Your Angel

Finally arriving at his destination, he stopped. Could he really do this? Could he just walk in there and see her like that?

He honestly didn't think he could, but he had to. No one else was here, so he'd be the only one. Maybe he had nothing

to worry about, but the feeling that was sinking his stomach into a bottomless pit made him think otherwise. Bre and Isaac

always had a connection. They knew when the other was hurting, and they too felt that pain. And right now, he felt like

his entire body was set on fire and he had no choice but to let himself burn.

"Bre! Open the God damn door, NOW!"

Breanna held onto the door with every ounce of energy she had left in her body. In one hand, she clutched the cordless phone; in the other, she held a picture. A picture of her and her four best friends. She stared longingly at them, wishing they were there to help her. To tell her that they loved her, that they would protect her from everything evil, and to just be there and hold her. But they weren't there. Three of them, all boys, were off touring the world and they didn't have time for her anymore. They were in a band, you see, a very famous and talented band. Their names were Isaac, who had just turned 18; Taylor, 15; and Zac, who had turned 13 a little while ago. Each was special and she loved them all in different ways. She loved Zac's ability to make anybody laugh at anytime. She loved Taylor's passion, his love for music and life in general. But of all three, she loved Isaac the most, for he had both humor and passion. They had been best friends since before the beginning of time, it seemed. He was always there, whenever she needed him. He would be funny, sweet, loving and caring whenever she needed him to be. But she never had to tell him, he just knew. Sometimes words weren't expressed at all. Sometimes he would just gaze into her eyes, immediately know what's wrong and take her into his arms. That's what she loved most about him. But now when she needed him the most, he wasn't there. She didn't hold it against him, of course, because she knew that he had to be where he was. He had to keep touring the world, and for some strange reason, she admired him for that.

The other person in the picture is what upset her. Elizabeth, or Lizzy as she liked to be called, was her best girlfriend. In the past six years, they became so close. They told each other everything, except Lizzy decided to keep some secrets from Bre. Some pretty big secrets. That's why Jake was trying to bust down the door. He insisted that Bre had somehow got hold of some of his "merchandise." By merchandise, he meant drugs. Bre was terrified to find out that for the past six months, Lizzy had been doing drugs. In fact, her new nickname had become "Dizzy Lizzy."

"Open the door, Bre! I know you have my stuff!" Jake yelled, in his thick "gangsta" voice. Jake was a major drug dealer down on 77th street and never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Lizzy would get involved with him.

"I don't have anything of yours, Jake, please you have to believe me! I don't do drugs!"

"Do you honestly think I'm going to believe that? I swear if you don't open this door I will break it down and then you'll really regret it!"

Bre surveyed her surroundings. She was in her bathroom so there weren't exactly many weapons around. Of course, there was the ladies shaver but that wouldn't do too much harm. She looked over to the window. That window was practically painted shut and she wouldn't have much time to open it but it was the only chance she had. She quickly tucked the cordless phone into her pants and got ready to run. She knew as soon as she went away from the door, he would come in. If the lock wasn't broken, that would buy her more time, but Fate wasn't that good to her.

Bre stared down at the picture. A tear fell from her eye and landed on Lizzy's head. She quickly kissed each brother and also tucked the picture away. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her eyes so her vision would be clear. The last thing she needed was to fall on her way to the window. With one last deep breath, she ran to the window and quickly began to work on it. She gathered all the strength into her arms and pushed heavily onto it. The window squeaked in protest but slowly slid up. She only had one more inch to go. One more inch. Just as she was about to climb through, the doorknob slowly begun turning.

-2-

Isaac slammed through the emergency room doors. He didn't know much about the situation, but he knew his best friend was lying on her death bed. He ran to the registration desk, ignoring all the questioning stares. "Where is Breanna Harmony?"

"Hold on a second." The nurse slowly swiveled in her chair over to the computer.

Isaac tapped his fingers impatiently. The nurse typed in the name, pausing slightly to take a sip of her now ice-cold coffee. He stared, more than a little shocked. His best friend was alone, in a cold room, and all this lady cared about was her coffee. "Excuse me? Can you hurry it up a little? Kay, 'preciate it much."

With an over-exaggerated sigh, she finished typing Bre's name. Isaac's luck, he had to have a nurse that hunt-n-pecks. "Yes, Breanna Marie Harmony. Age 17. Long blond hair. Blue eyes..."

"Yes! I know what she looks like. Please, just tell me which room she is in."

"117."

"There! Was that so hard?"

Isaac was off in his desperate search for Bre's room. Finally arriving at his destination, he stopped. Could he really do this? Could he just walk in there and see her like that? He honestly didn't think he could, but he had to. No one else was here, so he'd be the only one. Bre's parents were in Europe and no one was able to contact them yet. Luckily, his mother, Diana, and his younger brothers and sisters were home and were able to contact him. Diana had found her, lying in the bathroom. She became worried when Bre hadn't answered her phone calls so she went over to check on her. Good thing too. Who knows how long it could have been until someone found her. Isaac shuddered at the thought. He still didn't know what to expect on the other side of the hard oak door. His mother was very vague about what happened. Well, actually, all Isaac heard was "Bre... hurt bad... hospital" and he was on the next flight to Tulsa within minutes. Maybe he had nothing to worry about, but the feeling that was sinking his stomach into a bottomless pit made him think otherwise. Bre and Isaac always had a connection. They knew when the other was hurting, and they too felt that pain. And right now, Isaac felt like his entire body was set on fire and he had no choice but to let himself burn.

