A 'Touched By an Angel' story

By: Yvette Jessen

Part 1, Helena

It was a warm day as the Angel of Death named Andrew drove the school bus through the small town of Fairbrook, North Dakota. He had been assigned to watch over a young girl named Helena, and he could tell by the way she carried herself that she needed an angel or two around.

As he drove, he could hear the soft swells of music emerging from the 12-year-old girl and he could somehow tell that she was only reacting this way simply because of the internalized misery she felt. He had only been driving this route a little over a week, and yet, he was already aware of all the troubles the children seemed to have with one another.

He watched the petite young girl through the mirror each time the bus would stop, his warm green eyes regarding her with sympathy and compassion. She looked to be so lonely and it seemed as though she did not appear to have a friend in the world.

Behind him, he could hear the older boys laughing, all the while preparing to get off the bus.

As he pulled the bus to the side of the road, he could still hear the loud boys behind him, and as they were preparing to get off, he glanced up and watched sadly as they walked down the aisle towards the doors of the bus, and starting to pelt the girl with spit-wads. She began to cry softly as she wiped her hands down the front of her blouse in an attempt to get rid of the small wet wads of paper.

Andrew closed the doors and glanced towards the back of the bus where a younger angel was now seated. It was Raphael, a young Caseworker who looked to be more or less like a teenager himself than an angel from God. The younger of the angels made his way up the aisle and regarded Andrew with a smile.

Both angels knew from the events they had witnessed that if Andrew were to actually report those three boys, it would just go all the harder on Helena.

This made Raphael rather angry, and he sighed deeply as he moved up a few seats and sat watching the girl as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. He shook his head, unable to comprehend why she was crying about something as insignificant as this, but he figured that there must be a deeper meaning behind it, which might explain why God had decided to send two angels to help the young girl instead of one. He also realized that Andrew was an Angel of Death, so it scared him to even begin to contemplate that something could happen to that young girl.

Once the bus began to slow down once again, Raphael started collecting the books he carried with him, and when it eventually stopped, he stood up and walked towards the doors.

His assignment was getting up as well, and once the doors opened, she practically flew from the bus, running as fast as she could towards a nearby row of apartment buildings. Raphael nodded towards Andrew and got off behind her. He turned back towards his friend, as Andrew nodded at him and closed the doors, leaving him standing on the side of the road.

After some moments of hesitation, Raphael walked silently towards the apartment where he and Andrew lived. He sighed once again as he reached the rows of mailboxes and watched as she ran away. Her sandy blonde ponytail bouncing as she ran, but when she turned around again and saw him walking in the same direction, she ran even faster.

Seconds passed and Raphael saw her tumble, and fall hard on the sidewalk, her books skidding across the pavement. Her hands rubbed against her eyes as she wiped the tears away, looked up, and saw him running towards her. "Don't run away, please, I won't hurt you," he called out as she started to stand up and run away. "Are you OK?" He asked as he looked down and saw that her knee was bleeding slightly and she held her hand over it.

Upon hearing his voice, she nodded meekly, but said nothing.

Raphael pulled some tissues from his pocket, "your knee's bleeding. Let me help you." He took the tissues and wiped them over the wound. She flinched upon feeling his soft hand and the tissues against her leg, but after a few moments she relaxed as soon as she heard his gentle voice filled with compassion as he finished wiping the blood and rocks from her injured knee. "You'll probably want to wash it good when you get home, so it doesn't get infected," he said gently.

"Thank you," she whispered, and when he looked into her eyes, he could tell that this girl was more than just shy; she looked as though she was a hermit. His eyes fell on her unusual clothing. The brown 70's style jumpsuit she was wearing made her look as though she had stepped out of an old 'Brady Bunch' episode. Her brown eyes were shadowed by sadness, almost as though she existed in a hidden secret world of her own.

"You're welcome," the angel responded with a reassuring smile as he looked at her. He felt a strange sensation about her, but before he could say another word, an older girl ran over to them.

"Boy are you in for it. Mom said the school called again today," the girl's eyes fell on Raphael who was still standing there. "Helena, how could you be so stupid and fail Math, it's so easy?"

Helena stood there shaking her head. How was she going to tell her older sister why things had all fallen apart for her during this term? She shrugged her shoulders, looked at Raphael and walked away. Her older sister was still standing next to the angel when she turned a corner and walked towards the apartment where her family lived.

"You new here or something?" The girl's voice interrupted Raphael's contemplations.

"Uh, yeah, my friend and I have been here for about a week or so,“ the Mexican angel answered, his voice filled with the typical street-smartness that seemed to embody him. Perhaps this was the reason that the Father had often sent him to work with young people, it was because somehow, he had the ability to work through their oftentimes harder exterior.

"You got a name?" She asked, her voice hard.

"Raphael,“ he answered his eyes still on where he had seen Helena disappear some moments before.

"Don't tell me that you actually like my little sister?" She asked, smirking.

"I just met her," Raphael replied, "and what if I do?"

"No skin off my nose," came the girl's nonchalant response as she walked away.

Raphael was left standing alone. He couldn't comprehend why this girl's older sister would be so cruel to her. Of course, a lot of the times he had dealt with kids who were a bit rough around the edges, but he could not understand why it was that these two girls were so opposite, but yet they seemed to both be harboring the same sort of secret.

He shrugged his shoulders and picked up his belongings and walked in the direction of the apartment where he lived. Standing at the door, he simply shrugged his shoulders, opened the door and went inside.

Once inside, he saw Tess, one of the supervisors. He smiled warmly at the older angel; she was a heavyset woman with deep brown eyes, gray hair, and mahogany colored skin. "You're back early, did you see your assignment?" Tess asked as she stood up, and wiped her hands down the front of her skirt.

"Yes, I saw her on the bus,“ Raphael answered and shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't look as though it went all that well," Tess commented. "You want to talk about it, or would you rather get some feedback from Andrew when he gets back?"

"I guess so, I mean; Tess, I'm not hardly the same age as this girl, and even though the high school kids ride the bus, it just doesn't seem to look right that I'm even there," he paused before he could find the courage to continue speaking. When he did, Tess could tell that his voice was emerging worried. "Tess, can I ask you something?"

"You know you can,“ Tess answered. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, it's just that something strange happened on the bus with my assignment and I can't understand it," Raphael said shaking his head. "Is it normal for a child to be so emotional and to cry just because some of the guys were picking on her? I mean; yeah, they were shooting spit-wads at her, but she was crying the entire time." As he spoke Andrew came inside, his eyes filled with sadness as he closed the door and stared at the two of his friends who were seated on the sofa.

"What a day," he muttered, his voice filled with annoyance, which Tess immediately reacted upon.

"What is it, Angel Boy?" She asked using the term of endearment she often used to refer to Andrew.

"Helena," Andrew said softly. "Why does the Father want both of us to take care of her? I don't even know if something is going to happen to her, and I know that it would break my heart if it did," He shook his head sadly. "Raphael, what happened after she got off the bus?"

"Well, once she got off, she just took off like a scared rabbit. I didn't really understand why that had happened, but a few minutes later, I saw her trip on the sidewalk and wanted to stop and help her. She had hurt her knee, but when she saw me coming towards her, she looked at me like...like.... I don't know; she looked petrified, like I was going to hurt her or something."

"Did anything else happen?" Tess asked.

"No, well nothing really, except after I wiped the blood from her knee with a tissue, I told her she should wash it and bandage it when she gets home. Then an older girl came over to her and had said that she was in trouble with her mother because she had failed Math. When the girl saw me, she started interrogating me about what I was doing talking to her little sister. Then she walked away and I came back here."

