A 'Touched By An Angel' Story

By: Yvette Jessen

Divorce. It was such an ugly word, but it was the reality for Sharon Peters. The 14-year-old girl made her way outside of the movie theater. She had gone there to see a movie with two of her best friends, but afterwards, she just wanted to be alone. After a teary good-bye with them, she made her way in the direction of the coastal area where she lived. The seaside always offered her the solitude she needed, and so her primary interest at this moment was to reach the beach, sit down in the sand, and get a grip on her emotions.

It had been decided in court earlier that week that she would have to move in with her mother in Franklin, California as of the following day. After having spent her entire life here in the coastal city of San Diego, she was now being told that she would be leaving her home to move to a town located about 50 miles inland.

Sharon thought she would die when her father told her that she would only be able to visit him during school vacations and that she would lose her beloved beach. This was too much for her, she adored the coastline, and from her father's beach side home, she could see it from her bedroom window. Somehow, she felt a sense of freedom whenever she was there.

One of her favorite things to do was to walk along the coast at night, when the light of the moon could be seen reflecting off the still water. This evening, it was clear, and the moon was full. After she had walked about a mile from the movie theater, she reached the seaside and removed the silver sandals she wore on her feet. Walking did not bother her, she was into sports, and had become a fairly good beach volleyball player as she was growing up. Recently, unbeknownst to either of her parents, she had gotten interested in surfing and was learning how from one of the college boys she knew.

As she walked, she could feel the soft cool sand beneath her feet, and she sighed deeply. It wasn't fair, she thought to herself, as her mind drifted back to two days before when her father had told her that she would have to leave. How could her parents do this to her? She was angry with her mother, why couldn't she just let her stay there with her father, where she was happy? Why did she have to pursue this with a custody battle? Couldn't she see that Sharon loved being where she was?

Contrary to the resentment she harbored, she really did love her mother. It tore her in pieces when she thought about how she would have to get used to making new friends, and attending a new school. All the friends she had, she had met when she was a child. Being somewhat shy, she feared what she would have to endure in this strange new place.

As she continued to contemplate this, she realized that leaving the one place where she felt at home was the most horrible feeling she could imagine. She knew that school would be one of the harder adjustments she would have to cope with, but the most difficult had to be the inability to walk to the coastline when she needed the feeling of total freedom.

She plopped down on the sand, her summer dress blowing in the breeze and her tears falling freely. After a few minutes passed, she looked down at her watch. She had told her father that she would be home by ten. Ever since she was little, her father had lived in a beachfront home, and so her nightly walks on the beach were acceptable because she had always promised not to go too far.

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 emerging in a sort of slurring cadence. It was obvious that he was angry, so much so that Sharon 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 backed away from him. In the distance, the sounds of sirens blaring caused him to back away from her, thus retracing his steps and disappearing in the distance leaving Sharon staring at the woman’s body. 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 so quickly. "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. 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.

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. If you need someone, you call the police, alright?"

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. When she recognized that he was no longer with her, she shook her head rapidly, a mixture of disbelief and complete terror written all over her face.

*****

The Angel of Death named Andrew knew that he was in trouble, this was nothing like the normal assignments he usually got. Sharon had not only seen him, but she had also run away from him, and he wasn't sure why it was, but he had the strangest feeling that she would need him, and very soon. Father, please take care of her, she's been through something really traumatic tonight, and I fear for her.

Not to worry, Andrew, she's going to be your next case, but you're going to get some backup from Tess and Monica, came the Father's loving answer.

Not as her Angel of Death, Father, she's only 14.

Andrew, I cannot tell you what will happen, but you need to trust in Me and help that little girl, she's going to need a friend, and you're going to fit that description, but be careful, My angel, be very careful, as this assignment poses not only you to danger, but will also pose Sharon to danger, the Father's assurances returned, and though they did little to calm his nerves, he knew that the Father was going to do whatever He could to help the young girl. Yet, even with the warnings, Andrew wasn't so concerned for himself, but he was overcome with worry for Sharon.

Sighing sadly, he knew that she was in grave danger and he didn't even have to talk to the Father to realize it, there was something that saved her from getting killed that night, but with the real murderer still on the loose, he wasn't sure how much he could do to help keep her from getting into anymore trouble.

There was also no question in his mind, he had frightened her and during a time when she would need to know love more than ever before. All he could do right now was wander up the beach all the while standing in angelic form as the police talked to the other witnesses in the area. He released a pent up sigh when he could hear their words, and though the authorities could not see him, he could hear the description that the police were getting were of him and not of the man who had actually murdered the woman. Sighing deeply, he glanced up to see Monica and Tess standing next to him.

"You're here too?" He asked weakly.

"Yes, baby, you knew we would be coming, the Father told you he would be sending us as backup. We also realized that you're going to have a difficult assignment ahead of you," Tess said.

Together, the three angels walked back down the beach, and when they reached the parking lot, they spotted and retrieved Tess' prided red Cadillac. "You need to go to her house and wait, Andrew, stay the night, and watch over her, she's going to need your help, tonight, even if she doesn't believe it," Tess said gently. "Monica and I will get to Franklin and wait for you there. Once morning comes, you come there with Sharon, OK? You're going to be her guardian angel, Andrew, a position you're not quite accustomed to, but one of the utmost importance. You know that this child has to survive these events."

Instead of arguing, the Angel of Death nodded as Tess and Monica got into the car.

They all knew that it was late, and although Andrew was now the prime suspect in this murder case, he remained as advised there and walked towards the house where his assignment lived. He knew that she was in trouble, and even if she did not realize it, she would need all the help that God's angels could provide her with.

His mind drifted back to Sharon and he could somehow sense that she was frightened of him, but he also sensed a number of things about her and he wished that she hadn't have run away. He feared that in her disillusioned state that she might say something that might incriminate him, thus rendering her helpless when it came to him being able to protect her.

"Angel Boy," Tess' voice brought him crashing back down to earth and he smiled weakly when he heard her voice.

"What is it, Tess?" Andrew asked.

"Try to think about Sharon, and not about yourself, OK?" Tess asked as she started the car and they drove in the direction of the interstate highway, which would lead to the small town of Franklin.

"What can we do, Tess?" Monica asked, the auburn headed angel smiling weakly, but she was as confused about this assignment as much as Andrew probably was.

"Well, Miss Wings, that little girl's really frightened right now and for good reason. She's really going to need all the help that an angel can give to her. Not only is she going to have to find the courage to speak about what has happened, but the man who committed this heinous act has also recognized her. You know as well as I do that Sharon Peters witnessed a murder tonight, and it's going to be up to her to help our Angel Boy out of the trouble that he is finding himself in."

"They think that Andrew committed a murder, Tess, that's crazy!" Monica whispered. "Andrew wouldn't hurt a fly."

"You know it, I know it, and the Father knows it, Angel Girl, but there's a little girl in San Diego who doesn't know that yet," Tess said. "And all we can do right now is just keep the faith."

*****

Sharon made it to her father's beach house five minutes before ten. "D-Daddy," she called out half expecting to hear an answer, but knowing that her father had gone out as well and probably wouldn't be back until later.

When she heard no sounds in the house and found it dark, she hesitantly made her way into the living room, her entire body shaking like a leaf and she glanced around nervously. Hesitantly, she turned on the lamp on one of the side tables and sat down on the sofa, all the while trying without much success at getting a grip on her emotions.

Glancing over, she spotted a note lying on the table. She reached for it, her hand trembling as she picked it up and began to read.

In one corner of the room, Andrew stood watching her, his presence unknown to her, but he could see that she was positively petrified by what she had witnessed, her actions indicative of it. Sharon returned the note to the coffee table and realized that her father was not due home for another hour, perhaps two. As she contemplated all of this, the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Oh God, I'm so scared," she whispered under her breath. As she heard the sound of something falling and hitting the ground outside the small beach front home, she turned her head quickly, and realized that the sound that emerged had been caused by neighbor's cat, which yowled as it fled from the scene. Sharon reached for an afghan and wrapped it around her body. As she did, her voice cried out in desperation. "Please, God, help me…" As her voice trailed off, she looked up and could see that the angel she had seen on the beach was now standing in the room. "I-it's you…"

"Yes, Sharon?" He spoke, his voice gentle.

"W-What are you doing here?" She whispered, her voice shaking slightly, and she glanced towards the front door. "I-I mean, I thought I had locked the doors." As she spoke, she could hear something crashing through the window, and she covered her face with her hands as the tears continued to wash down over her face. "Oh God, help me get through this night, I'm so frightened."

"He will, sweetheart, He will," Andrew said softly.

The teenager nodded, but for some reason, she could not bring herself to believe his words. She watched as he approached where she was sitting. "W-Who are you?"

"My name is Andrew," he said softly as he sat down across from her on the sofa and anticipating her next question, he smiled gently at her. "Don't worry, Sharon, the doors are all locked, as are the windows, and I'm here to help you."

She nodded numbly and looked down at her lap. "You're not going to hurt me because of what I s-saw?"

He shook his head. "No, its like I told you on the beach, Sharon, I have no intention of hurting you. God sent me here tonight to help you and you know that you're in a great deal of trouble right now and He knew that you could use a little extra help."

"I know, I s-saw that man, h-he lives a few blocks away from here," she whispered.

"Where are your parents now?" Andrew asked.

"My dad and his girlfriend went out," Sharon said shrugging her shoulders. It was no secret; her father had met another woman, Penny Higgins, and had started dating her as soon as the divorce had become final earlier that year. Although she liked Penny, she felt somewhat torn whenever she thought about her parents. She was more like her free-spirited father, and had nothing in common with her mother. Brenda Peters was overbearing, and possessive, and thinking about her made Sharon feel slightly intimidated.

"You have to tell them what happened," Andrew said gently.

"T-they won't listen, Andrew," she looked at him, her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. "All they have concerned themselves with during these past months is this stupid custody battle and only how it's affecting them, but not me," she sighed deeply, her eyes filling with tears. "What should I do?"

"I don't know, yet, Sharon, but I can't tell you what to do," he said gently, "I can only be here with you, at the very least, until you are able to go to sleep. You're not still afraid of me, are you?"

"I was at first, but…" her voice trailed off and she swallowed the persistent lump that had formed in her throat.

Andrew stood up and came over to where she was sitting and once he had sat down next to her, he rested his hand on her shoulder. When she cowered slightly away from him, he continued speaking, his voice gentle. "It's OK, I know you're afraid right now, and I do truly understand. I know that I scared you back there, but it wasn't intended and yet, I don't know why it was that you could see me out there, but maybe it was for a reason, maybe that's why God sent me to be with you right now."

"You're an Angel of Death? I-I mean; you took her away?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I used to read books about angels when I was a little girl…" She said softly, but her voice trailed off and she looked up at him. His collar-length blonde hair was neatly combed, but instead of being eloquently dressed in a beige suit, he was now dressed more casually, and she felt more at ease with seeing him dressed in jeans and a lightweight beige sweater.

"Sharon, although you may be in danger, I don't know yet if I'm here as yours," he said earnestly. "I do know that I'm here to help you face the truth, and right now, running away to Franklin isn't going to help when it comes to speaking out about what you saw tonight," Andrew said gently.

The teenager nodded and leaned up against the pillows on the sofa. "I wish I could forget what I saw."

"I know, as do I," he said softly.

"You do?" She asked weakly, but looked into his eyes. "Have you ever been afraid?"

"Yes, I have, and right now, I'm afraid; for you," he said gently.

"But, I don't understand, you don't even know me?"

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I care for you," he nodded and brushed a gentle hand through her tangled hair.

"You won't let Brad hurt me?"

"I will do what I can to protect you, but Sharon, you're going to have to talk about what you saw tonight," Andrew said gently. "I know you're afraid, but you can't go through this alone."

She nodded wearily, and he could see that she was tired, too tired to face this at this moment, and he watched as she stretched out on the sofa. "I'm so tired, but I don't know if I'll even be able to sleep, I'm so scared," she whimpered. "Please, Andrew, can you promise me that you won't leave me here alone."

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere," he said and smiled compassionately at her.

Sharon closed her eyes, her thoughts now focused on the situation with her parents. At least thinking about her parents prevented her from thinking about how frightened she was. She had seen a murder; a man stabbing a woman, and she had seen an angel, but now she was more terrified than anything. She sighed deeply, looked up through the window, and could see the stars still spotting the night sky. Next to her, she could see that Andrew was still sitting on the sofa, his eyes closed and he looked so serene, as though in prayer.

Sharon leaned over, turned off the lamp but after a few moments, she turned it back on. "I'm too afraid to sleep," she said softly as she stared down at her lap. "Oh God, I'm so scared."

Andrew's eyes opened, and he inched over to where she was lying. "It's OK, Sharon," he whispered. "You're not alone." That said, he took her trembling body in his arms and held her tightly, her head coming to rest against the soft sweater he wore.

Instead of drawing away, she held tightly to him until she eventually slept cradled in his arms.

About twenty minutes later, she woke again, a scream emerging and she began to cry hysterically. She looked up and could see Andrew was still there and she buried her face against his chest, the tears streaming from beneath her eyes. "I s-saw it again."

Andrew glanced skyward. Father, help us, please, he pleaded with the stillness his hand brushing against the head of the teenager. He could tell by looking at her that none of this made sense to her, but he could also tell that she did not want to talk about this, and he realized that the only thing that would help her would be to do so.

He rested his gentle hands against both sides of her face and drew her back so that she would be looking into his compassionate green eyes. "Sharon, you're going to have to tell your parents about what happened, you know you can't face this all alone. I know you want to, but you cannot block this from your memories as though it didn't happen."

"If I mention to my dad what happened, he'd tell me I was making it all up to make them stop the divorce or something. My dad may be a free spirit, Andrew, but he also a realist. Talking to my mother is out of the question. If I tell her about it, then she would probably find me one of her nutty therapist friends to talk to me about my inability to adjust to change."

"Sharon, listen to me," Andrew looked at her, his eyes intent. "You have to tell someone about what you saw, not just because they need to catch the man who did this, but also to help your spirit to heal from the trauma this has caused."

"Everything, even when I saw you?" She whispered. "I can't, they're going to think I'm nuts, Andrew."

"No, they won't, sweetheart," Andrew said softly. "Maybe you can try and talk to your father's friend about this," he suggested. "Just don't keep this inside, you may be in more danger if you do and it will tear you apart."

"Is that why you're here? Because that guy could come back and…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at him.

"I don't know the answer to that question," Andrew said softly.

Sharon sighed deeply and nodded, her tears washing down over her face, and within seconds, she could see through the window that Brad was staring through the window at her. He had found her, and she looked at Andrew. "What should I do?"

Andrew said nothing, he merely handed her the phone and she put it to her ear and called 911. Seconds later, the window shattered, and She stood up and ran towards her bedroom, the angel followed her and when they were inside the room, she closed and locked the door all the while praying that the police would show up. Seconds later, they could hear that Brad had gained access to the house, and was coming down the hall in order to bang on the door.

"I know you're in there, you little nosy…" His voice slurred from the other side of the door, and Sharon looked at Andrew.

"He won't see me," Andrew whispered to her. "Get under the bed, Sharon."

The teenager nodded and did what he said.

Just before Brad had gained access to the room, she could hear the sirens of the police cars pulling up to the house.

After a few moments of silence had passed and she could hear Brad being taken into custody, she crawled out from under the bed, her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at the angel. Without saying a word, she collapsed onto the floor in a faint.

*****

When she opened her eyes again, it was morning, she was on her bed, and she could see the sun shining in through the window. She glanced over to see that her bedroom door was opened and that her father rushing around the room getting the rest of her belongings together. When she looked around the room in search of her angel, she noticed that he was now gone.

"You'd better get up, Sharon, your mother's going to be here in an hour to pick you up," her father said, his voice indicative of business as usual, and she came to the conclusion that the events of the night before must have all been nothing but a dream. "She just called and said she was on her way."