Placing his hand over the doorknob, he began shaking. His whole body trembled. This is ridiculous, he told himself. With both hands gripping the doorknob tightly, he slowly opened the door. His heart was not prepared for the sight before him. Bre was laying there, so pale and so distant. Tubes and wires were coming out of every place imaginable. She had bandages at various places of her face, arms and legs. Many machines surrounded her, each making their own distinct noise. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for that.

He walked over to her and stared down at her pale face. Pushing the numerous wires aside, he sat down beside her and cradled both her hands in one of his. With his free hand, he gently ran it through her hair, remembering how much she liked that. As if his touch was magical, he started to feel a tingly sensation in his hand. It traveled all the way up his arm, over his chest and into his heart. From there, it went through his throat and to his mind, and that's where it stopped. His mind was suddenly filled with images. Horrible images. He jumped from the bed, scared. Realizing that he probably just imagined everything, he sat back down in his previous position. He ran his hand over her face, tracing her cheekbones. Then, the sensation ran through him again. The images reappeared, but this time he didn't jump.

He let the images run through his mind and collect themselves. Right now, all they looked like was an old, busted up scrapbook. Pictures and memories thrown any way and in any order. Isaac closed his eyes so he could concentrate better. The only object that he could really identify was Breanna. Comfort sunk in when he realized he was seeing Bre's memories. But the comfort was immediately replaced with horror when he saw she was going to show him what happened.

"Bre! Open the God damn door, NOW!"

He saw Bre trying desperately to keep her bathroom door shut. A guy, who he only knew as Jake, was banging on her door. He kept threatening her for his merchandise. The next image showed Bre looking at a picture of her, Taylor, Zac, Lizzy and himself. She tucked the phone and the picture into her pants and went to the window. Isaac silently smiled, remembering all the times they had climbed in and out of that window when they were younger. That thing was practically painted shut by now. But Bre was the strongest girl he knew, both physically and mentally. He smiled proudly when she got it open. With his mind, he helped her out of the window. She only had one more ankle to get through and then she was home free. But she didn't see Jake come up behind her. She didn't see until Jake grabbed her ankle and roughly pulled her back inside. She fell backwards onto the floor with Jake jumping on top of her. Breanna screamed at the top of her lungs, begging any and all gods to help her. But no one could. Isaac watched painfully while Bre was brutally beaten. The tears flowed freely from his face, much like the Bre in his image.

Not being able to handle anymore of the heart-wrenching images, he broke the contact and backed up, shaking his head to get rid of them. When they were finally gone, he walked back over to Bre. His knees became too weak to stand on, so he collapsed beside her, gently pulling her into his arms, making sure not to pull any of the wires out. "I'm so sorry, Bre." He managed to get out before his emotions enveloped his body and he could no longer speak.

When he felt moisture run down his cheek that was not his own, he looked up. Bre, still unconscious, was silently crying. She knew that he saw what happened, yet he was still there, holding her.

"Bre?"

No answer.

"Bre, can you hear me? Okay, I know you can hear me, but I guess you can't respond. I'm so sorry. If only I would have been there I could have stopped all this. I swear to God, as soon as you wake up, you and I are going to spend so much time together. We're going to make up all the time we lost while I was gone; I promise... you just have to come back to me, Bre, please, just come back to me..." He buried his head into her shoulder. He didn't know what else to do. He lay beside her, just staring at her, for at least fifteen minutes, when something hit him. He might never have enough courage to do this again. "I love you, Bre. You have to come back."

The doctor, who had been standing in the room for about three minutes, cleared his throat. Isaac turned his head around, startled. The doctor offered him a sympathetic smile before going over to him. "I'm Dr. Carter. I performed Breanna's emergency surgery. Would you like to be filled in?" Dr. Carter had Isaac's full attention. "There is no easy way of saying this, so to save both of us a lot of trouble, I'm just going to tell you. Breanna has suffered major internal bleeding that we aren't able to stop. Maybe if she had gotten here sooner, we could have, but..."

"Wait, are you saying... are you saying that she's going to die?" Isaac couldn't even get the words out of his mouth without stumbling.

"I'm sorry, Son. But there's nothing we can do about it."

Isaac nodded his head and turned back to Bre. He couldn't believe they could just give up on her like that, but he also knew there was no way to stop internal bleeding. He was too over-whelmed with shock and fear, that he couldn’t even think straight. He intertwined the fingers of his left hand with her right. He rested his head on top of their clasped hands.

Out of nowhere, a machine started to beep wildly. Isaac's head shot up. His blurry eyes somehow managed to focus on the culprit machine. Little lines were racing up and down and getting smaller. Dr. Carter ran over to the other side and placed his stethoscope to her heart. He then reached over and pressed the intercom button on Bre's bed. "I need Dr. Weaver and Dr. Lance, stat!" Isaac only hoped the doctor wasn't talking to the same nurse that Isaac was earlier. A few seconds later, a male and female doctor ran in. "Dr. Weaver, try to get her pulse regulated," Dr. Carter ordered the male doctor. "Dr. Lance, help me remove some of these wires." Isaac moved out of the way so they could work.

They worked for ten minutes straight on her, and then they stopped. Isaac was waiting for them to say "Her heart is regulated and her blood pressure is back to normal." But that's not what he heard. Dr. Carter looked down at his watch. "Time of death: 10:36pm."

-3-

"Isaac, are you ready?" Taylor whispered to his oldest brother. Just breathing in a world where Breanna wasn't present was hard enough on Ike, but the next thing that he had to do would probably be the hardest.

Isaac broke the trance that he had been having for the past fifteen minutes. He looked over at his brothers, band mates, and best friends. He took a shaky breath and stood up, but immediately fell back down. Taylor and Zac ran over to him.

"Ike, are you alright?" Zac asked, kneeling beside him, with Taylor following suit.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice faltering. His voice was a dead give away that he was not alright. Taylor and Zac could only imagine what he must be feeling right now. Four days ago, he watched his best friend die. Four days ago, the world came crashing down at his feet.

