Author's Note - Most of you who read my fiction religiously won't be used to this type of story. This is one of my more romantic/dramatized stories. Yes, Ana does really write romance. Yes, I enjoy romance. If you don't like it, that's fine, just click back. If you enjoy it, you can always drop me a note. I love that. If you hate it, drop me one, too, and I'll tell you where you can really stick it! *lol* Enjoy.

Prologue: Home

Anael's eyes fluttered as a bright light invaded her eyes. She squinted at the brilliance of it all. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt to look directly into the light. Nevertheless, she felt so groggy as she rubbed her grainy eyes. "Anael, awaken, let's go," a soft voice called to her.

The voice echoed against her surroundings, reverberating softly against the quiet room. Anael felt her head pound with intensity as she sat up. She shook her head; her long blonde curls settling softly behind her shoulders. She looked around, trying to identify the voice. The room was all white and glowed with a calming essence. The smell of floral fragrances invaded her nostrils, beckoning her to indulge in the delight.

"Where am I?" Anael called out softly.

A bright glowing light appeared before her, shadowing the other objects. It was a small circular ball of burning white embers. The glow scared her as she managed to stand. She looked down at her clothing in shock. Nothing seemed right. A pair of bright white flares were hanging upon her hips and a bright white tank top encircling her bosom. How could she possibly have changed clothing and where was she?

"Hello? Please, this isn't funny!" she beckoned, her voice quivering with fear.

"Do not be afraid," a voice called out quietly. The velvet voice called to her and filled her soul. She felt a gentle stroke of power across her back, easing her tense shoulders.

"I'm not afraid," Anael frowned.

"You are."

"Where am I?" Anael repeated.

"You're here, Anael."

"How did you know my name?" Anael cried with suspicion. Her body tensed as she circled the room, trying to find the source of her apprehension. Her eyes blinked back tears of anger and fear. Something seemed so strange about this place. Something wasn't right.

"I know your name, because you are my child."

"Your child? No! I am not your child!"

"You have always been My child."

"Please, tell me where I am!" Anael begged.

"You are here, Anael."

"Here? Where is here?"

"You're home," the voice called again.

"This isn't my home," Anael argued with frustration.

"This is now your home."

The voice seemed to smile.

"THIS ISN'T HOME!"

"Yes, it is."

"What home?"

"The home of God."

Anael gasped for reassurance as she began her trek to the pearly gates. The gates were a good quarter mile away from her favorite cloud. She jumped down from the cloud and onto the sidewalks as she hurried along. Each sidewalk was a dazzling gold color, crafted out of the finest golden bricks. As she passed each person, they smiled and greeted her. Anael smiled back, offering her hellos and gentle nods.

However, she quickly picked up her pace. Gabriel held no patience for wasting time. He was a busy angel, always buzzing about Heaven with wings of fury. Anael was practically envied when Gabriel offered to spend some time with her. He held a special place in his kindred heart for Anael. They would have made the perfect team if it weren't for their vastly different personalities. Anael was a calm and well-oriented person -- always enjoying the small things of life. Gabriel absolutely loathed her decisions of spending days lying within the soft clouds.

"WHOA!" a voice called out as Anael smacked into a large form. It felt like a brick wall. She gasped, hoping it wasn't one of God's high-up-the-list men. She knew how much trouble she would be in for hurting a man of authority. She peeled herself away from the form and came face to face with a familiar face. Anael hid her disapproval -- it was Christian. His light blue eyes were hinting with humor. Anael groaned -- Christian had a passion for her. She tried to steer away of him, but all things were inevitable in God's house.

"Hello, Christian." Anael offered a small smile.

"Hello, Wind Angel."

"That's getting a little tiring, Christian."

"It's your God given name," Christian protested, "and I happen to think it suits you well, my dear. You are a gift of loveliness."

Anael blushed as Christian raked his eyes over her body. She wore a pair of white flares that clung perfectly to her shapely tan legs. Her tank top fit her body tightly too, and ended near her bellybutton. Her well-toned stomach peeked out against the sparkling jewels of paradise. She wore a silver cowboy hat atop her light golden curls. Her sapphire eyes were always sparkling with warmth. Christian flattered her way too much.

"Stop, Christian!" Anael moaned.

"But I have to compliment you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes I do, you're so beautiful--"

"Christian, I'm sorry! But I don't have time to sit here and argue." Anael made the move to get around Christian. However, Christian wouldn't see to such a thing. He extended his silver wings, making it impossible for Anael to get by him. She looked up at him with frustration. It was obvious that Gabriel would kill her again for the delay. Anael curled her fists as she dropped her hands to her sides.

He grabbed her wrist. "Please just speak with me."

"Christian! I am late!" Anael protested loudly, uncurling his fingers from her wrist. She rubbed her temples with impatience. She couldn't believe that one man could make her life in Heaven impossibly wretched. She took a deep breath, knowing that at any given point Gabriel would become furious with her.

"For what?"

"I don't know, that's why I have to go see Gabe!"

"You're fooling," Christian answered with a smile.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"ANAEL LOURDES WHERE ON HEAVENS DOORSTEP ARE YOU?!" Gabriel's voice trembled. Anael jumped with fear. She knew what it was like to get Gabriel mad at her. She had done it once before, but only to the point where she had spilled some of the Holy Water. Gabriel eventually cooled down...after a year.

"Man! Gabe's going to kill me!" Anael squealed as she ducked under Christian's massive wing span. Christian frowned as he watched her run down the sidewalk with speeding fury. She waved goodbye to him, picking up her pace. If she had wings it would be so much easier to get there, but for now, she had to rely on her legs.

*~*~*

"I'm here! Don't kill me again!" Anael squealed as she burst into the courtroom. She saw Gabriel, head of the council, sitting at the head of the large table. Surrounding him were Mark, Paul, John, Christopher, and Thomas. Each of these men was one of God's Highest Angels. They took the task of delivering God's messages and orders for the Guardian Angels. Anael winced as she gazed upon Gabriel's tired face. His light blue eyes were toiled with fury and pity. Anael prayed that God would spare her from Gabriel's wrath.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I started running here when you yelled for me, Gabe. Brea can even tell you that much! She was laughing at me, and I told her I had to come see you! However, then I bumped into this huge wall, and I realized it was Christian. He started talking to me -- oh boy! Christian wouldn't let me go and I tried to get away, but he wouldn't listen. I'm really sorry!" Anael rambled as her hands flew to produce a more efficient effect to her story.

"It's okay, Anael," Mark chuckled, holding his hands up for her to stop. Anael closed her mouth quickly. Mark laughed again and pointed to the seat at the end of the table. "We know all your troubles, we were watching. Christian really does need a talk with us, but we'll worry about that later. Today, you are here."

"If it's about the Holy Water, I swear I didn't drop any more!" Anael whispered as she sunk into her leather chair. It felt so nice and comfortable as her body slipped down farther. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She began to wonder if she could possibly shrink into the size of a pea and escape their wraths. Paul, John, Christopher, and Thomas exchanged wry grins. "Okay! Okay! So I spilled one little drop onto the Bible, but it blessed it again, right?"

"That's not why you're here, Anael," Thomas laughed.

"Oh, it's not?" Anael breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that you're finally here," Gabriel answered. He gave her a stern glare. He was the only man on the council that didn't seem to have a sense of humor. Anael always wondered what could make him so uptight. Then she figured that if she were helping God to run the entire Heavens, she would be a little cranky too. Gabriel loathed lateness and thought patience was the most important virtue in an angel. She held her breath as he settled into his large chair. "Do you have any idea to as why we asked you here?"

"Not at all," Anael answered.

"It's far better than the Holy Water incident, I assure you," Mark teased.

"I already apologized about that!" Anael moaned.

"We know, Anael. You're here for a grand purpose today! We're going to be discussing your first mission," Gabriel replied.

"My what?" Anael's sapphire eyes lit up like Heaven's skies.

John laughed and repeated, "Your mission."

"Really? You mean it!" Anael felt the excitement rush to her body. One thing about Heaven that was the greatest -- God allowed those in Heaven to still feel and live with the senses of the world. The only sense Anael hardly felt was pain, though. No pain was allowed in Heaven. Tears were to be left at the Pearly Gates' entrance.

"Yes, dear." Paul nodded enthusiastically. "You are to be our new Guardian Angel. Not everyone is suited for these jobs, but Anael, you absolutely glow. There's something about you. The reason we didn't use you earlier is because you had just arrived. We might have done severe damage to your soul if we had thrown you right into your destined work."

"I understand." Anael nodded, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"But it has been a year since your death," Gabriel continued, pulling out a file from his side of the desk. "So, God feels your stay is complete and you are ready to begin. He really wanted you to be a part of His group. If you work out, you'll be seeing more than just God's brightest stars." Gabriel offered a small smile. "I'm very proud to say that God has specifically chosen you for this particular assignment."

"Really?"

"It's a very high honor," Thomas agreed.

"Do I get details?"

"Everything is in this folder. You leave within the morning. Gabriel will fill you in on the nitty-gritty before he sends you back to Earth. There you will be supplied with a new identity and everything you need to survive," Paul explained as Gabriel handed her the folder.

"Thank you!" Anael gushed.

"I suppose Brea Martinez will be here to wish you off?" Thomas suspected.

"Yes!" Anael laughed. Brea was her best friend after all.

"Then we'll appoint her as your advisor. If you need her help, we'll give you a way to contact her. It'll be safer since it's your first time out. Congratulations, Anael, and give Brea the information on the case," Mark applauded.

"Thank you so much!"

Anael practically raced back to her dorm room with the cheerful news. Anael had not found it hard to get used to the realities of Heaven. Heaven was pretty much shaped like Earth, only it held extra advantages for each generation that arrived. Everything was clean and had a fresh scent to it. No one worried about disadvantages, because everyone was treated equally. No pain or hate flowed throughout the Heavens. Everyone knew everyone else, and was loved. No one worried about cleaning or other grueling chores. Heaven was a time of rest and purity.

Heaven was divided and shaped like several towns with each person's own living quarters. Teenagers would live in the dorms while they waited for someone else from their family to join them, or if they had no one else. The elderly had their own section away from the nosiness of teenagers' music and parties. The children were brought under the loving care of specific angels, keeping the children from being scared or lonely. Anael usually helped out there whenever she had a chance - after all - she had been attending classes to become a Guardian.

Anael let the images of her home fade as she raced up the stairs of her dorm. She couldn't wait to tell Brea the good news. She was so excited that everyone leapt out of her way as she ran up the stairs of her dorm room. She apologized briefly, but continued her mad dash. The others just laughed, knowing Anael had some sort of good news, but Anael couldn't bother to share with them. She had to get to Brea.

Luckily, she shared her room with Brea. Both girls loved the colors blue and purple. Therefore, they decided to decorate the dorm with that fashion. Brea's side was mostly covered with blue, some small splashes of purple. Brea's personality was wilder than Anael, and held the most resent fashion design. Anael had her side mixed with a large amount of lavender purple and a fair amount of blue. Anael had settled with the classic themes and gentleness she loved about the country.

Brea was already in the room, luckily. The older teen was sprawled out on the girls' thick white carpet. She was lazily thumbing through the latest issue of Seventeen. The girls still received magazines in Heaven, so they could continue to be updated. God even allowed His Angels to dress in the appropriate fashions as long as it was white. Anael was thankful for that.

"Hey, Anael, what's happening? Gabriel condemn you to Hell yet?" Brea joked as Anael threw herself onto the giant waterbed of her own. Anael felt delight course down her body as she beamed a smile at Brea. She began to bounce on her bed with anticipation of the news. Brea raised her dark eyebrows in curiousity. "Well, he couldn't have sent you to Hell, no one could be THAT happy about Hell!"

"NO!"

"Oh, before I forget! Joanna called us. She said you're supposed to meet her at six for your evaluation. To make sure you're okay on the one year anniversary of your death. It's common practice up here. She calls everyone on the day of his or her death... They tell their story, then they're fine," Brea told Anael quickly.

"That doesn't matter!" Anael grinned.

"What happened? Christian ask you out on a date?" Brea teased.

Anael made a face, "I would rather kiss the Devil's butt."

"I'll talk to Gabe."

"Brea!" Anael complained. Brea always had a way of changing the subject. "I have really important news and all you do is keep teasing me! That's not very nice! I have to tell someone before I burst! This news is so important that it's going to blow the silver feathers off your wings!"

"What is it?" Brea laughed.

"I'm going to be a Guardian!" Anael finally burst.

Brea's jaw dropped open, "What?!"

"God finally picked me!" Anael screamed, jumping off her waterbed and falling onto the plush carpet with Brea. She thrust the folder out to Brea for proof. Brea's dark eyes widened with surprise again. "I can't believe it! I really thought Gabe was going to nail me to a cross! But God wants me! You're going to be my look-out and I get to go back to Earth! Gabe said so!"

"Dude, I'm all for it!" Brea squealed. "Who did you get?"

"I don't know! I ran all the way back here just to tell you!"

"Well! Open it, girlie!" Brea shouted. Anael grinned incessantly as she opened the golden folder. The folder sprayed bright light around the room as Anael gently slid the silver papers from their folder. She quickly scanned over them and noticed the photo of her lost soul. Anael was quite taken by the photograph.

The man was definitely one of a kind. He was a rebel from the outside to the inside. He wore his black hair in short spikes, tipped with fire red coloring. His ears contained several piercings, along with his chin. Sunglasses hid his eyes from the world, as if he contained a secret. He pointed his fingers out toward the person of the photograph, tempting the viewers. A devilish smirk flashed against the photograph. He was handsome.

"He's a rock star..." Anael murmured, glancing at the information.

Brea groaned with jealousy, "How come you get the good guys!"

"He's not good," Anael groaned back, shaking her head. "He's into drugs, sex, gambling, booze, everything that God basically doesn't want His people to do. My goodness, this man is bad news! Everything in the Ten Commandments and beyond the Ten Commandments -- this man has broken every single one of them!"

"Ouch, how come Big Guy gave you such a tough one?"

"I don't know," Anael sighed heavily. She thrust the papers back into her folder. Brea immediately jumped up from the carpet. Anael stood up and placed the folder in her backpack. She sighed again as she threw the backpack onto her shoulders. Anael said nothing more as she walked toward the door. Brea grunted with frustration at Anael's quietness.

"Where are you going?" Brea inquired.

"Library, I have to look up some stuff. I get shipped off at twelve tonight. You going to be there for me?" Anael asked hopefully. None of her family had died recently. Only her distant family remained in Heaven, and she spoke with them occasionally, but it provided nothing to her aching heart. Everyone in her immediate family was still living on Heaven without her. The only person she had was her best friend, Brea.

"Sure, Babe. I wouldn't miss this even if God offered me a chance to date His Son!" Brea joked.

"Thanks!" Anael answered with a heartfelt smile. She slipped out of the bedroom unannounced and unnoticed. She sighed again as she hurried down to the library. God never made mistakes, and Anael knew that much. However, there was an unsettling nature within her heart. God had chosen her for a good reason, but she just wished she knew what it was.

Anael shook with nervousness as she stood behind the blazing pearly gates. In a few moments, she would be shipped back to Earth to help a lost soul. Her mind began to second-guess her abilities. Did she really have the energy and knowledge to save another? Was she so sure of herself that she could help another? Did she want to really provide help?

While Anael’s mind toiled with doubtful possibilities, Brea acted as if it was nothing but Anael knew better. The job was a lot harder than it sounded, especially when the person was extremely stuck in his devilish ways. The man was as stubborn as a mule. He would fight the entire way, Anael knew that much. She continued to pray to God that He would guide her through this mission and help her. Without God’s love, she would fail.

“You behave while you’re down there. God doesn’t want you there for a party. You have a job to do, remember that,” Brea teased as she hugged Anael tightly. Gabriel was hurriedly scribbling some last minute accommodations for Anael when she arrived to Earth. It was approaching her departure time. Brea smiled mischievously. “Remember, I’m always a rub away on your locket. Then as soon as you give it a rub, I’ll appear. Got that right?”

“Yes m’am,” Anael answered nervously.

“You’ll be fine,” Gabriel insisted with a dismissal wave of his hand. He gave a gentle nod, noting that Anael’s hands were shaking terribly. “Do you want the details on the case? Or am I just supposed to send you down to Earth without a clue?” Gabriel’s eyes seemed lighter than usual. Anael began to wonder if he ever smiled. “Your lost soul is named Alexander James McLean. He works for a group called the Backstreet Boys.”

“Gabey, I think she read all this in the folder�“”

“Brea, do you want to be warmed up by a very full oven?” Gabriel threatened, although Anael noticed the glimmer of mischief in his eyes. Brea made the sign of the cross and stepped back, her silver wings folded over her body. Anael rolled her eyes, seeing that only Brea’s face showing. “Anyway, you’re aliases is going to be your middle name, Grace-Anne Lupe. You’ll be Mr. McLean’s band manager. I assume that you’ve already studied your role and know what is expected?”

“Yes, sir,” Anael mumbled as she nodded.

“Remember that we’ll be periodically checking in with you. I can’t watch you all the time, but I will have direct contact with you when I decide so. As will Brea. Just remember that you have God on your side. And I’ve given you the power for God’s divine touch. It creates one miracle for whatever you desire. It only works once and is open for emergencies only. Got that?”

“Yes.”

“Stop drilling her!” Brea smirked as Gabriel gave her another dark look. Brea rolled her eyes, waving her hands for Gabriel to step back. He did so and signaled for the Guardian Angel to open the massive gates. “She’s checked the hand book, she knows she’s the band manager and she knows that she’s working for a foxy man in need of some Godly coaching. Let her go now!”

“Any other questions?” Gabriel asked, ignoring Brea.

“Oh! I forgot to meet with Joanna!” Anael groaned as she slapped her forehead. Brea winced as a red mark appeared against Anael’s delicate skin. Anael ignored the pain and glanced up at Brea with fear, knowing that Joanna hated when her clients missed appointments. It was her first check�“up since her death. She had to go! It was a must. “What will I tell Joanna? I had to be there!”

“It’s okay! She’ll understand,” Gabriel chuckled, admiring Anael’s sensitive nature.

“Seriously?”

“You’re on God’s mission, she’s not allowed to object.”

“That’s true...” Anael answered as she chewed on her bottom lip hesitantly.

“Any other questions?”

“How am I going to fit into their whole scene? I mean �“ have you arranged that they’ll know exactly who I am?” Anael asked, still curious to how she was going to fit in. She never understood that part of the task. Her divine teachings might get in the way of the social rocker atmosphere. She wondered if they’d even accept her as she was.