"That is strange," Tess mused.

"This really bothers me, Tess," Andrew interjected. "In all the years that I have worked with young people, I have never seen a child this reclusive. On the bus, she would sing to herself, and it was almost like she was lost in her own little world or something," he concluded.

"Maybe her own little world, as you call it, is better to her than this one," Tess said softly.

"Maybe," Andrew mused, but from looking at him, both of the angels could tell that the compassionate Angel of Death was worried about her and from looking at Raphael; the feeling was mutual.

"Perhaps, this shadow that does exist within her, and her fantasies are the only way to escape from this sort of reality that she must cope with,“ Tess said. "There remains no question in my mind, babies, this little girl needs help, and it looks to me that the Father is intending on the two of you working together to fulfill it."

As soon as she had spoken, Tess disappeared leaving Raphael and Andrew alone; neither of the angels knew what they should say about this situation.

"Raphael, tell me exactly what happened when you reached her," Andrew spoke as soon as their supervisor was gone.

"Well, when I reached her after she fell, the first thing I noticed were her eyes. She looked really scared like I was going to hurt her or something. When I started wiping the blood away, I could only feel that she was scared, and that she didn't want to make eye contact with me. She kept looking at the ground like she believed that she was beneath me, or something. I guessed that she was probably afraid that I could sense something about her,“ Raphael said softly. "Then I remember before she had fallen that she had run from the bus as though her life was in jeopardy."

"All that I had seen was her running from the bus," Andrew said softly, shaking his head. "I guess tomorrow we'll learn a little bit more."

"Yeah, I guess so,“ Raphael said. "We can at least hope so anyway."

*~*~*~*

The following morning, once the school bus had arrived and Helena had climbed aboard and took a seat, Raphael approached. "Hi," he offered.

"Hi," she said more to her lap than to him.

"Are you OK?" he asked. "How's your knee?"

"It's OK," she whispered softly causing Andrew to briefly turn around once the bus had stopped.

"Helena? That's your name, right?" Raphael asked.

She nodded, and glanced around, her sad eyes meeting his for a split second.

"I'm Raphael," he introduced himself.

"Why are you talking to me?" she asked, "no one ever speaks to me here."

"I'm sorry," he offered, and he really was. His heart went out to the girl, there was pain in her expression that he couldn't describe, and it saddened him that she found more security in looking down than at making eye contact with someone else. "I want to be your friend," he finally said.

"You do?" She completely turned around in her seat and faced him.

"Yeah," he smiled warmly as the bus stopped and the three boys were waiting on the street. He immediately noticed that as the bus slowed down, her expression had changed and her entire body tensed up.

As they were getting on, one of the boys doubled his fist up and began to pound against her arm, and as the second boy was about to hit her as well, causing Raphael to stand up abruptly and grab the fist of the second boy. He stared angrily at the boy, and finally the boy's hand relaxed and lowered.

"Hey Buddy, what's your deal?" he sneered looking at the angel.

"What's yours?" Raphael challenged him. "Or are you such a coward that you have to go and beat up girls to show everyone how tough you are?" The boys continued walking up the aisle, but Raphael didn't stop speaking, "I've never seen a more pathetic demonstration in my life."

Andrew turned around and his eyes met those of his friend. He shook his head, but he could tell that Raphael was too upset to even think rationally about what he was doing. After some moments had passed, the Angel of Death turned back around to face the street.

Helena's head slowly raised as the three boys made their way to the back of the bus. She could see Raphael's upset expression, but she spoke, breaking the silence. "Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice neither angry nor friendly. It stung Raphael's conscience because it sounded as though the girl was completely neutral about everything that happened to her.

He sighed deeply, "because I'm your friend, and what those guys are doing is wrong."

Helena looked as though she was about to burst into tears, but somehow something stopped her and she shrugged her shoulders and turned back around.

*~*~*~*

Helena Williams said nothing else and when the bus pulled up to the school, she quickly got off and ran towards the doors, which would lead inside the middle school. If she could only tell someone about how it felt being the scapegoat in school, she figured that she would feel much better about her situation at home. Her guilt overshadowed everything about her, and as she walked alone into the school. Once inside, she ran into one of her former teachers, Mr. Jackson.

David Jackson was her favorite teacher; he seemed to be the only person she knew who cared about her and what happened to her. He had taught her English during the previous year and had always tried to make himself available for his students, and Helena was one of the students he always talked to before school started. He was well liked one of the most popular teachers it the school. He was somewhat new to the small community of Fairbrook, only lived there for a little over a year. He and his wife, Rachel, were both actively involved in the PTA, and his colleagues all had something positive to say about him.

He was extremely found of Helena Williams, she was one of his favorite students, and he found himself encouraging her endlessly when it came to writing. She was the type of student who had a hidden talent when it came to poetry, and her poems, though dark, were absolutely beautiful. But, he could see that she was having a really rough time fitting in with the other kids, and his heart really went out to her.

"Helena, are you OK?" he asked when he saw her walking towards the door of his classroom. As usual, she carried herself with her head down, and her shoulders slumped. "Earth to Helena," he spoke softly, his voice gentle as he addressed the forlorn young girl.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly looking up and meeting his gentle blue eyes.

"Are you OK?" he repeated his question.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess."

"You guess? Come on Helena, I know something's bothering you; I wish you trusted me enough to tell me about it. Is it the Wilford boys? Have they been teasing you again?" he asked.

She nodded, "yeah, but what else is new? Will this ever stop, will I ever just be accepted for who I am not be used as a punching bag? I always worry about when I go into the cafeteria and how many times a week I get tripped, or pushed around. I wonder if Shannon is going to start hitting me in gym class, or if someone's gonna throw old tampons in the trees in front of my apartment. My mom has already changed the phone number twice, Mr. Jackson. Does it ever stop?" She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at him.

"It will stop, Helena, it will. I promise," he said gently. "One day these childish antics will stop and these kids will grow up. Stay strong. I know it's hard, I was teased a lot when I was your age, but it changed, and now I'm much better off than most of those people who teased me."

"Really?" she asked not sure she wanted to believe him.

He nodded, grinning impishly. "It will. Want to hear a secret?" Once she nodded, he came closer to her and began to dramatically whisper in her ear. "I went back to my class reunion some years ago, and most of the popular kids were pretty messed up, and I turned out OK. I have my wife, am active in the community, and have the best job I could ever ask for. I came out on top, and so will you. Keep your chin up."

Helena nodded as he finished speaking and she could hear the warning bell ringing, "thanks, Mr. Jackson."

He smiled, "now you'd better get going, you only have five minutes to get to class," he said as some of the kids from his first period class started filtering into the room.

Helena nodded and wiped the stray tears away. She walked out of the classroom and made her way towards her locker. She sighed deeply as her hand ran across her stomach. Every time she got upset about something, she would begin to feel dull pains in her stomach. She didn't know why it was that this happened, but she could only guess that it had something to do with the pain she felt from the rejection of her classmates added to all the events that were taking place at home, both things left her feeling completely powerless. She looked down at the ground as she walked. The kind words from the teacher forgotten once she reached her locker.

It had been during the summer that Helena's mother had remarried. Her stepfather had moved into her mother's apartment about three years before. Her older sister had started at the high school, and was in the drill team there. She was pretty and popular, and Helena felt insignificant in the shadow of her sister. One time, she had even carried a photo of her beautiful sister and showed it to some of her classmates. Rather than accepting her, as she had hoped, they asked her why she wasn't pretty like her sister. Later, she ripped the picture up, and never mentioned her family again.

