Kate wouldn't have been able to describe the next few days if she tried. The change she felt in her own outlook on their situation was so startling, she nearly frightened herself. It was her own lack of fear that made her so worried. For the first time, she was able to slow down and simply exist without constantly second guessing every move she made. She felt confident. Secure. Safe. And most important of all, she wasn't alone.

Surprisingly, Simon hadn't turned any heads when he appeared out of his uniform. Richard had glanced curiously at him, eyeing the bland blue shirt as if he were looking for the CyberLife logo but never mentioned it or looked at it again. Taylor was conspicuously absent, although Kate wondered if her lifestyle was similar to her own in that Taylor preferred to avoid socializing. Occasionally Kate could hear the steady throb of music from the opposite corner of the house where she assumed Taylor's room was. Part of her wanted to simply crush her own social nervousness and stop by her room, at least to thank her for listening to her problems. But Kate silently wondered if she was just looking for a reason to change Taylor's mind about her opinions on androids.

They'd been spending less time in Kate's room, wandering the house and exploring the rooms that Kate hadn't seen in years. Simon led the way most of the time, questioning Kate about nearly everything. Some things were new, including what appeared to be a small workshop across from the library. Simon had walked through it slowly, examining each instrument and component which were mostly CyberLife technology but some small collections contained retro computer hardware. Kate had watched him with interest and had to put all her effort into containing the breathless thrill she felt seeing him in her t-shirt, the first thing she'd picked for him simply because she knew it would fit him.

Other areas of the house Kate had to explain to him as if she were a tour guide in a museum. She started with the library which was lined with picture frames scrolling through several slideshows of different stages in hers and her parents' lives. The living room had been updated although most of what she remembered had simply been moved to a different area. The dining room hadn't changed at all, and neither had the computer lounge although the technology had been updated. Without knowing why, she showed him the music box in the kitchen, and he gently opened it as she explained it to him, carefully wound a metal coil inside of it, and nearly froze her heart in her chest when he closed it again, bringing with it the nostalgic pinging of the song she'd almost forgotten.

It seemed as if the more uncomfortable his questions were about her past, the more eager she was to answer them. It felt less like she was tearing down the walls she'd built around herself, and more like she was building new ones to redefine what she thought was her tolerance threshold. He brought up the subject of her guitars and this time she had to make some attempt to show that not everything in her past was embarrassing. It took her a minute to retune the strings, and the muscle memory was sluggish although eventually she was able to relax on the floor of her room and strum out a grungy song which she even knew the words to. Simon watched her from the sofa in front of her bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him and his head tilted to one side. She was somewhat proud of herself, and out of curiosity, handed him the guitar expecting him to pluck at it awkwardly. Her breath was stolen from her chest when he confidently rested it on his knee and expertly strummed a slow tune. She was even less prepared for the sound of his voice which was unbelievably smooth yet still undeniably his. When he'd finished, she furiously threw out every bit of self control she'd been holding onto, taking the guitar from him and dropping it loudly on the floor before climbing onto his lap and finally finding an excuse to pull that god-forsaken shirt off of him.

Detroit winter was ending early that year. The snow had fully melted and the wet landscape it left behind became saturated in greenery. The city was beautiful during the change in the seasons when the clouds broke apart and created rolling layers of dimension in the sky. It was still painfully cold, with mornings crystallized by a blanket of frost which melted in patterns of the shade as the sun moved across the house like a slow scan. A light wind rose in the afternoons, bringing with it a minor relief to the freezing air which mixed with the warm temperatures from the south. It was the only time of the day that was worth leaving the house for, and Kate took the opportunity to brave the cold and finally escape into the backyard.

She could tell Simon wanted to observe the stone architecture of the massive patio. He immediately moved to the raised planters that lined the stone steps to the pool, and he held his hand out as he moved along them so that he just grazed the tops of the ferns. Kate moved slowly past him, folding her sweater against her chest and letting him take his time. However, she didn't intend to stay long. There was a specific place she had in mind to visit.

She saw Simon look up as she made her way down the steps towards the pool. He seemed to get the idea, and she heard him move after her.

"Are you warm enough?" he said.

Kate shook her head. "Not in the least." She wrapped her arms tighter around herself, clenching the odd bulky sensor in her fist.

"Do you want me to get you a coat?"

