I closed the door behind me, and walked down the steps to the beach, scanning the ocean with my eyes. There were the familiar trolling boats, the friendly lighthouse blinking back at me as it had always done. But it didn't feel safe to me, as it had when I was a child. I began to walk in the spray, past playing children, dogs, and couples holding hands. Neighbors I had known since childhood waved to me, others pointed and stared. I was a local celebrity now, after the crash.

Eventually, when I reached the security barrier near Walker's Point, I turned, and began to slowly walk home. The sun was setting over the land as my parent's walkway came into view, someone was sitting on the steps. I figured it was a bum, his head was bent and his arms wrapped around his knees. I wrapped my sweater more tightly around me, and approached cautiously.

"This is private property," I said, my voice sounding dead even to my own ears. The man lifted his head, stared at me with perfect hazel eyes, and smiled. I gasped, my hand going to my chest.

"Your mom said you were walking. I'd have gone after you, but I wasn't sure which way you'd gone, and I didn't want to miss you."

"Gerard?" I whispered. He stood up and held out his arms, I collapsed into them, sobbing.

"Do you know how many fucking Michael Emerson's there are in Maine?" he whispered. I wrapped my arms more tightly around him. "Your brother was the last one I tried, actually. I called every single one in the phone book." I pulled away a little, and stared up at him.

"You're here!" I whispered, lightly touching his cheek with my fingertips, half expecting him to vanish into a cloud of smoke as I did so. "Have I gone insane, or are you really here?" He laughed.

"I'm here," he said, pulling me tightly against him again, "and I've come to take you home." I stared at him in disbelief. "I told you, Angel, I'm in this to the end." He then took my hand, and together, we walked off along the sand.

I awoke with a start, panting. I'd been having that dream now for the past two months, it had started about a week after Gerard and I were separated. I knew full well that my brother Mike was not listed in the phone book, I had checked.

The door to my bedroom creaked open, and a familiar face, surrounded by long, curly, red hair peeked in.

"Koko, you up?" Charlotte asked, before noticing my eyes, open and staring at the ceiling. "You are, good, good!" She pushed the door open the rest of the way, and walked into my childhood bedroom, seating herself at the edge of my bed. For the first time since she had come to stay with us, two days before, I noticed that she was terribly thin and pale, and her usually sparkling green eyes were dull, surrounded by huge, dark circles. "Your mom says that breakfast is ready. Blueberry pancakes, your favorite!" I couldn't help but smile a little at her forced excitement.

"I'm really not hungry," I said softly.

"Neither am I," she whispered conspiratorially. "But we don't want to hurt your mom's feelings, so get up. Besides, I have a surprise for you, but you don't get it if you don't get up, and come down stairs, and at least pretend to eat!" She stood up, and threw my fluffy, white bathrobe at my head, before sending me a knowing smile and waltzing out of my room. I pushed my bathrobe down towards my chest, and continued to lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. I fully intended to stay there all day, yet again. Bit by bit, however, curiosity was beginning to form in the back of my mind, wondering just what surprise Charlotte had in store. Had she perhaps gotten in touch with my Gerard? When that thought entered my head, I practically leaped out of bed, throwing my robe on and hurried, for the first time in weeks, out of my bedroom.

I had to shade my eyes when I entered the sun filled kitchen. Charlotte and my mom were seated at the table already, my Dad standing by the coffee pot on the counter. I slid silently into my chair. Dad placed a cup of coffee in front of me, kissing the top of my head as he did so.

"Morning, Sweet Pea," he said, as he took his own seat and began to eat. Mom and Charlotte were eating as well. I picked up my fork, and took a bite, but like everything else I had eaten, it tasted like saw dust. I sat there, sipping my coffee and pushing the pancakes around on my plate, waiting for Charlotte's surprise. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"So what's this big surprise?" I blurted, causing everyone's eyes to fall on me. They were silent, until finally, my dad cleared his throat.

"Well, Sweetie," he began, looking slightly awkward.

"Angel, you can't stay here anymore," my mom blurted. My jaw dropped.

"What?" I cried.

"It's for your own good," Dad continued. "Your mom and I are afraid of what will happen to you if you do. You just lock yourself in your room, and you don't eat. We're afraid your making yourself sick. We're afraid if we let you stay, you'll die. We came too close to that already, we don't want to lose you again." I just sat there, horrified, open-mouthed, in silence. I looked from him to my mother, and noticed the tears in her eyes.

"That's where my surprise comes in!" Charlotte said cheerfully. "You're gonna be my new roomie!" Still open mouthed, I stared at her.

"We've given Charlotte your first three month's rent, which means you have three months to get a job, or you'll have to start eating into your savings," Mom said, sounding as if she had a severe head cold. I stared at her, horrified.

"We signed the lease on Thursday, Tori and I. It's a gorgeous three bedroom, you'll love it!" Charlotte said.

"I... I... I can't believe it. You're kicking me out?" I stuttered finally.

"Don't look at it that way, Sweet Pea," Dad said, shaking his head. "Charlotte quite rightly thought that maybe you should be around people who knew what you were going through, people who could help you." I rounded on Charlotte, my eyes flashing.

"I can't believe you didn't discuss this with me!" I cried. Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I tried, but when you wouldn't talk to me, even after I drove all the way up here to see you, I decided to talk to your parents," Charlotte said flatly. "You're not the only one hurting, you know." Her green eyes filled with tears, and I could feel mine threatening to spill as well.I reached out, and rested my hand on hers.

"Alright," I said softly. "Fine. You win."