It was during that same summer that Helena began to be physically and emotionally abused by her stepfather. No one would have believed her anyway, she had told her mother, and she didn't, so how could she have expected anyone else to?

Once she walked into her science class and took a seat one of the boys threw a paper airplane at her, when she turned around, the bell rang and the teacher entered the classroom. Nothing was done or said, and the teacher began writing on the chalkboard. Helena opened her notebook and began writing, her thoughts constantly returning to Raphael's words on the bus.

*~*~*~*

Once the school day ended, Raphael walked out of the high school and over towards the bus. He had seen Helena coming out of the middle school and walked over to meet her, "hey."

Helena nodded slightly, "hi."

"How was your day?" Raphael asked.

"OK," she answered her voice soft, almost inaudible.

"We don't live very far away, you want to walk with me?" Raphael asked. "I need to get some exercise, anyway, and the bus wobbles so much."

Helena thought about it for a second, and finally nodded, "OK." Her hesitancy didn't go unnoticed by the angel, but he didn't mention it because she began to walk next to him.

"You're not very happy, are you?" He asked.

"No, I hate it here,“ she answered honestly.

"Is it the teasing?" Raphael asked.

There was something sincere about his voice, and Helena looked up at him. "In part," she said, honestly. "I just don't feel like I fit in here."

"I'm sure it will get better," he said confidently.

"Do you ever feel lonely?" She asked.

"I think everyone now and again,“ Raphael replied.

"Do people ever tease you?" She asked him.

"No, not really," he said honestly.

"What about your family?" Helena asked.

"I uh have what a lot of people call an extended family," he said softly his eyes briefly glancing skyward.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It was just a question."

"Don't worry about it," he said smiling. "What about you?"

"My father walked out on us right after I was born," Helena said softly, "I don't even know who or where he is. My mom always told me that he wasn't worth it, even though I always wondered about him. I have an older sister and we both live with our mother, but she just recently got married again, and I don't like my step-father at all."

"That's must be pretty tough," Raphael said gently.

"I guess," she shrugged her shoulders. "You know it's crazy, but I used to go and sit in the park and watch the sky and I would pray and ask God if He could find my father and send him a message that I can't bear living here. Then one day I wrote about it in my diary, but my sister found it and read it,“ Helena said, "I guess after that I just stopped going and believing, because I was afraid that Mary would tell on me for doing something she always considered to be silly."

"But, what do you think? I get inspired by prayers and I enjoy looking at the stars,“ Raphael said. "I wouldn't worry about what your sister says or thinks."

"That's easy for you to say," Helena answered, her eyes shadowing over. "Everything my sister says to my mother, she believes, and my mother doesn't believe or listen to me at all."

"Is that really how you feel?" He asked.

"No, it's the truth."

"I have an idea," he said abruptly. "Why don't we go to the park this evening, and we can both do those things you spoke of?" he paused before he continued, "or are you able to leave?" His thoughts were now centered on the strict conditions she apparently had to live under. "I think you want to, and I don't know where the park is."

Helena nodded, "OK, I guess, my mother and step-father are going out, and my sister has to go to a football game."

"Great," Raphael answered and he smiled gently at her as they made their way in the direction of the apartment complex, he couldn't get over the way she carried herself. Her eyes were constantly on the ground and her forlorn expression never changed.

Finally, he broke his silence, "Helena, why are you always so sad? It can't be just the teasing, I have a feeling that something's wrong, I want to help if I can." Raphael reached over and squeezed her shoulder, his eyes filled with sadness when he saw the extent of her sadness.

"It's nothing,“ she said.

"Please, come with me, you can at least talk to Andrew about it. He's a good friend of mine, and he will listen, I know he will," the angel said softly.

She shook her head, "I can't."

Raphael took her hand and squeezed it, "please, I really do want to be your friend."

"I know, I'll see you later. When do you want to meet?" she asked.

"How about right here at 7?" Raphael finally managed to speak.

"Can we meet at 8?"

"Sure, I'll be waiting here. I'll bring a blanket and a basket so we can have something to eat while we're there. Is that OK?"

Helena nodded and walked towards the door of her apartment. After a few seconds, she turned back around and smiled weakly at him before disappearing inside.

*~*~*~*

Raphael was waiting in the courtyard at 8 as they had agreed. He carried a large blanket and a basket filled with sandwiches, potato chips and fruit. Andrew had been there waiting for him when he came in and as the two of them had discussed what was happening with the young girl, Andrew offered his friend some words of support as they were putting the food together.

He had sat the basket down on the ground when he saw Helena walking across the courtyard to meet him. Her hair was pulled back in a typical ponytail and she wore a white long-sleeved dress and sandals on her feet. She draped a button down the front sweater over her arms and approached him hesitantly. "Hi," she whispered upon meeting him.

He picked up the basket as she led him away from the courtyard and in the direction of the park. After about ten minutes, they arrived, and the angel bought two can drinks from a street vender. Once he returned to her, they walked towards a small hill and they spread out the blanket and sat the basket of food on top of the edge of the blanket.

Once they both had sat down, Raphael looked over at her, "its really nice here, Helena. Thanks for showing me how to find it."

She nodded and looked at him. "You would have eventually found it," she answered.

Raphael shrugged his shoulders and handed her a wrapped sandwich and opened the bag of potato chips. "I hope you like these chips, they're my favorite kind."

She reached inside the bag, pulled a chip out and ate it. After a few seconds, she smiled, "I like them, too."

The young Mexican angel unwrapped a sandwich and took a bite.

"Where did you live before you moved here?" Helena asked.

"I had a project in Salt Lake City. The last night before we arrived here in town, we had gone to a concert. Have you ever been to a live concert?"

"No, my sister has, but I've never gone to see anything like that," Helena answered taking a bite of her sandwich.

"It was this group called 'Starshine,' and it was really good even if the music was a little dark in nature, they focus a lot on abuse, and it was kind of sad for me to hear how many innocent children die from being abused by adults. The statistics are shocking and during this concert, I heard about a lot of dreadful things that happen to kids everyday," he paused. "Anyway, that was one of my first concert experiences, but the music was really good."

"I've heard of them, you know they're originally from Fairbrook, in fact, Mitch Johnson, their lead singer went to school here," Helena said. "How were your seats?"

"We had front row seats actually because a couple of my friends work for social services, and they had gotten special permission for us to sit there. Anyway, when it was over, I got to meet the members of the band. It was really cool."

"Yeah, I can imagine," she said softly, her eyes on the sky.

"What kind of music do you like?" Raphael asked.

"I like all kinds of music, I had a dream when I was younger of being a musician when I grew up, that or a writer," Helena answered. "I guess that's kinda stupid, huh?"

"No, it's not stupid, I think it's cool, I really like to play the guitar, this makes me feel really close to God, simply because He gave me the ability to make music."

"God? I guess I'm not really all that religious," Helena said softly. "I guess if I can get through each day, then I have something to be thankful for."

"I don't think it's religious, really, it's just faith," Raphael said softly. "I mean; you wake each morning with the faith that the floor will be under your feet when you crawl out of bed, or that the water will be warm when you turn the knob with the capital H on it. I mean, the same is with God, I have faith that He will see me through each day, and that when I am troubled, He will raise me up and help me to see the light."

"The light? Anymore all I see is darkness," Helena said softly. "Besides that, my mother doesn't believe in God, and my family no longer goes to church," she answered.

"Why?"