They both helped Isaac to his feet. This time, he stayed. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Taylor asked, for what seemed like the millionth time. He knew there was no way to talk Ike out of this but he could at least let him know there were other options.

"Yes, I need to do this. She deserves it. I... I just need your help." He stared at his brothers like a lost puppy, desperately trying to find his way home. Bre had always said that when she looked into Isaac's eyes, she could see his soul. That "his eyes are the window to his soul." Taylor never really took that into consideration given the fact that brothers usually don't stare into each other's eyes, but looking into his brother's eyes now he realized something. He realized that she was right. Everything that Isaac was feeling, Taylor could see in his eyes.

"We're here for you, Ike, you know that." Taylor said, giving Isaac a comforting embrace. Zac, too, hugged his brother. Ike sighed and ran a hand through his curly hair.

They grabbed their jackets and headed downstairs. The boys needed to stay behind to do some last minute preparations so everybody else was already there. Isaac grabbed his keys off the table and they headed towards the car.

Once they got on the road, Zac decided to talk to relieve the heavy tension surrounding them in the car. "What time does this start?"

"9:30," Taylor supplied, from the passenger's seat.

Zac looked down at his watch. 9:05. He concentrated on the back of Ike's head, considering there was nothing else really to look at. They would soon be there.

Isaac pulled into the almost full parking lot. Taylor and Zac climbed out of the car while he sat there. They both stared at him, silently asking him what was wrong. He didn't say anything, but he hesitantly got out of the car.

"Our stuff is already set up from last night so we don't have to worry about it," Taylor said.

"Yeah, I know, I was there, remember?" A soft smile played in his lips. Taylor looked over and smiled back. A smiled from Isaac Hanson was rare these past few days. "How could I forget?"

They slowly entered the mortuary. Familiar faces greeted them. All tear-stained or close to it. Bre's parents were sitting stiffly in the front row, followed by the Hanson family. There had to be at least fifty people there. It was strange because Isaac thought there would be at least a few people that he wouldn't know, but he knew everyone. All of Bre's closest friends and family were there.

Isaac, Taylor and Zac made their way to the front of the room, where their family sat and where an open casket holding Breanna Marie Harmony laid. Bre's family had insisted on having a closed casket ceremony based on the fact that she had a few bruises on her face, but Isaac would not hear of this. He pleaded with them to have it open, telling them he wanted to see her face one last time before they buried her into the ground. He had many more reasons, but the one that stuck out and finally won them over was when he said, "She may have a few bruises on her face, but she's still the most beautiful girl in the world." Needless to say, that settled it.

The ceremony had only gone on for about five minutes and already there was not one dry eye in the room. While many were trying to hide it, others were crying uncontrollable. "... Now, I understand we have a special performance for the final goodbye."

That was their cue. Isaac, Taylor and Zac all stood up and walked past Bre's casket to a Baby Grand piano. Isaac sat down on the hard bench and watched silently as Taylor and Zac pulled their stools over. Isaac collected his thoughts before he began talking. "We'd like to sing a song for Breanna. She was always a huge part of our lives. She influenced so many people and it's obvious that she cared deeply about everybody in this room, and yet so many more. She was always there when you needed her and she always knew exactly what to say. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out. And though many people consider this a goodbye... I consider this a 'see you later.' She's a person that I can never say goodbye to because she'll always be in my heart. And Bre, if you're listening, and I know you are," his voice became so low and soft that even his brothers had to strain to hear, "I love you."

He started the opening chords. Usually Taylor was lead on this song, but only Ike could put the perfect emotion into it that was needed for this occasion. "If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry. And if I'm gone when you wake up, it's not goodbye. Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress. Remember me, remember me, cause I'll be with you in your dreams..."

Taylor could only stare at his brother. He was amazed of all the emotion that was pouring from his mouth. He didn't think he ever heard Ike sing so... so perfect. It was as if only he and Bre were in the room. Everyone else had somehow dissolved into the woodwork. Taylor was so content on listening to Ike that he almost forgot to come in at his part. He was almost afraid to sing for fear of covering Ike up. Zac must have been thinking the same thing. When they both came in, their voices were so soft that it gave the song an eerie sound. But it sounded perfect.

"Cause I'll be with you in your... dreeeaaams." Isaac finished the song and bowed his head. A mysterious wind whirled around the room and wrapped itself around him, lightly picking up his hair. His head slowly rose, revealing his tear-streaked face. A sense of security and comfort washed over him and he smiled. It was true what he said, Bre will always be with him.

-4-

Isaac carelessly plucked the strings of his acoustic guitar. “You were here once, but now you’re gone; you didn’t leave me the strength to carry on. I’m empty inside now cause you were my drink; maybe we’ll see each other sooner than we think...” He threw his guitar down in frustration. Every song that poured from his mouth for the past two weeks was about Breanna. Every time he got his mind thinking about all the good times they shared, the bad invade him. It was still hard to believe that she wasn’t here anymore.

“Hey, Ike, how’s it going?”

Isaac looked up and smiled. “Hey Zac, better, how ‘bout you?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Just worried about you.”

Ike sighed. It seems that’s the only thing his entire family did anymore. Worry about him. He knew that they were only doing it out of love and that they meant no harm, but he didn’t want them to. He wanted them to move on with their lives. He didn’t want to be reason for a delay. “I know you’re worried Zac, but really, there’s nothing to be worried about...”

“What do you mean ‘nothing to be worried about’ Ike; you lost your best friend.”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

Zac sighed and sat down beside him on the floor. “I know you don’t need me to remind you, Ike. It seems you’ve been doing that pretty well yourself.”