The teenager nodded numbly and pushed the blanket, which covered her, away. Apparently, her father had covered her with it the night before when he had come home. "OK, Daddy." She stood up, and quietly walked over to her closet and grabbed something to wear for the trip to her mother's apartment. Most of her favorite clothes were left hanging in the closet because her mother had insisted that she would have no use for them in Franklin. She grabbed her favorite cotton beige dress out of the closet and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

That done, she got dressed and grabbed the brush off the sink to run it through her sun-streaked blond hair. I hope living in Franklin won't fade my tan, she thought trying to block her mind of the disturbing thoughts that were cursing through her mind. It was only a dream, she thought to herself, Andrew as well as the murder were nothing but a dream. Now things would get back to normal and she could shove those disturbing thoughts aside.

Sighing sadly, she looked in the mirror and could see the freckles from the sun across the bridge of her nose. She smiled weakly remembering three weeks ago when school had started and she and her friends had started as freshmen at the high school. It had been so great, and now that she was used to being at the school, she would have to change schools. Now, she felt absolutely miserable.

She sighed deeply as she started reflecting on the summer that had passed. She had met a boy at the beach, who was a surfer, and he had been teaching her how to surf. That's why this summer had been the best summer she could remember. But, it had also given her the best tan she could remember ever having. She remembered having spent the entire vacation at the beach.

"Hey, are you swimming in there?" Sharon sighed deeply when she heard a knock on the door and her father's voice. He probably needed to get in here to shave she thought as she laid the brush on the sink.

"I'm almost done, Daddy." She called out as she grabbed the dress she had worn the night before and stuffed it in the hamper, which was situated next to the toilet.

Finally, she opened the door, came out, and her father went in. She walked out into the living room to see her suitcases packed, and sitting in the middle of the floor. The glass door leading out onto the beach was not broken, as depicted in her dream. She was left to conclude that everything that had happened that night had been a nightmare and nothing more.

Andrew was nothing but a dream, she thought, but how on earth did she even know his name much less how he looked. She could describe him to a 'T', tall, handsome, with collar length blonde hair, and green eyes. She shook her head and sighted deeply, the glass was not broken, so she must have dreamt the entire thing.

Sighing deeply once she came out into the room and spotted her father's girlfriend lounging comfortably on the sofa.

"Hey Sharon." The woman smiled warmly.

"Hi, Penny." Sharon said weakly.

"Are you excited about going to Franklin, today?" Penny asked softly.

"Not really." Was all she said. She began to fiddle with a small piece of paper, which she had grabbed up off the coffee table. She liked Penny; the woman was always so nice and easy going. Sharon knew that her father was probably much better off with Penny than with her uptight mother.

She sighed, maybe it had something to do with her mother's job that made her so uptight, but ever since Brenda Peters had become a Psychologist, she had suddenly taken everything that anyone said and tried to analyze it. Sharon hated this, and she knew that her mother would probably insist on treating her like an eight-year-old child, rather than a 14-year-old girl.

Maybe this was why Sharon hadn't mentioned anything about learning to surf to her mother, she probably would have yelled at her dad about his allowing her to do something so dangerous.

"Sharon?" Penny's voice broke into her thoughts. "A penny for your thoughts?"

Sharon laughed weakly, "You always say that to make me laugh, don't you?"

"Well, obviously because it works." Penny said, her green eyes twinkling. "Today, it didn't seem to though."

"I'm sorry…" her voice trailed off, but she finally found the courage to look up and make eye contact with the young woman. "Penny, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure you can," Penny looked at her.

"Do you believe in angels?" Sharon asked.

Penny shook her head, "No, sorry, I hate to admit it, I believe in God, but not in angels. I think it's just a bunch of hogwash. But where did all that come from? I've never head you mention anything about such things before."

"I used to read books about it and last night had a weird dream about an angel," Sharon whispered. This was the answer she expected from Penny, and she sighed deeply.

"Is there anything you want to talk about, Sharon?" Penny asked as a horn beeped from outside. Her warm smile disappeared when she looked out the window and could see Brenda's BMW parked in the driveway.

"No, but you're probably right, though, it's just stupid." Sharon stood up and walked towards the suitcases and picked up the smaller of the two.

Steven came out of the bathroom, "Your mother's here, Sharon."

"Yeah, I know." Sharon's eyes met those of her father. "Daddy, will you help me with my stuff?" She asked trying to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Of course, honey." Steven picked up the second suitcase and followed her to the door. Once she opened the door and saw her mother, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Her mother was, as usual, dressed impeccably. Today, she wore in an off white suit and a string of pearls that hung from around her neck. Suddenly, Sharon felt underdressed in her favorite dress while in the presence of her elegant mother. Her hands ran down the cotton dress she wore and she sighed deeply.

Once Steven had greeted his ex-wife, and had put the bags in the trunk of the car, Sharon spoke, "Mom, I have to go to the bathroom before we leave, OK?"

Brenda nodded, and both Steven and Sharon returned inside the house.

After using the bathroom, she rejoined Penny and Steven in the living room. "Daddy, I'm going to miss you," Her eyes brimmed with tears and Steven nodded.

"I know, Sweetheart. I'm going to miss you too." Steven wrapped his arms around his daughter, "But you're going to be OK. Besides that, I promise to write when I can and you'll also be here for Thanksgiving, that's only two months away."

"I know." She turned to Penny, "You'll write too?"

Penny nodded and hugged her boyfriend's daughter. "I'll send you something with your dad's letters every chance I get." She handed Sharon a cloth handkerchief and smiled reassuringly.

Sharon wiped her eyes with the cloth. But, as she did, a silver necklace fell to the ground. It had been carefully folded inside the cloth, and she bent down to pick it up. It was the silver starfish necklace that Penny bought when she and Steven had gone down to Mexico. "I remember how much you liked it," Penny offered, smiling.

"Thank you," Sharon put the necklace on and wiped her eyes as her mother began to honk the horn impatiently. "I have to go. I love you both."

Steven nodded as his only child walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped outside closing it behind her. Watching her leave, Steven felt the tears stinging under his eyes. Penny wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.

"What took you so long?" Brenda wanted to know once Sharon came outside and got in the car.

"I just wanted to say good-bye, that's all." Sharon whispered; her hand was holding onto the necklace that Penny had given to her. Sighing sadly, she could feel a trace of guilt as she remembered the words from her dream about talking about what she had seen. Sighing deeply, she dismissed it as being a dream and reached for the seatbelt.

Once Brenda's attention diverted back onto the road, she sighed deeply as the tears escaped from under her eyes. She grabbed the handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and wiped it over her eyes. The necklace she wore, reminded her not only of her father and Penny, but also of the dream she had had about the events at the beach.

As they drove away, Sharon felt a lump forming in her throat when she saw Brad Hawkins staring at her, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

*****

Detective Jonathan Mason was seated at his desk at that time, and he was looking down over case files and shaking his head. "Let's see, 18-year-old Tracy Lyndon, was stabbed to death last night." He sighed deeply as he looked around the room all the while wondering why it was that this had even happened. He shook his head sighing, simply because the precinct house had been literally flooded with calls over the course of the last week about domestic disputes.

"Another fatality?" His partner asked as he came into the office, this was a younger man named Chance Watson, who had just started working there, and he regarded the notes in front of the detective with scorn. "I hate domestic violence."

"Yeah, and we've got a few suspects to bring in," the detective said with a sigh, "but one of our witnesses fled the scene, and we haven't any idea who she is."

"You know it's a girl, then?" Chance asked as he sat down across from him and reached for a pastry that was on the desk.

"That's all we know," Jonathan said sadly. "I'm afraid for this kid though, the murderer slipped through our fingers last night and fled the scene."

"Who are the suspects?" Chance asked.

"One is the girl's boyfriend, and this is probably the most likely of them all," the detective said sighing. "The other is this guy that some of the witnesses saw there. Some blonde in a beige suit. We think he might be an accomplice, but without the girl's statement, we haven't any idea what to do next, except go after the blonde and talk to the crazy boyfriend."

"Maybe we should go and start interviewing people in the neighborhood, maybe they might be able to help us find the girl, specifically since she's the key to this being resolved," Chance said softly.

"True because if that murderer finds her first, she may be the next statistic around here," Jonathan said softly.

Seconds later, a knock brought the two men out of their reveries. "Hi, I'm Adam, I've been transferred to this department and was wondering where I could put my briefcase." The gray-eyed Angel of Death offered the two men a smile and Chance got up to help him.

"Hello, I'm Chance. How goes it?" He asked as they left the office.

"Good, I was called in this morning, something about a murder that took place last night. I heard about some of it from the chief, but I was told that you and Detective Mason would be taking this case." He rubbed his hand through his short salt and pepper hair and shrugged his shoulders.

"You know anything about the homicide division?" Chance asked.

"Well, you could say that working in this sort of department is kind of my specialty," Adam said, his expression unreadable.

"Well friend, I guess we'll get you initiated today then because as Detective Mason and I have to drive out to the coastal areas and start interviewing people about a case that broke last night. Something about domestic violence and a witness who seems to have vanished off the face of the earth."

"A witness who may have been too afraid to come forward," Adam mused.

"We don't think about whether people are scared or not," Jonathan said as he came out of his office. "All we care about is getting results, and as long as someone is holding back on the truth, then they're an accomplice in my book."

Adam sighed deeply, but he nodded, his thoughts going out to his friend and fellow Angel of Death, Andrew, who not only was a suspect, but the young girl he was helping was also considered by the sharp-tongued detective to be a suspect in this terrible crime. Sighing deeply he followed the two men outside to the car, his eyes filled with sadness as he crawled into the backseat of the car, and they sped off in the direction of the beach.

*****

Saturday morning brought Tess and Monica into the small town of Franklin, and they were able to find an apartment without too much difficulty. As Andrew returned to the apartment where they were living, Tess looked at him.

"Did you not forget that you're supposed to be with that little girl, Angel Boy?" Tess asked.

Andrew nodded, "yes, Tess, I know, but…"

"Let me guess, she thinks you're a dream, or a figment of her imagination," Monica said softly, her voice light, but Andrew could see that she was trying to give him all the understanding she could. "Yet, I know you, Andrew, you care for her."

"Andrew cares for everyone," Tess said smiling as she went to him and wrapped her strong arms around his slumped shoulders. "Now then, Angel Boy, you get back over there and, don't worry, everything will turn out OK."

Once Andrew was gone, Monica and Tess prepared lunch, ate and decided to go downtown and catch a presentation at the local planetarium. Although Monica knew that this had nothing to do with their current assignment, Tess was insisting on a little bit of fun before they really got serious about this particular case. Aside from that, they both knew that they probably wouldn't be meeting this girl until Monday morning when she would start school.

Twenty minutes after they had eaten lunch, they drove to the planetarium and Tess went to get the tickets while Monica waited near the bulletin board and spent a few minutes studying it. After waiting and watching the people around her for a few minutes, she turned around, and saw a girl in a beige sun-dress standing outside reading a similar schedule where the exhibitions had been posted.

Monica couldn't let go of the fact as to how Sharon looked, it seemed as though she was about to jump out of her skin, as she was looking around nervously, somehow her actions emanating a person who was perceiving danger around every corner. Finally, the Irish angel walked over to her and smiled weakly. "Hello," she offered approaching the teenager.

"Hi," came her soft answer.

"Are you here to see the exhibition too?" Monica asked.

"No, actually, I was just waiting for my mother to come back. She went over to that convenience store to pick up a pack of gum." The girl said softly, her sad eyes speaking much louder than her words ever could.

"Do you go to school here?" Monica asked.

"Actually, I'm supposed to start on Monday," she answered, getting her first look at the kind-hearted woman who was now standing next to her.

"At the high school?" Monica asked, and as Sharon nodded, she smiled. "Well, maybe I'll see you there, I will be teaching Freshman English, as a substitute while one of the teachers in on maternity leave." She smiled at the teenager. "My name is Monica, and you're?"

"Sharon Peters." She paused, "you're new here too?"

"Yes, I just got into town about an hour ago, my friends and I came here from San Diego this morning."

"That's weird, 'cause so did I. I actually lived there for the last 14 years," Sharon said sadly. "My mom was born here, and since my parents recently got divorced, I had to come here to live."

"You must have really loved it there, because you look a wee bit sad right now," Monica offered gently.

She nodded, "yeah, I loved it. I used to spend a lot of time at the beach. My dad and his girlfriend have a house up the coast, and I was always at the seaside."

Monica smiled, her eyes lighting up as she listened to the girl speak. "You must have been by the water everyday. You make me look rather like a sheet." She held up her arm and pulled the sleeve of her blazer up so Sharon could see that her arm was pale by comparison.

She laughed weakly, but suddenly stopped.

Monica looked up when Sharon's laughter had died and both could see that an elegantly dressed woman was now coming out of the store.

Sharon sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, I have to go, my mom's waiting. Maybe I'll see you in school Monday."

"Yes, maybe you will," Monica said softly as Sharon walked quickly towards a blue BMW and climbed into the front seat.

Monica was still standing there watching Sharon as she walked away. She looked positively miserable, the angel thought to herself, and behind Sharon a few steps, Andrew was following, but when the Angel of Death turned around and smiled slightly at her before he continued walking towards the car and away from the large marble building. Once he was gone, Monica sighed deeply and went back inside.

"Where were you?" Tess asked once she had come inside the large lobby.

"I saw Sharon outside, and went to talk to her," Monica said.

"Did you find out anything?" Tess wanted to know.

"No, nothing except that she's looking none too good right now, she's so afraid of people, she walks around looking over her shoulders," Monica said softly.

"Keep in mind that she's witnessed a murder." A familiar masculine voice emerged and Monica turned around.

"Adam, what on earth are you doing here?" Monica asked.

"Adam is here working with the police," Tess said. "How's it going, Angel Boy?"

"Well, Jonathan Mason is not the easiest nut to crack, he's convinced that if someone is not working with them, they are working against him. He is convinced that Sharon is keeping the information to herself, not because she's afraid, but because she is trying to protect Brad Hawkins. What he doesn't realize is that this is not the case," Adam said softly, somehow both of the other angels could see that he was holding something back.

"Adam, you might as well tell us," Tess said, her voice etched in annoyance.

"Andrew is one of the prime suspects," Adam said softly. "Jonathan and Chance both think that he murdered Tracy, but the worst thing is, we're supposed to go and interview Sharon's father today, and I'm almost afraid to do it, as she didn't mention any of this to them."

"You just do what you can, Adam, and we'll check in with you later," Tess said softly, and once the Angel of Death had returned to his part of the assignment, the two remaining angels walked down the hall and into the room where the exhibition was to take place, both of their minds too occupied to enjoy the presentation.

*****

Outside in the car, Sharon watched as her mother got in and turned on the ignition.

"Where did you go?" Brenda asked.

"I just went to see what they had showing at the planetarium." Sharon shrugged her shoulders. Her meeting Monica wasn't mentioned as her mother started the car.

"I didn't know you were interested in Astronomy," she said as she drove the car out of the area. After Sharon offered no answer, she continued speaking, "I hope you will like it here. I grew up in Franklin, and missed it dreadfully after your father and I got married."

Sharon shrugged her shoulders, she felt like she was being torn in two. Here was her mother who loved Franklin's mountains, and warm, dry climate, while her father and Penny loved the seaside almost as much as she did. She wondered if her mother was somehow ignoring her love of the ocean.

Sharon knew that she would never be able to tell her mother how much she really hated this town. It'd break her heart if she knew that I really wasn't happy here, she thought sadly as a tear slid down her cheek. I could never be so selfish, she thought to herself, her mind seemed to be centered on the night before, but rather than speak of it, she sighed sadly.

After a few minutes passed, her mother finally broke the silence. "You're being awfully quiet. Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No, not really." Sharon offered. Why had her life suddenly become so complicating? Her mind began to drift. If she was at home, then she could have gone to the beach and met Jerry and did some surfing. Suddenly, she felt like a fish out of water and worse still, she was wondering what she would be able to do to cope with all the feelings and emotions she carried since she had what she remembered as being only a dream.

As her mother pulled into the parking area for her apartment, Sharon got out of the car and followed Brenda inside. Upstairs in the apartment building, Sharon walked with her mother to a second door and waited for Brenda to fish her keys out of her purse.

As soon as her mother unlocked the door, Sharon sighed deeply when she walked into the apartment and saw that everything in the living room was white. She literally had to will herself to not turn around and walk back out. The carpet was white, as well as the other furniture surrounding the black leather sofa. On the front wall hung three art prints depicting abstracts. On the corner table was red, black, and white figures. Modern abstract art that was her mother's taste.

