Chapter 1

Present day

"Where are you flying to this time?" Julie didn't cover up the fact that this trip angered her. She hated his job, hated that it was so dangerous. She had spent enough time during the war worrying about Mike. She had many sleepless nights wondering if he would come back alive, and she didn't have the energy to worry about that anymore. Every time she brought it up, he just brushed it off, which didn't help the situation much.

"We're just flying into India for the week. Even though things have calmed down there a lot, the boss man wants us to get a few pictures anyways ." Mike tried to ignore the fact that Julie was still grumbling about his job. 'I'm making a living, a good living, doesn't that mean anything? Besides, anything that helps keep my mind off Sean is a good thing.'

"Hmmmm," Julie didn't even answer him, she had busied herself reading the newest version of Medical Life magazine that she could find. Things were strained between them and she didn't want to think about it right now.

Mike looked at Julie for a minute before deciding that she hadn't really wanted to know where he was going. She had shut down for the moment and he wasn't going to get a conversation out of her right now no matter how hard he tried. Mike decided that he would try again in a few minutes and headed to their closet to pack. Even though Julie was being stubborn about the whole job issue, he loved her and wanted to find a way to make her feel better. Suddenly, coming up with an idea on how to remedy the situation, Mike smiled to himself and grabbed his favorite pair of khakis.

An hour later

"Hey Julie, got a minute? Mike put all his luggage by the front door and came into the living room. Mike knew Julie had come in there to get away from watching him pack his bags.

"Sure," Julie suspected Mike wanted to try to make things better between them before he left. She felt like they were way beyond fixing their relationship with just a quick chat but she decided to listen to what he had to say.

"I was thinking," Mike sat next to Julie pulling her into a side embrace, "there is always so much down time on these trips I take, why don't you come along with me? You always said you wanted us to take a romantic trip together somewhere, and we can let my boss foot the bill!". Mike also wanted to take her with him so she could see what they really do, and hopefully she would lose some of the anxiety she had about his job.

"Mike, I just can't take off for a week without notice, not to mention following you around while you work is not my idea of a romantic vacation." Julie felt deflated sitting there in Mike's arms. She wondered how he could be planning a "romantic" trip when they were falling apart as a couple. "Besides I have commitments at the hospital that I can't change, I am still trying to find someone to make the antidote that no one wants to touch because of death threats. Robin has been freaking out about Elizabeth since she grew again, and we still haven't been able to figure out anything else about Diana's conversion process. Do you not understand all the things I am trying to juggle right now Mike?" Julie didn't mean to come off sounding so ungrateful, but darn him for thinking she could drop everything just to do something that would make him feel better! "If that is all you wanted to ask me about, the answer is no, I just cannot come with you right now. " With that said, Julie stood up out of Mike's embrace and headed to the coat closet to put on her jacket. She needed to be at the hospital in about two hours and even though it only takes her 30 minutes to drive there, she wanted to leave now.

"I'm sorry my idea offended you so much. I thought with the way things were you would want to spend some time alone with just the two of us, stupid me!" Mike was openly irritated at Julie's response to his seemingly good idea. "Do you want me to at least drop you off at the hospital?" He liked driving her to the hospital for her shifts because it meant he would be picking her up when she was dog tired and barely able to stay awake. He liked it when it felt like Julie needed him, and he always took advantage of the opportunity.

"Thanks, but I think I will just drive myself. If you drop me off, who would pick me up tomorrow at the end of my shift?" Julie sighed and rubbed her forehead. She was getting a headache already and her shift hadn't even started. "My purse and books are already in my car, so I am going to head out, have a good trip Mike." Julie quickly walked over to where Mike was still sitting on the couch and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Mike had other plans and pulled her down onto his lap giving her a deep kiss. He usually could get Julie into a better mood with a kiss, and he didn't want to leave knowing she was so upset with him. Julie relaxed into his kiss but then broke away a bit breathless. She leaned into him and took a moment to study his eyes. "Please don't go Mike, not today. We need to talk and I don't know if it can wait until you get back."

"I can't stay, you know that. I'm suppose to meet the guys at the airport in about an hour. I wish I could call them and back out of the trip, but I just can't do that, not now. Let's talk when I get back, it will only be a week and then I am all yours. OK?" Mike gave Julie another quick kiss and as he stood up, he put her back on her feet. While he headed for the door, Mike felt confident that things were better between them. He never notice the tears starting to well up in Julie's eyes."

Thee nights later at Mike and Julie's house

Julie was standing next to her favorite chair in their bedroom, she was scanning the room to see if she had anything left to pack.