“Their last manager was fired because Mr. McLean didn’t get what he wanted from her. So, God has arranged for you to take her place. They have your résumé and know you‘re coming. They‘re just setting up for another tour, so you‘ll meet them at the first venue and take it from there. So, everything is planned for you.”

“Thank goodness!”

“Are you okay now, Anael?”

“I’m Grace�“Anne from Raleigh, North Carolina, silly!” Anael answered, slipping into her southern accent. She had been raised there and still had her thick accent when she forgot to cover it. It was a sweet touch to her heavenly attitude. She gave a smile as Gabriel laughed again.

“You’re ready! You’ll be dropped off in the exact location of the venue, in the style of clothing Brea picked out. Thankfully, she has taste. Thomas had the last girl and she looked like a wreck. But when you come back you’ll have your beautiful wings.”

“I can’t wait for that.”

“Neither can anyone else.” Brea smiled. “Have fun, Anael!”

“Thank you!”

“Good luck!” Gabriel answered as he opened the gates.

A/N - I know that many of my readers are aware of my views on swearing, but I do still use it. Sometimes swearing is an effective way to put out the style and personality of a character. I apologize for the course use of language skills, but it is needed to represent my character. Again, I am sorry, but please realize it's a reality of the world.

CHAPTER - THE WELCOME WAGON

Anael moaned wearily as she shook her long blonde curls out. She felt so strange. She stood up, feeling light-headed. She couldn’t remember where she was. Wearily, she gazed about the town. She was laying in a sleek black Mercedes, a cell phone gripped tightly in her hand. Anael pulled herself up into a sitting position, admiring the white leather interior of her car. She smiled to herself, fingering the silver cross that dangled against her swan-like neck. Giant palm trees swayed in the Floridian breeze, gracefully protecting Anael’s sweet skin.

Anael took a deep breath and glanced around her, everything washed over her at once. Her mission began to ring clear within her ears. Anael’s heart jumped as she felt the hot Floridian weather glaring down on her milky white skin. She now realized that she was late for an important meeting. Her cell phone began to cry shrilly against the fading sounds of cars. She remembered the band was raised in Orlando, Florida. She gave a sigh and glanced downward, it was apparent that Brea selected her outfit.

Anael wore a pair of tight fitting faded blue jeans that clung to her like a second skin. Holes were worn in at the knees and the suede tan belt was frayed. Her hair was tossed into a sleek ponytail as the soft blonde curls cascaded down her back. A pair of CK sunglasses covered her beautiful sapphire eyes. Her shirt was hemmed to above her belly button and colored a soft white with sparkles splashed onto the fabric. Her left shoulder was bare as the shirt only covered her right shoulder blade.

“I’m really ready for work,” Anael muttered with sarcasm as she brushed herself off and grabbed her backpack that contained all the needed information. She glanced upward at the large venue, feeling quite intimidated. A shiver of fear raced down her spine. This was it �“ the mission awaited her. She needed to help this man find God before Lucifer took control. Anael pulled her shoulders back and breezed into the front of the venue with a superior attitude.

Anael watched as the band was preparing on the stage. She heard the loud beats of the music as they danced. She eyed each boy, placing a name to each face. The tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, twenty-one year old, was Nick Carter. The short, Latin decent man, who was twenty-eight years old, was Howie Dorough. The eldest man of the group was tall, muscular, with emerald green eyes, he was already thirty and his name was Kevin Richardson. Then the shorter, bleach blond boy was Brian Littrell at age twenty-seven. Her mission who was nicknamed AJ was the same as his picture and twenty-three years old.

Anael glanced up and came face to face with her mission. He was throwing an angry fit at the moment for some stupid mistake. Anael felt God’s presence surround her as she started to walk toward the front of the stage. He gave her the air of confidence that she needed. She silently thanked Him. She then focused on the task at hand. She observed that Nick had done something wrong in routine, which set AJ �“ Alexander James McLean �“ off. Anael felt hesitant about approaching the situation as AJ pushed Nick onto the ground. Instantly, AJ began to throw the chairs around as he shouted profanities.

“That’s enough, Mr. McLean!” Anael found herself barking as she rushed to Nick’s defense. She already felt a protective side soar through her. Brea had always told Anael that she would feel worried about others in the fallen angel’s path. It was just part of the territory, and Anael had been the eldest in her family. Nick looked nervous and almost seemed to fear for his life. Kevin sighed heavily as Brian and Howie eyed Anael with curiosity. Anael reached down to help Nick to his feet. She grabbed a tissue from her back pocket and applied it to Nick’s cut lip.

“What the Hell?!” AJ screamed as he pitched a chair downward toward Anael. She jumped back as the chair clattered a few inches away from her feet. Her breath caught against her throat. She hadn’t expected that the outrageous attitude would be directed at her. She didn’t imagine she needed to fear for her life until that moment. Anael felt her chest tighten with a small amount of fear. He didn’t even know her and he was chucking things in her direction? Who did he think he was?

“Who the Hell are you?! And what the fuck do you want?!” AJ roared.

“AJ, stop it!” Kevin barked as he threw AJ down into a chair to maintain his wild behavior. AJ thrashed about in the chair as Kevin degraded him in front of the new woman. Howie sighed unhappily as he watched Anael gingerly help Nick. She became very aware of her surroundings as she stood next to Brian and Nick. “Can’t you act your age for just once?” Kevin complained.

“Get off me!” AJ growled.

“No need to restrain him,” Anael answered with her southern accent thick. Brian’s eyebrows raised in curiosity. “He’s just gonna be harder to deal with than all y’all. He’ll get used to a girl runnin’ the show sooner or lata. Know what I mean?”

“I take it you’re not from Florida?” Brian asked, voicing his thoughts.

“No, sir, Raleigh, North Carolina!” Anael answered as she beamed a smile. She held her hand out to Brian. He took it into both his hands, shaking it vigorously. Anael laughed softly, knowing Brian must have been the most energetic of the five. “Grace�“Anne Lupe, y’all have a new manager!”

“Promise not to fire this one?” Kevin asked AJ under his breath.

“Get the hell off me!” AJ roared.

“Mr. Richardson?” Anael asked as she stuck her hand out to him. Kevin smiled and stood up. AJ burst from his chair and brushed his baggy pants off. He gave Kevin a dark glare. AJ looked highly irritated. Kevin ignored the look and shook Anael’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise!” Kevin smiled, “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you. I hear you have very good credentials. I’m just thankful that we managed to snag you away from everyone else. I’m glad to have someone with your talent on board. You‘ll definitely keep us focused. And if AJ gives you any crap, give one of us the low-down, we‘ll talk to him!”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay,” Anael chuckled as she outstretched her hand to AJ. “I’m sorry that I burst into your practice unexpected. But, hello. Would you like me to call you AJ, Mr. McLean? Alexander?” Alex? What?”

“I would like you to get the hell out of my face!” AJ growled as he shoved her hard. Anael went back a few steps as AJ jumped off the stage and burst out of the doors. Anael rubbed her chest, which actually hurt! Anael had to remind herself that she was back at Earth. Pain had always been here on Earth. There were no exceptions for celestial bodies. She didn’t think AJ would be that much trouble to actually hit someone he didn’t even know.

“Are you okay?” Howie burst as he watched Anael remove her sunglasses. She looked dazed as Howie gently placed his hand on her shoulder. He took great care in helping her to her feet. Nick looked sorrowful as he continued to hold the tissue to his lip. “Miss Lupe? Are you all right?”

“Oh, please call me Grace�“Anne!” Anael sighed as she took a deep breath. The truth of her voyage remained startling. She couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t be able to fix AJ with a simple wave of her hand. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t a miracle worker. These things took time. Sadly, Anael was getting second thoughts. She wondered if someone more experienced should have gone on this job instead of her.

“Did he hurt you?” Brian asked urgently, fearing that they would lose their new manager due to one band member's attitude problem. This manager seemed down-to-Earth and someone they all needed. He seemed to see something excitingly new about this woman. Maybe she could change AJ. Brian had enough of AJ’s violent mood swings. He had already broke Nick’s hand from fighting with him. Brian hated hiding AJ’s violent battles with the guys from the fans. Nevertheless, until AJ got help, they were silent to the media.

“I’m fine,” Anael repeated.

“We’re so sorry for AJ. He can be such an ass sometimes,” Kevin growled with disapproval. “He’s been like that ever since he lost his grandmother. Though, when his father tried to invest some time with him, AJ turned away. His father hasn’t been the most faithful, and didn’t invest time into AJ’s life until the money started rolling in Then he leaned on the support of his girlfriend and she ended up leaving him in the cold. We’ve tried to help him, he just doesn’t want it.”

“I understand, hopefully he’ll see his wrong-doings,” Anael accepted.

“We doubt that,” Nick sighed heavily. He was still quite shaken with AJ's actions. He had never felt like AJ might injure his life, but today he felt differently. He reached up and dabbed his bleeding lip with Anael's tissue.

“Anyway, we’re very sorry,” Howie recalled.

“It’s fine,” Anael replied with a small smile.

“I suppose you should have known of AJ’s violent tendencies before you started this job. It must be very surprising to just walk in and find him like that. We’re all very used to it, so we don’t tend to tell many people. We hope you aren’t mad at us,” Brian asked hopefully. Anael watched his warm blue eyes sparkle with hope.

“Not at all. Don’t worry about it. I’ve been through worse, and it’s not a problem. So, why don’t I take y’all for lunch? After all, I am your manager. I must get to know more about you, right?” Anael asked softly.

“If you’re buying!” Nick joked as he watched Anael smile. She was easing into her position smoother than she thought it would be. One rough occurrence, but it was bound to happen. The boys seemed accepting to her, and seemed friendly. She was thankful for that. Now, all she had to do was get AJ to actually stay in the same room as her.

Anael sighed heavily as she folded her legs beneath her, sitting on the soft bed. This second day had been rougher than the first. She was so drained from today’s efforts. AJ hadn’t spoken to her at all, and hadn’t shown up for practice. The boys retired with regret and anger. Everyone seemed to be depressed from AJ’s actions. She had no clue how to get in touch with AJ, either. How could she possibly heal him if she couldn’t even find him? Anael felt like she was already failing, and it was just the first full day of her mission.

On the other hand, the boys had been a tremendous amount of help for her. Each was so easy to talk with and great company. She felt somewhat relieved to have their presence around. They had such quirky attitudes, and it made her grateful. Nick was funny and seemed to be a giant kid at heart. Brian was southern, and despite the obstacle God had given him, used it to his advantage. Kevin was quiet, but extremely fatherly. Howie was sweet and friendly. Each would never know how much they would contribute to their friend’s salvation.

Anael fell back onto her bed, chewing absentmindedly on a strand of flaxen hair. She wore a pair of frog boxers with a white tank top. She stared up at the cream colored ceiling. The plus side of being on this mission was that she had the luxury of what the Rock Star had. She would dine with the best, wear the best, sleep in the best, and be the best. She felt like she was a princess living in an alternative world.

She felt her eyes growing heavy, but there was a sharp tap on her door to awaken her. Groaning softly at the eruption, Anael stood up and grabbed her fuzzy robe. She draped it over her shoulders as her soft feet sunk into the thick carpet. She scurried to the large door, opening it gently. She felt her jaw drop open in surprise as she met with a man in sunglasses. “Howdy, Mr. McLean,” she greeted, not hiding the surprise in her voice.

“Miss Lupe.” AJ nodded with approval. He glanced at her clothing as a wry smirk grew on his face. Anael could tell that he was eying her with a hungered passion. On an instinct, she reached up and covered her body with the robe. She cinched the robe tighter against her body with the belt. It was thick and warm, covering her figure entirely. AJ frowned, finally glancing at her eyes. “Kevin told me to come over here and say some shit about me being sorry,” he told her bluntly.

“And are you sorry?” Anael asked, swallowing her surprise.

“Nope, not really,” he stated with arrogant honesty.

“How kind of you,” Anael replied with cruel sarcasm.

“Anything to get the fucking hairy monkey off my damn back,” AJ snorted as he stood in front of her. He felt his features soften for a small moment when Anael winced. Something about her made him tingle. He couldn’t help but be captivated by her beauty. She was from the south, but her skin held a peaches-and-cream coloring, almost a soft white. Her eyes were the color of the sky on a clear day, almost like an indigo blue. There was a playful glimmer in her eyes and perfect white smile. This certain spark drew everyone into her aura. Her soft blonde curls bounced on her shoulders and rested with a silky texture. She was about an inch shorter than AJ with soft curves caressing her body, making her a picture of God’s best art.

“Kevin didn’t seem that bad to me,” Anael replied politely.

“He’s a dick in a cunt’s clothing.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” AJ chuckled. He glanced at her for a moment, steadying his eyes. He had just come back from the local bar. He figured a nice drink would calm him down, but that drink turned into about seven. His stomach churned for a moment. He suppressed a large bubble of gas forming in his throat. His posture swayed a little. “What’s your name again?”

“Grace-Anne.”

“Can I call you Grace-Anne?”

“If you want.”

“Great, call me AJ.”

“Fine.”

“God,” AJ suddenly murmured. He let a pocket of gas explode from his mouth. Anael cringed as she crinkled her nose in distaste. The smell was awful. He was so vulgar. She felt her stomach knot in displeasure.

“Excuse me?” Anael asked, becoming offended at the thought of him using God’s name in vain. God had done so much for AJ that it was unreal. AJ hadn’t even realized how many times God could have turned away, but had loved him regardless. Several times God could have taken AJ’s life, but He refrained from doing so. Anael frowned at AJ, feeling anger well inside her.

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” AJ hiccupped, the alcohol finally taking effect.

“Thanks,” Anael said with a scowl.

“Want to come back to my room for an intimate party?

“No, thank you, I’d like to remember my first night.”

“You’re loss! I could do some fine things with your body. There’s this trick I do with my tongue and it melts all women into a puddle. I could make you scream for pleasure. I know I have that way with women. I am God’s gift to women.”

“No, women were God’s gift to man,” Anael reported.

“Excuse me?” he asked with confusion.

“Read the Bible, there is one in your room.”

“Oh, no! That damn thing props up my bed! It’s a wonder that it supports my wild antics, too! The bed is lopsided from its extra use!” AJ replied to her with a devilish smirk. He wiggled his eyebrows with a seductive effect. He wanted Anael badly at the moment. Usually, his charm had its effect on women, but Anael held strong.

“Guess it won’t be getting much use from me, though,” Anael replied.

“Your loss,” AJ shrugged as he turned to walk away. He turned back to Anael, looking to tell her something. However, before he replied, a group of women squealed. They called his name with a seductive purr. AJ felt himself tingle with appreciation. The women squealed as he waved at them. AJ looked back as they flashed with breasts, with no thought whatsoever to Anael standing there. AJ grinned with delight as he motioned them on. “See you later, Gracie!”

He was gone within moments, pulling the pack of sinful women into his rooms.

Anael slammed her door in utter disgust. She had never felt such anger well in her body before. She felt the tears spring to her eyes with a feeling of depression. Earth had its effect on her. She couldn’t control all the emotions running through her head. AJ had actually suggested a sinful act to her and then he ran to do it with other girls. Anael flung herself onto her bed, the tears dripping down her cheek like a waterfall. This mission wasn’t going to be all sugar and cream.

Anael woke up suddenly in the middle of the night to a bright light shining upon her face. The brightness had awakened her slowly from her peaceful sleep. At first, she batted it away, not wanting to be disturbed by such things. Then, the light continued to grow brighter, almost like a brilliant beam of moonshine. It shone like the sun, forcing Anael to awaken and squint. She sat up when it reached a brilliant blue, wincing at the powerful nature.

Anael whimpered as she sat up, rubbing her grainy eyes. She had fallen asleep crying for what was the third day of her mission. AJ had continued to make catcalls at her and be rude. His obnoxious behavior was getting the best of her. She loathed his arrogance, and detested his sexual innuendos. The boys had tried to apologize, but nothing could make up for AJ’s harsh realities. Constantly, she watched him bring women and alcohol into his room. Each morning she would awaken from a woman calling out in pure ecstasy. It was unbearable at times. Lucifer’s presence was all too real. It made her heart ache with pain that she had never felt before.

“Girl! I swear you sleep like a bear!” a voice yelled at her, growling with displeasure. Anael focused her eyes to gaze upon Brea’s soft image in the circular light. Anael’s face lit into a giant smile. She scrambled to the end of the bed where the sphere of light radiated. She was so glad to see someone familiar. “Girl! How are you?” Brea laughed, her image gently lapping like rivulets in a silent pond.

“Haven’t you been watching?” Anael questioned the ball of light. She needed no formalities with Brea. The two were too close in heart and soul to make casual greetings. Anael knew that Brea was trying to soften the blows of reality, but it was hopeless. Anael was in trouble, and Brea could sense that. Brea and Anael had a link that no other angels in the Heavens had.

“Every day, but I figured I could hear it from your own lips. It’s like watching my favorite Soap Opera. This stuff is completely crazy! You poor kid! I tried talking to Gabe about helping you out, but he won’t loosen up. He said that Big Guy picked you especially for this one. No ifs, ands, or buts!”

“Brea, he won’t even open up to me!”

“I disagree on that account,” Brea snickered.

“Care to clarify?”

“Those sexual innuendos are pretty open!”

“That wasn’t funny,” Anael scolded with a blush flushing her cheeks.

“You know I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

“Besides, Gabe would kill me for actually accepting them!” Anael spat back. She was annoyed by the amused expression on Brea’s face. Anael had thoughts about wiping the catty smirk upon her friend’s face. There was nothing funny about Anael wanting to succeed with this mission. Brea already had her wings, and was certified to help every person on Earth. Anael was going on a trial basis. It just wasn’t fair that her first assignment was so difficult. She felt her heart pound while Brea turned serious. “What if I can’t do it, Brea?”

“Some missions are longer than others.”

“But three days�“”

“My first one didn’t open up until the sixth week.”

“Did God get angry?”

“No, because the ending was more profitable than getting mad.”

“Oh,” Anael replied softly. She gazed down at her hands which lay folded in her lap. She was so disappointed in herself. There were so many things to do to help AJ, but he wouldn’t budge. Her goals were slowly cracking against the pressure of the raging rivers. She wanted some sort of relief, but only found more complications.

“Anael, don’t get all huffy!” Brea scolded with a gentle laugh. Anael gazed into the ball, feeling somewhat relieved at the serious expression Brea held. “Honey, God waited a long time before He sent His son to the Earth. He can wait a little while longer for you to bring Mr. McLean back from the pits of Hell. He understands what you are going through. After all, He has millions of people on this Earth butting heads with Him constantly. At least AJ’s knows you exist. God is always watching you. Gabriel says that God is mighty proud of you. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“Yes, Brea.”

