Anne sat by the fire, watching as the orange flames licked the air, the orange melting to yellow, then to red, the logs crisping underneath the heat. The only sound that could be heard was the soft roar of the fire as its energy gradually built and its immense heat lingered in the room.
She gazed at the TV screen, watching as the images danced by; the sound had been turned down, the room seemed too quiet. Annie wondered if he would visit her, the boy who would listen to her rant and rave about her latest crushes, or how her Mother annoyed her, or how her spots were invading her face; to which he would usually laugh gently, his approving smile would melt to a serious look.
Annie prodded the fire with a poker; the cold was creeping in from underneath the door. She turned the logs over and watched, as little sparks of fire would flutter out, glowing with great intensity, blazing for a second, then flickering away.
She wanted to talk to him, tell him the secrets of her day, tell him how well she was getting on at school, thanks to his help and great patience. Where was he?
The hairs on her arms began to stand on end, followed by the tickling sensation, and the soft hands of a warm breeze caressing her face. There was no draft. Usually, this is what would happen when he came to see her, she knew he was there; his presence lingered in the room. She could not see him; she prodded the fire once more.
From the corner of her eye she saw him, sitting, on the chair adjacent to the fire, his legs crossed, his arms resting gently on the side of the armchair. His face beheld great wisdom, for such a young man; a faint smile lingered on his cupid bow lips.
"Annie" he smiled "You thought I wouldn't come" his large brown eyes regarded her with kindness. He was exquisitely beautiful; his face was framed with shoulder length brown hair, which seemed all too well groomed and perfect for an ordinary man. His skin had a certain lustre to it, to smooth, to unspoilt. His dark, arched, eyebrows gave him and innocent and questioning look, which could, more than often, look comical when he was puzzled.

He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Annie smiled "And yet again you make a grand entrance. A little hush of wind and you pop into the chair, just as cool as can be"

"That's me" he laughed "Grand as can be. What can I say?" he paused for a second, resting his head on his hand, his gazed intently at her "And how have you been - anything dramatic or outrageous happened in the whole week of me not seeing you?"

"What, like me prince charming riding up to me on his white steed, proclaiming his everlasting love for me?" Annie smiled, her gaze drifting off to the fire.

"Like Andy Morrison?" he smirked "You have been eyeballing that boy for a long time now. I say you should go up and ask him out- and if he says no, then that proves he is insane, as well as blind"

"How did you know that I like him?" she gasped comically "Am I that transparent?" Annie watched as his famous smile spread across his face, making his eyes light up. Beautiful.

"You are forgetting I know everything" he said with a faint smile "You can't hide anything from me!"

"Nasty" she replied "Where have you been anyway? I haven't seen you in a whole week! I've missed not having our conversations, I feel so much better when you are here, you know that"

"But I am always here, although you may not see me, I'm always here if you need me" his voice was soft, kind "You know I would never leave you, right?"

"Can I ask you something?" her voice was quite, green eyes narrowing.

He nodded his head and waited for her to continue.

She thought of her brother, long gone, taken by the cruel hands of death. David had died when Annie was one; her memories of him were kept in photos, photos of when David was a young boy. Annie had longed for her brother, her brother who had been stolen from her. David..

"Is there a heaven?"

"Of course there is, what do you think I am, just a fragment of your ever- so-active imagination? Where do you think I come from, you very own Guardian Angel?; heaven" his voice was soft "Why do you ask?"

"It's a thought that is always playing with me, you know?" Annie sighed, "I don't know, I just worry a lot, that's all. I worry that when I do die, that there will be nothing but blackness, it's such a horrible feeling"

"Well don't think about it, it's not true, and I'm proof that it's true" he face adopted a serious look, the light from the fire twinkled in his eyes "You seem distant"

"Och, I don't know, it's just being a teenager, you know, hormones like to run a bloody muck. Some days I feel on top of the world, other days I just feel terrible, numb inside, I hate it..." her voice trailed off "I miss my brother, I never knew him, but I miss him so much" Annie never meant to say it, but it slipped out without her noticing.

"It must be hard to loose someone, it's a harsh part of being human. But, life does go on though - no matter how much you hold back, life always creeps forward." He was looking into the fire, mesmerised by the flames.

"Have you ever lost anyone?"

His eyes met hers, and for a second he looked startled - as though he didn't know what to say; he let out small sigh. "You could say so, yes. But life goes on, in heaven and in earth - it just...goes on."

Anna frowned at him, her expression looking somewhat confused. "I don't understand. How can you lose someone in heaven? Or, if your are an angel..how is that possible?"

He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. "Its hard to explain Anna..they are there, but they are not...When I lost them it was difficult - but understandable, I suppose you can say it was meant to not as hard in heaven as it is down here."

"Did you love them?"

"More than anything in this world...they were my world. I still love them, always will."

"How can you cope!?" Anna gave a dramitical sigh. Her scottish accent thickening slightly.

"Lets just say that, I have my ways" he replied with a smile. "I have my ways..." he repeated again as his gaze fell once more to the roaring fire.

She let her gaze linger around the room; Annie knew that he was staring at her, his eyes regarding her with kindness and love "Can you do me a favour?" he asked

"Yeah, sure" she replied slowly, still looking at nothing.

"I love you so much, tell Mum that I love her as well, will you?"

Annie went numb, tell mum that I love her...

She turned to face him, but the seat was no longer occupied. He was gone.