Disclaimer: I do not own The 6th Day.

The first thing that hit Johnny when he and Sentia left the building was pain. "Since when was the sun so bright?" he growled.

Sentia laughed quietly and reached into her purse. When her hand emerged, she was holding a pair of simple, black sunglasses. "I thought you might feel that way," she said, holding them out to him.

He smiled slightly and took them. Only when they were shielding his eyes from the extreme brightness of the day did he begin walking farther into the world he hoped had forgotten him.

"Don't be nervous, Johnny," Sentia said softly, grasping his hand in an attempt to calm him.

Johnny squeezed her hand slightly to reassure the worried woman. "I'm fine."

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The park was mostly empty when they got there. Johnny guessed most people were at work, something he, a very rich man, didn't have to worry about. He didn't know how Sentia made a living. He had never asked. A while back, when the realization that she was always with him hit, he had offered her money. The offer, he knew, was a selfish one; he did it because he feared if she had to be working, she wouldn't be there for him anymore. She had refused, saying she didn't need it.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" She never made a comment like that without asking his opinion. She wanted to make him talk.

"It is," Johnny replied.

"You know what we haven't done in a long time?"

Johnny almost laughed at that. He never did anything, so how was he to narrow it down to just one thing? "Well, it has been a while since we joined a circus and dressed in tights and tutus…" He thought she was going to faint. Honestly, it was just a joke. Of course, it had been a while since he'd exercised his sense of humor.

She brought herself back to her senses in record time, smiling and saying, "Even though it's been so painful staying out of my tights drawer, that's not what I was thinking of."

He gave her a look that told her he wasn't making another guess, so she might as well just tell him.

"We haven't taken your bike out for a while… I wonder if it still runs," she said.

"It should. I let Mike take it out a couple nights ago," he replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You never used to let anyone drive it but you."

"What can I say, it was feeling neglected."

Sentia scoffed. "Or you just wanted Mike to leave you alone," she said, swinging their still connected hands up to whack him on the head.

"Or that," Johnny muttered, letting go of her hand and stuffing both of his own hands into the pockets of his black jeans.

"We should try it sometime. You can take me somewhere fancy and pay for everything just like you like." The last part was teasing. The first part was more pushing.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what, Johnny?" She knew he wasn't just talking about the ride.

"Finding all these ways to go out… why are you doing that now?"

Sentia stopped abruptly and faced him. Uncertain, he stopped as well. "I am doing this, Johnny," she spoke slowly and clearly, so he couldn't miss a thing, "because, unfortunately, letting you stay locked up in your apartment, wallowing in your self pity, is not working. I know now that if I don't get you out of there, at any cost, you will die in there." Her words were not angry or sad, but strangely matter-of-fact.

Johnny looked at the bright green grass and thought about her words. She was doing it all for him. She always had put him before herself. She lost a couple of jobs because of him (though he didn't know what jobs). She had lost a fiancé because of him. She had even lost the chance to say goodbye to her dying sister because of trying to keep him alive. At times he wondered why she would continuously put him above everything else, but he could never find a reason why. I've ruined her life, he thought, causing his brain to panic and destroy any thought that might have stopped him from saying what he said next. In a burst of depression, he asked, "Why do you even care?"

The next thing he knew, all there was in the world was her hurt, angry face and the stinging pain of his cheek. In his current state, all he could think to do was stare at her and touch the side of his face gently. As soon as her anger had come, it was gone and replaced with regret.

"I'm so sorry, Johnny, I…" She allowed her fingers to brush his raised hand.

Johnny closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, he was smiling. "No. Don't apologize. I deserved that."

Sentia still looked a bit ashamed. "No, I just…"

Johnny quickly cut her off. "Let's go sit over there," he said, nodding toward a swing set.

Sentia followed his gaze and nodded. "Alright."

"I'm glad you're here, Sen," he told her.

Her face brightened with a grin he knew was brighter than the sun itself, for it shone clear through the sunglasses he wore and lit up his face as he returned the smile with one of his own.

It didn't matter why she cared, though he had a pretty good idea. He was just thankful she did.