"Give me that, you beast," I cry making a grab for the night gown, and nearly falling out of bed doing so. He pulls the night gown out of my reach and hides it behind his back with one hand, while he grabs me with the other, gently pushing me back into bed. I hold onto his arm, shaking and gasping. That little stunt reminds me that I'm not fully healed yet. He drops the night gown on my lap. He then reaches over to the call button and pushes it.

"I've called the nurse," he says quietly in my ear. I just nod. The pain is starting to get to me. The nurse walks in a moment later. "She's in pain. Can she please have something?"

"Let me get the doctor," she responds and then leaves. A little while later, Dr. Evans walks in.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"I hurt," is all I can manage to answer. She comes over and examines my back and shoulder.

"You need to take it more slowly," she tells me. "You're skin is only just healed, but there's still the internal damage and bruising that needs to heal as well. I think it's time you got some rest. Abe, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Please, let him stay," I plead. "I'll lie quietly and be good."

"All right," she says. "But no hanky panky, you two, or out he goes."

All I can manage is a nod. She leaves and comes back a couple of minutes later carrying a syringe. She injects the medicine into the IV in the back of my hand. I can feel the medicine burn and I give an involuntary hiss from the pain. Abe puts the bed back into a horizontal position and I try to find a comfortable position. I finally find a spot on my left side that hurts less than the other positions. Abe sits next to me and holds my hand with one of his and strokes my hair with the other as the medicine does its job. My last conscious thought is how lucky I am to have him love me.

Some time later, I'm woken up by someone moving around my bed. I look up and see it's the nurse changing my bag of fluids.

"Good morning," she says in a voice that's way too cheery.

"Hi," I manage to reply.

"How are you feeling?" she asks. She's still being cheery, darn her.

"Sore," I answer. I roll over with a groan and sit up "Is there any chance of me being able to take a shower today?"

"That's for the doctor to decide," she answers. "She should be in in a couple of minutes. She was checking on Mr. Chavez when I came in here."

"Guillermo Chavez?" I ask. I can feel my heart sinking to the vicinity of my knees. She nods. "How badly was he hurt?"

"His leg was pretty badly damaged, and the doctor wasn't sure whether or not he was going to lose it, but it looks like he will get to keep it. He'll have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life though," she says as she leaves.

I feel guilty. I dragged him all of the way up here and now he's going to have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. In fact, he could have lost his life because of me. I should have found a way to stop him. I lie down and curl up into a ball, ignoring the pain it causes my back, as the guilt starts to eat a hole in my stomach.

"Stop that!"

I look up to see Abe standing in the doorway.

"But it's my fault…" I start.

"No it's not," he says. He enters the room and sits down next to me. "He knew there was going to be danger. He knew that there were risks involved. He chose to go of his own free will."

"But I'm the one who dragged him all the way up here," I retort.

"And if you hadn't, Liz would be dead and the world would have ended over a week ago," he responds. "Besides, it's bad enough to have to deal with his guilt. I don't want to have to deal with yours too."

"What does he have to feel guilty about?" I sulk. Abe sighs and looks away. I pick my head up off the pillow and look at him. "Abe?"

"He's part of the reason why you died," he answers quietly.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"He felt your grandmother heading this way last week," he starts. "He knew that I would be in your room. He wanted…"

"…to see her reaction to you," I finish. He just nods. "But I don't see how that caused me to die."

"The nurse was so busy trying to restrain him that she was unable to come and give you your next dosage," he responds.

"Oh," is all I can manage to say. This news has left me pretty stunned. It seems Abe left this part out of his little narration yesterday.

"Good morning," says Dr. Evans as she walks into the room.

"Good morning, doctor," I answer.

"The nurse just told me you were awake and wanted to take a shower," she tells me. "I think that would be a good idea, but let's get this latest bag of fluids into you and get you some breakfast as well."

"I'm not having broth again, am I?" I ask.

