As the Dorman household was winding down for the night, Rita sat quietly on the edge of their bed.

"What is it, honey?" Norman asked her. "Are you still feeling exhausted?"

"Oh, no. That nap earlier today was just what I needed. I can't explain it, but I just have this nagging feeling about Oliver and Shane. She never replied to the thank-you text I sent her hours ago. It's almost 9:30." She bit her lip and gave her husband a distraught gaze. "Norman, I'm worried."

Norman nodded. "Okay. I know you are not going to get a good night's sleep until we know they're okay. Come on, let's take a ride."

"Thank you, Norman. I'll let Charley know that we're going out for a bit."

A few minutes later, they stopped by the O'Tooles' residence but quickly surmised that the couple was not home. Rita was already wanting to contact Dale, but Norman suggested they swing by the DLO first. As they drove through the parking area, they noticed Oliver's car.

"Oh my goodness!" Rita exclaimed. "Why are they still here, Norman? A newly wed couple working this much overtime doesn't make sense."

"I have no idea. You'd think they'd want to leave for dinner and maybe a movie."

"A movie on a weeknight?" Rita asked, perplexed.

"Just as good as the weekends," Norman answered confidently.

They checked the DLO, but the O'Tooles were not there.

"This is really strange, Norman," Rita commented, glancing around as they exited the lab area.

"I agree."

Rita furrowed her brow. "Hey, when did you take the box of stuff to storage?"

"I didn't," Norman answered.

"It was here this morning."

The Dormans looked at each other, thoughts turning in their heads. Without a word, they left the DLO to continue the search for their friends.

Shane stirred and shivered as a chill ran lthrough the space. Oliver laid his suit jacket over her and held her closer to him to keep her warm. Her head was tucked under his chin and she relished the safety of being in his arms. It was now well past nine o'clock and the temperature had dropped a little more.

As they lay in the small, windowless room, the light above began to flicker. Even with her head buried, Shane noticed. She raised up and looked at Oliver with wide eyes.

"O-Oliver," she spoke with a shaky, panicked voice.

"Shhh," he soothed gently as he looked her in the eyes and attempted to comfort her. "It's okay."

The lights flickered once more and then, as Shane had feared, they were left in complete darkness. The room was sealed tightly enough that no light passed through under the door from the hallway.

"No!" Shane whimpered. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

"I've got you," Oliver spoke softly but firmly, tightening his grip on her. "It's going to be okay, Shane."

Oliver didn't need to see Shane to know that she was terrified. He reached up and wiped the tears forming at her eyes.

"Sweetheart, I have an idea."

"You do?" she asked, her lips quivering.

"Yes. But it could be a little tricky, especially now that we've lost light."

"What are you thinking?"

"You still have that lighter in your purse," Oliver stated.

"I keep forgetting to take it out," Shane responded and then gasped. "Wait...are there sensors in here?"

"There are a couple. But they are sprinklers, honey."

"So?" she inquired.

"So if one goes off, we might get rather wet," he explained.

"But the alarm will sound and it will notify others of our location."

"Precisely. At least that's what I'm hoping," Oliver said wistfully. "I hate to put you in a water-logged situation, but I'm afraid it's the only option I can come up with."

"It's brilliant, Oliver. I can stand a little water," Shane assured him.

"Okay. I think it's worth a shot. Unless you would like to extend our stay until tomorrow." He smirked, even though she couldn't see him.

"Oh, no. I am ready for our bed. This pallet works, but there's nothing like the comforts of home."

Oliver chuckled. "Okay, let's do this."

They discussed their plans and slowly felt their way through the darkness to the desk where Shane's purse sat. She pulled out the lighter and made sure that the novel and Zella's letter were safely tucked away in the zipped handbag so that the contents would not be further damaged by water.

A few moments later, Oliver was standing in a chair holding the small flame from the lighter up to the sensor on the sprinkler head. Shane had backed into a corner of the room, as far away from that sprinkler as possible. Oliver could faintly see the outline of her figure in the soft glow from the small flame. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then, he heard a whooshing sound as air was released from the dry system.

Believing that he had accomplished his mission, he hurried down from the chair and stumbled a few feet after grabbing his jacket that Shane had laid on the desk. He held it over his head as he quickly made his way to his wife. He reached her just as the water came spraying out of the sprinkler. It was full force and hit Oliver's back as he held the jacket above their heads, using his body to shield her from the sharp streams of water. His forearms were against the wall and Shane was nestled safely as he towered over her. She felt some water hit her legs, but for the most part she escaped the blunt of it.

Shane rested her hands on Oliver's chest and giggled with glee. She was happy—no doubt they were soon to be rescued, and the way Oliver was protecting her now was beyond adorable. She couldn't help herself. She easily found his lips in the darkness and thanked him with all the strength she could muster. He responded with such love and tenderness that it melted her heart.

Sure enough, just a few minutes later, the maintenance supervisor on night duty, along with the fire department, had opened the door to the storage room to investigate what had occurred. Light from the hallway flooded the room as the door was opened. Oliver kept Shane under the jacket as he nudged her gently toward the door and out of the room. They were finally free.

Shane was quite emotional at their release, and Oliver was relieved. As much time as the couple had just spent in the storage room trapped together, they could not seem to take their eyes off of each other.

She smiled as she held back tears and gazed at her husband, the one who had guided them to safety, and whose head was now soaked from the sprinkler as he had escorted her out of the room. She was reminded of that night years ago, when he stood in the rain mailing a letter that would set into motion a course of events, allowing the two of them to share a precious life together. Shane realized that both now and then, his actions had been motivated by an undying love for her.

"Thank you," she whispered softly as she wiped away a trail of water from his forehead with her thumb.

Oliver took her hand and kissed it for several seconds, then pulled her close again. He thanked God that He had given him the wisdom and the means to escape the trapped space and bring his wife to safety.

"Are you hungry?" Oliver asked her.

Shane smirked. "I think you know the answer to that!"

"It's nearly ten." He sighed. "Once again, we missed our reservations at Montaldo's."

They laughed heartily and he stared into her eyes.

"Let's go to the diner for some nourishment, and then I am taking you home, my love."

Shane sighed and smiled fondly at her husband. "That is the best thing I've heard all day."