I lay in bed. I knew I had to start getting up. I couldn't just miss this, as much as I wanted to. It was all my fault and I had to be there. A knock came from the room's door. "Bentley? You up yet?" Murray came over and sat at the end of my bed. "We gotta get going..." he gulped. "We should be there." I knew he felt terrible, but no one knew how dreadful I really felt. I sat up, and swung my legs into my chair. Murray got up, tears running down his face, as he passed me a pair of dark pants and a black button down shirt. The hippo was already dressed in a pair of jeans and a black polo.

It seemed like hours for me to get dressed. When I finally wheeled out into the room, they were ready. It was odd seeing them entirely dressed in black, not talking at all. "I guess we are all ready," Sly said and we all piled into the van outside. It was a long, silent ride. When we reached the building, the six of us got out and went into the grey-dreary structure.

I rolled down the hallway, and stopped at the door. We could all hear the dreadful music. "Look, this is like sad and depressing. Totally not my scene, bro. I be just waiting outside..." We all looked at Dimitri. He stopped talking, and stood still looking at the door. Sly was the first to open the door. "Where be everyone?" Dimitri asked looking everywhere. It was barren room except for ten rows of chairs and numerous flowers…and the most important thing.

"The family didn't want us here the same time as everyone else." Sly explained. I didn't listen to the rest of the explanation that followed. I wheeled up to the last remaining object in the room. Never had I seen a coffin before. It was white with gold handles. Inside laid her, in a pink dress with her blond hair laid down straight. It was odd seeing her that way, knowing that only a week and a half ago she was sitting in the safe house reading a book twice the size of her.

***************

I was looking all over for her on Lefwee's boat. After Sly made dead sure that she wasn't on land, I sent Guru onto of Crusher to get rid of all the crew on board. Then I jumped on to the boat to look for her. After a few minutes, I reached the middle of the boat with a grate.

"Done!" I opened the grate. I looked down smiling at Penelope. She jumped out. Somehow, she ended up in a blue dress and brown corset. My heart skipped looking at the beauty in front of me.

"Bentley! I...you...." She started talking, and when I wasn't focused, Lefwee jumps behind her and points his sword at her throat.

"Call off you squid, or the girl gets it!" He threatened.

"Back off Guru, I'll deal with this guy." I said, getting Guru to back off.

"Aye, that you have. Set me up to think I'd out smarted ya, then fooled me into the deep waters with this beast. I tip my hat to ye. You're the cleverest man I've ever had the pleasure of beatin'." He moved his sword to the back of Penelope. Then he saw Sly parachuting in. The sword in his hand, made a quick move right into her. Pulling his sword out, he made a swipe for Sly that had landed, pointing his cane at him. They ran off, having a major fight, while I was to busy on the ground holding her. She laid limp in my arms, her white fur quickly matting with warm blood.

"Penelope! You ok?" I was screaming. I had never dealt with this kind of thing before. She moaned. I grabbed her pink bandanna, pressing it onto her stomach, trying to stop the wound. "Just hold on!" I looked around looking for anyone. Where was everyone?

"Bentley...I...I...lov..." Her breathing was getting more and more shallow.

"Penelope, don't worry. Just...ummm...save your energy." She looked up with me with her big blue eyes. Her glasses were tilted on her ace, threatening to fall off. Her small hand moved on top of my big one holding the bandanna. She gave a small smile up at me, and then just like that, her eyes glassed over, and her heart stopped.

*****

A hand on my shoulder appeared on my shoulder. Just like last time when I was holding her body, Sly stood over top of me, hand on my shoulder. "We should go." Only this time I couldn't take her with me.

I nodded, knowing her family wanted us gone; only giving us 20 minutes to say good-bye. I couldn't talk to her family, knowing all of this was my fault. Their daughter had been safe in the Air Force as well as the ACES Competition, but 5 months with us, and I had gotten her killed by a pirate. Sly had gotten the job of telling her parents. It clearly hadn't gone well.

I pulled out the flower from her RC car into her hand. I placed my hand on her cheek. She was so cold. "I am so sorry." Tears ran down my face. Every one of us had tears down our faces, our hearts broken in half. How something like this could happen to someone like her. They all started to turn, not wanting to stay any longer.

"Bentley?" Sly asked, trying to get me to leave, knowing no one could take much more of this. "She was all our friend. And this wasn't your fault."

