Angelique left St. Joseph's feeling more lost than ever. She dropped Saint back off at home with Mrs. Dolton. Tonight she would work the night shift at the shelter, but right now it was time to open up her store on the other side of town.

"At least they can't take this from me," Angelique thought.

She thanked God that her lawyer had talked her into having her store set up as a completely separate entity from the shelter. Angelique still used the money to benefit the shelter, but it was as a public benefactor so that, if one day the unthinkable should happen, she would still keep ownership of the small store. 

Engrossed in thought, she hadn't noticed the woman who was waiting patiently for her to ring up her items. "I'm sorry. Did you find everything you were looking for?"

"Yes, I found the most adorable angel statue for my niece's birthday. She's my Goddaughter, you know? She just adores angels," the woman said, beaming at Angelique, obviously thrilled with her find.

"Well, I am sure she will love it if for no other reason than you picked it out for her," Angelique said, wrapping the figurine in tissue and placing it in a box for the woman.

"How sweet of you to say, but if you don't mind me asking, you looked awfully preoccupied just now. Is everything okay?"

The question took Angelique by surprise. She met the woman's eyes, and they seemed familiar somehow.

"Do I know you?" Angelique asked, her heart picking up pace as she noted that this woman's eyes were the same color as her own.

"I doubt it. I don't live around here. A friend recommended I come to this place," the woman offered.

"Oh," Angelique said, finding it hard to keep the disappointment from her voice.

"You may feel troubled but I can't imagine someone who owns a store like this, could ever find herself truly alone. If you really need help, you could always just ask..." The woman held up an angel statue.

Angelique laughed. "I suppose you are right." She dedicated every item in her store to promoting her belief in Angels. "Thank you," Angelique said, handing the woman her bag, feeling oddly comforted by the woman's words.

"I have a feeling," the woman said, taking the bag from Angelique, "everything will work out as it should. You'll see. You have it in you to set things right."

Again, Angelique got the feeling this woman knew her. Especially how she spoke to her and when Angelique met the woman's eyes, she felt drawn into them. All of her problems seemed for a moment to fade away, and a feeling of peace settled over her.

Angelique smiled and replied, "I hope so." To which the woman only responded with a smile before taking her leave.

It was an extremely slow night at the shop, so Angelique closed up early. As she neared the door to set the locks, Angelique heard what she thought was screaming coming from...where?

Angelique cracked the door open, and now she knew for sure it was a scream as it reverberated through the air. A terrified girl was running for her life, constantly looking over her shoulder. Angelique watched as she tripped and hit the pavement with such force that she skid across it before coming to a halt.

Angelique's eyes had adjusted to the evening light and she could see way off in the distance the objects of the girl's fright. Three teenage boys, much larger than her, were running her way. Angelique quickly opened the door, thankful it opened inward. She knelt down and whispered to the girl who was now lying on the ground almost within arm's reach.

"Get up. Come on, get up. Come here. Hurry, you haven't much time."

The girl scrambled to her knees. Too exhausted to stand, she crawled the rest of the way to the door Angelique held open for her. Once the girl was safely inside, Angelique once again locked the door and helped the girl behind her counter.

"Stay down and out of sight."

The girl did as instructed, too relieved at being safe to do otherwise.

Angelique carried out her usual routine of closing up shop, and she heard the boys stomping past her store. They stopped and circled back. Once they reached her door, she heard one boy say, "Where the hell did she go?"

"I don't know," said one of the other boys whose hand was holding his face as if he was injured. "But I know she couldn't have gotten far."

As he took his hand away from his face, Angelique noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that the boy was examining the blood on his hand from what looked to be scratch marks. "All I know is once I get hold of her, she's dead."

The boy then shouted at the top of his lungs, "You hear that, Becca?! When I find you, you're dead!"

Counting the register, Angelique allowed herself a sideways glance at the girl, who was now physically trembling with fear. She knew Becca heard every word.

Once the boys had moved on to continue their search, Angelique checked the door to make sure they were safe. She circled back around the counter to where the teenage girl sat, hugging her knees with her head resting on them. She made no sound, but Angelique could tell she was crying by the heavy sobs that racked the girl's slight frame.

"This is what I must have looked like when I was found in the woods twelve years ago," Angelique thought.

Taking in more of the girl's appearance, she noticed her clothes were soiled and there were obvious signs of a struggle. Her shirt's sleeve was torn at the shoulder.

Taking one of the embroidered angel towels off the shelf, Angelique went to the employee bathroom. She grabbed the first aid kit and slightly moistened the towel. She returned to the girl, still huddled in the corner, and knelt down beside her. Angelique gently touched Becca's arm and the girl nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked up through her disheveled red hair at Angelique, wide-eyed with fear.

"Shh..." Angelique soothed. "It's all right now, you're safe here."

Still trembling, the girl just looked at Angelique, shaking her head no, convinced that she would never again be safe.

Angelique took the moistened towel and wiped the dirt and the dried blood of the scratches on the girl's face, making no sudden movements, not wanting to startle the girl again.

The coolness and softness of the towel felt good against Becca's skin, and as the woman rested a reassuring hand on her arm, Becca felt her nerves settling enough for her to take in her surroundings.

