"Look at this place!" Aisleigh yelled as she opened the door to her newly remodeled house. She breathed in deep, taking in the smell of new floors, new walls, new everything. She dropped her bags on the ground, glad to be back in her own home. "Isn't this perfect?" She asked spinning around in circles.

"Yeah," Sebastian said as he slowly walked through the door way. He was always impressed by his mother's work, but something felt like she had added a few touches, as congratulations. "It's not as cozy, though."

"Maybe not now. But, eventually." Aisleigh wondered around after she let Spike out of her carrier. She watched as the cat snuck around, unsure of her surroundings. Reaching the set of stairs, Aisleigh touched the railing, imaging what was added. As she climbed the stairs, she thought of new projects she could do, adding color there, a painting here. At the top, the floor was covered in carpet. Aisleigh went passed each room that was added, opening doors to peek inside. She was overcome with joy. This was her home. And soon, she and Sebastian would share it together with children running around. So much potential, so much life could be brought back here. So much love can be born.

From the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian called up to Aisleigh. He let her know that he was going to run home to grab some necessities and then hang out with Sam. Something about he had not spent a lot of time with him since they had extended their weekend to a few months at her parents. "Alright, I'll be here. I'm going to try to get everything in its own place." Sebastian said something to the effect of a goodbye, before leaving Aisleigh all alone in her new house.

"What to do first… Maybe the living room? No, the bed room. I can do the living room later… Oh! My studio!" Excited, she ran down the stairs, remembering where she had drawn out where she wanted her own area. Off of the living room, there was a double doorway, leading out behind the house. It was made of glass with shear curtains covering them. It looks so magical, she thought. She turned the handle and opened the doors. As the room came to view, Aisleigh was astonished. Three of the walls were blank, with storage either on the floor or hanging from the walls. The wall furthest away from her, was completely glass—a window wall. Tables for all sorts of projects were around the room, giving her plenty of surfaces to work on. There was an easel against one wall. It was on wheels so that she could move it easily around the room. But, the best part of her new studio, was a massive drafting table in the middle of the room. It faced the windowed-wall, hoping to spark constant inspiration. As she walked toward the table, she noticed a hand-written note.

I hope you enjoy this space, just for you. I noticed that you didn't have a lot of area for your work. So, I made you a few things. Just make sure you take care of my Sebastian.

Robin.

Aisleigh held the paper in her hands, trembling. Everything in this room was all she had ever dreamed of while she was in school. With a complete studio, she could really let her ambitions take control of her. "Thanks, Robin," she whispered to herself, pulling the note to cover her face, "This is more than I could have ever hoped for."

Sebastian was digging around his room, throwing all of his clothes into a bag. He stopped for a for a moment as he thought about his life these past few months.

'I've been looking over you work, Sebastian. And though I'm retired now, I had put in a good word for you at the company. When you're ready and settled in your new home, give them a call. I'm sure that they will be more than willing to give you a stay at home job. And the pay won't be so bad either.'

'I'm not worried about the pay, sir,' he said, dumfounded about this new career opportunity.

'I thought as much. But, when you guys have children, that income will be more important than you think.'

'Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me.' Aisleigh's father beamed Sebastian a smile. As Sebastian finished getting his clothes and a laptop together, he made his way back to his new home. It was surprising to him how excited he was to be living with Aisleigh, all the changes that seemed to be happening in his life. It seemed that everything he had ever wanted out of life—a stable career, a healthy relationship with a woman he loved deeply—was falling neatly into place.

Reaching his new home, he opened the door as he stood in the door way. Sebastian stayed there a few moments, taking everything in. This was their house. He smiled to himself as he walked into their bedroom, throwing his bag of clothes on the bed. I can go through these later. Content, Sebastian walked back to where his new office was, gently placing his laptop on a brand-new desk. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian called out to Aisleigh. It seemed slightly odd that she didn't say anything back to him in response, but he quickly shrugged it off. She must be busy with a new project. He called out to her again, saying that he would be back home later, after seeing Sam. It had been a while since he had talked or hung out with his friend, and thought that maybe they could do some kind of rehearsal for their band.

As Sebastian neared his friend's home, it seemed quiet. Normally, he heard music thumping from Sam's open window, but there was no noise to be heard. Sebastian raised a brow, not thinking much of it, as he walked to the front door. With a light tap, the door opened to Sam's mother greeting Sebastian, a gloomy look on her face.