Ike stared at his hands, which he was wrenching together. “I know. But she’s all I can think about. It hurts... it hurts so bad. Even when I sleep, she’s there. I can remember every single dream I’ve had for the past two weeks. Some are good. You know, remembering all the wonderful times. But most are bad. I see it. I see what happened to her that night and it plays over and over again in my head. I can’t stop it. I have to watch her and... And I can’t handle it but there’s nothing I can do.”

Zac stared at his oldest brother, who was currently hugging his knees, stunned. He had never seen this weakening side of him. Ike was always the strong one. Always the one comforting everybody else. Now he was the one in need of comfort, and Zac was the one to give it. He slowly crawled over and wrapped his arms around his brother. He was surprised when Ike grabbed onto him and clutched his back like his life depended on it.

A few minutes later, Isaac pulled away. He put his face down and gingerly wiped at his eyes. Zac smiled affectionately at him. “You know, Ike. I still love you when you cry.”

Ike laughed lightly. “Yeah...” he traveled off, staring at the ceiling. “I love ya too. I don’t care what Taylor says about you...”

“Hey!” Taylor yelled, jokingly, from the doorway. He had witnessed the beautiful moment between his brothers and had stayed quiet. It had brought a tear to his own eye. “Now Ike, you know I only say nice and wonderful things about our Zac. Whatever gave you that idea?” He walked over and sat across from them.

Ike laughed, good-naturedly. “Thanks guys.”

They both smiled. Taylor patted him on the back. "That’s what we’re here for. You’re always here for us so it’s the least we can do.”

Ike smiled and looked thoughtful for a second. “Can you guys excuse me for a second? I have something I need to do.”

“Sure,” Zac said, a little confused. “We’ll be in the garage if you need us.” They both got up and headed towards the door, turning around once. When Ike nodded his head in reassurance and gratitude, they exited their shared bedroom. Ike put away his guitar and retrieved his journal. He flipped through the last few pages, skimming its contents. Making himself depressed all over again, he quickly turned to a clean sheet. He dated the top and began writing his current feelings.

Twelve pages later, he stopped. His hand was beginning to cramp and he had an eerie feeling that someone was watching him. He turned his head to look at the door. He was half expecting Taylor or Zac to be standing there, watching him quietly. But there was no one there. He shrugged, telling himself he was losing it. He turned his attention back to his journal. What he saw made him do a double take. “Huh?” he asked no one in particular.

He ran his finger over the newly engraved “I love you” written at the top of the page. He was positive he didn’t write “I love you” to himself. A soft breeze ran through him. The same breeze that visited him two weeks ago. The breeze became stronger and it flipped his journal to a very early page. Instead of running from the room, screaming, he remained oddly calm. This strange breeze didn’t scare him. In fact, it was comfortable. It filled him with something that he had been severely lacking lately.

Isaac looked down at the new-found page and he just had to smile. He had written it on November 17, 1995. “Today is my 15th birthday. You should see what Bre got me. It’s this little stuffed animal of Winnie-the-Pooh. She insists that I’m her Pooh Bear. ‘My Little Pooh-Bear’ is what she calls me. I think it’s cute, really. Haaa... Bre, you gotta love her...” Isaac sighed and closed the book.

He stood up and peered at the contents on the top bunk. His bunk. There it sat. The Pooh-Bear that Bre had presented for him on his 15th birthday. He kept it by his side at all times. He leaned over and picked it up, letting its soft fur slip through his fingers. He brought the bear up to his lips and softly kissed it. A voice broke into his reminiscing and his head shot up.

“How’s my little Pooh-Bear?”

-5-

Isaac clutched the innocent bear in his hands, his grip becoming stronger with every passing second. “Bre?”

“Who were you expecting? Santa?”

“No, just... you’re... you’re.” He stumbled over his words, trying to find the right ones to use.

Breanna sighed. She knew this was going to be difficult. But if Isaac knew that she had a chance to see him and she didn’t take it, he would be terribly heart-broken. “I know this is hard to believe but you have to trust me on this. I’m an angel.”

Isaac smiled. “I kinda already knew that.”

Breanna looked shocked. “You mean, you actually believe me? Man, my buds upstairs told me it was hard to convince people. Wow, that’s... that’s pretty cool. Okay, um, I guess you’re wonderin’ why I’m here, huh?”

“Well, that thought had crossed my mind. But you’re here and that’s all that matters to me.” Isaac stared at her. He could hardly believe what he was seeing, but there was no way he was going to mess this up. He continued to stare at her. She was so beautiful. She had a bright light surrounding her soul. Her eyes were like two sapphires placed in freshly laid snow. Her long white gown flowed freely past her feet.

“What are you looking at? Never seen an angel before?” Breanna broke him out of his current trance. Seeing him felt so good but she was also sad because she had to leave him soon. She sighed, bitterly, wishing she could stay forever.

“Well, not a real one but you were always my angel.”

Breanna smiled at him and blushed slightly. She needed to do something so bad but she knew if she did it, she could get into some major trouble. She looked at him. ’He’s worth it.’

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Bre, are you alright?” She ignored him and continued to focus on the lesson she was taught. Within a few moments, she became less spirit-like and more like a human. Isaac stared, shocked. “How did you do that?”

Breanna smiled. “Just a trick of the trade. I get along with all the other angels up there. Now, are you going to keep asking me questions or are you going to take advantage of the situation?”

Isaac smiled, lovingly at her, and closed off the small gap between them, taking her into his arms. It felt so good to be able to hold her like that again. No words were said between them for at least five minutes. None were needed. Their strong grips and tender touches said it all.

Breanna pulled away slightly. Isaac lightly pushed away her tears. “I saw Grandma.”