"Julie, I really wish you would think about this some more, it can't be THAT bad!" Robin was doing her part to talk her friend out of moving away. Julie had called her earlier this morning telling her that she was leaving Mike because she couldn't handle things anymore. Robin rushed over to their house and tried to talk Julie out of the move, but she wasn't getting anywhere. "How can you move without planning this? You don't have a job, or a place to stay. What about me and your other friends? Who am I going to have coffee with every Thursday?" Robin knew her argument was a bit weak, but she wanted to try anything. "Elizabeth will be so lost without you. You are the only one I would let be her doctor, besides she loves you SO much!" Robin knew bringing up Elizabeth was a stab into Julie's heart, and if anything would make her stay, it would be that sweet little girl. Julie had been the one who delivered Elizabeth, and they have been close ever since. The girl was not like any other child. She had "abilities" and intuition that amazed Julie. Being half Visitor,/half Human somehow gave her some kind of powers. No one knows how or why she inherited these powers, but Julie has come to love and respect the little girl.

"Robin, don't!" Julie knew it was going to be hard to leave, she wasn't denying that, and Robin's insistent talking was only making it harder. Maybe she shouldn't have called her. "Anyways, I do have a job and a place to stay. A friend of mine from medical school called me a month ago offering me a place in her ER. I can finish up my residency there and then have a job waiting. I was going to talk it over with Mike, but every time I tried to discuss it, we just got into an argument over his job. I need to do this, Robin. I have to do something for myself for once!" Julie broke into tears and sat down with her face in her hands. "Don't you know how much I love him, but I can't do this anymore, I just can't."

Robin knelt down next to Julie and put her arm around her. "I just don't want to be here without you, and I especially don't want to be anywhere near here when Mike finds out you left. You know he won't just let you go?" Robin knew these two were suppose to be together, everyone did who ever saw them together. She felt so helpless in the situation and just sat down on the floor, waiting for Julie to come to her senses. "Besides, how on earth are you going to support yourself. Hasn't Mike been the only one making the money?" Robin was seriously confused. She knew it wasn't any of her business, but the gloves were off now and anything was fair game.

Once Julie stopped crying, she looked at Robin "Mike doesn't know this, but I have a personal savings account in just my name. I was given an inheritance when I was younger, and the money has been sitting there for years for just a moment like this. Luckily, the bank my money was in wasn't completely destroyed by the Visitors, so I can use that money until I start making my own. Julie then stood up and headed to the kitchen. Robin followed her, trying to think of something else to say.

"Well, I think that is everything I am going to take, I better get going if I am going to make this drive in time." Julie took one last look around the house. She grabbed a photo of her and Mike that had been taken of them not long after the war had ended. She stuffed it into her purse and headed out the door. After putting the last of her things in the car, Julie walked over to where Robin was standing behind her car's door. "I want to give this to you..." Julie handed Robin a small manilla envelope. "This is my new address and phone number. Please keep this to yourself. I have only given this to you, my mom and Ham. I DO NOT want Mike getting this. He is not to know where I am, ever. I have to make this a clean break, and the last thing I need is for him to call me or show up at my door." With that Julie turned around, walked to her car, got in and drove away. Robin was left watching her friend make the biggest mistake of her life. Robin whispered an unanswered goodbye as tears rolled down her face.

Two nights after leaving

'SHE DID WHAT?" Mike was yelling into the phone, so angry he could barely contain himself. Mike had come home early from his trip and found the house empty. Trying the hospital, he only got the run around about her not being there, so he thought he would try calling Robin. When she answered the phone, his life changed drastically in a moment. "Why on earth didn't you stop her, for Pete's sake Robin, you were right here with her! Where did she go?

"Mmmm...ike, " Robin could barely get his name out let alone talk to him through the sobs wracking her body. "sssshhee, asked me nnnnnooot tooo tell yoooou."

"I can't believe this, of all the stupid things... Robin, I am coming over there, and when I get there, you are going to tell me where she went. Do-You-Under-Stand?" Mike was getting desperate, and thought that a slight threat might make the usual talkative Robin give up Julie's hiding place.

"Mike,...Mike! I cannot give you any information, I promised and I just can't. Julie was serious Mike. You need to let her go!" Robin found her voice with some courage and a bit of anger at Mike for thinking she was so weak that a little threat would cause her to turn on Julie. "She gave you a chance Mike, but you were not willing to listen, so she left. She gave me a letter to give you, you can come for it anytime, but that is it, just the letter and then you go. Do you understand Mike? " After Julie left, Robin had opened the manilla envelope Julie had left her and found a letter addressed to Mike. She thought of mailing it to Mike, but thinking it would be less painful to him if she gave it to him in person, she decided to call him and tell him to come pick it up. Robin didn't give Mike the chance to answer her and hung up the phone.