"No, porridge and watered down juice," she answers.

"Can I have some coffee at least?"

"No, it's to acidic for your stomach right now."

I groan my disappointment. She chuckles as she comes over to me.

"Ok, let me have a look at you," she says. I sit up and she opens the back of my gown letting it fall off of my shoulders. I catch it before it falls too far. "Well, you're definitely looking better. I wouldn't plan on wearing anything backless or that's off the shoulder for a long time though."

While she examines me, Abe reaches over and touches a sore red spot on one side of my chest. I hadn't really noticed it before. I also see that it has a twin on the other side of my chest.

"What are those from?" I ask.

Dr. Evans looks around at my chest and says, "Those are from the defibulator. The marks should go away in a few more days."

She pulls my gown up again and starts to head out. "I'll send the nurse in with your breakfast in a few minutes."

"Doctor, would it be possible to see Guillermo today?" I ask her before she leaves.

"I don't see why not," she answers. "It'll be good for you to get out of bed for while any ways. Just make it a short visit, ok?"

I nod my agreement and she leaves. A while later, the nurse brings in breakfast and I manage to eat it. When the bag of fluids is empty, the IV is removed from my hand.

"There's a collapsible bench built into the wall of the shower," the nurse tells me. "Use it if you feel feint or dizzy. There's also a call button in there if you need help."

"That's ok," says Abe. "I'll be there if there's a problem."

"You most certainly will not," she retorts. Abe opens his mouth to object. "Doctor's orders. Besides, she doesn't need that kind of stimulation right now."

"I think I can manage, love," I tell him. I thank the nurse, find the bag that Grandmother brought yesterday, and head for the bathroom. I do end up using the bench but I also stay in there long enough that my skin actually starts to prune. I finally come out of the shower, dry off and get dressed. Helen is a wise woman. She packed jeans and a t-shirt, not the latest couture like my grandmother would have. When I emerge from the bathroom, Liz and Abe are talking. I see Liz stuff a piece of paper into her pocket.

"Good morning, Liz," I say.

"Hi," Liz responds. She has a smile on her face that she can't seem to get rid of.

"You want to tell me the joke?" I ask. I can feel an involuntary smile creeping onto my face in response to Liz's smile.

"Sorry," she says. "It's an inside joke. I'll see you two later."

I watch as she quickly leaves. I look at Abe.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" I ask him as he comes over to me. I have to crane my neck to look into his face.

"You left your hair down," he says as he starts to play with my wet hair.

"I have to or it takes hours for it to dry," I tell him. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Not yet," he answers. To forestall the next question on my lips, he bends over and kisses me. I promptly forget the question.

"Ready to go see Guillermo?" he asks when he finally lets me up for air. I don't think I can say anything coherent, so I just nod.

He slowly leads me down the hall to Guillermo's room. It's not that far from my room, but by the time I get there, my legs are shaking and Abe has to help me the last few feet.

When we walk in, Guillermo is sitting up in his bed and he has his arms wide open toward me. Abe helps me to the side of the bed where I fall into Guillermo's arms. By the time we part, we've both cried ourselves out. I continue to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"I'm fine, thanks," he lies. "And you?"

"Peachy," I lie right back at him.

"Great," he says. "So, how did your grandmother's second meeting with Abe go?"

"Better than I expected," I tell him. "She's called off the wedding."

The look on his face makes me wish that I owned a camera. After about a minute, he finds his voice again.

"Are you sure that was your grandmother and not a pod person?" he jokes.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," I laugh. "She's supposed to come back sometime today. We'll see if she can get used to the idea of Abe. And if things go well, I might even try introducing her to Hellboy."

"I wouldn't recommend that," says Abe.

"Why?" I ask him.

"You're grandmother wasn't exactly being helpful when you went into cardiac arrest," he answers barely choking out the last two words. "Hellboy had to remove her."

