Chapter Twenty-Four

"Oh, no, no" Al said waving his hands in the air. "I don't like the way this sounds already. What if I don't want to know this detail?"

"Well it's kinda important darlin'." Luna said.

"This is never ending." Al paused. "You people screw up and I have to deal with the details'. I don't want to know."

"Darlin'..." Luna said. "Do you know who's life you saved that day?"

Al managed to sit. "I know." he said. "Yeah, I know. My mom... and if I had to do this again to save her I would. In a heartbeat I would." He paused. "What's the detail?"

"Well... you do know that there is a Michael McBain and he is very much alive."

"OK..."

"He's gonna need his body back, baby."

Al pursed his lips. "What are you trying to tell me Luna? Are you saying... Michael... I have to give this body back?"

"Not exactly... umm... darlin'... you can't stay here forever. The powers have been pretty pushy about that." Al looked at her. "Whether you get Marcie to see you or not, come New Years Eve, Michael McBain goes back to being Michael McBain and you go back to being..."

"Dead," Al sighed. "Where's the deal in that? That's not fair."

"I know that baby, but you're playing with someone else's life here too."

"But Michael..." he began. Al knew what he was thinking. Why did a creep like McBain deserve another chance? He didn't vocalize it however. "Let me get this straight. Marcie sees me and then I disappear? How does that help her... having us together just to lose it all over again."

"Well it's a good deed." Luna tried to rationalize. "You're redeeming Michael. You're giving him a new beginning."

"To hell with good deeds!" Al exclaimed. "What about my new beginning? What about that!? You're pretty much telling me I'm wasting my time. That Marcie's gonna see me and that'll be it."

"You have until New Year's, darlin' Whether or not you wanna keep at this is your choice. But ya gotta choose, Al."

"Choose to go back to... where ever with you, or rebuild a life for Michael McBain?"

"Sounds simple enough, baby."

"Sounds like a rip off to me," he said. Luna simply looked at him. "You're gonna tell me to look at the big picture again, aren't you?" She was silent. "I'm so tired of the big picture. The only thing that matters... that ever mattered is Marcie. And, for her to see me... and to lose it all again, that would kill her. I can't do that to her, Luna. Not again."

"So you wanna quit."

"What other choice so I have?" he said.

"You can stay." Al looked over, seeing little Gabby once again. "You can stop acting like such a baby and you can do what you started out trying to do."

"Yeah but..." Al crouched down. "When I started out, everything was different."

"What's different now?" she asked him "You don't love Marcie anymore?"

"Of course I love Marcie. I do."

"Then don't lose her, Al. Don't give up on her, no matter what. You have to stay."

He didn't understand why the child had such an impact on him. Something about her, her attitude, reminded him so much of himself and yet at the same time, so much of Marcie.

"Just stay Al" she said. "Give it some more time. Make it worth it."

"OK," he said. "OK, alright. I'll stay. I'll finish what I started. Even if... even if it only gives me a little more time with her... I'll stay."



Marcie sat alone at a table in Rodi's, swirling her straw absently in her soda. Her mind wandered to Ron, to the night before with Michael, it covered just about everything that had been going on lately, but stayed focused on Al. She hadn't even heard her name, being called.

"Hey... looks like you're having a bad day."

Marcie looked up. "Oh you have... no idea." she said.

"Want some company?"

"Knock yourself out." she said almost sarcastically. Marcie sighed. "I'm sorry. Yeah... yeah I'd love the company. I don't know if I'd be a room brightener, but.... please... please join me."

"Maybe you'll let me buy you a drink?"

"Oh I..." she motioned at her diet soda. "Maybe just another one of these."

He smiled. "Sure thing. So... Why don't you talk to me, what's got you completely bummed out?"

Marcie laughed softly. "Is that sincerity? Sounded like sincerity"

"And that shocks you Marcie Walsh?

"Well, I do admit that this is unexpected Paul Cramer."