The fireworks had died down now, and were a brief memory as people started to rise and leave. However Halle and JC stayed right where they were, still caught up in themselves. The kiss had ended a few minutes ago too, but their own fireworks had not died. However, they knew that they must find Josh and JC's parents. It was well time to leave.

"There you are!" Karen Chasez called out to the couple as Halle and JC tried to make their way around Cinderella's castle in search of them. She had spotted them first. "Did you two enjoy the fireworks? We're sorry that we didn't meet up with you in time, but the crowd was so large. It was impossible."

"I liked the green ones, Mommy! Did you see them?" Josh cried out from his seat in his stroller. "And the red ones, too!"

"Those were very pretty, Josh," Halle ruffled his hair playfully.

"We were worried, but we figured that you two would be ok so we decided not to miss out ourselves and watch them," Karen went on, a gleam in her eyes. It was such a strong coincidence that Mr. and Mrs. Chasez had found the two almost immediately after the fireworks were over. But if they had been planning it that way, Halle would be ever grateful they didn't interrupt. This was the one moment in her life where she had truly and completely been happy.

"What next?" Roy asked as the group began moving, following the crowd to wherever it was going. It was almost closing time, but some people still wanted to get in the last minute rides because the lines were shorter now that everyone was leaving.

Josh let out a yawn. "Home," JC said laughing. "It's been a long day for the little guy."

"Yes, it has," Halle agreed, looking at her son. "I think someone needs a little rest," she said, teasing Josh. He just smiled and yawned again as everybody laughed.

"Are you two tired?" Karen asked.

They shook their heads. "We were going to ask you if you were hungry, Mom and Dad, because we were," said JC. "But if Josh is tired, we'll call it a night."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Karen. "You two go to dinner. Roy and I will watch Josh."

"But, but aren't you two hungry?" Halle interjected.

"Lord no. Josh got hungry along the way, so we stopped to have dinner here. We're still full."

"But..." started Halle in protest.

Karen was quick to respond. "Halle, dear... shut up and go! Have a nice dinner at someplace secluded."

"But..." Halle started again.

Karen picked up right away. "You two really have tired us out in two days." She sighed for emphasis. "Now stop with the 'but's and go. I command you!"

That seemed enough for JC even though Halle didn't want to stop protesting.

"What about you, Halle?" JC asked, looking right at her. "Care to join me?"

"Hmm," she thought, smiling at him. Of course she would accept, but making JC go through the torture of waiting for an answer was quite amusing. "I guess so."

"That settled it then. You go and have all the fun you deserve and we'll watch Josh for you two, so that you can have some peace and quiet," Roy concluded.

Yes, they were all in on it, Halle thought. But she didn't mind this ganging up on her. This was the first time in a long time that she had accepted someone's charity, and she was actually beginning to like it. Not that it would become a regular habit. She was self-reliant and was determined to stay that way.

-*-*-*-

"Oh God," Halle panted, running into the restaurant frantically. She hoped with a passion that he was still there and hadn't already left. She was a good hour late and she knew he wouldn't be happy. Had she been in his place she would've been gone by then.

When they had left Disney, JC had driven his parents and Josh back to the hotel. Josh was tired but wouldn't be persuaded to close his eyes because he didn't want the night to end. Even when they had gotten the hotel, he still hadn't closed his eyes. He refused. Halle had sighed. JC and she had stayed there for a full half an hour trying to get him to sleep, but apparently it wasn't working.

Finally, Halle had tried another tactic. She had told JC to go to Justin's and get changed. She would call a cab and meet him at the restaurant. He had offered to pick her up, but she had declined. He'd finally reluctantly agreed to let her have her way and gave her the name of the restaurant he had planned on taking her. They would meet in exactly an hour. But something had happened...

She didn't know whether to be happy or scared that he was still there as she spied him, sitting alone. A mixture of dread and relief filled her when she saw him sitting at a table in the corner. His hands were folded, his elbows propped up on the table. His head rested on top of his hands, a look of worry on his face.

She hurried over, unaware of what his reaction would be, what was running through his mind. "I - I'm glad you're still here," she said hesitantly, pulling the chair out for herself and sitting down across from him.

No response from JC. He had glanced up at her when she first got to the table, but returned his gaze to where it had originally been before, minus the worry lines. He didn't want to acknowledge her presence.

"I - I wouldn't have blamed you if you left," she went on, hoping for any kind of reaction from him: scream, yell, even get up and walk away from her. Something, some reaction would have been all right so that she knew he was aware of what was going on around him.

"You're late," JC said, trying to hide the emotions in his voice. He was doing the best that he could to remain calm, to hold the facade. The truth of the matter was that he had been worried sick of what had happened to her, imagined the worst of things: she could be hurt, injured, sick. And he had imagined the worst yet: that she simply had decided not to come. When she arrived and he saw she was ok, only then did he allow himself to become angry.

