Fallen Embers

Mike slammed open the studio door and quickly looked up and down the hallway. He didn't see the thin blonde, so he started toward her studio space. He opened the door to her space and found the guys tearing down and packing up the equipment. Sabrina wasn't there, so he closed the door and decided to try one last place.

He came to the outside door and leaned hard into it sending it slamming into the building. He strode out to the parking lot, his long legs quickly eating up the distance. He paused, shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked around for one particular vehicle. He smiled as he saw the little white Geo Tracker still sitting in the lot and started toward it.

As Mike came up to the truck, he could see Sabrina sitting there staring out the windshield into nothingness, alone in her own head. He knocked lightly on the window startling the blonde and bringing her back into the present time. She rolled down the window at his knock.

"You need anything?" Mike asked her quietly.

"Lunch actually." she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "As you can see, I am dire need of a meal."

"How about you and I go to Rudy's, grab some food, and maybe when you are ready we can talk." Mike said as he raised his hand to brush some stray hair out of her eyes. Sabrina smiled at the gesture, and nodded her agreement. Mike leaned into the truck and placed a gentle kiss on her check before walking away to his own car. The blonde watched him walk away and wondered what was going on with Mike as she started her truck and backed out of her parking place and turned to follow the bass player to his café.

They pulled into Rudy's a short time later and walked through the door. Charlotte glanced up when the door opened and saw the big boss man walk in with a woman that she didn't recognize. She wondered what the boss was doing coming in at a time when he was normally across town working. She shrugged off the thought and when over to grab drink orders. Smiling at Mike she teased him by placing a hand on her head and pretending guess his drink order.

"Let me guess, you want COFFEE?!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"How could you know that Dark Eye? You must have ESPN." He replied with one of his winks.

"I'll have my usual also please Charlotte." the woman beside Mike spoke quietly. Charlotte looked over with surprise at the sound of the familiar voice. DAMN she thought to herself. That car accident really messed Sabrina up. She looks like shit warmed over. "Sure thing." Charlotte said trying to cover up her surprised look. The hostess left quickly to fill the drink orders.

"You have to talk about this sometime." he said to the woman sitting next to him. Mike glanced over at Sabrina and saw she had her face hidden behind her hair. He again reached over to move the pieces back behind her ear so that her face was visible. She glanced at him, taking in his features as his face was saddened at her state of affairs. She offered him a weak smile and looked back down.

He gave Charlotte a smile as she placed their drinks on the table in front of them. As the hostess moved away, Mike watched as a single tear escaped one of Sabrina's eyes and saw the wet trail it left as it ran down her face to drop off into her lap and be lost forever. He waited for another tear to fall, but there were to be no more. Sabrina closed her eyes tightly and swallowed hard. She felt Mike's hand grasp her chin and turn her face to face his own.

"Why wouldn't you cry?" he asked softly.

"I can't. I'm scared. I can't let those feelings out, because if I do, I don't know what will happen to me. There is no one there to catch me if I fall." she whispered.

He closed his eyes at her words and thought about the words that he was going to say that would damn him to hell. "I'll catch you."

She nodded her acceptance to what he had said. Mike stood up and dropped a ten onto the table and helped Sabrina to her feet. Charlotte watched the pair walk out the door and saw that it looked like Mike was almost carrying Sabrina. It looked as though the older woman was unable to stand on her own. Charlotte wondered what was going on as she walked over to clean off the table and dump the never touched drinks.

Mike walked Sabrina out the door and around to the side parking lot where he had parked his car. He opened the door and helped Sabrina down into the passenger seat. Once she was settled, he walked over to the driver's side and got in. With a quick twist of his wrist, the BMW's motor started purr. He deftly shifted it and backed out of the spot and with another shift, he started the drive that would take them to his home.

A few times Mike looked over at Sabrina during the drive, but she just stared out the side window in a zone, not speaking and not looking at him. Upon turning down Mike's street did the woman finally speak.

"What about Brittney?"

Mike sighed as he felt like a dick when he thought about what he was going to say. "She is out of town, visiting her parents back East." He looked over again and saw the blonde nod at his explanation. He looked back to the street and felt like an ass, like he was purposely bringing her to his house with his girlfriend not being there. He shook his head at the thought and turned into his driveway.

