Written by: CI and KP

The next three months passed by increasingly slow for all of the angels, and still, Monica's relationship with the Father kept dwindling and Kevin wasn't sure if before too long, it would ever be repaired. His Irish friend had been so silent the last couple of weeks, and every time he saw her, she seemed to have dropped even more weight, and her shoulder-length auburn hair was now trailing down her back once more like it used to be. Her brown eyes had sunken in and all the life seemed to have disappeared from them.

Early that Friday morning, though, Kevin wasn't surprised when the Irish angel had announced to all of them that she needed some time alone to herself. And away from the cabin. Although his heart hurt that she didn't want to be around them, he understood where she was coming from and so, the youngest caseworker decided to not object as she packed her bags and left for the beach house for who knew how long.

Now, with a sigh, the caseworker slumped down on the living room couch and stretched out on the sofa, only looking up when he saw Carla take a seat next to him,

"Do you think that was a good idea to let her go by herself?" The little blond angel asked quietly, squating beside him.

"No," Kevin replied sullenly, looking into her eyes,

"I think it was a terrible idea. Have you looked at her lately?" His voice dropped to a whisper,

"She looks terrible, Carla…"

"I know," She replied softly, tears in her eyes,

"I'm so worried about her…she was doing better for a few days and then something caused it to all come crashing down again and we don't even know what it was."

Kevin was silent for a long moment before he decided to voice what he was feeling,

"I don't think we're ever going to see her again, Carla," He uttered, tears in his eyes.

"Kevin, don't say that! Don't even think it!" She cried out, feeling wetness springing to her own eyes at his words.

"I can't help thinking it, Carla!" Kevin cried back, his voice choked with tears as he looked at his blond friend,

"What else am I supposed to think right now? I'm losing my two closest friends, and I may never see them again...Ever!"

"Baby, calm down," Tess' voice sounded in the doorway to the kitchen, and both younger angels looked up in time to see she, Rose and Philip walking in, sad looks on all their faces,

"Please, just take nice deep breaths, baby..." Seeing the fresh tears springing to the youngest angel's eyes, Tess took a seat on the couch next to Kevin and cradled him in her arms,

"It's all right, Kevin, it's all right..."

"I'm sorry for feeling this way, but it's the truth," He gasped out through sobs, burying his face in Tess' shoulder,

"We may never see Andrew again, and Monica...she looks so horrible now, and things don't look good for her..."

Silence filled the living room and the only sounds that were made were those of the soft sobbing of Kevin and Tess' soothing voice. Just as the youngest angel was starting to calm himself down some, a bright light appeared in the living room and Carla squinted her eyes as she looked towards it. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she glanced worriedly over to Rose and Philip, and saw the same look of confusion on their faces.

Finally, after the light had started to dim a bit, Carla lowered her hands and just about gasped out loud as she saw the one she never thought she would see again. The one they were just talking about was now standing in the living room, a surprised look on his face as he looked around.

Andrew.

"Angel Boy?" Rose uttered, unable to believe what she was seeing as she felt frozen where she was standing.

"Rose…" He said softly, love filling his eyes as he realized that the Father had brought him back to them,

"It's really me, Rose. It's really me."

A sob escaped her as she grabbed hold of him, hugging him tightly to her as she felt him wrap his arms around her in return and hold her just as tightly,

"Oh my sweet Angel Boy…I've missed you so much…we've all missed you so much…"

"Rose, you have no idea how much I've missed all of you," He whispered, kissing the side of her head as his eyes traveled to his other friends. Concern filled his eyes, noticing that Kevin hadn't even noticed he was here as his young charge still clung to Tess, sobbing brokenly.

Finally forcing himself to pull away from Rose, although he didn't want to just yet, the younger angel's eyes shone with love as he met her eyes briefly and nodded his head. Seeing that Carla was still kneeling down on the ground next to the couch, shock evident on her pretty face, Andrew made his way over to her and shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't bite, Carla..."

Coming out of the transe that she was in, Carla choked on a sob as she pushed herself up from the floor and threw her arms around her older friend, hugging him as tightly as she could,

"I can't believe it's really you...I can't believe it's really you..."

Wrapping his arms around her waist tightly, Andrew rocked her back and forth as he kissed the top of her head,

"I've missed you so, so much, Carla...I really have."