She looked sideways at him as they moved onto the grass, giving him just enough of a scrutinizing glare to give him an answer but accompanied by a smile so he would know she wasn't serious. He seemed to understand, and resumed gazing at the trees as they walked.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"You'll see," said Kate. She raised herself up slightly as if it would help her see through the trees. "If it's still even here."

They reached the treeline and she spotted the familiar dirt path winding through the section of trees. It had faded considerably, and the fresh growth along with a blanket of pine needles made it blend into the untamed ground around it. She moved ahead, a strange eagerness taking hold of her. The water's edge was just visible in between the pillars of trunks, flashing bright white against deep black in the harshness of the afternoon sun. For a moment, a creeping dread twisted in her chest. She should have seen it by now. It was supposed to be right at the end of the path. She quickened her pace, and then a dark structure loomed to her left.

She slowed and let out a soft laugh as Simon moved next to her. The boat house was smaller than she remembered. And if it had been dilapidated before, it was almost in ruins now. The A-shaped frame jutted out into the water with winged attachments on either side. There was a gaping hole in the roof, and all of the windows were missing. The wooden balcony that wrapped around the front had collapsed in one area, creating a deadly pile of debris next to the lower entrance. Nature had reclaimed some sections, with young trees growing out of the planks and sides, and a creeping arm of ivy worked its way up onto the walkway. The place screamed of spiders. For a second, Kate had the temptation to turn around and give up.

But that old thrill was taking hold in her. She'd explored this dangerous playground countless times as a child, never having enough time to fully immerse herself before either her mother or father dragged her away from it. If it hadn't been for her father's incessant promises that he was going to restore the old building and add a new boat to match, the structure would probably have been torn down ages ago. She was glad to see that his promises had still held, or at least he'd forgotten about them.

Simon moved forward in front of her, gazing up at the building as he walked along the path. She watched him as he moved. There was something iconic about seeing his perfectly sculpted form in such a ruined environment, his LED blinking yellow against his temple. Kate suddenly wished she had a camera.

She moved after him, stepping up carefully next to him onto the rotted wooden porch. There were broken pieces of furniture on either side of the entrance that she didn't recognize, or perhaps she just didn't remember. The double doors were chained together, but whoever originally built the place had gone with glass doors which were now empty. The interior was dark and dusty, vague shapes of stacked furniture and equipment rising from the shadows. It was ominous.

Simon looked sideways at her, and she didn't need to return his gaze to see his concerned expression. "This place isn't safe," he said.

Kate glanced at him, that adventurous thrill pulling at her again. She threw him a challenging smile before stepping over the broken door frame and waving a hanging cobweb out of her face. There was a soft creak behind her which let her know Simon had followed her inside.

She hardly recognized anything. Not that the building had ever been in decent shape. At some point things had been organized at least into stacks, but they had toppled over through the years, breaking into pieces of wood and cushion. There were areas of clear space, draped in spiderwebs, and other areas that were impassable either from the damaged furniture or stored engine parts. In front of them was the boat dock which opened directly into the house, although it appeared that glass had originally separated the two areas. The old boat that Kate remembered was gone. It was odd to think that everything else looked untouched, but that someone had decided to get rid of the boat.

Kate moved towards the open space on the right, waving dust and webs out of her face. She went slowly, stepping over items on the ground that were too buried in dust to identify. "Yeah, this is definitely creepier than I remember."

"I wouldn't advise going upstairs." Simon gazed up at the ceiling. "This structure isn't entirely stable."

"Yep," said Kate, glancing up. "The hole in the roof is new." She stepped towards the dock, peering into the dark water. A solid oval shape waved just underneath the surface, and she realized that the boat wasn't gone. It had simply sunk.

She moved away from the dock, the dark depths and shapes giving her an unnerving case of thalassophobia. A plank crunched underneath her and she jumped back into the safety of the house, throwing a glance behind her. "I'm pretty sure this place is violating about a hundred safety codes."

"We should leave then," said Simon.

"Are you kidding me?" said Kate. She held the sensor in front of her and fumbled with the switches. "We have to at least try."

She could see Simon staring at her, and she couldn't hide her smile as she struggled to turn the instrument on. "What is that?" he asked.

"It's an EMF detector," she said. She looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Look, I couldn't resist."

"Are you looking for electric cables?" he said. Even through the dark and haze, Kate could see him narrow his blue eyes.

"It's─" She pressed a palm to her forehead, already knowing how stupid this would sound. "Supposedly it detects ghosts."