Sabrina got out and followed Mike into his home. This was not the first time she had been there, though it was the first time she and Mike were ever alone there. She watched Mike walk over and remove his jacket and toss it carelessly over the back of a chair. He moved over to the couch that was in the living room and dropped himself down on to it with a groan. She saw that he was now staring at her from his position on the couch. She began to tremble and could fell the tears welling up inside ready to spill out in a waterfall. When he opened his arms to her, she launched herself into them with a cry.

Mike walked in foyer and draped his jacket over the chair that was there. He didn't feel like hanging it up. He walked over to the couch and lowered himself down to it soft inviting warmth. He leaned back with a groan and turned to see where Sabrina was. He spied her still standing in the foyer watching him. He could see that she was struggling with the emotions she was feeling. He held open his arms and with a cry she collapsed into him.

Mike felt Sabrina's body racked with the sobs that came from a broken heart. Her whole body seemed to shake as the cries came up from her core and washed over her in waves. He thought that she was going to rip apart from the sobs. It was those gut wrenching cries that were getting to him. She just wailed as the waves went through her. He shivered a little as he held on to her for dear life. She was so caught up in crying that she didn't notice Mike whispering into her hair. "I'll catch you Sabrina, I'll catch you."

Mike soon realized that the body racking sobs had ebbed much like the flood waters that came from her eyes. His shirt was wet from her tears and her hot breathe tickling his neck gave him goose bumps. Soon even the crying had stopped and Mike smiled when he saw that she had fallen asleep within his arms. A feeling washed over him, the feeling of protection for her coursed through his veins as he looked down upon her sleeping face. He slid his arms around her so he could stand up while still holding onto her. He carried her upstairs toward his bedroom.

He leaned over a little to reach the doorknob and twist it. He bumped the door open with his back and walked into the room. He gently placed his precious cargo onto the softness of the bed. He quickly removed her shoes and drew the covers up under her chin. He looked at her now calm face. The tears still stained her face but were now starting to dry up. He couldn't help himself as he brushed away the hair from her forehead. She looked so peaceful he thought to himself. Before walking away something drew him to place a kiss upon her forehead and a quick brushing of his lips to hers. He straightened back up and ran a hand through his hair as he went over to the couch that was in front of the TV. As he flipped through the channels looking for something to watch a memory came flooding back into his head. Remembering a drunk female voice singing I feel asleep watching Spike TV made him smile.

He must have indeed fell asleep because he awoke when he heard the click of the TV going off. The moon light shone high in the night sky and it's light washed the bedroom with it's glow. He could see Sabrina's form as she was bending over the TV set. He watched her stand back up and walk over to the patio door. He heard the gentle click as she opened the door and the sounds of her bare feet on the wood as she went outside. He could see her back up to the wall and slide down to sit upon the floor, with her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Soon he could hear the sounds pf her crying again.

Mike stood up and wordlessly walked over to the patio and went over to where the older woman was crying. He too slid down the wall next to her and drew her into his arms once again. That now familiar protective feeling rushed through his body again as he felt the weight of her body against his. He leaned his head onto hers and soon became lost in his own thoughts and never heard her speak until he felt her move her head to turn and face him.

"Michael?"

"Did I ever tell you how I love the sound of you saying my name?" he whispered into the space between their faces. The words hung in the air as she spoke again.

"Michael."

At the sound of her saying his name again, Mike leaned in and removed the scant inches between them and gently placed his lips onto hers. The kiss lasted only a few seconds and Mike quickly moved back and stammered, "I'm sorry." with a confused and guilty look on his face.

Sabrina moved her hands to grasp his face and pulled him closer for another kiss as she said, "I'm not."

Upon hearing those words and feeling her lips claim his, Mike lost what little control he had left. With a growl he pulled Sabrina unto his lap and hungrily crushed her lips with his. He wound his hand up through her hair and forcefully pulled her head back to expose her long neck. He dropped his head and started to leave a trail of wet kisses from the hollow of her neck and that traveled toward her ear. When he took her ear lobe in his mouth and felt her body shudder in his arms, he growled and stood up with her in his arms and carried her back inside to his bed.

Mike threw her onto the bed and locked gazes with her as her stripped off his shirt. He placed himself next to her and ran his hand down her body. As he moved his hand down her chest and past her thigh and down her leg, he could feel that the woman was literally vibrating under his touch. As he moved his hand back to her neck, he started to unbutton her shirt and she arched her back to meet his hand. Mike was amazed at what a sexual creature Sabrina was, and now understood what Tre used to say about their sex life. Mike lowered his head to hers and when his lips met hers, and they began the oldest dance known to man.