She wrinkled her nose; she didn't feel at home at all. The apartment had no seashells, or natural decorations. The floors were covered with this fluffy carpet and she was left feeling afraid of walking across it with her shoes still on for fear she might smudge something. Sighing deeply, she realized just how much she missed the warm comfortable atmosphere of her father's beach house. The wooden floors had taken tons of her abuse, whether or not she came home caked with sand, or if she had walked through the house slopping water everywhere from her swim in the ocean.

Here, the entire apartment was ultra modern, and everywhere she looked; the only colors she saw were white, black and small amounts of red. It looked like it was taken out of a magazine picture, all pristine and perfect, modern, and in Sharon's opinion, absolutely hideous. Would she ever get used to living here?

Finally when she couldn't take much more of this awful room, she looked up at her mother, trying to keep a cheerful face, "Mom, I need to put this stuff away, where's my room?"

"Down the hall, the last door on the right," Brenda said completely unaware of her daughter's discomfort.

Sharon walked carefully through the living room, down the hall, and when she entered the room, she sighed deeply. Apparently, her mother had the same designer in her room that she had for the rest of the apartment. Everything was pink, or white, and the bedspread was pink and covered with lace. The curtains, which hung in the window, were all frilly and little girlish, thus matching the bedspread. It looks like a wedding cake exploded in here, she thought with a frown.

She went over to the curtains and drew them aside. She could see outside into a park where people were walking and having picnics. The view she liked, but the room was awful. The wooden furniture was all painted white, and the carpet was also white and fuzzy, similar to that, which was in the living room.

This apartment looks like a waiting room for a doctor's office, Sharon thought sighing deeply as her mother entered the room. "Do you like it? I remembered that pink was always your favorite color."

Sharon sighed deeply, pink was her favorite color, but that was seven years ago. Now she preferred beige, earth tones, and dark blue. She despised this room, it wasn't her, and worse still, it made her feel really uncomfortable. "It's OK, Mom," she lied when she saw her mother's hopeful face. "Can I get some posters and decorate it like I want to?"

"Yes, I thought we could do that today. The art museum sells prints that we could buy to hang in here. There's a store not far from here that sells abstract art, and we could go by there as well."

"Mom, I don't really like abstract art. Couldn't I have something like a beach scene or something that better expresses me?" Sharon said softly, hoping that her honesty wouldn't upset her mother.

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

"I just got here today, give me a little more time, OK?" Sharon answered diplomatically.

"OK," Brenda looked disappointed, but then after a few seconds passed, her frown broke into a broad smile. "I have an idea then, why don't we go to the mall later and see what we can find at the poster shop? They have a new store there that sells nothing but posters and decorations for walls. I'm sure we can find something there to your liking."

"That'd be great." Sharon's frown broke into a small smile. "I've been kind of curious about what this town has to offer as far as shopping and entertainment goes. I'd also like to go by the school and see what it looks like before I start there on Monday."

"OK, then afterwards, we can go out and have something for dinner." Brenda said.

Sharon nodded as her mother left her to unpack. She turned off the air conditioner in her room, opened the window, and closed the door. The breeze blew through the room leaving it fresh and more comfortable. She sat down at the desk and pulled out her diary. It had been a number of days since she had the chance to write her thoughts and feelings in the book, and she decided that since she couldn't stop thinking about the dream she had had last night about what she thought she had seen on the beach in San Diego, that she would write about this and what she remembered about Andrew.

Sighing sadly, she could not forget Andrew's gentle face, how unhappy he looked when she was standing on the beach the night before. But this was a dream, she rationalized with herself, and she looked around the room all the while, shaking her head. When she did not see him, she closed the diary and rested her head in her hands. It was just a dream, but God, it felt so real, like it really happened.

Sharon, it did happen. Yes, part of it was a dream you had. You dreamt that Brad had broken into your father's house, but the rest of it was real, sweetheart, Andrew's voice was soft, but he knew that she could not hear his words. Sighing deeply he watched as she gently closed the diary.

"Andrew," she whispered, her voice emerging like a sigh. "I wish I knew for sure if you were real, or if I am just loosing my mind." She remembered how over the course of the evening how she had been afraid that he was going to be angry with her, but when his hand had rested on her shoulder, she felt a sense of warmth that she couldn't describe, and the compassion that manifested in him had somehow become empowering.

If I could, she thought to herself, I'd go back in time, I'd have asked him all the questions that I carried in my heart, asked him to hold me again. As she contemplated this, she wiped the tears from her eyes and laid down her pen. This is totally ridiculous, she thought bitterly, there are no angels, it was all just a figment of my imagination, she thought, but the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

After a few moments of staring at the plain white walls of her bedroom, she opened the diary, picked up her pen, and continued to write until her mother knocked on her door some fifteen minutes later.

Taking a small silver key from her pocket, she locked the diary up and put it inside the drawer of her nightstand. Next, she went to close the window and open the door.

"Whew, it's warm in here," Brenda exclaimed as she entered the room. "Does the air conditioner not work anymore?"

"No, it works fine, I just like fresh air better, so I turned it off, and opened the window." Sharon said softly. "Is that OK?"

Brenda nodded hesitantly, and they left together.

*****

That same afternoon, the police were interviewing the neighbors about what had happened at the beach the night before. Franklin had interviewed Jerry Theiss and they had finally managed to find out the name of the witness they were searching for. As they reached the home of Steven Peters', they rang the doorbell and waited until Penny had opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Good afternoon, Ma'am, I'm detective Jonathan Mason, this is my partner, Chance Watson and this is Adam, we're from the Homicide Division at the San Diego Police Department."

"Homicide?"

"Yes, and last night Tracy Lyndon was murdered on the beach just across the way from here," Jonathan said.

"Oh my God," Penny said. "I had no idea, that poor girl." After a second passed, she finally managed to regain her composure and continued. "Please, do come in."

"Do you know a girl by the name of Sharon Peters?" Chance asked.

Once they had entered the house and the door was closed, Penny nodded earnestly. "Yes, I know Sharon. She's the daughter of my boyfriend, Steven Peters."

"Do you know where Sharon is, it's very important that we speak to her, she may have seen something last night that could pose a threat to her," Adam began, all the while trying to keep his voice gentle.

"Why?" Penny's voice emerged, the fear taking over and she looked at them in profound disbelief. "Sharon's just a kid, she wouldn't murder anyone."

"Ms. Higgins, we know that," Jonathan began. "However, we have reason to believe that Sharon witnessed an incident that took place last night and we'd only like to ask her a few questions about it." Jonathan answered.

"Last night? Detective Mason, I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about." Penny answered. "Sharon went to the movies with two of her girlfriends and then came back here, I don't know if she spent any time on the beach, not since her father warned her about this guy named Brad Hawkins who moved into the neighborhood some time ago."

"You mean to tell us that she didn't mention anything out of the ordinary that might have happened last night?" Adam asked.

"No, and as far as I know she didn't mention anything to her father either." Penny said.

"You said she isn't here, when will she be back?" Chance asked.

"Not for a few months, she left San Diego yesterday. Her mother won custody of her in court last week. She won't be back here until Thanksgiving." Penny answered. "Is there anything else I can help you with, gentlemen?"

The detective shook his head, "Where is Mr. Peters?"

"He went get some cleaning supplies for the deck and probably won't be back for awhile. Do you want to wait? I could make some coffee or something. I also just picked up some chocolate cake at the deli?" Penny offered.

"That'd be very nice, thank you." Jonathan answered realizing that neither he nor his colleagues had eaten lunch, and he guessed that Penny had probably heard his stomach grumbling.

Penny stood up and went into the kitchen. For some reason, she didn't want to mention where exactly Sharon was, simply because she didn't know if she could trust them. There was something 'rough around the edges' about two of them, but the third, the one who introduced himself as Adam seemed to be more concerned with Sharon and her family than he was with catching a criminal. Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes for a moment. She realized that although, she wasn't married to Steven, she had no right to say anything about this to them. Besides that, even though they said they worked with the police, she didn't know them and felt that if they were going to contact anyone about this, they should talk to Brenda or Steven, and not just to their daughter.

She poured some coffee into the filter and set it inside the machine. Next, she poured some water into the machine and replaced the lid to the coffee can. She turned the machine on and returned to the living room.

"The coffee will be ready in a few minutes." She sat down across from them.

"Maybe you can help us," Jonathan said. "Do you know anything about a man with long blonde hair, and green eyes that's been hanging around here?"

As he asked her this question, Penny couldn't help but notice that a shadow seemed to cross Adam's handsome face. Ignoring this, she looked at them. "No, nothing, why? Is he dangerous?"

Jonathan nodded solemnly. "He could be; it's hard to tell for sure."

"And you think that Sharon is involved with or concealing information?" Penny stifled her laughter.

"Ms. Higgins, this is not a laughing matter, a witness said they saw a man who resembled this description talking to Sharon last night on the beach," Jonathan answered. "The neighbors called us after the young woman was slain, and we came out here to investigate. I assure you that this is a very serious matter, and not something to laugh about."

"I'm sorry, I just find it hard to believe that Sharon would be involved with 'wanted people'. She's a good kid, kind of introverted, but a nice girl." Penny offered, but after a few minutes, her gaze met the gray eyes of the Angel of Death. "She's not in any kind of trouble, is she?"

"Not that we know of, we'd just like to talk to her and find out what she saw, if she saw anything peculiar last night," Adam answered as a loud beeping sound could be heard from in the kitchen.

"Please excuse me, that's the timer, the coffee's ready," Penny walked into the kitchen and poured the coffee into four cups, grabbed a tray and returned to the living room. She handed each of them a cup and took a plate with some cake off the tray and sat it in front of them. "Is Sharon in any danger, Detective Mason?"

"I don't want to make you afraid or worried, Ms. Higgins, but there is something about this case that just doesn't add up, and if your friend's daughter did see something last night, she could be in grave danger. The murderer is still on the loose, we have two suspects in mind, one being the boyfriend, the other this man in beige," Jonathan answered taking a sip of his coffee. "We believe that we can capture Hawkins, but the other man remains at large, and we don't know who he is or where he comes from."

As Jonathan finished speaking, she could see another shadow cross Adam's face, and she looked at him. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," Adam said trying to smile, but instead, took a long sip of the coffee and returned the mug to the coffee table. The Angel of Death watched as Penny picked up a fork, took the plate with the cake on it, and stabbed at it.

"Is Sharon the type of person who would keep things to herself?" Chance asked.

"Well, she's very quiet, but she also knows when she should say something and when she shouldn't." Penny offered. "I guess you could say she's very tactful."

Jonathan nodded and sat his empty coffee cup on the tray. "Thank you for the coffee, Ms. Higgins, we won't take anymore of your time. Please give Mr. Peters this card, it has the number to the precinct house on it." He stood up and motioned to the other two men, who followed suit.

Outside they got into the car, "I want the telephone line tapped," Jonathan said and Chance nodded. "I need to find out where exactly Sharon Peters is. She's the only lead we have and without her words, we could be like a dog chasing its tail."

"OK," Chance started the car, and drove in the direction of the San Diego Police Department.

*****

Penny was left standing in the doorway of the beach house as the three men drove away. She held the card and a pad of paper in her hand. A six-digit number was scrawled on it depicting the license plate number of their car. She sighed deeply, "Steven, I'm so glad you bought a portable phone last weekend," she muttered under her breath as she went back inside the house and closed the door.

She grabbed a roll of quarters off the table, and went to retrieve her jacket. Sometimes she wondered if she was paranoid, but she didn't trust people, and she intended to make sure that the telephone at her boyfriend's house would not be used for at least a week.

Once outside, she locked the door, went down the street to the pay phone and called Steven's portable phone number. "Steven, something weird is going on," Penny said concern in her voice once he answered the phone.

"What?" Steven asked.

"These three guys came by the house this afternoon and asked me a bunch of questions about Sharon." Penny answered. "I think something very odd is going on, I don't trust them."

"Where are you, Penny?" Steven asked.

"I walked down the street to the pay phone," she answered. "I was afraid to call from the house. You know my brother works for the State Troopers and I guess I'm a little paranoid."

"Yeah, that's probably smart," Steven said and she could hear other people's voices coming through the line.

Penny relayed the information she had gotten from the three men to Steven and waited for him to say something else to her. When he didn't she finished by telling him that she had written down their license plate number, and also had the card Mason had given her.

"You're saying that they were asking questions about Sharon?" Steven's voice shadowed concern.

"Yes," Penny answered as she coiled the phone cord around her hand, and when she looked up, she could see that Brad Hawkins was coming in her direction from the other end of the street. Seeing him made a jolt of electricity curse through her, and she waited until he had walked past her. When he turned around and looked at her, she could feel her face loosing all its color. "Steven, I'm worried, I mean; don't think it's safe to go to Sharon right now. I know that she's having a difficult time dealing with moving and all, but if she saw something last night, then you'd think she'd have said something to us about it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Steven said softly. "Look, if we hear from them again, I'll call Brenda and let her know what is going on, but until then, keep the card, and we'll go by the station and inquire about those guys. Try not to worry."

"What about the phone?" Penny asked.

"We just won't answer the phone there for about a week. Besides, most of our friends have my cell phone number anyway, so if they can't reach me at the house, they contact me that way." He paused, "don't worry about it. It's probably nothing."

"I hope you're right, but I'm a bit afraid for Sharon." Penny said.

"I am too," Steven answered honestly. "I hope she's handling everything OK." He said and after a pause, he continued, "Listen, the store's about to close, so I'll be home soon and we can discuss everything then."

"OK," Penny answered and hung up the phone. As she came out of the booth, she could see that Brad was now standing at the front door of their beach front home and she sighed deeply realizing that there was no way to get inside without having to go by him. She could see the sneer that covered the man's face, and she remembered what the detective had said earlier. Sighing deeply, she retraced her steps, and pulled the detective's card from her pocket.

When she reached the telephone once again, she dialed the emergency number and waited for an operator to pick up the line. Once she did, Penny spoke, her voice filled with nervousness.

"Yes, could you please send the police?" Penny asked as she once again glanced down the street and could see that Brad had left the house and was now coming down the street in her direction. "Please hurry," Penny managed to gasp, and left the phone hanging as she ran down the street away from Brad, and her face was filled with fear as she rounded a corner and ran straight into someone.

Looking up, she could see that Adam was standing there looking down at her.

"Oh thank God," she whispered. "You have to help me…"

"It's OK," Adam whispered as he wrapped her in his arms. "You're safe now."

"Brad Hawkins was after me," Penny gasped.

"He wants to know where Sharon is, doesn't he? I guess he thinks you know," Adam said gently. "Come with me."

As they made her way back towards the house, she sighed deeply. "I thought this was all a joke, Adam, but then I saw Brad standing in front of the house, he was looking in, and before he saw me, I went back down the street to make the phone call. I thought…" She took a deep breath.

"That we were joking with you?" Adam asked as he shook his head. "No, I wish we were, but everything that has happened did, and it's very serious Ms. Higgins."

"Call me Penny, that's what everyone calls me anyway," she said as she felt his hand on her shoulder and she felt a little calmer about it all. "Adam, Sharon really saw something last night, didn't she…I mean; that's why Brad Hawkins has been hanging around Steven's house."

"I'm afraid she did," Adam said gently as the two other men came running towards them.

"Good, you found her," Jonathan said. "Ms. Higgins, are you OK?"

"Yes, but what about Brad Hawkins, were you able to catch him?" She asked as an involuntary shudder crept up her spine.

"No, I'm sorry, he gave us the slip," Jonathan said softly.

Penny sighed deeply, now, after speaking with Adam, she had a nagging feeling inside her about the entire situation. Talking to Adam about this did little to reassure her. Her mind drifted back to the conversation that she and Sharon had that morning.

"Adam, we want you to stay with Ms. Higgins," Jonathan instructed, "and if anything happens, beep me, you have the number."

The Angel of Death nodded and watched as the two men went and got into their car and drove away. Sighing deeply, he looked at her. "The sooner I get you out of sight, the safer you're going to feel."

Penny nodded gratefully, but looked at Adam as though she had just jumped into the middle of a James Bond film. "Why do I get the strange feeling that I'm in a bad action movie?"

Adam shook his head sympathetically. "Perhaps because it does feel that way."

"I guess I owe you an apology," she said softly.

