It was one of if not the best night of Danielle's life recently. Charlotte had bought cringles, drinks and sweets in the shops and the 2 of them sat on the huge sofa, eating junk food and talking. They talked for hours. About Charlotte's banking course, how her and Tim were doing, anything and everything. It was almost midnight when Danielle finally voiced what had been poking at her all evening. "So you think I definitely should tell him?"

"Yes!" Charlotte said without hesitation. "You'll regret it if you don't. Talk to Dr Stark if you want, but I guarantee she'll say the same thing as me!"

"You're probably right," Danielle admitted. "God! I feel like a school girl on her first date or something! Adam was my first serious boyfriend and look how well that turned out."

"Shut up!" Charlotte said severely. "Don't talk about him! He's irrelevant now Danielle! This is your new life, new future. Even if nothing can come of it, you deserve the chance to tell a man you love him again and he deserves to know like I told you earlier."

"Since when did you get so wise?" Danielle asked. Charlotte chuckled. "I just speak the truth, that's all."

By the time the 2 of them finally went to bed, sharing the huge one in the suite, Danielle's mind was made up. She'd talk to Dr Stark the next day, tell her she was ready. Maybe, if nothing else, it might bring her yet another step closer to her release. She hated herself for the selfish reasoning, but also couldn't deny it. But Charlotte was right. Michael did deserve to know after all he'd done for her, even if they didn't have a future.

If? She scoffed to herself in the silence of the night. What do you mean if, Hayward? Of course you don't have a future! He won't be leaving Smith's Grove! Or if you do, it'll be purely behind these damn walls! She sighed softly. But he meant so much to her, could she maintain a relationship that way? There was also the possibility that she only felt this way for him because he was the first man since Adam to break her shell, and because they were both stuck in Smith's Grove. But she dismissed that thought after considering it. No! What she felt for Michael Myers was as real as what she'd felt for Adam once, all be it hopefully with a much better outcome. You're doing it again, she said to herself. You're considering a future! So if this is the second time you're doing that, what does that tell you? Tell him Danielle, you have to. You owe it to yourself and to him. If there is a chance of something, don't let it go just because you're scared there might not be. She recalled Charlotte's words. I think the doctors will reunite you somehow. Was she right too? It felt like hours before Danielle finally got to sleep.

…

Derek lay in his cell, anger growing within him. Something had just dawned on him which he hadn't considered before. If his suspicions were right, Adam Dawson was definitely a dead man! He'd kill him as slowly and painfully as he could. He would never have sex with a man, but he had plenty of tools he could stick up Dawson's… He took a breath and tried to reign in those thoughts. There was no point thinking like that. Not yet. He was nowhere near Dawson right now, first he'd have to get out of this hell hole. But by God he would! Adam Dawson deserved everything he got. He knew he'd have to pretend to be at least civil to him until then, hell the prick had promised him money. So by God he was going to keep that promise! But once he had that, Derek would finish him off! He could hardly believe that for the first time ever he was very probably united with Michael Myers. Both of them wanted Dawson dead, all be it for different reasons.

Chancer wasn't stupid. He'd realised exactly what'd really happened earlier that day.

…

"Chancer," a guard approached his door. Derek couldn't remember his name. "Mr. Sarcozi is here to see you."

Derek had tucked the iPod in to a pocket of his uniform, and now allowed the guard to shackle and lead him out of the block towards a visitor's room. Once again, there was Sarcozi, separated from him by a thick wall of glass. Derek waited until the guard had removed his shackles and left, before looking through it at his ex-friend. "Mark."

"Hi Derek," Mark's voice came through the concealed speakers. "How are you?"

"All the better for seeing you," Derek drawled and saw Mark flinch. He knew Derek was being sarcastic. There was a moment's silence, before Mark spoke again. "I hear you want more music put on your iPod?"

Chancer recognised the code immediately. I'm here to fix your iPod. But of course Sarcozi couldn't say that. The visitor's rooms were all audibly and visually recorded. So he played along. "Yes," he said, sliding the small device through the gap in the glass which without its case, just fitted through.

He watched as Sarcozi picked it up on the other side and withdrew something from his pocket. Derek had no idea what it was. He plugged it in to the iPod and unlocked the device. Derek guessed Leach or someone had told him the password. There was silence as Mark did whatever he was doing. Eventually, he looked up at Derek.

"There you go," he said brightly, sliding the device back through to Derek's side. "Turn it on again and it'll be packed with even more stuff for you."

