Michelle reached for another glass of champagne. A searing pain shot through her body. She did her best to catch her breath. This was about all she could handle. Taking a gulp of the bubbly liquid she made her way back to the head table in search of her handbag. Like it or not she was in need of that medication.

She fumbled with the bottle, placing two to the pink pills in her mouth she took another gulp of champagne. Throwing her head back she felt the liquid carry the pills to their destination.

She looked out across the room once more trying to will herself not to cry. It was well into the evening and Danny had still not shown. She finished off her glass and reached for the bottle to pour herself another. If she couldn't have Danny then at least she didn't have to feel anything either.

Ray and Jimmy watched as Michelle continued to drown her sorrows. Neither one of them having the guts to approach her.

"We have to find Danny before Michelle drinks herself to oblivion," Ray stated.

Jimmy pulled out his phone and dialed the house, "Hello Rosa, this is Jimmy. I need to talk to Mr. Santos."

"He's not here."

"Do you know where he went?"

"No I'm sorry I don't."

"When did he leave?" Jimmy was frustrated by the young girl.

"Last night."

"LAST NIGHT?!?!?!?" Jimmy's voice rang out. Ray gave him a quizzical look.

"Yes,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, he and Miss Theresa left right after she returned home from Paris."

"THERESA?!?!?!?!"

"What's going on?" Ray mouthed.

"Can I speak with Mrs. Santos then?"

"I'm sorry she is not here either."

"What the fuck's going on over there? Everyone gone? What about Dietz?"

"No he accompanied Mrs. Santos to Chicago."

"Chicago……why Chicago, Rosa?"

"I don't know."

"Fine…thank you," Jimmy said even though she had been little help.

"Jimmy?" Ray questioned.

"Seems Danny left last night with Theresa."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah I know. And Carmen and Dietz when to Chicago."

"As adamant as Danny was last night about being with Michelle. I just don't get any of this Jimmy."

"Me either, Ray. Me either." Jimmy looked across the room at Michelle. She was filling her glass but again. She would be crushed by this. What was he supposed to tell her? How was he to explain that Danny was gone? He walked away from her again.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Ray asked as if reading Jimmy's thoughts.

"No…yes…hell I don't know Ray. No matter who tells her…it's going to be a mess."

"She has a right to know."

"A right to know what?"

"Everything……," Ray stated.

"That's not my call Ray. You know that I can't tell her anything. Danny may be my friend but I still work for them. He'll have my ass for doing that."

"Well I can!" Ray was angry that this had gotten so far out of control. He wasn't about to watch Michelle be destroyed again. "Michelle needs to know everything. She has to understand that this has been out of Danny's hands for a long time now."

"Ray are you sure? I mean what about Danny?"

"More importantly what about Michelle? Look at her Jimmy. She is sitting there all alone drowning her sorrows. I can't let her crawl into the bottle. It's not right. You know it and I know it."

"I'll go grab her a cup of coffee."

"Good idea."

Ray slowly walked to where Michelle was. As he got closer it was easy to tell that she was crying. Tears streaked her beautiful face. Ray reached for the bottle as Michelle tried to pour herself another drink.

"I think you have had enough."

"There isn't enough alcohol in Springfield to make me feel better right now."

"Michelle…this isn't the answer."

"You know Ray…I don't really give a shit right now!" she spat at him pulling the bottle out of his grasp.

"Michelle there are some things you need to know. Things about Danny and………"

"Save it Ray! All I need to know is that Danny isn't here! He once again has managed to pull me back and drop me again!"

"Michelle….there's more to it then that. Please let me explain."

"What's there to explain? How can you explain away the fact that Danny left me again?!?!?!?!"

"Michelle……" Ray called out to her as she walked away from him. Why was it that he was always cleaning up Danny's messes?

She strode across the dance floor making her way to the bar again. Getting wasted was all she could think about. She didn't want to have to think about Danny. Think about why he had done this to her all over again. She turned too quickly running into the person standing behind her.