"I guess my stepfather just decided that since he didn't believe in God, that we don't either," she said softly. "You know, I want to believe, but the way things are, I can't. I can't believe that a loving God would allow me to be hurt by the other kids, not to mention belittled by my older sister as well as my stepfather." She lowered her eyes and stared down at her lap. When she looked back over at him, she could see the sadness in her eyes. "Raphael, please forgive me if I offended you, I mean; this has been so wonderful for me, like something out of a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yeah, to be able to talk to someone and not feel so alone," she began.

He reached over and squeezed her arm gently, she cringed from beneath his touch, but rather than speak about what had transpired, he reached over and grabbed the sweater she had brought with her. "I think you should put your sweater on, or you'll get sick, it's kind of chilly out here."

She nodded and accepted the sweater from him and put it on. Once she had it on, she looked at him, her eyes soft, "Raphael, will you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Just, hold me," she looked up at him as though the barrier that had been surrounding her was about to crumble.

The angel slid closer to her and wrapped his arms gently around her. He could feel her head against his shoulder and her breath warm against his cheek. He could see her eyes filling with tears, but for some reason, her hard determination remained and she held back the intense emotions he suspected that she was desperate to talk about.

For some time, they remained in each others arms, until Helena looked up at him, "thank you," she mumbled backing away.

Raphael reached over and grabbed her hand before she could stand up and move away from him, "Helena, tell me what it is that's bothering you, I'm worried about you."

"I'm afraid," she finally said as her gaze met his soft brown eyes.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said.

Helena stood up and started to walk away. He sighed deeply, but out of respect for the young girl, he didn't push her any further. Instead, he packed the rest of the food in the basket, grabbed the blanket off the ground, and followed her.

Before he left the park, Tess appeared and looked at him. "You're doing fine, Raphael, don't push her."

"I know, but how can I not? She's hurting so much, and it's not just the physical pain, but the emotions are almost too overwhelming to be real."

*~*~*~*

Raphael didn't see her on the bus or at the school until two weeks after they had gone to the park. As he was walking out of the school that afternoon, he saw her again. "Helena," he called out and ran to catch up with her.

She stopped and turned to face him, "yeah?"

"I hadn't seen you since we had gone to the park, how are you doing?" He asked.

"OK."

"Did I offend you with my questions?" Raphael asked, "I didn't mean to if I did."

"No, I've been sick. I just haven't been in school for the past week and a half."

"Is it anything serious?" He asked.

"No, I just came down with the flu, or something," she said. "Have you really been looking for me?"

"Well, yeah," he smiled warmly at her. "Why don't we walk back to the apartment complex together?" Raphael offered. "I've been thinking that it would be kind of nice to introduce you to some of my friends."

Helena shook her head, "I can't."

"Well, why don't you come by later then?" He suggested.

"No, you don't understand. I can't. Raphael, my mother has forbid me from seeing you again, she says you're too old for me, and that I have no business hanging out with you," she said. "My sister saw us together on the hill in the park, she told my mother about it, and now my mother doesn't want me to hang around with you." She looked at him, anguish in her eyes.

"But, why? Why would she forbid you from having friends?" Raphael asked. "You know I wouldn't hurt you."

Helena looked up at him, her eyes swimming in tears. "I don't want to stop being your friend. You're the only person I have ever met who likes me for me, and who doesn't try to hurt me."

Something about her statement struck Raphael's conscience and he took her hand firmly, but gently in his own, "come with me, we're going to talk to my friends." He led her in the direction of the apartment complex.

"No, Raphael, if my mother sees us together, she'll kill me," her eyes pleaded with him and he finally stopped pulling on her arm, the words 'don't push her' echoing through his mind.

He looked down at the girl standing next to him and for some reason, could sense the overwhelming need radiating from her to talk to someone. The tears had started to stream down her cheeks, and her defenses were beginning to break down again. The young Caseworker led her in the direction of the park where they had been two weeks before. Once there, he sat down on a bench that was concealed by the trees. She slowly followed suit, her head resting in her hands once she was seated on the bench.

Raphael closed his eyes and began to silently pray. Please, Father, send Andrew or someone with more experience to us, I don't know what else I can say to her that will help her. Please, give me the wisdom to reach her until someone comes to help us. Although he was not certain if another angel would come, his prayer did help him feel a little bit better. He continued to ponder whether or not Andrew would actually sense something was wrong, and since he and Andrew were working together on this case, he knew that the compassionate Angel of Death was the ideal angel to come and find them.

He looked over at her and could see her frightened face. He had never seen a girl as consumed with fear as she appeared to be. He finally wrapped her in his arms and held her as he had done two weeks before. "Just cry, Helena, it'll make you feel better."

Helena began to softly weep in his arms, her tears falling on his denim jacket. He ran his hands through the softness of her hair, and looked down at her. "You feel alone, don't you? Like there's no one else in the world that could possibly understand how much pain you're in."

She nodded weakly and continued to cry bitterly in his arms.

Raphael glanced up after a few seconds, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Andrew had arrived at the park and was now coming towards where they were both seated. Thank you Father, he whispered softly, all the while thinking that with Andrew present, everything would work out OK.

Andrew sat down next to Raphael without saying a word and placed his hand on the shoulder of the crying girl. "Hello," he whispered softly to Helena. "It's OK, sweetheart, you're not alone, you're never alone." His words were filled with compassion and hope, both things he knew that she had lost.

"Hi, Andrew," Raphael said, his arms were still wrapped around Helena. The girl had heard his words and looked up. Upon seeing Andrew, she recognized him as being the bus driver and she immediately moved away from him as though his presence made her uncomfortable. She covered her face with one of her hands; the other was still clutching Raphael's shoulder.

"What's your name?" He whispered; his green eyes filled with sadness when he saw the forlorn girl in his fellow angel's arms.

When she didn't look up or offer him an answer, Raphael spoke. "This is Helena."

Andrew nodded, and reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder, it was still trembling and once more he could tell that she was frightened, "you're afraid?"

She nodded, but said nothing. After a few seconds his soft manner and voice caused her to uncover her eyes and look at him. But, within seconds, she looked back down at the ground unable to even maintain eye contact with him.

"Why?" He asked gently.

She shook her head once again.

"You're afraid I'm going to hurt you?" Andrew asked as he withdrew his hand from her shoulder. "You've been hurt by someone and you believe I'm like the one that harmed you."

This time, she looked up and got her first real look at the man sitting next to her. His green eyes expressed openness and his soft words made her want to tell him everything, including the most painful parts of her life. Then she thought about her mother, and could only stammer softly, "Iuh," her voice trailed as she tried to enunciate her thoughts again. "I have to go home," she said weakly. "My mother's waiting."

"Helena, you know you can talk to me," Andrew said gently, "I'll believe whatever you tell me."

"You'd believe me?" she asked not even questioning how it was that he seemed to possess the ability to read her innermost thoughts.

Andrew nodded, "of course."

She looked down at her watch, "I have to go. I can't tell you, I'm afraid to. I don't want to hurt anyone, and my parents would be very angry if I'm late."

Before either of them could reply, she stood up and fled.

"See what I mean, Andrew. She's petrified about something,“ Raphael said once she was gone.

"You and I both know what it is, Raphael, but it's going to be up to her to tell us what is wrong and why she feels that she must protect a family that does not seem willing or able to protect her," Andrew whispered. "It's going to take some time, and all we can do is continue to work with her as we have been."

"I know you're right, but this is so hard to see a child being hurt and being unable to do anything to help her," Raphael whispered as he felt the arm of his friend around his shoulder.

"I know, but now we have to trust that the Father will protect her, and give her the strength she desperately needs to seek out that help."

