A/N: Most of the prologue is the same but some of it is different. The end of it is different that leads somewhere rather different from the first version. Tell me what you think no matter what it is. Is this better than the first one??? Yes? No? PLEASE tell me the truth and what you think about it. Thank you!!!

PROLOGUE

I looked out the window in high hopes that the day would end and Derek would come and pick me up. It was finally going to happen. Three years together and he was finally going to propose. I couldn't have been happier. It occupied so much of my time that when I looked down at my doodling I had absentmindedly written Paige Daniels on a scrap of paper, nearly filling the entire page. I grinned at it and then added Winters in between it thinking I may keep my maiden name and drop my middle. Who even thought Ivey was a good name for middle or any other I don't know. It was ridiculous, I preferred Winters better.

"You have become absolutely ridiculous."

"What?" I said and looked up into a friendly face. "Sorry Meg. I just can't help it."

"You don't even know that he's for sure going to do it. You shouldn't get your hopes up until you are one-hundred percent." She told me.

"Go ahead, dash my dream." I grinned up at her. "Just because you're marriage is perfect doesn't mean you have to bash the possible ones that could surpass you."

Meg just shook her head. "Get the hell out of here. You've been daydreaming so much that you haven't even realized that it's past four."

I looked over at the clock. "Shit! I'm supposed to be ready by five-thirty."

"Good luck!" Meg called after me as I ran from the building.

I drove home as fast as I could and grabbed my suitcase from the closet. I started to load clothes and the necessary accessories into it. I would have been ready on time but while I was going through my clothes I decided to try on one of the outfits I had planned on bringing only to change my clothes dozens more times. I ran through the bathroom gathering everything needed and when five-thirty rolled around I was still rushing. I heard the door and yelled to Derek that I was almost done. I didn't realize he had come into the room until he slid his arms around my waist. He buried his head in my neck and kissed it sweetly.

"I need to tell you something." He said with an oh-so familiar tone.

"Great…" I said and turned in his arms.

"I may have invited Mark and Sarah to come with us." He said.

"You what?" I asked.

"Paige, I couldn't say no. I was talking about the weekend with Mark and then he gave me a bit of a guilt trip and I kind of invited them a long." He explained.

"So our romantic get away to the nice, quiet, isolated cabin is now going to be shared with friends. I'm not even that good a friend with Sarah. It's going to be weird now." I told him.

"Paige, it will be fine. I will make sure that everything is perfect. We will still have our romantic weekend.

"You better." I told him and kissed him. "I think I'm done."

"Good." He said kissing me again before he took my bags to the car.

I was excited to finally be on the road. The cabin was a perfect place. It was one thing that I loved about Derek. He was willing to go out into the middle of nowhere with me. He was a city boy and I a country girl. The only draw back was the nine hour drive, most of which had no town for miles and miles at a time.

"Are you sure you don't think you're rushing into this?" Meg's voice whined through the phone.

"I love him Meg, you know that."

"You're only twenty-one. What do you know of love yet?"

"You are too and I recall a very happy after graduation wedding. You two are perfect for each other, and Derek and I will be just fine."

"I know you think so." Meg told me.

"Listen, I will keep you updated on what's going on. Just be happy that I'm happy." There was silence. "Meg…?" I asked.

"Listen, Paige, there is something that I…"

"Paige…" Derek said walking up to me.

"Hold on." I told Meg. "What is it?" I asked him.

"It's starting to pour. We have to get going."

"Okay." I said and turned back to the phone. "Sorry Meg but I have to go."

"Call me." She told me.

"Promise." I said and hung up.

The rest of the drive was long but peaceful. When we finally got to the cabin the rain had stopped but it had left a beautiful fog over the lake. The tall pines rose high into the skies. I got out of the car and went to the edge of the water. I looked at the old tire swing from when I was a kid and the beach my father made after we bought the land. Derek took our things inside and we started to get comfortable. It was big enough for us and the company that we were going to be getting. Derek started a fire as I changed into something more comfortable and then took two beers from the fridge as Derek did the same. When he came back out he put his arms around me and led me to the couch in front of the fireplace. He sat down and I snuggled against his chest. I threw a throw over us and leaned into him.

Barely a half hour had passed before Mark and Sarah showed up. I groaned as Derek forced me up from the couch. We waited at the door for them to come in. Derek held the door open for them. When Mark had put their bags down he turned to me with a big grin on his face.