"Hello Sebastian. Sam's in his room…" Her voice trailed off as she backed away, letting Sebastian in.

"Thanks… Is everything alright? I didn't hear any music playing when I walked passed…" Sam's mother let out a heavy sigh.

"Not entirely… Abby left a few weeks ago."

"She left? What do you mean?"

"I'm not quite sure to be honest… That's just what Sam said one day." That's odd. Maybe Sam knows more… Sebastian walked through his friend's home, curious for an explanation. Just as he was about to open the door to Sam's room, a loud bang came from the other side. Behind him, Sebastian could hear Sam's mother mumble, seeming defeated. Something is seriously wrong here…

"Sam?" Sebastian called out, the door creeping open. "Everything alright?" It was a moment before Sebastian heard anything, thinking it was safe to continue to enter.

"What the hell do you want?" Sam called behind his back, standing in the middle of his room. His body was rigid, his hands clenched into tight fists. As Sebastian tried to think of how to answer Sam's question, he could see Sam's body shake.

"We just got back, and I was coming to see if you wanted to jam together. It has been a while."

"So you think, now since you're back, everything can just go back to how it was?!"

"What?"

"It's just so easy for you isn't it? You have no regard to how other people feel, besides yourself, do you? Huh. It must be nice to think so highly of yourself. No worries about anyone else. About your friends. Can I still call you that? At this point, it's really debatable."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sam? Of course we're still friends. What would make you think otherwise?"

"Oh, I don't know. Let's talk about Abby, for one. She loved you. Did anything for you. And you rejected her, constantly. But, even with that rejection, she still tried her damnedest for you to like her. I mean, what isn't to like? She's smart, funny, easy to talk to, gorgeous. She's the complete package. And yet, you threw her away as if she was nothing when Aisleigh came to town. But even then, when you would do anything for Aisleigh without her asking, Abby practically begged you to look at her. Why?"

"This isn't new, Sam. Abby knew I never saw her more than a friend. And me liking Aisleigh, was never instantaneous. It was over months. Why are you so pissed about it now?"

"Second, when I needed you, when I needed a friend, you weren't there. Aisleigh was. The last person I wanted to talk to about my troubles. It's almost hilarious. If, it wasn't so ironic." Sam turned to face Sebastian. As he glared, Sebastian stepped back, completely stunned to see his friend so furious. "Sometimes, I wonder if all this wouldn't have happened if you never came here. Abby could have been mine, all along. But no, moving here with you mom and stepdad as if you guys owned the place, you just had to take her from me."

"Wait… You think I took Abby away from you? I thought she left?"

"Oh," Sam cheered sarcastically, "She did, Sebastian. I told her everything. And, despite you leaving with Aisleigh, she still didn't want anything to do with me. She still left. If you just would have given her a chance, you could have seen her in all of her beauty and flaws. Then she still would be here." Sam's voice lowed to a soft whisper, his eyes glazing over. "I was there for her, every time you made her feel like shit. I was there to constantly pick up the pieces, to be the shoulder she needed to cry on. I was everything for her… Why… Why doesn't she love me?"

Sebastian stood in the doorway, watching as Sam swung from raging mad man, to a sad, scared shell of who he was. During his time away, Sebastian was unsure of what had completely happened. He never expected to come back to Sam a mess. Or to hear that Abigail had left. "Do you know where she went? How long she's going to be gone?"

"Nope. She just said she needed to find herself. To live her life. So… I don't know anything… I should have never told her I loved her… That was a mistake. Why was I so stupid thinking telling her my feelings wouldn't change our friendship?" Sebastian stood in silence as he let Sam calm down, not knowing how to handle this kind of situation. "I'm sorry, man. This wasn't your fault… It never was. I just… I just wanted to think that this was all your doing. But," Sam chuckled, "Women, right? Can't live out them. Cuz, if you try, you just end up feeling like complete and utter shit."

"It's alright… How… How long have you had a thing for Abby?"

"If I had a coin for every time I was asked that since she left…"

"Sorry."

"No, it's all good. It took a while to figure out exactly… But, pretty much since the first time I saw her."

"Whoa."