“Keep your chin up, okay?” Brea called as the light started to dim with a small flicker.

“Wait! You’re leaving me already?” Anael asked with frustration. The corners of her mouth drooped into a pitiful frown. “We haven’t even talked for a moment’s time! There’s so much I need to ask you!”

“Gabe didn’t even want me to give you a light!” Brea exclaimed. “I had to work even harder just to get him to let me do this. He’s such a pain in the rear-end! He wanted you to survive on your own for the first week. I don’t think he wants us to have any contact with you. You have to be someone they really expect to succeed in this job!”

“Brea, this isn’t�“”

“Be good, okay?” Brea called as her voice became faint.

“I’m always good!”

“Anael, we believe in you.”

“I just hope that I can believe in me, too,” Anael whispered as she was surrounded by darkness again.

*~*~*

AJ watched as Brian tried to teach Anael one of the new dance steps they had just learned. It was their break time, and Brian always socialized with Anael at this time. AJ was surprised to say the least. Anael was a good learner, but AJ thought that Brian was wasting his time. Anael was a manager, not a dancer. He scoffed as he gulped down some of the harder liquor he kept in his water bottle. He loved the way the boys just cringed at him when he opened the bottle. They knew he had a problem, but never stepped up to admit the fact. So, AJ just continued in his destructive habits. He hadn’t a worry in the world. He felt like he could live forever. Nothing was stopping him from doing what he wanted.

“Brian! No!” Anael laughed as he did a back flip with ease. AJ watched her sapphire eyes grow wide with appreciation. He found himself drawn to her melodic laugh. Her southern voice sounded like thick golden honey. The way she tossed her thick blonde curls from side to side made AJ yearn for something more. AJ even found the way she bit her bottom lip with her teeth when she was nervous enticing. There was something so enchanting about her.

‘Knock it off, McLean,’ he found himself yelling in his brain. ‘She’s nothing but a righteous girl, and that’s obvious. She’s always wearing white �“ the color of virgins! She probably wouldn’t even wear a mini-skirt without parental supervision. She also probably wears a metal chastity belt under her clothing with a dead bolt lock molded on! The girl is not for you. She’s not a rebel. She would never be your kind! Cut out the mushy shit and get on with some hard-core babes. At least they give out the shit you want!’

AJ found himself laughing as he finally moved away from the back seats of the venue. Anael was nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He made a vow to leave her alone, but not without a catch. He could manipulate her in the way he wanted. He could make her beg for hi, and he would. He vowed at that very instant to make her beg for his body. She would crave for his attention. She would come running to his room at night. Until then, he had plenty of over-aged fans to keep him preoccupied.

“Hello, boys!” AJ called with a chuckle of amusement. He knew that he would be getting his usual lecture from Kevin. He was about an hour late for practice. He took a long drag from his cigarette as he stepped onto the stage. He watched all the guys’ eyes follow his moves. Each frowned with a look of disproval. AJ quickly shrugged it off. He didn’t give a damn about anybody, but himself. They didn’t care what he wanted, either. So why should he bother?

“You’re late,” Kevin told him with a monotone voice. He stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest and a scowl set firmly on his chiseled face. Anael and Brian stopped dancing as they watched AJ give Kevin a look of hilarity. The look only seemed to infuriate Kevin more. “This is our job, Alexander�“”

“And you should respect it like any other job. We have an obligation to these sorts of events. There is no way that you should get to slack off why the rest of us work so hard to maintain our delicate balance,” AJ mimicked in a thick voice. He had memorized Kevin’s lecture word for word. “Damn, Kev. I know this shit already, and what makes you think that the hundredth lecture would actually MAKE me listen?”

“AJ!” Howie barked with frustration. Howie was the most quiet individual within this delicate situation. He didn’t want to step upon any toes, but it was to the point of no return. Howie found his heart aching and his head pounding with disturbance. His heart was drawing a very thin line of acceptance. “You can’t do this. I mean �” you could break up the group with this nonsense.”

“You can’t fire me,” AJ spat. He always found a wedge to drive between him and the boys. It was easier to distance himself from their ways. He didn’t need anyone but himself to survive. He learned that the day his father left. He knew the boys no longer cared about him, so he wouldn’t care for them. He knew the way they worked, and he used it to his own sour advantage.

“But I can,” Anael said, stepping forward and away from the boys. She wanted to make it clear that she had the power in the situation. She finally found a way to take her position. She watched AJ’s eyes grow bright in surprise as he removed his sunglasses with utter shock. He stepped to her, matching her height perfectly. She narrowed her sapphire eyes at him, praying for the reassurance of God. She didn’t know any other way to handle the situation. It was time to fight fire with fire. One step forward, and AJ would take one step back. She just needed God to help her with this fight.

“Excuse me?” AJ asked roughly.

“I can fire you,” Anael repeated.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he scoffed.

“Try me.”

“I think I will. You’re bluffing! I practically make up this whole fucking group! You would fall apart without me! There’s no way that you could survive this shit without my fucking presence! The fans adore me, and you fucking know it. Nick can’t hold up all of their tastes!” AJ spat in complete rage. “I MADE this group what it is! You really want to risk the group’s future on me being late for one damn practice?”

“Yes, it’s a bet I’m willing to make,“ Anael threatened.

“You’re bluffing,” AJ growled. Anael felt her bones quiver with fear as fire burned beneath his dark irises. She could smell the bitter taste of alcohol on his breath. She narrowed her eyes, wanting this to end. She could hear the light breathing of each man behind her, wondering what would happen next. No one dared to step up against AJ, and that was obvious. Anael was placed back onto the Earth’s atmosphere when AJ pushed his chest against her. “Try it, Grace-Anne.”

“You either stay here, or forfeit a concert’s wages for the next month’s worth of concerts. If you still leave, I will cancel the show, disappointing thousands of fans. I will make sure that you are held personally responsible for the shutdown of this concert if you do not stay. The press will know, and your cover will be blown,” Anael said, reaching in and taking her cell phone from her pocket. She flipped it open, immediately letting her delicate fingers rest on the proper buttons. “Your call, Mr. McLean.”

Everything went completely silent. Anael could feel the tension thicken heavily within the room. Nick’s eyes shifted between the two opponents. Howie took a sharp intake of breath. Kevin was prepared to leap to the defense of Anael if it came to that. Anael’s stomach twirled with anticipation as her and AJ’s eyes met. He slowly opened his mouth as if to speak. Anael waited.

“Shut the fucking phone,” AJ hissed.

“Are you staying here?” she asked with surprise. She saw a small dent appear in his armor of anger and hate. Something had changed when she threatened him. Anael noted that money held a certain essence above AJ’s head. She found it amusing that he was so frightened of loosing money. It would probably be the only way to communicate with him for a while. She figured with a little coaxing, she might be able to get him to come to her.

“Why do you care?” he sneered.

“Because you are a part of this team.”

“To Hell with you.”

“Are you staying?” she asked again, ignoring his bold maneuver.

“What the fuck do you think?”

“I always said it was your move, Mr. McLean,” she replied sweetly.

“Fuck off, Miss High�“and�“Mighty,” AJ answered, walking back to the back of the stage. His shoulder briskly connected with hers, pushing her slightly off balance. Anael maintained her stance. AJ muttered a string of curses as he climbed onto the stage. He slammed his water bottle on the table and prepared to start his dance rehearsal. Anael’s body flushed with relief as the boys each shot her a look of pride. No one had been able to control AJ that way. She smiled, waving at them as she jumped down from the stage. The boys eagerly scurried to their dancing positions.

‘My wings are coming,’ she thought to herself with a glorified smile.

Anael hummed her favorite hymn as she put away some of her clothing into the suitcase that had been sent with her. God never forgot anything when He sent someone on a mission. Anael felt grateful as she continued to hum ‘Amazing Grace.’ Her smile grew wider as she remembered the affectionate moments of her Great-Grandmother singing the hymn when hushing Anael to sleep. Anael sighed softly, the tour was taking her to South Carolina for a few days. She never had a chance to view each state personally when she was alive, but now was her chance. She found it exciting that God gave her such a mission to fulfill the dreams she never had a chance to complete.

“Grace�“Anne?” a voice called at her door. Anael brushed away the clouds of her dreams and focused on her mission. She ran over to the door and opened it. She looked to see Brian standing in front of her. She gave a giant smile as he reached out to huge her. Brian was one of God’s favorite people. Anael knew that Brian would do great things in his life, and that he would succeed at most. God had given Brian another chance during his childhood, and Brian always made sure to give everything back to Him.

“Hello, Brian!” Anael greeted with her usual southern accent. She had grown up in North Carolina before God had taken her home. She sighed with a small puff of air. She found it odd that she had to use some of the same facts that associated with her previous life. She wondered why God would allow something like that. What would happen if someone found her out? She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to focus back on Brian. “What can I help ya with?”

“I just wanted to know if we could talk?” he asked quite shyly. Anael smiled, opening her door wider. Brian’s eyes grew with surprise. His cheeks blushed a firm red. “I don’t have to come in if you don’t want me to�“”

“Brian, I know you’re a good person. I trust you. You can come in to my room. The Lord knows that you’ve done a lot for me to be able to have this room,” Anael laughed as she opened the door wider. Brian gave a weak smile as he stepped into the room.

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” he said softly.

“Nope, I just finished packing. It’s flustering having to pack like this in such a short time. I know I should be used to it, but I guess I never will be,” Anael declared as she offered him a seat in the chair next to her bay window. She loved this room. She wished that they could stay there, but she would find another beautiful place. The Backstreet Boys always stayed in the lap of luxury. She loved her job.

“It is quite hectic,” he agreed, dropping his gaze. Anael hesitated as they drew themselves into an awkward silence. She shifted back to zippering her bag. Brian quickly brought up a new topic. “I’m really sorry about AJ the other week. He gets a little too rowdy at times. We all try to control him, but things don’t work out the way we want. Kevin says we should just wait until he realizes he needs help, because he won’t do anything unless he thinks he needs help. You know?” Brian explained as Anael took two sodas from her mini-fridge.

“I’ve noticed that y’all just make excuses for his behavior,” Anael said quietly as she handed Brian the soda. He glanced down at his hands for a moment. He opened the soda with no words. She watched his facial expression turn to a look of pure pain. There was a deep scenario to AJ’s behavior than she had once expected.

“We’ve tried so many times to help him,” Brian explained with a quiet tone. He looked up. Anael noted the pained tears forming in the corners of his gorgeous sky-blue eyes. He smiled wistfully for a moment. “We thought so many times we could change him. We came up with brilliant plans, but they failed miserably. We’ve all gotten hurt physically and mentally when we tried. So, we just figured when he wanted help, we’d give him help.”

“Isn’t he close to his mother? I would suspect that she would want him to get help. If he were my son, I would force him to get help,” Anael said carefully, fishing for clues to help her along. She wished that God had given her a giant sign to guide her through this mission. He knew the outcome anyway.

“His mother has no clue,” Brian said as they sat on the couch in her living room.

“No clue?” Anael asked with surprise.

“He hides it from her, so she’s clueless. If we told her, he’d probably kill us.” Anael searched Brian’s face for a hint of sarcasm or comedy �“ but his face was full of seriousness. She could see that he was truly terrified of AJ’s mood swings and attitudes. She left the silence break them apart as he gazed about her living room. She watched his eyes transfix on her Bible. “You are Christian?” he asked hopefully.

“In the highest sense!” Anael said with laughter. She was more than just a Christian �“ she was Jesus’ helper, God’s lamb, and the Holy Spirit’s cup. She was more than a Christian �“ she was an angel. She wished she could confess she was more, but settled with letting him know she was just ‘Christian.’

“That’s great,” Brian said, flushing with relief.

“Are you?” she asked, trying to be careful about it. She knew already that Brian was extremely religious. The man was devoted to God. Brea had told Anael to have Brian help her convert AJ, but that was if she got into trouble. Anael knew she could trust Brian. He had a good heart and a loving soul.

“I was raised Christian,” he stated slowly. He narrowed his eyes onto the Bible. Anael watched a smile light up his face. “I’ve never changed. God is there always, and I trust Him more than I trust myself. I would never leave His side, because I would be lost. He sends His love upon me, and I shower in it. I would never stray.”

“You are the greatest Christian I know!”

“I do have my doubts at times,” Brian admitted, frowning at her for a moment. There was no perfect Christian, nor no perfect man. The only man to walk the earth that was perfect was named Jesus. He had walked the earth more than two thousand years ago.

“Yes?” Anael asked with interest.

“But He just kicked me in the butt, and made me believe harder!” Brian answered with an impish smile. His pride swelled as he heard Anael’s beautiful laughter. He gave a soft chuckle as Anael’s sapphire eyes twinkled with amusement. “Do you doubt God?”

“Not sense I died,” she murmured. Brian’s eyes grew wide in surprise. Anael groaned inwardly, knowing she had just blown her cover. She shot a look up to God, apologizing. “Not the literal dying!” she lied with an exclamation in her voice. “I mean when I died and was born again, you know, through baptism? I haven’t doubted God since I was baptized!”

“Oh! For a minute I thought I was talking to a ghost,” Brian joked.

‘Not a ghost �” Brian �” an angel,’ she thought.
*~*~* *~*~*

AJ tightened his grip on the beautiful woman beside him when he heard Anael’s laughter forming in his ears. The woman grunted at his immediate grasping of her. She scooted closer to his body, rubbing against him. AJ groaned, pushing her away slightly. The moment seemed completely trashed. Anael was still getting to him. He couldn’t understand why the girl was so mesmerizing. He wanted to scream every time he was near her, but yet, he wanted to kiss her even more than scream.

“AJ, isn’t that cute?” the woman beside him cooed in his ear.

“What’s cute?” he asked. AJ glanced down at her. Now that he looked at her, she wasn’t as appealing as before his two beers. Her crimson lipstick was spread a little too thickly over her thinning lips. Heavy bags settled under her brown eyes. Her hair was straggly and impossible to deal with. Her body looked like a skeleton from one too many snorts of cocaine.

“Your friends,” she said with a sneer of delight. AJ’s focus settled on the lobby before him. He narrowed his eyes with disgust as Anael’s laughter broke out louder. He was gazing at her and Brian having a discussion in the lobby. His heart stopped when he noticed the two thick Bibles perched on their laps. Anael’s eyes were intensely focused on what Brian was saying. AJ couldn’t help but admit that on some level she was beautiful.

“Oh Lord,” he groaned, rubbing his scratchy eyes. The woman beside him snorted with laughter, disturbing Brian and Anael from their devotionals. Both looked up to see AJ and the woman. Anael’s eyes grew bright with surprise as Brian scowled. AJ sneered back at him, knowing that Brian sensed an invasion of territory.

“Hello, Mr. McLean,” Anael replied coolly at him.

AJ raised his eyebrows in surprise, “We’re already back to Mr. McLean?”

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the woman standing at his arm. AJ noticed the flicker of jealousy in her eyes. AJ felt a devilish smile flicker on his own face as he pulled the woman closer than ever before. She moaned a pleasure of delight as she reached up to nibble his neck. Anael’s eyes began to cast a look of disgust.

“Meet Angie�“”

“AJ, it’s Missy,” the woman snapped.

“Does it matter?” he snickered.

“If you want to be screaming it later, yes!”

“You’re the only one that will be doing the screaming when I�“”

Brian immediately interrupted AJ’s conversation with the woman for Anael’s sake. He could see the distress upon Anael’s face. Anael looked physically sick at the scene before her. Brian knew that Anael deserved better. He narrowed his eyes upon his younger friend. “AJ, don’t you have somewhere to be? Or maybe you have something to do?” Brian stressed, arching his eyebrows.

“Like what?” AJ snorted.

“I know plenty,” the woman cackled.

“AJ, please,” Brian groaned with frustration.

“What the Hell are you two doing that’s so important anyway?” AJ asked, looking directly at Anael. His lips twisted into a deep-set frown.

Her back stiffened with fear as his dark eyes cast upon her. She didn’t know what to do. At first, she wanted to run away, but something held her there. With pride, she granted herself perfect posture. She raised her navy eyes to match AJ’s eyes. “We’re having a Bible Study, would you like to join us?” she asked politely with an air of sophistication.

“Oh God!” AJ chortled with laughter. He squeezed the woman beside him tightly as their laughter rang into the hallways. “The Bible Brigade has descended down upon us to tell us hellish sinners to repent before Armageddon comes to eat us alive!” AJ called with a mock of despair. He got to his knees, reaching his hands towards the skies. His voice rang out down the hallway in a screeching tone: “SAVE ME, GRACE-ANNE! I AM A DAMNED SINNER! LIFE IS HELL! SAVE ME BEFORE THE DEVIL KILLS ME!”

Anael narrowed her eyes. “I don’t find you a bit amusing, Mr. McLean.” Her pride had been damaged severely. She thought that he might actually approach her on the ways of Christ, but he merely threw it in her face. Anael’s heart ached as he rose to his feet and grabbed the woman’s hand.

“We have way better things to do,” AJ decided, grinning handsomely at the woman.

“I suppose,” Brian said with a look of disgust.

“One that will have you calling my name, lover boy,” the woman purred, seizing AJ by the collar of his coat. She pulled him along as he laughed, eagerly following for their night of delights.

Anael watched him disappear down the hallways. She glanced down to have Brian squeeze her hand gently. She glanced up to find him smiling at her. She gave a small smile back. She knew she wasn’t alone, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting AJ smiling at her like that instead of a cheap woman.

AJ grinned as he jumped onto the bar with a beautiful brunette waitress. He never cared what others thought. Some whooped catcalls at the woman, some women screamed his name. AJ grinned wryly. His body was humming with delight from the four margaritas and other liquors that he had consumed during the night. There was no better place to party than the center of Los Angeles. He wished that his friends had come out drinking with him, but they insisted on spending some time with their new manager.

That damn woman.

AJ didn’t see what was so special about her, anyway. His friend flocked over her as if she were God’s Beautiful Angel. Why didn’t they see what he saw? He knew she was gorgeous, but there were plenty of gorgeous women in the cities they visited. She wasn’t the only woman in the world with a pretty smile and nice body. The boys could have easily picked up a more relaxed woman by now. However, they continued to want to know Anael. AJ felt his stomach twist with an unconfirmed emotion. He almost felt ill.

“You are so sexy,” the brunette declared as she grinded her thick body against him. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and continued to press his own body against her. The juices of wild behaviors rattled his brain. His manhood was growing with the thought of having delighted pleasures with this woman later.

“Baby, you don’t know the half of it!” AJ grinned.

“There’s more?” she asked.

“Honey, there’s a lot more!”