"How did he remove her?" I ask with a sinking feeling that I really don't want the answer.

"He picked her up and carried her out," he replies.

Guillermo starts laughing so hard that tears start streaming down his face. Abe also has a look of amusement.

"Well, I'm glad that you two are entertained, but he could have hurt her you know," I point out.

"Hellboy can be gentle when he wants to be," responds Abe. "Besides, he used his left arm to carry her out, not his right."

"Speaking of a gentler Hellboy, I met Liz earlier," says Guillermo. "She's a lovely young lady. She was looking for you, Abe. Did she find you?"

"Yes, she did," Abe answers.

"Oh, dear," I say. "I totally forgot. I told Manning that I would find her a teacher and I forgot to get a list of Teachers in this area from you when we were still in the Library. Speaking of the Library, who's minding the store while you're up here lying in bed?"

"My assistant, Vicco," Guillermo answers. "As for a Teacher, what about me?"

"But what about the Library?" I ask him.

"Vicco has been ready to take over for years," he replies. "Besides, how am I supposed to make it back to the Library with this leg? You saw how much trouble I had getting out of there, and that was with two good legs. I'd be more than glad to Teach Liz. I need a change of scenery anyways."

"Well, as long as Manning and Liz are agreeable to it, I don't see any problem with you being her Teacher," I tell him. "At least now I don't have to worry about Liz burning down the trees around my house."

"Good," he says with a smile.

"I think it's time you went back to your room," Abe says quietly. "You're worn out."

I realize he's right. So I nod, say my goodbyes to Guillermo, and head back to my room. After a rather bland lunch of mashed potatoes and peas, I take a nap with Abe once again holding one hand and stroking my hair. I could really get used to that.

When I wake up, Abe is gone, but my grandmother is sitting next to my bed reading a magazine.

"Hi," I say.

"Hello, Margaret," she replies.

"Where's Abe?" I ask.

"He said something about meeting a friend," she answers.

"Did you two have a chance to talk?" I ask. I'm not sure I want to hear the answer, but some things are better if you just get them over with quickly.

"We did," she starts. Sighing, she continues. "You were right. He may not look normal, but he is a man. I just had a very hard time dealing with the fish aspects of him. I guess I should have expected you to pick someone out of the ordinary for your life mate. You're father didn't exactly stick to tradition either. But truth be told, your mother was a very nice lady. I'm afraid I wasn't very pleasant to her when she was alive. A fact that I'm sorry for now."

"I'm glad you now understand that I haven't lost my mind," I smile at her. I'm happy that things are starting to settle down. The rest of the visit is actually very pleasant and passes fairly quickly. After Grandmother leaves, Dr. Evans comes in.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"A bit sore and tired, but other than that, not bad," I answer.

"Good," she says. "I think that tomorrow you can go home. I want you to take it easy for about a week, so no heavy lifting or strenuous activities for that time. Make sure you get plenty of rest. I'm going to send you home with some pain pills to help you sleep, but take them only if you need them. You're going to need to work up to the level of activity you're used to. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes," I reply. Hellboy walks in.

"Good," she responds. "Now, I believe Abe is waiting for you in the library. Hellboy will help you get there."

He walks up to me and extends his left arm. I look up at him, but he's being totally stoic, so I have no idea what's up. I take the offered arm and he leads me through the corridors until we reach the library door. He opens the door and ushers me in. I step in and then stop dead in my tracks as Hellboy shuts the door behind me.

The lights are off. There is light coming from Abe's tank, the fire burning in the brazier, and the pair of candles sitting on a table that has been elegantly set for two. There are also several strands of small white lights strung around the room and down the banister of the staircase. The table is set next to the glass of the tank. There's even a bottle of wine sitting in an ice bucket on a stand next to the table. Classical music is playing softly in the background. It's Pachelbel's cannon in D.

"Do you like it?" Abe asks quietly from behind me.

"It's wonderful," I answer in awe. "But why?"