Two hours later Mike finally decided to go get the letter from Robin. He was so angry before that he didn't trust himself to drive without running someone over. He can't believe that Julie would just leave like this. 'Why wouldn't she have told me, talked to me about this before?' He knew things were a bit strained between them, but had it really been that bad? He actually thought things were getting better because they had made love the night before he left on his last trip and it was good, really good. Not that it wasn't ever not good, but this time it was...different, now he knows it was a sort of goodbye for Julie...he was not ready to deal with this. "JULIE, what have you done!" Mike yelled to no one in the passenger seat of his car, realization started setting in.

Mike had quickly grabbed the letter from Robin and headed home as fast as he could. He dropped the letter on the bed and went to change into his pajamas. If he was going to deal with this, he might as well deal with it in comfort. In all honestly, he was trying to figure out something, anything to delay his reading the letter. Now that he had it in his possession, he did not want to read it. He knew Julie was gone, and right now that is all that mattered. Tomorrow he would worry about how to find her, but right now, he just had to figure out a way to not let his heart break. Even with all the arguments and distance he and Julie had had in the past few months, Julie was the love of his life, and he couldn't imagine living without her.

After Mike had changed his clothes he stood there, just staring at the letter. He hoped that if he stared at it long enough Julie would come running into the bedroom and tell him it was all a huge mistake. They would make love and life would be perfect again, or at least back the way it was. She would be coming through that door soon right? "Dang it Mike, just open the stupid letter!" He knew talking to himself was a way for him to get the courage up to open it. Finally Mike sat on the bed and tore into the letter. It was typical Julie, short and to the point. She never did like dwelling on something too long. Just deal with it and move on was her way, and he loved her for it. Right now though, he wished she had more to say.

Mike,

There is no other way to say this than I am leaving. I cannot live anymore not knowing if you are going to come home alive. Too much time was spent worrying about that during the war, and I am done. I tried talking to you about it, but it was in vain. I thought about giving you an ultimatum, but instead I made the choice for you. Please do not come looking for me, I have moved on and there is no place for you in my life anymore. You have so much to give someone, I hope you find the right woman someday.

Julie

Mike read the letter over and over, stunned by how impersonal it seemed He couldn't believe it was that easy for Julie to just walk away from the life they had built together after the war. 'Where on Earth could she have gone? Was she with someone else? ' Thoughts of where Julie could be and what she could be doing started assaulting Mike's mind. He just didn't know what to think. "Tomorrow," Mike muttered to himself, "Tomorrow I am going to find Julie and bring her home." Mike made his way to the kitchen and found the bottle of Scotch Julie had bought him after the war ended. Mike preferred Scotch to any other drink, but never really had the time or need to drink much after the war ended. He and Julie had been so happy and kept to themselves most of the time that this bottle went untouched. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and headed back to his room. He had downed two shots of the potent drink by the time he reached their bed. He got under the covers, trying not to spill his next glassful. Julie would be so mad that he..."ahhh who cares now" Mike spat at no one and took another drink. He and his bottle were going to have a long night together, and he blamed it on Julie,' it was all her fault.' Mike took a picture of Julie that he had kept on his night stand table and studied it. "Yup Julie, here's to you and your pathetic running away. May you die alone wishing I was there with you!" The alcohol had gone straight to Mike's brain, and he found his mouth saying things his heart didn't mean. "I don't need you, I can have whatever woman I want...with that said, Mike threw the picture against the wall. He didn't care that it broke into a million pieces, tomorrow it was going in the trash. The more Mike drank the louder and angrier he got. When he had emptied the bottle, Mike tumbled around the house looking for things missing that Julie had taken. His mind couldn't focus very well, but he noticed that she had left so much, her whole life with him was still there. "Stupid woman." Mike slurred curses at Julie as he made his way back to their bed. He fell onto his side of the bed and laid there for a moment trying to stop the room from spinning. As he laid there he found himself reaching over to Julie's side of the bed. The empty space she left behind was another painful reminder to Mike of her leaving. In one last fit of anger, Mike found himself punching Julie's pillow over and over again grunting with each blow. He was getting so dizzy from the alcohol that he collapsed onto his pillow as a single tear fell from his eye.