"Paige!" He beamed and picked me up, spinning me around before placing me back onto my feet.

"Mark!" I said and kissed his cheek.

"Derek thanks for letting us come this weekend." He said shaking hands.

"It's not a problem. What are friends for?" Derek smiled.

"Hi Sarah." I said, being polite.

"Paige." She smiled.

That was just the beginning of the awkward moments. While Derek and Mark talked about fishing and football, Sarah and I were left to come up with something of our own to say. I couldn't remember the last time I had had so many beers. I was trying to think of something to say, hoping that the alcohol would help loosen me up enough to have a decent conversation.

I threw a hard punch, followed by a round-kick.

"It's not that bad." Derek said as he blocked it.

We stood in a small open patch of wood not too far from the cabin. Even though it was supposed to be a relaxing weekend our daily workout was a part of that. I dropped and moved to take his legs out but he jumped and spun, grabbing me from behind as I stood.

"Not that bad?" I said and with a lot of effort pulled him over my shoulder, landing him on his back. "They are all lovey-dovey and…and it's just weird." I told him, taking his hand helping him to his feet.

"It's not that weird." Derek laughed at me.

"Yes it is. I hardly know her and it makes me uncomfortable." I replied, catching my breath.

"Come on, a few more rounds and then we should go back." He grinned at me.

"If you say so." I said and took my stance.

When we returned I tried my best to play it cool and comfortable. For the most part I was convinced that it had worked. I tried to stay close to Derek but, being a man, he and Mark went off at some point and did…whatever it was that they did. They left Sarah and me around the bonfire to twiddle our thumbs while they were gone. I was out of small talk conversations and she wasn't giving me anything to work with. It was horrible and Derek was going to hear about it later.

"Well, tonight was horrible." I told Derek as we got into bed. "One night down, one to go. But you have to help me out a little. It was terribly uncomfortable between us while you and Mark had a gay old time."

"I'll do better." He smiled and kissed me as he laid down on the bed. "Now go to sleep."

"Fine." I told him doing the same. I lay there only a few minutes before I felt the need to go on. "I still can't believe that you invited them." I told him.

"Paige…"

"I love Mark but Sarah is a little weird and I am just so uncomfortable with the situation."

"Paige…"

"It's just that –"

"Paige!"

"What?" I finally asked.

"Go to sleep. Don't be so serious all the time. It –"

"Takes the fun out of life." I finished for him.

He smiled and laughed a little, putting his hand on my cheek. "I'm tired and I promise that tomorrow will be better." He told me and kissed my forehead before he rolled over.

I sighed and did the same. Soon I was asleep and happy to be sleeping off the alcohol. When morning came the men were up before the women and were cooking a fantastic brunch. I walked out in my hoodie and sweats happy to be smelling bacon. I love bacon, only gave it up when I decided a diet was necessary. Even now I could afford to loose a few pounds. I picked at a piece that was nicely crisped and was enjoying simple conversation when Sarah came out. She was clearly not a morning person and to see her looking so evil was a site to see. I took a quick shower before settling down at the table to enjoy a feast of strawberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs. It was only after when I had realized that I had eaten far too much and felt like I needed to walk some of it off.

"I'm going to go for a walk." I told them as I pulled on some clothes.

"Be careful." Derek told me.

"Always." I grinned at him and kissed him sweetly.

I left the cabin and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

"Paige…!" Mark called from behind me.

I turned to see him running toward me. "What's up?" I asked him.

"Care for some company?" He smiled.

"I would love some company." I said returning it and putting my arm through his.

We walked until the sun was low before we turned back. It was a beautiful spring day and the nature was flourishing. Mark and I had lost track of the deer we had spotted and the twitter-patted birds were everywhere. It was a nice time for Mark and me to catch up. Since graduation a year ago friends were lost and lives were different. It was nice to know that we had happy lives. He was clearly happy with Sarah, which kept me from saying anything to derogatory about her. When we got back to the cabin the sun was still out but was diminished. I gently elbowed Mark and walked over to the tire swing. I put my legs through the hole and he started to push me. It was nice to have the wind blow through my hair as the sun set. Mark scared the shit out of me when he grabbed the rope, making it jerk and then jumping on top of the tire. I laughed at him as we swung back and forth. I heard the screen door slam and soon heard Derek's voice.

"Hey Mark, why don't you let me spend a little time with my girl? You should go spend some time with your own." He said.