"Right?" Sam brushed back his hair, looking at Sebastian, laughing to himself. "It's crazy that I never knew how I felt until she was about to leave. And even then, I hate the fact that I never acknowledged it to myself. Maybe if I would have said something sooner, she would have started to see me as something more than just 'Sammy'. Maybe she wouldn't have to had to go find herself."

"If it's any consolation, I don't think it would have. I mean, Abby may seem like she does everything without a purpose. But, she's already planned everything out ahead of time. I think she had been thinking about leaving for a while. And, when you confessed everything, it was just one more reason for her to go searching for something, to make sure she was making the right choice. You could have told her the day she left, or you could have told her six years ago. She still would have gone out into the world, exploring all that she could before coming back with her mind made up."

"You think she's going to come back?"

"Without a doubt," Sebastian sighed, walking to sit on Sam's bed as the tense atmosphere faded away. "Her family is here. Here friends are here. Her whole life is here. She might have left to go find herself, but I think it was just so that she could prove to herself that she's been here all along."

"Thanks… I needed that."

"Hey, it's what friends do. Even if you don't think I'm a friend anymore."

"You're such an asshole. What does Aisleigh see in you?"

"Beats me. But, I'm glad she sees something in me… Especially since we're getting married."

"Dude what?!"

"Yeah, I asked her to marry me while we were gone. She said yes, so… Yeah."

"That's awesome, man. I'm happy for you." Sam smiled at Sebastian, all of his previous worries seeming to be long gone. "So, I'm sure there was another reason as to why you came over. You know, not to just tell me that you're back or that you're getting hitched. Or to even be my verbal punching bag."

"Well, I did come over to see if you wanted to do some kind of rehearsal or just jam together. It's been a while."

"Yeah! I gotta get something together for your wedding." The two of them laughed with each other as they pulled out their instruments. As they set up, they talked as if nothing had happened, as if Sebastian hadn't been gone for two months. Everything seemed to be as it should be, with the exception of their missing drummer.

Aisleigh sat at her table tapping a pencil against the hard wood. It had been a while since she had done any kind of artwork and inspiration wasn't coming to her how she thought it would. She leaned back in her chair as she closed her eyes. Something seemed off, as if a dark heavy cloud was beginning to form above her head. Aisleigh's thoughts began to wonder, bouncing around to wedding arrangements, their new house, what the future held. Suddenly, she eyes shot open, as if she was feeling someone watching her. That note was kind of odd. Did Robin always seem so defensive about Sebastian? I know there was some conflict when he was younger, but is there something more? Does she think that I wouldn't be able to do my part in our relationship? No, I'm just over thinking it. Aisleigh began to sit back up in her chair, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with her. She leaned heavily forward, placing her head in her hands, sighing heavily.

She bit her lip, attempting to calm down. It had only been a few hours that Sebastian had left to go visit Sam, but Aisleigh was beginning to feel anxious with him gone. Did she really become so accustomed to his presence that when he was gone, she felt crazy? No, that was crazy. It was probably just her new house and actually having a place to work. She had never really had her own place that was all hers, for her artwork. And although it was still the same old house that she had come to love over the past months, it was completely different. It was new. And strange. Maybe that's why I feel so weird. Whatever the case was, Aisleigh continued to try to at least doodle anything to get her inspiration going.

However, with each new drawing, she began to grow more and more upset. Everything she created was lacking, something. She had a difficult time placing her finger on what exactly she was felt was wrong, but nothing really stood out. Everything seemed to be doomed to fail as soon as she put pencil to paper.

"What am I doing, with my life?" She cried out as she threw yet another crumpled piece of paper into a nearby trash can. "I went to school for this. I know what I'm doing yet, why does everything seem so hard?" She buried her face in her hands, completely defeated. "I wasted so much time and money going to school for this… I should have done something more practical…" Aisleigh continued to sit at her area, totally oblivious to anything around her. Feelings of self-doubt began to cloud her mind as she stared off into space. She didn't know how it happened, but she had somehow become lost in her our world, everything around her drifting away.

She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, nothing but blackness in front of her. The wind echoed in her ears. Is this what I have to look forward to, for the rest of my life? So much uncertainty? Suddenly she felt arms embrace her, pulling her back away from the edge of the abyss.