"I'm really sorry, JC," Halle said sincerely, practically with him. "I really am. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to be this late. I - "

"I hope there's a good explanation for this," he said curtly, cutting her off.

For a moment, she was angered by his snippiness. She took a deep breath to calm herself, realizing, once again, that she would be feeling the same anger had the roles been switched. She needed to be patient with him. He was upset and saying some irrational things he would normally not say. At least, that's what she hoped.

"I do," Halle began. "I was - " She was cut off.

"Can I take your order?" the waitress, a perky brunette no older than seventeen, chirped, once again interrupting Halle.

"I'm not hungry anymore," JC said bitterly, not even glancing at her.

"I - I guess I'm not either," Halle pushed the menu back. She was famished in reality, but she wasn't going to sit there and eat while JC sulked. She turned to JC, "Um, I guess we better go then?"

JC stood up from his seat and headed for the door. Halle wasn't sure if she was supposed to follow him or not, but when he paused at the door, appearing to be waiting for her, she took the cue and arose from her seat to follow him.

They walked to JC's Jeep in silence. "I'm still waiting for an explanation, Halle," he said, although his voice was less angry than it had been earlier. He stood in front of the Jeep, his arms crossed over his chest, his face stony with no sign of warmth, only displeasure and anger.

He really is pissed, she realized.

"If you think I'm trying to avoid it, I'm not," she said crossly. "It's just really nice that I keep getting interrupted by everyone." Her tone was sarcastic.

"So spill it," he said, ignoring her sarcasm. "What's this brilliant reason for why you left me waiting in a restaurant for an hour looking like an idiot and having me think I was being stood up?"

"I said I was sorry, JC," Halle said, losing patience rapidly. Halle was beginning to become annoyed at his attitude. "Not like I was off having fun getting into a car accident anyways."

"What?!" JC demanded. Had his ears deceived him? A car accident? Was she OK?

"That's right, JC. The cab I called got into a car accident. I was having a ball waiting at the police station while he told them the story and another cab came for me," she went on sarcastically.

"Are you - are you all right?" JC asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her then, glad she was in one piece. With her getting upset at him now, he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. He realized he had been wrong to assume the worst of Halle.

"I'm fine," she sighed, trying to keep her temper in check. "On my way here, an old lady blew through a red light and hit us. She said she went through the light because the intersection was empty and she didn't think anyone was coming. We just were lucky that she only dented the car on the passenger side and that she wasn't driving all that fast."

"Josh," JC said quickly. "He wasn't with you, was he?" he asked as a precaution, though he knew he had dropped him off at the hotel.

She shook her head in response. "I left him with your parents."

JC didn't know whether to laugh or hug her. He was glad she was alright, but he had been so stupid to think that she would stand him up. No, Halle would never. She was too good to do something like that. She herself started to relax as it seemed his anger was subsiding.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked, concerned. JC looked into her eyes and saw the fear she was trying to hide.

"I - I'll be ok," she let out a deep breath.

"Ok," he said, then more firmly, "Now why didn't you call me?"

"I - I don't know," Halle stuttered. "I - I just didn't think of - bothering you."

"Bothering me?" he exclaimed. "Halle, you know my phone is on all the time for things like that! Now why didn't you call?"

"I told you," she argued. "I didn't think of it. I'm not use to turning to people for help, especially when it was something as trivial as that."

"What?! Trivial?! Someone could have been hurt!" JC exclaimed. "An accident isn't somewhere logical to prove your independence," he bit out.

"I wasn't trying to 'prove' anything!" she fired back. "And no one was hurt!"

"Hal, it's dark out there. You could've been seriously hurt alone out there," JC tried to show her the error in her thinking. "What then? Would you still have not called me?"

"But no one was injured, JC," she protested. Then she sighed. "This fight is really meaningless."

"Not really," JC muttered. He looked back up at Halle. They were both tired and most likely hungry. "Let's go back to the hotel, ok? We can finish talking there."

"Whatever." They got into his Jeep and drove off. Silence pervaded during the return, each one lost in their own thoughts.

She had been scared and nervous during the accident, but never once did the thought of contacting JC cross her mind. Maybe he was right, maybe her independence was taking over her again to the point of where it wasn't healthy. But how could he blame her for something that came naturally to her? It wasn't as if she was consciously thinking about her independence. How could he be angry at that? It had gotten her to that point in her life, so it couldn't have been all that bad.

Meanwhile, JC was cursing the same thing that Halle valued so highly, her independence. It wasn't as if he wanted to be the big, strong, macho one. He just wanted to know that she was ok. Was that too much of him to ask? It wasn't a minor thing, an accident, and she should have called him for help. Why hadn't she? It was her stupid need to be on her own that brought the argument about.

