The ground under me is cold and hard. I didn't recall falling asleep outside, and for a moment I'm bewildered. I opened my eyes to a blindingly vibrant blue sky above me. Were the events of the past few days a dream? Or was I dreaming right now?

"Come on Faith. You can't laze around all day. There's a package to that needs to be delivered." A shadow falls over my body and a man is towering over me, blocking the sun from my line of sight. That voice is all too familiar and before I can react the man's eyes meet mine. I stay on the ground, stunned and unable to move. He was gone, torn from my grasp only a short while ago and now he's close enough to touch again. Maybe if I go along with what could only be an illusion, it would come true and I could stay here with him.

"Can't we just relax here together, Mercy?" I yawned lazily and slowly sat up. Normally I would get down to work right away but I wasn't feeling up to it especially since I didn't know whether I was dreaming or not.

"If you want to get paid I suggest you get a head start now." His tone was serious but loving, like he had always been to me. The lean man took a seat next to me. "What's wrong? Normally you jump at the opportunity to go out for a run." I didn't reply for a couple seconds. Slowly I reached out, brushing the fabric of his pants lightly with shaky hands. Even though he felt real, at this point I knew I was failing to convince myself that he could still be beside me now. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, and a heavy feeling settled in my chest.

"It doesn't matter what I do here does it? You're not really here. I'll never see you again and it's all my fault! I should have kept you out of this." I sat up and threw my arms around Mercury's neck, sniffling on his shoulder and trying to pull myself together. I was getting hysterical and I knew it. "I was the one who stole the evidence and got myself into this mess." Tears were flowing freely down my face. "I'm sorry Mercury. I got you killed. You can't even begin to feel the regret in my heart."

"It's not your fault." He pulled me in his warm embrace, something I would never experience outside of my dreams again. "They would've come for me sooner or later. It was only a matter of time." I snuggled closer to him, knowing that I would wake up soon and this moment would end. "Don't let them win. Never ever let them win." I remember he had said something similar before he had died.

I nodded. "I won't. I'll take out Callaghan, for you and the other runners."

Just like that, he was gone and I was sitting in a barely lit room, staring at the ceiling. Moonlight slipped through the slits in the vent and cast shadows across the small room. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, my hands became wet with my own tears. I was crying an awful lot lately, wasn't I? It was so unlike me. Right now, I just wanted to lay here forever and forget about everything. The whole city was against me and it looked like there was no way out.

"Hey Faith, you up?" My sister's voice broke my thoughts.

I considered not responding, not feeling up to talking to anyone after my dream. Maybe my sister could offer me much needed comfort. "Yeah. I'm don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep." I finally said back.

"I'm sorry. For getting you into this. If you didn't come rescue me the police force wouldn't be turning over every leaf in the city looking for you."

I sighed at her apology. It wouldn't change anything. "Kate, you know I'll always come get you. I wouldn't let you get locked up even if it cost you my life." I heard her sit up quickly.

"Because of me your mentor, your best friend… Is dead!" She almost screamed. "I'm sorry Faith! You told me the police force wasn't good and I didn't listen. I should have joined the runners with you all those years ago."

"It's not your fault." I was trying to convince myself this as much as I was trying to convince her. It was Callaghan's fault. If she wasn't in power than she wouldn't have put together the private police force that took out the people my sister and I loved. I got up and shuffled across the dark room, sitting down next to her. "The life of a runner isn't easy. Sometimes things like this happen."

"Don't bullshit me! It's completely my fault!" Kate's sudden outburst startled me.

"Shh. You'll wake someone else up." I tried to soothe her. Her distress was adding to mine and wasn't making things any easier.

"Kreeg went out to run some errands. There's no one else here right now."

"Errands? It's not safe out there! Do you know how many blues in this city are on the search for runners?" I almost broke out into a sprint as I searched the base for my shoes, which I vaguely remember taking off before I went to sleep. They were neatly arranged at the foot of the couch. I slipped them on over my feet, rough and calloused from years of running. The red and black tabi sneakers had molded to the shape of my feet, and were long overdue to be replaced but still I wore them. Merc had given them to me my first day on the job, and they weren't going anywhere now.

"Faith wait! You're not going for a run are you?" I see Kate's silhouette come to me, and she grabs my shoulders. "You're not thinking straight. Try to go back to sleep and I'm sure he'll be back when you wake up."

"I need air." I broke my sister's grip from my shoulders and climbed out of the top of the vent; confident she couldn't follow me out. This base was made for runners and someone like her would have a hard time finding, let alone getting in or out of it.

Countless stars dotted the purple sky overhead. The moon had begun to fade, and orange stained the horizon. Though I was unsure of the time exactly, I guessed it was around 4 or 5 in the morning. I was crouched at the top of the vent, taking in the view of the skyline. I didn't often visit this district of the city, having no business here. Jumping off of the vent, I broke into a run. I wasn't looking to find Kreeg. I needed comfort. Everything about my dream was still fresh in my mind. I could still feel Mercury next to me, as if he had never left.

The cool wind rushed through my hair as I jumped from building to building without thinking. I knew where I needed to be, and I was getting impatient at how long it was taking to get there. Why did Kreeg choose to make his home as far out of the way as possible? I continued my run, with only my heavy breathing and my fast heartbeat in my ears.

The jumps and obstacles I was crossing were becoming familiar. I proceeded carefully, cautious in case there were any blues around. I doubted there would be. They wouldn't really think I would be stupid enough to return to my old home after they had raided it, now would they?