He was quiet for a moment. "You said you don't believe in ghosts."

Kate laughed, finally hearing a small pop as the dial swung back and forth on the meter. "Yeah well, I'm up for having my mind changed." The dial fluctuated wildly, and she rotated around as she tried to pinpoint it. A light sigh left her. "Huh, I didn't really count on this."

She moved forward as the dial swung steadily upward, and it peaked as she found herself standing in front of Simon. She looked up at him, and he was gazing at her with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. She lowered the detector and blew a bit of hair out of her face. "Well, you make ghost hunting a little difficult."

He cocked his head to one side. "I don't see how electromagnetism confirms the presence of ghosts."

"It doesn't. It just…" Kate sighed, resting her back against the wall. "It's stupid. The belief that ghosts use electricity to manifest, they can't cross over water, they're either residual or intelligent, they use mirrors to pass from one world to the next… it's all bullshit."

Simon nodded towards the detector. "Then why do you look for them?"

She looked up at him, struggling to find a solid answer. A heavy sigh escaped her, and she waved the detector. "I guess because it's fun."

His eyes tensed for a moment, and she could see he was thinking. "How is bullshit fun?"

Kate fell forward slightly as she let out a burst of laughter, catching herself with her hands on her knees. She drew up, brushing her hair back and taking a deep breath as she failed to hide her smile. "That's how."

His LED spun yellow for a moment, and Kate couldn't help the guilty but satisfying feeling that she was making him terribly confused. She set the EMF detector down on a cluttered table, watching as the hand continued to swing back and forth wildly. "I don't know," she said, staring down at it. "There's something about not having a scientific answer to a really obvious problem that makes people want to come up with bullshit stories in order to explain it. Actually, the whole idea of ghost hunting is to prove that ghosts aren't real."

Simon moved away, and she looked up to see him step towards the dock. He straightened carefully as he gazed into the murky waters. "It seems strange to believe that ghosts aren't real, yet still have a need to prove that they aren't real."

"Vanity," said Kate. She noticed the meter calmed as Simon moved further from it. "You get to rub it in the faces of people who do believe in ghosts if you're able to find a logical explanation for it. People see a curtain move and it doesn't occur to them that it's just the wind. Or they hear footsteps when it's really just a raccoon in their attic. I mean, if we're going by the EMF detector, you're the strongest evidence of ghosts so far."

He looked back at her as he moved further down the room, and Kate could see the smile in his blue eyes before he turned away to gaze at what appeared to be an old stereo. She watched him as he reached out and touched the panel on the front, getting no activity from it. He moved on through the boat house, and Kate felt that electric thrill burn through her at his inquisitiveness. It was as if he knew more about the world than he was willing to admit, and Kate found herself humbled by it.

The floorboards creaked under him as he gazed down one wing of the building, his form now only a black silhouette in the shadows. "What's the problem?" he asked.

Kate tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Huh?"

"The obvious problem." He looked towards her before turning towards the sitting area and moving along the front of the couches. "That people need to make up stories for in order to explain it."

It took longer than she expected for his question to make sense. She crossed her arms over her chest, struggling to find a straightforward answer. "I guess… it's death."

Simon paused and she saw his silhouette glance up at her. She shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to keep the mood light. "No one wants to die but I guess we're all headed towards it one way or another. It's the price we pay for being human."

There was a flash of yellow that Kate understood to be his LED. "You say that as if you're being punished."

Kate glanced down, gripping her arms. She let out a sigh. "Maybe we are. A lot of us waste our lives doing stupid things. Bad things." She watched as the meter went still besides the occasional twitch. "Another bullshit story we have is that we were punished with mortality for disobeying God and eating an apple from the tree that he told us not to eat from. Made us see the truth. We became aware of ourselves. So now instead of living forever, we get only a hundred years to completely screw up our lives."

Simon was silent. Kate looked up at him to see that he was still standing motionless in the sitting area, a yellow glow flashing against the wall next to him. "So in a sense you… deviated," he said.

A strange awe floated through her. She stared at Simon, and then laughed in disbelief. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you could say that."

He looked away from her, and Kate could see from his posture that he was tense. His shoulders were drawn, and his head bowed. Through the shadows, she watched as he brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck.

Kate tilted her head. "Hey, are you okay?"

He seemed to pause for a moment, his hand resting against his neck. "I don't want to live forever."