*~*~*~*

"You're nothing but a stupid, forgetful clod," Greg sneered as he looked down at his stepdaughter. "I told you that you were supposed to clean the kitchen this morning, and you forgot?"

Helena closed her eyes and nodded. She could feel the stinging pain from his slapping her across the face, her body feeling weak from the abuse he subjected her to whenever he got angry.

When he finally turned away, she walked slowly out of the room. The phone began ringing in the living room, but she ignored it, as she made her way into the bathroom. The shower would at least alleviate the pain, but the anguished emotions would remain with her for the rest of her life. She would never be whole, she felt like a part of her was already dead, and there wasn't any name that she knew that could be put to what had happened to her. She turned the water on as fast as it would go, and climbed into the tub, the shame enveloping her as the tears fell from her eyes.

She looked down at her body all the while feeling ugly, and insignificant. Her arms wrapped around herself as the water soothed the pain, her stepfather subjected her to, away. "She'd never believe me," she could hear his words stinging her conscience, and she remembered the day that she had spoken to her mother. It seemed like it was only yesterday when Greg had hit her the first time, and spoke cruel and punishing words to her.

Just like he had said, her mother hadn't believed her, and continued acting as though Helena had made up the entire story. Helena later found out that everything Greg ever said to her mother was a lie. He would tell Helena's mother that she was at fault for unfinished chores, and tattle when she swore under her breath. Helena found herself feeling completely isolated, and alone at home, where she should have felt the safest. As a result, she started writing poetry, and once she had shared a poem with Mr. Jackson. She had internally wished that he would have said something about this poem to someone who could help her, but he never did, he only commented on how dark and melodramatic it was.

It was during that summer that everything had happened. She was alone in the apartment with Greg, after he had been injured at his workplace, and was out on sick leave. Her sister had been at drill team practice, and her mother was working as a waitress at the local delicatessen, and she was alone with him for much of the day.

The first morning when the abuse had started, she had forgotten to take the garbage out, and he had been drinking beer and came into the living room and pulled her to her feet by her hair and stood staring into her eyes all the while being forced to hearing his insults and feeling his fist hard against her body. She tried with all her might to get away from him, and when she was finally able to craw away from him, she locked herself in her room and wouldn't come out except during meals.

Over the past three months, it had progressively gotten worse, and her mental state was starting to deteriorate. She had started attending special counseling groups at school, but she was too afraid to say what was really bothering her, and would hide it beneath the problems she encountered at school. Her pain had reached a depth where her sensitivity was intense, and her fear of anyone discovering her secret would hate her as much as she hated herself.

Her family remained steadfast, they would not discuss private issues outside of the family, and because she was the youngest, and her sister was always gone, she found herself hiding away, a mere shadow of the person she used to be. Her hopelessness made her want to kill herself, but the things that stopped her from doing that was her fear of death, and her questions of whether it was as bad as she had been told. Either way, she felt trapped, alone and abandoned.

She turned off the water and grabbed a large towel from the cupboard, and wrapped it around herself. The clothes she had been wearing, she stuffed them into the wicker basket that was sitting next to the toilet. She grabbed her robe off the toilet, and put it on. She would have to find a way to cope with what had been happening in her life, somehow she would, but she knew that she needed help, and chances were at this point, that she would have to endure all of this alone.

Her mind drifted, and she reflected on the words Andrew had told her at the park, and then on Raphael when he had spoken about God. They had both said that they would listen to her, maybe they would help get her out of this nightmare. She sighed deeply, and looked towards the translucent window, maybe Andrew and Raphael would be the people she could tell, maybe they would be able to help her find a way out without hurting her mother or anyone else.

She knew where Raphael lived, because she had seen him come outside when they had met to go to the park, but when could she tell him? It was Friday night, but everyone was at home. Then she remembered that tomorrow Greg would be coaching little league, her mother would be working all day, and her sister would be with her friends. Maybe tomorrow would be the day she would try to get herself out of this nightmare. She continued to reflect on Andrew's words as she left the bathroom.

*~*~*~*

Saturday morning came and Andrew entered the kitchen wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. His hair was somewhat ruffled, and the start of a beard was shadowing his face, but he carried himself with confidence and optimism as he went straight for the coffee pot and began to get things ready for a hot cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. He sat the coffee can on the counter, and approached the door. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and peeped through the small glass hole in the door. When he saw that it was Helena, he smiled weakly and threw the door open.

"Helena, come on in," he offered smiling at her gently. "I just woke up, and was going to make some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"Orange juice, maybe,“ came her meek reply. "I thought Raphael was here."

"He is, we share this apartment and right now, he's still sleeping. He usually sleeps late on the weekends," Andrew explained as he made his way back towards the kitchen. Once there, he pulled a package of juice from the refrigerator. Once he opened it, he poured some into a glass and handed it to her. "Why don't we sit down while the coffee's making?"

"OK," she whispered. "I just came by to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

"No need to apologize, Helena, you've been through something pretty difficult, haven't you?" He asked.

She nodded, "yeah, I guess so."

Seconds later, Andrew stood up and went into the kitchen to pour some coffee into a cup, and was by her side within moments. "I know you don't know us very well, but both Raphael and I are concerned about you. We'll do whatever we can to help." He ran his hand through his hair, and smiled comfortingly at her. "Are any of your family at home right now?" He finally asked.

"No, my mom's working, my stepfather's coaching little-league, and my sister's at the mall with her friends," Helena said, then added, "she didn't want to drag me along."

"You don't seem to have a very good relationship with your family, do you?" Andrew asked.

She shook her head, but after a few minutes, she looked over at him and saw compassion in his eyes, just like when she had looked at him the day before. "Andrew, I'm afraid," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of what?"

"I'm afraid to tell you about what's been happening to me. I don't want you or Raphael to hate me," she covered her face in her hands and shook her head.

"We'd never hate you, Helena,“ was Andrew's response. He didn't add that hate was not a part of his vocabulary; instead, he rested his hand on her arm and squeezed it comfortingly. After they sat in silence for a few minutes, her emotions got the better of her and she collapsed in his arms weeping.

After a couple of minutes, she sat back up, wiped the sleeve of her shirt over her eyes and her brown eyes sought his. Her emotional outburst had apparently ended and her face contorted and she once again appeared to be almost stoic. "Thank you," she mumbled more to herself than to him.

As she was starting to stand up, Andrew reached over and grabbed her arm gently but firmly, causing the tears to burn her eyes and she gasped in pain when she felt the hand on her arm. "Sit down, Helena, and tell me what's been happening with your parents."

She looked over at him, her eyes widening wondering how she could have betrayed herself in exposing her secret. "How did you know?" she finally asked meekly.

"I just do," he said softly. "Someone's been hurting you, haven't they?"

Helena nodded numbly, the tears still streaming down over her face. "L-last summer, my step-father and I were alone in the apartment, and he started to hit me, and would say horrible things to me when he would get angry. Since then, he's been doing things to me when my mom and sister are gone," she shook her head, the tears of shame streaming down her cheeks. "After I told my mother, she didn't believe me, and then when she asked Greg about the accusations, it only got worse. He blames me for everything now and hits me if I do anything he considers wrong. I-I don't know what to do. My mom believes everything he says."

"How old are you?" Andrew asked softly.

"12," she answered hoarsely.

"You haven't been able to talk to anyone else about this, have you?" he asked gently.

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders; "I guess I didn't want to get my mom into trouble."

"And what about you and how all this is affecting you?" Andrew asked. "I know right now, you're in a lot of emotional pain and you shouldn't even be thinking about your mother right now. You should concentrate on how you feel, Helena. How does all of this make you feel about yourself?"