Isaac’s breath got stuck in his throat. “You did?”

She smiled. “Yeah, she told me to tell you that you’ve done a wonderful job helping to raise your brothers and sisters. She wishes you all the luck and happiness in the world because you deserve it. But she said you did a horrible job on her garden.”

Isaac laughed. “Hey, that wasn’t me. Zac was so eager to garden so I let him do it. He ruined it. He mixed all the flowers together. Musician I might be, but gardener I am not.” They laughed for a few seconds and then he grew serious again. “How’s she doing?”

Breanna smiled one of those smiles that make the sun jealous. “She’s doing great. She’s really happy.”

Isaac smiled, relieved. “That’s good... How are you?”

She looked down for a second, as if her answer was written on the floor. Then she looked back up at him. “Things are getting better, you know. It’s still hard not being able to talk to you whenever I want, but I guess watching will have to do.”

That last line perked his ears. “You mean you can see me whenever you want?”

She smiled. “Well, yeah, unless I’m needed somewhere else. I’ve been watching you for the past couple days... I’m sorry Ike.”

“Sorry for what? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I see how hard you’ve been taking this and it hurts me. I feel horrible for what I’ve made you go through...” The tears started to spring to her eyes again so she stopped.

Ike gently lifted her chin up with his finger. “Look at me.” She obediently turned her eyes up to him. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Of course I’m going to take this bad. You’re my best friend. You always will be. Nothing can change that. Whether you’re standing before me or way up above me, you’ll always be with me. Always.”

Breanna smiled and re-wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t deserve you.”

Ike laughed softly. “Yeah, well, you’re stuck with me so get used to it.”

Just then, the clock in the hall chimed. Breanna carefully counted. 5:00. “Ike, I have to go.” She whispered into his ear. His grip became twice as strong around her small waist.

His breath quickened and his voice became ragged. “Don’t go.”

“I have to. I don’t want to but I have to.” His grip didn’t even loosen. She tucked her head into his neck and lightly kissed it. “If I don’t leave now I’ll never be able to come back.”

His grip loosened somewhat but not completely. “Please, please stay with me.” He was slowly loosing control and his voice conveyed that.

The soft moisture that ran from his eyes landed on Bre’s shoulder. Her own tears ran down her cheek and met with his, where they traveled down her arm together. “You know I would love nothing more than to stay, but if I want to be able to see you whenever I want, I have to go back. I swear to God that I’ll come back. Coming from an angel, that’s a pretty big promise.”

Ike turned his head so he could kiss her cheek. “I love you, Bre.”

It was Bre’s turn to clutch him tighter. This time she didn’t want to let go. “I love you too.” She could feel herself slipping so she grabbed onto his back. “Ike, it’s time. They’re pulling me back.”

He removed his hands from her waist and brought them to her face. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, which was quivering slightly. She was beginning to fade back so he quickly placed a soft kiss to her lips. Her eyes were closed tight, as if to savor every second of it.

Just as he stopped kissing her, she returned back to her spirit being. “Bre,” he whimpered, trying to grab her, but his hand went right through her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back sooner than you think.”

Ike saw her saddened face and quickly decided that if there was no way around her leaving, she could at least leave a little happier. “Hey Bre?”

She was just about faded out. “Yes Ike?”

“When you watch over me, could you maybe visit someone else while I’m taking a shower?” His smile was genuine and contagious.

Bre smiled one of her infamous smiles. “Honey, we used to take baths together all the time, you haven’t got anything I haven’t seen!”

Ike raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled. “I’m kidding. I will respect your privacy. I’m not that perverted. Well, yes I am, but for you- I’ll make an effort to behave myself.”

Ike smiled. “Take care of yourself, Bre. Come back soon.”

“I will... oh and Ike? If there’s one thing in life to remember about me, remember this.”

“What?”

“I’ll always be with you.”

Isaac watched silently as she left the room. He put a finger to his lips, tracing where Bre’s had been. He smiled inwardly to himself. An idea came to him and he headed towards the garage. He knocked lightly before entering.

“Howdy stranger!” Zac greeted with his usual grace. Currently, he had an orange FreezePop stuffed in his mouth with an orange ring covering his lips.

Ike had to laugh. “Is it good, Zac?”

“It better be good! That’s the eighth one the little bugger had!” Taylor joked from his position on the couch.

“Hey!” He couldn’t think of a comeback so he just repeated himself. “Hey!”

“Oh, is our Zac out of fresh comebacks. Somebody alert the authorities. Aren’t you supposed to be the King?” Ike asked, plopping down beside Taylor.

“Leave me alone,” he replied, jokingly. “What took you so long anyway?”

“I wasn’t gone that long, was I?”

Taylor looked at his watch. “Oh no, only two hours. But that’s okay. We can practice tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Ike sighed and looked down at his hands.

“Uh-oh, what’s on the Mad Scientist’s mind?” Zac asked coming over.

“Can I ask you guys a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?” Taylor asked.

“Well, I thought maybe we could take a quick trip. I don’t want to explain too much right now but you will have to do a little bit of work. Do you think you can help?”

They both smiled. Taylor spoke up first. “Of course. Besides, anything is better than watching Zac inhale FreezePops.”

Zac playfully swatted him on the arm. They all got up and followed Ike out to the shed. They watched as he retrieved various tools.

“Um, Ike, what exactly are we doing?” Taylor asked, while they carried the tools to Ike’s car.

After everything was secured into the trunk, Ike slammed it shut and turned to his brothers. He thought back to what Bre said and smiled brightly. “I think we should do something we haven’t done in a couple years.”

“What?” They both asked.

“Garden.”