"Dylan," she gasped as she collapsed into his arms.

Michelle placed her wineglass on the bar. She couldn't believe that Ray expected her to listen to him. No matter what he said it didn't change the fact that Danny had let her down. She thought back to the past week. How in tune they had been with one another. She remembered his face when she had asked for time. He had been hurt, but enough to have done this? She wanted to think not.

Again she tapped her glass on the bar trying to elicit a response from the man tending to the crowds needs. She knew that alcohol wasn't the answer but it was serving its purpose for the time being. She wanted to forget. Forget that her soul had been taken for yet another roller coaster ride.

"Hey…you!" she called to the bartender, "I'd like another drink." The blonde man looked up at Jimmy. He was giving the high sign that Michelle was to be cut off. She was furious. "I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM HIM! NOW GIVE ME A DRINK…NOW!!!!!!!"

"I'm sorry miss," he stammered, "I think you have had quite enough. I'm required by law to shut you off."

"Since when did Jimmy become the LAW?!?!?" she choked, "FUCK THE LAW! I WANT ANOTHER GOD DAMNED DRINK!!!! This is my friends wedding. I'm her maid of honor for god sakes….give me that bottle," Michelle grabbed for the magnum in his hand.

"I don't think so," he returned pulling it just out of her reach.

"Damn you, Jimmy," She practically threw the glass at the young man. Turning on her heel in attempt to get to Jimmy she ran smack into the man behind her, "DYLAN!" she cried as she collapsed into his arms.

Both Jimmy and Ray tore through the crowd converging on the pair at once. "BACK UP BUDDY….RIGHT NOW!" Jimmy yelled pushing the man he didn't know away from Michelle.

"Michelle, Michelle….can you hear me?" Ray said holding her body.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!?" Jimmy pressed Dylan against the bar. "YOU BETTER START TALKING MAN! Ray, is she okay?"

The crowd around the scene was growing, but no one involved seemed to notice. All Ray and Jimmy were concerned with was Michelle.

"Ray," she whispered as her eyes fluttered.

"Thank god." He gingerly got her to her feet. She winced in pain. "Michelle what happened?"

"I don't know…I was mad cause I couldn't get another drink……..Dylan," she gasped as she saw Jimmy holding him.

"Michelle….sweetie," he tried his best to no avail to get out from under Jimmy's death grip. "What's with you?" he turned his question to the unfamiliar face.

"Jimmy, let him go," she ordered. It was then that Jimmy regained his senses. This man beneath his hold was Dylan Pierce. In the wake of the past events instinct took control forcing him to react without thinking. Jimmy complied. Dylan was at her side instantly.

"What's going on here?" Rick's voice perforated the commotion. "Michelle!" he cried.

"Rick, I'm fine," she returned knowing exactly what he was thinking. At least for once Danny and his insane family hadn't been the cause of her peril. She was the one responsible.

"You don't look fine. SO MUCH FOR YOU LOOKING OUT FOR HER! PROTECTION……you make me laugh."

It took every once of composure Jimmy had in his body not to pounce on him. He had about all he could take of Dr. Rick Bauer.

"Rick……"

"No Michelle! You are going to listen to me!" he yelled.

"Could we please do this somewhere else?" Michelle could see Drew and Jesse making their way towards the group. This was not what she had wanted for her friend's special day.

"I think that's a good idea," Ray interjected.

"I will handle it from here." Rick forced.

"Dr. Bauer, now is not the time for this kind of display. Please can't we take Michelle into one of the outer rooms?" Ray insisted.

"LIKE I TRUST ANY OF YOU!"

Dylan looked at the men before him. He was certain of only one face. That was Rick Bauer. He had seen his picture in almost every part of Michelle's tiny apartment. The other two however were a mystery.

"Michelle," he said, "Can you walk honey?"

