She moved her gaze to Max and Isabel's parents. The Evans's had been Michael's ideal couple. They were what he wanted them to be. He had a hard time when Phillip and Diane separated. But without Max and Isabel around, they couldn't avoid the fact that they had little to talk about. So one day Phillip packed up his things and left. But Michael had always believed that they would get back together. And so they did, three years ago. She had rarely seen him so happy.

>>> "What?" she laughed as he picked her up and spun her around. His grin was a mile long. "What did Max say?"

"She's moving to Texas!"

"Who?"

"Diane! She's going to move in with him?"

His eyes were dancing in a way that she had never seen. "Well, who would have believed that Michael Guerin would be so excited at the idea of happily ever after?"

He leaned down and captured her lips. "I think that you would believe it, Cinderella."

"Oh no," she laughed. "Please. If I were Cinderella, do you really think that I would have wanted my Prince Charming to be some creature from outer space?"

He rested his forehead on hers and smiled. "I'm your happily ever after and you know it."

She grinned. "Well, I take what I can get, spaceboy." <<<

Maria smiled at the memory. Happily ever after. It was true, no matter how short a time it had lasted. But what did Cinderella do after the Prince had left? No one ever mentioned that part of the story.

*****

"Hi Kyle," Alex said, sitting down next to him.

"Hey," Kyle replied. Liz had been right, this had been a long day. And he was beginning to wonder if it would ever end.

"How is everything in Chicago?"

"Fine, just fine. Just finished working on a pretty big case."

Alex nodded. He wondered how much Kyle had changed. He seemed the same to him. Quieter, certainly. But Liz had gone on and on about how different he was now. Then again, Liz had never seen the side of Kyle that Alex could never forget.

"How about you?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, everything is great. We're pretty busy with all of this baby stuff right now. But work is good."

Kyle played with his fork. He knew that Alex was thinking about it. After all, now that Michael was dead, Alex was the only person alive who knew why Kyle Valenti had no right to be here. He closed his eyes and tried to forget.

>>> "So, anyway, my father has completely lost his mind."

"Why? Amy DeLuca looks pretty good to me."

Kyle stared at his friend in disbelief. "Yeah, she's good for one thing. But he's gone out and bought this ring and shit. I mean, he's actually going to propose to that slut."

Kyle shook his head. He would never understand his father. Amy DeLuca? The woman didn't have a brain cell in her head that worked.

"I've gotta run," he said, throwing some money on the table to pay for his food. He grabbed his coat and nodded good-bye to his friends. He started down the alley towards home.

"Valenti!"

He spun around and swore under his breath. "What?"

Michael slowly walked toward him. "What is it, Guerin? I've got things to do."

Michael grabbed his shoulders and pulled him slightly off the ground. "I just wanted to let you know that Amy DeLuca deserves far better than you or your father. And if I ever hear you call her a slut again, you will no longer walk correctly. Understood?"

Kyle pushed Michael away. He knew that he should let it go. But he was sick and tired of the whole mess. Amy DeLuca deserved what she got. And so did Michael Guerin.

"Why the hell do you care if I call her a slut or not?"

Michael didn't answer. He was trying to control his anger.

"Afraid that it might reflect badly on your girlfriend? Because everyone in town knows that Amy is a tramp, and that Maria is just following in her footsteps."

Michael's battle with his anger was lost and he grabbed Kyle again, this time pushing his back up against the wall.

"Come one, Guerin," Kyle said, trying to shift his weight. "You can do better than that." With that, Kyle kneed him and Michael went down. He started to back away, but Michael reached up and pulled him down. Michael's fist hit Kyle's jaw with an inhuman force. Kyle returned the blow, no where near as hard, but enough to push Michael away.

"God, Guerin, how good of a fuck is she?"

Michael lunged at him. Blood was now covering both of them. Michael was pounding on him and Kyle could offer very little fight. Michael caught sight of the fear in Kyle's eyes and pulled himself off of him.

"You're not worth it, Valenti," he yelled as he backed away from him. He was just about to turn around when he felt two pairs of arms come around him.

Michael went down immediately as Kyle's friends pounded away. He managed to hit one across the face with enough force to push him off of him. He punched the other in the gut and then the face and threw him to the side. The first came at him again, but Michael was ready and was able to leave him in almost the same state as Kyle.

"You want more?" he asked the other, who was trying to stop the blood from gushing from his nose. He shook his head and Michael walked away. Blood was dripping from somewhere on his face and his shoulder felt dislocated. He rounded the corner and leaned back against the wall. His shoulder was killing him. He tried to wipe the blood from his face, but he only succeeded in smearing it more. He heard Kyle's friends coming toward him, so he took a deep breath and tried to carry himself as normally as possible.

Alex stood back and watched Michael leave. Kyle's friends soon followed. He didn't understand why they would fight for the guy and then leave him there. He made his way down the alley and found Kyle still lying there, dripping in blood.

"Go away, Whitman," he sneered. Just leave me here to die, he thought. Slowly he pulled himself up off the ground.

"What was that about?" Alex asked. He knew the answer.

"I said go away!" Kyle shouted. Every bone in his body felt broken into a million pieces.

Alex sighed and put Kyle's arm around his neck. Slowly they started to make their way to the Valenti house. They walked in silence, Kyle hobbling all the way.