-6-

“No mountain’s too high for you to climb
All you have to do, is have some climbing faith
No river’s too wide for you to make it across
All you have to do, is believe it when you pray

And then you will see, the morning will come
And every day will be bright as the sun
Hold up your fears, cast them on me
I just want you to see

I’ll be your cloud up in the sky
I’ll be your shoulder when you cry
I’ll hear your voices when you call me
I am your angel
And when all hope is gone, I’m here
No matter how far you are, I’m near
It makes no difference who you are
I am your angel
I’m your angel

I saw your tear drops and I heard you cry
All you need is time, seek me and you shall find
You have everything and you’re still lonely
It don’t have to be this way, let me show you a better day

And then you will see, the morning will come
And all of your days will be bright as the sun
All of your fears, cast them on me
How can I make you see

And when it’s time to face the storm
I’ll be right by your side
Prayers will keep us safe and warm
And I know we will survive
And when it seems as if you’re end is drawing near
Don’t you dare give up the fight
Just put your trust beyond the skies

Zac stood up and clapped, wildly. “Ike, that was really awesome! When did you write that?”

Isaac smiled at his younger brother. The song had to be good if it got him that worked up. “Yesterday.”

“Was this before or after we gardened?” Taylor asked, from his position on the couch. He had finally recovered from his shock which the song produced.

Isaac laughed, remembering their attempt at gardening. “After. Actually, I had little parts of the song running around in my head before that but I put it together when we got home."

“Please,” Zac begged. “Please tell me you didn’t get your inspiration from... from gardening!?!”

Taylor and Isaac both laughed at Zac’s antics. “Yeah, Zac. Those two year-old plants really inspired me. No, actually, I got my inspiration before I even came down to tell you...” He was cut off by knocks on the garage door. “Come in!”

Diana walked in, holding Zoë. “Boys, it’s time for dinner.” Taylor and Zac made a mad dash for the door while Ike stayed behind. He slowly put away his guitar. “Honey, are you alright?”

He turned towards his mother, who was currently trying to tie Zoë’s shoe while holding her. He smiled and walked over. “Here, I got it.” He carefully took Zoë’s tiny foot in his hand and tied her shoe. “Why do you ask if I’m alright?”

“Just worried about you, I guess. Have you been sleeping well?”

“Better than before. I still can’t go a whole night without having a nightmare, but it’s getting better. Time heals all, right?”

She smiled fondly at her oldest son, lightly running her hand through his hair. She was just about to turn around and head upstairs, when the look in her son’s eyes told her there was something else that needed to be said. “What is it?”

“Mom... do you believe in angels?”

Diana smiled proudly. “Of course. I’ve had seven of them already.”

Isaac shook his head but smiled. “Seriously, Mom.”

“I am serious. Each and every one of you are my angels and I wouldn’t trade any one of you for the world. Just because you aren’t dead doesn’t mean you can’t be an angel.”

“I know. But have you ever seen an angel. Like, one sent from God.”

Diana became serious. “No, can’t say that I have.” Isaac hung his head a little, concentrating on the symmetrical lines of the linoleum floor. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “But just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean I don’t believe in it.”

Isaac looked up and smiled at her. That was exactly what he needed to hear. “Thanks, Mom.”

She smiled back and gently tucked his hair behind his ears. “That’s what I’m here for. Now, come on before our dinner gets cold.”

Isaac noticed that she was struggling to hold Zoë up. “Here, I’ll take her. You head up awhile. I’ll be right up.”

Diana willingly handed her baby girl over to her oldest son. “Thanks. Don’t be too long.”

He kissed his mother on the cheek. “Don’t worry.”

Diana walked out of the garage, leaving the two behind.

Isaac began rocking Zoë back and forth. “You’re one lucky girl, Zoë. I’d give anything to go back to the simple times... wait, that’s not true. There are so many things that I am grateful for and I am glad that they happened over the years. I just wish I didn’t wait so long to tell someone how I felt. Zoë, there will probably be a million and a half things that I’m going to tell you over the years. Most of it will probably be useless, but what I’m going to tell you now is something that you should always carry with you. When you find someone that you fall in love with, don’t wait to tell them how you feel. Tell them that you love them and that you want to be with them forever because God only knows how long they’ll be with you. Can you do that for me?” Zoë released a little gurgle as a reply. Isaac smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

As Isaac carried Zoë up the steps, Breanna wiped the tear from her eye and smiled.

-7-

“Guys, there’s something that I really need to tell you.” Isaac started out, unsurely. He knew he had to tell his brothers about Bre. He hated keeping secrets from them. Besides, this was a big secret that they deserved to know.

Taylor and Zac looked at him, curiously. “Yeah, sure, what is it? Is everything okay?” Taylor asked.

Ike nodded but then shook his head, as if an afterthought. “Well, yeah but no. I’ve been keeping something from you guys for the past three days. I wanted to tell you but I didn’t really know how... I...”

“What is it, Ike?” Zac asked. He was seriously becoming worried for his oldest brother’s welfare. He had been acting strange for the past couple days.

“I’ve seen Bre.”

Taylor and Zac sat back, stunned. They didn’t really know what to think. They knew Ike wouldn’t lie to them, especially about that. But something so dramatic as loosing a best friend can cause you to hallucinate. That strong longing for Bre could make him believe that she was really there. Taylor finally spoke up. His voice was so soft. It was his way of showing Ike that he didn’t want to hurt him but it was something that needed to be said. “Um, Ike, Bre’s gone.”

Isaac sighed and got up from his position on the floor. He made his way towards the stairs. “I didn’t think you would believe me.” He slowly started to ascend the stairs.

“Wait Ike!” Zac called, running up the steps behind him. He followed him into their bedroom. Taylor followed close behind. “We didn’t say we didn’t believe you, it’s just that... that’s a lot to handle.”