"Yes. It's my own fault."

"Own fault how? What happened? You just fainted. That isn't like you."

"I mixed that pain medication with too much champagne. It was my own stupidity but I wasn't thinking straight. When Danny didn't show up……." Michelle stopped mid-sentence to see the baffled look of Dylan's face.

Michelle watched Dylan's face fall. Even though he hadn't known anything about Danny Santos, the mere mention of another man's name caused him panic.

"Pain medication?" he questioned as if Danny's name had not even come up. All the while the words 'When Danny didn't show up' cavorted in his head. It was then that he recalled the night he had phoned and she answered saying the very same name. He tried to take hold of the situation...tried to put order to his thoughts but nothing was working. In an instant he knew that he was losing her.

"Yeah, I had an accident last night," she hesitated.

"Accident? What kind of accident?"

Michelle raised her eyes to look at both Jimmy and Ray not knowing how or what to say. "Michelle had a bit of a problem negotiating the stairs here last," Jimmy piped in," "She took a pretty nasty tumble. Doctor in the emergency room thought she might need some pain medication."

"Thank you" she mouthed behind Dylan's back. The last thing she wanted to do was go into everything now.

"Are you all right?" Michelle cringed hearing the care in his voice. Those waves of guilt came crashing all around her.

"Yes..I'm fine really. I just did something dumb. That's all."

Rick opened his mouth to speak but Michelle's pleading eyes stopped him. "I really think I would just like to go home."

"I think that's a great idea," Rick said, "By the way I'm Michelle's brother," he offered his hand to Dylan.

"I could have guessed. There are pictures of you, your wife and that beautiful son of yours plastered all over Michelle's apartment. Dylan Pierce." He commented returning the hand shake, "And you men are?" he questioned toggling his head between Ray and Jimmy.

"Father Santos.....and this is Jimmy."

"Well it has been nice to meet both of you but I think Rick and I will be taking Michelle home now. Seems like she has had a long day of it."

"I don't think so," Jimmy stepped forward. He didn't know what was happening with Danny but he surely wasn't about to let Michelle out of his sight.

"Jimmy," she pleaded, "I'll be all right."

"Michelle, I don't want to argue with you about this."

"I know how to get in touch with you if I need anything," he eyes beseeched him to drop all of this. Danny was gone there wasn't any need for him to protect her any longer. Danny had made his choice. For whatever reason, he was gone.

"Michelle......."

"WHAT ARE YOU HARD OF HEARING? THE LADY SAID TO BACK OFF!" Dylan moved between the two of them.

Ray placed his hand on Jimmy's shoulder to stave the flood he knew was about to burst forth.

"Dylan can you give us a minute please?"

"Michelle, what's going on here?" he asked all the while not really wanting to know.

"Dylan.....please?"

"Now who is hard of hearing buddy?" Jimmy shot.

"Please get the car. I'll be out in a minute."

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be walking around by yourself," worry filled his voice.

"We will make sure she gets out side all right," Ray said in a calming manner.

Dylan looked at her his eyes questioning everything, "Go. I will be fine with Ray and Jimmy...really."

"Michelle, are you sure that you are fine?" Jimmy placed his arm around her waist to steady her as Dylan crossed the room.

"No, I'm anything but fine."

"What...what's wrong? You feel faint again...what?"

"Jimmy," she breathed in deep preparing herself for what she knew had to be said, "I can't do this anymore. I can't have my heart ripped out of my chest not ever again. He's done this to me for the last time," she choked back the tears, "When you see Danny...you tell him that for me. You tell him that I am dead to him. All the promises in the world can't make up for this. Not this time...it's over, Jimmy. Surely as much as Carmen wants to kill me....Danny might as well have been the one to do it tonight," she said solemnly walking away.

Neither Ray nor Jimmy could do anything but watch her disappear out the door.

Two months later........................................

