Title: Broken Angels

Summary: When tragedy hits, when you're left bruised and broken, when you're feeling abandoned, when you're lost… it's your friends who can help keep you together when you need it most. After all, one is good but four is better.

A/N: *if you read all of this, you're awesome and I really love you haha* So first and foremost, exactly half of the credit for this story goes to my best friend Zaneta. She thought up pretty much the entire story with me and helped me plan like everything. I couldn't have done this story without her. Secondly, take a good look at the categories for this; this story is going to be sad. There's a little bit of angst for everyone in this. I apologize if this makes you sad or if you want to banish me to the Palm Woods wishing well. Also, there's no slash in this story, and it's AU and takes place in New York (upon Zaneta's request). And that's it. I really hope you guys enjoy this (:

Chapter One: Carlos

"Carlos Roberto Garcia, if you are not downstairs in two seconds I'm giving your breakfast to the neighbor's dog!" Sylvia Garcia called to her son from downstairs in their kitchen. She turned her attention back to the skillet where she was currently heating up Carlos's eggs for him.

"Here I am mommy!" hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet rushing down the steps and then running into the kitchen, Sylvia turned to see her six year old son Carlos entering the room. Sylvia turned off the stove and bent down to kiss her son's forehead. "Do I still get my breakfast?" Carlos asked and Sylvia smiled. Whenever he spoke, he revealed the missing tooth from his top row of teeth and she found it simply adorable.

"Of course you do mijo." Sylvia said. She scooped the eggs onto his favorite plastic batman plate and placed them onto the table. "Eat up because I don't want you to be late to school."

"Kay." Carlos said and started to shovel his eggs into his mouth. For such a small boy, he had such a big appetite. Sylvia didn't understand how he and his father, Officer Juan Garcia ate so much but she learned early on that the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach. "Mommy," Carlos said, his mouth full. "Can't I just stay home today? It's my birfday."

Sylvia smiled and sat down next to him at the table. "I know it's your birthday, but school is important and you've only been there for a few weeks."

"I know." Carlos grumbled. "But I'm six. Six is old enough to not go to school."

Sylvia chuckled. "Sorry mijo but six isn't old enough to skip out on school." Carlos pouted and stuck his tongue out at his mother before returning to his breakfast. Sylvia looked at her watch. "C'mon baby, you've got to get your things now. We're both going to be late."

"Kay." Carlos jumped down from his chair and ran to get his book bag while Sylvia picked up his plate from the table and brought it to the sink. "I'm ready!" Carlos appeared back in the kitchen, his book bag on his back.

"Then let's go!" Sylvia took his tiny hand in hers and walked him outside.

"Can I sit up front today?" Carlos asked, running to the passenger's seat of his mother's car.

"Sorry kid but you know the deal. No front seat until you're old enough to get out of your car seat." Sylvia said and ushered him to the back seat and opened the door for him.

Carlos groaned. "What good is it being six if I still can't do anything?" he whined, climbing into his car seat. Sylvia leaned over and buckled him. "It's like I'm still five."

"Trust me mijo, you don't need to be in any hurry to grow up." Sylvia told him and then got into the driver's seat of the car. She started up the car and backed out of the driveway, driving to Carlos's school.

"Mommy, are you going to be home for my birthday party today?" Carlos asked her.

"Of course honey. I wouldn't miss that for the world." Sylvia told him.

Carlos smiled widely. "What's the name of the building where you work again? I can't 'member."

"It's called The World Trade Center sweetie." Sylvia answered, not taking her eyes off of the road but occasionally glancing at Carlos through the rearview mirror. "I'm a business woman."

"Can I work there when I'm big like you?" little Carlos inquired.

"You can do anything you want to do baby." Sylvia told him.

"Can I fly?" Carlos asked excitedly.

Sylvia chuckled. "Sure…in an airplane. Or a helicopter. But human's can't fly with wings like a bird. We weren't made that way."

"Why didn't God make us that way?" Carlos wondered. "Did he love birdies more than us, and that's why we gave them wings?"

"God loves all his creatures equally. He just gave birds wings because they're animals and we aren't. But he made man create airplanes and helicopters so we can try to fly like birds." Sylvia explained.

Carlos considered this. "I still think it would be cool to fly." he said.

Sylvia chuckled again. "Well maybe one day." she told him and then pulled her car into the parking lot of Carlos's school. The six year old quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of his car seat, grabbing his book bag, ready to jump out for when Sylvia opened his door. At the early age of six, he found himself loving school and all his friends there. Even if it was his birthday, he knew today was going to be a good day. Sylvia opened his door and helped him out of the car. "Give mama a kiss." she knelt down to his level so Carlos could place a somewhat sticky kiss on her cheek. "Have a great day mijo."

"By mommy!" Carlos called over his shoulder as he ran into the school. The bell was ringing just as Carlos stepped inside of his classroom.

"Good morning class." Miss Pierce, his kindergarten teacher said to them as the five and six year olds all rushed into their seats. "Would anyone like to write today's date on the board?" she asked. All fifteen of her students hands shot up in the air and she smiled. "How about… Carlos."

The Latino smiled and got out of his seat, walking up to the front the classroom. He picked up the chalk "What do I write Miss Pierce?" he asked.

"Today's date is September 11th, 2001." Miss Pierce told him and then turned to her class. "Why don't we all help Carlos spell out September." she suggested. "S…E…P…T…"

"Garcia!"

Officer Juan Garcia looked up from his computer where he was currently typing and saw his partner, Officer Jacob Taylor, rushing into his office. "Where's the fire Taylor?" he asked with a smile.

