Michelle looked at her watch for the hundredth time in the last fifteen minutes. She paced in front of her car. "Where the hell is he?" she asked the wind that whipped around her.

Michelle knew the risks that she was taking having Derrick meet her at the center but all reason had been lost on her that afternoon. As much as she feared the things that Derrick had done to her in the past the feelings of inadequacy were stronger. Her failure in that room...in front of all those people sent her sailing back into the abyss that started this in the first place.

Michelle stopped when she saw Derrick's yellow Camero pulling into the lot. Relief washed over her knowing that soon she wouldn't have to feel anything again. That it would be gone in an instant.

"What took you so long?" she spat.

"Easy there," he half laughed.

"Did you bring it?" she asked.

"Man, for someone who has sworn off the stuff you sure seem to need it pretty bad."

"Save the sermons, Derrick.....did you get it or not?" Michelle was stunned by the force of her words. She sounded like a hard core junky, but she was desperate to silence the voices in her head.

A tiny vial appeared in the palm of his hand. Again the struggle began forcing Michelle to choose..........

"Reach for it......take it...you know you want it.....you need it........just let yourself go....." the evil monster prodded.

"Walk away, Michelle.....fight this.....you know where this is going to take you.........he's going to hurt you again....." the voice of reason sounded.

Michelle's hands shook as she reached for the vial that lay within her grasp. The battle that was waging in her head had her spellbound. She searched for Kathy's voice...searched for a reason not to take the white powder that Derrick offered her....that she had asked for.

In a flash all that she had worked for had been tossed aside. In a moment of total weakness she had let herself be brought back to a place where she never thought that she would be again. Never wanted to revisit.

"Here," Derrick dropped the vial into her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered in disbelief at hearing her own voice. Michelle felt as if she had stepped outside her own body and was watching as she snorted the contents of the vial.

It was an instant intense rush that devoured her soul. Then it lulled her into the dream state that she still needed so badly. All the counseling in the world hadn't helped her. Nothing helped her forget but this.

"Hey you okay?" Derrick asked as he grabbed for Michelle. The surge that the cocaine had provided caused her to stumble.

"Yeah...yeah..I'm fine," she returned leaning against her car for stability.

"You don't look fine, baby," Derrick reached around bringing her body close to his.

"First time is always a tough one," Michelle returned trying to pull away from him.

"Whoa...whoa where do you think you're going?" he countered sensing her movements. "Now baby...is that any way to treat the man who just sent you soaring?" Derrick's grip tightened.

"MICHELLE!"

The cocaine had dulled her senses but she knew the voice that called to her from the distance. Their eyes met as she peered over Derrick's shoulder. Again there it was. That fierce pull that she felt every time that Danny Santos looked at her.

"Danny?" she questioned not completely trusting her eyes.

"Michelle, what the hell are you doing?" All Danny had to do was look at the hood of her car for the answer. The tell tell signs were all there.

"Nothing.....nothing," she said nonchalantly rubbing her hand under her nose hopping not to look too obvious.

"And you man.....what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I was invited," Derrick returned smugly. He recalled this guy from the other day. It gave him great pleasure to stick it to him now. Derrick leaned forward and kiss Michelle with such force that it left her starring at him disbelieving.

Danny shook his head. He didn't have a clue what he was even doing. The image of this guy holding Michelle propelled him from room without even thinking. His first instincts were that Michelle was in trouble. The rest came without thought.

Now, he felt the fool. He pushed his way into a place he obviously wasn't wanted or needed. Whatever he had read between these two the other day had been wrong. Dead wrong.

Danny turned on his heel without a further word. His blood bubbled beneath the surface.

"DANNY........WAIT!" he heard her calling to him, yet he couldn't turn around. Wouldn't turn around to face her. This had been his fault. He had done this to himself. A mistake he wasn't about to make again.

Danny turned his back at the scene before him. He couldn't fathom what he had just witnessed. None of it made any sense. Only a day ago, Michelle had been petrified by this guy and today she was here in his arms. Letting him kiss her.

How could he have been so stupid as to have read the signs completely wrong? It had been a lover's spat all along. Here he was thinking that all these crazy thoughts about her and it had been all for nothing. He was ripping himself in two over the developing feelings he was having towards her and it had all been in vain. What a complete fool he had let himself become.

