She has always been aware of the unseen world around her. From her earliest memories, she recalls reaching out for things unseen by her parents.

"She sees angels." Her mommy said. Her daddy scoffed.

"Huh, there are no such things." He is wrong. 

"Who are you talking to, sweetie?" She sits at her little table, her dolls and stuffed animals in the seats beside her. One seat is left open. 

"Gabe, mommy. He is funny." 

Her mommy smiles. "Which one is Gabe?" She can't recall her child naming any of her toys that name.

"He is right there mommy." She points to the empty chair. 

"Oh, it is nice to meet you, Gabe." She nods to the empty chair. 

Mary stops and cucks her head towards it. "Okay. He says that he knows you can't see him and that's okay. He is looking out for me."

"That is what she said. Should we be worried?" She frets that night, as she rubs lotion into her hands.

"She has an imaginary friend. It means she is highly intelligent. Nothing to be concerned about."

They are walking down the street. Her hand tights over her daddy's. He looks down on her, a frown on his face.

"Okay Mary?" He sees her other hand is tightly fisted. 

Instead of Immediately answering him, she looks to her left. "Is it Gabe? Oh okay. Thanks." Turning to her daddy, "It is okay. Gabe says the bad thing saw him and his friends and left."

"The bad thing?" Her daddy questions.

"Yes, like Gabe but not nice. It scared me but you and Gabe will keep me safe."

He lifts her into his arms. She is getting to big for this but… Was there someone or something out there that is a threat to his little girl?

He looks carefully around, seeing nothing but the normal people walking around. She rests calmly against him.

"What did Gabe see?" He asks as casually as he can.

"What did you?" She tilts her head, listening. "Okay, I will try." To her daddy, "He called it a fallen angel."

This causes a cold chill to go through him. They have never taken Mary to church. She shouldn't know that term. He starts walking fast towards their house. 

His wife lifts her eyes when he hurries in, Mary in his arms. She immediately starts looking her child over for any injuries. At finding none, she lifts her hand to feel her forehead. No fever. 

"What?"

"We need to talk."

He is loath to place Mary away from them. She needn't be a part of the conversation. She can't be. Knowing this, he does something he could not have imagined doing before today. He talks with Gabe as he truly exists and is standing in front of him.

"I leave her in your care, Gabe. See her safe." he sits her on her bed, "Mommy and I need an adult talk. Gabe is here, right?" 

He sounds insane in his own head, talking to his child 's imaginary friend but…

"Yes Daddy, he is. He says not to worry that the bad thing isn't here."

"Good. You can come out when we are through. If the bad thing returns, you can come out." He shakes his head. Can, will, shall, better! "You come out, okay?"

"Yes Daddy."

His wife impatiently waits. 

"Now, what is going on?"

He leads her to a seat on their couch. It is the eye line to their daughter's door. 

"I believe Gabe is more than Mary's imaginary friend. I believe he is her guardian angel."

She laughs, startled. "Did you fall and hit your head, on some sort of drug? My atheist husband speaks of guardian angels."

"I know I sound insane. But something happened." he tells her about the strange encounter, "when she called it a fallen angel, that is when I freaked. How could she know that term? Even if she was in Sunday School, they wouldn't talk of demons to a six year old."

"No, they wouldn't. You believe that Gabe protected her from a demon?"

"I can't see another option. Can you?" He wants her to say, yes, and make the nonsensical sense. Instead she shakes her head.

"No. I can't." her eyes grow suddenly large, "She is alone!" she stands.

"No," her husband 's voice stills her, "she isn't. I asked Gabe to look after her."

She falls to her seat, stunned. "You spoke to him?"

"I did," he takes her ice cold hands in his, "Mary assures me that he is there and the bad thing isn't. I told her to come out if it returned."

She starts to shake, her hands quivering in his. "What are we going to do? A demon is after our baby!"

He has no answers.

"Why is this happening?" She is walking the floor and he sees her pulse thumping in her neck. If he can't get her calmed down, she is likely to have a heart attack or stroke. 

"We will find out. Call a priest or something."

Her laugh is sharp and hysterical. It freezes him. "Oh, that is good! Perfect. Just call a priest. Have our daughter exercised, is that your plan?"

"I don't know exactly how it works." he now fears for both of them.

"Oh God!" She stops walking, falling on her knees, "Oh my God!" She is weeping, her body shaking with emotions.

He falls down beside her. "Whatever it takes, we will fix this." He holds her close.

He does call the local parish. The priest sounds concerned. "Gabe, that is what she calls him?"

"It is. Does that mean something?" 

"I take it, that you aren't church goers?"

"No we aren't. Before all this, I had no belief in God. Now, well if I am acknowledging the possibility of the ultimate evil, I must also admit there could be ultimate good."

"Logical. Gabe could be short for Gabriel. He is one of the archangels. A very big deal, in other words. I would like to meet your daughter."