“Man of the house tonight!” another man grunted as he raised his drink. AJ glanced around to see everyone raising drinks to him with delight. Some men weaved as their drinks spilled droplets against the coal-colored bar. Everyone was almost as drunk as AJ. The clouds of smoke snaked through his lungs. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the thought of being around these people. He couldn’t have picked a better bar.

“Hey, Party Boy, another drink?” the brunette purred into his ear.

“Another drink, another girl, and another smoke!” he roared with festivities. The group of onlookers cried out with laughter. AJ felt hands sneak up his back and pat him roughly. He couldn’t help the large smile exploding from his face. Everyone was content with the person he was. AJ couldn’t be happier here. He loved the attention he received. No one scrutinized the deeds that he committed. He was a God to them, and that’s what he wanted.

“Another girl?” the woman pouted slightly.

“Sweetheart, don’t worry, I’m taking you home with me,” he answered, leaning in to her. He could smell the musky scent of her cologne. It was a cheap brand, he could tell. He didn’t care, though. A good-looking woman was a good-looking woman. No different in the social classes, although the poorer ones tended to have more wild desires. ‘Fuck, Grace-Anne,’ he thought, and with that, he locked lips with the woman and thrust his tongue into her mouth.

*~*~*

Anael gasped in shock as she stared deeply into the orb of silver lights. Her mind zoned as her face was cast with shadows from the bright lights of her orb. The brightness usually astounded her and caused her to become sick, but she was too keen on AJ’s figure within the lights. God had sent her an orb so she could always watch AJ, and make sure he didn’t get into too much trouble without her present. Right now, Anael felt like she was loosing control.

The heavy billows of smoke clouding around AJ made her sick. Each murky person present had some type of drink in his hand. Rounds of hoots, hollers, grunts, burps, and other mischievous conducts were passed when AJ slammed another burning alcoholic liquid in his throat. More cheers rattled against the orb. She saw him sway with uncertainty in his inebriated state, but a woman caught him, and he reached up and brought her into a passionate embrace.

She felt sick as alcohol was spilled onto another woman’s stomach. AJ leaned down and started to suckle the juices against her soft skin. The slurping sound echoed against Anael’s ears. Anael felt ill as she clutched her stomach. She let the orb fall onto the bed as she continued to watch. She was failing him so badly. Each lick he took from a woman’s body was a step closer to Satan’s gate.

“AJ, just pull away,” Anael whispered into the orb. Hating the sight before her, she wished it away. She took her index finger and made a swirling motion against the tip of the ball. Smoke billowed for a moment, but slowly disappeared. The orb filled with a misty blue coloring. She sighed as she hugged her knees to her chest, staring into the orb. She had now entered AJ’s mind.

‘Look at these people. They just want me to fling a few dollars out of my pockets. They’d scramble for them like starved men scrounge through the garbage. Pathetic. God, I wish someone would like me because of who I am, not how much money I make. Why can’t someone love me? Is there something terribly wrong with me? Do You even care about me, God? Can You ever imagine what I’m feeling? Every time I reach out to You �“ You push me away. Do You have the perfect soul for me? Am I going to Heaven? Am I lost? God, why can’t You help me? Why am I always alone? Do the guys still care about me? Do they hate me? Do You hate me? What does Grace-Anne really think about me? Will she ever learn to like me? God, why am I so lonely?’

She was overwhelmed with what she found within his soul. His physical presence could mislead even the most educated Angel, but his soul could never lie. Anael felt tears prickle at her eyes. He was desperate. He had lost his full faith in God. He didn’t think anyone cared. She sighed heavily as she listened to his inner thoughts. He was so lonely. All he wanted was someone in his life to whisper the actual words of love in his ear.

Anael felt tears slowly trickle down her cheeks after a long moment of contemplation. She had no idea that she was crying for him, but it was natural instincts. She pushed the orb away from her, making the light dim within her room. In a matter of seconds, she was drowned within the darkness of night. She laid her head on her pillow, thinking of AJ. He was so lonely, and craved human love.

Anael was summoned to save this man’s soul, but all she did was listen to his thoughts. She should have been there to console his fears, and promise him God’s love. Instead, she was lying in her bed thinking of the possible outcomes. Anael realized how much she was failing him. Guilt flooded her system as she stared at the ceiling, loosing herself in thought. After hours of tedious thoughts of guilt, she sobbed herself into a dreamless slumber.

Anael yawned softly as she stepped out into the large living room. Her body slowly began to stretch and greet the lovely morning. The boys had rented a condo area from the hotel to stay for the weekend in Tennessee. Delicious smells of gourmet food awaited her in the kitchen. She felt her mouth water. She loved living in the lap of luxury. She thanked God every day for the chance to change a human life and live comfortably. She let her feet sink into the soft carpet as she walked over to retrieve a glass of orange juice.

“Hey, Grace�“Anne,” AJ’s rough voice called out. Anael jumped with surprise, dropping the carton of juice into the sink. A stream of orange juice burst from the top of the carton and dribbled into the chrome sink. She whirled around in utter surprise to find AJ standing inches away from her. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as the smell of alcohol permeated the air.

“Good morning, Mr. McLean,” Anael replied coolly. She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She nervously reached up to twirl a long strand of honey blonde hair between her fingers. She still didn’t know how to react around him. Whatever she did turned out to be wrong. She felt her heart hammer against her chest as she stared at AJ. His eyes were scanning her over, admiring the way her pajamas fit her body. She felt so dirty when he gazed at her like that.

“You should have gone out with me last night,” he whispered, leaning over her. Anael arched her back backward as he pressed his arms firmly against the counter, pinning her within his arms. She felt the sharp edge of the counter press tightly against her back. She held an urge to whimper as his glassy eyes glanced downward. Something was terribly wrong with this image. He had never done anything this extreme before.

AJ was admiring her beautiful body. He swayed from the uneasiness of being drunk. He had one too many drinks the past night. He was man enough to admit it, but Anael looked so beautiful. Her white silk pajama bottoms hugged against her curving hips and tied below her belly button. Her white tank top hugged her upper torso, and ended at her natural waistline. He felt himself grow hard at the sight of her beautiful light honey-colored curls falling around her heart-shaped face.

“Mr. McLean, you are definitely drunk,” Anael called out, startling him from his thoughts. His eyes narrowed sharply at her. Anael took a deep breath, watching him lean closer to her. The smell of alcohol grew stronger than before. Anael’s stomach began to churn in anticipation. She could feel AJ’s hot breath against her neck. “You need to go lay down. You boys have practice at noon this afternoon. That’s only a mere three hours away. Everyone is going to be disappointed if you don’t show up again. I’m going to have to start docking pay. C’mon, AJ! Please! You need to rest!”

“I need you in my room,” he whispered huskily.

“You need to sober up.”

“Come to my room. All women surrender to my touch, you just have to take a chance. I will make you love me, and I will make you feel things you never have felt in your life. I will make you turn into a beautiful woman instead of the Ice Queen,” AJ rasped, pulling her into his arms. She struggled to get away from him as his lips raced down her neck. He continued to slide his hands across her delicate body. Her skin burned with each grope. Her anger soared against her heart. She screamed in frustration, pushing him backward. He stumbled and fell to the soft carpet.

“What do you think you’re doing?! You’re acting like such a jerk! Get your head out of your butt for a moment and realize what you’re doing! You kill brain cells ev’ry time you come home plastered! What you’re doing is wrong. Can’t you see that?” Anael asked with a seething tone of anger in her southern drawl. Her sapphire eyes flashed with hurt and compassion. She trembled with worry as AJ sat there.

“Fuck you,” he hissed.

“You’re hurting everyone around you! Can’t you see that? Nick is terrified that you’re going to die somewhere and he has nightmares about it! Howie hates to talk about it, because he’s embarrassed. Kevin’s mad! Brian prays for you every night! Can’t you see they love you and you don’t need to drink to feel what’s already there?” Anael stressed.

“Fuck all of them. Nick wouldn’t care if I did die in a ditch, because more fans would flock to him. Howie never had the guts to admit anything �“ he’s a fool. Kevin can piss himself as much as he likes �” I could care less. And the whole praying idea? Fuck that! Brian can kiss my ass! God doesn’t need me, and I don’t need Him!” AJ roared. He pushed himself off the floor and snatched the glass from Anael’s hands. He pushed her back into the counter. She winced in fear as he chucked the glass at her head. She felt the air whip by her face as the glass shattered behind her. Fragments of glass flew back at Anael.

“Oh, Lord!” Anael cried out in horror as pain soared against her body.

“Get this straight, woman. Don’t get into my damn business, and don’t ever tell me what I need to fucking do. You don’t need me, and that’s fucking fine. Don’t ruin what I got going. Just because you got a stick stuck up your ass doesn’t mean I have to get rammed up the ass like that, too. I’m not a homo. Got it?” AJ hissed as he turned and stormed into his room.

Anael fell to the floor in shock as his door slammed sharply. She could feel blood trailing down the back of her head. She was about to stand up, but things froze around her. The door that was opening stayed cracked, but nothing else happened. A flash of light entered her eyes. She blinked as she shielded her eyes. A blazing glory of golden wings spread about her. She glanced up to see Gabriel’s kindred face glancing down on her with sorrow.

“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked worriedly. His voice sounded like a faint echo in her soul.

“I’m fine,” she choked. She realized what was going on now. Gabriel had more power than Brea did. If he wanted to speak with her, he could freeze everything around them. Brea had to wait until Anael was alone to send a message through their orbs. She took a deep breath, reaching up to touch her hair. She winced, bringing back her hand to see it tainted with blood. She heard Gabriel make a disgruntled noise of worry. Anael felt tears trail down her burning cheeks. She was so embarrassed.

“You do realize that you are somewhat physically human when you’re on earth, correct?” Gabriel asked, kneeling down before her. Relief flushed through her system as his soft wings enveloped her body in a hug. A fuzzy warmth enveloped her body. She smiled at the feeling. A simple hug could cure everything. She felt touched by Gabriel’s gentle ways. He cared about all His guardian angels. God would be upset if Gabriel didn’t check up on them periodically.

“I guess I sort of did,” Anael said softly.

“Anael, child, you can die here, because that’s what they would expect if something happened to you. We can’t disrupt other human lives; it was God’s rule when giving humans free-will. I try to stop the pain if that happens, but sometimes I can’t get there in time. Please be careful around this man. Direct physical confrontations aren’t going to work with this lost soul. Can you try another approach?”

“What if I call him from a pay phone in Alaska?” Anael asked dryly, rolling her eyes.

“I love your humor,” Gabriel teased, brushing his finger under her chin. She looked up into his kind eyes. His face turned serious. “I know you can do this, Anael. Just keep at it and never let this man get the best of you. For the most part, you got him where you want him. Just realize he’s not as open to God as you are. You’ve got the fight and drive to do this. Don’t let him intimidate you. Alright, sweetheart?”

“I got it, Gabe.”

He groaned loudly, “It’s not Gabe!”

“Sorry,” Anael said with a sorrowful smile.

Gabriel sighed heavily as he stood up. His wing span doubled as the Heavenly lights filtered in around him. The golden wings lit up like the brilliant colors of a setting sun. A small smile thinned Gabriel’s lips. “I’ll make a deal with you, child. The second you come back from this mission with another follower of God, you can call me Gabe.”

Then he was gone.

“Grace�“Anne!” Brian’s voice called out with worry as things melted from their frozen state. Anael looked up in time to see Brian kneeling before her. Worry etched the lines in his tired face. He held her face within the palms of his warm hands. He gave her a worried smile. “What happened? All I heard was a smashing of glass!”

“Mr. McLean and I had a disagreement about practice times,” Anael replied calmly, brushing the glass away from her skin. She winced as more blood began to flow against her skin.

“About practice?” Brian asked in confusion.

“Something of the sort.”

“What happened after that?”

Anael blushed, not wanting to comment on the sexual passes placed upon her. She glanced down at the glass lying about the soft carpet. Her blood had fallen against the beautiful carpet, tainting it. Anael sighed. “He got mad and threw the glass I had gotten for orange juice at me.”

“He threw a glass at you?” Brian asked with anger.

“It didn’t hurt.”

Brian quickly examined her head. He met her eyes with his light blue eyes. Tears seemed to form within them. Anael gave him a soft smile as he pursed his lips in sorrow. Brian’s compassion was overwhelming. “You’re bleeding, Anael. He made you bleed.”

“It’s only a scrape,” Anael defended.

“You have to be careful around him,” Brian chastised. He helped her stand up. He shook his sleepy head with worry as he took her into the bathroom. He sat her down and searched for the first aid kit. She smiled at his kindred spirit unfolding within him. Brian had a genuine concern for her well-being.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Littrell.”

“Grace-Anne, don’t even start that formal crap! I’m on a first name basis with you since our Bible study, remember?” Brian asked with a wry smile. Anael had to chuckle. Brian looked happier once she smiled. He leaned over and began to gather the slivers of glass from her thick curls. He glanced down at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Just do me one favor, Anael. Please make sure you’re not alone with him any longer. He used to be cool to hang around, but it’s different now. He has such a short fuse. Anything can make him angry, and from what time it is, I’m guessing he was drunk?”

“You guessed correctly.”

“He’s a fool, Grace-Anne,” Brian told her quietly, “A dangerous fool.”

Anael was genuinely still afraid of AJ after the experience with the glass. Brian had told Howie, Kevin, and Nick of the incident. Needless to say �“ they were not pleased. Anael found it quite embarrassing when all the boys consoled her about the accident. Everyone kept a closer eye on Anael with her interactions concerning AJ. Anael hated being watched like a hawk, but she enjoyed having company. Brian, Howie, Kevin, and Nick were delightful men. She loved them dearly.

“Boys! We’re canceling practice tonight!” Anael called out excitedly as she ran down the steps of large condo. Her body flushed with large amounts of adrenaline. She squealed in delight, hurrying to find them. They were still in Tennessee until Monday afternoon. Today was Sunday, and Anael had been frustrated that the boys had practice that morning so she could not attend church.

However, during lunch, Anael took a walk to explore her surroundings. She found a large church with a large youth department. Tonight, they were holding a Praise and Worship Concert. Anael couldn’t think of what she had loved more. Church was extremely important to her, and she couldn’t wait to see the praise and worshipped. She had loved the portions of singing praise and worship to God during her church experience. Singing had been her life for the longest time when she was still human.

“Why are you canceling practice?” Howie asked with a wry smile as Anael sat down beside him. She bounced her legs excitedly, causing Howie to laugh. All the boys had grown extremely fond of having Anael as their manager. She was at every practice, and had a musical background. Therefore, she helped them with dance steps, singing, and other parts to making the tour fantastic. Her sweet nature also made it easy to fall in love with her.

“I found something better to do!” she exclaimed with a bright smile.

“She’s up to something,” Kevin chuckled.

“What could be better than practice?” Brian asked sarcastically. Anael gave him a slight glare. He shrugged his shoulders and offered a genuine smile. Anael couldn’t help but laugh. Brian was adorable and very funny. His personality was just charming with the ladies.

“Church!” Anael declared proudly.

“Church?” Nick snorted, “That just means that I’ll be able to sleep more!”

“Nickolas!” Kevin scolded.

“This isn’t just regular church,” Anael explained quickly. She accepted Nick’s reaction. Many preachers had lost the passion for God’s word. If someone found it boring, so be it, but there were other ways to communicate with God. “It’s called Praise and Worship. It’s this huge concert. A band comes in and plays familiar Christian songs, and then everyone can sing along. It’s the greatest thing in the world! Please tell me y’all will come?” She offered a pout.

“Uh-oh, that’s the famous Grace-Anne pout!” Howie declared with fear.

“Please guys? I promise that you won’t be disappointed. You won’t get all hot and sweaty during this time! It’s just time to have fun and celebrate God. Please?” Anael begged quietly. If she didn’t have some source of communication with the outside Christian population, Anael would go crazy. She needed to find God’s people again. AJ had almost destroyed her feeling of united love with God. She needed a release.

“Why wouldn’t we come?” Howie teased.

“Because you guys were complaining earlier,” Anael exclaimed.

“That was just Nick! But, sure, I’d love to go,” Kevin said with a smile.

“I love praise and worship,” Brian replied eagerly.

“I don’t see any harm,” Howie replied.

“Fine!” Nick said, running his hands messily through Anael’s blonde curls.

“Where are we going?” AJ asked as he staggered through the doors. Anael’s nose crinkled as she smelled the odor of alcohol and smoke. She felt sick to her stomach at the smell. The boys lowered their heads in shame as AJ plopped onto the couch. Everyone dreaded announcing their plans to him. He was so critical and negative of Anael’s ideas. “I asked where we’re going,” AJ said as he burped loudly.

“We’re going to a praise and worship concert. It’s going to be so much fun. Are you interested in going with us?” Anael asked with hope.

“You mean a church thing?” he asked with disgust.

“Yes,” Brian announced proudly.

“No thanks,” AJ snickered.

“Why?” Nick questioned with confusion.

“I’m not a homo, so I’m not into the whole loving a big guy thing,” AJ said with a snicker.

Anael’s eyes grew bright with fury. How dare he ruin God’s good name like that? Didn’t he ever take time to read a Bible? Anael leapt up from the couch, unable to keep silent. “How dare you dash the idea of a Man who will be more powerful than you could ever hope to be! You are so closed-minded! If you would open the Bible once in awhile, you would know that God frowns on being homosexual also. But, you must not have a high enough I.Q. to realize that you can read it and find out!” Anael snapped rudely. She felt offended that AJ could believe such nonsense.

“Touchy,” he snorted.

“You are welcome to come with us, but if you think that I’m going to tolerate that, you definitely have a rude awakening coming,” Anael said, storming to her room. She slammed the door shut sharply when she heard the ringing of AJ’s laughter. She fell on the bed with exhaustion, wondering if she would ever really be able to reach him.

*~*~*

“You guys are just a great band!” Anael gushed happily as she stood on the stage during the intermission. She had gotten a wave from the lead guitarist, and he asked her to meet with him. Howie, Brian, Nick, and Kevin were waiting at the front of the stage while Anael talked. She was so enthused that the group, Blinded Glory, was there for teenage Christians. She knew the men in the band had a strong faith, and she wanted to express her thanks to them.

“We’re just glad you’re so into the music,” the drummer, Mike, laughed.

“I love praise and worship. It’s the best type of Christian music out there. I hope you do some of my favorite songs, too, although you’ve already done a lot of them,” Anael laughed, her honey blonde curls bouncing past her shoulders. Her sapphire eyes glowed with warmth, enhancing the intensity of her lovable personality.

“Which ones haven’t we done?” the lead guitarist, Josh, asked.

