Dorothea and D'Amour sat in the parked car together. It was a little after seven in the morning, and the entire city of Los Angeles seemed still. Sitting there, looking up the long driveway to the mansion, Dorothea burst into tears. Reaching over, D'Amour put his arm around her as she wept.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay…"

Dorothea shook her head.

"It won't, it never will be."

D'Amour lifted Dorothea's head before looking her straight in the eye. The blood on his face was now drying.

"Listen, you didn't do anything wrong…you don't have to be afraid anymore."

Leaning in to kiss her, Dorothea pulled away.

"No, please…"

D'Amour paused for a second sighing before looking at her.

"You still loved him, didn't you?"

Dorothea looked over, her eyes bloodshot.

"It was a mistake, I'm so sorry…I was just so upset and you seemed like the only person that cared."

D'Amour looked at her, his eyes still friendly but having a serious understanding about what she meant. She knew D'Amour cared for her…he wouldn't be here if he didn't. But her heart still ached. She couldn't love another man…not as long as she lived.

Slowly nodding, he softly smiled.

"Okay…"

"I'm so sorry…"

He shook his head."

"Don't be, your alive and that's all that matters."

Smiling at him, she went into his arms and breathed deeply. She wished she could have Philip back. More then anything right now, all she wanted as to see him and make this awful pain go away. Laying against D'Amour, she stared up at her mansion as birds faintly sang in the distance.

Two weeks later.

There was a police investigation. Clemenzia body was taken away and questions were asked. Valentine was a suspect, and finally put down as a missing person. D'Amour handled mostly everything until it a closed case. Nobody ever found Nix's place in the desert, nor Philip's body.

One rainy afternoon, D'Amour sat down in the living room. Looking over paperwork as Dorothea walked over, a drink in her hand. The last two weeks she hadn't really had a chance to focus on what really happened. To finally live without fear. D'Amour had been busy with the police and now things were settled. She could now live her life in peace.

D'Amour had been by her side the entire time. He had now grown into a close friend of hers and made sure she was okay. Dorothea knew she would never be able to repay him for everything he did. In many ways, he had been the one to save her…and stop Nix for good. He had a room of his own in the house, and was planning on returning to New York soon. Dorothea felt guilty about what happened between the two of them. But he understood, he made sure she had her space and didn't hold any hard feelings. He knew her relationship with Philip had been a rough one, and now she was really alone. After thirteen long years she now had to face the future alone. It was her choice…but she knew it was the right one.

Dorothea even offered for him to stay. D'Amour smiled, saying he had a life in New York he couldn't leave behind. And now after seeing the things he did…he felt stronger that he could face his fears and move on in life. They did promise to visit each other. Dorothea said she would fly out to New York later that winter if he would come back next spring. Both felt safe with each other and knew being friends were better.

D'Amour even told her about his wife who died a few years ago. How she was on her way to file for divorce when she got into a car wreck. He explained that even though they seemed to hate each other, he still hadn't fully gotten over her death. Dorothea somehow knew what he meant. This awful aching inside her heart whenever she thought of Philip…might never go away for good.

D'Amour planned to leave at the end of the month. Until then, the two of them stayed inside the mansion. Trying to make each other laugh, and move on from these painful memories.

Sitting beside D'Amour, Dorothea smiled.

"Everything in line?"

D'Amour nodded before looking up at the mantle above the fireplace.

"That your wedding photo?"

Dorothea glanced up before smiling. Her grief had been numbed the last week or so between drinking and taking more then enough pills to keep her still through the night. Dreams still came of Philip, the sad flicker in his eyes before he was killed. Telling Nix he still loved her.

She cried a lot, but made sure D'Amour wouldn't see her.

She wished this Hell she was trapped in would just go away. Maybe, just maybe it would have been better of she died too. Setting her drink down, Dorothea got up and took the photo.

"It's really an album, see?"

Dorothea sat down beside D'Amour before opening it up.

The first photo was taken only a week after they met each other. Valentine had taken it a few days after they came into Los Angeles. The photo was of Swann with his arms around her, both smiling and laughing. Looking at the photo, Dorothea sighed. They were so young back then…

The next couple were mostly of Swann, herself, and Valentine. Dorothea had taken pages worth of photos of Swann at nightclubs and small gigs around the city. Passing through a few more, it showed them now getting older. Still looking just in love and unable to keep their hands off each other. Thirteen whole years all kept in one single album. Thousands of memories all there. Finally she turned the photo to the ultrasound photo of their baby. Sighing she pointed.

"That was our son…"

D'Amour looked down.

"Did you name him?"

Dorothea slowly nodded.

"Atticus…Philip loved that name."

Holding back tears, she flipped through a few more, most of them from their wedding. Finally the pages went blank. After the baby died, the happy memories seemed to have faded away. Now what she saw was lost time. Time she could of spent with Philip…trying to rebuild their marriage. Finally closing the album she wiped a tear away before looking at D'Amour.

"Did you have any children?"

D'Amour shook his head.

"That's the reason my wife and I were getting a divorce, I wanted kids…she didn't."

Sighing, Dorothea ran her fingers over the cover of the album, the photograph of Philip and her on their wedding day. Smiling and holding each other.

"I really don't know how I'm going to deal with this, I mean the first time…it didn't hurt as much, maybe I knew it wasn't true…deep down inside."

D'Amour's arms went around her as she contorled herself. Sighing she glanced out the window and saw rain falling on the gray overcast day.

