DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the characters from TBAA. They belong to Martha Williamson. I also DO NOT own some of the dialogue in this story either. It too belongs to Martha Williamson.

God loves you!

Enjoy!

"The Truth is Better"

Gloria let the tears fall as she sat at Madeline's bedside, trying to help the child endure the last few hours of pain. She knew she wouldn't be able to take the child home herself and this broke her heart.

It was true that the newly created angel had only learned how to use her heart nearly two hours ago, but she now knew how Monica felt when the building had blown up right in

front of their eyes.

Gloria knew Madeline was in pain and there wasn't anything she could do to take it away. All she could do was be there for her and help her to endure it.

As Gloria sat there, she remembered what Madeline had asked the Irish angel after Monica had explained to the little girl what was going to happen. Gloria also remembered

Monica's answer and how upset it had made Madeline.

"Can't Gloria take me?" Madeline asked, referring to Heaven. Her eyes were full of hope as she locked them with the kind and concerned ones of the Irish angel in front of her.

Monica shook her head. As much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had just told Gloria that telling the truth was better. She had to set a good example for the youngest angel.

"No. she's still learning." Monica replied, honestly. Her heart broke as she saw the tears begin to fall down Madelyn's pale and badly burned cheeks.

"But she's my friend!" Madeline declared, her voice breaking with tears as she gazed at Gloria before her gaze landed on Monica once again. "Gloria's my friend!"

The Irish angel sighed, her hand coming to rest on the little girl's shoulder.

"I know. I Know. Gloria will stay with you and tell you a story, until it's time to go home, okay?"

Madeline nodded and gave Gloria a small smile.

Monica then walked over to Gloria before leaving the room.

"Just tell her the truth." Monica advised, patting Gloria's shoulder affectionately.

Gloria nodded. She then touched a wet spot just underneath of her glasses and gave Monica a quizzical look.

"What is this?" She asked, feeling the wet spot once again.

Monica sighed.

"It's called a tear. But I'll tell you all about that later." With that, the Irish angel left the room. She had her own part of the assignment to fulfill.

Gloria sighed as she tried to stop crying. The things Monica called tears were now streaming down her face at a very fast pace.

The newly created angel tried to put on a brave face for Madeline as she sat by the young girl's bed.

The little girl gave the youngest angel a sincere smile while reaching her hand out for her to take.

Gloria obliged and did so, even though she was still crying. She heard Monica's words of advice in her mind and decided to give them a try.

"Once upon a time, there was a brand new angel, named Gloria. And she came to earth and she didn't know anybody at all. And then one day…" Gloria's voice trailed off, giving way to tears. She took a minute or so to compose herself before continuing her story. "…she met a little girl." With that, Gloria sat there, trying her best to make Madeline as comfortable as possible.

It wasn't until a couple minutes later, did Madeline pose a question to Gloria.

"Gloria?"

Gloria glanced down at her friend and gave the little girl a small smile.

"Yes, Madeline? It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay with you until Andrew comes."

Madeline nodded. That wasn't what she was going to ask Gloria, but Gloria's words made another thought pop into her mind.

"You promise you won't leave me?" She asked, her voice full of fear and uncertainty.

Gloria nodded and squeezed Madeline's hand gently.

"I promise." Gloria replied, trying to fight back another set of tears.

"Gloria, what's Heaven like?" Madeline asked, her innocence not lost on the newly created angel.

Gloria grinned, despite the fact that she was still crying.

"It's beautiful. You'll love it there. You'll have lots of room to play and your Mommy will be there waiting for you. And God will be there too."

Madeline smiled. She liked the fact that her mother was there waiting for her. It made her less afraid to go.

A few minutes of silence passed before Madeline spoke again.

"Does God love me?" The young girl asked, her voice full of hope and curiosity.

Gloria nodded as she patted the little girl's shoulder.

"Yes, oh yes, He does. Yes He does. He loves you so much." She replied, knowing in her heart that she was telling Madeline the truth.

Madeline smiled.

It wasn't long before exhaustion took over and the little girl fell asleep. The physical pain and emotional trauma of the day had worn her out.

As Gloria watched her sleep, she sent a silent prayer up to God, asking Him to take care of Madeline once the child reached Heaven.

It wasn't until an hour later that Andrew showed up. He gave Gloria a sad smile as he approached Madeline's bedside.

Normally, Andrew enjoyed his job and thought of it as a privilege to escort people home to the Father. But today, all Andrew felt was sadness.

As Andrew gazed into Gloria's brown eyes, he saw his own feelings reflected there. He shook his head as he put a comforting hand on Madeline's shoulder.

The little girl started to stir at Andrew's touch. Her blue eyes opened and she gazed at Andrew fearfully. He was new to her and she had never seen him before.

Acting upon her feelings, Madeline turned to the one person who had been there for her ever since this whole mess had started.

"Gloria!" Madeline cried, her voice full of fear. "Gloria, I'm scared! I don't want to go!" With that, she burst into tears, making Gloria's heart break right there.

Andrew frowned. He knew Madeline viewed him as a stranger and this didn't' offend him in the least.

Gloria took a deep breath before doing something she had never done before. She followed her heart and reached her arms the distraught little girl.

Madeline wrapped her arms around Gloria's neck as best she could while burying her face in the youngest angel's shoulder.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Madeline. It's all right. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. I promise. I know you're afraid, but I promise, it's gonna be okay. God loves you, little one. He loves you so much and He doesn't want you to be afraid. He's going to take good care of you. And your Mommy will be waiting for you too."

Madeline nodded as she let out a sob of fright. She did want to see her Mommy again, but she also didn't want to leave Gloria. The angel had been there for her this whole time and she was going to miss her.

"I'm going to miss you!" Madeline admitted, her tears soaking Gloria's shirt.

"I know you will, sweetheart. I'm going to miss you too. But you'll be safe in Heaven." Gloria assured her, hoping Madeline would believe her.

"Will I see you again?" The little girl asked, a hopeful tone to her voice. She was starting to calm down a little bit. Her breathing had gone back to normal, but her tears were still flowing freely down her cheeks.

Gloria looked to Andrew, who shrugged.

"Once in a while." Gloria replied, praying she was telling Madeline the truth.

"You promise?" Madeline asked, her tears starting to subside a bit.

Gloria nodded as she hugged the little girl close.

"I love you, Gloria." Madeline said, making a warm feeling sweep through Gloria's soul.

"I love you too, Madeline." Gloria replied, hugging the child close.

After the two had pulled away, Madeline turned her attention to Andrew. She cautiously held out her hand, still a little afraid.

"It's okay," Gloria encouraged. "Go on. It's all right."

Madeline nodded, trusting Gloria's assurance. She then took Andrew's hand and allowed him to take her to Heaven.

As they left, Madeline glanced back at Gloria and mouthed the words, "Thank you."

Gloria gazed out of the window after Andrew and Madeline had left. She was going to miss Madeline, but the newly created angel knew deep down in her heart that her friend would be well taken care of.

Gloria knew that if it was in God's plan, she and Madeline would be reunited again.

Heaving a sigh, Gloria gazed up at the now darkening sky.

"You're welcome, Madeline. I love you." With that, Gloria let the remaining tears fall as she waited for Monica to join her.

It was then that she realized that she had accomplished two things in one day. She had completed her first assignment and she had also learned how to use her heart.

As Gloria continued to gaze up at the stars that now shone in the sky, she smiled to herself. Monica was right. The truth was better.

THE END