"Working on anything interesting?" Sebastian whispered into her ear. Aisleigh could no longer hear the wind wiping around her. The world that she was just in began to disappear as she started to feel safe. This is what I have to look forward to. But, just as she started to feel at ease, the words that Robin had written on her note creeped back into her head. Just make sure to take care of my Sebastian. A sharp pang came from her chest as the cliff came back into view.

"Nothing really," she answered absently. He pecked her cheek sweetly.

"I'm sure you'll create something just as beautiful as you." Aisleigh could feel her heart smile softly, but her face stayed frozen, as if she would break if she showed any kind of emotion. "Aisleigh… Is something wrong? You don't seem like your normal self."

"Everything is fine. I just feel tired," she retorted, her voice not changing as she spoke.

"If you say so… I'm going to make something quick for dinner before doing some work. You want anything?"

"I don't feel hungry right now."

"Alright… I'll leave some left overs for you in case you change your mind." Aisleigh nodded. Sebastian stood behind her for a moment before walking towards the kitchen to cook. As his hands melted away from her, Aisleigh wanted to scream out, to tell him not to let her go. But, she continued to sit there, as if the absence of his touch would change nothing. As the door to her studio creeped closed Aisleigh felt a shiver run down her spine. Almost as if the sun had ceased existing completely, leaving nothing but darkness and a frigid cold in its place. She could feel the edges of the world around her feet, her toes dangling off the edge. Would it be so bad to jump?

Sebastian walked into their new kitchen, opening the fridge, as if he was expecting to see some food left over by his mother. Sure enough, in the lighted box, there was a homecooked meal leftover for the two of them to share upon their return. The corner of Sebastian's mouth curled up into a half smile, as he pulled out a bowl of soup. He poured the contents of the bowl into a pot, lighting the store to warm the food. As it heated, he inspected the new cabinets, looking for bowls and silverware. Without a reason as to how he knew, Sebastian easily found what he was looking for.

"I guess old habits die hard," he said aloud, thinking that his mother had put things away in the cabinets just as they were in his house. Making sure to leave enough for Aisleigh, Sebastian took his bowl into his new office, excited to get things set up the way that he wanted. His office wasn't as large at the studio for Aisleigh, but he was glad. Too much space and it would feel empty. Not enough and he would feel surrounded. He smiled to himself, seeing all the potential. Sebastian stood in the doorway as he mentally planned where he wanted things, sipping at his soup.

"Not too long, and we can get this place into shape." Finished with his meal, Sebastian took his bowl and spoon back into the kitchen. Coming back to his office, he brought his lap top and electronic devices ready to begin situating his space. In the back half of his space was a desk that his mother had left him. It was a good size desk, reaching around the outside of the room, creating a smaller square. Along the wall was a bookshelf that reached towards the ceiling.

"I can put my models there… Some photo albums too…" As he spoke aloud to himself, he couldn't help but chuckle. Aisleigh must be rubbing off on me. For the rest of the evening, Sebastian worked diligently to organize his office into a workable area.

"Now, let's see how this feels," he said sitting down in his chair, opening his laptop. He nodded his head, agreeing with the comfortability of the room. When he was able to connect to the internet, he checked his emails, making lists of jobs that he needed to work on. Feeling confident, he continued to reply to emails, making sure that he was giving accurate timelines to his clients for their work that needed to be done. Once he was finished, Sebastian sat at his desk a moment, thinking back to the conversation that he had had with Aisleigh's father about being able to work at his company.

"I guess this would be as good time as any to send out a resume' or something." As he composed a rough resume' to send into the company, Spike pushed her way through the open door, meowing loudly to Sebastian. He jumped at the sudden squeak, unaware to anything around him. He looked around his room, not seeing Spike until she jumped on his lap, begging for attention. She purred deafeningly as he stroked her fur, thinking it odd that she would want attention from him. Though he had spent a few nights with Aisleigh before he moved in, it always seemed that Spike was nervous around him. Unsure of what to make of the new person in the house.

"This is new. Are you starting to warm up to me?" He asked as the cat began to settle down on to his lap, feeling comfortable. "Normally, you're all over Aisleigh. What changed?" As he waited for a reply, Sebastian began to think of an answer. She seems distracted, as if something is bothering her. I know she said she was fine, but… There was something wrong with how she said it. He tried to think of a way to cheer up his future wife, since she had always done that for him. Even if she was unaware. Maybe if I… Sebastian's thoughts drifted off as he became focused on a new project, completely disregarding his email to perspective employers.

