"That was embarrassing," she thought as she got up from the bench, "I don't think I have ever fallen asleep in public before." She stood up and brushed off her wedding gown looking around, she had to get back, "Ron is probably worried sick." she thought running in the direction of the church. As she was trying to figure out the elapse of time She looked around.

"Sir? Are you alright?" she asked the man in the middle of a crosswalk who was struggling to get up.

"I..I'm..m fine I think, thanks I guess." the man said standing up, he looked up at Ally and his jaw dropped so far it could have hit the pavement. "Ally? Ally Ryan? Is...is that you?"

"Excuse...Oh my god Milo Dante, what are you doing here?" Ally asked embracing him in a hug. She had always regretted her decision moving away from home. Jersey was always her home and when she went to Manhattan for her schooling at Julliard she had forgotten all about the hidden friendliness in her past best friend for 19 years.

"I actually just got a job, accounting for a law firm on the east side. I can't really believe out of this entire city when I am found in the middle of a cross walk, you are here to save me ha ha...like when we were kids and I fell out of the tree and you," He chuckled breathlessly, beseechingly confused at were he was.

"And I carried you four miles unconsciousness to your house and asked your mom what to do."

"Yea, you always did the right things on accident, thats how we became friends," he was up to full height now and looked Ally up and down, she was gorgeous except her gown, she was wearing a white fluffy dress that was torn and dirty to an almost brown color, he noticed when she turned around to gather her skirts it was ripped so he could see the white corset she was wearing, and the scars, he shivered. Ally noticed the staring and turned toward him,

"Oh I was supposed to be married , but I am not now."She looked a little self conscience gathering her skirts looking as bewildered as Milo felt

"Well Monroe why don't you and I get um...what time is it? I can't find my phone." Milo asked calling Ally by her old nickname. They started searching around the crosswalk under a car crash, there seemed to be multiple and they were all deserted and the people around didn't give it a second glance, and still, no phone. Ally searched her skirts for the pocket and the only thing inside was an engagement ring and a gold coin.

"Oh oh my, I,"she was looking at the ring and tears were slowly spilling out of her smoky eyes. Milo pulled her up to look in her eyes and kissed her forehead and wrapped her in a hug and sat them down on a bus stop. Ally's shoulders shook with such force it was as if she was trying to shake them off her body.

She buried her head in his shoulder and Milo could feel the hot tears soak through his green shirt, this brought back old memories of the past that she has endured, he slowly stroked her hair and let her cry it out. Milo knows its better to just let out all the emotions may it be hatred, love sickness, overwhelming joy, sadness, or heartbreak, than keep left it inside, bottled up, later on if the emotions were still in there someone could do something they regret. Milo had experience.

After Ally recouped and dried her eyes, she started laughing. Laughing really hard, and Milo looked very, very confused.

"Sorry Milo but I can't help think about the last time I saw you, when the tree stump "jumped" up at you, and you were laughing completely oblivious that I..." she trailed off looking into his eyes kindly, searching for any of the old emotional distress, hurt, or even hate. She couldn't find any thoughts just a blank slate, he had always had a way of showing no emotion, but not in a stand offish or cold hearted way, just the same look in his eyes. Knowing Milo he probably could see her regrets, Milo has always said her emotions are like open book he could always see them, no matter how hard she tried to hide them.

"Okay well, how about we eat dinner. I can't help but think I should buy you a new, lets say just new clothes, because of," he motioned to her dress, "the disaster that overtook this dreadful wedding dress." Ally nodded and they stood up together she looped her arm through his and they walked down 22nd street with her head on his shoulder.

"Just to explain this god awful, gaudy dress, the mother in law picked it out. Saying "It's your wedding day you are supposed to wear a dress," you know how much I despise these things."

"You know what I want to know?" Milo asked as she walked into the dressing room with 4 or 5 different items.

"What?" she called out trying to rip off the rest of her already torn up dress.

"How that soon to be mother in law talked you into wearing a dress."

"I don't really know either, kinda creepy right? I mean you couldn't even get me to wear a dress to prom, and you were my date! That women has magic powers I tell ya." She did a twirl as she stepped out of the dressing room, Milo gasped.

"Ally have you gone home lately?" He stood up walking over to her while slowly inspecting the trail of blue black marks that went around her shoulders in the shapes of fingers, on the base of her neck was a fairly prominent thumb mark, the bruise was green/yellow which often means its older. Looking over her bruises he felt an overwhelming amount of sorrow, looking at his best friend who chooses the wrong guy, over and over again, like her mother. He shuddered as he remembered how bad she used to look before she became an emancipated minor, and crashed at his house many a night. She looked into his eyes and he had a memory flashback to junior year.

"Stop going back there Monroe look in the mirror, your face is beautiful, and you are strong, and look what he did too you." he shoved a mirror into her face and she saw her split lip, black eye, and the gash on her hair line that was caused by a flying toaster. Her face crumpled and the pain flashed in her eyes.

"He just promises that he'll be different, stop drinking, but he's my dad ,okay? He doesn't mean to hurt me he loves me! It is just the alcohol." Ally was crying, but was still strong under her tears, and stubborn as she will ever be, but the tears that came out of her eyes were tinted red as they fell, he needed to get her medical attention, fast. Milo looked at her pulled her into his arms and held her like a father would a scared child. She looked up at him and then said,

"I love you Milo, you are my best friend." Then she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips gently, leaned backward and fell asleep. He then carried her gently through the sleeping house and drove her to the hospital, trying not to wake her.

Milo gave her a gentle squeeze and said,

" Maybe get a shirt with a back and sleeves so the great people of New York don't think I am an abuser of a very beautiful 22 year old." He said spinning her around to look at her shoulders and neck in the mirror. Her eyes flared, she was stunned, this stunned Milo. So, her next guy did he not abuse her in any way?

"Milo," her voice broke off as she stared at the hand prints that were slowly turning green, then yellow, and finally disappeared all together. The whole episode took about 5 minutes, but they were shocked into a submissive silence for about an hour. Bodies operating on autopilot she bought the clothes and they walked next door to a coffee shop. Cafe de la Lune, or Coffee from the Moon, and slowly digested the spectacle their eyes had witnessed, but minds could not,would not, comprehend.

"OK, I think something is going on." Ally finally said putting down her tea, and rubbing her palms on her thighs, a nervous habit she had used since adolescence, and crossed her ankles looking up to see Milo.

"We need answers." Milo said quietly putting down his butter knife. He held up his thumb, were his knife had dug in little beads of blood slowly surrounded as his thumb healed in a matter of seconds. "I have been doing this over and over again, the same result." Milo rested his head on the table in defeat. Ally brought her hand up and rubbed his neck thoughtfully, thinking more about this rather than being terrified.