Chapter Twenty-One- Angels on Earth

Early the next morning Eric and Annie met Sgt. Michaels at the hospital like he asked them to the night before. He sat down with his two closest friends outside Jennifer's room.

"I asked you both here so that I could tell you myself what will happen to Jennifer now. I know you must have wanted to know the answer to that for awhile now." His eyes met Eric's solemnly.

"There are no foster homes or even a girl's shelter near Glen Oak that would be able to take her. We found a home for wayward girls in Kyleton that said they would take her."

"Kyleton! That's almost 3 hours from here!" Annie could not mask her astonishment.

"That's why I wanted to tell you both now. I thought that maybe Eric would be able to find someone to take her in closer to here, so she wouldn't have to leave the people who love her." Sgt. Michaels replied, speaking the complete truth.

"Have you told her about all of this?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I told her this morning. She was pretty upset about it, but she believes that you and Annie will find a way for her to stay."

"We will. I'll do whatever it takes." Eric smiled and stood, shaking hands with his good friend.

"Well, I need to get back to work. I'll check in on her tomorrow. Talk to you both later."

Annie and Eric said goodbye, then went and spoke with Jennifer's doctor. He told them that Jen's surgery on her leg would be done two days from now if the girl's health did not decline. He added, "She's one tough girl, I'm amazed by her quick recovery."

As they drove home, the two barley spoke. As Eric and Annie walked into the kitchen they saw Matt, Ruthie and Lucy all walk in.

"Hey Mom, Dad. We were just leaving to go sit with Jennifer. Is everything all right?" Ruthie said, reading her parents contemplative faces.

"Everything's fine Ruthie. Just be sure you guys don't wear her out. Simon's still not going huh?" Eric asked.

"No, we tried. I wish he would just go." Matt said, frowning.

"I know, but we can't force him. Drive safe." Annie added, patting her eldest child on the back.

"We will." The three of them left, leaving the kitchen feeling empty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eric and Annie were no closer to solving the problem with Jen as they crawled into bed that night. They were both thinking the same thing, but neither wanted to bring it up.

"Annie I..."

"Eric I..."

"You go." Annie said. Eric frowned.

"I just don't see any other way to solve this. I don't think any of us would feel right if Jennifer were 3 hours away from here. She belongs in Glen Oak. She has friends here, almost like family. She adjusted to the school here. I can only think of one way to keep her here but I don't know if..." Annie covered his mouth.
"Shhh. I know what you're thinking Reverend Camden, and I agree with you." She smiled, looking at him.

"I knew there was some reason I married you." He added, kissing her quickly on the lips before they drifted off to sleep, letting the formalities of their new plan wait another day.

~Chapter Twenty-One- Angels on Earth

Early the next morning Eric and Annie met Sgt. Michaels at the hospital like he asked them to the night before. He sat down with his two closest friends outside Jennifer's room.

"I asked you both here so that I could tell you myself what will happen to Jennifer now. I know you must have wanted to know the answer to that for awhile now." His eyes met Eric's solemnly.

"There are no foster homes or even a girl's shelter near Glen Oak that would be able to take her. We found a home for wayward girls in Kyleton that said they would take her."

"Kyleton! That's almost 3 hours from here!" Annie could not mask her astonishment.

"That's why I wanted to tell you both now. I thought that maybe Eric would be able to find someone to take her in closer to here, so she wouldn't have to leave the people who love her." Sgt. Michaels replied, speaking the complete truth.

"Have you told her about all of this?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I told her this morning. She was pretty upset about it, but she believes that you and Annie will find a way for her to stay."

"We will. I'll do whatever it takes." Eric smiled and stood, shaking hands with his good friend.

"Well, I need to get back to work. I'll check in on her tomorrow. Talk to you both later."

Annie and Eric said goodbye, then went and spoke with Jennifer's doctor. He told them that Jen's surgery on her leg would be done two days from now if the girl's health did not decline. He added, "She's one tough girl, I'm amazed by her quick recovery."

As they drove home, the two barley spoke. As Eric and Annie walked into the kitchen they saw Matt, Ruthie and Lucy all walk in.

"Hey Mom, Dad. We were just leaving to go sit with Jennifer. Is everything all right?" Ruthie said, reading her parents contemplative faces.

"Everything's fine Ruthie. Just be sure you guys don't wear her out. Simon's still not going huh?" Eric asked.

"No, we tried. I wish he would just go." Matt said, frowning.

"I know, but we can't force him. Drive safe." Annie added, patting her eldest child on the back.

"We will." The three of them left, leaving the kitchen feeling empty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eric and Annie were no closer to solving the problem with Jen as they crawled into bed that night. They were both thinking the same thing, but neither wanted to bring it up.

"Annie I..."

"Eric I..."

"You go." Annie said. Eric frowned.

"I just don't see any other way to solve this. I don't think any of us would feel right if Jennifer were 3 hours away from here. She belongs in Glen Oak. She has friends here, almost like family. She adjusted to the school here. I can only think of one way to keep her here but I don't know if..." Annie covered his mouth.
"Shhh. I know what you're thinking Reverend Camden, and I agree with you." She smiled, looking at him.

"I knew there was some reason I married you." He added, kissing her quickly on the lips before they drifted off to sleep, letting the formalities of their new plan wait another day.

*************************************************************************** Review guys!!! I thought this chapter was a pretty good filler, and you guys should be able to figure the Camden's plan out if you know me at all ;) Again thanks to my loyal fans Steph, Megan, Alyssa and Doyles-Always. I'm almost done!!!