�
Disclaimer: I don�t own these characters.
Michelle laid quietly in her bed, in the lonely little apartment that was now her home. She hadn�t turned the lamp off yet, and she was staring at the picture of Danny on her night stand. It had been taken during their honeymoon on San Cristobel. He was in a pair of faded blue jeans, with no shirt and no shoes. He was standing on the beach, where the waves met the sand, and the salt water was splashing his feet and legs. He�d actually posed for that picture, without a lot of prodding from Michelle. The smile on his face was amazing - it was as if Springfield never existed, and the problems they�d faced had never touched them.
She�d always loved that picture of him, so it was no surprise that it now sat next to her bed - a bed she was not sharing with him. Her heart ached at night, without him next to her.
But her pulse quickened, and a slight smile broke onto her face, as she remembered that he would be with her tomorrow. She would share this bed with him, at least for the next three nights. Her stomach turned when she thought of saying goodbye to him on Monday morning. She knew it would be horrible, but it was a small price to pay for the precious moments they would have together this weekend.
A couple of days before, she�d picked up the cellular phone that Danny arranged for her. She tried not to use it too often, but that was easier said than done, for both of them. And after all, he�d gotten the phones just for the two of them.
"What the hell," she said out loud as she reached over and picked up the cell phone, dialing his number.
�Danny dozed off and on, but never really slept soundly. Each time he roused, he felt Michelle�s pillow in his arms, and imagined it was her he was holding. His dreams were always of her. Michelle laughing. Michelle smiling at him. Michelle dancing with him. Michelle naked in his arms. They were wonderful dreams, but when he woke up, the emptiness was still there.
It was during one of these dreams that the ringing phone startled him. He knew it was her, because he kept that phone next to his bed, in case she called. His heart raced, and he wondered if something was wrong.
"Michelle," he said softly, in an urgent voice. "Are you alright?"
"I�m fine, Danny," she answered. "I just couldn�t sleep."
Danny sighed with relief, both because nothing was wrong, and because he was hearing her voice. "I�m glad you called," he said.
"Did I wake you up?" she asked.
"Not really," he answered. "I�d rather talk to you."
They talked for several minutes, about everything, and nothing at all. They talked about small, insignificant things, the way they used to. It was as if they were laying in bed next to each other. Michelle longed to reach out and touch his face, and Danny needed so much to hold her in his arms. For some reason, he always imagined her with a big, pregnant belly, even though she hadn�t really begun to show yet.
"I can�t wait to see you," he said, in a very hushed tone.
"Me either," Michelle said. "Oh, by the way. I talked to Dr. Armstrong yesterday, and he�s scheduled me for an ultrasound on Saturday."
Danny thought his heart would burst. He was going to be with Michelle in less than twenty four hours, and then they would see their baby, for the first time, together.
When they hung up the phones, they both felt a little better. Danny was still holding Michelle�s pillow, and Michelle was still looking at Danny�s picture, but after hearing the voice of the other, they each felt a stronger connection than before. Danny was more determined than ever to keep his promise to Michelle, and with every word he uttered, Michelle was even more sure that he would.