Finally, my goal came into view. A hollowed out air vent that looked like nothing more than that to most people. To me, it held so many memories and I needed to see it again, even if it was risky. I dropped in through the ceiling, landing with a soft thud on my feet. My stomach sunk as I took in the state of this place. Papers were scattered around the floor as if someone had been searching for a document frantically. Chairs were knocked over, and some of the computers had been taken. I gritted my teeth in anger. The blues had not only murdered my best friend and mentor, but they had destroyed my home as well.

Remembering why I had come here in the first place, I turned my attention to the spot on the floor where I held Mercury for the last time. His body wasn't there anymore, instead only a single white lily in a vase and two red squares of fabric next to it. It was not yet wilted, and I figured a team of runners had come to take his body and give him a proper burial. It was the least he deserved after all he had done.

I sat on the floor next to the vase, admiring the simple beauty of the flower and lightly stroking the petals. I took the red fabric squares gently in my hands and realized they were the wristbands he always wore. Had one of the runners known I would come here and left them for me? I glanced around the room, remembering when it was fully intact, and the first time I met Mercury.

Scared, on the run from men with bad intentions and in need of money, I had fled to the rooftops through a fire escape ladder. There was a strange light coming from an air vent and I was surprised to discover there appeared to be someone living inside, though they weren't home at the moment. The computers looked expensive and I hadn't eaten in days. There was a pawnshop not too far from here, and if I sold some things I found in here I would be set for a couple days. I didn't notice him come in at first, but suddenly I there was another presence in the room. I had tried to fight Merc off, but being a runner had made him strong.

Instead of beating me up and kicking me out, he had offered to train me as a runner and let me live with him. Such kindness had taken me by surprise, but I accepted regardless. I was tired of living on the streets.

My body felt warm and fuzzy as I reminisced about so many years ago. Mercury had always been what a needed, whether it was someone to comfort me or at one time, even a lover. I closed my eyes and let the memories take over. I should have never let him go, even after he said our relationship wasn't right.

"Faith. Be safe out there." Mercury looked at me with warmth in his eyes and I returned a similar look. I had been working for him for a couple months, and was getting pretty good at navigating the city. I slid my feet into my shoes, preparing to go out to make a delivery. Back then; it was only he and I living together. Celeste only visited occasionally and didn't live with us permanently. We had developed a comfortable routine. I would go out and completely jobs while he would stay back in the hideout and keep me away from danger. When we were both at the base, we could talk comfortably and laugh. Maybe it was because he was the person I was closest to, but I began to fall for him. When I came back from the job that night, he had kissed me on the lips.

"Mercury! What the hell kind of joke was that?" I shouted at him, trying to will the burning blush on my cheeks to go away.

"Sorry Faith. You just looked cute and now seemed like the right time. Was I wrong in doing it?" The tracker grinned, slightly embarrassed by his actions.

"Don't play with my feelings." I punched him in the arm as hard as I possibly could earning a grunt of pain from him.

"Ow!" Mercury rubbed the spot on his arm that would probably form a bruise. "Faith… I would never. I just didn't know how to tell you I like you."

"What-? I thought my feelings were one sided."

"That's not the case. You're the most beautiful, talented runner… I'm so glad fate made you come crashing into this place." He leaned down placing another kiss on my lips, and I returned it letting the tingly feeling go from my lips to the tips of my toes.

I sat on the floor, smiling like an idiot at the memories of our first kiss. Another memory surfaced, one of our first and last night together. It was bittersweet, but still it made my heart beat faster.

"Hey Merc." I dropped down into the hideout, exhausted from my last job. The couch seemed to call my name and I threw myself at it, rolling over and exhaling loudly.

He got up and came over to me, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"You should sleep" The tracker suggested. "You've earned it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll sleep later." I brush off his words as I sit up, putting my arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. We kiss for a while before he pushes me back down on the couch softly, our breathing ragged. I feel his hand trail down and rest at my breast. We had only become aware of each other's feeling a couple weeks ago, but both of us knew we craved each other's bodies.

"Faith…" Mercury whispers.

I already knew what he wanted before he finished the question. He hadn't been with a woman since his ex-wife and I knew the lack of touch killed him.

"Go ahead." I give him permission to continue. Even though I had never been with a man in this way before, I had the desire to fulfill his desires and mine as well. I didn't know much about things like this except from what I learned in high school health class. All I knew is it would probably feel good and I wanted him to be the one to be intimate with me.

It hurt at first for me, but we soon found pleasure in each other's bodies. That night, I lay on the couch thinking about how good my life was at the moment. I was looking forward to many more nights like that, but fate had other plans. A couple days later he had come to me with earth shattering news.

"We can't be together like this." Mercury blurted out on morning as they both got ready for the day.

"What do you mean? Did I upset you?" I questioned, facing him.

"No! It's nothing like that. I really care for you… But I'm technically your boss. We just…can't." The ex-runner struggled to find the words. "Don't make it difficult. Please."

"I understand." I choked out before getting my gear on and taking off. I needed to clear my head, and running did just that.

Things were awkward for a little while after that as I struggled to kill my feelings every time I saw him. Soon however, things returned to how they were before like our love affair had never happened.

"Oh… Merc. I should have fought you when you said we shouldn't be together." I whispered out loud, clutching the wristbands tightly. I buried my nose in them, inhaling. They still held his scent, musky with a hint of cologne.

I let myself cry, not fighting back the tears. I was alone and no one would see me like this. Alone, without my closest friend by my side. Kate or Kreeg or any other runner couldn't take his place no matter how hard they tried. The warmth from my memories was quickly being replaced with grief.

I could feel myself become increasingly sad the more I thought about how he wasn't coming back to me. I curled up on the cold floor, trying to shut out reality while letting his comforting scent fill my lungs.