So did that mean it was fixed? It would no longer buzz and have a screen which looked like shit? "Thanks," Derek said. "I'll look forward to listening to it."

…

Just as Derek had expected, Sarcozi hadn't hung around. He was gone 5 minutes later. Derek had been taken back to his cell and did as Sarcozi had instructed, turning the iPod back on again.

The first time he did it, it made no difference. So he left it while he went for dinner. He'd try again when he got back.

So now here he was, turning on the iPod for the second time. Sure enough, it was no longer buzzing and the screen was perfectly clear once more. It was then that he'd started thinking about what'd just happened, as he lay there on his bed.

Ok. So the iPod had started acting up the night before. Suddenly out of the blue, Sarcozi was there to "fix" it. Derek had contacted Leach as soon as the thing had started playing up and by the next day, it was "fixed" again. Something about this didn't feel right to him. But what? Mark had indeed updated the content, there was now a lot more music and porn on it. But had that just been his cover? A way of disguising what he'd really been doing in case the guards had another look at it? It made no sense. Mark must've known the thing was broken. He wouldn't have just turned up out of the blue, like magic, to update Derek's fucking play list! So why? There was something he wasn't seeing yet, there had to be.

He thought back over his conversations with Dawson. About how the iPod wasn't working when directed at Hayward's cell. He stood up and pointed it down the corridor and immediately heard a door slam somewhere, as clearly as if he was right next to it. So it was working now alright.

That was when Derek Chancer started to join the dots. He was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He knew he wasn't a very intelligent man; he'd taken no notice in school and had frequently played truant. His IQ was far from high. But right here, now, he was starting to realise what'd happened. He'd been tricked, tested. That little fucker Dawson was checking the iPod was really working! There was no other explanation for why it would suddenly "break." It hadn't broken at all! Dawson had got Leach or one of his fucking goons to programme the buzzing and crap picture on to it. Then the next day, Sarcozi turns up out of the blue to "update his play list," and hey presto! The iPod is working like new again!

Dawson hadn't believed him. He thought Derek was lying to him. Derek couldn't help but admire and marvel the prick's logic and thinking. He could very well have been lying to him. The fact he wasn't did nothing to soften Derek's anger. If anything, it worsened it. That little shit! The iPod hadn't been broken at all. It'd been programmed to act "broken." That little device Sarcozi had bought had updated the content sure, but Derek was certain his old "friend" had also listened with it briefly, making sure it was actually working. Then when he'd left, he'd contacted Leach to confirm Derek was indeed telling the truth and just like magic, the buzzing and screen problem was gone, as if it'd never been there.

…

The morning came far too quickly for Danielle's liking. She wanted to stay with her friend forever. But knew that for right now at least, she couldn't. They once again boarded the talking shuttle and went to have breakfast in the staff canteen, just as they'd had dinner there the night before.

"So?" Charlotte prompted as she and Danielle sat with hot bacon and eggs. Are you going to tell Dr Stark today?"

Danielle sighed, but couldn't help smiling. "Yes," she said truthfully. "I didn't get to sleep until late last night thinking it all through. You're right, C. I want him to know, and he deserves to know. Not to mention it's how I feel. That's just a fact."

"Yay!" Charlotte said happily. "Don't you go chickening out on me now, Danielle?"

"I won't," Danielle said. "But I also can't deny there's part of me which is a little afraid. How will he react? Will he believe me? Or will he think it's all lies?"

"You can't think for Michael," Charlotte said softly. "Those are decisions only he can make. But regardless of how he reacts, I'm sure he won't hate or hurt you for it. Anyway, you'll have guards nearby, right?"

Danielle hesitated. "Well that's another thing. Surely I don't want too many guards too close do I? Otherwise he really might wonder if it's a trick or something."

"I think that's a decision Dr Stark will have to make. You can't make that one either."

Danielle knew her friend was right, but it still troubled her somewhat. After breakfast, they headed back in to the block.

"Right you," Charlotte said as they finally reached Danielle's cell, Rick and Joanne following them. "I'm going to be off now if that's ok? I have stuff I really need to get done at home before college tomorrow. But I'll phone you later alright? Let me know how everything goes."

Danielle nodded, feeling the sting of tears. She loved being in Charlotte's company and there was a part of her that wished she could go with her friend right now. Charlotte of course seemed to detect it as she hugged her again. Tightly.

"I'm sure it won't be long Dan," she said in to her ear. "Trust me. Plus, you have a reason to want to stay now, don't you?" She elbowed her friend in the ribs. "So stop keeping quiet and just do it already!"