"The fire's in New York." Jacob said, going over to turn on the TV in Juan's office.

"What do you mean?" Juan turned to the TV screen and felt his heart drop. The news was on and live coverage of what appeared to be an attack on the World Trade Center was being shown. The top of the building had been hit by something and nothing but smoke was filling the air. The reporter was trying to stay calm as he explained what was going on but he lost his façade when a plane flew into view of the camera and flew right into the building a second time. Juan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. An airplane had just hit the World Trade Center and this was no accident. There was an explosion and more smoke filled the air. The plane had flown right into the middle of the building. "What… in the hell is this?" Juan asked when he regained his voice.

"We don't know." Jacob told him. "We all just saw the footage now and we don't even know what to think of it. It's like nothing we've ever seen before."

Juan turned back to the TV and stared hard at the screen. A moment later he jumped from his seat and grabbed his car keys. "Garcia, where are you going?" Jacob called after him.

Juan turned around just for a moment. "Sylvia works in the World Trade Center."

Carlos was confused. He didn't know why school let out early, or why his teacher seemed so upset in class. He wanted his daddy right now; he always had the answers. But when he got to his house, neither of his parent's cars were in the driveway. Now he was even more confused. Where were his parents? Grabbing the spare key from under the mat, he unlocked the front door and went inside. "Mommy? Daddy?" he called, walking into the living room. Nobody answered him. Carlos was starting to get worried. Why wasn't his mommy and daddy home? But then he decided not to worry; today was his birthday after all. His parents were probably just outside getting party stuff. Going into the living room, he turned on the TV, wanting to watch cartoons. However, he saw that every single station had the same thing on it. There was something happening but Carlos wasn't sure what. There was a building on fire and smoke was everything. People were running around, screaming and crying. Carlos didn't want to watch this. It was making him sad.

He pressed the button on his remote one more time to change the channel but this time, instead of seeing the scary scene of the smokey building, he saw a picture of his dad. Now Carlos was even more worried and confused. Why was his daddy on the TV with the burning building? He heard a knock on the front door and his first thought was that it was his parents. "Mommy, daddy!" he jumped off of the couch and ran to the front door. But instead of his mom or dad walking inside, it was his daddy's partner Officer Taylor. He was dressed in his police uniform. "Hi Officer Tawyor." Carlos greeted the man.

"Hey Carlos. Can I come in?" he asked, looking rather upset.

Carlos nodded and stepped aside so he could walk inside. "Do you know where my daddy is? I just saw him on TV, but I want him to be home." the little boy said.

That only seemed to upset Officer Taylor further for the frown lines in his forehead creased and his eyes looked mysteriously wet. "Carlos…tonight there was an accident." he started to explain to him. He looked into Carlos's big brown, innocent eyes and his heart broke. How could he say this right now, to a six year old of all people? Jacob took a deep breath and continued. "There was an accident at the building where your mommy works."

Carlos looked worried. "Is she ok? What kind of accident?"

"An airplane hit the building where your mommy works." Jacob couldn't take this much longer; he started to cry. "And…she didn't make it."

"W-what do you mean?" Carlos asked meekly. "Where's my mommy?"

"I'm so sorry honey but your mommy's gone." Jacob told him.

"Gone? Gone where? I want my mommy!" Carlos started to cry. Jacob reached out for him and hugged him tightly.

"Your mommy's an angel now Carlos." Jacob explained in a broken voice.

"I don't want her to be an angel." Carlos sobbed. "I want my mommy here! I want my daddy too! Where's my daddy?"

Jacob's heart broke even more and a fresh wave of tears rolled down his cheeks. "When your daddy heard about out the accident at your mommy's job, he went down there right away to go help her. He ran inside the building to go look for her but…"

"But what?" Carlos croaked. "Is he ok? Did he come out of the building?"

Jacob closed his eyes. "He didn't." he whispered. "He-"

"NO!" Carlos shrieked and tore away from Jacob. "No I want my mommy and daddy! I don't want them to be angels! I want them here with me! I want my mommy and daddy!"

Jacob held Carlos tightly in his arms as the six year old cried and thrashed around. He couldn't imagine a worse fate for anybody. And on their birthday for that matter.

It had been a few days since Carlos' parents died. They had their funeral, along with the funeral of many others who were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. At first, Carlos stayed at Officer Taylor's house but one day, Officer Taylor helped him pack up all his things into his tiny suitcase and brought him to a place he had never seen before. "What's this place?" Carlos asked, feeling a little scared.

"It's called St. Vincent's. This is a place for kids like you who don't have mommies and daddies to take care of them." Jacob explained to him, holding his hand as he walked him up to the building. "They all stay in the this building and live together." Jacob knelt down to his level. "Can you read what that sign says?"

Carlos looked at the sign and squinted at it. "F-fam- family," he stuttered. "Is in the h-h-heart."

"That's right." Jacob smiled at him. "And that means if you keep someone in here," he pointed to Carlos's chest. "They'll be there forever because family is forever."

Carlos nodded. "Does this mean the people here will be my family now?"

"If you want them to be." Jacob said. "I'm going to visit you everyday and if you're not happy here, then I'll take you somewhere where you will be happy. But here, you're going to make all kinds of new friends. You're going to meet kids who are just like you and you'll all become one big family. You're going to love them just the same as your loved your mommy and daddy."

Carlos nodded again and took another look at the building before him. His new home was bigger than where he lived with his parents, but it didn't matter how big it was; it didn't fill the hole that formed in his heart the day they died. And despite what Officer Taylor told him, new family wouldn't fill that hole either.

A/N: this chapter is dedicated to all of those who lost their lives on 9/11. Sleep easy and God bless.