The statement caught her off guard. A raw sense of reality fell over her as she absorbed what he'd said. She shifted uncomfortably to shake it somewhat. "Why not? No one wants to die."

He looked up at her, his face still hidden by the shadows. "But you'll die. Someday."

Her stomach twisted as she found herself unwittingly speculating what he was implying. His concern dawned on her, and she felt a sickening dread. It hadn't occurred to her that what she'd been saying would affect him in this way. His tense silhouette turned, and his fear was obvious even in the dim light of the boat house. Kate couldn't help but suddenly picture what it would be like for him years from now when this whole situation was completely different. When they would be physically incompatible. When she wasn't physically here at all. But Simon would be. He would experience all of it, and keep going long after.

She forced the thoughts out as quickly as she could, straightening and taking a deep breath. Her nervousness faded, replaced by artificial determination. "There's nothing we can do about it."

Simon paused in front of the stereo again, and this time she could see the worry in his blue eyes. He gazed at her, his eyebrows drawn so that they brought more worried light underneath them. "It makes me afraid to know that I can't stop it."

She met his gaze, and despite herself felt her heart skip a beat. She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "Then you're missing the point."

His worried expression narrowed slightly in confusion. Kate threw a glance to the side, her smile growing stronger. "It's not worth it to prove that ghosts exist, or that there's a god in the sky, or to come up with some magic pill that makes us live fifty years longer than we should," she said. "You can get obsessed with trying to find some loophole. Some evidence that everything doesn't just end when our bodies shut down. And the fact that you don't know for sure just makes you panic. It makes you worry about something that you have no control over and that's going to happen no matter what. You'll lose the only thing that you do have control over." She looked at him, and he was staring at her as though he was hanging on to her every word. She hung her head slightly so that her hair fell sideways. "How to make the most of the time that you don't know you have left."

There was a strange energy in his eyes, something between hope and concern. He glanced down and his jaw tensed. "I have five-hundred eighty-three years, one month and ninety-three days until my quantum battery loses its charge. I can replace it before that happens. As long as I'm not irreparably damaged in that time, there's no reason I won't essentially live forever." His gaze met hers, and she recognized the pain in his blue eyes. "But will it be worth living?"

"Yes." The abruptness of her statement surprised even Kate. She held onto it, a strange power filling her with strength. "It's always worth it to keep going."

Simon shook his head. "But without you─"

"Without me you'll still be just as important," she said. "If not to me then to someone else. In what you do, what you say, the changes you survive through. You'll take what you've gained and…" She shrugged her shoulders. "Carry it with you. Just like you will with everyone else you meet. It's the only way people can get through this crazy life when the people they love die, otherwise we'd be the most suicidal animals in existence. The only way we enjoy what we have is because we don't think about how we're eventually going to lose it."

Simon seemed to relax a bit, although Kate could still see the tension in his shoulders. He stared down at the stereo, his LED now spinning a calm blue. She knew he was still thinking about it, and she couldn't help the subtle guilt that crept through her. It was easy for her to tell him not to worry considering when that time eventually came, she wouldn't be the one left behind. A curiously fragile future lay ahead of them, and an even longer one would continue for him. She could try to imagine what that future would be like for him, but the anxious feeling was threatening to return. Instead she rooted herself back into the present, focusing on the chill of the air and the musty smell of the boat house.

Kate moved forward, raising her hand to touch a hanging chandelier that seemed to be displaying better artwork in the form of cobwebs than in the metalwork. There was clicking and grinding, and Kate threw a glance back to see that Simon had opened the top of the stereo and was working the electronics inside it with one hand. She turned away, walking carefully along an open path between the stored objects and the counter that ran along one wall. The shapes of the items were just barely identifiable underneath the layer of dirt and dust that coated them, revealing old fishing poles, jars of nuts and bolts, fishing lures, and looped coils of rope. A lingering sense of disappointment tugged at her chest as she examined the countertops. It was strange that someone had put so much effort into utilizing the boat house only for it to have been abandoned and taken back by nature.

"How would you choose to live your life?" said Simon. Kate stopped and looked back at him, and he glanced back up at her with a nervous expression that told her he was rethinking his own question. "In a perfect world, I mean."

Kate let out a small laugh. The casual tone of his voice had sounded unusually authentic. "I don't know," she said. "I thought I knew what that was but I think I was mostly just telling myself what I should want rather than going with what I really wanted. I guess it's easier for me to say what I don't want."