“Waves of Mercy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Every Move I Make, and a lot of others,” she answered with a faint blush upon her cheeks. Howie, Kevin, Nick, and Brian chuckled as the men in the band seemed to be extremely interested in her. They already knew that she had a fantastic personality.

“If we sing them, will you join us upstage to get the boys interested in singing?” Josh asked pleadingly. He wiggled his dark eyebrows, making Anael laugh with surprise. She hadn’t expected to be invited up. “You have a pretty voice, I could hear you singing with us.”

“I just possibly couldn’t�“”

“Go ahead, Grace-Anne!” Brian whistled.

“You’d make a great addition!” Josh said with a fantastic grin.

“Please!” Mike screeched.

“Can I bring a friend?” Anael asked, submitting to the begging.

“Sure!” the bassist, Edgar, encouraged.

“Great!”

“We’ll start with Every Move I Make. Does that sound good?” Josh asked.

“Brian?” Anael asked.

“Me?” Brian asked with surprise as Anael yanked him up onto the stage. Kevin, Nick, and Howie whistled wildly as Josh eagerly set up a microphone for Brian and Anael. He winked at his band members as Anael whispered something in Brian’s ear. She watched him blush. “Grace-Anne, are you sure you want me up here?”

“Do you want to show God you love Him?”

“Always,” Brian replied as he heard the music gear up.

“Then show Him,” Anael answered, turning to look at Josh. He nodded with a bashful smile. Anael leaned back into the microphone as Brian already began to sing. She found her voice within her soul, and started her own harmony to match Brian. “Every move I make, I make in You/ You make me move, Jesus/ Every breath I take, I breathe in You/ Every step I take, I take in You/ You are my way, Jesus/ Every breath I take, I breathe in you.”

Brian’s eyes grew wide in surprise as Anael sang in his ear. Her voice was so heavenly. She was a siren among the gentle currents of the ocean waves, singing her tune to lonely sailors. Brian was utterly surprised. The softness of her powerful voice moved him. He watched his friends gaze at Anael in awe. Brian continued with the words, falling into a peaceful daydream with her singing. “Waves of mercy. / Waves of grace/ Every where I look I see Your face. / Your love has captured me/ Oh my God, this love, how can it be?”

*~*~*

AJ felt his body tense as he stood in the back of the church. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest. He couldn’t believe that he was actually standing in a church again. Sure, he thanked God for every award that Backstreet Boys had received, but he didn’t mean it. God had abandoned him a long time ago, so AJ abandoned God. The music thrashed against AJ’s heart, making it ache. Hesitantly, AJ reached up to rub his chest where his dark heart was located. He didn’t want to be here, but he remembered who had brought him there �” Anael.

She had torn his soul apart in a matter of weeks. She was intangible to AJ. He could never have her, which drove him insane. She was so gorgeous, yet, untouchable. AJ felt his heart ache as she danced with Brian. Her smile seemed to brighten the entire room. She bumped her hips along with the beat of the music, dancing closer to Brian than imaginable. Brian tightened his arms around Anael’s shoulders, drawing her close to him. Anael gave an affectionate kiss upon Brian’s cheek, causing him to blush. AJ felt his soul grow dark �“ Brian was moving in on his territory.

AJ thought about hitting Brian squarely against the jaw. He felt his fists curl to heavy fists of fury. He was about to run to the center of the stage, but Anael’s voice caught him. He felt his heart lurch as her beautiful voice echoed into his ears. She sang like she was sent straight from Heaven. The soft calling soothed AJ’s angry soul. He slouched against the wall. She had been hiding her gift behind Brian’s singing. Brian’s voice called out in the song: “I will sing to / And worship/ The King who / Is worthy/ I will love and / Adore Him / I will bow down / Before Him / I will sing to / And worship/ the King who / Is worthy/ I will love and / Adore Him/ I will bow down / Before Him.”

During Brian’s slow melody, Anael’s voice burst out with a peppier beat. She swung her hips side to side as she closed her eyes. She held her arms up toward the sky, singing strongly: “He is Lord of Lords/ He is King of Kings/ He is mighty God/ Lord of everything/ He’s Emmanuel/ He’s the Great I Am / He’s my Prince of Peace / Who is the Lamb / He’s the living God/ He’s my saving Grace/ He will reign forever/ He is Ancient of Days/ He is Alpha, Omega, / Beginning and End/ He’s my Savior Messiah/ Redeemer and friend.”

Then Brian and Anael’s voices joined together in beautiful harmony: “He’s my Prince of Peace, and I will live my life for Him.”

AJ felt sick to his stomach as the song ended. Anael squealed with delight and leapt into Brian’s arms. Brian kissed her cheek fiercely and whirled her in a circle. Everyone applauded with delight and amusement. AJ shook his head, feeling the tears start to form in his eyes. He felt the real aching in his heart. He felt like he was in love, but now it was gone. Jealousy raged within his soul as he vowed to show her something. Then, without a second hesitation, AJ walked briskly out the door, turning farther away from God than Anael could ever had dreamed.

“How’d we do?” Howie asked as he ran back toward the changing room where Anael was waiting. She beamed a smile of congratulations. The boys flushed from the compliment represented just on her delicate face. The boys always did great on stage. She hadn’t found a single thing wrong. She was proud that she had the opportunity to see such a great performance. She enjoyed how interactive the boys were with their fans. They always expressed their love and adoration for every single person that got them this far in life.

“Howie, you guys were absolutely fantastic!” Anael squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed as he gave her a gentle squeeze back. She cared nothing about how sweaty each boy was. She gave each other one a tight squeeze, expressing her thanks. The boys appreciated her sweet gestured. “I couldn’t have asked for a better show.”

“I found some flaws,” Nick commented.

“What, Nick?” Kevin asked.

“AJ zoned too much,” Nick sulked as he wiped his face with a hand towel. His shoulders sagged forward. Anael frowned. One boy always found something wrong with the concert. It seemed like they would constantly watch each taping of the show to find something that was wrong. Sometimes they were far too hard on each other. Anael wished they could see how truly magnificent they were as a team.

“Nick, he’s always like that,” Kevin explained.

Anael frowned with a tight nod. She knew what the boys were talking about. It didn’t take long to notice the drastic change in AJ’s persona. She could see the distance in his eyes. He was always zoned during each performance. Too many depressing thoughts clogged his mind as he sang. Anael had tried to clear his mind with some good intentions, but it only seemed to space him even more. He was so lonely, and Anael was lost at what to do.

“It was still a good show,” Anael encouraged.

“You’re always saying that,” Brian joked, kissing her cheek.

“You heighten our egos far too much,” Kevin concluded as Nick ran into the bathroom to shower. They usually spent a good two hours in the changing room before adjourning to the hotel. This is where Anael had her most intimate conversations with each boy. Kevin had talked to her about the death of his father. Howie had mentioned the death of his sister. Nick talked about the various feuds with his too interactive mother. Brian talked about his love of God and his near death experience. AJ said nothing, which was most depressing.

“Nick beat you, guys,” Anael laughed as Brian pulled her down onto the couch. She eagerly awaited the soft velvet of the cushions. Howie and Kevin plopped down on her other side. She had been working too hard, or so they said. Anael felt too pressured, but not from the earthly job, but from the heavenly one. She had gotten nothing accomplished for the Lord, and it frightened her. She had nightmares of the Lord sending her to Satan, because she couldn’t save his lost angel. She wanted to scream and shout, but stopped herself with remembrance of who she was pretending to be.

“Nick always wants the first shower,” Brian declared with a roll of his eyes. He laughed as patted her back.

“He has a fear about other people’s germs in the shower or something,” Howie told her with a smirk.

“He’s obviously a complicated creature,” Anael agreed. All the boys laughed at the irony of her comment. Anael shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Brian. His light blue eyes purged into her soul, and for the millisecond moment �“ Anael feared him. He couldn’t possibly know her true identity, God made sure of those details that would prevent her discovery. She offered a shy smile as he tilted his head in wonder. “What are you thinking, Brian?”

“Thinking about you,” he told her.

“Excuse me?”

“I was thinking about you,” he repeated.

“What?”

“We tell you everything about us. You know Howie irons his pajamas. You know that I bite my nails. You know Kevin takes long baths and sings show-tunes during those intimate baths. You know Nick’s fear of the boogieman eating his toes during the night. Yet, we know nothing about you, Grace-Anne. We’ve obviously all told you our stories, why can’t you tell us yours?” he asked.

“My story?” Anael asked, feeling ill.

“We know that you’re from North Carolina, and you’re extremely southern, but what else has happened to you? What were you like as a child? What quirks make you interesting? What else do you stand for?” Howie asked. She could see the curiousness sparking in the three men’s eyes. They had been pondering her identity for far too long. She knew she was in trouble. Each seemed determined to figure out who she was.

“I stand for me,” she whispered, not really knowing how to explain. She couldn’t go into detail about her life, because she had none. She died when she was one day away from turning eighteen. She had barely even entered her freshman year of college. She was trying to study to be a physician, but she was stopped before she had the chance. High school was barely enough to realize who she was. Anael only thought of herself as nothing but a reflection of the light of God, but they wouldn’t understand.

“What are you?” Kevin asked.

“You’re confusing me,” Anael stated with a nervous laugh.

“What did you study in college?” Brian asked.

“Music, I majored in music,” she lied quickly.

“How did you get to managing tours?” Howie decided to ask next.

“Well, I was always interested in music and I was fairly good with business. My father was in the music business for a long time and he hooked me up with a local band. He promised me if I did well, I would go somewhere in life. I trusted my father. So, I started to manage them through simple tours, and they ended up headlining for another band. That band saw potential, and I shuffled from band to band.”

“All of that from just majoring in music?” Howie asked with an amazed smile.

“Yes.”

“That’s fantastic!” Brian whistled.

“Where’s AJ?” Anael asked quickly, trying to shift the chattering. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep up her charade. She could tell she might get herself into further trouble if the boys asked more questions. She wondered if God would scold her for lying. She bit down on her tongue as the boys narrowed their eyes at her, concentrating on her question.

“I saw him talking to a fan at the side of the stage,” Kevin remembered.

“A fan?” Anael asked.

“She was pretty cute,” Nick commented as he came through the back door, rubbing his spiky locks with a drenched towel.

“Of course you would say that,” Brian drawled with a roll of his eyes.

“A fan?” Anael repeated.

“A fantastic fan!” AJ’s voice echoed through the room. Anael glanced up to see AJ ushering in a young teenage girl into the room. Kevin, Brian, and Howie immediately stood up to shake hands with the youngster. Nick dove into the picture, causing the girl to smile faintly. Anael stood up, but found her knees shaking with worry.

The child looked so familiar to her. The silky texture of the honey blonde curls rippling through the child’s chin length hair reminded Anael of her own hair. The child had a peaches-and-cream complexion, which was fairly similar to the skin-tone of Anael’s family. The child seemed older and wiser than most. The knowledge of the world settled in the child’s light sapphire eyes. She was taller than most children, and her soft sapphire eyes caused a commotion within the boys. She was the exact reflection of a younger Anael.

Anael would have turned away if it weren’t for the small joke Brian made. There was a twinkling sound that erupted from the young girl’s lips. The blush tickled the child’s cheeks. The laugh was what made Anael gasp in recognition. It was surprisingly a distant memory for Anael’s scattered memory. Anael yearned to hear that laugh every day of her mortal life. That was the laugh that Anael tried her hardest to hear when she was in her silly stages of her life. That was her little sister’s laugh.

“Boys, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Celeste Lourde. I met her out on the stage, and decided she was cute enough to be backstage with us,” AJ teased as he pushed Celeste forward. She gave a shy smile as Anael’s body froze in shock. She felt her emotions mix between pleasure, fury, and depression. It was too obvious not to allow her emotions to run rampant. Her little sister whom she hadn’t seen in ages was standing right before her. Celeste had grown so much. Anael could see her mother in her sister’s eyes.

“Hello, Celeste,” Howie greeted.

“Hey, Celeste!” Brian replied with a grin.

“Great to meet you,” Kevin concluded.

“I was hoping to meet all of you,” Celeste answered primly, her voice coated with southern honey. Celeste’s soft blue eyes twinkled with happiness, but lingered with sadness. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. Her soft curls fell down along her shoulders as she bounced her right foot nervously. Anael felt tears threaten to fall, because she did the same thing. Celeste was growing up so fast and Anael hadn’t been there to see any of it. She was her beautiful Celeste.

“You look exactly like our manager,” Howie commented suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Celeste asked as she heard AJ snort.

“I see it, D! Our manager, Grace-Anne, you look exactly like her! It’s way uncanny!” Brian exclaimed, immediately agreeing with Howie. Anael’s cheeks flushed as Brian grabbed her by the arm, making it impossible for her to get away. AJ glared at her with fury as Brian pushed her to the front of the group. Anael’s jaw dropped when she came face to face with her little sister.

Celeste’s soft blue eyes became wide in complete shock as she took in Anael’s essence. The familiar aura surrounding Celeste made the child wince. Anael glanced down at the floor, tugging on her flaxen curls hard. She glanced up to see Celeste still staring at her. Anael’s heart stopped as she finally met the child’s gaze. She blinked back her tears, trying to communicate her professional attitude. “Hello, my name is Grace-Anne Lupe,” Anael replied quite smoothly.

“My name is…” Celeste’s mind froze for a moment. Anael watched her little sister’s eyes fill with tears. The child immediately rubbed the bottom of her eyes, trying to stop the tears. The boys glanced at the two women with confusion. Anael felt like she might cry also. Celeste blinked back her tears, trying to ignore her feelings. She shoved her hands deep into her jean pockets. “I’m s-s-sorry. It’s just…wow… I’m sorry.”

“What’s the matter?” Brian asked softly, feeling sorry for the young girl.

“N-Nothing,” Celeste answered, blushing.

“Are you sure?” Anael finally encouraged.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Celeste concluded. She stared at Anael for a long moment. Her mind was completely clouded with confusion. Celeste felt AJ place his hands warmly on her shoulders. She let her shoulders fall forward as tears rained down her cheeks. “It’s just… Ma’am, you look a lot like my older sister!”

Anael stood there, stunned that Celeste had finally mentioned it. The ironic nature of it all seemed to catch Anael. Her mind went completely blank. She wanted to hug Celeste and tell her that she was right. That Anael really was her sister. However, her body declined the invitation. She stood next to Brian, stiffly erect. She immediately licked her bottom lip, offering a flustered smile. “I’ve never received that type of compliment. I’m sure your sister is�””

“Was,” Celeste corrected painfully.

“Excuse me?” Howie asked in confusion.

“My older sister died a little over a year ago,” Celeste answered, glancing at the floor. The boys went painfully quiet. Anael’s fingers tightened around the silver cross around her neck. Her body began to become clammy with fear and anticipation. Her death was still too raw to talk about. Poor Celeste. Anael wanted to reach out and hug her sister, but she couldn’t. It would blow her entire mission. It was forbidden. Anael bit down on her tongue, forbidding herself the pleasure of comforting Celeste. She watched the tears gather upon Celeste’s honey-dew cheeks. “She wasn’t sick or anything… I…”

“We’re very sorry, Celeste,” Howie communicated, sorrowfully gazing upon the broken child. AJ took this time to wrap his arms tightly around Celeste, pulling her close. Anger broke against Anael’s soul as AJ rubbed her little sister’s back. He dared to touch her. He dared to break the boundaries. Anael bit harder on her tongue until she could taste the metallic residue of her own blood.

“I’m so sorry, Celeste. I didn’t know it’d be that painful for you. Would you like me to take you for something to drink? I can get you a soda and we can go talk. You shouldn’t be alone while you’re crying so feverishly…” AJ cooed, his voice dripping with sweetness. Anael felt physically ill as AJ used his thumbs to brush away her sister’s lonely tears. Anael could already tell what the little rat was thinking. He was going to seduce her baby sister and toy with her emotions. Anael went to reach for Celeste, but AJ’s voice caught her. “Let me heal your hurts, Celeste.”

“Do you want to see a picture of her?” Celeste asked hopefully, stepping out of AJ’s arms. He nodded thoughtfully, causing Anael to swallow down a scream of fury. Celeste was looking for someone to confide in, and AJ was manipulating her. The broken girl reached down into her back pocket, producing a tattered photograph.

“We’d love to see a picture of her,” AJ whispered, rubbing Celeste’s shoulders. Anael took a furious gulp of air, trying to calm down her emotions. One more sly trick from AJ would cause Anael to burst out. She knew the Lord would forsake her, but that was her baby sister! She narrowed her eyes at AJ, hoping he would catch her furious glare. However, he stayed immune. He focused all his attention upon Celeste.

“Here she is,” Celeste murmured, pulling out the tattered photograph. It was folded into four sections. Each side was gently torn from love and affection. Anael adjusted her eyes to another location of the room, not wanting to see the photograph. Celeste’s hands trembled as she revealed the picture. The edges were beginning to turn a pale yellow from its daily use. Celeste’s light eyes brimmed with dangerous tears as she held the photograph for everyone to see.

Anael had to wipe away her own tears when she realized what photograph it was. It was Celeste’s favorite photograph. It was a picture of Anael before her session of senior photographs. Their mother had taken Celeste and Anael out to get their hair done for Anael’s photographs. Anael sat perched in the styling chair, batting her bright sapphire eyes at the camera. Her golden curls were bundled in various clips and combs while the stylist had tried different styles. Anael held her hands against her face, scrunching her nose at the camera. She was beautiful, even in her odd behavior.

“My goodness,” Howie murmured, reflecting the reality of the photograph.

“What?” Celeste asked, trying to wipe away her tears.

“Dear, dear, dear,” Brian blanked.

“That is way uncanny,” Nick agreed.

“Exactly,” Kevin murmured, tapping his bottom lip with his index finger.

“What the Hell are you four shitting about?” AJ blurted with frustration.

“That woman in the picture looks exactly like Anael!” the four screeched in the same manner. Anael jumped at the surprised look on her sister’s face. Celeste’s eyes went wide as she compared Anael with the photograph. A deadly blush crept against Anael’s cheeks. She wanted to reach out and comfort the child, but did nothing.

“What was your sister’s name?” Brian inquired.

“Anael,” Celeste whispered, “She died a year ago…on the day of her birthday.”

“I’m sorry, Celeste,” Brian whispered.

“What is your name?” Celeste asked, glancing at Anael.

“A�”Grace-Anne,” Anael replied with a fluster of emotions.