His fingers danced wildly as he opened and closed tabs on his browser trying to make everything perfect. An hour passed by until he felt like he was finished, but as he looked over his work, something was missing. Thinking hard, Sebastian stood, dropping Spike to the ground. He quickly left his office looking around his house for anything that he could find. Satisfied with his collections, he came back into his room, his hands full of papers and a camera. On the lowest shelf of the bookshelf, he had noticed a printer and scanner. With the smaller papers, he quickly scanned each one to his computer. After they were completed, he continued to the larger ones, pinning them to his wall so that he could take pictures.

Content, Sebastian went back to his computer adding the pictures from the camera to the ones that he had scanned in. One by one, he added them together making captions and little tid bits about the pictures. Finally, he sighed heavily. As he leaned back into his chair he looked at the screen before him. A webpage complete with Aisleigh's work, biographies and stories filled the few pages that he had been working on. They were beautifully detailed in the way that he thought Aisleigh would write them. But, even though he had intended for his words to sound like hers, he couldn't get the phrasing right. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking as he glanced over the pages once more, rereading each passage. His brows furrowed, disappointed in his efforts. What do I change? He was about to completely close out of the webpage, thinking that he would come back to it a later time, before he looked back at the website title. There it is.

He had tried so hard to make the page for Aisleigh, in her likeness, the he had ultimately made a website detailing her work through his eyes. This was not something that she would have done… Sebastian nodded to himself, clicking to edit the title. Life Through the Eyes of My Wife. There. Once Sebastian had finished his work, he glanced down to the clock on his computer. After eleven. I wonder if Aisleigh went to bed… He let out a yawn before standing to leave his office. Closing the door behind him, Sebastian made his way to Aisleigh's studio, thinking that she was still working.

When he opened the door, it was dark. He felt disappointed that he had missed her going to their room. Was he so involved in what he was doing to block out anything that was outside his office? He closed the door behind him walking to the kitchen. The pot that he had warmed their dinner in was still on the stove, untouched. Did she not eat? Sebastian quickly cleaned up the mess he had made before going to bed.

Their room was dark, but Sebastian was able to make his way without making too much noise. As he crawled into their bed, noticing Aisleigh facing the wall.

"I guess you're asleep. Sorry I came to bed so late. I got caught up in a project. I love you, goodnight beautiful." He pecked her shoulder as he pulled her in close, quickly drifting to sleep.

Aisleigh laid in bed, feeling the warmness of Sebastian's steady breath against her neck. Her gaze was firmly planted on the wall in front of her, her eyes on the verge of tears. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so defeated? It had been a long time since she had felt down, but this intensity was almost new to her. When did she start feeling this way? Aisleigh tossed and turned as she tried to figure out how she became this way, or at the very least, stop her own thoughts so that she could get some kind of sleep. But, sleep wouldn't come to her, no matter how hard she wished it to.

She started to feel restless, as if she had so do something. As quietly as she could, she got out of bed, trying not to disturb Sebastian. She tip toed across the floor, making her way into the living room. She looked around, wanting to get inspired, wanting to feel something, anything to take her mind of the chaos that was beginning to brew in her mind. Aisleigh made her way to her couch, sitting softly on the cushions. She pulled her legs close to her tightly. As she held herself, she began to rock back and forth. Tears rolled down her face onto her legs. What was wrong with her?

"So… Have you thought any about what you want for the wedding?" Sebastian asked as they sat together at their dinner table. He had made sandwiches for them for lunch. But, as he took a bite, he noticed that Aisleigh just played with the lettuce, not adding anything to the conversation. It had been almost five weeks since they had returned home and it was beginning to feel as if the two of them were drifting apart. Sebastian had tried on many occasions to have conversations about their future, their wedding, or even just the work that they had been working on. Anything to gain insight as to why Aisleigh seemed to be distancing herself.

"Not really." Sebastian sighed as he put his lunch back onto his plate.

"Aisleigh, what's bothering you? You've been like this since we got back from your dad's."

"Nothing is bothering me."