Simon looked up at her again, still working noisily on the stereo. Kate drew her shoulders up as she moved back towards the dock. "I don't want to just drift through life, taking the easy road and existing at bare minimum. I don't want to do what people tell me I should do, or even what I tell myself what I should do. I want to be able to change people's minds. Tell them they're capable of so much more and to question everything instead of just settling on what's easiest. I don't… I don't ever want to be satisfied."

She ran her hand through her hair as she tried to break down her thoughts a bit more. There was a blue line on Simon's wrist, and she realized that his skin had drawn back as he manipulated the different components inside the stereo. She gazed sideways at him. "I guess I don't know what the hell I want. I've spent so much time knowing what I don't want that I never really stop to think about what I actually want."

Simon kneeled, looking carefully at the panel with his blue eyes narrowed in focus. "Do you want to stay here with your father?"

"God no," she said, sighing and putting her forehead in her hand. "I want to get as far away from here as possible. I just don't know where, when, or how to do it." She rested her hands on the table in front of her, staring out at the lake. "This place has a way of making you feel stuck."

She watched as he pressed his hand to the panel, his LED flashing yellow. A curious fascination swept through her as the intricate blue lines on the exposed plastic of his hand also flashed in unison with his LED, something she had never noticed before. A small smile tugged at her mouth. "What about you?"

Simon looked up at her, a hint of surprise on his face. "Me?"

"Yeah." She turned around so that she rested back against the table, her hands gripping the edge. "What do you want to do with your life?"

He glanced down, and the lights on his hand went dark momentarily. "I suppose… I want to discover who I am. As a person."

Kate flexed her hands on the table as she smiled. "Well, you don't need to spend a whole lifetime to figure that out. Especially with the amount of time you have."

He raised his head slightly as he seemed to contemplate again. "Then I want to fly a ship."

Kate snorted, and then doubled over as she laughed. It took her a while to compose herself enough to look up at Simon who had resumed tinkering with the stereo, a sideways smile on his face.

"You want to fly the U.S.S Enterprise," said Kate, interrupting herself with a fit of laughter again. "You want to be in Star Trek… Simon…" She pinched the bridge of her nose as she shook. "Do you think the future is Star Trek?"

"I have no idea," he said. "I haven't been there yet."

Kate shook her head, unable to keep her laughter under control. "God, when people said I was obsessed with Star Trek, that should have been a warning."

"I can appreciate the realistic qualities of Star Trek," said Simon. "Progress, exploration, and stability."

Kate shook her head. "Well, you picked a hell of a life goal. I'm pretty sure it will take more than five-hundred years to accomplish galactic peace."

"Kate."

She looked down at him, and saw his eyebrows raised and his sideways smile still pulling at his lips. "I just want to fly a ship," he said.

Kate let out another laugh, pushing off from the table and running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, well you're probably going to have to wait a while for that one." She dragged her hand over the table and tapped on the EMF meter which was fluctuating again. Part of her wanted to elaborate on what he really meant, but somehow she felt that he wouldn't want to answer her. She could guess what he'd wanted to say. It really wasn't that hard. It had been obvious for the past few days. And the more time she spent with him, the more she felt it becoming a wonderfully solid part of her new life.

The EMF detector was making noise as it swung, and Kate brought herself out of her thoughts as she narrowed her eyes at it. The little instrument was going wild. She glanced curiously behind her, then moved the instrument further down the table. The signal became stronger. She looked up, expecting some kind of appliance or modern electronic that she had missed. Everything was dark and covered in dust. She looked down again, and picked up the meter. The needle swung, then rested quietly.

A burst of sound behind her caused her to jump. She spun, and with a hammering heart realized that the lights on the stereo had turned on, and the panel was dancing. Simon stood up and pressed his hand to the panel, and the blaring music faded to a tolerable level. Kate shook her head, calming herself with a deep breath and feeling generally impressed by the fact Simon had brought a twenty year old stereo back to life. As she moved away from it, her attention was grabbed by the EMF detector which had started to swing again.

The stereo noises were interrupted by static as the channels changed, bringing with it clips of news reports, country songs, advertisements, and hip hop. Kate gazed through the shadows and drifting dust at the workshop in front of her. It was too dark to confidently identify any of the equipment, and she felt an eerie intrigue sweep over her. She held the EMF detector in front of her, and the meter swung to the extreme. Her eyes tensed, and she gazed over the instrument at the pile of parts. It was nonsense. Bullshit. But at the same time, she couldn't help a growing apprehension which formed in her stomach.