"Wrong." I said bitterly.

"Huh?" Sly looked at me, and I kept facing her.

"You're wrong. It was completely my fault. I was madly in love with her, to distracted by her to notice Lefwee coming from behind her, putting the sword to her back." Sly stood there stunned, not believing I had just said that. Not believing I had actually fallen for someone. Someone that was clearly in love with him, and hadn't told him...or her.

I took my hand from her cheek, and turned my chair to leave. Everyone just stood there, stunned that I hadn't said anything for the past week except to profess my love out loud.

Once we had gotten back to the Safe house, I went right into the room that I, Sly, and Murray shared. I laid there in my bed, just thinking of her. Remembering the smell of her hair, or the way she would get this adorable face when working on an invention. Even when she messed up her words when talking to Sly because she was so embarrassed ran through my mind. But the worst of it was what she was trying to say. The last words of her life were 'Bentley, I, you' a mumble and 'Bentley' followed by a stutter. I would never know what she was trying to say.

The worst of it, was trying to figure out what to do now. What if everyone still wanted to open the vault? I would need to find another RC specialist. I know I couldn't finish the plans or just find someone else. Every time I even thought about either on of them, I thought about looking up from them to get a peek at her working on her RC stuff.

She was gone....

It was all my fault....

I should have said something.....

I just stood back and watched....

What if....

.....I saved her?

.....I had said I loved her?

.....she liked me?

Hours later, Sly and Murray came in to fall asleep. Murray was exhausted, and fell asleep instantly. He had been sleeping a lot lately because of all of this. Sly tossed and turned, finally falling asleep. I made sure to get up quietly, not wanting to wake him up from his light sleep. Instead of the usual chair I used, I got in the normal on I used when we got aboard planes or went undercover. It had no weapons or tools, but it also didn't have a tracking device.

I grabbed only a small bag, already filled with clothes and some hard cash. It also held her copy of Fahrenheit 451, her favorite book. We had a 5 hour "discussion" on which was better, this book or 1984. Eventually, Sly yelled at us to go to asleep, and then we realized it was 2 AM and we had to steal the boat from Blood Bath Bay Harbor to get to Dagger Isle in only a few hours. If only I had realized it would be one of our last conversations, I would have said something much more meaningful. I wheeled out side the safe house, ready to just disappear.

"You know, I remember you telling Murray it wasn't his fault about the accident, yet he refused to believe you. He disappeared, and both of us felt so depressed." I looked up, and sure enough, Sly was sitting there on a second story window sill. "At least he told us he was leaving."

"Leave me alone Sly. This is much different. This really was my fault." I continued to leave.

"Bullshit Bentley! Lefwee only did what he did because he saw me parachuting in."

"You mean what I told you to do." He stood quiet. He knew he wouldn't win this fight. I was leaving, and he could do nothing about it. I turned, and went about a block before he caught up.

"She would never want you to do this." He said, running catching up to me.

"She wouldn't care! She loved you remember!" I yelled bitterly at him. Tears ran down my face remembering her flirt with him, trying to impress her. And he didn't even care for her.

"Be careful. Got it?" Was all he said. He jumped onto the roof of the building along side of us, and I could feel him watching me until I had gotten on a subway. No real destination ran through my mind. All I knew was I had to leave.

***************

Penelope Ann Manors

November 4, 1981-August 23, 2004

I think all of us certainly believed the statistics which said that probably 88% chance of

mission success and maybe 96% chance of survival. And we were willing to take those odds.

-Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

I wasn't sure how many times I had come to the cemetery. Or how many hours I would just sit in front of her grave. It had been 3 months since I left. I had ended up living in an apartment only a half hour bus-ride from here. I was either here staring at the cold, gray stone or back at my apartment, working on anything. Most people when they lose someone dear to them become depressed and some fall obsessed into drinks or gambling. Others fill their day surrounded with people so they never have to be alone. Or some just cry by themselves, never wanting to do anything.

I became obsessed working on machines. Currently, I was trying to make a time machine. It was hard work, but I would lose hours just soaking myself in my work. And when I came up for air, I would come here, begging for forgiveness from someone that would never answer. I had seen some of her family who would come and lay flowers and visit the grave, but I would leave before they would get close. Unfortunately, this time, I was to deep in thought to notice the blonde behind me.

