How could I have allowed her to come with me? How could I have put her in danger like that? I care about her, too. And I almost told her that, but she stopped me. What would I have said if she hadn't stopped me? Would I have told her that I love her, that she makes me want to stay on Earth, a place that I have never wanted to be, until now. Even though she said that she knows, someday I'll tell her. I whisper to her as she sleeps, "I promise, Maria, someday I'll tell you." Maria and I sit in the car outside my apartment. It goes unspoken that she is not going home tonight. We know that we don't want to be alone, but neither of us want to be the first to say it, fear running through us. She spots a pay phone and calls her Mom.

"Um, hi, Mom. Liz and I decided to rent some movies after work, so I'll be staying here with her tonight, if it's okay with you?"

"Of course you can stay. Have fun, sweetie."

"Great, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye…hey, Mom, I love you."

"I love you, too, Maria"

She hangs up the phone and we walk in comfortable silence to the apartment. I switch on the lights as we enter the apartment. Maria slumps on the couch. I break the silence. "Are you okay?" Well that was a stupid question. She just shakes her head and whispers, "No." I get her a glass of water and sit down beside her on the couch.

"I'm sorry," I apologize as I hand the water to her.

"I know," she simply states. She takes a sip of water and places the glass on the beat-up coffee table in front of us. Finally, she looks at me. Her look of absolute fear quickly turns to concern. She looks as though she might cry. What am I going to do if she starts to cry?

"I can't believe he hit you," Maria remarks as she touches my cheek, which is still throbbing in pain. "Is it bad," I ask. I can't believe he hit me either. The one thing I always counted on was Max and Is. Now things are happening that have us turning on each other. But I did put everyone in danger maybe I deserved it.

Max always seems to be right. I'm still a screw-up, even without Hank.

"It isn't too bad now, but it might be tomorrow. Does it hurt?" She wonders. "Just a little. Not as bad as the last time." I admit.

"Max has hit you before," Maria asks in surprise.

"Hank," I answer.

"I'm sorry. " she mumbles.

I lean back on the couch and close my eyes. Maria snuggles in closer to me and lays her head on my chest. I put my arm around her. I want to protect her from the world, but I realize that I'm the only reason she's in danger. I could try to push her away, but she said she wouldn't leave me. Why does she care?

"Maybe I deserved it." I muttered. "Deserved what?" Maria inquires, sitting up and looking me straight in the face. "…To be hit? No one deserves to be hit, ever!" She says this with conviction as tears begin to fill her eyes. "Come on Maria, I put everyone in danger…"

"We were already in danger," she clarifies.

"…but I could have gotten all of us killed. Face it, my problem wasn't Hank or my sucky life, it's just me. I'm a screw-up."

"Please don't say that," she begs, "We all mess up; we all do crazy things, but hitting each other will not make things better. And besides, you didn't drag me with you, I forced you take me with you."

"But, Maria, if anything ever happen to you…"

The tears start to sting my eyes. I can't finish what I want to tell her. She leans in and kisses me softly, just as she had done earlier that day, when I almost told her everything I feel when I am around her. Why can't I tell her now? Her kiss tells me she understands. Things are left unsaid, but we know…we've always known. The exhaustion overtakes us and we stretch out on the couch. I put my arm around her waist. She takes her left hand and wipes a tear away. Then she brings her other hand up and intertwines her fingers with mine. We lay there in the stillness of my apartment, in the solace of each other's arms. Soon, we are asleep and the world and our troubles drift away.

I have breakfast ready for her when she wakes up. She smiles and looks pleasantly surprised. Or maybe she's just happy to be alive this morning. "Good morning," I say.

"Good morning," she mumbles, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As she focuses on me again, she gasps.

"Michael, your face!"

"What?"

"It's bruised pretty bad," she informs me. "Go look at it."

I head to the tiny bathroom and look into the mirror on the back of the door. She follows. It's a bad bruise, a black and blue reminder of last night's events. "It's no big deal," I lie.

"Are you mad at him?" "I don't know…I guess I was, but I don't know."

"It hurts doesn't it?" Maria places her hand on my shoulder.

"Nah, it looks worse than it feels," I confess.

"I mean, it hurts that Max doesn't trust you, that he hit you…your best friend hit you," she repeats.

I decide not to pretend with her. "Yeah, it does, " is all say.

"Breakfast is getting cold," I blurt, trying to change the subject. I start to open the door when she grabs my arm, stopping me.

"Can't you fix it?" Maria urges.

"Max fixed the one Hank gave me. I couldn't do it." I lower my head, still uncomfortable in admitting that I can't use my powers as well as Max and Izzy.

"Maybe you couldn't do it because you were scared and thought you were alone." Maria pauses and takes my hands in hers. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here and I always will be here for you. Try it again."

I look at her incredulously and I am about to tell her it's useless, but she suddenly kisses my cheek and a I get a flash of her letting me in her room on that rainy night, drying my hair and then my tears; letting me sleep in her bed. That was the first time, ever, that I had felt safe, peaceful, wanted, and loved. I had to try for her sake.

"Okay, but don't let go of my hand," I stated.

"Okay," she agreed.

Maria held tight to my hand, reassuringly. I brought my other hand up in front of the bruise. Maria's eyes were closed when I turned to face her. As I closed my eyes, I began to imagine the bruise disappearing. I imagined the molecules moving and separating as the black and blue slowly dissipated and changed to match my skin. I slowly opened my eyes and turned to the mirror. The bruise was gone, my face was normal, and I hadn't set my hair on fire.

"Maria," I yelled.

"What? Did it work? Are you okay?"

She saw the answers to her questions when I turned back to face her. "Michael, you did it," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me and planting kisses were the marring bruise had been. When she finally stopped jumping up and down, we both looked into the mirror and smiled. Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin standing beside each other…smiling, yes, it was a rare occurrence, but we both had a reason to smile.