She heard something move behind her, and she glanced back to see that Simon had stepped away from the stereo and was standing next to her. A soft smile lit his face, and it took Kate a moment to realize he was holding his hand out to her.

She stared at him, her mind struggling to understand what he meant. Then she noticed the music that the stereo had been playing quietly. It was a slow symphony, something that might be played at a formal wedding or dinner party with a hint of jazz. As the apprehension in her gut wrenched tighter, she recognized the song as a slower version of What a Wonderful World.

Kate immediately shook her head before she could stop herself. "Oh god. Oh no, I'm not─" She sucked in a terrified gasp as Simon moved into her, taking the detector from her hand and setting it on the table before clasping her hand in his. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched his every movement. "Simon─ oh god, please don't make me do this." His hand was at her waist, and she buried her face in his shoulder as she attempted to hide her terrified grin. "Christ, I'm gonna die…"

His cheek pressed lightly against her temple as he swayed gently back and forth, and Kate could feel his smile. She clutched his shoulder, her eyes tightly closed as her blinding panic expressed itself in the form of tense laughter. She felt him flex his hand in hers, and a breathtaking thrill mixed with her panic. This was so humiliating. So shockingly unexpected. But as he pulled her closer into him, moving her in a general rhythm with the slow beat of the song, she found herself wishing it would never end.

She bit her lip as she forced her body to relax, willing herself to simply accept that she was doing this with him. For the moment, she was content to simply hide her face in his neck, gripping his shoulder in a way that passed as what she thought was correct but still enough off-center that she could excuse herself from being too enthusiastic about it. Simon, on the other hand seemed completely at ease, one hand on the curve of her waist and the other hand holding hers carefully as though it were made of glass. He acted as though he'd done this a thousand times.

The soft feel of his skin and the fresh linen scent of his body was starting to take over. Kate felt her heart begin to pound for an entirely different reason, and she pulled herself away slightly so that she could look up at him. It didn't help. That teasing smile was still on his lips, and every detail from the kind look in his eyes to the faint freckles on his skin was making Kate feel as though she were floating. She shut her eyes and smiled to keep herself grounded. "I've never done this before in my life," she said.

His shoulders jolted and Kate felt him let out a breath of laughter. When she opened her eyes, his smile had grown more compassionate. She felt the air nearly freeze in her chest as he leaned in slightly. "Neither have I," he said.

That floating feeling was in control now. Kate's head spun, and for a second she couldn't tell if they were moving or standing still. With a desperate but relieved surrender, she let out a breath and fell into him, pressing her forehead to his cheek and losing herself in the close feel of him. Her body finally relaxed, her eyes closing and every sensation heightened to take in every aspect of him. The angled shape of his shoulder was driving her insane as she held onto him, every ridge from his collarbone to the muscles and dips in his neck was too perfect, and the way he moved… the gentle sway that was enough to be considered dancing but slow so that they stayed in one place. She could do this. She could let herself go and never find herself again. It hardly seemed a worthy sacrifice compared to the elation he was filling her with.

She tilted her head, opening her mouth and drawing in a helpless breath of air against his neck. "How do you always know how to do this…"

His thumb smoothed down hers, and she felt electric sparks as he grazed her wrist. "Do what?" he said barely above a whisper. The sound of his voice made her curl herself against him, and she braved letting go of his hand so that she could touch his face.

"This," she said. It was difficult for her to control her own voice, as if she didn't have the strength to fully speak. "Taking my breath away. Draining all the power out of me in the most─" She felt her breath hitch as she drew her hand along his neck, running her thumb over his cheek. "─provocative way. As if this is what I was made for. Everything I'm afraid of, everything that I'm trying to hide from is what's keeping me alive." She ran her hand back and laced her fingers into his hair, pressing her body into him. She let out a breath and absorbed the feel of his cheek against her forehead. "You're saving me."

His hands were sliding up and along her back, his swaying getting slower. She felt him open his mouth near her ear. "Keep going," he said.

