She couldn't stop herself from staring at the photo of him she kept in her wallet. Missing him was unbearable, but she was still so angry at him.

"Why don't you go see him?" Mia asked.

"What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"Well, then at least you would know."

"I...O...okay...After work today..."

"Sounds like a plan. You want me to go with you?"

"No...I need to do this on my own."

Piece of shit. Fuckin' piece of shit. You're worthless.

He retched into the toilet, his whole body shaking. He hated himself. He hated himself more than anything he had ever held spite for.

She knows. She knows everything about you. You spilled your guts to her time and time again. You told her all of your secrets. The deepest ones that only you and she know, now. You should've known she would run away. You're too fucked up to love. You're too much of a mess. Look at you now. JUST LOOK AT YOU.

He heaved again, coughing. He heard footsteps outside the bathroom door and hurriedly cleaned himself up. Was that her?

"Otis...Why don't you go see her?" It was Baby.

"I...I...I don't know where she is..."

"You know where she works."

"Yeah, but not when...A...And what if she calls security on me?"

"She wouldn't do that...Come on. I'll go with you. I'll drive. You're too shaken up."

They drove to the hospital, finding Mia in the parking lot.

"Otis! Oh god...You look like hell..."

"D...do you know when she works?"

"Well...it might not be the best idea to show up here, but she's been staying at my place...Do you remember where that is?" She chose her words carefully. Otis looked so much more skittish than she remembered.

He nodded.

"Okay. Just show up any time, alright? You're always welcome."

"O...okay..." He and Baby started the ride back home. "Baby, pull over."

"What?"

"Pull over. Pull over. I'm gonna be sick. Pull over!"

Baby pulled to the side of the road in just enough time for Otis to throw the car door open and vomit. "Otis..."

"I'm fine...Keep going..." He slammed the door and rolled the window down, trying to enjoy the breeze.

They set out later, driving to Mia's house. Otis was anxious, fidgeting the whole way, and having Baby pull over multiple times. When they finally reached her house, he didn't see her car in the driveway.

"Otis...She just started the drive to your house...You just missed her."

"O...Oh...Wait...she was coming to see me?"

"Yeah..."

He had missed her. Dammit, he had missed her.

Dammit, she missed him. She had just missed him.

They both started driving back to their respective destinations, praying the other would still be there. Both were wrong.

When Otis walked in the door and saw she had just left, he started sobbing, collapsing on the ground.

When she saw that she had just missed him, she started sobbing, collapsing in her bed and clinging to her pillow.

The next day, she took off, speeding down the road to the Firefly farm. She made it there before anyone had woken up, and snuck in to Otis's room.

There he lay on the bed, curled up, shaking. "Otis?"

He jolted upright at the sound of her voice. She had to hold back a cringe at his appearance. He definitely hadn't been taking care of himself. He hadn't shaven, and he looked like a wolf man, quite frankly, with his sideburns one length and the rest of his facial hair another. He was gaunt and had lost what she estimated to be about 20 pounds. She knew he hadn't slept by the dark circles under his eyes.

"B...Baby...what've you been doing to yourself?" She took his hands in hers. His knuckles were all cracked open and bloody.

"W...w...why are you here...?"

"I came to see you...I...I want to talk to you..." She reached out to stroke his face. He flinched back hard. He had never flinched like that with her. Ever.

"P...please!" He shook.

"Baby, no...Otis what the hell happened to you..." She pulled him into her arms, vibrating as he trembled.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a piece of shit. I'm sorry I fucked up...I'm sorry, please...please come back...please come back...I...I miss you...I need you."

"That's...that's what I want to talk about, Baby..."

He sobbed. She had never seen him cry like this...She felt horrible. "Please don't say you won't...please...please don't leave me again...Please...I'm begging you...I'm fucking begging you don't leave me."

"Otis...Otis calm down. Listen to me." She shoved him away from her so he would look her in the eyes. She felt a pang in her chest as she looked at his face. His eyes filled with tears and his lip was trembling. "I'm...I'm not going to leave you...I still want to be with you. But you have to know how angry I was."

"I...I know...I...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"Shhhh...I know...I'm sorry, too. I said some horrible things to you."

"B...but you were right..."

"Huh?"

"You were right...i...it was all true..."

She sighed. "I...and I'm so sorry I hit you...I won't ever do that again...I...I know it's going to take a while to earn your trust back...But...I still want to be with you."

"I want you back. I want you back so bad...I need you, mama."

"What?" She had never thought she would hear those words from him. True, he had said them moments before, but she thought it was just out of desperation.

"I need you...I need you, mama...I love you..."

"I need you too, Otis. My life wouldn't be the same without you. I don't ever want to know what it's like without you again."

He wiped his face, sniffling. "C...can I..."

"Can you what? Kiss me? Of course, you silly man." She smiled as he crashed his lips into hers, fisting the hair at the back of her head, desperate for her.

When he broke, he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you...I love you..."

She kissed him lightly. "I love you too, sweetheart."