"Dr. Evans told me you were going home tomorrow. I wanted to do something special before you left," he explains.

"It's beautiful, Abe. Thank you."

"Come on," he says taking my arm and leading me to the table. "Dinner will be here soon."

He pulls out a chair and I sit. He takes the seat across from me with such elegance it takes my breath away. Before I can think of anything to say, John comes in carrying a couple of plates with a white towel over his arm. He places them in front of us, pours two glasses of wine and then quickly leaves. I notice that both the wine and the salad are my favorites. The sneak has been reading my mind.

"Is this doctor approved?" I ask as I pick up my salad fork.

"Yes, it is," he answers as he picks up his fork. "You're just not allowed to gorge yourself and you can only have one glass of wine."

I eat a few bites of the salad savoring the flavor. I take a sip of wine and look across the table. Abe seems to be a little hesitant about eating his salad.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"I've never had salad before," he tells me.

"How…?"

"Hellboy pretty much refuses to anything green, so they don't tend to serve it."

"Well, try it. You just might like it."

He takes a bite and seems mildly surprised.

"You're right," he says. "It is good."

I smile at him and go back to my salad. It's been so long since I've had real food, that I finish the salad before I realize that I'm totally ignoring Abe.

"I'm sorry," I tell him.

"It's all right," he says smiling. "I understand what it's like to finally eat after not doing so for a long time."

I think back. Has it really only been a little over three weeks since we met? It boggles the mind.

"So, how did your visit with Grandmother go?" I ask.

Before he can answer, John comes in and whisks away the plates, disappearing through the doors a moment later.

"It went fine," he answers. "I answered her questions. She's a bit more excepting of me. Especially since I pointed out that she's not exactly normal either."

"I guess she sometimes forgets that," I tell him.

John returns carrying a couple of larger plates. He places them in front of us and then disappears back through the doors. Shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta, steamed mixed veggies and garlic bread are what adorn the plate this time. Again, he's hit the bull's eye. My absolute favorite foods are being served before me.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're buttering me up for something," I say.

He just smiles and starts eating his dinner. He's up to something, I just haven't figured out what. While I try to figure out what he's scheming in that blue head of his, I eat my dinner. After I'm done eating and my glass is empty, I sit back and stare at him. He looks back at me and cocks his head to the side.

"What?" he asks.

"You're up to something," I answer. "I'm just trying to figure out what."

John comes scurrying in, quickly clears the plates and glasses and then he is gone once more. I know I'm not going to get a straight answer out of Abe, so I look around the room.

"Did you do the decorating, or did you get help?" I ask. "And where did you get the lights?"

"Hellboy helped me put the lights up," he replies. "John was able to find the lights. I'm pretty impressed that he was able to do it since it is July."

My blood suddenly runs cold. I can feel the food in my stomach constrict around the food I just ate.

"What's today's date?" I ask quietly. I can't quite look at him.

He looks at me for a moment. He stands, comes over to my side of the table and kneels next to me.

"I swear I wasn't trying to make you forget," he says. I'm staring at the table. I can feel tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Please tell me the date," I whisper.

With head bowed, he says, "The eighth."

I am suddenly having trouble breathing and I can feel the tears flowing down my face. Abe picks me up and sits me on his lap on the floor. When I'm finally cried out, I notice that he's taken his respirator and top off so that I'm leaning against his cool skin.

"It would have been their thirty-second wedding anniversary today," I say. "They've been gone for twenty-two years today."

"I wish I could have met your parents," he says quietly. "I would like to thank them for having such a beautiful daughter."

"Why did you do this, Abe?" I ask angrily sitting up and staring him in the eye. "You say you weren't trying to make me forget the day my parents were wed and died. Then why did you do this?"

"Because I wanted to do this," he says as he takes a small velvet covered box out of one of the pouches in his belt. He opens it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring and says, "Will you marry me?"