New York City, New York…

Ten days passed slowly and painfully for her and her big brother. The second day was when the phone calls began. By noon, she turned off her phone after getting too annoyed with the repetitive upbeat tone that didn't seem to help her depressed, confused mood. Nothing seemed to uplift her spirits. She just absently watched TV or did clerical work that she made Mark give her from his practice. Nothing seemed to faze her, and nothing seemed to ease her mind. For Mark, who at one time made it his life's work to make her happy, it seemed nearly impossible to see her in that condition.

It was late at night from what she could tell from where she sat at the window. The moon was large, and the stars were bright in contrast to the dark sky they lied against. The moon and stars seemed so foreign to her. In Seattle, thick storm clouds always hid them. There were few times it would clear up and the moon would shine down on the city like a big spotlight. New York's night scenery always seemed so beautiful compared to Seattle's, but the bright lights of the city seemed to interfere with it most nights. But nothing compared to nights in Arizona. Once a year when they were children, Ellis would take them to Arizona when she had to be there for a medical conference. After a day at the convention center, Ellis would take them out to dinner and for ice cream until late evening. Then, they would drive out pretty much in the middle of nowhere to watch the sun set and the moon and stars settle over the desert.

"Come on, Mark." She called in her excited seven-year-old voice as she pulled herself onto another rock. Her shoes shifting in the dirt slightly as she turned to look down at her thirteen-year-old brother who wasn't far behind.

"Don't go ahead of me, Mer. You could get hurt."

"Don't be silly, Mark." She rolled her eyes as she crouched down a little. "I'm not going to get hurt. But if you don't hurry, then will miss it!"

"Mer, we've been coming here for two years now, haven't you gotten a good idea of what it looks like?"

"It's different everyday." She said standing up straighter.

"Whatever." He sighed and pulled himself onto the same rock he had been one. "Come on. Only two more."

He started up first skillfully maneuvering himself the same way he had the year before remembering every change in the rock since the next day they'd be climbing the same one. He pulled himself on the top rock and held out his hand for her which she gladly took.

"Thank you." She sighed and turned to look out on where the sun was setting. Light blue that had made up the sky had given way to a deep blue almost black color. Layers of orange, pink, and purple lined the rest of the sky. Black silhouettes of cacti and other branchy shrubs made up the ground. Sitting down, she let out a content sigh, and Mark sat down beside her. "It's amazing."

"Yeah it is." He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Ellis pacing the area. She talked into her phone in low, calm voice.

They stayed as they were until night settled, and the bright moon shone over the area. Stars shimmered brightly, but not a cloud was in sight.

"What are you thinking about?"

She glanced over at where he was leaning against the doorframe before returning her eyes out the window. "Arizona."

He chuckled quietly, pushed off the door, and sat at the end of the bed. "God that was a long time ago."

"It was always so amazing. I never got tired of seeing it."

"It was amazing."

"We had some of our memories with Mom there. Like the time I fell off the big rock, remember that?"

She giggled and nodded. "I was… nine, I think. That would have made you fifteen. You and your spiteful ego were making an argument with Mom…"

"And I was climbing down the rocks in pitch black and slipped up on a branch or something that had grown out since the last time we had been down there."

"You fell flat on my ass."

"I think that was the first and maybe only time Mom dropped an argument and her phone to come help me." He chuckled.

"God, why did everything have to change? In that moment while Mom was trying to see if you had a concussion but you were too stubborn to sit still, everything seemed so easy."

"That's because you were too busy laughing you ass off to care about anything else."

"Yeah." She giggled lightly looking back at the room. "Maybe not caring is easier than caring."

"I know what you mean." She just nodded while silence hung in the air for a good five minutes.

"I think I'm going to take my baby down there at some point."

"To Arizona?"

"Yeah. Everything is peaceful there, and if this doesn't work out, we're going to need peace."

"It'll work out."

"You don't know Alex. He's not much of the responsibility kind of guy. He's like… he's like you."

"What's wrong with me?" He asked defensively. "I helped raise you pretty well if I do say so myself."

"Not like that. You aren't ready to settle down. Neither is he. Besides, our relationship is strictly sex."

He sighed and lied back on the bed looking at the ceiling. "Have you ever thought it could be more?"

"I…um… I…" She stammered looking at him. He turned his head and smirked. "I mean… have I thought about it? Yes. But he's Alex, for Christ sake."

"What's so bad about this guy?"

"You're actually rooting for him?"

"I will never root for any man in your life since all men are scum out to hurt my baby sister, but… What's wrong with him?"

She was silent for a long time continually opening her mouth and closing it. "He's Evil Spawn." She finally blurted causing him to lift an eyebrow. "He makes dirty joke… He's a womanizer. He… He cheated on Izzie! He would hurt me and my baby."

"He sounds like someone I know…" He joked remembering her using the same words to describe him a few years back. "If the fact that he's a 'womanizer' and makes dirty jokes, is the worst things about him then… that's not that bad. I know plenty of guys just like that who settle down to be family men."

"He cheated on Izz."

"That was Izzie, not you. There could have been circumstances or something you didn't know about. And you can't say that you don't trust him or that he'll hurt you seeing as you trusted him enough to sleep with him."

"He was a good lay."

"Oh God, I don't need to hear that."

"Besides there were no strings attached."

"There are always strings attached. Even if you don't realize it there is some part of you that has feelings for him." He sighed and stood up. "Now there's like a whole damn rope attached… He knocked you up, and now you have to try to do what's best for both you and your baby." With that he walked out.