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The man stopped asking questions and just kept control of the time. Darren had half an hour left. All they could do was wait for Darren to wake up. It was up to him now.

Darren stopped at something that seemed like a gate. A young man was standing infront of him. And Darren was now certain that it was Michael. He resembled the one from the photo that had been destroyed at his house.
Darren didn`t know what to say. He was so taken by this place, it seemed so peaceful. The man looked at him with sparkling blue eyes.
"You`re right. I am Michael." The man spoke to him, but his lips didn`t move. Darren realized that he was sending his thoughts to him.
"Why are you warning me?" The man leaned his head to one side.
"I can`t reach Melly. She`s shut off her feelings for me...." The man looked so sad that Darren felt like he was going to cry. He continued. "You on the other hand......has a very open mind, and you are sensitive. And you love Melly."
Darren just looked at him, not knowing what to say at this, he didn`t think he was in love with her. He cared for her, but....." Michael smiled softly.
"You don`t know yet.....it`ll come when it`s time."

"Who wanted you dead?" Darren asked suddenly, fearing that time would run from him. Michael shook his head.
"I`m not allowed to say. All I can say is that he is close, in all possible ways. Closer than anyone knows...." Michael suddenly lifted his head and looked up, as if he was listening to something. He looked at Darren again." ...the clock is tikking" Darren looked at him, and then he heard someone calling his name. He felt himself being dragged away.
"Can I communicate with you from the outside?" He rushed
"Yes. But there`ll be a time when you are on your own. Be prepared." And Michael was gone. Darren felt himself being twirled around in a circle.

He opened his eyes and felt a little disorientated. His eyes fell on Dan, and he sat up.
"Was it sucessfull?" Darren nodded feeling a little dizzy.
"You were right Dan. He couldn`t reach Mel. He couldn`t help or warn her, so I`m his link." He turned to the older man. "He said I could communicate with him. How do I do that?"
The man thought for a second. "Have you ever done meditation?" Darren nodded.
"It`s almost the same thing. Just shut off all other feelings and thoughts, and concentrate on reaching through. Think of the place you went to now, picture the man. And if you are lucky, you`ll be able to talk with him. Few people manage to do this, so don`t have any high hopes." he reached for a bottle on the shelf, and gave it to Darren. "This will help you to relax." Darren payed the man, and they walked out into the bright day. Leonie and Dan were silent almost all the way. Leonie turned to look at Darren from time to time. Darren had to laugh at her finally. "What is it you want to say Leonie?" She stared at him.
"Just that I think I`m starting to believe in this. Dammit, now I can`t take my clothes off anymore." Dan looked at Darren through the mirror. "Ahhhh........I don`t know if I want to know the answer to this one, but why can`t you do that?" Leonie stared at them as if they were stupid.
"Duh! If I have a guardian angel that is with me at all times......? Hello!" Darren and Daniel bursted into laughter. Leonie would never change.

They walked inside, still laughing at Leonie`s new borned fear. They stopped when they saw Mel and her parent`s angry faces. Mel seemed frustrated. Her mom sad, and her dad firm.
"What`s going on?" Leonie asked. Mel looked at her, and then back at her parents.
"There`s no point in arguing!" Her dad`s voice made no room for arguments. But Mel showed to signs of caving in, and stared right back at him. "No you`re right dad. There`s not. I`m staying here!" Darren was confused. When had there ever been a dicussion about her not staying. Mel and her father kept arguing. "you are coming home with us! I won`t leave you here, out of my sight!"
"Dad. Get this into your head! I am not going home with you! I refuse to run again."
Three faces turned to Darren. Urging him to agree with them. He could understand the fact that her parents worried, but he had to agree with Mel on this one. And so he told them. Her parents resigned. But then Dan came with the suggestion that maybe Jeremy could stay here too, then they would all feel a little better. And it was settled. Her parents went back to England. Jeremy stayed behind.