"Maybe we should just talk here," JC hesitated in the lobby. "I don't want Josh to hear our discussion."

"Are you planning on it being harsh already, JC?" Halle asked skeptically.

"It might, with what I have to say," he answered honestly.

She shot him a sharp look. "Oh?"

"Hal - "

"JC, I don't want to fight," she said, beginning to shut him off.

"Don't do this Halle," JC said desperately. "Don't try to shut me out again like you did Kel..."

She looked up sharply at him. "What - what did you just say?" she demanded slowly.

He gulped hard, realizing that he had just blown Kel's cover. "I, um - "

"How could you have known that? That's why she kept apologizing," Halle said angrily. "You talked to her, didn't you?"

"I - she called me," JC explained hurriedly. "Don't get mad at her, Halle. Kel was just trying to look out for you."

She felt so betrayed, she didn't know what to say. Now her best friend was divulging her secrets to JC?! How could she? She would have to deal with Kel later.

"Halle, listen to me," JC said desperately. "I'm just saying you should've called. I was worried sick, and to know that you didn't call because of your independence kinda ticks me off."

"Why are you so hung up on my independence?" Halle demanded crossly. No, she would not shut herself off this time. This time they would fight. Why was he being a jerk all of a sudden?

"Because I feel like I'm competing with it," JC finally exploded. "I feel like I'm waiting in a line behind a three year-old and your stupid drive to do everything by yourself."

Halle gaped at him. Now the truth came out, he had let the cat out of the bag. She couldn't believe she was hearing this from him.

"Excuse me?" she said, dumbfounded.

"You heard me," JC said then reiterated. "I feel like I'm competing with Josh and your independence for your attention."

She let out a harsh laugh. "I'm sorry, JC," she began, "but Josh will always come first in my life."

Until then JC didn't realize that he had been attacking the little boy as well. He hadn't intended for his words to come out that way, and remorse swept over him. He wished he could take some of his words back... some of them, but not all.

Halle couldn't believe the audacity JC had to even suggest that Josh not hold most of her attention. Her son would always come first. It was because of him that she was where she was today. Even though Josh had originally been a mistake, it was no mistake that he was still with her.

"I - I'm sorry," JC apologized. "I - I didn't mean to attack Josh. You know I love him."

"Do I?" Halle asked him rhetorically. "How do I know you weren't using him to get to me? Especially after that little tirade of yours."

"I would never!" JC exclaimed, appalled that she could suggest such a thing. "How could you even accuse me - " He stopped in mid-sentence.

"You said - " she picked up after he had stopped.

"I know what I said," JC sighed. "I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking and it came out. I was just trying to prove how stupid you were for trying to be so self-reliant."

"Stupid?" she echoed. "Excuse me for not feeling the same way, JC." Before she was trying hard not to get upset and angry with him, but now he was getting on her last nerve. "I honestly thought that my independence was a good thing, seeing as how it got me this far."

"And look around you, Hal," JC went on, almost flinging his arms out, turning her own analogy against her. "With the exception of a few people, you're alone! You won't let anyone in because you feel you have to do it by yourself, all by yourself. But you don't, Halle. There are some people out there who would love to help. I've been fighting you tooth and nail to show you that. I'm sorry that we weren't there when you needed someone the most, but we're here now. I'm paying for too many people's mistakes, Halle and it isn't my fault. I'm not your scapegoat, I'm your friend."

She just stared at him, not sure of how to react. He did have a point, after all. Her silence, though, worried JC and he once more feared that she was beginning to shut him out again.

"You've got to let someone in, Halle," he went on quietly. "You're too good to be alone forever." He saw through all her faults, from all the good times to the bad. Within her, he saw a heart of gold and a child, pleading not to be hurt again, hiding herself, as if by doing that, the pain would slip away.

Halle closed her eyes. She refused to give in to him. He didn't know what he was talking about, didn't know what it was like to have to rely on no one but yourself. He didn't know what it was like to be forced to do everything yourself because there was no one around to do it for you or even to just help out. No, JC had no idea.

"Maybe I don't want to," Halle said ruefully. "My independence... maybe it's the only thing I have."

JC looked at her incredulously. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing from her, coming out of her mouth. Did she really believe all the things she was saying? Why did she feel this way? Didn't she know that there were other ways?

"Are you stupid? Are you blind?" he demanded. "No, I know you're neither. So why are you talking like this? You know you don't have to be alone. You've got Kel, Josh, my family, the guys." He was upset now, but then he lowered his voice. "You've got me, Halle."

