"Angel? Angel, you must get up."

Deep in the recess of her mind, she heard Gabriel's voice.

Where did angels end up after they died? She wondered.

"You're not dead," she heard him say, "but your shelter will meet its demise if you don't get up right now and do something about it."

Angelique sat up with a start. "What do you mean?" she said, looking around her. She was in her apartment. How did she get here? Startled, she looked behind her.

"Your wings aren't there, Angel. You had a moment where they appeared but you are still more human than an angel at present. You gave me quite a scare, you know. Lucky for you I am a master at saving fallen angels."

She smiled at him, then frowned.

"You said something was wrong at the shelter?"

"No, what I said is that your shelter will meet with its demise if you don't get a move on."

"Why? What's so special about today?"

Gabriel shook his head at her. "Your court appointment? For the shelter? It's today?"

"God, don't scare me like that," she said, flopping back onto her pillow. "That's not until next week," she told him as she rolled over to go back to sleep.

Gabriel huffed, rolled his eyes, and pulled the covers off of Angelique's sleepy form. "Angel?!"

"What?!" she asked, turning to look at him.

"It is next week. I know humans can have their life flash before their eyes in an instant but I'm afraid to alter the fabric of time and reality takes a little more than a minute or an hour."

Angelique jumped up from the bed, alarmed. "I disappeared for a week?!"

"Afraid so," Gabriel said. "Now get dressed before we miss your appointment."

"Oh, my God!" Angelique said as whipped through her closet for something to wear, completely opting out of showering or food.

"What must Father and Michael think I haven't been there to see them in a week? Is Father awake? Is he okay?" She asked as she pulled on her dress pants. 

"And poor Rebecca and Saint, they must be out of their minds with worry for me. Who's been watching over the shelter and Heaven Sent?" she inquired, putting on her camisole and pulling on her white blouse.

Gabriel couldn't help but laugh at her. She was a whirlwind.

"Don't just stand there laughing!" she admonished, as she was hopping on one foot, trying to put on her shoe. "Tell me something useful for God's sake!"

"Okay," he said, "my first word of advice is take off that lacy thing you put on."

"Why?" Angelique asked. She always wore one under a blouse.

"Maybe because you put it on backward," Gabriel said, grinning at her.

Angelique looked down and started giggling. A serious sign she was cracking under the pressure. "No, not just backward," she told him, pulling on the visible tag, "but inside out as well." Angelique got herself together, and as she did, Gabriel answered all her questions.

Her father was awake but still in the hospital since his ordeal still left him rather weak. The doctors wanted to keep him for further rehabilitation. Mrs. Duncan, Michael, and Rebecca have been told that Angelique was in protective custody until her hearing. 

Although it wasn't the usual practice to do so in her type of case, it seemed necessary for the criminal case that involved her. With the law firm under suspicion, the police agreed it best if Angelique sort of disappeared off of the face of the earth for a while, no pun intended.

Now that the church was non-existent, Michael has been dividing his time between taking care of the parish's needs and the shelter. He has been managing just fine with Alice and her new legion of volunteers from the neighborhood who pitched in after they heard the circumstances of Angelique's case.

Rebecca has been taking care of running Heaven Sent, but she changed the hours of operation so she can be home with Mrs. Dolton way before dark and she's been taking Saint with her for extra protection. The court hasn't set a date for the trial against Bobby. It looks like the firm is delaying, wanting to focus attention away from that and on the primary objective, which was closing her shelter.

Running a brush through her hair, which seemed determined to curl wildly the wrong way in defiance, she looked back at Gabriel and asked, "So, how do I look?"

"Ready to take on the world," he said.

"One thing at a time," she promised, and he chuckled.

"So, does this mean you're ready to get going?"

"You're going too?" Angelique asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he told her, linking his arm with hers leading her to the door. "Of course there's that and the fact that I told John I was your lawyer." The feeling of elation she felt sank like a lead balloon to the pit of her stomach. She forgot about John being the head counsel to this case.

They had gotten to the courthouse with minimal traffic problems, which seemed a miracle. They even had about twenty minutes to prepare. Gabriel was going to try for a postponement of payment, but he knew the only way to get it would be through another sacrifice of Angel's. But what they needed now more than anything was time.

As the hour drew closer, Angelique's spirits rose high as she saw no sign of John. But in his place was a woman with jet black hair, dressed in a sharp black pinstripe suit, white blouse, and red scarf to accentuate the suit. Looking at her own beige dress pants and a white blouse, she felt highly outclassed with only a guardian angel pin to dress up her outfit.

