Send Me On My Way
A/N: I came up with this after wanting to write a TBAA fic, since the show is back on Hallmark channel (yay!). Monica's assignment is a character I'd already come up with for a Christmas one-shot I did maybe a month ago, but you don't need to read that to understand this. Likewise, in future chapters I plan to do a crossover with my other TBAA story Stand By Me, but you don't need to read that either. Of course, I'd appreciate it if you read both, but I've never been one to pressure people.
Anyway, this just popped into my head a few days ago, and I'm still in the process of deciding if I want to do it or not. As a little test I decided to get this out, and I think I'm leaning towards seeing it through. So, that said, enjoy the chapter.
A soft glow around her, Monica stood in angelic form in the corner of a large, open dining room. Open and empty, she thought, observing that it was only occupied by a few moving boxes. The space flowed through the bar counter into a granite kitchen.
Monica's eye was drawn to that kitchen, where two women stood, each in their late twenties. One had wavy light brown hair, typical bright blue eyes and a thin frame. While the woman next to her…looked very familiar. She'd seen those grey eyes and that medium-length black hair before. But where…
"Penny for your thoughts, angel girl?"
"Hi, Tess!" Monica exclaimed, giving her former supervisor a hug. Now that they had both been promoted, it was a rare occasion that they worked on an assignment like old times. "I can't believe we're working together again!"
"I'm happy too, baby," Tess replied.
Once they separated, Monica frowned a little. "Though I'm worried about how Gloria will do on her own. She does have an assignment while I'll be working on this one."
"Don't you worry about her. She can fly on her own two wings," Tess said with conviction. Getting back to business, she looked back at the two women. "Any comments on those two?"
Monica's shoulders sagged, the frustration getting to her. "Tess, does she look familiar to you?"
"Which one?" Tess asked.
"The black-haired one in the jeans," Monica explained. "I've seen her before. I know it. But I think she was one of my quicker assignments so it is possible I've just forgotten. I just feel so bad, Tess. Here I'm supposed to help this woman, yet I don't even remember when I'm sure I've met her. This has happened to you, right? There are no tales of angels getting senile?"
Tess chuckled before replying, "No, angel girl. I'm much older than you, and I remember what I need to remember. There's probably a reason for your temporary mental block, and it will be revealed in time. Relax, and listen while I tell you your assignment. What do you know already?"
"Well, I know the brunette one is twenty-eight-year-old Elizabeth Romero-Williams, my assignment's sister. So I guess she's yours?" Monica asked. When Tess nodded, she continued, "And the woman next to her is Emma Romero, who is three years younger. Emma just divorced her husband six months ago and needs help moving on. But that's all the information I received."
Her focus still on the women, Tess said, "It's much more than that. Emma has always been an insecure, reserved girl. Once she got to college, she married one of the first men who took an interest in her…and now she's realized her mistake. He cheated on her multiple times and now she's more of a mess than ever. She wants to get her act together, but she's intimidated by her sister's constant pressuring to do so and resists. Meanwhile, Emma never does anything without discussing it at length with her sister, and her job isn't what she'd like it to be."
"So…her sister is my assignment too?" Monica asked, bewildered. This was not what she imagined her assignment to be like at all.
Tess shook her head. "No, you leave Elizabeth to me. Emma will be enough of an assignment, trust me, Miss Wings."
"I believe it," Monica said in a softer voice, observing her assignment closer. The two women were taking a break and having some tea. Emma sat on a stool on the other side of the bar, while Elizabeth leaned against the counter. Monica couldn't help but notice how the younger sister slouched a little while she stirred her tea with a metal spoon, and kept touching the sides of her eyes.
"Will you stop that?" Elizabeth was saying as they angels listened in. "You keep touching your eyes like that, every eligible bachelor you meet is going to think there's something wrong with you."
Emma put down her hand with determination and replied, "I know, I shouldn't, but I've worn glasses for the past ten years – these contacts feel weird. Besides, what eligible bachelor is going to be looking at me anyway?"
"And stop thinking like that! You're gorgeous – I'm sure guys will start asking you out the second you take off that darn wedding ring," Elizabeth chided, taking a sip of her tea.
Glancing at the mentioned ring on her finger, Emma confessed, "I'm scared to, Liz. It's like saying I've officially been dumped. And what guy wants that?"
The two women looked up as the side door opened and three young children, the oldest one no older than seven, ran into the dining room. The oldest and youngest were girls, while the boy looked to be about five. "Mommy, Mommy!"
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, coming to stand next to her sister so she could see her children over the bar.
Flustered, he answered, "T-There's a…and we were…there's all this…"
"Swing!" The youngest, at the age of two, interrupted.
Feigning shock, Elizabeth gasped, "No, really? A swing?"
"Two of them. And a club house," the oldest replied with a shy smile. "Daddy's still out back and said he'd stay with us if you said it was okay."
"Sure, go ahead. We can unpack when it gets dark," Elizabeth answered, laughing as her children nearly tripped over each other or their own feet in their hurry to rush back out the door.
Smiling, Emma said, "That proves it. I missed when they got about a million times cuter. Thank God you moved here before I committed any more similar heinous crimes.".
"Aw come on, you're their favorite aunt. How could I resist?" Elizabeth laughed.
"I'm their only aunt," Emma reminded her. Becoming serious for a moment, she added, "But I really do appreciate you moving so close to help me with everything."
Embracing her sister in a one-armed hug, Elizabeth replied, "Don't flatter yourself, Em. We were going to make the move from Florida eventually. There's only so many of Mom's guilt trips any sane person can take, you know?"
"You're preaching to the choir, Liz," Emma chuckled. Finished with their tea, they went back to unpacking boxes.
Meanwhile, Monica stood watching with a frown, though the young children had made her smile for a brief second. "I see what you mean, Tess."
Nodding, Tess explained, "Emma's going to need someone to help her take off that wedding ring…"
"…and it isn't going to be her sister," Monica finished, already wondering how she was going to approach her newest assignment.