"As comforting as the thought is," she stated sarcastically, "I'm not so sure." She could feel herself begin to shut down, to shut him out. His comments were biting deep into her, hurting more than she thought she had let them. She was trying to control the pain she felt, but they were more caustic than she realized. She didn't want to hear his criticism then, and she didn't want to hear his suggestion on how to run her life, either.

"Apparently, JC," Halle went on in defense of herself, her voice slightly trembling. She was beginning to get a headache, a heavy throbbing pulsated behind her eyes. "Apparently I am blind and stupid. I'm not seeing things the way you are. I can't see how I'm supposed to throw away something that got me through life's blows. It was there for me when no one else was."

JC began to protest. "Halle, you know I didn't mean - "

She held up a hand, silencing him. "Maybe we were both wrong, JC," she said a little hostility. "Maybe we don't see eye to eye because we're not supposed to."

"I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean," JC's face wrinkled in confusion. "Please elaborate."

"JC, we're not supposed to be together," she said frankly. "Can't you tell? You are the type of person who wants to be involved, you want to help out. Then there's me, who doesn't look for anyone to help them out, who doesn't want the help. It's just not happening."

"Together, Halle?" JC repeated in disbelief. "I'm sorry if that's what you think I'm aiming for, but right now I'm talking about just making a call so that you wouldn't endanger your life. You've got to think. Next time, you could endanger someone else's life: Josh's!"

Her head was swimming. None of this conversation was making any sense to her. In fact, it was just making her head hurt even more.

"Don't you ever imply that I would put my son's life in danger. I'm fine, JC. We're fine," Halle said coldly, referring to both her and Josh, ready to put an end to the conversation. "Thank you for your concern. We don't need it." With that Halle headed towards the elevators.

JC hurried after her. "Don't walk away, Halle," he called after her. "Don't shut me out like this." Her words had stung him, but JC was too busy trying to stop her from walking away to think much of them. He was hoping that she didn't mean it, that she was speaking out of anger and frustration.

"Oh yes, you've been talking to Kel," Halle confirmed as the knives of betrayal twisted in her back. "Her and her apologies."

JC swallowed, trying to get his breath back to normal after he had raced to make the elevator. "She - she cares about you, Halle," JC said in defense of Kel. "She was only doing what she thought best in that situation."

"So, what?" Halle demanded as the elevator doors slid shut. "You two are conspiring against me over who gets to run my life?"

"Why are you blowing things out of context, Halle? She was doing it because she cares."

She didn't know how to respond to that. Deep down she knew that they were both trying to look out for her and Josh and that they meant well, but she didn't want their help.

"You know what, JC?" Halle said as the doors slid open to her floor. "Thank you."

"What? Did I finally knock some sense into you?" he asked with a bit of an edge in his voice.

"No, thank you for the great time in Orlando. It was fun," she was preparing to finish the conversation.

JC just stared at her confused.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"But..."

"Thank you." She walked to her hotel room and opened the door.

"Halle, wait! Come on, will you just listen to me?" he protested, chasing after her.

Halle took one long, hard look at JC. She tried to memorize his face, because it would be the last time she would be seeing it. "And to think," she began quietly, leaning against the frame of the door, holding it tightly shut, the knob turned, "that I was beginning to fall for you."

"Halle - "

But JC's words were cut off by the slamming of the door. He stared at it, thinking that the whole scene was wrong. He was on one side of the door, she on the other. And the door was closed.

He didn't know how he managed to place one foot in front of the other and make his way back to his Jeep. He didn't know how he managed to get himself back to his home. He didn't even think to go see Josh before leaving. All he could think about was how his heart was breaking.

-*-*-*-

Since when did it start raining? Halle thought, curling up in the chair by the window. After she knew JC was definitely gone, she went to retrieve Josh. She figured that Mr. and Mrs. Chasez heard part of their conversation from the hallway when they made no mention of their son to her, or how things had gone with him. They didn't need to ask, they already knew.

Halle gazed over at Josh, who was fast asleep in his bed. If he only knew what had just happened that night, if only he were old enough to be aware. He would be disappointed to the point of tears the next day when he would realize that JC, his best friend, wouldn't be there to see them off. But Halle would have to deal with that later.

She turned back to the window and watched as the raindrops dripped down the window, leaving streaks of water behind in its trail. How like her cheeks they looked, only she felt that she had been crying forever.

They had hurt each other, she knew it. They both said some dumb things; she couldn't get her stupid words out of her head. He was only trying to help. But no, she had to tune him out once again. Why? Because she knew that deep down he was right. Not only was that hurting her, but also the way she reacted. She was wrong. JC was trying to reach out and help her. In return she said some bitter things, practically spat in his face. She was more than surprised that he didn't just slap her.