Gabriel leaned over to whisper to her. "Don't knock it," he said. "I personally would choose a guardian angel over a red scarf any day."

It was now ten of and her heart was doing somersaults. Maybe he really wouldn't show. Maybe he really meant it when he said he would never hurt her and turned the case over to someone else. Before she knew it, the court was now in session. The Honorable Judge Reedman presiding. Case number 19277 Progressive Properties vs. Angelique Agnes O'Bryan owner/operator of St. Gabriel's Homeless Shelter for Children.

"Who might I ask are you?" he asked of the woman in the pinstripe suit and jet black hair.

"Veronica Landis your honor. I am representing the Plaintiff in this case."

"I thought John McDougal was to oversee this case?"

"He still is still lead counsel for the Plaintiff, your Honor. I have all his notes and information here however, because of the sensitive nature of this case we thought it best I stand in his place."

"Come again, Counsel?"

"Well, unfortunately, we at Caldwell, Berkley, and Klein were not aware of a past relationship between Counselor McDougal and the defendant Ms. O'Bryan and thought it best, considering such information, that I stand in the counselor's place so there is no conflict of interest. He is to fulfill an advisory role only."

Angelique's heart sank. So, he didn't re-assign the case. He chose someone else to do it for him. Or was this the plan from the beginning? The only reason they assigned him this case was all a psychological ploy by the firm to keep her distracted.

"And is he here to advise?"

"Yes, your Honor," John stood to answer from the back row of the gallery. Gabriel gave Angelique's hand a squeeze for encouragement as her stomach plummeted at the sound of his voice.

"And you are?" the Judge asked Gabriel.

"Gabriel St. Claire your honor. I am representing the defendant Ms. O'Bryan."

"Have you been in my courtroom before, Counselor?"

"I do not believe I have had the honor. No, sir. I'm newly transferred."

"I see."

"Well now, that we've all gotten aquatinted, Plaintiff state your case."

"Your Honor, our case is this. The defendant has knowingly and negligently avoided payment these past five months of her mortgage on the building in question. Progressive Properties are asking for payment and she pays penalties in full or if she cannot make a payment that we have your permission to foreclose on the said mortgage."

"Defendant?"

"Your Honor, Ms. O'Bryan has cared for the homeless children in this community for seven years. She has paid her mortgage faithfully on a semi-annual basis. A landmark in time we haven't even reached yet so if she missed one payment I should hardly think that action deems such harsh words as negligently avoided."

"They cannot hold Progressive Properties to the same agreement made with the defendant's previous mortgage holder. Once the merger has gone through Progressive Properties has every right to collect on past due debits and Ms. O'Bryan was made aware of this fact."

Judge Reedman ignored Veronica's outburst and asked, "So then you're telling me, if Ms. O'Bryan gets an additional month, she would have the funds to pay?" Judge Reedman asked.

"Unfortunately no, your Honor. The government has recently informed my client that due to gross setbacks her funding has been cut, and they will not be giving any funds for establishments similar to her own. What we are requesting is time to procure those funds. It is what is necessary to secure the homes of many innocent children, who need a better place to sleep than a cardboard box or the street.

"Your Honor?"

"Yes, Ms. Landis."

"Your Honor, our client has already dutifully waited beyond the customary time allotted for payment of a mortgage. We have waited an additional month for this hearing. The defendant is only trying to delay the inevitable closing of the shelter. The amount with penalties and interest is growing, and she has not tried to acquire the funds. Now, none of us would argue the commendable deeds Ms. O'Bryan performs for the community but you and I are both aware it may take another 9 months for this process to end and the property to be sold. How much longer is my client expected to wait while she does not deliver?"

"Ms. Landis brings up a good point St. Claire why hasn't your client tried another avenue before now to save her shelter?"

"Your Honor, my client, Ms. O'Bryan, is the victim of bad legal advice, which is the exact reason I am before you now as not her normal legal council. She was told to wait to see what funding would become available before she sacrificed her store as collateral to secure the loan with her lenders Progressive Properties, but she is ready to do so now in order to gain the time required to raise the funds."

The thought of Heaven Sent being used as collateral to secure anything put Angelique in a state of alarm. She pulled on Gabriel's suit jacket sleeve.

"May I have a moment to confer with my client, your Honor?"

"Actually, we will take a five-minute break here. The court will resume at 2:30 sharp."

