew, Tess was working at the police and she is trying to get Justin to see the truth. Monica and Gloria have been working with the Teresa's family, Raphael was working with Justin's family. I'm here to try and help Justin to see the truth, and Andrew is here for you," Adam said. "Six angels, and the message for every one of you is the same, Sharon. God loves you, sweetheart, and He wants you to know that by no means have you failed Him. You can't fail God, because He knows all there is to know about you and He loves you just the same. You don't have to be anything out of the ordinary to earn His love, because you already are extra-ordinary. All you have to do right now is listen to His voice in your heart, understand the words Andrew and I are telling you, and simply know and accept that you are not the one who was responsible for what has transpired."

"But why didn't Teresa even listen to me?" Sharon asked weakly. "Why did Justin say it was my fault if you're telling me it wasn't?"

"I can't tell you why it was that Teresa chose not to listen to you, but I can certainly tell you that Justin's reaction has more to do with his level of guilt than with his ability to accept that what happened was his responsibility," Adam said gently and he looked at Andrew apologetically. "I think that's all I can say, as I have another case that's waiting, but I wanted to come back to you and tell you this; it was something that you desperately needed to know."

Andrew nodded in concurrence with what Adam had said. "I'll see you later, then."

Adam nodded and disappeared. Once he was gone, Sharon looked at him. "I'm not at fault for what happened?"

Andrew shook his head. "No, you're not."

"But, why weren't you there when all this happened, Andrew?" She asked weakly.

"When I was sent, it was right before the car had gone over the cliff, I couldn't see the other car, or you, all I could see was that this had happened, and then I had to stay with Teresa while she was taken to the hospital." Andrew took a deep breath before he was able to continue speaking. "The day you came and spoke to her was the day she had gone Home and she wanted you to know that she was sorry for doubting your friendship, and that she truly understood why you did what you did."

Sharon sighed deeply. "A lot of good that did."

"It did some good, sweetheart, it allowed Teresa a new sense of peace," Andrew said gently. "She may have lived longer if you hadn't have come in, but this would have been a fight for her, it would have been a battle to see how long she could have existed with it. Is it not better for her to go Home to God and be at peace than to keep existing hoping to find it?"

Sharon thought about his words for a moment. "Andrew, about the accident that happened with you, that was all my fault. I know what you said earlier, but it still was. I was the reason you were hurt, I was the reason you laid in a hospital bed for a week in a coma." As she spoke the tears streamed down over her face. "I don't know if I can live with myself just knowing that I did all that to you, and now you're sitting here and helping me."

"Shhh," Andrew whispered gently to her. "Listen to me, Sharon. What happened was not your fault, I did to you what Teresa did, and I refused to listen to you when you needed me. I know I hurt you, and so you have to know that what happened to me was in no way your fault. I never once blamed you for it, but I had to experience it in order to understand you. If I needed to find forgiveness with you, then I already did so, now you need to find forgiveness with yourself."

"I'm sorry, but I did make a terrible mistake and I just ask that you please forgive me for what I said, for hurting you. I know it wasn't fair, and…" her voice trailed off and she looked at him helplessly.

Instead of responding verbally, he nodded and stood up. Once he was on his feet, he offered his hand to her and smiled when she accepted it and allowed him to help her climb back over the barricade. Once she was standing there, she embraced him with all the strength she possessed, her face now meshed against the soft jacket he wore. The angel held her head gently against his chest, and as she wept, he realized that she would, in fact, find her peace, contrary to all of the events that had taken hold of her.

Epilogue

Two weeks later, Sharon walked across the stage and accepted her diploma. Her eyes were filled with bittersweet emotion as she stood up at the end of the ceremony and threw her cap in the air with the rest of her classmates.

As she stood up to leave, she was surprised to see that a couple walked over to her, their dark eyes meeting her own. Behind them stood her father and stepmother. "Sharon," Steven Peters spoke. "This is Jonathan and Margaret Daniels, Justin's parents."

Sharon nodded and looked up at the couple. "Hello."

"We're pleased to meet you, Sharon," Jonathan said softly.

The young woman nodded numbly.

"The police told us what you did for our son the night of the prom," Margaret said softly. "They said that you tried to stop him and Teresa from leaving the hotel."

Sharon nodded. "I did everything I could."

"We know," Jonathan said softly and he reached for her hands.

As she stood there with him holding her hands, she looked at her father her hands pulling out of Jonathan's grasp. "Dad, I…"

Steven came over to her and put his arms gently around her shoulder. As he held her gently in his arms, he looked at Jonathan apologetically. "She needs to hear from those who knew Teresa that she's not at fault for what happened that night, she needs to find her peace in all of this."

Jonathan smiled weakly. "That's what Raphael said, do you remember, Margaret?"

The woman nodded and she looked at Sharon. "We don't blame you for what happened, and when Justin gets some help in all of this, I'm certain that he will see to reason and he will realize that you made a difference to all of us that night."

Sharon nodded but smiled weakly. "I can't imagine that he will ever understand."

Steven looked at his daughter. "Come now, you are the one who has angels as friends, surely you can't mean that."

Penny nodded, "you're dad's right, now, go ahead and read that poem you wrote on the beach for Andrew, because it's fitting for anyone and anything that your heart wants to remember." She handed Sharon a piece of paper and the young woman unfolded it and began to read.

Moon whispers, you awaken in me a child

Giving hope, assurance, and absolute love

Your gentle voice rouses all the good in me

Guiding me along a path with the will to see

The greatest feeling of peace that I could possibly need

The sensation of walking alone and hearing you

Whispering my name as the waves crash at my feet

Leaving me staring out across a star-filled summer night.

I love you, my sun, my moon, and stars

The essence of your voice encompassing my being

Giving me all the freedom and forgiveness I desire

As she read that line, her voice faded and she closed her eyes for a moment as the tears began to stream down her face. "Forgiveness…" her voice cracked as she tried without success to speak the word. When she tried a third time, the word emerged as though it was a soft plea instead of a poetic stanza. "Forgiveness…" Shaking her head, she stared down at the piece of paper, her tears blurring the words written neatly in front of her.

"Come on, Sharon, you can do it," Andrew's voice whispered in her ear. "I know you and I know that you're stronger than you believe."

"Andrew, I don't think I can, it's too hard," she whispered.

Without saying a word, the angel gently pried the piece of paper out of her hands, cleared his throat, and read the last five lines aloud.

Help me to find the peace in wherever you are

Give me hope and pray that I will forever see the light

The beautiful glow of a friend I will love for eternity

The friend who will stand with me, when the night falls

And hold me in the love and glory of the Father of us all.

Once he finished reading, he could see that Sharon was crying, her father now holding her, and Jonathan and Margaret Daniels looked visibly shaken by the words the young woman had written.

Seconds later, two more people approached them, and it was not until after Sharon's embrace with her father loosened that she was wrapped in two more sets of arms. When she looked up, she immediately realized that Andrew was now gone, and she continued to weep bitterly in the arms of two people she had not yet managed to focus on.

In the windowsill of the large auditorium, a white dove stood, and after a second, it flew away, and Sharon Peters looked up to see that she was now wrapped in the loving embrace of Teresa's parents. At that moment, she found the peace that she dreamed of experiencing.

The end…

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