The night after they all settled around the dinner table, eating tacos. With Jeremy there it seemed like Dan would have strong competiton about who ate the most. They hadn`t told anything about Darren`s experience to Mel and Jeremy. They thought that it would be to much for Mel to handle at the moment.
Obi was circling around, searching for food that had fallen on the floor. It was a very good atmosphere in the room. The window had been replaced, and as Darren pointed out by walking there and banged on it with a hammer."It`s 100% unbreakable!" He had also bought a new cappucino machine. And noone else was allowed to touch this one eighter. After dinner Dan and Darren decided to play some songs, and when they had played about ten songs. Darren asked Dan if he could help him with a song he had just finished to write.
"I thought you guys were on a break!" Leonie said, while she smiled. Darren and Daniel looked like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They looked at eachother, and shook their heads. "Noone will find out!" And they started to write the melody of it. So exited to be working together again. Darren was so deep in thoughts when Mel and Jeremy said goodnight. They were halfway up the stairs when Darren spoke.
"Goodnight Melly" He said softly. Jeremy stopped and turned around, so did Mel. Her face was pale, and her knees were shaking. It was like a voice from the past had just clung through the room.
"What did you just call me?" Leonie, Dan and Darren looked up, and didn`t quite understand why Jem and Mel looked like they had seen a ghost.
"Mel.....I guess" Darren was insecure. Why would she be upset about that?
"No....you didn`t!" She turned around and ran upstairs. Darren suddenly remembered that it was that name Michael had called her, and ran after her. Leonie and Dan stared at Jeremy. "What`s wrong?" Jeremy took a deep breath. "That`s the name Michael used on her. He was the only one to ever call her that."
If Dan and Leonie had been a little insecure about what happened yesterday just secounds ago, they sure wasn`t anymore.

Mel sat on the bed. Holding back the tears, and had an image of Michael in her head. Like she had seen him the last time. Laughing, teasing her about something she couldn`t remember. "I`ll wake you when I get back, Melly. So you know how things went at the meeting." She remembered the way he looked when he walked to the car. His blond hair in the sunlight, his blue eyes, glancing back at her. His smile. She waived, and he hooted as he drove out. 12 hours later she got the call. And she remembered driving to the place of the accident. She remembered seing Michael`s lifeless body. She remembered the funeral. But never once during this she had cried, not once. Not before Darren entered her life, and she wondered why he had the power to get to her, to her emotions. It wasn`t entirely that he had called her Melly. There was something else, something she couldn`t quite put her finger on.
"Mel.....?" Darren had a conserned look on his face. "I`m sorry, I didn`t realize....:"
"Don`t be sorry Dar. How could you now...?" Darren swallowed an looked down. Oh yeah how could I know.....But he didn`t speak. He sat down and laid an arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his. And they sat like this for a while, not talking. Looking into a future that seemed unknown and full of obstacles.
"I should go so you can get some sleep." Darren started to rise, but Mel`s hand stopped him. "Could you stay here tonight?.....I mean, sleep here?" She looked at him with those incredible blue eyes. He swallowed and cleared his throat.
"Sure......I can stay. As long as you promise me that Jeremy won`t kick me in the behind tomorrow!" Mel laughed. "oh, I think he`ll be ok with it. And we are just sleeping, we`re friends!" That hit him like a bullet. Just friends.......when did he get an idea otherwise. Yeah, they were just friends. He smiled to her.

They settled in bed, but Darren couldn`t get to sleep. His thoughts were a mess. The feelings he started to have for her was inconvenient. How could he protect her if he was in love? Wouldn`t that take away his ability to think clear? And wasn`t that the first rule if you could protect someone? Or did he feel like this, only because Michael had said he would?

A week passed by. They became more nervous as time passed by, and nothing happened. They all knew that something would happen at a time, and Mel had said that he was never silent for long.
Jeremy spend a lot of his time with Howard, and started to think about maybe open his own chain of pubs. Or maybe become partners with Howard. Mel was thrilled. It would be good to have her brother here in US. She had desided to continue living here. England was a part of her life, but now it belonged in the past. And she wanted to start fresh here. And without her realizing, Darren was a part of her planning. If they could just catch that man.....
Darren decided to try and contact Michael later that night, and he talked to Leonie and Daniel about it. He wondered if they could take Mel out or something, just so he could focus.
"Oh so you have problems focusing with her around?" Dan looked at Leonie. "See, I told you!"
"Oh, shut up Dan! Will you help me with this or what?"
They both nodded, but kept on teasing him. Darren blushed, but didn`t defend himself.