"Don't give me that shit." He was growing frustrated. "There's something that's bothering you, and I want to know what it is, so that we can work on it. You used to be so happy all the time, and now…. Now you just mope around. You look so sad all the time. It's breaking my heart."

"Well, if you listened, you'd know that there was nothing wrong. Like I've been saying every time you ask me." Aisleigh said as she bit the inside of my mouth, desperately wanting to keep her face emotionless. He was right, she hadn't been the same since they came back. And she wanted to fix it, whatever it was. But, she didn't know. How was he supposed to fix her, if she herself didn't know what needed fixing? She wanted to cry, to be enveloped into his arms. To feel safe and secure like he had done for her before. No matter how much she wanted those things, her body would refuse them. It would stay motionless, emotionless for as long as it wanted. Just going through her days as if they were a chore.

"Aisleigh, you haven't been saying anything for me to listen to. I've tried talking to you about anything and everything. But I always get the same answer. How am I supposed to help if you won't let me?"

"Try harder?"

"Try harder?" He questioned. "Are you serious? I'm doing everything I can. I'm racking my brain as to what could have happened to make you feel so… Empty. I'm pulling my hair out, because I'm trying to figure out how to get through to you, that I'm here. That you could try to push me away all that you want, and that won't change anything. I love you. I want to help you, be the support that you need to get through whatever you're going through. I just want an in. If I have to, I will carry you. For as long as you need me to."

"I don't need you to do anything." Aisleigh stood, leaving her untouched sandwich on her plate. She began walking towards their bedroom, to once again, spend the rest of the day buried underneath the covers away from the world.

"Fine," Sebastian said raising his voice, "Go spend the rest of the day in bed. Again. I'm going out Sam's. If you want to talk, or need anything. Just text me."

From her haven underneath the covers, Aisleigh heard the front door slam. Sebastian's frustrated steps roared as he climbed down the porch stairs, leaving her all alone. When she was sure that he gone, did she begin to sob.

"I'm so sorry, Sebastian. I want to tell you why I'm so upset. But, I don't know. I don't know anything. Everything feels like it's falling apart. And I feel so terrified. I just want you back. I just want you to hold me." She could feel her face contorting into an ugly mess. She was sure that if Sebastian would have seen her crying, he would have held her close and let her cry until all of her hurt was gone away. But, she couldn't cry in front of him. She couldn't let him in. For some reason, it was all too painful. Every breath. Every word he said. Every action that he did. It hurt her, to see him reaching towards her, to rescue her from her decent into the darkness of her void. It shattered her heart, that she was refusing his love. Now, more than ever before, she wanted it. She needed it to save her from herself.

"How's the plans coming along?" Sam asked, as they took a break from practice. He could tell that something was bothering Sebastian. Lately he had seemed preoccupied by something far away.

"They aren't…" Sebastian said, letting out a deep sigh. "You mind if we go outside? I need a smoke."

"Sure, man." As they went outside to the side of Sam's house, Sebastian lit up a cigarette, taking a deep drag. "What's up?"

"It's Aisleigh. She's different."

"Different? Like, she's not the girl you thought she was? Like maybe you made a mistake?"

"No, nothing like that. She could never be a mistake." He paused, exhaling. Sam's body relaxed, relieved that that wasn't the case. He could see that the two of them were meant to be together. But, he had to ask. "She is the one thing that I've gotten right, in so long. But, lately, she's been pulling away. And it makes me worry… It makes me feel like she doesn't love me anymore. There's no warmth in her smile, not that she does anymore. She talks in monotones, if she says anything at all. It terrifies me, that she might leave." Sebastian's voice cracked as he spoke his deepest fears. "I… I don't know what I would do, if she left me. She's my everything."

"Do you think that she will leave?"

"I don't know. But, I can't help but feeling that she's grown tired of me. Like the love that she had, is gone. Maybe spending all that time together was a way for her to see how we are together for extended amounts out time."

"But, everything was fine, until you guys came back… Right?"

"Everything was perfect," Sebastian continued, his face twisted as he tried to understand what had happened between the two of them. "But, the day we got back, she started pulling away."

"Maybe she's having a hard time adjusting to the new house? I mean, it is a huge upgrade. And then you guys started living together… I'm being straight-forward when I say this, but, do you think she just needs time?"

