While Tess, Monica, Andrew and Rafael vacation at the beach, Rafael and Monica find a message in a bottle from a boy named Scooter Fisher. Tess gives them the option of helping the boy and both Monica and Rafael set out to find Scooter in the neighboring town, Pacific Falls. While Andrew stays with Tess to help repair her ailing Cadillac, Rafael and Monica begin their search at a local diner. As they meet and question Teresa, Larry and Leo, no one seems to have heard of Scooter Fisher. Dennis, a desperate man, pulls a gun when they approach him and Rafael catches the bullet when the gun fires. Benjamin Parker, a local news anchor gains an interview with Rafael and suddenly Pacific Falls is being “invaded” by angels.

Parker, skeptical, then sets out to uncover the scam. Monica then rescues a man at a muffler shop as his hydraulic lift fails and Rafael pulls a man out of a tool and die shop after an explosion. When Parker questions Leo, the owner of the muffler shop, about his angel encounter, we see his watch inscribed with the name Scooter. Leo tells him the angels are looking for Scooter Fisher and Parker goes on the air to let the angels know his identity. The two young angels then return to Tess who tells them the truth behind Scooter’s note 40 years earlier; Scooters mother had accidentally killed his father in an attempt to stop his abuse. Monica and Rafael then try to convince the skeptical Benjamin to see his mother in prison. Benjamin overcomes his anger and learns the truth when he visits his dying mother in prison. He forgives his mother and agrees to revisit their “place” at the ocean where both cast their bottles upon the water. Benjamin writes “Thank You, God” and throws the bottle out to sea as the angels exit in their repaired Cadillac.

After the death of his wife, small town minister Erskine gave up his ministry and his lack of faith has spread to the rest of the townspeople. Erskine’s son, Andy now fears he will die of cancer like his mother while his daughter, Bits, spends her time trying to draw the elusive doodlebugs out of their holes. As Bits tries without success to draw a doodlebug out of its nest, a young man by the name of Pearhead answers a payphone. When he is told by a mysterious voice where to find a winning twenty-dollar lottery ticket, it appears God is finally on his side.

After Pearhead enters Sis and Vinegar’s Café and announces his “miracle,” Sis, her brother Vinegar, and Ada, an aspiring singer all begin to sit vigil by the phone, waiting for heavenly advice. The voice first tells Sis to apologize to Vinegar for some hurtful things she has said and when she does, their relationship instantly improves. Ada then answers the phone and is told to forego her plans to sing in Atlanta because there is someone in town she loves and she should tell him. Erskine then answers the phone and the voice knows the pain he has felt after losing his wife and tells him to find love where he can because his son needs a mother. Erskine is now convinced and when Sis answers the phone and is told to convert an old building into a bar and grill, the entire town pitches in to help; Sis and Vinegar mortgage the café, Pearhead sells his ice cream truck and Ada donates her savings.

When the Gem Bar and Grill burns to the ground on opening night, it appears that all is lost. Tess, meanwhile has traced the voice on the other end of the phone back to Andy. She tries to convince him to own his lie but he is unable to muster the courage and runs away, opting to send an apology note to Ada instead. Tess then reveals to the townspeople, asking them why they had lost their faith. She tells Erskine to begin the search where all successful searches begin, with God. As Erskine prays, the townspeople begin to regain their faith and they begin the search for Andy. Tess then finds Andy in his fathers abandoned church and tells him how much God loves him.

As Sis, Vinegar and Pearhead arrive, Tess tells them they have hidden from God when they should have reached for him. She convinces Andy that he is not going to die like his mother. Erskine and Andy then go to Ada and Erskine asks her to stay. At just that moment, the phone rings and Bits answers it. Apparently, this time the caller is God and He tells bits how to catch a doodlebug. As she cradles the entire nest in her palm, a dove flies away.

The angels arrive at a camp for HIV positive teenage girls to find two veterans, Nikki and Erin picking on the “newbies” Melanie, Kim and Abby. Acting as counselors, the angels get to know the girls and try to help them deal with their fears. Rafael speaks to Melanie, learning her mother died of AIDS when she was a child. Melanie tells him of the song, “Duermete Nino Lindo,” which her mother used to sing. Meanwhile, Erin develops a crush on Andrew and is heartbroken when he seemingly rejects her.

Tired of painting the names of past participants who are no longer alive on a rock known as “the face,” Erin talks the other girls into a suicide pact as some way of ending life their own way, without pain or pity. The girls then steal drugs from the infirmary where Rafael is working and prepare a suicide cocktail. As the girls all meet at “the face” to go through with the suicide, the angels arrive. Rafael begins playing “Duermete Nino Lindo” and Melanie loses her resolve to kill herself. As the other girls follow suit, only Nikki remains intent on suicide. The angels then appeal to Erin to take the lead and she convinces Erin to give up the suicide plan. As all the girls now realize that their best times may lie ahead, the angels lead them in singing “Duermete Nino Lindo” (Hush My Pretty Baby).