She smiled, pressing her lips to his neck so that he could feel it. "I thought I would never feel like this. I thought this was something I should avoid. That I was better than it like it was a sin. That feeling of being terrified and in ecstacy at the same time." Simon let out a breath and tilted his head so that he pressed his open mouth to her cheek. His hands were tightening against her, and Kate fought the urge to drop her head back. "I said I didn't know if a million other people are like us. Simon… if there's no one else in the world who feels this, who feels what you make me feel, then we exist somewhere else." She drew her hand back along his jaw and ran her thumb over his bottom lip, her heart nearly bursting from her chest as she breathed heavily against his neck. "Every time I think I can't fall any more in love with you than I already am, you prove me so wrong. And my whole world falls apart…"

His sudden breath was hot against her skin, and he brought his hands up to hold either side of her neck, his fingers sliding through her hair. Kate's body was electrified as she breathed against his open mouth, his nose pressed to her cheek. There was a buzzing, and she gripped the front of his shirt as she felt her mind open up. He flooded her with his presence, every part of her becoming deliciously exposed. She fought for air as he ran both his thumbs over her cheeks.

"Tell me," he whispered against her mouth. His head fell slightly sideways, and he breathed in as she breathed out. "Tell me, Kate…"

She found herself faltering, the urgency in his voice making it too precious to say. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to say it out loud in a way that he could believe it. In a way that she would believe it. Even though every part of her was burning so strongly that she knew he would be able to feel what she was going to say. It was terribly overdue. She should have done this a long time ago.

She slid her hands further up along his neck as she breathed into him, drawing up her strength. The tension in his body was nearly sending her into a frenzy. "Simon," she barely managed to whisper. "Simon, I lo─"

A sudden crashing made her jump into him. She threw her arms around him and he caught her, stumbling back a few steps. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would leap from her chest. After a few belligerent moments, she looked up.

Simon had an arm around her waist and his other around her shoulder with his hand in her hair, forming a protective shield around her. He was gazing towards the workshop, and although Kate couldn't see his LED, his expression was narrowed in confusion. She followed his gaze, frantically analyzing the shadows.

Nothing moved. She couldn't see what had fallen, although from the sound of it, it had been something massive. Her mind was scrambling on overdrive, struggling to comprehend the situation. She didn't know if she should be afraid. Her mind was trapped in a strange limbo of emotions. As they stood in silence, the stereo continued on behind them, moving on to a different tune.

Kate slowly loosened herself from his grip, standing straighter to look for the source of the sound. "What the hell was that?"

Simon was standing perfectly still, his eyes still narrowed as he scanned the room. Kate glanced at him, and then her eyes fell to the EMF detector. Her stomach lurched as she saw it was twitching in the red.

"We should go," said Simon.

Kate shook her head in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking─"

There was another loud bang from somewhere in the corner of the room. A burst of panic sent Kate stumbling backwards towards the exit. "Holy shit!"

Simon was moving quickly after her, and without thinking, she bolted through the room, leaping through the broken double doors and slowing as she reached the trees. Simon slowed next to her, turning sideways to look back at the boat house.

"Are you serious?" Kate laughed as she ran her hands through her hair, a giddy panic still coursing through her. "There's no way. No way that actually happened."

Simon threw a glance at her as they walked, and she could see the corners of his mouth tensed in a skeptical smile. She fell forward slightly as she struggled to contain her laughter, a frustrating stubbornness holding her fast. "Did you see what it was?" she asked.

"Only a glimpse," said Simon. He raised a blond eyebrow at her. "I doubt it was a ghost."

"Well, what was it? An animal?" Kate looked through the trees, a bubbly chill gripping her as if expecting to see it right next to them. "Was it a cougar? I can't remember if there's cougars out here."

"If it was a cougar we'd probably be dead," said Simon. Kate let out a laugh, gazing at him.

"Are you saying you couldn't take on a cougar?" she said. Simon gave her the same scrutinizing glare with a smile that she had given him earlier which on his face made his blue eyes look even more intense.

"A cougar would rend and destroy me in seconds," he said.

Kate stared at him, then raised her eyebrows as she glanced away. "Well, that sucks. I guess I'd have to get a regular boyfriend."

Simon was silent. Kate let it sink in for a moment, knowing he was probably fuming inside. She moved slightly sideways and bumped his shoulder without looking. When she finally did, his expression was narrowed and tense. He gazed back at her, and she gave him a weak apologetic smile. She held it there, and then she saw it. The corners of his mouth tensed, and he quickened his pace after her.