Darren made himself comfortable in his bed. Tried to clear his mind, and call for Michael. 15 minutes, 30, 40, an hour. "Dammit! I can`t get this to work...!" Darren sighed, took a deep breath and tried again. But this time he was just to stressed, thinking that he got to make this work. And he had just decided to stop when he heard a knock on the door. It was Leonie. "Hi, we just came back. Did it work?" Darren shook his head. "Afraid it didn`t Leo. I can just give up. " Darren walked downstairs. Dan and Mel were outside, playing with Obi. He watched them as they were running around laughing, and he suddenly got a little jelous.
Oh stop it Darren, you don`t own her! She probably don`t see you that way eighter. Not that I care..... Darren turned around and started to make dinner. Dan came walking inside an hour later and asked if he could help. Darren reached him the plates and he started to set the table.
After dinner Darren exused himself and sat down in the livingroom and started writing on a song. It had been a while since he felt the urge to write, but it came to him during dinner. After they had cleaned up they all joined him there. Darren didn`t mind. He hardly noticed they were there when he was in this mood.
"Hey Darren!" Daniel had a smile on his lips. Darren continued writing.
"Wha....?" he asked
"Do you know what we saw today?" Daniel glanced at Leo and Mel.
"hmm......no" Darren answered, barely listening
"We saw a dog with two heads riding a bike straight through the restaurant...."
"oh.......that`s nice."
They started to laugh, and Darren looked up. "What?.....Dan you`re making fun of me again!"
"Oh no, I would never do that mate......." Dan tried to cover his smile, but didn`t quite succed. Darren stood up and said that he was going to take a nap.

He laid down on his bed and felt his eyes close. God was he tired. He felt himself drift off into a deep sleep.
"Darren......." He opened his eyes. Strange. This wasn`t his room. He looked around, and tried to see where the voice were coming from, but he didn`t see.
"Michael?"
"You called for me......."
"But that was hours ago"
"I had to watch Melly. He was close."
"What? Was he with Mel today?"
"Yes, he`s preparing Darren. Be aware...."
"Is he coming after me or Mel?"
"Both...."
"When?"
"Soon..."
"You know for an angel, you aren`t being much of help....." he heard laughter.
"........I`ll help as much as I can" Darren sighed. Suddenly he started to think about how good it was to hold Mel when she slept, and he wondered if Michael was mad at him for that, but he didn`t dare to ask.
"......no"
"What?"
"I don`t mind."
"Can you read my mind?" There was that laugh again.
"I`m sort of an angel. I can do pretty much what I want to." he paused. "..........exept from protecting her....."
"She still loves you." Darren wanted to make him feel better.
"No she doesn`t. She loves the memory of me. It`s harder for me......I can see her."
Darren understood this argument. It most be so hard for him. But on the other hand, Darren felt so egoistic to think this, so he stopped the thought before finishing.
"I think I`ll contact you later. You will warn me if anything happens?"
"always..........and Darren? The answer to the other question is yes....."

Darren opened his eyes in his own room. He walked downstairs, and found them still sitting in the sofa.
" Haven`t you gotten anything better to do?" They looked up at him. Leonie checked the time. "Darren, you have only been sleeping 20 minutes!" They all laughed at his face.
"I knew that......I was just kidding with you." He sat down next to Mel. And when his hand stroke against her arm, he felt it like lightning. And he remembered the last thing he had heard before he woke up. Yes......could it be? Could she have feelings for him? Darren didn`t dare to believe.
"Where is Jeremy?" Dan asked, suddenly realizing that he were gone.
"He`s at Howard`s. They are talking about their partnership or something..." Mel looked up, relieved that Dan had interrupted her thoughts. Darren sitting so close to her, gave her a feeling that she had forgot about. Exitement, tingles, lightning and thunder. Did they hear that she was breathless? And all because Darren was sitting next to her. It scared her......, but she also wanted to find out more. What this feeling could bring.
Darren covered a yawn. He stretched his arms, and laid it around Mel`s shoulders. Daniel started to laugh. "What?.......what did I do now..."
"Oh I was just thinking that this is the oldest trick in the book!" Mel and Dar looked at him, but didn`t understand. "What trick?" Dan demonstrated. He yawned and laid his arms around Leonie. Mel and Dar looked at him, and then realised that Darren had his arm around Mel`s shoulder. They looked at eachother and started to giggle.

Later that night they were watching "A walk in the clouds." Both Leonie and Mel cried a little during the movie, and Darren, Dan and Jeremy was incredibly bored. Darren was dozing off, when he felt a sharp sting on his shoulder.
"He`s close Darren!" Darren didn`t waste time at all, he jumped up and run outside, not thinking about himself, just reacting to Michael`s voice.

