~32~

Snow blanketed the miles that stretched from Harmony to the small airport, and blue lights flickered across Luis's stoic face. Sirens wailed as well, but Luis couldn't hear them over the roar of his own heartbeat.

Despite the flashing blue lights and frequent honking of his horn, the owners of the vehicles crowding the roadway in front of him seemed unmoved, or simply too harried, to heed any attention to his efforts at passing them by. They spared him nary a glance until he pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, the jeep bouncing across the rougher terrain and underneath a traffic light just before it changed to green.

Snowflakes dotted his windshield, chased away by frantic wipers, and Luis cursed under his breath as traffic again stalled to a standstill before the airport exit. A plane roared overhead, and the feeling of dread that had taken hold with Katherine's parting words tightened its fist-hold on Luis's gut, causing him to tap impatiently at his horn once again. "Come on," he bit out when the only response was traffic moving in a slow crawl ahead of him. The minutes seemed interminable to him before the airport, with its tall glass windows and warm yellow lights glowing through the thick snowfall, loomed in front of him.

The jeep squealed to a stop, and Luis didn't spare a second glance to the curious onlookers' stares as he wheeled around them, his dark eyes frantically scanning his surroundings. Grabbing the arm of the first uniformed person he laid eyes upon, he blurted out the number burned into his memory with the bitter taste of his regrets.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the man answered, carefully extracting Luis's hand from his arm, "but I can't help you."

"What do you mean 'you can't help me'?" Luis fumbled through his pockets for his badge until he remembered Maria and the snowman and swore under his breath. "Look," he took out his cell, flipping it open and skimming his phone book until the number to Sam's cell phone came into view, "Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. I'm with the Harmony P.D. The Police Chief can confirm it for you; I'll let you talk to him. You *have* to help me."

"I can't help you," the man repeated calmly, unblinking in the face of Luis's anger.

"Sam? Sam, listen. I'm…yeah, I'm at the airport. I need you to…yeah," Luis grabbed hold of the man's arm once again when he made a move to leave. "I'm going to let you talk to him." He thrust the phone at the man, dark eyes searching again, heart beating double time and stalling at each flash of blond that filled his vision. His heart stopped in his chest, though, when he heard the man's voice beside him snap with impatience, and his world, in that moment, stood still.

"I can't help him because he's too late!" In a softer voice he continued, sympathetic eyes focused on Luis's stricken face. "I'm sorry."

Voice rough with disbelief, Luis shook his head. "No. That's not possible. I can't be too late. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sorry, Sir. Really I am." He handed the cell phone back to Luis.

Numbly, Luis closed the cell phone, unable to think about saying goodbye to Sam and frowned at the stranger so uncomfortable in the face of his misery. "There has to be a mistake…"

"I'm afraid there's no mistake, Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald. The Crane jet has already left the runway for New York. A few minutes earlier…" he trailed off, giving Luis's shoulder an awkward pat.

A few minutes earlier, Luis thought as he lowered his chin to his chest in disappointment, feeling emotion wrap tight fingers around his throat.

Sheridan had left him and Marty and Harmony behind forever, taking his last chance with her.

Well, lookie who finally pulled his head from his you-know-what.

LOL!

To be fair, it's a tight race between who's been the more tortured soul in this fic, Luis or Sheridan.

Shaun picks Luis every time, and there's no reason she shouldn't.

But thinking about it from Sher's point of view, she's never been able to trust what little bit of love she's been offered in her life, and she has very low feelings of self-worth, so...

Too bad Luis was too late, huh?

Or was he?

Keep reading to find out.

Feedback is loved, adored, and clicked on with all the anticipation of a kid opening presents on Christmas morning.

LOL!

In short, it makes my day.

Thanks so much for reading!