"I'm giving her time… I'm giving her space… I'm not giving her space… I… I just don't know…"

"Why don't we end early today… Maybe call her dad or something and ask him about it… I mean, he would know if there was a way to fix it right? Aisleigh being his daughter and all. And if this is something that she's done before, maybe he can help you figure out how to help her."

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks."

"No problem. I know how you feel, it's no picnic. Go figure it out, I'll see you later." Sebastian nodded as Sam waved goodbye. As he finished his cigarette, Sebastian started walking towards the beach. Since it was starting to get cooler, not many people went to the water. He had hoped that he would be able to get some privacy while he made his call.

"Hello?" Aisleigh's father answered.

"Hi, sir. I was calling with a question." Sebastian asked, his voice sober.

"Sebastian, it's good to hear from you. How's everything going?"

"Well, that's what I was calling about. Aisleigh seems, different. Withdrawn. I was wondering if you knew if she had done that before, and if there was a way that I could help her." The other side was quiet for a while, he could hear footsteps walking into a secluded room.

"I had hoped that with being with you, that this wouldn't happen again. Aisleigh has always had trouble with depression. It started when her mother left. Every so often, normally when there are big changes in her life, she gets down. Too much at one time for her to handle and she gets so overwhelmed. When she was finishing high school, it got bad. She would spend days locked away. All because she wouldn't have any friends in college. Not that she normally had friends, she was kind of the loner in school. She was social, but never really did anything with anybody. I always thought that it was just who she was. If she did do something with classmates, she would always seem so exhausted afterwards. Which is why I thought it was odd that she would be upset about not having any friends.

"It seemed that, though she didn't really do anything with other students, she still felt a part of something. She didn't feel lonely. And I guess, that's what bothered her when she was about to go off to college. It was a big school, with a lot of people. She wouldn't know anyone, but she would see the same faces day in and day out. They would laugh with each other and carry on. And there would be Aisleigh, a fly on the wall. Around events going on, but never being offered to be a part of them."

"I never knew that…"

"I thought as much… She doesn't like to advertise those things. She loves sharing and talking about things she's passionate about. She even joined a group that helped spread awareness about student depression and suicide. But, she would never talk about her firsthand experience." Aisleigh's father paused for a moment, seeming to get his thought's together. When he began again, his voice cracked, as if it was too painful for him to even think about it. "She… She ah… In high school, one year she was having an extremely hard time trying to fit in. We had relocated her to a new school, for her artwork. She went through the motions of trying to fit in, to make friends. But, the loneliness got to her. One night I was working late and Grace was home doing somethings around the house. It had been a hard year in general, and knowing her history, I didn't want Aisleigh to be by herself. But, one night, Grace called me. She was frantic. She was screaming and crying. I could barely understand her. She had said that Aisleigh was unconscious. She had tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't move. I told her to call 911 and I would meet her at the hospital.

"I sounded calm on the phone, for Grace's sake. As soon as I hung up, I was shaking. The worst possible thoughts a father could think after hearing that his daughter was not waking up ran through my head. I had a late-night meeting, but I didn't go to it. I sped to the hospital that was closest to the house and ran through the doors. At the front desk, Grace was hysterical. They told her if she didn't calm down that they would have to take her back to be sedated. They couldn't have her making such a scene with other patients around. As soon as I got there, I calmed her down. And, she did nothing but apologize. We waited in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, when it was almost three in the morning someone came out to talk to us.

"They told us that they had to pump her stomach…" He paused for a few minutes, reliving the horror of that day, "They had sedated her so that they could watch her condition. She had taken something, I can't remember what it was. But, we almost lost her that day. She was on suicide watch for a few days. Spent another few days in an emergency psychiatric ward. Aisleigh missed almost a month of school. Part of me wonders, if she would ever go back to that place. What I could have done to prevent it. But, when we would go to therapy sessions together, there were no real answers that they could give us about prevention. What could we do? We never got her prescriptions for her ever again. Not even if she was sick. We watched her return to normal. We encouraged her artwork. That seemed to be her saving grace. But as far as actually doing something for her, there was nothing we could do. All that we could try, was constantly being there for her."

"Do… Do you think that she could go there again?"