"NO DANNY, WAIT!" she shouted to his retreating back trying her damnedest to remove her arms from Derrick's grip. "LET ME GO!" she spouted eyes blazing turning to face her capture.

"Whoa...come on now," Derrick's hold tightened around her wrists. She looked on as Danny made his way across the parking lot. She felt a stabbing pain force it's way throughout her body coming to rest in her heart.

"Derrick....enough already. This was a mistake. I should have never called you!" the voice of reason finally emerging front and center. Even if it was already too late. Derrick wasn't about to let her go again.

"You got it all wrong baby!" he purred, "This was the smartest thing you ever did! That restraining order against me....well you just made it null and void," he howled.

"What......what are you talking about?" she asked wide eyed. As quickly as the rush came that was a fast as it had gone. Michelle found herself at his mercy once more. How simple she had been thinking that Derrick was the solution....he had been part of the problem all along.

"I am saying that it's hard to have a restraining order against someone that you have been seen with in an intimate moment," he hissed enjoying watching her squirm in his arms. "See, I have a witness now to back me up. So you see there's no getting away from me this time around."

Michelle had seen that look in his eye one too many times. In her moment of feebleness, she had placed herself in danger. Danger that she promised herself and Kathy she would never be in again.

"Derrick...come on please......" she begged as she wrestled from his grip.

"Why is it you never learn, Michelle?" he whispered hoarsely. A sound she knew all too well. Derrick rested his hands on her shoulders and crushed his fingers into her collar bone causing her to cry out in pain. "Did you really think that you could get away from me that easy?"

"Derrick come on.....just let me go okay?" she stifled the tears that were threatening to spill over her lashes.

"Remember baby..............who called who here?" Derrick whipped Michelle around by her hair to face him. "You wanted this. You can't lie to me. I don't care how far you run .....you won't ever be far enough away."

"Derrick," reached in the depths of her soul for courage...courage to stand up for herself. She called upon everything that she had learned in group to get her through this. "LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT THIS!!!" Michelle shouted as she sent the remaining white powder crashing to the ground. Something she should have done the moment that Derrick had given it to her. The look on Danny's face when Derrick kissed her was haunting.

Before she knew what was happening Derrick swung at her. Landing hard across her jaw. If he hadn't been still holding her by the hair she would have tumbled to the pavement.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH!" he seethed swinging again. "Here I come to your rescue....and this is how you repay me."

Michelle's cries froze Danny in his tracks. Spinning around he caught the sight of Derrick's attempt to force Michelle into his car.

Danny strained to continue forward. It was hard to miss the shouts that he could hear behind him. He wasn't letting himself be taken in again. Once a fool was plenty for him. Whatever this thing Michelle had with this guy was none of his business. He planned to keep it that way.

As he reached for the door, Michelle's screams hung in the air. These weren't shouts of anger as they had been moments ago...they were terror filled. His resolve to push Michelle Bauer from his thoughts vanished with those sounds. Sounds that were so hauntingly familiar. Despite the memories chasing him, Danny raced across the parking lot to where Derrick was doing his best to overpower Michelle. Forcing her into his car.

"NO......................!" she screamed kicking wildly...doing anything to keep herself from being his prisoner again.

What had she done? Why had she done this to herself again? Had the escape she was searching for been worth this? She looked into Derrick's cold emerald eyes as saw her reflection. She looked like a caged animal.

"Give it up Michelle, you are mine now!" he growled.

"THINK AGAIN!!!!!!" Danny's presence startled Derrick enough to enable Michelle to crawl out the driver's side door crumpling in a heap on the ground.

"What......you the newest white knight?" he cackled thinking how many times others had stepped in to save Michelle. It hadn't helped yet, Derrick doubted that it ever would.

"Maybe...." Danny hissed violently. "YOU STAY AWAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" pushing Derrick's back into the cutting metal his instincts getting the best of him.

"And if I don't?" he countered forcefully all the while trying to hide the pain Danny was inflicting.

"YOU DON'T LIKE LIFE?" Danny's question foreboding. "Michelle....Michelle?" Danny called never releasing Derrick from his grip. "Michelle...you okay?"

