Author's Note: Back with another chapter. I very much appreciate the reviews, and I certianly can't wait for more. They really do keep me encourged to continue the story.

Tony smiled gently and spoke, "How ya feeling honey?"

Michelle's mind still reeled. "What's... what's going on? Where…?"

"We're in the hospital Michelle. You were hit on the head pretty good. Do you remember?"

Hospital? What was that? Oh, right, a place where people went when they were ill or hurt. It occurred to her that it wasn't a place you wanted to have to be in. She tried to think about what had come before the hospital.

Suddenly images and memories flooded in, blood and an intense pain. The feeling of darkness surrounding her; shaking and weakness. Her eyes flew wide and she shook as though trying to erase the memory of the bathroom and recoiled into her pillow.

Then his hand was in her hair, rubbing gently at her scalp. "Shh... it's over. You're going to be okay. This feeling will pass."

It would have to pass without her, because she lapsed back into darkness.

The doctor had suggested that while Michelle didn't need to stay at the hospital any longer, she shouldn't be alone. She was certain that one of her friends would have volunteered in a heartbeat. But being as how her head was throbbing menacingly, she submitted to Tony's insistence that she stay with him. She didn't want to impose, but still she knew she would rather have him here with her than anyone else.

"Tony really I don't want to be any trouble," She stated while pulling on her shoes.

Tony walked over and put his hand under her chin, "Hey, I want you with me, plus you deserve a little bit of coddling."

She laughed lightly.

"Look, head injuries can be unpredictable. There's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone tonight, Michelle. Let me take care of you."

He drove to his apartment, checking between the road and her the whole way.

"You gonna be alright to walk Michelle?" he asked gently.

She nodded almost imperceptibly when they reached his apartment, lips pursed shut, as she reached for his proffered arm and pulled herself to her feet. It was a relatively slow progression to his elevator which had, thank god, been fixed last week. Stepping out onto his floor, she stumbled slightly and he shifted the hand at her back to her waist, holding her to his side as they walked the remaining distance.

"Do you feel like going to bed right away? It's been nine hours since you had anything to eat and I could whip us up a little frozen pizza if you want," Tony asked while letting her make her own way to the couch, but followed closely behind until she sat down.

"I could eat," she smiled up weakly.

In the living room, Michelle had stretched herself out on the couch, letting the smell and light clanging from the kitchen lull her in the direction of her subconscious. She might have been able to sleep if her head weren't also surrounded by a bubble of intense, riling pain. Her weary eyes scanned the room until they finally landed on a paper bag she had put on his dining room table and she made her way to retrieve it. A bottle of water, pop of a lid, and a gulp later she was back stretched out on the couch, waiting for the vicodin to take effect.

Before long, the sounds in the kitchen subsided and Tony backed out the door holding aloft two steaming plates. Tony set them on the coffee table and settled next to her on the couch as she slid to a sitting position.

"Not feeling good?" Tony asked, noticing her weak attempt to eat.

"No, I'm ok." Michelle replied, "I think my stomach is a little unsteady right now. I'm not sure a full meal is a good idea."

He smiled at her and gently kissed her on the nose. The dishes were cleared back into the kitchen, and when he returned, the woman on his couch was leaning her head back, pale and eyes winced shut.

"Want to try for some sleep?"

"It's just my head is killing me" She admitted. His heart broke for her, trying to find a solution.

"The doctor gave you pain meds right?"

She pulled her head forward and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, I took a pill before dinner. But apparently it hasn't gotten into my system yet. Maybe by the time I've gotten ready to sleep it will be a different story."

"Well then, let's get you ready to sleep."

Michelle sighed, "Thanks, Tony, for all of this. Um…would you with me tonight?"

"Of course, you think I'm going to let my Michelle suffer all this out on her own?"

They exchanged a smile and he led her down the hall to his bedroom, the one part of his apartment, she realized, that she had never seen. They walked in and she discovered it was surprisingly lush, decorated with dark wood and deep, resonant colors. A large bed with plush coverings was centered in the room, amongst a few well-worn armchairs and bookshelves. Tony disappeared inside his closet and emerged a minute later with an old, well-loved baseball tee and a pair of flannel pajama pants.

"How's your head, Michelle? Any better?"

Michelle grimaced, "Not really. I was just wondering if I should take another pill."

"Well let's try something else, shall we, before you start popping pills again and get yourself extra doped up?" He teased.

She took a deep breath. "I'm open to any idea that might get rid of the splitting pain."

Tony walked to the side of the bed. "Scoot forward," he directed. She did. Sitting behind her and leaning against the headboard, he pulled his knees up in front of him. "Okay, lean back." He reached to her shoulders and pulled her back gently against his legs so she was sitting supported and slightly reclined.

"Now, all you've gotta do, Michelle, is relax."

She hadn't anticipated that his hand to be so sweetly agile. She'd met his soft touch before on the few occasions when he'd guided her face toward his so he could examine her or meet her eyes, but that was hands acting as a whole.

Tony's hobbies were ones that built power of the hands in rigid positions. She had expected his fingers to be strong and rough, but not so nimble and practiced in fluid movement.

They slid through her hair and traced light circles at the base of her scalp. First exceedingly soft, his touch slowly gained more pressure until the nerves under her skin danced at the relaxation they imposed.

"That hurt?"

All she could do was to exhale a little pleased groan, which caught in her throat. Tony chuckled under his breath and spread his fingers to explore the rest of her head, steering clear of the large welt. She melted back against his legs and let his gentle fingers ease their way under the throbbing pain.

It was true that she was able to take care of herself, but something about him being next to her, the deep intimacy she felt, it felt safe.

Somehow it felt to her that she was relaxing into a deep feeling of trust that was working its way out from some hidden corner of her memory. There had been a time when she'd had a family home, and an implicit, comforting trust, before it had been snatched away when her mother died.

His fingertips massaged her head, trailed to her long neck and shoulders, and moved back up again. She didn't know how long he'd been at it, but she was fast sliding to a place where the pain, while still present, didn't register with her consciousness anymore.

"Goodnight Michelle," He whispered.

He laid down beside her, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

Michelle was alive.

But if they had been just a few seconds too late, she wouldn't be.

And that thought alone caused him to break.