The town of Clarion, South Dakota is in the midst of a farm killing drought when Tess and Monica arrive to help them with their growing crisis of faith. Justinian Jones, a struggling farmer, enters Cotton’s barber shop where a heated debate quickly develops between he, Cotton, Judge Dawes and Risa, the town mayor, as to whether the town should sell out to a huge agricultural company. Having arrived to serve as auctioneer of the towns assets, Andrew sits quietly in the barber chair as Risa advocates selling to the conglomerate before the drought kills the town.

Opposed to her is Justinian who is determined to stay on his farm even if he has to sell his horse and “pull the darned plow” himself. Continuing his tirade, Justinian decides to sue God. The Judge outlines how he should serve notice to God through the newspaper and a hearing is set. Outside, Justinian’s daughter, Leela tells her boyfriend Gordon of her plans to leave town in search of more opportunity while he tries to convince her of the virtues of the small town they have grown up in. Later, all the townspeople gather in the court room, fully expecting a rapid dismissal of the case. Tess arrives to act as council for God and a jury trial is granted.

As the trial begins, Jones begins by saying that droughts are considered “acts of God” and as such, He should be held responsible for the “intentional infliction of emotional stress” upon the people of Clarion. One by one, Tess calls the townspeople as witnesses in an attempt to show them how God has blessed them. When Tess calls Monica, the angel as an expert witness, Justinian corners her on the stand and temporarily stuns God’s defense team by asking for an end to the drought. After a short recess and a prayer from Monica. She then returns to God with his answer to Justinian’s request. The answer is “no.” Justinian then realizes how blessed he is and Risa and the others rally together at a town picnic. As Justinian leads all in a prayer of thanks, their faith is rewarded as rain begins to pour out of the clear blue sky.

While Tess and Monica work at an inner-city coffee shop, they see their next assignment, a group of homeless teenagers who have given up their real names to avoid being returned to the families that they no longer trust. “Doc,” “Lightning,” “China,” and the missing “Fish” have formed a family and soon take in a young girl who is new to the street, changing her real name from Alexandra to “Ally.” Losing their current shelter and trusting no one, the kids go to a junkyard where the angel, Rafael, offers to let them build a shelter in exchange for watching over the place. When all the collective money of the group is gone, China takes to the streets to earn money as a prostitute. As she gets into a car, the missing “Fish” is dying in the care of Andrew.

Afterward, Monica and Andrew begin to lose heart while Tess and Rafael urge them to be patient and “not push so hard.” China continues to dream of being a poet, writing in her treasured journal while Doc’s cough worsens. Ally burns her remaining pictures from home and begins to panhandle as Lightning begins to develop a drug problem. After China loses her journal, Monica finds it and returns it to her on the street, convincing her to meet her at the coffee shop. Monica waits for China but she never arrives. The following day, Doc collapses in Tess’ coffee shop. China is then found by Andrew, dying from a beating by one of her customers. Monica blames herself for not being a better angel, holding China’s journal. Rafael reveals himself to Doc, asking him to trust in God.

No longer succeeding with her panhandling, Ally puts on makeup and attempts to follow in China’s footsteps. Monica tells her that China is dead and shows her the first entry of China’s journal in which she said she could never prostitute herself and explains to her that “it’s never too late to apologize,” but rather “just in time.” As Ally prepares to leave on her bus ride home, Doc stops by for a brief “goodbye” as he and Rafael leave for the hospital. Lightning is dumbfounded that Ally is leaving but she prepares him for the revelation he is about to have in the presence of the Tess, Monica, and Andrew. “Do you believe in God, Lightning? You will.”

In the first half of a two-part crossover episode of “Touched By an Angel” and “Promised Land,” Joe Greene, the long-lost brother of Russell returns, speeding wrecklessly down the highway as Tess, Monica and Andrew follow. When another car pulls out in front of Joe, he runs the car off the road and kills a father and son, while saving the youngest son. Lying about the accident to the police, he is then thought to be a “good samaritan” and quickly leaves.

When he runs out of gas, Andrew arrives as a hitchhiker and offers to give him gas in exchange for a ride to Chicory Creek. Once in Chicory Creek, Andrew leaves and the car breaks down. Joe then breaks into the home of his family’s old friend, Erasmus Jones, not knowing that his family is currently visiting. Russell catches him in the kitchen, quickly saying hello by punching him and the whole family is soon awake, marvelling at his return. At the hospital, the young boy injured in the wreck clings to life while Monica acts as a hospital caseworker, comforting the mother, Mrs. Mills. Mrs. Mills wants to meet the good samaritan and Monica supplies the address to Erasmus’ house.