Mark jumped to the ground and hit Derek's shoulder as he passed him by. I looked over my shoulder as the swing slowed. Derek took my waist and stopped me completely. He put his face in my hair and kissed my neck. We stayed that way for what seemed like hours but was only minutes. I turned my head and kissed him deeply. He kissed me again. I put my hand on the back of his head, kissing him hard, only to have the screen door slam and footsteps heard approaching. I put my forehead against Derek's and sighed. I leaned away from him to see Sarah walking over to us.

"Hey." I said kindly.

"Hey, Mark and I were thinking about getting some dinner started. What did you guys think we should have tonight?" Sarah asked sweetly.

I looked at Derek. "I think we should have fish." I told her. "The sun isn't down quite yet. I bet we could catch something."

"I like that idea." Derek said and kissed me. I ran my fingers through his short blond hair. "Tell Mark that we'll be back as soon as we can." Derek told Sarah.

"Okay." Sarah smiled and went back toward the cabin.

"Let's go." Derek said and took my waist, pulling me out of the tire.

I laughed before we went to the little shed where we kept the polls. I got the boat set up while Derek dug up a few worms from the ground. When he came to the boat his hands were brown with soil but he swung the worms in my face. I just laughed and started to pull the boat away from the dock.

"It's quiet out here." I told him as we sat in the middle of the lake.

"It is, but I like it that way." He told me, leaning back in his chair.

"This weekend isn't turning out too bad." I told him.

"No, it's not. Though I regret inviting them." He confessed.

"Really?" I grinned at him.

"Really." He grinned back. "I had a plan and that kind of went out the window when I invited them."

"What plan was that?" I asked him. Tell me what I want to here.

"I'm not telling you. You probably already know and I am not going to ruin anything by saying what I was going to do. I might try again so I'm not going to say a word." He said and leaned toward me.

"I'll still be surprised no matter when you do it." I grinned leaned toward him.

"So you know what I'm talking about." He grinned.

"I have an idea and I have to say that I was very much looking forward to it." I said moving closer to him.

"Soon baby." He said and kissed me.

I rested my pole over my lap as I kissed him. Happy to have been right even though I would go to work without a ring on my finger. I leaned into him and was getting into it when my pole was nearly pulled from my hand. I pulled away from Derek quickly and grabbed the pole. I burst out laughing as I fought the line trying to reel the fish in. Derek grabbed the pole behind me holding it so I could reel it in. When I finally got it to the boat Derek netted the fish and brought it up into the boat.

"Nice going Paige!" He grinned.

I uncovered the fish from the net and looked down at a hefty Northern Pike. It was a beautiful fish. I stroked the fish, happy with the catch. I started to laugh and looked at Derek. He kissed me hard before putting the fish in the live well. We stayed out only a little while longer seeing what else we could catch. We ended up going back with the northern and a small walleye. The northern alone was enough for the four of us but the walleye was a nice addition.

"We were successful!" I said as we got back to the cabin. Mark and Sarah came out to see the large northern in my hands.

"Jesus Paige! Did you catch that?" Mark asked.

"I can fish just find thanks." I grinned at him.

"It's beautiful." Sarah said but stayed away from the flopping fish.

"My camera is in my room on the nightstand. Get it and take a picture. Derek caught one too." I told Mark.

He nodded and went into the cabin and did as he was told. We took a few pictures of the northern and then with Derek and his little walleye. The last picture we took was of Derek and me proudly holding up our prizes. When I was satisfied Derek and I took the fish to the fish house and butchered them up. The northern proved to be very meaty and there was enough meat for at least two or three meals.

Derek breaded some of the fish and cooked it on the grill, using lemon and spices to added flavor to the meat. It proved a better cook than I usually gave him credit for. The fish was delicious. I ate more fish than I ever remembered doing before. When the food was put away the men went to start a fire in the fire pit, leaving us woman to clean up the kitchen.

"That was one of the best meal's I've had in a while." I told Sarah as I washed the dishes.

"It's was good." She agreed. "I'm not very fond of fish but Derek cooked it perfectly."

"Yes he did. I think I'll keep him around for a while." I grinned. "In truth I'm not the fondest of fish either but when I'm here I like to eat it. My dad used to catch enough fish that that was all we ate while we were here. He was an excellent cook and his fish was delicious. I guess I like to eat it in memory of him." I told her.

"Mark told me he died. I'm sorry." Sarah told me.