"We've missed you too," She sobbed softly against his shoulder,

"It was unbearable, Andrew…"

"But it's over now," He whispered to her reassuringly before squeezing her tightly one more time before turning to Tess, who still had Kevin in her arms,

"Tess…" He uttered softly, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"Baby…my dear Angel Boy…it is so good to have you back," She told him, tears making their way down her face.

"It's good to be back, Tess," He replied, feeling Philip's hand on his shoulder. Looking at his friend, he saw him nod towards Kevin and knowing greeting Philip properly could wait for a moment, the blond angel laid his hand on Kevin's head,

"Kev?"

Wordlessly, Kevin wrapped his arms around his supervisor for the first time in 18 long months as sobs continued to wrack through his body, a mixture of joy and disbelief as well as fear over his other angelic friend.

"I've got you, Wonder Boy," Andrew whispered, tears in his own eyes as he held his charge tightly, unable to believe himself this was happening,

"It's all over now, Kevin…it's all over…"

"I didn't…I didn't get to tell you…that I loved you…" Kevin sobbed, never letting go of his friend and supervisor.

"I always knew, Kevin…I always knew," Andrew replied through tears as he closed his eyes briefly.

"I missed you...so much...I missed you so much, Andrew..." The youngest caseworker choked out, only tightening his hold on his older friend,

"We didn't think we'd ever...see you again..."

"I wasn't so sure myself, kiddo," Andrew whispered, the tears falling freely down his face as he moved from where he was kneeling so that he could sit down next to Kevin, his arms still wrapped around his youngest charge,

"It's okay now, Kev; it's okay now..."

"I'm so happy you're back..." He managed to continue through his sobs,

"This past year and a half...they've been horrible without you..."

"I know," The supervisor replied in a whisper as his hand gently rubbed his friend's back, trying to calm him down as best he could, although he too was in disbelief that this was happening,

"I've missed you all horribly..."

"We love you so much, Angel Boy," Tess spoke up from his other side and, still holding onto Kevin, Andrew turned his head to look at his former supervisor as she wrapped her arms tightly around him again as well,

"Baby boy, we just love you so much, and have missed you...it just was not the same..."

"Nothing was the same," Rose uttered softly, kneeling in front of him and resting her hands on his knees, feeling Andrew cover one of her hands with his own.

"It's so good to have you back," Philip said with a smile and he leaned down to hug his friend.

"But where have you been, baby?" Tess asked him softly, giving his hand a squeeze,
"Monica said you weren't at Home or she would know…"

Hearing the voice of the Father drifting down to his heart, he replied softly,
"I was with the Father, but not exactly Home. When the truck hit me that day, the damage to my human form was extensive…" Hearing a small sob escape Kevin, Andrew drew the young angel who was like a son to him closer,
"Instead of allowing me to suffer, He sent Adam and Henry for me, but I wasn't taken Home, but someplace else…"

"Your Angel Girl told us that you appeared in her dreams, sweetheart," Rose spoke softly, her hands still on her younger friend's knees,

"Were you?"

"Yeah, I was..." He replied with a soft sigh, his mind now foccused on his dearest friend,

"I talked to her every night after she fell asleep; she wasn't going crazy."

"She missed you more then any of us combined, baby," Tess replied with a heavy sigh, giving his hand a squeeze,

"Do you know of anything that has happened the last three months?"

Andrew nodded his head, even as he continued to hold Kevin, who's sobs were slowly starting to diminish,

"The Father told me before I returned. He-He said that...I was allowed to come back here, but until my Angel Girl becomes right with Him again, I can't see her...I have to stay here until He gives me the word..."

Kevin's head shot up at those words, fear in his dark eyes,

"Andrew…you have to be able to see her! She's not doing well at all and I'm afraid for her…we all are!"

"Kev, believe me, I know," His supervisor replied, forcing back tears,

"And no one wants me to be able to go to her more than I do, but I've trusted the Father for well over a year now, and I can't stop now. I'm afraid for her too, but she needs God even more than she needs me and as soon as she realizes that, I can be with her, but not before."

"So you know about everything then?" Carla asked quietly,

"About her trying to end her existence?"

"Yeah, Carla, I do," He whispered sadly, lowering his head,

"I know the toll this has taken on her and…and things are about to get worse tonight," Feeling the questioning silence around him, he drew in a deep breath and added,

"As I'm back, there will be no more dreams."

