It was near four in the morning when Hannah finally got Mike home, letting him sag into her bed, too tired and too full of grief to help her.

Ryan had called the police and Mendez issued a field team to Mike's dad's house in Virginia. They'd given them Hannah's number so they could update her.

Ryan drove them back to her apartment and helped her take Mike upstairs, guilt weighing down each step. He waited in the living room as she pulled off Mike's shoes and jeans, pressing him back into bed. He needed to rest… he could deal with it all, or try to, tomorrow.

Hannah closed her door, coming back out to Ryan, who waited awkwardly and pale in her living room.

She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, tucking her hair behind her ears, looking exhausted. Her eyes were full of worry and concern. Ryan felt the compassion from her, the understanding. It made sense to him why Mike had been drawn to her. He felt a tingle as he thought of Claire.

"He'll want to call you in the morning," she said softly, "He'll want to know what's going on…"

Ryan nodded, not looking at her.

"Mendez and the FBI unit in Virginia have your number… they'll be calling to update you…" he continued, avoiding her eyes, "Thanks for taking him in…"

Hannah sighed sadly. "Just like last year, but worse…"

Ryan looked up, eyes questioning.

"He stayed with me after that guy Roderick nearly killed him," she said quietly, hating that Mike was nearly falling apart.

"Oh…" Ryan said quietly. That'd been his fault, too… And that'd meant that Hannah had been with Mike since last year… she'd been around that long… and Mike had never mentioned her.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down again.

She sighed. "You know this isn't all your fault."

Ryan looked at her angrily.

"This is my fault… I asked him to come to Connecticut with me to find Joe and Lily Gray… I took him there… if I hadn't… he wouldn't have almost killed Luke… and Lily Gray wouldn't have needed to take revenge…" he said angrily, frustrated.

Hannah crossed her arms. "Mike loves his job… everyone risks something…"

Ryan scoffed. "Not like this… The job means late nights, being away, sometimes being in dangerous positions… not this… this isn't the job… this is something else. This is Joe Carroll and Lily Gray."

She frowned. "You're right… this isn't the job he signed up for. You dragged him into this and got your niece kidnapped and Mike's dad killed. Is that what you want me to say?"

His eyes grew angry. He didn't want her to say that… but it was true.

"Do you want me to say that it's been you that got Mike nearly killed last year? Who got Debra killed? Claire killed? Max abducted? The reason Lily Gray killed Mike's dad?" she asked incredulously.

Mike met her eyes angrily.

She bit her lip. "If you really think you're responsible for all that either you're an absolute obsessed asshole or it's not all your fault…"

Hannah shook her head. "If you really feel that guilty, just walk away and stop getting people killed… And if it's not all your fault, stop acting like a jackass and do what's necessary to find Joe Carroll… not doing this yourself or doing it your own way."

Ryan sighed. "I can't walk away… not after all this… I need to be the one to get him. I need to be the one to kill him."

She rolled her eyes sadly. "And what after? What happens when Joe's dead but Lily Gray continues her rampage? And then when she's dead and her wacko kid starts? You can't let go, Ryan…"

Hannah looked sideways at her closed door. "Mike's becoming you. He can't let go either…"

Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets. "He was leaving, Hannah… he wanted to go and he'd asked for it… he'd had enough… he was finally getting out… He couldn't live like this anymore…"

She looked down. "No chance of that now…"

Ryan thought about telling her that men like them would never truly let go… that they would always be on the hunt, always searching… but he hoped that wasn't true for Mike. He hoped that Mike would let go, especially after this, and stick to his guns about being done with it…

But then Lily Gray slit his father's throat… When Claire died, Ryan had come back with a vengeance… he knew Mike would, too.

He shook his head, trying to make the idea vanish forever.

"I've uh… there's a squad car outside and another down the street," Ryan said, not meeting her eyes, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, "They'll be checking in on you every few hours."

Hannah nodded, Ryan already walking to the door.

He turned as he opened it. "Take care, Hannah… take care of Mike."