AJ growled as he snatched the photograph from Celeste’s hands. He glanced at the photograph, and then at Anael. She thought that her heart might stop suddenly. Celeste whimpered, causing AJ to jump out of his trance. He scowled at Anael. “She looks nothing like that photograph!” AJ grunted, thrusting the picture back at Celeste. “Don’t even think about it, darling. I can make you feel better. Do you want to go back to my ro�””

“Leave her alone! She’s only fifteen!” Anael screeched, unable to contain her emotions any longer. Everyone grew deathly quiet.

“How did you know?” Celeste murmured in awe.

“Lucky guess,” Anael lied with a faint blush.

“CELESTE! CHILD! WHERE ARE YOU?” a voice called out loudly against the silence of the room. Anael’s face flushed with relief, recognizing the voice as their mother’s. Celeste’s eyes lit up with surprise. “CELESTE!”

“That’s my mom, I really have to go. Thanks for meeting with me,” Celeste thanked.

“Are you sure you have to go?” AJ frowned.

“It’s her mother, J,” Howie warned.

“Well, let me get your number and I’ll give you our numbers?” AJ suggested. He grabbed her poster and quickly scribbled his name upon it. He then handed it toward the other members. AJ wrapped his arms comfortably around Celeste’s shoulders, leading her to find her mother. The boys signed the poster and hurriedly followed.

Anael stood there in complete silence. She watched as Celeste slipped the aged photograph into her back jean pocket. The soft reminders of Celeste’s light sapphire eyes made Anael’s emotions drown with guilt. The picture concealed in Celeste’s heart was slowly fading like the image on the ripping paper. Anael felt extremely depressed as she imagined herself as the photograph. She was nothing more than an image fading from the world.

The boys frowned as they watched Anael lock herself in her room for the night. It was the day after the meeting with Celeste, and Anael was acting strangely. Her attitude had shifted dramatically. She no longer smiled, but moped about the hotel. Her heart seemed heavy with guilt and plague. Brian became frustrated as AJ sauntered into the large living room area that connected their suites of rooms. AJ looked delightfully pleased with himself. Brian knew that AJ was so deliriously happy because Anael was so miserable. Somehow, Brian decided that AJ mine as well be to blame for her depression.

“You’re such a prick,” Brian growled as Nick flipped through the channels of the TV. Nick ignored the voice of menace, concentrating heavily at watching the TV. Nick avoided confrontation when at all possible.

However, Brian had done what he had set out to do. AJ looked in surprise at Brian’s sudden odious comment. Kevin and Howie did not attempt to dissuade themselves from the novel and newspaper they were reading. Someone would always disapprove of AJ’s actions every day �“ it was a daily routine. No one thought it abnormal that Brian finally spoke up. Brian had been holding a lot in for the past months. AJ moved toward Brian, staring at him. Brian averted his attention away from the TV to look at AJ. He would not back down because of AJ’s sour attitude.

“Yes, I was talking to you,” Brian told him haughtily.

“What did I do now?” AJ asked incredulously. He could see Kevin and Howie chewing him out for something today, but not Brian. AJ thought that he had been behaving himself rather well these past weeks. Of course, he hadn’t been in the hotels that often to really cause trouble. He was out late every single night, and was gone early during the afternoons. He barely stayed around for practices and only dedicated himself to appearing at the concerts. He watched Brian offer him a hardened glare.

“You know exactly what you did.”

“No, actually, Mr. Moral, I don’t.”

“What did you do to Grace-Anne?” Brian asked flatly, not wanting to play AJ’s games.

“Excuse me?”

“She’s depressed, and she only gets like that after you talk with her. So, what did you do to her this time? Do I need to access her for physical trauma? Did you break a glass over her head? Did you torment her? Did you make advances on her in your drunken stupor? What excuse is it this time, AJ?” Brian demanded with a frustrated growl. Nick shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

Nick pulled himself away from the two men’s stare-down. He quickly ran to grab a drink. Howie and Kevin tore their eyes away from their reading, watching to see if they needed to stop the argument. Neither knew what Brian was actually capable of when his emotions steered toward protecting Anael.

“For once, I think you’re completely insane,” AJ snorted, rolling his eyes. He would not be blamed for Anael’s sour attitude. He had barely talked to the woman since yesterday. “I haven’t done a thing to her. She doesn’t even stay in the same room as me anymore!”

“And you honestly wonder why she refuses to be around you?” Brian growled.

“Shut up,” AJ hissed, genuinely hurt by Brian’s meager put-down.

“Boys,” Kevin reminded them as he cleared his throat, glancing up from his novel briefly. Brian and AJ exchanged quick looks, knowing what Kevin’s actions implied. Kevin was telling them to calm down, because he would not be happy to break up a fight. Kevin raised his dark eyebrows in question, knowing the boys understood what he had done. He waited for them to make the next move.

Brian immediately rolled his eyes, shooting AJ a disgusted glare. AJ bawled his fists into anger. He couldn’t believe Brian’s bold tactics to accuse him of such behaviors. AJ hadn’t paid attention to Anael in the least bit. The woman was undoubtedly against him, no matter what he did. Every time she looked at him, she held a certain amount of pity. Her compassion for AJ drove him to the brink of insanity. He found himself rebelling more even when she offered her smallest smiles. Something about her made him uneasy. “For your own information, Brian, Grace-Anne has been acting like this ever since that chick last night,” AJ retorted, refusing to have Brian say the last word.

“The chick?” Howie asked.

“Celeste something or other,” AJ answered, waving his hand absentmindedly. It didn’t really matter the girl’s name. She had a pretty face, and that’s all AJ really cared about. He was about to continue, but a door had opened. Everyone looked towards the sound. Anael stood there in a pair of white sweat pants, blue t-shirt, and a white bandana covering her golden tresses. Her face was darkened with depression and sleepiness. She looked utterly shocked as she stared at AJ. Suddenly, she frowned with hatred. AJ knew that his presence reminded her of something dark. Anael turned toward the kitchen, refusing to say any words to the boys.

“I told you that you did something,” Brian muttered.

“Oh, Fuck off, Bible-Boy,” AJ grunted, striding into the kitchen. He immediately saw Anael leaning into the refrigerator, looking for something to nibble on. She made no move to acknowledge his presence. She didn’t even mutter a simple greeting. He became irritated by the fact that she was ignoring him. On an impulse, he crossed the kitchen and threw his back against the refrigerator. Anael backed up as the door almost slammed in her face. She looked frightened as AJ passed her a glorified smile. “Why aren’t you joining us for a lovely evening, Grace-Anne?”

“Other things have been on my mind, but please, it is Miss Lupe to you, Mr. McLean,” Anael retorted with no passion whatsoever.

“Why is that, Darling?” he cooed, working her very last nerves.

“Because you need to treat me with more respect before I would actually think of accepting you using my first name.”

“Do you have PMS or something?” AJ asked flatly. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity at the woman. Something about her attitude was a dramatic shift. When he had talked with her before, at least she had tried to be pleasant and kind. Something in her eyes had changed. The darkness of her sapphire eyes were extremely forbidding.

Anael’s body fumed at the blunt question. She couldn’t believe how cruelly he managed to treat her within the course of a day. She balled her fists in anger as she shoved them deep into her sweat pants pockets. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. She couldn’t believe how much she had lost control of her emotions since being delivered on Earth. In Heaven, she never worried about the feelings of anger or sadness. Now, she was overcome with these feelings constantly. She had to learn to deal with them before she broke down mentally. “No, I don’t have my menstrual cycle at the moment, Mr. McLean.”

“Good, because I don’t like weepy women.”

“Excuse me?”

“Women with periods are pissy, weepy, and generally a displeasure in company. I don’t like those types of women.”

‘No, of course you don’t, AJ. You just like trashy ones,’ she thought sadly.

“Why are you so bitchy today?” AJ decided to ask next. He held no tact for asking her these intimate questions. He watched the look of horror pass across her angelic face. He found himself quite amused by the color draining quickly from her cheeks. He couldn’t explain why he felt so good to hurt this woman. She just seemed too perfect for his tastes. Inside, he was jealous, but outside he was bitter. AJ suddenly smirked. “Is it about that Celeste-chick last night? Were you jealous that I gave her all the attention, Grace-Anne?”

“Her name isn't the Celeste-Chick, okay?” Anael growled with ferocity. She would never allow AJ to use such bitter words to refer to her little sister. Her dark sapphire eyes burst with flames of fury. She had enough of AJ’s torment. He had no right to deface her sister’s name. Nor did he have the right to attack her outright. “Her name is Celeste Alexandrine Lourdes �“ not chick.”

AJ took a step back in surprise. “How do you know her full name?”

Anael blushed for a moment. She scolded herself mentally. More outbursts of fury would result in hard questions. She couldn’t loose her grounding yet. She had come so far. She would have to control her emotions better. “It was written on the back of that photograph,” she answered quickly.

“Oh really?”

“Yes, it was,” Anael snapped. “You might have noticed it if you weren’t too busy ogling the poor child like some kind of Grade-A meat!”

“You really are jealous!” he laughed with amusement.

“I am not jealous! I’m just sick and tired of you sending women up to your room to take advantage of them. It’s so degrading to our species. We’re supposed to be intelligent. Women are not your play-things! To think that you actually believe you are God’s gift to women! Trust me, I have seen plenty of men that qualify to God’s expectations more than you EVER will dream! You tried to put moves upon a fifteen-year-old girl! My goodness, think about it, Mr. McLean! You are a full-grown man! Fifteen! A CHILD! How dare you even think of prying upon God’s children for sexual pleasures?” Anael snapped, unable to bury her fury beneath her firm exterior.

“Are you done yet?” AJ growled �“ a scowl permanently set on his face.

“Yes, because I finally have realized why I despise talking with you,” Anael retorted, turning on her heel. She felt guilty, knowing that she had crossed her Christian teachings. For once, she thought God might actually strike her dead there. She had tried the reverse-psychology theory upon AJ this time and she hoped He would understand her tactics. She hadn’t connected with AJ through being nice. AJ didn’t respond to it, because he needed tough love.

“You despise talking to me?” he repeated with astonishment.

“Exactly. You are Lucifer without the horns and tail!”

“A Christian woman calling me the Devil? God, you are something else, Grace-Anne! Get the fuck off my case. Sometimes I swear I just want to knock the Hell out of you!”

Anael could think nothing of a retort. Fury made her body tremble as she pushed her drink into the sink. She felt the color drain from her face, and she no longer felt hungry. She shot AJ a look full of hurt and pity. AJ growled in contempt, he hated the way she looked at him like that. For once, he wanted to see her look at him with hatred instead of compassion. She said nothing more as she pushed past Brian and Howie, retreating to her suite of rooms. AJ muttered a dark curse as he slammed his fist against the refrigerator. Pain shot down his arm. He muttered another curse, holding his aching hand. She had such a power to control him, and she hadn’t a clue about it.

“Smooth move,” Brian muttered with antipathy.

“She fucking started it!” AJ growled.

“She started it? Oh, please, AJ. Would you listen to yourself? For once, would you take responsibility for your own faults? She cares a lot about you and everyone else in this group can see that. She’s always asking us for ways to help you. She’s genuinely concerned about your behavior, even if you aren’t,” Howie chided, watching AJ’s eyes turn dark with confusion. Howie understood that this might be the only time to reach AJ. He obviously held feelings for Anael, even if he refused to show them. “She really does want to help you. Why can’t you be a man and accept that? We all want to help you, but she’s trying the hardest. Why can’t you be a man and treat her like the lady she really is? That woman is something you should aspire to want to have. She would do a world of good for you, if you’d only let her. She is a real woman with real emotions �“ why won’t you treat her like she deserves?”

“Get off my case, old man,” AJ grunted, pushing past the two men.

“You can’t run away forever!” Brian called.

AJ growled with displeasure as a form of an incoherent reply. He held his hand, feeling the pain turn to a dull ache. Something about Howie’s conversation got to him, and rattled his core. He really did want to treat Anael like she deserved. She deserved to have the world at her feet. He wanted to lavish her with attention, but his heart prevented such frivolous ideals. The woman loathed him with a passion. She couldn’t stand being in the same room with him. Their heated arguments provided the largest anguish in AJ’s black soul.

“God, I would treat her like a lady she is, but I’m faced with a dilemma. If I tried to worship the ground she walked on - would she allow me it? Would she ever allow me to treat her like the lady she is?’ he asked himself before retiring into the darkness of his rooms.

Anael sighed heavily as she stepped into the dark bar. She didn’t know what she was doing. Gabriel would probably send her to Hell for several eternities for this one act. She was supposed to keep the boys away from these places, but the boys were insistent. Nick had conned her into meeting the boys here. They wanted to get a bite to eat, and insisted that this bar gave the best food. The familiar smells of cigarettes, vomit, and beer attacked Anael’s senses. She felt utterly sick as she walked deeper into the dark pit of Hell.

Anael’s eyes traveled about the bar in pity. The people encased within the bar had already given their lives to the Devil. Each man at the bar sat hunched over, nursing a large pint of alcohol. They spoke not a word to one another as the juke box blared old tunes amongst the clouds of smoke. Their eyes were settled with large black bags beneath them, staring into their murky alcohol. It was as if the alcohol was a substitute for God’s love. Anael could see the devastation. Their eyes held no opportunity to peer into their souls �“ their eyes were blank. Their bodies were either ripe with gluttony or starving like thin skeletons in Satan’s bedchambers.

Anael turned away from the pitiful sights before her, wanting to run out of the hell-hole. She seemed to loose touch with reality as she stumbled through the dark bar. Her heart was aching with pity for these sinful gluttons. She wrapped her arms across her stomach, slowly proceeding deeper into the wicked atmosphere. She wanted to find the boys as soon as possible. She felt so out of place as she stepped around the bar. She didn’t belong in this place. She never wanted to belong in this place.

“Hey, Cutie!” a loud voice called, piercing through Anael’s sorrowful thoughts. Anael felt a hand loop around her upper arm, yanking her toward the bar. She yelped in surprise as she fell onto a severely obese man’s lap. His hands were thick and scaly as his eyes raked down over Anael’s modest body. She gagged at the smell of stale alcohol floating off the man’s yellow teeth. “Look, an angel fell into my lap, fellas!”

“Please, sir, let me go,” Anael whispered, pushing herself away from the man’s lap. She proceeded to walk away, but the man reached out and snatched her upper arm. He wrenched her backward. Terror filled Anael’s heart as she struggled away from him. “Please, sir, I’m looking for my friends.”

“Well, you already found them!” he slurred.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand…”

“Why don’t you come home with me? I’ll show you a better time than those friends of yours. You’ll love every minute with me!” he declared with a boastful smile. He allowed his fingers to trace down her right hip. The look of desire burned within his glassy eyes. His tongue uncurled from inside his sore-covered mouth. He grabbed a fistful of her long honey curls, yanking her toward him.

“SIR!” Anael whispered, the fear rising in her chest. Something from her past began to explode inside her mind. She was sent backward into a pit of darkness surrounding her past. In her mind, she felt hands from another groping at her body, feeling for her. She felt as if her innocence was tainted with each pinch and poke. She screamed out within her imagination, finding someone covering her mouth to prove a muffled effect. Anael’s mind provided a terrifying picture, causing her to become emotionally unstable with the man holding onto her now. “Stop touching me!”

“Awe, Honey, we’re just trying to have fun,” the man soothed, bringing her face closer to his own.

“STOP TOUCHING ME!” she screamed again, trying to fight off his strong embrace. Her mind sent alarms of threaten menace throughout her body. Her hands began to sweat as her eyes went wild with abandon. She beat her small fists upon the man’s thick chest, trying to get away. The man roared with laughter, pulling her closer. Anael was fighting with all her might, but to no avail.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” she screamed once more.

“Stop resisting me, woman!” the man screamed, raising his fist toward her.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!” a menacing growl erupted from behind. Anael felt two strong hands loop around her shoulders, pulling her away abruptly from the filthy man’s grasp. She stumbled a few steps, until her rescuer steady her upon her feet. She thanked the Lord as her rescuer reached up to shove the obese man into his stool. “Don’t you EVER touch a woman like that again! She’s not your piece of meat! She’s a person, damnit. Got that, chubby?”

Her rescuer never gave the man time to reply. He quickly ushered her out of the bar. Once they were within safety of the streetlights, he grasped her lightly around the shoulders. Anael glanced up in utter shock. Her mind ceased to function as she stared into his chocolate colored eyes. She brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to compensate for the shock.

“Miss Lupe, are you alright?” AJ whispered.

“You?” she murmured in astonishment.

AJ smiled faintly, his dark eyes glistening from the street lighting. He leaned against the wall, releasing Anael’s shoulders. “I’m sorry that you don’t believe that I’m a good person. I know that you detest my promiscuous behavior, but those women want me. I fully believe that a woman should not be subjected to that type of torture. I know what a good person you are, and I didn’t want that to happen to you. So, are you alright, Miss Lupe?”

“After what you did… Please, call me Grace-Anne.”

“Alright, Grace-Anne, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she answered, still greatly surprised.

“Good.”

“Mr. McLean�””

“AJ, call me AJ.”

“Very well �“ AJ. Thank you for what you did in there.”

“It was nothing. You looked absolutely terrified. Are you sure that you’re fine?”

“Yeah, it was just an awful nightmare.”

“Why don’t I go tell the guys that we’re going back to the hotel?”

“Excuse me?”

“What’d I say?”

“We’re going back to the hotel?”

“You really think that I’m letting you alone after what happened?”

“I thought�””

“Like I said, Grace-Anne, I’m not a terrible person,” he answered with a sheepish smile. He nodded toward her, slipping back into the dingy bar. Anael glanced up at the sky, watching the faded starts begin to twinkle a little brighter. She smiled faintly, admiring God’s creations. Something had turned with AJ’s heart. Something…

Anael smiled brighter at the idea - Maybe there was hope for Mr. McLean after all.

Anael couldn’t help but smile warmly when AJ crossed the living room area to hand her a fresh cup of coffee. God had taken the terrifying event and made it blossom into a flower of sweetness between the two people. AJ had explained to the guys after Anael’s assault at the bar that he would take her back to the hotel. They had teased him a little, but AJ didn’t mind and the boys seemed to understand what was happening. He wanted to make sure that she would be okay and that she would relax. His emotions toward Anael had shifted dramatically since that strange man attacked her. AJ felt an overwhelming sense of desire to protect Anael from everything. Struggling to clear his thoughts away from the new emotions, AJ sat down next to Anael and offered a sweet smile.

“How are you doing?” he asked politely, taking a large swallow of his own coffee.

“I’m doing much better. It was extremely kind of you to come back to the hotel with me. You really didn’t hav’ta do that,” Anael replied shyly with her southern sweetness. She gazed at AJ with curiosity. He had shown her a completely different personality that evening. She realized that if she hadn’t known about all his sinful desires, she would have fallen for his tricks and beautiful eyes.