Michelle sat in the on-call room trying to get some sleep. She had been on duty for nearly 36 hours and was dead on her feet. Since returning to New York, she had immersed herself in anything and everything to keep her mind from wondering to Danny.

She had meant what she had told Jimmy, but living with it had been a completely different ballgame.

Dylan had been so wonderful about everything. In the weeks after returning from Springfield she had told him the whole sorted story of her and Danny. At first he had been shocked and hurt, but he had told her that he had always known that there was a part of her that would never belong to him. A part that she had locked away for safe keeping.

They had remained friends through all of it. That is what Michelle wanted most. She wanted to keep him as her friend. The way it truly had always been in her mind and her heart.

Dylan burst through the door, "Michelle, we got a trauma heading in to the ER. ETA is ten minutes. LET'S GO......LET'S GO!!!!" he swatted at her feet knocking her to the floor.

Their first rounds of Residency had been in Emergency Medicine. This being and inner city hospital they had their fair share of car accidents, shooting victims, drugs, knifings you name it they had come across it all with in the first week of duty.

This was different though. Michelle felt her blood run cold as she watched the EMT's rolling the first victim in on the gurney. She knew the young women but wasn't able to place the face. It was an eerie feeling that she couldn't shake. "Curtain area 1...Dr. Pierce is waiting," she instructed.

The second victim was now being wheeled in. Michelle looked at the man on the gurney...her heart skipped a beat. It was Danny! She swallowed hard around the lump forming in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak but she had no voice. All of her training was gone. She was no longer a doctor......she was once again Danny's wife.

"Dr. Bauer?" the orderly spoke forcing her to remember who she truly was.

"Curtain area 2. What were his vitals in the field?"

Michelle listened to the information as she had done one hundred times before. But this time she wasn't able to process any of it. It was all a jumbled mess inside her head.

She did her best to asses his condition all the while wanting nothing more to touch him. Tell him that she loved him. That he had to hang in there. That she couldn't lose him not this way.

"Dr. Bauer!?!?!?!" a nurse called out to her as she exited the examine room. She couldn't breath...she couldn't think....she had to get someone who could help him because she certainly wasn't able to.

"Dylan!" she called as he walked to the nurses desk to order a battery of tests for his patient.

"Michelle....what? What is it?" she was white as a ghost.

"It's Danny," she whispered, "I can't....I can't function help me...help him please," she cried.

"Easy...." he reached for her shoulders afraid that she was about to past out. "Here....," he thrust the chart in her hands, "here's the chart for my patient. She's stable. I ordered a few tests but it doesn't look all that bad. I will take care of Danny."

"Thank you."

Dylan walked into the room leaving Michelle clutching the cold metal chart. It wasn't until she looked at the name written across the top that realized who the young woman was.

"Theresa Santos," the name caught in her throat. Michelle peered through the glass watching her. Other then a wide gash on her forehead she looked unharmed. She forced herself through the door and into the room. All the time wishing that she were able to disappear into the walls.

It all made sense now. She had to be the reason for Danny's disappearance all those months ago. It was a known fact that Theresa Rivera had never gotten over Danny and apparently the feeling was mutual.

Michelle had never felt more a fool then she did at this exact moment. Danny had played her like a well tuned instrument the time she was in Springfield. She had been nothing more then a diversion for the main attraction. Michelle couldn't help but notice the shiny gold band on her finger. She was sick to her stomach. How could she have been so wrong about the two of them. How could she have ever thought that they had been connected in any way?

"Dr. Bauer," the nurse said, "Mrs. Santos wants to know about her husband." Michelle felt as though she had been hit with a ton of bricks. The words Mrs. Santos roared through her ears.

"Dr. Pierce is with him now. I will go check on his status." Michelle bolted from the room as if she had been shot from a cannon. She welcomed the cool surface of the wall. It was the only thing that was keeping her from throwing up at the moment.

In a flash she had been brought to a place where she had never expect to be. A place where someone other then her was being referred to as Mrs. Santos. It was surreal.