"Hmmm…so I finally meet the mysterious Bentley." I was shocked and turned around to see someone that look just like her: A small white mouse, with long flowing blond hair. She smiled and offered her hand. "I'm Paris, Penelope's sister." I took her hand giving a nod.

"She told you about us?"

"The past few years, we have told each other everything, including the Cooper gang stuff"

"Only the past few years?"

"We are twins, her being an only child for 11 minutes until I came along. She was the smart older sister that worried about everything and was happy looking like a tom boy. I was the care-free younger sister, who was much more obsessed with guys then studying and had to always wear the latest fashions. We had to share a small room. We were two totally different people suck together. It wasn't until the end of Junior Year in high school did we become close."

"What happen?" I looked at her, not wanting to leave, wanting Paris to tell me everything about her. Well, I though, it was more of a need then a want.

"The night before the retake of the SAT's, I got really drunk. I came home and passed out. Next thing I knew it was 3:30 PM on Saturday and I had missed the test. I look over, and saw her changing from one of my skirts and blouses into her jeans and baggy shirt. 'I hope you will be happy with a 1355' which was amazing back then when a perfect score was 1600. It was all she said before she left, leaving a glass of water and aspirin for me. After that, we got closer, and once I left for collage and she went to the United States Air Force, we got even closer, since we didn't spend every single moment together as the 'twins'." She placed a flower that looked like the one Penelope had on her RC car on the grave and went back to stand with me.

After a few moments I asked, "She really liked Alan Shepard didn't she?"

"She was obsessed with him. It was why she started in the Air Force. She wanted to be just like him, and get to fly in space. I believe you all ready knew she was crazy about him."

"Why do you say that?" I looked at her. She was short like her sister, so when sitting in my chair I could see her face to face.

"'Rodger Bentley. Let's light this candle!'" was all she had to say. I remembered standing in Blood Bath Bay looking for a chest that held a treasure map. She was helping me, using an invention she created called a hover-spectrometer. When I said I was ready, she replied with her Alan Shepard quote.

"I guess she does tell you everything."

"Yes, she does." She pulled out a CD. "I have needed to give this to you for awhile, but you kept disappearing before I could get it to you." I took the CD, trying to figure what it was. "When I went off to college, I always got these creepy calls from guys. I couldn't really call the police since they wouldn't be able to do anything, so Penelope came up with this recorder. Every one of my phone calls would be recorded onto a laptop, and could be burned onto a disk if the call sounded creepy enough to contact the cops. I talked to her the night before it happened, after the blinding dust mishap, and I think you should hear it."

I looked at it, wondering what it could possibly say.

***************

"Hey sis! How's the heist going?" That must be Paris I though, they looked that same, but Paris had a higher tone and a more excited way of talking.

"Ok. Currently we are stealing a treasure in Blood Bath Bay." My heart stopped when I heard her.

"Get out. For real?"

"Yep. I even stole a pirate map tonight."

"OMG! That is so sweet. What does it look like?"

"Surprisingly, like a treasure map." I smiled at her sarcastic remark. It had taken me a week to convince myself to listen to it. Now, I looked at the blue screen with the music player on giving me some of the last words she said.

"Don't be such a smart ass. Anyway, down to the important stuff. Sly kiss you yet?" My heart stopped. I pressed pause. There was no way I could listen to her talk about Sly! Why would Paris give this to me? Was this some sick joke to get back at me for getting her sister killed? I backed away from the computer, wonder why she would do this.

But part of my mind told me that it was Penelope talking, something I just had to listen to. I wheeled back to the computer, pressing play.

"Jeez Paris. He is just the field man. I don't think it would work out between us even if he did like me." My heart stopped again, but this time for another reason.

"Whoa, hold up. Yesterday you were all lovey-dovey over him. Now, he's nothing?"

"He isn't 'nothing.' He is just blindingly cute."

"Yes! Now what amazing cloud covered up the hot sun?" Silence went on for a few moments. I closed my eyes, trying to see her answer the question. Probably telling her sister that it was no one, just Bentley, that showed her that the relationship wouldn't work out to well.

"I think I have fallen in love with Bentley." My eyes widened. I forgot how to breath. My heart beat 10 times faster then usual. It took awhile to sink in. That was the first thing I would have hoped to hear her say, but the last thing I ever though she would say to answer her sister's question. Then Paris' voice came on again.