“I wanted to make sure that you would be okay,” he answered with a simple shrug, not really taking the compliment to heart like Anael had hoped. He was absorbing the timid essence that Anael seemed to expel from her soul. Her personality and looks had triggered a feeling that AJ never thought he could possess.

Just sitting there, AJ finally caught sight of Anael’s amazing beauty. She look venerable just sitting there with her arms settled against her legs. Her golden curls were piled into a messy bun with small tendrils falling against her cherubic face. AJ thought about reaching over and pulling one of the curls behind her ears, but he was afraid she might shatter if he changed her appearance in any small detail. She wore a simple pair of white flood-pants with a light lavender tank top. She cupped the coffee in both of her hands while she sat on the couch with her legs folded underneath her. Her lips were pursed in thought. She was a rare flower in the sea of fake women that AJ usually had contact with. Anael was so real and there was nothing man-made about her body. She was one of God’s rare gifts. However, one small detail sent AJ off a shadowed edge however. Her eyes seemed to throw off her caring nature. Her dark gray eyes hinted to a darker past, but AJ kept that idea within his own soul for fear of angering her.

“Can I ask you a question?” Anael suddenly interjected, breaking AJ’s personal thoughts.

“Sure,” he replied.

“It’s going to be quite bold,” she explained.

“It’s okay, just go ahead. You can’t be worse than the reporters I have to deal with on a daily basis.”

“That’s true.”

“So, go ahead!”

“Why would you care if I was okay or not, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Jezz, Grace-Anne. That’s simple. Because, no matter what you think of me, I really do care what happens to you. I’m not a monster, you know? I really do care about women. I helped my mother when my father left and I’ve always had respect for women. I respect you, too. I do care about you.”

“You do? I honestly thought that you loathed the sight of me. When you broke that glass in anger while I stood there, it scared the daylights out of me. I thought you were some kind of deadly monster! I didn’t know that you felt differently than that. I really did think you were out to kill me. Of course, I never had the chance to think otherwise. You never expressed those feelings toward me.”

“I never had the chance,” AJ sighed with regret.

“You didn’t have a chance?”

“You had a high-and-mighty attitude when you looked at me. It always seemed to explode when I talked to you, which just made me hate you more. That attitude sent me over the edge and I honestly hated the sight of you! But, then I realized that I was somewhat overreacting. I wanted to talk to you, but then you had the Bible time with Brian, which took forever and a day so I could get a word in edgewise. Then the guys told me to stay away from you because I always seemed to upset you.”

“They told you to stay away?”

“Threatened would be more like it.”

“They threatened you? Oh my!”

“They just wanted to protect you. The guys really care about you.”

“I’m terribly sorry about this.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” AJ snorted, but a teasing smile settled on his dark face. He leaned over and gently patted her leg with assurance that there were no hard feelings. Anael smiled with relief, settling back against the cushions of the sofa. She had somehow broken through AJ’s rocky personality. She thanked God silently for the chance to continue her mission. She had feared that she might have failed God in some way and would never get the chance to earn her wings. God had trashed her fears quickly when showing her now that she could never fail Him. He would protect her and make sure that things somehow went His way, no matter what rocky roads there would be to take. Anael promised silently to God that she would always take the roads that he paved, no matter what the troubles that would lay ahead.

“Do you think that we could start over?” Anael
finally asked with hope.

“Start over?”

“Start our relationship over,” Anael explained.

“We had a relationship?”

“A hateful relationship.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“So, could we start our relationship over?”

“How?”

“We could start now as friends?” she suggested.

“But you’re my manager.”

“We could probably make an exception in that case.”

“What kind of exception?”

“I won’t rag on you as long as you don’t curse in front of me. We can be great friends, no matter how different we are. I won’t press my Bible business on you as long as you respect my beliefs. So we’ll start out in a give and take situation,” Anael compromised. She realized that AJ became scared when she spoke of her love for God. She knew that if they could simply become friends that she could introduce God’s love slowly.

“Sounds good to me,” AJ concluded.

Anael thrust her hand out toward AJ, sealing the deal with him. She was thrilled when he took her hand and drew her in for a tight hug of kinship. Electricity zapped inside her soul as she realized the great accomplishments she had made. She had finally broken the animosity that they had created between one another.

Anael decided that it was time for the boys to take a break from the exhausting schedule. She was thrilled that the boys had settled into a groove and were working as hard as they possibly could. They were finally joining together as an actual group like so many years before. They were finally acting like brothers, which thrilled Anael to death. However, Anael still had some problems to work on with AJ’s life. He might have been rekindling a fond relationship with the boys and slowly stopping some of his sinful acts, he still hadn’t accepted Jesus as his Savior. Anael hoped that as she slowly built a stronger relationship with AJ that he might allow her to speak of her love of Christ and His kingdom. She prayed every night for AJ’s soul, hoping that he would let her help him.

“Grace-Anne? You awake in there?” AJ called through the door to her hotel room. Anael smirked, pulling her pale lavender sweatshirt over her white tank-top. The sweatshirt hung below her hips, partially covering up her white shorts. She put on a pair of purple Adidas sneakers and tossed her curls into a long ponytail. She admired her reflection and then opened the door. She smiled brightly when she saw AJ in a pair of gray shorts and a blue tank-top. “About time you got up! We’re ready to go play!”

“What are we playing?” Anael asked curiously, stepping out of her room. She saw AJ toss Brian a basketball that he had been holding. Brian caught it with ease and began to spin it about his index finger. All of the boys were dressed in shorts and tank tops of different colors. She was thrilled that the boys wanted to include her in their off-time.

“We want to take you to the basketball court down a few blocks away. You interested in shooting some hoops with us?” AJ asked hopefully, tugging on one of Anael’s curls. She grinned, batting AJ’s hand away. She felt so much more comfortable with him near her now. She didn’t fear him or his tantrums. She trusted him and the boys were slowly starting to trust him, too.

“Woah, Mr. J actually wants to go shoot hoops with us today?” Nick asked in shock, glancing at his older friend curiously. Nick, Brian, and Kevin were always the ones wanting to go play basketball. Usually, Nick and Brian had to drag Howie along for four-person game. AJ was always too busy with bars to spend time with the others at the park.

“Yes, I want to go play! Dang, boy! Grace-Anne and I make an even split for teams. We’ll have even teams today, so it’ll be perfect I say it’ll be Howie, Kevin, and Brian against Nick, Grace-Anne, and myself!” AJ announced.

“Sounds good to me,” Kevin answered, glancing at his cousin.

Brian nodded. “We’re going to crush you.”

“Are you any good?” Nick hissed toward Anael. He watched Kevin, Howie, and Brian walk to the kitchen to grab some water bottles and things for the park. Anael smiled triumphantly as she glanced at AJ with amusement. Nick seemed worried that he was competing against Kevin and Brian.

“Why? Do y’all suck?” she asked sweetly. AJ burst into laughter, slipping Anael a slick smile. AJ loved that Anael always teased the other boys, no matter what the case. Anael had the ability to stand up for herself when it came down to what was right. Anael was like a wild card to AJ, because he never knew what she was going to do.

“I’m being serious, Grace-Anne,” Nick protested.

“I’m being serious, too,” she chirped.

“Girl�”“

“I sign your paychecks, Nicky!”

AJ covered his mouth to smother his chuckles of amusement. Nick turned sour, biting back the words he wanted to say. He took a heavy breath, finding the right words. “Grace-Anne, I love you so much. You are a wonderful woman with so many talents. I am glad to be working for you and that you have a great sense of humor. I only hope that someday I will be half the man that you turned out to be!”

“Nickolas!” Anael growled, reaching out to grasp Nick. He squealed with laughter, ducking away from her. He dropped the basketball and raced toward the hotel door. He burst out and started tumbling down the hallway. Anael laughed as she watched him almost run into maid, trying to get away as fast as he could. AJ glanced down the hallway with Anael. He looked at her with a smile. “What do you want, AJ?”

“I can go get him for you?” he suggested.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! That’s what friends are for!” AJ answered, racing down the hallway in search of Nick. The maid screeched in horror as AJ jumped over her and raced further down the hallway. Anael clapped loudly as she heard AJ’s voice echo down the hallway, “OH, NICKY BOY! I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!”

*~*~*

“I can’t believe you won!” Brian complained for the millionth time that night as the boys and Anael sat around in the living room of their hotel room. Several boxes of pizzas sat in the middle of their circle on the floor. Anael, Nick, and AJ whooped with delight, slapping each other high-fives. Kevin rolled his eyes, reaching for another piece of pizza. AJ, Anael, and Nick had beaten Howie, Kevin, and Brian in a game of basketball. The gamed had ended with a fifty to twenty win. Anael had done fantastically on the court, showing up all the boys with her graceful moves. Brian was still bitter as he glanced at Anael in shock. “I didn’t know you were related to Shaq, Grace-Anne!”

“I’m not!” she protested with a smirk, biting into a piece of double cheese pizza. AJ snorted as Anael pulled a long string of cheese away from the pizza and hurriedly gobbled it up. AJ looked at her with a curious nature, making Anael blush slightly. “I’m hungry,” she explained.

“You’re a slob!” AJ teased, watching her lick the extra pizza sauce on her finger.

“Okay, okay, okay, so I’m a hungry slob with a nice lay-up!” Anael declared proudly, pushing herself up onto her knees and holding her piece of pizza high. “Bow to the Queen of Basketball! May all of you tremble in my presence of glory!” she declared loudly, causing the boys to chorus a round of groans. Anael ignored them, basking in her glory.

The boys all glanced at each other with annoyance at Anael’s grand announcement. They seemed to speak mentally and finally nodded in confirmation. The boys all set down their pieces of pizza, creeping toward Anael’s figure of power. AJ grinned, reaching out and tackling Anael before she realized what was happening. Howie, Brian, and Kevin hurriedly jumped into AJ’s pile, pinning Anael down to the floor. She shrieked in protest as Nick hurried to grab a can of whip cream. Anael screeched with protests, “I wasn’t bragging! Okay! I wasn’t bragging!”

“You know what you always tell me, Grace-Anne?” AJ asked her as Nick brought back the fresh can of whip cream. Nick shook up the cream and popped the lid. Anael glanced from Nick to AJ with fear. Howie and Kevin held her legs and Brian held her body to keep her from squirming. She shrieked again as the top of the can toward her face. “What’s the thing you told me, Grace-Anne?”

“To love one another forever and ever… And not attack the manager with whip cream?” Anael squeaked with mercy. All the boys broke into laughter at her lame attempt of being rescued. Anael whined with protest, knowing that she was quickly loosing the battle. “C’mon, AJ, I was just playing around about being the Queen!”

“Were you?” he asked with interest.

“Yeah, from now on I’ll just be Princess?” she guessed.

“Grace-Anne Marie Lupe!” AJ snorted, shaking his head. He motioned for Nick to prepare the cream. “You are going to get it, now just tell me what you told me before?”

“I don’t know, AJ! I don’t keep a mental tab on what I say every single day!”

“You told me that God don’t like ugly.”

“God don’t like ugly?” she repeated with question, but she didn’t have time to ponder the statement. Before she could react, a stream of sticky cream exploded from the can and onto her body. Everyone jumped off her as Nick continued to pour the cream onto her body. She screeched in fright, trying to protect herself, but the damage was done. The boys laughed hysterically as Nick finished the bottle and tossed it to the side! “YOU GUYS!” Anael whined.

“Poor Grace-Anne,” AJ cooed, bending down to her height. He reached down a swiped a bit of the whip cream away from her lips. He placed his finger into his mouth, sucking off the cream. He smiled in delight. “You taste sweet,” he told her softly.

Anael felt shivers creep down her spine from AJ’s touch. For once it wasn’t with fright, but with excitement. She was confused as she sat there with AJ looking down upon her. Something wasn’t right about the feelings building up in her heart. She had to do something before the emotions were too powerful to fight. She was blowing her cover and she knew it. She had to think of something fast as the boys watched her and AJ in inquisitiveness. Quickly, Anael reached up and grabbed AJ by the neck, smearing her sticky body against his. AJ groaned as Anael pulled away from him and flicked the left over whip cream at the other boys.

“GRACE-ANNE!” AJ roared with laughter.

“Now you can taste sweet, too!” she chirped, running to her bathroom to clean up.

Anael yawned softly as she plopped down on the oversized white couch in the living room of their new apartment style hotel rooms. She was tired of the long bus rides that she endured in order to travel from venue to venue. She was also exhausted by the late night concerts and early practices. Thankfully, the boys were now in Virginia for a few shows and some relaxation time. She hoped that she could get some rest and work harder on bringing AJ to God.

To Anael’s delight, AJ had requested that Anael stay at the hotel with him while the others went to the beach for some recreation. Anael prayed that this was the time that AJ might ask for the Lord’s help, but she remained doubtful. AJ had opened his heart up to befriending Anael, but still detested her prayers in the middle of practice and Bible studies with Brian. She continued to pray for his soul every night, begging the Lord to be merciful on her first mission. However, the Lord had never answered her directly, only Gabriel beamed in to check on her progress. He continued to tell her that she was doing well and to keep praying.

“Gracie?” AJ called out loudly, teasing her in a southern drawl. Their relationship as friends had boomed since the fateful bar incident. The boys were surprised that AJ could keep a woman as a friend. Anael rolled her eyes at the thought of becoming romantically interested in her mission and pulled a pillow over her head for protection from AJ’s tickling wrath. She heard AJ stomp out of his room in search of her. His footsteps stopped in front of her, peering at her body hidden amongst the pillows. AJ grinned devilishly, staring at Anael’s bare feet poking out from the pillows. He stooped down to the height of the couch, immediately tickling her feet.

Anael yelped out in surprise, jumping from beneath the covers. She attempted to get away by leaping off the couch, but tripped over AJ’s legs. She fell forward, slamming into the soft carpet. She groaned as the dull ache filled her stomach. Immediately, another force pushed down on her back. She yelped in protest only to hear AJ’s wild laugh. She groaned, struggling to get away as he attacked her with pokes and tickles. She screamed, trying to lunge away once more, but he was too strong. “AJ! STOP IT!”

“Say mercy!” he demanded with an infamous roar.

“Mercy my butt! GET OFF ME, AJ!”

“Say you love me, then!”

“You love me!” she screeched, causing AJ to burst into laughter. He let go of her sides, allowing Anael to wiggle from beneath him. Anael growled at him, running her fingers through her messy blonde curls. AJ laughed, causing her to roll her eyes. He was quite rough when he was in his playful nature. “Must you continue to harass me to show your affection, AJ?”

“At least you know it’s some kind of affection,” AJ declared with a proud smirk.

“Yes, abusive affection,” Anael grumbled, quickly tossing her hair into a ponytail to prevent AJ from messing it up again. She glanced at him, noticing that he was studying her intensely. Anael smiled softly. No matter how much she complained, she really did enjoy AJ’s company. He was was a very comical character and always knew how to make Anael laugh He also became very serious at some instance, seeming to probe deep into Anael’s soul. She tingled from the intense stare, blushing faintly. “What’s the matter, AJ?”

“I have a problem…” AJ hesitated.

“What kind of problem?” Anael asked, feeling her breath catch. She made a silent prayer in hoping that he might ask about God. She wanted so badly to tell him the story of Jesus’ enduring love. She wanted to explain the strength of God’s love and how he redeemed even the worst of sinners. She felt her heart pound with anticipation as she inched herself closer to AJ. Her gray eyes sparked with utter joy. “You can tell me anything AJ, big or small.”

“Well, it seems pretty stupid.”

“Why?”

“I’m just tired of you using my stage name,” AJ blurted.

“Your stage name?” Anael repeated with confusion.

“AJ, you know? My mom gave me that name when I was starting out to give me an edge. The guys call me it because it’s just what they’re used to doing. It’s just, I don’t want you to be used to it. Do you think you could use my name Alex? It’d mean a lot to me, you know?” AJ explained, a blush creeping up to his dark cheeks. He stared at his hands, eyeing the many rings that adorned his various fingers. He always felt like an idiot when trying to communicate to Anael. She was a special woman and AJ just hoped that she knew it.

“You want me to call you Alex?” she repeated, feeling idiotic for expecting so much more in such little time. He obviously wasn’t ready to commit to God. He had been hurt worse than Anael could have imagined.

“If you’d like,” he replied cautiously.

“Of course I’ll call you Alex!” Anael exclaimed, reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck. She decided not to let the negative emotions invade her private thoughts. She felt AJ jump back with surprise, causing her to smile with delight. AJ stared at her in wonder, pushing back a few curls that had fallen from her long ponytail. “What’s the matter, Alex?”

“You always do something to surprise me every day. It’s amazing,” he murmured in a mesmerizing tone.

“Actually, I’m shocked. This is coming from the man who vowed to splatter my guts onto the nearest road during the earlier weeks,” Anael gasped, placing her hand mockingly onto his chest. She stared into his dark eyes as if she were searching for a link. “Are you sure that you’re not sick?”

“Grace-Anne! Stop, I’m actually giving you a compliment!” AJ growled.

Anael sat back, pouting. “I’m sorry. I’ll be good now. So, what do you want to say besides that I’m knocking you off your feet?”

“I want to ask you about yourself.”

“About myself?”

“The guys say you never reveal personal information. I’d hope that you would at least tell me some stuff about your past. Where you grew up, what you were like, what your friends were like, and all that. I just wish that you would connect with me as much as I connect with you. I think you know about everything there is about me, but I don’t know a single thing about you. Like, what did your friends used to call you for a nickname? Don’t tell me they all called you Grace-Anne! It’s too long!” AJ asked honestly, wanting to dive into the depths of her gray irises to reveal the secrets of her life.

“You want to know my nicknames?” Anael asked with amusement. She had first feared getting into details about her personal life. She feared that if she revealed too much, her cover might be blown. Her past life was jaded, not to mention her death. Anael still had trouble conjuring up the pictures of her death. She sighed, tapping her fingers against her jean-clad legs. She could at least some type of information to AJ without jeopardizing her mission.

“I guarantee it wasn’t Gracie or Annie,” AJ declared with a smirk.

“And why is that?” Anael scoffed.

“You don’t act like a Gracie or an Annie.”

“Nope, they never did call me Gracie or Annie,” Anael admitted, thinking back to her childhood. She was so happy playing with her friends in her home of North Carolina. She would always bring her little sister out to the back yard to play with her friends. They would be damsels in distress as her little boy friends would attack the creeping dragons. She would always turn into an angel at the end. Anael sighed happily, leaning back against the couch with AJ. “They called me Wind Angel all the time.”

