"You're leaving again, aren't you?"
He nodded, though the pain in his chest seemed to make every movement an excruciating effort.
She adjusted her chin in her hands, and continued, seemingly otherwise oblivious to his presence. "You know, Danny, when, I finally left the house, when I could finally let myself leave the house, I went out to see the world as me, separate from the Bauers and the Santoses, Michelle... not Ed Bauer's daughter, or Rick Bauer's little sister, or, or even Danny Santos' wife. I found out a lot about myself. I found out what I want to do with my life, and more importantly, why I want to do it. I found out what I liked in people and what I didn't. I found out I hate Palo Alto in March, and I love Paris even in August. I even found myself giving up pink."
She paused, as if pondering whether she should add something.
"I even.. I even started dating again. Nothing serious, but I could actually think about it again. Ten years, I thought I was finally over it. I thought I was over you."
"But looking at you again, just looking at you, not even thinking about the last couple of days... I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave again. And I'm not asking you to stay, because God only knows, I only ever stayed with you because I wanted to stay, not because I had to, even when Carmen was threatening to blow my brains out, and I would never ask more of you."
"But I'm so glad I got to see you again, even if it was only for two days, and even if it takes ten years to get over you again."
He shifted his weight on the fence, with a million things he wanted to say, and nothing he could say to her. I don't want you to get over me; I never got over you........, I miss you every day...........,
I love you more now than I did ten years ago. Come with me, please...........
Finally, he asked a question that had been on his mind since she'd first landed on his doorstep that fateful evening, "Michelle, why haven't you gone back to Springfield?"
It was a question that she heard often enough, although usually from Rick, Abby, Aunt Meta, her father, Bill, Vanessa, Matt and the rest of her mother's family, Holly.... and usually via a long-distance carrier. And she had the answers that she usually gave them, so much opportunity, she wanted to travel while she was young, she was too busy with work...
But it was different with Danny. Well, when were things not different with Danny? "I just can't."
"Michelle, you love your family. You know your family loves you. And you need them and they need you. You should see them again, face to face. It would be good for everyone, and deep, down inside, you want to, even if you don't know it."
Her head snapped in surprise. In the end, as much as they tried, and as much as they were inherently good people (well, most of the time), the extended Bauer clan had never really accepted Danny, except Abby. Abby accepted everyone. Rick had smiled for family photos with him, Matt had slapped him on the back at the barbeque, and Meta and everyone else had clucked over her tears after the shooting. They had been genuinely concerned over her well-being, but she knew that behind all the caring and concern, there was more than a hint of relief. Thank God, he's gone, her life can go back to normal...
"I'll think about it."
They slipped back into silence as the sun began to descend. Michelle scrambled off the stile and lent her shoulder to Danny as he painfully lowered himself off the fence. "I'll never get used to how the sun sets in the middle of the afternoon in England," he murmured.
.............................