Everywhere she looked she saw nothing but angels: angel statues, angel posters, pens, and pins. You name the item. If it was in this store, it had an angel on it. Even the lady now wiping the dirt and tears from her face wore an angel pin on her shoulder and was wiping her face with a towel with an angel on it.

Hell, the lady even looked like an angel, bright blue eyes, blonde hair, and perfect skin. Angel or not, she saved her life tonight, of that Becca was sure. Who knows what would have happened to her if this lady hadn't pulled her into her store? Becca shuttered just thinking about it.

Angelique felt the shiver run through the girl and felt the icy sensation course down her own spine. "Is the water too cold?" she asked, genuinely concerned. She could feel the girl's fear emanating from every pore in her body.

Becca could not seem to find her voice and so just shook her head no.

As Angelique tried removing a stubborn spot of dirt from the girl's face, Becca winced. 

"Sorry." Angelique tilted the girl's face toward the only lights left on, which were above the counter. It was then that she noticed the spot of dirt was actually the start of what looked to be a very nasty black eye.

Angelique would have thought she'd be immune to this kind of thing. She couldn't even count the number of bruises, cuts, scrapes, and broken bones she had administered to over the years. All part of the territory when dealing with street kids, but it still silently killed her to think of anyone laying a hand on a child. Even though, similar to this situation, the abuse was infliced by another youth. 

"Becca, is that your name?"

Becca shook her head in affirmation.

"Is it short for Rebecca?"

Again the girl shook her head.

"Well, Rebecca, I hope you don't mind if I call you by your full name," Angelique suggested, not wanting to use the same name the boys used.

Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. She guessed it didn't really matter what the woman called her. Once Bobby and his friends find her, she'll be erased from existence, with no record to prove she was ever really here.

Angelique threw the towel away in the trash bin she kept hidden under the counter. Opening the first aid kit, she began cleaning the cuts and scrapes on the girl's knees, elbows, and hands from her slide across the pavement. Rebecca grimaced as the astringent seeped into the cuts.

"Sorry about the towel," Rebecca said, finally finding her voice. It sounded strange to her own ears.

Angelique smiled warmly. The girl seemed less shaken by the minute. "That's okay, I'll write it off."

"It's pretty or was pretty," Rebecca said, staring into the bin at the small angel embroidered in rainbow colors and highlighted with gold threads.

Angelique's brows drew together in concern. "Is there someone I can call for you, Rebecca? A family member or relative?" Angelique instinctively knew, as she asked, what the answer would be.

"No," Rebecca replied. "I... I don't have anybody. Well, there's my dad, but... I don't even know where he might be now, not that he'd come."

Knowing the story before it was told, Angelique just nodded, "Have you heard of St. Gabriel's?"

"What, the homeless place for kids... sure, I've heard of it. Even stayed there once or twice."

"I run it," Angelique told her. "I can make arrangements if you'd like?"

Suddenly terrified all over again, Rebecca stood up abruptly. "No way! They know I have no place to go. That's the first place they'd look, and you heard him. If they find me, I'm dead."

Still kneeling, Angelique looked up at her. She couldn't help comparing herself to this girl. It amazed her how alike they seemed. Both of them have no past and possibly no future. Dusting off her knees, she stood.

"Well, I guess that leaves me with only one other choice," Angelique said as she turned away from the girl.

"What? Turn me into the cops? Yeah, great. This is perfect! Really, I mean... I get beat up and then sent to jail. What more can a girl like me ask for, really? One look at me and they'll think I was hooking for some cash and things got rough, but it's the hazard of the job, right?" Rebecca held out her torn sleeve and pointed at her now purpling eye to emphasize her point.

Angelique ignored Rebecca's rant and picked up the phone and dialed a number. Rebecca reached over and pressed the button, keeping the call from going through. "Look, lady, I didn't ask you to save me. If you'll just let me out the back or somethin', I'll be on my way."

Removing the teen hand, Angelique looked down at the girl, extremely annoyed. "You've just made me hang up on someone very important to me," Angelique told her. "Let's make a deal. I won't jump to conclusions about you if you'll do the same for me."

"Too late for that," Rebecca thought as her immediate impression was, "This woman is crazy!" but shrugged nonchalantly and backed away. Angelique picked up the phone again and dialed Michael's cell number. He had told her to use it in case of an emergency, and she thought this would qualify.

He didn't answer, and she didn't want to leave a message so hung up and pulled out her cell so she could leave him a text message.

"Call me at the store, Urgent!"

Angelique put away her phone and Rebecca asked, "So, I guess now that the doors are locked, you won't let me out? I'll just have to wait to be picked up?"

"Well," Angelique said, "as much as I'd love to have your death on my conscience by letting you leave here to wander the streets, I'm afraid I have to decline the tempting offer."

"Look, I didn't ask for you to interfere, lady. You did that all on your own," Rebecca said, highly agitated, with her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Which is exactly why I am taking you someplace safe as soon as I have a suitable replacement to fill in for me at the shelter. Oh, and the name is Angelique. Try using it, I hear it grows on people."

Rebecca didn't know what to make of this woman, but couldn't suppress the cocky grin on her face as she thought, "I'll be damned, even her name has Angel in it."