"I think so," she said doing her best to stand. The purple bruise already forming on her jaw.

"GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Danny tossed Derrick's body to the ground as if it had been a rag doll. "If your continued good health is a priority to you I suggest you stay the hell away from her." Danny's jaw clenched as he spoke eyes blazing.

"You know you still want it....." Derrick spouted picking himself up off of the ground......"You will call me again. You know it...I know it!"

"WHAT DON'T YOU SEEM TO UNDERSTAND?" Danny bellowed moving to where Michelle was standing. He wrapped his arms around her trembling body. She melted into his chest feeling safer then she had in many years.

"It's more like what you don't," Derrick barked walking past them. Danny sensed Michelle's body tense as his eyes lingered on her face. "You know Michelle....if you would only learn. Only learn," he shook his head closing the door before Danny had the chance to yank him out for daring to speak to her again.

Danny looked on as the car rumbled out of the lot...Michelle still shaking.

Michelle took a ragged breath leaning further into Danny's chest. Reveling in the warmth and security that she found there. She felt him softly stroking her hair as his hands found their way to her back. He let them move in a gentle circular motion until her breathing returned to normal. She was getting lost in the scent of him. The closeness was dizzying. It was hard to believe that after what had just happened that she was feeling the things she was feeling. She fought the urge to run her fingers through his chocolate curls, fought the need to have his mouth on hers.

Danny lifted her eyes to meet his. She winced as his fingers came into contact with the large bruise at her jaw line.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Michelle wasn't able to do more then nod. His gaze held her completely mesmerized. Those dark eyes reaching into her soul. She felt unveiled standing there before him. Almost as though Danny Santos knew every inch of her.

"Thank you," she whispered finally finding her voice.

Danny pulled back to study her expressions again, yet never released her from his arms. She still had the look of a wounded animal within the depths of her eyes.

Here he was again trying to make sense out of nonsense. In the matter of days he had gotten lost in this girls world without even knowing what was actually taking place.

Danny did his best to put the events that had taken place in some semblance of order. Obviously his first instincts regarding Michelle and Derrick had been correct yet it still perplexed him. What was she doing out there in the parking lot doing cocaine and kissing someone who so obviously wanted to hurt her.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you," Michelle said as she reluctantly removed herself from Danny's arms. Immediately a cold sensation filled her.

"Forget it," he returned nonchalantly resisting the desire do pull her back into his chest. "How's your jaw?" Danny reached out to tenderly trace the outline of the bruise that had formed.

His touch caused Michelle's head to spin. Spin more then the earlier rush that she had gotten. Cocaine had nothing on Danny Santos.

"Pretty sore," she said trying desperately to keep her thoughts in order.

The look in Danny's eyes implored Michelle to explain what had just happened here. But the words failed to come. How was she to justify her actions? There wasn't any justification for it. She had completely failed. Failed the program, failed Kathy and her faith in her, failed herself. Michelle knew it the moment that she felt the first surge of euphoria rushing through her body.

Now she had put herself back in a place that she had worked so hard to get out of. Somewhere where Derrick Lawson was in control again. How was she supposed to tell this man in front of her that she was a lost soul and couldn't recall a time when she hadn't felt that way.

Before she was able to stop them the tears came. She didn't know if they were tears of frustration at herself....tears of fear for what Danny had stopped from happening to her or tears of despair.

"How about we get out of here?" Danny questioned quietly.

Michelle again nodded not caring that by all rights Danny wasn't allowed to leave the grounds. At that very moment all reason had escaped her again. All she wanted was to be with this man. Her head and heart were at odds. Her head telling her not to fall into the same trappings again. Not to let a man be her saving grace. As she had done with Derrick yet her heart was sending very different signals. Her heart swelled with each glance at the man before her. Filled with an emotion she never expected to ever feel.

"Where are your keys, Michelle?" She dug through her bag finally placing the keys in his hand. There it was again. That electric surge as their flesh made contact once again. Danny opened the passenger door letting her slid into the seat. Closing the door he couldn't stop from starring at her intently. All he instincts were lost. He knew he should have run....ran as fast and as far away from her as he could but that wasn't about to happen. The ghostly face looking back at him was more then he could bare. Besides he was more then certain that Derrick would be back to finish what he started.