While meeeting Mrs. Mills, Joe lies to her while Russell listens skeptically as Joe refuses to visit the surviving child at the hospital. With the sudden return of his father, Nathaniel is very angry but convinces his father to visit the child when his hopelessly inoperative car suddenly starts. While at the hospital, Monica reveals herself as an angel and Joe flees, taking stolen pharmaceuticals with him. Coming perilously close to another auto accident, he is stopped by Tess who takes Nathaniel and demands that Joe return to Monica at the hospital. Upon his return, Monica convinces him to “face the truth and seek forgiveness,” and that God wants to save his life.

Joe returns to Erasmus’ house and tells Russell the truth about the car accident. Russell becomes enraged and tells him to leave. Joe gathers his things and leaves without telling his mother goodbye. Hattie then blames herself, asking Russell “What could I have done differently?” Claire then enters with a note from Nathaniel explaining that Nathaniel has left to help his father who “needs him more now.” As the episode ends, Nathaniel is stowed away in the backseat of Joe’s car as Joe pops pills and swerves into the night.

Tess, Monica, Andrew and Ruth arrive in the announcer’s box of a professional basketball game overlooking their next assignment, Eric (E.Z.) Mony, the star point guard for the Salt Lake Saints. Tess tells the others that Eric is angry and rebellious, with a complete disregard for rules. As the angels look on, Eric shoves a referee. Although Ruth is told that her assignment is only to observe the situation, she is soon moving down in the stands in order to speak to the referee. Due to her interference, a jersey thrown into the crowd by Mony goes to a very impressionable 14 year-old named Darnell. Sam, the special affairs angel arrives to explain that the case has just taken a turn for the worse because a bond was formed between E.Z. and Darnell.

Later at the Boys Club, Sam coaches Darnell and his friends and introduces Monica as the new tutor. Meanwhile, as E.Z. is disavowing his status as a role model, we learn of the disappearance of a hockey player by the name of Winston El Camio. As E.Z. prepares to leave the stadium, Andrew introduces himself as the ghost writer who will be writing his E.Z.’s tell-all book. Ruth, having recovered from her blunder at the stadium, approaches Darnell. She tells him that E.Z. is not someone to look up to, that he cannot read. Darnell then goes to E.Z. and blackmails him with the information, demanding “a night in the life of E.Z. Mony” in return for his silence. While on the town, E.Z. takes Darnell to a casino and quickly loses $100,000. Two henchmen of the casino then threaten E.Z. with his life if he doesn’t shave points, invoking the name of Winston El Camio as evidence of their seriousness.

The next day, E.Z. learns of the death of El Camio and has no choice but to try and throw the game. Convinced that E.Z. will pull off the scam, Darnell takes bets from his friends. When the game begins, E.Z. is miraculously unable to miss and the Saints win. Darnell confronts E.Z. after the game and E.Z. rebukes him, “You’re livin’ poor and you’re gonna die poor.” Darnell slinks out and the two henchmen enter to kill E.Z. As E.Z. prays to God, Andrew reveals himself and demands, in the name of God, that the men leave. As the men exit, Andrew tells E.Z. God wants him to learn to read. In the pressbox, Monica consoles Ruth, showing her the marquee which is now flashing “God Loves You.” As E.Z. and Darnell meet on the court, both look up at the flashing marquee. E.Z. vows to learn to read and Darnell cries as he realizes that he is truly loved by God.uu

Bill McNabb, a cappuccino machine salesman, arrives with his pregnant wife, Joann at Juliano’s Coffee Shop where Andrew is acting as temporary manager. While Bill tries to sell the “newest and best” machine to Andrew, Joann comfirms their plans to give a baby shower for friends at the coffee shop later that evening. Having overheard the discussion of babies, Monica introduces herself as a Lamaze teacher and invites Joann to attend a class.

Bill and Joann then go to a Doctor’s appointment and learn that their baby is going to be born with Down Syndrome. Bill immediately mentions “alternatives” to having the baby and tells Joann not to tell anyone about the diagnosis until they decide what to do. At the baby shower, a busboy with Down Syndrome, Taylor, breaks dishes while avoiding a small child and this prompts Bill to tell Joann that their baby “is not a miracle” but rather “a mistake.” Joann temporarily gives in, going to a community clinic but is unable to go through with an abortion, saying “I’m pro-choice and I’ve made my choice. I’m going to have this baby.” She then continues her pregnancy alone while the angels try to convince Bill to come to reason. At Andrews urging, Bill begins to reconcile with Joann but is unable to accept the child. Tess tells him that perfect souls do not come in perfect bodies and that “it’s not the packaging but the parenting” that will make the difference in a childs life.