"It hurts so much, I feel ugly, and whenever Greg is around, I'm so afraid," she answered honestly.

"I know you are, but now you have friends who are going to help you," Andrew began. "We're not going to allow him to hurt you any more Helena, we're going to help you."

As he spoke, Raphael came into the room and sat down next to them. He reached over and took her hand in his and when she looked over at him, he squeezed it comfortingly.

"I don't know, I don't want to make any problems for my mom,“ Helena said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"But, you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of protecting your mother?" Andrew asked, and after a few minutes, he shook his head. "No, you can't live under such burdens, Helena, you're a 12-year-old child. It's your mother who should be protecting you, not the other way around."

"What's going on?" Raphael finally managed to ask.

Helena looked at Andrew, shame was evident in her face, and her brown eyes were shadowed with fear but the Angel of Death squeezed Helena's free hand as he continued to speak. "No one's going to hate you, Helena. You shouldn't be afraid to talk about this, it's not your fault," he turned to his friend. "Her stepfather has been abusing her."

Helena looked away from Raphael, her eyes unable to meet his. The younger of the two angels looked horrified, but he nodded, so much about her made sense to him now. "I guess we need to call someone to come and talk to her, a social worker or something."

Helena shook her head, "no, I'm afraid to."

"We know and that's completely normal, Helena," Andrew said gently. "We both know that this is hard for you, but the social workers will help you, and a counselor will tell you that what he is doing to you is wrong, and that you are not at fault for what has happened, and that you are innocent. But, you need help, sweetheart, and without it, you could be seriously hurt or killed by your stepfather in one of his fits of rage."

Raphael nodded as Andrew reached over to retrieve the phone book that was sitting on the coffee table. As he began to look through the yellow pages, he wondered if helping Helena would bring her even more trouble. As he looked back over at her, he knew that he had to do something to help her; she needed help desperately.

"But, what about my mother?" Helena asked, "if you get involved in this, she'll hate me for telling you. She already thinks I'm lying about what happened."

Andrew shook his head, "I don't know, but I think right now, you're much more important than the reaction of your mother."

Helena nodded numbly, she had to admit, he had a point. She had inwardly wanted someone to help her like he was doing, but she had no idea that a practical stranger would go out of their way to help her. She glanced over towards Raphael; he was watching as his friend was thumbing through the phone book and sat neither smiling or frowning.

Andrew reached for the telephone once he found the number he was looking for and began dialing. After a few seconds, he spoke into the receiver upon getting an answer, "yes, and good morning. I don't know if I've called the right office, but I need to speak to someone about a young girl who has been physically and probably emotionally abused by her stepfather,“ he paused. "No, she's not my child, her name's Helena, and she's a friend."

"Yes, you've reached the right office," the man's voice informed him.

"Can you send someone to speak to us?" Andrew asked. "It is very important."

"Of course, give me your name and address," the man said.

"Andrew Halo," he quickly improvised using the nickname Tess often gave him. "My address is 10980 Fairbrook Court, apartment 23,“ he paused and continued after a few moments. "Someone will be here in 20 minutes?" He asked and after another pause, he spoke again. "OK, thank you very much."

He hung up the phone, and looked at Helena, "he said a social worker would be here in 20 minutes to speak with all of us."

"What's going to happen to me?" Helena asked, her voice small, but edged with fear.

"If they find something out of place, then they'll remove you from the home," Raphael offered honestly.

Helena sighed deeply; this was what she feared the most. Now she was in too deep, and it would be only a matter of time before her mother would find out what she had told. Would she ever forgive her youngest daughter for betraying the trust of her family in speaking the truth? She sighed deeply and glanced over at Raphael and Andrew. Her hand came to rest on her stomach. It had started hurting again, and she was holding it tightly with her hand. She closed her eyes trying to block out the fear that was knotting her stomach. She stood up, the dizziness beginning to overwhelm her.

"Are you feeling OK?" Andrew asked gently, concern evident in his voice.

Her response to his question was to cover her mouth with her hand and run in the direction of the bathroom. After a few seconds, they could hear her vomiting and Andrew looked at his friend, the same thoughts cursing through the minds of both angels: This was not good.

"Is she OK, Andrew?" Raphael whispered. "She's not dying, is she?"

"No, she's just overburdened and is experiencing a great deal of physical pain along with the abuse she's endured. She is trying to figure out and cope with what has been happening to her," Andrew said gently. "I really wish there was something I could do for her, but right now I don't know what that would be except to ask the Father to help her."

After some time, Helena emerged from the bathroom, her eyes were swimming in tears and she sat back down on the sofa, her shoulders slumped and her head rested in her lap. Finally, after a few seconds, she glanced warily up at them.

"Do you feel any better?" Raphael asked softly.

She nodded slightly, said nothing, but wiped her hand over her mouth. Her head dropped back in her lap.

*~*~*~*

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and Andrew went to open it. On the opposite side of the door stood Tess, and next to her stood a dark-haired younger man.

"Mr. Halo?" Tess asked and behind this persona of not supposed to knowing Andrew, he could see a twinkle in the eyes of his superior angel. He nodded, and she spoke again, "My name is Tess, and this is my associate, Brandon Montgomery we're with CPG, Children's' Protection Group."

"Please come in," Andrew said softly, and backed away from the door to allow them inside the apartment.

Once they entered and he had closed the door, they approached Helena, who was sitting on the sofa. "We understand you have a complaint about child abuse?"

"Yes, we met Helena some time ago, and this morning she came by and told me about some pretty dreadful things that have been happening to her,“ Andrew began, not sure where this story was going to lead.

"As you probably know, Mr. Halo, accusations of child abuse is a very serious charge," Brandon began, "as government civil servants, we have to make sure that the accusations are serious enough for us to bring action against someone who has been accused of harming a child. However, we also must be aware that the child's statement is factual, and that the child isn't just saying things out of spite."

"I understand, Mr. Montgomery," Andrew began, "I realize that false accusations can really harm the relationship between the parents and the children."

Brandon nodded, "I'm glad you understand the seriousness of this."

"Helena," Tess spoke to the girl, "you know we're here to help, don't you baby?"

Helena nodded warily, her eyes never leaving her lap, her shame evident, and her fear of telling these strangers what she had told Andrew overshadowing everything else.

"We know you're frightened, but, you have nothing to be afraid of. We're here to help you, but in order for us to do that, you need to tell us what has been happening to you,“ Tess said gently.

"I don't know if it's abuse, but my stepfather has hit me. He gets angry and he hits me, and I don't understand. He told me that if I told my mom, she won't believe me,“ Helena said softly as she pulled the sleeve of her sweater up and they could see the bruises there.

"What does he do?" Brandon asked.

"He yells and screams at me, and says that I'm stupid, and then he hits me,“ Helena’s voice was small, and shadowed with shame.

"Where was your mother when this happened?" Tess asked.

"She was working at Hally's deli as a waitress, and my sister Mary was at drill team practice,“ Helena said. "When I went and told my mom about it, she didn't believe me, just like Greg said."

Brandon nodded, "I see, and how did you come to meet Mr. Halo and his friend?"

"Andrew was the bus driver, and then Raphael was on the school bus and sat behind me. When I got off one day, he had followed me wanting to talk to me,“ Helena said. "But, I was afraid of him."

"You were afraid he was going to hurt you?" Tess asked.

"Yes," came her meek reply. "After we became friends, I was afraid that he'd hate me if he knew about what has been happening at home. I told my mom and she didn't believe me, so I didn't expect him to believe me either."

"Did it get worse for you after you talked to your mother?" Brandon asked.