She stepped sideways out of the trees, holding her hand up. "Don't you─"

Simon made a grab for her and she darted backwards across the grass. "Don't take it so personally!" she said. The bright smile on his face as he lunged forward again was utterly contagious, and Kate couldn't stop her own smile as she dodged him again. He seemed to be purposely letting her escape, his long smooth strides too carefully placed for him to be failing so miserably, with an occasional jump when she was close enough. Kate walked backward in front of him, raising a finger towards him. "You can't expect me to spend the rest of my life like a vestal virgin─"

Simon bolted forward, and she let out a shriek as she felt his shoulder on her stomach and the ground loomed up in front of her. Her shriek turned into a laugh as she frantically clutched at his shoulders to stay steady. "Oh my god, what the fuck─"

She screamed again as she felt him purposely tip her backwards over his shoulder so that her legs nearly flipped. She scrambled to grab at his back, adrenaline burning through her as she centered again, half-screaming and half-laughing nonsense. "Jesus Christ what the hell are you trying to do─ don't fucking drop me─"

His hand loosened around her legs for just a moment, and Kate felt another burst of adrenaline causing her to grab at him and let out another shriek. She clenched her eyes shut as she laughed uncontrollably, her body beginning to ache at how hard she'd been laughing. Just as his shoulder was beginning to get uncomfortable, the ground disappeared, and Kate felt pressure across her back as she found herself looking up at him. He carried her with one arm under her shoulders and the other supporting under her knees. She panted heavily, wishing she could stop laughing for just a moment so she could catch her breath. The expression on his face was making it hard for her to do that. His blue eyes were bright, wrinkled at the corners along with his smile that Kate was so unused to. He didn't just look happy. He looked proud, surprised, relieved, and so many other things all at the same time. It didn't take long for her to understand. He was happy because she was happy.

He twisted slightly and dropped her legs so that she could stand in front of him, but she held him to her with her arms wrapped over his shoulders. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his expression. It was so rare. So beautiful. And the breathless feeling it was filling her with made this seem unbelievably precious. She wanted to see him do this more. It was only a small thing to wish for.

She saw him glance up towards the house and then his eyes fell on her, his smile threatening to drop. A small panic burned through her.

"We'd better get back inside," he said. "It's going to be dark─"

"I love you," she said.

Simon tensed, his blue eyes widening and his mouth opening as if he'd been stunned. Kate held onto his neck, pressing her thumbs against his jaw and moving closer into him. "I love you, Simon. I love you. God I love you."

She breathed against his mouth, an electric cascade washing over her. His hands were tight against her sides and he seemed to hold her back. She drew back slightly, gazing up at him to see that his blue eyes were somewhat nervous although she recognized the desperation in them. She straightened and glanced away.

"Is someone watching?" she asked. She looked back up at him and saw his eyes flick back towards the house. He gave a slow nod.

Kate brought her hands up higher, running her thumbs along his cheeks as she felt what she thought was apprehension. That electricity was coursing through her body, forcing her into action. She breathed heavily as she gazed at his face, every feature of him throwing her senses into chaos. When she met his eyes again, she let it overwhelm her.

She bit her lip and tightened her hands on him. "I don't care."

She raised herself, twisting into him as she pulled him in and closed her mouth against his. The debilitating closeness of him brought back that feeling of floating on air, and she paused against him to let him accept this. Then he pulled her in by the waist, his hands climbing up her back as he took her mouth, drawing in a deep breath against her cheek. Kate arched into him as she drew her hand up his neck and into his hair, pulling him tighter into her. She couldn't get enough of this. The tension in his body, the pressure of his hands on her back, the saline taste of his mouth, and the overwhelming feeling that he was experiencing the same thing with her. It was unbelievable.

His hand ran along her side and she felt him cup her neck with his fingers laced in her hair as he brushed his nose against hers, twisting to the other side and taking her mouth again. Kate fell further into him, her body losing strength as she let him wrap himself around her. When he paused against her, she pulled away just enough to meet his eyes. He gazed at her for a moment, breathing heavily so that his breath warmed her lips. Then the corners of his eyes wrinkled again, and Kate was swept away by his elated smile.

She felt herself smiling as well, spurred on by his own energy and noticing that it made his expression stronger. When she moved back into him, her lips brushed his, and there was a satisfying tension in his mouth as she closed her mouth against it. She hoped that every time she did this with him that it would feel as good as it did now. It was worth every risk.