"Thank you, sir."

"All rise," the bailiff summoned, as the judge left for his chambers.

"What are you doing?" Angelique inquired, quite panic-stricken at the idea of losing Heaven Sent to these people. "Haven't they taken enough from me without me giving my livelihood away?"

"Angel, I am afraid it is the only way to secure more time. Progressive Properties has no reason to yield. They believe the idea of you securing those funds impossible, but their greed of taking you for everything far surpasses their common sense in this matter."

"But they're right?" Angelique said almost in a whimper, "I can't do it, and now I'm in danger of losing my only other means of supporting myself. This is an impossible situation."

Gabriel smiled at her. "Time and Patience, Angel are the world's two greatest teachers and what we need is time. Besides, you of all people should know with God, nothing is impossible."

________________

John could hardly believe she was here. Before court he was scouring the halls for her and checking the parking lot for her Beetle, but it wasn't there. She must have come with Gabriel. He was out of his mind, sickened, thinking something may have happened to her. He has had no news of her for a week. She was nowhere to be found.

He showed up at the apartment, even checked with the landlady, and no one knew. Supposedly anyway.

When he saw the girl from Angel's apartment behind the counter at Heaven Sent, he knew someone must have been in touch to give her the code to open the store, but when he approached her, she just snubbed him. Telling him that if he wasn't there to make a purchase, she had better things to do.

He knew he should have felt relieved when he dropped by the hospital, and Mrs. Duncan didn't seem overly concerned with her disappearance. She seemed perfectly fine with the fact that Angelique hadn't been by to see her father at all, but not even that kept his mind from wandering to all the horrific things that may have been happening to her. Things that he was powerless to stop.

John was about to go to see her when Veronica waylaid him. She looked like a cat that had the mouse in her clutches. She almost purred when she spoke. Resting a hand on his chest to stop him in his tracks.

"Is this not the most exciting turn of events? I mean, who would have thought she'd make such a desperate play. Caldwell is going to be so pleased, don't you think?" Veronica seemed to pout when she realized she didn't have John's undivided attention.

She looked toward John's focus and seen him looking at the petite blonde woman. In fact, that woman was all he seemed to be concerned with. Veronica lashed out at him. "What is it with you?" she gritted through her teeth, trying to keep her voice low so as not to be overheard.

John looked at Veronica as if noticing her for the first time. "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard a word I said, have you?" Veronica accused. "Don't you realize what we have here?" she's snarled. "There's no way out. Things couldn't possibly be any better than of course us making the offer ourselves so that we looked to be the gallant ones."

Her smile turned into a most wicked look, and John could not believe he ever thought this woman to be beautiful. She was obviously enjoying this. Veronica was cold, calculating, and downright ruthless. All points that had gotten her noticed by the firm as they were both up for partner this year and the higher-ups admired her courtroom demeanor.

John was pretty certain her behavior out of the courtroom with the partners served her just as well. Even he had fallen prey to her charms in the past. Now, however, she disgusted him. She was evil incarnate.

"No deal," he said to her.

"What?" she said, completely in shock.

"You heard me." John took her by the arm and led her away from where Angelique and Gabriel could hear.

"I am lead counsel to this case and I am telling you NO deal. We take the shelter, that property is all we were after."

Resting her palm against his chest, standing close enough to invade his space, Veronica smiled a most sickening smile. Tracing her finger across the lapel of his suit jacket she said sweetly, "Don't tell me, John, that you lost your lust for the kill? I thought this was your favorite part of the game."

Grabbing her hand from his jacket and squeezing it harder than necessary, he growled at her, "This is someone's life we're dealing with. This isn't some business acquisition. Her life is not a game. I said NO, deal," John reiterated, pushing himself away from her as if he found her touch revolting.

Rubbing her hand from the pain he inflicted, Veronica stole a glance back at Angelique in her beige dress pants and white blouse that purchased of any budget store rack. Her hair was a tangle of curls. She looked haggard and worn. What did he see in her, anyway? Surely she wasn't woman enough to satisfy him.

The envy she felt far outweighed her fear of what John might do to her if she disobeyed him. Glaring coldly back at John, she said, "They were right at the firm. You have lost your nerve for this line of work. They knew you'd back down. Why do you think you're back here and I'm up there? You are my adviser and I have duly noted your advice counselor, but I have to do what is in the best interest of our client, regardless of any decision you might make."

She strode away from him before he could grab her. He then heard the bailiff announce, "All rise."