"No you don't, I knew that you didn't believe us when we told you, but sometimes things happen that seem more unbelievable than real."

Penny nodded acknowledging the truth in his words.

*****

"Sharon Peters," said the Assistant Principal on Monday morning when the teenager, "welcome to Franklin High School. Here is your schedule, and your other information."

"Thank you, Tess," she took the small piece of paper and put it in the folder that she had received when she entered the cramped office. Brenda sat beside her waiting for the meeting to end so she could head downtown to her office.

"Well, that's all, Dr. Peters, thank you for coming in with Sharon this morning." The woman stood up and shook Brenda's hand and then shook Sharon's.

Sighing deeply, Sharon left the cramped office, and made her way down the hallway. Her mother followed until she reached the door, which would lead outside. "See you later, Honey, have a good day. Do you want me to pick you up after school?"

"No, I'd rather walk, it's only a few blocks, right?" Sharon said.

"Yes." Brenda looked down at her watch. "Then, I'll see you tonight." She opened the door, which would lead outside and turned around to face Sharon one last time. "Bye, Honey."

"Bye, Mom." Sharon called out as her mother exited through the door and it was closing. She made her way back down the hallway, the map of the school held tightly in one hand, her schedule and locker number in the other. She sighed deeply, she truly felt as though she was on her own.

After about ten minutes of looking, she finally found her locker, and opened it. She put the map, her schedule and locker information in the small folder, and stuffed everything else inside the locker.

"Hey, I was hoping I'd run into you," a voice called out, and she looked up. Monica was standing in the hallway and she was looking at the teenager as she stood in front of the rows of lockers.

"Hi," she said shyly, glad that Monica had managed to find her in this large school.

"Did you get your schedule and everything?" Monica asked gently.

"Yes, I just came from the Assistant Principal's office." She looked down at her schedule, "right now I have English," she opened the folder and pulled out the schedule.

"Really? May I see? Perhaps you're in my class," Monica said as Sharon handed the schedule to her, and she looked down at it. Sure enough, Sharon was assigned in Monica's English class. "Sharon, is something wrong, you look as though you have a lot on your mind?"

"I guess I do," she answered honestly. "This is the first time I've ever been to a new school in a new town and I miss my friends." Sharon said softly.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be OK." Monica smiled gently. "Sometimes, change is a good thing."

"Perhaps, but I miss my friends, Monica, I miss the chance to walk on the beach and to see the sunlight reflecting on the water."

"It's hard to have two people fighting over you isn't it?" Monica asked.

"How do you know?"

"Well, you know when people get divorced, life changes not just for them, but also for their children," Monica said softly.

"I guess, but that's really not what I've been thinking about," she said softly.

"What is it?" The Irish angel asked gently.

"I don't know, I mean, sometimes I think I'm going out of my mind," Sharon said softly.

"Don't you have anyone to talk to about this stuff?" Monica asked gently. "Like one of your parents, or a close friend."

She sighed deeply. "You know, it's weird you would mention this, because I wish I could talk to my dad about it. I used to be able to, but now, things are so different that I really don't know what I could tell him. I mean the other night..." her voice trailed and she sighed deeply, "I mean, he's San Diego, and he's more like a friend than my dad. We used to have so much fun together. Then he and my mom were fighting each other for me in a messy custody battle." Sharon looked at Monica who nodded sympathetically.

"Go on," she said softly. "It sounds to me like you really need a friend."

"My parents both wanted me to live with them, but nobody bothered to ask me what I wanted. The lawyers, my parents, not even the judge asked, they all simply assumed what was best. But moving here wasn't the best, and I told my dad's girlfriend, Penny. She was the only person who could see what this was doing to me. She gave me this necklace before I left because she knew how much I love the seaside." Sharon brushed a tear away from her cheek but not before Monica had seen it.

Sighing deeply, the teenager continued. "My mom is OK, but she and I are like oil and water. I mean I got to the apartment on Saturday after we met at the planetarium, and she had an interior designer in there and my room looks awful. White carpet, and a baby pink bedspread with itchy lace. I sound ungrateful, but it's just not me."

"Your mom sounds like someone who still thinks they have a small child rather than a teenager." Monica offered honestly not adding that she could see Andrew standing some feet away and the Angel of Death was holding his neck and making gagging sounds and when Monica cracked a smile, Andrew gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders. Seconds later, they reached the classroom and went inside.

Sharon nodded as Monica opened the door and they went inside, "Yeah, that's it exactly. I lived with my dad for about two years during their separation, and it was really great. I spent every evening at the seaside. I could sit for hours and watch the moon reflecting off the water. My father used to call me his little mermaid, because I was always sitting outside. When I got to the apartment, the first thing I did was open the window and turn off the air conditioner."

Monica smiled gently. "You and your mother seem to have your radios on, but tuned into different stations."

Sharon nodded, "no kidding."

*****

At the end of the school day, Sharon came outside to see Monica exiting the building at the other end of the courtyard. When Monica waved, Sharon returned the gesture and the teenager ran over to her English teacher.

"Hey," Sharon offered.

"Hi, how did it go?" Monica asked.

"OK, the classes are fine, but I miss my friends, and it's not so easy to be in this place and have everyone staring at 'the new kid'."

Monica smiled gently. "What are you going to do now?" She asked after a few moments had passed.

"I'm going home," Sharon said. "My mom said that it was OK for me to walk home, that it's not that far."

"Do you usually walk to school?" Monica asked.

"Yes, usually, just because I don't like the busses too much, they're really uncomfortable. When I was living in San Diego, I never took the bus, and the school was further away than it is here," Sharon said.

"Do you mind if I walk with you, I don't live too far from here either, a few blocks, actually," Monica offered.

"No, I don't mind, my mom's apartment is right across the street from the large park." Sharon answered as they walked through the courtyard of the school and made their way across the parking lot. As they walked, Monica took a deep breath and smiled.

"It's a beautiful day, don't you think?" Monica said softly.

"Yes, I guess so," Sharon said softly.

"Why don't we go to the park?" Monica suggested. "I have some essays to grade, and I thought maybe the sunshine and warm air will do us both some good."

Sharon nodded, she was very glad that the angel had made this suggestion because the thought of going back to her mother's empty apartment didn't appeal to her at all.

Towards the end of the street stood a small Chinese restaurant. They walked inside and each bought a can drink and left. "You know, it's kind of funny, but a lot of people get the idea that big cities are large and unfriendly, but you get used to living in a certain area, and then the rest of the city seems like a new and unfamiliar place, but that area becomes home."

Sharon nodded as Monica seemed to pick out the same thoughts going through her mind. "You know, I like having places to go and hang out. The last night that I was in San Diego, I met with some friends and we went to the movies. It's weird because I never had trouble making friends, and now I'm here, and it feels like that's what I have to do." She took a deep breath. "I mean; I lived my whole life in San Diego. I told you that my dad has this beach house. But, aside from the beach, it was great. The movie theater was about a mile away; I could walk there and meet my friends. There was also a small restaurant where we used to hang out, they had the best milkshakes in the world." As she spoke, Monica could see the traces of homesickness in the girl, but she also could tell that Sharon was avoiding speaking of that which was really important.

Sighing deeply, Monica pointed to a row of apartment buildings. "My friends and I live over there, apartment 24."

Sharon nodded, noting the number Monica had given to her. She liked her, and even if she was a teacher, she was definitely interesting. Sighing deeply, her mind drifted to the planetarium and the exhibition Monica had seen. Finally, Sharon glanced over at her as she opened her drink. "How was the exhibition at the planetarium?"

"It was really interesting," Monica offered smiling. "It was called 'Jupiter and the Comets'. I liked it a lot, but I think it has something to do with my interest in Astronomy and what's out there in God's great big universe."

"Do you believe in God, Monica?" Sharon asked as they reached the park and sat down in the warm grass. She tossed her notebook on the ground and reached over to take off her shoes. "I mean; most of the people I know don't really talk about God, or religion, all that much."

"I believe in God," Monica said smiling gently at the teenager as she sipped her drink. "What do you think, do you?"

Sharon immediately thought about the angel on the beach, and she sighed. Andrew seemed to be constantly on her mind. Deep inside, she realized that she didn't trust herself enough to tell Monica about what had happened in her dream. In the back of her mind, she was still frightened about what had happened, but, now, her main concern was what Monica would think of her if she talked openly about it.

After a few moments, she looked down at her lap, but eventually, she glanced back up into the warm brown eyes of the angel. "I don't really know what I believe, Monica."

"Well, it's not all that hard of a question," Monica said gently.

"I know, but I just wonder where God was during everything that has happened," Sharon whispered. "I know it sounds stupid, but I feel cut off."

Monica nodded as the realization hit her rather hard that the young girl had a great deal of struggles in her life, so it was probably no wonder that she felt isolated from God. She shook her head sadly. "I've felt cut off before too, but somehow I always find my way back. Maybe you will too." She offered the teenager a warm smile, but it hit her that her words instead of making Sharon feel better, she looked as though she felt worse.

After a few seconds passed, Monica reached over and grabbed one of the notebooks off the ground. As she opened it, she realized that she had forgotten something and she looked at Sharon, all the while offering her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I seemed to have forgotten some of the essays I am to grade tonight. I need to go back to the school."

Standing up, the Irish angel looked around for a garbage can to drop her empty can in. Once she spotted one, she walked over to it, threw the can away, and rejoined Sharon seconds later. "I'm really sorry, I honestly thought I had everything."

"It's OK, Monica, I wouldn't worry about it. I've forgotten things too. I'll see you tomorrow." Sharon said softly as she finished her drink. "Besides, I probably should be getting home soon."

Monica nodded and walked slowly away. As soon as the angel was gone, Sharon was left sitting alone and finally she glanced skyward. Do you believe in God? Monica had asked her. Maybe she was really interested in what Sharon believed, but deep down inside, the teenager didn't know what she believed.

Maybe I am nuts, maybe it was all a dream, and I imagined the whole thing. If it wasn't a dream and those things really did happen to me, then I'm really in a lot of trouble. Was there anyone I could trust enough to talk about this to, she continued to ask herself. Here she was the daughter of a psychologist and she had no one to talk to. The ironic thing was the most burdensome thoughts weren't necessarily centered on the entire situation she was forced to live in, but rather what she was feeling about the events of Friday night.

She sighed deeply, reached over, and grabbed the notebook, which was laying at her feet. Her Geometry teacher had given her a worksheet to do for the following day and she decided that it would be better for her to do it here, than to try to do it amongst the ruffles and lace of her bedroom. She figured that the park was the ideal place for her to get started on the homework. She opened the notebook.

Upon seeing handwriting inside, she moaned. In her haste, Monica must've grabbed her notebook by mistake. She closed it, and reached over to retrieve her shoes. After putting them on, she stood up, and started walking in the direction of where Monica lived.

Maybe she could wait there until Monica got home with her notebook. She hoped anyway, because if she didn't get that homework assignment back, she'd be catching not only the grief from her teacher, but probably also from her mother.

She made her way across the park, and down the street towards the group of apartment buildings Monica had pointed out. She had said that she and her friends lived in apartment 24, she thought to herself, once she reached the sidewalk, which would lead towards the rows of apartments. Odd numbers are downstairs, the even ones are upstairs she noticed as she grabbed the handrail and began climbing the wooden steps. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she walked slowly down the narrow corridor, which was separated by an iron railing.

Finally, she reached the door marked 24, rang the doorbell, and waited. Within seconds, the door swung open and a man was standing in the doorway. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes widened, and the notebook she held, slid from her fingers and landed at his feet.

She swallowed hard, her eyes finally looking into the familiar face of the man, the same one she had seen on the beach in San Diego. It was the same man, with the same pair of compassionate green eyes, the shoulder-length hair, everything. It can't be; her mind whirled as she backed away from him, and when her body came against the metal railing, she looked up at him unable to utter a sound.

"Are you OK?" The gentle voice of the man emerged. It was the same voice, Sharon thought weakly and when she looked at him, she knew that it was him, Andrew; the angel. Upon hearing the soothing voice she knew; she slid to the ground, thus loosing consciousness.

*****

Andrew stood in the doorway, watching Sharon's reaction, and sighing deeply, he crouched down so that he would be eye level with her. "Oh, Sharon?" He whispered her name, but when she didn't stir, he waved his hand in front of her face but received no acknowledgment.

She was still leaning against the railing and her eyes were closed, as though she was asleep. She must be completely overwhelmed, he thought as he picked her up in his arms, carried her inside the apartment, and laid her gently on the sofa. Returning outside, he retrieved the notebook she had been carrying, closed the door, and returned to the sofa she began to stir.

He sat down on the floor next to the sofa where she was lying. When she slipped back out of consciousness, he went and sat down in the chair opposite the sofa and he waited for her to regain total consciousness. He knew it'd be unwise to approach her suddenly, as he didn't want to frighten her like he had done at the beach, but he couldn't ignore the gravity of the situation nor the nagging emotions that seemed to indicate that maybe he had been the cause of some of her unhappiness.

He finally opened the notebook she had with her immediately recognizing the handwriting inside belonging to Monica. Sighing sadly, he continued to look through the notebook as he waited for her to awaken.

Her eyes slowly opened after some time had passed, but when she didn't recognize where she was, she sat up quickly, and looked around, fear evident in her face when she didn't recognize the room she was in. "W-where am I?" She asked when her eyes finally came to rest on Andrew. He noticed then that the expression on her face had changed. She didn't look as frightened anymore, just terribly confused.

"You're safe here. You just fainted." Andrew answered softly.

Sharon looked at him, her voice barely above a whisper, but as she spoke her voice became more and more emotional and hysterical. "Oh my God, it's you, then t-that means, it really happened. Oh God, it wasn't a dream at all!"

"Sharon, you know it wasn't a dream. Deep down inside, you know all those things really happened." He said softly, his eyes filled with compassion.

She looked at him, her lips trembling, and she found that she had to bite her lip to keep from going into shock

Andrew sat up in the chair. "Are you OK? You really scared me when you passed out."

She nodded numbly, but was unable to speak and he knew that there was nothing OK about her, she looked completely terrified. He watched as she grasped hold of the silver necklace she wore. She was hoping it could offer her some sort of stability in the moment she had internally wished for. Now that she had it, she didn't know what to say, or do, and this left her feeling even more confused then she already was. She swallowed the lump, which had formed in her throat and looked back over at him still unable to utter a sound.

After a few moments passed, Sharon licked her dry lips and looked up at him. "A-Andrew?"

"It's OK, Sharon, I know that you thought that what happened on Friday had just a dream, but sweetheart, it wasn't. You witnessed something terrible, and now, I think you really do need to talk about it," he said softly all the while hoping that the distance he maintained with her would ease the tension.

This was Monica's friend, Sharon's head was spinning, and she could hardly believe it. She remembered the conversations that she had with Monica, but this was too unbelievable to be real, Andrew was really there, and so kind. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to block out his face, but when she opened them once again, he was still sitting across from her. His eyes carrying the same look of openness that she remembered seeing at the beach.

Andrew sighed deeply; obviously she was still trying to comprehend the events immediately following her knocking on his door. In a way he could understand why she had reacted this way, the chances of him being the one who opened the door to her was about as likely as either of them having the winning ticket in the California Lottery.

The angel stood up and went into the kitchen for a moment and came back out holding two glasses and a bottle of water. He sat them on the table and returned to his seat. He opened the bottle and poured water into each glass. "Here, I think you need to drink some water." He offered as he reached for his glass and took a sip. He sat the glass back on the coffee table, and spoke to her softly, "You know, I've been worried about you."

Sharon's eyes widened as she hesitantly reached over and took the glass he offered, "Y-you have?"

"Yes, I have," he said gently. "I'm going to tell you a secret. I've been with you since Friday night, you just couldn't see me all the time."

"I thought you were going to be angry with me," she said softly as she shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her lap, "I-I was s-so frightened, but then I woke up Saturday morning and the glass in the living room wasn't broken, and so I thought it was all nothing but a dream."

Andrew inched closer to her. "Sharon, some of what you think happened Friday night was a dream, but the events on the beach did actually happen. Then later, you and I talked at your father's house. But I have to explain something to you, and perhaps that was where you became confused about what was real and what was not."

"What do you mean?" She looked at him, her uncertainty mounting.