"Before she stopped going to her sessions, because she thought that she was cured—which she never really will be, she'll just have better times than others—her therapist said that there is always a possibility for her to become that lost. It's a never-ending battle. But, she has she artwork. She has Grace and I. And, being frank Sebastian, I wouldn't blame you if you decided you didn't want to be a part of it. It's a horrible thing to watch. Not being able to do anything for her. It causes a strain on your relationship, makes you wonder if it's worth it. And, it's a hard call to make. Sometimes it can get to be too much for someone."

"Never."

"Never?"

"I won't ever leave her. One her darkest days, I will stay by her side. She doesn't have to feel alone ever again."

"I'm glad to hear that. Honestly, I truly am. When I first saw the two of you together, there was a piece of her, that I thought I would never see again. It was as if the darkness that always clouded her heart was, for the first time in a very long time, gone. Sebastian," He said crying, "You have single handedly saved my daughter from her demons. I am so, so very thankful, that you were able to be to bring my sweet, precious daughter from the brinks of hell."

"I… I don't know that I've been able to do that," Sebastian said through teary eyes, "She isn't eating, I don't think she's sleeping… She won't do any kind of artwork. She pulls away when I try to touch her, to try to hold her… I was hoping that you might be able to help me."

"I don't know if I can. Only she can do it, by herself. All we can do, is be there for her."

"Okay… I'll do that… Thank you."

"Thank you, Sebastian." He said his goodbye's before hanging up the phone. After his phone call ended, Sebastian stood and watched the sea come and go from the end of the beach. He watched as the water was pushed and pulled from the shore, thinking that Aisleigh must be feeling the same way. She wants to accept the pull that Sebastian is offering, pulling her away from her self-built hell. But, the darkness keeps pushing her back, deeper and deeper each time. Terrified, he sprinted home.

When he came back home, it was after dark. All the lights in their house were off. But, that had been a too common occurrence lately. Flipping the switch by the door, he called out.

"Aisleigh? Aisleigh, sweetheart. Whatever is going on with you, I will stand beside you. You don't have to feel alone." He walked back to her studio, just to see that no one was there. "We can put off the wedding as long as you want. Just, please, talk to me. I don't care what you have to say. I'll listen to your 'I'm fine' and 'There's nothing wrong' all day, every day. I just want to hear your voice. I want to feel your skin against my skin." Sebastian walked through their living room, flipping on another light. On the couch, Spike picked her head up from her slumber. "I will wipe away your tears, just so that you can cry out more. I will help you put yourself back together," Sebastian had made his way to their bedroom, to see it completely empty. The bed had been made as if she had not been there the entire day.

Panic started to consume him, as he made his way outside. "Aisleigh?! Aisleigh, where are you?!" He went to the off side of their house, where there was a back path to his house, only to see her car gone. Sebastian's face went completely white. His heart stopped beating. His legs felt as if they were about to give out. As his hands shakily made their way to his pocket, he pulled out his phone. He held it in both his hands, trying to call Aisleigh's phone. He held his phone to his ear, his hands out of control as his breath labored, silence stabbing him in the chest. Her phone had been turned off, going straight to voice mail.

Sebastian ran back into the house, into their bedroom. He switched the lights on again, throwing everything around, trying to find something that could give him a clue as to what had happened. His mind was a mess as he went back to Aisleigh's studio. He walked around, throwing her artwork everywhere. The papers floated to the ground softly, only for him to notice a piece of paper with writing on it. It was the note that his mother had left for Aisleigh when they returned home.

"What the fuck!" He yelled. This had to be the turning point. There was no reason for his mother to say these things to Aisleigh. "Make sure she takes care of me?! Like you never did?! That's not her responsibility! She doesn't have to take care of me. We take care of each other!" Sebastian ran to his office, once again looking for any signs as to where Aisleigh could have gone. On the top of his closed laptop, he saw a note. Slowly he reached for it. Reading each letter, Sebastian's heart sank.

I can't do this. I'm sorry.

Author Note: Hey everyone! I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter! I plan to have a few more chapters before the ending, but, I was thinking about doing like a Q &A type thing once this fanfic is completed. So, if anyone is interested, send me questions in the comments or as a message and I'll answer what I can once I'm finished. And lastly, I cannot thank you guys enough for your constant words of encouragement to continue writing. You are all my sources of inspiration.

Much Love,

Eecee