Melody had never really liked plane rides, but she decided they were even worse when you couldn't stop crying during the flight. For the sake of the other passengers, Melody willed herself to be silent as she looked out at the sky, watching it go from bright daylight to darkness as they made the trip from Wakanda to New York. She'd felt eyes the eyes of her fellow passenger next to her as they flew, but thankfully, the young man said nothing to her for which she was grateful. Though she knew that she had made the logical choice, it didn't dull the pain that came with making it. She and James lived in two different worlds that were miles away from each other, literally and metaphorically. There was no way to make them work out. But even so, that knowledge didn't take away the pain.

All in all, as Melody left the plane, no longer crying, but she'd glimpsed herself in the dark windows, her eyes were red and puffy, both from lack of sleep and constant crying. For how tired she was, she also managed to be thankful, inwardly that she would have a few days to adjust to New York time before returning to work. Hopefully that would be enough time to cry herself out and then, when it was time to return to work, she'd actually look like a human being.

She made her way through the airport in a daze, ready to grab her luggage, get out and hail a cab back to her apartment, however, as Melody made her way towards the exit, all plans of hailing a taxi vanished from her mind and her weariness faded as though she'd just downed an entire glass of espresso.

Derrick was waiting at the ground floor, holding a paper sign that read "Mel Frasier" and he was smiling at her. Despite her tiredness and her grief, Melody felt a smile come to her face. She hadn't expected any sort of welcome when she got back, least of all from him. She hadn't spoken to him before she'd left, not after that phone call from Sharon that had brought her to Wakanda.

"What are you doing here?" Melody asked as she approached him and Derrick smiled at her. His curly hair was combed back, like usual, but it was a bit messy, probably from wearing scrub caps. His smile, as always, was as warm, just like snuggling under a quilt.

"Hello to you too," he said and she blushed and Derrick only laughed. "I thought you might need a ride home."

"You didn't have to do that," she told him and he merely shrugged.

"I know." Derrick's smile got a bit smaller, but it even lost an once of it's warmth. "If you'd rather not have to spend a twenty minute drive with me I can call a cab for you." The gesture sent a soft ripple of warmth through Melody's chest. He was remembering, she knew, the conversation they'd had the day before she'd left for Wakanda, the day he'd begged for a few minutes to talk and that he'd leave her be afterwards if that was what she wanted. Apparently, Derrick thought that might be possible.

Truthfully, Melody wouldn't have minded a little more time alone. The weight of being under her secrets again, the pained expression on James's face as they'd said goodbye for the last time all pained her like physical blows. She didn't want anyone to be around to see that. And yet..."Live better," she heard James's voice in her mind, the promise she'd made to him, that she would try to do that. Try to really live, rather than just exist as she'd done for so long. She had to do that, even if she was afraid. She had to live. She owed James that much. She owed herself that much. She had fought so hard to stay alive, she needed to live a real life if she wanted that struggle to mean something. If she wanted her life to be worth anything.

Melody smiled tiredly at Derrick. "I'd love a ride."

The ride to her apartment was quiet, the only real sound being that of the jazz CD, Derrick loved pouring from the stereo and the sounds of New York city outside the car. Melody wasn't so fond of jazz, but she loved the sounds of the city. It had been something she'd missed while she was in Wakanka, it had been a bit hard to sleep because it was so quiet there. However, the sound of James's heartbeat and his arm around her had been a small price to pay indeed...

Don't think about him, Melody thought firmly to herself, feeling tears well up in her eyes. He's in the past now. Dwelling on that won't change it. She'd made her choice and all choices had consequences and her choice to stay away from Wakanda meant that James, important to her as he was, was now part of her past. There was no way she could alleviate that consequence, so Melody knew it was best to start learning to live with it. Her heart was broken now, as it had been two years ago, when James had first left her. The pain had been just like it was now, not so unbearable an agony that she couldn't move, but it hurt all the same. It was constant, a throbbing sensation at all times and spiking sharply when memories came to her, or realizations that what she'd had with James was gone from her now and she'd never get them back.

But time had eventually dulled the sting and Melody knew the same would happen again. A portion of her heart would always belong to him, but that was the nature of love, she was learning. It was possible to love two people at the same time. Derrick had taught her that.

Already, Melody was recalling that one night in his apartment, the night she'd learned that lesson from his experience.

"This is her?" Melody asked as she took off her heavy coat. Winter had hit New York fully now and the world outside was covered in ice and snow. Event the short walk from the hospital had left her feeling chilled down to her bones. She neared the photo on the fireplace mantle slowly, meeting the glossy brown eyes of the woman in the photograph.

She was very pretty, with long, dark red hair and a large, white smile as she looked at the camera. She was didn't look much younger than Melody herself, maybe late twenties at the oldest. Melody had no doubt who she was, but she wanted to hear Derrick confirm it for certain.

"Audrey," he muttered, grabbing the photograph and smiling fondly at it. "This was taken a year before the diagnoses."

Melody nodded. Breast cancer had stolen Audrey too soon from the world. Not a year after she was given the horrible news. Derrick had told her as much when they'd first begun dating but she'd never seen a photo of his deceased wife before now. "She's beautiful."

"She was." Derrick agreed softly as he set the photograph back on the mantle. The gas fire behind the glass of the electric fireplace cast an orange light onto his face and faint shadows along the wall, even with the light fixture overhead lighting up the space as well.