"After you went to sleep Friday night, I picked you up, took you to your room, and tucked you in. You slept through the night, though not peacefully. You woke up off and on, and at one point, you were screaming in your sleep, and I suppose that was when you dreamt that someone had broken into your father's home."

"You mean; you stayed?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes, I did, but please understand, I wasn't angry with you for seeing what you saw. The truth is, I was rather surprised, but I was also so worried about you. I have been praying for and thinking about you since this happened, but I was never ever angry or upset with you."

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

"I know you are, Sharon, that's why the Father sent you angels, because He knew that you would need us with you during this time."

"You know, I kept hoping that after I woke up that I would see you again, but at the same time, I was afraid to even open my eyes, because then you'd be gone. I mean; I kept remembering how kind you were when we talked, but then I woke up and you were gone…or I couldn't see you and it frightened me. I know that sounds stupid, but…" As she spoke her voice trailed off and she looked helplessly at him.

"No, it doesn't sound stupid at all, and I do understand why you were afraid on Friday, but the truth is, I didn't want to scare you either. People find out who I am and they are frightened of me, and that is sometimes very hard for me, especially when all I want to do is help."

"Then it's really OK for me to talk to you about what happened?" Sharon asked softly.

The angel nodded, "yes, of course it is."

She shrugged her shoulders and looked at him. "Would you believe me if I told you that I haven't been able to think about anything else since Friday night?" She asked.

Andrew nodded, "Yes, I would, simply because it was a very traumatic experience for you."

The calmness of his reply somehow caused the suppressed tears to begin streaming down her cheeks, but as if propelled by sheer will, the teenager managed to hold them back and eventually, her answer came out. "On Saturday, I had to leave and I didn't want to. I had spent my whole life in San Diego, and felt like I was being torn in two having to come here."

"I think I understand," he said gently.

"You do?" Once he nodded, she spoke again. "Then I wasn't imagining it." Sharon said as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She pulled out the cloth handkerchief, and tried to wipe the persistent tears away. After a few swipes with the cloth, she gave up trying because she could no longer hide her overwhelming sadness.

She looked up at him and saw compassion in his eyes. It didn't matter where he came from, because of all the people she had talked to throughout the whole messy ordeal, he was there for her, and somehow she knew who would understand her.

Standing up, he made his way over to where she was sitting and sat down next to her.

As she unfolded the handkerchief, she looked down at the floral patterns of the small piece of cloth. After a few seconds she started winding it between her fingers until she wasn't able to hold back her emotions any longer. The handkerchief drifted to the floor and she began to weep softly, her hands covering her tear-stained face.

Andrew inched even closer so he would be sitting closer to her. He pulled some tissues from his pocket and slid them into one of her hands. He rested his hand on one of her shoulders and squeezed it comfortingly. He could feel it, under his hand, shaking as she cried. After a few seconds passed, her arms reached out towards him.

The compassionate Angel of Death nodded; he understood that which he was trying to comprehend about her since Friday; she needed someone else's strength for a change. The emotions he had seen emerging from her at the beach were clear now. He moved over closer to her and wrapped his strong arms around her. As he held her tightly in his arms, he whispered in her ear, "it's OK, just let it out, you're not alone."

She maintained her embrace with him as her tears landed on the front of his shirt. She continued to cry as she released the emotional strain of the custody battle, her mother taking her from her home, and all those changes she had to accept without argument.

As she continued to weep, Andrew held onto her, but his mind drifted as he felt the emotional burden she seemed to be under. He could somehow sense that she was being crushed by it, and he realized the extent of just how much someone could emotionally cope with the burdens she obviously had to carry, especially now, after having witnessed a murder on top of everything else.

After a few minutes passed, her crying became softer, and she looked up at him. The tears had left her face red and puffy, but she finally managed to regain control of her wayward emotions. She was still in his arms and wiped her nose and eyes with the tissue he had given to her, "thank you."

"For what?" He loosened his embrace and looked at her questionably.

"For being here for me when I really needed someone to talk to." Sharon said softly. He shrugged his shoulders as she continued to speak. "I never got the chance to thank you for being there with me on Friday night." She said reaching down and retrieving her handkerchief.

Andrew nodded, "I'm only sorry if what I did left you feeling frightened and confused. I would like to explain some things to you, but I had the feeling it was important for you to talk first."

"So much happened, but it was confusing, and I knew that I wouldn't have felt this way if I didn't have those dreams, but I couldn't help it. It was the most horrible thing I'd ever seen in my life, but it frightened me so much." She said softly.

Andrew nodded, after a few moments passed, he asked the question he had wanted to ask since she arrived, "I'm curious though, did you even talk to anyone about what happened like I suggested?"

She shook her head, "I wanted to, but everyone I know would have thought I was crazy. I wanted to tell Penny about it just because we get along really well, but after I asked her one question, and she answered it, I knew that I couldn't even tell her about what happened." She sighed deeply, "I didn't even mention it to Monica, and I guess I could have, but I was afraid she'd think I was crazy too."

Andrew smiled gently at the girl, "I feel really badly that you suffered as a result of what happened. Although it wasn't my intention to cause you pain, I know that you are dealing with a great deal right now, and I wish there was something I could say that would make things easier for you, but I don't really know what. All I do know is that these things you witnessed, really did happen, but sweetheart, the truth is, I can only help you if you are willing to help yourself."

Sharon nodded numbly. "Andrew, please tell me what I have to do, I'm so confused and afraid."

"That's just it, Sharon, I cannot tell you what it is you have to do, I can make suggestions to you, but you're going to have to find the courage to talk about all of this," he said gently as he looked at her.

"But, you'll stay, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll stay." Andrew reached over and touched her head with his gentle hand. "Even when you cannot sense it, I'll be with you through everything, but don't ever forget, sweetheart, God is with you, and He wants to help you too." Sharon nodded, and when he stood up, he offered her his hand. "Come on, I'll take you back home."

Sharon nodded, and allowed him to help her get to her feet.

*****

Sharon was still in a daze as she left the apartment building with Andrew and as they walked towards her mother's apartment, the teenager felt somewhat better. She didn't know why, but knowing what was truth and what wasn't, gave her a better feeling, and somehow, she felt like a huge burden had been raised from her shoulders.

Within five minutes, they had reached the apartment building where she lived and walked inside the building and up the stairs. She looked at her watch, it was already six and she wondered how her mother was going to react to her being so late. "Andrew, you're still here, right?"

"Yes," came the gentle answer, but somehow she had this strange feeling that the angel was unseen by everyone but her.

When they reached the front door, she smiled weakly. It really didn't matter if her mother was angry, but, sighing deeply she paused before she opened the door and walked inside.

Her mother was standing in the living room, a frown on her face. "Where have you been?" She demanded. "I've been worried sick about you. I was ready to call the police."

"I met someone after school and we went for a walk." Sharon said softly.

"You should at least call when you're going to be late," Brenda said curtly.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I guess I'm just used to living with Daddy. I never had to call when I would be late, only when there was an emergency." Sharon said.

"Well, as you can see, you don't live with your father anymore, so I expect you to call me when you're going to be late. Is that understood?" Brenda snapped, but before Sharon could offer a response, the woman walked brusquely into the kitchen, all the while speaking. "Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes, and by the way, your father's girlfriend called here. She sounded positively hysterical, but that's something that seems typical of the women your father date."

"What did she want?" Sharon asked weakly, somehow knowing that something was wrong.

"Ah nothing, it was something about the police," Brenda said. "I would be willing to bet that she's complaining about something like a traffic ticket."

Sharon looked at Andrew, and realizing that her mother could not see him, she followed her mother into the kitchen. "She said nothing about me?"

"Well, now that you mention it, your name was dropped, and I want to know what kind of trouble you saw fit at getting yourself into before you left. Do you not realize that your father and I are still responsible for you, and if you're making trouble for us…"

Sharon sighed deeply, "I didn't do anything, Mom, it's just that I saw something happen on Friday night and the cops probably want to talk to me about it."

"I don't want to hear another word," Brenda snapped, her voice curt and Sharon looked at Andrew dejectedly as she left the room and the angel followed.

There was no point in trying to discuss any of this with her mother, and her mind was already preoccupied, so it didn't really matter. Instead of telling her mother about what happened, they walked down the hall to her room, and closed the door once they were both safely inside.

"You see what did I tell you?" She whispered under her breath before she pulled the key from her purse and retrieved the diary from her nightstand. Using the small key, she opened the book, and began to read the last entry from Saturday.

"Sharon…" Andrew's voice emerged, thus causing her to turn around until she was facing him and he was now standing in the middle of the room. "I really had no idea…" his voice trailed off when he saw the devastation, which shadowed her unhappy face.

"…That she was impossible to talk to?" Sharon whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "No big deal, I'll have to sneak out and call Penny tonight and try and contact the police, I promise. Just do me a favor, Andrew."

"What's that, sweetheart?"

"Don't leave, I'm so scared," Sharon whispered, but, as her mind turned to the situation re with her mother, she began to ponder why it was that her mother treated her like she did. As she glanced around she could see that Andrew was looking around the room, and eventually he had sat down on the corner of the bed.

After a few seconds, she looked at him and shrugged her shoulders as she regarded the contemplative expression on his handsome face. "I guess you're thinking the same thing I did when I came in here the first time." She came over and sat down next to him, her sadness evident. "It's weird, but I'm not eight-years-old anymore, but the way she acts, one would start to believe that I am."

"You know your mom loves you, don't you?" Andrew asked.

"I know she does, but sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me or if I'm just a pawn for one of my parents to show the other that they have won or that he or she was right all along." She looked at him. "Every time something happens, I get blamed for it, and then I'm the one that ends up feeling terrible about it. I have never felt as lost as I do right now. I've never felt as alone and no one seems to care." As the tears streamed from beneath her eyes, she shook her head dejectedly.

"Have you ever thought about writing your feelings down?" Andrew asked softly.

"I wanted to, but even in my diary, I'm scared that she'll see it, and then I'll end up in trouble again."

"Listen to me, Sharon," Andrew began, as he stroked her hair gently, and looked intently into her frightened brown eyes. "The Father gave you a special gift and that gift is: you possess a creative mind. Use that to write about how you feel about everything. No one, not even your parents, can read your innermost thoughts. Sometimes, an angel can if God gives him or her the ability to do so, but writing will always help you to cope with those hard feelings you have about the events taking place in your life. I once told a girl to write a letter to God, and I think it helped her, so maybe it will help you, if you are willing to try."

She took a staggering breath, but nodded, stood up, went over to her desk, sat down, picked up her pen, and opened the book to the first blank page. She had every intention of writing her entry for the day, but for some reason, she wasn't able to write about what it was that happened that afternoon. "I can't," she whispered as she felt Andrew's hand on her shoulder and she turned around. "It's probably safer inside," she whispered as she looked down at the blank page.

"I'll leave you alone to write, then, if that helps," Andrew said gently, but before he could walk away, she reached over and rested her hand on top of his.

"Don't leave, please," she whispered.

Andrew nodded, leaned down, kissed her head, and went back over to the bed, leaving her to write.

When she realized that she couldn't concentrate, she finally started doodling; drawing pictures of angels and figures along the borders of the page. On one, she wrote the name 'Andrew' and smiled. After staring at it for about five minutes, she closed the book, locked it and slipped the key back into her purse.

Her mind suddenly focused once again on her parents. Her mother was so high-strung about everything, she thought to herself with a frown. She really wasn't used to living like her mother seemed to expect and added to that, it felt like she was expected to change everything about herself when it came to living here.

Anything about her that resembled her father, her mother seemed to resent and she knew deep down inside, that there was a lot more about her that resembled her father than her mother. She looked up at the wall and sighed deeply as she saw the poster hanging there that her mother had bought for her Saturday afternoon.

Even the poster seemed to symbolize what she felt like she had lost. Rather than the picture being a photograph of the coastline, it was simply a watercolor painting of a seaside. It looked like the cover of one of those 1,000 page novels that her mother had laying on the coffee table in the living room. She wasn't happy with it at all. She was somewhat hopeful that she would get used to it, but she didn't believe it.

She knew that getting that poster was another of the many sacrifices she had to make to please her overbearing mother. But, what about me, or what I want? Living in this room was like a nightmare for her. I wish I could just go home. This town would never be home to me, she thought glumly.

She walked over to the stereo and turned on the radio. When she couldn't find some music to her liking, she grabbed her bag and pulled out some CDs. Her favorite type of music was country and she pulled a couple of her favorite CDs from the bag. One was music by The Judds and the other was a collection of songs by George Strait. These artists were her favorites, but for different reasons. She put on the Judds CD and turned the volume up loud enough where she could hear it, and soft enough where she wouldn't annoy her mother. She turned off the air conditioner, and opened the window.

She sat down at the desk as the music started. She picked up her pencil and grabbed the blue notebook as the song "Love Can Build a Bridge" filtered through the room. Rather than getting started on the homework, she listened to the lyrics of the emotional song. Somehow this song spoke to her louder than anything else could. She dropped the pencil on the desk and stared out the window.

Geometry was suddenly the farthest thing from her mind. Looking back over at the bed, she could see that Andrew had moved, and once again, instead of sitting on the bed, the Angel of Death was now standing directly behind her, his hands gently resting on her shoulders. "Do you feel any better?" He asked her, his voice soft as she turned around.

"I don't know," she whispered honestly, and felt herself drawn into his embrace, the reassurance she felt at once more being held in his arms comforting her immensely.

*****

Jonathan and Chance continued to interview people throughout Monday afternoon, to little success. Eventually, they decided to return to the home of Steven Peters once more, with the hope that he would be there. The tap on the phone line had been in place a little over 24 hours, and no one had called in or out; and although they felt that it was rather suspicious, they knew that Adam was watching out for Penny, so they didn't concern themselves too much with it. The location of Sharon Peters was still unknown to the two policemen, and Jonathan was getting impatient. Someone had to know where this girl was living, and with their two main suspects still at large, the police were beginning to worry about the welfare of their teenage witness.

They made their way up the path leading to the beach house and to their good fortune, Steven was working in the front yard and had stopped for a moment and was wiping a cloth over his forehead as they approached. "Steven Peters?"

"Yeah?" He said as he stuffed the cloth in his pocket and continued working with the spade he had been holding in the other hand.

"Do you have a few minutes to speak with us?" Chance asked.

Steven stopped working and turned to face the two men.

"I'm Detective Jonathan Mason, and this is Chance Watson. We were here yesterday, and interviewed your friend, Ms. Higgins," he said as he showed him the police badge and identification cards he and his associate carried.

"Yes, Detective, Penny mentioned your visit to me when I got home last night, and I met Adam as well. He's been taking good care of us. Sorry I wasn't here when you were here yesterday, I was buying supplies for the deck out back, as well as getting some things for getting the garden in shape." Steven offered as he leaned the spade against the side of the house. "Come on in, I need to get a glass of water and we can talk inside. It's a little too warm to stand out here and talk, isn't it?"

"Yes," came Chance's grateful answer, "I heard that it's much cooler back east."

"I can imagine," Steven led the two men back inside the house.

"I'm sure your friend, explained why we were here yesterday, Mr. Peters," Jonathan said as they entered the comfortable house.

"Yes, she said that you were here to talk to Sharon, but she found it strange that you were only interested in speaking to my daughter and not to her mother or myself," Steven said.

"I figured as much," Jonathan said softly. "I explained everything as best I could to her, as well, but Mr. Peters, we have reason to believe that Sharon was a witness to a murder Friday evening. It seems to me as with many witnesses, she's probably afraid to come forward."

"You mean; Sharon may have seen Tracy get killed?" Steven asked.

"Yes, we have two people who have already positively identified her as being present when it happened," Jonathan said. "You must understand your daughter isn't in any kind of trouble with the police, but she could be endangered by the suspects. One of the witnesses said that they saw her speaking to someone who resembled one of the suspects we're after, and we wanted to find out if she knew where they are. I can't understand why Ms. Higgins didn't know how to explain this to you, as it probably was a shock to her."

Steven nodded. "Yes, and Penny said that she tried to call Sharon's mother this afternoon, and Brenda was, as usual, completely intolerable with her. I don't think Brenda believed that there is a problem and after what Penny told me yesterday, I can see where you two would be concerned not only for Sharon, but also for us."