Kyle fumbled for his keys when they reach the door of the dark house. "Thanks," he mumbled under his breath.

Alex nodded. "Oh, and Kyle, one more thing."

"What?" Kyle turned the key in the door. He turned to look at Alex. He wasn't prepared when Alex's fist hit his stomach. He doubled over.

"Don't mess with my friends," he said. And he walked away, leaving Kyle to stumble through the door and collapse on the floor. <<<

*****

"How are you doing?" Liz asked, sitting down across from her best friend.

Oh, I don't know. My reason for living is gone, other than that okay, she thought. "I don't know," she told her. "Better than I thought, I guess."

Liz squeezed her hand. She had no idea what she should do. She had been in this situation before, she should know what to do. But those times had been different. There had been warning. Or at least age. Michael had just up and left. That Maria was able to do this at all was amazing.

"Hey," Isabel said, sitting down next to Liz. She couldn't believe that it had been years since she had seen either one of them. They were still the people that she was closest to in the world. She guessed that when someone knows all of your secrets, it bonds you.

Liz reached down and pulled the picture out from underneath the table. She looked down at it before she gave it to Maria. Happy faces. Full of life. Six people who thought that they would be together forever. She had stared at these faces often. It was her saving grace for a long time, proof that there had been happy times. But she didn't need those faces anymore. She knew that it had existed. But she thought that Maria might need them, that she might need the proof. So she handed it to her friend.

"Oh, Liz," Maria managed. "No, I can't take it." She started to hand it back.

"No, Maria, really, I want you to have it. Please."

Maria nodded, looking down at the younger, happier version of the people surrounding her. "Thank you," she whispered.

Isabel came around beside her to inspect the photo. "What a night that was," she said, smiling at her old self. She was leaning against Alex. They were both sitting on the table with their backs against the wall. Max and Liz were on one side of the booth. Max's arm was around Liz's shoulders. They were laughing. And Maria was sitting on Michael's lap on the other side of the booth. She was laughing as well. They all were, really. All looking straight at the camera, allowing it to capture the last few minutes that they were ever all together. All except one. Michael was staring at the beautiful girl in his arms.

>>> "Okay, I think that I've finally got it set up," Liz said, adjusting the camera slightly. "Alex, do you think that this will work?"

Alex walked over and inspected it. "Yeah, it should."

"Okay, are you guys ready?"

"Wait, Liz," Maria whispered, coming up behind her. "You're going to have to aim it over there where they're sitting, or else he won't do it."

Liz nodded and watched as Maria dove at her boyfriend and planted herself on his lap.

"Hey," she said as nonchalantly as she could. His eyes were wide.

"Um, excuse me, I am trying to eat here," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, can you contain yourself until I finish?"

She shook her head and laughed. "You have had enough cake and Tabasco sauce for tonight! I swear, if you had any idea how disgusting it tastes to kiss you after you eat that concoction!"

"Well, then, you don't have to kiss me," he said, eating another forkful of cake. "Of course, you don't seem to be able to keep yourself from attacking me." Slowly, he brought his mouth toward hers, stopping just short of allowing them to touch. She leaned forward and crushed her lips against his.

"It must not be that bad," he said, laughing, pulling back and taking another bite of cake.

She smiled at him. "I love you," she laughed.

"Prove it." He brought the cake to her lips.

"No, I am not putting that in my mouth." He pushed it towards her. "I mean it, Michael! Stop!"

"I guess you don't love me then," he shrugged, pretending to look hurt. "And after all that lavender that I let you bathe me in-"

She put her hand to his mouth and felt him smile against it. She leaned down and ate the cake off of the fork. She managed to choke it down without gagging.

"God, that is gross!"

He smiled and pushed her hair away from her eyes. He brought her face towards his and pressed his lips against hers. "Oh god, you're right, it is disgusting!"

She laughed and shoved him slightly.

"Ahem," a voice said. They turned their heads and looked at Liz. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think that we're ready for the picture."

"Oh no," he said, trying to shift her weight off of him. But Maria refused to be moved and there was little that he could do.

"Resistance is futile," she smiled at him.

"So, is this why you tackled me?"

"Okay, the timer thing is set," Liz said, hurrying to sit down beside Max. He put his arm around her. Isabel leaned back against Alex's chest and smiled. And they waited and waited. But nothing happened.

"Great, what's wrong?" Liz said, getting up and looking into the camera. Alex pulled himself off the table.

"Are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Are you doing this? Just because you don't want your picture taken?" Maria looked into his eyes.

"Are you kidding? If I could make things stop working, do you think that I would be sitting here?"

"Just making sure, spaceboy."

"I think that we need to change that nickname. You know, now that I'm a high school graduate and all. Something more masculine."

"Spaceman?" she said, laughing. She looked into his eyes. "No, sorry, you'll always be my spaceboy."

"And you'll always be my airhead."

She playfully slapped his arm. "One of these days, Guerin, you are going to go to far."

"Marry me."

"Anytime," she smiled. His eyes turned serious.

"I mean it, marry me."

"I should deprive you of sleep more often."

"Okay, okay, Alex fixed it," Liz announced. Isabel beamed as Alex climbed back up onto the table. Liz once again scurried to her seat beside Max.