"Take care of yourself, Ryan," she said, knowing he wouldn't, "Watch out for Max…"

Ryan nodded briskly, not meeting her eyes, and left.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, she locked her front door, hesitating against it.

Fuck…

She looked at her closed bedroom door and her head started to throb.

She didn't know what to say… if he even wanted her to talk… if she was just supposed to listen… if she was supposed to offer advice about what it was like to lose a parent…

She scoffed out loud, shaking her head. She was not the person to give advice on something like that…

Swallowing and taking off her jacket, she opened the door to her bedroom, shutting off the rest of the lights in the kitchen.

"I really was going to leave," Mike said weakly from the bed, disbelief in his own voice.

She sighed, taking off her shoes. "I know, Mike…"

"I was… I told Mendez… and I told Ryan… I'd had enough," he said hoarsely, "I was done…"

Hannah peeled off her jeans, climbing into bed with him, wondering if he wanted to be close or if she should go sleep on the couch…

"I'm so fucking sick of all this," he said roughly, "I'm so fucking sick of finally getting somewhere… and then losing it all…"

She reached her hand out and it put it on his shoulder, expecting him to withdraw immediately. Instead, he lay closer, still not touching her, but close enough to feel her warmth.

"I thought being nearly killed was bad… that losing Debra was all I could take… and then… almost killing Luke… I was done… I couldn't handle any more… I was going off the edge… and then Max… God… thinking that Max could be tortured and killed…" he choked, "And when the second video came… I… I got so scared… I thought it could be you I saw on there… and… it was my dad…"

Hannah closed her eyes, wishing she could do something that he could avoid all this.

"I wasn't ready… I wasn't ready to see someone I loved there… to see him tied up, and then…" he struggled, "I can't do this anymore…"

Her breath was warm on his skin and he wanted to wrap himself in it.

"I can't even think…" he said shakily.

She hated this. He'd been through too much, had reached his final tipping point… and then this happened… he was already gone before…

"As hard as it was to impress him sometimes, I still loved the guy," Mike said, coarsely, "He was looking forward to seeing me tomorrow when I came home…"

Hannah didn't know what to say. Should she ask him to tell her about his dad? Remember good times? To say that he'll be okay? To talk about how Ryan was going to get Lily Gray? How Max was saved? She didn't know…

"You know I'm here…" she whispered, hoping it was enough.

Mike sighed, finally moving close enough for her to touch, to tangle her legs with his.

"You're always there…" he breathed, "I got so scared you were going to be on the video next… I should've had you in protective custody… and my dad…"

"You didn't know it'd come to this," she reassured, "Your dad wouldn't want you to blame yourself…"

He nodded weakly. "I know… he'd tell me to get that bitch… and not to throw my life away… He always told me to work hard but not let the job become my life…"

He laughed and it hurt her chest. "And look what's happened…"

Hannah tucked her head closer to his.

"You know," he said angrily, "I'm going to end up losing you, too…"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mike shook his head. "I can't let this go… I can't let Lily Gray get away with this… and you're going to leave me for going after her… for not getting out and being done… you're going to leave me…. And if you don't leave me… being with me is going to get you killed…"

Hannah breathed deep. She wanted to argue with his logic… but it did sound right… she'd already told him that she wouldn't be part of it if being with him took its toll on her… She wouldn't be able to watch him destroy his life…

And yes, possibly… staying with him would get her killed… Like Debra. Claire. His dad.

"Either way…" she said, not ready to give up on him, "I'm going to put up one hell of a fight…"

She kissed his forehead. "I'm not letting go that easily…"

Hannah felt him smile against her neck. "Dad would've liked you…"

She shifted her weight around him. It was almost six thirty in the morning.

"We'll talk more in the morning," she whispered, tucking him closer, "Try and get some sleep."

Before she finished speaking, she could feel him sag, his weight heavier, thicker. He'd been holding off sleep with grief and finally, he'd given in.

Hannah leaned her head against his and closed her eyes. "I'll be here when you wake up…"