"Mr. Peters, I sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding that our visit yesterday may have caused both you and your friend, but we need to know where Sharon is. Without this knowledge, we won't be able to protect her, and based on our experience in the Homicide division, suspects tend to go after witnesses soon after crimes of this kind have happened."

"Detective, my daughter is 14 years old, and as a parent, I don't see how my daughter could possibly help with an investigation of this magnitude." Steven took a sip of his water.

At that moment, Penny came in at this moment carrying a bag of groceries; Adam was walking behind her, his role as her protector taken one hundred percent seriously. Her normally friendly smile no longer seemed to exist and she looked at the detective and his partner. "Hello, Gentlemen."

"Ms. Higgins." Jonathan stood up abruptly and shook her hand. Chance followed suit.

Penny accepted their hands with her free hand and took the bag into the kitchen. She returned some minutes later and sat down on the sofa. "I would like to ask you to please contact your ex-wife and ask her if we could speak to Sharon. I understand your concerns as the girl's parents, but you need to understand the severity of the situation and the fact that Sharon may be in imminent danger if she isn't able to tell what she saw or what happened on Friday night."

Steven looked over at Penny, his eyes widening and instead of remaining quiet, Penny looked at him. "They're right, Steven, we can't just allow her to face this alone. Something did happen on Friday, and Sharon has the right to speak out about what she saw. She's fourteen, and you can't always protect her from danger."

"Penny…"

"No," she looked at him. "You didn't talk to Brenda today; you didn't hear her yelling and screaming at what Sharon had cooked up or what Sharon had done. Throughout this mess, you haven't listened to Sharon, or even tried to understand what she's going through. Now you're pushing her under the rug again. These men are here to protect us, but they can't do their job when you and Brenda are too pig-headed to comply with their requests." She looked at Adam and after a few moments, she looked at the two police officers. "Gentlemen, Sharon is living in Franklin, she moved there on Saturday to live with her mother."

"Thank you, Ms. Higgins," Jonathan said and stood up. "Is Brenda's last name still Peters?"

Steven nodded as the two men left the house quickly, and once they were gone, Penny looked at Steve, "I know you probably hate me for telling them the truth, but I had to. I may have trusted them at first, but after what happened yesterday, I think Sharon is in trouble."

The man looked at Adam, and the angel nodded. "She is and you know that Brad Hawkins is capable of murder, as you, yourself have seen him beating Tracy, and you even said that he was capable of murder."

"How do you know that?" Steven asked. "I've never met you before. I mean; how could you have known what I have said?"

"I just know, Steven," Adam said softly.

"Well, maybe it's a blessing in disguise that she went to live with her mother when she did," Steven mused. "At least, Brad doesn't know where she is right now."

"A blessing in disguise? You can't be serious! I mean; if Sharon was here, she'd be able to face both of those men without any problem. She would talk to them and tell them everything that happened. She a lot more grown up then you think, the only trouble is, neither you nor Brenda have bothered to see how grown up she is." Penny sat back down. "Have you ever thought about how she feels about having to go and live with her mother?"

"I didn't really think about it, but I figured that she'd adjust to the change like any kid would," Steven said.

"But you knew that Sharon wanted to stay here, didn't you?" Penny asked.

"I guess so, she even mentioned it on Saturday before she left." Steven said.

"Yes, and haven't you noticed that she said this even after having been a witness to a murder?" Penny shot back. "Steven, how dense can you get? She's been hinting about this since the entire mess started, she's been telling me how she feels like a pawn in a chess game always being stuck between you and Brenda." She shook her head sadly. "Frankly speaking, I don't think you really know your daughter very well. Sharon told me two weeks ago that you had told her that this was strictly between her mother and you." Penny looked at her boyfriend shaking her head. "That's a bunch of baloney, and you know that Sharon's mental health was riding on this entire thing. It effected her more than you or Brenda could even imagine because it decided her future." Penny sighed deeply looking down at her lap.

Adam nodded. "Steven, if you don't mind me saying…"

"I do mind, this is none of your business," Steven snapped.

"Perhaps not, but it is God's business," Adam said.

"God? What does God have to do with Sharon?" Steven demanded.

"God has everything to do with Sharon," Adam said. "And whether you're willing to believe it or not, God sent her an angel that night."

"An angel…" Penny's voice faltered. "That's weird, but she asked me Saturday…"

"What did she ask you, Penny?" Adam asked.

"She asked me if I believed in angels, and I told her I didn't, but that I believed in God," Penny shook her head and she looked at Adam as she considered his words and remembered the events of the day before. "You…Adam, you're an angel and that guy in beige…oh my God, I don't believe this."

"Penny, what are you talking about?" Steven asked.

The young woman looked at Adam, and he nodded indicating to her that she should try and work this out. "Yesterday while you were out, Steven, Adam, the detective and Officer Watkins came by the house. They were asking me questions about Sharon, and they said that there was a man on the beach during the murder, that witnesses had seen him, and they said that this man was a suspect to murder. But, every time they said this, Adam looked very sad," she looked at him. "That man is your friend, isn't he?"

Adam nodded. "Andrew was sent Friday to take Tracy to Heaven, and I was sent to help the police find the real culprit on Saturday. I don't know why it was that Andrew was seen, as that usually doesn't happen. However, this time it did, and now Andrew's freedom will depend on whether or not Sharon finds the courage to speak out about what she saw."

"Angels?" Steven looked at them as though they were mad. "I don't believe it."

"Why not?" Penny looked at him. "You know, I didn't believe it either, and when Sharon asked me about it on Saturday morning, my answer was probably the deciding factor as to whether or not she would have been able to speak openly with me about it. If I had just listened to her, then she might have been able to tell me what she felt."

"Don't blame yourself, Penny," Adam said gently, "it wasn't your fault."

"No, there are a couple of other people who are to blame for that," she said bitterly.

"No, I'm not here to place blame, and God doesn't want to either, but you have some hard decisions to make, and one of them is to find the courage to help your daughter come out and speak of what she saw."

"I'm just afraid that it was going to put too much of a strain on her," Steven said.

"She's under much more strain now because of what she saw," Adam said. "She's going to need help getting through this, and with you and your ex-wife using her like this, this will not help Sharon when it comes time for her to be honest."

"Adam's right. I mean; don't you think she experienced stress throughout this whole stupid ordeal? Everything she wanted was completely ignored because you and Brenda thought she was too young to deal with it. Steven she's not some valuable vase that you can sit up in the window; she's a human being and your child. If she had been given the option of choosing, then she probably would have opted to stay here and the entire case could have been decided the way it should have been. You know how much she loved the water; I mean she spent so much time on the beach during the summer that I thought she was going to take up residency out there. She loved to take walks there at night and she told me that it was her favorite place in the world. Were you aware of the fact that she actually learned to surf during the summer?"

"She learned to surf?" He cracked a smile, despite himself. "If Brenda knew about that, she'd have had a fit."

"Who really cares how Brenda would have reacted? Throughout this entire mess, neither you nor Brenda even recognized Sharon as a person. It was like a battle to see who would win, with Sharon as the first prize. You were both out to use her as a way to hurt or destroy the other." Penny said softly all the while, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I know about this, my parents did the same thing to me when I was twelve."

Steven shifted uncomfortably as she continued to speak. "You know what else? Sharon said more than anything, she wanted to stay with you, because her mother usually treated her like a baby, and her independence is very important to her. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her to say good-bye to her friends and leave just like that. I think quite honestly, what happened to her wasn't fair. She should have been given the option to choose, no matter how hard it might have been for her, it would have been better than what she ended up with."

"I didn't know," Steven said softly. "I guess throughout the entire ordeal, I wasn't thinking about Sharon, but how it would effect me. Penny, you know I love my daughter, and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her."

"I know you weren't intending on hurting her, but what is done is done." Penny said softly resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "But because of this, both you and Brenda did hurt her, and now she's a witness to murder, and look at what happened, her mother blamed her for it. That just isn't right, and who does she have there to lean on for support?

"Nobody," Steven whispered.

"Andrew is with her," Adam said gently. "He's been with her since Friday."

"You mean; he heard what I said?" Penny asked.

Adam nodded, but he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Penny, he's not angry. Not everyone believes in angels, but you did tell her you believe in God, and God believes in you."

The young woman nodded, but she looked at Steven. "What are we going to do?"

"I guess I should call my lawyer and appeal the Judge's decision," Steven said.

"Yes, and this time, make sure that Sharon's directly involved in every stage of it." Penny said softly. "It may hurt her now, but in the long run, she'll be thankful that you took the time to actually listen to her." She sighed deeply, and continued to speak, "We're also going to have to tell Brenda about what happened and keep telling her until she listens, but there has to be a way to do it without her going ballistic. The last thing Sharon needs is, to have to cope with her mother going nuts and throwing out accusations on top of everything else." Penny said. "I may have made a mistake in calling, but I'm concerned for her."

"What do you mean, about Brenda going nuts?" Steven asked, his face pale.

"I mean with Brenda and how Sharon has told me that she can't seem to do anything to please her. Face it, Steven, she's so controlling that I can't imagine Sharon being able to maintain a speck of her independence there," Penny said. "I think forcing her to go live there was a big mistake."

"Penny, you know we had little choice," Steven said.

"I know, but remember what Brenda said about Sharon wanting to bring her clothes with her before she left?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, she said that Sharon wouldn't need them there because there was no beach and no appropriate place where she could wear them," Steven said.

Penny sighed, "I would have insisted on it regardless of what Brenda had said. No matter where you go, the possessions you have are like your security, or identity. If I were to leave California tomorrow, I'd take everything with me, even if I had to pay extra for it. Two suitcases are hardly what I would call all of one's personal possessions. Half of Sharon's keepsakes and stuffed animals are still in her room here. Did you notice that before she left, she put on a dress from her closet here, and not something from the suitcase?"

Steven shook his head, "No, I didn't notice anything. But I don't understand why you didn't say anything about this to me before now. Maybe if I had known, then I might have been able to make a difference."

"Steven, you still can make a difference, if you act with Sharon in mind and not yourself," Adam offered.

Penny nodded and she began to speak. "The reason I didn't mention anything about this before now is because we aren't married, and I'm not a member of the family. Even if I were, I'm not directly involved in Sharon's life, but I do care about her."

"I think that you're the most special person I've ever met," he said softly. "I guess there's not much left to do except call Brenda."

Adam smiled weakly at them, but nodded.

"I wish there was another way to deal with this situation. I hate calling her, she's always such a grouch about things," Steven said softly.

"I know, but you're going to have to do it for Sharon's sake, not for yours or Brenda's," Penny said softly.

"OK, you win, I'll call her right now, then." Steven said. "But, I have a feeling that I'm going to live to regret it."

*****

At the same time, Sharon was sitting in her room finishing her Geometry homework and her head was down as she ran her hand over the cover of her diary. Her mind was drifting as she stared out the window. Dinner had been less than perfect, her mother's bad mood seemed to emanate onto her and finally after she had eaten, she retreated to her room and closed the door. "Andrew?" She whispered as soon as she knew she was alone.

When no answer came, she sat down on the bed and opened the novel she had been reading before coming here. Even when I can't see him, I know he's here, she thought and sighed deeply as she laid down on the bed. I guess he went back to see his friends, she thought to herself as she remembered seeing him before dinner. She smiled as she thought about him, after all, he was definitely cute. As she released another deep breath, she recalled how his hair hung down and brushed against his shoulders. As she drifted off into her daydreams, she could hear something crash in the living room, and she bolted upright in bed, her eyes widening as she looked for her angel.

"Andrew…" her voice murmured and when she finally felt his hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see him standing next to where she was sitting on the bed. "What was that?"

"I'll check; you stay here," he said gently.

Sharon nodded as the angel walked out of the room and when he saw that Brenda was in the living room cleaning up the fragments of vase, he nodded his head and turned back towards Sharon's room. In one corner, Tess stood in angelic form, her eyes grave as she looked at him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Brad Hawkins knows where Sharon is, Angel Boy, he found out from Chance Watkins, one of his best friends, and insider at the police department," Tess said. "He's on his way here, and he's got murder in mind. The Father wants you to get Sharon out of here and to the police as soon as possible."

"How, Brenda doesn't believe that her daughter witnessed something," Andrew said softly. "How will I convince her?"

"You won't be able to convince her, that's why someone else is on his way here, but you're going to have to get Sharon away from here tonight, or she will die," Tess said.

Andrew nodded as the news came to him. "I know you're right, Tess, but how will I get her past her mother?"

"I don't know yet, Andrew, but you're going to have to think of something fast, because as long as Brenda lives in denial about what her daughter has been through, then the chances of her daughter living through tonight is not likely."

Accepting her words, Andrew raced down the hallway and into Sharon's room. Once inside, he looked earnestly at the teenager. "Sharon, there's something I have to tell you."

"W-what?"

"You're in danger here," Andrew said softly. "I have to get you out of here, right now, or tomorrow, I'll be taking you to…" His voice trailed and he instead of using words, he merely only pointed skyward. "Brad Hawkins knows where you are."

"H-he does?" Sharon asked; her voice filled with nervousness.

Andrew nodded but he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Shhhh, try not to worry, sweetheart, everything is going to be OK; I'm here, and I'm going to help you."

"I'm scared, I'm so scared," she looked up at him, but as she whispered these words, the door swung opened and her mother was looking at her, her eyes filled with bitterness, but this time, she could not see the angel standing in her daughter's room.

"Are you out of your mind?" Brenda shouted at her. "You're standing here talking to yourself."

Sharon looked at her mother. "I-I'm sorry, Mom."

Brenda closed the door once again, leaving her daughter alone with the angel. "A-Andrew, what do I do now?"

"Shhh," he cajoled her gently. "Once her bedroom door closes, we're going to leave and I'll take you to Monica and Tess. From there, we'll wait for news from Adam or Sam."

"They're angels too?" She mouthed the words to him.

He nodded, "yes, and none of them will ever hurt you."

As he finished speaking the telephone rang, and as soon as Brenda had answered it, Andrew nodded towards her; it was time for them to leave. Sharon grabbed her jacket, and once she had put it on, she used the hood to cover her head. She glanced around the room nervously before she took Andrew's hand, and they quietly left the room. Behind them the key to her diary was left laying on the bed.

Once they had crept down the hall towards the door, they could hear Brenda shouting into the phone. "Steven," her curt voice filtered out into the hallway, thus causing Sharon to stop and listen. Although Andrew was trying to get the teenager to leave, he realized that her curiosity was getting the better of her and she continued to eavesdrop on her mother's side of the conversation until Andrew managed to pull her away.

"The cops are asking questions about where Sharon is, and there's a murderer on the loose? Is this some kind of joke?" She paused, "It's no joke. Steven don't tell me to calm down. Yes, I think you're making this up." Another pause, "Tell them where she is then, and the day that I believe this story will be the day that the cops come knocking at my front door."

Sharon didn't hear anything else, she allowed Andrew to lead her towards the front door. She didn't want to be in the apartment when her mother got off the phone. As she ran with Andrew out the front door, she closed and locked the door before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind her. As they left, she suddenly felt like a thief as she left. Once they were both outside, she quickly followed Andrew across the street towards the park which led to the other apartment complex.

As they crossed the last street and could see the building where Andrew and Monica lived in the distance, she abruptly stopped and sighed deeply, suddenly shivering from the cool breeze. When she still could feel Andrew's hand holding tightly to her own and pulling her gently to keep going, she looked up at him. "Can we slow down, I'm getting out of breath."

Andrew shook his head. "Sharon, Brad is going to be here within the next five minutes, we have to keep moving. You know, I have to get you out of sight."

"What about my mom? I mean, she's not the nicest person in the world, but I don't want to see her get into trouble," Sharon whispered. "I mean; if she does, it will be all my fault."

"No it won't, now listen, we have to keep going, Sharon, your mother will have an angel with her, he's right over there," Andrew pointed and when she saw Sam walking towards the building, she looked at him, a rush of intimidation overwhelming her when saw him.

"W-who is that?"

"His name is Sam and he's been sent to help your mom, now come on," Andrew said and once he had her hand, he managed to help pull her in the direction of the apartment building just as Brad's car drove past where they had been standing.