Ike turned around. “You think I don’t know that. I mean, I guess I wasn’t expecting you to believe me. I just wish there was a way I could prove to you that I’m telling the truth.”

“Um... maybe you won’t have to try as hard as you think.” Taylor’s voice was distant and he was staring at a point behind Isaac. Slowly, Zac’s eyes followed his and the same reaction hit him.

Ike turned around and smiled. “You’re back.”

Breanna smiled back. “I promised you I’d be back, didn’t I?”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Breanna quickly disappeared. When Isaac looked worried, she popped her head back into view and winked at him. He smiled and walked over to the door.

His smile fell to the floor as soon as he caught a glimpse of the person on the other side. “What are you doing here?”

-8-

Lizzy looked like she had been slapped in the face. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, don’t even act stupid with me. Then again, with you it isn’t acting, is it?”

She pushed passed him and walked into the room. She was greeted with cold stares from Taylor and Zac also. Isaac brushed passed her and sat in the computer chair. “What did I do?”

“God Lizzy! Quit acting like a moron!” Zac yelled, plopping onto Taylor’s bed.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s bad enough what you did, but then you had to miss the funeral. What happened to the Lizzy we used to know?” Taylor asked, sitting beside Zac.

“I swear, guys, I have no idea what you are talking about! I’ve been in New York for the past two months.”

Isaac was filled with so much anger that he couldn’t even speak, but finally he calmed down a little. “Oh, New York. Going for the classy drugs now, huh?”

Liz closed her eyes and sighed. “I was there for rehab, Ike. Please, tell me why you all of a sudden hate me.”

Isaac softened a little. “You mean, you really don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Liz, Bre is dead. Your boyfriend, Jake, decided to pay her a little visit while you were gone. He thought she had his stuff, which really you had, and he beat her to death.”

All the color drained from Liz’s face and she backed up a few feet. “Wh..what?”

“She’s gone, Liz.” Zac supplied.

Without further hesitation, Liz fell to the ground with her one arm slung above her head. Zac ran into the bathroom to get a glass of water while Isaac and Taylor kneeled beside her. Zac returned and threw the water on her face. Lizzy flew up-right and gasped for air.

“Oh, man! I had this wicked nightmare about you guys telling me Bre was dead... I’m glad that’s over...” she trailed off when she noticed the sympathetic stares she was getting. “Please tell me that was just a nightmare.”

Taylor placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Liz, but she’s really gone.”

Liz covered her face with her hands. Her body began to shake with her silent sobs. “Oh God, this is all my fault.”

Isaac sighed and delicately pulled her hands away from her eyes.

“Liz, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know this would happen. Yes, you shouldn’t have been involved in the first place but you had no idea that he would come after Bre. Come on, stand up.”

Liz silently obeyed and let Ike pull her over to Taylor’s bed. He gently tucked her into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Why don’t you just lay down and rest for awhile. We’ll talk more when you get up. If you need anything, we’ll be downstairs, okay?”

Liz attempted a half-smile as more tears fell from her eyes. “Thanks Ike. I’m gonna make this up to you, I promise. I know I can’t bring your best friend back but I’ll do something to gain your friendship back... I promise.”

Isaac smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Get some rest.”

Liz nodded and snuggled down into the covers. Isaac turned around and motioned for his brothers to follow him downstairs.

Zac shoved his hands in his pockets as they made their way down the steps. “Man, I can’t believe she didn’t know... all this time she thought Bre... Ike, what about Bre?”

Isaac stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh my God, I forgot she was watching... do you think she’s still...” He didn’t even finish his own words as he ran back up the steps, Zac and Taylor following close behind.

-9-

Isaac, Taylor and Zac all ran into their bedroom. Isaac stopped mid-way through the room, causing Taylor to run into him, followed by Zac.

Liz looked up from her position on the bed. “What?”

“Oh, um, we thought we heard you call us so we ran back up.” Isaac supplied, after scanning the room.

“Well, I didn’t. You guys must be hearing things... I’m fine.”

Zac smiled. “Okay, we’ll be downstairs if ya need us. Um, yeah.”

The guys turned back around and exited... again. Closing the door behind them, they huddled by the steps.

“Where do you think she would go?” Taylor asked in a whisper.

Isaac sat down on the steps and placed his head in his hands. Zac sat down beside him, tucking his hands under his chin. “There’s only one place that I can think of... but if you don’t mind, can I go alone?”

Zac patted his back. “Sure, man. Let us know how she’s doing.”

Isaac smiled and stood up. “I’ll be back.”

He walked down the steps and made his way out to the backyard. Walking out onto the open porch, the glaring sun assaulted his eyes. With one hand protecting his eyes, he began climbing up the tree-house ladder.

Once he reached the top, he peered inside. “Bre?” There was no answer but he knew she was there. He climbed inside and sat at one of the corners. “I know you’re here... so whenever you’re ready to talk, I’ll listen.” He laid his head on his knees and just waited.

A few moments later, her soft voice broke through. “Is she okay?”

He smiled and brought his head up. “She’s shaken up but she’ll be fine... I came up to see how you were doing though.”

She was sitting on the window ledge, the sun shining right through her. She shrugged her shoulders and sniffed. “I’m fine, I guess.”

He looked at her and shook his head. “No you’re not. I can see it in your eyes, Bre. You can’t lie to me.”

She looked away and hung her head. Then, turning her head to the sun, she whispered, “I’m a horrible person.”

Isaac stood behind her, wanting to wrap his arms around her. But he couldn’t. He hated this. He hated not being able to touch her. Erasing those thoughts from his head, he settled with placing his lips next to her ear. “You are not a horrible person. How can you say that?”