"You fell for a crippled." That statement made me fall right back to earth. It kind of made me want to find and kill her.

"Paris, remind me when I see you to kill you." She said in such a voice it scared me. I smiled and Paris laughed.

"Okay, okay. Just making sure. Now, tell me the details, 'cuz last night he was just the weirdo that would just stare at you all the time." I groaned. Of course she would have noticed that I looked at her almost all the time. She wasn't stupid.

"Well, he still is just the weirdo that would just stare at me all the time. I haven't told him anything." She said the last sentence as if she felt guilty about saying nothing yet.

"We will get back to that comment later. Now, how did you find out."

"We were looking for the treasure map with one of my inventions. I got in position to control it on a roof, and said into my microphone 'Rodger Bentley, let's light this candle.'

"You didn't!"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"You must have sounded like such a geek!" Again, I got that feeling of wanting to hurt Paris.

"So what."

"And he heard you say that?!?"

"Yes."

"And his reply was 'OMG your crazy'." She said the last part in a deep voice. I tried to remember what I had said that she had actually heard. She couldn't have heard what I had actually said. She said she didn't hear it. It was quiet again and Paris said, "Come on, I know you have that amazing memory. You know what he said word for word.!"

"Well...he kinda forgot to turn off his microphone, so he doesn't know I heard him say it. 'Be still my heart!...she made an obscure NASA reference! Why do the girls always have to go for Sly! It's just not fair!'."

"Wow, he is as much as a geek then you." I heard Paris give this laugh.

"Don't you dare laugh. It's sweet!" Paris stopped shortly, and I was trying to get over the embarrassment of her actually hearing me. "I knew he would be embarrassed if I commented on it, so I pretending not to hear him and asked him to repeat."

"What he say for a cover-up?"

"The weather was perfect for lift-off." They both giggled. I felt like an idiot, but I was starting to understand why Paris gave my the recording. "After that, we went to get the map. And he said some things that really made me think."

"Ohh....what he say?"

"Personal things, which is really none of your business. It really wasn't my business either." I knew she was talking about the comment I made about being in my chair and how jealous I was of Sly for being able to do all those tricks.

"Okay. So then what, or is that when you fell madly in love." Paris made kissy noises over the phone. Then Paris laughed.

"No, he didn't save me from utter death yet."

"Your kidding right?"

"We found the map, and we saw the Pirate that had the map. His name is Lefwee. Watching him for only a few moments, and he killed his first mate for no reason at all." She went on, ignoring Paris' comment.

"What? OMG!"

"I know. It took a lot not to scream. He put his hand over my mouth, and my hands ended on top of his. We were both so scared, I didn't think about it right then. But now that I think about it, it was rather comforting." She said and Paris sighed. I had totally forgotten that. I was such an idiot for forgetting something she clearly cared about so much about.

"Except for the whole death thing, that is so cute! But you need to be seriously careful with this guy. He will totally hurt you!" I do believe, this would be foreshadowing. Why didn't Paris talk her out of doing it? She would have listened to Paris that it was way to dangerous.

"I know. I will be careful, don't worry. After that, we found the map which was surrounded by all these traps. He left to..."

"HE LEFT YOU WITH THE KILLER PIRATE?!?!?!" I remembered that. I told her we should go together, but she wanted to stay. I didn't purposely leave her with Lefwee.

"He left to get my tools. I told him to go by himself so I could focus on the traps a little. After a few minutes, I got the map, but the a bunch a dust got into my eyes blinding me."

"How? You wear glasses! Also, that geek should have made you come with him." the first was obvious, but the second was true. I should have made her come with me.

"I wear glasses, not goggles. They got under them into my eyes. And he tried to get me to go, but he knew I wouldn't exactly listen to him so he left."

"Wow. Your such a stupid genius. And I hope this is the near-death situation."

"Yes, it is. He used one of his gadgets to get me out, and back to the safe house. I almost cried when I heard him yell 'Penelope!'."

"Aww...that is so cute, minus the whole situation your in. But I guess weird things like that are always happening to you right, Mr. Baron?"

"Yeah."

"So anyway, WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU TOLD HIM!?!?!?!?!?" Somehow, when listening to them, I moved really close to the speaker. The shrill scream really hurt.

"Oww! Kinda loud Paris."