*****

"Sharon!" Brenda yelled once she hung up the phone. She crawled off the bed and walked down the hall. Her voice resonated throughout the apartment as she continued to call her daughter's name. She sighed frustrated when there came no answer. She made her way towards her daughter's room, but when she opened the door, she sighed deeply. Sharon was gone. A small silver key was laying on the bed and the closet door was opened.

She approached the bed and picked up the key. She immediately recognized it as the key to her daughter's diary and rather than thinking about Sharon's privacy, she walked over to the desk and started rummaging through the drawers. When she didn't find the diary, she closed the drawers and walked towards the nightstand.

She opened the drawer under the nightstand, but when her eyes fell on the book, she pulled it out. Fumbling with the key, she managed to stick it inside the lock of the white book. Turning the key, she opened the small book. Her daughter's script was easy to read, and she was able to see for the first time the pain that her daughter had been experiencing throughout the entire battle with her ex-husband. The first entry, she recognized as dated on the day her lawyer had contacted Steven about who would have custody of Sharon.

Page after page of her daughter's innermost feelings were written there, and as she read, she relived the emotional pain Sharon had suffered during the entire custody battle. Finally, she reached the page where Sharon had learned that she would have to move to Franklin.

Brenda's face paled as she read about her daughter's frustrations. She read about Sharon's impressions of living there, about her room, and finally her anger at her parents for not listening to her and understanding what it was she wanted. She wiped a stray tear from her eyes as she read that Sharon viewed her as selfish, and uncompromising. "I'm afraid to tell my mother anything, because I know she'd try to make me into one of her patients, and not her daughter. I feel like she blames me for everything that happens," the entry said, and tears began to stream down Brenda's cheeks. She eventually grabbed a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. She sighed deeply and when she finally reached the entry for the day before, there was only one word written, and some drawings of angels across it. Neatly etched in her daughter's balloon letters was the name 'Andrew'. The rest of the page was blank.

Who was this Andrew, she wondered. Was this the person she had seen when she came home late the night before? Was it one of the boys from her school? Sighing deeply, she turned the page, hoping that there would be some sort of explanation, but the following pages were blank.

She closed the diary, and stood up. At that moment, she heard the doorbell, and she made her way down the hallway in order to see who was paying her a visit at this hour. As she reached the front door and opened it, she could see that a heavy-set man stood there, his coal black eyes meeting hers. "Are you Brenda Peters?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"My name is Sam, and I think we need to have a talk."

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

"I'm here about your daughter," he said gruffly and when she recognized that he was not faltering, she reluctantly allowed him to come inside. Once in the apartment, she locked the door, and the two of them went over and sat down on the sofa. "Now, did you talk to your ex-husband about Sharon tonight?"

"Yes, but…"

"You didn't believe him?" Sam interrupted.

"No, I think that this had to do with where Sharon was to live, and I didn't," Brenda said.

Before they could say anything, they could hear someone banging on the front door, and Brenda stood up and looked at Sam. "What's going on?"

"Your ex-husband was telling the truth, Brenda, your daughter witnessed a murder on Friday night, and now the murderer is outside your door wanting to gain access to this apartment and harm her, possibly you."

"Where's Sharon?" Brenda asked, her voice now bordering on hysterical as she sensed the truth on Sam's words.

"She's safe, Brenda, she's with friends and they won't hurt or betray her," Sam said softly. "I'm an angel, Brenda, and whether you believe it or not, what you need to accept is that right now, you need to call the police, and see if they can send you someone that can help you."

"Angel, you're an angel?" Brenda asked, but after a second had passed, she went over to the phone and dialed 911.

As soon as the operator came on, the door gave way and Brad Hawkins staggered into the apartment, a knife in his hand, and a menacing look in his steel gray eyes. Upon seeing him, Brenda screamed.

"Shut up!" Brad sneered as he approached and smiled wickedly. "Now, baby, you tell me where that little girl of yours is, and no one will get hurt. I know that she didn't tell anyone what she saw the other night, and if she knows what's good for her, she'll keep this little event to herself."

"He can't see me," Sam said softly. "Just stay calm, Brenda."

"Tell me where she is, Brenda!" Brad shouted.

"I-I don't know," Brenda said shaking her head as Brad came closer and Brenda backed away from him as he came closer, the knife gleaming in his hand.

"I don't believe you, sweetie," Brad said, his breath reeking of cigarettes and whiskey once he was standing directly in front of her. He took another step towards her and she backed up and kept doing so until she was firmly wedged into a corner. "Now, that's a good girl," he whispered as he came closer and brought the knife even closer to her. "Now, I want you to tell me where she is, or I'll slash your pretty little neck."

As she felt the cold steel against her throat, she could feel the tears filling her eyes, and she looked at Sam. "Help me, please," she pleaded with him.

When Brad's eyes followed where she was looking, he smiled wickedly. "There's no body here, baby, we're all alone, just you and me." He brushed his hand through her hair and edged even closer to her, his breath carrying a harsh odor. "Now, then, maybe I could have a little bit of fun with you before I send you to visit Tracy."

Brenda's eyes widened, but before Brad could do anything more to her; Steven, Penny and Adam raced into the apartment, and without even thinking, Steven rushed towards Brad's unsuspecting back and pulled him away from Brenda.

The intruder began to scream, but within seconds, Steven surprised himself and disarmed him and the knife hit the carpeted floor and Penny ran over and grabbed it before Brad knew what was happening next. She tossed it on the bar, and released a pent up sigh.

Within seconds, Jonathan Mason came running into the room along with various members of the Franklin Police Department. Seeing Brenda standing on wavering feet in the room, the detective ran over to her and caught her as she began to slide to the floor. Once he had helped her over to the sofa, he returned his attention on helping his colleagues.

Seconds later, the drunken man was taken out of the room, and the three humans, Sam and Adam remained in the room. Before Brenda could even speak, she looked at Steven before she passed out, her body slumping against the back of the sofa.

Penny shrugged her shoulders before she looked at Adam. "Will this help get your friend off?"

"It might," Adam said softly, "but right now, it's a matter of Sharon telling the authorities what she saw."

"Is she going to be OK?" Steven asked no one in particular as he looked at Brenda. "She didn't get stabbed, did she?"

Sam shook his head. "No, she didn't."

Steven looked at his girlfriend. "You know, if you hadn't have told Detective Mason the truth…"

"This wouldn't have happened," Penny said softly. "I know and it was my fault."

"No, that's not what I was going to say," Steven said.

"You're being too diplomatic, Steven," Penny said. "My brother works for the State Troopers, and I know that they had been investigating Chance Watson for a number of months, at least I know now."

"Look, Brenda is going to be OK," Sam said. "I'll stay with her. Adam, you need to go see Andrew and let him know what happened here. With Chance still on the loose, we're not out of the woods yet."

"Wait, if Chance Watson is being investigated, then what's the point?" Steven asked.

"Jonathan doesn't know yet that Chance is a traitor," Penny said. "Come on, let's get out of here. I think these guys have things under control, and I need a shower and a warm bowl of soup."

Steven looked at Sam. "Should we get home, then?"

The angel nodded and Penny managed to steer him outside.

*****

At about the same time, Andrew and Sharon ran up the stairs to the door of their apartment. Once they were inside, Sharon was coughing, shivering and looking none too well, but Monica and Tess helped her to sit down. As she got seated and comfortable, she looked at them all the while shaking her head in profound disbelief as Andrew came over and sat down next to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently.

She shook her head, the words simply not coming but the tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she realized that she should have said something to both of her parents about what she had seen. If she had only done this, then maybe she could have prevented her mother getting hurt. "You were right, I should have told them, now it's all my fault," she finally managed to speak, her voice trembling.

"You're not at fault, Sharon," Monica said softly as she came over and sat down next to her.

"Yes, I am," she whispered. "If I had just been brave enough to talk about it."

Tess came over and rested a motherly hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Now, you listen to us, honey," she began. "No one knew what was going to happen here, and we all know that you've been through some real scary things here, but it's time to face your fear and be brave."

"I don't know how," she whispered and looked up at Andrew, her voice filled with fear. "I'm scared to tell anyone anything."

"We know," Tess said gently, as Adam appeared in the room.

"Tess, they caught Brad Hawkins, tonight, and Sharon, your mother is OK," he smiled gently at her, but sat down on the sofa and looked at the teenager, his gray eyes intent. "You're going to have to go to the police, you know. There's a lot riding on you finding the strength to do this."

"I can't, I'm too afraid," Sharon whispered.

"I know this, and I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they think Andrew murdered Tracy, and if no one comes forward, then they are going to pursue him to the ends of the Earth. If you don't speak of this, they will arrest him."

Sharon looked at Andrew, her eyes wide. "You? How could they think you did this?"

Andrew took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I don't know, but that's what they believe and it will be up to someone who actually witnessed this event to help me."

"So, I'd have to tell the truth just to keep an angel out of trouble?" Sharon asked, disbelief evident in her question.

Andrew nodded, and he could see that this would be very difficult for the teenager. "I know that this is hard for you to hear, Sharon, but without you telling the truth, they are going to believe that I am guilty of this crime." He looked at her, his eyes completely earnest. "It is going to be up to you to tell them the truth, sweetheart."

Sharon looked at him, but after a few moments, she nodded. "I guess there's no way you could come with me to talk to them, is there?"

Andrew shook his head. "No, you're going to have to find the strength from deep within you that will help you to do this."

The teenager looked at Monica, but when she saw that the auburn headed angel also shaking her head, she sighed deeply. "You always said that I wouldn't be alone, Andrew."

"You won't be, Sharon, because God will be with you," he said gently, but she buried her face against his chest and allowed the tears to fall.

Seconds later, she could feel his fingers brushing through her hair. It was there, where sleep finally overcame her, and with Adam's help, the two angels managed to take the teenager back to her mother's apartment. Once they had left her, Andrew stood by her bed and watched as Adam got ready to return to his assignment, who was now driving back to San Diego.

"You take care, Andrew," Adam said and his friend nodded before he disappeared.

Sharon's Dream

Sharon was standing alone near the football field of her new school. Her feet were firmly planted to the ground, but she couldn't get over the fear that she had seen in the eyes of her angel as she watched him being dragged away by two armed policemen. She tried to scream out to her friend telling him to run, but she discovered that her voice would not emerge. Sighing sadly, she began to pick up her scattered books and ran after them without saying a word. The bell rang, and instead of going back into the school, she continued to run after them and stopped when she saw them stopping near the track. Getting closer, she managed to focus her attention on the events taking place out on the field.

She could see Andrew not even struggling against the hold the man had on him and as she got closer, she wondered if there was anything she could or should have done. She was too far away to say anything to him, and she was also too afraid to move any closer. She could see the sun reflecting off some silver around Andrew's wrist and she guessed that he had been handcuffed.

She glanced skyward and after a second, she turned around to see a police car driving away the sirens blaring.

Sharon's Dream End

Seconds later, she sat upright in bed, her face covered with sweat. "Andrew!" She screamed out his name as the tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was crying hysterically.

"Sharon, it's OK, you're alright, it was just a dream," Andrew's voice emerged and she threw herself into his arms, her body trembling. "Shhh, now tell what's happened," he cajoled her gently, his arms holding tightly to her. "It's OK, sweetheart, just calm down." Once she had gained control of her emotions, he continued, "now, tell me what happened."

"I dreamt that I was at school, and…" she said through her tears, but her voice trailed and she looked helplessly at him. "There were these two guys and they were chasing you and they arrested you." She began sobbing once again, "it's all my fault."

"No, it's not," Andrew said softly squeezing her shoulder comfortingly.

"Yes, it is," Sharon whispered; the guilt still shadowed in her eyes. "Andrew, I have to go tell them, but I'm so scared."

"Listen to me, OK?" He said gently, and once she nodded, he continued speaking, his voice filled with all the compassion that was in him. "You're not at fault for what happened, and no one here blames you. I don't understand how you could possibly believe that this is your fault." He paused shaking his head and sighing deeply. "Tell me what you dreamt, OK?"

"It was just terrible, Andrew," she said softly, her voice filled with fear.

"I know, the way you screamed, I was afraid for you, but you're safe," he said gently as he brushed his hand gently through her hair. "It seems to me that, your dreams seem to encase fear and worry over what could happen instead of what has actually happened. Now, you know what you have to do, and I know you're afraid to do it, but all that I've seen of you is a very brave and courageous girl."

"But, I'm not, I'm afraid," she wept. "I have been since this happened. I feel so alone."

Andrew smiled gently at her. "I know, but you know what?"

She shook her head.

"I have told you countless times, sweetheart, you're not, and when you need God, He will be there with you, just don't be afraid," Andrew smiled gently at her as he ruffled her hair gently. "Now, why don't you go to sleep and tomorrow morning, you can go and tell them what really happened, and I can guarantee that you'll feel much better afterwards."

Sharon nodded and allowed him to help her lay back against the pillow. "Andrew?"

"Yes."

"You're my best friend," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep. As the angel looked up from his young friend, he could see that Brenda was standing in the doorway; she had heard everything.

When he made eye contact with her, he left his friend sleeping and stepped out into the hallway.

"You've been with her for these past few days, haven't you?" She asked.

"Yes, I have," he said gently.

"Is she going to die?" Brenda asked.

"She came close tonight, but no she won't," Andrew shook his head.

"You saved her life, when you got her away from here earlier tonight," Brenda whispered. "I was nearly killed."

"I know, and I'm sorry that that happened to you," Andrew said gently.

"I couldn't tell that man where Sharon was, because I didn't know," Brenda said. "Maybe it was planned that way."

"Maybe it was, but I couldn't just wait for him to come here and hurt her," he said softly. "Brenda, you realize now that she was telling the truth, I just can't help but wonder why you didn't believe her?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "I guess I thought that she was just trying to dissuade me from going through with all this."

"No, you just didn't want to hear the truth, but instead, you pushed her away, and read her diary. You exposed both yourself and her to danger because of pride, but where has that pride gotten you?"

Brenda shook her head. "I know, but you don't have to say anything, I already feel badly enough."

"No, I'm not telling you this to make you feel badly, I'm telling you that although you have made mistakes, God loves you, and He loves your daughter." He reached over and touched her shoulder. "Now, you just have to believe it."

Brenda shook her head. "How can I?"

Andrew chuckled. "Know that it is unconditional, and that it is just His way. Brenda, please take your daughter to the police tomorrow, let her tell them what she saw, and why it has taken some time for her to come out and talk about what she saw. It is the only way that she will ever be able to come through all of this.

Brenda nodded. "OK."

Andrew smiled and nodded. "Everything will be OK now, just believe it."

Before he left her, she looked up at him. "Your name is Andrew, right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you, Andrew," Brenda said softly.

*****

The following morning, Brenda and Sharon arrived at the police station, and Jonathan Mason, who had driven up early from San Diego, met them. As they came inside, Jonathan smiled at them. "Good morning, Dr. Peters."

"Hello Detective, my ex-husband told me this morning when I called that you would be conducting this interview," Brenda said.

"Yes, that's correct," Jonathan said smiling at the two of them. "So, this is how it's going to be done. I want you to wait here, Dr. Peters, and I'll conduct the interview with Sharon." He looked at the somewhat tense teenager. "It's OK, it's just going to be you and me in there."

Seeing her relax somewhat, he led her into an office and the door was closed behind them.

"Now then, let me set this stupid tape recorder up and you can tell me what you saw," he smiled good-naturedly at her and once the tape was rolling, he sat down across from her. "Now, tape's rolling, start whenever you're ready."

Sharon nodded. "OK, Friday night I had gone to the movies with some friends and I left them at the theater around nine, because I had promised my dad that I would come home before ten. Anyway, I had gone to the beach and was sitting out there. I needed some time to myself, I guess, because all I was thinking about was this custody battle between my parents. I was not really thinking about anything else. Anyway, I looked up at that time, and I could see Brad Hawkins standing I guess about eight or ten feet away from me. He was yelling something at his girlfriend, but I don't remember what because I was kind of watching someone else."

"The man in beige?"

"Yeah, he was really cute, handsome, but I couldn't tell very much about him as he walked by, but I couldn't help but notice how the light from the moon was reflecting off of him. It was weird, because it also looked as though he was somehow capable of absorbing it. I know you're going to think I'm totally crazy, but he entranced me, so I didn't really see what was happening on down the beach. All I know is he, the man in beige, didn't hurt anyone, he was standing about two or three feet from me the whole time, and he was witnessing everything as well. He looked very sad; I could even see the tears in his eyes and it looked as though he knew something was about to happen, but could do nothing to stop it."