Halle knew that she was stupid, blind, dumb. He had been right about everything, but she was blind enough to think that she had her reasons and that her reasons were justifiable. Her rationale was stupid, lame even. JC was right; she was too independent for her own good. It hurt her to the point of where she had shut out a lot of people from her life. And she was dumb for not listening to her heart.

"Mommy?" Josh sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Are you OK?"

"Shh, go back to bed, Josh," Halle crossed the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She gently stroked his forehead, coaxing him back to sleep. "Mommy will be all right."

"I love you Mommy," Josh threw his arms around his mother's neck and planted a kiss on her cheek before snuggling back under the covers.

"I love you, too, Josh," Halle said, fighting hard to keep her voice from breaking. Josh closed his eyes and curled up against his mother's side.

More tears stung at her eyes. He seemed to know when she needed those kinds of things, and for that she was grateful. But it hurt her so much, because every time she looked at Josh she could see JC. Everything he did, everything he said, had some slight basis in JC.

She returned to her seat by the window when she knew Josh had fallen asleep again. A sob escaped her throat, and Halle covered her mouth with her hands. She hadn't cried like this since New York, since the last time she saw JC. For a moment she thought that getting away from him would be the best solution, but she knew that she would only be running away from her problems. It would only make her feel worse, and that her crying wasn't because of JC but because of her own stupidity.

She had done it again. Halle had succeeded in shutting JC out, and once again winning another battle. He had tried desperately to make her see that he loved her, but instead she said good-bye. He hoped she meant a temporary good-bye, until he could bring her flowers in the morning and apologize and see them off at the airport, but somewhere deep inside he knew that the good-bye was more than temporary.

She was leaving tomorrow, and there would be no turning back, there could be none. Yes, she was falling hard for JC, and now she couldn't turn back. It would be for the better, she figured, if she stayed away. She didn't act stupidly this time and forbid JC to see Josh. That would be punishing Josh for something he had no part in. Josh was guilty of nothing, except bringing Halle and JC together. Lord only knew what pleasure it brought to Halle.

But despite her smarting words, she had a will to upkeep. This time it was for real. She had fallen too deeply, and she knew that she couldn't do that. The pain in her heart was very real and very new. It would take some time and plenty of effort to get over him, and she knew it. Kel was right; she had been in deep. She had been falling, she knew. The question now it seemed was could she stop? She shut her eyes tightly and blocked out the world. Yet there was one face that would not disappear: it was JC's. Would he haunt her forever?

-*-*-*-

He was confused. Where had he gone wrong? Sure their words weren't exactly the friendliest, but they weren't hostile either. At least, he hadn't meant them to be hostile. Was it too much of him to ask her to open up her eyes?

JC came to a red light and looked around him. He was at the intersection where the hall was located, the same hall where they had shared that magical night, the night of Cinderella. Of course, Halle had always been a princess in his book. She hadn't needed a night to become one.

A funny thought crossed his mind and he quickly pulled into the parking lot of the hall. The doors were locked, the garden closed off. He wasn't one to do anything illegal, but tonight he didn't care. Not after that fight with Halle.

Luckily for JC, the wall of the garden wasn't too high and he was able to scale it quickly. When he landed on the ground with a soft thud, he brushed himself off and looked around. Somehow it didn't seem as magical now as it had two nights ago. But Halle had the ability to do that, to light up a room when she walked in, to make things different. At least for him.

They danced on the same stone path. He had held her in the same garden. He had kissed her under the same sky, and she returned it. But now, now it was all lost.

And to think that I was beginning to fall for you.

JC slumped down onto the cold, hard ground and buried his face in his hands. Stupid, he thought to himself. Why did you have to press the issue? She was beginning to open up to him, and he could see that. She had admitted only a few moments earlier that she was slowly starting to give her heart to him, too. In one foul swoop, he had ruined it all.

Why couldn't he just accept the fact that they were ok and move on? No, he had to go and demean Halle's strongest personality trait and infuriate her at the same time.

She was leaving, he thought again. He felt a twinge in his heart, and began to wonder if heartbreak were a true physical condition. A tear streamed down his face. JC didn't know when was the last time he cried. Long ago, he figured, and it probably hadn't been over heartbreak. But now a hot tear streamed down his face.

Since when did it start raining? JC thought, looking up at the cloudy sky. His tears had begun to cool on his face, and it was only then did he realize that it had been raining.

But now it wasn't only raining in Orlando, but also in his soul.

-*-*-*-

The blueness of the sky didn't get to Halle. She didn't even notice it as she threw her things into the suitcase at a frantic pace. All she knew was that she had to get out of here, she couldn't stay any longer. She tried to tell herself she was rushing back to work, that she had important things to go and attend to, but who was she fooling? No one but herself. She knew why she was leaving, the real reason and she was prepared to face the consequences that followed. She had run away once, now she ran away again. It had worked last time, hadn't it? But this isn't last time.