"Dylan, his wife is asking about him. Could you give me a status report please," her voice strained to hold back the tears.

"Wife?" he returned knowing full well what this all had to be doing to her.

"Yes." was the best she could do. Not trusting herself to say anymore.

"He's stable. Vitals are good. It looks like some internal injuries but no bleeding on first exam. I will have to wait to see the results of the CT scan and x-rays but all in all it looks good."

"Thank you."

"Wait....hey are you sure you are all right? Why don't you go take five or something? I can handle this."

"I think I might just do that."

Michelle delivered the information on Danny to the nurse in charge of Theresa. She didn't have the courage to face her. She headed for the doctor's lounge. She closed the door locking it behind her. In the deep darkness of the room, Michelle sank in the corner and sobbed. Sobs that had so much force they wracked her body. It had been the first time since Drew's wedding that she had completely let go. Let out all of the pent up anger, sadness and frustration. It came out with such great abundance that she wasn't able to stop it. No matter what she had told herself....no matter what she had done to convince herself that Danny Santos was a thing of the past...seeing him again had proved to her that she was still so desperately connected to him. But it was no longer true of him.

The knocking on the door compelled her to pull it together. She unlocked the door and slipped past Dylan. She wasn't ready for any of this. It was bad enough to come face to face with Danny again but now have to face his wife as well she didn't know if she could do it.

A force so strong propelled her forward even as she willed her legs to stay. Michelle was in front of his room before realizing that she had moved anywhere. She stood there for a moment. She could his husky voice asking questions. Her heart quickened knowing that he would pull through this. She felt the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. There was no denying that she was still in love with him. Married or not, Michelle would never be able to shake Danny Santos.

"Could you please find out how my wife is? I need to know how the baby is. Please could you find out?" Danny said in a distressed tone.

There they were again those arrows piercing her chest. Baby had she heard Danny say baby? There hadn't been a baby brought in. Her head spun trying to comprehend all of it. Had he been married to Theresa all along? Had he had a child with her? She wanted to scream! Anger and angst mixed within her. None of this was making any sense. It was like a jigsaw puzzle missing too many pieces.

"I'll see what I can find out Mr. Santos."

"Thank you."

"Dr. Bauer," nurse Gallagher said as she pushed the swinging door open, "You are in charge of......."

"Michelle?!?!" Danny questioned as if he had been looking at a ghost.

Danny stared at Michelle. She still had the ability to take his breath away. He could hear Jimmy telling him all the things that Michelle had said to him the night that he had never showed.

How she had been dead to him. With those words Danny's chest had been sliced open and his heart had been removed. He was being buried alive and had no way to stop it.

Bernard and Carmen had been thrilled by the prospect of yet another heir to the family business. Before Danny knew what was happening, he and Theresa were married. It was a done deal.

Jimmy had pushed for Danny to fight. Fight for what he wanted but now that the prize had vanished Danny had relinquished himself to the life that he had. A life that didn't include Michelle.

He couldn't blame her really. It was his fault from the very beginning. His trying to protect her but again had cost him her love. If he had only trusted her with his plan they would have been together right now, but instead he had kept her in the dark and now his life was nothing more then a deep black hole.

"Michelle," he whispered.

"Hi Danny."

"How are you?"

"I think I should be asking you that. You said that you wanted some information on your wife's condition." Danny looked away as those words passed her lips. This wasn't how he had wanted her to find out. He needed to explain things to her. But now it was too late.

"Yes."

"What is it you want to know exactly?" she said in the most professional voice she was able to muster.

"Michelle, she's three months pregnant," he winced, "I need to know if the baby is okay."

"Dr. Pierce did the initial evaluation. I will have to discuss that facet with him. I will let you know what I find out."

Danny grabbed her hand as she turned to go, "Michelle, please look at me."

"Yes?"