"Why did he not do anything?" The policeman pressed.

"Maybe you should be asking him this, rather than accuse him of murdering Tracy," Sharon said before she could even stop herself.

"Just answer the question, Sharon," Jonathan said.

"I am, but if you're so convinced that this man in beige is the culprit, than you're barking up the wrong tree because it wasn't him, it was Brad Hawkins. I saw him pull a knife, and I heard Tracy scream as he stabbed her. It was horrible and I'll never forget it as long as I live."

"What happened after that?" Jonathan asked as soon as she had finished speaking and had gotten control of her emotions.

"Brad saw me standing there, and he came over to me, all the while he had started to talk to me, saying 'well, well, well, what have we here?' I backed away from him trying to get away, but he kept coming closer. He reeked as though he had been drinking schnapps straight from the bottle."

"He talked to you after murdering that girl?"

Sharon nodded, but when the detective pointed to the machine on the desk, she found her voice. "Yes, and then when he heard the sirens coming closer, he ran away leaving me on the beach."

"The man in beige was still there, was he not?" Jonathan asked.

Sharon nodded, "yes."

"Did he speak with you?"

Sharon nodded.

"Speak up, Sharon, the machine cannot pick up a nod," he said smiling gently at her.

"Yes, he did, but he didn't do anything to hurt anyone, not Tracy and not me," Sharon said, her voice emerging so strong that it surprised herself.

"Just tell me what he said," Jonathan asked.

"He told me not to be afraid, and then after I begged him not to hurt me, he said that he wouldn't do anything to hurt me," she said softly. "He then explained that he was not involved in what happened, he was there only to help Tracy, but that he was also there to help me."

"What are you talking about?" Jonathan asked.

"He was an angel, Detective, he was sent to bring Tracy to Heaven," Sharon said softly. "I know you think I'm nuts for saying so, but he showed up later at my father's house, and he talked to me about what had happened. He said that I should talk to you and to my parents about it, but I couldn't because I was too scared to say anything. Anyway, he's been trying to convince me to speak out about what happened since Friday night, and now I finally came here to do that. But, you're still looking at me as though I'm insane." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "Detective Mason, how many homicides have you seen in your life?"

"I suppose a hundred or so," he said honestly.

"How many witnesses have you interviewed who were able to keep it together, and they were able to remember everything?" She asked, and when he shook his head, she continued. "Did you see them actually happening, like I saw Brad Hawkins stabbing Tracy Lyndon?"

"No, I guess not," Jonathan asked as Sharon looked up and saw Andrew standing in a corner, his compassionate green eyes met her own, and she knew what he wanted to say, he smiled as her as though he was proud of her for telling the officer the truth.

"I did see Brad Hawkins stab Tracy Lyndon to death, and it scared me so much that I was afraid to come here because of what you might think of me. If you really want to ask the man from the beach what happened, why don't you? He's standing right behind you."

Jonathan looked at her. "Come on, Sharon, let's not go overboard with this argument."

"That sounds like something my mother would say, but turn around and you'll see him, his name is Andrew, and he's my friend," Sharon said softly.

Jonathan turned around and when his eyes met Andrew's he smiled weakly. "It's you?"

"Yes," Andrew said softly and smiled. "It's me."

*****

An hour later, Sharon and Andrew came out into the lobby and Brenda went inside. "I can't believe that's finally over," Sharon whispered as they sat down and waited. "I don't understand what just happened, I was sure that he was going to think I was completely mad, but then you appeared in there from out of nowhere," she said and looked at him all the while shaking her head.

"I'll tell you a secret," Andrew smiled, his eyes shining brightly.

"Another one? You know, with all those secrets of yours, you could get a job working with the CIA," she laughed.

Andrew chuckled, but after a few moments, he spoke. "Jonathan has an angel too, and he's with him right now. In fact, he's going to tell Jonathan a few things about his partner."

"Everything is so weird, I don't ever know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are," Sharon said softly.

"The angels are the good guys, and you're a good guy too," Andrew leaned over and whispered, the laughter in his voice, unmistakable.

"You're so silly," she whispered back but looked at him earnestly. "It's over now, isn't it?"

"Well, no, but it will be very soon," he smiled gently at her. "I want you to know that I'm so proud of you, Sharon. It took a lot of courage to do what you did, but you did it, and you left Jonathan with a lot of food for thought. In the future, I don't think he's going to be as cynical as he was before meeting you."

"I was really scared, but you said that God would be there, too, and I sort of felt Him in there," she smiled weakly. "But, I was just wondering, am I going to have to say good-bye to you now?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you will," Andrew said gently.

"You know, I hate good-byes. It seems like all the people I really care about, I have to say good-bye to."

After a few minutes of silence, he reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder and she looked up, a stray tear escaped from under her eye, and she wiped it bravely away. "I'm sorry that it makes you sad, Sharon. I must admit that I really had no idea that you would actually enjoy having the Angel of Death hanging around once all this was over."

She nodded, unable to speak, but smiled. "Me neither, but you're wonderful."

Andrew's face grew serious, and he reached over and rested a gentle hand against the side of her face, his fingers brushing the tears away. "You must never be afraid to be honest with people, Sharon, for it is the truth that will bring you all the more closer to the Father. You should always tell other people how you feel. Especially if what they have done has hurt you. Telling them so will give them a chance to make things right again."

Sharon nodded, she understood what Andrew was telling her, but before she could answer, he spoke again. "I know you're afraid of telling your parents how you feel about living here, but promise me you won't give up everything about yourself for the sake of your parents. No one should be that selfless."

"How'd you know that I had done that?" Sharon finally asked. "I mean; we never really talked about it."

Andrew smiled weakly, "I have a very knowledgeable source of information on you, my dear, and He told me, but it wasn't just this information, but I could also see it in your eyes, and I saw how things were when you interacted with your mother." He looked at her and spoke once more, "I think you're a very special person, Sharon and if you give up everything about yourself, then there will never ever be anyone else like the person I see here right now. This is the person I know today and one I consider a friend."

"You consider me your friend?" Sharon asked.

He said nothing, only nodded.

"I love you, Andrew," Sharon whispered.

"I love you too, Sharon, now take care of yourself and your mom and dad, OK?" He smiled gently at her and disappeared.

Once he was gone, she glanced up to see that her mother was coming out of the office. "Mom, how did it go?"

Brenda looked at her daughter. "I suppose it went OK."

"You weren't alone in there," Sharon said softly, but when her mother didn't return the smile, she looked at Brenda with concern. "Mom, are you OK?"

Brenda shook her head, "No, Honey." She pulled the small white book from her purse and handed it to Sharon who looked at her in profound disbelief and shock.

"You read my diary? Mom, how could you?" Sharon demanded, her voice filled with hurt. "This is private, you had no right."

"I know, I shouldn't have read it, but the things I read were things you should have told me and your father, not kept them inside." Brenda looked at Sharon. "If you had said something to your father or to me about this entire thing, then maybe we could have helped you get through it all."

Sharon nodded, "Yeah, I know, that's what Andrew said." Once his name was out, she covered her mouth with her hand and looked at her mother all the while shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sharon. I know about Andrew, I read that he was there for you, but I also talked to him last night," Brenda said softly. "Why didn't you talk about him to me or your father?"

"I guess I figured that you would think I was crazy. Mom, you're a Psychologist, and I guess I was afraid to mention my friend, the attractive and cute Angel of Death," Sharon whispered and giggled, despite the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

The sight of her daughter trying once again to be brave was almost too much for Brenda and she reached over and wrapped her arms around Sharon. "It's OK, honey, now that all the suspects have been rounded up, we can go home, or in this case, I can take you home."

"You're not angry at me for keeping this stuff from you?" Sharon asked missing the meaning behind her mother's words as their hug ended. "I thought you'd be hysterical."

"Maybe, but I guess, I'm more angry at myself," Brenda said gently. "I had a little bit of time, as well as a some divine intervention and I realize that there are a few things I needed to talk to you about."

"What?" Sharon asked.

"Well, it's about a decision I have made, but let's go out to the car. I think these folks have had enough theatrics for one day. Besides, this is about where you will be living from now on and has nothing to do with the police department," Brenda looked at her daughter as she got into the car and reached over to unlock the door. "I think it was a mistake bringing you here."

"But, I thought it was decided last week that I would have stay here?" Sharon got into the car and looked at her mother with profound disbelief shadowing her face.

"I know, but I called my lawyer before you woke up this morning, and I have decided to send you back to live with your father." Brenda wiped the tears from her eyes. "The lawyer said that it wouldn't be too difficult to reverse the decision since it seems to be what everyone wants. I know that I should have talked to you about what you wanted before, but I guess the only way I could have found out was to read your diary," she paused. "I'm really sorry this hurt you, Sharon, I really am. The angels told me what I had done, and I didn't want to believe them, but they wouldn’t lie to me. Anyway, I decided that it's probably for the best."

"I wanted to talk to you about it, Mom, but I was afraid to. I love you and I love Daddy, but I also love the seaside, and I lived there most of my life, that's where all my friends are. Anyway, I felt like I was being torn into two pieces over this." Sharon looked at her mother earnestly. "I didn't want to hurt you or Daddy, but I was happy there, and I knew that you were happy here. I thought if I said anything that I was the one being selfish. Andrew said that I shouldn't have been so selfless, but I never saw myself that way."

"Andrew was right, Sharon," Brenda said, a gentle smile on her face.

"I love you, Mom," Sharon wrapped her arms around her mother.

"Sharon, since this is how things will be I hope it will be OK for you to spend most holidays and part of the summer here with me," Brenda said softly.

"Yeah, Mom. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Sharon smiled weakly. "Keep my room like it is, though, I'm kind of getting used to the carpeting."

Brenda smiled as she started the car.

Sharon looked outside the window as they pulled away from the station. She wanted to cry, because this was over and she finally had everything she wanted. Maybe having her mother read her diary was the biggest favor she could have done. She didn't really know why, but somehow she had the feeling that Andrew and his friends had more to do with what had caused these changes than anything she could have written in her diary.

She smiled weakly as her mother pulled the car up in front of the building. Across the street, she could see that Jonathan had pulled his car up to the curb and was now walking towards them. Once he reached them, he offered them a warm smile.

"Hey, I just wanted to tell you that San Diego is safe for you to go back to, Sharon, Chance was apprehended today," he looked apologetically at them. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry this all happened to you, but the most important thing is your safe."

Sharon smiled weakly at him. "Thank you for everything, Detective Mason, I'm really sorry you had to drive halfway across the desert to find me, though."

"No big deal, Sharon," Jonathan said smiling, "I drove here and found God, so maybe there's something to be said for Franklin, California."

Brenda smiled at him. "Well, with your record, Detective, I would guess that you would be able to take up residency here if you ever decided to leave the big city."

The detective looked at Brenda, and Sharon nearly laughed, because she could see that he was flirting with her mother, and she was doing well over her share of flirting right back with him.

As she walked alone into the building, she smiled as her thoughts were about the friends she had found there. Maybe there was something good to be said about Franklin after all, and she hadn't realized it. That night, she'd be back home in bed, but now things with her mother were better, she had two places she could call home, and each was unique and special.

She unlocked the door to her mother's apartment, and went immediately up to her room. Once she reached the room, she approached the window and looked outside. From there, she could see that her mother and the detective were still talking and she went over and retrieved seashell necklace from off the nightstand and put it around her neck.

There was an undeniable feeling of joy at returning to San Diego, but also a bittersweet feeling simply because she feared that then her mother would be all alone. As she looked out the window, she smiled slightly as her thoughts drifted. Well, perhaps she won't be as alone as I initially assumed…

Epilogue

Three months later, Sharon walked out to her favorite spot on the beach. It was late in the evening. She had testified that week in the court hearing against Brad Hawkins and she was happy that this event was now behind her.

Her father and Penny had rented some movies and were home watching them, but they had allowed her to go out for a few minutes to have some time on the beach.

Sharon grabbed her winter jacket as she made her way outside. Her warm sweatshirt combated the Pacific wind, but she put on the jacket and zipped it up, all the while walking down from the terrace and feeling the soles of her tennis shoes sinking down into the soft sand.

It was now five days before Christmas, and she knew that this was her last night on the beach before her mother would pick her up to go to Franklin for the holidays. She smiled; she had been looking forward to visiting her mother for weeks, not to mention seeing how things were developing with her mother's new boyfriend, Jonathan Mason.

Over the past months, she had grown accustomed to having two homes, and she remembered often what Andrew had said about both her parents loving her so much that they would want to do everything for her. Rather than feeling sorry for herself, the feelings, which replaced the pain, were that of pride and love.

She could see the moon reflecting off the water, but she could also see that the stars were dotting the sky. Her gaze landed onto the stars and she began to wonder where it was her angelic friends now were. They had made such a special difference to her. Every time, she looked at the sky, she couldn't help but remember Andrew, and what his friendship meant to her.

Standing there alone, she began to reflect on everything that had happened over the course of the past three months. This was where she had met him the first time and because of that, there would always be a special meaning to this particular beach for her, even if this was where she had seen a life end, she had seen where her own somehow began anew.

Andrew, she thought to herself, whatever my mom thinks, I know, you're the reason everything is like it is. She sat down on the sand and her eyes were on the sky. Would she ever see him again? As she looked up, she smiled.

A lone figure was walking along the beach and she stood up when she recognized the pale beige jacket that the man was wearing as it reflected light from the moon.

Maybe her question was about to be answered. She smiled, It reminded her of the night in September and she had seen a man in beige showing a young woman light in the darkest moment of her life. She thought of Tracy, but she approached the man and smiled when she could see the blonde locks of his hair brushing against his shoulders.

He was obviously lost in thought, but she approached hesitantly. "Excuse me, but don't I know you?" she spoke softly.

The man turned around, his green eyes meeting hers and widening when he saw who had addressed him. "Sharon?"

"Uh-huh." She smiled when she saw him standing a few feet away from her, "Hi, Andrew."

"I'm surprised to see you again," he said reaching out to give her a hug.

She nodded wrapping her arms around him, but she took a deep breath, and could feel him holding her tightly. "Me too. I thought I'd never see you again."

Both stood unable to move or speak after the hug ended. Finally, Sharon spoke, "After you left, my mom and I went home, and we talked. That afternoon, she brought me here to live with my dad."

He smiled, "I'm glad. You look much happier now."

"I am." She looked around unsure of what to say next. "How's Monica? I mean; I didn't get to know her too well, but I thought she was so kind, and loving, like a big sister."

"She's fine," Andrew smiled at her as he spoke. "I'll tell her I saw you tonight."

Sharon wiped a tear from her eyes as she remembered all the events that took place in this place as well as back in Franklin. After a few seconds, she looked into his eyes, "Nothing's going to happen tonight, is it?"

"No," he said softly and smiled. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you for everything," Sharon said looking into his eyes.

He nodded, smiled, glanced over at her, and then back out at the water. Both of them seemed to be deep in thought about everything that had happened, and finally he broke the silence, "this is where we first met."

She nodded, but her answer came out barely above a whisper, "yes."

"Is this a special place for you?" Andrew asked softly.

She looked up at the sky, her eyes on the stars, then the water, and finally she looked at him. "This place serves as a reminder to me."

"A reminder of what?" Andrew asked.

"Of you," Sharon said softly and closed her eyes for a moment, not believing that this conversation was taking place. When she opened them again, he was no longer standing there. She looked down the beach to see if he was walking along the coast, he was not. She closed her eyes once again, and when she opened them, she was still alone. "Andrew?" She finally spoke to the stillness, but when there was no answer, she sighed deeply and looked back at the stars, which were blanketed across the night sky.

Was it just her imagination that he had been there? She wasn't sure, but she knew that although she couldn't remember if Andrew had been there that night, but she knew that God was there, as Andrew had often said, God was always present.

Sighing deeply, she smiled weakly, still uncertain if her angel had been there just now. She smiled weakly as she understood how he had been there before, and that was all that mattered to her.

She made her way back up the beach towards the beach house, the light from the full moon as well as the stars lighting her way.

*****