She shook her head clear of the thought and kept throwing things into her suitcase, determined not to let him get to her, though he had been, ever since he left. Josh was still asleep at this early hour and Halle didn't want to wake him. Secretly, she had booked a flight for nine thirty in the morning. She didn't care about the price, she just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible and back to some normalcy. She couldn't handle it anymore, she just couldn't. And she couldn't turn back now, She had sealed her fate. She had made her bed. Now she would lie in it, as her mind had been yelling at her to do all along.

She wiped away the small tear that came to her eye, she was determined not to cry. Everything was falling apart and she was trying to get it back together, but it didn't seem to be working. She quickly hurried to the bathroom, were dropped to the floor. She needed a bit privacy, time alone with herself. She needed to collect herself and get on with her business.

She sniffed, it was already eight 'o clock. She couldn't stay here much longer. She needed to finish packing and call a cab to come for her. She let herself out of the bathroom after drying her tears and washing her face. On a whim, she stopped what she was doing and hurried over to the drawer in the nightable. She pulled it open, taking out a pen and the hotel stationary that lay inside.

She knew that Mr. and Mrs. Chasez weren't awake yet and well they shouldn't be: it was their vacation. However Halle felt bad for leaving like this. They had been so kind to her. She knew this was not in the least the thanks she needed to show them for their kindness and the gratefulness she felt. She couldn't help but sigh. No, this was no way to repay them at all.

She resigned herself and scribbled the note she would leave with the front desk.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Chasez.

Halle and Josh

She folded the note tightly into her pockets as she finished packing. She then called the front desk. "Hello," she said. "Could you please have someone send a porter up to room 1032 and, by any chance, could you get me a taxi?"

"Of course, ma'am," they replied.

They made it to her room quickly and loaded the bags onto the cart. She looked one last time around the room the see if she was forgetting anything. her eyes stopped on the flowers JC had given her. She had brought them over with her from the Marriott. "Oh, hold on, please," she called and quickly went and snatched up the white and red roses, holding them in her hand as they would disappear. She picked up Josh's sleeping form and walked out of the hotel room, closing the door tightly behind her. It was one step, just one step to closing off that time in her life. She moved to make the final ones, looking ahead, staring at nothing but waiting for the freedom she thought awaited her. Why was it she still saw nothing but tears?

She followed the porter into the elevator and down they went, silent in their trip. She couldn't help but feel it was a solemn time as she left. She sighed and stepped off the elevator, the porter behind her as the elevator doors slid open. Nothing was different but inside of her. People were laughing and talking, eating breakfast as they did most every morning. But her world, her world was changed. It was funny how tiny and ineffectual her existence was.

As the passed the front desk, she passed the note along to the manager. "Could you please give this to Mr. and Mrs. Chasez in room 1031 for me?" she asked.

He nodded in his busy day and turned to put the note in a small box where it would wait to be given to Mr. and Mrs. Chasez. "Thank you, ma'am." he said and she returned her room key, signing away. "I hope you had a good stay with us."

She nodded jerkily. "My time in Orlando has been one I will never forget."

"Good," he nodded.

"Oh," she started. "I asked for a cab. Has it arrived yet?"

"Oh, yes, of course. It's right out front."

"How far is the airport from here?" she asked politely.

"Conveniently no more than fifteen minutes, ma'am."

"Thank you," she said, resigned, and left.

"Good-bye," he called absently.

"You'll never know," she mumbled under her breath and got into the already loaded taxi, Josh still sleeping in her arms. "Good-bye," she whispered, and left.

-*-*-*-

JC groaned, only to find he wasn't in bed. It puzzled him, where was he? His back felt stiff and glanced around and saw carpet on the floor. What was the last thing he remembered? The garden... he remembered the garden well. He had stayed there for some time, curled up, just thinking. Despite all his time there, he still didn't understand what he had done wrong. Well, rather, he did know what he had done wrong. He just didn't understand why Halle found it wrong. There was something she could accept, but she wouldn't tell him what it was and she wouldn't accept it.

They had argued last night, maybe the most bitter argument they had ever had when he remembered she had said that maybe they were just not meant for each other. That hurt and she probably knew just how much. True, that was not what he had been arguing about at the start, but now more and more he realized that was what it had turned into whether either of them wanted it or not. Halle's accident had only been a cloak for something deeper.

He had known it, known it for a very long time. He knew Halle, as much as she didn't want to believe he did. He knew the pain she felt now, in the past, and the pain to come. He knew she was afraid and he knew what she feared. She feared the pain. Although she said independence had been her friend, it hadn't been. It had never been anymore than another cloak, another disguise, another mask. Because it tried to hide the wound she had harbored and still harbored. That's right, it was still there. It had never healed properly as she thought and a scar still remained.