"Yes, Greg started blaming me for everything, and my mom believed him. He'd intentionally do something like forget to fill the ice trays and then when my mom would ask him about it, he'd say that I was the one that emptied them, and that it was my fault. Then my mom would get mad at me, and start yelling at me about not pulling my weight around the house."

"When was the last time he abused you?" Tess asked.

"Last night after I got home. That's why I came to talk to Andrew and Raphael about it,“ Helena said softly. "Yesterday when we were all at the park, Andrew tried to talk to me about it, but I didn't want to, I was scared. Then I got home, it happened again, and I thought about what he had said to me, and I came back to talk to him because I thought I could trust him."

"You can trust him, he's a good, caring man," Brandon said softly.

Andrew blushed slightly, and looked at Raphael, who simply nodded. Witnessing this spectacle wasn't particularly easy for either of them. Inwardly they couldn't comprehend how an adult could possibly live with the knowledge that they had been harming innocent children.

Finally, after some moments of silence passed, Brandon turned his attention to Raphael, "you should be commended for what you have done. Helena has many of the signs we're trained to look for in abused and neglected children. Many adults don't even see these signs until it's too late and a number of people are in denial about what has happened to a child." He paused and turned to face Andrew. "In order for us to get an accurate report of what Helena has been through, we need you and your friend to make a statement about Helena, things you've noticed about her behavior and things she had said to you. This is very important, because without it, we have a 'he said / she said' type of scenario, and that would be of little help in removing Helena from the current situation she's now facing."

"I understand. When should we do this?" Andrew asked.

"In lieu of the situation, I would say that it needs to be done as soon as possible," Brandon said.

Andrew nodded, "OK, how about right now?"

Brandon pulled three forms from his briefcase, "this is done in the same way a police report is done," he explained. "I know this is hard, but the first step is unfortunately the most difficult."

Helena wiped her eyes with a tissue and sighed sadly as Andrew and Raphael began to fill out the forms the social workers had supplied them with.

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as Brandon placed a form in front of her. After a few seconds, she looked up and made eye contact with Tess. "Is my mother going to get into trouble because of what I have said?"

Upon seeing the fear in the eyes of the child, Tess took a deep breath, "I don't know, Helena. At this stage in the game, it's hard to say to what extent the responsibility that rests on your mother is. In this case, I wouldn't worry, not believing you can't be charged legally, and your mother can't be liable unless she's aware of what has been happening and has done nothing to prevent it."

"You mean because she hasn't seen it?" She asked.

Tess nodded, "I know how hard it must be for you to not have your mother believe in you. It's dreadful for a child to grow up without that element of trust in the relationship with their parents."

Brandon nodded in concurrence as Andrew and Raphael continued filling out the forms, "I remember when I first went to work for the agency, I worked with a little boy who was in the same situation you're now in, Helena, and he was also in a lot of pain. Once he faced everything, he felt better, but there was nothing that could have made up for the inner torment and lost innocence that he had battled."

Raphael suddenly remembered the concert he and his friends had seen before coming here, and how the group, 'Starshine', had been working and trying to make it known that this issue existed and that there had to be something that people could do about it. He remembered the song entitled; "For the Sake of the Children" and how the group had donated a great deal of money to this charity that helps abused and neglected children. He recalled how the words to the song were strong, angry, but also very empowering.

After he had seen the concert, he remembered the lead singer speaking to the audience about the goals of his group. "Child abuse is like murdering of the souls of our children and it must stop, they shouldn't have to live their lives in fear, they should be free to speak their minds when it comes to things like whether or not their rights as human beings have been violated. We can all make a difference to these children, and we can make their lives a blessing rather than watching them leave this world another statistic. All we have to do, is look for the signs in the kids and believe in them when they speak of their pain and heartache."

After the concert, the four angels had the chance to shake the lead singer's hand and congratulate them for their work and dedication to the cause of the helping the children. Andrew had been doubly surprised to learn that this caring man had been sexually abused as a child and was striving to make people aware of this terrible issue as an important one. He continued thinking about this man he had met, and finally looked over at Brandon, signed the form, and slid it across the table. "My friends and I saw a band perform a few weeks ago, and they were really good. They were called 'Starshine', do you know of them?"

"Yeah, their lead singer is my cousin, Mitch,“ Brandon said, "their band has been performing for children's charities for over 10 years now. I got into this work because of what Mitch went through and his music is his way of dealing with the anguish of what it's like to live with sexual abuse."

"I thought their music was great," Raphael offered and looked over at Andrew who had started to sign his form, "do you remember, Andrew?"

The blonde headed angel nodded, "Yes, their concert was very good. They write all the songs they perform, don't they?"

Brandon nodded, "yes, my cousin was really into writing when he was a teenager, and he got a lot of his feelings out through poetry and music."

This time, Tess joined the discussion, "you know, it's funny that you should mention them, I've been hoping to get them to come to the schools here and do a concert, but I imagine that with their schedule, it would be hard to get them to book a concert here."

Brandon laughed, "I can understand that, Mitch and the guys are about to go on another tour to youth conferences and parent groups. Their message is pretty strong, help the kids at all costs, listen to them, and don't turn your back on them."

Helena looked up, "you said that he lived through what I'm going through?"

Brandon nodded, "yes, he was abused by one of his coaches in school. This happened before the issue even became a public one. Ever since he graduated from Music School, he has been trying to find out everything he can about this particular issue, using statistics, and information from books or organizations as a way of informing people about the significance of it."

"Brandon, you never told me that," Tess said.

"Sorry, I thought you knew."

"Do you have a schedule of their performances?" Raphael asked.

"I can get one, Mitch and I are still pretty close,“ Brandon said. "I was actually going to join up with them, but instead, I met Judy and we got married last spring. I had to give up music, and take this job after my daughter, Tricia, was born."

"You're into music?" Andrew asked.

"I dapple around in it a little bit, but I haven't picked up a guitar in well over a year," he said as he put the forms in his briefcase.

Helena glanced up, the color draining from her face as she looked outside the window, and could see her stepfather walking up the path in the direction of the apartment where she lived. She sighed deeply, and looked at the people gathered in the apartment. "I have to go," she stammered, "my stepfather's back, and if my mother finds out I've been here, she'll kill me."

"Why?" Brandon asked gently.

"She doesn't want me hanging around with Raphael," Helena said.

Brandon looked at Tess and shook his head.

Andrew took a deep breath, "is this normal for abusive parents to isolate a child like this?" He asked Brandon.

"It has been known to happen," Brandon answered. "Helena, did your mother say why she didn't want you hanging around with Raphael?"

"She said that he was too old for me," Helena said softly. "She thinks I'm looking for a boyfriend, but I'm not, and it's just because Mary, my older sister, saw us at the park together two weeks ago," Helena said. She was feeling more and more nervous about not going back home. She was already in enough trouble. She finally stood up, and started walking towards the door. "I have to go, my mother wants me home in time for lunch, and Greg would tell her if I'm not there."

Brandon shook his head, and Tess placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and spoke, "No, baby, we're going to have a little talk with your stepfather, and we want you to stay right here."

"Tess is right, Helena," Brandon said and stood up. There was an angry look of determination on the face of the younger man and once Tess was on her feet, they walked towards the front door of the apartment. "I want you three to stay right here, OK?"

Andrew nodded and once they were gone, Helena looked at them, "what do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know," Raphael answered honestly, "but I'm glad I'm not the one that they're going to confront, because Tess looks like a no-nonsense type, and Brandon Montgomery looks like he could pass for a linebacker."