"It's all right." I told her. "It was a long time ago. I was only seven when it happened and I've come to terms with it. He was a wonderful man." I said and paused. "I hate my stepfather…but that is a story too long to be told this weekend." I told her and smiled.

We talked for a while and it shed a new light on the way I thought about her. Sarah wasn't anything I had made her out to be. Making me happy that I talked to her. It made me feel better about her being with Mark and made me feel that I could trust her and feel comfortable about what was left of the weekend and possibly other trips in the future.

"There you are." Derek smiled as Sarah and I joined them.

"The kitchen is clean." I smiled and kissed him.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"Hey, you did the cooking I do the cleaning." I told him and kissed him again.

"I brought supplies for smors!" Mark said and pulled a plastic bag out from behind one of the benches. I laughed at him and took a seat, getting out the marshmallows.

We sat around the fire until it stopped keeping us warm from the night air. We all moved inside and opened a bottle of wine as we sat around the fireplace. It was a beautiful night and the stars were bright. I watched them from the chair by the window as we all talked. The moon was full and it streamed through the window.

It was late by the time we went to bed and it was wonderful to put my head on a pillow after a few glasses of wine and talk. I was lying on my side and Derek laid on his, facing me.

"Did you have fun tonight?" He whispered.

My eyes were closed. "Mm-hm." I said and cracked them, looking at him.

"That's good." He said and brushed the hair from my face.

"Did you?" I asked, putting my hand on his chest.

"I did. It was a lot of fun." He replied. "I love you." He said and kissed me tenderly.

"I love you too." I said and kissed him again. I put our foreheads together and fell asleep to Derek gently rubbing my back.

In the morning we all packed up, making sure we had everything. None of us planned on leaving for several hours yet but being packed made us feel like we could be lazy for a little while longer.

Derek and I decided to go for a hike through the woods before we headed out. There were beautiful trails that lead to a creek not too far from the cabin. We took the one that followed the lake a ways before it turned into the woods and lead to the creek. Derek and I had hiked these woods before and the lazy feeling of the morning sun was welcoming.

The woods were beautiful and we saw several deer as we weaved through the trees. Derek held tight to my hand most of the way. Only letting go to climb steep hills or small rock formations. He played sweet games with me as we walked. I had never been happier. Being with Derek was like being with a best friend only we had sex from time to time. He made me whole after I moved out from my mom's house at fifteen. He had always been there for me and I knew that he would always be there for me, no matter what.

"We're here." He smiled as we stood on a large rock that sat by the creek.

"We are." I said and sat down.

Derek sat behind me, putting a leg on each side of me. I leaned back as he wrapped his arm around my waist. His lips found my neck and I laughed as he gently caressed it. He kissed my hair as we looked out over the moving water.

We took a different route back to the cabin that led us to a very secluded spot of the wood. I didn't remember taking this way before but the trail still weaved through the woods, giving us the impression it would take us back to the cabin.

We hadn't gone too far when there was heavy cracking in the woods. I jumped and Derek pulled me against him. I laughed but Derek gave me a concerned look. I didn't say anything but took his hand, pulling him down the trail. We soon forgot about it and resumed a relaxed feel. It wasn't until the crack was louder and closer that I started to get nervous. Only this time Derek tried to put a little humor into it. I thought I was just being paranoid. Derek didn't seem concerned anymore and twigs snapped in woods. It was a common occurrence. It was only when the snapped was almost directly behind us that we turned around and saw a huge black bear moving through the trees. I gasped and grabbed Derek. Bear's were just as common as anything else in these woods but they weren't usually known to follow people. Derek rushed us down the trail trying to stay calm but get as far away from the bear as possible. It didn't work. Something about us attracted the bear and it started to move at us faster. Derek took my hand and we started to run down the trail, trying not to trip. The bear was still behind us as we swerved through the trees, running toward any part of them that looked thick enough to slow the bear down. We saw heavy brush ahead; Derek pulled me toward it, pushed me through first. Adrenaline was pumping through me, I moved as fast as I could and Derek was directly behind me. We had barely cleared the brush when the ground gave way and we tumbled down a large hill, the brush scraping us as our bodies broke thin trees on the way down. We landed with a heavy thud at the bottom of the hill. Derek moved over to me, putting his arm around my waist, we had barely started to get up when there was a circle of trees and all of a sudden there was a flash of lighting and a blinding white light before the feeling of falling.