Last night, last night it had all come out. He fully saw Halle for what she was and he knew she needed help. He wanted to help, but she didn't think she needed anyone's help. He sighed. He wondered why he bothered sometimes, but there was something inside him that kept on. She wasn't easy to catch, he supposed. He didn't like girls that were easy to catch... easy to do anything. But there was more than that. There had to be because she was downright difficult and he was still here. It was a certain quality about her that he saw and wanted, even envied: it was her devotion.

He sighed. He knew what he was going to do. He knew it before he woke up this morning, before he went to sleep last night. He didn't know what was wrong, but those few hours she had given him... he wanted those back. Without even having so much as to look, he dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.

He was surprised when the hotel main line picked up though. There was no answer from her room. "May I help you, sir?" asked what he assumed to be a concierge.

"Umm, hi. I'm trying to reach a Ms. Halle Lin.?"

"What room sir?" asked the concierge.

"1032," JC answered easily, as if he didn't have it memorized by heart already.

"Hold please," the concierge asked politely.

JC made no answer as the phone started ringing.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four.

Five.

Six...

Click. "Sir, Ms. Lin isn't picking up. Are you sure she's in?"

"Well, of course, she was in yesterday. Why wouldn't she be in..." His voice trailed off as he remembered the scene that had played out yesterday. He remembered what she said. She had told him she was leaving today.

"Sir, are you there?" asked the concierge when JC had paused for a few minutes too long yet. JC mouth was dry.

"Yes, yes," he answered. "I'm still here," JC assured. "Could you please to check to see if Ms. Lin is still checked in?"

"Of course, sir," he answered. "Could you hold please?"

The phone clicked off to another line. It was only a few seconds, but to JC it felt like a lifetime to know if she had really left.

The phone clicked back. "I'm sorry sir, she's checked out."

JC thought he had lost her. He racked his brain to find a way. Quickly he asked, "Do you know what time she checked out?"

"Nine 'o five, sir."

"Do you know where she went?" he asked more desperately.

"Hold sir, let me see if I can find out for you."

The phone clicked off once more. JC waited on baited breath.

Click. "The airport sir. A cab took her to the airport."

JC checked his watch. It was nine twenty-five. She hadn't left too long ago. And right then, he knew what he had to do. He shoved the phone away with a hurried thank you and grabbed his coat, unlocking the door with the speed of a road runner. He hopped into his Jeep and sped off. There was one word on his mind and one word only: airport.

-*-*-*-

The air around Halle smelled stale to her. Visitors milled around and scents of hot dogs wafted through the air, nauseating her, yet reminding her how hungry she was also. She was sitting, the window casting bright light on her. She moved to block it from her eyes and ended up taking a corner seat where she and Josh could be secluded in the shade. He was still asleep, his little body laying on her shoulder, breathing deeply. Halle herself was agitated. Her flight had been delayed for fifteen more minutes and she waited impatiently.

She was trying her best not to think about yesterday. She tried not to think much at all. She didn't want to. That's what had gotten her in trouble in the first place and she didn't want a repeat episode. She sighed and glanced at her watch for what must have been the hundredth time since she had gotten here. It read 9:34; she wished time would go faster.

She felt a little head lift from her shoulder. She turned her head and found Josh, now rubbing his eyes before looking at her fully. Then he looked around him, at his surroundings. They were unfamiliar to him and he turned back to look at Halle questioningly. "Where are we, Mommy?"

"Good morning to you too and we're at the airport."

"Morning, Momma. Why are we at the airport?"

"Because we're leaving today- in a few minutes. Are you hungry?" she asked. She had a little bit of food snacks stored in case he was, or she could buy him something right now.

He shook his head. "Well, that's ok, baby," she said. "There'll be food on the plane. I booked us first class." I couldn't get any other seats.

"What's first class?" he asked in his own little boy voice.

She laughed. "Well, it's what is considered the 'best' part of the plane," she answered.

"Oh," he said. "Where is everyone else?"

She looked at him confused. "Who is everybody else?" she asked.

"Everyone, the people who say good-bye to us."

Her heart broke at his words, truly broke. And she realized they were alone. JC had been right. She closed her eyes and told herself the old lie. We don't need anyone. I don't need anyone. I'm fine. She opened her eyes to Josh's wondering face. "It's early Josh. A lot of people are still asleep. Don't you want them to get their sleep?"

Josh nodded. He knew how important sleep was when his mother and Aunt Kel told him every night.

"Right," she answered. "I wanted to too, so that's why they're not here."