"I'm allowed to be. How does he not know. You know he loves you, why don't you just tell him?"

"I tried. I just don't know how...."

"Say his name, pause and say 'I love you'. Now try it."

"Bentley! I...I...lovv..." She started stuttering. My entire body was shaking. Had she started to say that on the ship?

"Wow, can't even say it to the nothing beside you."

"Shut up. I will...eventually...."

"If you open the Vault and he doesn't know, I'm gonna tell him, dressed as you, and give him a big kiss,...on the lips."

"Jerk."

"I'm not the one that can't tell someone how I feel about them. You guys could grow old together and have these mutant smart kids."

"Already planning the wedding then?"

"Yep. Two years from today. Ten o'clock, don't be late."

"Ha-ha. Oh...umm...I got to go. Bye."

"NO!!!" I yelled at my computer. She couldn't leave. She had to keep talking. She just had to....

"Uhhh...ok, bye?" She had hung up before Paris said good-bye. "Crazy girl.." and the recording ended.

I sat there looking at the blue screen, soaking it all in. She had loved me, and tried to tell me. And I hadn't let her. One thing had bugged me though. Why did she hang up so fast?

I ended up falling asleep in my chair. Recently, I hadn't been getting much sleep, but by the time I woke up, I had slept for 2 days. My back hurt, my head ached, and I was literally starving to death.

None of it mattered. She had loved me.

Then it came rushing back to me.

I killed her.

Whoever said building a time machine would be hard was right.

Whoever said building a time machine is impossible was wrong.

I had worked on it for two years non-stop. Truly the only time I stopped was when I fell over from exhaustion or hunger. And of course, to see her or listen to the recording. I knew the entire recording by heart, but to hear her say the words never got old. And every time she said she had fallen in love with me, still surprised me every time.

What I hoped the finished project was, looked like a metal basketball. Small, but extremely heavy. A key pad on the top was how to work it. I just hoped it worked this time. I was tired of getting yelled at by my landlord after every failed attempt, which gave off a loud bang and occasional set off fire alarm.

I wasn't sure how to fix the past. I wasn't sure if I should save her, tell her not to go, or even tell my past self not to ask her to join. "I just don't know how to save her." I sobbed into the machine, using it somewhat like a pillow. A bright flash of yellow light, and I was on the ground out of my chair. Just like all the other failed attempts. Just this time, I smelled a salty sea and I was outside. It was just starting to get dark, the first stars starting to appear.

And hear the most beautiful voice ever. "Oh...umm...I got to go. Bye" She closed her phone and ran over to me. "Bentley!? Are you ok? What are you doing up here?" She stopped short. "Are you...Bentley?" I knew I had changed over the past two years. My hair was long and unwashed. I knew I was skinner from not eating much since my clothes kept getting baggier and baggier.

I looked up at her. We were on the roof of the safe house in Blood Bath Bay. I tried to answer, but no words came out. She kneeled down next to me, helping me sit up. The wheelchair was to my far left and the "basketball" was to my far right. The mouse wore a look of utter confusion and affection.

"Kinda." That was when I started crying. She looked at me confused.

"B…b…Bentley?" She stuttered, trying to figure what was happening. She looked me up and down, trying to focus more in the dark. I nodded. "You look older, and much thinner. And you have hair....How Bentley...?"

"A time machine." She nodded. Thankfully she was the only other person that would believe I made a working time machine, and didn't scream to get the gang's attention. "I came to warn you that you are going to d..." She stopped me by putting her hand to my mouth.

"You can't."

I looked at her confused, grabbing her hand so I could talk. "What? No listen to me. Tomorrow your going to..."

Using her other hand, she stopped me again. "Whatever might happen tomorrow, you can't tell me." She moved her hand and we looked at each other.

I gulped. "Please, just listen...." She looked at me, tears flowing down her face.

"Whatever might happen tomorrow happened because fate wanted it to. Things, good and bad, happen because they need to. Everything always works out for the best." We continued to look at each other.

"That is bullshit. Fate can't possible want you to die!" I yelled, grabbing her hand even harder. "I love you, and fate took you way from me before I could ever say that!"

"That means....I never told you...." She looked more depressed about not saying anything then dying.