“Wait, they called you Wind Angel?” AJ repeated.

“My name means…” Anael quickly caught herself. She groaned inwardly, realizing the dangers of her wistful nature. She trusted AJ too much. She quickly reverted her attention, trying to catch herself. She stumbled in her explanation, “I always liked going fast and I was the first on all the new roller coasters at the parks… Momma always said I was a pretty little angel… So Wind Angel just kind of stuck.”

“Wind Angel?” AJ repeated again with a smile on his face. “It suites you.”

“It does?”

“Yes, because the wind can be gentle and warm as well as harsh and nasty. You have both emotions raging in your soul, but the Angel portion of your nickname indicates that you have more gentle winds than raging winds. It definitely suites you,” AJ complimented.

Anael gasped, feeling her heart stir from his sweet praise. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You definitely have a romantic side, I bet. The Wind Angel nickname sounds romantic for me. Are you sure you didn’t have any boyfriends that nicknamed you Wind Angel? Maybe you two were caught in a storm together? Hmm?” AJ inquired, almost feeling sick at the thought. It scared him to think that she had another love interest in her heart. He watched Anael blush, causing him to smile with appreciation.

“I’ve never had that type of romantic interlude if that’s what you’re implying. I’ve always been too wistful and romanticized for boys my age.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I decided at an early age that my prince charming would come at only one pivotal moment in my life,” Anael replied, still blushing furiously. She couldn’t believe she was going into such intimate details with him. She took a deep breath as he glanced at her curiously. “I decided that I was going to marry the man that rescued me with an umbrella in the middle of a storm.”

“What?” AJ chuckled.

“Shut up! Don’t you realize how romantic an umbrella in the rain is? Two people cuddled up beneath a small umbrella while the rain drops dance on the plastic? The sound of the drizzling as the woman is wrapped in the man’s embrace allures me. The man is rescuing the woman from the rain and it’s like he’s offering her his soul along with the umbrella. It’s absolutely perfect. I always dreamed that I would meet my true love in that type of situation,” Anael explained.

“Are you serious?” AJ asked.

“Yes,” she answered hesitantly, fearing he might laugh.

Instead, AJ jumped up and grabbed his leather jacket from the rack near the door. He threw it toward Anael with a handsome smile. “C’mon, we have to go find some rain and buy an umbrella! I want to be the man of your dreams, Miss Wind Angel!”

“ALEX!” Anael groaned.

AJ smirked, pulling Anael to her feet while she held his coat. He ruffled the curls locked into the ponytail, causing Anael to shiver with delight. He tugged on one of the curls. “Okay, how about I take you out for some ice cream?”

“Ice cream?” she enthused.

“Yes, just let me go grab my favorite pair of shades,” AJ announced, slipping away into his room. Anael smiled wistfully, slipping AJ’s jacket onto her body. She inhaled the sweet scent of his cologne, pushing her hands into the pockets. Something rustled against her fingertips. She pulled the piece of paper away from the right pocket, smoothing it out of its crumpled state. She felt a stab of pain attack her heart as she noted the flowery scribbles of a woman’s name, number, and address. A small note on the bottom explained that AJ should contact her that day for some fun. Anael sighed with defeat as AJ ran out of bedroom. “Are you cold?” he asked in surprise, noticing his coat on her.

“I am now,” she murmured.

“Excuse me?”

“I think I’m going to get ice cream by myself tonight,” Anael mumbled, pulling the jacket away from her body. She set it on the coach, walking over toward AJ. She held out the piece of paper, watching his eyes go wide. “I felt it brush against my fingers and I didn’t know what it was. I guess this woman really wants you to meet her today. You should give her a call.”

“Grace-Anne,” AJ sighed.

“No, really, it’s okay. Meet her at the bar or whatever. I can find the guys at the beach�””

“Wait!” AJ barked, grabbing her by the upper shoulder. She flung backward into his chest. She gazed into his dark eyes with surprise. She pushed herself away, causing him to smirk. “Do you mind if I just go get ice cream with you instead?”

“Why?”

“That chick isn’t my type, plus I want to make sure I catch you if it rains.”

“Alex�””

“Hurry up, I’m hungry for some rocky road ice cream!” AJ interrupted, tugging Anael out the door. Anael squealed in victory, running to keep up with AJ’s energetic pace.

AJ watched as Anael jumped onto a nearby swing. Her body swayed in the wind as she offered a gentle smile toward him. AJ felt his heart sink down to his feet. Anael had forced AJ to take her to the park during their break. AJ had declined at first when he noticed the darkening clouds in the sky, but Anael was persistent. The threatening clouds didn’t bother him once Anael had him under her spell. He believed that whenever he was around her there was always a brilliant sun shining. She always warmed his insides, no matter what the temperature outside.

“I love parks!” Anael enthused with a delighted smile as AJ stood behind her. He grasped the chains of the swing, gently swaying her back and forth. Anael glanced up into his dark eyes with amusement. Her sapphire eyes sparked with warmth and love, causing AJ to offer a nervous smile. “Thanks for agreeing to come out with me, Alex.”

“I had nothing better to do,” AJ teased.

“Do you always have a smart comment waiting for me when I try to thank you?”

“Does it seem like I do?”

“Shut up,” Anael laughed, pushing her swing away from AJ’s grasp. She smiled with triumph, and jumped off the swing. She landed on her feet with desired grace. She began to run, assuring herself that AJ would certainly follow. Only, it began to grow quiet behind her. Anael chewed on her bottom lip with apprehension. She slowly turned around only to be charged by AJ. He grabbed her waist and tackled her to the ground. Anael shrieked with annoyance as AJ pinned her beneath him on the sweet smelling grass. “ALEX!”

“I believe that I beat you, Grace-Anne,” AJ declared loudly.

“I suppose I’ll have to agree,” Anael answered with a syrupy twang in her voice.

“So, why did you bring me here?” AJ asked, still laying on her.

“Why wouldn’t you want to come to a park? It gives y’all a kind of freedom that no one can explain. Swinging on the swings, running around, sliding, skipping, laughing – that’s freedom. I used to take my little sister to the parks all the time. We’d jump around and tease each other like there would be no tomorrow. I can’t believe y’all don’t miss the magic here… It’s like we can just turn back time here… Be kids forever,” Anael explained softly.

“I never knew you had a little sister…” AJ commented. So much of the woman’s life was a closed book. AJ had never pried before, because he feared Anael might turn away from him. Spending so much time with Anael had caused AJ to completely change. He found himself turning away from the bars to spend nights curled on a couch watching movies with Anael. He found himself turning down woman’s offers of pleasures in order to take Anael out for dinner. Yet, with all the effort, AJ never expected anything physical in return. He felt his heart burn for her.

“Yes, I did. I nev’a get to see her, because I moved away and can’t catch her sometimes. She knows I love her more than life itself.”

“I’ll take you to see her one of these days,” AJ promised.

“Thank you for the offer, but—”

“Grace-Anne, can I tell you something?” AJ interrupted, staring down into her deep sapphire eyes. AJ feared that if he looked too deep he might be stuck in the pools of brilliant blue forever. He could no longer lie to his heart. He needed her and wanted her. His mind began to cloud as she smiled with curiousness at him.

“What do you want to tell me?”

“Well, I’m sorry for the way I treated you the first time we met. I think I was just intimidated by you. But now that we’re so close… I feel like you might actually be my other half. I think that you… It’s just, I want to tell you…” AJ felt his throat tighten as he stared down at her confused eyes. She was so open with him. He sighed softly, struggling to find the words.

“Alex,” Anael called, shaking him from a daze.

“Huh?” he asked with confusion, feeling an icy liquid drip down his neck. He shivered terribly, glancing up at the sky to see the clouds rip open. Within a few seconds, the rain began to pour down upon them. Anael shrieked as AJ scrambled to get her off the muddy ground. “Shit!” he cursed, holding his jacket above her head.

“Sorry,” Anael laughed.

“Wait, this vendor sells umbrellas,” AJ announced, shielding his eyes from the blurring rain. He quickly ushered Anael to a small vendor sitting beneath a large plastic canopy. AJ motioned to one of the umbrellas and thrust out some crumpled bills. He smiled and opened the umbrella, quickly wrapping his other arm around Anael and walked out into the pouring rain. “I saved us.”

“You always seem to do that,” Anael declared, glancing at the other people running for cover. She felt her skin prickle as AJ drew her close to his side. Anael wasn’t blind. She knew that she was developing feelings for a man she was supposed to turn toward God. She felt her heart pound as she watched some taxis zoom by on the busy street. “Do you want to hail a cab—”

“Let’s just walk back to the hotel. It’s not far from here and I like the sound of the rain on the umbrella.”

“Okay,” Anael answered quietly, simply allowing her body to tightly fit against AJ’s body. She couldn’t fight the temptation for once in her life. She wanted AJ more than he would ever know. At first she detested him, but now there was something inside him that she needed. She fell quiet as she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. They moved slowly down the street, enchanting Anael even further. The drumming of the rain against the plastic sheath of the umbrella began to flow against the steady pounding of AJ’s heart.

“I love the sound of the rain,” AJ stated after a steady period of silence. He glanced down to see Anael at peace with the sounds amongst her. He smiled softly as she glanced up. They were at the front of the hotel, but Anael made no move to leave the embrace.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” Anael answered somewhat nervously.

“Is it working?” AJ asked with a sly smile.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Anael whispered, leaning forward. AJ wrapped his arms carefully around her waist, pulling her close. He allowed the umbrella to slip from his hands, falling against the sidewalk with a gentle bounce. His dark eyes bore into her own as he leaned downward. Anael focused on his soft velvety lips, closing her eyes. She felt her lips burn with anticipation and stood up on her toes.

Waiting.

Wanting.

Longing.

Needing.

“ANAEL!” a voice screeched, halting the entire universe. Anael’s eyes bugged open in horror as AJ’s face froze inches away from her own. She felt a brilliant light burn against her skin as the icy rain halted in the air. Each drop sparkled with prism rainbows as the light grew more intense. Anael turned around to see Brea crystallized before her. Anael groaned in dismay, feeling her cheeks burning with awkwardness. “Anael! Glad I caught you!”

“Glad you caught me? Brea, you’re in Heaven! I mean, how could you not catch me?” Anael answered, stepping away from AJ’s frozen form.

“Gabriel wanted me to check in on you for a minute. Seems that everything is going haywire at home. Go figure. I always thought Gabriel could handle everything,” Brea declared, glancing up quickly as if she expected Gabriel to throttle her into the ground. Anael watched her friend land gently against the ground. Brea looked spectacular as ever. Her golden wings were arched and fully opened to reveal all her glory. She wore a simply white gown with gold stitching. Her shoulders sparkled with golden warm as she tossed her dark curls behind her shoulder.

“Why do I need checked up on?” Anael asked finally.

“By the looks of it… You need plenty of checking in,” Brea answered, gesturing toward AJ. Brea’s dark eyes glanced over the man with appreciation. She smiled warmly at her friend. “He is quite cute, though.”

“Brea!”

“Forgive me… Earth always seems to do funny
things to me.”

“No, you always act like this.”

“Thanks, Anael,” Brea snorted. “Gabriel wanted me to tell you that your mission is coming to an end. Gabriel thinks that your wayward man is starting to change. You need to pull the final strings to complete the mission. He thinks you’re doing fantastically, too. So, just be careful, okay?”

“That’s what you came down here to tell me? You couldn’t have sent it through a crystal vision?” Anael questioned with an irritated glare.

Brea shrugged her shoulders and spoke, “Like I said, be careful.”

With a strong blow from her wings, Brea propelled herself back into the air. Anael stumbled backward toward AJ as the rain started to fall once again. Within seconds, AJ became animated and leaned in to finish his thought. Instead, Anael grew fearful and turned her head. AJ stumbled forward, completely missing Anael. She pulled at her at her soak jean jacket, glancing at her hands as she spoke, “I think we need to stay friends, Alex…”

AJ’s only reaction to her proposal was a frosty glare as he let the rain pour down on his freezing soul.

Chapter 20 ~ Seeping With Darkness

“Stay friends? How clich� did I sound at that exact moment? This isn’t some stupid family TV show, Anael. This is a matter of Heaven, Hell, and Alex’s eternal soul! I just shattered all of my hard work because I put myself in a venerable place. I shouldn’t have even asked him into the park! We were too close for comfort, weren’t we? I probably gave off the wrong vibe, didn’t I? … If he falls from grace twice, it will be all my fault…”

Anael continued to worry about Alex’s deciding fate, pacing within the confines of her lavish room. Gripped tightly within her aching hands was her faded Bible, what she always turned to when she needed hope. Yet, tonight she found no comfort as occasional crashes could be heard from AJ’s room. None of the others were around to commandeer the situation, leaving Anael in a fairly awkward and almost lethal position.

“What was I thinking?” Anael murmured to herself, her heavy strides halting once she reached the large bay window overlooking the raging ocean waves. She watched the rain that she once thought to be so romantic continue to fall gently against her large bay window. It served only as a bitter reminder of the horrible ending to what was supposed to be such a sweet moment. She hugged the Bible close to her chest, just staring listlessly out the window, finally allowing her mind to wander freely.

Naturally, her soul floated amongst the raw pain, but finally settled on AJ’s handsome face. She could only recall what she found so dear about the man that held such a special place in God’s Hand. She adored the way his sweet cinnamon eyes always twinkled with mischief, yet offered such a smoldering quality of sensual natures. The way his lean, muscular body relaxed under even the most stressful situations. The funny rasp that always hinted around his words, almost purring into Anael’s soul. The sleek pout of his always moist lips, just taunting Anael to take a leap off the dangerous cliff of the unknown.

Anael took a sharp breath of realization; she didn’t know if she could deny her feelings any longer. The little looks passed between them on the moments of silence, the bits of electricity flowing whenever he touched her, or the endless longing for his warmth while she lay curled in the massive bed. She had grown so close to AJ during the past weeks, almost too close. He held a true quality that she had always searched for in her short amount of time on Earth. Always had she prayed for God to send her a man of virtue and one who could love her unconditionally. Yet, it seemed so bittersweet that she should meet him on a Guardian Angel Mission. And, as dangerous as it was, she still yearned that kiss more so than AJ would ever understand.

Though no matter her feelings, she couldn’t change the past. Anael could not tempt her mind with such silly notions, knowing the reality that lay behind them. She truly believed she had crushed the remaining tiny pieces of AJ’s faithful heart. She could only recall the pitiful look within his eyes as the rain washed down upon their numb bodies, salting the already deep emotional wound. It was as if he had given up any small shred of hope she had initially sparked within that very moment of existence.

Anael gazed out of the large bay window into the dark gray skies ripping open with rain. She sighed regretfully, believing the heavy rains were God’s painful tears for AJ’s lost soul.

*~*~*

“That had been perfect! If there was any other time in the world where love existed – that was the moment. And, damn, what did she say? Stay friends? … Stay friends? That is like the worst rejection guys could ever possibly get in their measly existence! Never in my life have I gotten a stupid ‘let’s stay friends!’ That’s like code for never in a million years, asshole! Damnit, I was such a freaking idiot,” AJ groaned, pacing aimlessly around the length of his hotel room. He had sought refuge within his room the instant those hideous words had left Anael’s sweet pink lips. He was unable to speak a single word in retrospect of her words to anyone. How could he possibly phrase the pain? Instead, he locked himself within the confines of his dreary room, trying to stabilize his bleeding soul for he felt so useless at that point, unable to stop thinking about her.

Everything that he had hoped for and dreamed about – crushed in a moment’s passing.

Why?

Because Anael refused a kiss that he had given with his entire wounded heart.

“Why didn’t she just say what she really thought? Huh? Alex, you are the most repulsive man on the Earth. Not only are your intentions improper, but truth be told, I could never love you…” AJ’s words dropped softly with hurt, feeling the pieces had finally come together. He swallowed the bile foaming at the back of his throat. “That’s it… She could never love me…”

His depression quickly mixed with a side of rage, glancing down at the small prized gift Anael had left. It was her favorite Bible, faded with years of loving use, and highlighted with her favorite passages. He had yet to pour over its contents, actually waiting for a moment where he could invite Anael to sit down with him. Slowly she had brought him back to the right hand of God, proving that he was worth his weight in priceless gems. He longed to watch her lovely sapphire eyes dance as she talked about the Lord with him, just as they had flickered with appreciation and adoration in Brian’s Bible study. Now, it just seemed like the black wall holding him back from Anael’s love. God, once again, was betraying him in the darkest of ways.

So, he turned on God, again.

“What good are You, huh?! You’re the whole reason Grace-Anne wouldn’t have a thing to do with me! Why? Because You don’t think I’m worthy! I’m like this ugly black speck in Your eyes and now in her eyes! Ever since the fucking beginning! First You take my father away! Now I can’t even have love? What kind of Loving Father are You? Huh? Do I not deserve love? Am I so disgusting that You won’t even let a decent girl take my heart! What do You have against me? Huh? Why do You hate me?!”

AJ hollered with a sheer frustration, sharply flinging the Bible against the mirror. There was a sharp crack as lightening streaked through the window, offering an eerie glow to his morbidly black soul. He watched his image shatter into tiny slivers, almost outlining the destruction of his life. The pieces that never seemed to fit back into his broke heart, like his father, his deceased grandmother, the feelings of inadequacy, the fear, the hate, and the awful pains.

“What’s the point? Every move I make, You’ll be there to crush me,” he muttered, making his final decision. He stepped around the length of the sharp glass, disappearing into the bathroom. He wanted something clean and simple. He tore apart the various bags in search of something special. With liberation, he withdrew the needed contents, falling back upon his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the shuffling just beyond his wall.

It was Anael. It always had been Anael. Her footsteps always crossed through his heart during the cold nights. He conjured a mental picture to take with him forever in his crumbling soul. Like, the sweet smell of her fragrant conditioner wafting through the gentle winds, intoxicating his soul with every breath. He cherished every smile that tweaked upon the supple curves of her soft pink lips. Her clothing always seemed to fit perfect against the subtle curves of her youthful figure and compliment the glow of her sun-kissed skin. Her laughter sounded like a choir of angels that could warm even the bitterest New England winter. Yet, he what he loved most was the way her light sapphire eyes twinkled with optimism and adoration for everyone that crossed her path.

Well, except for him.

AJ exhaled with remorse.

His mind was made up.

Guilt would no longer be his.

Pain would no longer exist.

He would forget Anael, forever.

Deny God’s hateful vengeance against him eternally.

AJ was in finally control.

So, with the feeling of relief, AJ downed several handfuls of potent prescription medications with a large bottle of tequila before laying down to drift into a deadly slumber.