"Whatever happened to him?" Leonie looked at Mel who just rolled her eyes. "Men!" they laughed and returned to the movie. Dan decided to go check what Darren was up to. As he opened the door Obi ran pass him, barking into the dark night. Daniel followed the sound, and walked down to the lighthouse. The lights were on inside and he walked up to Darren. Who was standing in front of the door.
"What`s up mate?"
Darren looked at him, shaking. "He was here Dan!" Dan didn`t understand at once. "Who was here?" Darren moved a little to the side, so Dan could walk inside. Dan walked in and looked around. His heart jumped up his throat as he saw the walls. Covered in red letters.

"YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE!
NOW THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU!

Darren and Daniel walked inside again. They were very quiet, and they didn`t know exactly what to say to Leo and Mel.
They stared at eachother, trying to get the other one to talk. Finally Darren couldn`t take it anymore, and told Leonie and Mel what had happened. Leonie stared at them in shock. She had known that something like this was going to happen, but still it hit her hard when it finally had happened.
Mel on the other hand was thinking more of why Darren had reacted so fast. He must have heard something. She didn`t know what to think. They hadn`t heard a thing. Not even Obi had barked. But Darren..........
"Did you hear something Darren?" Mel asked. Dan stared at the floor, and Leonie held her breath. They both had an idea what Darren had heard. How would he explain this?
But Darren remained calm, and told her that he had heard a sound, and that he just wanted to check were the sound came from. Mel looked satisfied with that answer.
She started to put on some shoes and wanted to go outside to see what her stalker had done this time. Darren stopped her with a look that said that she really shouldn`t see this.
"Is it that bad?" Darren nodded.
Leonie called the police, who this time seemed to come at once.

"maybe we should go somewhere else? I meen somewhere this guy can`t possible know of." Darren stared into thin air."....just Mel and me"
"Dar, you can`t be serious! No police?"
"Think about it! Only Leo and You know where. It would take a time before he finds us, and by then he will be pretty mad that she got away, and hopefully he will make some mistakes during this time. He would be despeperate!"
"Yeah that`s exactly what I am afraid of.Darren I won`t agree to this......"
Mel looked from Darren to Dan. "Actually I can agree with Darren here. I have tried everything possible to get away from him. But if only the 4 of us know.......we would have a better chance!"
Daniel resigned. "ok, what place are you thinking of Dar?" Darren pulled up his notebook and wrote it down. Leo and Dan looked at it. Darren found a lighter and burned it.
"I don`t think the police will like this!" Leo sat down.
"It won`t be a problem Leo. If anything happens I will buzz you. You call the police, tell them where we are, and they will come there instead of here."'
"I just can`t see why you can`t stay here. You kow this place. We all know this place!" Darren turned around and pointed at them.
"That`s exactly what I am afraid of! Think of it. Obi didn`t bark. He must have heard a sound. The door to the lighthouse were opened with a key. So were the the house the first time. He must have been here several times. He knows this place like the back of his hand by now........"
Leonie shivered and looked around the room. Expecting someone to jump out of the shadows any time. Dan stroke a hand through his hair."I start to see your point now.......I didn`t think of it before...." Darren started to smile. "See Dan, I`m better at this then you are! Anyway, do we all agree on this?" He looked around. They all nodded in answer.

Two days later.
Darren and Mel had packed clothes and food supplies in the car. They had said goodbye to everyone. Leo, Dan and Jeremy were watching their car as they drove off. All were thinking the same. Will we ever see them again? But they didn`t say. They didn`t want the other ones to see their worry.
Jeremy had asked not to know where they were going. He said that he had a big mouth, and he was afraid to slip and say something that could ruin everything.
They walked inside in silence. Noone liked this house much anymore. It was like the intruder had made it dirty in some way.......

Darren took her hand as they drove out of the city. He stroke her hand with one finger. "Are you alright" She gave him a soft smile and nodded. But he could see the stress these last days had got to her.
He squised her hand and focused on the road. She closed her eyes and knew that at this moment, she was more free than she had been for a long time.
It was a amazing feeling, but also a frightening one. She turned her head and looked at Darren. He noticed that she was watching him, and made a grimace. She laughed at him. At least she had Darren with her. He was here. And he gave her hope that it would all be ok in the end. She leaned to the side and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Darren..."