Jessica, Chrissy and Monica ate their dinner as quietly as it had always been. Jessica gulped down her food as Chrissy poked at it. Monica, again, felt very out of place. Monica couldn't imagine how dinnertime must have been before Monica showed up. Was Jessica always yelling across the table? Of course, she had already done that a few times since Monica arrived. Monica wondered how any mother could be so cruel and so abusive. She wasn't a mother, but she was an angel with a caring spirit and couldn't understand how a mother, or any human being, could be so selfish and so cruel to a child. Especially a child who was so polite and so friendly. Monica just loved Chrissy and wished she would be happy. She wished she would stop cutting. She wished that Jessica would be a better mother, but she knew Jessica wasn't her assignment. Chrissy was, and so she had to think about Chrissy.

Dinner ended with Jessica standing up and putting on her coat and grabbing her keys as usual. She stormed out the door, yelling about how the house had better be clean when she got home, or else. Once Jessica was out the door, Monica looked at Chrissy over the table, who still wasn't looking up.

"Chrissy, what's the matter? Have I done something wrong?" Monica asked. Chrissy looked up and shook her head.

"No." She said quietly, and returned to poking her food.

"Well, you seem really quiet. Does this have anything to do with last night?" Monica asked again, as she began clearing her plate from the table. Chrissy sighed and looked away.

"You shouldn't have walked in on me, Monica. You shouldn't have seen that." She said in a low voice. She crossed her arms. Monica didn't get the impression that she was angry, although that was the vibe she was trying to send off. Monica knew Chrissy was embarrassed and ashamed, but Monica wasn't about to give up.

"I told you Chrissy. I don't think of you any differently. You're still a wonderful human being who is polite and fun to be with. You don't have to worry. I am not going to tell anyone and I'm not going to judge you. That's not my job." She told Chrissy. Chrissy sighed, but nodded, and she stood to clear her plate as well.

Once the dishes were done, Chrissy shyly asked Monica if she could make up to her by playing a game of checkers. Monica smiled and accepted and they set up the board in the living room, after Chrissy cleared away Jessica's empty beer bottles, turning red.

They were in the middle of their fourth game, when Monica thought she heard a noise, but ignored it, figuring it was just the neighbours. She enjoyed watching Chrissy, who was smiling and giggling when she beat Monica. Monica laughed with her, enjoying how Chrissy's eyes lit up when they were together. As Chrissy began to set up the board for their fifth game, Monica felt that feeling in the pit of her stomach again. It was stronger than ever, and she knew that God was warning her. Something's going to happen right now, isn't it Father? Monica began to worry as she heard another noise. There was no time to do anything, as the front door swung open, and Jessica stormed in.

"I forgot my-" Jessica stopped in her tracks when she saw Monica and Chrissy jump up from the floor. There was no hiding it. Jessica had already seen the checkers board and knew that Monica and Chrissy had been playing. Jessica's face twisted in a way that Chrissy had never seen before. Monica could smell the alcohol on Jessica from far away, and knew she had been heavily drinking. Monica prayed for strength, not just for her, but especially for Chrissy.

"What is going on here?" Jessica screamed, as she threw her keys to the side of the room. She barged in further, as Chrissy backed up.

"I-I-I, well, m-mom, I-I w-was j-j-just-" Chrissy couldn't find the words. Her brown eyes were wide open, and Monica could see the horrible fear behind those eyes. Monica watched as Jessica continued to yell.

"I told you to stay away from Monica! I told you not to talk to Monica! You go behind my back and do it anyway! You're a disobedient little brat! I can't stand you! You're absolutely horrible! I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!" Jessica began closing in on Chrissy, who had started to cry. She started to back up, but hit the wall. There was nowhere to go. She knew she would have to endure her mother's beating, but she was frightened. She knew this would be worse than any beating she had ever received. Her mother was different tonight. She had been drinking heavily, and the mixture of the alcohol and rage turned her into a monster.

Jessica grabbed Chrissy's hair and smashed her head into the wall. Chrissy screamed from pain, but Jessica only pressed her hand roughly over her daughter's mouth to shut her up.

"You think that's painful? That's just the beginning. You'll regret ever crossing me!" Jessica yelled, as she was about to do it again, but Monica grabbed Jessica's arm, stopping her. Monica's angelic touch was stronger than Jessica, as she pulled her away.

"And you! I told you to stay away from my daughter, and you didn't! Get out of my way! This is my daughter, and I will do with her what I please!" Jessica screamed as she turned to Chrissy again. Monica grabbed Chrissy in her arms and held the crying girl.

"Stay away from her, Jessica. You can't hurt her anymore." Monica said with a sense of authority in her voice. Jessica laughed out loud.

"Who's going to stop me? You? I don't think so, get out of my way!" Jessica threw her fist back to punch Monica. Chrissy screamed as Jessica's fist came forward quickly. Monica gently put her hand forward, and the punch was suddenly blocked, as if an imaginary force field was blocking her and Chrissy. Jessica looked stunned, as she tried to grab Chrissy, but was repelled by something. Jessica looked up and Monica stared at Jessica with convicting eyes.

"This is the end, Jessica. You've hurt your daughter too much." Monica had begun to cry, but there was still anger in her voice. "Do you hear those sirens? The neighbours have heard Chrissy's screams and called the police. They will find you and they will charge you with abuse. They will take you where you can never hurt your little girl again." Jessica whirled around when she heard the sirens. She turned and faced Monica, who was still holding the young girl in her arms, and she shook her head.

"I didn't do anything. Chrissy, you don't say a word, got it? When the police asked you what happened, you'd better lie, or else I-" Monica stopped her.

"No, Jessica. You will not! Chrissy is safe now, she's protected by God." Monica said quietly. Jessica shook her head again, and as the sirens got closer, she made her way to the door, and made a run for it.

Chrissy was crying, but didn't know what to say. She had seen the miracle that had just taken place. Monica, who was much smaller than her mother, had just protected her from her mother's abuse. Something had blocked her, but what. Monica let Chrissy out of the embrace and looked at her.

"Are you okay? How's your head?" Monica asked, as tears began to fill her own eyes. Chrissy sniffled and looked at the front door.

"W-what's going on? H-how did you stop her? I-I, I mean, I-I thought she was going to k-kill me." She cried. Monica nodded.

"I know, but she didn't. God sent me to protect you tonight. I'm an angel, Chrissy, sent by God." A glow filled the room, and Chrissy noticed it was coming from Monica.