By Meggie

The front door opened to a darkened living room. Remembering where the couch was from his first visit, Jeffrey quickly moved towards it and put Meggie’s rigid body down on the cushions.

"No…leave me alone," she muttered. I need to stand up, she thought. As if sinking in a deep fog, she struggled to center herself, grasping for some light, anything to hold onto and help her to stand.

Jeffrey had already turned on the lamps in the living room, and came running back down the stairs when he saw Meggie standing up, looking ready to collapse.

"Meggie, wait!" he called to her, hurrying to her side. In one smooth motion, he gathered her in his arms and carried her upstairs into her lit bedroom. All the time, she tossed her head side to side, muttering. "Meggie, stop, listen to me!" he said, trying desperately to get her attention.

She stopped for moment, looking up at him with pain etched in her face. "I’m going to get you into bed, okay?" Gently, he placed her body on the bed. She curled up into a ball, turning her back to him.

"Now, do you have something to change into?" he asked as he began opening a dresser drawer.

Meggie didn’t answer him. He stopped looking and turned back to check on her. Still curled up, she looked small, vulnerable in the large bed. Sighing, he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. This was going to more difficult than he had originally thought. Jeffrey approached the bed, dropped to his knees, and reached out to smooth her messed up hair. Her eyes were closed, the tears still damp on her cheek. Jeffrey wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"Meggie, darling?" he whispered, stroking her shoulder. No answer. Standing up, Jeffrey took a moment to study her. He had been short with her at the party, snapping after seeing Sid take Kate away. All he could think of at that moment was stopping the nano-rat. He knew what Sid was, not human at all, but a cold, hard, and deadly machine. Was Meggie right after all? Was he so consumed by his angry towards Sid that he blocked out everything near to him? He couldn’t let Sid get away with manipulating and using people, God he’d seen enough of that already, before, back home.

Home. He shook his head. Jeffrey wanted the Glen to be his home, but there seemed to be fences and walls suddenly surrounding him at every turn. In response, he closed himself off, shut down, drank, or focused on something else. Everything in the world he could think of doing except for the most obvious: sharing is feelings with Meggie. Following the New Year’s Eve party, they had begun anew…slowly, carefully, together facing the world.

He leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Meggie, I’ll be downstairs…if you need me. We’ll face tomorrow together. I love you, darling. Goodnight." Pausing for one last look at her still body, and placing a blanket over her, he turned and headed downstairs.

He was no more than a foot outside her bedroom room when Meggie’s eyes slowly opened. She started to say something, and then stopped. What would she say to him tomorrow? I’m sorry, yet again? Let’s try it, yet again? Their relationship just wasn’t working out. She couldn’t give him what he needed physically, anymore than he could entrust her with his emotional baggage. Closing her eyes, she felt the sting of warm tears beginning to fall again.

Downstairs, Jeffrey found the afghan blanket in the nearby rocking chair. Picking it up, he went to the couch and stretched out after turning out the nearby light. The blanket held Meggie’s scent, he thought, as he pulled it over himself. He lay there, staring into the darkness, wondering what exactly he would say to her tomorrow morning.

******

Morning light poured through her bedroom window. Sitting up, Meggie’s head began pounding and she felt confused. What had happened? She noticed she was still in her dress she had worn to the Australia Day party. Sid…Jeffrey…it slowly began to come back to her. She stood up, slowly, and walked to the doorway. She could see Jeffrey downstairs, asleep on the couch.

Creeping softly down the steps, she approached him. His face looked worn, tired. Entering the kitchen, Meggie came back with a folded piece of paper she set down near Jeffrey. She then quietly opened the front door and walked out.

A few moments later, Jeffrey awoke, thinking he had heard something. Sitting up, he quickly scanned the living room. The note on the table near the couch caught his attention immediately. Grabbing it, he opened it up and read the words inside.

An hour later, Meggie returned home. Hesitantly, she opened her front door. Would he still be there, waiting? Part of her hoped he was, despite what she had written. Inside, she saw the empty couch, the note on the floor. Jeffrey was gone.