Gabriel
- Gabriel wants to make sure Finnigan doesn't think it's his fault that he got in big trouble for safekeeping the coins.
- To his surprise, Finnigan isn't angry that the coins are lost—in fact, he just wants to see Gabriel's welts from his spanking. This is common around the town, evidently, as most people spank their children with everything from belts to feather dusters.
- Finnigan invites Gabriel to the cattle yards, but he can't go since he's grounded, too.
- They commiserate over this, and finally Finnigan adds that it's so unfair how sometimes you get in trouble for being good. Right… because that's what's happened here.
- Suddenly Gabriel feels like he's owed a trip to the cattle yards. He was trying to be a good friend, after all, and as a result, he got a whooping. That's some bad math as far as he's concerned, so he decides to go with his new friend to the cattle yards immediately.
- When they're there, Gabriel gets the sense that Finnigan is really guarded. He asks questions about his family, and Finnigan gives short answers. It turns out Finnigan is from the same place as Gabriel. Funny they've never met before given what a small town this is.
- Now it's Gabriel's turn to answer questions, and Finnigan pushes him for answers and gets him to admit he used to have a brother, but he doesn't want to talk about it.
- He was only seven when it happened. Plus, it was an accident. But he doesn't want to talk about it.
- They swap stories and Gabriel learns that Finnigan doesn't go to school but knows a lot. Gabriel's super jealous because his parents force him to go to school.
- The boys decide to be friends. After all, Gabriel doesn't have any other friends. In the middle of Gabriel asking Finnigan to be his friend, though, Finnigan jumps on him and starts yelling. He better not say anything about Finnigan to anyone else. He means it. Zip it. Um, okay.
- If Gabriel does say anything about Finnigan, he might kill Gabriel. Gulp.
- Then they decide to make a pact: Finnigan will do anything bad that Gabriel wants, and Gabriel, in turn, will only do good stuff. Think of it like the angel and devil, except instead of on opposite shoulders, they are Gabriel and Finnigan, respectively.
- Gabriel's not sure at first, because it would mean a lot of lying to cover Finnigan's tracks. But he likes the idea of being an angel. His parents sure wouldn't bug him as much.
- They seal the deal with a blood oath—pinkie swearing just isn't serious enough for this deal.
- Finnigan asks Gabriel what his angel name should be, and Gabriel is what he comes up with—Gabriel is an angel after all.
- Back in the present, Gabriel is getting sicker. So sick, in fact, that Sarah calls a doctor. He doesn't really know what's wrong with Gabriel, or what to do—Gabriel, in turn, is thrilled about having such a tricky disease.
- He thinks about how he couldn't take back his promise to Finnigan. Once the pact was made—and sworn in blood—there was no turning back.