As Charlotte exited the block to get a shuttle back to her car, Danielle felt a wave of sadness crash over her. She tried to hide it, but it was too painful. Dr Stark must have noticed as she was at Danielle's side in less than a minute. "Come on," the consultant said. "Let's go and have a talk."

Danielle didn't protest as the doctor took her arm and guided her out of the cell block towards her office. Danielle felt affection rise up in her. This time, they weren't even going to a therapy room. Did that, could it possibly mean Charlotte was right and she was in fact close to her release? If that didn't show Danielle Dr Stark trusted her, nothing would.

They entered the office and sat opposite each other with the desk between them. "Do you want a cup of tea?" Dr Stark asked. Danielle was still blinking back tears. "Yes please," she said after a moment.

"Oh Danielle," Dr Stark actually sat next to her now and put an arm around her. "You'll see Charlotte again soon I promise you."

"Dr Stark, Danielle said, wondering if she was making a mistake asking this question and if she was about to get her hopes shattered. But she and Charlotte had talked about it again the night before and Danielle just had to know. "Am I…" she hesitated, then started again. "?Am I close to being released? I mean, I wouldn't have been able to go out with Charlotte yesterday if I wasn't and I very much doubt I'd be sitting in your private office now, but behind glass in a therapy room like I was when I first got here!"

There was a short silence, before Dr Stark spoke. "Yes, Danielle. I won't lie to you, you are. The only thing stopping us now is making sure you have security measures in place to protect you from Adam, and we are very close to bringing those to fruition."

Danielle's heart leapt. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Dr Stark said and Danielle could hear the smile in her voice. "I promise you Danielle, you're nearly there. Your treatment is in effect, over. We've all seen how much stronger you've grown while you've been here, even you yourself I'm sure."

Danielle couldn't help but nod. She knew Dr Stark was right. "Yes," she admitted. "I do feel a lot stronger now than when I got here, thanks to the kindness of you and the guards, as well as Dr Loomis."

"As I told you once before long ago, that's what we're here for, Danielle. It's our job to make sure our patients are treated to the best of our abilities."

"Even if one of them gets killed?" Danielle asked, a slight smirk on her lips. She'd googled Cameron Jefferson, or rather the late Cameron Jefferson who'd lived in the cell on her right when she'd first arrived. The horrific sexual violence he'd committed against women was in some ways even worse than Chancers. It left them scarred for life and many with severe PTSD. Danielle knew how they felt. But Adam's regular raping of her looked almost tame by comparison to some of Jefferson's acts. He'd deserved to die.

Dr Stark hesitated. "Well, yes. Although that wasn't our fault. He got too close to Michael Myers. We couldn't do anything."

Danielle couldn't help but smile.

"So anyway," Dr Stark said as their hot drinks were bought in by one of the PA's. "Thanks Andrea," she added as the woman left. "I believe you have other things you want to speak to me about? You said last night before you left you wanted to talk to me today?"

Danielle nodded. But now the time was actually here, could she actually say what she needed to? Or find the right words? "Yes," she began slowly. Dr Stark, I don't know if Dr Loomis told you any or all of what I talked to him about while you were on leave?"

"Ah," Dr Stark was definitely smiling now, Danielle knew. "Yes, that conversation. Well as it happens, he did. But I'd still like to hear it from you."

Danielle couldn't help but grin at her. "Damn Psychiatrists," she muttered and her doctor actually laughed. "Fine. Well um… I think…" she hesitated, but knew at last the time had finally come and she couldn't keep silent to her doctor a moment longer. "I think I love Michael Myers and I want him to know."

"You think you love him?" Dr Stark queried and Danielle blushed. "Ok got me! I… I love Michael Myers! I want him to know that. I also want to make it special, in whatever way I can. More for his benefit than mine, but I won't deny I'd like it to be special too."

"By the waterfall, perhaps?" Dr Stark asked, but Danielle knew it wasn't really a question.

"Yes," she said, blushing bright red now. "Could we maybe have a meal in private together before hand?"

"Of course," Dr Stark said and Danielle felt her affection if that was possible, grow even stronger towards her consultant. "So the only question I have now is, when?"

Danielle took a deep breath and finally said what she'd wanted to say for days. "Well, I was hoping it could be tonight?"

Dr Stark was silent for a moment, but Danielle knew this was because she was writing something. When she spoke again, Danielle felt her heart skip. "Yep tonight it is. Good luck Danielle Hayward, you've got yourself a date."