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CHAPTER 10

"Tess." Andrew spoke, staring her straight in the eyes. He couldn't believe she was now standing in the living room of the apartment he was using as his temporary home. The supervisor looked like a hunter who had been chasing his precious Monica up to that place, and who was ready to take her away from him.

"I'm sure you know why I'm here, so please don't make things more difficult than what they already are."

"As a matter of fact, I don't know why you're here. After we last spoke you made it quite clear you wouldn't like to see me again. At least not for a very long time." He replied, not managing to control all the disappointment and even some anger at the supervisor's latest attitudes towards him.

The older angel gave a step in his direction, apparently not bothered by his bitter words. "You know that you won't be paying for this lack of discipline alone... Monica is being insubordinate too and you're encouraging it."

Andrew couldn't believe she was talking like that - all that intolerance and narrow-mindedness couldn't be coming from Tess, his and Monica's dearest friend; the friend who introduced them two, the one who made it possible that he and his beloved angel girl could meet.

"You see, Tess, if you were really worried about Monica's welfare you should know how sick she's been feeling and that she's been like this for a long time!" he slapped, raising his voice a little and frowning at the other angel.

And those words did cause an impact over her - the expression on Tess' face changed from a stern to a surprised and worried one. "What are you saying?"

"You don't know, right? Lately you've been ignoring many things about her. I mean, ignoring or just refusing to see..."

"Mind your words, Andrew! I'm your superior and you have no right to speak to me like that or to accuse me of being negligent!" she replied back, her voice also altered.

"You had no right to judge Monica and me, but you did it anyway! You, Sam and all the others as I've noticed everyone backed off!"

Tess was ready to say something but they were suddenly interrupted by a crying, anguished voice. "Please... stop..."

The two angels turned their eyes to the corridor and saw Monica's fragile form finding support in the walls. No matter their differences, the image of such a dear and beloved friend so sick and so anguished did tear their hearts and caused them to forget what was being discussed then.

"Monica..." Tess' voice held evident worry and shock at the angel's pale image before her eyes.

Andrew shook his head, feeling protective and secretly threatened at the same time. All he wanted was to keep her safe, and in a way he was afraid their supervisors would take the little angel from him again. "Monica... you should stay in bed, angel, you-"

A silent tear rolled down her cheek as Monica walked towards them and interrupted Andrew. "Don't you see how much it hurts to see you two arguing?" she said, with a loud crying voice. "I never meant to cause so much trouble! I never meant to..."

Monica didn't manage to finish that sentence: all of a sudden her vision blurred and the living room started spinning. The two angels saw their friend passing out right there before their eyes.

"Monica!" Andrew let out a desperate cry and managed to catch her before she hit the floor, and Tess also rushed to stay next to her; both of them terribly scared.

"Monica? Angel? Please, answer to me!" he pleaded, cradling her in his arms and gently cupping her cheek.

Tess knelt right next to him and took her hand. "Angel girl! Please, talk to us! What's wrong with you, baby?"

Andrew raised the Irish angel in his arms and carried her to the sofa, carefully laying her against the soft cushions. He placed one of these cushions underneath her head and cupped her face again with a trembling hand, while Tess knelt right beside the sofa and caressed Monica's auburn hair.

"Angel? Please, talk to me! Please, baby, don't do this to me!" the angel of death said, feeling the warmth coming from her skin.

"She's burning with fever!" Tess spoke; the argument and the reason of her being there completely forgotten.

"Monica?! Talk to me!" he pleaded, on the brink of despair, as well as Tess.

Slowly, the little angel in human form regained consciousness and opened her eyes. And Andrew's and Tess' scared faces was the first thing she saw.

"Monica? Monica, can you hear us?"

"Are you conscious again, baby?" They wanted to know, both holding each of her hands and with an urgent tone in their voices.

"What... what happened?" a very confused Monica replied.

"You fainted, angel... You can't wait any longer. I'm gonna take you to the hospital right now!" The angel of death firmly stated.

"We'll take you in my car!" Tess was quick to offer, and this time Andrew didn't reply or protest, as her help at that moment was more than welcome. "Dear Father, please help us!"

The blond angel wrapped a warm blanket around Monica's small body and held her in his arms and they left the small apartment moments later. with his dearest angel carefully cradled in his arms, on the back seat of the red Cadillac, Andrew prayed in silence along the way. He could feel Monica's vital signs were weak and once in a while she dozed off to a light sleep. Whatever was causing her to be so ill had to be discovered soon.