Halle had lied to the boy, something she hated to do, and told him that everything was ok. Now Halle was making him promise after promise just to keep him smiling.

"I love you, Josh," Halle cuddled the little boy.

"I love you, too, Mommy," Josh replied, wrapping his arms around her neck.

Tears stung Halle's eyes. Like in many Asian families, she seldom heard the words "I love you" from her parents when she was growing up, and although she knew that they did, not hearing them say it would occasionally take it's toll on her. Especially during her teenage years, the years of insecurity and rebellion, the years she needed the most support, she hardly ever heard them. There were times where she was spiteful, even bitter, about it, and now that she had her own child, she made sure that Josh knew he was loved.

Sometimes she wondered if she was raising him the right way, if her job as a single parent was satisfactory. Halle wondered sometimes if it would have been better for Josh to have a father. Not a father like her own, not a father like Raul, but someone else, someone who truly cared for Josh. Someone like JC. She physically shook herself free from the thought. JC was out of her life for good this time. She couldn't afford to keep him in her heart as she so desired.

"Flight 839 to LaGuardia Airport in New York is now boarding handicapped and first class passengers, along with children traveling on their own," the flight attendant announced. "Please make your way to the gate."

"That's us," Halle murmured, gathering their carry-on.

Her heart cried out, but there was nothing he could do to stop her from leaving. She was determined to not become dependent on anyone. If Halle truly wanted to stay, she would have. The fact of the matter stood, though; she didn't want to stick around.

The flight attendant took their tickets, tearing off the stubs. Halle, with Josh in hand, stepped through the door of the terminal. So this was good-bye.

-*-*-*-

-A few minutes before-

JC ran through the airport like wildfire. He immediately ran up to the first person he saw at the information desk at the airport. "I need all the flights you have leaving to New York from nine o' five and I need them now," he asked in desperation. The girl looked bewildered, but did what he asked.

"What airline, please."

"All of them!" he said in a frenzy. "I want each and every one you have leaving to New York beginning at nine o' five."

She checked the computer screen hurriedly. "Well, sir," she said quickly. "We have three."

"Can I have a print out of the gates they leave at?"

"Yes, sir," she replied and got straight to task.

"Thank you," he said quickly when she held the paper out to him. He grabbed it from her and ran. He ran to gate 42, the first gate listed. Passengers had not yet boarded the plane and he searched the crowd for Halle, but she was no where to be found.

He sighed and looked down. The next gate stood at 25 and he practically ran there. He arrived to see not a soul. Obviously they had already boarded. He ran a worried hand through his hair. What if this had been Halle's plane and she had left before he caught her? He prayed he was wrong.

The last gate was gate 36. He speed ran there, never thinking he had been faster. What he found there worried him just the same: people were boarding this flight. What if Halle had boarded before he could reach her? He desperately searched the line, waiting to hand in their tickets. What he saw then catapulted his heart to new heights, and also dropped it from there.

At the very front of the line were Josh and Halle, handing in their own tickets. For a second or two, he didn't know what to say, or do. He had planned none of this. Then he found his voice. "Halle!" he called. But he was too late. A second or two was all it had taken her to walk into the terminal. She didn't hear him, she was gone. JC's heart sunk, shattering it to a million pieces as, once again, he watched as Halle walked out of his life. The feeling of emptiness that JC had felt after they left New York returned, and in his depression, he thought he would never be complete again. Only this time, she was the one on the plane.

His heart seared from the pain and his hand brushed it as it lowered. Strangely though, his shirt was not soft. In his haste to see Halle, he forgotten to change. He'd forgotten to change last night too when he had stumbled in and fallen asleep on the floor, his tears dried on his cheeks. There was something in his pocket, a thin square object. A look of confusion crossed his face and reached into his shirt pocket and pulled it out.

What he found made him freeze right where he was, his breath become ragged as he fought to regain stability. The world had just gotten too small as he pulled out a picture, the Polaroid taken just yesterday, the one emblazoned "Newlyweds" in red.

Emotions surged through him as he held the picture in his hands, just staring at it. He wanted to tear it up, destroy it as if somehow it proved a point. Yet he wanted to hold it close to his heart, forever and never let go to try to prove another point. But all he could do was stare... and stare... and stare... and stare.

He looked at the two smiling faces, looking so happy, their arms around one another, looking so... well, in love. He had thought he was in love. Had she?. JC couldn't believe this picture, or that it was real, any form of 'real' that he knew had just been destroyed. He had been destroyed. He couldn't believe those people had been them, Halle and him. Maybe once upon a time. But once upon a time was over. It hadn't been a fairy tale to begin with. Love, he thought... where did it say you had to get your heart broken once to know what it was? Well, he knew.

-*-*-*-