The wind was cold. It was very cold. She liked it that way. Her body went numb and she began to shake.

She couldn’t cope with the nightmares. She could before she left, but now they were always there. She closed her eyes and they invaded her thoughts as if her mind wasn’t her own.

She wrapped her arms around her body, but she couldn’t feel them. Her fingers had stiffened and arms were raw. But she could feel her legs. They were beginning to get warm again. That was the first sign.

It was a reminder. The cold brought her to the place where she truly was. It was desolate there, and cold. It was always cold. Her arms now held the bitterness her heart felt.  She closed her eyes and saw it all again; the people, the death.

Her teeth stopped chattering. The feelings were slowly subsiding into nothing.

After him there had been nothing. She wondered for so long why she needed this man to make her whole. Why she had avoided every relationship, every date. It was all because they weren’t him.

She had finally realized that maybe it was because of what he had done for her. He saved her life; there was no denying it, as much as she wanted to. It was because he had sacrificed everything for her. She owed him. She deserved to feel this way.

She had started it all anyway.

Michelle opens her eyes and looks back to her computer screen, trying to draw her attention away from Tony. How many times had she frozen half to death out on that cove thinking of him? Twenty times? Thirty? She had lost count. And now he was here. He was so close, and yet so far away.

He begins climbing the stairs. She tries to make it look as if she’s working, but she’s never been able to fool him.

He walks through the door. She tries to act professional, looking up at him and folding her hands. ‘He looks terrible,’ she thinks. She asks what he’s got, and he hands her a folder. She doesn’t really pay attention -- she’s thinking about him.

She gives an order, one that needs to be given, and he turns around to leave. She knows she has to say something.

She knew she needed to say something that day. After all, it may be their last day on earth. She wanted him to know how she felt.

She shook and looked down at the water below her. All it would take to end this would be one step. Just one. But she couldn’t bring herself to move. Her body felt frozen to the spot and her mind struggled with her heart to make her leave. She could only fight it so hard.

She could only fight her love for him so hard. She always lost. Every time.

“I didn’t sleep with him.” she states softly. He stops dead in his tracks and turns around to look at her. But instead of an accusing stare or snide remark he nods.

“I know.” he whispers. Her eyes question him, and he walks back over to explain. “Bill, uh… he thought he needed to explain.” he informs her, his hands on his hips.

“Oh.” is all she can think of to say. Why had Bill talked to Tony?

“Look, you were right. It’s none of my business. You’re not my wife anymore.” He can’t look at her as he says ‘my wife’ and she notices.

“That wasn’t your choice.” she whispers, closing her eyes and rubbing at a growing tension headache. He watches her. She looks very tired. He looks at his watch. ‘No wonder,’ he thinks, ‘It’s almost 12:30.’

“I think it was.” he replies, waiting for her to make eye contact. Sure enough, her head snaps up and she stares at him. “Michelle, I miss you like you were air -- but we were so in love, I must have done something to make you leave me.”

Her eyes well up slightly. “You weren’t the man I married.” she murmurs. He nods and turns to leave, muttering something about calling Division. “But he’s here today.” she calls after him.

Tony turns again. He sees a small smile on her face, and he returns it. “I think he’s back for good.”

Her smirk turns into a full blown smile. “Good,” she cries, a tear threatening to spill over. She stands and strides over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He’s surprised, but welcomes the embrace. He snakes his arms around her waist and kisses her neck lightly. They’ll talk later.

Arms tightly around each other again, they’re both thinking the same thing.

It might not be too late.

A tear fell down her cheek and froze on the way down. She closed her eyes and saw his face. He holds his hand out to her. He wants to save her. He wants her to come back to him. She reached out and felt the wind ahead of her.

She turned around and opened her eyes, looking back towards her car. She left it running as she always dd. It would be warm when she got back in. She picked up one foot and placed it in front of the other. She moved slowly towards the vehicle; towards warmth. She shut her eyes yet again and sees his arms encircling her.

She opened the door and got in, shivering. She sipped the warm coffee in the holder and sighed. She got in just in time. It hadn’t been too late

She smiles as she whispers, “It still isn’t.”