She jumped a little but easily calmed herself. “I... I blamed... nevermind, I can’t tell you.” She turned around to his hurt face. “I’m sorry. And I know you’re going to say, ‘But you can tell me anything’ and maybe you’re right, but... but if you knew what I had to tell you, you’d be so ashamed of me that... that I don’t think I could handle it.”

He was a little taken back by her words. “Bre, in your seventeen years of life, I was never once ashamed of you... why would I start now? You have never even done anything that would remotely make me ashamed of you. I have been nothing but proud of everything you have accomplished in life.”

Bre looked up at him, small tears falling from her eyes. “I know, Ike... it’s just, this is really bad.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me and let me judge for myself?”

She smiled, somewhat. “You never give up, do you?”

He smiled back. “You know once I have my heart and mind set on something, I don’t. How do you think we stayed best friends all those years?”

“True.”

“And I’m sure what you have to say isn’t as bad as you think it is. And whatever it is, I’ll help you. We’ll get through it.”

“Okay... um, you know how... well, you know when... okay, remember...”

“Bre?”

She stopped and looked at him. “Yeah?”

“Just speak from your heart.”

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “When I was laying in the hospital bed, dying. I blamed myself for what happened. That, everything was my fault and that there was some way to prevent it. No, lemme finish.” She held her hand up to Ike, who was beginning to protest. “Then, when I was up there.” She pointed to the sky. “They made me see that it wasn’t my fault. There was no way I had any control over the situation. Then I started thinking... who’s fault is it? And somehow my mind told me that is was Lizzy’s fault. I didn’t want to believe that... but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. But now, seeing her like that... I can’t even believe that I pinned it on her. She was one of my best friends... how could I do such a horrible thing to someone who didn’t even know what was going on. Here she is, crying over me, and I was accusing her!” She took the chance of looking up at him. His face had dramatically softened and he was staring at her. “I’m sorry. But I don’t blame Liz anymore. The blame is back on me.”

“Oh Bre, why didn’t you tell me sooner. None of this is your fault. And you’re not a horrible person. You were the victim. And I know your feelings are just really mixed up right now but please, don’t ever think like that again.”

Bre was about to speak again when Taylor came storming up the ladder. “Guys, you need to get in here now.”

“Why?” They both asked.

“Something is wrong with Liz.”

-10-

Isaac turned back around to look at Bre, but she was already gone. Sighing, he quickly climbed down the ladder and followed behind Taylor. Once they got in the room, Ike looked around. He turned towards Taylor. “What's going on?”

Taylor spun around, making sure no one was standing behind him. “I... I don't know. They were right here.”

“Who? Liz and Zac?”

“Yeah, Zac was watching her. She like, started convulsing or something. So I came down to get you. Now...”

“.. they're gone.” Ike finished for him.

“But how could they just... just disappear like that. Its not like she was in any condition to move. Her whole body was shaking. There was no way she could even stand.”

“Let's check downstairs... maybe Zac helped her down the steps... or something. I don't know... something just doesn't seem right...”

“I know... I've wanted to ask you something, but really haven't had time... I don't know, maybe it's just me, but...”

“What?” Ike asked, his voice filled with concern yet anticipation.

“Isn't it a little weird that Liz shows up now, saying she doesn't know anything, and totally puts on an innocent act? I don't know, maybe I'm reaching here...”

“No, I know exactly what you're talking about. I noticed it too. She changed, and I don't think it's for the better. It's as if she didn't even care that Bre’s... um, dead.” He quickly went on with another topic. “But we should go see if she's downstairs.”

They both walked out and headed downstairs. They ran into Diana at the bottom of the steps.

“Hey Mom, have you seen Zac or Liz?” Taylor asked.

“Liz?” Diana's face seemed to turn pale. “Liz is here?”

Ike looked at her weird. “Yeah Mom, you let her in, didn't you? I mean, she came upstairs and knocked on our bedroom door... I figured you would know she was here.”

Diana put down the wash basket she was carrying and ushered her two eldest sons into the living room. “Sit down, I have something to tell you.”

“What's wrong, Mom?” Taylor asked, as they sat down on the couch.

“Um,” she wrenched her hands together. “A few days ago, I received a letter from Becky.”

“Becky? Liz's mom, Becky?” Ike asked.

“Yeah, um, remember how we thought Liz was going to New York for her ‘drug problem?’”

“Yeah,” they both answered, slowly.

“Something tells me that's not why she was really up there.”

“Well, you're half right, Isaac. See, um, she was up there for drug rehab. But after a week in there, the doctors sent her somewhere else.”

“Where?” Taylor asked, intrigued.

“A psychiatric ward.”

“WHAT?” Both of their eyeballs seemed to pop out of their head.

“Yes, but that's not the worst part. They found these letters in her room. These awful letters that stated over and over again how much she hated Bre. And how she was going to get this Jake guy to kill her. To come up with some illusion that would make Bre think she did something wrong and that she would die for it. That was her only wish. For Bre to die... well, I guess her wish came true.” Her voice was lowered to a mumble.

Isaac and Taylor were both taken back. They couldn't believe this. Liz never showed such hatred before.

“Did the letters say why she hated Bre so much? I mean, she never ever showed such strong hatred before.” Isaac rubbed his temples in frustration.

“I'm sorry, baby, but no.”

“Then why did they let her out! She's obviously not stable.” Isaac was on the verge of a break-down.

“That's where my surprise came in... she broke out of the institution... and I take it she's not too happy.”

Isaac and Taylor looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. They both jumped up and ran towards the door.

“Boys! Where are you going?”

Isaac ran out to the car, while Taylor turned around. “Mom, call the police. She took Zac.”