"I need you to know some things. I need for you to understand what happened," he begged.

"Really I think I know all there is to know," she returned coldly.

Once again she found herself hugging the wall. She was begging to wake up and still be sitting in the on-call room this all just some bizarre dream. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. This was the real thing.

"Dylan....I need some information on Theresa Santos."

"What is it?"

"Danny just told me that she's about three months pregnant. He's worried about the baby."

Dylan stood in awe of Michelle. She was cool and calm on the outside all the while he knew full well that she was dying n the inside.

"I had no idea she was pregnant. She never said a thing." Both doctor's looked at the other strangely. "Nurse Gallagher could you page Dr. Grant for me?"

"Yes."

"I will have Bethany give her a complete examine and then we will know for sure how the baby is."

"Okay well please let me know what you find out. He's pretty anxious."

"Michelle," Dylan put his arm around her shoulder, "Are you okay? I mean I know what a shock this has to be."

"I don't know really. The only thing I feel right now is numb."

Michelle entered Danny's room pensively. She wished that she had wanted to be a million miles away from him but that wasn't the case. As hurt and angry as she was she also knew how scared he must be waiting for news of his child.

"How is the baby?" He hated himself right now. Every emotion was running amuck through him. Joy...fear..guilt...apprehension and most of all love. Love not only for his unborn child but for Michelle as well.

"Dr. Grant is on her way down to examine her. We should know something shortly."

"Please stay," he implored as she tried to slip out as quickly as she had come in.

"Danny.......I don't think that this is....."

"Please......"

Michelle felt the irresistible force drawing her back inside his room. She picked up his chart and read the test results. It looked like they both were very lucky. Danny had skated by with not much more then some internal bruising. He would need monitored for a day or so but all in all he would be as good as new.

"Michelle, stop reading that and come here. Please sit with me."

"Danny, what do you want from me?"

"YOU...that's all I have ever wanted was you."

"How can you say that? I mean you have a wife in the next room who is pregnant with your child for god sakes and you think we can just pick up where we left off?" she returned bewildered fighting the love she felt along with the hate.

"Michelle it's not anything like you think. Theresa and me it's not a marriage of love. At least not for me. I don't even know where to begin to explain all of this."

"Try," she whispered.

"Michelle, can I see you out here for a minute?" Dylan said poking his head into Danny's room.

"I'll be back in a second."

"Dr. Grant can't find any evidence that Theresa Santos is pregnant."

"You mean she lost the baby?" Michelle felt awful knowing that she was going to have to tell Danny this news.

"No Michelle. What I am saying is that she was NEVER pregnant to begin with!"

"WHAT!?!?!?!"

"I thought it was a bit odd when you said that Danny told you she was pregnant but she hadn't said a word about it when I first examined her. Most women are totally freaked out about a thing like that. Michelle there wasn't a baby for her to lose. That's why she never mentioned it."

"OH MY GOD......Dylan what am I supposed to tell Danny? He's going to be devastated."

"Tell him the truth Michelle. Seems to me you are the only one who is going to."

Michelle inhaled deeply before walking back into see Danny. She was still reeling from Dylan's startling news. This was totally unbelievable. "What's the matter, Michelle? What's wrong? Did something happen to the baby? God please let everything be okay?" As much as he despised Theresa that was how much he already loved this baby. That tiny life had given him the reason to continue on with this charade.

"Danny," she began not knowing how to say this but just to say it. "Danny, there was never a baby. Theresa wasn't pregnant."

"WHAT?!?!?"

"I'm sorry Danny, but Dr. Grant couldn't find any signs that Theresa was ever pregnant."

"I WANT TO SEE HER NOW!!!!!" venom dripped from each word as he tried to get up from the bed.

"Right now Danny you need to rest. You are by no means strong enough for this. It will have to wait for a couple of days." she gently eased him back down.

"I swear to you Michelle, Theresa Rivera will rue the day she ever crossed me!"