As Bill is servicing a cappuccino machine, Andrew continues to try and reason with him. Bill says he wants a “normal” kid, tall and healthy, perhaps one who could be captain of the football team. An all American kid then walks in, pulls a gun and begins robbing the store. As he is exiting, Joann enters and Bill tries to take the gun from the all-star thief. The gun explodes and Joann is hit. At the hospital, the doctor tells Bill that Joann may not make it and asks him to give consent to operate to save the baby. Bill is torn when Taylor reveals himself as an angel. He tells Bill that fear is worse than Down Syndrome and that he should not be afraid of ruining his life by having the child or of not having enough love to give. “The child was born of love” and “what we do in love is never lost.” Bill signs the consent form and prays for his wife and son. Tess soon brings his healthy son into his arms. Joann continues to fight, eventually stabilizing and the family are united in love.

In an empty gym, Tess “coaches” Monica on their next assignment. They are interrupted by the arrival of Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner, who will cover the gymnastics competition for a TV station. Andrew appears after they leave, and the angels then observe the Browner family. Rebecca Browner is a gifted gymnast, whose mother, Sandra pushes her to excel. Unfortunately, her younger brother, T. J. feels neglected. He and another gymnast’s brother dub themselves the “Nobodies” and visit a skate park. Andrew, the park’s supervisor, is concerned by T. J.’s disregard for safety equipment.

Meanwhile, Monica, Rebecca’s new assistant coach, learns she is highly driven and has never fallen during a competition. Displeased that the television crew has ignored her daughter, Sandra complains to Tess, the segment producer. T. J. steals money from Andrew’s cash register to visit the house where his family lived before his father died. He later confesses to Andrew, who makes him work off his debt. Sandra is unhappy to find him doing chores at the skate park. Back at the hotel, he tells his mother he “borrowed” the money to see a movie, but his sister sees through his lie. T. J. angrily exits, and Rebecca also leaves. Sandra later yells at her daughter for missing a meeting with a potential sponsor.

Rebecca confides in Monica that she visited the family’s former home. The angel urges the girl to recapture the joy of gymnastics. Returning to the skate park, T. J. ignores Andrew’s warning to wear a helmet and has an accident. At the hospital, Tess reveals herself to Sandra, advising her to grieve her late husband rather than immersing herself in her daughter’s career. Sandra then urges Rebecca to do her best for herself–no one else. While competing, Rebecca falls. Monica reveals herself and tells the gymnast she is never alone and that her father is with God and proud of her. She finishes the routine with grace, T. J. regains consciousness, and Sandra decides to move her family back into their old house.

An orphanage burns on a dusty street as the Angel of Music observes, singing. The song continues although he has relocated to a rowdy party at a mansion. Tess and Monica, unseen, are chagrined by the excess as the host, Kevin Greeley, carouses with friends. His father, Edward, confronts him but angrily exits. Kevin glimpses Monica in a mirror, but she is gone when he turns around. As Edward ponders how to handle his spoiled son, Andrew appears, announcing God has granted the human one hour to set his affairs in order before his death. During that time, Edward gives his valet, George papers to sign and mail, says good-bye to his drowsy son, opens his Bible, and dies while reading it.

Days later, George is stunned that Edward left him one million dollars and a Bentley. Kevin, however, is furious to receive only his possessions until attorney Tess informs him he must locate Joseph Wells to claim the rest of his inheritance. He again sees Monica’s reflection in a mirror, but this time, she is there. She knew Edward and will help Kevin find Joseph Wells, but he must take the trip without his father’s help or influence. Carrying only his prized guitar, Kevin hitchhikes and is eventually picked up by the angel, Ruth. She, too, knew his father and eventually drops Kevin off at a diner.

There he meets the angel, Sam, after he is forced to wash dishes because he has no money. Sam also knew Edward and teaches the younger Greeley to take pride in work. Ruth again appears and gives Kevin a ride to Joseph Wells, Texas. They encounter the Angel of Music, and Kevin donates the dollar he mysteriously found in his pocket. Kevin also meets Andrew in a nearby blues club but refuses to sell his guitar. At the bank, he is livid when Monica and Tess give him his inheritance… Edward’s Bible. After Kevin storms out mid-revelation, the angels summon a specialist–Phil, the Angel of Restoration. Phil tells Kevin to thank God for what he has rather than blame Him for what he doesn’t have. Finding an abandoned baby, Kevin learns Edward grew up in the town orphanage, which is why most of his estate was left to the “children of Joseph Wells.” Kevin sells his guitar and decides to stay in town and take care of the baby by working at the orphanage and the blues club.