"There's no way you can go to her, even in her dreams?" Kevin asked in astonishment, watching as his friend shook his head sadly, the tears finally starting to brim over.

"No...I'm not in angelic form anymore; I'm back as a human again, and I no longer have that special privilage to see her that way until she comes clean with God," The older angel replied with another heavy sigh,

"I want to more then anything, Kev; I want to hold her so badly, but right now, I'm not allowed to. She has to learn to trust Him all over again, and until that happens..." He stopped talking with a shrug of his shoulders before lowering his head to his lap.

"Oh my babies," Tess shook her head sadly as she wrapped her arms around her Angel Boy in another hug,

"I'm sorry this has to happen, Angel Boy, but we're praying with you, baby."

"Sometimes things have to get their darkest for someone to see the Light," Rose offered softly, tears in her own eyes, both of joy and sorrow,

"And it seems that things are about to get pretty dark for one little angel."

Startling everyone, Kevin rose to his feet, fresh tears welling up in his eyes,

"I need a little air," He muttered shakily. Despite the fact that his heart was practically bursting with joy at having his friend and supervisor back at long last, he couldn't help but to be upset with this news.

Watching him go out the front door quickly, Philip sighed softly as he looked into Andrew's eyes,

"He's become very protective of Monica, Andrew. He grieved so hard for you and then turned part of that energy into helping her however he could, depending on what she would allow. It's been a long and painful 18 months for everyone."

"I know," Andrew replied, worry thick in his voice as he gently pulled away from his friends and rose to his feet,

"And I'm not about to let Kevin stay out there alone. Not now..." Glancing down at his friends, he excused himself,

"Excuse me."

Making his way out onto the patio, Andrew closed the door behind him and immediately felt the cool morning air and under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed it, as he hadn't felt it in almost 2 years. Noticing Kevin swinging softly on the swing, the supervisor took a seat next to him,

"I know you're upset about this arrangement, Kev...So am I."

"I'm really happy you're back, Simba, I am..." The youngest angel replied, his voice quiet and choked up,

"We almost lost you for good; and now we may lose Cupcake for good. She needs you so much right now, and I don't know how she's going to come to the Father if she no longer dreams about you; she's going to give up all hope after tonight..."

"I'm worried too, Kevin, though I understand the Father's reasoning. Hopefully when I am no longer there for her, she'll have to turn to Him, as there is no where else to turn," Andrew replied, wrapping his arm around his charge's shoulders and trying to keep his voice steady, despite the fact that he was more heart broken and concerned than he wanted to let on right now.

"You know how stubborn she is," Kevin whispered sadly,

"And she looks awful, Simba…she doesn't care anymore if she eats or if she sleeps and now she's all alone…"

"She's not alone, Wonder Boy and that is what she has to realize," He replied shakily, drawing in a deep breath. Looking into his younger friend's eyes, he managed a smile,

"Thank you for taking care of her for me. I know you looked out for her the last 18 months and that you two have grown closer. You have no idea how much that means to me, Kevin."

Wrapping his arms around his older friend again and hugging him tightly, Kevin blinked back more tears as he whispered softly,

"I wanted to make you proud of me, Andrew..."

"Kev, since when did you think I wasn't proud of you?" Andrew replied in shock, hugging his charge tightly to him,

"You know I've always been proud of you-"

"But I've been an idiot and a jerk to you plenty of times, Simba...by picking fights with Cupcake, and being stubborn; I wanted to do something that would show you that I'm going to be a better charge." The tears started making their way down the youngest angel's face as he spoke.

Grasping his charge's shoulders and pulling away from him gently, Andrew looked straight into his eyes and said firmly,

"Kevin, I could not have asked for any better charges then you or Monica. My life has only gotten better with you two around every day of my existence, you know? I love you both so much, and I always will; and I'm always proud of you, not just for taking care of Monica while I was away, but just for being you."

"Tell me she's going to be all right, Andrew…" Kevin whispered looking into his supervisor's green eyes,

"We finally got you back and I just need to know that Cupcake is going to be okay too."

Andrew was quiet for a moment before he hugged his charge tightly and uttered,

"God is with her…and hopefully soon, I will be too."

CI and KP