Melody smiled uncertainly. She had no idea what to say. She'd only encountered one untimely death in her life and she'd caused it. She had no idea what to say to comfort Derrick now. She was about to make some well-meaning, but probably useless comment when he spoke up and spared her that.

"Mel?"

"Yes?"

Derrick looked at her, wearing his smile that was even warmer than the glow of the flames. "I need to be honest with you, Audrey, I still love her."

Melody nodded. "I understand." This was something she could understand well. It had been almost a year since James had left her, and she still loved him as dearly now as she had then.

"No," he shook his head. "I don't think you do." He sighed and looked away from a moment, his gaze flickering to the photo of his wife. "See, when you get married you always start looking to the future. You think about the house you want to buy, the place where your kids will run in the yard with the dog and what you'll do to celebrate your tenth wedding anniversary and when Audrey died, I stopped thinking about the future. I just thought about getting through each day. I couldn't see a future without her in it." His blue eyes flickered to her face now, away from the photo. "I don't know when I stopped doing that, but I think it was when I met you. I'm thinking about the future again."

Melody's heart skipped in her chest. "What?"

Derrick must have seen the fear on her face. "Nothing crazy, I just mean, for instance, Christmas is coming up. I've started thinking about what I want to get you, what we could do together to celebrate. If we should stay here or go to my parents, they'd love to meet you." He smiled at her. "I'm looking at the future again Mel, and I want you to be in it." He neared her then, his hand sliding around her waist and holding her gently. The contact felt nice, comforting like a quilt.

"Why are you telling me this?" Melody asked. "If this is asking me to meet your parents, I think I'd like that. I haven't had a proper Christmas in a long time." About eight years to be exact. Sharon had brought her along to some Christmas celebrations but recently, neither of their jobs had allowed them time to go and celebrate properly.

"No," Derrick said with a shake of his head. "Though I'm glad to hear you want to meet my parents." One of his hands trailed up her side, the warmth of his fingers cutting through the fabric of her black sweater. "I'm telling you this because I want to be straight with you." He sighed and his warm hand curled around her face. "I'm falling in love with you Mel."

"What?" the word tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it and Derick laughed.

"I love you," he said simply. "But I'll always love Audrey too, she's part of me. Can you handle that?"

You don't love me, Melody thought, wanting to smile even though fear was pressing on her chest and making her ribs crack. You love who you think I am. She didn't say that though, she wasn't ready to even try and broach that topic with Sharon, let alone Derrick. But maybe one day I will be, she thought as she looked at his warm smile and matching eyes. Derrick was a good man. Easy to like and maybe one day, she'd love him back-and maybe they could help each other. Audrey was Derrick's past and he loved her. The same way she loved James. Maybe they could help each other move on with their lives.

"She was your wife," Melody said at last. "Of course you love her."

"And I love you," Derrick interjected and Melody smiled though she felt that fear creep over her again. Would you say that if you knew who I really am? If you knew what I was really capable of? James's voice echoed back in her mind, "live better" letting herself love, opening up was part of that request. Derrick was a good man. She wasn't ready to open up fully now, but she needed to give it, give them the time and maybe she would be ready to come clean about what happened to her.

"Then I'm very lucky," Melody decided, smiling up at him. "And I think I could love you very much one day." She looked away a moment, blushing. "I'm sorry, I know that might not be exactly what you want to hear when you tell someone you love them."

Derrick smiled at her. "No, but now, I know if you say it, it'll be because you mean it." He leaned in, eyes closing and Melody felt herself doing the same as their lips met. His kisses where just like him, warm and gentle.

The memory flickered to a halt in Melody's mind as the car lurched to a stop and the gears clicked into park. "We're here," Derrick's soothing voice told her and Melody looked outside the window to the street-lamp lit world outside. Sure enough, the looming brick building that housed her apartment was right outside.

"Thank you," she said, "for bringing me home."

"You're very welcome." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, looking straight ahead again, no longer smiling. Melody knew Derrick well enough to know he was working a problem out. "Mel, about what I said, before you left on your vacation. I never got an answer."

Melody sunk back into her seat. Of course they'd wound up here. She'd been expecting it, but not this soon. But then again, it did make sense, patient as Derrick was, waiting almost a month for an answer to a question like that was quiet a long time. Her broken heart twanged in her chest, reminding her as she looked into his blue eyes that they were just a bit lighter than James's...They weren't right, they weren't the eyes of the man she loved. That smile, nice and warm as it was, wasn't the one who could put a stop to the pain she was feeling now.

Melody again, recalled the night Derrick had told her he loved her, the night he'd told her about Audrey and her. The night she'd learned another thing about love that had been previously unknown to her. I'll always love James, she thought to herself. But he's my past. He has to be. He and I don't have a future. But you and I...we could. Derrick would never be James, but Melody knew, from their past, that she could be happy with him. Not the same way it was with James, but still, happy nonetheless, just a different sort. If she let it happen, maybe it would be enough.

"Do you want to come up?" she asked at last. "I think we need to talk."

Derrick regarded her with wide eyes for a moment, but it faded and his smile replaced it. "Sure."

New chapter! Melody is back in New York and we saw Derrick again. Thanks for the reviews on the last few chapters, both POVs were pretty sad so they were really hard to write. This one wasn't too easy either to be honest. As always, reviews are very welcome so please do leave one if you can! Thanks for reading! :)