I let go of her hand, and grabbed her around the middle, pulling her onto my lap. I placed my head on top of her. No wonder why Lefwee loved the smell of her hair; it was amazing. I whispered, "You tried to, I was just too stupid to realize. Only when your sister gave me a recording of that phone call did I find out." Tears streamed out of both of our eyes. "Please, tomorrow just...."

She looked up at me with her big eyes and I quieted down again. "Everything is meant to happen. I'm sorry Bentley." She stuttered, her sweet voice filled with shock and despair. We sat on the roof, just surrounded by darkness. She wasn't going to listen, and she was just as much of a hard-head as me. But I wasn't just going to let her walk away. I moved my head to look down at her; her head on my chest. With my left arm still wrapped around her, I used my right to lift up her head. Both of us could have just stared at each other forever, but I knew I didn't have that amount of time. She knew it to as we both tilted our heads slightly to the right, locking us into the most meaningful kiss of my—hopefully our—life.

It was long, sweet, and perfect. I hated that she would do this to me; allow us to do this now, but allow herself to die as I tossed her a life-saver. It seemed like she read my mind and after the kiss she said. "I'm sorry. But what if in 5 years I make this machine that hurts a lot of people? I would never be able to live with myself."

"Well I can't live with myself! It was all my fault!"

"I don't believe you would ever do something to hurt me." She looked at me with those big blue eyes again. "Just like Murray never would do something to hurt you. Mistakes happen, and we blame ourselves, when really it was no one's fault. Unless, of course, you pulled the trigger," She said the last part with a smile. I started to cry again.

"I can't lose you again!"

"Bentley! I love you." She said it in a soft whisper, but my heart raced. It was the first time I had actually heard her say it to me. We moved closer then I ever though would think possible. Off came the glasses into a pile on the roof. I barely saw her, but my hands went everywhere—her hair, her back, her ears, and even her tail—not wanting to forget her. My fingers got caught in her hair, pulling off the bandanna that I hadn't seen in years. Metal clicks came as I un-did her overalls as she worked with the buttons on my shirt, tugging at them to come un-done. I moved away from her lips, to take a breath, and kissed her neck. She moaned, as I made my way to the front of her neck. As happy as I was, of course the moment wouldn't last, because the world truly hated me.

Over the binocucoms, was my voice. "Every one to the Safe house. We need to go over the plans for tomorrow." I backed off of Penelope, wanting her to stay. But I knew she had to go. She entwined her fingers in mine. "I love you so much. Please don't forget that. And it isn't your fault, no matter how much you think it is." We kissed, wet this time from our tears.

I took the straps on her overalls and put them back together. She tried fixing her hair, putting it under the bandanna, hoping no one would notice the messiness of it. "Dimitri, Sly, and Penelope. Any day now if you please." I looked at my invention, wanting to throw it into the ocean. She helped me into my chair, and immediately sat in my lap, nudging me with her head. I closed my eyes, nudging her back as she fixed the few un-done buttons on my shirt.

"So am I the last one left?"

"Yeah," I smiled down at her, remembering thet night…this night. "Also, Fahrenheit 451 is much better then 1984, no matter what I say tonight." I smiled down at her. We both laughed.

"Penelope! Where are you?" Both of us sighed.

"I'll be right there Bentley." she said after getting up grabbing the binocucoms and pressing the button so they could hear her.

"Well hurry up. We're all waiting on you!" She went to pick up my time machine, handing to me. I grabbed her, and we kissed one last time.

She stood there as I pressed some buttons, getting me back to the right time. I looked at her, knowing I would never see her again. Another flash of yellow, and I back in my apartment, surrounded tools. I placed the machine on the table, and grabbed a hammer. I wouldn't mess with Fate anymore, but still...I missed her.

I sat there for hours. Not wanting to think about how she loved me. How she didn't want to be saved. How she though she could possibly hurt anyone.

I could still smell her. Feeling that she was part of me still. I took a deep breath in.

Life is full with so many what-if's. I want to think of them, but I stop myself every time, knowing it would just pull me in deeper. Into more what-if's, into more things that I can't fix.

I went to my computer, switching it on to look for my friends. I had to get back living my life. It just sucked that I would be without her, for the rest of my life. I knew I would never get over her. I knew I would never be able to be with any other person again. But I couldn't stop living life with her gone. After several minutes, it showed Sly in Paris and Murray in California. I looked around one last time, grabbed the CD and her book, and put them into a safe place. Taking one last smell of her, I went to get a shower.