*~*~*~*

"Excuse me, my name is Tess, and this is my colleague, Brandon Montgomery, we're from 'Children's' Protection Group', and we'd like to speak to you about your stepdaughter, Helena." Tess said approaching the tall, burley man who was in the process of unlocking the front door of his apartment.

"I'm Greg Hunter," he said, his voice gruff. "I'm not sure I understand why you folks are here. Has Helena gotten into some kind of trouble?"

"She hasn't gotten into any trouble, Sir," Brandon answered trying to keep the edge out of his voice, "We'd like to come inside and have a talk with you. We're simply here to inform you that one of your neighbors has reported to us that Helena has been physically and emotionally abused here, and we've been sent out to investigate."

"Why here?" Greg asked once the door opened and he allowed them inside the apartment. "This must be some kind of mistake. When my wife gets home, she can clear everything up. You can have a talk with my other stepdaughter, Mary as well, and she'll tell you that Helena is a very imaginative child and chances are she has been telling you folks wild stories."

Brandon sighed deeply, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter, but that won't be necessary." He picked up his briefcase and pulled a business card from the leather bound notebook he carried. "This is the card of the agency, and I would like you to give this to your wife when she gets home. We're going to be taking Helena out of the home temporarily until we get this situation sorted out. Keep in mind, Sir, that no accusations have been filed, but our concern is for the safety and well-being of the child, nothing more."

Greg was left standing near the doorway of the apartment as the two social workers were leaving. "Who's been telling you people lies about us?" he demanded angrily.

Tess looked at the man, and spoke all the while trying to keep her temper at bay. "We are not at liberty to disclose that information at this point in time. As of right now, Helena will not be returning to your home unless she is accompanied by a social worker,“ Tess took a deep breath and continued. "As you know, Mr. Hunter, our job is not to determine guilt or innocence, but rather to determine if a child is in an abusive home, and remove them from it if the information we have acquired is an indication that a child is being abused. We will be in touch with your wife in the upcoming days."

Brandon and Tess walked outside leaving Greg fuming at the front door of his apartment.

*~*~*~*

Helena was still sitting on the sofa in Andrew and Raphael's apartment when the social workers returned some ten minutes later. "Helena," Brandon said once Andrew had opened the door, and they stepped into the living room. "We've spoken to your stepfather, and we think it's best that you move into foster care until this problem gets resolved. Do you understand?"

Helena shook her head.

"Brandon, you're never going to make her understand with legalities," Tess said softly, and turned to face Helena. "It's going to be hard for you to understand, baby, but we're going to send you to live with someone else for a little while."

She nodded, "who is it?"

"I'd have to check the databanks, but I think I have an idea of where you could go, and you wouldn't have to change schools,“ Brandon said.

Andrew smiled gently at the girl. "You see, Helena, everything's going to be OK."

Helena's face paled, "no it won't."

"What makes you so sure?" Brandon asked.

"I think I know," Raphael said. "Helena isn't accepted at the school, and the other kids pick on her. It's not easy for her, Mr. Montgomery. She has a real hard time there, and if this were to come out, she would be in for an even longer haul than the one she already faces."

Brandon nodded, "yes, I think I can understand, but because this is a small town, there really isn't any other option."

Helena nodded, and glanced over at Raphael. Her feelings of gratitude towards him were evident, but her tough acceptance stabbed at his heart.

"I promise you this," Brandon said softly, "I'll do whatever I can to help you, Helena."

"Mr. Montgomery, where will she be living?" Andrew asked.

"There's a teacher at the school who I will be talking to, and if he agrees, then he and his wife will become foster parents until this is settled,“ Brandon answered.

"I was wondering. What should we do if Helena's mother or stepfather confronts us? I mean we do live here, and they may not be exactly neighborly towards us. I did talk to Mary two weeks ago, so she may know that we were the ones who told you guys something about what's been happening,“ Raphael said.

"That's a pretty valid point," Brandon said, "I don't think you two should move out because of this, but if they approach you, contact us immediately. I'll leave my card here, and my cellular phone number is printed there as well as a pager number."

Andrew nodded as the two social workers stood up to leave. "Come with us, Helena,“ Tess said softly and extended her hand towards the girl.

Helena accepted the angel's outstretched hand and approached the door with them, and once Andrew opened it, they all stepped outside.

As Helena was walking towards Tess' prided red Cadillac, she glanced up and saw Mary coming up the sidewalk with two of her friends.

"Hey, what's going on?" Mary shouted, once she saw her sister with a woman she didn't know. She broke away from her friends and approached the two social workers. "What are you doing with my sister?" she demanded, her teeth clenched and it appeared as though she had every intention of lashing out at someone.

Helena looked up at Mary, her eyes shadowing sadness, but there was a hidden strength behind them, a strength that Mary had never seen before. Mary turned around to see that two of her friends had dashed off in the direction of the apartment of the parents of the two girls.

"I asked a question, what do you want with my sister?" she started running towards Brandon as though she was going to hit him. But, she suddenly stopped, her fists relaxed and her eyes widened when she glanced up and saw Andrew was now standing beside her, his hands were resting on her shoulders and suddenly, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm. When her eyes met his, he gently shook his head. She remained stationary as her sister got into the Cadillac and the social workers drove away.

Andrew allowed his hands to drop from her shoulders and he took a step away from her.

By this time, Mary's two friends were returning with Greg Hunter. The tall man was walking towards where Andrew and Raphael were standing. "What the hell is going on here?" The man sneered once he approached. He reached out and gripped Andrew's shoulder, "I asked a question, Buddy, and I expect an answer."

"You think you're so tough, don't you?" Raphael spoke, and from looking at him, one would be ready to bet that he intended on intervening.

Andrew looked over at his friend, his voice soft, "Don't say anything else, just go back inside." He could detect the anger, which was emanating from Greg, and he knew that this man was more than capable of harming them, especially while they were in human form. The compassionate Angel of Death would never wish to see another angel harmed, and he was well aware that it did not matter if he was harmed, himself. He would not forgive himself if someone had harmed his friend.

Raphael, seeing this in his friend, immediately fell silent, nodded and turned to go as Greg spoke, his voice etched with anger. "You're the one that has been telling those people lies about me. Admit it, you scumbag, you're trying to destroy my family with your lies."

"I don't lie," Andrew said softly as Greg pulled on his arm forcing him to turn around. Greg's eyes were bulging, and his breath reeked of cigarettes and alcohol as he started to push Andrew against the wall of the building.

Mary stood by unable to speak, and finally, her two friends successfully pulled her away from the two men. She turned around and could see her mother coming up the walk. "Mom, Helena's gone."

Rayan Hunter looked at her older daughter, her eyes wide. She glanced up to see that her husband had cornered a second man against one of the apartment buildings and she watched in shock as he hauled back and started punching the other man, and after a second, the second man sank to the ground. Once she recovered, she ran towards her husband's unsuspecting back.

"Greg, what are you doing?" She screamed and the man turned around upon hearing his name. "Why are you beating up this guy?"

"This guy called the 'Children's' Protection Group' on us and two social workers just drove off with Helena. They came by while you were at work, and wouldn't even listen to me," Greg sneered.

"What?" Rayan asked. "Someone better explain to me what exactly is going on around here or there's going to be hell to pay."

Raphael came running outside once Greg had stopped punching his friend, and he looked up at the woman, but after a few seconds, back at the other angel, "Andrew, are you OK?" He had brought a wet cloth with him and wiped it over his friend's face.

Rayan grabbed Raphael's shoulder and jerked him away from Andrew. The Mexican angel was left looking into the angry brown eyes of Helena's mother. "What