"I guess it finally dawned on me how much I really loved him after he was gone…"

Shutting her eyes, Dorothea began to weep. D'Amour held her. Finally she opened her eyes. She wished they had taken his body with them, she wished she could just see him one last time. Knowing this was her life…a long never ending road of darkness, she wished she had died. Looking up at D'Amour, she knew there was a chance to start over. To stop pushing him away and just let life take her in that direction. But she didn't love him like she loved Philip. This love was more of a friendship, She felt safe around D'Amour, but knew being with him wouldn't be fair. For the rest of her life she would always think about Philip. How much time she wasted, and how she had always loved him. Tears running down her face, she sighed.

"It never goes away, not even when I sleep…everything reminds me about him."

"Then come to New York with me."

Dorothea raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"Come to New York…"

Dorothea shook her head.

"Harry…"

"No, not like that…we can take care of each other in a different way, God knows we've been though enough…get a fresh start, away from all of this." "Take some time to grieve, to be away from this place…to start over."

Dorothea looked down. Part of her knew D'Amour was making sense. Maybe some time away would be for the best. She had only been to New York a few times, always with Philip. Pausing, she took a deep breath. Maybe she needed time to start over. She was only twenty-five but felt much older. Thinking about a life without Swann, it hurt her deeply. She knew wherever she went, how many miles away…the memories would still be there.

Slowly getting up from the couch, she shook her head.

"I need time to think about it."

"Get back to me at the end of the week, if you decide to come I'll call the airline."

Nodding, Dorothea turned away before going upstairs to rest. She needed another pill to numb her from this awful pain. Going into the bedroom, she shut the door and felt dizzy. Tears rushed down her face before she held herself.

She wanted him back so badly…

She couldn't go on without him.

After another pill, she crawled into bed and found that the sheets smelled like him. His cologne and cigars. Resting her head against the pillows, she found this scent comforting. Looking out the window as the sky became dark, she heard rain drops hitting the glass. Laying there in the bed they had made love thousands of times, the bed where they made their son, the bed in which she returned to after he was gone. Laying there, she looked around. Yesterday she walked into his closet and began sobbing looking at all his things. Laying there, she shut her eyes, wishing the pain would just go away.

She remembered something that happened only a few months ago. Even though they were barley speaking, she remembered standing in the kitchen at night. Unable to sleep. He then came down, dressed in his robe before joining her. The two sat side by side, talking into the night and sipping coffee. Before they went back up to their own bedrooms, he looked straight into her face, brushing her hair away and softly kissing her.

Remembering that kiss made her fall deeper into her sleep.

"Dorothea…"

Dorothea opened her eyes before looking around. It was night now, she had been asleep for a few hours.

"Harry?"

She called out, but there was no answer. Looking around the darkness of her bedroom…she felt a strange chill. Slipping out of bed, putting her silk robe around her, she stepped up and felt her bare feet against the soft carpet. Walking over to the doors that lead to the balcony. She looked out. It was still raining out. Opening the doors, she walked out and looked down at the darkness of the pool. Rain hit it like glass. Standing there, she shut her eyes, enjoying as the rainwater fell on her soft skin.

"Dorothea…"

She then felt a hand on her shoulder. Pausing, she kept her eyes shut. She knew this had to be a dream. Pausing, she waited to wake up…finally she turned. There stood Philip, looking just as he did the day he died. His beautiful blue eyes gazing at her as the rain fell on both of them. Dorothea thought she would wake up and prayed she wouldn't…still she stood there looking at him.

"Is…this a dream?"

Swann smiled, the smile he used to flash her whenever he was on stage. Moving closer, his hands touched her face and held it. Dorothea nearly sighed…she had yearning to feel his touch ever since she watched the swords fall on him weeks ago. Shutting her eyes, she felt her insides shake. His tender and soft touch made her numb body feel alive. All of the pain and confusion she had felt over the last month drifted away. He was here with her and everything was going to be okay. She remembered the feeling she got whenever she thought of him at twelve years old. Feeling as though…

She could fly.

Slowly they began to rise a few feet above the ground, the rain falling down on them. Dorothea opened her eyes and saw they were floating. Laughing, she held onto him as he smiled. Tears mixed with rain.

"I'm so sorry Philip…I never meant to hurt you…"

"Shhh…"

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Holding onto him, her arms went around his neck as she moaned.

With a breathless gasp, she said…

"I love you so much…"

He pressed his forehead against hers, both locking eyes and smiling.

"I thought you were dead…"

"I'm free from my trap, I'm finally free."

"Don't leave me…"

She begged, running her hands through his still beautiful hair. Swann smiled holding her tighter as they raised.

"It's over my love, it's really all over."

"Take me with you, please…I can't go on without you."

"Yes you can, your stronger then me."

Dorothea shook her head.

"I don't love Harry like I love you…I'm so sorry, please don't leave me."

"You have your entire life ahead of you…"

She shook her head again, fighting off tears as her hair and skin became soaked.

"Not without you, please…"

She now saw that Philip was crying as he held onto her.

"I've always loved you, and now your safe to live your life…"

Dorothea clutched onto him, her heart beating fast.

"I don't care about any of that…I need you with me."

Kissing him again, she shut her eyes as they went into the night sky. She didn't care if she fell to her death, right now he was with her and that was all that mattered.

"Set me free Philip…please…"

Slowly they began to lower again, until Dorothea felt the ground touch her feet. Both stood there in each other's arms before Philip closed his eyes. Raising his hands, both went over Dorothea and his own body. Within the blink of an eye…Dorothea looked down at herself.

She was twelve years old, just as she used to be.

He was nineteen, smiling down at her.

She couldn't believe it. Looking down at herself, she was speechless. Swann stepped forward, his arms around her tiny waist before smiling.

"That's the end of magic…"

"Now set us free…"

She whispered. Slowly she closed her eyes and everything became comforting. She dreamed she was flying up with her husband. Hand in hand. Through the sparking stars before they found someplace in the desert. Someplace where they could be together forever.